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.”

Pirelli test driver Lucas di Grassi has defended the F1 tyre supplier following Michael Schumacher’s criticism.

Schumacher attacked the Italian marque’s 2012 product after the Bahrain grand prix, complaining that the tyres wear so fast that drivers often have to take corners at half-pace like the safety car.

“In some ways he’s right,” Brazilian di Grassi, who along with Jaime Alguersuari tests tyres for Pirelli, is quoted by Globo.

“You can’t go at 100 per cent all the time because the current tyres are designed to highlight the strategy during the races.

“Drivers have to think more about what part of the race to make best use of the tyres,” said the former Virgin driver.

Di Grassi, 27, credited Pirelli for the exciting races seen so far in 2012.

“The championship is very balanced, which is good for everyone, especially the public,” he said.

“It’s partly because Pirelli has been able to use the data it collected last year and make good decisions for this year,” added di Grassi.

Also with a view contrary to Schumacher’s is the seven time world champion’s own teammate, Nico Rosberg.

“F1 has become more interesting,” said the Shanghai winner, “as everything has been shaken up — it’s much better than the same cars and drivers always driving away from the front,” he is quoted by German media.

“Due to the tyre situation, the races have been very varied, which is an extraordinary challenge but also very exciting. And we have to get used to it,” added Rosberg.

F1 tyre supplier Pirelli on Friday announced that Jaime Alguersuari has been signed as a test driver.

The former Toro Rosso driver was left without a role for the 2012 season, so he signed on as a co-commentator for British radio as a means of staying in the paddock full-time.

The 22-year-old Spaniard will join Pirelli’s existing test driver Lucas di Grassi, the former Virgin driver, and the pair will also develop tyres for GP2.

Pirelli said Alguersuari will “bring his knowledge of the most current generation of formula one machinery”.

He and di Grassi will test Pirelli’s newly-acquired 2010 Renault car at Jerez, Spa, Monza and Barcelona between May and September.

“I have a huge desire to get behind the wheel of a formula one car again and return to competition, so this is a brilliant chance for me,” said Alguersuari.

Lucas di Grassi is in talks about returning to the role as Pirelli’s official test driver.
The Brazilian worked with F1′s official supplier last year at the wheel of its Toyota test car, after losing his race seat at Virgin.

Pirelli has now acquired a 2010 Renault for its private development this year.

Di Grassi is “in advanced talks with the manufacturer” for a deal that could be “announced shortly”, Brazil’s Globo said.

The first Pirelli track test of 2012 is scheduled for May.

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.”

Today’s FIA press conference at the Interlagos circuit was an all-Brazilian affair, with the two “new boys,” Lucas di Grassi and Bruno Senna, joined by their senior colleagues, Rubens Barrichello and Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro’s Felipe Massa. Indeed, it was an all Paulista affair as the four are from the city of Sao Paolo.

Asked to look back at this season, Felipe singled out his qualifying performance as the worst feature of 2010. “This year’s results have not matched my expectations, especially in qualifying where I struggled to put together a good first lap on fresh tyres,” he said. “It’s true there have also been some races where I failed to finish in the points and then there was Singapore, where a qualifying problem meant I had to start from the back.”

As to this weekend’s home race, Felipe shared his fellow panelists’ enthusiasm for the Interlagos circuit. “I have great memories from here with two wins and poles in 2006, ’07 and ’08, which was the last time I raced here. Then going even further back, at the start of my career, I won here twice in Formula Chevrolet. This track has many interesting challenges and you can be creative with the set-up, while many sections of the track require a very technical approach. It might be a short lap, not like most of the new tracks, but this circuit is very well thought out and there is always overtaking here and some nice fights. But it is really the Brazilian people who make Interlagos special – they are so hot with emotion and they sing all day long in the grandstands, which is great for us Brazilian drivers, giving us some extra power.”

Mathematically, Fernando Alonso has a chance of winning the Drivers’ title on Sunday and Felipe was asked if he felt it might happen. “Well, Fernando is leading right now, so for sure I think he can do it here, but as we have seen this season, everything is possible. My personal aim is to try and win the race and of course I can help Fernando by taking points away from his rivals.”

This week sees the premiere of a film made about the life of Ayrton Senna and all four drivers were asked for their memories of the great Brazilian champion, who died during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. “Ayrton was really amazing and I remember so many of his races,” said Felipe. “But what really stands out in my mind was his ability in qualifying, not only taking pole in so many races, but often doing so with a big gap over the rest. For me, that was his strongest point.”

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.

F1′s travelling circus is arriving in South Korea, and the first reports are mixed.

BBC television anchor Jake Humphrey summed up the Yeongam venue as satisfactory but “far from finished”.

“Things look pretty ready to go,” said Virgin driver Lucas di Grassi, “with some beauty work still to be finished but the main structure is ready.”

Others talked about their long journeys from the huge Seoul airport to Mokpo, the closest city to Yeongam, in the impressive high-speed KTX train with free wi-fi.

Photographer Darren Heath was less impressed with the journey, tackled by many in buses.  “F1 in Seoul?  Nah, let’s have it in the middle of nowhere 100s of miles from anywhere,” he wrote on Twitter.

Veteran Swiss correspondent Roger Benoit, writing in Blick newspaper, said the F1 track itself is an “enormous construction site”, and his hotel room one of the ones usually rented by the hour.

“No joke,” he said.

Reportedly so unimpressed was Williams with the local accommodation on offer that the British team has committed to a 3 hour round trip every day in order to stay in a nicer hotel.

“Dominating the venue are the excavators, debris and waste,” wrote Benoit, who said a bridge over the front straight is still littered with scaffolding and hard-hatted workers.

Sauber’s team manager Beat Zehnder complained about the cost of the team buildings, with the rent costing $40,000.

“Whoever wants to use the upper floor must pay another 20,000,” he said, “but everyone has decided to just use the ground floor!”

Said Benoit: “I’m already looking forward to the final races in Sao Paulo and Abu Dhabi!”

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said rolling machines are still working on the recently-laid top surface of asphalt, with the paint for the starting grid yet to be sprayed.

“Only on Friday will we know whether the surface will withstand the stresses of formula one cars,” read the report.

“Everything on the sandy site is under construction.  Next to the pitlane is a large pile of sand.  Whoever didn’t know that F1 is running here in a few days would think it’s not happening until next year,” it added.

German Sky television pundit Marc Surer reports in Speed Week that the seating in some grandstands is not complete.

“Much remains to be done, but as for the track itself, I am surprised that it is ready,” he said.

“Whether it can withstand hours of practice and racing, however, is another question.”

F1 rookie Lucas di Grassi has bought into the GP3 arm of the Spanish GP2 outfit Addax.

Now a Virgin driver, the Brazilian has become a minor shareholder of the team that he and Vitaly Petrov drove to the GP2 constructors’ title in 2008, according to multiple Portuguese-language sources.

“We are convinced that with his tremendous seriousness and professionalism, he will make an important contribution to the success we expect to achieve in a short time,” said owner Alejandro Agag.

“After driving for the team, I’m offering my services in the sports area,” Brazilian di Grassi, 26, is quoted by publications including Terra, R7 and UOL.

“I am eager to work on a project that is a genuine platform for young drivers and will try to help them prepare technically and tactically,” he added.

GP3, a feeder series for GP2, was launched in 2010, and also features a team part-owned by Mark Webber.

Fernando Alonso is by far the highest paid active grand prix driver, according to reports in the Spanish press.

The El Mundo report, citing information from Business Book GP, compiled a list showing that Alonso’s annual Ferrari retainer – excluding external endorsements – is EUR 30 million.

That is almost double the next largest retainer, owned by 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton, at 16 million, although it is believed Kimi Raikkonen is being paid a similar amount this year due to Ferrari’s breach of contract.

Felipe Massa comes in at third with 14m, meaning the Brazilian is paid less than half the income of his Ferrari teammate.

Reigning world champion Jenson Button is reportedly paid EUR 9 million; significantly less than his McLaren teammate, but more than seven time world champion Michael Schumacher (8m).

Mercedes also pays Nico Rosberg EUR 8 million, which is marginally more than Robert Kubica’s 7.5m.

Interestingly, Rubens Barrichello (5.5m) earns more than Mark Webber (4.2m), but Sebastian Vettel’s 2010 retainer is reportedly just 2 million.

According to the list, Red Bull’s Vettel is therefore paid less than Lotus driver Jarno Trulli (3m), and approximately the same as Trulli’s teammate Heikki Kovalainen.

Timo Glock earns 1 million by driving for Virgin; more than the EUR 700,000 reportedly paid to Williams rookie Nico Hulkenberg.

Also earning less than 1 million are the Sauber drivers (500,000 each), Vitaly Petrov, Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi (400,000), and the Force India drivers and Lucas di Grassi (200,000).

Bruno Senna is reportedly the lowest paid active driver, with a 150,000 retainer; 200 times less than Alonso.

Lucas di Grassi has survived an uncomfortable gaffe within the Virgin team.

After the Hockenheim race, the team’s press officer Tracy Novak reportedly presented both the Brazilian rookie and his teammate Timo Glock with proposed official quotes for the media release.

The normal practice in the team is for the drivers to make proposed changes in writing, before reporters receive the release by email.

Motorsport-total.com reveals that although it was probably a prank, di Grassi, 25, amended German Glock’s official comment.

The quote received by the media read: “It was a difficult start to the race as Lucas overtook me in a brilliant move”.

Glock said: “When I read it I was very surprised — I can guarantee I didn’t say it.”

The German report indicates that Virgin did not see the funny side either, particularly after di Grassi retired from the race due to hitting a kerb too hard.

The qualification of the Grand Prix of Europe in Valencia gave one or the other team a surprise – it was a good or bad. Because compared to the last free practice session this morning there was held under ideal weather conditions Zeitenfahren some major shifts.

The pole position could be after a long losing streak of four races Sebastian Vettel. The German realized a personal best of 1:37.587 minutes. Secured second place team mate Mark Webber. Lewis Hamilton was third in the McLaren-Mercedes.
In the fourth place followed by Fernando Alonso in a Ferrari ahead of team-mate Felipe Massa, Robert Kubica (Renault), Jenson Button (Team McLaren Mercedes), the two Williams drivers Nicolette Hülkenberg and Rubens Barrichello – identical with time – and Vitaly Petrov (Renault)

After the first qualifying part of the seven slowest pilots were ruled out: Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber), Lucas di Grassi and Timo Glock (both Virgin), Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna (both HRT).

After the second pass the Zeitenfahren for the following driver had run ahead of Sébastien Buemi (Toro Rosso), Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes), Pedro de la Rosa (Sauber) and Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso).

After the project is USF1 is finally broken the 13 Launch site for 2011 at stake. Several teams have applied to participate in Formula 1 next year. In addition to the successful GP2 team ART by Frédéric Vasseur and Nicolas Todt also Joan Villadelprat has applied again with his Epsilon-Euskadi team.

“I’m optimistic, but also a bit worried, because the FIA will publish its decision until probably the end of August,” says the former Benetton team manager in the magazine ‘Auto Sprint’. The Spaniard has claimed a good chance of being awarded. Epsilon-Euskadi has experience in prototyping, the company is as a showcase with a direct connection to the university. Sergio is ready Rinland an experienced Formula 1 designer.
“That team, which gets the award, has only very little time for the construction of Formula 1 cars,” criticized Villadelprat. “For us, this means that we now have to invest in a project that we do not even know whether we can realize it 2011.” The funding would seem to Epsilon Euskadi not be a big problem.

“We have been a very long time in intensive discussions with major international companies wishing to invest in us,” reports the team boss. “In two weeks we have accurate numbers, and then know how much money we can take control. One thing is certain: Our approach is long term. The budget must from the outset for at least two seasons to be sure. As a Formula 1 team you can not think from year to year. ”

With interest Villadelprat pursued the development of three new teams, Lotus, Virgin and HRT. In particular, the team of Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi’s view of the Spaniard is underfunded. have “I think if you really want to build a promising team, then you have to start at least 100 million euros. Sure, you can ride with 40 million €. But then, stay out of the progress every year and you may start over again .

(TMS)

Jun.14 (GMM) Team sponsor Sir Richard Branson said during his visit to the Canadian grand prix that a new scheme demonstrates Virgin’s “commitment to focusing upon the environmental impact of formula one”.

He said a deal struck with Canadian-based company Carbon Green to recycle tyres “is the first truly green and highly relevant deal in the history of the sport”.

Elaborating, the British billionaire explained: “Old tyres used by Timo Glock, Lucas di Grassi and co will be recycled into useful products.”

But an astute fan asked Bridgestone’s F1 press officer Andy Stobart via Twitter if Branson’s comments were true, given that the tyre supplier usually takes back its products from the teams at the end of a race weekend or test.

Stobart confirmed that the tyres “definitely come back to us” because of the “confidential technology”.

However, he added that Bridgestone’s old tyres are “used for fuel, a positive contribution to energy recovery”.

Jun.11 (GMM)  Virgin on Friday took over from HRT as the slowest team in formula one.

For the first time in 2010, the new Spanish team was clearly faster than the Virgins as the field practiced for the Canadian grand prix.

Virgin, one of F1′s three new outfits this year, travelled to North America with a special low-downforce bodywork package for the unique Circuit Gilles Villeneuve layout.

“We have a nice Montreal aero package which consists of new aero parts all over the car, specifically for this track,” technical director Nick Wirth said earlier this week.

But Timo Glock trailed the pace of the leading new-team Lotus by a full second in the morning, before the gap blew out even further in the afternoon as both he and teammate Lucas di Grassi brought up the rear of the timesheets.

“I think we were a bit optimistic with our package for here,” said German Glock.

Virgin, however, is confident of making a step forward in Canada, as the VR-01 cars were fitted with the less competitive Turkey-spec Cosworth engines on Friday.