There seems to be conflicting information coming out of McLaren. I read something of Button saying it was looking promising, but then in an interview Eric Boullier seemed to be saying it was disappointing.

 

The report i read quoted button as saying that the deployment is much improved but other areas still need work.

I take that to mean that they are now recovering more energy which means they won't run out of electrickery on the straights like they did last year.

 

The Mercedes looks ominously reliable, doesn't it? They haven't been diverted by going for any headline-grabbing times, just pounding relentlessly round gathering data.

Most of the cars managed to get in some serious lappery today, and Pirelli's new Ultrasoft was put to good use by some, further confusing the order. The only team who
have fallen short on the lap count are Renault:


https://twitter.com/F1/status/702178219039006720

 

Saw this tonight too. (New qualifying format)
http://www.autosport...t.php/id/122937

 

Will the tyres be able to hold out for that format ?

It really will be a case of driving slow enough to win.

 

All we want is some good racing, but they keep throwing these random ideas at the sport.
Why can't bernie keel over already, and let's see Mansel take his spot or something.

 

some kind of head protection/enclosed cockpit will be introduced in 2017. some of the concept art of enclosed cockpits on a mclaren look pretty awesome. looks like some kind of stealth figther jet. Also lower and wider rear wings, wider floors in an attempt to increase speed and reduce lap times.

 

Don't get too excited. The head protection won't be a canopy, it will be one of these:

http://www.pitpass.com/55457/Halo-de...-be-introduced

 

Yeh i read that they had so far preferred the 'Halo' still looks pretty cool the concept shown on the mercedes. Although it looks like visibility would be compromised with a piller going right up the middle in front of the driver.

 

As reported by the Hindustan Times, it appears that the shy, retiring VJ Mallya may no longer have a controlling interest in Force India:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/busine...M7hfXYcPI.html

Quite what this means for the team is unclear, at least to mere mortals. With the other 42.5% stakeholder Roy Sahara currently in prison and reportedly desperate to divest himself of his share of the team it would appear that drinks conglomerate Diageo is, by default, the team's owner. Although right now, Diageo doesn't wish, or need, to own a Formula 1 team.

Whether or not you're an admirer of Mallya, under his control the team has outperformed the sum of its parts and punched well above its weight. It would be a shame to see it slip back down the rankings as a result of some allegedly nefarious business practices by the owners.