Latest F1 news in brief

A dejected Toto Wolff in Singapore. Mercedes were not given the wrong tires, they simply were not able to use their 100 HP advantage on the tight Singapore streets.

Red Bull did not push for Mercedes power – Lauda
Wolff mentions conspiracy theory after Mercedes slump
Prost says Red Bull-Renault 'divorce' coming
Grosjean hints Lotus exit for Haas 'risky'
Renault's Prost hints Grosjean leaving Enstone
Italy hails Vettel-Alonso exchange 'masterpiece'
Ferrari should give engines to Red Bull – Fiorio
Alonso: McLaren-Honda still in 'winter testing'
Tost backs Verstappen over team orders

Red Bull did not push for Mercedes power – Lauda
(GMM) Red Bull did not push hard for a supply of Mercedes engines, the German team's chairman and F1 legend Niki Lauda says.

Obviously splitting with Renault, the energy drink-owned camp is now threatening to pull out of formula one because one alternative, Mercedes, is refusing to work with them and the other, Ferrari, is yet to sign on the dotted line.

Lauda (L) knows Red Bull will use Arrivabene's (R) Ferari engines

But Lauda said the perception Mercedes was simply not willing to supply Red Bull is not quite true.

"I spoke once to Dietrich Mateschitz," the great Austrian told German television Sky. "I even went there myself.

"He said 'In principle, I would be interested' but there was nothing else. That was two or three months ago," revealed Lauda.

Instead, with Lotus set to switch from Mercedes to Renault, the German marque will fill up its customer roster for 2016 by inking a deal with Manor.

So Lauda said the matter of working with Red Bull is now a moot point, as Mercedes "has taken a fourth team and so we are full".

Meanwhile, amid rumors Mercedes could help Lotus transition to Renault next year by collaborating with the French carmaker in the hybrid area, Lauda said he "does not exclude" that eventuality.

Wolff mentions conspiracy theory after Mercedes slump
(GMM) Although immediately dismissing it, Toto Wolff admits even he contemplated a conspiracy theory amid Mercedes' mysteriously-bad Singapore grand prix.

Wild rumors that Pirelli deliberately supplied the wrong tire compounds to the reigning world champions as payback for the Monza pressure saga did the rounds in the paddock last weekend.

"For a moment I thought 'Have Pirelli given us a different tire to the others?' I'm not saying that it happened, just that I thought it," said Wolff.

It would explain Mercedes' sudden loss of pace.

"I don't remember any time in my formula one career when something like this happened," said world champion Lewis Hamilton.

"We didn't change anything in the car and suddenly we are 1.5 seconds behind. This is a new experience for us, but I have no reason to think it will continue.

"We will win more races," he insisted.

Rosberg and his engineers study the data trying to figure out why they could not parade out front in Singapore. Without their 100 HP advantage they are nothing special

Teammate Nico Rosberg is also still baffled, particularly after Mercedes dominated so strongly at Monza just two weeks earlier.

"In 15 days we lost 1.5 seconds to Ferrari and 2.5 to Red Bull. And no one in the team knows why," said the German.

Asked to contemplate the Mercedes mystery, Williams' chief engineer Rob Smedley surmised: "It must be the tires. Whenever you're talking about something more than half a second, it must be something to do with the tires."

Indeed, many are expecting harder tires and a more normal racing circuit, like Suzuka this weekend, to host Mercedes' spectacular comeback.

It may also be that the softer tires and the nature of the Singapore layout suited Ferrari particularly.

Ferrari's Maurizio Arrivabene admitted: "Singapore was ideal for us. And Japan is not.

"It is similar to Silverstone, another track where we have struggled in recent years."

Former driver Marc Surer, now a German television pundit, told Bild newspaper: "Ferrari needs hot weather or very soft tires. Unfortunately I can think of no more races this year where we will see both at the same time again.

"For me," he added, "it is clear that Mercedes will solve its problems this week and return to its former strength. Japan is an absolute engine and downforce track and Mercedes will be strong there."

Potential rain in Japan, however, may mix the pot up yet again. And Wolff left Singapore admitting he had heard there is a typhoon lingering off the coast near Suzuka.

"After the storms of the past few weeks," agreed Surer, "there is talk of a typhoon in the coastal region of Suzuka for the coming weekend."

Red Bull is done with the Renault boat anchor

Prost says Red Bull-Renault 'divorce' coming
(GMM) Alain Prost, a Renault ambassador, has confirmed reports the French carmaker is splitting with its long-time F1 partner Red Bull.

Although it was already an open secret, Red Bull mogul Dietrich Mateschitz declared last week that his energy drink stable is looking for a new engine supplier.

"It is true that a divorce is inevitable," Prost, tipped to have a leading role and perhaps even a shareholding once Renault's takeover of the Lotus team is formalized, told the French broadcaster Canal Plus.

"We should compare it with divorce while having many children, the children being the victories. There were four world titles, lots of victories, and we must not forget that," Prost added.

"So I think that if the divorce is confirmed, and this will certainly be done, then we try to do it in the best way and keep the good memories."

Grosjean is leaving a 'factory' team for the first-year Haas team.

Grosjean hints Lotus exit for Haas 'risky'
(GMM) Even with a takeover by the French carmaker Renault now imminent, Romain Grosjean appears destined for the Lotus exit.

It is believed the Frenchman, despite earlier gushing about the prospect of a Renault works team, has accepted an offer to spearhead the new Haas-Ferrari lineup next year, almost certainly with Esteban Gutierrez as his teammate.

Grosjean, 29, announced in Singapore that he has made his decision, but would not disclose what it is.

But the hints that it involves leaving Enstone and joining Haas are strong.

"I think that as drivers we like to take risks. It's part of our job," he now tells the French broadcaster Canal Plus.

"And when you make a sports career at the highest level, you make choices and there are inevitably times when they are also risky," Grosjean added.

"You should analyze the pros and cons of every situation and I'm pretty happy with the choice that I have made."

He hinted that the long wait for Lotus' buyout by Renault, with potentially-fatal court dates repeatedly on the horizon, ultimately pushed him in the direction of Haas.

"I looked at everything and at some point you have to move forward and say 'Come on, let's go'. I cannot tell you more except that I am very happy with the choice I have made and, in my head, it was very clear," said Grosjean.

Renault's Prost hints Grosjean leaving Enstone
(GMM) Alain Prost has hinted he knows that Romain Grosjean is departing Lotus.

As Renault ambassador, the F1 legend is tipped to take a leading role and perhaps also a shareholding once the French carmaker's Lotus buyout is complete.

French countryman Grosjean had earlier enthused at the prospect of Prost's return to the pitwall and a Renault works team, but he is now all but confirming his imminent exit from Lotus in order to join Haas-Ferrari in 2016.

Speaking to the French broadcaster Canal Plus, Prost said: "In the career of a driver, there are times when it is necessary to make a choice and you should try not to make a mistake.

"So if Romain's choice is to do something different, it is also because the agreement (between Lotus and Renault) was not made yet. So there is also the sporting side but also that of security (to consider)," he added.

"I have been in his position.

"So even if it is not right now, the road is long and perhaps, if he goes, there will be a time when he will be there (at Renault) again. What is important is to build experience," Prost said.

"So if his choice is really what it is – to stay or to go – you just have to wish him well, as I know he made his decision in good conscience."

Ferrari dumping Alonso for Vettel is hailed by the Italians

Italy hails Vettel-Alonso exchange 'masterpiece'
(GMM) 13 races and 3 victories into Sebastian Vettel's first year in red, the passionate, fickle and partisan Italian press could not be happier.

"When you consider that he earns less," La Repubblica said after the Singapore grand prix, "the exchange of Alonso for Vettel was a masterpiece."

The gushing praise comes after Vettel's dominant and unexpected third win of the season in Singapore.

"If fate and symbols mean something," said La Gazzetta dello Sport, "it has to be said now that Vettel has won three times just like his idol Michael Schumacher at Ferrari in 1996."

And La Stampa said: "Now Ferrari can dream of the impossible.

"Vettel never loses his head, and his victory is a personal masterpiece as well as a success of the entire team."

Former Ferrari team boss Cesare Fiorio, however, is urging for calm and realism.

"It is always permissible to dream," he told Rai Radio 1, "but also to keep feet on the ground.

"Singapore was the most favorable circuit for Ferrari of all the ones to come, but perhaps as Japan follows so quickly it means Mercedes has little time to solve its problems."

But Fiorio, who led Ferrari in the pre-Jean Todt era, also has high praise for the resurgent Maranello team.

"The engineers and designers have developed the car at an incredible speed, recovering a gap that seemed hopeless and putting Ferrari at a level close to Mercedes," he added.

Ferrari should give engines to Red Bull – Fiorio
(GMM) Cesare Fiorio, the former Ferrari team boss, says that if he was still running the Maranello marque, he would supply engines to Red Bull.

As it is splitting with Renault, the former quadruple world champions have warned that unless Ferrari agrees to release a supply of power units for 2016, Red Bull and also Toro Rosso could be left without horse power for 2016.

"I would give them engines," Fiorio, who led Maranello in the Alain Prost era, told Rai Radio 1.

"Why? If for no other reason than to not have Red Bull-Mercedes as an opponent. With Red Bull on your side, at least Ferrari would benefit from their findings," he added.

Alonso says the Honda reliability is bad given it's the 13th race into the season

Alonso: McLaren-Honda still in 'winter testing'
Fernando Alonso has likened McLaren-Honda's situation to still being in "winter testing", after he and team-mate Jenson Button retired with the same issue in Singapore.

Alonso and Button progressed to points-paying positions from 12th and 15th on the grid at Marina Bay, but were both forced back to the pits after their gearboxes overheated.

"In terms of reliability, we're not on top of the issues that we have with the car, but this is normal – the project is too young," said Alonso, who has retired from half of the races he has started this season.

"We now have the same mileage as Mercedes in Australia, so we are still in winter testing.

"These issues should not happen in race 13 but we are a little bit behind the pack."

Alonso rued a missed opportunity to add to McLaren-Honda's small points total.

"It's definitely not a very good result for us because we both could have been in the points and we missed this opportunity," the two-time World Champion explained.

"We were running in ninth or 10th. The performance on the Super Soft tire was quite good on our car, so I think that could have been our final position at that stage.

"But first you need to finish the race to score points and we didn't."

Tost backs Verstappen

Tost backs Verstappen over team orders
Toro Rosso team boss Franz Tost has backed Max Verstappen after he refused to move aside for team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr. in the closing stages of the Singapore Grand Prix.

Verstappen and Sainz Jr. were running together in eighth and ninth when the latter, on new tires, asked to be let through for a run at seventh-placed Force India driver Pérez.

Verstappen responded to the radio calls by shouting "no!", and Tost later defended Verstappen's decision, claiming that Sainz Jr. lacked the pace required to pass Perez.

"Carlos had new tires, therefore we thought we could switch positions," said Tost.

"But Carlos was too slow, he was too far behind, and then we said, 'no, Max was right', because we saw that Carlos was not close enough and could not have caught Pérez.

"Therefore we said, 'no, let them go, it doesn't make sense'.

"Carlos was always, at the minimum, between three and five tenths behind [Verstappen]. If he wanted us to swap the positions, then he must be closer to him."

Both Verstappen and Sainz Jr. had recovered from drama; Verstappen fought back after stalling at the start, while Sainz Jr. slipped into neutral following a Safety Car period.