Fully recovered from the injury that has affected, Hiroshi Aoyama will be presented in the best physical shape possible this weekend in Motegi for the Grand Prix at home. The Twin Ring circuit where he won in 2005 and 2006 250cc Honda and KTM “Hiro” feels obliged to play a good race, with the aim of hitting the best result of the season.

“I’m looking forward to racing at Motegi, “said Hiroshi Aoyama. “There will be all my family, my friends and fans will be there to follow me from the stands. I pretty full agenda for the weekend, but I am very happy to run into the house.

Physically I feel better now, it’s been three months now and the bone is remodeled. I hope to Motegi be able to obtain the best result of the season for me but for my team. ”

Last year, the current Interwetten Honda rider finished second in the 250cc class, preceded only by Alvaro Bautista.

At Motorland Aragon Jorge Lorenzo broke the sequence of 12 consecutive podiums in the same season, finishing in fourth place, “mocked” the last lap from Nicky Hayden. No drama for the leader of the world this weekend at Motegi will try to return to the podium to win serious points for the championship, Dani Pedrosa is 56 points away, but a comeback …

“Motegi is the home race for Yamaha and I am always happy of running there, “says Jorge Lorenzo. “Last year I got my first MotoGP win at this track and was one of the most beautiful moments of my career.

I like the circuit a lot and I think we can do well. The goal for this race is back on the podium and collect as many points as possible: this will be essential to be quick in qualifying for Friday’s start to the GP and the first of three consecutive race weekends. “

Last year Lorenzo was able to win in front of Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa, who stars in a fine second phase of the race where he took off with a good pace.

He expects a tough race Valentino Rossi at Motegi. A circuit problem for someone like him, has yet to fix the ills of the left shoulder. It makes no claims for the Japanese Grand Prix, just waiting to verify their physical condition before attempting to return to the podium …

“Aragon was a very difficult weekend, “says Valentino Rossi. “We could not find the right set-up for the bike, but I also had shoulder problems. Now the leg is almost OK, but the shoulder remains a problem and until there is the possibility to cure it properly we have to live with it.

As for Motegi I have good memories, I won the championship here in 2008, but I expect a tough weekend from a physical point of view. We now have three weeks before binding, but will run on two of my favorite tracks: we will do our best and see what happens. “

Valentino Rossi after the race at Aragon admitted its intention to operate in short run all three races outside Europe before making a decision.

A major topic of conversation during a team bosses meeting in Singapore was the so-called Resource Restriction Agreement.

At the resolution of last year’s political crisis, and the signing of a new Concorde Agreement, the teams promised the FIA to reduce their spending to the levels seen in formula one in the early 90s.

The intention, championed by departed FIA president Max Mosley, was to make the sport much more affordable for private teams, like the 2010 newcomers Virgin, HRT and Lotus.

But despite receiving applications to fill the 13th team spot for 2011, the FIA ruled that none had the necessary financial resources, and there are signs that some of the sport’s existing teams are also struggling.

“Many of the technical changes that were brought in to reduce costs haven’t done so, and in many cases they have actually increased costs,” Lotus team boss Tony Fernandes told F1′s official website.

And according to Michael Schumacher, another cost-cutting measure – completely banning in-season testing – was also not well thought out.

“Efficient testing might be cheaper than now, when we build parts and then throw them away because we can’t test them and they didn’t work,” the Mercedes driver is quoted by Die Welt newspaper.

The seven time world champion also said the testing ban has led to the “very expensive” development of simulators.

Nick Wirth, the technical boss at struggling new team Virgin, said it was “really sad” that Mosley’s plan for team budget caps was scuppered.

“It was a huge mistake,” he is also quoted by the German publication.

Another consideration is the new engine formula, with 4-cylinder turbo units allied with sophisticated energy recovery systems touted for 2013.

But considerations about F1 becoming ‘green’ are arguably secondary to the independent teams, like Sauber, who can no longer count on the vast support of departed owner BMW.

“I think what’s important to us is obviously the costs being kept under control, because obviously changes cost money,” said the Hinwil based team’s technical boss James Key.

After crashing out of the consecutive Italian and Singapore grands prix, Lewis Hamilton has vowed a different approach to the remaining races in 2010.

Before his terminal crash into Felipe Massa at Monza, and then Mark Webber last Sunday, the McLaren driver was considered a favourite for the world championship.

But he is now 20 points adrift with four – or three, depending on embattled Korea’s fate – races to go.

“I’ve changed my attitude,” he said in an interview with Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper.

“I’m not looking at the world championship any more.  I will try to win the next races but above all I want to enjoy my racing,” added the Briton.

Hamilton’s new attitude may also be explained by the nature of the forthcoming races, with Red Bull and Ferrari expected to set the pace at Suzuka next weekend.

“The types of corners (at Suzuka) will be most favourable to Red Bull,” Ferrari test driver Marc Gene wrote in his El Mundo column.

“It wouldn’t surprise me to see them better than the rest and very difficult to beat.  But we will have improvements so you can’t rule us out for the win,” added the Spaniard.

While Ferrari has undoubtedly closed the gap to Red Bull, Sebastian Vettel said recently that the Japanese venue was so suitable for the RB6 that it seems John Hugenholtz “made Suzuka for us”.

“And all the other tracks should suit our car as well.  Korea is the only unknown one, but that’s the same for everyone,” the German told Bild newspaper.

McLaren’s Jenson Button, now the lowest-ranked of the five contenders and 25 points behind leader Webber, said before returning to the UK for simulation tests: “Hopefully Korea goes ahead.”

Another concern for Ferrari is engine usage, given that if Fernando Alonso needs to fit another unit before the Abu Dhabi finale, he will take a ten-place grid penalty.

“There is no reason to think too much about it,” a Ferrari engineer is quoted by El Pais newspaper.

“In Singapore Fernando used an engine that had already done two races,” he explained, adding that the difference between a new and old engine is “not much more” than 2 horse power.

F1 team Lotus Racing is taking a naming dispute with Malaysian carmaker Proton to London’s High Court.

After terminating the team’s license of the Lotus Racing moniker, Proton on Monday vowed to challenge boss Tony Fernandes’ intention to call itself Team Lotus in 2011.

Team Lotus, separate from the Proton-owned British sports car maker Group Lotus, was sold to Fernandes by David Hunt, who acquired the name when the original team folded in the 90s.

But Proton said: “We are the owners of this brand, and will take all necessary steps to protect it.”

Lotus Racing has now responded to Proton’s statement.

“We have today issued proceedings in the English High Court for a declaration that Team Lotus Ventures has the rights to use the Team Lotus name and everything associated with that brand in relation to formula one,” announced team chief executive Riad Asmat.

He said he was confident the court will permit the use of the Team Lotus name because Group Lotus “recently tried to revoke the Team Lotus trademarks at a hearing … but they were unsuccessful”.

And “When we signed our licence to compete as Lotus Racing, (Group Lotus) were very clear that we could not make any reference to Team Lotus as they had no rights at all to the Team Lotus name”, added Asmat.

Asmat also confirmed that a small team sponsorship by Proton, worth about 1.5 per cent of the team’s 2010 budget, is ending.

“Personally I think it’s odd that our colleagues at Group Lotus have not embraced what we are giving them — a global platform for creating huge awareness and great value for their operations, all at no cost to them,” he added.

On Twitter, team boss Fernandes commented: “Funny how after we deliver a formula one team that’s professional and has promise, everyone wants a piece.

“But this is great because all the facts will come out and the shareholders and government will see the real story.”

Malaysian carmaker Proton on Monday vowed to challenge Tony Fernandes’ intention to brand his formula one team ‘Team Lotus’ in 2011 and beyond.

In 2010, airline millionaire Fernandes’ new team has been called ‘Lotus Racing’, with the name officially licensed by the separate British carmaker Group Lotus.

But Group Lotus is now ramping up its motor racing efforts, including by allying with GP2 team ART next year. It is believed the carmaker therefore decided to retract the naming license for Fernandes’ team.

Air Asia chief Fernandes has therefore bought the separate Team Lotus name from David Hunt. But Group Lotus said in a statement on Monday that it will resist Fernandes’ intention to call his F1 team Lotus in 2011.

“We are the owners of this brand, and will take all necessary steps to protect it,” said Proton Holdings Bhd chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh.

“Tony Fernandes has no rights to use the Lotus brand in the 2011 formula one season, and we will strongly resist any attempts by him to use our brand without our permission and will withdraw our sponsorship of the Lotus Racing team,” he added.

Nadzmi confirmed that Proton and Group Lotus have terminated the licensing of the Lotus Racing name for Fernandes’ team because of “flagrant and persistent breaches of the licence by (the team), which were damaging to the Lotus brand”.

He also said Group Lotus will not allow Fernandes’ team to be called ‘Team Lotus’ in 2011, even though the name was owned separately by 1976 world champion James Hunt’s brother David since 1994.

“Mr Hunt’s attempt to acquire the name Team Lotus (in the 90s) was ineffective,” said the Proton statement.

“Group Lotus is the owner of all rights in the ‘Lotus’ automotive brand including those relating to formula one,” it added.

Two of F1′s leading team bosses have admitted they, like F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, have concerns about the forthcoming Korean grand prix.
On paper, there are four races left to run on the 2010 calendar, but real concerns that the new Yeongam circuit will not be ready to host its inaugural race on October 24.

The FIA rules require new tracks to pass a final inspection three months before their first race. But the governing body and Ecclestone have allowed Korea to delay its inspection until October 11 — when air fares and hotels will be booked, and much of F1′s freight en route to the east Asian nation.

Another crucial consideration is that whether there are 3 or 4 races left to run has an impact on how the teams – particularly those battling for the title – will approach the rest of the season.

McLaren, for instance, is hoping Korea stays on the calendar, given the points deficits of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

“We would like four races but from what we hear there are a lot of concerns,” said team boss Martin Whitmarsh.

“Bernie and the Koreans will work on that, and we will concentrate on going to the next race in Suzuka and maximising the points.”

Red Bull, meanwhile, has a better insight than most about Korea, after Karun Chandhok recently completed a demonstration of the track at the wheel of an old F1 car.

“We were there a few weeks ago and they were well on course with it, so we’re pretty confident,” said Christian Horner.

“At the moment all the flights are still booked.”

With Mark Webber leading the championship and his teammate Sebastian Vettel further behind, team boss Horner admitted his drivers have different opinions about the fate of the Korean round.

“Mark would say no (to Korea) and Sebastian would say yes, and obviously from a team point of view it (cancellation) wouldn’t be a bad thing either,” he said.

“But I think we’ll definitely be in Korea.

“I had a chat with (Ecclestone) earlier — he now seems pretty confident,” added Horner.

Felipe Massa’s engine usage for the 2010 season ticked over to a ninth unit in Singapore, resulting in a grid penalty.

That news alone could be interpreted as a potential threat to the title chances of his teammate Fernando Alonso, who is now just 11 points behind leader Mark Webber having won the past two races from pole.

Like Massa, Spaniard Alonso entered the Singapore round having used eight engines, the maximum allowed during the entire 19-race schedule this year.

But Brazilian Massa’s ninth engine was only installed in Singapore due to his technical problem in qualifying that stranded him at the very rear of the grid.

The necessary gearbox change resulted in a five-place grid drop, but Massa could not be pushed down the order lower than dead last.

So the Italian team also decided to install a new engine in his F10 – resulting in another negated grid penalty, this time 10 places – before the race.

A spokesman for the Italian team confirmed that the change was “entirely precautionary”.

Massa said: “Now I only have three left which have each done one race, to rotate over the last four races of the season.”

Felipe Massa furrowed his brow in Singapore when an Italian journalist dared to ask about the health of his world championship chances.

Brazilian Massa is mathematically still in the title chase, but the media is billing 2010 as a five-way contest between his Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso and the Red Bull and McLaren drivers.

29-year-old Massa is increasingly seen as a bit-part to number 1 Alonso’s push.

So when asked by the Italian journalist about his chances, Massa angrily reacted: “On some questions, you could probably think of the answer.

“But I will say it again.  The world championship for me is over.”

Massa started from the rear of the grid in Singapore due to a gearbox failure in qualifying, but Brazilian journalist Livio Oricchio was unimpressed with his performance under the floodlights.

“He stayed behind Nico Hulkenberg’s Williams most of the time,” he wrote in his column for Jornal da Tarde.  “But Massa has the same car as (race winner) Alonso.

“Ferrari can be accused of having team orders, but not of giving its two drivers different cars.

“Alonso proved that the car is very fast.  But we didn’t see a single attempt from Massa to overtake his opponent, even when his tyres were new.

“What we’re seeing is a disproportionate difference in competence between the two Ferrari drivers,” charged Oricchio.

The press was also hard on Lewis Hamilton, who for the second race in a row retired due to a collision.  The Mirror said: “Lew blew it … again”.

But Hamilton vowed to stay aggressive.

“It’s the way I am,” he said in the Spanish newspaper El Pais.  “That’s me, and I think this aggression is my main strength.”

A striking new front wing for McLaren’s 2010 car almost didn’t make it to the Singapore circuit at the weekend.

Managing director Jonathan Neale travelled from the team’s Woking headquarters to the Asian city-state with the brand new pieces in his luggage.

But Neale admits he began to worry when the new part did not emerge with his other luggage.

“First, one of Adrian Newey’s (Red Bull) parts came out, but not our case.

“Because the wing was packed so well, the guys at the airport thought it was equipment for the aircraft rather than luggage.  So they left it on the plane.

“We had to wait for a few hours to get it,” he explained.

The new front wing was visibly different to its predecessor, and credited for allowing Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button to split the Red Bulls in qualifying.

“It is a bit different,” Neale agreed.  “We haven’t seen its full potential yet.  On the fast circuits it should give us even more.”

Force India is already missing the input of its departed technical director James Key.

The team is locked in a close battle with Williams for sixth and seventh places in the constructors’ championships, which some analysts believe is worth $5 million.

Force India has had some difficult races recently, including in Singapore, where Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi qualified on the 8th and 9th rows of the grid.

The Silverstone based team and Williams then had a bitter post-race argument in the stewards’ office, with Sutil initially penalised for cutting a corner and then Force India lodging a protest about Nico Hulkenberg doing the same.

Sutil confided to Auto Motor und Sport that the loss of Briton Key to Sauber has not been without consequence.

“I actually thought there would be no problem,” said the German, who is thought to be close to deciding whether or not to stay at Force India beyond 2010.

“I have confidence in the people who have taken over,” Sutil continued.  “His successor Mark Smith is doing a good job, but I’m sorry to say that we have lost ground.

“It’s no longer easy for us to get into the top ten in qualifying.

“You only see how good a person really is when he is no longer there,” said the 27-year-old driver.

Singapore was a “one-off” stint at the wheel of team regular Sakon Yamamoto’s car, HRT reserve driver Christian Klien said after Sunday’s night race.

Despite the struggling Spanish team saying Yamamoto was sidelined due to food poisoning, Klien’s graduation to the race seat coincided with the arrival of the logo of a new Austrian sponsor on the Cosworth-powered car.

Paddock sources also said one of Yamamoto’s personal sponsors was removed from the car in Singapore.

So just as Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna have also been sidelined by HRT earlier in 2010, paddock cynics now expect the Japanese to have to make way for the better-funded Klien.

The 27-year-old former Jaguar and Red Bull driver also performed well in Singapore, considerably outqualifying teammate Senna before retiring from the race with an hydraulic problem whilst running 18th.

When asked about the future, Klien answered: “Singapore was a one-off to replace Sakon Yamamoto.  Anything else is not in my hands.

“It was really great to be feeling like a proper racing driver again and I do hope I could make my mark this weekend.”

He was less flattering about the Dallara-designed F110 car.

“It behaves just like a rally car,” he told Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat, before joking: “I should probably ask Kimi Raikkonen for advice.”

Felipe Massa’s engine usage for the 2010 season ticked over to a ninth unit in Singapore, resulting in a grid penalty.
That news alone could be interpreted as a potential threat to the title chances of his teammate Fernando Alonso, who is now just 11 points behind leader Mark Webber having won the past two races from pole.

Like Massa, Spaniard Alonso entered the Singapore round having used eight engines, the maximum allowed during the entire 19-race schedule this year.

But Brazilian Massa’s ninth engine was only installed in Singapore due to his technical problem in qualifying that stranded him at the very rear of the grid.

The necessary gearbox change resulted in a five-place grid drop, but Massa could not be pushed down the order lower than dead last.

So the Italian team also decided to install a new engine in his F10 – resulting in another negated grid penalty, this time 10 places – before the race.

A spokesman for the Italian team confirmed that the change was “entirely precautionary”.

Massa said: “Now I only have three left which have each done one race, to rotate over the last four races of the season.”

Race organisers hit back on Monday amid widespread reports the inaugural Korean grand prix was in real danger of being called off.

F1 teams, media and personnel are concerned that – despite FIA rules requiring a final track inspection 90 days before a new event – the uncertainty about Korea is still growing just three weeks before they are due to fly to the east Asian nation.

The final inspection deadline is becoming farcical, with a Korean official now confirming that it will take place on October 11 — after much of the sport’s freight has left Suzuka.

There is also the issue of the world championship, with the title protagonists not really sure if there are 3 or 4 contests still to run.

“We will have no problem in hosting the race on October 24 as we have almost completed work,” a spokesman for organiser KAVO is quoted in a Sapa/AFP wire report on Monday.

He insisted that the track will be ready by Charlie Whiting’s October 11 inspection.

“We will rush to complete work and FIA officials will see a complete circuit when they conduct a final inspection in two weeks,” he said.

The fears about cancellation of the race was ramped up by F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, who on Sunday admitted for the first time that he is concerned about the situation.

“We take Ecclestone’s remarks seriously as a message that we have to step up preparations for the race,” said the spokesman.