Karun Chandhok will test at two forthcoming formula one tests, Team Lotus boss Tony Fernandes confirmed on Sunday.
Indian Chandhok, the former HRT driver, was seen wearing a Team Lotus jacket at the opening pre-season test at Valencia last week, amid reports he is a frontrunner to occupy a reserve driver role in 2011.

“We would like him to be reserve driver but we’ve got to see whether it all works out, that’s the plan,” team owner Fernandes said from Malaysia after it was announced he has been appointed a Commander of the British Empire (CBE).

“He (Chandhok) is going to get a couple of slots in the testing now in Jerez and Barcelona,” the millionaire told Reuters. “And then we’ll decide after that.

“(Technical boss) Mike (Gascoyne) and (CEO) Riad (Asmat) and everyone else feel he’s the right guy to add value to the team,” added Fernandes.

Robert Kubica has “very severe injuries”, a figure close to the Renault driver revealed on Sunday.
As the motor racing world awaits official information about the Pole’s condition after a high speed rally crash, Stephane Samson – referred to as a ‘consultant’ to Kubica by the German news agency SID – shed some light on his injuries.

“All we know is that Robert’s life is not in danger,” Samson said. “However, he has very severe injuries to his left hand and left leg, but we don’t know anything more about it.”

It was earlier rumoured that the 26-year-old, reportedy in a serious condition, has internal injuries, a broken femur, and a badly crushed hand that surgeons are considering amputating.

A detailed medical bulletin is expected shortly.

Robert Kubica has been seriously injured in a rally crash in Italy, according to multiple media sources on Sunday.
The Pole was driving a Skoda Fabia in the Ronde di Andora rally near Genoa when he left the road at high speed and hit a church wall with the driver’s side.

26-year-old Kubica, who drives in F1 for Renault, had to be cut from the car and helicoptered to hospital while his co-driver escaped unhurt.

Initially, reports said Kubica had unspecified injuries but was conscious, amid expectations a detailed medical bulletin and press statement will be issued shortly.

The first official statement was distributed by Renault, confirming only that Kubica is in the Pietra Ligure hospital.

“Lotus Renault GP will issue another statement as soon as more information is known about Robert’s condition,” it read.

Media reports said he has multiple trauma injuries, with some claiming he has broken his femur, the largest bone in the leg, and that the rally event has been called off.

A report by the German news agency SID said Kubica’s hand or wrist is the most badly injured, with surgeons reportedly considering amputation.

The report said he is also injured internally, but Kubica’s father has been quoted in Polish reports as insisting his son’s life is not in danger.

Force India will launch its 2011 car early next week.
With last year’s VJM03 having been used for the opening group test at Valencia this week, it had already emerged that the new car would make a later bow at Jerez.

The Jerez test takes place from next Thursday.

Mercedes-powered Force India has announced that the VJM04 will be revealed online two days earlier, on the afternoon of Tuesday February 8.

Amid a controversy over the future of the Australian grand prix, it seems Bernie Ecclestone will attend the 2011 edition.

The F1 chief executive declared recently that F1 doesn’t “need Australia”, after Melbourne’s Lord Mayor and premier questioned the value of the Albert Park event for taxpayers.

The state Victorian government has since committed to the F1 race, but Ecclestone’s lack of enthusiam is symbolised by the fact that he hasn’t made the long haul to Australia for several years.

The local Herald Sun newspaper therefore interprets it as “a mercy dash” the 80-year-old’s plans to attend this March.

“I am sure that it is Mr Ecclestone’s intention to be in Melbourne,” a spokesperson for the Briton confirmed.

Contary to speculation, the launch model of McLaren’s 2011 car did not feature Renault-style front-exiting exhausts.
But leading figures of the Woking based team did not rule out the appearance of the innovation on the MP4-26 at some point between now and the start of the 2011 season.

Indeed, closer inspection of the car on display in the cold Berlin air on Friday showed some of the detail beneath the bodywork had been moulded in dummy plastic.

Engineering director Tim Goss admitted: “It won’t come as any real surprise or shock that the exhaust solution that you see on the car today is not what we intend to be testing or racing.”

He flagged some “novel solutions” to appear before Bahrain not only on the new McLaren but also the racers fielded by the team’s competitors.

“Be warned, you haven’t seen it all,” boss Martin Whitmarsh advised reporters in the German capital.

He said certain “bits and pieces” of the MP4-26′s eventual race specification have been “hidden from you and our competitors” for the launch.

There has also been speculation that Mercedes’ new W02 car will eventually feature the Renault-like exhaust exits near the sidepods.

“Before we get to Bahrain you’ll probably see a number of teams with different solutions to get the benefit from the exhaust energy,” admitted team boss Ross Brawn this week at the Valencia test.

“I saw Ferrari have some different options,” the Mercedes chief added.

With an unique launch presentation in Berlin, McLaren revealed its 2011 car on Friday.
In chilly Berlin, the British team’s new MP4-26 was revealed minus its key components, which were steadily carried on and fitted, with Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton bolting on the final pieces.

The finished product revealed some radical shapes, including the ‘U’ sidepods and the extra air intakes on the engine cover.

“I hope the car proves just as innovative once we take to the track next week,” said Hamilton.

He and Button wlil drive the car for the first time at Jerez starting next Thursday, after Gary Paffett gives it a private shakedown at the Idiada Proving Ground two days earlier.

Melbourne will stage another ‘twilight’ grand prix this year.
The 2010 edition at Albert Park was criticised by drivers who said fading light towards the end was dangerous.

But Australian Grand Prix Corporation chairman Ron Walker had denied reports that the drivers had lobbied successfully for an earlier race start, while Bernie Ecclestone favoured the twilight concept for European television viewers.

“It (the 5pm start) is clearly not dangerous,” said Walker. “You can’t please these drivers, they are a bunch of lazy people who won’t do anything to help the sport.”

The FIA announced on Friday that the 2011 race on 27 March will start at 1700.

Meanwhile, a race start time for the inaugural Indian grand prix in October has not yet been set.

Peter Sauber has played down claims his Swiss formula one could follow Williams’ lead by floating shares on the stock market.
Williams, which like Sauber is a fully independent team, announced recently that a floatation is the “best way to secure” its future.

It is believed that 28 per cent of the team will be issued on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange later this month, with Sir Frank Williams to remain in charge as the majority shareholder.

Hinwil based Sauber has also been working to re-establish its footing for the future, after former owner BMW’s withdrawal and the failed sale to Qadbak.

Peter Sauber has admitted he does not want to still be on the pitwall when he turns 70 in a few years, but on Friday he seemed to rule out following Williams into the stock market.

“I honestly have to say that I don’t understand the reasons behind going public. That’s all I have to say,” he told F1′s official website.

It might be said that Sauber has ruled out selling shares to the public because new sponsor Telmex, headed by billionaire Carlos Slim, might be looking to take over the team.

But Peter Sauber insisted: “I don’t think so. It was never the plan that Carlos Slim would get directly involved with the team.

“And to be honest I feel pretty good knowing that 100 per cent of the team is with me again,” he added.

Tony Fernandes has revealed for the first time that Group Lotus has offered to settle the F1 naming dispute out of court.
The parties are fighting over Fernandes’ right to use the ‘Team Lotus’ name he bought from David Hunt for his Hingham based team in 2011.

Group Lotus terminated a license for Fernandes’ team to use ‘Lotus Racing’ last year, before the famous Proton-owned sports car maker decided to enter F1 as title sponsor to Renault.

“I considered doing a deal, but the one they offered me would have bankrupted us,” Malaysian Fernandes, whose team is testing privately at Valencia on Friday, is quoted by the Norwich Advertiser.

It is reported elsewhere that the deal offered was less than US $10m.

Instead, the saga has descended into a ‘he said, she said’ tit-for-tat, with fans now facing the prospect of two Lotus teams on the grid this year before a High Court ruling.

“It’s petty,” agreed Fernandes.

“I think we should all grow up and let the courts decide, and at the end of the day we honour the courts.

“I said I didn’t want to say anything any more, but they keep making statements. I can’t just say silent.”

Force India has extended its technical collaboration with McLaren.
Since 2009, McLaren has supplied the Silverstone based team with its gearbox and hydraulics, while Mercedes has supplied the engine.

The new deal extends to the end of 2012.

Force India also announced on Friday that Andy Green has stepped up from the role of director of engineering to be the new technical director.

“I am delighted to be able to give Andrew and his team the stability and opportunity to take us forward with the extension to the McLaren Applied Technologies contract,” said team boss Vijay Mallya.

(TMS) Williams test on Thursday for the first time be KERS – rewinds from Pastor Maldonado easy 101 rounds and gets to know the FW33
After Williams had had on the first two of the three days of testing at Valencia technical problems with its new KERS, Pastor Maldonado was on Thursday over a hundred laps with the system. The rookie was the seventh fastest lap time of the day (1:14.299 minutes), with which he was also much faster than his experienced team-mate Rubens Barrichello during the day before.

“I now feel much more comfortable in the car,” said the man from Venezuela, who tried out on Thursday next KERS also the new, adjustable rear wing. “I work better with the team and develop the car both in long runs than short stints. I feel better from time to time I get in the car.”
Maldonado was in high spirits on Thursday, after he received an important visitor at the racetrack: the Venezuelan ambassador to Spain, looked over at the Williams box and inquired of the largest motorsport hope of his country after the recent progress. “It was the first time that I met the ambassador, and for me it is great that he came here and supported me personally.”

“To know people like the ambassador behind me is very important to me. This shows that Venezuela supports me and the sport is very strong,” said Maldonado, who in the form of the state oil company PDVSA a sponsor in the back, prominently this season visible on the rear wing of the FW33 is.

Williams technical director Sam Michael was the last day of testing at Valencia also satisfied. While Barrichello was on the first two days of KERS still brake and electrical problems, Maldonado was able to try out all the systems of the new car extensively. “He did a good job you were to know all the control systems,” said Michael.
“There is a lot, think about the driver’s cockpit must now, with KERS, the rear wing, the brakes and the tires, which must be maintained at temperature,” gone, drove the experienced engineer. “We have made several changes to the vote to get to know the car, and some long runs down to temperature checks carried out.”

Jarno Trulli rewinds on Thursday T128 with the new Lotus only from a few installation laps – private test on Friday
Without power steering, but with plenty of optimism for Jarno Trulli completed the test program on Thursday of the Lotus team. The Italians, after all, turned 38 laps at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, without, however, to set a lap time.

An assessment of the potential of the new Lotus T128 Trulli also dares not reason. “But I have no power steering feels good, and therefore it is the car can not really try, ” the veteran told Autosport. ”

Apart from the problems with the steering but the car had gone well. “Of course we’ll soon find out how good this car in terms of lap times and where we stand in terms of performance, ” admitted Trulli. “A few parts on the car are missing, of course, and we can not really work in the vote. In Jerez, we will come down on the car properly and learn to understand.”
Before the team from next week to pitch his tent in southern Spain, Trulli and team-mate Heikki Kovalainen on Friday will complete a further day of testing at Valencia. Lotus expects the power steering back then, which had meanwhile sent for repair the team headquarters in England.

(TMS) Ferrari technical director Costa dares no opinion on the relative strength of: He explains the reasons and talks about Massa’s fiery exit .
Testing is like coffee grounds-reading. This experience also made the Ferrari team in Valencia. After the first three test days of the season, are where Fernando Alonso fifth place and a best time and Felipe Massa also has a fifth place to book, it is also technical director Aldo Costa too early for a location-determination.

“If we only look at our work, we can be satisfied,” sums up the Italians. “We are about where we expected, though much work lies ahead of us to understand the handling of the car -. Especially when it comes to aerodynamics and tire goes But it’s impossible on the question of where we stand compared to the other to give a precise answer. ”
Or will yet say nothing? “I’m not saying that we are groping in the dark completely, but almost, if one takes into account how many unknown factors play in here,” said Costa. A significant factor is the tires. “In that short time, Pirelli has done a great job,” says the chief technology officer his countrymen. “They have the tire and are brought here, in terms of design and reliability, on the right track.”

However, there is a continuous process, especially as both the development of the tires, and the car will constantly progress. “They are working on their mixtures, which will evolve from now on,” said Costa. “Then it’s up to us to work on the mechanical setup of the car to improve the behavior of the tires.”

The program of Ferrari could be reeled off the first of four tests with relative ease, only on the last day of the race car of Felipe Massa was suddenly on fire. Costa explained the reason for the departure of the fiery Brazilian.. “It was really a stupid thing A line was loose and the escaping oil came on the exhaust and the tires caused the turners, the little fire, and consequently the damage which forced us to a longer stop. It was a shame, because until then, everything went smoothly. “

F1 team Virgin will race with a Russian license in 2011, it will be announced officially early next week.
The Russian sports car maker Marussia sponsored the new British team last year, and ahead of the 2011 season acquired shares and renamed the team Marussia Virgin.

The team, whose 2011 car will be launched on Monday at the BBC television centre in London, announced this week that Marussia chief Nikolay Fomenko has become engineering director.

Marussia’s UK managing director Andy Webb has become CEO, to be assisted by the highly experienced former Jordan and Force India marketing boss Ian Phillips, who is the team’s new chief operating officer.

The next announcement is that Virgin will race with a Russian license from 2011, meaning that the Russian tricolour would be flown above the podium in the event of a top-three finish.

“On Monday, February 7, we will officially announce that Marusia Virgin Racing is not just the first Russian team, but the first team with a Russian license,” Fomenko is quoted by the Ria Novosti news agency.

“This means that for a victory the Russian anthem will be played,” he explained.