Fernando Alonso is F1′s ‘driver of the decade’, according to Pedro de la Rosa.
The HRT driver said that, in his opinion, his Spanish countryman has been even better in F1′s modern history than Michael Schumacher, who won every world championship between 2000 and 2004.

Alonso, now at Ferrari, won his titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006.

De la Rosa told Mundo Deportivo: “I think Fernando was the best of the decade, over Michael.

“Why? Because no matter what the rules, he was always on top; with grooved tyres, with slicks, with blown diffusers, with double diffusers, with Pirelli, Bridgestone, Michelin …

“If you look at it, he is the most complete.”

As for the 2012 contest, however, de la Rosa has another favourite. Asked to pick this season’s champion, he hesitated before answering: “I think (Lewis) Hamilton.”

 Caterham’s hopes of pushing into the midfield in 2012 are not dead yet.
That is the claim of team owner and boss Tony Fernandes, despite the former Team Lotus looking to have once again emulated the pecking-order of the past two years by outpacing only Marussia and HRT in Australia.

“We have obviously improved our pace relative to our 2011 speed,” the Malaysian businessman said.

“But the teams ahead have also improved, so even though we are closer than this time last year we still have work to do to bridge the gap in qualifying,” he added.

Fernandes insists, however, that the race pace shown by Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov in Melbourne last weekend was “on a par” with some other teams.

Former F1 driver and Finnish commentator Mika Salo, however, is not impressed.

“The Caterham car is neither fast nor reliable,” he told MTV3.

Even if Fernando Alonso wins the 2010 world championship, his Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa will not be relegated to a full-time supportive role next year.

That is the claim of the famous Italian team’s boss Stefano Domenicali, even though Brazilian Massa was playing a subordinate role to Alonso’s title push even before his own title chances were mathematically over for this season.

Domenicali said Ferrari drivers race primarily in the interests of the Maranello based team.

“Our drivers have to know what is in the interest of the team,” he said in an interview with the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper.

“I can confirm that Felipe will be able to start from scratch in 2011, but always knowing that Ferrari is the most important,” added Domenicali.

He denied that Massa’s problems have only been about Bridgestone’s tyres in 2010.

“I trust him completely and want to make clear that he is a great team player and a great driver,” said the Italian.

“I think that when you do not have a perfect season, you have to look at yourself and react. Felipe knows that the team is with him. He knows we are here to make him the best driver he can be.

“I don’t think his performance is related only to the tyres. We have to put all the pieces together and try to understand the reasons for him not having the best possible season,” added Domenicali.

Bridgestone ready for Interlagos – The short but fast circuit with the winding inside the tires poses a special challenge
Interlagos is the penultimate disconnect for Bridgestone. For the route, which runs counter-clockwise to bring the Japanese with the mean and the super soft compound. The weather could also play a role, but the intermediates and the rain tires have recently done in South Korea a good job.

“Brazil is a beautiful country and South America is an important growth market. So it is important for Bridgestone to show presence in the form of the race,” said motorsport director Hiroshi Yasukawa. “. We have manufacturing facilities in Brazil and appreciate the support from our staff, we have worked in the past with many Brazilian drivers and enjoyed their feedback we are looking forward to the enthusiastic fans at the track.”
Interlagos is a short distance with a narrow core, but fast sections. The asphalt is very bumpy, leading to a compromise on the voting. “It is a beautiful but challenging course,” said Hirohide Hamashima, which is responsible for tire development. “Although it is the second shortest track on the calendar, it has an impressive line and exciting corners.”

“There are mainly medium-fast and slow corners. This means that the mechanical grip and stability are important on the rear axle. The weather can be a deciding factor because it can be very hot or very wet. To maximize performance, needs is a good balance through the turns before it goes uphill towards the finish. There is something reminiscent of an oval. ”
“The first corner is a good overtaking Elle, but you can barter for quick there a brake disks. Caution is called for,” says Hamashima. “In the last two races, we should show a strong performance, but mainly it comes to safe tires. Our engineers work closely with the teams so they can get the best.”

If Christian Horner was in charge at McLaren, Jenson Button would be relegated to a supporting role for the rest of the 2010 season.

After a catastrophic day in Korea for Red Bull, where both Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber retired, the team’s boss said both drivers will still be given a clear run to the Abu Dhabi finale.

A smarter strategy might be to fully back Webber, who is 11 points shy of Fernando Alonso’s new championship lead, while Vettel is asked to play a supporting role due to his 25 point deficit.

“It would be wrong to do that. Our strategy will be to push both drivers,” a dejected Horner told BBC television in Korea.

Meanwhile, at McLaren, Jenson Button – now 42 points behind the lead – all but conceded the championship in the Yeongam darkness.

But when asked if he will now merely help his teammate Lewis Hamilton bridge his more realistic 21 point gap to Alonso, Button told reporters: “I won’t be asked.”

Horner thinks the Briton should help Hamilton, however.

“That’s a different situation,” said the Red Bull chief. “It’s a bit of a no brainer; I mean, there’s only 50 points available.

“But I don’t run McLaren, that’s their issue, not mine,” he added.

Pedro de la Rosa on Thursday said Pirelli’s formula one tyre feels different to the product currently used in the sport.

Next year, the Italian marque is replacing departing Bridgestone as F1′s official supplier, so tester de la Rosa was back at the wheel of the 2009 Toyota this week in his native Barcelona.

The Spaniard has an unique perspective on the characteristics of the developing Pirelli, given his job earlier this year racing the Bridgestone-shod Sauber.

Pirelli said after the two-day Barcelona test that it is now “close to defining the rubber that will be taken to Abu Dhabi” for the teams to test for the first time after the season finale in November.

“I’ve been very impressed because I have to say that the tyres were at an even higher level than I imagined,” said de la Rosa.

“These Pirelli tyres have their own quite different characteristics to the current supplier that the drivers will appreciate next year and I’m confident that they will form a very competitive package,” he added.

The next test will take place at Paul Ricard early next month.

F1′s travelling circus is arriving in South Korea, and the first reports are mixed.

BBC television anchor Jake Humphrey summed up the Yeongam venue as satisfactory but “far from finished”.

“Things look pretty ready to go,” said Virgin driver Lucas di Grassi, “with some beauty work still to be finished but the main structure is ready.”

Others talked about their long journeys from the huge Seoul airport to Mokpo, the closest city to Yeongam, in the impressive high-speed KTX train with free wi-fi.

Photographer Darren Heath was less impressed with the journey, tackled by many in buses.  “F1 in Seoul?  Nah, let’s have it in the middle of nowhere 100s of miles from anywhere,” he wrote on Twitter.

Veteran Swiss correspondent Roger Benoit, writing in Blick newspaper, said the F1 track itself is an “enormous construction site”, and his hotel room one of the ones usually rented by the hour.

“No joke,” he said.

Reportedly so unimpressed was Williams with the local accommodation on offer that the British team has committed to a 3 hour round trip every day in order to stay in a nicer hotel.

“Dominating the venue are the excavators, debris and waste,” wrote Benoit, who said a bridge over the front straight is still littered with scaffolding and hard-hatted workers.

Sauber’s team manager Beat Zehnder complained about the cost of the team buildings, with the rent costing $40,000.

“Whoever wants to use the upper floor must pay another 20,000,” he said, “but everyone has decided to just use the ground floor!”

Said Benoit: “I’m already looking forward to the final races in Sao Paulo and Abu Dhabi!”

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said rolling machines are still working on the recently-laid top surface of asphalt, with the paint for the starting grid yet to be sprayed.

“Only on Friday will we know whether the surface will withstand the stresses of formula one cars,” read the report.

“Everything on the sandy site is under construction.  Next to the pitlane is a large pile of sand.  Whoever didn’t know that F1 is running here in a few days would think it’s not happening until next year,” it added.

German Sky television pundit Marc Surer reports in Speed Week that the seating in some grandstands is not complete.

“Much remains to be done, but as for the track itself, I am surprised that it is ready,” he said.

“Whether it can withstand hours of practice and racing, however, is another question.”

Nico Rosberg does not think his dominance within the Mercedes team this year has been well enough recognised.

Indeed, the focus of attention at the Brackley based squad in 2010 has been Michael Schumacher’s difficult return to the sport.

But the context of the seven time world champion’s struggle has been Rosberg’s 13:3 dominance in qualifying, and his 68 point margin over his famous teammate in the drivers’ championship.

Rosberg, who moved to Mercedes in 2010 after four seasons at Williams, said: “I don’t think my performance is well enough recognised.”

Schumacher’s problems this year have been explained as due to Bridgestone’s new narrower front tyres, which do not suit his driving style.

But “It’s the same for me,” 25-year-old Rosberg told the German weekly Sport Bild.

“Actually I think Michael has been able to adapt his driving style better than I have,” said the German, whose Finnish father is the 1982 world champion Keke Rosberg.

Rosberg also played down the effect of Schumacher’s three-year break since initially retiring in 2006.

“Michael has 15 years of experience in formula one,” he said.

Rosberg said his own recent experience “hasn’t advantaged me because it’s mainly been with grooved tyres, and the current front tyre is different from anything else before it”.

Mercedes’ competition boss Norbert Haug insists Rosberg’s efforts have not been undervalued within the team.

“I think it’s absolutely obvious that Nico has so far extracted what was possible from the car,” he said.  “Only on a very few occasions was this not the case.

“I think he learned a lot with Williams and if you would name one of the top guys that are currently young and experienced in formula one you would certainly mention Nico,” added Haug.

“So Nico is a very good benchmark for probably everybody in the field.”

Organisers of the Japanese grand prix say they would like to continue to host the formula one race at Suzuka beyond the 2011 contract.

But with Honda, Super Aguri, Toyota and the popular Takuma Sato all departed, and Bridgestone supplying tyres for the last season, Suzuka and Kamui Kobayashi and Sakon Yamamoto represent a fading Japanese involvement in the sport.

“It’s under discussion, but we would like to continue,” Itaru Yamada, motor sport managing director of the Honda-owned Mobilityland company, told Reuters on Sunday when asked about a new race contract for 2012.

Despite eager fans happily and patiently sitting under Saturday’s torrential rain, the media report said there are 50,000 fewer spectators at Suzuka on Sunday compared with four years ago.

And Yamada said the event is currently only marginally profitable.

Costery of Bridgestone

Paul di Resta will not be driving the Force India during Friday morning practice at Hockenheim.

The team announced that the decision to sit out its reserve driver in Germany is due to the extreme allocation of Bridgestone’s hardest and softest tyre compounds.

“It’s a shame but I completely understand the decision,” said the rookie Scot.

“It’s a decision that’s been taken relatively late but it’s better to err on the side of caution at such a crucial stage in the season,” added di Resta, 24.

Force India is currently sixth in the constructors’ world championship, 42 points behind Renault and just 16 points ahead of the improving Williams team.

“I’ll be back in the car in Hungary, replacing Tonio for free practice 1,” di Resta revealed.

Ferrari will only get its real blown rear diffuser up and running at a forthcoming grand prix.

It was believed that the Italian team began running the Red Bull-style low exhaust layout at Valencia.

But Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reveals that, in fact, the European GP was only the first phase in a multiple-step development for the F10 car.

The first step was a new gearbox, debuted only by Felipe Massa because Fernando Alonso was in the middle of the four-race mandatory period for his existing transmission.

The Spaniard will get the new gearbox at Silverstone, as well as a new rear suspension layout.

The real benefit of the new gearbox/suspension layout, however, is yet to come.

It is reported that the new layout allows a steeper shape of the diffuser, but the downforce advantage will only come when the exhaust fumes are directed through the diffuser.

Currently, Ferrari is working on ensuring that the blown exhaust does not actually compromise grip due to a sporadic airflow.

It is only at a later date that the entire concept will be up and running.

At Silverstone, the F10 will feature the new gearbox and new housing for the suspension.  Ferrari is introducing the update in stages, so that when the final concept is ready, the team does not have to wait for Alonso and Massa to reach the end of their four-race gearbox phases to debut it.

“In Valencia, we introduced significant updates on the F10 and there will be more in Silverstone and the races after that,” Alonso confirmed.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said the front-to-rear ratio must be 46:54 per cent, due to the arrival of Pirelli as the sport’s new exclusive tyre supplier.

The teams want to avoid the kinds of surprise problems that arose in 2009, when a pre-season change to the Bridgestone tyre design resulted in the need to make expensive changes to the cars’ weight distribution.

But if a mandatory weight distribution applies in 2011, all the teams will be in the same boat.

“If the weight distribution remained free, then some would get it right by accident while others get it totally wrong.  That’s what we want to avoid,” said FOTA’s technical boss Ross Brawn.

Two weeks after a boat crash in his native Finland, former F1 driver JJ Lehto has told police he has no memory of the incident.

The 44-year-old, who drove for teams including Sauber and Benetton until 1994 and is now a commentator, was one of the two occupants of a speed boat that struck a bridge pillar at 4am in the morning.

His friend did not survive, but Lehto managed to swim ashore with head injuries and broken ribs.

Finnish reports said Lehto failed an alcohol breath test, and police suspect he might be guilty of other offences, including speeding in the narrow channel.

But a police superintendent said two weeks ago that Lehto could not be interviewed because he was “strongly medicated” while recovering from his injuries in hospital.

And according to Turun Sanomat newspaper, Lehto has now told police that he cannot remember the crash, or the events leading up to it.

(GMM)