Formula One 2012

[Katsuya]

In a completely bizzare move, Jaime Alguesuari will be joining the BBC 5 Live team this season.

[Lineker]

Wahey, another addict! Brilliant!

Lots of news to catch up on after the downtime. Here we go...

As the final pre-season Formula 1 test kicked off at Barcelona last Thursday, there was a wave of expectation that what had previously been known - or at least pondered – about the current grand prix pecking order, would be validated, or at least hinted at.

As it ended, there was general confusion on the subject. Were those that the timesheet said were quick actually so? Were some of those names further down the order really hiding their true pace? Were one of two of those smaller teams entered for the season, even going to run their new cars before Australia?

In between, 3,683 laps were completed by 20 drivers in 10 makes of car. New parts were introduced and used (and broken), and a picture – a jumbled one at that – continued to develop of who was moving forward rather nicely, and who has work to do.

As if to prove how confused the situation is a Sauber stood alone at the top of the end-of-week timesheets while the world champion sat plum last. Timesheets don't tell the whole story.

Day 1

There was nothing unusual about seeing the names Jenson Button and McLaren appearing at the top of a timesheet at the end of the opening morning, but Romain Grosjean and Lotus?

True, the Frenchman's pace-setting lap had come on low fuel and soft tyres, but this was a team that had missed most of the previous week's test after problems with the chassis of the Renault-engined E20 emerged. Impressive, it certainly was.

Button, Sergio Perez's Sauber and Mark Webber's Red Bull were next up as the big guns failed to show their hands, instead focusing on runs with higher fuel runs than the others.

Ferrari, after making progress the previous week, seemed to struggle; Felipe Massa only eighth and visibly fighting his F2012 during his 105 laps.

Heikki Kovalainen was unable to drive his Caterham as the Finn had fallen ill with food poisoning on a sponsor visit to Finland the previous day. Vitaly Petrov – still without his custom race seat – took his place, after being abruptly woken up earlier than he wanted that morning.

Complicating matters further was the presence of 20 sets of tyres free from the markings that denote compounds. The all-black rubber was part of an emergency batch, produced at an unspecified Pirelli facility away from the Turkish plant that usually manufacturers the race tyres.

Should a natural disaster (or something of a similar magnitude) prevent the usual race batch from getting to a track, then the emergency rubber would be used. Wanting simply to test that these tyres were up to standard, Pirelli gave each team two sets of varying compounds, to use during the test.

Although named on the entry sheet, HRT's new car failed to join its fancy new motorhome in the Barcelona paddock, with the team announcing its intention to make it onto the track for the final day of running. Rival squad Marussia failed to even make the entry list.

Day 2

Until last Friday, the old adage that lightning doesn't strike twice had held true. But it was on this occasion that Grosjean broke a trend by becoming the first driver to top two days of pre-season testing this year.

Grosjean admitted that he had used "DRS, KERS and enough fuel," to do the 1m22.614s lap, which knocked Jean-Eric Vergne's Toro Rosso off the top spot, and was also impressive in a 60-lap race simulation in which he had a decisive edge over the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, which was doing likewise at the same time.

Michael Schumacher took over Mercedes driving duties from Nico Rosberg and suffered from the same tyre degradation issues as his team-mate on soft rubber; the German losing upwards of 2.8 seconds of lap time between the start and end of a stint. Even a whole day pounding around on the rubber couldn't provide a solution.

All the while though, Red Bull and McLaren kept their cards close to their chests; both Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton undertaking hugely consistent afternoon stints on what was obviously race levels of fuel.

It was at this point – with Ferrari struggling – that it became clear that it is just these two teams that will be in a position to fight for victory in Australia.

Day 3

The buzz in the paddock the previous night – once the vicious, unnecessary and totally unfounded twitter rumour that Massa had been sacked by Ferrari had been blown out of the water – had been of just how radical the updates due on the Red Bull and McLaren would be for day three.

A crowd of journalists and photographers surrounded the Red bull garage as the clock struck 9, to be treated only to a slightly different front and rear wing and revisions to the exhausts.

That the RB8 and MP4-27 were not the fastest cars on the day was no surprise. Nor was it a particular shock that Sergio Perez's Sauber, which completed a number of runs on soft rubber, set the pace. The fact that his 1m22.094s would stand as the fastest lap from eight days of testing at Barcelona, did raise a few eyebrows, however. Even Jenson Button said so.

Rain midway through the afternoon spoiled the planned race simulations of many drivers; although not Force India's Paul di Resta, who ended his simulation just as the clouds began to close in.

One team badly affected though, was McLaren. Button had already lost over an hour of track time to hydraulic problems in the morning, and was just finishing a tyre comparison run with his upgraded MP4-27 when the track became wet. Race simulation cancelled, his team-mate Lewis Hamilton was given a heavier programme to run through on Sunday.

Down at HRT, drivers Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan put in an appearance, while it became apparent that the race to make it to the test had been lost.

Day 4

As if to perfectly book-end the pre-season, Kimi Raikkonen set the pace on the 12th and final day of testing, just as he had the first at Jerez almost three weeks earlier.

The Lotus driver's pace on soft tyres was enough to land him a spot on top of the timesheets, even if his 1m22.030s lap wasn't a match for Perez's mark of 24 hours earlier.

After Saturday's rain, most teams dedicated Sunday afternoon to race simulations, and while Raikkonen's 65-lap run on a combination of soft and hard rubber resulted in the lowest drop-off of any driver, his overall pace showed up an approximate 0.2s deficit per lap to Hamilton's McLaren.

Alonso was second fastest, but his race pace was inconclusive as a few eight-lap stints were as long as the Ferrari man could manage. Bruno Senna's Williams was quick on low fuel and supersoft rubber while Nico Hulkenberg's Force India and Kamui Kobayashi's Sauber – which completed only 12 afternoon laps after an engine failure brought out the red flags – were next up.

The day was a disaster for Vettel. After going off and damaging one of those precious new Red Bull front wings, he was then prevented from going back out by a gearbox problem. When he did re-emerge, for the final six minutes of the afternoon, all he could do was attempt to generate some – any – data that could be analysed back at base ahead of Melbourne.

The HRT story continued, the team confirming it would run its new car would eventually arrive on Monday. A 'filming day' would allow the machine to complete up to 100km on old-spec tyres. Marussia, meanwhile, was aiming to do the same at Silverstone.

COMBINED TIMES


Pos  Driver         Team            Best time        Total laps

 1.  Raikkonen      Lotus           1m22.030s           164

 2.  Perez          Sauber          1m22.094s  +0.064   232

 3.  Button         McLaren         1m22.103s  +0.073   108

 4.  Ricciardo      Toro Rosso      1m22.155s  +0.125   231

 5.  Alonso         Ferrari         1m22.250s  +0.220   240

 6.  Senna          Williams        1m22.296s  +0.266   212

 7.  Hulkenberg     Force India     1m22.312s  +0.282   134

 8.  Kobayashi      Sauber          1m22.386s  +0.356   149

 9.  Massa          Ferrari         1m22.413s  +0.383   227

10.  Hamilton       McLaren         1m22.430s  +0.400   180

11.  Di Resta       Force India     1m22.446s  +0.416   206

12.  Grosjean       Lotus           1m22.614s  +0.584   197

13.  Kovalainen     Caterham        1m22.630s  +0.600   168

14.  Webber         Red Bull        1m22.662s  +0.632   172

15.  Petrov         Caterham        1m22.795s  +0.765   224

16.  Rosberg        Mercedes        1m22.932s  +0.902   257

17.  Schumacher     Mercedes        1m22.939s  +0.909   179

18.  Vergne         Toro Rosso      1m23.126s  +1.096   144

19.  Maldonado      Williams        1m23.347s  +1.317   126

20.  Vettel         Red Bull        1m23.361s  +1.331   108[/code]



Marussia has unveiled its new Formula 1 car - the MR01 - after it made its on-track debut at Silverstone on Monday.


The Anglo-Russian team is running the car for the first time at the British track after it had failed the mandatory crash tests last week and was therefore unable to join its rival in Barcelona for the final test.


"We are very pleased to be running the new MR01 for the first time this morning," said team boss John Booth. "It has been a long and frustrating wait for everyone in the team but we can now get back on track - literally - and start working towards the first race of the season in Australia next weekend.


"Today is the first of two promotional events, so while the drivers will be able to get a feel for the car, they won't be able to draw any real conclusions until we start running in anger in Melbourne. Nevertheless, this is an important day for us and we'll enjoy every minute on track with the new car."


The team said the MR01 is the result of a ground-up re-evaluation of the way it designs its racing cars after having used only CFD technology for its previous challengers.


The Cosworth-powered car has been designed by a team lead by technical consultant Pat Symonds.


The car, however, is yet to pass the official FIA crash test it failed last week, with Symonds saying it has only passed an 'unobserved' one.


Marussia said the technical partnership agreed with McLaren Applied Technologies last year has been influential in the design process.


The MR01 is the only other F1 car to not feature a platypus-style nose together with McLaren's challenger.


Marussia said Timo Glock and Charles Pic will share driving duties at Silverstone today and tomorrow.

Marussia has announced that it has passed the final FIA crash test, clearing its MR01 to race in the Formula 1 season-opening Australian Grand Prix in just under a fortnight.


The team had failed the last of the 18 mandatory crash tests required before it could start testing, meaning its only pre-season running came in a 'filming' day at Silverstone on Monday.


By that time the car had passed an 'unobserved' test, but the test needed to be seen by an FIA observer before it could be signed off - which has now taken place.


Marussia's technical consultant Pat Symonds said only minor alterations were required to get the car through the test.


"After a challenging few weeks for the team, we are pleased to have overcome the last hurdle of the final FIA-observed crash test, which we passed today," he said. "The component in question actually passed an 'unobserved' crash test but has been performing inconsistently in the observed tests.


"The previous fail was only marginal so we needed to have a slightly more robust solution in place. A few minor adjustments to the original concept of the component was all that was required.


"We were all thrilled to see the new car out on track over the past two days and whilst we have a lot of catching up to do, we take heart from the fact that everything is back on a more positive trajectory. We now look forward to the challenge of the season-opener in Melbourne next weekend."



The new HRT F112 completed its first laps at the Barcelona circuit on Monday ahead of its grand prix debut in Australia in less than two weeks.


The Spanish squad took advantage of the filming day regulations in order to shake down its new car after having been unable to get the car ready in time for the Barcelona test last week.


Indian Narain Karthikeyan was the man in charge of driving the car in its maiden outing late in the afternoon at the Circuit de Catalunya, after a frantic effort by the team to get the car ready in time.


Karthikeyan's team-mate Pedro de la Rosa was at the track following the proceedings.


The HRT car will be powered by Cosworth engines for the third year in a row.


HRT's car was unveiled on the same day as rivals Marussia, although the Anglo-Russian team is yet to pass all the mandatory crash tests. The Marussia was in action at the Silverstone circuit.

Narain Karthikeyan says HRT's new F112 is a definite step up from the team's 2011 challenger.


Karthikeyan got his first laps in the car at Barcelona on Monday, with HRT taking advantage of filming day regulations after missing all three pre-season tests due to problems passing the mandatory FIA crash tests.


Although he was only to get in a few laps toward the end of the day, Karthikeyan said he was confident the car was an improvement on last year.


"I was the first driver to drive it, and the first impressions were quite good," he explained. "[it is] definitely a step up from last year.


"We were on demo rubber so [we] really [couldn't] do any set-up work but everything seemed to work fine, no major problems and we look forward to the season now.


"Everyone has worked hard, new team management has put everything together in a very short time and they have done a proper job with the car.


"I am sure that it is definitely a big step forward from last year so hopefully we can take the competition to the closest teams we were fighting, Virgin and Caterham."


Although he is yet to shakedown the F112, Pedro de la Rosa said the completion of the first kilometres of running was hugely significant for the team.


"These kilometres are so important for Australia, giving us the confidence of knowing that the car will run reliably," he said.


"Narain did the laps but the result is very positive, the car has no problems. There is a lot more work we need to do to improve it and make it faster but so far so good; the car has been born in good shape."

HRT team principal Luis Perez-Sala said he was very proud of the Spanish squad after managing to get its new car running before the start of the season.


The Cosworth-powered F112 took to the Barcelona circuit for the first this afternoon, after a day of very hard work for the team.


The car made it to the circuit from Munich in the afternoon and the team worked against the clock to get it ready for Narain Karthikeyan to shake it down.


"I'm very satisfied today as it is a very important day for us because we were able to test some things out with the new car during this filming day," said Perez-Sala.


"I'm very proud of each and every member of this team because everyone has contributed their little bit for this to be possible. Now we have to focus on Australia because we still have a lot ahead."


The team reported no setbacks during the test, which covered over ten laps.


Indian Karthikeyan said the F112 felt like a step forward compared to last year's contender.


"The first impressions are quite good; it's definitely a step up from last year," said Karthikeyan. "We couldn't do any set-up work or stuff like that but everything seems to be working fine and there are no major problems so we can look forward to the season now.


"Everyone has worked hard and the new team management has put everything together in a very short period of time. They've done a proper job with the car and I'm sure that it's a big step forward from last year, so hopefully we can take the competition to the teams we were fighting last year".


Team-mate Pedro de la Rosa was also at the track, and although he didn't drive the car, the Spaniard said it had been a special day for the team after it managed to get its new car running before a grand prix for the first time.


"Today has been a very special day because the car saw the light for the first time; Narain did some installation laps and then various times laps without any issues.


"This is very important, it might not seem like it, but any sort of mileage before Australia is vital to see that the car is in good conditions. From here it is our job to try and improve it and make it progress".

Pedro de la Rosa will take over from Rubens Barrichello as the chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association for 2012, AUTOSPORT car reveal.


Barrichello lost his seat at Williams for this season, meaning the GPDA needed to find a new chief, but drivers had already agreed last year that de la Rosa would step into the vacant position under such circumstances.


"The agreement we had at the end of last season was that if Rubens would not be in Formula 1, then I would take over," HRT driver de la Rosa told AUTOSPORT.


"That was the vote from the drivers, so I will take over.


"But it's only because Rubens is not here. Otherwise he was doing a super job and everyone was happy for him to continue. It's a position I have inherited, and I'm happy to continue my work from two years ago."


De la Rosa is no stranger to the GPDA, having been chairman from 2008 until he returned to F1 last time with Sauber in 2010.


"I always like to be part of the GPDA in some form," he said. "I think the GPDA is a much more important organisation than some people might think. The fact that we are nearly all together, it makes us very strong. The atmosphere in the meetings is good - there are no problems between the drivers.


"We're all in the same boat, we're pushing together, and I'm very happy to be back."


Sebastian Vettel and Felipe Massa are expected to remain on as directors of the GPDA, with a vote likely to take place at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.


Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner has played down worries about his team's reliability ahead of the new season, despite some troubles in the final Barcelona test.


The reigning world champion introduced its latest update package for the final two days at the Circuit de Catalunya, but it did not complete the kind of mileage that it had hoped for.


On the final day, a gearbox problem on the RB8 meant Sebastian Vettel was only able to do 23 laps as a number of rivals were able to complete race distances.


But although Vettel himself rated the team's winter testing programme as 'happier than 5 [out of 10] and less than 10 - something in between', Horner seems more upbeat.


"It has been a respectable winter for us to be honest," he told AUTOSPORT. "We pushed hard through that first test. We have ticked most of the boxes that we wanted to, and that is the thing with the way testing is constructed. You are doing your dirty washing in public on many occasions.


"I think it has been constructive. Looking back to 12 months ago when we were faced with a lot of KERS issues and so on, I think it has been a positive winter testing period.


"I don't think there is anything too different from the last couple of years. Certainly last year was tougher because KERS was a bigger issue and we ended up not running at the first race, but 12 months on KERS has hardly been mentioned this year."


Although many rival teams believe that Red Bull Racing remains the team to beat for the start of the campaign, Horner says he remains unsure about its chances.


"It is so difficult to tell. We have been trying to focus on our own programme, learn about the tyres and learn about the car. We will see in two weeks where the starting order for the season is, and that will no doubt fluctuate as there will be a development race for sure throughout the year.


"Whilst on paper we had a totally dominant year last year, it was obviously fairly tight on numerous occasions last year, even at the first race with McLaren. So it is difficult to say. Until we go to the first race, it will be impossible to say who is where. We hope to be competitive, and I think both drivers are in good shape – but Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes, you cannot underestimate them."

Sebastian Vettel says it is only natural he should be seen as the favourite for the 2012 Formula 1 world championship given his form over the past two years.


The 24-year-old German enters the season chasing an historic third consecutive title, a feat only Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher have achieved.


Having captured 11 wins and 15 pole positions in a "nearly faultless" 2011, Vettel says it is logical for him to be considered favourite even as other teams gradually close the gap to Red Bull.


"Generally the one who wins it the year before is usually among the favourites the next season," Vettel told The Guardian.


Asked if he considered himself the outright favourite, he replied: "Yes.


"Last year was nearly faultless, and if I see the steps the team has taken it's incredible. You don't have this kind of season very often. Even if you look at the seasons Michael had, when dominating, we did something special.


"The last two years we came up with some very clever solutions and it's normal that, after a while, people work out how to copy us.


"I think last year we didn't have a car as strong as 2010, but we were stronger as a team. Rules change and that's part of Formula 1."


Vettel also pledged not to let his effort and dedication wane away from the track, explaining that success drives his passion for the sport.


"Just because you know how to win a championship doesn't mean you forget all the small steps you take," he said.


"[if] I've just finished my debrief with the team I could go off for dinner, but I won't. If the engine pops in a race I would feel bad and think maybe it was because I was lazy and didn't push 100 per cent.


"If I make a mistake, OK, it happens. As long as I've done everything to be at the top of my game then I'm all right. That's why I'm happy to work late.


"It's the same as every other job: you need passion to succeed. Yes, being a racing driver is a special job but, generally, if you don't like what you do then you're not going to be very good.


"Obviously, racing in F1, all of us are very fortunate because we're doing something we loved as a child and now it's our job - and we earn good money. So for us, as drivers, it's great. And when you're successful it becomes even better."


Fernando Alonso insists it is too early to write Ferrari's season off despite its difficult time in testing, but admits the team needs to work hard to understand its new car.


Ferrari's technical chief Pat Fry said at the end of winter testing on Sunday that he did not believe the team was competitive enough for podium finishes at present.


Addressing the staff at the Maranello factory today, Alonso acknowledged that Ferrari was in a difficult position, but said predictions of a terrible season ahead were unfounded.


"The new single-seater has some characteristics which are difficult to understand and maybe we're not where we want to be yet," he said.


"But we've all lived through many Formula 1 seasons and we all know very well that until we're in Australia we don't really know where we stand regarding to the others.


"There's lots of talk and many ideas, but nobody knows the truth. For example yesterday Red Bull, considered by many to be the frontrunner, had only a few laps and the last time on the sheet: if something similar had happened to us, hell would have broken loose, but here nobody really noticed it.


"More than ever we have to give it our all to improve, from the one who's responsible for the rear-view mirror to the one who's responsible for the piston. We're united and we're giving it our all, because we all want the same."


Team boss Stefano Domenicali agreed that Ferrari had ground to make up, but felt it was too soon to be downcast.


"It's obvious that we can't be happy with how the test went considering or goals, but let's not forget that the championship still has to start," he said.


"This is just the starting point and we have a very long season ahead of us. We know that there are some areas where we have to work a lot, regarding reliability and performance, but I'm expecting some great responses from you all and the wish to show who we are."


Alonso also underlined that testing times were often deceptive.


"I just want to remind you of an episode two years ago: at the last test in Barcelona we were fifth behind Red Bull, McLaren, Sauber and Force India and two weeks later we gained a one-two win in Bahrain," he said.


"What counts is not to be first in the first race, but in November, at the end of the championship."


Lotus team boss Eric Boullier says his squad is now confident it can close in on pacesetters Red Bull and McLaren during the 2012 season after its impressive performances in testing.


After a tough 2011 - its last year under the Renault banner - the renamed Enstone squad has appeared to make a massive step forward in winter testing, setting the pace on three out of four days at Catalunya last week with Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean.


Although Red Bull and McLaren remain favourites heading for Melbourne, when asked if he felt those teams were out of reach, Boullier told AUTOSPORT: "If I think this I should give up now.


"What is very encouraging is that even if we believe strongly that they are ahead of us, then the gap last year to this year has been reduced so it shows we can catch up. We obviously need to push more on this but we can close the gap, and it is up to us to do better this year and do even better for next year."


Boullier said that even allowing for the fact that testing times are notoriously deceptive, there was enough evidence that the Lotus E20 was a good car - despite a chassis problem meaning it missed the middle week of running.


"First of all this is testing, so even if everybody is watching the lap times of everybody, we have a long range of processes to go through and to test first of all reliability and temperature range, and different logging," said Boullier. "So it is only testing - qualifying will be in Melbourne and not before.


"The good thing is that the car was good from day one out of the box. The car itself has been very well designed and it is clearly a step up over the past years. That has allowed us to put a lot of miles behind us at Jerez, and then we had a little bit of a setback [at the second test], missing the four days, and [the final test] I think was not bad.


"We had to make some compromises on the testing because we were missing four days, so we had to combine eight days with four days, but all in all it was not bad."


Boullier added that Raikkonen and Grosjean were already feeling at one with the E20.


"Clearly the basis is very good," said the team boss. "The car is not easy, but the drivers like it – it makes them comfortable and confident in the car.


"The car is reacting well, matching the simulation figure. So far it is a good basis to start with."


Sergio Perez reckons Sauber is coming into the 2012 Formula 1 season better prepared than it was last year, having achieved everything it could in testing.


The Mexican felt his team could be very satisfied with its winter work, as it appeared to be among a tight group of midfield cars fighting for points.


"I think we know our car a lot better than we did last year at the start of the season," he said. "We know of course that Melbourne will be a surprise for everybody, it was like that every day [in testing] I think, but we more or less know where we are going to be and how competitive we are."


Perez said he was not exactly sure where Sauber stands, only that it was getting a lot out of its package already.


"The performance side, we don't know where we are, but I am happy with the balance and happy with how things went and I think we are reaching our top level in terms of set-up and we are at a very good point to start to the season," he said.


He acknowledged that Sauber's form had tailed off in 2011 after an encouraging start, but does not think that will be the case this time.


"Of course, if we remember last year we started very well and then we went down," Perez admitted.


"The team is doing a good job and I think we are in a good way to keep developing our car and be in the points as much as possible."


Former Toro Rosso driver Jamie Alguersuari will join BBC Radio 5 Live as a commentator this year.


The Spaniard will be the station's expert summarise alongside James Allen on its live coverage of the 2012 Formula 1 season. He is expected to be present at every race of the championship in his 5 Live role - and is believed to also be eyeing reserve positions with frontrunning teams, having been linked with Mercedes over the winter.


"It's great to be part of the BBC's F1 commentary team on Radio 5 live," he said. "It will be interesting to look at the action from a different angle and bring that excitement and insight to listeners.


"Given that I'm still only 21, this agreement permits me to return to F1. It promises to be another exciting season and I can't wait for it to start."


BBC Radio 5 Live controller Adrian van Klaveren added: "We're delighted to have Jaime on board, his engaging personality makes him a great addition to 5 live for the 2012 F1 season. We are going to make the most of Jaime's first-hand experience right now knowing he could well be driving for one of the teams again in the near future."


Alguersuari drove for Toro Rosso from mid-2009 to the end of last year, when he and team-mate Sebastien Buemi were dropped in favour of Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne.


5 Live's previous commentary pairing David Croft and Anthony Davidson have joined Sky Sports for 2012.

[Katsuya]

So the commentary teams would be

Sky Practice - Croft & Davidson

Sky Quali/Race - Croft & Brundle

BBC Practice + 5 Live - Allen & Alguersuari

BBC Qualifying + Race - Edwards & Coulthard

...yeah, I think I know which channel sounds better to me.

[Lineker]

In case anyone missed it, you can watch the BBC documentary about Lewis Hamilton's disabled 19-year old brother Nic Hamilton on the BBC iPlayer.

[Lineker]

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo says he is hoping the predictions that the Italian squad will not be fighting for podiums at the start of the season prove wrong.

Technical director Pat Fry said at the end of testing last week that he believed the Maranello squad was not competitive enough to fight for the top places at the start of the year after a difficult winter of testing.

Asked if he was excluding podium finishes at present, Fry said: "At the moment, I'd say yes. But I suppose I'm always slightly pessimistic."

Di Montezemolo is hoping the predictions prove wrong when the season starts, but suggested he would like Ferrari to recover quickly if that is the case.

"I hope these predictions don't turn out to be correct," di Montezemolo was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport. "Should that be the case, I'd like to know how many seconds it takes to recover."

Di Montezemolo acknowledges that Ferrari will not really know where it stands until the season kicks off, but he is aware that it may take time to unleash the car's potential.

"I've spoken with Alonso: he's told me there are many positives with the car, but highlighting them will take time," he added.

"It's a car that needs to be discovered and improved, and only in Melbourne we'll know where we stand."

Craig Pollock's PURE engine company will move to Toyota Motorsport's facilities in Cologne after securing a deal with the Japanese car maker, AUTOSPORT has learned.

PURE, which has been operating in its France base so far, is set to make its debut in Formula 1 in 2014, when the sport switches to V6 turbo engines.

Speaking to AUTOSPORT, Pollock confirmed the move to Cologne - where the Toyota F1 team used to operate from.

"The situation is that we have signed an exclusive agreement with TMG," Pollock told AUTOSPORT.

"It's been signed for quite a long time, no question about it, and Toyota are currently preparing the front office complex that's linked to the test benches and to the assembly units.

"So we can basically have all the parts that we are currently manufacturing delivered to our assembly facility so that the prototypes will be built actually at the Toyota facility, which will become the PURE facility."

Pollock said the move made sense as it will save his company valuable time that it can use to be better prepared once the engines take to the track.

"The reasoning behind it is quite simple," he added. "We obviously would've looked at constructing our own facilities and constructing our own test benches. There is a cost factor and there is a time factor.

"But the biggest thing was in reality the time factor, because to build anything on that scale and certainly to build a test bench, it would take a year and a half minimum to have it up and running and to be calibrated.

"Toyota, they've got the absolute best test benches I think in the world for a Formula 1 engine. They have the most up to date, and have so many of them that for me it was logical to go down that road, because we should be ready to be on the bench in the end of July."

He said PURE will continue to operate from France, however.

"The idea is that we will have the main design and assembly team, the people who have to work on the test benches definitely based out of Cologne. There has to be one unit that is working fully there, and we will normally carry on with units in France as well."

Craig Pollock says his PURE engine is so advanced with its preparations it could race in 2013 if it needed to.

"Absolutely. We could be ready to race it in 2013," Pollock told AUTOSPORT. "But the regulations stipulate something else.

"The engine is far enough advanced now that we know that we could, if we had to, if the sport dictated it to us, we could have it in a car for 2013 racing."

PURE will enter Formula 1 in 2014, when the sport will switch to V6 turbo power units.

Pollock's company has been linked with McLaren, a rumour that was denied by the team earlier this year.

Pollock suggested he is no hurry to secure deals with F1 teams, as he reckons there is still plenty of time.

"We haven't even overtly thought about it at the moment," Pollock told AUTOSPORT. "We've got 18 months after the month of July, if you think about it like that. And as we are testing in July with full race engines, it's not with a mono cylinder, it's really directly into the full race engine, we've got quite a bit of time.

"But the way everything is going in the sport, you've got three suppliers today: you've got Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault.

"In the rules it's relatively clear that unless there is exceptional circumstances, any manufacturer can only supply their own team and two other teams, so there's maximum three for Ferrari, three for Mercedes including their own team and there is three for Renault."

Pirelli has announced a Renault R30 from the 2010 season will be its new test car.

The Italian manufacturer had been looking for a new car to use for testing purposes as the Toyota it had been using up until now was deemed too old.

Pirelli said the Renault R30 will be adapted to simulate the latest technical and aerodynamic regulations.

The car will run with a carbon fiber black Pirelli livery and the test team will be run by Pirelli with no team member connected to a current Formula 1 team.

Pirelli is hoping to announce a test driver within a month.

"It was clear from an early point that we needed a more modern solution for our test car, as while the Toyota TF109 has served us extremely well, it is now three years old," said Pirelli's Paul Hembery.

"Technology as well as the regulations have moved on considerably since then, and the Toyota is no longer able to generate the same sort of forces that we need to simulate in order to meet the current requirements of Formula 1.

"At the top of our agenda is the need to treat the teams entirely equally, which is why the test team will be run independently and all the teams will be able to send an observer to the tests.

"Our new test car will be running to current fuel regulations, with no refueling, so we will be able to simulate a full race distance and the change in balance with the car and tyres."

The Italian manufacturer said four to five tyre tests are anticipated for this season, with the first one set for May.

For those who don't remember, this was the yellow and black 'bumblebee' livery that Kubica and Petrov drove. The season before last.

Maria de Villota has joined the Marussia Formula 1 team as a test driver for the 2012 season.

The Spaniard, who has raced in several series including Spanish F3, the Daytona 24 Hours, and Superleague Formula Championship, first drove a Formula 1 car last year when she tested a Renault R29 at Paul Ricard.

She was the first female driver to test for a contemporary Formula 1 team since Katherine Legge in 2005.

De Villota will test for the team during the young driver test in Abu Dhabi later this year.

"I am very happy to be joining the Marussia F1 Team test driver programme," she said.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to work closely with a Formula 1 team and gain important experience to help me progress my career, including the chance to drive the new car later in the year at the Abu Dhabi test.

"I will be joining the team trackside so I'm looking forward to working alongside them at the first race next weekend and this can only help my future ambition to step up to Formula 1 racing."

Team boss John Booth added: "We are pleased to welcome Maria to our test driver programme, which will enable her to be integrated into a Formula 1 team environment and gain a vast amount of experience that will be useful to her career progression.

"We will also provide Maria with the opportunity to sample F1 machinery later in the year, further adding to her racing credentials."

[Gazz]

A woman??!!?

[hugobomb]

Can't any worse than when Flavio got his girlfriend a sea.... I mean when his offered his partner a completly legitmate test drive at his team that helped get her a seat at Brabham (that was helped by a big sponsorship package). Where she promptly failed to get it on the grid and was dropped the instant her money dried up.

[Lineker]

Not this Red Bull-bashing again...

Red Bull Racing has dismissed talk that its new exhaust configuration is pushing the limits of Formula 1's technical regulations, despite suggestions from rival teams that the FIA may need to look at it.

The reigning world champions revealed its latest aerodynamic package on the penultimate day of last week's Barcelona test - with the exhausts situated as far forward as possible so as to help energise airflow around the Coke-bottle area of the car.

The fact that there appear to be slots in the rear floor area of the RB8 has led rivals to suspect that Red Bull Racing could even be trying to direct exhaust flow into the diffuser area - something that the new regulations was supposed to have outlawed.

Some of Red Bull Racing's rivals have expressed interest in what Red Bull Racing is up to - and think the FIA's head of technical department Charlie Whiting should take a close look at the design.

But Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner says his team sees no issue with its design – which is similar to the concept also being used by Sauber and McLaren.

"We are happy that we comply with the regulations," Horner told AUTOSPORT. "Ultimately it is a matter for the scrutineers and the FIA, as they have more knowledge and sight. Teams only ever get to see photographs; the FIA gets to see the cars close up in reality."

Ferrari technical chief Pat Fry believes that teams may need further guidance on what they are and are not allowed to do in light of the Red Bull Racing design.

"It comes down to what re-ingested exhaust gas is really and that's a question for Charlie," said Fry, referring to a technical directive issued by Whiting earlier this year.

In that note to the teams, Whiting made it clear any exhaust designs that re-ingested or redirected exhaust flow for principally aerodynamic reasons would not be permitted.

Ferrari had to abandon an exhaust concept similar to Red Bull's prior to last week's Barcelona test, and Fry says its development push in this area would now depend on what Whiting allowed teams to do.

"I think it's the obvious direction to go in," he said about the Red Bull design. "We gave it a shot; we didn't quite get it right. The issues we had, we weren't going to solve for at least the first four races, so that's why we had to back up and change course.

"Ultimately I think it is the way to get the most downforce out of the current rules, obviously depending on Charlie's interpretation, so we are continuing to look in that area, as I'm sure is the whole pit lane."

Williams chief operations engineer Mark Gillan said in Barcelona that the Red Bull design was worth looking at, but he felt questions on whether it complied with the spirit of the regulations would be left to the FIA.

"With all these things, it is not for me to question the legality of a team," he explained. "That is down to the team and the FIA. I look at our car and obviously we watch what others are doing very carefully and if we deem there is performance to be had there, we will be looking at it ourselves. They have got an interesting solution and we have certainly looked at it."

"Obviously all teams go to the limit of where they perceive the regulations to be, provided they are getting performance benefit from it."

When asked whether he believed it complied with Whiting's technical directive, Gillan said: "It is re-ingestion of exhaust gases into the bodywork. When it goes external it is a bit more vague."

Michael Schumacher is not getting carried away with the positive winter testing programme his Mercedes team has enjoyed - and says the lessons of last year have made him more cautious ahead of the first race.

Twelve months ago, Schumacher and his Mercedes team believed they had a car capable of fighting at the front after topping the final pre-season test, only for its W02 to fall well short of those expectations.

This time around, Schumacher feels that Mercedes is in much better shape, but he says that he is keeping expectations more in check.

"The car is reliable which is already good," he told his official website. "The first impression was already quite positive. We were driving out of the box with the car and everything went well, so there is potential.

"We are heading into the season much better prepared than in the past two years, and we can fully concentrate onto the development of our car.

"The speed is promising. I hope we can show that in Melbourne. We were able to drive a lot during the tests and therefore learn a lot too, and we certainly have made a step forward. But I want to wait until after the first races to judge how big this step is and how much it is worth compared to our competitors."

Although some race simulation data over the tests has pointed to the possibility of the team being close to Red Bull Racing, Schumacher believes his rivals remain ahead of the opposition.

Speaking about his own chances of winning in Melbourne, Schumacher said: "Victory to me is unlikely, I see Red Bull in front. Behind them it will be tight, and you can be either hero or zero very quickly. It will come down a lot to the ability of how well you will be setting up your car to the respective track."

Asked about why he was playing down his prospects so much, Schumacher said: "Because we have experienced last year that you can be very wrong relying on the data coming out of the winter tests. And because we can see that the field will be very narrow this year.

"I do not have a clear picture yet. What we can say though is that the gap between several teams will not be as big as it was last year."

Schumacher also reiterated that he was in no rush to decide whether or not he would extend his contract with Mercedes, which runs out at the end of this season.

"That's just totally unimportant at the moment, I don't even think about it now," he said. "Now, it is all about focussing and concentrating on understanding our car, so that we will have a positive season. I will certainly not be nailed down now."

Williams is heading into the new season upbeat about the progress it has made with its new car, as it hopes to draw a line under its disappointing 2011 campaign.

The Grove-based outfit has pinned hopes of a recovery on a technical reshuffle and a switch to Renault engines - with early results from testing being encouraging.

Chief operations engineer Mark Gillan is happy with what he has seen so far in testing, and feels the team is on course to enjoy much better results this time out.

"We are in good shape," explained Gillan. "We have done a lot of mileage, we have gone through the systems and everything looks pretty good. Plus, both drivers are pretty complimentary of the car and still learning."

Gillan feels that as well as the new car being a step forward from last year's, the whole team has made progress too.

"I think things have settled down somewhat," he said. "We went through a transitional period and things are much better now. It is clear where everybody is required to bring performance and direction, and lead in certain areas, so things are good.

"I think we have now got more structure and we do things in a very rigorous way, so we don't put things on the car that are not shown to be quicker. The parts are consistent, they fit better and generally the whole process is running much smoother."

Don't forget!! Sky Sports F1HD launches tomorrow night at 8pm with a two hour-long season preview, with Martin and the team!

*puts BBC hat back on*

[hugobomb]

Ferrari in 'WAH WAH WAH WE'RE NOT ON TOP ANYMORE THEREFORE EVERYONE IS CHEATING!!!!' shock

[Lineker]

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says he is close to finalising a contract for the Valencia and Barcelona races to alternate on the calendar from next year - meaning Spain will have just one race from 2013.

After months of speculation about the future of the Valencia Grand Prix, Ecclestone revealed that that event and Spanish GP organisers have agreed to share the race from next year.

In an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, Ecclestone said that he was now working on sorting out dates going forward.

"Both Valencia and Barcelona have agreed that the best way is to alternate, and now we are trying to choose the dates," explained Ecclestone. "We wanted to see how we could help Valencia, and alternating with Barcelona is a good solution. Sharing the race will be a good idea, providing they are all fine with it."

Ecclestone dismissed recent suggestions that this year's race in Valencia could be in doubt, and added that he would have been happy to stay there beyond its current 2014 contract.

"We really want to be in Valencia. Everyone is happy there; both the teams and the sponsors, and it would be a shame to miss an event like that.

"I would like to continue after 2014 having F1 in Valencia. I've always been very happy with the way they have organised the races, I have never complained and the people have always been very friendly and hospitable to me."

[Sam]

Better go to the Barcelona race this year then!

[MJB]

Ugh, Valencia.

I know it's a new track and they don't want to give up on it, but they have to do something to make it more interesting.

[Lineker]

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has agreed some minor changes to Formula 1 regulations ahead of the season-opener in Melbourne next weekend.

A new restriction on DRS use has been introduced in wet events, allowing the race director to "prohibit the use of the adjustable rear wing (DRS) if he feels visibility is too poor in wet conditions."

"This has been done as a result of safety concerns over large speed differentials between cars."

The governing body has also made amendments to the curfew regulations for events with unusual schedules. Some teams accidentally used up curfew exceptions at the Singapore Grand Prix last year after misunderstandings over the implication of the event's night schedule.

An FIA statement said: "Changes have been made to the personnel curfew to ensure the rest periods remain constant throughout the season, irrespective of the timing of practice sessions at particular events."

The final amendment is to the tyre rules for grands prix where Friday running is affected by rain.

"One set of dry-weather tyres may now be carried over to Saturday if both Friday sessions are declared wet; it is hoped that this will result in teams carrying out more laps on Saturday."

Kimi Raikkonen is ready to impress on his Formula 1 return, and will not be at a disadvantage because of his disrupted pre-season testing programme.

That is the view of his team boss Eric Boullier, who thinks Raikkonen did enough over the winter to get fully prepared despite losing running at both the second test and on one day in Barcelona last week.

"I think he has shown us already what he can do," Boullier told AUTOSPORT, referring to the fastest time the former world champion set at the last Barcelona test.

"We will never recover from the four days we lost, and of course they would have been welcome. Both Kimi and Romain [Grosjean] would have benefited from the mileage, but it is like it is.

"We have to deal with the facts and I must say we did the best with the remaining days we had."

Raikkonen had said over the winter that the biggest issue he faced was understanding Pirelli's tyres - but Boullier thinks he is well on top of that matter.

"Kimi is good at this, but Romain is still lacking a little bit of experience," he said. "However, he [Grosjean] showed very good progress from Jerez to Barcelona on tyre management for the race, so I am confident he will do it."

Lotus owner Gerard Lopez told Gazzetta dello Sport this week that he too was convinced Raikkonen would impress in 2012.

When asked if it was a gamble, Lopez said: "Not at all. I don't like that people see it that way. Kimi is a quick driver who has integrated very well in the team from a personal point of view. He has told me he considers us a family. We'll see what he does in the races, but I have no doubts and in fact we have joined forces for two years."

Lopez thinks that with the investment in the team, and the push to increase resources, that the outfit can target good success in the next few years.

"We are 540 people, we have a new windtunnel, we have the simulator," he said. "We only lacked two things, but we have them now: a car competitive throughout the season, and the drivers. Raikkonen and Grosjean are super strong. The objective is to get in the fight for the world title in the next three years: we'll go for it."

Robert Kubica's continued absence from Formula 1 is a 'big loss' to the sport, reckons his former boss Gerard Lopez.

The Polish driver is still recovering from serious injuries he suffered in a rally crash last February, and is not expected to be fit enough to return to the cockpit of a racing car until later this year.

Lopez, the owner of the Lotus team that Kubica raced for when it was known as Renault, has expressed regret about the way events turned out with the driver - and especially the way the relationship deteriorated over the course of last season.

"I'm sad for what happened: it was very difficult for us, and even more for Robert," Lopez said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport. "We did everything and more, while respecting the agreements we had with him.

"We were ready to carry on and figure out how to make him get back sooner inside the car and perhaps later in the championship. But I'm not at all happy for what happened later. We couldn't do more; I don't think it was Robert..."

Lopez suggests that rumours of a tie-up with Ferrari played a factor in the way things developed with Kubica – and he takes no satisfaction that the fact there remains uncertainty about whether or not the one-time grand prix winner will make it back to race in F1.

Talking about if issues developed between team and driver over the Ferrari situation, Lopez said: "Yes, but I don't know whether that was Robert's illusion or someone else's. We knew that a return for Robert in 2011 wasn't possible.

"We didn't urge him but pressure was put on him by his management. I don't know whether this had to do with the interest they had for Ferrari, but our door was left open for a long time.

"I still think Kubica is part of that small category of drivers who can win with a car that is not the best. It's a big loss."

Lewis Hamilton says he will start the 2012 Formula 1 season feeling better prepared that at any other time in his career, but will keep things in perspective if he does not win in Melbourne.

McLaren looks set to be Red Bull's main title rival based on winter testing, and with his team having enjoyed a much smoother build-up than 12 months ago, Hamilton said he heads for Melbourne in an optimistic mood.

"I actually feel more relaxed and ready for the new season than I think I've ever done," he said.

"Everything has gone smoothly with the car - which is more than we can say for last year! - and it just seems to be a responsive and reliable package. My final day in the car – with the aero package we plan to run next weekend – also felt good: the car was a useful step forward.

"Of course, we haven't tested it in competition yet, but there's plenty to feel optimistic about.

"It's a bit weird to have driven the car for a whole month and still not done a really fast lap – I guess we'll really find the limit next Saturday.

"Obviously, this is always the time of year when you're feeling positive, but we've got plenty to look forward to. I'm going to get off the plane in Australia with a big smile on my face."

Team boss Martin Whitmarsh believes both Hamilton and team-mate Jenson Button are beginning the year in the best possible form.

"At Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, we've had an extremely productive winter – I've never seen Jenson and Lewis looking so healthy, committed and prepared for a new season," he said.

"There's a real hunger within the whole organisation – I've witnessed it in conversation with our heads of department, our engineers and our mechanics: we want to win more than ever and we've left no stone unturned in our quest for performance."

But Hamilton added that while he goes to Australia feeling upbeat, he is more focused on the championship campaign than a round one win, describing his aim for Melbourne as being "to score some useful points and use the race to kickstart our challenge for the world championship."

He added: "That might sound like we're aiming low – we're not – but, at this time of year, it's good to remember that it's going to be a very long season. There's no point putting all your eggs in one basket – I'd love to win in Melbourne, sure, but there are 19 races afterwards, so it'll be important to get some points on the board.

"As long as I can leave Australia feeling confident that we have a car that's able to fight for the title, then I'll feel happy. It's as simple as that."

Felipe Massa still believes that Ferrari can fight for a podium finish in the Australian Grand Prix, despite its difficult pre-season testing programme.

With Ferrari still not at the level it hoped to be with its F2012 as it heads to the first race of the season, technical chief Pat Fry reckoned last week that the outfit would struggle to finish in the top three.

Massa, though, is more optimistic - and thinks that Ferrari's testing troubles may not be repeated once cars run in anger for the first time.

"It's true that every year we do less testing so it gets more difficult to understand how the situation stands between the various teams," Massa was quoted as saying on the official Ferrari website. "Last year we went very well in the tests then we arrived in Melbourne and we found ourselves a second away from pole position.

"I won't hide the fact that we are not 100 per cent satisfied with what we have done in these three test sessions in Spain and I would have preferred to be a bit quicker. We have a totally new car and we must still learn about it and get all its potential out of it.

"I have a very strong team and I have lots of faith in their capacity to be able to develop the chassis during the season. The truth is we will only discover the situation in Australia when we are all in the same conditions: little fuel in the tank and the softest tyres on the car.

"Certainly there are some teams that seem very strong like Red Bull; McLaren and Mercedes and Lotus seems very quick to me. Then there's a group that has got closer and will fight within the space of a few tenths with Sauber, Toro Rosso and Force India. Still, I believe that we can fight for the podium: it's the only thought I have in my head. But we only have to wait a few more days to have the answer."

Ferrari's difficulties with its F2012 could not have come at a worse time for Massa, who is hoping that a strong season will help him extend his contract with the team.

Despite the situation, Massa says he is not even thinking about his future plans.

"This year is no different to many that I have had in the past. It will be at least the fifth time that I am starting a season without renewing my contract but that makes no difference to me," he said. "I am working with the aim of extending the relationship with Ferrari that has now lasted for so many years."

Alexander Rossi has been named as the Caterham Formula 1 team's test driver for 2012.

The 20-year-old American was already a protege of the squad, and will drive its car in a number of Friday practice sessions at grands prix this year.

Rossi joins race drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov, plus reserve Giedo van der Garde, in the Caterham line-up.

"My goal to be in Formula 1 is one step closer after being signed as test driver for Caterham F1 Team," said Rossi. "I want to thank [bosses] Tony Fernandes, Kamarudin Meranun and Riad Asmat for their trust in me and long-term commitment to my career.

"In the past year I have spent time in Hingham at the factory and built solid relationships right across the team. I feel really comfortable with everyone and am looking forward to growing as a professional with Caterham and acquiring as much experience as possible from Friday practice, the F1 simulator and time with the team."

Rossi will also return to Formula Renault 3.5 with the new partnership between Arden and Caterham, having finished third in the series last year.

Fernandes said Caterham was committed to developing Rossi for the long term.

"As our official F1 test driver, Alexander is a key figure in our long-term plans and the investment we are making in him now will help him make the most of the natural talent he has at his disposal," said Fernandes.

"We see 2012 as an important year for Alexander as he will be combining a full calendar in World Series by Renault, a championship he has a very good chance of winning, with his test driver role and giving him the chance to take part in FP1 gives him the platform from which he can grow into an even bigger F1 role."

HRT should be very proud of its winter efforts even if it is off the pace in Melbourne, reckon team boss Luis Perez-Sala and drivers Narain Karthikeyan and Pedro de la Rosa.

The squad has undergone massive change over the winter as the new Perez-Sala-led management took full control and moves to make it a fully Spanish team began.

The new F112 chassis was not ready to run during testing, but did complete a 'filming' day at Catalunya at the start of this week.

"We would have liked to have come with more mileage but I think it's an achievement to have made it with a 100 per cent new car and a practically new team," said de la Rosa. "Our aim is to do things well, with seriousness and patience."

Team returnee Karthikeyan is confident that HRT can now start moving forwards, and hopes for a better start than last year's failure to qualify.

"I'm feeling positive ahead of the Australian Grand Prix after having completed 10 laps with the new F112 last Monday," he said. "Of course this was only a first contact and we didn't push it to the limit but the important thing was to get the ball rolling.

"It's not ideal to miss testing but we must look forward now. The new management have done an incredible job putting everything together and we'll do the best we can to continue progressing. We're in the right direction.

"Last year we only managed to complete five laps in the third practice session and failed to qualify for the race, so I'm looking to etch out that memory."

Perez-Sala said the reorganised team had already proved its calibre by getting the new car ready for the season-opener.

"We've spent three months working relentlessly, but the team and the car are ready for the great task ahead of us," he said. "We have done a lot of things since the last race of 2011 in Brazil and I'm very proud of the entire team but, without a doubt, the hardest part comes now.

"We know where we are but also where we wish to be and with the team spirit and sacrifice that we have shown, I'm convinced that we can achieve it."

Peter Sauber believes his team can aim for a 'significant' improvement in its championship position in 2012 as the Formula 1 pack appears to have closed up over the winter.

The Swiss team has finished eighth and seventh in the standings in the two seasons since Sauber took over again in the wake of previous owner BMW's F1 pull-out.

"The winter tests left the impression that the competition could be tighter than ever before," said Sauber. "Apparently the midfield teams have reduced the gap to the top teams.

"I am really pleased with the progress we made during testing and I think we are well prepared. We have to be because we have set ourselves quite high targets for 2012.

"We want to score points on a regular basis and significantly improve our position in the constructors' championship.

"We are well aware that this sounds very ambitious, but this is what we are working on."

Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi believes the team's goals are achievable - if it can find more consistency than in recent years.

"We had promising pre-season testing with the C31 and the car feels pretty good," he said. "This, together with the experience I gained last year, makes me a lot more confident now.

"For me the main target is that we are more consistent this year. In 2010 we had a difficult first part of the season, and only recovered in the second half. In 2011 it was vice versa - we had a great start but struggled later in the season.

"If we can consistently display our best potential, we could score consistently. It must be like this."

Williams may have endured its worst ever season in Formula 1 last year, but the company has reported an increase in profits.

The Grove-based outfit announced on Friday its Group results for the year ended December 31, 2011 - and it reported a lift in both turnover and profits.

Turnover of its F1 related activities has increased from £90.8 to £102.3 million, with the figure for the whole Group going from £91 million in 2010 to £104.5 million last year.

Net profit for the group increased by 30 percent from £6 million in 2010, to £7.8 million last year.

Williams chairman Adam Parr said: "The Group has enjoyed a strong performance over the last 12 months, in spite of continuing difficulties in the global economy. Our 2011 Annual Report shows strong results and our current cash position is excellent. At 29th February 2012, the Group held net cash of £29.2 million. We can therefore look ahead with confidence."

[MJB]

Sky's preview to the 2012 Season was fantastic, I loved the whole two hours.

The two shows about Fittipaldi and Sir Jackie were great aswell.

[Lineker]

Yeah Sky's coverage looked immense. I think they'll do a terrific job.

[Katsuya]

Fuck off Valencia. Worst circuit of the year.

[Lineker]

Red Bull Racing comes into 2012 even stronger than it began 2011 in many respects, according to team boss Christian Horner.

Having dominated last year's Formula 1 title race - winning 12 out of 19 grands prix and taking Sebastian Vettel to a second straight title as well as wrapping up another constructors' crown - Red Bull starts 2012 as a strong championship favourite.

Horner reckons that rather than success making Red Bull complacent, last season's results have spurred the team to dig even deeper.

"I think we evolved last year as a team," he said. "It is easy to forget how young a team we are. This is our eighth season and our eighth car and I think in all areas last year we were stronger as a team.

"We had a good car, I think operationally we were very good, reliability was strong, we developed the car very well, strategy was very strong, pitstops - we set the benchmark with.

"We ticked every single box and with the benefit of continuity in all areas, we are looking to learn from the lessons of last year and apply them this year.

"It is such a competitive business you cannot afford to stand still so you have to keep striving to be better. Even in areas where you perceive yourself to be strong in, you can never accept that it is enough, you always have to push for more."

Technical chief Adrian Newey is also raising his game for 2012, said Horner.

"Adrian's motivation is as high as I have ever seen it," he said. "He is really enjoying his work, you can really see that in the amount of effort he is putting in, and throughout the company there is a real sense of determination and motivation to build on the phenomenal success we have achieved in the last few years."

Horner said he had made a point of not trying to draw too many conclusions about testing form, despite predictions of a closer pack and McLaren joining Red Bull as a pacesetter.

"This time last year it looked like Ferrari had enjoyed the strongest pre-season testing, so it just shows how deceptive testing can be and that is why we don't tend to read too much into it," he said. "We are focused on our own programme and we will see in Melbourne how what we have done compares with our opponents."

Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali remains optimistic that his team can mount a late surge in the 2012 Formula 1 title race even if it endures a tough start.

The Italian squad's technical chief Pat Fry predicted at the end of winter testing that podiums could be out of reach following a difficult build-up.

Domenicali acknowleged that Ferrari might get off to a low-key start, but argued that this did not mean the whole year would be a write-off.

"Let's hope we can do like Italy at the 1982 football world cup: colourless friendly games, three draws in the first three proper games, and then the title," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.

Asked if Ferrari was "scared" of how it might fare in Australia, Domenicali said: "No, because in the end we got the performance. Ours was just an operation of transparency by saying we weren't happy with the level of performance."

Ferrari has said that a change of exhaust layout mid-way through testing was the main cause of its tough winter. Domenicali said a new version of the F2012's original exhaust would not be ready until the May test at Mugello.

"The process is long because we need to modify the bodywork," he said. "Our technicians need to understand how to intervene with the CFD, then analyse temperatures, prepare the parts and test them. We'll be able to do that only at Mugello testing in May."

Domenicali also believes it will take time to see where Ferrari really stands.

"Look, I'm not happy with the car because we haven't reached the goal we had set, not because we are slower than the others," he said. "In order to understand where we are we'll in fact need to wait for at least the first four grands prix."

Asked if he felt his job was in jeopardy if Ferrari struggled, Domenicali replied: "My role is different from that of a coach. I don't design the car, but I always feel called into question."

[Lineker]

Anything other than another title for Sebastian Vettel would be a surprise outcome in the 2012 Formula 1 season, reckons the sport's commercial rights-holder Bernie Ecclestone.

Asked for his predictions by the official F1 website, Ecclestone said there were simply not enough reasons why Vettel might get defeated.

"My guess is that he really can do it again. What points against it? I think anything else would be the surprise," said Ecclestone.

"The pre-season tests spoke a quite clear language: the Red Bull looks super competitive again - and Sebastian is only 24, so he still has an enormous potential to fill. Realistically, everything points to Sebastian. He's got it all: talent, passion, zeal, a clear head - and he hates to lose. I could imagine him beating Michael [schumacher]'s record."

Ecclestone hopes to see a stronger challenge to Vettel this year even though he would bet on the German winning once more.

"I hope that McLaren is faster than at the start of last season and able to fight for wins right from the first race," said Ecclestone. "Mercedes is looking pretty competitive, so I have them on my watch list. That leaves me with the hope that Ferrari will catch up soon.

"If I were to bet now, it would be Sebastian world champion, Mark Webber second and one of the McLarens third, probably Lewis Hamilton."

He said he would put his faith in Hamilton because he has great belief in the 2008 champion's natural ability even though his '11 season was a turbulent one.

"Lewis is a huge talent - that has not changed," Ecclestone argued. "He probably was mentally a bit unstable last year and that resulted in a situation where he didn't show his full potential. On the other hand Jenson Button squeezed the maximum out of his potential - that's why he finished ahead of Lewis.

"I dare to predict if both are able to show their full potential Lewis will be in front of Jenson, because in the end he's faster."

Ecclestone also backed Ferrari's management, saying they should not be blamed for the issues the Italian team has had in testing.

"Ferrari's problems have nothing to do with the team management," he argued. "I am absolutely sure about that. I see problems on the technical side - in the aero department. Instead of firing someone they rather should hire someone - Adrian Newey!"

The F1 ringmaster believes both Kimi Raikkonen and Schumacher can also be factors if the Lotus and Mercedes are quick enough.

"He is an add-on in every respect," Ecclestone said of Raikkonen. "I think that a lot will depend on how the car is - and if he can keep up his motivation. For the moment he seems to be super motivated. Let's hope it stays that way."

And asked if he felt 2012 could be the breakthrough year for Schumacher's comeback, Ecclestone replied: "If the car is fast enough, yes. I do hope that's the case, for him and all the Schumacher fans. He is still a big name and we all profit more from a successful Michael Schumacher than from a beaten one. Ask in the USA - he is still the biggest name there."

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says he is open to revisiting the idea of a budget cap for teams in the world championship - as he warned squads that they should 'tighten their belts' amid current financial pressures.

Former FIA president Max Mosley's 2009 budget cap plan was ultimately rejected in favour of the Resource Restriction Agreement created by the teams.

In an interview with the official Formula 1 website, Ecclestone said he felt some teams were taking a delusional approach to their economic situations.

"Let's put it this way: there are still too many people in Formula 1 running around with rose-tinted glasses," he said. "They obviously like to see the world as they want it to be - wonderful, the sun is shining, isn't life delightful - and not how it is. The downside of these glasses is that they blind you to reality."

Asked what his advice so such teams would be, Ecclestone replied: "Change the colour of your glasses and tighten your belts. Stop spending more than you need to."

He suggested that a form of budget cap could be the best way of pegging back the better funded teams' spending so that struggling squads did not have to overspend to try and catch up.

"We have had this kind of problem for quite a while now as of course [wealthy teams] spend what they have," said Ecclestone. "You could install a mandatory budget for all teams - on the basis of the smaller teams - but [the larger teams] don't like it and fiercely fight against it."

When asked if he could foresee such a rule being imposed in the near future, Ecclestone said: "I would welcome it. Yes, I think it could happen."

Ecclestone also said he was not concerned about the growing trend of drivers having to bring money with them to secure drives.

"I don't like the phrase 'pay driver'. They have deep-pocketed sponsors who support them. What's wrong with that?" he said. "I have never seen a driver giving his own money for a ride."

Formula 1 race director Charlie Whiting has admitted that further adjustments to the sport's exhaust regulations are likely to be required for 2013 to stop teams finding ways of replicating the effect of the blown diffuser.

Changes to the rules this year are aiming to make it impossible for exhaust gases to be directed in a way that helps the underfloor aerodynamic performance, but there have been suggestions that some teams are finding ways to achieve a similar effect within the revised rules.

In a Q & A about the 2012 rules issued by the FIA, Whiting acknowledged that the blown diffuser situation was a work in progress.

"Our objective is to prevent teams operating a blown diffuser, which under certain circumstances infringes Article 3.15 (moveable aerodynamic device)," he said. "In combination with additional constraints on engine mapping, as described in technical directive number 36 and incorporated into the SECU code, it will limit designers' ability to exploit exhaust gases for aerodynamic effect.

"However teams will not unlearn the knowledge they have gained and it is quite likely this area of regulation may need to be revisited again in 2013."

Whiting also admitted that the most outwardly obvious technical rule change for 2012 - the reduced survival cell height that has led to teams running 'platypus' noses - had resulted in less attractive designs.

"The height of the survival cell in front of the driver was 625mm - and we wanted to reduce that to 550mm. Our intention was to ensure the nose is lower than the cockpit sides, to protect the driver's head in the event of a 'T-bone' accident," Whiting explained.

"Some teams complained that lowering the whole car forward of the cockpit would force them into a radical redesign. We agreed a compromise that the 550mm height would only apply from a point 1950mm in front of the rear edge of the cockpit template. This achieves the objective equally well, and without requiring the teams to fundamentally overhaul their suspension packaging.

"They do all look like ducks though..."

Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner is confident Mark Webber can begin his 2012 Formula 1 campaign much stronger than he started last year.

After fighting for the 2010 title, Webber had a difficult '11 season and was overshadowed by team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who dominated the championship.

Horner predicted at the end of the last campaign that Webber would revitalise himself over the winter, and reckons the evidence from testing is that the Australian has done exactly that.

"I think Mark has had a good winter," said Horner. "I think he has a good pre-season and I think he goes to Melbourne with a spring in his step - which wasn't the case last year. He is in a good frame of mind and hopefully he can have a strong season."

There were several tense intra-team flashpoints in 2010 when both Vettel and Webber were chasing the title for Red Bull.

But asked if the prospect of a more competitive Webber would make his life difficult, Horner replied: "Not at all. We have got two really competitive drivers and we expect them to push each other but they both know that the team is the most important thing."

Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn says he has not seen anything to suggest that the squad's 2012 car will not be capable of winning races.

The Brackley-based team has looked strong in winter testing, and is determined to fight for victories this year after two seasons of not quite getting on terms with the frontrunners.

Asked if he felt the new W03 had the genes of a winning Formula 1 car, Brawn replied: "I think you always believe that. You want a winning car and I have not seen anything that tells me it shouldn't be.

"Sometimes you have a car and you struggle with it and you see things that you say are not working how we expected and wanted, but certainly there is nothing about this car that says we should not achieve our ambitions - and our ambitions are to do a lot better than we have done for the past two years."

Brawn was unwilling to give a precise suggestion of where he felt Mercedes stood in the pecking order heading to Melbourne next weekend, and argued that teams' developing solutions to the rules that prevent exhaust-blown diffusers made pre-season predictions even harder than usual.

"It is difficult to judge because you don't know what fuel other people are running," Brawn said.

"When you see a car out there that starts a race stint then you have to assume that it starts on full fuel and the weights are representative and you will see an accurate model of what they are doing. Some of the race runs look good and some don't look so good, and I suspect the cars will change again before we get to Melbourne.

"Some teams have gone for a design that is clearly still blowing the exhaust in the area of the rear tyre – that may have an effect when rear tyre degradation is critical because it is much more difficult to manage where the exhaust flow goes this year than it was last year. Last year it was quite precise, this year it is more general because you cannot have the exhaust pipes to blow through the diffuser.

"There will be some interestings twists and turns over the first few races."

[Lineker]

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh believes that no single team appears set to dominate heading into the 2012 Formula 1 season-opener in Australia.

In contrast to Red Bull's supremacy during the 2011 championship, pre-season testing at Jerez and Barcelona failed to produce a clear favourite as several drivers and teams took spells at the top of the timesheets.

Whitmarsh said long-run data and driver feedback gave his team the sense it will be competitive at Melbourne, but insisted that neither McLaren nor any of its rivals look set to dominate 2012's opening round.

"The bad news is we don't look dominant; The good news is that no-one else [does] either," Whitmarsh said during a Vodafone phone-in on Monday.

"Our sense it that we are competitive. The car seems quite reliable, the drivers like it and they seem to be quite buoyant.

"We always say it at this at this time of year, but fuel loads, tyre programmes and test programmes interfere with the ability of the teams to judge performance.

"Race simulations and longer runs give a better indication though of where teams are at than headline lap times, and based upon that we feel that we are competitive."

Asked whether he felt McLaren would be in a position to fight for the championship, Whitmarsh said: "I wish I could say yes.

"It may be that people are sandbagging but ourselves and Red Bull didn't do any proper qualifying simulations. Some others may have run lighter fuel than us.

"The winter has been better than last year, and we have two hungry, fast and great racing drivers [and that] should mean that we can win races this year.

"If we win enough of them then we can win championships."

Asked about Hamilton's mindset following his well-documented travails in 2011, Whitmarsh added: "He has exceptionally high standards and he won three races last year but that's not what he expects of himself.

"When you have a season that falls below you high expectations I think you would, as a professional athlete, reconsider every aspect of your life and how you do that better.

"I think you can see around testing and how he has conducted himself in the media suggests that he's definitely focused on beating one, his team mate and two, everyone else."

McLaren driver Jenson Button believes that the ban on blown diffusers for 2012 has led to teams having a stronger correlation between gains in the windtunnel and performance on the track.

With an effective ban in place thanks to regulations dictating where the exhausts must be positioned, all of the teams running the concept last year have lost a significant amount of rear downforce. But Button reckons a positive by-product of this is that there is now less mystery in generating consistent downforce.

"It's a lot more straightforward than last year in terms of trying to find downforce," he said, after completing his pre-season preparations ahead of the Melbourne opener. "When you see something in the windtunnel, you stick it on the car and it goes quicker. But with the blown exhaust you could try so many things in the windtunnel. You think it's going to give you a second, then put it on the car and its slower. It is very difficult to work with it.

"Now if it works in the windtunnel, it pretty much works at the track. Less downforce - but the feeling is still pretty good."

Button says he feels much more confident going into the season than he did 12 months ago, when McLaren endured a fractured build up after encountering several reliability issues and suffering from a lack of running.

This time around the new MP4-27 has not only proven reliable, it looks to be a strong and competitive baseline with which to start the season.

"I'm a lot happier with everything," said Button, despite being limited to 44 laps of running on his final day because of a hydraulic problem, and having not tried a long-run on the final-spec car.

"[Last year we were] running round, scratching our heads, wondering what we've done wrong. Last year we had the problem of the exhausts cracking and also that we just weren't fast, which I think we kept a secret behind the exhaust problems. It was a very hard winter and when you have reliability issues you can't do any proper testing."

Kimi Raikkonen believes the new Lotus E20's suitability to Melbourne's Albert Park circuit stands him in good stead ahead of his return to Formula 1.

While the 2007 world champion remains guarded on his own chances and refuses to be drawn on testing form, Raikkonen says he believes that the driver friendly Lotus will at least give him the best possible opportunity to perform well in the season opener on Sunday.

"You need a car with good traction and everything from testing says that the E20 has good traction so that will help us," he said. "Strong turn-in and stable braking help too, and those areas also feel good with the car so we are well placed.

"The track can be a bit slippery at the beginning of the weekend and the Melbourne weather is not always very warm; the Melbourne weather can definitely be a bit tricky. This will be the first race so I don't know how we’ll compare to the other teams.

"My engineers have been running simulations and looking at the test data so we have an idea of how the car should work at Albert Park, but we won’t know for sure until we get out on track. It's very difficult to say before we’ve been out on track, but I think and hope we’ll be reasonably strong."

Raikkonen repeated that it was impossible to predict where Lotus sits in the pecking order, and that he simply remained focused on his own programme in the run up to the weekend.

"I will try to do as well as I can and see where we end up," he said. "For the first race in Australia we want to have a good weekend without any major issues or mistakes.

"I don't know where we’re going to be on the grid - nobody knows. If you look at the lap times from testing everybody is very close to each other. We don't know what everyone was doing with fuel load and that makes a massive difference. We'll have some idea after practice in Melbourne, then after qualifying everyone will know exactly where we are."

Lotus technical director James Allison has admitted the chassis fault that caused the team to withdraw from the first Barcelona test - and effectively cost it four days of running at the Spanish track – was a serious blow to its preparations ahead of the Melbourne season opener this weekend.

Romain Grosjean had completed just seven laps of running during the first Barcelona test when a problem was discovered with the mounting of the upper front wishbone rear arm – forcing the team to return to the factory to revise the part.

"It was a proper setback; we lost four days of testing," said Allison, whose team recovered to end winter testing fastest of all with driver Kimi Raikkonen. "The good thing is that our car was very reliable in the first test so the base of the car was already strong."

"This meant we didn't really have great doubts about whether we could run lots of kilometres once the specific failure of the chassis was addressed. However, it was lost set-up time, a lost opportunity for our drivers to get more kilometres under their belts and lost opportunities for us to learn more about this year's tyres.

"All of these were extremely unwelcome, but it was not a mortal blow."

"The diagnosis was very rapid," he added. "We had a redesign to solve the failure by the end of the day. The challenge then became managing the implementation of the repair sufficiently quickly to be ready for the second Barcelona test."

Lotus team principal Eric Boullier said the outfit's goal is to set high targets of development and design in 2012 and that he would measure success this year on how far the E20 improves in lap time during the season, rather than merely than Lotus's position in the points standings.

"We want to be seen and performing as one of the top teams," he said. "For me this year will be monitored by the progress we make during the course of the season. That will be much more encouraging than any expectation of results or particular figures.

"If we can finish higher in the rankings I will be very happy and that would be the best reward for our sponsors and for our team. That is clearly a target.

"We want to do better, we want to be better, we want to score more podiums and if we have a chance to win any races we'll be more than happy. The way we progress over the course of the season is the main goal."

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has re-ignited the customer car debate by claiming it would help facilitate the return of an Italian presence to the Formula 1 grid.

Di Montezemolo and Ferrari have been staunch advocates of the idea of third cars, saying as recently as November that their support was in the interests of the sport in general.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Ferrari president said it would also be an ideal way of promoting an Italian presence on the F1 grid. Australia will represent the first F1 grand prix since the Nurburgring in 1973 at which there will be no Italian entries.

Asked if Ferrari could be interested in promoting Italian drivers, di Montezemolo replied: "It's a long story - let's see what comes out of the Ferrari Driver Academy.

"The real problem is that there's no opportunity for young drivers. Let's say I come up with three super strong Italians coming from minor formulas. What is next?

"I can't have them testing with the F1 car because testing is banned. Make them race with the 458 GT is a different job.

"I have an idea: giving a minor team a Ferrari from the previous year and forcing them to field a young Italian. That would be fantastic..."

Di Montezemolo also advocated an increase in mid-season testing, saying that the discussion extended beyond simply wanting to test and improve this year's F2012 after an underwhelming pre-season.

"Ferrari has a car that needs to be further assessed, discovered and driven," he explained. "Tests are few and public, unfortunately. I'd wait a bit before coming to conclusions with such a long season ahead.

"It's a wider discussion we'll engage at a later stage. I don't like F1 on the decline, with no testing and no technical innovation. It's good to have big attention towards costs, but without sacrificing technology and development. We can't only reduce."

The idea of third cars has not got much support from elsewhere in the paddock however, with McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh affirming his team opposed the idea during a Vodafone phone-in on Monday.

"We don't think customer cars are right for the sport," Whitmarsh said. "It is the different teams and constructors who construct and manufacture their cars that differentiate F1 from other forms of motorsport.

"There are a lot of financial challenges in our sport and it might be that one day it becomes necessary; that for our sport to survive there would be a customer car allowance.

"Forgetting our position for a moment though, philosophically I don't think it's the right thing."

Timo Glock says there is no point getting depressed about Marussia's off-track troubles this year - and that he has tried to do everything he can to help improve the team's situation.

Marussia was unable to join any of the official pre-season tests because its MR01 failed its final crash test shortly before the last opportunity at Barcelona - so its only running was on two 'filming' days at Silverstone last week.

Despite the difficult situation, Glock says he has knuckled down to keep doing all he can to at least ensure Marussia has the opportunity to move forward in 2012.

"It has been a frustrating winter for sure, but you have two choices and the only thing to do was to focus on everything we could be doing off-track to make sure we were as prepared as possible for when we did run the car," he said in a team preview on Monday.

"I've done a lot of work in the simulator and with the team in Banbury and in terms of my personal fitness I have been training harder than ever before. Melbourne will be a bit of a voyage into the unknown but we have nothing to lose and I'm even more excited than usual to see how the car feels in Friday's first free practice.

"Albert Park is a great track and I love going there for the first race of the season. I would rather be going there with more preparation but we will do the best we can and see where we are."

Team principal John Booth believes the difficult circumstances of the winter have proved to be a test of character for its team, which is heading into its third year in F1.

"It has been a tough time for everyone but it is situations like this that really test the mettle of a team," he said. "The early years were always going to be tough for us but I have never had any doubts about the ability of our people to ride whatever storm comes our way. It is that faith rewarded that sees us heading out to Melbourne in a rather more orderly fashion than you might expect."

[Katsuya]

You have to think that Glock is wondering where the hell it went wrong for him...