There remains a chance Lewis Hamilton will not have to move back five places on Sunday’s Chinese grand prix grid.

It emerged on Thursday that McLaren had discovered a problem with his Malaysia gearbox, requiring an out-of-sequence change and penalty in Shanghai.

“Of course it’s not the nicest thing to hear that we’ve got a problem, but you just have to take it on the chin,” the 2008 world champion told reporters.

“We’re still here, we’ve still got a great chance to win.

“It just means I have a steeper hill to climb this weekend,” Hamilton is quoted by the Times.

Indeed, Hamilton set the pace in the initial practice session.

And it then emerged that he had comfortably outpaced his rivals with the very gearbox that is bearing a worrying crack.

Team boss Martin Whitmarsh confirmed to the British broadcaster Sky there is a “very, very small chance” Hamilton can keep the damaged gearbox throughout the weekend, thereby avoiding the penalty.

However, he also confessed that the chance it will be replaced by a fresh gearbox on Saturday morning is “99 per cent”.

Either way, defending Chinese grand prix winner Hamilton – who has started the first two races in 2012 from pole – insists he is not overly fussed.

“When I was a kid I always used to like coming from the back of the grid,” he smiled.

Romain Grosjean will get a new chance to prove his talents to the F1 world before the 2011 season is out.
The Swiss-born Frenchman made an abortive formula one debut in 2009 amid the ‘crashgate’ scandal but was replaced at the end of the year.

The 25-year-old, now managed by Renault team owner Genii, switched to GP2 this year and recently wrapped up the title.

Grosjean will drive the R31 in Friday morning practice in Abu Dhabi and Brazil, the Lotus-sponsored team announced in India on Saturday morning.

He will drive Bruno Senna’s car in Abu Dhabi, and Vitaly Petrov’s at the season finale.

“Since 2009, he has improved in every area and I’m sure he’ll do a good job for us,” said team boss Eric Boullier.

Ferrari’s front wing has been causing a stir in India.
The team has recently been experimenting at the front of its current car ahead of the 2012 season, but it was at the Buddh circuit that heads really began to turn.

A wing fitted to Felipe Massa’s car has been seen violently oscillating and flexing towards the ground at high speed, attracting the attention of FIA technical boss Jo Bauer.

“I can’t see how the FIA is going to be satisfied with this situation,” said BBC pit reporter Ted Kravitz during the radio coverage of Saturday morning’s practice session.

“It is the amount of flex, not the sparks, that will raise the suspicions of other teams.”

The FIA has moved to ensure the safety of Pirelli’s tyres this weekend.
Usually, F1′s official tyre supplier issues recommendations to the teams about how best to use its products at grands prix.

But at Spa two weeks ago, a controversy erupted when Red Bull was found to have breached the guidelines about front tyre camber, causing worrying blistering.

Pirelli reacted by tightening its camber recommendations from 4 to 3.25 degrees for the Monza weekend.

Mark Webber confirmed after Friday practice that Red Bull had indeed “adjusted a few things following the camber setting guidelines for this race”.

But Pirelli also turned to the FIA for help, resulting in a technical directive being issued at 7.45 on Saturday morning, the supplier’s motor sport director Paul Hembery revealed on Twitter before third practice.

He confirmed that the FIA will enforce the 3.25 degree camber angle “just for this race”.

The concern is that the tyres will overheat on the ultra high-speed Italian layout, but Hembery said there was no blistering seen “outside the usual parameters” in Friday practice.

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.

As Mark Webber bids to further extend his points lead this weekend, the Australian is set to benefit from the freshest engine among his championship rivals.

Before travelling to Korea, the other main contenders had already begun using their final and eighth engine of the season.

But Webber’s last Renault V8 was only fitted to his Red Bull before the last practice session on Saturday morning.

At the other end of the scale is Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who has been managing the usage of his range of eight engines for quite some races.

The Italian team has been playing down the situation recently, but boss Stefano Domenicali now admits that it is a significant issue.

“If we do (have more problems) it will be tremendously difficult to try to fight to the end,” he said in Korea.

Eric Boullier is encouraged but not excited about Robert Kubica’s impressive pace at the wheel of the Renault so far in Korea.

The Pole has been inside the top four in all three practice sessions at the new Yeongam circuit, and topped the time sheet on Saturday morning.

“It is encouraging,” the team’s French boss Boullier said.  “It gives us hope for a solid weekend, but we have to remain careful.”

After Red Bull dominated in Japan two weeks ago, the other main teams also believe they are closer to the pace of the RB6 this weekend.

“We’re as competitive as them at least,” said McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, and his teammate Jenson Button agreed: “We’re there.”

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso said: “We feel that maybe it’s not as easy as it was for Red Bull in Suzuka, even if they are still favourites.”

The problem for Red Bull in Korea is the first sector, comprising essentially the front straight and the ultra-long second straight.

“They’re (the straights) too long for us,” said Sebastian Vettel, referring to the team’s under-powered engine and an F-duct not as efficient as the one seen on the Renault and McLaren.

Saturday at Yeongam has been overcast and mild so far, and the forecast is for possible overnight rain.

Lewis Hamilton’s bad weekend at Suzuka and fading championship chances got even worse on Saturday night.

The 2008 world champion learned he will have to move five places down the grid, whose order will be determined by an unusual Sunday morning qualifying session.

McLaren confirmed it detected “abnormal gearbox oil pressure” on Hamilton’s MP4-25 during the Saturday morning practice session.

“As we fired up Lewis’s car several times in preparation for qualifying, we became aware that the symptoms were worse than we’d originally diagnosed,” a team spokesman, revealing that the gearbox had to be changed out of sequence, said.

With drivers reporting undriveable conditions and the local radar predicting even heavier rain ahead, the FIA has reserved a 10am timeslot for Sunday morning qualifying at Suzuka.

“I really don’t think there is going to be qualifying,” said Sebastien Buemi’s race engineer, just before Toro Rosso’s Swiss driver entered the circuit and spun during Saturday morning practice.

Lotus’ Mike Gascoyne confirmed that the weather forecast for qualifying is for even worse conditions than in practice, where the McLaren and Ferrari drivers were eventually grounded due to rivers of water causing aquaplaning.

“I cannot even drive on the straight,” complained Jaime Alguersuari.

Gascoyne told the BBC: “If it’s like this, they’ll have to look at postponing qualifying until tomorrow morning.”

Suzuka qualifying was run on Sunday morning in 2004 in order to avoid the typhoon Ma-on.

David Coulthard is taking a special interest in the developing events at Suzuka, having been scheduled as Red Bull’s reserve driver for the Japanese weekend.

The team’s usual reserve Daniel Ricciardo is in Europe for Formula Renault.

“Would I cope with the rigours of a race?” Coulthard wrote in the Telegraph.  “Well, I’m in semi race-trim now but physically it would be tough, I must admit.”

A few minutes before Suzuka’s final practice session was due to begin on Saturday morning, the safety car was deployed to check the track conditions.

The decision was taken as constant rain at the venue became much heavier just before the 60-minute session, amid reports a huge storm will hit the Japanese track between now and qualifying in three hours.

“May be no green light to start the session,” predicted Lotus’ Mike Gascoyne on Twitter, as a stream of water trickled down the sloped pitlane.

But at 11am, the green light did come on, as the rain eased slightly and drivers began installation laps on the sodden track featuring areas of standing water.

Despite Saturday’s gloomy weather forecast, the outlook is still for a dry Japanese grand prix on Sunday.

‘Power’ is a keyword in the Red Bull camp on Saturday, after qualifying day for the Italian grand prix.

2010 pole specialist Sebastian Vettel, fast all weekend at Monza and never off the first two rows of the grid all season so far, qualified just fifth on Saturday afternoon.

“I don’t know where the speed went,” said the German.

“I was around 3 or 4 kph quicker yesterday than I was this afternoon with less fuel,” he added.

“There are a lot of straights in Monza, so it was quite costly.”

Engine supplier Renault has accepted the blame for both of Mark Webber’s practice stoppages on Friday and Saturday morning.

Saturday’s problem, which doubly worried the team when the Australian’s stricken RB6 took a long time to be returned to the pits before qualifying, was caused by a fire inside the airbox.

Team boss Christian Horner admitted the V8 might now have to be run with a “slightly more conservative setting”.

Webber qualified fourth on Saturday, crucially ahead of his championship rival Lewis Hamilton.

But asked if he is worried about his engine, he answered: “A little bit, yes.

“We need to look at it with Renault and see what the best plan is. It is not the first time we have seen this, we have experience with this kind of problem and we just need to chip away,” added Webber.

Mainly due to Renault’s 2.4 litre V8, Red Bull had travelled to the ultra high speed Monza venue expecting its “worst” outing of the entire season, Horner confessed.

“We knew Monza would be a difficult race for us,” agreed Fabrice Lom, in charge of Red Bull’s supply of customer Renaults.

“Unfortunately we cost Mark some running time yesterday and today, so we apologise for that,” he said, albeit praising Webber’s efforts to be fourth.

“With Hamilton not at the front, it could be an interesting result,” added Lom.

Mark Webber on Saturday morning suffered yet another technical problem in preparation for the Italian grand prix.

In the final practice session before qualifying, the Australian’s Red Bull ground to a halt at Monza – just as it had due to a loss of water pressure on Friday.

Team boss Christian Horner said the championship challenger had suffered a “complete loss of power”, amid suggestions it was an engine problem.

His teammate Sebastian Vettel, who has been on the pace all weekend so far, was once again quick on Saturday morning, mere hundredths behind race favourite Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren.

In the presence of their president Luca di Montezemolo, the Ferraris were third and fourth.

The F10s are fitted with fresh engines for qualifying, taking their tallies to the maximum eight units for the season.

“No worries, it is just a strategic decision. If there is a place where a fresh unit can give some help, it is Monza!” said the team on Twitter.

Red Bull still had the F-duct fitted to its RB6 on Saturday morning in Valencia.

According to the BBC, the Milton Keynes based team has confirmed the downforce-stalling device will also remain on the Renault-powered car for qualifying and the race.

Sebastian Vettel topped the final 60 minutes of practice at the sunny street circuit, with his teammate Mark Webber third, split by Renault’s Robert Kubica.

The two Force Indias were fourth and seventh, with the team having ironed out the problems with its F-duct version.

“(It) is working very well now and it makes a real difference,” said German Adrian Sutil.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was fifth, while the McLarens were just ninth and tenth, and Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg 11th.

“There are a lot of quick cars out there,” said Jenson Button.  “The Ferraris look very fast, so do the Red Bulls, Renaults and Mercedes.”

Jun.12 (GMM)  The formula one world has awoken to a wet morning in Montreal.

With two and a half hours until the third and final practice session, the rain so far at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has been light and drizzly.

The weather, which has surprised many experts who expected a mostly fine day, should now remain the same and cool throughout Saturday.

It is bad news for those who on Friday struggled the most with tyre graining and degradation on the overly ‘green’ track surface.

“If it rains, the track will remain green and it will probably be difficult to hold the tyres together again, even the harder compound,” said Michael Schumacher.

Some paddock pundits are predicting a dry qualifying session.

But amid the current drizzle, it is believed that Sunday’s weather could be almost identical in the Canadian city.

May 15 (GMM)  Fernando Alonso will not take part in qualifying for the Monaco grand prix.

The Spaniard crashed during the Saturday morning practice session, and the impact resulted in unrepairable damage to the monocoque.

It means he must sit out qualifying and then start the race with a new car from the pitlane.

A Ferrari spokesman confirmed the news.

It has also emerged that heavy rain is very likely to fall in the minutes before qualifying.

And a McLaren spokeswoman confirmed reports that a new sponsor – Chigaco-based risk management company Aon – has joined the team.