Latest F1 news in brief

Ecclestone says the F1 engines are crap, not the entire series. You cannot find a better parade anywhere in the world

Ecclestone denies saying F1 'crap', just the F1 engines are 'crap'
Austrian F1 fans killed in horror incident
Wolff expects fast Ferrari on Sunday
French power for Red Bull in 2016 too – Renault
No Red Bull test for Verstappen
Le Mans bow for big F1 names unlikely – Hulkenberg
Sauber waiting until Spa for new Ferrari
Horner says no to Ferrari 'customer' engine

Ecclestone denies saying F1 'crap', just the F1 engines are 'crap'
(GMM) As the hybrid power units whirred, Bernie Ecclestone's "crap" comment echoed around the paddock of the Red Bull Ring.

"That's a good sales strategy," Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said ironically, when told that the sport's supremo had used the four-letter word to denounce formula one.

But even Ecclestone was surprised when told that he had described the increasingly out-of-favor pinnacle of motor sport as a "crap product".

"Really? I don't know who said that. Bad quote," the 84-year-old told reporters in Austria.

Actually, Ecclestone had uttered the words recently to the respected AFP news agency, but he was clearly referring only to the quiet, expensive and unreliable turbo V6s for which he has never hidden his disdain.

So on Saturday, he denied that formula one itself can be described as "crap".

"The product which we produce at the moment is a bit top heavy with one team winning a lot of races, probably too easily," he said.

But "In the end there is nothing more wrong than there has ever been," Ecclestone added.

What does need some attention, he agreed, is the regulations, particularly after McLaren-Honda was slapped with a draconian and incomprehensible 50-place grid demotion in Austria due to poor engine reliability.

The FIA's explanation of the complex reasons for the penalties was described by one F1 insider as "gobbledygook".

Ecclestone agreed: "I think we need to have a very, very good look at all our sporting regulations.

"They (the fans) don't understand, and when they do understand they don't care basically."

And in that respect, the diminutive Briton is not alone. McLaren boss Eric Boullier had to laugh when he joked that all the penalties mean Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button might logically be starting Sunday's race "in India".

"We have to respect the rules but I find it sad for formula one to have two world champions sat at the back of the grid," he added.

Spaniard Alonso agreed: "These rules are made by engineers and mathematicians — but grandmas at home don't care about these things."

Austrian F1 fans killed in horror incident
(GMM) Three were killed and dozens injured on Saturday at a F1-themed event coinciding with the Austrian grand prix.

In Graz, an hour's drive from the Red Bull Ring, a car ploughed at high speed into a huge crowd of formula one fans, killing three people including a toddler and injuring at least 34, ten seriously.

"Next to something like this, our little world of formula one pales into insignificance," said Mercedes team boss and Austrian Toto Wolff.

The Austrian grand prix itself is promoted by Red Bull, where at the Red Bull Ring official Dr Helmut Marko told Kleine Zeitung newspaper: "This casts a shadow over the whole of Austria, but is has nothing to do with formula one."

It is believed the deliberate incident was perpetrated by a person with psychiatric problems.

"It is believed that this sort of thing happens only in America," said the security chief at the Red Bull Ring, "but unfortunately it can happen anywhere."

At the Red Bull Ring on Sunday, however, the show will go on.

"At this stage, no program changes to the Austrian GP are planned," a spokesperson confirmed. "Our thoughts are now with the families and friends of the victims."

Wolff expects fast Ferrari on Sunday
(GMM) "Very good, but strange," said Niki Lauda, after Mercedes locked out the front row of the grid for Sunday's Austrian grand prix.

He was referring to the way Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg both skidded off the track on their decisive qualifying laps, despite nonetheless powering to first and second at the Red Bull Ring.

But the F1 legend may also have been referring to Ferrari, who earlier in Austria appeared ready to challenge Mercedes for pole position and the grand prix win.

Kimi Raikkonen, fighting for his future at Maranello, was angry and exasperated when he was told on the radio that he had qualified seventeenth.

"How the fu*k is that possible?" the Finn charged.

And Sebastian Vettel, who qualified third, admitted he will have his usual pre-race song in his headphones in the buildup to Sunday's race.

It's "'Help!' From the Beatles," he smiled. "I need help! They're too quick so if you know how to fix it, please let us know."

But Toto Wolff, Mercedes' team boss, said he suspects Ferrari will mount a challenge on Sunday, even though qualifying did not go to plan for the Italian team.

"The gap was greater than we expected," he said.

"I was also surprised by Ferrari's strategy, where we decided to warm our tires over two laps, they immediately went on their fast laps.

"I cannot tell if that's the reason for the gap, but none of us has any illusion that in the long runs, they have been faster than us here.

"I have to admit," Wolff added, "I am not as confident as I was before the last grands prix."

French power for Red Bull in 2016 too – Renault
(GMM) Renault says it is sure it will continue to power Red Bull's cars next year.

The news comes amid swirling rumors about the future in F1 of the energy drink company, with owner Dietrich Mateschitz threatening to quit and reports Red Bull received an offer to become a Ferrari 'customer' next year.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, however, told reporters he thinks Mateschitz's quit threat is not quite that simple.

"He's been in F1 longer than people realize and he's always supported it," he said of the Austrian billionaire.

"Actually, I think he's an intelligent guy — he knows what he says and what the effects are."

Among direct rivals Mercedes and Ferrari, however, the immediate 'effect' was some criticism of Red Bull's threats.

"It's easy to be happy when you are winning four championships," said Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene, "and easy to complain when you are not winning anymore.

"You have to accept when something is going wrong and happy when something is going right," he added.

Toto Wolff, Mercedes chief, agreed that Red Bull is finding defeat "difficult to deal with".

"But one cannot always call for new rules when things are not going well," he said. "It would be better to analyze where you are going wrong, as we had to do in 2012.

"Before pointing the finger at someone," Wolff added, "my strategy would be to make sure I am getting it right myself."

Indeed, Red Bull's finger-pointing has been mainly in the direction of Renault.

Denying that Mateschitz wants to quit F1, Bernie Ecclestone suggested a change of scene might be the smart move.

"It doesn't mean that because he's falling out of love he wants a divorce," the F1 supremo told reporters. "He just needs a new girlfriend."

But amid rumors Red Bull's 'new girlfriend' might be Ferrari, Renault engineer Remi Taffin was quoted by Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper: "I am sure that we will be supplying power units to Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso in 2016."

And he predicts Red Bull might feel better about its engine situation towards the end of this season.

"At the end of July, the first stage is coming," said Taffin, referring to planned performance upgrades that are in the pipeline. "And then another comes after the summer break in late August."

As for Renault's bigger plans, such as taking over a team like Lotus, Taffin said only president and CEO Carlos Ghosn can take that decision.

Gerhard Berger, meanwhile, is a long-time colleague and confidante of Mateschitz, and whilst wearing a Red Bull-branded jacket on Saturday, he admitted the billionaire is currently "looking for the right solution".

"Clearly he wants to get back to winning," Berger told the Austrian broadcaster ORF, "as the team and the car is still good, but the engine is not powerful."

As for Red Bull becoming a Ferrari customer, however, he said: "I don't know if that's the right move.

"I think if you are a customer team of Ferrari or Mercedes, you will never get their support for victory."

But Berger says Mateschitz already knows that.

"I don't need to recommend anything to Didi," he said. "He knows the business inside and out and will make the right decisions."

No Red Bull test for Verstappen
(GMM) Max Verstappen has denied rumors he is on the cusp of stepping up a notch in his already meteoric formula one career.

Already the youngest racer and points scorer in the sport's entire history, the 17-year-old Toro Rosso rookie was being linked with a potential move into the lineup of the senior team, Red Bull Racing, for next week's post-race test.

"I will be with Toro Rosso," the Dutchman told De Telegraaf newspaper.

"That would be the wisest, as that is the car I will be driving for the rest of the year," Verstappen added.

Le Mans bow for big F1 names unlikely – Hulkenberg
(GMM) Nico Hulkenberg does not think a flood of F1 rivals will now follow him to Le Mans.

Perhaps powered by his Porsche triumph last weekend, the German on Saturday defied all expectations by qualifying fifth — one race before Force India debuts its long-awaited 'B' car.

Hulkenberg, eleven places ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez in Austria, described it as a "miracle".

So the question is whether the German, pushing to move into a better team for 2016 as his Force India deal runs out, is now riding the crest of his Le Mans wave.

"The win was good for the ego and the confidence but I would not have driven more slowly without Le Mans," he insisted, "and I was already strong in Montreal."

And as for whether any of his F1 colleagues will now follow in his wake and also reawaken their careers at Le Mans, Hulkenberg is not so sure.

Fernando Alonso, for one, came close to also featuring in the Porsche lineup this year, but the move was reportedly scuppered by McLaren-Honda.

"Maybe next year," the Spaniard said in Austria. "I don't know."

Hulkenberg doubts it.

"I think it's more the teams than anything that wouldn't allow the drivers (to go)," he told the New York Times.

"Obviously this (Force India) is a private team, Vijay (Mallya) is a big racing fan, so I'm lucky that he gave me permission.

"But the other teams … if you are another manufacturer, a Ferrari or Mercedes driver, wouldn't get permission to go into a Porsche. That's just how life is," added Hulkenberg.

Sauber waiting until Spa for new Ferrari
(GMM) Sauber has denied claims it cannot afford to run the latest version of Ferrari's power unit.

When Ferrari's token-upgraded new specification made its bow in Canada, Felipe Nasr said the Swiss team was "not happy" it had not been made available to customer Sauber.

But Sauber chief Monisha Kaltenborn said her engineers are simply running a different strategy to Ferrari.

"We are told that Ferrari is still continuing its development," she is quoted by Italy's Autosprint, "so from that point of view we expect a big upgrade on the engine after the summer break.

"When that happens, it will come when we also hope to introduce a package of important updates on the car," said Kaltenborn.

In reality, however, that means Sauber is four races behind its supplier Ferrari when it comes to getting the latest power unit.

Surely that cannot really be the small team's plan?

"It has nothing to do with finances," Kaltenborn insisted. "It is our strategy and what is best for us. We are on our second engine and Ferrari has used the third, so they have a different program.

"It is a different approach when you need to go back to an older engine later on," she added, referring to Ferrari's apparent plan.

Horner says no to Ferrari 'customer' engine
(GMM) Red Bull Racing has ruled out switching to customer Ferrari power.

As the former champions' troubled relationship with Renault continues to crumble, the speculation has been swirling around the paddock of the Red Bull Ring.

But team owner Dietrich Mateschitz played it down, arguing that being a mere 'customer' of a F1 rival "would never be good enough" to win more world titles.

After Mateschitz's comments, however, Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko had at least confirmed that an offer was made recently by Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne.

"Maybe there was a vague offer," team boss Christian Horner has now told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag.

"But Red Bull will definitely not be getting a customer engine from Ferrari.

"I do think it's unlikely that, as a customer team, you could go all the way to the top, because you would always be receiving an inferior engine," Horner added.