Apr.28 (GMM)  Williams on Wednesday announced it has bought more of the company that developed its flywheel KERS system.

We reported in February that, because FOTA has banned the energy recovery technology for now, Williams’ system will instead be fitted to Porsche’s new 911 GT3 R Hybrid road car.

Ahead of its Nordschleife debut in May, the Porsche debuted in Nico Hulkenberg’s hands last Friday, with the German praising the flywheel as “fascinating technology”.

Williams is also developing the system for Tata Motors’ Jaguar Land Rover and it will be available for use in buses, trains, ships and wind power generation.

The Grove based team bought a 40 per cent share in the British company Automotive Hybrid Power in 2008, relocating it to the team’s factory and renaming it Williams Hybrid Power.

Chief executive Adam Parr said in February that Williams will buy a majority stake in the company because it can provide “a significant contribution” to the F1 team’s budget.

On Wednesday, Williams issued a statement confirming that its shareholding has increased to 78 per cent.

Apr.28 (GMM)  Jarno Trulli has admitted his first season with the new team Lotus is yet to match his expectations.

No driver with any of F1′s three new outfits is yet to score a point in 2010, but Trulli’s teammate Heikki Kovalainen has at least finished three of the four races.

Italian Trulli, who with more than 220 grands prix under his belt is among the most experienced drivers in F1 history, said he knew driving for Lotus in 2010 would be difficult but “I had expected at least to drive”.

He has managed to outqualify Finn Kovalainen, 28, at three of the races so far.

But in the races “bad luck seems to persevere on my car, everything happens on my car and my car only.  So, to this day, my expectations have not been met,” Trulli revealed.

35-year-old Trulli, however, said he is not yet willing to judge Lotus’ showing, but he will “at the end of the year”, according to the Italian magazine Autosprint.

Apr.28 (GMM)  Spain’s motor racing federation is helping Pedro de la Rosa to secure some personal sponsorship.

Carlos Gracia, a friend and supporter of the Spanish driver and also president of the Real Federacion Espanola de Automoviliso (RFEDA), was responding to yet more speculation about the future of de la Rosa’s Sauber race seat.

After boss Peter Sauber expressed dismay with the time it is taking the 39-year-old to reacclimatise to racing, pay drivers including Pastor Maldonado and Luca Filippi have been linked with his job.

“Today there is no indication that he (de la Rosa) will not finish the season with them,” Gracia is quoted as saying by AS newspaper.

He added: “In Pedro’s contract he does not have to contribute money, but we are working on getting some sponsors.”

Apr.28 (GMM)  Lewis Hamilton will be penalised if he does not tidy up his driving, according to Fernando Alonso.

The pair clashed memorably during Alonso’s ill-fated single season at McLaren in 2007, but have since confirmed their professional friendship is now intact.

But three years after the turmoil of 2007, the Spanish press is generally no fonder of Hamilton.  At a media event in the country this week, Alonso was asked if he thinks the British driver is favoured by F1 officials.

In Malaysia, Hamilton received a warning for weaving in front of Vitaly Petrov, and then in China he was merely reprimanded for his pitlane stoush with Sebastian Vettel.

“No, I don’t think Hamilton is in any kind of privileged position,” Ferrari’s Alonso is quoted as responding by the Spanish sports newspaper Marca.

“The truth is that perhaps the decisions have been a little inconsistent, because other times it (Hamilton’s moves) would be punishable, but I don’t think it’s important.

“Lewis has had some warnings and if he does something in the next race, however little, there will be penalties because of the last two races,” added Alonso.

Apr.28 (GMM)  Kimi Raikkonen insists he still has not made a decision about returning to formula one in 2011.

After agreeing to end his Ferrari contract a year early late in 2009, the Finn signed on with Red Bull and Citroen and then endured a difficult and crash-laden start to his new career in the World Rally Championship.

But early this month in Jordan, 30-year-old Raikkonen became the first driver since Carlos Reutemann to score points in both F1 and world rallying.

And then shortly after declaring he is not missing formula one, he finished less than 7 minutes behind winner Sebastien Loeb in Turkey for fifth place.

But when asked if his recent results make it more likely he will stick with rallying in 2011, Raikkonen told Turun Sanomat newspaper: “It has not turned in any direction.

“There is no rush for me to make decisions.  We’ll have to see what are the possibilities and what for me is the most interesting — what I enjoy the most and what it is I most want to do,” he added.

“We will see at a point some time later this year,” said Raikkonen.

Famously not fond of F1′s off-track activities and pressures, and ruing the lost days of characters like James Hunt, Raikkonen’s observers agree that he seems happier in the rallying world.

“If the F1 world could go back 20 years, it would be the same as rallying now,” he said.  “It (rallying) is still professional but in just a bit more of a relaxed style.”

Apr.28 (GMM)  Ross Brawn has conceded that Mercedes’ full ‘F-duct’ system might not be ready to debut in Barcelona next weekend.

The Brackley based team introduced an initial “passive” version of the downforce-spoiling rear wing device in China, as efforts to fully emulate McLaren’s innovative system continue at the factory.

Unlike McLaren’s system, Mercedes’ Shanghai F-duct was not operated by the driver, with air instead being cleverly ‘flicked’ at increasingly higher speeds through a slot in the rear wing.

“We’re still working on the proper system which we’re having in Barcelona or Istanbul.  There’s no point in having it in Monaco,” said Brawn.

“It is complicated to get to work properly,” the team boss added.

It is a similar story at Ferrari, where only some parts of a full F-duct system appeared on the F10 car in Shanghai.

“We are working on the F-duct and more progress could be made for Barcelona, although that’s not confirmed yet,” Fernando Alonso is quoted as saying by the Spanish sports newspaper Marca.

“It is not an easy system, but I know the team is working hard to make it available as soon as possible,” the Ferrari driver added.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reports that a further development of Sauber’s China-specification F-duct will be debuted on the C29 in Spain next weekend.

Williams also had problems with its initial F-duct in Shanghai, and technical director Sam Michael is not expecting a quick fix.

“I expect it will take us a couple of months to get it working properly,” said the Australian.

Apr.27 (GMM)  It is “unfair” to not give Michael Schumacher more time to get back up to speed in 2010 after three years of retirement, according to his former F1 rival David Coulthard.

After dropping 40 points behind his teammate Nico Rosberg in the first four races, some pundits are predicting the revised Mercedes package for Barcelona will be Schumacher’s last chance before being universally written off.

But while making his own return to racing last weekend, where Coulthard qualified next to last for DTM’s Hockenheim opener, the 39-year-old Scot said the seven time world champion needs more time.

“Give him half a season,” he told Germany’s Bild newspaper.  “Only then can we realistically assess his performance.”

Although famed for being able to adapt to less than ideal conditions, Coulthard thinks Schumacher is simply struggling with Mercedes’ 2010 car.

“That car was actually designed for Jenson Button,” he insisted, referring to the reigning world champion’s late switch to McLaren, which made room for Schumacher at the rebranded Brawn team.

“It is obviously that it (the car) is not right for Michael and it will take time for Mercedes to get it right for his driving,” said Coulthard.

Apr.27 (GMM)  Barcelona next weekend will not be the scene of a radical shakeup in the pecking-order of the leading teams.

That is the opinion of drivers Fernando Alonso and Adrian Sutil, ahead of the forthcoming Spanish grand prix where most teams will debut significant upgrades in the wake of the opening flyaway races of 2010.

“I don’t expect any major shifts in the (Barcelona) field,” Bahrain winner Alonso, third in the championship for Ferrari, is quoted as saying by Auto Motor und Sport.

If anything, “one car will improve by three tenths and another by four”, he explained, adding that while he thinks Ferrari can catch Red Bull’s quickest car, the Renault-powered RB6 “will be strong until the end of the season”.

German Sutil agrees that the top ten will be “very similar” in Barcelona compared to the pecking-order established so far in 2010.

“Nobody will be finding half a second in their car, because right now it’s really hard to improve them.

“Everybody is at a point where it’s hard to find every single tenth,” the Force India driver told F1′s official website.

Like Alonso, Sutil also expects Red Bull to maintain its edge.

“There (in Spain) you just need downforce, so I think it’s a Red Bull circuit again.  You have a long straight, but if you have a quick car through the corners, it’s definitely a better way.”

Apr.27 (GMM)  Pedro de la Rosa has singled out Renault as the “biggest surprise” of the 2010 season so far.

With the wounds of the crashgate scandal still fresh, the Enstone based team went into March’s season opener with new owners and management.

In winter testing, Renault’s was among the slowest of the established cars, with a single seater that closely resembled last year’s uncompetitive R29.

But after four races, the R30 is a healthy fifth in the constructors’ standings behind the prominent top-four title protagonists.

Team newcomer Robert Kubica, now linked with a move for 2011 to Ferrari, has never been out of the final ‘Q3′ group this year, and was even on the podium in Australia.

Asked to nominate his biggest surprise of 2010, Sauber racer and F1 veteran Pedro de la Rosa answered: “For most people in the paddock it is Renault.

“The performance of the team, and particularly Kubica, has been sensational.  In testing we were usually quicker than them,” de la Rosa told the Swiss newspaper Blick.

Apr.27 (GMM)  Sauber needs some more sponsors to ensure the C29 car can be properly developed, Pedro de la Rosa insists.

Four races into the 2010 season and still with a mainly blank white livery, the formerly BMW-owned team is struggling with poor reliability and lagging pace.

Team boss Peter Sauber insists the team has a guaranteed budget to survive the 2010 season.

But when asked about Sauber’s sponsorship situation, de la Rosa told the Swiss newspaper Blick: “This is a very important point.

“With each day it is more difficult to find backers for 2010, but without finances a normal development of the car is hardly possible,” said the Spaniard.

Asked about the car’s main problems, he answered: “There have been too many engine problems, and at the rear of the car something is not right — it is too unstable.

“We simply must believe in our abilities and those of our new technical boss James Key.  And also that luck might be with us sometimes as well.”

De la Rosa returned to a full time racing role in 2010 after several years as McLaren’s test driver, and it is already rumoured that Sauber is considering replacing him with a pay-driver on the basis of his initial form.

He admits it has been a trying campaign so far.

“I knew that with Sauber, difficult work was awaiting me.  But after the tests in February I didn’t think it would be quite so hard.”

Apr.27 (GMM)  It is Jenson Button’s “really intelligent approach” that is paying off so far in 2010, according to his former boss Ross Brawn.

After two wins on damp tracks so far in 2010, the reigning world champion is currently leading the world championship.

But throughout the winter, most experts predicted that Button, 30, would be blown away at least initially by Lewis Hamilton.

His friend David Coulthard wrote in his latest Telegraph column: “I told you so.”

Brawn, who replaced Button with Michael Schumacher this year but insists the Briton switched to McLaren for the new challenge, told Reuters that F1 is again seeing the “natural Jenson” who won many races early in 2009.

Brawn said the more conservative and tense driver in the second half of the season was the result of the “pressures” of the championship battle.

“He’s not looked necessarily quicker than Lewis, but he’s doing a better job and he’s getting the results,” he added.

Former long time McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa said most paddock regulars did not expect Button to have the upper hand over Hamilton.

“Hardly anyone counted on that,” he told the Swiss newspaper Blick.

“He (Button) has stayed calm and had very few problems with the tyres.  But I know Hamilton’s strengths.  He will soon wake up and strike back,” de la Rosa predicted.

Indeed, when asked to name his picks for the eventual title battle, the Spaniard answered: “Good question, difficult answer.

“Hamilton, Vettel or Alonso — and not necessarily in that order!”

Apr.27 (GMM)  Jenson Button left F1′s Brackley based team to prove to his critics that he is a worthy world champion, according to Ross Brawn.

When Button, 30, announced as the new champion that he was leaving Brawn to seek a new challenge in 2010 alongside Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, that explanation was not universally believed.

At the time the Briton apparently made his decision, Nico Rosberg was already under contract for 2010 and rumours were building that Michael Schumacher was set to launch a full return to formula one to drive Mercedes’ new works car.

Paddock rumours are still rife that Button’s “new challenge” reason was a cover-story for Brawn effectively ousting the new reigning world champion.

But Brawn said on Monday: “I was disappointed Jenson left.

“He felt people were of the opinion he only won the world championship because he had the best car.  So he left us to show them he could do it again elsewhere,” he told The Sun.

“He also wanted to prove himself at McLaren against the guy who is probably the fastest and most naturally talented in motor racing — Lewis Hamilton,” continued Brawn.

“He’s set himself a massive challenge and he is doing very well so far.”

Brawn insists that the split did not affect his off-track friendship with Button, who is currently leading the world championship after winning two of the opening four races.

“We are still friends.  We were on the same flight back from Malaysia and we had a good chat.

“Jenson was a fabulous member of our team last year but now he is the history and we have to beat him,” added Brawn.

Apr.27 (GMM)  McLaren has reportedly “gently criticised” the FIA over the governing body’s handling of the Red Bull ride-height affair.

When the Mercedes powered team earlier suspected Red Bull of using a controversial ride-height adjustment system on its RB6 car, McLaren rushed to design its own for the MP4-25.

But while Christian Horner vehemently denied that Red Bull was running any such system, the FIA finally clarified that it would not be legal even in theory.

A report in the Daily Telegraph said McLaren is quietly critical of the FIA’s handling of the affair because the lateness of the ruling wasted the team’s time.

“It would have been nice if we had had a clear no at the outset but we didn’t,” boss Martin Whitmarsh is quoted as saying.

Apr.26 (GMM) Fernando Alonso on Monday declared “false” reports that Ferrari’s engines problems in 2010 have been narrowed down to a general flaw of the pneumatic air system.

We reported late last week that the Italian team might ask the FIA for permission to make changes to its 2.4 litre V8 design on the grounds of reliability.

But when asked about the problems during a sponsor media event near Madrid on Monday, Spanish driver Alonso insisted he is “calm” and “not worried” about the technical problems.

“The car will be good,” said the 28-year-old, referring to next weekend’s Spanish grand prix at Barcelona.

“It was good in the early races and for one reason or another we did not get all the points we wanted, but I think we will have a good car at Montmelo,” added Alonso.

He confirmed that Ferrari has identified the problem that has been causing engine failures this year.

But, according to the Spanish news agency EP, he insisted: “The things written about the valves and the air intake system are false. In Barcelona and all the other races we will try now to run with one hundred per cent reliability.”

Alonso admitted that he does not know if Ferrari has written to the FIA to request legitimate changes to the engine amid the current development freeze.

“What I do know is that the engine technicians are committed to solving the problems, which were not about one thing in particular,” he said.

Apr.26 (GMM)  During an event for Spanish team sponsor Santander on Monday, it was announced that Fernando Alonso’s thumbs have been insured.

The bank said the Ferrari driver’s life as well as his thumbs – presumably to safeguard his ability to confidently greet his fans at grands prix with positivity – have been insured to the tune of 10 million euros.

More pertinently, he said he is happy with his start to the 2010 season, as he trails championship leader Jenson Button by 11 points.

“I wasn’t happy with things on Sunday night in Shanghai, but now, with a cool head, I can be really satisfied,” said Alonso, 28, at the event near Madrid.

“We didn’t always gain what we could have according to our potential, but we’re fighting for the title and this is what counts more than anything else,” added the Spaniard, who said that in 2008 and 2009 with Renault he “knew” he would not win those titles.