Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and More

Fernando Alonso has recorded only two top-10 finishes in the 2015 Formula One season and has failed to score a point in almost four months.

As a man accustomed to fighting for podium finishes, race victories and world championships, you would think Alonso, currently 17th in the drivers' standings, must be desperate to be put out of his misery.

But the Spaniard has revealed his frustration that the winter break is coming at just the wrong time for McLaren-Honda, who are in need of track time as they begin their recovery from a disappointing campaign.

While Alonso doesn't want the season to end, it seemed Lewis Hamilton had already gone on holiday when he failed to appear at a press conference ahead of this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix.

His Mercedes team moved quickly to explain the 30-year-old's absence, and the newly crowned three-time world champion has revealed exactly why he was late in arriving in Brazil, confirming he was struck by illness before being involved in a road-car accident.

Hamilton's preparations for the penultimate race of the season have been far from ideal, but one of Mercedes' closest rivals are set to prepare a rising star for a potential grand prix career.

After Susie Wolff's retirement, Williams are likely make a number of changes to their driver roster ahead of 2016, with 17-year-old Lance Stroll close to earning an opportunity to impress the former world champions.

Despite securing a deal to run Mercedes engines—as well as Williams components—for 2016, doubts over the future of the Manor team have continued after two of the team's stalwarts resigned.

And the perennial backmarkers could be set for another change of ownership after Tavo Hellmund, the American promoter, announced his intention to purchase the team.

Closing our latest roundup is the United States GP, which has come under threat after a reduction in funding.

Fernando Alonso Doesn't Want 2015 Season to End

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Having scored just 11 points in 17 races in 2015, Fernando Alonso would be forgiven for wanting this season to end as soon as possible.

But the two-time world champion has admitted he is frustrated that there are only two races of the year remaining at a time when McLaren-Honda are just beginning to resolve their problems.

The team, who are on course for a ninth-place finish in the constructors' standings, made several updates to their MP4-30 chassis at the United States Grand Prix, where Alonso ran as high as fifth, as well as their underperforming power unit.

Alonso has failed to score a point since July's Hungarian GP, but he believes the team are unlucky that the winter break is approaching at a time McLaren appear to have turned a corner, telling Autosport's Ian Parkes and Glenn Freeman:

"

In Austin, and definitely in Mexico, the car was going in the right direction.

Aerodynamically we introduced some improvements in Austin, and the car is delivering what we expected.

The engine is also improving every race. With the "spec four" there is definitely more performance. The whole package is improving every race.

Unfortunately the season is going to end, but we have a positive trend with the package, and hopefully this trend will continue over the winter without testing or racing.

"

With the first of two pre-season tests scheduled to begin on February 22, the teams will be unable to take to the track for almost three months after the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP.

Although Alonso told the same source that Honda will conduct dyno testing on its 2016-spec engine until January and February, he admits McLaren will "not be completely sure" about the progress they can make until the MP4-31 appears at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Lewis Hamilton Will Participate in Brazilian GP Despite Illness, Car Crash

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Lewis Hamilton will compete in this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix despite his troubled preparations for the race.

According to Motorsport.com's Pablo Elizalde, the British driver was absent from a press conference in Brazil on Wednesday, prompting doubts over the three-time world champion's participation in the penultimate event of the year.

A Mercedes spokesman, per the same source, claimed Hamilton would be joining the team a day later than originally planned having been advised to rest.

And Hamilton, in a post on his official Instagram account, has revealed more details about his late arrival in Brazil, explaining a fever—as well as a minor road-car crash in Monaco—has hindered his buildup to the race weekend.

Offering a life lesson to his 2.1 million followers, Hamilton stated:

"

I’ve not been well with a fever but I also had a road accident in Monaco on Monday night. Whilst ultimately, it is nobody's business, there are people knowing my position that will try to take advantage of the situation and make a quick buck. NO problem.

Nobody was hurt, which is the most important thing.

But the car was obviously damaged and I made very light contact with a stationary vehicle.

Talking with the team and my doctor, we decided together that it was best for me to rest at home and leave a day later.

But I am feeling better and am currently boarding the plane to Brazil.

However, I am informing you because I feel we all must take responsibility for our actions. Mistakes happen to us all but what's important is that we learn from them and grow.

"

Despite his astronomical success over the last two seasons, the Brazilian GP remains one of the few races on the current calendar that Hamilton has failed to win.

The Briton claimed his first world title at Interlagos in 2008, but he has just two podium finishes to show for his eight appearances at the track thus far.

Lance Stroll to Join Williams for 2016 as Stoffel Vandoorne Remains with McLaren

Lance Stroll, the Canadian youngster, is set to join Williams in 2016 as the team rearrange their driver lineup.

Although the successful partnership between Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa will continue for a third season, the recent retirement of Susie Wolff is likely to lead to Williams making changes to their reserve, test and development-driver choices.

According to BBC Sport's Andrew Benson, GP2 driver Alex Lynn could replace Adrian Sutil as the team's reserve driver for next season, which will leave a vacancy for Stroll to become a Williams-affiliated driver.

While, Benson notes, it is unclear whether Stroll would hold a test or development-driver role, the 17-year-old—who will be confirmed by the team "later this month"—will experience F1 machinery in "older cars that are not covered by F1's in-season testing restrictions" and is "likely" to drive the team's simulator.

Stroll, who finished fifth in the 2015 FIA European Formula Three Championship with one victory, is currently a member of Ferrari's young-driver scheme, and his switch to Williams is set to see the team benefit from a financial boost.

His father, Lawrence Stroll, is among the richest men on the planet, per Forbes, and although Stroll Sr. will not "be taking a shareholding in the Williams team at this stage," Benson claims he is "to make a significant financial contribution to Williams in return for his son's position."

While Stroll Jr. prepares to take his first steps in Formula One, Stoffel Vandoorne has moved one step closer to a full-time seat after being confirmed as McLaren-Honda's test and reserve driver for 2016.

The team's poor treatment of Kevin Magnussen—which, as he told Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble, saw the Dane released on his 23rd birthday—had raised questions over whether Vandoorne, also 23, would accept the poisoned chalice that is an understudy role at McLaren.

But the GP2 champion's new position will put him in pole position to replace either Fernando Alonso or Jenson Button for 2017.

Tavo Hellmund Interested in Manor Marussia Takeover

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Tavo Hellmund has confirmed that he is interested in purchasing Manor Marussia as doubts over the team's future continue.

Manor emerged from administration at the beginning of the year and appeared to be set for a bright future when the team announced a deal to run Mercedes engines for 2016.

However, the resignations of team principal John Booth and sporting director Graeme Lowdon due to their troubled relationship with current owner Stephen Fitzpatrick—as reported by the Telegraph's Daniel Johnson over the Mexican Grand Prix weekend—have thrown Manor into yet another crisis.

And Hellmund, who was instrumental in the return of the United States and Mexican grands prix, has confirmed that he is part of an investment group hoping to purchase the team.

The 49-year-old has set himself a three-month deadline to get the deal done and has insisted that, if he is to purchase Manor, he would operate in a responsible manner, telling the Austin American-Statesman newspaper (h/t Autosport):

"

I think if we get to late January or February, it may be too late, and my partners and I would probably lose interest.

[...]

It would never be our goal to compete with the manufacturer teams.

We're never going to spend $400 million a year like Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren, but we think you can run it respectably and not be in the red. I think you can fight for fifth.

"

Per the same source, Hellmund revealed that Dale Earnhardt Jr., the 41-year-old NASCAR driver, would be an ideal candidate to lead his team's driver lineup, but he admitted that Alexander Rossi—who will compete in his final race for Manor at this weekend's Brazilian GP—is a more realistic option.

United States GP in Grave Danger After Cut in Funding

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As Hellmund turns his attention to Manor, one of his previous ventures has come under threat after the United States Grand Prix suffered a funding cut.

According to Autosport's Lawrence Barretto, the Circuit of the Americas has received a fee of "$25 million per year from the Texas state government based on the economic value of F1 to the region" since its arrival on the calendar in 2012.

After the arrival of a new governor and changes to the system were made, however, the funding has been reduced by 20 per cent to $19.5 million, per the same article.

While this may not seem a huge amount, "falling attendances since 2012, an annual rise in the race-hosting fee and losses at this year's event because of bad weather" have all conspired against the circuit.

And the blow may yet prove fatal in the context of the track's place on the F1 schedule, with Bobby Epstein, the chairman of the Circuit of the Americas, telling Barretto:

"

I'm concerned about the future.

We did not know they would change how they calculated the funding. We just received a letter that they were going to do that.

To cover the loss of funding, we have to sell another 30,000 tickets.

But if we could have sold another 30,000 this year we would have. We didn't stop selling.

So I don't think we're going to make our way out of it by selling more tickets.

It's not looking good.

"

Epstein told the same source that Bernie Ecclestone, the F1 ringmaster, has "always been a very good business partner for us" and "appreciates what we have created here."

Ecclestone, however, didn't seem too enthusiastic when asked about the situation, telling the American-Statesman (h/t Motorsport.com), "If it's changed, it's going to be difficult to continue the race in Austin."

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