Amid speculation regarding Felipe Massa’s immediate future, Sergio Perez’s father has revealed that Ferrari approached Sauber.

Earlier, Sauber driver Perez played down the rumours about Massa’s future, including the suggestion he was at the very top of Ferrari’s replacement list.

“Sergio is focused one hundred per cent on (performing in) Malaysia,” the 22-year-old Mexican’s father Antonio is quoted by the Spanish-language Medio Tiempo.

Perez snr’s son is the cream of Ferrari’s development driver ‘academy’ programme.

“Since last year, Ferrari has had three drivers: Alonso, Massa and Perez,” he said.

“‘Checo’ has a great relationship with the team but I can say today that Perez is signed only with Peter Sauber.”

Nonetheless, it has been suggested Ferrari made an approach to Sauber recently, amid Massa’s performance slump.

“Yes, Monisha (Kaltenborn), who is the chief executive of Sauber, confirmed that Ferrari people approached her to talk about Sergio,” said his father Antonio.

At the very least, Perez is a candidate for Massa’s seat next year.

“That would be a good package,” the Mexican answered when asked about the potential pairing of his son with Fernando Alonso.

“I see it only as a matter of time. We have to wait and be patient rather than distract Checo from what he is doing now.

“Sergio was not even aware of the statements made by Ferrari: he was training and focused on his fitness,” added Perez snr.

Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari’s president, urged calm over the famous team’s current situation, including the calls for Massa’s scalp.

“I understand that the fans are disappointed,” he is quoted by Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspaper, “but I ask them to remain calm.

“We must remain calm and focused.”

Still, the rumour mill waits for nobody, and even Ferrari’s official ‘Tweet’ about the “reasonable job” done by Massa on Saturday did not go unnoticed.

“I take that to mean, ‘You’re useless!’ German RTL commentator Christian Danner joked.

Ferrari is already working on a major chassis modification that could require the F2012 to undergo a new FIA crash test.
That is the claim on Wednesday of Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The report follows Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo’s alarm at the team’s current situation, with Fernando Alonso expecting Ferrari will have to “suffer” early this season based on recent track testing results.

“I would like to understand why and above all understand how we can very quickly make the necessary changes,” said Montezemolo at the Geneva Motor Show.

Gazzetta said the modification is to the 2012 car’s sidepod area.

Meanwhile, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told BBC radio on Wednesday that the team will take its updated car to Melbourne, despite its reliability and apparent handling problems at the final Barcelona test.

Team advisor Helmut Marko bluntly described the final day of pre-season testing, when Sebastian Vettel did a paltry 23 laps and was dead-last, as “shit”, but said “sufficient” data was collected the day earlier by Mark Webber.

Martin Whitmarsh has admitted that McLaren’s current situation has raised questions about his future at the helm of the British team.

McLaren was the most notably affected by the exhaust blowing clampdown at Silverstone, where on Sunday Jenson Button retired with a loose wheel before Lewis Hamilton had to slow down because his sister car was running out of fuel.

They were the latest in a series of mistakes for one of the most successful and best funded teams, whilst former boss and perfectionist Ron Dennis has been lifting his profile at several grands prix recently.

“I am confident that I will stay in my job,” Whitmarsh said late on Sunday.

“I answer to the board, not just Ron, and they seem happy with the job I’m doing — for now, anyway.”

He admitted however that his relationship with Dennis, McLaren’s executive chairman and shareholder who stepped down as team boss in the wake of the hugely damaging spygate saga, is “interesting”.

“We have ups and downs but I think our relationship is strong at the moment. I am firm about where I draw the line in terms of what my responsibilities are and what his are with regard to the F1 team,” he said.

Norbert Haug has revealed he is not in favour of allowing teams to field three cars per grand prix.
Ferrari, whose president Luca di Montezemolo is highly critical of the uncompetitive small teams, is pushing hard for the rule change.

But Haug, Mercedes’ competition director, is quoted by f1today.nl at the Valencia test: “Three cars per team is not something we support.

“It would be disastrous for the small teams so we see the current situation as much healthier.

“If we can avoid having three cars per team, we certainly will do so,” added the German.

The reserve seat at Team Lotus looks like Karun Chandhok’s best option to rebuild his formula one career after an abortive debut with HRT in 2010.
After HRT announced on Friday that his Indian countryman Narain Karthikeyan has secured one race cockpit, Chandhok confirmed that he is not chasing the other.

The third driver role at Lotus is free following the recent departure of Malaysian Fairuz Fauzy.

26-year-old Chandhok told Reuters: “If a third driver role leads to something better for 2012, then that’s what I’d like to see.”

Meanwhile, Bruno Senna confirmed HRT boss Colin Kolles’ announcement that the Brazilian driver will not be returning to the race cockpit in 2011.

“Maybe he is right,” Senna said, suggesting that more powerful pay-drivers have dominated the 2011 market.

“We may see some talents wasted because of the current situation (in F1),” he added.

The economy is booming, but Max Mosley finds out that it was absolutely right by him to pursue having the formula 1, a drastic austerity plan.

As the global economy from the worst crisis in recent decades recovering and also in racing again as the money comes a little looser than a few months ago, Max Mosley reiterates that should be saved in Formula 1 also. He believes that the austerity measures demanded by him were completely right – and still are.

“At the moment,” said the former FIA president in an interview with BBC Radio 5 live ‘, “a team gets about 40 or 50 million dollars from Bernie (Ecclestone, editor’s note), you probably need 200. to operate properly can. Even in the current situation, in which the whole world probably slowly recovering from the recession, it is very difficult to get as much money from sponsors. ”
The teams, however, have relaxed the restrictions their recent 2017 extended Savings Agreement (RRA) – According to Mosley, a wrong decision, “I believe that it is easy for the team in any way, and the thing would be to reduce costs further,” he believes. “. But the bottom line is the decision of the team, you all sit together and know what they should do in my opinion you see it differently -. And that is their business.”

“But there is no doubt that some of them are on the brink, because they spend so much money and the ways to find money, are limited,” adds the 70-year-old Briton. In the industry is said to mainly HRT, Virgin and Force India a tense financial situation. Sauber also can only since the agreement with the future major sponsor Telmex breathe.
Escuchar
Leer fonéticamente

Peter Sauber and Gerhard Berger have denied reports the pair are set to share ownership of the Hinwil based formula one team.

With former Sauber owner BMW pulling out at the end of last year, and Berger no longer co-owning the Toro Rosso team, it had been suggested the Austrian former ten time grand prix winner could use the opportunity to return to F1.

But Berger told Auto Motor und Sport: “If Peter Sauber has trouble getting sponsors, then so would I.”

Peter Sauber confirmed: “Gerhard and I have had no contact on this subject.”

More strongly rumoured has been a connection between Sauber and Nicolas Todt, who is Felipe Massa’s manager and the boss of the French GP2 team ART.

“It is true that Todt has some interest, but I told him a few months ago that we are not selling. This is still the current situation,” said Sauber.

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)

Michael Schumacher knows the situation in which he finds himself currently at Mercedes, well. He has done construction work at Benetton, he has been fighting with Ferrari in the championship point. With Mercedes, he wants to do it now as well. In Montreal Schumacher sat with reporters and talked about the development process at Mercedes, the current situation, his chances in the title fight, the goal of being able to go on their own at the head and his life as a Formula 1-returnees.

Q: Michael, what expectations you had for yourself when you start in the season?
Michael Schumacher: “The championship is my goal and my focus. But there comes a point where you realize that his package is the way it is. And you have to go through from there a certain program and a certain process. And we make. ”

“The year is still long. I personally do not think that I am really in a position to much to talk about the title. It is more about building and therefore to organize things for what happened, from next year. But you never know. It’s still a long year and there are still have many points. ”

Q: You had two fourth places so far. A podium the next step is for you? ”
Schumacher: “I wonder if I’ll get another podium or not changes to my stats at all. The fact is: I want to see that we can go on their own to this position. And now we are not able to do so. I have found in the get Turkey by Sebastian Vettel’s failure given a place. from team perspective, we are currently third parties must and we work really. We do this so that we drive on their own to the podium and race win. That’s what we want and what we create can. But it takes time. ”

Question: “You are now ahead of Ferrari. Is that the F-shaft?”
Schumacher: “It certainly contributes a part in this. But we were in Turkey in any case an aerodynamic upgrade. So it is a natural process that we go through. In Turkey it has taken us ahead of Ferrari. But that does not mean that that’s the case here. We have seen how a team was in front and then back – it’s sometimes a bit difficult to understand, and strangely, why is the case. We hope that we stay at the front end and so far could we always get the most from the package. Nico Rosberg did a fantastic job, as he has brought the podium. ”

Q: You have spoken of the construction process. You have participated in at Ferrari, Benetton’s there. Are you still very satisfying to get into a team to work with him and build it up? ”
Schumacher: “That is one reason why I’m here. Driving is one thing. But a close cooperation, a good understanding and a good atmosphere in the team are very satisfying.”

Q: You work with a German team. Does it even matter that it is a team of your own home? ”
MS: Sure. If you look at how I started: Mercedes has supported me on the way to F1. Yes, it all fits together very well. ”

Q: You said that it is for you here on personal performance went well except in China. Would you say that Turkey was your best race this year? ”
MS: No, I have in Turkey, I drove the car to go home. I could make to the front at all, because they were too fast for us. I have only kept the place and am so driven, that nothing happened to the rear .

Q: What was your best race then? ”
RS: There was no ‘best race’ for me. Sometimes you have these very special race and moments in which everything fits together perfectly. And so far we have not yet. ”

Question: “Are you missing this?”
Schumacher: “I know I’ll get there. This is one reason why I do this – to get to this point. But for that it needs certain ingredients, and we are looking together yet.”

Q: What is in your life the biggest difference between now and then, when you left the sport? ”
Schumacher: “Maybe I enjoy it much more now because I take only the important things seriously.”

Q: Is it so lucky – there have less stress? ”
Schumacher: “I am extremely pleased with my life with my family, with the excitement that I have. I have absolutely no reason to complain. I feel really relaxed.”

Question: “Stress is one of the ingredients that make you faster, hungrier?”
MS: No. I do not stress! ”

Q: Are you faster because you are relaxed? ”
Schumacher: “I do not think I’m faster. I enjoy it more simply.”

Q: You’re already driving in Le Mans, as you would like to start again? ”
Schumacher: “It was beautiful, as I drove, it was great fun. But security aspect worries me. After so many years, in Formula 1 is not much that would challenge one. But the security question me like this kept away. ”

Q: Is there anything away from the Formula 1, which you would like to do, what would be a real challenge? ”
Schumacher: “I want much, but I am very satisfied with my life.”

Question: “Would you not like to fly once in orbit or something?”
MS: No, that does not attract me. ”

Question: “What a challenge you would you then search for Formula 1?”
MS: I do a lot of things that are fun. But nothing, what should I speak now, because I’m still busy with this and focus on the what I want now are doing. There is no place to think about what I want to do it. “

Jun.8 (GMM)  Franz Tost believes F1 teams should still be able to run a ‘customer car’ acquired from active competitors.

Since the Faenza based team was sold by Minardi in 2005, and until last year, Toro Rosso raced a chassis based on the car fielded by sister team Red Bull Racing.

But in 2010, due to a rule clarification, the team had to build up its Italian base and staff in order to design and construct its own car, the current Ferrari-powered STR5.

“Nevertheless, I am of the opinion that this rule is wrong,” team boss Tost is quoted in the latest edition of Auto Bild Motorsport.

“With an intensive collaboration between two teams, you could cut the budget in half,” adding that the lower half of the grid would also be more competitive.

However, Tost is also happy with the current situation, with Red Bull owning and operating two separate teams.

“It works perfectly: Red Bull going for the world championship, and Toro Rosso working with the next generation.

“Our current drivers Sebastien Buemi and Jamie Alguersuari are on the right track and have great futures,” added the Austrian.

Tost also thinks team owner Dietrich Mateschitz is happy.

“At the moment I don’t see any signs of a sale.  In the (finance company) Money Service Group from Liechtenstein we also have our first own sponsor,” he said.