Romain Grosjean will assume the role of Renault’s official reserve driver at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend.

The Swiss-born Frenchman is replacing injured GP2 driver and regular F1 reserve Ho-Pin Tung at the Renault-liveried DAMS team in Belgium this weekend.

Renault said on Tuesday that Chinese Tung might return to his duties at Monza in two weeks, and in the meantime “an official replacement” for the F1 role will not be named.

But the Spanish sports newspaper Marca says that for Spa, 24-year-old Grosjean – who contested the last 7 grands prix for the team in 2009 – will be the F1 reserve.

Meanwhile, the Finnish publication Turun Sanomat, and Italy’s Autosprint, report that Force India’s Paul di Resta is a candidate to replace Pirelli’s new tyre tester Nick Heidfeld as reserve driver at Mercedes.

Mercedes-powered Force India said on Tuesday that di Resta will not be on track during Friday practice this weekend because its race drivers need maximum track time at “unique” Spa-Francorchamps.

Scot di Resta, 24, drives for AMG Mercedes in the German touring car championship DTM.

Autosprint also said GP2 driver Jules Bianchi, already with a Ferrari development contract, could make his F1 debut with Ferrari-powered Sauber in 2011.

McLaren on Wednesday would not confirm reports its F-duct innovation will be removed from the MP4-25 ahead of the forthcoming Italian grand prix.

It was reported that, because the concept is designed to boost straight-line speed by shedding rear wing drag on the straights, it will be inefficient at Monza due to the minimal downforce configuration of the cars there.

“I read that on Monday morning and there were a few of us raising our eyebrows,” McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale told reporters during a Vodafone teleconference.

“We have the option to either run it or not. I think at the moment we are just looking at all the options. It is incorrect to assume we can make any decisions (yet) as to whether we are (going to use the F-duct at Monza) or not,” he added.

Neale said a final decision will be made after studying data from this weekend’s Spa-Francorchamps event.

He also revealed that, after Red Bull dominated in Hungary amid the flexible wing saga, McLaren is still no closer to understanding the phenomena at the front of the RB6.

In a team preview, McLaren said it is “optimistic the bodywork rules clarification will close the gap” at Spa this weekend.

But Neale said on Wednesday: “I’ve read the trade magazines, I’ve seen the footage. We can’t explain, at McLaren, why the (flexing) cars operate in the way that they do.”

Mark Webber’s form in 2010 “surprised” Sebastian Vettel, who thought he was the number one driver at Red Bull.

That is the summation of outspoken former triple world champion Niki Lauda, ahead of the final seven races of the 2010 season.

“Mark has shown a great performance and that has surprised Sebastian,” the Austrian great is quoted by Motorsport Aktuell.

“His (Vettel’s) disadvantage was to see himself as the number one,” added Lauda.

Vettel, 23, is widely regarded as the young star of the pace-setting Red Bull team, but it is Australian Webber with two more race wins and the lead of the drivers’ world championship.

“Vettel assumed that he has the full support of the team. But Webber has more points and team orders no longer exist,” Lauda said.

Lauda, 61, knows the problem well, when he assumed he was McLaren’s number one but then found his teammate Alain Prost with superior pace.

He advises Vettel: “He must look reality in the eye and free himself from the idea that he is the number one.”

Lauda also thinks Red Bull’s team management is to blame.

“Their failure was to count on Sebastian from the beginning, because he was the team’s young and super-talented man. This has disturbed the teamwork.

“Sebastian’s problem now is how fast Mark can go with this car. He (Webber) was not the favourite from the start, but he has done an incredible performance,” added Lauda.

Force India has played down reports the team’s assets might be seized while it is at Monza for the Italian grand prix next month.

A legal spat between the Silverstone based team and an Italian wind tunnel company has resulted in Force India being ordered to pay more than EUR 1 million to Aerolab.

Aerolab said in a statement last week that Force India’s presence at Monza next month “could trigger further exchanges of action between the two parties”.

But a Force India spokeswoman has played down the prospect of the team’s assets being seized due to non-payment of the High Court judgement.

She said there is a separate action involving the alleged use of Force India’s intellectual property, because Aerolab used a disputed wind tunnel model as the basis of Lotus’ 2010 car.

“The court determined the two cases should be considered separately and ordered Force India to release the EUR 1,074,000 lodged with the court and also pay associated costs,” the spokeswoman is quoted by Reuters.

“Force India is in the process of complying with the court’s instructions and actively progressing the IP litigation,” she added.

The FIA’s decision about the vacant team entry for 2011 will be made within the next few days.

“The decision will made at the end of the month,” 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve is quoted by La Presse Canadienne.

The French Canadian is bidding to return to F1 with his own team next year in collaboration with the Italian outfit Durango.

He is currently preparing for a NASCAR race in Montreal.

“I hope nothing is announced during the race weekend,” said Villeneuve, 39. “I don’t want to spend my weekend discussing formula one.

“But if there is a positive outcome, I will put all my efforts into building this team,” he added.

Villeneuve said he and Durango recently made a presentation to the FIA, who might decide to leave the 13th team place vacant in 2011.

“We did our presentation to a panel and there was no immediate reaction, but everyone seemed pleased,” he explained.

“We don’t know whether another group made a presentation or not. I know we did a good presentation.

“It’s all or nothing; either it works and it’s great, or they say no and everything we’ve done falls into the water,” said Villeneuve.

Finland’s Turun Sanomat cited “Italian sources” in confirming Villeneuve’s statement that the FIA will make its decision by the end of August.

The newspaper said the Spanish Le Mans team Epsilon Euskadi, now considering an alliance with HRT, is no longer in the running for the 13th place.

His ongoing Ferrari contract aside, Sebastian Vettel is perhaps Kimi Raikkonen’s last remaining link with the world of formula one.

“I have hardly any contact with the other drivers,” the 2007 world champion, who switched full-time to the world rally championship this year, told spox.com.

“Sometimes I play badminton with Vettel,” he revealed, referring to his fellow Swiss resident.

So does the Finn think 23-year-old Vettel is ready to win the 2010 title?

“I think so. But mostly he’s just the nicest guy of them all,” said Raikkonen.

The 30-year-old has not announced his plans for 2011, but he has admitted that it is unlikely he will ever again appear on a grand prix grid.

“In formula one there are too many things that are more important than the race,” said Raikkonen.

“It is too political and no one says what they think because they’re afraid about being taken out of context.”

In contrast, he is enjoying his new rallying foray, where at the recent German rally, he notched up his first career stage win.

“Yes, I love it,” said Raikkonen. “It is very, very exciting and the biggest challenge of my career.”

But he won’t rule out one day returning to F1.

“I wouldn’t say that. We’ll see. First, let’s take this season right to the end and then clarify some things. Then we’ll see,” said Raikkonen.

Martin Whitmarsh is reportedly stepping down as chairman of the formula one teams association FOTA.

Italy’s Autosprint claims the McLaren boss will be replaced by Adam Parr, the chairman of the Grove based Williams team.

The vice-chairmanship of the FOTA alliance is also changing hands, with Toro Rosso’s Franz Tost reportedly to succeed Whitmarsh’s current deputy Stefano Domenicali.

Ross Brawn and Christian Horner head FOTA’s technical and sporting arms respectively.

Qatar is still pushing ahead with plans to join the formula one calendar.

The Losail circuit already hosts a MotoGP night race, and earlier this year it emerged that modifications were taking place with the aim of also accommodating F1.

Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, president of Qatar’s Motor and Motorcycling Federation, said: “Hosting a formula one race is definitely in the strategic plan for Qatar.”

He said an FIA official has already inspected the circuit and was “impressed” with the work carried out.

“We have a great track and we are currently working on upgrading it to official (F1) specifications,” he told Gulf Weekly.

“We have already covered the standard requirements and we are three quarters through the project. We just have some minor changes and modifications to make.”

F1 already has Middle Eastern races in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.

A spokesman for Bernie Ecclestone said the F1 chief executive’s office is awaiting details of Qatar’s proposal.

Nigel Mansell will reprise his F1 stewarding duties this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.

The 1992 world champion debuted in the official role, alongside three of the sport’s regular stewards, at Silverstone in July.

An early weather forecast is predicting the possibility of rain throughout the Belgian grand prix event. “When didn’t we see water at Spa?” said Felipe Massa on Tuesday as he left his native Brazil after the August break.

“Actually it can be very good fun in the wet,” added the Ferrari driver.

Renault and Mercedes will be without their regular reserve drivers at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend.

Nick Heidfeld has become Pirelli’s permanent tyre tester, while Renault regular Ho-Pin Tung is recovering from a back injury sustained recently during the GP2 race in Hungary.

The Chinese may be fit enough to return to action at Monza in three weeks.

The FIA has moved to detract F1 drivers from cutting the Les Combes chicane during this weekend’s Belgian grand prix. Three bumps, similar to the ones in Barcelona, Valencia and Monza, have been placed across the run-off area.

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Force India reserve driver Paul di Resta will not be driving the VJM03 during Friday morning practice at Spa.

“We’ve got some work to do on the new blown floor and the low downforce package so it’s natural we need to give the race drivers the additional time,” said the Scot.

He will be back in action at Monza.

UBS chief executive Oswald Grubel reportedly wanted to take the sponsorship of the Swiss bank to a formula one team.

Grubel, who previously brought Credit Suisse into the sport with Sauber, was eyeing a similar deal for UBS now that he is in charge of the Zurich based global financial services company.

But according to Switzerland’s Blick newspaper, the UBS board voted against the plan, agreeing instead to become a sponsor of the entire sport in a deal that was announced on Monday.

Industry insiders estimate the value of the deal at EUR 40 million per year.

“In line with all commercial contracts, the financial terms will not be disclosed,” said a spokesman.

“Commercial attractiveness was however a key consideration for UBS and the agreement compares favourably with other forms of brand awareness and client hospitality.”

Blick said Grubel’s plan-A had been to once again link up with Peter Sauber’s independent Hinwil based team.

UBS spokesman Peter Hartmeier would not say where the company’s logos would be seen at grands prix, except that they could be “in places where previously there was no advertising”.

Paul Ricard will host Pirelli’s next formula one tyre development test.

After the Italian marque began its 2011 programme with a shakedown at Mugello last week, it was reported that test driver Nick Heidfeld and last year’s Toyota car are now en route to Monza.

But according to Italy’s 422race.com, the high speed venue of the Italian grand prix will actually host the third test, with Paul Ricard’s configurable test track in Le Castellet to in fact be Pirelli’s host next week.

The Monza test will reportedly take place on 21 and 22 September; a little more than a week after the Italian grand prix there.

It is expected that Jerez in Spain will also host a closed Pirelli test, before all the teams run the tyres for the first time in Abu Dhabi after November’s season finale.

422race.com said that at Mugello last week, observers outside the Italian venue reported that Heidfeld recorded more than 100 laps on both test days.

The reason for the delay of inaugural races at Korea’s new formula one circuit has become clear.

Late August at the new venue was originally scheduled to host the Asian Festival of Speed, with Asian GT and junior single seaters on the bill.

That event has now been rescheduled for late September, with the stated reason for the delay being construction holdups “caused by bad weather”.

The grand prix organisers said the 5.62 kilometre circuit will now open officially on September 5, with the F1 race still scheduled for late October.

The September opening is the end of next week, but photographs doing the rounds in the Spanish press indicate that it might be an ambitious target.

A photograph published by the sports newspaper AS’s website purportedly depicts the circuit one week ago.

The track surface is not asphalted, nor delineated with barriers or fences and some structures are apparently only in the formative stages of construction.

It would not be adequate to only penalise Ferrari at next month’s World Motor Sport Council disciplinary hearing.

That is the opinion of Max Mosley, ahead of the September 8 meeting that was called to assess the Italian team’s allegedly illegal use of team orders during the German grand prix.

With Ferrari already handed a $100,000 fine by the Hockenheim stewards, it is suggested that a satisfactory outcome might be a further sporting sanction but one that allows drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso to keep their championship points.

Former long-time FIA president Mosley, however, disagrees, “because the drivers understood the rules when they were given their FIA super licenses but in Hockenheim (the drivers) failed to uphold them”.

“I’m sorry particularly for poor Felipe Massa,” added Mosley in an interview with Welt am Sonntag newspaper, “but there is a rule strictly against team orders.”

The 70-year-old Briton said Brazilian Massa cannot argue that he was only obeying an instruction from his team “because his employer had no right to invite him to break the rules”.

Kimi Raikkonen thinks Ferrari could be set for a competitive weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.

The Finn, whose Belgian grand prix win last year was his final victory in formula one, admitted that the famous track is one he will miss now that he is a rally driver.

“It would have been nice to drive there,” Raikkonen admitted in an interview with Turun Sanomat.

“It is a great track and was always nice to race there,” added the 30-year-old, who won the event four times.

Raikkonen even won last August, with the generally uncompetitive 2009 Ferrari.

“Of course, you have to have a good car, and even though the Ferrari last year was not a top car, it was good enough,” he said.

“I guess they will be in a strong position (in 2010),” he added, referring to Ferrari’s current lineup for this weekend’s event of Fernando Alonso alongside Felipe Massa.

The Italian team will have yet another diffuser development fitted to the F10 car this weekend.

“Red Bull do not have as good an engine and will not win as easily,” predicted the 2007 world champion.

“It is hard to say. McLaren will also be fast on the straights, and even stronger at Monza,” said Raikkonen, even though reports are emerging that the British team will run without its famous F-duct in Italy in three weeks.

Generally, however, Raikkonen said he does not miss F1 at all.

“A couple of races I missed (on TV) completely and I had no interest to watch it afterwards. It’s not deliberate, just that I have no interest staring at the TV at what they’re doing (in F1),” he insisted.