Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault and More
Sebastian Vettel could only manage a second-place finish in Sunday's Italian Grand Prix, but his celebrations on the podium were reminiscent of a newly crowned world champion.
Just two years after being booed and jeered on the Monza podium, the Ferrari fans worshipped Vettel following his first race on Italian soil behind the wheel of a scarlet-red Formula One car.
And the adoration shown by the Tifosi has left Vettel in no doubt that the sport needs the Italian GP, with the German pleading with Bernie Ecclestone to protect Monza's place on the F1 calendar.
While Vettel was confirming his status as Ferrari's new hero, his former employers, Red Bull Racing, were left reflecting on another poor performance.
Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat were lapped en route to eighth and 10th, respectively, at Monza, where Red Bull's lack of straight-line speed was—not for the first time this season—brutally exposed.
The four-time constructors' champions appear to have wriggled their way out of their commitment with engine supplier, but the team's plans have been dealt a blow with the news Mercedes is no longer interested in providing them with V6 turbo power units.
And just like Vettel a year ago, Red Bull may now have to turn to Ferrari to get themselves back on track.
After his retirement in Italy, Nico Rosberg's title challenge has well and truly gone off the rails, with the German now 53 points behind Lewis Hamilton.
To make matters worse, Mercedes have admitted that they were at fault for Rosberg's retirement having taken an unnecessary risk in the latter stages of the race.
Meanwhile, Jenson Button has spoken of his desire to be put out of his misery by McLaren-Honda, while Romain Grosjean may be set to end his long-standing relationship with Lotus.
Here's this week's roundup.
Sebastian Vettel Urges Formula 1 to Protect Monza's Place on Calendar
1 of 5
Sebastian Vettel has warned Formula One's soul could be torn out if the Italian Grand Prix were to be removed from the calendar.
With the exception of 1980, when the Italian GP was held at Imola, Monza has been a presence on the schedule ever since the inaugural F1 season in 1950, but the circuit's future has been the subject of much doubt in recent years.
According to Autosport's Ian Parkes, Monza's contract is set to expire after the 2016 event, with the race organisers thought to be €10 million short of the €25 million demanded by F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone for a new deal.
Ahead of the 2015 race, Ecclestone told Parkes it is unlikely that Monza will retain its place on the calendar, bemoaning the Monza officials' reluctance to pay the same price as the other European races, stating: "Maybe something they've enjoyed in the past they won't be enjoying [in the future]."
In his first appearance at the track as a Ferrari driver, Vettel drove a calm, assured race from third on the grid to finish second behind Lewis Hamilton.
On a podium where he was mercilessly booed just two years ago, the Tifosi, who gathered on the race track, gave the four-time world champion a hero's reception during the prize-giving ceremony.
And after his first experience of what life is like as a Ferrari driver at an Italian GP, Vettel paid tribute to the Prancing Horse's enthusiastic supporters and offered his view on the uncertainty facing Monza, where he claimed his maiden F1 win in 2008.
Vettel told the post-race FIA press conference:
"[..] It’s fairly simple, it’s the best second place I ever had. The emotions on the podium is incredible. If we take this away from the calendar for any s----y money reasons I think you are basically ripping our hearts out. We are here, we are racing and this makes it so much more worthwhile. It’s what we’re here for. You stand on the grid, you look to the left, you look to the right, people are just happy to be part of it and it makes our day. So, simple as that. It’s incredible. So, thanks for this emotion on behalf of all the Ferrari team. Thank you.
"
Earlier this year, Ecclestone suggested, per Gazzetto dello Sport (h/t BBC Sport), that Imola could share the race with Monza to ensure the Italian Grand Prix remains on the calendar. It is, however, unclear whether that would be a viable long-term option.
Red Bull Close to Renault Split, but Mercedes Engine Deal Now Unlikely
2 of 5
Red Bull Racing are edging closer to severing their ties with engine supplier Renault, but their hopes of competing with Mercedes power units in 2016 appear to have suffered a major blow.
Since winning four consecutive titles with Vettel between 2010 and 2013, Red Bull have struggled in the V6 turbo era, with Renault's difficulties in mastering the new engine regulations at the root of their problems.
Although the alliance managed to salvage three grand prix wins and second place in the constructors' championship in 2014, Red Bull have reached the podium in just one of the first 12 races of 2015—in Hungary, where their power deficit was disguised by the high-downforce circuit requirements—and currently sit fourth in the standings.
Throughout that period, Red Bull and Renault have been embroiled in a war of words, and although the parties have a contract until the end of 2016, both seem increasingly keen on ending their relationship as soon as possible.
According to Autosport's Dieter Rencken and Lawrence Barretto, Red Bull have "issued a document requesting a termination of the partnership that will be accepted by Renault."
With Renault edging closer to a return to F1 as a full-scale works team—Autosport's Ian Parkes claims the French manufacturer's deal to purchase the Lotus outfit is nearing completion—Red Bull would be free to seek a new engine partner for next season.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes' motorsport boss, recently told Sky Sports of his willingness to offer Red Bull a helping hand, but the German manufacturer's parent company, Daimler, has "gone cold on the idea" of supplying engines to a direct rival, according to Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble.
Red Bull seem to have left themselves exposed in the murky world of F1 politics, but they may yet be rescued by their old friends.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit ran with Ferrari V8 engines in the 2006 campaign and, according to F1 journalist Byron Young, team principal Christian Horner and owner Dietrich Mateschitz "held talks" with Sergio Marchionne, the Ferrari chairman, over the Italian Grand Prix weekend.
Marchionne told Sky Sports' Pete Gill of his "respect" for Red Bull and his happiness to help them "find their way again" at June's Austrian GP, but Horner politely declined the offer.
The Prancing Horse, however, may now be Red Bull's only option.
Mercedes Increased Engine Power Prior to Nico Rosberg's Italian GP Failure
3 of 5
Mercedes have revealed that Nico Rosberg's engine failure in the latter stages of the Italian Grand Prix occurred soon after the team decided to increase its power.
As reported by Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble, the Silver Arrows introduced a new-spec power unit at Monza as they made a head start on development for the 2016 campaign.
Rosberg's engine, however, developed a problem in the final practice session, forcing the team to revert to an older engine that first appeared as long ago as June's Canadian GP and had completed 305 racing laps prior to the Italian GP.
Short on power compared to team-mate Lewis Hamilton, whose new engine ran without trouble, Rosberg was compromised for much of the weekend, qualifying fourth on the grid and dropping to sixth at the first corner of the race at Monza.
Having recovered to third, Rosberg was pressuring Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel with two laps remaining when smoke bellowed from the rear of his W06 Hybrid, leaving the German with no option but to retire from the race, ending Mercedes' 100 per cent reliability record in 2015.
And Toto Wolff, the team's executive director, has admitted the German manufacturer took a risk in attempting to pass Vettel, telling Autosport's Ben Anderson and Matt Beer: "We gave it a little push at the end to try to catch Sebastian, and this is when it decided to call it a day.
"The engine was on its sixth race, so it was very high on miles. ... And we didn't get any warnings."
Rosberg's withdrawal, on a day Hamilton claimed his seventh win of the season, means the German is now 53 points adrift of his team-mate with seven races remaining.
While the German, per the same source, has acknowledged that his retirement was "a massive step in the wrong direction" in terms of his title hopes, Rosberg vowed to "keep fighting" in his increasingly futile bid to win the 2015 title.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Jenson Button Hoping for Early McLaren-Honda Decision
4 of 5
Jenson Button is eager for his Formula One future to be resolved sooner than later, with McLaren-Honda set to decide the identity of Fernando Alonso's team-mate for the 2016 season.
After Kimi Raikkonen's stay at Ferrari was confirmed ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Button arguably holds the key to the driver market.
Although McLaren boss Ron Dennis told Sky Sports' Pete Gill the 2009 world champion has a two-year contract with the Woking-based outfit, BBC Sport's Andrew Benson claims Button has a "one-plus-one" agreement, giving the team an option to replace the 35-year-old at the end of the season.
Kevin Magnussen, who was replaced by Alonso at the end of 2014, and Stoffel Vandoorne, the GP2 champion elect, are in contention to inherit Button's seat should the team opt to release the 15-time grand prix winner.
And Button, who has performed strongly alongside Alonso in 2015, hopes a decision will be made in the coming weeks, telling Autosport's Glenn Freeman: "I think that's something we need to discuss away from the circuit over the next few weeks.
"It's always in your hands. Hopefully over the next few weeks we can decide, either way."
Button was made to wait until mid-December to secure a new contract at the end of last season and believes McLaren will not make the same mistake again, telling the Telegraph's Daniel Johnson:
"I think the whole team understanding that we shouldn’t have waited that long last year, whichever way it was going to go.
That won’t happen again. That is one thing we have talked about, Ron and myself, but we’ve not gone into any details at all. I will know more in a couple of weeks.
"
Per the same source, Button is set to receive a salary increase from £8 million to £12 million if he is retained by McLaren—whose option on the British driver expires at the end of September—which could be the decisive factor in the team's decision.
Johnson claims two of McLaren's commercial partners, Johnnie Walker and Santander, are set to walk away from the team, who have been without a title sponsor since Vodafone's departure at the end of 2013, costing them up to £20 million.
Romain Grosjean Set to Swap Lotus for Haas?
5 of 5
Whether they've competed under the guise of Renault or Lotus, Team Enstone have played a defining role in the career of Romain Grosjean.
The Frenchman joined the team as a test driver at the beginning of 2008, before making his Formula One debut as a Renault driver 18 months later.
After disappearing from F1's radar in 2010, Grosjean returned as a tester in 2011 and earned a full-time seat for 2012, going on to claim several podium finishes and emerge as the team's lead driver and one of the most exciting talents on the grid.
But could he be set to flee the nest?
According to Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble, Grosjean has held discussions over a switch to the brand-new Haas team, who are set to arrive on the grid for 2016, as he waits for news regarding Renault's purchase of Lotus.
In August, the Frenchman told ESPN F1's Laurence Edmondson of his excitement of spearheading Renault's factory operation, but Noble claims there is "no guarantee" the manufacturer's purchase of Lotus will happen.
In May, Gene Haas, the owner of the new American team, told USA Today's Jeff Gluck of his desire to sign a current F1 driver and, particularly, a driver who had grown unhappy with their team's progress.
With Lotus' short-term future far from secure—Alan Permane, the trackside operations director, recently told Sky Sports' William Esler that 2015 is "the worst season we have had financially"—the prospect of a move to Haas, who have a technical agreement with Ferrari, could appeal to Grosjean.
But you would suspect that Haas, at this stage, is a fallback option to ensure Grosjean will cement his place on the 2016 grid, regardless of how the Lotus-Renault saga ends.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
