Ferrari’s title tilt could hinge on the competitiveness of the updated F2012 this weekend in Barcelona.

“What I want is to have a competitive car in Barcelona,” insisted the famous Italian marque’s president Luca di Montezemolo on Tuesday.

“That’s what I’ve asked for,” he is quoted as saying by Brazil’s O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper.

Ferrari had congregated at its Fiorano test track, to watch Jacques Villeneuve drive the 1979 single seater to mark the 30th anniversary of his father Gilles’ fatal crash.

But Montezemolo’s disappointment is with the latest Ferrari, which has been heavily updated since the Bahrain grand prix three weeks ago.

“Our technicians are confident, but we will have to see how our opponents have advanced too,” he added.

O Estado de S.Paulo correspondent Livio Oricchio claimed “Montezemolo knows” that anything other than a big step forward in Barcelona will mean Ferrari has to “start thinking about” its 2013 project instead.

“Now we have to make a quantum leap, to have a car that is more competitive, less difficult to drive, and gives confidence to the fans,” Montezemolo is quoted by La Stampa newspaper.

“Let’s see how it goes in Spain,” he told Rai television.

“I have asked for an extraordinary response from our engineers,” Montezemolo is also quoted as saying by Italy’s Sky Sport 24.

La Gazzetta dello Sport, meanwhile, quoted lead driver Fernando Alonso as saying: “Our goal is to be world champions in November, and if we are to succeed then we must do better than we have done so far.”

Team boss Stefano Domenicali agreed: “We expect a significant evolution that will bring us closer to the step we need.

“The Spanish grand prix is definitely open, as is the championship. I say this because we believe.”

Norbert Haug said he is proud Mercedes has reached the top of formula one in a short space of time and with a small budget.

The German carmaker’s works team is often lumped together with F1′s other grandees including Ferrari and McLaren, but Haug insists the Brackley based outfit is in fact “a small team, with a small budget”.

Mercedes’ competition boss, who on Sunday collected the winning constructors’ trophy on the Shanghai podium, also said some of the team’s rivals – undoubtedly Red Bull – “took five years to win”.

“We have done it in two and a quarter,” the German told the RTL broadcaster. “That’s not bad at all.

“And there are other teams that still have not made it.”

So is Mercedes now a contender for the world championship, despite Haug’s earlier protestations that the team needs a few more campaigns under its belt for that?

“It is too early to make a prediction,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. “I hope so, but so far we have seen three different winners in three races.”

The newest of those winners is Nico Rosberg, who along with Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve are the only sons of F1 drivers to have also gone on to win grands prix.

It is a good omen for Rosberg that both Hill and Villeneuve also won titles.

Rosberg’s former Williams teammate, Alex Wurz, has high praise.

“As a teammate (in 2007) he made my life difficult because he was such a fantastic qualifying driver. In the race it was then always okay.

“But for this (race win) he deserves praise,” Wurz told the Austrian ORF broadcaster, “because he did everything after his pole position also sensationally.”

But in Bahrain, there could be another winner, triple world champion Niki Lauda remarked.

“I have never before seen F1 as interesting as this,” said the Austrian legend. “Every race we see another winner.”

 BAR founder Craig Pollock’s new 2014 engine supply venture, Pure, is setting up camp in Cologne.
A German-language report at motorsport-total.com said Jacques Villeneuve’s former manager has struck a deal with former F1 team Toyota.

The report said Pure, to move shortly, needs better facilities than it currently has at its Paris headquarters.

“We have signed an exclusive agreement with TMG (Toyota Motorsport GmbH),” Scotland-born Pollock is quoted as saying.

He said the deal involves office space, a workshop and engine test stands.

Pollock explained that time and cost factors explains why Pure did not set up its own factory.

But he said there is plenty of time left to find at least two F1 team customers for 2014.

Pollock also said Pure will retain its French headquarters as a business base.

Kimi Raikkonen has tipped his friend Sebastian Vettel to pip F1′s class of 2011 to become world champion for the second time.
In 2007, former Ferrari driver Raikkonen came from a long way behind to beat the feuding McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso to the championship at the final race of the season.

Now as a F1 spectator and world rally driver, the Finn was asked by Turun Sanomat newspaper about German Vettel’s 85 point lead with just 8 races to go.

“Quite often the situation levels off by the end if someone has pulled out early in the season,” Raikkonen said.

“(But) Vettel probably doesn’t even have to win any more races in order to stay in front until the end.”

Raikkonen, meanwhile, will turn 32 in October but he is not yet making any plans for 2012 — nor ruling out a shock return to formula one.

“I don’t know,” he answered after a series of probing questions.

“Even if you ask the same thing a hundred different ways, the answer stays the same. If I don’t know then nobody else does either.”

Raikkonen, like his contemporary Jacques Villeneuve, admitted to being not so keen on the 2011 formula, including the DRS overtaking rear wing system.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with real overtaking,” he insisted. “All you do is move close and push a button and the guy in front can’t do anything about it.

“I guess they are trying to push it in the right direction, maybe it’s good for the TV, but for the drivers it’s not so good.”

Fourteen years ago, Jacques Villeneuve won the title after Michael Schumacher was found to have deliberately driven into him at Jerez.
But now the French Canadian, on a visit to Brazil at the weekend to race stock cars, has defended the seven time world champion amid criticism of his return to F1 in the last two seasons.

“It makes no sense to criticise him,” Villeneuve is quoted by O Estado de S.Paulo.

“He was a tenth of a second faster than Rubens and Eddie (Irvine) at Ferrari and now he’s a tenth slower than Nico Rosberg, so not much has changed.

“The criticism is bad for the sport and the young drivers. It would be better to say he is very good and he is being beaten than to say he is bad and that’s why he loses now.”

Villeneuve added that “It can always happen when things do not fit together perfectly as a driver for a season or two”.

A staunch critic of “artificial racing” produced by deliberately degrading tyres and DRS, he admitted that he no longer sets “an alarm clock” in order to watch grands prix on television.

“My father held at bay four drivers for the whole race at Jarama (1981) and everyone remembers that race as the most spectacular,” said Villeneuve, in a rare reference to his late father Gilles.

Rumours about the health of the team currently known as Renault refused to disappear at Silverstone.
Boss Eric Boullier recently dismissed the rumours, hinting that they were triggered mischievously at Monaco by his predecessor Flavio Briatore.

But six weeks later, there was once again similar talk in the paddock of the British grand prix, not long after Williams was announced as engine supplier Renault Sport’s newest partner team for 2012 and beyond.

Apart from the continuing naming connection, a customer engine contract and their historical links, the French marque is no longer involved with the Lotus-sponsored Renault team.

And Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reports that the team might even be powered by Cosworth engines next year.

“This is fiercely denied by those in charge,” the magazine acknowledged.

However, the Williams situation is perhaps relevant, particularly with the fanfare of the Renault engine announcement involving former works champions Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve at the team’s Grove headquarters last week.

As for Lotus Renault, “poor results and apparently still pending payments for the engines do not make things any better”, Auto Motor und Sport added.

Team boss Martin Whitmarsh concedes Lewis Hamilton’s visit to the Red Bull motor home in Canada was a “misjudgement” but urged the McLaren driver to move on.
The visit, dismissed as a mere social visit by both sides, fuelled the speculation about a possible switch to Red Bull for the 2008 world champion.

“It was a misjudgement by Lewis because it gave ammunition,” Whitmarsh told the Daily Mail. “I feel sorry for Lewis because I know he is a little bit more sensitive than me on these subjects.

“I went to see Christian (Horner too) and I don’t think I am going to join Red Bull next year!”

26-year-old Hamilton’s sensitivity was evident this week when he reacted to Niki Lauda’s latest criticism, and to the advice of former champions Nigel Mansell and Jacques Villeneuve about the wisdom of staying at McLaren.

“What Niki Lauda thinks about me, I really couldn’t give a toss about it,” said the Briton.

And as for Mansell and Villeneuve, Hamilton added: “I find it kind of funny and am not sure anyone really cares what some people think. If you have an opinion, just keep it to yourself.”

Jacques Villeneuve on Monday admitted he has given up on formula one.
Last year, the 1997 world champion was pushing hard to make a comeback, but at Williams’ headquarters in Oxfordshire he admitted he no longer even watches the races.

“I just can’t be bothered. Halfway through the race I’m yawning and it’s really tough … and I just get upset,” the 40-year-old told Reuters at the launch of his former team’s new engine supply deal with Renault.

Villeneuve explained that his major qualm is with the DRS overtaking system, which he has previously denounced as “too artificial”.

“When I see these guys not even being able to defend, like Michael (Schumacher) — he should have been on the podium in Montreal,” he said.

“All the … overtaking with the DRS, I’m just falling asleep … useless, boring, it’s not even racing.”

He is also critical of the amount of penalties handed out to drivers like Lewis Hamilton for banging wheels with his rivals.

“It’s fun, it’s a good show, the fans are up in the grandstands and they can scream and shout about it … that’s good, that’s what you want,” said Villeneuve.

Jacques Villeneuve has little doubt this year’s title winner will be Sebastian Vettel.
The 1997 world champion said the reigning title winner, who is 77 points clear his nearest challenger and in the dominant Red Bull, is surely heading for back-to-back spoils later in 2011.

“This year, definitely, the favourite is Vettel. He’s going to win it very easily unless he does something stupid,” the French Canadian is quoted by Spain’s Europa Press.

Villeneuve, 40, added that the 23-year-old German’s position at present could be described as being “in the clouds”.

“His car is incredible and he has a very strong team; everyone is behind him; the mechanics, the sponsors, a great car. When things are like that, you’re in the clouds — nothing can go wrong,” he insisted.

The former Williams and Sauber driver also commented on the recent fortunes of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.

“Hamilton is aggressive and that’s good, it’s good to see that, but sometimes you have to know when to go for it and when to use your head,” said Villeneuve.

A Canadian is at the front of the queue to become the next reserve driver for the Virgin team.
The role is vacant at present following Sakon Yamamoto’s contract that covered only the first three grands prix of 2011.

The Toronto based Canadian newspaper Globe and Mail said Robert Wickens, 22, is linked with the role given his new backing in the Formula Renault 3.5 series by Virgin’s Russian sponsor and shareholder Marussia.

In the series, he uses a car and overalls coloured in the exact designs of the formula one team.

The newspaper said the former F2 and GP3 driver’s Virgin deal could be in place for the Canadian grand prix in June, and possibly much sooner.

The last Canadian in formula one was 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, who lost his BMW seat in 2006.

Jacques Villeneuve has admitted he wants Mark Webber to beat his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel to the 2010 title.

The 1997 world champion, in Australia for a touring car race, said the Australian driver has been “amazing” in the face of difficult conditions.

“He’s been very strong mentally, it’s the best he’s ever driven, and the team has been against him as well,” said Villeneuve, referring to Webber’s struggle for status alongside the rising star Vettel in 2010.

Earlier this week, French Canadian Villeneuve said he thinks Webber has a mental advantage over Vettel, who he denounced as “spoilt” by Red Bull.

The German newspaper Die Welt said Villeneuve’s opinion is widespread within the driver camp, its headline announcing that Vettel is “unpopular among his colleagues”.

Rubens Barrichello said the ill-feeling can be traced back to Silverstone, where Webber triumphed despite publicly declaring he felt like a “number 2 driver”.

Red Bull has pledged equality, at least for the three-race run to the Abu Dhabi finale, but team boss Christian Horner thinks the team has bigger problems.

“We are going to have to reckon with tactical games,” said the Briton, referring to Ferrari’s clear system of preference as Felipe Massa supports Fernando Alonso’s title charge.

“Our philosophy,” added Horner, “is different.”

Red Bull has pledged driver equality for the 2010 title fight, whilst openly admitting that Sebastian Vettel is regarded as the man of the future.

“The main thing now is that we become world champions,” said Helmut Marko, who was accused earlier this year of wanting Vettel to beat Australian Webber to the top spot.

But with Webber 14 points clear, and Vettel level-pegging with Ferrari’s chasing Fernando Alonso, the Austrian-owned team must give the 34-year-old an unimpeded run to the chequered flag.

For the future, however, Red Bull’s ambitions are well known.

“I repeat: we are building the team around Sebastian,” team boss Christian Horner is quoted by Auto Bild.

“Sebastian has a long career ahead of him and hopefully he will spend it with us,” said the Briton. “Mark is in the autumn of his career.

“He wants to retire while he’s at the top, not when he’s past his peak like some other drivers,” added Horner.

1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, however, thinks Red Bull are making a mistake by giving 23-year-old Vettel so much cover.

“Just look at the differing seasons Mark and Sebastian have had,” the French Canadian is quoted by the Telegraph.

“Vettel has shown he has an impetuous streak but if he makes a mistake and the team don’t tell him it was his fault, he won’t learn.

“It’s Red Bull’s fault for spoiling him,” insisted Villeneuve.

The plans for a formula one team are reportedly still alive, but Villeneuve/Durango is now more likely to turn its attention to NASCAR.

Ivone Pinton, principal of the Italian team Durango that pulled out of GP2 in 2009 with financial problems, echoed Jacques Villeneuve’s comments of last month that the collaboration is looking to buy one of the existing F1 teams.

Colin Kolles said in September that the rumours linking the struggling HRT team with Durango left him “speechless”.

But Durango’s Pinton insists F1 is a real option, telling the Italian website 422race.com that he and the 1997 world champion Villeneuve are “still working together” and in talks with “a couple of” the sport’s current teams.

“If we can do it in 2011, fine.  Otherwise we will go on working on it,” he explained.

French Canadian Villeneuve told the Canadian media last month that another option is to switch focus to NASCAR.

Pinton agreed, explaining that a successful foray in North America could precede a later attempt to “do things well in Europe”.

“This (NASCAR) is the most logical and possible situation,” he said.  “It’s useless to do something if you aren’t sure of the quality.  And we already saw how it is to do F1 without quality.”

With one swift retort, Colin Kolles extinguished rumours that the Jacques Villeneuve/Durango venture might be rescued by struggling F1 team HRT.

After the alliance missed out on the 13th team entry for 2011, 1997 world champion Villeneuve said another potential route onto next year’s grid was to buy an existing outfit.

The most affordable would most certainly be Hispania Racing, slowest on the 2010 grid and reportedly struggling for survival.

“To be honest, I’m really speechless that you believe this speculation,” said team boss Kolles, when also asked in Singapore about speculation linking HRT with Stefan GP.

“Why should I answer you if you mention the name Durango and the people you just mentioned before?  I cannot make any comment because I never spoke to these people,” he added.

Villeneuve also responded to the speculation on Friday, in conversation with the French Canadian publication Rue Frontenac.

“We have not yet made a formal bid for an F1 team at all,” said the 39-year-old.

“As the deadlines are less pressing than those imposed by the FIA, we are evaluating all our options before making a final decision,” added Villeneuve.

He admitted that turning his attention to NASCAR is perhaps now the most likely outcome.

“We are looking at how the funds that would have been for the F1 side can be transferred to North America to develop a programme in NASCAR,” said the Canadian.

According to rumours in the Singapore paddock, the Toro Rosso and Sauber teams could be set for new ownership.

The Basler Zeitung newspaper claims Nick Heidfeld’s new tenure at Sauber could be short-lived because Mexican GP2 driver Sergio Perez stands a good chance of becoming Kamui Kobayashi’s 2011 teammate.

The rumours linking the Swiss team with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, who sponsors Perez through his Telmex company, have been circulating for some time.

Sauber has already signed a Mexican, the teenaged Esteban Gutierrez, as its 2011 reserve driver.

Meanwhile, the Swiss newspaper Le Matin reports that Dietrich Mateschitz wants to sell Red Bull’s second formula one team Toro Rosso.

The report said the Austrian billionaire stands to make a handsome profit from the deal, because after buying Minardi for $40 million in 2006, the Faenza based team is now be worth three times that much.

Jacques Villeneuve/Durango was mentioned as a possible buyer.