FORMULA 1 - 2013

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Ferrari won't rush 2014 driver decision

Ferrari will make a decision as to whether to retain Felipe Massa next season only when they're ready, according to team principal Stefano Domenicali.

The Italian says he's keen to retain the Brazilian next season, but only if he begins to perform at a higher level, adding that it's not a certainty yet.

"Everybody wants to drive for Ferrari," he told the official F1 website.

"My favourite choice would be, of course, to keep Felipe because Felipe is a very good guy - very dedicated to the team - and when you look around there are not so many drivers out there that you swap and they immediately deliver.

"But, of course, we need good results from Felipe, so that’s why we will not rush as we have to make the right decision for the team.

As soon as we have made up our minds we will announce it officially to silence the rumours once and for all. When we are ready…"

When asked about the potential for Kimi Raikkonen to return - a driver who could instantly deliver results - Domenicali didn't deny he was in the frame for the seat.

"Kimi is a very fast driver and everybody knows how I rate him," he said.

"But if I make a comment now it will be taken as a direct answer. "As I said, there is no rush and we will make the right decision in the right moment."

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Jean Todt faces challenge from David Ward for FIA presidency

International Automobile Federation president Jean Todt will have a rival if he stands for re-election this year, with FIA veteran David Ward announcing on Thursday his candidacy to run motorsport’s world governing body.

Ward said in a statement that he was resigning as director general of the FIA foundation, after 12 years in the position, and throwing his hat into the ring.

Frenchman Todt, 67, has yet to confirm publicly that he is standing for re-election although all the signs point to him doing so.

“After much careful thought I have decided to stand as a candidate in the 2013 FIA Presidential election,” said the 56-year-old Briton.

“The election period begins in September and it will be necessary for me to approach FIA members to secure nominations. In these circumstances I think that the correct course of action is to resign.”

Founded in 1904, the FIA groups more than 230 national motoring and sporting organisations in more than 135 countries and oversees Formula 1 as well as the world rallying, endurance and touring car championships.

Ward, who was a key adviser to former FIA president Max Mosley, has led the Foundation since it was set up in 2001 as an independent charitable body with a focus on road safety and the environment.

He was also a policy advisor to the late British Labour Party leader John Smith, who died in 1994, and was then director general of the FIA’s European Bureau in Brussels.

Todt, Ferrari team principal when Michael Schumacher was at his most dominant in the early years of the century, was elected president of the Paris-based organisation in 2009 after comfortably beating Finland’s former world rally champion Ari Vatanen in the vote.

He has made road safety a priority, travelling the world to promote FIA initiatives, and has maintained a low-key presence at Formula One races.

The sport is still waiting for a new ‘Concorde Agreement’, the confidential document underpinning the commercial side of F1 , to be signed after the previous one expired at the end of last year.

Formula One tyre suppliers Pirelli are also still waiting for the FIA to sign a new contract for 2014, when the sport undergoes the biggest change in decades with the introduction of new V6 power units with energy recovery systems.

Candidates must submit election lists between Oct. 23 and Nov 13 with the vote at the FIA general assembly meeting in Paris in December.

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Ricciardo does not fit in 2014 Red Bull cockpit and other silly season stories

Even before his 2014 seat has been confirmed, Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull career may already have hit it’s first hurdle.

Speed Week, and Italy’s authoritative Autosprint, report that the Australian has been at Milton-Keynes for a seat-fitting in the 2014-spec RB10.

Designer Adrian Newey is known for his tight-fitting cockpits, and the packaging is reportedly even more problematic for 2014 given the new turbo V6 and ‘ERS’ regulations.

And while Ricciardo is slightly shorter than his Australian compatriot Mark Webber, the European media reports reveal that his hips are slightly wider than Webber’s and world champion Sebastian Vettel’s.

Meanwhile, Formula 1 legend Niki Lauda sees another problem with Red Bull’s apparent decision to sign Ricciardo.

“Out of the new generation, Ricciardo is the driver with the most potential,” the Mercedes chairman said in an interview with Bild newspaper.

“But at the moment no one knows if that potential is really enough. So it’s a risk,” said Lauda.

Another Formula 1 grandee considering taking a risk for 2014 is Ferrari. According to recent reports, talks with Nico Hulkenberg about replacing Felipe Massa are underway.

“Hulkenberg is not bad,” said Lauda, “but I think he needs another year. And Ferrari doesn’t have time to waste.”

The great Austrian said that if he was in charge at Ferrari, he would sign Kimi Raikkonen.

“He would give the team a boost, just as Lewis Hamilton has done at Mercedes,” said Lauda.

“At Ferrari, Luca di Montezemolo decides alone. Alonso would certainly not like [Raikkonen as his teammate], but Ferrari does have a problem: if the car is not good, Alonso complains all day.

“If I was Montezemolo, I would pick Kimi,” he added.

Finally, Lauda said the fact that Nico Rosberg has been able to keep up with Mercedes’ new recruit Hamilton in 2013 was a surprise.

Asked if Hamilton’s 2013 title bid has been a surprise, Lauda answered: “No, as I knew that he would give the team a boost.

“What has surprised me is that Nico has been at eye-level. Nico has had more bad luck, but as far as the speed, they’re … the same,” he added.

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Flashback: Ferrari @ Monza great victories – 2003 Schumacher

Ferrari have won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza no fewer than 19 times in their history, almost double the number of any other team, but there are some that stand out as particularly famous and/or important. Here the Italian team looks back on Michael Schumacher’s triumph at the 2003 Italian Grand Prix.

Of Schumacher’s five wins at Monza at the wheel of a Ferrari, the one in 2003 was probably one of the most important in the fight for that year’s title. Michael arrived in Italy for the third from last round of the season still leading the championship, but he was out of breath: he only took three points from Germany for seventh place and Hungary where he was lapped on the way to eighth.

Montoya was just one point down and Raikkonen was a further point behind. Furthermore the Ferrari-Bridgestone combo seemed to be in a downward spiral when compared to main rivals, McLaren and Williams who were both running Michelins. In fact, the Scuderia had lost the lead in the constructors’ to Williams.

The week prior to the Italian Grand Prix had seen the usual test session at Monza, when the dust was flying over the Michelin business and the clarification then issued by the FIA: after the Hungarian Grand Prix it emerged that the Michelin tyre footprint exceeded the limit laid down in the regulations. Thanks to the work carried out at the test, the car, which was dedicated to the memory of the then recently deceased Gianni Agnelli was very competitive right from Friday.

In qualifying, Michael managed to come out on top by a whisker (just 51 thousandths) from Montoya, with Rubens Barrichello covering his back in third place ahead of the other title contender, Raikkonen. Clearly, Saturday’s performance had set the Ferrari fans’ hearts aflutter, as can be understood by reading the words of Jean Todt, a man not given to strong displays of emotion, after the session. “It was a great and very exciting qualifying [session], given that everything came down to a single lap. Having Michael on pole and Rubens third is a result that gets the heart pounding, for us and our fans.”

All the signs pointed to an exciting race and so it turned out. At the start, Schumacher managed to keep the lead, while Barrichello dropped to fourth behind Trulli in the Renault, who had made a great start, while Raikkonen was only fifth. The first kilometres were very exciting: Michael came under attack from Montoya at the second chicane, but managed to fend off the Colombian, then Trulli tried to make the most of the duel between the two leaders, but had to stop at the side of the track because of a technical problem, leaving Barrichello in third.

In the opening laps, Michael gradually built up a small lead over Montoya, which got to almost 5 seconds by lap 14. On this lap, Rubens, third just over a second off the Williams, made his first pit stop.

One lap later and it was Michael’s turn, with Montoya coming in on lap 16. In the second part of the race, Montoya gradually closed in on Michael, also pulling away from Rubens: on lap 28 the gap between him and the reigning world champion was less than a second, while the gap to the Brazilian was over 5 seconds. It would all come down to the second run of pit stops.

The first of the three leaders to come in was once again Rubens on lap 31, followed next time round by Montoya with Michael stopping on lap 34. The positions remained unaltered after the stops, although the gap to Rubens had now gone out to 11 seconds, the Brazilian busy fending off Raikkonen.

In the final stint, Michael mounted the decisive attack, gradually increasing his lead over Montoya, so that it reached 7.7 s by lap 50. In the closing laps, the German was thus able to control the situation, slowing down a bit, crossing the line five seconds ahead of the Colombian. For his part, Rubens made sure Raikkonen couldn’t get by, to bring home an important third place.

This was Michael’s fiftieth win as a Ferrari driver and it came courtesy of his determination, and a car-tyre package that was back on form. It meant that his lead over Montoya was now 3 points, while Raikkonen trailed by 7.

Two weeks later, Schumacher took another great victory in Indianapolis, where Montoya had to retire, putting him out of the title fight. Raikkonen was still in the running, but 9 points down with just the Japanese Grand Prix to go. It could have been the type of race to sail through, but Suzuka is not the sort of place where one can enjoy a quiet weekend, as events would prove.

Fortunately, it had a happy ending, but the men in red were aware that this further double championship triumph, won that afternoon in Japan, owed a lot to the masterful performance in Monza.

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Schumacher signs multi-million euro cap sponsor deal

He is no longer seen in the Formula 1 paddock, but Michael Schumacher has just secured a lucrative sponsorship deal that will be the envy of most of today’s grand prix stars.

Bild newspaper reports that the seven time world champion, 44, has extended his contract with German investment company Deutsche Vermogensberatung.

Since 1996, the former Ferrari and Mercedes driver, now retired, has worn the long-winded word – or the shorter acronym DVAG – on the front of his cap.

Thursday’s report said that Schumacher’s new seven-year deal is estimated to be worth about €21 million, or €3 million per year.

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Lauda: Vettel will win 2013 title with races to spare

Mercedes chairman and RTL TV pundit Niki Lauda has tipped Sebastian Vettel to wrap up his fourth consecutive Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship with two races still to run this season.

Although some think Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton is perhaps Red Bull leader Vettel’s main challenger with eight races to go in 2013, triple world champion Lauda thinks the title race is now effectively decided.

“I would go so far as to say Vettel will be the world champion in Abu Dhabi, which is the third to last race,” the great Austrian told Bild newspaper.

“His points lead was already big when he dominated at Spa, even though the Red Bull is not really suited to this track.

“Ok, maybe for Monza he is not the favourite, but on every other circuit he has the best car. It is more than enough for him,” added Lauda.

The comments indicate that Mercedes, already strongly focused on the huge rules challenge of 2014, has now given up on pushing for this year’s title.

“We will not give up,” Lauda insisted to Osterreich newspaper.

“But I am also realistic. Vettel dominated at Spa, and I think he could have been three, four tenths per lap even faster.

“We have improved so much, but Red Bull is still better,” he admitted.

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Wurz still working with Williams team

Ex-Formula 1 driver Alex Wurz has revealed that he is still working as a consultant for the Williams team.

The Austrian’s last Grand Prix was with the Grove based team in 2007, but more recently he has worked for Williams as a driver mentor.

But the Austrian sports magazine Sportwoche reports that 39-year-old Wurz is still working for Williams, albeit in a completely different role.

Wurz, also with a reputation as one of Formula 1′s best-ever test drivers, is reportedly working with Williams to help to restructure and recruit staff.

“My task at Williams is to analyse the structure of the team and offer ideas that will help us to make progress,” he confirmed.

“Pat Symonds has come to us, but he is just one of several new people that Williams plans to hire,” added Wurz.

Wurz played down speculation that Williams might be grooming him to one day take over as team boss from 71-year-old founder Sir Frank Williams.

“When I finish my racing career,” said Wurz, “and I want to go grey and have sleepless nights, maybe then I will try to be the head of a Formula 1 team!

“Seriously, you never know what awaits in the future.”

Wurz still races a Le Mans prototype sports car, currently for Toyota, in the FIA’s world endurance championship.

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Boullier wants Pirelli extension

Eric Boullier is keen for Pirelli to remain in Formula One amidst rumours that Michelin could replace them next season.

Although Pirelli reportedly have contracts with ten of the 11 F1 teams, the Italian tyre manufacturer does not have a deal with the sport's main powers-that-be.

As such the company could be replaced at the end of this season when their three-year contract expires.

Michelin are believes to be waiting in the wings with speculation claiming that the FIA could put out a tyre tender before the end of next month.

However, if Boullier has a say in the matter, the Lotus team boss will be rooting for Pirelli to remain as F1's sole tyre supplier.

"We have Pirelli and we are working with them and we are doing everything that we can to obviously make the package better," the Frenchman told ESPNF1

"It's going to be a complicated winter already and a complicated next year so the less change will maybe be the best."

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Ecclestone: We have a deal with Pirelli

Bernie Ecclestone has rubbished reports that Michelin could replace Pirelli next season, insisting he has a contract with the Italian tyre manufacturer.

In recent weeks rumours have surfaced claiming that Michelin could enter Formula One in 2014, replacing the under-fire Pirelli.

According to the speculation, the FIA is even set to put out a tender next month that could start the process.

Ecclestone, however, is adamant his Formula One Management (FOM) already has a deal in place with Pirelli and that it is binding even if the FIA doesn't have a similar contract.

"FOM and Pirelli have a contract," the F1 supremo told SPEED.com

Pressed as to why there was no deal between the FIA and Pirelli, he said: "We don;t need one, I don't think.

"They are nothing to do with commercial. The FIA's position is that they are regulators. They regulate all the regulations that have been agreed."

Pirelli also need not worry about Michelin entering the sport as a competitor as Ecclestone is not in favour of a tyre war.

"Because they will want to pick the teams that they think will win, and they'll pay them a lot more money to take them as opposed to somebody else. We have a deal with Pirelli, anyway."

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Teams must adopt new pit technology in Singapore

Formula 1 teams will debut a new wheel locking system from the Singapore Grand Prix onwards in an effort to avoid instances such as that of Mark Webber in Germany when his tyre came free and struck an FOM cameraman.

The FIA has enforced a regulation amendment which comes in to force in Singapore in three-weeks time, which stipulates that teams must adopt a new retention system which ensures the wheel cannot come free even if the nut itself isn't fitted correctly.

Article 14.7 of the technical regulations states: "All cars, whilst under their own power, must be fitted with devices which will retain the wheel fastener in the event of it coming loose."

The teams have been aware of the regulation change for a couple of weeks now and have been working on the new system since - though none have yet raced with it. McLaren tested their device on Friday in Belgium and sporting director Sam Michael says they'll try it again in Italy.

"We tried it on the car on Friday and we will probably put it on the car for Friday at Monza as well," he confirmed.

"It is a little bit different and, when you are operating with pitstops around two seconds in length, the most marginal things can make a big difference. "Just a tiny change to the design can really disturb the mechanics and their whole routine."

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Schumacher: Vettel has already won three titles, so why couldn’t he win seven?

Michael Schumacher believes it is possible that his record haul of seven Formula 1 world championship world titles could be matched by fellow German Sebastian Vettel.

Earlier this week, the Spanish sports daily Marca quoted Vettel as saying comparisons between himself and his former mentor Schumacher are “ridiculous”.

“I have three titles, which is nothing compared to seven,” he said.

“Beating his record is not something that can happen in the next couple of years, so I don’t even think about it,” the Red Bull driver added. ”I have had some very good years but it could change suddenly.”

44-year-old Schumacher, however, has a slightly different view.

At the end of his last race in F1 (Brazil 2012) Michael Schumacher congratulates Sebastian Vettel on his third title triumph

The great German said Vettel, 26, is already on course for his fourth title — a feat not achieved by Schumacher until 2001, at the age of 32.

“He has the best package, and championships are usually won by the best,” Schumacher told Belgian television Vier.

“Records are there to be beaten,” he smiled. “They motivated me when I was racing, and in the end I achieved it.

“Believe me, if Sebastian was able to surpass what I did, I would be happy for him. In a short time he has won three titles, so why couldn’t he win seven?” added Schumacher.

German racing legend Hans-Joachim Stuck, however, doubts Vettel will overtake Schumacher as the most successful driver of all time.

Michael Schumacher won his seventh title in 2004

“The times and the circumstances are too different,” he told Sport1, comparing the respective Schumacher and Vettel eras.

“If one night Schumacher dreamed of having a new front wing, he could have it the next day and test it as well.

“This is not possible under the current regulations.”

Stuck also said Vettel’s success is highly dependent on the skills of another man — Adrian Newey.

“If, for whatever reason, Newey was not there anymore, I think the team could be in a very different situation,” he said.

Schumacher won his world titles in 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004; scoring 91 wins and 155 podiums in 307 starts.

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Did a plastic helmet visor tear-off strip end Raikkonen challenge at Spa?

Former Formula 1 driver Mika Salo has admitted that he doesn’t believe that a simple tear-off visor strip caused Kimi Raikkonen’s brake failure at Spa.

Raikkonen’s first retirement since his return to Formula 1 might be seen as a knockout blow to his championship hopes, as he drops behind Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in the chase to beat Sebastian Vettel to the title.

As the Formula 1 paddock was disassembled at Spa late on Sunday, Lotus still had not definitively identified the cause of the brake failure.

But then it was announced that a plastic helmet visor tear-off strip had entered and blocked the brake air duct.

Lotus reacted with its usual humour, posting a survey on its website asking if the team should react by adding more ‘iceman coolant’ in future.

And on Twitter, the team jokingly pointed the finger at Vettel, posting a photo of the world champion with a visor strip and captioning ‘We think we know where the infamous brake-breaking tear-off came from”.

Finn Salo, however, is not convinced.

“I just cannot believe the reason the team gave for the failure,” he told the Finnish broadcaster MTV3.

“Even the braking duct becomes so hot that, if it had gone in there, it would have melted.

“Lotus also had a brake problem already on Friday, but now all of a sudden it is the [visor] film?”

The former Sauber and Toyota driver said he suspects that Lotus simply got its numbers wrong with a latest technical development.

“If the air is being channelled in a different way, it also might not go cool the brakes in the same way,” said Salo.

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Lauda urges Ferrari to sign Kimi

Niki Lauda believes Ferrari should sign Kimi Raikkonen as he is a driver who could "annoy" Fernando Alonso.

Although Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali recently gave his backing to Felipe Massa, there is no guarantee that the Scuderia will re-sign the Brazilian who has again failed to match his team-mate.

With just 67 points to Alonso's 151, Massa's days at Ferrari could be numbered with reports claiming that Raikkonen is in line to replace the 32-year-old.

And Lauda reckons the Finn, who won the 2007 Drivers' Championship with Ferrari, is the perfect driver to give the Italian stable the "boost" they need.

"Ferrari has a problem," Lauda told Bild.

"Kimi is someone the mechanics and engineers would immediately look up to. He could give the team a boost as Lewis Hamilton has done at Mercedes.

"And he would be in a position to annoy Alonso.

"If I were Montezemolo, I would pick Kimi."

As for speculation that Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg could replace Massa, Lauda believes the German needs another year in a midfield team before stepping up.

"Hulkenberg is not bad, but surely needs another year until he is established. And Ferrari do not have time," said the triple World Champion.

The 64-year-old also weighed in on this year's Championship, saying it is only a matter of time before Sebastian Vettel, who holds a 46-point lead over Alonso, wraps up his fourth Drivers' crown.

"Vettel is no longer fighting anyone. I am committing myself: he will be World Champion in Abu Dhabi, the third last race.

"His lead is already big enough after Spa, where he dominated even though the Red Bull was not really suited to the track.

"His best circuits are still yet to come. Red Bull won't be the favourite at Monza but on all other circuits he has the best car."

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Hindery Jr optimistic over New Jersey

Leo Hindery Jr is optimistic that the GP of America will go ahead despite admitting that are still several "obstacles" in the way.

The race, which is expected to take place on the streets of New Jersey, was initially scheduled to take place in 2013, however, it was pushed back a year when financial issues arose.

Rescheduled for next season, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone recently cast doubt over the grand prix's future.

"It's not on the cards for next year," he said. "They haven't got any money."

However, Hindery Jr, the organiser of the Grand Prix of America, believes the race will take place next season after signing a 15-year deal with Ecclestone.

"We stumbled pretty badly; certainly we had hoped that we would be racing in 2013," Hindery Jr told GPUpdate.net.

"We put some fairly high hurdles in front of us, the least of which was that we insisted that it be done only with private capital and no assistance from either the municipalities or the state.

"It's something that I believe in strongly, but in a difficult financial market it became clear late last fall, really early in the winter that we would not make 2013.

"With a lot of support and frankly more patience than Bernie Ecclestone needed to give us, we had several more months to get it back on-track. We know that with his blessing we now have a 15-year executed sanctioning agreement that will allow us to race some time each June.

"Were it not for similar support from the Tilke organisation, specifically Peter Wahl and no less from [FIA Race Director] Charlie Whiting, I think I'd be pulling out what little hair I have left!"

He added: "The only obstacles in front of us now are execution, they're not structural.

"The course never changed its configuration from the time we first identified it. It's been clearly and frequently vetted by Charlie and his colleagues on behalf of the teams.

"The support we've gotten early on from [Hermann] Tilke and Peter Wahl has really held things stable. It's not exactly the budget that we anticipated back in 2011, 2012, but it's stayed close enough that we've now been able to get them to again sign the agreement."

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Formula 1 pitstop rules to toughen up from Singapore Grand Prix

Formula 1 teams will be required to fit improved wheel retention systems from the Singapore Grand Prix in a bid to improve pitlane safety, AUTOSPORT has learned.

Amid an increased focus on pitstop safety after an FOM cameraman was injured when he was hit by a loose wheel at the German GP, the FIA has requested that teams change their designs after the Italian GP.

F1's regulations already demand that teams must fit wheel retention devices - but there has been no stipulation on the exact design of these.

Article 14.7 of the technical regulations states simply: "All cars, whilst under their own power, must be fitted with devices which will retain the wheel fastener in the event of it coming loose."

The German GP incident, where a wheel came off Mark Webber's Red Bull car after it had not been attached properly at a stop, highlighted a weakness with the current retention systems.

The FIA, which completed a detailed investigation into wheel systems after the Nurburgring, concluded that the current single retention concept was only useful in incidents when the wheel came loose from a fully-fitted position.

DUAL SYSTEMS NOW COMPULSORY

In a bid to prevent wheels being able to fly off on occasions when they have not been fully fitted, the FIA has demanded that from the Singapore GP teams will have to fit dual stage wheel retention systems.

The first retention device will retain the wheel if it works loose from a fully fitted position.

A second device will now also retain the wheel in the event that it works loose having only just been engaged on the axle thread – as would happen if the nut is cross-threaded during a pitstop and the car accidentally released.

The rule will be enforced by the FIA interpreting that teams only comply with article 14.7 if there are dual retention systems in place.

Teams were informed of the changes during F1's summer break and several outfits trialled the new design during the Belgian GP weekend.

McLaren sporting director Sam Michael said: "We tried it on the car on Friday [in Belgium] and we will probably put it on the car for Friday at Monza as well.

"It is a little bit different and, when you are operating with pitstops around two seconds in length, the most marginal things can make a big difference.

"Just a tiny change to the design can really disturb the mechanics and their whole routine."

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Mallya bullish over Indian Grand Prix future despite 2014 absence

Force India team principal Vijay Mallya has no doubts that the long-term future of his home grand prix is safe, despite it being dropped from next year's calendar.

Mallya is disappointed that Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has chosen not to hold the event next year.

The race is switching to a March date in 2015 and its organisers do not want to hold two races a few months apart.

Speaking to AUTOSPORT about the situation, Mallya reckoned that its absence from 2014 was not a sign that India's F1 future was in jeopardy.

"Obviously we built a fantastic track, fulfilled the aspirations of hundreds of millions of young Indians, and then started moving and getting established in a country with huge long-term potential," he said.

"So to miss a year for whatever reason is obviously disappointing. Racing schedules are obviously important, but whether a country as important as India should miss out on a race in one calendar year is a debatable question.

"I am hoping that we will see the race back in India in 2015 if Bernie has decided that there cannot be a race in 2014, because according to him the calendar cannot accommodate it.

"But I think Bernie is smart enough to understand the enormous potential that there is in India. I don't think he will take a short-term view."

Mallya created his own Indian team in F1 in the hope of capitalising on the success of the Indian GP - but he has dismissed any talk that if the race is dropped he will turn his back on F1.

"It is a disappointment but please understand that I bought this team, named it Force India, and continued to race in the world championship well before there was any Indian GP," he said.

"I am proud of the race, but I don't believe it is curtains. I know for a fact that the promoters in India have agreed all the commercial terms with Bernie [for 2015] and therefore I see no reason why it should not happen."

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Button: There’s nowhere quite like Monza when you hook up a good lap

Jenson Button has never won the Italian Grand Prix, and by his own admission is unlikely to do so this year with the McLaren he has at his disposal, nevertheless the 2009 worrld champion relishes his return to Monza.

“I’ve always loved Monza. I really enjoy circuits that have a bit of history to them, and Monza has that in abundance – it’s one of the greatest tracks on the calendar.

“The place is unique: ever since we lost the ‘old’ Hockenheim, this has been the only place on the calendar where you run a really super-low downforce configuration. And you can feel it – the car accelerates up to speed incredibly quickly, feels skittish and loose when you’re running flat-out, and can be tricky and unpredictable under braking.

“But that’s what makes the place a special kind of challenge, and I really enjoy that. When you have the car hooked up beneath you, you get into a special kind of rhythm around Monza: you’re going so fast that the whole lap just flows together. There’s nowhere quite like it.

“So it’s really appropriate that McLaren will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in the paddock over the Monza weekend. Both names are synonymous with motorsport history – you couldn’t imagine Formula 1 without them – so I’ll be hoping for a strong result to show the strength and depth that we have as a team.”

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Perez: I hope we’ll be scrapping for points positions at Monza

Sergio Perez is keen to make up for disappointment at Spa with a good showing at the Italian Grand Prix. The McLaren driver spoke ahead of the weekend at Monza.

“Monza is probably the most beautiful circuit in Formula 1 – it’s just so historic; from the moment you arrive, you can feel it’s just different from any other place we visit.

“In fact, I had one of my best races in Formula 1 at Monza last year – everything came right on Sunday afternoon, I looked after the tyres beautifully and overtook Fernando Alonso on my way to finishing second, which equals my best-ever result in the sport. That was a fantastic day.

“After the disappointment of Spa, where we had the pace to score points, I’m keen to get another shot. As in Hungary and Belgium, we don’t expect to have a car that’ll be capable of fighting right at the front, but I hope we’ll be scrapping for points positions. That’s always fun, because then it’s really down to the team and the driver to maximise every opportunity on the day.

“When you’re racing hard like that, a good lap in quali or a clever strategy in the race can make all the difference to your result – and that’s great to experience. So, as always, I’ll be looking to push on every lap.”

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Bird chasing F1 drive

Sam Bird feels he has shown he deserves a chance in F1 even though he can't bring in the sort of sponsorship some drivers can.

The 26-year-old Brit is currently competing in the GP2 series with Russian time where he has claimed four race wins on his way to fourth in the Championship.

Bird is dreaming of a future in Formula One with the Mercedes reserve driver believing he has proven that he's worth a chance.

"I would like to think now that I have done enough to prove that I am capable," he said in an interview with Sky Sports F1 Online.

"I have won the most races of anyone so far in GP2 - I certainly feel that I am ready and I feel that I have done enough now to prove that if I was put into a race seat I could do a good job for a race team.

"I think it is clear now that in Formula 1, you need to take money - most, if not all people now need to take some form of sponsorship to a team - and I think that my performances so far this year have shown I warrant the chance, but I still need help and that final push to get into Formula 1."

He added: "Maybe I wouldn't need to take as much sponsorship as some people because of my performances, but that is still on-going work to try and secure a seat for next year.

"It is still the dream for me to be a Formula 1 driver and it is just that last little push now that I need to try and secure the seat."

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Nico Hulkenberg feels he's gaining momentum in Formula 1

Nico Hulkenberg believes the continuity of racing in Formula 1 for a second consecutive season time has allowed him to develop as a driver.

The German raced for Williams in 2010 before losing his seat, spending the following season as Friday driver for Force India.

After being promoted to a race drive last season alongside Paul di Resta, Hulkenberg had a solid first half of the season before hitting top form with an impressive run of results after the August break.

Despite moving to Sauber this year, he is certain coming into a campaign off the back of a full season of racing has allowed him to further improve even while adjusting to a new team.

"You are always learning as there are always new circumstances, new tyres, new regulations," Hulkenberg said.

"It's my third year. In 2012, I came back after the break in 2011 but now there was the smooth transition from '12 to '13.

"I'm confident I can say that pretty much every time I squeeze the maximum out of myself and the car."

Hulkenberg has scored only seven points so far this season, all of the tally built up by Sauber.

But even though he has not managed to claim any eyecatching results, his best being eighth in the Malaysian GP, he believes his performances have been consistently good.

"Malaysia was a good effort, the first race because I missed Melbourne [after a fuel leak was found pre-race].

"There have been quite a few good ones but when you don't end up in the points, they don't look so great even though they were all pretty decent.

"The consistency has been quite good. There is not one which massively stands out in terms of points as the best was eighth, but they have all been quite good."

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Ricciardo: Even if I go on a massive diet my hip bones aren’t going to change

Daniel Ricciardo has confirmed recent reports he would be a tight squeeze in the cockpit of the Adrian Newey penned Red Bull RB10 – the team’s 2014 car.

It was reported on Thursday that the Australian, the hot favourite to replace countryman Mark Webber at the world champion team, hit a snag this week when he had a seat-fitting in the cockpit of the 2014-spec racing machine.

Red Bull designer Newey is known for his tight-fitting cars, and European media reports claim Ricciardo’s hips are wider than Webber’s and Sebastian Vettel’s.

“It’s not my arse per se,” the 24-year-old told the Telegraph.

“Even when I signed for Toro Rosso we had to do a few seat fits and they did some scans to make that particular part of the cockpit a bit wider, so that we’re not sitting on the actual carbon fibre. I can’t do much about it. Even if I go on a massive diet my hip bones aren’t going to change.”

Ricciardo insisted, however, that his hips are not going to hurt his dream of switching to Formula 1′s premier team.

“No chance,” he grinned. “I’d shave my hips if necessary. I might die of blood loss but it would be worth it!”

He is not confirming Webber’s recent cat-out-of-the-bag announcement that he has secured the 2014 seat – but Ricciardo is at least starting to drop big hints.

“Oh ok, I’ll just come out and say it,” he said. “I moved to Monaco last week. There,” said Ricciardo, who has lived in the UK for the last five years.

Moving to the tax-haven is a sure sign that Ricciardo’s income is about to soar. Still, he’s confirming nothing.

“Until something is done I’m not getting too excited,” said the Perth-born driver. “Then if it doesn’t happen I won’t [want to] kill myself.”

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Mosley: F1 has a big problem because Todt was never a friend of cost limits

Former FIA president Max Mosley has pointed a finger at his successor Jean Todt, and said that Bernie Ecclestone is “not to blame for Formula 1′s deepening financial crisis”.

With many middle-ranked teams struggling under financial strain, including the title-fighting Lotus and the two-decade stalwart Sauber, Mosley told Welt am Sonntag that he has seen the problem brewing for years.

Fascinatingly, the 73-year-old Briton’s rare comments coincide with the newly-announced FIA presidential candidature of countryman David Ward, who worked closely with Mosley during his long reign over Formula 1.

Asked about his ultimately failed quest to impose a ‘budget cap’ on teams, Mosley said on Sunday: “No one could or wanted to join the proposal.

“Instead, the teams introduced their own cost limits, but it was never effective in reality.

“In the end it was only a non-binding letter of intent – a kind of lip service,” he insisted.

“It was ineffective, partly because my successor Jean Todt was never a friend of cost limits. Now Formula 1 has a big problem.”

Mosley’s comments could be interpreted as his strong support for Ward’s campaign to wrestle control back out of Frenchman Todt’s hands.

Interestingly, Mosley also pins none of Formula 1′s problems on his long ally Bernie Ecclestone.

Asked if the sport’s chief executive is adding to the problem by not giving enough of the vast profits to the teams, he insisted: “I do not believe Ecclestone’s monetary policy is the crux of the problem.

“If the big teams got more money from him, they would just spend more money.

“On the other hand, Formula 1 would not change in substance if less money is spent by everybody.

“The problem is the monetary policies of the teams. Ecclestone actually thinks extremely economically. And he is the one who has managed the commercial side of the sport for years with great success.

“He brings the circuits, the organisers, the TV stations – in other words, he keeps F1 alive commercially. It is certainly not his fault that the teams live beyond their means.

“On the contrary, without him, it would be bleak.”

So, rather than criticise Ecclestone, Mosley said that the billionaire deserves every cent he has made from F1.

“Why not?” he insisted. “If someone works hard and is successful, why shouldn’t he have benefitted?”

Mosley even doubts that the 82-year-old really did bribe the F1 banker Gerhard Gribkowsky, who is at the centre of a looming court scandal that could bring Ecclestone down.

Asked about the alleged bribe, Mosley said: “Why would he do that?

“Think about it again: why would he be interested in selling the business as cheaply as possible, even though his own family still owned considerable amounts of the marketing rights?

“Additionally, there was, according to my information, only one buyer for the rights anyway.”

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Raikkonen: Hopefully we have a real chance to fight for Monza victory this time

After his unbroken run of grand prix points finishes came to an end at Spa, Lotus driver Kimi Räikkönen has reloaded and is set for the final European race of the season – the Italian Grand Prix – at Monza where he has yet to record a victory during his Formula 1 career.

You’ve achieved more wins at Spa than any other track, but at Monza you have none; time to rectify that?

Kimi Raikkonen: It’s true that I have never won in Italy. For one reason or another things just haven’t worked out for me, but it doesn’t mean I can’t drive the track. Just because I have not won at a circuit in the past it doesn’t mean that I won’t win or get a good result there in the future. It is true that I have previously had some very competitive weekends there – once or twice I have been close to the win – but something has always gone wrong. Hopefully we will have a real chance to fight for that victory this time.

How do you feel about Monza as a venue?

KR: It’s a historical place with a unique design where we achieve very high speeds. It’s a real challenge for everyone to be running so fast and a really good feeling in the car. It’s the home of the Tifosi and there will be a lot of Finnish fans there too. The atmosphere is just out of reach for every other grand prix. It’s great to go there with everything working well in your car and see how quickly you can go. It’s the place where we go really, really fast.

What about the challenges of the circuit?

KR: Monza always gives a great challenge. It’s so different compared with the more modern circuits as the layout means the car needs to be set up differently. To go fast at Monza you need a car that is good aerodynamically, stable over the kerbs, and has a strong engine as we are using full throttle for most of the lap. I think we should be pretty good in those areas, but we won’t know exactly how good until we get out on track.

How do you think Monza should suit the E21?

KR: It’s a unique circuit with the high speeds achieved there and everyone will be running the lowest level of downforce we see all year. Low downforce has not always been the best for our car, but the factory has been working hard to get more speed and stability for us with some changes to the car. Let’s wait and see how the car goes on Friday morning and then we’ll have a better idea of what can be achieved.

How do you feel about the DNF you experienced in Spa?

KR: Obviously it was not the first time I’ve had to finish a race early, and most likely it won’t be the last time either. That said, I’m here to race and I want to finish every time, so for sure what happened in Spa was not what we were looking for and not ideal for the championship.

What could you feel in the car?

KR: There were some brake issues at the beginning of the race but we were managing them and it was going okay. We knew the brakes were hot and you could see the smoke, but I was still able to brake okay until a part failed and there was no way I could continue.

Was it a shame to see your unbroken records come to an end?

KR: We knew the day would come. We had such a long period of time with the best reliability of all, so it was only natural that one day luck would go against us.

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Maldonado unfazed by criticism

Pastor Maldonado won't change his approach to racing just to alter his reputation with his critics.

The Williams driver was back in the stewards' bad books last time out in Spa when he was handed a ten-second stop-go penalty for crashing into Paul di Resta.

At the time, Maldonado believed the blame belonged partly to di Resta's team-mate Adrian Sutil, who he says crossed his line "aggressively."

That, though, did not stop the stewards from giving the Venezuelan driver his latest penalty.

But despite that list growing, Maldonado says he won't let criticism force him to change his style.

"I'm racing, this is racing. My reputation is another thing," he told ESPNF1.

"I will race and if some people think something about me then they are free. I cannot say 'don't think that'."

Pressed as to whether he felt he was being targeted by the stewards, he said: "If you make a mistake you must be penalised.

"But the decision they take sometimes can be quite strong. That's my opinion."

But while the stewards do get it wrong at times, Maldonado concedes they do not have an easy job.

"It depends how is the view from their side. It's like football. It's always difficult to say from the outside, and even [difficult to explain] from the inside if you are trying to explain to them and they are not properly in the place.

"I think what happened in Spa is clear; very clear and obvious. And I think it's unfair that I got the penalty."

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Button relishing Monza challenge

Jenson Button is looking for a "strong result" when he heads to Monza to tackle the challenges of the high-speed track.

Button is one of many experienced drivers who has yet to taste the victory champagne at Italy.

He has come close, though, several times, taking the runner-up position three years in a row, 2009 to 2011.

And although this year Button's chances of yet another Monza podium are slim given McLaren's woes, the Brit is still relishing the challenges that await next weekend.

"I've always loved Monza. I really enjoy circuits that have a bit of history to them, and Monza has that in abundance - it's one of the greatest tracks on the calendar," Button said.

"The place is unique: ever since we lost the 'old' Hockenheim, this has been the only place on the calendar where you run a really super-low downforce configuration.

"And you can feel it - the car accelerates up to speed incredibly quickly, feels skittish and loose when you're running flat-out, and can be tricky and unpredictable under braking.

"But that's what makes the place a special kind of challenge, and I really enjoy that.

"When you have the car hooked up beneath you, you get into a special kind of rhythm around Monza: you're going so fast that the whole lap just flows together. There's nowhere quite like it.

"So it's really appropriate that McLaren will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in the paddock over the Monza weekend.

"Both names are synonymous with motorsport history - you couldn't imagine Formula 1 without them - so I'll be hoping for a strong result to show the strength and depth that we have as a team."