Luca di Montezemolo has offered Felipe Massa some cautious backing.

The struggling driver was summoned to Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters this week rather than travel home to Brazil to see his young family.

But team boss Stefano Domenicali said the 30-year-old retains Ferrari’s full backing, despite two sub-standard performances in Australia and Malaysia and widespread calls within the media for his dismissal.

Germany’s SID news agency quotes Ferrari president Montezemolo as saying: “We have great confidence in Massa.

“And at the moment I don’t see many outstanding drivers out there,” he added.

The implication could be that an “outstanding” driver might be a candidate to replace Massa either now or in the future.

The cream of Ferrari’s own driver development academy, Sergio Perez, sensationally finished second behind Fernando Alonso last weekend in Malaysia, with Massa fifteenth.

Brazilian former driver and now commentator Luciano Burti traces Massa’s decline all the way back to Hockenheim 2010, when on the one-year anniversary of his near-fatal crash he was told by his engineer: “Fernando is faster than you”.

“When that order came, his house fell around him,” Burti told Brazil’s Globo.

Soon after that, Alonso was – and still is – the darling of Ferrari, while one of Massa’s strongest supporters, the O Estado de S.Paulo correspondent Livio Oricchio, now believes the Brazilian is little more than the “test driver” for new components.

Organisers of the grand prix in Melbourne are reportedly considering sharing the city’s formula one rights with another Australian state.
Under financial strain, Germany alternates the annual hosting rights between Hockenheim and the Nurburgring, and Spain is set to begin a similar scheme for the struggling Barcelona and Valencia organisers.

Under pressure to ease the burden on Victoria’s state taxpayers, organisers of the annual Albert Park race are considering something along those lines, the local Herald Sun reports.

Citing “high placed sources”, the Melbourne newspaper said Sydney or Perth could be the alternate race hosts.

Perth is the capital of Western Australia, and premier Colin Barnett said: “(The) grand prix is a great event, but WA will not be bidding for it.”

A spokesman for Victorian premier Ted Baillieu, however, did not rule it out.

“We’ve got the race until 2015 in its current form,” he said. “Negotiations beyond that will focus on value for money for the Victorian economy.”

Australian Grand Prix Corporation chairman Ron Walker, however, described the idea as “a formula for disaster”.

“All of our major events are hard won and we are not about to share ours with another Australian city,” he said.

The rumours are already swirling in the Melbourne paddock.

“I think to move it interstate would cause more headaches than it’s probably worth,” said Australian driver Mark Webber.

“It’s been so successful in Melbourne for so long now. (But) you never say never, nothing is forever.”

 Bernie Ecclestone insists he wants to sign a new race contract with beleaguered German venue the Nurburgring.
At present, the future of the biennial event looks grim, after the Rhineland-Palatinate state cancelled the circuit operator’s lease, and Nurburgring Automobile GmbH hit back by threatening legal action against the government.

Perhaps because F1′s current world champion Sebastian Vettel is German, and because Hockenheim only wants to host one race every two years, the sport’s chief executive Ecclestone sounds keen on a solution.

“If the government finds a new partner who agrees to have the race, then I am more than happy to agree to a new contract,” the 81-year-old is quoted in the Rhein Zeitung newspaper.

“What we can make possible, we will make possible,” added Ecclestone.

The relevant state government minister Roger Lewentz told the same newspaper that he is prepared to meet with Ecclestone.

“We want to continue with formula one at the Nurburgring, but at a reasonable rate,” he said.

Ecclestone commented: “So far I have not heard from him (Lewentz).”

The future of the German grand prix at the Nurburgring looks set to race into the courts.
The Rhineland-Palatinate state this week said it intends to cancel the circuit operator’s lease, arguing that a bright future is “not possible” with the existing tenants.

Minister Roger Lewentz said he wants to personally take over the negotiations with Bernie Ecclestone about the future of the F1 race.

But according to the SID news agency, the operator Nurburgring Automotive GmbH (NAG) has announced it will fight back, including demanding “substantial amounts” from the government for the wrongful action.

“There is no reason for this extraordinary step,” NAG’s lawyer is quoted as saying.

The company’s spokesman said the situation is crucial to Germany’s future on the F1 calendar.

“Already, there are many candidates waiting for a (race) date to be available,” NAG spokesman Karl-Heinz Steinkuehler said.

“Without the Nurburgring, formula one would make probably only a guest appearance every two years in Germany, at the Hockenheimring,” he warned.

The minister Lewentz, however, said the government is ready for a fight, despite hoping for “an amicable solution” to the dispute with the operator.

“If not, a lengthy legal dispute cannot be ruled out,” he said. “We consider ourselves well prepared.”

Nico Rosberg is set to test a DTM car this weekend.

The event will be a showpiece at Hockenheim as the 2011 German touring car championship kicks off.

According to Bild newspaper, the 25-year-old German will be appearing for Mercedes, for whom he races in formula one.

The report said the outing will be Rosberg’s first proper run in a DTM car.

“As a racing driver I grew up in the DTM, on the programme with the Formula BMW Junior and Formula 3 series,” he said.

“But I’ve never driven a DTM car, except from a few metres at the end of last season for the victory party for Paul di Resta’s championship in Stuttgart,” added Rosberg.

Meanwhile, F1 engines were firing on Wednesday at Duxford (UK) aerodrome, where alongside the Caterham announcement Team Lotus test driver Ricardo Teixeira was straight-line testing the T128.

According to Speed Week, Bruno Senna was also in action for Renault with a similar aerodynamic test at Duxford, and the Brazilian will now travel to Spa-Francorchamps to demonstrate the team’s F1 car during the World Series event.

“I will have the 2010 car on Saturday and Sunday,” Senna confirmed to Globo. “The basic idea is to entertain the crowd but it’s also a chance for me to keep in action.”

Stefano Domenicali has welcomed the FIA’s abolition of the rule prohibiting team orders.

The governing body, now headed by president Jean Todt, revisited the controversial rule after Ferrari’s place-swapping during this year’s German grand prix at Hockenheim.

The Maranello based team never admitted to ordering Felipe Massa to move aside for Fernando Alonso, but at the same time has always maintained that F1 is a team sport in which team strategies are commonplace.

“Finally, we have said goodbye to this pointless hypocrisy,” said team boss Domenicali after Friday’s announcement that article 39.1 has been “deleted” for 2011.

“For us, formula one is a team sport and we have always maintained that viewpoint and it should be treated as such,” he told reporters at the Bologna motor show.

Team orders will be “regulated” rather than allowed in formula one, FIA president Jean Todt has revealed.

The issue came back onto the agenda in 2010, when Felipe Massa was ordered aside for Fernando Alonso at Hockenheim by a Ferrari engineer telling the Brazilian: “Fernando is faster than you”.

“Personally, I’m not against team orders, but I am against lying,” the Frenchman is quoted as saying in interviews this week.

He said covert team orders “deceive the audience and the media” and subsequently require teams and drivers to lie afterwards.

“Team orders have been banned since 2002, but I ask myself how many have been issued in a ‘soft’ way.  The difference with that and what Ferrari did (at Hockenheim) is that it was anything but soft.

“It was a provocation against the regulations,” Todt told Italy’s La Stampa.

But when asked if the FIA will react to the latest affair by simply abolishing the rule, he answered: “It will be regulated.

“F1 is a team sport and each team will have responsibility for their behaviour.  We will not tolerate lies or coded messages like ‘Save fuel’.”

Fascinatingly, former Ferrari team boss Todt blamed Rubens Barrichello for the original team orders controversy of 2002, when the Brazilian was explicitly ordered on the radio to ‘Let Michael (Schumacher) pass for the championship’.

“I shouldn’t have had to say anything,” Todt said this week.

“We had agreed beforehand that if he (Barrichello) is in front after the pitstop, he was to let Schumacher pass without making a fuss.

“It was agreed, and drivers are paid to accept certain decisions.

“But he made me call him 50 times and he moved at the last corner — the audience booed, Schumacher gave him first place on the podium and Ferrari was fined $500,000 for violating protocol,” he explained.

Asked if he regrets the affair, he admitted: “Yes, because with hindsight it could have been avoided.  Schumacher would have won the championship anyway.

“But I would have regretted even more if we had lost the title by a couple of points,” added Todt.

And in an interview with France’s L’Equipe, Todt said he thought the works Renault drivers “helped” Renault-powered Red Bull to win the 2010 championship by holding up key rivals in Abu Dhabi.

“They (Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov) helped Red Bull, even though this team often complain about the lack of competitiveness of the Renault engine,” he said.

In a bit of good humour or championship finale-needle, or both, Fernando Alonso’s title rivals could not hide their grins in Abu Dhabi.

Lewis Hamilton admitted that he and Mark Webber noticed on Thursday that the Ferrari driver was sporting smooth and shiny legs in the Yas Marina paddock.

“I’m surprised how Fernando was able to take the pain of having his legs waxed,” smiled Hamilton, who at McLaren in 2007 clashed memorably with his former teammate.

“Mark pointed it out and was asking how far it goes up,” he added.

“I was like, ‘Wow, they’re shiny’,” said Hamilton.

He admitted that Alonso, who is a keen cyclist, took the jibes in good humour.

“He has shown over the years how solid he is mentally. He just doesn’t care. You ask him questions about (the team orders in) Germany and he isn’t bothered,” said Hamilton.

Indeed, Alonso confirmed that he is not bothered that some colleagues and commentators are suggesting that he needs to win the title by more than 7 points if the achievement is not to be tarnished by his controversial victory at Hockenheim.

“I think winning by 7, or one or 25 points is the least important thing in my mind right now,” the Spaniard said on Thursday.

“Our only picture at the moment is winning the race or finishing second, that is the target and I think that is what we can achieve,” added Alonso.

And the Ferrari driver also insisted he is not worrying about whether Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber will be swapping places on the last lap to prevent him from winning the title.

“I don’t think I will lose even one second of my energy thinking about what is going to happen on Sunday afternoon,” he insisted.

Felipe Massa thinks Red Bull’s drivers are open about swapping positions during the Abu Dhabi grand prix on Sunday.

The Ferrari driver, who was controversially ordered aside for his teammate Fernando Alonso at Hockenheim, was commenting on the main topic of conversation at the 2010 finale — whether Sebastian Vettel will move over for Mark Webber in order to prevent Fernando Alonso from winning the drivers’ title.

“My personal opinion is that the Red Bull drivers will fight to the end, because they both have a chance to become champion,” the Brazilian is quoted in Italian by Tuttosport.

“But if at the end Sebastian is first and Mark is second, I’m sure they will swap places. If not, they would give the title to another team.

“But you should ask them, not me.”

Even Rubens Barrichello, who like Massa was also the victim of Ferrari’s blatant imposition of team orders, agrees.

“I have always been against team orders,” he is quoted by Globo.

“But if someone has no more mathematical chances in the last moment but the other one (the teammate) does, then it is definitely better for the team.

“So I see nothing wrong if that happens in the last lap.”

Officially at Red Bull, the position is that team orders will not be imposed, but team management is hoping Vettel will be “magnanimous” should he find himself able to deliver the drivers’ title to Webber rather than Alonso.

“Logic tells me that Sebastian will do it (give up the win) if Alonso is right behind them,” Niki Lauda told RTL television.

“For me it would be a great gesture from Vettel; gentlemanly and fair,” said the triple world champion.

Even from Vettel’s perspective, that scenario appears a no-brainer.

“It would not take a genius to know what to do,” the 23-year-old is quoted by the Spanish media.

Helmut Marko, however, admitted that not seeing Vettel crowned world champion on Sunday would have a bitter taste.

“Without the technical problems this year, Sebastian would already be champion,” Red Bull’s motor sport consultant is quoted by Bild newspaper.

The teams’ differing philosophies about driver equality could mould the outcome of the 2010 world championship.

Red Bull has now secured the constructors’ crown, but not echoing Ferrari’s Hockenheim tactics in Sunday’s Brazilian grand prix means Mark Webber is 8 points behind Fernando Alonso instead of just one.

However, the latest rumblings from Red Bull suggest that the team is prepared to play a tactical game in Abu Dhabi this weekend if it means either Webber or Sebastian Vettel can be champion.

The most likely move would be Vettel moving over for Australian Webber, because if the German wins again with Webber second in Abu Dhabi, Spaniard Alonso would stroll to the title.

But Alonso thinks Red Bull should be consistent.

“Red Bull has spent three months preaching about equality, so now they should continue with the same philosophy,” he is quoted on Sunday by the El Pais newspaper.

Germany’s Der Spiegel points out that this philosophy is indeed a gift to Alonso.

“He is benefitting from a policy of fair play that his own team abandoned months ago,” said the publication.

But at Ferrari, the key philosophy is a course that leads to the title.  German reports quote Chris Dyer, chief engineer at the Italian team, as calling the Vettel-Webber one-two at Interlagos a “big favour” to Ferrari.

“But I am sure they will not be so generous in Abu Dhabi,” added the Australian.

Nick Heidfeld on Thursday said it would be a shame if the team orders saga is seen to have influenced the outcome of the drivers’ world championship.

With two races to go, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso is 11 points ahead of Red Bull’s Mark Webber in the points standings.

7 of those points were earned in Hockenheim, where Alonso’s teammate Felipe Massa was controversially moved aside despite team orders being banned in F1.

Ferrari was fined $100,000 for the move but Alonso kept his points.

“If Alonso wins the championship with a margin less than the 7 points, it would devalue the championship — that’s a personal view,” said former FIA president Max Mosley.

Red Bull’s team boss Christian Horner agrees, stating that seeing Alonso win because of the extra points would be “frustrating”.

Sauber driver Heidfeld said in Brazil on Thursday: “From a team’s perspective, it (team orders) is perhaps understandable.

“But it would be a shame if the championship is decided by the fact that Red Bull has followed the rules while others see it maybe differently.

“If that happens, I would really hope that Red Bull’s behaviour is seen in a positive way,” the German is quoted by the news agency SID.

Earlier this week, McLaren team boss and FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh refused to say a title win for Alonso would reflect badly on the sport.

“I think we’ve had a very good championship and that’s what we should think about, full stop,” he said.

Fernando Alonso believes Ferrari’s rivals are “trying to divert attention” from their own problems by playing psychological games in the media.

With just two races still to run in 2010 and Alonso leading the championship, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner this week admitted it would be “frustrating” to lose to the Spaniard after the Hockenheim team orders affair.

Stefano Domenicali hit back by suggesting it is a “miracle” the energy drink-owned team has not already wrapped up the title due to its car advantage, and his driver Alonso has now weighed into the squabble.

“There are some favourite teams, who have not resolved their own problems, trying to divert attention,” he said in an interview with Diario Sport newspaper.

“Fortunately for us, we are united as a team, as we show at each race, including my relationship with Felipe (Massa),” added Alonso.

“There are always media strategies designed to make you nervous or put you under pressure,” he said.

In another interview, with the O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, Alonso insisted he is not concerned that – as he bids to wrap up his third championship this weekend – his personal image within Brazil is not the best one.

“In several countries they say my image is not good, but when I land at airports or go to the hotels or race tracks, what I see is the opposite.

“I’m not worried about it. My job is to get results at the track and to have the team happy with my work,” Alonso added.

He said he hopes his teammate Massa’s home supporters at Interlagos will understand if the Brazilian pulls aside to let him win the race on Sunday.

“Those who will understand know that this sport is complicated, where at least at Ferrari, the team comes first. There will of course be those who don’t understand,” said Alonso.

“But my job is not to understand the views of the fans, but to do my job on the track.”

He denied that Massa is the weakest teammate he has ever had.

“No. Felipe is very capable, 100 per cent professional, working from January to December on his goals,” said Alonso.

Karl Wendlinger insists it is “hard to imagine” that Red Bull has ruled out the possibility of deploying a team strategy at the final two races of 2010.

Following suggestions Sebastian Vettel might play a supportive role to boost teammate Mark Webber’s chance of winning the drivers’ title, Red Bull bosses insisted the pair will enjoy strict equality in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

But according to Austrian Wendlinger, a former Sauber driver, it is “difficult to imagine” that Red Bull has “totally ruled out” the concept of using team orders.

He also noted on Austrian television Servus TV that Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has confirmed that if there is a lack of spare or new parts in Brazil, it will be Webber who is offered them first.

That is a “psychological advantage” for the Australian, Wendlinger said.

“He (Webber) knows he is better placed in terms of points and that the team wants one of its drivers to be world champion,” he added.

Niki Lauda reinforced the view that “intelligence is not the same as team orders”.

He was very critical of Ferrari’s infamous strategy at Hockenheim, but insists that Red Bull should now be fully behind Webber.

“I’ve never said anything about (Red Bull using) team orders. Just that they have to be sensible,” the triple world champion told Kleine Zeitung newspaper.

“What Ferrari did at Hockenheim for example was an affront to the spectators.”

When asked if that means, for example, that Vettel should not try to overtake Webber at Interlagos this weekend, he answered: “Exactly. But this is nothing to do with team orders.”

Felipe Massa has confirmed that if he can help Fernando Alonso to reinforce his lead in the drivers’ world championship this weekend, he will.

“If it depends on me, then for sure (I will help),” he is quoted as saying in Brazil by the news agency EFE.

Massa, who was controversially ordered aside for his Ferrari teammate at Hockenheim in July, is a specialist of his local Interlagos circuit and a crowd favourite.

But he concedes the Italian team’s desire to put its full weight behind Alonso’s title charge.

“I’m a professional. I did it already in 2007,” added Massa, referring to his then teammate Kimi Raikkonen’s successful championship campaign alongside him three years ago.

Team boss Stefano Domenicali has confirmed this week that Alonso and Massa will return to a position of equality in 2011.

When asked if Spaniard Alonso is the best teammate he has had at Ferrari, he answered emphatically: “No. I’ve had three (teammates) all at the same highest level.

“I don’t need to say anything about Schumacher because his career speaks for itself. Kimi was also excellent. I see all three of them on the same level.

“Alonso has had a better season than me and has been more competitive. It has not been my best year, not only with the results but also the problems I have had in qualifying warming up the tyres.

“For me, 2011 will be better than 2010,” he insisted.

In additional comments published by the Globo newspaper, Massa said he thinks his Brazilian fans will understand his position at Interlagos this weekend.

“I think the public has always treated me very well, not only the day before what happened in Germany, but also the day after.

“The journalists, no. But the public, yes — always. I am sure the fans will be great and I will do my best to give them a good result,” added Massa.

Max Mosley believes a title for Fernando Alonso with less than seven points ahead would be dangerous for Formula 1
If Fernando Alonso the world title this year did not win more than seven points ahead, then it would devalue the Formula 1, says the former FIA president Max Mosley. Thus the British refers to the change of place, the Ferrari at Hockenheim has been implemented, as Felipe Massa Alonso had to leave the victory. Although the team was then a penalty of $ 100,000 due to team orders, but there were other sanctions, although Mosley before the hearing before the World Motor Sport Council had meant there had to be penalized.

“I have a feeling that at least the extra points scored by Alonso overtaking Massa should be withdrawn,” Mosley told the BBC repeated now. “This is the absolute minimum, because if Alonso for some reason the World Cup less than the seven-point lead would gain, he has brought there, would devalue the World Cup. But this is a personal view ..”