Sauber is in a race for money after discovering its 2012 car is up to speed with F1′s richest teams.

As ever in formula one, world championships are won not on the basis of a clever initial design, but on a team’s ability to continue to develop it throughout a long season.

According to O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, the formerly BMW-owned Sauber team’s chief executive Monisha Kaltenborn admits that the Hinwil based outfit cannot compete on that front with the likes of McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull.

“It’s a shame,” she is quoted as saying.

“I hope we can show enough potential so that some companies decide to invest in our project,” said Kaltenborn, with the Brazilian newspaper estimating that Sauber’s budget is EUR 80 million this year.

In contrast, the top four teams’ budgets are believed to be all above EUR 220m.

Kaltenborn told F1′s official website recently that Sauber would back a push to impose a budget cap — an issue that triggered the big teams’ bitter political war with former FIA president Max Mosley a few years ago.

“We … have also openly said that we are not satisfied with our sponsor situation because we have high targets and to achieve them you need appropriate funding,” she continued.

“We still need to work on that side of things, as of course the more funding you have the more you can develop — and it shows on the track.

“I have said before that when we look back we practically never had enough money to do what we really wanted to. The question is always how big the gap is — sometimes it is bigger, sometimes it is smaller.”

World champion Sebastian Vettel was unapologetic this week, having shown his Indian rival Narain Karthikeyan the middle finger recently in Malaysia.

The German also called the HRT-driving backmarker a “gherkin” and “idiot” in the aftermath of their Sepang clash that cost Vettel fourth place.

“I lost a solid fourth place so that’s obviously disappointing,” the 24-year-old is quoted by German media, including Sport Bild, after being asked this week about his loss of temper at Karthikeyan.

It was suggested Vettel might have breached the FIA’s code of conduct, but it is believed the governing body has decided the stewards properly investigated the incident in Malaysia.

And Vettel is unapologetic.

“Sometimes you let some emotion show and I don’t think someone should be ashamed about that,” he said. “It’s part of the sport.”

Vettel, having utterly dominated a year ago, is now just sixth in the drivers’ points standings after two races.

“Of course I would have preferred a slightly better start (to 2011),” he admitted, “but it’s a long season.

“We have a very good car and I still have a good chance — it is still the goal to fight for the title,” he said in Paris, where he accepted the ‘Grands Prix de l’Academie des Sports 2011′ award.

“Only a few hours ago I was in the simulator, preparing for China and Bahrain. We should hopefully have a few good improvements, but we need to prove that at the tracks,” said Vettel.

HRT is hoping to get one up on its tailender rival Marussia by at least running its 2012 car before shipping it to Australia.
Marussia, formerly Virgin, has announced that after failing an FIA crash test, it will be unable to run its new Cosworth-powered car at the final Barcelona test this week.

“Of course it’s a shame,” German driver Timo Glock told the DPA news agency, “but safety comes first.”

HRT’s 2012 single seater, however, has – despite a similar delay – at least now satisfied the FIA’s safety rules and is therefore allowed to run at the Circuit de Catalunya if able.

Indeed, in the Barcelona paddock this week, the HRT motor home is present.

But team figures Pedro de la Rosa and boss Luis Perez Sala have admitted that, while now homologated, the 2012 car is not quite ready to be tested.

“The truth is that, today, the goal is to try to debut on Sunday,” de la Rosa is quoted by the Diario Sport newspaper. “If not, we would have the possibility to do a test on Monday.”

The FIA has already declared that testing on Monday – the day after the final official Barcelona test ends – is not allowed because that would be the week before Melbourne.

But HRT is yet to do its allowed filming day, team boss Perez Sala is quoted as saying on Wednesday.

“We are in the construction phase of the car and it would be great to have it ready for Sunday,” added de la Rosa.

The former McLaren test driver also revealed that HRT’s new car is designed to run KERS, unlike the 2012 Marussia.

“It is designed to use it, but the team has decided to start the season without (KERS),” said de la Rosa.

Mercedes is committed to the crumbling teams association FOTA, team boss Ross Brawn insists.
The Geneva based alliance has lost the support of top teams Red Bull and Ferrari, and also smaller outfits Sauber, Toro Rosso and HRT.

It is rumoured Lotus could be the next to go.

But McLaren’s Martin Whitmarsh remains the chairman, and media outlets on Wednesday quoted Mercedes’ Brawn as saying the German marque remains “very committed” to FOTA.

“We believe it’s a great shame that we’ve lost some of the members from FOTA because I think we may live ultimately to regret that,” he is quoted by Sky Sports.

Contemplating the reasons for the FOTA split, Brawn explained: “When there is outside pressure it pushed FOTA together. Now, there is not so much, the natural competitiveness of the teams is pushing it apart a bit.

“I hope we don’t regret it … because one of the objectives was to find the right solutions for F1, not just for individual teams.”

Nico Rosberg – 7th: “I’m pleased that we made a step forward today but we could perhaps have finished higher. In Q1, I hit a kerb quite heavily and damaged the floor which lost some of the car’s downforce for the rest of qualifying. I was on my quickest lap at the end of Q3 but unfortunately I had to slow down for the yellow flag after Felipe’s incident so that cost me some time. I will push hard to gain places tomorrow and have a good race on this fantastic track. I’m guessing it will be an exciting race and the Indian people should be proud to have one of the best tracks in the world of motorsport now!”

Michael Schumacher – 12th: “Qualifying today was not really very good for us. At first I hit some traffic, and then on my final run in Q2, there was again vibrations on the set of tyres which I used which was not helpful. Saying that, this certainly does not explain the time gap to Nico so we need to understand what the reason was for that and get on top of it. As for the race tomorrow, this should work out better for me, and my aim undoubtedly is to score some points. I’m not really sure which side of the grid will be the better one, so I will just take it from there and try to gain as much as possible.”

Ross Brawn: “It was an exciting and tense qualifying session today. We got caught out a little in traffic on occasions which didn’t help as it was particularly close out there. It’s a shame that we didn’t get through to Q3 with Michael, and he was unhappy with his final set of tyres. Nico did a great job, especially considering that he was struggling a little with the car yesterday, so all credit to him and his team for getting the car in good shape for qualifying. Our runs on high fuel this weekend have been encouraging so we are looking forward to the race tomorrow at this impressive new track.”

Norbert Haug: “A good job from Nico today and a good qualifying strategy from our team with just one run in Q3 to save tyres for the race. Michael missed getting into the top ten by 0.018s and the gap to P8 was less than two-tenths which shows how intense the battle is. Our target tomorrow is to achieve the best possible result behind the top three teams and hopefully finish in the top six rankings which we achieved three times in the last five races. The new circuit and facilities here in Greater Noida are very impressive and it is very positive for Formula One to be present in such a vibrant country full of passion and friendliness.”

Fernando Alonso: – 4th: “It was important to get onto the front two rows, as it’s easier to fight for a good result from here. I don’t think there’s much of a difference between the two vertical lines of the grid because the ideal line on the start-finish straight goes down the middle, so both sides are quite dirty. In fact the dirt off the racing line could be a problem for overtaking with whoever initiates the move having to give it everything without hesitating. So far, this weekend has gone as expected and now we will try and do a good job tomorrow. It would be very nice to bring home one of the trophies that will be handed out to those who make it to the podium on Formula 1′s debut in India. I came very close to the front row, which is a bit of a surprise. In recent qualifying sessions, we have not managed to get as close as this to our main rivals and already yesterday we looked reasonably competitive. Usually, on Sunday our performance level is better but that does not automatically mean that we will be fighting for the win. There are too many unknowns, even more than usual and then, we have seen how things can change from one track to another. In Suzuka, we came within a whisker of the win and in Singapore we were not competitive. We will be doing our best, that’s for sure.”

Felipe Massa – 6th: “What happened on my last timed lap was a real shame. Today, we had the potential to secure a good placing, as Fernando demonstrated and as can also be seen from the fact my sixth best time was set with a rather slow third sector. I came into Turn 8 and went over the kerb and the front right suspension gave way in the impact with the raised orange part, which in my opinion is too high at this point. It’s a very fast corner, taken at around 215 km/h and it could be arranged differently. These are details that need improving for next year. I repeat, I am disappointed, because the car has been going well all weekend long. Now I find myself with one less set of Softs and with a broken front wing. It was the new one, which we had here for the first time and it delivered a bit extra in terms of performance. Tomorrow, overtaking will be difficult because of the dirt on track, but I think we will still see a lot.”

Stefano Domenicali: “First of all, I wish to congratulate the organisers of this Grand Prix. Bringing Formula 1 to India is a great achievement and they and Bernie Ecclestone deserve the credit for it. This country is growing rapidly, even if there are sharp contrasts, but never before have we seen our sport welcomed with such enthusiasm and interest from the general public. As for qualifying, I have to say our car’s overall performance was good: being less than a tenth off the front row – Vettel was once again untouchable – means that we are not looking too bad at this track. We are obviously disappointed for Felipe, who has been very quick all weekend: accidents like this can happen, but the important thing is that the driver is fine. Usually, our race pace is better than our outright performance in qualifying: let’s hope that is also the case tomorrow and we can leave India with a good result under our belt.”

Pat Fry: “I don’t know if our mechanics will take home happy memories of this race, because we’ve definitely given them a lot to do over the past two days. Yesterday, there was an unexpected engine change on Fernando’s car and today we have to repair Felipe’s car. As for the performance we saw in qualifying, the verdict is reasonably positive. The 150º Italia proved to be very competitive in the first two sectors of the track and given its characteristics, the performance in the second is encouraging. However, we struggled a bit more in the last one, especially when compared to Vettel’s Red Bull. The new front wing allows more room to manoeuvre when it comes to aerodynamic balance, which is always positive. The Soft tyres seem to be at their best on the second timed lap and degradation appears to be lower than expected and similar to what we saw in Korea, where the track was equally smooth. We need to find the best strategy and, in Felipe’s case, minimise the loss of one set of Softs which were damaged in the accident.”

Bernie Ecclestone has risked triggering speculation about FIA president Jean Todt’s future.
In an interview with Germany’s Die Welt, the F1 chief executive looked ruefully back on the infamous era alongside Todt’s predecessor Max Mosley.

Ecclestone, who turns 81 on Friday, admitted recently he does not always see eye-to-eye with Frenchman Todt.

“It’s a shame these days how democratic formula one is now. Max and I were able to solve issues and problems in most cases very quickly, a few days or weeks, where now we sometimes need years.

“That (the past era) benefitted everyone — the teams, the audience, everybody,” said Ecclestone.

Referring then to Todt, he said: “I think he went into the job not knowing what to expect. Max helped Jean to become president.

“But I suspect that if he was true to himself and he could choose again between the presidency and Ferrari, he would return to Maranello,” added the Briton.

Fascinatingly, Ecclestone’s comments coincided with Todt telling the Italian-language goalcity.com: “I am still in love with Ferrari.

“The ‘Rosso’ will always have a special place in my heart.”

Ecclestone agrees that – operationally – F1′s past is better than its present.

“It’s tempting to talk about the good old days,” he said. “Maybe it wasn’t like that really but I get the impression that it was much, much better than it is now.

“I tell you: if Max wanted to be re-elected as president, he would go through with ease. He is supported by 90 per cent of the teams.”

Stefano Domenicali on Tuesday said he can imagine Fernando Alonso working alongside F1′s new double world champion Sebastian Vettel.
“Would Alonso accept it? I think so, I think it could work. Fernando’s strength is that he is not afraid of anyone, a force that comes from his maturity,” the Italian told La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

But it’s not a minor detail that Vettel is contracted to Red Bull until 2014, and tipped to extend his stay for a further two years.

For Ferrari team boss Domenicali, the seat to fill is currently occupied by Felipe Massa, whose deal ends next season.

“He will do everything to prove what he has to Ferrari, and the other drivers with contracts expiring will want to prove that they are ready to come,” he said. “Among those, probably, is Hamilton.

“But it’s early,” said Domenicali, referring to McLaren’s 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton, whose deal expires in unison with Massa’s next season.

“Felipe had a good weekend (at Suzuka), until the contact with Hamilton. It was a shame it happened in a very positive weekend for him,” he added.

Ferrari’s first priority is to have a better car for 2012, and Domenicali revealed that only minor “details” of the current Italia 150 car will be saved.

“We will change everything; even the steering wheel,” he said.

Jean Alesi has welcomed news his native France looks set to rejoin the formula one calendar.
It is expected that, three years after Magny Cours dropped off the schedule, France will return in 2013 with a single annual date to be alternated between Paul Ricard and Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps.

“The drivers love Spa and I think it is very important to always go there because of the spectacle, the history and everything else,” Frenchman Alesi, who contested more than 200 grands prix until 2011, said.

“But the problem is the money,” the 1995 Canadian grand prix winner and Group Lotus ambassador is quoted by France’s Auto Hebdo.

“Spa doesn’t have enough (money) to compete with places like Abu Dhabi. So it would be a shame to lose Spa but I say it’s better to go every other year than not at all.

“The compromise would be beneficial for everyone. As I am French, I would love to see the French grand prix coming back,” added Alesi, “and with the sharing (scheme), we can have both (France and Spa).”

Tony Fernandes’ F1 outfit is pushing ahead with the Team Lotus moniker, despite lingering expectations he might drop the name before the start of the 2011 season.

The Malaysian, whose official license for his team’s 2010 identity Lotus Racing was terminated because Group Lotus wanted to enter F1 separately, has said several times recently that he favours a “pragmatic” solution to the dispute.

But the latest news is that green and gold ‘Team Lotus’ signage, including the famous CABC logo, has been erected outside the outfit’s Hingham (UK) factory.

The signage also features at the team’s new official website, which is located at teamlotus.co.uk because teamlotus.com is controlled by Group Lotus.

“The migration to (the) Team Lotus brand has started,” Fernandes wrote on Twitter. “It’s a shame. I liked Lotus Racing and always thought Team Lotus should be returned to (the) Chapman family.

“But that’s the deck of hand (cards) we got handed,” he added.

Renault F1′s new website, located at lotusrenaultgp.com, will be launched on January 31.

Nick Heidfeld on Thursday said it would be a shame if the team orders saga is seen to have influenced the outcome of the drivers’ world championship.

With two races to go, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso is 11 points ahead of Red Bull’s Mark Webber in the points standings.

7 of those points were earned in Hockenheim, where Alonso’s teammate Felipe Massa was controversially moved aside despite team orders being banned in F1.

Ferrari was fined $100,000 for the move but Alonso kept his points.

“If Alonso wins the championship with a margin less than the 7 points, it would devalue the championship — that’s a personal view,” said former FIA president Max Mosley.

Red Bull’s team boss Christian Horner agrees, stating that seeing Alonso win because of the extra points would be “frustrating”.

Sauber driver Heidfeld said in Brazil on Thursday: “From a team’s perspective, it (team orders) is perhaps understandable.

“But it would be a shame if the championship is decided by the fact that Red Bull has followed the rules while others see it maybe differently.

“If that happens, I would really hope that Red Bull’s behaviour is seen in a positive way,” the German is quoted by the news agency SID.

Earlier this week, McLaren team boss and FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh refused to say a title win for Alonso would reflect badly on the sport.

“I think we’ve had a very good championship and that’s what we should think about, full stop,” he said.

Found on the podium at Motegi and the victory at Sepang, Valentino Rossi has encountered more problems than expected this weekend at Phillip Island. At the end of formal qualifications obtained where only the eighth time is the third row are two aspects that have prevented the 9-time World Champion to do better.

First one still not optimal balance of his Yamaha YZR-M1 with a set up far from defined “optimal.” Secondly traffic and a series of unfortunate events that allowed him to improve on the grid for tomorrow looked forward to a tough race on paper.

“Today I was really unlucky, “said Valentino Rossi. “With the two softer tires to do the time I’m getting a good grid position. Before I met in trajectory Espargaro and Hayden, then it started raining and so I was unable to improve.

Start from the third row and will be a tough race, especially because we have not found a good race pace and we must work more on set-up. This evening and tomorrow morning we will try to find a solution to improve and have a good race.

The weather not only the ideal, this is a real shame because the track is fantastic and this cold you can not drive at its best, it takes several laps to send the tires up to temperature. I expect a very tough race, but we’ll see what we can do. “

Sebastien Buemi has joined Robert Kubica in praising the racing skills of F1 rookie Kamui Kobayashi.

After retiring at Suzuka with a missing wheel, Renault’s Kubica watched the rest of the Japanese race on a monitor.

“What Kamui did with his car was super.  Because I had to watch on television, he saved my day,” he was quoted by the Swiss press.

Toro Rosso driver Buemi has admitted he too is a fan of Japanese Kobayashi’s ability to overtake his rivals.

“It’s unbelievable,” said the Swiss.  “No matter what his car is like, Kamui always gives everything.

“For many, he is a model with regards to the fighting spirit,” Buemi is quoted by Blick newspaper, “even if of course such overtaking moves don’t always go well.”

He admitted he is disappointed not to have been one of Kobayashi’s adversaries at Suzuka last Sunday.

“Unfortunately he came out from his pitstop just ahead of me.  It’s a shame, because I love a tough fight with a really strong driver.”

Asked what his secret is, Kobayashi smiled: “Put it this way, maybe I brake a bit later than my opponents!”

Bernie Ecclestone has welcomed reports Porsche is considering entering formula one in 2013.

“It sounds absolutely great,” the F1 chief executive told Bild newspaper by telephone, having not travelled to Japan this weekend.

“Whatever I can do to make it happen, I will,” added the 79-year-old Briton from London.

Porsche officials have already announced that a decision to enter formula one could only be taken if the FIA’s plans for a ‘World Engine’ come about.

Bild said the board of Porsche’s parent Volkswagen will meet early next month to make a decision.

Fellow German carmaker Mercedes’ motor racing vice president Norbert Haug commented: “I have no idea whether Porsche are going to come.

“If they do, congratulations and all the best.  If not, that’s a shame,” said the German.