Team boss Peter Sauber (Right) and driver Sergio Perez (Left) are in their second season together. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Pirelli Eyes Alguersuari, Trulli For Test Role: Pirelli is reportedly considering signing a 2011 race driver to be the official tire supplier's new test driver. AS newspaper in Spain said Jaime Alguersuari, formerly at Toro Rosso and now traveling the F1 calendar as a co-commentator for British radio, is a frontrunner. Pirelli has secured the use of a 2010 Renault for private development testing this year, which is expected to begin in May. AS said the "only obstacle" to a deal for 22-year-old Alguersuari is that Pirelli, an Italian marque, is also interested in GP winner Jarno Trulli, who raced last year with Team Lotus (now Caterham). There are no Italian race drivers in F1 this year.

Hamilton Could Act In Lauda Movie, 'Rush': Lewis Hamilton could land an acting role in the Hollywood film, "Rush." The movie, directed by "The Da Vinci Code" and Apollo 13's "Ron Howard", is about the epic 1976 battle between Niki Lauda and James Hunt. Britain's Sun newspaper reports that McLaren driver Hamilton has been working on the project as a consultant. "I don't know if he would go for it. There should be a role for him, if he wanted it," Howard is quoted as saying.

Sutil Has 'Enough Friends' Without Hamilton: Adrian Sutil has admitted that discovering Lewis Hamilton was not a friend was one of life's "disappointments." Since their F3 days as teammates, Sutil and Hamilton have been arguably the closest pair of friends in the F1 paddock. That changed, however, when the German driver was charged with assaulting Lotus team executive Eric Lux, and Hamilton was summoned as a witness to the Shanghai nightclub incident. But Briton Hamilton declined to appear and also changed his mobile phone number without informing Sutil. Sutil and his father reacted by calling the McLaren driver "pathetic" and a "coward." When asked about his former close friend, Sutil told Die Welt newspaper: "Basically, I only had a problem with one person, which was Mr. Lux. He has offered me his hand and said that for him, the issue is finished. What Lewis Hamilton does is not decisive for my ambitions to get back to Formula One. Just as with defeats, you have to deal with disappointments; it's as simple as that. I think no one should expect to find any friends in the paddock — and I don't look for them there either. I have enough friends outside of F1."

Senna Hopes Strong Result Silences Critics: Bruno Senna has admitted he feels a release of pressure following a strong showing in Malaysia last weekend. The Brazilian, whose uncle was triple World Champion Ayrton Senna, has had a tough time establishing his credentials to date with part-time seats at the HRT and Renault (now Lotus) teams. Although out-qualified for the second consecutive GP by his Williams teammate Pastor Maldonado in Malaysia, Senna went on to score eight points in the race — more than the famous British team's entire tally of last year. "Having a good result takes some of the weight off your shoulders," he admitted, according to the Sun newspaper. "There will always be critics and you are never going to please everybody. But for sure, having a strong result will take some wind out of the critics' sails. Hopefully, I can make sure I keep having strong results to show I deserve my place here," the 28-year-old added. Martin Brundle, the former GP veteran who is now a highly respected British commentator and analyst, has revealed he is one such skeptic who has been won over. "For the first time, I believe Bruno Senna can cut it in Formula One," he said. "I hadn't seen anything before that convinced me in the same way this (result in Malaysia) did."

Ferrari 'Concorde' With $50M Bonus - Report: Ferrari's new deal for the 2013 Concorde Agreement reportedly involves a $50 million annual fee. It is believed the Italian team has now finalized its commercial agreement with Bernie Ecclestone. The same is reportedly true for fellow top teams McLaren and Red Bull, whose annual additional fee is, according to German news magazine Der Spiegel, $35m apiece. Ecclestone wanted to announce the conclusion of successful Concorde Agreement negotiations in Malaysia, but major teams including Mercedes and Williams were yet to sign up. Instead, the F1 chief executive released a statement saying deals have been done with "the majority" of the teams. Mercedes, in particular, is more than unhappy. "It cannot be," a Daimler insider is quoted as saying, "that transparency from our business partners is lacking regarding a contract through 2020."