Latest F1 news in brief

If Austin loses money with a whopping $19m per year government subsidy something is terribly wrong with F1

Ecclestone hopes Austin stays on calendar
Sainz tips 'better' season for Alonso
Verstappen not stopping Red Bull dream – Sainz
Sainz not expecting Toro Rosso to beat Red Bull
Pirelli plays down Raikkonen criticism
Tost 'optimistic' 2016 Toro Rosso will be ready
Vettel says Melbourne win not crucial
Paul Ricard not ruling out France GP revival
Maldonado's cousin starts Formula 4 career

Ecclestone hopes Austin stays on calendar
(GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has not yet given up on the future of the US grand prix in Austin.

Late last year, a dark cloud moved over the popular race when the governor of Texas dramatically slashed funding from $25 million a year to less than $20m.

"To use a technical term," promoter Bobby Epstein said at the time, "I think we're screwed."

But Ecclestone told Time Inc's website The Drive: "We have a contract with them, with COTA. They do a good job and I hope it will continue."

The Circuit of the Americas' October date on the 2016 F1 calendar is listed as "subject to confirmation".

Well Alonso's season can't be much worse than last year

Sainz tips 'better' season for Alonso
(GMM) Carlos Sainz has tipped his countryman and mentor Fernando Alonso to have a "better" season with McLaren-Honda.

"I think that after 2015 it can only go better for them," said the young Toro Rosso driver.

"How much better, I don't know," added Sainz, as he met with members of the Spanish press on Tuesday.

McLaren-Honda endured a woeful 2015 as Alonso, a former two-time champion, switched to the Anglo-Japanese collaboration from Ferrari.

Sainz said: "I think it's not good for formula one to see a team like McLaren where they were last year.

"It would be a good step for them, at the minimum, to be fighting with us, and if they reach Red Bull then in 2017 they could be fighting for the world championship," he added.

"For a driver like Alonso to be at the back for two years is not logical," said Sainz.

He explained that McLaren-Honda's 2015 package left "much room for improvement", amid reports the Japanese carmaker has found an incredible 200 horse power over the winter.

"It was so poor (in 2015) that they have so much room for improvement in a short space of time, especially if Honda finds the key with the energy recovery," said Sainz.

"McLaren is one of the few teams that can find two seconds, and I hope they do."

The Spanish sports daily Marca reports that McLaren could also be shaping up for some major sponsor news.

Reserve Stoffel Vandoorne's overalls at the Paul Ricard test this week included a new prominent black space on the chest, currently featuring images of the moon and stars.

Sainz Jr.

Verstappen not stopping Red Bull dream – Sainz Jr.
(GMM) Carlos Sainz Jr. says his goal is to impress his bosses and win a promotion to Red Bull's senior team.

"I know what I need to do to impress them," he said on Tuesday in a meeting with the Spanish media.

"My goal is still to go to Red Bull and become the best driver and a world champion," added the 21-year-old.

It seems a difficult task for Sainz, however, given the hype surrounding his fellow rookie and Toro Rosso teammate, Max Verstappen.

"Well," said Sainz when asked about the Dutch sensation, "Max did only three more overtakes than I did all season. Yet it feels like his were on TV more than mine were.

"But I did many other good and spectacular things that were not on TV but the team saw them. The telemetry, the numbers don't lie," he insisted.

So even when Verstappen is called a 'new Senna', Sainz says he is not overly worried.

"If he is the new Senna and I beat him, then what am I?" he smiled.

"I don't think too much about what the press says. When I hear what Horner, Marko, Alonso or Vettel says then I am calm, because the people who know see what I do."

But the risk remains that Red Bull will want to promote one of its newer stars, like new reserve Pierre Gasly, for 2017, leaving one of the current Toro Rosso drivers out in the cold.

"It is true that the pressure is higher now," Sainz admitted, "but my career has been like that since 2014. Every year, it is all or nothing.

"Now that I know the best in F1, I know what I have to improve and how," he added.

Sainz Jr. does not expect his team to beat the sister Red Bull team, but they might given Red Bull has Renault power

Sainz Jr. not expecting Toro Rosso to beat Red Bull
(GMM) Carlos Sainz Jr. insists he is not running away with the "dangerous" idea that Toro Rosso could be better than Red Bull Racing in 2016.

When the music of the recent 'Red Bull engine crisis' stopped, the senior team was left with its underpowered Renault units while Toro Rosso secured a supply of 2015-specification Ferraris.

It has led some to believe that the junior team could actually beat Red Bull this year — particularly as the 2015 Toro Rosso chassis was arguably one of the best cars on the grid.

"I don't think we have a better car than Red Bull. It would be a dangerous trap for us to believe that," said Sainz on Tuesday as he met with Spanish media.

Nonetheless, he is confident.

"The data coming from Faenza is good and we should take a step forward," said Sainz.

"From the aerodynamic point of view there is not much room, but the Ferrari engine is more powerful.

"We will see in Australia where we are."

As for beating Red Bull, however, Sainz explained: "We have to remember that our budget is lower and the drivers are younger. You cannot expect us to be in front of them.

"If we are top eight or top 12, we will have to see," said Sainz, who is scheduled to debut the new Ferrari-powered STR11 in Barcelona on February 22.

Is Raikkonen too old for F1 now?

Pirelli plays down Raikkonen criticism
(GMM) Pirelli has played down reports that Kimi Raikkonen is unhappy with F1's new generation of wet weather tires.

The Finnish driver was at the wheel of last year's Ferrari when Pirelli began testing at the artificially-watered Paul Ricard track on Monday.

Afterwards, he was quoted as saying he preferred the 2015 wets.

"Kimi tested various prototypes," Pirelli's racing manager Mario Isola is quoted by the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti.

"As far as I know, he was happy. He did not see big differences to the previous tires, which is of course not a surprise," he added.

As the Paul Ricard test ended on Tuesday, Isola was also asked by reporters about claims the F1 drivers' representative body GPDA is pushing for Pirelli to produce dry-weather tires that corner considerably faster.

He said Pirelli is capable of producing tires like that.

"We have always said that we want to do what F1 asks us to do," said Isola.

"If we have to produce tires with degradation, we focus on that. If we have to produce long-lasting tires, we focus on that."

Tost says team will be ready

Tost 'optimistic' 2016 Toro Rosso will be ready
(GMM) Toro Rosso took on an 100 additional staff to cope with the challenge of preparing for the 2016 season.

The Faenza based team's schedule was thrown into chaos late last year amid the dispute between parent company Red Bull and Renault.

In the end, Red Bull stayed with Renault power for 2015, but the smaller Toro Rosso outfit was left at the eleventh hour with the task of adapting its 2016 car to a Ferrari engine.

"We have 480 people working at Toro Rosso now," boss Franz Tost told the Italian magazine Autosprint.

"This is because we have three working shifts to build the car, on which work started late," he explained. "By March we will reduce the number to 380, including those who work in the UK in the wind tunnel."

When asked if Toro Rosso will be ready for the 2016 season, Tost answered: "Yes, I would like more time, but our technical department has many experienced staff who optimize the time that we have.

"Also, the tests begin later this year than they did in 2015. So I am optimistic."

Carlos Sainz has been assigned the duty of debuting the STR11 at Barcelona on February 22, the opening day of official winter action.

But a further complication for Toro Rosso is that, in no longer having the same engine supplier, there is now less cooperation that Faenza can do with Red Bull.

"Unfortunately yes," said Tost. "For example, before we worked together on the hydraulics and now we have to do everything ourselves. Our cooperation will be less intense."

Toro Rosso is also responsible for its own gearbox.

"We can go to the Ferrari 'box only in 2017," said Tost. "When we were looking for a new supplier of engines, the work on the gearbox was already under way.

"Let's see how the situation develops. If the Ferrari gearbox will be more reliable, practical and cheap, we will use it," he added.

He would prefer, however, that Toro Rosso and Red Bull can once again move more closely together in the future.

"Perhaps we will go back to using the same engines," said Tost, "including for reasons of economy.

"Generally, the economic structure of the teams in F1 does not correspond with current (global) trends. Many major automakers are working together, and yet in formula one we spend money in parallel: each team does his own details, has its own wind tunnel.

"We spend huge amounts of money that could be saved through greater cooperation. Not only that, the cars would be closer together and the races more interesting.

"This is the vision of Dietrich Mateschitz, and thankfully he has proved he is able to look long-term. But there are teams with a technical advantage that are opposed to any form of cooperation.

"As for us, the technical collaboration with Red Bull is crucial for the future," he added.

What Tost is not worried about, he insists, is that Toro Rosso is having to use the so-called 'old' Ferrari engine this year.

"I do not think this engine is so old," said the Austrian, "as in the last race of last season, it was almost equal to the best."

Vettel testing at Paul Ricard yesterday

Vettel says Melbourne win not crucial
(GMM) Sebastian Vettel has tested twice already in 2016, despite not even setting eyes on Ferrari's new car.

Indeed, while most of his rivals remain in their winter slumber, German Vettel recently ran a 2014 Ferrari at Fiorano.

And on Tuesday at an artificially-watered Paul Ricard, he was running in last year's red car for Pirelli.

As for the 2016 machine, however, Vettel told reporters in France: "We are starting to assemble it. I've seen how it should look, but I have not yet seen it in one piece."

Vettel also admitted he also has a kilo or two to shift after a relaxing Christmas season with his young family.

His boss Sergio Marchionne has set Ferrari the ambitious target of de-throning Mercedes this year, and Vettel said he is happy to try to achieve it.

"It is in our nature that we want to win," he said.

"We have a big team but I guess that if you asked each individual employee, most of them would say we want to win. We also know this is an ambitious goal.

"We have not forgotten that the gap to Mercedes last year was still quite big. Now it will depend on what kind of work we do in the winter," said Vettel, "and starting on the right foot from the first test."

President Marchionne, however, says Ferrari should win immediately this year, beginning with the season opener in Melbourne.

"Australia is one world championship race of 21," said a more cautious Vettel.

"If we win there, fabulous. If that is not possible, we want to get as many points there as possible. It's a very long season."

Will Ecclestone give the track he owns a discount on the sanction fee?

Paul Ricard not ruling out France GP revival
(GMM) Paul Ricard is not ruling out hosting a revived French grand prix at the circuit near Marseille.

This week, the track has been hosting three top F1 teams for Pirelli's wet tire test, but Paul Ricard chief Stephane Clair says his sights are set even higher.

"Everything is possible," he is quoted in a French-language report by the AFP news agency.

Paul Ricard, owned by a company controlled by Bernie Ecclestone's family trust, last hosted F1 testing action in 2008.

That was the same year that Magny Cours held the country's last grand prix, and so Clair says Paul Ricard is capable of bringing the sport back to France.

"We know we can realistically accommodate up to 50,000 people per day," he said.

Clair has reportedly already talked about the possibility with Emmanuel Macron, France's minister of the economy.

He said one possibility is that Magny Cours shares the costs by annually alternating the French grand prix with Paul Ricard.

"It could be this taking turns," Clair explained. "There are no closed doors. We must find a financial balance."

Maldonado's cousin starts Formula 4 career
(GMM) Pastor Maldonado's cousin is set to begin his own adventure in single seater racing.

In 2012, then 12-year-old Manuel Maldonado became famous in the paddock for riding on his cousin Pastor's back to escape a fire in the Williams garage.

Now 15, Manuel will kick off his first year out of karts in 2016 in the Italian Formula 4 series, according to a report in Germany's Auto Bild.