France’s return to the 2013 formula one calendar is not quite at the finish-line.

Many expected prime minister Francois Fillon’s visit to the Paul Ricard circuit last Friday to coincide with an announcement about the revival of the French grand prix next year.

Some think that was indeed the intention, but ultimately a couple of details were missing at the last hurdle.

The first was the identity of the host circuit that will annually alternate the race date, amid reports Belgium’s Spa Francorchamps is not yet ready or able to agree.

“The formula one management has approved the plan without indicating who would be the other country,” Fillon is quoted as saying in local reports.

Another problem is on the financial side, with Fillon admitting that – politically – there can be no direct government subsidy other than a mere “bond”.

The difference between a deal and no deal between Bernie Ecclestone and the Le Castellet organisers, then, is “about two million euros”, Fillon revealed.

“The formula one organisers’ proposal is reasonable enough,” he said, “but we have to make them remove the ‘enough’,” he added.

“Symbolically it would not be acceptable (for the government) to subsidise a grand prix,” he insisted, “as was the case in the past with Magny Cours.”

Magny Cours, the former French GP venue, reacted with shock and anger, accusing the prime minister of “bias in favour of Le Castellet”, where temporary grandstands will have to be erected to host spectators.

On the other hand, Magny Cours has “all the facilities, infrastructure and expertise needed to organise such an event”, insisted Patrice Joly, president of the conseil general of the Nievre department.

“Contrary to what you would expect from the head of government, the prime minister strives to implement a solution based on partisan considerations and personal issues away from the general interest,” he added.

 Former boss Colin Kolles and his Greding-based company is no longer involved, but there remains a strong German input with the struggling team HRT.
A report in the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper reveals that the new Cosworth-powered F112 car, which failed to qualify in Melbourne last weekend, was designed and built in Augsburg, a city in the south-west of Bavaria.

It is there that, since November 2011, the Holzer-Gruppe company has been frantically building up the Cosworth-powered cars for Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan.

“Under our management almost everything has been made here in Bobingen,” said Gunther Holzer.

“For the wind tunnel we used the Mercedes facility in Brackley (UK),” he added.

Eight of F1′s 12 teams are based in England, with the others either in Italy (Ferrari and Toro Rosso) or Switzerland (Sauber).

HRT uses Williams’ gearbox.

“We wanted to go our separate way, not like almost everyone else who are all within a few miles of Oxford,” said HRT chief executive Saul Ruiz de Marcos.

The team’s longer plan is to be solely based in Madrid, but for now Holzer will lead the development of the F112.

“For the start of the European season in Spain we are planning the first improvements to the car,” said Marcos.

Holzer explained: “The car is designed first for safety and so is heavy compared to the competition. For the future we are focused on making it lighter.”

Before the lighter car debuts in Barcelona, HRT faces three more challenges – Malaysia, China and Bahrain – at which the sport’s 107 per cent rule will be a major hurdle.

“The goal is to qualify, there is no other,” admitted de la Rosa. “Race reliability is something else we need to work on, but first we have to qualify.”

 Two teams are in danger of sitting out Sunday’s Australian grand prix.
“The idea, here, is to qualify for the race,” Marussia’s Timo Glock told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper from Melbourne.

The hurdle that the struggling former Virgin team – as well as HRT – must get over, is the 107 per cent rule in Q1.

It is an even higher hurdle than last year, because Pirelli has made its harder tyres softer in 2012 — meaning the difference between the tyres being used by the quickest cars and the slowest cars in Q1 will be smaller.

More bad news is that Red Bull has brought new parts to Australia that could make qualifying-specialist Sebastian Vettel even faster on Saturday.

“If that’s true then the qualifying test for us – with zero kilometres under our belts – is almost impossible,” admitted Glock.

At HRT, the situation is arguably worse — especially for Pedro de la Rosa, who was little more than a spectator on Friday as the Spanish team built up his Cosworth-powered car at the eleventh hour.

“Keep smiling, be patient,” he is quoted by Auto Motor Und Sport, when asked what his mantra is in Melbourne.

“We need to think more in the medium term. We are experiencing the birth of a new racing team.

“For us, this year is not just about getting the new car up and running — over the next months, we are taking the whole team to Madrid.

“At the moment we are still operating from Madrid, Valencia and Munich,” he explained.

The Spanish team’s new boss Luis Perez Sala agreed that qualifying at Albert Park is a big ask.

“For us it has been almost a success just to be here in Melbourne because it has been very tough,” he said on Friday.

As for the 107 per cent rule, “It will be difficult for us,” said the former Minardi driver.

“I’m not thinking now about the speed of the car, I’m just trying to get all the things done that we need to do as best as possible to get into (practice) tomorrow.”

He said HRT will try again next weekend, in Malaysia.

“I would like them (the team) to relax a bit and we will see. Malaysia? Shanghai? Whatever.”

 Marussia’s 2012 car will be on the Melbourne grid next weekend, after the MR01 finally passed a missing FIA crash test.
The former Virgin team’s Cosworth-powered car sat out the entire official pre-season period due to a new regulation in 2012 requiring single seaters to be fully homologated before they can even be tested.

The MR01 finally made its track debut on Monday and Tuesday, due to a loophole allowing limited running on demonstration Pirelli tyres for filming purposes even when the mandatory crash tests have not been passed.

But finally, late on Tuesday, Marussia announced that the crash tests have now all been passed.

“After a challenging few weeks for the team, we are pleased to have overcome the last hurdle of the final FIA observed crash test, which we passed today,” said technical consultant Pat Symonds.

“Whilst we have a lot of catching up to do, we take heart from the fact that everything is back on a more positive trajectory,” Renault’s former engineering director added.

Charles Pic’s situation leading into his rookie season in formula one is “sad and frustrating”.

That is the claim of his manager Olivier Panis, the 1996 Monaco grand prix winner and former Toyota racer and McLaren test driver.

His well-sponsored countryman Pic, 22, will debut in Melbourne this month alongside the experienced Timo Glock, having never turned a wheel in his 2012 car.

Ahead of next weekend’s season opener, the new Marussia is yet to pass all the FIA crash tests, which has left the former Virgin team grounded throughout February’s test period.

“It’s sad and frustrating,” admitted Panis, when asked about Pic’s situation.

“The beginning will be difficult for him,” he told RMC.

For F1′s backmarkers, including HRT who have also struggled through the winter, the tougher crash tests are just another hurdle, atop tackling the financial might of rival giants like Ferrari and Red Bull.

The sport’s chief executive Bernie Ecclestone is unapologetic.

“If we tried to make things less complicated, you will always find the guys at the top looking for that tenth of a second.

“That’s the difference between the winners and losers,” he told the Sun newspaper.

Another hurdle has been mounted ahead of India’s troubled preparation for its inaugural grand prix.
Amid talk the new Buddh circuit is barely ready for this weekend’s race, the Indian supreme court last week ordered that a quarter of the proceeds of the ticket sales be withheld over a tax dispute.

But the latest dispute could cost organisers Jaypee crucial national media coverage, and worryingly the row is with the sport’s powerful Formula One Management (FOM).

The Hindustan Times reports that Indian television channels are threatening to boycott covering the event because of FOM’s restrictive access to the race feed.

Jaypee’s communications boss Askari Zaidi warned reporters that they must cover the race.

“When they signed their accreditation form, they agreed to the terms and conditions, so I expect them to cover the event,” he said.

He added that FOM is so restrictive when it comes to the television feed that even Jaypee, the promoter of the event and owner of the circuit, was denied access.

“We requested them to allow us to bring in cameras, but were refused. Even after we asked them to look into the matter, they refused, saying we could only buy a one minute feed of the race,” said Zaidi.

It has been a troubled build-up for the Indian race, but motor sport clubs of India president Vicky Chandhok insists the organisers will learn for the future.

“India has never hosted such a big event. It’s the largest ever,” he told the Times of India. “No IPL (cricket), no Commonwealth Games comes anywhere close to it.”

Luca di Montezemolo has played down the possibility of leaving Ferrari in order to enter Italian politics.

Rumours abounded last month that, despite the Ferrari president signing on with the Maranello marque for another three years, the 63-year-old has definitely decided to switch to politics in the near future.

But in a new interview with the International Herald Tribune, Montezemolo insisted he is “married to Ferrari”.

However, he is undeniably interested in politics, having started a research group – Italia Futura – to monitor the government and identify potential political candidates.

He would not categorically rule out running for office but added: “I don’t believe in a one-man show. I’m more of a team-spirit guy.”

Also constantly rumoured in the recent past is that Ferrari, also the famous maker of road sports cars, could soon float on the stock market.

But a Credit Suisse analyst is quoted as saying a lack of financial transparency at Ferrari could be a hurdle.

“There are so many loose ends that would need to be addressed in an IPO,” he said, estimating the value of Ferrari at EUR 3 billion.

Montezemolo hit back: “When I hear people say that the value of Ferrari is only three billion, I think, ‘Someone must be out of their mind’.”

Helmut Marko has played down Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo’s threat that formula one could be headed for a split from owners CVC.

Montezemolo told CNN last week that at the end of 2012 and the current Concorde Agreement CVC “doesn’t own anything” and therefore creating a different world championship is a real option for the teams.

Red Bull’s motor racing consultant Marko however admitted that the dispute is fundamentally about the distribution of revenue for the next Concorde.

“A suitable compromise can hopefully be found,” he told German website motorsport-magazin.com at the opening of the Red Bull Ring.

“Ferrari are the best-known team and have been in F1 the longest — but being Italian, they tend to express things more emotionally than others. In my opinion, the situation is nowhere near as bad as it looks,” said Marko.

New York Times correspondent Brad Spurgeon said the latest breakaway talk is “exasperating for the fans” coming so soon after the last political dispute with the FIA.

A potential hurdle for proposed buyer News Corp is the law, with prominent competition lawyer Paul Stone reportedly concerned that Rupert Murdoch’s presence would be unfair for bidding television broadcasters.

He is quoted by Germany’s Speed Week as saying a News takeover “would raise concerns”.

Good news emerged from Italy on Wednesday afternoon: Robert Kubica can move all five fingers on his injured right hand.
The limb was partially severed in a rally crash last Sunday, raising a question mark about the Pole’s future in motor racing.

But his hand surgeon Igor Rossello is quoted by SID news agency: “The operation went perfectly.

“It is a great result that Kubica can now move his hand, because the surgery was long and complicated.”

The next hurdle for the 26-year-old Renault driver is an operation not on Thursday as originally scheduled, but instead on Friday, to work on his injured right shoulder and foot.

A few days later, Kubica will return to the operating table for elbow surgery.

Rossello said Kubica then faces a long period of rehabilitation.

“He will need to work hard every day.”

Before that, however, the grand prix winner will be interviewed by Liguria police who are investigating the crash, in which Kubica’s Skoda Fabia was skewered by a length of armco barrier.

Renault team owner Gerard Lopez visited Kubica in hospital on Wednesday.

“Robert is a great loss for us at the moment that is forcing us to revise our plans. This is clearly a difficult time.

“We don’t know yet if and when Robert will return. If it will be a long recovery and he will not be back this season, we need to rely on an experienced driver.

“The fate of our season will depend on this new driver, as without Robert it is difficult to predict how we will fare. Obviously, we need a driver capable of winning the championship.”

Ivg.it said Lopez is meeting with Renault team boss Eric Boullier today.

It has emerged that Rome’s agreement about a city-based formula one race in 2012 or 2013 could lapse at the end of the year.

It was reported last month that organisers of the proposed event to take place in the Italian capital’s EUR district had signed a five-year contract with Bernie Ecclestone.

It was said that the only hurdle was the support of the residents of EUR, a major suburban area and business centre.

But Italian media reports late this week, including by the authoritative broadcaster Rai and the major news agency ANSA, have revealed that the document signed at Monza last month was just a “lettera di intenti” (letter of intent).

And Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno is quoted as saying that the original project as devised by the race promoter has lapsed because it would have been too disruptive.

He said a new project will be presented to the Rome authority assemblea capitolina before the letter of intent runs out later this year.

“I will soon meet with Ecclestone to confirm the letter of intent that has been signed and never revoked,” added mayor Alemanno.

He said the original EUR plan was too disruptive. “If someone thinks I want to make a mess of the EUR, they are making a big mistake.

“Rather, we want to enrich the city’s image,” Alemanno is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Research shows that the majority of Rome residents, although not an overwhelming one, are in favour.

“But the assemblea capitolina will have the last word” after “very careful scrutiny”, he added.

Red Bull’s car was declared legal on Friday after undergoing the latest wing and floor flexibility tests at Spa-Francorchamps.

Amid suggestions the front of the RB6 is too low at the front when at speed, the FIA ramped up the wing flexibility test for the Belgian event.

This was carried out on championship leader Mark Webber’s car, as well as the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton, after Friday practice.

The FIA confirmed that the cars’ wings and floors “were found to be in conformity” with the regulations.

“Our car has complied with the rules at every race so far and it will comply here,” team boss Christian Horner said earlier.

“We take all the talk about our car as a compliment, it shows the others don’t know what we’re up to,” he told the BBC on Friday.

The next hurdle for Red Bull will be the tougher floor tests and rules to take effect at Monza in two weeks.

Horner added: “Adrian Newey seems pretty relaxed about it.  It will only affect us as much as any of the other teams.”

Mercedes’ Ross Brawn admitted on Friday that some teams, perhaps also Ferrari, have not been happy with the recent insinuations about flexing cars.

“I know some of the teams involved were not very happy with comments I made, or McLaren made, but then I was not happy about comments they made about the double diffuser last year,” he said.

“It is the nature of formula one,” insisted Brawn.

Jacques Villeneuve is reportedly bidding to return to formula one next year with his own team.

Germany’s authoritative Auto Motor und Sport magazine said ‘Villeneuve Racing’ is one of the three candidates for the 13th and final place in pitlane.

The 1997 world champion and now 39-year-old French Canadian wanted to return to the cockpit this year with Stefan GP, but the Serbian outfit was not granted an entry.

The report said almost ten candidates originally made applications to race next year, but now there are only three in the running; with Villeneuve Racing and Cypher Group among them.

Auto Motor und Sport said the third name could be Spain’s Epsilon Euskadi or the former GP2 team Durango, after Nicolas Todt’s ART failed at the hurdle proving finance for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

The magazine said Villeneuve Racing has cleared all the hurdles so far, including proving an existing infrastructure for a team based in England.

The report said it is rumoured that Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds may be involved, as might be a crew made up of former Arrows and Super Aguri staff.

The FIA’s decision about the 13th team is expected in late July.

Villeneuve last raced in F1 with BMW-Sauber in 2006, losing the seat to Robert Kubica mid-season.

Red Bull has presented an open and McLaren Mercedes and Ferrari also rely on the big leap. The days of lazy Sunday drives by Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel are at the top of the Formula 1 field over. At the latest by the two McLaren-double victory in Istanbul and Montreal, this should be clear. The British want to take the momentum now to Valencia.

“We took out the last two races, the maximum score. It seems as if we had a good run,” said Jenson Button before the race in Valencia. “The team is a unit, of which we want to benefit again in Valencia.” The question is still how well the McLaren-Mercedes MP4-25 on the Spanish roads is.
“While it is a road course, but nevertheless different from Monaco or Singapore,” says the reigning world champion. “The track is faster. There are some sharp curves, but also quick direction changes and long straights. Regarding the setup is it interesting. It is not only to maximize output from. This could accommodate us very much.”

Button for Valencia is a small hurdle to overcome two major events yet to be. “There then follow two home games: Grand Prix at Silverstone and Festival at Goodwood. Both events incomprehensible many British fans will be. As world champion I am looking forward to it. Silverstone is a great experience and at Goodwood I may fulfill a childhood dream.”
The champion is the famous “Festival of Speed” at the McLaren MP4/2C sitting with Alain Prost was driven in 1986 for his second title. “I can not even partially believe how happy I am,” says Button is looking forward to the special trip as a child. And team-mate Lewis Hamilton will be allowed to drive the vehicle through the historic park in Goodwood.

“Now I’m looking forward to Valencia,” said the winner of the Grands Prix in Istanbul ind Montréal. “Last year I had a great, combative racing there. In the past two years I was there each second. So this is still a score to settle,” the clear statement of Hamilton. “It’s great that there is so much variance in the tracks. From Montreal we are now fast on the narrow street circuit in Valencia.”

“Until one has never seen a lot of overtaking in Valencia, but this year it might otherwise be, given the narrow field,” promises the series leader voltage. “For me as a driver, it is difficult to estimate and not predictable. More can you ask for little. The last races were great. It would be nice if we could also offer the Spanish fans a great show. It is determined again closely.”

Jun.18 (GMM)  If the F1 teams and Bernie Ecclestone want to do a deal with Pirelli, the FIA will have to go along with it.

That is the claim of an unnamed team boss, amid rumours the president of F1′s governing body Jean Todt is pushing for Michelin to re-enter the sport as the new tyre supplier.

It is believed commercial contracts with F1 chief executive Ecclestone have now been signed by Pirelli, while the teams group FOTA has signed a letter of intent to be supplied by the Milan based company from 2011.

The final hurdle is said to be the consent of the World Motor Sport Council next week.

But the unnamed boss told France’s Auto Hebdo magazine: “The FIA manages the regulations, but it is not possible to impose on teams something they don’t want.

“Certainly, (the FIA) can boycott a decision of FOTA, but I think Ecclestone has enough power.”

Jun.14 (GMM)  Pirelli has edged yet closer to becoming F1′s new official tyre supplier. The Milan based company’s only competition for the deal, Michelin, is close to falling out of the running.

“The development time for 2011 seems very compromised now,” managing partner Didier Miraton said at Le Mans, according to L’Equipe.

Spotted in Montreal on Sunday was Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s competition director, for talks with the teams association FOTA.

It is believed that, some days ago, contracts were drawn up and signed with the representative of F1′s commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone.

The final hurdle is the signing off by the FIA’s legal department.

Michelin’s Miraton indicated that the French company is essentially now out of the running.

“It is probably too late for the deadlines of next year,” he continued.  “We have intervened to help, modestly, but at the rate things are going, I’m pessimistic.”

Another stumbling block for Michelin has been the lack of widespread desire for a change of rules allowing more than one tyre supplier at a time.

“When there is only one manufacturer, there is no competition, no progress, no pleasure and the interest in the manufacturer is low,” said Miraton.