Preparations for the inaugural Russian grand prix in 2014 appear to have hit a roadblock.

We reported last weekend that rumours were circulating in the Barcelona paddock that the Sochi race now appears “doomed”.

The state owned Moscow news agency Ria Novosti now reports that political issues have created “serious delays” in the race’s preparations, according to an adviser with the Russian Automobile Federation.

The official, Igor Yermilin, insisted that the project is not doomed, but he said very few efforts have taken place following the bureaucratic reshuffling of the local Krasnodar region.

He said some officials of the Omega company, responsible for the F1 circuit project, have lost their jobs.

“In the Krasnodar region there has been have been quite serious changes in the leadership,” Yermilin said, “including people from Omega who signed the contract on holding the Russian grand prix”.

The coastal city Sochi is also scheduled to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.

“The main thing at the moment is the Olympics — the grand prix is on the back burner,” said Yermilin.

Argentina looks set to replace Korea on the 2013 formula one calendar.

That is the claim of Italy’s Autosprint magazine, reporting that the Argentinean national government will sign a three-year contract next month.

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said last month that the 2013 Argentine grand prix, last held at the ageing Autodromo Oscar Alfredo Galvez in Buenos Aires in 1998, will take place on the streets of the coastal city of Mar del Plata.

Autosprint now quotes Argentine tourism minister Carlos Enrique Mayer as saying: “The national government accepts the challenge of organising the grand prix of Argentina to promote our country to the world.

“In May, the three year contract between all the parties involved will be signed,” he added.

The report said Hermann Tilke will be responsible for the 5 kilometre city layout.

Autosprint also reported that next year’s calendar will remain at 20 races, so with the addition of Argentina as well as New Jersey, two current grands prix will need to give way.

One place will likely open up due to a new alternating scheme in Spain, with Valencia to wait until 2014 for its next race.

And Autosprint added: “The grand prix of Korea no longer seems able to honour the financial obligations agreed with (Bernie) Ecclestone.”

Argentina is close to returning to the formula one calendar, the president of South America’s second-largest country has revealed.
EFE news agency quotes Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner as saying it is likely an Argentine grand prix, last held at the ageing Autodromo Oscar Alfredo Galvez in Buenos Aires in 1998, will take place in November or December 2013.

She said next year’s race would take place on the streets of the coastal city of Mar del Plata.

“For us this is very important,” she said, “because after football, motor racing is the second favourite sport of Argentina.”

Fernandez said the deal would be initially “for three years, in 2013, 2014 and 2015″.

Michael Schumacher has rejected rumours he might make room at Mercedes next year for Robert Kubica.

It is has been suggested that team figures want Pole Kubica, 25, to race alongside Nico Rosberg in 2011, despite Schumacher having a three year contract.

But although Schumacher slumped to just 15th on the Valencia grid, he said on Saturday he can “handle the pain” of his current situation.

“I’m not here with a short-term view, that I just look from race to race and I have to have a single result.

“From my point of view we have a three year programme.”

Asked if the criticism hurt, or made him more determined to return to the top, the 41-year-old told reporters: “Neither nor.

“I know what’s going on and I care about what is real and what I know and have to worry about.

“Once we can solve our problems then there is reason to believe we can do much better, and even win races this year,” he added.

Team boss Ross Brawn said at the Spanish street circuit that Mercedes has “not spoken” to Kubica.

“I spoke to him at Brawn GP a year ago when we were looking at the future, but we haven’t spoken to him since then.

“There’s no discussions going on, we’re very happy with Michael, we’ve got to sort the car out, that’s the main issue,” he insisted.

Interestingly, Brawn did admit that he has “socialised occasionally” with Kubica on the seaside coast of Tuscany, where they each have a house.

(GMM)

GP2 championship leader Pastor Maldonado claims Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez wants him to debut in formula one.

The well-sponsored 25-year-old has been linked with F1 seats several times, including when he was close to inking a deal with the hopeful Serbian outfit Stefan GP.

“We were nearly ready to sign … but at the end it didn’t get an entry,” he told Reuters at Valencia on Friday.

The news agency said Maldonado is backed by the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA.

“Venezuela is pushing very hard for me, to have me in formula one,” he confirmed.  “All my sponsors are from Venezuela so that’s a big support.

“He (Chavez) is pushing.  I know that,” Maldonado, also a contender for a Campos/HRT seat in 2010, added.

He said president Chavez is also interested in hosting a grand prix, possibly off the northeastern coast of the country on Margarita Island.

Williams was able to improve the FW32 in recent days and weeks ahead. In Valencia again to some new parts will be bolted to the car. Is still uncertain is the use of the F-Duct. Fix seems that the system that provides more speed on the straight line is tested in the training sessions. After deciding on a bet in the race. Williams had the system already in use in Shanghai and Barcelona.

With or without F-Duct, the Williams drivers expect from the street circuit in the port of Valencia a good chance. Rubens Barrichello remembers only too happy to return to the last season. “I have fond memories of Valencia. I have won the race here last year, it was my tenth race win to date. He was also outstanding on the ground because he me brought back into the title race,” said the Brazilian.
Just hours before the triumph of the veterans had Nico Hulkenberg his finest hour. Namely, he won the GP2 sprint race. “Valencia is a great track that I like very much. I know them very well from the GP2 and I am already bringing them to drive the FW32, since I feel very comfortable here. As in Monaco and Montreal everywhere walls, but the track is slightly wider, at least I like the challenge, “says the GP2 champion last season.

The Pilotenduo is convinced that the new developments have made their cars faster. “We are coming closer and closer to the top ten, as we showed in qualifying in Montreal. But we must keep up the pressure and take out a few tenths so we end up constantly in the top ten,” says Hulkenberg. Barrichello praises even the least seasoned of engine partner criticism: “Cosworth is making good progress in improving the durability.” His goals for Valencia has formulated the veteran clear: “I will enter into Q3 and points.”

The Technical Director Sam Michael knows the challenge to be made on the car: “At the beginning, the way only little grip. The numerous combinations of corners provide for the tires a not insignificant challenge by the coastal location can also always pay breezes, the affect the balance of the car. ” Michael also formulated the objectives for the weekend clear: “We have in the two previous races ever run in points, which is also the target for this time”

The great heights and popularity that the NASCAR automobile competition is getting will be fully covered by ESPN and ABC television networks, which have guaranteed the 17 tests for the next season’s broadcasts.

The remaining 41 tests will be broadcast by the National network FOX (14), cable’s TNT (6) and SPD (4), respectively.
The competition will again have among its outstanding pilots the Colombian, Juan Pablo Montoya -who last season finished on 8th place of the championship’s competition-, will begin February 6 with the initial text in the Daytona International Speedway.

But it will not be but until February 21, a week after the Daytona 500 Mile classic race, that the Sprint Cup Series competition will begin at California’s Auto Club Speedway.
Nevertheless, ESPN and ABC will not begin the 17 broadcasts they have programmed until July 25 with the Brickyard 400 test, and will complete them when the season ends with the 10 races that define the NASCAR champion with the Sprint Cup Chase series.  The last one will be the one that will take place at Homestead (Miami), in November 21.

ESPN will broadcast 14 tests, while ABC -the National network from the same business group and which last season broadcast 11-, this year will only broadcast three, and all of them on Saturday night.
ESPN’s broadcast races’ schedules will be: 1:00 PM (18:00 GMT) for the East Coast and 3:00 PM (20:00 GMT) in the West Coast, except for Atlanta’s on September 25, which will begin at 7:30 PM (00:30 GMT).
The three races broadcast by ABC on Saturday nights will be Bristol, Tennessee, (August 21), Richmond, Virginia, (September 11) and Charlotte, North Carolina, (October 16), at 7:30 PM (00:30 GMT).
John Skipper, ESPN Executive Vice-President, stressed in an official press release about the excellent results the network had last year with NASCAR competition’s broadcast.
“All we did last year showed us that ESPN is the best network for NASCAR”, Skipper underlined. For his part, Paul Brooks, NASCAR Media Group’s President, likewise in an official press release, praised all of ESPN’s subscriber base which has special relevance among the young population segment.

“They are wonderful news for our NASCAR competition fans,” said Brooks in the press release.  ”The ESPN subscriber base is of nearly 100 million and the network has a special gift to attract young viewers.”
Brooks recognized that this ESPN reality will allow the NASCAR competition to be viewed more, which will benefit all equally.

Last season, US Jimmy Johnson (6.652 points) won the championship title for fourth consecutive year, being the first to do this in the history of the competition.
Montoya, who fought among the firsts until the last two Sprint Cup Chase tests, finished on eighth position, with 6.252 points and winning 5.270.120 million dollars, in what was his second season in the NASCAR competition.