Another possible reason for Christian Klien’s graduation to the HRT race cockpit became clearer at Singapore on Saturday.

On Friday, team boss Colin Kolles announced that the Spanish team’s reserve driver would be taking over from Sakon Yamamoto for this race due to the Japanese driver suffering from food poisoning.

Asked if Yamamoto will be back in the car at Suzuka in two weeks, he said: “This is what we expect, yes.”

But it should be noted that Klien’s surprise chance in Singapore coincided with the emergence on the car of a new sponsor sticker.

The ‘Upsynth’ branding on the rollhoop of the Cosworth powered F110 under the Singapore lights was not present two weeks ago at Monza.

Upsynth is an Austrian brand of absinthe, a highly alcoholic beverage, hailing from Vorarlberg. Klien, 27, was born in the same west Austrian state.

“It’s nice that we succeeded in getting at very short notice a new partner like Upsynth,” he confirmed.

His HRT race cockpit debut has been very successful so far, outqualifying team regular Bruno Senna by more than a second on Saturday night.

“If I manage to help the team as reserve driver, then my mission is fulfilled for the time being,” said Klien.

“It has been quite difficult because it is a new track and practically a new car for me. But we are a long way from Lotus and Virgin.”

Klien told German television Sky that he is hoping to secure a full race seat for the 2011 season.

“You have to make the best of your chances and I think I did that in qualifying. Of course my goal is a race seat and for sure this weekend is very important,” said the Austrian.

His new sponsorship should help pay for a whopping EUR 14,400 in FIA fines for twice breaching the 60kph pitlane speed limit.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg may be good terms with his performance in qualifying – Rubens Barrichello at the start only an opponent?

Actually, Nico Rosberg in qualifying would have liked to place in Singapore immediately after the World Cup favorites, had to be in the top 10 finals but still give Rubens Barrichello (Williams) defeated and brought “only” seventh. This is the 25-year-old, however, satisfied that he was in 1:46.443 minutes but team-mate Michael Schumacher again behind.

Shall deduct Rosberg a positive conclusion and says immediately after the qualifying session.. “That’s OK I think today I would have to be six, it annoys me a bit that Rubens is not purely down to me But that’s okay. “says the Mercedes driver for the record, adding:” I’m on the clean side and is determined to crack it on Sunday at the start. ”
It should not be the seventh place but taken as an indication of a performance increase for silver, says Rosberg. “It’s not just about Mercedes and Singapore, but Mercedes and all routes. Why can not we now break out into singing,” said the German. “We must continue to work hard and see that we are soon ahead. Currently we are still missing a corner.”

Part of this residue would Rosberg on race day to make up from Singapore – preferably at the very first meters against veteran Barrichello. “The tactic is for Sunday: First of all make a good start,” announced the son of former champion Keke Rosberg of confidence. “I’m on the clean side, so that would be it. Then we will see again.”

Karun Chandhok on Saturday refused to buy into a conspiracy theory surrounding the occupant of his old HRT race cockpit this weekend.

Many paddock figures were bemused on Friday when, as it emerged that Sakon Yamamoto was holed up in his Singapore hotel with food poisoning, it was Christian Klien who was called up to replace the Japanese.

Indian Chandhok started the season in the Cosworth-powered car, and has been attending every race since he was sidelined in the hope of returning to the wheel.

“He had his chance,” team boss Colin Kolles said. “I think Christian also deserved a chance.”

And as for whether Yamamoto really has food poisoning, amid suggestions his sponsor funding might simply have dried up, Chandhok would not be drawn.

“I haven’t spoken to Sakon. I have no idea if he is sitting on the toilet or not,” he smiled.

Yamamoto, 28, in fact watched qualifying from within the HRT garage, as his stand-in Klien outqualified Bruno Senna’s sister car by more than a full second.

After Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel looked set to walk pole position in Singapore, it was Fernando Alonso who mastered the street circuit on Saturday night.

The Ferrari driver, having won from pole position two weeks ago in Italy, left Vettel and his team boss Christian Horner bemused by outpacing the fastest RB6 by half a tenth.

Vettel, 23, called his Q3 effort “messy”, as Horner told British television BBC: “He touched the barrier on his final lap and that was the difference today.”

In the sister Red Bull, championship leader Mark Webber qualified fifth, having not looked comfortable between the walls of the city layout so far this weekend.

The Australian, also behind the two McLarens for the start of Sunday’s race, admitted he has had “trouble getting a rhythm around here”.

“We underperformed,” admitted Horner. “We should be two or three tenths up the road.”

In contrast, it was a notably focused session for Alonso, who grappled with having to change some settings from the cockpit following teammate Felipe Massa’s earlier gearbox failure.

“We made some safe changes in the car to avoid any risk,” said the Spaniard, whose team initially believed Massa’s problem was engine-related.

Alonso told his team on the radio: “No words, fantastic job today.”

He will have a clear run to turn 1 on Sunday at 8pm local time, alongside fellow front row sitter Vettel.

“I think we had the car to be on pole but we have a very good car for tomorrow,” insisted the German.

Officials of the embattled Korean grand prix are in the paddock this weekend for crisis talks with F1′s governing body.

As previously reported, Charlie Whiting did not inspect the new Yeongam circuit as scheduled earlier this week.

It was believed that September 28 had been installed as the new final inspection date, giving the organisers more time to lay the crucial final layer of asphalt.

However, according to the Associated Press news agency and the Telegraph newspaper, the official reason for the September 21 delay was an unforeseen Korean national holiday.

FIA press officer Alexandra Schieren confirmed on Saturday that talks with the Korean officials are taking place in Singapore.

She said the final inspection will now take place either next week or the week after.

Should it take place the week after next, that would leave mere days before the formula one world is due to travel to Korea.

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone told Singapore newspaper the Straits Times on Saturday that Asia had become crucial to F1.

“For years and years, I have been saying the world has been moving this way — moving east, not west,” he said.

With one swift retort, Colin Kolles extinguished rumours that the Jacques Villeneuve/Durango venture might be rescued by struggling F1 team HRT.

After the alliance missed out on the 13th team entry for 2011, 1997 world champion Villeneuve said another potential route onto next year’s grid was to buy an existing outfit.

The most affordable would most certainly be Hispania Racing, slowest on the 2010 grid and reportedly struggling for survival.

“To be honest, I’m really speechless that you believe this speculation,” said team boss Kolles, when also asked in Singapore about speculation linking HRT with Stefan GP.

“Why should I answer you if you mention the name Durango and the people you just mentioned before?  I cannot make any comment because I never spoke to these people,” he added.

Villeneuve also responded to the speculation on Friday, in conversation with the French Canadian publication Rue Frontenac.

“We have not yet made a formal bid for an F1 team at all,” said the 39-year-old.

“As the deadlines are less pressing than those imposed by the FIA, we are evaluating all our options before making a final decision,” added Villeneuve.

He admitted that turning his attention to NASCAR is perhaps now the most likely outcome.

“We are looking at how the funds that would have been for the F1 side can be transferred to North America to develop a programme in NASCAR,” said the Canadian.

Nick Heidfeld has admitted he feels some sympathy for Pedro de la Rosa, the regular Sauber driver who was ousted before this weekend’s Singapore grand prix.

German Heidfeld, who is now sitting in de la Rosa’s cockpit after serving most of 2010 as test driver for Mercedes and latterly Pirelli, made a solid return to F1 on Friday by getting within a tenth of the pace of his new teammate Kamui Kobayashi.

Asked if he feels slightly bad about making his return by sending de la Rosa home, the 33-year-old answered: “Of course.

“I’m friends with Pedro,” Heidfeld said in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Blick.

“We meet from time to time — we live close to each other.  I have spoken with him.  He understands my situation.

“He knows I had to take the chance and couldn’t say ‘Pedro is a nice guy, so I’ll go without’,” added the veteran of 170 grands prix.



McLaren newcomer and reigning world champion Jenson Button has admitted that he has not been as fast as his teammate Lewis Hamilton in 2010.

The 30-year-old, who has won two grands prix compared with Hamilton’s three so far this season, said his countryman has been better at the wheel of an unbalanced car, and over a single qualifying lap.

“I need a car that is more stable than he does.  In that respect Lewis is very strong,” Button said in an interview with The Independent.

But the Briton insists he has not been destroyed this year by 25-year-old Hamilton, who was groomed by McLaren since he was a boy.

“Overall I think it’s been very close with Lewis.  But I am behind him, not in front.  So qualifying is something that I still need to work on,” Button acknowledged.

Some figures in the paddock believe that Button was effectively ousted by Brawn at the end of last year as the re-branded Mercedes GP wanted to pair the seven time world champion with the already-contracted Nico Rosberg.

But Button insists it was his “decision” to switch to McLaren, despite having had no input into the initial development of the MP4-25.

“I have made a lot of wrong decisions but I’m really happy with the one to move to McLaren,” he said.

Eric Boullier has dropped some big hints about the possible identity of Robert Kubica’s teammate at Renault in 2011.

The team is weighing up whether to keep Vitaly Petrov, the Russian rookie who is substantially financed, or push ahead with initial discussions with potential replacements.

The highest profile potential successor is Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion who agreed to leave Ferrari at the end of last year and has since been driving full time in the world rally championship.

“Yes, Kimi has been in contact with us, but we’re not yet in discussion,” Boullier is quoted by Auto Hebdo in the Singapore paddock.

“It could be a scenario if we decide not to keep Vitaly.

“What is certain is that if we decide to go back into talks with Raikkonen, I want to meet him to really assess the true motivation for his return,” added Boullier, amid reports the 30-year-old Finn is primarily looking to replace his Ferrari income that is soon to end.

“Whether it’s Kimi Raikkonen or someone else, I want him to be super-motivated to race with us.  Whether he’s Finnish, Chinese or French-Swiss, he has to prove he is motivated,” said Boullier.

The nationalities cited by Boullier almost certainly refer to Renault reserve driver Ho-Pin Tung (Chinese) and the newly Gravity-managed Romain Grosjean (French-Swiss).

Also linked with Renault have been Adrian Sutil, and Spain’s AS newspaper reports that Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari has also been in contact with the Enstone based team.

Peter Sauber, Raikkonen’s first team boss in 2001, told the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat: “Personally, I’d be glad if Kimi came back.  He is so different and talented.”

Nick Heidfeld added: “He would be able to come back without the slightest problem.  I have not been driving for a long time and yet I feel I have come back with exactly the same feeling.”

And Kubica, Raikkonen’s potential teammate, commented: “If I was in Kimi’s position, I might stay in rallying.

“But I’m not saying that because I want him to stay there,” added the Pole, who like Raikkonen is a rallying aficionado.

Sebastian Vettel briefly suspected he was the victim of clandestine team orders during the recent Italian grand prix.

According to a report in the British newspaper The Telegraph, the German’s instinctive suspicions were raised at Monza when he sensed a problem with his RB6 whilst running ahead of his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber.

Australian Webber is leading the drivers’ world champion, but publicly the Austrian team insists he is not now being favoured over his younger teammate.

The media report revealed that Vettel, 23, screamed “Are you ——- with me guys?” over the radio when he noticed a temporary problem – which ultimately turned out to be a brake issue – that allowed Webber to pass him.

“I am emotional,” he is quoted as explaining in Singapore.

“At that moment you are fighting on the limit and I thought that maybe … but I think everything I have done I can be totally honest and straight.

“At the time I believed it was the right decision.  I have no regrets,” said Vettel.

Some commentators believe the difference between highly rated Vettel and the experienced Webber this year is their contrasting abilities to cope with pressure.

“Do I believe the pressure has got to me?  No,” Vettel said rhetorically.

“Do I believe the criticism is right?  That I am a pole kid who can’t win races?  No.  Why?  Because I know the reasons why I haven’t performed.

“How many mistakes have I made this year?  Probably two.  And if I make a mistake you can be sure I am harder on myself than anyone else,” he added.

Bernie Ecclestone says he would be happy if Singapore emulated the success of its night race with an unchanged format “for 20 years”.

The F1 chief executive expressed his delight with the sold out event in the Asian city-state late on Friday at the opening of a Hublot watch boutique near the Marina Bay venue.

According to the local Straits Times newspaper, Ecclestone wants the Singapore race to stay the same until 2030 “and then see what needs to be changed”.

The 79-year-old Briton said the race is a jewel in F1′s crown and “keeps getting polished”.

He did not mention two criticisms of the event.

After practice, having seen his friend Adrian Sutil’s Force India launched spectacularly, Lewis Hamilton slammed the re-profiled turn 10 chicane as “ridiculous” and “the worst corner I’ve ever driven in formula one”.

And reigning world champion Jenson Button pointed to track drainage as a problem, explaining that long after the rain had stopped, there was “a lot of water coming up through the circuit”.

As has become the trend in Singapore this week, it has been raining once again on Saturday afternoon, prior to the evening practice session on qualifying day.

The F1 circus is generally very happy with the event, however, despite Nico Rosberg arriving back at his Pan Pacific hotel at 2pm on Friday night to find the kitchen had stopped serving dinner.

The German told AFP news agency: “The atmosphere is incredible and the concept of a night race works really well once you get into the routine of staying on European time.”

The FIA Institute will start with Alexander Wurz own junior program – planned ten candidates from all five regions of the earth
Jean Todt’s presidency has her next highlight: the Institute of International Automobile Federation FIA founded an academy for young drivers in the field of circuit racing and rally. In a competition that will end with a final event in February 2011, ten support candidates from around the world are selected.

The FIA Institute has two motor sport known names backed up as coaches: former Formula 1 driver Alex Wurz will deal with his company’s test and training to the driver-training of the young candidates, while Robert Reid Company ESP aspects such as personality, nutrition, communication and marketing takes under his wing. Reid in 2001 as co-driver Richard Burns World Rally Champion.
“I was in the creation of the concept for the Academy involved and I am very happy to be part of this exciting project,” said Wurz, whose firm typically specializes in driving safety. “I look forward to working with young drivers and to help them, their professionalism, their skills and develop their responsibilities during a defining stage in their careers.”

Those interested can as of 4 October, FIAInstitute.com download an application form, which by 15 October at the national motor sports body shall be handed over. By early December, then pre-selected 20 candidates of which can qualify the final three-day event in February in Austria only ten for inclusion in the new Academy of the FIA Institute.

Incidentally, among the ten candidates will be conveying at least a representative of the FIA following five regions: North America, Western and Northern Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia and Oceania. At the same time it is the world governing body in the search for emerging talent not only to performance but it should be moved, values such as safety and fair-play spirit in the foreground.

The winner of Bruno Senna’s helmet competition is certain – the design is to remember his unforgettable uncle Ayrton

HRT driver Bruno Senna had advertised a competition in which fans worldwide were able to design a helmet that is to remember his uncle Ayrton. The three-time world champion had on 21 March’s 50th Birthday celebration. The winning design will Senna contribute one of the remaining races. Over 500 proposals were submitted and in the end it went to very short. Finally, the design of the Brazilian Rai Caldato was named the most beautiful.

Among five finalists selected Senna himself, his family members and the designers of Ayrton unmistakable yellow helmet in the winner. Caldato finally got 8892 votes. Another Brazilian, Bruno Mantovani has led to the final round, but had to admit defeat with 8093 votes.
The winner will now look forward to his helmet from Senna is worn on a race weekend. Where and when will this happen, soon to be announced. Caldato will get a replica of the helmet that is signed by Senna. Given a signed photo with the head protection is worn. The original helmet will be auctioned and the profit goes entirely to the Ayrton Senna Foundation.

Tony Fernandes on Friday admitted he would like Group Lotus, the Proton-owned maker of British sports cars, to be involved with his formula one team.

But in reality, Lotus Racing – Fernandes’ entirely separate Malaysian-owned outfit – and Norfolk based Group Lotus, seem to be moving even further apart.

Group Lotus is reportedly retracting the license for the Lotus Racing moniker, meaning Fernandes has had to buy the separate and historic Team Lotus name in order to continue to be called Lotus in formula one.

At the same time, the Malaysian airline millionaire admitted he was surprised when he learned that Group Lotus is getting involved in GP2 next year with the top team ART.

Asked pointedly in Singapore if there is a link between Lotus Racing and Group Lotus’ new motor racing plans, he answered: “No.”

Fernandes admitted that, when originally founded by Colin Chapman in the 50s, Group Lotus and Team Lotus were entirely cooperative.

“Of course they cooperated and of course we would like to cooperate but if Group Lotus doesn’t want to then there’s not much we can do about it,” he said.

“The door is always open,” continued Fernandes. “It makes sense if they did.

“If I was sitting there and there was a formula one team going around the world with 20 races, promoting a brand, if I was the CEO, I would definitely want to get involved, especially if I’m not putting any money in it,” he added.

The latest rumour is that while Michael Schumacher is expected to be back in the paddock next year, he might not return to the Mercedes cockpit.

When the seven time world champion was asked if he was going to return to retirement after his disappointing 2010 comeback, he told reporters on Thursday: “You cannot get rid of me, let’s put it this way.”

The bulk of the media took that to mean he intends to keep racing in 2011.

But the New York Times’ correspondent Brad Spurgeon has admitted he was tempted to follow up the question by asking Schumacher if his role next year might not be as a driver, but in a management role such as ‘sporting director’.

Germany’s Bild newspaper has also heard the rumours about Schumacher staying in F1 in another role once his driving days are over.

Asked if he can imagine a similar post-racing role, Fernando Alonso said in Singapore: “Not at all — team bosses have to work too hard!”

And the Spaniard, who stopped Schumacher from achieving an eighth title in 2006, insisted he is not among those who are criticising the 41-year-old German.

“I say only this: Michael is a legend, he won five titles with Ferrari and, with Ferrari, I am yet to win one.

“He doesn’t need to prove anything to anybody, and he will be faster next year,” added Alonso.