Latest F1 news in brief

What is Abiteboul smoking? Red Bull stuck with them for 12 years, even when the Renault engine was absolutely horrible

Red Bull 'will never learn loyalty' – Abiteboul
Abiteboul 'convinced' Sainz Jr. will catch up
Red Bull heads to Monaco as favorite
FIA must clarify Ferrari car legality – Lauda
Struggling Grosjean 'happy to stay' at Haas
F1 "is about selling glamor and parties", claims Liberty boss
Todt admits hybrid formula is too complex

Red Bull 'will never learn loyalty' – Abiteboul
(GMM) Red Bull and Renault appear to be speeding towards divorce.

Red Bull, a constant critic of the performance of its Renault engines, is currently weighing up a 2019 switch to Honda.

Renault's deadline for that decision is looming, and boss Cyril Abiteboul seems resigned to losing Red Bull.

"Red Bull criticizing its engine supplier is nothing new," he told El Confidencial.

"We have been with them for 12 years, won eight championships together, and yet Renault is still criticized. We are used to it.

"They will never learn and they will never be able to appreciate the need for loyalty and commitment to a supplier," Abiteboul added.

The Frenchman even said that when Renault returned to F1 in 2015, it offered to form a works relationship with Red Bull "and they declined the offer".

"If we bought a team it was because the possibility of integration was not attractive to them."

But Abiteboul dismissed Red Bull's claim that it is held back by its current engine.

"They have the capacity to win races this season, they did it in Shanghai already and they also would have in Baku if their two drivers had not crashed," he said.

If Red Bull and Renault do split, Renault will still have McLaren as a customer.

"If Red Bull is the aerodynamic reference, then McLaren is for the mechanical part of the car. It's a great opportunity for us so we'll see where it takes us, for now until 2020. We'll see what happens then," Abiteboul said.

Abiteboul 'convinced' Sainz Jr. will catch up

Cyril Abiteboul

(GMM) Cyril Abiteboul says he is happy with the progress at the Renault works team.

"There are ups and downs, but in general for the moment we are in line with our plan," the team boss told El Confidencial newspaper.

"We know that sometimes we sound too conservative and corporate, but every professional in formula one knows that you do not win in a day. We are fighting against organizations that have almost thirty or forty per cent more people than us."

As for the drivers, Abiteboul is clearly happy with Nico Hulkenberg but also Carlos Sainz Jr., despite the Spaniard's struggle to get up to speed.

"Jolyon Palmer is a person I like a lot, but he was not at the necessary level," he said.

"Carlos has been a turning point in the team. He had a good start but he is not at the level he would like.

"He accepts that he has to catch up with Nico, but quantifies it in three tenths.

"He says 'Ok, it's three tenths, but it's not the end of the world or something that cannot be overcome. So let's start tenth by tenth'," Abiteboul said.

"We are totally supporting him and I am absolutely convinced that he will overcome this deficit if he continues with the same approach."

Red Bull heads to Monaco as favorite

Which corner will Verstappen hit the Armco?

(GMM) Red Bull has been left standing as the likely favorite heading into this weekend's Monaco grand prix.

Ferrari had the fastest overall package in the early part of the season, but then suddenly struggled on Pirelli's new harder tires in Barcelona.

"I've said many times that this team is strong and has a lot of potential," said Sebastian Vettel.

"But we also need to make sure we address the issues we have and work together in the right direction."

Ferrari was however strong at Monaco last year, and will be back on its preferred Pirelli compounds this weekend.

"Many things are changing on the car again, but even if we do great there this year, we must not forget that we still have a lot to do," Vettel said.

He said Ferrari is "not panicking" after Barcelona either.

"Until now, the surprise was that they were having such a hard time."

Vettel is referring to Mercedes, but boss Toto Wolff insists that the Spanish grand prix was "not a turning point" for the reigning world champions.

"I'm worried as hell," he said.

"We saw in previous years that we always had circuits that fit us well and others that do not for whatever reason. We have not found any particular reason why our car does not want to be fast at Monaco," Wolff added.

"Red Bull is strong in the slow corners and the top speed on the straights is less crucial."

And so he thinks that leaves Red Bull as the 2018 Monaco favorite.

Red Bull is the industry leader in aerodynamics, and boss Christian Horner said: "The car was very fast in the third sector at Barcelona, which is a good indication of what we can do in Monaco.

"It's a great opportunity for us."

Max Verstappen told De Telegraaf newspaper: "The car felt good in Barcelona. We have more grip on the front and the rear, but we've only raced once with the updates.

"It remains to be seen how well it all works."

FIA must clarify Ferrari car legality – Lauda

Niki Lauda

(GMM) Niki Lauda says the FIA must clear up the uncertainty about Ferrari's 2018 car.

Ferrari, Mercedes' key championship rival, heads into Monaco amid suggestions it is using more power than is allowed from its battery.

And Mercedes is also pressing the FIA to clarify whether the way Ferrari uses its turbocharger complies with the rules about oil consumption.

"There must be clarity before Monaco," F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman Lauda told Kronen Zeitung.

"These grey areas must be clearly defined, because it simply must be the same for everyone."

Monaco this weekend is the start of a particularly intense period on the calendar, with seven races in the space of just ten weeks.

"That's exactly why the teams need clarity now," Lauda added.

And he said there is a "danger" that Mercedes could be stranded behind not one but two rival teams this weekend.

"Red Bull and Ferrari are always closer on our heels. Here (at Monaco) a huge mechanical grip is needed. How it is, we'll only see in qualifying," said Lauda.

Struggling Grosjean 'happy to stay' at Haas

Romain Grosjean knows no other team would take him but the Anti-American Haas team

(GMM) Romain Grosjean says he is "happy to stay" at Haas beyond the end of his contract this year.

But negotiations may be looming at the worst possible time for the Frenchman, as he is in the midst of another career slump and being outshone by his lesser-paid teammate Kevin Magnussen.

Grosjean just says he has made some mistakes.

"What can I tell you?" he told Germany's motorsport-magazin.com.

"We are not robots. I'm sure when you write an article, you sometimes do a typo," Grosjean said.

But it's not just mistakes. Although the 2018 Haas is competitive and Magnussen enjoys driving it, Grosjean is struggling with understeer.

"I will certainly not learn to like it, but I can adapt," he said.

"In China, where there was a lot of understeer, I was in Q3. But if you want to get the maximum from your car, everything has to be right for you.

"Hopefully the next update will help me a lot."

What is clear, however, is that his current struggles do not bode well for Grosjean's ambition to use Haas as a stepping stone to Ferrari.

"I would never say no to going to Ferrari one day," Grosjean said. "That's my dream and I don't deny it.

"But I didn't come here because I imagined getting into Ferrari. That was something the media came up with. I thought it would help me grow, to become a better driver and someday fight for the title if I get the chance."

But before that happens, Grosjean is tackling with a terrible period in the media and uncertainty about whether he will even get offered a new deal by Haas.

"That's more of a question for Gunther (Steiner)," Grosjean said.

"I know that the British press doesn't like me very much. Maybe because I'm French. But I am very honest with the media and always tell the truth.

"My manager looks at the options for me. I think I'm in a good situation. I'm not worried," he insisted.

"Yes, sometimes I make mistakes. But sometimes I do extraordinary things too. Yes, I would be happy to stay. And I think the team sees it the way I do.

"I don't want to speak for the team but I think we're not done yet and I think we can do more. Especially with the rules from 2021. That should give opportunities for the teams to shake up the balance of power.

"We'll see what the future holds."

F1 "is about selling glamour and parties", claims Liberty boss

Liberty's Greg Maffei

Since Liberty Media took control of F1 in January last year it has made sweeping changes which have transformed the sport. However, the driving force behind them hasn't been clear. Until now.

Over the past year Liberty has given F1 a new logo, a ban on grid girls, an eSport series, a flashy new HQ, a theme tune and, most memorably, boxing announcer Michael Buffer who introduced the drivers at the United States Grand Prix.

Liberty insisted it was all in the best interests of the sport but Ferrari famously disagreed.

The Scuderia's chairman Sergio Marchionne warned that Ferrari will pull out of F1 if Liberty "change the sandbox to the point where it becomes an unrecognizable sandbox." Still Liberty's supporters were adamant that Liberty actually knows that F1 is all about selling racing but now we have proof that it doesn't and it comes straight from the horse's mouth.

Liberty's boss Greg Maffei is no stranger to making controversial comments. Just a few months after Liberty over F1 he said the Azerbaijan Grand Prix "does nothing to build the long-term brand and health of the business".

He subsequently described the amount paid by former F1 broadcaster NBC Sports as a "popcorn fart". The broadcaster dropped F1 months later, reportedly because it didn't want to compete with the new F1 TV streaming service – a Liberty initiative which got off to a somewhat spluttering start over the Barcelona weekend.

In light of these gaffes alone it's ironic that Maffei is the man who derided former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone for allegedly referring to race hosts as "victims". This time it is Maffei who has excelled himself and it will send chills down the spine of any F1 purist.

A report in Forbes by Christian Sylt quotes Maffei talking about the plans for a Grand Prix in Miami which is currently under discussion. "I think the Miami race is going to be great," he said. "Really good. Exciting. In city races are fun. In city races are exciting. Miami is absolutely the right kind of venue and the right kind of city. International, a great story around the sea and sand. So there will be a lot of good stuff. A hell of a party. Formula One is about selling glamour and parties."

Remarkably he was talking at a conference last week just two weeks before F1's most historic race, the Monaco Grand Prix.

The fact that some won't be surprised by his comments makes it all the more shocking and shows how much F1 has changed under its new owners. Over the course of the Barcelona weekend, the sport's commercial boss, Sean Bratches, gave his own thoughts on why F1 belongs in Miami.

"I don't know if there's a city on the planet that aligns with our brand more than Miami," he told Sky Sports. "We're both about celebrity, about glamour, about fashion. We're about art, we're about digital, technology. We both have great sporting histories, so we think it's a good brand alignment.

"We're trying to pivot Formula One from a motorsport company to a media and entertainment brand," he continued. "We're trying to be very much a fan first focused entity, and what you're seeing today is some of the perspectives that we saw last year, and bringing some of our vision into form, so to speak.

"We're becoming a researched focus entity as well," he added. "We have sensors all around the Grand Prix which track people's wireless, determine footfall, to identify the best places to locate festival activities, merchandise tents, things of that nature. We work in the most technologically sophisticated sport on the planet so we're trying to conform some of our research in the same way."

Former supremo Bernie Ecclestone was open about the fact that F1 is competing with other forms of entertainment, and though he failed to keep up with the times, especially in terms of social media and the like, he knew that the core product he was selling as racing.

By contrast, Liberty has made it clear that F1 is about selling "glamour and parties" and the decisions it has made reflect that.

Time will tell whether the fans, teams, broadcasters and sponsors agree. Pitpass

Todt admits hybrid formula is too complex

Jean Todt

In a bid to reduce costs and also entice new manufacturers into the sport, it is planned to introduce more standard parts, while simplifying the engines, a move that will mean the removal of the MGU-H.

Acknowledging the technical achievement of the new formula introduced in 2014, Todt admits that perhaps it went too far in terms of its technical complexity.

"I think we wanted to take as much as we learned from the existing regulations, and try to make things more simply," he said.

"It's a beautiful piece of art, of technology," he continued, "but I hear, well, that it's maybe not what the fans are expecting. It's not something that is absolutely needed to have a good championship.

"So I think it's important that we can learn out of it, and propose something which is supposed to be more simple.

"For me, motorsport, and I have been saying that every time, is on one side a show, but it is not enough, it has to be also a laboratory," he admitted. "A laboratory for the manufacturers, a laboratory for the teams, and a laboratory which can then be profitable on road cars as much as we can. And it is what is happening.

"Saying that, if you think that it has been maybe a bit too far, you must be prepared to go a bit backwards.

"At the end of the day I'm sure that over the years the engine will be even more efficient without MGU-H," he insists.

"We are progressing quite well on the engine," he said of the 2020 formula, the initial proposal for which has already unsettled both Ferrari and Mercedes. "I mean we are close to respecting the deadline we have to publish the engine regulations for 2021, and I hope that it may create some interest for some new manufacturers.

"There is interest, but between interest and commitment, there's a big difference," he admitted.