Maria de Villota is not ruling out appearing during a Friday morning practice session some time in 2012.

The 32-year-old Spaniard made international headlines in March when she signed with Marussia as a test driver.

She subsequently admitted, however, that – despite travelling to all the grands prix with the former Virgin team this year – she is “not the reserve driver”.

De Villota, whose father Emilio is a former F1 driver, also clarified in March that she is not contracted to practice on Friday mornings.

But she is not ruling it out now.

“It depends on the team,” she told the Spanish news agency EFE.

“I am trying to do all my duties well so that they are happy with me. And I think they are,” said de Villota.

“But the car is new and the drivers need the miles to develop it. So it’s up to the team (to decide).

“Hopefully it will happen soon, but what happens this year will happen. There may be surprises, but for now I am getting to do a lot of work in the simulator.”

Meanwhile, she made a bold prediction when asked which team she tips to win the so-far unpredictable 2012 championship.

“I think that McLaren is very strong,” said de Villota.

The last female driver to take part in official grand prix sessions was the Italian Giovanna Amati, who failed to qualify for three races in 1992.

Fernando Alonso has admitted Ferrari currently has the “sixth or seventh” best formula one car.

The Spaniard took issue with a pre-season analysis in the specialist press that predicted the famous Maranello based team’s F2012 car was better only than the three struggling backmarkers and perhaps one or two other minor rivals.

“I believe it was a German newspaper. I think we could do a press conference about what was written and we would say more mistakes than wise moves,” Alonso said in Bahrain, according to AS newspaper.

He did admit, however, that the prediction Ferrari would the “sixth or seventh” team was “about right”.

“Now we have to improve,” the 30-year-old insisted.

Norbert Haug said he is proud Mercedes has reached the top of formula one in a short space of time and with a small budget.

The German carmaker’s works team is often lumped together with F1′s other grandees including Ferrari and McLaren, but Haug insists the Brackley based outfit is in fact “a small team, with a small budget”.

Mercedes’ competition boss, who on Sunday collected the winning constructors’ trophy on the Shanghai podium, also said some of the team’s rivals – undoubtedly Red Bull – “took five years to win”.

“We have done it in two and a quarter,” the German told the RTL broadcaster. “That’s not bad at all.

“And there are other teams that still have not made it.”

So is Mercedes now a contender for the world championship, despite Haug’s earlier protestations that the team needs a few more campaigns under its belt for that?

“It is too early to make a prediction,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. “I hope so, but so far we have seen three different winners in three races.”

The newest of those winners is Nico Rosberg, who along with Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve are the only sons of F1 drivers to have also gone on to win grands prix.

It is a good omen for Rosberg that both Hill and Villeneuve also won titles.

Rosberg’s former Williams teammate, Alex Wurz, has high praise.

“As a teammate (in 2007) he made my life difficult because he was such a fantastic qualifying driver. In the race it was then always okay.

“But for this (race win) he deserves praise,” Wurz told the Austrian ORF broadcaster, “because he did everything after his pole position also sensationally.”

But in Bahrain, there could be another winner, triple world champion Niki Lauda remarked.

“I have never before seen F1 as interesting as this,” said the Austrian legend. “Every race we see another winner.”

 Pat Fry, Ferrari’s technical director, thinks Red Bull remains clearly ahead of the F1 field.
There is lots of talk that the reigning champion team is now closely matched by McLaren, with a big chasing group nipping at the heels headed by Mercedes.

But Briton Fry told the Guardian newspaper: “I think Red Bull are ahead of the rest at the moment. Maybe half a second.

“We’re guessing about fuel levels used in testing but I would say Red Bull are between five and seven tenths ahead of everyone else.”

Fry recently wrote off Ferrari’s chances of a podium this weekend in Melbourne, but – at least in the most recent hours – drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso are sounding more positive.

“At the moment we don’t know who is fast and who is not,” insisted Alonso, according to Marca. “Don’t pay much attention to what is said.

“We are not even going to know anything until Malaysia — a normal circuit.”

HRT’s Pedro de la Rosa, at least, is daring a prediction.

“Maybe (Sebastian) Vettel will win again, but if he does, he will have more sweat on his shirt,” the Spaniard is quoted by EFE agency.

As for Ferrari’s apparent problems, de la Rosa commented: “All I know is what I read, but think about how much time has passed since the last test.

“Two or three weeks in formula one is a world.”

It is already being described as a ‘crisis’, but former Ferrari driver Niki lauda is sure Ferrari’s situation in early 2012 is not that bad.
“The Italians always exaggerate,” the triple world champion, who won two titles with the famous Maranello based team in the 70s, is quoted by German RTL television.

“Everything is either great or everything is negative. I don’t think the Ferrari is as bad as it’s being made out.

“I do know that the McLaren and Red Bull are very similar and Mercedes follows closely behind. Then comes Ferrari — but things can change very quickly,” added Lauda.

As ever in Ferrari’s high-pressure Italy, however, the stakes are high and every episode is amplified — such as when comments made by Felipe Massa apparently contradicted Pat Fry’s prediction that an early podium is unlikely.

“In my head is the thought that we can fight for the podium,” Brazilian Massa insisted after landing in Australia this week, “but that doesn’t mean that I don’t agree with what Pat Fry said in Barcelona.”

Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, admitted Ferrari has no choice but to initially “grit our teeth” until the F2012 improves.

“First of all, we have to see exactly where we are in terms of being competitive and then give our all to bring home as many points as possible in this early stage of the championship,” said the Spaniard.

Just before 6.30pm at Suzuka on Friday evening, the Japanese skies were raining heavily.

The rain, forecast to essentially keep falling until late on Saturday, could dump as much as an incredible 85mm on the high speed venue between now and sundown after the third practice and qualifying action.

Qualifying rain almost always mixes up the natural grid order, meaning that the prediction of a dry race on Sunday is an exciting prospect.

“It seems we are set for a fun weekend,” said Toro Rosso engineer Laurent Mekies.

Sebastian Vettel roared the joy from his body as he had won in the qualification for the Grand Prix of Germany in pole position – to thin two thousandths of a second ahead of Fernando Alonso in a Ferrari. Impressively, however, was the lead over team-mate Mark Webber, who was fourth in 0.556 seconds behind.

“It will be interesting to calculate how big the distance of two thousandths of seconds,” the Red Bull driver. “The whole unit over Fernando was very strong. Ferrari is generally very competitive,” says Vettel, who feels vindicated in his prediction after free practice on Friday.

“It was very exciting. In the second qualifying round, I knew that we have a round, get it right. It was close, and therefore makes it a little more pressure to lose the ideal point of the tires and feel that you time, forfeit. My last lap was not 100 percent perfect. I went here and there something about the limit, but in the end it was enough to keep almost anything to get ahead and to the poles. ”

Of course it is to be allowed to go for the driver from Heppenheim of particular importance, at his home race at the very front in the race: “I am extremely happy. I will be at home for the first time on pole, but the main challenge to come tomorrow. We have here a very strong car and a very tough fight against the red cars. ”

After three pole positions in a row and lost starting duel at Silverstone hopes Vettel, that this time all goes well, “I think the clean side of the track as opposed to Silverstone this is worth something. Fernando and were I the last race surprised by the poor adhesion on the clean side. This should be good for us. ”

“We have a very strong car, it goes against the Ferrari to be very close. We usually have a decent speed in the race. It’s a long race, anything is possible. We start looking for a good job today of the best position, but the The goal is the next day. Today there is apart from the fact that you go to bed with a good feeling, nothing. “

Christian Horner has warned Red Bull’s rivals that the exhaust system of the RB6 car is not a silver bullet.

At Valencia nearly two weeks ago, Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault got so-called ‘blown rear diffusers’ up and running on their cars.

And this weekend at Silverstone, the concept is part of McLaren’s latest upgrade, with some estimating the laptime benefit at half a second or more.

But Red Bull team boss Horner has moved to play down those predictions.

“Our rivals overestimate the benefits of the blown diffuser,” he is quoted as saying by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

“It’s only about two or three tenths,” added the Briton.

The team’s German driver Sebastian Vettel agrees.

“It gives us a bit, but only together with the whole package, and that includes our rear suspension.  That can’t be copied during the season,” he said.

The Auto Plus column of French commentator Jean-Louis Moncet reports that, as well as the blown diffuser, McLaren’s Silverstone upgrade includes new cooling, suspension and dampers.

Ferrari, on the other hand, is not expecting the fast Silverstone layout to suit the F10, even though the new Arena section features some new slow corners.

“The track seems reasonably similar to the way it was, with a lot of very fast corners, which will not suit us that much,” said Fernando Alonso.

(GMM)

As F1′s top men battled for pole position at Valencia, the spotlight was once again on an underperforming Michael Schumacher.

His Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg was also sitting out the decisive Q3 qualifying segment, but Schumacher was six tenths off the young German’s pace and a dismal 15th on the grid.

Criticism of the 41-year-old’s F1 return has already been intensifying, amid new rumours Mercedes might want to replace him for 2011 with Robert Kubica.

“If it was any other driver, other than the great Michael Schumacher, we’d be looking for his head, or most of the press would be looking for his head, because clearly this performance in the past couple of races has been very poor,” said BBC pundit Eddie Jordan on Saturday.

David Coulthard thinks his old rival is cutting corners on the kind of detail that, in his first career, made him the most successful driver ever.

“He’s running the (rev) limiter in some places — that’s just sloppy,” the Scot said in Valencia.

“In his first career, even when his car wasn’t performing he would deliver a lap time … even on a bad day.”

For the first time, Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn has admitted some disappointment with Schumacher’s situation.

“We’re a bit disappointed at the moment.  Michael would admit he’s not where he wants to be.

“We’re seeing signs of progress in some races but not in others, but we’ve not had a great car this year, which has not helped him,” added the Briton.

At the sharp end of the grid, Red Bull defied its own predictions by qualifying one-two at Valencia — with the F-duct now fully up and running.

“Valencia should not be our strongest circuit,” said delighted pole sitter Sebastian Vettel, ahead of his teammate Mark Webber and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.

The two Ferraris are fourth and fifth, followed by the consistent Robert Kubica.

Sebastien Buemi drove for the first time in Canada and took a strong eighth four points. After a poor qualifying (starting 15th) are considered the Toro Rosso driver out of all the skirmishes and even led the race at the meantime. This was the 14th since July 1979 when Clay Regazzoni won on a Williams at Silverstone, the first time a Swiss at the top of a Grand Prix. With this result, outdated Toro Rosso this exact Williams team in the constructors’ standings.

“I’ve been to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, known only by the simulator,” said Buemi. “But really to go out is a different story. I like the track very much, because the atmosphere is unique. Nevertheless, our engineers prepared the runway was quite an headache, because the tire situation very critical and provided all with a challenge.”
Despite the strong performance of the 21-year-old remains on the ground of reality. “We have achieved the result with a little luck. The team has worked very well, however, and the strategy was excellent. The biggest problem lies in qualifying. We were even further behind the two Williams. It is clear that we are competitive in the race. We must continue in the top-10 or start the top-12. I think both the team and the drivers do not bring out the maximum from a fresh set of tires. With a full complement of fuel car, we bring the tires much better in the work window. ”

Now, the journey to Valencia, where Buemi had last year with a broken brake disc up early. This season, the direction is clear: “It is obviously difficult before the first practice to make a prediction. Our main aim is qualifying as close as possible to the top 10 to come. We want to take the positive momentum from Canada and Force India catch up in the standings. “

Jun.8 (GMM)  An engineer was wrong to tell Lewis Hamilton that his teammate Jenson Button would not overtake during the recent Turkish grand prix.

A video edit of the Istanbul Park race released by F1′s official website revealed that Phil Prew, the British team’s principal engineer, answered ‘No Lewis, no” when Hamilton asked if Button would overtake him.

Conspiracy theorists interpreted the news as 2009 world champion Button having ignored a veiled team order.

But team boss Martin Whitmarsh explained on Tuesday: “Phil gave an opinion to Lewis, and as it turned out his opinion was wrong.  It’s as simple as that.

“They were being told to look after fuel, (and) as a consequence of that Phil Prew had the opinion that Jenson wouldn’t overtake,” he told reporters during a teleconference.

Apr.26 (GMM)  If the new team’s predictions are right, Lotus is set to take a big step forward at the Spanish grand prix next weekend.

“We are hoping for a time saving of more than a second (per lap),” Heikki Kovalainen told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

The Finnish driver, however, acknowledged that most other teams will also field quicker cars at Barcelona, the first European race of the season and usually the annual scene of major developments.

“But we might have more room (for improvement) than our competitors,” added Kovalainen, referring to the car’s conservative cooling solution, the basic double diffuser and the steel suspension uprights fielded so far this season.

Among F1′s three new teams, the pace of the Lotus and Virgin cars has been close so far.  Virgin is also planning an upgrade for Barcelona, including its famous bigger fuel tank.

Said Lotus’ technical boss Mike Gascoyne: “The Barcelona package has been in the wind tunnel for six months.”  The rear is narrower, the sidepod entries more extreme, the wheelbase longer.

“It will be at least a second faster,” he confirmed.

Team boss Tony Fernandes said he is pushing Lotus to set high targets.

“You’ve got to benchmark yourself against the best, otherwise don’t bother being in it,” he told the Malaysian newspaper The Star.

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”.