Latest F1 news in brief

Rosberg and Perez grab a laugh at Thursday's Mexican GP press conference

Rosberg bats away Ecclestone, Hamilton noise
Verstappen responds to Marko criticism
Kvyat deserves Toro Rosso seat – Coulthard
Pirelli testing for some drivers 'unfair' – Sainz Jr.
Gene Haas knew 'almost nothing' about F1
Arrivabene needs help running Ferrari – Ecclestone
Malaysia should back drivers, not race – minister
Barcelona confirms 2017 pre-season dates
Ecclestone wants walls and danger

Rosberg bats away Ecclestone, Hamilton noise
(GMM) Nico Rosberg says he is maintaining his focus, despite comments made by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Mercedes' Niki Lauda reacted angrily when Ecclestone admitted he hopes Lewis Hamilton wins the title, because the Briton is the better ambassador for the sport.

"I spoke to him personally and he said that's not exactly the way he said it," Rosberg said in Mexico, where the German has his first title 'match point' of the year.

"Anyway, it's not something that's important to me — I focus on my thing and that's it."

However, it's not the only noise surrounding Rosberg's 26-point lead that, statistically, he should be able to hang onto until the checkered flag in Abu Dhabi.

Many people – Hamilton included – think Rosberg's campaign has been significantly boosted by persistent technical problems on the sister car.

"If I had had a reliable car, then this season would have taken a different course — more like 2014 and 2015," the Briton said on Thursday.

"But I have to live with it."

Rosberg told reporters that he is shutting out all that sort of noise.

"Those are two examples that you've given me and that's the nature of the business," he said. "It's always going to be like that so I like to focus on the people who really support me."

2016 would be Rosberg's first title, but his countryman Sebastian Vettel has won no fewer than four times.

The Ferrari driver said in Mexico: "For Nico it's important to try to keep his focus and not think about it too much. Then it's just down to your own performance.

"But Nico has been performing on eye-level with Lewis this year, so he need not be worried. From a German perspective, it would be nice if Nico did it," Vettel added.

Marko and Verstappen

Verstappen responds to Marko criticism
(GMM) While he may change how he sounds from now on, Max Verstappen says he will keep charging ahead in F1.

Some have suggested that the young Dutchman often sounds arrogant on the radio, like when he declared "I'm not here to finish fourth" in Austin.

"Now I will answer with yes, no, ok," Verstappen said in Mexico.

One of his critics, however, is Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko, who thinks the 19-year-old should have followed his engineer's advice and looked after his tires.

"The comments from Helmut Marko? I don't know what to say," Max – his face covered in 'day of the dead' face paint on Thursday – said.

"In my opinion, things are going very well. In the races, I am constantly learning something but I think that I've been very stable this season."

Teammate Daniel Ricciardo was also wearing a 'day of the dead' painted tribute on his face on Thursday, where he agreed with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone's idea that circuits should be lined with walls rather than run-off.

"It's tough because we always talk about safety but I think walls are actually pretty good," said the Australian.

Ecclestone needs a Russian driver for the Russian GP. Period.

Kvyat deserves Toro Rosso seat – Coulthard
(GMM) Daniil Kvyat deserves his place in F1.

That is the view of former F1 driver David Coulthard, following the claims of other pundits like Jacques Villeneuve who think the young Russian should have been dropped.

"Kvyat has definitely earned a contract extension," the Russian service Sportbox quotes the former McLaren and Red Bull driver as saying.

"Red Bull is not a charitable organization and they invest heavily in the development of young talent, so they would not have left him in the team for no reason.

"I think he's a great guy. He has excellent speed, but we all know that the main thing is to show it all of the time," Coulthard added.

A poting Carlos Sainz Jr. drives for a 'have-not' team

A pouting Carlos Sainz Jr. drives for a 'have-not' team

Pirelli testing for some drivers 'unfair' – Sainz Jr.
(GMM) Carlos Sainz Jr. says it's "unfair" that some teams and drivers are getting early experience of Pirelli's bigger tires for 2017.

Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull have produced test cars based on their 2015 machines to simulate the higher downforce and grip that will be produced next year.

"It seems unfair that there are drivers who already know what those tires are like, and others who don't," Sainz, who drives for Toro Rosso, told the Spanish broadcaster Movistar in Mexico.

He said he thinks Pirelli should have had enough data to "make a decent tire for the first races and then develop it" after that.

So the Spaniard said he has asked Red Bull if he can join the team's forthcoming test in Abu Dhabi.

"I have offered to test in Abu Dhabi, because I will take any opportunity I can get. But maybe it's already a little too late," Sainz added.

He also spoke about the final three-race battle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg for the title.

Sainz said: "Lewis still has a chance, although it's true that Nico is far ahead. But while you still have to fight, championships are never won."

Anti-American Guenter Steiner (L) probably told F1 'greenhorn' Haas to not hire an American driver and the 'greenhorn' swallowed it. So instead of Alexander Rossi they got backmarker Esteban Gutierrez and the result is America has no F1 driver.

Gene Haas knew 'almost nothing' about F1
(GMM) Gene Haas says his biggest lesson in 2017 has been how "complicated" F1 is.

The American entered the sport this year with a brand new team supported technically by Ferrari and Dallara, and immediately impressed.

But the second half of the season has been more difficult, beset by technical problems and Haas told the French magazine Auto Hebdo: "I have learned that F1 is infinitely more complicated than I thought".

"The engines and all the systems are complicated, the software is hyper sophisticated, how data is analyzed and defining strategies is incredibly complex, and I haven't even mentioned the management of tires, etc.

"In fact, I have learned that I knew nothing about F1, or almost nothing," Haas added.

Nonetheless, he said he thinks Haas has performed well for its debut season.

"Overall, the season has been a lot better than we expected," said Haas.

"Despite the difficulties, I must admit I was expecting a more difficult first season.

"Being able to score so early in the season gave us the confidence we needed, and even though the euphoria was short-lived, the points we earned in the first part was the foundation on which we have continued to build from."

Arrivabene in over his head

Arrivabene needs help running Ferrari – Ecclestone
(GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has advised Ferrari to install an 'advisor' to help Maurizio Arrivabene run the great Italian team.

Having failed to win a title since 2007, the Maranello marque targeted the championship this year but instead fell behind second-placed team Red Bull.

So Pino Allievi, arguably the most respected Italian journalist, asked F1 supremo Ecclestone what ingredient he thinks the sport's most famous team is missing.

"Ferrari has all the ingredients it needs to win the championship," the 85-year-old told La Gazzetta dello Sport, "from drivers to all the technical support.

"Perhaps we are talking about a personnel problem.

"I saw a similar situation when I suggested that Ferrari should hire Jean Todt," Ecclestone continued, referring to the early 90s.

"It was not easy, because they preferred to have an Italian boss. But I believe this is what Ferrari is missing.

"And I'm not saying someone to replace Arrivabene, but rather someone who can support him in daily operations," he added.

Alex Yoong

Malaysia should back drivers, not race – minister
(GMM) Money currently put into hosting an annual grand prix could instead support Malaysian drivers pushing to break into F1.

That is the claim of Malaysian sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who earlier caused a stir by suggesting the government should no longer pay for a race each year at Sepang.

He told the local Bernama news agency that a better use of Malaysian money would be to help local talents like Jazeman Jaafar, Nabil Jeffri and Akash Nandy, who race in the lower categories GP2 and GP3.

"They have the potential, but no one is willing to sponsor them, when at the same time the government spends a large amount sponsoring a race which no longer brings returns, both sporting-wise or economically," he said.

Jamaluddin argues that a better route for Malaysia would be to start with a top driver, which would then build up local support and a F1 culture.

"We've had an F1 driver (Alex Yoong) but it's not a podium driver," he said.

"And if we don't have a driver, then there aren't many opportunities for mechanics and our officers to join a formula one team," he added.

Barcelona confirms 2017 pre-season dates
Next year's two pre-season tests will be held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from February 27 to March 2 and March 7 to 10, the track has announced.

After months of speculation, it was finally confirmed by team bosses last week that 2017 testing would take place at the Spanish Grand Prix venue, with dates to be finalized.

It had been suggested that, with Pirelli introducing much wider tires, pre-season running could be held in Bahrain's hotter temperatures, or split between two venues.

However, a compromise was reached that will see Barcelona host both tests, from late February through early March, with Bahrain hosting the first in-season gathering.

It may be time to put the old man out to pasture. He thinks F1 is missing the intrigue to death

Ecclestone wants walls and danger
Bernie Ecclestone is once again courting controversy as he has urged Formula 1 to take steps to make the sport more dangerous by surrounding the tracks with walls.

Although Formula 1 is always looking for ways to improve safety, resulting in bigger and bigger run-off areas, the F1 supremo it should actually go in the opposite direction.

"In those (the old) days, and it can't happen again, people would come to a race and think somebody could get killed," he told Reuters.

"Today they know they come to a race and nobody is going to get killed. Which is good.

"I've been criticized probably by everybody because I wanted to build 40cm walls around the corners.

"They keep saying they mustn't go off the road, I promise they won't."

His suggestions, though, didn't stop there.

The 86-year-old supremo also feels Formula 1 should have surrounded Fernando Alonso with a curtain and whisked him away when he suffered massive accident in Australia, keeping fans in suspense as to his health.

He explained: "What Fernando had in Australia … you wouldn’t think he was going to walk away.

"What we ought to do immediately that happens is have big sheets all the way around, bring the ambulance in … and take him away.

"He’s gone to the hospital and later on you announce that, thank God, he’s out.

"A bit of showbiz. People like that."