Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda is impressed by the Red Bull RB9. (Photo: Getty Images)

Red Bull 'Best' After First Preseason Test - Lauda: Felipe Massa, who clocked the fastest overall time at last week's Jerez test, has declared the Ferrari F138 "better" than its predecessor. "It's more consistent, better in braking, in and out of the corners and easier to understand," he is quoted by Brazil's O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper. The Italian team's experienced new test driver Pedro de la Rosa, who tried the 2013 car on Friday, agreed: "The car is well-balanced and responds well to changes." He told AS newspaper: "There are no problems, but until the end of the Barcelona tests it's absurd to draw any further conclusions." Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo told Italy's Sky Sport 24 that the F138 is "in line with what we expected. But the one we are testing is different to the car that will start the season," he added. Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen was fastest as the Jerez test concluded on Friday. But Niki Lauda — F1 legend, German-language commentator and new Mercedes chairman — thinks Red Bull has "the best" car after the first week of preseason running. "After that I see a group with McLaren, Lotus, Ferrari and us (Mercedes)," the triple World Champion said. Jo Ramirez, the former long-time McLaren team manager now involved with countryman Sergio Perez, agreed: "Red Bull, McLaren and Lotus are fast and consistent. Ferrari is next and then Mercedes, but the differences are small. It will be another hotly-contested championship."

Hulkenberg's Feet Too Big For New Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg's feet are too big for the footwell of the new Sauber C32. As he began his career with the Swiss team at Jerez last week, the tall German discovered that his racing boots are too big to fit easily on the throttle and brake pedals. And "The car cannot be rebuilt," Bild newspaper correspondent Nicola Pohl reported. Hulkenberg confirmed: "We have cut the rubber soles back at the heels to give us some more space." Tight squeeze aside, the new grey Sauber made an impression on the competition last week. Asked which car had surprised him the most, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told Blick newspaper: "The Sauber! Just like 2012, they have made a good car again."

Pirelli Eyes Kovalainen For F1 Test Role: Heikki Kovalainen is a strong candidate to become a test driver for official F1 tire supplier Pirelli. But Paul Hembery, the Italian marque's F1 boss, admitted it all depends on whether Pirelli's contract to supply tires to the pinnacle of motor racing is extended. "This question is still open," he is quoted by Finland's Turun Sanomat. The highly-rated former Renault, McLaren and Caterham driver Kovalainen, 31, is the latest victim of the rise of 'pay drivers' in F1. Hembery continued: "When everything has been resolved, we will see what the situation is with our test drivers." He confirmed that Pirelli's 2012 test duo Jaime Alguersuari and Lucas di Grassi are still very much in the frame. "But Heikki would be an excellent candidate," added Hembery. "He is a highly-experienced driver. I really believe that he is one of the strongest candidates to be with us." Finnish rally legend Juha Kankkunen, however, thinks Kovalainen should give a career in rallying a chance. "I think it would be a perfectly reasonable alternative for Heikki, but so too is DTM or Le Mans," he told the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti. "But I have seen Heikki in a rally car on the frozen lake in Kuusamo (Finland) and he is an excellent driver, with real talent."

Renault Link Key To Pic's Caterham Move - Panis: Caterham's links with French manufacturer Renault was key to Charles Pic's Marussia switch. That is the claim of Olivier Panis, the former Grand Prix winner who is now deeply involved with the management of countryman Pic's F1 career. Some raised their eyebrows when Pic, 22, agreed to switch from Marussia to Caterham — both similarly-matched backmarker teams — for the 2013 season. "We were very pleased with the collaboration with Marussia," Panis insisted to the Russian website f1news.ru. "But for the future we wanted to have a serious partner, and when a company like Renault wants to work with you — we hope for many years — it is impossible to say no," added the former BAR and Toyota driver. "So this was the main reason." Meanwhile, Panis said Pic is happy to be paired with Giedo van der Garde this year, after the highly experienced and rated Heikki Kovalainen was ousted. "Last year, Charles learned a lot from Timo (Glock), so now I think that factor is not so important. Personally, I don't mind. An experienced teammate is fine, but we are happy with Giedo. He also deserves a chance to show what he can do," said Panis.

Coulthard's Sister Dies: David Coulthard's younger sister Lynsay (35) has died, British media report. The former McLaren and Red Bull driver was reportedly told the bad news just before appearing live for an interview on a TV cooking show. "He wanted to put on a brave face and just get the show done," said BBC commentator Coulthard's agent. The Sun newspaper said police believe Lynsay Jackson died after a sudden unexpected illness. A spokeswoman said: "The circumstances are not believed to be suspicious." Lynsay had a husband and young daughter.