2015 F1 Russian Grand Prix: Friday round-up

A mysterious diesel spill and heavy rain lead to disruption of the first and second practice sessions, respectively at the Sochi Autodrom as the F1 world championship came to town for the Russian Grand Prix.

Following a three-week break after the Japanese Grand Prix, F1 cars took the track in anger again, although the disruptions meant the setting of lap times that were unrepresentative of the true form of the participants, with many of the big hitters choosing to conserve their efforts for qualifying and raceday. Nico Hulkenberg of Force India-Mercedes and Felipe Massa of Williams-Mercedes set the pace in the two sessions as events away from the circuit provided most of the entertainment with 'engine politics' taking centre stage once again.

'POWER' PLAYS
Former four-time F1 champions Red Bull-Renault and their junior team Toro Rosso-Renault are two teams whose presence on the grid is in question if reports of the Austrian drinks company's disillusionment with the sport are to be believed. The chatter centres mainly around the question of the teams getting competitive power units that would allow the teams to improve on their relatively abysmal results this season.

F1's focus has moved away from aerodynamics and tyres and more towards which engine manufacturer can produce the most powerful and reliable hybrid power unit since radically new technical regulations came into effect last year. With Mercedes currently holding sway and Ferrari improving enough to give the 'silver arrows' some trouble every now and again, Renault and Honda have been left in the dust.

The French manufacturer has had to tolerate heavy criticism from Red Bull Racing, the team with which they enjoyed so much success from 2009 to 2013, prompting them to make a bid for the struggling Lotus F1 team in order to return as a factory team. The move was also seen as a way to end its partnership with Red Bull Racing, with relations between the two parties getting increasingly bitter.

There have been reports, however, that the two have started discussing the possibility of Red Bull Racing continuing with Renault as an engine partner while Toro Rosso gets a supply of Ferrari engines.

Honda's situation has been even less rosy as it was revealed by Motorsport magazine that the Japanese firm's failure to make the radical design of its power unit's compressor reliable has been the chief cause for McLaren-Honda's struggles, which could even extend for next year's season.

The start of next year's season being brought forward to 20th March instead of 3rd April could be an additional cause of woe for Honda as it means potentially less time to develop a solution to their troubles. The confirmation of former F1 champions Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso as McLaren-Honda drivers for 2016 is positive news for the team, however, as it ensures continuity and a driver line-up that between it has wealth in experience, speed and the ability to develop a car. However, with engine manufacturers not being allowed to develop their power units through the season from next year is a potential cause for trouble for the beleaguered squad.