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Pirelli boss Paul Hembery expects improvements in pace this season.

Since its arrival as a tire supplier in 2011, Pirelli has been asked to deliver races with two or three pitstops to increase the show.

After a controversial 2013 season, Pirelli was more conservative in 2014 to allow the teams to focus on the new power units and less on tires strategies. However Paul Hembery warns the situation will be different for the coming season.

"2012 was probably the most exciting with all the different winners - seven or eight winners - that was fascinating," Paul Hembery told Crash.net.

"This year, we did come in to a year of a little bit of unknown technology. We had a reasonable idea of what to expect but there's no substitute really for actually seeing what it translates to in track performance."

Pirelli engineer at work. (Photo: WRi2)

"If anything, probably next year if we took the same choices everywhere what was maybe conservative this year we feel might start becoming aggressive because the pace evolution for next year is going to be pretty dramatic. We've seen big improvements already towards the end of this season and that's without them really being able to get anywhere near the powertrain in the way they'd like to.

"So we expect quite a big jump again in performance next season. If you're talking a second or even up to two seconds a lap speed improvement that dramatically changes the way the tyres are used. So we have to be wary of that and follow that, but overall this year we feel we got the balance about right considering such a big change and the forefront technology this year was quite rightly the new hybrid powertrains which is a fascinating technology," added Pirelli motorsport director.

From GMM

Toto Wolff has singled out Williams as the most dangerous opponent for title defenders Mercedes in 2015.

Mercedes utterly dominated the first year of the new turbo V6 era last season, with 2010-2013 world champions Red Bull in second place.

But it was Mercedes-powered Williams that ended the season as arguably the works team's closest challenger.

Asked by Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport to name the "most dangerous opponent" for Mercedes in 2015, team boss Wolff answered: "I would put Williams at the top of the list.

"But I also fear Red Bull; they won four titles in a row and will put every resource into fighting for the world championship again," he added.

Williams FW36-Mercedes. (Photo: WRi2)

Next best in 2014 was the beleaguered F1 giant Ferrari, but Wolff refuses to write off the Maranello team despite the current slump and turmoil.

"I think it's normal that when there are changes of this type, there may be difficult times," he said.

Toto Wolff also said Sebastian Vettel's move to Ferrari must be taken seriously.

"Sebastian brings four world titles, enthusiasm and experience," he said. "It will be an incentive for the people of the incredible Ferrari.

"Never write them off. Ferrari is an icon and it's important that soon they are able to win again. I am convinced they will return to being competitive, and perhaps as early as 2015."

Toto Wolff also told La Gazzetta that Fernando Alonso is a threat at the wheel of any car, even though McLaren's early tests with the new Honda engine were not successful.

"The problems they (Honda) had were not associated with the engine, but the electronics. Difficulties of that type are unavoidable in the first tests -- we've all been through it," he said.

From press release

The countdown has reached zero and 406 vehicles have been cleared to compete in the 37th running of the Dakar following Friday afternoon's final technical scrutineering. Of the 406 that will take the start this Sunday, in Buenos Aires, there will be 161 motorcycles, 137 cars, 45 ATV Quads, and 63 Active Roadside Assistance Trucks. For the fourth time in their career, Canadians David Bensadoun and Patrick Beaulé of the ALDO Dakar Racing Team, will cross three South American countries in 14 days battling for top honours against private entries registered in their car class.

Their ALDO Toyota Tacoma Overdrive #380 will cover 9,111 kilometres during the world toughest rally raid, of which 4,578 km will be special stages designed to separate contenders from the "also ran".

Patrick Beaulé and David Bensadoun ready for the Dakar. (Photo: ALDO Racing)

"The team is in great spirits - the atmosphere in our pits is just great. We really do have a dream team this year," said David Bensadoun. "Both support trucks are ready, and our Toyota Tacoma Overdrive rally vehicle is almost there. We had a last minute issue with the hydraulic system, which operates the automatic car jacks, and the crew fixed it. The engineers from Overdrive Racing delivered a wonderful New Year's present: a new 37 mm restrictor, 1 mm more than last year and part of the new rules, which are designed to equalize the field with the diesel-powered cars. It doesn't sound like a lot but if you remember geometry, 36 mm x 3.14 = 113 sq mm and 37 mm x 3.14 = 116.5 which is a 2.6% difference and worth 10 horsepower. For gear heads like us 10 hp is a lot! So we are good to go on Sunday."

"The Toyota is ready and so are we," said co-driver Patrick Beaulé, who has spent his nights in the ALDO Racing camper truck. "The new air conditioning works wonders, and this will make all the difference in the world during the hot nights in the bivouacs. I have been sleeping in the paddocks since my arrival here in order to keep a watchful eye on our equipment. Some of our fellow-competitors have had their vehicles parked in the bivouac, visited by thieves. The economy is at a real low here." 

On Saturday at the Technopolis Centre located in the Bicentennial Park in Buenos Aires, drivers and teams were introduced to an estimated crowd of 1 million fans.

The very young Toro Rosso driver wants to score points for his first season in Formula 1.

On his end, Franz Tost, Toro Rosso team boss, tips Max Verstappen to promptly get on the scoreboard.

"Scoring points is a realistic goal for me," Max Verstappen told De Telegraaf.

"With finishes between eighth and 10th, I will basically be doing a good job. For anything higher than sixth, you need luck. Of course it can happen with rain, crashes and dropouts, but you cannot expect us to battle with Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Williams - they are all teams with much bigger budgets."

"Fortunately, the first wind tunnel results of our new car are good," he added in the Dutch newspaper.

Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso. (Photo: WRi2)

Jos Verstappen's son is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

"Occasionally I hear or read things as if miracles are expected. But I'm a driver, not a magician. Wins or podiums are out of the question next season," to conclude Max Verstappen.

With its dream of self-driving shuttles for public use, Google is diverging more sharply than ever before from automakers, which intend to gradually roll out autonomous-driving features in personal cars while keeping the driver in control.

Bernhard Maier, Porsche's global sales and marketing boss, commutes daily to company headquarters near Stuttgart using a Porsche Cayenne plug-in hybrid or a Panamera with a low-carbon dioxide powertrain.

Protecting the secrets of industry rivals while simultaneously working with them to outshine one another can be a peculiar position.

From GMM

Jean-Eric Vergne insists his new Ferrari test role is better than a race seat at struggling backmarker Caterham.

The 24-year-old Frenchman was dropped by Red Bull after contesting the last three seasons for the energy drink company's second F1 team Toro Rosso.

Ferrari has signed him for 2015 to be primarily a simulator driver, as Mexican Esteban Gutierrez will be the official reserve.

"Of course it is a good way to stay in touch with the paddock," Vergne told the French sports daily L'Equipe.

"But my motivation is also to help Ferrari to win again. I will work for the most prestigious team and do my best to help them in the simulator," he added.

"That is great. I would rather sit with Ferrari on the bench than to race for a team like Caterham," Vergne insisted. "I'm still very young and there are still many years in formula one in front of me. I enjoyed Formula E, but Ferrari now has priority."

Jean-Eric Vergne, Andretti Autosport. (Photo: FIA Formula E)

From GMM

Lotus may be in no danger of dropping out of formula one.

On an updated official entry list for the 2015 season, the Enstone team was listed recently with a "subject to confirmation" asterisk alongside its name.

It sparked fears Lotus, whose Gerard Lopez led the angry complaints of midfield teams including Force India and Sauber late last season, could be the next to join Marussia and Caterham in serious difficulty.

But Italy's Omnicorse reports that those fears appear misguided, as the British-based team is busily "completing the construction of the first E23 chassis for next year".

"So what does the FIA's asterisk refer to? The answer is quite simple. Lotus has made a request to be able to make a change to its name," the report said.

Omnicorse referred to rumours that Lopez might be looking to exit F1 in the event he can recoup the investment of his company Genii Capital.

The report added: "But what is more likely is that the name change would only be the adding of a sponsor like PDVSA or Total, who are the main financiers of the two drivers Pastor Maldonado and Romain Grosjean (respectively)."

From GMM

The meteoric return to form of his old title-winning team Williams last year surprised 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve.

In 2013, amid the Grove team's slump, the French Canadian told the Portuguese language magazine Revista Warmup that "When a team is reduced to hiring pay-drivers, it's over".

At the time, he was referring to Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas.

Maldonado has since switched to Lotus, but although Finn Bottas is backed by some sponsors and managed by team co-owner Toto Wolff, he emerged in 2014 as a true rising star of F1.

Indeed, Mercedes team boss Wolff has now named Bottas as next in line behind Fernando Alonso should a vacancy arise at the dominant works team.

And Bottas, 25, has also been linked with a future move to Ferrari.

"They (Ferrari) do not have a lot of options when the contract of Raikkonen expires," Wolff told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday. "From my side, there are certain conditions in the event that his (Bottas') future sits outside of Mercedes."

Williams FW36-Mercedes. (Photo: Williams Martini F1 Team)

Jacques Villeneuve, once outspoken about Bottas, agrees that the situation at Williams has now changed.

"Bottas is a young driver, not really a pay-driver," he told the latest edition of Revista Warmup. "Even with Felipe Massa they got some money from Brazil.

"But he is also a professional driver with a past, a career, and they (Williams) knew well how to use the money," said Villeneuve.

He admitted that Williams' customer Mercedes engine deal also helped the beleaguered Grove team to revolutionise its fortunes in 2014, as it powered to third place in the constructors' championship.

Toto Wolff is now singling out Williams as perhaps the 'most dangerous' rival to Mercedes for 2015.

"Williams does not have a big budget," said Villeneuve, "yet they managed to turn the tide. But it is not completed yet. This (2014) was the first season that they went well so we will have to see if it continues the same way."

The 43-year-old, who won seven grands prix for Williams en route to the 1997 title, said he expected Williams to put in an improved performance in 2014, "but not that good".

"I expected them to be better," said Villeneuve, "but they exceeded expectations."

From GMM

F1 newcomer Honda has been left out as rival engine suppliers prepare to develop their turbo V6 power units throughout the 2015 season.

It has emerged in recent days that, because the wording of the regulations is unclear, the sport's 2014 suppliers Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari do not in fact have to present in Melbourne an engine to be 'frozen' for this year's entire world championship.

"Everything depends on the interpretation of the rules," Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this week.

It is believed the loophole was discovered by Ferrari, and then backed in subsequent meetings by fellow engine straggler Renault.

"The FIA offered its version (of the rules interpretation)," Wolff added, "and I do not see any problems. Certainly the freezing of engines in February is best for those who are at the front," said the Mercedes chief, whose Brackley team utterly dominated last year, "but we are able to develop too."

McLaren powered by Honda. (Photo: McLaren)

Crucially, however, F1's engine newcomer Honda will not be able to develop throughout 2015.

That is because the rules make clear that, for new engine suppliers under the turbo V6 rules that were implemented in 2014, a clear start-of-season homologation date is set: 28 February.

No such homologation date exists, however, for engine suppliers' second year under the new rules.

It means Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault can deploy their 32 performance development 'tokens' throughout the entire 2015 season. Honda cannot.

Writing in Germany's authoritative Auto Motor und Sport, highly respected correspondent Michael Schmidt said: "Newcomers (like Honda) have no tokens in the first year.

"Until their engine is homologated at the end of February, they are completely free to develop, but after that they may only upgrade on grounds of reliability, cost or safety," he explained.

Schmidt continued: "McLaren boss Ron Dennis already expressed his concern at the recent Strategy Group meeting that the rules discriminate against his new engine partner."

From GMM

Mercedes is on course to launch its title-defending car on the eve of the first winter test, team boss Toto Wolff has revealed.

"We are on schedule and have a clear idea of where we are in terms of chassis and engine," he told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport whilst holidaying in the Austrian ski town Kitzbuhel.

Brackley based Mercedes utterly dominated the 2014 season, but Wolff says he doesn't mind "at all" that champion Lewis Hamilton has elected to keep his personal number 44 this year rather than carry the coveted number 1.

Instead, Wolff's mind is on ensuring Mercedes stays at the top of F1.

"The first goal is to assemble the car in time for mid January," he said, "when we plan a test at Silverstone. But only at Jerez will we have a picture of the balance of power with the opposition."

When asked if he knows when the W06 will be officially launched, Wolff answered: "No, but I do not exclude that it will happen right before the first test in Spain."

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W05. (Photo: WRi2)

He said there is no chance Mercedes will be entering the season more relaxed, given the team's level of dominance last year.

"When you begin to relax, you begin to lose," said Toto Wolff.

"Compared to last year, when the new formula came in, margins for improvement are smaller now and our opponents know our strengths and what they need to focus on to beat us."

Mercedes' rivals appear to have at least won an off-track battle, as the use of the 32 engine 'freeze' development tokens can now be deployed throughout 2015.

"Everything depends on the interpretation of the rules," Wolff confirmed, "the FIA offered its version and I do not see any problems.

"Certainly the freezing of engines in February is best for those who are at the front," he admitted, "but we are able to develop too."

From GMM

Raffaele Marciello is Sauber's new test and reserve driver for 2015.

The 20-year-old Swiss-born Italian driver is a leading and long-time member of Ferrari's driver academy.

Ferrari is Swiss team Sauber's engine supplier.

"Apart from his formula one responsibilities, the Italian youngster, born in 1994, will continue to race in the GP2 series," the Maranello based team announced.

In 2014, as the reigning European F3 champion, Marciello finished his first GP2 season in eighth place, winning the main race at Spa.

Raffaele Marciello. (Photo: WRi2)

"We will give Raffaele the opportunity to become familiar with formula one, which also includes him taking part in some free practice sessions on Friday," said Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn.

Marciello added: "I want to thank the Ferrari driver academy for giving me this important opportunity, and now I really can't wait to start delivering my best."

Sauber's reserve driver in 2014 was Dutchman Giedo van der Garde.

New vehicle sales in Thailand declined by 21.6% to 73,068 units in November, compared with 93,123 units in the same month of 2013, according to the Federation of Thai Industries.

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