Formula One 2011

[Katsuya]

Hispania are whining and bitching again, saying they did pay their FOTA money and they left voluntarily. Or, you know, they didn't and Kolles is an idiot.

[LUKIE]

So Ferrari et al are whinging that Red Bull spent way too much money and totally over-developed their cars, but then on the other hand, when discussion is brought up about putting a resource cap on the entire event (which is the best idea... ever), they bitch and whinge and say they will walk out of Formula One.

Idiots.

[Katsuya]

Actually, the funniest thing I think from what Montazemelo was saying was that Red Bull didn't respect Ferrari because they dared to suggest that Vettel was happy where he was and he didn't need to go to Ferrari.

[Lineker]

Prodrive update

Prodrive boss David Richards says his company will not consider joining Formula 1 before the 2013 season, and admits his main focus right now is elsewhere.

Prodrive was one of the teams that applied to enter F1 last year but it was not granted an entry, and although the FIA re-opened the selection process for this season, the company decided against applying.

And with big regulations changes taking place in 2013, Richards admits it would only be then when Prodrive would consider F1 again.

He made it clear, however, that Prodrive's main focus right now is the WRC and Le Mans.

"We always keep a close eye on everything, but my priority today is to get the Mini up and running for the World Rally Championship and to get Aston Martin competitive in time for Le Mans," said Richards on the main stage of the AUTOSPORT International.

"The obvious next point to look at Formula 1 is 2013 with the massive change in regulations that come along at that point in time, and if you were to consider an entry that would be the time to go."

HRT did offer to pay their FOTA fees

HRT did offer to pay its outstanding Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) membership fees after it left the body, sources have revealed to AUTOSPORT, amid ongoing intrigue about the situation surrounding the team's departure.

There has been intense speculation over the past week about why HRT left FOTA, with conflicting reports about whether it was suspended over unpaid subscription fees or because the team was unhappy about the organisation's failure to help smaller teams.

FOTA's annual fees for a year are 100,000 euros for each team - which is usually payable before the start of each season - and all outfits apart from HRT paid up for 2010 in February last year.

After it emerged that HRT had left FOTA, it was widely reported that the matter had been the result of HRT not paying up.

FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh added to that belief on Thursday when he said the situation was simply down to unpaid fees.

"HRT failed to fulfil its membership fee obligations," he said. "It's as simple as that."

Although the inference from such comments was that that HRT had not paid any of its fees, a source who has good knowledge of the matter said that HRT had in fact paid two instalments of 25,000 euros in 2009 and 2010 - before stalling on further payments as it grew frustrated with FOTA.

By the time of the final FOTA meeting of 2010 on December 16, HRT had made it clear that it no longer wanted to be a part of the body – and the team informed FOTA chiefs it would not attend the get-together.

It was at that meeting that FOTA decided to suspend HRT from its organisation for the unpaid fees – and the team was notified formally the following day that it had been suspended.

At the same time, HRT formally wrote to FOTA to inform it that it wished to quit the organisation because it was unhappy about the way that the interests of the smaller teams were not being looked after.

Sources have also revealed that HRT told FOTA when it left that it was actually willing to pay its outstanding fees, believed to be 50,000 euros, when it left – suggesting the real issues were not to do with the fees.

HRT has said several times in recent days that the reasons behind its departure were because it felt FOTA was serving the interests of the bigger teams.

AUTOSPORT understands that HRT had become particularly unhappy about the resistance of larger teams within the organisation to help the smaller outfits.

The team felt it unfair that, even though its income was a fraction of the larger teams, it was still being asked to pay the same 100,000 euros in membership fees and 100,000 euros charge for the post-season analysis of its accounts to ensure it did not break the Resource Restriction Agreement.

Furthermore, HRT was frustrated that there was continued resistance from the larger teams for future redistribution of income as part of a new Concorde Agreement to be shared more fairly among all 12 teams – rather than being more heavily weighted towards the top 10 as it is under the current agreement.

There was particular concern that teams which finished 11th and 12th were to get considerably less than the team that finished 10th – even though their contribution to the sport, and their costs to compete, would be virtually identical.

FOTA has declined to elaborate on the issue, beyond confirming that HRT was suspended because it "did not fulfil its 2010 FOTA membership fee obligations".

Although HRT's Colin Kolles was unavailable for comment on Friday, he did tell the Hindustan Times about the situation: "We left because FOTA defends mainly the interests of the big teams.

"We see no benefit in paying money for being part of it. We prefer investing our money in the car, instead of paying membership fees that don't benefit to us."

FOTA say will get through their current troubles

The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) will soon 'power through' its current troubles to get itself back on track in trying to help improve the sport.

That is the view of its chairman Martin Whitmarsh, who says that current niggles over the Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA), plus the controversial fallout over the circumstances behind HRT's departure, will be resolved swiftly.

"F1 has some of the most competitive people in the world, and getting those people to work together is an interesting challenge," he said on stage at the AUTOSPORT International Show.

"FOTA has achieved a lot so far. There are lots of people who would like FOTA not to exist because it unifies the teams.

"We have some issues, and it is not useful to talk about them in public, but we will power through those.

"The teams understand that a number of them would not be on the grid without FOTA - so there is a lot of goodwill and support for it. We will push the boundaries and come through it."

Whitmarsh believes that the lack of politics in F1 last year – as most media attention was focused on the on-track battle – was good news for the sport. He also insisted that FOTA was doing all it could to help all teams, not just the leading outfits.

"We have been at war," he said about the relationship between teams before FOTA. "Ferrari and McLaren were at war for 30 years and sometimes it got out of control.

"We all love F1, and we all recognise that F1 can be better. But there is no point in just wanting it to be better – we have to take some responsibility.

"We have to help the small teams survive – and there is no point the large teams saying that they don't care what happens to the small teams. A lot of the teams would not be there if it wasn't for FOTA. We need at least 10 teams – and preferably 12 teams.

"The great thing about this last championship was it was tremendously exciting and it went to the end. People were not talking about polemics and scandal in the race. It was a tough championship battle that they could concentrate on – and we are proud we could achieve it. We hope to do it better this year."

Brundle talks Coulthard and grid walks

Martin Brundle thinks his BBC commentary box tie-up with David Coulthard this year will prove to be a huge success - despite scepticism in some quarters about having two former drivers working alongside each other.

The BBC announced earlier this week that Brundle was being promoted to the lead commentator's role in 2011, with Coulthard slotting in alongside him to help provide expert analysis.

That move has led some to question whether having two drivers is the best policy for the BBC – while some have suggested that the new role will be too much for Brundle to take onboard.

Brundle himself is convinced, however, that he will have no problems in adapting to the new position – and is equally sure that Coulthard will really thrive alongside him.

"I read somewhere, this ridiculous article, that it would be an unimaginable strain," Brundle said on stage at the AUTOSPORT International Show.

"For me, an unimaginable strain is fighting in Afghanistan or bringing up a child in the middle of Africa – that is what means to me - not chatting to a few mates on the grid and then going and watching a sport I love from the TV commentary box. I have the best job in the world."

Brundle confirmed that his trademark grid walks would continue in 2011, but they would not take place at every race.

"I will do half the grid walks or something, and I am ready to change on that. I have done it for 14 years and there are only so many ways that you can run up and down 24 cars and a safety car and keep coming up with fresh material. It is not actually in my nature to go barging in and being rude in other people's interviews!

"99 out of 100 people who come up to me anywhere in the world say they love the grid walk. It has become my signature, so of course I will do it. There are some tracks where the geography from the grid to the commentary box [is quite hard]. Sometimes we have to walk a bit then we have to take a scooter through a tunnel, somebody is waiting at the bottom of a lift, we press a button I go up nine floors, and I get in the commentary box just before the race starts. I am happy to give up a few grids. At ITV I used to do two out of three, which is about right frankly."

Speaking about his new partnership with Coulthard, Brundle said: "I have got David coming up and between us we have started over 400 grands prix, and attended over 700.

"We know our sport, and we have got to entertain. We have to inform and I know we will be comfortable...I am very good mates with DC and we haven't seen the best of DC yet by a long way. That ping pong match is not his forte, he will still be doing that but that is not his best work.

"DC has got such a knowledge of F1 and such banter to go with it, that I am confident he will have plenty to say about a race. I can do the shouty bits when I have to, and yes it is a different job so I will do it differently - but I won't pretend I won't know what I am talking about.

"I won't give him gormless questions like, 'oh that right rear tyre looks a bit odd doesn't it David'. We'll discuss it among ourselves. We will agree, disagree, we will throw to the pit lane and we will tell the story of F1."

Ferrari shrug off Red Bull criticism

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has said he is unruffled by criticisms aimed at his team by Red Bull Racing - suggesting his rivals are simply not yet used to behaving like winners.

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko last week told the German media that he felt Ferrari was trying to steal his outfit's spirit - after trying to lure a number of its staff members.

Di Montezemolo had noted those comments – but said that Red Bull did not deserve a response because the outfit had won not a fraction of what Ferrari had in F1.

"I notice with pleasure that there are some small polemics," he told the media during Ferrari's Wrooom event in Italy on Friday. "I see with pleasure that someone has won a world championship and maybe he isn't yet used to win, as far as his behaviour is concerned.

"But this is part of the game, it's okay. Maybe when someone has won 10 per cent of what Ferrari has won, we'll reply. For now we look ahead calmly: may the best win."

The comments about Red Bull Racing come against the backdrop of renewed focus on the championship-winning team and whether or not it overspent in 2010 – and broke Formula 1's Resource Restriction Agreement.

Di Montezemolo said it was important not to jump to conclusions on what rivals had been up to – but claimed the situation was proof that cost caps would never work in F1.

"I take note of what I have heard and read [on the RRA], but I don't know whether this is true or not," he said. "If it is, then it would demonstrate Ferrari's stance of being against that delirious idea of a cost cap, because it's impossible to police it, especially when multinational companies are involved, who have the possibility of manufacturing in different countries.

"I think we need to have expense limits through regulations and not through a cost cap, because that's extremely difficult to keep under control. However, I repeat, I don't know if it's true that Red Bull has overspent, I don't know if it's true that McLaren did that.

"I think there's little chance to check, so it's better not to have these wrong, anachronistic limitations. It's a bit like telling a football team not to spend more than a certain amount. We must realise that F1 is the pinnacle of competition. We need to invest in technology and have regulations that limit expenses, but not through a budget."

Despite the bickering over the RRA, and controversy over HRT's departure from FOTA, di Montezemolo still thinks that there is a good team spirit in F1 – and that it is vital all parties work together to try and help grand prix racing.

"A sport like F1 must have three big reference points: the federation, as the sporting authority that enforces the regulations; the commercial part, who has the commercial rights, which is headed by [bernie] Ecclestone; and finally a league of the various teams, which represent the teams' interests.

"It's important to have this dialogue: it seems things have brightened up. There's still the fundamental problem: F1 must remain an extreme sport at the pinnacle. It has to keep these characteristics, and this is why we need to be careful not to have a big gap between big and small teams.

"[Anyone] who races in F1 knows he needs to invest while limiting expenses and having regulations that allow for that, but that's what F1 is about."

Ferrari don't want a Rome GP

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo believes it is better for Formula 1 to visit new nations than to add a street race in Rome to its calendar, as the Italian city's hopes of hosting a grand prix fade.

Rome has been pushing for an F1 slot for some time, but it emerged earlier this week that F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone had informed the city's mayor that countries would no longer be allowed to host more than one grand prix per season - and with Rome having declared that it wanted to be a second Italian event rather than usurping Monza's place on the schedule, its chances of getting an F1 date now seem extremely slim.

Speaking at the Wrooom media event in Italy today, di Montezemolo said that the decision was no reflection on the quality of Rome's proposal, but that the teams were agreed that the calendar should not expand beyond this year's 20 dates, and that new territories had to be the priority for any additions to the schedule.

"If you remember our dinner at Maranello, I said that the general feeling by the car manufacturers and also the teams was not to go above a certain number of grands prix, which are already so many - the season never ends," he said.

"And most of all that the preference was for having races in new countries, new markets, first of all the United States, but not just that, there's Russia, there's India, instead of having two races in Germany or Spain, or eventually Italy.

"So it's not a failure for Rome, but it's just a matter that the general desire is to have one grand prix [in each country], so we can't stage two races in Italy. Beyond that, it's most of all an Italian problem to decide where, while keeping in mind Monza's historical role."

He said he was open to the possibility of the Italian GP alternating between Monza and Rome if that proved acceptable to the two venues, provided Monza's position was not put at risk.

"This depends on whether it's fine by Ecclestone, whether there are the conditions, whether Monza and Rome are fine with it," di Montezemolo said.

"What's certain is that two races can't be held in Italy. That's it. And Monza remains a historic and permanent grand prix.

"However, all paths are possible and open."

Williams announce PDVSA sponsorship deal

Pastor Maldonado delighted his home fans with a demonstration run for Williams on the streets of Caracas on Friday - as his team bosses announced a major new sponsorship deal with energy company Petroleos de Venezuela S.A (PDVSA).

Maldonado completed a series of laps of a temporary track laid out near the famous Paseo de los Proceres monument in front of an estimated 20,000 strong crowd - which included President Chavez.

Speaking about his runs in a Williams FW32, Maldonado said: "It was unbelievable to share this experience with my countrymen. The amount of people that turned out to watch was just amazing."

Immediately after the runs, Williams confirmed a long-term partnership deal with PDVSA - which is Venezuela's national energy company. The deal will see the company's logos feature on the team's car and driver overalls.

Team boss Frank Williams said: "We are very grateful to PDVSA for having joined our team. They are a substantial partner and can make a meaningful difference to our fighting ability."

Legends defend Schumacher

Michael Schumacher has done the right thing in making a Formula 1 comeback - even though it did not deliver the kind of results that he had hoped for last year.

That is the view of F1 veterans Martin Brundle, John Surtees and Jody Scheckter, who believe that the success of Schumacher's return should not be judged by his results but instead by what he got out of competing again.

The seven-time champion returned to grand prix racing after an absence of three years to race for Mercedes GP, but spent the season battling to get back to top form as team-mate Nico Rosberg delivered the team's only podium finishes.

Speaking on stage at the AUTOSPORT International Show on Saturday about Schumacher's return, Brundle said: "I have no problem with him coming back. He was bouncing down the track after falling off his Superbike for the 12th time. What is the point of killing himself on a Superbike? You might as well go back [to F1].

"They were prepared to give him a drive. He loved doing it and I think we should give him a little bit more time.

"I respect him for coming back. He had the opportunity and that is what he wanted to do at the end of the day. It cannot be right or wrong - and people are too judgemental on that.

"The mistake I think Michael made was before the start of the season when he said, 'I only do winning world championships, that is why I am here'. He set the bar too high for himself. He ought to have said, 'these are young chargers, I will do my best, we'll see how far I get and I will support Nico and the team [to] try and go win some races'. I think then he could have come at it from a different direction."

Scheckter, the 1979 champion, reckoned that Schumacher could even be enjoying driving in F1 more now than when he was winning races.

"From his point of view it is a good decision. Before that he was on the pit wall trying to look busy and you know - if you don't find something to do after racing F1, never mind where he was in F1, it is very tough," he said.

"So I would imagine he is probably enjoying it more now when he did when he first started because it is probably a bigger challenge for him."

Fellow ex-world champion Surtees pointed out that the relationships Schumacher had built up with Benetton and Ferrari had been critical to his success in his initial career, and that he had not yet had chance to do this at Mercedes.

"When I go along and talk to youngsters, I say: one moment, it is all very well these people who have all the negatives about Michael, but the fact remains that he created that relationship with the team which then related to the way the cars performed on the track and he got the job done," Surtees said.

"He did a wonderful job for Ferrari and I am not so sure he won't do the same thing for Mercedes."

The 1964 title-winner reckons it was unrealistic for anyone to expect Schumacher to pick up where he had left off, given how much F1 had changed since 2006.

"I think he came back into a different world, a situation where before he had been able to establish close relationships, [go] out testing, come together with the car and tune it to suit himself," Surtees said.

"What he had to overcome was all that pre-conceived reaction from the past. He could not come in and do what he used to do because the cars had changed, the rules had changed, so it was a new learning curve.

"I would not go along and say he shouldn't have come back - as frankly only he can make that decision and I have enough faith in him to believe that he would have had confidence that in the not too longer term he can put it together again."

Brundle, who was Schumacher's team-mate at Benetton in 1992, believes that Schumacher's biggest difficulty was in finding himself in a different situation from when he was clear number one at Ferrari.

"I think he is struggling a bit from not having all the deck of cards in his favour," Brundle explained.

"When he was at Ferrari he had the best people around him, and they had all sorts of support. He developed the Bridgestone tyres and he was king of the castle – his team-mate was there to support his efforts and would often be sent out to check a set of tyres which Michael didn't want to waste time doing.

"Michael had a lot of advantages – but that is quite clever. I would have done that if I could have, and so would have Jody. Niki Lauda did, Alain Prost did, [and] Ayrton Senna did. All the great champions are ruthless."

Jake Humphrey hypes up F1 in native HD

Formula 1 will look 'stunning' in high definition this year, predicts BBC grand prix presenter Jake Humphrey.

AUTOSPORT revealed earlier this week that Formula One Management informed broadcasters that it will switch to full HD coverage of the sport from the start of the 2011 campaign.

The BBC confirmed hours later that it will show F1 in HD - and that is something which Humphrey in particular is keen to see for the first time.

"It will be great," Humphrey said on stage at the AUTOSPORT International Show. "People have asked for years for F1 in HD, and the BBC has done the same thing with Bernie [Ecclestone]. We would go to FOM and tell them we are really keen to have F1 in HD.

"Until now it was not available, and we knew that as soon as it was available we would offer it out. But it has been out of our hands. I am so excited to watch it in HD."

He added: "The way F1 works, the cars are designed with a survival cell and everything is designed to shear off and disappear. There are brilliant moments where cars disintegrate - and in HD that will look stunning! I really cannot wait."

Humphrey also believes that fans can look forward to an improved show from the BBC this year following a shake-up of its commentary team.

"I think we will get a lot of colour and the roles will change," said Humphrey about Martin Brundle and David Coulthard working together.

"I thought Jonathan Legard [previous commentator] did great, and I will miss him. As a member of the team he was fantastic. He was a good friend.

"But if you are a fan and looking at television, we have two guys who have driven in hundreds of grands prix and attended nigh-on 1000. You have a guy who has been in the commentary box for 15 years.

"Some are saying that you don't have a journalist in there, but I cannot see any journalistic qualification that is better than 15 years of sitting alongside Murray Walker, James Allen and Jonathan Legard. And David Coulthard will be great alongside him."

Asked about how the pre-race build-up show will work now that Coulthard will be in the commentary box during races, Humphrey said: "Myself, David and Eddie [Jordan] will be there at the start of the show right up until the grid walk - which Martin will do.

"If Martin finds the commentary box is too far away then I will do a bit more on the grid. During the grid walk, David will go to the commentary box and then after the race we will have the F1 Forum for everybody. The changes will be subtle but it is a brilliant team and a great line-up."

Pat Symonds wants to get back involved in F1

Pat Symonds says he is keen to get more involved in Formula 1 in the future, after admitting that he still has huge passion for the sport.

The former Renault engineering chief has been out of F1 since being at the centre of the race-fixing saga surrounding the team at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

While, as part of an agreement he made with the FIA following those events, he cannot return full-time to F1 until the start of 2013, he is allowed to do consultancy work for teams through his Neutrino Dynamics company.

And speaking on stage at AUTOSPORT International on Sunday, Symonds said that he was eager to do more in F1 in the future.

"I hope so," he said. "There are still lots of things I want to do. I am working as a consultant now and I am doing a lot of work in racing as well as in other areas. I still have a love of F1 because of the engineering. I absolutely have a passion for racing - you cannot keep me away."

Symonds has kept close links to the sport over the past 18 months - and is currently enjoying his role as a technical writer for AUTOSPORT's sister publication F1 Racing.

Talking about how much he has enjoyed his foray into journalism, Symonds said: "It is certainly not easy to try and get things across because technology is very much part of the DNA of Formula 1 and I think it is very, very important that people understand and appreciate it.

"There is absolutely no point in having beautiful engineering that you don't tell anybody about, and the people don't understand, so I am trying to broaden that horizon a little bit.

"There are a lot of things that go on in F1 that teams are so secretive about and they ought to be proud of them. For example the current F1 engine is actually very fuel efficient but people don't look at it that way. I want people to know about these things and therefore I want to try and explain it in ways that are easily understood."

He added: "We don't want gimmickry and nor do we want a highly complex and intellectual chess game. I think it should be: what you see is what you get, but at the same time there is a technical element. Not everyone is technically minded so I want to try and get those things across. But ultimately it has to be simple.

"Strategy used to be something I loved doing, but to be honest it was getting too complex. I think you really needed to be a mathematician to understand how things were going to pan out and that was not a great thing."

Anthony Davidson reckons that drivers will struggle to adapt to 2011 regulations

Formula 1 drivers will have a 'tricky' time getting their heads around complex cockpit controls in 2011 - especially when it comes to dealing with moveable rear wings and KERS.

That is the view of former grand prix driver and current BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Anthony Davidson, who says that the number of buttons that drivers will have to operate in 2011 is going to make things very hard.

Davidson has good knowledge of the difficulties that drivers will face, having conducted early tests in Mercedes GP's simulator at its Brackley factory.

"It is going to be tricky for drivers to get their head around, and it is a bit of a one-man band [show] in the car," Davidson said on stage at the AUTOSPORT International Show.

"We saw last year with the F-duct, drivers taking their hands off the wheel to vent off the ducting. Now there is going to be a switch or button somewhere, either on the steering wheel or somewhere on the car, to do the same sort of thing [with the moveable rear wing].

"You are pretty much going to be able to use it wherever you want [in practice and qualifying] and it is going to gain you anything up to 15km/h on the straights - so there is going to be a huge discrepancy of speed."

As well as dealing with the moveable rear wing, drivers are going to have to carefully control the powering up and application of KERS - as well as their other more normal tweaks like brake balance and differential settings.

Fernando Alonso said at the Ferrari media camp last week that although he was happy the new rules would help the racing he did have concerns about the complexities of pushing so many buttons.

"I am confident that it will work, the only difficulty will be buttons on the steering wheel and a very short time you have to make some decisions, to react to buttons and still drive the car," he said.

"So in some of the cases in wet races, poor visibility, things like that, we need to check. For sure, innovations, new things in Formula 1, are always welcome. This is one of those – if everything remains as last year, we know our difficulties, our problems. As I said, all the changes are meant to improve Formula 1 sport, Formula 1 show, so I think at the moment, without trying, we need to be very open and very positive."

Davidson believes that the increased need to get things right in the cockpit will put a greater dividend on those drivers who have calm heads and the intelligence to deal with more than just driving flat-out.

"I can tell you now it is going to favour the drivers with more capacity – those drivers that are able to drive quickly but also think about all the other gizmos going on in the car.

"We saw last year that [Vitaly] Petrov chose not to run the F-duct on a track like Singapore because it was just too much. So drivers that do have more capacity and are more at home with the circuit or the car will have a huge advantage – as will those drivers who have more time in the simulators."

McLaren test driver Gary Paffett agreed with Davidson's assessment - pointing out that there had already been concerns in 2010 that the F-duct alone was giving drivers too much to do in the cockpit.

"The first time you do it in the simulator, you press the KERS button, you press the wing button, you don't change gear, you hit the limiter, you drive off the track..." said Paffett on the AUTOSPORT International main stage.

"You don't have time to do it all and you crash, basically, because you're trying to do all these things. It's very difficult.

"On top of that, you've got your brake balance to adjust, your switches to adjust. We saw Fernando [Alonso] driving with no hands last year trying to do things with the F-duct. This year it's going to be even busier than last year, and that's something they wanted to get away from by banning the F-duct."

Bahar: Lotus row can avoid court

Group Lotus is confident that its naming dispute with Team Lotus will be settled before it hits the courts later this year.

The British sportscar manufacturer is at the centre of a legal row with Team Lotus over its rival's right to use the name, plus the termination of a deal the outfit had to run as Lotus Racing last season.

The arguments have overshadowed Group Lotus' title sponsorship deal with Renault - and neither side has shown any sign of backing down over the matter.

Unless a settlement is reached, the case will hit the courts in the early summer - although Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar is upbeat that the situation can be sorted out before that.

"I don't think it will be a matter solved by English courts," Bahar said in an interview with the BBC. "I think it will be solved before that. But if we have to go the legal way, we will - and our shareholders will support that."

Bahar has reiterated that he never set out to end Group Lotus's tie-up with Fernandes when he originally joined the company, but instead claims the two parties had to go their own way because they had different visions for the future.

"When I arrived with a new management team, we had our own ideas and plans and that's nobody's fault, not the shareholders' and not Mr Fernandes' fault," he said. "We have a crystal clear vision of where we want to go in future.

"I think with any business relationship, you start on good terms and if it turns out to be beneficial for both parties, you continue. If not, you just stop - it's like in a marriage. And this one turned out to be an unsuccessful relationship."

Trulli: naming dispute has team motivated

Jarno Trulli says that his and Team Lotus's motivation for 2011 are higher than they have ever been before - as he claims the naming row surrounding the outfit has actually helped spur it on this winter.

With less than a fortnight to go before the new Team Lotus car hits the track for the first time at Valencia, Trulli says there is genuine excitement within the Hingham-based outfit about what is achievable this year.

He believes his team's deal for Renault engines and Red Bull Racing transmission will be critical in helping the team deliver a good car.

"We know we have the package to compete for at least the midfield and our aim is to race for points at every race," Trulli told AUTOSPORT in an exclusive interview on Monday. "I know it will be hard, but we know the package has the potential.

"We have a brand new Renault engine, we have a Red Bull gearbox - so we are thinking we can do well. Mike [Gascoyne, technical chief] has worked hard to set up a great team and get ready for this year.

"But while no-one exactly knows where they are going to be, I always dream and hope that we can do better than we expect. It has happened many times in the past - so maybe we can exceed our expectations for this year. I feel very confident."

Much of the talk surrounding Team Lotus over the winter has focused on the naming dispute between it and rival Renault, which has signed a sponsorship deal with Lotus.

Although that spat became quite heated in public, Trulli thinks the situation has been a blessing - acting as a rallying call for all the staff at Hingham.

"I think it has motivated a lot of people here," he said. "That stretches from the management like Tony Fernandes through to the shareholders, who have been through a lot of difficulties, and down to the last members of the team.

"What Tony did was unique. He has worked hard to bring the Lotus name back on track, which no-one had done for many years. He also just didn't go out there and buy a team.

"He and Mike [Gascoyne] made up the team from scratch – which comes from the Lotus mentality. It would have been easier to buy a team, but that is not what Colin Chapman did. He drew his own and manufactured his own F1 cars.

"That is why this is the real Team Lotus – and that is what makes it unique and different from the other Lotus team on track. We know that Group Lotus is going to sponsor the Renault team, and that is a very different thing – we have to make that very clear.

"They can argue and they can go to court, but at the end of the day the people understand what Team Lotus is and why it is doing what it is doing.

"It belongs to the heritage and the story of Colin Chapman. I am sure that Colin Chapman would have been proud of what we are doing. And to do that we need to deliver. That is not going to happen from just one day to another, and it will take a bit of time, but there will be more satisfaction when we do that.

"In my opinion, Tony is doing the right thing, even though we feel a bit sad about the row."

Trulli also says the progress Lotus has made over the winter has left him eager to get back to his best on track.

"Last year was the beginning of a new era for Team Lotus and we knew that with even limited time we could compete," he said. "So we put all our efforts onto this season, so we are very confident.

"I am very fired up, to be honest. It is like my first day of racing again. I admit that 2010 was difficult – but my confident feeling is back now."

Pirelli on course with two-stop plans

Pirelli reckons it is still on course to achieve its ambition of helping make Formula 1 races more exciting by aiming for every grand prix to be a two-stopper this year.

There have been widespread calls for F1's new tyre supplier to ensure its rubber is less durable than the Bridgestone tyres of last season - which allowed drivers to run extremely long stints - so as to spice up the action.

The Italian firm's motorsport director Paul Hembery has said it is willing to reduce the durability of the compounds to achieve those aims, but thinks it too early to guarantee that the plan will come off at every event.

"We hope to have at least two tyre changes in every race," he said at Monday's wet weather night test in Abu Dhabi. "We want to try to create more of a show.

"We will try to play our part to create as much interest in the sport as possible. But we have to be realistic. This is our first year and some of the tracks we can't possibly test at - like the street circuits, or the new circuits."

Hembery added that Pirelli is looking into the possibility of testing new tyre types at grand prix weekends during the year, if all sides in F1 agree to it.

"We have asked the sport to consider testing new compounds during the season and they have suggested, verbally at least, that it could be possible in Friday first practices to try different compounds," he said.

Pirelli is running two nights of wet weather night testing at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi on Monday and Tuesday

Ex-Korean GP boss set to challenge dismissal

Yung Cho Chung, the former organiser of the Korean Grand Prix, is set to take legal action following his dismissal from the board of the company that runs the race.

Despite having overcome delays in getting last year's event ready in time, and helping Korea clinch the prestigious FIA race promoters' trophy, an emergency board meeting of Korean organisers KAVO ousted Chung last week.

Neither KAVO nor Chung have commented officially on the matter, but a source has indicated that the matter is now likely to go to court.

The source said: "There was something wrong with the procedure [of the board meeting] and there will be moves to try to fix this through the appropriate steps."

KAVO has appointed Park Won-Hwa, a former South Korean ambassador to Switzerland, as Chung's replacement.

The news on Chung, who is a close ally of Bernie Ecclestone, comes just weeks after he expressed his confidence about the future of the race.

Speaking to AUTOSPORT in December, Chung said the feedback from national and local government had been positive and he was hopeful for the event to be successful.

"The central government did not realise how big the F1 was, but now they have realised - and the national assembly has already approved a major backing for next year," he said.

"Also local government has realised it is good for the economy, so there will be a lot more involvement from local and central government for next year, with tourism and developing other areas. I really appreciate that they will now support it."

Lotus naming case to begin next week

The legal battle over the use of the Lotus name in Formula 1 is to hit the courts much earlier than originally anticipated - with the car company's bid for a summary judgement to be heard next week.

It had been expected that the legal row between Group Lotus and Team Lotus would not be in court until the early summer.

But Group Lotus is seeking a summary judgement on the main legal issues – that its early termination of its licencing deal with Lotus Racing was a breach of contract and over whether Team Lotus is allowed to use the name in Formula 1 this year.

The matter is set to be heard in the London courts on January 24.

A summary judgement is applied for by parties involved in legal disputes as a way of trying to avoid a full-blown trial and all the legal costs associated with it.

In a separate development, the Renault team's plans to run a black-and-gold livery for title sponsor Lotus has come under the spotlight of anti-tobacco campaigners.

With the colour scheme synonymous with the John Player Special sponsorship of the 1970's and 1980's, concerns have been voiced in Canada about whether the team will be allowed to run it there because of the country's strict anti-tobacco advertising legislation.

A spokesperson for Health Canada, which enforces the country's Tobacco Act, told the Toronto Globe and Mail: "Tobacco inspectors would need to fully review to assess whether a violation of the Tobacco Act has occurred.

"The Tobacco Act prohibits the promotion of tobacco products or tobacco product-related brand elements in Canada, except as authorized by the Act or regulations. Tobacco product sponsorship is prohibited entirely and tobacco advertising is severely restricted."

Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar told AUTOSPORT in December that he was not worried the black-and-gold colours would be linked with tobacco.

"I don't think we are using the kind of logos that the John Player Special cars used," he said.

"I simply believe, and again this is my personal opinion, I believe this is one of the two most beautiful liveries in Formula 1. This is why we will use it, and nothing else. I do not believe we will have any negative implications with potential tobacco advertising."

Fairuz Fauzy announced as Lotus Renault's third/reserve driver

Malaysian Fairuz Fauzy will be Renault's reserve driver during the 2011 season, it was announced on Tuesday.

Fauzy participated in Friday practice for the Malaysian, British, German, Singapore and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix in his role as reserve driver at Lotus Racing during the 2010 season.

He was released by the team at the end of the year, despite having a five-year contract, and has now joined Renault for this season.

"I would like to thank Lotus Renault for giving me this opportunity and to be part of this team," said Fauzy.

"It is a great team. I will try my best to hopefully be in a race seat one day."

The team said the Malaysian will also be competing in the GP2 series this year with the Super Nova squad.

Hamilton to put 2010 behind him

Lewis Hamilton will return with fresh determination to succeed this year, having erased the memories of his 2010 title disappointment and the off-track troubles that clouded his campaign.

That is the view of McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh, who says that he, the team and Hamilton have learned lessons from the difficulties they faced last season, and they are excited about their chances for the campaign ahead.

"I think it is well publicised that Lewis had a number of issues," Whitmarsh told AUTOSPORT in an exclusive interview. "He is still a very young man. I think he is finding his way as a motor racing driver and in his life, and I think he had some cause for distraction.

"The team could have done a better job, and inevitably the drivers could have done a better job. We could all have done a better job. I could have done a better job too.

"But overall I don't think Lewis should be too dissatisfied with his performance. He had some fantastic races and we all know what a superstar he is, and how tough he will be on himself. Just as Jenson was tough on himself and disappointed about his end of the season, just as I am tough on myself and the performance of the team.

"That is what drives us along, motivates us and makes us determined to win this year."

Hamilton admitted in a post-season interview with BBC Radio 1 that off-track issues - which included a management split with father Anthony - had been difficult for him to cope with last year.

Those problems left Whitmarsh in no doubt that Hamilton and team-mate Jenson Button, who resumed team duties at a McLaren training camp at Bisham Abbey today, were given time off over the winter to clear their hands after the intensity of last year.

"It is an incredibly long season now, and we face 20 races. We have got more races, they are spread over a longer period of the year and they are further away from Europe. There are all those factors to think about.

"I think some people underestimate how much tougher it is. I worked with colleagues last year and told them, 'let's give our drivers 6 weeks where I am not going to ring them, and I don't want anyone else to ring them either'.

"I want them to have six weeks to chill, to train, to live life and to reflect and prepare. That is coming to an end for our drivers on Tuesday when they will be at a training camp at Bisham Abbey with the racing team. That is about getting back together as a team to do a bit of team building, reappraise and benchmark their fitness and training."

Ahead of the launch of the new McLaren MP4-26 in Berlin on February 4, Whitmarsh is giving little away about the design of the car – but says the outfit has learned from the reasons why it did not beat Red Bull Racing to the crown last year.

"I think the key lesson from last year is that you have to continue to develop the car," he explained.

"It was such a tight, fiercely fought, championship that you have to find performance every fortnight. From halfway through the year, it was going to be the team that found the most performance. I think it was as simple as that. Both of our drivers did a great job and I am confident that they will do that in the coming years.

"What you would like is a serial production line of enhancements coming through the system and you aim for that – but sometimes it becomes a little bit drier.

"Maybe we were not as racy in our interpretation of front wing heights as others, and that had notable effects. I was surprised by some of those things, but at the end of the day I am not complaining about what anyone else did. If the opportunity was there, you have to try and do it yourself."

de la Rosa dismisses HRT speculation

Pedro de la Rosa has admitted it is highly unlikely that he will race in Formula 1 from the start of this season after ruling out a deal with HRT, the last team believed to have a vacancy.

The 39-year-old Spaniard was replaced at Sauber by Nick Heidfeld for the last five races of the 2010 season, and took over Pirelli's testing duties from the German.

He has been looking for a return to racing for this year, but says it will not be with HRT.

"HRT is, for me, not an option," he told AUTOSPORT. "I don't know what the future will cover. I'm trying to find a race drive in Formula 1 as always, I will never give up.

"Pirelli are planning to do some more testing during the year. I don't know, possibly I will be running with Pirelli, a race drive somewhere, or a reserve role in Formula 1. The next few weeks will be quite important for my future."

De la Rosa says he would consider returning to a test or reserve driver role - such as the one he held at McLaren from 2003-09 - and believes his knowledge of the Pirelli tyres makes him a valuable asset for a top team.

"The test driver role would be interesting, wherever a serious team needs one," he told AUTOSPORT. "Obviously there is not much testing now, so you have to look into the teams that have simulators and are taking the reserve driver seriously.

"One of my strong assets is that I have been able to do the Pirelli testing, so I am fresh, I know a little bit about the tyres as well. More importantly, I did last year racing as well. As the reserve driver, if you have to step into a car you have to be prepared.

"I look forward to Pirelli increasing the testing during the year because that would mean there are more test days available for me. If anything comes up, fine, if not I am happy to stay with Pirelli."

China faces March inspection

The Shanghai International Circuit, host of the Chinese Grand Prix, will undergo an FIA inspection in March before it gets the green light for this year's race.

The event was listed as provisional on the 2011 calendar published by the FIA in November, as some upgrades were needed to the track.

Organisers of the race have assured the FIA that the necessary work will be completed for the March inspection.

"The Shanghai International Circuit has confirmed that all work as requested by the FIA will be carried out and should be completed by the end of February," a spokeswoman for the FIA told Reuters.

"Before a new licence can be issued, the FIA will carry out a final inspection in March."

Drivers ready for front tyre boost

Michael Schumacher's hopes of getting tyres better suited to his driving style have been boosted by Pirelli confirming it has tweaked the design of its front tyres since last year's Abu Dhabi test.

Schumacher was one of several drivers to complain about Bridgestone's front tyre last season.

After the teams' first Pirelli test in November, he declared it too soon to make a judgement on whether the new rubber was an improvement.

Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery says it has adjusted the front tyre based on feedback from that test.

"We were asked to provide a slightly stronger front tyre, which is what we've done," Hembery told AUTOSPORT in Abu Dhabi. "In the process we maybe threw the rear out of balance, which is something that was noted during the test. But we've also improved that during the remaining tests that we've done.

"We were asked to try to beef up the front tyre, to give it more a precise input when the drivers turn into the corner, to give more feel. We believe we've done that, and we've now finished the work on the rear so we'll see how we get on with a car designed around our tyres."

Hembery also confirmed that Pirelli will be testing several times during the season.

He is considering a request to run in some Friday practice sessions at grands prix if the teams feel changes are required, but the firm will also conduct its own testing programme.

"We've got no request in place [for Friday practice] because we haven't run yet," he told AUTOSPORT.

"But that's something that, if we do uncover problems as we go along - or we've maybe got the wrong positioning of a compound for the positioning we're using, we can ask them to add in a test session to give us more information. That's something we'll hold in reserve for an emergency.

"At the moment we know we're going to be in Istanbul in April, then Barcelona in May. We'll definitely be back in the Middle East again in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi at the end of the season. We couldn't get Silverstone, we're trying to go to Monza and probably Spa as well.

"So we are trying to carry on a parallel development programme. That's obviously looking more for 2012. We've got some ideas that, given more time we would have taken forward, but those now are rested and being put towards that programme."

di Grassi wants 2012 F1 comeback

Virgin refugee Lucas di Grassi is focusing on securing a racing return to Formula 1 in 2012, with few race seats remaining for the coming season.

The Brazilian, who had been in contention to retain his Virgin drive but could not raise the required backing, is keen to land a test and reserve driver role but stresses that he is keen for it to offer the opportunity of a promotion to a race drive for the following season.

Although he struggled to make a big impact in F1 during his rookie season, di Grassi impressed the team with his performances in often difficult circumstances and his time as a Renault tester means that he is would attract interest from teams looking for an experienced third driver.

"The plan is to stay in F1 this year and I am talking to some teams to try and find the best solution," he told AUTOSPORT. "It's not just for 2011, but I need an opportunity to come back into a race seat in 2012.

"The best strategy is to talk to the teams that I would have a chance of racing for next year. I don't just want to be in F1 in 2011 and then find myself with the same problem next year."

Di Grassi is keen to secure a role that includes some track time in 2011 to stay sharp, he admits that it will be difficult to do so.

"It's a problem to go for year without driving and it's not very good for the technical aspect of being an F1 driver, so if you can, it is good to be in the position to drive at some point in the year or keep using a simulator," he said.

"Then that will help me to come back in 2012. The ideal would be to have a third driver role that allows me to stay active so that I have the best chance to perform when I come back."

He also has not ruled out remaining involved with Virgin, where he is held in high regard by team principal John Booth, for a second season, but insists that it would have to be with a view to a race seat in 2012.

"I won't say no," said di Grassi of the possibility of continuing with Virgin in a non-racing capacity. "The problem with Virgin was purely commercial for the race seat and the teams knows that I was a valuable asset in developing the car.

"But I need to be able to come back in 2012 in a good position. It would be a pleasure to work with Virgin again, but if it's another team, I have no problem with."

Di Grassi is currently in Europe working on possible deals for the 2011 season and is hoping to finalise an F1 role ahead of the start of the season.

Quantel and Virgin Racing announce partnership

Quantel is excited to announce that it is set to partner the Marussia Virgin Racing Formula One team throughout the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship season. The deal will see Marussia Virgin Racing's brand new, digitally designed car carrying the Quantel brand at 20 races around the world, kicking off at the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix on 13th March. Drivers Timo Glock and Jerome D'Ambrosio will also sport the Quantel logo on their race wear.

Formula One is one of the world's most popular televised sports, with a global average audience per race of 600 million people. Marussia Virgin Racing is unique in its approach to Formula One car design as it is the first team ever to use 100% Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and no wind tunnels. Quantel is also a master of digital technology and the partnership will bring its range of innovative, high quality and professional products to the attention of broadcasters worldwide. The global nature of Formula One is a perfect fit with the global workflow delivered by Quantel's latest QTube product.

"Marussia Virgin Racing and Quantel share many values - performance under the tightest deadlines, the crucial importance of team working and absolute demand for reliability," said Ray Cross, Quantel CEO. "All these values are achieved by exploiting the latest technologies. We are excited to have the opportunity to partner Marussia Virgin Racing, and once again we're doing something unique in our industry - Quantel thrives on innovation."

Graeme Lowdon, CEO of Marussia Virgin Racing, commented: "I am delighted to welcome Quantel to the Team as an official partner. Quantel is a company that is passionate about creating solutions for its customers on a worldwide scale and we both have a shared commitment to excellence in technology. Quantel has pioneered many new technological advances and as Marussia Virgin Racing enters its second season of racing we hope that our own advances in technology provide the success that we aim for."

[hackerjack]

I fail to see the point in bringing back Karthikeyan and not having Chandhok, unless Karthikeyan has sponsorship we're not aware of.

Karthikayan has TATA sponsorship money, they have backed him since he was a youngster, also word is they think he will be a better ambassador for them in the lead up to the Indian GP (in other words he's more likely to do what he's told and not open his mouth - i.e. be boring as hell).

I'm pretty sure his partner will be Liuzzi with Force India actually continuing to pay his wage and having first dibs on him should they feel the need to replace Sutil or De Resta.

Where that leaves Hulkenberg right now is anyone's guess.

[Lineker]

Poor Hulk. Narain was awesome at Indy '05 though!

Marlboro set to extend Ferrari deal

Marlboro is on the verge of extending its title sponsorship deals with both Ferrari and the Ducati MotoGP team, AUTOSPORT has learned.

The current deals run until the end of this season, but sources have revealed that negotiations are at an advanced stage for them to be renewed until the end of 2014.

It is possible that Ferrari's deal could be announced as early as its new car launch, which takes place in Maranello on January 28.

Although tobacco sponsorship had originally been expected to be eradicated from F1, and many countries ban the display of sponsorship logos, Marlboro has continued its high-profile association with both F1 and MotoGP.

A spokesman for Philip Morris, Marlboro's parent company, said that any new deal would be wholly within international law.

"We see no obstacles in the way of extension," said the spokesman. "Our relationship with Ferrari is a real partnership built over a period of over 20 years of constant, mutual support."

Last year Marlboro was forced to abandon its bar-code sponsorship design following suggestions it was a form of subliminal advertising. It has been replaced this year by an all new logo, which was sported by Ferrari personnel during last week's Wrooom media event.

Ferrari declined to comment on how close it was to a new deal, but suggested that there was no reason to believe a fresh sponsorship deal would not be agreed.

"All conditions (for extension) have been met," he said.

This year marks Marlboro's 40th season as an F1 team sponsor, with the brand having originally entered the sport with BRM in 1971.

Hamilton to drive the new McLaren before Button

Lewis Hamilton will be the first man to test McLaren's 2011 car when it makes is on-track debut at Jerez in February, his team has confirmed.

The Woking-based outfit is using an interim car for the first winter at Valencia from February 1-3, before the new car runs at Jerez from February 10-13.

Test driver Gary Paffett will kick off proceedings in the MP4-25 at Valencia, before Hamilton and then Jenson Button get a day each to focus on tyre development.

For the Jerez test, Hamilton will be first out in the MP4-26, with he and Button then alternating for the remainder of the pre-season testing build-up at Jerez, Barcelona and Bahrain.

Hamilton has also been appointed a new physical trainer for 2011, with Antti Vierula now overseeing his development. Clayton Green, who worked with Hamilton last year, has been moved to a senior position within McLaren's Human High Performance programme.

Lotus Renault target top three finish in constructors standings

Renault is setting its sights on a top-three finish in the world championship this year, as the team hints about a very 'brave' design for its R31.

The Enstone-based outfit is due to unveil its 2011 challenger in Valencia on January 31, and there are high hopes that the car will help the outfit make further progress on the steps it delivered throughout last year.

The team's chief operating officer Patrick Louis has said that the ambition is for a top-three finish in the title chase - with technical director James Allison hinting about an aggressive design to its new car.

Speaking in a pre-season video interview on the Group Lotus website, with the sportscar manufacturer being the team's title sponsor this year, Allison said: "This time of year is a heady mix of both thrilling excitement of finding out, confirming that all your plans are coming to fruition, and also abject terror that you will not deliver the thing in time.

"Anyone who follows the sport will have seen that words like aggressive [and] brave are being bandied around across several of the teams this year for their solutions.

"I believe that we have chosen a direction that is really on the brave end of brave."

Renault team principal Eric Boullier told AUTOSPORT last weekend that the team was hoping to win races this year - and he admitted in the Lotus video that the pressure was on the outfit to deliver on those ambitions.

"We want to win and we want to be successful in Formula 1," Boullier explained. "The more attention we can get from the fans and the Lotus people and from all our sponsors, we put ourselves into a pressure mode because we have to win.

"We know now we will be much more competitive than last year. We don't know yet obviously what the other teams, and the other forces, will be in F1 - but we already know we will be much stronger."

Wing rules "will not fail"

Formula 1 teams and the FIA will not allow the new moveable rear wing to fail the sport this year - despite recent concerns about the impact it will have on racing.

That is the view of McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh, who thinks that efforts by the teams over forthcoming tests, plus intelligent implementation of regulations by the sport's governing body, will ensure the wing will only be used if it is a boost for F1.

Although there has been concern voiced in the last few weeks by various leading figures - including Red Bull Racing's Adrian Newey and Ferrari's Stefano Domenicali - that it could make racing too 'artificial', Whitmarsh is convinced there is no reason to be worried about it.

"All cars are difficult in close racing to overtake," Whitmarsh told AUTOSPORT. "In F1 it is accentuated because of the professionalism of the teams, and the quality of the drivers, so it is even more difficult. Overtaking in most categories is a consequence of a mistake by the guy in front - and mistakes are less common in F1.

"I think what we have done now is give ourselves a tool - and between the teams and the FIA we have responded to it. If it was an absolute disaster, which I don't think it will be, then frankly to delete the use of that item or modify its mode of operation, is very easy to do.

"If you got into this season and suddenly said: with these cars there isn't any overtaking, and it was perceived as a big public need, then we have more of a tool to address it."

He added: "I don't think it is going to be that easy to overtake, but there is going to be a variety of KERS users as well. So you are potentially going to have a stalled wing attack fought off with a KERS defence in some instances.

"Or, you will have an attack that is a combination of KERS plus stalled rear wing. I don't think you can predict it. We have just got to make sure we find a way to use it sensibly."

Teams and the FIA have left themselves open to tweaking the use of the wing in 2011 to ensure it works well enough without making overtaking too easy.

Although the technical specification of the wings, which will expand the slot gap in the rear wing from 10-15mm to 50mm for a straight line speed boost, have been laid down in the rules - the implementation of it in races is not yet wholly defined.

Drivers will have the system primed in the race when FIA-monitored GPS technology tells them they are less than one-second behind the car in front at a certain point of the circuit. This only becomes valid two laps after the start of a safety car restart.

However, to ensure that the wing boost advantage is not over-egged, the FIA will only allow use of the wing's speed boost at a single zone on the track. This will be carefully monitored and controlled to ensure that overtaking still remains a challenge - and this area may not even be on the main start-finish straight.

Newey told the Watkins Lecture at the AUTOSPORT International Show in Birmingham last week that he was worried about the wing making it too easy to overtake.

"The key is juggling it and adjusting it so that it makes overtaking possible, but not too easy," he said. "If it is so easy that you want to be second going into the last lap, then that becomes overly manufactured.

"The difficulty of overtaking is overstated. What difficult overtaking does mean is that when somebody does it, it is truly memorably. If racing becomes too much like a NASCAR slip streamer, it's going to lose some appeal to me."

Whitmarsh concedes that there will be a fine-balancing act between making passing easier but without ruining the spectacle.

However, he hit out at what he believes was an 'obsession' with overtaking which he believed should not be viewed as the be-all and end-all of the sport.

"It is very fashionable to say that what we need in F1 is more overtaking," he said. "I lost count of moves last year, as Lewis [Hamilton] in the first four races did about 39 competitive overtakes. So they [overtaking moves] are there.

"I don't think overtaking is an important as some people think it is. It has become a bit of an obsession. To be honest, some people with a lack of creativity have jumped on the bandwagon and are saying that is what we need to do.

"I think what people want is uncertainty of outcome. Going into the race weekend up until Saturday, you want uncertainty about the outcome of qualifying. And then, regardless of the outcome of qualifying, you want that uncertain outcome for the race which causes you to want to watch it."

RB7 launch date confirmed by Red Bull

Red Bull Racing will unveil its new RB7 shortly before the first official test of 2011 kicks off in Valencia next month.

The reigning world champions announced via their Twitter feed on Thursday that the car will be rolled-out to the media and public on the morning of the first test on February 1.

The team wrote via its redbullf1spy feed: "You heard it here first. The RB7 will be launched at 8.30am on February 1. In Valencia. In the pit lane. Quietly excited..."

Four other teams are due to launch their cars on that day - with Mercedes GP, Williams, Scuderia Toro Rosso and Lotus all set to pull the covers off their 2011 challengers then.

Ferrari, Sauber and Renault will be launching beforehand, but will run their cars for the first time at that test too.

[Lineker]

Williams considering stock market move...

Williams is considering the radical step of a public flotation in a bid to secure its long-term financial health, the team announced on Friday.

After much speculation about the Grove-based outfit's financial health in recent months following the departure of a number of sponsors at the end of last year, the team has responded by mapping out its vision to help bolster its financial future.

A statement from team principal Frank Williams said that a flotation on the stock market would be a boost, but would help ensure its long-term survival.

"For some years I have been considering how to secure the long-term ownership of Williams such that it will remain true to the aims with which Patrick and I established the team back in 1977," said Williams.

"My goal then was to race in Formula 1 as an independent constructor. This was and is my great passion and I will race for as long as I continue to be blessed with good health. It is also my desire that the team is in good shape to go on racing long after I am gone.

"To that end, it is prudent and necessary to plan for an ownership structure that will enable Williams to be an independent Constructor, owned and staffed by people committed to Formula 1 and to the sound business practices which have supported us over three decades.

"I have concluded that the option which will best achieve this is to broaden our shareholder base with public shareholders, while having a stable core of long-term investors closely involved in the running of the team. This will ensure stability, good governance and will, I believe, enable us to attract and retain the best people and partners.

"Patrick, Toto and I are therefore examining this option closely and, if the environment is propitious, we may act in the near future."

Williams and team co-owner Patrick Head long held out to maintain full control of the team they set-up, but did sell a 10% stake to Austrian businessman Toto Wolff at the end of 2009.

Despite any imminent move to sell the team on the stock market, Williams has made it clear that he will maintain his position as the majority shareholder and team boss.

"Regardless of whatever steps we take, I shall remain the majority and controlling shareholder and the Team Principal of AT&T Williams," he said.

...but it is 'not a short term cash injection'

Williams chairman Adam Parr insists his team's idea of a flotation on the stock market is not because it wants to raise immediate funds for the company.

Although Williams lost a number of sponsors at the end of last year, Parr said on Friday that outfit has been profitable in the last few years and is therefore not chasing an injection of cash.

He confirmed the team already secured its full budget for 2011, partly thanks to a recent deal with Venezuelan oil company PDVSA which has come on the back of signing Pastor Maldonado.

"It's very important to state that we are not, as a company, seeking to raise funds," Parr said in a teleconference call with the media. "This would not, if it goes ahead, involve any new equity or fund-raising. The company is in good financial health.

"I suppose a question you might ask is can you float a company like this in an industry like ours? Perhaps it may please you to know that not only do we think that we could do that, but we've always run the company on sound financial principles.

"We have never had the luxury of a shareholder wanting to pump money in and therefore we have had to run within our means. In fact, in 2008 and 2009, we recorded a profit.

"We will do the same for 2010 and I am pleased to say that our budget for 2011 is fully contracted. Like other teams, we have cut our costs. We have had to trim a few people, but we will have something like 470 in our F1 business in 2011 and then on top of that we have our new businesses in Williams Hybrid Power and Qatar.

"So, overall we are in good financial health. We have made profits for the past three years and we believe that's a very sound basis should we intend to proceed with this."

Although stock market flotations are often motivated by the desire to raise capital in the short term, Parr says that his team's primary focus is on securing its long-term stability.

"We have to think about the long-term future of the team," he said. "You can't do it overnight and you can't do it in a rush. Frank [Williams], Patrick [Head] and Toto [Wolff]'s view is that it is better to plan now, to prepare for the future.

"If we were to go to the market, it would create a basis for future transactions so I think it's about succession-planning and future-proofing."

Parr said that the team had not given a green light to flotation plans yet, and remained in talks with the parties that could push the process through if it did decide to go ahead.

"We are being properly advised," he said. "Needless to say, we wouldn't be doing this if we hadn't done a lot of preparation on this. Yes, we have proper advisors. We are not in a position yet to announce any details. This is not what they call a statement of intention to float.

"We are simply making this clear so that we can engage with people more effectively. Obviously, there is a limit to how much you can do when everything has to be utterly confidential."

Rome gives up the chase for a race

Rome has now officially given up on its plans to hold a Formula 1 street race - as the Italian city says its efforts are now switching to securing the Olympics.

After months of speculation about whether a grand prix could be put on in Rome's streets, the hopes of an event were dashed a few weeks ago when Bernie Ecclestone wrote a letter to organisers stating that no country would be allowed to hold two races in their country.

With Monza already having a long-term deal to host the Italian Grand Prix, that all but killed off Rome's hopes of landing a race.

Although there was some suggestion that Rome would keep pushing, its mayor Gianni Alemanno has now indicated that its F1 dream is now over.

"We formally and definitely give up on the hypothesis of a Formula 1 Grand Prix in Rome," he was quoted as saying by La Stampa. "This move represents a step backwards because we have always said we would have done so, should the FIA have posed an alternative between Rome and Monza.

"However, we have an Olympic dream that is still going on: so let's make clear to Italy and to the world that we want to stage the games in Rome."

Melbourne Mayor Robert Doyle says that his city should stop hosting the Australian Grand Prix (read the article here)

Melbourne's lord mayor Robert Doyle believes the city should not seek to renew its deal to host the Australian Grand Prix after it expires in 2015.

The future of the race has been in question for several years, amid concerns over the level of state funding it requires and the losses the event has recently made.

In a column in today's Herald Sun newspaper, Doyle argued that while the benefits of holding the grand prix since 1996 had been huge, the financial situation was now becoming untenable.

He listed four possibilities for the future: that "F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone will pick up his bat and ball and go home" and give the date to another nation; that Ecclestone will insist on a night race and the event moves "to a purpose-built track either at Avalon or Noble Park, or possibly elsewhere Sydney or Perth"; that Albert Park is upgraded and continues to host the race; or that Melbourne decides to walk away from F1 - which Doyle reckons could be the best option for the city.

"The big stumbling block ... is the cost to the Victorian taxpayer," Doyle wrote. "In 1996 when the race was a combination of a four-day event and corporate sponsorship was far more generous than it is today, the race still needed to be underwritten by about $1.7 million. Last year it was $50 million.

"Fast forward to 2015, the year the franchise ends. Though the documented benefits for the city may include hundreds of millions of dollars of advertising value, tens of millions of dollars of local revenue, an event that will draw between 250,000 and 300,000 people over three days will come at a cost that will approach 70 million taxpayer dollars.

"It is the old argument: pay up front but get many times the value of the upfront payment in downstream economic benefits.

"For most events that formula is persuasive. But $70 million?"

He concluded: "The fourth and final possibility must be faced. I know of no city that has voluntarily walked away from a grand prix, but could Melbourne be the first?

"The final possibility is that we decide that it has been 20 fantastic years, the benefits to the city and the state have been enormous, but the cycle has run its course.

"It would mean we would need to replace the grand prix and major events don't come cheap. Nor, indeed, are there many out there that can be repeated year after year and drive the economic returns we get from the grand prix. We should start looking now.

"In the end, it will be a government decision and one of the tough ones that [state premier] Ted Baillieu faces in his first term. Does he undo the legacy of Jeff Kennett, his mentor, in his very first term and, ironically, through the same minister to first get the event, Louise Asher?

"My judgement would be: Get ready. Time's up."

Doyle also stressed that the decision to bring F1 to Melbourne in 1996 had been hugely beneficial for the city overall.

"That should be remembered as a stroke of genius," he wrote. "Victoria had been the rustbucket state for years. The city was in the doldrums."

In response to Doyle's article, Australian GP chief Ron Walker said the organisation was doing its utmost to minimise the burden on the state.

"Its future is a matter for the government but the Grand Prix Corporation board does its best to keep costs down every year," Walker told the Herald Sun.

Flav richly criticises Webber

Mark Webber's manager Flavio Briatore believes the Australian was wrong to have revealed his late-2010 shoulder injury several months after that event - and should have either announced the problem when it happened or not spoken out at all.

Shortly before last year's Japanese Grand Prix, Webber fractured his right shoulder in a cycling accident. The injury only came to light in a book he published at the start of December.

Although Webber fell from first to third in the championship during the races following the incident, he was adamant that the fracture had not been a factor in his performances.

But Briatore, who has continued to oversee the careers of Webber and Fernando Alonso after his exit from the Renault team, thinks Webber should have handled the situation differently.

"It would have been better had he not revealed that," Briatore told Gazzetta dello Sport. "Otherwise he should have said that immediately."

Briatore does not believe the injury cost Webber the title, as he thinks the Australian would still have prevailed had he not crashed out in Korea.

"He didn't lose the title, however, because of that [injury], but because of the mistake in Korea. Otherwise he would have won," Briatore said.

The Italian expects both Webber and Alonso to be in the thick of the title fight again this year.

Asked if he saw Ferrari as the favourite for 2011, Briatore replied: "It's early to say. I expect Red Bull to still be strong and McLaren to be competitive once again. I see a four-way battle: [sebastian] Vettel, Webber, Alonso and [Lewis] Hamilton."

He thinks Alonso will have a stronger title campaign this year than in 2010, when he had to come from behind after a run of problems in early summer.

"Fernando is motivated, and Ferrari wants to give him a winning car from the start, without the need of chasing the others," said Briatore. "That's what he wants and deserves. Alonso has the resources to win the title in 2011."

"Court hearing will not resolve Lotus naming row"...

The row over the use of the Lotus name in Formula 1 hits the courts in London today - but irrespective of the outcome of the first legal skirmish, the matter will certainly continue to drag on until much later this year.

Team Lotus, which is owned by Tony Fernandes, is facing a legal battle with Group Lotus over the rights to use his outfit's name from the start of 2011.

He is not only involved in a court case over what he claims was an illegal termination of a five-year licencing deal he had to run as Lotus Racing, but he is also fighting an action from the sportscar manufacturer which believes that he is not allowed to race under the Team Lotus banner either.

Group Lotus is going to court today to apply for a summary judgement over the termination of the licencing deal, which it believes means Fernandes' operation - 1Malaysia Racing - is not allowed to continue using the Lotus name in F1.

A judge will decide whether there are grounds for a full-blown legal case, or whether the matter is so cut-and-dry that there is no need for one. The latter outcome is believed to be unlikely, however.

Even if the judge did decide that Group Lotus has a valid argument to prevent 1Malaysia Racing from using the Lotus name in its title, the ruling would almost certainly go to appeal – forcing the court case further down the road anyway.

Fernandes himself said on Monday there was no possibility of the legal situation coming out of this week's court case preventing Team Lotus from racing under that name in 2011.

"Many confused about case today," he wrote on his Twitter feed. "It's not about Team Lotus name who owns it, which is in November. We brought that case to prove once and for all.

"Today's case is Group [Lotus] desperate attempt to use their one way unlawful termination of license agreement of Lotus Racing. Saying 1Malaysia can't use Lotus [name]. Part of post termination clauses. So nothing changes on Team Lotus."

The court hearing is scheduled to begin at 2pm on Monday, with a verdict not expected until Tuesday.

...and the resolution will come around March-time

The dispute over the Lotus name in Formula 1 will now go to trial much earlier than originally expected, after a High Court judge today pushed for a swift resolution to the matter.

Although Mr Justice Peter Smith rejected a bid by Group Lotus for a summary judgement on one of the naming matters at a hearing on Monday, he told legal representatives that the situation needs to be settled as quickly as possible.

He has now pencilled in a March 21 date for the trial to begin - which means it will commence the week before the second race of the season in Australia.

With an intention to have the trial wrapped up in 10 days, the Lotus name row should be settled in the early stages of the 2011 campaign. It had originally been likely the situation would drag on beyond the end of the season.

It is understood that the March 21 trial will hear all the legal matters relating to the dispute between Team Lotus, which is run by Tony Fernandes, and the road car company Group Lotus.

The row revolves around what Team Lotus claims was an early termination of the five-year licencing deal it originally had with Group Lotus to run a Lotus team, plus issues relating to its right to use the Team Lotus moniker in F1.

Although the judge's decision to bring an early trial does not provide any indication about which party will win in the court case, one legal expert said the refusal to grant a summary judgement was an early triumph for Team Lotus.

Tim Lowles, an associate partner at Collyer Bristow, one of the UK's leading motorsport legal experts, said: "The summary judgement application was made by Group Lotus, and it was a fairly gutsy application to make.

"You have to be fairly confident when you make an application like that, and it would appear to me, as I was not in the court, that the judge did not decide to get into the nuts and bolts of the application. He felt it better to decide all the issues at a proper hearing on March 21.

"If anything, it is a victory for Team Lotus because Group Lotus has not been able to bring the claim to an end. However, all the issues remain in the air, and there has been no further clarity as to the issues involved in the dispute."

Timo Glock confident that Virgin will be stronger in 2011

Timo Glock is adamant that Virgin Racing can enjoy a 'much stronger' campaign in 2010, after saying that any concerns he had about the outfit's potential have been laid to rest.

The German publicly expressed doubts about his future commitment to the team last year, on the back of a sometimes troubled debut campaign for the outfit.

But following end-of-season discussions with senior management to talk through frustrations and map out the future, Glock says he is fired up about the team's potential for 2011.

"We had a good sit together in the last couple of races. John Booth and [CEO] Graeme Lowdon and myself spent quite a lot of time together, talking about the next year," Glock told AUTOSPORT in an exclusive interview.

"They had some quite positive things, which I think calmed the situation down a little bit, and made life a bit easier for everyone. So in the end there was no real discussion.

"The team is moving in the right direction and we've got some good sponsors on board. Marussia is a big partner now. I think they are quite straightforward and they want some success in the future, and that's good. That's what the team needs, and in the end we have to find out how quickly we can move up."

Glock believes that changes to the staffing structure, and the experience gained throughout 2010, will pay dividends.

"The team has made a lot of changes in terms of the structure, people moving around, putting them in different positions, which I think has helped quite a lot already," he said.

"We're much better, much stronger, than the same time last year. But in the end you need a car which is quick to move forward, and that's what we have to prove this year.

"You can't gain three seconds over the winter, that's not possible, and we have to be realistic about what we have, and the budget we have. We have to try and find a way to move closer to Toro Rosso and all these guys and try to stay with Lotus, or whatever the team is called now! That has to be the target."

Paul di Resta set to be confirmed as a driver at Force India this Wednesday

Paul di Resta is set to finally be announced as a Formula 1 driver for Force India later this week, with his team scheduled to end weeks of speculation about its 2011 line-up.

Although di Resta is understood to have had a deal agreed with the team for some time, his Silverstone-based outfit has stalled on making an announcement about its plans while it resolved contractual issues with Vitantonio Liuzzi.

The silence from the team on that matter will end on Wednesday, however, with the team having announced that it will hold a press conference at the Whyte and Mackay offices in Glasgow.

Although there has been no comment from the team about di Resta's promotion, it is understood it will use the event to confirm he will line up for the forthcoming season.

Di Resta's promotion comes after the Scotsman impressed Force India during 2010 when he fulfilled Friday testing duties for the outfit at a selection of grands prix.

He was able to do that alongside his commitments with Mercedes-Benz in the DTM - where he ended the campaign as champion.

Liuzzi had a contract to race for Force India for 2011 but it appears that he and the outfit will part ways after a sometimes difficult season last year.

Good news for di Resta there, Liuzzi to HRT possibly now?

[Lineker]

From Ferrari.com:

Maranello, 25 January – F150: that’s the name of the new car which will compete in this year’s Formula 1 World Championship and which Ferrari will unveil this coming Friday at Maranello, as part of an event which will be broadcast live on RAI 2 and on Ferrari.com.

The choice of name stems from Ferrari’s desire to pay tribute to this year’s one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Unification of Italy. The placement of the “Tricolore” Italian flag as part of the car livery will therefore have even more significance in 2011.

“Ferrari is an expression of Italian excellence, talent and creativity,” declared President Luca di Montezemolo. “All the men and women who put so much effort and passion into their work at Maranello share the pride and responsibility of representing our country around the world and it is in this spirit that we chose to dedicate this car to an event that is so important for the whole of Italy.”

The news was announced in advance this afternoon, to the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, who expressed his appreciation of the initiative. He also took the opportunity to wish the Scuderia the best of luck for the forthcoming season.

Elsewhere today:

Team Lotus reiterate naming case confidence

Team Lotus has declared itself 'confident' that it will win its legal dispute with Group Lotus and be able to use its famous name in Formula 1 this year, in the wake of the first court skirmish between the parties.

The London High Court on Monday rejected a bid by Group Lotus for a summary judgement on issues relating to what Team Lotus claims was an early termination of a five-year licencing deal it originally put in place from 2010.

But as well as Mr. Justice Peter Smith stating that he felt the dispute could only be settled with a full-blown case, he also said that he wanted the trial to begin as early as possible.

A push to try and get the matter into court before the start of the 2011 season could not be realised, but a March 21 date has been pencilled in for the proceedings to begin.

With that date falling between the first two races of the season in Bahrain and Australia, it means that unless there is an out-of-court settlement in the next few weeks Team Lotus will definitely be starting the campaign with its current name.

A statement issued by Team Lotus after the court hearing said it was pleased with how the proceedings went and that it remained bullish the final outcome would go its way.

"Team Lotus is delighted that we were successful at the Summary Judgment Application hearing today and that the Judge threw out Group Lotus' application even before hearing the arguments of the barristers on either side," said the statement.

"Although this decision was never in doubt, it means that we start the 2011 season under the Team Lotus name. Whilst we expected that the Judge would refuse this application, it is good to have the decision in black and white.

"The Judge also felt that it was in everyone's best interests to bring the hearing date for the full trial forward and that is now fixed for 21st March rather than us having to wait until Autumn 2011 or even later. We remain confident that we will succeed at the full trial and we can now focus on the challenges ahead in the 2011 FIA Formula 1 World Championship."

Team Lotus boss Tony Fernandes wrote on his Twitter feed that he too was delighted with the current situation.

"Very, very happy over the judgment today," he wrote. "And extremely happy that full trial brought forward to March 21st.The good do always eventually win."

Pat Symonds prattles on again

Group Lotus also upbeat on court case

Group Lotus says it is upbeat that it will prevent Tony Fernandes from using the Lotus name in Formula 1 when their dispute hits the courts in March.

The London High Court on Monday demanded that the row over the use of the Lotus name in F1 should go to trial as soon as possible - with a March 21 court date having now been laid down.

Although Team Lotus viewed the judge's decision as a triumph, because he had failed to give Group Lotus the summary judgement it sought, the car company says it is equally positive about the development.

In a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, the company said: "Group Lotus and Proton are delighted with the outcome of yesterday's hearing in which the Judge ordered a full trial of this matter to be heard as soon as possible given the proximity of the start of the new 2011 Formula 1 season in a few weeks. The trial has been fixed at the English High Court for 21 March 2011.

"Group Lotus and Proton have been made aware of the press release issued by 1Malaysia Racing Team (1MRT), it is completely incorrect and a misrepresentation of the Judge's decision suggesting that Group Lotus' application was "thrown out".

"No decision was made on Group Lotus' application. The Judge proposed that the better procedural route was to order a speedy trial of all the issues in dispute in the case. 1MRT initially resisted the Judge's approach to resolve all matters quickly and before the start of the 2011 Formula 1 season but the order was subsequently made and the first available date was 21 March."

Group Lotus also remained positive that it would win the case – with both sides now saying they are 'confident' of winning.

"Group Lotus and Proton have always held the view that this matter should be resolved as soon as possible in the interests of Formula 1 and the fans," added the statement. "We therefore welcome this decision and look forward to the full trial.

"We are confident that at the trial Group Lotus will succeed in preventing 1MRT, Mr Fernandes and his companies, from using the Lotus name in Formula 1 once and for all."

Petrov to test the new R31 first

HRT aiming to improve on last year's promptness by aiming to be ready for the final pre-season test in Bahrain

The Hispania Racing team is hoping to be able to run its new car in the final test of the pre-season in Bahrain, ahead of the start of the 2011 season.

The team said on Tuesday that it will start winter testing with last year's car, with the hope that it can have its new challenger ready for the Bahrain test on 3 March, ten days ahead of the start of the season there.

"The 2010 car will be utilized at the first tests, and as soon as the 2011 car is ready, we will implement it," said team boss Colin Kolles.

"The plan is to use the 2011 car at the Bahrain test. The 2011 car will be a completely new car, and will be called F111."

Kolles said the car is being designed by his own team together with "several groups of engineers".

"At the moment, there are approximately 40 designers finalizing the first spec, under the leadership of Geoff Willis as Technical Director and Paul White as Chief Designer," he said.

Hispania was unable to do any testing ahead of its racing debut last year, its car running for the first time in the opening practice session in Bahrain.

Kolles said that even though the team is running with the old car, the first tests of the year will be important.

"Last year we didn't have the opportunity to do the tests, and this new season we are able to give our drivers the opportunity to do more millage and to get used to the Pirelli tyres. So, yes, the Spanish tests are very important for us."

Kolles said the team is yet to decide on who will partner Narain Karthikeyan this year, but claimed there will "several announcements" from Hispania over the new weeks.

"In the next few days there will be several announcements. The second driver has not been decided yet, because we have to make sure that we are making the best choice. We are making progress in all areas which is positive, working very hard, and the results will be shown and be announced very soon."

And finally, Team Lotus have chosen to launch their new car online at ridiculous o'clock

Team Lotus will launch its new TL11 car online early on the morning of Monday January 31 - ahead of its first test at Valencia on the Wednesday.

The team has announced that the car will be revealed to the public via its online magazine Team Lotus Notes. The issue, which will be available here, will be released at 5am GMT on Monday.

Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen are then scheduled to test the first chassis at Valencia on Wednesday – with the team electing to skip the first day of the test in lieu of a private test where it can conduct on-track filming on the Friday.

Cannot wait for this whole Team vs. Group debacle to be over. Just seems like Group Lotus are being a bunch of cunts, really. Lotus Racing did great in their first season considering how little time they had, what other sorts of performances and results were Proton exactly expecting!!

[Adam]

Pretty chuffed for Di Resta getting the second seat at Force India. Shame for Liuzzi, it'd be nice if he ended up at Hispania now, always liked him.

Be good having some British a bit further down the grid though for sure, especially as I'm no great fan of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button in the first place.

[Lineker]

Yep, great news about di Resta.

Four cars launched so far. Ferrari, Team Lotus, Sauber, and Lotus Renault.

Ferrari became the first team to unveil its 2011 car when it pulled the covers off its new F150 at Maranello on Friday.

With the Italian outfit eager to make up for the final-race heartbreak that cost it the world title in Abu Dhabi last year, the team's designers have delivered an aggressive design.

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali is well aware that the team lost vital ground in the early stages of last year, so he is keen for the F150 to be competitive from the off.

Speaking to the media earlier this month, he said: "For 2011 our goals are very clear, that we are aiming to win both the titles, constructors' and drivers' titles, this must be the goal of our team.

"And so the expectations, that of being able to have a car competitive from the start, a reliable car, a strong car, and I have to say that we've seen this last year.

"If you're not perfect within such a competitive environment, with opponents that are so strong with teams, which also varied numerically, then it becomes difficult to win."

Although there is early morning fog in Maranello, the team hopes the weather clears to give Fernando Alonso the first chance to try the car at its Fiorano test track on Friday afternoon for some promotional filming.

Felipe Massa is due to shake down the car further on Saturday, before its first proper test at Valencia next Tuesday.

More pictures.

Team Lotus has unveiled its T128 2011 Formula 1 car - a significantly more aggressive design than its 2010 contender, and a machine the squad hopes will propel it firmly into the midfield and points contention.

The T128 will not appear in public until Wednesday, when it joins the second day of the Valencia test. But Lotus chose to reveal images of the car in a special edition of its Team Lotus Notes online magazine.

Lotus had always admitted that last year's T127 was a deliberately conservative machine built simply to get the team onto the grid in a very limited timescale, rather than with outright performance in mind. It halted development on the 2010 car early in the season to focus on the 2011 design, which is more in line with modern F1 practice, and features Renault V8 power and transmission systems from Red Bull.

The images released so far suggest the car features a more intricate front wing design, sharply sculpted sidepods, as well as a more conventional higher nose, and an airbox and roll hoop reminiscent of the 2010 Mercedes, suggesting Lotus has found a way around the rules that appeared to have outlawed such 'blade' designs.

The team's chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne is confident that Lotus has achieved everything it wanted to with the T128.

"I think that basically this car looks like a frontrunning car in every area," he said. "We said very clearly that we want to start challenging the established teams and I think that's very achievable."

The car launch comes with the Lotus naming rights dispute still very much alive, and Tony Fernandes' squad had chosen to continue with the traditional Lotus type numbering system by choosing T128 for its car, rather than the TL11 title that was initially announced.

Fernandes said it was a relief to be able to focus on the new car after a winter of legal disputes with Renault's new title sponsor Group Lotus.

"There has been so much has focus off-track it's a thrill to be able to get back to talking about racing," Fernandes admitted.

"The launch of the T128 is a big step forward for Team Lotus and I want to thank the whole team for the amount of hard work that has already gone into T128, and I want to thank Renault and Red Bull Technology for their tremendous support in helping us make this step forward and for being such great team partners."

More pictures.

Renault has unveiled its new R31 challenger to the press in Valencia's pitlane, ahead of the three-day pre-season test which begins at the Spanish venue tomorrow.

The car, which carries black and gold livery following its deal with Lotus Group, is the fourth 2011 car to have been launched this week.

The car was fired up for the first time at the team's Enstone factory last week, and Vitaly Petrov is schedule to drive the car for the first time on Tuesday before Robert Kubica takes over for the last two days.

Renault has opted for a pull-rod suspension for the rear end, with the structure under car above the tea tray that appears quite radical compared to rival cars.

Speaking to AUTOSPORT earlier in the month, the team's technical director James Allison described the development direction Renault has taken as 'brave' adding: "Anyone who follows the sport will have seen that words like aggressive [and] brave are being bandied around across several of the teams this year for their solutions.

"I believe that we have chosen a direction that is really on the brave end of brave."

The team also revealed that former HRT driver Bruno Senna will join Romain Grosjean, Jan Charouz, Ho-Ping Tung and Fairuz Fauzy as part of the team's test and reserve driving strength.

More pictures.

Sauber has unveiled the new C30 that it hopes will bring it a step forward in pace and deliver the improved reliability that it needs to become a more regular points scorer.

The Swiss outfit pulled the covers off its Ferrari-powered car at the Valencia circuit on Monday morning - with the car featuring what is now a standard high nose in F1 and a more slender rear end compared to last year's challenger.

Technical director James Key said: "Our aim in the development of the Sauber C30-Ferrari has been to build on the strengths of the C29 and to eliminate its weak points.

"In addition, it is also important for us to go into winter testing with a car we understand, and we have worked hard on ensuring the characteristics of the car are heading in a direction we believe in. There will be much to learn about the new Pirelli tyres and in this respect we want to ensure there are no surprises with the way the car is handling."

Key said that one of the primary targets for the outfit was to have a car that would be predictable from the start - because there remains so much uncertainty about how the new Pirelli tyres will fare.

"In order to take a step forward in 2011, we were already systematically tackling the C29's weaknesses over the last season – and we've made progress. The insights we gleaned were taken into account when the concept for the new C30 was being drawn up.

"Since some of the changes decreed by the regulations – particularly regarding the tyres – can only be analysed out on track, it was important for us to build, firstly, a fundamentally predictable car and, secondly, one that would provide sufficient flexibility to respond to ongoing findings at the track and during further development stages."

The new C30 features a fully integrated blown diffuser, and the team has been able to sculpt the sidepods more aggressively through fitting its radiators more vertically.

Sauber has also opted to use a single mounting for its rear-wing, rather than the twin-mounting arrangement it used on the C29.

Team principal Peter Sauber said he hoped the C30 would help the team make progress in the areas where it was lacking last year.

"We want to finish in the points regularly and clearly improve our position in the FIA Formula 1 constructors' world championship," he said. "2010 marked the 41st year of our company history and one of the most difficult.

"Never before had we faced such reliability problems, but we managed to overcome them in the second half of the season. We implemented some well-considered structural changes. The appointment of James Key as Technical Director already bore fruit last season, and he is now in charge of development of the Sauber C30-Ferrari.

"At the same time, we have managed to secure our business foundation for the 2011 season. In these economically straitened times that is something we can be proud of too."

Sauber has confirmed that the KERS units it will use in 2011 will be provided by Ferrari.

More pictures.

[Lineker]

Testing has begun!!

World champion Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time on the opening day of Formula 1 pre-season testing at Valencia.

Eleven of the 12 teams hit the track today (with Lotus joining tomorrow) and the Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari spent much of the day around the frontrunning pace.

Vettel was first to dip below the 1m14s barrier this afternoon and his only company there was Force India's Nico Hulkenberg. The German took the early stint in the team's interim car and matched the quick-lap pace of the leading teams. His average longer-run times were more than a second slower though.

Gary Paffett ended the day third-quickest for McLaren, jumping Ferrari and Fernando Alonso 45 minutes before the end. Paul di Resta jumped in the Force India for the afternoon's running and promptly made his way up the timesheet as well, relegating Alonso to fifth.

Alonso brought the day to a slightly premature end when his Ferrari stopped out on track at Turn 3 with just a couple of minutes remaining. The session was red-flagged while he restarted and cruised back to the pits, and time had expired by the time he arrived.

Kamui Kobayashi was sixth for Sauber, running for 68 laps, while Jerome D'Ambrosio kept an impressive pace earlier in the day as the interim Virgin car completed 71 laps.

While those teams running 2010 cars had largely trouble-free and competitive days, there were a few teething troubles for some of the new cars.

Mercedes was the first casualty of the day when Nico Rosberg stopped on the start/finish straight with a hydraulic problem. Michael Schumacher brought the repaired car back out later in the afternoon to complete 15 laps. Schumacher's best time of the day was a 1m16.450s, while the best of Rosberg's nine laps was a 1m19.930s.

Renault made a slow start to 2011 with Vitaly Petrov doing just six laps before a long break for the R31 - featuring a radical design with the exhausts exiting the car at the front of the sidepods. He too was back out later for another 22 laps.

Toro Rosso also took a long break from running while extensive checks were made to its car, Jaime Alguersuari eventually finishing 10th on a 1m17.214s.

Williams had a delay early on as well, due to a problem with its KERS, but Rubens Barrichello had done 78 laps by the end of the day - the best of them a 1m17.335s.

Pos  Driver              Car                   Time       Gap       Laps

 1.  Sebastian Vettel    Red Bull-Renault*     1m13.769s            93

 2.  Nico Hulkenberg     Force India-Mercedes  1m13.938s  + 0.169s  71

 3.  Gary Paffett        McLaren-Mercedes      1m14.292s  + 0.523s  91

 4.  Paul di Resta       Force India-Mercedes  1m14.461s  + 0.692s  28

 5.  Fernando Alonso     Ferrari*              1m14.553s  + 0.784s  97

 6.  Kamui Kobayashi     Sauber-Ferrari*       1m15.621s  + 1.852s  68

 7.  Jerome D-Ambrosio   Virgin-Cosworth       1m16.003s  + 2.234s  71

 8.  Vitaly Petrov       Renault*              1m16.351s  + 2.582s  28

 9.  Michael Schumacher  Mercedes*             1m16.450s  + 2.681s  15

10.  Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso-Ferrari*   1m17.214s  + 3.445s  19

11.  Rubens Barrichello  Williams-Cosworth*    1m17.335s  + 3.566s  77

12.  Narain Karthikeyan  HRT-Cosworth          1m18.020s  + 4.251s  45

13.  Nico Rosberg        Mercedes*             1m19.930s  + 6.161s  9


All timing unofficial

* 2011 car[/code]


[center][/center]


World champion team Red Bull Racing has unveiled the car with which it will attempt to defend its titles in 2011 - the Adrian Newey-designed, Renault-powered RB7.


The car features a high nose, higher engine cover than its predecessor, and a different concept rear wing.


Red Bull's previous RB6 dominated the 2010 season, taking nine race wins in the hands of world champion Sebastian Vettel and third-place finisher Mark Webber, and starting from pole position at 15 of the 19 grands prix.


Vettel will be at the wheel for the car's first test later this morning.

More pictures.


[center][/center]


Mercedes has officially launched its new MGP W02 chassis at Valencia ahead of the start of official 2011 testing this morning.


The team issued a head-on 'teaser' image of the car to the media over the weekend, but has now fully taken the wraps off the new design.


Having made a disappointing start to 2010 - its first season in its new factory Mercedes guise - Ross Brawn's team opted to halt development on the W01 early and focus all its efforts on the 2011 rules package and the W02 design instead.


Notable features of the new car include changes to the airbox and sidepods, plus the higher nose that has been common on 2011 chassis so far.


The livery has also received slight adjustments for the new season, with a larger amount of green colouring for title sponsor Petronas.


Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher will both get a chance to drive the car today, with Schumacher keen to find out whether the W02 will prove better-suited to his style than last year's machine.


[spoiler]Car insurance firm and long-time Formula 1 sponsor Allianz will become a partner of the Mercedes GP team this year.


In addition to Allianz branding appearing on the Mercedes W02's HANS systems and seatbelts, the two companies will work together on a global road safety programme.


Team boss Ross Brawn said: "We are delighted to welcome our new partner Allianz to the Mercedes GP Petronas Formula 1 team as we begin our pre-season testing programme.


"Allianz have been involved with Formula 1 for a number of years and have achieved excellent work in raising the profile of road safety through their marketing campaigns. Safety is absolutely fundamental in our sport and with every innovation that improves safety in Formula 1, there is the possibility of increasing road safety for drivers everywhere."


The new Mercedes will be formally launched at Valencia this morning.[/spoiler]


[spoiler]Mercedes GP is planning to hire a reserve driver for the 2011 season, but has denied having approached Nico Hulkenberg for the role.


The team has been left without a reserve since Nick Heidfeld joined Pirelli - and then Sauber - during the 2010 season.


Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug believes there is value in having a test driver, despite the lack of testing allowed.


"You can do a lot of simulator and a lot of work in the simulator," said Haug during the launch of the new Mercedes at Valencia.


"You can probably do a shakedown or whatever, but really testing on the circuit is absolutely limited to the minimum as you all know but you have to have - a better expression is a reserve driver.


"So should you be in a position to score good points when one of your drivers is not capable of driving the car, you should have somebody who can jump into the car and do a decent job.


"We are working on it and I think we will have a reserve driver."


Haug denied, however, speculation that the team has been in talks with Force India reserve Hulkenberg.


"We are in contact and have ideas for a third driver but currently there is no contact to Nico Hulkenberg in that respect. But I am sure that he improved last year, and if you win GP2 and if you put a car on pole you have the right ingredients but we are not negotiating with him.


"He is contracted to Force India to my knowledge. He is a guy who did a good job who was improving last year but we have no contacts these days."[/spoiler]

More pictures.


[center][/center]


Scuderia Toro Rosso became the latest team to launch its 2011 Formula 1 car when it presented the STR6 to the media at Valencia this morning.


Red Bull's junior outfit unveiled its new car shortly after its world title-winning senior sibling had launched the RB7 further up the pitlane.


The STR6 follows this year's fashion for higher-nosed designs and is the second car to be produced entirely in-house by Toro Rosso since the team's arrangement to use chassis provided by Red Bull Technologies had to be brought to an end.


Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari remain with Toro Rosso for the 2011 season, with former British Formula 3 champion Daniel Ricciardo promoted to a third driver role that will see him running in Friday practice at each grand prix.


[spoiler]Toro Rosso's technical director Giorgio Ascanelli says his team is aiming to finish in eighth place in this year's championship.


[center][/center]


The Italian squad unveiled its new car for the 2011 season on Tuesday at Valencia, and Ascanelli admitted the team is determined to improve on its 2010 performance.


"My expectations are to do a decent year and we have to have the target to be eighth and as I said, we are good to be ninth but we have to do better. And at the end of the year we have to bring back an eighth place," said Ascanelli.


He believes the team, which built its first car last year, is now much better prepared to deliver a strong challenger.


"Last year we didn't have a wind-tunnel, the CFD was not mature in order to define the car," he added. "Therefore, we did not change very much apart from those elements linked to the change of regulation between 2009 and 2010.


"This year the tools which design the car in its performance aspect, which are again the wind tunnel and CFD, are more mature, which means that although we are still learning how to make the best of them I think we have started using them properly.


"For this year, we have to aim for eighth place, because that is our target and I didn't think that was possible if we had gone with some sort of conventional car.


"It's an ambitious way, if it doesn't work that will be my responsibility and I am going to take it, but I think it's not like me, not like Franz, not like anyone in Toro Rosso to sit here and accept what our position is. We will try to do better and we will try to fulfil our mission which is at the end of 2011, we want to have a 2012 which is better than 2011."


Team boss Franz Tost is also optimistic that Toro Rosso will enjoy a competitive season, despite the team still working to build its infrastructure.


"It's the sixth season of Toro Rosso in Formula 1 and the past five years have shown a good history for the team, as we had to build everything up almost from zero," he said. "We are quite confident that we have a good future and can have a good year in 2011. We are still building up our infrastructure.


"In a Formula 1 team, there is always movement, so you have to keep an eye on every department trying to improve performance. We brought in new people for example in the aerodynamic department in Bicester, where we are currently running two shifts in our wind tunnel.


"Here in Faenza, especially on the production side we have increased the number of employees which makes me quite confident that in 2011 we will have a successful season."[/spoiler]


[spoiler]Daniel Ricciardo says he hopes that he can translate his new Friday testing role with Scuderia Toro Rosso into a fulltime race seat in 2012.


Speaking at the launch of the team's new STR6 challenger, the 21-year-old Australian explained that while his full schedule as test and reserve driver was yet to be defined, he was focussed on making the most of the opportunity.


"I would love to be racing in Formula 1 in 2012 full time, as always I try not to look at it too much," he said. "I think if I can learn as much as I can and do a good job I the Friday practice then hopefully it will set me up for something in the future."


Ricciardo indicated that he expected to get a fair amount of running in the morning practice session on Fridays during the season, though his schedule would be dictated by his availability when not racing in Formula Renault 3.5.


"I knew Red Bull has the best interests for me and it was a good season last year, so even though I missed out on the championship I knew that I would find something good for me in 2011 and they pulled through which is good and I've got a good menu this year," he explained.


"I wouldn't say [my schedule is] fully defined but it's free practice one - that definitely is the programme.


"I think eventually some races clash with World Series so that's yet to be confirmed, but definitely Friday first practice and try and see what I can do in there. I think the procedure will be very similar to what Force India or a few other teams did last year."[/spoiler]

More pictures.


[center][/center]


Williams has released images of its new Cosworth-powered FW33 2011 challenger which is set to join several other new cars when testing begins in Valencia today.


The car, painted in the team's traditional navy blue interim testing colours, follows this year's trend of high noses, detailed airboxes and scuplted sidepods.


Rubens Barrichello will give the car its maiden run today and will share the running with rookie and GP2 champion Pastor Maldonado on Wednesday, before the Venezuelan takes over duties for the final day.


[center][/center]

More pictures.

[Lineker]

First of all, here's day two of the Valencia test:

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso moved to the top of the times on the second day of testing at the Valencia circuit on Wednesday.

The Spaniard, fifth fastest yesterday, posted a best time of 1m13.307s around the 1pm mark and stayed there until the end of the day in what was a positive day for the Italian squad, with Alonso covering over 100 laps.

Team-mate Felipe Massa will take over for the final day of the test tomorrow.

Yesterday's pace-setter Sebastian Vettel had to settle for second position after completing 43 laps with the Red Bull RB7.

The German shared the car with team-mate Mark Webber, who got first taste of the new Red Bull in the afternoon, managing 16 laps on his way to the 14th quickest time of the session.

Third quickest in the Force India was Paul di Resta, who continued enjoying a productive test at the wheel of last year's car. Lewis Hamilton, in the hybrid McLaren, and Renault's Robert Kubica completed the top five.

Nico Rosberg, who enjoyed a more productive day than yesterday in the new Mercedes, was sixth quickest.

Heikki Kovalainen took the new Lotus T128 out for its first run, but the Finn's day was cut short due to a problem with the car's power steering.

The Finn managed just 15 laps and finished at the bottom of the times, but he was encouraged by the car's handling.

"Compared to the feeling of last year at Jerez, it is totally different," he said. "Last year after Jerez I knew we had a little bit of work to do in every area, but the whole concept feels right."

Lotus will fly the power steering back to the factory overnight in order to continue testing tomorrow.

There were a total of four red flags during the day, the first caused by Rubens Barrichello's stoppage an hour into the session. A spin by di Resta at 10:30 was then followed by Rosberg stopping with a problem around 2pm.

The final red flag of the day was caused by Sebastien Buemi, whose Toro Rosso stopped on track near the end of the session.

Pos  Driver         Team                   Time               Laps

 1.  Alonso         Ferrari                1m13.307s           108

 2.  Vettel         Red Bull Renault       1m13.614s  +0.307    43

 3.  Di Resta       Force India Mercedes   1m13.844s  +0.537   111 *

 4.  Hamilton       McLaren Mercedes       1m14.353s  +1.046    83 *

 5.  Kubica         Renault                1m14.412s  +1.105   104

 6.  Rosberg        Mercedes               1m14.645s  +1.338    69

 7.  Glock          Virgin Cosworth        1m15.408s  +2.101    34 *

 8.  Barrichello    Williams Cosworth      1m16.023s  +2.716    51

 9.  Perez          Sauber Ferrari         1m16.198s  +2.891    42

10.  Maldonado      Williams Cosworth      1m16.266s  +2.959    29

11.  Buemi          Toro Rosso Ferrari     1m16.359s  +3.052    46

12.  Alguersuari    Toro Rosso Ferrari     1m16.474s  +3.167    64

13.  Webber         Red Bull Renault       1m17.365s  +4.058    17

14.  Karthikeyan    HRT Cosworth           1m17.769s  +1.165    80 *

15.  Kovalainen     Lotus Renault          1m20.649s  +7.342    15


* 2010 car


All Timing Unofficial[/code]

In driver news, Karun Chandhok is believed to be close to a reserve/third driver deal at Team Lotus while Pedro de la Rosa says he is happy to remain in his role as Pirelli's test driver.


Here's Tony Fernandes' latest Renault rebuttal:

Team Lotus owner Tony Fernandes has expressed his 'disappointment' about critical remarks made about him over the Lotus naming row - and says he cannot wait for the British courts to end the dispute once and for all.


Fernandes was on the receiving end of criticism earlier this week from Renault team owner Gerard Lopez - who said that the Malaysian businessman should come clean about the real reasons behind the fight over the Lotus name.


Lopez suggested that the matter was purely about money – as a name change for Team Lotus would mean the outfit losing its television rights money.


Speaking in response to those suggestions, Fernandes expressed his annoyance that the dispute between him and Group Lotus, which is the Renault team's title sponsor, had blown up again in public.


"I am disappointed with it," he said when asked by AUTOSPORT about the matter. "I think it has become very personal. I have never made it personal – and what have I done wrong?


"I was offered a chance to restart Lotus. Proton agreed, they gave me a five-year deal. I did it in good faith, I spent my own money, I have spent £80 million building this team - and I then had the Lotus Racing contract unceremoniously violated for some T-shirt violations which we were challenging. I was smart enough to go and buy Team Lotus though.


"I love Lotus and I didn't want all this stuff. I said to the boys in the pits last year, who were very emotional, that we may give up the name because we don't want to drag Lotus into the mud. A few of them came and said: 'Don't do it, I was born in Norfolk, I worked for Lotus so don't do it.'


"I never wanted to give it up, I put my heart and soul into this, but for the sake of the brand I would do it. Well, Group Lotus offered me £6 million to give them everything, the name, everything – but we have spent £80 million. To accept their offer would have bankrupted the team as we would have lost the FOM money, and I wasn't going to do that.


"We have 250 jobs here, we put our own money in, and so we are going to carry on. And I feel good about it. I was reluctant to discuss that offer – but there was a lot of pressure on us."


The dispute between Team Lotus and Group Lotus will almost certainly be resolved early in the campaign – with the court hearing to decide the matter scheduled to begin on March 21. Fernandes said that he was eager for the matter to get sorted


"I am very happy that it has been brought forward," he said. "The quicker we do it the better, and we can both move on. I am very happy that Justice Smith said bring it forward."

I just can't wait for all of this to just end, and hopefully with the boys in green on top.


Victoria has pledged its support to an ongoing Melbourne race:

The Australian Grand Prix has been given assurances that it will continue to receive the full support of the Victoria government - despite recent doubts about the future of the event.


Speculation about the long-term viability of the Melbourne event surfaced recently after Melbourne's mayor questioned whether the grand prix was good value for the city.


However, at an official launch for the 2011 race, Victoria's state tourism minister Louise Asher said there was no doubting its own commitment.


"The government has supported the grand prix because it is a significant international event which provides branding and tourism value for Victoria," Asher was quoted as saying by the new agency AAP. "In terms of the Baillieu government, we are committed to the grand prix."


Moves are being made to bring down the costs of the race, but the final budget has not yet been finalised for the race.


Australian Grand Prix chairman Ron Walker also played down suggestions from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone that he would be willing to end the race's contract early if Melbourne chiefs were not happy.


"I think he had a misunderstanding as to the role Mr Doyle was playing, because he hasn't met Mr Baillieu yet," he explained. "He (Mr Ecclestone) has been associated with four premiers since we have had the race, and he was a bit confused as to where the purse strings lay, and he certainly understands that now."

Which is fantastic, Albert Park is one of my favourite races of all time.


Williams & Mercedes get technical:


[spoiler]Williams has revealed that creating the smallest gearbox in its Formula 1 history was one of the key factors that helped it create such a unique rear end to its new FW33.


The Grove-based outfit has produced a very aggressive design at the back of its car - with the sidepods and engine cover narrowed down to the minimum to help airflow at the back of the car.


Williams technical director Sam Michael has said that the team has pushed so hard in this area because of the ban on double diffusers this year, which has put an emphasis back on getting as much performance as possible from the rear wing.


"The main target was to clear all the area to the rear lower wing because it is a performance differentiator now," he said during Valencia testing.


"You've got to have the underside of the rear lower wing completely free, so we took the decision to lift the top wishbone and the track rod and go to a Z-bone layout – which was commonly used in the early 90's – to get that all above the underside.


"It means that all the weight is in line with the trailing edge of the legality box, so you are nowhere near the underside of the rear lower wing, and it's completely free airflow."


Michael also believes that the push to get the airflow tidied up at the rear of the car meant that a pull-rod suspension configuration was a must.


"The pull rod was a no-brainer," he said. "It doesn't matter what you do with a pushrod, even if it is swept forwards or backwards, you've got a load going into the rear lower wing, whereas a pull rod is completely out of the rear lower wing. That was an easy decision.


"The other thing was to clear the centre of it by lowering the gearbox. We dropped the top section as much as we could and it is the smallest box we've ever made.


"We took that decision in March last year and we've done quite a few thousand kilometres on the dyno with that rear end. That was quite a big step on driveshaft angle, definitely the most extreme I've seen. The people we did the driveshaft design with had never done anything that extreme before. It was quite a big programme."


Michael was comfortable with the design concept his team had taken – and said the only surprise from the opposition so far was the sidepod exhaust system introduced by Renault.


"Everyone has really pushed little bits and pieces, whether it is lowering the final drive more like Red Bull or Renault have done, or getting a tighter 'Coke-bottle' rear end, or more elements on front wings.


"They are all the normal things that you are trying to do. The only different thing is the Renault blown exhaust out of the front, and the Toro Rosso double floor. We tested that [floor] a couple of times in the past and it didn't do anything for us, but Renault blowing out the front is interesting."[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Mercedes GP team principal Ross Brawn expects a number of outfits to experiment with blown floor concepts before the first race of the season - following the interest caused by Renault's radical new design.


Renault caused a stir at the opening Formula 1 test in Valencia when its new R31 featured sidepod exhausts – which exit at the front of the car to blow gases along the under-body.


A number of rival teams are believed to be evaluating a similar concept – including Mercedes GP, Red Bull Racing and McLaren – although none have used it yet.


Speaking in Valencia, Brawn did not think that Renault-type exhausts would become a must-have item in 2011 – although acknowledged that using gases to improve under-car downforce was vital.


When asked if Mercedes GP would need to adopt a Renault-type design, Brawn said: "I don't think so. I think you'll see probably a number of teams with different solutions before you get to Bahrain.


"I saw Ferrari, and they had some different options. I think there are a few different solutions you can do to get the benefit from the exhaust energy. So I think you'll see a lot of different solutions before Bahrain."


Brawn said he has not seen anything on the new cars of main rivals Red Bull Racing and Ferrari that worried him too much.


"I haven't seen them properly to be honest, but I see nothing dramatic on them," he explained. "I suspect at all the top teams, you're going to see a very different car at Bahrain, because of the period between now and Bahrain.


"I think most of the teams are going to come up with their first major update before we get to Bahrain. I mean certainly that is the case with us.


"What we're focusing on at the moment is reliability, and getting the KERS system functioning, which is completely new for us as a team, but not new for a lot of our engineers.


"Then you're going to see in Barcelona and Bahrain the things I would call the real performance steps, and I think it will be the same for Ferrari and Red Bull. They will have a lot going on in preparation for Bahrain."[/spoiler]


Finally, on the tyres: the general consensus is that the Pirelli tyres will degrade much faster than the Bridgestones did. Which from a racing fan's point of view is great as that can only mean more pit-stops!

Formula 1's leading drivers are predicting tough times in dealing with tyres this year after witnessing high levels of degradation with the new Pirelli rubber in testing at Valencia.


As a number of teams got down to work with their 2011 cars this week, matters have been complicated by a big lap time drop-off on the softer rubber - which has been so large that it has raised some worries of potential tyre chaos in races if the situation does not improve.


Fernando Alonso said: "It was not easy to keep the tyres consistent. We see some drop in the tyres when they are new. The first lap is good and then you lose two or three seconds a lap. Then you are more or less consistent but obviously too slow.


"We are trying some new solutions in terms of set-up to get some consistency. This afternoon we were happy with the long runs we did, so obviously it's a concern for everyone, but there is a way in the set-up and driving style, etc, to be a little bit gentler with the tyres."


Robert Kubica said he thought that the tyre degradation seen at Valencia was too extreme – although he acknowledged the weather conditions and track characteristics could be playing a factor in making the situation more extreme.


"Yes, it's too big," he said. "At least if you want to have a five or six-stop race then it is okay, but then we will need more tyres! I am joking.


"It really depends on which compound but clearly the situation improves with the harder compound. But it is not a problem of graining, it is wear. Suddenly the tyres are gone.


"You have to really watch because in the races there is always the tendency to stay [out] longer and we have to watch out for safety, because if a tyre explodes that is the last thing you want to see."


He added: "I think the real first test will be Bahrain for the tyres. I hope the situation will be better, but if it is like this it will be challenging – and it will give you something more to think about set-up and how to make the tyres last longer. It is something you have to consider seriously and work on it. There are many ways to make the tyres survive and work better with the car."


Mercedes GP's Nico Rosberg thought that although the tyre degradation was an issue, he reckoned it could prove to be a factor in making the races more of a spectacle.


"I am not concerned," he said. "It will make the racing more exciting. We have seen in the past that the most exciting races were when the tyres collapsed in the biggest way, like Montreal last year, so that is not an issue.


"The important thing is that we then have a good car because if you have a good car you can make the best of such degradation on the tyre."


When asked if the degradation was as great as last year's Canadian GP, he said: "No, not quite as bad. Montreal with the graining was extremely bad and we are not seeing graining at the moment."


Lewis Hamilton, who was concentrating on tyre testing with an interim 2010 McLaren, also believed the situation would be good for racing.


"Now it looks like there is a quite a big difference between compounds, or so it seems for some people. For us I don't know if there was too big a difference," he explained.


"Obviously last year we had one pitstop and now the degradation is massive on these tyres and it might be for some people that they have to do two or three pitstops – which I think is quite good.


"I didn't actually like doing one pitstop last year, I didn't think it was as exciting as it was in the past when we did two or three. I'm hoping that we have to do more this year, because it adds more excitement."

[Katsuya]

Kubica topped the timesheets for the combined test sessions today, ahead of Sutil's old Force India. Looks pretty promising for Renault, then. The Mercedes looks awfully unreliable and slow when it is running fine though...

[Sam]

I was hoping for Mercedes to really step it up this season, hopefully they will be on form by the start of the season.

[Lineker]

Renault's innovative forward-exhaust R31 set the fastest time on its third day of Formula 1 testing as the opening week of running at Valencia concluded on Thursday.

The day was half done before the team got round to some proper stints, but once running Robert Kubica was soon on the pace. He was the third driver to dip into the 1m13s and then went quickest of all on a 1m13.144s with just over an hour to go.

He dipped into the 1m13s three times, each of which was posted on the first flying lap of a three-lap run. A longer run followed for Renault in the last hour, in which Kubica's pace steadily dropped from the mid-1m16s into the high 1m17s - with a steep drop off after 18 laps.

Adrian Sutil covered the most laps today, 117 and continued Force India's good early form (though in its 2010 car) by finishing second. He was into the 1m14s on his first run of the day and unleashed a 1m13.2 on an early three-lapper which was unchallenged until the afternoon.

He repeated 1m14s throughout several short runs during the morning, then switched to running for 10 and 15 laps after lunch and spent most of his afternoon in the 1m19s.

Like Kubica, Jenson Button was another to take a while to get going. With McLaren running the old car, its focus was largely on tyres and the cold temperatures early in the day meant there wasn't much for the team to do.

Button's best time, a 1m13.553s, was the only lap of the run on which he did it, so possibly a qualifying simulation. A few longer runs followed later one, with the McLaren lapping consistently in the 1m16s.

After being limited to just a dozen laps by a master cylinder failure yesterday, Mark Webber was eager to get on with things this morning. An early seven-lap run in the 1m15s and 1m16s indicated a promising pace, which was underlined by a particularly impressive 20-lap stint around lunchtime during which he worked down from mid-1m16s to low 1m15s as the fuel load decreased.

Then his best times of the day came on the first of five and seven-lap runs, suggesting there's plenty more pace to come from the RB7 than the 1m13.936s Webber delivered.

Ferrari's plans were delayed by an oil leak on the F150 after Felipe Massa had done just 12 laps. He rejoined for the last couple of hours and at first his best times, 1m14.5s, were set at the beginning of 12-lap runs. He ended the day with a couple of 1m14.0s on a three-lap run which put him fifth.

Virgin went for a lot of 12-lap runs today with Timo Glock lapping mostly in the 1m17s, though he dipped into the 1m14s in a single burst late on to finish the day sixth.

Pastor Maldonado and Williams bucked the trend and began the day with longer runs - the Venezuelan's consistent 1m16s during those early stints comparing pretty well with those that followed later.

He switched to shorter bursts in the afternoon and gradually worked into the 1m14s, but huge variations in his times suggested Williams was still working on more than just tyre/stint analysis. His fastest, 1m14.299s, was bumped to seventh late on as Williams reverted to a couple of long runs to end the day.

Sergio Perez ended the day eighth for Sauber. He was sidelined after just nine laps when the team to replace the gearbox. He then conducted two long runs late in the morning in the high 1m15s, before dropping down to a 1m14.4s on a shorter run later on.

Michael Schumacher spent the morning on short runs, the quickest laps of which were mid to high 1m14s. Longer runs followed in the afternoon with the best - of 20 laps - averaging in the mid 1m16s and dipping into the 1m15s occasionally.

Sebastien Buemi spent the majority of his day doing five-lap runs, and worked his way steadily down from 1m17s to 1m15s. He peaked at a 1m14.8s and finished 10th.

That left HRT and Narain Karthikeyan 1.7s adrift at the back. The team never attempted a run longer than five laps and the Indian driver spent most of his time in the 1m17s, just dipping into the 1m16s on two and three-lap runs this afternoon.

Lotus's progress today was hampered by its power steering failure yesterday. The team had hoped to get replacement parts from its UK base to Valencia in time for today's testing. But when they couldn't get here in time, Jarno Trulli had to settle for 38 laps of installation laps, system checks and aero testing - meaning he didn't set a proper laptime all day.

Pos Driver               Team                   Time       Gap    Laps

 1. Robert Kubica        Renault                1m13.144s           95

 2. Adrian Sutil         Force India Mercedes*  1m13.201s  +0.057  117

 3. Jenson Button        McLaren Mercedes*      1m13.553s  +0.409  105

 4. Mark Webber          Red Bull Renault       1m13.936s  +0.792  105

 5. Felipe Massa         Ferrari                1m14.017s  +0.873   80

 6. Timo Glock           Virgin Cosworth*       1m14.207s  +1.063  114

 7. Pastor Maldonado     Williams Cosworth      1m14.299s  +1.155  101

 8. Sergio Perez         Sauber Ferrari         1m14.469s  +1.325  104

 9. Michael Schumacher   Mercedes               1m14.537s  +1.393  110

10. Sebastien Buemi      Toro Rosso Ferrari     1m14.801s  +1.657   73

11. Narain Karthikeyan   HRT Cosworth*          1m16.535s  +3.391   63

12. Jarno Trulli         Lotus Renault          no time             38[/code]


Looks like there could be changes to the movable wing rules already, with visable lines on the track signifying the 'zone' in which they can be used:

[spoiler]The FIA is fully open to tweaking Formula 1's moveable rear wing rules to ensure they are a success, after setting out initials plans for a 600-metre overtaking zone at each track.


F1 teams have got down to work with the moveable rear wing technology in this week's Valencia test, but there remains a great deal of uncertainty about how the concept will work when it is actually put into action in the races.


However, AUTOSPORT can reveal that teams have now been informed by the FIA about the plans for the first few races of the season as the sport gets to grip with ensuring it improves the spectacle without making overtaking too easy.


Sources have revealed that the FIA's current plan is for the overtaking zone - where the moveable wing will be made active in races - to be the final 600 metres of a track's main straight.


A driver pursuing a rival will only be able to activate his wing there if he is within one-second of the car ahead of him at a timing zone that will be set-up in the braking area for the corner before that main straight.


The FIA believes that the 600-metre passing zone is the right length to ensure that overtaking is possible – but is also not too easy. Early simulation data suggests that this length of track will result in a speed differential between cars of between 10-12 km/h depending on car design.


Drivers will be also free to use the wing at will during practice and qualifying.


To help Formula 1 fans and television commentators understand the implementation of the rules better, lines will be painted on the track to mark out the overtaking and timing zone.


A single line on the straight will show where the overtaking zone starts, while two lines will be painted at the preceding corner to indicate the one-second time difference distance. This latter line will also serve as a visual back up for the FIA should the official timing transponders fail at any point.


The FIA plans to take a first look at the timing loop and speed data during next week's Jerez test, before a full-scale evaluation of the technology and overtaking zones during the final pre-season test at Bahrain in early March.


These tests will purely be, however, to ensure the FIA systems are working – with teams unlikely to co-operate enough to try out real overtaking moves to see how the moveable wings will react in full-on race conditions.


Should the simulations of car speed in the Bahrain test show that the 600-metre zone is going to make overtaking far too easy, or Bahrain's race is affected by too much passing, then its distance will be shortened – as the FIA is keen to get the right balance of passing from the off.


AUTOSPORT understands the FIA has told teams, however, that its current projection is to use the 600-metre for the first four races of the season before reviewing it for subsequent events.


The zones will be on the start-finish straights in Bahrain, Australia and Malaysia – while in China it will be at the end of the long back-straight.


Lotus technical chief Mike Gascoyne reckons the moveable rear wing success was dependent on the FIA getting the rules right.


"I think we have to be careful in its implementation and I think the governing body has to be willing to change how it is implemented to ensure that it works in the way it is meant to," he told AUTOSPORT.


"If you get a situation like you had in Indy, where they put in the Handford-wing and everyone could pass everyone, you just sat there the whole race trying to be second on the last lap - because then you would win. That was pretty rubbish – so they got rid of it.


"We need to be careful that it is not seen as some great salvation. Very often we have done things like this and they have done more harm than good, so you have to be prepared to tweak it.


"You don't want it to be too artificial, because you can argue some of the greatest drives were with Gilles Villeneuve holding off everybody – and if you say that is never going to happen any more then you will lose some of the most iconic moments of the sport."


Renault team principal Eric Boullier said that teams were happy they had got the rear wing technology working right – and that the only issue now was the FIA's implementation of it.


"The pressure now is on the FIA because the teams are more or less technically ready for this," he told AUTOSPORT. "The FIA needs to fine-tune this system.[/spoiler]

Backed by who else but Ferrari:

[spoiler]Ferrari has backed the FIA's plans to begin evaluation of the moveable rear wing with a 600 metre overtaking zone for the first few races of the season - even though it may not prove long enough to allow easy passing.


As AUTOSPORT exclusively revealed earlier today, the FIA has informed teams of its initial plans for the moveable wing rules.


This will primarily involve designating a 600m zone at the end of a track's main straight where the wing can be utilised - as long as a driver is within one second of the car ahead of him at the preceding corner where a timing zone is going to be laid out.


Speaking at Valencia after teams tried out the moveable wings for the first time, Costa reckoned early analysis showed that a longer zone than 600m would be better – but thought it was the right approach to start things that way rather than by making overtaking too easy.


"From the point of view about what we think, we think 600 metres is on the edge, in our opinion," he said when asked by AUTOSPORT about his views on the FIA plans.


"To have an overtake we think you need more, but the FIA wanted to start from a difficult situation - not an easy pass situation, which for the show would have been not so great.


"So we understand and we agree on the concept, but our numbers say it is a bit too small."


The FIA plans to begin evaluating the timing and moveable wing software at the next test in Jerez, before a more extensive test of the timing and overtaking zone implementation in the final pre-season Bahrain test.[/spoiler]

Ferrari were also dismissive of their radical rival car designs:

[spoiler]Ferrari insists it is not worried about the extreme car designs that rivals teams have unveiled in Valencia this week.


The Maranello outfit appears to have adopted a more conservative approach with its new F150 compared to some other teams - with Renault and Red Bull Racing utilising more radical exhaust layouts and Toro Rosso using a twin-floor concept.


But despite its car being more standard, Ferrari technical director Aldo Costa thinks that being more on-the-edge with car design is no guarantee of success on the track.


"I think the fastest car will be the car that will have the best blend between aero performance, mechanical characteristics of the car, and reliability – so we have to see," Costa said on the final day of testing in Valencia.


"If you have done extreme solutions then maybe you are paying the penalty on other aspects. So you need to have a very balanced approach to have a fast and winning car."


Costa has reiterated that further aerodynamic developments are scheduled for the F150 ahead of the final tests in Barcelona and Bahrain.


"I think as I said at the launch of the car, we have done a certain step of development and we plan for a further development," he explained. "From the mechanical point of view, the car between here and Jerez will be almost complete, but from the aerodynamic point of view not. So there will be further evolutions."


He added: "We know what we have developed from the performance point of view in the winter. We have done quite good progress and we know what we have got in our hand to continue the development. So we think we are pushing as much as we can.


"But more than an extreme approach, we need to find a productive approach. We need to do lap times and find performance. In the end the lap time is the final answer, so we will see."[/spoiler]


Elsewhre, Schumi is dismissive of Mercedes' poor laptimes set so far:

[spoiler]Michael Schumacher says he is not concerned by Mercedes GP's laptimes after the first week of Formula 1 pre-season testing at Valencia.


He finished Thursday's final day of running in ninth place, 1.3 seconds slower than Robert Kubica's pace-setting Renault, with Nico Rosberg having finished Wednesday just as far behind Fernando Alonso's Ferrari.


But Schumacher denies that Mercedes has anything to be concerned about at this early stage.


"There are so many open points that I don't really worry too much about times," he said. "The best would be up front easily, and beating everybody straightaway. But from where we are coming, you cannot expect that.


"Some teams may already been on their final spec for the first race, or close to final spec, and others are not. We have to believe in our strengths. When we come to Bahrain and the final test, that is when you can make better comparisons and get a clearer picture up front.


"Obviously there is a big fuel tank and if you go from zero to maximum, you talk about four or five seconds of difference purely in the fuel load. I don't know what the others are doing. I know what we are doing, and we focus only on ourselves."


Schumacher admitted that he experienced some compounds of the Pirelli tyres wearing quickly, but says the team is still happy with the work it did today.


"There is an obvious scenario on different compounds that we have available," he said. "Some are more consistent than others and I have had some exciting moments on track, where I was on certain tyres that wouldn't last very long and it was like driving on ice. But nevertheless, we did our work that we were concentrated for and we are quite happy about that."[/spoiler]


While Kubica has mixed feelings:

[spoiler]Renault's Robert Kubica ended the Valencia test in two minds about the progress he has made after setting the fastest time of the final day, but suffering some technical problems that limited his running in the morning.


The Pole set the fastest time of the week with the innovative Renault R31, which features forward exhausts, but suffered electrical problems on the final morning which meant he didn't really begin his programme until 13:30.


"You could split the day in two parts," said Kubica. "It would be difficult to call it positive because the first real run we managed only to do it at 13:30.


"So after we solved our problems with the car we managed to do a bit of evaluation on set-up and some tyre work. But because of the morning we were unable to complete our programme and we didn't do the laps we targeted.


"But if we have to have some problems with the car or some reliability issues it's better we have them here in Valencia than in Bahrain."


Asked to describe his impressions of the car, which proved 0.2s faster than Fernando Alonso could manage in the Ferrari F150 yesterday he said: "It's impossible to compare the feeling to last year's car but the feeling can depend a lot on how things will look when everybody is in the same condition and everybody is running on the same time.


"We have to keep working and pushing and try to solve the problems we have in Valencia."[/spoiler]


Jenson looking forward to racing on Pirelli's:

[spoiler]Jenson Button believes the switch to Pirelli tyres in Formula 1 will play into his hands this year - after sensing the new rubber suits his driving style well.


The former world champion has readily admitted that his qualifying form last year suffered because he could not extract the most out of Bridgestone rubber – but he is already sensing a much-improved situation on the tyre front for 2011.


"I like the feeling of the tyre," said Button after his first day of testing Pirelli's tyres at Valencia on Thursday.


"It has a stable rear when you enter high-speed corners, you have a stable rear when you brake for low-speed corners, and that is something that I really do need with the car. I am happy with that step.


"There are areas where it is weaker than previous tyres – but that is the way it is built. You just change the balance of the car to suit that.


"There will be degradation on the soft tyre and you do have to look after it, but there always has to be a balance. You want to be quick over one lap and you want to be quick over a long run, so there is always a bit of a compromise. It is whether you can get the compromise right or not."


Having targeted a step forward with his qualifying performance for 2011, Button thinks that the Pirelli characteristics are the first step in helping him achieve his ambition.


"The tyres help me in that area, that is one thing definitely," he said. "And we are doing a lot of work on the car still. It does take a little bit of time but we are working on a certain area that I think will really help me and give me confidence in the car.


"In quite a few races last year I wasn't happy with my qualifying performance, but in the races we were very competitive. It is an area I need to work on, but all we can do off the circuit is try and improve areas that I think will help me.


"One area I think is that with Pirelli we have a tyre that maybe suits me more than the previous tyre we had. We have to wait and see, but I think that may be the case. I also think the work we are doing at the factory is positive."


Although the high tyre degradation experienced on the soft tyres has been one of the themes of the Valencia test, Button sees no reason to be concerned – and in fact thinks that characteristics is exactly what F1 needs.


"The tyre itself is obviously very different to the Bridgestone," he said. "I don't mean different in a bad way, it is just a different tyre to drive.


"Over one lap it felt very strong and on a longer run with the super soft tyre you get degradation quite a bit. But that is what we sort of expected and that is what the fans probably want – two different tyres in a race that really stand out to be different. I think we will have that this year."[/spoiler]


[center][/center]


Jenson Button is convinced McLaren did the right thing in waiting as long as possible to unveil its new car, as the new McLaren MP4-26 was revealed in Berlin today.


McLaren opted to wait until after the first pre-season Formula 1 test to unveil its new car, having used an interim MP4-25 to focus on tyre development and understanding in Valencia this week.


And although that decision means that the team's main rivals have had three days of running so far with their new cars, Button thinks that McLaren holds the advantage - because it has benefited from more development time with its 2011 challenger and it has been able to focus solely on getting a better grip on Pirelli tyre characteristics.


"I am sure they are saying also that they have got an advantage because they are driving the new car already, and doing set-up work, KERS work and rear wing work, but I think that for us as a team we understand KERS and that is important," he said when asked by AUTOSPORT about the benefits of having a stable platform for the first test.


"I think it was important for us to spend as much time as possible building our car and that when we get it on the circuit it is competitive.


"For us it was the best situation to go to Valencia with the old car and to drive the new Pirellis, and it is good because we can compare the tyres - and you can get lost if there is so much going on.


[center][/center]


"We have had to limit also some set-up changes and really think about what we are doing, because you are just getting used to the tyre the whole time. But we found some really interesting things at the test and we should be happy with what we have learned."


The new McLaren features some interesting concepts - including a long flat high nose, radical, high L-shaped sidepods, and airbox tweaks. The version rolled out features a more standard exhaust layout, unlike the Renault version seen in testing at Valencia this week


Button says he feel far more integrated with McLaren this year because he has had a whole winter of preparation.


"It has been a good year actually," he explained. "Before Christmas I spent a lot of time at the factory driving the simulator and getting fitted into the new car. And I feel a lot more at home in the car.


"I haven't driven it yet, but the position in the car I am properly in it. I feel very comfortable and I can feel the car has been built around me, and that is something that wasn't possible last year because I arrived so late.


"I am the tallest driver so I am the limiting factor, but I fit in very well and I am in a much more comfortable position, which is important.


"We have just been making steps forward in many different areas. Lewis and myself have been giving a lot of feedback and it has been a good winter of simulator work, and we have a good simulator model of this tyre which is very lucky.


[center][/center]


"If all that set-up effort works when we put it on the car in reality we will be in a very good position already in Jerez."


Button also thinks McLaren's chances of success are boosted by the good relationship he has enjoyed with team-mate Lewis Hamilton.


"We have both achieved a lot in our careers already, but we want to achieve a hell of a lot more," he said. "We want to be beat each other, but we also want to work together because two technically minded people, rather than one, makes a big difference.


"You can throw comments out there, and really work against each other, or you can work with each other. It has really helped us learn over the year in 2010 and you will see this year we will be a lot stronger."

More pictures.


That is probably the most radically innovative car on the grid this year. If everything falls into place for them they're my tip for the titles. They have also gone into great technical detail without giving away remaining suprises - read here, here, here, here, here and here.


Force India has also announced that they have extended their technical partnership with McLaren.


[b]The next test begins on the 10th in Jerez, the same day Force India are set to unveil their car. Virgin also go live on the 7th.[/b]

[Katsuya]

All the new cars are there in the next test apart from Hispania, but they're no loss. Definitely intrigued by the new McLaren, but I have a feeling that not all the new gizmos are going to work. I think that we might be in line for a straight up McLaren vs. Renault battle with RBR/Ferrari behind them.

[Lineker]

The front-end exhaust does seem to be this year's 'double diffuser', doesn't it.

[Gazz]

Kubica for World Champion!

[Bobfoc]

Even if McLaren's new car doesn't meet expectations, at least it looks very nice.

[Katsuya]

FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK

Formula 1 star Robert Kubica has suffered "serious injuries" while taking part in a rally in Italy, an official news agency has reported.

According to reports, the 26-year-old Pole crashed into a wall and was air-lifted to a nearby hospital.

There has been no official confirmation on his injuries but it is believed he is suffering from "multiple trauma".

The Renault driver has been preparing for the new Formula 1 season which starts in Bahrain on 13 March.

Kubicer, who drives for Renault alongside Vitaly Petrov, was an impressive performer last season to finish in eighth position in the drivers table.

He came second at Melbourne and secured third in Monaco and in Belgium.

I'm guessing this is going to rule him out for the season since "multiple trauma" does not sound good to me. Fucking sucks and I hope it's not that bad and he makes a full and quick recovery because he's seriously my favourite driver and I was feeling pretty good about his chances.

Who's Renault's 3rd driver? Grosjean?