Jules Bianchi’s personal sponsor has signed up with the Force India team for 2012.
The French rookie, also with the strong backing of Ferrari’s development programme, will be Force India’s reserve and ‘Friday’ driver this season.

Without mentioning 22-year-old Bianchi’s name, the Silverstone based team announced this week that Brazilian car parts maker Aethra is a new sponsor.

Aethra was Bianchi’s main sponsor in GP2 last season, when he finished the feeder series in third place behind champion Romain Grosjean and Luca Filippi.

“Particularly after a bad start, it is unfortunate that 2011 did not go as we wanted for Bianchi in GP2,” his manager Nicolas Todt told Italy’s Autosprint magazine last week.

“It was therefore impossible for him to win the title and so similarly (impossible) to find him a formula one race seat with a good team.”

Jules Bianchi will split his time between the F1 and Formula Renault paddocks in 2012.
The former GP2 driver has been signed by Force India to replace the team’s reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg, who has stepped up to the race seat this season.

Like Hulkenberg last year, Frenchman Bianchi will practice on numerous Friday mornings in 2012.

He will also race in the Formula Renault 3.5 series, it emerged on Thursday.

Bianchi, also under contract to Ferrari as a development driver and managed by Felipe Massa’s manager Nicolas Todt, will drive for the Tech 1 team.

“This is a very important season for my career and, as a young driver, it is vital to have the opportunity to race in a competitive series such as this,” he said.

“I want to thank Ferrari and Force India for having given permission to grasp this opportunity.”

Jules Bianchi could be headed to Force India to become the team’s official reserve and ‘Friday’ driver in 2012.
That is the claim of German-language Auto Bild Motorsport, referring to the Ferrari-backed Frenchman who finished this year’s GP2 championship in third place.

Bianchi, 22 and a Ferrari test driver in 2011, “is a great talent and he had a positive season in GP2 but he needs to grow and gain experience next season”, Ferrari’s Stefano Domenicali said last week.

“I cannot say now where he will be,” added the Italian, “but for sure we want to invest because we believe in him.”

Auto Bild claims Bianchi, who is managed by Felipe Massa’s manager Nicolas Todt, is a frontrunner to be Force India’s third driver next year.

That role is currently occupied by German Nico Hulkenberg, who is tipped to move into the Silverstone based team’s race seat in 2012.

Jules Bianchi has been named by Ferrari as an official F1 test driver for the 2011 season.

But a spokesman insisted that the Italian team’s full plans for its support driver programme for next year have not yet been divulged.

Frenchman Bianchi, 21, who raced in GP2 this year and was a frontrunner, was already under long term contract to the Maranello based team as a development driver.

Ferrari announced on Thursday that he will be a “test driver” for the F1 team in 2011, and will contest the two-day young driver test in Abu Dhabi next week.

But the third/reserve role is different, and in 2010 it was fulfilled by Giancarlo Fisichella and Marc Gene. Luca Badoer is also a Ferrari test driver.

Bianchi is managed by Felipe Massa’s manager Nicolas Todt.

He is the grandson of Mauro Bianchi, a GT world champion, and the nephew of Lucien, Le Mans winner and competitor at 19 grands prix in the 60s.

The Ferrari spokesman said more announcements about F1 testing roles for the 2011 season are scheduled for later this year.

Peter Sauber has denied the signing of Telmex as a major new sponsor means he might be prepared to sell his Swiss formula one team.

On Monday, the Hinwil based team announced that Telmex, headed by the richest man in the world Carlos Slim, will have “a significant presence” on the livery of next year’s Sauber car.

The deal involves Mexican GP2 driver Sergio Perez joining as race driver, with the 20-year-old the most prominent member of the company’s motor sport arm Escuderia Telmex.

“For Telmex and our racing project it’s a great step forward,” said Slim’s son Carlos Slim Domit, chairman of the Mexico City-based company.

Swiss newspaper Blick, traditionally close to Sauber, said the two-year deal is worth about 20 million Swiss francs (EUR 15m).

“And who knows whether Slim will buy his new toy completely,” the report speculated.

But amid lingering rumours that GP2 team ART’s Nicolas Todt was also keen on buying into Sauber, boss Peter Sauber told the Daily Telegraph that is not going to happen.

“I own 100 per cent of the shares, and I have no plans to sell the team or part of it,” he insisted.

But having fielded a mainly blank livery in 2010 after the BMW withdrawal and the Qadbak sale debacle, the 66-year-old sounded relieved to have inked the major deal.

“With Telmex we want to send a clear message to other (potential) sponsors,” Sauber told Blick.

British sports car maker Lotus is entering F1′s main feeder category GP2.

Lotus Motorsport, an arm of the Proton-owned Lotus Cars, is entirely separate to Lotus Racing, the new formula one team headed by Tony Fernandes.

Amid reports Group Lotus is set to retract its license of the use of the Lotus Racing name for the F1 team, it is expected that Fernandes’ outfit will become known as Team Lotus for 2011.

The Team Lotus name was owned separately by David Hunt, brother of the late 1976 world champion James Hunt. Hunt acquired the name after the original Team Lotus folded in 1994.

It was announced late on Tuesday that Group Lotus’ Lotus Motorsport is entering GP2 next year with Nicolas Todt’s top line team ART.

“We come together with a common goal: to continue our great success in motorsport,” said Lotus’ communications boss Gino Rosato, formerly the security man at Ferrari.

The deal sees Lotus commit to “providing technical and engineering support for the GP2 and GP3 race series for the foreseeable future”, a statement read.

Added director of operations Miodrag Kotur: “Lotus won’t simply be partner in name only, ART will also benefit from our considerable engineering and technical support and experience.”

Fascinatingly, Fernandes will also be linked to the GP2 grid in 2011, with his team to be called Team Air Asia, after his low-cost Malaysian airline.

Peter Sauber and Gerhard Berger have denied reports the pair are set to share ownership of the Hinwil based formula one team.

With former Sauber owner BMW pulling out at the end of last year, and Berger no longer co-owning the Toro Rosso team, it had been suggested the Austrian former ten time grand prix winner could use the opportunity to return to F1.

But Berger told Auto Motor und Sport: “If Peter Sauber has trouble getting sponsors, then so would I.”

Peter Sauber confirmed: “Gerhard and I have had no contact on this subject.”

More strongly rumoured has been a connection between Sauber and Nicolas Todt, who is Felipe Massa’s manager and the boss of the French GP2 team ART.

“It is true that Todt has some interest, but I told him a few months ago that we are not selling. This is still the current situation,” said Sauber.

Pastor Maldonado’s manager has refused to deny rumours he is in talks about a race seat at Sauber for 2011.

Earlier this year, the Venezuelan GP2 driver was linked with Pedro de la Rosa’s place at Sauber, and more recently it emerged the 25-year-old’s main sponsor PDVSA is pushing for a presence on the formula one grid.

Maldonado, who came close to signing with Stefan GP for the 2010 season, is managed by Felipe Massa’s manager Nicolas Todt.

When asked about the Sauber rumours, Frenchman Todt answered: “I don’t want to go into details, but obviously I’m talking to a few teams about next year for both drivers.”

The other driver referred to by Todt in the 422race.com interview was Jules Bianchi, a front-running GP2 driver who has a development contract with Ferrari.

Todt-managed Bianchi is currently recovering from a back injury sustained in the recent support-race in Hungary.

But Todt, boss of the GP2 team ART and the son of FIA president Jean Todt, said it is possible Bianchi will be on F1′s 2011 grid.

“Jules is still young, he has two years of open wheels behind him, which is very little, but he is a very big talent and if he has the chance to do formula one next year, he has to take it,” he said.

Todt was also asked about the lingering rumours about his plans to merge his GP2 team with an existing F1 outfit.

“It’s still very early and it’s hard to say,” he answered.

Jacques Villeneuve is reportedly bidding to return to formula one next year with his own team.

Germany’s authoritative Auto Motor und Sport magazine said ‘Villeneuve Racing’ is one of the three candidates for the 13th and final place in pitlane.

The 1997 world champion and now 39-year-old French Canadian wanted to return to the cockpit this year with Stefan GP, but the Serbian outfit was not granted an entry.

The report said almost ten candidates originally made applications to race next year, but now there are only three in the running; with Villeneuve Racing and Cypher Group among them.

Auto Motor und Sport said the third name could be Spain’s Epsilon Euskadi or the former GP2 team Durango, after Nicolas Todt’s ART failed at the hurdle proving finance for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

The magazine said Villeneuve Racing has cleared all the hurdles so far, including proving an existing infrastructure for a team based in England.

The report said it is rumoured that Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds may be involved, as might be a crew made up of former Arrows and Super Aguri staff.

The FIA’s decision about the 13th team is expected in late July.

Villeneuve last raced in F1 with BMW-Sauber in 2006, losing the seat to Robert Kubica mid-season.

The French GP2 outfit ART Grand Prix has withdrawn its application to complete the formula one grid in 2011.

In a statement, the team said it worked on the project for “several months” and had “forged strong bonds with several technical and financial partners”.

“But with unfavourable economic conditions (the team) could not gather the necessary guarantees to ensure the stability of the project in the long term,” said ART.

The team said it has postponed the project to “a later date” and “remains completely focused and dedicated” on its other activities.

Headed by Nicolas Todt, the son of FIA president Jean Todt and manager of the Ferrari driver Felipe Massa, ART also races in the F3 Euroseries and GP3.

Cosworth has played down reports Williams is set to switch to Renault engine power in 2011.

It has been suggested that Grove based Williams is unhappy with the performance of the 2.4 litre V8, especially its degradation as it ages.

But Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reports that the British independent engine maker, also the supplier to the three new teams, has commenced a programme to improve the deficiencies.

And Cosworth’s business director Mark Gallagher said: “We have a three year contract with Williams, and there is no evidence they want to end this relationship.”

He also said all of the candidates to be F1′s 13th team in 2011 “with one exception” have been in talks with Cosworth.

Auto Motor und Sport reports that Cosworth is the cheapest engine supplier on the grid, with its engine costing EUR 5.5 million per year compared to the 9m price-tag for Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault power.

The publication said Nicolas Todt’s hopeful ART team wants to be powered by Ferrari.

But Gallagher insists that Cosworth provides a highly reliable product, while the input of Rubens Barrichello has helped the marque to improve the engine’s driveability.

As for the loss of horse power in the middle of the engine’s life, Gallagher revealed: “We have found the cause and brought a solution to the FIA for permission to make the change.”

(GMM)

Jun.17 (GMM) Hopeful teams are facing a delay in the FIA’s decision about the final place on the 2011 formula one grid.

That is the claim of Joan Villadelprat, whose Spanish outfit Epsilon Euskadi as well as Nicolas Todt’s ART are considered the two favourites for the 13th team entry.

The FIA’s expression of interest process ended in April, with teams then lodging full applications and a fee by the end of June followed by “due diligence leading to a decision in July”.

But Villadelprat has now indicated that a delay is likely.

“I am optimistic about our chances,” he is quoted by Italy’s Autosprint, “but worried that the FIA will make a decision probably in August.”

“That gives the team an extremely short preparation time.

“It is therefore unavoidable at this stage to invest in the 2011 project without knowing whether we will be on the grid.”

Villadelprat said he is targeting a start-up budget of EUR 100 million, which is substantially more than the amount being spent this year by any of the three new teams.

“With a lower budget we would only make up the numbers,” he said.

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)

Peter Sauber has confirmed that Nicolas Todt visited the Swiss team’s Hinwil headquarters last week.

Earlier, it was rumoured that Frenchman Todt was eyeing a merger of his GP2 team ART, but Sauber insisted in Turkey that his team is not being sold.

The 66-year-old said in an interview published at motorsport-aktuell.com: “I have had a very good relationship not only with his father (Jean Todt) but also with him, especially through Felipe Massa.”

Nicolas Todt also manages the 29-year-old former Sauber driver and Brazilian Massa.

(GMM)

Peter Sauber on Saturday played down rumours linking his Hinwil based team with Nicolas Todt.

Spanish reports on Friday said Frenchman Todt, the 32-year-old son of FIA president Jean Todt, could merge his GP2 team ART with Sauber rather than go it alone in F1 next year.

El Mundo Deportivo said Peter Sauber’s ambition for his struggling former BMW-owned team is to “find a strong and stable partner and again retreat into the background”.

It is also rumoured that Todt recently visited the Swiss team’s headquarters.

But Sauber told the Swiss newspaper Blick: “I am not selling my team!”

(GMM)