Latest F1 news in brief

Jean Todt at Monza – said no all-electric power for F1

F1 not going all-electric – Todt
No more 'winners' at McLaren – Villadelprat
Andretti hopes Alonso makes Indycar switch
Schumacher eyes F2, DTM for 2019
Ferrari Ordered to Take Ice Pack Off of Its F1 Cameras
Miami F1 race – county mayor cancels delegates trip

F1 not going all-electric – Todt
(GMM) Jean Todt has played down suggestions F1 could switch to an all-electric formula in the future.

Recently, Liberty Media sporting boss Ross Brawn said there is "nothing to stop" the pinnacle of motor racing following the lead of Formula E.

But FIA president Todt said that notion is "nonsense".

"That will not happen," said the Frenchman.

"We're talking about two completely different racing series. Formula E cars cannot develop the same speed as in formula one. It's one of the reasons the races are in the cities — it would not be interesting to see them at Monza for example.

"However, Formula E is developing well," Todt continued. "The race distance can now be covered by one car. This shows that motor racing can not only be a show, but also a laboratory.

"But spending time comparing Formula E and formula one is just boring," he said.

No more 'winners' at McLaren – Villadelprat

Joan Villadelprat says Zak Brown is weak McLaren CEO

(GMM) Joan Villadelprat is worried about McLaren's future in formula one.

The Spaniard is a former top F1 team official, working for Ferrari, Tyrrell, Benetton and Prost. But he started his career at McLaren.

"I saw the birth of McLaren. I was one of the first to enter with Ron (Dennis)," he told El Confidencial.

"I've seen McLaren grow, and I've seen the opposite.

"When it seemed that Mansour Ojjeh would not overcome cancer, it took its toll on Dennis and eventually he left the project he had created.

"Now McLaren is going through a difficult time and sometimes I can hardly believe the direction they are in now. I wonder if they can come out of the hole," Villadelprat said.

He said the biggest problem is the people currently running McLaren, headed by former marketing specialist Zak Brown, who he described as "weak".

"When the changes started at McLaren, they felt the need to clean up the people loyal to Ron Dennis. But the people eliminated were those who for years had the essence and the intelligence to keep McLaren strong, even when there was a year when they were not competitive," he explained.

"Ron Dennis was seeking how to win again. To do it, you have to have done it before and know how. Now we have a group of people at McLaren that I do not see as winners," Villadelprat said.

"I see Brown as weak and still learning. Yes, there are still good people and great potential. But they have neither the money nor the imagination that they need at this moment."

Andretti hopes Alonso makes Indycar switch

Alonso looked happy in the IndyCar at Barber yesterday

(GMM) Michael Andretti says he hopes Fernando Alonso makes the switch to Indycar for 2019.

Disenchanted Spaniard Alonso is quitting F1 at the end of the year, but it is not known how he will divide his time between Le Mans, Indycar and other racing projects next year.

On Wednesday, he tested an Andretti Indycar at the Barber road circuit in Alabama.

"Alonso will decide his future after the test," McLaren team boss Zak Brown had declared at Monza.

Former F1 driver Andretti is hoping Wednesday's test inspires Alonso to sign up for 2019.

"We are prepared to have a team of five cars," the American is quoted by Spain's Diario Sport.

"I would love to work with him again. We'll see what happens.

"I think he has not made his decision yet, but I hope he enjoys his time in the car," Andretti, who ran Alonso in a McLaren entry at the 2017 Indy 500, added.

Schumacher eyes F2, DTM for 2019

Mick Schumacher at Monza

(GMM) Mick Schumacher is speeding up on his road to formula one.

The 19-year-old son of seven time world champion Michael is enjoying a resurgence in the highly competitive European F3 series, with three recent wins putting him fourth in the championship.

Kolner Express newspaper thinks Schumacher's next step will be into the F1 support category Formula 2.

The report said he could sign up with the top team ART, which is run by Nicolas Todt. Todt's father is FIA president Jean Todt, who is a personal friend of the Schumacher family.

Kolner Express said both Nicolas and Jean Todt met up with Schumacher at Monza last weekend.

Another option for Schumacher is DTM, according to the German newspaper Bild.

The report said he will test a German touring car series machine during the forthcoming DTM and F3 race weekend at the Nurburgring.

"Mick would like to discover how a touring car feels in contrast to the Formula 3 cars," wrote correspondent Helmut Uhl.

Ferrari Ordered to Take Ice Pack Off of Its F1 Cameras

Silly F1 officials still have their heads where the sun does not shine.

In one of the more silly F1 dramas of the past few years, teams had been wondering why Ferrari had been coolings its onboard camera with an ice pack.

Now it has become clear that, well, cooling wasn’t what the team was going for.

Ferrari was ordered to stop “cooling" its mandated onboard camera (required for getting onboard views for TV,) as Auto Motor und Sport reported on today, when really all it was trying to do was block what the camera was seeing.

That was extra clear after Ferrari immediately covered up its whole cockpit. What Ferrari was hiding was its displays and steering wheel settings and procedures.

Miami F1 – county mayor cancels delegates trip

Miami

The mayor of Miami-Dade County has cancelled a delegation's fact-finding trip to the Singapore Grand Prix, in a perceived setback to plans for a Miami Formula 1 race.

The Miami Herald reported on Saturday that the delegation of county administrators, including police and fire department chiefs, would travel to Singapore and get first-hand experience of how an F1-standard street race is operated, in a trip costing around $18,000.

But on Tuesday, county mayor Carlos Gimenez lifted a self-imposed recusal on the matter and intervened. He has recused himself because his son was a key race proponent.

In a statement, Gimenez said: "Upon further reflection, I've asked the directors of Port Miami, Miami-Dade police and Miami-Dade fire to cancel their departments' trip and to look for a venue closer to Miami-Dade County."

Although the county delegation's trip is off, a group of Miami city officials – including event administrators and Police – will attend the Singapore race as planned at the invitation of F1.