Latest F1 news in brief

Ecclestone is doing to Monza what he does to every race promoter – playing one against another to extract as much cash as possible

Monza angry as Imola steps up GP bid
Ricciardo still in the game with new engine
Verstappen success good for me – Sainz Jr.
'Respect' intact but Mercedes tension lingers
Alonso surprised over bosses' optimism
Gutierrez not joining Grosjean in Nascar
Rosberg wants 'more years' at Mercedes
Rosberg admits to being in 'wrong engine mode'
Pirelli announces Germany compounds
Bianchi family sue over 'avoidable' death
Video: Raikkonen looks to Monaco

Monza angry as Imola steps up GP bid
(GMM) A Monza official has hit out at Imola, the former San Marino grand prix host that is reportedly shaping up as an alternative venue for Italy's annual F1 race.

With negotiations between Monza and Bernie Ecclestone about 2017 and beyond still dragging on, officials at Imola – a famous circuit east of Bologna – have already had sit-down talks with the F1 supremo.

Now, Italian reports suggest Imola circuit president Uberto Selvatico Estense has followed up his recent meeting with a letter to Ecclestone.

"This is a disruptive action in the final stage of negotiations to rescue the grand prix at Monza," a furious Angelo Sticchi Damiani, the Italian automobile club chief, said.

The German news agency SID claimed that Monza is now just EUR 2 million short of Ecclestone's demands for a new contract costing 25 million per year.

Ricciardo gets new Renault engine

Ricciardo still in the game with new engine
(GMM) Red Bull has made clear Daniel Ricciardo is still in the game at the energy drink company's top F1 team.

Although the Australian is an established F1 star, it has been F1 teen sensation Max Verstappen grabbing all the praise and headlines in the wake of his Barcelona win.

"What? Verstappen won the last race?" a grinning Ricciardo said sarcastically in Monaco.

F1 legend Niki Lauda, however, thinks there will not just be grinning behind the scenes.

"It is difficult for Ricciardo," he told Osterreich newspaper. "He is tormented by what Verstappen managed (in Spain) and will want to hit back now."

Ricciardo admitted he struggled to get over not winning in Spain with his inferior three-stop strategy, but insists he never suspected Red Bull deliberately fouled up his race to favor Verstappen.

"I never thought anything like that," Ricciardo insisted. "The three stop was done with the best of intentions."

Indeed, with only one new-spec Renault engine available to Red Bull this weekend, the team has taken the decision to fit it to Ricciardo's car rather than Verstappen's.

"It was always clear that whoever is ahead in the championship would get the engine if there is only one of them," Ricciardo said.

"That was already decided before Max came into the team."

As for facing off each weekend against a driver now compared with a young Senna or Schumacher, Ricciardo said he is happy to have Verstappen as his teammate.

"If I can get on top then it is only good for me and probably for both of our careers," he said.

Carlos Sainz Jr. beat Verstappen quite often at Toro Rosso

Verstappen success good for me – Sainz Jr.
(GMM) Carlos Sainz Jr. thinks the quick success achieved by his former teammate Max Verstappen could also reflect well on him.

Indeed, Spain's AS newspaper mentioned the 21-year-old as a potential candidate to replace Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari next year.

When asked about that, Sainz said in Monaco: "I need to keep doing what I have been doing and we'll see what happens in the future."

The implication of Dutchman Verstappen's move from Toro Rosso to Red Bull is that, because Sainz has always looked competitive alongside the Dutchman, he might also be seen as a genuine contender for a top F1 team.

When asked about Verstappen's Barcelona breakthrough, Sainz said: "I sincerely hope that the result is also positive for me, and benefits me.

"If Max does well, for sure it's not bad for me, in fact it's good," he told the Spanish broadcaster Movistar in Monaco.

Rosberg and Hamilton

'Respect' intact but Mercedes tension lingers
(GMM) Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg entered the Monaco paddock on Wednesday with the message that everything is 'ok' with their relationship.

"Do I think everything is ok? No I don't," former double world champion Mika Hakkinen, who lives in Monaco, said on a visit to the paddock on Wednesday.

Mercedes team figures have played down the lasting effects of the silver-clad duo's first-lap collision in Barcelona, with boss Toto Wolff this week declaring that both were to blame.

Even championship leader Rosberg admitted that being in the wrong engine mode was his fault.

"It's my job to put it in the right position and that's it," the German said on Wednesday.

F1 legend and team chairman Niki Lauda, however, said from the beginning that the real culprit was an overly-aggressive Hamilton.

"Lewis apologized generally," he told Osterreich newspaper on Wednesday, "which is important for each mechanic, for Toto, for me and for Rosberg."

But there was some obvious tension on Wednesday, particularly when Rosberg was asked if he had cleared the air with face-to-face talks with Hamilton since Barcelona.

"Some things are just better not to share," he told the media, refusing repeatedly to say if he has spoken to Hamilton.

"I just feel like not discussing that, and that's it. It's pretty simple," Rosberg added.

Hamilton, however, said both he and Rosberg are "cool and chilled".

"And we spoke," the Briton revealed to reporters. "All you need to know is that the respect is still there."

'Cool and chilled' perhaps, but there is still tension in the air.

When asked about that, Lauda answered: "They can deliver their struggle as they want. The only thing they may not do is damage the Mercedes star."

Lauda, though, played down the rumblings about Hamilton's party lifestyle, even though it resulted in wild speculation this week that the triple world champion would miss Monaco.

"I also read the rumors," Manor's Pascal Wehrlein, who stepped in at short notice to test the Mercedes last week in Barcelona, smiled on Wednesday.

"But there was never any discussion about that. Why would they replace a world champion?"

Alonso to Dennis "You said what?"

Alonso surprised over bosses' optimism
(GMM) Fernando Alonso on Wednesday sounded surprised when told that McLaren chiefs Ron Dennis and Eric Boullier have been making very upbeat comments lately.

McLaren supremo Dennis has been talking about wins and team boss Boullier declared that the MP4-31 is even better than Ferrari's.

"Who said that?" Alonso is quoted by Spanish media as having responded in Monaco to the media's queries.

"That's very optimistic, but if that's what Eric and Ron say, then I have to agree with them because they are my bosses," the Spaniard smiled.

Honda-powered McLaren is expecting a competitive weekend in Monaco but Alonso warned: "Mercedes will be strong, Red Bull will be strong, Ferrari will definitely be competitive.

"We must ensure that we are close to this group," he added.

Williams' Felipe Massa also warned McLaren not to run away with optimism, despite the fact the British team is certainly improving.

"They are certainly performing better, but to be ahead of Ferrari? Unlikely," said the Brazilian.

"McLaren is not in the shape to get ahead of the leading teams — I don't think they have a car that is as good as a Mercedes, Red Bull or Ferrari," he added.

Alonso, however, insisted that despite McLaren-Honda's recent troubles, he is in the right place for the future.

"Red Bull is absolutely a top team and has a very good car," he said. "But they have no manufacturer behind them. And Ferrari is always Ferrari."

Gutierrez has no interest in trying NASCAR

Gutierrez not joining Grosjean in Nascar
(GMM) Romain Grosjean's teammate sounds uninterested in joining the Frenchman in a one-off Nascar outing.

The pair race for Gene Haas' new F1 team, with the Californian also co-owning the top Nascar outfit Stewart-Haas.

Grosjean is keen to use the opportunity to try American's premier tin-top racing category, perhaps with a Sprint Cup road course race later this year.

"I definitely want to do it," he said recently.

But when asked in Monaco if he is as keen as Grosjean to use the Haas tie-up as an opportunity to sample life as a Nascar driver, teammate Esteban Gutierrez sounded uninterested.

"I am a formula one driver and I want to stay that way," the Mexican smiled on Wednesday.

"I am focused on my performances in formula one and want to become world champion," he added.

Rosberg wants to spend as many years as possible driving the best car in F1

Rosberg wants 'more years' at Mercedes
(GMM) Championship leader Nico Rosberg has now played down swirling speculation that he might leave Mercedes at the end of the season.

An Italian newspaper recently suggested talks with Ferrari have begun, with Germany's Sport Bild now claiming the 30-year-old is moving to push his retainer much closer to the many more millions earned each year by Lewis Hamilton.

Rosberg had fueled the rumors at the recent Barcelona test by saying only "Let's see what the future holds", but in Monaco he sounded keen to stay with the Silver Arrows.

"I am happy, Mercedes is happy with me," he is quoted by the German broadcaster RTL. "For sure I will stay here for a few more years."

But at the same time, Rosberg suggested it is not quite time to sign on the dotted line.

"A new contract is not at the front of my mind at the moment," he said. "I am quite relaxed about it."

F1 legend Gerhard Berger, however, warned both Rosberg and Mercedes against taking their contractual standoff too far.

"I would recommend to both of them to renew the contract," he told Sport Bild.

"Otherwise Mercedes risks the constructors' championship, and Nico his career."

Berger, who drove for top teams Ferrari and McLaren, continued: "It would be a risk for Mercedes to put (Pascal) Wehrlein in the car as soon as next year."

Rosberg pushed the wrong button

Rosberg admits to being in 'wrong engine mode'
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has admitted that he was in the wrong engine mode at the start of the Spanish Grand Prix when he collided with teammate Lewis Hamilton.
The incident came under plenty of scrutiny from onlookers while also increasing the intensity of the rivalry between Hamilton and Rosberg.

Because the Championship leader was in the wrong engine mode, it meant that he was slower than Hamilton when he got rammed in the back by his teammate, resulting in them both suffering an early retirement in the opening lap.

However, the German has insisted that he has moved on from the incident and that all of his concentration is on claiming his fourth Monaco GP title in a row this weekend.

"The switch was in the wrong position and it's my job to put it in the right position, pretty simple," he told reporters at the Monaco press conference when asked to elaborate on the engine mode he was on.

"Not much more to say with that. In terms with formation lap and start, it's the same as always — you need to think about what you're doing, there's a lot going on and that's it.

"You need to come up with ways of making sure everything is done properly.

"I don't know about experience playing into this but for sure it's a thing of the past and I'm not thinking about it anymore.

"We've been through it so I'm looking forward and concentrating on trying to win here."

Pirelli tires

Pirelli announces Germany compounds
Formula 1 tire supplier Pirelli has announced its compound selections for the German Grand Prix, with the red-marked Super Soft, yellow-marked Soft and white-marked Medium to be used.

Pirelli has allocated a set of Softs and Mediums for the race, and a set of Super Softs for qualifying.

For the 2016 season, each driver receives 13 dry-weather sets per event, with Pirelli selecting two sets for the race (only one of which must be used), and a set of the softest compound, only for use in Q3.

Drivers are free to select any combination of the chosen compounds for the other 10 sets.

Pirelli's 2016 tire choices so far:

Australia – Super Soft / Soft / Medium
Bahrain – Super Soft / Soft / Medium
China – Super Soft / Soft / Medium
Russia – Super Soft / Soft / Medium
Spain – Soft / Medium / Hard
Monaco – Ultra Soft / Super Soft / Soft
Canada – Ultra Soft / Super Soft / Soft
Azerbaijan – Super Soft / Soft / Medium
Austria – Ultra Soft / Super Soft / Soft
Britain – Soft / Medium / Hard
Hungary – Super Soft / Soft / Medium
Germany – Super Soft / Soft / Medium

Jules Bianchi

Bianchi family sue over 'avoidable' death

(GMM) Jules Bianchi's family is launching legal action against F1 authorities over the death of the French driver.

Bianchi, 25, died last year after a late 2014 collision with a trackside recovery vehicle in fading light at Suzuka.

Reports on Thursday ahead of the Monaco grand prix, where in 2014 Bianchi famously scored Marussia's first ever points, said the Bianchi family will sue the team, the Formula One Group companies and the FIA.

"Jules Bianchi's death was avoidable," a lawyer representing the family said.

Jules' father Philippe added: "We seek justice for Jules and want to establish the truth about the decisions that led to our son's crash."

Video: Raikkonen looks to Monaco
"The circuit in Monaco is different from all the others, it is a good challenge, but during the race, it depends: if you start at the front it is nice, but if you are down at the back it is very difficult to overtake" says Kimi, who on the other hand is quite unimpressed by the glamour of the night life: “Like during all the races, we have a lot of meetings and after that we go to sleep, although all the people obviously enjoy it."