Latest F1 news in brief

Ferrari pours scorn on 2010 F1 hopefuls
Raikkonen rejects latest Alonso rumors
Williams vows to 'fight' to keep Rosberg
Brawn replaces F1 commercial director
FIA hits out after Ferrari court bid

Ferrari pours scorn on 2010 F1 hopefuls
(GMM) Having lost its bid to have the 2010 rules declared invalid, Ferrari openly mocked a band of teams wanting to enter formula one next year.

In addition to the teams already revealed by the media as clamoring for a budget-capped spot on the 2010 grid, names including Wirth Research, Epsilon Euskadi, RML and Formtech were leaked as likely to make the May 29 deadline for an official entry.

As already reported, letters from the hopeful teams formed part of the FIA's defense in the Paris hearing.

"Can a world championship with teams like them – with due respect – have the same value as today's formula one, where Ferrari, the big car manufacturers and teams, who created the history of this sport, compete?" a statement posted by Ferrari said.

"Wouldn't it be more appropriate to call it Formula GP3?" the Maranello based marque added.

Raikkonen rejects latest Alonso rumors
(GMM) Kimi Raikkonen has moved to downplay the latest round of speculation about his Ferrari seat.

At a sponsor event this week, Fernando Alonso made no secret of his desire to one day race for the famous Italian team.

At the same event, the Santander chief Emilio Botin again openly hinted about his Ferrari sponsorship deal for 2010, adding that the icing on the cake would be to sit "the world's best driver" in the red car.

He then suggested coyly that there may be a vacancy for 2010, despite both of Ferrari's current drivers also having contracts that include next year.

"I don't know why there are always rumors about this. I have a contract for next year. For sure, I will be here (at Ferrari)," Finn Raikkonen is quoted as saying by Germany's Auto Bild.

Williams vows to 'fight' to keep Rosberg
(GMM) As speculation about the German driver's future rises, Sir Frank Williams has revealed he will "fight" to keep Nico Rosberg at his eponymous team.

It is regularly rumored that, with the 23-year-old's contract set to expire at the end of this season, he is looking to step into a more competitive or lucrative seat for 2010.

"I will fight for Nico," said Williams, who brought the son of the 1982 world champion into the sport as a teenage test driver.

"For me, Nico drives on a par with Hamilton or Vettel. Other teams are interested, so when it comes to salary, we are pretty limited. Our only argument is going to be making the car faster," he is quoted as telling Germany's Auto Bild.

"That is the only way we are going to keep him," predicted Williams, 67.

Brawn replaces F1 commercial director
(GMM) Brawn GP's commercial director David Butler has left the former Honda team, Marketing Magazine reported on Wednesday.

A reason for his departure is not known, but the timing is noteworthy given the influx of commercial interest in the Brackley outfit following its management buyout, launch of a blank livery and remarkable competitive success.

His replacement is Frenchman Bastien Hibon, formerly creative and communications director for Friends of the Earth, who worked on the climate change campaign The Big Ask.

He also previously worked for a PR company involved with Honda's original F1 guise, British American Racing.

FIA hits out after Ferrari court bid
(GMM) F1's governing body on Wednesday criticized Ferrari for mounting a failed attempt to obstruct the 2010 regulations.

Earlier, a Paris high court judge rejected the Italian team's application for an injunction, ruling that "there is no imminent damage that needs to be prevented, or clearly unlawful behavior that needs to be stopped".

As already reported, one element of Ferrari's case was the argument that the biggest teams would need to downsize their budgets from a phenomenal "400 to 500 million euros" per year.

In a statement, the team then ridiculed the names of more modest private outfits that are hoping to boost grid numbers with budget-capped teams next year.

"No competitor should place their interests above those of the sport in which they compete," the FIA declared.

"The FIA, the teams and our commercial partners will now continue to work to ensure the wellbeing of formula one in 2010 and beyond," the governing body added.