James Key could be the next formula one engineer to join F1′s struggling giant Ferrari.

Multiple media sources, including the authoritative Italian specialist newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, say the Maranello based team is interested in Key, a 40-year-old Briton.

Key’s career dates back to the Jordan days, continuing through the transition to Force India, and he eventually joined Sauber in 2010.

He was the highly respected technical director at the Swiss team until earlier this year, and was therefore in charge of the impressive 2012 Sauber C31, amid speculation he had headed to Lotus’ sports car project.

But the media reports, including in the major German daily Bild, say Ferrari is now interested, particularly because Key is already familiar with the Italian marque through Sauber’s use of the Ferrari drivetrain.

However, when asked what truth there is to the Key rumours, Ferrari spokesman Luca Colajanni snapped: “Nothing, nada, niente!”

As ever in the high-intrigue world of formula one politics, what is not said always has more value that what is freedly revealed.
That is doubly true if the shrewd Bernie Ecclestone is at the steering wheel.

Firstly, while some interpreted Saturday’s news as a 2013 Concorde Agreement being done and dusted, the F1 chief executive’s short statement in fact merely said “the terms” of the next contract have been agreed.

And the major keyword was that “the majority” of the teams – including Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull – are on board.

“Bernie’s used the word majority,” McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh is quoted by the Mirror. “If there are 12 teams, that’s seven or more.

“I don’t know any more.”

The big missing domino is Mercedes, who according to multiple media sources are holding out for now.

Another is the famous British outfit Williams.

“All agreements between FOM and the teams are normally subject to confidentiality clauses,” Red Bull’s Christian Horner is quoted in German reports.

“So I can’t comment.”

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reported that, in addition to the aforementioned top teams, also set to sign up for 2013 are Red Bull sister team Toro Rosso and Ferrari-powered Sauber.

Lotus and Force India are reportedly also part of that group.

That leaves just the three slowest teams Caterham, Marussia and HRT as the other teams remaining in the cold.

24 hours before the drivers file into the Spa-Francorchamps paddock, there is no confirmation about Nick Heidfeld’s apparent loss of his Renault race seat.
Multiple media sources are unofficially confirming Heidfeld’s former boss Eddie Jordan’s claim this week that Bruno Senna will be in the black R31 alongside Vitaly Petrov this weekend in Belgium and possibly beyond.

Germany’s Bild newspaper said Renault is not denying the story.

“We do not want to comment on speculation,” a spokesperson is quoted as saying.

And Auto Motor und Sport said 34-year-old Heidfeld’s management is also not commenting.

Finland’s Turun Sanomat said the situation is complicated, with Renault apparently already behind in its scheduled payments to the German driver.

The newspaper also said Renault is unable to drop Heidfeld without compensating him, with his contract to replace Robert Kubica in 2011 “skilfully” negotiated by his manager.

It is also reported that Senna will only be given the official green light when his Brazilian sponsors sign on the dotted line.

And with the Genii-linked Romain Grosjean rumoured to be in line for the seat once he has wrapped up the GP2 title, Turun Sanomat said those sponsors “are not so eager to put up money for only two grands prix”.

The Bahrain International Circuit and the FIA have confirmed reports the troubled island Kingdom’s postponed race date has been rescheduled for 2011.
Although the governing body is yet to issue a statement to the wider media, sources said the FIA is now confirming October 30 for the Bahrain grand prix.

That means India will need to move its inaugural race, but the precise date is yet to be decided, with teams most unhappy at the prospect of prolonging mechanics’ holidays until mid December.

“On behalf of Bahrain, I would like to thank Bernie Ecclestone, Jean Todt and the FIA and the rest of the motor sport community for the support and understanding they have extended to us this year,” said Bahrain circuit head Zayed R Alzayani.

Earlier, former FIA president Max Mosley said there was no way he would reschedule Bahrain this year if he was in Todt’s shoes.

“Formula one would go to Bahrain over my dead body,” he is quoted by Arabian Business. “It cannot happen.”

Robert Kubica has been seriously injured in a rally crash in Italy, according to multiple media sources on Sunday.
The Pole was driving a Skoda Fabia in the Ronde di Andora rally near Genoa when he left the road at high speed and hit a church wall with the driver’s side.

26-year-old Kubica, who drives in F1 for Renault, had to be cut from the car and helicoptered to hospital while his co-driver escaped unhurt.

Initially, reports said Kubica had unspecified injuries but was conscious, amid expectations a detailed medical bulletin and press statement will be issued shortly.

The first official statement was distributed by Renault, confirming only that Kubica is in the Pietra Ligure hospital.

“Lotus Renault GP will issue another statement as soon as more information is known about Robert’s condition,” it read.

Media reports said he has multiple trauma injuries, with some claiming he has broken his femur, the largest bone in the leg, and that the rally event has been called off.

A report by the German news agency SID said Kubica’s hand or wrist is the most badly injured, with surgeons reportedly considering amputation.

The report said he is also injured internally, but Kubica’s father has been quoted in Polish reports as insisting his son’s life is not in danger.

Team boss Christian Horner has denied claims Red Bull flouted a cost-saving agreement on the way to winning the world championships in 2010.
On Christmas Eve, former FIA president Max Mosley claimed Red Bull spent more than was allowed under the Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA); a document agreed as a compromise to a full-blown budget cap.

On Monday, Italian reports claimed Red Bull’s over-spend was EUR 60 million, amid rumours Mercedes could be set to break the next agreement with its KERS development costs.

At the same time, F1′s smallest budget team HRT quit the FOTA teams association, a spokeswoman explaining that the body is “more for the big teams than the small ones”.

The Spanish news agency EFE speculated that HRT’s departure might be the start of a deeper FOTA split ahead of crucial commercial negotiations with Bernie Ecclestone.

Increasingly isolated is Red Bull, with media sources suggesting that because the team was allegedly over-budget by 60m in 2010, that amount should be deducted from its allowed spending this year.

The situation means Red Bull is currently refusing to sign a new RRA for 2011.

“We’ve worked in accordance with the RRA limits since they were introduced,” Horner told BBC Sport.

He linked the suspicions about Red Bull’s spending with earlier gripes about technical features of the title-winning RB6 car.

“Red Bull has committed its budgets wisely and it’s obviously surprising that people will feel that way, but it’s inevitable, I guess, when you’re at the front and winning races,” added Horner.

Virgin team CEO Graeme Lowden did not refer to Red Bull specifically, but he said that even a breach of the “spirit” of the RRA would be “extremely disappointing”.

Horner confirmed that Red Bull has not yet signed a new RRA.

“The (agreement) needs to be sorted quite quickly because at the moment it is unclear what rules we are working to in 2011 in many respects, so it’s important a solution is found and I think one will be found,” he said.

Sebastian Vettel is being touted as a likely nominee for the 2011 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award.

The six nominees for the world’s premier sports plaudit are not due to be officially confirmed until January, but the selection procedure is underway and media sources say F1′s new world champion is among those being voted for.

The nominees are selected by the Laureus Media Selection Panel, comprised of the world’s leading sports editors, writers and broadcasters.

The winner is then selected by the Laureus Academy, made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time.

The winner will be announced in February during a televised awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi.

The FIA is yet to confirm reports that it will consider the Ferrari team order issue at its scheduled meeting on September 10.

International publications including Blick (Switzerland), Turun Sanomat (Finland), Autosprint (Italy), Bild (Germany) and Marca (Spain) believe it is possible the FIA will not schedule a special meeting to discuss Fernando Alonso’s Hockenheim victory.

Ferrari was fined $100,000 by the stewards at Hockenheim for breaching not only the team order rule 39.1, but also the general guideline about disrepute.

“The case will also be referred to the FIA World Motor Sport Council for further consideration,” said the stewards’ statement.

On the day of Friday free practice at Monza, the governing body will be meeting in Como, Italy.

Media sources say it is not likely that FIA president Jean Todt, who as Ferrari boss ordered Rubens Barrichello to “let Michael (Schumacher) pass for the championship” in Austria in 2002, will take part in the disciplinary proceedings.

An FIA spokesman said a date for the consideration of the Ferrari affair has not yet been set.

McLaren’s recently-departed chief engineer Pat Fry is heading to Ferrari.

It emerged last month that the 46-year-old Briton, who joined from Benetton in 1993, has left the Woking based team for an unknown destination.

Fry shared McLaren’s chief engineer role with Tim Goss, and was in charge of the 2011 car project.

Italian media sources on Sunday said Fry is headed to Ferrari, and will have an impact on the famous Maranello based team’s next car.

(GMM)

With formula one between grands prix, many familiar faces spent their weekends in a slightly different racing environment.

Sports lover Mark Webber was F1′s most recognisable face in the paddock of premier motorcycle racing MotoGP’s Silverstone round.

But also at the British circuit was Mercedes’ Nick Fry, HRT driver Karun Chandhok, commentator Martin Brundle and occasional steward Johnny Herbert.

“I like to watch bike racing on TV,” Australian Webber told sport1.  “I don’t live far away, I have seen many friends here, and there are also many Australians working in MotoGP.”

Elsewhere, despite the ban on in-season testing, more serious business was taking place.

At the UK’s Snetterton circuit, the Classic Team Lotus Festival was taking place, but among the cars in action was the brand new T127 ‘Chassis 4′, to be debuted by Jarno Trulli at Valencia next weekend.

And at Ferrari’s own Fiorano test circuit, Fernando Alonso was driving the F10 for the “promotional and filming” reasons as permitted by the test ban.

But, as confirmed by Italian media sources, the 2010 car was in its full Valencia specification, including Red Bull-style low exhausts, designed to channel more air to the double-diffuser.

“You have to make the most of any opportunity in this era of the testing ban,” the Italian team said.

(GMM)

Italian media sources are reporting that Pirelli will be F1′s sole tyre supplier in 2011 and beyond.

Autosprint and Italiaracing say the Milan-based marque has been selected by the teams and F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone to replace the departing control supplier Bridgestone.

Reportedly also in the running had been Michelin as well as minor contenders Avon, Kumho and Hankook.

When asked to nominate his preference, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said this week: “As an Italian I prefer Pirelli, but experience tells me Michelin.

“In the end it will be the same for everyone,” he said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Autosprint said Pirelli will be paid 1 million euros per team per season in 2011, 2012 and 2013, in exchange for identical attention and service and a range of just three compounds: soft, medium and hard.

At least initially, the tyres will be in a similar 13-inch specification to the current Bridgestone product, with a longer-term ambition being a move to a low profile.

The decision is set to be confirmed shortly by the World Motor Sport Council.

Spain’s El Mundo Deportivo reports that Pirelli, already the supplier of the new GP3 series as well as world rally, is also likely to supply GP2 next year.

Pirelli was last in F1 in 1991.
(GMM)

At least three media sources are claiming Mark Webber is a contender to replace Felipe Massa at Ferrari next year.

Britain’s The Sun, the Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo, and British journalist James Allen all reported the rumour from the scene of this weekend’s Monaco grand prix.

It is already rumoured that Robert Kubica is another contender to replace struggling Brazilian Massa, whose current teammate Fernando Alonso is under long-term contract.

The Sun also said Webber, 33, could retire if he is not retained by Red Bull in 2011 and is unable to find another top drive.

Kimi Raikkonen has been linked with Webber’s seat at the energy drink-owned team, and the newspaper said “the pieces of the puzzle” could be in place by July.

El Mundo, meanwhile, raised the possibility that Massa could simply swap seats with Webber and race alongside Sebastian Vettel next year.

(GMM)

Mercedes will revert to its original 2010 car for the Monaco grand prix this weekend.

The Brackley based team unveiled a car with a longer wheelbase in Spain last weekend, which is tipped to have helped Michael Schumacher get the upper hand over his teammate Nico Rosberg for the first time in 2010.

But according to German media sources, the pre-Barcelona package – which in Rosberg’s hands was driven to the podium twice in four races – will be up and running again in Monaco because it better suits the slow and twisty curves of the unique street layout.

The shorter-wheelbase car will however be fitted with the latest aerodynamic innovations in Monaco, including the knife-like rollover structure and engine cover air inlets.

“I am very optimistic that we will be more competitive than in Barcelona,” team CEO Nick Fry is quoted as saying by Germany’s RTL.

(GMM)