F1′s new face of 2012 is polarising the sport.

It seems teams, drivers and spectators alike either love or hate the new great influence brought largely by Pirelli’s new generation of tyres.

An admitted critic is Michael Schumacher.

“It’s a 1000 piece puzzle that you need to put together at each race,” said the seven time world champion, according to Auto Motor und Sport.

Not for three decades have four different drivers driving for four different teams won the opening four grands prix of a season.

“From the standpoint of competition,” wrote Livio Oricchio in O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, “there is no doubt that the Pirelli 2012 generation meets fully the objective of promoting the show.

“But if you think purely about the engineering challenge that is formula one, and the genius of the people and the immense financial and technical resources needed for success, the tyres have now taken on such an importance that the results don’t seem compatible.

“Myself, and many in formula one, hope the new versions of tyres that Pirelli is developing returns a little more predictability in terms of how they behave, without affecting the show too much.”

For now, however, the teams need to put their puzzles together, and that will undoubtedly be the focus of this week’s three-day in-season test at Mugello.

“He who understands the tyres first,” McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh astutely noted, “will have a huge advantage in the world championship.”

A broad understanding is already developing, including why 2012 winners Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel won from the very front of the field.

“When you’re in a battle, you can’t take the lines that are best for the tyres,” said Mercedes’ Ross Brawn.

All eyes are now turning to Mugello, where the understanding will continue.

“These test days could change the balance of power in formula one,” Norbert Haug predicted dramatically in Bild newspaper.

Not everyone is enthusiastic, however, including McLaren who oppose the Mugello test on cost grounds.

Williams’ chief engineer Mark Gillan agrees: “The days of test teams are gone, so this is not logistically easy,” he is quoted by Germany’s Sport1.

Bruno Senna added: “Mugello is not an ideal test track, as it’s very different to most of the tracks that are on the calendar.”

1980 world champion Alan Jones has backed Caterham’s decision to dump Jarno Trulli.
Despite having extended the Italian veteran’s contract for 2012, the former Lotus team decided at the last minute to sign the well-backed Russian Petrov.

Caterham explained that Petrov brings “fresh impetus” to the team, whilst also admitting that the decision was made “with a realistic eye on the global economic market”.

One French report has calculated the 27-year-old’s sponsorship contributions at EUR 12 million, including money from Russia’s largest petrochemical company Sibur.

But the straight-talking Australian Jones, who won Williams’ first drivers’ title three decades ago, said Caterham was also right to oust Italian Trulli on performance criteria.

Told that Heikki Kovalainen “destroyed” Trulli in 2011, Jones said: “I think he was destroyed by everybody, wasn’t he?”

On Caterham’s decision, he told GMM: “In my opinion Trulli wasn’t doing the job so it would have made it a pretty easy decision to get in this younger guy who is perhaps a bit keener, a big hungrier.

“It’s also a fact that he (Petrov) is bringing in money, so to me it’s a no-brainer,” added Jones.

Vitaly Petrov could stay at the Caterham team beyond 2012, the Russian’s manager said on Friday.
Earlier, the former Lotus outfit announced that Petrov, ousted by Lotus (Renault) at the end of last season, is replacing Italian veteran Jarno Trulli with immediate effect.

On the face of it, the deal is not a good look for Petrov, having displaced one of F1′s most experienced drivers – and a grand prix winner – on the back of his sponsors’ purse.

Moreover, it also means there is no Italian on the F1 grid for the first time in decades.

“Vitaly is thinking about his place in formula one, and the rest is a question to the team,” insisted Petrov’s manager Oksana Kosachenko.

Team boss Tony Fernandes hinted in Caterham’s media statement on Friday that the Petrov deal is indeed fueled by the world’s economic situation.

So does that mean he is a ‘pay-driver’, and Heikki Kovalainen the clear number one?

“As far as I know,” Kosachenko said, “we’re having absolutely equal status.”

She revealed that the initial contract is for one year only, but that could change.

“At the moment we’re discussing that,” Kosachenko is quoted by the Ria Novosti news agency.

Earlier, she admitted that Bernie Ecclestone – perhaps because he is scheduling an inaugural Russian grand prix for 2014 – was trying to help Petrov find a seat this season.

“He was talking to me, he was trying to assist,” Kosachenko said on Friday, insisting that the eventual contract was “absolutely an internal deal” between Petrov and Caterham.

“No one else involved,” she clarified.

Kimi Raikkonen may have now signed a contract to return to formula one with Williams in 2012.

The Finnish daily Ilta-Sanomat reveals that its source is the Monaco-domiciled former Simtek and Footwork driver Taki Inoue, a Japanese who last raced in F1 in 1995.

Inoue is apparently still well connected in formula one circles, given his efforts to advance the careers of several rising Japanese drivers.

Earlier this month, Ilta-Sanomat reported that the key to Raikkonen’s return to formula one was whether Williams could sign the Qatar National Bank as a major new sponsor.

Brazilian journalist Livio Oricchio wrote in O Estado de S.Paulo last Friday: “In recent days Frank Williams travelled to Arab states Qatar and Saudi Arabia.”

The beleaguered British team rose to the front of the grid some decades ago with Arab-linked sponsors including Saudia, TAG and Albilad.

The daughter of F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone insists she has no plans to follow in her father’s footsteps.

27-year-old Tamara Ecclestone, the eldest of Ecclestone’s two daughters, has worked as a F1 reporter for Sky Italia and earlier studied at the London School of Economics.

But she told the Mail on Sunday that she has no plans to replace her dad, the British billionaire who for decades has sat at the helm of formula one.

“Recently my father declared that he could envisage a female CEO at F1 in the next three years. I wouldn’t advise anyone putting a bet on that woman being me,” said Tamara Ecclestone.

“Those are big shoes to fill and my feet are completely the wrong size for that job. I would hate to be the person to undo his years of amazing work. I’d reduce the whole operation to chaos within hours,” she joked.

At any rate, Ecclestone said her diminutive father – who turns 81 in October – has no plans to step down.

“For my dad it’s not about making more money, it’s about the next successful deal,” she said.

“It’s not like he needs an extra few million. He doesn’t need to work and hasn’t needed to do so for years — but he’s got too much of an active mind to ever consider retirement.

“For him the financial rewards are secondary to the passion he feels for what he does,” she added.

Michael Schumacher has invited members of the formula one paddock to a party to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his grand prix debut.

When the seven time world champion arrives at Spa-Francorchamps in less than ten days, it will be two decades since he made his debut at the same famous circuit for Jordan in 1991.

We reported last month that Schumacher, now 42 and the record holder of seven titles and 91 wins, will mark the occasion with a special black and gold cap.

And the German revealed to reporters at Mercedes’ Stuttgarter Sternstunden event at the weekend that he has organised a party.

“It will be a special moment for me,” Cologne newspaper Express quotes him as saying. “I will invite the whole paddock for a drink on Saturday evening.”

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.
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Ross Brawn has revealed he is worried about F1′s future without Bernie Ecclestone.

As the sport’s long-time ‘supremo’ turns 80 on Thursday, Brawn admitted he is concerned there is no “structure” in place to replace the diminutive Briton who has steered and shaped F1 for decades.

“We discuss it frequently,” he told the Telegraph. “We don’t have a solution.

“That is one of our fears. A succession plan for Bernie and (F1′s owners) CVC is not clear and is one of the things which teams are always seeking clarity on,” said Brawn.

But Max Mosley, the former long-time FIA president whose career in F1 politics began as Ecclestone’s lawyer and sidekick in the 70s, is confident the sport will not implode without him.

“No, it would just be different,” he said.

“When I wanted to step down from the FIA in 2004 I was told I couldn’t until I had a succession plan. Bernie needs a succession plan too but, secretly, he probably has one,” added Mosley.

Mosley hailed Ecclestone as a “master tactician”, and another long-time colleague Sir Frank Williams is also full of praise for the wily Briton, an “unparalleled negotiator”.

“What would happen if he were gone tomorrow? Well, not to devalue him in any sense, but I would hope formula one would not implode,” said Williams.

“Not only has Bernie structured long-term contracts with key parties, but he has placed a robust infrastructure around formula one and helped to populate it with clever people, so a bright, creative successor would emerge, such is the way of the world,” he added.

Joan Villadelprat on Monday insisted he has not given up on bringing his Spanish Le Mans team Epsilon Euskadi into formula one.

The Spaniard tried to acquire the thirteenth and final team entry for 2011, but the FIA ruled that none of the applicants had the financial resources to justify the go-ahead.

But Villadelprat told the Noticias de Gipuzkoa that the 13th entry is not the only route into F1.

“We have not thrown in the towel,” he confirmed.

“The most important thing in formula one is the funding that allows you develop for the long-term. We already have the infrastructure and human capacity.

“We are still working with a range of investors and we hope soon to have a final decision,” added Villadelprat. “If the decision is positive, we have a range of options.

“We can go for the 13th entry in 2012, or for 2011 buy an existing team.”

He ruled out buying the struggling HRT team.

“We are not in contact with them,” said Villadelprat, with decades of experience in F1 with Ferrari, McLaren, Benetton and Prost.

“But we are confident that there are licenses available, because there are several teams in a very delicate economic situation,” he added.

“If we secure the budget for the next four years to take over the project of one of these teams, we will — otherwise, no.”

F1 indulged in a piece of rare nostalgia on Thursday by recreating a famous scene.

As the 1986 world championship fight came to a head in Adelaide, the four title protagonists – Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet – posed on the pitwall with Bernie Ecclestone for a media photograph.

Two and a half decades later, there are still five drivers in the running for the 2010 crown, so the ever-present F1 chief executive was back on the pitwall for the same sort of photograph.

This time, the scene of the photo – featuring Ecclestone and drivers Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel – was the brand new Yeongam barrier.

“It was good to do the photo with all the guys,” championship leader Webber said afterwards, “going back all those years with some of our heroes obviously in those (1986) photos.”

A mark of the struggling Spanish team HRT’s fragile financial situation was clearly on display during the Monza weekend.

The Cosworth-powered F110s, last on the grid and a full second shy of the next-quickest Virgin cars, tackled the Italian grand prix with its conventional bodywork package — used throughout the season so far, including at Monaco.

According to GPWeek, Hispania is therefore the first team “in decades” not to design a bespoke low-downforce package for the ultra high speed straights of the Autodromo Nazionale.

Bruno Senna said that, because of a lack of testing, making a last-minute modification for Monza would have compromised safety.

“So it was a bit of a rush and unfortunately it didn’t get done,” said the Brazilian driver.

And HRT’s financial situation took another hit at Monza, when the FIA imposed a $20,000 fine for the pitstop incident involving Sakon Yamamoto’s radio mechanic.

Jun.18 (GMM)  Niki Lauda is on the lookout for a new sponsor for his famous red cap.

Ever since a near-fatal shunt in 1976 left him with head and facial scars, the iconic Austrian racer, businessman and TV commentator has sold the commercial rights to the front of his ever-present baseball cap.

For more than two decades, ‘Parmalat’ paid for the privilege, and in 2002 the German heating company ‘Viessmann’ took over the deal.

In 2007, the name and logo of the Swiss machinery maker ‘Oerlikon’ began adorning 60-year-old Lauda’s head, with speculation suggesting an annual six-figure sum.

The daily Osterreich newspaper is now reporting that the Oerlikon deal is set to lapse at the end of the year due to cost cutting.

“The contract with Oerlikon is running out — that’s right,” Lauda confirmed to the APA news agency.

A site for the 2012 United States grand prix has been selected.

It was earlier reported that although a promoter has won the rights to stage the race on a purpose-built track in Austin, Texas, the actual site for the venue is still being decided.

But a lawyer for promoter Full Throttle Productions is quoted by the local American-Statesman newspaper as revealing that land has been secured.

“We’re just not ready to disclose it (the actual location) yet,” said Richard Suttle.

Suttle also said regular F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke has been appointed.

But even with the new details, doubts about the project remain, including insider sentiment that it resembles past negotiating moves deployed by F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

Until the shock news of the Austin deal emerged, Monticello Motor Club in New York was considered the front runner for a contract.

Club president Ari Straus said the 2012 start-date was the biggest surprise.

“Somebody starting from scratch would not be able to do it until 2013,” he said.

The implication could be that if Austin is unable to be ready for 2012, Monticello could be back in the frame for a project the following year.

“If Bernie comes back to the table,” Straus said, “Monticello is ready.”

But Austin promoter Tavo Hellmund, reportedly a friend of Ecclestone’s for decades, said he is not worried about the tight schedule for 2012.

“If it (the date) slides back, it slides back,” he said.

Although mainly funded privately, the project will also enjoy some state input, with a letter to Ecclestone signed by Texas governor Rick Perry pledging $25 million per year from the state’s Mayor Event Trust Fund.

(GMM)

May 4 (GMM)  Epsilon Euskadi could be set to take another step towards becoming F1′s thirteenth and final team for the 2011 season.

We reported in March that the Spanish outfit would apply for the berth following the FIA’s invitation for expressions of interest.

The initial process ended on 15 April, with interested teams to lodge full applications by the end of June followed by “due diligence leading to a decision in July”.

It emerged on Monday that FIA president Jean Todt was set to travel to Spain on Tuesday for a meeting with the Spanish sports minister Jaime Lissavetsky and the head of Spain’s motor racing federation Carlos Gracia.

A press conference is then scheduled for the afternoon.

Spain’s El Pais newspaper reports that Todt will visit Epsilon Euskadi’s Azkoitia headquarters in view of the team making its formula one debut in 2011.

Epsilon Euskadi, involved in junior single seater categories as well as Le Mans with a prototype car, applied to make its F1 debut this year but was beaten to the places by USF1, HRT, Lotus, Virgin and Sauber.

Its boss is Joan Villadelprat, who for decades worked in F1 with McLaren, Ferrari, Benetton, Tyrrell and Prost.