F1 gossip: Wehrlein, Honda, Verstappen, Mercedes, Hamilton

Pascal Wehrlein is confident he will be fit enough to return to his Sauber in China after being ruled out of racing in Australia because he lacked fitness following a back injury. (Sportsmole), external

Mercedes Formula 1 team boss Toto Wolff believes Lewis Hamilton is the strongest he's ever been after a "reset" of the driver's relationship with the team. (Eurosport), external

Jos Verstappen, the former F1 driver and father of Max Verstappen, has added to the widespread criticism of McLaren's works engine partner Honda, saying that they are "getting worse".(Sportsmole), external

Honda has revealed that it has held talks with other F1 teams over a possible supply of engines, but insists that nothing has been agreed. (Motorsport), external

Sergio Perez says he has been on an "extreme diet" before the Australian Grand Prix to help Force India cope with its 'overweight' car. (Autosport), external

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says Formula One fans should be excited by the new cars which have been introduced for the 2017 season. (ESPN), external

Nico Rosberg, who retired after becoming world champion last season, says former Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton was in the wrong at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, claiming he should have been a team player. (Eurosport), external

Hamilton says "there are too many dudes" in the Formula 1 paddock and has included better access for women on his championship wishlist. (Reuters), external

McLaren boss Zak Brown insists Honda is doing everything it can to be competitive following a difficult pre-season, which saw its power unit experience multiple problems and severely limited running. (Motorsport Week), external

McLaren racing director Eric Boullier says "a better understanding of the racing culture" in Formula 1 is the main thing Honda needs to improve its flagging fortunes. (Autosport), external

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel says March is too early to predict a title challenge as there are too many unknowns with the bigger and faster cars in 2017. (ESPN), external

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo, 27, does not expect to be challenging for the Formula 1 title this season as he believes Mercedes still hold the edge. (Daily Mail), external

But Australian Ricciardo says he is prepared for friction with teenage team-mate Max Verstappen, 19, as "that's part of the game". (Guardian), external

Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley says hopes of a top-three finish in the constructors' championship are already out of reach after pre-season testing suggested Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull were ahead of the pack. (Eurosport), external

Lewis Hamilton could end up driving for Ferrari if Sebastian Vettel walks away from the team, according to former Red Bull driver Mark Webber. (Express), external

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says Red Bull have "seen ghosts" if they think the Mercedes engine is breaking the rules over oil burning. Red Bull wrote to the FIA to clarify if the engine was using an illegal method during qualifying. (Gazzetta dello Sport, via Independent), external

McLaren driver Fernando Alonso is braced for a "difficult weekend" at this week's season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. (Eurosport), external

Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve says he is "normally not positive with young kids coming into F1" but is "very positive" concerning the prospects of fellow Canadian Lance Stroll, 18, as he embarks on his debut season in the sport with Williams. (Scotsman), external

Paddy Lowe left Mercedes to join Williams as the team's chief technical officer and he believes "there are undoubtedly things here at Williams that are much better than they have in Mercedes already". (Autosport), external

Valtteri Bottas has yet to win a race in F1 but, after his switch to Mercedes, hopes he can challenge team-mate Lewis Hamilton in fighting for the drivers' crown this year. (Independent), external

Bottas has signed a one-year deal with Mercedes and the German team's non-executive chairman Niki Lauda says it "is not our plan" to try to sign Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel for the 2018 season. (Daily Star), external

Finn Bottas took to the ice and got his skates on as prepared for the season-opener in Melbourne this weekend.

Nico Rosberg, who retired after becoming world champion last season, wants to stay involved in motor racing but the German says he "won't be coming back as a driver, no way". (Sport Bild via Autosport), external

New F1 chief executive Chase Carey says the sport has "really not been managed to its full potential", adding that engineers have overtaken the drivers, so there is a need to "push the drivers back to the forefront". (Times - subscription required), external

On the differences between past and current F1 regimes, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said: "We were running a five-star Michelin restaurant, not a hamburger joint. But maybe now the cuisine will be more accessible. Maybe it will even have a better taste."(Daily Mail), external

Red Bull racer Max Verstappen has calmed expectation around the team as he believes they are "not good enough yet to win" going into the season opener in Australia on Sunday, 26 March. (De Telegraaf via Planet F1), external