Latest F1 news in brief

Singapore tired of losing its shirt on F1 race

Ecclestone questions Singapore GP future
Verstappen must be careful on road to greatness – Lauda
Rosberg undecided over Abu Dhabi strategy
Stroll test program 'unprecedented' – Williams
More drivers complain about Halo
Ecclestone proposes an intermission
Sauber F1 Team extends the contract with Marcus Ericsson
Wehrlein 'realistic' over Abu Dhabi chances

Ecclestone questions Singapore GP future
(GMM) Singapore has become the latest grand prix with a cloud over its future.

Three races have provisional status on the 2017 schedule, others are in doubt for the future and now F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has revealed that Singapore could be the next to go.

The night race has quickly become one of the most popular and spectacular on the calendar, and Ecclestone told Auto Motor und Sport: "Yes, it cost them a lot of money, but we also gave them a lot of money.

"Singapore was suddenly more than just an airport to fly to or from somewhere. Now they believe they have reached their goal and they do not want a grand prix anymore," he added.

When asked to comment, a spokesperson for race organizer Singapore GP told Channel Newsasia: "We don't comment on ongoing commercial negotiations."

Not just that, Ecclestone hinted that even some of F1's biggest team names might pull out.

"It could happen to us that Mercedes and Ferrari run away," said the Briton. "But honestly, if the races get better, this may not be such a terrible vision."

Indeed, it is a period of looming change for the sport, with new regulations, new owners and new bosses all arriving.

And Ecclestone told the Sunday Times that F1 needs to keep evolving, such as by splitting the current long-form grand prix format into two separate races.

"I don't know if we have the courage to change," said the 86-year-old. "Times change though and it is something we must look at."

As for F1's new owner Liberty, Ecclestone said the Americans are still getting their head around what they have bought, and need to clear European anti-competition approval.

"Let's wait," he said. "It's like a wedding — you need to be married for a little while before you know if it works."

And he played down claims Ross Brawn is being lined up for a top job.

"He never spoke to me about it," he said. "But Ross has never done what I do. He has never negotiated with organizers and TV stations.

"He's been out of the business for a while — I don't know what he could give to the sport."

Finally, when asked if he will be in Melbourne 2017, Ecclestone answered: "Did you see me in Melbourne 2016?"

Niki Lauda

Verstappen must be careful on road to greatness – Lauda
(GMM) Max Verstappen is on the edge of future greatness, but he also needs to be "careful".

That is the claim of F1 legend Niki Lauda, when asked by the Diario de Ibiza newspaper to comment on the controversial yet sensational Dutch teenager.

Verstappen has been making waves for his undoubted talent but also his borderline 'dangerous' style, but Lauda said it cannot be compared to the fiery 70s.

"No," the Mercedes team chairman insisted.

"(James) Hunt and all the drivers then knew that we were close to the spectators and the trees, so while we could drive very close to each other, we could not touch. We respected each other.

"What happens now is that the drivers do not think about the danger," Lauda said.

"Max Verstappen is one of the best drivers I've ever seen in formula one, this young guy is amazing, but he must also be careful because he is having too many accidents and too many touches, and he always says it's not his fault.

"That is wrong and it's not true, so he has to think a little more because if he succeeds, he can be the best of all time," he added.

Other observers agree that while Verstappen is undoubtedly good, his greatness needs to be tested over a longer timescale.

"He is exuberant and reminiscent of the great talents of the past," Mercedes engineering chief Aldo Costa told Corriere della Sera newspaper.

"But I want to see him handle the pressure of a championship, because at the moment he races with complete freedom."

Nico Rosberg plans to play 'Stroker-ace' again and stroke it to 2nd place in Abu Dhabi and the championship

Rosberg undecided over Abu Dhabi strategy
(GMM) Nico Rosberg is still devising a plan to tackle this weekend's championship finale in Abu Dhabi.

Although the German insists he has been tackling recent races to win, Mercedes bosses admit that Rosberg could afford to be more conservative to protect his significant points lead over Lewis Hamilton.

Now, he just needs to finish third in Abu Dhabi, but Kolner Express newspaper quotes Rosberg as saying: "It will be a difficult race weekend as always.

"It's always a challenge — nothing in formula one is easy."

However, what is new for Abu Dhabi is that Rosberg can actually wrap up his first championship with a straightforward third place.

So he admitted: "I don't know how I'll tackle the last race. I will tell you on Thursday, when I have had some time to think about it."

Mercedes says it doesn't mind what happens in Abu Dhabi, because either way, the German marque is guaranteed both titles.

Engineering chief Aldo Costa told Corriere della Sera newspaper: "We must be super careful to bring two identical and, if possible, perfect machines to Abu Dhabi.

"But I have to say that if Nico wins, it would be really well deserved.

"He is an impressive workaholic who wants to learn every minute and is serious and dedicated.

"Racing alongside Hamilton is not easy," the Italian added, "but he (Rosberg) is always there, just behind or just ahead. So he well deserves a world championship."

Rosberg will be champion if:

He finishes on the podium, irrespective of Hamilton's result
He finishes fourth, fifth or sixth, and Hamilton does not win the race
He finishes seventh or eighth and Hamilton does not finish in the top two
He finishes ninth or 10th and Hamilton does not finish on the podium
Hamilton does not finish on the podium, irrespective of his own result

Hamilton will be champion if:

He wins the race and Rosberg does not finish on the podium
He finishes second and Rosberg does not finish in the top six
He finishes third and Rosberg does not finish in the top eight

Lance Stroll – born with a silver spoon in his mouth

Stroll test program 'unprecedented' – Williams
(GMM) Williams kept Lance Stroll's test program top secret in order to reduce the pressure on the 2017 team rookie.

That is the claim of team deputy Claire Williams, referring to Stroll's near-unprecedented world tour of tracks in a 2014 car to prepare him for his Melbourne debut next March.

When asked about that program, Williams told Auto Motor und Sport: "I can't go into too much detail.

"But he drove on a handful of European and non-European tracks. In the end, he will have driven about 8,000 kilometers.

"It's to make him familiar with the job, working with the engineers, all the processes and the way the race weekend runs, including pitstops and starts.

"His preparation is unprecedented at a time when basically no testing is allowed," Claire admitted.

Undoubtedly, the program has been funded by Lance's billionaire father Lawrence Stroll, a Canadian fashion mogul.

As for why it was kept so secret, Williams said: "We wanted to take the pressure off him. And he shouldn't be distracted from his work.

"A lot of people are interested in him and his story, not only because of his talent, but also because he has a well-known father."

Ocon testing the ugly Halo in Austin

More drivers complain about Halo
(GMM) There is no guarantee the controversial 'Halo' concept will make its debut as planned in 2018.

That is the claim of Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, adding that although the Grand Prix Drivers' Association is backing the cockpit protection, many drivers are actually not convinced.

After becoming one of the latest drivers to test it, for example, Haas' Romain Grosjean said: "It almost made me sick. I felt something like claustrophobia."

And the 2017 Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg commented: "It restricts the view, especially when many corners follow in a sequence like in Singapore.

"I think the FIA delayed the introduction for good reason," the German added.

Hulkenberg's teammate for next year, Jolyon Palmer, agrees: "In a fire, I'd prefer not to have a Halo over the cockpit."

He said that in that scenario, "I think we have to wait to be turned back over. We have complained about that."

Hulkenberg has the same view, saying: "I can barely meet the 10 second procedure" for getting out of the car and replacing the steering wheel.

Sauber's Marcus Ericsson said: "It was hard for me to get out."

So the suggestion is that F1 has progressed so far in terms of safety that Halo may in fact be a retrograde step in some areas.

"With the large run-off zones, formula one is no longer as dangerous as it used to be," Palmer insisted.

Bernie Ecclestone says short attention span of fans requires a 2-part race.

Ecclestone proposes an intermission
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone believes the sport could be made more attractive by ditching the current one-race format for two shorter races, he said in a Sunday newspaper interview.

Ecclestone, 86, believes F1 would appeal more to modern audiences, sponsors and advertisers if there were two 40-minute races, separated by a gap during which drivers could be interviewed.

But he questioned whether the sport's decision-makers have the "courage" to make such a seismic change to the traditional schedule.

"People have a much shorter attention span and a lot of sports are looking at introducing shorter forms of their games," Ecclestone, the F1 chief executive, told the Sunday Times.

"The television audiences went up for Brazil. We had a long race with the heavy rain and a couple of crashes, but that meant we had two starts because of the red flags and people tuned in.

"We need to look at the traditional concept of one long race. Two 40-minute races with a 40-minute break in the middle when the drivers could be interviewed, cars worked on, would be attractive to viewers, the TV companies, the sponsors, and advertisers would love it.

"Cars would qualify on a Saturday as usual for the first race and that would set the grid for the second. It would shake things up with lighter, faster cars.

"But I don't know if we have the courage to change. Times change though and it is something we must look at.

"All American sports have time-outs built in, mainly because American audiences can't concentrate. They grow up with everything in 15-minute segments on TV. People are the same everywhere now."

Ecclestone was also critical of F1's current rules, saying they prevent drivers from being able to race properly.

"The regulation book should be retitled 'Don't Race'," he said.

"They are written in such a convoluted way and there are so many that nobody, including the drivers, knows the right thing to do.

"The proper drivers are frustrated; so are the viewers, and so am I. It is crazy.

"We need to make it easier for drivers to race fairly. I don't think they should deliberately bang wheels, but if they are racing each other and they go close and touch, so what?

"I often wonder if some of these guys want to race or just be out there in an F1 car."

Was there ever a doubt Marcus was going stay with "Daddy's" team? His father's businesses pumped millions into the team so Marcus could be an F1 driver.

Sauber F1 Team extends the contract with Marcus Ericsson
The Sauber F1 Team is pleased to announce the extension of the contract with Marcus Ericsson (26). The Swede will go into his third season for the Swiss Team. The 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship will mark the fourth season of his Formula One career.

The second driver for the Sauber F1 Team will be announced in due course.

Marcus Ericsson:
"It is great news that I will be racing for another year for the Sauber F1 Team. I have spent two years with Sauber now, and I really feel at home. A big thanks to everyone within the team for trusting in me again. From a personal point of view, I have developed a lot as a driver during my time at Sauber.

"We have had ups and downs, but we always stick together and work as hard as we can. Since the new ownership, there has been a positive push in the team, so it will also be exciting to go into this new era. Many motorsport experts are becoming part of Sauber, which is a good sign for the future.

"For 2017 my aim is to build on my performance from the second half of this season, and to continue working hard with the team. I cannot wait for the 2017 season, so that we can make our way up to the midfield with the objective to score points on a regular basis."

Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal:
"We are very pleased to announce that Marcus will remain our race driver for the Sauber F1 Team in 2017. During the current season Marcus has again showed he is willing to go that extra mile in order to make progress.

"He went through very difficult times with us, but managed those very well. In the last two years, he has made significant steps in regards to his personal development, proving his skills on as well as off track, especially when circumstances are not easy.

"He is not only a good driver, but also an important team player who understands how to work with the team and how to motivate everyone with his positive attitude. Formula One goes into a new era in 2017, and I am confident that we can count on Marcus to bring the team back into the competition."

Mercedes protege Pascal Wehrlein

Wehrlein 'realistic' over Abu Dhabi chances
Pascal Wehrlein says he is "realistic" about Manor's prospects of achieving a strong finish at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next weekend, following the team's loss of 10th place.

Manor occupied the lucrative position in the standings after Wehrlein scored a point in the Austrian Grand Prix, but Felipe Nasr's ninth place in Brazil last weekend saw Sauber vault ahead of its rival.

Manor has just one opportunity to reclaim the position at the Yas Marina Circuit, but Wehrlein is remaining grounded over the outfit's chances at the upcoming twilight race.

"We just have to do our very best and see where that gets us," he commented.

"I think we have to be realistic about what is possible in Abu Dhabi, but that shouldn't stop us fighting all the way to the finish."

Wehrlein has emphasized that Manor will need to "identify every little advantage" in order to stand a chance of securing a good result.

"Over the last couple of races we have seen what a difference three solid practice sessions makes to our qualifying and race preparation," he said.

"We have to get everything right, and at the same time, identify every little advantage and opportunity.

"If that happens, we have shown four times this year that we can make it into Q2, and a better starting position can make a big difference in the race.

"Brazil happened, so the chance to show more of what we have achieved together this year is what we are targeting."