Latest F1 news in brief

Marchionne (R) needs to beef up Ferrari's 'think-tank'

Ferrari lacking quality bosses – Berger
Nico Rosberg Ready To Take Advantage Of Sponsorships
Alonso: McLaren showed big progress in 2016
Massa leaves Formula 1 'with my head up'
Vettel voted 'Driver of the Day' in Abu Dhabi
Rosberg revels in maiden F1 championship
Button feels retirement decision was made too soon

Ferrari lacking quality bosses – Berger
(GMM) The problem at Ferrari is a lack of good quality chiefs.

That is the view of Gerhard Berger, who said that compared to more competitive top teams Mercedes and Red Bull, Ferrari's management shortfalls are obvious.

"You only have to look at the management structure," the former Ferrari driver told Speed Week in Abu Dhabi.

"At Mercedes you have Toto Wolff, Niki Lauda, (Paddy) Lowe, (Andy) Cowell, (Aldo) Costa. Red Bull has (Christian) Horner, (Helmut) Marko, (Adrian) Newey and Didi Mateschitz in the background.

"Only those two teams have such personalities. In comparison, Ferrari is not at this level," Berger added.

However, Berger said Ferrari's issues do not necessarily mean that Vettel was wrong to jump from Red Bull to the great Maranello team after 2014.

Will Mercedes' Paddy Lowe be scooped up by Ferrari? (see rumor page). They really need to steal back Aldo Costa.

"When Sebastian went to Ferrari, he probably knew that he would have to build a team around him," he said.

"In Michael Schumacher's time at Ferrari, he had a brilliant team around him, as Mercedes or Red Bull do now. You need top-class people all pulling together without fighting, and Seb has not succeeded in creating this yet," Berger added.

Vettel, however, ended his 2016 with a podium in Abu Dhabi, and he insists that Ferrari is making changes for the better — behind the scenes.

"A lot has changed for the better in recent months at Ferrari," the German told Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

"Although I am not the team leader, I am fully convinced that the people with the highest responsibilities, who have been criticized very sharply – like our team boss Maurizio Arrivabene – do their jobs very well.

"However, I do admit that this positive internal process is difficult to see from the outside," Vettel added.

Finally, Vettel denied that his bad mood in recent races, including expletive-laden radio rants, shows that he is not enjoying the process of building up Ferrari.

But the quadruple world champion says he has simply had a change of public approach.

"I used to feel that I have to always behave well," Vettel explained. "But now I want to be authentic and show the way that I am."

Rosberg jumps for joy

Nico Rosberg Ready To Take Advantage Of Sponsorships
German driver Nico Rosberg "climbed the podium to receive a first Formula 1 world championship, and his earnings are about to get a leg-up too," according to Bill Wilson of the BBC.

He is also poised to "take advantage on the sponsor and endorsements front." Sports sponsorship expert Nigel Currie said, "Winning the world championship will help catapult him into a new earnings bracket. When you win the world championship your commercial bargaining power soars compared with being just another driver."

This summer, Rosberg was listed 98th in Forbes' index of the world's 100 richest sports people, with estimated total annual earnings of $21M. But only $1M of those earnings "came from endorsements," compared with the $4M his Mercedes teammate and rival Lewis Hamilton made from his sponsorship deals. According to his managers, Rosberg has "chosen so far to focus on some extra sponsorship participation with Mercedes' own list of brand partners."

Currie: "What F1 teams do with the drivers, until they become so dominant that they can write their own checks and sign their own deals, is that they tie them into the team sponsors. That is why a Formula 1 championship is so important. It is like winning one of the four golf majors, or a Grand Slam tournament in tennis. You then have that on your CV, and can start negotiating your terms."

Former Jordan, Spyker, and Force India exec Ian Phillips said that "Rosberg's low commercial profile to date is not accidental."

Phillips: "He is very handsomely paid by Mercedes, and if you take on extra commercial activities it takes up your precious time. I am a firm believer that you are better to concentrate on your main job, in what is a very short career." BBC

Alonso in Abu Dhabi

Alonso: McLaren showed big progress in 2016
Fernando Alonso believes McLaren-Honda demonstrated substantial progress in 2016, though remains wary that further work must be undertaken before it can think of competing for the title.

Alonso started ninth at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but slipped behind Williams rival Felipe Massa, and crossed the line in 10th position.

However, the solitary point safeguarded Alonso's place in the top 10 of the Drivers' Championship, while McLaren comfortably secured sixth spot in the Constructors' standings.

"There wasn't really much I could do against the Force Indias and the Williams," said Alonso.

"But I fought until the last lap and got quite close, so I'm happy with the point we scored, and pleased that we secured our positions in the Constructors' and Drivers' Championships.

"Overall, this season has been positive: we've shown big progress compared to 2015, but we want to win the World Championship – and there's still a long way to go before we can achieve that.

"Still, we have a long winter ahead of us, and we'll make a huge effort in order to arrive [at the first round of 2017] in Australia with a more competitive package."

Alonso also heaped praise on newly-crowned World Champion Nico Rosberg, whose second place was sufficient for him to beat Lewis Hamilton to the title.

"I'm very happy for Nico," said Alonso.

"He's had a fantastic season and he deserved to be champion.

"He always believed in his possibilities and he managed his advantage perfectly.

"Both he and Lewis did a great job but it was time for Nico to win this year, as Lewis has three titles already!"

Massa makes the final pitstop of his F1 career

Massa leaves Formula 1 'with my head up'
Felipe Massa says he can bow out of Formula 1 "with my head up" after he finished his 250th and final Grand Prix in the sport in ninth position.

Massa battled with Williams team-mate Valtteri Bottas early on, before the Finn was forced out with a rear suspension issue, and ultimately came home ninth, half a second ahead of Fernando Alonso.

Massa thus finished his final season in 11th place in the championship standings, just a single point behind the aforementioned Alonso.

"I'm so proud for the way I finished my career," he said.

"I was fighting until the last lap, in the same way I was fighting [from] my first lap in my Formula 1 career.

"I finish with my head up, with a lot of respect from you guys [media], all of the people I work with.

"I'm really enjoying this moment, I think it's a good moment, so I'm happy, it's an amazing feeling for everything that I achieved."

Massa also heaped praise on new Formula 1 World Champion Nico Rosberg.

"I cannot forget Nico, he really deserved the championship, did a fantastic championship," he commented.

"It's a nice story that his father [Keke] was a champion [in 1982], and he's [Nico] a champion now, it's nice for him, so congratulations to him."

Vettel drove a great race in Abu Dhabi

Vettel voted 'Driver of the Day' in Abu Dhabi
Sebastian Vettel has won the 'Driver of the Day' award for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Vettel, who started fifth, conducted a longer second stint to briefly hold the lead of the race, before pitting for the Super Soft compound, rather than the Soft rubber, used by the other frontrunners.

Vettel soon passed Ferrari team-mate Kimi RÃ¤ikkÃ¶nen, and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, before applying pressure on Nico Rosberg, who was backed up by Lewis Hamilton.

Vettel ultimately had to settle for third, though still marked his first podium since Italy.

"I was trying to get close, to have a go, and thought, "Why not pass both of them?", as Lewis was going that slowly in front," said Vettel, after congratulating new champion Rosberg.

"But it was difficult [to make a pass], as my tires were dropping off at the end.

"At the start I couldn't really unfold my pace, and was starting to get frustrated, but once I had clean air I could unleash the pace we had today, and I think the team deserved the podium.

"It's nice to finish on a high, we'll take that momentum into next year."

'Driver of the Day' awards in 2016:

Australia – Romain Grosjean (6th)
Bahrain – Romain Grosjean (5th)
China – Daniil Kvyat (3rd)
Russia – Kevin Magnussen (7th)
Spain – Max Verstappen (1st)
Monaco – Sergio Pérez (3rd)
Canada – Max Verstappen (4th)
Azerbaijan – Sergio Pérez (3rd)
Austria – Max Verstappen (2nd)
Britain – Max Verstappen (2nd)
Hungary – Kimi RÃ¤ikkÃ¶nen (6th)
Germany – Daniel Ricciardo (2nd)
Belgium – Lewis Hamilton (3rd)
Italy – Nico Rosberg (1st)
Singapore – Sebastian Vettel (5th)
Malaysia – Max Verstappen (2nd)
Japan – Max Verstappen (2nd)
USA – Max Verstappen (DNF)
Mexico – Sebastian Vettel (5th)*
Brazil – Max Verstappen (3rd)
Abu Dhabi – Sebastian Vettel (3rd)

*Penalized after the race

Nico Rosberg on podium

Rosberg revels in maiden F1 championship
Newly-crowned Formula 1 World Champion Nico Rosberg labelled himself as "unbelievably ecstatic" after he clinched the 2016 title in a tense Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Rosberg occupied second position during the opening stint but dropped to third, behind the yet-to-pit Max Verstappen, after his first stop.

Rosberg challenged Verstappen after several laps behind the Red Bull driver and completed a fine move on the exit of Turn 9, profiting from superior traction.

Rosberg held second for the remainder of the race but came under pressure in the closing stages as race-leading Lewis Hamilton slowed the pace at the head of the pack.

Rosberg had to defend against Sebastian Vettel across the final laps, with Verstappen mere tenths behind, in order to secure second spot.

Rosberg came across the line just 0.4s behind Hamilton, but also just 0.4s clear of Vettel, while Verstappen was within a second of the Ferrari.

"That was definitely not the most enjoyable race I've ever had," said Rosberg.

"With Max at the beginning, and then those guys coming up at the end, it was really not enjoyable, those last laps, so I'm very glad it's over, unbelievably ecstatic.

"I would love to give the win to my wife, [she's] been amazing, thanks for all the support, and our daughter Alaia… I'll thank everyone else afterwards, it's unreal."

Rosberg achievement means he becomes only the second driver in history, after Damon Hill, to succeed his father as a Formula 1 World Champion.

"I'm very, very proud of course to have done the same feat my dad achieved, he'll come in half an hour, and I'm pretty excited to see him," he said.

Rosberg also praised outgoing World Champion Hamilton.

He added: "Congratulations to Lewis, you did a great season, [you're a] great competitor, massively quick always, and it's always tough to beat him."

Button feels retirement decision was made too soon
Jenson Button believed his decision to retire from Formula 1 was made too early in the season, although he stands by his decision to walk away from his McLaren Honda Formula 1 Team race seat for next season.

The 2009 World Champion admits that his August decision had a negative effect on his mindset for the rest of the season, even though he did not think it would at the time, and he believes that the decision should have been left until later in the year in order to continue his focus on 2016.

"I still feel August is quite early, personally," admitted Button in Abu Dhabi on Motorsport.com. "I think when a driver decides he is going to leave or retire from that sport, I think you should try and do it as late as possible.

"I think I did it way too early. I think the mindset definitely changes which is a shame, I didn't think it would but it definitely does.

"Tomorrow for me is a big day but I don't go into the last race saying ‘I can't wait til it's over', I go into the last race excited, knowing that I'm going to have a great race and I will give it my all as I do every Grand Prix."

Despite feeling the timing was wrong, Button still believes the decision to walk away from the race seat in 2017 was the correct decision to make, and although he will step into his MP4-31 for the final time on Sunday, he is happy with his choices.

"I'm very happy with my decision," added Button. "Who knows what's going to happen next year, but that's not the reason for leaving the sport.

"It's just the right time. The thought process that I had in August, long months to really think about the past, present and future. It's definitely the right thing for me to be doing."

Button hopes the team can show good pace in 2017, with Stoffel Vandoorne coming in to replace the Briton alongside Fernando Alonso, and he is already looking forward to the opportunities he will have next year to attend races.

"I'm hoping the team are competitive next year, I'll still be part of the team and looking forward to the few races I'll be at next year," said Button.