Latest F1 news in brief
- Tour de France team plans 'on standby' – Alonso
- Mercedes plays down Schu's fist-waving at Rosberg
- Raikkonen admits 'options' for 2011
- Renault denies Kubica contract only 1-year deal
- Senna says Yamamoto debut was 'internal decision'
- Injuries not reason for 2010 struggle – Massa
Tour de France team plans 'on standby' – Alonso
(GMM) Fernando Alonso has admitted it is unlikely his plans for a professional cycling team will be realized for 2011.
The Ferrari driver said last year he would like to set up a team involving his friend and Spanish rider Alberto Contador with the ambition of winning the Tour de France.
He said in 2009: "Contador has one year left on his (Astana) contract. There's maybe a possibility for the year after. We'll see."
But Alonso, 28, said at Silverstone that his plans are currently "on standby".
"It's difficult for next year," the double world champion admitted, according to AS newspaper.
Meanwhile, the Spaniard said that with Saturday dawning fine and warm, the weather forecast for Sunday is "not so clear".
At the time of writing, morning rain is forecast for the day of the British grand prix.
Mercedes plays down Schu's fist-waving at Rosberg
(GMM) Mercedes has played down an apparent incident between its F1 drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg.
During Friday practice at Silverstone, Italian media colleagues spotted Schumacher waving his fist from his cockpit at his younger countryman Rosberg.
Blick newspaper said the 41-year-old had been held up on a fast lap, but quoted a Mercedes official as describing the incident as a "misunderstanding".
And a British media colleague said Mercedes insists the relationship between the pair is still in good shape.
Also in the Silverstone paddock, Rosberg played down his recently misreported comments about the development pace of the W01 car.
"It is true that Valencia was a disaster for us," he is quoted by Finland's Turun Sanomat. "Who wants to be in positions 12 or 15?
"But I never criticized Ross, who I respect as a great personality and a skilful team leader."
Raikkonen admits 'options' for 2011
(GMM) Kimi Raikkonen admits he has "options" but is yet to make a decision about what to do in 2011.
The 2007 world champion has been the subject of speculation in the Silverstone paddock, even though the Finn is in Bulgaria with the rally world championship.
Fellow rallying aficionado Robert Kubica fired up the rumors in Britain when he said Raikkonen would be a good Renault teammate in 2011, amid reports Mercedes' Norbert Haug recently visited the Finn in Switzerland.
Before a big crash in his Citroen whilst running competitively in Bulgaria, the 30-year-old was asked if he is any closer to making a decision about 2011.
"For sure I'll let everybody know when I make the decision," Raikkonen answered. "There are always options to do many things. I have to take the right one for myself."
Renault denies Kubica contract only 1-year deal
(GMM) Renault has denied reports Robert Kubica could be contractually free to leave the team at the end of next year.
The Enstone based team announced this week that the Pole has signed on for 2011 and 2012.
But subsequent reports indicated that, like his multi year deal signed at the end of 2009, the contract extension still includes team performance clauses that could mean the 25-year-old is able to switch to another team for 2012.
Finland's Turun Sanomat said Renault has denied those reports.
Speaking about his new deal at Silverstone, Kubica said: "I feel good, I like the atmosphere in the team, and that's it. It's very simple."
Senna says Yamamoto debut was 'internal decision'
(GMM) Bruno Senna has refused to shed any light on his mysterious one-race break from racing duties at Silverstone.
HRT's reserve driver Sakon Yamamoto is in Brazilian rookie Senna's car in Britain, amid paddock reports the Japanese and his sponsors offered 5 million euros to race the last ten grands prix of 2010.
The Spanish team has said only that it wanted to give Yamamoto an "opportunity" this weekend, but HRT had set up its Silverstone garage with 'Bruno' signage in the pits and even temporarily on the side of the F110 car.
After meetings involving Senna, boss Colin Kolles, HRT owner Jose Ramon Carabante and Senna's managers Chris Goodwin and Bianca Senna, the team said the 26-year-old will be back in the car in Hockenheim and beyond.
Brazilian reports say Senna's contract does not allow the team to change race drivers this year, but an agreement for Silverstone was reached in the meetings before the press statement was issued.
And Senna said only to Brazil's TV Globo: "It was an internal decision.
"They wanted to give an opportunity to Sakon for a while. There are four drivers in the team.
"Of course I would like to be in the car and racing here, it's one of my favorite tracks. But what matters most is that I will be back in Germany and the following races," he added.
Injuries not reason for 2010 struggle – Massa
(GMM) Felipe Massa has dismissed suggestions he has lost some of his edge after returning to formula one from serious injury.
The Brazilian, after almost clinching the 2008 title and initially leading Ferrari alongside Kimi Raikkonen in 2009, missed most of the second half of last season after his horror qualifying accident in Hungary.
So far in 2010, the 29-year-old has usually struggled for pace relative to the sister F10 driven by Fernando Alonso, and is 31 points behind his Spanish teammate.
But when asked if there is a link between his crash last year and his slump in form, Massa is quoted by Brazil's Globo: "They are separate problems.
"This championship has been a little worse than I expected, but I know why. It's not because of my accident but the problems I've having with the tires.
"I'm just the same as I was before. I know that if everything had gone in the right direction, I would be fighting for the title."
When asked about Massa in an interview with Spain's AS newspaper, Alonso answered: "I think he is a very competitive driver, very fast, and not just in qualifying but also consistently in the race.
"Felipe is the toughest teammate I have had. Sometimes it was harder to beat Fisichella and Trulli, but I was not as good a driver back then.
"Hamilton was different, he came straight from GP2 at the same time we went from Michelin to Bridgestone, so he had tires much like he had used in GP2. For sure he's one of the best.
"In terms of talent, my current teammate (Massa) is one of the best," insisted Alonso.