Latest F1 news in brief
- Toro Rosso wants to keep Bourdais – manager
- Hartley confident of F1 super license
- Williams asks Angolan driver to F1 test
- Mosley does not support 2010 refueling ban
- Anti-doping F1 testing at Jerez
Toro Rosso wants to keep Bourdais – manager
(GMM) Toro Rosso's need to boost its budget explains the uncertainty surrounding its driver lineup for 2009.
That is the revelation of Nicolas Todt, who is the French driver Sebastien Bourdais' manager.
Bourdais is still waiting to know if he can keep his race seat next year, amid the possibility that rival contender Takuma Sato can bring substantial sponsorship to the Faenza based team.
Todt said of 29-year-old Bourdais: "Toro Rosso wants to keep him.
"But the economic context is really difficult at the moment, therefore it is not really in our control," the Frenchman told Auto Hebdo.
Todt was also asked if the departure of Gerhard Berger, who had been a key advocate of bringing Bourdais to formula one from American open-wheel racing, had affected his chances for 2009.
"It doesn't change anything in a big way," he answered. "Of course it is no simpler now, but also no more complicated."
Hartley confident of F1 super license
(GMM) Brendon Hartley is confident he did enough to qualify for a F1 super license when he tested at Jerez on Monday.
The 19-year-old New Zealander made his proper F1 test debut at the wheel of a Red Bull at the Spanish circuit, completing a full 95 laps.
He told the New Zealand press agency NZPA that it is more than enough mileage to satisfy the F1 super license rules, allowing participation in official grand prix sessions.
"There were also people from FIA observing to make sure I am up to standard on the track," Hartley said.
"I'll find out sooner or later … I didn't make any mistakes, so I think everything will work out."
BMW-Sauber and Williams were also in action at Jerez, while at Portugal's new Algarve circuit, McLaren and Ferrari began a three day test.
Felipe Massa did just 36 laps as he was not feeling well.
Williams asks Angolan driver (potential ride-buyer) to F1 test
(GMM) A driver from the African republic Angola has been invited by the Williams team to make his formula one test debut.
The Angolan sports newspaper Jornal dos Desportos said 26-year-old Ricardo Teixeira could appear at the wheel of the famous British team's car in January.
The newspaper said the invitation came after Teixeira performed strongly for the Northamptonshire based Ultimate F3 team, which earlier this year was linked with trying to break into formula one.
Like Ultimate, Teixeira runs with branding by Sonangol, a partially state-owned Angolan oil company.
Mosley does not support 2010 refueling ban
(GMM) Max Mosley has revealed that he is not personally in favor of F1's impending ban on in-race refueling in 2010.
Although part of the recent suite of cost-cutting reforms agreed between the FIA and the F1 teams' alliance FOTA, it is believed that the ban is essentially designed to compel drivers to do their overtaking on the track rather than through varying fuel strategies.
It is also hoped banning refueling will make race strategies easier to understand, as well as lessen the danger of tire pit stops.
"I was not in favor of the ban, because I think it is a good part of the show," Mosley, president of F1's governing body, told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport.
He said he was relieved that drivers will at least continue to stop to change their tires, making pit stops in the future more of a straight race between the teams' pit crews.
"At least we have prevented a situation as in the 80s, when at the start of the race the drivers did not fight at all because they were saving their tires and brakes," Mosley said.
The 68-year-old Briton said he also supports the move to conduct market research into whether the points system should be replaced by Bernie Ecclestone's 'medals' proposal.
Mosley admitted: "The extension of points down to eighth and the reduction in the difference between first and second was an error.
"But I am opposed to frequently changing the points system, because it only confuses people."
Anti-doping F1 testing at Jerez
(GMM) F1's governing body carried out some random anti-doping tests during testing at Jerez last week.
On the Thursday at the Spanish circuit, Ferrari's two race drivers, as well as Heikki Kovalainen and Sebastien Buemi had to report to the FIA transporter to supply urine samples, the Swiss newspaper Blick reported.
Buemi, who this year was Red Bull's test and reserve driver, revealed that he was also tested at the 2008 Belgian grand prix.
"Some weeks later two physicians arrived at my parents' house in Augle (Switzerland) at six in the morning and asked me for another sample.
F1 ramped up its drugs testing to World Anti-Doping Agency standards in 2005.