FORMULA 1 - 2013

[MIKA27]

Hamilton backs Raikkonen cool move to Red Bull

Lewis Hamilton believes that Kimi Raikkonen should leap at the chance to join Red Bull for 2014 and beyond.

The Mercedes driver said that Finn Raikkonen, who is currently weighing up the move garage alongside to the Sebastian Vettel’s or staying at Lotus, would give Vettel “a hard time”.

“It would be really cool to see Kimi in a Red Bull. He would give Seb a hard time,” 2008 world champion Hamilton is quoted by the Sun.

“Kimi is an incredible driver, everyone knows that, so with an even better car it would be interesting to see what he does with that.”

Hamilton, on the other hand, has often struggled to match up to his own teammate in 2013, having switched from McLaren to join Nico Rosberg at Mercedes.

But Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso said he is not surprised by German Rosberg’s top form.

“We saw him beat Michael [schumacher] the last few years, and not because Michael had forgotten how to drive but because Nico did a fantastic job, and he’s getting even better,” the Spaniard toldSport Bild.

[MIKA27]

Interlagos wants to secure F1 future through to 2020

Brazilian GP organisers at Interlagos have moved a step closer to securing the venue’s future on the Formula 1 calendar.

Earlier this year, the future of the Brazilian Grand Prix came into doubt when Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said the venue in Sao Paulo must be upgraded.

But those fears eased when Ecclestone confirmed city mayor Fernando Haddad had written him a letter “and he’s guaranteed to revamp the whole facilities there”.

It was said a new contract through 2020 would then be signed.

Now, O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper is reporting that the city has indeed opened up bids for the construction of an all-new three-storey pit and paddock complex and revisions to the layout, to be ready for 2015.

The report said Sao Paulo is paying for the project through an agreement with the tourism ministry, aimed at “maintaining Formula 1 in Brazil and in the city of Sao Paulo”, according to spokesman Nunzio Briguglio.

[MIKA27]

Button not tempted to leave McLaren F1 team despite 2013 struggles

Jenson Button insists that McLaren's disappointing form this year has not left him tempted to consider a move elsewhere on the grid.

The former world champion has yet to finish on the podium this year, and his chances of a big step forward over the remainder of the campaign are slim with his team now focused on its 2014 car.

But despite admitting there is 'nothing certain' about him definitely being part of McLaren's line-up for next year, Button says that he remains committed to staying where he is.

"If this was a team that was consistently finishing fourth or fifth in championship then of course I would look elsewhere," said Button, who joined McLaren in 2010 after winning the world championship the previous year.

"In that case, I would look to one of the frontrunning teams to step up to, somewhere that could give me a race-winning car.

"But this isn't a team that is finishing four or fifth in the constructors'. This is a bad year and in years to come this team will be fighting for world championships. I am not looking around like some people might think."

The Formula 1 driver market could be set for a major shake-up next year in the wake of Mark Webber's decision to quit Red Bull and switch to sportscars.

Kimi Raikkonen's future with Lotus is not guaranteed, with Red Bull considering him as a replacement for Webber, while Ferrari has not yet decision whether or not Felipe Massa will remain.

[PaulP]

If Ferrari signs Massa to another contract, they deserve the certain failure they will get.

[LLC]

If Ferrari signs Massa to another contract, they deserve the certain failure they will get.

I'd be surprised if they sign him again. They have to say he has there full support but reality is he's likely done with them after this season.

[MIKA27]

Fangio’s 1954 Mercedes fetches record $29.6 million at auction

A rare Mercedes race car became the most expensive car ever sold at auction when an anonymous bidder bought it for 19.6 million pounds ($29.6 million) at a sale in Britain on Friday.

The 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 in which five-time Formula 1 World Champion driver Juan Manuel Fangio won two grands prix, also became the most expensive Mercedes-Benz ever sold, auction house Bonhams said.

“We’ve just witnessed history in the making,” Bonhams Motoring Director James Knight told Reuters from the sale at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in southern England.

The previous auction record was held by a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, which sold for $16.39 million in 2011.

The 2.5-litre straight-8 Mercedes-Benz driven by Fangio already had a storied history. The driver’s 1954 victories in the German and Swiss Grands Prix were the first successive wins by the Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 team in the German racing crew’s post-World War Two comeback.

The car competed in five world championship-qualifying Grand Prix races. After Fangio’s 1954 Swiss Grand Prix win, the W196R was retired to the Daimler-Benz Museum.

John Lennon’s first car – a 1965 Ferrari GT coupe – also sold for £ 359 000 at Goodwood on Friday.

The late Beatle bought the blue Ferrari after he passed his driving test in 1965 and sold it three years later. It had a top pre-sale estimate of £ 220 000 pounds.

[MIKA27]

Peter Sauber hurt by media coverage of his team’s crisis

Formula 1 team boss Peter Sauber has admitted that the recent media coverage of his team’s financial struggle is extremely hurtful.

Amid rumours thatNico Hulkenberg terminated his contract because he was not paid, team boss Monisha Kaltenborn admitted recently that the Swiss team is in trouble, but said talks with potential sponsors or investors are taking place.

However, it then it emerged that dozens of unpaid suppliers have filed formal debt claims against Sauber, amounting to about € 1 million, and that the team is lacking the many millions it needs even to complete the 2013 season.

69-year-old Peter Sauber, though, is known as perhaps the most honest and straightforward figure in the F1 paddock, running a typically clockwork-like and always-competent team that managed even to survive BMW’s shock exit.

“And now I get in the car in the morning and the first news {on the radio] is how many prosecutions I have against me,” he told Blick newspaper.

“Yes, it hurts – extremely. And how the whole thing is being spread among the public, and in those dimensions – I don’t understand,” added Sauber.

He gav an example of the news imbalance which pertubs him so severly: “Recently, in eastern Switzerland, hundreds of jobs were lost, but it was just a side-note. But we have not laid off a single employee.”

Nevertheless, the seriousness of Sauber’s predicament is obvious. And the Hinwil based team’s founder even acknowledges it: “I am using all of my energy to rescue the team, and did not need all of this [media] noise.”

Also, deep down, Sauber knows that his team’s crisis is important news, not only because of the international scope of F1, but also because the name ‘Sauber’ is loved not only in Switzerland, but also by millions of fans.

“The solidarity we feel is enormous,” admitted Sauber. Blick, for example, said that a private citizen has offered Sauber an interest-free loan to the tune of $500 000.

“That is touching,” said Sauber. “But we need a new, big, strong partner. And we’re working on it. We will remain the national team of Swiss motor sports – and in F1.”

[MIKA27]

Hulkenberg, Frijns and Sato on duty for Sauber at Young Driver Test

The Sauber F1 Team will test with Robin Frijns (day 1 and morning day 2), Nico Hülkenberg (afternoon day 2) and Kimiya Sato (day 3) at the Young Driver Training Test in Silverstone, which takes place from 17th to 19th July.

During the three days the Sauber F1 Team will test the latest Pirelli tyres, as well as the upgrade package which the C32 will have for the upcoming Hungarian GP.

Robin Frijns became test and reserve driver for the Sauber F1 Team earlier this year, and it will be the second Young Driver Training Test for the 22-year-old Dutchman with the team. The 2012 Formula Renault 3.5 World Series champion is competing in the 2013 GP2 Series, where he currently lyes ninth. He will be on track on Wednesday for the whole day, as well as on Thursday morning, while Nico Hülkenberg will get behind the wheel on Thursday afternoon.

Kimiya Sato will get into the Sauber C32 and drive a Formula 1 car for the very first time on Friday. The 24-year-old Japanese brings experience from series like Formula BMW, Japanese and German Formula 3, as well as the Formula 3 Euro Series, and currently leads the 2013 Auto GP.

Schedule 2013 Young Driver Training Test:

Wednesday 17th July

• Morning: Robin Frijns
  
• Afternoon: Robin Frijns
  

Thursday 18th July

• Morning: Robin Frijns
  
• Afternoon: Nico Hülkenberg
  

Friday 19th July

• Morning: Kimiya Sato
  
• Afternoon: Kimiya Sato
  

[MIKA27]

Raikkonen on duty for Lotus at Young Driver Test

Nicolas Prost, Davide Valsecchi and Kimi Räikkönen will drive for Lotus F1 Team during next week’s adapted Young Driver Test at Silverstone on 17 -19 July.

The test – originally intended solely for young drivers, but adapted to allow race drivers to test Pirelli’s new tyres, will see Development Driver Nicolas Prost drive on Wednesday, followed by Third Driver Davide Valsecchi on Thursday, with Kimi Räikkönen bringing the test to a conclusion on Friday.

Both Nicolas and Davide have previously driven the team’s 2012 Formula 1 car – the E20 – at last year’s Young Driver Test, whilst Davide has also taken the wheel of the current model – the E21, for half a day’s running during 2013 pre-season testing.

Eric Boullier, Team Principal: “It’s great timing for us to have this season’s Young Driver Test scheduled in the middle of the year as it allows us to evaluate more of the new parts we have for the E21 as the championship battle intensifies. Remarkably, the UK has been having some notably good weather recently so we’re looking forward to getting some good running across the three days. By running Nicolas and Davide we are giving them both invaluable experience and also gaining great feedback, as we’ve previously seen what they can do in the car and appreciate the valuable information they give us. it’s a fabulous second opportunity for all F1 fans to come and see the teams in action at Silverstone.”

Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director: “This will be an interesting test and we have a lot planned across the three days.

Obviously we want to give all three drivers the maximum track time possible as well as assessing the latest upgrades to the car. Our aim on the third day will be to help Pirelli understand the latest changes to their tyres at the same venue where they most notably had issues [recently]. For Nico and Davide it’s an opportunity to learn and improve, while for the team it is a great opportunity to try to refine some of the latest developments we have for the E21. Kimi is also allowed to run, enabling him and other race drivers to test tyres for Pirelli. This will benefit both him and Romain by granting us a better understanding of these tyres before we head to the next event in Hungary.”

[MIKA27]

Formula E expected to attract top Formula 1 teams

Alejandro Agag, the organiser of the new electric open-wheel series, thinks that top Formula 1 teams like Ferrari and Red Bull will eventually fight for the Formula E title.

The Austrian news agency APA said “there are already talks” between Agag and McLaren.

“I’m sure teams like Ferrari and Red Bull will be in Formula E one day,” Agag told the German newspaper Die Welt.

It is already known that Williams is supplying the series’ lithium batteries, McLaren is developing the electric motors and transmission, former Formula 1 supplier Michelin the tyres, and GP2 partner Dallara the chassis.

Agag said that former Formula 1 and GP2 drivers will be at the wheel, although “I can’t [give] any names yet”.

He insisted, however, that the plan is not to replace Formula 1.

“I’m a big F1 fan,” said Agag, “so I hope it never disappears. ”Eventually, we would like to be as big as F1, but our focus is different.”

Formula E facts:

• First race will be in 2014.
  
• There will be 10 teams and 20 drivers. To date, 2 teams have officially signed to race in the 2014 championship.
  
• There will be races in 10 cities throughout the world: London, Rome, Los Angeles, Miami, Beijing, Putrajaya, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro (2 cities are TBD with Bangkok looking like a strong possibility).
  
• Renault will develop the cars with Spark Racing Technology. Forty-two cars will be built for the first season. They will be named “Spark-Renault”.
  
• Michelin will be the tire supplier for the first three seasons.
  
• TAG Heuer is the Official Timekeeper, Official Watch and Chronograph and Technical Founding Parter of the FIA Formula E Championship.
  
• Williams Advanced Engineering, part of a group of comapanies that includes the Williams F1 team, will design and build the batteries for the SRT 01E.
  
• McLaren Electronic Systems will suppy the transmission, electronics, and powertrain for the car.
  
• Dallara will produce the chasis
  

Formula E news timeline:

• June 11, 2013 – Williams Advanced Engineering will design and build the batteries for the SRT 01E Formula E race car.
  
• May 16, 2013 – Bangkok, Thailand was announced as a possible candidate for one of the two remaining open locations to host a race for the 2014 FIA Formula E Championship.
  
• May 15, 2013 – TAG Heuer becomes the Official Timkeeper of FIA Formula E Championship
  
• May 15, 2013 – Renault signes with Spark Racing Technology and Formula E Holdings to partner in supplying the race cars for the 2014 FIA Formula E Championship.
  
• April 22, 2013 – The City of Los Angeles welcomed the FIA Formula E Championship to the downtown area for a demonstration of the 2014 race cars.
  
• March 28, 2013 – Michelin will be the official tire supplier for the first three seasons of the Formula E championship.
  
• March 8, 2013 – Formula E Holdings presents a preliminary calendar to the FIA for the 2014 championship. Cities include: London, Rome, Los Angeles, Miami, Beijing, Putrajaya, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro.
  
• February 27, 2013 – Team China becomes the second team to join the 2014 FIA Formula E championship.
  
• January 9, 2013 – Drayson Racing Technology becoms the first team to join the FIA Formula E championship.
  
• Decembrer 1, 2012 – Rome announced as the second city to hold a Formula E race in 2014.
  
• November 15, 2012 – Formula E has ordered 42 cars from Spark Racing Technology.
  
• November 14, 2012 – Spark Racing Technology has been formed to be the official supplier of the FIA Formula E championship.
  

[MIKA27]

Pollock launches company to help fund drivers

The Formula 1 team BAR’s founder Craig Pollock has launched a new company with the aim of funding promising drivers through the motor racing ranks.

Pollock, also the former manager of 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, has created Luxembourg based ‘The Pollock Formula’ after his 2014 F1 engine supply foray PURE failed to secure the necessary funding.

“Often the careers of young talents stop at a certain point due to a lack of resources,” said Pollock, whose aim is to create a new formula for raising money.

“Investors expect a return on their investment that we can guarantee within three years,” he added, explaining that the project will succeed due to his insider knowledge and relationships within the F1 paddock.

[MIKA27]

'Pirelli should've stuck to their guns'

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh feels Pirelli should have made tweaks to their tyres earlier in the season.

Having copped a lot of flak over the high degredation levels, the tyre manufacturer attempted to make changes to their rear compounds after the Spanish Grand Prix but they were blocked by the Ferrari, Force India and Lotus.

The trio had come to grips with the tyres very well and they feared any changes would have a negative effect on their competitiveness.

However, Pirelli was soon on the receiving end of more criticism after several drivers suffered blowouts at the British Grand Prix.

This time, though, all the teams agreed that the Italian manufacturer should be allowed to make changes on safety grounds.

Whitmarsh believes Pirelli should've stuck to their guns earlier and tweaked the tyres instead of listening to some teams.

"When you have made mistakes, and certainty we've made them over the years including this one, there is always a reluctance to admit them," Whitmarsh is quoted as saying byAutosport.

"There is always a fear of what the media will make it. But it was also clear to many that there were issues with the tyres.

"There was a reluctance to admit it - and teams will always lobby for their own competitive self-interest.

"As I said to Pirelli for quite a few weeks before Silverstone: 'You cannot listen to the teams on this one. You guys are the tyre experts; you have responsibility to give us safe tyres. You have to make the right call'.

"Pirelli got themselves a bit caught in the middle listening to the teams, especially those that didn't want anything to change."

Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery echoed Whitmarsh's views.

"I think sometimes we have been too good citizens trying to do everything right, and every time we try and push something we get into trouble," he said.

"We are only interested in doing our job; we are not interested in helping anyone else."

[MIKA27]

Ricciardo motivated by Vergne form

Daniel Ricciardo insists being outshone by team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne rather than the vacant 2014 Red Bull seat played a major role in his turnaround in form.

The Australian has pulled off a string of impressive results since it was announced that he, Vergne and Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen are on the shortlist to replace Mark Webber at Red Bull next year.

Vergne scored a combined 12 points in Monaco and Canada, but Ricciardo hit back strongly in the next two races, which coincided with Webber's announcement that he is to retire.

He qualified P5 at Silverstone and finished eighth and then followed it up with another P6 grid slot and a P12 finish in Germany while Vergne failed to make it into Q3 and retired in both races.

Ricciardo, though, says it was Vergne's form that spurred him on and not talk of a possible move to Red Bull.

"Before all the Red Bull talk, I had come off two poor races," he is quoted as saying.

"We had three weeks off after Montreal and that was a good time to really reassess a few things and try and bring the boys together and myself and really try and understand how we can move forward.

"That alone, and the fact that JEV had two really strong races, which showed the car had potential, gave me a lot of fire."

He added: "I like to think I always work hard away from the cockpit, but maybe I worked even harder.

"That was the real motivation to make me step up, the Red Bull thing was just a bit of icing!

[MIKA27]

Mercedes calm after German struggles

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff insists the W04 hasn't turned into a bad car in the space of a few days.

Things were looking up for the Brackley-based squad after Nico Rosberg followed up his Monaco Grand Prix victory with success at the British GP.

However, barely a week later Rosberg and team-mate Lewis Hamilton found themselves back among the midfield runners at the Nurburgring as they once again battled with high levels of degradation in the heat.

Despite their struggles in Germany, Wolff believes they still have a "pretty quick" car.

"Germany was not a huge disappointment, it was just disappointing," he told Autosport.

"It is not nice to see a car which won seven days before not performing in the same way - going from a top car back to a midfield performance.

"But we know the car is pretty quick. A car doesn't deteriorate in just seven days."

Mercedes will also no doubt lose out on valuable data when they miss the Pirelli tyre test at Silverstone this week following their ban.

Wolff, though, feels the team can still get to the bottom of their degradation issues despite the ban.

He added: "It highlights that we have to put our heads together. I think we have pretty intelligent people and we have to get on top of the problems."

[MIKA27]

Honda to fire up new F1 2015 engine in autumn this year

Honda's new Formula 1 engine is set to be fired up for the first time in the autumn of this year.

The Japanese manufacturer announced it will return to grand prix racing after an absence of six seasons as engine supplier to McLaren in 2015.

Honda revealed yesterday that it has established a European base for the engine project in Milton Keynes but design work on the engine is being undertaken in Tochigi in Japan.

Yasuhisa Arai, who has been appointed Honda's chief officer of motorsports to head up the F1 project, confirmed that while the internal combustion element of the power unit will be fired up soon, the full engine complete with energy recovery systems will not be trialled until next year.

"We are scheduled to have a fire-up around autumn," Arai said.

"Of course, in addition to the engine unit, we are going to have components like the ERS and the battery, so in order for us to test it as a system it is probably going to take another year or so."

Arai added that Honda is still very much in the early stages of research and development work on the new engine.

Although the manufacturer is understood to have been conducting preliminary research into F1's new engine rules for some time, it is only in recent months that the project has been given the green light.

"It is still at the initial stage," said Arai.

"We made the announcement in the middle of May that Honda has decided to come back to F1 and we have just started the design work.

"We are now making the decisions for some of the details, so we have just started to embark on this.

"It is going to involve lots of technical elements, so it's not just talking about the engine. We have to make sure that the engine works with the engine management.

"To be a good power unit, we have to make sure that all parts work together."

[MIKA27]

F1 2013 game to be released later this year will include classics mode

Codemasters have announced that F1 2013 will launch worldwide this autumn for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Windows PC. This year’s title will feature a new gameplay mode called F1 Classics giving fans the chance to race classic cars on iconic circuits against legendary drivers for the first time in Codemasters’ award-winning series.

To mark the announcement, Codemasters has released a trailer teasing some of the iconic cars that will feature in F1 Classics, showcasing a brief evolution of Formula 1 cars through the years to present day.

Developed by Codemasters as part of an exclusive multi-year deal with Formula One World Championship Limited, the game will be available worldwide in two editions: F1 2013 and F1 2013: Classic Edition.

F1 2013 will feature all the cars, circuits and star drivers from the 2013 season, allowing gamers to race as Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes and Sergio Perez in the McLaren-Mercedes for the first time, and includes all of the new drivers, updated rules, tyre changes and remodelled handling to authentically reflect the challenge and exhilaration of racing 2013’s stunning roster of Formula 1 cars.

A range of game enhancements, split-screen and online multiplayer, plus new and returning game modes delivers the most complete Formula 1 experience in video game history.

F1 2013 gives Formula 1 fans the chance to compete against legendary drivers in cars from different eras of Formula 1 with a range of classic content from the 1980s. F1 Classics, introduced by legendary broadcaster Murray Walker, allows players to race iconic 1980s cars from Williams, Lotus and Ferrari against drivers including Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Emerson Fittipaldi and Gerhard Berger, with more to be announced, on classic circuits Brands Hatch and Jerez. Classic content is also available in a range of other game modes, including split-screen and online multiplayer modes.

The premium F1 2013: Classic Edition delivers even more classic content with two additional content packs featuring content from the 1990s and additional circuits to be enjoyed in F1 Classics and other game modes. The 1990s pack includes classic cars from both Williams and Ferrari and drivers such as David Coulthard, Jacques Villeneuve, Eddie Irvine and Alain Prost and others.

The two packs included in F1 2013: Classic Edition will also be available as optional DLC for players of F1 2013 shortly after release.

To further extend players’ Formula 1 experience in the game and beyond the box, RaceNet, Codemasters’ free online community hub, is fully integrated with F1 2013. F1 2012 launched with RaceNet in beta mode and has already seen over 36 million races completed by registered members.

In F1 2013 RaceNet, which launched in full with Grid 2, will offer connected players regular in-game challenges, community-wide challenges, visual stats and game progress updates to compare with their friends. Access for players is free via desktop, mobile or via dedicated apps allowing players to stay connected to their F1 2013 experience and their progress in other Codemasters racing games, wherever they are.

[MIKA27]

Russian Sergey Sirotkin set to become youngest ever grand prix driver in 2014

Little known Russian racing driver 17 year old Sergey Sirotkin is on track to become the youngest ever Formula 1 debutant in the wake of investment by a Russian consortium in the Sauber team.

The inclusion of Formula Renault driver Sirotkin in a specially formed driver development programme with the Swiss team at the behest of Russian investors, has prompted speculation that the young Russian will be fast-tracked onto the F1 grid

A statement released by Sauber announced, “In particular, a development programme will be set up for the Russian driver Sergey Sirotkin to prepare him as a racing driver for the team in 2014.”

Should Sirotkin secure a race seat with the Sauber team - as intimated in the statement - he will be 18 years old when the 2014 season gets under way, thus making him the youngest ever driver to start a grand prix. The current youngest F1 driver record is held by Jaime Alguersuari who was 19 when he made his debut for Toro Rosso at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Although unlikely that Sirotkin will drive at the forthcoming Young Driver Test at Silverstone, he will reportedly be present in what will be his first assignment as a Sauber F1 development driver – as an observer – for what will be part of his acclimatisation process with the team.

This is the first step of what is expected to be a concerted programme by Sauber, and their new partners, to attract and develop young Russian motor racing talent.

Sirotkin won the Formula Abarth European Series and has experience in Italian Formula 3 and the AutoGP World Series, while this year he is eighth in the Formula Renault 3.5 championship.

However insiders report that his junior career has not been stellar, although it should be borne in mind that he has more often than not been the youngest driver on the grid in the series which he has competed.

One of the main reasons to fast-track Sirotkin into Formula 1 is the advent of the first ever Russian Grand Prix scheduled to take place next year at the Sochi Olympic Park Circuit. A Russian driver on the grid would naturally bolster public interest in the race.

However it has been reported that the country’s inaugural grand prix may be pushed back to 2015 if the International Olympic Committee believes that preparations for the race will interfere with the Winter Olympics.

But the word in Moscow indicates that President Vladimir Putin, who signed the Russian GP deal with Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone in 2010, is adamant that the race will happen even if an alternative venue has to be found.

The Sauber ‘rescue package’ is backed by several Russian concerns of which one is the National Institute of Aviation Technologies headed up by young Sirotkin’s father Oleg Sirotkin.

Vitaly Petrov was the first, and as yet only, Russian driver to race in F1. He started 57 grand prix races with Lotus and Caterham from 2010 and 2012. It is not yet known if Petrov will benefit from the latest Russian investment with Sauber.

[MIKA27]

Sauber saved by eleventh hour funding from Russian consortium

Sauber appears to have assured its future in Formula 1 after an eleventh hour investment from a Russian consortium, the announcement was made on Monday amid increasing pressure for the Swiss team to pay mounting debts, with some reports speculating that the Hungarian Grand Prix would be the team’s last race.

For weeks the future of Sauber has been the focus of numerous headlines, many predicting the demise of the team owned by Peter Sauber, which has contested 285 grand prix races as an independent team and 70 more as Sauber BMW.

In a statement released on Monday Sauber announced, “We are pleased to announce a partnership between the Investment Cooperation International Fund, the State Fund of Development of North-West Russian Federation and the National Institute of Aviation Technologies with Sauber Motorsport AG, incorporating the promotion of the sport Formula 1 in Russia and jointly developing high-technological solutions.”

Although no exact details of the investment were forthcoming in the announcement, the indications are that at least the team’s financial woes will be alleviated.

The statement alluded to this, “This extensive co-operation will showcase Russian innovation at the pinnacle of motorsport. At the same time, the Sauber F1 Team will have a solid foundation to increase its competitiveness on a long-term basis.”

Other aspects of the agreement include, “the promotion of the inaugural Formula 1 Grand Prix in Sochi in 2014.”

Vitaly Petrov was the first and last Russian to line up on a grand prix grid, and part of the partnership will be to develop talented young Russian drivers of which Sergey Sirotkin is the first to benefit from the project.

“Atracting the talented young Russian generation towards motorsport. In particular, a development programme will be set up for the Russian driver Sergey Sirotkin to prepare him as a racing driver for the team in 2014,” the team added in the statement.

The partnership aims to further develop Russian expertise on the technical side, and also avail Sauber access to technical resources in Russia.

“With the National Institute of Aviation Technologies, one of the leading scientific research institutions in Russia, the Sauber F1 team will benefit from the advanced know-how of the front-end Russian scientists and engineers. The objective of the partnership is to open up new perspectives and revenue streams by commercialising jointly developed technologies.”

The investment is well timed as Sauber were being besieged by suppliers who have not been paid for some months, including the team’s star driver Nico Hulkenberg.

While recent reports suggested that Ferrari were becoming impatient with money overdue for supplying engines to the Swiss team.

This new partnership is expected to alleviate the financial burden on the team.

Prior to today’s announcement Peter Sauber was always adamant that his team would be in Formula 1 for the long term, “We will not only see out this season to the end, but we will still be in Formula 1 for many years. I am convinced.”

“The situation is serious. It is one of the most difficult situations since I’ve been in motorsport. For many, we’ve been a very good and a very reliable partner for years. Obviously I’m sorry for any supplier who has had to wait for his money. We have not had to lay anyone off yet and have paid wages on time,” added Sauber.

The statement concluded: “Details of the cooperation will be communicated at a later stage.”

BMW Sauber won one grand prix to date when Robert Kubica took victory in the 2008 Canadian GP with teammate Nick Heidfeld second in the race

Full Sauber F1 Team statement:

“We are pleased to announce a partnership between the Investment Cooperation International Fund, the State Fund of Development of North-West Russian Federation and the National Institute of Aviation Technologies with Sauber Motorsport AG, incorporating the promotion of the sport Formula 1 in Russia and jointly developing high-technological solutions.

With the National Institute of Aviation Technologies, one of the leading scientific research institutions in Russia, the Sauber F1 team will benefit from the advanced know-how of the front-end Russian scientists and engineers. The objective of the partnership is to open up new perspectives and revenue streams by commercialising jointly developed technologies.

The partnership includes further activities for the promotion of the inaugural Formula 1 Grand Prix in Sochi in 2014 and attracting the talented young Russian generation towards motorsport. In particular, a development programme will be set up for the Russian driver Sergey Sirotkin to prepare him as a racing driver for the team in 2014.

This extensive co-operation will showcase Russian innovation at the pinnacle of motorsport. At the same time, the Sauber F1 Team will have a solid foundation to increase its competitiveness on a long-term basis.”

[MIKA27]

Alonso: Sebastian is ahead because he does the best job

A year ago, Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso said that “he was not fighting Sebastian Vettel – but [was fighting] Red Bull’s design guru Adrian Newey”.

The comments were interpreted as a jibe at Formula 1′s reigning world champion, but a year on, the Ferrari driver says he has changed his tune.

“Right now we are fighting against Sebastian,” he is quoted by Germany’s Auto Bild.

“I said in the second half of the year (2012) that I was not any more fighting against Sebastian or Mark [Webber], but against an aeroplane – so strong was the Red Bull.

“Maybe some people misunderstood; I was simply trying to say that it’s hard to fight against the car that can potentially be first and second in every race.”

“This year it’s no longer the case. Sebastian is ahead because he does the best job,” Ferrari’s Alonso added.

But that doesn’t mean that Alonso, 34 points behind at almost the half-way mark of 2013, is giving up.

“As long as we are not 50 or 60 points behind, we do not give up,” said the Spaniard. ”Sebastian was 44 points behind last year and still won the title in the end. Everything is possible.”

Even possible, he insisted, is the image of Vettel in a pair of red overalls in the future – although some in the paddock can’t imagine Alonso actually welcoming the German to Maranello.

“I think we respect each other very much,” said Alonso, “and it would also be good for the team, maximising the performance of the car and also the points.”

[MIKA27]

Bianchi: Ferrari dream will always be there and there’s no point talking about it

Of the rookies currently plying their trade in Formula 1, by common consensus, the most impressive of the bunch is Jules Bianchi who got his break this year with Marussia, but it has hardly been plain sailing for the Frenchman who took time out to talk about his first season in Formula 1 thus far.

It can be said that it’s been a very exciting first half year for Bianchi, especially the initial few months. It was all a bit of a roller-coaster ride, with a long climb, followed by the wait for Force India, the team for which he had filled the third driver role in 2012, to decide on its line-up, the terrible drop, which is pretty much the only way to describe the negative outcome of this story and then the immediate swing back up, which ended with an agreement with the Marussia F1 Team which has seen him take part in his first season as an official F1 driver.

However, these past six months have not brought Bianchi’s well known links to the Ferrari, and particulalry the Ferrari Driver Academy to an end, although his visits to the Academy have become few and far between given his current F1 duties.

“It’s true, I come here less often than in past years because, apart from the races, there are so many other things which I have to do with my new team,” Bianchi explained during a break in an FDA promotional event at the Fiorano Track.

“I often go to the team’s factory to talk to the engineers and before each grand prix there are always sessions on the simulator.

However, I am still in contact with Luca Baldisserri: we speak on the phone during race weekends and the advice he gives me is always useful. I must say, tackling my first year as an [F1] race driver, all the experienced I gained with the FDA has been really important: not just in terms of the technical aspect, but also for all the rest, such as how to deal with the sponsors and the media. It was definitely a plus at a time when I am getting to grips with the top level of the sport.”

“I am very happy to finally have gottenthe chance to make my F1 debut, because at one point this winter, I’d given up hope,” recalled Bianchi.

“The time ticked by and Force India didn’t give me any answer for weeks. Then, when Stefano Domenicali called me to say the opportunity had gone, I was really very disappointed, but luckily that only lasted a few hours. Actually, another call came through from Maranello, which said I had to get ready to go to Barcelona where the last test session was underway and that there was a chance I could go to Marussia! At first, I didn’t want to raise my hopes but then they started to get ever stronger and when I went for the seat fitting, I felt I’d got it, even if there were a few contractual details still to be sorted.”

From then on, his prospects changed, “It’s true, I felt a great sense of relief and I’m grateful to everyone who helped me reach one of the targets, including Ferrari and my manager, Nicolas Todt, that I had set myself at the start of my career.”

“I soon felt at home at Marussia and I immediately understood the difference between being a race driver for a team and its third driver. You are a lot more involved and feel you are an integral part of the programme. It also changes your relationship with the other drivers, who now look on me differently.”

“The week before Melbourne I was totally focused on the race and there was room for nothing else in my head,” he continued. “I spent four days at the factory to be with the team and to get to know everyone better and then on the Sunday, I flew to Australia.

Honestly, once there, I did not feel under excessive pressure, neither before qualifying, nor before the race. In fact, I was actually much more relaxed than, for example last year at the World Series race weekends! Of course, the targets are different: for us a ‘win’ is to finish ahead of Caterham.”

“Do I miss fighting for the victory? Every driver wants to win but the important thing is to manage to create for yourself the right incentives and that’s what I’m doing. I am pleased with the way the first races have gone, with the exception of the last one…”

For Bianchi, there is of course the one dream still waiting to be realised. “Yes, it’s always there and there’s no point talking about it…everyone can imagine exactly what it is!

[MIKA27]

Susie Wolff and Juncadella on test duty for Williams at Silverstone

Williams F1 Team has confirmed that it will run its Development Driver Susie Wolff and rising star Daniel Juncadella at the Young Driver Test at Silverstone Circuit on 17-19 July. Pastor Maldonado will also take part to conduct tyre evaluation under the revised test regulations announced following the British Grand Prix.

Susie has been part of the Williams F1 Team since becoming Development Driver in April 2012. She made her F1 debut putting the FW33 through its paces at a Williams partner event at Silverstone last October and was given an increased programme in the team’s simulator for 2013. She was the first to get behind the wheel of this year’s race car when she drove the FW35 at Idiada for aerodynamic testing in February.

Twenty-two year old Daniel is currently racing in DTM, the German Touring Car series, for Mücke Motorsport having impressed in a number of single-seater categories over the last few years. He was runner-up in the 2009 Formula BMW Europe series before going on to win the prestigious Macau Grand Prix in 2011 and become Formula 3 Euro Series Champion in 2012.

Following the recent regulation changes to the Young Driver Test, which now permit current F1 race drivers to take part in order to conduct tyre evaluations for Pirelli, Pastor will also have a day behind the wheel. He will work on tyre development on one of the three scheduled test days, with Daniel and Susie each having a day driving the Williams Renault FW35.

Mike Coughlan, Technical Director: It is great that we are able to give Susie the opportunity to have a full day behind the wheel of the FW35 following all the hard work and dedication she has put in both supporting us at the track and in the simulator. Daniel is a young talent who has had a great deal of success over the past few seasons and we’re excited to give him the chance to see what he can do behind the wheel of an F1 car. Given the recent test regulation changes, we will also now run Pastor to enable Pirelli to gain further data to continue their development programme.

Susie Wolff: It’s a fantastic opportunity for me, so now it is up to me to prepare myself the best that I can for the day. It’s going to be a big challenge but the most important thing is to do asolid and consistent job and to give good feedback to the team to be able to prove I am at the level to compete on a day such as this. Most of my work is based in the simulator which is why this day is so important for me. It will give me a better understanding of what the car is like on track and how that correlates to the simulator which will also help further develop the work I can do there.

Daniel Juncadella: It’s a great chance for me and I hope I can help the team next week. It’s an important test for any young driver as there aren’t many opportunities to drive a Formula one car. I had my first taste of F1 as a prize for winning the 2012 Formula 3 Euro Series title, but it was a 2009 car so I therefore see this as being the real deal, having the chance to drive a current car in a full test. I’ve spent a couple of days at the factory getting to know the team and I felt at home. Looking at the history of the team is also amazing and so to get this chance with Williams, a team so many great drivers have raced for, makes it even more special.

[MIKA27]

Lowe impressed by Merc's tech structure

Paddy Lowe insists it's not a case of "too many cooks spoiling the broth" at Mercedes.

The former McLaren man moved to the Brackley-based squad as an executive director (technical) last month, joining the likes of Bob Bell, Aldo Costa, and Geoff Willis in the tech department.

There have been suggestions that Mercedes have too many technical experts on board and it could have a negative impact on their performances, but Lowe is having none of that.

"If people think that there are too many technical directors in Mercedes, then all you can say is that it seems to be working for them," he is quoted as saying by Autosport.

"Mercedes have made fantastic progress in the last 12 months, so what is wrong with that?

"The other thing is that it is not as though there are a whole bunch of cooks trying to do the same job.

"There is always a huge amount of work to do in this business if you want to be successful.

"Within two days of starting in my job here, I could already not find the hours in the day to do what I could see needed doing. That is how it should be, that is the nature of F1."

Lowe's arrival initially led to rumours that he will replace Ross Brawn as team principal, but it has since emerged that he is being earmarked as boss in the long term.

The 51-year-old insists the structure at Brackley is perfect at the moment and they have the structure to challenge for Championships.

"As I have come in there is certainly no need for a revolution," he said. "I think it is a great team. They have achieved fantastic progress over the past 12 months.

"It won the Championship [as Brawn GP] in 2009. And although there were special circumstances around that, you still cannot win championships if you don't have some strengths around how to build, run, manage the car and exploit it on track.

"You always say you cannot win races without a good driver and a good car; but you cannot win a Championship by miraculously producing a quick car.

"These things come with having all the right elements. That is all there."

[MIKA27]

Lotus warns against expecting 2014 F1 driver line-up changes

Lotus owner Gerard Lopez has warned rival drivers they may be wasting their time if they hold out in the belief there will be a vacancy at his team for next year.

With Kimi Raikkonen being courted by Red Bull, and Romain Grosjean's inconsistent form casting doubts over his Formula 1 future, a number of drivers have already approached Lotus to see if there is a chance of a move there for 2014.

But as well as being optimistic that his team can convince Raikkonen to remain on board, Lopez thinks there will be no reason to replace Grosjean either if the Frenchman can keep up the form that helped him fight for victory in the German GP.

"Romain just needs to keep doing what he is doing now," said Lopez, when asked about what the team was looking for from Grosjean to hand him another contract.

"There are a lot of drivers and agents sniffing around - but they are sniffing around just as much to replace Romain as they are to replace Kimi going somewhere else. But we are not in a rush to do anything."

That stance means that highly-rated drivers like Nico Hulkenberg, who are considering options for next year, may face a difficult call in deciding whether to wait for Lotus or commit elsewhere.

Lopez believes that the fact that Lotus has a quick car at the moment means it is in a strong bargaining position over its 2014 driver line-up.

And he says the only criteria the team is looking for is pure talent – rather than chasing fashionable names or those with impressive records.

"It is important to have a good driver," he said. "I don't care if he is a world champion or not.

"Kimi probably could have won more world championships that he did, or he could have lost the one he won at the last minute.

"I don't care either way: he is a just a really, really good driver.

"I wouldn't have somebody with 10, 11 or even 12 titles if they were not good enough."

One of the key factors that will help Lotus pick the best talent available, rather than the best-funded drivers, is the financial boost that is expected to come from a link-up with new investors Infinity Racing.

Lopez said that discussions with the group were ongoing, although the deal had not yet been completed.

"It is progressing onwards; it also sits with us," he said. "We issued a statement because we had to; our group is a well-known group and we cannot just let things slip out.

"It is progressing and it is partially up to us to decide how we move forward."

[OZCUBAN]

Susie Wolff and Juncadella on test duty for Williams at Silverstone

Williams F1 Team has confirmed that it will run its Development Driver Susie Wolff and rising star Daniel Juncadella at the Young Driver Test at Silverstone Circuit on 17-19 July. Pastor Maldonado will also take part to conduct tyre evaluation under the revised test regulations announced following the British Grand Prix.

Susie has been part of the Williams F1 Team since becoming Development Driver in April 2012. She made her F1 debut putting the FW33 through its paces at a Williams partner event at Silverstone last October and was given an increased programme in the team’s simulator for 2013. She was the first to get behind the wheel of this year’s race car when she drove the FW35 at Idiada for aerodynamic testing in February.

Twenty-two year old Daniel is currently racing in DTM, the German Touring Car series, for Mücke Motorsport having impressed in a number of single-seater categories over the last few years. He was runner-up in the 2009 Formula BMW Europe series before going on to win the prestigious Macau Grand Prix in 2011 and become Formula 3 Euro Series Champion in 2012.

Following the recent regulation changes to the Young Driver Test, which now permit current F1 race drivers to take part in order to conduct tyre evaluations for Pirelli, Pastor will also have a day behind the wheel. He will work on tyre development on one of the three scheduled test days, with Daniel and Susie each having a day driving the Williams Renault FW35.

Mike Coughlan, Technical Director: It is great that we are able to give Susie the opportunity to have a full day behind the wheel of the FW35 following all the hard work and dedication she has put in both supporting us at the track and in the simulator. Daniel is a young talent who has had a great deal of success over the past few seasons and we’re excited to give him the chance to see what he can do behind the wheel of an F1 car. Given the recent test regulation changes, we will also now run Pastor to enable Pirelli to gain further data to continue their development programme.

Susie Wolff: It’s a fantastic opportunity for me, so now it is up to me to prepare myself the best that I can for the day. It’s going to be a big challenge but the most important thing is to do asolid and consistent job and to give good feedback to the team to be able to prove I am at the level to compete on a day such as this. Most of my work is based in the simulator which is why this day is so important for me. It will give me a better understanding of what the car is like on track and how that correlates to the simulator which will also help further develop the work I can do there.

Daniel Juncadella: It’s a great chance for me and I hope I can help the team next week. It’s an important test for any young driver as there aren’t many opportunities to drive a Formula one car. I had my first taste of F1 as a prize for winning the 2012 Formula 3 Euro Series title, but it was a 2009 car so I therefore see this as being the real deal, having the chance to drive a current car in a full test. I’ve spent a couple of days at the factory getting to know the team and I felt at home. Looking at the history of the team is also amazing and so to get this chance with Williams, a team so many great drivers have raced for, makes it even more special.

[MIKA27]

Spot on!