The French government is dashing to seal the lid on the country’s return to F1.

Bernie Ecclestone has said a deal has been reached to annually alternate a race between Paul Ricard in France and Belgium’s fabled Spa-Francorchamps.

But the final signature and official announcement are still missing.

David Douillet, the French sports minister, told Le Journal du Dimanche that the chance France will be on the 2013 calendar is “90 per cent”.

“The contract is going back and forth between the lawyers. I hope I get to London to meet with Bernie Ecclestone between Wednesday and Friday,” he added.

The newspaper said Douillet is dashing to complete the deal by this weekend’s presidential election, because socialist frontrunner Francois Hollande has hinted the grand prix project would be reviewed if he is elected.

Douillet admitted that it is “very likely” Hollande would “bury” the race.

Le JDD newspaper said organisers and Ecclestone have agreed the race sanctioning fee, EUR 22 million, which is still a few million short of guaranteeing a balanced budget.

And “without a balanced budget, we do not sign,” he warned. “The state, which does not participate financially, is still the guarantor of any debt.”

There also remains an odd silence from the Belgian side, who have not confirmed that Spa is the circuit that will alternate with France.

France’s return to the 2013 formula one calendar is not quite at the finish-line.

Many expected prime minister Francois Fillon’s visit to the Paul Ricard circuit last Friday to coincide with an announcement about the revival of the French grand prix next year.

Some think that was indeed the intention, but ultimately a couple of details were missing at the last hurdle.

The first was the identity of the host circuit that will annually alternate the race date, amid reports Belgium’s Spa Francorchamps is not yet ready or able to agree.

“The formula one management has approved the plan without indicating who would be the other country,” Fillon is quoted as saying in local reports.

Another problem is on the financial side, with Fillon admitting that – politically – there can be no direct government subsidy other than a mere “bond”.

The difference between a deal and no deal between Bernie Ecclestone and the Le Castellet organisers, then, is “about two million euros”, Fillon revealed.

“The formula one organisers’ proposal is reasonable enough,” he said, “but we have to make them remove the ‘enough’,” he added.

“Symbolically it would not be acceptable (for the government) to subsidise a grand prix,” he insisted, “as was the case in the past with Magny Cours.”

Magny Cours, the former French GP venue, reacted with shock and anger, accusing the prime minister of “bias in favour of Le Castellet”, where temporary grandstands will have to be erected to host spectators.

On the other hand, Magny Cours has “all the facilities, infrastructure and expertise needed to organise such an event”, insisted Patrice Joly, president of the conseil general of the Nievre department.

“Contrary to what you would expect from the head of government, the prime minister strives to implement a solution based on partisan considerations and personal issues away from the general interest,” he added.

New media reports have contradicted claims French PM Francois Fillon will on Friday announce the country’s 2013 return to the formula one calendar.

Le Parisien newspaper on Thursday said Fillon’s visit to the Paul Ricard circuit on Friday is to confirm the successful end to long negotiations to revive the French grand prix.

Those negotiations were for Paul Ricard to annually alternate a race date with Belgium’s fabled Spa Francorchamps.

But the French-language RMC insists that Belgium is “not ready for the alternation”.

“If France has received a contract to organise a grand prix every other year, this is not the case for the Belgian promoters, who are still waiting for the document to send to the government of Wallonia,” the report read.

RMC said the hold-up could be because Spa is having trouble paying its sanctioning fee for this year’s race date in September.

The French magazine Sport-Auto agrees, insisting that Fillon “will not announce the return of the grand prix de France on Friday”.

“The prime minister will travel to the (Paul Ricard) circuit,” an official close to Fillon is quoted as saying by AFP news agency, but Fillon “will not announce the return of the grand prix to the calendar in 2013″.

The official, however, said Bernie Ecclestone as approved “in principle” France’s presence on the calendar every other year, beginning in 2013.

But “It (the alternation) will not necessarily be with Belgium,” the report added.

In an interview to be published by the Nice-Matin newspaper on Friday, Fillon is quoted as saying a grand prix is crucial to France.

“Bernie Ecclestone has just sent us a draft contract,” said the prime minister, “which is the result of negotiations that began several months ago.

“We now have a concrete basis for discussions,” he added.

A deal to see Barcelona and Valencia alternate a single annual Spanish grand prix is not quite across the finish line.
F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone announced last week that a deal has been struck in principle between the sport’s two current Spanish hosts.

But Vicenc Aguilera, the Circuit de Catalunya president, told Mundo Deportivo newspaper: “We (Barcelona and Valencia) have two completely different business models, making the negotiations quite complex.

“We need to find the balance between the interests of Mr Ecclestone, Valencia and ourselves,” he added.

He said that in the absence of a deal, Barcelona has the annual Spanish grand prix hosting rights through 2016.

But he acknowledged that alternating would be a “good solution” for all parties, “so I hope that in a couple of months we can make an announcement”.

 Rubens Barrichello is set to decide next week whether he will switch from formula one to the Indycar series for 2012.
F1′s longest-serving veteran has been left without a race seat this season, but he recently enjoyed an Indy test with the KV team, in which his close friend Tony Kanaan is involved.

“There is a lot going on, we have spoken with many people and there are things to be resolved, including the family aspect,” the 39-year-old told radio Bandeirantes on Tuesday.

“There is great anticipation and if everything goes well I think we can make the announcement of the decision early next week,” added Barrichello.

“I’m sure anyone who knows me can see in my eyes what I want. The first race is March 25 and there is no time to waste.

“If we want to be in a competitive way, everything has to be right and that means sponsorship, team, family — everything.”

Barrichello’s first F1 team boss, however – Eddie Jordan – has urged the likeable Brazilian to forego the Indycar opportunity.

“I love Rubens — our story began when he was only 19,” the Irishman is quoted by Globo.

“I love his family, his parents, and I think he should retire with dignity.”

Barrichello’s contemporary David Coulthard, however, said: “I wish him luck in the United States. We had a great relationship throughout my career and I know how passionate he is about racing.”

But fellow Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi warned of the dangers of American oval racing.

“Today, Indy is different to when I drove — the risk is higher but it is a risk that he knows he will need to take.

“Still, I think he can have fun doing what he likes,” said the former series, F1 and Indy 500 winner.

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.”

The struggling Spanish team HRT insists it is reluctant to respond to Bernie Ecclestone’s latest scathing comments.

The F1 chief executive said this week that while Lotus is worth keeping in F1 and Virgin should simply invest more money, the sport’s newcomers are “cripples” that have been “an embarrassment”.

When asked about the 80-year-old Briton’s jibe, Hispania’s communications boss Alba Saiz said the team prefers “to work, not respond to everyone who talks” about them.

“We have nothing more to say,” Saiz is quoted by the Spanish news agency EFE.

Ecclestone had said F1 needs “to get rid” of its stragglers, but the HRT official said the team is pushing ahead for 2011.

“We are working and already thinking about next year, and in that way we have just announced a partnership with Williams for two years.

“In a couple of weeks we will make a further announcement,” added Saiz.

A deal for Pedro de la Rosa to return to the grid next year could be announced officially next week.

After being ousted by Sauber, the 39-year-old Spaniard was recruited as Pirelli’s main test driver but said he would be interested in driving for HRT in 2011 if its “sporting project is interesting and ambitious”.

“I am in contact with the (team owner) Carabantes,” he revealed last month.

Citing the information of a member of the Spanish team, the Brazilian publication Terra said “almost everything is done” to secure de la Rosa’s services for 2011.

And after HRT sealed its deal for a Williams transmission, the report said the team will base its next car on the unraced 2010 Toyota.

The El Confidencial publication said de la Rosa has “increased, not decreased” his personal sponsorship since leaving Sauber, and that he is HRT’s “first choice” for the 2011 season.

The report said another Spanish publication believes an agreement has already been reached between the two parties, with an official announcement due “in the coming days”.

According to Europa Press, de la Rosa will be in Madrid on Thursday due to his involvement in the first 3D advertisement in Spain with the department store El Corte Ingles.

Among his other sponsors are Banco Santander, Diageo and the watch brand Certina.

Bruno Senna, the nephew of the great Ayrton Senna, is in talks to switch for 2011 from struggling HRT to F1′s best new team Lotus.

That is the claim of Brazil’s Globo Esporte, noting that the move would reinvoke the fabled Lotus/Renault/Senna combination of the 1980s.

Rookie Senna, who turned 27 earlier this month, has had a difficult debut season in 2010 at the wheel of the slowest and least developed car on the grid fielded by the Spanish newcomer Hispania.

“Bruno Senna is close to getting something better,” said the Portuguese language report.

“He is in talks with Lotus and these talks are already well advanced,” Globo added, nominating Jarno Trulli as the driver most likely to leave the Malaysian team in the event that Senna is signed.

The report cited sources “close to the driver” as insisting that Senna cannot finalise the deal until his sponsors agree, adding that these talks with “several companies” are also already taking place.

Globo Esporte also said Lotus’ announcement of its Renault engine deal for 2011 will be made next weekend at Interlagos.

Late triple world champion Ayrton Senna won his first grand prix at the wheel of a Renault-powered Lotus in 1985.

He won a further 5 grands prix in a Lotus-Renault, as well as 24 podiums, 16 pole positions and 150 points before moving to McLaren.

Lotus has announced it will soon start building a wind tunnel at its current UK headquarters in Hingham.

The news would seem to end team owner and boss Tony Fernandes’ earlier plans to set up camp with a dedicated wind tunnel in Malaysia.

Lotus Racing also revealed that it is expanding its current UK factory to accommodate its new GP2 team AirAsia.

“Today’s announcement … gives us the facility we need to lay the foundations for long-term success,” said technical chief Mike Gascoyne.

As the dark Korea paddock emptied on Saturday night, word spread that Lotus has finally secured its engine supply contract for 2011.

It has been an open secret that the new Malaysian team is switching from Cosworth to Renault, but the naming dispute with Proton was believed to have held up the formalities.

But, whatever the current status of the dispute with Group Lotus, it seems the contracts were at last signed in the new Yeongam paddock late on Saturday.

Finnish driver Heikki Kovalainen would not confirm.

“If it happens it will be an interesting deal for our team,” he told the Daily Mail.

After Renault, the next step will be the announcement of Kovalainen’s new deal for 2011, with his current teammate Jarno Trulli also tipped to return next season.

“At the moment I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” Kovalainen insisted.  “I think we have made good progress this year, so it is of course a very strong possibility for me to carry on here.

“That is all I can say at the moment,” he added.

Despite earlier expressing some reservations, Jaime Alguersuari is now sure he will be at the wheel of a Toro Rosso in 2011.

When boss Franz Tost initially said the Faenza based team’s current drivers would both be retained next year, both Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi seemed unconvinced that owner Red Bull was also fully in agreement with the news.

Then in Japan less than two weeks ago, Austrian Tost repeated his announcement that Toro Rosso’s driver lineup is not changing for 2011.

“I have great respect for Sebastien Buemi,” Alguersuari, 20, is quoted as saying by the Spanish news agency EFE.

“And the official and final confirmation of our continuing contracts in 2011, confirmed in Japan both for Buemi and myself, will make us stronger,” added the Spaniard.

Alguersuari insists he has developed at a great rate since debuting in Hungary last year with no experience at the wheel of a F1 car.

He said he has gone “from being the biggest rookie in history to feeling at 20 years old almost like a veteran”.

“I feel very happy with Toro Rosso, which is like a big family, and I’m very proud of myself,” added Alguersuari.

He also said Toro Rosso’s 2010 car is the “only one” among the existing teams not yet using an F-duct in races; a development he expects will add “half a second” to the STR5′s pace when it is finally ready.

Confirmation of Jarno Trulli’s extended stay at Lotus next year is due before the forthcoming Korean grand prix.

That is the claim of the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat, insisting that the Italian’s current teammate Heikki Kovalainen has already penned a new deal for 2011.

It was reported from Suzuka that Trulli, 36, was bullish about the future, even though it had been expected that Lotus’ 2011 lineup would have been confirmed by now.

Turun Sanomat said Finn Kovalainen – who is currently staying in Kuala Lumpur at team chief executive Riad Asmat’s house – signed his new deal on the Sunday morning of the Italian grand prix last month, but that Trulli’s salary talks were ongoing.

The report added that Trulli still hasn’t signed a contract, but that news on the driver front is sure to be announced before Korea.

Lotus has been making many announcements recently, including the termination of its Cosworth contract, an altered name for 2011 and the Red Bull technical deal.

Confirmation of the Renault engine deal is still pending.

Lotus joked about the situation after qualifying was rained off at Suzuka last Saturday, revealing that the team “has nothing to announce for the first time in several weeks”.

Williams’ decision about whether to retain Nico Hulkenberg for next season is not imminent.

While Rubens Barrichello is believed to have agreed terms for a second season with the British team, German rookie Hulkenberg’s future is less secure.

It is rumoured Williams is looking into replacing him for 2011 with Pastor Maldonado, Hulkenberg’s new successor as GP2 champion and substantially backed within Venezuela.

Barrichello admitted last month that the team was “analysing the Nico Hulkenberg situation” before scheduling an announcement about 2011.

Asked if Hulkenberg is still in favour at the Grove based team, chief executive Adam Parr answered: “Absolutely.”

But asked for details about the delayed confirmation of the team’s next lineup, he answered: “I cannot go into that,” adding that he doesn’t know when an announcement will be made.

Asked if the ‘cards are in the air’ regarding Williams’ driver lineup at present, he admitted: “I am afraid they are at the moment.”

Williams has delayed the announcement of its drivers for 2011 because the British team is considering whether or not to retain Nico Hulkenberg.

That is the suggestion of Rubens Barrichello, amid widespread expectations the Brazilian veteran has now signed a new contract to stay with the Cosworth-powered team next year.

“On my side I think it was an easier decision,” the 38-year-old is quoted by Brazil’s Globe Esporte.

“They (Williams) are waiting. I think they are analysing the Nico Hulkenberg situation in order to do it (an announcement) together for next season,” explained Barrichello.

“My part is done, all that is left is the papers to make it confirmed. That I will be with Williams in 2011 is 100 per cent,” he confirmed.