Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: Fernando Alonso, Nico Rosberg and More

Nico Rosberg hopes Lewis Hamilton is suffering a crisis of confidence ahead of the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The world championship leader spun off at Interlagos and though he was able to rejoin, any hope of winning the race was gone. Rosberg believes Hamilton may now be carrying a bit of self-doubt in the back of his mind.

Away from the title fight, Fernando Alonso is finally set to be unveiled as a McLaren driver. Reports say it'll happen before the last race of the year.

Over at Red Bull, it has emerged the team spent a record-breaking £196 million in their pursuit of glory in 2014. Perhaps upset he's spent so much and achieved so little, Christian Horner is threatening a spending war over engines unless Mercedes cave in to Renault, Ferrari and Honda's demands.

And looking to the future, Qatar looks set to host its first Formula One race in the very near future.

Read on for a full roundup of the latest news coming out of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso's McLaren Unveiling Imminent

Felipe Dana/Associated Press

Fernando Alonso will be unveiled as a McLaren driver for 2015 before the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Spaniard told Sky Sports F1 at the weekend that he didn't believe any announcement would be made before the end of the season.

However, new reports in Autosport suggest the deal is done and the only decision left is regarding who will partner the double world champion. Once that is decided, everything will be made official.

Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen, the team's 2014 drivers, face an anxious wait. Were Button to be dropped, it would surely mean the end of his F1 career. Per the Daily Mail, a move to the World Endurance Championship has been heavily rumoured.

Magnussen may also find it very difficult to remain in the sport. Supported by McLaren through the higher stages of his junior career, he lacks the massive sponsorship package that would be necessary to have a chance of a 2015 drive somewhere else.

A reserve driver slot would be his best hope.

Both deserve to stay with the team in 2015 but three into two just doesn't go. It's more likely Button will be the man to leave but nothing is certain just yet.

Qatar Set to Join Formula 1 Calendar

Qatar could be set to join the F1 calendar as early as 2016.

Steven Cole Smith of Motorsport.com reported plans for the first Qatari Grand Prix are "much farther along than most expected."

The venue will be the Losail International Circuit. The biggest event currently held there is a round of the MotoGP series.

It features several corners which look like they'd be great in an F1 car but only one straight of any note and not many heavy braking events. The circuit website states it has "FIA and FIM homologation licenses," however, these do not include the FIA Grade 1 license needed for F1.

Necessary upgrades would not be difficult or time-consuming.

It has a full lighting system so any F1 visit would probably be for a night race, but it might need toning down or modifying a little—it looks awful on the GP2 video above.

Qatar is incredibly rich and has been on a bit of a mission to attract major sporting events, so the only surprise here should be that it's taken so long. The circuit is just 70 miles away from Bahrain, but that shouldn't present any barriers—attracting crowds is unlikely to be a priority.

One can only hope the widely reported exploitation and abuse of migrant workers, reported by the Guardian among others, has ended by the time F1 rolls into town.

Aside from the obvious humanitarian reasons, F1 doesn't need even more bad publicity.

Christian Horner Threatens Spending War on Engines

Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Christian Horner's quest to get Mercedes to give up their engine advantage continues.

The Red Bull team principal has placed himself in the role of spokesman for the team's engine supplier, Renault, and he wants Mercedes to agree to an easing of engine development regulations.

They currently ban all in-season development; Horner wants a limited amount to be allowed.

Mercedes recently rejected a compromise deal, which would have given all suppliers 13 tokens* (which can be "exchanged" for upgrades) to be used for engine development next July. The German manufacturer would only agree to five tokens—no deal, said the others.

The regulations governing engine development for next season are set in stone unless all teams agree to change them. However, changing them for 2016 and future seasons would require only a majority vote from the F1 Strategy Group. Ferrari, Red Bull, Bernie Ecclestone and a helpful FIA could achieve that.

So now, Horner is threatening to force a free-for-all on engine development from 2016 onward. This would massively increase costs. He is quoted in Autosport, saying:

"

I think that is the only option because, with a majority vote, the 2016/17/18 rules can be opened up. So we will have to face the pain in 2015 to open it up in 2016/17/18, which is ridiculous.

We will all end up spending a lot more money over a longer period of time.

What should happen is that a window should be opened to allow Renault, Ferrari and Honda to try to close that gap.

"

What should actually happen is that Red Bull and Renault should respect the rules they, Ferrari, Mercedes and everyone else agreed in the first place and stick to them.

Mercedes did a better job with their engines and earned their advantage. If they wish to show the other suppliers some charity, that's very kind of them. But they're under no obligation to do so and should not be threatened with a war they would probably win anyway.

Unless, of course, anyone can find an example of Red Bull furiously lobbying to give up the advantage over the field they had between 2010 and 2013.

Anyone?

* For details of what modifications cost how many tokens, see the final page of the 2015 Technical Regulations, here (pdf).

Nico Rosberg Hoping Lewis Hamilton's Confidence Took a Beating

Ricardo Mazalan/Associated Press

Nico Rosberg hopes the partial spin suffered by team-mate Lewis Hamilton at Interlagos has dented the Brit's confidence ahead of the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Speaking to press after the Brazilian Grand Prix, Rosberg said (h/t Formula1.com):

"

We saw he made a mistake, so anything can happen in the last race. It's good to see—I hope it has slightly dented his confidence. Mental [strength] is a big part of the sport, that's for sure.

I need to win Abu Dhabi and hope for some help from Lewis—it is close, but he must not finish higher than third in Abu Dhabi. It's difficult with the car we have. Maybe Williams can do a lucky strike or something.

"

Hamilton was close behind Rosberg when the German pitted, and he put in a blistering time on Lap 27. He expected to be called into the pits at the end of that lap and used up all the life of the tyres. Had he been, Sky Sports F1's post-race analysis showed he would have emerged ahead.

However, Mercedes kept him out, believing he'd be able to pull out an even larger gap. The tyres were shot and Hamilton pushed too hard at Turn 4, going off the track in a half-spin. The error cost him at least seven seconds and any chance of winning the race.

Rosberg and Hamilton now head to Abu Dhabi 17 points apart. In a normal season, fifth would be enough to secure the title for Hamilton, however, double points being awarded means he must finish second or higher.

Barring reliability issues or errors, another walk-in-the-park Mercedes one-two looks overwhelmingly likely, so Rosberg will have to hope for a lucky break.

But whatever happens, we should all hope and pray the ridiculous double points do not affect the outcome.

Red Bull Shatter Formula 1 Budget Record

Felipe Dana/Associated Press

Red Bull have smashed the F1 budget record in 2014, spending an incredible £196 million.

This, according to The Independent's Christian Sylt, is the most a team has ever spent on a single season of F1 and contrasts sharply with Marussia's meagre £76 million spend.

The article stated the team employed 675 people, and its biggest area of spend was research and development, accounting for £80 million. The year-on-year increase from 2013 was £20 million.

Unfortunately for Red Bull, the extra cash has not brought continued success. Mercedes have dominated the season, in large part due to having a superior power unit. The Renault-powered Red Bulls and self-powered Ferraris have struggled.

But amid the sport's current financial crisis, the Austrian team actually made a small profit.

While constructors at the rear of the grid scrimp and scrape for every penny, Red Bull's income was £197 million. This was largely made up of sponsorship, prize money and a £13 million cash injection from the Red Bull company itself.

In October, the same writer reported Mercedes spent £190 million in 2013.

Is there any wonder smaller teams can no longer afford to compete?