Felipe Massa’s Ferrari seat is a big talking point in the Sepang paddock on Thursday.
Following a dire performance in Australia for the Brazilian, the Italian press has named Sergio Perez, Adrian Sutil and even Jarno Trulli as possible candidates to immediately oust Massa.

Mexican Perez, the cream of Ferrari’s development programme and already at Ferrari-powered Sauber, said in Malaysia: “It’s very early to say that or speculate.”

Very keen for a chance like this, however, is Force India refugee Sutil, who has been left without a job in the wake of his criminal conviction.

“I am very motivated and I’m training hard to stay fit,” the German is quoted on Thursday by Auto Bild Motorsport.

All eyes will be on Massa this weekend, as Ferrari has agreed to build him up a new F2012 chassis in the wake of his lacklustre performance in Melbourne.

“I really don’t care,” he said in reaction to the rumours, “I have a job.”

A Spanish arbitration court has ruled that HRT team owner Jose Ramon Carabante owes almost 50 million euros to a business partner.

Mid last year, the payment dispute with Trinitario Casanova, from whom Carabante bought the Grupo Hispania in 2008, emerged, with each claiming the other owes them multiple millions.

The Madrid commercial court La Corte y Mercantil de Arbitraje ruled a few days ago that Carabante pay EUR 47.5 million to Casanova within 20 days, according to the La Verdad newspaper.

But according to another report in the Spanish newspaper Expansion, “Trinitario and I came to an agreement before” the ruling, Carabante is quoted as saying.

In the same report, Carabante defended HRT’s lacklustre debut season in 2010.

“We finished more races than many other teams, and Virgin, for instance – with a much higher budget – fell behind us,” he insisted.

“At first it was said we would not be at the first race, then it was said we would last two races, then three, and finally we finished the season with dignity,” added Carabante.

He also said HRT is close to reaching an agreement with an investor.

“We are in advanced negotiations for the entry of an international investor,” he announced. “It would be for a minority of capital because I don’t want to sell completely.”

The Colin Kolles-led team said on Friday that it has “expanded (its) resources” for 2011 and is confident of “becoming more competitive”.

Jenson Button has accepted a portion of the responsibility for Michael Schumacher’s lacklustre return to formula one this season.

The reigning world champion said Brawn GP, now Mercedes GP, developed the Brackley based team’s 2010 car according to his preference for understeer.

But at the last minute, Button switched to McLaren, while Mercedes made plans to host Schumacher’s comeback at the wheel of the W01 — a car whose basic characteristics the seven time world champion dislikes.

“Michael likes a very pointy car,” the 30-year-old Briton is quoted by Germany’s Sport Bild.

“But the Mercedes understeers pretty strongly,” said Button. “I was always happy with it that way.”

But he is not overly apologetic, given that his McLaren move “made it possible for Michael to come back”.

Button thinks the F1 world should not write Schumacher off until his performance in the 2011 car can be seen.

“He will have more influence on the development of the next car. This year (the 2010 car) was quite late for him — the fundamental characteristics were in place long before his signature,” he said.

Omnicorse.it claims that on Friday in the Valencia paddock, a member of the German team made an offer to accommodate Kubica, 25, in 2011.

Kubica currently drives for Renault, and it had been expected he would remain with the team after Ferrari re-signed Felipe Massa for next year.

But Omnicorse said it is possible Kubica will replace Michael Schumacher at Mercedes, even though the seven time world champion has a three year contract.

According to the rumour, Kubica is being offered a generous retainer for three years, including the option of a further two-year deal.

The report follows hot on the heels of stinging criticism of Schumacher’s lacklustre return to F1 this year after a three-year retirement.

“From inside the team we see things in a totally different perspective,” chief executive Nick Fry said in response to the criticism.

“We’re very comfortable with Michael’s performance and I can’t see any reason why he won’t come good.”

(GMM)

David Coulthard has an alternative theory after Michael Schumacher seemed to have taken a major step forward in Friday practice.

In the wake of his lacklustre showing in Shanghai three weeks ago, the seven time world champion faced a barrage of criticism, while at the same time Mercedes worked on significantly updating the W01 car.

Schumacher was then comfortably faster than teammate Nico Rosberg in both 90-minute sessions at the Circuit de Catalunya, outpaced only by the dominant Red Bulls.

“There are two possible reasons,” retired Scottish veteran Coulthard, now a commentator for British TV and a driver in the DTM series, said in a column for the Daily Telegraph.

“Either he is finding the new setup more to his liking or the team were running him extra light to take some pressure off and make him look faster than he is,” he added.

“I guess we will find out in qualifying today, but as I’ve consistently said, my gut feeling is that Michael can come good,” said Coulthard.

When asked in Spain if Schumacher and Rosberg – who insisted he had simply got his car setup wrong – could be fairly compared after Friday, Ross Brawn admitted the pair had run “different programmes” in practice.

Apr.22 (GMM) Two more of Michael Schumacher’s supporters have backed the seven time world champion amid his currently lacklustre 2010 return to formula one.

On Wednesday, Bernie Ecclestone and Norbert Haug hit out at the negative reports about Schumacher’s form in the W01 Mercedes, and now his younger brother Ralf Schumacher is asking the critics to “lay off a bit” and “stay fair”.

“He himself knew that, after a three-year break, he could not go in and win again straightaway like before,” 34-year-old Schumacher told the German daily Bild.

“But the expectations from outside were, of course, very big. Clearly Michael probably hoped to be somewhat nearer the front after four races.

“With regard to the times he is not so far away as the points make it seem. I believe a good result is soon possible,” added Ralf.

David Coulthard said in the German press after Shanghai that the weekend had been “the darkest” in the 41-year-old’s entire career.

But on Wednesday, ahead of his debut in the DTM series this weekend, Coulthard insisted it is “ridiculous” to write off Schumacher now.

Niki Lauda said after China that the German’s performance had been “mediocre” but he thinks it can be remedied with “practice, practice, practice”.

And another former GP winner Jochen Mass, who raced in the 70s and 80s, said he is neither “surprised nor disappointed” about Schumacher’s current form.

“No one should forget that he hasn’t driven for three years and could do hardly any testing,” he told Express.

“We might not see the old Michael back again, but he can still be very good, further forward in the rankings and with a little luck winning again,” added Mass.

Apr.21 (GMM)  Bernie Ecclestone has defended Michael Schumacher amid criticism of the seven time world champion’s lacklustre return to formula one.

The 41-year-old German’s comeback with a three-year deal at Mercedes was the talk of the pre-season.

But his new form hit a low in China last weekend, when he was trounced by his teammate Nico Rosberg in qualifying before finishing a minute down at the finish in the sort of slippery conditions in which previously he would have thrived.

F1 chief executive Ecclestone said the criticism of his performance so far is not justified.

“Anybody who criticises Michael is wrong.  He deserves better,” the Briton said in a joint interview with Mercedes’ Norbert Haug.

Haug agreed: “No, for sure he doesn’t deserve that.”

The German told F1′s official website that Schumacher’s effect at the Brackley based team is being tangibly felt behind the scenes.

“He stimulates everybody, including Nico.”

Ecclestone said he is not surprised that 24-year-old Rosberg currently has the upper hand, and tips Schumacher to be back on top soon.

“Nico is very talented and Michael was on holiday for three years.  Ask me the same question after another two races,” said the 79-year-old.

There have been theories that Schumacher will – or should – make a quick retreat in order to cease the humiliation and safeguard his legacy.

It has also been suggested that his form reflects the fact that he has only returned to beat the boredom of retirement.

“We all know that Michael would be his first and foremost critic if he realised that this job is not for him anymore.  But that’s not the case,” said Haug.

“Within the team, Michael is extremely constructive.  This enthusiasm is firing up the whole team.”

Ecclestone agreed: “Michael would have never returned had he not been convinced that he can do the job.  He is not a tourist in the paddock — he’s here to win.  And he will win again.”