Adam Cooper F1

Paul Di Resta is returning to DTM with Mercedes this year, having been dropped by Force India at the end of last year.

The new deal opens up the possibility of him working with the Mercedes F1 team, his recent experience making him an obvious candidate for simulator running or even testing. Di Resta says that his potential involvement will be discussed soon.

“Hopefully I can be part of the Mercedes-Benz GP team,” he said when asked by this writer. “I’ve yet to see what that is. We’ll have a meeting I think with Toto [Wolff] and senior members, but more importantly certainly at this point I want to focus on my racing and getting myself up to speed in this championship I’m going to be taking part in.

“Over the next few weeks we can start to look at how much time I have, what I can maybe give to Mercedes, and what they can give to me, and we can do a combination. Everybody’s happy and they’ll all on the same thinking path, and that’s why the deal was so good and why we could agree such good terms. And hopefully I’ll have a successful year.”

Caterham has finally confirmed that Kamui Kobayashi will join Marcus Ericsson this year, as predicted here back on December 20 (see https://adamcooperf1.com/2013/12/20/kobayashi-set-for-f1-return-with-caterham/).

Alex Rossi retains his role as a test driver and will also race in GP2, and he’s joined in the reserve role by Dutchman Robin Frijns, who is rebuilding his career with new management after being dropped by Sauber.

Kobayashi last raced in F1 in 2012, and spent last year contracted to Ferrari, while Ericsson is the first Swede to have an F1 race seat since Stefan Johansson’s last season in 1991.

The 23-year-old has competed in GP2 for the past four seasons, scoring one win in 2010, 2012 and 2013. His best championship finish was sixth last year. He did three days of testing for Brawn GP at Jerez back in December 2009.

Team principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to bring Kamui back. He is a very popular driver and it’s very good for the whole team we’ve been able to attract such an exciting driver to join us at a critical point in our development. His pace speaks for itself, and his extensive experience of developing cars, particularly in his years with Toyota, will be incredibly important for us as we tackle one of the most challenging seasons F1 has ever embarked upon.

“Alongside him is Marcus who will be racing in his debut F1 season in 2014, but as a driver who has prepared perfectly for the step up to F1 with his graduation through the ranks. He started his single-seat career by winning Formula BMW UK in 2007 and rose through the ranks to GP2 where, last year, he won in Germany, scored two poles, three fastest laps and five podiums. He’s physically and mentally prepared for what lies ahead, and he will have all the support we can give him across the team to help him fulfil his obvious potential in Formula One.”

Heikki Kovalainen is without a drive after Caterham opted not to take him for this season.

The team had planned to give him a race seat in 2014 after indicating that it did not want to rely on paying drivers, which is why he was an FP1 regular last year.

However, clearly the situation changed, and it has been apparent for some weeks that the Finn was no longer in the frame. He had been under contract until December.

“I got a text message from Tony [Fernandes] saying they need two pay drivers,” Kovalainen told this writer. “So I guess that’s it for me. I was counting on this one 100%, so I have nothing planned now.”

The team is expected to finally confirm Kamui Kobayashi and Marcus Ericsson today.

Giedo van der Garde has joined Sauber as test and reserve driver, and the Dutchman has been guaranteed some Friday sessions and in-season tests as part of the deal.

The news confirms that he’s out of the frame at Caterham, the only team yet to announce its race drivers.

Team boss Monisha Kaltenborn said: “He has four years experience in GP2 and he drove one year in Formula One. These are good credentials to work successfully with our team. Many times Giedo has shown his talent as a race driver. At the same time the team would like to support him to further develop his skills. Giedo has the right attitude to take the next step forward.”

Van der Garde added: “I consider this an important step in my career. It is my goal to help the team with the development of the new car. But, of course, I am a racing driver, and I want to show the team and everybody else what I am capable of and that I deserve a race seat with the Sauber F1 Team in 2015. After all, my ambition remains unchanged and I am highly motivated to succeed in Formula One, especially in the long term.

”I am very thankful to Caterham that they gave me a chance to get a taste of Formula One. I enjoyed a fantastic season with the team and I have learned a lot. The experience gained will surely help me during the rest of my career.

“For now, I am really very excited to have signed a contract with the Sauber F1 Team. For every driver it is a dream to work for a well established team such as Sauber. In recent years it has shown impressive results.”

A Romanian-funded project is among one of the three potential new F1 teams involved in the 2015 entry tender process.

It’s understood that some state-owned companies are behind the new project, and that they have decided to pursue their own route after initially considering buying into an existing team late last year.

Former Force India and HRT boss Colin Kolles is involved, although it’s believed that he will be a supplier rather than an owner or team principal. In effect he would probably do what he did with HRT, and lease his Bavarian facility and its staff and equipment to the team.

Latterly Kolles has expanded to become a manufacturer, and this year his company is building an LMP1 car, and thus he has the capability to produce an F1 machine.

It’s worth speculating that one of the parties involved in the project could be Renault-owned car manufacturer Dacia, whose name could be used to badge a Renault F1 engine.

Ron Dennis has returned to the role of CEO of the McLaren Group, a job he held from 1982 to 2012, replacing Martin Whitmarsh.

More recently Dennis has been chairman, and he will also retain that title.

Last year there were rumours that Dennis would have more of a hands-on role again as McLaren tried to get its racing programme back on track, and inevitably questions are now being asked about the future of F1 team principal Whitmarsh.

Explaining his role Dennis said: “My fellow shareholders have mandated me to write an exciting new chapter in the story of McLaren, beginning by improving our on-track and off-track performance. Over the coming weeks I intend to undertake a thorough and objective review of each of our businesses with the intention of optimising every aspect of our existing operations, whilst identifying new areas of growth that capitalise on our technologies, and where appropriate further investing in them.

“During February, I will articulate a new Group strategy and implement the organisational structure best suited to achieving it. I am excited by the prospect of returning to the role of Group Chief Executive Officer and working with my many colleagues and fellow shareholders to fulfil our objective – which is to win at whatever we do.”

NASCAR team owner Gene Haas is behind a US effort to gain an F1 entry for 2015.

Today Haas said in a statement: “We have responded to the FIA’s ‘call for expression of interest’ regarding a Formula One entry on behalf of Haas Racing Development. We respect the FIA’s evaluation process and will share more details in the coming weeks.”

On December 11 the FIA announced a formal tender process, with a very short lead time, suggesting that interested parties had already been in contact. Late last year there were rumours of a potential F1 project in the USA.

The deadline for expressions of interest was January 3, with February 10 noted as the closing of full formal applications.

Three teams are believed to have started the process, with Haas joined by Stefan GP and a Romanian project involving Colin Kolles (see separate story).

The intention is that the Haas operation will be run by former Toro Rosso boss Guenther Steiner. Steiner, who runs a composite facility in North Carolina – ironically very close to the site of the failed US F1 effort – was an interested observer in the paddock in Austin in November. Haas apparently plans to utilise a Ferrari power train and initially a Dallara-built chassis.

The 61-year-old Haas owns one of the world’s leading CNC companies, and also owns the Wind Shear wind tunnel, also in North Carolina, which has been used by F1 teams. He first entered the NASCAR world in 2002, and latterly has been in partnership with Tony Stewart. Together they won the 2011 Sprint Cup title.

Bernie Ecclestone said this week that he had been in contact with two candidates.

More info on the selection process can be found here: http://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/basicpage/file/131112_12th%20Team%20Call%20%28final%29_clean.pdf

Bernie Ecclestone has relinquished his role as a director of the F1 Group and thus left the board of the organisation.

He will continue to have his day-to-day responsibilities, but will be subject to closer monitoring than previously.

The decision follows today’s confirmation that Ecclestone will stand trial on bribery charges in Germany in April, which led to a meeting of the board of Delta Topco, the holding company of the F1 Group.

A statement from the F1 Group read: “Mr Ecclestone has reassured the board that he is innocent of the charges and intends to vigorously defend the case which will commence in April 2014.

“After discussion with the board, Mr Ecclestone has proposed and the board agreed that until the case has been concluded, he will step down as a director with immediate effect, thereby relinquishing his board duties and responsibilities until the case has been resolved.

“The board believes that it is the best interests of both the F1 business and the sport that Mr Ecclestone should continue to run the business on a day-to-day basis, but subject to increased monitoring and control by the board. Mr Ecclestone has agreed to these arrangements.

“The approval and signing of significant contracts and other material business arrangements shall now be the responsibility of the chairman, Mr Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, and the Deputy chairman, Mr Donald Mackenzie.”