Formula One 2014

[Adam]

Correct decision.

Now if only Ron Dennis would leave again, McLaren would actually be a very likeable team! Always loved Button and Alonso.

[Sam]

I echo what Adam said. It was an easy decision to make. If and that is the big factor here, but if they have a good car then they've potentially got the best lineup on the grid now.

[EddieG]

They probably won't have the best car yet, with the new Honda engines coming in, but if anything, it's why Button is the better choice, he's shown this year, and in the past, that with his experience, he can grow with the car and know what adjustments have to be made, to make it better and faster.

[Rich]

You never know, Honda may come in with a beast of a power unit

[GA!]

Last time Button was on the brink of losing a drive, he then became World Champion. Probably stretching it this time, but here's hoping.

[Katsuya]

I imagine it's a bit of a safety net for McLaren too. Keep Kevin as a backup; if the Honda engine is good, bring him up for 2016 over Jenson. If it's bad and Alonso leaves, you've got Button locked in for a contract.

[EddieG]

K-Mag is apparently driving Super GT in Japan for Honda, so maybe that's part of the deal.

[Lineker]

Esteban Gutierrez will become test and reserve driver for the Ferrari Formula 1 team next season, after losing his seat at Sauber.

The Williams team has appointed Formula 1 stalwart Steve Nielsen as its sporting manager. Nielsen left his previous role as sporting director at Toro Rosso last week, having been at the Italian squad for two years following a period at Caterham.

[JasonM]

Very Very good deal for Esteban. With Kimi heavily underperforming last season, he will no doubt be under pressure to at least deliver SOMETHING next season... And if he can't deliver the goods, maybe Gutierrez might get the nod over him.

His two seasons haven't been impressive, but that has mostly been due to the sheer and utter shitness of the car itself. And he's often beat the more experienced Sutil during races too.

Also next season's mid-field pack is really starting to become a very interesting bunch. Three debutantes in Verstappen, Sainz Jr, and Nasr... And Ericsson in a ''better'' car than the Caterham he drove last year... And of course the potential return of a reformed Caterham and Manor-Marussia that will no doubt bring more young drivers to the grid.

Mercedes will probably continue their dominance with Bottas as the best of the rest. But the backfield really excites me to see what the future of F1 will be.

Edited December 15, 2014 by Jasonmufc

[EddieG]

They mentioned on Reddit that this might be the first time a driver (JB) will have been on a F1 grid against a father and his son. (Jos & Max Verstappen)

EDIT: A quick google shows Alonso and Kimi also raced against Jos in 2003.

[Rich]

Also it's utter bollocks as striaght away I know Alain Prost definitely raced against Mario and Michael Andretti

[The Lusophone]

A quick google says that Derek Warwick, Andrea de Cesaris and Riccardo Patrese all raced against the Andretti's as well.

Michele Alboreto as well.

[Rich]

Reddit is full of shite as per usual

[EddieG]

Well, blame Reddit.

[Rich]

I do

REGULARLY

[EddieG]

I'll come to you to fact check next time I read an interesting factoid on Reddit

[Lineker]

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has recovered some of the trophies stolen from its factory earlier this month.

Over 60 trophies were stolen from its Milton Keynes factory at the start of December after a vehicle drove through the front entrance of the building.

Red Bull said around 20 of the trophies were found in the Horseshoe Lake near Sandhurst, around 60 miles from the factory.

"It's good news that some of our trophies have been found and thanks to the police for all their help so far," said team boss Christian Horner.

"The fact that some of the trophies were discarded in a lake and damaged shows how senseless this crime was.

"While the trophies mean an enormous amount to the team, their intrinsic value is low - and the extent of the damage that was caused to the factory by the offenders during the break-in was significant.

"Hopefully we can get the trophies back to our factory where they belong and get replicas made of those that we can't."

[Chris2K]

Marussia are selling off all their assets, they got 15k for a nose cone today.

Feel free to bid on the meaningless item of your choice.

[Lineker]

I already have a BAR rear-wing in the garage

[Lineker]

Ferrari engineering director Pat Fry and chief designer Nikolas Tombazis will leave the Formula 1 team amid a restructure of the outfit.

The restructure follows Maurizio Arrivabene joining the team as managing director and has been undertaken with the aim of introducing what Ferrari describes as "a flatter structure and clear assignment of responsibilities".

Fry joined Ferrari in July 2010 after leaving McLaren before becoming technical director (chassis) in 2011.

He took up his present position when James Allison joined as technical director last year.

Tombazis, whose Formula 1 career started with Benetton in late 1992, first joined Ferrari in 1994 and returned to the team in 2006 after a two-year stint with McLaren.

Allison remains as technical director, with new chief designer Simone Resta and power unit director Mattia Binotto reporting to him.

He is also in charge of track engineering activities on an interim basis.

Ferrari has confirmed that Massimo Rivola will manage the F1 team's activities, with Antonio Coletta responsible for managing GT and Corse Cliente racing.

The Ferrari Driver Academy will continue to operate under Luca Baldisserri, who will report directly to Arrivabene.

Ferrari has also confirmed that Renato Bisignani, previously head of the Scuderia Ferrari press office, has taken up the role of marketing manager and acquisition in Arrivabene's newly-founded commercial department.

Respected journalist Alberto Antonini has taken over the head of press office role.

---

New Toro Rosso team manager Graham Watson will take on an expanded role within the Formula 1 team following the departure of sporting director Steve Nielsen to rival squad Williams. Nielsen left Toro Rosso last week to take up a new role as sporting manager at Williams. Fellow ex-Caterham man Watson left Leafield for Toro Rosso this year, amid the restructuring that took place as Caterham battled its financial problems. He joined the Faenza-based squad as team manager in September, working alongside Nielsen. Watson will continue in his role as team manager in the wake of Nielsen's departure, but the team confirmed to AUTOSPORT that Watson would also assume his former colleague's responsibilities as sporting director.