Latest F1 news in brief
- Nakajima admits he might lose Williams seat
- Rosberg expects challenging Singapore in rain
- Mosley – Vatanen not ready to run FIA
- Singaporeans still betting despite F1 race-fixing
- Hamilton, Rosberg, disagree over Piquet escape
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| Kazuki Nakajima |
Nakajima admits he might lose Williams seat
(GMM) After arriving in Singapore, Kazuki Nakajima said he is hoping to retain his Williams seat for the 2010 season.
The 24-year-old Japanese has not yet scored a single point this season and is strongly backed by Toyota, who are expected to be replaced as the Grove team's engine supplier.
"Nothing has been said yet and I hope to stay in the team … maybe that will not happen, but I don't think this will be my last time in Singapore and I'm confident I'll be back next year," Nakajima told the Singapore newspaper Today.
Nakajima's current teammate Nico Rosberg is expected to move to either Brawn or McLaren for 2010, to almost certainly be replaced by Williams' current test driver and the newly crowned GP2 champion, Nico Hulkenberg.
"He obviously has got talent and he managed to climb up by showing speed and finding someone to back him," Nakajima of the rookie German.
Rosberg expects challenging Singapore in rain
(GMM) The skies above Singapore opened on Wednesday, and more wet weather is forecast to follow.
As the Asian city-state hosts F1's only night race, and it stayed dry a year ago, the prospect of rain – and how visibility in those conditions will be affected by the floodlighting – is a worry for the drivers.
Worsening the situation is the predicted uncomfortable levels of humidity and visible smoke haze caused by forest fires in nearby Indonesia.
"I think it would become really challenging if it rains," said Williams' Nico Rosberg.
Mosley – Vatanen not ready to run FIA
(GMM) In a recent lunch meeting, Max Mosley told Ari Vatanen to his face that he would not support the Finn's candidacy to succeed him as FIA president at the forthcoming election.
After 16 years as head of motor sport's Paris-based governing body, 69-year-old Mosley is stepping down and has named the former Ferrari chief Jean Todt as his preferred replacement.
The Briton said Vatanen, a former European parliamentarian and world rally champion, asked him during a lunch meeting if Mosley will publicly support his desire to be FIA president.
According to autocar.co.uk, Mosley revealed: "I said … 'You have no experience, you have never run anything, you've not been in charge of even the smallest organization, you have no concept of what it is like. You didn't even run your own rally car, you had a co-driver to do that.'"
Singaporeans still betting despite F1 race-fixing
(GMM) Even after Singapore was in 2008 the scene of confirmed race-fixing and formula one's worst example of cheating, the punters have not been deterred from predicting the winner one year later.
"We have not seen any unusual trends for F1 motor racing betting activity. Sales have been within expectations," a spokeswoman for betting operator Singapore Pools told the Reuters news agency.
Williams' Nico Rosberg finished second on the Asian city-state's floodlit streets last September, behind the winner Fernando Alonso, whose teammate Nelson Piquet had crashed deliberately in order to activate the unusual race strategy of the sister Renault.
But because all the results of the 2008 world championship were set in stone last November, German Rosberg cannot retrospectively be now declared the winner of the race.
But he told the Singapore newspaper Today this week: "Actually, I won the race because the one who finished first cheated. If we'd protested, I could have won the race last year, but that's too late now."
Hamilton, Rosberg, disagree over Piquet escape
(GMM) Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton had different reactions to Nelson Piquet's escape earlier this week from the World Motor Sport Council.
Piquet Jr, 23, admitted to crashing deliberately during the Singapore GP last year and blew the whistle on his co-conspirators Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds, who were ousted by Renault and banned from motor racing.
The Brazilian driver, however, emerged without sanction due to an immunity deal with the FIA, even though he had already been sacked by Briatore.
"The only thing I don't quite understand is (why) Nelson Piquet didn't get anything," German Rosberg, who drives in F1 for the British team Williams, told the Singapore daily Today.
"For me, he's just as involved as the others because he is the one who actually did it and agreed to it," the 24-year-old added.
Reigning world champion Hamilton has a different view, having gone wheel-to-wheel with Piquet as rivals for the GP2 title three years ago.
The Briton said he hoped to see Piquet Jr back in F1 some time.
"He's a good driver and he's had a great career, so who knows?" Hamilton, 24, told reporters during the McLaren media 'phone-in' this week.
"For sure, there are opportunities for him in the future and I can only wish him the best," he added. "He's still very young, he's experienced and he'll take it in his stride."