Latest F1 news in brief

Wolff explains to Bottas that he was hired to be Hamilton's 'bitch' and to not forget that. After Hamilton clinches in Austin, Mercedes will let Bottas win a race

Bottas coping well with end of 2018 season – Wolff
F1 struggling to explain Ferrari decline
Vettel rules out leaving Ferrari
Vandoorne wants 'favorable conditions' for F1 return
Bottas: My job was to bring the car home in P2
Wolff denies title race is over but calls on Mercedes to seal the titles in Austin

Bottas coping well with end of 2018 season – Wolff
(GMM) Valtteri Bottas is coping well with a difficult end to his 2018 campaign.

That is the news from Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, after the Sochi-Suzuka double header in which Finn Bottas was clearly playing the 'number 2' role in support of runaway championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

Some have suggested Mercedes may try to 'pay back' Bottas for his support in the closing stages of the calendar.

When asked if that is a plan, Wolff said: "No.

"Valtteri is a great guy," he said in Japan.

"After the race at Sochi, he said 'There is no need to discuss anything and if I was you, I would do the same'.

"He said 'I understand that I need to perform better from the very beginning of the season in order to really go for the title, and I did not'," Wolff added.

F1 struggling to explain Ferrari decline

Aldo Costa is the reason for Ferrari's decline. He developed his 2018 car throughout the season until it was unbeatable

(GMM) The F1 paddock is scratching its head about the strange and sudden decline of Ferrari's 2018 championship assault.

Some think Sebastian Vettel's struggle is because the FIA installed a second sensor in his car's controversial battery layout.

Asked if he could explain what the sensor is for, F1 race director Charlie Whiting answered: "No.

"If I did that, I would have to describe Ferrari's car and then the rest of the teams will understand some more things about it.

"I can't let that happen."

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, now commandingly leading the championship after Suzuka, isn't sure why Ferrari has dropped off.

"I didn't expect it," he said.

"Until the mid part of the season they were very strong and then we got to Monza where they were still quite strong, but then Singapore was where it really started to tail off.

"I don't really have an answer for that," added Hamilton. "You should ask Sebastian."

An editorial in Corriere della Sera, an Italian newspaper, links Ferrari's performance drop with the death in July of Sergio Marchionne.

Correspondent Daniele Sparisci said the former president was the "custodian of internal balance", and in the absence of that, Ferrari has split into two warring factions.

On one side, reportedly, is team boss Maurizio Arrivabene, and on the other is Mattia Binotto, who is regarded as second in line for the throne.

"It is said that relations between them is at a historic low," said Sparisci.

Vettel rules out leaving Ferrari

Vettel blew it plain and simple. However, in the end he was not going to beat the Aldo Costa Mercedes anyway

(GMM) Sebastian Vettel says he is not going to leave Ferrari just because his 2018 title campaign is in tatters.

Not long ago, the German looked set to use his superior red car to claw back ground against Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.

But in Monza, Singapore, Russia and now Japan, not only did Ferrari's mistakes reign, but the Maranello team's formerly superior 2018 car dropped steadily behind.

Nonetheless, Vettel said before leaving Suzuka: "I will not leave Ferrari.

"I'm part of the team and I want that to be the case and nothing else," Germany's Auto Bild quotes him as saying.

"I think we have a lot of potential. Of course, the last races did not go well for us and we made it too easy for Mercedes. But even so the spirit within the team is good."

However, Vettel acknowledges that the championship is now looking all but mathematically impossible.

"Of course we know that it is difficult now," he said. "But what else do we have to lose?

"We will give everything and there are still important things we can learn and understand about the car."

Vandoorne wants 'favorable conditions' for F1 return

Stoffel Vandoorne – off to Formula E

(GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne says he will only agree to return to formula one if he is offered "favorable conditions".

The Belgian has lost his place at McLaren and acknowledges that his chances of finding another seat are basically "zero".

Rather, Mercedes' new works team in Formula E is expected to name him as a driver on Monday.

"Breathing in some new air will make me feel good," Vandoorne told the Belgian broadcaster RTBF, as he hinted about his impending Formula E move.

"The last seasons at McLaren were not easy, and the team had its worst years ever."

The 26-year-old is not ruling out a return to formula one in the future.

"Somehow I will try to stay in touch with formula one," Vandoorne said.

"Exactly how I don't know, but if I ever return, I won't just do anything. No, it must be with favorable conditions."

Bottas: My job was to bring the car home in P2

The Mercedes 'slave' made sure Max Verstappen did not get too close to Lewis Hamilton at Suzuka

After playing the role of Lewis Hamilton's 'slave' two weeks ago in Sochi, Valtteri Bottas played the role again during the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Finn was called on as he followed Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton over the line to notch up another dominant one-two for the team – their fourth this season!

Speaking after a race in which he spent most of the afternoon as the buffer between Hamilton and whoever intended to pursue, in Japan that was Verstappen, “My job today was to bring the car home in P2. There was no panic."

“I think yesterday was the decisive moment really and after the race started, I knew how the race was going to be," explained the Bottas who a day earlier was outqualified by the man in the #44 car.

Late in the race, the #77 Silver Arrow appeared to slow considerably, allowing chasing Max Verstappen to have a sniff, but that was all, “It might have looked more difficult with Max than it was. I had a little bit left at the end. I had some blistering on the tires, but it was not a massive concern."

“We were lucky that Red Bull were the team challenging us and not Ferrari, as Red Bull do not have the same pace. We need to win this title and the constructors’ championship."

“I can’t win the title, so I’m hoping for Lewis to win it, and sooner rather than later," insisted the Mercedes 'slave' who has yet to win a race this season while his teammate has bagged nine victories.

Wolff denies title race is over but calls on Mercedes to seal the titles in Austin

Hamilton will be crowned world champion in Austin in 2 weeks

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff called for calm ahead of the next race in Austin, saying: ‘Freak incidents happen and a DNF or bad result suddenly wipes out a large chunk of your points.

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff admits the title is close but says 'anything can happen in racing'

‘I know from a probability standpoint it doesn’t look as if we will lose it, but this is motor racing and anything can happen.

‘I don’t even want to think about him breaking a finger. I don’t want to dwell too much on that kind of scenario in my comments now either because it is bad karma.

‘Let’s just get it done. Let’s go to Austin, have a strong race weekend, and hopefully seal the championship.’