F1: Grand Prix News Briefs (Update 5)

Formula 1

F1: Grand Prix News Briefs (Update 5)

The German Grand Prix will return to the Nurburgring as scheduled next year...

SPEED Staff / GMM | Posted July 27, 2010 GMM Newswire

The Nurburgring's future on the F1 calendar seems likely. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Nurburgring Plays Down F1 Calendar Exit Rumors: The German GP will definitely revert as scheduled to the Nurburgring next year. The track has recently been alternating the annual hosting of the F1 race with Hockenheim, with the arrangement originally set to run only until 2011. But at Hockenheim last weekend, there were rumors that Bernie Ecclestone is so happy with his new arrangement with that circuit that he wants to return next season and beyond. Last year, when Hockenheim said it could no longer afford the F1 chief executive's race fees, Ecclestone agreed to share the "business risks and opportunities" with a new deal through 2018. In the days before the race, attended by 65,000 spectators, organizers confirmed that the 2010 event was set to break even. On Tuesday, operating company Nurburgring Automotive GmbH played down the rumors about Hockenheim now taking its place in F1. "The fact that the race will take place (in 2011) is beyond question," the company said according to the news agency SID, as advance ticket bookings commenced. Late last year, local Rhineland-Palatinate state politicians said they wanted a new F1 contract for the Nurburgring with "more favorable conditions" and not "at any price."

HRT Team Owner Confirms Likely Toyota Deal: HRT owner Jose Ramon Carabante has confirmed that the struggling Spanish team is set to collaborate with Toyota. Team boss Colin Kolles admitted at Hockenheim that working with Toyota Motorsport, the Japanese marque's former F1 arm based in Cologne, is a "good option" for Hispania. Driver Bruno Senna, however, indicated that agreements are not yet signed. But reports suggest HRT, whose partnership with 2010 car builder Dallara has been terminated, will use Toyota's headquarters and wind tunnel, staff and the designs of its unraced TF110 car. Carabante has now confirmed the deal by playing down fears in Spain that HRT will no longer be based in Murcia, the autonomous region that is also a sponsor of the team. In a report by the Spanish news agency EFE, Carabante said that notwithstanding the arrangement with Toyota, the team will remain in Murcia "because the project was born here." The report said the deal is worth EUR15 million, with Carabante insisting it "will strengthen Hispania in the battle to be the best of the new teams, which is our first goal." EFE said HRT's technical contract with Toyota Motorsport will be for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Sakon Yamamoto reportedly brings healthy personal sponsorship to HRT. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

HRT Confirms Yamamoto, Senna, For Hungary: HRT on Tuesday confirmed that Sakon Yamamoto has retained his race seat for the weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix. The Japanese, reportedly with $5 million in sponsorship to pay to the struggling Spanish team in 2010, raced initially in Bruno Senna's cockpit at the recent British Grand Prix. He then replaced Karun Chandhok in Germany, but the Indian rookie - whose new sponsor Japyee was on the Cosworth-powered F110 at Hockenheim - said it is possible he will be back in the car this weekend in Hungary. But in a media statement, Hispania Racing announced its Hungaroring lineup as Yamamoto, 28, alongside Senna. "I can't wait to go back to the Hungaroring as I know the circuit already very well from my Formula One races with Super Aguri, Spyker and with ART in the GP2 series," said Yamamoto.

Piquet Jr. Defends Under-Fire Massa: Nelson Piquet Jr. has defended Felipe Massa after the Ferrari driver allegedly allowed Fernando Alonso to win Sunday's German GP. In the wake of the Hockenheim team orders affair, the Brazilian media has been hard on 29-year-old Massa, who according to some publications, displayed a lack of courage on the anniversary of his 2009 crash. Heavily criticized last year was Piquet, who argued he was ordered by Flavio Briatore to deliberately crash his Renault during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix in order to bring out the safety car and boost Alonso's chances of winning. "Talk is cheap and it's easy to criticize," Piquet, now driving in NASCAR's lower-tier Truck Series, is quoted by Globo Esporte. "But the hole is deeper than you think." Indeed, Massa has been quoted in Brazil as saying "many drivers" would have acted similarly in his shoes at Hockenheim, and after leaving Ferrari, Rubens Barrichello revealed that he would have lost his job had he not moved over for Michael Schumacher in 2002.

Heidfeld In Talks For 2011 Race Cockpit Return: Nick Heidfeld remains committed to returning to the F1 grid in 2011. After holding out for a competitive seat with an established team in the wake of BMW's withdrawal at the end of last season, the veteran of 167 Grands Prix found himself without a ride at all. German Heidfeld, 33, has therefore attended the Grands Prix this year as Mercedes' reserve driver, but on Tuesday he revealed that he does not think he will graduate to a race seat with the Brackley based team in 2011. Heidfeld said his current job is not all bad. "There are worse things than to get to drive beautiful AMG models," he said on Austrian Servus TV. "That's not the problem. The problem is when I see them (his former F1 rivals) driving and not me. But I am quite clear with my motivation and I know that the prospects for the future are quite good." He has recently been linked with the vacant 2011 seat at Renault alongside his former BMW teammate Robert Kubica, and at Hockenheim was actually spotted inside the Enstone based team's motor home. Heidfeld confirmed that a return to the grid in 2011 means he will have to leave Mercedes. "Yes," he admitted. "In the near future it will not be possible to be a race driver (with Mercedes), so I am having to look elsewhere." Heidfeld revealed that he is not yet close to a deal. "Unfortunately no, not yet," he said. "We are in talks with almost all the teams that have a cockpit for next year open. I was a bit surprised this year how early the top seats were confirmed, so now we're having to look at what is still available."

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