Even ahead of F1′s Singapore floatation, the sport has some new owners.

Reuters, the specialist financial market news agency, said US-based asset managers Waddell and Reed, Blackrock and Norway’s Norges Bank have bought a $1.6 billion stake from existing owners CVC.

The report cited a source “with direct knowledge of the matter”. The companies did not immediately comment.

It drops CVC’s stake from 63.4 per cent to about 40pc, the source said.

We reported on Monday that the Singapore stock exchange approved F1′s plan to raise as much as $3 billion in an initial public offering.

Other reports said pre-marketing for the listing, likely to go ahead at the end of June, will begin immediately.

“It is not our practice to publicly comment on our dealings with listing aspirants,” said a Singapore bourse spokesman.

Some insiders have expressed concern.

“Look at the muted first-day response to Facebook’s IPO,” an unnamed banker told the Singapore broadsheet Straits Times. “The F1 listing is not nearly as attractive and long-awaited as that.”

Bernie Ecclestone claims he is close to reaching an agreement with Mercedes over the future of the German marque’s involvement in formula one.

The parties have been at loggerheads over the F1 chief executive’s refusal to offer to Mercedes the same Concorde Agreement deal reached with other top teams Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.

In response, it has been suggested not only that the situation threatened the sport’s floatation plans, but that Mercedes could sensationally quit F1 at the end of this year.

“We are now 80 per cent there,” Ecclestone told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag in Barcelona.

“The other 20 per cent, we will get there soon,” he added.

“We have spoken with several Mercedes managers. I am sure we will see more of Mercedes in formula one.”

Bild said the deal being discussed between Ecclestone and the Stuttgart based carmaker will see Mercedes in F1 at least through 2020.

Norbert Haug, however, sounded surprised.

“I have to apologise, but we don’t want to give any information at the moment about the state of the negotiations,” Mercedes’ motor racing vice-president insisted.

Felipe Massa has hinted that Ferrari should consider moving on if major improvements to the F2012 do not push the team forwards this weekend.

The Maranello based team played down the extent of the upgrade seen in Barcelona on Friday, but one media pundit surmised that “almost everything is different” compared with the car in Bahrain three weeks ago.

It might, therefore, be seen as a last roll of the dice for Ferrari, who could therefore be advised to turn attention to the 2013 project should the upgrades not work as expected.

But when that was put to Fernando Alonso in Barcelona, the Spaniard answered: “I don’t think so. I don’t think so.”

Brazilian Massa doesn’t agree.

“If you have a car, you introduce a number of significant changes and you don’t get the response you expected, it means that the project is not good,” he is quoted by Brazil’s O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper.

“You would have to leave it in order to create a new base,” added Massa.

But Alonso doesn’t agree with his teammate’s final point, either.

When asked if the disappointing F2012 could nonetheless be used as the basis of Ferrari’s 2013 project, he insisted: “I think so. Yes.”

Ferrari’s title tilt could hinge on the competitiveness of the updated F2012 this weekend in Barcelona.

“What I want is to have a competitive car in Barcelona,” insisted the famous Italian marque’s president Luca di Montezemolo on Tuesday.

“That’s what I’ve asked for,” he is quoted as saying by Brazil’s O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper.

Ferrari had congregated at its Fiorano test track, to watch Jacques Villeneuve drive the 1979 single seater to mark the 30th anniversary of his father Gilles’ fatal crash.

But Montezemolo’s disappointment is with the latest Ferrari, which has been heavily updated since the Bahrain grand prix three weeks ago.

“Our technicians are confident, but we will have to see how our opponents have advanced too,” he added.

O Estado de S.Paulo correspondent Livio Oricchio claimed “Montezemolo knows” that anything other than a big step forward in Barcelona will mean Ferrari has to “start thinking about” its 2013 project instead.

“Now we have to make a quantum leap, to have a car that is more competitive, less difficult to drive, and gives confidence to the fans,” Montezemolo is quoted by La Stampa newspaper.

“Let’s see how it goes in Spain,” he told Rai television.

“I have asked for an extraordinary response from our engineers,” Montezemolo is also quoted as saying by Italy’s Sky Sport 24.

La Gazzetta dello Sport, meanwhile, quoted lead driver Fernando Alonso as saying: “Our goal is to be world champions in November, and if we are to succeed then we must do better than we have done so far.”

Team boss Stefano Domenicali agreed: “We expect a significant evolution that will bring us closer to the step we need.

“The Spanish grand prix is definitely open, as is the championship. I say this because we believe.”

With the F1 world now returned from Bahrain, the sport is assessing the fallout of one of the most controversial grands prix in history.

The drivers were conspicuously quiet over the saga in the island Kingdom, but – with no contract tying him down – former Force India driver Adrian Sutil admitted he was glad he was not there.

“In a situation like that, it is probably better not to go,” the German said on Sky Deutschland.

“On the one hand, the decision was made (to go to Bahrain), on the other hand, it’s very difficult when there are so many problems in a country.”

Red Bull reserve driver Sebastien Buemi, who has family living in Bahrain, does not agree at all.

“I arrived on Monday and I had no problem — maybe there were a few more police than two years ago, but nothing happened to me,” the Swiss insisted on Austrian Servus TV.

Force India and Sauber, however, witnessed Molotov cocktail attacks on their treks to and from the circuit.

And Caterham team spokesman Tom Webb told the Sun that there was “one minor incident when one of our (hire) vans slowed down in traffic and its occupants saw a local youth on the side of the main road brandishing a bottle with a rag stuffed in its neck”.

World champion and race winner Sebastian Vettel also admitted the feeling was tense in the paddock throughout the weekend.

“It was not easy for anyone,” the Red Bull driver admitted, according to SID news agency, “but I’m glad that nothing happened to any of us (in F1).”

And the Telegraph quotes Vettel adding: “Hopefully, we come back in the future when everything’s a little bit safer.”

Reuters reports that Vodafone, the main sponsor of the half Bahrain-owned McLaren team, sent no staff to the country and expressed concerns to the British outfit.

But Jim Wright, an F1 sponsorship expert, told the Guardian that he thinks while the sport’s image took a beating last weekend, sponsors will be happy.

“Most teams handled a difficult decision very well,” he said. “On that basis I think a lot of people would be pleased with that and happy to get involved with them.”

The television audience was also unaffected – even boosted – with the BBC reporting more viewers for Bahrain than Australia and Malaysia, and Germany revealing similarly strong figures.

Still, there remains criticism.

“Now is an opportunity to reflect,” former F1 driver Alex Zanardi told Tuttosport, “and make sure that major sporting events are assigned only to governments that deserve the honour of hosting them.

“Ecclestone is brilliant and has made formula one what it is, but he can’t administer races at any cost and above all else,” insisted the Italian.

Due to security fears, Force India sat out a practice session on Friday so that staff could return to their hotels in daylight.

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone was reportedly enraged, and according to rumours got his revenge by instructing Formula One Management’s television cameras to ignore the Silverstone based team’s cars in qualifying.

“There was a bit of fuss about what we did,” deputy team principal Bob Fernley is quoted by Spain’s AS newspaper, “and it was not easy, but I think it turned out to be the right response.

“We had a lot of pressure, our attitude was not well received,” he confirmed, “but I think that we had a duty of care to our employees, and to do the right thing by the team.”

Mark Webber has contradicted recent reports that said he re-signed with Red Bull for 2012 because he had no other options.
The Australian revealed that, in fact, the interest expressed by rival teams when he was still on the market was “amazing”.

Webber, 34, has had a difficult season alongside Sebastian Vettel, failing to win a grand prix compared with his dominant teammate’s ten so far.

“What was amazing this year was the amount of response I had from other teams when I was about to sign with Red Bull,” he is quoted as saying by the Sydney newspaper Daily Telegraph.

“They were very, very interested in having a chat to me, which was another little reminder to me that things were going pretty well.”

Webber therefore leaves the door open to switching teams after next season, saying he considers retirement to be “incredibly overrated”.

“I’ll go again next year, (but) to say where I’ll head in 2013 and 2014, we need to another six months and see how we go,” he said.

As for 2012, he insists that F1′s youngest ever back-to-back reigning world champion Vettel is beatable.

“Yes, it’s possible, absolutely. I’ve seen enough, and knowing how close it is, it’s possible,” said Webber.

The Williams driver is angry at the brutality of holding against Michael Schumacher in his overtaking the Hungarian Grand Prix
In the final stage of the Grand Prix of Hungary passed Rubens Barrichello’s pit stop, came by with fresh tires back behind Michael Schumacher back on track. It took a few laps and then daring the racing driver from Sao Paulo, the first attack, which could fend off Schumacher, however.

A few laps later allowed the Williams drivers to have to suck on the long start-finish straight and into the wind shadow of the Mercedes driver. At the height of the pit wall, he sat next to the seven-time Formula 1 world champion. The response was hard and pushed Barrichello down towards the pit wall, so that only a few centimeters square remained. Only when Barrichello at the end of the pit lane exit road ran out, Schumacher made a little space.
“I like fair duels, but I do not think this was a fair fight,” said Barrichello to ‘RTL’. “It was such a go-cart maneuvers. If he wants to come before me in the sky, then from me. I would not be the first to be up there in front of him. So I will back down in such a situation, but never will. It is difficult for me to leave a comment. I’m happy for the team that we have, in the not so good qualifying got a few points. ”

“I have a lot of experience, and a crazy guy like this I would normally have gone from the gas, but not today, absolutely not,” Barrichello told the Spanish television. “I think it was one of the best maneuvers I’ve ever made, and one of the most horrible for him. Finally, we need such a thing. To make three year break, then return and something to do, we do not need . I mean, that this was not necessary. “

Jul.7 (GMM) McLaren has urged formula one against making a knee-jerk reaction to the safety car rules.

Although Ferrari cried foul after Lewis Hamilton’s drive-through penalty in Valencia – where multiple drivers were also penalised for transgressions – Mark Webber said this week that Red Bull saw the events of the race as “normal”.

And although the Sporting Working Group is looking at the rules as a response to the Ferrari-powered controversy, McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale said on Wednesday: “I would be wary of knee-jerking.

“There wasn’t a lot wrong with last weekend (Valencia) and I don’t think we should be doing instant rule-making,” he told reporters during a teleconference.

Meanwhile, after Williams said it will test a blown rear exhaust for its car early this weekend, Neale confirmed that a similar approach will be taken by McLaren at Silverstone.

“If the drivers think it’s good it will stay on and we’ll run it,” he said, after the upgrade for the MP4-25 was tested during a straightline session.

“If not, we’ll continue to develop it.”

Neale also backed Red Bull boss Christian Horner’s view that the effect of the exhaust concept has been overstated.

“I would tend to agree that it’s not a case of bolt on your blown diffuser and then blow everybody into the weeds,” he said.

F1′s governing body is not expected to take action against Fernando Alonso or Ferrari.

The Italian team’s response to the outcome of the Valencia race has been incandescent, including Fernando Alonso saying Lewis Hamilton’s meagre treatment by the stewards amounted to “manipulation”.

Ferrari vice-president Piero Ferrari said the mere drive-through penalty for McLaren driver Hamilton’s overtaking of the safety car made the European GP a “false race”.

And reports on the team’s official website have quoted fans as saying Hamilton is a liar and a cheat, McLaren “thieves”, and the FIA a “Federation of clowns”.

British newspaper The Mirror correspondent Byron Young wrote on Twitter that in “Max Mosley’s day”, sanctions would now be likely, adding: “Are the FIA going to act or will Jean Todt dodge the first big F1 test of his presidency?”

According to sources on Monday, the FIA is not considering action.

Omnicorse.it claims that on Friday in the Valencia paddock, a member of the German team made an offer to accommodate Kubica, 25, in 2011.

Kubica currently drives for Renault, and it had been expected he would remain with the team after Ferrari re-signed Felipe Massa for next year.

But Omnicorse said it is possible Kubica will replace Michael Schumacher at Mercedes, even though the seven time world champion has a three year contract.

According to the rumour, Kubica is being offered a generous retainer for three years, including the option of a further two-year deal.

The report follows hot on the heels of stinging criticism of Schumacher’s lacklustre return to F1 this year after a three-year retirement.

“From inside the team we see things in a totally different perspective,” chief executive Nick Fry said in response to the criticism.

“We’re very comfortable with Michael’s performance and I can’t see any reason why he won’t come good.”

(GMM)

A road-crash victim’s foundation is calling for Lewis Hamilton to be banned from Swiss roads.

In the wake of the 2008 world champion’s so-called ‘hoon’ hire-car driving incident in March, his girlfriend told a celebrity magazine this month that the pair remain wild at the wheel.

“He’s like, ‘Babe, you’re driving with your knees!” singer Nicole Scherzinger told Maxim magazine.

“I’m doing my makeup, changing the radio …”

The Pussycat Doll also joked that the pair would be banned if it emerged how fast they had driven in Switzerland, where Hamilton rents an apartment.

In response, the safety group RoadCross revealed it has asked the local attorney general to revoke Hamilton’s Swiss driving license, also because the McLaren driver crashed after running a stop sign last year.

A spokesman said: “Public figures should be conscious that they are role models and adopt exemplary driving behaviour.”

Swiss politician Pius Segmuller told Blick newspaper that he supports the campaign.

“I think they (Hamilton and Scherzinger) show an absolute lack of character.  With these statements, he is a bad role model for all the young people who idolise him.”

(GMM)

Pirelli is F1′s new tyre supplier for 2011-2013, it was announced on Wednesday.

A raft of other decisions were also announced after a meeting in Geneva of the World Motor Sport Council.

As a response to the spygate and crashgate scandals, it is “under consideration” that staff of F1 teams must hold “specific licenses” from 2011 that can be revoked by the FIA.

And in the wake of the controversy involving Michael Schumacher in Monaco, the FIA has ruled that there will be no overtaking even when the safety car pulls in on the last lap of a race.

Lewis Hamilton’s fine and reprimand after qualifying in Canada has resulted in a new rule requiring drivers to stay below a “maximum time” set by the FIA on in-laps

Next year, the 107 per cent qualifying rule will reappear, and the FIA has also banned F-ducts and approved the debut of the proximity rear wing.

“In the race, you can’t use it (the wing) for the first two laps at all, but after that if you’re within a second of the car in front then you will be able to deploy it,” McLaren’s engineering director Paddy Lowe said on Wednesday.

“So that will be very interesting.  That’s a FOTA initiative to improve the show and I think it’s very exciting.”

And for the return of KERS, the minimum car-plus-driver weight will increase by a further 20kg to 640kg.

Meanwhile, a “four-race probationary super license” has been approved for Renault’s official third driver Ho-Pin Tung.

(GMM)

A clear rule is likely to be written into the regulations as a response to the incident at the end of qualifying in Canada.

Pole sitter Lewis Hamilton was fined and reprimanded by stewards for driving too slowly on his Q3 in-lap and then stopping on the circuit, so that enough fuel was left in the tank for a test sample.

“We must not come to a situation where cars run out of fuel after their last lap because they want to be qualifying as light as possible,” FOTA technical chairman Ross Brawn said in Montreal.

The situation was reportedly discussed in a meeting on the Sunday of the race, with the FIA’s Charlie Whiting clarifying that drivers who run out of fuel during subsequent qualifying sessions will be summoned to the stewards.

And according to reports in Finland’s Turun Sanomat and Autosprint in Italy, the issue was further discussed on Monday at the F1 Commission, ahead of the World Motor Sport Council meeting in Geneva on Wednesday.

It is believed a new rule will require a certain amount of fuel to be in the tank after the final qualifying segment.

(GMM)

Because Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and Normand Legault promoter were not unanimous, the Grand Prix of Canada last year disappeared from the calendar. Ecclestone today regretted this step.

“For us, it has been sorry, but in the end you have to pay the price as organizer” said Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug, the Mercedes is of course as representatives keen that you drive in the important North American market race.
With the new organizer Francois Dumontier Ecclestone himself has come to an agreement and is now back completely happy as he is quoted by ‘GMM’: “It is wonderful to be back in Montreal. To be honest, we would not be here until way to go. ”

The organizers of the race in Canada expect during the three days of sensational audience of 300,000. The race is sold out, it has already begun to sell tickets for next year: “We are pleased with the response of the public very happy,” says Dumontier.

Yet another element of Red Bull’s pace-setting RB6 had to be modified ahead of last weekend’s Turkish grand prix.

After Monaco, we reported that McLaren had identified a part of the 2010 Red Bull’s rear diffuser that did not conform with the regulations and had to be altered in the Principality.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport now reveals that an element of the rear suspension was changed at Istanbul Park last weekend.

The report said the elements in question, hidden behind six burly Red Bull mechanics on recent grand prix grids, were aerodynamically shaped and at a 20 degree horizontal angle rather than the allowed five.

In response, Adrian Newey’s design team reportedly shrouded the parts with round tubing in order to nullify the downforce-producing effect.

(GMM)