Michael Schumacher has not finished on the podium since returning to the F1 grid with Mercedes in 2010. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Schumacher Not Eyeing Soccer Club Role - Manager: Michael Schumacher's manager has rejected reports the seven time world champion could become the president of a premier football club.The Bundesliga team FC Koln (Cologne) is looking for a new president and the news agency DAPD recently said Schumacher's name had been put forward. Late last week, Schumacher's former rival Gerhard Berger tipped the 43-year-old to quit F1 at the end of this season because "he can't beat a young driver at (teammate Nico) Rosberg's level". The next day, the Mercedes driver watched Cologne play Schalke, even visiting the club's private area at the stadium. So is there any truth to the rumors? "It's known that Michael has been a Cologne fan for many years. That doesn't mean he wants to be the president. "His 100 per cent priority is his job with Mercedes in formula one," insisted manager and spokeswoman Sabine Kehm.

Force India Can Be Like Red Bull - Mallya: Force India's new investor Subrata Roy wants the Silverstone based team to be like Red Bull. That is the claim of fellow Indian billionaire Dr Vijay Mallya, who with title sponsor Sahara's Roy co-owns the team. Mallya bought the former Jordan team some years ago when it was known as Spyker and finishing Grands Prix in last place. "The Indian people are proud that we have been able to create a team for the country to play an important role in Formula One. Without our success we have attracted a larger group of supporters," he told Auto Motor und Sport. "Now it's getting difficult to meet the demands," Mallya told the German magazine, after Force India finished the 2011 season sixth behind Renault and the four top teams. "The people of India expect us to beat Mercedes now," he admitted. If Force India can do that, is the sort of success achieved by Red Bull - another non-carmaker team - a realistic target? "Why not?" answered Mallya. "Subrata Roy's vision is to be as good as Red Bull but he's so excited that I have to stop him a bit. "There are no short-cuts in Formula one."

Villeneuve Says Andros Ice-Racing Series 'Rigged': Jacques Villeneuve has accused organizers of the French ice-racing series Trophee Andros of attempting to "rig" the outcome. After the grand final in Super Besse, the 1997 world champion accused the organizers of breaking their own rules to help Alain Prost, according to RMC. The report said F1's quadruple world champion Prost was allowed to have his car repaired after a crash. "We realized we were not participating in the Andros trophy but the Alain Prost trophy," French Canadian Villeneuve said. "I question my commitment because of that. This was not sport," he charged.

Heidfeld Set For Le Mans In 2012: Nick Heidfeld is set to continue his motor racing career in 2012. But after twelve seasons and 183 Grands Prix, having replaced the injured Robert Kubica at Renault in the first half of 2011, the 34-year-old's F1 career appears to be over. The Swiss magazine Speed Week said Heidfeld will contest rounds of the FIA's new world endurance championship this year for the Anglo-Swiss Rebellion team. His program in the Lola prototype car will reportedly include the fabled 24 hour Le Mans race, as well as Spa and Sebring.

Ecclestone To Meet France GP Officials On Monday: A meeting on Monday could signal another step towards France's return to the Formula One calendar. Bernie Ecclestone is scheduled to meet in his London office with David Douillet, the French sports minister, and Nicolas Deschaux, the president of the country's sanctioning body FFSA. Also present, according to the Le Journal du dimanche newspaper, will be Gilles Dufeigneux, who last year was appointed directly by French prime minister Francois Fillon to lead efforts to arrange the race's comeback. France's plan, involving the Paul Ricard circuit, is to alternate an annual Grand Prix date with the fabled Belgian grand prix venue Spa-Francorchamps beginning in 2013.As well as being responsible for the annual F1 calendar, Ecclestone co-owns Paul Ricard.

No 2012 Plan For Lotus Ride Height System Debut: The Lotus 'reactive ride height system' controversy may have been a storm in a teacup. Writing in Turun Sanomat newspaper, Finnish correspondent Heikki Kulta said the former Renault team did not even intend to run the innovative concept in 2012. The FIA pre-empted the teams' race to implement the systems when it emerged that Ferrari, Mercedes and possibly Red Bull were already rushing to emulate the Lotus concept. Before the governing body's decision to ban it, Lotus gave the system its debut at the Abu Dhabi young drivers' test late last year. But Kulta claims the team was not ready to give it a race debut "because it did not work properly".

Questions remain about where Vitaly Petrov will race next season. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Sutil, Petrov Line Up For Ferrari Reserve Role: Adrian Sutil and Vitaly Petrov have emerged as candidates to become Ferrari's official reserve driver in 2012. With Jules Bianchi moving into Force India's Friday practice seat this year, it was reported that Italian GP2 driver Davide Rigon had succeeded him at Ferrari. In fact, the Maranello based team is believed to not consider the 25-year-old as ready to step in should Fernando Alonso or Felipe Massa need replacing during a Grand Prix weekend. Indeed, Ferrari said Rigon has extended his contract and will be "on call ... for all racing and promotional activities". The team did not mention official reserve driving duties. Finland's Turun Sanomat said the real frontrunners for the job are the respective Renault and Force India refugees Vitaly Petrov and Adrian Sutil. Russian Petrov played down the rumor. "If you want to go to Ferrari, you don't want to go for one year only," he insisted. "I can't say whether it has been discussed or not, but for me I think it is too early to go to Ferrari. Maybe in one or two years the time will be right."