Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso and More
Sebastian Vettel dedicated his Hungarian Grand Prix win on Sunday to Jules Bianchi, who died nine days before the race.
The Mogyorod-based event was a tremendously difficult race for the drivers, many of whom attended the Frenchman's funeral just days earlier, as they came to terms with the loss of one of their own.
Vettel, though, led from the front both on and off track, claiming his second win for Ferrari and offering a heartfelt tribute to Bianchi.
Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso secured his best result of the season at the Hungaroring, staying out of trouble to cross the line in fifth. While his lofty position was a consequence of the errors and misfortune suffered by other drivers, McLaren-Honda appeared to make a step forward in performance.
But that hasn't stopped Alonso, whose last grand prix victory was in 2013, admitting he is finding it difficult to resist the allure of other forms of motorsport.
Alonso enjoyed a feisty battle with fellow Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr. en route to fifth place, but the rookie was frustrated after the race, claiming Toro Rosso gave preferential treatment to Max Verstappen, who went on to claim his best finish in Formula One.
Mercedes were also frustrated when the chequered flag fell, having seen Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg fall from first and second on the grid to sixth and eighth respectively.
The Silver Arrows have made poor starts in each of the last three races but were able to get away with it in Austria and Britain. Having gifted a victory to Vettel and Ferrari, however, the team have admitted the issue is increasingly concerning.
Closing this week's roundup is the news McLaren could stand in the way of Jenson Button's potential return to Williams, preventing the 2009 world champion from ending his career where it all began.
Sebastian Vettel Dedicates Hungary Win to Jules Bianchi
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It was a week of contrasting emotions for Sebastian Vettel, who helped carry his friend's coffin on Tuesday before standing on the top step of a grand prix podium on Sunday.
The four-time world champion dedicated his latest victory, his second in the colours of Ferrari, to Jules Bianchi, who died from injuries suffered in a crash at Suzuka in 2014.
The Hungarian Grand Prix was a sombre occasion, as a minute's silence was observed ahead of the race, with each of the 20 drivers, as well as members of Bianchi's family, forming a circle on the grid.
On a day when Formula One paid tribute to a Ferrari protege, it was fitting that a scarlet-red car claimed victory, with Vettel snatching the lead at the first corner and taking a commanding win.
After Bianchi's death, Luca di Montezemolo, the former Ferrari chairman, told Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Autosport) how the Frenchman had been "chosen for the future" and was "certain" to drive for the team had his Marussia not collided with a recovery vehicle during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
And Vettel, who equalled three-time world champion Ayrton Senna's tally of 41 race wins with his victory at Budapest, dedicated his race to Bianchi, telling Autosport's Ian Parkes:
"Incredible day, but this victory is for Jules.
We know it has been an incredibly tough week, and for all of us very difficult, so this one is for him.
For all the people within Ferrari, all the Ferrari fans, we knew sooner or later he would have been part of our team, part of this family.
"
Sergio Marchionne, Di Montezemolo's successor in the Maranello boardroom, echoed his driver's sentiment, telling the same source: "We dedicate this victory to the memory of Jules, a fantastic guy whom we all miss terribly."
Fernando Alonso Growing Tired of Modern-Day Formula 1
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Fernando Alonso has admitted he is interested in racing in other categories of motorsport, claiming he is disillusioned with the current state of Formula One.
F1 has treated Alonso poorly since his most recent championship triumph in 2006, with the Spaniard missing out on adding to his tally of titles at the final rounds of the 2007, 2010 and 2012 seasons.
If he thought those near misses were agonising enough, Alonso, who is still widely regarded as the benchmark performer on the grid, has experienced a new level of pain in 2015. McLaren-Honda's struggles mean he and fellow world champion Jenson Button have been forced to settle for occasional points finishes.
The 34-year-old has made no secret of his desire to race in other series in the past, telling BBC Sport's Andrew Benson of his admiration for the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans race, an event won by Force India F1 star Nico Hulkenberg in June.
In a Twitter Q&A, the Spaniard also declared his openness to race in the Indianapolis 500, claiming the Brickyard event is "one of the greatest races in motorsport" and "attractive for any racing driver."
After qualifying a disappointing 15th at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Alonso reiterated his eagerness to experiment with racing outside of F1, telling Motorsport.com's Pablo Elizalde:
"I love motorsport, all the categories, and it is true that F1 is not exactly the same, or as exciting as it was in the past—at least to me, to drive the cars two or three seconds faster than a GP2 car.
Right now, there is huge motivation and a fantastic project that I am in right now with McLaren-Honda.
...
But with no testing, with these tyres, with these limitations, with the calendar for example next year, there is the temptation [for doing] other categories, that is true.
"
That F1 could drive away someone as talented as Alonso is deeply concerning, although his fifth-place finish at the Hungaroring—a result he, per Autosport's Ian Parkes, described as "unbelievable"—may reignite his passion for the pinnacle of motorsport.
Carlos Sainz Jr. Fumes at Toro Rosso After Hungarian GP
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Carlos Sainz Jr. has accused Scuderia Toro Rosso of giving Max Verstappen preferential treatment in Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.
Verstappen's poor start saw him drop behind Sainz in the early stages of the race, with the Spaniard running in 11th, one place ahead of his team-mate, in the first stint.
At most teams, the lead driver is often offered the optimum tyre strategy, but Toro Rosso called Verstappen into the pits on Lap 14, one lap earlier than Sainz.
This allowed the Dutchman, with fresh rubber, to utilise the undercut technique and emerge ahead of his team-mate when the first round of stops were completed, helping the 17-year-old claim a career-best finish of fourth.
Although Sainz ultimately retired from the third race in succession just nine laps from the end, he 20-year-old was upset by the team's handling, telling Marca (h/t GrandPrix.com): "I'm angry because I was doing a very good race..."
"It has not been explained to me why they didn't stop me first. Imagine the anger that I have. I stopped later than the others, Max did 'the undercut' and passed me in the pits. That's what I cannot understand."
The excitement surrounding Verstappen's debut season in F1 means it can be easy to overlook and underestimate Sainz, who has not been given much credit and, seemingly, the opportunities he deserves despite matching the 17-year-old.
But while it is refreshing to hear a driver openly admit his frustration with a team, Sainz's criticism of Toro Rosso, who have a notorious reputation when it comes to ditching drivers, may come back to haunt him.
Mercedes Frustrated by Lacklustre Starts
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Mercedes have made a habit of poor getaways from the start line in recent races.
In Austria, Lewis Hamilton was unable to capitalise on pole position and lost the lead to Nico Rosberg at the first corner.
At Silverstone, both drivers were mugged off the line by the Williams drivers, Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas, and didn't reclaim the lead until the first round of pit stops.
And in Hungary, Hamilton almost instantly lost the lead to Sebastian Vettel, who started third. Rosberg, despite appearing to make a strong initial getaway, was unable to sustain his momentum into the first corner and lost second place to Kimi Raikkonen at Turn 2.
The poor starts had knock-on effects for both Mercedes drivers, with Hamilton making several errors—he told the Telegraph's Daniel Johnson it was his worst performance since the 2008 Japanese GP—as he attempted to come through the pack, ultimately finishing sixth.
Had Rosberg, meanwhile, made a clean getaway, he would have been in a position to control the race and wouldn't have been in the same postcode as Daniel Ricciardo on Lap 64, when the German suffered a puncture as a result of contact with the Red Bull.
Mercedes' tendency to throw away their good work in qualifying—they have secured pole in all but one race since the beginning of 2014—has angered team boss Toto Wolff, who was ordered the team to resolve their problems, telling Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble:
"[I am] very concerned.
We got jumped by two Williams last time, and jumped by two Ferraris this time.
This was what triggered the whole mess, and then the lap one incident.
We need to get on top of the situation. It is not acceptable and it needs to be analysed why it happened. It is many various reasons, it is not one particular one. If you look at it, not good.
"
The ongoing problem will be a huge worry ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, where changes to the race-start procedure will be introduced. It is, however, uncertain just how large an impact these will have on teams and drivers.
McLaren Could Block Jenson Button's Prospective Return to Williams
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Jenson Button's dream return to Williams could be scuppered by his current employers, McLaren.
With Valtteri Bottas likely to swap Williams for Ferrari for 2016—Corriere dello Sport (h/t Sky Sports) recently reported the Prancing Horse have agreed a fee of €12 million for the Finn to replace Kimi Raikkonen—the Grove-based outfit could be searching for a new driver for next season.
Force India's Nico Hulkenberg, who began his F1 career with Williams in 2010, is likely to be in contention to partner Felipe Massa, but Button has emerged as a potential option for the team, according to BBC Sport's Andrew Benson.
The 2009 world champion made his grand prix debut for Williams in 2000, competing in 17 races for the team, and as the most experienced driver on the grid, he would be a great asset for the outfit as they look to continue their recent resurgence.
Yet Button's future is out of his hands, with McLaren, whom he has raced for since 2010, having an option on his services for 2016, reported by the Times' Kevin Eason.
Should McLaren exercise that option, Button will have little choice but to remain with a team who have scored just 17 points in the opening 10 races of 2015 and are without a grand prix win in almost three years. Yet if the team choose to promote either Kevin Magnussen or GP2 championship leader Stoffel Vandoorne alongside two-time world champion Fernando Alonso for 2016, Button's path to Williams will be cleared.
However, Ted Kravitz claimed during Sky Sports' television coverage of the Hungarian Grand Prix that "it looks like Button is going to stay" for next season, with McLaren "loath to let him go for various reasons."
Kravitz also noted that if Button were to remain at McLaren, it would severely damage the prospects of Magnussen and Vandoorne, members of the team's young-driver scheme.
However, there is a possibility the backmarkers could switch from Ferrari to Honda power units, therefore becoming a McLaren B team for 2016, with sporting director Graeme Lowdon telling Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble how Manor are "open" to a change of engine supplier.
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