Latest F1 news in brief

Nico Rosberg – 2016 World Champion

Abu Dhabi showed Rosberg 'the right champion' – Lauda
Button 'perfect' for 2017 role – Boullier
Champions don't connect with German people – Lauda
Sauber wants to sign second driver 'soon'
Rosberg unsure how far Hamilton tactics would go
Raikkonen 'amazing' to beat Vettel in 2016 – manager
Hamilton will not quit Mercedes – Hill
Stroll relieved Canadian GP is secured

Abu Dhabi showed Rosberg 'the right champion' – Lauda
(GMM) Niki Lauda says the Abu Dhabi grand prix was proof in itself that Nico Rosberg deserves the 2016 world championship.

As the controversy about Lewis Hamilton's 'backing up' tactics continues, Mercedes' team chairman said how the Briton and German Rosberg handled it is crucial to interpreting the outcome of their title battle.

"If Lewis had gone out the front and left everyone behind, everyone would have said 'That was the real world champion'.

"But he put Nico on a pedestal that was as high as if he had won the race," Lauda, a triple world champion and F1 legend, is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

"Nico defended madly under enormous pressure," Lauda continued.

"We offered to him that Vettel could pass him, because third place would have been enough," he explained. "But Nico decided to fight.

"He showed that he is the right world champion."

Jenson Button – now a bench warmer

Button 'perfect' for 2017 role – Boullier
(GMM) Jenson Button will continue to contribute to McLaren-Honda in 2017.

That is the claim of team boss Eric Boullier, even though in the wake of team supremo Ron Dennis' departure, Button in Abu Dhabi was suddenly referring to it as his "last race" rather than the start of a sabbatical.

But France's Auto Hebdo quoted Boullier as insisting that Button's role in 2017 as a team ambassador, including another contracted year for 2018, still stands.

"Jenson will be perfect in this role," he insisted.

"He knows how to share his feelings and defend the interests of a brand," Boullier added, saying Button will also be "useful" for the engineers next year.

"This year I think Jenson had a drop in pressure; a sudden moral fatigue," the Frenchman explained.

"He did not tackle his 17th season in a situation of a potential winner, but as part of a large technical construction programmed. Different to (Fernando) Alonso," Boullier added, "because it was he (Alonso) who chose this challenge."

Rosberg doesn't connect with Germans like Michael Schumacher did

Champions don't connect with German people – Lauda
(GMM) Niki Lauda has linked the demise of the German grand prix with how the public interacts with the country's champion drivers Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg.

In Vienna on Wednesday, the FIA confirmed a tweaked 2017 calendar that ends the controversial clash between Baku and the fabled Le Mans 24 hour sports car race.

But also notable was confirmation of the drop from 21 to 20 races, with Germany definitively removed from the calendar.

F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda made a link between the loss of popularity in Germany and the way the public interacts with its successful drivers.

"All the great German world champions had a somewhat strange relationship with the population," he told the newsmagazine Stern.

"They are not embraced like footballers are, because somehow this human proximity, this warmth, is missing."

And some of the reason for that, Lauda explained, is that Vettel in particular is not open enough.

"What's missing is the openness," he said.

"But I understand and I'd do the same in his place," said Lauda.

"For me, Nico stands somewhere in between. Finding a relationship with the people is not easy."

Referring to the demise of the 2017 German grand prix, Rosberg himself commented to Bild newspaper: "I find it really sad.

"The formula one world championship without a German grand prix is somehow not a real world championship."

Meanwhile, although the asterisk alongside Brazil's date on the 2017 calendar has been removed by the FIA, authoritative reports insist that the future of the Interlagos race nonetheless remains in doubt.

"However, experts predict that Ecclestone will not stop the race in Sao Paulo," Auto Motor und Sport said.

Monisha Kaltenborn

Sauber wants to sign second driver 'soon'
(GMM) Monisha Kaltenborn says Sauber would like to complete its 2017 driver lineup "as soon as possible".

The Swiss team's chief headed into the last two races of this season declaring that, with Marcus Ericsson now under contract for 2017, the Swede's teammate would be named before the checkered flag in Abu Dhabi.

But Kaltenborn now tells the Swiss newspaper Blick that the second driver question is "still wide open".

Veteran correspondent Roger Benoit asked her if reports were true that Felipe Nasr, having lost the bulk of his Banco do Brasil sponsorship, will be replaced by Pascal Wehrlein.

"Felipe Nasr is still possible, but we talk with quite different drivers from different continents," Kaltenborn explained.

"We would like to clarify the driver question as soon as possible."

Rosberg was unsure how far Hamilton would take it. Rosberg could have rammed Hamilton, taken them both out, and been assured the title. He took the high road.

Rosberg unsure how far Hamilton tactics would go
(GMM) Nico Rosberg has admitted he was unsure if Lewis Hamilton would take his 'backing up' tactics in Abu Dhabi to the next level.

Hamilton is already under fire for trying to drive the chasing Ferrari and Red Bull into his title nemesis, but Rosberg has said he has no problem with the Briton's tactics.

"I think it's a pity that the topic is even discussed," he said.

"It's very simple: you can understand the team side, but I also understand Lewis, because it was not just a race win."

Asked if he would have done the same, Rosberg answered: "This is far too hypothetical, and I also don't want to contribute to the discussion."

However, as he celebrated in his home town of Wiesbaden on Wednesday, the German also told the N24 broadcaster: "I didn't know how far he (Hamilton) would take it.

"Would he turn completely and try to drive me off the track?

"The last two laps were really hard. I saw the two cars behind me and knew that if I made a mistake, all the work of the whole season would be for nothing," Rosberg added.

He also defended Hamilton, who is being called a 'bad loser' by some sections of the F1 world.

"I don't know exactly how he feels, I only know how I felt after 2014 and 2015," said Rosberg. "And a defeat like that is hard to digest, so he will need some time."

Raikkonen leads Ricciardo and Vettel in Abu Dhabi. Vettel would eventually beat them both

Raikkonen 'amazing' to beat Vettel in 2016 – manager
(GMM) Kimi Raikkonen's improvement in 2016 was nothing short of "amazing".

That is the view of the 2007 world champion's manager Steve Robertson, when discussing Raikkonen's performance this year with the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat.

"It's amazing what difference a year makes," he said.

"If you think back to a year ago, I don't think many people would have argued that Kimi would beat Sebastian Vettel 11 to 10 in qualifying," Robertson added.

"Ferrari is not where everyone would like them to be, but Kimi did a very good job, and next year, the dream continues," he smiled.

Raikkonen's 2015 and 2016 race engineer, Dave Greenwood, agrees that the Finn has stepped up his game this year, even though Vettel beat him on points.

"In my opinion, statistics do not lie," Greenwood said.

"I know Kimi says that nothing has changed, but I personally think Kimi has been better in qualifying than in 2015."

But Greenwood said he also shares Raikkonen's view that if Ferrari is not winning, little else matters.

"We share Kimi's view that winning is always the goal," he said. "If we do not win, we have missed the target. The whole team, every individual, only wants to win."

Hamilton will never leave the best car in F1 of his own doing. But the team could sack him.

Hamilton will not quit Mercedes – Hill
(GMM) Damon Hill has rubbished rumors Lewis Hamilton might quit Mercedes.

In Abu Dhabi, Hamilton refused to comment on speculation he almost quit after his collision with teammate Nico Rosberg in Spain.

Now, the Briton is off-side with team management again after his controversial 'backing up' tactics in the 2016 finale.

But 1996 world champion Hill told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport: "If you have a winning car, you don't give it up voluntarily.

"Look at Sebastian Vettel — he won four titles, and now without a winning car you can see how hard that is for him."

Hill is also in the camp of those who think Rosberg fully deserves his 2016 title, which is "a sign of his determination".

Rosberg and Hill are the only two world champions in F1's history whose fathers also won motor sport's biggest prize.

But there are more famous sons on the horizon.

"Max Verstappen is already here, but there's also Giuliano Alesi and Mick Schumacher. For me it's logical that famous names are attractive for marketing reasons," said Hill.

"But without pace, a famous name will not help you," he added.

Lance Stroll (L) and teammate Bottas

Stroll relieved Canadian GP is secured
Lance Stroll says that it will be "a dream come true" to take part in his home Grand Prix in Canada next season, after the event was officially confirmed on the 2017 calendar.

Canada and Brazil were listed with a 'subject to confirmation' tag on the provisional roster, but this has been removed for the final edition, though Germany loses its race.

Stroll, 18, is preparing to step up to Formula 1 with Williams next season, after claiming the European Formula 3 title, and is delighted that he will get the chance to race at home.

"It will be a dream come true," commented Stroll on the opportunity.

"I've been racing in Europe all these years… European championships, Formula 3 didn't allow me to go to Canada to race! It will be super cool in front of my home fans and friends.

"I'm really happy to hear that Canada is on the calendar. I was a bit worried at one point, because that wouldn't have been great if I didn't have an opportunity to race in Montréal.

"[Canada] will definitely be one of my favorite Grands Prix."

Formula 1 has visited the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, previously known as the Circuit ÃŽle Notre-Dame, since 1978, the venue only absent from the calendar in 1987 and 2009.