Even ahead of F1′s Singapore floatation, the sport has some new owners.

Reuters, the specialist financial market news agency, said US-based asset managers Waddell and Reed, Blackrock and Norway’s Norges Bank have bought a $1.6 billion stake from existing owners CVC.

The report cited a source “with direct knowledge of the matter”. The companies did not immediately comment.

It drops CVC’s stake from 63.4 per cent to about 40pc, the source said.

We reported on Monday that the Singapore stock exchange approved F1′s plan to raise as much as $3 billion in an initial public offering.

Other reports said pre-marketing for the listing, likely to go ahead at the end of June, will begin immediately.

“It is not our practice to publicly comment on our dealings with listing aspirants,” said a Singapore bourse spokesman.

Some insiders have expressed concern.

“Look at the muted first-day response to Facebook’s IPO,” an unnamed banker told the Singapore broadsheet Straits Times. “The F1 listing is not nearly as attractive and long-awaited as that.”

Formula one is worth about $8 or $9 billion, as the sport’s owner CVC confirmed it has this week sold a 21 per cent stake to new investors.

News of the sale coincided with the launch of pre-marketing ahead of one of the biggest ever sports floatations, data by the financial experts Thomson Reuters shows.

“It’s cheap compared to Facebook,” chief executive Bernie Ecclestone told reporters on Tuesday, confirming that the Singapore IPO looks set to go ahead soon “with no dramas”.

“All the things that have to happen have happened. It will be finished by the end of June,” the 81-year-old is quoted by the Telegraph.

F1′s new one-fifth owners are US managers Waddell and Reed, the powerful Blackrock and Norway’s central bank Norges.

“It’s a great way to start the IPO and lets investors know what they can expect,” said Ecclestone.

The diminutive Briton said he is keeping his 5.3 per cent stake, and staying in charge. His former wife Slavica controls another 8.5pc, the news agency Bloomberg said.

“You might as well have asked Frank Sinatra who he would appoint to replace him,” Ecclestone insisted.

CVC said in a statement that is remains F1′s biggest and controlling shareholder.

HRT Formula 1 Team incorporates Kyocera Document Solutions as its Official Supplier through a collaboration agreement for the 2012 season. The Spanish team will count on Kyocera’s services, which include needs for management and printing of documents, both at the team’s permanent offices in the Caja Mágica and at the mobile offices that travel throughout the world during the Formula 1 season.

Kyocera Document Solutions has a vast experience in the sporting world and, even more so, in the motorsport one, since it’s responsible for the management and printing of documents at the F1 and MotoGP Grands Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya, Valencia Street Circuit and Motorland Aragón. At all of these Kyocera offers high quality devices and services that adapt to the rigurous demands that any F1 Grand Prix has, meeting the demands of the media office and the organization at the circuit itself, including a permanent 24-hour service.

The ceramic components of Kyocera are not only integrated in our printing devices, giving them a greater durability and resistence, but they are also present in many other industries, such as some F1 cars where there are parts incorporating Kyocera’s ceramic components that have to cope with extreme temperatures.

HRT Formula 1 Team continues to progress firmly towards its objective of consolidating itself and growing and it now takes another step forward thanks to the partnership with the multinational Japanese company Kyocera. It’s another support for the young Spanish outfit who, thanks to the seriousness and hard work that it proves day by day, has more national and international companies willing to back HRT, contributing to its consolidation and progress in the pinnacle of motorsport.

Óscar Sánchez, KYOCERA Document Solutions General Manager: “A team such as HRT Formula 1 Team needs to be backed by the most advanced and reliable technology during the most demanding of championships. Kyocera has the latest printing machinery and a highly experimented staff, which makes us a leader in offering documentary services at any sporting events”.

Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal HRT Formula 1 Team: “Count on a renowned multinational company as Kyocera is amongst our partners gives us a confidence and calmness of great value for our day to day work. That calmness enables us to focus on pure competition aspects knowing that our backs are covered. Our needs in terms of printing, copying and scanning are high because the engineering, operations, marketing and communications departments are continuously putting the machines to the test and it is of vital importance that this work is not interrupted. In Formula 1 you work to the limit and Kyocera gives us the support and confidence needed to be able to do it”.

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KYOCERA Document Solutions is one of the world’s leading management solutions and document printing companies in the world. With a staff of almost 15,000 employees, its range of products and services includes ECOSYS printers, reliable multifunction printers, high-quality printer supplies, an array of software solutions and managed document services. KYOCERA Document Solutions offers innovative products built with long lasting components. Its clients benefit from the market’s lowest total cost of property and from the highest efficiency in any working environment. Its portfolio of solutions and its managed document services contribute not only to reduce the environmental impact but also to improve the efficiency and reliability of business.

High-profile sponsors are nervous, as formula one ploughs ahead with next week’s Bahrain grand prix.

Despite widespread trepidation felt within the paddock this weekend in Shanghai, the FIA has declared that there is no reason the Sakhir event cannot go ahead.

And after meeting with the teams on Friday, Bernie Ecclestone told reporters the race is “200 per cent” on.

But The Times reports that, amid the threat of violence, some sponsors have pulled the plug on providing hospitality for guests next weekend.

“When you have an environment like Bahrain then all the sponsors will be watching developments very, very closely and talking to each other,” a source said.

“It’s a case of ‘watch this space’ basically.”

However, the British newspaper said it is unlikely any major sponsors will pull their logos from the cars.

“(They) will effectively just have to follow the sport,” said Tim Bampton, of the motor sports marketing company Just Marketing.

“They will have to watch and wait to see what happens even though they could be caught in the vortex.”

But, at the same time, it is believed that sponsors’ contracts with the teams – such as Vodafone’s estimated $75m deal with McLaren – contain “brand damage” clauses.

An added complication for McLaren is that it is part owned by Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, with Mumtalakat Holdings “on course to own half the business” according to writer Kevin Eason.

Also under heavy scrutiny is the conspicuously silent FIA president Jean Todt, whose son Nicolas shares ownership of his GP2 team with Bahrain’s controversial crown prince.

“We all know why it (the Bahrain saga) might have dragged a bit,” Mark Webber is quoted by the Telegraph.

“F1 is like that. There’s a lot of funding and finances that have come from Abu Dhabi and Bahrain and the Middle East.

“They’re very excited about F1 and they clearly want to give it another go. Let’s see if it works,” added the Red Bull driver.

Sir Frank Williams has stepped down from the board of his own formula one team.
Earlier this week, the Grove based team’s 69-year-old founder, major shareholder and team principal named chairman Adam Parr as his future successor.

“If for whatever reason I couldn’t come in to do my job, Adam would fill the gap,” he told the British magazine F1 Racing.

On Friday, a team statement read: “Sir Frank Williams, founder and team principal, announced his decision to step down from the board.”

He explained: “I turn 70 in April and I have decided to signal the next stage in the gradual but inevitable process of handing over the reins to the next generation.

“This is not as dramatic a move as it may appear: I shall continue to work full-time as team principal and I shall continue to attend all board meetings as observer,” added Williams.

He will also have a Williams family member on the board, as his daughter Claire steps up to be director of marketing and communications.

Frank Williams said: “I am proud to say that she has fought hard to earn this appointment and of all the battles she has had to fight, the prejudices of her father were not the least challenging.”

Late last year, the team’s co-founder Patrick Head also stepped down.

F1′s Italian contingent is clinging to small comforts ahead of the 2012 season.
With Italy once occupying grand chunks of the grid, veteran Jarno Trulli is now the last Italian driver in formula one.

And according to persistent speculation in the Jerez paddock last week, his seat at Caterham could be snapped up at the last minute by Vitaly Petrov, who is waiting on his Russian sponsors to green-light the deal.

But a report in Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport said Saturday was a small piece of good news for Trulli, 37.

With the bulk of the F1 world leaving Jerez after Friday’s running, Caterham stuck around for an additional day of exclusive track use for filming purposes.

The result of the filming will be used by Caterham’s marketing and promotional material throughout 2012.

Trulli was there, the report revealed.

“It is good news because it could mean that the seat of the driver from Pescara is safe, thus ensuring at least one Italian driver in the championship,” said La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Although teammate Heikki Kovalainen enjoyed two days at the wheel of the new CT01 compared to Trulli’s single run last Friday, the Italian said his first impression is that the car is a “definite progression” on last year.

“The power steering is good — we can keep fine tuning it, but I think it’s basically a good package with a lot of potential for us to work on,” said Trulli.

 Romain Grosjean says he understands the initial preference in 2012 given to his famous Lotus teammate, Kimi Raikkonen.
Frenchman Grosjean, with just 7 grands prix under his belt in 2009, is paired this year with Raikkonen, who has spent the last two seasons in world rallying.

Although they have both been away from the F1 grid for the past two seasons, it is Raikkonen who was granted an exclusive re-acclimatisation test recently, and the first two days of official testing this week at Jerez.

Grosjean, 25, insists to Le Matin newspaper: “It’s going well between us.

“It does not shock me that he began the testing for marketing reasons. He was world champion and he will also need some time to adjust to being back in the game.

“Together with Kimi, we want to do everything so that Lotus is in the best possible position on the grid and I do not intend to fuss over topics that I cannot control,” he added.

F1′s class of 2012 will take some more shape at the F1 Commission meeting this week in Geneva.
It was already known that Team Lotus, set to be Caterham next season, and Enstone based Renault – to be renamed Lotus – will likely have their applications rubber-stamped on Thursday.

The Sunday Times also reports that Virgin could be set for an official name change.

The team is currently known as Marussia Virgin Racing, in deference to its Russian supercar partner, but the chassis continues to be called simply ‘Virgin’.

“The team are to ask the F1 Commission for permission to erase the Virgin title and replace it with Marussia”, said the British report.

Another touted change was the rebranding of Red Bull’s Renault engine deal to reflect its partnership with the luxury Nissan marque Infiniti.

Renault president Carlos Ghosn ruled that out.

“I don’t think you can have a name artificially,” he is quoted by the SID news agency. “If Renault supplies the technology you can’t say that for marketing reasons we call it Infiniti.”

He also ruled out the possibility Renault will return to the grid as a works chassis manufacturer any time soon.

“We adapt according to the circumstances but we will not change our programme in the next three to five years,” Ghosn is quoted by France’s autohebdo.fr.

“I am more comfortable with our current strategy, where next year we are the partner of four teams,” he added.

Flavio Briatore has ruled out returning to formula one as a team boss.
As for coming back to the F1 paddock when his ‘crashgate’ ban finally lifts in 2013, however, the Italian admitted he is looking forward to it.

“Certainly not as a team boss,” he said in an interview with Bild newspaper. “I did that for 16, 17 years, won seven titles and I no longer want the stress.

“I can think of doing something in the marketing,” added Briatore, “but it’s not an issue now.”

He admits to missing formula one, but reveals that he still has a toe in the water.

“I am in contact with formula one people almost every day. Our (management) agency has Alonso and Webber, and I meet in London regularly with Bernie to eat.”

Fascinatingly, Briatore no longer categorically denies his involvement in the order for Nelson Piquet to crash his Renault at Singapore in 2008.

“Of course we all make mistakes,” said the Italian. “The pressure in formula one is so great – the sponsors, the team of a manufacturer – and you don’t always get it right.

“Still, I think I did more right than I did wrong,” he added.

Williams is likely to retain its current driver lineup for the 2012 season, according to chairman Adam Parr.

Team boss Frank Williams at Silverstone described Brazilian veteran Barrichello as “superb”, while rookie and reigning GP2 champion Pastor Maldonado is improving and his Venezuelan sponsor PDVSA is under contract to the famous Oxfordshire based team.

Asked if that means Williams is keeping its drivers, Parr told reporters: “Yes. I think that’s vastly the most likely outcome.”

The previously ultra-successful Williams has had a challenging past half-decade, but the future looks brighter with Renault coming on board as engine supplier and Parr looking to seal new sponsor deals.

“I said to the marketing guys (last year) ‘just back off. Keep things ticking over for the moment because we need to put in place a vision for the future which is very different to the vision of the present’,” said the Briton, as Sam Michael prepares to depart as McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan has come on board.

“We have some fantastic conversations going on and I’m very optimistic we will bring in some stunning new partnerships for next year,” he added.

Dr Helmut Marko has hit back at Michael Schumacher after the seven time world champion accused Red Bull of breaching the rules about staff numbers.

Earlier this month, the Mercedes driver referred to a clause in the Resource Restriction Agreement when he said “certain teams don’t respect that”.

“If you take the number of people we have compared with Red Bull, that is very different,” said Schumacher.

Indeed, Mercedes employs 400 people at Brackley, plus 20 for administration and marketing in Stuttgart.

Red Bull, meanwhile, has 550 staff at Milton Keynes.

The latter’s Marko told Auto Bild: “The agreement never came into force. We were reluctant because it (the staff limits) were purely for the chassis development.”

He said if F1 teams want to limit staff numbers, then the limit should also apply to the development of engines.

For instance, Mercedes employs another 400 people for the development of its F1 engines, while Red Bull’s supplier – Renault – has just 170 staff at Viry-Chattilon.

“Mr Schumacher should be asking how many people work on his Mercedes engine in Brixworth,” said Marko.

“Why should we make concessions in the development of the chassis when Mercedes has every freedom for the engine?”

Pedro de la Rosa looks likely to remain Pirelli’s primary test driver this year.
The Spaniard admitted this week that, contrary to reports, a return to McLaren as reserve driver is unlikely, having failed to compile enough sponsorship to return to the grid with HRT.

It was also reported that his back-up plan for 2011 was to stay with F1′s new tyre supplier Pirelli, even though the Italian marque has not decided how to replace the ageing 2009 Toyota.

“Yes,” answered Pirelli’s Paul Hembery when asked at Valencia if de la Rosa, 39, is staying on board for 2011.

“(He will stay) unless he gets a drive somewhere else in F1, which is not looking likely at the moment.

“He is a great test driver, we’re delighted with what he’s been doing with us,” added Hembery.

Hembery also denied that Pirelli has already decided to visibly distinguish the different compounds this year by using different coloured branding on the sidewalls.

“That is still under discussion with the marketing people,” he insisted.

Meanwhile, contrary to reports that Karun Chandhok has definitely signed to be a reserve driver with Team Lotus this year, the Indian clarified that he has in fact not yet reached a deal.

The former HRT driver was at Valencia wearing a Lotus jacket on Wednesday, but boss Tony Fernandes said he was just a “guest” of the team.

Eric Boullier has answered “yes” when asked if Nick Heidfeld and Adrian Sutil are still in the running to drive for the Renault team in 2011.

The Enstone based squad is considering whether to re-sign Vitaly Petrov, the Russian rookie who brings substantial backing to the race seat but has scored more than 100 fewer points than team leader Robert Kubica this season.

The situation means Renault has missed out on the additional revenue of beating Mercedes to fourth in the constructors’ championship, moving Auto Motor und Sport to ask team boss Boullier “if a second Kubica” would have proved better value in 2010.

“A sentence beginning with ‘if’ is wrong,” answered the Frenchman.

“Vitaly is lacking experience at a high level. He started very late in motor sport and is needing to learn more than the other newcomers.”

But can Renault afford to wait for the 26-year-old to develop, given its plans to return to world championship contention?

“The title is at the end of our master plan,” answered Boullier. “We must take one step at a time.

“It would be stupid to get a second top driver if we are not ready for it. I want to establish ourselves as a top team, for the long term. Then the top sponsors will come again.”

But he insisted that Petrov’s place is not necessarily safe.

“We have said we are supporting Vitaly until the end of the season to give him a chance. Then we will make a decision.”

When asked if Germans Heidfeld and Sutil are still in the running, Boullier answered: “Yes. But first we have to give Petrov his chance.

“Only then can we enter serious talks with them. Nick is free for 2011, as we know, and he wants to be with us.”

What about Kimi Raikkonen, who was earlier linked with a return to F1 with Renault but then angrily slammed the speculation as a “marketing” ploy?

“We were interested; his management contacted me,” answered Boullier. “But the media reported about it and it annoyed Kimi. He then told me that he would prefer to keep rallying.”

Russian investors are reportedly keen to buy into the new F1 team Virgin.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reports that the potential investors hark from the Russian automobile world.

Virgin is already sponsored by Marussia, the first Russian supercar maker.

The brand is headed by Nikolai Fomenko, a racing driver and presenter of the Russian version of television car show Top Gear.

He said last month he plans to bring Marussia onto the grid in 2012.

“The F1 project is a leading edge for the marketing of a supercar” he is quoted as recently saying.