F1 Gossip: Verstappen to Mercedes less likely after Silverstone incident

- Helmut Marko says Red Bull doesn’t risk losing Max Verstappen to Mercedes should Lewis Hamilton retire from F1.

In an interview with Autorevue, as quoted by the Daily Mail, Marko said: “I do not think that Max will leave us then. The events at Silverstone have left too big a crack, especially with Jos. I think that makes him less likely to switch sides.”

- The Red Bull consultant also praised Sergio Perez for his contribution, while taking a swipe at Valtteri Bottas.

“It's clear to us that there is currently no driver who can stand up to Verstappen in qualifying," he added. “But then you need someone who won't break – that has happened with Perez.

“If you start ninth or 11th, all the qualities he undoubtedly has in the race won't help you. He's driven at the same level as Verstappen in x number of races, [but] it just fizzles out by the time you're through [the field].

“That’s the big difference between him and Bottas, who is a loser when it comes to overtaking. He’s super-fast, but he can’t overtake in traffic.”

- Speaking on his own podcast, Bottas has admitted he now understands why Nico Rosberg decided to retire at the end of 2016.

“When I came to Mercedes, I wondered why Nico was quitting. But now I can identify with him. I can say from experience that it’s not easy,” Bottas explained.

- Christian Horner says it would be foolish to underestimate any team going into this season.

Speaking to RacingNews365, he said: “I think it's probable that the big teams will be at the front. Which order they'll be in is difficult to predict. It's the same group of people that were designing last year's car that designed this year's car, so it's how you deal with a problem, how you interpret regulations, and the creativity of the group that differentiates them.

“It will be interesting to see what our competitors [do], but I think it'd be foolish to underestimate any of the teams with such a big regulation change.”

- Sky have donated £1 million to Lewis Hamilton’s charity - Mission 44 

AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly is confident the new Miami track will be good for overtaking

“I was really impressed,” Gasly said. “The track looks really cool, especially with the two very long straights. In terms of racing and overtaking possibilities, it’s going to be pretty amazing. It should be a great show for all the fans.”