Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: Red Bull, Aston Martin-Mercedes and More
Most teams on the Formula One grid would simply love to be powered by Mercedes engines, and Red Bull Racing are no exception.
Over the British Grand Prix weekend, it was suggested that the four-time world champions were working on a deal to switch from Renault to Mercedes power units, with the help of sports-car giants Aston Martin, for the 2016 season.
However, Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, cooled speculation by insisting the Milton Keynes-based outfit are committed to fulfilling their contract with Renault despite the French manufacturer's enduring struggles in the V6 turbo era.
Red Bull's reluctance to join forces with Aston Martin, though, doesn't mean the British company aren't keen on returning to F1. And it is reported that Aston have identified up to three existing teams to partner for 2016.
Kimi Raikkonen will be hoping he will play a part on the 2016 grid too, and the 2007 world champion made something of a return to form at the British GP. Raikkonen's Ferrari boss, Maurizio Arrivabene, however, has ordered the media to stop the speculation over his future as the Finn fights for his F1 career.
Raikkonen's 2014 team-mate, Fernando Alonso, scored his first point of the season at Silverstone as his difficult campaign with McLaren-Honda continued.
Though the two-time world champion wasn't in the mood for celebrating, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff was after Lewis Hamilton's win on home soil extended the British driver's championship lead and returned the feel-good factor back to Formula One.
Here's this week's F1 rumour roundup.
Red Bull Boss Christian Horner Dismisses Aston Martin, Mercedes Speculation
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Red Bull Racing have dismissed speculation that the team are set to run Mercedes engines in the 2016 Formula One season.
According to Autocar's Jim Holder, the four-time world champions were in talks with Aston Martin, which is partly owned by Mercedes-Benz, with a view to securing a deal to use the German manufacturer's leading V6 turbo power units for next season.
Holder claimed the agreement—which reportedly had "the blessing of Mercedes at board level"—would result in a similar arrangement to what Red Bull currently have with technical partners Infiniti and Renault, which sees the team's cars feature Infiniti branding despite being powered by the French manufacturer.
Notwithstanding Red Bull and Renault's long-running feud, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, per Sky Sports' Pete Gill, politely declined Ferrari's offer for an engine deal over the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.
And Horner has again reiterated Red Bull's commitment to Renault and Infiniti, telling Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble:
"We have a contract with Infiniti and a contract with Renault until the end of 2016.
Anything beyond the end of that agreement is pure speculation. Last week it was Ferrari. This week it is Aston Martin. Next week it will probably be Honda or Lamborghini. So, there is a lot of speculation.
We have a contract, we have a commitment with Infiniti and a very good relationship with Infiniti, and anything beyond the end of 2016 is purely speculative.
"
In the same article, Noble claimed Red Bull are keen to get their hands on Mercedes engines but added that the German company's worries over the four-times world champions' haranguing of Renault—in addition to "historical personal issues" between the Mercedes hierarchy and Red Bull chief Dietrich Mateschitz—means the likelihood of a deal is "slim."
However, Toto Wolff, Mercedes' executive director, appeared to leave the door ajar, telling the same source how the Silver Arrows "consider all the options."
Aston Martin Switch Attention to Williams, Force India and Lotus?
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While an agreement with Red Bull seems unlikely, to say the least, it appears Aston Martin are indeed assessing a return to Formula One in 2016.
And they could mount a comeback with a team a little closer to Mercedes' home.
According to Autosport's Lawrence Barretto, the British manufacturer is looking to secure a partnership with one of the Silver Arrows' three customer teams—Williams, Force India or Lotus—for next year.
Barretto claims Williams and Force India are the current favourites to join forces with Aston Martin, with any deal set to emulate the Infiniti-Renault arrangement at Red Bull.
Andy Palmer, Aston Martin's CEO, is quoted by Barretto as saying he would consider a deal "if something drops into our lap and if suddenly those stars align," although the article claims the manufacturer's return would depend on "value for money" and its ability "to beat road car rivals McLaren and Ferrari on track."
With that in mind, surely the only possible deal available to Aston Martin is with Williams, who are on course to finish third in the constructors' standings for the second consecutive season, having beaten Ferrari in two of the last three races.
The alliance of two British motoring institutions would—so soon after Williams struck a sponsorship deal with the iconic Martini brand—be widely welcomed in the paddock and perhaps give the team greater independence from Mercedes, strengthening their chances of recapturing their glory days.
Ferrari's Maurizio Arrivabene Fears Kimi Raikkonen Is Distracted by Speculation
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Ferrari have expressed concerns that intense speculation over Kimi Raikkonen's future has affected his performances.
After a steady start to 2015, which saw Raikkonen secure his first podium finish since 2013 in April's Bahrain Grand Prix, the Finn's form has dropped in recent races, with the 2007 world champion making mistakes in Monaco, Canada and Austria, where he crashed out on the opening lap after qualifying 18th.
Despite a decent showing in the British Grand Prix, where he outqualified team-mate Sebastian Vettel for only the second time this season, Raikkonen finished a distant eighth at Silverstone after deciding to pit for intermediate tyres when the track was still relatively dry.
The result saw Raikkonen drop to fifth in the drivers' standings behind compatriot Valtteri Bottas, who is among the front-runners to replace him at Ferrari for 2016.
Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo and Force India's Nico Hulkenberg are also thought to be among the contenders, with BBC Sport's Andrew Benson claiming "sources close to the team say that the decision to drop Raikkonen has effectively already been taken."
However, Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene has reiterated his loyalty to Raikkonen and has called for the rumour mill to stop, telling ESPN F1's Laurence Edmondson:
"Imagine being Kimi for one second, everyone is talking about him since Bahrain and then you have to jump in the car and drive at 300km/h. Is he in a good mood? No. I want Kimi to stay calm and do his job.
I want to get rid of all of this because we have two drivers and Kimi knows what he has to do, he knows that his future is in his hands and that's it. At the right time we will communicate our decision.
As I have always said, the future of Kimi is in the hands of Kimi. I don't want to talk anymore about Kimi because we have 10 races to go and at the right time we will communicate to Kimi what we are going to do.
"
If Raikkonen's future really is in his hands, he can make a big step toward rescuing his F1 career by producing strong performances at the next two rounds in Hungary and Belgium, two venues where he has often excelled.
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Fernando Alonso Refuses to Celebrate Despite Making a Point at Silverstone
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Fernando Alonso scored his first world championship point of the 2015 season in the British Grand Prix, but he was in no mood to celebrate.
The Silverstone weekend was another testing one for McLaren-Honda, who once again failed to progress from the first part of qualifying.
The team's race seemed set for an early end when their cars collided at Turn 3 on the opening lap, but while Jenson Button was instantly eliminated, Alonso was able to continue after pitting for a new front wing.
From there, the Spaniard drove cleanly in a race in which no fewer than seven drivers retired and was elevated to 10th place when Marcus Ericsson made three pit stops in quick succession as Sauber repeatedly misjudged the weather conditions.
Despite securing his best result of the season, McLaren's fifth in total, Alonso was reluctant to view his point-scoring exploits as a major achievement.
The two-time world champion, who is accustomed to fighting for grand prix victories, told Autosport's Glenn Freeman:
"I'm not happy, but it's the first point of many, I hope.
It's not party time yet because it's only one point but it's definitely good for the team and the morale of everyone after a few tough months.
It's one point. It's not the best result and it's not what we want.
It's just good for the team especially—the point is more for them and to thank them for the job of these months.
"
Alonso and Button could add to their tally at the next round at the Hungaroring, which should play to the strengths of McLaren's MP4-30 chassis.
Toto Wolff: British Grand Prix a Timely Boost for F1
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Less than 72 hours before the British Grand Prix, the Formula One Strategy Group released a manifesto with the aim of reviving the sport.
Among the changes proposed by the association, per the FIA's official website, were anything from a free choice of tyre compounds and "several exciting and innovative changes" to the race-weekend format, exposing F1 to gimmicks such as sprint races and, potentially, reverse grids.
It was appropriate, therefore, that Silverstone—in this season of doom and gloom in an era of dwindling attendances and viewing figures—produced the most exciting race of the season.
According to Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble, a capacity crowd of 140,000 people flocked to the home of British motor racing, where four drivers were in contention for victory.
Williams' lightning start from the second row saw Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas give the home favourite, Lewis Hamilton, an early fright before Nico Rosberg threatened to steal victory from the reigning world champion as rain hit the track.
An inspired strategy call, which saw Hamilton switch on to intermediate tyres just as the conditions turned treacherous, led to the 30-year-old winning on home soil for the second consecutive season.
Hamilton's Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff, believes the unpredictable nature of the event should ease fears that F1 is on the road to nowhere, telling Noble:
"Crisis called off?
Sometimes these things just happen at the right moment. There were such great crowds out there and a race with all the ingredients necessary to make exciting races.
There was Williams going like arrows, us not able to overtake, then the right calls, the right rain at the right time and the right winner...
We need to work on how can we make it better all the time, to convince the critics that this is a great sport. And we did that [at Silverstone].
"
While change is needed, the most recent race at Silverstone showed F1 isn't as fundamentally flawed as we've been led to believe.
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