Marussia says equipment failure was not to blame for Maria de Villota's recent crash in testing. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Marussia Must Focus On Basics Before KERS - Glock: Marussia needs to get the basics right before worrying about KERS, Timo Glock explained on the eve of the 2012 season. The experienced German, and his rookie teammate Charles Pic, enter the new season with essentially no testing, after the former Virgin team struggled to push its new car — the MR01 — through the FIA's mandatory crash tests. Last year, the Cosworth-powered team was soundly beaten by its closest rival Team Lotus, who as well as changing its name to Caterham for 2012 has also added a Red Bull KERS system to its Renault-powered package. "On the subject of KERS, it is of course a disadvantage not to have it," Glock is quoted by the SID news agency. "But we have said that our focus is right to first get rid of the four seconds of aerodynamic deficit, before we worry about the money and the manpower we need for five tenths with the KERS," added Glock. "We have to get the foundation right first," said the almost 30-year-old.

Ricciardo Earning Less Than $500K In 2012: Daniel Ricciardo has admitted he will earn less than $500,000 in 2012. And the Australian rookie also confirmed that, when he made his Grand Prix debut last year with HRT, his sponsor Red Bull paid him only for the race seat, not a salary. "Yeah, it's quite a strange journey to Formula One because it's so elite and when you get there it can turn around very quickly," he told Australia's FOX channel. "(On) the road to getting there, you're always climbing a ladder, but you don't really see the rewards until you get well established," the 22-year-old added. Ricciardo told television host Eddie McGuire that Toro Rosso will pay him some money in 2012. "A little bit," he said with a smile. "Let's say I can buy myself a pair of jeans now, but not a mansion." He confirmed he is earning "less than" half a million dollars. Some of that has already been spent — on a set of dental braces. "I figured, just to keep my feet on the ground, I won't get too beautiful," Ricciardo laughed to the Herald Sun. "So I've got a mouth full of beautiful metal instead."

Renault Already Putting '70 Percent' Into 2014 Engine: F1 engine supplier Renault is now devoting 70 percent of its efforts into the sport's new 6-cylinder turbo formula for 2014. This year's championship and the next are the last in which the cars will be powered by the current generation of normally-aspirated V8s. "We are now working 70 percent on the new engine," Red Bull supplier Renault Sport F1's Jean-Francois Caubet told Germany's Auto Bild. "Next year it will be 100pc," he added. Renault also supplies the Lotus, Williams and Caterham teams. The report said Renault's estimated cost of development for the 1.6-liter V6 is EUR 50 million. A significant part of that is KERS. "That (KERS) is an integral part of the new engine," Caubet explained. "In 2014 we will supply Red Bull not only with the engine, but the complete powertrain."