Jerome d’Ambrosio will not enjoy Virgin’s full car upgrade in Turkey this weekend.

After a very disappointing start to the team’s second championship campaign, team boss John Booth said the improvements for Istanbul are “significant”.

“It represents a new direction for us and we’re hopeful that it will help us start to turn the corner,” he said.

Virgin has been working on the Turkey upgrade since before the 2011 season even began, but only the car raced by Timo Glock will feature all of the new parts.

“Jerome will not have the benefit of the full upgrade package until Spain but he will get a taste of some of the elements this weekend,” said Booth.

Nico Rosberg is adamant the time is not right for Mercedes to give up on the 2010 world championship.

The Brackley based team raced a major car upgrade in Valencia last weekend, including a Red Bull-style ‘blown rear diffuser’ and exhaust layout.

But it was yet another bad weekend for the team, and team boss Ross Brawn admitted he would now “reflect, assess and see what our next steps should be”.

According to Rosberg, that next step should not be abandoning the W01 in order to focus completely on the 2011 car.

“We still have many opportunities for development,” he said in an interview with Sport Bild.  “Other top teams, for example, have things that we can develop quite simply.

“That is what we are doing,” said the German.

Michael Schumacher has admitted he is now beginning to think about next year, but the seven time world champion has less than half the points of his younger teammate.

“I am absolutely against that (giving up on 2010),” answered Rosberg, who turned 25 on the day he finished 12th in Valencia.

“I still believe in my chances.  If the championship leader Hamilton fails just once and I win, I will almost be at his level,” he added.

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Karun Chandhok has tersely insisted he is “not worried” about the future of the struggling HRT team.

Recent reports quoted Bernie Ecclestone as suggesting the new Spanish outfit was in financial trouble, amid reports it will run out of spare parts by next month’s Canadian grand prix.

In fact, team officials insist the F1 chief executive is simply helping Hispania with its technical plans for 2011, including the use of a wind tunnel and facilities to design its own car.

Asked about the negative rumours by the Times of India, Chandhok said this week: “That’s a matter between Bernie, Colin (Kolles) and (Jose Ramon) Carabantes.

“It has nothing to do with me,” added the 26-year-old Indian rookie.  “I know what the truth is and I am not worried.”

Although friends with his teammate Bruno Senna, Chandhok insists he has been the quickest HRT driver in 2010 but is keen for a car upgrade in order to ensure he has a seat next year.

“I’ve generally been faster than Bruno,” he said, adding that the Cosworth powered F110 “really needs” a new aerodynamic package.

“But as of now, my objective is to keep pushing as much as I can and secure a good position for 2011.  The rest isn’t up to me,” added Chandhok.

(GMM)

May 4 (GMM)  Nico Rosberg has played down boss Ross Brawn’s claim that he is close to winning his first grand prix.

The 24-year-old German has outpaced teammate Michael Schumacher at every race in 2010 so far, finished the last two grands prix on the podium, and is second in the drivers’ championship.

“Nico is very close to winning a race,” Brawn said, ahead of a substantial car upgrade for the weekend’s Spanish grand prix.

But Rosberg told the German news agency DPA: “It would be nice, but we must be realistic.

“At Mercedes we are not yet in a position to win, but in the coming weeks we should make some big steps and I’m hoping to make good progress.”

As for the W01 winning in Barcelona this weekend, he insisted: “That would be expecting too much.  But I do hope we can narrow the gap to Red Bull.”

Rosberg said earlier this season that, with F1′s most famous driver occupying the other side of the garage, he is being very careful with his words in 2010.

When asked on Monday if he is surprised to find himself as Mercedes’ number one, he answered: “So far I’m very pleased with how my season has gone.

“I am especially happy to be second in the championship.  I’m happy to have been ahead of Michael so far, but it is still too early to make comparisons.”

Asked if he knows why he is faster than Schumacher, Rosberg said: “No.  I only know that I have a good feeling with the car and am able to get a lot out of it.”

May 3 (GMM)  Speculation about Michael Schumacher’s mood continues to rise, but the seven time world champion insists he is “extremely motivated” ahead of the fifth race of his 2010 comeback.

After three years of retirement, the 41-year-old German has been consistently outpaced by his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg so far in 2010, but will have a car with a longer wheelbase in Spain that should better suit his driving style.

“When he has that (revised car) I think we will have to reassess the whole story,” commented former triple world champion Sir Jackie Stewart.

“If he then doesn’t deliver, then I think he has a problem,” added the Scot.

70-year-old Stewart thinks part of Schumacher’s problem will be reassessing his desire to honour the full three years of his new contract.

“You know, I don’t think he should have retired when he did in 2006 because I don’t think it was out of his system,” he said.  “This might take it out of his system.”

Schumacher’s old title rival of the 90s, Damon Hill, is not ruling out that “the old Schumacher magic” could soon return.

“Is it still there?” he told the Daily Mail, whose headline accuses Mercedes of “wasting money” on Schumacher.

“I’m sure that’s a question Michael will be asking himself — and it’s one that is starting to become valid after four races,” added Hill.

In an official Mercedes press release, Schumacher played down the likely effect of the car upgrades for Barcelona but sounded bullish about his own outlook.

Team boss Ross Brawn also said the German is “determined to succeed” despite the setbacks so far.

Added Schumacher: “Our step forward in Barcelona will be bigger than you can make at each race during the flyaways but it would not be realistic to expect us to suddenly be competing right at the front,” he said.

“However the good news is that after three years away, I am feeling extremely motivated.  So I am clearly ready to take this challenge,” added the record winner of 91 grands prix.