Felipe Massa has played down reports he is at risk of losing his Ferrari seat soon, insisting he feels fully supported by Ferrari.

The Brazilian has struggled at the wheel of Ferrari’s difficult 2012 car so far, scoring just 2 points compared with his teammate and joint championship leader Fernando Alonso’s 61.

It has triggered speculation the Maranello based team might replace him, also because Ferrari said after Barcelona it is “expecting” Massa to improve “right away”.

Whilst working at Maranello in the driver simulator on Friday, however, Massa insisted he has not been far away from Alonso at recent races.

“I think we must also take into account that, at the moment, Fernando’s driving is amazing: he is on super form, maybe even perfect,” he is quoted as saying in a Ferrari statement.

Asked if he feels the famous Italian team’s support, he added: “Absolutely, yes, I feel the whole team stands by me.

“Obviously, they are not happy with the results and neither am I: we all want to get out of this (situation) and return to normal.

“It’s possible and for sure it’s what I want and I know that with the team’s help we will manage it,” said Massa.

Five races in, F1′s cleverest brains are still yet to decode the mystery of the bizarre and fascinating 2012 season.

As was the case when he utterly dominated last year, Sebastian Vettel is still leading the drivers’ points chase.

But, before last weekend, if he had been told that Williams’ Pastor Maldonado would be the winner of the Spanish grand prix, the German admitted: “Well, I would have put a lot of money on them!

“I think the odds weren’t bad,” he smiled.

Indeed, the major British bookmaker William Hill was taking bets at 500-1 prior to the Barcelona weekend.

A spokesman confirmed that only two bets at 10 pounds or above were placed on Maldonado prior to qualifying.

“I’m sure Williams don’t understand why they just won the race here,” McLaren’s Jenson Button is quoted by the Guardian newspaper.

But the previously-derided ‘pay driver’ Maldonado is not the only potential new winner in 2012, after Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Nico Rosberg and Vettel won the opening four grands prix.

A detailed look at F1′s specialist reporting in the past few weeks shows that Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber, Kimi Raikkonen, Romain Grosjean, Michael Schumacher, Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi are all also widely regarded as genuine victory candidates in 2012.

And given that their teammates have won grands prix this season, even the struggling Felipe Massa and Bruno Senna should be added to that list.

“Dammit, let’s go for (HRT’s) Karthikeyan!” wrote Chris Hockley in the Sun newspaper.

“It’s really quite crazy right now,” Vettel, who despite his young age would count himself among F1′s currently perplexed purists, told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

“What’s happening is difficult for us to explain,” he added.

The situation has split the F1 audience, with the purists shaking their heads, and others marvelling at the unprecedented spectacle.

“The spectacle has taken over the sport,” said the Paris daily Le Figaro.

“Even the teams can’t be sure who will be the hare and who will be the tortoise at any given track,” wrote Hockley.

Alonso, who is the joint championship leader, is in the purists’ camp.

“Of course it is attractive for the spectators that we are going to Monaco not knowing if we will fight for victory or be left out of the points,” he is quoted by El Pais.

“But in a way, after eleven years in formula one and now I’m at Ferrari, I would like to have more stability,” the Spaniard admitted.

Sir Jackie Stewart said: “What’s going on is unbelievable, which I think is the outcome of the new rules, new tyres — I think it’s many factors,” he told the Spanish sports daily AS.

“What’s happening,” said Maldonado’s race engineer Xevi Pujolar, “is that these tyres are allowing teams who do not have the biggest budgets to be eligible for really good results.

“The reason is that the most important thing now is to have a good setup and also some luck with the temperature.”

Pirelli, F1′s tyre maker, has received both criticism and praise for its huge role.

“Pirelli have been both bold and brave,” Sun journalist Hockley said. “It can’t be easy for a manufacturer to make tyres that sometimes wear out faster than you can say Mercedes.”

Marco Tronchetti Provera, the Italian marque’s company chief, is unapologetic.

“What we have provided is what the teams have asked for, and it was not easy,” Italian language reports quote him saying. “Our engineers have done an extraordinary thing.”

Norbert Haug has the ‘F-duct’ debate around by admitting he questions the exhaust solution featured on this year’s McLaren car.

Some teams – notably Red Bull, Lotus and Ferrari – have complained loudly about the W03′s aerodynamic configuration, arguing the F-duct ban completely ruled out similar systems that are triggered by a driver’s movement.

Mercedes argues that its new F-duct is entirely passive and is triggered not by the driver but by the activation of the ‘DRS’ rear wing system.

So far, the FIA agrees, but it has led to suggestions Mercedes is only performing in qualifying because of its questionable F-duct, before struggling in the race when DRS use is much more limited.

“We have to live with that,” Mercedes’ motor racing chief Haug is quoted by Sport Bild, “until we are faster in the race, but it’s not true that we do not have a good car.

“We are a serious team that has to pretend nothing; we have prepared well in winter testing.”

Team boss Ross Brawn said recently he suspects all the fuss about Mercedes’ F-duct is a diversion when it comes to the exhaust solutions taken by some of his rivals in the wake of the blown diffuser clampdown.

Haug agrees that championship leader McLaren’s solution, for example, is “probably not what they (the FIA) had in mind when the blown diffuser was banned”.

But he also said Mercedes is not threatening to protest the “clever” British team.

“It is quite legitimate that we ask the FIA for a clarification, otherwise we could be missing a trick.

“It’s part of the game,” he explains.

Fernando Alonso is F1′s shock world championship leader, after Malaysian rain shook up the order at Sepang.

“It’s a tough time for us at the moment, but we will remember this day,” said the Ferrari driver, who finished ahead of another surprise podium-sitter, Sauber’s Sergio Perez.

The young Mexican was catching Alonso at a rate of knots when he made a mistake.

“I think the win was possible,” Perez, who has been linked with Felipe Massa’s works Ferrari seat, said after beating the back-to-back 2012 polesitter Lewis Hamilton.

Former Toro Rosso driver and BBC radio commentator Jaime Alguersuari, however, was not overly impressed.

“The team did a fantastic strategy to put Perez on the right tyres at the right moment. For me, that’s it,” said the Spaniard.

Back-to-back world champion Sebastian Vettel had an horror Sunday, cutting a tyre whilst passing an HRT and eventually retiring with what Red Bull described on the radio as an “emergency” technical problem.

The German lies sixth in the drivers’ world championship, four points behind Perez and 17 off the lead.

Title leader Alonso, meanwhile, is not overly happy with the rain-soaked win.

“I think it changes nothing,” he said. “We are in a position that we do not want, fighting to get into Q3.”

Team boss Stefano Domenicali agreed: “I hope this helps the people at home to push, but we were not stupid yesterday and we are not phenomenal today.”

The Italian also denied that Perez’s debut podium is the ideal time to immediately pluck the Mexican from Sauber and put him in struggling Felipe Massa’s red car.

“Not true, not true,” Domenicali told British Sky television.

 Championship leader Jenson Button has admitted he is impressed with Sauber.
Button’s McLaren team is the dominant force of 2012 so far, ahead of Red Bull.

But not far behind the leading pack, the Briton argues, is the former BMW outfit from Hinwil, Switzerland.

“They have definitely impressed me,” Button is quoted by Die Welt newspaper. “They are very, very fast.”

Team boss Peter Sauber agrees: “We went into the season with great expectations. Now we know that we have a fast car.”

Two experts have tipped Lotus to shine this weekend at Sepang.
The black and gold E20 car was a standout of the winter pre-season, but Kimi Raikkonen qualified poorly in Australia while Romain Grosjean was punted into early retirement by Pastor Maldonado.

Seeing the chequered flag first in Melbourne was McLaren’s championship leader Jenson Button, but he said he is expecting a “strong fight” this weekend.

“Of course we’re not relaxing,” said the Briton.

“Both Red Bull drivers were very quick in the race (in Australia), and I think we can expect further strong challenges (in Malaysia) from Mercedes and Lotus,” added Button.

Also anticipating a Malaysian push by Lotus is team ambassador Jean Alesi, the former Ferrari race winner.

“The car should suit Sepang well,” said the Frenchman.

“In testing in Jerez and Barcelona it was particularly good in the fast turns, which is what defines the Malaysia track.

“Lotus appear to be quicker than everyone except McLaren,” added Alesi.

He is worried, however, that the former Renault team might not be able to keep up its pace throughout 2012.

“Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari have much bigger budgets,” said Alesi.

“They have a brilliant team at Enstone but it is really tough to match the development pace of the biggest teams, and I think that will be Lotus’ challenge this year.”

A typically hot, humid and thundery weekend is forecast for the Malaysian grand prix.
New championship leader Jenson Button travels to Kuala Lumpur eyeing a weather forecast of possible rain for all three days of track action.

And as ever in tropical Malaysia, the highest chance of rain is always in the late afternoon.

“Bernie (Ecclestone) loves a late start,” smiled Red Bull’s Mark Webber, “and, once again, the race has a late kick-off.”

Indeed, qualifying and the race are not scheduled until 4pm local in Malaysia, ensuring a more civil early morning wake-up for F1′s bulk live audience in Europe.

“Late afternoon is usually when the rain comes in Malaysia, and when it comes you know about it,” said Australian Webber. “It’s something to be wary of.”

Even more nervous about the rain forecasts will be HRT.

After sitting out almost the entire winter whilst rebuilding the struggling Spanish team following Colin Kolles’ departure, Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan failed to qualify in Melbourne.

“In Australia we were only able to complete seven timed laps so I need to get more track time, get to know the car better and improve the setup,” said de la Rosa.

 With one race down out of twenty, F1 teams are now hopping from Australia to Malaysia where the new pecking-order will be immediately tested on a more conventional circuit.
Some paddock cynics suspect McLaren – having dominated qualifying in Melbourne before Jenson Button cruised to victory – played a deft hand of bluff in the winter season in order to persuade Red Bull its former dominance remained intact.

New 2012 championship leader Button, however, insists the British team was surprised in Australia.

“It wasn’t bullshit at all,” he said late on Sunday.

“I actually did pinch myself in the race just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.

“After qualifying I looked across at Lewis (Hamilton) and said ‘Did you think we would be that quick?’, and he was like ‘No’.”

Another possibility is that, while quick, McLaren may not be dominant.

“We knew from winter testing that McLaren were competitive but I think our race pace was every bit the equal of theirs today,” said Red Bull’s team boss Christian Horner, after a betting showing for the reigning champions on Sunday compared to qualifying.

“Malaysia is a very different prospect from here. Here it is short turns, bumpy, not a lot of high-speed corners.

“But Malaysia offers that variant, so I think it will be interesting to see how quick they are in Malaysia,” he added.

Mark Webber was also relieved on Sunday, after a troubled earlier evening.

“It’s never nice to know you might be out of the ball game,” said the Australian, referring to Red Bull’s qualifying performance, “but clearly we are not.”

Yet another possibility is that McLaren will extend their winning streak into Malaysia.

“The Barcelona test showed us that we are better than Red Bull in the fast corners. Their (Red Bull’s) advantage is in traction,” McLaren’s Martin Whitmarsh is quoted by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

Agreed Mercedes’ Ross Brawn: “We could see that the McLaren improved significantly with the introduction of their new aerodynamic specification in Barcelona.”

But the German team’s Norbert Haug warned before leaving Melbourne: “We could see something quite different in Malaysia.”

Livio Oricchio, the correspondent for Brazil’s O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, agreed: “It is prudent to wait and see what happens now in Malaysia.

“It’s a permanent circuit, much more in line with most of the circuits on the calendar.

“But it seems unlikely that we will see something radically different to what we saw in Australia,” he conceded.

2012 championship leader Jenson Button on Sunday proved Red Bull’s era of dominance may be over.
After two titles on the trot, Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel finished second in Melbourne as McLaren’s 2009 champion Button sped to an early 7-point lead over German Vettel.

It is the first time in 23 races – more than an entire season – that Red Bull have not led a single lap during a grand prix.

“He (Button) was just too quick,” said Vettel. “He deserved to win today.”

F1 jumps directly from Australia to Malaysia, but Button is planning a party first.

“I’m very excited to go to Malaysia,” the Briton smiled, “but I’m not thinking about that now.”

Sebastian Vettel admitted to not concentrating hard enough on Friday when he crashed in Suzuka practice.

If Friday’s fastest driver Jenson Button wins on Sunday, and runaway championship leader Vettel crashes again, the title fight will move on to Korea.

On the other hand, Red Bull’s Vettel – the back-to-back Japanese grand prix winner – needs only to finish tenth to guarantee his second crown.

“I had a good reminder in practice not to start thinking about something else,” he admitted on Friday.

“It was not really a big mistake, but maybe at that moment I was not 100 per cent awake, and mistakes around here can be quite costly.”

As was feared by its rivals before Monza, Red Bull erased its final lingering weakness with Sebastian Vettel’s dominance of the Italian grand prix.
In recent seasons, Adrian Newey’s blue, yellow and red single seaters have been arguably the best when downforce is a premium, but not as good when the Renault engines must cope with long stretches of asphalt.

“The difference between this year’s car and last year’s car here at Monza is huge,” said runaway championship leader Vettel after Sunday’s win, according to O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper.

His teammate Mark Webber agreed: “The tracks where you do not need high downforce were our biggest problem. So I think our biggest improvement this year was in that area.”

Felipe Massa, whose 2011 Ferrari car has struggled this year on hard tracks and in cold temperatures, fully agrees.

“Red Bull have managed to develop a car that is capable of being fast and reliable on any track and in any kind of temperature,” said the Brazilian.

“They have a big advantage,” agreed his teammate Fernando Alonso.

“As the regulations will not change much for 2012, we need to find more than one second in our car for next year, which will not be easy,” the Spaniard admitted.

World champion Sebastian Vettel has revealed he is happy to travel to Japan next month.
Leading MotoGP riders, and Indycar drivers including Danica Patrick who will race at Motegi this weekend, have expressed grave concerns about travelling to Japan in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear crisis.

“Heck yeah, I’m concerned,” Patrick said, revealing she will take her own food and water to the country.

Japan’s formula one venue, Suzuka, is located further away from Fukushima than is Motegi, and officials have declared that the area is safe.

Runaway 2011 championship leader Vettel insists he is not worried.

“I’m looking forward to it. I think most of us (are),” said the German.

“It’s a good sign for us to go there and I hope that we will bring some laughter and joy to the people.”

Every time Sebastian Vettel wins in 2011, he adds another smile to his collection.
Germany’s Bild newspaper reports that there are seven small ‘smiley’ stickers aligned in a row inside the cockpit of the runaway championship leader’s Red Bull.

One was added to ‘Luscious Liz’ after each of his seven 2011 victories so far in Australia, Malaysia, Turkey, Barcelona, Monaco, Valencia and Spa two weeks ago.

The 24-year-old confirmed at Monza: “(Adding) the faces was my idea. It’s an old tradition.”

He is referring to 2004, when a large yellow smiley sticker was added to the exterior livery of his formula BMW car after every win.

“By the end of the year the nose was almost completely covered in them,” laughed Vettel, who as a seventeen year old won 18 of the 20 races.

Christian Horner could not hide his smile despite a Red Bull not winning Sunday’s Hungarian grand prix.

Championship leader Sebastian Vettel finished the Budapest race second, but because the fifth-placed Jenson Button won, the German’s vast gap grew from 77 points to 85 over teammate Mark Webber.

And Vettel’s gap to the closest non-Red Bull runner – Lewis Hamilton – is now a whopping 88 points with just 8 races to run.

“Excluding the Red Bull drivers, Jenson was the one we wanted as the winner,” Red Bull team boss Horner is quoted as saying by German media.

“Congratulations to him,” said the Briton.

“We are not disappointed. In situations like that it’s always a lottery.”

Formula one figures are now looking forward to an almost one-month break before Spa-Francorchamps, including a mandatory two-week factory shutdown.

“We will be working at full speed for another week until we close the factory and re-charge our batteries — just like KERS,” joked Horner.

Christian Horner on Sunday said he thinks Red Bull will be better next weekend in Hungary.
Championship leader Sebastian Vettel ended his 15-race run of front row berths at the Nurburgring, while pole sitter Mark Webber was the team’s best finisher with third.

“Yes, it’s been interesting,” said team boss Horner, referring to Fernando Alonso’s win at Silverstone two weeks ago, and Lewis Hamilton’s in Germany.

“It’s been Ferrari one race, the next McLaren — and the constant factor is Red Bull. Hopefully now we’ll get a few tracks that should be good for us,” he told German Sky television.

Confirmed Australian Webber: “The car should go ok in Budapest. It should be better than this track for us.”

In post-race news, Sebastien Buemi has been handed a five-place grid penalty for Hungary for his crash with Nick Heidfeld.

But there is also bad news for German Heidfeld, who will have to hand over his Renault to test driver Bruno Senna on Friday morning at the Hungaroring.

Meanwhile, Alonso will keep his second place on Sunday despite fears his stricken Ferrari might not have contained the mandatory one litre of fuel for the scrutineering checks.

And he has also not been penalised for hitching what he described as a “taxi” ride back to parc ferme on his friend Webber’s Red Bull engine cover.

“They are friends and it would have been a long walk back,” grinned Horner.