Adam Cooper F1

Sauber has confirmed that Esteban Gutierrez will replace Sergio Perez in FP1 in India today.

A handily timed illness for Perez has given the team the perfect opportunity to evaluate its reserve driver, who has a good chance of landing a race seat for 2013. Gutierrez, who has had very few opportunities to try a car on track, will also do the Abu Dhabi Young Driver test.

Oddly enough the team expects that by missing FP1 Perez will be in good shape for the rest of the weekend…

A statement said: “Due to the fact Sauber F1 Team race driver Sergio Pérez is unwell, the Sauber F1 Team has decided to let its reserve driver Esteban Gutiérrez jump into the car for the first free practice session ahead of the Indian Grand Prix on Friday. This should help Sergio’s speedy recovery so he is able to drive for the remainder of the weekend.”

Lewis Hamilton says he’s determined to end the season on a high after his bad recent run of races derailed his title challenge.

Hamilton has had little luck since his win at Monza closed out the European season, retiring from the lead in Singapore and being hampered by mechanical problems in both Japan and Korea.

“One hundred per cent as always,” said Hamilton of his commitment this weekend. “And I’m just hoping things turn out a bit better than they have in the last three races, because it’s been pretty tough for us. I’m just going to try to enjoy it. It’s the last four races of the season, and obviously with this team, so I want to make sure I give everything.

“I’m hoping this weekend the car suits the track a little bit better, and I’m hoping that we don’t have any problems throughout the race, so we can just fight for points, fight in the race, try and get the best result possible.”

Regarding the 62-point gap to leader Sebastian Vettel, he said: “I don’t feel that that gap is particularly easy to close up, but it’s not impossible.

“If me and Jenson are able to deliver with the team a constructors’ championship, even though we don’t have a driver’s championship, that would be a fantastic way to end the season.”

Lewis also made an interesting comment on replacing Michael Schumacher next year.

“I’ve got very big shoes to fill. For me it’s an honour to be sitting in a car that he once sat in and a team that he drove for. When he was racing for Ferrari and winning everyone wanted to be able to sit in his seat. I’m doing that, but in Mercedes.”

Kimi Raikkonen says he’s still in with a shout of the World Championship, although the Finn admits that he faces a much tougher task than in 2007, when he came from behind to pip Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso at the final race.

That year Raikkonen was 17 ‘old’ points behind with two races to go – the equivalent of around 42-43 under the current system – but his Ferrari was a more consistently competitive car than this year’s Lotus.

“[Then] we had a car that you knew that could win all the races,” he said today. “And right now we are not the fastest car, so we need more help to really win it, but we will keep trying and hopefully we can achieve it. We will try until there’s no chance, but it’s a bit different situation. But if we can improve the car in the next three races, you never know.

“I’m happy. If you had told me before the season that I will be in this position with this many points  and stuff like that I would have taken it but of course when you do some good races you always want more and more and then you’re disappointed if you’re not. If you do well you want more and more. It could have been better but it could have been much more worse also.

“For some reason, after the summer break, some of the teams have been much more consistent. I think we still have a good car. We improved it in the last race again but we are not at the level that we maybe were compared to others at the beginning of the season.”

Meanwhile Kimi said nothing had been decided with Lotus for next year.

“I don’t know. I mean, we have options but nothing is decided but I guess it will be decided at some point.”

British GP2 driver Max Chilton will take a step closer to landing a Marussia race seat for 2013 when he takes part in FP1 in Abu Dhabi, in place of Charles Pic.

Chilton has already driven for the team when it opted to run its Young Driver test at Silverstone earlier this year, while he also tested for Force India in Abu Dhabi last year. The team says Pic won’t lose out because of the remaining tracks, he is already familiar with Abu Dhabi.

“As part of our ongoing assessment of the next generation of racing talent, we are interested to see how Max has progressed since we first put him in the car at our Young Driver Test at Silverstone in the summer,” said team boss John Booth.

“Since that time, Max has impressed a great deal in the GP2 series, achieving two race wins in the latter part of the season, so at the same time as ensuring his preparedness for the Reserve Driver role, we are looking forward to comparing his driving development with his growing maturity outside of the car.”

“This is the next step in the process of proving my potential and another important notch for me personally in terms of my ultimate goals,” said Chilton. “As for next Friday, the 90 minutes of FP1 will fly by so quickly that it’s a real bonus to be testing the car at a circuit I know well. It means I can get up to speed straight away and focus on delivering some proper set-up and aero evaluation data for the team to help during the rest of the weekend.”

Luiz Razia and Johnny Cecotto Jr will drive for Scuderia Toro Rosso at the Abu Dhabi Young Driver test, the team having chosen not to use graduates of the Red Bull junior programme.

Razia, who finished runner-up in this year’s GP2 series, has previously driven at the same test for the former Lotus and Virgin teams. He also drove in FP1 for the former at the 2011 Chinese GP.

Cecotto, who drove for Force India in last year’s Abu Dhabi test, will have the car on the Wednesday, while Razia will drive on Tuesday and Thursday.

The FIA says that its crunch meeting with the teams in Paris today was “constructive” and an “important step” towards securing the future of the World Championship via a new Concorde Agreement.

A short statement from the FIA tonight read as follows: “During a constructive meeting, Jean Todt, the FIA President, in co-operation with Bernie Ecclestone, the Commercial Rights Holder, has presented to all F1 Team Principals the new structure of governance, including the new conditions of entry for the Concorde Agreement, starting in 2013.

“All the participants in the meeting were encouraged to seek clarification which resulted in a fruitful and helpful debate on how the new structure would operate in 2013 and beyond.

“A further important step has been achieved today to secure the future of the F1 World Championship which should lead to a final settlement to be reached between the FIA, the Commercial Rights Holder and the Teams in the coming weeks.”

New Jersey F1 promoter Leo Hindery insists that the Grand Prix of America will take place in 2014 after the race was dropped from next year’s calendar.

A statement from the circuit said today that the delay was due to “ongoing construction issues on the unique riverfront street course,” and specifically “the additional time needed for the development of complex Hudson Riverfront facilities and for finishing the second pits and paddock garage on the site.”

“We are going to be racing at Port Imperial, unfortunately just not as soon as we hoped and expected,” said Hindery. “We promised Governor Christie, the towns, the sport and its international fans the best possible experience, and unfortunately we need additional time to ensure that happens.

“We remain 100% committed to the Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial and the race could have no better partner and friend than the CEO of Formula One, Bernie Ecclestone. We benefit greatly from his experience and counsel and from his support.”

Ecclestone added: “I remain totally committed to the Port Imperial race and its unique location and attributes, and we will continue to work closely together to realise our dream in 2014. As Leo says, we are still going to be racing at Port Imperial, now however in 2014.”

Mario Andretti will be reunited with the black and gold colours of Lotus when he drives the team’s 2010 Renault R30 at the opening ceremony at COTA this Sunday.

The R30, originally raced by Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov, is used by the team for demo runs.

Lotus says that Andretti will “formally cut the ribbon to open the track by driving the opening laps of the circuit, in what will be his first time behind the wheel of a contemporary Formula 1 car since he last competed in the sport in 1982.”

The car will also be driven by the team’s regular third driver Jerome D’Ambrosio, and by actor and sportscar racer Patrick Dempsey.

David Coulthard will retire from the DTM after the final race of the season at Hockenheim this weekend.

The Scot says he wants to focus on his family and other interests, including of course his BBC F1 commentary role.

Coulthard ceded his Red Bull F1 seat to Sebastian Vettel at the end of 2008, and after a year out returned to racing with Mercedes in 2010. Over his three seasons on the category his best result was a fifth place, although he set a couple of fastest laps.

“The weekend will be my final opportunity to compete at this level as I will stop racing in the DTM to concentrate on my developing off-track businesses and of course my family,” he said.

“I will continue to be part of the Mercedes family through my role as an AMG brand ambassador. I would like to thank first of all Norbert Haug and his team at Mercedes Motorsport for providing the opportunity, Deutsche Post for their support and their willingness to allow the Wings for Life Foundation to have promotional space on the car, which has helped raise awareness and funding for the research into spinal cord injuries.”

“David’s involvement in the DTM has been good for him and for the championship,” said Norbert Haug. “He is skilled on the race track, and eloquent and analytical in his TV work and as an AMG brand ambassador. He has been a successful member of the Mercedes family for over a decade and a half, and will remain so after his retirement from active racing.”

After Stefano Domenicali suggested on Sunday that an announcement was imminent Ferrari did indeed confirm today that Felipe Massa will stay on for 2013.

The team says that it issued the news earlier than planned to end speculation, but the fact that it is a one-year deal and a Ferrari seat will once again be up for grabs in 2014 will only add fuel to the rumours about who might be heading to Maranello.

Massa’s recent upswing in form has been timed perfectly, with his second place in Japan followed by fourth – behind his team mate – in Korea last weekend.

“I am very happy to have reached this agreement,” said Massa. “Ferrari is my racing family and throughout my entire time in Formula 1, I have always driven cars powered by engines built in Maranello: I can’t see myself driving cars propelled by anything else!

“First and foremost, I want to thank President Montezemolo and Stefano Domenicali, who had faith in me and who have always supported me, even at the most difficult moments.

“The team and also all the fans can rest assured that I will do all in my power to help the Scuderia reach the targets it sets itself each year.”

“We are pleased to have extended our relationship with Felipe for a further year,” added Domenicali. “He has been part of our family for over a decade and has shown, especially in this recent part of the season, that he is once again competitive at the highest level, which is what is expected of every driver who gets behind the wheel of a Ferrari.

“We have always supported Felipe, even in the most difficult moments of his career and we are certain of his worth and are sure he will know how to repay the confidence this renewal proves we have in him.”