Some news tidbits from the world of Formula 1:

McLaren Drivers Can Battle: Unlike Red Bull and perhaps also Ferrari, McLaren’s two drivers are free to race when running first and second. Red Bull’s Christian Horner admitted in Shanghai that when his drivers are dominating, the actual wheel-to-wheel racing ends at the first corner. And although Felipe Massa denies it, it is rumored that a similar policy is in place at Ferrari. But toward the end of Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, it appeared that race leader Jenson Button and teammate Lewis Hamilton were still challenging one another for the victory. McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh confirmed: “It was a very long race for us. In the end, we allowed them to race each other freely, which was a bit nerve-wracking. Would I have been happier if they had held station to the end? Of course, as I would now have a few less grey hairs,” he is quoted as saying in the German press. “But it was exciting racing from the first lap to the last, and good for the show. That’s the way it should be.”

Iceland Ash Could Leave Virgin Driver Short On Fuel: While F1 personnel devise imaginative routes back to Europe, the harshest impact of the volcanic ash lingering above Europe could fall on Virgin. With FIA clearance, the new British team has been busily designing a new chassis to accommodate a fuel tank big enough to take its cars to the end of races. The package, at an estimated development cost of 1 million pounds sterling, was due to debut in Barcelona in three weeks. But F1′s hundreds of kilos of freight – including the two race cars driven by Lucas di Grassi and Timo Glock in Shanghai – are currently holed up at Shanghai airport while the six 747 jets are stranded back in Europe. It means the Virgin cars, including a third spare monocoque, might not be returned to the Yorkshire base in time – or at all before being shipped to Barcelona – so they can be modified for the new chassis package. It is believed Virgin only has a single VR-01 monocoque already at the factory, so it is possible that either di Grassi or Glock could be forced to contest Spain next month with the too-small fuel tank still fitted.

HRT May Sign Second Test Driver: Sakon Yamamoto could get his first outing as HRT’s new Friday driver in Barcelona next month. The former Super Aguri and Spyker driver has been signed by the Spanish team, and was in Shanghai last weekend. But after Colin Kolles said he wanted to pay an experienced driver to contribute to the development of the F110 car, and gauge the strengths of Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna, it is rumored that HRT might now sign a second test driver. It is believed Yamamoto comes with significant sponsor funding, and it could be the next driver signed by HRT that does the bulk of the Friday running this season. The 27-year-old told France’s Auto Hebdo: “It is expected that I will drive on Fridays at grands prix. Surely from Barcelona, but it remains to be confirmed.”

Buemi Not Afraid To Return To Toro Rosso Cockpit: Sebastien Buemi insists he will have no qualms about returning to the wheel of his Toro Rosso on Saturday. In initial practice for the Chinese Grand Prix, the 21-year-old Swiss had a scary incident when both wheels sheared off at high speed. He appeared shaken once he had returned to the garage, and was “quiet” as he went off to the circuit medical centre for a routine check, his team boss Franz Tost revealed. Buemi could not return to the track in the afternoon because his STR5 was still being repaired, but he insists he will not give a second thought to stepping back into the cockpit on qualifying day in Shanghai. “For me, in the car, it was no problem,” Buemi told reporters, revealing that his biggest disappointment was the thought of how much practice time he would lose. “The run-off area is huge and no matter how it looked, for me it was no big deal.” Asked how the incident dents a driver’s confidence, he answered: “Hardly at all. Something can always break. We will replace the parts and think nothing more about it.” As for whether he is worried the same thing might happen on Saturday, Buemi said: “No.”

De La Rosa Not Worried About Rumors Of Losing Seat: Pedro de la Rosa has played down rumors he could soon lose his Sauber race seat. After several years as McLaren’s test driver, the Spanish 39-year-old was drafted in for his experience by Peter Sauber. But Sauber, 66, recently expressed doubts about the Swiss team’s 2010 lineup, and particularly the time it is taking de la Rosa to reacclimatize to racing. “It is best to ask Peter Sauber but it (Sauber’s comments) is something that does not worry me,” de la Rosa is quoted as saying by Spain’s AS newspaper. “I am very calm, I want to be here for as long as possible and I want to improve — that is my concern. Making the car faster (is important), not getting into rumors that just waste time,” he added. De la Rosa denies that he is struggling at the wheel of the C29. “I think I took three days to get back into it, when I said that I was a little rusty. From then I feel very good and that I have been driving well. “What has happened is we have had very poor reliability, but that is down to isolated cases, so I’m concentrating on my work and on getting points when we can.” It has been suggested that Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado, with some big sponsors in tow, would be first in line for de la Rosa’s seat, but the Spaniard dismissed it as “just a rumor”.

Kolles Plays Down Criticisms Of HRT’s Dallara Car: Colin Kolles has played down reported criticisms of HRT’s car designer Dallara, but confirms that the contract with the Italian company has been terminated. The team’s new technical boss Geoff Willis was the first to criticize the quality of the F110 car, and earlier this week business affairs boss Manfredi Ravetto slammed Dallara’s contribution as a “total mess”. It is now suggested that the Spanish team will embark on its own development program for the car, rather than rely any longer on Parma-based Dallara. “These plans (of HRT) have nothing to do with criticisms of Dallara,” team principal Kolles said in an interview with Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport. “These are two different things. The criticisms, after I spoke with the people (involved), were perhaps misinterpreted and misquoted,” he added. “That is point number one. Point number two is how the team will work in the future. It was clear from the outset that the contract with Dallara is completed. It ended on the date on which we ran our cars. That we might consider continuing with Dallara is only one out of three or four options.”

Massa Says No In-Race Team Orders At Ferrari: Felipe Massa has denied that standing team orders are in place at Ferrari. It is rumored that when Red Bull’s drivers are running first and second this season, they are not to attack one another, while the leading driver is given first call on the timing of his pit stop. But when asked if the same arrangement exists between himself and Fernando Alonso at Ferrari, Massa said in China: “No. Neither of us will do something stupid, that’s obvious, but we are fighting against each other, just like everyone else on the track,” he is quoted as saying in the Spanish media. “But we respect each other, for sure.” Massa also indicated that Ferrari is deciding on a “race by race” basis about the drivers’ pit strategies.