Latest F1 news in brief

The inexpensive GP2 cars are faster than many of the very expensive F1 cars in Spain. The mental midgets F1 rules makers have ruined the sport

Button hopes for fast car before career end
Wolff not interested in 'one night stand' Alonso
Newey poaching attempts 'permanent' – Marko
GP2 field faster than F1 backmarkers in Spain
Ferrari backs Mattiacci's low-profile start
Hamilton did a better job, Rosberg concedes

Button hopes for fast car before career end
(GMM) Jenson Button says he will quit formula one once he is no longer enjoying it.

Certainly, he makes no secret that McLaren's current situation is no fun.

"There is only one team that is happy," said the 2009 world champion, referring to dominant Mercedes.

But that doesn't mean the 34-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the season, is not enjoying his job.

"It's still a pretty cool job," he told the Express newspaper in Barcelona.

"The worst part is the interviews trying to explain why it's not working," said Button, after qualifying eighth, more than two seconds off the pole time of his former teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Button said the other part of the job – working with engineers and driving – is still "enjoyable".

"It is just when you see the times that it hurts," he admitted.

"I'll stop when I'm not enjoying it anymore and it might be because I'm driving a car that's not quick enough in the future.

"Hopefully that won't be the case. Hopefully I can end on a high."

F1 aside, Button's other passion is fitness, and he regularly competes against some of the world's fittest athletes in ironman triathlons.

And he is always among those harking back to F1's louder, faster days, far from the spectacle of Barcelona 2014 where the leading GP2 cars would have comfortably qualified for the Spanish grand prix.

Button admits he has his eye on the new world rallycross series; a discipline loved by his recently departed father, John.

"I saw a quote from Jacques (Villeneuve) saying that in every other sport they are trying to make the cars slower but in rallycross they just throw everything at it, they are 600 horse power monsters," he said.

"I want to do something like that, taking a little motorhome or caravan with my mates and family and just hang out with other guys who are just having fun."

In the meantime, he is not yet ready to give up on F1.

"I really do get bored easily with everything in life but it has not happened yet with this sport, which is great," said Button.

"But after this I will probably go and do rallycross."

Wolff not interested in 'one night stand' Alonso
(GMM) Mercedes has closed the door on Fernando Alonso.

Swirling rumors in the Barcelona paddock suggested the increasingly-frustrated Spaniard may have looked into whether there could be a place open at the dominant Brackley team for 2015..

That interest would be despite Alonso's ongoing Ferrari contract, and also the fact that Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are similarly fastened to Mercedes beyond this year.

And Niki Lauda, Mercedes' outspoken chairman, promptly dismissed the speculation as "bullsh*t", according to the Austrian newspaper Salzburger Nachrichten.

Team boss Toto Wolff added: "We think long-term — we are not interested in one night stands."

The door to silver pastures would seem to be firmly shut to Alonso.

Not only that, the Spaniard – earlier with the easy upper-hand on new Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen – has been soundly outpaced by the Finn at home in Spain this weekend.

Europa Press quoted Alonso as saying: "I'm more worried about the 1.8 second gap to Mercedes."

Raikkonen, too, was not celebrating his Saturday triumph.

"It gives me no satisfaction to be ahead of him (Alonso)," he said. "What I want is to be fighting for the top positions.

"Of course it's nicer to be in front of him than behind, but whether you're sixth or seventh doesn't make much difference," Raikkonen added.

Newey poaching attempts 'permanent' – Marko
(GMM) Red Bull has not denied rumors Ferrari made yet another move to poach Adrian Newey.

"We're used to these permanent poaching attempts from both sides," Dr Helmut Marko told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, referring not just to Ferrari.

"Mercedes and Ferrari don't just try to get our top employees; they are trying at every level (of the team)," said Marko.

In reality, Red Bull and Ferrari have a more immediate problem even than a tug-of-war over F1's most sought-after and highly paid engineer.

At the Circuit de Catalunya, a layout expected to play into the hands of Mercedes' rivals, Lewis Hamilton was a clear second faster than any other qualifying pretender.

Not only that, world champion Sebastian Vettel is having one of the worst grand prix weekends of his formerly glittering F1 career.

Despite having switched his RB10 chassis before the Barcelona weekend, the German has struggled simply to get his new Red Bull to run in Spain.

"It's getting a bit boring," Vettel said on Saturday. "We've had all sorts of problems this year."

Boring perhaps, but the quadruple title winner is at least retaining his sense of humor.

Asked if his 2014 travails are a good test of his mettle, Vettel replied: "Well, I haven't been tested on the track much so far!

"If you compare my salary with the number of laps I've done, then I am the best paid driver," he smirked to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Vettel sat out most of Friday and also broke down in qualifying, so he added: "I'd say I'm well rested for the race."

Gerhard Berger, once Vettel's boss at Toro Rosso, also thinks motivational issues may be creeping into the 26-year-old's struggles.

"Firstly he knows that he has no chance with this Renault engine," said the former McLaren and Ferrari driver.

"And certainly after always being at the front for four years and giving everything, in this situation you could find that your batteries are getting low," added Berger.

But Red Bull's Marko thinks the real problem is simply Mercedes' increasing dominance.

"We are one second from them. In the race we won't see Mercedes," he said.

"We are making small steps forward, but so are they. We need a quantum leap, otherwise for us the year is over," added Marko.

It is believed Red Bull wants to introduce substantial fuel and engine modifications in time for its home race in Austria next month, but this might require a relaxation of the engine 'freeze' rules.

"The rules are clear, and we stick to them," Mercedes F1 chairman Niki Lauda, apparently ruling out cooperation to help struggling Renault, insisted.

So for now, Marko admitted he is hoping Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg's lonely battle at the front comes to blows.

Lauda, meanwhile, is taking delight in Mercedes' current situation.

"I was really concerned that our lead would be smaller on an aerodynamic track like Barcelona," he said. "But we are even further ahead of Red Bull than before."

GP2 field faster than F1 backmarkers in Spain
(GMM) Formula one is not the loudest spectacle in Spain this weekend.

The feeder series GP2, still powered by naturally-aspirated V8 engines, is making more noise in Barcelona than the newly-quiet 'hybrid' grand prix machines.

Not only that, there are GP2 cars that are actually faster than their F1 counterparts this weekend.

Stephane Richelmi's name may be almost unknown beyond the GP2 paddock, but this weekend at the Circuit de Catalunya, the Monagasque's Mecachrome-powered DAMS 'outqualified' F1 stars Max Chilton, Jules Bianchi, Marcus Ericsson and Kamui Kobayashi.

Not only that, every car inside the top 13 in GP2 qualifying was faster than the Caterhams in Spain.

Force India's Sergio Perez said earlier that the louder, faster GP2 – with budgets eight times smaller than F1 teams – is "embarrassing".

"It's down to the regulations and there's nothing we can do," said Marussia's Graeme Lowdon.

"You couldn't criticize fans for asking that sort of question, and it's important people listen to it," he is quoted by Sporting Life.

Ferrari backs Mattiacci's low-profile start
(GMM) He has arguably the highest-pressure job in all of formula one, but new Ferrari team boss Marco Mattiacci is keeping a conspicuously low profile.

His most famous contribution to his first race weekend three weeks ago in China was his dark sunglasses amid the dank smog.

And this weekend, the F1 unknown's profile is so low one would be forgiven for not noticing he is even in Barcelona.

"He's studying and observing," Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, in the usual spotlight that follows his rare appearance at grands prix, said in Spain.

Montezemolo has vowed to stick close to Mattiacci while the Italian settles in.

"I'm not happy with our situation," the high-profile president is quoted by Spain's El Confidencial.

"I want to be close to the team and Mattiacci, who has just arrived.

"It was the same for 4 or 5 months when Jean Todt came to Ferrari in 1992, because he was not an expert. Now I want to do the same," Montezemolo said.

Pedro de la Rosa, Ferrari's wise and highly-experienced reserve driver, backed Mattiacci's low-profile transitionary phase.

"F1 is not like football where one person can transform the game," he is quoted by Marca sports newspaper.

Paddock insiders have also reported that Mattiacci already seems much closer to the uncomplicated Kimi Raikkonen than the highly political Fernando Alonso.

But Alonso, who scarcely referred to his new boss by name only three weeks ago in China, now seems open to working with the 43-year-old former Ferrari North America chief.

"Marco has little racing experience," he said, "but plenty on the management side.

"He is listening and learning as fast as possible. We've had meetings to help in all areas and he wants to listen to everybody.

"I don't think he wants to become an engineer, but his priority is to take his time and then make decisions. He needs more time," Alonso added.

Hamilton did a better job, Rosberg concedes
Nico Rosberg has admitted that Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton simply "did a better job" en route to claiming pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix.

Having led the Briton through final practice and the opening two qualifying phases, Rosberg missed out by 0.168 seconds on the final Q3 runs.

"I'm very disappointed. I don't particularly enjoy coming second to Lewis," said Rosberg.

"In the end it was a good lap for me, so he just did a better job. That's the way it is."

Rosberg is hopeful that he can still fight for victory on Sunday, with his eyes firmly fixed on a strong start.

"It's still all to play for tomorrow. Second is only a little bit away from the optimum," he added.

"All it takes is a good start and I'm in the lead again."

Rosberg leads Hamilton by four points heading into the race.