F1Minute - Bitesize Formula One News

The World Motorsport Council gathered in Geneva today for an extraordinary meeting to discuss the potential takeover of Formula One by the Liberty Media Corporation. Two statements released after the meeting reveal that the acquisition has the approval of everyone involved, with CVC transferring their entire shareholding to the new owners Liberty Media Corporation.

It’s the news everyone has been expecting but it was finally confirmed today that Mercedes have indeed managed to poach Valtteri Bottas from the Williams team to join them for 2017. Bottas will move to Mercedes to replace the outgoing world champion Nico Rosberg, and partner Lewis Hamilton for the coming season.

Sauber have completed their driver line up for the coming Formula One season, by hiring Pascal Wehrlein, fresh from the ailing Manor team. Wehrlein has been in the frame for a couple of larger profile drives, but was potentially considered not experienced enough for Mercedes, and not quite the right fit for Force India.

Renault and team principal Frederic Vasseur have confirmed they have parted ways by mutual consent, leaving the running of the team to Jérôme Stoll and Cyril Abiteboul. Although Vasseur’s departure has been agreed mutually, it sounds as though things weren’t quite as amicable as you might hope.

Mercedes have confirmed the long-held suspicion that Paddy Lowe, executive director (technical), will be leaving the squad. There’s talk that he’s headed to Williams as part of a deal that may fill the spare Mercedes seat, but we know nothing of that, only that Paddy is leaving Mercedes and now goes on a period of gardening leave.

The Manor team’s participation in the upcoming Formula One season has been cast firmly into doubt with the news that the squad has gone into administration. Whilst the overall business of Manor Grand Prix Racing, which is the rights owner to the F1 entry, still remains viable, the team itself has had the administrators bought in.

Two more teams have confirmed when they will reveal their 2017 challengers, and it almost feels like each squad is waiting to see who else is launching, and then sneaking in the day before. We’ve had Ferrari on the 24th February, Mercedes then on the 23rd. Now Force India have announced we need to save the date of the 22nd, whilst Renault are keen to kick things off on the 21st.

The festive season is done, a new year is upon us and that can only mean it’s time to start looking ahead to the 2017 Formula One season. Two teams have confirmed the launch dates of their new cars, and whilst launches aren’t the big deal they were a decade ago, the all-new style of this year’s machinery means there will be plenty to look out for. Wider cars, bigger tyres and various aerodynamic tweaks will attempt to make the cars faster, and they should look recognisably different from the 2016 batch.

Williams have released a statement confirming the departure of their Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds, who is set to leave at the very end of the year. He has been with the squad since 2013 where he joined on a three year contract to help turn the ailing team's fortunes around, and he achieved just that.

The French Grand Prix will make a return to the F1 calendar for the 2018 season in a five year deal, as the Paul Ricard circuit steps back up as host. By then, it will be ten years since a French Grand Prix appeared on the calendar, with the 2008 race being held at Magny-Cours. Paul Ricard hasn’t hosted a race since 1990, but has been used for testing in the intervening years.