Kimi Raikkonen has yet to finalize plans beyond 2013. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Relief For Maldonado As Supporter Chavez Re-Elected: F1 insiders had a keen eye on Venezuela's presidential election on Sunday. The sport's main focus was, of course, in Japan, where Pastor Maldonado was racing his PDVSA-branded Williams around Suzuka. But in his native Venezuela, countrymen were busy re-electing the socialist incumbent Hugo Chavez -- probably a significant moment for the continuation of Maldonado's career. Chavez, who achieved 54 percent of the vote, is a known supporter of Maldonado's F1 career, backing the 27-year-old in millions through the PDVSA brand. State owned oil company PDVSA's backing of Maldonado has been highly controversial, and on the eve of the Japanese Grand Prix, the driver sounded unsure if the money would keep flowing in 2013 -- probably because Chavez's now-defeated opponent Henrique Capriles Radonski was vowing sweeping reforms. But with Chavez now elected, analysts expect the status quo for PDVSA, with a Reuters report saying the 58-year-old uses the company to pay "for everything from sports teams to health clinics". "Congratulations to all Venezuelans for their participation in the elections," Maldonado wrote on Twitter. "Long live democracy!"

Vettel Races Into Title Hot Seat With Red Bull 'Double DRS': The final five races of the 2012 season will likely stage a head-to-head contest between Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, with the protagonists each pushing to add a prestigious third crown to their tallies. Mathematically, however, there are plenty of contenders still in the running, including Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber, Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg and even the beleaguered Romain Grosjean and Felipe Massa. But Bild newspaper confidently predicts German Vettel "will be world champion" after he won so dominantly from pole at Suzuka, with Alonso's Ferrari stranded in the first-corner dirt trap.Until very recently, Spaniard Alonso was the overwhelming title favorite, causing Austria's Kleine Zeitungto muse after Japan that Suzuka was "The great turning point" in the 2012 battle. Some think it is not Alonso's bad luck that is the major factor, but Red Bull's latest - and until now low-profile - Adrian Newey-penned aerodynamic development. The new 'double DRS' has undoubtedly been a factor as Vettel overcame McLaren's recent dominance with wins in Singapore and now Japan. So will Ferrari and McLaren have to rush out copies now? "You don't develop something like that overnight," Germany's Auto Motor und Sport quotes Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali as saying. McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh adds: "It's not a good idea to panic." But the Briton admitted McLaren has a double-DRS "project" on the back-burner.

Korea GP Organizers Insist F1 'Worthwhile' Despite Loss: South Korea has indicated it could keep organizing an annual Grand Prix. Despite the Yeongam race only joining the F1 schedule in 2010 and having a contract through 2016, recent speculation suggested organizers are baulking at the financial losses. But organizer Park Jong-moon has been quoted by the Korea Times as saying losses from "big sports events" are "inevitable". "Even the 1988 Seoul Olympics was a money-losing event, (but) it is worthwhile, considering other effects that were far greater than profit," he said. Park also said Bernie Ecclestone has agreed not to charge the usual 10 per cent fee increase for the 2012 race, which is taking place this weekend. But the Korea Times report said two main sponsors of the Grand Prix have pulled out. "After reviewing our corporate image and alternatives, we decided not to take the main sponsor deal this year," an official for POSCO, a Korean steel company, said.