Latest F1 news in brief

James Allison

Marko denies Allison heading to Red Bull
Vettel must 'earn' new Ferrari contract – boss
Engine blowups 'embarrassing', not sabotage – Lauda
Sauber admits interest in Formula E
Renault to consider driver choice 'next week' – boss
Red Bull pushing Mercedes to failure – Marko

Marko denies Allison heading to Red Bull
(GMM) Red Bull has denied rumors it is making a move to sign James Allison.

Allison, whose wife died suddenly earlier this year, left Ferrari and Italy and is being linked with a move to a UK-based team like Renault, McLaren or Red Bull.

The Red Bull link is interesting, given that the energy drink stable might be looking for a top technical brain to replace the now part-time Adrian Newey.

But Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko said: "This is utter nonsense.

"We do not talk to him. We think he will probably go back to Enstone with Renault," he told Germany's Auto Bild.

It was also rumored at Suzuka that Toro Rosso's James Key may be heading to Williams, where Pat Symonds is tipped to retire at the age of 65 by 2018.

Marko does not rule that out, but Symonds is denying the reports.

"I read that," he confirmed at Suzuka. "I was quite surprised actually.

"It reminded me of Mark Twain, who said 'rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated'. I think I take the same view on my retirement," said Symonds.

Arrivabene must earn his contract too – so far he is failing miserably

Vettel must 'earn' new Ferrari contract – boss
(GMM) Maurizio Arrivabene says Sebastian Vettel will have to earn a new Ferrari contract.

The timing of the Ferrari team chief's comments is interesting, after sections of the Italian media suggested German Vettel is in a period of "crisis".

"I can read," Vettel was quoted by Sport Bild as having responded to the Italian press' reports, "but I read rather different things."

On Italian television Sky, Arrivabene backed Vettel but suggested that his place at Ferrari beyond 2017 may not be secure.

"Vettel is neither the problem nor the solution," he said.

"The two drivers are very important and Seb is working hard although at times there have been distractions.

"He just needs to focus on the car. He is a person who gives so much, which can mean he is interested in a bit of everything. So sometimes he just has to focus on the main work that he has to do," said Arrivabene.

In that way, Arrivabene said he is not ready to start talking about Vettel's contract beyond next year.

"Seb has a contract with us, each of us has our goals and it is right that everyone earns his place and money," he said.

It was suggested, however, that a new deal for 2018 and beyond might be one way for Ferrari to demonstrate confidence in the four-time world champion.

"I don't think anyone wins because of (contract) renewals," Arrivabene insisted.

"Today, times have changed, and what worked in the past with Schumacher does not necessarily work with Seb."

Arrivabene admitted that Ferrari overall "underestimated the strength of Mercedes and Red Bull" in 2017, "and it was a lesson in humility to look behind as well as in front of you.

"It is a matter of (car) design but there were other factors outside of the merits of the project that we could not predict," he added, possibly referring to the death of James Allison's wife and the technical director's departure.

Nike Lauda

Engine blowups 'embarrassing', not sabotage – Lauda
(GMM) Mercedes officials have continued to slam suggestions they are "sabotaging" Lewis Hamilton's title charge.

The reigning world champion threw fuel on the conspiracy theories in Malaysia, after suffering yet another engine problem, this time whilst on the cusp of regaining the 2016 points lead.

But Mercedes' engineering chief Paddy Lowe denied Hamilton ever "hinted" at sabotage.

"Lewis has been very clear, certainly with us, that that's completely out of the question," he said at Suzuka.

Team chairman Niki Lauda also denies that Mercedes secretly engineered Hamilton's engine blow-up at Sepang.

"Bull—-," the F1 legend told the Swiss newspaper Blick.

"We wanted to give the world title to our main sponsor Petronas in Malaysia," Lauda explained. "Now we have to wait for Japan. That is embarrassing enough.

"Nico and Lewis will fight for the title between them, and hopefully neither will be stopped by technical problems. Any engine failure now would just be embarrassing," he insisted.

Nasr in the Sauber at Suzuka. Everyone now realizes cars of the future will be 100% electric

Sauber admits interest in Formula E
(GMM) Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn has admitted the Swiss team thought about entering the all-electric single seater series Formula E.

Formula E is reportedly going from strength to strength, with Audi, Mercedes and BMW set to join Jaguar and Renault in the capital city-based street category.

It might be said that Formula E is now a genuine threat to a series like DTM, given the future involvement of all three German manufacturers.

"No, we are not concerned," DTM boss Hans Werner Aufrecht told DPA news agency.

"All three manufacturers have made a clear commitment to DTM, and in what form their motor sport programs are designed is for them alone."

The DPA report, however wonders even if "Formula E will soon be a real competitors for formula one?"

According to Brazil's UOL, Sauber chief Kaltenborn admitted at Suzuka that the Swiss team has been interested in Formula E "from the start", and the "door is still open".

"We had other (financial) problems to solve and we did not need a new one," she added. "But we will continue to look at it carefully."

Kaltenborn said it is interesting that two companies in US media tycoon John Malone's Liberty empire are now shareholders in F1 and Formula E respectively.

"So they seem to find some synergy, although from a different perspective, but why should it not work for a team as well?" she wondered.

However, Kaltenborn admitted that potentially skyrocketing costs in Formula E could become a problem, given the influx of major car manufacturers.

"It will be interesting to see how this develops, which could take five or six years or perhaps just two, we'll have to see what happens," she said.

Renault to consider driver choice 'next week' – boss
(GMM) Renault could finally be close to deciding its drivers for the 2017 season.

The French works team has had a difficult first year after taking over Lotus, with technical boss Bob Bell saying the Enstone factory had become run down.

"From the outside, I don't think people realize how run down the Enstone squad had become, so there's a lot to do," he said.

It has complicated the process of selecting drivers for 2017, with Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer at the wheel this year, Esteban Ocon in the frame for the future but the likes of Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg all also targeted.

Magnussen's 2017 contract 'option' ran out at the end of October, but the Dane then agreed to extend it until October 14.

"(Choosing) the drivers is a very important decision," team boss Frederic Vasseur told the Danish broadcaster TV3.

"It is important not only for performance, but the drivers are also a key condition for motivation and technical knowledge.

"It is a long-term commitment so we have to be absolutely sure," he added.

However, after the lengthy delays, Vasseur revealed that Renault is finally now closing on a decision.

"At some point we have to commit," he said. "We know the driver market, we know the situation in our team, so we need to sit down next week to make the decision."

Look at his eyes. Marko (L) must be on some hallucinogen. Red Bull was 22 seconds, yes 22, behind the Mercedes when it blew

Red Bull pushing Mercedes to failure – Marko
(GMM) Helmut Marko is continuing to pedal his theory that Red Bull contributed to Lewis Hamilton's engine failure in Malaysia.

The Red Bull official had said the pace of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen in the Sepang heat "very likely forced him (Hamilton) into that engine failure".

Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda hit back at Marko's "nonsense".

But fellow Austrian Marko thinks his theory is sound.

"It's strange," he told Germany's Auto Bild.

"Why do Mercedes suddenly no longer drive in quali-mode? Why are the new engines not being given to the customer teams as was planned?

"I think our theory seems to be right," Marko added.

"As long as Mercedes does not know exactly what happens, the most obvious explanation is that it is because they are now going at full power."