Formula One 2012

[Lineker]

No Rubens

Bruno Senna will drive the second Williams car during the 2012 Formula 1 season, as the team from Grove finally announced who will partner Pastor Maldonado.

Senna, the nephew of three-time world champion Ayrton, made his grand prix debut with the Hispania team back in 2010, but could not secure a seat for the start of the 2011 season.

He eventually replaced Nick Heidfeld at the Renault team from last year's Belgian Grand Prix, but the team decided to hire Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean for the 2012 season. Senna managed two points in eight races during 2011.

After months of speculation, Williams confirmed on Tuesday that the 28-year-old Brazilian will race alongside Maldonado this year.

Senna will make his debut with the team on February 9th at Jerez during the first test of the year.

"Bruno only started racing when he was 20 years old but quickly proved his talent in F3 and GP2," said Frank Williams.

"In a tightly fought 2008 GP2 season, Bruno finished second in the Championship with notable victories in Monaco and Silverstone, the latter in the wet. The circumstances of Bruno's two seasons in Formula 1 have not given him an ideal opportunity to deliver consistently so it was essential that we spent as much time with him as possible to understand and evaluate him as a driver.

"We have done this both on track and in our simulator and he has proven quick, technically insightful and above all capable of learning and applying his learning quickly and consistently. Now we are looking forward to seeing that talent in our race car."

Senna added: "I feel very privileged that Williams has selected me as one of their race drivers. The team has a great heritage and I hope I can help write a good chapter in their history. The evaluation process has been intense and methodical but the time I have spent in the factory has demonstrated that the team has great people and all the resources needed to achieve better things this season.

"It will be very interesting to drive for a team that my uncle has driven for, particularly as quite a few of the people here actually worked with Ayrton. Hopefully we can bring back some memories and create some great new ones too.

"I also want to get some good results in return for the support my country has given me to help get me to this position today. I am very proud to be Brazilian and more motivated than ever to demonstrate what I can do. Ever since I first sat in a go-kart I never wanted to do anything else."

The move means Rubens Barrichello looks set to be absent from Formula 1 for the first time in 20 years.

The Brazilian said on Twitter after the announcement that his "future is wide open".

Damon Hill is to join Sky's coverage of Formula 1 this year to help provide expert analysis of the action for half the races.

The former world champion will be a member of Sky's team for the Australian, Bahrain, Monaco, British, German, Hungarian, Belgian, Indian, United States and Brazilian Grands Prix.

Speaking about his new job, Hill said: "The plans Sky Sports have for Formula 1 are very impressive, particularly the dedicated Formula 1 channel and I couldn't resist becoming involved.

"There are so many reasons to be excited about the new season and I can't wait to get started."

Hill will be on call throughout practice, qualifying and the race, with Sky Sport Executive Producer Martin Turner saying he was delighted about the addition to the team.

"Damon Hill is a British motor racing legend and has incredible Formula 1 knowledge and insight," he explained. "He will provide our viewers with not just a driver's eye view, but also that of a world champion. There aren't many around and I'm delighted we'll have Damon with us during the season."

Jenson Button will be the first driver to sample the new McLaren MP4-27 at next month's Jerez test.

McLaren has confirmed that Button will take the wheel on February 7 for the first run of the car at the Spanish track.

Button will also drive on the second day of the test, with team-mate Lewis Hamilton taking over for the final two days.

Hamilton will then have the first two days of the Barcelona test, which kicks off on February 21, with Button taking over for the final two. The pair will then alternate running in the final four-day test at the same venue, with Button driving on the first day on March 1.

McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale confirmed last week that the new car had passed all of the FIA crash tests before the end of last year, meaning that it will definitely be ready for the start of pre-season testing.

The Bahrain International Circuit has formally welcomed back the employees who were dismissed during last year's protests in the nation.

The Sakhir track reinstated the staff members on the advice of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, which is examining events around 2011's political tensions.

Chairman of the circuit board Zayed Rashid Al Zayani said: "In accordance with the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, in the spirit of reconciliation - following with the recommendations of the BICI report - the Board of the Bahrain International Circuit warmly welcomes back our employees and looks forward to them rejoining the BIC family.

"We are approaching a crucial time of the year at BIC, with the hosting of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix coming up in three months' time. We look forward to working again as one unit, as we have done in the past, to show the world what Bahrain is really about."

[Katsuya]

Ew, Senna.

Ewwwww, Damon Hill.

[MJB]

Senna

Pleased for him. Petrov is favourite at the minute to nick Trulli's seat at Caterham, strange that no-one seems to know who will drive the #2 car at HRT though.

[Lineker]

Bruno Senna insists that his capture of a Williams seat for 2012 was not just down to sponsorship - after revealing the exhaustive tests he was put through to show he was good enough for the drive.

The Brazilian is bringing welcome backing from a number of sponsors, including long-time supporter Embratel, to a Williams team that is recovering from its worst ever season in F1.

And although it was no secret that Williams had financial considerations to make, Senna was put through challenging simulator, fitness and track tests to ensure he was good enough to join the former champions.

When asked by AUTOSPORT during a team teleconference if he felt the tests had proven that his signing was not just because of his sponsors, Senna said: "I am sure about that.

"They have been putting us through the paces with all sorts of testing, and they did not even talk about the sponsorship at the start - they wanted to assess me before anything else.

"The only way they would give me the chance was if they were comfortable with my performance. We did several tests and with that I am confident I can deliver."

As well as being evaluated on the Williams simulator, Senna worked with famous racing instructor Rob Wilson to further run through his capabilities.

"We did a few days with Rob, and a few simulator days, and all of these have been essential for the team's confidence. They put me through the paces and it was quite interesting to learn a few things.

"I've been with Rob before for a bit when I came to England, but after so many years of racing, being with him again was much different and much more productive."

Williams chief operations engineer Mark Gillan said that the team was adamant that it would go for the best driver it could - rather than the one offering the highest money.

"From our side we had an extensive driver evaluation programme with a handful of drivers, and we made the final decision based on raw pace, consistency, tyre management, technical feedback and mental capacity - and most importantly the potential impact they would have on the team," he said.

"I think in all those areas it was very clear that Bruno has not had a lot of experience in single seater racing, but has consistently shown improvement and real talent.

"From our side, on the operations side, we are looking forward to working with him in what is an extremely important year for Williams regarding the relative poor season we had last season."

Gillan confirmed that Adrian Sutil had been on the shortlist of candidates for the drive, but in the end it was decided not to pursue a tie-up with him.

"I don't want to specifically talk about individual drivers, but Adrian was in our plans. However, based on everything that was laid out, Bruno for me and the team was the best way forward."

Bruno Senna says his family has given its full blessing to his tie-up with Williams this year, despite his uncle Ayrton losing his life with the team back in 1994.

Williams ended months of speculation about the identity of its second driver on Tuesday when it announced that Senna will line-up alongside Pastor Maldonado for 2012.

The move comes 18 years after three-time world champion Ayrton Senna was killed in a crash during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.

Reflecting on the emotions of driving for the team that has carried the badge of his uncle ever since that Imola weekend, Bruno said: "I believe that things happen in life for a reason, but there is no negativity from my family. They are thrilled about it.

"Everybody is ecstatic; I spoke to my grandparents before I spoke to my mother. My grandmother was so happy, and my grandfather had a great laugh. In the family everyone is smiling, everyone has worked hard for it, and it is a family business. We have a great unity and everyone is super happy."

Senna believes there will be no more pressure on him to deliver with Williams that there has been since he began racing.

"It is something that has been constant in my career," he said. "I've been in the spotlight and it hasn't been a problem. It has made me learn the hard way about how to cope with pressure, and I've been able to deal with it. Last year there was a great deal of pressure with the circumstance, and in some ways it went the right way."

And although the Williams deal means that fellow Brazilian Rubens Barrichello has almost certainly been left without an F1 drive, Senna reckons it will not affect his relationship with the most experienced man in F1 history.

"I haven't had the chance to speak to him, but me and Rubens have had a great relationship ever since we met," he explained. "It is motor racing, it is sport. There is always the chance that one person going in will be another going out, and there is no personal feelings on that. It is just sport. Rubens is well aware of that."

Williams's Chief Operations Engineer Mark Gillan is adamant the team will take a significant step forward in performance this year following a difficult 2011.

"Obviously it will be a quite a significant improvement in performance but that is our goal and I am reasonably confident looking forward that we will achieve that goal," said Gillan during a teleconference after Williams confirmed Bruno Senna for the 2012 season.

"We want to be consistently in the top ten, going through to Q3 and consistently scoring points. I am confident we can achieve that goal."

Williams endured a very disappointing campaign last year, scoring just five points on its way to ninth place in the standings.

The Grove team has made several changes to its structure in the hope of fighting back in 2012, when it will also be using Renault engines.

Gillan says Williams has altered its processes dramatically in order to make sure the 2011 errors are not repeated.

He added: "The overall development of the car is going well and on plan. The car build has started and the processes has dramatically changed from last season to make sure we capture faults along the way as quickly as possible and not have as many issues as last season.

"Generally, the performance trend looks encouraging and the processes on the design side have dramatically changed."

Senna, who has 20 F1 races under his belt, will partner Pastor Maldonado, who made his grand prix debut with the team last year.

Gillan sees the inexperienced line-up as an opportunity for the team.

"It obviously puts added pressure on the operations side, but to me it is an opportunity," he said. "We have three reasonably inexperienced drivers but three with great potential and it is up to us as a team and the drivers to effectively unlock that potential throughout the season and maximise the performance."

Senna said the team and himself are aiming to start the season strongly and to be in a position to fight for the points in every race.

"We have talked with the team, and the intention is for the team to be back to scoring points, in the top ten pretty much every race weekend," said Senna.

"Of course with the car performance we want to bring that to the race weekend. We hope that the pre-season goals mean we can attack from race one, be very competitive with Pastor and everyone else."

New Jersey Grand Prix organisers have appointed the key men that will help lead the project into its first Formula 1 race next year.

Tom Cotter, who was head of successful motorsport marketing agency the Cotter Group, has been appointed as the President of the race promoting company.

He will work alongside former New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority CEO and President Dennis Robinson, who is joining as Chief Operations Officer.

Cotter, who sold his firm to Clear Channel Communications in 2011, said about his new role: "Only a world-class opportunity like this could divert me from my bucket list. The chance to make racing history doesn't come along often."

New Jersey's race promoter and director Leo Hindery Jr. added: "It is vital that we have a leadership team that is highly respected in motorsports, and in running major sporting events in the region, and that understands and respects our overriding responsibilities to the fans, the people of New York and New Jersey, the teams and the drivers. Tom Cotter and Dennis Robinson are the best possible choices to fill these roles."

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone agreed a deal last year for New Jersey to host its first grand prix in June 2013.

Red Bull Racing will unveil its new RB8 on its own official website on February 6, the day before the first pre-season test takes place.

The team announced on Tuesday that at 1pm on February 6, images of the new car and comments from drivers and management will be available on www.redbullracing.com.

The RB8 car will be the machine that the Milton Keynes-based outfit is hoping will deliver its third consecutive drivers' and constructors' world championship following Sebastian Vettel's back-to-back success in 2010 and 2011.

The Force India team will unveil its 2012 challenger on February 3, the team announced on Tuesday.

The launch, which coincides with the unveiling of the new Ferrari, will take place at the Silverstone circuit from 9am.

Testing at Jerez gets under way on February 7.

[Adam]

Senna seems like a bit of a bad choice on paper. I hope he proves the critics wrong because I want him to do well and I always loved Williams, but damn I'm gonna miss Rubinho.

And if Damon Hill still has that ridiculous beard then I'm glad I can't watch Sky's coverage.

[Lineker]

Damon Hill believes that Formula 1 will miss Rubens Barrichello if the Brazilian does not return to the grid after missing out on the Williams seat.

Barrichello turns 40 this year and although he has always maintained his desire to continue to race in F1, with only one seat left open at HRT it is unlikely that he will be on the grid in 2012.

Former rival Hill, who raced against Barrichello for seven seasons in F1, believes that he was a big part of the grand prix scene.

"There are a limited number of characters in F1 and Rubens has been thoroughly a positive character," Hill, newly confirmed as a member of the Sky Sports F1 HD coverage, told AUTOSPORT. "People like and respect Rubens and his abilities.

"He has had an incredibly long career and that is worth a lot - he's the most experienced F1 driver ever so people will miss him as a person and a driver."

Hill reckons that if Barrichello's F1 career is over, it will be difficult for him to adjust to no longer being a grand prix driver.

Barrichello has raced in F1 full-time since 1993 and Hill pointed out that there are few other categories that can offer the same feeling as racing at the top level.

"It's a really difficult thing for drivers to give up, or to be forced to give up, something they really love and that is their way of life," said Hill, who retired at the end of 1999.

"You know as a driver that some day it's going to happen and that you will have to stop. The shame is that there is nowhere to go next for a driver.

"You could go to DTM, but nothing is the same as F1 and there's no gradual climbdown from it.

"When you've been doing it as long as Rubens has, when March comes around, it's going to be a shock to the system."

Barrichello has yet to make clear his plans for 2012, although he did wish Bruno Senna, who landed the Williams seat, good luck and say that "the future is wide open" on Twitter.

Damon Hill is hoping that he can offer Sky Sports viewers a unique insight into the pressure cooker environment of fighting for the Formula 1 world championship in 2012.

The 1996 world champion has joined Sky as a pundit for the coming season and believes that his experience can help the fans to relate better to the drivers.

"Formula 1 is one of those sports that is very difficult to appreciate fully," Hill told AUTOSPORT. "A lot of people play football or have a go at golf, but it's difficult for most viewers to really relate to the experience of driving an F1 car and being a driver.

"I've been in the spotlight and the focus of attention with all of the pressures that drivers go through. It's how they cope with that that shows their mettle and what kind of character they are.

"That's what sport is. It's slightly cruel in that respect. You're putting them through a rather intense experience although they are volunteering to do it."

In addition to his four seasons as a race driver at Williams, where he enjoyed race-winning machinery throughout, and his two years at Jordan, Hill also has experience of racing in the lower reaches of the grid with Arrows and Brabham in particular.

He is hoping to turn the spotlight on some of the drivers struggling in less competitive machinery as well as focusing on the frontrunners.

"It's a little bit like the acting adage that there are no small parts, there are only small actors," he said. "Those guys at the back of the grid have still got a chance. I've been there myself and knew that if that's all I had to drive, I had to make a good job of it.

"It's interesting from all sorts of perspectives. It's a story worth telling that there are drivers who keep on plugging away. Remember, Alonso drove for Minardi and made his name. A lot of drivers make a name for themselves with poor equipment. It's possible to do that."

Hill added that joining Sky's F1 coverage will allow him to continue to be involved in the sport after focusing on his role as the president of the BRDC, which he stepped down from last year.

During that time, he played a leading role in securing the long-term future of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, but he is now keen to start following the on-track action in F1 more closely.

"I still feel the need to be involved," he said. "I spent a lot of time on the Silverstone project with the BRDC and have enjoyed having the opportunity of not always being in an aeroplane for awhile. But now is the time, with Josh [Hill, his son] coming back into racing, I kind of drawn back a little bit to being involved in some way.

"I want to follow the sport in more depth again and get a bit closer again."

The Caterham team has announced that it is planning to move from its current base in Hingham, Norfolk to different facilities in Leafield.

Caterham aims to relocate to the Leafield Technical Centre, which has been associated with motorsport for several years after it was sold to Tom Walkinshaw Racing in 1993 to become the Arrows's team base.

The facility would later become the Super Aguri team's headquarters when the Japanese squad made its Formula 1 debut back in 2006.

The proposed move would take place in August and the team believes it will help the squad become stronger.

"The factory in Hingham has been our home since we were first granted our entry into the F1 World Championship in September 2009 and it has served us extremely well, giving us the perfect platform to establish both the F1 team and our GP2 team in the first stages of our development," said team boss Tony Fernandes.

"However, as both teams grew, and in the planning process we went through when acquiring Caterham Cars and establishing the wider Caterham Group, it became clear that we needed to house the car company in the same facility as our racing operations, to give us the best chance to meet our future goals on and off track.

"We began looking for a site that could be adapted to suit the future needs of our racing and road car operations and Leafield quickly became the obvious choice."

Caterham said it would also relocate its GP2 team.

Fernandes added: "The factory in Hingham is where the dream began, and we will continue to develop that site into the new permanent home for Caterham Composites.

"We have cutting edge technical and production facilities already in operation in the factory, now focused on the F1 and GP2 teams, and we will be expanding those facilities to help meet the future demands of Caterham Composites' clients in all the markets that company will operate in, continuing to provide jobs and investment in Norfolk in world class, cutting edge technology. Caterham Technology and Innovation will also remain in Norfolk, demonstrating our long-term commitment to our first home.

"While it will obviously be sad if the F1 and GP2 teams move on from Hingham we are not saying goodbye to Norfolk. This will be the next chapter in the development of both our motor racing teams and our road car company and gives us the best chance to keep progressing on track and, in future, on the road with Caterham Cars."

[Lineker]

Jarno Trulli says he knows nothing of the speculation linking Vitaly Petrov with his seat at the Caterham team, and insists he has a contract with the squad.

Rumours about Petrov joining the team have intensified over recent days, the Russian still seeking a race seat after Renault - now Lotus - signed Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean for 2012.

There are suggestions that Petrov is in advanced talks with the team about a seat for the upcoming season.

Trulli, however, says his plans remain unchanged despite the speculation.

"I have a contract with Caterham and that's it. I know nothing of the rumours," Trulli told Gazzetta dello Sport. "The team hasn't said anything to me.

"On Monday I will be in the factory to get the seat made and everything remains the same for me until I'm told otherwise."

The veteran Italian insists he is not thinking about his future outside of Formula 1.

"I'm not talking about the future: each time words are put into my mouth that I will go in NASCAR or I will race in the [Le Mans] 24 Hours. But my present tense is F1, I'm only talking about that."

Trulli, who endured a difficult 2011 season as he struggled with the team's power steering system, says he is confident of a stronger 2012.

"I expect things to be better than in 2011. The base is better, there's more experience, resources, people. We start on the hunt for that championship point we wanted last year and with the objective to fight regularly in the mid field..

"People don't realise how hard starting from zero is. I've raced with Minardi, but it's a lot harder here. You can't make mistakes: every error has long-lasting effects."

He added: "I'm confident. During the course of the year I saw many improvements. The step taken was big, even though it wasn't noticed. Now we need another one."

Caterham will unveil its new Formula 1 car on the cover of AUTOSPORT's sister publication F1 Racing on January 26.

The Hingham-based outfit's challenger will remain in the green and yellow colours that the outfit used when it raced under the Team Lotus name.

The new car will run for the first time at the opening pre-season test that takes place in Jerez from February 7.

Austin's new Formula 1 track layout is set to be completed in the middle of August, AUTOSPORT can reveal, with construction efforts now fully back on course at the United States venue.

Although there was uncertainty about the future of the race last year amid a dispute over the contract - with work at the circuit being halted for several weeks - a big push by Austin's organisers ensured it remained on the final 2012 calendar issued by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council in early December.

On the back of construction work having been resumed several weeks ago, race chiefs have confirmed that the recent delays will not have any negative effect on the event taking place. The current schedule is for the 3.4-mile track layout to be ready by the middle of August, with the rest of the infrastructure being completed well before the November 18 race date.

Senior representatives from the Circuit of the Americas, including president Steve Sexton, executive vice president Bruce Knox, director of racing operations Chuck Aksland, and chief marketing and sales officer Geoff Moore are in London this week for meetings with Bernie Ecclestone to update him on progress.

Moore told AUTOSPORT: "The race is on. Construction is happening six days a week. The paddock buildings are being topped off, work on the main grandstand has started and we are looking at mid-August for completion [of the track surface]."

Pressure on the construction efforts has been eased by the fact that the race's date has been shifted from an original June date to its November slot - where it will form a back-to-back with season finale Brazil.

Although a reported $25 million payment from local government, as part of a Major Event Trust Fund, will not be given to Austin officials in advance - track chiefs say the venue already has advanced funding in place to ensure completion of the track.

The money will be applied for after the race, once it is clear just how much tax revenue the Austin Grand Prix has generated for the local economy.

The total cost for the Circuit of the Americas is estimated at $350 million, with track chiefs hoping to attract 120,000 spectators for the inaugural event.

Kimi Raikkonen will only return to his very best in Formula 1 this year if Lotus is able to provide him with an exceptional car.

That is the view of former world champion Niki Lauda, who welcomes the return of the 2007 title winner to F1 but thinks his potential will be very dependent on what machinery he is driving.

"It's excellent news that he will be back," Lauda told AUTOSPORT. "He is an exceptional personality and will create huge interest and excitement with media and fans.

"It is a good move for Renault or Lotus as the team is called now. It depends on how good the car will be, because Kimi will only shine in an excellent car."

Lauda believes that Sebastian Vettel's rivals are also going to face a mammoth task if they want to overhaul the double champion - and he has not ruled out the German dominating the forthcoming season again.

"Sebastian has gained a lot of confidence last year, and doesn't make mistakes," he said. "He will be the benchmark again. Who ever wants to beat him, must rely on a perfect car."

Speaking about his predictions for the 2012 season, Lauda added: "Right now nobody knows how the new cars will perform. However, from a logical point of view, Red Bull should be out in front again because they only have to modify the exhaust and the diffuser.

"The loss in downforce will be regained by aerodynamic improvements. The question is: who will find the smartest solutions? Who had a very good car in 2011 has the advantage now too.

"Red Bull had an excellent car last year and they only need to do further developments whereas, say, Mercedes have to build a proper new car. That includes the risk of going in the wrong direction, though they added some well-known technicians. The same for Ferrari.

"It is easier to improve from a solid basis than to start from scratch. Having said that, we all have to wait for the first tests."

[Lineker]

Red Bull Racing insists that there is no rush for it to copy the reactive ride system pioneered by Lotus - even though some rival outfits are pushing on with developing their own concepts.

Lotus raised some eyebrows in the Abu Dhabi young driver test last year when it ran a system that maintains its ride height under braking - which aids aerodynamic performance and stability into corners.

AUTOSPORT revealed earlier this month that the FIA had declared the system legal as long ago as last January - and that Ferrari was awaiting the green light from the governing body to be able to race its own version this year.

Although some have touted the reactive ride system – which is legal because it is activated by brake torque – as perhaps the major technical innovation of the year, Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner is less convinced.

"It's like all of these things, it's about how they work and how they are integrated in the car," Horner said in an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT.

"Things have to work as a package rather than as individual components. It appears to be an interesting concept but I'm the wrong person to be commenting on it."

Horner has said that progress with the team's new RB8 – which will be launched online on February 6 – was going well, but he said it was too early to be making any bold predictions.

"It's a busy time of the year at the moment," he said. "Everybody in the factory is working flat out but so far we are looking in reasonable shape compared to our car schedule and planning.

"The challenge this year is that all of the crash tests have to be completed before the car runs, but that's the same for all of the teams.

"We're in reasonable shape but we are very much focused on ourselves. We will see when the cars roll out at the first test."

Sebastian Vettel's rivals have been warned that the double Formula 1 world champion is better prepared for the forthcoming season than he has ever been before.

Although Vettel dominated the 2011 campaign, winning 11 races en route to his second title, the Red Bull Racing driver is showing no signs of taking things for granted in his efforts to grab another crown.

Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz told Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday that he believed Vettel was heading into the 2012 season in his best shape ever.

"Sebastian has improved and is stronger than ever," said Mateschitz. "He has prepared during the winter break like he's never done before and he will certainly not let us down.

"What he needs for his third title is a competitive car and on that aspect we'll be able to evaluate where the teams are going in the first tests in Jerez."

Mateschitz concurs with recent comments from Vettel, who said that more success for Red Bull Racing could help the team achieve legendary status in the sport similar to that which Ferrari enjoys.

"What Sebastian says is certainly right. Ferrari has become a legend through victories and titles too. How many titles are needed for that isn't so important: what counts now is the hat trick in 2012."

When asked about which teams he believes Red Bull Racing's main rivals will be in 2012, Mateschitz said: "McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes. I think in this order."

Pirelli's plans for developing its 2013 Formula 1 tyres are in a state of flux as it is currently without a suitable test car.

The Italian company has been in talks with the teams over a suitable machine for its test programme to succeed the 2009 Toyota TF109 that it has previously used. But Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery claims that teams are reluctant to run the risk of any squad gaining an advantage by having its 2011 machine used for testing.

This is despite all data being shared openly between the teams and Pirelli using its own test driver to conduct the work.

"There has been a suggestion that we could modify the 2009 Toyota, but the car is now in a museum and it is not a realistic proposition," Hembery told AUTOSPORT. "We've not yet been given what we think is a suitable option.

"We would like a 2011 car from somebody, but we don't really care who it is from. We want to do our testing with precision and feel that the older the car gets, the further away it is from a state of the art car.

"We understand the teams' point of view that they don't want to give an advantage to anybody, but at a certain point we will have to make our own decision to achieve what we have to because nobody will give us any credit for not using a suitable car if things go wrong."

Discussions with the teams are ongoing and Pirelli is keen to come to a consensus solution. But Hembery admitted that it was possible that the company could opt to do a deal with an individual team directly if no acceptable car is agreed upon.

"It's quite possible, yes," said Hembery when asked if Pirelli could buy a car from a team. "We are not interested in assisting one particular team and we need to do our job. We have some interesting ideas for 2013, but need to do work on them.

"We are going to do a lot on the simulator and probably we will do work with the teams in simulation by giving them all a black box with 20 specifications and ask them to drive on them. That I certainly don't exclude and I'm sure they will agree.

"But In terms of finalising the tyres, particularly the compound work, we do need a number of sessions. No more than three probably, just to finalise the work. We will get there, I'm sure."

Kimi Raikkonen will get his first taste of the new Lotus Formula 1 car when it runs for the first time at Jerez on February 7, two days after the car is revealed on the team's new website.

The team has announced that it will reveal its 2012 contender, which carries the comeback hopes of the 2007 Formula 1 world champion after two years away from the sport, live on its new website - www.lotusf1team.com - at 1700 CET on Sunday February 5.

The site will also go live on the same date, before the team's official unveiling of its new car at the Spanish venue the following day.

Raikkonen will then take on driving duties for the first two days of the first pre-season test at Jerez and then hand the car over to team-mate Romain Grosjean for the remainder of the four-day session.

The Finn, who has had no F1 track time since switching back from the World Rally Championship where he has been competing for the past two seasons, is expected to spend two days driving a 2010-spec Renault at Valencia next week using Pirelli's demo rubber.

Scuderia Toro Rosso has confirmed its new car will be ready for the opening pre-season test at Jerez next month, after passing all the mandatory crash tests this week.

For 2012, all Formula 1 teams must complete the FIA crash tests before they are allowed to run their cars on track. In previous years, the tests only had to be done before first practice for the season opener.

In a statement published on its website on Friday, Toro Rosso confirmed that its car had been approved, and that it was on course to run for the first time at Jerez on February 7.

"We now know the car is strong enough and as from 7 February in Jerez, we can start work on making it quick and reliable," said the team.

Toro Rosso is running an all-new driver line-up in 2012, with Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne replacing Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari.

Marussia is planning to run its 2012 car at the second pre-season test at Barcelona, with technical consultant Pat Symonds revealing it will be virtually an all-new design from last year's chassis.

With Symonds having taken over the technical direction of the outfit following the departure of Nick Wirth, the team has been making the most of a tie-up with McLaren to produce a car that will deliver a good step forward.

In an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT, Symonds says that the outfit will use its old car at the first test in Jerez - to give rookie Charles Pic some valuable mileage – before unveiling its 2012 challenger at Barcelona.

"We are aiming for the second [test]," explained Symonds. "We are going to be at the first test anyway because I think it's important for Charles [Pic] to get some miles under his belt and it shakes some of the cobwebs off of the team."

Speaking about the design evolution of the car, Symonds said that there was very little carry over from the Virgin Racing car that raced last season.

"You always carry over something, but I think we have probably carried over less than normal," he said. "The whole of the suspension design is different, even the pedal assemblies are different. There is probably a smaller amount of carry over on this car than almost any car I have worked on."

However, despite the all-new design, Symonds says that the team is not being radical with its design.

"I don't think it is the time for us to be innovative," he said. "When you are that far off the front it's the time to really just do your job properly and to make sure that what you are doing you are doing well. So no real innovation, it's much more about looking at each area and trying to improve each one."

[Lineker]

Formula 1 teams have been told that the reactive suspension system pioneered by Lotus has been banned for the 2012 season.

Sources have confirmed that a note was sent from the FIA to all teams on Friday evening indicating that the governing body was no longer satisfied the concept - which regulates ride height under braking - was still legal.

It is not clear why the FIA has decided now that the reactive systems should be outlawed, after AUTOSPORT revealed last week that it had given the green light to the Lotus idea as long ago as last January.

Rival teams are likely, however, to have made an effort to prove to the FIA that the Lotus system was in contravention of the regulations.

News of the FIA ban was first broken on The Flying Lap webcast, when Williams chief operations engineer Mark Gillan said on Friday night he had received a note from the governing body shortly before going on air notifying him of the move.

"The FIA has just banned that particular type of system," he said.

Speaking about Williams' efforts on the device, Gillan said: "We have been investigating that type of system for a while. It obviously has an impact on the aero platform of the car, [and] anything that gets the front ride height lower is beneficial from an aerodynamic perspective."

The reactive suspension system on the Lotus was first spotted at last year's Abu Dhabi Young Driver Test, and helped maintain the front ride height under braking for corners – to benefit both aerodynamic performance and stability.

Rivals teams were quick to look into the system, with Ferrari understood to be the first to propose its own version of reactive ride to the FIA.

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali had said at his team's Wrooom media event in Italy last week that he was awaiting a response from the governing body on its legality.

He said: "What you are talking about, is more related to having stability under braking. It is a system that I know there have been some documents in writing between the FIA and the teams.

"We are waiting for the final confirmation if this kind of devices will be acceptable or not. But for sure we are looking around these sorts of devices to see if they contribute to a performance. But we need to wait and see what will be the reaction to the FIA on that."

Only this week, Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner had said he was unsure about the ultimate benefits of the system.

"It's like all of these things, it's about how they work and how they are integrated in the car," Horner told AUTOSPORT. "Things have to work as a package rather than as individual components. It appears to be an interesting concept but I'm the wrong person to be commenting on it."

When asked if he thought it was legal, he said: "I haven't had that close a look at it. That's more a question for [F1 race director] Charlie Whiting."

The Lotus system was mechanical and activated by brake torque. And, because it was part of the suspension system, was deemed legal at the time because it could not be classified as a moveable aerodynamic device.

And that was that!! No doubt there will be appeals, but back to the drawing board for Lotus it seems.

[hugobomb]

So how much did this decision cost Ferrari & Co in bribes?

[MJB]

Ferrari also had a similar system in place aswell.

[Lineker]

Only because they had to react to Lotus'.

Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner says Toro Rosso's new pairing Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne are among the most exciting rising talents on the Formula 1 scene, and is intrigued to see how their battle to earn future RBR chances pans out.

Ricciardo and Vergne were announced as Toro Rosso's 2012 line-up last month, with Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari dropped to make way for the two Red Bull proteges. While Ricciardo had already completed a part-season with HRT, Vergne moves up to F1 after succeeding Ricciardo as British Formula 3 champion then finishing second in Formula Renault 3.5 over the past two years.

Horner told AUTOSPORT he was looking forward to seeing the head-to-head between the two young drivers at Toro Rosso.

"They are two of the most exciting talents on the periphery of F1," he said. "To put them in the same environment gives us a much better visibility in terms of seeing how they progress.

"They have done tremendously well in the lower formulas and in test and simulation work for Red Bull Racing and we are fully supportive of their promotion into the race seats."

Asked if he saw the Toro Rosso intra-team battle as a fight to secure Mark Webber's Red Bull seat for 2013, Horner acknowledged that Ricciardo and Vergne were being groomed as potential drivers for the senior team but underlined that nothing was set in stone.

"Those two guys are both very competitive," he said. "They are products of the Red Bull junior programme and are both Red Bull Racing drivers on loan to Toro Rosso to develop them.

"Time will tell. There are no guarantees. It's the best way to see how their talent evolves over the next season or so."

Horner also reiterated his belief that Webber would deliver a stronger campaign this year after being overshadowed by Sebastian Vettel in 2011.

"Mark has been with the team for five seasons now and he's a very valued member for the team," said Horner. "He's training hard, his motivation seems very high and I'm sure he's going to be fully focused on having a very strong 2012."

After losing his Toro Rosso race seat, Buemi has been given the test and reserve role for Red Bull Racing - a move Horner welcomed.

"It's very positive for us," he said. "Sebastien has three years of grand prix experience, he knows the team well. He's technically very competent and has a lot of experience of current F1. For us, it's the best possible scenario to have Sebastien as our test and reserve driver."

[Lineker]

Marussia Racing consultant Pat Symonds believes that the team's 2011 car had very good potential in some areas but was badly hamstrung by poor aerodynamics.

After relying solely on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for its first two designs, the ex-Virgin team is embracing windtunnel technology as part of its design restructuring, which has also seen the exit of former partner Wirth Research and the announcement of a new collaboration with McLaren.

Former Renault technical chief Symonds said it was only poor aero that was holding the 2011 Virgin back.

"I think it's true to say we do a lot of competitor analysis, a lot of analysis of where we are, and I think mechanically the car was much better than a back-of-the-grid car," he told AUTOSPORT.

"The performance in the slow corners was much closer to the norm than it was in the fast corners. The car responded to changes pretty well, it used its tyres pretty well, it wasn't a difficult car to drive, so I think our low-speed performance was reasonable. The high-speed performance wasn't good - and then of course you look at aerodynamics.

"Let's face it, most of the performance from an F1 car now comes from aerodynamics, that's where we were lacking and that's where it put us back."

Symonds added that Marussia also had a fine asset in lead driver Timo Glock, who has stayed on for a third season.

"He's good. He's very communicative, and he pushes hard," said Symonds of Glock. "He's a good yardstick for the team. I am very, very pleased we have got him.

"I think when you are trying to develop a car and develop a team, if you don't have a yardstick, some continuity, it can get pretty difficult. Timo is a very important part of our progress forward."

[Lineker]

Reactive suspension systems were banned from Formula 1 once it became clear to the FIA that their principle benefit was aerodynamic, AUTOSPORT has learned.

The governing body wrote to teams on Friday informing them that, in its view, the mechanical concepts pioneered by Lotus and Ferrari and being looked at by other teams would be in contravention of the rules if they were used to help the aerodynamics of the cars.

This came despite the initial idea for the hydraulic devices, activated by brake torque, being given the green light as long ago as January last year.

At the time of that initial approval to the then Renault team, it was understood that the devices were purely suspension related and aimed at maintaining ride-height - so effectively nothing more than a sophisticated version of rising-rate springs.

However, with rival teams having expressed an interest in the design, and querying its legality after it was spotted at last year's young driver test in Abu Dhabi, the FIA decided to look much closer at the reactive ride concept.

It is understood that as more details emerged about the Renault and Ferrari systems, both in terms of how they worked and what their benefit was, it became clear that the main advantage of the suspension systems was in helping aerodynamic performance.

The FIA believed that because the systems relied on changes being made to the length of the suspension member as well as unusual movement of the brake calipers - and these alterations helped the aerodynamics of the car – that they were in breach of Article 3.15 of F1's Technical Regulations, which effectively bans moveable aerodynamic devices.

The article states that any part that influences aerodynamic performance "must be rigidly secured to the entirely sprung part of the car (rigidly secured means not having any degree of freedom)" and "must remain immobile in relation to the sprung part of the car."

As well as the potential breach of the aerodynamic rules, it is understood that there was a risk of the reactive ride systems getting challenged under the articles relating to suspension in the F1 regulations too.

Article 10.2.1 states: "With the steering wheel fixed, the position of each wheel centre and the orientation of its rotation axis must be completely and uniquely defined by a function of its principally vertical suspension travel, save only for the effects of reasonable compliance which does not intentionally provide further degrees of freedom."

Article 10.2.3 says: "No adjustment may be made to the suspension system while the car is in motion."

The decision to make a ruling on the reactive suspension systems now removes the threat of the matter building up into a major technical controversy before the start of the season, which could have overshadowed the first race like the double diffuser row did in 2009.

Although the FIA directive states that the governing body views the devices to be illegal, there is nothing stopping teams from continuing to test them and fitting them to the cars for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix – because the final decision on whether they comply with the regulations always rests with the race stewards. But such a scenario is thought to be highly unlikely.

Kimi Raikkonen has returned to the wheel of a Formula 1 car for the first time since the end of 2009, driving a two-year-old Renault R30 at Valencia as he reacclimatises himself to the sport with Lotus.

Raikkonen arrived at the track at 0830 CET and took to the wheel of a two-year-old Renault R30 car - painted in Lotus's contemporary black and gold livery and using Pirelli's demonstration-spec rubber - for an installation lap just after 0900.

The Finn is taking part in a two-day session designed to help him reacclimatise himself with grand prix machinery. His first test with the team's 2012 car will take place at Jerez early next month.

Under the terms of F1's strict testing limitations, teams are not allowed to run contemporary F1 machinery apart from at designated tests. However, machinery that is two years old is free from such restrictions - which is why Lotus is able to run him in a 2010 Renault car that is fitted with demo rubber.

Raikkonen last raced in F1 in 2009, when he was dropped by Ferrari and chose to switch to the World Rally Championship for the following year. He competed there for two seasons.

Keen to return to racing, however, Raikkonen briefly tried the NASCAR truck series last year before eventually agreeing a deal with Lotus to return to F1 in 2012.

Raikkonen said last month that he believed the biggest hurdle he faced in returning to F1 was getting used to the tyres.

He told the Lotus website: "I don't think I've lost any speed. Getting on top of the tyres will be the hardest thing, of course, but I'm not really worried."

Kimi Raikkonen thinks it will still take him some time to fully return to his best in Formula 1, despite quickly settling back into the cockpit of a grand prix car at Valencia on Monday.

The former world champion has begun a two-day test in a 2010-spec Renault R30 in a bid to reacclimatise himself with F1 machinery prior to his first run in the team's 2012 machine at Jerez next month.

Although the age of the car, plus the fact it is running on Pirelli demonstration rubber, means that lap times are meaningless, initial feedback from the team suggested that Raikkonen was showing well already.

Raikkonen said he had little problem learning to drive an F1 car again - but said that understanding how to get the best out of the team and tyres was not going to be the work of the moment.

"It was nice to get back in the car," explained Raikkonen. "It was quite a few years since I have driven last time, [and] of course it takes a little while to get used to it. But the main driving, braking, turning, that doesn't take many laps. But of course to start learning about the car and team and tyres, that will take time."

Raikkonen also suggested that he never took it for granted that he would make a return to F1 after he had embarked on a career in the World Rally Championship.

When asked if he had expected to be back in F1, he said: "Not really. I didn't have any plans for the future.

"There were different choices to do this year and I really wanted to do racing. We did some NASCAR stuff last year and I enjoyed it a lot, racing against other people.

"That is where I decided to do racing, and [if you are] doing racing, F1 is the highest level and probably where most people want to be. I found a good chance to come back and do racing with Lotus."

Lotus's trackside operations engineer Alan Permane said Kimi Raikkonen proved on his first day back in a Formula 1 cockpit that his return to grand prix racing can be a success.

Raikkonen is spending two days testing a 2010 Renault at Valencia this week as he settles back into F1 after two seasons in the World Rally Championship.

No times were released from today's test, and Raikkonen's pace would not be representative as he is using demonstration tyres and an older car, but Permane said his quality had shown through.

"From the first run he was pretty much there," Permane told BBC Sport. "It's very difficult to know where he should be but he was pretty much on the pace on the first run. He didn't find a whole lot of pace during the day.

"I don't see any reason why he won't be on the pace - you can tell he's a very, very experienced driver.

"It was very clear we were working with a former world champion. It was a good day."

Permane added that he could not understand why Raikkonen had a reputation for being uncommunicative, as he had got on well with the Lotus team so far.

"He must have two faces - one for [the media]," Permane said. "He's perfectly normal. "He was very happy to sit and talk about the car for as long as it takes. He's very open."

Kimi Raikkonen is set for more intense running on the second day of his comeback Formula 1 test with Lotus on Tuesday.

The Finn completed just over 300km in a 2010-specification Renault R30 at Valencia on Monday using three sets of Pirelli's very durable demonstration tyres.

He has four sets of Pirellis available for Tuesday's running and is scheduled to complete more laps than on the first day as the team is hoping to give him more long runs as part of a wider-ranging programme.

"We'll do some more high and low-fuel runs," Lotus track operations director Alan Permane told AUTOSPORT on Monday. "And there will be a few more set-up changes as we did some basic ones today.

"There will also be some procedural stuff like starts that will be subtly different to what he experienced at Ferrari, just to get him up to speed before he drives the new car."

Lotus has structured its running around Raikkonen's needs, with re-acclimatising to F1 his priority ahead of the first pre-season test at Jerez, which starts on February 7.

As Raikkonen left F1 before refuelling was banned in 2010, giving him experience of varying fuel loads is also key.

"It isn't a traditional test, it's more about doing what he wants and getting him up to speed," said Permane.

"We wrote a run-plan and pretty much stuck to it [on Monday]. But I said to Kimi in the morning that the test is really for you and that if you want to do something different, that's fine, let us know.

"But he just got on with it. We did a few little set-up changes and ran the car on a very high fuel load because that's something he didn't do as he left F1 before the refuelling ban came in.

"So it gave him a feel of the car on 150kg [fuel levels] when there's a difference of four or five seconds a lap. The plan is for more of the same on Tuesday."

Raikkonen is looking forward to the extra mileage on what is his first experience of an F1 car since November 2009.

"Obviously you get more into the zone with the more laps you complete as you discover more about the car and the tyres," he said.

Kimi Raikkonen will definitely have his new Lotus ready for the first Formula 1 pre-season test after his outfit passed the last of its mandatory crash tests on Monday morning, AUTOSPORT can reveal.

As the former world champion began a private test at Valencia in Spain in a 2010-spec R30, exclusive pictures of which can be seen here, sources have confirmed his Enstone-based team was completing the last of its crash tests.

For the first time this year, F1 teams must pass the stringent FIA crash tests before they are allowed to run their cars on track - as opposed to only being required to do so for the first race of the campaign.

Lotus will unveil its 2012 car on its official website on February 5, prior to an official showing at the Jerez circuit the following day.

Raikkonen is due to kick off running of the new car for the first two days of the test from February 7, before handing it over to team-mate Romain Grosjean for the final two days.

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says there are no doubts in his head that the Bahrain Grand Prix will take place this year - despite ongoing question marks about its future.

With reports of continued political trouble still appearing in the media, there has been speculation that the event could face a repeat of the scenario 12 months ago when it had to be cancelled.

But Ecclestone is adamant that the race, which is scheduled to take place on April 22, will go ahead because he does not see any issue with events going on in the Gulf state.

"Everyone talks a lot about this part of the world, but Bahrain is the country in the region where there are the fewest problems," said Ecclestone in an interview with the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper.

Ecclestone also said that he was considering the idea of alternating the Barcelona and Valencia races in Spain - amid recent comments from the organisers that they want to reduce costs - but suggested his plans were meeting resistance.

"The Spaniards don't want to discuss it," he said. "We should not have two races there."

Although dropping one of the Spanish races would reduce the calendar, Ecclestone says there are no shortages of other venues ready to sign up.

"We could conclude deals today with five new promoters. The demand is high," he explained. "Great interest comes from Mexico. More races cost us and the teams more money, because they probably have to double their staff. But we could find solutions."

Mark Webber will get the first run in the new Red Bull RB8 when the champion team begins testing at Jerez on February 7.

Reigning drivers' champion Sebastian Vettel will wait until 9 February before he tries the 2012 machine for the first time, as Webber has been granted the first two days of the four-day test in Spain.

Red Bull announced last week that it would reveal the RB8 on its website on 6 February.

The team is chasing a hat-trick of constructors' titles with the new car, while Vettel is also aiming for a third straight championship and Webber is keen to bring himself back into title contention after a frustrating 2011 campaign.

[Lineker]

Lewis Hamilton has told the court trying his friend Adrian Sutil that he will not be available on the day they initially wanted him to testify.

Fellow-driver Sutil is charged with causing grievous bodily harm in an incident involving an F1 executive.

Hamilton is prepared to co-operate but has commitments with McLaren on 30 January, when prosecutors wanted him to appear, his lawyer has told the judge.

It is not known whether a new date will be set or Hamilton will be excused.

Hamilton's lawyer contacted the judge in the trial - which will take place in Munich - when reports emerged last week stating that prosecutors wanted Hamilton to testify, BBC Sport has learned.

Two dates have been set for the trial - 30 and 31 January - and a spokeswoman for the court was quoted in the German media saying Hamilton would be called to make a "mandatory appearance" as a witness on the first day.

Hamilton, who turned 27 earlier this month, was in the nightclub in Shanghai on the night Sutil, who last season drove for Force India, is charged with assaulting Eric Lux, an executive of the Renault team, which has since been re-named Lotus.

Hamilton, contrary to reports, has not yet received a summons to the trial but is willing to co-operate and his lawyer has offered the 2008 world champion's assistance.

However, Hamilton is contracted to do work for McLaren on the day in question.

The team's new F1 car is being launched at their factory in Woking, Surrey, on 1 February. Hamilton is currently doing physical training in the United States in preparation for the new season, which starts in Australia on 18 March.

The Sutil trial will now either go ahead as planned, or will be adjourned until a new date so Hamilton can testify.

Sutil has issued an apology for the incident, which happened on the night of last year's Chinese Grand Prix, which Hamilton won.

Prosecutors are requesting a year's suspended sentence for Sutil, whose manager has said the driver is looking forward to seeing the truth of the incident come out in court.

Force India have already announced Germany's Nico Hulkenberg as Sutil's replacement in their team for the 2012 season.

The 29-year-old, whose best result in F1 is a fourth place, does not have a drive for the coming championship, and is expected to take a year off the sport while he tries to find a race seat for 2013.

Kimi Raikkonen said he was feeling 'very positive' after concluding a two-day test at the Valencia circuit on Tuesday.

The 2007 world champion returned to the cockpit of an F1 car for the first time in over two years yesterday, as he began his preparations to race in 2012 with the Lotus team.

Raikkonen covered 91 laps today for a total of 171 over the two sessions, completing the equivalent of more than two race distances.

"It went well today and overall the two days have been helped me a lot," said the Finn. "Even though I was using a two year-old car and the Pirelli demonstration tyres, I learnt about working with the team and the engineers which means I can focus on the new car once we get to Jerez for the first official test.

"It was great to be driving an F1 car again and from that respect I feel very positive."

Lotus's Trackside Operations Engineer Alan Permane said the former world champion's pace had improved since yesterday and labelled the test as "productive and valuable".

"We enjoyed another good day with Kimi in Valencia," he said. "The morning was spent doing set-up work in particular with front and rear cambers. In the afternoon we ran very low fuel qualifying simulations with two new sets of tyres followed by a 27 lap run starting with a full tank of fuel.

"Kimi's pace improved from yesterday as we would expect and we completed several start, pitstop and clutch simulations. We were even able to finish early as we completed our programme ahead of time. Overall it has been a productive and valuable two days."

Raikkonen will return to action when the team unveils its 2012 challenger at Jerez next month.

Jerome D'Ambrosio will be the Lotus team's third driver during the 2012 season, the outfit announced on Tuesday.

The Belgian, who made his grand prix debut with the Virgin Racing team last year, was left without a racing seat after the squad signed Charles Pic to partner Timo Glock in 2012.

D'Ambrosio will attend all races this year, working with race drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean.

He will stand in for either of the two race drivers if required.

"It's a great feeling to be joining Lotus F1 Team," said D'Ambrosio. "It's an exciting next step in my career. I contested a complete season in F1 as a race driver for a smaller team where I learnt a lot about Formula 1.

"Now, I have the opportunity to work with one of the top teams with great potential for my future development. With my recent race experience, I know I can make a valuable contribution.

"Of course, I would love to be racing, but racing with a top team. Being associated with Lotus F1 Team should be more beneficial and this is the choice I have made. This opportunity is one I couldn't afford to miss. My desire to get back in a race seat in the future is motivating me to do the best job possible in my new position."

Team boss Eric Boullier added: "To have a third driver who is highly motivated, fresh and talented and who contested the full 2011 season is highly beneficial for us. In Jerome we have someone we know well who integrates beneficially with the squad.

"He impressed as reserve driver for us in 2010 and at the end of that year he made a strong showing in the young driver test. He also showed strongly in his rookie season as an F1 race driver. I am looking forward to working with Jerome again and think he is a perfect addition to our driving strength."

Pedro de la Rosa insists HRT's production of its new car is going to plan and is still hopeful he will be able to drive it during the second pre-season test at Barcelona.

The Spanish squad is working flat out to have its new single-seater ready in time for testing and, despite suggestions that there are delays with it, de la Rosa says he is staying calm.

HRT is set to test its 2011 car in the opening session at Jerez, but de la Rosa is still hopeful the team will be able to run with the 2012 machine in the second test at Barcelona on February 21.

"The plan is to test with the old car at Jerez, and then run the new car in the Barcelona test on February 21. That's the plan," de la Rosa told AUTOSPORT.

"It's been said there are delays, but I don't see it that way. I think the whole process of producing the car started very late and the team is making a superhuman effort to have the new car on track on February 21.

"I'm very calm. From the day I signed I knew that this was more or less the plan. It hasn't been modified."

He added: "The plan is to have a pre-season that is as long as possible. It's always best to do as many kilometres as possible. But it's not a critical situation because it's going according to plan.

"Things get more intense when those plans have to change because the parts are late or because there are problems, but it's not the case. I think that having two tests before Australia we will be fine. There are bigger teams who have also opted to do this too."

De la Rosa, who has signed a two-year deal with HRT to return to racing this year, admits the main goal for the team is to improve on a regular basis.

He said the target for the season has to be beating Marussia and Caterham, but he is aware it will be a difficult task.

"Our realistic goal is to improve, first of all," he said. "Improve race by race. What we need to make clear is that a victory for us is not winning a race, but simply improve in every race. And for that we need to be the best new team to be in the top ten [in the championship].

"It's a very ambitious target and it will be very, very hard because there are teams like Caterham who have a clear advantage over us. But we are here to set goals for ourselves and to fight for them.

"But the important thing, on the short term, is to grow up in an organised way and that will make the car faster race by race."

The Marussia F1 team has revised its pre-season plans and will not attend the first test at Jerez in order to concentrate on the development of the new car.

The team was expected to run last year's car in the opening test on February 7-10 to give new driver Charles Pic some track time ahead of his grand prix debut this year.

Team consultant Pat Symonds told AUTOSPORT last week that the outfit was aiming to have its new car ready for the second test at Barcelona.

Marussia, however, has now decided to skip the first test altogether and is now aiming to run the new MR01 in the third test at Barcelona on 1 March.

The team will use last year's car in the second test, also at Barcelona, when it will kick off its on-track preparations.

Team boss John Booth believes the extra time to work on the new car will allow Marussia to be better prepared when it hits the track.

"We have taken the decision today that we will not attend the first test in Jerez, taking place from 7-10 February," Booth told AUTOSPORT.

"We had been looking to take part in that test with the 2011 MVR-02 for the purpose of providing Charles with some valuable running to assist with the preparation for his debut season. This was with a view to introducing the new car, the MR01, at Barcelona two weeks later.

"As our Technical Consultant Pat Symonds has stated publicly, the MR01 will be almost entirely 'new', with very little carryover from 2011. The new car also has some interesting and complex mechanical concepts and it is taking time for us to get to grips with these.

"Unfortunately our programme has slipped and there seems little point in fielding the new car before we can optimise the run plan for it.

"For that reason we have decided to commence our on-track testing by attending the second test in Barcelona with the MVR-02. We then aim to introduce the MR01 at the third test in Barcelona on 1 March.

"Whilst this is not ideal, and not the timescale we had intended to work to, we will at least get some important running with the new car ahead of Australia and hopefully gain more constructive track time than we might otherwise have achieved had we rushed the car out for the second test."

Edited January 25, 2012 by Emmanuel Linpong

[Lineker]

The Caterham F1 team unveiled its 2012 challenger to the public on Wednesday, one day ahead of the what was originally planned by the squad.

The team has revealed its car on the cover of the latest edition of F1 Racing magazine, subscribers of which received their copies today. But the team has now also released an image of the car through its official Twitter feed.

It intends to publish more images and further details of its new car on Caterham's website tomorrow.

Caterham's CT01, as the car will be called, is the team's first single seater under the new name, having raced as Lotus in its first two seasons in Formula 1.

The car, which will be powered by Renault engines, features a platypus-style nose with front suspension mounts that raise above the noseline. Features such as these may prove to be quite common this year due to the new regulations covering the nose area.

It also appears to be more aggressive aerodynamically than its predecessors, which were deliberately conservative, and features tightly-sculpted, low rear bodywork with slim and short sidepods to maximise the low drag effect in that area.

The CT01 is scheduled to make its track debut at Jerez next month when testing kicks off.

Vitaly Petrov is in the frame to land a test driving role with Pirelli for 2012 if he fails to land a race seat for the season ahead.

The Russian, who has most recently been linked with a drive at Caterham following his dismissal from Renault at the end of last season, made a surprise appearance on Wednesday at a Pirelli press event in Abu Dhabi.

Although the appearance with Pirelli is a one-off for now, Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery has confirmed that the Russian is being considered for an expanded role if he does not race.

"We will see how it goes," Hembery told AUTOSPORT. "There is always a lot of tyre development work to do, and we are eager to have a driver who has experience of racing from the previous year."

Pirelli currently has Lucas di Grassi as its tester, and the Brazilian is also expected to stay on for the season ahead.

The tyre company itself is currently unsure of its testing plans, however, and is awaiting discussions with Formula 1 chiefs to work out how it will continue track running in 2012 - with its old Toyota test car now past its useful life.

Speaking at the season preview event, Hembery said: "We have a meeting with the F1 Commission at the end of February where we hope to put forward some solutions that give Pirelli the chance to test as we hope to.

"No one will thank us if we cannot test because we don't have a test car, but we have to find a solution that suits Pirelli but also suits F1. People in this sport are always worried about one team getting an advantage over someone else, but with everyone using the same electronics from McLaren then they could all have access to the same data that we acquire [if we run one car].

"It is a complex area but at the end of the day we have to do our work."

Petrov has been in talks with Caterham about a role for 2012, and there were rumours that he could even replace Jarno Trulli if the Italian decided that he did not wish to continue with the team.

However, Trulli said last week that he was unaware of the rumours and he spent time at the outfit's Hingham factory on Monday talking through plans for the season ahead with his engineers.

Vitaly Petrov believes his Formula 1 future should be sorted within the next week, with the Russian remaining hopeful that he will be on the starting grid in Australia.

The former Renault driver, who was dropped by the outfit at the end of last year in favour of Romain Grosjean, has been linked with a role at Caterham but could also work with Pirelli if he does not land a race seat.

Speaking at a Pirelli event in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, Petrov said he could not expand on what his options were for the year ahead but reckoned that matters should be settled soon.

"If I say something it will be turned into lots of stories," said Petrov, who says his manager was back in Europe sorting out his contract negotiations. "But please wait a little bit, another week. I want to say something but I can't say at the moment."

Petrov thinks it vital he maintains some role in F1 for the year ahead, because a season on the sidelines completely would make it very hard for him to find a way back in.

"I want to stay in F1 because if I lose one year then it will be very difficult to come back and to take some places for 2013. So it is important to stay."

When asked by AUTOSPORT if a test driver role at Pirelli interested him, he said: "Today they asked me to come and be part of this event, so I drive some cars, talk to some people and work with them.

"Now in Russia, Pirelli is working quite close and maybe in the future we can do some good deals. So maybe while I will not test Pirelli, maybe we can work together in different parts."

Petrov remains hopeful that a deal is possible - perhaps with Caterham – that will allow him to join the first pre-season test that takes place in Jerez from February 7.

"This is the target number one, so we will see," he said.

Reflecting on his dismissal by Renault, Petrov said he had no hard feelings about what happened – and suggested that his famous outburst against the outfit after last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix may have played a role in that decision.

"I think it was part of it," he explained. "I think I understand I should not talk about the team like this, but what is done is done and I don't need to be angry about what happened. Already it is the new year, it is finished so I am fully ready for next year."

He added: "What is done is done. The team made the decision and I have to accept it, move on and prepare for the next season."

Pirelli has tweaked its tyre markings for 2012 to make the different compounds more visible for fans - with its wet rubber also getting a total revamp in their look.

Although Pirelli has kept the four different coloured sidewalls – red (super soft), yellow (soft), white (medium) and silver (hard) – the Italian tyre maker has tweaked the design of the markings to make it easier to differentiate between the rubber.

In particular, the bands and lettering are larger – and in particular the colour of the silver on the hard has been made darker so it is easier to tell it apart from the medium.

Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery said: "We have increased the bulk of the colours, and we have done a lot of work filming spinning tyres.

"The silver now is quite svelte so, when it will be used with the medium, you will see the white quite clearly. If the tyre looks black, then you know that is the hard.

"We had a lot more success with the yellow and the red, and we are now world experts in paint markings. It is not something we are going to stop, as colours are very important for product grouping."

As well as the tweaks to the dry rubber, Pirelli has totally changed its approach to the wet rubber.

Rather than adopting the P-Zero name of the slicks, Pirelli's wets in 2012 will run under the Cinturato brand that the company made famous in the 1950's.

The wet tyre will have blue sidewall brandings, while the intermediate will now be green.

As well as hoping the different coloured tyres help fans, Pirelli is to continue efforts with Formula One Management to try and improve the amount of tyre information made available to television viewers.

For 2012, Pirelli is upping access for FOM to the race data feeds that engineers have at events – with the hope being that this, which includes information like how old a tyre is, can then be shown on TV.

"They [FOM] have been working to see how they can use the data and put it on the screen," said Hembery. "We have more meetings planned about it. Bernie [Ecclestone] has recognised it, and got his people working on it. Everything is in place to make it happen, but we need to talk to FOM to make sure it happens."

Pirelli has promised Formula 1 fans that it will deliver even more exciting racing in 2012 thanks to a more aggressive approach with its tyre compounds.

At a season launch media event in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, Pirelli revealed that it was closing up the gap between compounds for the season ahead to ensure that drivers and teams faced a challenging time at race weekends.

The change in strategy come on top of tweaks to the construction of the tyre - to make the profile squarer – which will help improve grip and handling characteristics.

Pirelli's president Marco Tronchetti Provera said: "These changes will provide more opportunity for passes, and help make a better show. Our tyres will be a bit softer which will add speed and show."

F1 teams will still use only four compounds over the course of the season, but the gap between the different types of tyres has been closed up dramatically. While in 2011 there was often a 1.5 seconds laptime difference between compounds, for 2012 the difference should be less than one second.

Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery said: "We have had to make changes and the objective of those changes is to make the racing closer.

"There is a smaller gap in performance between the compounds. Last year the teams were making choices based on tyres that had a 1.5 seconds difference – we have tried to get that down below one second and the aim is to have it at around 0.8 seconds."

The super soft compound will remain essentially unchanged from last year, but the other three compounds have been made softer to close up the gap – with the hard compound the most different.

"In terms of performance [with the hard], we are dropping down 1.5 seconds per lap like-for-like compared to last season," explained Hembery. "The hard tyre now will be close, if not slightly quicker, than the medium compound of last season – so it is a substantial improvement in performance."

Hembery said he hoped the closer gaps will get rid of the situation F1 found itself in last year when the soft tyre was so much better than every other compound – so became the most used compound at each race.

"We were going through races where teams would maximise use of the sets of the higher performing compound, which were soft in 2011, and minimising use of the hard or medium. From that point of view the second compound would not come into the strategy.

"We needed to do work on the crossover points and the durability – which is what we have done. We want a lower gap between compounds, with the slower tyre slightly degrading slightly less. Then teams will have to make a decision on which tyre to go with.

"Last year we made it too easy for the teams by using soft compounds at each weekend, so they based their weekends around that. This year we want to mix it up more."

Pirelli is hoping that its efforts will ensure that there remain multi-stop races in 2012 – with the aim being for every event to have either two or three stops.

"We averaged 2.2 or 2.3 last year, and we are hoping for the same thing," said Hembery. "Some races were two, some were three – and three was proving to be the most popular.

"We felt that broke the races up in a nice way, and the public felt that three gave it a nice perspective. But we haven't yet seen the 2012 cars; we will see them in a couple of weeks.

"Rumours tell us the downforce will be less than last year, but we know in F1 reality can be different."

He added: "In theory we should have some exciting racing – but maybe we have been too conservative or maybe we have been too aggressive. That we will not know until we get racing."

Pedro de la Rosa says he is not back in Formula 1 racing just to make up the numbers, the Spaniard eager to show he can still be competitive.

De la Rosa has secured a two-year deal with the HRT team to make a full-time comeback to racing after spending last season as McLaren's reserve driver.

He last raced for the Sauber team in Canada in 2011 replacing the injured Sergio Perez.

The 40-year-old, who made his grand prix debut in 1999 with the Arrows team, says he is not thinking about life beyond his HRT deal, and insists he will push as hard as ever when he returns to racing action this year.

"At the moment I'm not thinking about any of that," de la Rosa told AUTOSPORT about his future.

"I'm 100 per cent focused on competing again and to prepare physically and to be fast again. What is very clear is that I don't know how to do anything other than being a driver.

"It's obvious that if one day I wake up in the morning and I don't feel the motivation and have probably lost a few tenths, then I will probably do something else, but always inside the world of motorsport because it's my passion and it's the only thing I know how to do, we have to be realistic.

"But I have no idea. There are no secret plans. I think you have to go step by step and right now I'm focused on competing at the top level.

"I'm here to push. I'm not here to make up the numbers, so I'm going to give it all. And after that we'll see."

The Spaniard is the only driver confirmed so far at HRT and he admits he wants a team-mate who is ready to push to help the team forward.

"The names I've heard, I have a big respect for them. I have no problems with any of them," he said. "But I don't know the personalities behind those names.

"I know they are fast drivers, but that's not the only important thing, but also that he thinks about the team and how to help. That's what I want."

De la Rosa is expected to make his debut with HRT at Jerez next month when he drives last year's car in the opening test of 2012.

[hugobomb]

That Caterham does look very nice. Hope they do well this year, Jarno deserves it.

[MJB]

No idea why they changed the colour of the wet tyres but kept the hard and medium tyres the same

[Lineker]

Caterham technical chief Mike Gascoyne says it's time for the team to take another step forward this year after finishing as best of the 'new' teams in 2011.

On Wednesday, the team unveiled its 2012 challenger, the car with which it is hoping to fight in the midfield after finishing in tenth position in the championship last year.

Gascoyne is not making any predictions about how the car will perform until it hits the track, but is adamant that Caterham must make more progress in its third season in Formula 1.

"I think we need to see the car on track first and get feedback from the first tests," said Gascoyne. "Until we run the car, we only have numbers and simulation data to work with.

"But every team wants to move up the grid and we're no different. We finished 10th in the last two years, which has been our target, but now I think it's time we moved forward again. Let's see what happens we get out on track."

Caterham's CT01 features a platypus-style nose that caused quite a stir when it was unveiled, but Gascoyne reckons most of the cars will use a similar design given the regulation changes.

"The regulations have changed to limit the height of the nosebox to try to ensure that noses don't get too high. Our challenge is that you always want to get the chassis as high as possible to allow clean air flow to the underside of the car, and what you see on the CT01 is our solution to that.

"As we're the first car out it is obviously stirring up a lot of debate, but because of the 2012 regulations I think you'll probably be seeing this type of nose on most of the cars this year."

Gascoyne said the production of the new car had been very successful after passing all the mandatory crash tests ahead of the first test.

"From that point of view, we had a very successful development programme and we fully homologated the chassis before Christmas and, actually, I believe we were the first team to pass all the tests," he added.

[Lineker]

Jules Bianchi will be Force India's reserve driver this year, with the promise of some extensive running on grand prix Fridays.

The Frenchman, who is part of Ferrari's young driver development programme, has been promised outings in at least nine Friday practice sessions during the forthcoming campaign.

He will get his first run in a Force India during next month's pre-season testing with the outfit's 2012 VJM05 car.

Speaking about his new position, Bianchi said: "I'm obviously excited to join Sahara Force India and the chance to get track time during race weekends is an important step for me.

"Being regularly in a current car is the best way to learn quickly and I hope it will put me in a strong position to one day move into a race seat."

Bianchi will take the position held by Nico Hulkenberg last year, who impressed the team enough during his Friday showings to secure a race seat for 2012.

Ferrari confirmed that Bianchi remains a part of its young driver programme.

Vitaly Petrov says Formula 1 drivers will welcome a move by Pirelli to be more aggressive with its tyres this year.

Pirelli unveiled its plans for 2012 during a media launch at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi this week, with the Italian company revealing that it was making the performance gap between compounds much closer to try and make the racing better.

Petrov, who was a guest of Pirelli's in Abu Dhabi and could become a test driver for the company if he fails to secure a race seat, believes the new rubber will stop F1 becoming boring.

"We all like it when you do a race and you do not know when the degradation will come, and how long the tyres will be good," said Petrov when asked by AUTOSPORT for his views on the 2012 plans. "You don't want to be able to put one set on early and then just finish the race.

"That is not interesting for us [drivers], because like that you can just drive as fast as you can, go over the kerbs and have lots of wheel spin.

"With Pirelli, if you have one wheel spin [moment] then you already have one stage of degradation. So that is why you need to be very calm and think about what you must do or what you must not do."

Petrov believes that the forthcoming pre-season tests at Jerez and Barcelona will be vital for allowing teams to understands what impact the new rubber will have on the racing, and whether Pirelli has succeeded in its aim of delivering multi-stop grands prix again.

"It is difficult now to say if it will happen, but they are trying to do that. After the tests we will have a clear idea of how much lap time difference there is, and then for teams it will be easy to predict what we can do. The tests will be very important."

Mercedes GP remains confident that it has made the right decision in opting to delay running of its new car until the second pre-season Formula 1 test, even though it is the only frontrunning outfit to adopt such a tactic.

The Brackley-based team announced last year that its 2012 contender would only hit the track at the second test in Barcelona. At the time, it was widely expected other outfits would follow suit because of the extra development time made available by skipping the first test.

However, even though its main rivals in the end stuck to their original plans to get cars out for the opening test in Jerez, Mercedes-Benz vice president of motorsport Norbert Haug is sanguine about his team's plan.

"If you have half-a-year's timeframe to develop a car, then 10 days can be crucial," Haug told AUTOSPORT in an exclusive interview. "That was our decision. We want to test the proper car, finalised in each and every detail. That's why we need development time.

"It's important to point out that it was a conscious decision. I know that all of the other teams will be there with their car [at Jerez] but this is not unusual. Other teams that have been in a catch-up process have decided to go run first at the second test, so this is not a new event.

"We fully appreciate that the other teams have different plans and are ready at the first test. But we are not delayed, we are just following our process, and then we will see what the outcome will be."

Pre-season testing is limited to only 12 days, meaning that Mercedes will have just eight days to get on top of its new car before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Haug added that the team has big ambitions for the first test as well, with its hoping to put mileage on new parts and also get valuable data on Pirelli's new 2012 tyres.

"We will have a couple of parts to learn from at the first test," he said. "We can use the new generation of tyres, which is a good way to draw a baseline because you have the data with the old tyres to compare it to.

"We need to learn more about the behaviour of the tyres on our car."

The Lotus F1 team has announced its 2012 challenger will be named the E20 to commemorate the 20th F1 chassis designed at the team's base in Enstone.

Enstone has been the outfit's base since 1992.

The team, previously known as Renault and racing under the Lotus name this year, will unveil the new car on February 5 on its website.

The new E20 will be driven by Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean.

"Our naming of the chassis to recognise Enstone's importance to the team's evolution highlights our recognition of the contribution of the facility and the personnel who work tirelessly every year to produce the very best car possible," said team boss Eric Boullier.

"We certainly hope that this is the case with the E20 and we are looking forward to revealing the car to the world and seeing it out on track for the first time.

"There are a number of technical changes from last year and we have an exciting new driver line-up to extract the maximum from the E20 through the twenty Grands Prix of the 2012 season, including the 500th race for this team through its different incarnations. We hope that the E20 proves to be a performing Enstone design."

Marussia has decided against having KERS on its car for the 2012 Formula 1 season, AUTOSPORT has learned.

As the outfit bids to make the most of a major restructuring and design overhaul under the guidance of technical chief Pat Symonds, it believes its progress could be hampered if it adds KERS to its workload for the season ahead.

Although the decision means that it will suffer a laptime deficit compared to its KERS-running rivals, with the energy recovery systems worth a few tenths of a second per lap, the team believes that not having to expend efforts into getting the complicated technology working will be more beneficial in the long run.

Marussia team principal John Booth said that the call on KERS came about because the outfit is so eager to ensure that it makes a big step this season.

"With the strides we are looking to make from this year, our focus has to be on aerodynamics first and foremost - as this will yield the greater gains," Booth told AUTOSPORT. "We are looking for seconds rather than tenths."

Booth also suggested that as well as the performance reasons behind the decision, there were also cost implications - because the Marussia outfit has always been mindful of keeping its budget in check.

"Our wider view of KERS is that whilst we are supportive of the concept of regenerative braking as an environmental initiative, the current technology is incredibly expensive," he said. "It would represent a significant proportion of our operating cost, which is not in keeping with our original manifesto as a low-cost F1 team in an era of resource restriction."

Last year, Team Lotus made a similar decision not to race with KERS because it felt that the outfit would be better off focusing its effort on other areas of car performance.

That gamble paid off because the team secured the 10th place in the Constructors' Championship that it needed to secure a bigger prize money pay out from commercial rights income.

Marussia's 2012 car will appear for the first time at the final pre-season F1 test, which takes place at Barcelona from March 1.

Spain faces a race against time to find a broadcaster for Formula 1 in 2012 after the rights owner ended its contract with La Sexta.

La Sexta had been broadcasting grand prix racing since the 2009 season, after having bought the rights from Mediapro until 2013.

The deal, however, has fallen through early and Mediapro is now seeking a new broadcaster for the 2012 season.

The main candidates are Telecinco, which broadcast F1 before La Sexta, and Antena 3, which announced it will merge with La Sexta earlier this year, making it the favourite for the new deal.

Both networks have expressed their interest in the rights, but only as long as it makes financial sense.

Telecinco will be broadcasting MotoGP from the 2012 season.

Mediapro has set a February 6 deadline to find a new broadcaster.

The Formula 1 season, in which Spaniard Fernando Alonso hopes to fight for the title with Ferrari, kicks off in Australia on March 18.

Former Maserati grand prix driver Roberto Mieres has died at the age of 87.

Mieres, who started 17 world championship grands prix during the early 1950s, passed away in Uruguay, where he had lived for a number of years.

Born in Argentina in 1924, Mieres was 23 when he took up racing in 1947. He won first time out in an MG at a makeshift event organised by his friends at a local speedway.

With numerous wins in his homeland under his belt, an appearance in a pre-war Alfa Romeo grand prix car at Rosario in 1950 was spotted by Giuseppe Farina and Alberto Ascari - the pair advising him to further his racing in Europe.

Through his friend Harry Schell he became reserve driver for the Gordini grand prix team in 1953 and made his world championship debut at that year's Dutch Grand Prix.

He scored points in seven of the eight grands prix he finished for Gordini, Maserati and his own machinery, and finished a career-best fourth on three separate occasions.

The 1954 campaign was his best, fourth places in Switzerland and Spain helping him to sixth place in the standings. He returned to South America at the end of the '55 season (during which he also featured in Maserati's Le Mans line-up) and raced mostly in sportscars for the rest of his career.

Fascinated by many sports, after winding down his driving activities Mieres turned his attention to sailing and represented Argentina at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.