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[sagi58]

... I'm sure before Marco, we would not have risked the strategy we did at Hungary with Fernando, but I liked it because we went for the only option that gave us a chance to win...

And, we almost did!!

I think Alonso said if they pitted they would have finished 4th and if they stayed out they would probably finish 4th but they MIGHT finish higher, so they decided to risk it - which was the right move. It wasnt the win we were all hoping for but 2nd is an excellent result in the context of this season!

TEAM effort!!

[sagi58]

Just saw this (10:25 p.m. EST, November 4/14); but, haven't been able to find anything any where else...
Anyone see it elsewhere?

Translated by  wrote:">Ferrari unlocks the freezing of the motors!
An agreement has been reached with all the Teams to lift the engine freeze until July

Marco Mattiacci got his first political victory in the Formula 1 Circus. The team principal of Ferrari failed to find unanimity of the teams to move the deadline for the engine freeze. The regulations state a freeze on the 2015 power unit will take effect at the end of February, forcing manufacturers to introduce any changes approved by the FIA (you can change the 48% of the shares) prior to the start of the season.

Ferrari, instead, is promoting an initiative, also agreed upon by Renault and Honda. In the end, Mercedes had to accept that it was a fair change to the rules, after some edgy dealing. The Germans are complaining about the risk of an increase in the costs with greater time to research, but other the manufacturers will have the possibility of sharing the changes, trying to reduce the gap from a three-pointed star. Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda gave their ok to the presence of Bernie Ecclestone, but the decision will be ratified only with ok that must come from the top at Mercedes...

Here's the original in Italian: La Ferrari sblocca il freezing dei motori!
Raggiunto un accordo con tutti i motoristi per fare le modifiche fino al mese di luglio

[sagi58]

Great points from Mattiacci!!

, Jonathan Noble wrote:">
A proposal to free up Formula 1's engine freeze rules faces a crunch vote during a team meeting at Sochi on Friday, as Ferrari dismisses talk it could lead to a ramp up in costs.

The idea of easing restrictions on what teams can do to engines first surfaced at a team principals' meeting back at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The complex future of F1 engines

A number of manufacturers want the ability to make improvements to engines during the season - rather than only in the winter as the current rules dictate.

The idea of allowing limited freedom during the season has now been added to the agenda of a sporting working group meeting which is scheduled to take place at the Russian GP on Friday.

But the championship-leading Mercedes team is resistant to allowing such freedom - and has voiced fears that it could lead to a dramatic increase in costs that would need to be passed on to customer teams.

FERRARI: COST IMPACT NEGLIGIBLE

Ferrari team principal Marco Mattiacci says such fears are unfounded though, and thinks that in-season development would not only cost little extra but could be even better for customer teams as it could help boost their performance.

"From the manufacturers' point of view, I work for Ferrari - and our core business is engine," Mattiacci told AUTOSPORT.

"F1 also stands for innovation and continuous improvement.

"So with all the dollars that I invest in innovation - it makes no sense that for one year I cannot touch the engine.

"It [lifting the freeze] is an idea that is a win for the media, a win for teams and a win for all the stakeholders.

"Looking at it from the small teams' perspective, if I have the possibility to deliver a more performing engine to them, then they have the opportunity to score more points and gain revenue.

"We are still working on developing the engine right now even if we cannot apply changes [during the season], so I can't see costs increasing.

"Actually you could find that we develop the engine in a more efficient way."

COMPETITIVE RISKS

Mattiacci also made it clear that pursuing the engine freeze was not being done as a means of guaranteeing the gap to Mercedes would be closed.

He reckons there was a very real chance that allowing all manufacturers the freedom to do better could allow F1's current pacesetters to be even further ahead.

"The engine freeze if it is goes through is a great opportunity - but it is also a great risk," he said.

"Today it represents more risk. It is not a simple rule that someone writes which goes in one direction. Mercedes may have something in their pocket and boom, they could go more ahead."

[sagi58]

And, Mercedes has decided it won't play along with a relaxation of the rules for 2015:

,Jonathan Noble wrote:">Talks collapse regarding lifting Formula 1's engine freeze

Formula 1 teams have failed to reach an agreement on a lifting of the engine freeze after talks collapsed in a meeting at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Saturday.

The championship-winning Mercedes team had spent the last week evaluating whether to accept a one-off relaxing of the homologation rules to allow a mid-season upgrade next year.

But after analysis of the implications of the rule changes on its overall costs and the impact on its customers, Mercedes decided it could not go ahead with the proposal to allow 13 development tokens to be used next July.

Instead, it offered a compromise deal that would allow just five tokens to be used in July - something that its rivals rejected as not enough...

...One option that has been suggested is for Mercedes' rivals to agree on even more relaxed rules for 2016, because majority support among the Strategy Group and F1 Commission would be enough to get the regulations changed.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner hinted that he did not believe the matter was completely finished.

"Nothing is changing, for the moment," he said.

Wolff added: "I am not sure it is the end. Maybe there will be new discussions, or follow up discussions."

However, Wolff urged against any move to get rid of engine development restrictions completely as it could theoretically be pushed through for 2016.

"That would be irresponsible to the sport and disrespectful of the teams who went out," he said.

"As Mercedes this would be not something that we think is an intelligent way forward."

[sagi58]

,Jonathan Noble wrote:">Talks collapse regarding lifting Formula 1's engine freeze
...Wolff urged against any move to get rid of engine development restrictions completely as it could theoretically be pushed through for 2016.

"That would be irresponsible to the sport and disrespectful of the teams who went out," he said.

"As Mercedes this would be not something that we think is an intelligent way forward."

I can't say that I'm surprised at this. Why should Mercedes want to give its competitors a chance to close the gap? What I don't appreciate is their stance that they are doing it for the good of the sport, because it's nothing more than self-serving.

Wolff says it would be "irresponsible to the sport"? How is a lack of competition amongst other teams responsible to the sport?

He says it's "disrespectful of the teams who went out"? How is not allowing them to have a better engine to compete with respectful?

Sure, Mercedes got it right and the others (including Ferrari) didn't. What if the shoe were on the other foot? Would Mercedes be singing a different tune? I would bet on it.

Would Ferrari? Maybe... Probably... but, then, we'd never hear the end of it, would we?

[sagi58]

Went in search of the comment Mattiaci made about sharing values in F1.
Taking a few words/phrase out of context can truly distort its intention:

, Ben Anderson wrote:">Ferrari 'won't give up' on attempts to lift F1's engine freeze

Ferrari team boss Marco Mattiacci says Ferrari will not give up on attempts to relax Formula 1's engine freeze regulations.

Discussions among F1's engine manufacturers to allow in-season development in 2015 broke down during last weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, as Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault failed to agree on the extent to which a one-off mid-season development should be permitted.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has warned that failure to agree on a relaxation of the rules for 2015 could create a spending war among manufacturers, because teams adversely affected by the freeze could push to open up the rules completely for 2016, without needing unanimous agreement.

Ferrari team principal Marco Mattiacci said he remained hopeful a compromise can be reached.

"We keep discussing. There are some other players who keep changing their ideas, but we keep working," Mattiacci said.

"We won't give up on a very fundamental principle of Formula 1: that is innovating, that is competing.

"Probably there is someone who does not share this value with Formula 1.

"But I have to say at the same time that we must appreciate the fact that everyone is trying to reach a middle ground.

"It's clear that it has to be fair enough for everybody to really change what is happening today."

Mattiacci said Ferrari was pushing to revive the talks, but that no agenda had yet been agreed.

"We are asking [for] this," he added.

"It's me, it's Honda, it's Renault; it's not just the teams that are at the table - Bernie wants to discuss. We want to make progress.

"I think we should have a common agenda to really improve the sport, the revenues, the entertainment.

"I think everybody wants a better situation but we need to find a way to work.

"As Ferrari we do the utmost to be sure that Formula 1 will keep being successful."

It could be that he is referring to teams whose sole intention to compete in F1 is to sell their road vehicles...