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.

Michael Schumacher remains a top driver but Mercedes also has an eye on Sebastian Vettel.
The German marque’s top brass Dieter Zetsche is at the Nurburgring this weekend where he was asked by Bild am Sonntag newspaper if Red Bull’s Vettel would be a better bet for Mercedes’ works team.

“If the cars are very competitive, it is the driver who determines the success,” Zetsche is quoted as saying.

“Michael Schumacher has shown that he still has considerable qualities. As for Sebastian Vettel we have a good relationship. Privately he drives a SLS.”

Alongside Schumacher in 2011 is the highly competitive Nico Rosberg, and team boss Ross Brawn on Saturday confirmed the pair both have a contract for next year.

“We need to do our homework with the cars,” continued Zetsche. “We are certainly quite competitive already, but not as much as we had hoped for. We’re working on it.”

Paul di Resta on Friday appeared to have taken a step away from his formula one debut.

It was believed the Scottish rookie, already the Silverstone based team’s reserve and ‘Friday’ driver this year, had agreed a deal to race with Force India in 2011.

But deputy team principal Robert Fernley at Suzuka answered “yes” on Friday when asked if the team’s same drivers, Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi, will also be at the wheel of next year’s Mercedes powered cars.

Di Resta is also a top driver in the German touring car series DTM, but Mercedes’ Norbert Haug said he cannot control whether the 24-year-old will be placed in F1 in 2011.

“It’s not in our hands,” said Mercedes’ motor sport vice-president.  “Of course we have discussions with Force India.  We have a good relationship but it is not our decision at the end of the day.”

At the same time, Haug was fending off reports in the German press suggesting Mercedes has told Michael Schumacher he will be ousted if he doesn’t perform next year.

“This is an interpretation of what was said, but of course there is no ultimatum,” said Haug.

Another interesting piece of driver news in Japan is that Sergio Perez, Sauber’s new rookie Mexican to debut in 2011 with Telmex backing, has joined Ferrari’s driver development academy.

“I can say that the communal Latin culture will help him as it helped me in this my first year in Maranello,” said Fernando Alonso on Friday.

At 12:00 o’clock at Motegi Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd and Yamaha Motor Racing announced in a press release be extended for another two seasons (2011 and 2012) of Jorge Lorenzo. The agreement, reached recently, it was vital to the home of the Three Diapason is so assured that the current leader of the MotoGP World Championship and, in fact, world champion in 2010 an accomplice to the exclusion of an injury to Daniel Pedrosa.

Lorenzo made his debut with Yamaha in MotoGP in 2008 after winning two titles in the 250cc pole in Qatar debut, winning the third race at Estoril. In 2009 he dueled with Valentino Rossi for the title and then reach their goal this year, where is the absolute ruler of the charts. The Yamaha factory team, where there is still the main sponsor (Fiat will not renew), will be composed by Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies, while the team “satellite” by Colin Edwards Tech 3 and Cal Crutchlow.

“My first choice has always been to stay with Yamaha, “says Jorge Lorenzo,”so I’m very happy that we have reached an agreement. Here I feel happy, I’m surrounded by people very professional, I have a good relationship with Yamaha and have a great bike.

I have to thank Lin Jarvis has always supported me in these years. Now I’m focused on winning the championship, but right now I can not wait to be 2011. I know who along with Ben (Spies), we can do a good job for the Yamaha, I have to thank them for the confidence. “

Lin Jarvis, who has always promoted “Jorge Lorenzo even at the expense of” spoiling “relations with Valentino Rossi said his satisfaction in finding a new contract with your protégé.

“We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with Jorge, who will remain an official Yamaha rider for 2011 and 2012. Since when has joined us three years ago has made great progress, it has improved each season in 2008 and concluded 4 th best rookie, 2nd in 2009, is struggling this year for the world title. Announce the renewal here in Japan is very important to us, but for Jorge, who can focus better to secure his first world title in the top class.

At 23 years old Jorge has a long career ahead, we hope he can win many world titles with Yamaha. In 2011, will be joined by Ben Spies and with these two talented drivers, young, hungry team, we have secured the most competitive in the paddock. “

Renault F1 has scoffed at reports suggesting its former French carmaker parent is considering buying back the Enstone based team.

Amid the car sales crisis and economic downturn, and the damaging crashgate scandal, Renault SA sold a rumoured 85 per cent of the team that still bears its name to Luxembourg-based investment firm Genii Capital.

But Finland’s Turun Sanomat claimed the carmaker’s financial situation has dramatically improved to the point that it is interested in returning wholeheartedly to F1.

“Rumour mill in overdrive with some creative stories on the web,” Renault F1 said via its official Twitter account.

“For the record, Renault are very happy with the Genii partnership, great visibility and a good relationship. No plans to change,” added RF1paddockpass.

Renault also dismissed rumours that Felipe Massa could be headed to Renault next year, with Robert Kubica linked once again to Ferrari.

“Has anybody seen Robert and Felipe standing next to each other? I’m not sure they’d fit in each other’s seats if they swapped,” wrote the team’s Twitter author.

Dyed-in-the-wool racer Martin Brundle on Monday said he sees no quick end to Red Bull’s new self-induced crisis.

“I doubt that trip across the Atlantic for the next round in Montreal will extinguish these fireworks,” the BBC commentator said on Monday, as the international media got to work on Sebastian Vettel’s crash at Istanbul Park with race leader and teammate Mark Webber.

The Sun’s headline referred to the one-two gift handed to McLaren, toying with the energy drink’s slogan by insisting “Red Bull gives you wins”.

Other sections of the press were more serious.

“Red Bull has a conflict of jealously and betrayal,” said El Mundo newspaper in Spain.

Italy’s La Repubblica likened the previously dominant team’s self-destruction to “suicide”.

Britain’s The Independent referred to the fact that Webber, branded crazy by Vettel’s gesticulations and told by his bosses that he should have let the young German past, must now have the impression he is the number two driver.

Webber acknowledged that Vettel’s gesticulations were caused by the “adrenalin” of the moment, but “Red Bull need to take steps to ensure the current world championship leader can have complete faith that the support within the team is spread evenly”, said the newspaper.

And Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport noted that the 33-year-old is “not the kind of guy who is told to finish second”.

Strangely within the paddock, it was only the Red Bull bosses who thought Webber had done something wrong.

“Where should Mark have gone?” Lewis Hamilton – who had a box-seat view of the incident that unfolded in front of him – told German television Sky.

“I think the gap he left him was big enough.

“Even though Jenson and I both want to win, we also have respect for each other.  I’m really happy that I have such a good relationship with my teammate.”

Said Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg: “Mark didn’t move at all.  For me, it was clearly Sebastian’s fault.”

Niki Lauda said the 22-year-old had been “much too aggressive”, and former driver Alex Wurz noted in Turkey: “All my racing colleagues are in agreement that it was Vettel’s fault.”

Ross Brawn thinks these situations can be minimised if drivers know clearly the rules of engagement.

“It depends on what has been said beforehand,” the Mercedes team boss is quoted by Die Welt newspaper.  “Although it’s racing, the rules must be known to the drivers.”

Peter Sauber, meanwhile, had some sympathy for Christian Horner, admitting to Blick newspaper in Switzerland that these situations are “a nightmare for a team chief”.

(GMM)

Peter Sauber has confirmed that Nicolas Todt visited the Swiss team’s Hinwil headquarters last week.

Earlier, it was rumoured that Frenchman Todt was eyeing a merger of his GP2 team ART, but Sauber insisted in Turkey that his team is not being sold.

The 66-year-old said in an interview published at motorsport-aktuell.com: “I have had a very good relationship not only with his father (Jean Todt) but also with him, especially through Felipe Massa.”

Nicolas Todt also manages the 29-year-old former Sauber driver and Brazilian Massa.

(GMM)

Sebastian Vettel has repeated his desire to one day race a Ferrari in formula one.

With Vettel under a longer contract to Red Bull, his teammate, Mark Webber, is being linked with a move for 2011 to the famous Italian team.

“I am very happy with Red Bull,” the 22-year-old German told Spain’s El Pais newspaper.

“I am not going anywhere else, but in the future, I don’t know.

“I want to fight for the world championship, and if you look at the past, Ferrari has always designed very competitive cars.

“Why not go there in a few years?” Vettel admitted.

He added: “Ferrari is unlike any other team, it’s a legend. There are other brands that achieve great success, but Ferrari is special.”

Bernie Ecclestone is said to be pushing very hard for Vettel, the F1 chief executive’s unabashed favourite, to end up in red overalls.

“I don’t think that’s true,” Vettel insisted. “I have a good relationship with Bernie, but fortunately I will decide my future.”
(GMM)

Renault could supply its V8 engines to another team in 2011.

Currently, the French marque powers not only the team that bears its name, but also the sport’s dominant Red Bull Racing.

Confirming its bid to debut in F1 next year, GP2 team ART’s co-founder Frederic Vasseur admitted he has “good relationships with Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault”.

And Renault’s head of engine operations Remi Taffin told Auto Hebdo: “Today, nothing has been done but it is quite possible that Renault will power another team next season.”

It is possible that the new deal will replace Red Bull, whose owner Dietrich Mateschitz said in an interview mere days ago that he thinks the Renault is “30 to 40 horse power” less powerful than Mercedes’ engine.

But Taffin suggested that the new deal could be in addition to Red Bull and Enstone-based Renault.

“It would not be a problem: we have the capacity both in terms of technology and production.”

(GMM)

The French GP2 outfit ART Grand Prix is bidding to become the thirteenth team on the 2011 formula one grid.

“Yes, we have applied to join the world championship in 2011,” Frederic Vasseur, co-founder, confirmed to France’s Auto Hebdo.

The team is also headed by Nicolas Todt, son of FIA president Jean Todt and manager of the Ferrari driver Felipe Massa.

ART also races in F3 Euroseries and GP3.

Expressions of interest for the 13th place closed on April 15, and the FIA is said to be moving towards a final decision by July.

“We did not want to confirm our willingness to engage in formula one until now, to best prepare for this very complex issue and not compromise our current activities,” Vasseur added.

Vasseur also said the existing F1 teams have been informed “of our intentions”, adding that he has “good relationships with Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault”.

“The choice of engine is not yet defined,” he insisted.

Auto Hebdo said Epsilon Euskadi, Durango and Stefan GP are also bidding for the last place in the 2011 pitlane.

(GMM)

Christian Klien on Thursday moved to dispel any claims that he has walked into a stormy relationship with his new HRT teammates.

The Spanish team’s new test and reserve driver will take over Karun Chandhok’s F110 car on Friday morning, and fellow rookie Bruno Senna admitted in Barcelona that he is not keen to sit out sessions this year.

But Klien, 27, told Germany’s Motorsport-Magazin.com that the pair have not complained to him.

“No, not at all,” said the Austrian. “We walked the track together and it was a good relationship.”

Klien however admitted that it is “understandable” that the two race drivers “want to sit in the car as much as possible” during the race weekends.

He said he is not sure if and when he will return to the Friday cockpit later in 2010.

“So far Barcelona is the first one planned, then the team will decide whether it will be the same for other grands prix,” explained Klien.

Apr.24 (GMM)  Tony George is interested in taking formula one back to the United States.

We reported last weekend that the 50-year-old former boss of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was spotted in Shanghai for the Chinese grand prix.

George met with F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone and also Zak Brown, founder and CEO of motor sport marketing firm Just Marketing who represents several high level sponsors according to the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ).

“Would Tony George love to broker a deal to bring back a US grand prix?  Sure,” said Brown.

IBJ said sources confirmed that George was in China to discuss F1′s return to America and meet with potential sponsors for a race that would not necessary take place at Indianapolis.

Indeed, new Indianapolis Motor Speedway boss Jeff Bulskus said George was not in China to represent the fabled Indy 500 venue, while Ecclestone has been pushing for a street race with the New York skyline.

Brown said: “Tony has a lot of contacts in motor sports, and he knows how to put on a US grand prix.

“I think if there’s a role for Tony in trying to bring formula one back to the US, he’d be willing to help.  Tony and Bernie have a very good relationship, and Tony has a lot of interest in seeing F1 return to the US,” he added.

Tony George, who still has an ownership stake in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, could not be reached for comment.

Apr.21 (GMM)  A couple of formula one drivers came within a cloud of volcanic ash of racing in this weekend’s season opener of the 2010 DTM championship.

Because Mercedes’ Paul di Resta and Gary Paffett were delayed in Shanghai due to the ongoing European air travel disruptions, the German marque feared the pair might not be back to drive at Hockenheim.

Mercedes’ F1 reserve driver Nick Heidfeld, who was among the first to leave China, and his German countryman Timo Glock, were lined up as potential replacements.

Like Heidfeld, Glock – who drives for Virgin but with close ties to the DTM backer Deutsche Post – was among the fortunate few to secure an early return flight to Europe.

“We did not know when they (Paffett and di Resta) would come back.  There was definitely the possibility that Nick and Timo would have driven the cars,” Norbert Haug is quoted as saying by motorsport-total.com.

Ultimately, the two DTM drivers – and Mercedes’ competition director Haug – arrived in Germany “earlier than anticipated”, Haug said.

“But on Monday afternoon, no one could tell us whether we are flying on Thursday, Friday or Saturday,” he added.

Glock confirmed that driving in DTM this weekend was part of Mercedes’ “emergency plan”.

“I have had a good relationship with Norbert Haug and Mercedes for many years, so I would have helped them out.

“I felt honoured that in this case they thought of me,” he added.

The Brazilian pilot, Felipe Massa (Ferrari) declared he believes he’s going to have a “very good relationship ” with his new mate, the Spanish Fernando Alonso, because, in these first days he has already talked with him more than with Kimi Raikkonen in three years.”
“Things have begun very well; we have spoken a lot about the car and on what to do to make it competitive.  I have talked more with Fernando these days than with Kimi in three years.  Of course, that’s not difficult because Kimi doesn’t like to talk a lot, but I also worked very well with him, even without the need to talk,” clarified Massa in a press conference that took place in Madonna di Campiglio, where the Ferrari team 2010 ‘Wroom’ is being held.
Hence, the Brazilian considers that they can both “work very well together,” because the opposite would be “negative,” both for themselves and for the team.  ”We’re in a very important team.  We know what we have to do.  And we know that if we work well together we can have a better car in the racing track,” he added.
In this way, Massa wanted to clarify the questions that arose on how his relationship with the ‘Scuderia,’ would be, after the clashes between both pilots.  ”We have discussed the problems.  It’s similar to when you go and speak to your mother and once you tell her your feelings and ask her to forgive you, everything gets back to normal.  Personally, I don’t have any strange feelings or opinions towards Fernando,” he stated.

“I FEEL BETTER THAN PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.”

On the other hand, the pilot from Rio de Janeiro made reference to his recovery following the accident he suffered last year in Hungary’s Grand Prix and which forced him to loose the last eight races.  Massa pointed out that he’s “very well,” that he’s had “a very good” recovery and that he’s even better than prior to the accident.”
“I’m motivated and looking forward to begin the year.  I’m also going through a very important moment in my life with the birth of my first son, ‘Felipinho’”, Massa said.  “My goal is to become world champion,” he made clear.
“Everybody knows I was frustrated because of 2008’s events, due to many things that revolved around the championship, and which I hope will never happen again in Formula One.  I want to fight and become world champion,” he declared sententiously.
Even though the Brazilian experienced tough moments after his accident, according to what he confessed, he never once thought of retiring.  ” I never thought I would have to stop competing; I was convinced that I could be back in Valencia, already.  The accident has not changed my approach on work and my way of thinking, because I’ve had to face many difficulties in my life and I have always learned a lot from them,” he explained.

“SCHUMACHER COMEBACK IS GOOD FOR FÓRMULA 1″.

Another topic that the Ferrari pilot touched was the comeback of his ex-mate, the German Michael Schumacher, who will reappear in the competition but now with Mercedes.  ”When he ran he was happier than when he didn’t.  His comeback is interesting and good for the racing sport,” he pronounced.
In addition, Massa described the German pilot as “a friend” and considers that it was “very important” for him to have him as a mate, because he helped him “to improve.”  “In the track we will fight one against the other, but outside the races our frienship continues;” he indicated.
Massa’s point of view is that ‘Schumi’ did a “perfect career, retiring in the right moment.”  ”Now, he has wanted to come back and it’s very difficult to tell if his decision is correct.  It will surely be strange to see him race for another team after running so many years in Ferrari, but just now, there were no more options for his comeback because the decision of who the two pilots will be has already been taken,” he specified.

“EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED IN 2008 AND NOTHING IS GAINED BY LOOKING BACK.”

Finally, the Brazilian talked about the 2008 Singapore’s Gran Prix events, with the intentional accident brought about by ‘Nelsinho’ Piquet -who was then in Renault-, and which allowed Fernando Alonso to win, taking away some points from Massa which were later decisive for the championship’s result.  Lewis Hamilton would take the title with only one margin point with respect to Ferrari’s.
In the wake of the scandal, Renault’s former director, Flavio Briatore, was declared guilty by the FIA and banned for life for ordering Piquet’s accident.  The ban was recently overturned by the Paris Court.
“Honestly, if you see something that’s not alright in the racing sport, and that, one way or the other, goes against the rules, I don’t think it’s difficult to change the result, even if that would not be good for the sport,” Massa concluded.  “Everybody knows what happened and that nothing is gained by looking back:”