Well-known Brazilian commentator Reginaldo Leme has defended Felipe Massa, amid the Ferrari driver’s career crisis.

Massa’s Ferrari seat hangs in the balance, and according to his boss Stefano Domenicali, he will have to improve in order to simply stay on the F1 grid with any team next year.

But Leme has pointed the finger of blame at Ferrari’s struggling F2012 car.

“It is very difficult to give an explanation for any driver’s bad phase,” Leme acknowledged on the Redacao Sportv programme.

“The car is very bad. The fact that Alonso is always scoring (points) just shows that the Spaniard is the best driver of this generation.

“No other driver, however good, could get anything out of that car.

“I think that’s what’s happening with Massa,” said Leme.

Massa will drive Ferrari’s heavily updated Barcelona-spec car at the Mugello test next Wednesday, while Alonso will drive on Tuesday and Thursday.

Turning his attention to the 2012 championship, meanwhile, Reginaldo Leme said consistency is more important than ever before, with four separate teams having won races so far.

“Look at Webber — he has been fourth four times and is third in the championship. Hamilton has been third three times and is right in contention.”

The calamitous Bahrain grand prix saga has not jeopardised the island Kingdom’s future on the F1 calendar.

That is the strident claim of Bernie Ecclestone, after the F1 chief executive and FIA president Jean Todt displayed rare unity as they insisted the country’s civil and political problems would not affect the grand prix.

But amid the bubbling Bahrain saga, Ecclestone had suggested that Bahrain might face trouble when it comes to negotiating a new contract, with the existing agreement only set to extend for three more years.

However, when asked by Reuters if F1 is going to keep returning to Bahrain despite this year’s troubles, Ecclestone insisted on Sunday before leaving the Persian Gulf: “Absolutely. Forever. No problem.”

Like Todt, he even played down the damage done to F1′s reputation this weekend.

“I think it’s good because people talk about things, you know. You know what they say — there is no such thing as bad publicity,” said Ecclestone.

In truth, reputation damage has undoubtedly been done. But Roger Benoit, the veteran correspondent for the Swiss newspaper Blick, admitted he is dismayed with how politics interfered with sport so strikingly this weekend.

“On all continents, somewhere, all hell is breaking loose. And as a formula one reporter, you’re flying around this globe two or three times a year,” he wrote.

“We go to countries that are politically explosive. Where human rights are violated, where poverty reigns.

“But we hardly talk about it — not in China, India, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore or Brazil. In 2014, we’re going to Russia.

“Years ago, our circus happily danced around in apartheid South Africa, and the military dictatorship of Argentina.

“Formula one is pure entertainment. Detached from the problems of the world. But here, in Bahrain, every reporter entered the political field, whether he liked to or not,” wrote Benoit.

So that is why Ecclestone is unapologetic, after championing the Bahrain grand prix.

“Because, basically, the problems they have in Bahrain have nothing to do with F1,” the 81-year-old told El Pais newspaper.

“The relevant agencies gave the nod as far as security was concerned, and I think it is clear that they were not wrong.”

He also sees no problem with F1 being used as a political tool.

“Governments want to have an F1 race for the same reason as they want the Olympics. We come to agreements with the promoters and, if that’s good for the country, fine,” said Ecclestone.

 Red Bull has fended off the latest round of speculation, as tales of cheating and overspending refuse to go away.
Germany’s Bild newspaper said the culprits of the renewed allegations about the back to back world champions are McLaren and Ferrari, reportedly concerned that the FOTA cost-limiting agreement has not been honoured.

“Ludicrous,” Dr Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motor racing consultant, hit back.

“It is the jealously of poor losers, throwing mud and hoping something sticks.”

The major German daily on Saturday published some previously unknown details of the accusations.

The first is that Red Bull has engaged more than the allowed 350 staff for the direct design, construction and development of the car.

“That’s not true,” said Marko. “The other top teams simply need to realise that we work more efficiently than they do.”

The second accusation is that Red Bull has operated its wind tunnel longer than the allowable hours according to the resource restriction agreement (RRA).

“Our wind tunnel is an antique, 80 years old and three times bigger than a modern one. It just takes longer to get going, and so only when it is (running) do we begin to measure (the time),” explained Marko.

Another charge is that Red Bull has refused to let inspectors check the team’s adherence to the RRA during inspections.

Marko insisted: “We have provided the information that we had to and nothing more.”

Felipe Massa has acknowledged being beaten by Fernando Alonso this year but the Brazilian insists he is not afraid of his teammate.
In the Ferrari drivers’ qualifying battle so far in 2011 – off the back of Brazilian Massa’s difficult 2010 season – Massa has outpaced Spaniard Alonso just three times out of twelve.

“Well, it’s simple,” Massa said during an interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais. “Fernando has been far better than me in that area.

“I am working to turn around the situation and, in any case, I have not exactly been slow,” he insisted.

Massa, 30, so nearly won the 2008 championship against Lewis Hamilton but since then he has struggled with Ferrari’s 2009 car, returned from a near-fatal crash and welcomed his first child into the world.

And since Brazil 2008, he has failed to add a single win to his tally of 11.

So what has changed? “Nothing. I am exactly the same,” insists Massa. “It is true that I have not got the results since then but I have the same ambition and determination.”

Asked if his fatherhood and his struggle for survival after Hungary 2009 affected him, Massa admitted: “Both things give you a lot of experience. But none of it affects me when I get into the car.

“Then, you do not remember anything. In the car I forget about my son, my wife, my father and mother. Michael (Schumacher) won many titles as a parent, so people talk about it too much.

“Although it is true that these two years have been the most intense of my life.”

In the 2011 standings, Massa is a massive 185 points behind Sebastian Vettel’s lead, meaning that even mathematically he can no longer win the title.

But it remains “important to focus on the present,” Massa said. “We hope to do better.

“Also we are not expecting many changes in the regulations (between 2011 and 2012) so it is crucial to finish the season with a competitive car.

“Next year the position of the exhaust changes but not the (other) aerodynamics, so the cars will be an evolution of these ones. So it’s worth it to stay focused.”

And Massa insists he is still a winning driver.

“Of course. If I didn’t think that I would go home.”

Mercedes is looking to boost its F1 staff numbers by 100 people, according to German newspaper Bild-Zeitung.
The report said the German marque’s experiment at trying to succeed again with Brawn GP’s modest head-count of 450 at the Brackley headquarters has failed.

Bild said all the other top teams, including Red Bull (525 people), Ferrari and McLaren (both 550) have significantly higher staff numbers.

The news that Mercedes has embarked on a major recruitment drive for its F1 team follows the visit to the Nurburgring last weekend of Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche.

And team boss Ross Brawn was quoted as saying: “The potential of this car has been exhausted.”

Bild said Mercedes GP is advertising for 39 jobs, with several of those positions “to be filled twice or even three times”.

As the Lotus dispute rages on, Tony Fernandes has hit back at Dany Bahar’s claim that the parties did not unite in F1 due to his “ridiculous and absurd” demands.

Bahar, Group Lotus’ CEO, had responded to journalists’ claim this week that the logical solution was a deal with Fernandes rather than the confusing prospect of two warring teams both called Lotus in 2011.

The Swiss had gone so far as to reveal that Fernandes demanded “three times” the money that has ultimately been invested in the Renault deal.

“Interesting to read Dany Behar’s comments about wanting to work with us, don’t think anyone here noticed that!” said Team Lotus technical boss Mike Gascoyne on Twitter.

The Briton’s boss also slammed Bahar’s claims.

“The thing that has annoyed me most is Dany Bahar implying we wanted too much money and that Renault was a third of the cost of what it would have been to do a deal with Lotus Racing,” Fernandes told the BBC.

“They have been quoted saying they are spending in the region of 15-20m (pounds) a year on Renault, which implies we asked for 45-60 million. That’s more than our entire budget,” said the Malaysian.

“We were never close to an offer and it’s completely untrue to say we requested three times what they’re paying Renault.”

The worsening war-of-words between the two Lotuses has highlighted the need for a resolution, and Bahar said this week he is confident the two Malaysian sides – Group Lotus owner Proton and Fernandes – want to avoid a deeper battle.

“We are pragmatic,” said Fernandes. “There should be a solution, but we should also do what is right for the brand.

“Our licensing agreement was unceremoniously terminated unlawfully and at any stage we would welcome a way to sort this out. But it’s got to be equitable and respect what we have done,” he insisted.

“If they (Group Lotus/Proton) come off their high horses, who knows?

“I’d say it’s highly unlikely but three months ago if you’d said Group Lotus would be sponsoring Renault, I’d have laughed at you. It’s a branding disaster,” added Fernandes.

Luca Badoer is leaving Ferrari after a long tenure as test driver.

The almost 40-year-old Italian has been in the role since the late 90s, and according to Autosprint magazine he accumulated more than 130,000 kilometres at Fiorano in Ferrari’s F1 cars during that period.

But Badoer was heavily criticised for his lack of competitiveness when he replaced the injured Felipe Massa in the Brazilian’s race cockpit mid last year.

Autosprint said Badoer, who raced 58 other times for minor Italian teams throughout the 90s, is now leaving the team.

The magazine said his last laps in a F1 car were during the recent Valencia celebrations, when he reaquainted with the F60 he raced three times in 2009.

Ferrari announced last month that 21-year-old Frenchman Jules Bianchi has been signed as a test driver for 2011.

Also contracted in test roles are Giancarlo Fisichella and Marc Gene.

According to rumours in the Singapore paddock, the Toro Rosso and Sauber teams could be set for new ownership.

The Basler Zeitung newspaper claims Nick Heidfeld’s new tenure at Sauber could be short-lived because Mexican GP2 driver Sergio Perez stands a good chance of becoming Kamui Kobayashi’s 2011 teammate.

The rumours linking the Swiss team with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, who sponsors Perez through his Telmex company, have been circulating for some time.

Sauber has already signed a Mexican, the teenaged Esteban Gutierrez, as its 2011 reserve driver.

Meanwhile, the Swiss newspaper Le Matin reports that Dietrich Mateschitz wants to sell Red Bull’s second formula one team Toro Rosso.

The report said the Austrian billionaire stands to make a handsome profit from the deal, because after buying Minardi for $40 million in 2006, the Faenza based team is now be worth three times that much.

Jacques Villeneuve/Durango was mentioned as a possible buyer.

Gerhard Berger says Michael Schumacher’s defensive driving in Hungary earlier this month was a blast from the past.

The Austrian, who won 10 of his more than 200 grands prix in the 80s and 90s for top teams including Ferrari and McLaren, said the tactics deployed by Schumacher against Rubens Barrichello alongside the Hungaroring pitwall used to be commonplace.

“We drove harder and more brutally,” said the 50-year-old, a former teammate of the great Ayrton Senna.

“Three times a lap we drove each other into the walls without complaining.  This was just part of it.

“We would have thought nothing of an action like Michael’s against Barrichello,” Berger told the Austrian Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper.

But Berger doubts whether Schumacher, who returned to formula one this season with Mercedes, will add an eighth title to his record-holding championship haul.

“Before the season I would have answered this question with a resounding yes,” he said.  “Today I have to say no.  His teammate Nico Rosberg clearly has his nose in front.

“Michael is trying to counter Nico’s youthfulness by pulling tricks out of his bag of experience, but it’s not working.

“His teammate is faster, and he has to learn how to deal with it,” added Berger.

Nine races, nine podiums, including six victories. An impressive roadmap for Jorge Lorenzo who will try to continue on this positive trend also in Brno circuit where he won in the past, but never in MotoGP. This will be the target for the Grand Prix Czech Republic, the best way to start the second half of the season closer to winning the world title.

“This holiday period is perfect, “says Lorenzo. “I spent ten days in the Caribbean between rest and fun, I recharged the batteries for the second half of the season: I really needed, because the last period was very challenging and I have to take the high concentration.

Now we go to Brno is a track I like where I won three times in the past, but never in MotoGP where they are still on the podium. This is my goal for the weekend.

After the race we will stay in Brno to try something new on the bike to look for improvements for the final championship is definitely the best place to start. ”

Last year, Jorge Lorenzo flew to the ground when he was leading the race, dueling with his team-mate Valentino Rossi to race and championship.

His McLaren job involved a much higher salary, but Pedro de la Rosa is not keen to go back to mere test driving.

At 39, the Spaniard returned with Sauber to the formula one grid this year after a long spell helping McLaren develop its cars.

The C29, however, has not been a good car, and de la Rosa said after the Canadian grand prix that he is “available” for future employment “even if I have to go back testing or as a reserve driver”.

But in interview with El Pais newspaper, de la Rosa insists he is much happier with an actual race seat, even if he is paid “three times less” than he was by McLaren.

“I have enough goals … I want to be the oldest champion in history,” he said.  “Fangio won at 45, and (at that age) was just as good!”

Salary aside, there are other ironies: such as the fact that when he was at McLaren, he learned the layout of the Valencia circuit on the Woking based team’s state-of-the-art simulator.

But now that he actually has to race on the streets of the port city this weekend, Sauber does not have a simulator.

(GMM)

Apr.29 (GMM) Formula one’s tyre situation for 2011 is unlikely to be resolved by the forthcoming Spanish grand prix.

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali, and McLaren and FOTA chief Martin Whitmarsh, said last week that with Bridgestone departing at the end of the year, the issue of tyres for 2011 should be agreed by Barcelona.

“I think we will know something more, I would say 100 per cent, by Barcelona” next weekend, Domenicali said before departing Shanghai.

But after a FOTA meeting on Wednesday, Williams’ technical director Sam Michael said he felt a decision by Spain was now unlikely.

The teams alliance was earlier believed to have agreed in principle to be supplied by Michelin next year, but Avon has made a lower-cost proposal that is understood to be backed by Bernie Ecclestone and smaller teams.

The Italian marque Pirelli has also indicated interest in entering F1 next year, but the bulk of Wednesday’s FOTA conversation centred on a choice between Michelin and Avon.

“Avon’s a lot cheaper (than Michelin) but it’s a less proven product although they’ve done plenty of highly competitive tyres,” Michael is quoted as saying by the BBC.

“They (Avon) are a bigger unknown than Michelin because Michelin did it (F1) very recently. But there is a significant difference in cost and you are probably talking over three times the difference in cost to the teams,” he added.

The Brazilian pilot, Nelson Piquet Jr., who shared a Formula One racing team with Fernando Alonso, revealed that his future with engines will be linked to the Nascar category.
He expressed that, after assessing his future options, he realized he’s disenchanted with what he had considered “a great challenge.” “Being successful in the Formula One was always my goal, but after my first eighteen months, things didn’t work out as I had planned and so decided to concentrate on something different,” he explained.
However, the son of the three times Formula One world champion did not explain in what category he will compete, even though last October he tested for the Red Horse Racing team, of the Camping World Series.
Piquet triggered one of the greatest scandals of the last times in the ‘Great Circus, when, after being dismissed by the Renault racing team he confessed to the FIA that his team had ordered him to produce an accident during the 2008 Singapore GP, so as to contribute to his team mate’s victory, the Spaniard Fernando Alonso.