Latest F1 news in brief

American Alexander Rossi has flown to Russia and could replace injured Jules Bianchi this weekend but a decision has yet to be made.

Vergne arranges helmet stickers to honor Bianchi
Marussia could field one car in Russia after Bianchi crash
Bianchi crash and politics overshadow Sochi preparations
F1 withholding video 'to protect Bianchi' – report
Caterham keeps Kobayashi for Sochi
Two DRS zones for Russian Grand Prix
Sullivan to be Russian GP driver steward
Video: Ferrari's James Allison previews the Russian GP
Fisichella takes Ferrari back to Jerusalem
Austin Fans' Forum set for Wednesday, Oct. 29, during Formula One Week

Vergne arranges helmet stickers to honor Bianchi
(GMM) F1 drivers will wear helmet stickers to show their support for injured colleague Jules Bianchi this weekend in Russia.

Morgan Caron, an official for the French motor sport federation FFSA, said the initiative to show the F1 drivers' support was championed by Bianchi's fellow Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne.

"Jean-Eric was deeply affected by what happened and good friends with Jules, so he took the initiative to make a sticker," Caron told France's RMC Sport.

"It will be distributed to the entire paddock at Sochi. In GP2, GP3 and F1, everyone will support Jules with a small message during the weekend in Russia," he revealed.

As was the case when Michael Schumacher lay in his coma earlier this year, publications and fans are now turning their hopes to the words of medical specialists after the nature of Bianchi's serious head injury was revealed.

But one such specialist, Japanese Shinji Nagahiro of the university of Tokushima, said the wait for more information about Bianchi will continue for some time.

"In general a prognosis cannot be given earlier than one month after the accident," he is quoted by Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper, "but it may take longer."

It has been revealed that Bianchi suffered a diffuse axonal injury, and Nagahiro said "The patient may regain consciousness and recover completely, or suffer after-effects.

"It all depends on the severity of the injury and the location of the damage," he explained.

Marussia could field one car in Russia after Bianchi crash
(GMM) Marussia is yet to declare how it will tackle this weekend's Russian grand prix, as its race driver Jules Bianchi lies comatose in Japan.

In the few days since the French driver's horror crash at Suzuka, the Russian-branded, UK based team has focused almost completely on supporting the seriously injured Bianchi.

Nonetheless, team personnel have travelled the 8,000 kilometers to Sochi, where mechanics on Wednesday could be seen working on two race cars in the garages ahead of the inaugural Russian grand prix at the all-new Sochi Autodrom.

The name 'Jules Bianchi' is still visible above one of the Marussia garages.

At time of writing, Marussia has not said publicly how it will tackle the race, but France's RMC Sport claims the team has considered simply sitting out Sochi altogether.

Also reportedly considered by the John Booth-led team is to field just one car for Bianchi's teammate Max Chilton, or to replace the stricken Bianchi with newly-signed reserve driver Alexander Rossi.

American Rossi travelled to Russia on Wednesday.

"The decision will be made official in the coming hours," said RMC.

The FIA has listed boss Booth as one of the attendees at the official press conference on Friday, but the Briton is still at Bianchi's bedside in Japan and not expected to be in Russia all weekend.

Sporting director Graeme Lowdon, also in Japan until very recently, has now travelled to Sochi to oversee the team's preparations for the Russian grand prix.

Bianchi crash and politics overshadow Sochi preparations
(GMM) F1 has made the 8,000 kilometer trek from Suzuka to the all-new Sochi Autodrom, but many are not in the mood to celebrate the sport's latest destination.

That is not just because the Russian grand prix is controversial in the shadow of the Ukraine conflict, with president Vladimir Putin slated to attend.

The German broadcaster RTL said it has resisted calls to boycott the race.

"For us as a broadcaster, the question of a boycott does not arise because we are obliged contractually," a spokesman told the German newspaper Welt.

"We will, however, raise the issues in the presentation and also ask those at the track how they feel about the situation."

Bernie Ecclestone has argued consistently that F1's first visit to Russia should not be mixed with the country's political situation.

Former world champion Mika Hakkinen agrees.

"On the political side, I would not like to take a position," he said in his latest interview for sponsor Hermes.

"When I think of formula one and motor sport, we should evaluate it positively in my opinion that we are finally racing in Russia — a new country and a new market," said Hakkinen.

Richard Cregan, the former Abu Dhabi race boss who now oversees the organization in Sochi, admitted that the political questions had been affecting ticket sales for the inaugural grand prix until mere weeks ago.

"There was lots of discussions about sanctions and all these things and then suddenly, when all that seemed to be in the past in relation to our race, then we were selling between 500-800 tickets a day," he told Reuters.

Cregan also admitted that Jules Bianchi's crash has overshadowed the build-up to Russia's first race, "and rightly so".

"We just have to make sure we never stop looking for improved safety measures. We're trying to learn from everything," he is quoted by the Telegraph.

Sauber summed up the grim mood in the Sochi paddock by forgoing its usually-upbeat pre-race press preview, with boss Monisha Kaltenborn admitting the Swiss team is setting up at Sochi "in a very depressed mood".

"We are still shocked by the events of last weekend, and it is simply not possible to simply move on to day business. Everything we do at present seems unimportant," she added.

However, life in F1 goes go on, starting with Russia. Caterham announced that Kamui Kobayashi will once again be racing, with the hopeful Spanish rookie Roberto Merhi still limited to Friday morning duties.

F1 withholding video 'to protect Bianchi' – report
(GMM) Mere days after the Suzuka race, F1 authorities are continuing to withhold official video footage of Jules Bianchi's horror crash.

So far, despite widespread reports that the sport's commercial rights holder FOM did film the incident with its high definition trackside cameras, the footage has not been released.

Even the now widely-circulated amateur footage of the crash has been repeatedly removed from social media sites at the request of FOM, ostensibly for reasons of copyright.

But it has also been suggested that F1 and the governing FIA are reluctant for the official footage to be seen because it might implicate the sport's authorities amid the controversial circumstances surrounding Bianchi's crash.

Questions are being asked about the rain conditions, the fading light, the pre-race discussions about re-scheduling to avoid typhoon Phanfone, the waving of green flags near the crash site, and whether Charlie Whiting should have deployed the safety car when Adrian Sutil's incident brought out the recovery vehicle.

But Michael Schmidt, the highly respected correspondent for Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, claims the reason the FOM footage is not being released is for one reason only: "Consideration for the victims of the accident."

Schmidt is referring not only to the seriously injured French driver, but particularly his parents and family as they cling to hope Bianchi, 25, will pull through.

Schmidt claims the official footage shows that the Marussia driver lost control of his car after "driving too fast under yellow flags".

"F1 is not protecting itself, but Jules Bianchi himself. The footage of the accident and the telemetry data may prove that it was the driver to blame," he added.

Schmidt quoted an F1 official as saying: "It (releasing the information) would be unfair to Bianchi, because he cannot defend himself at the moment."

Separate to the circumstances of the crash, however, is a discussion about arguably the last remaining true vulnerability when it comes to F1 cars — the drivers' exposed heads.

After Felipe Massa's 2009 crash, and again in 2012 when Mario de Villota crashed during a Marussia test, F1 and the FIA looked deeply into the possibility of enclosing the cockpits with a forward roll-cage or canopy.

But Germany's Bild newspaper reports this week that Red Bull and Mercedes were the most opposed to the idea, with Red Bull boss Christian Horner saying the proposed solutions were "shockingly ugly".

The issue was then sidelined completely when Bernie Ecclestone argued that closed cockpits were contrary to the basic idea of F1, Bild claims.

"Try telling that to the Bianchi family, though," correspondent Oliver Brown wrote in the Telegraph.

"The sanctity of no sport is worth protecting so ferociously that it compromises the sanctity of human life."

On the other side, there are those who insist F1 should not overreact after Bianchi's crash.

One of them is Mika Hakkinen, even though his life-threatening crash in 1995 preceded F1's move to raise cockpit sides to better protect the drivers' heads.

"After this (Bianchi's) accident, there will certainly be a comprehensive analysis," the Finn, who went on to win two titles after returning in 1996, said.

"But we also should remember that there have been no deaths in formula one races for more than 20 years," he said in an interview with his sponsor Hermes. "That's a long time."

Check big enough for another race

Caterham keeps Kobayashi for Sochi
Caterham has retained Kamui Kobayashi alongside Marcus Ericsson for this weekend's inaugural Russian Grand Prix, although Roberto Merhi will take his cockpit for Friday's first session at Sochi.

Kobayashi was replaced for the Belgian Grand Prix weekend by endurance racer André Lotterer, although he received a late call to return in Italy and held on to the seat for the following Singapore and Japanese rounds.

Caterham has not confirmed if Kobayashi will contest the final three rounds in the USA, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

"It's always extremely exciting to race at a new circuit – I had a chance to do a few laps of Sochi with the Codemasters 2014 F1 Game in Suzuka last week and, even though it was a video game, it seemed like an interesting circuit because of its mix of corners, some of them very tight, and high speed sections," he said.

Merhi's Sochi outing will be his third of the campaign so far, after appearances at Monza and Suzuka.

"I'm very much looking forward to my third FP1 outing with Caterham in Sochi," he explained. "I feel much more comfortable in the car and this gives me more and more confidence when I drive out of the garage each time."

Sochi

Two DRS zones for Russian Grand Prix
The inaugural Russian Grand Prix will feature two DRS zones, the FIA has confirmed.

Controlled by separate detection points, the opening activation area is situated between Turns 1 and 2 at the Sochi Autodrom, while the second designated zone comes on the sizeable run between Turns 10 and 13.

The detection points have been placed just before Turns 1 and 10.

Sullivan to be Russian GP driver steward
Danny Sullivan has been named as the FIA's driver steward for this weekend's Russian Grand Prix.

Sullivan, who last performed the role at the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this season, has served as a Formula 1 driver steward on six previous occasions.

The 64-year-old American joins Dr Gerd Ennser and Radovan Novak on the panel for the event.

Sullivan competed in 15 Formula 1 races, making his debut in 1983 with Tyrrell and taking his sole points finish at the Monaco Grand Prix, when he came home in fifth place.

Returning to his home country after just one season, he continued a successful IndyCar career, winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500 and the overall title in 1988. He retired from IndyCar racing in 1995.

Video: Ferrari's James Allison previews the Russian GP

Fisichella takes Ferrari back to Jerusalem
Former Formula 1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella returned to Jerusalem this week as Ferrari took part in the second running of the Jerusalem Formula Road Show.

Fisichella took to the wheel of the Ferrari F60 – the Scuderia's 2009 Formula 1 car – to perform a number of burnouts and donuts on the 2-kilometre course that ran around the walls of the old city.

The Maranello-based team was invited to the event by Ferrari sponsor Kaspersky Lab, with 50,000 fans estimated to have attended on Monday and Tuesday.

GP2 racer Nathanael Berthon also attended the event in his role as Caterham's Development Driver and demonstrated the squad's Formula 1 machinery.

Austin Fans' Forum set for Wednesday, Oct. 29, during Formula One Week
Circuit of The Americas (COTA) and the Grand Prix Investors Fund are delighted to announce an Austin Fans' Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at the iconic Gibson Showroom in South Austin.

The Fans' Forum will kick off the festivities around the 2014 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX, scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 2 at Circuit of The Americas. The Forum will feature current and former drivers answering fans' questions and signing autographs. The full lineup of panelists will be released soon.

The Fans' Forum is set for 6 p.m. at the Gibson Showroom, 3601 S. Congress Ave., in the Penn Field complex. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Drinks will be provided courtesy of Tito's Handmade Vodka, Topo Chico and Shiner Beer. Transportation between downtown Austin and the event will also be available.

Attendance is free, but fans must register at circuitoftheamericas.com/f1/fan-forum. Entry will be first-come, first served. The Forum will be streamed live online and on-demand starting the following day.

Dominic Iacono, Chief Marketing Officer at Circuit of The Americas, said: "We are pleased to be part of this opportunity with Grand Prix Investors Fund to give fans a way to engage with Formula One drivers when the U.S. Grand Prix returns to Austin."

John Foti, Chairman of The Grand Prix Investors Fund, said: "We are excited to be working with COTA and the Teams on this Fans' Forum, and to be utilising the iconic Gibson Showroom. Being fans ourselves, we are thrilled to provide this opportunity for the passionate US Grand Prix fans to get closer to the drivers".