Nuts And Bolts 2

Posted on February 25th, 2010 by Stephen Rhodes in Formula 1 - News/Rumors - Nuts and Bolts

Some news tidbits from the world of Formula 1:

Mercedes GP Secures Another Sponsor – Report: Mercedes GP will reportedly unveil another major sponsor prior to the Bahrain season opener. The German sport business publication ‘Sponsors’ said the funding was secured due to the involvement of returning seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher. The magazine said the sponsor is a German multinational that is new to Formula One. The Malaysian oil company Petronas is the newly branded Mercedes GP’s title sponsor.

Alguersuari Feels Ready Now: With the turmoil of his mid-season 2009 debut now behind him, Jaime Alguersuari feels ready to show the world his real talent. “Last year was what it was, I could not do more,” said the young Spaniard, who was called up to replace Toro Rosso’s lacklustre Sebastien Bourdais in July of last year. But he too struggled to match the pace of his teammate Sebastien Buemi, and until very recently it was unclear if team owner Red Bull would also oust Alguersuari. Looking back on his initial eight Grands Prix, the teenager told Spain’s Diario Sport: “I was an employee of Red Bull and could say neither yes or no (to replacing Bourdais). “For this year I have been able to train properly and develop physically as a driver and psychologically as a person, which is what I needed to do.” El Mundo newspaper quoted him as saying: “I’m no longer a soldier thrown onto the beaches of Normandy. Now I can go onto the track and complete two Grand Prix distances in a day of testing, as I did at Jerez.” Prior to his stint in the STR5 at Barcelona on Thursday, he believes he could be the “surprise” of the forthcoming season. He said his feeling so far at the wheel of the 2010 car, which is the first designed entirely by the Faenza based team since the Minardi takeover, is “very positive”. “It gives me the impression that it is very competitive and reliable,” said Alguersuari, albeit acknowledging that the four teams Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes are out in front. He was ninth on the Thursday’s charts, completing 111 laps.

Soucek May Test With Virgin In Spain This Week: Andy Soucek could make his track debut as Virgin’s new 2010 reserve driver this week. The new British team was the only outfit to have held off naming a definite driver lineup for the last four-day test of the winter, to kick off in Barcelona on Thursday morning. Speculation is that Virgin is prepared to give the reigning F2 champion and Spaniard some time at the wheel of the VR-01 this week Thursday, Lucas di Grassi took the wheel and crashed the car ending their day early. Meanwhile, contrary to suggestions that Fairuz Fauzy will not test the T127 this week, Lotus did use the Malaysian test driver on Thursday, he completed 76 laps in the T127. Jarno Trulli will then drive Friday and Saturday, meaning Heikki Kovalainen will only get one more day of testing prior to Bahrain.

No Return In 2010 For Ralf Schumacher: Ralf Schumacher is not returning to Formula One in 2010. Although he was linked with a race seat at the hopeful Serbian outfit Stefan GP, the Cologne newspaper Express says the German will be a mere commentator when his brother is competing in Bahrain next month. 34-year-old Schumacher’s DTM employer Mercedes has scheduled the former 6-time GP winner for an event in Berlin in mid-March, when he will give expert race commentary for a gathering of the marque’s guests and clients. The report was confirmed by official Walter Muller. “It is true, Ralf Schumacher will be our star guest,” he said.

Former PM Doubted Lotus Would Get Car Running: Malaysia’s former prime minister on Monday said he agreed to launch Lotus’ Norfolk headquarters because he initially did not believe the team would get up and running in 2010. The Malaysian backed team said in a press release that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad also sat at the wheel of the new T127 car while the Cosworth engine was fired up. Asked by reporters about his visit, he said: “I challenged them, ‘you get the car ready and I will come and sit in it’. “They actually got the car running. Well, I lost my bet but fortunately, no money is involved,” Dr. Mahathir laughed. He is now an advisor to Lotus Cars’ owner Proton, and credited as the ‘father’ of Malaysian motor racing and the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang.

Teams Hopes For ‘Good’ Weather At Final Test: Already setting up their garages at the Circuit de Catalunya, F1 teams are hoping for a good week of weather. All confirmed 2010 teams with the exception of Campos and USF1 will test for four days between Thursday and Sunday, in what is the final official pre-season track outing prior to the Bahrain opener in less than three weeks. The recent winter outing at Jerez was badly affected by rain, but the Spanish sports newspaper Diario Sport said the weather forecasts for Barcelona this week are “good”. Indeed, the skies above the Catalan capital on Monday are blue and clear, despite another weather forecast predicting some rain on Thursday and Saturday.