Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: Kimi Raikkonen, Force India and More
Ferrari have been the most improved team in the 2015 Formula One season, with Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen claiming three victories, 15 podiums and a single pole position between them.
The level and consistency of the team's performances has led some to believe that the Prancing Horse, despite failing to win a world championship of any kind since 2008, are ready to launch a serious title challenge in 2016.
But while his colleagues have all talked up their chances in recent weeks, Raikkonen has warned Ferrari that their best might not yet be good enough to beat the all-conquering Mercedes outfit.
While Raikkonen has advised his employers to manage their expectations, Force India are another team making bold claims ahead of 2016.
The modest, Silverstone-based outfit secured their best constructors' championship finish in their seven-year history at last weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, and deputy team principal Bob Fernley believes they can challenge Williams for a place in the top four next season.
As Force India continue their rise up the F1 pecking order, McLaren-Honda's fall from grace is gathering pace.
One of the sport's iconic teams, McLaren are no longer capable of scoring strong, consistent points and are quickly running out of stickers to put on their car, with one of their biggest sponsors jumping the sinking ship.
Meanwhile, Pascal Wehrlein has spoken of his chances of landing a place on the 2016 grid, claiming he wants to be among the many new arrivals at Manor.
One man who will not be arriving at Manor, however, is former F1 driver Alexander Wurz, who has rejected the opportunity to replace John Booth as team principal.
Here's our latest roundup.
Kimi Raikkonen Doubts Whether Ferrari Can Beat Mercedes in 2016
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Kimi Raikkonen has admitted he is unsure whether Ferrari can challenge Mercedes for the title in 2016, despite the excitement surrounding the team.
After experiencing their first winless season in 21 years in 2014, the Prancing Horse have exceeded all expectations this season, with Sebastian Vettel claiming three victories and a pole position.
Following last weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, where the scarlet-red cars were the only ones to avoid being lapped by Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, team principal Maurizio Arrivabene and technical director James Allison expressed their excitement ahead of next season, telling Motorsport.com's Adam Cooper that they could mount a serious championship challenge.
But while he is convinced Ferrari will make considerable improvements over the winter, Raikkonen has refrained from making similarly bold claims.
The 2007 world champion, who has claimed just two podium finishes in an inconsistent 2015 campaign, insists it is too early to make any title-winning predictions, telling Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble:
"Obviously that is always the aim, but you can always see a lot of numbers, look at them and say it is going to be amazing.
I have been around long enough to know that there is no team that will tell you that we will build a worse car. I am sure the people have done their homework in the team, and we improved a lot since last year.
The aim is to make another step—but that depends what happens and what the other teams will do. Will it be enough? We will only see next year.
I am sure we are going to have a good car, but is it good enough? Time will tell. We keep doing the right things and going in the right direction, so I am very pleased on that.
And hopefully next year we are where we want to be and can fight for wins the whole weekend, and be the guys who will always try to be beaten.
"
While Raikkonen has urged Ferrari to manage their expectations, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes the Prancing Horse are right to boast about their 2016 chances, telling Crash.net that the team will mount "a robust challenge" and become "a very important competitor."
Force India Target Williams After Seuring Best-Ever Championship Finish
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Force India believe they can challenge fellow Mercedes customers Williams in the 2016 season, having secured their best-ever finish in the constructors' championship.
With Nico Hulkenberg's assured sixth-place finish in last weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, the plucky, Silverstone-based team—having finished sixth in three of the last four seasons—sealed fifth place with one round to spare, pulling out of reach of nearest rivals Lotus.
Force India's achievement is all the more impressive given their problems at the start of the season, which saw them make a late start to winter testing and compete with an interim car for the first half of 2015.
Since the introduction of their B-spec car at July's British GP, though, the team have established themselves as regular point scorers, with Sergio Perez claiming a podium finish in October's Russian GP.
Rather than reflecting on their success, however, Force India are keen to make the next step, and deputy team principal Bob Fernley is eager to challenge former world champions Williams—who secured third place for the second year in succession at Interlagos—on a regular basis in 2016.
He told Motorsport.com's Adam Cooper:
"It does show that there has been a genuine step-up. Our powertrain is probably the best in the business, so I don't think there are any issues there.
And I think chassis-wise we are a genuinely top four or five car. To take the next move into the top four requires another step, but we've got the assets to do it today.
What we have to look at is setting our sights on competing with Williams, because they are a similarly-funded team with similar assets, albeit a bit more in-depth because of the amount of investment they've put in over the years.
Clearly we want to close down on them. I think we've been chipping away at them over the second half of the season.
"
Fernley, per the same source, pinpointed the team's use of the Toyota wind tunnel in Cologne, Germany, as vital to Force India's success, and believes the fifth-place finish will aid their ongoing negotiations with British sportscar manufacturer Aston Martin.
"I don't think we can offer a better package to Aston," he added.
Red Bull Sign New Sponsor as McLaren-Honda Woe Continues
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McLaren have lost plenty of valuable assets in recent years, with the likes of Adrian Newey, Kimi Raikkonen, Juan Pablo Montoya, Lewis Hamilton and Paddy Lowe all walking away from the team over the last decade.
And as their disastrous 2015 campaign draws to a close, the Woking-based outfit have been hit where it really hurts, with the news that yet another major sponsor is set to join one of their rivals.
McLaren have been unable to find a title sponsor since Vodafone's withdrawal at the end of 2013, and over the last 12 months have lost partners such as Hugo Boss (to Mercedes) and Johnnie Walker, which is set to play a part in the revamped Force India team in 2016, according to Autosport's Dieter Rencken and Lawrence Barretto.
And it has emerged that TAG Heuer, which marked its 30th anniversary at McLaren earlier this year, is also heading for the exit door having signed a deal to join Red Bull Racing from 2016.
According to Swiss magazine L'Hebdo (h/t Motorsport.com), TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver confirmed the company's switch to Red Bull, stating: "Yes, we just signed with Red Bull Racing in F1 for next season.
"It's a young, dynamic and go-getter team, perfectly matching the strategy of TAG Heuer."
The news of TAG Heuer's departure comes little more than two months after the Telegraph's Daniel Johnson reported that McLaren were set to lose £20 million with the departures of Johnnie Walker and Santander, which is also set to end its association with the team.
While McLaren recently announced the arrival of a new sponsor, Chandon, the ongoing exodus—coupled with the team's expected ninth-placed finish in the constructors' championship—is likely to limit their budget as they work to manufacture their way out of their current Honda-powered mess.
The Power of Dreams is fast becoming the stuff of nightmares.
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Pascal Wehrlein Still Hopeful of Landing 2016 Formula 1 Seat
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Pascal Wehrlein has insisted he remains hopeful of securing a place on the 2016 Formula One grid despite the competitive fight for the two remaining seats.
The Mercedes protege became the youngest-ever champion of the DTM, the German touring-car series, in 2015, with his success placing him firmly on the F1 radar.
Indeed, Wehrlein's place appeared to be effectively confirmed when, in October, Manor—the only team yet to finalise their driver lineup—announced a deal to run Mercedes engine next season, but the momentum behind the German seems to have stalled.
Manor's current driver Will Stevens and his short-term team-mate Alexander Rossi have recently expressed their confidence of retaining their seats, with the former telling Crash.net that "everything is moving in the right direction" and the latter informing Sky Sports' James Galloway that his chances of remaining with the team are "very good."
And while Wehrlein—who has participated in test sessions for Mercedes and Force India—has reiterated his commitment to finding a place in F1, he's admitted he may be forced to defend his DTM title.
The 21-year-old told German newspaper Die Welt (h/t F1i.com):
"My clear goal is to drive in Formula One one day.
At the moment, chances are probably 50-50. I may do another year in DTM, which would not be bad. DTM is pretty fun.
I could try to become a two-time champion. I would not settle for anything else. But of course, F1 remains my goal. I feel ready for the next step.
"
Wehrlein added that he is encouraged by the changes at Manor ahead of the 2016 season, telling the same source: "Next year’s team will have little in common with the current one. Manor will get Mercedes engines but also support from Williams, which is changing many things. They will be much more competitive than in 2015."
Alexander Wurz Will Not Head Manor in 2016
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Alexander Wurz has turned down the chance to become the new team principal of Manor.
After the resignations of current team boss John Booth and sporting director Graeme Lowdon, as reported by the Telegraph's Daniel Johnson at the Mexican Grand Prix, Wurz had emerged as a leading candidate to join the team over the Brazilian GP weekend.
The Austrian, who recently announced his retirement from competitive motorsport, told BBC Sport's Andrew Benson that he had been "approached" by Manor owner Stephen Fitzpatrick to succeed Booth but admitted he "would have preferred it not be out in public."
And just days after admitting he was in contention to head a new-look Manor team, who will use Mercedes power units in the 2016 season, Wurz—currently the Grand Prix Drivers' Association chairman—has confirmed he will not be joining the perennial backmarkers.
"After a period of consideration, I have informed Stephen Fitzpatrick that I have taken the decision not to make myself available to Manor," Wurz told Benson in a separate BBC Sport article, raising questions over who will become team principal.
Per the same source, Martin Whitmarsh—the former McLaren team boss, who currently holds a chief executive role at Ben Ainslie Racing, the America's Cup sailing outfit—had also been considered for the role, but ruled out a return to F1.
Whitmarsh told Benson that he is "not looking for a team principal role in F1 full stop" and would "definitely say no" if Fitzpatrick were to make an offer.
Wurz, meanwhile, will compete in the final race of his career at this weekend's 6 Hours of Bahrain, the final round of the 2015 World Endurance Championship.
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