A Canadian is at the front of the queue to become the next reserve driver for the Virgin team.
The role is vacant at present following Sakon Yamamoto’s contract that covered only the first three grands prix of 2011.

The Toronto based Canadian newspaper Globe and Mail said Robert Wickens, 22, is linked with the role given his new backing in the Formula Renault 3.5 series by Virgin’s Russian sponsor and shareholder Marussia.

In the series, he uses a car and overalls coloured in the exact designs of the formula one team.

The newspaper said the former F2 and GP3 driver’s Virgin deal could be in place for the Canadian grand prix in June, and possibly much sooner.

The last Canadian in formula one was 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, who lost his BMW seat in 2006.

Christian Klien will be back in action for the HRT team at this weekend’s Brazilian grand prix.

The Austrian also replaced Japanese Sakon Yamamoto in Singapore due to food poisoning, but no reason has been given for the change of drivers ahead of the Interlagos event.

“I am very happy to get a second opportunity to do another grand prix here after Singapore and I hope that we are doing a good weekend with positive results,” said Klien, 27.

He has raced at Interlagos twice before, most recently in 2005 with Red Bull.

The Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung said recently Klien might return to the Cosworth-powered F110 cockpit in Brazil or Abu Dhabi in a last-ditch effort to help HRT beat Lotus to tenth place in the constructors’ championship.

After Sunday’s Korean grand prix, Christian Klien could return to the wheel of the HRT for one or both of the remaining races of 2010.

That is the claim of the Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung, recalling the 27-year-old’s strong performance with the struggling Spanish team in Singapore recently.

With his apparent food poisoning gone, Japanese pay-driver Sakon Yamamoto returned to the Cosworth-powered car in Japan and Korea.

But Kleine Zeitung said HRT is now considering putting reserve driver Klien back in the car for Brazil or Abu Dhabi, in a last-ditch effort to beat Lotus to tenth place in the constructors’ world championship.

Lotus has been the best of the three new teams in 2010, but neither it, HRT or Virgin has scored a single point.

Lotus is currently tenth due to Heikki Kovalainen’s 12th place finish at Suzuka, but an eleventh for HRT or Virgin at Interlagos or Yas Marina next month would see Lotus overhauled.

Only the top ten constructors share in the annual distribution of prize-money under the provisions of the Concorde Agreement.

Klien said in Yeongam that 2010 has shown that some pay-drivers are not necessarily the best value for F1 teams relying on the lucrative Bernie Ecclestone income.

“There is one at Virgin and Renault, and possibly two at Hispania,” he said.

But Klien acknowledged that a surprise result for HRT with the F110 car is unlikely.

“We are the only team that, since the season opener in Bahrain, has not aerodynamically improved its car,” he said.

He is therefore more hopeful about 2011.

“In March next year, I definitely see myself in a formula one cockpit,” said Klien.

According to the latest rumour in the F1 paddock, Karun Chandhok may be in talks with Lotus about joining Tony Fernandes’ team for 2011.

The rumour was aired on British television on Saturday morning from Korea, with pit reporter Ted Kravitz saying the Indian driver could become reserve driver before moving into the race cockpit in 2012.

Kravitz quoted a Lotus team member as admitting that the 26-year-old Indian, who made his debut with HRT this year before being sidelined by the better-funded Sakon Yamamoto, is a “great guy”.

Chandhok said this week that he is hopeful his F1 career has not floundered permanently after just half a season.

“There is a lot to discuss for next year with the HRT team, but also with other teams to see what other options are available for me, but I do feel good about my prospects,” he is quoted by The National newspaper.

UK-based Chandhok has not attended the most recent Japanese and Korean grands prix.

Organisers of the Japanese grand prix say they would like to continue to host the formula one race at Suzuka beyond the 2011 contract.

But with Honda, Super Aguri, Toyota and the popular Takuma Sato all departed, and Bridgestone supplying tyres for the last season, Suzuka and Kamui Kobayashi and Sakon Yamamoto represent a fading Japanese involvement in the sport.

“It’s under discussion, but we would like to continue,” Itaru Yamada, motor sport managing director of the Honda-owned Mobilityland company, told Reuters on Sunday when asked about a new race contract for 2012.

Despite eager fans happily and patiently sitting under Saturday’s torrential rain, the media report said there are 50,000 fewer spectators at Suzuka on Sunday compared with four years ago.

And Yamada said the event is currently only marginally profitable.

Bernie Ecclestone has backed Karun Chandhok to return to the formula one grid next year with a “better car”.

When the Indian rookie signed up for his debut season with HRT this year, he thanked F1 chief executive Ecclestone for being “a superb pillar of support to me and my family”.

However, it is now expected that Chandhok, 26, will sit out the remainder of the season in deference to the Japanese pay-driver Sakon Yamamoto.

But crucially, one of Chandhok’s sponsors is Jaypee Sports, who are bringing formula one to India next year at the circuit currently under construction 40 kilometres southeast of New Delhi.

Ecclestone in 2010 described India as one of “the most important and powerful players in the world of business, culture and sport”.

The Briton is now quoted by the Times of India: “Having an Indian team (Force India) is obviously a big help. An Indian driver will be an even better deal.

“I definitely want to see Karun in a better car next year,” said the diminutive 79-year-old.

Ecclestone said of Chandhok, who now travels to the grands prix to commentate for British television: “He served his apprenticeship in a car that he could do nothing about.

“He really needs to be in a team where he can show his potential because I think he can be very, very good if he gets the right car,” added Ecclestone.

He said he plans to visit the site of next October’s inaugural Indian grand prix after the forthcoming race in Brazil.

“The rains would’ve stopped by then (November),” said Ecclestone. “Work has really suffered I heard.”

On a PR visit to India last weekend, Lewis Hamilton also backed Chandhok to shine at the wheel of a better car.

“Karun is a very good driver,” said the 2008 world champion. “He understands the nuances of the sport very well and if he is able to get a better car, he would be able to make a big difference.”

The mechanic injured during Sakon Yamamoto’s Monza pitstop is still in hospital, the HRT team has revealed.

The German radio mechanic, whose first name is Marco, was nursing broken bones and concussion after being struck violently by Japanese Yamamoto’s rear wing and wheel.

He is “recovering positively”, the Spanish team said in a statement late on Monday.

“He is supposed to leave the hospital in Italy soon, where he was kept under observation and go back to Germany, his home country,” added Hispania.

Fernando Alonso on Saturday said he is not worried after qualifying just tenth for the Belgian GP.
“This was the least important qualifying of the year because of the weather. Anything can happen so our goal is still the podium and victory,” the Ferrari driver told Spanish media.

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Timo Glock has lost his impressive 17th on the Belgian GP grid with a five-place penalty for impeding HRT’s Sakon Yamamoto in qualifying.

“Can anyone explain why Timo gets a penalty for holding up Yamamoto but Trulli gets nothing for hitting Lucas (di Grassi) under yellows?!” said the Virgin team on Twitter.

Lotus’ Jarno Trulli was, however, fined EUR 4,400 for pitlane speeding.

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There are few smiles in the Mercedes camp this weekend.

Michael Schumacher’s ten-place grid penalty for his Rubens Barrichello duel in Hungary drops him to 21st, and teammate Nico Rosberg is demoted to 17th due to an unscheduled gearbox change.

Neither W01 was fast enough to make the Q3 cut in Spa-Francorchamps qualifying.

“A few of the new parts we have here did not work,” Rosberg is quoted by the German media. “I am very much hoping for rain tomorrow.”

Bruno Senna is confident he will not fall off the formula one grid after a single season.

Amid a difficult debut campaign with the struggling Spanish team HRT, the Brazilian 26-year-old sat out Silverstone last month but is confident he will now keep his seat until the end of the season.

Whilst visiting his native Sao Paulo during F1′s August break, Senna told the local press that he is also confident about 2011.

But when asked if he has a plan B, he joked: “Selling coconuts on the beach!

“In fact, I hope the chance that I will continue (in F1) is 100 per cent. But unfortunately, it is impossible to say.

“Before the 2009 season, I seemed to have a good chance to race with Honda, but of course it ended up not happening.

“In F1, foresight doesn’t work — the only thing that does is a signed contract. There are always talks but nothing official.

“We will have to see,” added Senna.

He is unable to predict the identity of his employer for 2011.

“Few teams have guarantees that they will be on the grid,” said Senna. “It is not an easy time in F1.

“It’s not so simple, but they (HRT’s bosses) are making plans. The best thing would be if I could simply choose the team, because my goal is to stay for many years, not just now.

“But I do have to work to get assurances that I’ll be in F1 next year, either with this team or with another … it will depend on many things.”

Senna acknowledged that financial limitations have held HRT back in 2010, but says the team has the budget to finish the season.

“Fortunately we made a good contract,” he said, probably referring to his former teammate Karun Chandhok, whose season has been interrupted by the reportedly greater financial contribution of Sakon Yamamoto.

“It’s hard to predict, but with the experience we have during these years of racing, we made a contract that bypasses the complicated situations that can arise.

“But this is not a disappointment,” he insisted. “I have to accept the difficulties. It is a year of opportunity. It is harder and harder to come in (to F1).

“As much as I do not have a competitive car, I’m here,” added Senna. “It has been a great learning experience.”

Jenson Button struggled through the London Triathlon on Sunday with tonsillitis.

But the reigning world champion still finished third in his class, despite admitting to having “suffered quite a bit” whilst under the effect of antibiotics.

His time of 2hr14mins was about 25 minutes behind the ultimate winner, and seven minutes slower than his 2009 time.

“I wasn’t feeling very well at the start of the week, which is why I have come in a bit slower than last time round,” said the 30-year-old.

The Olympic-length event consists of a 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride and 10km run.

F1 is currently in the midst of its August break, including two-week factory shutdowns, so most of Button’s rivals are on holiday.

Mark Webber is on the Cote d’Azur, Robert Kubica is planning to travel between the south of France and Tuscany, Jarno Trulli is in Miami and Vitantonio Liuzzi on the Greek holiday island Mykonos.

“No sun here today, oh well,” Webber wrote on Twitter.

Button plans to spend this week at his villa in Guernsey.

Life is tougher for the Toro Rosso duo, who are training for 10 days in Austria, but their Red Bull Racing teammates will soon follow.

Fernando Alonso is also headed for a holiday, having spent several days at Maranello prior to helicoptering to the Italian Dolomites for a PR event.

“At least once a day, maybe just for ten minutes, I will inevitably think about the next race in Belgium,” said the Spaniard.

F1′s four Brazilian drivers have all returned home for August, while Karun Chandhok is in India and Sakon Yamamoto in Japan.

Karun Chandhok has now turned his eye to next month’s Belgian grand prix as he prepares to sit out a second consecutive F1 race.

The Indian rookie will nonetheless travel to Hungary this week, to reprise the British radio commentary duties he had to settle for at Hockenheim last weekend.

Chandhok, 26, was sidelined in Germany due to HRT’s Japanese test driver Sakon Yamamoto reportedly having more sponsorship to offer the struggling Spanish team.

Hispania has now confirmed that Yamamoto will continue to be Bruno Senna’s teammate in Hungary.

“They are going to do what they need to do from their point of view,” Chandhok, who at Hockenheim had said he hoped to return to the car for Hungary, told Reuters.

“The long summer break is coming up and we’ll have to see what happens for the rest of the season,” he added.

HRT insists that Chandhok is still a team member, but strong rumours indicate that test driver Christian Klien is expecting a race or two later in 2010.

A team spokesperson said the driver lineup for Spa-Francorchamps and beyond is not finalised.