Latest F1 news in brief

Lucas Auer not confirming talks

Berger's nephew not confirming Force India news
F1 could have new teams for 2019 – Todt
Ferrari takes engine upgrade to Baku
Webber: Alonso's situation is a 'travesty'
Pirelli goes softer for Belgium, Japan
FIA outlines minor Baku track changes
Sauber insists drivers being treated equally
Blue flag rules modified for Azerbaijan

Berger's nephew not confirming Force India news
(GMM) Gerhard Berger's nephew is not ready to confirm reports he will make his F1 test debut in Hungary.

We reported this week that Lucas Auer, whose mother is F1 legend Berger's sister, could appear for Force India at the post-Hungary young driver test.

Auer drives a pink-liveried, BWT-sponsored Mercedes in the German touring car category DTM, whose series boss is former McLaren and Ferrari driver Berger.

10-time grand prix winner Berger sounds confident about 22-year-old Auer's future.

"F3 and DTM are the series that have produced the most formula one drivers recently," he told the Austrian news agency APA.

"I do not want to rule out Lucas getting a chance in this direction."

Auer has won DTM races already in 2017, and Berger said he was again "clearly the fastest Mercedes all weekend" recently in Hungary as well.

But a spokesman for Auer is not ready to confirm the Force India test news.

"There is a possibility, there are talks, but nothing yet. But we hope so," he said.

F1 could have new teams for 2019 – Todt

Jean Todt (R)

(GMM) Jean Todt has not denied that a new team might be lining up to enter formula one.

There have been rumors a new project backed by Chinese investors has been shopping around at existing teams for personnel.

And now, Brazil's Globo reports that a company called China F1 Racing Team has been registered at Companies House in Britain.

Indeed, filed documentation shows that the London based company, with a single director who has been in business for many years, was previously called Bronze Fortune.

FIA president Todt is quoted by France's L'Equipe: "We currently have ten teams but the idea is to have twelve.

"There is an opportunity for one or two teams to join F1. There are a lot of rumors in this area, but there is a clear interest from several sides," he added.

However, Todt said there would be no time for a new outfit to be up and running in time for 2018.

"When we see that the right time has come, we will announce a process for potential new teams," he said.

Ferrari takes engine upgrade to Baku

Vettel will need all the Ferrari power he can get on the long Baku straight

(GMM) Ferrari is taking an engine upgrade to this weekend's grand prix on the streets of Baku.

After the Italian team dominated in Monaco, its title rival Mercedes hit back hard recently with a one-two in Canada.

Now, for the unique Azerbaijani venue incorporating a super-long 2 kilometer straight and 370kph top speeds, La Gazzetta dello Sport claims Ferrari is bringing an engine upgrade.

The newspaper said the development is part of the Scuderia's "aggressive development plan" under technical boss Mattia Binotto's direction.

The decision to bring it to Baku was reportedly on the basis of exceptional figures on the test bench.

It is a clear challenge to Mercedes after the Montreal fight-back, with former F1 driver Marc Surer agreeing: "They (Mercedes) must prove that they have the warming up of the tires under control now.

"Baku is like Monaco but much faster, although I do not believe the tires will be a particular problem this weekend," he told Germany's Sky.

"The strongest engines will have a clear advantage with the long straights, so you'd have to feel sorry for Red Bull," Surer added.

"Ferrari is strong on every track, getting the tires up to temperature all the time. So I see Ferrari with very good chances to fight back."

Webber: Alonso's situation is a 'travesty'

F1 is 99% car so Alonso has zero chance to win

Ex-Formula 1 driver Mark Webber says it is an "absolute travesty" that Fernando Alonso is enduring a third successive season in an uncompetitive car at McLaren-Honda.

Alonso returned to McLaren for its reunion with engine partner Honda in 2015, but the Japanese manufacturer has struggled for reliability and performance, with its troubles worsening this year.

Seven races into the 2017 campaign, McLaren is the only team yet to score a point, though Alonso has still impressed, comfortably outperforming team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne.

In addition to appearing in Q3 in Spain, and almost finishing in the top 10 in Canada, Alonso shone at the Indianapolis 500, running up front throughout the race before an engine failure.

Webber, a friend of Alonso, expressed his sadness at the situation, but reckons the Spaniard has proven that he is driving better than ever with his performances so far this year.

"It's a total waste and an absolute travesty that he's at the back of the grid, driving a car that's uncompetitive," Webber told GPUpdate.net at the FIA Sport Conference in Geneva.

"He's still in a situation where he's driving phenomenally, though.

"I think his value has never been higher, with what he's done at the Indy 500, and with what he's done sometimes with that McLaren – Stoffel I don't think knows what's hit him.

"I've also been hearing incredible things about how awesome he was at Indy; [Alonso's mentor] Gil de Ferran, and I know Gil well, just said it was phenomenal how well he took to it."

On where Alonso may race in 2018, Webber said: "Let's see what engine McLaren get, if they can hold him over the winter, and convince him that they're going to win next year."

But pushed on whether he feels swapping Honda for Mercedes power would be enough to keep Alonso at McLaren, he added: "It still won't be the same engine as the silver cars, will it?

"McLaren would need to have half a second in the pocket from the car."

Former McLaren driver John Watson recently argued that Alonso will find it difficult to secure a better seat for 2018, given the various dynamics at Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

Valtteri Bottas recently took his first win with Mercedes, Red Bull insists its drivers are contracted through 2018, amid rumors linking them to rivals, while Alonso left Ferrari to join McLaren.

Pirelli goes softer for Belgium, Japan

Pirelli tires

Formula 1 tire supplier Pirelli has moved one step softer with the compounds it has selected for events in Belgium and Japan, compared to its 2016 choices.

For the event at Spa-Francorchamps, the first Grand Prix after the summer break, the Ultra Soft compound will be in use, along with the Super Soft and Soft.

When Formula 1 returns to Suzuka, the Super Soft, Soft and Medium tires will be available, meaning that the 2017-spec orange-banded Hard compound has been all-but-abandoned.

Pirelli only brought the Hard tire to the Spanish Grand Prix, where drivers complained about its behavior, and later opted against selecting it for events Great Britain and Malaysia.

Out of the 13 available sets of tires, one set of the softest available compound at each event (Ultra Soft in Belgium, Super Soft in Japan) must be set aside for use only in Q3.

For the race, either one of the two hardest available compounds must be used for one stint (Super Soft or Soft in Belgium, Soft or Medium in Japan).

Drivers are given free choice for the remaining 10 sets of rubber.

Pirelli's 2017 choices so far:

Australia	Ultra Soft	Super Soft	Soft
China	Super Soft	Soft	Medium
Bahrain	Super Soft	Soft	Medium
Russia	Ultra Soft	Super Soft	Soft
Spain	Soft	Medium	Hard
Monaco	Ultra Soft	Super Soft	Soft
Canada	Ultra Soft	Super Soft	Soft
Azerbaijan	Super Soft	Soft	Medium
Austria	Ultra Soft	Super Soft	Soft
Britain	Super Soft	Soft	Medium
Hungary	Super Soft	Soft	Medium
Belgium	Ultra Soft	Super Soft	Soft
Singapore	Ultra Soft	Super Soft	Soft
Malaysia	Super Soft	Soft	Medium
Japan	Super Soft	Soft	Medium

FIA outlines minor Baku track changes

Baku

The FIA has outlined minor safety-related changes to the Baku City Circuit, ahead of this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The walls at the end of some run-off sections have been put back, while TecPro and SAFER barriers at several corners have been reinforced or lengthened.

At Turns 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 and 15, the walls at the end of the run-off have been moved further back, in order to provide additional space.

TecPro barriers at Turns 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 15 have been improved by the addition of new blocks in front of the previous arrays, while SAFER barriers around the outside of Turns 13 and 19 have been extended.

Additionally, curbs have been removed from the exit of Turn 1, the apexes of Turns 3 and 5, and the pit exit/circuit divider, and instead replaced by paint.

Sauber insists drivers being treated equally

When daddy's friends own the team they make sure the son gets the good bits

Sauber has hit back at media reports suggesting that its drivers are not being treated equally, in the wake of Monisha Kaltenborn's exit, which is still yet to be officially confirmed.

On Wednesday morning, it emerged that Kaltenborn, who became Formula 1's first ever female team boss in 2012, taking over from Peter Sauber, had parted ways with the Swiss outfit.

It is not yet clear why the two parties separated, but some outlets reported that it related to Marcus Ericsson being given preferential treatment over Mercedes-backed Pascal Wehrlein.

Sauber did not initially comment on the situation, but felt the need to act following the reports, describing them as "patently untrue" and "highly detrimental" to all involved at Sauber.

"The owners and board of Sauber Motorsport AG take strong exception to speculative and widespread media reports today that our race drivers have not been, and are not being, treated equally," read a statement from Sauber's Chairman of the Board, Pascal Picci.

"This is not only patently untrue, it would be contrary to the team's absolute and longstanding commitment to fair competition.

"These reports, attributed to anonymous 'sources', are highly detrimental to both Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein as well as to the management and all staff of the Sauber F1 Team."

As mentioned, Sauber has yet to officially confirm Kaltenborn's exit or who will take over the running of the squad for this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Blue flag rules modified for Azerbaijan

Charlie Whiting at Baku

Formula 1 Race Director Charlie Whiting has confirmed that blue flag rules have been tweaked for drivers ahead of this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

After a spate of complaints during the middle of last season, the regulations were emphasized, explaining that a pre-warning is provided when a faster car is within 3.0 seconds of a car set to be lapped.

This information is then used to instruct the slower car of its imminent lapping, with Whiting explaining that "allowing the faster car through should be considered a priority."

Once the faster car gets within 1.0 seconds of the slower car, the driver about to be lapped is given blue flags by trackside marshals, as well as blue cockpit lights and a message on the timing screens.

After this information is given, "the [slower] driver must allow the following driver to overtake at the first available opportunity."

However, ahead of Formula 1's visit to Baku, the latter figure has been changed to 1.2 seconds, ostensibly aiding the prospects of the faster car in lapping a slower rival.

It is not yet clear whether the change is solely for this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, or for the remainder of the campaign.