Latest F1 news in brief

2016 F1 Champion Nico Rosberg

Rosberg 'walking away' with title – Hamilton
Button, Alonso critical of F1 officials
'Nothing against' new Rosberg contract – Wolff
Teams showing 'interest' for 2017 – Vandoorne
Nasr to get new chassis in Russia – report
F1 'respect' better than more titles – Alonso
Red Bull 'the best car' in 2016 – Marko
Red Bull 'windshield' set for Sochi test

Rosberg 'walking away' with title – Hamilton
(GMM) Lewis Hamilton says it is too early to say his world championship chances are dwindling.

That is despite the fact the points gap to Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg could blow out to 42 points in China.

Briton Hamilton, the reigning back-to-back champion, has had an horror weekend so far in Shanghai, following a gearbox change and then an engine problem in qualifying, leaving him dead last for the start.

German Rosberg has said he expects Hamilton to scythe through the field, but the triple world champion doesn't think he can even target the podium.

"The Red Bulls are quick, there's the two Ferraris and there's Nico, so just getting points is my goal," said Hamilton.

"There's been no luck whatsoever this weekend, but there's no need to be too stressed about it," he added. "All I can do is try to shape the future. It isn't over until it's over."

It is that upbeat attitude, obvious throughout 2016 so far and a surprise to many, that left team boss Toto Wolff in awe of Hamilton on Saturday.

"The development I've seen in him over the past three years as a person has been mind-blowing," he said. "He has won two championships and found himself as a person."

Hamilton agreed: "My mentality is different. I have a relaxed vibe.

"But that doesn't mean I'm happy. I'm fighting for the world championship and Nico's walking away with it. But there's a long, long way to go."

For the moment, though, it is a dream scenario for Rosberg, who could win his sixth consecutive grand prix on Sunday. But, despite losing the last two championships to Hamilton, he insists he actually wanted a wheel-to-wheel fight in China.

"I was looking forward to the fight with Lewis but unfortunately it didn't happen," said the German. "But anyway, I'm not thinking about good or bad luck at this stage of the season. It's too early and things can swing around very fast."

Button critical of officials

Button, Alonso critical of F1 officials
(GMM) Senior drivers Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso were critical of F1's management in Shanghai on Saturday.

First, 17-year veteran Button joined a chorus of those wondering why Pascal Wehrlein's qualifying crash after losing control on a damp bump required a 20-minute red flag period.

"In the 20 minutes, nothing changed," said the McLaren-Honda driver.

"Obviously water was running down from the roof. People running back and forth on the track didn't alter that," Button added.

After the session resumed, the Briton got on the radio in disbelief that Shanghai officials had parked a circuit car on the entry to the pitlane.

"I couldn't believe my eyes that the car that had been taken out to the damp spot was parked right where we come flying into the pitlane," said Button.

"If one of us had had a problem, we would have flown straight into it. Unbelievable!"

Meanwhile, according to Speed Week, Fernando Alonso pointed his ironic rebuke in the direction of Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management, who aired an embarrassing radio transmission from the Spaniard's car on Saturday.

When told there was no time to make a bid for Q3, McLaren-Honda's Alonso let out three bizarre groans of disappointment.

"In the last five years not much was heard from me on the radio," Alonso said when told the moans had gone out to millions of television viewers.

"But more recently, I seem to have become very attractive," he added, surely referring to his radio calls of last year, when he described the Honda as a "GP2 engine".

"The respect from FOM is obviously still there," Alonso said sarcastically.

Rosberg to soon be renewed by Mercedes

'Nothing against' new Rosberg contract – Wolff
(GMM) Toto Wolff has admitted Nico Rosberg is in a prime position to negotiate a new Mercedes contract for 2017.

The German, who has won the past five grands prix on the trot and will start Sunday's race in China from pole, is out of contract at the end of the year but tipped to ink a new deal.

"Perhaps with his performance we should hurry up!" Mercedes team boss Wolff is quoted by Speed Week in Shanghai.

"No — negotiations are always held between the two parties and it is necessary to do everything the right way, but he has been in the Mercedes family for so long and is an important pillar of the team.

"Everything is under control," Wolff added. "There is nothing counting against a further cooperation.

"It comes down to the details that will be discussed at a certain stage, but I believe that both sides feel comfortable enough," the Austrian said.

In the event Rosberg is not retained, the obvious favorite to replace him would be Pascal Wehrlein.

The 21-year-old German has been placed by the German carmaker at Manor for his 2016 debut, and he told Bild am Sonntag newspaper he is having to start at the back of the field "because no Mercedes cockpit was free".

But Wehrlein said there is also pressure.

"The fact that I drive for Manor doesn't mean that no one expects anything from me," he said. "Mercedes will see if I beat my teammate Rio Haryanto, and even if things do not go perfectly, I still need to do a good job."

Told, however, that he must be eyeing Rosberg's expiring contract, Wehrlein answered: "That I want to be in the silver arrow is no secret.

"But it is still too early to talk about it."

Stoffel Vandoorne

Teams showing 'interest' for 2017 – Vandoorne
(GMM) McLaren may not be Stoffel Vandoorne's only option to step up into a full-time race cockpit for 2017.

The Belgian, strongly backed by the British team, made an impressive debut recently in Bahrain, where Fernando Alonso sat out the race with chest injuries.

Spaniard Alonso is back in action this weekend, but 24-year-old Vandoorne, the reigning GP2 champion, made his point two weeks ago in Bahrain.

"At this stage I don't think he (Vandoorne) has to prove anything more," McLaren team boss Eric Boullier said in China. "It's just a question of having an opportunity."

That opportunity could come in 2017, with reports suggesting F1 veteran Jenson Button might have to switch to Williams in order to continue his long career.

"This year I was already close to a permanent race seat," Vandoorne told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

"Right now it's too early to talk about 2017, but the coming months will be interesting," he said. "McLaren and some other teams have already expressed their interest in me."

Vandoorne's talent and potential is being mentioned in similar tones to that of Max Verstappen, who is from the Netherlands.

Verstappen said it would be good for another driver from a Benelux country to shine in F1.

"It would be nice if we can dominate as drivers from the Lage Landen (low countries)," the 18-year-old said, before smiling: "But with me first and Stoffel in second place."

Felipe Nasr

Nasr to get new chassis in Russia – report
(GMM) Felipe Nasr is hoping his bad start to the 2016 season finally ends in Russia.

In Australia, Bahrain and now China, the Brazilian has suggested that amid Sauber's obvious financial problems, he is suffering from a fundamental chassis flaw in comparison to the car raced by his teammate Marcus Ericsson.

"I feel I did a very good lap," Nasr, 23, is quoted by Brazil's UOL, after qualifying behind Swede Ericsson in Shanghai.

"I am suffering from some problems with braking, as happened in the first two races," he insisted.

"I am confident that the team will resolve it soon."

UOL suggested Nasr will get an all-new Sauber chassis for the forthcoming Russian grand prix.

Alonso

F1 'respect' better than more titles – Alonso
(GMM) Fernando Alonso says feeling the "respect" of the paddock is more important to him than adding a third championship to his tally.

The Spaniard reacted angrily two weeks ago in Bahrain, when while he was recovering from chest injuries, former F1 driver Johnny Herbert urged him to retire.

"Actually," Alonso told the Spanish sports daily AS in Shanghai, "after the years at Ferrari I feel I have more respect in the paddock than ever.

"I won two world championships but I have to say that the Renault was very good with reliability in that year (2005) compared to McLaren. And in the second (2016), the Michelin tires were better than the Bridgestones.

"But now after 16 years in F1, I feel there are fewer discussions about those things and people respect me much more thanks to many races and performances I have done every week.

"Sometimes you win and sometimes not," the 34-year-old added.

Indeed, Alonso says he is "very happy with my life right now" even though he is at McLaren-Honda, where last year in particular the performance of the car was awful.

So he played down the notion that the title is the only thing that matters in F1.

"No I don't think so," said Alonso. "(Gilles) Villeneuve is one of the great drivers in Ferrari history and yet … to the media it is important only to win titles."

When pressed to explain his view, he continued: "The philosophy of the media is to win many titles, but the athlete that has the recognition and the respect around the world also thinks about other things.

"To win in this sport is more or less a matter of being in the right car at the right time," he explained.

"When people talk about you and respect you even when you have the wrong car at the wrong time, that is more important than winning a title," said Alonso.

"That respect, that prestige, is more than titles. Of course I would like to have more trophies at home, but it is the way it is and I would not change a single day of my career in formula one. I am very happy," he added.

So Alonso said it would be wrong to say that leaving McLaren at the end of 2007, or Ferrari at the end of 2014, were key 'mistakes' in the planning of his career.

"No," he answered. "I am sure that looking back it is always easy to find better ways or change some decisions, but if you change any of your life, you would not be the person you are now.

"The decisions I made are a reflection of my personality and it shows how I was and how I am now. And I'm happy with what I am now.

"I know I could maybe have more trophies at home or made better decisions about cars, but at the time I made those decisions I thought they were right.

"I have always followed my instincts and what makes me happy. So I cannot regret anything that happened because I think I could be in a better car.

"I have driven for Renault, McLaren-Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren-Honda and I think any driver in the world would sign for this to be his F1 career.

"Yes I could have driven for Red Bull," he admitted, "and Mercedes as well, but for example when Michael (Schumacher) came back to F1 and signed for Mercedes it was because it was a good project, but he was out of Q3 for the last three years he was in F1."

Alonso also hit out at the paddock notion that Ferrari may even have got a boost from his departure in 2014, as Sebastian Vettel now has his sights on the title.

"Now there is this feeling that when you leave a team it gets better, but I wish someone would explain to me why when I left Renault in 2006, they stopped winning races," said Alonso.

"And when I left McLaren they won the title the next year with Hamilton, but nothing more."

Dr. Marko

Red Bull 'the best car' in 2016 – Marko
(GMM) Daniel Ricciardo is on the front row of the grid in China because his Red Bull is "the best chassis" in 2016.

That is the claim of the energy drink team's surly official Dr Helmut Marko, referring to Australian Ricciardo's surprise second place behind pole sitter Nico Rosberg in the damp qualifying session in Shanghai.

"We didn't have it (Ricciardo's pace) on the radar," admitted Mercedes' Toto Wolff.

"Ricciardo is a strong driver. And the car is also good. These conditions in particular seem to have suited them," he added.

Even Marko doesn't disagree with that, admitting he would have liked the torrential conditions of morning practice to have carried over into qualifying.

"Then we would have been on pole. For sure," the Austrian is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport. "Because we have the best chassis."

Marko suggests, therefore, that only the Tag-Heuer branded Renault power unit is letting the team down, even though the mistakes of Ferrari's drivers helped with the result on Saturday.

"The Ferrari drivers did not put their laps together," he admitted.

Red Bull Windshield

Red Bull 'windshield' set for Sochi test
(GMM) Red Bull is pressing on with the development of its alternative to the FIA-preferred 'halo' concept for cockpit protection for 2017.

F1's governing body has played down the notion that Red Bull's open-topped, bulletproof-windshield system might get the green light.

But Red Bull chief Christian Horner said the concept will be tested anyway next week, when a wheel is fired at it while attached to a static structure.

"If that goes ok, we may put it on one car very briefly in Sochi," he told British television Sky, referring to the forthcoming Russian grand prix weekend.