F1: Klien working in Williams simulator

May 14 (GMM) An Austrian influence is growing at Williams, the famous British F1 team.

The team’s 15 per cent shareholder is Christian ‘Toto’ Wolff, and given Adam Parr’s recent departure he is now tipped as Sir Frank Williams’ natural successor.

Indeed, now a regular presence at grands prix, his influence is clearly growing.

The driver he manages, Valtteri Bottas, is tipped to step into the race cockpit soon, while his wife Susie Stoddart is now a team test driver.

His countryman Alex Wurz mentors the drivers at Williams, and now it emerges that yet another Austrian is on the books.

Christian Klien, who most recently raced with HRT in late 2010, now spends a lot of time in Williams’ state-of-the-art driver simulator at Grove.

The ORF broadcaster reported that, during a race weekend, 29-year-old Klien evaluates setups in the simulator, reporting back his findings to the race team.

“It has become an industry standard,” Alex Wurz confirmed.

F1: Barcelona still hoping for annual F1 presence

May 14 (GMM) Organisers of the Spanish grand prix in Barcelona are clinging to the idea the race can continue to be an annual presence on the F1 calendar.

Bernie Ecclestone said last weekend that, amid Spain’s economic crisis, a deal has effectively been struck to alternate a single annual race date between Barcelona and the sport’s other struggling Spanish host, Valencia.

But the president of the Catalonia government, Artur Mas, is not so sure.

According to El Pais, he said on Sunday that – together with the city of Barcelona – it is still being contemplated whether the alternating scheme with Valencia is the only option.

“Rather than talk about the alternation with Valencia, now in Catalonia we are focused on making efforts to hold a grand prix that takes us to the world, from many points of view,” he said.

“What we have is an economic promotion, and work for many people, which is exactly what the country needs,” he is quoted as saying by Catalunya Radio.

“(The alternation) with Valencia, we’ll see. For now what is needed is to make efforts in Catalonia,” he said at the Spanish grand prix.

F1: Massa’s problems ‘in the head’

May 14 (GMM) Felipe Massa needs to relax and focus on getting his formula one career back on track.

That is the advice of Jaime Alguersuari, the former Toro Rosso driver who is now trying to rebuild his own career by testing tyres for Pirelli and working as a co-commentator on British radio.

Asked about Massa’s continuing crisis, Spaniard Alguersuari acknowledged it is a “difficult time” in the Brazilian’s career.

“Right now the most important thing for him is to stop thinking about the external pressure and just focus on his work and his problems.

“Sometimes you’re not competitive, something has happened and you don’t know what it is,” Alguersuari told the Spanish newspaper AS.

“But the worst thing you can do is doubt, hesitate, get nervous and start looking at your teammate, because all that will happen is it will get worse,” he added.

“Being in elite sport does not, as many believe, depend just on your skills, it’s about managing the psychological, physical and technical elements.

“I am convinced that Massa is not now a slow driver, he can get back to being like Fernando (Alonso) and some days – why not? – faster.

“The only difference between the two is in the head; that’s the difference between good and best,” said Alguersuari.

Livio Oricchio, the respected F1 correspondent for O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, fears the sport’s last Brazilian drivers – Massa and Bruno Senna – could soon lose their seats.

“As a driver, your main reference is always the work of your teammate, so in the sense that (for Massa and Senna) they are Fernando Alonso and Pastor Maldonado, it’s going very badly.

“At this point, only a miracle will keep Massa at Ferrari.

“He would have to do what he has failed to do in the last two championships, which is to qualify close to Alonso and score points regularly.

“Neither is what a Ferrari driver is really about,” admitted Oricchio, “but it’s a huge challenge given Massa’s loss of confidence and an unbalanced car.”

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F1: Salo believes Bottas to replace Senna soon

May 13 (GMM) Former F1 driver Mika Salo believes his Finnish countryman Valtteri Bottas is being groomed by Williams for a race seat — in 2012.

Photo by: xpb.cc

When the Toto Wolff-managed Bottas, 22, was announced as the British team’s 2012 reserve, Sir Frank Williams said he would practice on 15 Friday mornings and then “most likely” be replaced with a “more experienced driver” for the rest of those race weekends.

That more experienced driver would ultimately turn out to be Bruno Senna.

So with Brazilian Senna struggling so far in 2012, Salo has revealed he senses things could be about to change.

“Bottas is incredibly respected by the team,” Salo, now a commentator for the Finnish broadcaster MTV3, said.

“When I spoke with Frank Williams, he praised Valtteri to the skies, and said that he belongs in the races.

“I asked him when and he said it wouldn’t be long.

“Yes, I read between the lines that he means this season,” added Salo.

One major spanner in the works, however, is that Senna brings crucial sponsorship to Williams.

“It is a difficult situation for Williams, where both drivers bring money,” Salo acknowledged.

“But the good thing is that Frank Williams is not a businessman first, he is an old racing driver. He thinks about nothing else but how to make his team successful.

“Although Senna is a nice guy, he is not able to drive at the level that he needs to be at.”

When asked about Salo’s theory, Bottas commented: “I have no information.”

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F1: Ecclestone says Mercedes deal ’80 per cent’ done

May 13 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone claims he is close to reaching an agreement with Mercedes over the future of the German marque’s involvement in formula one.

Photo by: xpb.cc

The parties have been at loggerheads over the F1 chief executive’s refusal to offer to Mercedes the same Concorde Agreement deal reached with other top teams Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.

In response, it has been suggested not only that the situation threatened the sport’s floatation plans, but that Mercedes could sensationally quit F1 at the end of this year.

“We are now 80 per cent there,” Ecclestone told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag in Barcelona.

“The other 20 per cent, we will get there soon,” he added.

“We have spoken with several Mercedes managers. I am sure we will see more of Mercedes in formula one.”

Bild said the deal being discussed between Ecclestone and the Stuttgart based carmaker will see Mercedes in F1 at least through 2020.

Norbert Haug, however, sounded surprised.

“I have to apologise, but we don’t want to give any information at the moment about the state of the negotiations,” Mercedes’ motor racing vice-president insisted.

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