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Jenson Button says that Monza presents some interesting strategic and set-up challenges, and that the ideal solution is far from clear cut.

Last year Button ran a high downforce spec, with some success, but he says that the advantage of doing that has been negated.

“This is a very interesting race,” said Button. “It’s not straightforward, this race. Strategy is difficult, there’s a massive camber limit on the front which is going to hurt a lot of people. The tread on the front on the soft tyre is less than normal, so it will be difficult to get heat into the tyre. There are so many different things for this race that we haven’t experienced before. It will be good to see who can work with it and come out on top. Hopefully it will be us.

“It’s quite different to last year because we don’t have the DRS every lap of the race like we had the F-duct last year. So you won’t have cars running massive amounts of downforce here, because you’ll be a sitting duck in the race. It will be much lower downforce this season.

“But I think even with a very small wing we’ll still have more downforce than most people had last year here. We’ll be close to what I had, I think, from what other people were running last year.”

Meanwhile Button says he’s driving as well as he ever has, after a recent run of good races.

In Spa he charged up to third after a disastrous qualifying, and team sources insist that had he not damaged his front wing on debris at the start he could have won the race.

“I’m very happy with what I’m doing with the car,” said Button. “With the tools I have available to me I think I’m doing the best job I can. I’m really enjoying it as well, which is massively important.

“I feel good in the car and I have the confidence to really throw it around, which is maybe the biggest thing which is different from previous seasons. I think that will show in qualifying in the next few races.

“I’m still going to make mistakes, and we made one in qualifying at the last race. But more often than not we get it right when it comes to strategy and the calls we make during the race.”

Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he might have been knocked unconscious in the aftermath of his crash in the Belgian GP.

Onboard TV pictures showed Lewis not moving his head or arms when the car came to rest, and he didn’t show signs of movement until some 15s after the initial impact.

At the time the team said he’d been winded, but asked by this writer if he had now accepted that he had been knocked out, Lewis conceded that it may have happened.

“I don’t really remember much from hitting the wall, so it’s potentially possible I was out for a couple of seconds, but I’m not really sure,” he said today. “I don’t remember the whole hitting the wall and how I got to where I was. I remember going into the corner, or trying to go into the corner, and getting hooked, but after that, a bit blurry.

“I hit it quite hard. I was doing 200mph or whatever it was at the end of the straight. There wasn’t much slowing down time between hitting him and into the wall, it was directly into the wall, so I hit it with a lot of force.”

After leaving the track Hamilton sent a Twitter message taking responsibility for the crash.

“When the incident happened, there are doubts in your mind whether it was your fault, whether or not you were hit. I didn’t really know what happened, I just knew I’d been hit. But I was still doubtful whether or not it was my fault.

“After I’d left they sent me some information, and a video clip. Immediately I knew it was my fault. I was pretty upset with it, but it was important to set the record straight and apologise to Kamui and the team.”

Meanwhile Hamilton says he’s paid no attention to recent media criticism: “I’m not really focussing on that, I’m trying to get back to having some good results so I can stop negative stories being written about me! I don’t read them, I just hear there are pretty bad stories written about me. I’m thinking it will be good to give you guys something good to write about.

“I’ll continue to drive the way I do, I’ll just try my hardest to stay out of trouble.”

Last year McLaren split its aero strategies for this race, with Jenson Button on high downforce, and Hamilton with a more traditional low downforce rear wing. Lewis says that low downforce will probably be the way to go this year.

“I don’t know what to expect. We’ll find out tomorrow if we’ve got competitive end of straight speeds. I’m not quite sure. You look in the garages and you see some people with really, really thin wings, and some people with similar wings to what they had in the last race. We have a similar wing to what we had in the last race. I’m hopeful that it will work and we’ll be competitive.

“Last year we didn’t have such a strong blown diffuser, this year’s are much stronger, so I think you can run less downforce on the wings and still have similar downforce to the heavier wing in low speed corners. Yes, Jenson was very competitive, but it’s a bit different with the DRS, particularly in the race, it’s a little bit different compared to last year. You’ll lose a lot more with heavier downforce.”

Amid recent talk of an Iranian GP plans for a race circuit in the country have been formally announced.

The initial intention appears to be more modest, with a Grade II FIA licence the target – which will allow the track to host events such as the WTCC and FIA GTs.

The iLand Race Resort is being built not by Tilke, but by UK firm Apex. Like Korea and Abu Dhabi, it is part of a much larger development.

A statement today explained: “The directors of TSI Group and their iLand resort, a 1,700 hectare resort city currently under construction in Parand city on the outskirts of the Iranian capital city of Tehran, are pleased to announce their plans for the exciting new iLand Race Resort development.

“The iLand Race Resort will comprise a 5.0km race circuit built in the style of the classic ‘naturally contoured’ circuits such as Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), the Nürburgring Nordschleife  (Germany) and Donington Park (UK). It is to be built on a parcel of land of 75 hectares that is 1,100m above sea level, with a natural topography range of 22m.

“It will be serviced by a country club, expo centre and road safety training school and will be linked to the wider nearby development through the iLand Central Business District. Initial groundworks have commenced for construction and Phase 1, the West circuit, is scheduled for completion in 2012, with full construction and operation anticipated in 2013.”

“The circuit and the adjacent development is to be designed and the construction project management supervision is to be provided by the British motorsport design consultancy Apex Circuit Design Ltd., with support from their co-consultants Ridge and Partners and Mott Macdonald in the UK, teamed with the iLand technical group in Tehran and their locally appointed architects, engineers and contractors.

“The aspiration for the circuit is initially to attract an FIA Grade 2 license and to accommodate regional and International race events and Iranian corporate entertainment, education and motorsport activities; the circuit development will be contained within an economic free zone and is only 5km away from Tehran Iman Khomeni Airport.”

Williams may be struggling on the track but the team has reported an improved financial performance in its half-yearly results.

Turnover and earnings per share of Williams Grand Prix Holdings are up compared with the same period in 2010. The team says that “full year results are expected to show revenue growth of around 12% to 20% over 2010 as a result of new business development and activity in Williams Hybrid Power.  Overall profit before tax is expected to be in line with 2010 despite investment in Williams Hybrid Power and Williams Technology Centre, Qatar.”

“The first half of 2011 shows momentum in our diversified growth, building on the foundations we laid in 2010,” said Frank Williams. “We have upgraded and extended existing partners Randstad and Oris, and added Interbrand as a new partner.  Our new partnership with Jaguar Land Rover was followed by an exciting alliance announced with Renault, which will further strengthen our medium term performance both on and off the track.”

Chairman Adam Parr added:  “We are pleased to report interim results that demonstrate further progress of our Group strategy.  Our core business has performed in line with expectations, with greater costs incurred in the first half.  We have made several senior new appointments in engineering and aerodynamics, bolstering both our team devoted to improving track-side performance, and supporting our Jaguar Land Rover partnership.

“The June 2011 results benefit from full period ownership of Williams Hybrid Power, which has reported its first significant revenues, where we are ramping up commercial flywheel production following success with motorsport OEMs.  We have also accelerated the development of Williams Technology Centre Qatar, where efforts to secure our first customer are progressing.”

Former Jaguar boss Mike O’Driscoll and banker Edward Charlton have joined as non-executive directors.

For the record, the numbers as reported by Williams are as follows:

• Turnover up 5% to £47.3 million (1H10: £45m)
• Core EBITDA up 21% to £4.7 million (1H10: £3.9m)
• Core profit before tax up to £2.9 million (1H10: £1.5m) due to increased revenue and reduced financing costs
• Reported profit before tax up 37% to £1.7m (1H10: £1.3m), after investment of £1.1 million in Williams Hybrid Power and Williams Technology Centre Qatar
• Earnings per share up 49% to 19.31p (1H10: 12.98p)
• Net cash significantly increased to £11.6 million (1H10: net debt of £0.5m)
• Interest expense down 69% to £83k, due to late-2010 debt reduction, supported by strong cash flows
• No tax charge for the period. Estimated carry-forward losses for taxation purposes of approximately £90 million

In addition the team reports the following developments:

• Partnership announced with Jaguar Land Rover to jointly develop the C-X75 supercar
• Historic Renault partnership renewed through an alliance to supply its championship-winning F1 engines for the 2012 and 2013 seasons
• WHP’s development of commercial flywheel production continues apace, following its success in the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid
• Additional non-executive directors appointed to the Board

Lotus Renault has announced that it has split with Nick Heidfeld after reaching a settlement.

Bruno Senna is now free to finish the 2011 season for the team, LRGP has also confirmed, with Romain Grosjean as third driver.

A statement said: “Lotus Renault GP and Nick Heidfeld have reached an amicable settlement today and have chosen to part company with immediate effect. This announcement enables both parties to bring the matter to a close and concentrate on their respective sporting challenges in the future.

“Our disagreement with Nick has been the subject of much media coverage lately,” said Eric Boullier. “And we are pleased to have reached a swift and reasonable solution. Our separation process was already a painful one, and neither of us wanted to go through another legal hearing.

“We’re very grateful to Nick for the highly valuable contribution he’s made to the team. We certainly had good times together, in particular remembering our podium finish in Malaysia. He is a very strong and determined racer and we wish him every success in the future.”

“Obviously I’m disappointed to be leaving Lotus Renault GP in the middle of the season,” said Heidfeld. “I thought I could still make a big contribution to the team, but I have to see things as they are and I want to turn my attention to the future. We have taken the right decision by choosing to end our collaboration today. I would like to wish all the friends I made at Enstone a successful end to the season. One thing is for sure – I’ll be back racing at the highest level soon.”

The team added that “both parties consider the matter settled and will refrain from making any further public statements on the issue in the future.”

Jenson Button says that deciding on a set-up for Monza will be more complicated than ever this year, with DRS now added to the mix.

Last year Button went for high downforce in qualifying while Lewis Hamilton went for a more traditional approach. Button nearly won the race, but didn’t quite have the straightline speed to defeat Fernando Alonso come the race.

Now teams have to take DRS into account when gearing the car and deciding how much overall downforce to run. The less downforce, the smaller the relative gain when the DRS wing is deployed.

“It’s going to be the usual difficult trade-off between drag and downforce to find the ultimate package for the race,” said Button. “Last year, Lewis and I opted to follow two different paths – Lewis went for the low downforce configuration and I went for more grip, at the expense of straightline speed. That meant that, although I had the lap time, I didn’t quite have the opportunity to mount an attack for the lead, because I couldn’t get close enough along the straights to have a go into the braking areas.

“But I think things will be a little more mixed-up this year. For the second time this season, we’ll have two distinct DRS zones, with two potential passing opportunities. The first zone’s going to be interesting because it’s always been very tough to challenge for position under braking for Ascari – the track’s pretty narrow and it’s a fast entry – so I’ll be really interested to see how well DRS will work into that corner – we might see some pretty spectacular moves!”

Button believes that passing is more likely at the first chicane: “I think the more conventional passing opportunity will come from the second DRS zone, getting as close as possible into Parabolica, holding on through the corner – which won’t be straightforward – and then deploying DRS down the start/finish straight before, hopefully, passing into Turn One.

“The DRS is going to be a pretty major asset for a following car, and it might shape the race in some really interesting ways.”

Not everyone will find the FondTech E-11's lines attractive...

The push towards a future for electric racing cars continues to gather momentum with the announcement by FondTech of its E-11, described by the Italian company as the world’s first purpose-built electric single seater.

The car has been designed by FondTech boss Jean-Claude Migeot and his team with an eye on the FIA’s Formula E category, which has been proposed for 2013, but for which which no firm regulations exist as yet. Intriguingly, the E-11 features four wheel drive.

The company says: “The project can be traced back to early computer simulations carried out in 2009 before the project was officially signed off in May 2010. Since then CFD research has continued, a 60% scale model wind tunnel-developed and the chosen motor/gearbox assembly bench tested. Chassis manufacture has also begun ahead of the car’s first track test in January 2012.

“E-11 is intended to match the performance figures of current-specification Formula 3 cars over a 20-minute duration around any existing circuit in the world. It is the challenges posed by such figures, as well as the car’s conception as the first ground-up electric single-seater, that has seen the E-11 depart from established design philosophy.”

Migeot says that the clean sheet of paper approach made for an interesting challenge.

“With a reputation built on aerodynamics, this adventure into a new sphere of motorsport has allowed FondTech to develop a concept unencumbered by regulations but at the same time bound by the current level of battery technology,” said the Frenchman. “Range and weight were always going to provide our biggest obstacles which is why aero efficiency has played such a key role in this project.

“E-11 also includes a number of innovative features, like four wheel-drive, which we believe are essential to extracting the most potential from electric racing cars. Due to the limitations of existing batteries, and in helping restore motorsport’s value as the proving ground of tomorrow’s road car technology, it was imperative that our imagination was not restricted. I am hopeful the FIA will appreciate this pioneering spirit when framing their own regulations in the coming months.”

The company has released the following video which demonstrates that – thanks to the batteries being under the driver – the car has a somewhat unusual top heavy look to it…

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has announced the revised 2012 calendar, which confirms that Turkey has been dropped.

Bahrain has become the fourth race of the year, instead of being twinned with Abu Dhabi, as Bernie Ecclestone recently told the teams. Having tried to put India in April Bernie has now moved it back to end of October, the date it has this year.

Spain and Monaco are no longer back to back, while as expected Austin is one week before Brazil, making for a huge logistical challenge for all concerned.

Fernando Alonso has had a great run of results recently, but the Spaniard admits he was disappointed to tumble from second to fourth place in the closing laps at Spa, especially after running so strongly earlier in the race.

As at previous races this year Ferrari struggled on the prime tyre, which in this case was the medium. Alonso could do little to defend his position when caught by Mark Webber and later Jenson Button, the latter benefiting further by being on the soft tyre.

“It’s impossible in Spa when someone comes 1-1.5s quicker than you,” said Alonso. “With the DRS etc, an overtaking manoeuvre is quite straightforward. So I knew that sooner or later the possibility of the podium was not a real one today, and unfortunately it happened, we lost again, and it’s a disappointing feeling when you stop the car.

“But it was a fun race. The start was quite good, and in the first couple of laps we had a lot of battles, and at one point [I was] leading the race when we decided not to stop under the safety car. So a fun day, but we want the podium each time.”

At one stage Alonso had a close run through Eau Rouge with Webber, the Aussie managing to emerge in front: “It was a good battle – with Mark it’s always quite good to battle, there’s a lot of respect for everybody, and fair game, and no problems. So it was good. Eau Rouge, it’s always very special to battle there…”

Alonso admits that Ferrari’s title hopes are getting ever more remote.

“Well I think every race it’s more and more difficult, so one race less, 25 points less available, and more distance, because they keep winning. While it’s mathematically possible you need to keep fighting, but at the moment they are doing a fantastic job.

“Monza is the home Grand Prix for Ferrari, we all want to do well there, so we will all try to make an extra effort in Monza to be fighting for victory.”

If you have read about Sakon Yamamoto’s exploits as a DJ you might like to see some rare footage of the former HRT, Spyker and Super Aguri driver in action on the decks.

Here’s a video from the post race F1 party in Budapest’s Symbol club a month ago, where Yamamoto entertained several fellow drivers as well as some models dressed by Sakon’s fashion designer pal Szonja Lang.

As you can see, he’s really into his music. Now we just need to see Jaime Alguersuari doing his thing…