Latest F1 news in brief
- Raikkonen feels 'need' for Hockenheim speed
- Glock wants title for Toyota in 2010
- Schu says F1 comeback not on the cards
- GP2 boss says Senna nearly ready for F1
Raikkonen feels 'need' for Hockenheim speed
(GMM) Following a few near misses for the reigning world champion, Kimi Raikkonen is eager to return to the top of the podium at the end of this weekend's German grand prix.
The Ferrari driver shares the lead of the 2008 championship with his teammate as well as Lewis Hamilton, but if not for strategy errors (Silverstone), a broken exhaust (Magny-Cours) and a pitlane crash (Montreal), he surely would have collected yet more points.
Raikkonen, 28, said ahead of the forthcoming Hockenheim event: "We really need to win this one."
Many insiders are predicting another strong outing for Ferrari's title rival McLaren, but Ferrari also looked competitive at last week's Hockenheim test.
"I had such a good feeling with the car. I believe both the car and the driver are top fit for this weekend," Raikkonen said.
"I've been in a position to win the last three grands prix, but for various reasons things did not go my way. But that's racing and I'm sure the wins will soon come again," he added.
Raikkonen is also hoping weather reports that predict rain in Germany this weekend are not accurate.
"Obviously, for us, the hot weather suits fine. Our car prefers the hot temperatures," he said.
Glock wants title for Toyota in 2010
(GMM) Timo Glock says his current goal is to be world champion in 2010.
With his short-lived Jordan stint of 2004 behind him, the German re-joined the grand prix grid this year with Toyota, as reigning GP2 champion.
Despite 26-year-old Glock often struggling to keep up with his 2008 teammate Jarno Trulli, it looks likely the Japanese team will field the same drivers next season.
With that in mind, Glock insists his pre-season declaration – that he can conquer all rivals by 2010 – is intact.
"At the beginning it was clear that Jarno would be hard to beat, but as more time goes by I am closer to being able to beat him. And I want to keep going like that," the German driver told Sport Bild.
"My objective is clear; in 2010 I want to be world champion with Toyota, even though some people may laugh.
"But I want to set goals for myself for which I have to work hard, and we will see how it is going by then," Glock added.
Schu says F1 comeback not on the cards
(GMM) Michael Schumacher has countered the latest round of speculation about his future by insisting he is not looking to return to formula one.
The seven time world champion said recently he only elected to retire at the end of 2006 in order to save his then Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa's career.
The statement, in addition to the fact that his spokeswoman Sabine Kehm refused to comment, triggered renewed rumors that a comeback for the 39-year-old German might be on the cards.
But Schumacher has now told the German news magazine Stern: "I really love my new life. It is the sort of freedom that I have always wanted.
"I am not having any sort of secret thoughts about a F1 comeback," he added.
Schumacher, who will reportedly attend the German grand prix at Hockenheim this weekend, says he enjoys his work as a part-time advisor and test driver for the Ferrari team.
As for always seeming competitive when he tests these days, he added: "It is nice to feel that I could still do it if I wanted to.
"But now I would rather do my work in the background."
GP2 boss says Senna nearly ready for F1
(GMM) The boss of Bruno Senna's GP2 team thinks the 24-year-old Brazilian will be ready to move up to formula one by the end of the year.
Senna, whose famous uncle won three world championships before he died in 1994, is increasingly linked with a possible graduation to the pinnacle of motor sport for 2009.
He currently lies second in the drivers' classification for GP2, the support series and major feeder category to F1.
"The future is very bright for him," said Paul Jackson, the iSport International team principal.
"I do believe he'll be ready for F1 by the end of the year," Jackson told the BBC. "I'd be surprised if he didn't turn out to be very, very successful in F1."