Top teams McLaren and Red Bull have questioned whether F1 should have tested last week.

Since the sport clamped down hard on private testing for cost reasons some years ago, there remained many in the paddock – notably Ferrari – who argued that at least some in-season testing should still take place.

So, for 2012, it was agreed that Mugello would host a three-day session in between the Bahrain and Spanish grands prix.

Every team except HRT attended.

But there were rumblings that not everyone was happy. McLaren, in fact, did not even send its race drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton to Tuscany.

Then, on Friday in Spain, the British team’s regular duo was busily testing in official practice, fielding extravagant sensors and experimental components.

“We would have had a very similar programme whether we went to Mugello or not,” said sporting director Sam Michael.

“All the teams are geared up to not have testing, to not having test teams and that means we’re equipped and do our planning to do all of that work on Friday.

“I think the (Mugello) test itself, personally, I think you could do without it,” Michael continued. “I think it’s a lot of energy and expense during the season that we probably don’t need.

“Of course McLaren will gain a lot out of that test but formula one is all relative, so all we really did was spend a load of money.”

Red Bull’s technical boss Adrian Newey agreed.

“I think we learnt the pasta in Italy is still the best in the world and that’s about it really,” he said when asked about the Mugello test.

“I’d agree with what Sam says. To me, yes you go to the test because it’s available. We all spent money but the value of in-season testing has to be questionable.”

HRT has announced it will sit out next week’s rare in-season formula one test at Mugello.

For the first time in years, the sport has relaxed slightly its strict testing ban in order to give teams the chance to run between grands prix.

The three-day session at Ferrari’s Italian circuit will begin next Tuesday, during the three-week gap between Bahrain and Spain.

Struggling backmarkers HRT, however, will not be there, opting instead to be “completely focused” on relocating to its new Caja Magica headquarters in Madrid.

Every other team will be at Mugello, 30 kilometres from Florence — the first in-season test for four years.

26 drivers will be in action, as will a lot of update packages following F1′s return from the hectic ‘flyaway’ season.

Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, Sauber, Marussia and Toro Rosso will use their regular race drivers.

Running regular racers and a tester will be Lotus (Jerome d’Ambrosio), Williams (Valtteri Bottas) and Force India (Jules Bianchi).

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said Caterham is “using the opportunity to earn some money” by accepting the sponsorship of the Venezuelan Rodolfo Gonzalez.

McLaren has scheduled to run its testers Oliver Turvey and Gary Paffett, although Lewis Hamilton has indicated he might gatecrash the programme in order to help solve the MP4-27′s newfound tyre problems.

Romain Grosjean has admitted he hopes France’s touted return to the F1 calendar is shown the green light.

Amid expectations he would announce a race at Paul Ricard will go ahead in 2013, French prime minister Francois Fillon instead said last Friday that talks are ongoing.

“I’m crossing my fingers that it will happen,” Lotus driver and Frenchman Grosjean told RMC Sport.

“I think the enthusiasm for motor sport (in France) has been reborn,” he added, referring to the presence on this year’s grid of three French race drivers, plus Force India reserve Jules Bianchi.

“There has been lots of positive feedback after the first two races and also the first points for Jean-Eric (Vergne).

“I hope we will have a grand prix soon enough,” added Grosjean.

Patrick Tambay, a former grand prix driver from France, believes politics can be thanked for the country’s touted return to the calendar.

“I feel that the grand prix de France broke into the presidential campaign,” he said.

“Since 2008, we hardly heard anything about it, and now it’s a hot topic. There is a strong desire to make it work.

“All that remains is to validate the decision and set a timetable,” he added.

Claude Sage, the administrator of the Le Castellet circuit, said Paul Ricard will be ready.

“The circuit is approved for formula one,” he said.

“We need to prepare the facilities for the public, in the form of temporary stands, as in Monaco. We have room to install them,” added Sage.

Pirelli is reportedly considering signing a 2011 race driver to be the official tyre supplier’s new test driver.

AS newspaper in Spain said Jaime Alguersuari, formerly at Toro Rosso and now travelling the F1 calendar as a co-commentator for British radio, is a front-runner.

Pirelli has secured the use of a 2010 Renault for private development testing this year, which is expected to begin in May.

AS said the “only obstacle” to a deal for 22-year-old Alguersuari is that Pirelli, an Italian marque, is also interested in grand prix winner Jarno Trulli, who raced last year with Team Lotus (now Caterham).

There are no Italian race drivers in F1 this year.

Maria de Villota has admitted she is not Marussia’s reserve driver for 2012.
The 32-year-old Spaniard made international headlines last week by signing with the former Virgin team.

But she has admitted that, should Timo Glock or Charles Pic be unable to race this season, she will not automatically step into the MR01.

“I am available but I am a test driver, not the reserve driver,” she told the AS sports daily.

“Everything is to be decided by the team,” added de Villota, who revealed she will travel to all the grands prix this year.

“If there is an incident with them (the race drivers) … you will have to ask John Booth, the team boss,” she answered.

De Villota is also not contracted to practice on Friday mornings, but would not reveal any further details of her new contract.

“I am blessed by sponsors who have got me into F1 under conditions no one would have imagined were possible. I’m proud of that,” she said.

Mercedes on Tuesday gave the strongest hint yet that Michael Schumacher is set to stay with the Brackley based team beyond 2012.
The seven time world champion returned from retirement with the German team in 2010, and has been widely criticised for failing to live up to the hype of his meteoric initial career.

But 2011 was undoubtedly a better season for the 43-year-old, moving team boss Ross Brawn to hint that Schumacher could receive a new deal for 2013.

“At the moment we aren’t talking to any other drivers,” he told Sport Bild magazine.

“I am also assuming that he is not talking to other teams.

“So if Michael is still enjoying what he’s doing while bringing in the results that we expect, then why not? He definitely has not said that he is toying with the idea of stopping,” added Brawn.

Mercedes’ competition director Norbert Haug added that the great German is “still one of the best race drivers in the field”.

Haug said Schumacher is often as fast or faster than his younger teammate Nico Rosberg, which is impressive “because Nico is undoubtedly among the five best drivers in F1″, he is quoted by FAZ newspaper.

Added Brawn: “It took a little longer than planned for Michael to be where he wanted to be — and even longer than I would have thought.

“The first year was difficult,” admitted Schumacher’s former Ferrari colleague. “I think he did an excellent job in the races in the second year, while Nico was slightly better than him in qualifying.

“I think that really frustrated him (Schumacher),” added Brawn.

A hot topic in India this weekend is the rumoured return to formula one next year of 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen.
Reports suggest the 32-year-old Finn, who left Ferrari to try his hand at world rallying and NASCAR two seasons ago, could come back in 2012 with the beleaguered Williams team.

The famous British squad’s chairman Adam Parr was asked directly about the speculation in India on Friday by Finnish journalist Heikki Kulta.

“I am afraid there is only one answer to that question, which is that our race drivers are Pastor Maldonado and Rubens Barrichello and if, and when, that changes we will make an appropriate announcement,” he answered.

Parr was later asked a nearly identical question in the Buddh paddock by MTV3, Finland’s television broadcaster.

“Kimi has been one of the most competent drivers in the last few years,” acknowledged Parr, “and I think everyone would like to see him back in F1.”

The Former McLaren driver is notoriously unforthcoming with the media, but German-language reports this week have quoted Raikkonen as responding to a question about a hypothetical return to F1.

“Of course you always want a winning car,” he said, “but as we have seen this year, there is only one team that really has that.”

 Karun Chandhok and his father on Sunday insisted they still do not know if the Indian will be on the inaugural Buddh grid in seven days.
Team Lotus boss Tony Fernandes has said consistently he would like to see the reserve driver contest his home grand prix, but it seems Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen are firmly under contract to race at every opportunity.

“You will definitely see me in Friday’s practice session and there I will definitely give my best,” the Press Trust of India quotes Karun Chandhok as saying.

“But for the rest of the two days, we will have to wait and see.

“It’s a complicated thing because there are contractual complexities as the team has to honour the two contracted race drivers. But from my side I would love to race,” he added.

“Tony Fernandes has said many times that he would love to see it happen. But at the end of the day, one has to understand that F1 is a business.”

Chandhok’s father, federation of motor sports club of India president Vicky Chandhok, was also asked on Sunday if his son will be on the grid next week.

“That’s a question which Karun and Team Lotus have to answer … He has proved himself in Korea, but the question is beyond me,” he said.

McLaren’s race drivers have rubbished speculation they might soon have a new team boss.

The Woking based team’s managing director Jonathan Neale this week said rumours Martin Whitmarsh might lose his job was “part of the media circus” of a disappointing home performance at Silverstone recently.

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have now also publicly backed Whitmarsh amid rumours Ron Dennis might be looking to return to his post at the helm of the famous British team.

“There’s no chance of that,” Hamilton told the Daily Star when asked about reports of Whitmarsh’s possible demise.

“There is a better atmosphere within the team than there ever has been, it is constantly growing.

“I am certain there are no plans for him to go anywhere.”

Teammate Button agrees: “It was said people are unsure of his (Whitmarsh’s) position within the team, the engineers and mechanics. That’s absolute rubbish.”

Franz Tost has admitted team owner Red Bull will decide Toro Rosso’s 2012 driver lineup.
A mid-season driver change had been expected for the energy drink’s secondary team this year, but Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi duly upped their game and have kept their places for now.

Red Bull’s rising star Daniel Ricciardo therefore made his debut last weekend for the struggling Spanish team HRT, but a full-time place at Toro Rosso is regarded as likely for the 22-year-old Australian next season.

“He can’t drive for Toro Rosso (in 2011) because we have two race drivers who are doing a good job,” confirmed team boss Tost to redbull.com.

“What our driver pairing will be in 2012, I don’t know yet. This will be decided by Red Bull at the end of the season.”

Eric Boullier has for the first time named Pedro de la Rosa as a potential replacement for Renault’s injured regular Robert Kubica.
Another 2010 Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld, however, is in pole position for the R31 seat and will test the black and gold car this weekend.

Heidfeld, 33, was already with the team at Jerez on Thursday.

“We are in talks with de la Rosa, Liuzzi and Heidfeld,” team boss Boullier is quoted as saying by Marca sports newspaper in Spain.

Even Heidfeld’s manager Andre Theuerzeit insisted “I don’t know yet” when asked if the German driver will be racing in Bahrain.

Boullier told Auto Motor und Sport: “This year, with so much new with the car, we cannot risk going with a young driver.

“Experience will be vitally important, so there aren’t too many candidates.”

The Frenchman said Heidfeld is the favourite.

“He will be driving on Saturday and Sunday for a day and a half. If we think he is our man then he will also be at the next test in Barcelona.

“If not, then we would have to try one of the other drivers,” said Boullier, referring to the aforementioned de la Rosa and Vitantonio Liuzzi.

“Barcelona is our absolute deadline, as by then we need to know who will be racing our car.”

He explained that Bruno Senna will also drive the R31 at Jerez in order to be the main reserve driver for 2011.

“If something else happens (to the race drivers), I want a driver who has already been in the car,” added Boullier. Romain Grosjean is currently racing in the GP2 Asia series in Abu Dhabi.

“If this (Kubica’s crash) had happened in the middle of the season, then we could have taken the chance of a young driver. But we need to develop this car from scratch with someone experienced,” he insisted.

“On paper, the ideal replacement for Robert is Heidfeld,” he is quoted in French by sport24.com.

Bruno Senna has resurfaced at Lotus Renault GP.
The Brazilian, whose late uncle Ayrton is the subject of a new award-winning documentary, had a difficult debut in 2010 with the struggling HRT team.

He has not been retained for 2011, instead resurfacing in the Valencia pitlane on Monday morning as Renault launched its new black and gold R31 car.

“It’s a great leap of faith from them to give me this shot, so I’m very happy,” 27-year-old Senna, who like Frenchman Romain Grosjean was introduced as a ‘third’ driver, said whilst wearing his new black overalls.

Among Renault’s other non-race drivers for 2011 are reserves Fairuz Fauzy, Jan Charouz and Ho-Ping Tung.

Jarno Trulli believes wealth is becoming too important as the remaining spaces on the F1 grid fill up for 2011.
For the coming season, the likes of Nico Hulkenberg and Nick Heidfeld are facing the prospect of sitting on the sidelines, as respected teams including Williams and Sauber opt instead for race drivers with significant financial backing.

Trulli, one of the oldest and most experienced drivers on the grid, thinks the situation could have knock-on effects for the next generation.

“Today it is so difficult for young drivers,” the Italian told Auto Motor und Sport during an interview.

“Money is playing too big a role and the lower series like Formula 3 are too expensive. I couldn’t repeat my own career these days,” added Trulli, who made his F1 debut in 1997 with Minardi.

The 36-year-old has also raced for major teams including Renault and Toyota, but in 2010 he returned to the back of the grid with Lotus.

“It was not a good season,” said Trulli.

In an interview published in Italian by italiaracing, he was more strident.

“I think I deserved a medal for being the unluckiest driver of the year,” said Trulli, whose car regularly broke down last season. “There’s no need to say it was the worse season in all my life.”

To the German publication, he continued: “It was a bit frustrating but it’s part of the business. I have accepted it as a transitional season.”

Worse still, Trulli insists that the green T127 was not a car to his liking.

“I didn’t have what I needed for my driving style,” he explained, “so it made the task doubly difficult.

“I need a stiff car that gives me good feedback, but from the first test it was clear that I wouldn’t have that.”

He knows Lotus is pushing hard to catch up, but can understand some of the criticism of the new teams from established names including Ferrari.

“In the end we are all in the same race and the incumbents should respect those who are just beginning. On the other hand it is true that four seconds behind is too much.

“Now we are a year further ahead and we need a big aero step and a lighter and stiffer car. There is an awful lot to do and if we can do it, then we can fight with the back of the midfield.”

But even that is not his goal.

“I must still have the skills that make some people keep believing in me, but just being here is not what I want, which is winning races and the title.”

Trulli said he knows first-hand how difficult is Team Lotus’ task.

“I raced for Toyota, with great resources and unlimited possibilities, but they never achieved what they wanted to,” he noted.

Gary Paffett on Friday said F1′s new Pirelli tyre is “not too different” from the product supplied in 2010 by the now departed Bridgestone.

At Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit, the two-day Pirelli test began, with teams and race drivers including new world champion Sebastian Vettel getting their first taste of the sport’s new rubber.

At the end of the day, the best time was Felipe Massa’s 1.40.1 — a significant feat for the Brazilian after struggling with the Bridgestone tyre this year.

Indeed, Renault chief engineer Alan Permane reported that the Pirelli’s had suffered from “no warm-up issues”, which had been a significant problem for drivers including Massa in 2010.

Vettel was also in the 1.40s on Friday.

That is about 2 seconds slower than Daniel Ricciardo’s Bridgestone-shod time set in the Red Bull earlier this week, although it must be noted that most teams were also running with the new mandatory weight distribution setup for 2011.

“The tyres seem to be working well and not too different from Bridgestone, so a good start,” said Gary Paffett, who has tested the 2010 McLaren with both Pirelli and Bridgestone tyres this week.

Mark Webber will not be testing Pirelli’s 2011 tyres in Abu Dhabi late next week.

But Red Bull boss Christian Horner denied the news is a sign the Australian’s disparaging comments in Brazil, and ensuing rumours that Webber will be leaving the team, had motivated the decision.

Instead, the fact that only Sebastian Vettel will be testing the new tyres for Red Bull next week was taken “six weeks ago”, Horner insisted.

It emerged on Thursday that neither of McLaren’s race drivers will be doing the Pirelli test.

But at Mercedes, Nico Rosberg will be equally sharing track time on the new tyres with his teammate Michael Schumacher.

“It is an important test because there is a lot to learn in a short time,” Rosberg is quoted in Abu Dhabi by Turun Sanomat.

“The new tyres will have a different behaviour that must be learned, like braking points and perhaps a different driving style,” added the German.