Latest F1 news in brief

Wolff wants Mercedes to copy Ferrari

Sauber-Ferrari F1 alliance 'visionary' – Wolff
Bratches defends F1 internet-pay TV plans
Wolff predicts headline after Vettel meeting
Renault wants its teams to run it juniors
McLaren boss: Alonso had a better car than Vandoorne
Video: Kubica on Williams role

Sauber-Ferrari F1 alliance 'visionary' – Wolff
(GMM) Toto Wolff says he might be looking to emulate Ferrari's move by more closely aligning with other F1 teams.

The American outfit Haas is already regarded as a kind of Ferrari 'B team', and now the new title sponsor at Ferrari-powered Sauber for 2018 will be Alfa Romeo.

"I think Sergio Marchionne and Maurizio Arrivabene are smart men," Wolff, the Mercedes team boss, is quoted by Turun Sanomat newspaper.

"Already with Haas it offers Ferrari technical benefits, but what is happening with Sauber is even more visionary," he added.

"Such an alliance can be a threat to us," said Wolff, "so we have to think about something similar.

"It's not so easy to do when you do not want to interfere with the functions of your own team, but we need to keep our eyes and ears open because we are always looking for intelligent plans," he added.

Turun Sanomat said Mercedes customers Force India and Williams may be on Mercedes' radar.

Force India boss Vijay Mallya is battling Indian legal authorities, while it is reportedly "no secret" that new mother Claire Williams is thinking about selling team shares.

Bratches defends F1 internet-pay TV plans

Sean Bratches finding ways to increase revenue

(GMM) Sean Bratches has defended Liberty Media's plans to ramp up internet coverage of F1 while moving the sport away from free-to-air television.

Fans have noticed recently that the trend is for new television deals with pay-TV networks, with only a limited number of races shown free-to-air.

Bratches, the new F1 commercial chief, said Liberty is also focused on the digital future.

"The relaunch of our digital platform is planned," he told Auto Motor und Sport.

"Today it only costs us money. Fans cannot download exclusive content.

"That's going to change," Bratches explained. "We will introduce a direct streaming offer to the fans for both live content and non-live content. The fans will then get access to data directly from the cars.

"One will be freely available, while the other for serious fans is behind a payment barrier."

Previously, ousted F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone did not develop the sport's internet presence, arguing that television rights must remain exclusive.

But Bratches claims: "The market has proven that both can be done simultaneously. Other sports are already much further ahead.

"It's not like we're leaving our TV partners behind. This year, we will be offering a new TV graphics platform that presents content in a much more consumer friendly way," he said.

As for the highly controversial move away from free-to-air TV coverage, he explained: "Free TV means reach, but the money is on pay TV.

"Ideally, 25 to 30 per cent of the races should be on free TV and the rest behind a pay wall. It works in France and other countries, but there are countries where we should not move to this model yet," Bratches said.

Wolff predicts headline after Vettel meeting

Lauda, Ecclestone and Jordan in Kitzbuehel

Lauda, Ecclestone and Jordan in Kitzbuhel

(GMM) Toto Wolff has played down a friendly meeting on the Austrian ski slopes with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.

Before German Vettel last year re-signed with Ferrari through 2020, he was linked with a shock move to Mercedes.

Now, Vettel has been spotted and photographed meeting with Mercedes team boss Wolff and Daimler CFO Bodo Uebber in Kitzbuhel, scene of a famous annual skiing world cup.

Wolff told Kolner Express newspaper: "Now everyone will write 'Vettel to Mercedes'!

"But we are neighbors in Switzerland and friends and we just speak normally," he added.

Also spotted together at Kitzbuhel's well-known Hahnenkamm race were Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, and former driver Gerhard Berger.

Renault wants its teams to run it juniors

Jack Aitken

Renault needs to look at options for using its customer teams to get its Academy drivers into Formula 1, managing director Cyril Abiteboul told Autosport.

For 2018, Renault has seven up-and-coming drivers in its Sport Academy set-up, with ART Grand Prix Formula 2 racer Jack Aitken competing in the highest placed category.

Previous incarnations of the RSA supported drivers including Robert Kubica and Heikki Kovalainen on their way to F1, and Abiteboul wants to look at options for helping its current crop onto the grand prix grids.

In recent years, Mercedes has assisted its juniors Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon by placing them at the Manor and Force India teams.

"We need to be sure when the time comes, if we have the right person capable of doing what it takes, of having what it takes, to bring him to F1," Abiteboul said at the unveiling of the 2018 RSA class.

"In my opinion, an important element to that will be how we leverage our engine supply activities.

"Because, for instance if you look at what Mercedes is doing, it's the view that there is a connection between engine supply strategy and driver development strategy.

"In our case, it has helped us this year because the access to Carlos Sainz was also on the back on a larger agreement with Red Bull Racing, which was kicked off by what we've done with McLaren.

"So there is already a connection, but in the future I also want this connection in the favor of the guy coming out from our academy."

"I think we can be quite satisfied," he said.

"If you look at the level of people who have joined us, I think there is no question mark – almost every single one of them has been between one and two in their championship.

"Max Fewtrell [sixth in the 2017 Formula Renault Eurocup] is a bit different but it was his first year and he was the best of the rookies.

"The people we have are showing, again, it's a program of Renault where we are credible.

"It's going to take a bit of time – I know that we are in a world where everyone is expecting results immediately but when you work with people who are only 16, for the youngest, it's normal that things take time."

McLaren boss: Alonso had a better car than Vandoorne

With equal cars, will Vandoorne bury Alonso in 2018?

McLaren team boss Zak Brown, who admitted that Fernando Alonso’s better results last year were mostly due to fact that he had a superior engine / chassis package. The Spaniard also had priority for new parts, which made it difficult for Vandoorne to drive at the same level as the former Formula 1 World Champion.

“They did not always have the same parts," Brown said. “Both cars were looked after identically, but sometimes we only had one update available."

Nine out of ten updates would go to the more experienced driver, therefore, the distance between the two cars in some races looked larger than it actually was.

“The gap was created by the car and not by the skills of the drivers," explains Brown. “We are very satisfied with Stoffel’s performance."

Further, add to the mix that due to Honda’s engine problems, the McLaren’s had to miss some practice sessions, denying vital seat time to the inexperienced rookie.

“It was not an easy start for [Stoffel] as we had problems with the reliability of the vehicle, he was a freshman who has been driving some circuits for the first time in his life."

“Stoffel had missed sessions on tracks he had never been to before," added Brown. “He only had five laps to set a good time, so of course it’s difficult if your teammate is one of the best racers in the world."

Video: Kubica on Williams role
Robert Kubica talks about joining the Williams team and what his reserve and development driver role will involve through the 2018 season.