Haas F1 driver Kevin Magnussen has vowed to remain firm but fair with his driving on the track after gaining a reputation for aggressive manoeuvres last year.

The Dane was involved in several spats, most notably with Nico Hulkenberg at the Hungarian Grand Prix which led to a fiery post-race confrontation in the paddock but that would be the only race which saw the former McLaren driver penalised.

Looking ahead to 2018, Magnussen hopes to tread that line again in what is expected to be a very combative midfield by pushing the boundaries but remaining within the rules.

"With regards to racing against rivals, I only got one penalty last year and I need to learn from that. So this year, I’m going to try to drive just as hard without getting any penalties," he was quoted by PlanetF1.

Also Read:

• Grosjean expects to gain a "pretty good idea" of Haas potential in testing
• Magnussen sees Haas at a similar level to Renault

Defending his approach, Magnussen put the emphasis on the stewards to determine how hard he can attack or defend from another driver, regardless of how that other driver may feel.

“I look at it like this, if I get a penalty, then I’ve made a mistake," he said. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to be any more friendly on the track. I hope to be even harder – just without any penalty.”

Daniel Ricciardo has revealed he intends to start considering his Red Bull future in April, once he has a gauge of the team's performance level this season.

The Australian is in the final year of his current contract and this marks the first time he is in control of his own fate after being a part of the Austrian energy drinks giant for much of his career.

Disappointment at the inability to fight for world titles since 2014 and the growing presence of Max Verstappen are leading factors causing the five-time race winner to take his time.

“Nothing has really developed since the end of the season. I switched off from F1,” Ricciardo told Sky Sports updating his situation.

“I think realistically around April things will start to be spoken. After a few races, hopefully, I win the first few and I can have a powerful say in what I do!”

Also Read:

• Ricciardo laments cold weather despite strong start to testing
• Sainz only focused on Renault despite Ricciardo/ Red Bull situation
• Ricciardo hopeful of stronger Red Bull title challenge in 2018

Alternatives at Mercedes and Ferrari are both potentially on the table, although earlier this week, motorsport boss at the German manufacturer Toto Wolff claimed there would be no rush to approach the 28-year-old.

“Our two drivers, Valtteri and Lewis, we trust them, we empower them and give them all the support," he also told Sky Sports. “If we were at the start of the season and already entertaining negotiations with other drivers we wouldn’t be giving him the right support.

"We are absolutely behind him (Bottas), as we are with Lewis. We will re-evaluate in the summer.”

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff is sure none of the German manufacturer's customer teams were behind the recently issued directive by the FIA to ensure engine parity.

Formula 1's governing body stated last week that all suppliers must now ensure all engine hardware and software, such as power modes, must be made available in all units that are supplied to customer teams.

The focus was put on Mercedes when Red Bull team boss Christian Horner suggested to "ask (Williams deputy team boss) Claire Williams" when asked where the request for clarification had come from, but that led to the rebuke from Wolff.

“I don’t think any of our customers were pushing for it,” the Austrian told Autosport.

“It’s not relevant for us because the rules have been in place for a while that you must supply the customers with the same hardware and software from a power unit standpoint and we’ve always done that."

Also Read:

• FIA targets engine modes in push to ensure customer equality
• Hamilton: New Mercedes like the "big sister" of predecessor

Mercedes and Ferrari are known to delay giving engine upgrades to their customers whether it be for a lack of parts or contractual reasons, but Wolff insists it would make no sense for the team to develop two different specifications

"If there is any suspicion out there, it certainly wasn’t anything that would have any consequence for us," he claimed.

“We have the belief that sharing modes and engine calibration among six cars triggers a steeper learning curve for us rather than running different engine specifications between the customers and the works team.”

Lewis Hamilton described Mercedes' new W09 as the "big sister" of its 2017 predecessor as he completed his first meaningful runs on Thursday.

Cold weather and rain on his first outing on Monday followed by the snow of Wednesday meant the Briton only really got the final afternoon to properly test the car he hopes can take him to a fifth Formula 1 championship.

That wouldn't hold him back, however, as he posted the fastest time of the week on the Medium compound tyres, three-tenths clear of Sebastian Vettel's best on Softs from Tuesday.

“I was really happy to get out, great to get on it,” Hamilton said after the session had ended. "So far it is positive. I’ve only had 60 laps but it definitely feels like a better car than last year.

“Driving a new car is like trying to crack a new code: you have to figure out which different techniques you need to get the most out of it, but the W09 feels like last year's big sister."

The defending world champion has insisted he would like a close fought battle with Red Bull and Ferrari this season, believing to come out on top would deliver the most satisfying type of success.

Sebastian Vettel has already made it clear Mercedes start the year as favourites, however, and now Renault driver Carlos Sainz admits the Silver Arrow looks very tough to beat.

"It's a little scary," he claimed, referring to the performance of the Mercedes engine.

"It's still early but it's also no secret that Hamilton and Ferrari will be fighting for pole in Australia. It's no surprise.

"I think it will be very difficult for teams like McLaren, Renault or even Red Bull to win because Mercedes and Ferrari are at a spectacular level."

Williams has denied the decision of Martini not to renew their title sponsorship deal after 2018 was impacted by the arrival of Sergey Sirotkin.

Last week deputy team boss Claire Williams confirmed this would be the final year the iconic spirit brand and their stripes would feature on the Grove-based team's cars after returning to Formula 1 in 2014.

The reason cited was the sport no longer fitted with their marketing strategy, however, some have wondered if the non-compliance with a request for one race driver under 25 for promotional purposes had a say.

“I talked quite a lot last year about making sure we had drivers who were able to activate from a marketing perspective because of Martini’s 25 year age limit,” Williams admitted last week. “[But] going into this year it is hard to find drivers over 25."

Instead, 22-year-old Sirotkin replaced 37-year-old Felipe Massa for this season, beating 33-year-old Robert Kubica who as hired as reserve and development driver.

“They [Martini] were fully supportive of us bringing in Sergey and it played no part in their decision-making process moving forward as they were fully aware of our plans and supportive of it," the deputy boss insisted.

“I suppose next year it gives us the freedom to do what we want without having to worry about age limits.”

Fernando Alonso hailed a "perfect" final day of the first Formula 1 test on Thursday, as McLaren completed the most laps of any individual team.

Teammate Stoffel Vandoorne began racking up 110 laps in the morning and early afternoon before the Spaniard put an additional 51 tours of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on to the total in the final three hours.

It was a productive end to a sometimes troubled week in Spain, which began with a wheelnut failure causing Alonso to spin in the first hour on Monday and a £2 exhaust clip hampering running on Tuesday.

“I’m very happy with what has been an impressive day from the whole team in the garage and at the factory to put that amount of laps on the board between Stoffel and myself,” the double world champion commented.

Also Read:

• McLaren critical of "selfish" teams after bid to extend first test fails
• Hamilton & Mercedes flex muscles on final day of first F1 test

During the week, McLaren found themselves at the centre of a lot of attention with their occasional problems exaggerated by the smooth running of former engine supplier Honda with their new team Toro Rosso.

On the final day, however, Alonso admits the British team made a lot of progress as they adjust to using the Renault power unit. 

“The car ran perfectly all day," he said. 

"We did some interesting runs with some set-up changes, and we keep discovering more about the new package each time, especially with the integration of the Renault engine that was previously unknown for us.

“It was a very productive day for all of us and I’d like to say well done to everyone for working hard to get through a very full and comprehensive test programme."

Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has bemoaned the loss of "character" at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya after it was resurfaced prior to pre-season testing.

Though the cold conditions far from helped, the new tarmac was a factor teams and tyre supplier Pirelli had to consider in the build-up to the first test with the Spanish circuit known as one of the most technical and most tyre hungry venues that F1 visits.

Now, however, the Mercedes driver claims a lot of its difficulty has been erased due to the change in surface despite only a limited number of laps.

"In all honesty, this track has got easier," he said after setting the fastest time on Thursday. "Driving it today has been the easiest it’s been in the whole 10 years I’ve been driving."

Also Read:

• New tarmac has "changed the characteristics" of Barcelona track - Hulkenberg
• Mercedes doubt tyre performance will be representative in testing

The reason for the resurfacing was to accommodate MotoGP as the future of the race there was uncertain with riders unhappy at the ripples in the braking zones caused by F1 cars.

However, the Briton sees changing the tarmac as a waste of money and is frustrated when others complain about the bumpiness of a circuit.

"I like a track that is a bit more dated in terms of surface," he stated. "You’re going through a corner and the car starts moving a bit more, you have to be a bit more responsive. I like that challenge.

"That’s where the character of a circuit is," Hamilton added. "You flatten it all out and it's got a bunch of corners but it’s missing something.

"When you smooth it out, you make it easier and you lose a lot of the character that a track like Barcelona has."

Max Verstappen insists he is not concerned having lost yet more track time to what he called "small hiccups" with the Red Bull on Thursday.

After the snow and rain of the day before, the Milton Keynes outfit was the only team not to complete a program in the wet morning, instead, waiting until the track has dried in Barcelona before venturing out.

Looking to capitalise on the best conditions of the week in the afternoon, the Dutchman would suffer a minor problem which needed repairing before spinning into the gravel at Turn 12 and ending his test day 90 minutes early.

"These things happen and anyway the conditions this week were not great, so hopefully next week will be a bit more sunny," Verstappen commented later.

"We had a leak, so we were just checking the whole car and everything was alright after that. It took a bit longer than expected but once we went out again I had a little moment in Turn 12 and then reversing something happened with the gearbox, we still need to investigate."

Also Read:

• Verstappen has strong first impression of new Red Bull after first run
• Renault focus on engine reliability knocks Red Bull confidence

The pace of the RB14 has been solid when it has run, with teammate Daniel Ricciardo leading the timesheets on Day 1, as a result, the 20-year-old claims he has "no question-marks" over its potential.

"We had some little hiccups, but that can happen. You don't want it to happen, but sometimes it can," he said.

"[We were] checking a lot of things, the data, comparing it to the wind tunnel, and sometimes you need to really work on that as well, especially when the conditions are like this. I am alright, and I am positive."

Revenue payments given to the 10 Formula 1 teams dropped by $47 million in the first year under the management of Liberty Media, figures revealed.

This is the first time in history teams have had their revenue pot drop with the reason being a minor drop in total revenue and increased costs, as the American owners hired new staff, moved to a new Headquarters and spent more on promotion.

Collectively, the 10 teams received $919 million in 2017 from the total income of $1.784 billion and it has been the distribution of this money which Liberty has looked to address for the future with that figure heavily weighted towards the top teams with prize money and other payments teams like Ferrari receive as incentives to stay.

Also Read:

• Ferrari and Mercedes "working as one" politically, says Red Bull boss
• Ferrari is considering a breakaway series to rival F1, Ecclestone claims
• Red Bull & McLaren push Liberty to be bold in face of manufacturer pressure

Some team bosses, expecting the reduction in revenue, has previously criticised Liberty for the additional spending but a statement from the new owners defended the results.

"Cost of F1 revenue increased primarily due to spending on fan engagement, filming in Ultra High-Definition and higher freight costs, which more than offset reduced team payments," it read.

"Selling, general and administrative expense also increased for the fourth quarter and full year 2017 as a result of additional headcount and new corporate offices."

With Liberty already facing potential quit threats from Ferrari and others over the future direction of F1, this news could make it even harder when talks continue to agree a new Concorde Agreement in the first half of this year.

Lewis Hamilton admits he is only concentrating on ensuring his own preparations for the new Formula 1 season after the first test in Barcelona.

The Mercedes driver, known not to be a big fan of testing, only completed two afternoons on Monday and Thursday yet he was still able to end the latter with the fastest time, three-tenths shy of the best over the four days but using one-step harder tyre compound.

Given the cold temperatures and lack of representative running, making any solid conclusions is very tricky, but even if it wasn't Hamilton admits that would not be his priority.

“Honestly I just don’t focus too much on anyone else," the Briton told the official F1 website. "I think ultimately for me and my mindset, if I am at my best then I should have no problems. That’s how I approach it.

"I don’t prepare myself and then hope that the next guy has issues so I can capitalise on them, I want him to be at his best because then it’s more painful for them when you do out-perform them.”

Also Read:

• Hamilton expects worsening relationship with Vettel during 2018 season
• Hamilton hopeful new Mercedes "irons out the creases" of predecessor

The four-time and defending world champion also insists he is wanting a tight battle with the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull for the championship this year.

“The closer it is, the better it is when you win," he claimed. "You want the guys you are racing to have a level playing field that you can really show that there are only small differences between us as drivers, and you want to be able to show that. It’s magnified if the cars are all the same.”