Mark Webber is third in the World Championship. (Photo: Getty Images)

Webber Sees 'Many Years' Ahead On Grid: Two young chargers are waiting in the wings, but Mark Webber insists he intends to extend his F1 career beyond 2012. Among the top names at Red Bull, however, the Australian veteran is the odd one out, with only a one-year contract in his pocket. At the same time, the energy drink company has appointed two young rookies — Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne — to its junior team Toro Rosso. "Obviously there is probably a chance with Red Bull, but at the moment I don't want to look too far ahead," said Frenchman Vergne this week at Jerez. Webber will turn 36 this year, but he told Austrian Servus TV he sees himself on the grid "for many years" to come. "The feeling I had in Australia (over the winter) was the desire to come back here and drive the car," he said. Nevertheless, the big rumour is that Helmut Marko — the Red Bull driver manager — decided to appoint Ricciardo and Vergne so that he can assess which one will be Sebastian Vettel's teammate in 2013. "I can't do anything about the rumors — I remember I was going to be replaced way back in 2008. That's just Formula One," said Webber.

Raikkonen Head-Start No Shock To Teammate: Romain Grosjean says he understands the initial preference in 2012 given to his famous Lotus teammate, Kimi Raikkonen. Frenchman Grosjean, with just seven Grands Prix under his belt in 2009, is paired this year with Raikkonen, who has spent the last two seasons in world rallying. Although they have both been away from the F1 grid for the past two seasons, it is Raikkonen who was granted an exclusive re-acclimatization test recently, and the first two days of official testing this week at Jerez. Grosjean, 25, insists to Le Matin newspaper: "It's going well between us. It does not shock me that he began the testing for marketing reasons. He was World Champion and he will also need some time to adjust to being back in the game. Together with Kimi, we want to do everything so that Lotus is in the best possible position on the grid and I do not intend to fuss over topics that I cannot control."

Wolff Should Step Up At Williams - Ecclestone: Team shareholder Toto Wolff should take more control of the famous yet beleaguered F1 team Williams. That is the view of Bernie Ecclestone, who in the Swiss magazine Speed Week said the Grove-based outfit was wrong to try to fix its problems from the bottom up. Ahead of 2012, the team has ousted experienced driver Rubens Barrichello and technical director Sam Michael, long time co-owner Patrick Head has left, and designer Mike Coughlan and Renault engines have arrived. The new FW34 was unveiled in a five-minute launch on Tuesday. "One could say that we are off to a truly fresh start," said boss Sir Frank Williams. But Ecclestone, F1's chief executive, criticized the approach. "I don't think they've done it the right way," he said. "The changes should have come from above, not from below. I think people like Toto Wolff should get more control." He is referring to Christian 'Toto' Wolff, a young Austrian businessman and former racer who has a minor team shareholding. Wolff is also involved in the management of Williams' test driver Valtteri Bottas.

Ferrari Suspension Not Seen In F1 Since 2001 - Gene: A feature of the 2012 Ferrari car has not been seen in F1 for more than a decade, test driver Marc Gene has confirmed. While the stepped noses have been grabbing all the media's attention, arguably more noteworthy is Ferrari's decision to design its F2012 around 'pullrod' front suspension. While some F1 teams have been using pullrod suspension at the rear of their cars, it has been essentially absent from the front since the '80s and '90s. "The system seeks to lower the center of gravity and improve the entry and operation of the air from the front to the rear to improve downforce," Spaniard Gene wrote in the El Mundo newspaper. "It was last seen at the front of Fernando Alonso's Minardi in 2011." After the first day of official testing on Tuesday, Ferrari designer Nikolas Tombazis said: "No one will be able to accuse us of having been timid in the design of this car."

Scuderia Toro Rosso drivers Daniel Ricciardo (Left) and Jean-Eric Vergne (Right) debut the new Toro Rosso STR7. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Toro Rosso Counts Caterham Among 2012 Rivals: Toro Rosso counts Caterham — the 2010 startup team that has failed to score a single point since inception — among its close rivals for 2012. Last season, the Red Bull-owned rookie team Toro Rosso finished the championship in eighth place with 41 points, well clear of Williams and behind Sauber and Force India. "Our direct competitors are Sauber, Force India and Caterham," the Faenza-based team's boss Franz Tost is quoted by autohebdo.fr. Formerly Lotus, the Tony Fernandes-led Caterham team has been the best of the new 2010 teams including Marussia (nee Virgin) and HRT. "Caterham has managed to build a good infrastructure," Tost is quoted as saying. "They have the Renault engine and a KERS from Red Bull and it means their package is good. They have two experienced drivers and I expect they will become our rivals. Our goal is to take seventh place in the championship — we must do better than last year."

State Ousts Nurburgring Circuit Operator: The future of the German GP at the Nurburgring is looking grim, after the Rhineland-Palatinate state cancelled the circuit operator's lease. Minister Roger Lewentz told the Rhein-Zeitung newspaper that a bright future for the venue was "not possible" with the existing tenants. The report, however, said talks with Bernie Ecclestone about a new deal for the F1 race are well-advanced. Lewentz said: "I want and need to speak personally with Mr. Ecclestone." Recently, the Nurburgring has been annually alternating a single date on the F1 calendar with Hockenheim.

Marussia Plans To Keep Pic Beyond 2012: Marussia intends to keep Charles Pic, the team's new French rookie, for more than a single season. When known as Virgin, the team ousted Timo Glock's 2010 and 2011 teammates — Lucas di Grassi and Jerome d'Ambrosio, respectively — after a single season each. The latest in the pay-driver hotseat is GP2 driver Pic, 21. "I think there is some long term potential for him," said team chief executive Andy Webb. "I'm looking really to see if he can go forward for more than one year," he told the Daily Mail. With its 2012 car not yet ready, Marussia is the only team sitting out this week's Jerez test. Although also without new single seaters launched yet, Mercedes and HRT are running this week with their 2011 cars. "I think it is a setback," admitted team boss John Booth. "We've taken on a huge challenge following the exit of Nick Wirth and to build a new car from scratch is demanding, but we are certainly up for that challenge. We have decided that it is the best thing for us to reach Barcelona initially with the 2011 car, and then for the second Barcelona test with the 2012 car. That's the plan."

Red Bull 'Letterbox' Slot For Driver Cooling - Newey: Adrian Newey has cleared up the mystery about the 'letterbox' opening in the nose of the newly-launched 2012 Red Bull car. The F1 world noticed that Newey's 'step nose' differs from its rivals in the form of an air inlet where the monocoque height meets the new lower nose height. Some surmised it must be for KERS or engine cooling, or perhaps even an F-duct style channel through to the diffuser. Designer Newey, however, said it is to just cool the drivers. "The toes are a bit too cold now actually," said a grinning Mark Webber to Italy's Autosprint. "Traditionally the driver cooling slot is at the front of the nose," explained Newey, "but really for styling as much as anything we moved it to where you now see it to break up the aesthetics of the ramp." Newey also took the opportunity to reject speculation he might contemplate a switch to Ferrari in the near future. "To now leave for another team would kind of feel a little like walking out on your children in a way," said the Briton.

New Destinations Not Harmful - Jones: Bernie Ecclestone is not harming F1 with his planned expansion to even more new venues. That is the view of 1980 World Champion Alan Jones. F1 chief executive Ecclestone, who has already arranged two forthcoming US races and also an event in Russia, has said in recent interviews that he hopes his sport's next destinations are Africa and Mexico. He is clearly making room on the already packed 20-race annual calendar by — for example — organizing for Spain's two events to alternate a single date. And even the great Spa-Francorchamps and the historic F1 host France look like having to be only biennial events, creating the impression that Ecclestone regards new markets as arguably more important than the sport's traditional home Europe. So is Ecclestone doing the right thing for the sport? "Well, I don't know about South Africa," Australian Jones said. "But I guess the more new places, or the more new venues that you can do won't do any harm, because it's putting it (F1) under the nose of people who a) haven't had it for a long time or b) have never had it." Meanwhile, 12-time GP winner Jones — who revealed he is currently reading the controversial biography 'No Angel' — vowed to keep his Ecclestone anecdotes close to his chest for now. "Well ... I'd like to think I've still got a few years in front of me," Jones said laughing, "so no!"

Kovalainen Not Keen On Caterham's Practice Plans: Heikki Kovalainen insists he does not need number one status at Caterham. Entering his third year with the former Lotus team, and with his teammate Jarno Trulli reportedly on the cusp of being ousted, it is an open secret in the paddock that Finn Kovalainen is the favorite. But that doesn't mean the 30-year-old needs a favored status. "I think I've been able to take my place in the team with at least an equal footing with my teammate," he is quoted by the Finnish broadcaster MTV3. "As long as we have the same, I do not need anything else. It has worked so far." What he would like, however, is an assurance from the team that he will not be sidelined on Friday mornings by test drivers. For 2012, Caterham has signed Dutch GP2 driver Giedo van der Garde to take part "in a number" of morning practice sessions. "It is still being discussed," insists Kovalainen. "It is still open. Of course, I am firmly of the view that we don't need that — I would like to drive all the sessions."

Jones Not Writing Off Williams: Alan Jones is not ruling out a Williams resurgence in 2012, despite his former championship-winning team slumping to its worst-ever result last season. Australian Jones, now 65, in 1980 won the once-great team's first of seven drivers' titles. Williams has also won nine constructors' championships, but not since 1997. Juan Pablo Montoya won the team's most recent victory, in 2004. Since then, Sir Frank Williams' team has slumped from fourth in the end-of-season standings to ninth in 2011, with Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado only managing to outscore the points-less drivers of the three new teams. The Grove-based squad has however made some fundamental changes for 2012, including switching from Cosworth to Renault power, and replacing technical chief Sam Michael with former McLaren designer Mike Coughlan. Is it realistic to expect Williams to ever again be a force in F1? "I think it is," said Jones. "They've got a lot of good people, they've got a really good establishment, they've got good facilities — I think it wouldn't be impossible for them to come back. I think we'll see them probably make a bit of a resurgence this year with the Renault engine. (Pastor) Maldonado has got a year of experience under his belt and it's going to be interesting to see how Bruno Senna goes, so I wouldn't rule them out, that's for sure."

Antena 3 Secures F1's Spanish TV Rights: Spanish fans can breathe a sigh of relief with the news F1 will be seen on television in 2012. Rights holder Mediapro terminated existing broadcaster La Sexta's deal due to non-payment, it emerged late last month. But Spanish daily newspapers report this week that Antena 3 has secured the rights for 2012 and 2013.