Robert Kubica is back on track yet again, according to the latest reports from Italy.
It emerged a few days ago that the Pole had moved his recovery from serious injury forwards by returning to the wheel of a Skoda Fabia rally car in Liguria, Italy.

La Gazzetta dello Sport now reports that the former BMW and Renault driver has tested a kart at a circuit in Montecatini-Terme, Tuscany.

Former Renault boss Flavio Briatore advises Kubica not to rush his return to F1.

“I have seen him a few times and have told him not to hurry back. You cannot lose your talent, but first you should focus on your health. 100 per cent,” he told Italy’s Sky Sport 24.

Briatore recalled former Benetton driver Alessandro Nannini, who badly injured his arm in a helicopter crash in 1990.

“He hurried back and we all know how that ended,” said Briatore.

“I think Kubica will succeed, but he needs to plan to come back in two years. You can’t be in F1 if you’re not 100 per cent.”

A few days ago, Red Bull’s team boss said Jenson Button – not the other McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton – is a more likely championship challenger for 2012.
On the eve of the new season, Christian Horner has now told British reporters that – with Hamilton’s current contract expiring this year – it is “difficult to envisage Lewis in our team”.

Hamilton, the 2008 world champion who had a tumultuous 2011 and was famously beaten by Button in the drivers’ points standings, insists he doesn’t mind.

“It’s the first time I’ve heard of (the remarks) but they definitely don’t wind me up,” the Briton is quoted by the BBC.

“There are a lot of opinions, and everybody has their right to an opinion, but it doesn’t really affect me.

“It doesn’t really matter at the end of the day when I go out and do the job.”

In fairness to Hamilton, he sounds confident and refreshed heading into the new season, has patched up his relationship with his girlfriend, and appointed Didier Coton to look after him in the paddock.

“Lewis was a child prodigy — this is the problem,” 1996 world champion Damon Hill told the Sun. “When you have been brought up from an early age to be a product, at some point something will crack.”

Another pundit, former McLaren driver David Coulthard, urged Hamilton not to be put off by Red Bull’s apparent lack of interest in his services.

“I don’t think Lewis will ever be out of demand for the top teams,” said the Scot.

“What are Lewis’ other options? I don’t think Mercedes are waving around a cheque book — I’d be surprised if Michael (Schumacher) and Nico Rosberg are in the top-four earners in formula one.

“You also want a competitive car and if McLaren give him that, then he will probably stay,” said Coulthard.

 Two formula one journalists are on the board of the Caterham Group, the parent company of the Tony Fernandes-led team.
Team boss Fernandes announced the formation of the Group at the Brazilian grand prix on 27 November last year.

UK Companies House records show that Joe Saward and David Tremayne were appointed as directors just nine days later.

In the company filing, Briton Saward’s occupation is listed as “journalist/consultant”.

“The nature of Saward and Tremayne’s roles in Caterham are as yet unknown, but one would assume Joe will announce something on his popular F1 blog during the next few days,” Steve Davies, of the skiddmark.com website, said.

 Nico Rosberg is regularly able to qualify a car beyond its abilities, according to his Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn.
While Michael Schumacher had an improved 2011 compared to the contest with his teammate Rosberg a year earlier, Brawn said a few days ago that the younger German remained clearly the better driver in the qualifying hour.

“In qualifying, he really can get the most out of the car. Nico comes closer to its limits,” he is quoted by Germany’s Sport Bild.

“I think we’ve often seen him in a better qualifying position than where I would expect the car to be.

“Nico might think this is normal, but it’s not. For me, he is definitely among the best drivers in formula one.”

But Brawn thinks a few cards could fall in seven time world champion Schumacher’s favour in 2012.

“It could be that the new Pirelli tyres help him because you don’t have to be quite as gentle with them as you did with the 2011 generation,” said the Briton.

Jaime Alguersuari has admitted he was “hurt” by Red Bull’s late decision to oust him from Toro Rosso.
The 21-year-old announced this week that, amid speculation he might rescue his career with the reserve role at Mercedes, he will in fact be missing entirely from the F1 paddock in 2012.

In a Spanish-language statement, he admitted the career interruption was “unnecessary”.

“At the Brazilian grand prix, my continuity (at Toro Rosso) was confirmed verbally.

“After this confirmation by Red Bull and STR, we turned down a very good deal.

“A few days later, Toro Rosso sent me to the headquarters of (sponsor) Cepsa, and at a dinner I talked about my relationship with Toro Rosso and Cepsa with a script written at Faenza.

“No one has ever explained to me why, having fulfilled the expectations asked of me by the team, improving from 2010 and beating my teammate, I am stopped in December with no time to get a good position in 2012,” said Alguersuari.

He insisted, however, that he is not giving up on F1.

“I am thinking only of F1,” he said. “I am 21, have played 46 grands prix, I’m not a rookie driver anymore.

“Yes to formula one, but not at any price.

“I contacted (HRT team boss) Luis Perez-Sala, my friend and former mentor, in December, but we both agreed — HRT does not have a car for me and I cannot spend everything at my age struggling to improve a car that far behind.

“Williams? That option never even occurred to me as nowadays they only want drivers who pay.

“In January I had discussions with one of the best teams that could be decisive in my future. I was received with great affection and respect and we have opened a path.

“For obvious reasons I cannot reveal the nature of our intention, but what I can say is that I will devote myself body and soul to F1 in 2012.

“I will prepare myself, with no contractual relationships with anyone, to be ready and available for any opportunity that arises.”

Bernie Ecclestone has risked triggering speculation about FIA president Jean Todt’s future.
In an interview with Germany’s Die Welt, the F1 chief executive looked ruefully back on the infamous era alongside Todt’s predecessor Max Mosley.

Ecclestone, who turns 81 on Friday, admitted recently he does not always see eye-to-eye with Frenchman Todt.

“It’s a shame these days how democratic formula one is now. Max and I were able to solve issues and problems in most cases very quickly, a few days or weeks, where now we sometimes need years.

“That (the past era) benefitted everyone — the teams, the audience, everybody,” said Ecclestone.

Referring then to Todt, he said: “I think he went into the job not knowing what to expect. Max helped Jean to become president.

“But I suspect that if he was true to himself and he could choose again between the presidency and Ferrari, he would return to Maranello,” added the Briton.

Fascinatingly, Ecclestone’s comments coincided with Todt telling the Italian-language goalcity.com: “I am still in love with Ferrari.

“The ‘Rosso’ will always have a special place in my heart.”

Ecclestone agrees that – operationally – F1′s past is better than its present.

“It’s tempting to talk about the good old days,” he said. “Maybe it wasn’t like that really but I get the impression that it was much, much better than it is now.

“I tell you: if Max wanted to be re-elected as president, he would go through with ease. He is supported by 90 per cent of the teams.”

Organisers of the inaugural Indian grand prix have sold 80,000 tickets ahead of Sunday’s race.
The capacity of the new Buddh circuit is 120,000, the AFP news agency said.

“We have sold close to 80,000 tickets which is pretty encouraging considering that its the first F1 race ever in the country,” said a spokesman for race promoter Jaypee.

“Of course we would have been happier had we sold off 90 per cent tickets because ticket sales are the only source of revenue for us. But there are still a few days to go and we are keeping our fingers crossed,” he added.

In a late bid to fill the circuit, tickets are now being sold at a discounted rate.

London’s Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary wrote on Tuesday that the Buddh circuit is “rough and almost ready” for Sunday’s race.

“But what do you expect?” smiled the country’s motor federation president Vicky Chandhok. “I think people anticipated worse.”

This weekend is proof that India, now a major economic player on the global scale, has also arrived in formula one.

“I would not put it past the (race promoter) Jaypee Group to start investing in a formula one team,” said Chandhok. “That may be the next step.”

Robert Kubica is still in the running to return to formula one with Renault in 2012.
Originally, team boss Eric Boullier imposed a rigid mid-October deadline for the injured Pole to let him know if he will be able to race next season.

That deadline has now passed, but Frenchman Boullier admitted in Korea that he has agreed to wait a little longer.

The new deadline is the “end of October”, he is quoted by Germany’s motorsport-total.com, “and maybe even longer.”

It seems the deadline is a moving target.

“It also seems that way to me,” smiled Boullier, “but if Robert can go back to formula one, then I want him to drive for us. So I have to give him a chance.

“We will be flexible to the point where we cannot.”

Boullier does not deny that a time will eventually come when he has to overlook Kubica for the good of the team.

“No, no, I will not act against the interests of the team,” he insisted. “If I see that something is going wrong with next year’s driver lineup, we must make a decision.”

Vitaly Petrov, Bruno Senna, Romain Grosjean, Rubens Barrichello and others are reportedly also all in the running to race for the team in 2012.

Boullier said in Japan recently that he intended to call Kubica in the next few days.

“I spoke with (his manager) Daniele Morelli,” he revealed. “They are very confident that Robert will return, which is good to hear.”

Boullier said the 26-year-old is in the midst of his rehabilitation process but could be ready to sit in a driver simulator “perhaps within a month”.

Sebastian Vettel’s title party at Suzuka was a slightly muted affair.

It featured techno music but didn’t compare to Abu Dhabi last year, when the Red Bull driver emerged as the surprise champion ahead of favourites Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber.

At Suzuka, the party had to play out with team members knowing they had to soon pack up and head off to South Korea, where practice kicks off in a few days.

On Monday, 24-year-old Vettel – only the ninth back-to-back world champion in F1 history – is already in Tokyo.

On Tuesday, he will travel to Yokohama for a sponsor appointment, before flying to Korea on Wednesday, according to the news agency DAPD.

“Don’t worry,” Dr Helmut Marko said at Suzuka late on Sunday. “Next we will get the constructors’ title and then we will celebrate properly.”

Vitaly Petrov has lashed back at suggestions he will not be racing with the Renault team in 2012.

With a contract already in his pocket, the rumours began to swirl in Monza two weeks ago but the Russian insisted: “My contract is safe for next year.”

But in the last few days, new speculation has suggested team boss Eric Boullier could be planning to keep Bruno Senna for 2012 and pair him with GP2 champion Romain Grosjean.

As for 27-year-old Petrov’s signed deal, Boullier said: “You have contracts, but there are some exit clauses for every party.”

In Singapore, Petrov once again insisted he feels secure for next season.

“I think everything’s fine, it’s just bullsh*t in the newspapers,” he told reporters.

“As I said at the beginning of the season, we signed for two years and I don’t see the reason I need to be worried.”

Petrov said it was not unusual for his boss Boullier to talk about the possibility of breaking a contract.

“I think it’s everywhere in the world that a contract can be finished not just because of a bad season or I did less points.

“The contract can finish by another thing like money or things like this. So this is why he said it.

“But if you ask him a different question maybe he can answer you differently also,” added Petrov.

Sebastian Vettel has once again admitted his desire to race a Ferrari in formula one some day.
The likely 2011 champion has pledged his immediate future to Red Bull but has always admitted his affection for F1′s more famous marques, including Ferrari and also Mercedes.

Fernando Alonso said a few days ago that Vettel, 24, is welcome at Ferrari.

“At the moment we are both bound by contract and I think both of us (are) happy in our teams,” Vettel said in a joint interview with Spaniard Alonso for the German broadcaster RTL.

“But I have already said that I can imagine sitting in a red car at some point. So who knows?” he added.

Vettel is vying for victory on Ferrari’s home soil this weekend but he said doing it with a team “with so much history” would be a “great feeling”.

“In 2008 I had a little bit of that experience with the Italian team Toro Rosso and it was fantastic. I hope I have many years in formula one ahead of me so let’s see what happens,” he added.

Alonso, meanwhile, said he can imagine having Vettel as a teammate, even though both of them are regarded as the unofficial ‘number 1′ drivers at their respective teams.

“Why not?” he said. “At the top teams there is no one who does not want two good drivers.

“It seems as though Sebastian is the number one at Red Bull but I do not say that. For Felipe and me it’s the same; we race with the same conditions and during a season one or the other gets out an advantage.

“Viewed from the outside it’s as though there’s a team leader and a helper, but for the team it’s best to have two top drivers because it increases the chances of winning the world championship,” added Alonso.

Mercedes has reportedly targeted ousted Ferrari technical director Aldo Costa.
In May, as Ferrari grappled with its new 150 Italia car, the famous Maranello based team said the Italian had stepped down.

It emerged a few days ago that Costa has left the carmaker completely but is on what is known in F1 as “gardening leave” until the end of the year.

The specialist Italian magazine Autosprint reports that Mercedes, headed by another former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn, has targeted Costa.

We reported recently that the Brackley based team is on a recruitment drive to boost its staff numbers to the height of big three teams Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari.

Autosprint said Brawn told Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche at the Nurburgring that Mercedes’ struggles in 2010 and 2011 have been due in part to the team’s comparatively small size.

“So he (Brawn) received the go-ahead for the recruitment campaign,” said the report.

Sunday in Hungary proved McLaren does not use team orders, according to Jenson Button.

Prior to winning his 200th grand prix, the 31-year-old engaged in a wheel-to-wheel, place-swapping duel with his teammate Lewis Hamilton.

Button said a few days ago that McLaren “does not have team orders”.

“Other teams will use them, but not us,” he added, apparently referring to Red Bull’s order that Mark Webber hold position behind Sebastian Vettel at Silverstone.

After Sunday’s race, Button said it was no surprise the McLaren pitwall kept out of the battle.

“No, I wasn’t surprised they let us fight,” he said. “We wouldn’t have listened anyway. If they had said ‘back off and sit behind your teammate’, it wouldn’t have happened.”

McLaren’s managing director Jonathan Neale confirmed the desire to sometimes protect a good team result.

But he insisted: “You have to let them go sometimes. We can get it wrong but when you have a race like that, you know you are right.”

Niki Lauda has axed his sponsorship by the financially embattled company Money Service Group.

Sauber is also sponsored by the Liechtenstein based firm, who convinced Austrian legend Lauda to ditch his famous red cap in favour of a blue one for 2011.

But reports in recent days suggested MSG is in difficulties, with its founder and boss departing and suggestions the company has liquidated.

“I have tried to reach Mr Seidl but unfortunately I have not heard from him yet,” Lauda said this week.

The Austrian Independent reported on Friday that the former triple world champion has now cancelled the deal and reverted to his familiar red cap colours.

Other media reports said Liechtenstein prosecutors are investigating Money Service Group for commercial fraud.

“I’m glad about wearing a red cap again,” Lauda said on Friday, confirming he decided to cancel the sponsorship deal “due to the turbulences of the past few days”.

62-year-old Lauda’s new cap does not feature a sponsor logo.

Sebastian Vettel has broken yet another record.
The Red Bull driver, already the sport’s youngest ever race and title winner, broke Rubens Barrichello’s lap record whilst appearing on the popular British motoring programme Top Gear.

The flying lap, called ‘Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, takes place at the BBC show’s UK test track with F1 drivers at the wheel of a Suzuki Liana.

Last year, Barrichello leapt to the top of the times by beating previous laps set by mystery Top Gear driver The Stig as well as the likes of Nigel Mansell, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber.

But a few days before the British grand prix, Vettel broke that record by 3 tenths.

“Why are we all surprised,” host Jeremy Clarkson joked, “that he’s faster than a 62-year-old Brazilian?”