Latest F1 news in brief

Rosberg won't be smiling if his final engine of the season doesn't last the remaining races

Rosberg to use final engine in Singapore
2016 'triple header' worries Button
Haze situation improves above Singapore
Vandoorne 'not afraid' of Alonso pairing
Hamilton will not dent Senna legacy – Massa
Struggling McLaren 'lacked humility' – Perez
Raikkonen practiced 100 race starts after Monza glitch
Grosjean admits choice between Lotus and Haas
'Either you are in a Mercedes car or you have no chance' – Fernando Alonso
Williams Confirms Major Feature at 2016 Autosport International

Rosberg to use final engine in Singapore
(GMM) Nico Rosberg is heading into the Singapore grand prix weekend with his fourth and final engine of 2015.

Earlier, it was reported Mercedes intended to run the new-specification unit – his third for the season – that, amid reliability concerns, was removed from the German's car before qualifying at Monza.

That followed a detailed inspection of the power unit at Mercedes' Brixworth engine headquarters after Monza, but Finland's Turun Sanomat claims further checks in the Singapore garage moved the team to change its mind.

"We were forced to compromise," Rosberg is quoted as saying. "We don't know if it will impact the championship battle, but probably a little bit.

"I still have the opportunity to be champion," he added. "I have a car that can win at every circuit. Let's see what happens with Lewis (Hamilton) as well."

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claims that the Monza engine has not been completely sidelined, as Mercedes now intends to test it during practice at Suzuka next Friday.

Reportedly, the decision to sideline the unit in Singapore was made on the basis that Rosberg could not have afforded the practice time it might take to change it.

"We will have to see whether it is possible to use it again," Rosberg is quoted by the German broadcaster RTL.

A bigger problem for the 30-year-old, he admitted, is his performance relative to championship leader Hamilton this year, particularly in qualifying.

"I don't understand it," Rosberg said. "This year I'm still fast, and often I feel that I have done a perfect lap. But somehow he (Hamilton) has found a bit more."

As for the title, he added: "I can choose whether I believe in it or not, and I have decided to believe that in sport, anything can happen."

2016 'triple header' worries Button
(GMM) Jenson Button has expressed concerns about Bernie Ecclestone's latest plans to amend the 2016 race calendar.

After teams pushed for the restoration of the summer break and shutdown period, which had been diminished in the provisional 21-race schedule for next year, a revised draft calendar began to circulate the paddock.

According to France's Canal Plus broadcaster, it includes a 'triple-header' — Singapore, Japan and Malaysia all paired together on subsequent weekends.

"This is not really a problem for the drivers," F1 veteran Button said, "but it's a different story for the teams.

"The mechanics and engineers already spend a large part of the year away from home, so this would be very hard on their families.

"Personally, I think three grands prix in a row is too much for formula one," he added.

There was haze over Singapore last year too

Haze situation improves above Singapore
(GMM) Singapore authorities have denied rumors they are clearing the unhealthy haze above the Marina Bay circuit by 'cloud seeding'.

Rain and wind has helped to ease the haze that threatened to spoil F1's premier night race, but some believed authorities had induced rain chemically by controversially adding silver iodide to the clouds.

Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) denied it had done so.

Whatever the case, the situation has noticeably improved on Friday, with pollution levels now officially dropping into the high end of the "moderate" range, one step below "unhealthy", the NEA confirmed.

Marc Surer, a former F1 driver turned pundit for German television Sky, said the threat of cancellation was a serious prospect for F1.

"Cancellation would of course have far-reaching consequences," he said. "But if the situation were to deteriorate extremely, this possibility would have to be considered."

Vandoorne not afraid of Alonso

Vandoorne 'not afraid' of Alonso pairing
(GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne should be under consideration for a F1 race seat in 2016, his current boss insists.

With fellow McLaren junior Kevin Magnussen now linked with a switch to Haas, some believe Belgian Vandoorne is favorite should talks between the Woking team and Jenson Button break down.

The rumor in Singapore is that McLaren and the 2009 world champion are arguing over money.

"Money will not come into it," Button insisted in Singapore. "I've just got to see how it works for me.

"It will be whether I think it's the right thing to do."

If a deal sours, Frederic Vasseur believes Vandoorne could be the ideal man for the job.

Vasseur is the team boss at ART, where in a McLaren livery, 23-year-old Vandoorne is utterly dominating the GP2 championship this year.

"Stoffel is more than ready for formula one," he told Sport Bild. "If he did not make the leap as GP2 champion, that would be a shame for motor racing."

And Vandoorne, trackside this weekend while regular reserve Magnussen recovers from a broken hand, said he is ready to be paired with Fernando Alonso next year.

"I am not afraid of Alonso," he said. "On the contrary — he would make me a better driver."

This car has so much power I can't lose

Hamilton will not dent Senna legacy – Massa
(GMM) If Lewis Hamilton wins this weekend, he will match the career tally of his childhood hero Ayrton Senna.

But rival Felipe Massa, who like Senna is a Brazilian, thinks that even when Briton Hamilton matches the F1 legend's victory tally of 41, it will not detract from the Senna legacy.

"Definitely not," the Williams driver is quoted by Brazil's UOL.

"Senna was the best driver we had and he lost his life too soon. He certainly would have won a lot more and probably other championships too," added Massa.

However, it is true that Senna was 34 when he lost his life with 41 wins on the board, while Hamilton, also set to equal Senna's mantle as a triple world champion, is just 30.

"When you think of Lewis' age then what he has done is really amazing. But in Brazil, I'm sure nothing will change" about the Senna legacy, Massa insisted.

Meanwhile, former F1 driver turned pundit for German television Sky, Marc Surer, has defended Hamilton following the latest criticism of Bernie Ecclestone.

Ecclestone has said he thought Hamilton's lifestyle antics were becoming excessive, but Surer insisted: "Lewis always gives everything on the track.

"He is also allowed to enjoy his life. As long as he is still on top form, I see no problem at all.

"I can't really understand the criticism, because Bernie had only recently praised Lewis for always being on the red carpet," he added.

Perez happy to see the McLaren's behind him

Struggling McLaren 'lacked humility' – Perez
(GMM) Sergio Perez says McLaren's current predicament is "sad", even though there is little love lost between the Woking team and the Mexican.

Perez drove for a then Mercedes-powered McLaren in 2013, but he told the Spanish broadcaster Movistar in Singapore that it was not a happy year.

"It was a disaster," said Perez, now with Force India.

"The car was very inconsistent. Each corner, each session it was difficult to predict. One of the worst cars I have driven in all my life, without doubt," he added.

"They came to the season from having a good car, but changed everything. Ambition rose to the head," Perez said. "By the fourth race they were talking about going back to the old car because the numbers showed we would not be able to win races.

"Then we entered Q3 and they still thought that we could win. At the time, a lot of humility was lacking in McLaren," said the Mexican.

Now, McLaren is struggling yet again, this time at the troubled start of the new works Honda era.

Perez said: "It's hard to say what is happening in the team, but it is sad to see such a great team in the situation they are in.

"But something is pretty wrong and it will take some drastic changes to improve things. I think the car and the engine are very bad, because there is no doubt about the ability of the drivers," he added.

Meanwhile, after Force India said it was targeting Singapore for the renewal of Perez's contract, a new target of the Japanese grand prix has now been set.

"Definitely progress has been made but we are not yet in a position to announce anything," Perez confirmed.

Kimi practiced standing starts

Raikkonen practiced 100 race starts after Monza glitch
(GMM) Kimi Raikkonen is confident he will not suffer another disastrous race start this weekend in Singapore.

After qualifying on the front row at Monza, the Finn dropped to last before the first corner after his Ferrari went into 'anti-stall' as he dropped the clutch.

Initially, the Finn and the Maranello team disagreed about who was to blame.

According to Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper, Raikkonen retired to the sophisticated driver simulator at Maranello, where he practiced the race start procedure 100 times.

Raikkonen said in Singapore that he now suspects he flicked a lever "the wrong way" at the Monza start.

"We know roughly what the reason was," he is quoted by the broadcaster MTV. "If it was my own fault, fine, but I did pretty much everything as I should have.

"You just have to learn from it and hopefully it will not happen again," Raikkonen added.

He denied that the new start procedure, where the drivers are no longer given complex instructions from engineers on the formation lap, was the reason for the Monza glitch.

"No," said Raikkonen. "The same thing could have happened earlier this year or even last year."

Grosjean waiting to see if Lotus will be bought or go belly up

Grosjean admits choice between Lotus and Haas
(GMM) Romain Grosjean has shed no further light on what decision he has taken regarding his future.

The Frenchman announced during Thursday's FIA press conference that while he definitely knows what he will be doing in 2016, he will not give any details yet.

So amid rumors Grosjean will either stay at Lotus or switch to the new Ferrari B-team Haas, the 29-year-old told RMC Sport in Singapore that he will at least still be in formula one next year.

"Yes, I announced that I have made my decision," he said.

"I was clear in my mind about what would be my next challenge. The only thing I can tell you is that it will be in formula one.

"Right now I can't tell you any more so you will have to wait a bit," Grosjean added.

Asked to confirm whether his choice was simply between Lotus, who could be set to be bought by Renault, and the American outfit Haas, he admitted: "It is indeed one of those two teams since the rest of the grid is almost complete.

"I had all the information I needed to move forward. So today I know I will continue in F1 and this is already a very good thing," said Grosjean.

Alonso the backmarker. In F1 it's 99.99% car and 0.01% driver.

'Either you are in a Mercedes car or you have no chance' – Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso is sticking by his decision to move to McLaren despite scoring just 11 points in the first 12 races since his return.

Alonso left Ferrari for McLaren over the winter, but the Honda power unit has not been competitive and he has only finished in the top ten on two occasions this year. Despite the lack of results, Alonso is remaining loyal to McLaren and believes it is still the team best placed to beat Mercedes in the long run.

"Well it's a matter of trust and confidence," he said. "Of course last year when we were at this point of the year and I decided to stop with Ferrari and join McLaren I did it basically because the project of the McLaren-Honda partnership again will succeed sooner or later.

"Obviously the situation of the performance we have this year is a little bit lower than the expectations we had last year at this time. But anyway, to beat Mercedes you need to do something different. Either you are in a Mercedes car or you are frustrated.

"It doesn't matter what the others will say, the people that are on the podium or the Williams cars who have podiums here and there, they cannot be happy. They are fourth, they are third, they are second, they are fifth … we are 16th, okay, but we want to be first and to be first I still believe I am in the right place for the future."

While Honda struggles, Mercedes has already introduced a development version of its 2016 power unit and Alonso admits closing the gap will require some sort of miracle from McLaren's Japanese engine supplier.

"Well that's the big challenge. As you said, the advantage Mercedes has now is quite big, but it's the way it is. Always one team has dominated the sport, that's always been the way it is. Now it's Mercedes, Hamilton and Rosberg have the opportunity to fight for world championships and all the others are trying to find the miracles. That miracle hopefully will come from Japan."

Alonso says he intends to see out his three-year contract with McLaren before deciding whether to write off the Honda project.

"There is not a deadline, I know that I am not young anymore, but I have a three-year contract with McLaren, so when I finish those three we have to see if we are in a position to fight for the championship or if things are not looking good I will think differently." espn.com

Williams Confirms Major Feature at 2016 Autosport International
Autosport International has proudly announced that 2016's show will host a major feature by Williams. The incredible WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING motorhome will be installed next to the Autosport Live Stage, the first time it has ever been constructed away from a race circuit, offering unprecedented fan engagement. Other features will celebrate Williams Advanced Engineering and Williams Heritage.

Autosport International takes place from 14-17 January 2016 at the Birmingham NEC with tickets on sale now from http://www.autosportinternational.com. Motorsport fans will be treated to a celebration of Williams, covering the history of Sir Frank Williams' racing team, including a selection of the cars and famous faces that have made it so successful.

Established by Sir Frank and Patrick Head in 1977 and the winner of nine Formula One Constructors' Championships, Williams will have a major presence at Autosport International 2016 with features celebrating its past, present and future.

Full details of this must-attend attraction will be issued over the coming months, but for now Autosport International has revealed that the team will exhibit some of its most-celebrated racing cars, alongside appearances from current drivers and famous faces who have played a part in Williams' success, including its seven Formula One Drivers' Championships.

Unprecedented fan engagement will be a theme of Williams' presence at the NEC. As many fans know, the Formula One paddock is often off limits for regular enthusiasts who rarely get to see the motorhomes up close. Not so at Autosport International.

As part of a major revamp of the Autosport Live Stage, the Williams Martini Racing motorhome will be constructed immediately next to the main stage – the first time it has ever been erected inside an arena. A permanent feature for the duration of Autosport International, it will be an amazing sight, standing eight meters tall and bringing even more F1 excitement to the NEC.

As well as interactive features focusing on Williams' F1 exploits, the event will also give visitors an insight into the world of Williams Advanced Engineering, the division that transfers technology from Formula One to market sectors as diverse as defense and renewable energy.

Williams Advanced Engineering has completed many high profile projects recently, including supplying all batteries to the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship. In addition, visitors will be able to learn about Williams Heritage, the team's historic racing division, which restores and fully supports Williams racing cars for private owners.

Claire Williams, Williams Martini Racing Deputy Team Principal, said: "Autosport International is the world's biggest racing car show, covering every aspect of our sport and the industry that supports it.

"We are delighted that we will have such a major presence at the 2016 event, which will give us the opportunity to celebrate and share our past and present with our fans – and also give visitors the chance to learn about other elements of the Williams organization that they may not be familiar with."

Anthony Rowlinson, Editor in Chief of Autosport and F1 Racing magazine, said: "Williams Martini Racing is one of the most-loved teams in the history of motorsport and everyone involved with the show is absolutely delighted that they will be such a major feature in 2016.

"It's great to have a current front-running team at Autosport International again, placing the event at the forefront of the motorsport calendar in the run-up to 2016 Formula One season"

Ian France, Autosport International show director, said: "We are extremely excited that Williams will be at Autosport International 2016 in such a spectacular way. From the construction of the incredible Williams Martini Racing motorhome to stands filled with famous Williams racing cars – and lots more besides – this will be a real feast for all motorsport fans."

More details of the Williams special feature at Autosport International will be announced in the coming months. The 2016 Autosport International show takes place from 14-17 January at the Birmingham NEC. Tickets for the event, which covers every aspect of motorsport from karting to Formula One and also engineering, are on sale now and can be purchased from http://www.autosportinternational.com.