F1: Grand Prix News Briefs (Update 5)

Formula 1

F1: Grand Prix News Briefs (Update 5)

Damon Hill, the 1996 World Champion, will return to the F1 paddock in 2012 as an expert television pundit...

SPEED Staff / GMM | Posted January 01, 2012 GMM Newswire

Damon Hill looks forward to a new role in 2012. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

1996 Champion Hill To Be TV Pundit: 1996 World Champion Damon Hill will return to the F1 paddock in 2012 as an expert television pundit. The 51-year-old has signed up with Sky as part of the broadcaster's new split British broadcasting deal with the BBC. Hill will appear on-screen as a pre and post-race pundit at 10 of the 20 Grands Prix, including the season opener in Melbourne. "It's a few years since I stopped driving but I've never stopped looking at F1 and never lost interest. It's a sport that I love," he said.

No Jerez Debut For 2012 Marussia Car: Marussia's 2012 car will not debut at the opening test of the official preseason early next month. It was rumored on Monday that technical consultant Pat Symonds had said at the weekend that the former Virgin team's new single seater will appear only at the second February test, at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya. The news has now been reported by France's L'Equipe. Mercedes GP will also wait until Barcelona to debut its new car, the W03. "We believe that the decision to run the car at the second winter test is the optimum compromise for our design and development program," team boss Ross Brawn said last month.

Long Williams Stint 'Not Ideal' Admits Rosberg: Nico Rosberg has admitted his four-year tenure at Williams was "not ideal." At the age of 20, the German made his F1 debut with the famous British team in 2006, leaving only for Mercedes GP four full seasons later. This year, he will spend a third consecutive season as Michael Schumacher's highly respected teammate, while still looking to add a single race victory to his tally of now more than 100 GP starts. With 20 fewer races than Rosberg on the odometer is his countryman Sebastian Vettel, who is today a back-to-back World Champion and winner of 21 Grands Prix and 30 poles. Does that annoy Rosberg? "I have no regrets," he said in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport. "I am completely convinced it was right to go to Mercedes and to stay here." But the German magazine's interviewer reminded Rosberg, whose father Keke won five races and a title within his career-span of 114 starts, that at the end of 2007 McLaren expressed interest in teaming him alongside Lewis Hamilton. "There was the interest, but Frank (Williams) would not let me go," revealed Rosberg. "Certainly being four years at Williams was not ideal — it could have been a bit shorter. But particularly the last season there was a springboard for me. Since then I have been always seventh in the standings and made some others aware of me."

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