Latest F1 news in brief

Webber says Vettel is the best – he should know he was destroyed by him

Vettel best F1 driver, Maldonado worst – Webber
2016 Ferrari passes crash test in Italy – report
Mercedes eyes Feb 15 debut for 2016 car – report
Alonso 'best driver in F1 – Capito
Penske not following Haas to F1
Talent not enough for F1 – Dixon
Monza eyes chicane in middle of Curva Grande – report
Drivers want cockpit protection for 2017 – Wurz
Pat Fry joins Manor Racing as Engineering Consultant

Vettel best F1 driver, Maldonado worst – Webber
(GMM) Mark Webber, the always plain-speaking former F1 driver, has named his 'best and worst' on today's F1 grid.

When it comes to the best, the popular Australian and now reigning world endurance champion narrowed down the field to a talented trio, including his old friend Fernando Alonso.

"Fernando, I wouldn't say he's running out of puff, but his motivation I think at the moment is challenged for sure," said Webber.

He explained that his former Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel is a very good driver overall, while Lewis Hamilton is "incredibly fast".

"If I had to pick one, I'd probably pick Sebastian, in terms of pulling the whole juggernaut together and getting the whole team going, which I think he will do at Ferrari shortly," Webber told Australia's Wheels magazine.

"He's notoriously consistent and unfortunately I was on the receiving end of a lot of that, but he's pretty handy. Lewis has a little bit more of that mind-management challenge, whereas Sebastian is true to form in the Germanic fashion," he added.

As for the worst driver in F1, Webber answered: "Probably (Pastor) Maldonado.

"He's out of his depth and just shouldn't be there. He's making up the numbers basically."

Will the new Ferrari be any good?

2016 Ferrari passes crash test in Italy – report
(GMM) Ferrari's 2016 car, codenamed 667, appears on course to make its track debut as scheduled at the first Barcelona test.

Omnicorse, a specialist Italian media source, said the car has now passed the FIA's frontal impact test at the CSI technical facility in Bollate, Italy.

It follows Ferrari's most recent attempt to pass the test some ten days ago, the report added.

In fact, Omnicorse said the 2016 solution required "several attempts" at the crash test, with La Gazzetta dello Sport agreeing that the nose of the car is shorter than its 2015 predecessor.

Gazzetta also reported rumors that the new red car has a more tightly-packaged rear thanks to new engine architecture and a smaller carbon gearbox.

Will the W07 be even more dominant?

Mercedes eyes Feb 15 debut for 2016 car – report
(GMM) Mercedes is targeting a track debut for its championship-defending W07 car in the days before the opening winter test in Barcelona.

That is the claim of the Spanish sports daily Marca, reporting rumors that the German team is planning a 'filming day' for the new silver machine at Silverstone on February 15.

That is exactly a week before the official winter action kicks off in Spain, although three teams – Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren – are helping Pirelli to develop wet-weather tires this week at Paul Ricard.

Marca said it will be Nico Rosberg rather than the reigning triple world champion Lewis Hamilton who drives the W07 for the first time at Silverstone.

Team technical boss Paddy Lowe, however, said even he is yet to actually lay eyes on the W07.

"You won't see it yet," he said in a Mercedes video. "Even I haven't seen it.

"This is the miracle of a F1 team in January and February. There's nothing, nothing, nothing and suddenly in about 2 days, a car starts to arise."

Jost Capito says Alonso is the best. Of course he has no idea as he never raced against him. He's brown-nozing before he begins work for Alonso's team

Alonso 'best driver in F1 – Capito
(GMM) Before starting work at McLaren, new team chief executive Jost Capito has named Fernando Alonso as the "best driver in formula one".

Currently heading the motor racing program for Volkswagen, the German said deciding to take up Ron Dennis' offer had nothing to do with the diesel scandal.

"We began to negotiate in the summer," Capito told the Spanish newspaper Marca, "before the diesel problems at Volkswagen began. I want to make that very clear."

Asked if he simply needed a change, he explained: "No, I didn't need it. It is something more sentimental.

"As a child I was a big fan of Bruce McLaren, how he founded the team and how Ron Dennis then ran the business. For me it has always been a model," said Capito.

However, he is joining a world of F1 that is going through an intense period of naval-gazing, as the sport collectively looks at how to recapture some of the magic of the past.

"First I have to get in there and see how it is," said Capito. "Formula one has many issues in different areas to solve, but I think the main thing in my case is to try to build a solid, strong, competitive team.

"The regulations do not have to be a problem, since it is the same for everyone. So it's about getting the most out of it."

Finally, when asked about working with Alonso, Capito said: "I do not know him personally, but I admire him a lot.

"Especially having followed what he did last season. He did not give up and kept encouraging the team, even though the results – for a driver like him – were frustrating.

"I must say that, for me, he is the best driver in formula one," he added.

Penske – been there done that

Penske not following Haas to F1
(GMM) Roger Penske, a famous name in US motor racing, has ruled out entering formula one.

Joining the grid this year is Haas, whose founder Gene Haas – also a Nascar team c-owner – admitted recently he had been inspired by the ill-fated US F1 project of a few years ago.

Haas has allied strongly with Ferrari, but a few years ago it was actually Penske who was short-listed by the Maranello marque as an ideal partner for the future.

"It would be nice to see a third Ferrari fielded perhaps by a private American team. I'm thinking of Ganassi or Penske," former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said back in 2010.

However, Penske said during the Nascar media tour activities in Charlotte last week that he is not interested in F1, even though he won a race as a constructor back in 1976.

"Formula one is a special series today and it always has been," he said.

"It's the Indianapolis of every country. Unfortunately, unless you're based in Europe and have a commitment in that sport, I don't think you can compete on a day-to-day basis.

"I think Gene Haas has set up a completely separate team. He's committed financially to make it happen and I think at this point it's pretty much passed us.

"At this point I'd say we're going to focus on the main efforts that we have today and that's Indycar, Nascar and certainly Xfinity and our Australian (V8 supercar) pursuit," the 78-year-old added.

Scott Dixon says most drivers buy their ride in F1. The same can be said for IndyCar. It's an open-wheel racing disease

Talent not enough for F1 – Dixon
(GMM) Reigning quadruple Indycar champion Scott Dixon has admitted that even his success in the US is not a ticket to formula one.

As the 35-year-old New Zealander prepares for the Daytona 24 hour race, he said sports cars has increasingly become a main outlet for professional racing drivers.

"Having a lot of talent doesn't get you to the top on its own anymore, especially in single seater racing," Dixon told the NZ Herald.

"In formula one, there's probably only six or eight guys who are getting paid, the rest are bringing money," he claimed.

"If you're driving well and you're quick, long distance racing is a good option right now.

"The manufacturers are not necessarily looking for money, so they take the talent and that's why you're seeing an increase of young people heading in that direction," added Dixon.

A chicane in the middle of Curva Grande?

Monza eyes chicane in middle of Curva Grande – report
(GMM) Monza is eyeing a tweak to its fabled circuit layout.

Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that, as the Autodromo Nazionale looks ahead to a future on motorcycle racing calendars, a chicane to break up the famous and sweeping Curva Grande may be necessary.

In fact, the report said the change has already been agreed – also with F1 race director Charlie Whiting – and will be implemented by the summer of 2017.

Gazzetta said the cost of the changes will be EUR 4 million, while an illustrative photo depicted the new left-right as having a 2.5 meter elevation change.

Reportedly, Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel has already tested the amended configuration in the simulator and found it to be interesting.

A proper open-whee race car with proper driver head protection

The Mercedes 'Halo' concept gains favor

Drivers want cockpit protection for 2017 – Wurz
(GMM) F1 drivers have agreed that the sport should implement better cockpit protection for 2017.

Alex Wurz, president of the safety-oriented Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), told the BBC: "The research the FIA experts have done is very thorough and the process has brought forward a clear solution.

"Now the drivers feel it's time to implement the extra protection at the latest in 2017."

Calls for better head protection – such as canopies, cages or a Mercedes-devised 'halo' solution – have grown stronger since the death of Jules Bianchi.

Wurz said drivers now unanimously want a "swift implementation" of a solution.

"Obviously structural changes are required to the chassis but, with almost a one-year lead time, I don't see any technical person speaking against such substantial safety improvements, especially given the last big accidents in open-wheel racing involved head injuries," he added.

At the same time, Wurz said drivers are also pushing F1 to make changes to the tires, arguing that the current Pirelli era does not equate to "maximum-attack racing".

Drivers want Pirelli to make softer tires, which means tire marbles like this will return. Single groove means zero passing

"The drivers want to underline very clearly that they would love Pirelli to produce a tire which goes faster around corners as well as being safe," he said.

"That's what we want and, according to the fan survey we did last year, what all the fans expect."

However, it might be argued that the drivers' push for better safety as well as much higher cornering speeds are contradictory.

But Wurz argues: "We know that car and circuit safety was designed for higher speeds.

"We have seen higher cornering speeds in F1 already, back in 2009, cars went more than 30mph faster around corners," he explained.

"While we drivers want to minimize the dangers, by using modern technologies and the amazing safety know-how F1 developed over the years, drivers accept the underlying risks of racing to a certain extent.

"But first and foremost race drivers want to go fast."

Pat Fry

Pat Fry joins Manor Racing as Engineering Consultant
(GMM) Manor has signed up another big name ahead of the 2016 season.

Recently, the backmarker team signed former Ferrari designer Nikolas Tombazis.

And now on Monday, Manor announced that Tombazis' former Ferrari colleague, the similarly-ousted Pat Fry, has also joined the newly Mercedes-powered team.

Fry, who also had a high-profile role at McLaren in the past, will be 'engineering consultant'.

"We are extremely fortunate to have Pat on board to help us hit the ground running with our exciting new technical package," said racing director Dave Ryan, the former McLaren sporting director Dave Ryan who also recently joined Manor.