Marussia is switching to Ferrari or Mercedes engines in 2014. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Marussia To Use Ferrari Or Mercedes Power: Marussia chief executive Andy Webb has admitted the team will be powered either by Ferrari or Mercedes engines in 2014. Cosworth, whose only customer in F1 this year is the Banbury-based team, is expected to leave the sport before the start of the new turbo V6 era. So with Renault saying recently it is in talks with Toro Rosso but does not want any more customers, Marussia's choice appears to be between Ferrari and Mercedes. "It's obvious," said Webb, "that with the departure of Cosworth then we can choose between Ferrari and Mercedes. We'll talk with both," he told Russia's Championat. "It is clear that the price will be an important factor, because the cost will be significantly higher than the current engines. And we need to make sure we choose the right partner. I hope to be able to announce our decision in the next four weeks." It is believed that 2013 Marussia driver Jules Bianchi's connections with Ferrari make the Italian marque the favorite for the deal. Webb admitted that the final decision should be made as soon as possible. "The 2014 car is already in the wind tunnel," he said. "We have already seen a lot of data on the requirements for the engines in 2014. We have not chosen a partner yet, but we have a lot of information. Of course, a quick decision on the engine would help. Preferably by the end of April."

Giedo van der Garde is a F1 newcomer for 2013. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

2013 Season 'Really Starts In Spain' - Van Der Garde: Giedo van der Garde has admitted he is prepared to endure a couple more painful Grands Prix. The Dutchman has been struggling so far in his young F1 career, while Caterham's usual wheel-to-wheel rival Marussia — particularly the red and black car driven by impressive rookie Jules Bianchi — looks set to race into the midfield. Van der Garde told De Telegraaf newspaper that his green car will not be updated until the fifth race of the season, once F1 has returned to Europe. "The season really starts for me in Spain," he said. In the meantime, Marussia has sped into the lucrative 10th spot in the constructors' championship, with France's Auto Hebdo calling compatriot Bianchi "flawless" so far. The Ferrari-linked 23-year-old was recruited by Marussia at the very last minute, after Brazilian Luiz Razia's sponsorship money failed to arrive. "It was nice to have held off (Williams' Pastor) Maldonado (in Malaysia) and to maintain the gap for so long," the Frenchman, who like teammate Max Chilton also complained at Sepang about being "stuck behind" a Caterham, said. "This shows we have the car to fight with them (the midfield teams) in the future."

Renault Reveals Engine Talks With Toro Rosso: Renault has admitted it is negotiating with Toro Rosso. Currently, the second Red Bull-owned team is powered by Ferrari's V8 engine. But it has been rumored that, in order for the Faenza-based squad and 'big brother' team Red Bull to more closely collaborate in the new V6 era, Toro Rosso could switch to Renault turbos from next year. At the moment, Renault supplies four teams — Red Bull, Lotus, Williams and Caterham — which is more than any other engine supplier on the F1 grid. Asked if four is "the ideal number," Renault's Jean-Michel Jalinier told Speed Week: "I don't think there is an ideal number. In 2014, we want — if it is necessary — to supply five teams. We are negotiating with the teams and with Toro Rosso. We are ready for five teams. But three teams would be good for us, making it easier for us to support all of them," he admitted. Asked if another engine supplier entering F1 would ease the load, Jalinier answered: "Yes. Three is not enough to equip all the teams. Five (customer teams) is not my first choice."

Report - Ecclestone Almost Took Over Tennis: Bernie Ecclestone has revealed how close he came to changing forever the international game of tennis. Sportsvibe reports that the F1 chief executive led a consortium including legend Boris Becker and former player turned businessman Ion Tiriac that wanted to take over the game a decade ago. Ecclestone, who said the trio came "very close" to running tennis, said the International Tennis Federation ultimately asked for "too much money. I argued that the sport needed to be better geared towards television," he said. "We would have introduced one serve only per point and also a timed cut-off point to a match so that everyone knew, especially the TV companies, how long a match would last. Another idea we had was to segment the match into two or three, timed parts of, say, 20 minutes each. I admit it was radical but the sport needed to do something, although it has improved a little since our talks," he added.