Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: Renault Driver Decision, Felipe Nasr, More
After completing the signing of Nico Hulkenberg from Force India, it seems Renault are close to finalising their driver lineup for the 2017 Formula One season.
The team had reportedly intended to partner Hulkenberg with Valtteri Bottas, but the Finn's failure to wriggle his way out of his Williams contract has left Renault with a straight choice between one of their current drivers and their former reserve driver.
So will Renault offer Kevin Magnussen a reprieve? Or will they sign Mercedes-backed youngster Esteban Ocon in order to have a French driver in a French car?
As Renault edge towards identifying a new team-mate for Hulkenberg, it appears Force India are close to finding a replacement for the German.
Ocon and Jolyon Palmer, Magnussen's current team-mate, are thought to be in contention to partner Sergio Perez, but Sauber driver Felipe Nasrโwith the support of F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestoneโis set to beat them both to the spare seat.
After months of speculation, Toro Rosso finally confirmed their lineup over the United States Grand Prix weekend, with Daniil Kvyat surviving the threat of Red Bull junior Pierre Gasly to keep his seat.
The decision has left Kvyat relieved after a troubled year, while Gasly is now wondering where to turn after being overlooked for a drive that seemed certain to be his at one stage
Closing our Monday roundup is the latest update on the future of McLaren chairman Ron Dennis, who may be replaced by the man he sacked almost three years ago.
Kevin Magnussen and Esteban Ocon in a Straight Fight for 2017 Renault Seat?
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Magnussen and Ocon appear to be in a straight fight to race for Renault in 2017 after the team missed out on signing Bottas from Williams.
After completing the signing of Hulkenberg from Force India, Renault had been in negotiations to sign Bottas for next season even though Williams had already activated an option to extend his contract, according to Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble and Roberto Chinchero.
In an effort to escape his Williams deal, Bottas reportedly asked Renault to wait before finalising their driver lineup, but "all avenues have been exhausted" and the Finn is now almost certain to partner European Formula Three champion Lance Stroll at Williams in 2017.
And Renault's failure to secure the signing of Bottas has left them with a straight choice between Magnussen and Ocon for next season.
Having spent the first half of this year on loan to Renault as a reserve driver, Mercedes protege Oconโcurrently racing for Manorโhad been widely expected to secure a full-time seat with the French manufacturer for 2017.
However, the 20-year-old has emerged as a contender to replace Hulkenberg at Mercedes customers Force India, who consider Ocon to have more ultimate potential than fellow Mercedes-backed youngster Pascal Wehrlein having evaluated the pair in test sessions in 2015, per F1 journalist James Allen.
Should Mercedes place Ocon at Force India, it is likely Magnussen would be offered a reprieve, having scored all but one of the team's eight points during a difficult 2016 campaign.
Noble and Chinchero noted a swap deal between Magnussen and Haas driver Esteban Gutierrez should not be ruled out, with the Mexican an outside bet to partner Hulkenberg despite failing to score a point for the newcomers this season.
Magnussen is highly regarded at Haas, with team owner Gene Haas telling the official F1 website how he would have signed the Dane had he been unable to lure Romain Grosjean from Renaultโthen competing under the name of Lotusโat the end of 2015.
Should Ocon or Magnussen be signed by Renault, it is unclear where that would leave Palmer, who accused the team of showing him and Magnussen a lack of respect ahead of the United States GP, per the Telegraph's Daniel Johnson.
According to Motorsport.com's Adam Cooper, Palmerโwho has a "modest" amount of personal sponsorshipโmay yet succeed Hulkenberg at Force India, where he left "a good impression" after representing the team in a test session in late 2014.
Felipe Nasr in Contention to Replace Nico Hulkenberg at Force India?
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Nasr has emerged as one of the leading contenders to replace Hulkenberg at Force India, it emerged over the United States GP weekend.
After Hulkenberg's switch to Renault was confirmed following the recent Japanese GP, Force India are searching for a new team-mate for Perez for next season, with Nasr among the favourites to partner the Mexican.
According to German publication Auto Motor und Sport (h/t Planet F1), Ecclestone is supporting Nasr in his efforts to secure the Force India seat, with F1's ringmaster keen to have at least one Brazilian driver on the grid following the retirement of Williams driver Felipe Massa at the end of 2016.
Although he has failed to score a point for the struggling Sauber team in 2016, Nasr is regarded as one of the most impressive young talents on the grid having claimed two top-six finishes for the Swiss outfit in 2015.
And his sponsorship backing from Banco do Brasilโworth as much as $15 million, perย AMuSโwould be welcome at Force India, who have suffered financial problems in recent years.
At the United States GP, Nasr denied he or his manager Steve Robertsonโwho also advises 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonenโhad held discussions with Force India, but he told Brazilian television station Globo (h/t nextgen-auto.com) the Silverstone-based outfit have "a very coveted seat" available.
During Sky Sports' television coverage of the race, F1 reporter Ted Kravitz suggested Nasr is the favourite to replace Hulkenberg, adding his greater sponsorship funding would "probably" see him beat former GP2 rival Palmer to the spare seat.
Daniil Kvyat Relieved to Secure Toro Rosso Stay After a 'Quite Rocky' Season
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Kvyat has expressed his relief after securing a contract extension with Toro Rosso for the 2017 season, admitting he feared he would be dropped by the team at one stage.
Kvyat's F1 future was plunged into serious doubt earlier this season when, after a disastrous performance in his home race in Russia, he became the first driver in Red Bull's history to be demoted to B-team Toro Rosso.
With Red Bull junior Gasly excelling in the GP2 feeder series, it had seemed inevitable that Kvyat would be dropped by the team at the end of 2016.
After returning to form after the summer break, however, Kvyat emerged as the favourite to partner Carlos Sainz Jr. for 2017, with his new deal announced ahead of qualifying at the United States GP.
And with his future now resolved, the 22-year-old is hopeful he can now focus on delivering results on track.
Asked if he felt he had been handed a second chance in F1, Kvyat said, per Motorsport.com's Charles Bradleyย and Noble:
"It does in a way, yes, because this year has been incredibly long and quite rocky.
Itโs good to settle down and get this chance. Iโm gonna do my absolute best with it.
For me itโs very important because now I can focus on the job. I can stop looking around for things, and the Toro Rosso team is good for me because I know it very well. Itโs a bit like a home for me.
Next year the regulations are changing so itโs good to have two experienced drivers so the team can focus on the car, and not on the drivers so much.
Obviously it looked like I wouldnโt be in at one point, but then I managed to get everything together after the summer break and it was a very important few races.
If you have trust from them you can be sure itโs because youโre a very good driver.
"
According to the same source, Kvyat pinpointed September's Singapore GPโwhere he finished ninth after a thrilling battle with Max Verstappen, his replacement at Red Bullโas the moment he rediscovered his motivation for F1 and felt comfortable once more.
Team principal Franz Tost has welcomed the decision to retain Kvyat, telling the team's official websiteย having "stability and a benchmark to work from" will be crucial ahead of the major regulation changes in 2017, when Toro Rosso will revert from Ferrari to Renault power.
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Pierre Gasly Bemused by Toro Rosso's Decision to Keep Daniil Kvyat
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Gasly has admitted he was surprised by Toro Rosso's decision to keep Kvyat for 2017, revealing he will now pursue other options to join the F1 grid next season.
After Kvyat's demotion from Red Bull ahead of May's Spanish GP, Gasly was regarded as the overwhelming favourite to partner Sainz at Toro Rosso for 2017.
Having failed to win a single race in his first full season in GP2, the Frenchman won three races at Silverstone, the Hungaroring and Spa during the summer, gaining momentum at a time Kvyat was struggling for results at Toro Rosso.
Although he is without a win since August, Gasly is still in contention to become the first Red Bull-backed youngster to win the GP2 championshipโa series once conquered by the likes of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamiltonโand trails Prema team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi by seven points with one round remaining.
Gasly has been left bemused by Toro Rosso's decision, but the 20-year-old is working with Red Bull adviser Dr. Helmut Marko in an effort to find a place on the 2017 grid.
He said, perย Motorsport.com's Valentin Khorounzhiy, Erwin Jaeggi and Noble:
"Of course, I was a bit surprised. Things were looking pretty good, and suddenly, everything went very quickly and they signed Daniil very quickly.
I was a bit surprised and didn't really understand why. That's how it is. We know sometimes with Red Bullย everything can go very quickly.
We saw that with the decisions they made in the last two seasons. Now it's done, so I need to move forward.
They didn't really explain it to me. That's why I don't really understand.
They just told me that they have some reasons why they did it and why they kept him [Kvyat] in the team. That was about it, I don't know much more.
I talked a lot with Helmut in the last two days and we're going to try to see what's best...he knows my goal, he knows I want to get into F1 and that's really my target, so I need to look at the options and see what's best to achieve this goal.
"
Gaslyโwho will be unable to continue in GP2 in 2017 if he wins this year's titleโtold the same source he was disappointed Toro Rosso didn't delay a decision on their driver lineup to see if he would secure the crown.
After qualifying for the United States GP, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told Sky Sports' television coverage how Gasly is still rated very highly by the outfit.
He added Red Bull would consider loaning the Frenchman to another team for 2017 "if the right opportunity" arises.
Martin Whitmarsh to Replace Ron Dennis as McLaren Chairman?
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Martin Whitmarsh is among the leading candidates to replace Dennis as McLaren chairman, it emerged over the United States GP weekend.
After 35 years in charge, Dennis' future has come under serious threat, with Autosport (h/t Eurosport) reporting his contract will not be renewed at the end of 2016 after the 69-year-old failed to meet a series of deadlines in his efforts to regain overall control of McLaren.
Although a McLaren spokesperson told the same source Dennis has no intention of stepping down, it appears his fellow shareholdersโBahraini sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat and Mansour Ojjehโmay attempt to force him out.
And if they succeed, Whitmarshโalong with ex-Ferrari engineer and Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn and Justin King, the former Sainsbury's supermarket bossโwill be in contention to replace Dennis, according to BBC Sport's Andrew Benson.
Whitmarsh was promoted to the role of McLaren team principal when Dennis stepped down from the role at the beginning of 2009, but heย was brutally sackedย after several years of underachievement when his former boss returned to power in January 2014.
The 58-year-old, currently the chief executive officer of Sir Ben Ainslie's America's Cup sailing team, has not worked in F1 since his departure from McLaren, but he was recently linked to replacing Ecclestone as F1 CEO under new owners Liberty Media, per the Telegraph's Johnson.
Earlier this year, Whitmarsh told F1 journalist Allenย he was in no rush to return to F1, hinting he has no desire to compete against McLaren, who he first joined in 1989.
Likewise, Brawn has not worked in the sport since his departure from Mercedes at the end of 2013, and this year, he told Sky Sports F1ย he would have little interest in holding a full-time role.
King has also been regarded as a potential replacement for Ecclestone and has held links to the Manor team since the beginning of 2015, with his 22-year-old son Jordan participating in the first practice session for the backmarkers at the Circuit of the Americas.
Over the United States GP, former McLaren driver Martin Brundle told Sky Sports of his belief that Dennis will leave the team at the end of 2016, suggesting friction behind the scenes has led to McLaren pursuing "a new direction."
Ecclestone has offered his support to Dennis, telling Reuters' Alan Baldwinย how McLaren would be "stupid" to "get rid of him."
Mumtalakat CEOย Mahmood al-Kooheji told the same source of the company's admiration for Dennis, adding: "Whatever he decides, we will support his decision. I hope he continues and I will try to make him stay."
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