Ferrari could be set to race back into a controversy surrounding cigarette advertising.
Earlier this year, amid fresh criticism of the team’s ongoing sponsorship by the Philip Morris company, Ferrari dropped the ‘Marlboro’ from its official name.

But the association continues. India Today reports that Hriday, a health organisation in India, has lodged a complaint.

It claims the sale of Marlboro cigarettes in India this week alongside posters of Ferrari single seaters violates the country’s anti-tobacco laws.

The report also said the cigarette packets include message inserts about the fabled Maranello based team.

“The message is basically to promote the brand surreptitiously,” said a spokeswoman for Hriday.

 Mark Webber on Saturday said he does not want to be gifted victory in the Indian grand prix.
Given Lewis Hamilton’s grid penalty for ignoring yellow flags earlier this weekend, Australian Webber will start Sunday’s race alongside his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel.

But as Vettel has already wrapped up the drivers’ title, the German as well as team boss Christian Horner have been hinting at a ‘team orders’ switch so that Webber can jump up the points standings to second place.

Webber, however, is not keen.

“Nothing will be different,” he told reporters when asked about the likely race tactics for Sunday.

“There’s been a lot of talk from the team but no talk from me,” he added.

“I don’t want any positions off Sebastian.”

At the same time, boss Horner also toned down his hintings about Vettel moving over so that Webber can take maximum points for the remaining three races.

“The focus for us is to let the guys race. Mark doesn’t want to be gifted that second place,” he told BBC 1 television.

Williams has promoted the former ‘spygate’ engineer Mike Coughlan.
The former McLaren chief designer was sacked and also banned after receiving secret Ferrari information in 2007.

He went to NASCAR but in June returned to F1 with the famous British team Williams, whose technical director Sam Michael has just departed.

Coughlan initially joined as chief engineer.

“We have just confirmed (Coughlan) as our new technical director,” team chairman Adam Parr told reporters in India.

Mark Gillan joined Williams last month as chief operations engineer.

“In terms of how they are going I think it has been a very positive step for us,” added Parr.

Williams is the lowest-placed team in the 2011 constructors’ championship except for newcomers Lotus, Virgin and HRT.

“There are some areas where we need to invest a little bit and we are doing that as fast as we can to really try and take a big step forward for next year,” said Parr.

 A stray dog delayed the first ever practice session at India’s new Buddh circuit early on Friday.
The black dog caused a five minute delay until it was chased down by officials at the smog-affected venue.

In 2008 in Turkey, Bruno Senna struck and killed a dog at speed with his GP2 car, damaging his suspension.

Another point of note on Friday was fastest driver Lewis Hamilton’s helmet, which unusually featured a picture of Bob Marley on the top.

A day after the 2008 world champion confirmed his split with girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger, many wondered if the Briton was referring to the Marley song ‘No woman no cry’.

In fact, the reference was to the song ‘One love’, featuring the lyrics ‘Let’s get together and feel all right’.

Hamilton told reporters on Thursday: “These times are sent to try you. And it’s about how you pull through them.”

He is hopeful, but Jean-Eric Vergne insists he is still not sure if he will make his grand prix debut with Toro Rosso next year.
With his World Series season now concluded, the reigning British F3 champion recently began a new role as the Faenza based team’s Friday practice driver.

The heavily Red Bull-backed youngster is sitting out India because the circuit is new, but will be back in action in Abu Dhabi and Brazil next month.

Frenchman Vergne, 21, said recently he expects to replace either Jaime Alguersuari or Sebastien Buemi in 2012.

Before that, he will drive Red Bull’s title-winning car throughout the Abu Dhabi young driver test.

In France this weekend, he now tells the weekly Le Nouvel Observateur: “I must concentrate on my work, not paying attention to what is being said.

“Anyway, I don’t know anything about next season yet. The decision will be taken after Brazil,” said Vergne. “There is still time.”

 The future of the Russian grand prix could be in Moscow.
The huge country is already scheduled to join the 2014 calendar, with the federal government allocating almost $200 million for a new circuit in the coastal city Sochi.

But an official has hinted that, if the Sochi event is ultimately not successful, the formula one race could be moved 1300 kilometres to Moscow.

Three years ago, work began on a $215 million formula one-style circuit in Volokolamsk, 80 kilometres west of the Russian capital.

“The Volokolamsk circuit is fully in line with formula one safety requirements,” Russian motor racing federation vice-president Igor Yermilin told Sovietsky Sport.

“However, some additions to the infrastructure would be needed, particularly as far as the VIP (section) goes.

“A (decision to) transfer the Russian grand prix will depend upon the commercial success of the race in Sochi,” he explained.

“If the race is successful, there will be no talk of moving it elsewhere. If not, it would be more profitable to hold (the race) in the Moscow region as of 2017 or 2018.”

Sebastian Vettel has confirmed there might be some place-swapping with his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber towards the end of Sunday’s inaugural Indian grand prix.
The team, already with the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in the bag, has revealed that its last ambition for 2011 is to power Webber from fourth to second in the points standings.

Publications on Thursday quoted team boss Christian Horner as hinting that team orders – now entirely legal in formula one albeit still controversial – cannot be ruled out.

World champion Vettel, who insisted he would “love” to see the Red Bull drivers finish both first and second in the 2011 championship, would be the one asked to move over.

“We’ve seen this year, in particular, races are long and a lot of things can happen in the beginning but also the end — overtaking is definitely possible,” the 24-year-old is quoted as saying by the AAP news agency.

“So the race order may not be clear, five or 10 laps to the end,” he said in India.

“For sure, it depends where you are. So we worry first of all to make sure we’re in a strong position and then I think the scenario-situation comes last,” added the German.

Bruno Senna is hoping he can keep his Renault race seat beyond 2011.
As reserve driver, and with new sponsors in tow, the Brazilian stepped up when the Genii owned team ousted its German regular Nick Heidfeld in August.

But for 2012, 28-year-old Senna – alongside Romain Grosjean, Rubens Barrichello and of course Robert Kubica – is one of several drivers reportedly in contention for the vacant race seat in 2012.

“If Robert can’t come back, I hope I can stay,” he is quoted by formule1.nl.

“Especially in qualifying I think I have shown some good things. I think I have shown that the team can rely on me.

“But as long as you don’t have a contract, you have no guarantee that you’re going to be somewhere.”

The fact Renault seems spoiled for choice for 2012 means that a speedy decision is unlikely.

Senna said: “I believe that the past has proven that it’s not a good idea to wait until the last minute to decide who is going to drive for you.”

Bernie Ecclestone has risked triggering speculation about FIA president Jean Todt’s future.
In an interview with Germany’s Die Welt, the F1 chief executive looked ruefully back on the infamous era alongside Todt’s predecessor Max Mosley.

Ecclestone, who turns 81 on Friday, admitted recently he does not always see eye-to-eye with Frenchman Todt.

“It’s a shame these days how democratic formula one is now. Max and I were able to solve issues and problems in most cases very quickly, a few days or weeks, where now we sometimes need years.

“That (the past era) benefitted everyone — the teams, the audience, everybody,” said Ecclestone.

Referring then to Todt, he said: “I think he went into the job not knowing what to expect. Max helped Jean to become president.

“But I suspect that if he was true to himself and he could choose again between the presidency and Ferrari, he would return to Maranello,” added the Briton.

Fascinatingly, Ecclestone’s comments coincided with Todt telling the Italian-language goalcity.com: “I am still in love with Ferrari.

“The ‘Rosso’ will always have a special place in my heart.”

Ecclestone agrees that – operationally – F1′s past is better than its present.

“It’s tempting to talk about the good old days,” he said. “Maybe it wasn’t like that really but I get the impression that it was much, much better than it is now.

“I tell you: if Max wanted to be re-elected as president, he would go through with ease. He is supported by 90 per cent of the teams.”

Mercedes has closed ranks following reports it is set to debut an F-duct style front wing innovation in 2012.
The team reportedly tested a prototype in a grand prix practice session this month, with Bild newspaper claiming it adds 8kph to the car’s top speed.

“I don’t want to comment on every idea,” said team boss Ross Brawn. “But we do need to take risks with the new car in order to move forwards.”

Michael Schumacher, meanwhile, denied the existence of a new wing.

Asked how the new component felt during recent testing, the German brusquely answered on Thursday: “Perfect.”

But he later added: “We didn’t use a different front wing, quite honestly. It was as good as before.”

McLaren technical boss Paddy Lowe, however, admitted this week that he has heard about Mercedes’ idea.

“There’s been quite a lot of coverage but we’re not feeling desperately excited. We’re not singling it out against many other things we’re constantly reviewing,” he said.

The F1 world is continuing to adjust to its new surroundings in India.
Bruno Senna revealed to O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper that he is carrying around in his pocket a bottle of disinfectant.

“Each time I greet someone, I use it (on my hands),” said the Brazilian, referring to the risk of food poisoning.

Rubens Barrichello, meanwhile, laughed when he revealed that one of his rivals – believed to be Sebastian Vettel – is carrying around a bottle of whiskey.

“Someone told him to rinse out his mouth after eating anything,” said the Williams driver.

Felipe Massa is remembering his mother’s advice to think positively whenever he sees a cow. “They’re everywhere!” exclaimed the Ferrari star.

The smiling Barrichello added: “I heard a bell outside my hotel room and came out to the terrace — it was an elephant passing by.”

At the new Buddh circuit, the drivers think the layout will be exciting, but there are some off-track dramas.

A recurring one was clearly apparent during Thursday’s official driver press conference when a blackout struck mid-sentence.

“Listen, mate,” an unnamed engineer told the Guardian, “the place is chaos. The electricity doesn’t work, the gas doesn’t work and there are problems with the plumbing.”

Blick correspondent Roger Benoit revealed that a coffee machine exploded on Thursday due to faulty wiring.

Team Lotus driver Karun Chandhok told the Times of India: “These are only small issues and I am sure they will be sorted out soon.”

Brazilian Massa, also referring to the inescapable poverty suffered by residents just outside the circuit, told the Independent: “It reminds me very much of my country 20 or 30 years ago.

“Brazil has grown a lot since then, and so now, I believe, with events such as this, will India.”

 Vijay Mallya has promised to speed up his decision about Force India’s 2012 lineup.
Long-time team regular Adrian Sutil has expressed concern at growing speculation that Friday driver Nico Hulkenberg will move up to be Paul di Resta’s teammate next season.

But boss Mallya has insisted until now that he will only announce Force India’s next lineup in mid December.

“I speak to my drivers first before media and if he (Sutil) wants an early decision I will give (it to) him,” he is quoted by the Press Trust of India.

“Media has always criticised me that I can’t do anything but results are there for everyone to see and I don’t need to explain anything to anyone,” he added.

F1 should drop some more European races and replace them with events in the US, Bernie Ecclestone said.
The sport’s chief executive confirmed to reporters in India that, by 2013, formula one will have three North American races; two in the US and one in Canada.

Asked if the New York race endangers the Austin round, he is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport: “Not as far as I know.

“We used to have three or four races in America, so we need two more. It is a big country. We have nine races in Europe and America is about the same size.

“So maybe we should have four in Europe and four in America,” he said.

At the same time, the 81-year-old admitted that with Korea wanting to downsize its annual sanctioning fee, that event could be dropped.

“There are lots of things in life you can’t afford, and you don’t have to have them,” said the Briton.

“It (Korea) was strange. They didn’t really get behind it.”

Ecclestone said the F1 calendar is unlikely to expand beyond 20 races, but said Spain will continue to host two races in Barcelona and Valencia.

He also expressed disappointment that one of his favourite drivers Karun Chandhok is not racing in India this weekend.

“I thought he had signed a contract for it,” said Ecclestone.

German bank and former F1 shareholder BayernLB contemplated dismissing Bernie Ecclestone six years ago, it emerged during Gerhard Gribkowsky’s corruption trial this week.
The trial, with Briton Ecclestone set to appear as a witness next month, surrounds the F1 chief executive’s suspect payment of millions to Gribkowsky, who was then in charge of BayernLB’s F1 share.

An employee testified on Wednesday that Ecclestone heard during bank meetings several times in 2005 that F1 “could do without him”, the Reuters news agency reports.

Ecclestone, turning 81 on Friday, told the German newspaper Die Welt this week that formula one would survive without him.

“It would,” he said, “but things would be very different if I’m not there.

“I have a very great and strong support from many people, with a lot of mutual trust.

“If the leadership was to change, nothing would be affected seriously but it would be more complicated and difficult because that trust might not be there any more.

“People would probably want to read the contracts ten times more than if I was there,” added Ecclestone.

Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta are refusing to believe they will definitely front Force India’s race driver lineup in 2012.
It is now expected that the team’s long-time regular Adrian Sutil may have to seek alternate employment, with Friday driver Hulkenberg set to step up to the race seat alongside rookie Scot di Resta.

“There are quite a few rumours going on. At the moment, that is what they are,” admitted Hulkenberg in Delhi this week.

“A decision has not yet been taken,” said the 24-year-old, referring to his boss Vijay Mallya’s scheduled announcement in mid December. “I’m waiting for that day.

“Hopefully, the association (with Force India) will be a good one and I look to a good future with them.”

Even di Resta, Sutil’s current race teammate, is not feeling comfortable.

“It (the December announcement) does play on your mind, I won’t deny it,” he told the Guardian. “You have got to keep showing the results, maybe show them even a bit more.”