F1 news update: Nasr, Schumacher, Bahrain, Ecclestone

(GMM) Brazilian Felipe Nasr, and his sponsor Banco do Brasil, have joined Williams.

GP2 frontrunner Nasr, 22, is the British team's new reserve driver, and Williams said he will take part in five Friday morning practice sessions this year.

In a separate media statement, it was announced that the logos of Banco do Brasil, the largest bank in Latin America, will appear on the FW36's engine cover.

"I can't wait to get behind the wheel of a formula one car for the first time in Bahrain," said Nasr.

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Nasr's surname rhymes with that of his countryman Felipe Massa, the new Williams race driver, who revealed he recently visited his former Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher in the Grenoble hospital.

"He looks normal," Massa said at the Bahrain test, "and he also gave some reactions with the mouth and everything.

"I'm not a doctor, but when I saw him, for me, it looked very positive."

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Massa managed a healthy 60 laps in the FW36 on Friday, as the third day of Bahrain testing took place.

His pace was bettered only by fellow Mercedes-powered runners Jenson Button (McLaren) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), as the German carmaker continues to dominate early in the new V6 era.

Renault-powered Red Bull, meanwhile, continues to struggle, with Daniel Ricciardo managing just 28 laps on Friday until yet another mechanical problem.

But Australian Ricciardo insisted: "The car is definitely making progress. It's coming together bit by bit."

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McLaren driver Button has announced his engagement to his long-term model girlfriend, Japanese Jessica Michibata.

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F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone on Friday played down reports the sport's board, led by owner CVC's Donald Mackenzie, is preparing to oust him in the wake of a British judge finding he indeed paid a "bribe".

"I've spoken to Donald," 83-year-old Ecclestone told the Telegraph. "It was nothing of any importance.

"They (the board) can't understand how the judge has reached his conclusion. My lawyers can't either. They have been through it all and they can't find where I lied."

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Williams is pleased to announce a new partnership agreement with Banco do Brasil, Brazil's largest financial institution.

The Banco do Brasil logo will appear on the engine cover of the Williams Mercedes FW36, the overalls worn by each driver, and the kit worn by team personnel during the 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship season.

Founded in 1808, Banco do Brasil is the largest bank in Latin America with assets that exceed R$1.3 trillion (500 billions Euros). The bank has a presence in 99.9% of all Brazilian cities with agreements with 1,162 other financial institutions in 134 nations to help more than 61 million customers worldwide. It provides a full range of banking services in sectors of the capital market, asset management, insurance, pensions, annuity and payment methods.

Aldemir Bendini, President of the Bank of Brazil, believes that the partnership with Williams will enhance the image of the Brazilian bank, which traditionally invests in sports, and increase its ties with its clients; "The project will strengthen the position of the Banco do Brasil brand across the world through a sport that broadcasts to 185 countries, and has, in Brazil, an enthusiastic and captive audience."

Speaking about the new partnership Sir Frank Williams, Founder and Team Principal of Williams, added; "We have had a long and proud association with Brazil through our relationship with Brazilian drivers and some of the country's leading companies. This new partnership with Banco do Brasil continues this legacy and we both share a proud history with ambitions to achieve greater things in the future. This partnership will help both of our companies achieve those goals and we look forward to working closely with them this season."

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Ferrari's third day of testing at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain was slowed by a telemetry glitch in the morning, but in the second part of the day, the Finn managed to put in a good number of laps. There were no particular concerns in the Ferrari camp, as the problem was identified and solved.

Director of Engineering, Pat Fry said at the end of the day: “Today was a bit frustrating, because we were stopped for quite a time with a small but tricky problem. We knew that sooner or later we would have to deal with some problems and that was what happened. These things happen with a new car; some things that seem difficult turn out to be easy and others that appear simple get more complicated and we are still learning."

However, the team still aims to get through the planned program, trying to make the most of the time available tomorrow.

“We will try to do our utmost to acquire the mass of data we want. Ideally, we don’t want to change our operational plan for next week’s test."

Talking to journalists, Fry was asked the usual question about the state of play among the teams.

“It’s hard to say where we are. We knew we’d be facing a very complicated winter with a lot of unknown factors. That was the case, but in Maranello we have done a lot of work and I can see that it’s difficult for everyone to move forward on the development front with so many new systems and so little time to test them."