Latest F1 news in brief

Rio Haryanto – no check no drive

Haryanto accepts Manor reserve role
Drivers need a Mercedes or Red Bull to win F1 titles – Marko
Red Bull keeping Key and Kvyat – Marko
Ferrari will be stronger in 2017 – Alonso
Renault will leave reserve role vacant

Haryanto accepts Manor reserve role
(GMM) Rio Haryanto has accepted the reserve driver role at Manor, after being dropped by the backmarker F1 team.

The Indonesian and his state-linked sponsors could not come up with the EUR 7 million he needed to complete the 2016 season, with Manor announcing on Wednesday that Mercedes-backed Esteban Ocon will take his place from Spa.

But Manor said it wanted to keep Haryanto's "F1 dream alive" by offering him a reserve role.

"We are very pleased to continue our support for Rio's formula one ambitions by offering him a reserve driver role for the rest of the current season," said team boss Dave Ryan.

"We very much hope that he will accept that offer."

Indonesia's sports ministry declared in a statement that while disappointed with Manor's decision to drop Haryanto, it "appreciates" that the 23-year-old was allowed to compete without backing in Germany recently.

"We asked to use state budget to finance Rio, but it wasn't allowed by the lawmakers," a spokesman said on Thursday. "The parliament fully supports Rio's involvement in F1 but using the state budget is not the option."

The ministry also said it cannot influence Haryanto's decision to accept Manor's offer of the reserve role.

Manor announced on Thursday that Haryanto has accepted the offer.

"Rio will be available to deputize should either race driver be unable to take part in an event," the team said.


You do not win in F1 with one of these guys designing your car – Adrian Newey or Aldo Costa. Without them you are sucking wind

Drivers need a Mercedes or Red Bull to win F1 titles – Marko
(GMM) Dr Helmut Marko thinks drivers wanting to win the 2017 world championship need to be at the wheel of a Mercedes or a Red Bull.

Ferrari began this season as Mercedes' closest challenger, but Red Bull has sped past the great Italian team as the sport enters its August summer shutdown.

"The goal for this year is to keep second place in the constructors' championship, win more races and then go for the title next year," said team boss Christian Horner, whose drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen were both on the Hockenheim podium behind winner Lewis Hamilton.

Gerhard Berger, who was the first Red Bull-sponsored athlete, thinks Ricciardo and Verstappen is the ideal pairing for the energy drink owned team.

"Maybe already, but certainly by no later than next season, it is the best driving pairing in formula one," he told Auto Bild.

Red Bull official Marko – the architect of that lineup – agrees: "Our engine manufacturer Renault is now properly on the gas, our chassis is always one of the best, so it is not arrogant to argue that a driver must be sitting in a Red Bull or a Mercedes to win a title in the next three years."

James Key

Red Bull keeping Key and Kvyat – Marko
(GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has played down speculation that two key Red Bull figures could be set to leave the energy drink company's F1 foray.

With James Allison now gone at Ferrari, some have wondered if rumors the Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso's technical boss James Key might be the ideal replacement.

But Marko, who is Red Bull magnate Dietrich Mateschitz's F1 right-hand man, insisted: "Key has a contract until the end of 2018."

The Austrian also responded to reports that struggling Daniil Kvyat, who has struggled since being demoted from Red Bull to Toro Rosso, will be dropped by the energy drink camp altogether by the end of the season — and possibly even before.

"In terms of Kvyat, we're holding onto him," Marko announced to Auto Bild.

"He just needs time to clear his head, refuel his self-confidence and return to his full potential," he added.

Fernando Alonso likes to hear himself talk. With and engine guy now ahead of Ferrari's car and chassis development, they are going nowhere but backward

Ferrari will be stronger in 2017 – Alonso
(GMM) Fernando Alonso says he has no hard feelings as he looks back on his decision to quit Ferrari.

Although the Spaniard has struggled with McLaren-Honda since leaving Maranello at the end of 2014, he declared at the time that he would rather build up a new project rather than keep finishing second in red.

"When I was there, it was a great time," he now tells Brazil's UOL Esporte.

"We were fighting for the championships — the team was very strong and happy.

"But I felt it was the right time to go because in 2015 and 2016 I would be there for the sixth, seventh years and still be behind Mercedes. And I wanted to have a great time, not a painful time, so it was my decision."

Indeed, some believe that Sebastian Vettel – Alonso's successor – may already be feeling some of that frustration with a series of recent outbursts and mistakes.

Pundit Marc Surer told Auto Bild: "Sebastian does not accept that Ferrari is not a winning car and that's why errors are creeping in, while Kimi just does his thing and is sometimes faster."

But Alonso thinks Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen will be enjoying their time at Ferrari.

"Now they (Ferrari) have Kimi and Sebastian getting along together and I'm sure they're enjoying it, albeit missing the championship. But I think next year they will be stronger," he said.

However, many pundits now regard Ferrari as being in crisis, having been overtaken in the championship by Red Bull and losing technical boss James Allison.

"It's never easy to speak from the outside," Alonso said.

"I think this year they are better than last year, more competitive. Last year they were on the podium too but already they are 150 points behind Mercedes which is not good.

"But it's hard for anyone to compete with Mercedes," he insisted. "It's not only a problem for Ferrari — Mercedes has an advantage that is so great since the regulations changed, so maybe next year, with the rule changes, things can be mixed up again.

"I'm sure that Ferrari will be strong again," Alonso said.

Renault with Magnussen at the wheel

Renault will leave reserve role vacant
Renault says that it will be leaving the role of reserve driver vacant for the remainder of the 2016 campaign, following the departure of Esteban Ocon to a race seat with Manor.

Ocon joined Renault as back-up to Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer at the start of the season, participating in four free practice sessions in the RS16, as well as a full day of testing.

Manor announced on Wednesday that Ocon will make his Formula 1 debut with the squad in Belgium, alongside Pascal Wehrlein, after Rio Haryanto failed to fulfil contractual obligations.

Ocon will therefore be unable to continue his duties as Renault's reserve driver and the manufacturer soon confirmed that his position will not be filled for the upcoming races.

"One of our lucky drivers already under contract will get the call if needed," Renault stated on social media, referring to stepping in for either Magnussen or Palmer, should the situation arise.

Renault has GP2 racers Sergey Sirotkin and Nicholas Latifi on its books as test drivers, with the Russian having participated in practice in Russia and post-race testing in Britain.

Oliver Rowland, also in GP2, is part of the Renault Sport Academy.