Toto Wolff Linked To Management Role At Mercedes

Recent reports have linked Toto Wolff to a senior management position at Mercedes, following on from Norbert Haug’s departure from the German marque last year. These reports speculate that Toto Wolff would assume the role previously held by Haug within the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

As preparations for the new season continues to gather momentum, it seems the 41-year-old is set to leave his position of Executive Director and Shareholder of the Williams Formula 1 team in a switch which will see him join Mercedes in a senior management role. This could potentially see Wolff work alongside fellow countryman Niki Lauda, as the German marque aims for a much more competitive 2013 season with Nico Rosberg and former McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel.

Currently Toto Wolff is the co-owner of the HWA company which runs Mercedes-Benz’s DTM programme, which coincidentally ran the Austrian’s wife Susie Wolff during her campaign in DTM. The 30-year-old female star has since become the development driver at Williams, and it is currently unknown whether she will switch to Mercedes should the rumors linking Toto Wolff to the German marque come to fruition.

Both Toto Wolff and the Mercedes Formula 1 Team decided against commenting on the recent rumors, which surfaced in German newspaper Bild. However, it is believed within the F1 fraternity that a deal between the two parties has already been struck, despite no official confirmation from either Mercedes or Williams on the matter. This move would unquestionably add to an already strong team at Mercedes, with the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Ross Brawn and Niki Lauda all working to push the German marque further up the Formula 1 ladder.

Picture Copyright © Williams F1 Team

Williams Confirm Line-Up For 2013, Bottas In Senna Out

Williams have confirmed their 2013 driver line-up, which will see Pastor Maldonado compete in his third successive season with the outfit, however the Venezuelan driver will be joined next season by the team’s 2012 reserve driver Valtteri Bottas. This will see the 2011 GP3 Champion replace Bruno Senna at the team, ending strong speculation.

Speculation linking Valtteri Bottas to Bruno Senna’s seat with the Williams outfit began as far back as the first few races of the 2012 season, when the Finn replaced the Brazilian driver in the Malaysian and Chinese Grands Prix practice sessions on the Friday morning. The team then confirmed that this would take place at fifteen race weekends throughout the year, with Bottas set to replace Senna at each Friday morning practice  session.

Pastor Maldonado has unsurprisingly been retained by the Grove-based outfit, with the Venezuelan driver taking an illustrious victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in May and also because of his strong financial backing from Venezuelan petroleum company PDVSA. The 27-year-old is thrilled with the confirmation he will race for the team in 2013, and is hopeful that the season will bring further success to himself and the outfit.

“I’m really enjoying my time with Williams and I was obviously very happy when I was told that I would be continuing with the team in 2013.” Explained Pastor Maldonado, who ended the season with 45 points scored. “2012 was a memorable year for me with the win in Barcelona and we made a big step forward in terms of performance. I have a lot of confidence in the team and hopefully next year will see us move even further up the grid and taste more success.’’

Valtteri Bottas will become the ninth Finnish Formula 1 driver in the history of the sport, and will join Kimi Raikkonen on the grid for 2013. It is still unconfirmed whether or not Heikki Kovalainen will make it three Finn’s on the grid next season, as he continues to negotiate with Caterham. 23-year-old Bottas has explained it has always been a life-long dream to compete in Formula 1, and that he is understandably itching to get the 2013 season started.

“It has always been my life-long dream to compete in the Formula One World Championship.” Enthused Valtteri Bottas, who will replace Bruno Senna. “To do so with one of the most legendary teams in the sport is incredibly special. I’ve really enjoyed my three years with Williams so far and feel very at home here so my goal was always to stay for 2013 and progress to a race seat. I’m looking forward to getting my Formula One career started and enjoying a lot of success with Williams.’’

Bruno Senna’s hopes of finding a drive for 2013 now lies solely with Force India or Caterham, with both outfits still housing vacant seats for next season. Max Chilton has been strongly linked with the vacancy at Marussia, with HRT looking unlikely to even be on the 2013 grid. However, strong competition from the likes of Jaime Alguersuari, Heikki Kovalainen, Vitaly Petrov and Paul di Resta amongst others will make clinching a drive at Force India or Caterham exceedingly difficult.

Picture Copyright © Williams F1 Team

Charles Pic Signed On A Multi-Year Deal With Caterham For 2013

Frenchman Charles Pic has been signed by Caterham on a multi-year deal starting next season, in a move which will see the 22-year-old move from Marussia to Caterham to replace either Heikki Kovalainen or Vitaly Petrov at the team. Pic has unquestionably impressed many so far this season, and will aim to continue doing so next season.

After graduating from GP2 to Formula 1 for the 2012 season, Charles Pic initially struggled at the start of the season, largely due to the new tracks the Frenchman was striving to learn. But once the F1 fraternity moved back to Europe, and tracks that Pic knew well, the rookie’s form improved greatly. This saw him out-qualify and even out-race vastly experienced team-mate Timo Glock on a regular basis.

As the Frenchman’s form improved as the season progressed, many began linking him to a move further up the order. With the likes of Max Chilton poised to team-mate Timo Glock next season, Charles Pic was speculated to be moving to Caterham several months ago. With the F1 fraternity gearing up for the final race of the season around Sao Paulo’s Interlagos circuit, Caterham have finally ended the speculation and have officially confirmed Charles Pic as one of their drivers for 2013.

“Throughout the 2012 season we have been monitoring the progress that Charles has made, challenging us on several occasions in qualifying, and it is clear that he is a special talent.” Explained Caterham’s team principal, Cyril Abiteboul. “As the year has progressed he has performed extremely well against a very experienced team-mate and we are looking forward to seeing him develop further within the environment we will provide in 2013 and beyond. Being able to make this announcement before the end of the current season gives us the chance now to allow Charles and the team to prepare fully for the 2013 season and quickly learn how to maximize the performance benefits of the Renault Sport F1 and Red Bull Technology power-train that will be new to him.”

Charles Pic is understandably thrilled to receive such an opportunity to progress further up the F1 ladder, as Caterham themselves continue improving at each event. The team have quickly become regarded as the top of the three “new” teams in the sport, alongside Pic’s current team Marussia and HRT.

“I am very proud to be able to confirm that I am joining Caterham F1 Team next year and I’m looking forward to many seasons of successful racing co-operation.” Said Charles Pic, “It is clear that the team has great ambitions for the future: the investments already made and the decisions taken in the last few months show how committed the shareholders are to succeed and demonstrates their willingness to keep going forward. I am very excited about starting my second year in F1 with a team that has so much potential. Caterham F1 Team has everything in place to help it move into a position to fight with a number of teams ahead. I know how determined the team is to keep progressing and I am looking forward to playing my part in helping them move up the grid.”

Charles Pic, like many other drivers on the grid, made his way to Formula 1 through the GP2 feeder series, taking numerous race victories along the way before making the “graduation” to Formula 1 this season with Marussia. It’s clear that Charles Pic has the potential to succeed in the sport and this move to Caterham is certainly a move in the right step for the French driver.

Picture Copyright © Marussia F1 Team

Giedo van der Garde To Replace Heikki Kovalainen In FP1 At Suzuka

Caterham have confirmed that their Dutch reserve driver, Giedo van der Garde, will replace Heikki Kovalainen during the opening practice session for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix. The 27-year-old will carry out reserve driver duties for the Leafield-based outfit for the remainder of the season, after a successful year in GP2.

Giedo van der Garde carried out similar duties for Caterham earlier in the season, at the Chinese Grand Prix when he replaced Vitaly Petrov behind the wheel of the Caterham CT01. Since then, van der Garde has enjoyed a relatively successful season racing for Caterham in the GP2 support series, alongside Venezuelan driver Rodolfo Gonzalez. The Dutchman won two races throughout the highly competitive season, at the Spanish and Singapore events.

With the GP2 Series now over for another year, Giedo van der Garde will return to his reserve driver duties with Caterham. However, Heikki Kovalainen will make a return behind the wheel of the Caterham CT01 later in the afternoon during second practice, as the Caterham outfit continue to improve towards the midfield.

Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service

McLaren Confirm Sergio Perez As Hamilton’s Replacement

In the wake of Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Mercedes for the 2013 season, McLaren have confirmed that Mexican driver Sergio Perez will replace the Briton at the Woking-based outfit, and will team-mate Jenson Button for the 2013 season. This comes after weeks of speculation that Perez had been approached by McLaren.

After allegedly being approached by McLaren as their “Plan B” should Lewis Hamilton move from the team, speculation over Perez’s future grew dramatically after his illustrious 2nd place at the Italian Grand Prix. However, during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend Sergio Perez flatly refused to discuss such allegations, denying any links with either McLaren of Ferrari.

Initially it was thought Sergio Perez would move to Ferrari to replace Felipe Massa, largely thanks to his commitments to Ferrari’s Young Driver Programme. However, after Luca di Montezemolo stated that the 22-year-old would be too inexperienced for Ferrari, it looked as though he would remain at Sauber for 2013.

However, as contractual negotiations between Lewis Hamilton and both McLaren and Mercedes wore on, it was rumored that the Woking-based outfit had approached the Mexican driver as a possible replacement for the 2008 World Champion. With Lewis Hamilton today agreeing to a three-year deal with Mercedes, Sergio Perez has finally been confirmed at McLaren after weeks of continuous speculation.

“I’m thrilled and delighted to have become a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver.” Enthused Sergio Perez, who has widely been regarded as the rising star of F1. “I’ve spent the 2012 season working very hard to demonstrate my potential, but I’ve always remained humble and focused. I am, and always will be, extremely grateful to Peter [Sauber] and everybody at the Sauber Formula 1 team for their belief in me, and for giving me the chance to race in Formula 1.
“I’m under no illusion that it is indeed a very big step – as it would be for any driver – but I’m ready for it. So, while I’m still fully focused on doing my best for Sauber for the remainder of this season, I’m already massively looking forward to working with everyone at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, and with Jenson [Button], who’s someone I’ve long admired as a brilliant driver and a great Champion.”

With Jenson Button and Sergio Perez teamed up for the 2013 season, McLaren will unquestionably be a force to be reckoned with, largely due to their formidable driver pairing. McLaren’s team principal, Martin Whitmarsh, is extremely excited at seeing Sergio Perez join the team. Already the Mexican driver has shown his ability and maturity in battling with the likes of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, and will be an intriguing prospect for such a competitive outfit like McLaren.

“I’m delighted to welcome Sergio on board.” Explained Martin Whitmarsh, “His performances throughout 2012 have convinced us that he’s an extremely exciting prospect for the future. It was a string of giant-killing performances, a trio of podiums and a brilliant fastest lap in this year’s Monaco Grand Prix that showed us that Sergio lacks nothing in terms of speed and commitment. We’ve been monitoring his progress carefully for some months – and, now that he’s become part of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, our task will be to refine and develop his abilities as his career progresses over the coming years.

“Uniting Sergio alongside Jenson will give us a very broad base of driver ability. Jenson is one of motorsport’s greatest ambassadors, and his unique blend of prodigious speed and canny race-craft makes him formidably well-armed to fight for victory on any Grand Prix circuit in the world. While Sergio is still developing his palette of skills, we’re convinced that he’s not only talented and quick, but also that he’s willing and eager to learn.”

The 2013 season will certainly be a intriguing prospect, as Sergio Perez develops himself as a McLaren driver alongside Jenson Button. The Mexican driver now has the tremendous ability to show Ferrari just how wrong they were, and to show the motor sport world how much of a serious title contender he can be in a team with an amazing ability for success.

Picture Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG

Narain Karthikeyan: “I Completed An Almost Perfect Lap”

Narain Karthikeyan enjoyed yet another competitive qualifying session today around the Marina Bay street circuit, in preparation for tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix. Although the Indian driver will start the race from a lowly 23rd on the grid, it was the second race weekend in succession where he out-qualified his team-mate.

This weekend has seen HRT introduce several new upgrades to their car, including a new floor. With Pedro de la Rosa set to incur a 5-place grid penalty due to a gearbox change, it was a forgone conclusion that the Spaniard would start tomorrow’s race from 24th and last. However, Narain Karthikeyan completed what he regarded as an almost perfect lap around the tricky confines of the Marina Bay street circuit to beat his vastly experienced team-mate.

“I’m happy because in qualifying I completed an almost perfect lap.” Explained Narain Karthikeyan, “I’m pushing very hard and I think that right now I’m driving very well. I’m very comfortable within the team, they help me a lot and make me feel at home, and when the atmosphere is that good it’s easy to perform well. I’ve done two good consecutive qualifying sessions and I hope to keep that momentum. Tomorrow’s race will be tough physically and mentally but we will fight to achieve the best possible result.”

With speculation ripe within the F1 paddock this weekend that HRT’s reserve driver Dani Clos could receive a promotion within the team and replace Karthikeyan next season, the Indian driver is certainly proving his worth to the team behind the wheel of the F112. Although tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix will be exceedingly tough on the teams and drivers, Karthikeyan will be striving for a competitive result at the back of the pack.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

McLaren Line Up Sergio Perez To Replace Lewis Hamilton

As Lewis Hamilton’s future in Formula 1 continues to dominate the headlines throughout the paddock, is has been rumored that McLaren are lining up Mexican star Sergio Perez to replace the Briton should he eventually leave the Woking-based outfit. Hamilton has been recently linked to a move to Mercedes for 2013.

With Lewis Hamilton’s contract at McLaren expiring after this season, the Briton has yet to confirm who he’ll drive for next season. At first it was predicted the 2008 World Champion would unquestionably stay with McLaren, a team he has been associated with since the age of 13. However, as the season has progressed rumors up and down the paddock have linked the Briton to a potential move elsewhere. Although Lewis Hamilton has stipulated he remains locked in contractual negotiations with McLaren, a move to Mercedes for a reported £60million has emerged which would most likely see the 27-year-old replace Michael Schumacher alongside Nico Rosberg.

Lewis Hamilton won last time out at Monza, but has remained coy on his future within the team.

Naturally both parties have denied these allegations, but recent reports indicate that McLaren could be growing restless with Lewis Hamilton and his management company XIX Entertainment. With no confirmation forthcoming on Hamilton’s future, McLaren have decided to formulate a “Plan B”, in case Hamilton does leave the Woking-based outfit. Possible replacements have included Paul di Resta, Heikki Kovalainen and even Kimi Raikkonen. However, the latest driver to join the likely candidates for Hamilton’s vacancy is current Sauber driver Sergio Perez.

The 22-year-old Mexican driver has enjoyed a highly competitive 2012 season, finishing on the podium three times already for Sauber. Perez came exceedingly close to taking victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix at the beginning of the season, finishing only two seconds behind eventual race winner Fernando Alonso. Although Sergio Perez has been linked to a possible drive with Ferrari for 2013, recent rumors have suggested that Ferrari feel the Mexican driver is still too inexperienced to drive for the Scuderia. This being the case, McLaren could well pounce upon Perez and have him team-mate Jenson Button next season.

Lewis Hamilton has remained coy on his future within Formula 1, instead focusing on more important matters such as the World Championship. However, whilst the Briton reserves his energy for the racing, the rumors continue raging on as to whether the 2008 World Champion will be come the start of next season.

Picture(s) Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG & McLaren F1 Team

Lewis Hamilton Linked With Mercedes For 2013

Lewis Hamilton has been linked with a move to Mercedes for 2013, in a switch which would most likely see Michael Schumacher retire after the current season. The Briton has been strongly linked at staying with McLaren for next season, however recent events have thrown cat amongst the pigeons with regards to his future with McLaren.

According to BBC pundit and former team owner Eddie Jordan, Lewis Hamilton has already signed a deal to become a Mercedes driver next season. Although many members of the Formula 1 fraternity have strongly disregarded these rumors, the allegations have sent shockwaves through the sport, with McLaren and Mercedes both issuing separate statements denying the rumors. With Lewis Hamilton’s contract with McLaren coming to an end after this season, speculation has been ripe on where the 2008 World Champion will be come the start of the 2013 season.

“I believe Hamilton and Mercedes have already agreed personal terms and a deal could be imminent.” Explained Eddie Jordan to the BBC. “I can now confirm his people have had meetings with Mercedes. There has been some uncertainty over Mercedes’ position in F1. The board is unhappy at the current performance of the team, but getting Hamilton would undoubtedly be a massive coup and it could give the F1 team some breathing space.”

Eddie Jordan, who ran his own F1 team between 1991 and 2005, believes such a deal would be highly beneficial for Hamilton’s management team, who Jordan believes are currently trying to make Lewis Hamilton a major global star. Lewis Hamilton has only ever raced for McLaren so far throughout his highly eventful, and relatively short, Formula 1 career.

“Hamilton has not agreed terms with McLaren yet.” Continued Eddie Jordan, “In fact the team have made it clear they cannot offer him as big a salary as his current $15m (£9.42m) deal, which was negotiated before the global financial crisis. On top of that, McLaren have to pay for their Mercedes engines for the first time next year. Hamilton moving to Mercedes would also make a lot of sense in the context of his manager Simon Fuller, the man behind the Spice Girls and now David Beckham. Fuller is trying to position Hamilton as a major global star, like Beckham, and Mercedes is a much bigger global brand than McLaren.”

Both McLaren and Mercedes have strongly denied these rumors, however if Michael Schumacher does decide to finally retire at the end of this season, a vacant drive with Mercedes could prove enticing for Hamilton, who has endured a rocky couple of seasons with McLaren. With Mercedes expected to finalize their 2013 driving line-up no sooner than October, rumors such as these will continue to circulate.

If Lewis Hamilton does jump ship to Mercedes, the next question everyone will be asking is who will fill the vacancy at Woking? Force India’s Paul di Resta is currently favorite, however the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen could also be a possibility if the Finn fails to win a race this season. Naturally everything is just rumors and allegations at this stage, however anything seems possible in what is quickly becoming one of the most interesting and unique seasons of Formula 1 racing for many decades.

Picture Copyright © McLaren F1 Team

Jerome D’Ambrosio Confirmed For Monza

Jerome D’Ambrosio has been officially confirmed as the replacement driver for the banned Romain Grosjean for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, after the Frenchman was issued a one race ban for causing the huge first corner pile-up at last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix. This will be D’Ambrosio’s first F1 appearance since last season.

The Belgian driver became the Lotus reserve driver after being dropped by Virgin Racing (later rebranded as Marussia) shortly after the end of the 2011 season. D’Ambrosio partook in several days of pre-season testing for the outfit, and this weekend has the opportunity to impress in a highly competitive car alongside a former World Champion.

Romain Grosjean will return for the Singapore Grand Prix later this month, as the Lotus outfit search for their elusive first victory of the season. The team have finished on the podium on numerous occasions this season, and will unquestionably be expecting Jerome D’Ambrosio to at least finish in the points around a circuit that should suit the Renault powered Lotus E20.

More to follow as this story unfolds…

Picture Copyright © Getty Images

Rubens Barrichello Would Drive For Lotus At Monza

Current IZOD IndyCar Series driver and former-F1 veteran Rubens Barrichello has stated that he would drive for Lotus at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix in place of the banned Romain Grosjean, after a comment posted on the social networking site Twitter. The Brazilian driver started 322 races throughout his 18 seasons in F1.

Lotus are currently weighing up their opportunities after Romain Grosjean was issued a one race ban after causing the horrific opening lap incident during last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, in which the Frenchman was the catalyst in an incident which took out Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez.

With the Italian Grand Prix only several days away, Lotus are currently deciding who to select to fill in for the Frenchman. The team’s reserve driver Jerome D’Ambrosio is the likely candidate, however Formula 1 veteran Rubens Barrichello has stated he’ll happily accept an offer from the Enstone-based outfit to race at Monza. The Brazilian driver currently has a free weekend before the all-important season finale of the IZOD IndyCar Series at Fontana.

“People are asking [me] in the case the Lotus F1 team called me to race in Monza if I would go? The answer is yes!” Exclaimed the current KV Racing Technology driver, via the hugely popular social networking site Twitter.

Rubens Barrichello has won the Italian Grand Prix three times throughout his career (’02, ’04 and ’09), and could well be an enticing prospect for Lotus who will unquestionably prefer to have a former race winner in their highly competitive Lotus E20 instead of D’Ambrosio. Lotus have been widely predicted for victory many times this season, and with the high speed nature of the Monza circuit, they are most certainly contenders for victory this coming weekend.

The driver announcement will surely come within the next few days, as the selected candidate will be required to head straight to Monza to prepare for the weekend’s events. Whoever gets the one-off drive, Lotus will without a doubt expect at least a points finish as they battle for 2nd in the Constructors’ Championship.

Picture Copyright © Getty Images