Ferrari 'stronger' in 2011

Fernando Alonso says that Ferrari has been "stronger" this year than it was in 2010, despite only one grand prix victory.

After just missing out on the drivers' championship last season, Ferrari was expected to provide an even sterner test for Red Bull in 2011. However, it started the season off the pace and while Alonso has finished on the podium nine times his sole victory came at the British Grand Prix. Despite having fallen out of championship contention in Singapore, Alonso believes that Ferrari has learnt from last year's mistakes.

"I will remember it as a not bad season overall from a personal point of view and how the team approached this season, improving in areas where we were weak last year," Alonso said. "The team has been stronger and I feel that with a competitive car next year we can be very strong and fighting for the world championship.

"Last year, our starts and strategies were not so good and we had a conservative approach to the races and we improved in all those areas this year. Now, all we need is the car that can do it."

One such strategy proved costly as Ferrari covered Mark Webber in the championship decider, allowing Sebastian Vettel to snatch the title. Alonso finished the season as runner-up, but says that he is not worried about securing the same position again as people have already forgotten that fact.

"I finished second last year and no one remembers and I won't recall it in ten or twenty years time, so if I finish second, third or fourth this time, it will not be on my mind in the future. It's not a big priority, but we will try and have a good race.

"Maybe there is a possibility of rain on Sunday, which means we might not get the same result as usual with Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari always in the top five or six places. If that is the case and we do a good race, maybe I can take some points off Jenson [Button], but maybe I lose points to Webber and finish fourth. It's not so important for us, but maybe it gives me some self confidence for the future seeing myself ahead of drivers in better cars than ours."

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Following his first race weekend drive of the season, we heard from Romain Grosjean who can hardly wait to return to the car in FP1 in Interlagos.

To hear what he had to say, see below

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Force India not the only option

Adrian Sutil says he has no fears about his future in Formula One, despite arriving at the penultimate race of the season without a contract for next year.

His Force India team has yet to announce its plans for 2012, with Sutil, Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg all under consideration for the two available seats. Sutil has already requested the team make a decision sooner rather than later, but insists Force India is not his only option for next season, with Williams and Renault yet to decide on its drivers too.

"Who says that I am just waiting for Force India?" he was quoted by Autosport on Thursday. "I can survive also somehow in a different way, let's say. I don't think after so many years doing a good job in this team I have to shiver and think about my future, or something. I am relaxed. I like this team. But, if it doesn't work out then I find something else."

Sutil also revealed that he is being kept well-informed on developments by team principal Vijay Mallya, even if he couldn't say exactly why the decision had been delayed.

"We are having a very good relationship since a long time," Sutil added. "He [Mallya] is very loyal to me and I am very loyal to him, so that is important. He told me some things I can't share with you at the moment.

"We all agreed - we want to announce it as soon as possible for both sides. It is also important for the team to announce the drivers as early as possible so they can adjust the drivers for their car for the next season. Everything, when it gets late, you feel it on the performance. Same on me and same for the team - for both sides it would be better to announce it as soon as possible."

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Vitaly Petrov becomes ROC's first Russian driver

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Following on from Lotus Renault GP's third driver and 2011 GP2 series champion Romain Grosjean, Russian Formula 1 star Vitaly Petrov has signed up to compete at the 2011 Race Of Champions in Düsseldorf. Vitaly will become the first driver from Eastern Europe to compete at the event. He joins a star-studded field that includes three F1 world champions for ROC 2011 at Düsseldorf's ESPRIT arena on December 3-4.

A podium in this year's first race in Australia was followed by a string of points finishes to leave Vitaly in the F1 world championship top ten.

That form is all the more impressive given that, unlike most of the F1 field, Vitaly did not learn his race craft in karting. Born in the Russian town of Vyborg, he had no easy access to a local kart track so he began competing in rally sprints and ice racing events. But after winning every race in the 2002 Lada Cup, Vitaly was soon on a more conventional road to the top of motor racing via successful years in GP2. Now he has earned an invitation to compete at the Race Of Champions.

Vitaly said: "It was a great honour to be the first Russian driver in Formula 1 – and now I'm delighted to become the first Russian to compete at the Race Of Champions. I've followed the event for a long time and I know that all the drivers claim to be there for fun, while pushing as hard as ever in the cars. I've never raced in an event with such a quick turnaround of machinery but perhaps my unusual background in rally sprints and ice racing can help me. I'll give it my best and see what happens."

The Race Of Champions is an annual end-of-season competition that brings together the world's greatest drivers from all motor sport's disciplines – including Formula 1, world rally, touring cars, Le Mans and the X-Games – and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery on a specially constructed parallel track. Drivers pair up for the ROC Nations Cup, this year scheduled for Saturday 3 December, before the individual Race Of Champions takes place on Sunday 4 December.

ROC race organiser Fredrik Johnsson said: "We're always aiming to expand our horizons at the Race Of Champions so we're thrilled to have our first Russian driver on board. Vitaly had a great GP2 career and he has carried that over to Formula 1 in the past two years. We look forward to seeing him take on ROC's best in December."

Competing alongside Vitaly and Romain will be Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button amongst others.

Hyo Won Kim

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Hyo Won Kim, a CFD Aerodynamist for LRGP and former engineering graduate at the University of Cambridge, arrived in Enstone in March of last year. For the inaugural Korean Grand Prix Hyo Won was tasked with the role of unofficial Korean liaison for the team. Following a successful debut last year, he returned in a similar capacity for the 2011 race week. Here, he tells us how he got on…

Monday
My race "weekend" was in fact a full week, which is perhaps because of the one-off nature of my special role in the Korean GP. I arrived at the Korea International Circuit together with support crew Mick Wilson and Stephen Leadbeater. (The rest of the team by this point was preparing to leave Japan.) Our job is to make sure that the freight boxes are received, unloaded, and then organised in the right manner so that the garage set-up can begin swiftly.

So, I began by meeting a member of the organising committee to check over the list of items we have ordered from the circuit for the garages and hospitality complex. This includes forklifts, which will be used to unload and unpack our freight boxes, and a generator, which will be used to provide electrical power to the garage throughout the week.

We managed to complete all the day's work in good time and treated ourselves to some Korean BBQ to wrap up the day.

Tuesday
We were joined by the setup crew who arrived in Korea on Monday. We stopped at McDonalds to grab a quick breakfast on the way to the circuit. The lady owner remembered us from last year – I suppose 20 odd foreigners dressed in the same kit in the remote city of Mokpo is pretty difficult not to take any notice of. I placed an order for what is probably the longest list of burgers and drinks and discovered my hidden flair in serving fast food. After the breakfast, we arrived at the circuit where set up work kicks off at full throttle. I got called upon throughout the day for things to follow up on with circuit liaisons and their contractors.

Coming back for the second time (as I attended the inaugural Korean GP last year in a similar capacity), I fully expected to be dealing with a range of things during the course of the week but I was not expecting to get called upon by the local police! It turned out that one of our hire vans had made a contact with another car in a car park after breakfast. I felt a strange sense of déjà vu as the police station happened to be next to a hospital that I visited with an ill mechanic during last year's Korean GP weekend! (…but that time in an ambulance!)

Catering guys borrowed me to go food shopping at a local supermarket for food for the team. The catering guys seem to have a habit of clearing a supermarket's stock pile. Of course, we were not the only team here so there was a bit of an off-track race for food as well. Strictly first come, first served. Pushing around several fully-loaded shopping trolleys, we managed to turn more than a few heads.

As the last task of the day, we visited the hotel where Vitaly and Bruno were staying for the Korean GP. The drivers were yet to arrive but their race kits from Japan had already been dropped off. Not only do they need to be laundered with specific instructions, the sheer quantity makes it difficult for them to turn it round within our requirements. We learned our lesson from last year and visited them a day earlier, saving us from having to get involved in some arm twisting at a local laundry.

Wednesday
The electricians from the circuit seemed to have trouble communicating with the teams. So when they found out that I was Korean, they grabbed me to talk to a couple of other teams that they had left to deal with. Other than that it was a relatively quiet day as far as my liaison role is concerned. So I helped the boys complete the garage set up trying not to get in their way too much in the process.

The hospitality team bought a lot of food to feed us and had been accumulating a small mountain of receipts written in funny squiggles. Fortunately, it does not take me long to decode these squiggles so Simona Legati can get on with her book keeping.

Thursday
To our horror, we arrived at the circuit to find that the generator had cut out overnight as it ran out of diesel. The original refuelling schedule published by the circuit proved difficult to maintain and our request to top up last night had not reached the right people. After a lot of arguing, we agreed on a protocol that will ensure that it does not happen again. The generator powers a lot of equipments garage that the cars' preparation and operation depend on. The last thing we wanted was for a power surge to damage our equipments when restarting or have a power cut in the middle of a session.

Later in the morning, I got to join the drivers and engineers for the track walk in the morning. This is a welcome opportunity for me to have a chat with them and learn a few things about the circuit.

I returned to the team building after the track walk to find a backlog of photocopying to be done. The menus were all in Korean and unwilling to give any hints as to what their functions are. Fortunately, unlike Robert Kubica's sat nav last year, there was an option to change the language to English – saving me from being a full time photocopy-man.

After the pit stop practices, we got an early finish at 6:30pm. This gave us a chance to revisit the Korean BBQ for some pork belly and a few beers.

Friday
Friday is one of the longest days of the week. It is the day when we have the earliest start time. While the mechanics and engineers were busy preparing for the first free practice, I headed to the hotel to pick up the mechanics' and drivers' overalls and the rest of the kit.

'My Home Race' article in the Korean GP Preview magazine sparked some interest among a few Korean reporters who wanted to have a chat. It's nice to know that our magazine gets good exposure. I hope that through this the Koreans will get to know our team better.

Saturday_ Throughout the morning I was on loan to the marketing department to pick up our guests who arrived in Mokpo by train. They were Mr. Jin Choi from Genii's Asia office and special guests from Mongolia.

Due to parc ferme on Saturdays after qualifying, Saturday is always a guaranteed (well, almost) early finish day. Parc ferme starts at 6:30pm, at which point the cameras in the garages take over from FIA marshalls who oversee the cars until that point. With little time left to this changeover point, the generator technicians had to carry out a maintenance check on the generators. This meant that the generators had to be switched off for a short while for the check up to take place. With time running out, I had to push them to ensure it was completed before the official parc ferme conditions commenced. Later, as I was leaving the paddock, I was told that a mix up between two other teams' resulted in one of the team's generator cutting out at the eleventh hour!

Sunday
By this time, most of my work had wound down as there was little trouble-shooting left to do (it would be rather worrying otherwise!). I just had to make sure that the generators had enough diesel to get through the race and the pack-up. The forklifts needed to have sufficient diesel for pack-up after the race, too – which, fortunately they did. This meant that I was able to enjoy the race day by showing some guests around and watching the race from the garage with the mechanics.

Once the race was over, I lent my spare pair of hands wherever I could with the pack-up. It is a brutal test of fatigue and willpower. Hats off to the race team who endure this about 20 times a year!

Ferrari dismisses radio message

Ferrari has dismissed Rob Smedley's radio message telling Felipe Massa to "destroy" Lewis Hamilton's race as having been blown out of proportion.

Smedley's message was picked up on by newspapers after it was included in the Formula1.com race edit video, with Massa being told by his race engineer to "Hold Hamilton as much as we can. Destroy his race as much as we can. Come on boy." Following the message there was a collision between the pair, and Massa accused Hamilton of not using his mind after the race.

Now Ferrari, under its Horse Whisperer moniker on the official Ferrari website, has said that while "it might not have been the most politically correct choice of word … it definitely carried no malicious intent," and dismissed the comment:

"Words, words, words...Reading some of the English daily papers, it seems the Horse Whisperer is not alone in having his thoughts turn to William Shakespeare when he stumbled across the polemical mountain made out of the molehill that was the phrase delivered by Rob Smedley during the Singapore Grand Prix.

"It's true that Felipe Massa's race engineer was caught up in the heat of the moment and chose to use the verb "destroy" at some point. It might not have been the most politically correct choice of word, but it definitely carried no malicious intent, especially when you take into account that Rob is a Middlesbrough lad, born and bred! It is also true that this exhortation to Felipe came at the exit to Turn 5 on lap 11 of the race, at the end of which both the Ferrari man and Hamilton were due to come in to the pits together. In other words, it had nothing to do with the collision between Felipe and Lewis that happened on the following lap.

"It would not have taken much to avoid this misunderstanding, but that's what happens in the frenetic world of Formula 1. When all is said done, as the Bard of Avon himself might have put it, it was all much ado about nothing."

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Delays cause concerns over inaugural US Grand Prix

A behind-the-scenes power struggle at the USA Grand Prix could endanger the ability of organisers to hold the inaugural race in late 2012.

The Austin Statesman, which has been following developments closely, has revealed work at the new Circuit of the Americas venue has slowed of late as a possible change of promoters and management becomes a possibility. "Construction of the grandstands, paddock and medical centre has yet to start ... [but] developers have maintained they are still on schedule and that building will begin soon on what has grown to a 1,100-acre site."

The newspaper reported race promoter Tavo Hellmund had contacted the Texan authorities - who are bankrolling the event to the tune of $250 million over a ten-year period - to ask if a change of management would impact on the deal.

Furthermore, the paper stated Susan Combs, the state's financial officer, had written to Bernie Ecclestone to warn that major investors have not secured the rights to hold the grand prix. She also raised the possibility of a transfer of the contractual rights from Hellmund to a company controlled by some of the investors.

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Drivers face taxing time in India

While the Indian Grand Prix import duty tax row appears to have been resolved, concerns about punitive levels of tax for teams and drivers have not been so easily assuaged.

Negotiations with the relevant Indian authorities are still ongoing, but the Formula One world is worried that a race in India will see teams and drivers alike paying income tax in India - on a reported 1/19th of their annual earnings - as a consequence of spending less than a week racing in the country.

There has been no mention of similar tax demands on the media or team support staff, triggering the suspicion that the income tax row is merely an attempt to eke extra money out of what will be an expensive event to host. Tax law varies around the world, but it is highly unusual to pay income tax in a country one is simply visiting for the purpose of work.

FOTA chairman and McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh admitted to some concerns about the possible tax penalties of racing in India, but was unable to shed any light on the current state of affairs. "There are some concerns, and it's a concern for drivers as well as teams. It's quite a tough tax regime, but I'm certainly not competent to tell you exactly where we're at," Whitmarsh said. "But there is quite a lot of negotiation and discussion going on. I am sure we will race in India, but we need to resolve some of those issues."

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Jaime Alguersuari's Organic Life

Should Formula One not pan out for Jaime Alguersuari, the Spanish driver has a promising second career as a pop star.

Organic Life, the double-CD of dance music Alguersuari released in September, is currently riding high on the electronic music charts on iTunes.

"I have been working in the studio on lots of tracks and different things. I am bringing it to the market now because I feel it is time to do so," Alguersuari told Autosport. "It is classic house, the sound of Detroit/Chicago house, and the classic sound from Detroit - but a bit more organic to make it sound a bit easier on everyone's ears as my kind of music is more underground/techno.

"I will do an album later on, I need to keep on working on a couple of things - and later on I will do something really cool."

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Di Resta to show Suzuka 'respect'

Paul di Resta says he will have to "respect" Suzuka as he prepares to drive the circuit for the first time in the Japanese Grand Prix.

Di Resta's debut season in Formula One has been impressive, with 20 points to his name so far. As Force India's reserve driver last season he drove on a number of circuits during Friday practice but Suzuka was not one of them. Di Resta says that he is looking forward to learning the track, but having walked around it last year he's fully aware of the challenge.

"It's one of those venues that stand out because all the drivers love it and say great things about it," di Resta said. "I went there last year - my first visit to Japan - and saw it for myself. Just walking the track makes you respect the place because it's narrow, fast and has some really unusual corners. It also a technical lap: you can take different lines through some of the corners so there's a lot for me to learn during Friday practice."

Having scored 18 points in his last four races, di Resta says he's in a good frame of mind heading to Japan.

"I'm feeling very positive. Things have really come together quite well in the middle part of the year and I think we've delivered as a team. In Singapore the upgrade package worked as we expected and contributed to the end result. That's a big credit to the team and we've all worked very hard to achieve these recent results."

Di Resta also agreed with his team principal Vijay Mallya that the target now was to chase down Renault for fifth place in the constructor's championship.

"It's definitely achievable, but I think it will be a big ask unless we get quite a bit of luck along the way. The key will be getting both cars in the points, but we've also seen that Renault look stronger on certain tracks. So we're aiming at catching them but well aware they still have quite a points advantage."

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Suzuka 'a real drivers circuit'

Designed and built in 1962 by Dutchman John Hugenholz, the Hermann Tilke of his day, Suzuka is a drivers' circuit par excellence. Its unique figure-of-eight layout, its string of fast corners and the passionate yet polite Japanese fans make this one of the season's classic races.

Aerodynamic efficiency is crucial, particularly through the eight corners that make up the first sector. Importantly, Suzuka remains virtually unaltered since it was first included on the F1 calendar in 1987. "It means a lot to be racing on the same track that Ayrton and all those guys raced on," said Rubens Barrichello. "I think all of the drivers would agree with me on that."

Rubens Barrichello "I love Japan and think the Suzuka Circuit is a real drivers' circuit. The esses, behind the pit area, are my favourite part of the circuit. There is always a good buzz for us there and this year it won't be any different with the championship set to be decided in Suzuka once again. I can only hope for points from this weekend."

Pastor Maldonado "It will be a good experience for me as I think it is one of the most important circuits of the season. It is a historical track that hasn't changed much over the years, so it will be really exciting to drive on. There is a fantastic combination of corners and the first sector looks quite difficult. I think it will become one of my favourite tracks as it is quite quick and I like tracks like that. I've never been to Japan before so I'm looking forward to getting to know the country. We need to push hard this weekend to try and improve on our last result."

Mark Gillan, chief operations engineer "Suzuka is a classic track with its trademark figure-of-eight layout that proves a stern technical test for the drivers. The circuit layout leads to very high average cornering speeds and energy input into the tyres, but it is light on brakes.

"Our levels of understanding regarding the driveability issues of the FW33 have increased significantly since Singapore and we are currently working hard to optimise the set-up and improve the car going into the Japanese GP. We obviously need to ensure that the car operates in the optimal aerodynamic window - this is fundamental to maximising our performance and we aim to be fighting for a points finish with both cars."

From Cosworth's perspective: Suzuka has a versatile mix of high and low speed corners of different configurations around an almost 6km long track shaped like a figure 8. It is a technically, physically and mentally challenging race circuit. The ultra-fast 130R turn is arguably one of the sternest tests of the season for car and driver alike.

At Suzuka, more than most other places, success will be a result of all parameters working in harmony - chassis, engine, tyres and driver. Engine performance alone is not a key indicator of car performance around Suzuka, although it plays an important role. Drivers will need to be quick on the throttle heading out of the Spoon curve in order to maximise their run through 130R, the quickest part of the track where engine power will come to the fore. The "S" curves at the start of the lap are another special feature of Suzuka with quick change of direction crucial to a competitive first sector.

From Pirelli's perspective We've nominated the P Zero White medium and the P Zero Yellow soft tyres for Suzuka, which is one of the most thrilling circuits of the year. It's a combination that we last used in Italy and Belgium: both of them rapid and technical drivers' tracks, just like Japan. If anything, Suzuka will be an even bigger challenge for our tyres, as the track contains lots of quick changes of direction along with a very wide variety of corners that will require plenty of lateral grip - including the epic 130R. After a run of dry races, we'd never discount the possibility of rain in Japan either, but we're all very much looking forward to going there.

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'This year will be all the more poignant'

John Booth, team principal "Japan has always held a special place in the hearts of the F1 teams and drivers. It's a fantastic driver's circuit - one of the classics - and the enthusiasm of the fans is incredible. The F1 fraternity was heartbroken to see the devastation caused by the earthquake and Tsunami eight months ago and the widespread suffering as a result, so our return there this year will be all the more poignant.

"Suzuka is one of the driver's favourite tracks on the calendar and it's easy to understand why. It's a very challenging and technical circuit with frequent directional changes. Two critical points are the S-turns, a flowing combination of five corners where it is important to get the entry right; and the Spoon Curve, a double left taken as one, where it is crucial to find the perfect line and carry momentum into the following straight.

"We are in that final phase of the season now where the races are just flying by - it's hard to believe there are only five remaining. Jérôme enjoyed a strong race in Singapore and will be looking to harness that momentum I'm sure. Timo will be keen to make up for the disappointment of having to retire early in the race at one of his favourite tracks."

Timo Glock "I look forward to driving again at this very fast circuit. It was disappointing for my race to end so early in Singapore and not be able to help the team. This means I look forward to the Japanese Grand Prix even more and I'm now 100% focused on the weekend ahead.

"Suzuka is such a fun and challenging circuit, I really enjoy racing here. The figure-of-eight layout is really unique and with the Spoon Curve and high-speed 130R corner, it's a really demanding circuit with a thrilling fast-flowing lap, similar to circuits like Silverstone or Spa. 130R is one of the fastest corners in Formula One and you really have to think about how you approach it - it's a real buzz to take the corner carrying so much speed.

"I've been back to Europe in the break to continue to work on my fitness for the long-haul races, which means a lot of cycling in Switzerland of course. The next two races, being back to back, are tough ones for the team so I'm as prepared as I can be to support us with what I hope can be two strong race performances."

Jerome D'Ambrosio "I would say that my last race in Singapore was my toughest race ever but I was happy with the result and it was an important accomplishment for me in my racing career. I hope I can have a few more like that in the remaining races of the season."

"I think Suzuka is one of the best race tracks on the Formula One calendar. It's challenging, fast and very technical - everything we hope for in a race track. Last year I had the chance to drive during the first Free Practice session in Japan and I think the first sector is the highlight of the lap; the Esses are incredible and it's tough to keep the right line. There are also a couple of low-speed corners and a chicane where you have very heavy braking. Overall the layout of the circuit is sensational and I can't wait to race here.

"I've been back home in the break - first to Belgium and then back to the UK - so I can keep up my training as this will be important for all the travel, different time zones and temperatures in the last five Grands Prix."

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2011 Japanese Grand Prix Preview

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Lotus Renault GP prepares for round fifteen of the season in Japan.

See below to view our preview magazine, packed full of exciting content, including interviews with all key players at LRGP.

Vitaly Petrov: “Suzuka may be a famous circuit but it's also quite a tricky one”

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Vitaly prepares himself for the speedy track of Suzuka – a polar opposite of the tight and twisting Marina Bay Circuit.

What are your feelings after a disappointing night race in Singapore…
VP: It was a challenging weekend for us and frustrating not to see our hard work translated into results. We didn't perform at our usual level. We now need to show what we can do in the final five races.

How did you spend your time in between Singapore and Japan – did you go back to England?
VP: Yes, I came back straight after the race. I went through my usual training routines, before returning to England to visit the factory, meet with my engineers and discuss what happened in Singapore. Of course, we have also been preparing for Suzuka and the engineers have given me some data from last year to look at, which should help stand me in good stead.

Are you excited about going to Suzuka, one of the classic tracks on the calendar?
VP: Suzuka may be a famous circuit but it's also quite a tricky one. Everyone knows it well, and all motorsport fans love it. I've only been to Suzuka once before, but racing there really is quite special. The track tests drivers in every way possible; it is challenging and very, very fast. If you count the number of high-speed corners that are taken in fourth gear or above, there are more than any other circuit on the calendar. The first sector is incredible: the 's' curves are like a rollercoaster, flipping the g-forces from side to side through very long corners, and it's tough to keep the correct line, particularly because if you get one corner wrong, you really suffer in the other corners.

How do you expect to perform in Suzuka?
VP: I hope the car will be strong there. It's important to have confidence in the high-speed corners because if your confidence is down you can lose a lot of lap time. There is a very small margin for error because there are very few run-off areas, so as soon as you make a mistake, you are in the gravel. Often, when you are outside the car you don't realise that the drivers are making errors, because you see them put a wheel over the kerb and onto the run-off area, before they come straight back on track. But Suzuka doesn't work like that - if you go off with one wheel, you don't come back. It's one of the most fearsome tracks, but when you get it right it gives you immense satisfaction.

Read more in our Japanese Grand Prix Preview