Latest F1 news in brief

Will Sainz Jr. be better than Palmer?

Hulkenberg expects new teammate Sainz Jr. to be 'fast'
'Mentor' tips Hartley to accept Toro Rosso seat
Alonso says still 'no decision' over F1 future
Vettel can still win 2017 title – Susie Wolff
Rosberg: Vettel needs 'miracle' for F1 title

Hulkenberg expects new teammate Sainz Jr. to be 'fast'
(GMM) Nico Hulkenberg says he expects his new Renault teammate to be "fast".

Departing Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz Jr., who will be paired with German Hulkenberg full-time from next year, will get an early start at Renault in the last four races of 2017.

Hulkenberg told Auto Motor und Sport: "I only know him from the paddock, but he is an ambitious driver.

"He is still young and wild, but he is certainly fast," he added.

Asked if he is looking forward to being partnered by 23-year-old Sainz, having shared the yellow-colored garage with ousted Jolyon Palmer until now, Hulkenberg added: "It's ok.

"I will continue to do my own thing."

He admitted he may have an advantage over Sainz at the beginning of their new partnership.

"It's hard to estimate, but of course you always need a certain period of familiarization. We'll see," said Hulkenberg, 30.

Former F1 driver Roberto Merhi is not so sure his Spanish countryman Sainz should have agreed to the early switch.

"Honestly, going to Renault during the season seems like a mistake to me," he told the Marca sports daily.

"I would have finished the year with Toro Rosso," the former Marussia driver explained.

"He was doing a great year, and then next year, with the tests and a new season, he would have started with Nico on equal terms."

'Mentor' tips Hartley to accept Toro Rosso seat

Brendon Hartley

(GMM) New Zealander Brendon Hartley is expected to be drafted into Toro Rosso's lineup for a one-off appearance next weekend in Austin.

We reported on Tuesday this week that, at 2018 Honda partner Honda's request, Pierre Gasly will skip the US grand prix in order to fight for the Super Formula title.

"We cannot deny their (Honda's) wish," Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko confirmed.

We also reported that the list of potential one-off replacements for Gasly was vast, featuring Robert Kubica, Sergey Sirotkin, Sebastien Buemi and even Takuma Sato and Indycar champion Josef Newgarden.

But media outlets including the Spanish sports daily Marca now report that the frontrunner is in fact Brendon Hartley.

Hartley, now 27, was a Red Bull junior driver in 2009 and 2010, jointly holding the position as official F1 reserve with Daniel Ricciardo.

The energy drinks company dropped him mid-season.

He subsequently became a top LMP1 sports car driver for the works Porsche team, and was a teammate of Mark Webber's as he won the 2015 world endurance championship.

Hartley followed up that triumph with victory at Le Mans this year and another WEC title.

Kenny Smith, who according to the New Zealand media source Newshub is Hartley's 'mentor', thinks the driver will jump at the chance to race for Toro Rosso next weekend.

"He'd have to go to formula one because that has been his main aim from his early days, and what he has been aiming for," Smith said.

"There is always time to go back to Indycars because he is still young."

Alonso says still 'no decision' over F1 future

Alonso holding out for big money. With no primary sponsor can the team afford it?

(GMM) The F1 world is still waiting to hear if Fernando Alonso will still be on the grid in 2018.

Following the McLaren-Honda split, it is expected the Spaniard will stay at the newly Renault-powered British team next year.

But Alonso's self-imposed September contract deadline has long expired.

Spain's El Mundo Deportivo quotes him as saying: "There is still no decision. So we'll see.

"I continue to have all the options open."

The newspaper said Alonso, who did the Indy 500 this year and has been linked with both Le Mans and the Daytona 24 hour race for 2018, is talking about "other categories" still being an option.

"As I have said several times, one of my goals is to be the best driver in the world, the most complete in the world, and for that I still believe you have to win in other categories too and especially the 'triple crown'.

"That is one of my goals," Alonso, 36, added.

"Sometimes we focus on F1 because it is the best competition in the world of maximum technology," he continued.

"But there are other categories with other cars – with less technology – that require different driving and different skills and it is a major challenge for someone who specializes in something else," Alonso said.

However, he played down any claims a full-time switch to Indycar is on the cards.

"The whole season at Indycar I do not have in my mind in the short term," said Alonso. "But the 500 miles, after my experience of this year, is attractive.

"I look at it for the future, but I do not know when that will be."

Alonso, a two-time F1 champion who has failed to add a third title to his tally in over a decade, also admitted that his motivation has changed over the years.

"It's a different motivation," he explained.

"When you start you have dreams of showing your talent to the world and having success in F1," said Alonso.

"Now, I remain motivated because there is expectation whenever you get into the car. I have responsibility for the results of the team," he said.

Vettel can still win 2017 title – Susie Wolff

Susie Wolff (R) is the latest to be taking some hallucinogen

Susie Wolff (R) is the latest to be taking some sort of hallucinogen

(GMM) Susie Wolff thinks the race for the world championship is still "open".

That is despite the fact that Lewis Hamilton, who drives for the team run by Wolff's husband Toto, has a huge 59-point lead over Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.

Former Williams driver Wolff, 34, admits Mercedes' Hamilton is in good form.

"Lewis is very relaxed this year, and you can see that he enjoys the fight with Ferrari," she told Sky Italia.

"In the last years he was always against his teammate, which is always difficult. He's in his best form now," Susie Wolff, a former DTM driver, added.

But she also thinks Vettel can still push for the 2017 title, despite his and Ferrari's horror Asian tour through Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.

"In my view Vettel was just unlucky," said Wolff. "Ferrari has a very fast car and I can imagine the title race remaining open until the end.

"When you consider how far away Ferrari was last year, it's been a great turnaround.

"It's going to be very interesting because a couple of the circuits (coming up) are not Mercedes circuits, or will suit the Ferrari more," she added.

"It's not like last year where it's quite clear what is going to happen so I think we'll see a huge fight," said Susie.

Rosberg: Vettel needs 'miracle' for F1 title

Ferrari has choked and Vettel's title hopes over

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel needs "miracle" to beat Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton to the 2017 title, but "won't give up" in his quest to do so, according to reigning Formula 1 World Champion Nico Rosberg.

Vettel topped the standings entering the summer break, but lost the lead at the Italian Grand Prix and fell significantly adrift after a disastrous trio of Asian races.

Ahead of the final four rounds, Vettel is 59 points behind Hamilton, with a maximum of 100 on offer.

How Vettel and Ferrari blew the title:

Hungary: Vettel by 14 points
Belgium: Vettel by 7 points
Italy: Hamilton by 3 points
Singapore: Hamilton by 28 points
Malaysia: Hamilton by 34 points
Japan: Hamilton by 59 points

Rosberg described Vettel as a "fighter" who will not give in until the title is mathematically impossible, but that a fifth title looks "so difficult" to achieve given Hamilton's recent run.

"Ferrari always come back strong," Rosberg, who made his debut as a pundit at last weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, said in an interview with BBC Sport.

"It's so difficult for Sebastian now. Lewis has such momentum, everything is going in his direction.

"Sebastian needs a miracle to come back, but he's a fighter and he won't give up. It will remain interesting, so let's see how far he can take it."

Vettel defended his Ferrari team after an early retirement at Suzuka, and has vowed to go "flat out" in the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

"It's normal if you're critical, especially if things go wrong, it's part of our job, but I think I need to protect them," Vettel said of Ferrari.

"We've done an incredible job so far, it's bitter the last two races with the reliability issues, but it's like that sometimes.

"Of course it hurts, we're all disappointed, but the best [thing to do] is to get back, get some rest, and go flat out for the next four races and see what happens."

If Hamilton wins in the United States and Vettel is sixth or lower, or if Hamilton finishes second and Vettel is no higher than ninth, a fourth title will be his.