McLaren dismisses rumours about F1 engine link-up with PURE

McLaren has dismissed speculation that it is considering a tie-up with Craig Pollock's PURE engine company in the future.

The Woking-based team has been the subject of rumours for months that it could opt to change engine partners when Formula 1 switches to V6-turbo power-units from 2014.

Although the team said last November that it was fully focused on ensuring future success with Mercedes-Benz, amid rumours linking it with Honda at the time, that has not stopped a number of reports in recent days suggesting that Pure is now being considered.
Pollock, who was best known as Jacques Villeneuve's manager, has set up a new engine company to provide customer engines from the start of 2014 and is currently on the look-out for teams to join up with.

Adrian Sutil given suspended sentence over incident involving Lotus' Eric Lux

Adrian Sutil has been given an 18-month suspended sentence after being found guilty of bodily harm against Lotus team co-owner Eric Lux.

On the second day of proceedings in Munich, Sutil was convicted of causing neck injuries to Lux with a champagne glass following a fight in a nightclub after last year's Chinese Grand Prix.

In addition to the suspended sentence, Sutil was fined 200,000 euros, which will be given to charity.

Sutil said he never intended to hurt Lux and told the court on Monday that he had done everything possible to try and bring the matter to a close. However, Lux made it clear that he had never received the face-to-face apology that he had been after.

The conviction will be a blow to Sutil's hopes of returning to Formula 1 in the future, with the German having lost his drive at Force India to Nico Hulkenberg for this season.

Mercedes GP adamant test delay will help team with new F1 car

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.

Marussia will not run KERS during 2012 F1 season

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.

Vitaly Petrov says F1 drivers will welcome Pirelli's more aggressive approach

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.

Pat Symonds reckons 2011 Virgin was a much better car than it seemed

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.

Pedro de la Rosa fired up for F1 racing return with HRT in 2012

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.

Mike Gascoyne says it's time Caterham F1 team takes another step forward

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.

Pirelli promises more exciting races in 2012 Formula 1 season

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."

Caterham F1 team unveils 2012 challenger

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.

Mark Webber to conduct first test of Red Bull's 2012 Formula 1 car

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.

Kimi Raikkonen to ramp up testing programme on day two with Lotus

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 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."

Kimi Raikkonen drives F1 car for the first time since joining Lotus

Kimi Raikkonen has returned to the wheel of a Formula 1 car for the first time since the end of 2009, during a first outing for Lotus at Valencia in Spain.

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.

Horner excited to see STR duo's fight

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

Sebastien Loeb claims sixth Monte Carlo Rally victory

Sebastien Loeb started 2012 in the perfect fashion by clinching a dominant victory in the World Rally Championship's Monte Carlo opener.

The reigning champion looked like he might have a fight on his hands when likely title rival Jari-Matti Latvala used a brilliant tyre choice amid changeable weather on day one to shoot into a half-minute lead.

But when Latvala rolled his Ford out of first place late on Wednesday, Loeb's Citroen was left alone at the front of the field, and he duly pulled away to claim a crushing sixth Monte Carlo win.

To complete an ideal start to his latest title defence, Loeb was also quickest on the power stage, giving him a maximum 28-point score for the event.

Mini's Dani Sordo, Ford's Petter Solberg and Citroen's Mikko Hirvonen battled for the podium all week. Second place looked an unlikely result for Sordo when he damaged his car's suspension on only the second stage, but he drove flawlessly thereafter to secure the runner-up spot - a much-needed podium for the troubled Mini programme.

Lotus will reveal Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus on its new website on February 5

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.

FIA bans reactive ride height system for 2012

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,  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.

Hill hails 'extraordinary' Schumacher

 

Damon Hill has described Michael Schumacher as "an extraordinary performer" but says that he can't take his drive at Mercedes for granted. 

Hill and Schumacher enjoyed a close rivalry in the mid-nineties as Schumacher won two titles for Benetton before Hill's championship in 1996. Hill retired in 1999 just before Schumacher's period of domination with Ferrari, and he told the Press Association that he was impressed with the commitment shown by the seven-time world champion but that he'll have to maintain it if he wants to remain in the sport.

Marussia planning to run new F1 car in second test at Barcelona

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  interview 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.

Austin F1 track set for August completion

Austin's new Formula 1 track is on course 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.

With its deal secure, construction resumed at the track shortly afterwards and track chiefs have confirmed that the recent delays will not have any negative effect on its November 18 event taking place.

Jarno Trulli shrugs off Vitaly Petrov speculation over Caterham F1 seat

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.

Senna joins Williams for 2012

Bruno Senna has joined Williams for the 2012 season.

Williams has been waiting to announce its second driver alongside Pastor Maldonado, with Rubens Barrichello and Adrian Sutil also thought to have been in the frame. However, Senna has landed the seat after appearing in eight races for Lotus Renault at the end of 2011 and he said he was "privileged" to get the drive.






"I feel very privileged that Williams has selected me as one of their race drivers," Senna said. "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.

February 6 launch for RB8

Red Bull will launch the RB8 online on February 6, the day before the start of the first test in Jerez.
The team has announced that it will be releasing images of the car on its website at 13:00 GMT. The car will then be on the track the following day as the first pre-season test gets underway.

So far McLaren, Ferrari, Force India and Sauber have also confirmed launch dates for their 2012 cars prior to the first test.



In 2011 the RB7 also had a low-key launch as it was unveiled in the pit lane in Valencia, on the morning of the opening day of the first test.

Mercedes is the only team to announce that it will delay the launch of its new car until after the first test in order to maximise development time. With a two-week gap between tests the team will first run the new W03 at the second test in Barcelona.

Hill backing for Bahrain

Damon Hill believes Formula One can return to Bahrain in 2012 "with a clear conscience" after personally visiting the country.

The 2011 race was cancelled amid unrest in Bahrain, with reports of protestors being tortured. While the circuit has reinstated employees sacked for their roles in the protests, the situation still remains unclear as a human rights group recently called on the teams and drivers to boycott the grand prix.


 

Toyota's new Le Mans contender tests for first time

Toyota's all-new 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours contender hit the track for the first time last week.
The Japanese manufacturer's petrol-electric hybrid LMP1 coupe was shaken down over three days at Paul Ricard, starting on Wednesday.

No comment has been forthcoming from Toyota Motorsport GmbH about the test, but it is understood that the car completed several hundred kilometres of largely trouble-free running.

All three of the drivers who will race Toyota's solo entry at Le Mans and in selected rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship this year were on hand at the test.

It is believed that Alex Wurz, whose team-mates are Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima, was at the wheel for the first laps and undertook the majority of the driving.

Further testing is scheduled at Ricard at the end of the month, when more official details of Toyota's progress should emerge.

The car, a name for which has yet to be announced, is expected to make its race debut in the Spa WEC round in May.

Damon Hill joins Sky's coverage of Formula 1 for 2012 season

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."

Ferrari considers future Newey move

Ferrari has admitted it would like to recruit Adrian Newey in the future if he looks for a new challenge after Red Bull.

Technical director Newey has been integral to Red Bull's success over the past three seasons, with the team having picked up 27 wins, two drivers' and two constructors' championships in that time. Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said that Red Bull's rise to the front of the grid has shown how important Newey is, and that he would monitor the situation in case he ever became available.

"I think that Adrian Newey showed his capability in a fantastic way in the last couple of years," Domenicali told Sky Sports News. "But what he would like to do in the future, well we will see."
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, however, said that recruiting Newey could be difficult because his wife had been unwilling to move to Italy in the past.

"I have confidence in our technical staff," Montezemolo is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport. "And furthermore the meeting I had with him (Newey) in 1997 was not exactly positive. The idea that his wife had of Italy was that of some kind of a third world country. But if he were available again and changed his ideas about our country then why not?"

Button to debut new McLaren

Jenson Button will debut the new McLaren MP4-27 at Jerez on February 7, the team has announced.

The car will be launched on February 1 at the team's Woking headquarters ahead of the first test that runs from February 7-10. McLaren has revealed its provisional driver schedules for the three pre-season tests and Button will be in the car on the opening two days in Jerez before handing over to Lewis Hamilton for the final two days.

The order is reversed for the second test in Barcelona, before the final test - also in Barcelona - sees the drivers taking to the track on alternate days with Hamilton finishing the test.

McLaren announced back in December that it would run the MP4-27 at the first test in Jerez, and so far only Mercedes has confirmed that it will not be running its new car until the second test, although reports claim Marussia will follow suit.

Barrichello admits to anxious wait

Rubens Barrichello admits that he wishes his Formula One future had been sorted out sooner, but that he was still "fighting" to retain his seat at Williams.

Barrichello is out of contract at Williams, and after the team endured the worst season in its history in 2011 it is considering its options.




Pastor Maldonado has been retained for a second season on account of substantial backing from Venezuelan oil company PDVSA and Barrichello said that he's been trying to stay in a positive frame of mind as he awaits news on his own future.

Ferrari says F1 must keep European races

Formula 1 chiefs should do all they can to ensure historic European races are kept on the calendar amid the push to expand the championship around the world.

That is the view of Ferrari vice chairman Piero Ferrari, the only surviving son of company founder Enzo.

Making a special appearance at the Italian team's Wrooom media event at Madonna di Campiglio on Friday, Ferrari said that while welcoming the global scale of F1, he felt it vital that Europe's venues did not disappear from the schedule.

"We feel F1 has to be a worldwide championship, so it is natural to have this outside Europe," he said. "What I regret is to miss some important grands prix, like the Grand Prix of France, and if we miss other grands prix like this, this will be a shame.

Robby Gordon's Dakar hopes virtually over as Stephane Peterhansel increases lead

Robby Gordon's slim hopes of winning the Dakar Rally took another nosedive on Thursday as Stephane Peterhansel increased his lead by winning stage 11.

Having lost over 17 minutes to Peterhansel and dropped to third the previous day, Gordon set a hot pace as the rally left the Chilean town of Arica and headed towards Arequipa in Peru.

The Hummer driver had pulled back nearly three minutes on Peterhansel's X-raid Mini by the third of eight checkpoints on the 297-mile stage. But he slowed dramatically shortly afterwards, falling six minutes behind Peterhansel over the next 60 miles due to a broken CV joint boot. He then stopped for over an hour to change the part on the link road between the two parts of the stage.

Gordon, already competing under appeal after event organisers disqualified him on Tuesday for running an illegal tyre re-inflation system, was 1h11m off the pace as a result and fell from third place to fourth.
Peterhansel's stage win came by 3m44s from his X-raid team-mate Nani Roma and increased his overall advantage over the Spaniard to 22m49s with only two stages remaining.

Former Dakar winner Giniel de Villiers was fourth quickest through the stage and is now a comfortable third overall; the Toyota driver 1h11m behind Peterhansel and a likely 20 minutes clear of Gordon.
Leonid Novitskiy retained his fifth place with the fifth fastest time, while Krzysztof Holowczyc recovered from his Wednesday maladies with sixth fastest.

There was bad news for Carlos Sousa, who began the day sixth. His Great Wall stopped in the dunes inside the first 100 miles of the stage. Despite losing almost an hour, he only lost one place.

Leading positions after stage 11:

Pos  Driver                  Car           Time/Gap
 1.  Stephane Peterhansel    Mini         32h38m05s
 2.  Nani Roma               Mini          + 22m49s
 3.  Giniel de Villiers      Toyota      + 1h11m01s
 4.  Robby Gordon            Hummer      + 2h10m31s
 5.  Leonid Novitskiy        Mini        + 2h11m10s
 6.  Lucio Alvarez           Toyota      + 3h53m51s
 7.  Carlos Sousa            Great Wall  + 4h04m43s
 8.  Bernard ten Brinke      Mitsubishi  + 4h17m36s
 9.  Ricardo Leal dos Santos Mini        + 4h38m11s
10.  Duncan Vos              Toyota      + 4h50m21s

Fernando Alonso says Ferrari has everything it needs to win the 2012 F1 title

Fernando Alonso believes Ferrari has the structure and staff it needs to rediscover its title-winning form, but he is refusing to get too carried away yet about its prospects for 2012.

Speaking at Ferrari's Wrooom media event at Madonna di Campiglio in Italy on Thursday, Alonso said that he was optimistic about the way his team was preparing for the season ahead - but reckoned it would be some time before it knew just how competitive it would be.

"We are all optimistic," said Alonso. "Everyone is giving their best, but until perhaps Malaysia or China, race two or three, we will not be able to know how good the car is.

"I know we are going to have many winter tests, and you may consider those as races, but until China we will not be able to know the potential of the car."

ACM confirms Eurosport will cover Monte Carlo Rally

The Automobile Club de Monaco has confirmed Eurosport will cover the Monte Carlo Rally, round one of the World Rally Championship.

The ACM issued a statement explaining the decision earlier today, stating that Eurosport will produce television and internet coverage for the event which starts from Valence on Wednesday.

The statement said: "A few days before its start, the 80th Monte Carlo Rally is confronted with the non-fulfillment of the services which should have been provided by North One Sport, former promoter of the WRC.

"Unable at this stage to await the outcome of unlikely negotiations, the ACM has no other option but to arrange by its own means the timing and tracking of the event, which were the responsibilities of NOS up to now through Stage One Technologies.

"This situation also applies to TV production, broadcasting the race and internet. There again, the ACM took steps by contracting with Eurosport S.A to ensure the best coverage of the event.

"These decisions will allow the 80th Monte Carlo Rally to take place on January 17, 2012 and the scheduled race programme to be scrupulously maintained.

"The 80th Monte Carlo Rally shall remain on this year's world championship schedule regardless of the designation of the promoter."

An announcement confirming Eurosport will film the WRC for the next three years is expected soon.

Barcelona government may reconsider F1 grand prix deal

Catalunya's government says it may need to rethink the hosting of Formula 1 and MotoGP events given the difficult economic situation.

"We could reconsider the hosting of Formula 1 or motorcycle grands prix," Andreu Mas-Colell, Catalunya's minister for economy, told RAC1 radio.

"It is not clear to us that we can afford them in the current situation.

"It is not the first thing we will reconsider, but in times like these we must look very closely at where we spend the money."
Mas-Colell's comments come after the Valencian government said it wanted to renegotiate its contract with Bernie Ecclestone in order to reduce costs.

Valencia has hosted the European Grand Prix since the 2008 season.

The Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona has been a part of the Formula 1 calendar since 1991, but officials said last year that the future of the event beyond this season would depend on economic factors.

Barcelona has a deal to host the race until 2016 and Mas-Colell said the situation must be looked at carefully in order to make sure breaking a contract does not cost more than hosting the race.
"There are contracts that are more expensive to maintain than to break," he added.

Bahrain GP organisers say government has acted on human rights violations

Bahrain Grand Prix organisers have downplayed fears about the unrest in the kingdom following calls from human rights groups to boycott the event.

The Sakhir event is back on the calendar this year after last season's race was first postponed and then cancelled because of the political situation.

Over the weekend, human rights groups urged F1 teams to boycott the race in order to show they "respect human rights."

On Monday, however, Bahrain GP organisers moved to ease fears about the situation, saying the government has already acted to make sure no human rights are violated.

Andrea Dovizioso expected to be fit for first MotoGP test after successful collarbone surgery

Andrea Dovizioso should "easily" be fit in time for the first 2012 MotoGP tests, says the surgeon who repaired his broken collarbone.
Tech 3 Yamaha convert Dovizioso sustained the injury in a motocross crash on Thursday, and underwent a one-hour operation in Cattolica yesterday.

The surgery was carried out by Dr Giuseppe Porcellini, who also repaired Valentino Rossi's 2010 shoulder injury, and observed by Dr Fabrizio Borra - physio to both Dovizioso and Fernando Alonso.

Dr Porcellini said the injury had been complicated but that he saw no reason why it should interfere with Dovizioso's participation in the Sepang test, which commences on 31 January.

"The fracture was rather complex with four fragments," the surgeon told Gazzetta dello Sport. "We drilled eight holes and stabilised the fracture with a plate.

"Andrea will have his arm blocked for 15 days, after which he'll begin rehabilitation in order to be ready for the first test session in Malaysia at the end of the month.

"In these first few days Borra will have to carry on with the work on the lower limbs after which, once the arm is set free, work will begin on the upper limbs to strengthen the muscles.
"If there are no problems, Dovizioso will easily be able to face the tests, while we'll remove the plate in one year's time."

After the operation, Dovizioso said on his Twitter account that he felt "like new".

Eurosport set to become World Rally Championship promoter as North One's Qatar deal falls through

Negotiations for Qatar to invest in the World Rally Championship have broken down, leaving Eurosport set to step in and take over the television and promotion of the series.

While no official announcements have been made, AUTOSPORT has seen internal correspondence from WRC promoter North One Sport confirming that the potential deal with Qatar is off. The Qatar deal, which was reckoned to have been worth millions of pounds over the coming years, was North One Sport's only hope of continuing as the promoter. The firm's parent company, Convers Sports Initiatives, went into administration at the end of last year.

The loss of the potential investor will cost around 40 full-time jobs and a further 20 on-event freelance staff in the world championship. North One Sport is expected to be closed as of Monday.

It is rumoured the FIA terminated North One Sport's contract as WRC rights-holder last night.
A North One source said: "It's unbelievable. We have come so close to landing this. The deal was on the table and, believe me, it would have been by far and away the best thing for the sport and for the World Rally Championship.

"What is desperately disappointing, after working so hard for 11 years on the WRC, is that nobody from the FIA picked up a phone and talked to us - and goodness knows we tried to call them. We were treated with complete contempt. I find it extraordinary given what the new investor could have done. It's a very sad day."
The FIA was unavailable for comment.

Force India on schedule with 2012 Formula 1 car after passing crash tests

Force India has indicated that its 2012 car will be ready for the first winter test at Jerez from 7 February, having completed the mandatory crash tests for the VJM05 before Christmas.

In a rule change for 2012, the FIA now stipulates that the crash tests must be passed before testing can commence, putting pressure on teams to be ready sooner.


With a two-week gap between the first and second tests, there had been speculation that others might adopt Mercedes' stance and use a 2011 car for the opening sessions, but Force India technical director Andrew Green said his squad was on target to be ready from the outset.

"We're on schedule, that's the good news," he said. "It's been a little bit tougher this year, having to homologate the chassis prior to testing. So there was a little bit of extra planning involved to get that sorted. The chassis has been homologated since December.

World Rally Championship close to promotion solution

The situation regarding the promotion of the World Rally Championship is close to being resolved, AUTOSPORT has learned.

The future of WRC promoter North One Sport was cast into doubt last month when parent company Convers Sports Initiatives went into administration, following the arrest of CSI's major backer Vladimir Antonov. Since then, NOS has been pursuing alternative buyers or investors for the business.

 Sources have indicated there are two options for the future of the WRC promotion. The first option relates to multi-year, multi-million pound NOS investment from the Middle East, which would effectively mean the business continuing as it has up until now.

Bruno Senna says the situation regarding his future in F1 has not changed

Bruno Senna insists his future in Formula 1 remains uncertain despite speculation having linked him with a seat at Williams in recent days.

The Brazilian raced with the Renault team in the second half of the 2011 season, but the squad has hired Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean to race with it during 2012.

Senna has been linked recently with the second racing seat at the Williams team, the Grove squad yet to announce who will partner Pastor Maldonado.
Senna, Rubens Barrichello and Adrian Sutil are believed to be in the running.

Despite the speculation, the Brazilian said his situation has not changed.

Citroen appoints Yves Matton as new team principal

Citroen has announced that Yves Matton will replace Olivier Quesnel as team principal in its World Rally Championship team.

Matton, who had been tipped to take the position in 2007, when Guy Frequelin departed, will start the job immediately. Quesnel will remain as Peugeot Sport director.

Quesnel's departure had been telegraphed after a successful yet tumultuous season with Sebastiens Loeb and Ogier in 2011.

Frederic Banzet, to whom Matton will report, said: "I would like to thank Olivier Quesnel for the job he has done in his four years as Citroen Racing team principal.

"Under his management, Citroen has won the Manufacturers' and Drivers' Championship titles every year with Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena. Yves Matton's task will be to maintain Citroen Racing's high level of excellence."

Xavier Mestelan Pinon has been appointed as deputy principal, in addition to his position as technical director.

Stephane Peterhansel takes Dakar lead after Nasser Al-Attiyah suffers lengthy delay

Dakar legend Stephane Peterhansel took the lead of this year's rally after its fourth stage, but only after a long delay for 2011 victor and long-time stage leader Nasser Al-Attiyah.

Frenchman Peterhansel, a winner of the Dakar Rally on two and four wheels, started the day in fifth place, 2m41s off the lead.

That small deficit became a healthy lead of just over five minutes by the end of the fourth stage for the X-raid team leader, with Orlando Terranova the only driver to get within six minutes of his time.

His victory owed as much to his own pace as it did to a long stop for Al-Attiyah however, the Qatari driver having taken the lead of the rally shortly after passing the first checkpoint.

Williams looking for new title sponsor after splitting with AT&T

The Williams team has confirmed it is looking for a new title sponsor after the end of its deal with telecommunications giant AT&T.

AT&T, the largest telecommunications company in the United States and one of the biggest worldwide, had been the team's title sponsor since the 2007 season.
Williams has removed all AT&T branding from its website.

"I can confirm that the team's contract with AT&T reached its conclusion on 31st December 2011 and will not be renewed for the 2012 season," a team spokesperson said.

The Grove-based squad endured its worst Formula 1 season in 2011, scoring just five points on its way to ninth place in the constructors' championship.

A team source told the Reuters news agency that Williams was in "advanced negotiations" with another telecommunications company.

Williams is yet to name its second driver for the 2012 season, with Bruno Senna, Adrian Sutil and Rubens Barrichello believed to be in the running.

Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado has already been confirmed for the upcoming season.

Lowe pleased with DRS effect

McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe says that the Drag Reduction System (DRS) has proven to be a very easy way of improving overtaking.

Formula One has often searched for new ways to improve the racing on display, with the aerodynamics of cars in recent years being blamed for a lack of overtaking.

Lowe said that previous ideas to change the aerodynamic regulations of the cars would have been very expensive, but that the DRS was a simple solution that could be tweaked to suit every track on the calendar.

"What's great about DRS is at least we can move on from this debate of trying to change the aerodynamic characteristics of cars to try to improve overtaking," he told BBC Sport. "We've found something much more authoritative, much cheaper, easier and more effective, and adjustable from race to race."

However, not everyone in Formula One is convinced by the DRS, with Niki Lauda admitting that it "bothers me", while also saying that the system isn't required due to the effect of the rapidly-degrading Pirelli tyres.

"To see passing at the push of a button is fundamentally the wrong direction (for F1)," Lauda told Salzburger Nachrichten. "The front man (the driver in front) is totally defenceless. I think from the sporting point of view it is not right.

"There is enough overtaking already because of the tyres, which often have to be taken right to the limit by the drivers."

Leonid Novitskiy wins Dakar Rally opener as Nassar Al-Attiyah hits early problem

Leonid Novitskiy won the opening stage of the 2012 Dakar Rally, which also included a fatality in the motorcycle section and early trouble for last year's winner Nasser Al-Attiyah.

The relatively short 57-kilometre Mar del Plata to Santa Rosa stage was marred by the death of bike competitor Jorge Boero, who suffered a fall at the 55km point and went into cardiac arrest. Medical crews attended within five minutes, but were unable to save the Argentinean's life.

2011 car winner Al-Attiyah, now driving for Robby Gordon's Hummer team following Volkswagen's departure, lost nine minutes on the stage when his engine lost oil pressure. Gordon stopped and towed his team-mate to the finish.

"We will see, but this does not look good," admitted Al-Attiyah. "And, whatever happens, this is not a good way to start the Dakar."

Nico Rosberg says skipping first 2012 F1 test won't hamper Mercedes season

Nico Rosberg does not believe that missing the first official Formula 1 test of 2012 will affect Mercedes' competitiveness this season.

The team announced recently that it would not take part in the Jerez test on February 7-10 in order to spend extra time developing its new W03 machine.

But the German believes that taking such a tactical approach will pay off in the long term and prevent a repeat of the team's uncompetitive start to the 2011 campaign.

"It is just the choice that they have made and I am happy with that,"
"It is the compromise between testing early enough and having enough time to develop. And they need to find a middle way - and they have decided that that is the best way to do it."

Red Bull not taking success for granted

Sebastian Vettel insists Red Bull will not rest on its laurels after winning back-to-back titles over the past two seasons.

Vettel dominated the drivers' championship in 2011 and is the favourite to do so again in 2012. However, he insists that Red Bull is taking nothing for granted and that the team knows how much hard work is needed to maintain its position at the top.






"We will try (to win again)," Vettel told France's Auto Hebdo. "But the beauty of this sport is that before a new season, all the points counters are reset. It is up to Red Bull to build a competitive chassis and Renault to produce a powerful and reliable engine. There is no certainty; nothing is sure about this (success) continuing."

He added that 2011 had not been an easy year as the team was constantly pushing to stay ahead of its rivals.
"All year long [we were] pushing to keep the car at the level that it was," Vettel said. "McLaren were pushing massively and I think at the end we were pretty even. I don't think that one car really had the edge."

Head steps down at Williams

Williams has confirmed that Patrick Head is no longer on its board of directors after stepping down as the team's director of engineering.

Head, who has been with Williams Grand Prix Engineering since it was founded in 1977, announced at the Brazilian Grand Prix that it would be his last race with the team as it undergoes restructuring for 2012. He will now take up a position on the board of Williams Hybrid Power Limited and team boss Sir Frank Williams wished him well in his new role.