Some news tidbits from the world of Formula 1:

Lotus Eyes Same Driver Lineup For 2011 – Gascoyne: Lotus will announce its 2011 driver lineup “pretty soon,” according to Mike Gascoyne. Although there are rumblings the Malaysian-owned team could be considering its Kuala Lumpur born test driver Fairuz Fauzy for a race seat, the team’s technical boss said he is happy with Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli. “I think the intention is to stick with the drivers we’ve got. I think they’re doing a great job,” said Gascoyne. When asked when official confirmation might come, he answered: “I think we’d like to do that pretty soon.” There have been questions about Italian veteran Trulli’s form so far this year, but Gascoyne insists he has had appalling luck and reliability. Asked whether Trulli has done enough to keep his drive, Gascoyne answered: “I think he has. I think Heikki has gotten better and better, his confidence is back and there’s a spring in his step and he’s pushing him (Trulli) very hard.” Gascoyne said Trulli has had appalling luck and reliability. “That’s the thing with experienced guys, if we give them the car, they can perform with it,” he said. “Jarno has shown he can still pull the big laps out when he has a trouble-free weekend.”

Coulthard Said No To Being Ferrari No. 2: David Coulthard has revealed he said no to being a Ferrari driver. Weighing in on the teammate histrionics at his former team Red Bull, the Scot said he believes the Milton Keynes based outfit treats its drivers as “an equal partnership.” He said the other option is “the Ferrari/(Michael) Schumacher route, with one driver openly backed over the other. … I once turned down the chance of a move to Ferrari as I would not accept being a signed-up No. 2 to Michael,” Coulthard, 39, revealed in his latest column for the Daily Telegraph. He acknowledged that the Schumacher method is “the most effective” in terms of winning championships, “but morally dubious. … The second (route) is the fairer system but incredibly volatile and difficult to put into practice,” added Coulthard. Having driven for Red Bull until the end of 2008, including two seasons as Mark Webber’s teammate, Coulthard said he believes the team when it says Sebastian Vettel is not being favored. He is therefore not sure if Australian Webber is doing the right thing by being openly critical in the wake of the front wing saga at Silverstone. “Mark clearly feels he can gain more leverage by going public and trying to shame the team whenever he feels hard done by,” said Coulthard. “It is a risky strategy. If it goes wrong, the relationship with the team could sour irreparably. If it comes off, he could consolidate his position, attract public sympathy and be remembered as a steely champion who battled against the odds to win his title.”

19m Euro Entry Deposit For 13th Team – Ecclestone: F1′s unnamed 13th team for 2011 must pay a EUR 19 million deposit, Bernie Ecclestone has revealed. In a bid to attract new teams, the sport recently abolished the long-standing requirement of a $48m bond, with the F1 chief executive even offering this year’s newcomers a multi-million startup fund. But according to London’s Evening Standard, the last spot on next year’s grid will only be filled if a team can prove it is healthily funded. FIA president Jean Todt’s son Nicolas recently withdrew the 2011 application of his GP2 team ART, but others including US group Cypher and Spanish Le Mans team Epsilon Euskadi, and possibly the Serbian hopefuls Stefan GP, remain interested.”We have told them that if they can’t put 16 million (British pounds) in now we don’t want them. If they can’t find that now there is no way they are going to run,” said Ecclestone.

Schumacher Should Retire Before 2011 – Stewart: Sir Jackie Stewart thinks Michael Schumacher will return to retirement after November’s Abu Dhabi finale. The seven time world champion is committed to Mercedes in 2011 and 2012, but his mediocre comeback only got worse in Britain at the weekend. Schumacher qualified eight tenths behind his teammate Nico Rosberg, before the younger German raced to the podium while his 41-year-old countryman finished ninth. Asked if he thinks the winner of a record 91 Grands Prix can now keep up with the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, Stewart told the Cologne Express: “He cannot even keep up with his teammate. “He (Rosberg) is usually faster and has not won a Grand Prix. “I would have preferred to have seen Michael not come back. Why did he do it? He had achieved everything and could only lose. The famous Scot was asked if he thinks Schumacher can improve in 2011. “The first question should be ‘will he do another year?’ I believe he will stop after this season.”

Barrichello Committed To Williams For 2011: Rubens Barrichello has revealed he is committed to staying with the Williams team in 2011. The veteran Brazilian, on the verge of notching up 300 career Grands Prix, joined the British team this year and has proved the regular pacesetter alongside highly-rated newcomer Nico Hulkenberg. Grove based Williams is also delighted with the 38-year-old’s technical contribution to the team, but it is believed only a single-year contract exists. “I have not signed any contract (for 2011) but I am not in any talks with other teams,” Barrichello is quoted as saying by the website of Motorsport Aktuell. He added: “Leaving Williams would be exactly the wrong thing, because they are already working on the program for next year. It would be a waste not to be here. “I want to be back on the podium with this team this year, and next year I want to be winning races.”