World Motor Sport Council 2014 - Doha
WED 03.12.14

FIA President Jean Todt welcomed members of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) ahead of the FIA Annual General Assembly and FIA Prize-Giving ceremony on Friday 5 December. He thanked Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation President and FIA Vice-President, Nasser Khalifa Al Attiyah, for his hospitality and welcoming WMSC members to Doha.

FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2015 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar is confirmed as follows:

15 March AUS Grand Prix of Australia

29 March MYS Grand Prix of Malaysia

12 April CHN Grand Prix of China

19 April BHR Grand Prix of Bahrain

3 May KOR Grand Prix of Korea (TBC)

10 May ESP Grand Prix of Spain

24 May MCO Grand Prix of Monaco

7 June CAN Grand Prix of Canada

21 June AUT Grand Prix of Austria

5 July GBR Grand Prix of Great Britain

19 July DEU Grand Prix of Germany

26 July HUN Grand Prix of Hungary

23 August BEL Grand Prix of Belgium

6 September ITA Grand Prix of Italy

20 September SGP Grand Prix of Singapore

27 September JPN Grand Prix of Japan

11 October RUS Grand Prix of Russia (Sochi)

25 October USA Grand Prix of USA (Austin)

1 November MEX Grand Prix of Mexico

15 November BRA Grand Prix of Brazil

29 November ARE Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi

The following decisions were taken:

Points

Points for both titles will no longer be doubled for the final Event of the Championship.

Standing Restarts

After consultation with the Teams who raised a number of safety concerns, Articles 42.7 and 42.8 on standing restarts have been rescinded.

Virtual Safety Car (VSC)

Following tests of the VSC system at the final Events of 2014, the introduction of the system has been approved for 2015. The VSC procedure may be initiated to neutralise a race upon the order of the clerk of the course. It will normally be used when double waved yellow flags are needed on any section of track and competitors or officials may be in danger, but the circumstances are not such as to warrant use of the safety car itself. The full text of the article is available in Annex I.

Suspending a race

When a race is suspended, the pit exit will be closed and all cars must now proceed slowly into the pit lane, not the starting grid. The first car to arrive in the pit lane should proceed directly to the pit exit staying in the fast lane, all the other cars should form up in a line behind the first car.

Team personnel or equipment on grid

If any team personnel or team equipment remain on the grid after the 15 second signal has been shown the driver of the car concerned must start the race from the pit lane. A ten second stop-and-go penalty will be imposed on any driver who fails to do this.

Power Unit Penalties

The replacement of a complete power unit will no longer result in a penalty, instead as specified in the current regulations, penalties will be applied cumulatively for individual components of the power unit.

If a grid place penalty is imposed, and the driver's grid position is such that the full penalty cannot be applied, the remainder of the penalty will be applied in the form of a time penalty during the race (not at the next race as was previously the case) according to the following scale :

o 1 to 5 grid places untaken: A penalty under Article 16.3(a) will be applied.

o 6 to 10 grid places untaken: A penalty under Article 16.3(b) will be applied.

o 11 to 20 grid places untaken: A penalty under Article 16.3(c) will be applied.

o More than 20 grid places untaken: A penalty under Article 16.3(d) will be applied.

Time Penalties

In addition to the existing five-second penalty (Article 16.3a), a new ten-second penalty (Article 16.3b) will also be introduced, to be applied in the same manner.

Unsafe Release

If a car is deemed to have been released in an unsafe condition during a race a ten second stop-and-go penalty will be imposed on the driver concerned. An additional penalty will be imposed on any driver who, in the opinion of the stewards, continues to drive a car knowing it to have been released in an unsafe condition.

Qualifying Procedure

The qualifying procedure was clarified: for cases when 24 cars are eligible seven will be excluded after Q1 and Q2, if 22 cars are eligible six cars will be excluded after Q1 and Q2, and so on if fewer cars are eligible.

Safety Car: lapped cars

Once the last lapped car has passed the leader the safety car will return to the pits at the end of the following lap, the race director will no longer have to wait for all the lapped cars to reach the back of the pack behind the safety car.

2015 F1 TECHNICAL REGULATIONS

- The weight of the car, without fuel, must not be less than 702kg at all times during the Event (up from 701kg).

- Changes have been made to the rules governing Wind Tunnel Testing and with regard to the aerodynamic reporting periods for 2015 and 2016.

- Any suspension system fitted to the front wheels must be so arranged that its response results only from changes in load applied to the front wheels.

- Any suspension system fitted to the rear wheels must be so arranged that its response results only from changes in load applied to the rear wheels.

- The Zylon anti-intrusion panels on both sides of the survival cell have been extended upwards to the rim of the cockpit and alongside the pilot's head.

NEXT MEETING OF THE STRATEGY GROUP

The FIA President confirmed that the next meeting of the Strategy Group would take place on 18 December, and would focus reducing costs, improving the show, making cars quicker and more difficult to drive, and reviewing the technical and sporting regulations, with the aim of simplifying the rules where possible.

ACCIDENT PANEL

A review of all the evidence and other information about the events leading up to Jules Bianchi's accident at the Japanese Grand Prix 5 October 2014, Suzuka, has been carried out by the 10-man Accident Panel, appointed by the FIA and chaired by Safety Commission President Peter Wright. The Panel has issued a 396-page report on their findings with recommendations for improvements, many relevant to all of motor sport. This has been presented to the FIA World Motor Sport Council, which accepted the findings and gave a mandate to implement the full recommendations and conclusions of the report. The summary issued by the panel can be found on fia.com.

CRITERIA FOR THE ISSUING OF SUPER LICENCES

A proposal on the conditions of attribution of the Super Licence was approved for 2016, on the basis of the following criteria:

1- Safety criteria

The following changes have been made compared to the current regulations:

- There is a valid driving licence requirement.

- There is a minimum age requirement (18yo).

- There is a verification of knowledge of the F1 Sporting Regulations/ISC rules.

2- Experience criteria

With the following changes compared to the current regulations:

- There is the 300km in F1 TCC or TPC_ as a minimum requirement.

- There is a 2 years minimum running in minor Formulas.

3- Performance criteria

With the following changes compared to the current regulations:

- There is a point system requirement, based on the driver results in previous Formulas.

FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2015 FIA World Rally Championship calendar is confirmed as follows:

25 January MCO Rally Monte Carlo**

15 February SWE Rally Sweden

08 March MEX Rally Mexico*

26 April ARG Rally Argentina

24 May PRT Rally Portugal

14 June ITA Rally Italy*

05 July POL Rally Poland

02 August FIN Rally Finland

23 August DEU Rallye Germany

13 September AUS Rally Australia

04 October FRA Rally France**

25 October ESP Rally Spain

15 November GBR Rally Great Britain

Note: The finish date given is the Sunday of the rally weekend.

* Subject to ASN's confirmation.

** Subject to Organisation Agreement.

- From 2015, the transmission of performance data or information to or from a competing car, not in relation with safety, is forbidden during special stages to help promote greater competition.

- In order to give greater opportunity to teams entering just one car in the WRC 2 and WRC 3 Championships for Teams, only the best placed car in a team will be taken into account for points.

- It is clarified that a car which has not started from the start line within 20 seconds will be considered as retired and will be able to restart under Rally 2 on the subsequent day.

- In order to give flexibility to non-priority drivers, it is proposed that these drivers may continue to use the previously homologated specifications of asphalt tyres for one additional year.

RALLYING

- From 1 January 2016, R5 cars will be recognised as the top competition car in the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) and the S2000-Rally 1.6 turbo car will no longer be eligible in these events.

- In order to harmonise the number of results counting towards ERC titles, the maximum number of events counting towards the ERC 3 Championship has been increased to seven.

- In order to reduce costs for ERC Junior competitors, the tyre lottery will no longer exist from 2015, enabling competitors to re-use tyres from one rally to another.

- When allowed in the rally Supplementary Regulations, Priority drivers may now be allowed to participate in the shakedown on ERC events, after the results of the Qualifying Stage are official.

- A specific Priority status will be assigned to drivers registered in the FIA R-GT Cup, enabling them to be seeded amongst the P3 drivers during the WRC and ERC Cup events.

- In order to help increase the number of participants in the FIA African Rally Championship, cars homologated by Motorsport South Africa, as well as historical cars conforming to Appendix K, will be eligible in the Championship.

- Similarly, in the FIA Asia-Pacific and NACAM Rally Championships, additional eligible categories have been added and the APRC series may also permit ASN approved cars to compete and score points. Eligible categories are available from the Championship Secretariats.

FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship calendar is confirmed as follows:

12 April GBR 6 Hours of Silverstone*

2 May BEL 6 Heures de Spa‐Francorchamps

13-14 June FRA 24 Heures du Mans

30 August DEU 6 Hours of Nürburgring*

19 September USA 6 Hours of CoTA – Lone Star Le Mans*

11 October JPN 6 Hours of Fuji

01 November CHN 6 Hours of Shanghai*

21 November BHR 6 Hours of Bahrain*

* Subject to ASN's confirmation.

A series of changes were made to the sporting and technical regulations for 2015, which are available on fia.com.

FIA WORLD RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

25‐26 April PRT Montalegre

15‐17 May BEL Mettet

23‐24 May GBR Lydden Hill

19‐21 June DEU Buxtehude

03‐05 July SWE Höljes*

07‐08 August CAN Trois‐Rivières

21‐23 August NOR Hell‐Lanke

04‐06 September FRA Lohéac

18‐20 September ESP Barcelona*

03‐04 October TUR Istanbul Park

17‐18 October ITA Franciacorta

27‐29 November ARG San Luis

* Subject to circuit homologation.

GT COMMISSION

The FIA GT Commission, in agreement with the Endurance Commission, has set up a new, single system for driver categorisation, valid for all disciplines and championships that wish to apply it. The FIA Driver Categorisation Regulations, the application form as well as the 2015 Driver Categorisation List are available at: http://www.fia.com/fia-drivercategorisation

The FIA GT Commission aims to launch a new Cup, the FIA GT3 WORLD CUP. A call for expressions of interest has been launched to identify a candidate interested in acting as the official and exclusive agent of the FIA for the organization and promotion of the Cup.

OFF-ROAD COMMISSION

Teams entered in the FIA World Rallycross Championship will be allowed to change their Drivers for each Competition.

It will be mandatory for all cars competing in the FIA World Rallycross Championship to use an engine control unit (ECU) approved and homologated by the FIA.

To allow confrontation between World Championship and European Championship Drivers during the qualifying Heats, before splitting them for the separate final phases, qualifying Heats of the World Championship may be shared with the qualifying Heats of the European Championship (and vice versa) in Competitions combining both Championships. Specific Semi-Finals and a Final for European Championship Drivers in the SuperCar Category will be introduced.

SINGLE-SEATER COMMISSION

The start of the FIA Middle East Formula 3 Cup has been scheduled for 2016. The FIA will launch a call for expressions of interest in order to designate a promoter / organiser for this Cup at the beginning of next year.

Changes made to the 2015 FIA Formula 3 European Championship sporting regulations are available on fia.com.

TOURING CAR COMMISSION

A Commission proposal to endorse and publish two separate and distinct levels of technical regulations has been approved. One is suited to a higher level of national competition and the second is suited to a more production‐based, lower‐cost level of national competition. These technical regulations will be known as FIA TCN‐1 & FIA TCN‐2.

TCN-1 are those technical regulations used in the British Touring Championship.

TCN-2 are those regulations used in the Argentine Tourismo Nacionale Championship.

Further changes made to the sporting and technical regulations are available on fia.com, including the introduction of a limit of only two changes of driver per season.

The WTCC calendar for 2015 was approved.

6-8 March ARG Termas de Rio Hondo

17-19 April MOR Moulay El Hassan

1-3 May HUN Hugaroring

15-16 May DEU Nordschleife

5-7 June RUS Moscow Raceway

19-21 June SVK Slovakiaring*

26-28 June FRA Paul Ricard

10-12 July PRT Vilareal

11-13 September JPN Japan (TBC)

25-27 September CHN Shanghai

30 Oct – 1 Nov THA Buriram

20-22 November QAT Losail*

* Subject to Event Promotion Agreement.

HISTORIC MOTOR SPORT COMMISSION

To reduce costs and improve safety, the maximum number of tyres that can be used per rally run on asphalt is to be set at 14, within the competitions counting towards the FIA European Historic Sporting Rally Championship.

HILL CLIMB COMMISSION

Full points will henceforth be allocated in all groups with at least three vehicles entered (changed from the previous number of five), in both the FIA European Hill Climb Championship and the FIA International Hill Climb Cup.

WOMEN IN MOTOR SPORT COMMISSION

A young talent category for female drivers supported by the Commission has been introduced. Miss Tamara Molinaro (ITA), a young Rally talent aged 16, was selected for the 2014 and 2015 years.

MEDICAL COMMISSION

New FIA Anti-Doping Regulations have been approved and will enter into force on 01 January 2015. They are compliant with the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code.

VOLUNTEERS AND OFFICIALS COMMISSION

An International Licence for all persons designated by the FIA to act as officials at an event will be launched at the end of 2015, as well as a FIA web platform dedicated to volunteers and officials.

APPLICATIONS FOR REGISTRATION FOR 2015 INTERNATIONAL SERIES

A list of 60 International Series, for the different disciplines presented by the ASNs, was approved by the WMSC, available on fia.com.

DRIFTING WORKING GROUP

A new working group has been instituted within the FIA to evaluate how Drifting could be handled by the FIA as a new recognized motor sport discipline, and should this happen, how the FIA would establish the basic safety, circuits and regulations standards. One of the main objectives is to help the ASNs with the process of recognising and implementing the discipline within their own motor sport structures.

FIA SPORTS GRANT PROGRAMME

The Senate and the FIA Sport Funding Review Commission, in charge of the management of the new Sport Fund, approved a range of projects presented by the FIA-affiliated sporting clubs (ASNs/ACNs). A total of 52 projects making a total of €2,121,083 will be distributed in 2014 under the FIA Sport Grants Programme.

ASN DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE

The Task Force instituted in 2012 announces the launch of the "Global Training Programme" which intends to offer a unique opportunity for the leaders of its 138 affiliated sporting clubs (ASNs/ACNs) to get access to training sessions worldwide. The objective is to help clubs to develop accessible, strong and sustainable motor sport in their respective countries.

FIA SPORT CONFERENCE 2015

The third edition of the FIA Sport Conference will be held from 8 to 10 July 2015, in Mexico City. It will bring together the FIA's 138 National Sporting Authorities and will showcase an enlarged FIA Sport MotorEx with exhibitors of the motor sport industry from around the world. Hosted in a 4,000 square meter exhibition centre, this will be a unique opportunity for the industry to meet the authorities that are responsible for the purchasing, prescription, regulation, selection and certification of motor sport at the national and international level.

2015 INTERNATIONAL SPORTING CALENDAR

The agreed international sporting calendar for 2015 can be found on FIA.com.

NEXT WMSC

The next meeting of the WMSC will take place on Friday 20 March in Geneva.

ANNEX I

Article 41: Virtual Safety Car (VSC)

41.1 The VSC procedure may be initiated to neutralise a race upon the order of the clerk of the course. It will normally be used when double waved yellow flags are needed on any section of track and competitors or officials may be in danger, but the circumstances are not such as to warrant use of the safety car itself.

41.2 When the order is given to initiate the VSC procedure a message "VSC DEPLOYED" will be displayed on the official messaging system and all FIA light panels will display "VSC".

41.3 No car may be driven unnecessarily slowly, erratically or in a manner which could be deemed potentially dangerous to other drivers or any other person at any time whilst the VSC procedure is in use. This will apply whether any such car is being driven on the track, the pit entry or the pit lane.

41.4 No car may enter the pits whilst the VSC procedure is in use unless it is for the purpose of changing tyres.

41.5 All competing cars must reduce speed and stay above the minimum time set by the FIA ECU at least once in each marshalling sector (a marshalling sector is defined as the section of track between each of the FIA light panels). All cars must also be above this minimum time when the FIA light panels change to green (see 41.7 below). The stewards may impose either of the penalties under Article 16.3a), b), c) or d) on any driver who fails to stay above the minimum time as required by the above.

41.6 With the exception of the cases listed under a) to d) below, no driver may overtake another car on the track whilst the VSC procedure is in use.

The exceptions are :

a) When entering the pits a driver may pass another car remaining on the track after he has

reached the first safety car line.

b) When leaving the pits a driver may overtake, or be overtaken by, another car on the track

before he reaches the second safety car line.

c) Whilst in the pit entry, pit lane or pit exit a driver may overtake another car which is also in one of these three areas.

d) If any car slows with an obvious problem.

41.7 When the clerk of the course decides it is safe to end the VSC procedure the message "VSC ENDING" will be displayed on the official messaging system and, at any time between 10 and 15 seconds later, "VSC" on the FIA light panels will change to green and drivers may continue racing immediately. After 30 seconds the green lights will be extinguished.

41.8 Each lap completed whist the VSC procedure is in use will be counted as a race lap.

Mercedes-Benz didn't just win the Formula One World Championship in 2014 – it positively dominated it. The team won all but three of the grands prix this season, scoring a one-two finish at more than half of them and landing at least one car on the podium at every race without exception. It goes without saying, then, that the German automaker thrives on competition, but now it's welcoming even more.

Speaking with Germany's Sport Bild at its homecoming celebration in Stuttgart, Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche welcomed Mercedes' biggest rivals Audi and BMW to join it on the F1 grid. Noting that the three German brands share some 80 percent of the market for luxury automobiles, Zetsche said that F1 would make a natural arena of competition for Mercedes, Audi and BMW to fight for top bragging rights. The three currently compete against each other in front of home audiences in the DTM touring car series – effectively Germany's equivalent to NASCAR – but of the ten races held this year, the majority were in Germany itself, and all of them took place in Europe.

BMW last competed in F1 when it bought the Sauber team in 2006, but withdrew from the series in 2009. Despite its progenitor Auto Union having fielded the famous Silver Arrows in pre-war grand prix racing, Audi has never been a player in modern F1 racing, though recent rumors have linked it to a potential foray – spurred by the arrival of sister-company Porsche on its home turf at Le Mans, the departure of several of its key endurance drivers and the hiring of former Scuderia Ferrari chief Stefano Domenicali. Porsche had similarly considered an F1 program before getting the go-ahead to compete with Audi at Le Mans.

As for the prospect of Mercedes competing in other international racing series, Zetsche added that year-long preparations for 24 hours of racing at Le Mans didn't present a good cost-benefit ratio in his estimation, but that Formula E (where Audi currently supports a quasi-works entry) would be worth a closer look.

The inclusion of the Korean Grand Prix onto the 2015 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar came as a little bit of a surprise. The event never really hosted any awful races during its tenure on the schedule from the 2010 through 2013 seasons, but after not being a part of the series in 2014, a return seemed very unlikely. The bolded "TBC" next to the May 3 round for 2015 suggested that the restored position wasn't a guarantee.

With the latest released calendar, the South Korean race is no longer listed yet again, according to AutoWeek. However, confusion about next year's season remains because the schedule still proclaims 21 events, but 20 are shown.

It's not clear whether the FIA actually has a race as a replacement or if this is merely a typo from the organizing body. There is a possible explanation, though. Earlier this summer, F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone told a British newspaper that a round in Baku, Azerbaijan, was confirmed for 2015 to replace Korea. There has been no mention of this event on the calendars as yet, but stay tuned.

It's plain to see that Mercedes developed a better engine than its rivals for the new V6 turbo era that kicked off this past season. The works team absolutely dominated the 2014 Formula One World Championship, and the independent teams the manufacturer supplied last season performed admirably under Silver Star power. Citing an unfair advantage, the other engine suppliers pressed the FIA to "unfreeze" engine development so that they could catch up, but while the motorsport governing body hasn't exactly acquiesced to their demands, a loophole in the regulations may give them at least some of the latitude they need.

The regulations allow the engine suppliers to perform a limited scope of modifications during the off-season, but while the intent was to mandate all the changes be completed before the start of next season, it turns out that intent wasn't specified in the actual wording of the rulebook. As a result, Ferrari and Renault (as well as Mercedes) will be allowed to make modifications to their engines – within specific confines – throughout the season.

Those confines come down to "tokens" under which the FIA has grouped the engine components. There are 66 tokens in all, 5 of which will remain completely "frozen" from modification. The remaining 61 can be modified as needed, but a manufacturer can only actually tinker with 32 of those tokens of their choosing – amounting to roughly 48 percent of the power units for next year. Over the following seasons that percentage will drop, according to analysis published by Autosport – to 38 percent for 2016, 30 percent for 2017, 23 percent for 2018 and 5 percent for 2019 and 2020. That is, assuming the same engine regulations are still in place by then.

Now if you're looking at those three engine suppliers (Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes) and wondering about the fourth, you're on to another catch. Cosworth dropped out of the series last year, leaving only those three, but Honda will be joining the grid with McLaren for next season. The Japanese manufacturer, however, will be required to submit its final design by February 28 – the same date, one year later, on which the existing suppliers were forced to finish their engines last year. So while Honda is naturally enjoying a bit of an advantage by developing its engine from the ground up (with the benefit of having observed how its rivals performed this past season), it won't have the flexibility of modifying its engines as the season progresses.

Formula One race cars aren't design to be pretty. They're designed to be fast. Sometimes, though, that renders a more or less aesthetically pleasing form, depending largely (these days) on what the teams' aerodynamicists cook up. But this past season, many of the cars were seen as downright ugly, if not obscene. That largely came down to the shape of the nose cones, but for next year that problem is being fixed.

Of course, the FIA is hardly any more concerned about the visual impact of an F1 car than their manufacturers are, but the motorsport governing body has fine-tuned regulations for next season so that the front sections are safer and provide better impact protection in the event of a crash – something which, let's face it, happens all the time in F1, and often at very high velocities. The upshot is that the cars being prepared for the 2015 Formula One World Championship promise to do away with those awkward nose cones, and hopefully, they'll be easier to look at for racing fans in the process.

Qatar has given the green light for ambitious plans to hold a Formula 1 grand prix on a new street circuit in the city of Lusail, AUTOSPORT has learned.

Following weeks of speculation that Qatar was evaluating a bid to become the third Middle East country to hold an F1 event, the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Ben Hamad Al Thani has thrown his official support behind a push to secure a GP.

But rather than previous suggestions of an F1 race at the Losail circuit that has hosted MotoGP since 2004, the plan is for the race to take place on a street circuit in the new city of Lusail, which has already been named as venue for the final of the 2022 football World Cup.

FIA vice president Nasser Khalifa Al Attiyah, who is the chief of Qatar's motorsport federation the QMMF, said that the government had asked that everything be done to finalise the race as it will help promote Lusail.

He suggested that the GP could happen as early as 2016, but there was a chance it would have to wait until the following season.

Qatar has built up good links with the FIA in recent months, having hosted the governing body's official awards ceremony last year, and with Al Thani having approved a request from FIA president Jean Todt to support road safety initiatives.

BAHRAIN NOT IN FAVOUR

Amid recent rumours about Qatar evaluating a grand prix, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone suggested that the fate of the race rested on Bahrain, which could veto the plan if it wanted.

Bahrain GP chief Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa at AUTOSPORT International 2015

Bahrain's F1 CEO Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa has denied that there is any clause in its contract that would allow it to actually block a race in Qatar - although he suggested that Ecclestone would be unlikely to let it happen without Bahrain's support.

He told AUTOSPORT: "The thing with Mr Ecclestone is how he values friendship. He appreciates the step we took [in hosting F1] - as we were the first people to take a chance [in the Middle East]. But I wouldn't read too much into [reports of an official veto]."

Al Khalifa has made it clear, however, that he does not believe the Middle East region should host another grand prix just yet, so he would be against Qatar getting a race.

"I think F1's culture is growing [in the Middle East], and we can see it slowly coming about," he explained.

"But my personal opinion of having another race - wherever it is - I don't think we are ready for that."

Formula One races switch venues all the time. Just look at the United States Grand Prix, which has changed locations more times than a family in the military. But the German Grand Prix is in the unique situation of regularly swapping between two locations: Hockenheim and the Nürburgring. This year was supposed to be the latter's turn, but instead, the race will stay at the latter.

The unique arrangement for one of the F1 calendar's oldest standbys has seen the race switch back and forth between the two rival circuits for over sixty years. It was held every year (with few exceptions) at the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife from 1950 until 1976. A new F1 circuit was later constructed at the Nürburgring, but the grand prix has been held at Hockenheim more times in the years since – including unbroken stretches from 1977 through 1984 and from 1986 to 2006.

That's when the alternating arrangement was penned between the two circuits. But after a long period of uncertainty, the Nürburgring was finally taken over by new owners last year (while it was Hockenheim's turn to host), and now those new owners have apparently proven unwilling or unable to pay the reportedly high fees demanded by Bernie Ecclestone and his Formula One Management company to host the race.

So instead of seeing the race return to the Nürburgring GP-Strecke this year, it will remain at the Hockenheimring. Whether it'll ever return to Eiffel, we won't know, but it's not as if the older track will be hurting for races this year, as both the World Touring Car Championship and the World Endurance Championship – both top-level, FIA-sanctioned international racing series – will be holding new races at the Nürburgring in 2015.

McLAREN-HONDA BEGINS NEW ERA WITH MP4-30
#McLarenHonda
#MakeHistory

McLaren-Honda – the name evokes stirring memories of the past; of Ayrton Senna battling Alain Prost for supremacy; of classic red and white machines dominating for season upon season; of an iconic team writing one of the defining chapters in the motor racing history books.
Reuniting such an illustrious partnership brings with it the heavy weight of expectation, but all at McLaren and Honda are working to write a fresh chapter in Formula 1, one that respectfully nods to the past, but boldly looks to the horizon.

Today's reveal of the new McLaren-Honda MP4-30 – McLaren's first Honda-powered car for 23 years – speaks volumes about the progressive nature of both companies. It is a thoroughly refined evolution of last year's McLaren, it is the only chassis on the grid to be fitted with Honda's RA615H Hybrid power unit, and it features an evolved colour scheme that firmly contextualises McLaren's brand in the 21st century.

MP4-30 – new technical DNA in the mix

In 2015 McLaren-Honda intends to maintain the momentum it achieved during the second half of 2014, when an intensive technical development programme for the MP4-29 allowed the team to establish a solid position within the chasing pack.

Relatively stable technical regulations between seasons have permitted our engineers to evolve some of the newer philosophies explored on last year's season-ending car while also adding some exciting new technical DNA into the mix.

Moreover, our restructured and strengthened engineering departments have gained the conviction to embark on a number of changes of direction. With that in mind, the MP4-30 has been developed to provide us with the most effective and practical base package. It is a foundation – offering up a number of new exploratory development paths for our engineers, aerodynamicists and drivers to pursue during the season, and on into next year.

The car has been aerodynamically developed over the winter, and the result is a pretty, elegant design with a refined nose-box solution, slimmed rear-end packaging – particularly around the gearbox – and the incorporation of an all-new power unit under its tightly contoured bodywork.
Honda: a truly bespoke engineering solution

The partnership with Honda is particularly exciting: to achieve success within the technical regulations requires a bespoke engineering solution that can be achieved only in collaboration with a works partner. Honda will provide the know-how, the expertise and the muscle to make rapid progress – and to keep pushing development, on all fronts, during the season. The partnership will be a work in progress, but it will only strengthen over time.

Achieving our ambitious targets will not happen immediately – winning in Formula 1 is a lengthy, iterative process, and one that will gather collective momentum from season to season – but, with the MP4-30 as a base, McLaren and Honda feel they are ready to make quick and efficient progress towards a successful future.

Partners new and old – a formula for success

The team's preparations for 2015 have drawn upon the considerable resources of ExxonMobil, who have been working with our new colleagues at Honda for two years on developing new technologies and formulations of Mobil 1 engine lubricants for the Honda V6 turbo. In turn, the team's technology partner, SAP, provides its secure HANA Enterprise Cloud solution which underpins the entire McLaren Group, strengthening and simplifying the way the team runs its data management and modelling.
There are significant milestones to commemorate in 2015: this year marks McLaren's 30th consecutive year of partnership with TAG Heuer, while both Johnnie Walker and Hilton Worldwide are celebrating 10 years with the team. Such long-standing relationships underline McLaren's ability to support and enhance any blue-chip brand's global marketing programme.

Joining us for 2015 are international news broadcaster CNN and professional services company KPMG, which have both formed important strategic alliances with the McLaren Technology Group. McLaren-Honda is also pleased to welcome back the global coffee brand Segafredo Zanetti, which first partnered the team during the original McLaren-Honda era.

Fernando Alonso will begin on-track testing of the new MP4-30 at Jerez de la Frontera on Sunday February 1st.

#14 Fernando Alonso
@alo_oficial
Age 33 (July 29 1981)
Grand prix starts 234
Titles 2 (2005, 2006)
Wins 32
Podiums 97
Poles 22
Fastest laps 21

"Although the winter period is a time for rest and relaxation from racing, my motivation could not be stronger for the new season. I've done a lot of training during the winter break, to reach my peak physical fitness, and I've been working hard in preparation for this new era of McLaren-Honda. I've never felt better, or more ready for a new season.

"Of course, we're prepared for a steep learning curve, but it's clear to see that inside McLaren-Honda there's total commitment, and a real change in feeling, as we start this new partnership. We're all focused on the challenge ahead, and I feel extremely honoured to be part of a relationship that has shared so much history together. My aim is to help write a new chapter in the history of McLaren-Honda. We understand the effort and teamwork required to take McLaren-Honda back to where it should be, at the front of the grid, and all our energy as a team is focused on that goal.

"Our first target will be to learn the maximum from the car at the pre-season tests, understand the package, and extract as much performance as possible. That won't be easy or trouble-free, but we're ready for that. Why? Because our key focus will be on development. Historically, McLaren has already been characterised by its ability to bring updates to the car quickly, and develop a strong package. It's going to be a real privilege to be the first person to drive the new McLaren-Honda MP4-30 at Jerez, and I can't wait to begin what I'm certain will be a very exciting new chapter in my career. I'm as motivated now as I was when I was given my first opportunity at the wheel of an F1 car.

"Last but not least, I'm excited to be sitting alongside Jenson [Button], a great team-mate and a very experienced competitor. Together we'll push the team forward, to learn, to progress, and eventually to achieve the best possible results together. We are ready for the new era."

#22 Jenson Button
@JensonButton
Age 35 (January 19 1980)
Grand prix starts 266
Titles 1 (2009)
Wins 15
Podiums 50
Poles 8
Fastest laps 8

"The off-season has really brought about a sense of renewal coming into 2015 – continuing my relationship with McLaren, getting married, and now embarking on such an exciting chapter: McLaren's new partnership with Honda. I've trained hard over the winter, and I'm absolutely itching to get going in the new McLaren-Honda MP4-30.

"It's been interesting to spend time in the factory during the past few weeks: you can really sense a feeling of reignited optimism and positivity around the building. I've never seen such motivation amongst the guys – we're all massively keen to get going in Jerez and to work hard on developing our new car. But we're under no illusion that it will be easy – there's a huge challenge ahead of us to try to pull back the gap to our rivals, but we're certainly up for it. We ended last season with great momentum and clear progress, and I'm determined to carry that forward into 2015.
"I'm also looking forward to working with my new team-mate, Fernando [Alonso], and I'm confident that our joint experience on track will pay dividends in our development race to get our team back to the front of the grid. I'm hugely motivated to make more history in this new McLaren-Honda era."

Kevin Magnussen
Test and Reserve Driver
@KevinMagnussen
Age 22 (October 5 1992)
Grand Prix starts 19
Titles 0
Wins 0
Podiums 1
Poles 0
Fastest laps 0

"Although, naturally, I was disappointed to not be selected for a McLaren-Honda race seat for 2015, I've put it behind me and I'm now fully focused on the year ahead.

"McLaren-Honda evokes so many great memories in race fans all over the world, and I'm really proud to be a part of this team at the restart of such an important and historic partnership. My new role as McLaren-Honda's test and reserve driver is a really important responsibility, and I'm determined to prove my abilities and show what I can do not only on track, but also behind the scenes in the simulator, analysing the data and giving valuable feedback to the engineers. Our fight back to the front of the grid is our main focus, so it's going to be down to me to work really hard to develop the MP4-30 and make a real difference to its performance in Fernando's and Jenson's hands.

"My aim is, of course, to return to a Formula 1 race seat as soon as possible, so I'll be giving it 100 per cent, both on track and off it, to build on my last year's experience, to show what I know I'm capable of, and to reward the McLaren-Honda team's faith in me by keeping me on board."

Ron Dennis
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Technology Group

"McLaren Technology Group is driven by the relentless pursuit of technological perfection, and, perhaps more than any other element of our portfolio, Formula 1, which is the remit and responsibility of McLaren Racing, and now McLaren-Honda, most famously epitomises that.

"McLaren-Honda is a partnership focused on performance, technology and innovation, and there's no better example of that than the results achieved in our first collaboration in the 1980s and 1990s. I was Team Principal all those years ago and, while I don't tend to like looking back to the past, our previous record of sustained success was certainly instrumental in creating the confidence to make the decision to partner with Honda again. Now, there's real hunger to demonstrate the capabilities of the huge talent pool we share between us, and I'm totally committed to driving progress and achieving further success.

"Although our renewed alliance began again many months ago, the launch of the McLaren-Honda MP4-30 marks the start of a lengthy journey. We've come a long way already and, although there's a lot of work to do before we can expect to repeat the level of success we enjoyed together 25-or-so years ago, it's already clear that there's enormous synergy and potential in our partnership, and I'm positive that, together, we'll get to where we want to be: winning Grands Prix and eventually World Championships as McLaren-Honda."

Eric Boullier
Racing Director, McLaren Racing

"The start of the 2015 season is actually the culmination of a period of great change, and change for the better, plus a huge amount of hard work from everyone in our team.

"It's almost a year since I arrived in Woking, and, together with Ron and Jonathan [Neale, Chief Operating Officer, McLaren Racing], began an extensive restructure within McLaren Racing. We're now seeing the benefits of that extensive restructure, and the result is a strengthened, skilled and efficient team, characterised by undimmed commitment from everyone throughout our organisation.

"For a team with such incredible heritage as McLaren, being able to build on our past successes is hugely important to us. It'll take time to attain the levels of success we aspire to, but you may rest assured that, in concert with Honda, we are totally focused on fulfilling the potential of our exciting new partnership.

"I firmly believe that our team is stronger than ever, and that it's in the best possible position to push the development of the MP4-30 forward. Progress is our purpose, and we've seen firm evidence of that from the very beginning of our renewed relationship. We acknowledge that our journey will require a huge amount of hard work, dedication and application from everyone involved, in both Woking and Sakura, but we're ready and committed to building on the foundations we've already established in order eventually to enjoy the results we crave.

"McLaren and Honda are completely integrated and united in our purpose, and we share a fantastic sense of optimism: that together, in time, we'll create another legacy of success."

Yasuhisa Arai
Senior Managing Officer, Honda R&D Co Ltd; Chief Officer of Motorsport

"Today is obviously a very exciting day for me and for Honda. It's not every day that you're involved in a launch of a new Formula 1 car and a start-up of a new partnership.

"As you can see with the new MP4-30, we've dedicated ourselves as one team with McLaren to creating a new car that compromises on nothing – either power or aerodynamics.

"Yet, in the midst of the excitement, both myself and our engineers are 100 per cent focused in both Sakura and Milton Keynes to prepare for Jerez and beyond. We're confident that the technology is there, and I'm looking forward to see how it will perform.

"We're about to commence a long season, with numerous challenges, but Honda is determined to face them head-on. After all, we're here to drive Formula 1's technology forward and give our fans a thrilling ride."

With the drivers signed and the new cars unveiled, the 2015 Formula One World Championship is just about ready to get underway with the season-opening Australian Grand Prix next month. But before it does, we got our first chance to see how the competition is shaping up when the teams gathered in Jerez, Spain, over the past few days for the first official test session of the season.

Looking at the lap times alone, it would seem that Ferrari is in the best form for the test session. In his first outing in scarlet, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel topped the time sheets on both the first two days, putting in a hot lap that was nearly a full second ahead of the next closest car and stood as the fastest time achieved by anyone all week. Kimi Raikkonen took over on the third day, clocking the second fastest time of the day as well, and clocked not only the fastest time of the day, but the fastest of the entire four-day session.

Arguably even more impressive, though, was Sauber, which typically languishes in the middle or at the back of the field, but performed like a front-runner during the test session: Marcus Ericsson clocked the second fastest time on both the first and fourth days. His rookie teammate Felipe Nasr did the same on the second second day, but topped the leaderboards on day three.

The returning champions at Mercedes, however, clearly took a different strategy that focused on endurance and reliability instead of hot laps. Nico Rosberg reeled in 157 laps on the first day (two or three times as much as any other team) and 151 laps on day three, while Lewis Hamilton racked up 91 on day two and another 117 on day three. Even while it focused on going the distance, though, the German team still managed to land in the top half of the time sheets on each day.

Other front-running teams had a bit more difficulty, however. Daniel Ricciardo suffered from mechanical issues on the first day, completing only 35 laps for Red Bull. His new wingman Daniil Kvyat busted the front wing early on day two, and without a spare, the team was forced to keep running with an exposed nose. The team ran a good second or two behind the leader throughout the four-day test session.

Things didn't go so well for McLaren either as it dealt with some early teething problems from the new Honda engine. Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, former champions both, only managed six laps apiece on the first two days, posting rather unimpressive lap times. Though Alonso completed a more respectable 32 laps on the third day and Button 35 on the final day, their best times were still far adrift off the pace.

Lotus had some trouble getting its car ready for the test session and missed the first day, but made some good (if unremarkable) headway on the subsequent days with Pastor Maldonado and Romain Grosjean behind the wheel. Williams and Toro Rosso were on hand for the entire session, racking up a good number of development laps and posting competitive (if not necessarily noteworthy) times on the leaderboard. Force India, however, was a complete no-show as its car wasn't ready for the test altogether.

Of course you can't tell from a practice session how a team will fare once the race season kicks off in earnest. And as Mercedes aptly demonstrated with its focus on going the distance, not every team is out to set the fastest times it can. But their first on-track performance of the year does give us what to look forward to, and as an early indicator, Ferrari and Mercedes - the most successful and most recent champions on the grid - are both looking in fine form.

Day One (Sunday):
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1m 22.620s, 60 laps
2. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber, 1m 22.777s, 73 laps
3. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m 23.106s, 157 laps
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1m 23.338s, 35 laps
5. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1m 23.906s, 73 laps
6. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso, 1m 25.327s, 46 laps
7. Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 1m 40.738s, 6 laps

Day Two (Monday):
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1m 20.984s, 88 laps
2. Felipe Nasr, Sauber, 1m 21.867s, 89 laps
3. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1m 22.319s, 61 laps
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m 22.490s, 91 laps
5. Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso, 1m 24.167s, 73 laps
6. Pastor Maldonado, Lotus, 1m 25.802s, 41 laps
7. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1m 54.655s, 6 laps
8. Daniil Kvyat, Red Bull, No time, 18 laps

Day Three (Tuesday):
1. Felipe Nasr, Sauber, 1m 21.545s, 109 laps
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1m 21.750s, 94 laps
3. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1m 21.982s, 151 laps
4. Felipe Massa, Williams, 1m 22.276s, 71 laps
5. Pastor Maldonado, Lotus, 1m 22.713s, 96 laps
6. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso, 1m 23.187s, 137 laps
7. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1m 23.901s, 49 laps
8. Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 1m 35.553s, 32 laps

Day Four (Wednesday):
1. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1m 20.841s, 106 laps
2. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber, 1m 22.019s, 112 laps
3. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1m 22.172s, 117 laps
4. Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso, 1m 22.553s, 97 laps
5. Felipe Massa, Williams, 1m 23.116s, 73 laps
6. Romain Grosjean, Lotus, 1m 23.802s, 53 laps
7. Daniil Kvyat, Red Bull, 1m 23.975s, 64 laps
8. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1m 27.660s, 35 laps

More, more, more. Racecar drivers always want more. And among the many things they want more of, power is arguably in highest demand. And with Formula One teams meeting next week to discuss engine regulations, more power might just be in the cards.

"We are all up for going faster and having more power. It creates adrenaline at the end of the day and that is why we do it," Red Bull ace Daniel Ricciardo told Autosport when asked about the idea of 1,000-horsepower F1 cars. "Maybe it could also separate a bit more the guys with a bit more commitment than the others – as going faster is always a good thing for us young kids."

Ricciardo rationalizes his position by pointing out that while the cars still represent a technical challenge, the slow and steady assault on their downforce and power outputs has led to a sport that isn't as much of a challenge for its drivers.

That doesn't need to be so, though. Autosport reports that F1's engine suppliers could boost output of the current turbocharged, V6 hybrids through small redesigns and increases to the fuel-flow rate.

"It would be nice to get that [speed] back and to have some corners on the calendar where the real good guys are taking it full [flat], and the ones who don't have that last bit of commitment are having a lift. That would be nice to get back definitely," Ricciardo said.

Autosport got a similar statement from another central figure at Red Bull, boss Christian Horner, who said the sport needed to "evolve."

"We have head room at the moment that we can make the cars go quicker, and we need to use that," Horner explained. "We need to make the cars more spectacular, harder to drive, so that the difference in drivers becomes more apparent."