Toro Rosso has told its new drivers to push hard rather than fear a crash, Daniel Ricciardo revealed ahead of his first home grand prix in Australia.
The Red Bull rookie team has replaced Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi with Australian Ricciardo and newcomer Jean-Eric Vergne.

They are lined up as potential replacements for senior team Red Bull’s Mark Webber in 2013, but at the same time must fear succumbing to the same fate as their instantly-axed predecessors.

“We’re going to be on the edge,” Ricciardo insisted in Melbourne.

“They (his bosses) have said ‘if you make a mistake, it happens. At least we know you’re pushing it’.

“Obviously we’re not going out there trying to crash the car, but sometimes a team needs to see you go off – whether it’s a crash or you run across the grass – to know that you’re trying to find that limit.

“I’m not going to hold back,” he promised.

When ruling out Lewis Hamilton for Webber’s seat earlier this week, Christian Horner said Red Bull was more likely to look “inwardly than outwardly” should the team need to find a new teammate for Sebastian Vettel.

At the same time, Ricciardo feels the pressure to keep his place at Toro Rosso.

“It could be my one and only (year) if it’s not good enough so I’ve definitely got to step up and do as good as I can,” he said.

Ferrari will evaluate Sergio Perez during a test with the Italian team’s 2009 car later this year.

Mexican rookie Perez, backed strongly by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, is making his formula one debut in 2011 for the Ferrari powered Swiss team Sauber.

The 21-year-old, like French GP2 driver and Ferrari reserve Jules Bianchi, is also a leading member of Ferrari’s driver development academy.

The pair are tipped as possible long-term replacements for Felipe Massa.

Driver academy director Luca Baldisserri announced this week that Perez and Bianchi will be testing at Mugello or Fiorano in September.

“I think they will both be very motivated and for us it will be the perfect opportunity to assess both drivers,” he said.

Adrian Sutil has revealed he is still likely to remain with the Force India team for 2011.

The German’s plans had become once again clouded in recent days, when Renault team boss Eric Boullier mentioned both Sutil and Nick Heidfeld as potential replacements for Vitaly Petrov.

Speaking with reporters in Abu Dhabi, the 27-year-old said: “I can probably see my future here with this team (Force India). It’s all going in this direction.”

On the other hand, countryman Heidfeld is set to lose his current Sauber seat after Sunday’s race, so he welcomed Boullier’s nomination of him as a candidate for 2011.

“Obviously there are many seats already gone already. I’m still in talks with various teams — also with Renault, as Boullier confirmed,” said the 33-year-old.

Heidfeld acknowledged, however, that his lack of sponsorship dollars is a disadvantage.

“Renault is the best opportunity for me but I must say that talent is not the only thing they seek,” said the German.

“They have Vitaly in the car, who has strong arguments. Looking at his performance on the track this year, we know what those arguments are,” Heidfeld is quoted by Auto Hebdo.

Sebastien Buemi has denied he has signed a contract to remain at Toro Rosso in 2011.

In a team-distributed interview on Thursday, boss Franz Tost said 21-year-old Swiss Buemi as well as Jaime Alguersuari are “both confirmed” for next year.

But Buemi told Blick newspaper: “I haven’t signed yet.

“There are some details missing and the driver market is still open,” he added.

At Silverstone last weekend, Renault chief Eric Boullier said Buemi “is on our list” of potential replacements for the Russian pay-driver Vitaly Petrov.

And Red Bull’s driver consultant Helmut Marko said the energy drink company “might consider placing him (Buemi) in the Red Bull (Racing) team in 2012.”

An Indian newspaper said the 26-year-old rookie’s sponsorship stream is drying up, leading HRT team boss Colin Kolles to open talks with potential replacements.

Rumours suggest Dutchman Christijan Albers, Narain Karthikeyan and Pastor Maldonado, as well as Chandhok’s HRT test colleagues Sakon Yamamoto and Christian Klien, might be in the running.

“There is so much speculation and I don’t know if it is being started by other drivers who are trying to get in or whatever,” Chandhok told Reuters while visiting Silverstone at the weekend for the MotoGP race.

“Three weeks ago Bruno (Senna) was the one.  All over the internet it was ‘Bruno’s out and so and so is coming in with money’ and this week it seems to be my turn,” he added.

“As far as I know I am in Valencia, I am in the car and I am in for the rest of the season,” said Chandhok.
(GMM)

Jun.12 (GMM) Karun Chandhok could be set to lose his formula one seat due to his stream of sponsorship funds drying up.

A report in the English language Indian newspaper Hindustan Times on Saturday said the boss of the HRT team, Colin Kolles, is in talks with potential replacements for the 26-year-old from Chennai.

Former Midland and Spyker racer Christijan Albers may be one potential candidate. The Dutchman has F1 experience and has driven for Kolles’ formula one, DTM and Le Mans teams.

Albers, 31, said this week that he might soon return to F1 “with the help of my loyal sponsors. I have a partner that just might give that final push”.

Referring to ‘sources’, Hindustan Times said Narain Karthikeyan and Pastor Maldonado, and HRT third driver Sakon Yamamoto, might also be in the running for Chandhok’s drive.

Chandhok acknowledged in Montreal that the Indian corporate world has not fully backed him, while angling for a Force India seat “at some point in my career”.

“I’ve been chasing (Indian) sponsors for years in GP2 and formula three and stuff, and there are people who want to get involved but are sitting on the fence,” he said.

Chandhok’s influential father, the high-ranking Indian motor racing official Vicky Chandhok, is in Montreal this weekend.

Ferrari on Thursday came close to confirming that Felipe Massa will be retained as Fernando Alonso’s teammate for the 2011 season.

Brazilian Massa’s contract expires in December, and it has been rumoured that Robert Kubica or Mark Webber are being lined up as potential replacements.

The 29-year-old has struggled with the F10 car alongside Alonso so far this season, but when asked if Ferrari will field an identical lineup in 2011, team boss Stefano Domenicali answered: “Yes, I think so.”

The Italian indicated that Maranello based Ferrari prefers to work with Massa to overcome his difficulties rather than oust him.

“Massa was struggling with the hard tyres in certain conditions in the first part of the year, so I think that is the area we need to work with him so he has more confidence in the car,” Domenicali is quoted by the BBC.

“It’s easy to criticise a driver when he is not performing well, so we need to make sure the package for him is the best.”

At Istanbul Park on Thursday, Pole Kubica said it is “too early” to talk about his whereabouts for 2011, but indicated that he is happy at Renault.

Bridgestone is showing signs of performing a dramatic U-turn and staying in formula one beyond 2010.

Currently, the Japanese supplier is due to depart at the end of the season, as potential replacements including Michelin, Pirelli, Avon, Kumho and possibly others clamour at the paddock turnstiles.

But the teams are trying to persuade Bridgestone to stay, and have written a letter to Bridgestone Europe that will be passed on to CEO Shoshi Arakawa.

“The request is an honour,” said the marque’s F1 boss Hiroshi Yasukawa.

Before departing Barcelona, he indicated in a statement that F1 is still important to Bridgestone.

“We hosted guests from the USA and Brazil as well as many from our European markets which has illustrated the importance of formula one as a business tool,” said Yasukawa.

“Our sales companies continue to support our formula one activities, showing the significance of this to our business.

“We are proud to have the support of all of the teams in this fantastic sport,” he added.

FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh said the teams are hoping the issue of 2011 tyre supply is settled in Monaco this weekend, but Stefano Domenicali fears it might take another week.

“There are four proposals that appear to be out there and maybe there’s another couple as well,” Whitmarsh confirmed to Reuters.

And with Michelin wanting tyre competitors and the smaller teams wanting cheaper options, the Briton admitted that the concept of multiple brands in F1 next year is not out of the question.

But he insisted: “If you use multiple suppliers, it has got to be controlled in terms of testing and development.”

(GMM)

Apr.21 (GMM)  A couple of formula one drivers came within a cloud of volcanic ash of racing in this weekend’s season opener of the 2010 DTM championship.

Because Mercedes’ Paul di Resta and Gary Paffett were delayed in Shanghai due to the ongoing European air travel disruptions, the German marque feared the pair might not be back to drive at Hockenheim.

Mercedes’ F1 reserve driver Nick Heidfeld, who was among the first to leave China, and his German countryman Timo Glock, were lined up as potential replacements.

Like Heidfeld, Glock – who drives for Virgin but with close ties to the DTM backer Deutsche Post – was among the fortunate few to secure an early return flight to Europe.

“We did not know when they (Paffett and di Resta) would come back.  There was definitely the possibility that Nick and Timo would have driven the cars,” Norbert Haug is quoted as saying by motorsport-total.com.

Ultimately, the two DTM drivers – and Mercedes’ competition director Haug – arrived in Germany “earlier than anticipated”, Haug said.

“But on Monday afternoon, no one could tell us whether we are flying on Thursday, Friday or Saturday,” he added.

Glock confirmed that driving in DTM this weekend was part of Mercedes’ “emergency plan”.

“I have had a good relationship with Norbert Haug and Mercedes for many years, so I would have helped them out.

“I felt honoured that in this case they thought of me,” he added.

Mar.24 (GMM – YF1) Lewis Hamilton has revealed he received “a lot” of applications to become his new manager.

It emerged before the 2010 season opener that the McLaren driver will no longer be handled professionally by his father Anthony.

Martin Brundle and Mika Hakkinen were both touted as potential replacements.

“Honestly, I have received a lot of applications but I’m not in a hurry to decide,” the 25-year-old Briton said on Wednesday in a joint interview with F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

“I am with a fantastic team, with many competent people, so at the moment I have no need for a manager,” Hamilton told F1’s official website.

Ecclestone, 79, advised Hamilton to remain unrepresented.

“A driver doesn’t need a manager,” said the sport’s ’supremo’, who joked that he has offered to manage Hamilton.

“Gerhard Berger is the prime example of that. He managed himself and was making more money than anybody else at the time he was racing,” Ecclestone added.