Latest F1 news in brief

Jock Clear now wears red

Jock Clear starts work for Ferrari
Career twists for Doornbos, Villeneuve
Raikkonen: 'Too early' to judge wet tires
Vettel, Kvyat and Vandoorne on day two
Sarrazin: Prost 'broke my heart' over F1 seat

Jock Clear starts work for Ferrari
(GMM) Jock Clear has finally started work at Ferrari, after serving a full year of so-called 'gardening leave'.

In late 2014, Mercedes announced that Lewis Hamilton's highly regarded and experienced performance engineer is leaving the dominant German team.

A full year later, Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene said just before Christmas: "The only new arrival (at Ferrari in 2016) will be Jock Clear and no one else."

Indeed, Briton Clear, who also worked with Michael Schumacher at Mercedes, was on duty in red uniform on Monday as Pirelli's wet tire test at Paul Ricard began.

His role will be overseeing the race engineering operations of the Maranello based team.

On Monday, it was Raikkonen at the wheel of last year's Ferrari, which was running alongside McLaren-Honda and Red Bull.

On Tuesday, Sebastian Vettel will take his turn for Ferrari.

At the French circuit on Monday, Raikkonen said: "The aim is to win, but the new car is yet to do a single lap, so let's see how the testing goes next month."

Pirelli chief Paul Hembery on Monday seemed happy that F1's official tire supplier will be able to do more testing this year.

"We will do about 30,000 kilometers," he is quoted by Brazil's UOL, "bearing in mind that the tire suppliers before us did 100,000kms of testing in a season with only one team."

Doornbos now in the sex toy business

Career twists for Doornbos, Villeneuve
(GMM) A former F1 driver's career has taken a stimulating twist.

In 2005 and 2006, Dutchman Robert Doornbos appeared in grands prix for Minardi and Red Bull.

But CNET, a technology website, said the 34-year-old went on to found Kiiroo, an innovative sex toy company.

Kiiroo's website said its latest product uses online technology so that sex partners can "feel each other's touch" remotely, and interact with porn videos.

"We added the third dimension of touch to the internet," Doornbos said at an adult entertainment expo in Las Vegas.

On another subject entirely, 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve's new career in Formula E has ended suddenly.

A notice on the website of the Venturi team, which was co-founded by American actor Leonardo DiCaprio, said simply that the two sides chose to end the deal "by mutual agreement".

Villeneuve, 44, had a difficult start to the season, admitting that "on paper it looks crap", but the French Canadian denied that he decided to quit in order to race in a different series.

"I did not stop to change category," said the former Williams driver. "I have no plans at the moment.

"What happened was very fast and I have nothing more to add," he is quoted by Brazil's UOL. "The situation will allow me to work on other projects — I am a driver and my goal is to race.

"I was very involved with the project, but unfortunately we were not on the same page — period," insisted Villeneuve.

"We had a lot of problems in the first races and it left everyone dissatisfied. If the relationship is not good, it's better for everyone to focus on their own projects, so you avoid fighting. That's all," he added.

Kimi Raikkonen

Raikkonen: 'Too early' to judge wet tires
Kimi Raikkonen says that it is "too early" to judge Pirelli's new wet-tire prototypes, after sampling a selection at Paul Ricard on Monday.

Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren were the three teams present as Pirelli began a two-day test to gather data for potential future products.

Raikkonen ended the day at the bottom of the timesheets, behind McLaren tester Stoffel Vandoorne and Red Bull racer Daniel Ricciardo.

"It was like a normal day of testing," commented Raikkonen, who completed 99 laps of the venue's 3.5-km track layout.

"I think it's too early to say much about these prototype tires, but it was a very useful session, because everyone was running under the same conditions."

Raikkonen last drove at Pirelli's dry-tire gathering in Abu Dhabi eight weeks ago, and was pleased to get back behind the wheel ahead of pre-season testing in Barcelona.

"It's been a while since we've driven and, even if it was just one day, there's always something you can learn from it," the 2007 World Champion summed up.

Sebastian Vettel takes over from Raikkonen at Ferrari on Tuesday.

Vettel takes over for Raikkonen today

Vettel, Kvyat and Vandoorne on day two
Pirelli's wet-tire test at Paul Ricard enters its second and final day on Tuesday, with Sebastian Vettel in action for Ferrari, Daniil Kvyat taking over at Red Bull and Stoffel Vandoorne continuing at McLaren-Honda.

Sole supplier Pirelli has been granted the additional two days of running to assist with tire development, providing teams with 2015-spec wets and prototype compounds for use on the sprinkler-soaked track.

Monday's wet running yielded a total of 285 laps, despite an afternoon stoppage for Vandoorne, with each team – using 2015 machinery – sent out for 10-lap runs, separated by 10 seconds.

Ricciardo (99 laps) ended the day fastest, ahead of Vandoorne (87 laps) and Raikkonen (99 laps).

"I think it's too early to say much about these prototype tires, but it was a very useful session, because everyone was running under the same conditions," Raikkonen reflected after the action.

Vettel, Kvyat and Vandoorne will take to the 3.5-km track on Tuesday.

From southern France, teams will return to their factories to complete final preparations for the first group gathering of the year, which takes place in Barcelona from February 22-25.

Stephane Sarrazin

Sarrazin: Prost 'broke my heart' over F1 seat
Stephane Sarrazin says that Alain Prost "broke my heart" by going back on a verbal promise to provide a Formula 1 race seat at his eponymous team for the 2000 season.

Sarrazin, having completed multiple tests with Prost's outfit, was given an opportunity to race for Minardi at the 1999 Brazilian Grand Prix, with regular driver Luca Badoer injured.

Although he crashed out of the race due to a stuck throttle, Sarrazin showed well against team-mate Marc Gené, and was offered a drive for the remainder of the season.

Sarrazin, however, claims Prost blocked the move and promised a deal for 2000, only to pair Jean Alesi with Nick Heidfeld, in anticipation of a Mercedes engine agreement.

"I was a reserve driver for Prost and suddenly Minardi called for a drive," Sarrazin, who was also racing in F3000 with the Prost-linked Gauloises team, told the Formula E website.

"And after Brazil they asked me to do the whole season and to sign immediately.

"They called many times, Mr. Minardi. Mr. Rumi [the owner of Fondmetal, co-owner of the team] called many times and Prost said, 'No, no, you don't drive with them. Next year you are with me'.

"That was my mistake, I think the mistake of my career.

"But at this time I was friends with Alain and for me he was a bit like a god! He was four-time [Formula 1] World Champion so to drive for him was an honor.

"I followed Alain, but the year after I was second in the championship behind Nick in Formula 3000 and he said, 'Sorry, I cannot take you, I have to take Nick for Mercedes engines for the year after'.

"I was completely out. He broke my heart.

"But it's a part of the game. I was alone, I was 23 and I think it's difficult to be in this world to be without a manager. If I was with a strong manager maybe he would have said, 'Alain, we go to Minardi [for the 1999 season] and after we speak about next year.'"

Sarrazin currently races in Formula E with Venturi.