Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: Susie Wolff, Mercedes' Niki Lauda and More
Susie Wolff, who became the first female driver in two decades to participate in a Formula One race weekend at the 2014 British Grand Prix, is to retire at the end of the season.
Despite a motor-racing career featuring limited success, the 32-year-old has become a highly respected member the paddock during her four years with the Williams team and intends to continue to encourage female participation in the sport in retirement.
As Wolff prepares to depart F1, Niki Lauda may also be heading for the exit door.
The three-time world champion has been influential in Mercedes' rise to prominence in recent years, but after the Silver Arrows' second successive title triumph, it has been claimed that Lauda—after reportedly upsetting Wolff's husband—feels the time is right to walk away.
In this roundup of farewells, Will Stevens is hoping to be here to stay.
Although it is fashionable to mock drivers representing the minor outfits, Stevens has performed reasonably well for the struggling Manor outfit this season and, as the team prepare for their Mercedes-powered future, is confident of retaining his seat for 2016.
Should Stevens' place at Manor be confirmed, only one vacancy would remain on next season's grid.
That seat is unlikely to be taken by Kevin Magnussen, who finds his career in tatters after being ejected from his reserve-driver role at McLaren-Honda. And just to add insult to injury, the owner of the new Haas team has admitted he would have signed the Danish youngster had he missed out on Romain Grosjean.
With the news that Pirelli has been permitted to stage a day-long tyre test following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, here's our latest update.
Susie Wolff to Retire from Motorsport at the End of 2015
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Susie Wolff, the Williams test driver, has announced that she will retire from motorsport at the end of the 2015 season.
The Scot, who joined Williams as a development driver in April 2012, became the first woman to participate in a grand prix weekend in 22 years at last season's British Grand Prix and has since gone on to drive in three further free-practice sessions.
Over that time, the 32-year-old—the wife of Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff—has emerged as an ambassador for Formula One, leading the campaign for female participation in motorsport.
Despite her respectable performances in those four FP1 appearances—the last of which took place at Silverstone in July—the defining moment of her time at Williams came at March's Australian GP, when Valtteri Bottas was ruled out of the race due to a back injury.
With Bottas' participation at the following round in Malaysia in doubt, it initially appeared as though Wolff would be offered the chance to make her grand prix debut. But the team's signing of Adrian Sutil as a reserve driver ahead of the Sepang race effectively confirmed Williams did not trust Wolff to compete in a race.
And Wolff has hinted that being overlooked by the team, leaving her in the knowledge that her F1 journey would go no further, has influenced her decision to retire, telling the Huffington Post:
"At 13, the dream and the goal became Formula 1. I got oh so close. I wanted and fought very hard to make it onto that starting grid but the events at the start of this year and the current environment in F1 the way it is, it isn't going to happen.
My gut feeling tells me it is time to move on. Time to explore new challenges and push myself in new environments. As a sportsperson it is always difficult to know when to stop but for me, this journey has come to an end.
[...]
My progression into Formula 1 came to represent so much more than a racing driver simply trying to reach the pinnacle of the sport. It was also the hope that finally there may again be a female on the starting grid. I rode the wave, was energized by all the support and fought hard. There were those who wanted it to happen. Those who didn't.
I can only tell you, I gave it my all. Do I think F1 is ready for a competitive female racing driver that can perform at the highest level? Yes. Do I think it is achievable as a woman? Most definitely. Do I think it will happen soon? Sadly no. We have two issues, not enough young girls starting in karting at a young age and no clear role model. Sometimes you just have to see it to believe it.
"
Wolff added that she, along with the Motor Sports Association, will "will launch a new initiative aimed at celebrating the woman succeeding in motorsport on and off the track."
Niki Lauda Set to Leave Mercedes at the End of the Season?
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Along with the three wise men—Toto Wolff, Paddy Lowe and Andy Cowell—Niki Lauda has been instrumental in Mercedes' relentless success over the last two seasons.
But could the three-time world champion be set to leave the Silver Arrows at the end of 2015?
At a time when the relationship between the Mercedes drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, is at boiling point, it has been reported that tension is mounting between the members of the Mercedes hierarchy, leaving Lauda "considering" his future at the team.
According to the Times' Kevin Eason, Wolff was less than impressed when he "spotted Lauda being interviewed by journalists outside the Mercedes hospitality suite" following last weekend's Mexican Grand Prix and "immediately cancelled his own regular Sunday evening briefing."
While it was said that Wolff simply "had a plane to catch," Eason claims the executive director "stalked out of the suite some time later, apparently disgruntled by Lauda courting the limelight in the aftermath of the race."
Writing on his personal Twitter account, Eason added that Lauda, who joined the team in September 2012, feels his work at Mercedes—having played an integral role in the signing of Hamilton and overseen two consecutive drivers' and constructors' championship triumphs—is done.
Will Stevens Set to Secure Manor Stay for 2016
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Will Stevens is close to securing his place on the 2016 Formula One grid, with a deal to remain with Manor nearing completion.
Since making his debut in a one-off appearance with the now-defunct Caterham outfit at the end of last season, Stevens has established himself as a reliable performer alongside Roberto Merhi and Alexander Rossi in what has been a transition year for Manor.
The perennial backmarkers' agreement to use Mercedes power units for the 2016 season seemed to spark a stampede for the two Manor seats, but it appears Stevens is winning the race.
According to Autosport's Ian Parkes, the Essex-born driver's financial backers "are poised to complete a deal with Manor that will guarantee the 24-year-old's position on the grid."
And Stevens, who joined Honda's young-driver program as a 16-year-old in 2008, is confident he will retain his seat for next season, telling the same source:
"Everything is moving in the right direction.
I've a lot of people working on my behalf, and everything on a daily basis is improving. We are happy with what's going on and the way we are going forward.
Obviously I'd love for it to have moved forward quicker than it has, and to say I've signed for next year, because as a driver I want to get it done as quickly as possible.
I want to go to races knowing my future is sorted and next year is sorted, but these things take time, although we're pushing hard.
If everything goes to plan then I am confident I'll be with the team next year.
"
Stevens' comments come less than a week after it emerged that Manor stalwarts John Booth and Graeme Lowdon are set to leave the team at the end of 2015, with the Telegraph's Daniel Johnson reporting that the pair have endured a troubled relationship with owner Stephen Fitzpatrick.
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Haas Would Have Signed Kevin Magnussen for 2016
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The new Haas team finalised their 2016 driver lineup at last weekend's Mexican Grand Prix, where Esteban Gutierrez was confirmed as Romain Grosjean's team-mate.
But the owner of the American outfit, Gene Haas, has revealed the team would have signed Kevin Magnussen as their No. 1 driver had they been unable to lure Grosjean from Lotus.
In August, team principal Gunther Steiner told Haas' official YouTube channel that 10 drivers were in contention for the two 2016 race seats, stressing the team's desire to sign experienced drivers and, if possible, those who had grown frustrated with their current teams.
When Grosjean, a 10-time podium finisher, became disillusioned with Lotus, Haas were there to pounce, with the Frenchman's signing ending Magnussen's chances of sealing a return to F1 next season.
Despite being the only McLaren driver to stand on a podium since 2012, Magnussen was demoted to a reserve-driver role at the end of 2014, before being released by the team in October.
And as Magnussen looks to restart his racing career, Mr. Haas has admitted that, had events turned out differently, the 23-year-old would have been preparing to lead F1's newest team in 2016.
"We talked to Magnussen, who was a very good candidate," Haas told the official F1 website.
"He was very well respected by the McLaren team. In fact if Romain had declined we would have taken Magnussen as the primary seat."
Per the same source, Mr. Haas added that he had held month-long discussions with another existing driver—thought to be Force India's Nico Hulkenberg—before he ultimately committed his future to his current team.
Pirelli to Stage 12-Hour Tyre Test After Abu Dhabi GP
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Pirelli, Formula One's tyre supplier, has announced that it will hold a mammoth 12-hour tyre test after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
In a statement released via the Italian manufacturer's official website, Pirelli confirmed it has received permission from the FIA World Council to stage a one-day test, lasting from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., on Tuesday 1 December, two days after the final race of 2015 at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Pirelli's eagerness to hold a test stems from its desire to "develop a new construction for the 2016 slick tyres," and although the F1 teams can choose to miss the 12-hour session, those who participate will be forced to run under strict restrictions.
As usual in modern-day test sessions, teams will field one car each, but Pirelli will have the power to "define the test programme for each car," with teams—who have been asked to run "race or reserve drivers" rather than rookies or development drivers—prevented from trying new parts or altering their cars during the test.
The 12-hour test will also give Pirelli a first opportunity to evaluate its new "ultrasoft" tyres, which will join the supersoft, soft, medium and hard compounds in the manufacturer's 2016 dry-weather range.
Pirelli announced that the ultrasoft compound will "be distinguished by purple markings on the sidewall" after a social media campaign encouraged F1 enthusiasts to choose the colour scheme.
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