Some news tidbits from the world of Formula 1:

Sauber Will Not Use BMW KERS System In 2011: Sauber will not use the technology that already exists at its Hinwil headquarters when KERS systems return to Formula One next year. At a meeting of technical bosses last weekend in Canada, it was reinforced that the FOTA group’s voluntary ban on the energy recovery technology is set to lapse in 2011. But even though Sauber’s former owner BMW successfully developed and raced at huge expense an electronic KERS system last year, new boss Peter Sauber has revealed that it will not reappear next year. Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport claims that if Sauber runs a KERS system, it will be purchased from Ferrari for one million euros. When asked why Sauber will not use BMW’s KERS, Peter Sauber answered: “It was an air-cooled system, with far too many disadvantages.”

Heidfeld Could Split Merc Role With DTM Seat In 2011: Nick Heidfeld is tipped to combine an ongoing role as Mercedes’ reserve driver next year with a race cockpit in the German touring car series DTM. The 33-year-old said recently he wants to be back on the F1 grid in 2011 because “I feel too young for DTM or for taking part in Le Mans.” But with many teams likely to secure unchanged driver lineups next year, Heidfeld admitted this week: “I’m afraid that the top ten seats are gone already.” Now, in the Auto Plus column of the well-known French TF1 journalist-commentator Jean-Louis Moncet, veteran of 167 Grands Prix Heidfeld may be leaning towards a move to DTM. But Heidfeld would combine the 2011 seat, presumably in one of the Mercedes-powered DTM cars, with an ongoing role at grands prix, Moncet added. The same split is being managed this year by David Coulthard, who races a 2008 C-Class as well as attending F1 events as a British television pundit and occasional Red Bull reserve driver. However, Germany’s Bild newspaper recently said Sauber, currently fielding Pedro de la Rosa alongside Kamui Kobayashi, could host Heidfeld’s return to Formula One in 2011. Heidfeld drove for the independent Sauber team between 2001 and 2003, and then again with BMW ownership in 2006-2009.

Brawn Denies Blocking Red Bull From Mercedes Power: Ross Brawn claims he was mistranslated in suggesting Mercedes should not supply engines to Red Bull next year. The Italian magazine Autosprint quoted Brawn, Mercedes GP’s team principal, as saying the German marque should think “long and hard” before adding another customer team to its 2011 stable. The comments were interpreted as Brawn not wanting the best engine in the field to be mated to Red Bull’s arguably best chassis. “I was asked by an Italian journalist whether Mercedes could cope with a fourth team,” Brawn explained to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport. “I replied that Cosworth should supply any vacancies, because that’s the way it was planned by the FIA – that they (Cosworth) should be in business so that in an emergency there is not the reliance on the manufacturers. In the translation from Italian into English someone has added one and one together and come up with Red Bull.” However, competition director Norbert Haug told German reporters in Turkey that it would be “definitely very difficult” for Mercedes to supply a fourth team with engines in 2011.

Bigger Lotus Salaries Led To Force India Exodus: The promise of more money motivated a swathe of key people to defect to Lotus. That is the claim of Otmar Szafnauer, chief operating officer of the Force India team. Shortly after Force India promoted Mark Smith to replace the Sauber-bound technical director James Key, Lotus announced that Smith will move to the new Malaysian-backed team next year. Force India’s Lewis Butler (chief designer) and Marianne Hinson (head of aerodynamics) are also defecting to Lotus. “Lotus has double the salary,” Szafnauer is quoted by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport. “So you either have to pay more or look for an alternative.” Third in line after Key and Smith for Force India’s top technical job is reportedly Andy Green.

USF1 Auction Raises $1.4M For Creditors: The auction of the abortive formula one team USF1′s assets has raised $1.4 million. With a queue of creditors to pay off, the entire contents of the American outfit’s Charlotte headquarters went under the hammer. Among the 427 lots – including bins, computers, tools, a vacuum cleaner, a forklift, a barbeque, a wheel and a bottle of champagne – was a carbon fibre mock-up of the unraced chassis, which sold for $7,850.

New Massa Contract Reportedly Has ‘Barrichello Clause’: According to the latest rumor, Felipe Massa may have agreed to a “Barrichello-clause” in the pages of his new Ferrari contract. As the 29-year-old arrived in Canada mid last week, the Italian team said Massa will keep racing a Ferrari in 2011 and 2012, contrary to speculation that Mark Webber or Robert Kubica might replace him. But so far in 2010, Massa has struggled to match the pace of his new Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso, including in Canada, where he was outqualified before driving a messy race and crossing the line a lap down. The latest edition of the Swiss publication Motorsport Aktuell reports rumors that one of the conditions of Massa’s contract renewal was that he agree to be the number two driver. “Barrichello clause” is a reference to Michael Schumacher’s former Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello, who famously raced to support the championship charges of the team’s favored driver. Massa is quoted as responding to the rumors as “rubbish,” while Alonso refused to comment.

Sauber Hopes For Better Car For 2011: Sauber must now turn its attention to designing a much better car for next season. That was the assessment of team owner and boss Peter Sauber in the wake of last weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix. After an uncompetitive and unreliable start to the post-BMW period this year, there had been signs of a recovery until Montreal, where the C29 was faster only than the three new teams. “We are only able to tinker with this car,” Sauber, 66, is quoted as saying by the veteran Blick correspondent Roger Benoit. “It was an unpleasant parting gift from BMW and Willy Rampf,” he added. “All our hopes rest now with the C30 for next year.” Pedro de la Rosa has already confirmed he is on the market for a job for 2011, while the Japanese rookie Kamui Kobayashi has also been unconvincing. Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport gave the 23-year-old a “one out of 10″ for the Canada weekend, after almost being outqualified by a Lotus and then crashing on the first lap. “Kamui came into my office and apologized immediately,” Sauber revealed. “OK, that is the price one pays if one goes to the line with a rookie.”

Tester Bottas Must Win Races For Williams Future: Williams’ new test driver must start winning races if he is to progress further in Formula One. That is the admission of the Grove based team’s technical director Sam Michael, referring to Williams’ 2010 test and reserve driver Valtteri Bottas. The 20-year-old Finn is also contesting this year’s F3 Euroseries, and he drove in the same series last year as well as British F3, but has won no races so far. Earlier this month, however, Bottas did win the F3 Masters event at Zandvoort, as he also did in 2009. “Of course, it was a brilliant performance,” Michael is quoted by the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat. “Valtteri is the first person to have won the event twice and the Masters has always meant a lot to Williams. But he knows what he needs to do. We all expect him to win the Euroseries and hopefully he will do it soon. Valterri is a clever guy and he knows that he has to start winning races in F3, and only then will we look together at the next stage.”