Peter Sauber, Team Principal, Sauber. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Sauber Flattered As Red Bull Copies 2012 Exhaust: Peter Sauber has admitted his Swiss team is flattered after Red Bull apparently copied the C31's exhaust layout ahead of the 2012 season. Red Bull ran at the initial Jerez and Barcelona tests - and then the two opening days of the final Barcelona test - with its own solution in the wake of the FIA's blown exhaust clampdown. "We had a nice surprise on the penultimate day (of winter testing)," Sauber team boss Peter Sauber wrote in his column for Sonntagsblick newspaper. "Red Bull announced their plans to use a heavily modified car, as it will race in Melbourne. "Compared to their first version it had a completely different rear, which differs significantly from most cars -- but not ours. "The Red Bull and our C31 have a very similar concept, concerning the management of the airflow at the rear. "For our engineers, it was an extra confirmation that they have chosen the right development direction. They are convinced that this concept has the potential for further development," added Sauber.

Raikkonen Broke Wrist In Christmas Crash: Kimi Raikkonen has revealed he actually broke his wrist just before Christmas. The media made much of the returning Lotus driver's apparently hurt arm, but he insisted at the time it was "the smallest and slowest crash I've ever had". But during his appearance on the popular British motoring program Top Gear last week, 32-year-old Raikkonen confessed to having been more seriously injured. He showed anchor Jeremy Clarkson a big scar on his left wrist, admitting: "I hurt it a little bit, but I had a good doctor to fix it." "That's a big scar!" Clarkson exclaimed. "Did you break it (your arm)?" he inquired. Raikkonen smiled: "A little bit."

Vettel To Push For Rare Title Hat-Trick: If Sebastian Vettel hangs on to the drivers' world championship trophy at the end of 2012, he will be only the third driver in the sport's history with a title hat-trick. Eight drivers have won three or more championships in total, but only Michael Schumacher (2000-2004) and Juan Manuel Fangio (1954-1957) won more than two on the trot. So what does the 24-year-old German think about the chances of a treble? "That only two or three had done it before, I was not aware," he is quoted by SID news agency. "All good things come in threes. Of course it would be great, but there's a long way to go and we stay patient and keep the feet on the floor."

Schumacher Insists 'Still Good Enough' For F1: Michael Schumacher insists he is still good enough to be competing against drivers decades younger than him. The 43-year-old is yet to stand on a single podium since returning from retirement two years ago, intensifying speculation Mercedes might need to move on for 2013. But ahead of the 2012 season opener, the seven time world champion told the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper: "Whether I can still compare myself with my 30-year-old self, I don't know. "What I do know is that I am still good enough to be here," the famous German insisted. His team boss Ross Brawn, who worked with Schumacher throughout the ultra-successful Ferrari period, conceded that the record winner of 91 Grands Prix is now missing a few tenths. How is he going to claw them back? "Maybe he doesn't," Brawn told the Guardian newspaper. "Maybe he lives with it and uses his experience and knowledge to compensate."

Lewis Hamilton continues to impress in qualifying. (Photo: Getty Images)

Hamilton Vows To Focus More On F1 In 2012: Lewis Hamilton has promised to stop partying and focus more on performing, the 2008 world champion has told mainstream British newspapers. The McLaren driver had a tumultuous 2011 season on and off the track, but the 27-year-old has vowed to bounce back now. "Last year quite a lot of times I went out and enjoyed myself thinking that these things don't affect you but in actual fact they do, they have a knock-on effect," he said. It resulted in him being beaten by his teammate Jenson Button, even though F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone tips Hamilton to bounce back in 2012 because "he's faster (than Button)". "He (Button) didn't win the world championship -- if he did, it would have been even worse," said Hamilton. "Now I'm looking forwards. This year is what matters. Last year has absolutely no bearing on me, I don't care about last year. It's what's ahead of me which will define me," he added.

F1 Will Adjust To 'Ugliest' 2012 Cars - Lauda: Niki Lauda thinks F1 will soon adjust to the unattractive look of this year's cars. Every 2012 car, except the Marussia and the McLaren, features an odd 'step' between the front of the monocoque and the mandatory new lower height of the nose. The FIA's Charlie Whiting defended the move on safety grounds, conceding however that "they do all look like ducks". Triple world champion Lauda said: "I think that, this year, we have the ugliest cars we've ever had. "The look, simply, is a disaster. Why must I look at something ugly, when it could be different?" he complained.

Kubica Would Have Replaced Massa - Ecclestone: If not for Robert Kubica's predicament, Felipe Massa would have lost his Ferrari seat by now. That is the view of F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone. He told Austria's Der Spiegel that Kubica, still recovering from horror injuries sustained in a rally crash in February last year, would have replace the struggling Brazilian Massa. "I think, for them (Ferrari), it's a question of alternatives," said Ecclestone. "Who, of those available to them, are better than Massa? "I am very confident that Robert Kubica would be sitting in that Ferrari now if a year ago he would not have had that horrible rally accident," the 81-year-old opined. Italy's Rallyemotion reports that Kubica tested a Skoda Fabia rally car last Thursday in Liguria. Meanwhile, Ecclestone backed Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali, amid expectations the famous Maranello based team will struggle early in 2012. "Ferrari's problems have nothing to do with the leadership," he said. "The problems are on the technical side. But instead of firing someone, they should buy someone: Adrian Newey."