Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: Fernando Alonso, Adrian Sutil, More

Fernando Alonso returned to the cockpit of a McLaren in free practice for the 2015 Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix, after revealing to the world what really happened when he crashed during winter testing.

The Spaniard said at the pre-race press conference that he had experienced a steering issue with his MP4-30, which sent the car into the barriers at the second test. Having missed the season-opening race with the concussion which resulted, Alonso did his first laps in the new car for over a month, ending up 14th-fastest in first practice.

Nico Rosberg went somewhat quicker, setting the fastest time in the first session after making a revelation of his own on Thursday.

Elsewhere, Adrian Sutil has returned to the paddock as Williams' new reserve driver, Raffaele Marciello made his race meeting debut for Sauber, Manor also appeared for the first time and Lewis Hamilton has dismissed calls for engine equalisation as "funny."

Read on for a full roundup of the top stories heading into the race weekend.

Fernando Alonso Reveals Details of Testing Crash

Vincent Thian/Associated Press

Fernando Alonso has revealed a steering problem caused the crash at the second pre-season test, which put him out of the Australian Grand Prix.

The Spaniard suffered a concussion in the mysterious incident at Turn 3 of the Circuit de Catalunya. McLaren's muddled and confusing series of "explantions" left many fans feeling they were hiding something.

Now, we know they were.

Responding to a question about the crash in the official FIA pre-race press conference, Alonso indicated it was caused by a steering problem and that the team had made changes to the steering rack. He said:

"

Obviously with the team we have been very close working on that and with the FIA, they were very helpful all the times, and we were in close contact, all three parts constantly and yeah, there is not in the data anything clear that we can spot and we can say it was that, the reason.

But definitely we had a steering problem in the middle of turn three. It locked into the right and I approached the wall I braked in the last moment, I downshift from fifth to third, and yeah, unfortunately on the data we are still missing some parts.

Also the acquisition of date on that particular part of the car is not at the top so there are some new sensors here at this race and there are some changes we do on the steering rack and other parts and yeah that was the main thing.

"

He dismissed suggestions the accident was caused by the wind and also addressed some of the rumours, which had swirled around in the aftermath of the accident, saying:

"

Everything was more or less as a normal concussion. So, I had this concussion, went to the hospital. I went to the hospital in good conditions. There is a time that I don’t remember from two o’clock to six o’clock or something like that, but everything again was normal due to the medication that they give you to go into the helicopter and to do some tests in the hospital.

Everything was normal. I didn't wake up in ’95, I didn't wake up speaking in Italian or all these things that probably they were out there. I remember the accident and I remember everything that following day.

"

It remains unexplained why McLaren didn't just pass on what Alonso would have told them before now, and the water remains decidedly muddy. But having heard it from the horse's mouth, we can at last start to move on from speculation.

Alonso also said he has faith in the team that the problem will not happen again. We can safely assume Jenson Button shares this faith—or he wouldn't have driven the car in Australia.

The team had a trouble-free first practice, with Alonso setting the 14th-fastest time—"just" 2.761 seconds slower than quickest man Nico Rosberg.

Adrian Sutil Joins Williams as Reserve Driver

Andre Penner/Associated Press

Former Spyker, Force India and Sauber driver Adrian Sutil has been named Williams' new reserve.

"

We are delighted to announce Adrian Sutil as @WilliamsRacing reserve driver: http://t.co/K0MJRABOq2 #WeAreRacing pic.twitter.com/1WPrpOaiQ1

— WILLIAMS RACING (@WilliamsRacing) March 26, 2015"

He joined the British team ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix amid speculation over who would replace Valtteri Bottas should the Finn be unable to drive. In a statement on the team website, Williams boss Sir Frank Williams said:

"

I'm delighted to have Adrian join our stable of drivers for the 2015 season. Adrian brings extensive racing experience, having competed 128 Formula One races during his career.

Having most recently raced during the 2014 season also gives him excellent knowledge of the current generation of race car and new Hybrid power units, which is invaluable for anyone needing to step into the cockpit in 2015.

The fight for a top Constructors’ Championship position will be intense this season, therefore we have selected a driver with recent race experience and are confident that if the need arose, he would be a solid pair of hands to race the FW37 and assist our 2015 campaign.

"

Williams would have faced a problem had Bottas not passed the necessary tests. They have GP3 champion Alex Lynn and Susie Wolff under contract as testers, but neither was seen as a suitable candidate to step into a race seat.

Bottas passed the tests and will drive in Malaysia, so Sutil will have to wait—and will probably never enter a grand prix for Williams.

But his recent experience makes him an ideal choice for this kind of role, and like Williams says, he can be relied upon to do a reasonable job should the need arise.

Lewis Hamilton Dismisses Calls for Engine Equalisation

Clive Mason/Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton says calls for engine performance to be equalised are against the spirit of F1 and would be unfair to his Mercedes team.

Speaking after the Australian Grand Prix, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner called for the FIA to even things up. Alan Baldwin of Reuters reported Bernie Ecclestone had given his support to the idea.

But Hamilton, writing in his column on the BBC Sport website, said:

"

F1 is about the best drivers competing against each other for the best teams producing the best cars they can.

Equalising performance between teams runs completely counter to the idea of F1 and would be very unfair for us. After years of trying, we have finally got ourselves into a position where we have the best car and have done the best job with the same rules as everyone else.

It's not like Red Bull or Ferrari have less money or fewer resources than Mercedes. We have just done a better, more efficient job. That's what happens from time to time in F1.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Ferrari were dominating and won five championships in a row. They were not equalised with everyone else—the others had to catch up, which they eventually did. And the same goes for Red Bull at the beginning of this decade.

Now it's our turn.

"

Hamilton also spoke to Adam Cooper of Motorsport.com, saying he found Horner's comments "quite funny."

The equalisation call was always wrong, and even Horner appears to have come around to the side of reason. In an interview with Autosport, he said, "Is that [equalisation] likely to happen? Of course it's not. Is it fundamentally right for it to happen? Probably not either."

Mercedes did the best job under the rules laid down and agreed to by all parties, and Ferrari appear to have started to catch up.

Red Bull need to work alongside Renault to help them do the same.

Nico Rosberg Reveals Unique Solution to Sweat Problem

Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Nico Rosberg has revealed he has a unique solution to keep sweat out of his eyes—a sanitary towel in his helmet.

Speaking to Craig Slater of Sky Sports F1, the German revealed, "I have an issue with my eye when I sweat a lot so that is what the headband is for. Actually I do have sort of a headband in my helmet, it is my trick, but I can tell you. I put a woman's...erm...what do you call them? The thing you put in your underwear."

Asked if he meant tights, Rosberg said no, but Slater's next suggestion, a sanitary towel, hit the jackpot.

"Sanitary towel, that's what it's called?" Rosberg replied. "So I put that on my forehead in my helmet to take up the sweat."

The Malaysian race is one of the toughest on the calendar for the drivers. Speaking about this, Rosberg said (h/t The Independent):

"

The race is one of the toughest on the calendar because of the intense heat and humidity, so you have to be very fit. It is vital to stay hydrated, too because during the race I can sweat up to four litres which is massive and probably double the amount of a regular race.

It will be very demanding. By the end of the grand prix, your concentration levels will not be as high as they were at the beginning.

"

The idea of a driver in perhaps the most technologically advanced sport in the world slapping a simple sanitary towel on his forehead to go racing is somewhat comical, but the idea is a good one and now that it's out in the open, it may be copied by his rivals.

We could even see Mercedes getting involved to optimise his pads, and the towels will become another real-world product to benefit from F1 research and development.

Interestingly, Nico isn't the first Rosberg to put something in his helmet to deal with weather conditions.

At the 1984 Dallas Grand Prix, his father Keke wore a water-cooled skullcap under his helmet to help him deal with the incredibly high temperatures.

Raffaele Marciello and Manor Marussia on Track in 1st Practice

Clive Mason/Getty Images

Raffaele Marciello has made his F1 race weekend debut with Sauber, driving in first practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

The Ferrari-backed youngster did 13 laps of the Sepang circuit, with a best time of one minute, 42.621 seconds.

"

Here he goes #RM36 #F1 #FP1 #MalaysianGP pic.twitter.com/bOzYTNgaVN

— Sauber F1 Team (@SauberF1Team) March 27, 2015"

Also making their first appearance were the two Manor Marussias of Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi. The team failed to do a single lap over the course of the Australian Grand Prix meeting but were out on the track early in first practice.

"

And...WE'RE BACK! pic.twitter.com/sEPGAJ9iu6

— Manor F1 Team (@ManorF1Team) March 27, 2015"

Both set timed laps, with Stevens the quicker of the two. His best lap was well off the pace, but for the team to have put anything on the board is an achievement.

They can only go forward from here.