FORMULA 1 - 2015

[MIKA27]

SCHUMACHER JUNIOR ON MERCEDES AND FERRARI RADAR

Ferrari and Mercedes may each be making early overtures to Mick Schumacher, the 16-year-old son of Formula 1 legend and record world champion Michael.

In 1994, the Benetton team lined up in formula one with Schumacher alongside Jos Verstappen, the Dutchman whose teenage son Max is the sport’s rookie sensation of today.

But also looking to rise through the ranks is 16-year-old Mick, who made his single seater debut this year in Formula 4 and is now tipped to step up to the highly-competitive European F3 championship.

This week, Mick is reportedly testing at Monza and being watched over by Luca Baldisserri, the chief of Ferrari’s young driver development ‘academy’.

Ferrari insider Leo Turrini revealed earlier this week that Schumacher jr visited Maranello for the first time, where at Ferrari his father utterly dominated the sport last decade.

But Mercedes – seven time world champion Michael’s last team in F1 – might also be throwing its hat into the ring when it comes to Mick.

The Kolner Express tabloid reports that the teenage Schumacher has been invited to Mercedes’ forthcoming end-of-year ‘Stars and Cars’ celebration in Stuttgart.

“We asked Mick because of the close relationships between Mercedes and his family,” a Mercedes spokesman said. “It’s a great learning experience for him.”

Interestingly, Express also reported that the car tested by Schumacher jr at Monza this week belonged to the well-known Italian outfit Prema Powerteam.

In European F3, Prema is this year running a car for Lance Stroll, whose Canadian billionaire father Lawrence was earlier linked with buying a stake or at least investing significantly in the Williams team.

The BBC reports that 17-year-old Lance has secured a testing deal at Williams for 2016.

A spokeswoman for the British team would not comment.

[MIKA27]

LOTUS RACING IN BRAZIL AMID POLICE PRESENCE

Lotus’ uncertain future was back on clear display on Wednesday as the other Formula 1 teams prepared for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

At the bustling Interlagos paddock, police guarded the front and rear exits of the Enstone team’s pits, while the hospitality area was also closed.

“Make sure you write that it’s not empty,” one team source said, but when asked what is going on, a mechanic said he was not authorised to speak, adding: “I don’t know.”

The presence of the police, however – amid renewed speculation that the black and gold-coloured cars could be seized – tied in with reports Lotus had yet to make the mandatory payments for use of the Brazilian circuit’s facilities.

It comes mere hours after team CEO Matthew Carter admitted that Lotus is working on an alternative Mercedes-powered car for 2016, just in case the proposed buyout by the French carmaker Renault “falls flat”.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, already in Sao Paulo, revealed to the Swiss newspaper Blick on Wednesday: “Renault has still not bought Lotus.”

Sources, however, have told us that despite the situation on Wednesday, Lotus has now paid the unpaid bills and will have full access at Interlagos from Thursday.

“We are racing,” the source insisted.

[MIKA27]

Alonso: Red Bull problems aren’t on us

Fernando Alonso says it is not on McLaren or Honda to solve Red Bull's on-going engine woes.

The four-time World Champions have yet to secure a power unit for next season after dropping Renault.

Rejected by Mercedes and with Ferrari only offering a one-year old engine, Red Bull have turned to Honda to solve their troubles.

McLaren, however, have reportedly put paid to that with the Woking team vetoing any deal with their engine partner.

"I don't think that McLaren or Honda should be in the middle of this," Alonso told Autosport.

"It's a Red Bull issue that they found themselves in that situation.

"Apparently they don't want this year's Ferrari engine for next year, so probably they don't want this year's Honda engine for next year.

"It's their problem. It's not our problem."

The double World Champion added that it would be "unfair" to McLaren given this year's troubles to allow another team to use the Honda engine and benefit from their hard work.

"We are happy as a team with the work we've done and the start of this new project, the comeback of the McLaren-Honda partnership.

"We help each other a lot, McLaren helps Honda a lot, Honda helps McLaren a lot.

"In tough moments the team has been very united, and even if sometimes there have been rumours here or there that there are some tensions – of course when we are last or out in Q1 – there has been very little tension, compared to what it could be.

"I'm very proud of our work this year and how the interaction of the two companies and the two cultures has been much better than anyone could imagine.

"Now to give engines to another team, and all the knowledge that we put together, would be a little bit unfair [on McLaren] maybe."

[MIKA27]

Verstappen: I’ve answered critics on the track

Max Verstappen believes he has proven his critics wrong having put in strong performances throughout his debut campaign.

The Toro Rosso was just 17 when he contested the season-opening Australian GP, a race he failed to finish due to reliability issues.

However, two weeks later he was into the points for the first time as he finished P7 in Malaysia.

Now, just two races before the end of this season, Verstappen has amassed 47 points and is tenth in the Drivers' Championship.

His best result to date were P4s in Hungary and again in the United States.

It has been a great response to all those who questioned whether a teenager with so little single-seater experience could handle Formula 1.

"I had some critics, but for me it was all about having to show that they were wrong and I think so far I have proved that," he told Crash.net.

"That's also the way I like to do it, I don't like to speak in the press what is right or wrong or to say they are wrong, I like to do it on the track because that's the most powerful response.

"I think the older drivers in general, especially the ones who became World Champion, are maybe a bit more unafraid and it's easier for them to say 'that they are too hard on me' with overtaking, but they are exactly the same if they are in that situation.

"They have a championship-winning car for the podium and we are fighting to get up there. You try to do everything you can and they were like that also in the beginning of their careers. So I don't see any reason to change that.

"I'm a fighter, I'm not someone who backs off."

[MIKA27]

Ricciardo hoping Brazil upgrade will sway Red Bull's 2016 engine decision

Daniel Ricciardo is hoping Renault's latest engine upgrade will provide Red Bull with some answers as to whether continuing with the French manufacturer next season is the right move.

The Australian is set to run the power unit, with a decision as to whether team-mate Daniil Kvyat will run it due on Saturday morning, once both Renault and Red Bull have had time to evaluate it.

Ricciardo expects the upgrade to provide Red Bull with some answers as to what development direction Renault are taking, and whether it's a path they support.

"As Red Bull we want to know," he is quoted by Motorsport. "We are undecided on what we are going to do next year, so if maybe we do see something positive for this weekend and take forward for next year, it could give us an option or give us a clarity on where we want to go."

For Ricciardo, he's interested to see how well the upgrade performs, though he's been warned not to expect much in terms of power.

"For sure I am curious. But I am not getting my hopes up. Renault said it is not going to give me a whole lot of lap time, between one tenth and two tenths.

"If they say between one and two tenths, then it is probably more like a tenth," he added.

"I am curious to know more the driveability: if there is something from it, whether it picks up the throttle cleaner, or if there is something here which can be positive and that can help with tyre wear or things during the race.

"This is something I am more interested in."

[MIKA27]

Force India needs Aston Martin deal - Perez

Force India remains in talks with Aston Martin about a possible tie-up for 2016, which Sergio Perez believes can only be a good thing.

The British sportscar company is looking to buy a stake in the team which would give it naming rights, whilst spirits company Diageo, which owns brands such as Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker, are thought to be interested in taking a stake.

Diageo loaned current team owner Vijay Mallya £85 million ($130m), which has gone unpaid, therefore they are looking at taking shares in the team in exchange for writing off some or all of the debt.

The team would likely be known as Aston Martin Racing with heavy sponsorship from Diageo's brands, giving the team a blue and gold livery.

The deal would provide Force India with a budget boost, which Perez says is vital if they're to finish higher up the standings next year.

"It's a big brand and you always aim to be linked to big brands, to big manufacturers," said the Mexican. "So if Aston comes, as a racing driver, it will be something very very nice.

"To do the next step, we need a better budget," he added. "I believe in this team. I know the plans for the team next year so I think we're in a good position.

"Hopefully we can secure fifth in the constructors' championship, which is the priority this weekend.

"Next year we have to improve that. If we finish fifth this year, we have to finish fourth in 2016 - and that's a big ask for us."

[MIKA27]

Mercedes to trial S-duct in Brazilian GP

Mercedes is set to trial its version of an S-duct in the Brazilian Grand Prix, as it continues to evaluate development ideas for 2016.

The tweaks to the nose were spotted during Thursday's preparation day, but it is unclear yet what the testing plan is and whether or not the concept will be fitted for the entire weekend.

It is possible also that the extra raised bit of bodywork is just a trial to evaluate the aerodynamic impact of the required higher nose section for the 2016 car.

Giorgio Piola's exclusive photograph of the nose shows the new section, with the raised part in the centre.

The S-duct helps channel air from underneath the car to the top of the nose section to improve the flow, in theory helping the air move faster and therefore increasing downforce.

The idea of the S-duct first came from Ferrari in 2008, before being resurrected by Sauber who saw the benefits of it with the new high-nose cars in 2012.

The idea has been copied by a number of teams , including Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Force India and McLaren.

Mercedes has kept tight-lipped about the new bodywork, and used silver tape to hide the exit vent on the car on Thursday.

Continued push

Mercedes' introduction of the S-duct, despite having sewn up both world championships, shows how hard it is still pushing with development.

It comes amid a feeling that rivals Ferrari will be much tougher competitors next year, which means Mercedes needs to make good gains this winter.

Speaking earlier this week, Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda said: "The picture will change in 2016, because in F1 you can't sustain your technical superiority for a long time.

"We know the others can catch up. When you are at the limit of the performance of the regulations it's difficult to make big progress, which is easier for those behind us."

[MIKA27]

Ultimate guide to F1 Brazilian Grand Prix 2015 + Football Kick Up Fails!

On this week's Studio Show Rosanna has your fast facts for the Brazilian Grand Prix, she's hosting a football kick up competition at the F1 factory and if you're heading to Sao Paulo for the race she's found one of the Brazilian team members who has all the Portuguese phrases you'll need this weekend!

[MIKA27]

Fernando Alonso would be surprised if McLaren isn't 'very competitive' in 2016

Fernando Alonso would be surprised if McLaren does not return to the front of the field next season, such is his belief that the team will turn its fortunes around over the winter.

Alonso has scored points on just two occasions this year as the Honda power unit's lack of reliability and pace has held the team back. Honda believes it can target the fundamental issues with its power unit over the winter and Alonso is expecting a completely different level of performance in 2016.

"Definitely it would be a frustrating year and sad news because we have high hopes for next year," he said. "I really trust the team and really believe we have the talented people and the resources to do well. If we go to testing and we have a bad car, first it will be a surprise for me, it will be a disappointment for me, but I don't there will be any problem.

"If it will be another year of learning and preparing for 2017, it will be sad to do that from the beginning, but that would be a surprise for me if we are not very competitive next year because we have everything and the car is responding well. Aerodynamically we have understood the direction to go and the car is improving. I can see when we are on the track how we are able to attack the corners and how fast we are in the corners, so I am not afraid that next year's car will not be at the top level.

"The engine is the question mark, but what happened in 2014 and the level that the other companies reached in 2014 and all these levels and learning we have in 2015 with Honda is much better, so I think we are a step ahead. The only question now is having a good winter."

Alonso admitted 2015 had been a difficult year for him, but he stands by Honda, arguing that all the engine manufacturers except Mercedes struggled in their first season of the current regulations.

"It has been hard, definitely, because we all want to win, but it has been hard for some years now. In my case I have realised that I could not win after a couple of races in the championship because we knew that Red Bull was one second faster than every other car and last year we knew that Mercedes was one second faster. We have realised that for a couple of years now, but it was one of the reasons why I moved here to McLaren-Honda, to beat Mercedes in the near future. We need to have a very strong project and a different type of philosophy to understand the new Formula One and I think I'm in the right place.

"I know it has been a difficult and frustrating year for all of us because the expectations were very high, but at the same time the 2014 problems of Renault and Ferrari are more or less the same as we are having now with Honda. Only Mercedes did everything right in the first year and all the other three manufacturers have had some difficult seasons. But our difficult season compared to the 2014 numbers of Renault and Ferrari are much greater, so if we make normal progress over the winter, next year should be much better than any other manufacturer."

[MIKA27]

Jenson Button: Hard but 'exciting' winter ahead for McLaren

Jenson Button predicts a long and "exciting" winter of development ahead for McLaren-Honda as it searches for the "big step" it needs to challenge for wins in 2016.

McLaren returns to the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend, the scene of its last victory in 2012. This year has seen the team struggle with new engine suppliers Honda and the team facing its worst finishing position in the constructors' championship since 1980 if it cannot overtake Sauber before the year's end.

The current engine regulations mean Honda is unable to tackle the bulk of its energy recovery issues until the winter and Button says the lessons of this season will be vital.

Asked what he will take from the 2015 campaign, Button said: "Lots of learning! I know we keep saying it but it is still a very young partnership. We've learned so much this year with the power unit, with the idea of the aerodynamics of the car because it's very different to a normal McLaren. So there's a lot of learning to take from this season. We obviously need to take a big step next year -- we know that -- so it's going to be a long, hard winter, but an exciting one as well."

Button thinks the new partnership has demonstrated its strength through adversity this season.

"We have a lot of strengths and everyone knows McLaren and what they've achieved and it is still the same team. In terms of what we do on a race weekend I think we're doing a very good job, we're getting the best out of what we have and maximising the potential of what we have at the moment. The issue for us is that our project is a lot younger than others so it does take time.

"During a season it's very difficult to make big changes but this winter is a very important one for us to make those changes and come out a lot stronger, because we don't want to be where we are, we want to be fighting near the front. Whether we can win races or not is another question but I think we can at least fight at the front next year."

Button thinks people are surprised by the positive atmosphere at McLaren because the team has struggled so much for performance this year.

"There's a lot of hard work going on and another positive with this team is the confidence; even in difficult times like now there's still a lot of confidence in the team and they're still working flat-out to improve the car and the power unit. There's a good atmosphere, which a lot of people are surprised about but there really is.

[MIKA27]

HORNER: WE’VE ENTERED THE 2016 F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Red Bull has confirmed reports it has dropped its threat to quit Formula 1 at the end of this month and have in fact officially entered next year’s title race.

“Yes, we’ve entered the (2016) world championship,” team boss Christian Horner declared to the BBC at Interlagos.

It is a strong hint that the energy drink stable is now finally closing on engine deals, amid reports Toro Rosso will run 2015-spec Ferrari power while the senior team is set for Infiniti-branded Renaults.

“I would hope by the close of the season we’ll be in a position to announce what our plans are,” said Horner.

Red Bull’s lead driver Daniel Ricciardo hinted at the new Renault deal by suggesting that all eyes will be on the debut in Brazil of the French marque’s latest upgrade. The Australian said Renault has promised a tenth or two of extra performance.

“If maybe we see something positive this weekend and take forward for next year, it could give us an option or give us a clarity on where we want to go,” said Ricciardo.

But he admitted what he really wants, “I’ve thought to myself how nice it would be to have a car like we’ve had with a Mercedes in the back.”

It is believed the biggest uncertainty now, not only for Red Bull but also Lotus, is what Renault eventually decides to do.

The carmaker has declared its intention to return to full works status by buying Lotus, but the Enstone team’s staff was left locked out of circuit facilities yet again at Interlagos due to unpaid bills.

The Swiss newspaper Blick said it was Bernie Ecclestone who ultimately picked up the tab, with the $353,000 to be deleted from Lotus’ official prize money.

And the F1 supremo is quoted as saying: “I would not bet that Renault will actually take over Lotus.”

If the deal does not happen, Red Bull may have entered the 2016 world championship but it will be without an engine. And that will mean Toro Rosso pulls out of the sport as well.

When asked about 2016, Carlos Sainz admitted he is “probably” staying, although “it’s not 100 per cent”.

And “I’m not completely sure,” Toro Rosso teammate Max Verstappen agreed according to Marca newspaper, “but I should be (there).”

[MIKA27]

GRID PENALTIES FOR BOTTAS AND RICCIARDO

Williams driver Valtteri Bottas was handed a three place grid penalty for the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix on Friday for overtaking while red warning flags were displayed to halt practice.

Bottas, who finished the previous Mexican Grand Prix on the podium with third place, admitted to overtaking Brazilian Felipe Nasr’s Sauber. Stewards ruled the Finn could have avoided doing so.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo will have a drop of 10 places after Red Bull changed the engine in his car for the latest Renault specification, exceeding his allocation for the season.

Sunday’s race is the penultimate round of the championship, with both titles already won by Mercedes and Britain’s Lewis Hamilton.

[MIKA27]

LOWDON CONFIRMS EXIT FROM MARUSSIA

Manor Marussia’s sporting director Graeme Lowdon confirmed on Friday that he would be leaving the Formula One outfit at the end of the season.

“Abu Dhabi is going to be my last race with the team,” he told a news conference at the Brazilian Grand Prix, the penultimate round of the championship, without expanding on the reasons behind the decision.

“From my point of view this has been a pretty difficult season but that’s secondary to the fact that the team continues and that’s the most important thing.”

Reports, confirmed by team sources, emerged at the previous race in Mexico that Lowdon and team principal John Booth had handed in their resignations and would leave once the season had ended.

Neither man, both well-regarded in the paddock as motor racing veterans who have been involved in the sport from the junior series upwards, had confirmed the reports.

Lowdon helped secure Marussia’s survival after the team, who entered Formula One in 2010 as Virgin Racing, went into administration and missed the last three races of last year.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, who runs the Independent British energy supplier Ovo, then took over as owner in March and has said he was funding the team personally.

Media reports have spoken of differences of opinions between the owner and those running the team, which could yet change hands before the start of next season.

Tavo Hellmund, the Texan-based entrepreneur who is close to Formula One’s commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone and helped Mexico return to the grand prix calendar this year, has expressed an interest in buying the team with a group of investors.

Manor have been racing with year-old Ferrari engines this season, and have not scored any points, but are due to switch to Mercedes power units in 2016.

They qualified for an estimated $50 million in prize money this season after finishing ninth in 2014 thanks to the efforts of their late French driver Jules Bianchi who suffered fatal injuries in Japan last year.

[MIKA27]

MASSA DISAPPOINTED WITH STATE OF RENOVATIONS AT INTERLAGOS

Felipe Massa has expressed some disappointment with the state of renovations made to the Interlagos circuit for 2015.

With arguably the most cramped and outdated facilities on the entire calendar, the venue in Sao Paulo has expanded the paddock and inaugurated a new team hospitality building for this year.

A new pit and paddock complex is expected for 2016, but Lewis Hamilton said what has already been done means teams can now at least take sponsor representatives to the Brazilian grand prix.

“I’ve been here nine years now and it’s a big difference,” he said.

Home town hero Massa, however, is less impressed.

“I think the idea is good to give more room for everybody,” the Williams driver told local media. “It was needed. Now they just have to finish the work!”

“Unfortunately, this is not new for us (Brazil) — it looks like a house that they’ve started to build but not finished it,” Massa added. “I think the mentality of Brazil is sometimes to deliver things before they are ready.”

Bernie Ecclestone said last week the teams will be happier they now have more space, but Massa revealed: “My little room has not changed. After myself and (manager) Nicolas (Todt) are in there is no space for anything else.

“The paddock is two or three metres bigger so that people can walk without bumping into each other, so it is better than it was before. I just think it could have been a little more attractive to show the people,” he added.

Another Brazilian, Sauber driver Felipe Nasr, agreed: “It seems that the paddock is not finished, which I find a bit odd. And my room even has a leak, so I need a bucket!”

[LLC]

HORNER: WE’VE ENTERED THE 2016 F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Red Bull has confirmed reports it has dropped its threat to quit Formula 1 at the end of this month and have in fact officially entered next year’s title race.

“Yes, we’ve entered the (2016) world championship,” team boss Christian Horner declared to the BBC at Interlagos.

It is a strong hint that the energy drink stable is now finally closing on engine deals, amid reports Toro Rosso will run 2015-spec Ferrari power while the senior team is set for Infiniti-branded Renaults.

“I would hope by the close of the season we’ll be in a position to announce what our plans are,” said Horner.

Red Bull’s lead driver Daniel Ricciardo hinted at the new Renault deal by suggesting that all eyes will be on the debut in Brazil of the French marque’s latest upgrade. The Australian said Renault has promised a tenth or two of extra performance.

“If maybe we see something positive this weekend and take forward for next year, it could give us an option or give us a clarity on where we want to go,” said Ricciardo.

But he admitted what he really wants, “I’ve thought to myself how nice it would be to have a car like we’ve had with a Mercedes in the back.”

It is believed the biggest uncertainty now, not only for Red Bull but also Lotus, is what Renault eventually decides to do.

The carmaker has declared its intention to return to full works status by buying Lotus, but the Enstone team’s staff was left locked out of circuit facilities yet again at Interlagos due to unpaid bills.

The Swiss newspaper Blick said it was Bernie Ecclestone who ultimately picked up the tab, with the $353,000 to be deleted from Lotus’ official prize money.

And the F1 supremo is quoted as saying: “I would not bet that Renault will actually take over Lotus.”

If the deal does not happen, Red Bull may have entered the 2016 world championship but it will be without an engine. And that will mean Toro Rosso pulls out of the sport as well.

When asked about 2016, Carlos Sainz admitted he is “probably” staying, although “it’s not 100 per cent”.

And “I’m not completely sure,” Toro Rosso teammate Max Verstappen agreed according to Marca newspaper, “but I should be (there).”

Does this mean I need to hear them whine and threaten to quit again all next year. I'd rather they just left.

[MIKA27]

Brazilian GP: Rosberg thwarts Hamilton with lights-to-flag victory

Nico Rosberg registered his second win on the trot in the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, frustrating the challenge of his world champion teammate Lewis Hamilton.

It was Rosberg's fifth win of the season, which ensures his runner-up spot in the world championship.

The Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen finished a distant third and fourth.

Story of the race

From his fifth consecutive pole, Rosberg led Hamilton, who looked around the outside of Nico at the first corner, but Rosberg defended resolutely.

Vettel held third ahead of Raikkonen and a fast-starting Valtteri Bottas – who started seventh after a three-place grid penalty for overtaking Felipe Nasr under a red flag in practice.

Nico Hulkenberg slumped from fifth to seventh, as Daniil Kvyat also passed him off the startline but the Russian ceded a place to Bottas, who stormed around the outside of both of them.

The battle at the front

Rosberg led the opening lap by 0.6s, the Mercedes duo edging a second clear of the Ferraris already. By lap five, Rosberg had eased out of Hamilton's DRS range.

Rosberg pitted before Hamilton on lap 12, and although he had to be held for Vettel coming in behind, Hamilton's pitstop wasn't quick enough to take positional advantage – but was now back in DRS range.

Hamilton got to within 0.5s on lap 18 – prompting the radio message "Lewis is trying quite hard" to Rosberg – and had a half-hearted look down the inside of Rosberg at Turn 1.

Hamilton then reported: "At this rate my tyres are not going to last" but was encouraged by his engineer that degradation was "quite low". He then complained it was "impossible to follow on this track".

Hamilton dropped back to 2s by lap 28, after pleading to be switched to a different strategy but was told they would not give him an alternate tyre to his teammate, with the only option to extend his stint length.

Behind the Mercs, Vettel had slipped back to the tune of 10s and pitted for a second time – on the soft tyre – on lap 32, with Raikkonen a similar distance back from his teammate and busying himself by swearing at the Manors not getting out of his way.

Rosberg pitted for the second time on lap 33, with Hamilton doing likewise a lap later and rejoining 3.4s in arrears. He then had to clear Fernando Alonso's McLaren and Raikkonen.

Rosberg asked "what happened to Lewis at the end?" and was told Hamilton "couldn't keep the pace" at the end of his second stint.

Hamilton pushed hard to slash the gap to Rosberg to 2s on lap 46, forcing Rosberg to respond.

The final round of stops went off without incident, as Vettel switched back to the mediums, and Rosberg slammed in a new fastest lap on his new rubber to lead by 1.5s going into the final run to the finish.

Hamilton responded by dipping into the 1m14s bracket, and got into DRS range again on lap 52 – as the lead duo became embroiled in lapping the midfielders.

He dropped back soon after that, and believed he had "damaged his floor" but was told that his aero data was fine on the telemetry.

Hamilton slipped back in the closing of stages, complaining of a lack of grip and finished 7.7s behind.

Vettel finished a distant third, well clear of Raikkonen and Bottas.

The midfield tussle

Behind the leaders, Hulkenberg pitted first – a lap before Daniil Kvyat, Felipe Massa, Sergio Perez and Romain Grosjean. Hulkenberg managed to undercut his way ahead of Kvyat in doing so for sixth.

Lotus's Pastor Maldonado – who failed to escape Q1 – gambled on starting on the more conservative tyre, and he rose to sixth during his first stint.

Hulkenberg – on fresher tyres – cleared Maldonado, which gave him a good gap over Kvyat who took a number of laps to do so.

Max Verstappen pulled an aggressive move on Perez through the Senna S for ninth, with Grosjean taking full advantage to pass the Mexican too.

Maldonado punted Marcus Ericsson's Sauber into a spin at Turn 1, which resulted in a 5s time penalty.

The lapped Hulkenberg clung to his top-six finish, just clear of Kvyat who will look back and rue the timing of his first pitstop.

Massa finished eighth, but is facing a stewards inquiry into the temperature of his tyres on the grid, ahead of Grosjean. After the race, Massa was excluded from his home event.

Verstappen grabbed the final point by passing Maldonado in the closing stages at the Senna S, but was promoted to ninth anyway, with Maldonado 10th despite his penalty.

Daniel Ricciardo, who started 19th after changing to the new-spec Renault engine, was up to 14th by the end of lap one.

He pitted at the end of lap three to switch to the medium-compound tyres, and charged his way through the tailenders and midfielders to finish 11th behind Maldonado.

Tail-end struggles

Sauber's Nasr finished 13th, ahead of Jenson Button, who won the McLaren war over Fernando Alonso. Ericsson was 16th, ahead of the Manors of Will Stevens and Alex Rossi.

Carlos Sainz's car never made the grid after it shutdown at the end of the pitlane, and started from the pitlane on the medium tyre.

But his car broke down again just a few corners into the race, and he was the grand prix's first – and only – retirement.

[MIKA27]

MERCEDES RAMPS UP MOVE FOR MICK SCHUMACHER

Michael Schumacher’s teenage son Mick appears in the middle of a scrap between Ferrari and Mercedes over his future.

Last week, 16-year-old Mick tested for the European F3 team Prema, an Italian outfit with close links to Ferrari.

Schumacher’s famous father Michael won five world championships with Ferrari, but his last team in F1 was Mercedes.

Indeed, Mercedes has invited Mick to its end-of-season Stars and Cars event in Stuttgart, and according to the Kolner Express tabloid is now stepping up its quest to secure Mick’s future.

Schumacher’s current F4 outfit, the Dutch team Van Amersfoort, was powered by Volkswagen engines in European F3 this year, where Mick is now tipped to move for 2016.

And Express said Van Amersfoort is moving to Mercedes power for 2016.

Boss Frits van Amersfoort denies it. “Not all the contracts are signed for next year — not even with Mick,” he said.

As for Mick’s test with Prema, reportedly under the watchful eye of Ferrari’s Luca Baldisserri, van Amersfoort insists: “It is normal that drivers do that in the winter, it’s no problem.

“Mick’s test times were good, but we were faster.”

[MIKA27]

WURZ APPROACHED TO BE NEW MANOR BOSS

Ex-Formula 1 driver Alex Wurz admits he has been approached to take over as Manor’s team principal.

It was confirmed at Interlagos this weekend that boss John Booth and deputy Graeme Lowdon have both resigned and will leave the team after Abu Dhabi.

So Manor has announced that Dave Ryan, the former long-time McLaren sporting director who stepped down in 2009 amid the ‘lie-gate’ scandal, is returning to F1 next year to be the British backmarker’s new ‘racing director’.

And Austrian Wurz, who earlier this week announced his retirement as a racing driver, admitted in Brazil he has been approached to be Manor’s team boss.

When asked by Kleine Zeitung newspaper on Wednesday what his next steps in motor sport will be, the former F1 driver answered: “I can’t say too much about that now.”

On Saturday he had to admit there have been talks with Manor.

“I would have preferred it not be out in public but I can’t deny it,” said the 41-year-old, who last raced in F1 with Williams in 2007.

[MIKA27]

Lewis wants riskier strategies after boring race

Riskier strategies and no more tyre saving are two of the things that Lewis Hamilton wants in F1 after he was forced to settle for P2 at the Brazilian GP.

Although he concedes that team-mate Nico Rosberg deserved the victory at Interlagos as he was better in qualifying as well as during the race, Hamilton admits it was a “relatively boring” race as he didn’t really have an opportunity to overtake his team-mate due to the nature of the track and the strategies.

Hamilton gave it as good as he got in the first two stints and was right behind Rosberg at one stage, but he just couldn’t pull it off and then backed off and eventually finished a distant second.

“Quite happy with the pace, but you just can’t overtake here,” the triple World Champion said.

He added: “I was behind Nico and in traffic for some time so I just killed my tyres. It’s a shame because it’s such a great track, but you can’t get close enough to race. Motorsport is about the fine lines, finding a tenth of a second, but you can’t get within a tenth of a second [here] to fight. It’s a shame.”

After he failed to get past Rosberg, Hamilton at one stage asked his engineer “can you get me on a different strategy somehow?” adding “I’m faster but it’s impossible to overtake”.

However, Mercedes decided to stick with the same strategy as both drivers finished the race on three stoppers.

“I’m here to race and when both of you have to do pretty much the same order it’s like it’s almost already set from the beginning,” he said.

“If there’s any other strategy, let’s do it. Let’s take a risk, let’s do whatever. They are like ‘look after the tyres’ and I’m like ‘no, I’m racing’ and I think that’s what people want to see. Unfortunately today I couldn’t get close enough to be able to really put on a great race so it was relatively boring following.”

Asked about Rosberg getting the better of him in the last two races, he replied: “Nico has been driving fantastically well. He did a fantastic job in qualifying, especially in the last few races. Last race he drove fantastically well, today no mistakes so he’s doing well.”

[MIKA27]

Vettel: Not possible to fight Mercedes

Although Sebastian Vettel believes Ferrari closed the gap to Mercedes in Brazil, he concedes they were that "bit quicker" making it difficult to attack.

The Ferrari driver claimed his 13th podium result of this season as he brought his SF15-T across the line in third place at Interlagos.

It was a good result after a nightmare showing in Mexico but once again Vettel was unable launch any sort of attack for the victory.

He finished 14.2s behind race winner Nico Rosberg but believes there were some positives for the Scuderia on the day.

"I think it was a good race for us," said the four-time World Champion.

"I was hoping at the start that maybe we could do something but it wasn't possible.

"The start was okay but it wasn't any better than Lewis or Nico's.

"I thought after that half way through the first stint that maybe we could stay with them but then they started to pull away.

"Overall I think we have to admit they were just a bit quicker but I'd say we were probably closer here than many many races before. In terms of race pace only 1, 2 or 3 tenths at a time and in the last stint maybe a bit quicker."

It was a lonely race for Vettel as while he never managed to close up on the Mercedes, Kimi Raikkonen in fourth place finished 30s behind his team-mate.

"It was a great race but not very exciting," Vettel added.

"We were a bit in no man's land with no one to fight with so hopefully next race we can again be a bit closer."

[MIKA27]

Mercedes' 2017 safety concerns 'desperate' - Boullier

McLaren's Eric Boullier has accused Mercedes of trying to protect their performance advantage by playing up safety concerns over the proposed 2017 rules.

The sport is set to undergo radical changes in just over a year from now, which will see the cars between five and six seconds quicker per lap.

To get to that figure, the cars will be wider, as will their wings and tyres, whilst the aero rules are set for a revamp.

However Mercedes' Toto Wolff expressed concerns that the tyres won't be able to cope with the increased downforce, particularly when under load through a corner and has therefore called for a rethink.

Boullier doesn't share that opinion and believes Wolff is simply attempting to protect Mercedes' advantage by calling for fewer changes.

"Not really," the Frenchman replied when asked if he too was concerned about the safety aspect of the new regulations, which have yet to be finalised.

"I guess it is the usual game where you want to stop some changes – you just argue and go after the safety worries. But it is pretty desperate for Mercedes."

The FIA has heeded Mercedes calls and has itself asked the teams and Pirelli to simulate the new rules and what loads the tyres might go through, to see if the safety concerns are in fact something to worry about.

[MIKA27]

Dave Ryan announced as racing director at Manor

The Manor Marussia F1 Team has announced that Dave Ryan will take up the role of racing director, replacing the outgoing Graeme Lowdon and John Booth.

Ryan will join the team with immediate effect, taking up the newly created position, though it's likely he will effectively fill the role of team principal going forward.

The former McLaren sporting director, who left the Woking team after he was caught lying to the race stewards at the 2009 Australian Grand Prix, has 34 years experience working in Formula 1.

Speaking about his appointment, owner Stephen Fitzpatrick said: "I'm delighted to announce Dave's appointment in the newly created position of Racing Director. He needs no introduction, of course, having spent 34 years within the sport contributing to an incredible tally of race and championship wins.

"Along with our new Mercedes Benz power unit, technical partnership with Williams and recent additions to the design and technical team, Dave's arrival is another important step towards our goal of creating a truly competitive racing team."

Fitzpatrick went on to thank the departing Lowdon and Booth for their hard work in getting Manor back on the grid.

"I am also able to confirm that John Booth and Graeme Lowdon will be leaving the team at the end of the current season.

"I have the utmost respect for them as individuals and for all they have achieved, both with this team and in their long careers in Motorsport, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their hard work and dedication during this season in particular. Like every great story, there comes a time to start a new chapter."

Ryan added: "I'm very excited to be joining the Manor Marussia F1 Team at a pivotal time in their development. Having spent time with Stephen, and understood his vision for the future, it is clear he has ensured there is a strong platform from which the team can make big steps forward in the seasons ahead.

"Manor has all the hallmarks of a fiercely competitive racing team, but having grown up in a much more contemporary Formula 1 era, it is a very lean operation with a collaborative culture, which leaves it well placed to contend with the sport’s future direction. There is clearly a big challenge ahead and a lot of work to do, but I can’t wait to meet the wider team and get down to business."

[MIKA27]

Massa disqualified from Brazilian Grand Prix

Felipe Massa has lost his eighth place in the Brazilian Grand Prix after one of his tyres was found to have exceeded the maximum tread temperature.

“On the grid the tread temperature and minimum tyre starting pressure of the right-hand side rear tyre was checked on car number 19 after the ‘five minutes’ signal was given,” the stewards explained.

“The temperature measured on the tread of the right hand side rear tyre of car number 19 was 137C, 27C above the maximum tread temperature of 110C allowed by the official tyre supplier. The

corresponding tyre pressure at 137C was 20.6 psi, 0.1 psi above the minimum starting pressure.”

The stewards ruled Massa’s car was therefore not in compliance with the technical regulations and excluded him from the result of the race. Williams were found to have broken article 12.5.1 of the technical regulations, article 3.2 of the sporting regulations and article 12.1.1.i of the international sporting code.

Williams has announced its intention to appeal the decision.

“To be honest I have no idea what’s happened,” Massa told reporters before the decision was announced. “Everything I did it was normal compared to other races – even my start was not good so anything was really different than what I had.”

“Even the pace I had I don’t believe anything was different.”

At Monza both Mercedes were cleared after a post-race investigation into a tyre pressure infringement.

[MIKA27]

Verstappen frustrated by lack of speed

Max Verstappen revealed his frustration at being passed easily on the straight by more powerful cars during the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Toro Rosso driver repeatedly complained on the radio about problems with his power delivery during the race.

“Seriously we have to do something,” said Verstappen at one point. “We are clipping way too much.” Later he added: “It’s a [censored by FOM] joke, seriously.”

Afterwards Verstappen explained the reason for his complaints. “If you see the guys behind you so easy catching up on the straight you just get frustrated because the car is great through the corners,” he told reporters. “Unfortunately we lose a lot of straight-line speed.”

He managed to salvage a point for Toro Rosso after making multiple passes in the Senna S on rivals including Sergio Perez.

“It was the only chance to overtake for us,” said Verstappen. “It was very difficult to get them on the straight anyway, especially when you were in front, they were just flying by. Especially the Force India and the Lotus.”

“But I think tenth is the maximum we could do today. Of course it’s not what we want compared to Lotus but we have to be realistic.”

[MIKA27]

Kimi Raikkonen just happy to finish 'boring' race in Brazil

Kimi Raikkonen labelled the Brazilian Grand Prix "boring" but said it was a relief to reach the chequered flag after three consecutive retirements.

Raikkonen started and finished fourth at Interlagos in what was a fairly lonely race for both Ferrari drivers, with the Mercedes drivers too far ahead and Valtteri Bottas' challenge never materialising after a good start. Raikkonen has crashed out of the last three races and admits the result was the overriding positive of Brazil.

"It was quite a boring race for me, in the end," Raikkonen said. "With the new tyres it was OK, but with old tyres I struggled a lot, especially with the front tyres. It was a bit tricky, but started fourth and finished fourth. The handling was not the nicest throughout the race but this is better than the last race."

Raikkonen has been chasing set-up for much of the weekend and he is pleased Ferrari managed to maximise its result.

"We didn't try any different things, we always try to avoid issues and maximise the result. It wasn't the easiest of weekends, anyhow, I wasn't so comfortable with some things on Friday, with the set-up. It was better yesterday but I had a mistake on my last lap in qualifying. Today I struggled bit with the tyres in the race so, in many ways, it could have been a lot better, but at least we finished the race this time. Now we just have to keep working and improve."

Unlike the top three, Raikkonen stopped just twice but finished over 30 seconds behind team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

Asked if he would have preferred a three-stop race, he replied: "No, this is what we planned. With three stops I don't think the end result would have been any different."