News briefs from Turkey

(GMM) Honda's chief aerodynamicist Mariano Alperin-Bruvera has left the struggling Japanese team to join BMW-Sauber, it emerged on Saturday at the scene of the Turkish grand prix.

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Giancarlo Fisichella has settled a long running dispute with the Italian tax office. The authorities had wanted the Renault driver to pay more than 17 million euros after contesting his official residence of Monaco. As a settlement he has agreed to pay 3.8m euro.

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Bridgestone on Friday admitted the blame after Nico Rosberg's Williams appeared to enter the Istanbul F1 circuit for practice with an illegal 'mixed' set of tires. The German's machine featured two unmarked tires and two with white lines, indicating the softer compound.

"This was a mistake on our behalf," said the Japanese tire marque's Kees van de Grint.