Kimi Raikkonen doesn't like to be told what to do over his team radio. (Photo: Getty Images)

Raikkonen's Radio Frustration 'Normal' - Salo: Mika Salo has backed his countryman Kimi Raikkonen's radio attitude en route to victory in Abu Dhabi last Sunday. The 2007 World Champion's growing frustration with his engineer throughout his chase for Lotus' first win of the season culminated in him saying "leave me alone." But Salo, another Finnish driver, insisted Raikkonen's attitude is actually "pretty normal. During a race you are so concentrated that you are fully aware of the situation if you're in the lead and you see a red car in the mirrors," he told the broadcaster MTV3. During that phase, constant radio messages can just be "a nuisance," former Sauber and Toyota driver Salo added. "If the driver wants information, he can ask for it. That's how it was for me. I asked what I wanted to know." Raikkonen, however, did not criticize his Lotus engineer for trying to feed him information in Abu Dhabi. "It's the same with all the teams," he said. "They are just trying to help but if you keep saying the same things two times a minute, I'm not so stupid that I cannot remember what I'm doing. It's a normal thing; they are just trying to help. I know what I'm doing." Meanwhile, Raikkonen is facing some criticism for posing for Lotus' post-victory photograph in Abu Dhabi with a bottle of beer in his hand. At F1's Arab races including Bahrain, drivers spray non-alcoholic drinks on the podium, for cultural reasons. "To publicly celebrate in a Muslim country with an alcoholic beverage is not very appropriate," said the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo.

'Be Wary' Of Ecclestone's Magny Cours Comments - Tambay: The F1 world should handle with caution Bernie Ecclestone's suggestion his sport could be heading back to Magny Cours. Amid reports Paul Ricard is leading France's bid to revive the country's defunct Grand Prix in 2013, F1 chief executive Ecclestone said this week: "If we go to France, it will be Magny Cours." But former French F1 driver Patrick Tambay told RMC Sport that commentators "must be wary" of the wily 82-year-old's comments. He said Ecclestone could merely be using Magny Cours' name to put pressure on Paul Ricard amid the negotiations. Magny Cours chief Serge Saulnier declined to comment. But a source close to the circuit, which last hosted the French Grand Prix in 2008, said Magny Cours' bid to host F1 again is still alive.

HRT's 'Ma To Race In 2013' Reports Wrong: The Chinese media appears to have got it wrong by announcing on Tuesday that Shanghai native Ma Qinghua will race for HRT in 2013. Chinese outlets made the call after the 24-year-old and HRT officials fronted a press conference in Shanghai. But it seems to be a misunderstanding. The press conference was to congratulate Ma on his 'debut' as an 'official' F1 driver this year, as he appeared three times at FIA-sanctioned Grands Prix for free practice sessions. And as his Chinese sponsors were thanked publicly, the HRT officials indicated that Ma's career with the Spanish team will continue to move ahead next season. "I feel very honored and thankful to be a Formula One driver," Ma is quoted as saying. "It has been a dream since I was very little." But Shanghai Daily, earlier saying Ma will race next year, now says the Chinese driver is "edging closer" to his Grand Prix debut. And HRT has also moved to clarify the confusion in the European press, with France's Auto Hebdo saying the team officially "denied" Tuesday's reports. But the messages remained mixed. Ma wrote on his Tencent Weibo account on Tuesday that he was "really happy" with Tuesday's events, marking "the real start of my F1 career. It will encourage me to train harder and perform well in testing and racing." He said he hopes to return to the practice cockpit in Austin and Brazil later this month, "which should be good for my future." But Ma also admitted that HRT has actually not decided on its race lineup for next year. "Of course I wish to make my debut in Shanghai next year, so I can have the opportunity to show my family and friends what I can do in my hometown," he said. "But it all depends on my team's arrangement."