Bruno Senna will not confirm whether HRT is set to collaborate with Toyota’s former formula one team.

Earlier, Cologne based Toyota Motorsport also refused to comment, and now Brazilian Senna added: “I don’t think anything is signed.

“There is a lot to plan. First, the team needs to get to its feet. Everybody is working hard to have the right support and the best staff. Making plans is good.

“How it will be put into action is not yet sure,” he is quoted by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

Senna said at Hockenheim on Thursday that, after sitting out Silverstone, he is only cautiously optimistic that he is now back in the Hispania car for the remainder of 2010.

“The most important thing for me is to have a cockpit for next year. We need to wait,” he continued, explaining that he arrived at Silverstone on Thursday expecting to drive, but ended up watching the race from home on the internet.

For now, he is happy to be back to work, but disappointed that earlier expectations for mid-season car upgrades have not come about.

“Our plans depend increasingly on the financial situation,” he said.

“If Virgin are really three or four tenths faster here, as they claim, then we will not be able to fight them,” added Senna.

Romain Grosjean has lauded Renault’s progress since he left the French team last year.

The Swiss born Frenchman, back in the F1 paddock this weekend for the GP2 support race, made his grand prix debut in 2009 to replace the ousted Nelson Piquet.

In the eight months since his last race with Renault, the team has emerged from the crashgate scandal and is now mostly owned by Genii Capital.

“Renault, bravo,” Grosjean, 24, told France’s Auto Hebdo.

“Compared to the situation they were in last year, nobody would have expected them to be where they are now.

“They have stepped up, bringing improvements to every race.  Even on a bad weekend, they are never very far away,” added Grosjean, appointed for his GP2 duties at Hockenheim by the Genii-controlled Gravity management arm.

He admitted he will use the opportunity this weekend to sound out any openings with F1 teams, but insisted that he does not regret agreeing to step into the sport with the troubled Renault team last season.

“No, and anyway, we didn’t have a choice.  On the day it was proposed to get into F1, ‘no’ was not an option,” he said.

“I don’t regret anything, or anything that has come afterwards,” added Grosjean.

Williams has confirmed reports that Dickie Stanford is returning to grands prix in the team manager role.

Stanford, who previously held the role until he moved to a factory-based job in 2005, is replacing Tim Newton, who will now be based at Williams’ Grove headquarters as production manager.

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At a very wet Hockenheim on Friday morning, Red Bull announced a new sponsorship deal with LG, already F1′s official technology partner.

The Korean electronics giant’s logo will appear in three places on the RB6 car, as well as on the drivers’ overalls and helmet visors.

And at the press conference, LG’s Seoul-based marketing chief Dermot Boden played down continuing speculation that South Korea’s inaugural grand prix in October might have to be delayed.

Fernando Alonso has famously stated that he still believes that he and Ferrari can still win the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship. The Spaniard also knows that the forthcoming weekend in Germany and a week later in Hungary will be crucial to his prophecy. He gives his thoughts ahead of the weekend at Hockenheim.

Alonso: “We’re about to begin a very important period for our season: in the next two races, in Germany and Hungary, it will be crucial to pick up a lot of points to stay in the race for the title.

There’s no point in looking back and crying about it: we know that we will have to get everything right. Then we will bring home the results that we want, I have no doubt about that.

Last week I spent several days at Maranello. It was important to be close to the team in such a unique moment and we were also able to prepare for these two race weekends down to the smallest detail.

I also took part in some events for the company and our main partners of Philip Morris – including the chance to drive a three-seater Formula 1 car, a really enjoyable experience.

Returning to the championship, I want to stress that my continued confidence isn’t unfounded but it’s based on fact. Our car has noticeably improved in recent weeks, as we even showed at Silverstone, a track that should have theoretically been hard for us.

This year’s points system increases the value of the gaps but, at the same time, it allows you to make important gains: it’s clear that you have to get results. I assure you that I’ve sensed a great determination among the people who work at Maranello: we all want the same thing, which is to return to winning ways as soon as possible.

At Hockenheim we will have more new parts on the F10, in particular a new version of the diffuser. In Friday free practice we’ll see if it brings the effects we hope for. But I’m very confident, given that all the new parts we’ve introduced recently have worked as expected.

The German track is one of the shortest in the calendar, which means that the gaps in qualifying will be smaller than elsewhere. So we will have to avoid even the slightest error on Saturday because two tenths more or less can be worth two rows on the starting grid.”

(Ferrari)

Sebastian Vettel was slightly limping in the puddle-strewn Hockenheim paddock on Thursday.

On Wednesday night, the Red Bull driver sat out the traditional pre-German grand prix football game — which the F1 drivers’ team nonetheless won.

It emerges the Red Bull driver fell whilst jogging last week.

“It is a little bit of a strain of the muscle,” he confirmed, “but I can drive, no problem.”

Vettel was reserved when questioned about the Silverstone front wing furore, but acknowledged that the affair will not be hurting his employer’s bottom line.

“As far as I know, we are selling enough cans!” he grinned.

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In the FIA press conference, Michael Schumacher played mediator by sitting in between at-war Red Bull duo Vettel and Mark Webber.

The seven time world champion admitted he is barracking for his countryman to win the title.  “Sorry, Mark,” he meekly apologised to the Australian Webber.

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At a media event aptly demonstrating the driving of trucks, and after sitting out Silverstone for mainly unexplained reasons, HRT driver Bruno Senna said his arrangement is to stay in the F110 for the rest of 2010.

But with his regular teammate Karun Chandhok on the sidelines in Germany, the Brazilian acknowledged: “I hope I am racing for the rest of the season but nothing in life is a guarantee.

“I have a job today but maybe not tomorrow,” said Senna.

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Lotus technical boss Mike Gascoyne recently indicated the Italian had done enough to retain his seat for 2011, and on Thursday Jarno Trulli agreed: “I’m very motivated to stay because I have paid my dues this year, next year I want to see the results.

“I’m really excited to carry on and see where I can take this team,” added the veteran of 225 grands prix.

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Mercedes reserve driver Nick Heidfeld was spotted inside the Renault motor home on Thursday afternoon.

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The FIA’s Charlie Whiting arrived in Germany after a visit to the site of the inaugural Korean grand prix.

There has been ongoing speculation about the circuit’s readiness for its late October race date, but Briton Whiting said the venue is of “the highest standards”.

“I was fully satisfied with the inspection,” he added, despite English journalists last week finding the actual track layout devoid of asphalt.

“There is still work to be done,” acknowledged Whiting, “but the circuit should be ready in good time for the first grand prix.”

After a two-year break from the calendar, Hockenheim welcomed formula one back on Thursday with a torrential downpour of rain.

Renault’s Robert Kubica reckoned the wet weather, preceded by a warm but cloudy day at the venue, would hang around at the German circuit all weekend.

He said drivers would perhaps only get their first sample of Bridgestone’s extreme tyre allocation on Sunday.

Lotus’ Mike Gascoyne was more optimistic, predicting a wet Friday but better weather on both Saturday and for the race.

At Red Bull, in the wake of the Silverstone front wing saga, a huge crowd of media unsurprisingly gathered to hear if Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel are still at war.

The pair were both well-behaved for the PR event, leaving team boss Christian Horner to joke about a pair of limited edition watches given to them by team sponsor Casio.

“We have spares, they are all in the same specification, so I can’t see there being any issues with watches this weekend,” smiled the Briton.

Half of F1′s competing teams are opposed to proposals to relax the current ban on in-season testing.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reports that while the opposition of low-budget newcomers Lotus, Virgin and HRT was expected, also Force India, Sauber and Williams want the current restrictions to remain in place.

“We would have to re-establish a separate test team,” said Peter Sauber, “which is an unnecessary expense.”

Williams’ technical director Sam Michael added: “The current system guarantees equality of opportunity.”

And Force India’s Otmar Szafnauer confirmed: “We are opposed to changing the current test rules.”

He said the F-duct and the blown diffuser are examples of the test restrictions equalising the race for development in today’s formula one.

“Formerly the test teams would have run frantically and within two races been on the same level as the teams that invented the technology.

“Now, the season is half gone and Ferrari and Red Bull are still not as good as McLaren with the F-duct.

“But our system works at least as well as the others.  This was possible only because there is virtually no opportunity for testing.  It’s about the quality of the engineers,” added Szafnauer, Force India’s chief operating officer.

He denied the big teams’ claims that the ban has simply shifted resources from the test track to expensive simulation technology.

“They (simulators) are tools that you either have or you can survive without.  Everyone has a wind tunnel, CFD and chassis test benches.”

And Szafnauer also rejects the big teams’ argument that more testing is needed for the development of young drivers.

“Whoever wants to test young drivers can do the same as Force India,” he said, referring to the use of Scottish rookie Paul di Resta in some Friday practice sessions.

“Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren could also sacrifice Friday practice as we do, if it is so important to them to give opportunities to young drivers,” added Szafnauer.

Mercedes’ Ross Brawn said he is not in favour of a return to the days of endless testing.

“We have to find a good balance,” said the Briton.  “For example, we should not go back to having extra teams for testing.”

Mercedes and Ferrari will have improvements to their respective 2010 cars at Hockenheim this weekend.

According to German reports, the W01 is set to feature a development of its switchable F-duct system, as well as a refined blown exhaust.

“We have worked hard,” confirmed competition director Norbert Haug.  “We have sorted out many of the problems we’ve seen in the last two races.”

Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn is cautious.  “Unfortunately the wind tunnel can’t simulate everything, like the impact of hot exhaust gases at high speed.

“But if everything works as planned, we can be confident,” he is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

Also primarily in the area of the blown diffuser, Hockenheim is another step in Ferrari’s developments that began at Valencia.

“On Friday we’ll see if it brings the effects we hope for,” confirmed Fernando Alonso.

Renault’s Robert Kubica is predicting a difficult German grand prix.

“Most of the teams we are racing now have both the F-duct and the blown floor, so I think it could be quite a tough weekend,” said the Pole.

Italy’s Autosprint reports that, after the August break, another wave of major improvements will be added to the Ferrari.

Toyota has refused to comment on reports it is close to collaborating with the struggling Spanish team HRT.

It emerged this week that Hispania, whose current car was built by former partner Dallara, will shortly sign a deal with the Japanese carmaker’s former formula one team based in Cologne, Germany.

The reports said the arrangement will involve use of Toyota Motorsport’s impressive headquarters, staff and designs of the unraced 2010 car, the TF110.

“We can neither confirm or deny that,” the Toyota spokesman said on request by the German news agency DPA.

“Generally we don’t comment on that sort of thing,” added the spokesman.

Sebastian Vettel has urged his German supporters against booing Mark Webber this weekend at Hockenheim.

After their Istanbul crash and the Silverstone front wing furore, the pair are sharing a tense relationship at present.

But German Vettel, 23, told Cologne’s Express tabloid that he would not like to see his Australian teammate heckled by partisan spectators.

“I hope that at Hockenheim all the drivers are welcomed with respect,” said the Red Bull driver.

“I know that I will never lose respect for other people.  We are all sportsmen and should be treated in such a way,” added Vettel.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton, acknowledging that his McLaren is not as fast as the RB6, said he hopes the discord at Red Bull works to his advantage.

“They have the best car and Hockenheim should suit them,” the Briton told Bild newspaper.  “But they also have a problem with their drivers, which can only be good for us.”

Michael Schumacher has confirmed reports he is still committed to his formula one return with Mercedes.

After a three year retirement, the seven time world champion’s performances this year have disappointed some, but team official Norbert Haug insists the German marque is not reconsidering its 2011 lineup.

“I am still motivated to achieve my goals in the three years,” Schumacher, 41, told German reporters on Wednesday.  “There’s nothing to add.

“I’m not entirely happy with the results, but I didn’t expect to drive everyone into the ground.  Basically, I’m feeling good and having a lot of fun,” added the record winner of 91 grands prix.

Schumacher admitted that qualifying is his most obvious weakness so far.  “We’re working on it,” he said.

His younger teammate Nico Rosberg backed Schumacher as “without doubt the strongest teammate I’ve had in F1″.

“I can say the same,” Schumacher replied.

The German’s former Ferrari teammate Eddie Irvine, however, has a different view about Schumacher’s return.

“Michael took his gamble (to return) but it’s backfired,” the Ulsterman told the Sun newspaper.

“Ross Brawn was running the team, Mercedes were coming back so every box was ticked.  Except the new car was shit,” said Irvine.

Paul di Resta will not be driving the Force India during Friday morning practice at Hockenheim.

The team announced that the decision to sit out its reserve driver in Germany is due to the extreme allocation of Bridgestone’s hardest and softest tyre compounds.

“It’s a shame but I completely understand the decision,” said the rookie Scot.

“It’s a decision that’s been taken relatively late but it’s better to err on the side of caution at such a crucial stage in the season,” added di Resta, 24.

Force India is currently sixth in the constructors’ world championship, 42 points behind Renault and just 16 points ahead of the improving Williams team.

“I’ll be back in the car in Hungary, replacing Tonio for free practice 1,” di Resta revealed.

The Automobile Club de Monaco has confirmed it is in “negotiations” with Bernie Ecclestone.

The F1 chief executive said recently that formula one could “do without Monaco”, moving former driver Patrick Tambay to surmise that it is a strategy to have the famous race’s fees “revised upwards”.

The Club reacted on Thursday by saying it is reluctant to comment on the reports because it is unaware of their “context”.

“The reality is simple,” a statement issued only in French added.  “Negotiations are underway between l’Automobile Club de Monaco and Formula One Management.”

The Club added that it will make an announcement if an agreement is reached.

It is believed Monaco pays little or no fees for the rights to host its annual race in the Principality.

1985 Indy 500 winner Danny Sullivan will be the former driver in the formula one stewards room this weekend at Hockenheim.

The 60-year-old American’s formative racing career took place in European open wheel series, but he raced in CART before switching to formula one with Tyrrell in 1983.

He returned to America in 1984, winning the series in 1988 before announcing his retirement whilst recovering from a crash in 1995.

Mark Webber “regrets” comments he made at Silverstone last week, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said on Tuesday.

In the wake of the Silverstone front wing furore, Australian Webber issued a lengthy statement backtracking from suggestions Sebastian Vettel is the team’s preferred driver.

“We spoke together quite early last week,” Horner said in an interview with Germany’s SID news agency.

“It was good.  I think Mark regrets some of the comments he made because they detracted from a great team achievement.

“Mark’s performance was first-class, but it was a victory for the team, just as were the ten before it,” added the Briton.

Horner revealed that more spare wings will be on hand at Hockenheim this weekend, but insisted that running a different specification on one car was not such an unusual situation in F1.

“Every team in the pitlane takes decisions, whether it’s Virgin with their chassis with the bigger fuel tank, the F-duct at Sauber or who at Ferrari was allowed to drive with the new exhaust system in Fiorano,” he said.

“You can find a hundred different examples.  Unfortunately, with this decision, many emotions came together.”

He rejected suggestions that Webber will try to find a way out of his 2011 contract.

“Mark knows the support that he has in this team.  And I can’t imagine where else he will want to go.”