Spaniard Maria De Villota has become a Marussia F1 Team test driver.

Maria has raced in a variety of single-seater and sports car categories, including Spanish F3, the Daytona 24 Hours, the Euroseries 3000 and Superleague Formula Championship.

Maria has also experienced a Formula One cockpit previously, having received a test drive courtesy of the team formerly known as Lotus Renault F1 Team at Paul Ricard in August of last year, where she achieved 300kms of running.

As the daughter of former F1 driver and British Formula One Series Champion Emilio de Villota, Maria has always dreamed of following in his footsteps to reach the highest level of motorsport. Her integration into the Marussia F1 Team means she will have the opportunity to work with racing drivers operating at the pinnacle of the sport and, later in the year, the chance to drive the MR01.

John Booth, Team Principal, Marussia F1 Team, commented:

“We are pleased to welcome Maria to our test driver programme, which will enable her to be integrated into a Formula One team environment and gain a vast amount of experience that will be useful to her career progression. We will also provide Maria with the opportunity to sample F1 machinery later in the year, further adding to her racing credentials.”

Maria De Villota had this to say:

“I am very happy to be joining the Marussia F1 Team test driver programme. This is a fantastic opportunity to work closely with a Formula One team and gain important experience to help me progress my career, including the chance to drive the new car later in the year at the Abu Dhabi test. I will be joining the team trackside so I’m looking forward to working alongside them at the first race next weekend and this can only help my future ambition to step up to Formula One racing.”

The death of Indycar driver Dan Wheldon is making waves even in the world of formula one.
As a Briton and a former track rival of contemporaries including Jenson Button, the 33-year-old was well-known in the F1 paddock and his death has been felt as a big blow.

Not surprisingly, formula one figures suggest Indycar has a lot to learn from F1.

“It is the most dangerous form of motor racing at the moment,” 1979 world champion Jody Scheckter, who wants his son Tomas to quit Indycar, told the BBC.

Also criticised since the crash has been the small size of the Las Vegas speedway, the large number of competing cars, the skills of some of the drivers and the very nature of high speed oval racing.

Former Super Aguri driver Anthony Davidson, a former junior rival of Wheldon’s, said: “The safety record in Indycar is not good and I would never drive there. It’s just not worth it. The cars are agricultural.”

Agreed David Coulthard – who moved to German touring cars after retiring from F1 in 2008 – in his Telegraph column: “I could have moved my family over there and made a life for myself in the United States.

“But the risk-reward ratio was simply too high for me. Formula one, I felt, was at an acceptable level but Indycar was, and is, probably 20 years behind F1 in terms of safety.”

Added 1992 world champion Nigel Mansell: “Formula one does an exemplary job.”

Coulthard added: “With any luck it (Wheldon’s death) will spur on the IRL to improve its safety record. Say what you like about Max Mosley but one thing that we in formula one must all thank him for was his response to (the deaths at) Imola in 1994.”

Sir Jackie Stewart agreed: “I think there needs to be more discipline by the (Indycar) governing body. If drivers do consistently collide with each other, there should be heavier penalties.”

British Racing Drivers’ Club president Derek Warwick said: “They need to understand the quality of the drivers that are in the field as well.

“With formula one the drivers are all great drivers who have won championships from working their way up from formula 3 to GP2 before they get a super licence to be able to race.

“I sometimes question the depth of talent in Indycar races and that will lead to inexperience and the inexperienced generally end up having accidents. They need to tweak what they’re doing a little bit,” said the 162 grand prix veteran.

Former McLaren driver Mark Blundell, who has also raced in America, added: “These kinds of cars shouldn’t have been running on these kinds of circuits.”

Stewart told Sky Sports: “It was such high speed on such a small track with too many cars together and not that many top racing drivers in there.

“It may be that we have to have smaller engines with smaller horsepower and slower speeds in Indycar racing.”

But Johnny Herbert, who flirted with a switch to America after retiring from F1 in 2000, thinks Indycar fatalities are inevitable.

“They will continue as long as this extreme form of motor sport exists,” the Briton wrote in his column for The National.

“The tremendous speed at which the cars travel, while separated by inches on those steep oval tracks, means you will likely see more deaths, no matter what safety measures are implemented.”

Reports that Qatar is the likely buyer of the $400m lease of British grand prix venue Silverstone have been denied.
A British newspaper this week said the Arab emirate’s sovereign wealth fund is in exclusive talks for the 150-year lease with track owner The British Racing Drivers’ Club.

But the Gulf Times said the Qatar Investment Authority rejected the “authenticity of press reports … that it is a close to a deal” over Silverstone.

And an official source told the Qatar News Agency that there are “no relevant negotiations, currently nor in the past, in this respect”.

Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund has been named as the likely buyer of the lease of British grand prix venue Silverstone.
The Independent said Qatar Investment Authority – already owning shares in the London Stock Exchange, Volkswagen, Harrods, Miramax and French football club Paris Saint-Germain – is in exclusive talks with owner the British Racing Drivers’ Club.

Due diligence is taking place now and “a final decision is expected in the next six months”, said the British newspaper.

The report said part of the deal is that the 150-year leaseholders will have to maintain Silverstone “to make it suitable to retain the British grand prix” beyond 2017.

Qatar is one of the Arab emirates in the Middle East, located next to South Arabia and across the strait from Bahrain.

McLaren excused Lewis Hamilton after denouncing his “very poor” race strategy in Sunday’s Malaysian grand prix.
The Briton started second but finished just seventh at Sepang, and was further demoted to eighth place following a penalty for weaving in front of Fernando Alonso.

“I tried my best,” the visibly angry 2008 world champion said after stepping out of the MP4-26, while his teammate Jenson Button climbed the podium.

“I stopped before everyone else and then the wrong tyres were put on. It was very poor strategy but there’s nothing I can do,” added Hamilton.

Team boss Martin Whitmarsh said he understood the 26-year-old’s initial frustration.

“Lewis said a few things straight after the race which were from his view in the cockpit,” he said. “He’s already smiling and laughing and when he looks back and sees the full picture I think he’ll have a different opinion.”

Whitmarsh also said he thought Hamilton’s post-race 20-second penalty for weaving was “harsh”, but Ferrari driver Alonso said his former teammate had been “very aggressive”.

“At 300kmh he did some very aggressive moves with the steering wheel,” the Spaniard told AS newspaper, but he wasn’t critical of the stewards for his own 20-second penalty.

“It was a normal racing incident,” he explained, referring to when he clipped the rear of Hamilton’s McLaren.

“We are racing drivers, I would do the same thing tomorrow, while others make the decisions,” added Alonso.

The British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) insists it has not run out of money to complete sweeping renovations at its British grand prix venue Silverstone.
The circuit-owning BRDC announced on Thursday it is seeking investors to help realise “the full potential of Silverstone”.

A new pit and paddock complex is being constructed at the Northamptonshire venue, and there have been rumours that money is running short.

But the BRDC insisted that if a “suitable investor” is not found, “we will continue with the development ourselves, albeit at a slower pace”.

Some observers interpreted the announcement as a desperate plea for more money, but BRDC chairman Stuart Rolt dismissed that view.

“You can see our accounts every year and they will tell you we are making money,” he told the Telegraph.

“If there’s one thing I want to get across it is that the rumours of impending financial peril are complete rubbish. These are exciting times,” he added.

Michael Schumacher does not feature in an authoritative magazine’s ranking of the top 50 racing drivers of 2010.

The editor of the British print magazine Autosport, often described as the ‘bible’ for motor sport fans, said the seven time world champion missed the cut because he “wasn’t very good” on his return to formula one this year.

Drivers for all major motor racing series around the world are eligible for the top 50.

“If there had been just one race where you thought Schumacher was exceptional that may well have been enough to get him into the top 50,” said editor Andrew van de Burgt. “But I can’t think of that one performance.

“Coupled with that, his comeback was easily the most hyped and eagerly anticipated I can remember. The expectations were so great and the results so disappointing.”

The editor dismissed Schumacher’s argument that this year’s Bridgestone tyres did not suit his driving style.

“The tyres are the same for everyone and a driver who has won 91 grands prix and seven world championships has got to adapt,” he insisted.

Schumacher’s Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, who is 16 years younger than Schumacher and has never won a race, was ranked 12th in the 2010 Autosport ‘Best Of’ driver ranking.

“Rosberg more than had the measure of Schumacher,” said van de Burgt. “And what we have seen in the past suggests Rosberg is a very good driver but maybe not a great one.

“So to be so comprehensively beaten by him didn’t really show Schumacher in a great light.”

He admitted that the 41-year-old German showed “a few little hints” of promise at the end of the season, but for the top 50 it was “close but no cigar”.

Christian Horner has revealed his “disappointment and frustration” at the news Mark Webber kept secret a fractured shoulder.

A new official book published by the Australian admitted Webber used injections to drive through the pain of the injury sustained whilst mountain bike riding prior to October’s Japanese grand prix.

Red Bull team boss Horner told London’s Telegraph he felt “disappointment and frustration” to hear about the injury for the first time late on Monday.

“I didn’t even know about the book, let alone the shoulder,” the Briton said.

The reports on Monday said only FIA doctor Gary Hartstein and Webber’s trainer Roger Cleary knew about the injury.

“It is obviously disappointing that Mark said nothing,” admitted Horner. “It was an injury that did not appear to have any effect on his performance but all the same it would have been nice to know about it.”

Given the mountain bike crash in the 2009 pre-season that left Webber with a broken leg and shoulder, Horner indicated that the 34-year-old should stay off two wheels.

“Our drivers have an obligation to make sure they are fit,” he said. “It seems bikes don’t agree with Mark so maybe it would be better if he stayed away from them.”

Horner was speaking as he collected a Gold Star on Webber’s behalf at the British Racing Drivers’ Club awards ceremony in London.

Reports that Bernie Ecclestone might bail out Silverstone are “poppycock and mischief-making”, according to sources at the circuit-owning British Racing Drivers’ Club.

Rumours have indicated that the BRDC is running out of money to complete the redevelopments at the British grand prix venue and that Ecclestone could gain control of Silverstone by rescuing the project.

While the BRDC is not commenting officially, Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary spoke with key figures whilst attending the club’s awards lunch in London.

He said he was “assured” that the reports, including claims the low-lying development is at risk of flooding, are “all poppycock and mischief-making”.

“Development is on track, on budget and was signed off by respected architects and engineers who would have taken the water table into account,” said Cary, recalling his conversation with the BRDC figures.

“There is a constant search for investment, primarily focused on utilising the development lands around Silverstone to create added value, but this is old news,” he added.

Kamui Kobayashi is the first Japanese driver to have reached formula one without the heavy backing of sponsors.

That is the claim of Peter Sauber, who rescued the rookie’s motor racing career after Toyota pulled out of formula one at the end of last year.

At the time, Kobayashi – who was supported and groomed for a long time by Toyota – had just impressed the F1 world with a couple of stirring performances whilst replacing injured regular Timo Glock.

The 24-year-old has been retained by Sauber for 2011.

“He is the first Japanese driver who is in an F1 team without supporting the budget,” Sauber is quoted by Turun Sanomat newspaper.

“He is in F1 due to his ability to drive,” added the Swiss.

Ahead of his first home grand prix at Suzuka this weekend, Kobayashi recalls standing in for the ill Glock in Friday practice a year ago.

“Jenson (Button) fought for the championship, but I fought for my life,” he said.

“I felt like a mountaineer, climbing either to the top or falling into a gaping abyss.  There were no other options.

“I got one chance and knew that if I did not use it, my career in F1 could be over just as it began,” said Kobayashi.

He confirms he does not fit the usual mould of racing drivers from Japan.

“My family is very far away from anything related to motor sport.  My dad has a sushi restaurant and he has never had a car,” he said.

“When I became interested in karting when I was 9, I didn’t even know formula one existed,” added Kobayashi, who moved to Europe at 17, living in France and Italy.

Sebastian Vettel has confirmed that his relationship with teammate Mark Webber is tense.

In recent interviews in the wake of the Silverstone front wing affair, 33-year-old Webber has openly admitted that he is not friends with the younger German.

The story dates all the way back to 2008, when an on-track collision caused the Australian to denounce Vettel, now 23, as one of F1′s “kids” who “do a good job and then f–k it all up”.

Since Vettel gestured with his finger that Webber was crazy after their Istanbul crash in May, the German has been reluctant to talk about their relationship.

But now he has told Der Spiegel magazine: “There is a certain distance.

“The first priority is the team but racing drivers usually see things very stubbornly.  It’s the same in this case.

“We work together where we must work together to bring forward the team and develop the car.  Otherwise, everyone is focused on himself to seek his own advantage,” said Vettel.

And Webber has warned that the relationship could worsen as the fight for the 2010 title progresses.

“Who knows, in the next few months, if we’re both still racing at the front, things could become more tense between us,” he said.

Damon Hill will be the fourth steward at this weekend’s Monaco grand prix.

We reported last month that, amid FIA president Jean Todt’s new initiative to have well-known and experienced former drivers sitting alongside the three regular stewards at each race in 2010, Hill would preside at prestigious Monaco.

The 1996 world champion never won at Monaco, but his father Graham Hill won the blue-ribant event no fewer than five times in the 60s, earning the nickname ‘Mr Monaco’.

Hill, 49 and currently president of the Silverstone-owning British Racing Drivers’ Club, said earlier this year that his past squabbles with Michael Schumacher would not impede his ability to act impartially as a steward.

“The people have to make decisions based on the analysis of right and wrong, irrespective of who those people might be,” he said.  “I think I’m sufficiently distanced from it.”

(GMM)

Apr.26 (GMM)  Less than three months after slamming Silverstone’s new formula one layout, Damon Hill is now singing its praises.

The 1996 world champion, who is president of the circuit-owning British Racing Drivers’ Club, said in February that the new ‘Arena’ section is a “frustrating compromise” that risks “destroying the essence” of the historic venue.

But Hill is now quoted by the Daily Mail as saying: “We think we have produced a racetrack of the future.  It looks like it has the potential to be a real corker.”

The new 760m loop – effectively two new infield straights in the place of the famous ‘Bridge’ corner section – was originally designed for MotoGP but will also be used for July’s British grand prix.

It is expected that the cost of the changes – less than $8 million – will be more than offset by the additional tickets that can now be sold.

It will be officially opened by the Duke of York on Thursday.

Hill said he hopes “we have designed a challenging, exciting track for them (the drivers) that will make them like racing here more than ever”.