Latest F1 news in brief

Vettel wearing Ferrari red was Mattiacci's parting gift to Ferrari

Williams poaches sponsor from struggling Lotus
Vettel exit spoiled Vergne's Red Bull future
No engine 'discount' for small teams – report
Hulkenberg to split F1 with Le Mans in 2015
Red Bull wings grounds for race ban – Force India
Torque of Mercedes V6 engine 'like Star Wars' – Coulthard
Vettel is Mattiacci's 'parting gift' to Ferrari
Williams confirms Susie Wolff staying

Williams poaches sponsor from struggling Lotus
(GMM) A major backer of the Lotus team has switched allegiances within the F1 pitlane.

Earlier this year, amid the Enstone team's slump from fourth in 2012 and 2013 to just eighth in the 2014 constructors' standings, rumors emerged that the Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever could switch from Lotus to McLaren.

Unilever has advertised its brands Rexona and Clear on the most recent Lotus cars.

It has emerged that Williams is the actual beneficiary of the Unilever switch.

In total contrast to Lotus, the Grove team emerged from the depths of ninth place in the 2013 standings to become one of dominant Mercedes' only competitors this season.

The team announced in a statement: "The Rexona logo will appear on the sidepod, front wing and front wishbones of the (2015) Williams-Mercedes FW37, as well as the team environment and apparel."

Deputy boss Claire Williams said earlier this week that, given their resources, the British team can be directly compared with the similarly-sized Lotus.

"It is obvious," she is quoted by France's L'Equipe, "because like them, we get results with a budget half the size of the big teams.

"Lotus does have a different financial and operational structure to us. We are an independent team and we are also the only publicly listed one. It gives us a lot of transparency and it is a great asset because it reassures our partners."

She also said that for a team like Williams, sporting and commercial success are "inextricably" linked.

"It (the interest of sponsors) really is picking up," Williams told Reuters. "People want to be a part of it.

"We've got lots of really positive conversations going on in the pipeline. Success breeds success, doesn't it?"

Vergne

Vettel exit spoiled Vergne's Red Bull future
(GMM) Jean-Eric Vergne says he was a contender to replace the Ferrari-bound Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull.

But the Frenchman, who has instead been dropped from the energy drink company's F1 roster altogether, explained that circumstances simply conspired against him in 2014.

When Mark Webber retired at the end of 2013, 24-year-old Vergne was disappointed to lose out on the seat to his Toro Rosso teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

A similar story unfolded this year: when Vettel made his shock decision to go to Ferrari for 2015, Red Bull once again chose Vergne's Toro Rosso teammate – now the Russian rookie Daniil Kvyat – as the successor.

Vergne, who now appears likely to rescue his F1 career with the Williams reserve role next year, told the French broadcaster Canal Plus: "What really didn't help me is that Red Bull had no idea that Vettel was going to go.

"They had had to sign and announce (Max) Verstappen very quickly, so obviously they were going to replace him with the older driver, because it made no sense to replace Kvyat after just half a season at Toro Rosso," he explained.

"Although the people at Red Bull had told me that if Vettel left the team it would be me who would replace him, I think it was difficult to reverse a decision that was made in August when they said I would not be with Toro Rosso or Red Bull in 2015.

"But at that time they had no idea that Vettel was going," Vergne added.

No engine 'discount' for small teams – report
(GMM) The F1 Commission this week failed to act on the issue of the sport's struggling small teams.

A report at Italy's specialist Autosprint described the Geneva meeting as a "fiasco", as 29 items were on the agenda "but only six were actually discussed".

It added: "The idea to give the customer teams a discount on the supply of their engines was rejected.

"Bernie Ecclestone was ready to make a contribution if the biggest teams also did, but instead the 'status quo' was maintained," said Autosprint.

Hulkenberg

Hulkenberg to split F1 with Le Mans in 2015
(GMM) Nico Hulkenberg will contest next year's Le Mans 24 hour race.

It was announced in a statement that the full-time Force India driver will spearhead a third prototype entrant for the German manufacturer Porsche in the fabled sports car endurance race.

Le Mans next year takes place on the vacant weekend between June's Canadian and Austrian grands prix.

Porsche said German Hulkenberg, 27, will also contest the six-hour Spa race in May.

"I am very pleased the 2015 formula one calendar allows for it," said Hulkenberg, "and I'm grateful to Force India's generosity to let me go for it.

"Now it's up to me to work hard to satisfy both commitments," he added.

Meanwhile, Hulkenberg told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport that he arrived at the tail end of the 2014 season in an unusual situation — knowing that his F1 career is secure.

"I was confirmed early for the following season for the first time in my career," he said, "which is a nice feeling."

He said he is optimistic Force India can have a strong 2015.

"We definitely have the right power unit (Mercedes) in the rear," said Hulkenberg. "Now it's up to us to build a decent race car around it."

Red Bull wings grounds for race ban – Force India
(GMM) Red Bull's illegal front wing in Abu Dhabi may have been grounds for a race ban.

That is the claim of Andy Green, the technical boss of Force India, who thinks a team with a lower status in pitlane might have been punished very harshly by the governing FIA for a similar infraction.

After qualifying for the 2014 finale last Saturday, stewards disqualified both Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo when their wing was found to be overly flexible.

But Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claims it was not just the degree of flex that alarmed the FIA, but the fact that the wing was designed specifically to control the bending by way of a strip with built-in springs.

Designer Adrian Newey, however, insisted: "With other cars it was even worse — Williams for example."

Williams denied its Abu Dhabi wings were illegal.

Force India's technical boss Green, meanwhile, suggested that Red Bull had been pinged in a case of clear rule-breaking.

"If this had happened to us, we would have been excluded like BAR in 2005 with its hidden fuel tanks.

"But Red Bull only had to start from the pitlane. It was a less severe penalty for illegal wings than Lotus had for Romain Grosjean's legal engine change," he added.

On Twitter during the Abu Dhabi weekend, Force India supremo Vijay Mallya described Red Bull as "cheats".

Coulthard could not believe the power of the Mercedes, so powerful even your grandmother could win with it

Torque of Mercedes V6 engine 'like Star Wars' – Coulthard
(GMM) David Coulthard says he was blown away by the performance of this year's title-winning Mercedes turbo V6 engine.

Recently at Silverstone, the former McLaren and Red Bull driver tried this year's controversial 'power unit' technology for the first time with a turn at the wheel of the 2014 Williams.

The BBC commentator told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport: "The power and torque of the engine is incredible. (Yes we know, your grandmother could win with this engine)

"You hit the gas on the straight and start changing gear every 50 meters," said the 43-year-old, who contested almost 250 grands prix through the sport's fabled V10 and V8 eras.

"The world starts flying past you so fast that you feel like you're in Star Wars," Coulthard enthused.

"Only the downforce is a bit disappointing," he added. "We had more in my last year in formula one in 2008."

Marco Mattiacci

Vettel is Mattiacci's 'parting gift' to Ferrari
(GMM) Marco Mattiacci has broken his silence to suggest Sebastian Vettel was his "parting gift" to Ferrari.

After just seven months in the job, the Italian has been replaced as Ferrari team boss by the Marlboro executive Maurizio Arrivabene.

"My best wishes to him are sincere," said Mattiacci, as he spoke for the first time since his ousting to the well-known Ferrari insider Leo Turrini.

"He (Arrivabene) is a very competent person and I am sure the fans – and I include myself – will get the results they expect."

On his Quotidiano blog, however, Turunni said the 43-year-old did not want to talk about the details of his departure from Maranello.

"No. And neither do I intend to talk about it in the future," he insisted.

But Mattiacci denied that his short F1 adventure had been an unpleasant one.

"No, you're wrong," he said. "It was a period I lived with enthusiasm, in the midst of passionate employees.

"I do not feel like a failure. I feel like someone who has worked for Ferrari for 15 years, not seven months. And this is a great privilege in life.

"I am one of the few people lucky enough to have worked in the service of a special company, and no one can take that away from me."

Told, however, that the story did not end well for him, Mattiacci insisted: "You know the motto — what does not kill you makes you stronger."

As for what his personal achievements have been at Ferrari, he answered: "I am convinced that a series of small steps will pay off over time.

"I have seen pictures of Vettel in the Ferrari box for testing in Abu Dhabi and I can say I am happy to have brought him to Maranello where he already brings a new energy, a fresh enthusiasm," said Mattiacci.

Asked if Vettel wearing red is Mattiacci's parting gift to Ferrari, he said: "If you write that, I will not be sorry."

Lewis Hamilton looks about to kiss Susie

Williams confirms Susie Wolff staying
(GMM) Williams on Friday confirmed Susie Wolff is staying with the team as test driver in 2015.

We reported on 1 November that the British female driver will extend her deal with Williams beyond this season.

Bild newspaper had said the 31-year-old's 2015 program will involve two test days and two further outings during Friday morning practice sessions.

Williams confirmed the news on Friday, saying Wolff will be known as 'official test driver' next year after three seasons as 'development driver'.