Latest F1 news in brief

Halo on Vettel's Ferrari

Majority would vote for 'Halo' – Hulkenberg
Liberty still striding towards F1 takeover
Ferrari 'only 10pc behind Mercedes' – Todt
Wehrlein more 'risky' than Bottas – Rosberg
Todt asks Massa to be F1 steward
Family to stay silent on Schumacher health
'Probably' no McLaren wins in 2017 – Vandoorne
Hamilton accuses team of "disrespect"

Majority would vote for 'Halo' – Hulkenberg
(GMM) 'Halo' looks set to be on the way into F1 for 2018.

Although introduction of the controversial cockpit protection concept was delayed for 2017, FIA president Jean Todt said the drivers will be consulted for their opinion ahead of a possible mandatory debut for 2018.

The governing body made a fresh attempt to win over doubters at the Abu Dhabi finale, with a presentation during the drivers' briefing.

"I did not learn anything at the presentation that could change my mind," Nico Hulkenberg, one such Halo sceptic, told Auto Motor und Sport.

Fellow opponents include Max Verstappen, Esteban Ocon, Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer, the German report added.

However, Hulkenberg fears that "If a vote were to be taken, the majority would probably be in favor".

American Chase Carey with Bernie Ecclestone. Can the Americans bring the cost of F1 down?

Liberty still striding towards F1 takeover
(GMM) Liberty Media is continuing to formalize its takeover of formula one.

Last week, the company said it had lined up $1.55 billion in investments to support the deal.

"We look forward to closing the transaction in early 2017," said CEO Greg Maffei. F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said that is likely to happen in February.

The only hurdle, Ecclestone acknowledged, is potential trouble with anti-competition authorities, but he said last week: "I don't imagine there's any problems."

Indeed, Liberty has now announced that it has now obtained "all required approvals from all appropriate anti-trust authorities".

It acknowledged that FIA approval is still pending.

A meeting has been scheduled for January 17 so that Liberty shareholders can approve the buyout.

"I think it will be the biggest upheaval in formula one in recent years," Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn told Speed Week, referring to Liberty's buyout.

"We always have changes with the rules – sometimes the engine, sometimes the chassis, but we have never had a change like this.

"The last change of ownership was not felt so much because Mr. Ecclestone was always there and perhaps was even strengthened in some ways," she added.

But Kaltenborn said she sees the Liberty deal as "absolutely positive" for F1, because it is "the area of commercialization" that the new owners will tackle.

Indeed, the Telegraph newspaper reports that Liberty is planning races in New York and Los Angeles, and the proposal of team budget caps.

"It makes no sense to have teams spending the better part of $400m," said a well-placed source.

Jean Todt with his wife

Ferrari 'only 10pc behind Mercedes' – Todt
(GMM) Former team boss Jean Todt has tipped Ferrari to keep chipping away at the small gap to F1 frontrunners Mercedes and Red Bull.

The current FIA president's defense of the Maranello team follows its performance and so-called 'crisis' of 2016, with one pundit pointing the finger at three key individuals.

First, former F1 driver turned German language pundit Marc Surer said president Sergio Marchionne is being too confrontational.

"He might make a good football coach, but it doesn't work in formula one to keep kicking the players," he told Speed Week.

"Formula one is a highly analytical sport, which Marchionne does not understand," said Surer. "Again and again he keeps saying 'We have to do this, we have to do that', but F1 doesn't work like that."

Surer said another key component of Ferrari's struggle in 2016 was the departure of technical boss James Allison, following the death of his wife.

Allison is now expected to join Mercedes.

"He was probably no longer concentrated this year, and the engineers become rudderless," said Surer.

"I found it a clear mistake to let Allison go. A part-time Allison would have been better than no Allison," he insisted.

Finally, Surer commented on Sebastian Vettel, saying the German's loss of temper at times in 2016 was "incomprehensible".

"I see only one hope," he said. "That Rory Byrne, who has been consulted for the 2017 car, succeeds, as he is an absolute genius."

Former team boss Todt, however, suggested it is too alarmist to declare that Ferrari is struggling as much as some commentators are suggesting.

"They are lacking 10% in comparison to Mercedes and 3% to Red Bull," he said. "That's not a lot.

"Ferrari has always fought in the leading group and achieved incredible success when there were no problems with reliability," Todt told Corriere della Sera.

"If we had the same reliability as they have now, we would have won the title in 2006 with Michael Schumacher and 2008 with Felipe Massa," he added.

There are reports Hamilton vetoed Wehrlein because he might be too fast

Wehrlein more 'risky' than Bottas – Rosberg
(GMM) Nico Rosberg says Mercedes should consider taking the "risk" of signing up German youngster Pascal Wehrlein to replace him for 2017.

The German team will use the full Christmas break to weigh up its options, but Brazilian reports suggest Valtteri Bottas is a real contender to emerge from his Williams contract.

The reports suggest Brazilian Felipe Massa has even been offered EUR 5 million to consider cancelling his retirement plans to fill that hole at Grove.

"Time to enjoy, have fun and …" Massa wrote on Instagram, adding an 'emoji' depicting a smiley face in deep thought.

If the Bottas-Massa deal does not come off, Mercedes junior Wehrlein is Mercedes' clear second preference.

Rosberg told German television Sky Deutschland: "Wehrlein is our German hope for the future. Bottas is more of a developed driver so certainly Pascal would be slightly more risky, but perhaps he would be even more successful."

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton has lashed out at Mercedes in the wake of the 2016 season finale, criticizing bosses Toto Wolff and Paddy Lowe's reactions to the 'backing up' controversy.

"Ultimately, seeing what had been said afterwards, I felt quite disrespected by the individuals who had spoken," he told Britain's Channel 4.

Todt asks Massa to be F1 steward
(GMM) Felipe Massa says he has been invited by his former boss to become an F1 steward.

Although the Brazilian is understood to be considering an offer to cancel his retirement if Valtteri Bottas leaves Williams, Massa told UOL Esporte that another option is becoming one of the ex-drivers who doubles as a rule-adjudicating steward.

The 35-year-old said the offer came directly from Jean Todt, his former boss at Ferrari.

"He said he wants me to become a steward at the races, but I don't know if that's what I want to do," Massa said, referring to Todt who is now FIA president.

"I certainly can do something with the FIA, helping with the road safety campaign or something. But steward; I don't know."

With no news from the family, the media assumes Schumacher is a complete vegetable

Family to stay silent on Schumacher health
(GMM) Michael Schumacher's manager insists there will be no changes to the policy of radio silence when it comes to the health of the F1 legend.

The management and family of the seven time world champion have just launched official Instagram and Twitter accounts in Schumacher's name, but his actual condition some three years after his skiing fall remains unknown.

"Michael's health is not a public issue, so we will not comment on it," his manager Sabine Kehm is quoted by Sky Deutschland.

"We are aware that this is difficult to understand for some people, but we are in perfect agreement with Michael's attitude and can only say thanks for the understanding," she added.

Kehm was speaking at the launch of a not-for-profit initiative called 'Keep Fighting', to inspire others to follow Schumacher's never give up attitude.

The news about the family's ongoing privacy also comes as it emerges that someone reportedly tried to sell to the media an image of Schumacher as he recovers.

Welt newspaper said the family launched a complaint with the public prosecutor.

One of the closest friends of the Schumacher family is FIA president Jean Todt, who was asked by Corriere della Sera newspaper why he rarely talks about the almost 48-year-old.

"Some things you do not say, you do, and that's enough," he answered.

"This area should remain personal. Michael was not the kind of person who easily made friends, but we developed a very strong friendship," said Todt.

Stoffel Vandoorne is probably right. No McLaren wins until Aldo Costa (Mercedes) and Adrian Newey (Red Bull) retire.

'Probably' no McLaren wins in 2017 – Vandoorne
(GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne has admitted he is unlikely to be in a position to win races straight away in formula one.

Although several years older than Max Verstappen, Belgian Vandoorne is already being compared with the young Dutchman as he prepares to make his full F1 debut for McLaren-Honda in 2017.

"That's normal, although we are very different," Vandoorne, 24, told Belgium's Sporza news agency.

"We have different characters. Many enthusiasts are looking forward to a fight between us, and hopefully it will be for victories."

When asked if that wheel-to-wheel for victory might happen as soon as 2017, Vandoorne answered: "Why not, but it will depend on the car.

"It probably will not be enough, but we will take big steps forwards.

"Technically, the team has some difficult seasons behind it, but next year looks positive even if it remains difficult to predict.

"Probably we will take a big step forward, which is also what we need. But if we will be able to fight for victory, I cannot say yet," he added.

Meanwhile, Vandoorne ruled out any suggestion that he might be an outside contender to replace the newly-retired Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, after Toto Wolff made flattering remarks about him recently.

"I have a contract with McLaren-Honda and I'm super happy about it," he said. "I am focusing now on next season and not thinking about the other teams."

Lewis Hamilton. As AR1.com predicted before the year began, with their superior car that mo one can beat, Mercedes determines who will be champion and for 2016 they chose Rosberg.

Hamilton accuses team of "disrespect"
Having escaped censure for his Abu Dhabi tactics, Lewis Hamilton has now hit out at his team for "disrespecting" him.

While Toto Wolff, speaking in the moments after an emotional race, referred to Lewis Hamilton's failure to obey team orders as "anarchy", the Austrian subsequently had a change of heart.

As first the Red Bulls then Sebastian Vettel closed in, the Briton drove ever slower, knowing that his only chance of winning his fourth title was to back-up his teammate, Nico Rosberg, into the clutches of his pursuers.

First Hamilton's engineer, Pete Bonnington, politely advised the driver to up his pace, his tone subsequently becoming more strident as the Briton failed to respond.

Eventually technical boss Paddy Lowe took to the radio, ordering Hamilton to speed up. Again, the command was ignored.

Whether it was Nico Rosberg's shock decision to retire, thereby leaving the team with the headache of finding a replacement at a time nobody suitable was free of contract, Mercedes subsequently announced that it would not be taking any further action against the anarchist Hamilton. Indeed, Toto Wolff subsequently went a step further, admitting it was wrong for the team to have given its driver such an order in the first place.

Now, Hamilton has accused the team of disrespect in giving him such orders.

"That was one of many uncomfortable moments of the year," he told Channel 4. "Ultimately seeing what had been said afterwards, I felt quite disrespected by the individuals who had spoken. You don't expect that from those who are in charge of so many people."

Asked if the situation has been resolved, he said: "No, it hasn't."

Looks like another chapter for that much-anticipated book in ten years’ time. Pitpass