Liuzzi admits his future is uncertain

Vitantonio Liuzzi has admitted his future with HRT is "uncertain" despite holding a race contract for 2012.

Liuzzi joined HRT last year before the Spanish team was sold by Jose Ramon Carabante to its current owners, Thesan Capital, and boss Colin Kolles was replaced by the former Minardi driver Luis Perez-Sala. Sala said before Christmas that HRT is in "advanced talks with several drivers" as the team looks to find a partner for Pedro de la Rosa in 2012.

Jarno Trulli slams 'less committed' pay drivers

Veteran Italian Jarno Trulli has hit out at the growing influence of so-called 'pay drivers' in Formula One.
Even though Trulli has one year of his contract at Caterham remaining, his position has been subject of speculation with Vitaly Petrov, who has been dumped by Renault, linked with a possible move.

But Trulli took a thinly-disguised swipe at what had happened at Renault in 2011 when it employed Petrov and Bruno Senna, both of whom brought considerable sponsorship with them.

"[Robert] Kubica is a great driver who can get the very best from the car," Trulli told La Repubblica. "Because of that they were a dark horse. When Robert was out, that was the end. Petrov was not in a position to lead the team, and Senna showed that he was not good enough."

MotoGP keen to keep Jerez on calendar through 2016

MotoGP is keen to keep its Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez until at least 2016 after completing a deal to secure the 2012 race at the venue.

Financial issues at the Jerez circuit had cast doubt over whether it would retain its place on next year's calendar, but motorcycling's governing body released an updated schedule just before Christmas which confirmed that the event would go ahead.

MotoGP commercial chief Carmelo Ezpeleta thanked the local authorities for their assistance in securing the Jerez race for 2012, and hoped that a long-term arrangement could now be made.

Monte Carlo Rally's World Rally Championship return attracts 89 entries

The Automobile Club de Monaco has released an 89-strong entry list for next month's Rallye Monte-Carlo, the opening round of the World Rally Championship.

The list boasts 15 World Rally Car entries, including Mikko Hirvonen in a Citroen Total World Rally Team DS3 WRC for the first time and Petter Solberg's Ford World Rally Team return with Britain's Chris Patterson alongside.

The list also confirms the news earlier this month, that Kris Meeke has been dropped by Mini, with pay-driver Pierre Campana taking his #52 entry on the January 18-22 event.

Beyond the factory entries from Citroen, Ford and Mini, there are private Fiesta RS WRCs for Matthew Wilson, Henning Solberg, Martin Prokop, Francois Delecour, Evgeny Novikov and Ott Tanak. Peter van Merksteijn and Thierry Neuville drive DS3 WRCs, while Paulo Nobre is expected to be announced in a third Mini John Cooper Works WRC.

Beyond the WRCs, Volkswagen fields a pair of Skoda Fabia S2000s for Sebastien Ogier and Kevin Abbring, while Proton marks the beginning of its maiden Super 2000 WRC season with Satria Neos for P-G Andersson and Giandomenico Basso. The two factory Proton drivers will face last year's Monte winner Bryan Bouffier, who again drives a Peugeot 207 S2000 on the French Alpine classic.

The 2012 WRC Rally Argentina will be the longest route in the sport's recent history

Rally Argentina organisers have issued the longest World Rally Championship route in recent history for the 2012 event.

The route for the classic South American rally was one of the talking points of this season, with the event putting itself forward as a test case for the return of the endurance style event favoured by FIA president Jean Todt.

The organisers haven't been entirely revolutionary, however. The rally will remain based in Villa Carlos Paz, shunning the potential for starting in Buenos Aires and running down through the country. Plans to incorporate competition in neighboring Uruguay or Chile have also been shelved.

What remains is a route with 19 stages and more than 300 miles of competition in three days.
The April 26-29 event has around 100 competitive miles more than the average on the 13 rounds of this year's series.

The longest day of the event is the opening leg, with two runs at the 32-mile Ascochinga-Agua de Oro test helping to tally 121 miles. The sting in the tail of the event has been provided by the El Durazno-Ambul stage at 41 miles.

Much of the route for the event is new - but the classic El Condor stage has been retained, albeit split in two with the run into Copina being utilized for the Sunday afternoon powerstage.

Bernie Ecclestone doubts America will embrace Formula 1

Bernie Ecclestone doubts that Formula 1 will become a big success in America even with two grands prix in the nation from 2013.

The world championship returns to the United States next year after a four-season absence, racing at a new
purpose-built course in Austin, Texas, where construction was recently restarted after financial and organisational issues. A deal has also been completed to race on a street track in New Jersey the following year.

But asked in an interview with Al Jazeera whether he thought this would allow F1 to become 'big' in America, Ecclestone expressed doubts.

"We've got a maximum of two races in America and when you consider the country is as big as Europe and we've got several races in Europe, it's difficult," he said.

"If we had a lot more races there and a lot more television it would be okay.
"It's a bit like the rest of America in that they want to see a profit before they start something and it's not easy to do that."

F1 last raced in the US from 2000 to 2007, when it used the specially-constructed road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Ferrari to launch on February 3

Ferrari will launch its 2012 car on February 3, president Luca di Montezemolo has revealed.

The car, which the team insists will be a complete departure from this year's F150 Italia, will be unveiled five days before the first test according to a Gazzetta dello Sport interview with Montezemolo.
Montezemolo told Sky Sports News that the team must do better in 2012.



"I was extremely unhappy with what happened last season," he said. "For us the main goal is, again, to be competitive and I have a lot of confidence in my people and their capability to react."

Montezemolo also revealed on that Ferrari's engine department had accomplished the "fusion of the first 6-cylinder engine" ahead of the introduction of V6 turbos in 2014.

Parr confident Williams woes will make team stronger

 

Williams chairman Adam Parr has told Autosport that the trials and tribulations the team experienced in 2011 were an important part of the learning process to help it improve. 

Parr admitted what had become apparent was that the whole structure of the team needed an overhaul. "In reality we've been in the middle ranks for some years now," he said. "You don't have to do anything if you're plodding along in the middle in this sort of cotton wool world, and I think what's happened to us is that we have really seen not only that the current level of performance is unacceptable, but also the need to make radical changes.

Stefano Domenicali insists Ferrari remains committed to F1 cost cuts

Stefano Domenicali insists that Ferrari will continue to discuss the future of Formula 1's resource restriction agreement with the other big teams despite withdrawing from FOTA.

The long-term future of the RRA remains in question, but the Ferrari team principal insists that the Scuderia remains committed to the idea of restricting costs in F1.

"We have a situation where we need to control the costs and to make sure that it [the RRA] is enforceable and policeable," said Domenicali. "So the first point is to understand what is happening with the RRA now.

"The second point is to discuss with the major teams what the best solution is. This is a priority. So far, we have had a year or maybe two years with a lot of discussion and not a lot of results."

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo echoed Domenciali's sentiments, insisting that he still believes that there is a future for co-operation between the teams.

Hirvonen bids emotional farewell to Ford and M-Sport

World Rally Championship runner-up Mikko Hirvonen has talked of an emotional visit to M-Sport earlier this week, when he went to say goodbye to his former team.

Hirvonen flew to Britain earlier this week to pay tribute to the Ford and M-Sport, with whom he finished runner-up to Sebastien Loeb in this year's championship.

The Finn subsequently announced he would be joining his long-term rival at Citroen, and has already tested the DS3 WRC which he will drive from next month onwards.

Having driven for Ford for the last six years however, Hirvonen wanted to thank each and every member of the M-Sport team who had prepared his Focus RS WRC and Fiesta RS WRCs. All of Hirvonen's 14 WRC wins have come at the wheel of a Cumbrian-built car.

Luca Di Montezemolo warns F1 against forsaking European races

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has warned Formula 1 not to forsake its European heartland.

Only eight of the 20 races on the 2012 calendar will be held in Europe, which as a percentage is the lowest in the history of the world championship. F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone recently suggested that the number could dwindle to just five in the future.

But di Montezemolo insists that if the sport fails to preserve its races in Europe, it could weaken F1.

"Maintaining the importance of Europe in Formula 1 is very important," he said.
"It's good to see F1 in India, in Russia, in Korea, in the Middle East and of course in the United States, but we must not lose our tradition and history in Europe, particularly when we see that some of the new circuits are not as good as Spa, for example.

Montezemolo ups pressure on Massa

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has reiterated that 2012 will be a make or break year for Felipe Massa at Maranello.

Massa struggled for form in 2011, scoring less than half the points of team-mate Fernando Alonso and failing to finish higher than fifth in any race. Montezemolo has already said he expects more from Massa next season, but upped the pressure on the Brazilian during an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday.

"We weren't happy with him and he wasn't happy with himself," Montezemolo said. "But I'm confident that with a car that is able to heat up the tyres faster he'll be able to become more competitive again".

He added that Massa's tenure at Maranello "could also continue" but warned Ferrari is "always looking around."

Asked if he would like to bring world champion Sebastian Vettel to Ferrari, Montezemolo said: "He's a smart lad. I like how he behaves, and if I have to choose between drivers with equal skill I'll always take the one with the better head. However, today I wouldn't trade Alonso for anyone, because in a race he's the strongest driver around."

Kimi Raikkonen adamant he is as fast as he was before leaving F1

Kimi Raikkonen is adamant he will be as fast as he was before leaving Formula 1 when he returns to grand prix racing with Lotus next year.

The Finn has secured a two-year deal with the team and will make his comeback in 2012 after a two-season absence from Formula 1.

Raikkonen, the world champion in 2007, says his motivation is higher than ever before and is confident he will be as quick as he was before he went rallying.

"I am more motivated than ever and I don't think I've lost any speed," said Raikkonen on Lotus Renault's website. "Getting on top of the tyres will be the hardest thing, of course, but I'm not really worried.

French GP close to a return

The French Grand Prix is close to making a return to Formula One, according to the delegate in charge of bringing the race back.

Gilles Dufeigneux, who in June was appointed by French prime minister Francois Fillon to lead efforts to arrange the race's comeback, met with Bernie Ecclestone at the Belgian Grand Prix earlier this year and insists: "Things are moving in a very real way".
Nice-Matin is reporting that the event will be staged at Paul Ricard, with an annual race date alternating with Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps.

"All the indicators are green now, or soon will be," added Dufeigneux. "My current mood is summarised with three words: optimism, prudence, humility. We have entered the stage of completion and we can say that final decisions will be made very soon, in January or early February."

The last French Grand Prix took place at Magny-Cours in 2008.

Alonso announces divorce

Fernando Alonso and his wife Raquel del Rosario have announced they are splitting up.

Alonso married del Rosario - lead singer for the Spanish rock band El Sueno de Morfeo - in 2006 after he took his second title with Renault.

"After five years of marriage, we have decided to end our relationship as a couple," a statement read. "This has been a very though about and mutual decision. We are separating from marriage, but never as friends, and there is still a very strong affection and mutual admiration to ensure the happiness of the other.

"With this statement, addressed to all who follow our careers, we wish to bring an end to any speculation. With it, we ask that the media respects our personal lives which, as you know, we have always been keen to protect."

Earlier this year, Alonso - who now drives for Ferrari - moved from Switzerland to return to his native Asturias.

Learning tyres key for Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg says that getting to grips with the Pirelli tyres will be crucial for him to enjoy a successful season in 2012.
Hulkenberg has been promoted from his reserve driver role to a race seat with Force India for 2012, meaning that his only season of racing in Formula One so far came on the Bridgestone rubber. Although he has some experience of the Pirellis after appearing in most Friday practice sessions last season, Hulkenberg told Autosport that he would only be able to learn the full characteristics of the tyres by racing on them.

"It will be tough, but I went through that process last year with Williams as well," Hulkenberg said. "I don't know exactly how the Pirelli tyres will behave so I will make sure that I get all of the information I need to learn quickly. You need to get out there and do the races so that you can learn about them. On a theoretical basis, there is not so much that you can do. You have to drive and learn from it."
Hulkenberg also said he would have no trouble working with the team following his Friday practice appearances last season.

"I know everyone in the team and allof the engineers, but I haven't worked as closely with them as I will as a race driver. I was involved with briefings and spoke to them during the race weekends, so it shouldn't be difficult. I'm very comfortable and happy with the guys in the team."

New bid to bring Formula 1 grand prix back to Argentina

Designers of a new circuit being constructed in Argentina are aiming for the venue to host the nation's first Formula 1 grand prix since 1998.

The Velociudad Speedcity in Zarate, 100km from Buenos Aires, is being built by Populous, which was behind the recent Silverstone redesign and is also working on an F1-standard circuit in Mumbai.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the Velociudad venue took place on Friday, and Populous associate director John Rhodes said the ambition was to attract an F1 grand prix to the track when the full version was finished in 2014.

Hulkenberg and di Resta confirmed at Force India

Force India has finally confirmed that Paul di Restaand Nico Hulkenberg will drive for the team in 2012.

Hulkenberg, who was Force India's reserve driver last year, will replace Adrian Sutil while di Resta will stay on for his second season as a race driver. Team principal Vijay Mallya made the news public the day after the expected deadline and thanked Sutil for his hard work over the past four years.


"I am delighted to present our line-up for the 2012 season. In Paul and Nico we have two extremely talented drivers with tremendous potential," Mallya said. "I think Paul caught the eye of everybody in the pit lane during his rookie season. His speed, maturity and racecraft confirmed that we were right to believe in him and we look forward to working with him again next year. As for Nico, we identified him as a rising star at the end of 2010 and chose to evaluate him during the course of this season. Despite having only limited time in the car, he convinced us that he deserved a race seat for 2012.

Ferrari to debut new car at first test

Ferrari has confirmed that it will launch its new car for 2012 in time for the first test at Jerez on February 7.
Traditionally the first to unveil its new car each year, Ferrari still plans on being ready despite new regulations that state the cars must have passed all FIA crash tests and homologation before testing. The news comes after Mercedes announced it would wait until the second test to run its new car, while Red Bull is also aiming for the first test.



Ferrari's communications director Luca Colajanni said that the new car would be "very different" from this year's F150th Italia, which only took one victory.

"The new Ferrari F1 car will be presented in early February, in time to take part in the first test session ahead of the season," Colajanni told Autosprint. "At the moment it's not important to say whether the new project is going to be extreme. For sure, it will be a clean break with the past, a very different program, because it aims to win and it marks a change of mentality by the entire team."

Silverstone gains planning approval for 'masterplan'

Silverstone's plans to expand its circuit facilities over the next 20 years have been approved by its local councils.
The 'masterplan' will see three hotels built at the circuit, new business and technology parks and improved spectator facilities. Both Aylesbury Vale District Council and South Northamptonshire Council have approved Silverstone's outline planning application, which the circuit believes will "secure the long-term future of the international venue".



"We are delighted with the outcome and approval of this planning application - this is the most important initiative that Silverstone has taken in its 60-year history as the Home of British Motor Racing," managing director Richard Phillips said. "This planning will help maintain Silverstone's position as a leading global centre for sport, leisure, education and technology and retain its position as a world-leading motor sport destination. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank both Aylesbury Vale and South Northamptonshire Councils, for the way in which the two planning authorities have worked together on this application."

New HRT boss Luis Perez-Sala admits team will take a step back before it progresses

HRT's new team principal Luis Perez-Sala has admitted that the squad will probably start 2012 in worse shape than it ended 2011 as its restructuring progresses - but is confident that the team's longer-term prospects are now much brighter.

The team is aiming to establish a more Spanish flavour under new owner Thesan Capital, and this week promoted ex-Formula 1 racer Perez-Sala to the team boss position after the departure of Colin Kolles, who had guide HRT since its eleventh-hour transformation from the struggling Campos project just prior to its grand prix debut in 2010.

Although design work for the 2012 car is being carried out in Munich, HRT is beginning to establish a new Spanish base in Valencia, and has signed former McLaren reserve Pedro de la Rosa as its first driver for next year.

Perez-Sala conceded that producing the new car while moving base and restructuring the team was a tall order, and that it was likely to result in a very difficult start to 2012.

"The task ahead of us, with the design of the car and change of headquarters, is huge," he said. "Formula 1 is very complicated and implies a lot of preparation work, so, in this respect, HRT is a little bit behind other teams.

"We will feel the effects of this transformation the team is going through and will have to pay for it at the start of the season. We're not going to be at the same level as when we finished this past season, where the same team had been running for two years, but we're aware of that.

"We're taking a step back so that we can take two forward. 2012 will be an important year for us to settle and face a more natural and stable situation in 2013."

The Spaniard said he had total faith in the ability of the HRT personnel and that it was only the element of transition this winter that would set the squad back.

Sauber names launch date

Sauber has become the first team to announce a definite launch date for its 2012 car, with the C31 set to be unveiled on February 6 - the day before the first test .

The test in Jerez will take place from February 7-9 and will be the first of three pre-season tests. Sauber is likely to be joined by a number of teams launching in the first week of February, with Red Bull, Ferrari and Williams all aiming to get their cars up and running in Jerez.


Last weekend Red Bull technical director Adrian Newey said: "The schedule [for the 2012 car] is to make the first test. As always, it will be tight but I'd be very disappointed if it was not."

While on Friday Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said: "We aim to launch our car in the first week of February. We don't know yet exactly the date, but that's the range where we should be ready with the new car."

Williams technical director Mike Coughlan told his team's online magazine Ignition: "The car is slated to be delivered to the race shop in mid-January and we'll be ready to go to the first test in early February. The aim is that by the end of January, all the parts that can possibly have been verified have been, and the track testing is purely a verification of that work."

Hulkenberg and di Resta confirmed at Force India

 

 Force India has finally confirmed that Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg will drive for the team in 2012. 

Hulkenberg, who was Force India's reserve driver last year, will replace Adrian Sutil while di Resta will stay on for his second season as a race driver. Team principal Vijay Mallya made the news public the day after the expected deadline and thanked Sutil for his hard work over the past four years.
"I am delighted to present our line-up for the 2012 season. In Paul and Nico we have two extremely talented drivers with tremendous potential," Mallya said. "I think Paul caught the eye of everybody in the pit lane during his rookie season. His speed, maturity and racecraft confirmed that we were right to believe in him and we look forward to working with him again next year. As for Nico, we identified him as a rising star at the end of 2010 and chose to evaluate him during the course of this season.

Despite having only limited time in the car, he convinced us that he deserved a race seat for 2012.
"Our new line-up means we say 'goodbye' to Adrian Sutil, who has been with the team since we entered the sport. He has been an integral part of our success over the past four seasons and we wish him well for the future."

Paul Di Resta added: "I'm really looking forward to my second season of Formula One and continuing to grow and develop with Sahara Force India. I've said all along that I love being part of this team: they are ambitious, hungry for success and we work well together. I'm really excited about 2012 and there is a real sense of belief that we can continue to push the top teams and take another step forward. I'd also like to thank the team for all their hard work this year and for all the support they've given me. I'll take some time out over the next few weeks to recharge my batteries and hopefully come back even stronger in 2012."

Nico Hulkenberg said: "I'm obviously delighted to be staying with Sahara Force India and to be given the chance to race next year. It wasn't easy to watch from the sidelines this season, but I did my best to help the team and show what I was capable of. I'm extremely motivated for 2012 and would like to thank everyone for believing in me and giving me this chance. I'm keen to get down to work over the winter to develop our new car and help the team build on this year's achievements. The first test in Jerez can't come soon enough."

Good to prove pay-driver critics wrong - Perez

Sergio Perez believes his performances in his debut season have proved that he is in Formula One because of talent rather that money.

Perez brings sponsorship to Sauber from Mexican telecommunications giant Telmex, although the team has always insisted he is driving because of his potential. He scored 14 points from the 17 races he competed in this year, with a highest-placed finish of seventh at the British Grand Prix, and he believes that is enough to prove his critics wrong.


"I have had a lot of pressure during the whole of my career, but in Formula One you step up to another level," he said, "In the winter everyone was saying I was a pay driver and it was good to prove them wrong.

There were a lot of ups and downs during the season and the team's support always helped me to remain confident."

STR a 'rookie training school'

Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost has defended the decision to replace both drivers in 2012 because the team is the "rookie training school".

Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne will replace Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi next season, with the announcement coming as a surprise following a strong end to the season for Alguersuari especially. Tost, however, said that both drivers had gained enough experience to prove themselves and retaining them would not fit with the philosophy of the team.

"Sebastien has been with us for three seasons and Jaime for two and a half," Tost said. "Both of them worked hard for the team, doing their very best and achieving some good results. However, Scuderia Toro Rosso's ethos has always been that of the "rookie training school" and with over two seasons under your belt, you are no longer a rookie."

Tost did admit that he would have rather see the drivers graduating up to Red Bull instead of being left without a drive, but said the decision mirrored the competitive nature of Formula One.

"In an ideal world, drivers would move from Scuderia Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing, but there are no vacancies with our sister team right now. It might be seen as a harsh decision, but Formula 1 is a tough environment and Toro Rosso has always been very clear about the principles behind its driver choice."

Perez-Sala named HRT team principal

HRT has announced that Luis Perez-Sala has been appointed tam principal following the departure of Colin Kolles.

Kolles officially left HRT today after reaching an agreement with the team, citing the relocation to Spain as the reason for the split. Perez-Sala - who drove for Minardi for two seasons from 1988 - will take over the role with immediate effect, having previously been working for the team in an advisory role to new owners Thesan Capital.

With the team aiming to get its new car ready in time for pre-season testing he said that he had a number of large challenges ahead.

"This naming is an honor but also a great responsibility," Perez-Sala said. "I joined the team as an advisor to the new owners and to contribute with my experience in any possible way. We had to establish a base from which to grow slowly and we are now seeing the first rewards of that work. But we mustn't lose our perspective and be aware that assuming responsibilities such as designing the car or moving the headquarters to Spain are huge tasks and we still have a lot of work ahead.

"We must be patient and keep in mind that we cannot expect to achieve great success in the short term, but we can take a team forward that we can all feel proud of. The simple fact that Spain has a team in the pinnacle of motorsports is already a great feat; we're a part of the G12. And that, apart from being an honor, means a greater development to the structure and everything surrounding it." 

HRT CEO Saúl Ruiz de Marcos said that he was pleased with the way Perez-Sala works and called it "the best decision we could make".

"Since we began working with Luis our connection has been great. Now he takes on a much more key role in the team but the decision was an easy one given his knowledge and his way of doing things. It is the best decision we could make. I would like to also thank Colin (Kolles) and Manfredi (Ravetto) for their work and dedication in these two years that the team has existed and I wish them the very best for the future."

Di Resta working on 2012 car

Paul di Resta is working on the new 2012 car for Force India, but insists he "can't say anything" about his future with the team.

Force India has yet to announce its driver line-up for next season, with a decision expected by the end of this week. Di Resta is vying for a place along with Adrian Sutil and Nico Hulkenberg, with Sutil reportedly the most likely to miss out. When asked by the official Formula One website if he would definitely be racing for the team next season, di Resta refused to comment but did admit he was working on the 2012 car.

"I can't say anything," di Resta said. "The only thing that I can say is that I am still working closely with the team and helping with the new car. I will do some simulator work over the next week and hopefully by then (Force India team principal) Dr Mallya and his board will have made up their minds about their 2012 driver line-up. Certainly I would be very proud to stay with them for another year. They have shown a lot of respect for me and a lot of faith in me. They've given me the opportunity of a lifetime and I am very thankful for that."

Destiny in our hands - Gascoyne

Mike Gascoyne believes that Caterham's new identity will allow it to push on and beat the more established teams in Formula One.

Previously Team Lotus, the team officially took on the Caterham name today after announcing that its new car will be called the CT01. The move aligns the team with the car company of the same name as part of the Caterham Group, and sees it relinquish the rights to the Team Lotus name and history of the team. Gascoyne said that while he was proud to bring Lotus back to Formula One, he was not too sad to relinquish the name as the team members and ethic remains the same.

"I think that we can be very proud that we brought the Lotus name back to Formula One," Gascoyne told Team Lotus Notes. "However, I don't think we get too emotional about waving goodbye to Team Lotus, simply because we have always been clear that it was the name of the team we have used for the past couple of years, and what makes up the team has been the really important factor in what we've already achieved.

"My overwhelming feeling is that is that we can be proud of what we did as Team Lotus. But we have our own brand now. Our destiny is in our own hands and although it would be nice if it had been the Lotus brand it wasn't, in the end, possible and it's for Group Lotus to do what they wish with the name. But I think, overwhelmingly, what we did was unique and we can be proud of what we achieved over the past two years."

Gascoyne said that attention would now turn to moving up the grid, as the last two years have seen the team establish itself both financially and logistically.

"We've finished the championship in 10th place two years running and that puts us on a sound financial footing. We are now an established Formula One team. I think with the announcements we've made about corporate developments and the new partners we have, we are showing we are a really serious outfit, so now it's time to take the fight to more established teams and start beating them.

"We've always been a proper racing team but we were one constrained by the limitations of being a new team. Now, though, it's time to move on. We've established ourselves and it's now time to get on with beating the opposition. We've got our name, we've got our identity and now we'll get out there and go racing."

Kolles and HRT part ways

HRT team principal Colin Kolles has left the team as it moves to new headquarters in Spain.
Kolles has his own facility in Munich, where part of the HRT operation has been running from with the team stating as recently as Monday that the new car was being developed there. However, new owners Thesan Capital wants to move the team to Spain, with Valencia announced as the location for new headquarters back in November and it appears this move has led to Kolles departing.


Kolles will officially leave the post on Thursday having "reached an agreement" with the team. The full statement reads:

"Spanish outfit HRT F1 Team and Dr. Colin Kolles have reached an agreement to end their cooperation and therefore the Team Principal will abandon his post on the 15th of December 2011.
"This is due to the new direction that the team has taken and the decision of the new management to move the team headquarters to Spain.

"HRT F1 Team would like to thank Dr. Colin Kolles for his work and dedication throughout these past two years and wish him the best in his future projects."

Formula 1 and MotoGP colleagues pay tribute to Charlie Moody

Former colleagues from both Formula 1 and MotoGP gathered to pay tribute to Charlie Moody in a memorial service on Tuesday.

Moody, who passed away last month, first joined F1 as a mechanic with Walter Wolf's team in 1977, staying on through the Fittipaldi era and then moving with driver Keke Rosberg to Williams, where Rosberg won the 1982 title. Moody was also responsible for strapping Ayrton Senna into an F1 car for the first time when the Brazilian legend had his maiden test with Williams at Donington Park in 1983.

Stints at Benetton and Leyton House followed, but it was in 1994 that Moody excelled himself as the very first employee of Simtek, where he played a vital role in setting up the new team from scratch.
Following Simtek's collapse, Moody had a stint working in touring cars before a brief return to F1 with Williams' BMW test programme. He then moved to MotoGP with Team Roberts in 2001, before joining Suzuki in 2008, and becoming just as popular in the motorcycle paddock as he had been in F1.

It was a measure of his popularity that nearly every member of the old Team Roberts and 2011 Suzuki MotoGP teams attended the service, which was held at St Peters Church in Filkins, Gloucestershire.

Webber now 'at home' on Pirellis

Mark Webber says he felt "completely at home" on the Pirelli tyres by the end of the 2011 season and addressed some small issues that were holding him back in qualifying.

Webber had a difficult season with just one win compared to team-mate Sebastian Vettel's 11. Early in the season the Red Bull driver struggled to get to grips with the new Pirelli tyres, but said he got on top of them towards the end of the year while his performances were also helped by improved KERS reliability.

"We had some better weekends, we started to get KERS working and I was having to make less pit stops - that was a big thing," he said. "Obviously I was having to do a lot of [wheel-to-wheel] racing by making more stops, which put me more at risk. As the season went on I tended to be on the same strategy as everyone else and that made the racing easier for me."

The tyre compounds are set to be tweaked again before the start of the 2012 season, but after getting his first taste of the 2012 Pirellis during some of the Friday practice sessions at the end of the season, Webber said he feels comfortable on the new-style tyres.

Raikkonen escapes injury after snowmobile accident

Kimi Raikkonen has escaped with just a sore wrist after crashing out of a snowmobile race in Austria on Saturday.

Raikkonen was taking part in the Swatch Snow Mobile race in Saalbach Hinterglemm when he came off his Red Bull Mobile Team snowmobile and had to be treated by paramedics. He was soon cleared of any serious injury and his Renault team tweeted: "We just spoke to Kimi. There's nothing to worry about, he only has a sore wrist. He might have it checked again on Monday, but that's all."
 
The chief organiser of the race, Andy Wernig told Sport10.at: "Our doctor has examined Kimi's left hand and he is wearing a small bandage."

The accident comes just two weeks after Raikkonen signed a contract to race for Renault in 2012.

Buemi 'very confident' of Toro Rosso future

Sebastien Buemi says that he is "very confident" that he has a future with Toro Rosso in Formula One.
Toro Rosso is yet to announce its 2012 driver line-up as it tries to decide on two drivers from Buemi, Jaime Alguersuari, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne. It's widely believed that the team will stick with the current pairing of Buemi and Alguersuari, and Buemi said that he was preparing himself for another year, while insisting he was not affected by the lack of a decision so far.

Red Bull Racing sure of making first 2012 test with new car

Adrian Newey is confident that Red Bull Racing is on target to make the first pre-season test on February 7 with its 2012 car.
Mercedes recently confirmed that it would be missing the opening test, but the Red Bull chief technical officer expects his team to be ready.




"The schedule is to make the first test," he said when asked about progress on the RB8 by AUTOSPORT. "As always, it will be tight but I'd be very disappointed if it was not."

Newey admitted that the one potential pitfall was new regulations forcing teams to pass all FIA crash tests before they started testing.

Previously, teams only had to pass the tests before the first race weekend, but the 2012 rules mean that every team has had to bring forward its schedule.

"One thing that is different this year is that we have to pass all of the crash tests before we are allowed to test," said Newey. "For everyone, that is going to be a bit of a concern because sometimes something unexpected can happen.

"This time around, if something unexpected happens and it's too severe, then it could be the first test you miss and it could roll on to the second and third. But apart from that, it's just about getting out and getting on with it."

Mark Webber says results not age will decide his Formula 1 future

Mark Webber says his decision on when to retire from Formula 1 will not be based on his age, but on whether he is still delivering results.
The 35-year-old Australian signed a new one-year deal with Red Bull Racing during the summer.

But asked if he felt he was now in a countdown towards retirement, Webber replied: "No. That's not the right attitude. The attitude is to focus 100 per cent on the next race. The results are the important thing, not the age.

"I've had team-mates who don't get the results and they are finished when they are 21. It's a results based industry. If you don't get the results, you don't operate with the top teams."

Red Bull still committed to cost cutting

 

Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes his team can still work towards controlling costs in Formula One despite withdrawing from the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA). 

Red Bull, Ferrari and Sauber have all pulled out of FOTA in the last two weeks amid a disagreement over how teams' spending should be contained. After speculation that teams, including Red Bull, were finding a way to work outside the existing Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA), FOTA reached a stalemate over the issue and the three teams resigned.

All three will serve a two-month notice period and Horner said he would continue to work with FOTA to try to reach an agreement on cost-cutting measures.

"It is a two-month notice period that both Ferrari and ourselves will serve and I think Sauber have joined that now," he said on Saturday. "We have a meeting with some of the other FOTA members on Monday to talk about cost control, but we'll see. Nothing is ever totally set in stone, but for the time being we feel that it is the right decision to take to step out of FOTA."

Vettel and Red Bull collect championship trophies

After a year of triumphs Sebastian Vettel’s closing reward came at the appropriately-named Kingdom of Dreams in New Delhi, India, host venue for this year’s FIA Prize Giving Gala on Friday evening.

The 2011 FIA Formula One World Champion collected the coveted trophy from FIA President, Jean Todt, while Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner was presented with the 2011 Constructors’ Trophy by Bernie Ecclestone. Jenson Button and Mark Webber also received awards for second and third places respectively in the drivers’ championship.

Grosjean gets second Renault seat

Lotus Renault has announced that Romain Grosjean will drive alongside Kimi Raikkonen next season.
Grosjean - who initially raced for the team alongside Fernando Alonso in 2009 - will replace Vitaly Petrov, with Eric Boullier confirming his contract had been "terminated". Petrov did have a contract in place for 2012 but the team did not confirm Raikkonen's team-mate for next season when the FIA published its entry list, with Petrov admitting the team was considering his future.

The announcement of Grosjean as a race driver comes at the same time as Total extending its sponsorship deal with the team by a further year, and Grosjean admitted he was "thrilled" with the opportunity.

"I am thrilled to be one of the team's race drivers in 2012," Grosjean said. "There's a big grin on my face at the prospect of getting behind the wheel of next year's car, and I feel very privileged to be given this opportunity. To be racing alongside a former world champion and someone who is hungry and returning to Formula 1 will be a great experience, and I'm sure will help raise my level of performance too.

Sutil admits to Williams talks

 

 Adrian Sutil has admitted that he has held talks with Williams as he looks to secure his future on the grid for next year. 

Despite no official announcement from Force India, it is widely believed that the team will choose Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta as the drivers for 2012, leaving Sutil without a seat. After Romain Grosjean was confirmed at Renault (to become Lotus) for next season, Sutil's only option appears to be Williams, and he admitted that it was one of a number of teams that he had spoken to.

"Yes, certainly there has been talks with several teams for quite some time, but nothing is signed," Sutil is quoted by Speed-Magazin. "Williams is certainly one of the teams that have a seat. Unfortunately I can't say anything about the discussions to date. But we hope that there is a decision by mid-December."
Sutil also praised the job done by di Resta in his rookie season, but stopped short of confirming that his team-mate would retain his drive.

"Yes, in the end I beat Paul in all areas, but it was hard work. He did a great job and challenged me throughout the year. Whether he is set (to stay at Force India) or not, I cannot say -- I don't know about Paul's contract."

Lotus boss Dany Bahar has no doubts about Kimi Raikkonen's motivation

Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar says the fact that Kimi Raikkonen is willing to take on the challenge of returning to Formula 1 after a two-year absence is sufficient proof of his motivation.

After two seasons away in the World Rally Championship, 2007 world champion Raikkonen will be back in the F1 field next year with Renault, which will by then be running under the Lotus title.

Bahar, who previously worked with Raikkonen at Ferrari, said in an interview with the official F1 website that he had no worries whatsoever about the Finn's level of commitment and determination, despite many questioning Raikkonen's motivation during his career.



"As with anyone we work with on and off track, we expect him to do his best," said Bahar.

"I fully expect that he will take his commitment to the team very seriously and will do everything he can to bring in points. From what I know of Kimi from previous experience, he is a dedicated and determined driver and he wants results.

Professor Sid Watkins retires from FIA Institute presidency

Professor Sid Watkins has retired from his role as president of the FIA Institute.

The former Formula 1 doctor was made president of the organisation when it was formed, but has stepped down in favour of former deputy president Gerard Saillant. Garry Connelly takes on Saillant's old position.

Watkins will remain involved with the institute as honorary president.

"It has been an honour and a great pleasure to lead the Institute since its establishment," said Watkins.
"I am very proud of our achievements and our plans for the future, both in terms of motorsport safety and sustainability.

"I look forward to continue making a modest contribution to these in my new capacity as honorary president."

Mercedes poised to give 2014 Formula 1 engine first dyno test

Mercedes-Benz is set to run its 2014 turbocharged Formula 1 engine on a dyno test bed imminently, AUTOSPORT has learned, as technical chiefs played down concerns the new power units will not sound great.
With development of the new V6 engines pushing on, Mercedes-Benz sources have confirmed that the company's first version of its 2014 engine will be ready 'soon' - although a final date has not yet been sorted.

 
And with much interest about how these new engines will sound, amid concerns from Bernie Ecclestone and grand prix promoters that they will not be as loud as the current V8s, the man heading the design has no such worries.

Mercedes-Benz engineering director Andy Cowell said: "The engines are high revving. You don't get the maximum fuel flow rate until you are above 10,500rpm, and the maximum revs are at 15,000rpm. Plus, with six pipes going into one turbocharger, a single tail pipe from six cylinders revving at 15,000rpm I think will sound very nice."

US Grand Prix remains on FIA's 2012 calendar

The 2012 US Grand Prix appears to be back on after the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) released an unchanged calendar for next year, including the race in Austin.

Serious doubts were cast over the event when it emerged last month that the Circuit of the Americas no longer had a valid contract with Formula One's commercial rights holders. Last week F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone gave the organisers until December 7 to sign a new contract so that the WMSC could finalise its calendar during a meeting in Delhi. The news was later confirmed in a statement from the circuit.

The Bahrain and Korean Grands Prix also appeared on the WMSC's calendar, despite continuing doubts over those races. The 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix was cancelled after political unrest in the country and there have been doubts over the 2012 race too, with a bomb exploding outside the British embassy as recently as last Sunday. A recent report condemned the way authorities cracked down on pro-democracy protestors earlier this year, but in November Ecclestone said: "I've no doubt in my mind we'll be there."
Concerns over Korea's future were based on funding after the promoters said the future of the race would hinge on negotiating better terms with Ecclestone.

There has been no news suggesting a new deal has been struck, yet the race remains on the WMSC's calendar.

Webber not ready to retire after 2012

Mark Webber is not ruling out extending his year-by-year rolling contract with Red Bull beyond 2012.

Webber will start his sixth season at the team next year with speculation he will retire after the final round. Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko has hinted that one of the brand's junior drivers will fill his space, but Webber is not entering 2012 with retirement in mind.

"Yeah, absolutely I can see myself going a bit longer," he told the Daily Mail. "Helmut's been quite keen to do one-year contracts, and in a way it hasn't been too bad for me as well. That's been his starting point for the last three or four years. That's the way it's been, and as always it gets to the middle of the year, we sit down and have a chat about things."

After a difficult 2011 season, which yielded just one victory to team-mate Sebastian Vettel's 11, Webber is hoping for a more competitive season in 2012. However, he said his sights were not just set on beating Vettel.

"Obviously I don't just think about him, I think about everyone", he added. "McLaren are going to be strong. Ferrari are going to be strong, and we need to start well. "It's the fine margins. If you start to rack a few wins up then things change, as in 2010.

"It's very hard for everyone to get their head around how certain drivers might come back and others might lose their form. But this happens, it definitely happens, and you need to be there to capitalise."

Peter Gethin, winner of the 1971 Italian Grand Prix, dies aged 71

Peter Gethin, the winner of the 1971 Italian Grand Prix, has died following a long illness.
The former BRM, McLaren and Embassy Hill Lola Formula 1 driver, who famously triumphed at the race that featured just 0.61s between the top five finishers, was 71.

The son of a professional jockey, Surrey-born Gethin first came to prominence when he was already in his late 20s, as a front-runner in British Formula 3, but he really found his feet in Formula 5000, winning the British title in 1969 and '70.

Kobayashi feels stronger after season as lead driver

Kamui Kobayashi believes his 2011 season as the No.1 driver at Sauber has helped him develop, although he admits it was not an easy year.
Kobayashi burst onto the F1 grid in 2009 with
Toyota before his first full season with Sauber in 2010, in which he was praised for his attacking driving style. He made a strong start to 2011 with 25 points in the first seven races but was off the pace in the second half as Sauber struggled to match the development pace of its rivals.


He also had the added pressure leading the team, after Sauber replaced F1 veteran Nick Heidfled with rookie Sergio Perez.

"Certainly it wasn't easy for me," he said. "I needed to improve a lot in various areas. Not only in driving, but also in making decisions with the engineers. The fact that we had to deal with the new tyres from Pirelli, which were different in character compared to what we had before, was challenging for me. It was important to find out what was best for the race and how to handle qualifying. There was a big difference in performance between Saturday and Sunday. I think I came to understand many things during this season, and I have got a clearer picture for next year."

FOTA existence is 'vital'

Mercedes' head of motorsport Norbert Haug has called the existence of the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) "vital" after Red Bull and Ferrari withdrew.

Red Bull and Ferrari announced their departures from the association on Friday, with disagreements over the Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA) central to the decision. Despite Bernie Ecclestone saying that the teams will not be able to agree on such a topic, Haug says that FOTA's aims are as relevant as ever and that the bigger teams need to ensure it continues to function.

Mark Webber says 2012 will be very different, expects very strong season

Mark Webber says he is very optimistic he will have a very strong 2012 Formula 1 campaign on the back of a difficult year this season.

The Red Bull Racing driver was overshadowed by team-mate Sebastian Vettel in 2011, scoring just one win to the young German's 11 victories.

Webber, however, is adamant that next year will be very different for him, as he reckons he is still performing strongly despite the difficulties of this season.

"The next most important race is Melbourne and next year will be different to this year, because that's just the way I'm sure things will go," Webber told Reuters in an interview.

"I'm very, very optimistic and positive that I'll have a very, very strong season and that's what I'm going to look forward to. I'm still driving very, very well.

"It's an extremely fine line before you start to unlock a few other things that can make your season go from good, which was this year, to great, and that's what I need to be able to try and do." 

Webber won the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix, something he labelled as a tonic for him after the tough year.

He says his first victory of the year had been close in previous races though.

"I think that (the victory) was brewing off the back of a few events where, on the surface it might not have looked that I might have been challenging, but there were certain things coming that I was getting more confident about," he added.

"Yes, Seb (Vettel) had to manage an issue but irrespective of that, you still need to pounce and capitalise on other people's misfortunes. That's motor sport at the end of the day.

"It's good to have our feet up a little bit, it's a long, long season as we all know. But to be honest I probably wouldn't have it any other way. I still absolutely love my racing and I'm really looking forward to, it's 100 days apparently before we get back to Melbourne, so looking forward to getting back in the car and racing."

Mercedes adds AMG moniker to Formula 1 team name

Mercedes-Benz will race as 'Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team' during the 2012 season, the car maker announced on Monday.
AMG has been the performance brand of Mercedes-Benz for more than 40 years.

The Brackley-based team also said its new car, the F1 W03, will not make its official track debut untill the second winter test of 2012, which takes place from 21 February at Barcelona.

Team principal Ross Brawn said: "We are very proud to reveal our new team name today. It adds another strong performance element to our team's identity and, by virtue of being shared between Brackley and Brixworth, will forge even stronger links within our team.

"At the factory, we have been focused for some time on the challenge of 2012, and our very clear ambition to move forward up the grid next year. As always, the winter development and manufacturing processes are a trade-off between time for finding performance in the factory, and time for delivering that performance during pre-season testing.

"We believe that the decision to run the car at the second winter test is the optimum compromise for our design and development programme with F1 W03."

Mercedes-Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug added: "Our new team name fuses the proud traditions of AMG and the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows at the pinnacle of motorsport.

"These three letters are synonymous with high technology, sporting performance and excitement and this step is a further strong sign of the strategic commitment Mercedes-Benz has made to Formula 1. Sixteen of the 24 drivers on the grid at the season's final Grand Prix in Brazil have, or have had, a connection to Mercedes-Benz.

"In addition to the role of a works team, our commitment to Formula 1 comprises the customer engine programme and supply of the official Safety and Medical Cars."

Romain Grosjean: Chance to partner Kimi Raikkonen makes 2012 Lotus Renault seat even more alluring

Romain Grosjean says news that Kimi Raikkonen will drive for the current Renault team in 2012 has made him even more determined to secure a seat at the squad, which will run as Lotus next year.

Raikkonen was the only 2012 Lotus driver specified on the official Formula 1 entry list when it was released by the FIA earlier this week. 2011 Renault racers Vitaly Petrov and Bruno Senna are reserve driver and GP2 champion Grosjean's rivals for the second seat.

Grosjean described the 'tba' on the next to the second 2012 Lotus drive as "a nice empty space", and said his excitement at the possibility of getting a race seat only increased when the team signed Raikkonen.

Jenson Button: 'Lewis Hamilton didn't fade, I improved' in McLaren team battle

Jenson Button believes the change in the competitive balance at McLaren this season was more due to him improving than Lewis Hamilton's form declining.

Hamilton found himself beaten in the standings by a team-mate for the first time this season, as Button took the runner-up spot in the Formula 1 world championship behind dominant champion Sebastian Vettel, and Hamilton was 43 points further back in fifth. In their first year as McLaren team-mates in 2010, Hamilton had beaten Button by 26 points as they took fourth and fifth.

Although Hamilton's performances received a lot of criticism this year, Button thinks his team-mate did little wrong - but that his own form took big strides forward as he settled into the team.

"For me personally I felt more and more comfortable and confident in the team with finding the right direction for the car," Button told reporters at the Race of Champions.

Sutil says it is absurd he does not have a drive for 2012 after strong season

Adrian Sutil says he is surprised he has not secured a Formula 1 drive for next year already after his strong showing during the 2011 season.

The German, who finished in ninth place in the championship with 42 points, looks set to lose his seat at Force India next year to Nico Hulkenberg.

Sutil, however, has been linked with drives at Williams and Renault and, although he admits he's baffled by his situation, he says things are not looking bad.

"Yes, I totally agree," he told the official F1 website when asked if it was absurd he doesn't have a drive for next year yet after his strongest season.