Latest F1 news in brief

Massa to stay disqualified

Williams drops Massa disqualification appeal
Mercedes denies moving to sign Mick Schumacher
Kaltenborn tips Ferrari to veto ''client engine''
Red Bull engine supplier problems not simple – Massa
2016 title battle is on already – Rosberg
Montezemolo says Schumacher situation ''terrible''
Fans paying for F1 politics – Vettel
Barcelona confirms test dates

Williams drops Massa disqualification appeal
(GMM) Williams has dropped its appeal against Felipe Massa’s disqualification from the Brazilian grand prix.

After a tire on the Brazilian driver’s car was found to have exceeded Pirelli’s heat limit by a massive 27 degrees, the FIA expelled him from the results.

"The team has served notice of an appeal," the British team announced immediately.

Engineering chief Rob Smedley said the FIA''s measurement was contradicted by no fewer than three of the team’s own sensors, with Massa adding: "Williams will not be quiet, because what happened was very strange."

But the Grove based team has already wrapped up third place in the constructors'' championship this year, and has decided now that appealing Sunday’s verdict would simply cost money.

"A hearing date is unlikely to be available until after the end of the season, impacting a time when the team wishes to turn its attention to its 2016 campaign," Williams declared.

"Given the financial climate of the sport, and the fact that the decision does not impact the team’s constructors'' championship position, it has been decided that this would be an unnecessary cost to endure," it added.

Mich Schumacher has shown zero brilliance

Mercedes denies moving to sign Mick Schumacher
(GMM) Mercedes has played down reports it is shaping up to sign Michael Schumacher’s son.

We reported last week that 16-year-old Mick, whose father Michael won five titles for Ferrari but concluded his F1 career with Mercedes earlier this decade, was caught in the middle of a scrap between the two camps over his future.

Mick recently tested an F3 car for Prema, a Ferrari-linked Italian team, but has been invited by Mercedes to appear at its forthcoming end-of-season ''Stars and Cars'' event in Stuttgart.

It is also reported that Mercedes could power the Dutch team Van Amersfoort in 2016, with whom young Schumacher made his single seater debut this year.

"Mick and Mercedes are not working together," a Mercedes spokesman clarified to the German news agency SID. "Stars and Cars is not the first step of a future co-operation."

Elsewhere, Nico Hulkenberg has arrived in London to contest the Race of Champions event with Sebastian Vettel for Germany.

In earlier years, Vettel totally dominated the end-of-season event alongside his friend Michael Schumacher.

"First of all, it’s sad that Michael is not here," Vettel told the Hamburger Morgenpost. "But I am sure Nico will do a good job of replacing him."

Hulkenberg agrees: "I am stepping into big shoes. Michael and Sebastian won the Nations Cup six times, which is the right kind of pressure for me."

Finally, legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey will work part-time with the Dutch F3 team Van Amersfoort in 2016. This year, the Briton’s son Harrison and Mick Schumacher drove for the outfit in German Formula 4.

Arrivabene and Wolff scheming how to stop the screaming FIA F1 engine?

Kaltenborn tips Ferrari to veto ''client engine''
(GMM) Sauber chief and co-owner Monisha Kaltenborn has made clear her staunch opposition to F1''s proposed ''client engine'' for 2017.

As Sauber is a small team and serial campaigner for lower costs, it might be said the Swiss outfit’s opposition to the plan for cheaper engines is surprising.

Indeed, Kaltenborn agrees that the prices charged by the carmakers for the current ''power units'' – reportedly up to $30 million per season – are way too high.

"These prices are completely unfounded," Kaltenborn told Auto Motor und Sport. "The manufacturers are building their engines anyway.

"No one is saying that we have to return to V8-level prices, but there must be a middle ground."

Sauber’s supplier Ferrari, however, has already vetoed Jean Todt’s attempt to impose an engine cost cap, so now the FIA president is on board with Bernie Ecclestone’s desire for a ''client engine'' to run parallel to the existing rules.

"Six to seven million (euro) I think is a great number," Kaltenborn said. "I would hope that Ferrari offers us the current engine for this money. But I simply cannot imagine that such an engine (the independent 2.5 liter) comes in.

"We''vet just seen that Ferrari has its right of veto. So why discuss something when you know that at some point the end of the flagpole will be reached?" she added.

Felipe Massa

Red Bull engine supplier problems not simple – Massa
(GMM) Felipe Massa does not believe Red Bull’s argument that competitiveness alone is the reason the team struggled to find an engine supplier for 2016.

One by one, Mercedes, Ferrari and Honda refused to come to the energy drink stable’s aid as its relationship with existing partner Renault raced towards failure.

Red Bull chiefs accused their rivals of being afraid of taking on the former quadruple world champions, leading to the team having to patch up the broken relationship with Renault.

It is believed Red Bull will pay a full EUR 30 million to Renault for 2016, in a deal that will see the engines run either unbranded or as ''Infiniti'' and reportedly include the involvement of engine guru Mario Illien.

Asked about Red Bull’s claims that its rivals were simply afraid to work with them on the grounds of performance, Massa told UOL Esporte: "I don’t think Red Bull’s problems with engines is just a matter of them being too good.

"I think there are other issues as well. It was not just that the manufacturers didn't want to, we don’t know what type of relationship there was or what the political problems are.

"They had an agreement with Renault and it ended – at least in theory – in a way that was not legal. I think there’s a lot more to it," Massa added.

Nico Rosberg – Game on

2016 title battle is on already – Rosberg
(GMM) At a sponsor event this week, a Spanish reporter put it to Nico Rosberg that after two consecutive title defeats to Lewis Hamilton, 2016 may be a case of ''third time lucky''.

"I like that way of putting it!" the German, who also speaks fluent Spanish, told El Mundo Deportivo newspaper.

Rosberg was attending an event that involved doing a few motocross laps wheel-to-wheel with Marc Marquez, a MotoGP rider whose involvement at the tail end of the title battle between Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo was highly controversial.

"I have followed the bikes for years," said Rosberg, "and this year it was better than ever. As for what happened at the end, none of us can know what went through their heads."

A similar psychological and on-track struggle is playing out at present between Rosberg and his own teammate, triple world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton had a clear edge for most of 2015, but Rosberg now has the upper hand and is desperate to carry his new form into a strong tilt for the title in 2016.

"The battle for the next one has started," he confirmed. "We are already practicing for it and testing things for next year. For me, everything is going very well now and that’s what I have to continue."

There are plenty of theories doing the rounds. Is Hamilton trying hard enough with the title already in his pocket? Is he partying too hard? Is Rosberg better when the pressure is lower?

Or have Mercedes made a technical tweak that suits Rosberg better?

Asked what has changed, Rosberg answered: "Nothing. Nothing has changed. I've just worked hard and now I’m faster.

"IT’s not just a matter of driving hard, you have to work a lot to find the best setup — it’s an amazing amount of work, understanding how everything works.

"You have to understand what the other guy is doing better so that you can adapt and improve. When I’m in the box, I’m always watching what is happening, comparing with my teammate, understanding where he’s faster, what he’s using, what I’m using, what we were using before," he added.

The intensity of that sort of relationship means that Rosberg and Hamilton are no longer friends.

"We were friends," he confirmed, "but now we’re not. We’re rivals.

"In the box it is completely open though. Sharing information is important because if the drivers are not working together, if there is a barrier between them, the team will lose out overall."

But that sort of intense inter-teammate rivalry, Rosberg acknowledges, is hard for the team bosses like Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda to manage.

"They suffer, for sure," he said. "IT’s not as bad for us. We are always very close but with the experience to know how to handle it."

Michael Schumacher reported to be a vegetable

Montezemolo says Schumacher situation ''terrible''
(GMM) Luca di Montezemolo, the former long-time Ferrari president, has described as "terrible" the current plight of F1 legend Michael Schumacher.

Almost two full years ago, the seven time world champion struck his head in a skiing crash, and while now recovering at his home in Switzerland the precise condition of the now 46-year-old German Schumacher is not known.

"Michael was fundamental to Ferrari," Montezemolo, who is also no longer involved with the fabled Italian team, told the German broadcaster RTL. "For me, for our lives.

"He is an extraordinary person, who even in the most difficult moments was an absolute team player. To see him in this situation is terrible.

"IT’s a situation in which you don’t know what you should do. So I try to recall so many great moments in life that we celebrated together. I always think of an exceptional driver, man, friend.

"I must also say that I admire the courage and strength of his family, of Corinna and the children, and how they help Michael. From the bottom of my heart I hope to hear good news soon," Montezemolo added.

Montezemolo revealed that, all the way back to Sebastian Vettel’s pre-championship winning days at Toro Rosso, Schumacher was recommending to Ferrari that it look into working with the younger German for the future.

"The first one who encouraged us about Sebastian was Michael," he said. "He said he is alert, well-behaved, trustworthy, fast."

However, it was Fernando Alonso who ultimately preceded Vettel at Ferrari.

Montezemolo explains: "We were looking for people with a little more experience and so we chose Fernando, who – please let’s not forget – spent four very successful years with us.

"But we always kept Sebastian in mind, especially after his great successes with Red Bull.

"Of course, he came at the right moment to initiate a new cycle and victorious era, and like Niki Lauda and Michael Schumacher he can be part of the history of Ferrari.

"And for him I wish nothing but the best," Montezemolo added.

Vettel bemoans F1 politics

Fans paying for F1 politics – Vettel
Sebastian Vettel says F1''s fans are losing out on better racing due to the politics within the sport.

Lewis Hamilton voiced discontent at being unable to overtake team-mate Nico Rosberg during the Brazilian Grand Prix, saying changes are required to the cars to allow drivers to follow each other more closely. Vettel believes there is an obvious solution by improving the tires to deliver more mechanical grip, but says the politics within F1 make it difficult to make such a change.

"Naturally if you are only a tenth or two quicker then it’s very difficult to pass – whereas if you’re a second quicker it becomes more easy," Vettel said. "I think in general what we need to follow another car closer in medium speed, high speed, slow speed corners is more mechanical grip.

"So shift the percentage between aero – mechanical more towards more mechanical. How to do that? I think we need better tires that allow us to go quicker. Drivers want to be quicker. So, I think the solution is very simple.

"Unfortunately the sport is very political with different interests from different people. I think it’s fair enough to give whoever tire manufacturer, in this case Pirelli, the chance to improve their tires – but we need to run. But since the responsible people, the teams, whoever, can’t agree on something, it will be difficult to make progress.

"Unfortunately the people who literally are paying for that are sitting on the grandstands. So, we would love to go quicker. I think they would love us to go quicker and have more excitement but bottom line is, if you look ten years ago, 20 years ago, it wasn’t like there was a lot more overtaking in the race. So it’s also not a disaster what we see now."

Mercedes has voiced concerns over Pirelli’s ability to produce tires which can handle significantly higher cornering speeds which are planned for 2017, a move which McLaren’s Eric Boullier described as a "pretty desperate" attempt to maintain its current advantage.

Barcelona confirms test dates
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will be the only venue to host pre-season testing in 2016 with the track scheduled to host the two tests.

Unlike in previous years when teams took part in three tests with Jerez and Bahrain also seeing some action, next year there will be only two pre-season tests.

And both will take place in Barcelona.

The first test will begin on Monday February 22 and run until February 25 while the second test will start one week later and run from March 1-4.

The 2016 season will once again kick off in Australia with Melbourne's Albert Park penciled in for March 20.