Paul di Resta will continue with Force India this year. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Force India Wants To Keep Di Resta For 2013: Vijay Mallya on Thursday admitted he would like to keep the same driver lineup for his Force India team in 2013. There has been speculation that Paul di Resta has caught the eye of top teams including Ferrari and Mercedes. "Paul is a huge asset and a very valuable asset to us," insisted the team's Indian boss and co-owner Mallya, who in 2012 has paired Scot di Resta, 26, with Germany's Nico Hulkenberg. "We have secure contracts with both him and Nico and we have an excellent relationship with both. Should they ever want to think of going elsewhere, I am sure they will come and tell us and it will be something that we will work out very amicably. We'd love to continue with our current driver lineup," said Mallya, who told Reuters that di Resta and Hulkenberg are already under contract for 2013.

FIA's Todt Throws A Spanner In F1 Plans: As powerful businessmen slice up the F1 pie, the sport's governing body also wants a piece. Amid all the talk about the planned multi-billion Singapore floatation, a crucial detail has been missing: the sanctioning body, the Paris based FIA, is yet to sign the new Concorde Agreement. Sky News reported on Thursday that president Jean Todt has appointed an investment bank to advise on the implications of the current goings-on. "This is a pretty naked effort by the FIA to get its hands on part of the economic value that F1's management and owners have created," an insider said. "They are moving on this now because it is the moment of maximum disruption." Another missing piece of the puzzle is Mercedes' signature, as the carmaker's disagreement with Bernie Ecclestone threatens to blow a hole in the sport's valuation. "I think we've got a long way to go before we arrive at the final solutions," team boss Ross Brawn told reporters in Monaco. "I don't think things are closed yet."

Police Detonate Suspected Bomb In F1 Paddock: Monaco's party atmosphere late on Thursday was broken by the sound of an explosion. Bomb police cordoned off an area of the F1 paddock near the media center after someone noticed a suspicious plastic package. Experts detonated it with a controlled explosion just before 10 p.m. local time, the Press Associated reported. It also emerges that some spectators suffered minor injuries on Thursday when part of a grandstand collapsed.

McLaren To Offer Hamilton $150M?: McLaren is offering Lewis Hamilton a lucrative new contract for 2013 and beyond, British newspapers are reporting from Monaco. The stories — in all the major dailies including the Guardian, the Telegraph, the Daily Mail, Express, the Star, the Sun, the Mirror and the Times — consistently contradicted an earlier rumor that Hamilton might need to take a pay-cut if he wants to stay with the British team beyond this year. The Guardian said McLaren has in fact put a five-year, $150 million contract on the table, which combined with bonuses might mean Hamilton overtakes Fernando Alonso as F1's highest paid driver. "No formal talks have taken place yet ... but it is believed that McLaren ... are ready to make their move," the report read. The Telegraph concurred, explaining that the new deal might involve a "lower basic salary" but "more control" for Hamilton to sign up his own sponsors. "It is understood that (his manager) Simon Fuller ... will be in London in July and August ... and negotiations are likely to pick up pace at that point," said that report. British commentator Martin Brundle said: "Will McLaren allow him some space and some time of his own to sell? I think that will be more of a key factor than a couple of dodgy pit stops, frankly." The Daily Mail added: "While McLaren are eager to get discussions under way, Hamilton's management are understandably biding their time, given there could yet be opportunities at Mercedes, Red Bull and even Ferrari next season." The Mirror said McLaren will entice Hamilton to sign for a full five years by offering him "almost a third of the entire ($150m) sum in this final (fifth) year." The Times' Kevin Eason said the information came from "reliable sources" on the eve of the Monaco GP.

The Nurburgring's future on the F1 calendar seems likely. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Nurburgring Hopes For New 10-year F1 Deal: The Nurburgring is hoping to conclude a new 10-year contract to keep hosting F1 every two years. An official of the German circuit, Kai Richter, is quoted as saying the new 10-year deal on the table will mean at least "five more races" are held at the Nurburgring. Track operator Jorg Lindner confirmed to SID news agency that the deal had been reached after "difficult negotiations" over "four meetings" with F1's chief executive Bernie Ecclestone. He described the outcome as "very attractive," but warned that the signatures need to be added by June. "Otherwise, Formula One could be gone (from the Nurburgring) for many, many years," said Lindner. The Nurburgring annually alternates the German GP with Hockenheim.

Ferrari Signs New Aero Boss Bigois - Report: Ferrari has signed a well-known F1 aerodynamicist to run its Maranello wind tunnel. That is the claim of the authoritative Italian publication Autosprint, which first reported the move as a rumor a month ago. Autosprint correspondent Alberto Antonini said Loic Bigois, a 52-year-old Frenchman, will now "definitely" move from Mercedes in mid-September, although an official announcement will probably not be made. Bigois started his career with Ligier/Prost, moving to Minardi until 2003 when he was recruited by Williams as chief aerodynamicist. In 2007, he moved to Honda, which became Brawn and subsequently Mercedes.

Schumacher Must Convince Mercedes To 'Want Him': If Michael Schumacher wants to keep racing beyond 2012, he will need to convince Mercedes. That is the claim of former German F1 driver Christian Danner, referring to rumors the seven-time World Champion's future beyond this year is uncertain. Schumacher, 43, has said he is yet to sit down for talks with Mercedes, which has named former DTM protege Paul di Resta as an ideal successor. "Personally, I would be very happy if he goes on and he is able to go on at a good level, because at the moment he is starting to look a bit old," Danner said on German television RTL. Danner said he believes Schumacher wants to continue in 2013, but the issue of a new contract "is not just up to him. He also has to have the team to want him," he explained. Earlier this week, Mercedes' F1 chief executive Nick Fry suggested that the great German might choose to retire if he does not achieve better results by the end of the season. Boss Ross Brawn reacted by insisting the team had let Schumacher down so far in 2012, and then clarified his remarks on Thursday in Monaco. "When I talk about the team, I talk about the drivers as well, the drivers aren't outside the team, so when I say 'the team hasn't done a good enough job with Michael,' I mean collectively. We, and that includes Michael, have not done a good enough job collectively in the first five races," said Brawn.

Mallya Defends F1 Spending Amid Airline Crisis: Vijay Mallya has defended his continuing spending on his F1 team, while his airline Kingfisher struggles for mere survival. "I don't quite understand the correlation between sporting interests, which are personal in nature, and my business interests," the Force India boss told reporters in Monaco while on an increasingly rare visit to the F1 paddock. The Indian businessman denied that his airline's problems means Force India is also in danger of succumbing to financial pressure. "Sahara Force India is extremely well taken care of and set," Mallya insisted. Still, rumors persist that employees of the Silverstone-based team are sometimes waiting weeks to be paid. Nonetheless, Mallya pressed ahead late on Thursday with his traditional and lavish pre-Monaco GP party on his luxury yacht. Asked how he can justify that, he answered: "Justify what, and to whom? If one business, for whatever reason, is not doing well, it doesn't mean that every other business has to shut down."

Raikkonen Wears James Hunt Helmet In Monaco: Kimi Raikkonen is paying tribute to one of his heroes this weekend at Monaco. During Thursday practice for this weekend's blue-riband event, onlookers were surprised to see the late James Hunt apparently at the wheel of a 2012 black and gold Lotus. In fact, it was Finn Raikkonen wearing 1976 World Champion Hunt's iconic black helmet livery. In 32-year-old Raikkonen's championship year in 2007, he famously entered a snowmobile race under the name 'James Hunt.' Raikkonen has admitted to identifying with the carefree Briton, who once said after winning a GP: "Nine points, $20,000 and a lot of happiness — can I grab that cigarette?" The former BBC commentator died at age 45 in 1993. Asked about the tribute on Thursday, Raikkonen insisted: "It's not for any particular reason. "I just like him and the kind of racing there was in the past," he is quoted by the Finnish broadcaster MTV3. "It's a nice (helmet) design. There's not any more (to it) than that."

Mansell In A Sling After Cycling Smash: Nigel Mansell is F1's one-handed FIA race steward this weekend at Monaco. The 1992 World Champion walked into the Monte Carlo paddock with his arm in a sling. What happened? "Broken collarbone," the former Ferrari, Williams and McLaren driver told Swiss newspaper Blick on Thursday. "I fell off my bike." Mansell, 58, is an avid road cyclist.