Latest F1 news in brief

Esteban Gutierrez a Formula E driver now

Gutierrez eyes F1 reserve role for 2017
New McLaren 'a lot faster' – Vandoorne
Boullier confirms color change for McLaren
McLaren 'neutral' amid F1 suspension battle
Fans to see 'real' F1 passing in 2017
Pirelli wants wet track for Barcelona test
Zanardi doubts Bottas can take on Hamilton
Singapore Tourism Board CEO Expresses Interest In Renewing F1 Contract
Formula 1 Facing EU Parliament Investigation Over 'Anti-Competitive' Behavior

Gutierrez eyes F1 reserve role for 2017
(GMM) Esteban Gutierrez admits a personal mistake meant he had to look outside of F1 for 2017 to continue his racing career.

After a year out to be Ferrari's reserve driver, the 25-year-old Mexican made his return to the grid in 2016 with the new American team Haas.

But Gutierrez is now looking to establish a career in Formula E, after being replaced for 2017 by Kevin Magnussen.

"I really don't blame them – I don't blame anybody – because I was the one to be too confident," he told CNN.

Gutierrez admits to taking his eye off the ball when it came to securing his Haas seat for 2017, because he assumed he would get a second year at the new team.

"That was originally the plan," he said. "I was too confident of it and that was my mistake, to be too confident that things were taken care of.

"I was focusing on the results and being confident that the project was going to continue forward in the way it was initially spoken of or planned. In the end I realized the commitment from the other side wasn't there and by the time I realized, the timing wasn't great."

Now, he is hoping to launch a career in Formula E but for now only has a deal for his home race in Mexico.

CNN said Gutierrez confirmed rumors that he is looking for a F1 reserve driver role for 2017 as well.

"I never close doors," he insisted. "Never, never. I really love formula one. It was four very tough years, but I learned a lot.

"I don't see myself as unlucky," said the recently-married Mexican. "Formula E is a fresh start, a new opportunity and I've found the love of my life."

New McLaren 'a lot faster' – Vandoorne

Psst…someone tell Stoffel Vandoorne all F1 cars will be a lot faster in 2017

(GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne has confirmed claims that F1 drivers have been preparing hard for 2017.

New drivers like the Belgian, and younger drivers including Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz, have been working harder than ever for this year's much faster cars.

It has emerged that Sainz has put on 4 kilograms of muscle, and Ocon a full five.

"It's already clear that it (F1) will be a lot faster," McLaren rookie Vandoorne told the Belgian news agency Sporza.

"I have been doing a lot of sports to keep fit. That's the only way, because there's no driving," the 24-year-old said of the winter period.

"The changes in the rules means it will probably be difficult for the drivers. But I don't see it as a problem. I have had a good preparation. The season can start now for me," Vandoorne added.

Hopes are high for a much better season for McLaren-Honda in 2017, but opinions are actually mixed about how the 2017 car and engine will fare.

Vandoorne said: "I don't know much about it. I have only tested in the simulator, but it is already clear that it will be a lot faster than in previous years.

"The past few years were difficult for McLaren, but the team has also made a lot of progress," he added.

"Hopefully we can start in two weeks with good testing in Barcelona."

Boullier confirms color change for McLaren

McLaren hinted at a color change with this tweet

(GMM) Eric Boullier has confirmed rumors that McLaren will change livery color for 2017.

With the exit of Ron Dennis, who was vocally opposed to reverting to the British team's iconic orange, McLaren is now hinting at the change with graphics on social media and its official website.

"You will see a change in the color," team boss Boullier confirms. "Wait a few days and you'll find out (what)."

Of more interest to many people, however, is whether the Anglo-Japanese collaboration can be much more competitive in 2017, after two particularly bad years with Honda power.

Boullier was quoted by La Repubblica newspaper at a Pirelli event in Turin: "We could be the outsider, the surprise of the season.

"Honda is working well on the engines and of those who could compete for the title alongside Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari, we could be there as well."

Spain's El Mundo Deportivo also quoted the Frenchman as saying: "For McLaren it's a whole new car and a brand new engine, but we are not starting from scratch because we used past experience to make progress."

Former long-time McLaren driver David Coulthard thinks the key to McLaren's hopes in 2017 rests mainly with Honda.

"McLaren may have done something special with the chassis," he told the Spanish sports daily Marca, "but we'll have to see where the Honda engine is.

"McLaren lost a lot of talent in these years, but I think they've kept a lot as well. The fundamental problem they've had has been Honda's engine," Coulthard added.

Even Pirelli's Paul Hembery said in Turin: "Maybe with all these changes, Mercedes will not be the team to beat and others like Red Bull, Ferrari or even McLaren will be in the fight too."

McLaren 'neutral' amid F1 suspension battle

Eric Boullier

(GMM) Eric Boullier says McLaren is staying out of the fight over controversial suspension designs in 2017.

A big battle between Mercedes and Red Bull, who will race so-called 'active suspension'-mimicking designs this year, and Ferrari could result in an official protest being lodged in Melbourne.

Explaining how the fight broke out, McLaren chief Boullier said: "Today we have very restrictive chassis regulations.

"That means you have many ideas that can be interpreted differently within the scope of the regulations. This is why Ferrari insists upon its opinion," he is quoted by German-language media.

But Boullier said McLaren, fighting back for competitiveness with struggling engine supplier Honda, is staying out of the heat of the battle.

"We are very neutral," he is quoted by Spox. "An agreement has been reached with the FIA, which is that we have to adhere to the existing rules but disclose our procedures in more detail."

But Boullier thinks he has a better solution to the controversy.

"To be honest, one day we should just end it and copy road cars and bring back active suspension," he said.

Fans to see 'real' F1 passing in 2017 (wrong!)

It was Pirelli's idea to switch to wide tires. Most say the racing will be ruined. We shall see if Pirelli was right

(GMM) F1 fans will see more "real" overtaking in 2017, according to Pirelli.

Some are worried that, as downforce increases dramatically this year, the shorter braking distances could mean much less overtaking.

But a key criticism of F1 in the past few years is that the overtaking aid 'DRS' has ramped up artificial passing to the point that it is hurting the show.

Tire supplier Pirelli's racing manager Mario Isola told the Spanish sports daily Marca: "Logic says there will be fewer overtakes, but they will be real.

"There will be no discussions for hours about whether the move was real or assisted. But also the 'show' is not only in overtaking," he added.

Indeed, some believe that a big step forward this year will be the simplicity of the racing, helped by tires that degrade less and are less prone to overheating.

"I expect we'll see fewer pitstops," confirmed Pirelli chief Paul Hembery, who said the laptime boost throughout the season will be between 2 and 6 seconds per lap.

"The cars will be faster, the drivers will be on their limit, they'll be making mistakes and we'll be seeing overtaking in that way. That's how it should be," he added.

"We'll have a real world championship again."

So instead of the races being more boring, Hembery explained: "They will become clearer and easier to understand."

But what won't be easy to understand – at least initially – is the 2017 pecking order, even though official testing begins in less than two weeks.

"To be honest, the first test is not much more than a shakedown," said McLaren's Eric Boullier.

Hembery agreed: "We will get the really, really relevant information only in Melbourne, because we often see a lot of sandbagging in the winter."

Pirelli wants wet track for Barcelona test

Wide rain tires

(GMM) F1's official tire supplier wants a full day of official winter testing to take place on a wet track.

There will be only eight days of official running in Barcelona before Melbourne, and teams are traditionally nervous in the winter about losing pre-season mileage due to rain.

Indeed, Pirelli chief Paul Hembery chuckled that his biggest fear for the forthcoming testing is "snow".

But with the big rules changes for 2017, including the physically much bigger tires, Pirelli F1 manager Mario Isola said the Italian brand actually wants some wet running.

"With a greater footprint, the possibility of aquaplaning increases," he is quoted by the Spanish sports daily Marca.

"That is why we have asked the FIA that the fourth day of the first week of testing in Montmelo be on a wet track, so that we can continue to develop.

"On the other side the bigger tires this year will clear more water and I hope the performance of the intermediate and extreme rain tires is getting better," Isola added.

Zanardi doubts Bottas can take on Hamilton

Just how good is Bottas?

(GMM) Former F1 driver Alex Zanardi doubts Mercedes newcomer Valtteri Bottas can take on his teammate Lewis Hamilton in 2017.

Finn Bottas has been drafted in to succeed the suddenly-retired Nico Rosberg, who quit the German team after winning the world championship.

Bottas is saying he can take on triple world champion Hamilton, while Mercedes team figures have said the 27-year-old is a like-for-like substitute for Rosberg.

But Zanardi, who last raced in F1 for Bottas' former team Williams in 1999, is not so sure.

"Hamilton has proved several times that he has an extra level compared to the others.

"Rosberg managed to beat him, but that was about his extra qualities," said the 50-year-old Italian, referring to the huge effort and many sacrifices made by the ultimately burned-out 31-year-old last year.

"Bottas is a very good driver, no question, but he's not a Nico," Zanardi, today a Paralympic champion in hand-cycling, is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"For Lewis, this makes it all the easier for him to dominate the championship. Behind him I see better chances for Red Bull to chase Mercedes than Ferrari.

"I trust Daniel Ricciardo, and above all Max Verstappen, a lot," said Zanardi.

Singapore Tourism Board CEO Expresses Interest In Renewing F1 Contract

Singapore

Singapore "is still interested" in hosting its Formula 1 race "if the terms are right, and discussions on keeping the event in the Southeast Asian nation are under way," the Singapore Tourism Board said, according to Melissa Cheok of BLOOMBERG.

Singapore Tourism Board CEO Lionel Yeo said, "I think the event is still a good one and I think it’s something we’re interested to look at provided the terms and conditions are right. The discussions are still ongoing."

Then-F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone suggested the Singapore Grand Prix would not be extended "when the five-year deal expires this year."

Singapore-based DBS Group Holdings Ltd. Senior Economist Irvin Seah said, "We should move away from the mindset that the F1 should be here just so we can bring in a certain number of tourists every year. You must look beyond the numbers. It’s about the branding, overall image of Singapore in the global tourism landscape."

The Singapore Tourism Board is "now forecasting slower growth in tourist arrivals this year amid global economic and political uncertainties and stiffer competition from neighbors in the region." BLOOMBERG

Formula 1 Facing EU Parliament Investigation Over 'Anti-Competitive' Behavior
The European parliament is to "back calls for an immediate investigation" into anti-competitive behavior in Formula 1, according to Rebecca Clancy of the LONDON TIMES.

Areas of concern that have been raised by MEPs "are the unfair allocation of prize money that harms the smaller teams," an alleged conflict of interest over the recent sale of the sport to Liberty Media and the sport’s U.K. tax arrangements.

Each year the parliament produces a competition report, which reviews the European Commission’s work on competition issues and "makes recommendations as to which it should focus on."

Southeast England Labour MEP Anneliese Dodds added an amendment to this year's document, which said that the parliament "calls for an immediate investigation into competition concerns arising from the Formula One motorsport industry."

She said, "You might think F1 is just for petrol-headed adrenaline junkies — but actually it's important for our economy as well."

The first issue raised by Dodds is that the "bigger teams get more money, no matter where they finish in the standings, leaving the smaller teams to struggle financially."

Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, Williams and Red Bull all receive extra prize money "simply for being more established than their competitors."

Ferrari gets the "most for being the oldest team on the grid." LONDON TIMES

MOTORSPORT's Lawrence Barretto reported while the EU competitions commission is "not duty bound to launch an investigation, this latest development will increase the pressure for it to take action."

Dodds said, "The problems in Formula 1 extend well beyond the allocation of prize money, with serious concerns being raised about an agreement with HM Revenue and Customs that allowed the sport to pay an effective 2% tax rate."

Beyond the distribution of prize money and tax arrangements, Dodds "highlighted the conflict of interest" of F1's sale to Liberty Media, which saw the FIA "benefit financially once it had given its approval."

She said, "There is also significant conflict of interest over the recent sale of the sport to Liberty Media, after the regulator received a $79.5 million profit from authorizing the sale" MOTORSPORT