Latest F1 news in brief

It snowed in Barcelona this past winter test there

Barcelona to host all winter tests in 2019
Hamilton among F1's greatest drivers – Sainz Jr.
Verstappen questions Renault's new 2019 engine
Raikkonen hopes Leclerc 'does well' at Ferrari
Stroll investment will boost Force India – Perez
Bottas not worried about Ocon threat for 2020
Sirotkin not worried about Williams rumors
Vettel: It's pretty obvious Lewis Hamilton did a better job

Barcelona to host all winter tests in 2019
(GMM) F1 will stick with Barcelona as its exclusive winter testing venue ahead of the 2019 season.

There had been suggestions the teams might agree to head to an overseas location like Bahrain to guarantee better weather.

But El Mundo Deportivo reports that the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will in fact host the only winter testing for the fifth consecutive year.

All eight days of winter testing will take place at the Spanish grand prix venue between February 18 and 21, and February 26 and March 1.

Hamilton among F1's greatest drivers – Sainz Jr.

Carlos Sainz Jr.

(GMM) Lewis Hamilton is one of the greatest F1 drivers ever.

That is the view not only of Fernando Alonso, but also fellow Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr.

Alonso said in Austin that Hamilton, who could secure his fifth drivers' title on Sunday, ranks among "Michael (Schumacher), Fangio, Senna and Prost" as the five greatest drivers ever.

Sainz agrees: "I think he's one of the greatest talents F1 has ever had.

"He seems to always make the right decisions and the way he has been driving this year has been something special. He always gets through the pressure and gets results," the Renault driver added.

"This year, I think we all agree that he could be one of the best in history."

Sainz also said Hamilton's public image sometimes doesn't actually match the real Mercedes driver.

"I think he's a great guy and we talk a lot, much more than I expected," he said.

"We sit together in the briefings, last year he came to tell me about the good job I did and now he's coming to talk to me about Woking and his time at McLaren. He pays attention to everything that happens around him.

"I have a great respect for him," Sainz added.

Verstappen questions Renault's new 2019 engine

Max Verstappen doubts Renault can deliver

(GMM) Max Verstappen has cast doubt on Renault's ability to be competitive in 2019.

The Dutchman has been vocally critical of Red Bull's departing engine supplier at recent races.

Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul has announced that, due to limitations with the existing design, the French manufacturer will use an almost completely new power unit in 2019.

"I'd have to see it," Verstappen, to be Honda powered next year, said in Austin.

"Four years ago they said that too, then three years ago, then two years ago. It's always the same song.

"But it doesn't matter to me, I'm not looking at that at all. I'm looking forward to the challenge with Honda," he added.

Verstappen said he also has doubts about the 2019 chassis regulations that are designed to improve overtaking.

"It might help a little bit, but what I'm already reading is that next year we'll have about the same downforce as this year, so I think that the benefit will be limited," he told verstappen.nl.

"It only looks somewhat uglier, but maybe the design will be refined before the next season."

Finally, Verstappen brushed off news that Austin has added a new curb at the corner that he controversially cut en route to the US grand prix podium a year ago.

"There are still so many other corners you can cut," he told reporters in Austin. "That I did it there last year was a coincidence. It just happened that way."

Raikkonen hopes Leclerc 'does well' at Ferrari

Kimi Raikkonen

(GMM) Kimi Raikkonen has wished Ferrari's new generation of drivers well.

The Finn has lost his place at Ferrari for next year to Charles Leclerc, the 20-year-old that Raikkonen now replaces at Sauber.

And the newly 39-year-old Raikkonen's new teammate at Sauber next year will be another Ferrari junior, Antonio Giovinazzi.

"I know a little about them," Kimi told Italy's La Repubblica. "They are good young guys.

"I've spoken to Charles a few times and I hope that he does well."

Raikkonen also backed his current teammate Sebastian Vettel, who is under fire for arguably throwing away the 2018 world championship.

"I think he has the potential, although it has become really difficult for him. But it doesn't concern me anymore," he said.

Stroll investment will boost Force India – Perez

Sergio Perez does not mention how much his huge check helps the team

(GMM) Sergio Perez thinks a cash injection will push Force India forwards in 2019.

Although it was an open secret in the F1 paddock, the Mexican was in Austin finally announced as a continuing driver for the Silverstone based team for next year.

Earlier this year, Perez was instrumental to the shake-up that resulted in Lawrence Stroll – his likely teammate Lance Stroll's father – taking over the team.

"Given the size of the investment with which the team is going to start next season, we expect a lot," Perez said in Austin.

"We must rise to a new level. We have made progress since I joined the team but this investment will have a big impact on how the team starts the season," he explained.

"We have a good car now but it arrived too late this year," Perez added. "In 2019 we should be strong from the first race and that can help a lot.

"We have had limited resources for many years, but now we'll get the opportunity to maximize our potential."

Bottas not worried about Ocon threat for 2020

Bottas knows that if he plays the good Mercedes 'slave' they will keep him

(GMM) Valtteri Bottas has dismissed suggestions his Mercedes adventure could end after 2019.

The Finn is signed up for next year, but there is speculation Esteban Ocon is happy to sit out 2019 because he is lining up Bottas' full works seat for 2020.

Asked if that is a worry, Bottas said in Austin: "My future depends only on me.

"If my performances meet expectations, everything will be fine. If for some reason I don't get results then it will be my mistake.

"But if everything goes the way I am planning, I have nothing to worry about," he added.

Sirotkin not worried about Williams rumors

Sirotkin must think his check is big enough

(GMM) Sergey Sirotkin says he is not worrying about suggestions his F1 career could be cut short after November's Abu Dhabi finale.

Speculation in Austin suggests Robert Kubica and Esteban Ocon are vying for the second seat at the British team alongside rookie George Russell in 2019.

Russian Sirotkin said: "At every stage of your career there is noise about certain events that may or may not happen.

"But I'm not aware of these rumors and I don't even try to find out about them or poke my nose in. I know that I can't do any more than I am doing already.

"What will happen will happen, so I will just keep trying to do my job in the best way," added Sirotkin, who is backed by the Russian program SMP Racing.

Vettel: It's pretty obvious Lewis Hamilton did a better job

Vettel on a wet Thursday in Austin

Sebastian Vettel says the 67-point gap between himself and Lewis Hamilton tells you all you need to know about who has done a better job in this year's championship fight, writes Nate Saunders of ESPN.

Asked Thursday at COTA if he accepted that Hamilton and Mercedes had done a better job this year, Vettel said: "So far yes," he said on Thursday. "It's pretty obvious, you just have to look at the points.

But Vettel thinks his mistakes, including crashing out the lead of the German Grand Prix, are not the only reasons for Ferrari's struggle.

"Obviously there have been a lot of races so far and I think some I should've done better," he said. "If you want to name one, then Hockenheim. Some that maybe we should've done better [as a team].

"But overall I think we just didn't have enough races where we had the sped to dominate the weekend, put the car on pole and finish first. Unfortunately it didn't happen too often, or not often enough."

At the last round in Japan, Vettel attempted an over-optimistic overtaking move on Max Verstappen for third place and clashed with the Red Bull driver. On Thursday in Austin he admitted he will start taking an even more aggressive approach as part of an all-or-nothing attempt to close the gap to Hamilton.

"Generally I always try to win. I think you have to be aggressive to win, and of course you need to find the right balance. Obviously you never try to do something silly or not to finish, because that way you can't win. I think that's normal.

"The approach, I know what it takes, I know what to do, so in that regard it's fairly similar, but for sure we know that we need to take probably here or there a bit more risk because we are not in a position to manage the gap in the championship, because we don't have a gap." ESPN