F1 gossip: Hamilton, Rosberg, McLaren, Renault, Ricciardo

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Lewis Hamilton and Nico RosbergImage source, Getty Images
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Hamilton trails Rosberg by 24 points in the drivers' championship

Sunday, 26 June

Lewis Hamilton says he has a "really good" relationship with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg. (Mail on Sunday), external

Hamilton revealed on Instagram, external he has lost 5kg since the beginning of the season and wants to put weight back on.

Three races could be removed from the calendar in the 2017 season including two in Europe, according to Bernie Ecclestone. (La Gazzetta dello Sport), external

The 85-year-old says Britain leaving the European Union will make no difference to F1. (Reuters), external

McLaren team boss Ron Dennis says a decision on their 2017 driver line-up will not be made until September at the earliest. (Sky Sports), external

Fernando Alonso believes McLaren are the team with the best chance of toppling Mercedes. (Autosport), external

Four-time world champion Alain Prost says there is no quick fix to Renault's problems. (NBC), external

Team boss Cyril Abiteboul says Renault need to target improving their "qualifying and aero". (Foxsports), external

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo says the problems he had last season have made him stronger. (Autosport), external

Image source, Nico Rosberg
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Nico Rosberg enjoys an ice cream with Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda

Saturday, 25 June

Monaco-born teenager Charles Leclerc will replace Mexican Esteban Gutierrez in Friday first practice sessions at five Formula 1 races for Haas this season, starting with Silverstone next month. (Reuters), external

The 18-year-old tweeted his appreciation after learning the news.

Image source, @Charles_Leclerc

Nico Rosberg says he will be with Mercedes for "many more years" to come as negotiations to renew his contract continue. (Autosport), external

Drivers who avoid penalty points in lower series competition will be given a 'Safety Bonus' - an additional two points on top of their achieved points towards the F1 superlicence. (Pitpass), external

Renault have to reassess how they progress in Formula 1 following three poor races, according to the team's managing director Cyril Abiteboul. (Autosport), external

Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene insists the team are not already looking to next season, with Sebastian Vettel currently 24 points behind second-placed Lewis Hamilton. "After eight races I think it is wrong to think of the next year, leaving aside the present. We are approaching the Mercedes, and we must not miss the chance offered in this world championship," he says. (Motorsport.com), external

Image source, AFP
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Raikkonen has been with the Ferrari team since the 2014 season

Friday, 24 June

Four-time world champion Alain Prost thinks Ferrari must consider the "ambience" of the team when deciding whether to drop Kimi Raikkonen for 2017. (ESPN), external

The Brazilian Grand Prix at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace circuit, will remain on the Formula 1 calendar for many years to come, race organisers have said, amid reports the event could be dropped at the end of the current season. (Grand Prix Times), external

Pirelli has confirmed the three tyre compounds that will be available to the teams at the next races in Spa and Suzuka. The Italian tyre manufacturer will bring its supersoft, soft and medium compounds to Belgium - a combination that has been chosen for five of the eight races to date. (Formula1.com), external

Baku organisers are not keen to turn the Azerbaijan event into a night race, despite the wishes of Bernie Ecclestone. (Fox Sports), external

Formula 1 will reach record-breaking speeds and lap times under the new 2017 regulations, according to Ferrari's F1 technical director James Allison. (Formula1.com), external

Spanish Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen, 18, says he has now learned he can sometimes drive at "92%" in Red Bull's Formula 1 car rather than pushing as hard as he did with Toro Rosso. (Autosport), external

Formula 1's television coverage has been slammed as a "disaster" by Alain Prost, who reckons current camera angles and onboard footage are not doing justice to the spectacle. (Motorsport.com), external

McLaren team-mates Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso are joined by veteran screen diva Dame Joan Collins, with Button commenting on Instagram:, external "Dame Joan looking lovely as always."

Image source, Jenson_Ichiban
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A new test driver at McLaren?

Thursday, 23 June

Image source, Getty Images
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"We cannot be satisfied with being third or fourth in the championship," says Claire Williams

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, 28, says F1 must tread a fine line between danger and safety to ensure it retains its raw appeal to fans. (ESPN), external

Williams' deputy team principal Claire Williams says the team have "got to do better" as they chase third in the constructors' championship standings. (Sky Sports), external

Williams have revealed their record-equalling pit stop at the European Grand Prix was actually faster than official timing claims. (Motorsport.com), external

Image source, McLaren
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McLaren tweeted a picture of Fernando Alonso enjoying a night in London's Regent's Street at designer Michael Kors' cocktail party

Ferrari technical director James Allison says his team's early work under the 2017 regulations is already producing a better looking car for next season. (ESPN), external

F1 needs more tracks like new European Grand Prix venue Baku, says Mercedes motorsport chief Toto Wolff. (Autosport), external

Pirelli has announced the tyre choices made by each team for the Austrian Grand Prix, with a small difference in compound allocations for Mercedes team-mates and title rivals Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. (Eurosport), external

Wednesday, 22 June

Sunday's European Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton finished fifth after technical problems, has given the Briton "a lesson in humility", says former F1 driver Jean Alesi. (Autoweek), external

Kimi Raikkonen says he has no problem with being asked to move over and let Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel pass him in Baku. (Fox Sports), external

Jean Todt, president of Formula 1's governing body FIA, has rejected calls for teams to be able to give drivers technical information over team radios during races. Todt adds that the F1 cars are not as complicated as those that competed in Le Mans 24. (Eurosport), external

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel says the team "are moving in the right direction", despite them not winning any of the races so far in 2016. (Gazetta World), external

Image source, Nico Rosberg
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Nico Rosberg tweeted a picture of himself watching Germany's Euro 2016 match against Northern Ireland. "On we go," wrote Rosberg as Germany earned a 1-0 win to win their group.

McLaren's Jenson Button is happy at finishing 11th at the European Grand Prix because the result in Baku came at "their worst circuit of the year". (ESPN), external

Ferrari insist that 36-year-old Kimi Raikkonen still has enough time to earn himself a new contract with good performances over the rest of this season. (Sky Sports), external

Former Renault boss Flavio Briatore says Fernando Alonso is in "a luxury retirement" at McLaren and should never have left Ferrari in 2010. (Grandprix.com), external

Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost expects Carlos Sainz to stay with the team for 2017. (Motorsport.com), external

Image source, Nico Hulkenberg
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Force India's Nico Hulkenberg captured himself relaxing by a swimming pool and posted the photo on Twitter. "Back at base, time to recharge," he wrote.

Tuesday, 21 June

Image source, @Nico_Rosberg
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Championship leader Nico Rosberg enjoyed a flight with fellow drivers Felipe Massa, Max Verstappen, Daniil Kvyat, Jenson Button and former driver David Coulthard after his win in Baku

Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams says Jenson Button is an "attractive proposition" for the team, if he is available next season, but added the team are looking at other options. (F1i.com), external

Sergio Perez has refused to confirm where he will be racing next year, amid speculation of a move to Ferrari, despite the Mexican saying he is happy at Force India. (Sky Sports F1 via Planet F1), external

Red Bull have announced they will no longer develop their aeroscreen, seen at the Russian Grand Prix earlier this season, leaving the sport to introduce the "ugly" halo design. (F1.co.uk, external)

Image source, Getty Images
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Red Bull tested their aeroscreen on Daniel Ricciardo's car during practice at the Russian Grand Prix earlier this year

Kimi Raikkonen and Ferrari are in no hurry to confirm their plans for the 2017 season, according to team principal Maurizio Arrivabene, with the Finn's contract running out at the end of the current campaign. (Autosport), external

Baku's track executive Arif Rahimov says F1 has a future at the venue and added the race could match "old races like Monaco and Monza" if the success of this year is repeated. (Reuters), external

Carlos Sainz is set to stay at Toro Rosso for the 2017 season despite rumours of interest from Ferrari and Renault. (Paddock Talk), external

Daniele Manca, mayor of the town of Imola, has said Monza and the San Marino venue can exist alongside each other in F1. (La Gazzetta dello Sport via Grand Prix), external

Monday, 20 June

Image source, @nico_rosberg
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Nico Rosberg paid tribute to the Mercedes team behind him after his victory in the European Grand Prix

McLaren driver Fernando Alonso sympathised with Lewis Hamilton's frustrations in the European Grand Prix over restrictions on pit-to-car radio messages with his Mercedes team because of the "spaceship" technology in the cars. (Planet F1), external

Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate and race winner Nico Rosberg had the same engine settings problem but the German driver was able to figure out how to rectify the issue. (F1i news), external

Red Bull are baffled by the tyre problems they suffered during the race after Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo dropped down the field despite starting in second on the grid. (Motorsport.com), external

Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen felt his Baku pit entry penalty cost him a place on the podium on Sunday. (Autosport), external

Image source, instagram.com/jenson_ichiban
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McLaren driver Jenson Button, who finished 11th in Baku, said his late dad John was not far from his thoughts following the race on Father's Day

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff wants more F1 venues like Baku's street circuit to help highlight the speed of cars and skill of drivers. (Espn), external

Jolyon Palmer shared Woolf's views as the Renault driver described the circuit in the Azerbaijan capital as "fun" despite finishing in 15th place. (The Checkered Flag), external

Next year's Grand Prix in Baku could be a night race because of how spectacular the city looks when the sun goes down. (Paddock Talk), external

Rosberg savoured a "perfect" 19th Grand Prix victory in Baku - apart from accidentally hitting himself in the face afterwards. (Sky Sports), external

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