Former Marussia driver Timo Glock believes the team will struggle with an all-rookie line-up in 2013. Glock raced for the team between 2010 and 2012 but stood aside in order for Marussia to sign Luiz Razia, who comes with financial backing. Marussia will field Razia alongside Max Chilton, meaning that the GP2 graduates will form the first all rookie line-up since HRT in 2010. "It's definitely not going to be easy for them, especially in testing, where you need to be able to make the […]

Bernie Ecclestone says that all eleven Formula One teams are financially secure. Ecclestone held a meeting last Thursday as details in the new Concorde Agreement are being finalised. HRT exited the sport at the end of 2012, while Caterham and Marussia have both dropped experienced drivers in favour of 'pay drivers'. "On Thursday I was bringing the teams up to speed with the new Concorde Agreement," Ecclestone told Autoweek. "They are all safe. We have got a deal with them all, including Marussia. We are continuing […]

Sebastian Vettel is the best, but Mercedes can be a top-three contender in 2013. That is the claim of Niki Lauda, the triple world champion who is also the straight-talking expert pundit for German television RTL. But he is also now Mercedes' 10 per cent shareholder and board chairman, and despite an up-and-down Jerez debut for the new Brackley-built W04, Lauda sounded optimistic about the future. "My big joy is that the Mercedes can now compete with the top three teams," he told Bild newspaper. […]

Luiz Razia reckons Marussia could have a tough job in 2013 with both of their drivers yet to start a Formula One race. Razia was confirmed as Timo Glock's replacement and the Brazilian will partner fellow rookie Max Chilton. "For sure for the team it was a tough decision also, and for us it's going to be a tough job," he said of Marussia's decision to replace Glock with Razia. "So I think we just need to get together and really work through all the […]

Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed that F1's 2013 schedule will feature only 19 rounds. Until New Jersey's demise, this year's calendar was set to have twenty grands prix. Ecclestone, the F1 chief executive, opened up the twentieth slot to a potential new European venue, but he said on Tuesday that he could not now fill it "at this late stage". "(I'm) disappointed it (the 20th race) didn't happen," he said in Dubai on Tuesday, where he announced the airline Emirates as a major new F1 sponsor. […]

Marussia has unveiled their 2013 challenger in Jerez. The MR02 will be raced by Max Chilton and a yet to be named second driver. Marussia finished eleventh in 2012, ahead only of the now defunct HRT. The MR02 is an evolution of the 2012 car but now features KERS. "We embark on the first pre-season test of 2013 feeling very positive about our new car - the MR02 - and what lies ahead in this next important chapter in the development of the Marussia F1 […]

Bernie Ecclestone has tipped his friend Sebastian Vettel to win a fourth consecutive world championship in 2013. "I see it in this order: Vettel, Alonso, Button and Hamilton," he told the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport. The F1 chief executive said he was curious to see how Mercedes' sweeping changes for this season will make a difference, and said McLaren has a "better chance" to win the 2013 title compared to last year. "Many will not share my opinion," said the 82-year-old Briton, […]

Former Marussia driver Timo Glock has agreed a three-year contract to race in Germany's DTM touring car series with BMW. That is the claim of Sport Bild, reporting that the deal will be announced officially on Friday. Shortly after Marussia announced it is replacing the 30-year-old with an as-yet undecided pay-driver, Glock headed to Valencia where he tested BMW's M3 DTM car. "The car is great," he said. "I can finally go for wins. "The team already feels like family to me. I'm all fired […]

Glock's departure from Marussia is a shame for F1, but it highlights a larger issue...

Former HRT driver Pedro de La Rosa has joined Ferrari. The Spaniard, 41, will act as a development driver, assisting the team with their simulator. De La Rosa joined McLaren at the start of 2003, acting as their test and reserve driver until 2009, rejoining briefly in 2011. He scored a podium in the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix. De La Rosa joins fellow Spaniards Fernando Alonso and Marc Gene at the Maranello based team. "His experience on the simulator will be very useful for the […]

As Formula One begins to focus on the start of pre-season testing in February, there’s still the chance to relive the glorious 2012 season in Haynes’ Official Formula One Season Review 2012. The annual publication, now in its ninth year, features a foreword from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone as well as brilliant pictures from LAT. Every driver that took part in a race – and that includes Lotus’s Jerome d’Ambrosio – relays the story of their season, giving them the chance to reflect on their […]

Mike Gascoyne believes that Heikki Kovalainen should have shown more respect to Caterham