Fernando Alonso is by far the highest paid active grand prix driver, according to reports in the Spanish press.

The El Mundo report, citing information from Business Book GP, compiled a list showing that Alonso’s annual Ferrari retainer – excluding external endorsements – is EUR 30 million.

That is almost double the next largest retainer, owned by 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton, at 16 million, although it is believed Kimi Raikkonen is being paid a similar amount this year due to Ferrari’s breach of contract.

Felipe Massa comes in at third with 14m, meaning the Brazilian is paid less than half the income of his Ferrari teammate.

Reigning world champion Jenson Button is reportedly paid EUR 9 million; significantly less than his McLaren teammate, but more than seven time world champion Michael Schumacher (8m).

Mercedes also pays Nico Rosberg EUR 8 million, which is marginally more than Robert Kubica’s 7.5m.

Interestingly, Rubens Barrichello (5.5m) earns more than Mark Webber (4.2m), but Sebastian Vettel’s 2010 retainer is reportedly just 2 million.

According to the list, Red Bull’s Vettel is therefore paid less than Lotus driver Jarno Trulli (3m), and approximately the same as Trulli’s teammate Heikki Kovalainen.

Timo Glock earns 1 million by driving for Virgin; more than the EUR 700,000 reportedly paid to Williams rookie Nico Hulkenberg.

Also earning less than 1 million are the Sauber drivers (500,000 each), Vitaly Petrov, Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi (400,000), and the Force India drivers and Lucas di Grassi (200,000).

Bruno Senna is reportedly the lowest paid active driver, with a 150,000 retainer; 200 times less than Alonso.

The next Pirelli tyre test will reportedly take place at Monza.

The Italian marque kicked off its 2011 tyre development programme this week, with Nick Heidfeld at the wheel of last year’s Toyota at Ferrari-owned Mugello.

It was believed the next test would take place at Jerez, but Finland’s Turun Sanomat said the outing will actually be at Monza, the high speed circuit that annually hosts the Italian grand prix.

Paul Ricard has also been mentioned as likely forthcoming Pirelli test venues.

The next outing will take place next week.

Pirelli has also confirmed reports that all the current F1 teams will get their first taste of the 2011 tyres at a test in Abu Dhabi following November’s season ending race.

His good result from the Hungaroring and the innovations of James Key let Pedro de la Rosa’s growing self-confidence
Just like Michael Schumacher was also returning to Pedro de la Rosa race break after three years at first some difficulty with the formula first But during the seven-time world champion more still further behind, shows the shape of the curve Sauber veteran apparently sharply upward.

De la Rosa at Silverstone for the first time secured a one-digit start position (9) repeated this feat in Budapest and went there even for the first time in seventh in the points. This is of course the one hand, because the C29, directed by technical director James Key (“Our progress is also his merit”) was developed, but the Spaniard is indicated that even after getting better.
“I do not know,” he answers to the question of ‘Autosport’, why it works better for him than for Schumacher, “but I feel better with every race. The failure at Silverstone to accept struck me hard, because we were very competitive, but in Hungary we moved back in Q3 and collected points for the team. I think I’m getting better with every race. To other drivers, I’m not thinking, but still can slow a very good level. ”

Fast curves were for the C29 anyway “never a problem,” said de la Rosa. That, however, he was just as competitive on the narrow Hungaroring, was a surprise, “because our biggest problem was always low speeds – and Hungary is just as slow as Monaco”. But the new features introduced since Valencia appear to be exactly as desired auszuwirken.

“The targeted all aimed at slow corners,” said de la Rosa. “So I had to Hungary so excited, because Hungary would indicate to us whether it is in the right direction or not. Without testing, it is now difficult, but we have definitely made the right changes in the way. Now we can say, that We compete not only in ultra-fast circuits like Silverstone. “

John Booth has admitted he was “not particularly pleased” when he heard Bernie Ecclestone predict that two of F1′s struggling teams might fold before the end of the season.

The F1 chief executive said in July that the two teams in question “really shouldn’t be there” and that he would be happy if the grid dropped to just 20 cars.

When asked about his initial reaction to Ecclestone’s comments, Virgin team boss Booth admitted: “I was not particularly pleased, because comments like that for a team like ours can do great damage.

“It is difficult for us at the moment — as it is for other teams, and for all the new teams,” he said in an interview with motorsport-total.com.

Booth said comments like Ecclestone’s can be “destabilising”, but expressed relief that most of Virgin’s sponsors are committed for the long term.

It is believed that each new team was promised 10 million euros by Ecclestone for entering the sport in 2010, meaning that if Virgin or HRT were to fail, the sport’s commercial pot would be correspondingly bigger.

“Yes. Something like that,” confirmed Booth.

Some of the general negativity about the team’s effort so far might be disappointment that the world-renowned brand – headed by high profile billionaire Sir Richard Branson – has failed to live up to Virgin’s image.

Booth responded: “If you look at what we have built up so far, it’s not all bad.

“In formula one there have been probably 30 or 40 new teams, some of which never qualified for a race. But we are there at the start of every race and, step by step, we are getting closer.

“We are where we expected we would be, and maybe even a bit further ahead than that,” he insisted.

If the 2009 points system was applied to this season’s results so far, Mark Webber would not be leading the world championship.

For 2010, the scoring positions were extended from eighth to tenth, while the winner is now awarded 25 points, rather than the 10 handed out in 2009 and earlier.

The intention was to better reward actual winning rather than mere point-scoring consistency.

Indeed, after the first 12 races of 2010, Lewis Hamilton – who has won twice in 2010 – would be the drivers’ title leader if the 2009 system was still in place.

Instead, it is Red Bull’s Webber in charge of the standings, having won more grands prix (4) than any other driver so far.

He has 4 more points than Hamilton, with the analysis by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport showing that that the McLaren driver would be leading Webber by 2 points under the 2009 system.

According to Adrian Sutil, Force India is unlikely to ever be in the running for a world championship.

The 27-year-old has been with the Silverstone based team throughout his formula one career, beginning as a test driver with Midland in 2006.

He moved up to the race seat when the team became Spyker in 2007; a period the German describes as “a big mess” in an interview with Autosport.

Even 2008 was difficult for the team, after once again being taken over and rebranded, this time by the Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya.

“It took a while until I realised that this team has a future,” admitted Sutil.

“My plan was to stay another year, maybe two, but then find a drive somewhere else.”

But despite being linked with a move to Renault for the 2011 season, Sutil says Force India is now on the right track.

“When Vijay Mallya took over the team, I suddenly had a much better feel. Since then I am absolutely happy here and I believe in the team,” he said.

However, he thinks the team – sixth in the constructors’ championship at present behind Renault, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull – might have reached the peak of its potential.

“I would not say that we can become a winning team,” admitted Sutil.

“People should be a bit careful, because in my opinion it is not possible to keep up with the top teams.

“Top five, top six, that’s where we find ourselves, in the midfield. We will try to rise up, but that could be difficult.

“I honestly do not see that we will fight in the coming years for the world titles. That is unrealistic,” he added.

Bernie Ecclestone is working to install the Australian touring car category V8 Supercars as a support event for next year’s Singapore grand prix.

Martin Whitaker, a Briton who has long been involved in F1 and was recently boss of the Bahrain track, is now CEO of the Australian series.

He told V8X magazine that formula one officials “want us (V8 Supercars) to go there (Singapore)”.

“He (F1 chief executive Ecclestone) would love to have us there in an earlier timeslot. It’s better for the spectators, better for the city and puts an extra four hours on to the show as far as Singapore is concerned,” added Whitaker.

The V8 race would probably not count for championship points, due to the clashing television rights of V8 (Channel 7) and F1 (Network Ten) within Australia.

Whitmaker admitted that the TV issue is “clearly one of the things we would have to work at” before the Singapore round can be confirmed.

The ongoing negotiations means that V8 Supercars has delayed until October the release of its 2011 calendar.

Mercedes may soon have to turn its attention to making some personnel changes within its British based F1 team.

That is the warning of the German marque’s competition director Norbert Haug, amid reports the Brackley outfit is now working almost exclusively on its 2011 car.

“We hope to return to success,” he is quoted by Autosprint.

“However, if we fail to achieve the goals we have set, we may have to change some people,” added Haug.

He is definitely not referring to Nico Rosberg, Mercedes’ most consistently competitive driver this season, or seven time world champion Michael Schumacher, who is firmly under contract for 2011 and keen to win an eighth title.

But former GP winner Gerhard Berger admits he has been increasingly disappointed with the 41-year-old German over the last few races.

“He has been taking more steps back than forward,” the Austrian is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

“He has tried several strange tricks to gain points, and they have all come to nothing. Maybe he is putting himself under too much pressure,” added Berger.

McLaren needs to get creative if it is to claw back its lead in the 2010 world championships, according to boss Martin Whitmarsh.

With clearly the faster car, Red Bull has taken over at the top of the points tables, but McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton is only 4 points shy of leader Mark Webber.

In recent weeks, Woking based McLaren has been working on emulating Red Bull’s blown floor concept, but Whitmarsh said the team’s engineers also need to be more creative during the ongoing development of the MP4-25.

“We have not suspended the diffuser project, but we hope to invent something new,” he is quoted by Autosprint magazine.

Creativity is at the heart of the current front wing flexibility controversy, with Red Bull expecting to pass even the more stringent scrutineering tests at Spa-Francorchamps next weekend.

Whitmarsh said McLaren has an understanding about the regulations that may not be shared by some of its competitors. “The FIA needs to make this area absolutely clear,” he said.

“If clarity does not come, we too can become very inventive and creative,” the Briton is quoted as saying.

As rumours persist that Timo Glock might be looking to move on, it emerges that Virgin has been in contact with Esteban Guerrieri about a 2011 race seat.

German Glock has a firm two-year contract with the struggling new British team, but he has been mentioned in connection with the potentially vacant seat next year alongside Robert Kubica at Renault.

He has been playing down those rumours in recent days, but this week admitted that running at the back of the grid has not been easy for him.

“For someone like me who has won the GP2 title and been on the podium with Toyota several times, it is no secret that it is not easy to be at the back,” Glock is quoted by DPA news agency.

The 28-year-old said he still wants to win the F1 championship one day.

“If I didn’t think this, and did not do everything I can to make it a reality, then I would not belong in the premier class of motor racing,” said Glock.

As those rumours swirl, it emerges from Argentina that the government could be set to support the potential F1 debut of 25-year-old Buenos Aires-born driver Esteban Guerrieri.

Local reports say there has been contact between his manager, Julio Gutierrez, and Virgin team boss John Booth, and also that the Formula Renault 3.5 driver has met with the Argentine interior minister.

“It was a very good meeting,” said manager Gutierrez. “The minister expressed his intention to collaborate so that Esteban can reach formula one.”

Guerrieri said: “I think the time is right to try (F1). I have an invitation from the Virgin team and we’re working on it, because in principle to get one of their seats we need to have about 8 million dollars.

“There should be developments within September, and the limit would be November.”

The Argentine government was also involved in the ill-fated 2010 deal between Jose Maria Lopez and the abortive USF1 team.

With Nick Heidfeld at the wheel of a Toyota TF109 Pirelli is currently testing in Mugello – tires for Formula 1 and GP2 will be the same in future.

It is serious for Pirelli, the future Formula 1 tire manufacturer who will replace the previous incumbent Bridgestone in 2011 for at least three years, today officially launched at Mugello quasi with preparations for the coming season. At the wheel sat the test carrier as announced Nick Heidfeld.

The former Mercedes test driver took a Toyota TF109 from last season site, used by the company based in Cologne TTE, a remnant of former Toyota Formula 1 team. The main objective of the two-day test is to get the new tires and to collect valuable data for further development in the coming months. In this regard, Heidfeld will describe his impressions and give input.
However, it is not at the Mugello test track at the premiere of the forthcoming Pirelli tires. This took place in July with a GP2 test carrier in Le Castellet. For what many do not know: According to information of ‘Motorsport-Total.com’ Pirelli will offer in 2011 for Formula 1 and GP2, the same types of tires. This helps the GP2 as a springboard to the premier class, and also saves costs.

The Italian tire manufacturer will continue the test at home tomorrow. Then there are five more tests with the TTE test carrier on the program before it will be the week after the season finale in Abu Dhabi, the first tests of all the teams with the new Pirelli tires. Insiders expect that the tires are beginning to turn more conservative, after all do not want to stand out by Pirelli defects.

His former promoter, Gerhard Berger sees the Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel as a Formula 1 world champion 2010th In the opinion of his former bosses at Toro Rosso, the 23-year-old ahead of his teammate Mark Webber as the best chance of the title, although he is after twelve of the 19 World Championship races with ten points behind the leading Australians only in third place overall. “With Sebastian Webber and Red Bull has a great driver line. Both can win races and be world champion. I see Vettel at an advantage because he drives a constant,” says Berger the ‘Sport Bild’.

Vettel was recently in Budapest by its own fault as he let on restart after a safety car period, too much distance and it conceded a drive-through penalty, missed taking over the championship lead. “The current events are a learning phase, which does him good and make is even stronger,” says the former Formula 1 driver, was celebrated under his leadership in 2008 in Monza, Vettel Toro Rosso its first victory.
The Austrians see Vettel in extraordinary abilities: “Sebastian is incredibly intelligent and as precisely as Ayrton Senna. He is always very focused, but also constructive. This draws him even from a young age,” says Berger, but also Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg praises, claiming at the silver arrows against the returning world champion: “Michael Schumacher’s achievements are not bad, his problem is simply Nico Rosberg.” The 25-year-old Schumacher was for the “greatest teammate he ever had. Nico is young, intelligent, and highly concentrated toptrainiert. But unfortunately the car is far from winning.”

A good advice is Berger also yet to Ferrari driver Felipe Massa left that would have in the team orders affair of Hockenheim, as his colleague Fernando Alonso too easily overtook an unfortunate role was played: “As a driver I respond to Massa’s body differently. I would have referred openly to my race engineer on the radio that I could indeed pass by Alonso as team orders are banned, but then one must expect a punishment, “says Berger. “I am convinced that under such a radio message that everyone could hear, Massa would have never heard of his box.”

Three Friday practice for the former Midland F1 team, not he expected that he would spend at least another four years of his racing career in Formula 1 there: “It took a while, until I realized that this team a future, “the German admitted in an interview with Autosport ‘. “The Spyker time it was a big mess and I did not know what would happen.”

“My plan was to stay another year, maybe two, but then somewhere else to find the cockpit,” Sutil is reminiscent of its beginnings in 2006 and 2007. “But when Vijay Mallya took over the team, I suddenly had a much better feel. Since then I am absolutely happy here and I believe in the team. But it has taken a bit to get this far, because a few year we were nowhere. ”
At the same time the 27-year-old is clear that he win at Force India probably no Grands Prix, or can be world champion. For 2011 could open up an opportunity for Renault, but is likely to remain. But: “Even with the cost savings it will always be a team that has a bit more,” he says. “Great that we have thus increased – there’s still more – but I would not say that we can become a winning team.”

“People there should be a bit careful, because in my opinion it is not possible to keep up with the top teams,” says Sutil is realistic. “We are in the area in which we currently find ourselves, namely, into midfield. We will try to raise us on, but that could be difficult. Top 5, Top 6, okay, but I honestly do not see that we fight in the coming years for the world titles. That is unrealistic. “

Mercedes might not appoint a formal replacement for its departed F1 reserve driver Nick Heidfeld.

The Brackley based team agreed to release 33-year-old Heidfeld so that he can become Pirelli’s permanent tyre development tester.

The German kicked off his new role at Mugello on Tuesday, with photographs depicting a dark-helmeted Heidfeld driving a white Toyota TF109 with low-key Pirelli signage and unbranded tyres.

Spain’s daily AS sports newspaper said reigning F2 champion Andy Soucek, who recently ended his contract as Virgin’s reserve driver, is a candidate to replace Heidfeld.

But Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said Mercedes has not decided whether a single replacement for the veteran of 167 grands prix will be appointed.

Turun Sanomat, the major Finnish daily, said the team has no immediate plans to replace Heidfeld.

The appointment of a full-time reserve driver is not required by the sporting regulations, but each teams must field two drivers at each event.

If Mercedes does not appoint a permanent replacement for Heidfeld, it is likely the German marque will nominate a reserve driver on a race-by-race basis.

The new circuit is to Mallorca will be designed for cars and motorcycles and offer 66 000 spectators – from when built is not yet clear.

As part of the Valencia race was first announced that a racetrack in Mallorca to be built. Bernie Ecclestone has already aware of the ambitious project. Now, new details are leaked. As the newspaper ‘El Mundo reported,’ to the track in the region Llucmajor, to be built near Palma.

The plant will be supported by local politicians. In total, the cost of construction of the plant 90 million euros. Two Spanish architects have prepared a draft of both the Formula 1, as will also be designed for motorcycles. The track will be 4.6 kilometers long and have 15 turns. Around 66,000 spectators in the stands to find the place. Off track to be built a technology center.
The plans compared to other new routes from something different. So the Spaniards want the plant as environmentally friendly as possible shape. From the first draft away, the topography and nature were included in the system. Solar energy will provide the power.

However, there is not yet clear when the line will be ready. The target is 2013 or 2014th F1 boss Ecclestone has already shown great interest in the project, also because of its environmental policy. The Spanish promoters hope, above all to the draft horses Fernando Alonso and Jorge Lorenzo to attract crowds.