Sports Mole rounds up all of the latest news regarding Formula 1 on Thursday, July 23.
Thursday morning's Formula 1 news roundup:
Zanardi's son says rehabilitation to be 'long'
© Reuters
Alex Zanardi's son says there are "encouraging signs" after the former F1 driver left hospital this week.
The former Lotus and Williams driver's month-long sedation for severe head and facial injuries is now over and he has been moved to a rehabilitation clinic.
But his son Niccolo told Corriere della Sera that his father remains unconscious for now, even though the signs are "encouraging".
"He will make it, I am sure," said the 21-year-old. "He will do it again this time and one day we will talk about it. He will talk to me and to my children. I am hopeful, as is my mother."
However, Niccolo Zanardi also admitted there remain concerns about his father's eyesight.
"That is not the most important thing now. What matters the most is knowing whether he can communicate with us again. We have a long way to go," he said.
"We are happy because his recovery has been much faster than we expected, but we shouldn't be surprised because we're talking about Dad.
"The energy of that man is incredible. He is unusually strong.
"Without going into details, he is a little better and he is beginning to recover. There is no more threat to his life, and this is already saying a lot.
"I repeat: the rehabilitation will take a long time," Zanardi jr added.
Shwartzman should join Alfa Romeo for 2021 - Marko
© Reuters
Ferrari should promote the less well-known member of its driver development academy into Formula 1 for 2021.
That is the advice offered by Dr Helmut Marko, the architect and boss of Red Bull's own highly successful driver programme.
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto said this week that it's "too early" to comment on whether Mick Schumacher is ready to leap into Formula 1 next year.
But according to Marko, that is not the case for Schumacher's 20-year-old Formula 2 teammate, Russian Robert Shwartzman.
"He is intelligent, fast, he protects the tyres - he's very special," the Austrian told f1-insider.com.
"If I was Ferrari, I would put him in the Alfa Romeo next year."
It is believed Ferrari-powered Haas might also be in the running to sign Shwartzman for 2021.
Former Le Mans winner John Nielsen says the identity of the man Shwartzman would replace at the small American team is obvious.
"Kevin Magnussen must continue what he did so well in Hungary, but I do not see (Romain) Grosjean having a place next season," he told BT newspaper.
More transfer news from Formula 1:
Vettel wants to reveal Ferrari 'mistake' - Berger
Sebastian Vettel wants to show Ferrari that the Italian team made "a huge mistake" by deciding to drop him. Read more.
DAS steering 'not easy to reproduce' - Marko
Dr Helmut Marko thinks Mercedes will hold on to a significant advantage in 2020 by running the 'DAS' push-and-pull steering wheel system. Read more.
New 'spy saga' set to fire in Formula 1
A new 'spy saga' could be about to break out in Formula 1. Read more.
Nurburgring confirms F1 talks for 'corona' race
The Nurburgring has emerged as a contender to host a race as Formula 1's 2020 'corona calendar' continues to take shape on the fly. Read more.
DTM to consider GT3 regulations - Berger
Germany's embattled DTM series may need to adopt GT3 regulations in order to survive. Read more.
Vettel better than Albon with Newey's cars - Villeneuve
Red Bull should re-hire Sebastian Vettel, because he is better equipped than Alex Albon to drive Adrian Newey's difficult Formula 1 cars. Read more.
F1 insists anti-racism activism still 'a priority'
Racial activism will continue to be "a clear priority" for Formula 1. Read more.
Mercedes is not making F1 'boring' - Haug
Toto Wolff has hit back at the notion that Mercedes will easily cruise the 2020 title. Read more.
