Red Bull’s already-dominant RB6 will feature an F-duct concept for the first time this year during Friday practice in Turkey.

Back-to-back race winner Mark Webber confirmed the news during Thursday’s FIA press conference at Istanbul Park.

Team boss Christian Horner had already announced recently that the team would begin experimenting with the concept in Turkey.

“We are doing the research and for sure at the next couple of races we will have a look at it, but we will only introduce it when it earns a place on the car,” he said after Monaco.

Also using similar rear downforce-stalling solutions in Turkey will be pioneers McLaren, as well as Force India, Ferrari, Sauber, Williams and Mercedes.

(GMM)

Ferrari on Thursday came close to confirming that Felipe Massa will be retained as Fernando Alonso’s teammate for the 2011 season.

Brazilian Massa’s contract expires in December, and it has been rumoured that Robert Kubica or Mark Webber are being lined up as potential replacements.

The 29-year-old has struggled with the F10 car alongside Alonso so far this season, but when asked if Ferrari will field an identical lineup in 2011, team boss Stefano Domenicali answered: “Yes, I think so.”

The Italian indicated that Maranello based Ferrari prefers to work with Massa to overcome his difficulties rather than oust him.

“Massa was struggling with the hard tyres in certain conditions in the first part of the year, so I think that is the area we need to work with him so he has more confidence in the car,” Domenicali is quoted by the BBC.

“It’s easy to criticise a driver when he is not performing well, so we need to make sure the package for him is the best.”

At Istanbul Park on Thursday, Pole Kubica said it is “too early” to talk about his whereabouts for 2011, but indicated that he is happy at Renault.

Sebastian Vettel has named his latest RB6 chassis ‘Randy Mandy’.

Giving his cars an amorous female name has become one of the 22-year-old German’s several F1-related superstitions.

He religiously steps into his cars and dismounts from the left-hand side, and slides a lucky coin behind the laces of his boot.

Vettel called his original 2010 Red Bull ‘Luscious Liz’, following on from its 2009 predecessor ‘Kate’s Dirty Sister’.

But Luscious Liz has been retired after the team found damage in the wake of the Spain/Monaco double-header, dominated emphatically by his teammate Mark Webber.

It emerges that Vettel will now be at the wheel of the fully-updated test car.

It has been a warm and sunny day at Istanbul Park, and more of the same ‘t-shirt weather’ is expected throughout the Turkish GP weekend.

(GMM)

Force India has become the latest team to incorporate a F-duct style concept in its 2010 formula one car.

After McLaren pioneered the rear downforce-stalling innovation this year, teams including Ferrari, Mercedes, Williams and Sauber have followed suit.

The already-dominant Red Bull is also expected to debut an F-duct this weekend in Turkey, as will Force India.

The Silverstone based team said on Thursday that the version for the VJM03 car is called a switchable rear wing or SRW.

“Should be a good improvement,” Force India said on its official Twitter.

Vitantonio Liuzzi told reporters at Istanbul Park that he and teammate Adrian Sutil will activate the flow of air through the engine cover and rear wing slot by covering a hole in the cockpit with their wrist.

“The target is to get into Q3 and then score points,” he said earlier this week.

“We deserved to have a double points finish earlier than Monaco, but for some reasons it didn’t happen, so we need to continue to put both cars the top 10 if we want to catch Renault.”

Ferrari, on the other hand, has modified its initial Barcelona-spec F-duct for Turkey so that the drivers block the inlet with their knee rather than their hand.

It is believed Felipe Massa is particularly happy with the change, given that in Spain he had to move his hand further than Fernando Alonso to block the inlet due to the position of his steering wheel.

Red Bull Racing has given the strongest indication yet that it is ready to renew Mark Webber’s contract for 2011.

In the wake of his dominance in Spain and Monaco, chiefs of the Austrian-owned team indicated they are keen to keep the 33-year-old Australian alongside Sebastian Vettel next year.

But Red Bull’s motor sport advisor Dr Helmut Marko signalled recently that joint championship leader Webber’s back-to-back wins could have an effect on the “salary negotiations”.

Ahead of the Turkish grand prix, team principal Christian Horner hinted to Germany’s Bild-Zeitung newspaper that Red Bull is ready to simply extend Webber’s current deal.

“If we sat down together on the subject of a contract extension, it would be a pretty short conversation,” said the Briton.

May 27 (GMM)  Lucas di Grassi will this weekend finally race Virgin’s updated car, but it may still be slower than the one piloted by his teammate Timo Glock.

Due to the volcanic ash cloud and then the short turnaround between Spain and Monaco, di Grassi had to drive the original car with the famously small fuel tank while Glock raced one with significant developments.

Rookie di Grassi, 25, will finally receive the longer-wheelbase VR-01 in Turkey, he confirmed to Brazil’s Globo.

“For the first time I have the upgraded car,” he said ahead of the Turkish grand prix, “although it is a little heavier than Glock’s, because of our difference in height.”

Heavier drivers are not normally penalised with heavier cars in F1, due to the 620 kilogram car-plus-driver minimum weight.

But because Virgin’s basic car-plus-driver weight exceeds the 620kg minimum, the 10cm-taller di Grassi is unavoidably penalised in performance terms.

But di Grassi is still hopeful of taking a big step forward at Istanbul Park.

“These improvements will bring half a second in our laptime,” he said.

“I love to race in Turkey, a track where I have won twice in GP2.  I know it’s a quite different reality now, but let’s look to be the best team among the newcomers.

“We are focused on solving our problems of reliability and looking to get a good result,” added di Grassi.

A site for the 2012 United States grand prix has been selected.

It was earlier reported that although a promoter has won the rights to stage the race on a purpose-built track in Austin, Texas, the actual site for the venue is still being decided.

But a lawyer for promoter Full Throttle Productions is quoted by the local American-Statesman newspaper as revealing that land has been secured.

“We’re just not ready to disclose it (the actual location) yet,” said Richard Suttle.

Suttle also said regular F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke has been appointed.

But even with the new details, doubts about the project remain, including insider sentiment that it resembles past negotiating moves deployed by F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

Until the shock news of the Austin deal emerged, Monticello Motor Club in New York was considered the front runner for a contract.

Club president Ari Straus said the 2012 start-date was the biggest surprise.

“Somebody starting from scratch would not be able to do it until 2013,” he said.

The implication could be that if Austin is unable to be ready for 2012, Monticello could be back in the frame for a project the following year.

“If Bernie comes back to the table,” Straus said, “Monticello is ready.”

But Austin promoter Tavo Hellmund, reportedly a friend of Ecclestone’s for decades, said he is not worried about the tight schedule for 2012.

“If it (the date) slides back, it slides back,” he said.

Although mainly funded privately, the project will also enjoy some state input, with a letter to Ecclestone signed by Texas governor Rick Perry pledging $25 million per year from the state’s Mayor Event Trust Fund.

(GMM)

As in previous years, Adrian Sutil has indicated he is potentially on the market to switch teams.

The 27-year-old German made his grand prix debut with Spyker in 2007, staying with the same Silverstone based outfit when it became Force India.

Sutil has often indicated he would change to a bigger team, but he told Germany’s Sport Bild that he is happy with Force India’s recent rate of progress.

“As long as every year there are steps being made, I am very satisfied,” he is quoted by the Munich newspaper TZ.

But Sutil admitted he is keeping an eye on the potential seat movements at a couple of top teams.

“We have to see how long Michael Schumacher wants to go on.  And also what happens at Red Bull,” he admitted.

(GMM)

Rather than bracing to lose a customer, Cosworth says it is ready to supply engines to a fifth formula one team next year.

The British marque’s business director Mark Gallagher played down recent reports that the currently Cosworth-powered Williams or Lotus could be moving to switch to Renault.

Renault has said it is willing to add to its customer engine roster for 2011, but Gallagher told Reuters that he thinks Williams, Lotus, Virgin and HRT are going nowhere.

“The obvious solution is actually the thirteenth team that is coming into formula one,” he said.

“My gut feeling is that it is probably a Cosworth/Renault competition to supply (that) team,” added Gallagher.

Even if the four Cosworth-powered teams all stay put, Gallagher said the Northampton-based supplier has the capacity to supply a fifth team.

“It certainly wouldn’t be a problem to step up to the mark again and do it for next season,” he said.

(GMM)

Johnny Herbert will this weekend once again act as F1′s driver steward.

The 45-year-old Briton, who won three grands prix during his career spanning 165 races until 2000, debuted in the role in Malaysia.

Since the 2010 season opener, former drivers including Alain Prost, Alex Wurz, Derek Warwick and Damon Hill have also served alongside the three regular stewards.

But former Benetton, Tyrrell, Lotus, Ligier, Sauber, Stewart and Jaguar driver Herbert is the first driver to officiate at more than one grand prix.

Also touted to appear in 2010 are Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Mika Salo and Nigel Mansell.

(GMM)

The reaction has been mixed since F1 announced it is heading to Austin, Texas, for 10 consecutive United States grands prix beginning in 2012.

Britain’s Sun newspaper quoted Williams chief executive Adam Parr as saying: “We are a global sport and not having a race in America has been a big hole in the calendar. Our partners will be thrilled.”

But the announcement was short on detail, including where in the Texan capital the venue will be built, and why Austin can succeed where the likes of Donington failed.

McLaren’s managing director Jonathan Neale said in a teleconference on Wednesday: “I’d say it is fantastic news if it turns out to be true and if we can make it happen.”

One sceptic is Kevin Eason, correspondent for London’s The Times.

“This is one old formula one dog who was once bitten by Donington and is twice shy.”

And a blogger at former US GP host city Indianapolis’ Indy Star newspaper read: “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

The German news agency SID said the news had triggered “joy and doubt”.

Even the major Austin daily American-Statesman found the surprise news, which came hot on the heels of claims New York was closing on a deal, hard to swallow.

“Monte Carlo. Istanbul. Barcelona. Montreal. Austin? Maybe,” read a report.

The report added that “significant details” are yet to come, including the cost, the source of the funding, “and why would an Austin project succeed where others haven’t?”

The fabled Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted F1 between 2000 and 2007, and spokesman Fred Nation said: “Some years we had the largest crowds of the year for formula one.

“From a spectator point of view, it was a success. At the end of the day, we could not make a business deal that made sense to us.”

The promoter of Austin’s F1 race is Tavo Hellmund, whose company Full Throttle Productions is largely unknown outside of Austin, and he admitted that land has not been bought but three sites are being considered.

A local race venue owner thinks Hellmund’s task is a huge one.

“I can tell you this facility cost about $250 million,” said Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage, referring to the venue used for NASCAR races.

“(An F1 track) would exceed that,” he added.

Nick Heidfeld has admitted he is prepared to become F1′s tyre tester later this year.

With Bridgestone departing and a new supplier set to enter formula one in 2011, it has been rumoured that amid the current testing ban, some tyre-specific track outings might be sanctioned.

“That would be an attractive thing. If I am asked, I would not say no,” German Heidfeld, who this year is Mercedes’ reserve driver, is quoted by Sport Bild magazine.

The 33-year-old is a veteran of 167 grands prix, and he is bidding to be back on the F1 grid in 2011.

“I want to be racing again (in F1) no later than 2011,” he confirmed.

“I feel too young for DTM or for taking part in the Le Mans 24 hours,” added Heidfeld.

No less than 15 teams have applied for the final place on the 2011 formula one grid.

Italian website 422race.com reports that the governing FIA has now written to all those who expressed interest in the place made vacant by the demise of USF1.

June 21 has been set as the deadline for the teams’ actual application and dossier, at which time EUR12,750 must be paid.

The frontrunners must be successful GP2 team ART, headed by FIA president Jean Todt’s son Nicolas, and the Spanish Le Mans competitor Epsilon Euskadi.

422race.com claims that more than one team may be selected by the FIA, in case HRT or Sauber run further into financial trouble.

Adrian Newey looks set to stay at Red Bull for the foreseeable future.

The 51-year-old Briton joined the Austrian team from McLaren in 2006, and as chief technical officer is widely credited for the success of the dominant RB6.

Germany’s Sport Bild claims Newey, arguably the most sought-after figure in the entire world of formula one, intends to stay put.

“Contractual matters are confidential, but it’s true,” team boss Christian Horner said of the report.

“Last year, Adrian requested to remove a clause that would have ended his contract this year,” he revealed.

Former grand prix winner Gerhard Berger backs the move, insisting that Red Bull will remain on the pace “as long as Newey and Vettel are there”.
(GMM)

HRT on Wednesday morning confirmed that its relationship with Italian chassis maker Dallara has ended.

Amid multiple criticisms of the F110 car from within the new Spanish outfit, it has been reported for some time that the Dallara contract was terminated.

“It was clear from the outset that the contract with Dallara is completed,” team boss Colin Kolles was quoted as saying last month.

“It ended on the date on which we ran our cars,” he added.

In a press release on Wednesday morning, the team confirmed the split, insisting it is “on amicable terms”.

But the statement also revealed that after six races in 2010, “no further chassis development was made by Dallara”.

“HRT … will continue to develop and improve the Dallara designed F110 chassis via its own development programme,” the statement added.

Amid suggestions the Dallara split would convince consultant Geoff Willis to sign up as technical director, Kolles said earlier this month that the team will build its own car for 2011.
(GMM)