Ferrari stopped Nico Hulkenberg from joining Lotus for the last two grands prix of 2013. That is the hot rumour in the Austin paddock, as the two teams battle over millions for third place in the constructors' championship. The first rumour was that Ferrari, who have signed Kimi Raikkonen for 2014, may have encouraged the Finn to arrange early back surgery and miss Austin and Brazil. Now, it is being reported that Lotus approached Hulkenberg to replace the Finn, only to find surprisingly that the […]

Heikki Kovalainen may only have been Lotus' third choice as the 2013 successor for surgery-bound Kimi Raikkonen. The Enstone based team will announce on Thursday that Finn Kovalainen, who has been Caterham's 'Friday' driver this season, will race in Austin and Brazil at the wheel of Raikkonen's number 7. But it emerged this week that Nico Hulkenberg was also approached by Lotus, who found the German locked into the rest of his contract at Sauber. And Michael Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm told Bild newspaper that […]

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has thanked Sergio Perez for his contribution to the team, after the Mexican confirmed that he would be leaving the squad at the end of 2013. Perez joined McLaren from Sauber at the start of the year but released a statement on Wednesday confirming his departure from the team. Whitmarsh also confirmed that a deal with Jenson Button has been completed. "First of all, we would like to thank Checo for his kind and gracious statement, and for being a […]

Sergio Perez has confirmed that he will leave McLaren at the end of 2013, just 12 months after signing for the team. Perez, 23, joined McLaren from Sauber in place of Lewis Hamilton and is currently 12th in the championship with 35 points. It is expected that McLaren will replace Perez with Formula Renault 3.5 Series champion Kevin Magnussen. "I would like to thank McLaren for giving me the opportunity to be with them this season," Perez said in a statement posted on his website. […]

Nico Hulkenberg turned down an offer from Lotus to replace the surgery-bound Kimi Raikkonen for the remaining two grands prix of 2013. German Hulkenberg, who currently drives for Sauber, is the hot favourite to replace Raikkonen full-time in 2014, but only if financially-struggling Lotus completes its crucial investment deal with the Quantum group. If that deal collapses, as many insiders believe it will, Pastor Maldonado - who will not drive for Williams next season - is tipped to switch his lucrative PDVSA backing to the […]

Sergio Perez has labelled the upcoming United States Grand Prix as the most important race of his season amid speculation that he is to be replaced by Kevin Magnussen for next season. McLaren has been hesitant on the subject of Perez's future and the Mexican says that the race in Austin is his most important race of 2013. "For me, this will be the most important weekend of my year, and I’ll be especially keen for a strong result to send my fans back home […]

Fellow Finn Mika Salo has nominated Heikki Kovalainen as the ideal replacement at Lotus for his surgery-bound countryman Kimi Raikkonen. The conventional wisdom is that Lotus will simply promote its reserve driver, 2012 GP2 champion Davide Valsecchi, into Raikkonen's seat for the remaining two grands prix of the season. Italian Valsecchi, however, is a rookie, but Enstone based Lotus is locked in a lucrative and - given its financial problems - crucial battle for points and prize money in the constructors' world championship's upper places. […]

Two candidates have emerged as possible replacements for the surgery-bound Kimi Raikkonen at Lotus for the remaining two grands prix of the year. If the 'Quantum' investment arrives at the Enstone based team, German driver Nico Hulkenberg is Lotus' preferred choice to succeed Raikkonen permanently for 2014. But given Raikkonen's premature exit, does he have a chance to switch from Sauber a couple of races early? "Not likely," Hulkenberg's manager Werner Heinz told Bild newspaper. "No one has talked with us about that." In reality, […]

Daniil Kvyat has qualified for his F1 super licence. Energy drink company Red Bull has named the Russian teenager as Daniel Ricciardo's successor at Toro Rosso for 2014. But the marque wants to give Kvyat an early start by sending him out for Friday morning practice sessions this weekend in Austin, and the following week in Brazil. Until now, the only spanner in the works has been the new GP3 champion's lack of a F1 super licence, the mandatory FIA credential needed by drivers in […]

Kimi Raikkonen will not compete in the final two races of 2013 due to undergoing back surgery next week. Raikkonen had been a doubt to compete in America and Brazil due to financial issues with Lotus, but a deal was struck on the morning of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for the Finn to race. However, Raikkonen has now elected to undergo back surgery that will force him to miss the final two events after 'severe pain' following last weekend's event at the Yas Marina […]

Esteban Gutierrez says he is expecting next weekend's United States Grand Prix to be 'special' as he counts it as his home race. Mexican Gutierrez has never raced in Austin but is hoping to put on a show for the local fans. "Austin will be a very special weekend for me, because we can expect to have a lot of Mexican supporters again," he said. "I’m from Monterrey, which is quite close to Austin, being about one and a half to two hours away, so […]

Lotus team principal Eric Boullier says that Kimi Raikkonen is 'on side' after talks across the weekend in Abu Dhabi. Raikkonen came close to not racing at the Yas Marina Circuit but Boullier says that the Finn is on side with two races remaining in 2013, prior to Raikkonen's departure to Ferrari. "He is completely on side. We all spoke in Abu Dhabi to make sure we know where we’re going –and how we’re getting there – for the final races of the year," said […]