FORMULA 1 - 2012

[MIKA27]

Rosberg would welcome Schumi stay

Nico Rosberg admits he would be more than happy if Michael Schumacher stays with Mercedes next season.

Schumacher's three-year deal with the Brackley squad runs out at the end of the season and speculation is rife that the 43-year-old could hang up his racing gloves for good come the end of the year.

Rosberg, who has partnered the seven-time World Champion for the past three seasons, says he would have no problems if Schumacher extends his contract with Merc.

"I think it would be right if Michael stays," he told Germany's DAPD news agency. "We get along well, the competition is good. Michael is still at a very, very high level on the track. It is a challenge to race against him. We push the team forward and usually have the same opinion."

Schumacher isn't the only driver who faces an uncertain future as Lewis Hamilton has been rumoured to be on way to Merc as a replacement for the veteran while Felipe Massa's seat at Ferrari is also on the line.

Rosberg added: "Michael is an important part of the whole driver carousel. Nothing will happen until the key positions are clarified and if one of Schumacher, Hamilton or Massa says 'I am definitely here then it will all go fast'."

However, he also wouldn't have any problems teaming up with Hamilton, saying: "We've known each other for 15 years."

As for his own future, the 27-year-old is happy where he is.

"I am definitely with the Silver Arrow. I look forward to the next season and even more race wins," he said.

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Michael: Singapore crucial to title hopes

McLaren sporting director Sam Michael believes the Singapore GP could decide the outcome of the Constructors' Championship.

The Woking squad head to the Marina Bay Street Circuit in excellent form, winning the last three races and reducing Red Bull's lead in the standings to 29 points.

Michael and company though are all too aware that the recent circuits have suited the MP4-27 and know things might change at Singapore this weekend.

"I think now it is a critical point of the Championship for us," Michael told the official podcast for the Australian Grand Prix.

"We are coming from behind and we know we have a big challenge to try and get up there in the Constructors' [Championship].

"The next race is important because if you look at the last three [races] there are various circumstances that may have contributed to our main competitor, such as Red Bull, suffering in performance.

"One in particular is the lift to drag ratios of tracks. We have been to two low-drag circuits, Spa and Monza, and those are quite different aero packages compared to what you normally run. We are now going back to Singapore, which is a maximum downforce circuit.

"If we go there and still have same sort of advantage as we had in the last two [races], then I would say we are in a really strong position to challenge [for the title].

"If RBR is quick again and on the front row with both cars, then I think it doesn't mean we cannot win the Championship - but it will be a tougher job."

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Identical DRS zone for the Singapore GP

The FIA have opted to keep the same DRS zone for this years Singapore Grand Prix as introduced in 2011.

The detection point sits just before turn four, whilst the activation zone begins at the apex of turn five and stretches down to turn seven for the slow left hand 90º turn.

The driver steward for the race will be Allan McNish.

[MIKA27]

Singapore race uncertainty to continue for now

Almost another year may pass before it is known whether Singapore is staying on the formula one calendar.

The city-state's popular night race, set to take place this weekend for the fifth time, has become one of the most highly anticipated stops on the sport's annual calendar.

But the current contract does not run beyond 2012, even though Singapore reportedly has to serve more notice before it can cease organising the event.

Reports earlier this year quoted Singapore officials as saying they were no longer willing to pay "top dollar" for their popular event.

S. Iswaran, the government minister in charge of tourism, told the Bloomberg news agency that talks are underway.

"We will take a hard look at the benefits that accrue to the economy as a whole and in turn what are the costs that the government would have to incur in order to continue to support this event in Singapore's context," he said.

Bloomberg said F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

[MIKA27]

Rosberg rules out McLaren switch for 2013

Nico Rosberg has dealt a blow to the Lewis Hamilton saga, insisting he is definitely staying at Mercedes next year.

And 27-year-old German Rosberg also said he hopes his current teammate, Michael Schumacher, also stays with the Brackley based team in 2013.

According to intense media speculation, Briton Hamilton is weighing up a big monetary offer to join Mercedes next year.

Some have surmised that Rosberg could move over to McLaren to replace the 2008 world champion, while others think Hamilton's move would push Schumacher back into retirement.

"I'm definitely with the Silver Arrows (Mercedes) and I'm looking forward to getting some more race wins next season," Rosberg told the DAPD news agency.

As for Schumacher's uncertain future, Rosberg added: "I think it would be right if he stays.

"We get along well, the competition between us is good, Michael is still at a very, very high level and it's a real challenge to race against him.

"We push the team forwards well," he insisted.

But Rosberg also acknowledged that Schumacher is one of the keys of the 2013 driver market.

"Not much will happen until Schumacher, Hamilton or Massa are able to say 'I'm definitely here'," he explained.

Meanwhile, Schumacher's former manager insists he has not given away any hints about the seven time world champion's plans beyond 2013.

Willi Weber is the architect of the great German's new EUR 7.5 million personal sponsorship with a Chinese company, which has caused some to surmise that Schumacher must be staying in formula one beyond 2012.

But Weber told Auto Bild Motorsport: "The (sponsor) contract is independent of any driving contract."

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Vettel not 'afraid' to be Alonso's teammate

Sebastian Vettel on Wednesday insisted he would not be "afraid" to race against Fernando Alonso in the same team.

Even before Luca di Montezemolo named the German as an ideal Ferrari driver of the future, Vettel was strongly linked with a 2014 switch to the famous Italian squad.

He would not comment on the reports when asked by Germany's Auto Bild.

But Vettel did say: "I'm not afraid to go against Fernando in the same team, as in the end it's good for the team if it has two good drivers, which means it's also good for me because the challenge is all the greater.

"But the most important thing is that I'm very happy with Red Bull, and not at all thinking about leaving," he insisted.

Vettel, currently 39 points behing the Spaniard with seven races to go, named Ferrari's Alonso as the favourite for 2012 glory.

"His car is not as bad as everyone always says -- only at the start of the season was he not really able to compete.

"In the end he has always been there in all conditions, and very reliable, which for me is why the Alonso-Ferrari package has been so far the strongest," said the defending champion.

Vettel insisted he is also still in the running.

"Of course it's always better if you have a points lead," he said, "but the approach doesn't change. You always want to get the best out of yourself and the team.

"If you were making more of an effort as the hunter, that's not a good sign because it means that you were not working hard enough beforehand.

"The goal is to win all the races and see what happens," added Vettel.

[MIKA27]

Preview: Singapore Grand Prix, Round 14 at Marina Bay Street Circuit

Following an incident-packed Italian Grand Prix, Formula One leaves Europe behind and embarks on a championship end-game that will see the teams and drivers take on seven long-haul 'flyaway' races in 10 action-packed weeks. And first on that list is the Singapore Grand Prix the sport's only true night race.

Singapore's Marina Bay Street Circuit is the antithesis of high-speed, low downforce Monza. Here, on the winding roads of the Lion City, average speeds are some of the lowest in Formula One and the teams employ their highest downforce settings in an effort to ensure maximum grip around the 23 corners of the floodlit track.

In keeping with its street-circuit nature, grip is at a premium in the early practice sessions. The bumpy surface does 'rubber in' over the course of the event but, as the track is constantly evolving, teams are often left chasing the perfect set-up across the race weekend.

The night-race schedule presents its own challenges too, and in a bid to keep personnel at optimum performance levels at the right times, teams opt to keep everyone, including their drivers, on European time to cope with the demands of racing at 8pm.

It's also a long and demanding race, with all four of the races staged so far stretching to within five minutes of the two-hour mark. With temperatures and humidity still high despite the late start, it all adds up to one the toughest races of the year.

As the 2012 Formula One season heads into its final third, Fernando Alonso still leads the Drivers' Championship. The Ferrari driver now has 179 points, 37 clear of Italian GP winner Lewis Hamilton, who has 142. Meanwhile, dark horse Kimi Raikkonen has snuck up on the rails and sits in third place, just a point behind Hamilton. In the Constructors' battle, leaders Red Bull Racing, on 272 points, go to Singapore just 29 points clear of McLaren, while Ferrari have 226 points, nine ahead of Lotus

Marina Bay Street Circuit data

• Length of lap: 5.073km
• Lap record: 1:45.599 (Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 2008)
• Start line/finish line offset: 0.137km
• Total number of race laps: 61
• Total race distance: 309.316km
• Pitlane speed limits: 60km/h during practice, qualifying and the race
• The single DRS zone here remains unchanged from 2011. The detection point is at Turn 4 and the activation point is after Turn 5.

Changes to the circuit since 2011

• The track has been resurfaced on the approach to, and at the apex of, Turn 13.
• The outer pit lane has been resurfaced.
• All rubber kerbs have been replaced by fabricated steel sections anchored securely to the ground with 24mm diamter bolts.

Singapore GP Fast Facts

Pirelli will offer its yellow-banded Soft and red-banded Supersoft tyre compounds this weekend. This combination was last used at the Canadian Grand Prix in June and before that in Monaco.

As F1's only full night race, the Singapore Grand Prix needs light a lot of light. In all, it requires 1,600 light projectors, with a total power requirement of 3,180,000 watts, all fed by 108,423 metres of power cables.

The circuit lighting system pumps out around 3000 lux, making the track about four times brighter than a regularly floodlit sports stadium.

The Marina Bay circuit is the second slowest of the year after Monaco, with an average speed of just 172 kph (106.8 mph) and an average cornering speed of 105 kph (65.2 mph).

Approximately 46 per cent of the lap is taken at full throttle, compared with over 75 per cent at the last race at high-speed, low downforce Monza.

Singapore's 23 corners mean that the twisting layout is very hard on brakes. It doesn't do gearboxes any favours either with drivers changing gear around 80 times per lap.

Fernando Alonso is the most successful driver at the Singapore Grand Prix with two wins from the four events held so far, in 2008 and 2010. Lewis Hamilton won the 2009 edition and Sebastian Vettel won last year's race.

Prior to the inaugural edition of the Formula One race here in 2008, a Singapore Grand Prix had been run regularly from 1966-1973. The race was a Formula Libre event in which drivers raced a variety of car types. The winner of the final event in 1973 was Vern Schuppan, who also racked up 14 F1 races during his career. He made his Formula One race weekend debut in Belgium in 1972, but did not start as his car was raced instead by Helmut Marko. Schuppan's first start came two years later at the 1974 Belgian GP and his final race was at the Dutch Grand Prix of 1977.

The 2008 race was a memorable one for David Coulthard. His seventh place for Red Bull Racing netted him the final points of his F1 career. DC bowed out of F1 following that season's final event in Brazil.

Nick Heidfeld returned to racing here in 2010, having lost his F1 drive at the end of 2009 following the withdrawal of BMW from the sport. Nick spent the first part of 2010 as Mercedes test driver, then had a stint as Pirelli's test driver. However, at the Singapore GP he was drafted in by Sauber to replace Pedro de la Rosa for the final five races of the season, thus rejoining a team he had raced for from 2001-2003, and, as BMW-Sauber, from 2006 until 2009. In Singapore, though, he retired following a collision with Force India's Vitantonio Liuzzi.

The Singapore GP is usually packed with incident and the safety car has intervened here at least once in every race since 2008.

Singapore GP Race Stewards

• José Abed, an FIA Vice President since 2006, began competing in motor sport in 1961. In 1985, as a motor sport official, Abed founded the Mexican Organisation of International Motor Sport (OMDAI) which represents Mexico in the FIA. He sat as its Vice- President from 1985 to 1999, becoming President in 2003.
• In 1986, Abed began promoting truck racing events in Mexico and from 1986 to 1992, he was President of Mexican Grand Prix organising committee. In 1990 and 1991, he was President of the organising committee for the International Championship of Prototype Cars and from 1990 to 1995, Abed was designated Steward for various international Grand Prix events.
• Since 1990, Abed has been involved in manufacturing prototype chassis, electric cars, rally cars and kart chassis.
• Garry Connelly has been involved in motor sport since the late 1960s. A long time rally competitor, Connelly was instrumental in bringing the World Rally Championship to Australia in 1988 and served as Chairman of the Organising Committee, Board member and Clerk of Course of Rally Australia until December 2002. He has been an FIA Steward and FIA Observer since 1989, covering the FIA's World Rally Championship, World Touring Car Championship and Formula One Championship. He is a director of the Australian Institute of Motor Sport Safety and a member of the FIA World Motor Sport Council.
• With two Le Mans wins, four Sebring 12-Hour victories and three ALMS titles to his credit, Allan McNish has carved out a reputation as one of the world's top sportscar racers. However, he began his career in single seaters, racing in Formula Vauxhall, British F3, and International F3000 before landing a seat with the Toyota F1 team for its debut season in 2002. McNish contested 16 of the 17 races that year, before a huge accident at Suzuka's 130R in qualifying sidelined him at the final round in Japan. At the end of 2002 he parted company with Toyota and became a test driver for Renault. He then returned to sportscars where he has built up a hugely successful career. This year he is racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship. He is currently second in the standings.

[MIKA27]

Friday outings unlikely for Lotus sub D'Ambrosio

Lotus team principal Eric Boullier has admitted that it is unlikely that Jerome d'Ambrosio will make another appearance on the grand prix asphalt in 2012, unless Romain Grosjean misbehaves again and is forced to sit out a race or more in the future.

The Boullier-managed Belgian reserve driver replaced Grosjean at Monza recently, while the team's French regular served his one-race ban.

D'Ambrosio is the team's official reserve driver, who at the start of the 2012 season was slated to make some Friday morning practice appearances in the Lotus.

But the E20 was ultimately so impressive that Kimi Raikkonen is now charging for the title, and Grosjean for race wins.

It's for that reason that team boss Boullier has sidelined d'Ambrosio for now, even though he insists the 26-year-old performed impressively at Monza.

"Jerome lost KERS at the start of the race and around Monza that is a big, big loss. In lap time it is nearly a second," Boullier is quoted by the Telegraph.

"He did a very nice job. I was very satisfied."

So does that mean the former Virgin Racing Team driver might be given another chance to drive the 2012 Lotus, perhaps during a Friday morning practice session?

"I don't think it's under consideration," Boullier answered.

"If we can afford to do it, we will do it, but with the championship being so close we want to fight and use any resources or means we can to give us all the chances to do well."

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Champions celebrate F1 Racing's 200th

F1 Racing magazine has brought together every Formula 1 world champion since the magazine's 1996 launch to the present day for a special celebratory 200th issue, which goes on sale from 20 September.

Every title winner from Damon Hill through to Sebastian Vettel (by way of Jacques Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button) has been interviewed and photographed for a unique gatefold cover, feature and free poster.

F1 Racing would like to tell you it was not an easy task to put such a line-up in place but with eight different team PRs and managers to liaise with - combined with a hectic F1 schedule - it was no mean feat.

Yet in the end, five months of planning, chasing, waiting, worrying, photographing and interviewing came together for what the team thinks is its most spectacular cover feature to date.

With such a strong cover, F1 Racing knew the rest of the 200th issue had to include a number of other special exclusives, chief of which is the readers' 'you ask the questions' interview with seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.

One of the questions put to the German ace by readers concerned the best moment of his record- breaking career.

After ruminating for a few moments, Schumi provided his answer: pressuring Ayrton Senna into spinning his Williams during the 1994 Brazilian GP. That was just one of many revelations in a fascinating interview with the man who is currently the oldest driver on the F1 grid.

There's also an in-depth interview with three-time world champion Jackie Stewart; an exhaustive countdown of the 200 moments that have rocked the sport during F1 Racing's lifetime; a photoshoot with the fabulous 1996 Williams FW18; and a very hands-on trip to Renault's F1 engine factory.

The magazine also features a host of new columns (including the return of Peter Windsor) and more in- depth technical and race preview sections.

Reserve your copy today or get the digital edition at www.f1racing.co.uk/digital-edition/.

MIKA: I love this magazine!

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FERNANDO ALONSO TAKES US ON A VERY SPECIAL LAP OF SINGAPORE:

Here is something a bit different – Ferrari F1 driver and world championship leader Fernando Alonso drove a flying lap of the Singapore Grand Prix circuit today on the Shell Performance Simulator, which was set up in a hotel downtown.

The Spaniard, who has won the Singapore Grand Prix twice, drove a hot lap in 1m 48 seconds, which is only three seconds slower than he managed in qualifying here last year, whilst at the same time describing it in English, complete with corners speeds and some insights and details. It’s a pretty impressive performance; particularly because he did not have any laps in this simulator prior to the event, whereas generally the Ferrari drivers tend to do 10 warm up laps prior to such a demonstration.

Alonso said that with the restrictions in testing these days in F1, simulators have become increasingly important, “We need to practice in the simulator, not only for driving practice but also for set up and developments on the car. So it’s an important tool these days.”

Speaking of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix he said that he believes he will have the car to “attack” and go for pole position and the win, rather than go into the weekend with a defensive mindset.

“I think there are two or three Grands Prix now where we will have the possibility to attack, the car will be in good shape and we will be competitive. If we are competitive we have to take the opportunities; here, Japan and Korea. In these three races our aim is to win Grands Prix and to increase the lead. We need another 75 points in the table.”

Alonso added that he does not feel increased pressure from a resurgent McLaren, which has won the last three races from pole position, two for Lewis Hamilton, who is now 37 points behind,

“I think if I had finished in Spa the championship gap would keep increasing all the time” he said. “That’s why it is decreasing. McLaren is in good form, but it is up to us. I feel confident and not under pressure. We have five or six contenders for the championship and seven races to go so it will be tight to the last race. But I’m the only one who can afford a retirement, the others cannot.”

Alonso also spoke about the possibility of the team replacing Felipe Massa for next season, arguing that he didn’t see anyone better who was on the list of possible candidates.

“I have worked with Felipe for two or three years, we have a good relationship,” Alonso said. “If the team decides to change Felipe, someone who arrives would have to be better than Felipe.

“In my opinion we need a driver that respects Ferrari, the tradition of the team.”

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F1 SET TO PAY EMOTIONAL TRIBUTE TO PROFESSOR WATKINS IN SINGAPORE:

The FIA has announced that there is to be a number of tributes in place for the late Professor Sid Watkins, F1′s legendary doctor including a bronze bust, book of Remembrance and a minute’s applause, at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix. Although there have been suggestions that this may be revised to a minute’s silence.

Formula One is also set to mark the passing of the Prof with the bronze bust, which was commissioned for him following retirement from his role as FIA Institute Honorary President, to be sat alongside a Book of Remembrance throughout the weekend allowing all those that have met the former FIA Doctor to leave their memories. The book will then be handed to the Watkins family in due course. The FIA is to announce a more permanent tribute to the Prof at a later date.

The main tribute this weekend will be the minute’s applause, taking place on the starting grid prior to Sunday’s Grand Prix. It will be the first time that the F1 fraternity has been together since the Prof’s death and the weekend is already filled with mixed emotions, with fantastic stories and memories of the great man.

In his time, the Prof saved the lives of many, including Nigel Mansell, Rubens Barrichello and Mika Hakkinen. But it was in response to the drivers who lost their lives that he drastically changed motor sport for the better. Alterations to both cars and circuits to improve safety have reverberated throughout motor sport from the grass roots to this weekends Grand Prix and the Prof’s death will be felt through all of these levels.

Meanwhile some of the drivers have paid tribute to the Prof today here in Singapore, “I have extremely good memories in the professional and person sides with him,” said Michael Schumacher today, “He was close to me in some of my difficult moments, such as the accident in 1999. But even more with all the FIA background work for safety improvements, Sid was one of the major driving forces and always looking for support in trying to achieve the goals that were needed. In particular after 1994 when we lost two of our friends. For him this was a big motivation to do what he had wanted to do for many years.”

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Alguersuari hints at comeback for 2013

Jaime Alguersuari has dropped a gentle hint that he may have secured a race seat for the 2013 season.

The Spaniard was dropped by Toro Rosso at the end of the 2011 season, leaving him without a seat for the current year.

In an effort to remain on the sports radar, he joined Pirelli as test driver alongside Lucas di Grassi as well as taking up a commentary position with BBC 5 Live.

However in a Tweet posted on Thursday, the 22-year-old suggested he would soon announce plans for a return to the grid next year.

"Soon you'll all know where I will be driving next year. Thank you all again," read the message on the social networking site.

He has been tipped as a replacement for a number of drivers including Heikki Kovalainen, Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton - though the latter is unlikely.

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Singapore GP and Renault engine technical feature

The Formula 1 World Championship lands in Singapore this week for the 14th race of the 2012 season.

The challenge of racing at night and negotiating the tricky 23-turn street track, poses unique difficulties. With the vast majority of turns taken at low speed, a neutral set-up is critical to the perfect lap and the perfect race.

As Renault Sport F1 engine engineer for Red Bull Racing David Mart explains, the role of the engine engineer is a crucial piece of a larger puzzle that sees everyone aiming to maximise their own areas to give the driver exactly the set-up he wants from his car.

The work between engine supplier and team begins even before arriving at the track. In the days leading up to the race, simulations and dyno tests carried out at Viry Châtillon produce huge volumes of data that is collated and sent to the individual teams to help them take an initial decision on set-up.

"The initial information that we collate at the factory goes into a brief report, which outlines operation for the event. It is sent the week before the race and includes data from the simulations we run at the factory," David divulges.

"It takes input from laps we did the previous year and from data for the current car at the other circuits this year. This allows us to predict fuel consumption and the effect of engine performance for the track layout.

"You will also predict engine temperatures from data you've collected and thus what cooling levels you think the car needs to start on.

There are different blanking options on different panels of the car and that allows you various options going into the sessions to cool the engine and gearbox. Also the gear ratios will be predicted. All these baseline settings are then tested during the practice sessions at the track."

From these practice sessions onward, there are numerous briefing and de-briefing sessions over the weekend, during which any alterations are discussed and any planned changes proposed.

"The actual briefings are broken up between everyone involved. It will start with the driver and then their engineers and performance engineers will relate their findings, and the relevant engineers will discuss aerodynamics and then we'll look at the engine, gearbox and KERS.

We'll decide if the cooling levels are adequate and if we need to make a change, and obviously we'll get a better idea on fuel consumption and be able to amend our predictions."

With the ban on in-season testing, the quality of simulation work has reached such a high level that teams arrive at tracks with a pretty clear idea of what needs to be done and what set-ups need to be tried. As David explains, there are rarely many calls for any major amendments.

"It is very rare that you will deviate from what has been established in simulations as being the optimum for the track. It is usually just fine tuning.

This is where the relationship between the chassis engineers and engine engineers needs to be seamless as each relies on the other to feed information to get the maximum from their own specific area. As David explains, this is key to getting the most from the weekend.

"Some of the jobs that the chassis engineers do and that we as engine engineers do, interlink. We both react to driver feedback as to how the weekend and the direction of set-up has developed. On the engine side we'll work on pedal maps, improving response in the provision of power.

"We also react to changes to the set-up such as a shift in aerodynamics. We have to be constantly aware of set-up changes, because that will affect how the power needs to be delivered.

For instance, if a big change is made in terms of downforce levels, and the guys are looking for longer at full throttle or higher top speeds, then we might need to look at ratios, how the engine behaves in cruise at the end of the straight and then throttle maps to ensure that we are taking advantage of the increased window we've been afforded by a set-up change from an engine perspective.

It is an iterative process until we arrive at the perfect set-up for the driver that allows him to put together his perfect lap."

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Singapore GP - Massa: "One lap here is like two in Monaco"

Marina Bay Modern life for a Formula 1 driver is not just about driving a car and having meetings with engineers. The team sponsors and partners also need the drivers to do some work on their behalf. So today started early for Felipe Massa, whose first port of call was the recently opened Ferrari Store in downtown Singapore.

The Brazilian kept the fans happy, signing autographs and posing for photographs and after that, it was time to honour the fact that this is Shell's 500th Grand Prix in partnership with Scuderia Ferrari.

Two cars provided the backdrop, a Ferrari Challenge race car, painted with a special livery to commemorate the 500 races and, much to the delight of the younger fans, a Ferrari Formula 1 car, suitably liveried in Shell colours, made out of Lego bricks.

Once at the track, routine resumed as Felipe had his usual Thursday meeting with a the media. The first topic was the F2012's performance on street circuits.

"Monaco was a very good race for us, Hungary less so, but the Singapore circuit has more in common with Monaco, so I really expect we can have a car that works well here, giving us the possibility of picking up a good amount of points," said the Ferrari man.

"This is always a very tricky and difficult race, when you take into consideration all the factors, such as the heat and humidity, the technical difficulty of the track layout and how the tyres behave, so you need to deal with all these situations and also have a competitive car to do well."

Still on the subject of tyres, Felipe explained this had not been an area that has caused any real difficulty this season, but it would play an important roles this weekend.

"This year, tyre warm-up is not a problem for us, showing we have improved a lot in this area. We have had a bit of degradation in some races, maybe more than we had expected, so at this track we will have to keep an eye on that: here you use the tyres much more than in Monaco and one lap here is like two in Monaco.

Of course the heat also makes life more difficult for the tyres at this track."

It seems no Massa conference can be complete without some comment on his future. "It's true that if you look just at the results, it seems I have gone a lot better since the summer break. But in terms of speed and race pace, that was there before and I was having good races, except that something always seemed to happen to deny me the results at the end.

I just need to carry on trying to always do my best in the car and I am not too worried that I don't have a signed contract at the moment. I feel more confident after the last few races, because it is results that count and I need to keep getting good ones, having good races with the hope of staying in Red."

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Sauber would run Schumacher in 2013

Eddie Jordan has had a starring role in the 2013 'silly season', recently predicting with confidence that a retiring Michael Schumacher is set to be replaced by Lewis Hamilton.

But where did that Mercedes scoop come from? "Bernie (Ecclestone) told me," German reports on Thursday quote the former F1 team boss and now TV pundit as saying.

Along with the Hamilton saga and the uncertain future of Ferrari's Felipe Massa, whether Schumacher stays or goes is regarded as a key to the entire 2013 driver market.

So what if there is no room for the seven time world champion at Mercedes?

"I would take him immediately," Peter Sauber, whose Mercedes-backed sports car team provided the springboard for Schumacher's formula one career more than two decades ago, smiled to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

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Force India pair staying in 2013 - Mallya

Vijay Mallya has played down reports Force India is having to draw up a shortlist to fill its two race seats for 2013.

Paul di Resta is reportedly a leading candidate to replace McLaren's perhaps Mercedes-bound Lewis Hamilton, while Nico Hulkenberg has been strongly linked with Ferrari.

"Nico and Paul have contracts for next year and will be with us," Force India team owner Mallya is quoted by Auto Bild Motorsport.

The comments follow deputy team boss Bob Fernley's recent admission that, while the drivers are tied to Force India for 2013, the Silverstone based team is willing to negotiate commercial deals with any bigger teams that want to poach di Resta or Hulkenberg.

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Report - Red Bull to blame for alternator failures?

The specific design of Red Bull's RB8 could be the reason behind its Magneti Marelli/Renault alternator failures, according to a report.

With team owner Dietrich Mateschitz calling on engine supplier Renault to dump its alternator partner Magneti Marelli, the Kolner Express tabloid said Adrian Newey's chassis design could be the real problem.

Although Renault also supplies engines to Lotus, Williams and Caterham, the lion's share of the alternator problems have been suffered by Red Bull.

'Express' said the problem could be the narrow construction at the back of the RB8.

A source is quoted as saying: "In other Renault cars, the alternator works perfectly. For the problems encountered by Red Bull, something is failing due to an external influence, which leads to overheating."

Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko said: "Unfortunately we don't know the exact reasons for the defects. But we are unable to influence it from the chassis side."

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McLaren designing 2013 car for Hamilton

McLaren's 2013 car is being designed with Lewis Hamilton in mind, technical director Paddy Lowe has revealed.

Media speculation is rife that the team's 2008 world champion is on the verge of signing with Mercedes for next season.

But McLaren's Lowe on Wednesday sounded confident Hamilton will still be alongside Jenson Button in 2013.

"That's how we're working in terms of the design for next year," he said.

"It is our assumption that they are the drivers who we will be fielding next year. We have two fantastic drivers in Lewis and Jenson and we are very keen to keep them."

But he also admitted that whether or not McLaren has to change a driver at relatively short notice is "not a huge issue" in terms of engineering and design.

Hamilton, meanwhile, has played down suggestions his foul mood after winning last weekend's Italian grand prix was a sign he is set to quit McLaren.

"We buried my aunt that week, so she was constantly on my mind ... it has been a tough time for the family, and (I) just had a lot on my mind," he is quoted by Reuters.

"It was nothing to do with being unhappy. Trust me, I was happy," he added.

[MIKA27]

Alonso could be greatest ever driver - Sainz

Carlos Sainz, a Spanish rallying legend, thinks Fernando Alonso could one day be regarded as the greatest driver in formula one history.

The two-time world rally champion defended his countryman, amid suggestions the Ferrari driver is not the friendliest driver on the grid.

"Fernando is much more normal than people think, simply he has a lot of pressure on him at most times," Sainz, 50, told El Confidencial.

"As a driver, there is little doubt that - today - he is the best in the world, and even in the history of formula one he is one of the greatest.

"It wouldn't surprise me if he is recognised as the best ever once he decides to retire," added Sainz.

Sainz's son, Carlos Sainz Jr, is currently racing through the junior single seater ranks, with Red Bull backing.

[MIKA27]

NEW 20 RACE F1 CALENDAR FOR 2013 BREAKS COVER: QUESTIONS OVER SINGAPORE AND KOREA

A provisional calendar for the 2013 F1 season has broken cover today in the Singapore paddock, with Autosport.com breaking the news this morning.

It is quite similar in composition and timing to this year’s calendar.

It features 20 races, including the inaugural New Jersey Grand Prix on June 16th, replacing Valencia, which will alternate with Barcelona as home of the Spanish GP.

New Jersey is still provisional, subject to an FIA track inspection, which will take place 60 days before the due date.

However the races in Korea and Singapore are also noted as provisional. Korea is known to have some financial issues and may well fall off the calendar before or after next year’s race.

Singapore’s contract is due for renewal and is the subject of negotiation at the moment. One possibility is that it continues on a rolling one year basis, which would probably suit Singapore more than F1′s commercial bosses, who like the security of long contracts not least when planning a flotation of the F1 business.

However Singapore is in a special position; like Monaco, it is one of only two races that do more for F1 than F1 does for the venue. Singapore is the gateway to Asia, which is vital for many of the major companies and sponsors in F1, in some cases the exposure in Asia is their main reason for being in the sport. And for that reason FOM and its major shareholder CVC will be very keen to maintain Singapore on the calendar.

There are some curious details, like the three week gap between Silverstone (on June 30) and Germany on July 21. This makes it two three week gaps within a two month period, which looks rather lopsided, when there are only two weekends off in period containing the final six races of the season.

As usual, the calendar requires ratification from the FIA World Motro Sport Council, which meets next month.

There is also the small matter of the teams not having entries for next season. Normally they are all paid up and entered by now, but the FIA sent back their entries in July, pushing the deadline back to the end of September as rules, rule making, the composition of the F1 Commission, the 2014 new generation engines and many other aspects of the running of the sport are debated and negotiated between FOM and the FIA, which wants a greater share of the financial revenues of the sport than it gets under the 100 year agreement. It’s all up in the air at the moment.

A new Concorde Agreement for eight years starting in 2013 is more or less ready for signature, all but two of the teams have commercial offers to compete and all but one of these have signed them, with Mercedes on the point of doing so.

But there is a lot more horse trading to be done behind the scenes as we count down to the September 30 deadline.

Provisional 2013 Formula 1 calendar

March 17 Australia (Melbourne)

March 24 Malaysia (Sepang)

April 14 China (Shanghai)

April 21 Bahrain (Sakhir)

May 12 Spain (Barcelona)

May 26 Monaco (Monte Carlo)

June 9 Canada (Montreal)

June 16 America (New Jersey) *

June 30 Britain (Silverstone)

July 21 Germany (Hockenheim)

July 28 Hungary (Hungaroring)

September 1 Belgium (Spa)

September 8 Italy (Monza)

September 22 Singapore (Marina Bay) *

October 6 Japan (Suzuka)

October 13 Korea (Yeongam) *

October 27 India (Buddh International Circuit)

November 3 Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)

November 17 United States (Austin)

November 24 Brazil (Interlagos)

[MIKA27]

VETTEL SETS THE PACE IN SINGAPORE , CLOSE BATTLE FOR QUALIFYING AND RACE IN STORE:

World champion Sebastian Vettel topped the time sheets in both Friday practice sessions for the Singapore Grand Prix, easing out the McLaren of Jenson Button. But it looks like the battle for the pole and the win will be a closely fought, competitive affair.

Vettel hasn’t had a pole position for five races and still has only one win on the board this year, the Red Bull struggled with qualifying in Spa and Monza, but here they look stronger.

Vettel managed a time which was three tenths faster than Button, but Lewis Hamilton’s fifth place result does not tell the full story, the McLaren driver making a mistake in the final two corners of his hot lap on supersoft tyres. McLaren has won the last three races from pole and they remain the team to beat.

Apart from the controversial “Crashgate” race of 2008, the Singapore GP has been won from pole position every time and all the drivers know that qualifying is going to be absolutely vital here. The performance gap between the soft and supersoft looks greater than expected, possibly as much as 1.5 seconds on some cars. It behaved reasonably well on long runs this afternoon, but if teams are to manage to do the race on only two stops, they are going to need to get at least 15 laps out of the supersoft tyre.

“The time difference between the soft and supersoft is around 1.5 seconds per lap, while the degradation per lap is around 0.3 seconds for the supersoft and 0.1 seconds for the soft. This opens up lots of different possibilities in terms of strategy,” said Pirelli’s Paul Hembery.

When the drivers came to do their high fuel long runs later in the second session, the pace of both Red Bull and McLaren looked very close. This will form the basis of decisions about how to approach the race from a strategic point of view.

Fernando Alonso’s prediction yesterday that the updates on the Ferrari would provide him with a chance to challenge for the pole and the win in this and the following races, looked a little optimistic. Ferrari ran the new rear wing in the second session, but Alonso was almost 6/10ths down on Vettel and said afterwards that there was still work to be done.

Lotus, as usual on Fridays, did not set and eye catching time, but Raikkonen’s long run pace looked competitive and consistent. Track position is vital here and they will have to pull it all together in qualifying if the Finn is to challenge for a seventh podium of the season.

Force India’s drivers Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg have both got a lot to drive for at the moment; they are on the front line to move up if vacancies open up at McLaren or Ferrari and the car looked well balanced with good rear end traction today. Di Resta got a good result here last season, so they will be worth keeping an eye on.

Bruno Senna was the only real casualty of the day, the Williams driver clouting the wall and breaking the rear suspension on a hot lap on the supersoft tyre.

Also noteworthy was the performance of the Marussia, which has a raft of aerodynamics upgrades here. Timo Glock was ahead of the Caterhams today, a result the team has targeted for this weekend.

“We did quite an important test which we still have to analyse and have a think about where we go with it, because we seem to have made good progress with the car,” said Glock, something of a Singapore specialist, who has had a 2nd and a 4th place finish here with Toyota in the past.

SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX, Free Practice 2

1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m48.340 27 Laps

2. Jenson Button McLaren 1m48.651s + 0.311 24

3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m48.896s + 0.556 26

4. Mark Webber Red Bull 1m48.964s + 0.624 26

5. Lewis Hamilton McLaren 1m49.086s + 0.746 28

6. Paul di Resta Force India 1m49.300s + 0.960 30

7. Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1m49.339s + 0.999 31

8. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m49.790s + 1.450 32

9. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m50.039s + 1.699 28

10. Romain Grosjean Lotus 1m50.161s + 1.821 23

11. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m50.263s + 1.923 23

12. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus 1m50.345s + 2.005 24

13. Pastor Maldonado Williams 1m50.636s + 2.296 32

14. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1m50.791s + 2.451 26

15. Sergio Perez Sauber 1m51.122s + 2.782 28

16. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 1m51.450s + 3.110 21

17. Bruno Senna Williams 1m51.452s + 3.112 11

18. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1m52.00$s + 3.669 31

19. Timo Glock Marussia 1m52.218s + 3.878 29

20. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham 1m52.576s + 4.236 27

21. Charles Pic Marussia 1m52.863s + 4.523 27

22. Vitaly Petrov Caterham 1m52.936s + 4.596 25

23. Pedro de la Rosa HRT 1m54.448s + 6.108 25

24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT 1m54.514s + 6.174 30

[MIKA27]

Hamilton: It's going to be very close

Lewis Hamilton is predicting a thrilling battle will ensue as the Singapore weekend progresses as it is "very close" at the front.

The McLaren driver narrowly missed out on beginning his weekend with a P1 slot, 0.049s adrift of Sebastian Vettel's pace-setting time in the evening's first 90-minute practice session.

In the second, though, it was his team-mate Jenson Button who took the fight to the defending Singapore GP Champion, 0.311s slower while Fernando Alonso was third.

Hamilton, who made a mistake on his first flying low-fuel lap on the faster super-soft tyres, finished fifth. However, he was still within a second of Vettle's best.

"I think we're obviously in the top five," Hamilton told Sky Sports News.

"It's going to be very close. Jenson's very fast, Fernando also and Sebastian's incredibly quick. So it's going to be tough but we just need to keep working on the route that we're on."

Questioned by Sky's Craig Slater as to whether a comment from his pit wall about his long distance pace matching that of the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, also on heavy fuel, Hamilton said: "[The] race is another day. One day at a time.

"We've got to focus on tomorrow, try to optimise the car for qualifying and hope that it will also be pretty good in the long runs."

[MIKA27]

Senna: I pushed too hard

Bruno Senna admits he was to blame for his practice shunt in Friday's second practice, saying he was trying to push hard and over did it.

The Williams driver brought out the red flags on Friday night when he brushed the wall just after Turn 19.

The impact broke his left suspension, sending him sliding across the track and over the kerbs before he came to a halt.

And although the marshals pushed his car off the racing line there was little that could be done to remove his stricken Williams except to red flag the session for five minutes.

"It wasn't an ideal day but I was still able to learn a lot about the car and we have a good idea on the direction we will take tomorrow," Senna said.

"I made a mistake in FP2 and touched the wall which damaged the car.

"I was trying to push hard and on a track like this unfortunately that means you can end up in the wall.

"There isn't too much damage so we need to work hard to be 100 per cent ready for tomorrow."

As for Saturday's qualifying, Senna says he's hoping to make it into Q3 but concedes it won't be easy.

"We are aiming for the top ten but the grid is looking very tight so we are going to have to push very hard. It's going to be important to qualifying as far forward as possible at this circuit but the competition is strong."

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Kimi's lacking grip, downforce, pace

Kimi Raikkonen fears the lack of grip and ultimately the lack of pace shown in Singapore on Friday could hurt his title challenge if Lotus can't find a solution.

Having worked his way up to third in the Drivers' standings, the 2007 World Champ is just 38 points behind Fernando Alonso and has a good chance at winning his second title.

But not if he struggles like he did on Friday.

The Lotus driver finished Friday night's action down in 12th place, over two seconds down on Sebastian Vettel's P1 time and revealed that he was lacking grip, downforce and basically speed.

"It was not the easiest day, we don't have enough grip for some reason," Raikkonen said.

"I guess we're lacking downforce. And it seems to be a bit difficult, at least today. It's just not quick. Maybe we are not improving as the others [are].

"The same issues are there on both tyres. When you put new tyres it always feels better for the beginning. I think we can improve for tomorrow, but we're not going to find unfortunately two seconds.

"Usually we improve on Saturday time wise, but like I said we can't catch up two seconds from today to the front, and they will improve also.

"It just shows that we are not as fast as we should be. Hopefully we can find something, and be a bit more happy than we are at the moment."

Put to him that his E20 was better when running heavy fuel loads, Raikkonen said: "I don't know. It felt okay at the beginning, and the rear went away."

The Finn now fears that should Friday's lack of pace continue, it could put a serious dent in his title challenge.

"If we keep doing like this were not going to have any chance, but we have to try to improve. There's still quite a few races left, so hopefully we can be stronger than today."

[MIKA27]

Schumi: Picture yet to be revealed

Michael Schumacher reckons Friday's practices have done nothing to shed any light over the pecking order for this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix.

As always on a Friday all 24 drivers were on different strategies, different fuel loads and different tyres at any given point during the 180 minutes of action.

And while it appears that the usual trio of Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari are at the fore, Mercedes found themselves over a second off the pace.

While Nico Rosberg brought his W03 home with the eighth best time, Schumacher was P11, 1.923s off the pace.

The seven-time World Champ, though, sees no reason for concern.

"We had two productive sessions today, however I have not yet understood the real picture," Schumacher said.

"We will definitely need to have a good look at the data this evening and extract the true performances shown."

As for Mercedes' updates, which included a new exhaust, Schumacher said his W03 felt "reasonable."

He said: "We were running the new parts today and the car felt reasonable, although at the end of the second session, we had a little brake issue and had to stop.

"Now we will have to work hard in front of our computers to find out what our chances will be this weekend."