Three formula one teams are interested in signing Romain Grosjean, according to Renault chief Eric Boullier.
Frenchman Boullier, who also heads the Gravity driver management company, is reportedly considering his countryman as an immediate replacement for Nick Heidfeld.

But L’Equipe quotes Boullier as saying “three teams” are in the running to have the 25-year-old – who is leading the current GP2 championship – in their 2012 lineups.

And Renault team owner Gerard Lopez admits Grosjean is a candidate to replace Heidfeld in 2012.

“Vitaly (Petrov) has a contract to the end of 2012,” he said. “We could consider Vitaly with Romain, but that doesn’t depend on us. It depends on the health of Robert (Kubica).”

Boullier admits Grosjean struggled in 2009 when he made his F1 debut amid the ‘crashgate’ scandal alongside Fernando Alonso.

“As I am very close to him, I can confirm that he is different now, much more mature than two years ago,” he said.

He told Globo Esporte: “We’re waiting to see what happens with Robert.”

Jenson Button has refused to rule out switching to Ferrari.

McLaren has an option for 2012 on the British driver that must be activated within the next few weeks.

If the Woking based team lets the option expire, speculation that he is being lined up as the successor to Felipe Massa is certain to intensify.

Asked about Ferrari by the Spanish newspaper AS, 31-year-old Button answered at Silverstone: “Since I was a boy there are three teams I have dreamed about driving for — McLaren, Williams and Ferrari.

“I fulfilled a dream with Williams at the beginning of my career, and now I am at McLaren.

“I don’t know what my future is, but I want to have a car to fight to win races. You never know what will happen in the future, but at the moment I am happy with what I have.”

Button said he would not have a problem sharing a team with Fernando Alonso, the double world champion who is regarded as the clear number 1 at Ferrari.

“I am sure that if we were teammates, Fernando and I would have no problem. Alonso is a great driver for who I have great respect, and I think we would do great things together,” he said.

Button is more open about his plans to help youngsters start their own F1 careers.

“It’s not just (for) after F1, it’s during F1,” the 2009 world champion told Reuters, revealing his efforts to set up a driver management company with his manager Richard Goddard.

“I think it could be very useful for other people, obviously British kids, but not just them. I think I’ve got a lot to offer. So it could be very exciting,” he added.

Jerome d’Ambrosio is close to securing his formula one race debut for 2011.

That is the claim of Eric Boullier, who is in charge not only of the Renault team, but also Genii Capital’s driver management arm Gravity.

Gravity negotiated Belgian d’Ambrosio’s current Friday role with Virgin, and he is also set to race alongside Timo Glock next year, depending on his management’s ability to compile the necessary budget.

“We have 95 per cent of the package together,” Frenchman Boullier told the Het Nieuwsblad newspaper.

“For the remaining 5 per cent,” he added, “it’s just a matter of days. I would be pleased to have a signed contract in his pocket by the last race in Abu Dhabi.”

The minority share of the Williams team now owned by Austrian Christian ‘Toto’ Wolff is 10 per cent, it has emerged.

sThe stake bought in 2009 by the motor racing enthusiast and investor, whose girlfriend is the Scottish DTM driver Susie Stoddart, was not disclosed at the time.

But according to a report in London’s Evening Standard, based on company filings by the Oxfordshire based team, the figure is 10 per cent.

The report said Wolff is believed to have paid about $16 million for the stake, which would value the British outfit at about US $160m.

Sir Frank Williams’ stake has therefore dropped from 70 to 63 per cent, and Patrick Head’s from 30 to 27 per cent.

Wolff, 38, also owns shares in Aces Management, the driver management firm involving Didier Coton and Mika Hakkinen, as well as the F3 engine supplier HWA.

Ferrari has hit back at Niki Lauda’s prediction that the famous Italian team will “get a pasting” at the FIA’s disciplinary council next month.

In an interview with F1′s official website, former champion Lauda – who won two of his three titles with Ferrari – slammed the Maranello based team for allegedly using team orders at Hockenheim recently.

“What they’ve done is wrong and they got an immediate punishment — and they will get a pasting from the World (Motor Sport) Council, that is for sure,” said the Austrian great.

“And that has nothing to do with Alonso.  He’s no Schumacher,” added Lauda, when asked if Fernando Alonso was taking a tight grip on Ferrari.

In response, a disparaging column posted on the official Ferrari website depicted the 61-year-old as someone who “has never missed out on a chance to dispense opinions left and right”.

“This time, good old Niki has missed out on a fine opportunity to keep his mouth shut, given that, when he was a Scuderia driver, the supposed Ferrari driver management policy suited him perfectly,” read the Ferrari column.

Also upset about Lauda’s recent interview might be the struggling new teams, who are all receiving an extra contribution to their budgets this year from Bernie Ecclestone.

“I am strictly against having them on life support.  Either they are able to stay alive on their own or ‘bye bye’,” said Lauda.