Formula-1 news

The paddock at the Yas Marina Circuit is one of the best of the season and is always abuzz with characters, which this year embraced Spanish and Bahraini royalty, FIA President Jean Todt, and the majority of each team’s senior management including McLaren’s Ron Dennis, Ferrari’s Luca di Montezemolo and Piero Lardi Ferrari and Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz…

Williams will run Pastor Maldonado and Dean Stoneman during the young driver test, which will take place at the Yas Marina Circuit following November’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The two-day test is scheduled to get underway on November 17.

Venezuelan Maldonado recently took championship honours in the 2010 GP2 series, while Briton Stoneman took the title in this year’s FIA Formula Two Championship. Williams additionally confirmed Valtteri Bottas will remain as the team’s test driver in 2011.

One of only two Italian drivers on this year’s grid, Force India’s Vitantonio Liuzzi is certainly better placed to take advantage of a quick car at his home Grand Prix this weekend than fellow countryman, Lotus’s Jarno Trulli. It has been 44 long years since an Italian – Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966 – won the Monza race and five since a local hero – Giancarlo Fisichella – even claimed a podium.

The question is can Liuzzi convert the VJM03′s latent pace into a real result? Sadly, recent form is not on his side. Although the car has certainly shown strong performance at recent rounds, and should do well at low-downforce Monza, the 2010 season hasn’t gone to plan for the man from Locorotondo. There have been some flashes of brilliance, but overall the Italian has struggled for results and, more importantly, struggled to match his team mate Adrian Sutil.

McLaren’s MP4-25 was tipped to be the fastest car around Monza, and it may yet prove so. However, as the British team experimented with F-duct versus non F-duct configurations on Friday afternoon, Hamilton and Button found themselves outpaced by arch rivals Red Bull and Ferrari. We take a team-by-team look at early progress in Italy

Indian Karun Chandhok is set to be the first Formula One driver to get a taste of the brand-new Yeongam track in Korea next month. Chandhok will take part in a demonstration event on September 4 for the Red Bull team, as the Asian country gears up to host the inaugural Korean Grand Prix from October 22-24…

The title fight couldn’t be better poised as it enters its final European stage after the summer break, with only 20 points – less than you get for a win – separating the top five drivers.

In Hungary Mark Webber moved up to the lead with 161 points after becoming the only driver to win four times this season. He is chased by McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton on 157, Red Bull team mate Sebastian Vettel on 151, McLaren’s Jenson Button on 147, and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso on 141…

Team principals: John Booth (Virgin), Ross Brawn (Mercedes), Mike Gascoyne (Lotus) and Martin Whitmarsh (McLaren).

Q: A question to you all. This time of the year some people tend to wind down on the development of the current car, perhaps work more on the 2011 car. Some people less so as they are still in the championship. Can I just hear what your team’s concentration is on for the rest of the season?
Mike Gascoyne: For us it is very clear that we are fully focused on next year’s car…

Virgin’s Timo Glock has insisted he’s fully committed to the team, despite a difficult first season with the newcomers. Glock, who made three podium appearances with previous employers Toyota, has yet to finish higher than 16th in 2010.

The German, who has retired from half of this year’s races, maintains he was under no illusion that driving for a new constructor would be a testing experience…

Red Bull’s Mark Webber is looking forward to some relaxation in Formula One’s traditional summer break, spending some time with his dogs and avoiding planes and hotel rooms. And what better way to start that break than by winning your 150th Grand Prix and seeing yourself and your team take the lead in the championship standings

Ferrari will appear before the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) next month following their controversial one-two result at July’s German Grand Prix.

The Italian team were fined US$100,000 by the Hockenheim race stewards for breaching sporting regulations after Felipe Massa, who had been leading the event, moved aside to allow team mate Fernando Alonso past. The stewards also forwarded their report to the WMSC for further consideration.