Formula One 2013

[Lineker]

Infiniti Red Bull Racing (Renault)

#1 - Sebastian Vettel

#2 - Mark Webber

Scuderia Ferrari (Ferrari)

#3 - Fernando Alonso

#4 - Felipe Massa

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes (Mercedes)

#5 - Jenson Button

#6 - Sergio Pérez

Lotus F1 Team (Renault)

#7 - Kimi Räikkönen (Round 1-17) / Heikki Kovalainen (Round 18-19)

#8 - Romain Grosjean

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team (Mercedes)

#9 - Nico Rosberg

#10 - Lewis Hamilton

Sauber F1 Team (Ferrari)

#11 - Nico Hülkenberg

#12 - Esteban Gutiérrez

Sahara Force India F1 Team (Mercedes)

#14 - Paul di Resta

#15 - TBA

Williams F1 (Renault)

#16 - Pastor Maldonado

#17 - - Valtteri Bottas

Scuderia Toro Rosso (Ferrari)

#18 - Daniel Ricciardo

#19 - Jean-Éric Vergne

Caterham F1 Team (Renault)

#20 - Charles Pic

#21 - TBA

Marussia F1 Team (Cosworth)

#22 - Timo Glock

#23 - Max Chilton

The FIA has announced the full 2013 Formula 1 World Championship entry list, reduced to 22 cars following the demise of HRT.

Although several driver names are still 'tba' on the list - believed to be because teams have yet to allocate numbers to each driver - the only remaining vacancies are at Lotus, which is yet to confirm that Romain Grosjean will stay, Force India, Caterham and Marussia.

Paul di Resta is expected to keep one Force India drive, while Marussia will retain Timo Glock and is expected to add Max Chilton.

Sauber has signed Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez. Caterham has one vacancy but has confirmed Charles Pic. Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne stay on at Toro Rosso.

Of the drivers moving teams, McLaren signing Sergio Perez takes #6 behind Jenson Button, and Lewis Hamilton gets #10 at Mercedes.

No. Driver Full team name Chassis/Engine
1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing Red Bull-Renault
2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing Red Bull-Renault
3 Fernando Alonso Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari
4 Felipe Massa Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari
5 Jenson Button Vodafone McLaren Mercedes McLaren-Mercedes
6 Sergio Perez Vodafone McLaren Mercedes McLaren-Mercedes
7 Kimi Raikkonen Lotus F1 Team Lotus-Renault
8 tba Lotus F1 Team Lotus-Renault
9 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team Mercedes
10 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team Mercedes
11 tba Sauber F1 Team Sauber-Ferrari
12 tba Sauber F1 Team Sauber-Ferrari
14 tba Sahara Force India F1 Team Force India-Mercedes
15 tba Sahara Force India F1 Team Force India-Mercedes
16 Pastor Maldonado Williams F1 Team Williams-Renault
17 Valtteri Bottas Williams F1 Team Williams-Renault
18 tba Scuderia Toro Rosso Toro Rosso-Ferrari
19 tba Scuderia Toro Rosso Toro Rosso-Ferrari
20 tba Caterham F1 Team Caterham-Renault
21 tba Caterham F1 Team Caterham-Renault
22 tba Marussia F1 Team Marussia-Cosworth
23 tba Marussia F1 Team Marussia-Cosworth

Rule Changes from 2012

Sporting regulations

At the June 2012 meeting of the World Motor Sport Council, the FIA announced plans to introduce cost-control measures for the 2013 season, which would be policed by the FIA pending the agreement of the teams. This follows a failed attempt by former FIA President Max Mosley to introduce a budget cap for the 2010 season, and the withdrawal of Ferrari, Torro Rosso, Sauber and Red Bull from the Formula One Teams Association in December 2011 over the implementation of the Resource Restriction Agreement, a voluntary agreement between teams to limit costs in the sport.

Following HRT's omission from the provisional entry list, the grid was reduced to twenty-two cars, prompting a change to qualifying procedures. With twenty-two cars on the grid, six cars – instead of seven – will be eliminated during the first period of qualifying, with six more eliminated at the end of the second period. The third qualifying period remains unchanged, with the ten fastest drivers all advancing to the final ten minutes of qualifying.

The rules governing the use of the Drag Reduction System (DRS) will be altered. Where drivers were free to use the system at will during free practice and qualifying, from 2013, the use of DRS will be restricted to the designated DRS zone in a bid to improve safety. In response to this, the FIA announced plans to include two DRS zones at every circuit on the 2013 calendar where it was feasible to do so.

The FIA is seeking to remove the rules of "force majeure" to clarify scrutineering procedures. Under the rules of force majeure, cars must be able to return to the pits under their own power during qualifying or else risk exclusion from the results. However, if a team can adequately demonstrate that circumstances beyond their control forced them to stop a car on the circuit before it could return to the pits, then the rules of force majeure dicatate that the team and driver in question are exempt from any exclusion. Under new regulations, force majeure would no longer be recognised as a valid reason for stopping a car. These changes were first proposed in the aftermath of the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, when Red Bull Racing instructed Sebastian Vettel to stop on the circuit after qualifying. Although race stewards initially accepted the team's explanation that the order came because of an imminent technical fault that threatened lasting damage to Vettel's engine, it was later discovered that Vettel had insufficient fuel in his car at the time and had been ordered to pull over so as to preserve the mandatory one litre sample required for testing at the end of qualifying. As a result, Vettel was excluded from the results, and the changes to force majeure were put forward.

Following a crackdown on driving standard by race stewards in 2012, the FIA has sought to introduce a "penalty points" system of enforcing driving standards modelled on the points system used for road-going drivers' licences worldwide. Under the system, driving infringements would be assigned a points value that would be deducted from a driver's Super Licence when they commit an infraction. When a driver accumulates a pre-determined number of points, they face an automatic ban from racing.

The practice of mid-season testing, which returned to Formula One in 2012 after having been banned in 2009, will be discontinued in 2013 as part of cost-cutting initiatives.

Teams will be faced with an increased entry fee for the season. Whereas entry fees had previously been fixed at €309,000 (USD$396,637) for all teams, from 2013, entry fees will be based on the World Championship points a team scored during the previous season. Teams will now pay a basic entry fee of USD$500,000 (€389,525), plus USD$5,000 (€3,895) per point scored. The reigning Constructors' champions will pay at a premium rate of USD$6,000 (€4,614) per point scored. With a final tally of 460 points, Red Bull Racing were presented with an entry fee of USD$3,260,000 (€2,507,091).

Technical regulations

Changes to the rules in 2012 resulted in the development of a "platypus" nose, with teams designing cars with a visible change in height along the nose assembly of the car. The design attracted criticism, with Red Bull Racing driver Mark Webber labelling the cars "ugly" and Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali calling them "not that pretty". At the 2012 Australian Grand Prix, Charlie Whiting, the FIA technical delegate, announced that although the changes to the sporting regulations planned for the 2014 season would effectively remove the "platypus" effect, the sport's governing body is planning to phase the stepped nose out for 2013. The FIA later accepted a proposal that would allow teams to cover up the stepped nose with a "modesty plate", a panel designed to obscure the step without fundamentally altering the aerodynamic profile of the car or offering any aerodynamic gain itself.

The FIA will completely overhaul testing procedures for front wings in 2013, introducing a more-comprehensive and strenuous series of tests designed to root out the practice of exploiting flexible bodywork regulations.

The "double-DRS" system, first developed by Mercedes for the W03 in 2012 will be banned in 2013. The device, which used a series of channels that ran through the car to create a stalling effect over the front wing when the rear wing Drag Reduction System was open, thereby cancelling out the downforce generated under normal conditions, would allow the car to achieve a higher top speed and better stability in fast corners. The system was the subject of several legal challenges early in the 2012 season, and rival team Lotus developed a similar system of their own before teams agreed to a ban in July 2012. However, while the regulations specifically banned the system developed by Mercedes, they make no provision for the variant developed by Lotus.

Other changes

The Sixth Concorde Agreement – the contract between the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the Formula One teams and the Formula One Administration which dictates the terms by which the teams compete in races and take their share of the television revenues and prize money – which was first ratified by teams in 2009 expires at the end of 2012, necessitating the creation of the Seventh Concorde Agreement. As part of the renewed Agreement, the commercial rights to the sport were to be floated on the Singapore Stock Exchange; however, in June 2012 the planned floatation was delayed, with weak markets, uncertainty within Europe over the continent's economic future, and Facebook's disappointing IPO cited as reasons for the delay.

The sport's decision-making process will be restructured. Prior to 2013, any decision to change the sporting or technical regulations required the agreement of at least 70% (or nine votes) of the teams in order for those changes to be accepted. From 2013 onwards, those changes will only need a 51% majority (seven teams) in order to be approved. The Technical and Sporting Working Groups, the committees responsible for deciding upon the technical and sporting regulations, will also be disbanded in favour of a "Strategy Working Group" that will oversee both technical and sporting regulations and will be made up of representatives from each of the teams that scored points in the previous season's championship, the FIA, Formula One Management, one engine supplier and six event promoters. FIA President Jean Todt described the changes as necessary and designed to give each of the stakeholders in the sport a proportionate representation in deciding the future of Formula One.

[Katsuya]

There will be 20 races next year, with Turkey set to return.

[Lineker]

The 2013 German Grand Prix has been moved forward one week to accommodate another European race, the FIA World Motor Sport Council confirmed today.

With a three-week gap resulting from the date change, the 21st July has now been reserved for a European-based event. The German event will now run on 7th July.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said on Tuesday that he was working on plans to resurrect the Turkish Grand Prix.

The calendar was left with 19 races after it was announced the planned New Jersey Grand Prix would be postponed until 2014.

Alongside the calendar changes, the FIA announced a number of rule tweaks including the abolition of the qualifying 'force majeure' rule, as predicted by AUTOSPORT last month.

As revealed by AUTOSPORT, the F1 Technical Working Group also agreed to postpone to 2017 the requirement for all cars to be driven exclusively under electric power in the pitlane.

For next year, DRS use during practice will be permitted only in the race-specified zones, while the team personnel curfew will be extended from six to eight hours on Thursday night.

Only two exceptions - rather than the previous four - will be permitted across the season.

The FIA also confirmed a small increase in minimum weight to compensate for an increase in tyre weight, and the introduction of more stringent front wing deflection tests.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has hit out at Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, suggesting the Briton may be too old to be running the sport.

Ecclestone, 82, was critical of the controversy generated after Ferrari decided to write to the FIA asking for clarification on Sebastian Vettel's pass on Jean-Eric Vergne during the season finale in Brazil.

Ecclestone said last week that Ferrari was too late to consider a protest, and labelled the situation a "complete joke".

Di Montezemolo, speaking during the Ferrari World Finals, was critical of Ecclestone, saying "old age" is often "incompatible with certain roles and responsibilities."

Di Montezemolo's comments on Ecclestone came after the Italian criticised the current lack of testing for younger drivers.

"We are constructors, not sponsors: I'm no longer happy that we can't do testing on tarmac and that you can't give any chance for young drivers to emerge," he said.

"Since some people have used the expression 'It's a joke' in recent days, I would like to say that this is the real 'joke'.

"Yes, I'm referring to one of Ecclestone's phrases: my father always taught me that you have to have respect your elders, above all when they reach the point that they can no longer control their words. So I will stop there.

"Certainly, old age is often incompatible with certain roles and responsibilities."

Di Montezemolo insisted Ferrari had accepted the FIA's clarification on Vettel's move and that it had now moved on.

"Congratulations go to Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull because they won and we are happy to congratulate winners, hoping and wishing that next year we are on the receiving end of these compliments," he said.

"As for the yellow flag saga, we took the simplest and most linear route, by asking the Federation to look into it, making it clear that we would accept their decision and that's what we did."

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone insists he has no plans to slow down and has 'a thousand more ideas' to pursue at the sport's helm.

His comments come after Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo suggested the Briton may be getting too old to run F1.

Ecclestone poured scorn on the assertion, saying that even now he was balancing his duties for the FIA World Motor Sport Council with attempts to resurrect the Turkish Grand Prix, which lost its place on the F1 calendar for 2012.

"I don't feel 82, and as a matter of fact I'm now going to Geneva, then to Istanbul to see if we can get back the Turkish GP and [will then] participate at the World Council," Ecclestone told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"And I'm not stopping here, I have a thousand more ideas.

"Do I look in such a bad shape, two weeks after the USA GP that I wanted and somehow created?"

"I'm 82 and nobody can deny that. But time ago I used to discuss things with an 88-year-old gentleman when Luca was a 40-year-old. His name was Enzo Ferrari.

"Believe me, at that age he could make me shiver because he was terribly tough, incisive and clear-minded."

Ecclestone also played down his spat with the Ferrari boss, adding: "Anyway, I respect his opinion. It's no drama.

"More than once he has attacked me, but in the end we understand each other. I don't have hard feelings towards him."

Red Bull boss Christian Horner is convinced the best is yet to come from Sebastian Vettel despite the German having secured three Formula 1 titles in a row.

Vettel, 25, became the youngest triple champion in history this year. He also joined Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher as the only F1 drivers to clinch three titles in a row.

Horner admits it will be hard to match the records set by seven-time champion Schumacher, but he is sure Vettel is yet to reach his peak despite the success the German has already enjoyed.

"It's difficult to see any driver beating 91 wins and seven championships," Horner told AUTOSPORT.

"Sebastian is 25, has three world championships, 26 wins from 101 starts, more than 40 podiums, 34 poles; he's had a remarkable career so far.

"As a driver he will continue to develop, to get better. We are yet to see the best of him.

"F1 today is different to 15 years ago. There's a much more level playing field in terms of everyone having the same tyres, the same amount of testing, limited engines.

"Only time will tell what Sebastian is capable of in the future but the exciting thing is we are yet to see the best of him."

Horner conceded Red Bull will need to take another step forward in 2013 if it is to stay ahead of its rivals after what the team boss labelled one of its toughest seasons to date.

"We will apply the lessons we have learned in each of the last three years, [as well as] the lessons we've learned this year, and look to apply them for next year," he added.

"We're up against some formidable opponents, they won't be sleeping over the winter and we will have to improve. We have to further the car and the team in order to maintain the kind of performances we've achieved not just this year but over the last three years.

"It gets harder, never easier. This year for sure was the hardest of the three. I think we had to show true strength of character as a team to fight our way back into the drivers' and constructors' championship.

"We have a great foundation, a great basis. Even if we took this car to the first race next year, it would be a good starting point. But Formula 1 doesn't stand still and we have to evolve, we have to improve.

"Everybody in the team knows that. We have improved over the last three years and we'll be looking to do the same next year."

Felipe Massa has admitted that the long-running uncertainty over his Ferrari future played a part in his poor early-2012 form.

Although the Brazilian had previously insisted that he had been able to shut out the pressure caused by Ferrari's doubts over his performances, he now accepts it affected his focus.

"In the first half of the year, I was worried about renewing my contract," Massa said at Ferrari's World Finals event at Valencia on Sunday.

"I did not think that Ferrari would really wait right to the end of the summer before deciding on the driver line-up for next year.

"It's true that ever since I've been at Maranello, there have always been rumours about me. Already in my first year there was a list of drivers who were supposed to take my place and it was the same this year, with a lot of names and plenty of speculation.

"At the start, I paid too much attention to these things, but then, in August, I told myself I should only think about racing and having fun and so I began to really drive, to have the right feeling with the car and to drive as quickly as I know how."

Ferrari eventually decided to renew Massa's contract in October.

He enjoyed a stronger end to the year, scoring two podium finishes and outqualifying title-chasing team-mate Fernando Alonso at the last two grands prix.

"Now I feel very strong and the results were there to see in the last nine races, so I am optimistic for the future - mine and Ferrari's," Massa added.

Jenson Button believes Pirelli should focus on widening the operating window of its 2013 tyre compounds in order to make the Formula 1 playing field fairer.

Unpredictable tyre compounds played their part in seven different drivers winning the opening seven races of the season, with form varying from one round to the next.

Mercedes, for example, suffered in Malaysia - a race in which Fernando Alonso hung on to deny a flying Sergio Perez – but then dominated in China, with Nico Rosberg winning for the first time.

Button said some teams and drivers had 'lucked in' to working the tyres properly, while others had been undermined by an inability to do so.

"I think it would be nice to see the working range of the tyre changed a little bit," Button said.

"As a lot of teams have, we've struggled to get it working and in the right region, and there just needs to be a bigger band of working range for everyone.

"It just makes it a little bit more fair.

"Some guys luck in to the tyres with their car at the start of the year and others luck out.

"It's so hard to find a way of getting tyres in the right range, and you have to change your car dramatically in terms of cooling in order to make it work."

Button otherwise paid tribute to Pirelli's 2012 compounds, saying that uninspiring one-stop races proved just how effective its high-degradation focus has been on improving the racing.

"I think the degradation of the tyres has not been too bad all year," he explained.

"The new asphalt has changed things in terms of one stop, which worked in the USA, but not at others which were not so exciting.

"I think Pirelli and the FIA are all pushing for more degradation."

Kimi Raikkonen is optimistic he and Lotus can be even stronger in next year's Formula 1 world championship.

The Finn starred on his comeback season in the sport, winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, claiming seven podiums and finishing the year third in the championship.

Raikkonen believes there is still room for he and the Enstone-based team to improve however, particularly if they can hit the ground running in 2013.

"I think definitely it is easier now than it was in the beginning of the year, and it should be easier again next year," Raikkonen said.

"We scored a lot of points but we know if we could have started the year stronger then probably we would still have been in the championship.

"I know the team next year, I know the business, so it should be an easier start for us.

"Hopefully we can build it up for next year."

Asked about his success in 2012, Raikkonen said: "It has been OK, but for sure when you start getting good results you want to do it even better; you start expecting yourself to do better.

"We have been quite consistent - not the strongest, but consistent. That kept us in the championship for a long time.

"First though you have to build the car..."

The Finn paid tribute to the atmosphere of Lotus, saying it had contributed to his strong performances over the season.

"I think it is the whole thing together: there are always a lot of people who are involved," he said when asked how beneficial team spirit had proved.

"It is team work and everybody tried to do the same thing, do the best we can and I think it has been a good atmosphere - and that helps.

"I always said this team is a bit different from the others I have raced before. It is all about the racing and less the politics, and it is a good place to be."

Raikkonen admitted he had harboured some doubt before his return about his ability to push to the limit, but said such fears were assuaged as soon as he began driving the car.

"I never really thought I would lose it, that it would be more difficult," he explained.

"Maybe the biggest question mark was if I could push as much on the limit as before, with a new team and new tyres, as things had changed.

"Since the first test though I felt comfortable with it; I was never worried by the racing."

Mercedes boss Ross Brawn is hopeful he can prove Lewis Hamilton wrong and give the Briton a car that is capable of fighting for victories in 2013.

Hamilton is leaving McLaren at the end of the year after a six-year spell at the Woking team to race alongside Nico Rosberg at Mercedes from next season.

The Briton admitted ahead of the season finale in Brazil that the Interlagos race may have been his last chance to win a race for a while given Mercedes's current form.

The Brackley-based outfit won the Chinese Grand Prix earlier this year but then struggled to keep up with its rivals and endured a five-race point-less streak in the championship run-in.

Despite that, Brawn believes Mercedes has all the ingredients to fight back and is not ruling out competing at the front.

"I hope so," Brawn said when asked by AUTOSPORT if Hamilton's predictions were too pessimistic.

"Obviously we're working very hard to give both him and Nico the opportunity to win and take pole positions. That's our ambition, our objective.

"It's obviously critical we improve from where we are. We're going to try [even] if we don't hit all our objectives next year. You never know what other people will do.

"I'd like to think we can do a few things of those things next year.

"I think Lewis was just playing things down. I'm sure in his heart he wants to win and set pole positions, but he understands the journey we've got to go on."

Brawn reckons the 2008 world champion's quality and input will also provide Mercedes with a significant boost.

"We're very excited about the prospect of working with Lewis," he said. "It's going to be very interesting for all of us. I'm sure he'll be different to Michael.

"The team are very excited that we're still able to have a driver of that calibre. As we get a stronger car, obviously the drivers will become even more critical for us."

Hamilton is under contract with McLaren until the end of the year, meaning he cannot start work with his new team until 2013.

Brawn is optimistic that such delays will not affect Hamilton's transition to his new environment, adding: "It's not a big problem.

"There are obviously things that you start to do. You start to build the relationship with the engineers, and that can start in earnest in January."

Bruno Senna remains hopeful he will be on the Formula 1 grid next season despite having lost his seat at Williams.

The Brazilian has been replaced by Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas, who will partner Pastor Maldonado from the 2013 season.

Senna has been in talks with Caterham and Force India and is believed to be still in the running for a seat with both teams.

AUTOSPORT understands that Senna tested a DTM car for Mercedes at Estoril last week, but he says he is still working hard to secure a slot for what would be his second full season in F1.

"You're never relaxed until you have a nice signed contract, but we're working very hard," Senna told AUTOSPORT. "Chris [Goodwin, manager] is a busy little bee. He's been doing his job very well.

"Hopefully before the end of the year we'll have a nice clear path to follow."

Senna insisted that having to make way for Bottas in 15 Friday practice sessions during the season made his year more difficult.

The Brazilian reckons he still did a good job considering his relative lack of experience.

"It's a tough world championship," he added. "This has probably been the toughest Formula 1 world championship in many years. I think that coming into it as my first real year in Formula 1 was already a challenge.

"And then missing practice sessions all over the season, probably missing about 30 per cent of all the practice sessions of the year, is a lot of practice missed.

"That probably puts you in a position where you shouldn't be at the start, only by a couple of tenths sometimes.

"It's made my year much more difficult. But still I've learned a lot. It's been a very big learning curve for me, and a very good one."

Maria de Villota has been released from hospital following her latest operation at the end of last month.

De Villota underwent a seven-hour operation in Madrid in late November.

It is expected to be the penultimate time she has surgery after her dramatic accident earlier this year.

The final operation will take place once she has recovered from her latest procedure.

On Monday, de Villota was named 'Driver of the Year' by Car & Driver magazine. Her family collected the award on her behalf.

Luxury watch making brand Rolex will become the official Formula 1 timekeeper from the 2013 season, it was announced on Wednesday.

As a result of the deal, the Rolex logo will appear around the circuits and at several corners during Formula 1 races.

In a statement, Rolex said its presence in Formula 1 is "due to develop over the coming seasons".

The new partnership means the Swiss company also becomes the official timepiece to the sport.

Formula 1 had signed a multi-year deal with LG in 2008 as its technology partner. LG's logo featured on F1's live timing system.

"Without question Rolex is the partner of choice for a world class sporting series like Formula 1," said F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.

"The brand's prestige, the excellence of its watches as well as Rolex's passionate and long-standing commitment to motor sports gives it true credibility.

"This partnership is something that many people interested in Formula 1 will have been waiting for and should rightly be excited about. Rolex has incredible sporting heritage and therefore Formula 1 is the right place for Rolex to be."

Silverstone has announced several improvements to its traffic management and infrastructure in a bid to avoid a repeat of the traffic chaos of this year's British Grand Prix.

The circuit was forced to advise fans with public car park passes not to attend on Saturday in order to ensure the venue was able to host a full attendance for the race, after unprecedented levels of rainfall led to waterlogged campsites and gridlocked roads.

Silverstone exclusively told AUTOSPORT last month about the changes it had planned in order to avoid a repeat of this year's debacle, while also confirming it had completed its refunding process for customers forced to miss parts of the weekend.

Silverstone has now confirmed it will expand the capacity of its Park and Ride scheme and operate it on all three days of the grand prix, improve its shuttle service for those commuting by train and invest in improving the non-tarmacked car parks on site.

The Silverstone Woodlands campsite will also be increased by 70 acres, to provide fans with an 'improved experience' and to act as holding site in the event of bad weather.

Silverstone Managing Director Richard Phillips said that lessons had been learned from 2012.

"For more than 10 years now, fans have had little or no issue getting in and out of the circuit for the British Grand Prix, so it's important to keep the problems of this year in perspective," he explained.

"That said, the traffic issues on the Friday of this year's event, and having to ask a number of fans to stay away on the Saturday, were far from ideal.

"We have learned from this year's experience and are taking steps to ensure we're better equipped to deal with whatever the weather may throw at us in future."

Singapore billionaire Peter Lim is planning to build a new FIA-compliant circuit in the Iskandar region of south Malaysia.

Lim said a 4.5 kilometre test track, to be conceived by an as-yet unnamed designer, will be part of a motorsports-themed development known as 'Motorsport City'.

The venture, of which Lim's FASTrack Autosports Pte has a 70 per cent holding, is valued at more than $1.2 billion.

It is planned for the Johor state, which borders Singapore, just five minutes drive from the Tuas Second Link border crossing between the two countries.

Malaysia already has a permanent grand prix track in Sepang, which has hosted 14 F1 grands prix since first being included on the calendar in 1999.

Singapore meanwhile hosts F1's only night race, and agreed to a five-year extension with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone in September.

Lim plans for the circuit to achieve FIA Grade 2 certification.

"The region is fast becoming a hub for motor sports," Lim, a shareholder of McLaren Automotive, is quoted as saying by Bloomberg.

Malaysian developer UEM Land Holdings Bhd. will hold the remaining 30 per cent of the venture.

[Katsuya]

!! A1 Ring (or to give it the new title...the Red Bull Ring) could be the 20th track...

[Adam]

Looks unlikely though considering the restrictions.

[maninblack]

Following a crackdown on driving standard by race stewards in 2012, the FIA has sought to introduce a "penalty points" system of enforcing driving standards modelled on the points system used for road-going drivers' licences worldwide. Under the system, driving infringements would be assigned a points value that would be deducted from a driver's Super Licence when they commit an infraction. When a driver accumulates a pre-determined number of points, they face an automatic ban from racing.

I don't agree with this. Suspensions and fines should be enough of a penalty.

[Lineker]

First post has been updated with new regulations etc - going to hold off on posting an updated calendar until the TBA European race situation has been recitified.

United States Grand Prix organisers want the date of the 2013 event at the Austin circuit changed in order to avoid a clash with an American football match.

The Circuit of the Americas race is scheduled for the weekend of November 17 next year following confirmation of the calendar by the FIA World Motor Sport Council on Wednesday.

The University of Texas football team is scheduled to play against Oklahoma State on November 16, in a event that is expected to draw a crowd of over 100,000 fans.

Both the university and the circuit chiefs have admitted the situation is far from ideal, with COTA eager to get a new date for the grand prix.

"Circuit of the Americas has expressed our strong preference for an alternate race date in 2013," chairman Bobby Epstein told the American-Statesman.

"We understand that setting a global calendar can be very challenging, involves many factors and is out of our control. We feel confident that Formula 1 has taken our concerns seriously and is working earnestly towards a collective solution.

"Ultimately, our 2013 race date may remain as it currently stands."

The Austin circuit made its debut on the Formula 1 calendar this year.

Turkish motorsport officials say the return of the country's grand prix to the Formula 1 calendar is now up to the government, after agreeing terms with Bernie Ecclestone.

Istanbul Park, which hosted an F1 grand prix from 2005-11, was tipped for a return to the calendar on Wednesday.

This was after the FIA World Motor Sport Council announced it had moved the German GP forward to reserve the July 21 date for another, yet-to-be-named European-based event.

On Thursday, Turkish motorsport federation TOSFED said circuit operator Vural Ak had met with Ecclestone to discuss a new deal.

It said, however, that the conclusion of the agreement depended on the government funding the event.

"We are making every effort so that Formula 1 races can be held at our Istanbul Park track... [in 2013] and in future years," TOSFED chairman Demire Berberoglu said in a statement.

"Everybody knows that what is needed for its presence in the Formula 1 race calendar for 2013 and following years is a guarantee and approval of the required budget at the government level.

"This will develop according to the prime minister's decision."

Red Bull is open to the idea of Austria hosting a Formula 1 race next year at its revamped Spielberg track.

The energy drinks company has overhauled the venue, now known as the Red Bull Ring, and its motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has revealed that he has been in touch with the FIA to make it aware of the opportunity available.

The FIA announced earlier this week that a European F1 race would be held on July 21 next year at an unspecified venue - with France and Turkey the favourites to secure the spot.

However, Marko believes the Red Bull Ring is more than capable of securing a return of F1 to Austria for the first time since 2003.

Marko said: "We made the FIA aware of the fact that there is the Red Bull Ring and it holds a full grade F1 licence."

Although Spielberg's current 40,000 capacity would make it tough for the event to make a profit, Marko suggests that funding could also be forthcoming from the Austrian national government and the province of Styria.

With Red Bull having renovated nearby hotels, as well as there being a high-speed toll road to the city of Graz, Marko says there should be no problem with accommodation.

"It worked in the 1970s and 1980s too," he said. "And we have a full amount of hotels in Graz."

Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz is currently on vacation and unavailable for comment about the possibility of there being an Austrian GP in 2014.

Austria has held 26 world championship F1 races. An event in 1964 took place on a military airfield at Zeltweg before the Osterreichring was used from 1970 to 1987. The revised A1 Ring held grands prix between 1997 and 2003.

Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull team collected their FIA Formula 1 World Championship trophies in Turkey on Friday night - with boss Christian Horner adamant his outfit was better this year than it has ever been.

Vettel was presented with the F1 world drivers' championship trophy, and Horner the constructors' award, by FIA president Jean Todt at the organisation's prize gala in Istanbul.

Reflecting on the campaign, Vettel and Horner did not hide from the fact that the season had been incredibly challenging as rival Ferrari took the title fight all the way to the final round of the season in Brazil.

Horner said: "This is a phenomenal achievement for our team. The hard work and the dedication this year have been exemplary - but I think hard work and dedication have been common up and down the pitlane in this fantastic Formula 1 season.

"It didn't seem possible we could raise our game after last year but I think we have.

"The team have used every scrap of their skill and ingenuity; they've had the courage of their convictions and have refused to buckle under the most enormous pressure. I'm honoured to collect this trophy on their behalf."

Vettel also praised the efforts of his team – which fought back from a major points deficit in the middle of the season so he could secure the drivers' title by just three points.

"Winning the title with Red Bull Racing three times in a row makes us all feel very proud," said the German.

"This was a season with lots of ups and downs and the team had to push hard to get me over the line. In the garage and at the factory everyone did an incredible job, and the support we had from Renault was also great."

Indian Grand Prix organisers were meanwhile presented with Bernie Ecclestone's Formula 1 Promotional Trophy for the best race, while Sky Sports was awarded the accolade for outstanding television broadcast coverage.

FIA prizegiving in pictures

Lewis Hamilton says it would be nice to go back to McLaren in the future, as he sees the team as his home.

Hamilton is leaving McLaren at the end of the year to race with rival Mercedes after six seasons with the Woking-based outfit.

His exit from McLaren puts an end to a relationship that began when he was racing in karting as a 10-year-old.

After one Formula 1 title and 21 grand prix wins, Hamilton said he needed a new challenge and accepted Mercedes's three-year deal offer.

The Briton admitted, however, that the prospect of returning to McLaren in the future is never out of question.

"You can never say never and I've had a great time," said Hamilton. "I think it will always be my home.

"I'll always look at it as where I've come from. Going back there would be nice one day. But I want to go and experience some things for a bit.

"It's almost like leaving home and going travelling for a bit. But I'm doing it with a different company."

Although Mercedes has endured a disappointing season - finishing in a distant fifth place in the constructors' championship - Hamilton insisted he has no regrets about his decision.

"No, I'm really, really happy about it. You can't live with regrets in your life," Hamilton added.

"You have to make a decision and stick with it. Whether it's right or wrong, you just have to make the most of it, stick to your guns and hope you can turn it around or turn it into a positive."

Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, will partner Nico Rosberg at Mercedes.

Romain Grosjean is confident he will be much stronger in the 2013 Formula 1 season if he is given a new deal by his Lotus team.

Grosjean was signed to partner Kimi Raikkonen at Lotus in 2012 and had a promising start to the year despite some early incidents.

The Frenchman was a good match for Raikkonen's speed, beating him 10-9 in the qualifying head-to-head, and finishing on the podium three times.

The second half of the season was hard for Grosjean as he was involved in several accidents and received a one-race ban for his crash at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Lotus is expected to decide Grosjean's future imminently, but the 26-year-old believes he is capable of repaying the team's faith if he is given the chance next year.

"I hope much stronger," said Grosjean about how he expects to performed in 2013. "Normally it is one year to learn, two years to win, but in Formula 1 it is a bit different.

"It's hard to say how much stronger you normally are because all these things you digest over the winter, and restart with winter testing... we know where to start, what to test, what to improve.

"There are ups and downs, but I think this year has been mainly 10,000 more things I've learned than in the past."

Grosjean made his grand prix debut with Renault when he replaced Nelson Piquet Jr from the 2009 European Grand Prix. He endured a tough few races before returning to GP2 in the middle of the 2010 season, which he had started by competing in GT racing.

The French driver feels his performances this year have revised the perception people had of him based on his 2009 form.

"I think it started with the third place on the grid in Melbourne and then we had some podiums and the atmosphere inside myself and everything in the team has been working very well. I like working with all the guys," he said.

The Lotus driver also said he had been faster than he had predicted given his lack of experience.

"I think we were quicker than I was expecting. There have been some lows, but I think they helped me improve myself.

"So I feel much better than I did at the beginning of the season. I've been learning a lot, I'm still learning and improving myself a lot as well."

AUTOSPORT SAYS

F1 editor Edd Straw

Lotus would be mad to cast off Romain Grosjean now. While he made too many mistakes in 2012 and there are very serious questions over his ability to assess risk while on track, he is simply too fast to be discarded.

Some argue he's already had his second chance. But the circumstances in 2009, when he raced alongside Fernando Alonso at Renault for half a season, were impossible. This year was his real rookie season and it's too often overlooked that he shaded the qualifying battle against world champion team-mate Raikkonen and finished on the podium three times.

If the mistakes carry on next year, then the situation would be different and he would have to be considered beyond help. But when you have a guy capable of being this fast - by which I mean as fast as anyone on the grid - it's essential to leave no stone unturned in harnessing his potential. A serious F1 team cannot afford to cast away such promise so soon.

Lotus is an ambitious team with some seriously good personnel. While they have been frustrated by Grosjean at times, everyone in a race team loves to see a driver who extracts the maximum speed from the car.

Taking a conservative second driver as a solid points banker over a potential superstar - and Grosjean really is fast enough to be just that if he can calm down – would be a disappointingly conservative step for a team that considers itself ambitious, creative and upwardly mobile.

Force India believes Nico Hulkenberg will miss the chance to realise the team's potential after leaving to join Sauber for 2013.

The German driver confirmed in October that he will race with Sauber next season after two years with the Silverstone-based squad.

Force India finished behind Sauber in this year's standings, but it outscored the Swiss squad in the final part of the year.

Deputy team boss Bob Fernley reckons Hulkenberg's departure comes at an inopportune moment for the German given the team's form over the season run-in.

"I think so," Fernley told AUTOSPORT when asked if Hulkenberg would miss Force India's potential.

"If you look at the stats since the summer break, the Force India car was clearly the fifth best performing.

"We're still quite a distance off the top four, but since the summer break we've forged ahead of all the others."

Fernley admitted, however, that Force India was sorry to see the German driver leave.

"We're very sad to see Nico go," he said. "He's been a great asset to the team. We've enjoyed having him around and it's a loss to us. There's no question that we're sad he's leaving."

Force India will keep Paul di Resta for 2013, with the Scot's partner yet to be named.

Di Resta struggled to match the performance of Hulkenberg in the second half of the season, but Fernley denied the reason for that was that he was focused on trying to secure a drive elsewhere.

"No, I don't think so," Fernley added. "Up to Singapore, Paul had dominated and Nico was feeling down. Since Singapore it went the other way around. That's how it's gone with them all season, they're so close.

"It's hard to judge. You get those runs. He's just got to dust himself down and get ready for the new season."

Jerome d'Ambrosio says he is still working on securing a Formula 1 race seat in F1 for next year, but the Belgian admits the situation is not easy.

D'Ambrosio made his grand prix debut with Marussia last year but was left without a full-time race seat for 2012.

He was signed by Lotus as its reserve driver this year and returned to racing when he replaced Romain Grosjean at the Italian Grand Prix while the Frenchman was serving a one-race ban.

With only Marussia, Caterham, Force India and Lotus yet to confirm their second drivers, d'Ambrosio concedes it is hard to find a place on the grid.

"Not everything is confirmed yet. We're still working on it," he told AUTOSPORT. "It's tough. We'll see what happens. Time will tell.

"With the season finished, the remaining people who have everything in their hands will take their decisions.

"It's very difficult. There are a lot of drivers out there without seats. Some experienced ones, some less experienced ones.

"All I can say is that I really love Formula 1, I loved being on the grid last year even if it was not in a top car. I enjoyed being in the car at Monza very much. It's what I love to do and I will fight to stay in Formula 1 as long as I can."

D'Ambrosio said he is not willing to spend another year on the sidelines if he can't secure a race seat in F1.

But the Belgian, who tested a DTM Mercedes last week, will only weigh up his options elsewhere if he is ruled out of a grand prix drive.

"We will see at the time," he said. "For sure it's difficult not to be driving. If I have to do another year as a third driver, then we will see what I can do."

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone believes Michael Schumacher would have been better off not returning to the sport following his first retirement.

Schumacher quit grand prix racing at the end of the 2006 season following a record-breaking seven titles and a total of 91 race victories.

The German made his return to F1 at the start of the 2010 season, but managed just one podium before calling time on his career following the 2012 campaign.

Ecclestone thinks fans new to the sport will remember Schumacher for his underwhelming results in his second F1 spell rather than for his unprecedented previous success.

"I would rather he had stopped as a seven-time world champion than stopping now," Ecclestone told the official F1 website.

"People new to the sport - people who have joined the F1 fan fraternity just recently - will remember Michael now, not as he was.

"They don't see the hero that he was but the human that can fail.

"I think the important thing is - and this is probably difficult - to know when you can't do what you used to do anymore and then hand it over to somebody else.

"I hope that's what I can do. When I feel I can't deliver, I will certainly say goodbye."

Ecclestone admitted however that F1 will still miss Schumacher.

"He enjoyed racing and was there helping to do good things for Formula 1," he said.

"We will miss Michael, because even though he wasn't winning races in those three years, he is still very popular."

The F1 boss said Schumacher's close ties with Mercedes meant he has been unable to offer him a role to stay involved in the sport.

"Well, we wouldn't and we couldn't keep him in another role because he is too close to Mercedes. It would have been easier when he was still close to Ferrari, I guess.

"He doesn't have to work, he doesn't have to worry and he can do what he wants to do. Doesn't that sound good?"

Marussia's 2013 Formula 1 car is on schedule to make the first pre-season test according to team principal Graeme Lowdon.

Marussia used its 2011 car for the first tests of 2012, and the new MVR-02 only made its track debut in the final session at Barcelona before the first race of the season in Australia.

The team's plans were delayed by its failure to pass some of the mandatory crash tests.

Lowdon is adamant, however, that Marussia is now well on schedule with the MVR-03 thanks to the new technical structure put in place after the exit of Nick Wirth.

The first test of 2013 takes place at Jerez on February 5.

"It's on target at the moment, and in fact some bits are ahead," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT. "We've got a high degree of confidence. We've got a totally different structure now.

"This will be our first car that's truly our car in terms of the new people involved. The car we've just finished with was a full CFD car when we hit the first race."

Marussia finished in 11th position in this year's constructors' championship despite holding 10th place following the Singapore Grand Prix.

Heartbreakingly for the team, however, Caterham re-took 10th in the final race of the season in Brazil.

Despite losing out to its rival, Lowdon is convinced Marussia is a top 10 squad.

"I definitely think this is a top 10 team. We didn't have a top 10 car, and that's something that takes time and money," he said.

"Look at Brazil, Timo's fastest stop was faster than all the stops McLaren did. People don't notice that kind of thing, but we've now got a very, very good team. A really good structure, very tight-knit and a very low cost base.

"If we have a car that's capable of quicker laptimes, which is the other piece of the jigsaw - and everything I've seen is that next year's car is going to be a really good car - then you can't write this team off.

"I'm perfectly happy to call this team a top 10 team even if the results don't show it. I'm looking forward to Melbourne."

Timo Glock believes a bigger budget is key for Marussia if the team is to make a significant step forward in the Formula 1 field.

Marussia made its grand prix debut as Virgin in 2010 and finished last in the standings in its first two seasons before moving up to 11th in 2012.

The team looked set to finish ahead of Caterham for the vital 10th spot, but it lost out in the final race of the season in Brazil, where Vitaly Petrov gave Caterham in best F1 result with 11th place.

Glock, who will stay on for a fourth season with the team, is aware that only with more money will Marussia be able to escape the back of the grid.

"More budget, that's the key point," Glock told AUTOSPORT. "We all know that if you want to make a big step, you need more money to do it.

"We develop in terms of our possibilities, but everyone else develops and they can develop faster with more money. Our main goal is to have more budget, that's what the guys are working on, and then we can make a step."

Glock reckons his team has been hurt by the lack of development in the windtunnel, having used CFD exclusively during its first two seasons.

This year's car made its track debut in the final test of the pre-season, and the team ran without KERS all year, unlike rival Caterham.

"I'm pretty sure we would have looked much stronger with proper testing at the beginning of the year and if we had started earlier in the windtunnel," he said.

"KERS too, but mainly if we had been able to shift everything with the windtunnel a bit earlier, we could have been closer to Caterham and maybe even beat them.

"That's where we're working for next year."

Adrian Newey has admitted that it is becoming more challenging to find performance gains with the 2013 Red Bull.

The maturity of the regulations, which were introduced in 2009, and the lack of rules tweaks for next season mean that teams are chasing ever-shrinking improvements with their cars.

The Red Bull has been the dominant force under this rules set, winning the drivers' and constructors' championship double three times in four years.

"It is increasingly difficult because there are no real regulations changes compared to this year and it will be the fifth season since the 2009 rule changes," Newey told AUTOSPORT.

"The field is converging and you can see how competitive it is in the fact that we had eight different winners this year."

Newey believes that the number of winners in 2012, which is the largest since 2003 when eight drivers also tasted victory, shows how tiny the margins are in F1 currently.

Six different teams won races, with Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Lotus, Mercedes and Williams all tasting success.

"It is a demonstration of how critical it is now," said Newey.

"Each race, you have so many variables that can cause swings between the cars.

"The tyres have been talked about a lot and they are important ans each car will work its tyres slightly differently compared to its competitors.

"Sometimes, a particular track layout and temperature might suit a particular car more than its immediate rivals.

"Whether it's a predominantly high-speed corner circuit like Silverstone or a slow-speed corner circuit like Abu Dhabi, for instance.

"Those factors mean that it has been difficult for one team to dominate."

Newey added that next year's Red Bull RB9 would be an evolutionary step from this year's machine.

"There will be no surprises, next year's car will be very much an evolution of this year's," said Newey.

"The great thing about motorsport and F1 in particular is that we know what we are intending to achieve over the winter but we have no idea of what everyone else will manage."

Red Bull's dominance 2009-2012

Drivers' championships: 3 (75%)

Constructors' championships: 3 (75%)

Wins: 34 (45.3%)

Poles: 46 (61.3%)

McLaren sporting director Sam Michael believes the pecking order will not change in the Formula 1 2013 season, with his team, Red Bull and Ferrari fighting for the titles.

Red Bull celebrated its third double championship-winning campaign in a row this year, as Sebastian Vettel became the youngest triple champion in history.

Vettel's 2012 campaign was very different to last year's however, when the German dominated with 11 wins from 20 starts.

Red Bull took seven victories this year, an amount matched by McLaren. Ferrari won three races, while Lotus, Mercedes and Williams took one each.

Michael reckons the situation will remain unchanged at the top next season, but he believes the midfield teams may be closer to front.

"They [midfield teams] will close up a little bit. I don't think there'll be any massive shake-up on the grid though," said Michael.

"We'll be in the normal situation at the front with McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull. Then the rest of them I can't predict.

"The great thing about Formula 1 is that someone could always go out and do a stonking car, have a good driver in there and be part of the action. You've got to say Lotus are looking very good. You've got to expect Force India to return strong next year. And Mercedes, of course."

While Michael concedes it is hard to predict who else will be competitive, he is convinced that McLaren will be able to produce a strong car.

"There's no point in me listing teams because I don't know what they're doing," he said. "All I can say is what we're doing. We know what we're up to and I know that should be good enough to produce a competitive car.

"It was only three or four races ago that people were going 'oh no, how are you going to go into the winter knowing Red Bull are going to walk all over next year's championship?'"

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner reckons Ferrari's Fernando Alonso will again be one of the main threats to his drivers in 2013 after coming close to taking the title this season.

Horner also feels McLaren's Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton - moving to Mercedes - will be fighting at the top.

"I think that for sure he is at the top of his game, at his peak. He will be a formidable competitor next year," Horner said of Alonso.

"You can see the team is very much geared around one driver.

"I think Fernando, Lewis and Jenson are potentially very strong threats for next year."

Jenson Button has no doubts he is ready to lead his McLaren team in 2013 following Lewis Hamilton's exit to rival Mercedes.

Hamilton is leaving McLaren after six seasons with the team, the last three of which have been alongside Button.

The former has scored 10 wins in the period and has finished ahead of Button in the standings twice. Button meanwhile has won eight times since joining McLaren.

In 2013 Button will be joined by Mexican Sergio Perez, who has competed in Formula 1 for two seasons, both with Sauber.

The Briton believes the role of team leader suits him perfectly.

"Definitely," said Button when asked if he was ready to lead McLaren. "It's not the first time I've done that. When I got to BAR and Jacques [Villeneuve] left it was exactly the same situation.

"I was there to lead the team and it's something I really look forward to and it's something where the best comes out of me in that situation. I can really build that team around me and direct the team in a direction I like with the car."

Button feels he is one of the best drivers when it comes to developing a car he feels comfortable with.

"We all drive differently and have different styles," he said. "For me I need a car I can develop beneath me and feel comfortable in. If the car feels neutral and unbalanced it doesn't work for me.

"I need to develop a car and engineer a car in a position that feels comfortable for me, and I don't think anyone can do a better job than I can in that position.

"The problem for me is if I can't get the car there I do struggle more than some."

The former world champion, who finished the 2012 season in fifth position, says working alongside Hamilton has taught him a lot of things, and he feels his team-mate has also learned from him.

"Lewis is extremely fast and he definitely has that speed that not a lot of people have - outright pace over one-lap - but as we know, Formula 1 is not about a single lap. It's a race and that's where you score points.

"Of course, he's been a tough team-mate in terms of speed, but also a good team-mate to work with and really develop the car. I think he's learnt a lot this year in terms of understanding that it's not just about one lap in terms of looking after the tyres.

"So I think the partnership has been good in terms of us learning off each other.

"Even if he says he hasn't, we've both definitely learnt from each other and it's helped us to improve as drivers."

Lewis Hamilton believes it is still possible for Mercedes to close the gap to the front of the Formula 1 field next year, even if he admits his main focus remains 2014.

The 2008 world champion will join a team whose form has swung wildly this year. The class of the field at China - where Nico Rosberg scored his breakthrough win – Mercedes failed to score in five straight races over the season run-in.

Hamilton estimates the team's current deficit to the frontrunning teams to be over one second per lap, but insists it is not completely unrealistic for that gap to be closed over the winter.

"It looks like in Brazil Mercedes were 1.1 seconds behind, so we have got a long, long, steep curve to climb, but I don't think that's impossible," Hamilton told Sky Sports News.

"I think the guys have great potential and that's why I'm going there. I don't see it as a short-term thing."

Hamilton did however stress he would need half a year to begin having an impact on the teams' development, making 2014 his primary focus.

"I don't get in the car until February so I won't be able to have a big enough impact until at least six months down the line," he explained.

"I really think 2014 has to be the most important year, or the most competitive year.

"But I don't see why we can't try and clinch a few podiums.

"If we can get some wins next year - if it just happens to go really, really well - then we will be smiling, but we'll see."

In contrast to his downplaying of expectations at Mercedes, Hamilton admitted McLaren is poised for a strong season in 2013.

"I feel positive about their car next year," he said.

"The car already from this year was pretty awesome and next year is an evolution of this car.

"I think next year they are going to have a championship contender, for sure."

Scuderia Toro Rosso owner Dietrich Mateschitz has called on his junior team to raise its game after a disappointing 2012 season.

The Red Bull co-owner admitted that he was dissatisfied with the ex-Minardi outfit's progress after it scored only 26 points and slipped down to ninth in the constructors' standings.

AUTOSPORT understands that unhappiness with the team's form was one of the factors that led to James Key replacing Giorgio Ascanelli as technical director midway through the season.

"Toro Rosso is our rookie team and its goals differ from those of Red Bull Racing," Mateschitz told AUTO, the international journal of the FIA.

"But that's not to say we're happy with the development of the car. Significant improvements need to be found and are being called for."

Daniel Ricciardo, who remains with Toro Rosso for a second season next year, is confident that the team can live up to Mateschitz's expectations, and return to its 2011 form, when it finished seventh in the constructors' championship.

"That's the aim for the team," Ricciardo told AUTOSPORT when asked if he was confident of the team taking a step forward next year.

"James coming on board, that's definitely his ambition and a big reason why he has come into the team.

"There's a lot of room to progress. With all due respect to what we did in 2012, we have more room to go forwards than to go backwards so I definitely see us progressing."

[Lineker]

Formula 1 teams now have enough tyre expertise to avoid a repeat of 2012's early 'random' results next season, reckons Mercedes boss Ross Brawn.

The first seven grands prix of 2012 featured seven different winners from five different teams, with form fluctuating wildly.

Difficulty in getting this year's Pirelli tyres into the correct operating window was pinpointed as the reason for the unpredictability.

Pirelli is revamping its compounds again for 2013, but Brawn says top teams have made concerted efforts to avoid getting caught out.

Asked by AUTOSPORT if he expected another tyre-induced shake-up in the order next year, Brawn replied: "I think the process on the part of the teams will be much stronger.

"We've been through a period where the tyres were fairly benign and we didn't need a lot of tyre expertise within the team.

"With the Pirelli tyres, there was far more potential to get it right or wrong, and we needed to create or strengthen the expertise.

"I think all the top teams have now got a lot of [tyre] expertise within their groups. Therefore when we start on the new tyres next year, we'll have a much stronger organisation to support it."

Brawn admitted the potential for teams to get wrong-footed by the new Pirellis' behaviour had been reduced rather than eliminated.

"That doesn't mean to say we won't get caught out, because of course we do three tests in cold weather in the winter then really start stressing the tyres when we get to the first race," he said.

"But I think the teams are more competent now in their strengths and ability to understand and use the tyres properly."

Mark Webber believes his refusal to settle for top-six finishes was a key factor in his 2012 Formula 1 championship defeat.

Red Bull's Australian was in the thick of the title fight early on, and emerged as Fernando Alonso's closest championship rival after winning the British Grand Prix.

But Webber's form tailed off thereafter. A run of six races without a podium contributed to him slumping to sixth in the standings, while his team-mate Sebastian Vettel produced a late surge to deny Alonso the crown in a wild Brazilian finale.

"We need to get some of that 2011 and '10 consistency back," Webber admitted. "We lost some of that this year. Some of it was through no fault of my own, some was.

"I tried to force some issues where I was not being prepared to finish fifth or sixth, which you had to grab this year. That's something that is a pain in the arse sometimes but you have to do it."

Webber is confident he had the pace to stay in the title fight and that it was inconsistency that cost him.

"We were very strong at the start of the year but then we had three races on the bounce with diff issues and penalties," he said.

"You can go through a whole list of things here and there but ultimately it wasn't strong enough, it wasn't a consistent enough campaign to get more out of what we had."

He believes his Monte Carlo and Silverstone wins proved he is a championship-calibre driver when he delivers his full potential.

"The British GP was a sensational result. [it was] local for the team, a second home race for me, and getting Fernando Alonso in the way we did..." Webber said.

"And Monaco as well - we were in the shit big time on Thursday, on Saturday morning we were struggling but we managed to get a couple of laps out of the car I was very proud of. Seb was struggling, only eighth on the grid.

"That was probably the biggest highlight of the year for me. To win Monaco was very, very special.

"I need to keep doing that, keep winning, which is something I'm clearly capable of."

McLaren is aiming to achieve two-second pitstop as 'standard' in the 2013 Formula 1 season.

The team set a record four-tyre-change time of 2.3 seconds on Jenson Button's car during this year's German Grand Prix.

Asked by AUTOSPORT if pitstop times were now near the limit of physical possibility, McLaren sporting director Sam Michael replied: "They are, but it's not hard enough at this point that we can't see a lot of things to change.

"We'll be really busy this winter taking the next step along that idea.

"Our target for next year is two-second pitstops. We thought we'd get down to it this year. We can do it.

"Our target is to get there during the winter so that two-second pitstops are normal rather than flash in the pan. That involves people and equipment.

"We've got a few technology changes for next year, but already compared to our preparation for the first race next year will be completely different from this year.

"Our target is to start off there right away in Melbourne."

Michael believes McLaren and Red Bull's pitcrews were a class apart by the end of 2012.

"Mercedes were the benchmark last year. Ferrari were definitely a benchmark at the start of this year, but they've just stayed still," he said.

"Red Bull and ourselves have just gone five or six tenths quicker than everybody. Red Bull definitely caught up to us in the last few races. They've definitely changed some things to do that. I know what they've done."

He added that the greatest satisfaction still came from making up positions in the pits, rather than achieving records.

"The most important thing when you're an engineer in Formula 1 is that you're working on things that you can see make a difference, and the pitcrew has done that this year," Michael said.

"I'm really proud of the job that they've done - not just the guys in the factory who have brought along the technology, but the humans in the garage.

"It's not doing the pitstop time. When we broke the record at Hockenheim, it wasn't that we broke the record [that was satisfying], it was that we jumped [sebastian] Vettel by doing it.

"When it's so close, with 50 milliseconds here or there, pitstops make a big difference to the race outcome. Saving half a second is massive."

Andy Cowell will replace Thomas Fuhr as head of Mercedes' Formula 1 engine arm from the start of 2013.

Fuhr, who has been managing director of Mercedes High Performance Powertrains since 2009, is leaving for a new job outside motorsport.

Cowell is currently the group's engineering director, resposible for Mercedes' current and 2014 F1 engines plus its KERS.

At present Mercedes supplies engines to McLaren and Force India as well as its own works F1 team.

Nico Hulkenberg feels ready to be the leading driver at the Sauber team next year, in what will be his third full season of racing in F1.

The 2009 GP2 champion will join the Swiss squad from Force India after two years with the Silverstone-based team, one of them acting as a reserve driver.

Hulkenberg will partner Esteban Gutierrez at Sauber, the Mexican making his grand prix debut with the team.

Hulkenberg says he feels no extra pressure from being the most experienced of Sauber's 2013 line-up.

"I feel ready for that," Hulkenberg told the official F1 website. "It's not a case of bringing extra pressure, it's something that helps motivate me even more, but to be honest I don't see my role as much different to the one I was in this year.

"I will simply concentrate on my job of trying to deliver good results."

The 25-year-old enjoyed a strong second half of the 2012 season and even led the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Despite switching teams next year, Hulkenberg believes he will be able to keep his momentum going.

"Yes, that is the goal. As you say, there is no warm-up phase anymore, so I personally hope that I start performing right at the point where I finished at the end of 2012 - and that was a very promising point.

"I am changing teams so there will be a 'getting to know each other' phase but I am confident that this will go smoothly."

Williams has defended its decision to make Bruno Senna sacrifice practice mileage to Valtteri Bottas in 2012 after promoting the Finn to take Senna's place in the race team next season.

Senna knew from the outset that he would have to hand his car to Bottas on most grand prix Friday mornings, but regularly argued that the loss of running was hampering his form.

The Brazilian often struggled in qualifying and was dropped at the end of the 2012 Formula 1 campaign.

He ultimately sat out 15 of the year's 20 practice one sessions for Bottas. Team-mate Pastor Maldonado in contrast ran in all sessions.

Williams's chief operations engineer Mark Gillan is sure bringing Bottas in on most Fridays was sufficiently beneficial to the team.

Asked by AUTOSPORT if Senna's struggles made it hard to justify denying him practice mileage, Gillan replied: "It's a good question. It's one that we will look at in depth.

"It's a balancing act. It's something that we all knew at the beginning of the season and we did our best to mitigate Bruno missing FP1 and did our best to learn from Valtteri.

"Each driver has different feedback. Bruno is different to Pastor, Valtteri is very different to Bruno and Pastor, and we've learned from that a lot.

"Valtteri benefited tremendously from it. We have got a lot from the third driver as well."

Gillan argued that granting Bottas track time was also beneficial for Williams's development as it facilitated comparison between its simulator and the FW34.

"With Valtteri being in the simulator a lot, it's important that he's had track time so that our virtual simulation package can be pushed forward," Gillan added.

[METALMAN]

Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes? Is he shit now?

[Chris2K]

No, he's still a really good driver, he's just more interested in getting more money from sponsorship deals than racing looking for a new challenge by trying to bring back glory to the Mercedes team.

[EddieG]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/20764423

- Japanese former Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi has given up on finding a Formula 1 seat for next season.

[MJB]

Grosjean and Chilton have been confirmed at Lotus and Marussia for 2013. No great surprises and it now just leaves two seats left, one at Force India and one at Caterham.

[Lineker]

Yup, Grosjean and Chilton confirmed. Now that my laptop is back, let's catch up...

Sauber has become the first Formula 1 team to reveal it has passed all the mandatory crash tests for its 2013 car.

The Swiss squad said on Wednesday morning that the C32, the chassis the team will use during the 2013 season, was now fully homologated to begin testing next year.

Cars must pass all crash tests before they can take to the track in testing. The rule was introduced at the start of 2012.

"The C32 chassis and safety structures have passed their FIA safety tests. So, fully homologated and ready for winter testing," said Sauber on Twitter.

Winter testing kicks off at the Jerez circuit on February 5.

Former world champion Alan Jones believes Kamui Kobayashi is the best Japanese driver to have ever competed in grand prix racing.

Jones is convinced the 26-year-old deserves to be on the Formula 1 grid next year, and has called on Japanese companies to get behind the driver and lend him the financial support he needs to land a race seat.

Kobayashi was left without a drive for 2013 after Sauber decided to hire Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez to replace him and Mexican Sergio Perez.

The Japanese driver, who finished on the podium in his home race at Suzuka, is still seeking a drive, having set up a fund-raising website.

"Kamui is the best so far from Japan to compete in Formula 1," Jones said.

"I have always admired and been supportive of race drivers that show courage, controlled aggression and strong determination, which are the qualities that I see in Kobayashi-san.

"Perhaps now is the right time for corporations in Japan to get behind their Japanese driver to secure his future in the sport.

"I would like to see him on the podium again as I am sure Peter Sauber was very happy with his results so far."

Fernando Alonso believes it will be near impossible for him to repeat the perfection of his 2012 performance in the future, the Spaniard insisting he had a flawless season.

Despite having an inferior car for most of the season, Alonso took the championship battle down to the wire and lost out to Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel's by just three points.

The Ferrari driver won three races and finished on the podium 13 times out of 20 races.

The Spaniard feels there was nothing he could have done better.

"You just have the feeling that some years you have done a good job and others when you feel there was something missing or something you wanted to change or want to improve for next year," Alonso told reporters during a Santander media event in Madrid.

"I think it's been a perfect year. It's going to be nearly impossible to repeat that in my career."

Ferrari had a poor start to the year in winter testing after its car proved to be very far from the pace of its main rivals ahead of the start of the season.

Alonso is convinced there is no way the start of next season can be any worse, although he concedes Red Bull will still be the favourite given its late-season form.

"A worst start would be impossible," he said.

"We were some 2.5 seconds off the pace in the Jerez test when the car made its debut, so it's nearly impossible that it will be worse, and so I expect a better start.

"But there's no doubt that Red Bull will be favourite at the start. They finished the season with a pretty strong dominance and [the] rules are more of less the same.

"They had a seven, eight-tenth advantage so we need to close that gap in two months, which is not easy.

"There will be a lot of work, but the starting point will be much better than last year, which is not hard."

Despite admitting Ferrari will have to work hard to catch up with its rivals, the two-time champion remains hopeful that the Maranello squad can become the team to beat.

"I hope so. That's every team's goal: to be first and second on Saturday and first and second on Sunday. There are a few teams who have managed that recently," he said.

"McLaren has done that a few times. Red Bull has done it over the past years. Even Lotus, there were times when they had both drivers on the podium.

"We haven't been able to do the job properly when it comes to the car performance, and that's one of the goals for next year.

"But it was also the goal for this year and it wasn't to be, so next year we will try to reach it."

Bernie Ecclestone says Formula 1 is likely to have only 19 grands prix next year, but admits he is still waiting on a possible return to Turkey.

The calendar was left with 19 races after it was announced the planned New Jersey Grand Prix would be postponed until 2014.

Turkey has been in talks with Ecclestone and its motorsport body said it had a deal, but that a final decision was up to the government.

Although Red Bull has said it is open to the idea of having a GP at Spielberg, Ecclestone said he had not actually discussed the plan with anyone.

"Right now I think we will have only 19 grands prix next year. That wouldn't be a big problem for Formula 1," Ecclestone told Austria's Kleine Zeitung newspaper.

"Right now I'm thinking more about Turkey so we return to Istanbul."

When asked about the possibility of hosting a race in Austria, Ecclestone said: "I have not talked about this with anyone."

Last week, the FIA announced it had moved the 2013 German GP forward in order to slot in another Europe-based event.

Sergio Perez says he is aiming to win the world championship next year when he switches to the McLaren team.

"My target is to win the championship already next year with [McLaren]," Perez said.

"That takes a lot of work during the season, so it's very important to start my preparation really well with them and try to reach their targets."

The Mexican made his grand prix debut at the start of the 2011 season with Sauber and put in some stellar performances during 2012 to secure a deal with the Woking team, where he replaces the departing Lewis Hamilton.

Despite his relative lack of experience in F1, Perez believes fighting for the title next year is a realistic goal.

"Definitely, because you are going to the best team and the best team normally wins," he added. "This year, they had many reliability issues and if they solve that they will be ready to fight for the title.

"I think what I am saying is realistic because the team is capable of putting out a very strong car. The targets have to be high. McLaren wants to win every single race.

"As a driver you are looking for every challenge and I think it's a very good challenge. It's the best team in F1, the best team in the world so definitely a very big challenge."

Perez, whose best results in F1 is second places in Malaysia and Monza this year, is confident McLaren will have a strong car in 2013 and he acknowledges he will have to be quick right from the start too.

"It's going to be very challenging but we have everything to do it," he said. "The car will be quite competitive, myself must be very competitive from the first race.

"So I'm really looking forward to being in Melbourne and to be testing and working with the team, which we will start as soon as possible and I'm sure that we will be fighting for the championship next year."

The Mexican driver failed to score a point in the final six races of the season, a streak that began when his McLaren contract was announced.

Perez insisted the point-less run had nothing to do with his new deal.

"People in F1 love to make stories about everything," Perez said.

"They always link that to my contract, but it has nothing to do with that because I'm a very professional driver and a very loyal person as well.

"So I am so grateful to this team and so motivated as well that since I signed by contract, I'm giving my very best as I did in the 15 races before."

Sebastian Vettel admits his string of three consecutive Formula 1 world championships brings its own set of pressures and distractions which could damage his 2013 prospects.

The German beat Ferrari's Fernando Alonso the 2012 crown by just three points after surviving an opening-lap shunt in a wild Interlagos finale.

And while Alonso has tipped Red Bull to once again start the year as favourite, Vettel insists he and the team will keep to their methodical approach in order to avoid losing momentum.

"I said after [brazil] race that the hardest thing is to win after you have [already] won," Vettel said in relation to his prospects of a fourth F1 crown.

"You get the attention and the pressure, and you are very likely to focus on how to win again, rather than the small steps [needed] to win in first place.

"Of course there's pressure, [and] on top of that it's always getting more and more tense at the end of the year, within the last couple of races depending on who you fight in order to try to win the championship.

"Obviously we have won the championship [in 2010 and '11] and this year again, so I don't want to praise ourselves, but I think we have done a couple of things right."

In the immediate aftermath of clinching the 2012 title, Vettel had decried the use of 'dirty tricks' which had played against his outfit over the course of the campaign.

Vettel said his methodical approach had helped guard against becoming preoccupied with such issues.

"It's not our decision or in our hands when other people try literally everything to beat us," he explained.

"There might just be a little bit of a rumour; other things might get said; and other things might happen eye to eye without any words, without you having to mention anything.

"It's not easy to stay focussed in that regard - it's very, very hard.

"Again the most important thing is to focus on yourself and to remain yourself.

"You don't try to be something you are not it just distracts and takes energy away."

[Lineker]

Fernando Alonso believes Ferrari should push the limits of Formula 1's regulations like its rivals do in order to find more performance for its car.

The FIA was forced to clarify and tweak the rules during the season in order to stop some teams from exploiting loopholes that were allowing them to gain performance.

After the Monaco GP, some teams questioned the legality of a 'hole' in the floor ahead of the rear wheels of Red Bull's car.

Red Bull was also forced to alter the engine mapping of its engines ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Alonso reckons Ferrari should also try to find loopholes in the regulations in order to be more competitive.

"There's been a few times when other teams have been on the limit. Not us," Alonso told reporters in Madrid.

"There were I think three races where they had to change things in the car for the next races or they wouldn't be allowed to race, but they had already raced with those things on their cars.

"But this has always existed in Formula 1 and we need to find the limits in the rules.

"Always within legality, but we have to find the limits or a loophole like other teams do so we have a better performance."

The Spanish driver is also confident Ferrari can catch up with its rivals for the start of the 2013 season despite spending most of 2012 off the pace.

The Maranello-based outfit kicked off the season on the back foot after its car proved to be far less competitive than expected, and Alonso reckons his car was around seven tenths of a second off the pace when the season ended in Brazil.

Ferrari has decided to shut down its windtunnel during the winter in order to improve its technology but Alonso does not expect that to hinder the team based on how it improved its car during 2012.

"The Ferrari windtunnel is closed because they have to make some major modifications and we won't be able to use it for a few months," he said.

"But we will use another one which we have used during the past years, so I don't think it's a problem, or anything negative.

"Since the rules are not changing much and Red Bull and McLaren were ahead of us [in 2012], they have walked the road a bit already.

"We probably finished behind Lotus and Force India and teams we shouldn't be behind of, so we have extra homework to do this winter.

"But I'm not worried because last year we were 2.5 seconds off in the first test, 1.5 in Australia, and then we fought for the championship until the end, so next year has to be better I'm sure."

Fernando Alonso has been voted as the driver of the year by Formula 1's team bosses in AUTOSPORT's annual team principals' top 10 poll.

The Ferrari driver, who lost out on the world championship by just three points to Sebastian Vettel, dominated the voting this year.

AUTOSPORT asked each of F1's current team principals to pick their top ten drivers for the season, with points being awarded under the current scoring system of 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1

The individual votes are kept secret so team bosses can give a more honest appraisal of their views.

Alonso was a clear winner this year, securing the biggest winning margin in the five years since AUTOSPORT began the top 10.

He was voted as best driver by eight of the 12 team principals. His score of 269 points gave him a 71-point margin over last year's top driver Sebastian Vettel.

It is the second time in the five years that the team principals' top ten has been running that Alonso has taken the number one spot.

He was voted as top driver in 2010, after also losing out on the championship in the final round.

Lewis Hamilton may have endured his frustrations on track with McLaren this season, but his efforts behind the wheel were acknowledged as he beat the returning Kimi Raikkonen for third place overall.

Nico Hulkenberg's form at Force India was also recognised on his F1 comeback, as he was voted as the seventh best driver by the teams.

AUTOSPORT team principals top 10:


 1. Fernando Alonso    269

 2. Sebastian Vettel   198

 3. Lewis Hamilton     177

 4. Kimi Raikkonen     176

 5. Jenson Button      104

 6. Mark Webber        66

 7. Nico Hulkenberg    50

 8. Nico Rosberg       30

 9. Sergio Perez       30

10. Felipe Massa       27[/code]


Mercedes boss Ross Brawn believes his team's optimism of a stronger 2013 season is "well justified" despite a disappointing end to the 2012 Formula 1 season.


The Brackley team enjoyed a promising start to the season, with Nico Rosberg taking victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, the third round of the championship.


However, Mercedes failed to match the development rate of the leading teams and quickly dropped down the order.


It failed to score points for five successive races during the latter part of the season.


Brawn says that making sure of a sustained rate of development is the priority for next year, during which the team boss is convinced his outfit can enjoy a stronger campaign.


"We created a car that was reasonable this year, but we didn't keep it progressing strongly enough," Brawn told AUTOSPORT.


"It's something we're addressing and we're putting in place the processes to ensure we can follow-up a good car and keep it at the front for the whole season.


"Twelve months ago we recognised we needed to strengthen the organisation, and we had Aldo Costa and Geoff Willis joining this summer. We had further additions.


"We upgraded the windtunnel and improved the facilities. The new car has been progressing well.


"I think we've got some well justified optimism that we're going to be better next year."


Brawn said that, unlike this year, the new car is set to make its track debut at the first of 2013's pre-season tests at Jerez.


"The car will be at the first day of the first test. Unless we have a problem that we don't anticipate," said Brawn.


Brawn, whose team has hired Lewis Hamilton for 2013, also reckons the strengths of Mercedes' set-up could be highlighted in 2014, when new regulations will come into play.


"It takes a little while for groups to settle down, and we've achieved that. We're working very closely with the two parts of our team, the engine part and the chassis part," he said.


"That particular relationship is particularly critical for 2014. That year is a massive opportunity and I think that's where we will show our strengths as one team, where the engine and chassis succeeds.


"Nico [Rosberg] is aware of and familiar with what we're doing. Some of those things we were able to explain to Lewis and that helped convince Lewis to join us."


Norbert Haug will leave his role as Mercedes motorsport chief at the end of 2012 after 22 years in the role.


The 60-year-old German oversaw Mercedes' return to Formula 1 in 1994, initially as an engine supplier with Sauber and then McLaren.


Mercedes returned as a full constructor in 2010 when the manufacturer bought the then world champion Brawn team.


In his time in charge Mercedes-powered drivers and teams have won 87 grands prix and a total of six world titles.


"I would like to thank the best car company in the world for more than 22 years, which never had a single moment without passion for me," Haug said.


"I particularly wish to thank the board for the trust and freedom they have always given me with all my activities.


"Since 1991, we had tremendous achievements and wins, for which I want to thank all of my colleagues.


"Unfortunately, with one victory in 2012 since founding our own Formula 1 works team in 2010, we couldn't fulfil our own expectations.


"However, we have taken the right steps to be successful in the future. Our team and our drivers will do everything to achieve these goals."


Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Mercedes owner Daimler, paid tribute to Haug's commitment over the past 22 years.


"Norbert Haug was the face of the Mercedes-Benz Motorsport programme for more than 20 years," he said.


"For me, he put his stamp on a whole era and, as a highlight, he was responsible for the successful comeback of the Silver Arrows to Formula 1.


"In the name of the board of management and the whole motorsport family, I would like to thank Norbert for his extraordinary commitment to the three-pointed star."


Mercedes DTM driver Gary Paffett said he was sorry Haug was leaving.


"Sad to see a man that has done so much for me move on," he wrote on Twitter.


Haug has not revealed what he plans to do following his Mercedes departure.

[u][b]Haug in numbers[/b][/u]


1990 - The year in which Haug became Mercedes motorsport vice-president. He joined on October 1, just days before Jean-Louis Schlesser and Mauro Baldi clinched the World Sportscar title in a Mercedes C11


986 - Total number of races featuring a factory Mercedes presence during the Haug era. The three-pointed star won 439 of them, or 45 per cent if you prefer.


500 – Mercedes built an engine with the aim specifically to win the Indianapolis 500, and achieved it in 1994 with Penske and Al Unser Jr, breaking its Indycar series duck in the process. Eighteen more victories followed, with Unser and Greg Moore recording five of them each.


87 – Number of Formula 1 wins taken by Mercedes-powered cars during the Haug era. Mika Hakkinen took all 20 of his grand prix wins and his 1998-99 titles in McLaren-Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton in 2008 and Jenson Button in 2009 followed with McLaren and Brawn. The three-pointed star also powered cars to two constructors' titles.


19 – total number of DTM titles won, nine drivers' crowns courtesy of Klaus Ludwig, Bernd Schneider, Gary Paffett and Paul di Resta and 10 constructors' prizes.


13 – Drivers' titles won in major Formula 3 championships since Mercedes' engine programme began during the last decade. Jamie Green won the first in the Euro Series in 2004, while Lewis Hamilton, Paul di Resta, Nico Hulkenberg, Romain Grosjean and Jaime Alguersuari followed. A total of 189 major F3 wins have been scored, including 10 at the Masters and four at Macau.


10 – Mercedes won all 10 races of the 1998 FIA GT Championship; Ludwig and Ricardo Zonta taking the drivers' title ahead of '97 champion Bernd Schneider and Mark Webber.


2 – Championships won in the short-lived DTM successor, the ITC. Schneider again took the drivers' crown while a squad including Dario Franchitti.


1 – Number of grand prix wins gained by Mercedes as a constructor since returning to F1 in 2010. Nico Rosberg scored the victory at this year's Chinese Grand Prix.


Formula 1 would be better off with just 10 teams as long as Ferrari is one of them, according to Bernie Ecclestone.


The grid has been formed of 12 teams since the start of the 2010 season, when Lotus (now Caterham), Virgin (now Marussia) and Hispania (now HRT) joined the fray.


HRT will not be on the grid next year after failing to find a buyer before the payment deadline for 2013 entries.


Ecclestone admitted on Thursday that he will not miss the Spanish squad.


"I'd rather have 10 [teams]," Ecclestone told the Reuters news agency. "I never wanted 12.


"It's just that 10 is easier to handle, for the promoters, for transport. We'd rather have 10... so long as we don't lose Ferrari."


When asked if he ever considered the possibility of stepping in to save HRT, he said: "I wouldn't think that anyone would want to."


Jenson Button believes Sergio Perez is ready to cope with the extra pressure he will be under when he starts driving for McLaren next year.


Perez is joining the British team to replace Lewis Hamilton, who is moving to Mercedes after six seasons at McLaren.


Mexican Perez has been in Formula 1 for just two seasons, but has said he is already aiming to win the title next year.


Button admits driving for a team like McLaren will inevitably bring added pressure for Perez, who has been with Sauber since 2011, but he feels that dealing with that will come naturally to the Mexican.


"I think there is more pressure, but you're not afraid of the pressure because this is what you think you're very good at doing," said Button.


"When you're good at something and you think you're good at something, you don't feel that pressure is much at a competitive organisation and a team like McLaren.


"So there is more pressure, but I don't think he's going to feel it."


Button reckons too much was made of the fact the Perez did not score any points after announcing his McLaren deal, but the Briton believes his future team-mate is ready to perform well.


"I think there's been a lot of pressure on Checo, especially with all the stuff that's been said in the media," Button added.


"We've just got to let him do his thing. He's going to have an important winter and we'll see what he can do next year. But I think he's proved that he has good speed and has a good understanding of a race car."


Marussia boss Graeme Lowdon expects his team to eliminate the gap to Formula 1's midfield next season.


Lowdon is certain that rules stability, the addition of KERS, and early indications from Marussia's 2013 design mean it can leapfrog habitual rival Caterham and challenge the teams ahead.


"The gap will definitely be gone, I'm absolutely convinced of it," Lowdon told AUTOSPORT.


"Everyone's obviously going to improve over the winter, but the law of physics says the improvement is only going to be so much. The question is, are we predicting fairly major improvements, and yes we are. I'm looking forward to it.


"We just want to be in the mix and racing and I really honestly believe that that's where we'll be next year. We've got a lot to do over the winter but everything's on track. We're genuinely looking forward to Melbourne."


Marussia finished its third season in F1 in 11th position after being beaten by Caterham in the final race of the year in Brazil.


The team was far from the midfield all season long, however, with 18th as its best qualifying result and two 12th-place finishes its best achievements in the races.


Unlike Caterham, Marussia did not run KERS in 2012, and Lowdon reckons it will make a big difference when it uses the system next year.


"It's like a turn-key system. I'm no big fan of KERS personally, I think it was a missed opportunity marketing-wise and an expense the pitlane could've done without," Lowdon said.


"We very nearly beat a team that has it, and we didn't have it. With KERS and with the aero projections that we've got, we can hopefully surprise some people next year.


"Certainly our immediate competitors have been running KERS all year, so they're going to have to develop a pretty good car to defend that gap, let alone improve.


"From what we can see, the gap [to the midfield] should be closed next year. And that's good for us and it's good for the sport."

[Lineker]

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh has praised departing Mercedes motorsport chief Norbert Haug's "crucial" contribution to his squad's success.

Mercedes announced on Thursday that Haug, who has been its motorsport boss since 1991, would leave the company at the end of the season.

McLaren has used Mercedes engines in Formula 1 since 1995, and was the firm's official works partner until it set up its own factory team in 2010.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Norbert for all the help and support he's offered McLaren over many years," Whitmarsh told AUTOSPORT.

"The period since McLaren and Mercedes-Benz first teamed up in Formula 1 in the mid-90s has been a successful and enjoyable one, and Norbert's influence and guidance have been crucial contributors to that enjoyment and success.

"His love of motorsport is genuine and profound, as is his natural racer's competitiveness.

"On behalf of everyone at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, I wish him well for the future."

Mark Webber says he will not consider retiring from Formula 1 until he feels his skills are waning.

The 36-year-old Australian will be F1's oldest driver next season after the departures of Michael Schumacher and Pedro de la Rosa.

But Webber is not the longest-serving driver on the grid, with Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso having made their debuts prior to the Australian's 2002 rookie campaign with Minardi.

Webber believes his age is less relevant to his long-term future than what he is delivering on track.

Although he could not match Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel's title-winning campaign this year, Monaco and British Grand Prix winner Webber is still certain he is capable of a world championship campaign.

"I'm not at the start of the career, I know that. I'm more towards the back end of my career," he said.

"My goal is to put together a campaign. I have fought for championships and I've had some good and very special memories over the past few years.

"Your peak is all relative. You've got to piece it all together.

"And you've got to be honest with yourself and say 'look mate, it's the right time now' - and I don't think it is the right time now."

He feels he is still a big enough threat to Vettel on pure pace.

"If I got spanked 20-nil in qualifying then yeah it's obvious, the alarm bells are ringing," Webber said.

"Until that point comes where you feel that you're not getting the most out of yourself, and you're sliding, then you need to keep pressing on.

"That's all we can do next year."

Paul di Resta believes it will take up to two years before Force India's cash boost fully translates into on-track progress.

The team's board approved a £50 million investment programme last month in a bid to improve its technology.

Di Resta reckons 2013 will be too early to notice the effect of the financial injection.

But the Scot has no doubts about the long-term potential of the investment.

"I think ultimately you shouldn't really be looking at next year because I think you should be looking a year back and then two years forward," said di Resta.

"The foundations are obviously getting bigger and there's a great level of investment coming.

"For a team like this you will get true benefits for it, but I think you see that for years to come as opposed to the near future.

"Given the way this team works and the small network it has, I think it will build upon something."

Force India finished in seventh position in the constructors' championship this year, dropping one place compared to 2011 after being beaten to sixth by Sauber.

The Silverstone squad endured a slow start to the season before it raised its game in the second half, something that di Resta hopes is rectified for 2013, when he hopes to kick off the campaign in strong fashion.

"That is always one thing that seems to happen," he said. "I think it certainly showed with the team last year. The performance we had last year, it would have been nice to start with that.

"I suppose in some ways you can be happy that the rules aren't changing too much next year because the car will be much stronger next year as it is only an evolution that we will be using.

"So there's no great philosophy change really, it's just working on the small things really. The things that make a difference."

Michael Schumacher has declared that Norbert Haug's departure from Mercedes will "tear a massive hole" in both the German firm's motorsport efforts and Formula 1 itself.

Haug is leaving his role as Mercedes' motorsport chief after 22 years in the position.

His tenure included Schumacher's first big break in Mercedes' World Sportscar Championship team, and the seven-time world champion's F1 comeback with Mercedes' revived factory F1 programme in 2010.

"Since I entered professional motorsport, Mercedes and Norbert Haug together were part of it, so this step will mark a big break," Schumacher wrote on his personal website.

"We spend a lot of years together, being sporting combatants or allies, and Norbert has always been into this with full enthusiasm and wholeheartedly.

"He was living motorsports, and him leaving will tear a massive hole in both our sport and our team."

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh, whose team was Mercedes' works F1 squad from 1995 to 2009 and still uses its engines, declared earlier on Friday that Haug had been a "crucial" factor in McLaren's success.

McLaren sporting director Sam Michael hopes Pirelli does not go too conservative in its 2013 Formula 1 tyre selection as he reckons it would hurt the show.

The Italian tyre manufacturer will alter all its compounds for the 2013 season, having promised it will make life easier for the teams.

F1 teams had a tough time understanding the tyre compounds in the first half of 2012, which led to an exciting opening to the season.

Michael thinks it would be detrimental for F1 if the 2013 rubber was a lot more predictable than in the past season.

"Teams do have a better understanding of it, and drivers understand how to drive them better," said Michael when asked by AUTOSPORT if 2013 will be more predictable.

"But it depends what they do with the compounds. The race was better when it was like that [more unpredictable].

"It wasn't unfair, it was down to who could understand and manage. That's what we do with everything.

"It's like saying someone's come up with a better diffuser. I actually didn't have any problem with what was happening with the tyres. I thought it was good.

"I hope we don't go too conservative."

Although Michael admits some of the one-stop races were exciting this season, he feels tyres that degrade faster will always help the spectacle.

"Those two or three races that were one-stop, they were fantastic races," he said.

"But they weren't fantastic races because of tyres, they were fantastic races because a lot of things happened.

"Three of them in a row had high potential for being boring races; they weren't because of other factors.

"I hope that we can maintain the sort of exciting racing that we've had for most of this year and not allow that to diminish."

Adrian Newey insists Red Bull is right to push the limits of Formula 1 regulations in order to maximise the performance of its car.

The team was at the centre of several rules controversies in 2012, with the FIA having to close off loopholes during the campaign.

Some of Red Bull's rivals questioned the legality of a 'hole' in the floor ahead of the rear wheels at Monaco, while it was forced to alter its engine maps ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.

But with Fernando Alonso recently urging Ferrari to push the limit of the regulations in order to match its rivals, Newey insists doing so is simply part of F1.

"It seemed like every race we were accused of doing something illegal," Newey said in a Red Bull documentary.

"The car of course was using the regulations to the edge, that's to me what you should do in Formula 1.

"There's no such thing as the spirit of the regulations, it's the black and white print of 'you can't do this, you can do that.'

"We took the can do bits right to the edge.

"The bottom line is the car was legal, [and] we won the races."

Peter Sauber believes that the biggest challenge facing contemporary Formula 1 is the need to cut costs.

Sauber, who stood down as team principal of his eponymously-named outfit this year, believes that a budget cap would be an effective way of tackling this problem.

The teams, Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA have been locked in discussion about cost-cutting measures throughout the season and implementing such measures has been made a priority.

"I think the biggest challenge today is the commercial part," Sauber told AUTOSPORT.

"That's not only for Sauber, that's also for some of the big teams.

"Formula 1 is too expensive today, that's the important fact."

But Sauber is concerned about the rate at which discussions have been advancing.

He has called on the bigger teams to recognise the need to implement change as soon as possible.

"The progress has been slower than slow," he said.

"It's difficult and I hope that the big teams realise that they have to do something."

The Sauber team has been a supporter of the implementation of a budget cap for some time.

A £30 million was proposed by then-FIA president Max Mosley back in 2009 for introduction the following season, although this was subsequently raised to £40 million and ultimately abandoned.

"We very much support a budget cap," Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn told AUTOSPORT earlier this season.

"That is the right way we should be going and we should eventually reach the point where we have a budget cap."

Jenson Button believes Lewis Hamilton's ability and pace could surprise Nico Rosberg when the pair team up at Mercedes next year.

Button became the first of Hamilton's team-mates to beat him over a season in 2011, finishing runner-up as Hamilton ended the year in fifth.

This year Hamilton has regained the ascendancy, finishing directly above Button in the championship and ending the season with a 15-5 qualifying advantage even after penalties at Shanghai and Barcelona.

While Rosberg and Hamilton have been team-mates before back in 2000, Button warns that Hamilton's sheer speed will be the hardest thing for the German to acclimatise to.

"I think he'll probably get a bit of a surprise," Button said when asked what Rosberg could expect.

"I know he's been his team-mate in the past, but I think he'll be surprised at how Lewis can get performance out of a bad car.

"I didn't say that [Mercedes will be bad] - he [Hamilton] can also get speed out of a good car, and I think that will be the biggest thing."

Button and Hamilton were involved in a Twitter spat earlier this year following Hamilton's tweeting of confidential McLaren data over the Belgian Grand Prix.

Button said Rosberg knew what to expect when it came to working with the 2008 world champion, adding: "I think Nico knows Lewis better than I do.

"They've worked together before; I think he knows what to expect."

Asked whether he will rue Hamilton's departure from McLaren, Button said: "I'm not disappointed because there's always change.

"I'd be disappointed if Paddy Lowe moved from the team because that's the guy who's going to help me achieve in the future.

"Whereas with Lewis, drivers come and go and people change, and that's pretty normal in the sport.

"It's been a good three years and it's amazing how quick those three years have gone by. It's been a good partnership.

"We've had quite a bit of fun in terms of racing over those three years."

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo believes Felipe Massa's resurgence in the second half of 2012 could have a significant impact on the team's 2013 ambitions.

After floundering in the early parts of 2012, Massa scored points in all of the last 10 grands prix, helping Ferrari to secure second in the constructors' championship.

He also played a part in the drivers' championship, notably at Austin where, after outqualifying Alonso, he took a penalty to ensure the Spaniard started on the clean side of the grid.

Di Montezemolo hailed Massa's resurgence during Ferrari's Christmas celebrations, adding that it could also stand Ferrari in good shape next season.

"I don't know where you went in the first part of the year," di Montezemolo said to Massa, "but I am very pleased you came back.

"It meant we were able to finish ahead of major teams in the constructors' classification, but it is also important for next year."

Massa, who admitted the long-running uncertainty over his Ferrari future played a part in his poor early form, said his revival was good preparation for next year.

"This has been a very difficult year for me, especially at the start, when we couldn't find the right way to move forward with our car," he admitted.

"The second part was very different: I was more competitive and I managed to get back to the way I was before.

"Now I am more motivated than ever: the second part of the season was like a training session for next year."

Di Montezemolo added that it was imperative for Ferrari to be competitive from the first race next year, saying: "Fernando had an extraordinary season and I am sorry not to have given him a car that was quick as well as reliable.

"In 2013 the aim, not just for me but for all of you, is to immediately have a car that's capable of winning.

"We must all do a little bit more to achieve that, but without losing any of the plus points we demonstrated this year, starting with reliability.

"We can be pleased with the improvements we have made on the strategy front, at the pit stops and in our race preparation and we must maintain these strong points next year."

The failure of Formula 1's 'new' teams to break into the top 10 over the past three seasons reflects well on the sport according to Marussia boss Graeme Lowdon.

Marussia, Caterham and HRT came into F1 - in various different guises – at the start of 2010, but none have scored a point in the 58 grands prix which have followed.

Rather than that being detrimental, Lowdon believes the collective failure to break the top 10 validates just how advanced F1 is as a sport.

"We haven't even scored a point in the last three years, but I don't think that's a bad thing," Lowdon said.

"This is the pinnacle of the industry that we're in.

"If you were to simply come into it and dominate, then I think it would be a bad reflection on the sport."

Lowdon does however believe addressing the costs of competing would help improve the show.

HRT was recently omitted from next year's official entry list after failing to find a buyer.

"I think the sport does need to address a lot of issues with costs and primarily to make the entertainment value higher, because that's really what helps all of us," he said

"Formula 1's got enormous global TV coverage, but we get 1.2 per cent of it, so that's not an asset that we can readily sell to a sponsor.

"If you look at a lot of the sponsors associated with our team, they do business with us because it's beneficial for them from a business to business point of view.

"It's a different approach, but in our first year we brought in a lot of brands that had never been in Formula 1, and I'm very proud of that.

"I'm even more proud of the fact that most of them have stuck with us."

[Lineker]

Adrian Sutil says the way is open for a 'new beginning' for him in Formula 1, insisting there are no legal issues that will prevent him being totally committed to a return.

The German, who is in advanced talks with Force India about a drive for 2013, was given a suspended sentence by the German courts last year after being convicted of bodily harm against Lotus co-owner Eric Lux.

There had been suggestions that his chances of securing a seat could be compromised by restrictions that would be imposed on him as a result of the court action - but he insists that there is nothing standing in his way.

"We have checked of course, me and my management, we checked all the countries, and there is no problem for me to travel - which is why I am here in Bangkok," said Sutil, during an interview for the Race of Champions on Sunday.

"All my problems I had last winter are solved, and it is a new beginning."

Sutil is going up against a number of drivers - including Jules Bianchi, Kamui Kobayashi, Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari - for the Force India seat alongside Paul di Resta.

With the team having made it clear that its decision will be based on talent rather than sponsorship potential, Sutil says he is happy with the way talks are going.

"In five years I was in this team, they know how good I am and they know my qualities," he said. "I am not the one going to this team saying, 'please, please give me the drive'.

"They should come to me and say, 'we want you.' I want to drive for this team but they should also want me as a driver. I am quite relaxed.

"I know how to handle the situation. I did the maximum I could do and now it is up to them to decide if I am in the seat or not."

He also thinks that if he gets the chance to return to F1, he will come back as a stronger driver after a season out of the sport.

"It was a different year. I really enjoyed the year, it was one of the best ever, as I had time for different things in life," he said. "I am definitely more settled in my life right now and ready for a new beginning in F1."

Michael Schumacher says people shouldn't compare his successes in Formula 1 to those of Sebastian Vettel after the young German secured his third consecutive title in 2012.

Vettel became the youngest triple world champion in history this year, also matching Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio as the only other driver to clinch three titles in a row.

Seven-time champion Schumacher, who retired from F1 at the end of the season, says what Vettel has achieved is special, but believes trying to draw comparisons between himself and his compatriot makes no sense.

Schumacher and Vettel won the Race of Champions' Nations' Cup on Saturday.

"You have to be special to do that, it's pretty simple," said Schumacher of Vettel's third consecutive title.

"I don't think we need to compare. He is doing his thing in his moment and I did it before."

Vettel said he was still struggling to come to terms with the fact that he is a triple world champion.

"I think it's still difficult to put it in perspective," he said. "I'm not waking up in the morning and thinking of what I have achieved.

"I'm happy with who I am and I'm happy to wake up the next day and really go day by day, not making things too complicated or thinking about it too much.

"It's very special and something no one can take from us. I'm very proud of that."

Romain Grosjean believes the on-track troubles that marred his first full season in Formula 1 have helped him realise how much he still has to improve for next year.

The Frenchman, who is set to remain at Lotus even though his new deal has not yet been confirmed, got involved in a spate of first lap incidents in 2012 - and was handed a one-race ban after the Belgian Grand Prix for causing a crash.

Although he avoided further trouble on his return, Grosjean says that the post-season period has delivered him proper time to reflect on the areas where he must do better in 2013.

Speaking during the Race of Champions, Grosjean said: "I think when there are stats that show you have one fastest lap, three podiums and 96 points and stuff like that, and if you told me one year ago at ROC [that I would have that] – I would not believe it.

"So it was a good year in that respect. We had some fantastic results, [although] a little bit too [many] mistakes as well - which is the shadow of the year.

"But they helped me to improve myself in the winter – to try to analyse it, keep the speed we show and go for the results we deserve. We now need to score points for the team, for myself and for all the championship."

Grosjean said the support from Enstone has been key in helping him recover from the criticism he faced after the Spa-Francorchamps collision, which eliminated world championship contenders Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

"I really like the atmosphere of the team," he said. "We know each other much better now. We can work from there and improve ourselves. The support they showed was great.

"Coming back from the race ban at Spa was very hard, and there was not much time to recover.

"It was not the easiest time, but I think even in those tough times we showed good pace – like qualifying fourth in Austin - so let's capitalise on that and not make any mistakes and go for what we want."

Caterham boss Cyril Abiteboul says the team can no longer be satisfied with being the best of the newer Formula 1 squads in the 2013 season.

Caterham has finished in 10th position in its three years of existence since joining the grid for the start of the 2010 season, but this season failed to achieve its target of fighting in the midfield.

Abiteboul admitted the goals set for the past season were perhaps too high, but is aware Caterham needs to take a step forward in 2013.

"Absolutely, we cannot be satisfied with that title anymore," Abiteboul told the official Formula 1 website.

"I would like to be able to say that we raced teams ahead of us and had some more of what we felt in Brazil. However, I think maybe we overstated what was achievable in 2012.

"For 2013 I'd like to look back and say we continued to develop as a team, seized whatever opportunities came our way and surprised a few people, without compromising the preparation for 2014.

"For small teams like us 2014 is just as much a major risk - due to our size in particular - as it is an interesting opportunity, due to the quality of the technical relationship with Renault.

"Anyway, we have the capacity to do that and we are determined to fight harder than ever to succeed, so I hope 2013 is a year we remember for the right reasons."

Caterham beat Marussia to 10th place in the constructors' championship in the final race of the season in Brazil.

Abiteboul insisted the benefits of having beaten its rival were significant.

"The end of the Brazil race meant two things to me: firstly it means we are on a better financial footing than if we had finished 11th. The benefits of that are obvious and it means we have not had to compromise our 2013 or future plans," he said.

"The money is obviously important, but what finishing 10th also meant to me was that it showed our team what it felt like to be part of the show.

"It was very special to see what it meant to everyone when Vitaly [Petrov] brought his car home in 11th. This positive energy will be immensely useful for the work we have ahead of us over the winter."

Caterham is yet to reveal who will partner Charles Pic next year, and Abiteboul said the team is closing in on a decision.

"One option is someone who he can learn from and who he can use as his benchmark for what we want from both our drivers," he said.

"Another option, more radical, is to accept the fact that 2013 is a transition year that we use to continue building the team before a period of greater stability in 2014, when a lot of other things in the package will change.

"Both types of candidates are out there, and we are close to making a decision."

Williams says it will be very tricky to balance car development next year with the big regulation changes that will come into play in 2014.

New car and engine rules mean Formula 1 teams will have to work on two very different development programmes in order to make sure they stay competitive in 2013 while they prepare for the next season.

Williams's chief operations engineer Mark Gillan says that finding the right balance will be very tricky, admitting windtunnel work will be an area where extra caution will be needed.

"There are areas of this car over the winter which we need to improve and want to improve for next season but you've also got to balance 2014 on the horizon," Gillan told AUTOSPORT.

"That's a very important season and the resource you've got for what's relevant for 2014 and what's only relevant for 2013.

"This season, it has been very tight and the margins are small so we do want to push on 2014 as well.

"You are juggling two developments together so you have to try and fit that in. Clearly the windtunnel development is something which you have to be very careful of in terms of prioritisation.

"All teams will be in the same boat. It's about ensuring that you are far enough ahead on 2014 to make informed decision on setting the car out without impacting too much on the 2013 development."

Gillan added the team's 2013 car will be an evolution of the FW34 used this year rather than the radical overhaul brought about by the team's worst season in F1 in 2011.

"This year, we didn't throw everything out of the FW33 [but] a lot was changed," he said.

"But for next year, yes, it'll primarily be an evolution of this year's car but we will make changes."

Gillan said he felt the team had taken a significant step forward in 2012, although he conceded it still failed to maximise the car's potential all year long despite victory in the Spanish Grand Prix.

"We are much improved. It's still not where we want to be by any stretch of the imagination, but much improved," Gillan added.

"If you look at where we were lat year and where we are now, we are disappointed where we don't get the cars into Q3 and disappointed when we don't get into the points."

[Lineker]

Romain Grosjean will stay on at Lotus for the 2013 Formula 1 season after being confirmed by the team on Monday.

Frenchman Grosjean, who completed his first full Formula 1 season this year with the team, was widely expected to be retained following a promising but erratic year, during which he finished on the podium three times.

The 26-year-old had made his grand prix debut mid-season in 2009 with Renault before spending two years in GP2.

He claimed both the GP2 and the GP2 Asia series titles in 2011 before returning to Formula 1 as Kimi Raikkonen's team-mate at Lotus.

The former GP2 champion managed 96 points on his way to eighth place in the standings.

He was however given a one-race ban after his crash at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix.

"It's fantastic for me to be continuing with Lotus for 2013," he said. "It's superb to have the support of everyone at Enstone. I'm really looking forward to rewarding their faith when we take to the track in Australia.

"I learnt a lot in my first full season in Formula 1 and my aim is to put these lessons into practice with stronger and more consistent performance on track next year.

"There are a lot of exciting developments occurring behind the scenes at Enstone and I am very excited with the prospect of the E21."

Team boss Eric Boullier added: "Romain is a great talent and we are pleased that he is continuing with us for a second season.

"With the continuity of two exceptional drivers like Romain and Kimi we are well placed to build on our strong 2012 with even better results in the year ahead.

"Both drivers worked very well together in their first year as team-mates, and I think there is the potential of even better things from the season ahead. We were regular visitors to podiums in 2012 and we certainly intend to continue with this trend in 2013."

The news means only Caterham and Force India are yet to finalise their 2013 line-ups.

Grosjean's rollercoaster season

By Matt Beer

At the start of 2012, Romain Grosjean was often showing illustrious Lotus team-mate Kimi Raikkonen the way, but as the year went on, it was his wayward driving, not his speed, that was defining his season.

HIGHS

Melbourne qualifying: Grosjean serves notice of his and Lotus's raw speed by claiming third on the grid for his Formula 1 return, behind only the McLarens, and a full 14 places clear of Raikkonen. His race would end in an early tangle with Pastor Maldonado, though...

Montreal: In a race defined by tyre degradation, Grosjean produces a masterclass in discipline as he keeps his Pirellis in good shape despite a relatively early pitstop. He storms through to second, and is just 2.5 seconds behind winner Lewis Hamilton at the flag.

Valencia: Although Grosjean's European Grand Prix would end in an alternator failure, it was another clear shot at victory. He established himself in second place behind the dominant Sebastian Vettel in the first half of the race. Fernando Alonso jumped him after a safety car, but the Lotus was hounding the Ferrari for victory after Vettel's retirement only to stop with the same glitch.

LOWS

Monaco: Lotus was a favourite for Monaco victory, and Grosjean had a speed edge over Raikkonen all weekend. A mistake in qualifying meant he was only fourth on a grid he probably had the pace to top, and his race was over by the first corner as he bounced off Michael Schumacher and Alonso.

It wasn't as clear-cut an incident as some of his later lap-one clashes, but was one of the first cases of a promising race being squandered.

Spa: The infamous first-corner crash that ultimately had an impact on the championship outcome. After squeezing Hamilton, Grosjean's out-of-control Lotus flew into Alonso's Ferrari and triggered a multi-car pile-up.

Only good fortune and safety developments prevented some potentially nasty injuries, and Grosjean was given a one-race ban.

Suzuka: Chastened by his suspension and eager to make amends, Grosjean started to try too hard to stay out of trouble - and succeeded only in making more mistakes. Focusing on Sergio Perez at the start in Japan, he slid into Mark Webber. The enraged Australian left Grosjean in no doubt about his feelings when he stormed down to Lotus post-race...

Romain Grosjean has admitted that he feared for his Formula 1 future after his up-and-down 2012 season.

Lotus confirmed on Monday that the 26-year-old will stay with the team in 2013 despite question marks over the mistakes that punctuated an otherwise promising campaign.

The team is known to have considered alternatives, including Heikki Kovalainen and Kamui Kobayashi, but has opted to retain Grosjean, who claimed three podiums this season.

"I was worried," Grosjean told AUTOSPORT. "It hasn't been the easiest part of the season, to get to December when all of the races are done and you are waiting for an answer.

"I had good discussions with the team owners and we tried to analyse the situation, understand it and see if we could keep the speed at where we wanted to and to score a lot of points."

Grosjean accepted that the key to next season will be to get to the end of races, having failed to finish on eight of his 19 starts in 2012.

But when he did finish, he scored heavily, standing on the podium in Bahrain, Canada and Hungary before the August break.

"It is pretty clear," he said when asked about the team's expectations. "They just want me to get to the end of the races. That's all we need to do."

Grosjean believes that the key to stringing together consistent results will be having the right approach.

With Lotus winning its first race since 2008 (when it ran under the Renault name) this year and on an upward curve, the Franco-Swiss driver could be in the mix for a maiden victory.

But Grosjean is refusing to be distracted by such objectives.

"Let's see what happens next season," said Grosjean.

"First of all, we need to do the best with the car that we have, then do the best on the driving and engineering side and not worry about objectives.

"This year, there were some incidents because of sometimes going for the wrong objectives.

"Winning races would be fantastic, but first of all I want to do the best job for the team, for myself and to take everything step-by-step during the weekend.

"We will see after the chequered flag where we are."

Max Chilton will make his Formula 1 debut next year after securing the second race seat at Marussia.

As predicted by AUTOSPORT back in September, Chilton has been given the nod to line up alongside Timo Glock in 2013 after being promoted from the reserve driver role he held at the end of this season.

Speaking about his F1 opportunity, Chilton said the six races where he worked with Marussia had proved invaluable in helping him prepare for next year.

"It's hard to put into words how I'm feeling today, with the announcement that I will be racing for the Marussia F1 team in 2013," said Chilton, who took part in Friday practice for the outfit in Abu Dhabi.

"It comes at the end of what has been a fantastic year for me, and those steps - my GP2 pole positions and wins, my performances in the F1 young driver test and in FP1 at Abu Dhabi - have given everyone the confidence in my ability to compete at the highest level of motor sport.

"I am very fortunate to have spent the last six races with the Marussia F1 team as reserve driver, which means that instead of a standing start, I am already up to speed and at ease with the people, the culture, the systems and of course, the 2012 package."

Chilton's graduation to F1 comes after he emerged as a frontrunner in GP2 in 2012, winning the feature races in Hungary and Singapore. He had also been a race winner in British Formula 3.

Marussia team principal John Booth said that the team was convinced by Chilton's potential ever since it promoted him to the reserve driver role in September.

"We have spent a significant amount of time evaluating his performances during 2012, both in our own car in a testing situation and also from the pitwall as we monitored his progress alongside the other members of our junior talent pool during grand prix support races," explained Booth.

"We felt confident enough in his ability and potential to appoint him to the role of reserve driver in September and since that time his development has been rapid in all aspects.

"First and foremost, he has shown himself to be extremely capable in the car."

Chilton's promotion to F1 means there will be four British drivers on the grid next year - with Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Paul di Resta also competing.

AUTOSPORT SAYS

Edd Straw, F1 editor

Inevitably, the long-expected confirmation that Max Chilton would step up from GP2 to Formula 1 with Marussia will re-open the debate about pay drivers.

Earlier this season, Chilton was asked about the perception of him as a pay driver and he gave a very sensible response.

"I like to ignore it, but you can't because it gets brought up," he said. "But that's the way motor racing is. Not many people on the F1 grid would have started racing if they didn't have a wealthy backer to start with."

He's absolutely right, so let's take it as a given that, like many other drivers, he needed funds to secure the seat. There's no disgrace in that as it is the way of the world.

Given that pay driver is used as a pejorative term, it's important to note that Chilton is far from underqualified to race an F1 car.

He did, after all, finish fourth in GP2 last year, albeit in a year that has to be considered as one of the weaker in the category's short history in terms of depth of driver ability. But we can dismiss the idea that he's unworthy of sitting in a grand prix car immediately.

During his 2012 season, he won GP2 feature races (ie - the non-reversed grid ones) in both Hungary and Singapore and showed dramatically improved racecraft from his previous two campaigns. There have been plenty of drivers with patchier GP2 careers who have done a decent job when they stepped up.

That is firm evidence that he's a driver capable of improving and learning. At just 21, he still has time on his side. He's also level-headed and did a tidy job in test outings for Force India and Marussia, so he's clearly not overawed by F1 as some so-called pay drivers have unquestionably been in the past.

There are certainly some rising stars who have made a bigger impression in the junior ranks who you could argue merit a shot ahead of Chilton - Robin Frijns to name one – but that doesn't have to mean that Marussia's new driver is to be dismissed.

He comes into F1 with six years of single-seater racing under his belt having started out in British F3 at the age of 16. He has won in F3 and GP2. Just because he's had to bring a budget and, right now, wouldn't be considered one of the best 24 drivers in the world doesn't mean that he is incapable of doing a solid job in his first season.

Now that he does have an F1 drive, what he now deserves is the chance to prove himself either way.

2013 Formula 1 line-up so far:


Red Bull     Sebastian Vettel  Mark Webber

Ferrari      Fernando Alonso   Felipe Massa

McLaren      Jenson Button     Sergio Perez

Lotus        Kimi Raikkonen    Romain Grosjean

Mercedes     Lewis Hamilton    Nico Rosberg

Sauber       Nico Hulkenberg   Esteban Gutierrez

Force India  Paul di Resta     seat still available

Williams     Pastor Maldonado  Valtteri Bottas

Toro Rosso   Daniel Ricciardo  Jean-Eric Vergne

Caterham     Charles Pic       seat still available

Marussia     Timo Glock        Max Chilton[/code]


Kamui Kobayashi has conceded his chances of landing a seat in Formula 1 for next season are over.


The Japanese driver had been pushing hard to secure the funding that would have landed him a drive at one of the teams that still has vacancies.


He had set up a website to help raise funding from fans, as well as making progress with more traditional sponsorship avenues.


But despite raising almost 8 million euros, Kobayashi wrote on his website on Monday night that it was not enough to earn him a drive for 2013, and his focus was now on making a return in 2014.


"I was in the position to bring a budget of 8 million Euro at least," wrote Kobayashi about the big support he had received from fans.


"If you could imagine the time I had, it was [an] overwhelming reaction and it shows there still is a great potential from Japanese companies.


"Unfortunately, the time was still short and I am not able to secure the seat with [a] competitive F1 team for 2013.


"I have to admit that it is very sad and [i] feel sorry for fans and Japanese companies who supported me. But I am still confident to make it happen in 2014."


Kobayashi said the money that had been raised would be saved for his 2014 efforts, and made it clear that he was not interested in racing in any category other than F1.


"I start to look [at] what is the best option for 2013 and also 2014," he said. "My main priority is to secure the competitive F1 seat in 2014. I have no interests to race any other categories.


"I will make an announcement as soon as I make a decision for 2013."


Mark Gillan, one of the architects of Williams's 2012 revival, has left the team.


Gillan had joined Williams during its troubled 2011 Formula 1 campaign and was appointed as its chief operations engineer during its technical reshuffle.


The team confirmed to AUTOSPORT that Gillan had vacated his role to "spend more time with his family".


Williams declined to comment on any plans to replace Gillan.


The squad endured its worst F1 season since the 1970s in 2011, finishing a distant ninth in the constructors' championship.


But this year Williams recovered its form and while its position in the standings only improved by one place, it was a regular frontrunner again and won the Spanish Grand Prix.


Pastor Maldonado's Barcelona win was Williams's first since the 2004 Brazilian GP.


Prior to joining Williams, Gillan had held positions at McLaren, Jaguar/Red Bull and Toyota, where he was head of aerodynamics in the team's final F1 seasons.

[color=#8B0000][b]AUTOSPORT SAYS[/b][/color]

Edd Straw, F1 editor[/i]


Mark Gillan played a key role in the Williams revival after joining at the start of October last year, at a time when the team was in the midst of a dismal season.


Gillan, who had previously worked for McLaren, Jaguar/Red Bull and Toyota Motorsport, brought a logical, methodical approach to running the race team that enabled it to unlock the potential of the machinery on a regular basis.


While Williams ultimately underperformed in the world championship, finishing eighth in the standings when it had the potential to finish fifth, it was a vast improvement on the 2011 campaign. The highlight was unquestionably Pastor Maldonado's sensational victory in the Spanish Grand Prix.


It is not yet clear what effect Gillan's departure will have on the team. Working under technical director Mike Coughlan, he was central to race weekend operations.


Who replaces him with could prove central to ensuring that Williams continues to build on the step forward it made in 2012.


Mercedes-Benz's outgoing motorsport boss Norbert Haug says he had to take responsibility for his team's failure to deliver in Formula 1.


Haug announced last week that he will be stepping down from his role at the end of this month after 22 years in charge of the German car manufacturer's motor racing activities.


Speaking at length for the first time since news of his departure was made public, Haug said Mercedes' tally of just one win from three years in F1 cost him his job.


"This was a decision made after the last race," he told AUTOSPORT. "We had a report in Stuttgart and we reached a mutual agreement that we split. I take the responsibility for not having been successful enough in three years.


"We were quite OK with our pace in the first third of the season - but then we dropped back. So we need changes, and I fully accept that.


"There is no bad feeling between the board and I. We are splitting amicably and we have found a good solution for both sides."


He added: "We should have done a better job. We changed to the 60 per cent windtunnel in the middle of the year; we suffered a little bit with the RRA [Resource Restriction Agreement] and personnel numbers, but I don't want to have any excuses. My job was not good enough.


"I take full responsibility for that. Even if I don't build the car, I am in charge. And if I was responsible for the victory in China, I also have to be responsible for everything else that happened."


Haug has no immediate plans once his current commitments with Mercedes-Benz are over, and will only make a decision next year.


"I will still be involved in the first quarter of the year, and then I am a free agent. I have no thoughts on what I will do – but things will settle down.


"I am happy to have some time for skiing in the first part of the year, and my friends called me and say it is great I have the time now. This year I was away for 34 weekends out of 38 between February and the final race, which is quite a lot."


Regarding the possibility of a restructuring at Mercedes, or a replacement being lined up, Haug said: "I do not know about that. It is not my position to judge that, and this will be done by the board."


Haug is sure, however, that Mercedes will be able to achieve its target of more wins and title success in the future.


"I am 100 per cent convinced of that," he said. "It takes time and we should be further down the road than we are, but I think the guys will be fine.


"We will not be the world beaters in the first step, but I am sure Niki [Lauda] and Ross [brawn] will give it everything. I will support them, and should there be any need for further discussions or, advice, they can always contact me – but they are responsible."

[LUKIE]

Sad to see Kobayashi without a race next year

[Katsuya]

£6.5 million is a huge amount to raise as well. Bizarre that Force India wouldn't sign him. Probably means the Sutil deal is a done one.

[Adam]

THE WALL OF TEXT.

Yeah I agree on Kobayashi. He really shouldn't have much trouble getting a drive for 2014. What he'll do in the meantime though I've no idea.