Some news tidbits from the world of Formula 1:

Hamilton – Red Bull To Be ‘Even Stronger’ With F-duct: Lewis Hamilton admits he is worried about Red Bull’s plans to introduce an F-duct this weekend in Turkey. The downforce spoiling concept was pioneered this year by McLaren, but key rivals including Ferrari and Mercedes have steadily followed suit. The system promises a straightline speed boost, which is an ominous prospect for Red Bull’s rivals, given the current dominance of the championship leading RB6 car. “With this system the best team becomes even stronger,” 2008 World Champion Hamilton is quoted by Germany’s Sport Bild. “The RB6 has many good, detailed solutions. I have already told my engineers that we must copy them.”

Massa’s Manager In Talks With Other Teams: Serious talks about the extension of Felipe Massa’s Ferrari contract have begun, according to Finland’s Turun Sanomat. But the newspaper also reports that Brazilian Massa’s manager, Nicolas Todt, has held exploratory talks with other F1 teams – perhaps Renault. Rumors have linked current Renault driver Robert Kubica as well as Red Bull’s Mark Webber with the 2011 seat alongside Fernando Alonso, with Massa’s current contract set to expire in December. The 29-year-old has also been struggling with Maranello based Ferrari’s F10 car. “We have a long contract with Alonso, and we trust Massa,” team boss Stefano Domenicali is quoted as saying. “He is doing a good job.” Massa said: “I like it very much at Ferrari – I know everybody and everybody knows me. But it is always encouraging to know that there are others with fast cars who are interested in me. The main objective is to continue with Ferrari.”

No Team Orders At Red Bull: Red Bull will not favor one of its drivers over the other, team owner Dietrich Mateschitz has insisted. With the dominant RB6 car, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel are tied for points at the top of the World Championship. Vettel, 22, is seen as the Austrian team’s star and long-term hope, but his experienced teammate Webber has won the last two Grands Prix from pole. “We will have no team orders. Instead the better one or the luckiest one should win,” billionaire Mateschitz told Bild am Sonntag newspaper. Moreover, Red Bull’s F1 advisor Dr Helmut Marko said the rivalry between Vettel and Webber is crucial. “Neither of them would be where they are today without the strong competition within the team,” he told Austria’s APA news agency.

Alonso To Enjoy Stage Of Giro d’Italia: Amateur cyclist and fan Fernando Alonso on Tuesday will take part in the sixteenth stage of the famous Giro d’Italia Grand Tour. The Ferrari driver has been invited to enjoy the 12.9 kilometer mountain individual time trial between San Vigilio di Marebbe and Plan de Corones. The 28-year-old will “enjoy the Giro on the crucial final moments of the stage,” the organizers confirmed. Alonso confirmed last year he would like to set up a professional cycling team, perhaps with a project involving top Spanish rider and friend Alberto Contador.

No Pre-Spa Court Appearance For Hamilton: Lewis Hamilton will not have to appear in a Melbourne court just two days before he is due in the Spa-Francorchamps paddock late in August. After it emerged the McLaren driver has now received an official charge and court summons over his “hoon-driving” in the Australian city earlier this year, some reports said Hamilton, 25, will have to appear personally in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 24, the Tuesday before the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix. But the Daily Telegraph believes Briton Hamilton will instead only need to pay “a small fine which can be paid by a local lawyer on his behalf.” The silver AMG C63 car in which Hamilton over-exuberantly drove sold at auction last month for $158,000.

Cosworth Not Denying Stock Market Floatation Reports: According to reports in the financial media, F1 engine supplier Cosworth could soon be floated on the stock exchange. The reports estimated the value of the flotation at about $360 million, following the famous British marque’s return to F1 with Williams and all three of the new teams. Main investors Gerald Forsythe and Kevin Kalkhoven, who bought Cosworth from Ford in 2004, are reportedly considering the move as profits are expected to surge from $2m in 2008 to more than $70m this year. The reports said auditor Deloitte may have been hired for the initial public offering, and a source admitted that business has picked up dramatically since the company laid off 200 staff when it dropped out of F1 at the end of 2006. The Northampton Chronicle quoted a spokesman as saying on Tuesday: “As with any company that enjoys a particularly successful period, there is speculation that they will float. Those things go hand in hand.”

African Stowaways Hid In F1 Trucks: Five illegal immigrants made their way into Britain last week by hiding inside trucks operated by Formula One Management. The canvas-sided trucks, boarded by the African stowaways in Calais, were returning to FOM’s Biggin Hill headquarters in Kent from the recent Monaco Grand Prix. The trucks were also carrying F1′s broadcasting equipment, and the drivers only discovered the extra cargo once the journey was complete. FOM staff phoned police and the illegal immigrants were handed over to authorities, a UK Border Agency spokesperson confirmed. A FOM spokesman said: “This is the first time we have had such a problem.”

Williams In Talks For Renault Power: Williams has emerged as a third possible recipient of Renault engines for the 2011 season. After the French marque said it has the capacity to add more teams to its current F1 roster, it was rumored that the hopeful newcomers ART could be eyeing Renault power. Reports then emerged that the new Cosworth-powered Lotus team might be contemplating a change of engine supplier. Now, Italy’s Autosprint reports that Williams is already in talks with Renault. There may also be a link between the Williams/Renault talks, and rumors that Renault’s former long-time engineering director Pat Symonds could soon be a consultant to the design of Williams’ forthcoming FW33 car. Renault currently supplies the team that bears its name, as well as the dominant Red Bull Racing, and Renault’s head of engine operations Remi Taffin said: “We still do not know how it will be in 2011. But we do know that we have the ability to assist more than two teams.”

Montezemolo – New F1 Teams Should Be In GP2: Luca di Montezemolo has repeated his disapproval of F1′s new teams. In the wake of the carmaker exodus, the Ferrari president expressed his desire that big teams be allowed to field third cars. Instead, new teams including Virgin, HRT and a relaunched Lotus debuted with the support of the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone. But earlier this year, Maranello based Ferrari ridiculed the new entry list as being more deserving of the name “Formula GP3.” Montezemolo is now quoted by Tuttosport: “In the 60th year of Formula One, Ferrari is celebrating its 800th Grand Prix. Let me say with pride that no one will be able to match this record. For us it is a source of great satisfaction and pride because is represents that Ferrari has been here even in difficult times, while other teams have come and have gone. I repeat that Formula One without Ferrari is not Formula One, and this year there are many teams that should be racing in GP2.”

Mercedes Crew Winning 2010 Pit Stop Speed Race: Mercedes is winning the race as the team with the fastest pit stops in 2010. An analysis by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport shows the Brackley based team has performed the fastest race pit stop at the last four Grands Prix of the season. Interestingly, Michael Schumacher was turned around the fastest of the entire F1 field in China, Spain and Monaco, while his teammate Nico Rosberg only received the quickest service in Malaysia. The Red Bull pit crew, meanwhile, did the fastest pit stops at the opening Bahrain and Australian Grands Prix, with both Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber benefitting equally from the quick service. The speed of the tire-changing pit crews is more significant this year than in the recent past due to the ban on refuelling.