Latest F1 news in brief

Sainz Jr. wants a fair fight with little team orders

Sainz Jr. wants less team orders at Toro Rosso
'Too early' for bold title targets – Vettel
Schu Jr close to deal with Ferrari-linked team
Lauda 'says Mercedes will win again' – Marchionne
Illien tips Renault to make quick progress
Grosjean not using Haas for Ferrari chance

Sainz Jr. wants less team orders at Toro Rosso
(GMM) Carlos Sainz has urged his bosses at Toro Rosso to let him and teammate Max Verstappen race more freely in 2016.

Last year, as the young duo made their impressive F1 debuts, team engineers were often heard instructing the Spaniard and Dutchman to let the other pass.

"It was common to hear the message 'Let him past' when the other is getting close," Sainz told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

At one stage during the season, Verstappen memorably screamed "No!" when instructed to let his teammate go ahead.

Sainz said: "I think it would be fun if we could fight more often against each other. We have good respect for each other and it would be an exciting show because our pace is very similar."

Vettel knows it may be impossible to beat the Aldo Costa designed Mercedes

'Too early' for bold title targets – Vettel
(GMM) Sebastian Vettel has urged caution as Ferrari heads into the 2016 season as a potential title candidate.

President Sergio Marchionne this week issued a bold target of nothing less than overall victory in 2016, beginning with the race win in Australia in March.

German Vettel, Ferrari's top driver and the only competitor in 2015 able to win races against dominant Mercedes, agrees that the Maranello team made big progress last year.

"Ferrari and myself were prepared at the beginning for a difficult year," he wrote in a column for the Munich newspaper TZ. "No one expected three victories.

"But almost more important is the consistency that we had, showing that we are on the right track.

"Nevertheless, there is still much to do and we must not forget where we began. But things that were a little rough in the beginning have now become smoother.

"I think that, slowly and step by step, everything is coming together," Vettel added.

"Of course," the former quadruple world champion at Red Bull continued, "the temptation to now think big for next year is very high, but we must not forget all the little steps on the way.

"Last winter there was a big upheaval in the team with a lot of new people and many changing their position as well, so it is a process that takes time.

"Hopefully we will have a better year in 2016, but it is still much too early to make forecasts," Vettel concluded.

Mick Schumacher

Schu Jr close to deal with Ferrari-linked team
(GMM) Mick Schumacher, the 16-year-old son of F1 legend Michael, looks set to sign a deal with a Ferrari-linked Italian junior team.

Amid great fanfare, Mick made his single-seater debut in the German F4 series last year, driving for the Dutch team Van Amersfoort.

But Kolner Express newspaper reports that with Schumacher wanting to also contest the Italian series next year, his manager Sabine Kehm is in talks with Prema.

Prema is a Ferrari-linked Italian junior outfit, whose founder Angelo Rosin said: "We will meet in early January."

The report said young Schumacher could also race for Prema in the German series this year, but he is apparently also in talks with Van Amersfoort as well as the new outfit co-owned by his uncle Ralf.

Van Amersfoort said: "I'm waiting for Sabine Kehm's decision."

Michael Schumacher, who turned 47 three days ago, won five consecutive world championships for Ferrari between 2000 and 2004.

Niki Lauda knows Ferrari cannot beat their Aldo Costa designed Mercedes

Lauda 'says Mercedes will win again' – Marchionne
(GMM) Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne is expecting a close fight with Mercedes in 2016.

Earlier this week, the Italian-Canadian boldly targeted nothing less than world championship spoils for the Maranello team this year, after Ferrari closed the gap to dominant Mercedes last season.

"I am pleased that Marchionne is not putting pressure on (Maurizio) Arrivabene and the team!" joked Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi as Ferrari was launched in the Milan stock exchange.

But Marchionne knows well that the red team will have a fight on its hands.

"I do not quite believe the words of Toto Wolff when he says that he fears us," said Marchionne.

"I pay more attention to Niki Lauda who says Mercedes will win again. We are not afraid of anyone so let's see what happens in Melbourne," he added.

Indeed, in the last days of 2015, former Ferrari legend and now Mercedes team chairman Lauda had commented on the looming 2016 championship battle.

"Ferrari is on the right track to make further progress," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport, "as it may be easier for them to improve both in the chassis and the power unit (than it is for Mercedes).

"(Sebastian) Vettel was also quick, he won and his hunger has grown," Lauda added.

"As for us, we were better above all else with the hybrid engine, but we arrive at the point where our margins for improvement are reduced. However, we have experience and we know what to do to defend the margin that we had until the last race of the (2015) season," he said.

Ferrari team boss Arrivabene said this week that all will become clearer next month, when the new cars get up and running at the first Barcelona test.

"I know the work we have done and are doing," he said. "We have some idea of what the others are doing, but needless to say it is pointless to say at this stage of the year that you are number 1.

"On February 22, we will try to understand where we are and where are the others. Then there will still be a month before the first race to know if it is necessary to improve or if we are strong enough, while still putting in the effort," Arrivabene added.

Mario Illien thinks Renault has a breakthrough

Illien tips Renault to make quick progress
(GMM) Mario Illien thinks Renault may begin to show clear progress with its F1 engine early in 2016.

The Swiss, and his company Ilmor, have been drafted in after the French carmaker struggled in the first two years of the new 'power unit' era.

However, Renault only decided to stay in F1 for this year in December, leaving precious little time to immediately improve the engine for its new works team and customer Red Bull.

"With the 32 tokens you can change quite a lot," Illien told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, "but time will not allow it.

"We need to see, together with Renault, what is possible in the limited time," he added.

Asked, however, if Renault and Ilmor basically need to start from scratch due to the poor showings in 2014 and 2015, Illien insisted: "No, it's not that bad.

"We will improve gradually. I hope that already early in the season we will be showing progress," he added.

But Illien admitted that catching Mercedes and Ferrari this year might be a step too far.

"That will probably take a little longer than a year," he said. "The others, of course, will also make progress."

At the same time as helping Renault, Ilmor has put up its hand to be F1's new low-cost independent supplier, even though the idea has been sidelined for now.

"We have to wait until there is a decision," said Illien. "It depends how the meetings go in January."

But he played down Bernie Ecclestone and Christian Horner's views that engine regulation changes in F1 might be ready to roll out in time for 2017.

"I think it is already too late for that," said Illien. "I consider 2018 to be realistic."

Romain Grosjean not using Haas to get to Ferrari, but to Renault

Grosjean not using Haas for Ferrari chance
Romain Grosjean has insisted that his move to Haas for the 2016 season was not made with a view to increasing his chances of racing for Ferrari in the future.

After a lengthy stay, Grosjean opted to part ways with Lotus, which has since been taken over by French manufacturer Renault, for a drive at the arriving Haas team.

It has been suggested that Grosjean switched in the hope of eventually claiming Ferrari seat, given Haas' technical relationship with the marque, but he says this is not the case.

"They [Ferrari] are certainly going to get all the data, and all the feedback from the engineers – the best I can do is to do my best and do my job." Grosjean told motorsport.com.

"[But] I didn't go to Haas to go to Ferrari. That is not the point.

"I went to Haas because I like the project. I think it can be successful. It is an American team so there is a big market that will be nice for Formula 1.

"Of course the dream is to go to Ferrari [in the future]. Ferrari wants good drivers, and if you be the best you can be, then you have a chance."

Grosjean will be partnered at Haas in 2016 by former Sauber racer Esteban Gutiérrez, who spent the 2015 campaign as Ferrari's test and reserve driver.