Kimi Raikkonen has revealed he would like to contest August’s rally of Finland.

F1′s 2007 world champion returned from world rallying to grand prix racing this year.

“Of course I wanted to do better. But I’m not finished. I want to go back, whether for my career or after I don’t know,” the 32-year-old told Motorsport News, according to the official WRC website.

Earlier, Raikkonen admitted he had sidelined his rallying career for now in order to concentrate on F1. Before the 2011 season, Lotus’ (then Renault) regular driver Robert Kubica was seriously injured in a rally crash, and is still yet to return to the sport.

“I’d like to do rally Finland this season as it fits with the calendar but you’ll have to ask the team if it fits in my contract,” Raikkonen said.

Engineer Toni Cuquerella assumes, as of today, the role of Technical Director of HRT Formula 1 Team. Cuquerella, besides being at the head of technical development, will continue to exercise his role as the maximum figure of engineering on the track.

Since Geoff Willis left the team in September of 2011, the position of Technical Director has not been occupied. The decision was then made for the development of the F112 to take place at the team’s technical office in Munich, at the hands of Holzer Group and the Chief of Aerodynamics, Stephane Chosse, under the supervision of the, until last February, Technical Coordinator Jacky Eeckelaert.

With the F112 put on the track, it’s now time to work on its development and evolution and so, the naming of a person to lead this project is necessary. And no one better than Toni Cuquerella, with his experience in Formula 1 and his praiseworthy work at the fore of HRT, to take it on.

The appointment of the Spanish engineer at the head of the technical department is a new step in the new management’s desire to centralize and take control of all the activities related to the design and development of the car. This will optimize the coordination of the different departments, helping to meet the set targets, and also rationalize resources.

Toni Cuquerella, Technical Director: “The role of Technical Director implies a great amount of responsibility in terms of coordination and decision making. That’s why I’m very proud that the management considers me to be the most adequate person to carry it out. Until now there was a lot of dispersion from within the technical team and that had its repercussions in the concept and quality of the F112. My priority is to solve the current car’s problems to then develop it to its maximum potential, whilst also unifying and expanding the technical department, but I’m confident that we have a good work base and a clear direction to advance and have a good project for the future”.

Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal: “Toni Cuquerella has been a key figure in the team since its inception and, above all, in this new stage. The transition from the previous project to this one hasn’t been easy and a lot of work has been carried out that without vital figures such as him wouldn’t have been possible. The position of Technical Director was vacant and the development of the F112 was carried out at the technical office in Munich. But now, with the car already on the track, it was important to take control and count on someone influential at the head of the technical office. And because of his experience, judgment and knowledge, Toni’s profile fitted in perfectly”.

Profile
Date of birth: 14th of April 1973
Place of birth: Gandia, Spain
Nationality: Spanish

Antonio Cuquerella was born in Gandía, Spain 38 years ago. He did a degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Universidad Politécnica of Valencia.

In 1999 he had his first role as a race engineer for Campos GP at the Open Nissan. After this he worked in various national and international motorsport categories before becoming Chief Engineer of the Toledo WTCC and Leon WTCC projects at SEAT Sport.

In 2006 he arrived in Formula 1 as a race engineer for Super Aguri F1, where he spent two years before moving to BMW Sauber F1 Team, acting in the same role with driver Robert Kubica.

Towards the end of 2009 he decided to take a risk and back Adrián Campos in a project to establish a new Spanish team in Formula 1, becoming the Chief Race Engineer for Campos Meta. Since the team’s first season, Toni has been the Chief Race and Test Engineer and has been a key figure both in the early days and this new stage of HRT and now he assumes an even more important role as the Technical Director.

Kimi Raikkonen has argued he is back in the mood for F1 by revealing he would have kept racing in 2010.
“I was never planning to leave the sport in the first place,” the 2007 world champion told the Times of India. “I had a contract for 2010 anyway.”

Indeed, at the end of 2009, Ferrari bought out the Finn’s deal so that Fernando Alonso could arrive early with the backing of the Spanish bank Santander.

Raikkonen headed off for two years of world rallying but is back with Lotus in 2012, fending off all the old questions about his motivation.

“Since I started in F1, I have always preferred the time we spend in the car from anything else happening in the paddock. It’s still the same,” the 32-year-old insists.

Even now, he would prefer to split his F1 racing with more rallying, but has agreed to abide his team’s wishes that he stay off the gravel.

“Ah, it’s normal with formula one they try to ban everything,” he told London’s Telegraph. “Unfortunately with what happened to Robert (Kubica) last year … but even before that it was written into contracts.

“Maybe in the future if you can do some good results you can get a release or something. I still love it,” said Raikkonen.

“If I could do it this year at the same time as formula one I would. I think it’s good practice and it’s good fun.”

 Robert Kubica is back on track yet again, according to the latest reports from Italy.
It emerged a few days ago that the Pole had moved his recovery from serious injury forwards by returning to the wheel of a Skoda Fabia rally car in Liguria, Italy.

La Gazzetta dello Sport now reports that the former BMW and Renault driver has tested a kart at a circuit in Montecatini-Terme, Tuscany.

Former Renault boss Flavio Briatore advises Kubica not to rush his return to F1.

“I have seen him a few times and have told him not to hurry back. You cannot lose your talent, but first you should focus on your health. 100 per cent,” he told Italy’s Sky Sport 24.

Briatore recalled former Benetton driver Alessandro Nannini, who badly injured his arm in a helicopter crash in 1990.

“He hurried back and we all know how that ended,” said Briatore.

“I think Kubica will succeed, but he needs to plan to come back in two years. You can’t be in F1 if you’re not 100 per cent.”

 If not for Robert Kubica’s predicament, Felipe Massa would have lost his Ferrari seat by now.
That is the view of F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

He told Austria’s Der Spiegel that Kubica, still recovering from horror injuries sustained in a rally crash in February last year, would have replace the struggling Brazilian Massa.

“I think, for them (Ferrari), it’s a question of alternatives,” said Ecclestone.

“Who, of those available to them, are better than Massa?

“I am very confident that Robert Kubica would be sitting in that Ferrari now if a year ago he would not have had that horrible rally accident,” the 81-year-old opined.

Italy’s Rallyemotion reports that Kubica tested a Skoda Fabia rally car last Thursday in Liguria.

Meanwhile, Ecclestone backed Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali, amid expectations the famous Maranello based team will struggle early in 2012.

“Ferrari’s problems have nothing to do with the leadership,” he said.

“The problems are on the technical side. But instead of firing someone, they should buy someone: Adrian Newey.”

Jaime Alguersuari has revealed he has heard bad news about Robert Kubica’s condition.
With official news about the injured Pole scarce, one of his friends said last week Kubica is close to returning to a normal life, raising hopes he might soon be back in formula one.

But former Toro Rosso driver Alguersuari has heard something very different.

“I think Robert is and was a fantastic driver, fast and complete. I am sure that he could have been a world champion without a doubt,” he said this week when he was revealed as a co-commentator for British radio in 2012.

“At the moment the latest information I have about him is not very good,” the Spaniard admitted. “He can not drink using his hand — I mean he cannot take a glass and drink, so it doesn’t look too good.”

Kubica, formerly with BMW and Renault, crashed during a minor Italian rally early last year, forcing a metal barrier through the car.

Alguersuari revealed that Kubica’s co-driver, Jakub Gerber, initially saw such horrific injuries that he “thought he (Kubica) was dead”.

More than a year on, “I think his injury is worse than expected,” the 21-year-old continued.

“Of course I would like him to come back, because without a doubt he deserves to be in F1.”

Pirelli will use the former Renault team’s 2010 car for private track testing this year, the sport’s official tyre supplier announced on Wednesday.
Until now, the Italian marque has tested with Toyota’s 2009 car, the TF109, which was deemed now too outdated to use for the next generation of Pirelli tyre.

“The Toyota is no longer able to generate the same sort of forces that we need to simulate in order to meet the current requirements of formula one,” said motor sport director Paul Hembery.

Another reason is that the Toyota’s fuel tank was not big enough to simulate a race-load of fuel, for the current regulations that came into force in 2010.

Pirelli said the Renault R30, originally raced by Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov, will be run in plain black carbon, driven by a test driver whose identity will be revealed “later this month”.

The car will be adapted to simulate this year’s regulations, and run by Pirelli’s own technicians, “with no team member connected to a current formula one team” in order to “ensure complete impartiality”.

Pirelli said it will test four or five times this year, beginning in May, with an observer from each F1 team invited to attend.

A friend of injured driver Robert Kubica admitted the Pole is still months from knowing when he can return to the wheel of a F1 car.
The former BMW and Renault driver suffered horror injuries in a rally crash more than a year ago, but there are reports he might be well enough to return some time in 2012.

A close friend of the now 27-year-old said in the Barcelona paddock: “Robert is close to leading a normal life.

“He drives his road car and goes out by himself,” the friend, who wished to remain anonymous, told the BBC.

“He is still building up the strength in his right arm. It will be June or July before it can be determined if he is fit enough to test a F1 car.”

Robert Kubica’s comeback could be at the wheel of a turbocharged 2010 Ferrari, according to reports in the Italian media.
It emerged this week that, despite the recent setback of a re-broken leg after an icy fall, the Pole could be only months away from attempting some laps in a F1 simulator.

As for his track return, it is rumoured Ferrari sees Kubica as a potential test driver, with a view to ultimately becoming Fernando Alonso’s teammate.

The new Italian reports say a private test at Fiorano in June or July at the wheel of a two-year old Ferrari equipped with the marque’s 2014-specification turbo V6 prototype has been set as a tentative target.

The same reports suggest some sort of agreement may have been signed.

The unknown factor is the final phase of Kubica’s recovery, with the 27-year-old believed to be still unable to fully rotate his right arm that was almost severed in his rally crash last February.

 Team owner Gerard Lopez has confirmed reports Lotus could change its driver lineup completely ahead of the 2012 season.
Already signed up for next year is Kimi Raikkonen, amid reports 2011 drivers Bruno Senna and Vitaly Petrov are the main contenders to be the famous Finn’s teammate.

“It’s not just a question of Vitaly or Bruno,” clarified majority team owner Genii Capital’s Lopez.

Other reports say reserve driver and new GP2 champion Romain Grosjean – whose career is handled by Genii’s management arm Gravity – as well as likely Force India refugee Adrian Sutil, are also in the running.

“We will make a decision fairly quickly,” Lopez told RTL Luxembourg radio.

He seemed to indicate that Brazilian Senna, who was drafted in mid-season to replace injured Robert Kubica’s initial substitute Nick Heidfeld, is not the favourite.

“From the second half of the season we had two young drivers in Vitaly and Bruno,” he said.

“They are really good drivers, but the huge problem at the moment is the little testing in formula one. We do not have time to build up young drivers.”

The likelihood of an early 2012 return to the Lotus (currently Renault) team for Robert Kubica appears to have receded even further.
The Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Thursday that the Polish driver, who has already undergone five operations since his February rally crash, is scheduled to have more surgery in the coming days.

The next operation will be on his right wrist and will surely intensify speculation that team boss Eric Boullier has already decided to pair Vitaly Petrov with the new GP2 champion Romain Grosjean next season.

Kubica’s hand surgeon Igor Rossello suggested that the new surgery is relatively minor.

“The mobility of Kubica’s right hand is satisfactory,” he said. “Robert has told me that he has already driven a car. This a miracle of his will.”

But the report said Kubica is still months from the end of his rehabilitation process.

British tabloid The Sun quoted Renault/Lotus boss Boullier as saying: “We have to assess options and are still waiting for Robert to come back to us to say he can test.

“Until we see him and have the confirmation we cannot say anything. And unfortunately we need to keep the option of not having him back,” he added.

With an announcement believed to be imminent, it is expected that Adrian Sutil is definitely staying with Force India in 2011.

The Silverstone based team’s chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer has admitted that while Sutil is sometimes outspoken, he is among F1′s very best drivers.

“He is sometimes almost too honest,” Szafnauer, referring to the team’s ever-present German racer, told Auto Motor und Sport.

“In terms of driving, he sits directly behind Alonso, Hamilton, Vettel and Kubica among the category of the top drivers in formula one,” he insisted.

Force India’s team boss and owner Vijay Mallya told the same German publication that he is also happy with 28-year-old Sutil.

“He has grown with the team and contributed to our improvements,” said the Indian billionaire.

“He is also developing personally and I expect this upwards trend to continue,” added Mallya.

On an outing near his Swiss home with a German reporter and Sutil’s TechArt Porsche GT2, the 71-grand prix veteran confirmed Force India’s progress of the past years.

“The organisation is better, Mercedes and McLaren have helped us and our design department is working professionally,” he said.

And after the team’s top form of 2009, Sutil admitted he is hoping to get another chance at securing a place on the podium.

“We were down in the pack and then so suddenly in it to win, and I was so excited and surprised that I didn’t manage a perfect lap in qualifying,” he rued.

Late on Thursday afternoon at Interlagos, heavy rain started to fall.

The weather could be a precursor to a wet weekend at the Brazilian circuit, which a year ago hosted a famously drenched qualifying session.

The forecast for Friday is for a mainly fine day, with the chance of showers increasing later on and overnight.

Saturday could be showery and the outlook for Sunday is for better weather, but the conditions in Sao Paulo are often unpredictable — Thursday, for example, was expected to remain dry.

“It’s likely we will have some wet running this weekend,” said Renault driver Robert Kubica.

Renault and Force India have emerged as the most likely teams to keep Nick Heidfeld’s formula one career alive beyond 2010.

Although returning from Mercedes and Pirelli test roles to complete the current season with Sauber, Heidfeld has not been signed for next season by the Swiss team, who are instead pitting the Telmex-backed rookie Sergio Perez alongside Kamui Kobayashi.

But veteran Heidfeld, revealing in Korea this week that he does not carry any personal sponsorship, has emerged as a candidate to replace the disappointing Russian pay-driver Vitaly Petrov at Renault.

Team boss Eric Boullier, suggesting that a decision could be made by Abu Dhabi next month, told Auto Motor und Sport: “Both Heidfeld and Sutil have a chance.”

Renault’s thinking is that, with a good driver alongside Robert Kubica this year, the team might have beaten Mercedes to fourth place in the constructors’ championship — with prize-money arguably beyond even Petrov’s impressive dowry.

Adrian Sutil, with a solid offer to stay at Force India, is also an interesting candidate, especially with his EUR5 million in Medion sponsorship to offer.

The good news for Heidfeld is that Sutil is also in the running for the Williams seat, and his departure to either Renault or Williams would free up the place at Force India.

“That place is only free if Sutil goes,” Heidfeld confirmed.

And if Sutil does go, the 33-year-old German must be a strong contender.

“It is hardly conceivable that Force India will go into 2011 with Vitantonio Liuzzi next to Paul di Resta — one a newcomer and another who has been disappointing,” said the German media report.

The opening sector of the Yeongam circuit in Korea looks set to be a headache for Red Bull this weekend.

Although grounded for most of the opening session on Friday with mechanics working at the rear of his car, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton still managed to top the timing sheet.

The fastest Red Bull was Sebastian Vettel’s, half a second behind and fourth, with the now extremely-efficient F-duct on Renault propelling Robert Kubica to the second best time.

The problem for Red Bull in the first sector is the ultra-long straight, with Ferrari also proving faster there.

“Sector one doesn’t look like our home ground,” agreed Vettel, “but I think sector two and sector three should give us a possibility to catch up.”

His teammate Mark Webber, recalling August’s Belgian grand prix where Hamilton won, added: “It was the same at Spa. We knew that we were going to be quite vulnerable up the hill there.”

Indeed, in Korea, the MP4-25 reached 316kph on the long straight, nearly 10kph faster than Red Bull’s RB6.