Latest F1 news in brief

Frijns splits with Hulkenberg manager Heinz
Todt rival Ward could oppose Bahrain GP
Senna hopes 'consistent' Massa can stay in F1
Pirelli to be 'very conservative' for 2014 – Hembery
Sirotkin to drive 2009 Ferrari at Fiorano

Frijns splits with Hulkenberg manager Heinz
(GMM) Robin Frijns will continue his push towards formula one with different management.

Amid Sauber's financial struggle this season, the Swiss team's Dutch reserve driver – rated highly in the paddock but not heavily sponsored – lost his job.

So 22-year-old Frijns, also in and out of GP2 seats this year, revealed recently he has teamed up with Just Sports Marketing in a bid to secure backing.

But Werner Heinz, who is Nico Hulkenberg's manager and earlier worked with Nick Heidfeld, remained Frijns' manager.

However, Frijns has now announced that he has split with Heinz "with immediate effect".

"Unfortunately, my career is somehow stuck now," he explained, "and I hope that these changes will help me to do some important steps forward."

Frijns said he will appoint a new manager "very soon".

Todt rival Ward could oppose Bahrain GP
(GMM) Jean Todt's rival FIA presidential candidate has announced he would consider dropping the highly controversial Bahrain grand prix.

David Ward told the BBC that current president Todt is guilty of "poor decision-making" over green-lighting recent editions of the race amid continuing civil unrest.

"If it looks like the situation is deteriorating or not improving, what there should be – because this could happen tomorrow in another part of the world – is a standard process to handle this, that is immune from suggestions that one place is being treated differently from another," he said.

Ward, however, denied that his close links to former FIA president Max Mosley are powering his push to dethrone Todt.

"I am doing this entirely for my own reasons," he said.

"The reasons I'm running is I can see failures going on in terms of governance that I think are quite serious."

Senna hopes 'consistent' Massa can stay in F1
(GMM) Bruno Senna has admitted his formula one career is probably over.

The nephew of F1 great Ayrton Senna, Brazilian Bruno Senna, now 29, raced until last year with HRT, Renault and Williams, scoring 33 career points.

He now drives for Aston Martin in the FIA's world endurance sports car championship, and has left the door open to a switch to Indy or Nascar in 2014.

Senna said he would "never close the door" on a return to F1 either.

"But the chance of getting a competitive car there is low," he told Brazil's Globo, "so I'm not too worried about that (F1).

"I do hope that Brazil will not be without a driver in formula one," added Senna, referring to Felipe Massa's push to stay in the sport after losing his Ferrari seat.

"It is difficult to know what will happen, the teams are always in negotiation, but he is a fighter," said Senna.

"His results this year have been good; much more consistent than a year or two ago. I'm hoping he can represent Brazil next year."

Pirelli to be 'very conservative' for 2014 – Hembery
(GMM) The days where grands prix are spiced-up by deliberately heavily-degrading tires could be over.

Since the tire-exploding crisis earlier this season, and the mid-year shift from steel to Kevlar-belted tires, Pirelli has also been taking more conservative compound choices to the races.

Very recently, it has culminated in less exiting grands prix, and runaway championship leader Sebastian Vettel's now tight grip on the second half of the season.

And for 2014, despite the radical engine rules shift, little will change on the tire front.

"We will take a very conservative strategy," Pirelli boss Paul Hembery told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

"We will take the worst-case simulation as the basis for the development of the tire structure."

Hembery argues Pirelli has been pushed in that direction by the teams, who are not overly willing to help with tire development for 2014.

Indeed, even the attempt to test with a representative car – Mercedes' current W04 – ended spectacularly badly for both the German team and F1's tire supplier.

Now, Pirelli is having to conduct 1000 kilometer tests with two-year old cars, such as the one with Red Bull in Barcelona recently.

"It went well, as far as we can tell," said Hembery. "The car is three seconds faster than our Lotus test car.

"But we are still expecting a journey into the unknown with the new 2014 cars."

Even a post-race test in Brazil after the 2013 season finale has now been cancelled.

"It (the tire development situation) is because of the paranoia of the teams," said Hembery.

"What we need in order to do our job, unfortunately doesn't fit with what the teams want. And nobody is coming up with a solution."

There is also uncertainty about Pirelli's longer-term future in F1.

The FIA has finally rubber-stamped the marque's presence on the grid beyond 2013, but a statement said that is just a "transition period" because Bernie Ecclestone and the teams had already agreed deals with Pirelli.

"Pirelli has five year agreements signed with Ecclestone and the teams and expects that these are respected," said La Gazzetta dello Sport's Andrea Cremonesi.

Sirotkin to drive 2009 Ferrari at Fiorano
(GMM) Sergey Sirotkin's push for a F1 super license will take place at the wheel of a four-year-old Ferrari.

We reported on Monday that the Russian teen, who is expected to make his grand prix debut for Sauber next year, has already got his program underway.

Prior to driving the 2013 Sauber on a 700 meter asphalted stretch of the new Russian venue in Sochi, the 18-year-old tested at the Vairano facility in Italy.

His next stop is Fiorano, Ferrari's own test track near its Maranello base.

"Actually, it's only a formality," Sirotkin told Russia's f1news.ru, referring to the need to acquire his F1 super license before Sauber can officially confirm his 2014 seat.

"We have two days to show race pace over 300 kilometers."

Italy's Italiaracing said Sirotkin will attempt to qualify for the mandatory FIA credential with a 2009 car supplied by Sauber's engine supplier, Ferrari.

The F60 was raced by Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa four years ago.

Italiaracing, adding that a seat fitting has already taken place, said Sirotkin's Fiorano test will be held on 7 and 10 October.