After three hours of running in Melbourne, the fog of the winter pre-season has finally begun to clear. Lotus, like Mercedes and Ferrari, looks quite competitive, but "The front row will be all Red Bull," said Romain Grosjean. Lewis Hamilton agreed: "They (Red Bull) have obviously been sand-bagging the whole time in winter as expected. "But I don't feel we're miles away." With Mercedes confirming its pre-season promise, and McLaren definitely struggling in Australia, Hamilton's winter switch now seems inspired. "I'm not sure what's happening […]

Red Bull's new car is the slowest of all in a straight line, according to an analysis by respected German magazine Auto Motor und Sport. Based on the all-important final two days of Barcelona running last weekend, correspondent Michael Schmidt found that the RB9 (307.7kph) was 12.8kph slower on the long front straight than the quickest, the Marussia. Behind the Cosworth-powered Marussia, Ferrari-powered Ferrari and Sauber are next best with 316.7kph, equalled by the Mercedes-powered Force India. McLaren is next, followed by the fastest Renault-powered […]

Dr Helmut Marko has played down suggestions a clampdown on Renault's intended engine mapping solution for 2013 has hurt the performance of the new Red Bull. "Rubbish!" the team's outspoken Austrian told Sport Bild. It emerged recently that, following the engine mapping clampdown of 2012, engine supplier Renault and works team Red Bull assumed they could revert to different engine maps for the new season. The story, culminating in the FIA banning Renault's 2013 maps, coincided with an apparent struggle with the RB9 last week […]

As the sun set on the final day of pre-season testing late on Sunday, the words on everyone's lips were Mercedes and Red Bull. "Everyone is saying that this Mercedes is fast. Consistently fast," said respected Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt. Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko added: "(It is fast) at least on one lap. But at least we do have to take them really seriously." McLaren sporting director Sam Michael agrees: "Hamilton and Rosberg have been quick in all circumstances." On the […]

McLaren is yet to sign an engine deal for the new turbo V6 era beginning in 2014, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "Mercedes is pushing for a decision in the next days," said correspondent Michael Schmidt. The successful, title-winning McLaren-Mercedes partnership dates back almost two decades, but with Mercedes now with its own team, McLaren is no longer the 'works' partner. According to Schmidt, the solution could be Honda. "The question is whether the Japanese are coming in 2014 or not until 2015," […]

Having consistently played down his expectations for 2013, Lewis Hamilton is now predicting a win. Until this weekend, most pundits had been forecasting a Red Bull versus Lotus battle for the forthcoming season opener, with next-best McLaren and Ferrari perhaps slightly off the ultimate pace. But on Saturday, Lewis Hamilton exploded to the top of the times with the winter's best laptime. Nico Rosberg then went even quicker in the first half of Sunday, the last day of running before the circus heads off to […]

The F1 world was ruing the cold and wet Barcelona weather on Thursday, as the last days of pre-season testing began a fortnight ahead of the 2013 season opener. "I do wonder why we come here to test every winter," Pirelli's Paul Hembery is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport. "In the past we have talked about going to Bahrain. Maybe that makes more sense," he said. With more bad weather forecast, Hembery's frustration was widespread in the paddock. "Teams have never gone into a […]

Ahead of the final pre-season test and 2013 season opener, Lotus has played down a new controversy about engine maps. We reported on Monday that, after Red Bull were told to stop using certain 'maps' mid last season, the similarly Renault-powered Lotus was now also embroiled in a similar controversy. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said the FIA directive issued in August of last year still applied for 2013, despite Red Bull and Lotus assuming it related exclusively to last season's championship. But on Wednesday, […]

Hot on the heels of Williams and Caterham's dubious exhaust exit solutions for 2013, trouble could also be brewing for F1's two other Renault-powered teams. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports that, after Renault and 'works' partner Red Bull were told to cease using certain 'engine maps' last year, the same issue is now back on the table. Correspondent Michael Schmidt also said the similarly Renault-powered Lotus, who according to most pundits has been the second most impressive team of the 2013 pre-season, is also […]

The alarm in the paddock about Pirelli's 2013 tyres is growing louder with every day. The latest shock is the performance of the new 'supersoft' tyre, which - to the circus' collective surprise - will be supplied to teams in Melbourne next month. Williams' Pastor Maldonado tried the compound in Barcelona on Thursday, and - according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport - it proved not only unpredictable and heavily-degrading, but also slower than the harder 'soft' variant. But in truth, now is not the […]

Jenson Button has admitted McLaren is grappling with its new car for 2013. Unlike most other main rivals, notably Red Bull and Ferrari, McLaren - whose British driver Button won the 2012 finale in Brazil - did not simply 'evolve' last year's car for the new season. Red Bull's outspoken Dr Helmut Marko said this week he didn't understand why McLaren changed so much between 2012 and 2013. Mark Webber agrees: "This sport is hard enough - and the cars difficult enough to understand technically […]

Fernando Alonso was Thursday's fastest in Barcelona, but he was giving little away to the media. Livio Oricchio, the correspondent for Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S.Paulo, said the fact Ferrari is shielding the drivers from the press this winter is "angering" those in the media centre. At any rate, the so-billed 'shootout' between Adrian Sutil and Jules Bianchi for the last seat on the 2013 grid is attracting more attention anyway. Frenchman Bianchi is scheduled to drive the new Force India on Friday, but […]