Valencia will not be on next year’s F1 calendar, Bernie Ecclestone said on Saturday.

He confirmed that, starting in 2013, an annually alternating deal between the Spanish port city and Barcelona will begin.

Barcelona, the scene of this weekend’s Spanish grand prix, will host the race in 2013, before Valencia returns to the schedule in 2014, the F1 chief executive told Reuters.

Less secure, meanwhile, is France’s touted spot on the 2013 calendar, particularly with the country’s new anti-F1 president Francois Hollande now taking power.

Until recently, the F1 chief executive was saying Paul Ricard was set to join the 2013 calendar, annually alternating a race date with Belgium’s Spa Francorchamps.

As for the state of the deal now, the 81-year-old admitted: “I have no idea. No idea what they (France) are doing.

“It’s a funny arrangement they were making anyway. So I just don’t know.”

Ecclestone is also working on a new deal for the popular Canadian grand prix, having told promoter Francois Dumontier that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve needs to be upgraded.

“There are two ways of looking at it,” Dumontier, in the paddock of the Circuit de Catalunya, is quoted by La Presse newspaper.

“Either Bernie requires an annual fee windfall, or he will charge a reasonable fee and ask in return for investment in the infrastructure.”

He said the contract on the table is for 10 more years, taking Montreal’s existing deal through 2024.

Ecclestone said on Saturday that he is sure an agreement will be reached, because Canada is one of F1′s most loved destinations.

“I remember saying to Bernie, ‘New York, Austin, I don’t know why you want to go there. Your sure bet is Montreal’. He knows that.

“He’s been in Montreal for 34 years. And in the 22 years of the grands prix in the United States, they’ve had eight different cities.

“He said ‘You’re right’,” added Dumontier.

Another rumour, repeated by The Times’ Kevin Eason on Saturday, is that the planned 2014 Russian grand prix in Sochi “is doomed”.

 Valencia president Alberto Fabra has admitted it is possible the Spanish port city will annually alternate its F1 race date with Barcelona.
Amid Spain’s worsening economic crisis, organisers of the Circuit de Catalunya’s Spanish grand prix last year proposed a Germany-style sharing of a single race date, alternating between the venues every year.

Valencia, however, turned down the initial proposal, but Barcelona officials this week suggested that talks are back on.

Indeed, Valencia’s regional president Alberto Fabra confirmed to EFE news agency on Monday that alternating with Barcelona “is one of the alternatives”.

He warned that an agreement “is not yet done”, because the issue will need to involve F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone over the course of “the coming weeks”.

“We’re still in negotiations, waiting for a proposal with Ecclestone,” added Fabra.

There will only be a single ‘DRS’ overtaking zone at Silverstone this weekend.
In Canada and again at Valencia two weeks ago, there were two overtaking zones but only a single detection point — a system that arguably worked too well in Canada, and not well enough on the streets of the Spanish port city.

For Silverstone, the FIA has reverted to the formula of the first six races of 2011, with a single detection zone at the new Village corner (turn 3) and eligible drivers able to trigger the rear wing after turn 4.

This weekend is the F1 debut of Silverstone’s new Wing pit and paddock complex, but the only real changes for the drivers is the pitlane and the location of the new Turn 1.

“The (pit) entry is shorter than staying on the circuit, so we will have to ensure that drivers don’t use these changes to the pits to their advantage,” said race director Charlie Whiting.

On the stewards’ panel this weekend is 1992 world champion Nigel Mansell.

“As for the (pit) exit,” continued Whiting, “this is now quite a steep uphill into an extremely fast corner, so it’s certainly going to be different. It’s going to be quite significant in terms of strategy as there’s not too much cost in changing tyres.”

As in Canada, there will be two ‘DRS’ overtaking zones on the streets of Valencia this weekend, but only one ‘detection point’.

The new-in-2011 adjustable rear wing innovation contributed to a plethora of overtaking on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, ahead of this weekend’s event at Valencia where processional races have been common.

But Canada winner Jenson Button is not sure ‘DRS’ will transform the spectacle of the European grand prix.

“It’s a hard place to pass and, even though there will once again be two DRS zones, I don’t think that’s going to make it much easier during the race,” he said.

The Spanish sports newspaper AS revealed that the DRS ‘detection point’ this weekend will be 130 metres before turn 8, with the first overtaking zone set for the run between turns 10 and 12.

The second zone, also useable by drivers who were within 1 second of their prey at the detection point, is situated between turns 14 and 17.

“Some of the purists believe DRS has made the racing artificial, but the fact is that every race is now absolutely entertaining,” Steve Robertson, 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen’s manager, told Turun Sanomat newspaper.

“Whoever invented this system deserves the most authentic of praise. The cars have kept their speed and at the same time are able to race. Full marks!” he added.

DRS will be deactivated at Valencia this weekend if it rains, but the weather forecast for the Spanish port city so far is for clear and sunny conditions.

If Sergio Perez has to sit out a third consecutive race, Pedro de la Rosa will occupy his Sauber seat.
Mexican Perez, 21, withdrew ill from his seat after initial Friday practice in Canada, two weeks after suffering concussion in a Monaco qualifying crash.

Sauber’s managing director Monisha Kaltenborn on Thursday said the rookie is currently training in his native country.

“He is doing very well. We see no reason why he shouldn’t drive in Valencia,” she told Germany’s motorsport-total.com, referring to next weekend’s European grand prix.

Sauber’s technical boss James Key, meanwhile, confirmed that if Perez is not fit enough for the streets of the Spanish port city, then Spaniard de la Rosa will occupy the seat.

“He did a great job for us,” confirmed the Briton, referring to the 40-year-old McLaren reserve driver’s race at short notice in Montreal.

Speaking to the Spanish press on Thursday, the country’s motor racing president Carlos Gracia hoped de la Rosa will be in the Sauber cockpit next weekend, “without wishing ill on anyone”.

As in Canada this weekend, there will also be two ‘DRS’ overtaking zones for Valencia’s grand prix later in June.
The news was confirmed by European grand prix organiser Valmor Sports’ Jorge Martinez Aspar in the Spanish port city on Tuesday.

Valencia’s street circuit has usually not hosted the most spectacular formula one races but the adjustable rear wing innovation could change that, Aspar said in Spanish reports.

“Hopefully it will be a great show,” he told El Mundo newspaper.

The organisers have reduced ticket prices for 2011 by 12 per cent with the goal of attracting 80,000 race-day spectators and breaking even financially.

“We have a contract until 2014, with the option to renew for five more years until 2019, and we believe that we will meet the deadline,” he is quoted by Europa Press, playing down rumours one of F1′s two Spanish hosts might make way to reduce the size of the sport’s swelling calendar.

Spanish motor racing federation president Carlos Gracia said the situation could be helped by the Barcelona and Valencia races having more space between them on the schedule.

But he insisted: “The two Spanish races have contracts in force and I know they are current in their payments and want to fulfil their contracts.

“We might have to change the date so they are not so close together but two grands prix in Spain can live together perfectly well.”

Red Bull on Tuesday revealed its new car for the 2011 season featuring the number 1 for reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Photographs of the RB7, which is an evolution of the dominant title-winning car of 2010, were published on the team’s official website shortly before a blue sheet was pulled off in the Valencia pitlane by Vettel – who will drive the car on Tuesday – and Mark Webber.

Mercedes will also reveal its 2011 car at the Ricardo Tormo circuit on Tuesday, as will Toro Rosso, while the new Williams will make its test debut with an interim livery.

No rain and mild temperatures are forecast for the first day of pre-season testing in Cheste, which is 25 kilometres from the Spanish port city Valencia.

Team Lotus will have its 2011 car at the opening test in Valencia but is not planning a traditional “launch”, a spokesperson said on Monday.
After a visit to the team’s Hingham (UK) headquarters last week, owner and boss Tony Fernandes said the new car “is looking great” and “much slicker” than its predecessor but warned that Lotus “won’t do (a) conventional launch”.

But a spokesman clarified to Dutch website f1today.nl that, as per the plans of many rival teams, Team Lotus will be giving the new car its debut at Valencia early next month.

“We will present the car there,” he said, referring to the permanent Ricardo Tormo circuit in Cheste, on the outskirts of the Spanish port city.

Meanwhile, after an HRT spokeswoman confirmed that the Spanish team elected to leave FOTA due to “politics”, Fernandes said on his Twitter account on Monday that Team Lotus will not be following suit.

“We think Fota is very good and very important,” he said.

Renault on Thursday confirmed reports that its 2011 car will be launched on the eve of the forthcoming pre-season group test at Valencia.

Most teams are planning to reveal their new cars shortly before the major session beginning on 1 February at Cheste, on the outskirts of the Spanish port city.

“The Lotus Renault GP R31 will be officially unveiled on 31 January in Valencia. More info to follow,” Renault confirmed on Thursday.

On the same day – a Monday – Sauber has booked the same Ricardo Tormo circuit to present its 2011 car the C30, including some maiden demonstration laps.

Changes to the layout of Valencia’s street circuit could be made prior to F1′s return next year.

After last weekend’s third consecutive running of the European grand prix in the Spanish port city, the layout has again been criticised for not hosting enough overtaking moves.

The promoter Valmor Sport has announced it is considering a number of changes to improve overtaking as well as safety.

“We want to apply changes and will listen to the drivers,” Valmor president Jorge Martinez Aspar said.

“We are looking at a series of small changes in some parts of the track, three in particular, to see if it will give more overtaking,” he said, adding that the FIA will also be consulted.

The organisers are expected to meet with the drivers at Silverstone next week.

Aspar also expressed concern that a marshal had to retrieve a glass bottle from the track last Sunday, but seemed to deny Ferrari’s claim that an angry fan had lobbed it over a fence.

“We don’t know how it got there,” he said.  “If someone had thrown it, it would be broken.

“This is something to be avoided, but it can happen anywhere.”

(GMM)

The time is nearing for Mercedes to write off the 2010 season.

That is the opinion of triple world champion and famous German-language pundit Niki Lauda, after watching both W01s fail to qualify in the top ten at Valencia.

The Brackley based team had taken a substantial upgrade package to the Spanish port city, but now look unlikely to score good points while Nico Rosberg trails the championship lead by 35 points.

“At some point, maybe in two or three races, one should say ‘stop, let’s get on and build a car for next year,” Lauda said on German television Sky on Saturday.

Team boss Ross Brawn said after qualifying that Mercedes needs to “reflect, assess and see what our next steps should be”.

But Mercedes’ competition chief Norbert Haug said that does not mean the German team is giving up.

“We will certainly not give up on improving our package as we have done continuously since the season began but our competitors have been doing the same,” he said.

(GMM)

Lewis Hamilton on Friday admitted McLaren might struggle to keep up with rapidly-progressing rivals this weekend in Valencia.

While the British team will only run the innovation in two weeks at Silverstone, Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault have got Red Bull-style ‘blown diffuser’ exhaust layouts up and running on the streets of the Spanish port city.

Hamilton is the championship leader and has won the past two races, but on Friday afternoon was just fifth fastest, behind and surrounded by the ‘blown diffuser’ teams.

“It was always going to be interesting to see how quickly the blown diffuser cars could get up to speed — and they looked very competitive this afternoon, particularly over a single lap,” said the 2008 world champion.

“And the grip they appear to have through the high speed stuff could make them difficult for us to touch,” added Hamilton.

His teammate Jenson Button, just ninth quickest in the final session, commented: “We’ve just got to fight it out here and get the best out of what we’ve got.”

(GMM)

Heikki Kovalainen arrived in Valencia on Friday with just hours to spare before morning practice.

We reported on Thursday that the Finn had been absent in the paddock on Thursday, with his team Lotus staging a pitlane photoshoot for the marque’s 500th race without him.

Like many figures in the world of formula one, he was held up on the way to the Spanish port city by air traffic controller strikes in France.

Kovalainen had sat at Geneva airport for many hours waiting for his flight delay to end, before deciding to commence the 1,200km trip by road.

Before outpacing his teammate Jarno Trulli in both 90 minute practice sessions, he confirmed he had arrived in Valencia shortly after 5am.

And before donning his green overalls, his first duty was a “few hours sleep”, but still looked tired when he pulled on his balaclava at 10am.

“I feel fine,” he insisted.  “It’s just one night with a little less sleep than usual, so it’s no big deal.  My physio Petri and I shared the driving, so I feel absolutely fine.”

(GMM)

A notable absentee in the Valencia paddock on Thursday was Heikki Kovalainen.

Like many figures in the world of formula one, the Finn has been held up on the way to the Spanish port city by strikes in France.

The strikes, involving air traffic controllers, are about proposed reforms to the French pension system.

Lotus driver Kovalainen’s flight from Geneva was delayed for so long he decided to commence a 1,200km road trip to Valencia.

Mercedes also confirmed that Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher were delayed for the same reason en route to Valencia, “but they are both here now”.

(GMM)

Renault and Mercedes will join Ferrari in debuting Red Bull-style ‘low exhausts’ at this weekend’s European grand prix.

We reported earlier this week that McLaren is also looking to emulate the unique rear layout of Red Bull’s impressive 2010 car design.

Ferrari’s F10 car is equipped with its heavily updated car for Valencia, while McLaren and Williams look more likely to be ready by Silverstone.

We reported on Monday that Mercedes’ W01 car might be running the Red Bull-like layout this weekend, and the news has now been confirmed by BBC Sport.

But referring to the layout, the report said the German team is “not expected to use theirs in the race”.

Earlier reports also said Renault has a similar upgrade in the works, and the BBC confirmed that the team has its own version of the exhausts “in Valencia”.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso denied he had learned much about the updated F10 during a filming and promotional test at Fiorano last week.

“I think tomorrow (at Valencia) we’ll have a better answer,” the Spaniard told reporters in the Spanish port city on Thursday.

“We expect some step in the car, a little bit quicker but all the other teams will bring new parts here,” added Alonso.

(GMM)