Latest F1 news in brief

Ericsson in this year's Sauber slug

Sauber to be first with 2017 car
F1 stewards vow to improve 'consistency'
Rosberg not commenting on Hamilton quit reports
Montoya sides with Verstappen amid criticism
Ecclestone opposed to format shakeup – Kaltenborn
Marko: Patience Verstappen's only weakness
Wolff: Malaysia failure cost Hamilton title

Sauber to be first with 2017 car
(GMM) Sauber looks set to be first out of the blocks with its 2017 car.

Auto Motor und Sport reports that the Swiss team has already booked a date with the FIA to homologate its car for the new regulations — 19 December.

Prior to an investor bailout, Sauber almost collapsed financially this year, and so the decision to use the 2016 Ferrari engine in 2017 was viewed by some as an act of desperation.

But boss Monisha Kaltenborn insists it is for technical reasons.

"We know there is a big change coming up, so with the size we are the capacity we have, we needed to focus on that change," she said.

However, team driver Felipe Nasr looks set to lose his race cockpit for 2017, after his sponsor Banco do Brasil wound back the value of the deal.

"What I see is that everyone is interested in money," he told Brazil's UOL Esporte. "Unfortunately, this is the reality of formula one — money talking louder than talent."

F1 stewards vow to improve 'consistency'
(GMM) F1 stewards are looking to speed up their deliberating and be more consistent in their decisions.

Particularly among the driver camp, the stewards have faced increasing criticism in recent months as some incidents went unnoticed while others attracted penalties.

Amid that climate, the stewards got together in Vienna this week ahead of the World Motor Sport Council meeting.

"We went through a lot of rules and looked at how we can work with the FIA to tidy up the wording, enabling us to take quicker decisions," said Garry Connelly, the stewards chairman.

"We talked a lot about how we can achieve better consistency."

One of the biggest controversies in 2016 was 'track limits', but Connelly said the FIA is doing a good job to fix that problem by modifying the tracks.

"There are now probably only 11 or 12 corners across the whole championship where there is the potential for cutting corners in a very obvious way," he said.

Connelly said one example is Monza, where at turn 1 a driver will get a "natural penalty" by going off because it takes him longer to rejoin the track.

"That makes it a lot easier for the stewards as the penalty is applied on track," he explained.

Still, he said the job of an F1 steward is difficult because of "subjectivity", unlike a tennis umpire deciding if a ball is either in or out.

Rosberg won't say if Hamilton really wants to quit

Rosberg not commenting on Hamilton quit reports
(GMM) New world champion Nico Rosberg this week did not want to comment on the latest rumors surrounding his teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Following his title defeat to Rosberg, rumors about Hamilton threatening to quit Mercedes earlier this year, and then refusing to do the post-Abu Dhabi tire test, have abounded.

Asked about the quit threat, Rosberg told the Kolner Express newspaper amid his championship celebrations: "I read about the (Abu Dhabi) test.

"But I do not know what he is doing now or what he's been doing. The whole season he was as focused as never before.

"The fact that I took the title from him is a great satisfaction, because it was Lewis," said Rosberg. "For me, he is one of the best ever."

Although some in the media depict Hamilton and Rosberg as the worst of enemies, the German actually says their partnership works because of mutual respect.

Asked if Hamilton respects him as world champion, Rosberg answered: "I think he has always respected me.

"We were friends since we were 13 years old, which helps for when we are racing against each other. I see that continuing," he added.

Montoya says to cut Verstappen some slack

Montoya sides with Verstappen amid criticism
(GMM) As the long 2016 season finally ends, Max Verstappen continues to divide opinion.

Amid comparisons with greats like Senna and Schumacher, some criticize the young Dutchman for what they think is an overly aggressive driving style.

"He is a boy full of talent," said 1982 world champion Keke Rosberg, "but he needs a little guidance.

"Too often he throws great results out of the window, and F1 is about results," the Finn told France's Auto Hebdo after rushing to Abu Dhabi to see his son Nico celebrate the 2016 title.

Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya, however, thinks the criticism of Verstappen is not fair.

"The way Verstappen's been treated, I got treated like that a lot," said the Colombian, who drove for Williams and McLaren.

"I would pass people. I left and then people realized two years later 'We're missing that'. I got an award for overtaking move of the year, and I thought 'That's my job, that's what we're all supposed to do'," added Montoya.

Whatever the opinion of Verstappen, he and teammate Daniel Ricciardo might have a title-contending car in their hands for 2017.

"Traditionally, Red Bull has always responded well to new regulations," team official Dr Helmut Marko told Auto Motor und Sport.

"The 2017 cars will also separate the wheat from the chaff because they will be more difficult to drive, and on the driver side we are well set up.

"Also, the engine development by Renault has been positive, while Mercedes cannot just rely on its tried and tested package. We're all going to start from zero," he added.

Ecclestone opposed to change

Ecclestone opposed to format shakeup – Kaltenborn
(GMM) F1 should consider shaking up the race weekend format.

That is the view of Monisha Kaltenborn, apparently echoing comments made recently by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone who said two shorter races per weekend might be more exciting.

But Kaltenborn told Deutschlandfunk radio that the person most staunchly against shaking up the weekend format in the past was Ecclestone himself.

"We've had this discussion before," said the Sauber team boss.

"It's exactly what the teams suggested, but at the time it was said it could not be done because the television times were set."

So Kaltenborn agrees that it would still be a good idea for the sport to consider a fundamental change.

"There must be the courage to open up for this, which has not been the case with Mr. Ecclestone so far," she said.

"Is it really necessary the way we do it from Thursday to Sunday? It can be more exciting and it can be cheaper."

F1 is in the process of being taken over by Liberty Media.

When asked if there should be room in the future for 86-year-old Ecclestone, Kaltenborn answered: "I cannot tell anyone whether to go or not, because the job he has done has been fantastic.

"But I think you have to know when a new era is coming, and maybe you cannot contribute as much as before."

Helmut Marko

Marko: Patience Verstappen's only weakness
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko says that Max Verstappen's only remaining weakness is an occasional lack of patience, after going through a "sensational learning curve".

Verstappen stepped up to Formula 1 with Toro Rosso in 2015, scoring points in his second race and recording fourth-place finishes at the Hungarian and US Grands Prix.

He jumped from Toro Rosso to Red Bull at this year's Spanish Grand Prix, and won on his debut for the senior team, before adding six more podiums to finish fifth overall.

In an interview with the official Formula 1 website, Marko commented: "[Verstappen has] no weaknesses aside from the act that he is sometimes not patient enough.

"He sometimes tries to force situations his way when all he has to do is wait a bit and it [the end result] will fall into his lap, but this change is already in the making!"

Marko reckons Verstappen, 19, is already capable of fighting for the World Championship in 2017, and has tipped the Dutchman to join the "greats" of Formula 1.

"He's shown on many occasions that he is light years away from your common Formula 1 driver by winning his first race sitting in a Red Bull," Marko also commented.

"Yes, the two Mercedes drivers took each other out, so this win probably fell in our laps, but Brazil showed that he is not only above average, but that he will be a great one.

"When I first met him he was a 15-year-old boy with the maturity of a 26-year-old man and an unbelievable self-confidence – since then he's had a sensational learning curve.

"He doesn't make [the same] mistakes twice, so he is definitely ready for the title fight. There is no need for any more extra preparation: he knows the name of the game!"

Verstappen compared Verstappen to Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.

"When guys like Senna and Schumacher came, they also had a different approach and were a shock awakening for the establishment – they also were criticized massively," he added.

"Now we have a young, hungry, sexy young driver, with a devil-may-care attitude about the spoils of former champions, whether they have won once, twice, three times or even four times."

Start of Malaysian GP

Wolff: Malaysia failure cost Hamilton title
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has conceded that Lewis Hamilton's engine failure at the Malaysian Grand Prix, while on course for victory, cost him the title, but he still sees Nico Rosberg as a "worthy champion".

Hamilton had dominated from pole position at the Sepang Circuit until his engine dramatically gave up in the closing stages, after which team-mate Rosberg grabbed vital points in third.

Hamilton would have taken over at the top of the championship standings with the win, but Rosberg instead moved 23 points clear, a lead he extended by 10 at the following round.

In a late charge, Hamilton won the final four Grands Prix of the season, but Rosberg followed him home every time, and the Briton missed out on a third straight title by just five points.

"This year, clearly, Malaysia cost Lewis the championship," Wolff stated.

He added: "I think that you need to win and to lose with dignity. This is a mechanical sport and if they [the drivers] would sit on the floor on the starting grid then they wouldn't go far.

"This team has built them the best car, and has made them win races and championships, and this team has also let them down on occasions, but less occasions than making them celebrate."

Wolff, though, was also keen to praise Rosberg for his efforts over the season.

"We have discussed Lewis and the situation without recognizing Nico's achievement, racing against the most talented driver as a team-mate and winning a championship," Wolff added.

"I think we should honor it, because he's tough cookie, he doesn't let go, and there are quite some remarkable character traits about him that make him a champion, and a worthy champion."