Latest F1 news in brief

DTM driver Marco Whitman will have to wait for his F1 test

Customer Haas keeping eye on Ferrari turmoil
F1 world now expecting Friday announcement from McLaren
Driver representative Wurz backs Bianchi report
Wittmann's Formula 1 test postponed
Rain restricts Verstappen at Imola test
Backroom dealing could cost Button

Gene Haas probably doesn't like what he's seeing at Maranello

Customer Haas keeping eye on Ferrari turmoil
(GMM) Gene Haas, F1's newest team owner, has admitted to keeping a sharp eye on the turmoil at Maranello.

This year, after securing a place on the 2016 grid, Nascar co-owner Haas agreed a deal with Ferrari to receive customer engines and "all related technical services".

Haas Automation, Haas' leading machine tool company, also became an on-car sponsor of the fabled Italian team.

But since the agreements were made, it has been all change at Ferrari as the marque reacted to its poor start to the all-new 'power unit' era.

President Luca di Montezemolo and team boss Marco Mattiacci, for example, have gone, which may be a concern to Haas.

"That's a good point," Haas admitted to Sports Business Daily.

"I don't know. I think that the higher-ups know what they're doing. I hope we didn't have any influence over them losing their jobs."

The interviewer, Leigh Diffey, admitted that over lunch Haas confessed that "whoever I spoke to (at Ferrari) got fired. I better stop speaking to people."

Haas commented: "There's a lot of pressure on Ferrari. Ferrari is obviously a marquee car builder, and formula one is their marquee racing series. And they want to win.

"There's just a lot of pressure there. I have to respect that."

There is also big pressure on Haas, who are building a modest team from scratch and intending to be the only competitor without its main headquarters in Europe.

And Haas' building phase also coincides with a period of great turmoil in formula one, with backmarkers Marussia and Caterham going out of business and other small teams struggling for survival.

"There are a lot of pitfalls in formula one," he admitted.

"We've seen a lot of teams have a lot of problems. There are money issues.

"There's a lot of rancor in the troops out there as far as what we're hearing. I look at it as a challenge. I've been to some formula one races. I've met the people. I like them. They're good people."

But Haas also admitted that the task of building a car, even for 2016, is almost "overwhelming".

"If you get it wrong," he said, "it's a disaster."

Ron Dennis and Eric Boullier discussing what their 2015 driver lineup should be

F1 world now expecting Friday announcement from McLaren
(GMM) The F1 world is now eyeing yet another date for the delayed announcement of McLaren's 2015 driver lineup.

The British team's board met at Woking on Thursday to reportedly discuss whether Jenson Button or Kevin Magnussen should be retained to be the first Honda-powered teammate for Fernando Alonso next year.

Much of the F1 world was expecting an announcement to be made afterwards.

"The meeting of the board was held today," a McLaren spokesman was quoted as saying late on Thursday by Brazil's Globo, "but no decision was taken in relation to our driver lineup for 2015."

Button, the 15-year F1 veteran and 2009 world champion, apparently expressed his state of exasperation by posting an expressionless 'smiley' on Twitter.

Jenson Button

"Oh no, what happened?" one of his nearly 2 million followers responded.

The 34-year-old Briton posted the message after attending perhaps his final McLaren sponsorship event along with his 2014 teammate Magnussen.

He admitted: "It's a weird time.

"I'm good, but I just want to get it (the decision) done.

"I want to hear the decision – as we all do – so we can all move on in whatever direction."

Button confirmed the widespread view that McLaren is tossing up between him and the Danish rookie Magnussen.

Reports indicate Ron Dennis and Eric Boullier are arguing for the in-house protege Magnussen, amid wider uncertainty and internal wrangling about the future of the shareholding structure of the fabled British marque.

It is believed Dennis' fellow shareholders, Mansour Ojjeh as well as the Bahrainis, would prefer to pair Alonso with the similarly experienced Button.

Referring to Magnussen, Button said: "It's such a shame we won't be working together in the future in terms of being teammates.

"But we're both very grown up about the situation and we'll both deal with it whichever way it goes."

Spain's Marca sports newspaper said an announcement by McLaren is now expected on Friday.

Driver representative Wurz backs Bianchi report
(GMM) The F1 drivers' union GPDA has welcomed the outcome of the investigation into Jules Bianchi's Suzuka crash.

At Wednesday's meeting of the World Motor Sport Council, a ten-man panel headed by Ross Brawn and Stefano Domenicali handed down its nearly 400-page report.

The results were controversial, finding that the French driver "did not slow sufficiently" and "over-controlled the oversteering" Marussia prior to hitting a vehicle recovering crane.

The report also said Bianchi may have been "distracted", while the panel did not recommend F1 react to the crash by enclosing cockpits or fitting skirts to cranes.

Former French F1 driver Patrick Tambay said the report appeared to have been a case of F1's governing body declaring "We wash our hands".

"I think it's a shame to accuse the driver," he told RMC Sport. "It is a judgment to exonerate responsibilities, but I think it's a little bit too hard to just blame the driver."

Among the 10-man panel, however, was F1 veteran Alex Wurz, who now represents the bulk of the active drivers as president of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.

"It has been a difficult time for our sport," he said, "but we are grateful for the thorough and comprehensive way in which the FIA's investigation has been conducted and for the exceptional professionalism, experience and expertise of all those involved."

Also in the FIA's 400-page report were recommendations such as the imposing of speed limits for yellow flag zones, ensuring that races do not begin less than four hours before sunset, and reviewing the F1 calendar to avoid rainy seasons.

Wurz said: "We are working closely with the FIA to ensure that these recommendations are fully implemented."

Wittmann's Formula 1 test postponed
Marco Wittmann's planned prize Formula 1 test with Toro Rosso had to be postponed due to adverse weather conditions at Imola.

Wittmann was expected to drive the team's 2012 STR7 on Thursday, as a reward from BMW for winning this year's DTM championship.

But the 25-year-old German was ultimately unable to leave the garage, as heavy rain soaked the former San Marino Grand Prix venue.

Max Verstappen was also hindered by poor weather at the track this week, being restricted to just three laps in a private test on Wednesday.

Rain restricts Verstappen at Imola test
Poor weather conditions severely restricted Max Verstappen's program during a private test with new team Toro Rosso on Wednesday.

The Dutch teenager had planned to carry out long runs at the former San Marino Grand Prix venue to further prepare for his Formula 1 debut next season.

But persistent rainfall prevented any meaningful running and, after just three exploratory laps with the two-year-old STR7, the test was called off.

"The plan for the day was to do a lot of long runs so I would gain more experience in terms of tire management and, in particular, how to keep them in shape over longer periods of time," said Verstappen.

"But unfortunately, due to the bad weather, I only managed a few laps."

DTM champion Marco Wittmann is set to drive the STR7 on Thursday as a reward from BMW.

Backroom dealing could cost Button
David Coulthard believes Jenson Button could be a "casualty" of the business side of F1 when McLaren make their driver decision on Thursday.

The Woking team's annual board meeting takes place on Thursday at which time McLaren's 2015 driver line-up will be debated.

While Fernando Alonso is expected to take the one seat, it is between Button and Kevin Magnussen for the second.

And Coulthard fears Button, despite beating his rookie team-mate in 2014, may lose due to the financial side of the sport.

"If you just look at results then Jenson is the guy who should be in that seat next year," the Scot told the Daily Mail.

"He has outperformed and outscored his team-mate and that has nothing to do with personality or his nationality. But unfortunately for Jenson, the business of Formula One is what funds the sport so he may well be a casualty.

"I don't know this for a fact, but there are all sorts of behind-the-scenes shareholding wrangling which is all about funding.

"I believe some of the partners already involved with McLaren are Danish companies so they are going to be supportive of Kevin.

"He is a nice lad and has a bright future ahead of him, but Jenson has got a lot of public support. He is a well-known, recognizable, likeable face, an asset to Formula One and to McLaren."

The former F1 driver added that McLaren's handling of Button and the driver situation as a whole had not covered the team in glory.

"McLaren are in a public sport and the heroes of the sport are the drivers.

"They are still the ones that get the public support because they humanize the raw dream of being able to drive a grand prix car. With that in mind I can't help but think it hasn't been McLaren's best year of PR.

"The occasion of life and sport is that it is not like Jenson can come back in Melbourne and blow everyone a kiss. We have all moved on.

"It would be easy to drop a one liner and say it is not right, but if you are a rational individual then you have to look at the bigger picture.

"Did he deserve to be treated with a little bit more respect given his time in the sport? Yes, I certainly think that is a valid argument." Planet F1