Latest F1 news in brief

Alonso gives Ferrari '8 out of 10' for 2013
Unpaid suppliers file claims against ailing Sauber
Agag tips top F1 teams to race in Formula E
Pollock launches company to help drivers

Alonso gives Ferrari '8 out of 10' for 2013
(GMM) Fernando Alonso has given Ferrari an 8 out of 10 for the 2013 season so far.

The Spaniard is trailing Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel in the drivers' championship by 34 points, while Ferrari has admitted it is falling behind in the car development race.

"Now it is vital that we optimize the performance of our car, just as our rivals have managed to do, because we want to get back to fighting for the top places as soon as possible," said team boss Stefano Domenicali.

Nonetheless, in an interview with the German broadcaster RTL, Alonso said he is satisfied with his season so far.

"It has been good," he said, "so I think we can give it an eight (out of ten) — a good score.

"Clearly we are not the fastest," the 31-year-old admitted, "but our car is very complete, so I would say I am satisfied."

Alonso has won twice but also finished second twice in 2013 so far, and he said trailing home the winner can sometimes be satisfying.

"Sometimes it (finishing second) is a great satisfaction, at other times a big disappointment," he said.

"There are never two results alike, as it depends on the circumstances and who is in first place.

"If your biggest rival is not the winner, it may be a very good result," Alonso added.

Unpaid suppliers file claims against ailing Sauber
(GMM) The depths of Sauber's financial problems are now beginning to emerge.

The Swiss business newspaper Handeslzeitung reports that dozens of unpaid suppliers to the struggling Hinwil based team have filed claims, totaling almost EUR 1 million.

The report said the suppliers have waited several months for their invoices to be paid, before lodging the claims against Sauber with the official Swiss debt register Betreibungsregister.

"We are very much in contact with our suppliers," founder Peter Sauber is quoted as saying, "and make every effort to get out of this situation as quickly as possible."

The Swiss daily Tages-Anzeiger said Sauber, who may also owe money to engine supplier Ferrari, needs to fill an additional $30 million hole simply to complete the 2013 season.

It has been reported that Sauber is in talks with a financial savior from Russia, but the latest rumor is that the possibility of a tie-up with an international Asian carmaker is also on the table.

Agag tips top F1 teams to race in Formula E
(GMM) Alejandro Agag, the organizer of the new electric open-wheel series, thinks top F1 teams like Ferrari and Red Bull will eventually fight for the Formula E title.

And the Austrian news agency APA said "there are already talks" between Agag and McLaren.

"I'm sure teams like Ferrari and Red Bull will be in Formula E one day," Agag told the German newspaper Die Welt.

It is already known that Williams is supplying the series' lithium batteries, McLaren is developing the electric motors and transmission, former F1 supplier Michelin the tires, and GP2 partner Dallara the chassis.

And Agag said former F1 and GP2 drivers will be at the wheel, although "I can't say any names yet".

He insisted, however, that the plan is not to replace formula one.

"I'm a big formula one fan," said Agag, "so I hope it never disappears.

"Eventually, we would like to be as big as F1, but our focus is different."

Pollock launches company to help drivers
(GMM) The F1 team BAR's founder Craig Pollock has launched a new company with the aim of funding promising drivers through the motor racing ranks.

Pollock, also the former manager of 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, has created Luxembourg based 'The Pollock Formula' after his 2014 F1 engine supply foray Pure failed to secure the necessary funding.

"Often the careers of young talents stop at a certain point due to a lack of resources," said Pollock, whose aim is to create a new formula for raising money.

"Investors expect a return on their investment that we can guarantee within three years," he added, explaining that the project will succeed due to his insider knowledge and relationships within the F1 paddock.