Latest F1 news in brief

BMW again rejects F1

Boss confirms no F1 return for BMW
Sauber 'attractive team' for 2017 – Nasr
Gasly still hoping for F1 future
Lauda, Fittipaldi defend Verstappen driving
Hamilton won't give up – Fittipaldi
Stroll set, Bottas less certain for Williams
Wolff admits contract talks taking place
King gets Manor practice run at Austin

Boss confirms no F1 return for BMW
(GMM) BMW has confirmed reports that F1 is definitely out of the short-term picture for the German carmaker.

We reported recently that, with BMW having ended its partnership with Sauber after 2009, the marque is now happy with its future in DTM, Le Mans and Formula E.

Motor sport boss Jens Marquardt confirmed to the major German publisher Funke-Mediengruppe: "Formula one does not fit in with our strategy."

Sauber will be a backmarker again in 2017 but Nasr thinks it is attractive

Sauber 'attractive team' for 2017 – Nasr
(GMM) Felipe Nasr has hinted that he will stay with Sauber in 2017.

Earlier, the Brazilian struggled with the car prepared by the Swiss team, and amid Sauber's fight for survival he hinted he would take his major Banco do Brasil backing elsewhere.

But Sauber has subsequently been financial rescued, and 24-year-old Nasr now seems much happier where he is.

"It's been a difficult year, not just for me but for the whole team," he told Brazil's Globo.

Despite that, he said he has kept working hard throughout the season.

"Who is in our situation knows that you cannot just analyze the results, but I have always tried to pull the team up and look at the positive side of things — and this work will be critical for 2017," said Nasr.

Nasr had been linked with potential moves to Renault or Williams for 2017, and he doesn't deny those talks.

"Yes, we had contacts," he said. "I had had options, but at the moment we have not made a decision. It's a matter of waiting.

"What I see is that Sauber is on a constructive path since the arrival of the new investors. It is an attractive team and I hope to announce my future soon," added Nasr.

Will Pierre Gasly's Red Bull check be big enough for a ride?

Gasly still hoping for F1 future
(GMM) Pierre Gasly insists he remains in the running to enter formula one in 2017.

Earlier, it was said that Daniil Kvyat's chances of keeping his Toro Rosso seat had risen, because 20-year-old Gasly has had an up-and-down season in GP2 and may not win the title.

But the Red Bull-backed Frenchman insisted: "It has never been that I have to win GP2 to go into F1, but it's always been the goal.

"For now, we will see how the season ends," Gasly told the publication FranceF1.

"It's still a bit too early. We will talk with Helmut Marko and Red Bull and try to see what is best for my future."

When asked about his current contract, Gasly revealed: "My contract still runs for several years with Red Bull — it does not end at the end of the season."

Max Verstappen defended

Lauda, Fittipaldi defend Verstappen driving
(GMM) Niki Lauda has backed Max Verstappen's driving during the recent Japanese grand prix.

Initially, Mercedes lodged a protest against the Dutchman's defensive move in his duel with Lewis Hamilton, in which Verstappen changed direction under braking.

The team referred to a generic rule forbidding dangerous driving, but Mercedes ultimately dropped the protest.

"This paragraph (rule) could be interpreted in all sorts of ways so it's worthless," Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda told Auto Motor und Sport.

"The two of them didn't even touch, so nothing happened. The protest would have been lost before it even began."

Lauda said he would even have driven in a similar way to Verstappen.

"If I was him, I wouldn't have let Lewis past on the penultimate lap either.

"For me, the action in Suzuka was much less dangerous than the one on the straight with Kimi in Spa," he said.

Also backing Verstappen in the wake of the latest Suzuka controversy is F1 legend Emerson Fittipaldi.

The Brazilian called the young Dutchman "a phenomenon", and dismissed those who think Verstappen is too aggressive.

"No, it's just his way of fighting," Fittipaldi told Italy's Corriere della Sera. "And it's spectacular. He will be a champion, for sure."

Emerson Fittipaldi

Hamilton won't give up – Fittipaldi
(GMM) Emerson Fittipaldi has backed Lewis Hamilton to keep fighting in 2017.

Some believe the reigning world champion is now in 'meltdown' as his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg races towards the 2016 title.

"I do not understand what is happening (with Hamilton)," F1 legend and former world champion Fittipaldi told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

"But he is a natural talent and I don't think he is willing to give up."

Also commenting on the 2016 title battle is former McLaren driver David Coulthard, who told Spain's AS newspaper: "I think Lewis has been a great champion for the past two years.

"But the races decide the outcome and if Nico wins the championship I don't anything could say that he doesn't deserve it."

Also at the DTM finale at Hockenheim, Coulthard's former teammate Mika Hakkinen added: "I think if Lewis can be consistent for the remainder of the season, the rest of the season will be really interesting."

However, when pressed for who will actually triumph, Fittipaldi said: "This year, I think Rosberg."

Lance Stroll protected by daddy's billions

Stroll set, Bottas less certain for Williams
(GMM) Lance Stroll will definitely be at Williams in 2017, according to multiple authoritative media sources.

One of them is the Finnish broadcaster MTV, adding that the British team's current driver Valtteri Bottas will almost certainly be his teammate.

But some other outlets are less sure, including Finland's Ilta Sanomat, amid rumors Bottas is still the first choice to join Nico Hulkenberg at Renault.

"It's difficult to talk about Valtteri's situation," said former F1 driver Mika Salo.

"Lance Stroll will be there, and Williams would probably like to keep Valtteri, but (Lance's father Lawrence) Stroll has bought half of the team so it may be him who chooses who is in the other car," he added.

When asked his opinion of Stroll, who is the new European F3 champion, Salo said: "He is not a bad driver. He has won a lot of races this season and the F3 championship.

"He deserves a place but he may not want Valtteri as his teammate," he added.

The German publication Speed Week reports that confirmation of Stroll's contract may be delayed until late October, when he turns 18, in deference to Williams' alcohol sponsor Martini.

Toto Wolff to get a raise

Wolff admits contract talks taking place
(GMM) Toto Wolff has backed Niki Lauda's claim that the Mercedes bosses are set to stay at the team beyond 2017.

F1 legend, team chairman and co-owner Lauda revealed last week that talks are taking place that should see both himself and Wolff retained until 2020.

"My salary for the work I do is 750,000 euros," he told Osterreich.

"It is now being renegotiated with new contracts," said Lauda. "Of course there are championship bonuses but in my case they are quite modest — they are not in the millions."

In Hockenheim for the DTM finale, team boss and fellow Austrian Wolff confirmed Lauda's claims to Speed Week.

"We are negotiating our contract extensions and it should all be done soon," he said.

Jordan King

King gets Manor practice run at Austin
Manor development driver Jordan King will receive his first practice outing with the team at this weekend's United States Grand Prix.

King, 22, joined the outfit in 2015 and sampled the MRT05 during in-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and Silverstone.

The Briton currently occupies fifth position in his second year of competition in the GP2 Series, having taken two victories with Racing Engineering.

"It's another big step in the right direction for me, after two really positive tests in the MRT05 which paved the way for this opportunity," said King, who will replace Pascal Wehrlein.

"It's a dream come true, but at the same time I have a job to do in the car on Friday and I want to make sure I give the team plenty of quality feedback and data to help with their challenge.

"I'll be exploring the balance of the car and correlating that with the team's simulation work.

"There'll be some new components to evaluate, along with the tire specifications for this event.

"I'll also be learning the circuit and getting up to speed with the car, which has been developed quite a bit since I last drove it at Silverstone."