Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: McLaren-Honda, Valtteri Bottas and More
McLaren-Honda are planning to make a huge leap in performance when their new-spec engine is fired up at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.
The team's shortcomings in 2015 have been a direct result of Honda's faulty V6 turbo power unit, but the Japanese manufacturer believes its use of development tokens will allow McLaren to challenge their historical rivals, Ferrari, at Spa-Francorchamps.
The end of Formula One's summer break always sees the driver market burst into life, with Valtteri Bottas' proposed move to Ferrari continuing to hit the headlines.
One of Bottas' closest allies, however, believes the Finn may benefit from remaining with Williams, rather than partnering four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, for 2016.
While Bottas' future remains undecided, the plans of his current team-mate, Felipe Massa, seem to be much clearer, with the Brazilian explaining his confidence of remaining at Williams and offering career advice to Bottas.
One man in desperate need of career advice, meanwhile, is Kevin Magnussen, whose career has been on pause since he agreed to become McLaren's reserve driver for 2015.
The 22-year-old has grown tired of sitting on the sidelines, and Magnussen is adamant he will not settle for another season without racing something, somewhere.
Closing our latest roundup are Sauber, who have admitted to being apprehensive about forming a partnership with a car manufacturer again after their relatively successful, but short-lived, alliance with BMW.
McLaren-Honda Hope to Rival Ferrari with Belgian Grand Prix Engine Upgrade
1 of 5
McLaren-Honda are hoping to run at a similar level to Ferrari when their latest engine upgrade is introduced at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.
The former world champions scored just 17 points across the opening 10 races of the 2015 campaign, with Honda's underpowered, inefficient and unreliable V6 turbo powertrain at the root of the problems suffered by Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.
Alonso secured the team's best result of the season with fifth place in July's Hungarian GP. On a high-downforce circuit, the Spaniard's lofty finish was in spite, not because, of the Honda engine.
Motor Sport Magazine's Mark Hughes has previously claimed McLaren's MP4-30 would be a match for the Ferrari SF15-T, which has won two races in the hands of Sebastian Vettel, with a decent power unit.
And Honda—whose new-spec RA615H engine will feature "changes to the combustion chamber, intake, exhaust layout and gear-train system," according to Autosport's Ben Anderson—believes its major update will see the McLaren cars draw alongside Ferrari. The 2016 power unit, dubbed "Mk 4," is expected to allow the team to match world champions Mercedes next season.
Ahead of the Spa-Francorchamps weekend, Yasuhisa Arai, the head of the Japanese manufacturer's motor-racing activities, told Anderson:
"Spa is the final upgrade for this year, with ancillaries to follow in the following race.
Mk 3 [will be introduced] in Spa [and] we have already started development on next season's power unit.
Mk 4 will be on the same level as Mercedes, that is the target; Mk 3 will be on a level similar to Ferrari, which is what we're aiming for. It's a big step.
"
While the new engine should see McLaren make some improvement at Spa, Honda's confidence in catching Ferrari appears to be the latest in a long list of unrealistic targets made by the team in 2015.
And besides, the sheer amount of changes Honda has made, as well as the complexities of the V6 turbo power units, should mean things will get worse before they get better.
Toto Wolff Advises Valtteri Bottas to Remain with Williams for 2016
2 of 5
Toto Wolff has urged Valtteri Bottas to remain with Williams for the 2016 season as speculation regarding the Finn's future continues.
Bottas has established himself as one of the most promising young talents in Formula One since his debut in 2013, pipping world champions Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso to fourth place in the 2014 standings with six podium finishes.
The Williams driver currently sits fourth in the 2015 drivers' championship, one point ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, whom he is reportedly set to replace at Ferrari next season.
In July, Corriere dello Sport (h/t Sky Sports) claimed Ferrari had agreed a €12 million deal with Williams to release Bottas from his contract at the end of this year.
But Mercedes team boss Wolff—who, along with Didier Coton and two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen, forms Bottas' management team—believes the 25-year-old should think twice before joining four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel at the Prancing Horse.
Bottas' relationship with Wolff, who worked alongside Bottas at Williams in 2012, seemed to suggest the Finn would be a prime candidate to join Mercedes whenever Lewis Hamilton or Nico Rosberg departed the Silver Arrows.
And the Austrian insists there is no need from him to join Ferrari when Williams, who are on course for their second successive third-placed finish in the constructors' championship, can offer Bottas competitive machinery, telling Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Motorsport.com):
"He is a good guy who can be tempting for many—but Williams are the third force in the championship, and they aim to be on the podium at every race, so there is no reason to leave.
It makes sense for Williams, which has invested in him and taken the risk when he was young, and has not got value from him—to get that by selling him to another team.
"
Wolff's comments on Bottas are compelling; either suggesting the Finn remains part of his future plans at Mercedes, or highlighting his determination to prevent Valtteri becoming a direct threat.
Felipe Massa Confident of Williams Stay
3 of 5
While one Williams driver may be set to leave, the other is committed to staying with the team for 2016.
Felipe Massa has spoken of his confidence at remaining with Williams for a third season, having exceeded expectations alongside Valtteri Bottas this year.
After Bottas secured the team's first podium of the year in Canada, the Brazilian hit back with a third-place finish of his own in the Austrian Grand Prix and currently sits sixth in the drivers' standings, three points behind his team-mate.
Since arriving from Ferrari at the beginning of 2014 after four bruising seasons alongside two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, Massa has rediscovered his confidence behind the wheel.
In April, Rob Smedley, who worked alongside Massa throughout his time at the Italian team, told Autosport's Lawrence Barretto how the 11-time grand prix winner is "definitely" driving as beautifully as he did in 2008, when he came within a point of winning the world championship.
And despite approaching his 35th birthday, Massa is certain his performances will earn him another season at Williams, telling Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble:
"I hope to announce the renewal quickly.
There is a clause in the contract that says that the team can renew my contract, and I don't think that this will take too long.
There is a time-limit in the contract [September] for the team to take this option, so I don't see why they won't do the renewal. ...
Right now I am treated as an important part of Williams. I have the respect of the whole team.
"
Massa also offered his view on Bottas' proposed move to Ferrari, telling the same source how "it's difficult to see what and if something will happen," but admitting he is unsure whether Williams would be capable of beating the Prancing Horse.
Meanwhile, Alex Lynn, the Williams development driver, has told Crash.net of his eagerness to force his way into the team's 2016 plans.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
McLaren's Kevin Magnussen Keen to Return to Racing in 2016
4 of 5
Kevin Magnussen, the McLaren-Honda reserve driver, has insisted he will not tolerate another season without full-time racing in 2016.
Despite finishing second for McLaren on his Formula One debut at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix, Magnussen was dropped at the end of last season to make way for two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who partnered the retained Jenson Button.
A graduate of the team's young-driver scheme, the Dane settled for the role of reserve driver at McLaren for 2015, deputising for Alonso after the Spaniard was ruled out of the season opener through injury.
With McLaren possessing an option to retain for Button for 2016, according to BBC Sport's Andrew Benson, there is a possibility Magnussen could return to partner Alonso for next season, although he will face stiff competition from Stoffel Vandoorne, the team's latest starlet and the runaway leader of the GP2 championship.
While he will not rule out spending another year as McLaren's reserve, Magnussen is adamant he will return to racing next year, be it at McLaren, in F1 or in another category.
The 22-year-old told Autosport's Ben Anderson:
"There will not be one more year without racing—no way in hell.
I'll stay for one year like this and then hopefully something will happen [in F1], and if not you'll have to move on and do something else.
I'm not saying I definitely won't be here as reserve driver.
If I don't get a [race] drive then I might do something else and if I can be reserve driver as well then that'll be good.
But I hope that's not going to be it—I hope to be back in Formula 1 next year.
"
As reported by Autosport's Lawrence Barretto and Mitchell Adam in March, Magnussen's cameo appearance in Australia ended his chances of racing in IndyCar for 2015.
But the Dane has reiterated his desire to race in the American open-wheeled series in the future, telling Anderson: "I've always loved IndyCar, and I think there's something about it which is really cool. I just like old-school racing.
"We had such a short time to find the budget [this year] and then with what happened to Fernando, McLaren needed me, and I didn't really have the time to find the budget."
Sauber Fearful of Joining Forces with Manufacturer After BMW Experience
5 of 5
Monisha Kaltenborn has revealed her apprehension over the prospect of Sauber joining forces with a major car manufacturer after the team's stint under the ownership of BMW.
After a six-year partnership with Williams, BMW purchased Sauber in mid-2005, with the Swiss outfit going on to enjoy the most successful period of their history.
The team finished second in the 2007 constructors' championship and won the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix with Robert Kubica, which propelled the Polish driver into the lead of the drivers' standings.
Kubica remained in contention for the '08 title until the latter stages of the campaign, but the team's decision to prioritise their 2009 car ahead of the drastic regulation changes saw him eventually finish fourth.
Despite their target of winning the world championship in '09, as reported by BBC Sport, BMW-Sauber struggled for much of the season and BMW announced its decision to withdraw from F1 halfway through the campaign.
Since then, Sauber, who are often regarded as a Ferrari B-team, have spent much of their time fighting for survival. As one of five independent outfits on the current grid, the team would be a prime target for any manufacturer looking to arrive in F1.
While Kaltenborn admits the prospect of rising toward the front of the grid is enticing, she would be reluctant to see Sauber fall into the hands—and become exposed to the pressures, impatience and insecurities—of a major automotive operation, telling Autosport's Lawrence Barretto:
"One has to be always very cautious with engine manufacturers and becoming a works team.
It has a lot of positives but at the same time, and this is nothing negative, but this is a marketing tool where you show your technical excellence if you're a manufacturer.
When you achieve that and you achieve that a couple of times—and I exclude Ferrari here, because they have a different bond to the sport—you have achieved your target and then you leave.
Equally the other way around, you have to win. That's the only thing you can do as a manufacturer team—number two is already a loser to them.
If winning does not happen they have also, as we have seen, quit the sport.
"
Although it is refreshing that a team boss has made plans to ensure the team's long-term future, it is sad that a racing team as established as Sauber would consider rejecting the promise of grand prix wins and podiums for the sake of their existence.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
