Latest F1 news in brief

Hamilton before his engine blew in Malaysia

Hamilton prepared to sit out practice sessions
De la Rosa doubts Alonso can win 2017 title
Baku race set for 2017 name tweak
Italy slams Vettel amid Ferrari 'crisis'
Hamilton has '100 per cent faith' in Mercedes
Marko: Pressure on Mercedes led to win
Wolff: Rosberg penalty 'complete nonsense'

Hamilton prepared to sit out practice sessions
(GMM) World champion Lewis Hamilton says he might sit out practice sessions over the course of the remaining five race weekends.

The Mercedes driver was livid after retiring from the lead at Sepang with yet another engine problem, insisting he is baffled as to why only he is having reliability dramas.

"I have had lower points, but this is the most helpless I can be at this point," British newspapers quote Hamilton as saying early this week.

Hamilton recently took a spate of grid penalties as Mercedes helped him stockpile enough engines for the rest of the season — but one of them failed spectacularly in Malaysia, putting him 23 points behind Nico Rosberg.

"At this point my concern is that I have two engines and want to make sure I do everything so they can last until the end," Spain's AS newspaper quotes him as saying.

"If that means I have to not do a session, I will not do a session. I'll do whatever it takes to finish the races," Hamilton added.

Pedro de la Rosa

De la Rosa doubts Alonso can win 2017 title
(GMM) Fernando Alonso is the best formula one driver of all time.

That is the claim of former F1 driver and tester Pedro de la Rosa, a fellow Spaniard who worked with the two-time champion not only at McLaren but also Ferrari.

"I have worked with great drivers," the 45-year-old told Spanish radio Cadena Ser, "and I've seen telemetry and that is the acid test.

"To compare different eras is unfair, but if I had to say a best of all time it would be Alonso," said de la Rosa.

And he said the only other "untouchable" on the F1 grid at the moment is Lewis Hamilton.

However, de la Rosa warned that he can't see Alonso's prediction of the 2017 title working out for the McLaren-Honda driver.

"A team that today fights to be in Q3 taking the title the next year is very difficult, but he will fight for podiums — of that I have no doubt," he said.

Finally, de la Rosa was asked about the 2016 title fight, and he scolded Hamilton for lashing out at the Mercedes team for his latest engine failure at Sepang.

"I think he should instead thank them for the car they have given him," he insisted.

As for the likely 2016 champion, de la Rosa added: "Anything can happen, but I think Rosberg will win."

Baku

Baku race set for 2017 name tweak
(GMM) The formula one race on the streets of Baku is set for a name tweak.

When the race in the Azerbaijan capital made its F1 debut, promoter Arif Rahimov said the former Soviet state wanted to showcase itself as a "modern European country".

So it was called the European grand prix.

However, the major Azerbaijan news agency Trend now reports that the Baku race is set to be renamed the Azerbaijan grand prix for 2017 and beyond.

"We hope the next race will be held under the name of the Azerbaijani grand prix," a circuit spokesperson confirmed.

"We successfully held formula one in the capital for the first time (in 2015)," she added. "Therefore, it is time to link the name of this stage with our country."

Trend said the request had been lodged with F1 authorities and there had been no objection.

Indeed, on the provisional 2017 calendar published recently, the FIA listed a June 18 race date for Baku, marked as "Azerbaijan".

Trying too hard to make up for the lack of speed in the hapless Ferrari, Vettel is making mistakes

Italy slams Vettel amid Ferrari 'crisis'
(GMM) The Italian press has slammed Sebastian Vettel after his disastrous Malaysian grand prix, claiming Ferrari's number 1 driver has fallen into "crisis".

As the great Maranello team's progress has faltered in the second half of 2016, German Vettel has appeared under increasing pressure from teammate Kimi Raikkonen.

He was then called an "idiot" and "in crisis" by Max Verstappen and Niki Lauda respectively, after the first corner crash at Sepang that tipped championship leader Nico Rosberg into a spin.

"It is clear now that Ferrari urgently needs a successful driver," Corriere della Sera, a Milan daily, said afterwards.

"The more Red Bull improves, the more unrecognizable Sebastian becomes," it added.

Another daily, La Repubblica, said Vettel was known for his 'number 1' finger gesture and big smile, "but Sebastian is not laughing now".

"Has Maranello sunk the highest paid driver in Ferrari history, or has Vettel lost his talent and speed?" the Roman newspaper wondered.

The specialist Corriere dello Sport, meanwhile, said Vettel's mistake at Sepang was not his only recent faux pas.

"It is sad to see that he does not accept responsibility for his mistakes," it wrote.

La Gazzetta dello Sport was at least splitting the blame, saying that while "Seb is in crisis, it is also Ferrari's fault".

Vettel will have to start this weekend's race at Suzuka three grid places down, with the stewards deeming him responsible for the Rosberg clash.

"I do not want to talk about the stewards' decisions," team boss Maurizio Arrivabene said.

"But of course, in such a tactical race, it is vital that both cars remain on the track."

Former F1 driver Robert Doornbos commented: "It is clear that Vettel is increasingly frustrated at Ferrari, and this (crash) was a consequence of that.

"There is nothing wrong with his talent, but you expect more from a four time world champion.

"Perhaps he is beginning to notice that he cannot just change everything with Ferrari," Doornbos told the Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport Totaal. "Alonso did not succeed in five years and Vettel has already achieved less in his second year.

"His old team Red Bull has gone past and Sepang was where he won last year," he added.

However, Ferrari parent Fiat Chrysler top executive John Elkann backed the Maranello team, insisting: "There is much work going on, as everything needs time.

"You need to know how to face difficulties without despair in order to be strong," he is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Hamilton must have been read the 'riot act' by Toto Wolff over his engine sabotage comments. It probably went something like this, 'Boy, we gave you a superior car for three straights years and two F1 titles. You had better shut that mouth or we'll send you packing over to the hapless Ferrari team. Got that boy?'

Hamilton has '100 per cent faith' in Mercedes
Reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton insists he has "100 per cent faith" in his Mercedes team after he suffered an engine failure while leading the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Hamilton had controlled proceedings at Sepang as he went in search of his first victory in over two months, but his engine gave way with just 15 laps remaining, forcing him into retirement.

After the race, a dejected Hamilton questioned why the engine problems keep affecting his car, but maintains that he has complete confidence in his team.

"Mercedes has built 43 engines or something – the extra three that I have had – and I have had most of, if not all of, the failures, so that is definitely a tough thing," he said.

"But I have 100 per cent confidence in these guys, it's my fourth year with them now in the garage, back at the factory, and I have 100 per cent faith.

"I love it here, and without them I would not have won these extra two championships."

Hamilton revealed that his subdued feeling was similar to the aftermath of the Spanish Grand Prix, but reckons he can still win the title if he performs as he did at Sepang across the last five races.

"All year long, when we had the problems in first part of the season, you always had the feeling that it's slipping through your fingers and there's nothing you can do about it," he said.

"Then we had a splurge of good results, then a bunch of another difficult results, and it's a similar feeling to what we had back in Barcelona.

"I have no idea what's going to happen these next five races, all I can do is do what I've done this weekend.

"[I need to] be as focused as I can be, put in performances like I have done this weekend, pray that the car holds together and I still have faith and hope and that's a powerful thing."

Dr. Helmut Marko is dillusional. Hamilton was 22 seconds ahead of the Red Bull cars and in cruise mode when his engine blew. What pressure?

Marko: Pressure on Mercedes led to win
Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko reckons the squad's increased pressure on Mercedes was influential in Lewis Hamilton's engine failure, which enabled Daniel Ricciardo to lead a 1-2 in Malaysia.

Ricciardo ended his two-year victory drought at Sepang as he profited from Hamilton's demise, two weeks after he finished just half a second shy of Nico Rosberg in Singapore.

Marko reveled in Red Bull's "very special" victory, its second triumph of the campaign, after Max Verstappen's win in Spain, and first 1-2 result since the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix.

"Super," he told GPUpdate.net about the result.

"We knew we could be very competitive here, although we obviously never expected a one-two. But our strategy and the fact we kept the pressure on Mercedes made it possible.

"We have proven we are forcing Hamilton to the absolute maximum."

Marko also reveled in the battle – which ultimately proved to be for victory – between Ricciardo and Verstappen through Turns 5 and 6.

Red Bull's drivers raced side-by-side before Ricciardo eventually prevailed.

"It was exciting, I can't deny it," added Marko.

"It was hard, but in a sporting way and an amazing fight. Both drivers went to the maximum and kept perfect control over the car in a couple of fast corners."

Toto Wolff

Wolff: Rosberg penalty 'complete nonsense'
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has labelled Nico Rosberg's Malaysian Grand Prix as "nonsense" after the championship leader was sanctioned for making contact with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.

Rosberg started from the front row of the grid but was tipped into a spin at the first corner by Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and plummeted to last position.

Rosberg recovered to challenge Raikkonen in the battle for fourth and launched an aggressive move into Turn 2; the two cars made light contact and Rosberg moved ahead.

Lewis Hamilton's engine failure promoted Rosberg into third position but he was handed a 10-second time penalty after stewards deemed he caused a collision with Raikkonen.

Rosberg, who was also handed two penalty points, bringing his 12-month tally to six, went on to finish 13 seconds ahead of Raikkonen, negating the impact of the sanction.

"The penalty is just complete nonsense," said Wolff.

"A couple of months [ago] we decided altogether [in Formula 1] that we want harder racing between cars.

"And if it wasn't 100 per cent that someone was at fault we would let them race against each other and then this…"

Wolff, though, insisted his and Mercedes' attention was on Hamilton's engine failure, as the team suffered its first terminal in-race mechanical failure of the season.

"We had a discussion with him, this is a mechanical sport," said Wolff.

"It's an unfortunate coincidence for this and it feels like [you throw] six times on red at the casino.

"It's been really bad for him and the team, I have no words; I'm gutted in the same way."

Wolff emphasized that Mercedes will work flat out to discover the fault of the failure.

"We have two engines left, one which has run three races and one which is brand new," Wolff said of Hamilton's allocation.

"We will leave no stone unturned, to check them for the next races."