Team boss Peter Sauber is looking forward to a new season. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Sauber Wants Gutierrez To Match Hulkenberg: Peter Sauber has declared himself happy with 2013 team racer Esteban Gutierrez, following the Mexican rookie's first test of the preseason at Jerez. "Last year we were not entirely satisfied with his performance in GP2," the Swiss team's founder, co-owner and former boss told Motorsport Aktuell. "Sometimes we were even disappointed, so we didn't know exactly what we could expect from him." Gutierrez, third in last year's GP2 standings, has replaced the McLaren-bound Sergio Perez, ostensibly to keep major team backer Telmex happy. So what is Sauber expecting from the 21-year-old youngster? "I would prefer, of course, if he could go at Hulkenberg's level right from the beginning," said Peter Sauber.

Hamilton's Mercedes Move About Money, Management?: One of F1's most respected and experienced insiders thinks Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes switch was about money and management. "If you compare the two (teams), you must come to the conclusion that there were no sporting reasons for him to leave McLaren," Tony Dodgins, a veteran British journalist, is quoted by the Swiss magazine Speed Week. "No, I think it's because Lewis is strongly driven by his management." Dodgins is referring to Simon Fuller, the American Idol creator who has handled the 2008 World Champion's career since his split with father Anthony Hamilton. "Fuller is obviously a highly successful manager," said Dodgins, "but I would not call him a racer. I'm not even sure if he is interested in the sport. No, this management is extremely money-oriented," he added, referring to Fuller's abilities to exploit the fortunes of his clients beyond their mere retainers. "Fuller strongly advised Hamilton to go to Mercedes, for the simple reason that he could make more money than if he was at McLaren," said Dodgins.

Small Sidepods Good Enough For Malaysian Heat - Sauber: Sauber's ultra-slim sidepods work well, team co-owner, founder and former boss Peter Sauber has revealed. The Swiss team stunned its opposition when it launched the new Ferrari-powered C32, featuring the smallest sidepods seen in modern times in Formula One. The innovation, whilst providing an obvious aerodynamic benefit, raised questions about whether the tight packaging could house radiators good enough for adequate cooling. "We had not the slightest problem with the cooling system," Sauber, referring to the car's impressive and reliable debut at Jerez, told Switzerland's Motorsport Aktuell. Jerez, however, was notably cool, raising the question of whether the cooling system will be good enough for much hotter locations. "The values were good enough that we can extrapolate for temperatures up to 35 degrees," said Sauber. "The bottom line is that the cooling will work just fine in Malaysia."

Parts Recycler Buys HRT Assets: Assets of the newly-defunct Formula One team HRT have been bought. Spain's AS newspaper reports that Teo Martin, a well-known automotive component recycler, has bought most of the valuable parts left over in the wake of the Spanish team's demise. The report said HRT's rented headquarters in Madrid are "already dismantled, deserted and silent." Teo Martin has apparently bought the 2011 and 2012 single seaters, a show car, a truck, tools, machinery, furniture and other assets. "In short, everything that can be recycled and sold that was still in HRT's possession (has been sold)," read the AS newspaper report. The sold assets did not include the 2012 engines, which have been returned to Cosworth, or the gearboxes, which were rented from Williams. "The amount of the transaction is not known," added AS.

De La Rosa To Stay GPDA President: Pedro de la Rosa looks set to continue his role at the head of the F1 drivers' union, despite dropping off the actual racing grid for 2013. The veteran Spaniard, however, will still be at the Grands Prix in his new role as Ferrari's development test driver, and so according to El Mundo Deportivo newspaper he will likely remain president of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA). "I am ready to go on, if the other drivers want me to," he is quoted as saying. It is reported de la Rosa's re-election will take place in Australia, ahead of the 2013 season opener next month.

Mallya's Kingfisher Close To Collapse?: Force India boss Vijay Mallya's grounded airline Kingfisher appears close to folding. Respected business newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, said plans by Kingfisher's lenders to recall loans is "likely to cause severe financial strain" across Mallya's entire portfolio. "Fifteen days earlier, I would have given a confident answer. Today I have none," an unnamed 'senior Kingfisher executive' is quoted as saying. An aviation official told the Times of India newspaper: "It is almost the end of the road for Kingfisher." The Business Standard said among collateral available to lenders are assets like helicopters, while Mallya's villa in Goa, India, is being sold. The Financial Times said another of Mallya's houses near Mumbai has already been collateralized. Representing Kingfisher's lenders, the State Bank of India's deputy managing director Shyamal Acharya told The Hindu: "We gave them enough time. They are not saying anything new or credible."