French Grand Prix not dead

French sports minister says talks are still ongoing about potential race



Plans for a French Grand Prix to return to the Formula One calendar are not dead, according to France's sports minister David Douillet.

Earlier this year reports in France suggested that a deal was imminent, and officials met Bernie Ecclestone to discuss the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of the country hosting a grand prix for the first time since 1990.

"I met Bernie Ecclestone, he is totally willing to share just what Formula 1 Grand Prix between Belgium and France," Douillet told TF1. "It has been mobilized and motivated by local governments struggling to finance this type of event. The cost will be divided by the two as we will share it with Belgium. "We have three new French drivers in Formula 1 and so we have to have a Grand Prix de France. That is my job."

Former World Champion Alain Prost is delighted that his home country could once again host F1 after a four-year absence. Whilst the 57-year-old would prefer the race to be on the calendar every year, he feels that alternating with Spa is better than having no race at all.

"Obviously the best thing would be for France and Belgium to have their own Grands Prix each year," the four time champion told Russian website F1News. "But unfortunately you have to admit that Europe is facing great difficulties, so if this is the only way for the race to happen, then why not? It's better than nothing." - http://www1.skysports.com/

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Marussia to miss Barcelona

Team now looking to be ready in time for Australian Grand Prix



Marussia have pulled out of this week's final pre-season test in Barcelona after their new car, the MR01, failed the last of 18 FIA crash tests.

The Banbury-based team were involved in the second test last week at the same circuit, albeit in last year's car as they evaluated the latest sets of Pirelli tyres. Marussia - who were known as Virgin Racing last season - had finally hoped to use the MR01 at Circuit de Catalunya from Thursday onwards.

However, their plan has been scuppered by one of the FIA's new regulations - this season no team is allowed to take part in pre-season testing unless its car has passed all of the crash tests. Marussia must instead now try and complete the sole test it has failed to ensure they are ready for the opening race of the 2012 campaign in Australia.

A team statement read: "Marussia is disappointed to confirm that the planned first test of its 2012 race car, the MR01, has been delayed as a consequence of not passing the final FIA crash test. "The team will now not take part in the final pre-season test in Barcelona later this week, and will instead focus its efforts on repeating the crash test at the end of the week." - http://www1.skysports.com/

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BRAWN DENIES SCHUMACHER TALK

Ross Brawn says there is "nothing on the table" after reports of a new Mercedes deal for Michael Schumacher.



With the German great out of contract at the end of this season - and aged 43 - many are wondering whether he will want a fourth season with Mercedes. And although no-one appears to knows the answer, German newspaper Bild claims he will be at least be offered it by the Mercedes hierarchy.

However, team boss Brawn has denied the report, saying there has been no discussions as yet. He told Sky Sports: "There's nothing on the table like that at the moment but we're open-minded. We don't have other plans for drivers.

"We'll see what happens this year then talk about it. I hope it goes well because that means we'll be having good results and I think we'd both be happy to continue." - http://www.sportinglife.com/

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Mixed day for di Resta

KERS and body-work issues blight day three



Paul di Resta had an intense afternoon session on day three of the second test in Barcelona, after minimal running in the morning.

The Force India driver suffered KERS problems and then lost a large part of the engine cover on the VJM05, which delayed the Scot's progress.However, he was pleased with how the team bounced back with three hours of running in the afternoon.

"We decided the programme was best to get through the long runs in the afternoon, we achieved everything we wanted to do and actually done 84 laps, based around three hours work, so it was fairly intense and I think there will be a lot of analysing tonight, just to see where that will lead us tomorrow. "It's nice to have a car that you can experiment on set-up, something you couldn't do at a grand prix. And that's what we are trying to do at the minute, just to give us a direction ahead of the last test, to progress that set-up and maximise it." - http://www1.skysports.com/

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Vettel - It was a good day

German says car feels "fine" after opening day in Barcelona



Sebastian Vettel reflected on a "good day" for Red Bull after he posted the fastest time at the start of the second pre-season test in Barcelona.

The reigning world champion, who completed a total of 79 laps on Tuesday, was quickest in one minute 23.265secs around the Circuit de Catalunya.The German finished 0.175secs up on Force India's Nico Hulkenberg and was 0.325secs better than British driver Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren. Yet despite his early form boding well for the upcoming season, Vettel is not reading too much into what went on during the first of what will be eight days of testing at the track.

"It's difficult to judge where we are compared with the others right now," he said. "It's all based on feeling, and the feeling I have inside the car at the moment is fine. "All in all, it was a good day." Vettel feels all teams will improve before the serious business begins, adding: "I think everyone has a little bit to look forward to the last test.. "I don't think we have that much coming, but I'm looking forward to the last test and then really try to get into the race mode and prepare for the start of the new season." - http://www1.skysports.com/

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JARNO TRULLI IS IN DEMAND

Jarno Trulli says he has been surprised by the amount of offers he has already received since being dropped by Caterham



The Italian is eager to continue his career in motor sport, but it seems unlikely that the 37-year-old will be able to return to Formula One as a race driver. Trulli claims he does have opportunities outside F1, though, but will not rush into a decision on what the next step of his career will be.

"I was very surprised by the fact that one or two days later, I had already received some offers. I didn't think that it would move so quickly," Trulli told Autosport. "But I don't want to take any decisions now. I want to put all of the offers on the table and see what is the best for me. At the moment, I have no plans."

Trulli also stated that he did not limit his options and is open to the prospect of racing in American-based series such as NASCAR and IndyCar. He added: "I'm open to any possibilities as far as top level and professional racing is concerned.

"I'm happy to work hard, to go testing, to develop a project but I want something with a structure that at least gives me the potential for performance. "NASCAR and IndyCar could be a possibility, but obviously I don't have sponsors. I've never had that in my career so I've had to deal with my talent and nothing else." - http://www.sportinglife.com/

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Ricciardo not fazed by pressure

Australian says it comes from within as well as from Red Bull



Daniel Ricciardo has insisted that proving himself to Red Bull will not cast a shadow over his debut season racing for Toro Rosso.

The 22-year-old Australian graduates to a race seat at the Red Bull-backed team along with Jean-Eric Vergne after Toro Rosso's previous drivers, Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari, were released late last year.

Speaking at the time, Helmut Marko, who oversees Red Bull's Driver Development Programme, claimed that Buemi or Alguersuari were sacked because neither has the ability to win World Championships. The double axeing of the pair, aged 23 and 21 respectively, underlined the ruthless competition that Red Bull hopes will deliver them a successor to double World Champion Sebastian Vettel.

Vettel joined Red Bull Racing from Toro Rosso after winning the 2008 Italian Grand Prix for the latter team and Ricciardo knows that, with countryman Mark Webber yet to extend his contract beyond the current season, one of F1's most prized seats is potentially up for grabs. Yet faced with the prospect of either graduating alongside Vettel or ending up on the sidelines like Buemi and Alguersuari, the youngster insisted he would not allow the pressure to faze him.

"But even before that I put pressure on myself to try and get spotted by Red Bull. So I guess for my whole career. Basically every driver, to get to this level, has put pressure on themselves. "Maybe there is some added pressure from Red Bull but if you want to be World Champion then you know you have got to perform, and they only reason they kick you out is if you are not performing and then you don't probably deserve to be World Champion. "That's just the business we're in." - http://www1.skysports.com/

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PETROV 'HAPPY' TO HAVE SORTED FUTURE

Vitaly Petrov admits that he has endured a frustrating winter but is delighted to have been given the chance to prove his worth by the Caterham team.



The Russian, who takes over from Jarno Trulli, becomes the last confirmed driver for the start of the new Formula One season which kicks off in Melbourne on March 18.

 "The winter was quite difficult for me," he told Sky Sports. "It was a long winter - I was waiting three months before announcing what I will do in the future. Now I am much more happy." Petrov feels he has a point to prove after being released from Lotus Renault last year after two seasons. "Of course, I will improve with a new team like Caterham," he added. "They have a big future and like you see what they did in the last two years, they are improving every year their car.

"They have KERS and in August they will move to a new factory. I like what they are doing and I like to be part of this team. "They have a lot of new guys working and this summer they will move to a much bigger factory. This team looks really strong and they have a big ambition for the future." Petrov has good reason to relish the upcoming trip to Australia; it was there that he enjoyed the best result of his F1 career to date when he finished third last year. - http://www.sportinglife.com/

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Massa: Ferrari need mileage

Brazilian insists the Scuderia are not "looking at the stopwatch"



Felipe Massa has said it is vital that Ferrari put as much mileage on the F2012 as possible in the second pre-season test at Barcelona next week.

The Scuderia's 2012 car, which is seen as a departure in terms of its design, had a subdued debut in the first test at Jerez, despite Fernando Alonso setting the quickest time on the final day of running.Alonso, however, also completed the fewest number of laps. Although the problems Ferrari encountered were not major - the F2012 never broke down on track for example - their relative lack of running is something Massa hopes to address at the Circuit de Catalunya.The Brazilian, who will be in action on Thursday and Friday, told Ferrari's website: "In the meantime, I've been able to try the car on the Catalunya Circuit, at least on the simulator. "The past two days have been very interesting, because we ran both on the track where the new car has already run, in other words Jerez and then on the next circuit. "There's a lot of work to do to fine tune the F2012 but, as both Fernando and I said last week, I think this car has plenty of potential. - http://www1.skysports.com/

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Vettel to kick off Barcelona test

World Champion driving RB8 on first two days in Spain



World Champion Sebastian Vettel will kick off Red Bull's testing programme at Barcelona next week when the second pre-season test begins, the team have confirmed.

The reigning two-time title winner will be in action in the new RB8 on the opening two days of the test - Tuesday and Wednesday - before team-mate Mark Webber takes over the car for the final two days.At the first winter test at Jerez last week, Webber was given the honour of taking the team's new machine on its maiden run, with Vettel closing out the four-day session.

The Barcelona test - the first of two to be held at the Spanish Grand Prix venue before the teams fly out to Australia for the March 18 first race - will see teams begin to focus on the performance and set-up of their new machines after predominantly using the four days at Jerez for reliability and data-gathering work.

Having run their old W02 during their Jerez appearance, Mercedes will roll out their 2012 challenger on the morning of the first day at Barcelona, while Marussia will also make their first appearance of the winter, albeit with their 2011 car. - http://www1.skysports.com/

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Step up for Magnussen

Dane continues development in McLaren's Young Driver Programme



McLaren have announced that Kevin Magnussen has stepped up a level in their Young Driver Programme.

The 19-year-old Dane is set to compete in Formula One's young driver test in Abu Dhabi later this year at the wheel of an MP4-27. Magnussen will also be given the opportunity to work under Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey in McLaren's F1 simulator.Magnussen, whose father Jan is a former McLaren test and race driver, finished runner-up in British Formula Three last season and will compete in the World Series by Renault in addition to his McLaren work in 2012.

"I'm really pleased by this new deal with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. The team has shown great faith in me so far and I feel that this is an important step in my career," Magnussen said.

"F1 is a highly pressured, data-driven environment, and anyone who wants to get there and succeed within it has to master all the technical aspects of the discipline. This is a great opportunity."

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh added: "Racing is the core business of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. "By enabling talented drivers to fulfil their potential, our Driver Development Programme is a strategic investment in the future of that business and the sport as a whole. "We've been delighted by Kevin's progress, aptitude and work ethic thus far. The time was right for him to take the next step and we look forward to helping him gain the experience he requires." - http://www1.skysports.com/

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CLOS LANDS HISPANIA TEST ROLE

Hispania have finally completed the final piece in this year's Formula One driver jigsaw by appointing Dani Clos as reserve.



It was believed that after driving for Hispania in the young driver test in Abu Dhabi last November Clos would be given the race seat alongside fellow Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa for 2012.

However, Hispania opted for Narain Karthikeyan 11 days ago due to the financial backing the Indian brings with him. It means Madrid-based HRT are not entirely an all-Spanish team, but Clos is naturally delighted to be given an opportunity. The 23-year-old from Barcelona, who will be allowed to take part in a number of free practice sessions on Fridays, said: "This is a great step in my career. "It is something I have dreamt of all my life, and finally my dream is starting to come true." Clos, who has spent the last three seasons competing in GP2, added: "For me a new chapter is beginning, one where hard work and dedication are going to be my priorities. "I'm going to give it my all so that this phase is as successful as it can possibly be for the team, my team-mates and myself." - http://www.sportinglife.com/

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Pirelli 'happy' with first test

Positive reaction from the drivers and teams



Paul Hembery is confident Pirelli are "on course" to meet their objectives after the first of the three pre-season tests.

Formula One returned to action last week at Jerez where Pirelli supplied 1176 tyres for the four days. And with a total of 14,949 kilometres covered by the 11 teams over the course of the test, mainly on the new P Zero White medium tyre which amassed 1776 laps, Hembrey reckons Pirelli have a good indication of how their new compounds will perform.

"The tyres performed exactly in line with our expectations in Jerez," said the Pirelli motorsport boss. "We've had a very positive reaction from the drivers and teams so far, who have reported more grip at the rear, fewer 'marbles' and a reduced lap time difference between the compounds as well as faster overall performance - which is precisely what we wanted. "We're happy with the level of degradation and we had no issues, as was the case for all of last year. "But as the temperatures in Jerez were very low and the teams have also concentrated on other areas than tyres it's too early to draw any detailed conclusions."We'll see more tyre development work at the next test in Barcelona, as together with the teams, we fully understand the implications of the latest rules. "However, with all three of our available slick tyres having set a fastest time, it's a clear sign that we are on course to meet our objectives." - http://www1.skysports.com/

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Test pleases Caterham owner

Fernandes encouraged by early signs in Jerez



Caterham owner Tony Fernandes believes the good times are just around the corner for his improving team. After two years building up a marque formerly known as Lotus, the last few days have been some of the most encouraging Fernandes has enjoyed in Formula One. Caterham no longer appears a rookie team, and the pace of their new car suggests a points breakthrough could be in the offing following two barren seasons. With the KERS power-boost system installed on the car for the first time on Wednesday, Heikki Kovalainen completed 139 trouble-free laps - the equivalent of two race distances around the Circuito de Jerez. Reserve driver Giedo van der Garde added another 74 on Thursday and Jarno Trulli completed 119 on his first day in the car on Friday. The veteran Italian finished slowest of the nine cars on show, over three seconds down on Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, but Fernandes was nevertheless ecstatic. "(The number of laps completed) is something we never came close to last season. For that reason we really have arrived as a Formula One team, and to accomplish it in two years is something I'm extremely proud of," said Fernandes."The start we have made in testing has already far exceeded my expectations." - http://www1.skysports.com/

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Fry voices Ferrari concerns

Technical chief admits there is still lots of work to do on F2012



Ferrari have admitted they are far from happy with the overall performance of their car after three days of pre-season testing in Jerez. The Italian marque is one of the only teams yet to dip under the 1:20.00 mark at the Spanish circuit. Fernando Alonso had his first session in the car on Thursday and posted a best lap of 1:20.412, faring little better than team-mate Fernando Alonso. And with the season opener in Melbourne on March 18 already looming large, technical director Pat Fry admitted the team have their work cut out. He said: "I am not happy with where we are at the moment. There is a lot of room for us to improve. Reliability-wise it is good. Performance-wise I think we are okay. "But we can play around with the performance and improve the car in some corners, and some particular parts of the corner. But I would not say I am happy yet until we get the whole thing working. "We have a one-week break coming up, but then it is two solid weeks in Barcelona and then you are packing the freight for Melbourne. So there is a lot of work for everyone to do. It is the same for every team up the pit lane." - http://www1.skysports.com/


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Button unsighted by new car

2009 Champion likes struggling to see out of new car!



McLaren failed to shine in the timesheets on day one of pre-season testing at Jerez but Jenson Button was content with their progress nonetheless. Button ended the day eighth fastest of 12 runners, having given the team's new MP4-27 - the only car so far launched not to feature a step in its nose - its official debut. "I could just about see over the front of the car! I think it's the lowest thing I think I've ever been in," the 2009 World Champion said afterwards. However, he wasn't complaining. "I'm in a good position. I'm really low, which I always like, trying to get as low as possible, the way the car is. I love that position. I feel well inside the car. I feel I'm part of it. "We did quite a bit of mileage today," Jenson continued. "It would have been nice to do more but it's the first day of testing so we were making sure everything was working correctly, and it was good to get a couple of reasonably long runs in."

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Lopez expects Bahrain return

Boullier happy to leave final decision in the hands of the FIA



Lotus team chairman Gerard Lopez is happy to see Formula One return to Bahrain this season, providing the promises made are not broken. Sakhir is set to host the fourth race of the new campaign on April 22, though at this stage it still remains unclear if this year's event will go ahead as scheduled. "All I can say is Bahrain is a great country, I love being there, the people are nice there, and the events have always been really well run." Gerard Lopez Quotes of the week In 2011 the Bahrain GP was cancelled after a number of protestors were killed as they staged anti-government demonstrations, with sporadic protests occurring since then. Assessing the situation, Lopez, who runs Lotus team owners Genii Capital, said: "First of all, Formula One is a sport and using a sport to provide a political message is wrong. "We all have opinions the moment we step away and we can all talk about Bahrain, but it's difficult for us to say we're taking a stance on political issues. "All I can say is Bahrain is a great country, I love being there, the people are nice there, and the events have always been really well run. "What I've been hearing is a number of guarantees have been given in terms of how everything will happen and so on. "So if things look good then there is no reason why we shouldn't go to Bahrain." - http://www1.skysports.com/

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