Christian Danner: We can expect some fantastic racing

Here we go again! The 66th Formula 1 season got under way last weekend with the 2015 FORMULA 1 ROLEX AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX in Melbourne. Fans have plenty of interesting questions to raise. Will the Silver Arrows go on winning? How will Sebastian Vettel fare at Ferrari? Who will surprise this season? DHL Formula 1 expert Christian Danner answers the hottest questions about the F1 year in an exclusive interview.

Are the oft-quoted parallels between Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari real? 

Christian Danner: The parallels are definitely there, no doubt about that – there’s no denying it. We’re talking about a German driver with lots of championship titles to his name moving to Ferrari at a time when absolutely nothing is going right for them. And that’s how it was back in Schumacher’s day. Those are the things that are similar. There are plenty of differences as well. Times have changed. Michael Schumacher was able to really go overboard with tests to develop tyres and engine development. It is, of course, a bit more difficult for Vettel because of today’s rules. Vettel can’t suddenly go out testing with three drivers until everything is sorted. So in a nutshell: Yes, there are similarities that are comparable, but then there are a few things that have changed due to the fact that we now live in different times. 

"What else are they going to say? It’s just something you have to go on repeating [laughs]. Ferrari have to win!" (Christian Danner)

Ferrari are talking about achieving two race wins this season. Is that realistic?

Christian Danner: Well, put it this way! What else are they going to say? It’s just something you have to go on repeating [laughs]. Ferrari have to win! Ferrari not winning is not OK! It would do Formula 1 a lot of good were Ferrari finally to win a race again. I think it’ll happen anyway. Still, doing it on their own – and that’s the crucial thing – will be a bit difficult, in my opinion, because the competition is tremendous.

As regards the total package of engine and chassis, Mercedes still look unbeatable. Is that your impression too?

Christian Danner: I always think unbeatable is a stupid word and am none too fond of it. No one is unbeatable, even Mercedes can be beaten. There’s a lovely quote: “From now on you can only lose races.” And Mercedes understood that well last year after the third, fourth and fifth race. Winning was actually the norm, and we have to get used to that way of thinking, even if the gap is considerably smaller than last year. I don’t think Mercedes have as big a cushion out on track as they had last year. Naturally, reliability is part of that cushion too and not just performance. Mercedes have put a lot of emphasis on reliability in view of the four-engine rule, as could be clearly seen in testing. 

"Danger? I prefer to call it entertainment. I really enjoy it." (Christian Danner)

At Mercedes, there’s a very tense episode within the team to consider as well. Watching the interaction between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg last year was very interesting. Do you think that could become a danger again this year? 

Christian Danner: Danger? I prefer to call it entertainment. I really enjoy it. Niki [Lauda] has got no more hair left to pull out! But I don’t think Niki and Toto [Wolff] are in an enviable position, because, of course, the rivalry is going to continue. Firstly, Nico Rosberg was a bit too naive in his approach last year at the beginning of the season. Lewis was in that respect much more hard-nosed from the start. Nico has learned his lesson. The second thing is that Nico has really taken to heart the mistakes of the past – and there have been quite a few, as at Sochi and Monza and so on. I actually expect an even closer battle between the two. Hamilton is a driving genius and Rosberg a brain-box who always creeps forwards, tackling things differently to Hamilton. 

On the more positive side, this new Formula 1 has some interesting technology. The cars have become even faster this year, and engines are louder once again. What’s happening on the technical front is just terrific, don’t you think?

Christian Danner: Definitely! I follow things with interest and am extremely enthusiastic as well. Two points: I think it’s quite brilliant that the cars have become so fast. On the other hand, the fact that all the cars are behind Mercedes and are so tightly bunched is great. The thing that really matters to the sport is coming to the fore. The efficiency of these engines is very high. The efficiency of a normal engine in traffic is about 35 percent, while a Formula 1 engine is roughly 50 percent efficient. You have to bear that in mind. It’s fantastic! From that perspective, we can only hope that it continues and becomes the norm. We’re not too far off 1,000 bhp. We don’t need to abandon the fuel consumption figures specified to bring that about either. That would also send out the wrong signal. 

"I think it’s quite brilliant that the cars have become so fast. On the other hand, the fact that all the cars are behind Mercedes and are so tightly bunched is great." (Christian Danner)

Somewhere along the line, I nurse the as yet undeveloped, tender yet bright hope that we’ll make a reasonable job of things as they’re running now, because firstly, we’ve got performance, secondly, noise and costs will diminish over the years. Development is getting less and four engines per year aren’t very much. There were times when drivers had 70 to 80 engines per year. Can you imagine that? We’ve already come a long way.

Can we expect a mega season, bearing all these factors in mind?
Christian Danner: Absolutely! There’s plenty of excitement in prospect, not least because of the fact that Vettel is at Ferrari and Rosberg is now holding out the hand of friendship to Hamilton. The basic mind-set is good and the motor racing will be brilliant again this year.

Christian Danner, who are you betting on?
Christian Danner: I put my money on Rosberg last year and got it wrong – but I was only a little bit out [laughs]. I might even have been right. I still think that Rosberg has learned his lesson and now understands the opponent who beat him, the driving genius that is Hamilton even with all his guile and the hard-nosed actions that he takes, realising that he has a realistic chance of getting his revenge. However, it will be very close throughout.