Latest F1 news in brief

Alonso not happy being a backmarker

Lotus facing new hurdles in Monza paddock
Alonso 'unhappy' but 'motivated' – Sainz
Vettel expecting no more boos from Tifosi
No engine talks with Honda yet – Booth
Montezemolo says Ecclestone Monza threats not new
Pirelli set to announce tire usage clampdown
Williams Confirms Driver Line Up for the 2016 Season

Lotus facing new hurdles in Monza paddock
(GMM) Monza looks set to be another challenging weekend for Lotus.

After the court bailiff saga of Spa-Francorchamps, reports on Wednesday suggested smoother times are ahead now for the Enstone team, as its transporters had arrived at the Autodromo Nazionale for the Italian grand prix.

But until the black trucks rolled into Monza's gates, Lotus was conspicuous in its absence, as every other team was already setting up.

Insiders report that the team, struggling for money as Pastor Maldonado's nervous backers at PDVSA are reportedly holding back a payment, only arrived at lunchtime on Wednesday.

It is said that, in London, a group of creditors is set to present new claims at the High Court on Friday, which could mean a return to the F1 paddock for bailiffs.

Another rumor is that key components, supplied by disgruntled third parties, are missing at Monza, meaning that Lotus is targeting simply attending the event rather than properly racing, as it waits for Renault's buyout decision.

Alonso 'unhappy' but 'motivated' – Sainz
(GMM) Carlos Sainz, the Spanish rookie who claims Fernando Alonso as a mentor, says the McLaren driver and double world champion is "unhappy" in 2016.

Officially, Alonso has been putting a brave and optimistic face on 2015, despite McLaren-Honda's dire performance.

Sainz, who drives for Toro Rosso, paints a slightly different picture.

"It's a pity," the 21-year-old told the Spanish news agency EFE. "I see that he is unhappy. Disappointed, perhaps, with how things are going for him.

"But I also see him very motivated and eager, with faith and hope that the project will succeed. And that is the important thing," added Sainz.

"For him, it's a blank year or one of transition, but if next year everything works out, I think everything will have been worth it," he said.

Under-fire Honda chief Yasuhisa Arai headed into the Monza weekend making extraordinary claims about the Japanese-made power unit, including that it is already much better than Renault's.

Sainz's Toro Rosso is powered by Renault, and so when asked if he agrees that Honda's engine is better, he answered: "I doubt it.

"I was behind McLaren in Spa and the truth is that they were going worse than us, so I doubt it," Sainz added.

Whatever the case, Alonso is already fully committed for 2016, and fellow champion and teammate Jenson Button is also hoping to be retained, amid the threat that McLaren may promote the younger and cheaper Kevin Magnussen.

Britain's Times newspaper reports that the option in Button's current contract expires at the end of September.

A team source said: "Anyone who has access to the data can see the rapid progress McLaren are making. Unfortunately, it has been masked by unreliability and unreal expectations.

"That is why Jenson wants to stay on and capitalize with at least one more victory before he does retire," the source added.

The tifosi would boo Vettel wildly when he drove for Red Bull and beat Ferrari every time

Vettel expecting no more boos from Tifosi
(GMM) Sebastian Vettel is expecting a very different Italian grand prix.

On the podium in 2013, when he wore Red Bull colors as F1's dominant and reigning world champion, the German was booed with a ferocity rarely seen in the sport.

It was a far cry from 2008, when the fresh-eyed rookie won against the odds at the wheel of a Toro Rosso with Ferrari power.

And now in 2015, the now 28-year-old is Ferrari's new lead driver, with a faint chance at the world championship and gunning to wear red on the podium in front of swarms of adoring Tifosi.

"In 2008 for my first win, the fans were going crazy," Vettel recalls, according to the Kolner Express newspaper.

"I think they appreciated what I had done, particularly as an Italian team with the Ferrari engine."

After that, however, the appreciation of the Tifosi waned dramatically.

"I was never very popular at Monza," Vettel admitted, according to Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper. "Hopefully this weekend I will resolve those issues.

"When I won again with Red Bull I was just as happy but then I was booed. It was then I realized what a big difference this track is when it comes to what car you take to victory at Monza.

"So I am happy now that the Tifosi are supporting me."

John Booth

No engine talks with Honda yet – Booth
(GMM) Manor is not yet turning its attention to the matter of its driver lineup for 2016.

The former Marussia team has fielded Briton Will Stevens alongside Roberto Merhi this season, although the security of the latter Spaniard's seat has often been in question due to his lack of sponsorship backing.

"Normally, we try to enter into contracts in late November, early December," team boss John Booth told Russia's Championat.

"It is not always possible, but that is the goal."

When asked about Merhi's lack of backing, Booth answered: "Again, in terms of performance, we are very satisfied with both of our current drivers.

"I think under the circumstances they could not have done a better job. But as far as the commercial side goes, I cannot comment on it."

Manor has focused this year on rebuilding, following the collapse of the former guise Marussia late last year.

It means the team has struggled in 2015 with essentially last year's car, powered by the 2014-spec Ferrari engine.

"The new Ferrari engine is simply impossible to get into this car," Booth admitted. "We explored options in terms of significantly restructuring the car, but decided instead to concentrate on the car for 2016 — and we believe that was the right choice."

He said Manor is targeting a "big step" for 2016, but it seems another Ferrari customer, Haas, is set to debut with much more significant support from the works team.

It has triggered speculation Manor might become the first customer of Honda, even though McLaren is thought to object that that idea.

Booth said: "Let's just say that Honda is a fantastic company with a great history in formula one. And I'm sure that sooner or later they will get things right.

"At the moment there are no such talks, but I cannot say that such an option will be excluded forever," he added.

And Booth said it is certain that Manor will be back on the grid in 2016.

"Yes. I believe we have implemented a good business plan," he said. "We will not spend more than we have — which as it happens is quite unusual in formula one!"

Montezemolo says Ecclestone Monza threats not new
(GMM) Former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has weighed into the uncertainty surrounding Monza's future on the F1 calendar.

The issue will be front and center this weekend, as Bernie Ecclestone pushes defiantly for more money from Italian grand prix chiefs, who are backed in their mission by the prime minister Matteo Renzi.

2015 will be the first Italian grand prix in decades not attended by Montezemolo as a Ferrari luminary, but he says that uncertainty about Monza's future is definitely not new.

"The threats to the grand prix at Monza are like Panettone (Milanese sweet bread) at Christmas — it's tradition," he is quoted by Italy's La Repubblica.

"Whenever it is up for renewal, Bernie says it will go. But it's not true," Montezemolo insisted.

"Of course, everyone has to do his part, as nice things cost money and you can't think about not paying for them. But, with all due respect to Baku, I think not racing is Germany was already depressing enough," he added.

Pirelli's exploding tires

Pirelli set to announce tire usage clampdown
(GMM) Pirelli on Thursday is poised to announce stricter guidelines regarding the use of its tires by formula one teams ahead of the Italian grand prix.

It follows the high-speed blowouts suffered by Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel at Spa-Francorchamps, even though Rosberg's was said to have been a puncture.

And it is believed the sport's Italian tire supplier is poised to announce at Monza that Vettel's failure was also due to a puncture, probably caused by higher-than-normal levels of debris on the Belgian circuit.

That is despite the fact Pirelli initially attributed the failure to excessive wear caused by Ferrari's ambitious one-stop strategy, sparking a furious rebuke from Vettel about the quality and safety of the tires.

Nonetheless, Pirelli is tightening up the guidelines for the safe usage of its tires, even though it is not yet clear if maximum tire life limits will be mandated.

If they are, it is believed the maximum tire life of the medium compound at Monza will be 46 laps, with 29 laps to be set for the soft.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said the matter has been discussed at the highest levels between FIA president Jean Todt and Pirelli CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera.

What is certain, correspondent Michael Schmidt reports, is that more conservative limits regarding tire camber and pressure will be mandated for Monza.

For camber, the maximum will be reduced from 3.5 to 3 degrees, with minimum pressure raised to around 23 PSI in order to relieve stress on the tire walls and shoulders.

Massa saved

Williams Confirms Driver Line Up for the 2016 Season
(GMM) Williams will race into another season with Valtteri Bottas alongside Felipe Massa.

The British team had options on both drivers for 2016, but it had been rumored Finn Bottas was a candidate to switch to Ferrari, who ultimately re-signed Kimi Raikkonen.

Brazilian Massa's seat, meanwhile, had been linked with a paying driver like Force India's Sergio Perez, plugging a hole in Williams' budget.

But Mexican Perez said at Monza on Thursday that he is staying at Force India.

"I think very soon things should be announced," he said. "It should be announced hopefully before the next race."

It had also been rumored that Jenson Button might return to Williams, some 16 years after making his debut for the Grove team.

But team founder and boss Sir Frank Williams said: "Stability is key for any team to thrive in formula one, so to be able to enter a third season with one of the strongest driver lineups on the grid puts Williams in a fantastic position to continue its momentum towards the front of the grid in 2016."

PRESS RELEASE
WILLIAMS MARTINI RACING is pleased to confirm that the partnership of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas will be retained for a third season in the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Felipe joined the team for the 2014 season and has so far scored one pole position, at the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix, and four podium finishes. His experience of more than a decade at the pinnacle of Formula One is a valuable asset to the team.

Valtteri is one of the sport's most promising talents, with seven podiums to his name in the last two seasons. He has developed as a driver at Williams from being a future prospect, through our development program, to now being one of the most sought-after drivers on the Formula One grid.

Speaking about the announcement Felipe Massa said; "I am very happy to be a part of the Williams family. I am in my second year here and am so pleased to be staying as we are working very well together as a team. They respect me a lot and the results are there, and it has been so nice to be part of the big turnaround the team has seen since the end of 2013. I can't wait to carry on and continue pushing even more for the team, and for myself. Thank you to Frank, Claire, Mike, Pat and the whole Williams team for their ongoing support and belief in me, as we build on what is already a great relationship."

Valtteri Bottas added; "I am really pleased to be staying with the team for a fourth F1 race season. We have been getting stronger as a team and I look forward to what next year will bring, as I believe we can achieve even stronger results than what we have seen so far. I can't wait for 2016, however I am still fully focused on this season as we still have plenty of challenges to achieve. I must thank Frank, Claire, Mike, the Board, and everyone at Williams for their continued trust in me."

Bottas stiffed by Ferrari

Sir Frank Williams, Founder and Team Principal, said; "I'm delighted to confirm that Felipe and Valtteri will be racing for Williams once again next year. Stability is key for any team to thrive in Formula One, so to be able to enter a third season with one of the strongest driver line-ups on the grid puts Williams in a fantastic position to continue its momentum towards the front of the grid in 2016.

Felipe's blend of experience and raw speed is a rare attribute in Formula One. Felipe thrives in an environment where he is valued and can build a long-term relationship and we are delighted that he has become such an important part of the Williams family.

Valtteri has become such a staple of Williams that we are as excited about the prospect of his potential as a championship contender as we are about returning the Williams name to the top of Formula One.

Felipe and Valtteri quickly developed an exceptional working relationship from the beginning of 2014 and, while they remain fiercely competitive as rivals, they have always recognized the value of their collaboration in driving the team up the grid. Their shared work has given the technical team at Williams the best possible guidance in how to deliver the performance needed to carry the team forward, and both drivers have played a pivotal role in the rejuvenation of Williams.

The successes we've enjoyed over the past two seasons would not have been possible without them, and they will play an essential role in the targets we aim to deliver in the future."