Fernando Alonso was spared the Italian media’s wrath after Ferrari opened its 2012 campaign with the troubled F2012 car.
“Alonso once again saved Ferrari from disaster,” said the authoritative La Gazzetta dello Sport, after the Spanish driver drove the car to fifth place in Australia.

The under-pressure Felipe Massa’s opening race, however, “was a nightmare”, the daily newspaper added.

Jaime Alguersuari, the former Toro Rosso driver who is now a media analyst, also praised fellow Spaniard Alonso.

“For Ferrari, it is an unique advantage to have a driver like Fernando Alonso,” he told El Mundo newspaper.

“He did a sensational Sunday, with intelligence and ambition, which will push and raise the team, I’m sure.”

Alonso remains confident.

“There may be cars quicker than us now,” he is quoted by Britain’s Daily Mail, “but it’s like Manchester United or Chelsea who play badly for a game but still win 1-0.

“Before this race we were working 24 hours (a day),” Alonso is quoted by Marca, “now it must be 25.”

The Spanish press, however, is livid.

“The fifth place is really a miracle,” said the sports daily Marca. “The car is ridiculous, rendering the team a midfielder.”

Jenson Button, meanwhile, received universal praise from the international press corps, as did the fact that Red Bull’s dominance appears to have been knocked by McLaren.

“That’s good news for everybody except (Sebastian) Vettel,” insisted Corriere dello Sport.

The fight, however, has just begun.

“Vettel turned the middling new Red Bull into a good race car,” said Gazzetta, referring to the German’s performance on Sunday, “which is a warning to the opposition.

“He is still the world champion, and he will be hunting his first triumph of the year in Sepang.”

Tuttosport, meanwhile, said Mercedes – which until Sunday’s race was the talk of the Melbourne paddock – was the “big disappointment” of the 2012 opener.

Jaime Alguersuari is back in favour at Toro Rosso, according to the Spanish press.
Very recently, the 21-year-old was heavily tipped to make way at the Red Bull junior team for Daniel Ricciardo.

But the Spaniard Alguersuari then achieved consecutive points finishes in Canada and Valencia, reportedly spurring Red Bull’s driver manager Helmut Marko to instead find a place at HRT for Ricciardo’s mid-season debut.

At Toro Rosso, Alguersuari is now fully back in favour, with a third consecutive points finish at Silverstone compounding his new status.

According to Spanish sports daily AS, Marko and Alguersuari had a friendly wager before the British grand prix.

“If you score tomorrow (Sunday), I’ll pay you double for the points you score, but if you don’t, you give me a case of my favourite Spanish wine,” Marko reportedly told the youngster.

It is believed Alguersuari still intends to buy Marko the wine.

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”.

Bernie Ecclestone could send his own envoy to Bahrain as the 2011 race rescheduling saga becomes a political power struggle.
Some commentators have raised eyebrows this week as Ecclestone, F1′s chief executive, appeared to be back in step with his old sparring partner Max Mosley in the wake of the FIA’s controversial decision to slot Bahrain back into the 2011 calendar.

Ecclestone has admitted recently he is “at loggerheads” with Mosley’s successor as FIA president Jean Todt, whose reign he has described as a “joke”.

The events of the past days means Ecclestone is now also aligned with the F1 teams who have written in a letter their displeasure at the Bahrain rescheduling for late October and the extension of the calendar until December.

On the other side are Todt and the likes of Carlos Gracia, the FIA vice-president whose report – which after his recent visit to Bahrain was described in some quarters as a “whitewash” – has been leaked online.

Mosley this week described Gracia as a “very, very nice man who speaks no English and as far as I know, speaks no Arabic”.

Gracia, speaking in Valencia on Tuesday, said he found Bahrain peaceful when he visited recently but acknowledged that demonstrations and protests have occurred since then.

“That is something that neither I nor anyone else could predict,” he is quoted in the Spanish press.

“We do not want the grand prix held at all costs. Formula one in total is 2500 people and we would not put at risk the drivers, the mechanics, the sponsors, anyone,” added Gracia.

Ecclestone told the Financial Times he might now send his own inspector to Bahrain.

“That is precisely what we should do,” he said. “I wish I knew more. We’ve been told there are no problems. The FIA said everything is fine, that (Gracia) met people. So who do you believe?”

FOTA confirmed it wrote a letter to the FIA, and the latter has now confirmed it was received.

“We have received the letter and we are considering it,” said a spokesman. “The FIA is a transparent governing body and we welcome all input in the matter.”

And a spokesperson told the Telegraph the FIA is “checking the small print” of the regulations in the wake of the World Motor Sport Council’s controversial decision late last week.

There were no bold statements at Valencia after Tuesday’s opening day of pre-season testing.
The usually furtive 2010 runner-up Fernando Alonso tested at the wheel of Ferrari’s new F150 and claimed to have not even looked at reigning champion Red Bull’s 2011 challenger.

“I followed Vettel for a while and noticed he had the same colours as before,” joked the 29-year-old to the Spanish press.

Mercedes’ new W02 did not seem fast and broke down on its tenth lap with an hydraulic problem.

“I’ve had cars that started off great and became troublesome, and troublesome cars that became great,” said team boss Ross Brawn.

Vettel was Tuesday’s quickest, but Alonso ridiculed anyone who took that accomplishment seriously.

“I remember last year at the last test we were sixth fastest with Sauber and Force India ahead of us. At Sakhir we lapped them,” said the 2010 Bahrain winner.

“Testing is like watching Real Madrid or Barcelona play against (reserve teams) Castilla or Barcelona B. One or the other could win but it doesn’t mean anything,” insisted Alonso.

More interesting at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit this week are some of the innovations, including Renault’s exhaust, and the heavily undercut roll hoop and waist of the new Williams FW33.

“It’s gorgeous, the rear of the car is fantastic,” gushed Rubens Barrichello.

“At the moment you look at the times and it’s bad for us, but there is a three second difference between an empty fuel tank and what we are using,” he told Globe Esporte.

Another notable innovation is aboard the newly launched Toro Rosso, with Auto Motor und Sport saying it is a reminder of Ferrari’s ‘double floor’ of 1992.

And arguably the least radical of the new cars is Vettel’s currently chart-topping RB7.

“It is the third generation of the RB5 family,” admitted designer Adrian Newey. “It’s an evolution.”

Santander looks likely to end its sponsorship of the McLaren team after the Spanish bank’s “transition” to Ferrari in 2010.

Despite Ferrari’s high profile new deal with Santander last season, the sponsor also stayed with McLaren in 2010 in the form of driver overalls branding.

But the Santander branding was removed from the rear wing of the British team’s 2010 car.

“We have had a transition with McLaren and who knows if in the future we will keep on having a relationship with them and their drivers,” spokesman Juan Manuel Cendoya is quoted in the Spanish press.

When asked about Santander’s future in F1, Cendoya added: “It is bright. We are delighted to work with Ferrari; the Scuderia will keep on fighting to win.”

Jaime Alguersuari has offered a less than flattering opinion about the personality of his fellow Spaniard and F1 driver Fernando Alonso.

“He is cold (frio), very cold,” said 20-year-old Alguersuari, the youngest driver on the grid who races with the second Red Bull team, Toro Rosso.

“He is a man of few words,” he is quoted as saying by Dir Emotions.  “I have no relationship with him.”

Alguersuari also described the Ferrari driver and double world champion as “a great” F1 racer.

Alonso, 29, recently moved to clarify some misperceptions by revealing that when people actually meet him, they often remark that he is “nicer” than his media image.

The German-language spox.com compared Alonso’s apparent win-at-all-costs attitude with that of Michael Schumacher.

“In the media we read again and again things about ourselves that are not right,” said the Spaniard.

“People are making judgements from the outside, but that’s the business.”

Asked to clarify the misperceptions, Alonso said: “I am very calm and relaxed, even romantic.  Actually, I’m a normal guy.

“A little bit shy, but when everything’s right, that’s when the Spaniard in me comes out,” he laughed.

In Singapore last weekend, Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali agreed that Alonso is “cool and calm and sometimes difficult”.

And after back-to-back victories from pole, Alonso says he is on the top of his game.

“The F1 championship is very long compared to other sports so you can’t be completely fit, focused, motivated 100 per cent of the time.

“But now, in this part of the championship, I’m at a peak,” he is quoted in the Spanish press.

With five races still to run in 2010, there are still five drivers in the running to be world champion.

“I wouldn’t want to call it,” said team boss Martin Whitmarsh, whose McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button are both contenders.

Also among the gang of five within a margin of a single race victory of Mark Webber’s lead are his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel and the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso.

“I think that out of the five, it will eventually just be a duel between Vettel and Webber,” pundit Niki Lauda told Bild newspaper.

“They have the edge because their package is the best overall,” added the Austrian and former triple world champion.

Indeed, Ferrari came close to writing off Alonso’s chances before the Italian team travelled from its Maranello base to Monza and won.

The Spaniard agrees that he is still in the running — but only just.

“It will be almost compulsory now to be on the podium in each race,” Alonso is quoted in the Spanish press.

“I don’t know how many points I have but I know I’m 21 behind the leader,” he added.

His F10 car was the fastest on the long lines of Monza, but team boss Stefano Domenicali is not expecting a repeat this weekend.

“Singapore is a track where Red Bull will return to its usual levels, McLaren will be strong and it will be a harder fight than what we saw at Monza,” he is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

But the Italian acknowledged: “The truth is I think no one really understands what happens this year, in the sense that things happen differently at each race compared to what is said beforehand.”

Brazilian commentator Lito Cavalcanti surmises: “The Red Bull is good everywhere, but the cars of the rivals are very strong only sometimes.”

Vettel thinks the RB6 will be strong under the Singapore lights, telling Bild am Sonntag newspaper: “Advantage Red Bull, disadvantage McLaren.”

But Whitmarsh does not quite see it that way.

“What I hear people say we’ll be strong here or weak there, I don’t know how they work that out,” said the Briton.

Fernando Alonso is by far the highest paid active grand prix driver, according to reports in the Spanish press.

The El Mundo report, citing information from Business Book GP, compiled a list showing that Alonso’s annual Ferrari retainer – excluding external endorsements – is EUR 30 million.

That is almost double the next largest retainer, owned by 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton, at 16 million, although it is believed Kimi Raikkonen is being paid a similar amount this year due to Ferrari’s breach of contract.

Felipe Massa comes in at third with 14m, meaning the Brazilian is paid less than half the income of his Ferrari teammate.

Reigning world champion Jenson Button is reportedly paid EUR 9 million; significantly less than his McLaren teammate, but more than seven time world champion Michael Schumacher (8m).

Mercedes also pays Nico Rosberg EUR 8 million, which is marginally more than Robert Kubica’s 7.5m.

Interestingly, Rubens Barrichello (5.5m) earns more than Mark Webber (4.2m), but Sebastian Vettel’s 2010 retainer is reportedly just 2 million.

According to the list, Red Bull’s Vettel is therefore paid less than Lotus driver Jarno Trulli (3m), and approximately the same as Trulli’s teammate Heikki Kovalainen.

Timo Glock earns 1 million by driving for Virgin; more than the EUR 700,000 reportedly paid to Williams rookie Nico Hulkenberg.

Also earning less than 1 million are the Sauber drivers (500,000 each), Vitaly Petrov, Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi (400,000), and the Force India drivers and Lucas di Grassi (200,000).

Bruno Senna is reportedly the lowest paid active driver, with a 150,000 retainer; 200 times less than Alonso.

Almost every formula one team will need to beef up the rigidity of their front wings before the Belgian grand prix late this month.

With the Red Bull and – to a lesser extent – the Ferrari wings visibly bending towards the track at recent races, the FIA advised all teams last Sunday that it will be revising the flexibility load tests.

Previously, the wings had to bend no more than 10mm with 50kg of weight applied to the endplates, but from Spa-Francorchamps the test will double to 100kg/20mm.

The implication is that Red Bull and Ferrari had devised a way to pass the 50kg test with wings that flex only when under proportionately higher loadings.

Italy’s La Stampa cited “anonymous sources” in reporting that “almost all teams” will need to adjust their current designs in order to pass the new tests.

A Ferrari source is quoted as saying: “We will adapt but it will not affect our competitiveness.”

La Stampa said Fernando Alonso spent all Tuesday on the driver simulator, working on a new aerodynamic package.

“In the seven remaining races, whoever gets six or seven podiums will be the champion,” he is quoted by the Spanish press.

Fernando Alonso is still confident about his chances of winning the 2010 championship.

But in Spanish press reports, the Ferrari driver is apparently concerned the current regulations make it difficult for his Maranello based employer to improve the F10.

“The goal is always to win but it’s not so easy,” Alonso, 28, said.

“You cannot invent new things without testing. There is little room for creativity; our technicians have their hands tied,” he added.

Alonso is expecting a closely-bunched field at Hockenheim in just over a week.

“We want to be fighting for pole position in Germany and Hungary,” he said, referring to the back-to-back rounds before the August break.

“The German track has quite simple corners so I am expecting a grand prix with very close times.”