Formula 1's Latest Rumours and Talk: Nico Rosberg, Carlos Sainz Jr and More

Nico Rosberg's hopes of winning the 2015 Formula One title effectively ended in Sunday's Russian Grand Prix, where the Mercedes driver retired after just seven laps due to a mechanical failure.

The German's second retirement in the last four races has left him 73 points behind team-mate Lewis Hamilton with just 100 to play for, and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff—acknowledging for the first time that the championship race is over—has advised Rosberg to focus on coming back stronger in 2016.

After his heavy crash on Saturday, which left him hospitalised, Carlos Sainz Jr came back strong on Sunday to produce an admirable performance at the Sochi Autodrom.

But despite a strong showing in racing conditions, the Spaniard has admitted to feeling disorientated during the grand prix, raising questions over Toro Rosso's decision to allow Sainz to participate.

Sergio Perez may also have felt dizzy when he was overtaken by two cars in the space of two corners on the penultimate lap at Russia, but the Mexican remained calm and composed to secure his first podium finish in 18 months.

And Bob Fernley, Force India's deputy team principal, has praised Perez's growth in maturity, suggesting he is now unrecognisable from the boy who arrived from McLaren just two years ago.

Force India's Mercedes power unit helped Perez claim the team's third podium finish in their eight-year history. And on a weekend when engines again hit the headlines, Wolff has explained why Mercedes ultimately decided against offering a lifeline to Red Bull Racing for 2016.

Red Bull, as a result, may not be on the grid next season, but Stoffel Vandoorne—despite missing out on a McLaren-Honda seat—is eager to find a place in F1 after sealing the GP2 title in Russia.

Here's this week's roundup.

Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team boss, believes Nico Rosberg will now prioritise his 2016 season after the German's retirement from the Russian Grand Prix effectively ended his 2015 championship hopes.

Rosberg appeared to have the edge over team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the Sochi Autodrom, setting a convincing pole position and controlling the early stages of the race. 

A debilitating throttle-pedal issue, however, saw Rosberg—who is without a win since June's Austrian Grand Prix—concede the lead to Hamilton on Lap 7 before retiring for the second time in four races.

On a day Hamilton took his ninth win of the season and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel claimed his 11th podium finish of 2015, Rosberg slipped to third in the drivers' standings and now trails his team-mate by 73 points with just four races remaining and 100 points available.

And while Wolff is adamant Rosberg will bounce back from what is increasingly likely to be his second successive championship defeat to a driver with identical machinery, he believes the German would be well advised to focus on winning the 2016 title, telling Autosport's Ian Parkes:

I'm gutted for him, but he's going to recover.

It takes my head off how he handles the situation, staying calm and trying to recover.

These boys have been in motor racing all their life. They have won races and lost races, won titles and lost titles.

The reason why they are here is because they are strong characters and strong personalities.

As gutted as he might be now, he's realising he's going to switch on to 2016 mode and try to bounce back next year.

Rosberg, for his part, has claimed his latest DNF won't "change [his] approach," telling the same source he will continue to push "to the maximum" but admitting he has "to be realistic now."

Carlos Sainz Jr has admitted he felt disorientated in the opening stages of the Russian Grand Prix following his huge accident ahead of qualifying.

The Spaniard's participation in the Sochi event was cast in doubt on Saturday morning when, in the final free-practice session, he lost control of his Toro Rosso STR10 at the end of the back straight and ploughed into the crash barriers at Turn 13.

Despite being airlifted to hospital after the 46G impact and complaining of soreness in his neck and back, per the official F1 website, Sainz was passed fit to race after being discharged on Saturday evening and started from the back of the grid.

He appeared to be completely unaffected by the crash during the race, performing at his hard-charging best and running seventh at one point before retiring with a brake failure—which led to him spinning at the scene of his accident just 24 hours earlier—after 45 laps.

But Sainz has revealed he felt unsteady at the start of the race, particularly as he was forced to weave behind the safety car to generate tyre temperature, telling Autosport's Ian Parkes:

Being fully honest, in the first 10 laps, behind the safety car, doing so many "esses" I was feeling a bit dizzy.

I don't know if it was just mental because I was thinking about the accident, or if I was just feeling dizzy.

But after lap 10 it went off and I could push normally without problems. ...

If I do some strange gestures my neck and back hurts a bit, but in the car I didn't have any back or neck problems.

Just that bit of dizziness in the first 10 laps behind the safety car. I opened up my visor and it improved.

Sainz added he felt "warm" and "exhausted" in the early stages of the race, admitting he was "a bit" worried by his condition.

Force India believe Sergio Perez is now unrecognisable from the driver who arrived at the team at the end of 2013, as noted after the Mexican's podium finish in the Russian GP.

After starting seventh at the Sochi Autodrom, Perez made his one and only pit stop during the second safety car period, which promoted him to third when the cars ahead made their stops.

An expert when it comes to managing his tyres, Perez was forced to spend 41 laps on the soft-compound rubber, and despite dropping to fifth on the penultimate lap, he regained third place when Kimi Raikkonen collided with Valtteri Bottas on the final tour.

Perez's fifth career podium was his second in Force India colours following his third-place finish in the 2014 Bahrain GP, and deputy team principal Bob Fernley believes the driver has now repaired his reputation following a damaging spell at McLaren in 2013—when he was dropped in favour of a rookie.

The Mexican has established himself as Force India's lead driver in recent months, scoring points in six of the last eight races at a time his highly rated team-mate, Nico Hulkenberg, has entered something of a mid-career crisis.

And Fernley suspects Perez's growth in maturity is a by-product of his contentment in a homely, accommodating environment, telling Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble:

I think it is about having the confidence and him feeling comfortable within the team environment, and I think that has been shown progressively over the past year or two with us.

I think it was just an unfortunate experience and that move to McLaren came a bit too early for Checo.

You cannot underestimate McLaren. From our side, we knew we had a good talent, it was just a case of nurturing through.

Perez now leads Hulkenberg, who spun out of the race on the opening lap, by 16 points in the drivers' standings and has struck a potentially decisive blow in Force India's fight for fifth in the constructors' championship, with the team now 26 points ahead of Lotus.

Red Bull's search for a 2016 engine supplier became ever more desperate over the Russian Grand Prix weekend, with the news that Ferrari had decided against providing the four-time world champions with V6 turbo power units.

In June, Ferrari indicated a willingness to join forces with Red Bull for 2016 but, according to Auto Motor und Sport (h/t Sky Sports), the Italian manufacturer is now only willing to supply Scuderia Toro Rosso, the Red Bull B-team, next season.

That has left Red Bull, who have burned their bridges with current technical partner Renault, without an engine deal for next season, raising doubts over their participation in F1 after Mercedes also decided against supplying the Milton Keynes-based operation.

And Toto Wolff, the Mercedes executive director, has explained why the German manufacturer have left Red Bull dangling.

The Austrian has admitted that Mercedes were interested in embarking upon a relationship with Red Bull earlier this season, but he suggested a lack of communication—and the Silver Arrows' reluctance to deviate from their F1 philosophy—ended any prospect of an agreement, telling Sky Sports' James Galloway:

In the end result we are united with a flat no. But we had some discussions over the summer.

Red Bull is a very hip brand. [We wondered] is there in any way we can make that work so that Mercedes benefits from an association with Red Bull on the road car side with joint platforms so we can afford to dilute our success in Formula 1?

We weighed it up, we expected some feedback, we didn't get the feedback we were waiting for and then at a certain moment you need to stop wobbling around and just close the chapter.

[...]

When Mercedes decided in 2009 to buy a team and not be an engine supplier anymore only, that is still the main strategy. You can't take any prisoners. This is the approach you have to take and dilute yourself.

We have invested so many years into the development of that power unit, into the cooling, into the hydraulics, into the electronics—would you take those bits and give it to another team which hasn't been involved in that? You probably don't do it.

According to Autosport's Ian Parkes and Lawrence Barretto, the stance adopted by Mercedes and Ferrari has encouraged Red Bull to restart talks with Renault about extending their partnership into a 10th season.

Stoffel Vandoorne is determined to force his way onto the Formula One grid in 2016, despite being overlooked by McLaren-Honda.

McLaren's decision to retain Jenson Button, and Fernando Alonso's insistence that he will fulfil his three-year contract, has prevented Vandoorne from making his grand prix debut with the team who have guided his career through the junior formulae, forcing him to search for an alternative route into F1.

Vandoorne secured the GP2 championship over the Russian Grand Prix weekend and is set to become the most successful driver in the history of the series—a category previously won by the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Romain Grosjean—by the end of 2015. 

GP2's commitment to unearthing new talent means champions are unable to defend their crown, and it is imperative that Vandoorne makes an immediate jump to F1 if he is to avoid following in the footsteps of Kevin Magnussen, a fellow McLaren junior driver, whose career has stalled on the sidelines.

When asked about his plans for the 2016 season, the Belgian explained he remains eager to find a place in F1 and believes his dominance of a high-quality GP2 field will encourage teams to sign the rookie, telling Sky Sports' William Esler:

Hopefully [my next career step will be] Formula 1.

It's something I've been working on for quite some time, and now to have the GP2 title here is a bit of a luxury I would say with two rounds to go. The next one is in over a month, so I can concentrate on preparing next year which is great.

Unfortunately, nothing is decided for the moment, but I'm optimistic. I feel there are some chances out there. The next days and weeks are going to be crucial for next year.

One potential destination for the 23-year-old is Lotus, with F1 journalist James Allen claiming Frederic Vasseur is "the preferred candidate" to be the new Renault team principal when the French manufacturer's proposed takeover of the team is finalised.

Vasseur has worked alongside Vandoorne at ART Grand Prix, the leading GP2 team, since the beginning of 2014, and he recently told Motorsport.com's Valentin Khorounzhiy it would be "an absolute denial of the ladder system" if the Belgian didn't race in F1 in 2016.

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