HRT was not ready to race last weekend in Australia, Pedro de la Rosa has admitted.
Ultimately, the Spaniard and his teammate Narain Karthikeyan failed to satisfy the sport’s 107 per cent qualifying rule, and therefore sat out the 2012 opener.

The hurriedly-compiled F112 car did not feature a functioning ‘DRS’ rear wing system, and de la Rosa has also revealed that it didn’t have power steering.

“It’s essential to fix that,” he is quoted by Marca newspaper, “as it can be very dangerous to try to make corrections without the (steering) assistance.”

Team boss Luis Perez Sala admitted that fixing power steering at a circuit is not ideal.

“Really it should be at the factory in almost laboratory conditions,” he said, “but we have no choice.”

As for whether he will qualify this time in Malaysia, de la Rosa is not sure: “I think so, I hope so,” he said.

Red Bull is convinced it will put up a stronger fight to Melbourne winners McLaren this weekend in Malaysia.
“In Australia we had basically a construction site, while McLaren’s house was finished long ago,” world champion Sebastian Vettel said by way of analogy to Germany’s Auto Bild.

“So second place (in Melbourne) was not too bad.”

Team advisor Dr Helmut Marko agrees: “Vettel spent most of the last day of the testing in Barcelona in the pits.

“Our car is not yet mature,” he added, referring to the Renault-powered RB8.

Team boss Christian Horner said the team brought out “only 60 per cent” of the car’s potential in Australia.

 Romain Grosjean is hoping for a long stay with the Lotus team.
Then known as Renault, the Frenchman made his troubled F1 debut with the Enstone based team in 2009 but has returned on much better form this year as the reigning GP2 champion.

The E20 car was a standout of the winter season but Grosjean, 25, told Auto Motor und Sport that Lotus’ target for 2012 is “fourth place” in the constructors’ championship.

“We want to go for the world title in 2015,” he added. “I hope I’m still on board.”

Grosjean’s promising return to F1 last weekend in Australia was left in the gravel when he clashed with Pastor Maldonado.

He says he has not met to discuss the incident with the Williams driver.

“Talking doesn’t make the result come back,” said Grosjean.

Venezuelan Maldonado insists it wasn’t his fault.

“The suspension on the Lotus doesn’t seem to be very strong,” he said. “The contact was not intentional. I’m sorry for Romain, but that’s racing.”

Felipe Massa’s Ferrari seat is a big talking point in the Sepang paddock on Thursday.
Following a dire performance in Australia for the Brazilian, the Italian press has named Sergio Perez, Adrian Sutil and even Jarno Trulli as possible candidates to immediately oust Massa.

Mexican Perez, the cream of Ferrari’s development programme and already at Ferrari-powered Sauber, said in Malaysia: “It’s very early to say that or speculate.”

Very keen for a chance like this, however, is Force India refugee Sutil, who has been left without a job in the wake of his criminal conviction.

“I am very motivated and I’m training hard to stay fit,” the German is quoted on Thursday by Auto Bild Motorsport.

All eyes will be on Massa this weekend, as Ferrari has agreed to build him up a new F2012 chassis in the wake of his lacklustre performance in Melbourne.

“I really don’t care,” he said in reaction to the rumours, “I have a job.”

Two experts have tipped Lotus to shine this weekend at Sepang.
The black and gold E20 car was a standout of the winter pre-season, but Kimi Raikkonen qualified poorly in Australia while Romain Grosjean was punted into early retirement by Pastor Maldonado.

Seeing the chequered flag first in Melbourne was McLaren’s championship leader Jenson Button, but he said he is expecting a “strong fight” this weekend.

“Of course we’re not relaxing,” said the Briton.

“Both Red Bull drivers were very quick in the race (in Australia), and I think we can expect further strong challenges (in Malaysia) from Mercedes and Lotus,” added Button.

Also anticipating a Malaysian push by Lotus is team ambassador Jean Alesi, the former Ferrari race winner.

“The car should suit Sepang well,” said the Frenchman.

“In testing in Jerez and Barcelona it was particularly good in the fast turns, which is what defines the Malaysia track.

“Lotus appear to be quicker than everyone except McLaren,” added Alesi.

He is worried, however, that the former Renault team might not be able to keep up its pace throughout 2012.

“Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari have much bigger budgets,” said Alesi.

“They have a brilliant team at Enstone but it is really tough to match the development pace of the biggest teams, and I think that will be Lotus’ challenge this year.”

 Ferrari has swiftly denied reports Felipe Massa could be dumped even before his 2012 contract runs out.
Among the Italian press’ hypothetical candidates for the struggling Brazilian’s seat are Sergio Perez, Adrian Sutil and even the out-of-work Italian Jarno Trulli.

But according to O Estado de S.Paulo correspondent Livio Oricchio, Ferrari spokesman Luca Colajanni dismissed the reports as being “without foundation”.

Colajanni added that Ferrari is fully supportive of Massa’s situation, and has built up a new F2012 chassis for him to race this weekend after underperforming in Australia.

Oricchio quoted Massa as having said after Melbourne that he believed there was a problem with his original chassis.

“My setup was not very different from Alonso’s,” said the 30-year-old, “but my tyres were gone after five laps.”

 From the depths of 2011, Williams is now ‘not far’ from the pace of F1′s strongest teams.
That is the claim of Pastor Maldonado, who in the newly Renault-powered and Mike Coughlan-designed FW34 qualified eighth and was pushing Fernando Alonso for fifth in the race when he crashed out of Sunday’s season opener in Melbourne on the last lap.

It indicated a major turnaround for the formerly championship-winning team that collapsed to a dismal ninth place in last year’s points standings.

Venezuelan Maldonado hopes last Sunday was indeed the start of a Williams resurgence.

He said this weekend in Malaysia “should be interesting”.

“McLaren and Red Bull look strong, but we are not far away,” he is quoted by Finland’s Turun Sanomat.

“We were very close to (Red Bull’s) Mark Webber in the first and second stints,” said Maldonado.

“I think we are faster than Ferrari, Sauber and Force India,” he added.

Maldonado’s last-lap crash in Australia cost Williams a full ten points — double the team’s tally of the entire 2011 season.

“We need points in the future,” he acknowledged, “but we are also now more relaxed now.”

 Kimi Raikkonen is still up to the task of performing at his best in formula one.
That is the claim of Pedro de la Rosa, who in 2006 was the famous Finn’s race teammate at McLaren just before Raikkonen – now 32 – switched to Ferrari and won the world championship.

The so-called ‘iceman’ has been out of F1 for two years and on his comeback in Australia last week dropped the ball with a miserable qualifying performance.

It has emerged Raikkonen came into the pits to change the tint of his helmet visor, and could not get back out for a crucial final qualifying run.

According to Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, Raikkonen described the incident as “a little f*ck up”, and a day later had to be reminded on the radio about the meaning of blue flags.

De la Rosa, however – who was a mere spectator in Melbourne after failing to qualify with HRT – said Sunday in Australia was “a fantastic race performance by Kimi”.

“Kimi is a phenomenal talent and definitely one of the best drivers I have ever seen,” the Spaniard is quoted by another Finnish newspaper, Turun Sanomat.

“Kimi and his team (Lotus) look really competitive. My guess is that they will be the biggest surprise of the season,” added de la Rosa.

 Jenson Button has dreamed up a new victory salute, after growing weary of last year’s “crooked finger”.
McLaren’s Button, who beat reigning double champion Vettel to victory last week in Melbourne, admitted last year that the German’s winning salute had started to grate his nerves.

“He keeps doing that,” Button grimaced a year ago, demonstrating Vettel’s awkward index-finger salute that always followed the Red Bull driver’s latest pole or victory.

“It would be alright if it was straight.”

At one point, just after yet another Vettel pole, the young German saluted the ranks of photographers with his finger, and Button jokingly attempted to bite it off.

So, after winning in Albert Park ahead of Vettel in the 2012 opener last weekend, Button unfurled a new salute.

Asked if Vettel will now get sick of the two-handed ‘W for winner’ gesture, Button smiled: “Hopefully he will.

“I actually did the ‘W’ with a water bottle in my hand, which didn’t really work very well,” said the Briton.

“I’m sure we will sometimes see the crooked finger but hopefully not very often this year.”

Pastor Maldonado attracted praise and scorn from high places after his performance in Melbourne.
As far as Lotus team boss Eric Boullier is concerned, the Williams driver cost Romain Grosjean a place on the podium after their clash during the season opening grand prix.

Asked when the promising black and gold E20 will make its first drive to the rostrum in 2012, Frenchman Boullier told Helsingin Sanomat newspaper: “When Maldonado doesn’t crash into us.”

Venezuelan Maldonado, often criticised for being Williams’ lead pay-driver, had another crash at Albert Park – on the very last lap – which ended his stirring push for a solid fifth place.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who initially admitted to being relieved when Maldonado was no longer hounding him in his mirrors, also said he felt sorry for the 27-year-old.

“He was much faster than me and in the end I might have had problems to defend my position,” he told AS newspaper.

“I think he did a good drive and I felt some sadness when I saw that he had gone from my mirrors because he was about to earn the fifth, sixth, whatever (position),” added the Spaniard.

A typically hot, humid and thundery weekend is forecast for the Malaysian grand prix.
New championship leader Jenson Button travels to Kuala Lumpur eyeing a weather forecast of possible rain for all three days of track action.

And as ever in tropical Malaysia, the highest chance of rain is always in the late afternoon.

“Bernie (Ecclestone) loves a late start,” smiled Red Bull’s Mark Webber, “and, once again, the race has a late kick-off.”

Indeed, qualifying and the race are not scheduled until 4pm local in Malaysia, ensuring a more civil early morning wake-up for F1′s bulk live audience in Europe.

“Late afternoon is usually when the rain comes in Malaysia, and when it comes you know about it,” said Australian Webber. “It’s something to be wary of.”

Even more nervous about the rain forecasts will be HRT.

After sitting out almost the entire winter whilst rebuilding the struggling Spanish team following Colin Kolles’ departure, Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan failed to qualify in Melbourne.

“In Australia we were only able to complete seven timed laps so I need to get more track time, get to know the car better and improve the setup,” said de la Rosa.

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.

 Despite not collecting a single point in Melbourne, the Williams team will travel from Australia to Malaysia in upbeat mood.
The famous British outfit’s slide from its race and title-winning days hit rock bottom in 2011, scoring just five points all season and only finishing ahead of the three struggling new teams in the constructors’ championship.

But Oxfordshire based Williams has restructured for the 2012 season and is now led technically by former McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan, and in Australia the newly Renault-powered FW34 qualified comfortably in Q3.

In the race, Pastor Maldonado was pushing Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso for fifth place when he crashed heavily on the very last lap.

If he had made it round to the chequered flag, Williams would have scored more points in one hit than it managed all last season.

“The car was considerably better than anything I have seen in recent years,” said team chairman Adam Parr.

Referring to Maldonado’s crash, the team’s new driver mentor Alex Wurz told Austrian ORF television: “Of course nobody is happy.

“The bad news is that we have to leave with no points, but the team has made a huge leap forwards.”

Jaime Alguersuari, the former Toro Rosso driver turned radio co-commentator, called Williams’ step compared to 2011 “giant”.

“No doubt about it, Williams are the big surprise,” the Spaniard told Mundo Deportivo when asked about the new field of 2012.

“Last year their car was really, really, really bad, and so they have taken an exceptional leap.”

 Nico Hulkenberg has played down the link between Vijay Mallya’s struggling Indian airline Kingfisher and the billionaire’s formula one team Force India.
According to mainstream media reports, debt-ridden and loss-making Kingfisher is on the brink of collapse.

And new speculation swirling in the Melbourne paddock this weekend suggests the situation could affect Silverstone based Force India.

“The rumours are nothing new,” the team’s new race driver Nico Hulkenberg told Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper.

“The problems (with Kingfisher) have been there for over a year. But it’s nothing to do with us, it’s another business — this is formula one, not an airline,” said the German.

“I can’t judge what is happening to his business. I just know that he (Mallya) is still motivated and for sure will be here for many races,” added Hulkenberg, who qualified ninth for Sunday’s Australian grand prix.

India’s Economic Times this week reported that Mallya has pumped an extra $32 million into Force India via his personal investment company Watson and the sponsorship of Kingfisher’s beer and spirit arm.

Lucas di Grassi is in talks about returning to the role as Pirelli’s official test driver.
The Brazilian worked with F1′s official supplier last year at the wheel of its Toyota test car, after losing his race seat at Virgin.

Pirelli has now acquired a 2010 Renault for its private development this year.

Di Grassi is “in advanced talks with the manufacturer” for a deal that could be “announced shortly”, Brazil’s Globo said.

The first Pirelli track test of 2012 is scheduled for May.