Latest F1 news in brief

Sergio Perez – have big check will drive

Mallya says Force India to 'absolutely' keep Perez
Only 'positive pressure' on Raikkonen – boss
Santander met with McLaren in Austin – report
Mercedes to accept engine unfreeze as a one-off
Lopez: Smaller teams to get base payment

Mallya says Force India to 'absolutely' keep Perez
(GMM) With Nico Hulkenberg already signed up for 2015, all eyes at Force India are now on Sergio Perez.

The 24-year-old brings key Mexican backing to the Silverstone based team, but he has scored less than 40 per cent of Force India's points so far this season.

It is now more than two weeks since the team announced German Hulkenberg is staying on board for 2015, leaving a cloud above Perez's future.

"You have to speak to Vijay. He is the man to know," Perez said in Austin when asked about his prospects.

He is referring to team supremo Vijay Mallya, who has now told the Indian news agency PTI that Force India will "absolutely" line up with unchanged drivers in 2015.

"I have said many times before during the year when I have been asked that I am very happy with the drivers that we have at the moment," said Mallya.

He admitted a key to the deal is Mexico's return to the F1 calendar next year.

"We already have a Mexican driver," said Mallya, "and top class Mexican companies as our sponsors.

"I spent the last week in Mexico, we have signed three additional Mexican sponsors as there is going to be a race there next year," he added.

Kimi Raikkonen like a deer in headlights – destroyed by Alonso

Only 'positive pressure' on Raikkonen – boss
(GMM) The pressure on Kimi Raikkonen to up his game is of the "positive" variety, Ferrari team boss Marco Mattiacci insists.

It is a near-certainty that disgruntled Fernando Alonso is leaving the Maranello team, but also with a solid 2015 contract is his Finnish teammate.

Any speculation Raikkonen might also depart Ferrari, however, has been mild at best, even though Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport is questioning whether the 2007 world champion should be kept in red.

That is because he has had a horror return to Ferrari this year, scoring fewer than 1 point in every 4 towards the team's total tally as Alonso utterly dominated.

Raikkonen has openly admitted he has struggled with the F14-T car, and in Austin went as far as to say he "hates" the situation.

Felipe Massa, who until last year was Alonso's Ferrari teammate, suggested recently that Raikkonen is obviously struggling mentally alongside the Spaniard.

"Maybe I am going mad," Raikkonen sarcastically hit back in Austin. "Losing my mind. He can say what he wants, but I know the true story."

But that doesn't mean he knows the solution. So with the quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel coming on board for 2015, intense pressure might now be building on Raikkonen's shoulders to quickly improve.

"Positive pressure," insisted boss Mattiacci, according to the Spanish daily Marca.

"It is important when you have pressure to always approach it positively.

"We know we have a problem and we have to keep working on it," he added.

Mercedes F1 engine – have you ever seen a more complex and expensive internal combustion engine?

Mercedes to accept engine unfreeze as a one-off
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says the manufacturer will agree to an engine unfreeze, but only if it is a one-off.

Under the current regulations, work on engine development is heavily limited but Renault and Ferrari are keen for the rules to be changed for the 2015 campaign in order to allow greater competition between suppliers.

Mercedes has argued against it due to fears it will lead to an escalation in costs, but after months of debate it seems a compromise is now near, with more talks scheduled for this weekend in Brazil.

"If this is the compromise needed to guarantee long term stability and then agree long term we are not going to change the rules every year, that is something we will look at," Wolff told reporters.

"What we have said is we are calculating what it means financially and what it means logistically. We are a team which needs to deliver eight power units a time, whereas Honda only does two, Ferrari and Renault four. There is a big difference. Once we have gathered all the data we are going to sit down again in Sao Paolo."

Meanwhile, Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has revealed he is hopeful an unfreeze has moved a step closer.

"There was a very encouraging meeting on Saturday in Austin and Mercedes have agreed that they need to provide a window of opportunity to the others to introduce competition," Horner explained.

"But I cannot see beyond that any changes to the technical or sporting regulations because every time it is changed it has a detrimental effect on costs," he added.

"Mercedes have not actually agreed to anything as yet. But there were very constructive discussions that hopefully will see a solution in place in the near future."

Lopez: Smaller teams to get base payment
Lotus boss Gérard Lopez says the smaller teams in Formula 1 are to get a "base payment" to ensure their survival.

The news comes after Lotus, Force India and Sauber threatened a boycott ahead of the United Sates Grand Prix, unhappy with the unequal distribution of the prize money.

That threat followed the demise of minnows Caterham and Marussia, with both recently placed into administration.

"I think there is a way to solve this crisis, probably even to get to a proposal before Brazil, in which case I do not see the point in doing anything drastic," Lopez told reporters.

"I know CVC [Formula 1's owners] and Bernie [Ecclestone] have been looking at this. It is going to be a base payment given to the smaller teams. That is essentially going to make it possible for a normal budget to work.

"We [Lotus] are struggling for performance this year, but we still finished ahead of a McLaren and a Ferrari [in the United States Grand Prix] so it proves a Formula 1 team does not have to spend 300-400million.

"It is really not a complicated thing to do. It just requires a bit of goodwill. The overall amount we are discussing, once you start dividing it by the number of teams, is not that massive."