Latest F1 news in brief

Toro Rosso will not take Wehrlein

No Toro Rosso seat for Wehrlein – Marko
'Professional' Williams team would keep me – Massa
Mercedes has not solved pace problem – Lauda
Verstappen rumors not a worry – Marko
Massa thrilled by 'perfect' qualifying lap
Red Bull drivers split on downforce levels
Vettel took risk with front row slot secured
Rosberg critical of Bottas 'crisis' openness
Raikkonen 'better than ever' – Villeneuve

No Toro Rosso seat for Wehrlein – Marko
(GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has denied rumors Pascal Wehrlein could be in the running to race for Toro Rosso in 2018.

On Sunday, both teams confirmed that Jolyon Palmer has been axed by Renault and will be replaced by Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz from Austin later this month.

To fill Sainz's place, axed Daniil Kvyat will return, but whether the Russian will race full-time alongside Pierre Gasly next year is not yet clear.

That's because German Wehrlein, the Mercedes-backed Sauber driver, has been linked with a seat at the junior Red Bull team.

But Red Bull's Marko told Auto Motor und Sport: "Wehrlein is not on our list."

Asked who is on the list, the Austrian answered: "Perhaps there will be a surprise."

Another rumor is that the McLaren junior Lando Norris is in the running, perhaps as part of the deal that sees Honda power also heading to Toro Rosso in 2018.

But McLaren boss Eric Boullier said: "It is one year too early for Lando to come to formula one."

'Professional' Williams team would keep me – Massa

Felipe Massa

(GMM) Felipe Massa seems unhappy with the Williams team.

Earlier at Suzuka, team official Paddy Lowe said that while the Brazilian veteran is still in the running for 2018, Robert Kubica and Paul di Resta will be tested "in the next few weeks".

Another rumor is that Pascal Wehrlein could get Massa's seat, perhaps as part of a discount on Williams' expensive Mercedes engine bill.

Massa said in Japan: "I'm concerned that the team could choose a path that could bring difficulties for the team.

"I think Lance (Stroll) has made a lot of progress through the year so perhaps Williams should keep the current lineup," he added.

So when asked about Lowe's admission that plenty of candidates are under consideration for the seat alongside Stroll next year, Massa said: "Paddy knows what's best for the team.

"Unfortunately, this is just formula one. I think if Williams acts professionally, they will leave everything as it is."

Massa, 36, actually retired at the end of last year, and only returned to Williams when Valtteri Bottas headed to Mercedes at the last moment.

Asked why he is now so keen to stay in F1 for another year, Massa explained: "In the past three years the cars did not suit my driving style.

"There was not much grip, the tires did not work in a good way — it was not fun and I could not compensate with my style.

"Now, when I can feel that I can push to the maximum, the motivation increases. I still believe I can give a lot to the team," he added.

Mercedes has not solved pace problem – Lauda

Lauda must just be stupid. The longer wheelbase Mercedes is faster on most tracks, but on some tracks the shorter wheelbase Ferrari and Red Bull are faster. Period.

(GMM) Mercedes has not solved the problems that left it arguably the third-fastest team just a week ago in Malaysia.

That is the claim of Niki Lauda, even though Lewis Hamilton blitzed qualifying at Suzuka on Saturday.

But Lauda, the F1 legend and team chairman, said Mercedes' return to form is weather-related.

"If it's cool, it's easier for our tires," he said.

"We need to solve that puzzle so that we can keep this performance."

Earlier, it seemed clear that after Ferrari and Red Bull were faster in Malaysia, Mercedes had simply found the solution back at its Brackley HQ prior to Japan.

Lauda said: "Our people worked day and night at the factory and a few things were found and tried here. But we have not found all of the answers."

Indeed, while Mercedes thrived in the cooler conditions of Saturday, team boss Toto Wolff is concerned about the forecast for a much warmer race day at Suzuka.

"Yes, the forecast worries me," he admitted to Bild newspaper.

Verstappen rumors not a worry – Marko

Locked in

(GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says he is not losing sleep over rumors Max Verstappen could be on the move.

Earlier this year, amid reports Mercedes and Ferrari want to poach the Dutchman, Marko said Red Bull would not agree to release him for EUR 100 million.

But it is now being rumored F1's rival top teams are in fact considering huge sums of money to tempt Verstappen, who is under contract at Red Bull for 2018 and 2019.

Marko told Bild am Sonntag newspaper: "I'm not worried. Max started with us and he wants to get his first world championship with us. That is our desire as well."

It is rumored, however, that Mercedes' interest is not just one way.

Marko commented: "Herr (Toto) Wolff talking with father (Jos) Verstappen is just typical formula one. I am not sleeping badly."

Massa thrilled by 'perfect' qualifying lap

Felipe Massa

Felipe Massa believed he extracted the maximum performance from his Williams FW40 during qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix, describing his Q3 lap as "perfect".

In a mixed qualifying for the Williams team, Massa managed to secure a place in the top 10 shootout for only the second time in his last seven races, and qualified in ninth position.

With Williams locked in a battle for fifth place in the Constructors' Championship, Massa has set his sights on a points finish at Suzuka.

"I'm so happy with my qualifying," enthused Massa, who will start eighth due to Kimi RÃ¤ikkÃ¶nen's penalty.

"Q1 was a good lap, Q2 was a great lap, and Q3 was just a perfect lap, so I'm really happy with my result.

"We're starting in a great position and you never know what can happen tomorrow in the race. We'll try to get the best we can in terms of points.

"My lap time today was similar to when I was on pole in 2006, just the perfect lap, which gives you a lot of pleasure, so I'm happy with that."

In contrast to Massa, team-mate Lance Stroll was left frustrated by traffic and a red flag for Romain Grosjean's crash, resulting the Canadian qualifying in 18th position.

"That was not a good session," said Stroll.

"I didn't get a lap time as I was blocked on both my push laps, by [Sergio] Pérez and [Pierre] Gasly in the last chicane, and then we got the red flag, so I never got a time and there was no chance to make Q2.

"But that is how it goes and there is nothing I can do about it now, we were just unlucky with the traffic.

"The car felt good all weekend, so it is frustrating, but tomorrow is another day and with the penalties we will make up a couple of places.

"But that is not how we want to gain places, we want to show the potential of the car which we didn't do in that session."

Stewards investigated Pérez for allegedly impeding Stroll but took no further action.

Red Bull drivers split on downforce levels

Daniel Ricciardo sets up car for race trim

Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen have taken different set-up directions for the Japanese Grand Prix, as Red Bull looks to put pressure on Mercedes and Ferrari.

Ricciardo and Verstappen were separated by just 0.026s during qualifying at Suzuka, but trailed Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel by half a second, and pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton by a second.

Valtteri Bottas' grid penalty, though, means that the pair will start the race from the second row of the grid, directly behind championship rivals Hamilton and Vettel.

Prior to qualifying, when car set-ups are locked in, Ricciardo opted to shed some downforce, a move that he hopes will help him challenge the front two in race-trim.

"I wasn't shaking my head when I crossed the line," said Ricciardo.

"I felt like the lap was all I could really get out of it… again it was close with Max, we were pushing each other in a good way, and I'm happy to inherit third because of Bottas' penalty.

"Hopefully the clean side gives me that [bit] more and we can run with the leaders at the beginning. I think the start will dictate a lot, it's pretty tricky to overtake here.

"I've set my car up a bit more for the race, taking some downforce off overnight; the straights will give me a better chance to attack or defend, so it gives me a better package for tomorrow."

Verstappen, meanwhile, reckons his approach could work out if the anticipated higher temperatures arrive on race day and impact degradation levels.

"It was OK, it could have been better," he told Sky Sports after qualifying.

"We chose between the two cars to do a different strategy, one with more downforce and one less.

"I was with more [downforce]. If it's the right one, I'm not sure. Maybe I should say now that it's not, but maybe tomorrow it is, so it's a bit difficult to say.

"In general, after my first Q3 run, I was definitely not happy, so I was still happy afterwards that my second run was decent, and we can work from here.

"Normally here in the first sector when you start to struggle it's really painful, so I just hope that I have a bit more rear load on the car.

"Hopefully it gets really warm and hopefully we get the degradation."

Vettel took risk with front row slot secured

Vettel let it all hang out

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel says he "tried everything" on his final Q3 lap at the Japanese Grand Prix in the knowledge that a front-row spot was already secure.

With Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen facing five-place demotions, and Red Bull off the pace, Vettel guaranteed himself a front-row position with his first Q3 lap, emerging second to Lewis Hamilton.

Vettel ultimately slipped behind Bottas after the second Q3 runs, qualifying in third, but will move up to second, explaining that he took additional risks to try to take pole, knowing that his starting spot was safe.

"Qualifying has been quite good to be honest," said Vettel, who trails Hamilton by 34 points.

"I tried everything on the last run, I knew I had to take a bit more risk.

"It didn't work, I ran out of track at the exit of the Esses, but I knew that even if Valtteri got past I would still be [on the] front row.

"I would have loved to have been quicker, but it's quite amazing with the new car around here, it's a special day."

RÃ¤ikkÃ¶nen was left to rue a disrupted day after he crashed during the final practice session, sustaining a five-place grid drop for a gearbox change.

He went wide on his first Q3 lap and took only sixth, meaning he is set to drop to 11th place on the grid.

"Obviously [we] paid the price for the mistakes made today," said RÃ¤ikkÃ¶nen, who, along with Bottas, will start the race on the Soft tire compound.

"We had to change the gearbox, so it was far from ideal to prepare for qualifying, especially after yesterday's little running, but this is what we got."

On his qualifying run, RÃ¤ikkÃ¶nen said: "It felt okay but obviously when I had to really push I made a mistake on the first run in last qualifying.

"Then it was a pretty average lap time in the second [run], a bit tricky after the mistake that I did.

"Obviously it's not where we should be, [it's the] consequences of missing [time] and crashing in the wrong moment of the weekend."

Rosberg critical of Bottas 'crisis' openness
(GMM) Nico Rosberg has criticized his Mercedes successor Valtteri Bottas for being too open about his current "crisis".

The Finn has struggled notably in recent races, and has spoken openly to the media about his dip in form.

Rosberg, attending the Japanese grand prix as a television pundit, is quoted by Osterreich newspaper as saying Bottas is in a "small crisis".

"From my point of view, it is not ideal that Valtteri talks publicly about his problems, because that creates a wave of its own and it doesn't help.

"I think it's better to keep that to yourself but he's going to do it in his own way," Rosberg added. "He's a great driver."

Bottas rejected any criticism of his approach.

"Normally I just say things how they are," he said. "I'm not really interested in what people say.

"I just know my own targets, my own goals and if I'm far away from those I'm not happy and then it's tricky."

Raikkonen 'better than ever' – Villeneuve

Kimi Raikkonen in the Suzuka rain Friday

(GMM) 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve thinks Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen is riding a crest of career form.

Some believe the Finnish veteran is right at the tail end of his pace and career, but Villeneuve thinks Raikkonen is actually driving well.

"Kimi has had a bit of bad luck, but at times he has been faster than Vettel," the French Canadian told Ilta Sanomat newspaper.

"Somehow it doesn't work out. He has a good qualifying but a bad race — or the other way around," Villeneuve added.

"However, he has proved he can be as good as Vettel. They are the perfect combination," he added.

"I don't think we have seen a better Kimi. It seems that he is driving better than ever before in his career," said Villeneuve.