The plans for a formula one team are reportedly still alive, but Villeneuve/Durango is now more likely to turn its attention to NASCAR.

Ivone Pinton, principal of the Italian team Durango that pulled out of GP2 in 2009 with financial problems, echoed Jacques Villeneuve’s comments of last month that the collaboration is looking to buy one of the existing F1 teams.

Colin Kolles said in September that the rumours linking the struggling HRT team with Durango left him “speechless”.

But Durango’s Pinton insists F1 is a real option, telling the Italian website 422race.com that he and the 1997 world champion Villeneuve are “still working together” and in talks with “a couple of” the sport’s current teams.

“If we can do it in 2011, fine.  Otherwise we will go on working on it,” he explained.

French Canadian Villeneuve told the Canadian media last month that another option is to switch focus to NASCAR.

Pinton agreed, explaining that a successful foray in North America could precede a later attempt to “do things well in Europe”.

“This (NASCAR) is the most logical and possible situation,” he said.  “It’s useless to do something if you aren’t sure of the quality.  And we already saw how it is to do F1 without quality.”

With one swift retort, Colin Kolles extinguished rumours that the Jacques Villeneuve/Durango venture might be rescued by struggling F1 team HRT.

After the alliance missed out on the 13th team entry for 2011, 1997 world champion Villeneuve said another potential route onto next year’s grid was to buy an existing outfit.

The most affordable would most certainly be Hispania Racing, slowest on the 2010 grid and reportedly struggling for survival.

“To be honest, I’m really speechless that you believe this speculation,” said team boss Kolles, when also asked in Singapore about speculation linking HRT with Stefan GP.

“Why should I answer you if you mention the name Durango and the people you just mentioned before?  I cannot make any comment because I never spoke to these people,” he added.

Villeneuve also responded to the speculation on Friday, in conversation with the French Canadian publication Rue Frontenac.

“We have not yet made a formal bid for an F1 team at all,” said the 39-year-old.

“As the deadlines are less pressing than those imposed by the FIA, we are evaluating all our options before making a final decision,” added Villeneuve.

He admitted that turning his attention to NASCAR is perhaps now the most likely outcome.

“We are looking at how the funds that would have been for the F1 side can be transferred to North America to develop a programme in NASCAR,” said the Canadian.

According to rumours in the Singapore paddock, the Toro Rosso and Sauber teams could be set for new ownership.

The Basler Zeitung newspaper claims Nick Heidfeld’s new tenure at Sauber could be short-lived because Mexican GP2 driver Sergio Perez stands a good chance of becoming Kamui Kobayashi’s 2011 teammate.

The rumours linking the Swiss team with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, who sponsors Perez through his Telmex company, have been circulating for some time.

Sauber has already signed a Mexican, the teenaged Esteban Gutierrez, as its 2011 reserve driver.

Meanwhile, the Swiss newspaper Le Matin reports that Dietrich Mateschitz wants to sell Red Bull’s second formula one team Toro Rosso.

The report said the Austrian billionaire stands to make a handsome profit from the deal, because after buying Minardi for $40 million in 2006, the Faenza based team is now be worth three times that much.

Jacques Villeneuve/Durango was mentioned as a possible buyer.

Stefan GP pulled out of the running for the 13th team entry for 2011 because the FIA’s selection process was too slow.

That is the view of Zoran Stefanovic, who after missing out on a place on this year’s grid vowed to try again for the 2011 season.

Alongside other contenders including Villeneuve/Durango and Epsilon Euskadi, the Serbian outfit tackled the initial stages of the selection process, but ultimately pulled out in August.

“We had applied at the beginning but we found out that the process was too long and it didn’t give us assurances on the time when someone will be chosen as the 13th team,” Stefanovic told f1pulse.com.

When the FIA invited expressions of interest for the 13th place in March, the governing body said its decision would be made in July.

But the decision, with the FIA ultimately ruling that the team place should be left open, was made only this month.

Stefanovic said September is “too late to go in and design a car for next year”.

“We think it (the process) should be faster and we think it’s necessary to have a 13th team,” he added.

Contrary to the ‘plan B’ announced by Jacques Villeneuve, Stefanovic said he is not currently contemplating taking over an existing team.

“At the moment we are not doing that thing specifically,” he said. “We will see in the future what we can do.”

12 teams is enough for formula one, and 10 would also be a healthy number, according to Williams’ chairman Adam Parr.

The Jacques Villeneuve/Durango bid, as well as the Spanish Le Mans team Epsilon Euskadi, have been turned down by F1′s governing body after applying for the final 13th spot on the 2011 grid.

“I don’t think we should have 13,” Parr is quoted by the Texas newspaper American Statesman.

“I think that 12 is a maximum and personally I think we should have a maximum of 10 teams,” he said.

Currently, the F1 grid is composed of 12 teams, but there are fears about the financial situations suffered by several of them.

“I think it’s a very real possibility that we could lose a couple of teams,” Parr admitted.

“Part of the evolution of formula one is that teams come in and they go. Since 1970 we’ve lost, I think, 55 teams. It’s sort of a brutal competition and not everyone makes it.

“If things fall out so that we have 10 teams competing next year, personally I think that would be just fine,” he added.

Jacques Villeneuve on Wednesday said he has not given up on heading his own formula one team in 2011.

Earlier in Paris, the FIA ruled that neither Villeneuve’s collaboration with Italian racing outfit Durango, or the Spanish applicant Epsilon Euskadi, had satisfied the requirements for the vacant 13th place on next year’s grid.

“Now we turn to our plan B, which is to take over one of the existing teams,” the French Canadian said in a telephone interview with French language Rue Frontenac.

But the 1997 world champion admitted he is cautious.

“It is probably going to be a bit more expensive and we must ensure we have a free hand,” said 39-year-old Villeneuve.

“We do not want to be with partners we would not have chosen. There may also be contracts in place that interfere with our plans.

“For example, we have tremendous confidence in the design of our car. We want to be able to use it, not to have an existing design imposed on us,” said Villeneuve.

He said the next step is to sit down with his associates.

“I’ve only just heard the news so there isn’t a timetable set. I have to sit down with my partners and establish the strategy.

“I am also pleased we continued to work on NASCAR. Things on this side are going well,” revealed Villeneuve.

The FIA has confirmed reports that formula one will not feature a 13th team in 2011.

The rumours about the governing body’s decision emerged on Tuesday, but Jacques Villeneuve – bidding to launch a team in partnership with Durango – said the media had jumped the gun.

It is also believed Spain’s Epsilon Euskadi was still in the running for the final entry.

But after a World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris on Wednesday, the FIA said “none of the candidates met the requirements” to debut next season.

Also in Wednesday’s meeting, preceding the Ferrari team orders hearing in the rainy French capital, an unprecedented 20-race calendar for 2011 was ratified.

There are four back to back races, an inaugural Indian grand prix in October, and Brazil takes over as the venue of the season finale, with an unusually late November date.

The FIA also confirmed that, in addition to drivers needing super licenses, also requiring a F1 license in future will be team bosses, managers, technical directors and race engineers.

The move is a response to the 2009 crashgate scandal, when the FIA found its powers limited to sanction team chiefs Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds.

Another decision is that drivers will lose their F1 seats if they lose their road drivers license, and could be disciplined if “involved in a serious road traffic offence”.

This move is undoubtedly in reaction to Lewis Hamilton’s ‘hoon’ antics in Melbourne earlier this year.

Jacques Villeneuve is not confirming reports that the FIA intends to leave the 13th team spot vacant for the 2011 season.

The 1997 world champion, in collaboration with Italian racing team Durango, is in the running along with Spain’s Epsilon Euskadi for the last place on next year’s grid.

But according to reports this week, the governing body has decided to leave the position vacant because neither of the applications has a strong enough combination of engineering and financial resource.

It is believed the news could be announced after Wednesday’s meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris, even though the decision was reportedly made a week ago.

But Villeneuve told the French language Canadian publication Rue Frontenac late on Tuesday that he is still hopeful.

“We have had no news – positive or negative – from the FIA,” said the 39-year-old.

“All I know is that we are proud of our bid and we followed the process instituted by the FIA.

“We have a budget in place for the next three years, and the design of the car is going very well.  Phase 1 is nearing completion.

“We have submitted our application and we only need the approval of the FIA for the next phase.”

Villeneuve said he can understand the FIA’s careful deliberations about allowing another new team to compete in formula one.

“The memory of the USF1 debacle is still fresh in their minds,” said the winner of 11 grands prix, who competed in F1 most recently in 2006 for BMW.

“They want to be really sure that the group with the 13th spot will be very solid, and that suits us because we are strong,” Villeneuve insisted.

“After our meeting, they wanted to do due diligence and that’s probably why the announcement is a bit late.

“We look forward to the news but we’re not panicking — far from it,” added the French Canadian.

He said Durango owner Ivone Pinton is not panicking either, despite the reports about the FIA deciding not to open F1′s door to any more teams for now.

“We have barely discussed it, except to say the media is a bit fast on the trigger!  It’s possible the FIA will say no but we have no indication to that effect.

“Their analytical work is ongoing — that’s all we know,” added Villeneuve.

There are still “three candidates” in the running to occupy F1′s 13th team entry in 2011, according to Joan Villadelprat.

He is in charge of the Spanish Le Mans team Epsilon Euskadi’s bid, amid recent rumours the outfit had pulled out due to a lack of funding.

It has also been claimed that Epsilon Euskadi might instead merge with the struggling existing Spanish team, HRT.

“I don’t know where that information came from,” Villadelprat said in an interview with the sports daily AS.

“I spoke with Jose Ramon Carabante about a possible collaboration with us as a technology provider.

“We are looking for clients and it is clear Hispania is a potential client for the type of work that we do, provided there is no conflict of interest.

“But that’s it, there was never any talk of a merger, even though I do not close any doors,” he added.

Villadelprat said Epsilon Euskadi is still vying for the 13th team entry.

“The FIA knows our project well and now they must choose between the three candidates,” he said.

“We explained our situation, including our financial one, making it clear that we have a commitment to provide the necessary budget even if the deal is not yet closed.”

Echoing the claims of Jacques Villeneuve, who is bidding for the entry in collaboration with Durango, Villadelprat said it is possible the FIA will leave the 13th team place vacant.

Asked if he would be disappointed to miss out, he answered: “Not necessarily.

“Epsilon is more than F1; we are 130 people and would not risk our stability to go where we cannot be feasible.”

After a stint working on his NASCAR plans, Jacques Villeneuve has returned this week to the other side of the Atlantic to focus on setting up his own F1 team.

While also trying to land a full-time seat in America’s premier series, the 1997 world champion is collaborating with the Italian former GP2 outfit Durango in a bid to fill the 13th and final place on the 2011 formula one grid.

The French Canadian publication Rue Frontenac reports that Villeneuve, 39, is now in Europe where team officials will on Wednesday present their project to authorities in Geneva.

“I’m really proud of our bid,” he is quoted as saying.

“We have no control over what the others will present and how our approach will be evaluated, but everything has been done according to the requirements of the FIA.

“We have cut no corners, we have done everything by the book. My partners have done an impeccable job,” said Villeneuve, who was last on the F1 grid with BMW-Sauber in 2006.

It has been reported that Villeneuve/Durango is competing with two rivals for the 13th team entry — Epsilon Euskadi and Stefan GP.

“We don’t know how many people are presenting a dossier, let alone who they are and their seriousness,” insisted the winner of 11 grands prix.

“Also, the FIA has not committed to having a thirteenth team if a project is not consistent with their requirements,” said Villeneuve.

“If we do get the place, then the real stress will begin!” he added. “It will be difficult to be competitive in 2011, we know that, but we are not building a team only for one year.”

Long-time McLaren team boss Ron Dennis commented: “The finances will decide everything.

“Everyone in the world of F1 hopes it works out — it’s always good to keep the sport’s champions around. But I repeat that it will require extensive financial resources.

“This is not a sport for the faint of heart,” added the Briton.

Joan Villadelprat is eager for the FIA to make its decision about the identity of F1′s thirteenth team for 2011.

The formula one veteran, who has worked at Tyrrell, McLaren, Ferrari, Benetton and Prost, is now pushing to bring his own Le Mans prototype and junior single seaters team Epsilon Euskadi onto the grid.

It is believed the Azkoitia-based outfit is in competition with Villeneuve/Durango and Stefan GP, but it is also possible that the governing body will deem none of the applicants worthy of the 13th place.

It is also rumoured that many more than the three aforementioned projects are still officially in the running for the entry.

“We are already working with our wind tunnel model,” Villadelprat is quoted by the Italian language Al Volante.

“From the economic point of view we have an interesting budget but not yet what I would want to have for the formula one programme.

“Before investing a lot of money, our possible partners want to be sure that we have been chosen (by the FIA), but this (situation) will end in August,” he added.

Indeed, the FIA’s decision about the 13th team entry is due late this month.

Jacques Villeneuve has admitted to being annoyed that his plans for a formula one team were publicly leaked.

The 1997 world champion is bidding to re-enter the sport as a constructor next year in collaboration with the Italian former GP2 outfit Durango.

But Germany’s Auto Bild quoted Villeneuve, 39, as indicating he sees it as an unfair advantage that his opponents for the 13th team entry have not been similarly outed.

It is believed the only other contenders for the grid space are Stefan GP and Epsilon Euskadi.

But the French Canadian said: “I have no idea who or what we are fighting against.

“Everything was kept quiet and we were happy with it that way.  But someone who is not even part of the project decided to talk about it.  That’s pretty annoying.

“I can’t really say anything, because we don’t have all the facts yet,” added Villeneuve.

Earlier, he was quoted as saying Epsilon Euskadi’s declaration that it is testing a wind tunnel model of its 2011 car is like “putting the cart before the horse”.

He also refused to confirm or deny reports that the three 2011 hopefuls have been summoned to an interview later this week with the FIA in Paris.

But Villeneuve did confirm that he is no longer affiliated with Stefan GP.

Jacques Villeneuve has pointed gentle criticism in the direction of the hopeful Spanish entrant Epsilon Euskadi.

It is believed that, as well as Stefan GP, Villeneuve’s joint bid with the Italian former GP2 outfit Durango is in competition with Epsilon Euskadi for the last place on the 2011 formula one grid.

The 1997 world champion was racing American stock cars at Watkins Glen at the weekend, where he reportedly responded to the news that Epsilon Euskadi is already testing a scale model of its 2011 car.

Villeneuve, 39, is quoted by La Presse Canadienne as saying the Spanish outfit’s move is like “putting the cart before the horse”, and probably released to the media in the interests of public relations.

The report also said the French Canadian refused to confirm or deny reports that the three 2011 hopefuls have been summoned to an interview later this week with the FIA in Paris.

And Villeneuve said he is no longer affiliated with Stefan GP, even though his photo is depicted with the caption “drivers of 2010″ on the Serbian outfit’s website.

Hopeful Spanish outfit Epsilon Euskadi has begun wind tunnel testing a scale model of its 2011 formula one car.

The Azkoitia based team, involved in single seater categories as well as Le Mans with a prototype car, has applied to fill the 13th F1 team entry for next year.

It is believed the FIA has already turned down some 2011 applicants, while the GP2 team ART and American group Cypher have pulled out of the running due to lack of funding.

It emerged this week that the governing body will interview the remaining contenders – probably Villeneuve/Durango and Stefan GP – in Paris next Friday.

It would also appear that Epsilon Euskadi, headed by former F1 team members Joan Villadelprat and engineer Sergio Rinland, is still in the running.

Rinland told the Argentine publication Corsa: “Last week we put the model in the wind tunnel for the first time.

“It went alright.  The design is well advanced,” added the former Williams, Brabham, Forti, Benetton, Sauber and Arrows engineer.

Rinland said Epsilon Euskadi has not even begun to think about a driver lineup.

“We have absolutely no thoughts (on drivers),” he said, albeit admitting that it would be “fantastic” if his Argentine countryman Esteban Guerrieri won the seat.

“But as I said, the issue of drivers is not being contemplated at this time,” added Rinland.

“One or two” of F1′s existing twelve teams might bow out of formula one before November’s Abu Dhabi finale, Bernie Ecclestone has warned.

“I think there are a couple of teams in formula one who really shouldn’t be there. They are a bit out of their depth at the moment,” he said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph.

Losing two teams would drop the grid down to 20 cars, but the FIA is in the process of perhaps allowing Villeneuve/Durango, Epsilon Euskadi, Stefan GP or Cypher Group to debut next year.

But Ecclestone insisted: “All we ever want is 10 teams. Lotus is a good name. I wouldn’t want to lose them. But in general this year has been a bit of a nuisance because it has cost money to keep these (new) teams in.

“It has cost a lot of money to pay for them to compete.”

It is likely the Briton is referring to HRT, who are now shuffling around drivers with the deepest pockets for the two race seats, and Virgin, whose main sponsor Sir Richard Branson said last year the team would have F1′s smallest budget.

“The bottom line is they haven’t really and truly given us value for being there,” said Ecclestone.

“If suddenly these teams don’t turn up at races then I don’t think the crowds will get any smaller, or the TV sets will turn off, or the newspapers will stop writing, will they?” he added.