Romain Grosjean is a potential grand prix winner.

That is the claim of the Frenchman’s first F1 teammate Fernando Alonso, who shared the Renault team with Grosjean in 2009.

The Enstone based team, however, was imploding amid the crashgate scandal, and Grosjean struggled to perform after being drafted in to replace the sacked Nelson Piquet.

He lost the drive at the end of the season and then found himself in the odd situation of farewelling his girlfriend, the French F1 presenter Marion Jolles, as she departed for a grand prix.

“She was there and I was home,” Grosjean is quoted as saying in Barcelona by the Gulf Daily News. “Honestly, I thought it was over and I would never come back to formula one.”

But, now as the new reigning GP2 champion, he is back in 2012 at the wheel of Lotus’ black and gold E20 — a car tipped by many as the favourite for victory this weekend.

Many naturally tip Grosjean’s famous teammate Kimi Raikkonen as the most likely winner, but Spaniard Alonso rates the Swiss-born 26-year-old as well.

“When his car was not so good he was criticised a lot,” Alonso told RMC Sport, “but when he has a good car he does very good results.

“He has won GP2 and has a fantastic career. He has talent and I’m happy he went onto the podium (in Bahrain).

“He can win a grand prix,” the Ferrari driver professed.

 Bernie Ecclestone has refused to comment on reports he may be investigated by the UK’s serious fraud office (SFO).
The F1 chief executive testified recently at Gerhard Gribkowsky’s high profile corruption trial and may himself be charged by the Munich prosecutors for paying millions in alleged bribes.

Ecclestone, 81, is also facing a multi-million dollar civil suit brought by a former F1 co-owner, and the Financial Times now reports that he might now be investigated by UK authorities.

“(Attorney general) Dominic Grieve confirmed the SFO’s involvement … saying the SFO was liaising with authorities in Germany to consider the allegations surrounding Mr Ecclestone … and whether there is scope for an investigation”, the report read.

The serious fraud office confirmed: “The SFO is aware of the allegations against Mr Ecclestone and is liaising with the authorities in Germany to ascertain if there is a case in the UK to answer.”

Ecclestone said: “I haven’t got anything to say.”

Asked if he has been contacted by the SFO, he added: “I am sure if they wanted to, they would ask me.”

 Mike Coughlan’s return to the top of his game in formula one is nothing short of scandalous, according to Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.
The Briton was at the centre of the 2007 espionage scandal, sacked as McLaren’s chief designer and banned from formula one for receiving reams of secret technical information from a rogue Ferrari employee.

He worked subsequently with the abortive Stefan GP team and also designed the Ocelot armoured vehicle before heading to NASCAR with Michael Waltrip Racing.

Earlier this year he returned to F1 as Williams’ new factory-based chief engineer, but team chairman Adam Parr quietly announced in India recently that Coughlan is already “our new technical director”.

“Coughlan’s return is a scandal,” Ferrari’s Montezemolo told Italy’s La Stampa newspaper.

“It seems F1 never misses an opportunity to make a fool of itself,” he added.

According to the Spanish sports daily Marca, an unnamed paddock source does not agree.

“‘Spygate’ was just a political war between Max Mosley and Ron Dennis, because everyone knows that information is swapping between F1 teams all the time.”

A separate question is whether Coughlan is the best replacement for his Williams predecessor Sam Michael, who will appear on the McLaren race team for the first time this weekend in Abu Dhabi.

“He (Coughlan) is a good designer,” said the Marca source, “but on the mechanical side.

“The aerodynamic aspect is not his forte, but of course, with Williams astray, there was no one better available,” he added.

As for Coughlan’s spying days in possession of secret Ferrari data in photocopy shops, the 52-year-old insists he has changed since 2007.

“Leaving a team and a sport that I love, and then seeing the consequences of my actions on the team and its fans was devastating,” he said.

“All I can do now is work hard and try to earn my place back in formula one. I can only hope that I can earn back everyone’s respect.”

 British authorities have confirmed they will also look into the millions paid by Bernie Ecclestone to beleaguered former F1 banker Gerhard Gribkowsky.
Ecclestone, the F1 chief executive who admits to paying Gribkowsky but denies it was a bribe, will appear in Munich on Wednesday as a witness in the trial of the former BayernLB risk manager.

A report in the Sunday Telegraph suggested the UK’s Attorney General and Revenue and Customs offices might be interested in the possible connection between Ecclestone and his offshore family trust Bambino.

Shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry said the issue “needs to be looked into”, and the attorney general’s office confirmed it will be done.

And a spokesman for Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said: “HMRC cannot comment on individual cases but we use information from a very wide range of sources to ensure everyone pays the right tax under the law.”

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.

Even now as Fernando Alonso’s teammate, Felipe Massa is not shy to denounce the result of the Singapore grand prix three years ago.
It was in that 2008 race that Ferrari’s Massa had a problem during a pitstop that was triggered by Nelson Piquet’s notoriously deliberate crash and resultant safety car.

Piquet’s then Renault teammate was Spaniard Alonso, who duly won the race before the ‘crashgate’ scandal claimed the scalps of his bosses Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds.

But the saga also arguably claimed the scalp of Massa’s 2008 world championship, as the Brazilian ultimately went on to lose the title to Lewis Hamilton by a single point.

Massa has always been outspoken about ‘crashgate’, but his complaints have got quieter with time and with Alonso now a revered Ferrari driver.

But he was open about his feelings when speaking with Spanish reporters on Thursday.

“Yeah, what happened hurt me because when you lose the title by so small a margin you start looking back and one of the things that was an influence was Singapore,” said the 30-year-old.

“Everyone knows that result was manipulated by what happened. Singapore 2008 was false,” said Massa, according to AS newspaper, “but the result was real.

“Have I spoken to Fernando about it? He knows and I know how the world works.

“The past is the past,” Massa is quoted by Brazil’s Globo Esporte. “I have answered 45 thousand times what I think about it.”

Alonso, who insists he counts Singapore 2008 as a real victory, confirmed to Spanish sports daily Marca that he and Massa have never talked about the controversy.

“Yes, in 2008 Felipe lost points here, but he also lost points in Hungary when his engine failed with three laps to go,” he said.

“When you lose a championship by one point you remember all those things. When I look back at last year I remember all the reasons why I lost the title as well,” added Alonso.

Almost four years after the News of the World scandal first broke, Max Mosley is still chasing the saga in court.
Since early 2008 when Briton Mosley was filmed with five prostitutes, the 71-year-old’s reign as FIA president has ended and the British tabloid closed.

But despite winning a similar case in Britain, his lawyers have been in France’s Tribunal de Grande Instance this week pressing another case against the report’s chief reporter.

Because the News of the World report and video footage was available within France, Mosley sued journalist Neville Thurlbeck for defamation and breach of privacy.

He is seeking EUR 100,000 in damages from both the News of the World and Thurlbeck, according to The Guardian.

“Every copy of the paper distributed was a thorn in the skin of Mr Mosley. Every one was a prejudice,” said Mosley’s lawyer Philippe Ouakrat.

But Thurlbeck’s lawyer told the hearing on Tuesday that Mosley should not be able to sue twice for the same offense.

“Mr Mosley has already gained satisfaction in England,” said Jean-Frederic Gaultier. “This case here is not about justice but about vengeance.”

Flavio Briatore has rubbished speculation he is eyeing a return to formula one management.

Recent rumours have linked the flamboyant former Renault boss, banned from F1 because of the 2009 ‘crashgate’ scandal, with a leading role at Ferrari.

But the Italian told Germany’s Auto Bild Motorsport: “I do not intend to return to formula one as a team manager.

“Italy is the land of rumours,” said the 61-year-old millionaire. “That’s why I am always brought back in connection with Ferrari, but it’s nonsense.”

In the same interview, Briatore rubbished suggestions Sebastian Vettel might be an ideal next teammate at the Maranello based team for Fernando Alonso.

“I would never want them together,” insisted Briatore, who is still involved in the management of Spaniard Alonso’s career. “It would weaken the team by splitting it into two parts.”

Briatore admitted that he has been impressed with German Vettel, 24, in 2011.

“He is super strong with the right attitude and reminds me of Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso in that once they had their first title in the bag they then got stronger and more confident.”

On the topic of Schumacher, Briatore continued: “I’d rather reminisce about the Michael of Benetton and Ferrari. Now, he has been out for too long and is fighting to be among the top ten.

“That’s something I find quite sad,” he added.

A major formula one sponsor has had a $2 billion hole blown into its books by a so-called rogue trader.
The Financial Times reports that a 31-year-old has been arrested in London as the Swiss group UBS, a ‘global partner’ of grand prix racing, saw its shares plunge almost 11 per cent.

On the alleged investment fraud, a spokesperson for Swiss banking regulator Finma said: “From the scale of this case, you can be sure that it’s the biggest we’ve ever seen for a Swiss bank.”

Reports suggest the scandal could single-handedly wipe out UBS’s forecasted profits for the quarter.

Jailed banker Gerhard Gribkowsky’s lawyers have asked Munich prosecutors to drop the charges accusing him of corruption.
Bernie Ecclestone is also involved in the affair surrounding the sale of F1′s commercial rights some years ago, with former BayernLB risk officer Gribkowsky receiving from the sport’s chief executive millions in suspect payments.

But Gribkowsky’s lawyer Rainer Bruessow said the prosecutors’ case is “far fetched” and built upon only selective evidence and “massive omissions”, according to Bloomberg news agency and the Financial Times.

“Munich prosecutors’ didn’t comply with the necessary diligence and responsibility a German investigative authority needs to adhere to,” the statement added.

A spokesperson for the prosecutors however insisted that the claims of Gribkowsky’s lawyers are “totally unfounded”.

The media reports said the story has emerged while a Munich court is considering whether to proceed.

“It’s of no use trying to influence the court’s pending decision with public statements,” the spokesperson added.

Three formula one teams are interested in signing Romain Grosjean, according to Renault chief Eric Boullier.
Frenchman Boullier, who also heads the Gravity driver management company, is reportedly considering his countryman as an immediate replacement for Nick Heidfeld.

But L’Equipe quotes Boullier as saying “three teams” are in the running to have the 25-year-old – who is leading the current GP2 championship – in their 2012 lineups.

And Renault team owner Gerard Lopez admits Grosjean is a candidate to replace Heidfeld in 2012.

“Vitaly (Petrov) has a contract to the end of 2012,” he said. “We could consider Vitaly with Romain, but that doesn’t depend on us. It depends on the health of Robert (Kubica).”

Boullier admits Grosjean struggled in 2009 when he made his F1 debut amid the ‘crashgate’ scandal alongside Fernando Alonso.

“As I am very close to him, I can confirm that he is different now, much more mature than two years ago,” he said.

He told Globo Esporte: “We’re waiting to see what happens with Robert.”

Bernie Ecclestone appeared at the Nurburgring on Friday, despite suggestions he might skip the journey to Germany for fear of being arrested.
The F1 chief executive is finally admitting he paid $44 million to jailed German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky, but he denies it was a bribe.

Even so, some suspected the fact the charges laid against Gribkowsky coincided with Germany’s F1 event would convince Ecclestone to remain in Britain to avoid potential trouble.

But he told the reporter for Bild newspaper at the Nurburgring: “I said I would come, so here I am.”

And Ecclestone told the Financial Times when asked if he fears being arrested: “No, not at all.

“I’m concerned it’s going to be bloody wet and cold. Otherwise, should be a good race.”

But many paddock insiders on Friday cast serious doubt on billionaire Ecclestone’s explanation that he was blackmailed by Gribkowsky to avoid trouble with inland revenue.

“Bernie does not get blackmailed,” one was quoted by the Telegraph.

At the very least, Ecclestone admitted that he regrets paying the money.

“So many things in life are hindsight,” said the 80-year-old.

“It’s not my style to have anyone threaten me. Believe me, in my life I have been threatened properly. But in this case they (the lawyers) advised me to pay up.

“But don’t worry, I have nothing to worry about,” added Ecclestone.

One rumour is that the diminutive Briton, perhaps under pressure from F1 owner CVC’s investors, might step aside to allow the scandal to play out away from the sport.

“There is no sign of him backing off,” Ecclestone’s former power ally Max Mosley told the Financial Times. “On the other hand, maybe he will.”

The News Corporation scandal might have damaged the Murdochs’ plans to take over formula one.
That is the claim of F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, who said he feels “sorry” for Rupert Murdoch amid the fallout of the phone hacking scandal and closure of the News of the World.

Earlier, FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh insisted he thinks News will survive the scandal to be “alive and powerful” again.

“I’m terribly sorry for Rupert, who I know quite well, and James (Murdoch) because they are running their businesses very well,” Ecclestone told the Telegraph.

“If they were to bid for F1 they might find that people would object to it. We have still had no contact from News Corp about a takeover of F1.”

The 80-year-old also ruled out a move for F1 to Murdoch’s pay-TV networks and said he hoped the sport stayed with the BBC in Britain.

“Let’s wait and see about the BBC because at the moment they want to make a noise,” said Ecclestone.

“I can’t see how the BBC could cancel (its contract). We could probably sue them.”

Martin Whitmarsh on Friday tipped News Corporation to survive its current turmoil.
As the phone hacking scandal worsened, media magnate Rupert Murdoch pulled the plug on News’ UK tabloid News of the World and then dropped plans to buy the rest of BskyB.

And the implications continue to unfold, with News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks resigning and the billionaire Murdoch facing official investigations in the UK and potentially also the US and Australia.

Before the scandal erupted, News was linked with a potential buyout of F1′s commercial rights, with leading teams including McLaren reportedly meeting to discuss becoming involved in the bid.

“Yes, they’ve got a lot of challenges at the moment in the UK, but nevertheless we all know that News International and News Corp will be alive and powerful in the media in 12 months’ time,” Whitmarsh, McLaren team boss and also chairman of the teams association FOTA, is quoted as saying on Friday.

“They will move on, but there will be casualties, as they’ve closed down a newspaper, which none of us would have believed two weeks ago,” he told F1′s official website.

“But News Corp is a 20 billion or whatever turnover news corporation, so I am sure they will remain a big player. But I don’t think that formula one needs to rush into their arms,” added Whitmarsh.

French carmaker Renault’s continuing involvement in formula one relies on “certain conditions” being present.
That is the claim of Carlos Tavares, who is the marque’s freshly appointed chief operating officer.

After the ‘crashgate’ scandal, Renault effectively withdrew from F1 as a works team and is now only an engine supplier to the Red Bull, Lotus Renault, Team Lotus and – in 2012 – Williams teams.

“It was a reasonable decision which led us to a level of expenditure in line with our means,” Tavares is quoted in a French language report by Agence France-Presse.

“Renault does not have infinite funds,” he insisted. “This decision allowed the company to refocus its efforts on the core of the race engines.”

AFP said that instead of paying EUR 220 million to run the works Renault team in 2009, the marque now spends just 60 million on its F1 programme.

Asked about the difference in image, Tavares answered: “I don’t know that we have lost anything.”

As for the future, he said Renault’s “strategy is to be the leaders in zero-emission vehicles.

“Our commitment to F1 is long-term when the conditions of cost, image and sporting fairness are also met”, added Tavares.

“As long as the conditions are there, there is no reason to not be in F1. It has been almost 30 years that we have demonstrated our passion (for F1) and we continue to do so every day.”