Fernando Alonso admits McLaren-Honda has been increasingly focussed on the 2017 Formula One season during Friday’s practice sessions.

The Spaniard was a lowly 18th in FP1 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix before improving to 11th in the evening session at Yas Marina Circuit. But with next year’s rules revolution looming closer, Alonso explains why the lap times are not representative.

“I don’t think we can read too much into what happened on Friday,” the double world champion said. “In FP1 we didn’t really go for a time because we were trying many different things that are important for the future but not for this weekend.

“In fact the last three races we’ve been just working for 2017 on the Friday sessions, and today was no different”

Still, Alonso expects McLaren-Honda to fight on the fringes of the top 10 come Saturday’s qualifying session.

“From what we’ve seen in the last few races, the top six are on a different level, then there are Williams and Force India that looks like they’ll lock Q3 out and then we seem to be behind them, with a number of teams fighting for the best places behind the top ten.

“Of course, if one of the Williams or the Force India fails, then the faster of our group will make it into Q3.

“Hopefully we can get into Q3 but this weekend’s goal is a different one: to score points, try to finish ahead of Toro Rosso or just behind them, so they cannot make up for the 12-point deficit they have for us, while learning as much as possible for 2017.”

McLaren-Honda is currently sixth in the Constructors’ championship with 75 points.

REPORT: Hamilton leads Rosberg by just 0.079s in FP2

Silbermann says … Parting gifts galore

Grosjean column: Magnussen and THAT crash in Brazil

Chris Medland’s 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix preview

FEATURE: Hamilton v Rosberg: 2016 F1 drivers’ title permutations

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British motor racing legend Stirling Moss returned home on Thursday after a prolonged stay in hospital battling a chest infection.

The 87-year-old was admitted to hospital on Dec. 22 in Singapore, where he had been due to embark on a Christmas cruise with friends.

“After some 134 days in hospitals, we are delighted to be able to say that Sir Stirling is now at home. He is thrilled to be back where he belongs,” a statement said on his website (www.stirlingmoss.com).

“He still has a substantial amount of recovery to undertake but says that he has determination and a great pit crew.”

Often described as the greatest F1 driver never to win the world championship, Sir Stirling Moss competed in 66 Grand Prix between 1951 and 1961, collecting 16 wins and 16 pole position along the way.

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Kimi Raikkonen says he has “a lot of trust” in Ferrari’s ability to fix the issues that have been hampering its progress in 2016.

Having entered the current Formula One season as Mercedes’ nearest challenger, the Scuderias has failed to build on a promising three-win campaign in 2015 and slipped behind Red Bull in the competitive order.

Ferrari has been well aware of its weaknesses, especially in terms of aerodynamics, and its 2007 world champion is confident these can be cured for next year.

“Yes we have been trying to improve them all year and to put it simply we need more grip and more power to go faster,” Raikkonen said.

“It sounds very simple but it is not unfortunately and I think we have understood a lot of things lately and we have great people to work and I have a lot of trust that we will fix those issues for next year.

“There is no guarantee where we are going to be but what we have done this year and understood things, we can be quite confident that we will be good. Good enough? That is a different matter.”

This weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix sees the Finn return to the scene of his title win, with Raikkonen sealing the 2007 crown by taking victory at Interlagos in a nail-biting showdown against the McLaren pair of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

“It was a great memory in my first year with Ferrari and we managed to win it which wasn’t anywhere easier overall,” the 37-year-old added. “We started out okay then had some difficulties in the middle of the season and came back strong and managed to win it.

“It was a great end to a tricky season and obviously it was quite a long time ago so hopefully we will soon be in a position to fight at least for it [world titles].

“The end result was good but coming in we had nothing to lose so in that way it was easy as another race and we did a good job. It was a great memory.”

Romain Grosjean column: Time for Haas to raise its game

Chris Medland’s 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix

FEATURE: What Rosberg need to do to win the title in Brazil

INTERVIEW: Fernando Alonso: Why F1 is no longer just for heroes

TECHNICAL: Under the skin of the Ferrari SF16-H

F1i Classic: Brazil 1991 – Senna’s pain and glory

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Kimi Raikkonen says his final lap in qualifying was “pretty average” despite taking third on the grid for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Finn secured his best grid slot at Interlagos since 2008 by beating the Red Bulls and team-mate Sebastian Vettel to third place. Despite being best of the rest behind the two Mercedes drivers – and leading a group of four cars covered by 0.136s – Raikkonen said he wasn’t overly happy with his final attempt in Q3.

• REPORT: Hamilton takes crucial pole from Rosberg by 0.102s

“I struggled the whole qualifying, in a few places, a few corners and in the middle sector,” Raikkonen said. “To be honest the last lap was pretty average in my view, but obviously it was enough to be in third place. The Mercedes seems to be a bit too far.

“I struggled in the first two corners with tyre warm-up a bit and even the middle I wasn’t very happy but I don’t mind, it was good enough for this and we will see what we can do.”

Asked why he thinks he was able to get the better of Red Bull at Interlagos, Raikkonen says the battle between the two teams is decided by fine margins.

“It’s been very close. Most of the year we were close and obviously sometimes we were behind and sometimes in front but I think we did reasonable races, very good job as a team. We improved in certain areas and tried new things and learned some positive things.

“I think as a team we work very well … Hopefully we can do a good, strong race tomorrow.”

Silbermann says … I’m going AWOL

Romain Grosjean column: Time for Haas to raise its game

FEATURE: What Rosberg need to do to win the title in Brazil

INTERVIEW: Fernando Alonso: Why F1 is no longer just for heroes

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Montreal mayor Denis Coderre has confirmed that the 2017 Canadian Grand Prix will take place at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, following a period of uncertainty around the popular event.

Although the race featured on the 2017 provisional calendar released by the FIA a couple of months ago, it was listed as ‘subject to confirmation’ along with the German and Brazilian Grands Prix.

Coderre tweeted on Tuesday that “[we have] an agreement in principle with FOWC [Formula One World Championship] and Octane [the race organisers].

“There will be a Grand Prix of Canada in 2017.”

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Entente de principe avec FOWC et Octane. Il y aura Grand Prix du Canada en 2017. À suivre

— DenisCoderre (@DenisCoderre) 22 novembre 2016

Octane Racing Group president and CEO François Dumontier has also confirmed the news in a statement.

“Montréal and Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve produce one of the most exciting Grands Prix of the season,” he said. “In 2017, everyone will have even more good reasons to be there since we’ll be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the inaugural Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix.

“Not only it will be an anniversary year for our event, we will have the great pleasure to see on track for the first time this very talented young Canadian driver who is Lance Stroll.

“We are pleased to offer fans an opportunity to come in large numbers and be part of this great tradition, a Formula 1 race that happens to be always very exciting and that has written history so often over the years.”

Canada will have a representative in F1 for the first time since 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve left the sport in 2006, as 2015 European Formula 3 champion Stroll prepares to make his series debut with Williams next year.

The final 2017 F1 calendar is set to be confirmed at the next meeting of the World Motor Sport Council.

FEATURE: Hamilton v Rosberg: 2016 F1 drivers’ title permutations

TECHNICAL: Under the skin of the McLaren-Honda MP4-31

INTERVIEW: Rob Smedley on Felipe Massa

2017 driver line-ups so far

FEATURE: When F1 team-mates fight for the title

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Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost believes it would be ‘too early’ for Mercedes to promote Pascal Wehrlein to its multiple championship-winning works outfit.

The German manufacturer has been forced to revisit its 2017 line-up in the wake of Nico Rosberg’s shock decision to retire as a world champion.

• 2016 driver ratings: 12-1

Mercedes protégé Wehrlein, who is coming off a strong rookie season at Manor and has been testing extensively with Pirelli’s 2017-spec tyres, initially seemed the best fit for the triple world champions. But Williams ace Valtteri Bottas has emerged as the front-runner to partner Lewis Hamilton in 2017.

While Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko recently taunted Niki Lauda about Mercedes’s reluctance to give Wehrlein the nod, Tost understands the constructor’s position.

“This is a very difficult situation to be in, no doubt about it,” the Toro Rosso boss said of Rosberg’s surprise departure in an interview with Austrian publication Tiroler Tageszeitung.

“The team that has won everything over the past few years now has to replace a world champion. And it happened at a very late stage, with all top drivers locked in their current contracts.”

Talking about Wehrlein, Tost added: “They have a very good driver waiting in the wings. But the expectations of a world championship-caliber team are naturally quite different. Sooner or later, Wehrlein will be able to win but it is still too early.

“I have always said that a driver needs three years to understand everything in Formula One. Of course having a Hamilton/Wehrlein pairing would be the easiest solution but we’re talking about the defending world champions here.

“There is a lot of money at stake. At any rate, having an open seat that late is not great for the team’s stability.”

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It’s quite interesting to hear Tost say that promoting Wehrlein would be too early. Red Bull certainly did not hesitate to pull the trigger and poach Max Verstappen from Toro Rosso after one year and four grands prix, which worked out quite well.

2016 driver ratings: 24-13

2016 team-by-team review: Part two

2016 team-by-team review: Part one

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A number of Formula One drivers, past and present, have taken to their social media channels to share their reaction to 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg’s shock retirement from the sport.

The German broke the news ahead of the annual FIA Prizegiving ceremony in Vienna, saying he has fulfilled his childhood dream and is no longer willing to make the sort of sacrifice associated with the highly competitive environment of grand prix racing.

The overriding sentiment among Rosberg’s peers is that the latest title winner deserves a great deal of respect for his decision. F1 teams and partners, as well as circuit officials, have also also tuned in to sing the praises of the first world champion not to defend his title since Alain Prost in 1994.

Respect my friend! @nico_rosberg

— Romain Grosjean (@RGrosjean) December 2, 2016

えぇ！？ マジで！？
すげーかっこいい！

Well done champion! https://t.co/xqT8fnQO3w

— KAMUI KOBAYASHI (@kamui_kobayashi) December 2, 2016

I just broke the shock news of @nico_rosberg retirement from F1 on @5liveSport. I am blown away but I have nothing but praise for him.

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By GETAWAYTHEBERKSHIRES

The FIA has chosen McLaren Applied Technologies as the exclusive supplier of engine pressure and temperature sensors in F1 from 2018 to 2020.

The three year deal will see MAT’s sensors used to monitor critical parameters on all teams’ highly sophisticated Formula 1 power units.

The supply follows  the FIA’s drive to contain costs and complements the FIA Single Engine Control Unit, (SECU) used by all teams in Formula 1 and supplied by McLaren Applied Technologies since 2008.

• Brown: McLaren can’t last much longer than 2018!

Rodi Basso, motorsport director of McLaren Applied Technologies, expressed the company’s satisfaction with the FIA’s contract.

“We’re delighted McLaren Applied Technologies has been chosen by the FIA to be the trusted sole provider of engine pressure and temperature sensors for the 2018 to 2020 FIA Formula 1 World Championships,” Basso said.

“From the ECU technology in every Formula 1 car to the engineers supporting teams at the track, McLaren Applied Technologies continues to be at the heart of motorsport.

“Our mission is to provide an unrivalled service, ensuring the world’s premier race teams and series can continue to grow and delight fans around the world.”

GALLERY: F1 drivers’ wives and girlfriends

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Sauber could be on the verge of signing a long-term engine deal with Honda to replace its current arrangement with Ferrari.

Sauber is facing a difficult 2017 season with its year-old Ferrari power unit as the Swiss outfit seeks a new dawn following a change of ownership last year when it brought in new investors.

Engine manufacturers are required to notify the FIA which teams they intend to supply in 2018 by May 6, so a formal announcement of a Sauber-Honda deal could be just around the corner.

Honda is currently in the third year of a potentially ten year contract with McLaren.

While both parties have publicly said that they remained committed to the terms of their agreement, an amicable parting of ways is always possible.

Boullier: Honda eyeing customer team for 2018

Honda could transfer its F1 involvement over to Sauber in a bid to continue its development in a less pressured environment.

Should McLaren and Honda continue to work together in 2018, both parties must approve of any deal for Honda to supply a second F1 team.

McLaren racing director Eric Boullier admitted last week that supplying a second team could be beneficial to Honda’s development given its current problems, but Boullier also insisted that no additional effort could take anything away from its main programme with McLaren.

“I think more teams is better and more engine running is better,” Boullier said.

“But there is a price to pay for that, which is deviating more resources into building more engines.

“Whatever happens, we are partners, so at some stage there will be a second team supply question, and I think we’ll have to support this.”

“But we want to make sure it’s not detrimental to our partnership.”

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Toto Wolff has practically conceded defeat to Ferrari even before the Hungarian GP has got underway, admitting that Mercedes’ chance of winning are at “one percent”.

The tight and winding Hungaroring layout appears to cater to the qualities of the Scuderia’s SF70H, with Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen heading the grid after qualifying.

Both Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton struggled for balance on the low-downforce track, a relative under-performance which recalled Mercedes’ struggles in Monaco earlier this year, where Ferrari also locked out the front row.

But Wolff isn’t all that concerned with the Silver Arrows level of performance compared to its arch-rival, insisting Ferrari’s advantage is down to the track rather than its car.

• Hamilton to rely on strategy to fight for race win

“I think it’s circuit specific,” he said.

“There are three tracks that are similar, high downforce tracks, Monaco, Budapest and Singapore, and we are starting to see a little bit of a pattern.

“I think it will be similar in Singapore as well. The DNA of our car is very good on the fast tracks, but Ferrari is simply better with its shorter wheelbase on tracks like this one.”

While Wolff admitted Mercedes was at a disadvantage in Budapest, he also noted that the gap with Ferrari was not as bad as it was in Monaco.

“In Monte Carlo we had problems much worse than here,” he added.

“The car was new for us, and we discovered a pattern that we didn’t see while being in Monaco.

“We have solved the problems – and this is what I take positive from the day: that we have become much closer to Ferrari on this type of circuit.”

©WRI2