Mike Gascoyne believes that there would be much more overtaking if new tracks were built with some imagination, while pointing to Abu Dhabi and Bahrain as producing the most boring races last year and asking why F1 returns to boring race tracks.

The Lotus technical boss told Reuters, “The shame is that, Monaco apart, a lot of the races now that are really boring are all the purpose-designed tracks built in deserts where you could have done absolutely anything that you want. Bahrain and Abu Dhabi were the two most boring races (of 2010).”

Gascoyne, known in the F1 paddock for his straight talking, pointed out, “It’s pretty disappointing that you’ve got two massively boring races on circuits where you had literally carte blanche to do anything you liked. You could have had elevation change or moved sand wherever you want it.”

The first test sessions of the F1 pre-season are taking place at Valencia, where teams are coming to terms with new gizmos that have been introduced with the aim of increasing overtaking such as KERS and driver operated movable rear wing.

But Gascoyne is adamant,  “If on certain circuits you have cracking races every year then why don’t we stop going to boring racing circuits?”

The Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore said he was very pleased at the news the Force India team is to give a race seat to the Scottish driver Paul di Resta.

He said, “I am delighted to see Paul reach the pinnacle of his sport by landing a drive with the Force India team. He will be the only Scottish driver competing in Formula One this season and the first since David Coulthard retired.”

“The whole country should be proud of him and his achievement. Paul is the latest in a long line of Scottish Formula One stars, inlcuding the legendary names Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart.”

Moore added, “I have no doubt the hard work, dedication and speed that Paul has shown throughout his career will stand him in good stead. I wish him all the best for the coming season and what I hope will be a long career at the top of his sport.”

Santander will remain a sponsor of the McLaren team in 2011.
The Spanish bank’s spokesman admitted last November that 2010 was a year of “transition” as the new major sponsorship with Ferrari began.

“Who knows if in the future we will keep on having a relationship with them (McLaren) and their drivers,” he said.

But Santander announced on Wednesday that the deal has indeed been extended, with the logo to now appear on the helmets and overalls of drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

“The relationship that we have built, initially with the McLaren team, and now its drivers, has been integral to creating and building the Santander brand in the UK,” said Santander UK CEO Ana Botin.

Spaniard Ana Botin is Grupo Santander chairman Emilio Botin’s daughter.

The McLaren/Santander sponsorship began in 2007.

Ross Brawn has admitted he would like Nico Rosberg to play a long-term role at Mercedes GP.

The 25-year-old son of 1982 world champion Keke Rosberg joined the team last year and scored 70 more points than Michael Schumacher as the sport’s most successful driver made his return to F1.

It is believed Rosberg signed a three-year contract, meaning he is set to stay at least until the end of next season.

But team boss Brawn told Sport Bild that Rosberg is “extremely talented” and would be welcome at Mercedes for much longer.

“It is very important that we have drivers like Nico Rosberg with us in the long term,” said the Briton. “I would be very happy if our relationship with Nico continues for a long time.

“He has all the qualities needed by a world champion,” added Brawn.

Mercedes is set to take complete control of the Brackley based F1 team that bears its name.

The German carmaker took over the team last year but Ross Brawn and his partners retained 24.9 per cent of the shares, the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport said.

The report said a deal to make Mercedes and Daimler shareholder AABAR the 100 per cent owner will be in place by March’s Bahrain season opener.

The Brackley based team began life in the late 90s as British American Racing (BAR), later becoming Honda who pulled out of F1 at the end of the 2008 season.

Auto Motor und Sport said Mercedes intends to keep team boss Brawn on board as an employee.

Luiz Razia is not hiding the fact that he is taking a personal sponsor to his new appointment with Team Lotus.
It has been reported that, alongside Davide Valsecchi, Brazilian 21-year-old Razia – a GP2 driver and Virgin reserve in 2010 – will appear several times during Friday morning practice sessions this year.

A report by Globo Esporte quoted Razia as admitting that “sponsorship is essential” for drivers today.

“It was not crucial to the team hiring me, but it was welcomed,” he said.

Razia refused to disclose the name of his main sponsor.

“At the moment I can’t say anything,” he insisted. “I’ll only talk about it when I am allowed to.”

The report said Razia’s first outing in the Team Lotus T128 will be at the Bahrain test prior to the 2011 season opener.

Bernie Ecclestone has fueled speculation about Sebastian Vettel’s future by predicting a switch to Ferrari for the new world champion.
The F1 chief executive is famously close to 23-year-old Vettel, who at Valencia on Tuesday worked hard to ease the rumours about his Red Bull contract and links to Ferrari and Mercedes.

“Yes, Sebastian will drive for Ferrari one day,” Ecclestone told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

The 80-year-old Briton denied that his prediction was merely to appeal to the newspaper’s Italian readers.

“No, I really think so,” he insisted. “Ferrari is really something special — it’s like an opera singer who wants to sing in the best and biggest theatre.”

Team boss Christian Horner said on Tuesday that he hopes Red Bull and Vettel stay together for “years to come”, but Vettel did not want to look too far ahead.

“If you’re asked where you see yourself in five or ten years then for all of us it’s a difficult question,” he told reporters.

It has been reported that if Red Bull finishes outside the top three this year, he will be free to switch to another team.

Horner refused to confirm those reports, but Michael Schumacher told a German newspaper this week that Mercedes would be mad not to consider an approach.

“Firmly, there are no negotiations in place whatsoever,” insisted the German marque’s Norbert Haug. “What will happen in a couple of years’ time? Who knows.”

There were no bold statements at Valencia after Tuesday’s opening day of pre-season testing.
The usually furtive 2010 runner-up Fernando Alonso tested at the wheel of Ferrari’s new F150 and claimed to have not even looked at reigning champion Red Bull’s 2011 challenger.

“I followed Vettel for a while and noticed he had the same colours as before,” joked the 29-year-old to the Spanish press.

Mercedes’ new W02 did not seem fast and broke down on its tenth lap with an hydraulic problem.

“I’ve had cars that started off great and became troublesome, and troublesome cars that became great,” said team boss Ross Brawn.

Vettel was Tuesday’s quickest, but Alonso ridiculed anyone who took that accomplishment seriously.

“I remember last year at the last test we were sixth fastest with Sauber and Force India ahead of us. At Sakhir we lapped them,” said the 2010 Bahrain winner.

“Testing is like watching Real Madrid or Barcelona play against (reserve teams) Castilla or Barcelona B. One or the other could win but it doesn’t mean anything,” insisted Alonso.

More interesting at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit this week are some of the innovations, including Renault’s exhaust, and the heavily undercut roll hoop and waist of the new Williams FW33.

“It’s gorgeous, the rear of the car is fantastic,” gushed Rubens Barrichello.

“At the moment you look at the times and it’s bad for us, but there is a three second difference between an empty fuel tank and what we are using,” he told Globe Esporte.

Another notable innovation is aboard the newly launched Toro Rosso, with Auto Motor und Sport saying it is a reminder of Ferrari’s ‘double floor’ of 1992.

And arguably the least radical of the new cars is Vettel’s currently chart-topping RB7.

“It is the third generation of the RB5 family,” admitted designer Adrian Newey. “It’s an evolution.”

Norbert Haug has played down the recent movement of staff between leading formula one teams.
After Ferrari signed Red Bull’s strategy boss Neil Martin, Helmut Marko accused the famous Italian team of trying to poach the “spirit” of the new champions.

Another high profile signing by Ferrari is McLaren’s Pat Fry, but Mercedes’ Haug insists that staff transfers are commonplace.

Asked if the German marque has also tried to engage some of Red Bull’s personnel, he told the Welt newspaper: “I don’t want to rule it out, or the reverse.

“We are all trying to improve our own teams and looking for good people,” added Haug.

Fernando Alonso was critical of Pirelli’s tyres after the first real test day of the 2011 season on Tuesday.

“They degrade quite a lot, especially the rears, and the lap times are not consistent,” the Spaniard, whose F150 Ferrari was almost a second off the pace of the chart-topping new Red Bull, said at Valencia.

Alonso is also quoted by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport as saying exploring the car’s setup was difficult because there are not enough sets of Pirelli tyres at the test.

Norbert Haug has revealed he is not in favour of allowing teams to field three cars per grand prix.
Ferrari, whose president Luca di Montezemolo is highly critical of the uncompetitive small teams, is pushing hard for the rule change.

But Haug, Mercedes’ competition director, is quoted by f1today.nl at the Valencia test: “Three cars per team is not something we support.

“It would be disastrous for the small teams so we see the current situation as much healthier.

“If we can avoid having three cars per team, we certainly will do so,” added the German.

Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that Spain is unlikely to continue to host two grands prix per season.
Currently, the Spanish grand prix is held at Barcelona, while the European grand prix is a newer and often-criticised street event in the port city Valencia.

A journalist asked whether, after a Rome race was ruled out because Italy already has a grand prix at Monza, Spain will also be limited to one event per year.

“Yes, that is a problem we are facing,” F1 chief executive Ecclestone said in an interview with La Repubblica.

As for rumours that CVC is looking to sell a part of the sport’s commercial rights, the 80-year-old Briton was less forthcoming.

“I don’t know, I’m just an employee!” he joked.

“As far as I know everyone is happy and not thinking about selling,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ecclestone said that if he was forced to bet some money on the outcome of the 2011 world championship, he would back Alonso.

Asked if his answer was merely to appease the Italian newspaper’s readership, he insisted: “No, no. When I talk about money I’m always very serious.”

It seems not everything is running smoothly as India prepares to host its inaugural grand prix in October.
Last week, it emerged that Mark Hughes – the F1 boss of the race promoter Jaypee – had quit for “personal reasons” and switched to the Abu Dhabi project.

Now, it has emerged that Suresh Kalmadi, the official who initiated India’s F1 project, has been stepped down on suspicion of corruption.

He was in charge of original F1 promoter the Indian Olympic Association, and is accused of hindering an inquiry of India’s Central Bureau of Investigation.

Autoweek said part of the investigation into malpractice surrounding the recent Commonwealth Games in Delhi could involve the alleged channelling of illegal profits through the current F1 promoter JPSK.

‘JPSK’ is reportedly an acronyn combining Jaypee with the initials of Kalmadi’s son Sumeer, who part-owns the company.

Sebastien Buemi has revealed he is not overly concerned about the additional pressure on him in 2011.

Once the cream of Red Bull’s young driver programme, the Swiss is now entering his third season with Toro Rosso and reportedly first in line to be replaced by the team’s new Friday driver Daniel Ricciardo.

“Daniel’s presence will be a good thing,” insisted 22-year-old Buemi when asked about his new Australian stablemate at the Valencia test this week.

“Anyway, that’s just F1 — either you’re good enough or you will be replaced by someone who is younger!” he laughed.

Sebastian Vettel has revealed that he is yet to think up a name for his new formula one car.
Last year, the 23-year-old won his first title at the wheel of Randy Mandy, after the original RB6 named Luscious Liz was replaced due to damage after Monaco.

The giving of an amorous female name has become one of the Red Bull driver’s several F1-related superstitions, including the sliding of a lucky coin behind his boot laces.

When asked about his new RB7 wearing the coveted number 1 as it was launched at Valencia on Tuesday, Vettel told Welt newspaper: “The number looks good.

“I saw the car in one piece for the first time this morning. So I haven’t got a name for her yet,” he revealed.

Vettel was also asked about reports that his friend Michael Schumacher suffers from motion sickness at the wheel of driver simulators.

As for whether he has also been sick in a sim, he smiled: “Once, but only very briefly.

“I think it’s an important tool with testing so limited, especially with regards to (learning) the tracks,” added Vettel.