Nick Heidfeld spent most of 2011 competing in Formula One for Lotus Renault GP. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Heidfeld Confirms Le Mans Drive: Nick Heidfeld's management on Wednesday confirmed rumors the Formula One veteran will drive a Lola prototype at Le Mans this year. The 34-year-old contested Grands Prix almost continously for more than a decade, most recently last season, but will have to be content with Sebring, Spa and Le Mans in the new world endurance sports car championship in 2012. "Since I did Le Mans in 1999, I always knew that I wanted to come back to endurance racing," he said.

Massa Slams 'Absurd' F1 Pay-Driver Situation: Felipe Massa has revealed his disappointment at the rise of the 'pay-driver' in Formula One. The Brazilian will fight for his future at Ferrari in the first half of 2012, and thereafter may join the struggle for an alternative seat in competition with many lucratively-backed rivals. "Today, there are only four teams that can afford to operate without drivers that bring money," Massa is quoted by the Brazilian Totalrace website. "It's an absurd situation," he said, "and I don't think it's good for F1 and especially the young drivers. Even if you get very good results in the formulas below (F1), you either have to be lucky or have money in order to get a seat. That's not F1," Massa charged.

Lotus Targets Title Tilt In 2015: Lotus F1 owner Gerard Lopez has revealed plans to take the former Renault team back into championship contention within a few years. "Our efforts are concerted behind our objective to be a contender once more for the 2015-2016 championships, to continue the proud heritage of the 1994-95 and 2005-06 World Championship titles achieved by Enstone," he said. Lopez, the Genii-owned team that will run 2007 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen and reigning GP2 champion Romain Grosjean in 2012, made the announcement as he revealed two appointments as chief executive and chief operating officer. The team was founded as Toleman, becoming — under different ownership — the title-winning Benetton and Renault squads in subsequent decades from the same Enstone headquarters. Lopez added: "Our fight to return to the front of the grid is a continual process, and we are leaving no stone unturned."

Briatore Tips Alonso To Win 2012 Title: Fernando Alonso is unlikely to have the fastest car, but the 2012 Ferrari should be good enough for the Spaniard to win the title. That is the claim of Flavio Briatore, the former Renault team boss who is still linked to former double World Champion Alonso's management. The Italian told Rai radio that he thinks Ferrari's new car will be better than the conservative 2011 model, but still a few tenths shy of the pace of Adrian Newey's next Red Bull. "Red Bull had a great advantage and have been working very quietly in these last months," said Briatore. "I see Ferrari two, three tenths behind their pace. If this is the case at the first race then Fernando and Ferrari can win the championship." Briatore also urged Ferrari to ensure Alonso is supported as the lead driver, with Felipe Massa in a clear supporting role. "Last season was disappointing, but Massa was returning from his accident and he has always previously done well. At the same time, the second driver must be in harmony with Fernando. The World Championship is won by a single driver and the team has to focus on that," he added.

McLaren 'The Best Team' In F1 - Berger: Ahead of the launch of the team's 2012 car, former driver Gerhard Berger has crowned McLaren the very best in F1. Since Lewis Hamilton won the 2008 title, however, the Woking-based squad has not added to its tally of World Championships. "Actually, McLaren is basically the best team," Austrian Berger told Auto Motor und Sport magazine. "They don't have (Adrian) Newey and yet they still build good cars all the time. This shows they have a strong, broad-based team of engineers. With the Mercedes they have the best engine in the field and a very good driver pairing." Another of Berger's former teams is Ferrari, but he says the great Italians now remind of his own era rather than the ultra-success achieved by Jean Todt, Michael Schumacher, Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn. "Now they're back where they were in my time," he insisted, "winning one race per season and finishing third. The success in between those periods really was about those four people. Probably now it would be enough for them to just take away Newey from Red Bull. Aerodynamics are just that important." And Berger said he is not surprised that Mercedes is struggling to find its feet, despite having Brawn at the helm. "Not really. Ross Brawn is a very good technical manager, a great strategist, but he does not build the car," he said.