Last Sunday proved that Pastor Maldonado is no mere ‘pay driver’.

“If he was a fool, he would not be with us, no matter how much money he brings,” Sir Frank Williams is quoted by Brazil’s Globo Esporte.

Venezuelan Maldonado, whose links to the state owned oil company PDVSA and president Hugo Chavez controversially deliver many millions to Williams’ Oxfordshire based team, became F1′s fifth different winner of 2012 last weekend in Spain.

It has helped him to shake off the ‘pay driver’ insult, Williams insisting he is now a potential world champion instead.

“Without a doubt. He is very fast and makes no mistakes,” the newly 70-year-old Briton said.

Williams does, however, acknowledge that Maldonado’s money was a key factor in the decision to sign him.

“Yes, it was to some extent,” he said. “I don’t deny that. But he’s also a real driver. He fully deserves to be on the team, with or without money.

“The truth is that if you don’t have money, you don’t get to be in formula one,” added Williams.

Team shareholder Toto Wolff agrees: “If you want to race in GP2, you need a few million pounds. So, the drivers need not only to be fast and talented, but able to attract the sponsors.

“So let’s forget this thing about ‘pay drivers’,” he insisted.

Triple world champion Nelson Piquet, however, has some lingering doubts.

He ran Maldonado in his own GP2 team some years ago, and this week recalled a driver who was often “too aggressive” and made too many mistakes.

“We’re not talking about a guy who shone in his youth, like Nico Rosberg,” said the famous Brazilian, “or someone like Lewis Hamilton, who always had everything he needed thanks to Ron Dennis.

“In GP2, when you don’t stand out in your second year, you begin to be doubted. In Maldonado’s case, he only shone in his fourth year.

“Perhaps because of this he only made it to formula one as a paying driver, without having anything special, apparently. He was perceived as just a good pilot, but clearly no Alonso.

“Now he was at the right place at the right time but he still managed to beat Alonso in Spain as well as another world champion, Kimi (Raikkonen). So hats off to him.”

Rubens Barrichello has advised his friend and countryman Felipe Massa to remember to enjoy his job, amid rumours the Brazilian is speeding towards the exit at Ferrari.

Speculation is rife that amid his apparently worsening performance slump, Massa will be replaced by the famous Italian team — perhaps as soon as within the 2012 season.

F1 veteran Barrichello, who has switched to Indycar this year after losing his Williams seat, told Brazil’s Globo Esporte that he thinks Massa’s problem is psychological.

“It’s not a speed problem,” he said, “it’s something that he needs to solve within himself.

“He has to close his eyes and enjoy, remembering that he does this because he likes it.

“Every time that I lost a little bit, it was because I had forgotten that I did it because I liked to. So we (drivers) have to relax and improve that way.

“(For Massa) it is just a moment, and every moment and race in formula one is a cycle of life.”

Barrichello’s advice for Massa may be particularly relevant, as he was at Ferrari during Michael Schumacher’s ultra-successful reign last decade.

Now, it is Fernando Alonso who is the Maranello team’s favoured son.

“Of course Ferrari loves Alonso, because he is one of the best, if not the best who is there (in F1) now,” said Barrichello, 39.

“So, it’s tough for Felipe.”

Barrichello also laughed at the results of a recent fans’ poll in the Italian media that showed he would be a highly popular choice as Massa’s replacement.

“It was very unexpected,” he said. “Maybe it was a way (for journalists) to see if Italians would pick an Italian driver, and suddenly I win.

“It is a very public business and shows that I must have left something behind,” added the winner of 11 grands prix.

Robert Kubica is going to return to formula one in 2012, according to F1 doctor Riccardo Ceccarelli.

And the same message has emerged this week from the Pole’s manager Daniele Morelli, after Renault boss Eric Boullier imposed a mid October deadline for the finalisation of the team’s 2012 lineup.

“If you keep delaying, delaying, delaying, you end up risking the interests of the team,” Boullier is quoted as saying last weekend by Globo Esporte. “That is why we have to have the deadline.”

But Morelli has told Italy’s Omnicorse this week: “We are not able to predict a precise date (for Kubica’s return) because it is nature taking its course.

“But we are optimistic, very optimistic, and I do not think a delay of a couple of weeks can affect the plans.

“One thing is certain — he is coming back. The only problem now is muscular.”

Dr Ceccarelli, who is heading the 26-year-old’s rehabilitation phase, confirmed: “I would say with certainty that Robert will be a F1 driver in 2012.

“I can not say when he will be ready but it will be between the months of November and January.”

He said the earlier problems with Kubica’s right hand have now been overcome.

“Yes, it’s great, even if this healing is gradual. Not forgetting that Robert suffered injuries to two of the three nerves, and had severs of the tendons and muscles, the feeling has come back to the fingertips,” said Ceccarelli.

The truth at present, however, is that Kubica is not yet ready to return to a single seater, nor even drive a road car.

“It is true, Robert still has an external fixator on his leg and we have not rushed to remove it — the longer the better, and the better result. So as we wait for the healing of the hand and the elbow, there is still no hurry,” said Ceccarelli.

He added that when the fixator is removed, Kubica can get to work.

“The muscles have been inactive for months and so need to recover tone and strength. But the big question – if he can drive in formula one again – has gone.”

British F3 champion Felipe Nasr is hoping his new title, and well-connected manager Steve Robertson, open doors for him in formula one.
Brazil’s Globo Esporte reports that McLaren and Ferrari are both interested in signing up the 19-year-old from Brasilia to their young driver programmes.

“I can not say anything,” Nasr said. “I have mentioned these two teams because of Steve’s very good relationship with them.”

Robertson, who formerly managed Jenson Button, was Kimi Raikkonen’s manager throughout the 2007 world champion’s race-winning stints at McLaren and Ferrari.

Nasr continued: “I know that in time he (Robertson) can negotiate an opportunity to test. I think at the time Steve sees that I am ready, he will contact those teams.”

The report said Nasr’s most likely destinations for 2012 are the Renault World Series or GP2, but with the latter category less likely due to his shortage of sponsors.

He said he turned down an opportunity to join Red Bull’s roster of young development drivers two years ago.

“Actually I preferred to be managed by Steve Robertson, whose resume includes two champion drivers (Raikkonen and Jenson Button).

“He is 100 per cent focused on me, which is different from Red Bull who are looking at five or six drivers at a time,” added Nasr.

The appointment of Bruno Senna has already delivered two new sponsors to the Renault team.

With Nick Heidfeld contentiously stepped down before Spa-Francorchamps, Senna fended off speculation his sponsors had paid for the race seat.

“If you look at the team then there are no new logos on the car or on myself,” he insisted.

But that was before Sunday, when on the grid Brazil’s Globo Esporte spotted two new logos.

One belongs to the major Brazilian oil company OGX, headed by business baron Eike Batista da Silva who is the eighth richest person in the world.

A spokesman for Senna, the nephew of Brazil’s famous triple world champion Ayrton Senna, confirmed the deal with the holding company EBX.

The other new logo on the black Renault in Belgium was the razor brand Gillette.

Globo said both sponsors “were negotiating with (Senna) for the 2012 season” but the Heidfeld replacement “accelerated the deals”.

After impressively qualifying seventh at Spa, Senna finished outside the points due to smashing into Jaime Alguersuari at the first corner and receiving a drive-through penalty.

He will definitely race at Monza next weekend.

Renault team owner Gerard Lopez has admitted he is disappointed with Nick Heidfeld.

“We expected more from him,” the Genii Capital chief is quoted as saying by Brazil’s Globo Esporte.

German veteran Heidfeld, 34, was signed by the Enstone based team at short notice this year to replace injured regular Robert Kubica.

There is now speculation that Renault is considering replacing him with Bruno Senna or Romain Grosjean.

“I have mixed feelings about Nick,” Lopez explained. “We have to recognise the great contribution he made at the beginning of the season.

“He helped us to develop the new exhaust system which was not easy to understand. It gave us a clear direction in the development of the car.

“Now, in terms of results, there is no doubt that we expected more from him and (we) are disappointed.”

Globo Esporte reported that the Renault team, whose owner Genii is collaborating on a $10 billion investment with Brazilian company WWI, is considering running Senna in November’s season finale at Interlagos.

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.”

Felipe Massa has admitted he is worried Ferrari will struggle if the team has to use Pirelli’s hard tyres.
The Italian team, which in Valencia last weekend looked to have taken over from McLaren as Red Bull’s nearest challenger, has struggled on the hard compound at other races in 2011.

“If we have it (the hard tyre), it can be a problem,” Brazilian driver Massa is quoted by Globo Esporte. “Not only for us but also for others, possibly excluding Red Bull and McLaren.”

The Brazilian report said team boss Stefano Domenicali has also stated that Ferrari wants Pirelli to bring the soft and medium compounds to Silverstone, and that the tyre supplier is poised to make its decision.

Pirelli vowed to stay neutral.

“If it is very cold, you will not want to have the very hard compounds,” insisted motor sport director Paul Hembery. “It’s something to consider.”

Pedro de la Rosa has predicted a “very interesting” weekend in Canada.
In comments provided by his press office, the experienced McLaren reserve driver said the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a layout on which overtaking can usually be done “quite easily”.

In 2011, the new ‘DRS’ adjustable rear wing system has debuted and for the Montreal race this weekend it will for the first time be deployed twice per lap.

De la Rosa, who has been working in recent days in the McLaren simulator, said Canada will be “extremely interesting for many reasons”.

One reason is DRS, because its influence in Canada will mean teams take different approaches to setup.

“We will have cars with a variety of (top) speeds depending on the aerodynamic settings. With DRS everything has changed so we won’t know if teams are opting to have a fast car for the straights or for the curves,” said de la Rosa.

And the 40-year-old Spaniard predicted qualifying to play a minor role.

“This is the circuit where the importance of grid position is probably least, so it’s better to concentrate on having a fast and consistent car for Sunday.”

Renault test driver Bruno Senna agrees that predictions for the weekend are difficult.

“Our car has been consistently among the five fastest in a straight line,” the Brazilian told Globo Esporte when contemplating the long straights of Canada.

“But downforce is essential, especially for the chicanes. Therefore, it will remain very difficult to tackle the cars that are aerodynamically the strongest, like Red Bull and McLaren,” added Senna.

Lucas di Grassi kicked off life as Pirelli’s new main test driver with a two-day test in Barcelona.
The Brazilian and former Virgin driver did over 1000km at the Spanish grand prix venue on Monday and Tuesday at the wheel of Toyota’s newly-updated 2009 car.

Di Grassi, 26, told Globo Esporte he was happy with the outing.

“A reserve driver in formula one will not do 500 kilometres in a whole season and I did over a thousand in two days.

“I’m satisfied because we ran through the schedule and gathered important information,” he said.

The Brazilian report said di Grassi’s goal is to return to F1 in 2012.

“I’m well prepared physically and technically,” he insisted.

With less than 90 days until the 2011 season kicks off, Bruno Senna has admitted he is not sure he will be in Bahrain.

The great Ayrton Senna’s nephew had a difficult debut season in formula one with the uncompetitive new Spanish team HRT.

It had been reported Senna had a chance of moving on for 2011 to the more promising Team Lotus outfit, but Brazil’s Globo Esporte said the 27-year-old “came close to signing but the negotiations failed”.

Asked in Sao Paulo on Monday about his prospects for 2011, he answered: “There is nothing definite.

“I am still negotiating but it is not easy to find a free seat.”

When asked what teams he is negotiating with, Senna added: “Those with free seats.”

HRT, Renault, Virgin and Force India all have seats whose occupants have not been officially announced for next season.

Senna admits that HRT was not the ideal place to prove his talents this year.

“The season was difficult and I was unable to demonstrate what I can do,” he confirmed.

Rubens Barrichello is sitting tight in the hope that Williams will call him back for another season in 2011.

The Brazilian veteran has had a solid first season with the British team, but confirmation of the 2011 driver lineup is on hold while Williams tests Venezuelan pay-driver Pastor Maldonado next week in Abu Dhabi.

“My future depends on Williams,” 38-year-old Barrichello is quoted by Globo Esporte in Portuguese.

“I want to stay and we are working on the car for next year, and after Abu Dhabi we will test with the new (Pirelli) tyres.”

He said he will be disappointed if his tenure at Williams ends after just one season.

“My project with Williams was not for one year only,” Barrichello said on SporTV.

“I’ve been talking about my contract for a long time. I cannot announce anything, because it is not signed.

“But I am working on the car for next year already. I don’t see myself leaving,” he added.

Bruno Senna, the nephew of the great Ayrton Senna, is in talks to switch for 2011 from struggling HRT to F1′s best new team Lotus.

That is the claim of Brazil’s Globo Esporte, noting that the move would reinvoke the fabled Lotus/Renault/Senna combination of the 1980s.

Rookie Senna, who turned 27 earlier this month, has had a difficult debut season in 2010 at the wheel of the slowest and least developed car on the grid fielded by the Spanish newcomer Hispania.

“Bruno Senna is close to getting something better,” said the Portuguese language report.

“He is in talks with Lotus and these talks are already well advanced,” Globo added, nominating Jarno Trulli as the driver most likely to leave the Malaysian team in the event that Senna is signed.

The report cited sources “close to the driver” as insisting that Senna cannot finalise the deal until his sponsors agree, adding that these talks with “several companies” are also already taking place.

Globo Esporte also said Lotus’ announcement of its Renault engine deal for 2011 will be made next weekend at Interlagos.

Late triple world champion Ayrton Senna won his first grand prix at the wheel of a Renault-powered Lotus in 1985.

He won a further 5 grands prix in a Lotus-Renault, as well as 24 podiums, 16 pole positions and 150 points before moving to McLaren.

The mayor of Sao Paulo has played down fears poor circuit facilities will see the Interlagos venue fall off the annual formula one schedule.

Mayor Gilberto Kassab was at the scene of next weekend’s Brazilian grand prix at the weekend, as the circuit performed safety checks for the forthcoming race.

Asked if he is worried that many in the F1 circus – including the sport’s chief executive Bernie Ecclestone – believe Interlagos features arguably the worst facilities on the calendar, he answered: “I am not.

“The city of Sao Paulo has a great interest in staying on the schedule and has invested a lot for it.

“The organisers of F1 also have an interest in having the race here,” he is quoted by Agencia Estado news agency.

“After all, Sao Paulo is one of the major cities of the world, and there’s no reason for Brazil to not be in the loop,” added Kassab.

For the 2010 event, new ‘softwall’ barriers, anti-slip paint, synthetic grass and better drainage have been installed around the circuit.

More comprehensive upgrades to the ageing facilities have not been done yet, but the mayor said a ‘Master Plan’ will be drafted at the end of the year.

Kassab is also quoted by Globo Esporte: “There are some things missing, but I like what I see. I am very calm. Every year we improve the autodromo, which is one of the best in the world.

“If not the largest, F1 is one of the major events of the world. It generates jobs and income for the city. That is why we invest so much in it,” he added.

On the other end of the scale is Abu Dhabi’s impressive Yas Marina circuit, which is set to host the 2010 season finale one week after Brazil.

Ecclestone told Gulf News: “If only all the venues were as superb as Abu Dhabi, I would be a happy man.

“How long is their arrangement to hold a grand prix? For ever. For as long as they want it,” added the Briton, who turns 80 this week.

Nelson Piquet Jr has defended Felipe Massa after the Ferrari driver allowed Fernando Alonso to win Sunday’s German grand prix.

In the wake of the Hockenheim team orders affair, the Brazilian media has been hard on 29-year-old Massa, who according to some publications displayed a lack of courage on the anniversary of his 2009 crash.

Heavily criticised last year was Piquet, who argued he was ordered by Flavio Briatore to deliberately crash his Renault during the 2008 Singapore grand prix in order to bring out the safety car and boost Alonso’s chances of winning.

“Talk is cheap and it’s easy to criticise,” Piquet, now driving in NASCAR’s lower-tier truck series, is quoted by Globo Esporte.

“But the hole is deeper than you think.”

Indeed, Massa has been quoted in Brazil as saying “many drivers” would have acted similarly in his shoes at Hockenheim, and after leaving Ferrari, Rubens Barrichello revealed that he would have lost his job had he not moved over for Michael Schumacher in 2002.

Mika Salo subbed for an injured Schumacher at Ferrari in 1999, and he tells Finland’s Turun Sanomat that “they made it clear that if Eddie (Irvine) is behind me, my job is to give space”.

At that year’s German grand prix, Salo was leading the race.

“I looked in the mirrors and then I saw that Eddie overtook Frentzen.  After a couple of seconds Ross Brawn came on the radio and said Mika, we want you to let Eddie go.

“I think it makes sense that Ferrari sees Alonso with clearly a better chance for the title.  But it could have been managed quite a lot better, especially when the engineer asked Massa if he understood what he had to do,” said Salo.

In his El Pais column, Epsilon Euskadi chief Joan Villadelprat agrees that the team order was a flagrant rule breach.

“Of course, it was very clear.  He (Massa) was left with no choice.  All the fans knew it immediately, although it is possible the World Council will fail to demonstrate it.

“I remember in 2002 that Barrichello received a threat that it would trouble his contract if he did not budge.

“I think the worst damage is not the fine or a penalty, but that the brilliant work on the team and the drivers to catch up to Red Bull was spoiled by unnecessarily unsportsmanlike conduct.

“Ferrari’s errors this year have been too many and too large.  Someone has to take some action, to tell the team leaders that it’s enough.

“And someone should calm down Fernando, so that he doesn’t repeat comments like ‘This is ridiculous’ the first time he tried to pass Massa.

“We’re taking about a double world champion, the best driver in the paddock, a title contender, but on occasion it is necessary to put his brakes on,” added Spaniard Villadelprat.