FORMULA 1 - 2012

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YOUNG GUNS F1 TEST TO TAKE PLACE AT MAGNY COURS...FOR THREE TEAMS AT LEAST:

The fragmented approach of the F1 teams to the traditional Young Guns F1 test was highlighted today when it was announced that three teams, Ferrari, Mercedes and Force India would hold their test at former French GP venue Magny Cours in the week after the Italian Grand Prix.

This follows the decision by Williams, Marussia and HRT to do their Young Guns test at Silverstone last month to save money. In previous years the test has taken place at Abu Dhabi, following the Grand Prix.

The Young Guns test is an opportunity to give young drivers a chance to taste F1 machinery. Some teams, like McLaren, always use the opportunity to use test drivers Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey and get some serious work done, while other less well funded teams use it as an opportunity to get a few hundred thousand pounds from well-funded youngsters for some seat time.

Coming in mid-September, it will give teams a valuable opportunity to track test developments ahead of Singapore, a race for which most competitive teams bring a major upgrade package, and for the remaining races.

It has been an important test for Red Bull and Toro Rosso in the past as it gave them a good chance to have a look at Daniel Ricciardo and Jean Eric Vergne, both of whom got race seats at Toro Rosso on the strength of good performances in the Young Guns test.

Other teams may yet decide to join the three teams in France on September 11-13. Red Bull, McLaren and Toro Rosso are believed to be planning to stick with the Abu Dhabi test in November, but the Magny Cours test could develop into something bigger with other teams yet to declare their plans. It makes life more complicated for tyre supplier Pirelli, which has to ship tyres to three different venues, rather than simply to Abu Dhabi.

Magny Cours hosted the French GP until 2008, when it lost the race. There has not been a French Grand Prix since then. Although there were moves prior to the French presidential election this year to get a deal together to reinstate the race, with Paul Ricard looking likely, the trail went quiet when the Socialist Francois Hollande was elected.

Magny Cours was used for testing occasionally in the past, especially by the Ligier team, but many teams found that its character and smooth track surface was not particularly representative of the other circuits on the calendar.

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Alonso: Don't care if I'm the villain

Fernando Alonso insists he's not fazed if he's painted as the villain in the Formula One pantomime, saying it is "normal."

At times during his F1 career, Alonso has been vilified by the media especially the British and German sections.

The British condemned Alonso heavily during his season at McLaren as Lewis Hamilton's partner while the Germans often criticised the Spaniard when he was fighting first Michael Schumacher and then Sebastian Vettel.

Alonso, though, says it is all just part of the Formula One circus.

"I don't care. It is normal," he told Top Gear magazine.

"When you are fighting with other drivers of a country it is normal for that sort of thing would happen.

"It happened in Germany, too.

"Everything was fine until I became competitive and started to fight Michael (Schumacher).

"After that everything went back to normal with the Germans until (Sebastian) Vettel arrived, and now I'm the bad guy again."

The double World Champion added that in life he is two different people; the Formula One driver and the person he is in his private life.

"The stories are always about Alonso the driver. Never Fernando the person. Because they don't know me.

"I know that Alonso the driver exists in a sort of fake world. Alonso the driver will be there for 12 or 14 or whatever years.

"Fernando the person is for the rest of my life."

MIKA: I think that's really unfair to be called all sorts of stupid names just because you are great at a sport...

Villian, bad guy and the rest, just because you're winning!?

On another note, the latest F1 racing mag is out with Alonso on the cover: Looks awesome!

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Brawn: F1 needs to be less random

Ross Brawn reckons the second half of this season needs fewer different winners than the first half if the sport wants to keep the public interest.

With seven different race winners in the first seven grands prix of this season it wasn't until Fernando Alonso at June's European GP that F1 finally had a double winner for the campaign.

But while some hailed the changes, adamant it has added to the excitement, Brawn reckons less 'randomness' is needed in the second half of the season.

"For F1, we must make sure that the random factor is not too strong," Brawn told Autosport.

"I think there have been some random elements of this year that have been exciting, but I actually think that [the excitement] will fade after a while if it stays too random.

"There is a funny analogy to fishing, which I was thinking about the other day. In fishing, the great thing is that a complete beginner can come along and catch a huge fish, because there is a randomness to it.

"That is what makes it really fun for participants - but that doesn't make it a very good spectator sport.

"What we cannot have in motorsport is a randomness where you don't know who is going to win, and that you could work really hard to improve the car but your car doesn't suit the conditions and you are not competitive. That is not where we want to be.

Formula One's spate of different winners was largely attributed to the Pirelli tyres with Brawn confident that has teams gain a greater understanding of the rubber there will be more consistency.

"To some degree things do appear to be getting better, but the differentials you are getting in teams with their two drivers are still curious. One weekend with Red Bull you have Mark (Webber) almost dominating, and the next weekend it is Sebastian (Vettel) - and no one really understands that.

"There is a pattern emerging, and a trend emerging, as we all get more competent with the tyres. I suspect that is what will happen and, as long as it does happen, that is fine. But what we don't want is the randomness.

"I think there has to be a pattern. There has to be a team or two that are the reference point, and others are trying to beat them and aspire to beat them.

"You need that order for people to enjoy the season, and enjoy the whole year - otherwise there is a randomness and someone who gets it slightly better than someone else might have accumulated more points.

"We want to see guys racing each other. We want to see the guys who are first and second in the World Championship being out in front racing each other hard, not one in the midfield and one running away with it because that weekend they got the tyres right."

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Ferrari talks began 'long ago' - Massa

Felipe Massa has admitted his future remains unclear, despite talks with Ferrari about the 2013 season having begun "a long time ago".

The Brazilian, who is 13 places and 139 points behind his teammate Fernando Alonso in the drivers' championship, is at risk of seeing his Ferrari career end after seven seasons.

Team boss Stefano Domenicali said last week that Massa, 31, "knows what he has to do" to secure a new deal.

"I'll need to stay prepared and finish the races well to try to have better results in the second half of the year," the driver said at an event in his native Sao Paulo on Wednesday.

"The discussions began a long time ago, but until there is a deal finalised, nothing changes."

Massa said his own form is now on an upswing, after Ferrari improved the performance of the F2012 car.

But he denied that because Alonso is pushing for the championship, he faces an even tougher time to prove to Ferrari that he should stay in 2013.

"It won't hurt me," said Massa.

"If I'm near Alonso or in front of him I'll do what I can to help him win the championship, that's obvious."

Massa is quoted by Brazil's Globo as saying he has always been under pressure in F1.

"At Sauber I was fired after my first year, and being test driver I had to have good results to get another chance. Then in my first year at Ferrari, Kimi Raikkonen was already signed and no one knew if Michael Schumacher would stop or not.

"Then we can speak about Valentino Rossi ... actually, in my career, I have been through more difficult times," he insisted.

"I am confident. I have a chance to continue with Ferrari. What we need to do is keep working on the car, because (in F1) nobody does anything alone.

"Yes the next races are super-important for my future, but it was also the same at the beginning of the championship.

"I'm 100 per cent focused on my results, and I believe so much in what I am capable of doing, which is what I've done many times."

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Hamilton tells McLaren boss he wants to stay

Lewis Hamilton "has told" his boss he wants to stay with McLaren in 2013.

The team's managing director Jonathan Neale said last week the 2008 world champion is "close" to agreeing a new contract.

And boss Martin Whitmarsh has now been quoted as saying Hamilton, 27, "has told me" he wants to stay at the Woking based team.

"If Lewis wants to stay in the team, which he has told me he does, then he should do," Whitmarsh is quoted by the BBC and the Independent newspaper.

"Lewis and I have spoken two or three times at length. I think we are closer than we have ever been," he added.

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Alonso the 'hero' of 2012 season so far - Brundle

Former F1 driver Martin Brundle has hailed Fernando Alonso as his "hero" of the 2012 season so far.

But the veteran of 158 grands prix, who for the past 15 years has been a commentator for British television, is not so rude as to describe Michael Schumacher as the contrasting "zero".

"I don't like (saying) that sort of thing because I know how hard being an F1 driver is.

"Michael Schumacher has had a pretty grim year," he admitted to the Sun newspaper.

Brundle is less reluctant to hail Ferrari driver Alonso's title-leading campaign so far.

"It (the hero) must be Alonso because against all odds, and without a teammate helping him out, and not having a fast car on the track, somehow he keeps coming through and winning races," he said.

Brundle, 53, was speaking in London before teaming up with his GP3-racing son Alex in the LMP2 class of this weekend's world endurance sports car race at Silverstone.

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Volkswagen denies 2015 F1 foray reports

Volkswagen has played down reports it is making plans to enter formula one in 2015.

The German weekly Sport Bild said the Wolfsburg based carmaker giant was planning to enter F1 with Sauber, or even considering getting involved in chassis design at its state of the art Porsche Motorsport Centre in Weissach.

The report said the FIA was aware of VW's plans.

But the marque's marketing and communications boss Stefan Moser said: "Nothing has changed since our last statement.

"We are continuing to focus on the WRC. Entering formula one is not an issue for us right now," he told Germany's motorsport-magazin.com.

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Piquet Jr camp clarifies Senna comments

Nelson Piquet Jr has denied reports he doubts the great Ayrton Senna would have succeeded in today's formula one.

The former Renault driver's spokesman Luis Ferrari said there is "absolutely no way" the Brazilian said his countryman Senna would not have won races in today's cars.

And 27-year-old Piquet Jr, who has raced in the world of Nascar since leaving F1 in 2009, blamed the controversy on some careless "members of the Brazilian media".

In his column for Brazil's Yahoo Esportes, the son of triple world champion Nelson Piquet said journalists also took his comments about Brazilian legend Emerson Fittipaldi out of context.

"(I) explained that after the end of his racing career, he (Piquet's father) chose the entrepreneurial path rather than others who continue to explore their public persona," said Piquet Jr.

"I gave Emerson Fittipaldi as an example. Nowhere did I say that one is better or worse than the other," he insisted.

"Along the same lines, they (journalists) made another attempt to create controversy where there is not with my statement about Ayrton Senna.

"I said that if Ayrton had raced ten years earlier he would not have had the success that my father had.

"They were different times and realities. At the turn of the 70s to the 80s, reliability was much lower and drivers had to have much more of a mechanical side.

"It was no accident that my father developed the tyre heaters, active suspension, improved the turbo engines and worked on several other solutions that everyone knows about.

"Senna came a little later, when it was possible to drive almost all of the time at 100 per cent performance without needing to be a development driver as before.

"Like me, Ayrton arrived in Europe concerned only about driving. He was a super fast driver and the best one in terms of pure speed.

"But he didn't have the same repertoire for the mechanical side as did the previous generation, and so didn't have to worry so much about preserving the gearbox, the engine.

"It's obvious: each had its own reflection as the product of his time. Each did what was needed to dominate his era, and each time required different things.

"It's as simple as that. And not controversial," Piquet concluded.

MIKA: Don't you just love it when "Has been's" come out of the Woodwork just to get in the papers.... Nelson PK JR 'Who?'

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Williams should have more points - Bottas

Williams' 2012 car holds more potential than has been seen at recent grands prix.

That is the claim of the famous British team's Finnish reserve driver Valtteri Bottas, who is hotly tipped to step into the race cockpit in 2013.

A vast improvement on last year's Williams, the FW34 has even won a race from pole this season.

But Bottas, 22, thinks the car is better than it has appeared more recently, with the best finish since Pastor Maldonado's victory in Spain being Bruno Senna's seventh place last time out in Hungary.

"I think that we were really unlucky in the results of the last races," Bottas is quoted by Brazil's Globo Esporte.

"We should have more points," he added, referring to Williams' seventh place in the constructors' championship, placing the team between Sauber and Force India.

"The car has more pace than it has seemed," said Bottas.

Results aside, he insists the team is on the right track in terms of car development.

"We're definitively developing and understanding the car much more since the beginning of the year," said Bottas. "The direction has been right all of the time.

"Of course the other teams have developed as well, but if we keep up the good work, even if all the others continue to develop, we can get some good points."

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Barrichello would consider F1 comeback 'invitation'

Rubens Barrichello has once again refused to rule out returning to formula one.

The Brazilian, who with almost 330 grand prix weekends in his pocket is the sport's longest serving driver of all time, told a German magazine last week he can still imagine "a way back" to the grid.

Barrichello, who at 40 is three years younger than Michael Schumacher, switched to the US-based Indycar series for 2012.

"My problems have been with the tracks than are much bumpier than the ones in Europe," he is quoted as saying in Taubate, Brazil, where he gave a motivational speech.

"I am not criticising, but saying that the problem is just part of my adaption. The car is also totally different to the 19 that I drove in my life in formula one."

Barrichello said racing remains his chosen method of "expression".

"Formula one ended too early for me. I am the driver with the most experience, but I thought that it would last longer.

"Some people have tried to bury me, but actually it's not my time yet," he insisted.

For Barrichello, the excitement and competitiveness of F1's 2012 season has made his forced retirement even tougher.

He said he would "love" to still be there.

"My whole life has been an open book," he revealed. "As much as I am focused on Indy, if there is an invitation from formula one, I will think about it.

"You have got to take your offers, select the best three and make a decision," said Barrichello.

Finally, Barrichello moved to settle the argument about who is the greatest F1 driver of all time.

"I have no doubts about that: Ayrton Senna," he said, before smiling: "Or maybe you were hoping I would say Schumacher?"

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Watch Alonso & Massa beat on a couple of F12 Berlinettas like they were Hertz rental cars - video

(Is it just me or does Massa appear to be having trouble seeing over the steering wheel?)

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Sauber has 'no regrets' over 2012 results

Sauber sees no reason to regret the points-scoring opportunities it missed in the first half of the 2012 Formula 1 campaign, as it remains confident it can continue to challenge its bigger budget rivals over the rest of the season.

Despite having scored two podium finishes to produce its most successful start as an independent contender, Sauber knows it could have done even better - having seen good opportunities slip through its hands at several events, including Spain and Monaco.

But although the tight battle in the constructors' championship means that delivering consistency is vital if it is to close down the gap to Mercedes and keep ahead of Williams, Sauber CEO Monisha Kaltenborn says the way it has performed has been encouraging, and that it is not ruing any missed chances.

"We got asked similar questions last year, about if we regretted not pursuing the blown diffuser [after slipping down the championship order], but I don't think it will happen this year," Kaltenborn told AUTOSPORT.

"I don't expect anything like that technical situation to come up in the second half of this season, and I don't really regret what we missed out. We have been working on our chances, and we have been getting them a lot through merit."

Sauber is currently sixth in the constructors' championship and Kaltenborn believes that it should applaud itself for what it has been able to deliver so far this year considering how its size and budget compares to its rivals.

"We are very satisfied with the season so far and we always have to look at the bigger picture," she said. "For us, the picture starts at the end of 2009 when we had a major setback and became again a private team.

"Coming from there, and seeing how step-by-step with two inexperienced drivers we have been going; how the team has with all the limitations it has both on the personnel and funding side come up with this kind of competitive car is a good resume which shows now in the first half of the season.

"And we are in a learning curve in a way. We have young drivers, they have to make their way through and sometimes we make mistakes but this is all part of it.

"The important thing for us is that we know what we can improve, which is our efficiency. We know we can get a lot of points at every race and that is what we need to work on and focus on."

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Schumi: 300 and counting

Michael Schumacher is hoping to mark his 300th grand prix start with a "strong race" at Spa.

The seven-time World Champion's Formula One history is linked to Spa in many milestones as it was at the Belgian circuit that the German made his grand prix debut back in 1991.

A year later it was also the venue for his first race victory and it was where he claimed his maiden World Championship triumph.

Thus it seems only fitting that it is at Spa that the Mercedes driver will become only the second in F1 history to reach the 300th grand prix mark.

"Spa is like my living room; for me, it's clearly the number one race track in the world," said the 43-year-old.

"It's uncanny how I always seem to have special moments there - my debut, my first win, a World Championship victory and many great races.

"The fact that I will also take part in my 300th grand prix at Spa was somehow almost inevitable and we will have to celebrate it in the right way.

"I'm proud to be just the second driver in the history of the sport to reach this milestone and there's no question that we are looking to have a particularly nice weekend.

"We delivered a good performance in Spa last year; I'll be doing everything possible to drive a strong race."

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Vettel eagerly awaits the chase

Sebastian Vettel is relishing the opportunity to chase instead of defend when the Formula One season resumes in Belgium next weekend.

Having been the one with the target on his back last year, this season the picture is very different.

Red Bull have failed to recapture the form that carried Vettel to a dominant second World title while their rivals have been quick to capitalise on the changing conditions.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, the only driver with three wins to his name this season, is leading the Drivers' Championship on 164 points, 40 ahead of Mark Webber and an additional two in front of Vettel.

But rather than become despondent at his position in the standings, Vettel says he's relishing the chance to attack.

"The one who is leading is always the one everyone else is after," said the German. "I think he is in a good position but we still have a lot of races to go.

"I think it's a better position, or a better Championship in that regard; to be able to catch rather than if you only have two cars that work properly and the first four are always given.

"I think the way the racing has been this season you can catch up points pretty quickly.

"Right now we are in the position that we are, and we'll do our best from here. We still have a lot of races to go and I think we are very hungry to come out fast at the end of the season."

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Belgian Grand Prix organisers move to alleviate fans' ticket issue

Belgian Grand Prix organisers have stepped in to assist almost 6,000 Formula 1 fans who risked not getting their tickets for next weekend's race.

Customers of 'The Ticket Enterprise' faced the prospect of missing out when the Dutch company hit financial trouble - meaning those who had paid for tickets would not get them

In light of that problem, Spa has decided to do all it can to help – and has written to those affected by the problem to promise them that they will get their tickets in time.

In an email sent to those involved in the situation, Spa said: "Although not liable for any shortcomings of The Ticket Enterprise, with whom you have chosen to order your tickets for the Belgian Formula 1 Grand Prix of August 31 and September 1 and 2, SPA GP has decided to resolve the problems encountered by purchasers wronged by this Dutch company and provide you with the tickets you had ordered."

Belgian GP organisers have told fans that they will be able to collect tickets in Belgium, and they will try and recover the money from Ticket Enterprise after the race.

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A SNEAK PREVIEW OF THE F1 2012 GAME:

This is the third year of Codemasters producing the official F1 game and with a new contract in the bag going forward the developers have been able to stretch their legs a little.

There are some interesting new features on the game, including Champions’ mode – a section that reflects the record six world champions in the field, details like being able to adjust the brake bias (you see the driver’s hand come off the wheel and move a lever like on the on-board camera shots), localised weather and a Young Guns test, where the basics of driving an F1 car and how to use things like DRS and KERS are also explained. Part of this is going to be available as a free demo, something Codemasters haven’t done before.

So what’s new on the game? “We have made a game that sits between arcade impressions and racing simulation,” says Hood. “We are trying to make a game that really represents the sport when you watch it on TV. This year we are trying to get people that are still afraid of F1 and racing simulations;people that don’t know anything about DRS and KERS. Sometimes I think the hardcore community think we are trying to dumb down the game or turn it into an arcade game, but the commentators on TV are always explaining these things and that’s what we are trying to do. It’s more of an accessible game.”

Codemasters are very proud of the physics of the game, they model the tyre performance, temperature of the track following another car’s dirty air, aerodynamic effect as downforce increases with speed. They have also modelled some of the tyre wear characteristics of the 2012 F1 cars, so the Mercedes is heavier on its rear tyres in the race, for example, while the Sauber is lighter on its tyres.

“We look at the talking points of the season and one of the advantages of coming out later in the season is we can reflect that,” says Hood. “We’ve played around with that, so in effect each of the teams have their own characteristics: front tyres wear differently to the rears, different bias on different teams, for the true F1 fan who wants to play the long races and experience the sport as it is this season. So that if you are driving a Sauber and you are behind a Mercedes, you know that you can run longer than him. That’s the kind of attention to detail we are trying to incorporate all the time.”

One of the new features of the game is of course, the new Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

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Kimi eyes first win and the title

Kimi Raikkonen believes Lotus's first win of 2012 is around the corner as the Finn looks to strengthen his bid for the World title.

In his first season back in Formula One, Raikkonen has demonstrated that he has lost none of the speed nor ability that carried him to the 2007 crown.

The 32-year-old has already netted five top-three results and is fifth in the Drivers' Championship, 48 points off the pace.

This has prompted Lotus' tech director James Allison to say he reckons Raikkonen has a shot at the title, a sentiment now echoed by the Finn.

"I am now fifth in the Championship and obviously aiming at getting more points than the guys in front of me," he sid.

"The smaller the gap to the leaders is the better for me and for the team. Every race from here on is very important."

The whole team is pushing 100 percent and we need to beat our rivals and take more points than they do every time."

Raikkonen, though, has yet to actually win a race in his comeback season, a statistic he hopes to rectify when F1 races in Belgium next weekend.

"We always try to win; some days you get close to it and it's a bit disappointing that we haven't quite made that final step.

"We know the reason though; we've not been so strong in qualifying as we have in the race which makes life harder for ourselves on Sundays.

"Of course we would rather win than come second or third but it's a long season and I think we're improving all the time. If it comes then great, if not we'll keep trying.

"I've been in the business long enough that I don't really worry about things too much.

"We've been improving our position in the Championships - both for myself and for the team - so as long as we keep doing that hopefully the win will come."

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Ricciardo didn't expect promotion

Daniel Ricciardo says rumours that he was set to move up to Red Bull next season were just that, rumours.

Having joined Toro Rosso at the start of this year's Championship, reports emerged claiming that Ricciardo was the favourite to replace Webber should the Aussie opt to retire.

However, instead of walking away from Formula One, Webber has signed a new one-year deal with Red Bull that will keep him at the team until the end of 2013.

It also means that Ricciardo won't be making the step up.

"Unless we were getting some podiums and doing something extraordinary, I never saw that happening next year," the 23-year-old told World News Australia.

"The thought of it was nice but I wasn't disappointed because I didn't really expect it. We've still got a bit to learn."

The Aussie has yet to learn where he will be next season, hoping that his performance this year have been enough to secure a second season with Toro Rosso.

"I'm definitely happy here. I'm not confirmed for what I am doing next year, but I'd be happy to do another year here to improve myself and see what happens."

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Kobayashi: Spa should suit Sauber

Kamui Kobayashi is confident that no matter what the weather, Sauber can do well at the Belgian GP.

Having been largely overshadowed by his team-mate Sergio Perez, who has two podium finishes to Kobayashi's zero, the Japanese driver is in need of a good result to secure his future with Sauber.

The 25-year-old, though, has not had great success at Spa in the past having finished down in 12th place last season while just eighth the previous year.

However, Kobayashi is confident that this season's C31 has the ability to shine at the Belgian circuit no matter the weather.

"Spa-Francorchamps is one of my favourite circuits," he said.

"I like its high speed corners, and I also like how this track is integrated into the landscape with a lot of greenery. This gives it a very special atmosphere.

"However, the weather is very unpredictable and can influence qualifying or the race significantly. Due to the length of this track, it can sometimes be that one part of it is completely dry while, at the same time, another part can be completely wet.

"But I'm confident we can be very competitive under all kinds of conditions in Spa because the characteristics of this track with its fast corners should suit our car. I'm really looking forward to this race."

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McLaren preview the Belgian GP

With the World Championship on the line, both Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton are chasing the victory at Spa...

Jenson Button: "The past few weeks have been a perfect combination of a bit of downtime to relax and some great training, all of which has had me raring to get back in the car. I've been out in the Philippines; and Hawaii, training, and having a bit of a holiday and then back in the UK for a bit more of the same and while I've had a great break, I'm really looking forward to getting back to work. In fact, you couldn't really ask for a more spectacular double-header for F1's return: Spa is the daddy of them all, one of the all-time great grand prix tracks, and Monza is one of the most historic and evocative circuits on the calendar. They're each places with their own unique atmosphere. I've got some really great memories of both circuits, but I've won neither. Given our pace in the last few races, I go forward feeling positive about rectifying that over the coming weekends."

Lewis Hamilton: "My win in Hungary was a fantastic way to go into the summer break: it had the added bonus of sending the whole team away for their holidays with a positive feeling in their hearts. It's also given me the hope and assurance that we can come back for the final nine races with a real chance to go for both world championships. I really couldn't be happier that the season gets back down to business again in Belgium. Spa is one of the best circuits in the world - it's always a buzz to nail a fast lap around there, and, after five weeks out of the cockpit, that first lap on Friday morning is going to feel absolutely sensational. Given the unpredictability of the sport, I think it's still difficult to predict accurately who'll win the next grand prix, but I reckon the coming few weeks ought to give us a much clearer idea of the destination of the world title. It's going to be an extremely tough, tactical and interesting finale to the season. There's no team with a clear advantage - although we're all pushing hard to catch Fernando [Alonso]'s points tally in the drivers' championship - so there's still everything to play for."

Martin Whitmarsh, Team principal: "The summer break has given everybody at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes the chance to rest and recharge our batteries ahead of the nine remaining grands prix - all of which are set to be thrilling and fascinating in equal measure. It feels appropriate to be returning to the fray at Spa-Francorchamps. Formula 1's historic venues provide us with a richly storied backdrop that few sports can match, and Spa is truly one of the greats. Everybody is looking forward to hearing the engines fire up in anger once more, and there are few better places on earth to watch a Formula 1 car at speed than around Spa. Following the mandatory factory shutdown, we're fortunate to have had two full weeks available to prepare ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. As usual, we're heading into this double-header hopeful of closing the gap to the leaders in both the drivers' and constructors' championships. Lewis's victory in Hungary certainly provided further proof to us that we can take on the fight for both - and that remains our aim: to win both world championships."

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Mercedes preview the Belgian GP

While Michael Schumacher is hoping to celebrate another milestone with a solid result, Nico Rosberg is determined to challenge at the front...

Michael Schumacher: Spa is like my living room; for me, it's clearly the number one race track in the world. It's uncanny how I always seem to have special moments there - my debut, my first win, a world championship victory and many great races. The fact that I will also take part in my 300th Grand Prix at Spa was somehow almost inevitable and we will have to celebrate it in the right way. I'm proud to be just the second driver in the history of the sport to reach this milestone and there's no question that we are looking to have a particularly nice weekend. We delivered a good performance in Spa last year; I'll be doing everything possible to drive a strong race.

Nico Rosberg: I always look forward to racing at Spa; it's one of the highlights of the season and definitely one of my favourite tracks. The circuit itself is outstanding, with of course the most exciting corner of the calendar in Eau Rouge. It's been nice to have a break over the last month and for everyone at the team to have some time to relax with their families, but we're all looking forward to the action starting again in the second half of the season. There's a lot of hard work ahead to make sure we are competing where we want to be and challenging towards the front of the field.

Ross Brawn: The summer break has given everyone at our factories in Brackley and Brixworth some time to relax and recharge the batteries before the intense second half of the season begins. Although there have only been a few working days to make improvements around the shutdown period, we have been working hard towards our aim of an improved performance in the second half of the season. Spa is one of the real classic circuits which is much loved by drivers, engineers and the fans. It's a great circuit to watch the cars, and you're almost guaranteed an exciting weekend with varied weather thrown into the mix. For the second year in succession, Spa will be a special occasion for Michael and the team as we follow his 20th anniversary last year by celebrating his 300th Grand Prix this time around. It is a fantastic achievement which has so far only been matched by one other driver, and we look forward to celebrating with him, and hopefully a strong weekend.

Norbert Haug: Spa is a traditional circuit that sets the drivers and teams big challenges, and demands a complete range of performance from both the chassis and the engine. On a qualifying lap, the engines spend 23 seconds and nearly two kilometres at full throttle between La Source hairpin and turn five at Les Combes - the highest value of the season. On the other hand, the second sector contains ten of the circuit's 19 corners, so good levels of medium and high-speed downforce are required. Experience shows that the typical Ardennes weather almost inevitably plays a role during the weekend and, when it does, the circuit usually ranges from damp to very wet. Around the two-week summer shutdown that every team observed, our team has been hard at work since the last race in Hungary in order to prepare as well as possible for Spa. Spa 2012 is also a special race for our team because Michael will take part in his 300th Grand Prix weekend. In 1991, Michael started his first race in Spa; in 1992, he won the first of 91 victories so far in Spa; and last year, on the 20th anniversary of his first start, he finished in fifth position after starting last on the grid. Everybody in our team will be working in a focused way to help Nico and Michael score the best possible results next weekend.

[MIKA27]

Lotus preview the Belgian GP

As the season resumes at Spa so too does the battle at Lotus to be the first to take the team's maiden 2012 victory...

Kimi Raikkonen

Q: You were second in Budapest before the summer break; how good would it be to get that elusive win at Spa?

KR: Usually I've achieved good results at the Belgian Grand Prix, but what's happened before doesn't help me right now. Saying that though it doesn't do any harm either. Obviously it would be great to win at Spa for a fifth time. I haven't won during the first part of the season and the extra points are always good.

Q: How has your history been at the circuit?

KR: For me there have only been good memories from Spa and it's great to go racing there. You can't get the same kind of a feeling anywhere else. It's great to race with a modern racing car at a proper circuit that has such a great tradition.

Q: What are the challenges of this track and do you think it should suit the strengths of the E20?

KR: Spa offers very challenging high-speed corners and you need to get the right set-up for the car. As we've seen so many times this year, a good grid position is extremely important and it could be decisive at Spa too. Everybody knows it. It's crucial to have a strong car aerodynamically to tackle those fast corners. It's a long lap and to get a fast time you really need to maintain good rhythm. So much can depend on the qualifying result, so we need to find a decent set-up on Friday and Saturday and have a solid qualifying session on Saturday afternoon.

Q: Why has Spa been so good to you?

KR: Sometimes there are certain circuits where everything seems to run smoothly and then there are others where you have no luck at all. Of course, we will do our very best to win this race. I have stood in the middle of the podium a few times and I want to be there again.

Q: Is Spa one of your favourite tracks?

KR: I bet every driver likes Spa. For me it is the greatest racing circuit in the world. It is my favourite place. I've liked it since my first ever visit there in 2000 with Formula Renault.

Q: How are you feeling about your championship position?

KR: I am now fifth in the championship and obviously aiming at getting more points than the guys in front of me. The smaller the gap to the leaders is the better for me and for the team. Every race from here on is very important. The whole team is pushing 100 % and we need to beat our rivals and take more points than they do every time.

Q: You've been close many times; would it be good to score your next Formula 1 win at the location of your most recent victory?

KR: We always try to win; some days you get close to it and it's a bit disappointing that we haven't quite made that final step. We know the reason though; we've not been so strong in qualifying as we have in the race which makes life harder for ourselves on Sundays. Of course we would rather win than come second or third but it's a long season and I think we're improving all the time. If it comes then great, if not we'll keep trying. I've been in the business long enough that I don't really worry about things too much. We've been improving our position in the championships - both for myself and for the team - so as long as we keep doing that hopefully the win will come.

Romain Grosjean

Q: What are your thoughts about Spa-Francorchamps?

RG: What a track; it's fantastic! A superb rollercoaster of a circuit, then there's the added bonus that they speak French meaning it's another home race for me after Monaco and Canada. It's going to be good. I hope the upgrades to the car are going to make the difference. If we'd had the pace we displayed at Budapest on a more normal track with better places to overtake we could have taken the win. Spa is a more regular circuit with good passing opportunities, so let's see what happens.

Q: You haven't driven with it yet, but what are your thoughts about the new 'device' as tested by Kimi?

RG: The interesting device! If it gives me an advantage I'm certainly looking forward to driving with it! I'm sure it will be a good thing, especially if we have it working well. Hopefully it gives us an advantage and the race win that we want.

Q: Do you feel the team are where they need to be in terms of qualifying?

RG: I think we're in a pretty good place now. We understand a few things a bit better and if you take the last race we had as a measure we are showing good qualifying and race pace which is what we need to do.

Q: The E20 looks to be cementing itself as a very good race car; how much are you looking forward to driving it through the classic corners of Spa-Francorchamps?

RG: It should fit the E20 pretty well. The second half of the season looks good in terms of how the tracks should suit the car. Hopefully we'll have everything we need to win races. I'm looking forward to it as it's a special track; it's Spa and also I won the GP2 Series title there last year. It'll be good to be back there again.

Q: The first half of your season seemed to have something of a good weekend/bad weekend pattern. Have you done everything you can to prevent the bad weekends?

RG: As a team, we're all doing our best to prevent these bad experiences. This year, any grid penalty linked to a gearbox change, any technical failure, any DNF caused by a collision, could lose the team a place in the Constructors' Championship. We all know what is at stake. On a personal level, I've learnt a lot from the first eleven races of the year and I'm finding my own balance, finding what is good and what is bad. I've had time in the summer break to evaluate the first half of the year and hopefully I'll come back stronger. I'm still a young driver and three podiums so far this year is a reasonable performance. I've been fighting with world champions and I'm pretty happy with where I am. However, I will never be complacent and I'll try to be a better driver at every single race.

Q: How are you feeling in yourself?

RG: It was good to have a holiday, especially for me as it was my honeymoon! It has certainly been an intense first half of the year, so it's good to let the body and mind get some rest and I'm coming back stronger and ready for action.

Q: You're currently eighth in the Drivers' Championship; what can be achieved by the end of the year?

RG: I'm just taking it race by race. It's very tight with myself, Jenson [button] and Nico [Rosberg] all covered by only two points and there's no reason why we can't keep climbing higher. It was good to be back on the podium before the break and I think we've got a better chance than ever to win races, so let's aim for more in the second part of the season.

[MIKA27]

Sauber preview the Belgian GP

A favourite for the Sauber drivers, both Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez are hoping for a strong weekend at Spa...

Kamui Kobayashi: "Spa-Francorchamps is one of my favourite circuits. I like its high speed corners, and I also like how this track is integrated into the landscape with a lot of greenery. This gives it a very special atmosphere. However, the weather is very unpredictable and can influence qualifying or the race significantly. Due to the length of this track, it can sometimes be that one part of it is completely dry while, at the same time, another part can be completely wet. But I'm confident we can be very competitive under all kinds of conditions in Spa because the characteristics of this track with its fast corners should suit our car. I'm really looking forward to this race."

Sergio Perez: "Spa-Francorchamps is quite a daunting track with a great history. It has its own character and circuits like that are difficult to find nowadays. I am very much looking forward to racing there again. I believe it is one of the favourites of any racing driver. It is also challenging, and it is good to start the second part of the season with it. I believe the fast circuit in the Ardennes will suit our car. We should get everything right there and make sure we start into a productive second part of the season. Last year I qualified ninth there, but retired in the race. In what will be my second Formula One Grand Prix in Spa I want to at least score points."

Giampaolo Dall'Ara, Head of Track Engineering: "For drivers as well as for engineers Spa-Francorchamps is quite a challenging track. The downforce level is lower than on most other tracks, which is due to the long full throttle sections as well as the layout of the corners, which are mainly high speed with only a few low speed ones. With regard to set-up, it's not an easy track, and it's also quite demanding on the tyres, which this time will be the two hardest compounds - medium and hard. This is a logical choice, because the surface is quite abrasive, and there's a lot of load on the tyres in the high speed sections. But then you have this unpredictable weather. In the morning the track is often damp, and the conditions can change very quickly, which you have to consider when preparing for the weekend as well as during the race, when you might have to adapt the strategy. We will obviously use the medium downforce wings, and there will be some minor modifications to the car in view of the configuration we are running. Overall, I think we can expect a strong weekend for our team."

[MIKA27]

Force India preview the Belgian GP

Force India head to Spa knowing they need to put a "few more points" in their pocket if they want to challenge for sixth in the teams' battle...

Paul Di Resta

Q: Paul, you've had five weeks to recharge your batteries over the summer break. Do you feel refreshed?

PdR: I think the summer break was good for everybody. I spent the time at home, seeing friends, watching the Olympics and keeping up with my training. We're only half way through the season and the next few months are probably the busiest of the year with lots of fly-away races so it was important to relax and come back fresh.

Q: So you're ready to get the season back underway?

PdR: Spa is a great place to begin the second part of the season. It's one of the best tracks in the world and it always feels special to go back there. I never had the chance to race there a lot in my junior career so it's nice to be able to go there and experience such an impressive range of corners in a Formula One car.

Q: What's the target for the second half of the season?

PdR: There's still a long way to go in the championship and we need to get back to scoring regular points. Last year we ended the season strongly and we need to do the same this year. Williams are not too far ahead of us but Sauber have a big points advantage and it's going to be a big task to overcome that. But we won't give up; we'll keep pushing and see what we can do. We definitely have the potential to get some big results before the end of the year.

Nico Hulkenberg

Q: Nico, you've spent five weeks away from Formula One. What have you been up to?

NH: I spent a lot of time in Germany and at home, visiting family and friends who I don't get to see very often, which was really nice. I also went to Majorca for a week - we Germans love it there!

Q: How important was it to recharge your batteries?

NH: It was nice to have a break and cool down a little, but to be honest it has been long enough now and I'm looking forward to getting back to the racing.

Q: With nine races to go, what are your hopes and expectations for the second half of the year?

NH: I hope that we can make another step forward and can consistently score good results. We are eighth in the championship right now and clearly we want to make a big effort to improve on that in the coming races.

Q: Looking ahead to Spa, tell us what it feels like to drive a Formula One car there...

NH: Spa is a great track. There's just such a great flow to the circuit with some mighty corners that are incredible. It's definitely one of the best places to drive a Formula One car to feel the performance through the high-speed corners. It is one of my favourite tracks.

Vijay Mallya

Q: Dr Mallya, it seems like a long time since we were in Hungary, but what was your verdict on that race?

VM: When you look at how the race unfolded, you can see that we suffered with our qualifying performance. It's very difficult to overtake in Hungary, so I guess we finished pretty much where we started. It was disappointing to miss out on points, but both cars came home ahead of Sauber, our main competitor. We need to spend some more time analysing what we can do better.

Q: How difficult is it to get everything right this season?

VM: Sitting on the pit wall and listening to the predictions and guesswork on tyres is unbelievable. The most unpredictable part of this season has been the tyres and with the high temperatures in Hungary it was always a debate - two stops or three stops. One thing I was pretty sure of was that nobody was going to try a one-stop.

Q: Do you know what to focus on for the rest of the year?

VM: It's a complete package. It's the car on the track, and whether it's the set-up, whether it's the downforce, whether it's the tyres, at the end of the day the whole thing has to come together as a package. Fundamentally it's a good car. We just need to put a few more points in our pocket, that's what's important.

Q: The team has often performed well at both Spa and Monza, but you've always said the car needs to be consistently fast at all types of track...

VM: Spa and Monza are among our favourite races and we've done well there in the past. We look forward to doing better in both of them, before the flyaway races start. But yes, the car has to be competitive on every track.

Q: What's your realistic target for the second half of the season?

VM: We were sixth in the constructors' championship last year and we had the objective this year of coming fifth. However, the improvement of Lotus has been exceptionally dramatic, so I think to target fifth is probably overreaching our capabilities for this year. We should at least target sixth, where we finished last year, and that means getting ahead of both Sauber and Williams.

[MIKA27]

Marussia preview the Belgian GP

As the season resumes in Belgium, Marussia are "excited and looking forward" to "closing the gap to the front of the field"...

Timo Glock: "After such a long summer break, everyone in the team seems revitalised and ready to embark on the next important phase of the season. I myself had a nice mix of relaxation and training and now I'm looking forward to getting back to racing. Over the next nine races we will be working hard to optimise our current package, at the same time as doing some important work towards next year. Those races will take place over just 14 weeks though, so with the long haul phase it will be non-stop action. To come back racing in Spa is a perfect way to pick up the rest of the season. It's one of my favourite races, with a historic circuit that has a fascinating layout. The track is very fast and long with some very tricky corners, so any small mistake ruins the lap. The weather is often a factor, especially due to its changeability. Rain can come very quickly, but this is part of the thrill of racing here. I'm really excited and looking forward to the weekend ahead."

Charles Pic: "I ended the first part of the season on a strong note, partly due to the team's improved performance, and satisfied with my progress so far in my debut season. The break has given me time to reflect on those eleven races, which seemed to pass by so quickly, and my plan is to consolidate everything I have learned from the team and the car and wrap it all together to have what I hope will be an even stronger second part of the year. The summer holiday has been good for all of at the Marussia F1 Team and everyone seems refreshed and buzzing with enthusiasm for the next nine races, most of which are overseas, so it will be a busy time. Spa is a fantastic circuit so I can't wait to be back racing there next weekend. The whole experience is very challenging for a driver; the circuit has such a special atmosphere because of its heritage. I'm looking forward to racing there in a Formula 1 car for the first time and picking up where we left off in Hungary."

John Booth, Team Principal: "Across the whole team there's a real sense that we can't wait to get back to racing. The break has been good for us and we're ready to get on the road again. Timo and Charles seem invigorated, so we look forward to positive things from the second half of the season. Spa is a great place to get things started. Not only do we all love this circuit, but this year we mark the occasion of our 50th Grand Prix there, which is an important milestone within the team. A lot has happened in the short space of two and half seasons of racing but we're a stronger team as a result and equipped now to go on to bigger and better things. It has been quite nice to note how many of the team have been with us since the very beginning - Timo included of course. In young teams a lot can change - especially its people - so it's very encouraging that we keep building on our original strong core. As for the race itself, we hope to get the remaining Grands Prix off to a strong start in Spa and keep closing the gap to the front of the field."