2019 Formula 1 rookie George Russell admits returning Williams to a predominant midfield position is the main goal next season.

The Grove-based team finished bottom of the Constructors' Championship with just seven points to their name as a flawed car design left them stranded at the back of the grid.

Now, the F2 champion will team up with the returning Robert Kubica as Williams look to bounce back with ensuring that happens the Briton's main focus.

"I think our targets next season are very clear, and that’s to get Williams back to fighting into the points and the top of the midfield,” Russell was quoted by F1i.com.

"I think we want to be recognised, we want to be putting in good results. If I’m beating my teammate but it’s for last position, there’s no joy or glory for anybody.

"Myself and Robert will be working really hard together, firstly to get the team to where they deserve to be.

"Then we’ll see how the results are after that."

Also Read:

• Thoughts from F1 2018: Are Williams in an irreversible decline?
• Russell wants to work with Kubica to push Williams forward in 2019
• Kubica suggests Williams ignored early driver concerns over 2018 car

A key component to helping Williams make progress is ensuring a strong partnership is built very quickly between Russell and the team and that wasn't lost on the Mercedes junior.

"I think that was vital to be honest to spend the final Grands Prix with Williams, more just to get to know everybody," he said.

"I am more comfortable to explain my feelings. We’ve already had that introduction stage with all of the team, so I was really happy to do that.

"It already feels like we’ve been working together for a long time."

Formula 1 rookie Lando Norris admits his true ambition would be to beat teammate Carlos Sainz "at every race" in 2019.

The Briton has enjoyed a rapid rise up the motorsport ranks winning the European F3 title in 2017 before finishing second in the F2 championship this year.

He would also join McLaren's young driver program after impressing during a test he won as part of the Autosport BRDC Award in 2016, and his subsequent performances have earned him a promotion to a race seat for next season.

"My ideal aim is to beat Carlos at every race, and in every qualifying session," Norris said of his target at the launch of a new McLaren phone this week.

"That is an unrealistic goal to set at the moment but I will do the best job I can and complete as much preparation as I can to be ready for it."

As for what he does consider realistic, the 19-year-old concedes going up against Sainz will be a very different challenge to anything he's faced in his career.

"Every year when I have gone into a new series, my teammate will have had one, maybe two seasons in that discipline, whereas Carlos is heading into his fifth year in F1, so that’s a big difference," he noted.

"There are also some circuits I haven’t been to before – Singapore, Montreal, Melbourne – and tracks like Monaco where it is not always easy to be super-quick in an F1 car straightaway.

"But, of course, I would like to beat him, and that is my aim, and my goal."

Also Read:

• Norris believes McLaren more focused on ensuring success with 2019 car
• Norris keen to seek Alonso's 'valuable' advice in 2019
• Gasly sees emergence of new talent as a 'good thing' for F1

While most rookies do have some grace time to settle into F1, for Norris that may not be the case as he is one of three young British drivers making the jump next season, including F2 champion George Russell.

"If anything there will be more pressure knowing that there is another guy you can be compared to," says the 19-year-old.

"If he does really well and beats me in some areas it will be a bad thing for me.

"If I was the only rookie then I can’t be compared to anyone other than my teammate, and I could look like a hero even if I am doing really badly.

"But it’s a good thing he is in F1 and I do look forward to the races next year, wherever we are on the grid."

The other is Alexander Albon, whom Norris revealed he looked upto with the pair sharing the same idol.

"I looked up to Alex a lot when I was young, and I liked Alex because he liked [Valentino] Rossi and he used to have #46, and had the colours and everything," Lando explained.

"So therefore I supported Alex when I was really young. He was probably my only hero other than Rossi, which is a bit weird to think.

"But he was always a cool guy and I used to watch him in all the races from the cadets to where he is now. It's a cool thing for Alex to be on the grid too."

Formula 1 motorsport director Ross Brawn has revealed a new agreement aimed at attracting new engine suppliers into the sport.

Planned changes to the power unit regulations for 2021 have been largely watered down as possible entrants like Porsche and Aston Martin walked away leaving just the current four manufacturers, Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Honda.

However, based on lessons learnt from the Japanese company's initial tough start to life on the grid, after returning with McLaren in 2015, a compromise of sorts has been reached.

"The drawbridge has been pulled up and the existing suppliers don’t want anyone else to come in," Brawn initially told Formula1.com.

"We have found a compromise. There are regulations coming out which would mean new entrants will get support from existing entrants. There will be components and technology which will have to be shared if it is requested.

"It is not quite such a radical change that we were proposing, but still quite a good step in the right direction and there are some nice changes to the way the driver has to manage the engine, which I think goes a long way in the sporting direction.

"There has been a recognition from the existing manufacturers that they can’t shut the door behind them," the former Mercedes boss noted.

"If we start to get serious interest from another manufacturer or supplier, they have to cooperate to find ways of helping that manufacturer come into F1."

Also Read:

• Brawn: 'Unacceptable' podium record for midfield teams 'must be addressed'
• FIA has the power to implement 2021 rule changes without teams consent
• F1 CEO Carey does see 2021 rule changes as a path for new manufacturer entries

Another big negotiation with the manufacturers and some teams is the proposed budget cap of $150m per year which is aimed at closing the equality gap between the top teams and the rest.

"We are having pretty constructive discussions with the teams," Brawn claimed. "Unlike previous initiatives, this budget cap is going to be embedded in the regulations of the sport.

"The fairer distribution [of revenues] among the teams is balanced out by the reduction in costs particularly by the big teams, so their bottom lines will be improved.

"If we follow the budget cap proposals, I can’t see a team in F1 which won’t be better off."

Sebastian Vettel does see one negative surrounding Robert Kubica's comeback to Formula 1 next season.

The Pole has been promoted from reserve and development driver at Williams into the race seat filled by Sergey Sirotkin in 2018 after the Russian's backers SMP Racing withdrew their support to the British team.

And while his return is seen as a great feel-good story for F1, coming eight years after his horrific rally crash, Vettel has noted one consequence which can't be overlooked.

"I have mixed feelings," the Ferrari driver told Swiss publication Blick.

"On the one hand, it pleases me personally. No one can even imagine how hard it was for him and what he went through.

"On the other hand, there are also young drivers who deserve a chance," the German said.

Also Read:

• Kubica talks up F1 return: I know what it takes to be a top driver
• Sirotkin: 2019 Williams seat 'looked quite obvious for a while'
• Williams: Kubica decision about 'choosing the best driver for us'

Indeed, a key factor in Kubica's comeback is the financial backing he has secured from Poland to replace the loss of revenue brought in Martini, who was the title sponsor, and the Stroll's who have headed to the re-named Racing Point team.

Williams does have one youngster in their line-up in F2 champion George Russell but Esteban Ocon was another name linked before Robert got the drive and now the Frenchman is spending a year as reserve driver at Mercedes.

Ferrari has become the first team to confirm when their 2019 Formula 1 car will be launched.

At a time when most now simply take the covers off in Barcelona, the Scuderia remains one of the few squads to hold a proper unveiling ceremony, doing so at Maranello in an event that is now live-streamed.

The new car, under the current logic, should be named the SF72-H but that could changed to honour former chairman Sergio Marchionne who died this past summer.

It also carries a lot of expectation to continue the progress made over the past two seasons and finally result in a season-long battle with Mercedes for the championship.

"The group led by Mattia Binotto has been working on next year's single-seater for months now," team boss Maurizio Arrivabene revealed at the Autosprint awards on Thursday.

"The engines are already running on the test benches and there are parts of the car that are already in production.

"The parts more related to the performance will arrive at the last moment, even if the tension increases because the time is less and less. On February 15 we will present the car and everything must be ready for that day."

Also Read:

• Marchionne death was a 'big loss' to Ferrari in 2018, Vettel claims
• Vettel unsure if he'll enjoy same 'harmony' with Leclerc as Ferrari teammate
• Hamilton expecting another title fight with Vettel in 2019

The biggest changes for next season will be in the wings which are wider and simpler than in recent years as part of an effort to improve the on-track racing.

There is uncertainty over just how helpful they'll be in achieving that aim, however, but Arrivabene stayed clear of making predictions.

"It is too early to give an overall picture of the car," he added. "Simulations are being done and we are working on the simulator, but the real test bench is only the track.

"That's where you confront yourself, comparing the data you've collected during the winter period, and especially where you confront yourself with others.

"The technicians are working hard to complete the car. We have some information from the guys who work on the simulator, but it's still too early to talk about performance."

Arrivabene then concluded by hinting Ferrari is putting all of their eggs into Sebastian Vettel's basket for 2019 as Charles Leclerc steps up alongside from Sauber.

"He is a guy who has yet to express the best of himself in Ferrari, but I am sure he will be able to do it next year," the Italian said of the German.

"This year we lost in the semi-finals, but we never gave up. Obviously, we need to take one more step. We must understand all the mistakes we made together.

"Seb can teach Leclerc so much. We have great confidence in him, he is a talent but we have to protect him and make sure that his arrival does not burn his talent."

Pirelli motorsport boss Mario Isola has revealed teams are simulating the potential impact of making two-stop races mandatory in Formula 1.

With fans and drivers alike frustrated over the current tyre conservation that goes on to meet engineers' prefered strategy of completing just a single stop, the idea of making two the minimum has been touted to try and take that phase away.

While that would likely allow drivers to push more during races...

“I’m not sure it’s the right solution because there is the big risk that everybody stops on the same lap, or very close, so basically you are just generating shorter stints," Isola told RaceFans.

“They can use the softest available compound because the stints are shorter but there is no variation in the strategies."

Rather than just rule out the idea totally, however, work is being done to completely evaluate the possible scenarios that could evolve from two-stop races.

“This doesn’t mean that it is a worse situation. It could be good, we don’t know," he said. "We asked the teams to make some simulations to understand how they can react to a change of regulation.

“For me that’s an important point. Any time there is an idea before trying to implement the idea it is very useful that we go back to the teams and we tell them to try to make a simulation with these rules and see what happens.

“This is because sometimes we believe that we have a very good idea and we discover it is not.”

Also Read:

• Pirelli: Tyres not only to blame for conservative F1 races
• Bottas & Vettel sense little difference in Pirelli tyres for 2019
• Pirelli prepared to allow teams free choice on compounds if one rule is changed

Another tyre rule which has been in focus is the requirement for drivers in the top 10 to use the set on which they posted their Q2 time on at the start of the race.

Under this regulation, top teams have tried to get through on harder compounds for better strategic options and some midfield teams haven't run at all to keep the free choice but an attempt to remove it was blocked.

Even so: “If we go a bit more conservative in the [compound] selection I think that in qualifying there is no reason to try to use the medium, the one in the middle, instead of the softest because the advantage is probably less," the Pirelli chief noted.

Isola concluded by confirming at this point no further changes to tyre-related regulations are expected for 2019. 

Sergio Perez believes there is a lot of potential in his new teammate Lance Stroll and is sure Racing Point will help him unlock it.

The young Canadian is still something of an unknown quantity in Formula 1 having shown signs of improvement towards the end of his rookie season in 2017 but was unable to continue that progression because of Williams' poor car this year.

That means his move to the formerly named Force India team is largely considered another example of entitlement by many after his Lance's father Lawrence Stroll bought the squad this past summer.

"I don’t know him much as a driver," admitted Perez. "In F1, it’s so difficult to prepare, to know a driver from another team.

"95% of your results is done by the car and he’s certainly had a poor season down to his car. I think Williams had a lot of trouble.

"But the kid definitely has talent," the Mexican claimed. "He’s been on the podium, when it’s wet he’s always up there, and I think he’s coming to a great team with some of the best engineers in the world.

"I think he will be in great hands to deliver his full potential."

In recent years, it has been Perez with the greater political influence at Racing Point with his sponsorship critical to keeping the team afloat but, perhaps predictably, there are claims that Stroll could be favoured given his father is the team owner.

"It’s in the interests of everyone, including the team owners that this team is a successful team," the eight-time podium sitter stated.

"The investment that they’ve done, it’s successful, so for that we need both cars as strong as possible. We both have to work very hard and we both have to work together to bring the team forward.

"It’s in the interests of everyone. We are a team now and we just have to work like that."

Also Read:

• Stroll matched Ocon pace in simulator & during Abu Dhabi test
• Perez admits Ocon relationship was 'never great' at Force India

With a healthy back balance now behind the Silverstone-based outfit ambitions are high at Racing Point, but Perez does concede progress won't be immediate.

"I’m extremely excited. I’ve been chatting with the whole team, from mechanics to engineers to catering, everyone is really excited, really looking forward," he said.

"Lawrence is very enthusiastic about this project, he knows that it’s a long-term project, and I think we have great direction with our team bosses. Everything should be in place just to expand.

"But also we have to be aware that it takes time. You’ve seen it with other teams, you know how long it takes them. But I think if there’s a team that can go to the next step, it is Force India."

McLaren CEO Zak Brown insists he is "very happy" with the current Renault partnership and sees a reason for optimism in 2019.

Ditching Honda after three failed years at the end of 2017, an expected boost in competitiveness with the French manufacturer couldn't be sustained this season as chassis problems left McLaren trailing down the grid.

Though the performance of the Renault engine has also been a concern, as it continues to lag some way behind Mercedes and Ferrari, the American chief maintains confidence they are on a good path.

"We're very happy with Renault," Brown was quoted by GPFans.com. "We have a very good relationship with them. I got my report on how next year's power unit is coming along and that's very encouraging.

"They've given us a reliable engine this year and so it's going well we're happy with the decision that we've made, we're very happy with Renault."

His words are very much the opposite of what Renault's second customer Red Bull often said over the past few seasons, eventually driving the Milton Keynes squad into dropping Renault after 12 years for the Honda units that McLaren had had enough of.

Brown though believes their decision to change supplier could benefit his team as the sole remaining customer.

"I think we'll benefit from having two teams on the grid next year, so they'll be focused on ourselves and themselves, and excited to have a long-term future with them," he stated.

Also Read:

• Sainz: McLaren's goal is to lead the midfield battle
• Brown: McLaren's 2018 season a result of inconsistent leadership
• McLaren right to drop Honda because 'the relationship wasn't working'

Also expressing confidence in the team's future is Carlos Sainz who revealed a presentation by McLaren convinced him to join for 2019.

"When I got here, they made me an explanation and presentation of what happened - so for me, it was very positive to see how there are some clear minds out there, and strong leadership, to see where we are going," he told Autosport.

"I see they have a very clear picture of what has happened, and why, and the way we need to improve.

"Whether it is going to work or not next year, this we don't know," he added. "We know we have a direction, we have an analysis. It is going to take time that is everything I can say.

"But I am happy to be part of this process. I am proud of this team because I think I can be a good help, and I can improve with them altogether."

Daniel Ricciardo has indicated results may not be the main priority with Renault next season, with the focus more on ensuring progress.

The Australian has taken the bold decision to leave a race-winning team in Red Bull for the French manufacturer, believing the future potential could be greater at Enstone than Milton Keynes.

Indeed, the squad has targeted victories themselves in Formula 1 by 2020 although, based on the performance level this past season, that may seem ambitious with Renault still mired in the midfield despite finishing fourth in the Constructors' standings.

Aware that next year will likely be another where 'best of the rest' is the most likely finish, Ricciardo is simply eager to put his mark on the team.

"Nico [Hulkenberg]'s experienced and he's been around and I want to expect myself to become part of that team very quickly, have a presence in the team and be another source of push, fire and motivation," he declared and was quoted by GPFans.com.

"I'm expecting to carry good work ethic and to bring the people around us to build on what they have. The driving I will always try to keep improving, but really try to figure out the best way to bring the team to the next level."

Also Read:

• Renault reveals huge power deficit to rivals in qualifying mode
• Hulkenberg not so interested in Ricciardo comparisons in 2019
• Red Bull worried Ricciardo could give Renault a big boost for 2019

Improvements will have to be in every area to do so but particularly the engine which is at risk at becoming the worst on the grid as Honda makes substantial gains.

But also the chassis, while strong compared to the midfield, remains still some way off the top three teams although new regulations around the wings and bargeboards could provide an opportunity to close that gap.

Mick Schumacher has opted to join Ferrari's Academy over the Mercedes young driver program, Motorsport.com's Italian edition has claimed.

The 19-year-old son of seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael has been wooed by both of his father's former employers with Toto Wolff and Maurizio Arrivabene indicated the door is very much open to the German.

Schumacher's profile has dramatically increased in recent months after he won the European F3 title and will now race with Prema in F2 next year as he opts for a steadier rise up the motorsport ladder over a big jump straight into F1.

A key factor in his decision, which is only speculation at this stage, could be the relative trust each manufacturer has put in their young drivers after Ferrari promoted Charles Leclerc to a race seat after just a single year with Sauber, albeit a very impressive one.

Meanwhile, at Mercedes, their talent has struggled with both Pascal Wehrlein, who has now left the program, and Esteban Ocon falling off the F1 grid after two full seasons each.

Also Read:

• Prost: Formula 2 move will reveal 'how good Schumacher is'
• Sainz says Schumacher name alone won't get Mick into F1

A deal is still to be reached, however, and in his most recent public comments at the FIA gala last weekend, Schumacher's focus will solely on next year.

"I'm definitely looking forward to it," he said. "It's now getting close to the dream, getting close to what I want to achieve.

"To be close and see how they work is something very special because it's not what we get in F3. Obviously, we can only see on the TV, we don't see what is happening behind the scenes and stuff.

"Now with F2 I'll be close and up front, seeing how they work and hopefully also using some of that for my personal development."

Mick got his first taste of the car at a two-day test in Abu Dhabi last month and offered an insight into how it went.

"The test went well. We did a lot of long runs and a lot of performance runs as well, so I got to know the car, got to know the tyres as well which is always a bit different to the F3 car," he said.

"The tyres are most difficult to understand. You have to be able to get the tyres in the right window in order to be quick, and to get that right every time is difficult."