Adam Cooper F1

Mark Webber was fastest in Friday afternoon’s practice at Spa today, but the Aussie played down the performance on a day when there was only a brief window of dry running during a session that started and finished on a wet track.

“We had a look at both the soft and the medium, two laps on each, so not much,” said Webber. “We have to do some housekeeping, ride heights, brake balance, that sort of stuff, before we really get the car on the limit. The track was pretty dry at the end there, but it was still pretty green and slippery.

“We need to get out there and get the mileage in, but on the other side of the coin we need to save tyres for Saturday and Sunday. You don’t want to be using your allocation today and then starve for the rest of the weekend.”

Webber admitted that it won’t be easy to choose a seventh gear ratio to cover all eventualities.

“It’s not easy because you have a big difference between top gears with low fuel and high fuel, and DRS and no DRS. All of that needs to be taken into account. I think there are going to be a few top gears which are not perfect on Sunday because we didn’t get too much information today.

“But no one’s done more running than anybody else, that’s the way it is today, and we’ve got to make the most of tomorrow.”

Nick Heidfeld’s management team has confirmed that legal action is ongoing in London an attempt to get the German driver back in the cockpit at Lotus Renault.

They say that a legal process will take place after the Italian GP and hope that Heidfeld can be in the car for Singapore.

A statement tonight said: “Nick Heidfeld who still has a valid contract as main driver with LRGP is set to continue legal proceedings before the High Court of London after LRGP has temporarily been allowed to let Bruno Senna drive in Nick’s place until a final decision at a full trial which will take place after the Monza Grand Prix.”

“I was surprised by the Team’s intention to replace me and regret that things have developed this way,” said Heidfeld in the statement. “I just wanted to be in the cockpit to get the best result for the team and me. I still have a clear contract and I want to drive.’”

Nick’s lawyer, Dr. Stefan Seitz, explained: “The interlocutory decision of the court does not infringe on the fact that Nick has a valid contract to be one of the two main drivers of the team. This position is disputed by the team for apparently purely financial reasons. We do not intend to rest before Nick’s legal position has been fully restored.”

His manager Andre Theuerzeit added: “I am disappointed that the team is allowed to let another driver take Nick’s seat for the next weekends. However, I certainly am confident that we will be able to enforce a fair solution for Nick in the further proceedings. We all hope that Nick will be back in the cockpit in Singapore.”

It’s unusual for a driver contract matter to end up in court rather than with the Contract Recognition Board.

Bruno Senna has now been officially confirmed by Lotus Renault for the Italian GP, in addition to Belgium.

The team adds that it intends to keep him for the rest of the year – although bizarelly despite saying that, it can’t formally confirm it yet. The team is still in a legal debate with Nick Heidfeld, who has been ousted to make way for Senna.

Senna’s deal for the Italian GP was revealed in a press conference at Spa by his team mate Vitaly Petrov, and then was reiterated by Bruno himself.

“Well, right now, I’m confirmed for this race and the next race,” said the Brazilian. “But, for some legal issues still to be resolved, they can’t confirm the rest of the year or not. The intentions are that I do it but it still cannot be confirmed.”

The team later issued a statement saying that its “present intention is to give Bruno the opportunity to race for the rest of the season. However, some legal issues have not been fully resolved as yet and, as a result, the team will make another announcement on this matter in due course.”

It added that “Nick Heidfeld remains contracted to the team.” Indeed the German is present at the track in team gear and clearly wants to get his job back.

Senna meanwhile admitted that Spa won’t be an easy weekend for him as he tries to get up to speed.

“It is going to be a big challenge to come back into the middle of the season – or a bit later than the middle of the season – into racing,” he said. “But I have been participating in all the meetings with the engineers so I have been very much up to date with what is going on in the team. The Friday in Hungary was very useful for me to get a feel for the car and get a feel for how the car can go.

“But, of course, it is going to be a big uphill battle to get up to the level of these guys who have been racing for 11 races now. The fact that it is here, in Spa, is very special. It is my favourite circuit and a circuit that historically I have done very well on so I am really looking forward to it. I hope I can progress fast and hopefully do a good job for these guys because it is the best way to appreciate the opportunity that they are giving me.”

Derek Warwick was formally elected as the President of the BRDC at the club’s AGM today.

Warwick replaces his fellow ex-F1 driver Damon Hill, who had decided to step down.

“First and foremost I would like to thank Damon for the loyalty and commitment he has shown to the BRDC during his time as President,” said Warwick. “He steered us through some difficult, but ultimately successful times and my aim is to continue where Damon left off.

“The BRDC and Silverstone face an exciting future. We now have a 21^st century race circuit with 21^st century facilities; over the next 5-10 years we have the opportunity to continue developing Silverstone into the best motor sport venue in the world.

“The immediate focus is on securing third party investment in Silverstone, to realise the full potential of the 760 acre Estate. While the President is a non-voting member of the BRDC Board, I will continue to work closely with the Board as we seek and consider opportunities with suitable third parties.”

Warwick said he wanted to focus on younger drivers: “It is important to me that the Club is a place that young drivers want to come to. Us older members are the heart and soul of the BRDC, but the younger drivers are our future. That’s why I’ll remain very much involved with programmes such as the BRDC SuperStars, BRDC Rising Stars and McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year, of which I am Chairman.

“The success of the British motor sport industry, including the British Grand Prix, is intrinsically linked to the success of British drivers, competing at the pinnacle of their sport. These are tough economic times for everyone, especially our young drivers, and the motor sport industry needs to pull together to support up-and-coming talent.

“We should not take it for granted that we’ll always have British drivers competing at the highest level. The BRDC is a key stakeholder in British motor sport and as President of the Club I have a responsibility to make sure we are doing our bit, along with other stakeholders, such as the F1 teams, the MSA, MIA and RAC, to support and develop young British talent.”

Lotus Renault has finally confirmed that Bruno Senna will replace Nick Heidfeld for the Belgian GP, but has declined to give any more details or explain how things have been resolved with the German driver.

A short statement tonight said: “Lotus Renault GP is pleased to announce that Bruno Senna will race alongside Vitaly Petrov at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

“Bruno will attend the Official FIA Press Conference tomorrow at 15.00.

“A press release with further details on the matter will be issued tomorrow morning.”

Senna drove Heidfeld’s car on Friday morning in Hungary so has had a chance to get up to speed.

The FIA’s Charlie Whiting has confirmed that DRS will not be allowed at Eau Rouge this weekend to avoid the risk that a driver thinks it he has returned his wing to its normal position when he might not have.

The FIA had a similar view prior to Monaco, where the tunnel was an issue.

Although the explanation might sound odd, during practice in Turkey Mark Webber went into Turn 8 with his wing open when he thought he had closed it. He went off the road, and continued without major drama.

The feeling is that Eau Rouge is too marginal to risk something like that happening.

“We’re not going to allow DRS to be used through Eau Rouge during practice,” said Whiting. “We want to avoid drivers going through thinking that their wing is in the right position, when it might not be. We think this is the correct safety measure to have taken at such a fast, demanding corner.”

Whiting also made some interesting observations about crowd control at the Belgian track: “Spa’s obviously a great challenge for the drivers, but it can be quite a challenge for the circuit officials, also, mainly on account of its length. Any long circuit is harder from a security point of view and it can be hard to get the crowds under control. We always have to watch out for spectators climbing fences.”

Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali says that he and the rest of the team are fully motivated after the summer break, but concedes that the chances of fighting for the title are slim, and thus race wins are the target.

“Everyone seems to be like me, very motivated with batteries fully charged for the rest of the season,” he said on the Ferrari website. “We share the same state of mind, ready to return to the race tracks.

“Our realistic goal for the remaining eight Grands Prix is to win races, to score as many points as possible. I am sure we can achieve good results, but we should avoid looking at the classification, because we know the championship will be very difficult given the current gap, but let’s see where it is in a few races.

“We have the potential to do well and we have to believe in ourselves. In terms of the development of the 150º Italia, we are almost at the end of the road but this does not mean that work on this year’s car has come to a complete halt, but as of now, we are working full throttle on the 2012 car.”

Domenicali has reiterated that next year’s car will be more innovative than other recent Ferraris. “As far as next year’s regulations are concerned, apart from rules regarding the exhaust system, there are not many changes, therefore the new cars can be described as a development of the 2011 car.

“However, what I can say, having seen the model in the wind tunnel and the work going on in the drawing office, is that it will be a very innovative machine. In fact, this is to be expected, this is necessary given that our first goal is that, in 2012, we must be competitive right from the very start of the season.”

Domenicali also paid tribute to Michael Schumacher on his 20^th anniversary: “This will be a special weekend for him as he celebrates 20 years in Formula 1, which means he is part of the history of the sport and also part of its present. As his seven world titles prove, he is the best driver the sport has seen and is very much in the hearts of everyone at Ferrari and all of us wish him well on this special occasion.”

Tom Cruise has tried a Red Bull-Cosworth - at the age of 49

Tom Cruise had a run in the Red Bull show car at Willow Springs on August 15, the company has revealed.

The Cosworth-powered car was in the States as part of a promo tour that included a visit to Austin.

Cruise has driven various racing cars over the years – inspired in part by working with Paul Newman on The Color of Money – and of course he starred as Cole Trickle in the 1990 NASCAR movie, Days of Thunder.

His test was supervised by David Coulthard, who gave him tips in a road car first. Cruise completed some 24 laps of the Californian track, which is not a bad effort given that he is 49, and his neck would have taken a pounding even at relatively modest speeds.

Coulthard commented: “Tom’s the real deal. I was surprised that he picked it up so quickly and is such an accomplished driver. His recall was incredible considering how complicated driving an F1 car is. He’s a guy who really pushes the envelope in real life. This day was not green screened. He thoroughly impressed me.”

Twenty years ago this week Michael Schumacher officially became an F1 driver when he took to the track at Spa on Friday August 23. It was his first public outing for Jordan GP, following a test the previous week at Silverstone.

Michael is sure to be a focus of attention this coming weekend, and he has already acknowledged that – even for a man who professes no interest in statistics – that it will be a special anniversary.

Funnily enough at Spa in 2001 when I quizzed him on the significance of the 10th anniversary he looked at me blankly and said that as it was his 11th F1 season, he didn’t agree with my maths! This time, apparently it does mean something.

“The race in Spa will certainly have a special touch to it this time, as this is where I drove my first ever Formula One race 20 years ago,” said the German in a team preview. “It’s hard to believe that this was such a long time ago.

“A lot has changed in those 20 years, but one thing has not – the track is still sensational. I just love the great nature of the location and the resulting layout with all the ups and downs. To me, Spa remains my ‘living room’, because it has been the stage for so many things which have been remarkable for my sporting career.

“This is why this time I would like to specifically send a big thank you to all my fans for their loyalty and support, which I was happy to receive during those 20 years and also since my comeback.

“Talking about the sporting side prior to Spa, we are all returning from the summer break with fresh motivation and energy, and will try to set an exclamation mark at the Belgian Grand Prix.”

Jenson Button is the third World Champion confirmed so far for the Race of Champions in Dusseldorf on Dec 3-4.

He will join local heroes Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.

Button previously took part in 2008 and 2009, but skipped last year. It’s unusual for McLaren to release a driver to compete in such an event.

“I’m really looking forward to coming back to the Race Of Champions again in December,” said Button. “It’s a great way to round off the season and it’s always fun to meet up with old friends from all the different forms of motorsport. Apart from last year when I had a clash of commitments, I’ve turned into something of an ROC regular.

“It’s a lot of fun and everyone wants to put on a good show for the fans. In the ROC Nations Cup Team Germany had an annoying habit of beating us at Wembley so it’s probably about time someone managed to pay them back on their home ground…”

Organiser Fredrik Johnsson added: “We are delighted that we will see Jenson back at the Race Of Champions in 2011. He has always been a hugely entertaining performer in this event and we’ve always appreciated his appearances.

“The last two were particularly memorable as he came to Wembley in 2008 when he didn’t know if he’d still be driving in F1 in 2009. Then, 12 months later, he returned to ROC as F1 world champion. We look forward to plenty more excitement from him in December.”