Latest F1 news in brief
- Also Horner admits Raikkonen to Red Bull 'interesting'
- Points system will not increase will to win – de la Rosa
- Vettel's helmet resembles Red Bull drink can
- Manager concerned about 'Schumacher' website
- Concerns about Bridgestone's new inter tire
- Ralf Schumacher had shoulder surgery after ski fall
Also Horner admits Raikkonen to Red Bull 'interesting'
(GMM) Another leading Red Bull figure has admitted that the idea of Kimi Raikkonen returning to F1 in 2011 with the energy drinks marque is "interesting".
The first to make the admission this week was Dr Helmut Marko, the motor racing advisor to team owner Dietrich Mateschitz.
With a Red Bull contract, 30-year-old Raikkonen is driving a works Citroen in this year's full world rally championship.
At Red Bull Racing, Mark Webber's contract expires at the end of this year.
Asked about the prospect of welcoming 2007 world champion Raikkonen to Red Bull Racing next year, team principal Christian Horner said: "I think it is an interesting idea."
"Inevitably people will write and speculate about it," he is quoted as saying by Press Association at the Jerez test on Wednesday.
"But what I can tell you is that Kimi's focus is very much on rallying. There has been no discussion about F1.
"We are very happy with our current driver lineup," added Horner, who has Sebastian Vettel under contract until the end of 2011.
"Next year is a long way away, but we will focus on our current drivers," he said.
Points system will not increase will to win – de la Rosa
(GMM) Pedro de la Rosa has played down the likely effectiveness of F1's new points scoring system.
The F1 Commission last week confirmed that extending the gap between first and second places in 2010 to 7 points is to "further encourage the race to win".
But Sauber driver and Grand Prix Drivers' Association chairman de la Rosa said according to Spain's El Pais newspaper: "Changing the scoring system will not change anything, because the drivers always want to win."
After leaving his long post as McLaren's test driver, the 38-year-old also admitted that he will decide whether to continue to head the GPDA after speaking this week with fellow directors Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber.
As for whether the Ferrari-powered Sauber C29 is really a podium contender, de la Rosa answered: "Why not? That should be the target.
"The car seems very easy to drive, performs very well in slow corners and responds well to the setup changes," added the Spaniard, who will take over from Kamui Kobayashi at Jerez this week on Friday.
But de la Rosa, who remains a Johnnie Walker ambassador in 2010 despite leaving McLaren, answered "I don't know" when asked how the car compares with the Swiss team's rivals.
Vettel's helmet resembles Red Bull drink can
(GMM) After calling his 2009 car 'Kate's Dirty Sister', Sebastian Vettel proved his quirky humor remains fully intact at Wednesday's launch of the new Red Bull.
Admitting that he was still dreaming up a personal name for his 2010 cockpit, the 22-year-old German also unveiled a novel new livery for his helmet.
Resembling a 250mL can of his employer's energy drink product, the helmet includes details including Red Bull's ingredients and a barcode.
On the top, meanwhile – to be viewed by a global audience many times from Vettel's on board camera in 2010 – is a giant ring-pull.
Manager concerned about 'Schumacher' website
(GMM) Michael Schumacher's manager has expressed concern about a website featuring the famous seven time world champion's name.
Typing www.michael.schumacher.de into a browser directs internet users not to the 41-year-old's official website, but to the site owned by fashion designer Dorothy Schumacher-Singoff.
The domain ralf.schumacher.de also redirects to the Schumacher fashion website.
Michael Schumacher's manager Willi Weber told the Cologne publication Express that it is "unbelievable" that people are still willing to exploit his client's famous name.
"I thought those things were behind us," he said.
Lawyer Bernd Saint-Paul indicated that legal action may be necessary due to Schumacher-Singoff's possible breach of a demarcation agreement.
Concerns about Bridgestone's new inter tire
(GMM) Concerns about Bridgestone's new intermediate tire were raised after the opening day of the Jerez test on Wednesday.
The bad weather at the Spanish circuit meant teams had their first chance to try the new intermediate, intended to be raced during the 2010 season.
Finland's Turun Sanomat reveals that the tire wore our too quickly, to the tune of up to 2-3 seconds per lap "at a very early stage".
"At the end of ten laps it felt like I was driving on slicks in the rain," said Sauber's Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi.
Bridgestone said: "The wet and intermediate tires (for 2010) have no significant changes (compared with 2009) apart from the (narrower) width of the front intermediate tire, which will now be the same as the new dry front tire."
Ralf Schumacher had shoulder surgery after ski fall
(GMM) Ralf Schumacher fell heavily whilst skiing in Austria last month, according to the Cologne publication Express.
It is reported that the 34-year-old German, who is vying to return to formula one this year, had to undergo surgery on his right shoulder in the wake of the January 18 crash in the state of Vorarlberg.
Express said the 34-year-old, who for the past two years has raced in the DTM touring car series, wanted to keep the injury secret because it would have affected his chances of mounting a F1 comeback.
The injury only came to light when, in Germany last weekend for the 'Ball des Sports' gala, Schumacher almost fell down a flight of stairs and was assisted by well-known handball player Kurt Kluhspies.
He told Express: "I noticed someone behind me was falling; it was Ralf Schumacher. I stopped him with my left hand onto his operated shoulder.
"It probably hurt him a lot, but Ralf thanked me and said 'Better to have a sore arm than to fall down stairs!'," Kluhspies added.