The changes that shook up F1 during the winter

Formula 1's overriding winter focus has been on developing the complex new technology demanded by the sport's new-for-2014 regulations, and matters have been no less busy behind the scenes.

Numerous changes - some predictable, others rather surprising - were made at all levels, with the majority of developments having the power or potential to profoundly shake up the order of the sport.

Indeed, seldom has F1 experienced a winter hit by such strong winds of change, with virtually every entity - whether governing body, commercial rights holder or team - being affected in some shape or form.

In most instances the hectic work surrounding 2014's regulation changes has overshadowed the full impact of the background changes, but rest assured that F1 managers have been as busy behind the scenes as have their engineers on their banks of dynamometers.

Here, then, is an overview of the primary moves and shakes since F1 returned to Europe from Brazil after the final race for the 'old-iron' V8s (with teams in 2013 championship order).

FIA

The governing body's quadrennial elections went off much as expected, with Jean Todt reinstalled as president after David Ward, the Frenchman's only declared opponent, withdrew after failing to garner the required support. The federation's deputy presidents (for sport and mobility) and president of the senate were also carried over.

Jean Todt was reinstated as FIA president © LAT

But Pierre de Coninck, the FIA's long-standing secretary-general for sport, subsequently stood down from the position at his own request. The Belgian-born former touring car racer's position was filled by ex-France national soccer team director Jean-Louis Valentin.

Concurrently with Todt's re-election, some delegates to the World Motor Sport Council, the supreme sporting body, were redeployed, with, for example, Mohammed ben Sulayem moving from vice-president in the WMSC to a similar post in touring. The Emirati is replaced by Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya of Qatar.

Todt also formed various sporting commissions, including that responsible for safety on off-road events, and the Motorsport Development Fund, which will disburse the estimated £100m windfall negotiated with FOM.

Formula One Management

The big news here is, of course, the upheaval caused by formal embezzlement charges being brought against Bernie Ecclestone by the Munich prosecutors over the Gribkowsky Affair, and the 83-year-old's subsequent resignation from the boards of all related FOM companies following a directive from CVC Capital Partners, the majority shareholder in commercial-rights holder Topco.

The fallout continues. Not only has Ecclestone's former legal adviser Stephen Mullins become the fourth person to be charged - will he cut a state witness deal? - but Norges, the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund charged with investing the country's gas revenues for the benefit of future generations, has been subject to parliamentary questions over the 21 per cent investment it holds in Delta Topco in partnership with two other investors.

Indeed, in an interview published this week in a Norwegian newspaper, fund director Yngve Slyngstad stated that he now considers the investment as "very unfortunate", adding that the fund has "zero tolerance" for corruption, a comment clearly aimed at the looming Bavarian court case.

Formula One Teams' Association

At the end of February FOTA was disbanded after various options were put to a membership vote following the resignation of chairman Martin Whitmarsh (see McLaren, below), and a scramble for funds after only three teams paid their 2013 subscriptions in full.

Red Bull Racing

The quadruple champion team faces little internal change save for the swapping of one Australian (Daniel Ricciardo) for outgoing compatriot Mark Webber. All of which is extremely fortunate, for the team has enough on its plate, what with sorting its well-publicised Renault-engine installation and performance issues.

Mercedes

The Three-Pointed Star, while being favourite for both titles, faces upheaval after the departure of team principal Ross Brawn, who saved the squad from ignominy after Honda's withdrawal, then built it into the eponymous 2009 title-winning operation before selling it on to Mercedes, which last year finished runner-up in the constructors' championship to Red Bull and ahead of Ferrari.

Brawn departed as team principal of Mercedes © LAT

While the team denies it will suffer unduly, swapping the legendary Brawn for a joint Toto Wolff/Paddy Lowe structure is sure to slow decision taking just when the team needs it most, even if Lowe is one of the paddock's most experienced engineering managers.

Expanding its engine customer base (see Williams) means the company needs to service four teams in total just as it consolidates ahead of dropping McLaren.

Ferrari

While Ferrari denies president Luca di Montezemolo is going anywhere soon, well-placed sources in Italy insist that the Bolognese will step down from Ferrari's top job in favour of Andre Agnelli (38), scion of the famous family that controls Exor, rated 26th largest company in the world according to the Fortune 500.

Exor holds major investments in Fiat (including Ferrari, Alfa Romeo/Maserati and Chrysler), Cinzano, Wakefields (real estate), Juventus Football Club and Case New Holland (agricultural machinery).

Montezemolo instigated Italy's privately controlled Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori high-speed train project, said to be running well behind schedule.

"The investors, who include Luca's friends, have told him to sort it out fast," a source in the loop recently told this column. Agnelli, currently president of Juventus, is said to relish the possibility of controlling the country's iconic Ferrari brand.

Montezemolo recently stood down as president of Italia Futura, the Italian liberal-centrist think tank he founded in 2009, and is currently punted as Alitalia's next chairman.

The uncertainty surrounding Montezemolo's future is clearly unsettling as the team faces 2014's challenges with a returning driver (Kimi Raikkonen), and any such developments could clearly influence the Scuderia's 2014 performance.

Lotus

Hit hard by a cash squeeze, Lotus lost Raikkonen and team principal Eric Boullier, plus an estimated 100 heads after salary payments were delayed.

Gerard Lopez, founder of owner Genii Capital, assumed the role of team principal, but is absent in Australia, where the team is being managed by newly elevated deputy team principal Federico Gastaldi.

Andrew Ruhan, the minor shareholder who fronted salaries and supplier debts at the height of the crisis, has installed Matthew Carter as CEO in place of the departed Patrick Louis.

New team principal, unblooded deputy, CEO with no F1 team experience and Pastor Maldonado in place of Raikkonen courtesy of a heavy (Venezuelan state-funded) wallet make for a long season...

McLaren

Dennis, back at the helm of McLaren © LAT

Boullier has been installed as racing director of a new division created by returning CEO (and minority shareholder) Ron Dennis, who led the team to stratospheric heights in the 1980s but presided over the team during its nadir in the '90s.

The team failed to win a single constructors' title between 2000 and '09, Dennis's final stint before being persuaded into the non-executive chair through external pressure.

COO Jonathan Neale is acting CEO of the new division - effectively replacing Martin Whitmarsh, who had long been at loggerheads with Dennis - while also out is title sponsor Vodafone, which annually pumped an estimated £40m into the team.

Dennis not only needs to implement a total restructure, but secure sponsorship - all before the team switches to Honda power in 2015. A big ask even for a character as strong as him.

Force India

Deputy team boss Bob Fernley, parachuted in by owner Vijay Mallya, has indicated that he will step back to enable senior managers to operate the team while the veteran racing man maintains a watching brief.

The team has not renewed its engineering partnership with McLaren, having instead entered into a deal for powertrain/rear-end technology with Mercedes.

Sauber

Little discernible change, although no tangible sign of the much-vaunted Russian money; continues with Ferrari power and Esteban Gutierrez, but Adrian Sutil joins from Force India, replacing Nico Hulkenberg, who has gone the other way.

Toro Rosso

Red Bull's junior team has switched to Renault engines with a view to standardising power units across both teams. Daniel Ricciardo has moved to the main team, replaced by Russian Daniil Kvyat.

Martini returned to F1 with Williams © LAT

Williams

The big changes are, of course, the acquisition of Martini as title sponsor and the switch to Mercedes power - a decision no doubt influenced by Toto Wolff, who continues as significant shareholder of the publicly listed operation despite holding a senior position at Mercedes.

It is said that F1 crisis manager Colin Kolles has acquired a minority shareholding after a convoluted deal struck with Wolff, which the team pleaded ignorance about when asked, citing the veil of listed structures.

Felipe Massa joins Valtteri Bottas on the driving strength.

Marussia

The Russian-controlled team has switched to Ferrari power, having been Cosworth's last remaining runner, and announced former Ferrari communications online practitioner Luca Colajanni as partnership director, a development some equate to landlocked Switzerland creating a Ministry of Naval Affairs.

Caterham

Last in the 2013 championship, the squad has lost former team CEO and head of the Caterham Group's automotive division Riad Asmat, a long-time associate of team owner Tony Fernandes.

This is a significant development given Fernandes's threat to withdraw from Formula 1 should the team not perform.