HRT refugee Vitantonio Liuzzi has re-emerged on the grid of the Italian-based touring car series Superstars.
Despite having a 2012 contract, the 30-year-old Italian lost his race seat at the struggling Spanish team HRT for this year to the well-backed Indian Narain Karthikeyan.

So, in 2012, he will race a Mercedes C63 AMG – which he tested last week at Monza – in the Maurizio Flammini-organised Superstars series.

Also on the grid will be former F1 drivers Christian Fittipaldi, Mika Salo, Gianni Morbidelli and Johnny Herbert.

“I’m persuaded that Superstars is a great choice to open yourself to other categories than F1,” said Liuzzi.

The season begins in April at Monza, then moving on to Imola, Donington, Mugello, the Hungaroring, Spa, Portimao, Vallelunga and Sentul (Indonesia).

Since 2005, Liuzzi also raced in F1 with Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Force India.

The Italian press has pointed the finger at Vitaly Petrov’s “rubles” as Jarno Trulli races out of formula one.
With Vitantonio Liuzzi replaced at HRT by Narain Karthikeyan, and veteran Trulli ousted at Caterham by Petrov, F1 history enters a new phase as Italy no longer has a single driver on the grid.

“If you look,” said former grand prix winner Riccardo Patrese to La Stampa, “the drivers coming in now are from central America and the East.”

The unsponsored Trulli, 37, said he still wants to race but also has his wine and hotel businesses to keep him busy.

“More than anything else, apart from the results, I am proud to have been able to fulfil my dream of racing in F1 for many years and stay on the grid on my own power, without anybody’s help,” he is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Switzerland’s Blick newspaper points out that no fewer than 81 Italian drivers have raced in the modern F1 championship.

And Brazilian correspondent Livio Oricchio reminded that in 1989, no fewer than 16 drivers in the field were Italian.

Some Italian fans are pointing the finger at Ferrari, annoyed that the famous marque has not signed a full-time Italian race driver for many years.

And why Felipe Massa? “Because we believe in him,” an official of the Maranello based team is quoted by Spain’s Marca newspaper.

“It’s not enough to have an Italian passport to drive for Ferrari,” he added.

 HRT will have to buy out the remainder of Vitantonio Liuzzi’s contract if the Spanish team wants to replace him for 2012.
That is the claim of the Italian magazine Autosprint, after HRT announced that Pedro de la Rosa has been assigned one of the two race seats for next year.

It has been reported that several candidates are in the frame for the other seat, with HRT needing to sign a pay-driver because Spaniard de la Rosa does not come with lucrative backing.

Autosprint reports that the decision to sign de la Rosa was made by HRT’s new Spanish management and had “nothing to do with (boss) Colin Kolles”.

“Liuzzi has a three-year contract and a buyout clause in his favour,” said the magazine. “If the team decides to let him walk, they must pay a large sum.”

But if Liuzzi stays, then Daniel Ricciardo and the Red Bull dollars that come with him will go.

Australian Ricciardo could instead end up in Jarno Trulli’s Lotus/Caterham seat , with Toro Rosso looking increasingly likely to keep both Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi for 2012.

Italiaracing reports that Jean-Eric Vergne might therefore have to spend next season as Toro Rosso’s Friday driver.

“A few of us are not really sure what’s happening next year,” Ricciardo said at Interlagos. “Hopefully I’ll keep Dr (Helmut) Marko and the guys at Red Bull happy and see what opens up for next year.”

Daniel Ricciardo is not relaxed about his future in formula one.
Recently seen as the natural successor to his countryman Mark Webber at Red Bull, the 22-year-old Australian has struggled to get up to speed with Vitantonio Liuzzi after replacing Narain Karthikeyan at HRT earlier this year.

The move was funded by his backers Red Bull but Ricciardo is contracted to the energy drinks company only to the end of 2011.

With Sebastien Buemi, Jaime Alguersuari and Jean-Eric Vergne all also in the running for Red Bull’s junior seats at Toro Rosso, the West Australian newspaper concludes that Ricciardo’s future is clouded.

“I’ve got the next few races,” said the upbeat Ricciardo on Saturday, when it was announced his teammate Liuzzi will sit out India next weekend to make way for Karthikeyan’s one-off return.

“They (the last three races) still play a part for next year, so for me it’s important to stay focused on those and not watch what the other guys are doing and what I’m doing too much off the track.

“I’ll be very disappointed if I don’t have a place next year, but it’s one of those things,” he continued.

“There’s only limited space. I think obviously having Red Bull and hopefully impressing them enough this year, they’ll continue and put me in somewhere.”

Jarno Trulli might need to endure another race without Team Lotus’ new power steering system.
The Italian veteran has struggled all season with the original system and even sat out July’s Nurburgring race whilst waiting for the new one to debut in Hungary.

“For me it makes a lot of difference because I can actually feel the car and get the exact car behaviour, which I didn’t have with the old one,” he said at Monza on Thursday.

“I was pretty much a passenger before rather than a driver. With the new one it’s normal power steering.”

At the same time, it emerged that Trulli had to do without the new steering at Spa two weeks ago for “technical reasons”.

The new system is back on the car for Monza, but 37-year-old Trulli hinted that the problem is still not entirely solved.

“We might have to probably jump another race but at the moment I just want to concentrate and focus on this one,” he said.

Also hoping to stay with his current team in 2012 is fellow Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi, who thinks HRT is finally set to make some progress off the back of the grid.

“The big project is for the future, for 2012, and I have to say the new owner Thesan are planning big things for the team,” he said on Thursday.

Daniel Ricciardo has admitted he must do a “more than respectable” job if he wants to be promoted by Red Bull for the 2012 season.
The Australian is the current cream of the energy drink company’s young driver programme and since July has been placed with the small HRT team.

But in his three races so far, he has only once outqualified experienced teammate Vitantonio Liuzzi.

While most the F1 world slumbered in August, 22-year-old Ricciardo was in action at the weekend at Silverstone in the Renault World Series.

He has been linked with a move up to Red Bull’s secondary Toro Rosso team for 2012.

“I’ve got to do a more than respectable job at HRT this year and then we’ll see what opens up for next year,” Ricciardo is quoted as saying by the West Australian newspaper.

“I obviously have a link with Red Bull but nothing is really guaranteed for the long term.”

Sponsor issues reportedly led to Narain Karthikeyan losing his seat at HRT.
The Indian driver’s main backers, Tata and Base batteries, are still showing at the Spanish team’s website. Hispania has been contacted for comment.

At Silverstone, HRT regular Vitantonio Liuzzi will for the first time share the garage with Australian rookie Daniel Ricciardo, as part of a new driver deal with Red Bull Racing.

Karthikeyan is officially still on the books as an official driver, amid rumours he might return for the inaugural Indian grand prix in October.

His sponsors Speed, Tata and Base are still showing on his official website, although the Italian magazine Italiaracing claims “economic difficulties” meant Karthikeyan lost his seat.

“When he learned of the economic difficulties of Narain Karthikeyan, Helmut Marko did not think for a second and reached the agreement with Hispania for the debut of his young protege (Ricciardo),” read the report.

Karthikeyan was not available a few days ago, and his management has once again been contacted for comment.

HRT is beginning to win over the support of Spain’s motor racing federation.

The country’s head FIA official Carlos Gracia said after Australia, where the F111 cars failed even to qualify: “Like this, I would prefer there was no Spanish team in formula one”.

But three races on, with Vitantonio Liuzzi and Narain Karthikeyan pressing the pace of their nearest rivals and untroubled by the 107pc qualifying rule, Gracia admitted he is happier.

With F1 now moving to Barcelona in a week, Gracia told Europa Press: “I spoke recently with (team owner Jose Ramon) Carabante and he told me that in Barcelona there will be improvements to the car.

“They are already finishing the races and that is very important, therefore we hope that soon they can have a big role,” he added.

Circuit de Catalunya boss Salvador Servia, meanwhile, said he is also proud there is a Spanish team in formula one.

“It’s a symbol of the achievement of our country. Motor racing incorporates human and sporting values but also technological ones, so for Spain it is very important to demonstrate that we can also be there,” he added.

Kimi Raikkonen has refused to rule out replacing the injured Robert Kubica at Renault.
Having launched his own world rally entry Ice1 for 2011, the 2007 world champion is already in Sweden for the season opener.

Moreover, after negotiations with Renault broke down spectacularly mid last season, Renault team boss Eric Boullier dismissed the latest rumours about Raikkonen as “pure speculation”.

“We spoke to Kimi last year,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. “He told us that he would rather stay in rallying. So he was no longer considered after that.”

Nick Heidfeld is trying out for the seat at the Jerez test this week, with Boullier naming Pedro de la Rosa and Vitantonio Liuzzi as the secondary candidates.

But when asked if he is set to shock the F1 world with a return to F1 in the short-term, 31-year-old Raikkonen was quoted by Finnish broadcaster MTV3: “That’s hard to say.”

Romain Grosjean insists he is ready to return to Europe to replace the injured Robert Kubica.
The Swiss-born Frenchman, who along with Bruno Senna is a third driver at Renault this year, is currently in Abu Dhabi for the start of the GP2 Asia series.

But at Jerez, Senna is driving the R31 this week, as experienced drivers including Nick Heidfeld, Pedro de la Rosa and Vitantonio Liuzzi are considered for the injured Kubica’s race seat in car number 9.

“I am ready to answer the call, but for now I’m here to race in GP2,” Grosjean, who tallied an unremarkable 7 debut grands prix with Renault in mid 2009, is quoted by L’Equipe.

“My goal and (management company) Gravity’s goal is for me to be in F1 in 2012, and we will work towards that step by step.

“If they do call me (for Kubica’s seat), I’ll go, but if they have something else in mind, I accept it as a member of the team.

“I will always support the team and, at the moment, all of my thoughts are with Robert,” added 24-year-old Grosjean.

Another candidate reportedly discounted for Kubica’s seat by team boss Boullier is Force India reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg.

“In my eyes, he is the best person available,” former driver Jos Verstappen wrote in his latest column for De Telegraaf newspaper.

“I see the German with great potential; very fast, a hard worker and a winner in many classes of racing.”

Speaking to reporters at Jerez on Thursday, however, Boullier said Hulkenberg is not a candidate because of his lack of experience.

There are more than three candidates to race injured Robert Kubica’s Renault in 2011, team boss Eric Boullier has clarified.
Reports on Tuesday said the Frenchman had shortlisted only Bruno Senna, Nick Heidfeld and Vitantonio Liuzzi to become Vitaly Petrov’s new teammate until Kubica is ready to return to the R31.

“Senna, Heidfeld and Liuzzi?” Boullier is quoted by the Spanish sports newspaper Marca.

“We have talked with them, but there are others that we have also spoken with who are in perfect condition to drive the car,” he insisted.

A report by the Spanish news agency EFE said Pedro de la Rosa is one of the others who has been contacted.

“If I were Renault right now I would take Pedro de la Rosa,” said former McLaren driver Mark Blundell on Twitter, “as he has more Pirelli experience than all the current guys.”

But a team spokesman said the Lotus-backed outfit is in no rush to choose from the list of candidates.

“It is too early to talk about it,” he is quoted by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

“There is still five weeks until the first race, so we still have some time to make a decision,” he added.

Either Bruno Senna or Romain Grosjean, Renault’s two third drivers, will replace Kubica at this week’s Jerez test.

Adrian Sutil on Thursday confirmed reports he looks set to stay another season with Force India in 2011.

The German had flirted with moves to Renault or Williams but admitted at Interlagos that he is now leaning towards signing a new deal with his long-time employer.

“The tendency is to (stay at) Force India,” Sutil is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

“We are currently in close talks. I am definitely ready to stay here for another year. The trend is with this team, but it’s not signed yet,” he added.

Sutil said it will take at least another two weeks before the deal is sealed.

“The final decision won’t be made until after the season unfortunately,” he revealed. “I would have wanted it sooner, but it didn’t happen.”

The news is a blow for Nick Heidfeld, who had hoped to move to Force India. The Silverstone based team already has a contract for 2011 with Vitantonio Liuzzi.

“If Sutil is staying there, probably I have no chance with Force India,” confirmed Heidfeld, who is being replaced at Sauber by the Telmex-backed rookie Sergio Perez.

There might be a vacancy at Renault, but the Enstone based team is thought likely to re-sign its well-funded Vitaly Petrov.

Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg’s place at Williams is under threat by the Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado, who is backed by state petroleum company PDVSA.

Sir Frank Williams last week spoke highly of Hulkenberg, but the young German pointed out that “with praise I can buy nothing”.

“Williams have told me that there is still a chance (of staying in 2011),” added Hulkenberg.

He is disappointed at the thought of being ousted by his GP2 teammate of 2009.

“In qualifying, I beat him I think 10-0,” noted Hulkenberg.

Renault and Force India have emerged as the most likely teams to keep Nick Heidfeld’s formula one career alive beyond 2010.

Although returning from Mercedes and Pirelli test roles to complete the current season with Sauber, Heidfeld has not been signed for next season by the Swiss team, who are instead pitting the Telmex-backed rookie Sergio Perez alongside Kamui Kobayashi.

But veteran Heidfeld, revealing in Korea this week that he does not carry any personal sponsorship, has emerged as a candidate to replace the disappointing Russian pay-driver Vitaly Petrov at Renault.

Team boss Eric Boullier, suggesting that a decision could be made by Abu Dhabi next month, told Auto Motor und Sport: “Both Heidfeld and Sutil have a chance.”

Renault’s thinking is that, with a good driver alongside Robert Kubica this year, the team might have beaten Mercedes to fourth place in the constructors’ championship — with prize-money arguably beyond even Petrov’s impressive dowry.

Adrian Sutil, with a solid offer to stay at Force India, is also an interesting candidate, especially with his EUR5 million in Medion sponsorship to offer.

The good news for Heidfeld is that Sutil is also in the running for the Williams seat, and his departure to either Renault or Williams would free up the place at Force India.

“That place is only free if Sutil goes,” Heidfeld confirmed.

And if Sutil does go, the 33-year-old German must be a strong contender.

“It is hardly conceivable that Force India will go into 2011 with Vitantonio Liuzzi next to Paul di Resta — one a newcomer and another who has been disappointing,” said the German media report.

Narain Karthikeyan has emerged as a contender to race with the Force India team in 2011.

Before Karun Chandhok made his debut in 2010, 33-year-old Karthikeyan was India’s first grand prix driver, contesting the full 2005 season with Jordan.

The Silverstone based team has since been re-branded as Midland, Spyker and is now Force India, headed by the Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya.

Force India’s current driver lineup is reportedly not secure for 2011, with Adrian Sutil eyeing a move to a bigger team, Vitantonio Liuzzi struggling to keep up with his German teammate, and reserve driver Paul di Resta thought likely to move into a race cockpit.

And the latest rumours from Italy, including a report in Autosprint magazine, is that Karthikeyan is a possibility for 2011.

It is suggested his sponsors have up to $8 million in total to spend on the seat, including Mumbai-based Tata Motors who are thought keen to associate with next year’s inaugural Indian grand prix.

On his visit this week to the Delhi site of next year’s race, Bernie Ecclestone said he hoped there would be an Indian driver on the grid.

“If an Indian driver is in Vijay’s team or a good team it will be superb,” he said.

Vitaly Petrov will move five places down the inaugural Korean GP grid in two weeks.

FIA stewards decided to penalise the Russian rookie for crashing into Williams’ Nico Hulkenberg before the first corner of Sunday’s Japanese race at Suzuka.

Hulkenberg had a bad start and was passed by the Renault, who hit the German’s front wheel by turning back onto the racing line too soon.

Petrov argued that he moved too soon to avoid Nick Heidfeld, but the stewards announced that he had “caused a collision”.

Also investigated by the stewards at Suzuka was Felipe Massa’s first corner crash, when he lost control on the inside grass and took out the Force India of Vitantonio Liuzzi.

“He seemed to come into my side like a bullet,” said Liuzzi.

The FIA officials, however, took no action.