Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and More

Did Nico Rosberg experience a new lease of life in the closing stages of the 2015 Formula One season? Or did Lewis Hamilton, having secured his third world championship, just take it easy?

The sudden shift in momentum between the Mercedes drivers following the United States Grand Prix will be mulled over for much of the winter break as we try to predict who will enter 2016 as the title favourite.

Despite ending his year on a high by winning three consecutive races, even Rosberg himself cannot explain his recent resurgence, but F1's resident brainbox has predicted where the championship will be won and lost next season.

While Rosberg is unable to pinpoint a reason behind his revival, Jacques Villeneuve seems to be in no doubt.

The 1997 world champion feels the prickliness Hamilton displayed over the final three grands prix has somewhat marred his latest title-winning season, with the Canadian admitting he was disappointed by the 30-year-old's behavior.

Hamilton is not the first, nor will he be the last, to encounter the wrath of Villeneuve, who likened Jenson Button to a member of a boyband in 2003, per BBC Sport.

Over the course of his 16-year career, however, Button has grown from a forgettable backing dancer to a much-loved frontman.

And after sealing a contract extension with McLaren-Honda for 2016, the 2009 world champion has revealed how close he came to bringing the curtain down on his time in the pinnacle of motorsport.

Elsewhere, Flavio Briatore has offered Renault some advice upon their return to F1, while Nico Hulkenberg has reiterated his desire to return to the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Here's our latest roundup.

Nico Rosberg Cannot Explain Late-Season Resurgence

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Nico Rosberg has admitted he is struggling to understand how he managed to beat Lewis Hamilton in three consecutive races at the end of 2015.

After winning just three of the first 16 races of the season as his Mercedes team-mate claimed 10 victories, Rosberg excelled in the closing stages of the year, setting six consecutive pole positions and taking assured wins in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

The fact that all of those wins came after Hamilton wrapped up the drivers' championship in October's United States Grand Prix, however, has been used to diminish Rosberg's achievements in the final three races, with the British driver almost certainly suffering a loss of intensity as the season coughed to a close.

While Rosberg is unsure why he was suddenly capable of beating the three-time world champion, he believes Hamilton's run of 11 pole positions in the opening 12 races—which allowed him to seal the FIA Pole Trophy as early as August's Belgian GP—was instrumental to his latest title triumph.

And the German, having rediscovered the ferocious one-lap pace he showed across 2014, is adamant qualifying will remain the key in the battle between the Mercedes drivers next season, telling BBC Sport's Andrew Benson:

"

Qualifying, he did a better job - up to the point he won the title it was 12-three or something.

That was my strength last year. Strange it turned around. Tough to understand it. I don't know exactly why; I just need to keep it going.

Lewis did a great job this season, he was more consistent.

All the parts have to fit together to beat Lewis. If I'm always qualifying behind him, that is going to make it very difficult.

It's not about good fortune in qualifying. There is no fortune in that, especially when it's 12 times. It's just not being quick enough.

I just need to find some more pace. Which I did. I will continue to push, of course, because half of me is a Finn, and in Finland it's the Finnish sisu, which is always the fighting spirit all the way.

"

Rosberg's mistake in the latter stages of the United States GP—which saw him run off track and gift the lead, the victory and the championship to Hamilton—has been pinpointed as the moment the German's fortunes changed for the better, providing him with the aggression he needed to beat his team-mate in a straight fight.

At the time, Rosberg told Sky Sports' Mike Wise that a "gust of wind" resulted in his blunder, but he has now admitted the error was unforced, telling Benson how he "messed up myself" and revealing it was his fault.

Jacques Villeneuve Unimpressed by Lewis Hamilton's Limp End to 2015

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Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 world champion, has criticised Lewis Hamilton for his conduct toward the end of 2015.

After sealing his third world title—his second in succession—with three rounds to spare, Hamilton failed to win any of the remaining races as Nico Rosberg emerged as the leading Mercedes driver in the Mexican, Brazilian and Abu Dhabi grands prix.

Throughout that period, Hamilton frequently questioned his team's strategy calls over pit-to-car radio, and his preparation for the Brazilian GP was hampered after the British driver caused a road accident in Monaco as "a result of heavy partying and not much rest," as he told MailOnline's Jonathan McEvoy.

With the tension between Hamilton and Rosberg mounting, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff recently told Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble the Silver Arrows are prepared to change their lineup if their drivers cannot work together efficiently.

And Villeneuve has admitted he was left disappointed by Hamilton's behaviour at the end of the season, telling German website Motorsport-Magazin.com (h/t F1i): 

"

After [Rosberg] lost the championship, it looks like something changed in him. I don’t know for sure but he became a killer. Lewis, however, reacted pretty badly and showed a very negative side of his character.

He showed that he cannot be humble. He has secured three world championships but could not rejoice and behaved like a spoilt child whose toys had been taken away from him.

He has not acted like a great champion since [winning the title]. 

"

After the Brazilian race, Hamilton told Sky Sports that "changes" to Mercedes W06 car at September's Singapore GP had prevented him from maintaining his strong results, despite going on to win in Japan, Russia and the United States.

Villeneuve has suggested that, if that is indeed the case, Rosberg's late-season form may be a result of the German's commitment to understanding and adjusting to those changes, adding: 

"

He is the one who sits in the car. He is the one who works with his engineer. It is up to him. Whatever kind of a setup they have, it seems to suit Nico better, but maybe that’s because Nico has worked.

If that is the case, then perhaps Lewis was not as superior as he appeared to be this year. He just had a better setup. That's why he should be careful when he says things like that.

"

As reported by the Guardian's Paul Weaver, Wolff recently vowed to "analyse" Hamilton's loss of form, admitting Mercedes themselves were unable to explain the role-reversal between their drivers.

Jenson Button Seriously Considered Quitting F1 at End of 2015

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Jenson Button has insisted he seriously contemplated walking away from Formula One at the end of 2015, despite suggestions that he manipulated the media to earn a new contract with McLaren-Honda.

Ahead of September's Japanese Grand Prix, the Telegraph's Daniel Johnson reported that Button had decided to retire from F1 at the end of the season and would confirm his decision to quit at Suzuka.

The race weekend came and went without an announcement, however, and McLaren announced that the 2009 world champion would stay with the team just days later.

Sky Sports' Mark Hughes went on to claim the retirement rumours were simply part of a "high-stakes game of contract poker" between McLaren chairman Ron Dennis and Button, who was determined to secure his place on the 2016 grid without suffering a reduction in salary.

But Button, who was part of a similarly dramatic transfer saga at the end of 2014, is adamant that he did consider retirement and only decided to stay after receiving assurances from McLaren regarding the team's competitiveness in 2016, telling Sky Sports' William Esler:

"

Last year I wasn't sure if I'd be racing and it wasn't my choice.

This year it was totally my choice and there was a moment where I thought, "I am not sure I want to do this anymore and be where we are."

Obviously, if we are where we are right now next year, it is not going to be that enjoyable.

I spent a lot of time with the engineers and the aerodynamicists and I spoke more with Ron in the two months when I was trying to decide what to do next year than I have in my whole time at McLaren.

So a really good relationship there and we went through a lot of ideas for next year and spoke to the aerodynamicists and the engineers and got a real direction and understanding of where we are going and with Honda as well.

So that got me excited, that got me pumped for next year knowing that there are big improvements on the horizon—and we need them.

"

Button finished 16th in the 2015 drivers' standings having scored points in just four races as McLaren struggled with their troublesome Honda power unit.

Former Team Boss Flavio Briatore Calls for Major Changes at Renault

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Renault have only been back in Formula One for less than a week, but former team principal Flavio Briatore has called for the team to make significant changes if they are to return to the top.

After months of speculation over their F1 future, Renault finally competed a takeover of the Lotus outfit last week—a decade since they claimed the first of two successive title triumphs with Fernando Alonso.

After the deal was finalised, Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn told French publication Le Figaro (h/t Motorsport.com) the team would be working toward a three-year plan before fighting for grand prix victories and world championships.

But Briatore is unimpressed by that lack of ambition, suggesting Renault must aim to return to winning ways much sooner.

The Italian, the most high-profile casualty of the infamous "Crashgate" scandal of 2009, believes the Enstone-based team must undergo a major overhaul to become competitive once more.

And he has advised Renault to ditch drivers Pastor Maldonado and Jolyon Palmer, both of whom have contracts for 2016, at the earliest possible opportunity, but he has ruled out the possibility of Alonso returning for a third spell at the team, telling Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Motorsport.com):

"

Three years is a lot of time. F1 is on the edge, and it needs a strong Renault before the end of three years.

It's also true that Renault must rebuild everything, including the technical team. Enstone lost some great engineers, and Viry Chatillon also. It will be not easy.

If you want to win, you must change the drivers as well. Fernando in Renault for a third time? No, not at this moment. He's got a contract with Honda.

"

Ghosn's comments to Le Figaro (h/t Motorsport.com) that Renault would reveal more details about the team's plans, from the sponsors to the drivers, in January had raised questions over the futures of Maldonado and Palmer.

However, Lotus chief executive Matthew Carter has told Reuters' Alan Baldwin that Renault are unlikely to drop the pair before the start of next season, stating: "I think the two drivers will be as we think."

Nico Hulkenberg Eager to Return to Le Mans After 2015 Triumph

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Nico Hulkenberg has been prevented from defending his Le Mans 24 Hours crown in 2016, but the Force India driver is adamant he will return to the race the coming years.

Driving the Porsche 919 Hybrid car alongside Earl Bamber and Nick Tandy, Hulkenberg became the first active Formula One driver in 24 years to win the World Endurance Championship-based event in June. 

However, the calendar clash between Le Mans and the new Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as well as Porsche's decision to field just two cars in next year's race, means Hulkenberg will be denied a chance to return to the Circuit de la Sarthe in 2016.

But while Hulkenberg is disappointed that he will not be able to compete at Le Mans as the reigning champion, the 28-year-old has insisted his time in endurance racing is far from over.

Hulkenberg—who finished 10th in the 2015 F1 drivers' standings, 20 points behind team-mate Sergio Perez—told Autosport's Ian Parkes:

"

There is definitely a sense of disappointment I won't be able to defend the title next year.

But there are two things: first there was this calendar issue, and secondly now, there is no third car next year.

Even if I'd been able to go, it still would not have been physically possible because there is no third car.

It's a bit of a pity, but I try to see the bright side because it means when I do go back, I'll be going back as a champion, and surely that's a good thing.

Certainly, it's not the last Le Mans has seen of me. I'd like to think I still have many more years ahead of me in F1, and I still have greater things to achieve there.

But for sure there will be a time again when I go back to Le Mans.

"

After several F1 drivers congratulated Hulkenberg on his 2015 victory, the decision to stage the Azerbaijan GP on the same weekend as Le Mans in 2016 has been interpreted as a conscious effort by the F1 officials to stop others following in his footsteps.

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