Latest F1 news in brief

Ecclestone put out to pasture

F1 supremo Ecclestone 'dismissed'
No regrets after saying 'no' to F1 – Rossi
Manor needs funds for testing
Honda aims for top engine makers in 2017
Meet the new F1 bosses

F1 supremo Ecclestone 'dismissed'
(GMM) F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has been officially ousted.

The news came as the sport's new owner Liberty Media announced it has completed its F1 takeover, installing Chase Carey as Ecclestone's successor.

Long-time F1 'supremo' Ecclestone, 86, confirmed the news via Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"I was dismissed today," he said. "I'm going away. This is official. I do not run the company anymore."

In a statement, Liberty said Ecclestone's new role is 'chairman emeritus' and advisor.

"My new position is an American expression," said the diminutive Briton. "A kind of honorary president. I'm getting this title without knowing what it means."

Auto Motor und Sport said the correspondent who spoke to Ecclestone detected "great sadness in his voice".

Ecclestone said: "My days will now be calmer. Maybe I'll come to a grand prix. I still have many friends in formula one and enough money to visit a race."

As for whether he will retain his role on the FIA's influential World Motor Sport Council, he answered: "I doubt it. I'll have to talk about it with Jean Todt."

Ecclestone's successor, Carey, said Ecclestone will "always be part of the F1 family".

Liberty also appointed former technical director and team boss Ross Brawn as managing director sport.

No regrets after saying 'no' to F1 – Rossi

Valentino Rossi

(GMM) MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi says he has no regrets more than a decade after calling off his touted switch to formula one.

Mid last decade, and when in his mid 20s, the multiple world champion on two-wheels tested extensively for Ferrari amid strong rumors he would debut for the fabled F1 team.

Now 37, the flamboyant Italian says: "I think I made the right decision.

"I stayed in MotoGP in 2006 and won two more championships, having great races and great battles," he is quoted by Brazil's Globo.

"So I don't regret it. But I really like F1. I had a moment when I thought 'Let's see what happens'. And then I decided to do some more tests.

"I remember on a return flight I thought 'No, I'm not ready to stop the bikes'. And that was the right decision," he added.

Rossi said two of his goals for the future are to contest the fabled Le Mans sports car race, and the Dakar rally.

Manor needs funds for testing
(GMM) Embattled F1 backmarker Manor remains in talks with potential saviors.

That is the claim of a spokesperson for FRP, the company that is overseeing the team that has been placed into administration.

It is believed that if a buyer is not found in the remaining few days of January, Manor will close due to being unable to pay wages for February or fund testing in Barcelona late next month.

"Negotiations with interested parties will continue, while being aware that proper financial support is needed to participate in the tests and the start of the 2017 season," a spokesperson for the administrators is quoted by Italy's Autosprint.

There are rumors of interest from Indonesia, while Autosprint claims contact between a group of Italian investors and Manor was made some months ago.

Honda aims for top engine makers in 2017

Yusuke Hasegawa has high hopes

(GMM) Honda is aiming to push towards F1 'power unit' pacesetters Mercedes and Ferrari in 2017.

Almost certainly the least impressive performer among its engine manufacturer peers for the past two years, it is reported McLaren's works partner has completely redesigned its turbo V6 package for the new season.

"From the point of view of the power unit, our goal is to reach the numbers of Mercedes and Ferrari," Honda's F1 chief Yusuke Hasegawa is quoted by the Spanish sports daily AS.

"But it is difficult to know how much they will gain as well," he acknowledged.

The newspaper, suggesting Honda will come close to the 1000 horse power barrier in 2017, also reached out to Honda for confirmation of a clearly-defined target for the 2017 season, such as the title or merely a podium.

A spokesperson replied: "We do not have a specific objective and we do not reveal numbers or power and the like.

"Catching up with the rest of the manufacturers is the goal, but we still do not know how much Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault have improved," the Honda official added.

Even Jenson Button, the now retired 2016 McLaren-Honda driver, is not sure how to predict the outcome of 2017, to be characterized by the radically different chassis and tire specifications.

"Whether Mercedes can be beaten is a huge question for everyone," he is quoted by Italy's Autosprint.

"The way the rules are, there will be much more aerodynamic drag so a lot of power will be important — and they (Mercedes) seem to have that," said Button.

"If anyone can challenge them, it will mean they did a great job in the winter. We all want to see a positive season, as it's important for formula one to be many teams fighting at the top.

"We absolutely need that after the last three championships."

As for McLaren-Honda, Button said: "The hope is that they have taken a good step forward, but I haven't been very involved in what the team has been doing, so I don't know to what extent."

Meet the New F1 Bosses

The new F1 bosses – From left, Sean Bratches, Chase Carey and Ross Brawn

Liberty Media completed its F1 takeover on Monday, signaling a major change in the sport's management structure. Chase Carey is now CEO, replacing Bernie Ecclestone, with Ross Brawn taking on a sporting role, and Sean Bratches looking after the commercial side. GPUpdate.net overviews their careers.

Chase Carey
Having received a bachelor's degree from Colgate University and an MBA from Harvard, Carey joined US broadcasting company Fox in 1988, securing various roles, including CEO. He pushed for the network to be sports-oriented in the early 1990s, negotiating a $1.6 billion deal for the National Football League's television broadcasting rights in 1993. He was appointed CEO of satellite TV provider DirecTV some 10 years later, after News Corporation purchased a controlling stake, and remained in the role when News Corp sold its shares to Liberty Media. In 2009, Carey left DirecTV to return to News Corp, where he took on the roles of President and COO, working closely with media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and later became COO of 21st Century Fox. Murdoch had tipped Carey to replace him, but eventually handed the CEO position to son James, with Carey stepping back and being re-assigned as Executive Vice-Chairman in 2015. He is a life-long sports fan, having played rugby in his university days, and as a New Yorker supports the Yankees baseball team and Giants American football team. He is also the owner of an elegant handlebar moustache; however, according to reports, it is not just for show, as it covers a scar from a car accident – which threw him through the windshield – during his university days. Carey arrived on the Formula 1 scene in September, when Liberty Media announced its planned takeover, and installed him as F1's new Chairman, alongside Ecclestone. He made his first paddock appearance at the Singapore Grand Prix. Carey added the CEO title after the American media company finalized its purchase of Formula 1.

Ross Brawn
Brawn was born in Lancashire, but his family moved south, to Reading, when he was 11. After attending Reading School, he was taken on as a mechanical craft apprentice by the UK Atomic Energy Authority, and later qualified as an instrument mechanic. Brawn started out in motorsport as a milling machine operator for March. At the same time, Frank Williams and Patrick Head were preparing their Formula 1 entry, and Brawn made the switch in 1976, where he held a similar role. Brawn soon climbed the ladder, working in R&D and as an aerodynamicist. He added to his Formula 1 CV with Haas Lola and Arrows through the 1980s, before joining the Jaguar Sportscar racing division, where he was lead designer on the Jaguar XJR-14, which won the 1991 World Sportscar Championship. He returned to Formula 1 in the same year, taking up the role of Technical Director at Benetton, claiming Drivers' titles with Michael Schumacher in 1994 and 1995, and the Constructors' crown in 1995. When Schumacher made the move to Ferrari for 1996, Brawn followed. He played a key role in rebuilding the team and led them to six successive Constructors' titles from 1999, as Schumacher also notched up five more championships. Brawn took a 'sabbatical' at the end of 2006, but never returned to Ferrari, instead joining Honda in 2007. Honda pulled out of the sport the following year, which threatened the existence of the team, but he kept it alive by completing a takeover. Brawn GP, powered by Mercedes, magically secured both titles in its one-and-only season, before Brawn sold the team to Mercedes. He remained with Mercedes through 2013, before departing, as Paddy Lowe joined Toto Wolff in a modified management structure. He will now focus on F1's sporting side as Managing Director, Motor Sports.

Sean Bratches
Bratches graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. Having gained experience as a Regional Sales Manager for Storer Television Sales Inc., selling national spot advertising for its television stations across the country, he joined ESPN in 1988. Bratches started out as an Account Executive, before becoming Senior Account Executive. He gradually took on more responsibility and was promoted to Senior Vice President, Affiliate Sales & Marketing in 1998, a decade after his arrival. A couple of years later, he became Executive Vice President, ESPN Affiliate Sales & Marketing, and served as President of Disney and ESPN Networks Affiliate Sales & Marketing. Liberty Media recognized Bratches as "one of ESPN's most influential leaders" over his 27-year spell with the company, with his career "defined by innovation and vision". In 2001, he received a Vanguard Award for Young Leadership, the cable industry's most prestigious award, while he has been listed in CableFax Magazine's CableFAX 100, featuring 'cable's 100 heavy hitters', since 1999 – he has made the top 20 in recent years. He was also named one of the top 50 most powerful people in sports by the Sports Business Journal, and was inducted into the RIT Sports Hall of Fame in 2008, for lacrosse and distinguished service. Bratches will act as Managing Director, Commercial Operations, in Formula 1. "His expertise and experience in sales, marketing, digital media, and distribution will be invaluable," said Carey.