Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: Paddock News from 2014 Italian Grand Prix

The Italian Grand Prix is the final race of Formula One's "European season," and therefore a good place to make big announcements.

If rumours are to be believed, we'll see a huge one this weekend. Reports suggest Luca di Montezemolo is set to leave his position as president of Ferrari, bringing to an end his 23-year reign.

At the silver end of the pit lane, wheels may have been set in motion for another departure. Toto Wolff had admitted that Mercedes may have to get rid of one of their drivers if tensions cannot be controlled.

Elsewhere, Kamui Kobayashi is back in the Caterham (for now), former FIA presidential candidate Ari Vatanen wants the Russian Grand Prix to be cancelled and the changes to Parabolica have received a mixed reaction from the drivers.

Read on for a full roundup of the biggest stories as we head into the race weekend.

Ari Vatanen Calls for Russian Grand Prix Cancellation

Mikhail Metzel/Associated Press

Bernie Ecclestone and Vladimir Putin.

Former FIA presidential candidate Ari Vatanen has called for the Russian Grand Prix to be cancelled over the continuing conflict in Ukraine.

Former MEP Vatanen, who works closely with FIA President Jean Todt, told The Telegraph:

"

Do we support the regime who is masterminding this bloodshed? Or do we say this is not correct? It would send a message of acceptance if we went to Russia. It would say we condone, effectively, maybe not explicitly, but by our actions we condone what is going on because it is used in propaganda.

It is often said that Formula One should not mix politics and sport, but the Russian regime is already mixing politics and sport in a blatant way, so we have to respond. It is for Bernie and the owners to cancel the race.

It is an unprecedented situation since the Second World War, and we have to ask ourselves how history will remember us and what we did or did not do.

"

The current crisis in Ukraine was sparked by the ousting of the country's former President, pro-Russian Viktor Yanukovych, in February after a period of civil unrest.

Part of Russia's response was to send troops to Crimea, which it annexed in March after a referendum of the peninsula's population. Per BBC News, the vote and subsequent seizure of Crimea was widely condemned by western governments, and sanctions were imposed.

Russia insisted the referendum and annexation were legal.

Armed conflict has raged since then between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists in the south and east of the country, with NATO accusing Russia of directly supporting the rebels. In July, Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, and The Independent reports tensions between the west and Russia have intensified in recent weeks.

Bernie Ecclestone spoke to Sky Sports late in August and dismissed talk of cancelling the race. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner indicated the teams will follow where the power brokers lead and will not boycott the race unilaterally.

However, doubt has remained, and Vatanen's very public call for cancellation may signal a change of policy. The 1981 world rally champion added he believed Todt also had reservations, saying:

"

Of course Jean knows about my comments, we spoke about it. We are friends. I think he partly shares my view. It is true that his hands are tied. I can say things much more openly and freely than he can.

I’m not saying he agrees with everything that I say, but he has a much more reduced room for manoeuvre. He cannot do big moves one day to another. Any movement by people starting to talk about it and then it can spread and lead to action.

"

But the decision may yet be taken out of Ecclestone and Todt's hands. A "secret" document featuring proposed new EU sanctions against Russia was seen by The Telegraph earlier in the week. The paper reported it contained the passage:

"

Beside economic measures, thought could be given to taking coordinated action within the G7 and beyond to recommend suspension of Russian participation in high profile international cultural, economic or sports events (Formula One races, UEFA football competitions, 2018 World Cup etc).

"

That would remove the need for any tough calls to be made.

The race is due to take place on 12 October.

Toto Wolff Hints at Mercedes Driver Changes

Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Associated Press

Toto Wolff has revealed that Mercedes may be considering changing their driver line-up.

Speaking to James Allen on BBC Radio 5 Live, Wolff was asked about the "punishment" handed out to Rosberg and about how the discussion with the drivers went. He said:

"

When you are managing a team it is very important to keep it balanced. I would very much like the penalties we have been implementing to stay within the team because it is just not fair on the driver to discuss that in public.

We have made it very clear this is an unacceptable scenario for us, for both of them.

"

He went on to say:

"

We don't want this to happen ever again and the consequences are very easy. If we are not able to manage the two of them following the Mercedes-Benz spirit then we need to admit that and take decisions and take the consequences of having a different line-up.

"

With Rosberg in possession of a contract which, per Sky Sports, is believed to run until the end of 2017, it seems likely the one who'd be making way would be Hamilton—whose own deal expires at the end of next season.

That is, unless Mercedes decide keeping the Brit is worth the extra cost of terminating Rosberg's three-year contract and (probably?) receiving bad publicity in their home country.

Kamui Kobayashi Back at Caterham—for Now

Petr David Josek/Associated Press

Kamui Kobayashi will drive for Caterham this weekend after the team were unable to sell his seat for the Italian Grand Prix.

Initially it seemed Roberto Merhi, currently lying second in the Formula Renault 3.5 championship, would replace the Japanese driver.

But Merhi did not receive the FIA Super Licence required to take part in the race as he does not currently meet the qualifying criteria. Instead, the FIA granted him permission to take part in Friday practice only.

Merhi was quoted by ESPN saying:

"

At the moment it looks like they will let me do FP1 and then let's see for the future. If everything goes well I don't think it will be a problem, but if something does go wrong I think it will be a problem, I guess. But at the moment everything looks OK from our side.

"

With Merhi unable to drive, Andre Lotterer, who drove in Kobayashi's place in Belgium, was offered the seat instead. He was initially going to do it—but decided not to when he learned Merhi would be taking the car for FP1.

Lotterer told Diario AS (h/t grandprix.com for the English translation):

"

I had my doubts, but the team insisted and I accepted.

When Colin Kolles told me on Tuesday that Merhi would take my place for the first practice session, I changed my mind and told them I would not participate. I am a newcomer in Formula One and I need to drive.

"

Letting Merhi drive Marcus Ericsson's car in practice would have solved the problem, but evidently the Swede pays enough to ensure he never has to step aside.

If all goes well with the practice run, Merhi could make his debut at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Luca Di Montezemolo Set to Quit Ferrari at Monza?

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Rumours have surfaced indicating Luca di Montezemolo will resign as President of Ferrari over or immediately after the Italian Grand Prix weekend.

This long-running saga kicked off early in August when Montezemolo was linked with the newly vacated CEO position at airline Alitalia.

He issued a denial to El Mundo Deportivo (English translation h/t grandprix.com), saying, "after my family, there is nothing more important than Ferrari".

Now it may finally be coming to an end. TheJudge13.com reports Montezemolo will resign after the Italian Grand Prix.

Motorsport-total.com (German) also carries the rumour.

If true, his resignation will bring to an end a 23-year presidency which saw Ferrari rise from mediocrity to dominate the sport with Michael Schumacher, before returning in recent years to the ranks of the also-rans.

For all Montezemolo has done for the team and company as a whole, a change was long overdue.

His replacement is as yet unknown.

Drivers Split on Parabolica's New Tarmac Run-off

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

The old, beautiful Parabolica.

Monza's famous Parabolica grabbed a lot of headlines in the run up to the weekend after a large part of its gravel trap was replaced with tarmac.

It was previously one of the few truly special corners to resist the march of "progress," and pictures of the shiny new tarmac, kerbs and astroturf saw many fans shed a sad, salty tear.

It's certainly a lot safer now, which pleased some drivers. Pastor Maldonado praised this aspect, saying on Lotus' website:

"

I don’t think it will make too much difference really. The approach will be the same which is to take it as quickly and efficiently as possible. Of course there is the obvious safety element which means that you have less risk if you go off.  I think this is good from a safety point of view because it is a quick corner with not that much room on the outside.

"

Nico Rosberg had a similar viewpoint, saying during the official FIA pre-race press conference, "It was one of the more risky corners that we still had in our calendar so it definitely makes things a lot safer and that is the right direction to go in."

Others had more to say about the reduced challenge now presented by Parabolica. At the same press conference, Kevin Magnussen said:

"

I do think we will take more risk. . .well, you're not really taking more risk because it's more safe and you can just go off the track and come back again and generally I'm not a big fan of that. I think it adds to the experience of driving at circuits if there is a little bit of a bigger consequence of going off the circuit.

"

Valtteri Bottas agreed, adding:

"

I really think last year it was maybe a bit more challenging in a way because on the exit we were always going with the outside wheels just on the white line and you knew that if you went a couple of centimetres too wide that that would be it, you would go off, but now it doesn't matter if you go a bit over the white line, you just need to keep at least two wheels on the track and that's it.

"

And Max Chilton bemoaned the sheer size of the new run-off, saying:

"

I'm not a huge fan of it. I think it's maybe allowed us to go for slightly more risky overtakes but I don't see why they needed to extend it so far around. As Valtteri said, it was a bit of spice, the old circuit, where we used to run up against the white line and if you went slightly too far you would hit the gravel and you knew it was over.

"

Chilton is right—tarmac straight on from the apex makes perfect sense, but there was no need to ruin what used to be a challenging and totally safe exit.

Maybe if each tifoso brings a handful of gravel on Sunday...