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From GMM

Jean-Eric Vergne appears to have missed out on a Toro Rosso seat for 2015.

Prior to Sebastian Vettel's shock Red Bull exit, Frenchman Vergne had already been left out of junior team Toro Rosso's plans for 2015.

The Faenza based team had announced that 17-year-old rookie Max Verstappen will join Daniil Kvyat next year.

But when the Vettel news struck, Red Bull quickly promoted Russian Kvyat, leaving 24-year-old Vergne still in the running to keep his Toro Rosso seat.

He had seemed upbeat about his chances in recent weeks, however French reporters on Saturday noticed that at the Abu Dhabi finale, Vergne's body language has suddenly changed.

Is Jean-Eric Vergne coming back to F1? (Photo: WRI2)

When asked if double points on Sunday would change the team's approach to the race, Vergne answered: "Apparently there are things that are more important to Red Bull than points."

He is probably referring to the fact that, despite the promotion of teammate Kvyat to the senior team, Vergne's current teammate has actually scored less points in 2014.

The French publications RMC and L'Equipe surmised that Vergne's attitude indicates he has been overlooked for the 2015 seat at Toro Rosso, perhaps in favour of Carlos Sainz jr.

L'Equipe quotes Vergne as saying: "No matter what happens in this grand prix, whether I score 1 point or 10 points, nothing will change."

Sainz is not the only contender to replace Vergne.

New GP3 champion Alex Lynn is clearly in the running, but RMC reports that 18-year-old Pierre Gasly, runner-up to Sainz in the Formula Renault 3.5 series, could make his debut next year if Red Bull is asked to run a third car.

The report said F1's Strategy Group will discuss the issue of third cars on Tuesday.

From GMM

Bernie Ecclestone on Saturday said he is prepared to "tear up" contracts and start again, as the sport's civil war appeared to ease slightly in Abu Dhabi.

The F1 supremo reportedly even apologised for calling struggling teams Lotus, Sauber and Force India "beggars" as they look for a fairer distribution of the team's almost $1 billion in annual revenues.

Also strongly chided during Ecclestone's meeting on Saturday between the small teams and F1 owner CVC's Donald Mackenzie was Christian Horner, the boss of the powerful Red Bull team.

It is believed that during one recent meeting, Horner laughed and joked about the demise of the backmarkers Caterham and Marussia.

"I hit the limiter on that one," said Lotus owner Gerard Lopez, not referring specifically to Horner.

"It was a complete lack of respect and from someone paid to be here rather than paying to be here."

Suddenly, the tide appears to have turned in favour of the three small teams, perhaps because of the threatened intervention of the European Commission's competition arm.

So after recently ruling out more money for the teams, Ecclestone said on Saturday: "Let's see.

"Personally, I would tear up all of the contracts and discuss the redistribution of money. No problem," he added.

The next major F1 meeting will take place on Sunday, when Ecclestone and Mackenzie get together with Mercedes (Daimler) and Ferrari (Fiat) bigwigs Dieter Zetsche and Sergio Marchionne.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said that the chiefs of the F1-involved car manufacturers will discuss cost-cutting, engines, and the distribution of the sport's income.

From GMM

A new name "might" have leapt into contention to become Fernando Alonso's teammate at McLaren-Honda next year.

Former team driver Martin Brundle on Saturday told McLaren supremo Ron Dennis that everyone in the paddock knows Alonso has now inked a deal for 2015.

"Which driver are you talking about?" Dennis told the commentator for British television Sky.

In truth, despite Dennis' insistence, the only true question-mark is over the identity of Alonso's teammate.

Conventional Dennis logic would suggest McLaren will put together the best and most experienced drivers it can muster -- and that might be Alonso and the 2009 world champion Jenson Button.

But paddock rumours suggest the Woking based team is in fact more likely to keep the in-house rookie Kevin Magnussen on board.

Dennis told Brundle: "You presume that there are three people involved in this choice. But I think you should stretch your imagination to four."

Kevin Magnussen "could easily become a sporting legend" for Denmark, according to McLaren boss Ron Dennis (Photo: WRI2)

The most logical fourth candidate would be the McLaren-contracted GP2 driver Stoffel Vandoorne, who commandingly won Saturday's Abu Dhabi race from pole.

He will also drive the Honda-powered interim McLaren in next week's post-race Abu Dhabi test.

"'Might' is an interesting word," answered Dennis, when asked if Belgian Vandoorne might be a candidate.

Later, however, team boss Eric Boullier played down the Vandoorne rumours, suggesting the 22-year-old will spend another year in GP2 to try to win the title.

The smart money now is on McLaren fielding an Alonso-Magnussen lineup in 2015.

"I have a strong desire for Denmark to wake up," Dennis told Danish television TV3, "and realise that they have an unique opportunity to support someone who could easily become a sporting legend of the country.

"I hope that one of the multinationals realises that life is not always about money but also national pride.

"I've done my part," added Dennis, "and I think it's time that Denmark does the same."

From press release

Lewis Hamilton drove a perfect race to claim his second world championship, Sunday in Abu Dhabi.

The 2008 and 2014 world champion led throughout despite pressure from Williams' Felipe Massa, who drove an aggressive race to claim second, ahead of his teammate Valtteri Bottas in third.

(Photo: WRI2)

"I'm a bit lost for words really," admitted Hamilton on the podium.

"'I can't really explain how much this means. It means even more than the first one. It feels like it's the first time. I feel so blessed."

(Photo: WRI2)

Hamilton's teammate, Nico Rosberg, made a poor start from pole position, but was hanging on Hamilton's tail until ERS problems slowed him down. Despite though race that saw him finish only 14th, he was among the first to congratulate Hamilton.

(Photo: WRI2)

"Suddenly the speeds were completely different because ERS was playing up," the German remembers. "And when that happens it starts to interfere with a lot of other systems - and at one point there were problems everywhere."

(Photo: WRI2)

"(Hamilton) did a little bit a better job than me in the races," he added. "Tiny bits that I need to find! He was the best driver on the grid this year."

(Photo: WRI2)

Race results* - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (round 19 of 19)
1 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W05) - 55 laps 1.39'02"619
2 - Felipe Massa (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 2"576
3 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 28"880
4 - Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 37"237
5 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/29-Mercedes) - 1'00"334
6 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1'02"148
7 - Sergio Perez (Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1'11"060
8 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1'12"045
9 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F14-T) - 1'25"813
10 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari F14-T) - 1'27"820
11 - Kevin Magnussen (McLaren MP4/29-Mercedes) - 1'30"376
12 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1'31"947
13 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1 lap
14 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W05) - 1 lap
15 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1 lap
16 - Adrian Sutil (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1 lap
17 - Will Stevens (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1 lap

Fastest lap of the race: 1'44"496, by Daniel Ricciardo

Retirements
Kamui Kobayashi
Pastor Maldonado
Daniil Kvyat

Drivers' championship
1.Hamilton 384; 2.Rosberg 317; 3.Ricciardo 238; 4.Bottas 186; 5.Vettel 167; 6.Alonso 161; 7.Massa 134; 8.Button 126; 9.Hulkenberg 96; 10.Perez 59; 11.Magnussen, Raikkonen 55; 13.Vergne 22; 14.Grosjean, Kvyat 8; 16.Bianchi, Maldonado 2.

Constructors' championship
1.Mercedes 701; 2.Red Bull-Renault 405; 3.Williams-Mercedes 320; 4.Ferrari 216; 5.McLaren-Mercedes 181; 6.Force India-Mercedes 155; 7.Toro Rosso-Renault 30; 8. Lotus-Renault 10; 9.Marussia-Ferrari 2

*Unofficial results

From GMM

Fernando Alonso has lashed back at Marco Mattiacci for questioning his commitment and motivation.

Since confirming that Sebastian Vettel will replace the apparently McLaren-bound Alonso next year, Ferrari boss Mattiacci has referred to the issue of commitment several times.

"In any business," the Italian told German television RTL for instance, "motivation is very important.

"We know that with Sebastian we are getting someone enthusiastic and disciplined and hard-working."

Mattiacci's intimations have infuriated Alonso.

It's over between Fernando Alonso and Ferrari (Photo: WRI2)

"He's been here a few months," said the Spaniard, "not the five years in which I fought in every single race."

Alonso also accused Mattiacci of hypocrisy, having tried repeatedly to keep him at Maranello as recently as September.

"Even until the last moment there were many phone calls and the emails have all been saved on my computer," Germany's Auto Motor und Sport quoted Alonso as saying.

"At that time, I was obviously not unmotivated," he added.

Also on Saturday, Alonso continued to deny claims he has already signed with McLaren.

"My future is still open," he said. "I have no plans to test after the race in Abu Dhabi. Let's see what happens in the next few weeks, as I am still under contract until the end of the year."

From press release

Move Motorsports Management, promoters of the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship, and Fuel MediaLab jointly announced today a media partnership with TSN and ESPN Classic Canada to bring the excitement of Canadian Formula 1600 action to homes across the country.

Three events from the F1600 Super Series were selected for this new broadcast package - the F1600 Duals by Juniper Networks at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Race 2, the F1600 Duals by Lubrico Warranty at the Honda Indy Toronto Race 1 and the Super Series finale presented by OKI at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières Race 2.

Lead announcer for the broadcasts will be Dave Bradley, whose voice is synonymous with the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Joining Bradley and providing race analysis is Kyle Marcelli, former F1600 Champion and professional sportscar racer. Rounding out the team is veteran NASCAR and Indycar announcer Todd Lewis providing insight trackside.

Episode 1 goes to air Tuesday, November 25th at 1:30pm on TSN 5 with re-airs on Wednesday November 26th at 3:00pm on TSN 2 and Thursday, November 27th at 1:30pm TSN 4. All times are ET and are subject to change.

Additional re-airs and the next two episode airdates and times will be announced shortly.

From GMM

The latest names linked with Ferrari are Ross Brawn and Valtteri Bottas.

On Saturday, reports emerged that amid its thorough 2014 shakeup, the beleaguered great Ferrari could now be set to oust its new boss Marco Mattiacci.

The name linked with the job was Marlboro executive Maurizio Arrivabene.

But not only him. Britain's Sky and Germany's Auto Motor und Sport - as well as several other authoritative sources - are mentioning Briton Brawn.

Also linked with a sensational return to Maranello is Aldo Costa, who left Ferrari in 2011 and was responsible for the design of the dominant 2014 Mercedes.

Aldo Costa and Ross Brawn could return to Ferrari together (Photo: WRI2)

The German newspaper Bild said: "We have learned that Arrivabene is not coming alone. Ross Brawn could be the new technical director."

Brawn, who has been enjoying his sabbatical since stepping down as Mercedes team boss, reportedly denied the news on Saturday.

But Bild said that is "only because Ferrari is yet to meet some of his conditions".

Italy's La Stampa said Ferrari insists it is all "just rumours".

Finally, Italiaracing reports that Ferrari is eying the impressive Williams driver Valtteri Bottas to replace his Finnish countryman Kimi Raikkonen in 2016.

Fresh from a mid-cycle update, the VW Scirocco is something of a survivor. While a few new entries such as the Veloster have appeared in its segment, most former rivals have now vanished as buyers continue to switch to crossovers and premium brand coupes.

Honda is in talks with two airbag suppliers to help it stock replacement parts for defective Takata Corp. airbags, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people aware of the planning.

Mercedes-Benz USA has beaten all claims but one in a lawsuit challenging its use of the right of first refusal to block a dealership buy/sell deal in Fresno, Calif.

Two-car households may be on the decline as urbanization increases, but they are far from disappearing, a KPMG report said this week.

"I got my PhD in small cars walking through parking lots," in Europe. "I learned about homologation and the tax breaks for different engine displacements. I learned the hard way, and we built that product plan from the bottom up."

From GMM

Niki Lauda has admitted it is possible Sunday's championship showdown will end with a crash.

Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have endured a tense relationship all season, they actually clashed at Spa and now the 2014 world champion will be decided in Abu Dhabi.

"The chance of a collision is great," admitted team chairman Lauda, "because it's the final blow in the title race. We could see some very risky overtaking manoeuvres.

"But we need to just accept the risk as we are letting them go free. But certainly the risk is much higher than before," the F1 legend added.

But Lauda also told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper that he hopes the warring duo will recognise the bigger picture and keep their battle clean on Sunday.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg prepare for the 2014 F1 season showdown in Abu Dhabi (Photo: WRI2)

"Every driver knows that aggression like that can quickly end his own race," he said.

Lauda insisted, however, that it is no longer the team's role to sit the drivers down and urge them to drive sensibly.

"We are not going to interfere," he said.

"Fortunately there are no more third parties who can still be world champion, so now we have a showdown. Any admonition would be counterproductive.

"They should be free and able to do what they want to be world champion. I just hope we do well enough as a team to get through the race with both cars and no technical defects," Lauda added.

From GMM

Caterham may have to use a 2014 engine if it is to make it onto next year's F1 grid.

The sport is treading new ground this weekend, with an insolvency expert Finbarr O'Connell, now in charge of ailing Caterham, sitting on the Abu Dhabi pitwall.

He is in town to show that the Leafield based team is still in shape to be taken over "off the shelf" by a buyer.

But there are obstacles to clear.

One of them might be on the driver front. O'Connell signed up Will Stevens for Abu Dhabi but he was seconds off Kamui Kobayashi's pace in practice.

But acting team boss O'Connell is quoted by France's L'Equipe: "The amount (of money) contributed by Will played a crucial role" in returning to F1.

Will Stevens, who played a big role in Caterham's return (Photo: WRI2)

Whether Caterham can complete its 2015 car, however, is another matter, amid the turmoil of the team's previous management and now the laying off of staff.

"As regards the car," O'Connell admitted, "my engineering team tell me that it's not hugely advanced but that if a purchaser comes along now, it will race in the championship next year."

Another option would be to cut costs by running the 2014 Renault engine instead of the significantly updated 2015 version.

Red Bull's Christian Horner said: "We'd have absolutely no problem in Caterham or any other team using the 2014 power unit if that assisted cost-saving, but that would mean a change in the regulations."

O'Connell, meanwhile, admitted that a new buyer may want to change the team's name, and also replace him as team principal.

"All I can feel is a responsibility for this team," he said, "and I would happily hand over my team principal badge straight away to anybody who would take it out of my hands and then I could go and sit in the stands and enjoy the grand prix."

From GMM

Giedo van der Garde was denied access to the Abu Dhabi paddock, the Swiss newspaper Blick reports.

The Dutchman has been Sauber's reserve driver in 2014, and this weekend was reportedly scheduled to drive in the first Friday practice session.

Ultimately, it was Adderly Fong, a Hong Kong driver, who appeared on track in Abu Dhabi.

Like Adrian Sutil, van der Garde appeared to have signed a Sauber race contract for 2015, but the Swiss team has instead announced that Felipe Nasr will drive alongside Marcus Ericsson next year.

Blick newspaper reports that the van der Garde camp including his wealthy backers are threatening legal action, moving Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn to retract the driver's team-connected paddock pass for the 2014 finale.

"The Sutil camp has also apparently become active on the legal side," the report added.

From GMM

F1's three angry teams seemed slightly less angry on Saturday after a meeting with Donald Mackenzie.

The usually paddock-shy CVC chief made the trip to Abu Dhabi to meet with Bernie Ecclestone and Lotus, Sauber and Force India, with the three teams crying foul over how the power and income is distributed within formula one.

Those in the F1 paddock said the body language of the three team chiefs, so exasperated in recent weeks that they had reverted to boycott threats, was notably more upbeat after the meeting broke.

Perhaps the looming threat of an investigation by the European Commission's competition arm had changed things, with the Telegraph reporting that Ecclestone even apologised for suggesting they were holding out "begging bowls".

"They (Ecclestone and Mackenzie) both understand that they need to take action," Lotus owner Gerard Lopez said.

"They are going to go away and look at a number of things."

"They (Ecclestone and Mackenzie) both understand that they need to take action," Lotus owner Gerard Lopez said (Photo: WRI2)

It is believed another meeting, in Geneva early next week, has now been scheduled.

Reuters quoted Force India supremo Vijay Mallya as observing that Ecclestone and Mackenzie have "done their homework" in past days and are now "seriously thinking" about the problem.

It appears F1's most struggling teams, however - Caterham and Marussia who are already under administration - will not be the beneficiaries of any forthcoming help.

Speaking on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, Ecclestone told the local newspaper The National: "They (the teams) should never have been here in the first place."

Asked if the backmarkers will be on the grid in 2015, he answered: "I hope not. We don't want people walking around with begging bowls."

From GMM

McLaren's new front wing bears a striking resemblance to the one fitted to the 2014 Red Bull.

In the last race before the British team switches to Honda power, it was fitted to Kevin Magnussen's MP4-29 during Friday practice in Abu Dhabi.

The Danish driver said the new wing is a "very different philosophy" for McLaren.

On Twitter, Red Bull posted a side-by-side photo comparison of its own wing alongside the McLaren version with the caption: "Red Bull Gives You Wings".

An analysis at Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said: "The (Red Bull) concept has been completely copied.

"Red Bull Gives You Wings" (Photo: Twitter)

"Compared to the old McLaren front wing, the new version has virtually nothing in common."

Team boss Eric Boullier confirmed: "Most of the first session was dedicated to a number of solutions aimed towards 2015.

"They are associated with a new concept of aerodynamics, which will be embodied in the car next year," he is quoted by f1news.ru.

The Frenchman admitted that the 'new concept' is essentially down to the arrival at Woking of Peter Prodromou, Red Bull's former aerodynamics chief.

"So now we are trying to check the conceptual decisions underlying the 2015 car and this work will continue in the tests next week," Boullier added.

From GMM

Sebastian Vettel has hit out at Red Bull for blocking him from making his Ferrari test debut next week.

As soon as the German's impending departure from Red Bull was announced, team owner Dietrich Mateschitz said Vettel will only be free to go in the days after the post-race Abu Dhabi test.

Vettel said he understood the decision.

Since then, however, something must have changed, because after qualifying in Abu Dhabi, Vettel was freshly bemoaning the fact he cannot drive Ferrari's 2014 car next week.

Sebastian Vettel is replacing Fernando Alonso at Ferrari (Photo: WRI2)

"The (Red Bull) engineers suddenly panicked that I will take all these secrets to Ferrari," he is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"But if I want to do that, I can also do it in January," Vettel added.

Dr Helmut Marko defended Red Bull's defiance: "Why should we give a direct advantage to our competitor?

"If he is able to drive a Ferrari only a few days after the last race, he gives them a direct comparison," he added.

From GMM

After just seven months in the job, Marco Mattiacci is set to lose his role as Ferrari team boss.

Germany's Sport Bild on Saturday cited 'well-informed sources' in claiming the 43-year-old Roman will be replaced by the Marlboro Europe brand manager Maurizio Arrivabene.

Mattiacci only took over from Stefano Domenicali in April of this year.

He said on Friday that what had struck him most about F1 since switching from heading Ferrari's North American road car arm was "the intensity, the complexity but also the incredible amount of talented people that are in formula one.

Maurizio Arrivabene with Bernie Ecclestone (Photo: WRI2)

"How amazing is this sport, a global platform, the visibility that specifically in my case I don't like for myself, but which is a consequence of the job," Mattiacci added.

"The level of competition, (the) aggression is really high, so a lot to learn, but at the same time I think I brought an understanding of people, choosing the right people and from here how to create an organisation for the future."

Mattiacci has overseen the replacement of the departing Fernando Alonso with Sebastian Vettel, but according to Sport Bild the Italian will vacate his post next week.

"Supposedly," said correspondents Ralf Bach and Bianca Garloff, "Sergio Marchionne was not satisfied with the Roman's work."

Mattiacci's successor, Arrivabene, is no stranger to F1, overseeing Marlboro's sponsorship of the Maranello team and reportedly already close to Bernie Ecclestone.

From press release

Nico Rosberg made a step in the right direction, as he tries to overturn a 17-point deficit and beat his teammate Lewis Hamilton in the chase for the drivers' title.

The German secured his 11th pole of the season, some four tenths ahead of Hamilton, who simply seemed off the pace this time.

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes W05 (Photo: WRI2)

It's also the 19th pole for a Mercedes-powered car this year. No engine manufacturer had claimed every pole in a season since Ford... in 1969.

Considering the point deficit, simply winning Sunday's race might not be enough for Rosberg to win the championship. The 29-year-old even joked about hiring Valtteri Bottas, who, being third on the grid, could help by finishing in front of Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W05 (Photo: WRI2)

"I will push flat out and keep the pressure high on Lewis to try to force him into a mistake like in Brazil and also hope that the Williams have a chance to be in between us," said Rosberg.

Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Valtteri Bottas (Photo: WRI2)

"I already offered to pay for Valtteri to have a great wellness programme tonight so that he is fully relaxed and will put on a great performance tomorrow... let's see what happens!"

(Photo: WRI2)

Qualifying results* - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (round 19 of 19)
1.Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W05) - 1'40"480 - Q3
2.Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W05) - 1'40"866 - Q3
3.Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1'41"025 - Q3
4.Felipe Massa (Williams FW36-Mercedes) - 1'41"119 - Q3
5.Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1'41"267- Q3
6.Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB10-Renault) - 1'41"893 - Q3
7.Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1'41"908 - Q3
8.Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/29-Mercedes) - 1'41”964 - Q3
9.Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari F14-T) - 1'42"236 - Q3
10.Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F14-T) - 1'42”866 - Q3
11.Kevin Magnussen (McLaren MP4/29-Mercedes) - 1'42"198 - Q2
12.Jean Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR9-Renault) - 1'42"207 - Q2
13.Sergio Perez (Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1'42"239 - Q2
14.Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM07-Mercedes) - 1'42"384 - Q2
15.Adrian Sutil (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1'43"074 - Q2
16.Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C33-Ferrari) - 1'42”819 - Q1
17.Pastor Maldonado (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1'42"860 - Q1
18.Kamui Kobayashi (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1'44”540 - Q1
19.Will Stevens (Caterham CT05-Renault) - 1'45”095 - Q1
20.Romain Grosjean (Lotus E22-Renault) - 1'42"768 - Q1 **

* Unofficial results
** 20-place grid penalty