Latest F1 news in brief

McLaren not promising Vandoorne 2017 seat
F1 decision-time arrives for Wehrlein
Monza still negotiating race fee with Ecclestone

Stoffel Vandoorne

McLaren not promising Vandoorne 2017
(GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne on Friday said there is no guarantee he will step into a F1 race cockpit for 2017.

The Belgian was dominant in GP2 last year and is strongly backed by McLaren, but the British team's last protege Kevin Magnussen has been left without a place in F1 at all.

Vandoorne, 23, told reporters in a teleconference that it is wrong to compare the two drivers."I think we're both very different and our positions are quite different," he said.

"Kevin was a reserve driver for a season without a lot of track time, and hopefully in my case that will be quite a bit different."

Indeed, Vandoorne is close to securing a Honda-powered race seat in the top Japanese series Super Formula for 2016.

"Then I will still have some racing experience with a new car, hopefully some formula one testing besides that as well, so it will be quite a bit different," he

Even so, he said McLaren isn't promising anything for 2017.

"Nothing has been promised but I'm working my way towards F1, that's definitely where I want to be," said Vandoorne.

"There are no guarantees for 2017 but it (McLaren) would be a good place for me to be, to race for the team."

Pascal Wehrlein

F1 decision-time arrives for Wehrlein
(GMM) Decision-time regarding Pascal Wehrlein's F1 future is now imminent.

The new DTM champion's employer, Mercedes, has been in talks with Manor about a race place for the 21-year-old.

But it is believed Will Stevens and Alexander Rossi's backers have substantially more to offer the backmarker team than Mercedes' EUR 4 million for a Wehrlein seat, according to Auto Motor und Sport.

Wehrlein said: "It will be decided for sure either this week or next week at the latest."

If the Manor seat is a no-go, the German youngster will simply stay in DTM.

"If formula one does not work out, it would be a very big challenge for me to try to defend the title with the HWA team," he said.

"I know how hard that would be.

Monza

Monza still negotiating race fee with Ecclestone
(GMM) Monza race organizers and Bernie Ecclestone are still negotiating over the fee for a new Italian grand prix contract.

Recently, it appeared the risk the historic race could fall off the calendar had subsided, after a controversial law preventing the Italian automobile club (Aci) from contributing funds was tweaked.

But Italy's Autosprint now reports that the organizers and F1 supremo Ecclestone are still negotiating the size of the annual race fee.

Aci chief Angelo Sticchi Damiani said a deal is "very close to a conclusion and signing, although we still have to agree on some details".

Reportedly, what was being offered by the Italians is about $20 million per year, while Ecclestone is demanding $28m — the same as the deal for the Austrian grand prix.

Sticchi Damiani is quoted by Italpress: "Ecclestone has called for $28 million, a figure much higher than we are paying but much lower than other race tracks.

"Baku, for example, will pay about $150 million over three years," he revealed