Ferrari has played down rumours it is close to immediately ousting Felipe Massa, insisting it is possible the struggling Brazilian will still be in a red car next year.

On Twitter, the famous Italian team said the latest rumours – including a claim that former Virgin driver Jerome d’Ambrosio is a candidate to replace Massa in 2012 – are “funny”.

But it was Ferrari itself who fuelled the speculation, publishing a statement on its website that read like a warning to Massa.

“It was a very carefully-worded statement, wasn’t it?” said Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary.

“The way this crazy season is going, I really would not be massively shocked if they ditched him mid-season.”

The Swiss newspaper Blick said Monaco next weekend could be the 30-year-old’s last chance to up his game.

And the candidates are lining up.

“Ferrari knows that I’m ready. If they need me or they want me, then they will call me,” Adrian Sutil, who accompanied his manager to last weekend’s Spanish grand prix, said.

The Spanish newspaper El Mundo said some paddock pundits believe “the only reason” Massa still has its seat is because the “name Todt” – a reference not only to Massa’s manager Nicolas but to the FIA president – has a “protective arm” around him.

Ferrari spokesman Luca Colajanni told Brazil’s O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper this week: “Felipe has the full confidence of the team, starting with our president.

“We have not decided who will be our driver in 2013 but Felipe is not ruled out,” he insisted.

Indeed, while some believe Ferrari has hung a sword of Damocles above Massa’s head, others think the Maranello based team have been patient since the Paulista’s recovery from his near-fatal head injuries of 2009.

“We have no evidence that makes us think that Felipe has slowed down because of the accident. Zero,” Colajanni said.

F1 doctor Gary Hartstein agreed: “An experience like that (Hungary 2009) changes you, but you can’t say that’s why Felipe has not won again.”

Jerome d’Ambrosio is the latest name linked with struggling Felipe Massa’s Ferrari race seat.

While Mark Webber or Sergio Perez are the Maranello team’s more likely longer term solutions, Ferrari may be looking simply for a stop-gap solution, having reportedly run out of patience for Brazilian Massa’s lack of pace and results.

The French sports daily L’Equipe named d’Ambrosio, the Belgian driver who lost his Virgin/Marussia seat at the end of last season.

He is managed by Eric Boullier, and now Lotus’ reserve driver.

Also named as potential substitutes for Massa in recent days were Nico Hulkenberg, Paul di Resta and Kamui Kobayashi.

But, according to L’Equipe, d’Ambrosio “has the advantage of being immediately available, giving Ferrari time to find a more permanent solution” for 2013.

Also ready to step in now is Adrian Sutil, the former Force India driver who is putting his career back together after the Eric Lux assault affair.

“I have no money to offer,” the German is quoted as saying. “After five seasons, people know what is my level. I want a normal salary, that’s all.”

Jerome d’Ambrosio has revealed he could drive one of the Lotus cars during Friday morning practice sessions at some point in 2012.

The former Virgin driver, who is managed by Lotus boss Eric Boullier’s Gravity company, was appointed as the team’s third and reserve driver for this year.

But, until now, it was not known if the role would involve Friday morning practice duties.

Asked by the La Libre newspaper when he will be seen on the grid once again, Belgian d’Ambrosio answered: “I hope in 2013.”

He will get his 2013 campaign up and running on Tuesday, when he gets the chance to drive Lotus’ current E20 for the first time at the Mugello test.

The 26-year-old said on Monday: “I will try to show what I can do every time I have the opportunity, not only tomorrow but also during the Friday morning tests that I can participate in.”

D’Ambrosio admitted he would rather be racing this year, but insists that his role at Lotus is a good stepping stone.

“I’m not complaining,” he said. “I remain convinced that my decision to become a reserve driver with a big team was the best thing for me.”

And he insisted he is not jealous of the similarly-aged Romain Grosjean, who took the E20 to the podium in Bahrain recently.

“Honestly not,” said d’Ambrosio. “I would be a fool to think that if Romain had crashed twice more I would replace him in Barcelona.

“Instead, what Grosjean has done confirms that young guys can be trusted. I am glad to see him succeed.

“I don’t come to grands prix hoping one of my teammates is hurt. I’m here to learn, not to laugh.”

He thinks Lotus could win a race in 2012.

“It’s possible, yes,” said d’Ambrosio. “The E20 works well when it’s hot, degrading the tyres not too much.

“In Bahrain, we had the best car in the race. We cannot afford to miss opportunities.”

Lucas di Grassi has admitted that even his continuing role at Pirelli is not a ticket back onto the F1 grid.

“I’m in the best possible position technically, as the driver with knowledge of the tyres – almost choosing them for next season – it puts me in a very comfortable position.

“Of course I want to race again with a team and I’m working on it,” said the 2010 Virgin driver, who was replaced by the now Marussia team with Jerome d’Ambrosio at the end of his only season in F1.

“The only problem is the lack of sponsorship,” di Grassi is quoted by Globo. “Let’s hope some Brazilian companies want to come in to support.”

Martin Brundle, a former F1 veteran whose son Alex now competes in the lower-tier GP3 series, admitted sponsorship is a problem for aspiring racers.

“Drivers are paying as much as $10 million to be a reserve at some teams,” the British commentator told the Daily Mail.

“Nine men who raced in F1 last year don’t have a drive any more. As soon as the money runs out, they’re replaced by someone who does have money.”

HRT has announced it will sit out next week’s rare in-season formula one test at Mugello.

For the first time in years, the sport has relaxed slightly its strict testing ban in order to give teams the chance to run between grands prix.

The three-day session at Ferrari’s Italian circuit will begin next Tuesday, during the three-week gap between Bahrain and Spain.

Struggling backmarkers HRT, however, will not be there, opting instead to be “completely focused” on relocating to its new Caja Magica headquarters in Madrid.

Every other team will be at Mugello, 30 kilometres from Florence — the first in-season test for four years.

26 drivers will be in action, as will a lot of update packages following F1′s return from the hectic ‘flyaway’ season.

Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, Sauber, Marussia and Toro Rosso will use their regular race drivers.

Running regular racers and a tester will be Lotus (Jerome d’Ambrosio), Williams (Valtteri Bottas) and Force India (Jules Bianchi).

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said Caterham is “using the opportunity to earn some money” by accepting the sponsorship of the Venezuelan Rodolfo Gonzalez.

McLaren has scheduled to run its testers Oliver Turvey and Gary Paffett, although Lewis Hamilton has indicated he might gatecrash the programme in order to help solve the MP4-27′s newfound tyre problems.

Marussia Racing’s new MR01 finally made its first on-track appearance during a promotional ‘filming’ day at Silverstone, just a few miles from is Banbury base.

The Anglo-Russian team endured a torrid time in its attempts to get the car ready for the third and final group test at Barcelona last week, having skipped the opening session in Jerez to prepare the MR01 for early March, only to fail the mandatory FIA crash tests. Although both Timo Glock and rookie Charles Pic got some miles under their belts in Barcelona last month, it was at the wheel of the 2011-spec car, leaving them preciously short of time in the new machine ahead of its race debut in Melbourne next weekend.

The Silverstone shakedown, part of a promotional event ahead of the car’s departure for the Australian Grand Prix, will provide both team and driver with vital information on the new machine, which has been conceived after a ground-up re-evaluation of the way Marussia designs its racing cars. As such, the car is almost entirely new, with very few carry-over components from last year’s Marussia Virgin MVR-02.

The desire to make a clean break from the previous CFD-only creations presented the design team, led by technical consultant Pat Symonds, with the challenge of going back to basics to produce a solid mechanical package, whilst maintaining an eye towards achieving the incremental performance steps required to move the team forward.

The starting point for the design programme was a consideration of the people and resources available to the Banbury-based team. The former three-base operation has been consolidated into one site, the Marussia Technical Centre in Banbury, bringing the various elements of the business together to form ‘one team’. In particular, the design department and practices now benefit from far greater integration and collaboration. Furthermore, the aerodynamic department has been completely restructured and the aero methodology reinforced, blurring the boundaries between CFD and experimental work in the wind tunnel, as well as enhancing the fidelity of the team’s aero approach.

The technical partnership forged with McLaren Applied Technologies in July of last year has also been influential in the design process and the relationship is starting to yield benefit as the advanced facilities that the Marussia team has access to have been used to prove the correlation process with the MVR-02. It is however early in the relationship and the MR01 will become a beneficiary of the relationship in due course.

The key design priorities were to address previous aerodynamic deficiencies and, mechanically, achieve greater weight saving. At the same time, a lot of the detail of the car has been refined and the design team have been a little more adventurous than before, stepping closer to the engineering boundaries. The car can best be described as a significant evolution of its predecessors. The relationship with McLaren is also evident, as the MR01 is only the second car launched this season, after the Woking giant’s MP4-27, to eschew the stepped nose concept favoured by the rest of the field.

“We are very pleased to be running the new MR01 for the first time this morning,” team principal John Booth admitted, “It has been a long and frustrating wait for everyone in the team, but we can now get back on track – literally – and start working towards the first race of the season in Australia next weekend.

“Today is the first of two promotional events, so while the drivers will be able to get a feel for the car, they won’t be able to draw any real conclusions until we start running in anger in Melbourne. Nevertheless, this is an important day for us and we’ll enjoy every minute on track with the new car.”

Glock turned the first laps with the MR01, beginning his third season with the team and providing the all-important element of continuity required to keep moving the package forward. He is joined in 2012 by Frenchman Pic, who embarks on his rookie year in F1, having made the step up from GP2 to replace Belgium’s Jerome d’Ambrosio. Both drivers will get track time with the new car over the next two days, albeit running on demonstration tyres as opposed to the Pirelli P-Zeros that they will use once competition starts in Melbourne.

Marussia intends to keep Charles Pic, the team’s new French rookie, for more than a single season.
When known as Virgin, the team ousted Timo Glock’s 2010 and 2011 teammates – Lucas di Grassi and Jerome d’Ambrosio respectively – after a single season each.

The latest in the pay-driver hotseat is GP2 driver Pic, 21.

“I think there is some long term potential for him,” said team chief executive Andy Webb.

“I’m looking really to see if he can go forward for more than one year,” he told the Daily Mail.

With its 2012 car not yet ready, Marussia is the only team sitting out this week’s Jerez test.

Although also without new single seaters launched yet, Mercedes and HRT are running this week with their 2011 cars.

“I think it is a setback,” admitted team boss John Booth.

“We’ve taken on a huge challenge following the exit of Nick Wirth and to build a new car from scratch is demanding, but we are certainly up for that challenge.

“We have decided that it is the best thing for us to reach Barcelona initially with the 2011 car, and then for the second Barcelona test with the 2012 car. That’s the plan.”

Former Virgin driver Jerome d’Ambrosio will be the third driver for Lotus in 2012.
The 26-year-old Belgian’s career is handled by Gravity, the management arm of the former Renault team’s owners Genii.

He will “attend all races” this season and be ready to replace Kimi Raikkonen or Romain Grosjean if required, Lotus said in a media statement.

“Of course, I would love to be racing, but racing with a top team,” said d’Ambrosio.

“Being associated with Lotus F1 team should be more beneficial and this is the choice I have made,” he added.

D’Ambrosio was the Enstone based team’s reserve driver in 2010, before making his grand prix debut last year.

Just before the Lotus announcement on Tuesday, his manager Benjamin Mignot told Le Derniere Heure: “They (Lotus) are conscious that if they are going to announce Jerome as the third driver, they should do it before HRT reveals its second driver.”

 Despite losing his Virgin race seat, Jerome d’Ambrosio sounds confident about his future.
The Belgian will be replaced at the newly-renamed Marussia team for 2012 by the French GP2 driver Charles Pic.

It means Interlagos was 25-year-old d’Ambrosio’s last race for now.

“I finished on a high note with a great weekend; probably my best of the season,” he is quoted by French website toilef1.com.

He said he was told the bad news by his bosses when he arrived at the track on Thursday.

“I will not be with the team next year but the team was happy with my season,” said d’Ambrosio. “The new goal of course is to be here (in F1) next year.”

He is managed by the Gravity group, which is headed by Renault/Lotus boss Eric Boullier.

“Without saying any names, we have discussed various options,” said d’Ambrosio.

“My situation is the same as last year, except that I have done a very good season and I have not gone unnoticed in the paddock. So I have more credibility than before.

“I think a lot of things can still happen on the driver transfer market, so we’ll see what happens.”

Virgin has refused to confirm reports it has already decided to replace Jerome d’Ambrosio with French rookie Charles Pic in 2012.
The French sports daily L’Equipe reported on Wednesday that 21-year-old Pic, fourth in GP2 this year and backed by the Lagardere group, will be Timo Glock’s new teammate.

It is believed Pic will test for Virgin, to become Marussia next season, at the forthcoming young drivers’ test in Abu Dhabi.

“We expect after the testing of young drivers and after the end of the season to make our (2012 driver lineup) decision with a public statement,” a team spokesperson told the Belgian news agency Belga.

“The final decision on Timo Glock’s teammate is not done yet,” the official added.

The French sports.fr portal, meanwhile, quoted Pic’s agent as insisting that the youngster has not yet signed up with any team for 2012.

The report said Pic, who has definitely travelled to Abu Dhabi, could also test with Team Lotus/Caterham at Yas Marina.

D’Ambrosio’s manager Benjamin Mignot, overseeing the Belgian’s career for the Gravity group, insisted all is not lost for the 25-year-old.

“I’m not going to tell you that we are looking at being at Ferrari instead of Ferrari,” he joked to Le Soir newspaper.

“But we know that Barrichello is still not confirmed at Williams and there are also seats available at HRT and also Virgin.

“Clearly we are not willing to have any seat at any price, but we believe firmly that Jerome has a place in F1 in 2012,” added Mignot.

A Frenchman may have moved into pole position for a Virgin race seat in 2012.
Reporting that Jerome d’Ambrosio’s seat is in danger, the Belgian newspaper De Morgen this month said Charles Pic, fourth in this year’s GP2 series, has “more money” from his sponsors to spend next year.

Pic, 21, is also in talks with Toro Rosso about next month’s Abu Dhabi young driver test, team boss Franz Tost revealed last week.

But it was in the column of French commentator Jean-Louis Moncet that Pic’s links with 1996 Monaco winner Olivier Panis were revealed.

Pic is working with “his mentor” Panis through the Lagardere management outfit, and Moncet reveals that officials made a “very important working visit” to Suzuka recently.

“The Virgin team could soon announce the arrival of Charles Pic as a race driver for 2012,” said Moncet in his Auto Plus blog.

Lucas di Grassi has admitted there is a risk he will not stay with the Virgin team beyond the 2010 season.

The Brazilian made his debut with the new British team this year, but the Belgian newspaper La Libre is reporting that Dutchman Giedo van der Garde will almost certainly replace him for 2011.

Earlier, it was expected that Belgian Jerome d’Ambrosio, currently a Friday morning driver in di Grassi’s car at grands prix, had secured enough sponsorship to buy the cockpit.

“There is no threat from them,” di Grassi, quoted in the O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, answered when asked about the spectre of pay-drivers.

“If it was up to them (Virgin), they would continue with the same drivers,” he added, also referring to his current teammate Timo Glock.

“But we know that it depends on other factors as well — financial (ones), yes,” added di Grassi, 26.

La Libre said van der Garde is expected to sign the 2011 contract this weekend at Interlagos, having come up with almost twice as much personal sponsorship as d’Ambrosio.

Meanwhile, also in Sao Paulo on Wednesday, Bruno Senna commented on reports he could switch from HRT to Lotus next year.

“There is nothing certain with regards to 2011, my focus now is to finish this championship in the best possible way,” he told Brazilian media.

“There are still plenty of decisions yet to come,” added Senna.

Jerome d’Ambrosio is close to securing his formula one race debut for 2011.

That is the claim of Eric Boullier, who is in charge not only of the Renault team, but also Genii Capital’s driver management arm Gravity.

Gravity negotiated Belgian d’Ambrosio’s current Friday role with Virgin, and he is also set to race alongside Timo Glock next year, depending on his management’s ability to compile the necessary budget.

“We have 95 per cent of the package together,” Frenchman Boullier told the Het Nieuwsblad newspaper.

“For the remaining 5 per cent,” he added, “it’s just a matter of days. I would be pleased to have a signed contract in his pocket by the last race in Abu Dhabi.”

Jerome D’Ambrosio caused by the moderately popular Renault roadshow in the South Korean capital Seoul for Formula 1 action to attack

Until 11 October will decide in the context of the FIA inspection of the new route if the first Grand Prix of South Korea actually planned on 24 can take place in October, but today, the South Korean fans had the opportunity of a Formula 1 car to look at closely.

One month after Karun Chandhok Red Bull-demo laps around the then unfinished Korean International Circuit (KIC) moved today from Jérôme D’Ambrosio with a Renault R29 from the previous season in order to infect the capital Seoul with the Formula-1 virus . The Belgians went on a specially created course along the Se-Jong Street, and laid on the quarter mile time and again through a spectacular burnout.
“This has been fun,” laughs D’Ambrosio. “I am for the first time in Seoul and I’m going for the first time a Formula 1 car through a city. It’s always exciting to discover another country, especially one such as South Korea, which is being prepared at a Grand Prix. You can feel the enthusiasm of the population for the Formula 1 already and I am sure that this will also be at the race. I did my best to give the fans a good show. I hope they enjoyed it .
But while Renault is celebrating the success of the event, come from South Korea voices, which by far are not that many people have been there, as had been hoped for in advance. In addition, Renault have not yet posted any meaningful pictures of the event.

At least one was successful: The engineers of the Road Show team programmed the V8 engine is such that he act out by different speeds, the South Korean anthem …