Latest F1 news in brief

Kimi: Stop making up bullshit

Kimi loses cool amid pay-cut reports
Haas' Ferrari alliance 'very clever' – Wolff
F1 must be 'spine-tingling' again – Surer
Grosjean says Palmer situation 'not annoying'
Gov't would 'support' French GP return – minister
Marko confirms engine 'offer' from Marchionne
Alonso had 2015 talks with 'everyone'
Ricciardo has 'learned' from Canada outburst

Kimi loses cool amid pay-cut reports
(GMM) Kimi Raikkonen lost his ice-cool on Thursday amid reports Ferrari is asking him to take a pay-cut.

Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport claims the Maranello marque is interested in retaining the Finn for 2016 but only if his EUR 12 million retainer is dropped by 25 per cent.

And the report said Ferrari is proposing to stimulate better performances from the 2007 world champion by, instead, improving the points-based bonus money on offer.

Amusingly, Raikkonen identified the author of the story whilst speaking to reporters in Austria on Thursday, demanding of him: "Have you seen my contract?

"No? So you just come up with bullsh*t?"

35-year-old Raikkonen did, however, confirm that unless he stays at Ferrari next year, he will quit F1.

"If I'm not with Ferrari, I'm not with any team, it's as simple as that," he said. "I like the direction and the atmosphere of the team, but you (reporters) seem to worry about it more than I do."

Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa on Thursday said he knows what it feels like to arrive at a circuit only to face a barrage of questioning about his future.

"I feel bad for Kimi. I know how much pressure he has on him — I should know, I've been there," he is quoted by Italy's Autosprint.

Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo are already strongly linked with Raikkonen's potentially-vacant 2016 seat.

But now, new Le Mans winner Nico Hulkenberg has also joined the fray.

"Sure, it gives me an extra boost," the German smiled to Bild newspaper, when asked if his Porsche-powered triumph helped his bid for a better seat.

"My contract with Force India expires at the end of this year, so I am open," Hulkenberg added.

Wolff

Haas' Ferrari alliance 'very clever' – Wolff
(GMM) Toto Wolff has hailed as "clever" the approach to formula one being taken by the 2016 American entrant, Haas.

Gene Haas, already a co-owner of a Nascar team, is entering F1 next year to promote his California based machine tool company Haas Automation.

His technical alliance with Ferrari, however, has raised eyebrows up and down pitlane, to the point that the FIA recently sent an inspector to Maranello to ensure the wind tunnel program is above board.

"If the FIA does an inspection and finds nothing, then for me there is no doubt that everything conforms to the current regulations," Mercedes boss Wolff is quoted by Speed Week.

"I find that the cooperation between Ferrari and Haas can pave new ways of working, which is very interesting.

"I think the way Gene Haas is coming into formula one is very clever," he added, "and it opens up a whole range of possibilities."

F1 must be 'spine-tingling' again – Surer
(GMM) Former F1 driver Marc Surer has backed those who think the sport needs a re-injection of danger.

Kimi Raikkonen, Sebastian Vettel, and even F1 legend Niki Lauda – although burned and almost killed in his fabled 1976 crash – think safety has given way to boredom in F1.

But Felipe Massa, who was almost killed in a qualifying crash in 2009, does not agree.

"When I see Kimi and Lauda saying F1 needs to be more dangerous, I don't agree," the Brazilian told reporters. "I believe it should be better. It should be more intelligent."

What is undoubtedly true, however, is that Nico Hulkenberg's Le Mans-winning feat of last weekend has only intensified the spotlight on F1, and piqued the interest of his grand prix rivals.

"It was great to see the (Le Mans) guys were actually flat out from the first lap. I think as racing drivers that's what we're after," said Sebastian Vettel.

Indeed, while Mika Hakkinen's F1 mantra used to be "flat out", today's grand prix stars are being asked by reporters to explain the increasingly-repeated term "lift and coast".

Unsurprisingly, among those who are still talking up the challenge and the spectacle are Mercedes — who are utterly dominating the sport in the new era.

"Anyone who says F1 is not rewarding or demanding for the drivers is wrong," said world champion Lewis Hamilton.

And his boss, Toto Wolff, said it is too simplistic to say F1 should be more dangerous.

"The way formula one was perceived years ago has changed," he acknowledged to Forbes journalist Christian Sylt. "It was seen as a gladiator sport, dangerous, people had accidents and died."

Wolff also said the current 'F1 versus Le Mans' debate has been blown out of proportion.

"We talk about a single race like Le Mans, where two manufacturers from the same country race against each other, suddenly everyone talks about how great it is," he is quoted by APA news agency.

"Formula one on the other hand suddenly is bad. But I think those shouting loudest about how F1 should not have hybrid technology are at the same time talking about how great Le Mans is?"

And Massa said some F1 critics are looking back at the past with rose-tinted glasses.

"I cannot think of a season where I have been racing (in F1) that was like Senna and Prost, when the competition was more than one second per lap behind.

"We are looking back and saying 'That was the best formula one of all time', but I think the races then were often much worse than they are now," he insisted.

Marc Surer, though, thinks those calling for a bit more danger are on the right track.

"Nowadays, it's almost as safe as playing a video game," the former F1 driver and now television pundit told the German broadcaster Sky.

"If you drive off the track, nothing happens. It has taken some of the spine-tingling feeling away and changed the atmosphere of formula one.

"I think the bar should be set a bit higher, at least so you can't come as a rookie and be on the limit so easily. For me, the cars should have 200 more horse power," Surer added.

Grosjean

Grosjean says Palmer situation 'not annoying'
(GMM) Romain Grosjean insists he is no longer annoyed about sitting out Friday practice sessions in 2015.

With the lucratively PDVSA-backed Pastor Maldonado contractually guaranteed participation in every session, it means Lotus teammate Grosjean is the one sitting out FP1 sessions this year.

That is because reserve and 'Friday' driver Jolyon Palmer is regularly taking over a cockpit at grands prix this year, reportedly thanks to the reigning GP2 champion's own set of sponsors.

Grosjean had earlier expressed frustration about the situation, but he told RMC in Austria: "This is something I have known about since the beginning of the year.

"I knew it would be me every time, so I was prepared. There are some circuits where it is better than others, but in general it is far from ideal."

Asked, however, if the situation is "annoying", Grosjean answered: "No.

"It was a little hard to accept at first, but that's the way it is. We have no choice, so we just have to handle the weekends a little differently and deal with it."

Lotus is having a much better season than the disastrous 2014, but Grosjean admitted closing the points gap to Williams and Red Bull is proving difficult.

"In order to get even closer to Williams," he said, "we need upgrades."

As for Red Bull, although that team is struggling with a Renault engine, Grosjean said Lotus' budget cannot compare.

"Every two races they bring a new nose and front wing, which is something we cannot do," said the Frenchman.

Gov't would 'support' French GP return – minister
(GMM) A French official says he is "ready" to support the country's return to the F1 calendar.

That is despite F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone insisting "there isn't a good circuit in France" to host it.

"We left France because it didn't work for anyone," he told Britain's Sky.

The French broadcaster Canal Plus, however, quoted prime minister Manuel Valls' sports minister Patrick Kanner as saying there are potential venues.

France's last long-time venue was Magny Cours, but its remote location was universally unpopular, and so Paul Ricard, located at Le Castellet, was touted as an alternative.

"The grand prix de France is a complicated issue," sports minister Valls, who recently met with Ecclestone, admitted.

"There are two potential candidates in Le Castellet and Magny Cours," he said. "Our government is ready to support the efforts under conditions that are yet to be determined."

Marko confirms engine 'offer' from Marchionne
(GMM) Ferrari has offered to supply the struggling Red Bull team with engines.

Following a shock round of speculation, the energy drink company's Dr Helmut Marko has now confirmed the news, even though his boss Dietrich Mateschitz played down the prospect of becoming a mere 'customer' team.

"It is true that we received an offer from Sergio Marchionne in Canada," Marko told the Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung.

The story indicates Red Bull's level of frustration with its situation in 'works' alliance with Renault, who have struggled not only with reliability but also performance in 2015.

At its home race at the Red Bull Ring this week, both Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat will start from the back of the grid because they have already burned through their allocation of four 'power units' for the whole season.

"We don't want to, we have to," fumed Marko when asked about the strategic choice of taking the penalties at home in Austria.

As for what Red Bull will decide to do in the future, however, it is still not clear, but team boss Christian Horner said it is obvious that "one element is missing" from the team's F1 package at present.

Indeed, the Red Bull-Renault relationship appears terminally broken, with Renault's Cyril Abiteboul last week urging his colleagues to ease their constant verbal attacks.

"The bottom line is that they (Renault) are just as frustrated as we are," Horner told Austria's Laola1.

But what about the Ferrari rumors? Horner insists Red Bull "will always have options". But is becoming a mere customer of an arch-rival among them?

"At the moment, no," Horner said. "We are fully committed to solving the problems with Renault. That is our focus."

Alonso

Alonso had 2015 talks with 'everyone'
(GMM) Fernando Alonso insists he is staying the course with McLaren-Honda, as he very deliberately made the switch from Ferrari at the end of last year.

Many F1 insiders still cannot believe the Spaniard, as arguably the best and highest paid driver on the grid, would leave the newly-resurgent Ferrari to struggle at the back with the stuttering new McLaren-Honda alliance.

But Alonso insists he has no regrets.

"I had five fantastic years in which I was runner-up three times," he told Movistar TV ahead of the Austrian grand prix.

"Now we see them second in the world championship. So I don't understand how my time was (perceived as) hell and now we are seeing the rebirth of Ferrari," said Alonso.

"When I decided to leave Ferrari, there were about 15 frantic days when we talked to everyone except Force India, Sauber and Manor. It was McLaren's plans for the future that convinced me, and that's why I chose them," he added.

Regarding McLaren-Honda's current situation, however, Alonso admitted: "Perhaps at the start we expected something more, but after the first test in Jerez we realized it would be a year of testing and we would have to suffer.

"Not everyone understands, but F1 is very complex. It's not like football where you sign up three new players and start to win.

"Here, you have to go through these moments and it is not as fast as you would like and that is what we are doing now at McLaren, even if it's not visible from the outside.

"We need to be patient, because the results and success will come. Winning with McLaren-Honda is only a matter of time," Alonso insisted.

Ricciardo

Ricciardo has 'learned' from Canada outburst
(GMM) Daniel Ricciardo has admitted he is staying at Red Bull for now.

Normally F1's most laughing, grinning and carefree character, the Australian was uncharacteristically grim in Canada amid rumors he might be in the frame to switch to Ferrari.

Ricciardo admits he let his emotions show.

"Looking at where I was (in Montreal) a year ago, having had the happiest day of my life, my first victory in formula one, and then how things turned out," he said in an interview with Brazil's Globo. "The lack of results, our slow pace. It all came out."

So poor was Ricciardo's return to Montreal, in fact, that Red Bull has given him a brand new chassis for Austria.

But he may also have been internally reprimanded by Red Bull, as he broke ranks, went off-message and suggested that while Renault is obviously struggling, the team is also going backwards.

Indeed, team boss Christian Horner hinted to Austria's Laola1 that he was not impressed with the outburst.

"Our chassis is being developed a hell of a lot," he insisted. "Daniel feels only what he has underneath him every two weeks.

"I think it was just pure frustration from him," Horner added.

But Horner said he is happy with Red Bull's current drivers, including the young Russian Daniil Kvyat.

"I think that in terms of drivers we are in a very good situation," he said.

"Kvyat is getting better. Taking into account all the problems he has had, he has done a good job, especially in the last two races," Horner added.

And Ricciardo, too, has acknowledged that – at least for now – he is also a Red Bull driver. Amid the Ferrari rumors, Dr Helmut Marko insisted the 25-year-old's contract is "bulletproof".

Asked if he is free to go on the market, Ricciardo confirmed: "No. Unless Red Bull don't want me, I should be here next year."

And that means Ricciardo may have to be patient for now, and learn to avoid Montreal-like outbursts.

"I have learned from what happened in Canada," he insists. "I analyzed what went on, my reaction, and I know I have to lower my expectations and unfortunately leave for now the dream of being on the podium or even the top five.

"I have come to Austria thinking only about getting the most from what I can get from the equipment I have," Ricciardo added.