Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: McLaren-Honda, Caterham, Mercedes and More
McLaren will give their new Honda power unit its first on-track running on Friday.
The engine will be sat in the back of a specially designed version of McLaren's 2014 car for what is officially a permitted "filming day." With their futures still uncertain, neither Kevin Magnussen or Jenson Button will take part in the test.
Caterham's future is also a little cloudy but a tiny silver lining is starting to appear. The administrator says he is 90 percent confident the team will race in Abu Dhabi, and it's likely to be an all-new, all-pay driver lineup.
Elsewhere, Bernie Ecclestone has revealed he has little interest in attracting younger fans, Toto Wolff has hit back at Christian Horner and FIA president Jean Todt has been scolded like a naughty schoolboy over alcohol advertising in Formula One.
Read on for a full roundup of the top stories of the last few days.
Toto Wolff Hits Back at Christian Horner Comments
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After Red Bull team principal Christian Horner's threat in Interlagos to force a spending war on engine development, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has hit back.
Autosport reported Horner suggested that if Mercedes do not cave in to the demands issued by Renault (via Red Bull) and Ferrari, they would use their votes on F1's Strategy Group to force a freeing up of the regulations.
This would inevitably lead to increased costs, with each supplier able to spend as much as they like to do whatever they wished.
But Wolff says this will not happen and claimed Red Bull's engine supplier, Renault, agrees with him. He was quoted by BBC Sport, saying:
"No serious company would allow a complete lifting of restrictions. Renault and Mercedes have full alignment...nobody can be in favour of an all-out engine war in 2016. None of the current manufacturers would be in favour.
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He added:
"We will certainly be very vocal if it's going to ever come down to a situation that somebody would opt for gloves off in 2016—full steam ahead into an engine war.
It's very clear how irresponsible that would be for the sport in an environment where we have just lost two teams, where we are talking about financial hardship for some of the other teams, that somebody wants to go gloves off.
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ESPN reported Horner also suggested F1 could go back to V8 engines. Wolff says this would lead to an exodus of engine manufacturers. The BBC article quotes him saying:
"If we dropped the current format, I can guarantee for sure that manufacturers would not be interested in supplying any other power unit because of the stability and sustainability of the sport and the road relevance of the hybrid technology.
We should be promoting the technology of those engines—we are doing races on a third less fuel than last year and going faster. Renault was very vocal in introducing these engines as a condition to stay in F1 and this is where we are today. All the other things being discussed are just funny.
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For all the difference in rhetoric, Mercedes and the other suppliers are not actually that far apart.
All suppliers have the opportunity to modify a large number of parts in their power units between seasons. Between 2014 and 2015, 32 upgrade tokens are available to each manufacturer, meaning they can change up to 48 percent of the open-to-modification components.
Mercedes are offering five tokens to be used in July. The Red Bull group wants 13.
Given that the alternative is zero tokens in July, and that Mercedes were under no obligation to offer any at all, maybe the Germans have an unassailable high ground on this particular occasion.
McLaren-Honda Receives First Shakedown
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McLaren will give their new Honda V6 turbo power unit its first run-out on Friday at the Silverstone circuit.
It will be the first time a Honda engine has been installed in an F1 car since the end of the 2008 season, when the Japanese company pulled out of the sport.
The team announced the news on Twitter.
"Getting set for Silverstone tomorrow for a filming day. We'll be parading the interim Honda-engined MP4-29H/1X1 & 2 classic McLaren-Hondas.
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) November 13, 2014"
The car, set to be driven by test driver Oliver Turvey, will be almost identical to the team's 2014 challenger, so it is covered by the heavy restrictions on in-season testing.
However, each team is permitted to do two promotional "filming days" per year. McLaren are using one of these to perform the shakedown.
The team's racing director, Eric Boullier, told Formula1.com:
"To make sure that we are ready at the launch of the new cars in 2015 we've decided to build a development car, as Honda needs to check all the multiple systems.
We also need to check the IT link between track and Woking and between track and Japan. So as not to have to focus on these things too much in the test season, we've decided to run a development car programme.
In terms of car design it will be very similar to this one. We don't want to burn money on unnecessary areas. We just have to make sure that some technical options for next year are already on the car.
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McLaren can do up to 100 kilometres, but those with passable memories will recall the eerily quiet opening day of the first 2014 test at Jerez. Eight teams managed to get out on the track, and between them they did a total of 412 kilometres. McLaren contributed zero.
Let's hope some lessons have been learned and they can reach the maximum without any major issues.
Caterham Seat Sale to Push Them over the Abu Dhabi Line?
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Caterham look set to travel to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix even if their crowdfunding attempt falls short.
The team are currently trying to raise the £2.35 million they say is needed to take part in the season finale. As well as asking fans to simply donate, the team are selling all manner of bits and bobs they found lying around the factory.
They're still short of their goal, but administrator Finbarr O'Connell said on Thursday they could still make it to the Middle East if they only miss out by half a million pounds or so. He told Daniel Johnson of Telegraph Sport:
"We are talking to a number of parties who could make a substantial investment. It is possible then if we got to £1.8million tomorrow and had pledges of £0.5million from sources then we could make an executive decision to go.
I don’t want to take the drama away but it could be that we get close with fans’ donations and then it is topped up by some serious investors. We are trying to sign contracts which will fill a big chunk. I still strongly believe we will be racing.
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The list of items for sale is extensive. Wheel nuts, suspension kits, rear wings, exhaust manifolds, turning vanes, race suits and wheel rims are or were all up for grabs.
But two critically important and very valuable "items" are not listed—Caterham's race seats for Abu Dhabi. Marcus Ericsson is no longer involved with the team and Kamui Kobayashi's seat has been for sale since the summer.
O'Connell told Reuters on Friday he was speaking to a number of drivers—some with super licences and some without—and was 90 percent confident the team would be in Abu Dhabi.
He added three potential buyers had also made enquiries, all credible.
Maybe we'll have 20 cars on the grid next season after all?
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European Group Calls for FIA Action on Alcohol Advertising
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The European Alcohol Policy Alliance (Eurocare) has written to FIA President Jean Todt requesting a ban on alcohol sponsorship in F1.
The letter (pdf), also sent to Bernie Ecclestone, says:
"The European Alcohol Policy Alliance is deeply concerned of the heavy marketing exercise seen in Formula One and is therefore requesting an urgent change. The association between drinking and driving should clearly be seen as a troubling one.
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It continues:
"Allowing alcohol sponsorship in Formula One seems to contradict many official guidelines for the marketing of alcohol. It runs against the EU Directive (2010/13/EU) which states that marketing for the consumption of alcohol should not be linked to driving.
Moreover, the current association between alcohol and driving does not seem to fall in the category of “the widespread promotion of responsible drinking messages”, part of the mission supported by the alcohol industry itself.
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The letter closes with:
"The European Alcohol Policy Alliance is requesting an end to alcohol sponsorship in Formula One and expects rapid action from your side. We are happy to meet to discuss this further with you.
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Whether or not alcohol advertising should be banned is a matter for lengthy debate. There are arguments for and against, and plenty of spaces on either side of the fence.
The teams with the most significant alcohol branding—McLaren (Johnny Walker), Force India (Kingfisher, Smirnoff, Royal Challenge) and Williams (Martini) are likely to argue against a ban.
And we can probably expect F1 itself, a sport which recently acquired an official whisky, to plant its flag firmly in the "no" camp.
Powerful lobbying groups like Eurocare will take the opposing view.
This may be an interesting one to follow but don't expect it to move very quickly.
Bernie Ecclestone Doesn't Want Young, Poor Fans
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Bernie Ecclestone has declared he has no interest in attracting younger fans to F1—because they can't afford to buy what the sponsors are selling.
In a long and unusually verbose interview with Campaign Asia-Pacific's Atifa Silk, the 84-year-old F1 boss also dismissed social media and said no one will miss Caterham and Marussia.
But the most revealing statement he made was regarding the audience he is trying to attract. Ecclestone said:
"Now, you’re telling me I need to find a channel to get this 15-year-old to watch Formula One because somebody wants to put out a new brand in front of them? They are not going to be interested in the slightest bit.
Young kids will see the Rolex brand, but are they going to go and buy one? They can’t afford it. Or our other sponsor, UBS—these kids don’t care about banking. They haven’t got enough money to put in the bloody banks anyway. That’s what I think. I don’t know why people want to get to the so-called ‘young generation.’ Why do they want to do that? Is it to sell them something? Most of these kids haven’t got any money.
I’d rather get to the 70-year-old guy who’s got plenty of cash. So, there’s no point trying to reach these kids because they won’t buy any of the products here and if marketers are aiming at this audience, then maybe they should advertise with Disney.
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For a man as intelligent as Ecclestone, that really is a shocking thing to say—but it's entirely expected.
F1's commercial rights are held by Formula One Management (FOM), a company which has ultimate shareholders including Ecclestone, CVC Capital Partners and a variety of other investment companies.
Their prime concern is how much money they can extract from whatever investments they make in the shortest possible time. What happens in the future isn't their problem—they'll have made their cash by then and bolted.
For this reason, they're giving no thought at all to F1's future.
Teams are failing, viewing figures are falling and sponsorship is becoming ever harder to attract—but none of that matters if a profit arrives at the end of the year.
Sure, the 70-year-old man buying a Rolex will make a sponsor happy today.
But 15 years from now, that 16-year-old kid will be subscribing to your channels, buying teams' merchandise and paying increasingly extortionate amounts to attend races featuring an ever-shrinking number of cars.
He'll spend enough for a dozen Rolexes.
At least, he will if F1 hasn't been burnt to the ground by then.
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