FORMULA 1 2011

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Renault issue Kubica October deadline

Robert Kubica has until the end of October at the very latest to show Renault whether or not he has the ability to return to F1 next season.

Kubica has been out of action since early February when he suffered career-threatening injuries in a rally accident.

However, after months of rehabilitation and promising reports regarding his recovery, Kubica is expected to start driving next month.

"In October we consider that Robert can put a helmet on his head just to give a message of what he will be capable to do," his manager Daniele Morelli recently said.

"We are not talking of course of Formula 1 right away, but it is important that Robert can start to drive."

The Pole, though, won't have much time to get up to speed as Lotus Renault GP team boss Eric Boullier says he needs to know by the end of October at the latest whether Kubica is capable of returning to F1 next season.

The team boss explained that he has set the deadline because he needs time to finalise his 2012 drivers and make sure that Renault has the best line-up they can achieve.

"I will be flexible, because I really like Robert and it will be good to have him return, but in the middle or end of October I need clear confirmation," Boullier told Globo Esporte.

"My problem is that I cannot miss the opportunity to have Robert back, but, at the same time I need to look after the interests of my team.

"I need to have the best driver line-up, or the best I can get."

Boullier, though, concedes that Kubica will need time to get up to scratch.

He added: "I do not expect Kubica be as fast as last year because I know that when you are off the track for a year it is hard to come back.

"Also when you have a serious accident like the one he suffered, it is not easy. But I need to know if he can do it."

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Williams eyeing Raikkonen and Sutil for 2012?

The Williams F1 outfit looks to be eyeing a replacement for Rubens Barrichello, after both Kimi Raikkonen and Adrian Sutil were seen visiting the Grove HQ in early-September.

The team confirmed the visits took place, but refused to make any further comment.

A major management reshuffle is underway for the beginning of the 2012 season, a result of their worst ever start to a season since the team joined the sport in 1978.

Whilst the drivers might not be the biggest factor to their poor results, having bagged just five points, 24 less than eighth placed Toro Rosso, the team are keen on cutting costs.

Pastor Maldonado is seen as a safe bet for 2012, given his personal sponsor, PDVSA, brings with it many millions (upwards of £25m) in return for running the Venezuelan. Rubens Barrichello however doesn't bring any substantial sponsorship and what he does, doesn't cover his salary.

Kimi Raikkonen, who left F1 in 2009 after winning the title in 2007 with Ferrari, would be seen as a risky replacement, given he hasn't raced in the top-tier of motorsport for almost two years. Nor would he want to pay Williams for the priviledge.

Adrian Sutil is seen as a more consistent and safe bet, given his many years of experience with Force India. The German has a personal sponsor in the form of Medion computers which would go some way in covering his salary. Nonetheless, his qualifying pace has been under the spotlight of recent, thanks to his teammate Paul di Resta.

If rumours are to be believed, Sutil may be pushed out of the Anglo-Indian team as they look to promote Nico Hulkenberg to a race seat alongside Di Resta, therefore Williams would be a good plan 'B'.

Whatever the team decide, and whether the drivers or management are the issue, the future does look brighter with the appointment of former-McLaren designer, Mike Coughlan, alongside aerodynamicist Jason Somerville and chief operating engineer Mark Gillan. Next year will also see the return of the successful Williams-Renault partnership.

MIKA: KR to return and at Williams.... I don't see that happening.

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Boullier: 'No plans to use Cosworth engines'

Renault team principal Eric Boullier has denied that his outfit could switch to Cosworth engines for 2013, as the French manufacturer looks to loosen its ties with the team.

Renault Sport F1 currently supplies three teams; Red Bull, Renault and Team Lotus, but will add Williams to that list next season. Whilst the company has shown an interest in taking on a fifth outfit, it has also been reported that they are looking to distance themselves from Lotus-Renault.

Boullier however says that isn't the case, and in fact the two parties are close to securing an extension to their supply deal.

"We are very close, but I cannot tell you more," said the Frenchman. "We have a historical relationship, we have a close technical relationship and there is Total [sponsor] mixed in the middle of this, so there are some commercial reasons why we should stick with Renault."

Nonetheless, he admitted talks had taken place with Cosworth, but these were not instigated by Renault.

"You always have to have a B-plan and a C-plan, and yes we have been approached by Cosworth, because they have lost customers. They are talking to everyone in the pitlane I guess, or nearly everybody, but there are no plans so far."

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Vettel: I think it looked pretty tight

Sebastian Vettel reckons he's going to face some tough opposition this weekend in Singapore as he seeks his ninth win and the World title.

The Red Bull racer, who needs to outscore Fernando Alonso by 13 points and Mark Webber and Jenson Button by just eight to secure the title, got his quest off to the best possible start on Friday.

Vettel, on the supersoft Pirelli tyres, set the pace in second practice, posting a 1:46.374 to edge Fernando Alonso by 0.201s.

The German was also quickest on the harder option rubber, leading the way before the drivers swapped to the option tyres.

But despite dominating the late night session, the 24-year-old believes he won't have it all his own way this weekend.

"I wouldn't call it advantage, I think it looked pretty tight," Vettel told Autosport. "It depends where and when and who was out, we have to wait and see.

"It is Friday. Tomorrow is Saturday and we worry about FP3. Then qualifying and then the race. The feeling in the car was alright. We have to see. We have to look how the others were, do our homework tonight and then see what we can do tomorrow.

"We did work quite a bit, the car was good though. The baseline was not too bad, I think we can still have to make a good step overnight so now we see what the others did and we will do our homework."

As for his rivals, Vettel says Ferrari are looking good after Alonso finished with the second fastest time while it is difficult to judge McLaren's pace given Jenson Button's gearbox issue.

"I don't know. I didn't have as much time as you to look at the times so I was busy when I was on the track, but surely Ferrari looked quite competitive, Felipe as well at some stage, so we need to see.

"Jenson didn't have the best day today so we see what happens tomorrow."

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Alonso urges caution after flying start

Fernando Alonso says Red Bull are the favourites in Singapore despite the Spaniard taking the fight to Sebastian Vettel in practice.

The double World Champion, a two-time Singapore GP winner, is looking to claim what would be his fourth successive podium at the Marina Bay circuit this weekend.

And his performance on Friday indicates it could be a possibility as Alonso finished second in the late night session, just 0.201s adrift of Vettel.

However, like his rivals, the Ferrari driver lost valuable track-time in the opening session, which was reduced to just 60 minutes as marshals were forced to remove kerbing that had lifted in earlier support races.

"The first session was interrupted so often that, along with the shortened time, it meant we could not do as many laps as we would have liked.

"So we tried to make the very most of the ninety minutes available in this evening's session and at least, this time, everything went smoothly."

But despite the lost time, Alonso reckons Ferrari could be on track for a solid showing this weekend as he feels much better about his car than he has done in previous practice sessions.

"Overall, I am pleased with what we were able to see today. Here, like Monaco, it's very important for a driver to be able to lap enough to find the ideal reference points to be able to push to the limit, but not one centimetre over it, because every mistake is very costly.

"Racing at night is always a special feeling: it usually takes a little bit of time to adapt, but then, from tomorrow onwards, you can push to the maximum, trying to find the best performance.

"The car is behaving more or less as we expected and the feeling from this Friday is definitely better than in Monza and Spa, but we have to be realistic and not expect any great surprises: the Red Bulls are still favourites here and McLaren are also very strong.

"We will try and make the most of every possible opportunity."

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Schumacher: No big surprises

Michael Schumacher says losing track-time in Singapore was not the best situation for either his Merc GP team or himself.

Friday's first practice at the Marina Bay circuit was cut to just 60 minutes after the start was delayed due to issues with the kerbs at the venue.

And once underway, more time was lost through two red flag situations, one the result of debris from a collision and the other caused by more kerb issues.

The drivers, though, did have the full 90 minutes for second practice, which Schumacher finished in sixth place. However, the German was a massive 2.044s off the pace.

"As usual on these types of circuits, the track is pretty slippery and provides low grip," Schumacher said.

"It was not really useful therefore that the practice time was cut, because we had a big programme to work on. But then, it was what it was, so we made the best out of it.

"The picture overall is probably as expected: no big surprises, and maybe the most obvious thing is that the difference between the tyres is quite big. For the rest, it is too early to say as we did not have the time yet to analyse the practice sessions fully.

"I like the race here; it is a bit like the modern Monaco, very exciting with more run-off areas."

As for Nico Rosberg, he was down in 15th place, over four seconds off the pace, after running a heavy fuel load throughout the session.

"It was difficult to learn a lot in the first practice session this evening due to the interruptions. However in the second session this evening, we were able to work through a lot of set-up changes and learn a lot about the car.

"I was on higher fuel levels to help our understanding of how to prepare the car for the race. It wasn't a perfect day but a decent day for me and hopefully we can make further progress tomorrow."

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Button not 'really confident' after lost time

Jenson Button says he's not really confident about his chances of bouncing back from his gearbox issues in Friday's practice in Singapore.

Early in Friday's second practice, Button locked up and ran wide at Turn 14, stopping with his McLaren pointed towards the barriers. But when he tried to reserve and get back into the action, he was not able to.

Climbing from his car, Button quickly made his way back into the pits with just ten laps and not a single one of those on the supersoft tyres to his name.

And although the Brit says he can improve, he admits he's not "really confident" at the moment.

"I locked up into - I don't know what corner it is, I don't want to know any more - and just kept out of the barriers," he said.

"I selected reverse and started to go back slowly and then I didn't have any drive in reverse. I tried to turn the car around, but there wasn't enough room.

"Then I tried to go backwards again, and there was no reverse. I'm guessing that something's not working correctly.

"I didn't do much running today, I only ran the prime tyre, and didn't have a great set-up, so I was really disappointed not to do any more running, because I couldn't improve it.

"We have some ideas for tomorrow for what we can do to the car. It's only an hour, but we'll make some good progress."

And although Button was forced to watch the action from the pits, the McLaren reckons he learnt a fair share from watching his rivals in action.

"I was with my engineers watching everyone running round, and obviously we have the data from Lewis's car. Sebastian and Red Bull are very fast, and Ferrari are fast over a long run as well.

"I think looking at the TV and looking at the times I think everyone is going to struggle with tyres in the race. It seems that people are overheating tyres even in three laps.

"You could say the tyres are maybe a little bit too soft for round here, but then again you don't have the grip either on lap one.

"We're not really confident at the moment. There's a few things we still need to sort out and we're not happy with the balance.

"It's going to be a tough race for everyone around here. We're all in the same boat, we just have to make the best of what we have."

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Webber needs to get the jump on Seb

Mark Webber concedes he needs a better start to the Championship next season if he hopes to challenge Sebastian Vettel.

Although Webber was able to fight his team-mate for much of last season, this year was a different story entirely. While Vettel has won eight of the 13 grands prix run, Webber has yet to claim a single race win.

As a result, he is trailing his team-mate by 117 points and once again will have to sit back and watch while Vettel takes his second successive World title.

"He (Vettel) had a great run at the start of the year," Webber said. "I wasn't really on top of everything at the start. I had quite a few reliability issues as well, which is never ideal.

"My form has improved in the last few races, but unfortunately when I was in the lead in Germany I didn't have the car to win anyway.

"That was difficult, and then there was Spa, which was probably the most frustrating race of the year. I was the quickest guy in the race, but I had to deal with a tough start and I missed the safety car with a free pit stop.

"It was a missed opportunity, but that happens, and anyway it was going to be very difficult for me to put a championship together against Seb given the start he had."

The Aussie concedes that next year he needs to up his game, both in qualifying and in grands prix if he wants to take the fight to the German.

"We need to have a better start to the Championship.

"I need to have a similar year to last year, to out-qualify him more often, which was certainly the case last year, to get track position and get the (first) stops.

"That is important. If you don't get that you are always going to finish one position behind.

"If you are on the road one-two or two-three, you never really get the momentum."

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Whitmarsh: We can do a decent job

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh is hoping to have the "old" Lewis Hamilton back in Singapore after a "very disciplined drive" in Italy.

Hamilton spent the better part of 28 laps stuck behind Michael Schumacher last time out at Monza, as the Brit refused to make any daring dives, which could have ultimately cost him points.

Instead, he stayed behind the German, dogging him lap-by-lap until he was finally released when Schumacher made too much of his blocking attempts and was warned to leave Hamilton more space.

And although Whitmarsh concedes it was a disciplined display from Hamilton, who has at times behind accused of being too rash, the McLaren team boss wants the Hamilton of old back for this weekend's Singapore GP as the team gears up to fight for the win.

"Lewis is quite relaxed and I think he's very determined. He has had a difficult season, and he did everything he could to try to stay out of trouble at the last race," he told the BBC.

"I told him that was a very disciplined drive but I would like the old Lewis back."

McLaren arrived in Singapore with a new front wing and other upgrades for the MP4-26, with Hamilton finishing Friday's practice in third place. Jenson Button was P10 after a gearbox issue cut his session short.

"We enjoy winning and I think we can be competitive, we have some new parts on the car, we have six races left and we'd like to win them.

"Both the drivers are motivated and I think we can do a decent job."

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Singapore kerbs to be modified overnight

The organisers of the Singapore Grand Prix will work through the morning to ensure the kerbs, which were the subject of many problems on Friday, are modified to avoid further issues.

First practice had to be delayed and ultimately shortened by 30 minutes due to urgent track repairs after several of the temporary plastic kerbs came loose.

The session then had to be red flagged after another area of kerbing became detached as Felipe Massa ran over it.

The FIA has instructed the organisers to find a solution to the issue which will see the kerbs at turns three and seven removed, and instead painted onto the tarmac.

Turn 14 has already had its kerbing removed and that won't be replaced before qualifying or the race.

Turns ten and 13 will also be worked on, but the kerbs will remain in situe with extra bolts to secure them to the track surface.

The FIA has instructed drivers that they cannot cross the white line which marks the boundaries of the track, despite allowing so in FP1 and FP2. Though further instructions will be issued prior to FP3.

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'Ferrari considering Perez for 2013'

Ferrari are reportedly considering Sergio Perez for 2013 as they want "one younger driver with the potential to be great" to partner Fernando Alonso.

Alonso's current team-mate, Felipe Massa, is believed to be living on borrowed time at Ferrari after failing to produce the results - or even match Alonso - since returning from his horrific injury sustained in qualifying for the 2009 Hungarian GP.

With just 84 points compared to Alonso's 184, Ferrari are set to retain Massa for next year's Championship, however, it will most likely be his last with the Italian stable.

One driver they are set to look at is Mexican rookie Perez, who made his debut with Sauber this season.

A member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, Perez impressed many at the team during a test at the Fiorano circuit earlier this month.

And Domenicali has hinted that he could have a future at Ferrari in 2013.

"Ferrari cannot have two young drivers, there is incredible pressure at this team. But a mix between an extremely strong driver and one younger with the potential to be great would be complementary," the team boss told Spain's Marca.

Asked whether Perez fitted that role, he would only say that 21-year-old "has a contract with Sauber, which will let him continue to grow and have a good 2012."

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Webber: I had help beating Alonso

Although Mark Webber was able to overtake Fernando Alonso twice in Singapore, he admits it was more down to luck than skill.

Webber finished the race at the Marina Bay circuit in third place, one position ahead of the Ferrari driver. However, the Aussie was made to work for it, overtaking Alonso on two occasions.

However, Webber concedes that while those moves may have looked good, the first was down to tyres and in the second he was assisted by Jaime Alguersuari.

"I had another battle with my old mate Fernando. I seem to have spent a lot of time in his company on the track recently," he told the BBC.

"I had to pass him twice in Singapore. The first time was on lap 10, when he was running out of grip from his tyres. I got him into turn 15 after setting him up in turn 14.

"The second time looked more spectacular, into the turn 10 chicane, which is not normally a passing place. I heard a few people saying I caught Fernando napping but, to be fair, he was blocked by the Toro Rosso in front of us.

"I didn't know who it was at the time - I have since found out it was Jaime Alguersuari - but the Toro Rossos are traditionally the later cars to give way.

"All the front-running guys have been similarly affected. In this case, I benefited and that's why I could pounce in turn 10. Jaime snookered Fernando a little bit and I was able to checkmate him.

"It was a rewarding manoevure because I was on similar-age tyres to Fernando, which means, had it not been for Alguersuari, I would probably have had to take a few more laps to get past him, waiting for his tyres to go off."

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Costa and Willis join Mercedes GP

Mercedes GP have taken steps to strengthen their technical department, signing Aldo Costa and Geoff Willis.

Costa, who parted ways with Ferrari earlier this season, is set to take the role of engineering director at the start of December while Willis, who previously worked Brackley from 2001 to 2006 before heading to Red Bull and then Hispania, will be the team's new technology director from October 17th.

Both will report to technical director Bob Bell with Costa responsible for design and development and Willis for aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics, control systems and simulation functions.

"I am delighted to announce that Aldo Costa and Geoff Willis will be joining the Mercedes GP Petronas team," said team boss Ross Brawn.

"Geoff is a highly respected engineer with over twenty years of Formula One experience, and we look forward to his arrival next month. Having worked closely with Aldo for many years, I know that he will bring dedication and Championship-winning expertise to the team when he joins in December.

"Building a winning team is an exciting challenge for us all as we work towards the competitiveness and standards that we aspire to as the Mercedes-Benz works team. With a strong technical structure led by Bob Bell, we are moving ourselves into the best possible position to achieve our ambitions."

Meanwhile, Mercedes motorsport VP Norbert Haug reckons the appointment of the duo is a sign of intent from Mercedes GP.

"Since Mercedes GP Petronas was formed as a new team in early 2010, we have been putting in place the building blocks for success. Our technical organisation was strengthened by the arrival of Bob Bell and, working closely with Ross, he has identified the areas where we can improve still further," he said.

"Aldo and Geoff will reinforce our technical management and bring the experience required to harness the talents of our people in Brackley; we have also recruited and invested at other levels in order to maximise our competitiveness under the Resource Restriction Agreement.

"Our goal remains to progress step by step in order to establish ourselves as a front-running team for the long term, in line with the tradition of the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows."

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Alonso: Ferrari seeking redemption

Fernando Alonso is adamant that Ferrari will do all they can to redeem themselves in the remaining five races of the season.

With just one victory to their credit, Ferrari have been soundly trounced by Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel this season, also losing out to the McLarens.

The Italian marque is out of the Constructors' Championship while Alonso, despite being third in the standings, cannot win the Drivers' after losing too much ground to Vettel at the previous race in Singapore.

However, the Spaniard is adamant Ferrari are doing their very best to get back in form and will continue to fight in the remaining five races of the campaign.

"When you see that the entire team is doing its utmost and maybe even more, you can only be satisfied," he told Ferrari's website. "Obviously, we hoped for better, but I have great faith in the work we are doing.

"We were convinced we could make a step forward after the summer break, but it did not turn out that way, while our rivals progressed even more.

"That does not mean we cannot be in the fight in the next few races: it will be tough, but I can feel the team has a great wish to redeem itself and to prove its worth.

"It is this type of attitude which, last spring, convinced me to extend my contract to the end of 2016. If I did not believe in the quality and determination of the people and the potential in terms of the structure and resources, then I would not have made that decision.

"Now we must knuckle down after a difficult weekend and prepare as well as possible for the race in Suzuka, one of the greatest tracks on the whole Championship calendar."

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Di Resta hoping for more in Japan

Paul di Resta is hoping to carry his Singapore form through into next weekend's Japanese GP, as he bids for his third successive top-ten finish.

Having finished eighth at the Italian GP, di Resta headed to Singapore armed with Force India's upgraded package. And the developments paid off.

Having qualified in the top ten, the Scot finished the grand prix in sixth place, his best result of his debut season.

"The big thing was we came with an upgrade package that enabled us to gain performance in the race, and gain tyre life," di Resta told the team's website.

"What it said on the tin, it did.

"After missing Friday, no high fuel runs, going into the race completely unknown, it's a big credit to the team, and we've worked very hard to try and achieve that.

"We're having good results on all the weekends and all different downforce levels. We can be hopeful that it will carry on at Suzuka."

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Ceccarelli: Kubica can race in 2012

Robert Kubica's doctor says the question as to whether the Pole can return to F1 racing next season has been answered - and it's a yes.

Kubica suffered massive trauma in a rally accident back in February, which included multiple fractures and a partially severed right hand.

Despite his horrific injuries, the Lotus Renault GP driver has stated several times that he wants to return to F1 with plans in place to get him behind back behind the wheel in November.

One man who believes it is possible is Dr Riccardo Ceccarelli, who has been overseeing Kubica's rehabilitation.

"I would say with certainty that Robert will be an F1 driver in 2012," Ceccarelli told Italy's Omnicorse. "I cannot say when he will be ready, but it will be between the months of November and January.

"The nerves sensitivity has already arrived at his finger tips, do not forget that in the incident he suffered injury to two of the three nerves in addition to the severing of tendons and muscles. He had lost feeling from the wrist to the fingers.

"But healing is gradual."

However, Ceccarelli did concede that at present Kubica is not able to drive as the Pole has an external fixator on his leg, which aids the recovery.

"Yes, it is true," he said, "Robert still has an external fixator on his leg, which suffered two fractures so he cannot drive a vehicle.

"The bone calcification is proceeding and this is very positive because in 70 percent of similar cases to this calcification is not the case!

"We are not rushing to remove the fixator, the longer the better. And as we are waiting for the healing of the hand and elbow there is no hurry."

The doctor, though, firmly believes there is now nothing standing in the way - at least physically - of Kubica making a comeback next season.

"We are not able to predict a precise date because nature must take its course as is evident: the muscle have been inactive for months and must recover tone and strength.

"But the big question - if he can drive in F1 again - has gone."

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Merc eye step-up in Japan

Mercedes GP hope to see the benefits of their latest aerodynamic upgrades during the final five races of the season.

The team introduced the updates to the W02 before this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, but although the numbers point in the right direction the team didn't see it in the results as they could only manage a P7 through Nico Rosberg.

Team boss Ross Brawn, though, is convinced they will start seeing the improvements from Japan onwards as Singapore's Marina Bay Street Circuit didn't quite suit the car's downforce levels.

"I don't think we advertised it as a big upgrade, but it was an upgrade. It seemed okay," said Brawn.

"It may not look as though our relative position has changed, but if you think back to Hungary, which was the last high downforce track, we struggled.

"So far the numbers look like we have moved forward and I think we will see the benefit in the next couple of races in particular, so it looks okay.

"We are reasonably happy with it, but it is a very difficult track to assess these things on. When we get to the next couple of tracks it should be better."

As for the updates itself, Brawn explained that the changes weren't cutting edge.

"There were several detailed aerodynamic improvements - with bodywork and tuning," he said. "It was nothing radical - just going through the loop of floor and bodywork, those sorts of things."

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Mateschitz won't sell Toro Rosso

Dietrich Mateschitz, the owner of Red Bull and Toro Rosso, says the latter is not for sale despite rumours to the contrary.

Earlier this year, reports emerged claiming that Mateschitz had opted to sell his junior F1 team to Aabar Investments PJS, an investment arm of the Abu Dhabi government.

Toro Rosso denied the reports with team boss Franz Tost saying that there is "no truth in that story."

Now Mateschitz has come out saying "no", Toro Rosso is not for sale, but, he told The Independent, "partnerships would not be ruled out, as long as the partner is the right one."

But while he may consider partnerships with Toro Rosso, he won't with senior team Red Bull - at least not right now.

However, the 67-year-old does concede that "a forecast is difficult and a decision always depends on the wider picture, the politics, influence of F1 shareholders and many other factors."

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Mallya: No more talk of 2012 line-up

Force India team owner Vijay Mallya says he has had enough of the speculation over his 2012 driver line-up and wants to "enjoy the moment" instead.

The Silverstone squad are on a high after their second double-points finish of the season in Singapore with Paul di Resta claiming a career-best P6 and Adrian Sutil crossing the line in eighth place. The points haul of 12 has also helped the team to move to within 22 points fifth-placed Renault in the Constructors' Championship.

With both Di Resta and Sutil doing well and reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg waiting in the wings, Mallya is often quizzed about his line-up for the 2012 campaign.

Di Resta appears to be safe for next year after the Indian previously said he "would be foolish to let go of a star" but the team have indicated that they will only make an announcement after the current season.

That hasn't stopped people from asking about it though.

"I have told them, please don't bother me about driver choices right now," Mallya told Autosport. "We will focus on getting a good position in the Constructors' and we will talk about everything else later.

"Just leave it to me: I will think about it, but right now I am just enjoying the moment."

Mallya once again emphasised how happy he is with Di Resta's performance in his rookie season. The Scot has already scored 20 points so far.

"We have full confidence in him, and that is why he is in the race seat," said Mallya. "We always thought he was very talented. We had him as our third driver last year, and said we were going to put him in the race seat. Since then he is doing me proud."

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Mixed year for Kobayashi

Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi admits it has been a mixed season for Sauber with plenty of ups and downs.

The Japanese driver is 11th in the Drivers' Standings with 27 points, his best result being a fifth-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix. His team-mate Sergio Perez has accumulated nine points with the six he picked up in Britain accounting for most of them.

Sauber though also had some lows with Melbourne standing out for all the wrong reasons after both cars were disqualified for technical rear-wing infringements.

Kobayashi feels it has been a bittersweet season so far for the Hinwil squad.

"We are certainly more competitive than last year," he said. "We had an amazing start to the season in Melbourne, and also since then have had some other good races in which we have been quite competitive. My highlights were Monaco and Montreal.

"But we have also had our struggles. In Melbourne we lost 10 points when we were disqualified, then I had punctures in Turkey and Barcelona, and then gearbox problems in Silverstone and most recently in Monza. You can add to that the fact not all our technical developments during the season brought the progress we expected. So far it has been a mixed season with ups and downs, but it isn't over yet."

Next up on the calendar is his home race at Suzuka Circuit. Kobayashi delighted his Japanese followers in 2010 by finishing seventh and he hopes to achieve a similar result this time around.

"Last year's result was the best we achieved in 2010," he said.

"I came seventh, while my team-mate then, Nick Heidfeld, finished eighth. Before that I had very little experience in Suzuka, and I was an F1 rookie. So I hope I can have an even better result this year. For the fans I hope we have nice weather. I think with DRS and KERS there is a good chance they will get to see a great show again, and it would also be a perfect venue for the Drivers' Championship to be decided. It is a proper race track, the karaoke parties are legendary and, again, it would mean really positive coverage for Japan."

This year's race though will be an emotional one not only for Kobayashi, but also for the fans as Japan is still recovering from the devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier this year.

"After the news we received in March about the disaster became worse and worse, I think the way the country has recovered so far is impressive," the 25-year-old said. "This is because Japan received a lot of help from outside and also because the Japanese are very strong people and have given each other an awful lot of help and support. Of course, there is still a long way to go, but the progress has been remarkable."

He added: "The grand prix is a very big event in Japan, it is something very positive for the people and for the country, and also because of the international awareness the race brings. It makes people happy, and they do enjoy Formula One a lot. So we are going racing there, as we have done in previous years, despite the tragedy that has hit the country."

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Drivers to meet to discuss Hamilton at Suzuka

The topic of Lewis Hamilton's driving will reportedly be discussed during the driver briefing in Japan, after several drivers, past and present, criticised the McLaren driver.

The Brit's latest incident happened just last weekend when he made contact with Felipe Massa after attempting to overtake. Not only that, but he drove erratically during qualifying three in an attempt to gain track position, again putting himself and Massa in a position to make contact.

"He cannot use his mind - even in qualifying," said the Brazilian driver. "Again, he could've caused a big accident. He's paying for it. He doesn't understand that. He has done it to me so many times this year."

Meanwhile, Sir Jackie Stewart said he was confused as to why Hamilton, a driver with immense skill, had been involved in so many incidents this season.

"I am a bit confused because he certainly knows how to drive and has a very large amount of natural talent," the Scott told Autosport. "The race incident was again uncalled for, so I think he needs to think about his mind-management. He has the skills, and he has the abilities, but unfortunately he is having too many incidents."

A handful of drivers have requested the FIA bring up the subject of Hamilton's over-aggression during the post-race briefing, in which all the drivers meet with FIA safety delegate Charlie Whiting, to discuss any important issues relating to the forthcoming race

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Sauber bringing major upgrades to Suzuka

Sauber will introduce a raft of upgrades to the C30 for the Japanese Grand Prix in the hope of closing the gap to Force India in the closing five races.

"We will bring a wide ranging aero package for the car, which includes a completely new front wing, new rear wings, new turning vanes and side pod deflectors, new brake ducts and modifications to the floor," revealed technical director, James Key.

"This was always planned for Suzuka and, if it all works well, it should give us a reasonable step forward," he added.

The team has suffered in the past few races having only scored a single point in the past four races, compared to 14 in the four previous to that.

"Obviously we want to bounce back from some recent bad luck. Going into the final quarter of the season there will be tracks which should suit our car better. It would definitely be great to get a positive result for all our supporters in Japan in what has been a very challenging year for the people there."

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Button: 'Don't underestmate us in Japan'

McLaren's Jenson Button has warned Red Bull and their other rivals not to underestimate the MP4-26 around the Suzuka circuit.

The track is expected to suit the RB7, particularly the first sector which is made of sweeping, high-speed corners, but Button is sure McLaren can keep pace and ruin the party.

"In the last few races, I think we’ve shown that we have extremely good pace and that we’ve been the team most able to take the fight to Red Bull," said Button.

"On paper, I think it’s a circuit that will suit the Red Bulls, particularly in the high-speed sweeps that make up the first sector of the track, but I certainly don’t think people should underestimate our package.

"We showed at Spa that we have a car that’s very effective in high-speed corners. We’ve also improved our straightline speed and we have a more efficient rear-wing for qualifying, so I think we’re feeling positive about the weekend."

The 31-year-old, who has close ties to Japan through his Japanese girlfriend, Jessica Michibata, says he's looking forward to returning to the country following the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

"For everyone who follows Formula 1, I hope we can put on a great race to bring further strength to the people of Japan. And to everyone in Japan, I say: ganbatte!"