FORMULA 1 - 2010

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Virgin to 'evaluate' D'Ambrosio

Virgin have signed GP2 driver Jerome D'Ambrosio 'in an evaluation role' for four of this season's five remaining grands prix.

D'Ambrosio will take part in the first free practice session on Friday mornings at the Singapore, Japanese, Korean and Brazilian Grands Prix and the team will be using this opportunity to evaluate his potential.

The 25-year-old Belgian will replace Lucas di Grassi for the first of the Friday morning sessions, driving alongside Timo Glock. In addition he will also take part in the end of season Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi.

"My ultimate goal has always been to race in Formula 1 and I am delighted to get a step closer. I wish to thank Virgin Racing and Gravity Sport Management for their confidence. I won't disappoint them," said D'Ambrosio.

"This drive is a fantastic opportunity and I am looking forward to helping the team in every way I can, as well as gaining experience on four of the most demanding tracks of the F1 calendar.

"Looking at the 2011 season, this will be very useful. Also, I will be very proud to wear the Belgian colours on my helmet during these official practice sessions, as it means a lot to me."

Graeme Lowdon, CEO of Virgin Racing, added: "We are very pleased to welcome Jerome to Virgin Racing and we look forward to providing him with the opportunity to drive the VR-01 during the first free practice session of the next four race weekends. He will also take part in our young driver test in Abu Dhabi at the end of the season.

"We have a contract with Timo Glock for another two years and an option on the services of Lucas di Grassi for next year. Both drivers have done an outstanding job for us in our debut season. We are always looking to progress new racing talent and the team out of which Virgin Racing was born has a long history of this.

"Jerome is a real racer and very deserving of this opportunity. We are looking forward to evaluating his performance with effect from next weekend's Singapore Grand Prix."

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Bumpy Singapore track resurfaced

Organisers of the Singapore Grand Prix have made minor tweaks to the track for this weekend's race following feedback from drivers.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel recently said that the "circuit is hard on the brakes and it has a lot of kerbs; the resulting bumpiness demands extreme concentration from the driver" while new Sauber recruit Nick Heidfeld says the bumps were particularly bad in 2009.

"It will be interesting to see how the situation with the bumps has developed. In this regard, the track got worse from 2008 to 2009 and it was said this would be sorted out," Heidfeld said.

The drivers' concerns have been dealt with and the 5.073km circuit has been resurfaced to reduce the bumpiness between Turns 3 and 7 as well as at Turns 14 and 19

Other changes see the pit lane lowered one centimetre to ensure the cars rejoin the track more smoothly while the kerbs at the Singapore Sling (Turn 10) have been adjusted to a more gradual curve so that the drivers' exits from the chicane is a lot safer.

Organisers have also decided to paint the track walls blue, green and yellow while the run-off areas are no red, white and yellow.

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Engine situation for last five races

With five races left in the season and five drivers still in the hunt, the battle for the 2010 World Championship could be decided by small details like engines used during the season.

Each driver is allocated eight power units at the start of the campaign and once they use those engines up they are forced to take a 10-place grid penalty for every additional V8 they use.

Pedro de la Rosa was a victim of this rule prior to his departure from Sauber and a few other drivers are in danger of suffering a similar penalty.

Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel are the men battling it out for the title and their engine usage for the season vary.

Championship leader Webber is in the strongest position as he has only used six of his Renault engines while Ferrari's Alonso fitted his eighth and final V8 at Monza. Hamilton, Button and Vettel have all used seven.

All is not lost for Alonso and team-mate Felipe Massa (also on eight) as they can still re-use their old engines. However, that could affect the amount of time the drivers spend on track during practice.

Engines used so far:

McLaren

Jenson Button 7

Lewis Hamilton 7

Mercedes GP

Michael Schumacher 7

Nico Rosberg 7

Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel 7

Mark Webber 6

Ferrari

Felipe Massa 8

Fernando Alonso 8

Williams

Rubens Barrichello 6

Nico Hulkenberg 7

Renault

Robert Kubica 6

Vitaly Pertrov 6

Force India

Adrian Sutil 7

Vitantonio Liuzzi 7

Toro Rosso

Sebastien Buemi 7

Jaime Alguersuari 7

Lotus

Jarno Trulli 7

Heikki Kovalainen 7

Hispania

Sakon Yamamoto 7

Bruno Senna 7

Sauber

Nick Heidfeld (formerly Pedro de la Rosa's car) 9

Kamui Kobayashi 7

Virgin

Timo Glock 7

Lucas Di Grassi 7

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Bernie: Twenty races per year is the limit

Bernie Ecclestone concedes that 20 Formula One races per year is bit over the top, saying an ideal season should consist of only 16 grands prix.

The 2011 season will feature a record 20 races - the 19 grands prix from this season plus the Indian GP which will make its debut in late October.

There have been reports that Ecclestone would like to add more races to the calendar, but the F1 supremo says 20 is more than enough.

"We really should be at 16, to be honest," he told the Times of India. "Twenty is plenty, that's the limit. No more. I've been able to squeeze in 20 but I wouldn't want to increase it. There'll be mayhem otherwise," he joked.

One country that Ecclestone desperately wants to see return to Formula One is the United States.

"America is a country that should have an F1 race," he added. "We have a race in India and soon we'll have one in the US. It's great."

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Updates to F10's front wing and floor

Ferrari will head into this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix with an aerodynamic update as well as changes the front wing and the floor.

The Italian outfit is coming off a successful home race at Monza where Fernando Alonso finished first and Felipe Massa third. They need to keep up the pressure though as Alonso is still 21 points behind leader Mark Webber in the Drivers' Championship.

The team confirmed in a preview for the night race in Singapore that the F10 will sport several updates.

"With both Championships still very much open, Scuderia Ferrari has not abandoned development of the F10 and for the fifteenth round of the World Championship, the cars will line up with modifications mainly on the aerodynamic side, with updates to the front wing and the floor."

Team principal Stefano Domenicali has made it clear that they don't want to make the same mistakes they made at Spa recently.

"We aim to avoid a repeat of what happened in Belgium, where our planned new development failed to provide us with the leap in quality we expected because we hadn't been able to test out the new trim," he is quoted by tuttosport. "It is impossible to predict what will happen because there are so many variables at play."

Domenicali, though, insists that this weekend's race in Singapore won't be 'decisive' in terms of the Championship.

"The next race will be important, but not yet decisive," he said. "This year's Championship clearly looks like as if it will be open right to the very end.

"The new Championship table certainly helps us. This sort of situation, with so many drivers fighting for the title, hasn't happened in recent years. The important thing is to stay up there and not to lose points. In this way we might be able to come out smiling."

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Pressure on Schumi to retire?

Rumours that Michael Schumacher will retire from Formula One for a second time at the end of this season refuse to go away with the latest reports claiming there may be pressure on him to quit.

The seven-times World Champion made his comeback with Mercedes GP at the start of this year following three years away from the sport and he was tipped to challenge for the title.

However, he has struggled to make an impact and has been outshone by his younger team-mate Nico Rosberg.

Former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan recently told the BBC that "there are too many indications that now give me the feeling he is reconsidering his commitment to his three-year contract".

Although the Schumacher camp has denied that he will quit at the end of the season, the reports refuse to go away.

Respected F1 journalist Joe Saward wrote in his latest blog that the 41-year-old would have a convenient excuse should he decide to 'retire'.

'It is unlikely that Mercedes-Benz would want to be seen to be dropping Michael, as this would suggest that the decision to take him on was a mistake, but there may be pressure in the background for him to decide that retirement is the best option. If he needs excuses, he still has a neck injury that could be revive to smooth the departure, which would be an explanation that most of the German media would happily accept.

'There is little question that this season has done nothing to enhance the Schumacher legacy, although perhaps for the man himself it has been necessary for him to understand that time stands still for no man and that one day he must face up to the reality that everyone gets older. Trying to fight that inevitably results in a sad story.'

The BBC's Jonathan Legard last week claimed that Adrian Sutil is the leading contender to take over from Schumacher and Saward added that Paul di Resta is the front-runner to take over from Sutil at Force India.

'Sutil's contract with Force India is coming to an end and if he moves on it will allow another Mercedes rising star, Paul di Resta, to get into Formula 1 as team-mate to Tonio Liuzzi at the Silverstone team.'

Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice-President Norbert Haug has already thrown his support behind the campaign to see Force India tester di Resta in F1 soon.

"I think his chances for an F1 seat are good," Haug told racexpress.nl. "Of course I hope he stays with us, but I also know he has to take the opportunity when it arises. I would absolutely support him in that."

MIKA: The problem with most rumours is that they are just that, rumours. Why is it that where ever there are rumours, its either Jackie Stewart or Eddie Jordan behind them? If MS retires, he retires but not so long ago, MS did state in a direct interview he was staying for season 2011.

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Renault signs second Russian sponsor

The Renault team today announced the signing of Russian sponsor Vyborg Shipyard JSC for the final five races of the season.

This marks Renault's second Russian sponsor following the agreement with Lada earlier in the year

Both companies have been attracted to the team by Vitaly Petrov’s promising debut season as Russia’s first ever F1 driver.

Vyborg Shipyard JSC is one of the largest shipbuilding companies in the North-Western region of Russia, and its logo will feature on the chassis of both R30 race cars for the remainder of the 2010 season.

Vitaly Petrov, a native of Vyborg, will also carry the Vyborg Shipyard logo on his overalls.

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Singapore Grand Prix preview

After two of Formula 1's most historic and charismatic circuits in Spa and Monza, the championship's next destination is one of its newest venues - but a track that already looks set to earn a similar place in F1's pantheon of great events.

In a slightly intangible way, the Singapore Grand Prix organisers have managed to get everything spot on.

It's not just that it's a street circuit - so is the less fondly regarded Valencia.

It's not just that it's a night race - so is Abu Dhabi, and that has the extra assets of a sunset start and a background of hotels that look like spaceships from the future.

But something about Singapore's Marina Bay has made it a classic, with a layout that gives drivers plenty to think about and promotes action-packed races.

The scandal of 2008 - when Renault's then-bosses ordered Nelson Piquet to deliberately crash and prompt a safety car that would perfectly suit team-mate Fernando Alonso's strategy - seems to have added to Singapore's mystique rather than tarnish the track, giving it a place in F1 folklore as the scene of one of the sport's most memorable (albeit for the wrong reasons) incidents.

Alonso was cleared of any involvement in that piece of cheating, as was everyone still involved with the Renault team, and the partnership responded with a brilliant - and absolutely fairly earned - third place in last year's Singapore race (which Alonso then cheekily dedicated to the disgraced Flavio Briatore...)

This is a big weekend for both Alonso and Renault once again, though they're no longer a partnership.

Alonso is the man with momentum in the title-chasing group, having out-scored everyone else in the last four races (even with his awful Spa weekend) and won in style at Monza.

Any of the title contenders could make a claim to be the man to beat for Singapore: Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber each have a street circuit win under their belts this year already, Lewis Hamilton won at Marina Bay last year, Alonso is on a roll, and Jenson Button is fresh from his one of his strongest drives of the year at Monza.

However Alonso and Hamilton's 2008 and 2009 Singapore wins mean that so far this fledgling grand prix has never been won by a driver who was part of that year's title battle - which means Renault might be worth a bet this weekend.

Under partial new ownership and leadership, Renault has put its old era behind it in emphatic style, with Alonso's friend and replacement Robert Kubica leading an impressive resurgence.

There could be no more poignant place than Singapore for Renault to take a symbolic first win since the scandal - and it's not impossible given its form on the streets of Monaco, and the pace its updated car showed at Spa (though Monza two weeks ago brought a downturn).

Alonso's Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa is fired-up for Singapore too.

He looked set to blitz the inaugural race until a disastrous pit stop during the caution period caused by Piquet's crash.

He's since claimed that Renault's actions could have cost him the 2008 title - for his race than fell apart, and had it not, Massa would've had enough points to beat Hamilton to that year's crown.

His argument overlooks the fact that Ferrari's pit stop chaos just happened to occur in a stop triggered by the Piquet incident - there was the same chance of him being released with the fuel hose still attached had the stop happened in ordinary circumstances.

Either way, Massa feels Singapore owes him, and his form on his one previous visit to the venue was excellent.

Mercedes is the other team that was knocking on the door of wins for a while, but with its focus now on 2011 and many rivals bringing big upgrades for Singapore, it's hard to see this weekend being fruitful for Nico Rosberg or Michael Schumacher, who will be getting used to night racing in F1 for the first time.

He'll soon pick up the body-clock-torment of staying on European time because of the evening race slot, which gives drivers the unusual experience of carrying on debriefs and press commitments into the middle of the night but then being allowed to sleep for much of the day.

Speculation about Schumacher giving up on his comeback might at least die down this week now that Mercedes no longer has a ready-made replacement - Nick Heidfeld having moved even further away by returning to Sauber race duties in place of the disappointing Pedro de la Rosa.

As Tonio Liuzzi and Giancarlo Fisichella proved last year, returning after a testing sojourn and switching cars mid-season is not easy in an era of zero testing.

But Heidfeld is better-prepared than most: he's spent the majority of his F1 career with BMW/Sauber so is familiar with the team (and he was still on board during the car's gestation period late last year), and he has recent F1 test mileage from his Pirelli duties.

Plus he has a habit of surprising - pulling off blinding overtaking moves when it's least expected - and of quietly getting the most out of cars.

He could be just what Sauber needs, and with Singapore being the sort of event where crazy things happen, it's the ideal place for a level-headed and highly determined veteran to return.

This is going to be an incredible F1 run-in: we have the closest and most unpredictable title battle in decades, the epic Suzuka, brand new adventure of Korea, drama-filled Interlagos and potential five-way decider venue Abu Dhabi still to come.

It's been a relentlessly astonishing season so far, and now the pressure on the title contenders is going to get even greater.

There could be no better setting than Singapore for the start of an enthralling final chapter in this epic tale.

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Grosjean eyes longer Pirelli deal

Former Renault driver Romain Grosjean is hopeful that he can extend his stint as Pirelli's test driver.

The French driver will replace Nick Heidfeld for the tyre manufacturer's Monza test this week after the German signed up to drive with Sauber, and while his initial deal does not extend beyond Monza, Grosjean is aiming to prove his worth.

"At the conclusion of these tests the decision will be made about whether or not we continue together," Grosjean told Auto Hebdo.

"A decision will have to be taken quickly though, as another test will begin again the following week. I hope to be with it until the end."

Having lost his drive with Renault at the end of last season, Grosjean admits he's excited about getting back into and F1 car again and sees his role with Pirelli as taking a step closer to securing a drive in the future.

"I am keen to get behind the wheel of an F1 car again, especially as the Toyota was one of the best cars at the end of last season," he explained the 24-year-old.

"Also to again accumulate kilometres at the wheel of an F1 car is of course a good step towards returning to the sport," he added.

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Force India feeling the pressure

Paul di Resta will not participate in Friday practice in Singapore as Force India knuckle down ahead of what is a crucial race for the team.

Having enjoyed a consistent start to the season it appeared that Force India were on track to secure sixth spot in the Constructors' standings, but a combination of a resurgent Williams and an underperforming VJM03 has seen the Grove-based team close in on Force India.

Force India have failed to score points in three of the last four races, and heading to Singapore the team know they have to stop the slide.

"We certainly want to hang on to sixth in the World Championship, and not let Williams get past us. That clearly is a priority," said team boss Vijay Mallya.

Adrian Sutil echoed the sentiments of Mallya, acknowledging that Williams were applying pressure on them.

"Points have got to be the aim this time. Williams had a great event in Italy and really closed the gap to us, so we need as many points as we can," said the German.

As a result of the team's situation and the introduction of new parts, reserve driver Paul di Resta will not take part in Friday practice.

"Unfortunately I won't be out in Singapore as it's such a crucial race for the team, with so much to play for in the championship and a few new parts on the car," said di Resta.

"All the same I'll be with the team the whole weekend and I'm excited about going there, as there will be some challenges I've not encountered so far this year," he added.

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Whitmarsh: Title race too tough to call

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh believes it is a brave man who predicts the destiny of this season's Formula One world title.

Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel are separated by just 24 points with five races remaining, starting this weekend in Singapore.

The quintet have claimed between them the 14 race victories so far, and it is becoming more apparent the championship is destined to go down to the wire with the final grand prix in Abu Dhabi.

At present it is the most closely contested title fight since 1981, and for Whitmarsh he concedes it is the most dramatic he has been involved with during his 21 years in F1.

"We've been in some fantastic fights, but typically there have only been two teams or two drivers," said Whitmarsh.

"Inevitably the best ones are those you win. I enjoyed 1998 for all sorts of reasons, a great championship with Mika (Hakkinen). It was nice to beat Michael (Schumacher).

"That was a great, great one that went all the way down to the final race in Japan. That was fantastic.

"But for the fans that year, as with many, it was two drivers fighting it out. This year, who knows, there are five drivers fighting for this one at the moment.

"The great thing is you've Jenson and Lewis, both the Red Bull drivers, you've got Fernando, all very much in this title fight, which is tremendously exciting.

"So to predict the outcome of this championship would be a very brave thing to do."

As with any championship battle, the keys to success are simple, particularly if you are a driver or team involved at the sharp end of the season.

"If you're confident or complacent then you really will not get the job done," added Whitmarsh.

"You can never be confident because Red Bull and Ferrari are strong teams who are going to keep improving their cars, so we've got to keep improving ours.

"We've just got to continue striving to make our car quicker and better, to try and minimise mistakes because that's how you win championships."

Sunday's race is essentially a pivotal one for McLaren as it marks a return to a low-speed, high-downforce track that has so far been their undoing this season.

Monaco and the Hungaroring are similar circuits to the Marina Bay venue, and where McLaren collected their lowest points hauls of the year, just 10 and four respectively.

Whitmarsh is naturally hoping some ground will have been recovered since the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 1, otherwise his team's title hopes will again be exposed.

"It's the first race at a low-speed, high-downforce track since the Hungaroring back in August," said Whitmarsh.

"It's also the first high-downforce track we've visited since the FIA tightened up its regulations on flexible bodywork.

"So it's likely to give us a much clearer idea of the respective pace of the leading teams after two less representative events in Belgium and Italy.

"But this is a race the whole team looks forward to enormously, and we travel to Singapore with a number of new ideas to try out on our cars, feeling positive we'll again be in a position to race at the front."

MIKA: I'm tipping Webber to win the WC with Alonso right behind him.

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Sullivan joins Singapore stewards' panel

American Danny Sullivan will fulfill the role of the FIA's driver steward at this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix...

It will be the second time that the former Tyrell driver has joined the panel, having performed the job at the German Grand Prix.

Sullivan is best known for his achievements on the Indy Car circuit, winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1985 and the 1988 CART World Series. The 50-year-old represented Tyrell in 1983 and scored two points during his run of fifteen races.

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Briatore: No F1 return

Former Renault boss Flavio Briatore insists he has no plans to return to Formula One.

The controversial Italian exited the sport in the wake of the 'crash-gate' scandal and was initially handed a lifetime ban by the FIA, but after having the ban overturned Briatore has constantly been linked with various positions in F1.

The latest rumours have suggested that Briatore would become the boss of F1's new tyre sponsor, Pirelli. However, when asked by the official Formula One website about the situation he brushed off such notions.

"That's b*llsh*t!" he laughed.

"But who cares about tyres? Whether they are Pirelli or Bridgestone. What people want to hear about are stories about the drivers, stories about Ferrari. That is what the people want," he added.

When quizzed about a possible return to Formula One in any capacity the 60-year-old conceded that he didn't feel he would be involved in the sport again.

"I have won seven titles with different teams. I want to have fun with what I'm doing - that is my motivation and not the need for a job," he explained.

"At the moment I wouldn't have fun in Formula One. At the moment I am happy with what I am doing - being a dad, husband, and taking care of my investments," Briatore added.

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Massa: We have to be strong in every race

Felipe Massa has urged Ferrari to maintain the consistency they have shown of late as the season nears its conclusion.

Ferrari have performed in fits and spurts this season, recording a one-two at the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix followed by a string of fairly solid performances. However, from late May to mid July the Italian team struggled, registering only 49 points over the course of five races.

The team has bounced-back though, scoring more points than any other team in the last four races, a string of results that has seen Fernando Alonso move up to third in the Drivers' standings while Massa has wrestled sixth spot away from Nico Rosberg.

With the season entering the business end, Massa knows that there is now no room for error.

"The feeling is that we had some ups and downs during the championship," Massa told Ferrari's official website.

"I had a very bad three races where I couldn't score points, which was Canada, Valencia and Silverstone.

"They were races where we could have scored a good amount of points and could have been in a good position fighting for the championship. So that was not very great in terms of the championship, but it is also true that in the last four races we have scored more points than the other teams. We have five races to go and I hope we carry on like we did in the last four races."

At the same time the Brazilian is weary of the challenge posed by other teams.

"But definitely we always need to be ready and looking at our competitors. We have seen a very, very strong Red Bull during the whole championship and McLaren, some races were very strong and some races a bit less.

"So it is something that we need to be sure of, [that] at every race that we go we are completely prepared for everything. In Monaco we were competitive so I hope we will be competitive in Singapore," he added.

MIKA: Massa is the driver to watch in Singapore IMO.

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Bernie: Chandhok deserves a better car

Bernie Ecclestone has come out in support of Hispania driver Karun Chandhok, insisting he should be driving a better car.

The Indian driver has been sidelined since the British GP with Sakon Yamamoto replacing him as Hispania look to keep financially afloat.

With India set to host its first grand prix next year, Ecclestone is eager to have a local driver on the grid to race beside the Force India team.

"Having an Indian team is obviously a big help," Ecclestone told The Times of India.

"An Indian driver will be an even better deal. I definitely want to see Karun in a better car next year. He served his apprenticeship in a car that he could do nothing about. He really needs to be in a team where he can show his potential, because I think he can be very, very good if he gets the right car."

Ecclestone's sentiments were echoed by McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.

"Karun is a very good driver," said Hamilton.

"He understands the nuances of the sport very well, and if he is able to get a better car, he would be able to make a big difference," the former World Champion added.

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Fernandes gives Lotus an 'A'

Lotus might have zero points after 14 races on their return to Formula One, but boss Tony Fernandes says it's been a fantastic season so far.

The team's T127 car made its debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir on March 12 with the gold and green colours returning to the sport for the first time in 16 years.

With their 15th race looming in Singapore on Sunday, Fernandes said it had all gone to plan despite the lack of points.

"At this stage I'd give us an A grade and I'd say it's been a fantastic season for the team in its first year," the ebullient founder of Malaysia-based budget carrier AirAsia told formula1.com.

"There have obviously been highs and lows, but just being on the grid in Bahrain was an incredible achievement and now, 14 races in, it still feels like the dream is coming true.

"I'm obviously looking forward to the remaining races this season, and the battle with our nearest rivals is great for the fans and for all the teams involved, but for all of us next year is going to be very exciting."

For Fernandes, juggling his role as Lotus team principal with running AirAsia, as well as his other business interests, has proved to be tough, but hugely enjoyable.

Asked if he may step down from Lotus to put more focus on AirAsia, he said: "Initially, I wanted the AirAsia shareholders to feel confident that I was devoting enough time to the business, but after another record year I think they've realised I can do both.

"I have a fantastic CEO in Riad (Asmat) and an amazing chief technical officer in Mike (Gascoyne).

"With video-conferencing, Blackberry (devices), email and every other form of communication at our disposal, I think I'll be team principal for a few more years."

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Jones: Webber will win mental battle

Former World Champion Alan Jones believes that if the title race comes down to a fight between Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel that the Australian will triumph.

Jones, the last Australian to win an F1 title, is of the opinion that Webber's experience of coming through the Formula One ranks with teams further down the grid will aid him in beating his team-mate.

''I think if it gets down to a bit of a head game I'll back Mark every time,'' Jones told AAP.

''Mark's come up the hard way, he's been through some uncompetitive teams, he's had a few bits and pieces thrown at him where Vettel hasn't and if it gets down to mind games, I think Mark's much better to deal with it than Vettel is.''

However, it's not only Vettel that Championship leader Webber needs to worry about, with Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button all breathing down his neck. Jones believes that the key to Webber winning the title is for him to focus on each race and not to get bogged down by the pressure.

''I think the main thing is not to think about it [the Championship] too much,'' explained Jones.

''Not to dwell on it, not to put undue pressure on himself. He's just got to take each race as it comes along and if he continues to do exactly what he's been doing, he won't have a problem."

Webber currently leads the Drivers' standings by five points with Hamilton in second and Alonso in third, a further sixteen points behind. Button sits in fourth, one point adrift of Alonso with Vettel two points behind last year's World Champion.

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New site for Australian GP being investigated

The possibility of a new location for the Australian grand prix is being investigated, according to reports in the Melbourne local paper, the Herald Sun.

The current Albert Park venue made headlines this week when it was reported to have made an annual loss of over £40 million ($50m), prompting reports that it should be dropped to save the state money.

An alternative and permanent site outside of the city would provide considerable savings to Melbourne taxpayers whilst providing better transport links.

The State Government, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport and Calder Park owner, Bob Jane, has signed a deal to investigate options for a track that would meet the approval of the FIA, allowing it to run several FIA sanctioned events, including Formula One.

It's reported that members of the FIA will visit the proposed site to assess how it could hold such events.

Mr Jane told the Herald Sun that renovating the Calder Park circuit would provide the government with options if they decided not to renew the current contract which expires in 2012.

"We [Calder Park] have got a permit from the old days in the 1980s to run the Formula One here," he said.

"I know they are happy at Albert Park. But in the future there has to be options, and at the moment there are none."

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Virgin Racing preview the Singapore GP

Timo Glock: "I am very much looking forward to this weekend as this is a unique race that is always very special. I finished the inaugural Singapore in the points and last year achieved a podium finish, so the place has good memories for me. We come here after a good race in Italy two weeks ago when the car performed well and I felt that I had a positive weekend all round. Here a car needs to be very good over the bumps, so mechanically it has to be strong. We have a new upgrade for this race that should help us here and in the remaining races. The first time we raced here it was tough to acclimatise to the time zone and the race weekend schedule because we actually stay on UK time. This means staying awake all night and sleeping practically all day before the engineering and running programme begins at 1700. After two races here though I am now pretty on top of how best to work the weekend. We have been doing very well in terms of our reliability versus our competition and I think with our new developments we can look forward to another positive weekend."

Lucas di Grassi: "This will be the first time I have driven the Singapore Street Circuit. I have done a lot of work in the simulator with our new developments and now I just look forward to laying my first night race experience on top of that. Obviously I will lose some track time as I am not participating in the FP1 session, so I will have a lot of work to do to get up to speed from FP2 in terms of getting used to the track and also with set-up work. We have an upgrade for this and the remaining races and the package looks pretty positive, so we'll be pushing hard to get the most from the weekend and keep our immediate competitors behind us."

John Booth, Team Principal: "Everyone at Virgin Racing is looking forward to our first Singapore Grand Prix and therefore our first night race. Timo obviously has two years’ experience under his belt so the insights he has provided us with have been invaluable, as have the perspectives of some of our team members who have been racing here previously. We are very excited about the challenge ahead. The team will have to ignore their body clocks and learn to cope with starting work at 14.00 and going to sleep at 05.00, but they are a tough bunch who have not been averse to working unusual hours in our debut season! For the next two races we will have what will probably be the final significant update for the VR-01. We will of course tailor the package to suit the individual characteristics of the four other remaining circuits, but equally it is now full steam ahead back at our technical base as we focus on our 2011 challenger. We hope the update will be sufficient to maintain the current trend of closing the gap to the midfield teams and maintain our very narrow advantage over our great rivals Lotus. Our battle with them has been very tough from the very first race and I hope it has added an extra dimension to the racing for the fans. We’ve certainly enjoyed it."

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Exclusive Q&A with Pirelli's Paul Hembery

Q: You return to Formula One after what will be a 20-year break come next season. Why did you decide to return now?

Paul Hembery - Pirelli Motorsport Director: “The opportunity presented itself for us to come back to Formula One under changed commercial realities and to reinforce Pirelli’s reputation as supplier to the most prestigious car brands in the world by being represented at the pinnacle of single-seater racing. This was a chance that we didn’t want to turn down, and we’re delighted now to be here.”

Q: What changes have had to be made at Pirelli's facilities in Italy to cope with the increased demand for racing tyres?

PH: “The tyres are actually made at our facility near Istanbul in Turkey. It’s a very modern facility that only opened three years ago and it can easily be modified for the demands of Formula One production. Operationally, we’ve made this work without increasing our budgets by re-allocating some of our resources.”

Q: What sort of input have the teams/FOTA had into the design of the tyres?

PH: “With the agreement being announced well after the teams had begun development of their 2011 cars, the design of the tyres for next year will follow the current FIA regulations. We have worked with the teams to define the primary characteristics of the product but of course we have our design and material philosophies, and in the end it will be a Pirelli tyre.”

Q: What will Pirelli be doing to help the F1 spectacle on race weekends?

PH: “One of our intentions is to help improve the show in any way that we can. There’s various ways in which we can do that, and it’s something that we’re looking at during our current test campaign. With most 2011 cars finalised now, I don’t think that the teams would appreciate any radical differences in tyre characteristics, but for the future anything is possible.”

Q: It's been quoted that Pirelli will take a conservative approach to their tyre compounds, will this be the case?

PH: “We’re working to certain set parameters for next year, and as a new supplier it’s true that you want to start from a solid base. But depending on what the teams want and the experience we gain during the season, we can take the development of the tyres in any direction required.”

Q: Bridgestone have been quite strict on their allocations over the weekend, often forcing drivers to save sets for the race, what strategy will Pirelli adopt and how many tyres/compounds will be available?

PH: “The current tyre regulations for next year don’t change, so we have to work with them as requested. As is currently the case we will offer four slick compounds for the season next year and 11 sets per race weekend, plus rain tyres for wet weather.”

Q: As well as F1, Pirelli will also supply GP2 from next year. Will the tyres for both series be of a similar design?

PH: “There will be several points in common; in fact you can fit F1 tyres to a GP2 car and vice versa. The GP2 Series is all about preparing drivers for Formula One, so supplying tyres with similar characteristics is an important and valuable part of that preparation that we are able to bring.”we are able to bring.”

[MIKA27]

Wet weekend ahead for Singapore GP

The 15th round of the Formula One championship looks set to suffer from rain and quite possibly thunderstorms.

Early weather reports for the unique Singapore GP, held at night, suggest all three days will be rain affected at some point, with the majority of the reports highlighting a 65% chance of severe thunderstorms which could easily result in the race being red-flagged.

Poor visibility could be a problem if it rains as the water will reflect off the bright lights stationed along the track.

The past two events held at the circuit, in '08 and '09, were both dry affairs, possibly making this F1's first ever wet night race - meaning the race could be an unknown challenge for the drivers.

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James Allen on Sauber's driver change

There has been quite a bit of movement around Pirelli and Sauber lately, which has dovetailed as both parties line up their plans for 2011.

Nick Heidfeld, who left Mercedes to become the Pirelli test driver this summer, has jumped ship again to Sauber, where he will start this weekend in Singapore to fight for points in the remaining five races of the season.

He replaces Pedro de la Rosa, who has scored just six points all season, an average of 0.4 points per race. This compares to Kamui Kobayashi, who has 21 points to his name, an average of 1.5 points per race.

This move isn’t really about results this season, however. It’s more about setting the team up for a strong 2011.

Sauber are in a bit of a no-man’s land in the constructors’ championship, 20 points adrift of Williams and 17 points clear of Toro Rosso.

Their eighth place is unlikely to change between now and the end of the season unless they get a couple of freak results.

Heidfeld is fast and reliable. He’s also a good development driver, who will work well alongside Kobayashi.

I never really understood why Sauber took de la Rosa; although he’s a great bloke and a very strong development driver, he’s not really quick enough.

Perhaps the thought was that with no testing he would be able to get the cars set up quickly at each track which a rookie like Kobayashi might struggle with.

Heidfeld completed a third test for Pirelli at Jerez recently, so he will have a pretty good feel for the direction the tyres are taking and will be able to feed that into the Sauber design engineers.

That said, the tyres are likely to evolve over the coming months before the teams get the chance to test them out for themselves in an Abu Dhabi test after the final race.

Many people thought that Pirelli would choose de la Rosa, a hugely experienced test driver for McLaren in the past, to replace Heidfeld.

But instead they hired Romain Grosjean, who did just half a season for Renault last year.

He will conduct the next test in Pirelli’s ex-Toyota 2009 car and after that we will see who pops up in the cockpit next.

Meanwhile Sauber have also recruited 19-year-old Esteban Gutierrez, the GP3 champion from Mexico, as test and reserve driver for next season.

This will give him an outing in the post-season young guns test at Abu Dhabi, a great opportunity for the aspiring drivers on the fringes of F1.

There has been a lot of speculation about Sauber getting involved with Mexican investors, with telecoms billionaire Carlos Slim linked with the team.

This hasn’t been a great year for Peter Sauber, who hadn’t been planning to run his own team again in F1, but was forced to by the sudden withdrawal of BMW last year.

The team had poor reliability at the start of this year and the car has run with very little sponsorship.

It has kept running on the pay-off from BMW and the TV money from Bernie Ecclestone.

But since the arrival of James Key as technical director the cars have been performing better and have qualified and run in the top 10 fairly consistently since Valencia.

Sauber, like Williams, is a bit of weather vane for the health of F1 – as independent teams they are a vital component of the mix, and their ability to attract sponsors reflects what kind of job F1 is doing as a whole in presenting and marketing itself.

Sauber has always been a forward thinker. His moves here show that he’s not standing still but is already mentally on to 2011.

[MIKA27]

Watch Webber's Singapore track guide

Ride with the points leader as he shows us the quick way around the Singapore streets

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'Heavy rain showers' for Singapore

Formula One could be in for either a treat or a disaster this weekend in Singapore with 'heavy rain showers' forecast for the entire weekend.

Already the F1 teams face a trying time in Singapore due to the late start times of all the sessions, which means getting heat into the tyres is a problem as is dealing with the floodlights.

However, this weekend they could be faced with further difficulties as heavy showers are predicted for all three days of running.

Friday's practices, which begin at 6pm local time, are expected to take place on an extremely wet Marina Bay street circuit while there is more of the same for Saturday's practice and qualifying. The latter begins at 10pm.

As for Sunday's grand prix, there is more 'heavy rain showers' forecast with the maximum temperature for the day expected to be around the 30'C mark. However, given that the race only starts at 8pm, the track will have cooled down significantly by the time the drivers leave the grid.

As said, either a treat or a disaster.

[MIKA27]

McLaren 'balancing' 2010 challenge vs 2011 car

McLaren's principal race engineer Philip Prew is confident the team can balance their 2010 title challenge against the development of next year's car.

McLaren are embroiled in a heated battle for this year's titles with both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button still in with a shot at winning the Drivers' Championship.

As a result, McLaren are not in a position to give up developing this year's MP4-25 and may have to do so until the very last grand prix in Abu Dhabi if they want to beat Red Bull and Ferrari to the titles.

At the same time, though, the Woking team needs to work on next year's challenger if they hope to start the season with a competitive car in the wake of all the new regulations that are set to be introduced in 2011.

However, Prew is adamant McLaren know how to walk that fine line and emerge victorious.

"I think it's a balance that's always difficult to find," he said in a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 'Phone-In' session.

"We have a separate development team working on the 2011 car, they are obviously eager to have resource and wind tunnel time. Equally those of us who are still competing this season are pushing very hard to continue the development of this car.

"It's one of the balancing acts that we have had to make over the last couple of years, and hopefully we do a reasonable job doing it.

"As we approach the end of the season, the reality is now the time to manufacture, develop and produce a new component is getting short. So the focus is really looking to exploit the components that we have to make sure we get the best performance out of them.

"We have upgrades coming though, but to start a new project at this stage would be very difficult to design, develop, implement and deploy on the circuit. It's a difficult balance but something that we hopefully know how to do."