Latest F1 news in brief

The future of F1 being discussed in Monaco

F1 future still taking shape in Monaco
FIA boss Todt 'neglects F1' – Ecclestone
eyetime to be title sponsor at the Austrian Grand Prix
Azerbaijan GP organizers ask Liberty for reduced sanction fee
Bernie would make Hamilton to Ferrari happen
Daniel Ricciardo should join Ferrari says Rosberg

F1 future still taking shape in Monaco
(GMM) F1's future for 2021 and beyond continues to take shape.

Talks so far have been controversial, with Ferrari and perhaps even Mercedes threatening to quit over the budget cap, income distribution and engine regulation plans.

On 'rest day' Friday in Monaco, another key meeting involving Chase Carey, Ross Brawn, Jean Todt and the teams took place.

"Hopefully a lot of detail will be put on the table as to what Liberty's next steps are," Red Bull's Christian Horner said beforehand.

One participant at the meeting reported: "It was calm but there wasn't much new."

According to sources, the engine rules – including the scrapping of MGU-H – are now close to being finalized, although a final deadline is June.

Also discussed at Friday's meeting was the $150 million budget cap.

"It will come two years late," Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt said.

"From 2021, budgets will be reduced in two steps, between 2021 to 2023, with 2020 as a test year."

F1 will apparently also move to 18-inch wheels, with simpler aerodynamics and perhaps standard gearbox parts.

Niki Lauda, the Mercedes team chairman, wants more details as soon as possible.

"There has been a lot of discussion and it has been constructive, but no one knows the final result," he told AFP in Monaco.

"There are a lot of compromises on the table that we have already accepted, and we are getting very close to something that I think is feasible, but we need to know the last details," Lauda added.

FIA boss Todt 'neglects F1' – Ecclestone

Bernie criticizes Jean Todt

(GMM) Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has lashed out at Jean Todt.

Ousted by Liberty Media at the beginning of last year, the 87-year-old admitted to being "worried about the future" of the sport he essentially created.

And it's not just Liberty that concerns him.

"(FIA president) Jean Todt is very busy with many aspects to look after," Ecclestone told the French sports daily L'Equipe.

"He works 24 hours a day, but he neglects F1. His main project is road safety, but he must not lose sight of the sport," the Briton added.

As for F1's new commercial rights holder, Ecclestone continued: "Liberty could distort and ruin F1 because they have no experience.

"I hope Jean takes back the reins for the future of formula one. The FIA must be the master of the kingdom," he added.

Ecclestone also acknowledged the quit threats being made by top teams Mercedes and Ferrari.

"Mercedes is doing an exceptional job and it would be damaging to lose them, but Ferrari is the key," he said.

eyetime to be title sponsor at the Austrian Grand Prix

Austrian GP

Formula 1 announced that eyetime will be the new title sponsor for the 2018 Grosser Preis von Osterreich, which will take place at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg from June 30 to July 2.

Eyetime is an innovative social life app, one of the most avant-garde communication tools currently available on the digital market. With its state-of-the-art encryption and worldwide connectivity, eyetime meets all of its users’ needs, whether in private or professional communication.

Sean Bratches, Managing Director, Commercial Operations at Formula 1 said:
“We are delighted to welcome eyetime as one of the title sponsors of a Formula 1 Grand Prix during the 2018 season. With its hi-tech and innovative approach to the world of digital communication, eyetime perfectly matches with our vision of the pinnacle of motorsport and with our aim to connect the sport with the younger generations."

Meglena Krumova, CEO at eyetime, said:
“eyetime opens the door to a new dimension of communication and we are very happy to partner with Formula 1 on the occasion of the 2018 Grosser Preis von Osterreich. eyetime with its possibilities for communication and Formula 1 with its millions of fans are an ideal match."

Marquez completes F1 seat fitting ahead of test

Marquez and Pedrosa to get a crack at an F1 car

Earlier this week the Repsol Honda MotoGP squad confirmed its riders would get a chance to take part in a test next month at Red Bull’s Spielberg circuit, the venue for both the Austrian MotoGP and F1’s Austrian Grand Prix, with the test organised by Red Bull.

Both Marquez and Pedrosa were expected to visit the team’s UK base in Milton Keynes for a seat fitting as well as experience the team’s F1 simulator.

Interestingly, Marquez’s picture on his Twitter shows him wearing Toro Rosso race overalls with the Honda logo – perhaps unsurprising given the reigning MotoGP champions links to the Japanese manufacturer – but the Spaniard isn’t expected to test a Honda-powered F1 car given its partnership with Red Bull’s junior team only began this year.

Marquez and Pedrosa are thought to be testing a V8-powered F1 car which would mean a car from 2013 or earlier.

Of the current MotoGP riders, Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo have both previously test F1 cars with Ferrari and Mercedes respectively.

Azerbaijan GP organizers ask Liberty for reduced sanction fee

Arif Rahimov

Azerbaijan Grand Prix organizers have asked Formula 1 for a reduction in the race sanctioning fee it pays starting in 2021

"We have a contract which is a binding contract for five years, for five races, starting in 2016," said Azerbaijan promoter Arif Rahimov.

"Neither of us can break it unless we agree to break it.

"We have't triggered the break clause. We're negotiating on the second part of the contract.

"We all know we need to improve bits, so we're trying hard to make sure that it's good for us and good for F1."

"In general we want to be close to the average," added Rahimov. "Now that it's public information I think everyone knows what the average is.

"You have a few outliers to remove from both ends, statistically speaking, but obviously we want to be close in that mid-range of flyaway races.

"We cannot just take the average of all the races, because European races pay less for a lot of reasons, starting from logistics and cost of operation.

"But we do definitely want to be there in the average of the flyaway races.

"That's not the only thing we're discussing with FOM, it's most of the other commercial terms in the contract too. They want to try a new approach, it's a bi-lateral effort to make it viable for all of us.

"We will try to get it sorted before the end of June, so I think we'll come to some agreement.

"I'm asking for an improvement which is eating into their profits, it's quite obvious."

Bernie would make Hamilton to Ferrari happen

Hamilton and Vettel on same team? We doubt it.

Ex-Formula 1 driver Mark Webber believes Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel would have been team-mates if Bernie Ecclestone was still in charge.

Hamilton's future at Mercedes continues to be one of the major talking points in Formula 1 as contract discussions drag on between the pair.

Both sides remain relaxed about the situation as Hamilton's current deal continues to wind down.

But the longer the wait goes on for an official announcement about a contract renewal, more are discussing the prospect of Hamilton being team-mates with Vettel at Ferrari, given there could be a vacant seat for next year.

Webber, though, thinks the two four-time World Champions will be kept in separate teams yet, if Ecclestone was still running the show, it could well have been a different story.

"I think if Bernie was still here, he would have him at Ferrari with Sebastian. Bernie would make that deal happen," Webber told Express Sport.

"He would want those two guys together at Ferrari but I don’t think that’s going to happen.

"I think it will be the teams as we see them now apart from Daniel [Ricciardo] being the one that has a decision to make."

Webber also agreed with Christian Horner's comments that the delay between Hamilton and Mercedes was all down to the money being put on the table.

"It might be the truth, mightn’t it? It’s not rocket science," Webber added.

"The driver will generally want an uplift with each contract that he has but the boys are big and ugly, I’m sure they can work it out.

"They know what they need to do there and Christian is probably just stating the obvious that if Lewis gets happy, then he’ll sign.

"At the moment, they’re just working out the big detail, not the finer details, which is how much you’re going to get paid to do the job."

Daniel Ricciardo should join Ferrari says Rosberg

Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo should leave Red Bull and race for Ferrari says 2016 Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg.

"Ask me [about] individual drivers, where they should go: Ricciardo, I would say Ferrari," said Rosberg.

"I think he should go to Ferrari. It Vettel and Ricciardo together worked at Red Bull, didn't it, for one year.

"I'm not sure if Vettel is going to be too happy about him joining, because Ricciardo was faster than him in Red Bull.

"But apart from that I think that would be a good choice for him, a good move."