Latest F1 news in brief

Ricciardo's move to Renault may ruin his F1 career but he'll retire wealthy

Massa understands Ricciardo's Renault 'risk'
Perez assessing 'options' outside Force India
F1 boss says more rule changes coming in 'weeks'
F1 CEO Carey 'Not Afraid Of Risk' In Promoting Future Grands Prix
Ross Brawn not ruling out an 'all-electric' future for F1
Steiner: Mercedes F1 team customers can't have Ferrari engine gripes

Massa understands Ricciardo's Renault 'risk'
(GMM) Felipe Massa says he can understand why Daniel Ricciardo decided to quit Red Bull.

Ricciardo, one of F1's top drivers, is leaving the top three team at the end of the year to join the works Renault project.

Some think the Australian is moving solely for money, and his current boss Christian Horner suspects he might come to regret the decision.

But former F1 driver Massa says he understands.

"Daniel, like the rest of us, doesn't know what will happen with the Honda engines next year," he told Globo.

"He is also not very happy with Max Verstappen. It's a risk, and it may or may not work out."

Meanwhile, Red Bull chief Horner said Fernando Alonso will not be replacing Ricciardo in 2019 because of the "chaos" he brings to F1 teams.

On Twitter, Spaniard Alonso reacted with multiple 'laughing' emojis, and a hashtag that included the words 'Nothanks'.

Perez assessing 'options' outside Force India

Sergio Perez will probably end up at cash-strapped Williams, his Carlos Slim money replacing some of the lost Stroll money

Sergio Perez will probably end up at cash-strapped Williams, his Carlos Slim money replacing some of the team's lost Stroll money

(GMM) Sergio Perez says he has "a number of options" to keep driving in formula one next year.

The Mexican was recently among those who triggered Force India's administration and subsequent sale, due to unpaid salary payments.

Lance Stroll, whose father Lawrence is spearheading the consortium that has bought the team, is now linked with a 2019 seat.

When asked what his own plans are for next year, Perez said: "I'm lucky that I have a number of options.

"Of course, we all want to drive for the two best teams, but it's really unlikely I will be there next season," he is quoted by Finland's MTV.

"So I have to think about what is the best option for me. The best place to show my skills," Perez added.

"In the previous two years I was the best driver outside the top three teams. I want to see what is possible with the teams that have free seats and then I'll make my decision.

"But I also want to see what's happening here, because outside of the top three teams I think Force India has the most potential," he said.

The 28-year-old said he is in no rush to make his decision.

"I have no hurry because I know I'm in good shape. I believe during the summer break I will have a good idea of what's going on here and after that I can make a decision," added Perez.

F1 boss says more rule changes coming in 'weeks'

New front wings for 2019

(GMM) F1 will announce more changes to the regulations "in the coming weeks".

That is the news from Chase Carey, the sport's chief executive in the Liberty Media era.

Brazil's Globo quotes the American as saying that in addition to a new front wing and other changes for 2019, Liberty is gearing up to make some more announcements about the future.

"We will introduce a larger list of changes to the regulations in the coming weeks to further enhance the sport," Carey said.

He is referring mainly to 2021, when the current Concorde Agreement will finally have expired.

"We have made good progress with the teams, agreeing on the goals and objectives and now we need to work out the details as we finalize the agreements in the coming months," said Carey.

"I think everyone agrees with the direction and what we are trying to achieve generally. No one is going to get everything they want, but I think everyone recognizes that," he added.

F1 CEO Carey 'Not Afraid Of Risk' In Promoting Future Grands Prix

Chase Carey has no fear of losing stockholders money as long as it's not his

Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey said that his organization is "not afraid of risk" when it comes to taking a stake in the promotion of future grands prix, according to Adam Cooper of MOTORSPORT.

Instead of the traditional sanction fee model, the Miami GP "will be based on a risk-sharing initiative between F1 and local promoter South Florida Racing," which is run by billionaire Stephen Ross. Rather than "just take a straight fee," F1 sees Miami "from the perspective of a bigger picture" in terms of potential for extra revenues from areas such as hospitality over the weekend, as well as "a tool for promotion of the sport" in the U.S.

The move "has caused some consternation among existing race promoters, many of whom have already committed to expensive long-term traditional deals."

However, when asked whether the Miami risk-sharing model might be used elsewhere for new events, Carey, who said that there is interest from "four continents," did not "rule it out."

He said, "Realistically every race is unique. I think each one we'd look at in the specific terms. I think people don't realize that frequently these events have a lot more moving parts than just a fee. There are hospitality components, sponsorship components, other components around it. But you look at each on their merits. What are the direct economic benefits and certainties? We're not afraid of risk."

Carey added that the '19 calendar, which is expected to feature 20 races "unless a way is found for Hockenheim to continue," will be published soon.

Carey: "We expect to finalize our 2019 calendar, which we expect to look a lot like our 2018 calendar, in the next few weeks as we successfully finish off renewal agreements." MOTORSPORT https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-not-afraid-of-risk-in-backing-new-races-says-carey/3155993/?nrt=54

Ross Brawn not ruling out an 'all-electric' future for F1

Brawn is smoking something if he thinks an all-electric F1 will excite fans to buy tickets

Formula 1 sporting manager Ross Brawn says it is conceivable that Grand Prix racing could become an all-electric series in the next ten years if the quality of the racing follows the technology.

The advent of the hybrid engine in F1 in 2014 introduced an electric component into the sport, but a full rejection of the Internal Combustion Engine has never been seriously considered by the sport.

However, the growing success of Formula E, and the involvement of major manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, Nissan, Mercedes or Porsche has inevitably caught Formula 1's attention.

It's early days still for Formula E, and while a relative compare between F1 and the burgeoning series is unwarranted at this stage, Brawn is keeping track of developments.

"I think we have to respect what Formula E is doing and what it's achieving," Brawn told F1 Fan Voice.

"But if you look at the magnitude of the two they are not really comparable; the amount of fans we have and the appeal of Formula One, Formula E is still very junior in that respect.

Brawn believes a significant evolution of F1 will take hold if commercial and societal changes justify the need for changes.

"I think Formula One will evolve in the direction that has the right balance of sport, relevance and engagement with the fans," says the Brit.

"If in five years' time or ten years' time there is a need, desire or wish to have a different type of power unit in Formula One then we will do it. There is nothing to stop us having electric Formula One cars in the future.

"At the moment they don't deliver the spectacle, and with all due respect if you go to a Formula E race it is a pretty junior category of motor racing.

"It's a great event in terms of all of the stuff that is going on around it, but the race itself is pretty tame when you compare it to a Formula One event.

"The cars are not particularly fast, you don't have the personalities involved but they are doing a fabulous job at putting on an event and making it a street party," admits Brawn.

"Formula One is different to that, Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsport, the speeds we do, the caliber of drivers we have and the teams we have, and if that moves in five or ten years' time to a different power source then we will do it if that is most appealing and achieves what we want to achieve.

"I don't see Formula One being locked into internal combustion engines forever, but who knows where we are in ten years.

"Ten years ago I don't think many people would be able to predict where the world is now and therefore I don't know where we will be in ten years, but Formula One will move in the right direction."

Steiner: Mercedes F1 team customers can't have Ferrari engine gripes

Mercedes engine customers

Haas team boss Gunther Steiner says Mercedes' customers cannot complain about Ferrari's engine gains given the power advantage they have enjoyed in recent years.

While Mercedes dominated the first few years of F1's V6 turbo-hybrid era that began in 2014, Ferrari has made significant ground up over the last two years and is widely regarded as having the benchmark engine now in '18.

That has helped its customer teams Haas and Sauber move up the midfield order, with Haas emerging as best-of-the-rest behind Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull on many occasions.

"Mercedes customers shouldn't complain because they had a very good engine the last four years," Steiner told Autosport.

"The first years of this regulation, if you didn't have a Mercedes engine, you were nowhere.

"Now Ferrari has overtaken them and everybody having a Ferrari engine are critiqued – 'Oh, you've got the good engine'.

"Yeah we have. So did you the last four years and you didn't take advantage of it. So what can I do?

"I'm very happy. If the other ones are unhappy, I cannot help them."