Ross Brawn says it's risky for manufacturers and teams to run all-new turbo V6 engines for the first time mere weeks ahead of the 2014 World Championship. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Brawn Wants Testing Tweaks For 2014 Engines: Ross Brawn is calling for F1's engine suppliers to be allowed to do some early testing ahead of the 2014 season. The Mercedes team boss said it is a risk to stick to the current plan, which would involve manufacturers and teams running all-new turbo V6s for the first time mere weeks ahead of the next World Championship. "We are looking for a solution," he is quoted by the Dutch magazine Formule1. "I'm not saying we need testing with the new engines this year, but maybe the first test days can be brought forward. For the engine supplier, it's a difficult task," added Brawn. Red Bull's Christian Horner agreed that some tweaks for the pre-2014 test program would be "logical." But Lotus' technical director James Allison is not so sure. "Is it possible to get ready in three tests? Yes," he answered rhetorically, saying simulation and dynamometer technology in F1 has become sufficiently advanced.

Jerez 'Empty' Without Hero Alonso: Jerez is struggling without Spanish hero Fernando Alonso. The 2012 runner-up and Ferrari driver elected to sit out the opening test of the preseason in favor of cycling training in a hot country — possibly the Canary Islands. His absence has led to mostly "empty grandstands" as the rest of the Formula One world tests at Jerez in southern Spain, Brazil's Globo reports. "We have 25 to 30 percent more journalists this year," Jerez's media boss Raul Zarzuela said. "Everyone wants to see the new cars — it's almost like a Grand Prix," he added. But "The absence of Alonso has hurt the interest here (in Spain)," Zarzuela admitted. "We (Spain) are in (economic) crisis, of course, but it only costs 10 euros for the whole day."

Grosjean Not Targeting 2013 Title: After Jenson Button stunned his rivals with the pace of the new McLaren on Tuesday, Lotus' Romain Grosjean went quicker still as a second test day came to a close at Jerez. But Frenchman Grosjean — banned at Monza last year and written off as a "first lap nutcase" by Mark Webber — insists he is not getting carried away with the tantalizing potential of the new black E21. "The World Title is not my goal," the 26-year-old is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport. "In 2013, I particularly want to be consistent. I know that the speed is there, in me. But in some situations I have to be more patient," added Grosjean.

Ecclestone Summons Small Teams To London: Bernie Ecclestone has summoned the chiefs of F1's smallest teams to his London headquarters. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said representatives of Marussia, Caterham, Force India, Sauber and Toro Rosso have been invited to the meeting on Thursday. With HRT now folded and other small teams ousting salaried drivers in favor of 'pay drivers' for 2013 and worrying about the cost of buying an engine in 2014, the meeting follows speculation F1's smallest teams are buckling under the pressure of financial problems. "The situation is serious," said German correspondent Michael Schmidt. Mercedes boss Ross Brawn, however, said he is not concerned. "We have always had these phases, and Formula One has always found its way out of them," he is quoted as saying. Referring, however, to Thursday's meeting with Ecclestone, journalist Schmidt continued: "There is much to discuss. It's quite possible he (Ecclestone) will remind them of an old idea: throughout the paddock the words 'customer car' are doing the rounds again."

Rossiter Hits Mechanic In Jerez Pit Stop: James Rossiter, Force India's simulator driver, crashed into a mechanic on Thursday morning at Jerez. The 29-year-old Briton, with F1 experience under his belt from the Honda and Super Aguri days, was asked to step into the new VJM06's cockpit to improve the correlation of data between the virtual and real worlds. German publication Auto Motor und Sport's live website text coverage of the test action said Rossiter hit the jack-man during a practice pit stop, sending him "high" into the air. "According to initial information," read the live ticker, "the mechanic is doing well. He's sitting in the Force India motor home to recover from the shock."

2013 Williams To Have 'Vanity Panel' On Nose: The FW35 is yet to see the light of day, but it will almost certainly feature a 'vanity panel' rather than a stepped nose. Alone amongst the rest of this year's field, Williams has delayed the debut of its 2013 car until Barcelona later this month, choosing instead to run with last year's car at Jerez. But already up and running is the tweaked 2013 livery, while the 2012-specification FW34 also appeared noticeably different for another reason in Pastor Maldonado's hands on Wednesday. Brazil's Globo pointed out that the FW34 was fitted with a smooth nose, unlike the unseemly 'step' that featured throughout last year's championship. This year, the FIA is allowing teams to use a 'vanity panel' to conceal the regulated height difference between the monocoque and nosecone, but some teams — notably Lotus and Caterham — have opted to keep the stepped feature.

Whitmarsh Pushed For Marussia Seat For Kovalainen: McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has admitted to trying to keep Heikki Kovalainen on the F1 grid. Finn Kovalainen, a McLaren driver in 2008 and 2009, has dropped out of Formula One after Caterham replaced him for the forthcoming season with heavily sponsored Dutch driver Giedo van der Garde. Lewis Hamilton, Kovalainen's former teammate, said he thinks team bosses are "crazy" to have overlooked the highly rated 31-year-old in favor of pay-drivers. At around the same time — just before Marussia announced Luiz Razia as Max Chilton's 2013 teammate — Whitmarsh said he made efforts to help Kovalainen to secure that seat. "I spoke with Heikki on Tuesday, when I thought about trying to help him with regards to Marussia," he is quoted by Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper. McLaren has a technical collaboration in place with Marussia.