F1 News Roundup: What's happened since Bahrain?

[Seb Scott]

McLaren's new look, Pirelli going soft, Arrivabene’s arm and thinning ice for Maldonado and Kvyat: here are some of the biggest talking points going into the Spanish Grand Prix.

McLaren sporting some new colours. Coming into Spain, McLaren-Honda have changed their livery for the rest of the season. In an announcement earlier this week, the team revealed that the chrome wasn't suitable as it made it hard to read the sponsors decals across the car. We think there's more to it. Silver is the colour of Mercedes, a rival to their new supplier Honda, and the previous livery was very similar to Force India's, a comparison the team probably doesn't want to make. There’s been a heavy emphasis on the 'McLaren Dayglo Speedmarks', although to us, they look like the same red logos we've had on the cars for years.

At the start of the season there were also rumours that Manor could have a new car by Spain. This rumour has now been confirmed untrue, with the team announcing they plan to have a new car, with a 2015 Ferrari power unit, debut in Belgium. The team have also moved to a new HQ at the Silverstone circuit, after their former HQ was acquired by the Haas F1 team for their European base starting in 2016. The team were using the former home of their GP3 outfit in Dinnington, however the small and ill-equipped facility was sure to prove unfit for an F1 team to operate from.

Susie Wolff will be climbing back into the cockpit on Friday for Williams. The wife of Mercedes boss Toto Wolff hasn't taken part in a session this season, although she did test for the team during pre-season testing.

Ferrari have made a number of major updates to their car for Barcelona, in a press statement they claimed the car is 70% new with only the front end being recognizable. Some of you eagle-eyed lot may have also noticed on that Ferrari boss Maruizio Arrivabene is sporting an arm brace following surgery earlier this week. This isn't the first time we've seen team bosses sporting arm injuries in recent times, with Toto Wolff last season also having his arm in a cast and sling after he came off his bicycle.

Paul Hembrey has stated Pirelli plan to produce softer tyres this season, in order to spice up the racing. The aim is to favour the soft and supersoft compounds throughout the season to encourage three stop races, and promote more varied tyre management strategies.

Pastor Maldonado and Daniil Kvyat are both running out of time to prove themselves. Maldonado hasn't scored a single point so far this season, and more questions than ever are being raised about the Venezuelans future. Kvyat is also under pressure at the moment after scoring only four points from four races, he sits down in 15th. In comparison, his teammate Daniel Ricciardo is currently 7th with 19 points, and Kvyat sits behind both Toro Rosso rookies: Max Verstappen (11th) and Carlos Sainz (12th).

Was Kvyat promoted to Red Bull too early? Do you like the new McLaren livery? What do you think about Pirelli's new tyre plans? Tell us below!

 

[Jimlaad43]

Vergne should have gone to Red Bull, not Kvyat. It's starting to show now.

 

[Deleted member 161052]

I like the new McLaren livery, but the McLaren emblem on the sidepods are like "the new McLaren emblem".

 

[Brendan Little]

Marketing wise they should've gone for the White and Red that was famous for McLaren and Honda. That would've sold hats and T-shirts better but I like it just not as good as it could've been.

 

[Reaper]

Marketing wise they should've gone for the White and Red that was famous for McLaren and Honda. That would've sold hats and T-shirts better but I like it just not as good as it could've been.

Except they're not sponsored by Marlborough anymore and white and red are marlborough colours.

 

[Philip Heck]

So basically no other car in the entire world is allowed to be red/white...

I guess you were also defending Apple when they tried to sue a little fruit store in England that was called "The Apple Store" since before Apple was around as a company...

 

[Jimlaad43]

Except they're not sponsored by Marlborough anymore and white and red are marlborough colours.

I think it's more to do with the fact that white with red is the Manor colour at the moment. The Mclaren livery was close to Force India and Mercedes, which would explain the change.

Also *Marlboro

 

[Reaper]

I think it's more to do with the fact that white with red is the Manor colour at the moment. The Mclaren livery was close to Force India and Mercedes, which would explain the change.

Also *Marlboro

Yeah I understand the reasons for the change, I prefer the new livery aswell to be honest. But I think people need to realise we're unlikely to see the Marlboro sponsor scheme on another modern Mclaren.

Didn't BRM and Ford used to run the red/white livery before Mclaren?

 

[Brendan Little]

Except they're not sponsored by Marlborough anymore and white and red are marlborough colours.

Lotus aren't sponsored by John Player Special but kept the colours synonymous with that in the dark green/black and gold with a new twist for new sponsors. I think its more the Manor is too close to it rather then it being Marlboro colours as stated. No reason why they couldn't do a cool twist on it.

 

[gamer19]

Vergne should have gone to Red Bull, not Kvyat. It's starting to show now.

Have to agree on this one.
There's so many drivers that didn't have the real chance in F1 or maybe they heve not been at a right place at a real time. I mean.... I'll never understand is really there no place for drivers like Paul di Resta in F1? I'm not fan but have to say - this guy is ALWAYS pull the most of the equipement he had. Or what about "quick" Nick Heidfeld? Vergne or Sutil, say.
But, you know.... maybe it's not really them, it's their sponsors. Or lack of it, better.
Have to say... that's F1 I'm not fond of.
But there's always place-holder for pimple-faced new age X Playstation Box drivers.
And majority of them came from from Red Bull cradle team cup development programme.
Sad.

 

[Shackleford]

Kvyat's performance is not entirely indicative of his abilities when the car and power unit are clearly sub-par. That being said, it was a question move for Red Bull to throw him into the seat so soon. A seasonor two more in the Toro Rosso could have done well for him while Vergne would have brought more experience to the premier Red Bull seat.

 

[David O'Reilly]

Yeah I understand the reasons for the change, I prefer the new livery aswell to be honest. But I think people need to realise we're unlikely to see the Marlboro sponsor scheme on another modern Mclaren.

Didn't BRM and Ford used to run the red/white livery before Mclaren?

So did Footwork.

 

[Frederic Schornstein]

Have to agree on this one.
There's so many drivers that didn't have the real chance in F1 or maybe they heve not been at a right place at a real time. I mean.... I'll never understand is really there no place for drivers like Paul di Resta in F1? I'm not fan but have to say - this guy is ALWAYS pull the most of the equipement he had. Or what about "quick" Nick Heidfeld? Vergne or Sutil, say.
But, you know.... maybe it's not really them, it's their sponsors. Or lack of it, better.
Have to say... that's F1 I'm not fond of.
But there's always place-holder for pimple-faced new age X Playstation Box drivers.
And majority of them came from from Red Bull cradle team cup development programme.
Sad.

I am happy, that all the named drivers are no longer in F1. Di Resta became a big cry baby blaming the team all the time. Nick was good, but never got it together when it mattered. Sutil was always a bit average. Seeing how Ricciardo is doing I may have underestimated Vergne, but he developed kind of a "I deserve this and that" attitude with the time. Of course they are better than some current drivers, but that still doesnt mean I want to see them return.

 

[Fabio Rodrigues]

Yeah I understand the reasons for the change, I prefer the new livery aswell to be honest. But I think people need to realise we're unlikely to see the Marlboro sponsor scheme on another modern Mclaren.

I wish they had gone all orange, really, like the classics:

 

[P*Funk]

You know that feeling when the style is so ultra modern that it ceases to impress you but instead just fades into the background? Thats most F1 car liveries today.

Now that 80s Benetton... yum.