Formula One 2012

[Lineker]

Yeah I expected Ricciardo to end up at Caterham tbh. Anyway, here's the full story:

Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne will race for the Toro Rosso team in the 2012 Formula 1 season, the team has announced.

The news means the duo will replace Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari.

Toro Rosso said the decision to replace its current drivers was taken in conjunction with Red Bull.

It will be the first time since the team's 2006 debut that it will begin the year with an all new line-up.

"I am pleased that we have been able to reach an early decision on our drivers for next year, because it means we can all give our full attention to 2012, without any distractions," said team boss Franz Tost.

"Over the past year, both Daniel and Jean-Eric have proved their worth and I expect them to make a significant contribution to the team's performance next year. Daniel has the benefit of having actually raced in Grands Prix for much of this year, while Jean-Eric proved he could adapt quickly to the demands of driving a Formula 1 car.

"As they have both worked with the team and its engineers very recently, this should allow us to get up to speed right from the start of winter testing in a couple of months time."

Tost was thankful to Buemi and Alguersuari, but said it was Toro Rosso's duty to give new drivers a chance in Formula 1.

The duo had been with the team since the 2009 season.

"I must also thank Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari for all their hard work over the past three seasons," added Tost.

"They have delivered some excellent performances which have helped the team move forward and develop. We wish them well for the future.

"However, one has to remember that when Scuderia Toro Rosso was established in 2005, it was done so with the intention of providing a first step into Formula 1 for the youngsters in the Red Bull Junior Driver programme.

"It is therefore part of the team's culture to change its driver line-up from time to time in order to achieve this goal."

Australian Ricciardo, who was the team's third driver this year, made his grand prix debut with the HRT team this season, impressing with his performances alongside the more experienced Tonio Liuzzi.

"This is a really big deal for me and something I have wanted ever since I was driving for Toro Rosso on Friday mornings at the races in the first part of last season," he said.

"To be honest, I am still jumping up and down with excitement at the news. In the second half of 2011 I learned a lot from the people I worked with, racing in eleven Grands Prix and I want to thank them for the opportunity they gave me.

"I have to say that joining Scuderia Toro Rosso was always my real goal, so a big thank you to Red Bull for giving me this fantastic opportunity and now I can't wait to get to work once testing begins."

Vergne will become the third Frenchman to race in Formula 1 in 2012, alongside Virgin's Charles Pic and Lotus's Romain Grosjean.

"First of all, I must thank Red Bull for all their support so far and for believing I am ready to take on the ultimate challenge of racing in Formula 1," Vergne said.

"Christmas has come early for me this year! Having driven for them a few times this year and also testing for Red Bull Racing in Abu Dhabi, I definitely feel ready to make the move, even if I know there is a big difference between testing and actually racing.

"I enjoyed working with the guys at Toro Rosso this year and I can't wait to be part of the team for real. Sitting on the grid in Melbourne next March cannot come soon enough."

[Katsuya]

FFS. Alguesuari needs to get a drive.

[MJB]

So assuming Di Resta and Hulkenberg get the two Force India seats, that means there's only two drives left, one at Williams and one at HRT, who do we think will get these two? Sutil maybe for Williams, and I reckon Liuzzi will retain his HRT car.

[Lineker]

And don't forget that the vultures around Trulli continue to swirl... don't be stunned if Buemi/Alguesuari end up there.

[Katsuya]

Alguesuari going to HRT would make sense given that they're trying to brand themselves as the Spanish national team. de la Rosa would be a good person for him to learn from too...plus he's still with Red Bull, one would assume, so Hispania already have those links.

Apparently, the Force India situation isn't all that clear either. Senna's said he is willing to take a third driver role in the same guise as Hulkenburg, so I could imagine him at Force India to be honest. The Williams seat is still the one that is making me most interested...

[Lineker]

Senna could always remain at Renault as the third driver, too.

[EddieG]

HRT the Spanish team, based in Germany.

[Lineker]

Not anymore, actually:

Colin Kolles will leave the HRT team after reaching an agreement to end their cooperation, the Spanish squad announced on Wednesday.

The team said the move was "due to the new direction that the team has taken and the decision of the new management to move the team headquarters to Spain".

Kolles will leave the squad on December 15.

Previously the team was based in Germany, using the factory owned by Kolles.

He had been HRT's team principal for the past two seasons.

"HRT F1 Team would like to thank Dr. Colin Kolles for his work and dedication throughout these past two years and wish him the best in his future projects," said the team in a statement.

Kolles was drafted in at HRT before the start of its debut season in 2010 after the original plans with Adrian Campos failed.

[Lineker]

The rest of today's "fluff" news:

The Caterham F1 Team has unveiled its new logo for the 2012 Formula 1 season, when the outfit will race under its new name.

The team made its debut last year and raced as Team Lotus in 2011 but, after a long battle over its name, it will be renamed Caterham in 2012, with the current Renault team becoming Lotus.

Caterham revealed its new image on Wednesday.

Team boss Tony Fernandes insisted the Caterham move makes sense for his outfit.

"With Team Lotus, I would have battled to the end if I felt it was the right thing to do, but when you take a dispassionate look at where we were it made absolute sense to start with a clean sheet, and Caterham has given us that chance," said Fernandes in the team's magazine.

"It's the best possible solution for where we want to go - partly because it gives us complete control over everything we do and, obviously, because there's simply no point racing to promote a road car company I don't own. The road car business has always been a sector I've wanted to explore and so here we are.

"But I can't stress enough; this is a serious business venture for us. If I just needed a new name, I could have called it anything, but the synergy with Caterham works better - and it's what I do – take a small business with the correct core values and purpose and expand it and grow it into the global marketplace."

Lotus Renault boss Eric Boullier says the team's decision not to hire a pay driver shows its ambition to return to the sharp end of the grid.

The team has signed Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean for 2012, the Frenchman replacing Vitaly Petrov, who was believed to have significant financial backing.

Boullier says having signed two drivers that will not bring big financial support to the team is a strategy aimed at building a better future for the outfit.

He reckons having the best possible drivers shows how serious the team is about its targets.

"Together with Genii, Gerard [Lopez] and Eric [Lux], we clearly defined the driver strategy to be without any backing because if you have the ambition to be the top team in F1, you need everything to be the best and that includes the drivers," Boullier told AUTOSPORT.

"You cannot take into account the financial backing from a driver, not if you want to have real ambition.

"The decision we took [on Grosjean] was purely a sporting one and absolutely not based on the financial support that we could get directly or indirectly.

"The question is about building a strategy for the future and I'm happy that Genii has confirmed that this is the path. They have shown that they will continue with the investment until we are a top team and winning."

Former grand prix driver JJ Lehto has been sentenced to two years and four months in prison for his part in the boat accident that killed a friend last year.

The Finn was injured and his friend died in the crash, which took place in June of 2010 when the boat they were travelling on struck a bridge support in Finland.

A Finnish court said the 45-year-old was drunk and speeding on his boat, news agency Reuters reports.

Lehto had denied he was driving the boat.

His lawyer is appealing the sentence.

Lehto drove in Formula 1 from 1988 to 1994, achieving a third place at the 1991 San Marino GP as his best result.

[Lineker]

Jaime Alguersuari says he was very surprised by Toro Rosso's decision not to renew his contract to stay with the team in 2012, after the Italian squad announced an all-new driver line-up on Wednesday.

The Faenza-based squad revealed yesterday that Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne would replace Alguersuari and team-mate Sebastien Buemi from next year, in a surprising move by Red Bull's junior outfit.

Just the day before, Alguersuari had said he was not even considering a scenario in which he was out of the team.

The Spaniard admitted he wasn't expecting such a decision.

"I'm very surprised with the decision," Alguersuari said on his website. "Just a week ago, after winning the Challenge of the Stars in Florianopolis, I talked to Helmut Marko and Franz Tost and both talked to me about the plans they had for me for 2012.

"They talked with enthusiasm and they showed great confidence, also asking me to be in Madrid on Monday, for a great event by CEPSA where they made me insist about our project in F1 for 2012."

Although the 21-year-old admitted he found the situation "incomprehensible" because of the strong form he believes he showed during the 2011 season, he said he is not judging the decision because of the way he arrived in F1.

Alguersuari replaced Sebastien Bourdais mid-season in 2009, having not driven Formula 1 machinery before.

"I'm not going to judge the situation, because if I thought it was crazy that they made me debut in 2009 at 19 and without having done a single kilometre in an F1 car before, today's news was even more incomprehensible in the best moment of my sporting career," he added.

"I won't judge the reasons for the decision, because Red Bull gave me everything since I was 15, I have grown with them and I have become a complete driver in F1 at the age of 21."

The Spaniard said it was no drama losing his seat, and acknowledged that the support Red Bull had given him during the years had helped him become the driver he is today.

"I don't feel a victim because I've enjoyed the privilege of being in the best team in the world and with the best resources for seven years," he said.

"They brought me here, with them I won the British F3 championship at 18 and with them I've achieved the best result for a 21-year-old driver in F1 in 2011. They've taken a decision I respect, and I'm keeping an enviable sporting and emotional training."

He added: "It's not a drama, because I have a lot of plans for the present and the future. The surprise lasted a couple of hours. Enough to talk to my family, look at the street and realise that life is full of opportunities and challenges."

Former Formula 1 driver Luis Perez-Sala will take on the role of team principal at HRT following the exit of Colin Kolles, the Spanish team has said.

HRT confirmed on Wednesday that Kolles would leave the team today after having occupied that position since the start of 2010.

Perez-Sala, who competed in Formula 1 with Minardi in 1988 and 1989, had joined the team as an advisor in July this year.

"From the moment we took control of the team last July, the first thing we did was to study and value where we were, whilst also set ourselves a target and establish a strategy," said HRT CEO Saul Ruiz de Marcos. "We have been working discretely but relentlessly towards this for the last few months.

"We've always made it clear that our priorities were the car, the headquarters and our drivers. The car is evolving, Pedro [de la Rosa] has been a great asset to the team and we have always wanted to settle the team in Spain and have everybody working under one roof. Since we began working with Luis (Perez-Sala) our connection has been great.

"Now he takes on a much more key role in the team but the decision was an easy one given his knowledge and his way of doing things. It is the best decision we could make. I would like to also thank Colin (Kolles) and Manfredi (Ravetto) for their work and dedication in these two years that the team has existed and I wish them the very best for the future."

Perez-Sala added: "This naming is an honour but also a great responsibility. I joined the team as an advisor to the new owners and to contribute with my experience in any possible way. We had to establish a base from which to grow slowly and we are now seeing the first rewards of that work.

"But we mustn't lose our perspective and be aware that assuming responsibilities such as designing the car or moving the headquarters to Spain are huge tasks and we still have a lot of work ahead. We must be patient and keep in mind that we cannot expect to achieve great success in the short term, but we can take a team forward that we can all feel proud of.

"The simple fact that Spain has a team in the pinnacle of motorsports is already a great feat; we're a part of the G12. And that, apart from being an honour, means a greater development to the structure and everything surrounding it."

The team has signed Pedro de la Rosa as its first driver for 2012, with the second one yet to be named.

Ferrari says it will unveil its 2012 challenger in early February and that it will be ready for the first test of the winter.

"The new Ferrari F1 car will be presented in early February, in time to take part in the first test session ahead of the season," Ferrari media chief Luca Colajanni told Autosprint.

He said the new car will be significantly different from this year's machine, as the Maranello-based squad aims to return to winning ways following a difficult 2011 season.

"At the moment it's not important to say whether the new project is going to be extreme," he added.

"For sure, it will be a clean break with the past, a very different program, because it aims to win and it marks a change of mentality by the entire team."

The first test of 2012 will take place at the Jerez circuit on February 7-9.

Sebastian Vettel has added yet another accolade at the end of his remarkable 2011 campaign - by being voted as the best Formula 1 driver of the year in AUTOSPORT's exclusive team principals' top 10 rankings

In the now annual poll, Vettel emerged as a clear winner ahead of Jenson Button - with last year's winner Fernando Alonso dropping two places down to third.

The annual team principals' verdict is compiled by getting the top ten driver rankings of every boss, which are kept secret, and then converting their rankings into the F1 points' system (25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1).

The final scores are added up to discover which driver the team bosses overall believed had done the best job throughout the campaign.

Vettel is the first world champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2008 to earn the top place in the drivers' rankings.

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner believed that it would have been wrong for any driver other than Vettel to have come out on top on the back of his dominant campaign.

"It would have been a surprise if any driver other than Sebastian would have been voted as the driver of the year, after the season he's had in 2011," Horner told AUTOSPORT.

"He won 11 races, finished second in five, third in one, had a fourth place and one DNF which is quite a remarkable run of results.

"On top of which, he scored a season record of 15 pole positions to secure his second consecutive world championship title. Therefore he fully deserves to have been recognised as the outstanding driver of 2011."

Paul di Resta was the leading rookie driver, earning 44 points to take seventh place, while Heikki Kovalainen's efforts for Team Lotus were rewarded with ninth place.

This year's voters were: Horner, Martin Whitmarsh, Stefano Domenicali, Ross Brawn, Eric Boullier, Frank Williams, Vijay Mallya, Peter Sauber, Tony Fernandes, Colin Kolles and John Booth. Scuderia Toro Rosso declined to take part.

AUTOSPORT TEAM PRINCIPALS TOP TEN - 2011 RESULTS


 1.  Vettel      241     UP 1

 2.  Button      200     UP 4

 3.  Alonso      188     DOWN 2

 4.  Hamilton    122     DOWN 1

 5.  Rosberg     90      UP 2

 6.  Webber      70      DOWN 2

 7.  Di Resta    44      NEW ENTRY

 8.  Sutil       38      RE-ENTRY FROM 2009

 9.  Kovalainen  26      RE-ENTRY FROM 2008

10.  Schumacher  23      NEW ENTRY[/code]

[Lineker]

Scuderia Toro Rosso principal Franz Tost says the outfit replaced Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari because they were no longer fulfilling the team's criteria as a place to bring on rookies.

The Italian outfit caused a surprise on Wednesday when it announced that it was replacing both its drivers to hand Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne race seats for 2012.

Although the move caused some controversy because of the strong performances delivered by Buemi and Alguersuari throughout 2011, Tost says that the motivation for the decision was because Toro Rosso's whole ethos is about bringing on new talent.

"Sebastien has been with us for three seasons and Jaime for two and a half," said Tost in a Q&A issued by the team. "Both of them worked hard for the team, doing their very best and achieving some good results.

"However, Scuderia Toro Rosso's ethos has always been that of the "rookie training school" and with over two seasons under your belt, you are no longer a rookie. In an ideal world, drivers would move from Scuderia Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing, but there are no vacancies with our sister team right now.

"It might be seen as a harsh decision, but Formula 1 is a tough environment and Toro Rosso has always been very clear about the principles behind its driver choice."

Tost said the decision to axe Buemi and Alguersuari was only taken on Tuesday, during a meeting at Red Bull's headquarters in Austria.

Daniel Ricciardo says it was a "big relief" to hear he has secured a racing seat with the Toro Rosso team for the 2012 season.

The Australian, who raced with the HRT team during the second half of 2011, was confirmed at the Faenza squad yesterday alongside Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne.

He conceded he was slightly concerned about his future in F1 until he got the news.

"I was actually at home, it was after dinner and the phone call came," he said of the news. "It was short, sharp and to the point, but it contained all the news I wanted to hear.

"It was an awesome Christmas present and a big relief. I was with Mum and Dad at the time and I came out of my room and told them the news and it felt pretty special.

"Until something is done you are always going to be a little bit concerned, but I know everyone at Red Bull is looking after my interests and I felt I had done a good enough job this year for them to try and find me a seat for 2012. I had faith something would come through.

He added: "It feels amazing! It's nice coming into next season knowing what I'm doing and being able to focus solely on that. I am looking forward to working with a good group of people that I already spent a lot of time with this year. So there's plenty to look forward to in 2012."

Ricciardo reckons partnering rookie Vergne, who was his team-mate in the Renault 2.0 series, will be a "proper test" for both.

"We had a pretty good relationship by the standard of racing driver team-mates," he added. "As we progressed, the rivalry got stronger between us, but the important thing is that we respect one another. We both want to beat each other more than anyone else and it's been like that since we first raced together.

"It's a good thing and means we will get the maximum out of the equipment we are given. Next year will be a proper test for both of us."

Jean-Eric Vergne has conceded that Scuderia Toro Rosso team-mate Daniel Ricciardo may have the edge on him at the start of next year, but hopes he can develop quickly to catch him up.

The Frenchman has been handed his Formula 1 chance by Toro Rosso, after the outfit announced on Wednesday that it was dropping Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastian Buemi.

But with new team-mate Ricciardo already having half a season of racing for HRT until his belt, Vergne is realistic about his expectations for the start of his grand prix career.

"In Formula 1, you only get one team-mate, so you have to make the best of it, working together to do as good a job as possible for the team," said Vergne in a Q&A issued by Toro Rosso on Thursday.

"We have similar driving styles and we get on well and that will be a positive factor for us next year.

"Dan could probably have a slight edge over me at first as he has done 11 races this year, but let's see how it develops, as we have all the winter testing ahead of us before we start racing.

"I know that I have a lot to learn, so I hope I can do that quickly. I am conscious it could be very tough, but I also know that in general, I learn and I adapt very quickly: certainly that was the case in every category that I have raced in so far. Formula 1 is different, tougher than all the rest, but I feel confident."

Vergne has already done some running in Red Bull Racing's simulator to get himself more acquainted with F1, while he plans to spend some proper time at Toro Rosso's Faenza factory after the Christmas holidays.

"I've got quite a few questions going round in my head, so it will be good to get to Italy and discuss everything calmly before it's time to get in the cockpit again," he said.

[Katsuya]

di Resta and Hulkenburg have just been confirmed. No surprise after all.

[Lineker]

Force India has confirmed Nico Hulkenberg will join Paul di Resta in its racing driver line-up for the 2012 season.

Hulkenberg was the team's reserve driver during the 2011 season and will return to racing next year, having made his grand prix debut with the Williams team in 2010.

He replaces Adrian Sutil, the German having been expected to leave Force India for some months.

"I'm obviously delighted to be staying with Sahara Force India and to be given the chance to race next year," said Hulkenberg. "It wasn't easy to watch from the sidelines this season, but I did my best to help the team and show what I was capable of.

"I'm extremely motivated for 2012 and would like to thank everyone for believing in me and giving me this chance. I'm keen to get down to work over the winter to develop our new car and help the team build on this year's achievements. The first test in Jerez can't come soon enough."

Di Resta, who enjoyed an impressive rookie season with the Silverstone-based squad this year, will compete with Force India for a second consecutive campaign.

"I'm really looking forward to my second season of Formula 1 and continuing to grow and develop with Sahara Force India," he said. "I've said all along that I love being part of this team: they are ambitious, hungry for success and we work well together.

"I'm really excited about 2012 and there is a real sense of belief that we can continue to push the top teams and take another step forward. I'd also like to thank the team for all their hard work this year and for all the support they've given me. I'll take some time out over the next few weeks to recharge my batteries and hopefully come back even stronger in 2012."

Team boss Vijay Mallya said both drivers had more than earned their opportunities with their performances in their 2011 roles.

"I think Paul caught the eye of everybody in the pitlane during his rookie season," said Mallya. "His speed, maturity and racecraft confirmed that we were right to believe in him and we look forward to working with him again next year.

"As for Nico, we identified him as a rising star at the end of 2010 and chose to evaluate him during the course of this season. Despite having only limited time in the car, he convinced us that he deserved a race seat for 2012."

Mallya also thanked the departing Sutil for his contribution. Sutil had been at the team since 2007, when it was still known as Spyker.

"Our new line-up means we say 'goodbye' to Adrian Sutil, who has been with the team since we entered the sport," said Mallya. "He has been an integral part of our success over the past four seasons and we wish him well for the future."

That's a really awesome line-up - I hope they have a good car next year as those two can deliver.

[Lineker]

Silverstone has received planning permission for its 'masterplan', the latest stage in its major revamp programme.

Recent years have seen the track layout heavily revised, and a new pit and paddock complex constructed between Club and Abbey, where the start/finish straight is now located.

The masterplan stage will see the addition of a new business park, technology park, education campus, three hotels, plus new spectator and leisure facilities.

Richard Phillips, managing director of Silverstone Holdings Ltd, hailed the planning approval as a major moment in the circuit's history.

"We are delighted with the outcome and approval of this planning application - this is the most important initiative that Silverstone has taken in its 60-year history as the Home of British Motor Racing," he said.

"This planning will help maintain Silverstone's position as a leading global centre for sport, leisure, education and technology and retain its position as a world-leading motorsport destination.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank both Aylesbury Vale and South Northamptonshire Councils, for the way in which the two planning authorities have worked together on this application."

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/08/11/silverstone-submits-plans-development/

Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali is confident his team has taken the right measures to make sure there are no surprises with its new car when the 2012 season starts.

The Maranello-based squad was upbeat about its chances for the year after a very strong pre-season testing, but it was off the pace when the racing started.

In the end, the team managed just one win and finished a distant third in the championship.

Domenicali is confident the steps the team has taken to address the situation will pay off in 2012.

"From one side we tried to react from the organisational point of view, to do some changes," Domenicali said during a video conference with fans. "And we have done quite a lot of changes and we will have some more changes at the beginning of next year.

"Secondly of course we want to make sure that, with a humble approach, we don't underestimate any area of development.

"With the new regulations there is no such a big effect on the so-called blown diffuser, so we need to make sure that the car, from a general point of view, is very efficient and is able to create downforce because that was the main problem that we had this year.

"And I have to say that we need to be realistic and I believe in the choices that our technical people have taken to make sure there are no big surprises when we start the season.

"I'm confident about the job of the people who are here day and night because there is a great will to the place where we should be."

Domenicali confirmed the new car will be ready for the first test of 2012, with a launch expected to take place the week before.

"We are targeting the first week of February," Domenicali said of the launch date. "We don't know the day exactly but that's when we should be ready with the new car."

Williams's technical director Mike Coughlan believes the team has identified all the key elements to ensure it can now build a successful car every year after struggling during the 2011 season.

The Grove-based squad had endured its worst campaign in Formula 1 this year, having scored just five points on its way to ninth place in the championship.

Coughlan has taken over as technical director following Sam Michael's exit.

Coughlan believes Williams has all the right ingredients to return to the sharp end of the field, and he is confident the team is now moving in the right direction after the struggles of 2011.

"The facilities here are absolutely first-rate, and the only thing we haven't done is utilised them correctly," said Coughlan in the team's official magazine.

"There has been a forensic look at what we've been doing wrong and where we need to improve, and we've come to the conclusion that some strategic errors were made in the past.

"We've identified the key elements we need to put in place, not just for next season but forever, to make a successful car every year.

"We need both performance and reliability as those factors in unison are what win you races and championships, and we feel that we're now moving in the right direction."

Coughlan is also optimistic the new car will be ready in time for the first test of 2012, with an upgraded version making its debut in the final test before the start of the new season.

"The car is slated to be delivered to the race shop in mid-January and we'll be ready to go to the first test in early February," he said.

"The aim is that by the end of January, all the parts that can possibly have been verified have been, and the track testing is purely a verification of that work.

"There should be enough mileage on the major parts so that if the car stops on track with a fundamental problem, it comes as a surprise. Other than that the testing will focus on improving reliability and the overall aerodynamic performance of the car."

He added: "As we stand at the moment our gearbox and engine installation programme has finished and been tested on the dyno, and will run twice more before Christmas to have covered in excess of 6,000km. All of the rear suspension has been completed so we'll also run that as well.

"The first chassis is completed with a second one not far behind, and we'll shortly start our FIA crash test programme, and all of those tests have been passed already in private testing.

"We now have a fully-defined car that will be used for system checks, it has a reasonable improvement in downforce and will carry all of the systems that will enable us to go to the first test and be launched. Our aim is then to have an upgraded car for the final pre-season test."

Coughlan reckons the team's problems during the 2011 season were not exclusively down to the aerodynamics of the car, but also by the development route the outfit took during the course of the year.

"I don't think it's just aerodynamic, I think we made some decisions where effectively we gambled on something which would have cost us performance from a vehicle dynamics point of view, but which would have been outweighed by the aerodynamic gain," he said.

"That obviously didn't pay off - had it done so we would have looked much better this season. You've also got to take into account that the blown floor became more and more prevalent.

"We spent a lot of development time in the wind tunnel looking at how much time a blown floor might have gained us, but ultimately we couldn't blow the floor, so we could say in hindsight that time would have been better spent working on an un-blown floor.

It's a difficult one because you don't know at the outset what the gains will be, and a lot of time is spent getting to the answer, at which point it might turn out not to have been worth the effort."

The team has retained Pastor Maldonado for next year, with the second driver yet to be announced.

Caterham technical chief Mike Gascoyne has announced that the Caterham squad's 2012 contender has passed its crash tests.

The former Team Lotus also officially switched over to its new Caterham title this week.

"Great week," Gascoyne wrote on his Twitter account. "Renaming as Caterham F1 Team on Tuesday and today our first chassis, CT-01 passes all FIA homologation tests. Well done all."

Caterham has yet to announce when it will officially launch its 2012 car. The team has re-signed Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli for next year.

The Sauber team has announced it will unveil its 2012 challenger ahead of the start of testing at the Jerez circuit.

Sauber's Ferrari-powered C31 will be launched at the Spanish track on February 6 before it takes to the track on the following day.

The first test of 2012 will take place at Jerez on February 7-9.

[Lineker]

HRT's new team principal Luis Perez-Sala has admitted that the squad will probably start 2012 in worse shape than it ended 2011 as its restructuring progresses - but is confident that the team's longer-term prospects are now much brighter.

The team is aiming to establish a more Spanish flavour under new owner Thesan Capital, and this week promoted ex-Formula 1 racer Perez-Sala to the team boss position after the departure of Colin Kolles, who had guide HRT since its eleventh-hour transformation from the struggling Campos project just prior to its grand prix debut in 2010.

Although design work for the 2012 car is being carried out in Munich, HRT is beginning to establish a new Spanish base in Valencia, and has signed former McLaren reserve Pedro de la Rosa as its first driver for next year.

Perez-Sala conceded that producing the new car while moving base and restructuring the team was a tall order, and that it was likely to result in a very difficult start to 2012.

"The task ahead of us, with the design of the car and change of headquarters, is huge," he said. "Formula 1 is very complicated and implies a lot of preparation work, so, in this respect, HRT is a little bit behind other teams.

"We will feel the effects of this transformation the team is going through and will have to pay for it at the start of the season. We're not going to be at the same level as when we finished this past season, where the same team had been running for two years, but we're aware of that.

"We're taking a step back so that we can take two forward. 2012 will be an important year for us to settle and face a more natural and stable situation in 2013."

The Spaniard said he had total faith in the ability of the HRT personnel and that it was only the element of transition this winter that would set the squad back.

"Right now the main strength of the team is the people that make it up," said Perez-Sala. "There is a good group of professionals, with a lot of desire and willpower and faith in this project, this is very important because the sacrifices that are being made and that will have to be made are big ones.

"The major weakness is that the team is still going through a process of change and we are in December and Formula 1 doesn't stop. This is a competition where the deadlines are established and where you're being examined publicly, officially and permanently. That is the main inconvenience for us at this time of restructuring. But one thing is for sure and that is that we will work to the fullest and put in all our effort."

Perez-Sala thinks it will probably take the new generation F1 rules in 2014 for HRT to really close the gap to the established teams.

"In the medium term we intend to improve the car and get closer to our rivals than last year," he said.

"In the long run, with a better car and a solid structure, we will think about the strategy for 2013 and, above all, 2014 when there will be major changes to regulations."

He added that amid all the changes within the team, naming a second driver alongside de la Rosa was not currently a priority.

"We are in advanced talks with several drivers but we can't anticipate anything yet," Perez-Sala said. "It's a decision we surely won't make until the start of next year because, at this stage, who will be the team's second driver for next season is perhaps the least urgent one right now."

Bernie Ecclestone doubts that Formula 1 will become a big success in America even with two grands prix in the nation from 2013.

The world championship returns to the United States next year after a four-season absence, racing at a new purpose-built course in Austin, Texas, where construction was recently restarted after financial and organisational issues. A deal has also been completed to race on a street track in New Jersey the following year.

But asked in an interview with Al Jazeera whether he thought this would allow F1 to become 'big' in America, Ecclestone expressed doubts.

"We've got a maximum of two races in America and when you consider the country is as big as Europe and we've got several races in Europe, it's difficult," he said.

"If we had a lot more races there and a lot more television it would be okay.

"It's a bit like the rest of America in that they want to see a profit before they start something and it's not easy to do that."

F1 last raced in the US from 2000 to 2007, when it used the specially-constructed road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Designers of a new circuit being constructed in Argentina are aiming for the venue to host the nation's first Formula 1 grand prix since 1998.

The Velociudad Speedcity in Zarate, 100km from Buenos Aires, is being built by Populous, which was behind the recent Silverstone redesign and is also working on an F1-standard circuit in Mumbai.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the Velociudad venue took place on Friday, and Populous associate director John Rhodes said the ambition was to attract an F1 grand prix to the track when the full version was finished in 2014.

"The plan is for a circuit capable of delivering a Formula 1 event," he told Reuters. "Once the facility is there, then it's down to a promoter.

"The issue is to have a high performance circuit capable of holding a MotoGP then add the necessary requirements for a Formula 1 race.

"The main 4.7 km circuit will be good for F1 and endurance races like Le Mans, it's a good, sensible length."

MotoGP recently announced that it would return to Argentina in 2013 with an event at the upgraded Rio Hondo track.

Argentina last featured on the F1 calendar from 1995 to 1998, when the world championship raced at the Buenos Aires circuit.

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Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has told his team it has everything it needs to return to the top in 2012 after a disappointing 2011 season.

In a pre-Christmas speech to the team at Ferrari's Maranello headquarters, di Montezemolo said he had been encouraged by the efforts he had seen at the factory, and felt that the team now had the right personnel in place and the approach needed to take the fight to Red Bull once again.

"I want to be optimistic, because I can see the concentration and the attention to detail which characterises the efforts being made by [stefano] Domenicali and his people, by [Pat] Fry, [Luca] Marmorini, [Corrado] Lanzone and [Nikolas] Tombazis," said di Montezemolo.

"Work is going on in all areas to improve: from the design of the new car, to the simulation work, from preparing for the pitstops, to the starts and so on.

"We cannot be happy with the way this year went and there is a great desire to redeem ourselves, because results don't come on their own, they are not delivered by a stork: it will take hard work from every one of you, it will come from the ability to be perfect, to start from pole position and that ability is the strength of this company. Behind amazing products there are amazing men and women.

"All the ingredients are in place to start winning again."

Di Montezemolo also reiterated his belief that 2012 will see Felipe Massa back to his best form after two years of being comprehensively beaten by team-mate Fernando Alonso.

"Great things are also expected from our drivers for next season," said di Montezemolo. "Felipe knows next year is very important for him, but it is up to us to give him a competitive car. If we manage it, then I am sure we will rediscover the Felipe who delivered so much and who could be quicker than Michael [schumacher] and Kimi [Raikkonen].

"Fernando has had an amazing season, even though he did not have a competitive car and he made us all happy at Silverstone, with an emblematic victory, given it came at the same circuit and in the same month in which, sixty years ago, Ferrari took its first ever Formula 1 win.

"What I like about our drivers is their ability to work with the team: I knew that about Felipe and it was a pleasant surprise to find out the same applied to Fernando. I don't like drivers who turn up at the track with their briefcase and do not share in the daily life of the team: they are not Ferrari people."

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McLaren will have its new car ready for the first test of 2012, after the team confirmed on Monday it will be launched on 1 February.

With tougher crash test regulations in place for next year, allied to a two-week gap between the first and second test, it had been expected that a number of outfits could choose to delay the launch of their new cars to make the most of extra development time.

However, McLaren's announcement that the MP4-27 will be ready for the opening test at Jerez, which takes place from February 7-10, means the team follows Ferrari and Red Bull Racing in opting to get running as early as possible.

Mercedes GP is the only frontrunning outfit so far to reveal that it is deliberately missing the first test to instead launch its new car at the second test at Barcelona, which runs from February 21.

Team principal Ross Brawn said earlier this year that he had no qualms about that decision.

"At the factory, we have been focused for some time on the challenge of 2012, and our very clear ambition to move forward up the grid next year," he said. "As always, the winter development and manufacturing processes are a trade-off between time for finding performance in the factory, and time for delivering that performance during pre-season testing.

"We believe that the decision to run the car at the second winter test is the optimum compromise for our design and development programme with F1 W03."

Fernando Alonso says Ferrari is going all out to produce a 'dominant' Formula 1 car for next year, after praising the determination that he has seen at its Maranello factory this week.

The Spaniard claims that his outfit is eager to enjoy the success that Red Bull Racing has experienced for the last two campaigns, which is why it has been willing to take more risks with the design of its 2012 challenger.

And after seeing the new car in the windtunnel this week, Alonso says he is convinced Ferrari is putting in the effort that will allow it to hit back in style at the start of next season.

"I've seen the car as I've been to Maranello for four days," said Alonso during a Santander press conference in Madrid on Monday. "I've only seen the windtunnel version, but we have to wait.

"At this point of the season we all think we have the best car ahead of next year. We have to wait until February when he put in on the track, to see the results and to see how fast it can go.

"What's clear is that everybody in the team is very, very motivated ahead of next year. There's an urge to gain the ground lost and get the feeling that Red Bull has had for the past two years.

"Tasting wins and championships is something Ferrari is used to doing in the past decade and it's something we want to do again. From the first mechanic to the last designer, I've seen an atmosphere of full focus and a huge desire to get a dominant car.

"So I'm relatively calm and I'm confident that things will go well, because Ferrari has the ability to build a winning car. It's the best team and I think all the necessary details are being looked at so nothing fails."

Alonso thinks that Red Bull Racing will not be able to eke out much more speed from the successor to its brilliant RB7, but feels his team will be able to make much bigger steps for next year.

"I think we are going to go up," he explained. "Red Bull has a car that is very well developed, a very good car. Improving that car is possible, and they will improve it, but they don't have such a big margin to improve, unlike us.

"We had aerodynamic problems when the windtunnel wasn't working well. We had a different philosophy to adapt to the Pirellis, a different philosophy for the suspension and many other things. So we have a big margin to improve.

"So I think they will improve by X per cent, and we are going to improve by X by two, so it's all going to be much closer."

And although the team is pushing hard to give itself a big margin in the championship battle, Alonso thinks that the fight for victories on track in 2012 will be tremendously close.

"We know our rivals will be very strong and whoever wins next year's championship will win it by a tenth or two in the car," he said. "There aren't going to be huge gaps.

"For the car we have taken some measures and used some innovations that probably wouldn't have been used in previous years because of Ferrari's more conservative approach. So all this makes us feel optimistic."

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Fernando Alonso says he is delighted he will share the track with Kimi Raikkonen next year, following the Finn's return to Formula 1 with Lotus.

Raikkonen, who left the sport at the end of 2009, has secured a two-year deal with Lotus Renault to return to grand prix racing in 2012.

Alonso believes the Finn's comeback is good news for the sport.

"I welcome him back. He's a great driver," Alonso said during a press conference in Madrid.

"He's one of the drivers with the biggest talent on the grid, a world champion, a wonderful person... So it's going to be a pleasure to race alongside him.

"I'm not comparing him with anyone, but it's not the same to start a race and get to the first corner and have Kimi Raikkonen alongside you than having a young driver or a rookie. Fighting with champions like this gives you a different feeling and more security."

The Ferrari driver also conceded he was surprised that compatriot Jaime Alguersuari had lost his drive at Toro Rosso, although he admitted he did not know what the situation was at the team.

"I don't have a very strong opinion about it," he said. "I don't know how Toro Rosso worked and how happy or unhappy they were with their drivers.

"I'm probably surprised like everybody else that they have changed both drivers all of a sudden, because you usually need some consistency in a team, so replacing both is like starting from scratch and you have a tougher winter in terms of evolution and testing the car.

"But just like I was surprised about that, I was surprised about Sutil not staying and the same about other drivers.

"But I understand that Toro Rosso is like Red Bull's junior team and they have a lot of young drivers and they only have two seats at Toro Rosso. So they felt the need to change their drivers and try two youngsters. But I don't know what the situation was."

Nico Hulkenberg believes that understanding the Pirelli tyres in qualifying and race conditions will be key to a strong start on his Formula 1 return with Force India in 2012.

Although the 24-year-old completed almost 2000kms of running for the team in testing and Friday practice during 2012 on the Italian rubber, his last experience of qualifying and racing was for Williams in Abu Dhabi one year ago. This was when Bridgestone still supplying F1 tyres.

Force India will take into account the German's need to better understand the performance of the Pirelli tyres in qualifying and race conditions during testing as most of his running has been limited to the harder compounds on a green track on Friday mornings.

"It will be tough, but I went through that process last year with Williams as well," Hulkenberg told AUTOSPORT. "I don't know exactly how the Pirelli tyres will behave so I will make sure that I get all of the information I need to learn quickly.

"You need to get out there and do the races so that you can learn about them. On a theoretical basis, there is not so much that you can do. You have to drive and learn from it."

Hulkenberg's task on his comeback will be made easier by his familiarity with the Silverstone-based team after attending every race in 2011 as reserve driver and running on Fridays on 14 occasions.

Although the relationship between him and the team will change now that he is a race driver, the fact that he is already comfortable with the personnel should make life easier.

"I know everyone in the team and all of the engineers, but I haven't worked as closely with them as I will as a race driver," said Hulkenberg.

"I was involved with briefings and spoke to them during the race weekends, so it shouldn't be difficult.

"I'm very comfortable and happy with the guys in the team."

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BBC director general Mark Thompson has defended the decision for Formula 1 television coverage to be shared with Sky from next year - claiming any other deal would have been worse for fans.

In a transcript that has just been published from a recent hearing in front of MPs at the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Thompson said that the share deal is better for fans than if F1 coverage had gone to another British broadcaster.

He claimed that there was a real danger of F1 eventually disappearing totally to a pay channel – whereas now fans will at least have free access to half the races.

"We know that Formula 1 has only fairly recently come back to the BBC; it has been very popular on the BBC," said Thompson.

"Secondly, we know that Formula 1 fans ideally do not want Formula 1 to be interrupted by advertising, because of the character of the sport. Nor, of course-for the subset of Formula 1 fans who do not have Sky subscriptions-would they, ideally, like Formula 1 to go entirely behind a pay wall.

"I believe that the arrangements that we have reached offer very good value to the licence payer, and the experience of Formula 1 on the BBC will still be very rich. The first grand prix next season, when this new arrangement starts - the Australian Grand Prix - will be live on Sky in the very early hours of the morning. There will be a 75-minute highlights package in peak time on the BBC, which we would expect to reach many more people than the live coverage."

He added: "Talking about changing the arrangements in the existing contract and the extension of that contract, all I would say - and I have of course heard the arguments that perhaps this could have been picked up by another free-to-air broadcaster - is that what we have done has guaranteed that a very large amount of Formula 1 will still to be free-to-air to the British public for many years to come. Had we simply stopped the contract and decided to walk away from Formula 1 after that, there was a real danger that all of Formula 1 would have gone behind a pay wall."

Thompson said the deal with Sky will save the BBC more than £150 million over the duration of the contract – and made it clear that there was no consideration given to offering the F1 contract to another British free-to-air broadcaster.

"We were quite clear that, to get the economics to work for us, it was going to have to be a pay partner, and this was the only pay partner, credibly, whom we thought we could involve in it - indeed, a pay partner who had expressed interest in this very topic of conversation previously," he said. "It was an example of a free-to-air pay partnership, which is not by any means unknown in the market.

When pushed further on why there was not even a single conversation with Channel 4, Thompson said: "It seems to me that it was not required of us, and given that, in a sense, what we were trying to achieve on behalf of the licence fee payer was a significant saving, actually keeping the confidentiality of the process until it was clear whether the thing was viable and whether all parties to it - including, of course, the rights-holder - were happy, militated in terms of doing it the way we did it."

Nico Hulkenberg says hearing he had secured a racing seat with Force India for 2012 was a relief after months of speculation.

The German, who made his debut in Formula 1 with Williams in 2010, was Force India's reserve driver during the 2011 season, but was expected to replace Adrian Sutil in 2012 for several weeks.

The confirmation only arrived last week, and Hulkenberg conceded he was tense until the news was finally announced.

"As you just said, it was a relief," Hulkenberg told the official F1 website. "For as long as you haven't been given a thumbs-up that your future is secured, you always feel some 'light' tension. It was a fantastic moment when all the pressure suddenly fell away."

He added: "Of course I learnt it a little earlier than the public. And there had been some positive signs in the middle of the season. I always got good feedback from the team, so I was actually quite optimistic that in 2012 I would be back and that there would be no more 'third-man' role for me."

Hulkenberg believes his third-driver role with the team during 2011 helped him stay sharp ahead of his return to racing next year.

"Obviously I was not racing, but at least it kept me sharp, I believe. Even though I hardly ever drove more than 20 laps during the sessions, I always adapted very quickly - better than even I expected.

"At the beginning of next year I will need some time to regain the level I had at the end of 2010, but with the help of the team, I hope to get there again pretty quickly."

Kimi Raikkonen is adamant he will be as fast as he was before leaving Formula 1 when he returns to grand prix racing with Lotus next year.

The Finn has secured a two-year deal with the team and will make his comeback in 2012 after a two-season absence from Formula 1.

Raikkonen, the world champion in 2007, says his motivation is higher than ever before and is confident he will be as quick as he was before he went rallying.

"I am more motivated than ever and I don't think I've lost any speed," said Raikkonen on Lotus Renault's website. "Getting on top of the tyres will be the hardest thing, of course, but I'm not really worried.

"Although the technical regulations don't seem to change much, they apply to a lot of areas and quite a few elements will have to be re-designed. As a result, the cars will be significantly different next year. The order could be shaken up, which will make things very interesting."

The Finn says his visits to the team's factory have left him upbeat about his prospects for the year ahead.

He added: "My two visits to Enstone have been great. The first one, at the team's Christmas party, made me realise how much support I have there. The second one, last week, allowed me to understand that this team has not been world champion by coincidence.

"I also saw all the investments they have made recently: new simulator building, CFD upgrade, 60 per cent wind tunnel... It gives me a lot of confidence for the season ahead.

"I have been surprised at how big the reaction has been so I guess people must have missed me!"

He said returning to Formula 1 is like coming back home after two years in the WRC.

"Let's put it this way: before my two years of rallying I had nine seasons, 157 races and 18 wins in Formula 1. I know the sport well. When I went to rallying and when I tried NASCAR, there were many new things to learn, but with Formula 1 I feel like I'm coming home. I can't wait to get behind the wheel."

HRT's new team principal Luis Perez-Sala says making steady progress is the Spanish squad's main goal for the 2012 season, the former GP driver conceding it will be a transitional year.

HRT has changed ownership this year and has moved its racing operation from Germany to Valencia in the hope of co-ordinating the team better.

The outfit has also hired Pedro de la Rosa as its leading driver for the next two years.

Perez-Sala, who became team principal earlier this month after the exit of Colin Kolles, says the team is still facing a difficult season in 2012, aware that progress will take time.

"We have finished ahead of Virgin this year, but it's going to be a year of transition," Perez-Sala told AUTOSPORT in a phone interview. "What we want is to create a solid base for the team, and we know you can't do that in a day or a month, or even a year.

"We want to create our small base and make it more solid step by step. It will be a year of transition and we just want the team to make progress step by step. We want to see a good progression from the start to the end of the year."

Perez-Sala said the team is still aiming to have its new car ready in time for the first test of 2012, but admitted that the new crash-test rules will make it a bigger challenge.

From next year, teams will have to pass all mandatory crash tests before being allowed to test during the pre-season.

"We are going to try but it will be hard, that's the reality," he said of making the first test at Jerez. "What has changed this year is that you have to pass the crash tests before running and that makes it harder.

"We are going to try. But what you try and what you achieve are two different things. I'll tell you when we are in Melbourne. We are going to try, that's for sure."

He said testing with the old car was a possibility if the new one isn't ready.

"It's a possibility. Maybe. If we don't make it with the new car we may do it to give some track time to the drivers, but it's something we are not thinking about because right now we are planning to make it with the 2012 car."

The team is yet to confirm its second driver for 2012, but Perez-Sala said signing Jaime Alguersuari - who has lost his seat at Toro Rosso - was unlikely.

"The thing is that it has taken everybody by surprise," he said of Alguersuari's exit from STR.

"Nobody expected it. I wouldn't have bet anything on that happening. So we are in pretty advanced talks with other drivers. Until everything is done I don't want to say anything, but it's going to be difficult."

And he admitted the second driver will need to bring financial backing in order to secure the seat.

"Yes. We are a small team and we need to cover the budget as best as possible. I would like it to be different, but at the moment we don't have a choice. We hope to change that over time, but at the moment we need the support."

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Jenson Button believes that next year will give him his best opportunity yet of adding to his 2009 Formula 1 world title.

The McLaren driver won three grands prix in 2011 and finished second in the world championship behind Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

And after out-scoring his team-mate Lewis Hamilton in seven of the last nine races of the year and signing a new deal during the same period, he now believes he is in a better position than ever before to challenge Red Bull.

"We haven't quite won the world championship in the last two years, but I have won quite a few races with this team and I feel that our time is coming," Button said.

"We are in a very good position. And it couldn't be better really so we are very excited about 2012."

Button said that he has achieved the aims he set when he signed for McLaren ahead of the 2010 season.

In that time he has outscored Hamilton 484 points to 467, taken five grand prix wins and achieved the highest position in the championship for a McLaren driver since Hamilton took the 2008 title.

He still believes that more improvement is needed, however, in order to knock Vettel off his perch at the top of the championship next year.

"We have spent two years together now. It has flown by, and it is quite scary that it has been two seasons already," Button added.

"My aim was to arrive at McLaren and win races, and be with a team that can always give me a chance of winning the world championship.

"I feel that we have really improved and I feel that with a tiny bit more improvement we can fight for more victories in 2012."

Although Button does not rate his season as on the same level as his title-winning campaign with Brawn, he does believe that the Japanese Grand Prix marked the strongest race of his career.

"Japan meant a lot to me, because I have got a lot of connections with Japan over the last eight years," he said.

"So to have won that grand prix on a circuit that I love; such a high speed circuit, a circuit that should suit Red Bull, in front of the Japanese fans after all they had been through this year, it was a very special victory."

Red Bull design chief Adrian Newey and team principal Christian Horner talk to F1 commentary legend Murray Walker about their car for 2012.

Stefano Domenicali insists that Ferrari will continue to discuss the future of Formula 1's resource restriction agreement with the other big teams despite withdrawing from FOTA.

The long-term future of the RRA remains in question, but the Ferrari team principal insists that the Scuderia remains committed to the idea of restricting costs in F1.

"We have a situation where we need to control the costs and to make sure that it [the RRA] is enforceable and policeable," said Domenicali. "So the first point is to understand what is happening with the RRA now.

"The second point is to discuss with the major teams what the best solution is. This is a priority. So far, we have had a year or maybe two years with a lot of discussion and not a lot of results."

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo echoed Domenciali's sentiments, insisting that he still believes that there is a future for co-operation between the teams.

However, he hinted that such discussions could happen outside of the framework of FOTA.

"I still believe that there is a possibility for some teams to have a common view of the future," he said.

"Domenicali has a very good personal relationship with Martin Whitmarsh, my successor as FOTA chairman. I have to say that Martin did a very good job.

"I will seek to push as hard as possible to seek and find shared goals with the big teams. I only want to have clear rules and clear interpretations."

Di Montezemolo remains committed to keeping costs down in F1, but re-iterated his objection to a budget cap.

Instead, he is keen for spending to be kept under control by limits on team activities rather than expenditure. This is the basis upon which the RRA has been constructed, although Ferrari has been pushing for modifications to be made in the long-term to tighten the restrictions on activity rather than resources.

"I prefer to have the budget cap indirectly, not through the auditors who control what I spend because it's very easy to cheat," he said. "I will never accept a budget cap. A budget cap is against competition."

Domenicali underlined that Ferrari made the decision to leave FOTA of its own volition without consultation with other teams.

Red Bull withdrew at a similar time to Ferrari, with Sauber quitting shortly afterwards. Despite their decisions, FOTA is continuing to work and Domenciali is hopeful that there could be a change in its approach.

"At the moment, we have to wait and see what the approach of FOTA will be in the future and if some other teams will take the same way of thinking," said Domenicali.

"I want to make it clear that we left FOTA for our own reasons and then some other teams left straight away for reasons that I don't know. For us, there was nothing connected to anyone else because we took our decision without consulting anyone. We are not responsible for what the others are doing."

Ferrari is pushing for an increase in testing in Formula 1, with its president Luca di Montezemolo claiming that it is crucial for the development of young drivers.

From 2009-2011, in-season testing was banned outright with pre-season running heavily limited. In 2012, there will be one test at Mugello on May 1-3, following the early-season flyways. But there is no net increase in test days as these were taken from the usual pre-season allocation of 15.

Di Montezmolo underlined that he is still in favour of test restrictions, but that the current limits are too harsh and prevent rising stars from being properly evaluated.

"I was in favour of reducing the number of tests because we went too far [before]," he said. "But there has to be something in the middle. It is strange that one of the most professional sports in the world doesn't allow the players to practice.

"This is bad for our drivers. We have the Ferrari Academy, with some potentially good new drivers and I can't make them race GT cars or a go-kart. Giancarlo Fisichella is a good driver in F1 but when he went to GTs, for the first three or four races Gianmaria Bruni and Jaime Melo were far quicker in the Ferrari 458. It's different to a single-seater."

Di Montezemolo also questioned the effectiveness of such rigid test restrictions in terms of cost saving, pointing out that Ferrari agreed to restrictions because of the financial struggles of the smaller teams in F1. Ferrari has also had to invest heavily in new technology such as simulators to replace track time.

The simulator is one area in which Ferrari is believed to be a little less advanced than some of its rivals, despite making huge progress in recent years. That means that it's likely that the team would benefit from increased running in terms of car development. Despite that, di Montzemolo denied that Ferrari's on-site track, Fiorano, would be a major advantage as it is no longer suitable for F1 testing.

"I'm not allowed to test in Fiorano, but I'm forced to invest a huge amount of money in the simulator," he said. "You can see that the simulator is like a building.

"And Fiorano is not an advantage any longer because it has become a go-kart track. Mugello is fantastic, but not Fiorano [for F1 testing]."

Di Montezemolo added that testing also offers teams the opportunity to entertain corporate guests outside of race weekends, something that is crucial to the economic health of the outfits.

He believes that further tests would also boost media coverage between races.

"We are facing a big crisis and we have to give value to the sponsors," said di Montzemolo. "Testing is a possibility to organise events and entertain clients outside the races. F1 must be marketing oriented.

"We have 100 circuits in Europe without being allowed to test. In Italy, we could race at Monza and test at Mugello, for example, or in Britain race at Silverstone and test at Brands Hatch.

"It would also be good to have more presence for F1 on TV and in the media as well as for sponsors and for the tracks."

Felipe Massa will be back on the kind of form that took him to the brink of 2008 Formula 1 world title next year, according to Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.

The Brazilian failed to finish higher than fifth during the 2011 season and ended the year with less than half the points of his team-mate Fernando Alonso.

But di Montezemolo has tipped him to bounce back next year, which will be a crucial campaign for Massa's future as he has only one more season left on his Ferrari contract.

"I am sure that we will have a competitive Felipe as he was before," said di Montezemolo. "Don't forget that he was sometimes quicker than Michael Schumacher when he was his team-mate.

"I expect a strong reaction from Felipe because he is coming out of an unsuccessful season. There are reasons that explain this [disappointing year]. Felipe can have a very good season next year and I know that he is preparing himself very well."

Di Montezemolo dismissed suggestions that Massa's crash during qualifying for the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, which left him with serious head injuries and forced him to miss the rest of that season, has anything to do with his struggles during the past two years.

He pointed to the handling of the car and tyre characteristics as being responsible for the Brazilian's struggles.

The characteristics of our car were not in line with his driving characteristics," he said. "This was clear since the first test. And the tyres were too hard.

"A driver doesn't change so much in one year. He was very quick against Kimi Raikkonen [his team-mate in 2007 and '08]. It's nothing to do with the crash. Felipe will be competitive if our car is competitive."

If Massa does not raise his game significantly after managing only five podium finishes in the past two seasons, it is very unlikely that he will be given a new contract.

Di Montezemolo confirmed that the team is constantly evaluating the drivers on the market and hinted that any driver decision would not be taken until towards the end of the 2012 campaign.

"At the end of next season, we will have lots of possibilities," he said. "There is a big choice. Today, the only problem that we don't have is a driver problem.

"We will see what happens with [Robert] Kubica as I hope that he can come back. This year I also very much liked Nico Rosberg. He had a very good performance.

"And there are drivers with good potential who are not in competitive cars. This is a reason why I am in favour of a third car."