Bruno Senna will give up his race car to Williams test driver Valtteri Bottas on fourteen more occasions in 2012.
It has emerged that, every time young Finn Bottas takes to the track on a Friday this season, it will be at the wheel of Senna’s Renault-powered FW34.

“Pastor Maldonado will keep his car in every session,” Turun Sanomat correspondent Heikki Kulta reported.

Brazilian Senna confirmed the news to British Sky television whilst he sat out Friday’s initial running in Malaysia.

Bottas, 22, was just quicker than the British team’s number one driver Maldonado on Friday.

Giedo van der Garde will combine his new F1 reserve role with another season in the GP2 series this year.
The 26-year-old Dutchman, who has raced in the F1 feeder category in the last few years, will be Caterham’s reserve driver this year and appear in Friday morning practice sessions on a number of occasions.

According to a report in De Telegraaf newspaper, it has now emerged that van der Garde will race for Caterham’s GP2 team as well.

“The agreement will be announced officially on Monday,” said the Dutch report.

Van der Garde commented: “I want to stay sharp by being with Caterham Racing (GP2 team).

“I am very happy with my role as reserve driver, but when you’re on the road for the whole year with the F1 team and do only a fair number of Friday practices, then you would miss your rhythm.

“I just wanted to keep up some racing.

“I will be involved in everything with the F1 team and at every race, but when I need to race, then my full focus will be on GP2,” he added.

Nico Rosberg – 7th: “I’m pleased that we made a step forward today but we could perhaps have finished higher. In Q1, I hit a kerb quite heavily and damaged the floor which lost some of the car’s downforce for the rest of qualifying. I was on my quickest lap at the end of Q3 but unfortunately I had to slow down for the yellow flag after Felipe’s incident so that cost me some time. I will push hard to gain places tomorrow and have a good race on this fantastic track. I’m guessing it will be an exciting race and the Indian people should be proud to have one of the best tracks in the world of motorsport now!”

Michael Schumacher – 12th: “Qualifying today was not really very good for us. At first I hit some traffic, and then on my final run in Q2, there was again vibrations on the set of tyres which I used which was not helpful. Saying that, this certainly does not explain the time gap to Nico so we need to understand what the reason was for that and get on top of it. As for the race tomorrow, this should work out better for me, and my aim undoubtedly is to score some points. I’m not really sure which side of the grid will be the better one, so I will just take it from there and try to gain as much as possible.”

Ross Brawn: “It was an exciting and tense qualifying session today. We got caught out a little in traffic on occasions which didn’t help as it was particularly close out there. It’s a shame that we didn’t get through to Q3 with Michael, and he was unhappy with his final set of tyres. Nico did a great job, especially considering that he was struggling a little with the car yesterday, so all credit to him and his team for getting the car in good shape for qualifying. Our runs on high fuel this weekend have been encouraging so we are looking forward to the race tomorrow at this impressive new track.”

Norbert Haug: “A good job from Nico today and a good qualifying strategy from our team with just one run in Q3 to save tyres for the race. Michael missed getting into the top ten by 0.018s and the gap to P8 was less than two-tenths which shows how intense the battle is. Our target tomorrow is to achieve the best possible result behind the top three teams and hopefully finish in the top six rankings which we achieved three times in the last five races. The new circuit and facilities here in Greater Noida are very impressive and it is very positive for Formula One to be present in such a vibrant country full of passion and friendliness.”

A quirk of 2011-style formula one is that Jaime Alguersuari is hoping to qualify poorly for the German grand prix.

At the first five grands prix of the season, the Toro Rosso driver was always in Q2 and even Q3 but failed to go on to score a single point.

But in Canada, Valencia and Silverstone, 21-year-old Spaniard consecutively failed to progress out of Q1 yet went on to score points on all three occasions.

“I wouldn’t mind not going into Q2 and qualifying eighteenth at the Nurburging,” he told Radio Nacional de Espana. “That way I keep a set of tyres.”

18th is the highest grid position possible without graduating into Q2 and having to use a further set of Pirelli tyres.

“I am sure about it because at first I did the opposite and it was very bad,” said Alguersuari. “I’d prefer not to qualify, have a good race car and finish in the points.”

Alguersuari, meanwhile, thinks Sebastian Vettel is right on course for the 2011 title.

“For me, the championship is decided already,” he said. “This year the Red Bulls don’t break down and, compared to us, are in a different galaxy.”

Michael Schumacher on Friday paid tribute to Juan Manuel Fangio, the Argentine legend whose record of five world championships he matched and then broke earlier this decade. Friday, the scene of practice for this weekend’s European grand prix, was the 100th anniversary of the late and great Fangio’s birth. Speaking at Valencia, seven time world champion Schumacher recalled the early 90s, when he actually met Fangio at a DTM race a few years before he died. “I was struck by how youthful he still looked, even though he was already into his eighties,” the 42-year-old told Germany’s motorsport-magazin.com. “From his physical coordination and the alertness of his eyes, you could see what a great racing driver he must have been.” Of Fangio’s 51 grands prix, Fangio started from the front row on 48 occasions and won 24 times. He died aged 84 in 1995.

The war of words between championship contenders Red Bull and Ferrari has continued this week.
The teams’ new cars have been trading places at the top of the timesheets at the Valencia test, following on from the recent exchange of barbs in the media.

That sparring continued on Wednesday, when the boss of an Italian shoe brand said he decided to sponsor Red Bull rather than Ferrari in 2011.

“We decided to go with a young team that wins,” Geox’s Mario Moretti Polegato is quoted as saying in La Stampa newspaper.

That quote caught the attention of Ferrari’s press department, which occasionally publishes on the internet a stinging column under the ‘Horse Whisperer’ guise.

The columnist revealed that when he heard about Red Bull’s new Geox deal, he recalled “persistent offers” to Ferrari in 2010 “backed up with significant amounts of cash made on numerous occasions by the very same Moretti Polegato”.

The column said Ferrari turned down the deal because of its existing footwear deal with Puma.

“Ferrari deemed the (Geox) proposal to be incompatible with a brand of this level: could this be why Moretti Polegato has fallen back on the energy drink manufacturer’s company?” wrote the unnamed columnist.

Vitaly Petrov is staying at Renault for two more years, the newly-rebranded Enstone based team announced on Wednesday.

Now calling itself Lotus Renault GP, the team said in a statement that 2010 Russian rookie Petrov is retaining his seat alongside Robert Kubica not only for 2011 but also 2012.

“Last season, he showed on several occasions that he clearly has the potential to deliver,” said team owner Gerard Lopez, who also confirmed that Renault is “looking forward to building on (its) special relationship” with Russia.

Said Petrov, 26: “In many ways, 2010 was about learning. 2011 will be about performing.”

Nico Rosberg does not think his dominance within the Mercedes team this year has been well enough recognised.

Indeed, the focus of attention at the Brackley based squad in 2010 has been Michael Schumacher’s difficult return to the sport.

But the context of the seven time world champion’s struggle has been Rosberg’s 13:3 dominance in qualifying, and his 68 point margin over his famous teammate in the drivers’ championship.

Rosberg, who moved to Mercedes in 2010 after four seasons at Williams, said: “I don’t think my performance is well enough recognised.”

Schumacher’s problems this year have been explained as due to Bridgestone’s new narrower front tyres, which do not suit his driving style.

But “It’s the same for me,” 25-year-old Rosberg told the German weekly Sport Bild.

“Actually I think Michael has been able to adapt his driving style better than I have,” said the German, whose Finnish father is the 1982 world champion Keke Rosberg.

Rosberg also played down the effect of Schumacher’s three-year break since initially retiring in 2006.

“Michael has 15 years of experience in formula one,” he said.

Rosberg said his own recent experience “hasn’t advantaged me because it’s mainly been with grooved tyres, and the current front tyre is different from anything else before it”.

Mercedes’ competition boss Norbert Haug insists Rosberg’s efforts have not been undervalued within the team.

“I think it’s absolutely obvious that Nico has so far extracted what was possible from the car,” he said.  “Only on a very few occasions was this not the case.

“I think he learned a lot with Williams and if you would name one of the top guys that are currently young and experienced in formula one you would certainly mention Nico,” added Haug.

“So Nico is a very good benchmark for probably everybody in the field.”

He expected more out of third place Casey Stoner at Brno, but rain in the warm up did not enable him to refine the development of their Ducati Desmosedici GP10 for the race. With un’anteriore too “loaded” the 2007 World Champion Australia risked falling into the first few laps where he lost too much ground, can not worry enough for the fugitive Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa.

“Honestly I can not be satisfied with this third place, even if the podium is always nice, “says Casey Stoner. “Yesterday we thought we had found the right way, the set-up was good and we missed a few areas for improvement in Warm Up: unfortunately, the rain allowed us to make these improvements and the race has seen. ”

Although not quite in place at the level of development of their Ducati Desmosedici GP10, Stoner finished third in the league going in the same position.

“At the beginning of the race, I almost fall on several occasions, we were overloaded on the fore, but a little everyone seemed to have this problem so that Dovizioso fell in front of me and I managed to avoid it. Only in the final situation has improved, but was now too far away from Pedrosa and Lorenzo. I want to win again for me and the Ducati, but there is still much work to do, “said the 2007 champion.

HRT is interested in moving into Toyota’s F1 headquarters in Cologne, and is also eyeing the departed Japanese teams’ 2010 car, according to reports.

Spain’s sports newspaper Marca said the Spanish team’s owner Jose Ramon Carabante has already visited the German site on two occasions.

Italiaracing, meanwhile, reports that the Hispania team is also interested in taking over Toyota’s unraced 2010 chassis, the TF110.

The news follows HRT’s confirmation that it has split with its existing chassis maker Dallara.

But the move to buy the Cologne facility would be at odds with HRT’s earlier plans to set up a long-term base in the Spanish region of Murcia, a team sponsor.

The reports could therefore trigger speculation that Carabante is looking to sell the team, even though on Thursday HRT revealed the identity of its new board.

“This shows how (the team) is strongly trying to keep on growing day by day in order to develop to a more strong, lasting and competitive team in formula one,” read a statement.

(GMM)

Jarno Trulli is this weekend bidding to maintain a perfect qualifying record on the streets of Monaco.

Since his first visit to the Principality as a formula one driver in 1997, the 35-year-old Italian has never been outqualified by the occupant of the sister car.

His conquests include Ukyo Katayama, Olivier Panis, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Ralf Schumacher and Timo Glock.

His Lotus teammate in 2010 is Heikki Kovalainen, who has so far outqualified 2004 Monaco winner Trulli on two occasions.

Finn Kovalainen told Turun Sanomat: “I will just concentrate on my own performance.”

(GMM)

May 7 (GMM)  Ferrari has in fact not decided whether to keep using its new full F-duct system for the remainder of the Spanish grand prix weekend.

It has been reported that, after a shakedown at Vairano in Giancarlo Fisichella’s hands and tests on the race cars at Barcelona on Friday, the downforce-spoiling system will stay on the F10 for qualifying and the race in Spain.

But Fernando Alonso, quicker than Massa throughout Friday and fourth fastest in the afternoon session, said a final decision will only be taken “this evening”.

“The system worked well but obviously, despite the fact we have tested it on various occasions, we still lack a bit of experience before we can get the best out of it,” he added.

May 3 (GMM)  Christian Klien has begun working with a new manager.

The former formula one driver is Peugeot’s Le Mans reserve this year, after a career spanning 48 grands prix and recent stints as test driver with departed Honda and BMW.

Austrian Klien, 27, wanted to return to the grid in 2010, and was previously managed by his father Johannes.

“Already last year it became obvious that talent and speed are by far not a guarantee for a permanent race seat in the current economic climate,” said the former Red Bull and Jaguar racer.

It is believed Klien was in the running for the HRT ‘Friday’ driver role that instead has been secured by Sakon Yamamoto.

“On two occasions I missed out on a contract literally last minute because other drivers had a more attractive sponsor package to offer,” said Klien.

He did not confirm reports that he was among the drivers considered by hopeful Serbian team Stefan GP.

“In formula one you normally do not talk about unlaid eggs.  It may always weaken somebody’s position in ongoing negotiations,” insisted Klien.

“I would like to ask for everybody’s understanding that I refuse to comment on anything the rumour mill spits out.  As a matter of fact we are in talks with several teams on a regular basis,” he added.

Klien’s new manager is German 28-year-old Roman Rummenigge, of the Rummenigge Sport Marketing company.

Apr.20 (GMM) The first races of his McLaren career prove that F1 should not always leap to quick judgements, Jenson Button said before departing for a holiday in Thailand as the new championship leader.

The reigning world champion joined the British team in 2010 amid widespread claims he would be destroyed by McLaren’s much-loved incumbent Lewis Hamilton.

But after four races, 30-year-old Button has outqualified Hamilton on three occasions, while winning two races compared to his 25-year-old teammate’s none.

In comments published in the Guardian, Button suggested he had been hurt by the F1 world’s pre-season predictions.

“Sometimes we should sit back and watch and enjoy instead of speaking out aloud too much. It (the predictions) might be true in the future, you never know. I don’t know.

“But I feel happy with what’s happening now,” said the Melbourne and Shanghai winner.

Hamilton, however, is expecting the tide to turn soon, after his recent drives through the field were described by some pundits as among the best of his career.

“I feel I have had great races,” he agreed, “but he (Button) has taken the right decisions and taken the easier route. I have had the harder route and got good results but hopefully soon I will take the easier route.”

Hamilton said in the Telegraph that he is not surprised about Button doing well so far in 2010.

“There was a lot of stuff about him joining my team and I would be favoured … I am really happy for him. He did a better job and I am sure that when the tables turn, as they will, it will the same for me,” said the Briton.

He also played down suggestions that, while the first cracks appear in the relationship between Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, the same will happen at McLaren.

“I don’t think it will happen with us,” said Hamilton. “The good thing with me and Jenson is that we clearly want to beat each other, but Jenson is very smart and does not have that too-aggressive flair in him and neither have I.”

In the Daily Express, meanwhile, Button described Hamilton’s unyielding racing style as “like a pitbull”, adding that he loves “having a teammate who’s like that”.