Q and A with Vijay Mallya

Conducted and provided by Force India's press office.

Q: How would you sum up the last few races?

Vijay Mallya - Force India chairman: "We've had a year that's been pretty erratic. We started out pretty well and then we flattened out. We improved again and flattened out yet again. And since the European Grand Prix, we've just stayed flat. I did however say that following the introduction of the seamless shift gearbox that we would not do any further major development of the 2008 car, and that all the focus would be on 2009.

"Perhaps this is also reflecting that but I'm a firm believer that one should look ahead and not behind. You certainly learn lessons from past history, but you can't keep moaning and groaning over split milk. I'm very confident that we will put on more than a decent show in 2009."

Q: What's the thinking behind the decision for next year?

VM: "I have asked for the entire drivetrain and KERS package from both potential suppliers. Ferrari are not very sure that they can give me the entire drivetrain. Adrian suffered gearbox failure [in Shanghai]. At the end of the day what sense does it make for me to have a great engine, a great KERS system, and a gearbox that's tentative? That's why I said go for the whole hog, a good tried and proven and tested package from the top two teams. And that's what I'm seeking to achieve."

Q: Don't you have an ongoing contractual relationship with Ferrari?

VM: "Ferrari and us are very, very close friends, we have an excellent relationship. We have told them exactly what we want. We are in discussion. They are aware that I have talked to McLaren, so everything is completely transparent from our point of view. And it is also recognised that if for whatever reason we need to part, it will be a very friendly parting.

"And that's all agreed. If they have incurred some costs developing engines for us for next year, we'll talk about it. We're certainly not going to be bloody minded. If they have incurred costs on my behalf, I think I owe it to them to offer to reimburse. Beyond that I think there is a very positive and friendly spirit on either side, and so they will not be any acrimony or any wilful enforcement of a contract."

Q: You have a strong gearbox department at Silverstone. Won't you have to reorganise things if you have a customer gearbox?

VM: "Everybody in this company has to realise that R&D and in-house development is one thing, but we need to think ahead and we need to think big. We have to be competitive, we have to improve our performance, we must regularly be in the points. We can't have this situation and I don't have the luxury of time to be able to just sit back and allow people to keep developing. There a huge initiative to cut costs in F1.

"We are talking about the price of an engine, and you know what Max Mosley is proposing. People are talking about the number of employees that you should have per team, putting a ceiling on the budgets and how much you can spend. What really needs to be focussed on is that the maximum money is going on testing and development. That is not a small expense.

"Even if you were to limit the price of an engine and a drivetrain, you necessarily have to look at the R&D expenditure if you want to seriously lower the costs of F1. I think that every team in the room in the last two FOTA meetings in Shanghai has clearly acknowledged that given the huge meltdown in the world today, that there is an urgent need to tighten our belts, cut costs, and try to achieve a profitable F1 team rather than expending vast sums of money without any control, as many teams have been doing over the last years.

"I say to my guys at Silverstone, we have use for you, we certainly value your talents and your skills. We will use them, but we will use them more effectively to make ourselves a better team and race a better car. Just because I decide to buy the drivetrain from a particular supplier doesn't mean that my guys don't have anything to do."

Q: Are you happy with the outcome of the recent FOTA meetings and discussions with the FIA?

VM: "For the first time that I can remember we made some decisions where all teams agreed. And we put this down on a common piece of paper. This in itself is a major step forward, because in the past all we did was agree to disagree. It's about the engine, in response to what the FIA issued, it's KERS, it's overall cost cutting.

"It's pretty comprehensive, and it's various recommendations from the sporting working group and the technical working group. Clearly the FIA's recent initiatives deserved a comprehensive response. We've all given our input, and as I said before, for once we've all agreed on a common way forward. That's a good sign."

Q: In China you confirmed that Giancarlo and Adrian will stay on for 2009. How would you sum up their seasons?

VM: "I was asked whether I was making any changes to the drivers, and I said no. Once we get the car sorted out, I think these guys will perform, because I think they have the talent to perform. I think that it's been a combination of many things this year. There have been occasions on which my drivers have made mistakes, but more often than not, the car has let them down. For those that believe in luck, we haven't really had any luck on our side."

Q: Finally, the year has gone very quickly. What are your thoughts heading into the last race?

VM: "The year has gone remarkably quickly. We have improved, this much I will say. We haven't improved enough, it's pretty clear. With one race to go am I well advised to spend my time yelling and screaming at people? No. I'd rather motivate them into saying we'll learn our lessons from the mistakes of 2008, and we go in fully charged for 2009 with a comprehensive package from one of the two top teams in F1, and build on that a truly competitive race car."

The full letter to FOTA from Max Mosley

Raikkonen: Ferrari must learn from errors

Kimi Raikkonen says Ferrari must learn from their mistakes this season to mount a stronger challenge in the future.

The world champion has endured a difficult season and is already out of contention to retain his crown with just the Brazilian Grand Prix left.

Raikkonen has won just two races this year, the last one in April in Spain.

The Finn says the team will have to study the whole season to avoid the errors in 2009.

"There are not so many positive things for me I achieved over the last season," said Raikkonen. "We have to analyze every single detail of what happened and try to learn from our mistakes to improve everything for next year.

"But now we have to give it all at the last race of the 2008 season.

"There will be several new rules for the next season and we will have to work a lot during the winter. I couldn't win the drivers' title this year, but I assure you that I'll try again next year."

Raikkonen expects McLaren to be a tough competitor at Interlagos this weekend, when Felipe Massa will be fighting to beat rival Lewis Hamilton to take the title.

"We have to wait for Friday's practice sessions to see what our chances might be this year. It will be very hard with McLaren in qualifying.

"Over the last two races I had a much better feeling with the car in Q3, when I had a bigger fuel load. It's important to believe in the car and the possibility to attack, this is what makes the difference.

"I hope that we can find the right set-up, after we've been very close for a couple of times. At the beginning of the year things went very well, but then we lost track and we couldn't get back. It was a very long year and I can't wait to have a break."

Ferrari sure Raikkonen will help Massa

Loss could be devastating for New York

Brazil preview quotes: Williams

Nico Rosberg: "Interlagos is a really fun track to drive as it has a bit of everything - gradient changes, a complete mix of corners and it runs in an anti-clockwise direction which presents a different challenge for the drivers. We had a strong race there last year and I finished fourth. As we haven't had a great showing in the past two races, it would be nice to do well again here and end the season on a positive note. It's going to be difficult with this year's harder tyres, and we'll have to cover a lot of ground with the car on Friday to get to the optimum set-up.

"After the long trip to Asia, I've spent the past week in New York training and spending time with my girlfriend who's over there working at the moment. As the Big Apple is in a similar time zone to Sao Paulo, and I'm now over any jet-lag after the trip to Asia, I'm in a good position going to Brazil later this week. It will be busy for me as I have several sponsor commitments to cover before the race weekend routines start, but I'm ready for the final round!"

Kazuki Nakajima: "This race marks my first anniversary in Formula One and I can't believe how quickly it's gone! I've certainly learnt a lot and I'll be using that experience in Brazil this weekend. This race will be easier than some of the others this season because I actually have experience of racing at Interlagos. Our car worked well in Brazil last year, and I hope that's the case on Sunday and we have a better race than we did in Japan and China. The track itself is fairly challenging, but it's really exciting to drive.

"I headed straight back to the UK after Shanghai so I've had the chance to spend some time at home and also to do some work with my engineers at the factory in preparation for this weekend's race. It was a busy time for me in Asia with lots of marketing commitments so the break was nice!"

Sam Michael, Technical Director, Williams F1: "Interlagos is positioned at a high altitude and has ambient air pressures around 930mbar which causes an 8% reduction in downforce, drag and engine power compared to when we race at circuits at sea level. The track's undulating layout consists of mainly slow speed corners, but it does have a couple of high speed turns that are taken at either full throttle, or just before braking for a slow speed corner, so their effect on lap time isn't significant.

"There are some good overtaking opportunities around the lap, particularly at turns one and four. The grid here is traditionally very tight due to the low fuel penalty and short lap time, so the midfield will probably be even closer than usual. Most teams will go for a one or two stop strategy and Bridgestone will supply the medium and soft tyre compounds, both options will be strong in the race. We've put in some good performances in Brazil over the years, last year's race being no exception. This weekend, we'll be looking to close 2008 with a good result."

Rested Revs shoot for clean sheet

Brazil preview quotes: Toyota

First XI: Headline news

FIA pushes on with standard engine plan

The FIA is pressing ahead with its plans for a standard engine in Formula One, after revealing on Monday that several parties have expressed an interest in applying for the tender.

In a bid to make much-needed cost cuts in F1, motor racing's governing body announced over the Chinese Grand Prix weekend that it wanted to introduce a standard engine in F1 from 2010 to 2012.

Such a move could prompt manufacturers to walk away from the sport, although F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone did question why they should do so when the move to a standard engine would save the car makers money.

Although the subject of a standard engine had appeared to move off the radar following last week's crunch meeting between FIA president Max Mosley and the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) to discuss costs cuts, a statement issued on Monday suggested the plans are still being pushed ahead at full speed.

The statement on Monday said that 'interested parties' had asked for clarifications from the FIA about several issues relating to the tender. These included the use of technologies in the engines, freight costs and the situation regarding engine changes.

The FIA also made it clear that it would ensure that manufacturers that chose to make their own standard engine would not be allowed to gain any significant performance benefit from doing so.

In response to the question about compatibility issues caused by teams sourcing engine parts themselves, the FIA said: "The FIA intends to ensure that all engines including those supplied by the tenderer are within 1% (engine power of other units) and that they remain within 1% throughout the engine's life. This being the case, it becomes irrelevant that a team which chooses to build the engine itself might do expensive work on the engine."

The FIA has also amended the deadlines for companies to submit their tender applications for both a standard engine and standard power transmission systems.

The November 7 deadline for submitting either just an engine supply deal or an engine and transmission deal together remains as originally set out.

However, should the FIA decide to award separate contracts for engine and transmission, then the tender for transmission only will be opened up once the power unit deal has been finalized. This tender process will last for a minimum of three weeks.

It is not clear which companies have expressed an interest in applying for the tender contract, but senior sources within FOTA claim an agreement is in place for none of the manufacturers currently involved in F1 to apply for the deal.

The FOTA source told autosport.com: "None of the FOTA members will apply. This has been confirmed by all the members."

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Ecclestone says car makers won’t leave

Final minutes go awry for Chicago

Brazil preview quotes: Force India

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and managing director: We are now bringing Force India's debut season to a close in Brazil. I have given the team all the resources they required and I expected significant improvement. As the statistics have shown, we have improved and are now much closer to the midfield, but our progress has rather flattened out since the mid-season. Relative to other teams, we haven't made as much progress as they have, but to be fair to the team after Hungary I made a conscious decision to put time and resources into 2009.

As many of the media has reported, we are currently looking into our package for next season and I hope I will be able to announce a deal very shortly. I will make sure that my team has the best solution for engine, drivetrain and KERS possible so we can get a good head start and try to get the points that have eluded us so far this season.

Before we get to that stage however I would like to see a strong performance in Brazil. We are not finished yet - one more race represents one more chance to score points. While we're realistic, we can't give up yet.

Colin Kolles, team principal: When you look back at the season in terms of results it's been a disappointing season and we'll look to this final race in Brazil to try to end the year on a better note.

I do think we are in a much stronger position compared to where we were a year ago. This time last year we had recently been bought by Force India so it has taken time to build up the infrastructure, budgets and the technical structure. Hopefully we will take a much better step next year, but for now there is still work to do.

Mike Gascoyne, chief technical officer: I think the entire team will be looking forward to Brazil. On the whole I think the team has worked very well this season, we are in a much better position than last year, but in terms of absolute results it has been disappointing not to have scored any points. It would be nice to finish it off in Brazil with a good end to the season.

Interlagos is a fantastic place to finish the year. The track itself is an older circuit, with the most notable feature being the bumps that punctuate the entire track.

Although they resurface it every year, it never really seems to improve! It has also got that very long curved straight that provides good passing opportunities into the first corner. The rest of the track is quite slow so it is a real trade off between speed and downforce for the infield.

Brazil was one of the stronger tracks for us last year. We struggled in China on a higher downforce setting and harder tyre, but Interlagos is a lower downforce track using the softer end to the tyre range, which is where the car seems more competitive. We have had a couple of problems with the gearbox in recent races but we didn't do a lot of testing mid season, which is where you would normally iron out these problems. We are now on top of them however and I'm confident we will be reliable in Brazil.

Adrian Sutil: I'm really looking forward to Brazil as it is like a special event for me, being half South American. The track is very enjoyable despite being physically tough. The ambient temperatures can be high and it's sometimes very humid, but the toughest is the bumps. When you're going round the track during the race you really feel each bump! With it being anti-clockwise as well we use the neck muscles we don't normally use.

In Brazil I will have one aim: to finish the race. After three consecutive DNFs we really need this. I've not been happy with the finishing record so far this year, we've just had too many times that we've not got to the flag, either through a mechanical problem or accident - whatever it has been, it's just not enough. If Giancarlo and I can get a good, competitive finish it will be a positive way to end what's been a difficult season for everyone.

Giancarlo Fisichella: I've always had a soft spot for the Brazilian Grand Prix since I scored my first win there in 2003 with Jordan. Although a few of the people who worked on my car back then are still around with Force India, a lot has changed with the team since that year. Despite that the same spirit is there and everyone is motivated to do the maximum and get the best result we can, whether that's a win or just one point.

The motivation is still with me too - I love driving, I still want to do well and push as much as I can. For sure it's disappointing if you are trying your best and you're still 19th or 20th, but that's the situation right now, we just have to deal with it and do what we can. In Brazil we know it's going to be tough, but the target has got to be to stay with the rest of the field and have as competitive a race as possible.

Europe preview quotes: Toyota

Fire vent following disappointing loss

Brazil preview quotes: Toyota

China Sunday quotes: Force India

Renault comeback an 'enormous boost'

Renault's upturn in form in the second half of the 2008 season has given the team a major boost ahead of the near year, according to engineering chief Pat Symonds.

The French squad endured a torrid start to the year but have turned things around to secure fourth place in the constructors' championship.

Fernando Alonso has scored two victories in Singapore and Japan and the Spaniard and his team have scored more points than their rivals since the Belgian Grand Prix.

Symonds says the team have managed to out-develop all the other teams and admits their progress have been a massive confident boost for 2009.

"It was disappointing that we started the year further back than we had expected to, and had the situation remained like that it would have been quite disheartening for us," he said.

"There were reasons for it, but in this particular case it's the facts that matter, not the reasons for those facts.

"The way we've turned the situation around has given us an enormous boost as we've proved we can out-develop our competitors and arguably out-develop those that are leading the championship because we really have moved a lot closer to them.

"I think that's a great message to take through to next year with so many new factors being introduced because we've shown that we can steal the initiative with this sort of thing."

Despite reaching the goals set for the season, Symonds admits he is left with a bitter-sweet taste, as he was hoping Renault would be fast from the start.

"I like to set very high targets and the goal we set mid-season to finish fourth in the championship with the third quickest car was not as ambitious a target as I would normally like us to set," said Symonds.

"Having said that it was, at the time, a difficult target and I am pleased that the first part of that target is both objective and proven - we've finished fourth and can't be beaten; the second part is probably subjective, although I think in the past couple of races we've shown that we have the third quickest car, so in my eyes we've achieved both those objectives."

And Symonds reckons the team should also be strong at the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend.

"I don't see why not. If you look at the last few races, we've seen the car performing well at some very different circuits. But as well as our strengths, our weaknesses are still there and I think that the exit out of turn 12 and the long drag up the hill to the first corner will be quite tough for us and not an area where we will be particularly strong.

"However, the car should be good through the quick corners of turns 3 and 5, and overall I think we can maintain a similar level of competitiveness to that which we've shown in the past few races."

Lenhart’s energy key in comeback draw

Symonds: Renault car better than Toyota’s

Toyota deny plans to leave F1

Toyota insist they are fully committed to a future in Formula One after the team dismissed wild speculation they could be poised to quit the category for Le Mans because they are unhappy about new rules to cut costs.

Speculation about the future of Toyota emerged last week when comments by team president John Howett questioning whether Toyota would accept a standard engine in F1, made prior to last week's FIA cost cuts meeting, were recycled.

Further rumours emerged over the weekend when comments from team boss Tadashi Yamashina about Toyota's long-standing interest in Le Mans were interpreted by some as a sign of them quitting F1.

Although the FIA's plans to introduce a standard engine in F1 have prompted questions about the future of all the manufacturers currently competing, Toyota are adamant that they see themselves remaining in Grand Prix racing for many years yet.

They have made it clear, however, that the sport's quest for cost cuts must not come at the expense of the technological challenge the sport provides each competitor.

"Toyota are committed to succeeding in Formula One for the long-term and our objective in Formula One is to win - we exist to win and we are committed to doing that," said a team statement.

"However, we believe Formula One must remain a technological challenge; this is an important point for Toyota and provided this does not change we expect to continue in F1 until at least 2012."

The statement from Toyota added that although the Japanese manufacturer is interested in other challenges like Le Mans, there was no talk of them quitting F1 to do so.

"Toyota have never hidden their interest in considering new motorsport opportunities, including Le Mans," added the statement. "Currently no formal plan nor decision has been taken on changes or additions to the current programmes."

FIA and FOTA reach landmark agreement

RSL, Morales agree to extension

Jordan: Hamilton must be ruthless

Former team boss Eddie Jordan says Lewis Hamilton must be prepared to ruthlessly retaliate in the event of a repeat of his Fuji collision with Felipe Massa.

Hamilton only needs a top five finish in Brazil to clinch the championship, so must not take unnecessary risks.

But Jordan says he must be ready to fight dirty if necessary.

"People may not like me for saying this, but if Massa tries to take him out as he did in Japan in order to steal the title then Lewis has to be ready for it," Jordan told the Daily Express newspaper.

"If he tries that on then Lewis has to turn his wheel into Massa to ensure he does not finish the race either - he has to take his wheel off."

Jordan believes that Hamilton will have no trouble clinching the title if he can maintain the serene form he showed when dominating Shanghai last week, but warned that he can't afford another erratic performance like the one he delivered in Japan.

"What happens next in the championship depends on whether Lewis has learnt from his last two races," he said.

"He was brilliant in China when he drove flawlessly to victory but awful, just awful in Japan. If the Hamilton of China turns up in Brazil, he will be world champion.

"I don't think he needs to go for broke but that is what he is inclined to do.

"He needs to be careful. He knows that right now the world is against him – the other drivers are against him and the stewards are against him. Yet I think what happened to him after his win at Spa was ghastly and his penalty in the Japanese Grand Prix was harsh too. That's what he has to contend with."

Hamilton also needs better support from his McLaren teammate Heikki Kovalainen, according to Jordan.

"I do believe Ron Dennis and his McLaren team need to get more out of Heikki Kovalainen because his input to the cause has been minimal," Jordan said.

"They have to aim to get Kovalainen on the first two rows of the grid in Brazil. That would dramatically improve McLaren's chances.

"Kovalainen always seems fuelled-up with a very heavy car and that makes him slow at the start, makes the car more difficult to control and is harder on the tyres. They should look to have him qualify fast and lighter from the start of the race. If he could get into the Ferraris it would really help Lewis."

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Brazil preview quotes: Toyota

Jarno Trulli: "It was very frustrating to be eliminated so early in China so I am determined to hit back in Brazil. This has been one of my best seasons, even if I have had some bad luck as well, so I am looking forward to celebrating the final race with another top-six finish.

"It's disappointing we cannot finish fourth in the Constructors' Championship but it's still possible for me to finish eighth in the Drivers' Championship so I will fight to score as many points as possible to do that.

"I was in the points there last season even though our car was not as competitive as this year's so I am pretty confident. Interlagos is quite a tough circuit because it is anti-clockwise and it puts a lot of strain on your neck, but I am fit and I've never had a problem. It's quite a challenging circuit in general and I enjoy racing there."

Timo Glock: "This has been a very positive first season with Toyota and I want to end it with a strong result in the Brazilian Grand Prix. I feel I have made great progress this year and I've had a lot of fun as well; Toyota is a great team and everyone has been very supportive.

"It is a long season but I still have plenty of energy and I'm really motivated for this race. I have raced in Formula One at Interlagos before, in 2004, and my strongest impression was that it was a very bumpy track which was quite hard work for a driver.

"Our car wasn't perfect over the bumps in Singapore so I am pleased to hear they have fixed them in Brazil because that will help us. If you look at our pace over the past few races we can be confident of another competitive weekend and I will certainly be looking to add to my points total.

"At the moment I am 10th in the World Championship and if I can score more points and keep that position, that would be a good achievement in my first full season."

Pascal Vasselon - Senior General Manager Chassis: "From our side we always perform well at Interlagos, so we go to the Brazilian Grand Prix with high expectations and we are really looking forward to this race. Our car has been competitive at almost every circuit and we expect to be strong again at Interlagos. What is really crucial at Interlagos is tyres.

"Last year Bridgestone had been aggressive in bringing the soft and super soft tyres, which meant blistering was a big issue. But this time we have soft and medium compounds which should be much better suited. That doesn't mean to say the tyres aren't challenging because it will not be straightforward and there will be some hard work to do. Aside from that, Interlagos is very light on brakes and it is medium-low downforce."

Brazil preview quotes: BMW

Hoops find meaning in finale vs. LA

China preview quotes: Bridgestone

McLaren to run new rear wing in Brazil

McLaren are to introduce a new rear wing and a raft of other aerodynamic tweaks for the Brazilian Grand Prix as part of their bid to win the championship, autosport.com can reveal.

Although the Woking-based outfit can afford to take a conservative approach to the season finale in Interlagos, with Lewis Hamilton only needing fifth place to guarantee himself the crown, the team have not eased off in their efforts to eek out more performance from their MP4-23.

It is understood that that work has resulted in the team feeling positive enough about a number of changes to the car's aerodynamic package for them to be introduced for the race at Interlagos.

Although the most visible difference will be with the new rear wing, it is believed that there will also be at least six other areas on the car where the team have targeted a step forward in pace.

McLaren F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh said in the aftermath of the Chinese Grand Prix that the team had worked hard on the elements that have now been approved for use.

"We have put the effort into primarily an aerodynamic package to enhance the efficiency of the car," he said.

McLaren have made it clear since Shanghai that despite the title situation they are continuing their preparations for Brazil as normally as they could.

Team boss Ron Dennis said: "It's clearly not done, but most likely it's only unreliability that's going to cause us a problem. So we're going to be cautious about tyres, rain, and all sorts of things.

"But there's nothing to be achieved before Friday in planning for the what ifs. All the work we normally do will be done and we will arrive on Friday morning ready to go and we'll adapt to whatever gets thrown at us."

Dennis would take Ferrari 1-2 in Brazil

TFC, LA both missing key pieces

McLaren remain cautious ahead of Brazil

Brazil preview quotes: McLaren

Lewis Hamilton:

How are you approaching this final, crucial weekend of the year?

"Fundamentally the same way I've approached the previous races. Obviously, my aim for Brazil is slightly different from the other grands prix: I don't need to win the race, but that won't stop me from going into the weekend looking to be as strong as possible. Shanghai was a good example of that: we hit the ground running on Friday morning and never looked back. Our aim wasn't to push too hard, but we found ourselves in a position at the front and took it comfortably from there. That's what I am hoping to achieve in Brazil - a straightforward weekend that allows me to just focus on my car and my driving."

What do you think of the Interlagos circuit?

"I love the circuit: it's in this incredible natural arena that is just amazing to race on. And it's anti-clockwise too - so it presents an additional challenge to the drivers. The track always seems to provide good, close racing: one of the reasons for that is because there's a long straight leading up to the first corner and you can slipstream other cars and overtake into Turn One. It's also a place where there seems to be a lot of grip so you can dice with other cars and have fun."

What do you remember of last year's nail-biting finale in Brazil?

"I went to Interlagos with the title battle still up in the air and all my emotions just bubbling up and down. It was a very emotional time because I knew it would end with either great success or huge disappointment. In 2007, things didn't end up too well for me - but I still had a great first year. Everybody's always happy to finish the season in Brazil - there's a real party atmosphere in Sao Paulo on the Sunday night and it's a perfect place to end such a great season."

Sao Paulo and Interlagos have long been intertwined with the legacy of Ayrton Senna - how does that make you feel?

"Ayrton has always been my favourite driver. I think he's the best driver there ever was and, still, to this day, I don't believe anyone would beat him. If I could achieve just a small part of what he achieved, it would be a dream for me."

Heikki Kovalainen:

How has your knowledge of the car and the team developed over the 2007 season?

"It didn't take too long to find where I wanted to be with the team, but it's taken longer to get used to the MP4-23. Sometimes I've pushed the set-up in the wrong direction but, over the year, I've found a better direction. I've been particularly pleased with my qualifying pace; even from the first race, I was competitive. Now I'm working hard to improve my knowledge of the tyres and everything is headed in the right direction."

With the 2008 season almost finished, how are you approaching the winter?

"It's been a good season overall. I've done a lot of learning throughout the year and I already feel much better prepared for next year. I now understand how to make the car fast and what I need to do to get the most out of it. I thought this year would be more difficult, but I feel I've done a good job."

What are your aims for the last race of the year?

"To win it, obviously! With the championship as it is, things are a little different going to Brazil. Clearly, I want to be able to help the team and Lewis wherever necessary - but the easiest way to do that is to be running at the front. The team knows I will play my part, but we are also targeting the constructors' championship. We may be 11 points behind Ferrari, but there are 18 points available in Brazil and we go into the final race still looking at securing both world titles - that has to be our aim."

Martin Whitmarsh, CEO Formula 1, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes:

How do you assess the balance between Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Ferrari going into the last round of the 2008 world championship?

"While Ferrari was able to out-perform us at last year's Brazilian Grand Prix, we feel relatively confident that the situation will be different this year for several reasons. Firstly, looking at the trends of the season, the characteristics of our car should be better suited to Interlagos than they were in 2007. Also, the weather was exceptionally warm last year - something that tends to favour Ferrari - and the chances are that it won't be quite so hot next week. These elements should create a very tight competition, which is good for everybody."

Are there any other unusual variables to take into consideration at Interlagos?

"The track is fairly bumpy, so there's a greater premium placed on finding a good, driveable balance. The track itself is situated at fairly high altitude, which has a knock-on effect on engine horsepower and downforce, both of which are a little lower than at a regular circuit. For this race, we'll also be looking at the possibility of running Lewis's engine in a safer setting so it has a bit more margin than normal. It's something we do throughout the season but, clearly, there's a greater need to be safe this weekend."

What sort of additional pressure is placed on the race team for such a high-stakes race?

"While we try and eliminate as many difficulties for the race team as is possible, there is no escaping the fact that a title-deciding race is clearly very stressful. You're somewhat torn because the need to score four points is considerably easier than winning - but that sort of attitude is anathema to the team. The reality is that Shanghai was rather more stressful because we only had a five-point cushion over Felipe and that could have been seriously dented. Given our performance so far this year, you'd assume that Lewis would be able to score the necessary points - but that could be affected by a sudden Safety Car period or a mechanical problem. Both drivers just need to drive clean races; but reliability is the biggest stress-builder for the guys in the garage, and it is a constant worry."

Norbert Haug, vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

The situation for Lewis prior to the final race is the same as last year: he will arrive in Sao Paulo with a seven-point advantage. Don't you worry that it will again not work out with the championship?

"The title win is everything but a formality. For Lewis's title contender Felipe Massa there are in Brazil only a few drivers in the field who, according to the current balance of power, are able to challenge him for the race win; Lewis and Heikki are two of them. Of course, there are races with surprising conditions or Safety Car periods which can mix up the field, like in Singapore previously, and provide unexpected results. Lewis will be as focused as the team to score the necessary points in Brazil."

Brazil is the home country of Lewis's title rival Felipe Massa. Does this mean a disadvantage for Lewis?

"Of course, the majority of the crowd will support Felipe at his home race in Brazil, this will be the same for him as it was for Lewis in Great Britain. What will count in the end will be speed, reliability, to avoid crashes, and the cleverness of team and drivers. We will focus on our job. We know, of course, that we have to work a lot until Lewis will be able to clinch the title."

What is in favour of Lewis and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes in the finale in Brazil?

"Four months ago, after the races in Canada and Magny-Cours, Lewis was 10 points behind the leader. In the following nine races he scored 17 points more than Felipe Massa. Lewis started from pole position five times and was second on the grid twice, which means that in the previous nine grands prix, he started seven times from the front row. In these races since July, our team won four times, Ferrari and Renault twice each, and Toro Rosso once; in these races we scored 87 points, Ferrari 65, BMW 61 and Renault 60. We now have to continue this trend in the final Grand Prix of the year. A task which we underestimate by no means."

Ferrari to probe below par performance

Dennis would take Ferrari 1-2 in Brazil

Raikkonen happy to help Massa

Honda plan full-scale attack on testing

Honda Racing are to launch a full-scale attack on winter testing as part of their bid to move up the grid in 2009, team principal Ross Brawn has revealed.

The Japanese manufacturer were the first team to divert their efforts away from their 2008 campaign and onto next year's car - with Brawn keen to make the most of the opportunities handed to the team by a raft of regulation changes.

And as well as the early work on the new car, Brawn has said that the team have saved as much testing mileage and as many tyres as they could to ensure they can undertake a full winter schedule of running before Christmas.

"We've kept our testing mileage and our tyres for the winter testing, which is another thing that is reflected (by our performance) this season," explained Brawn.

"I believe we have more tyres left for winter testing than any other team, which is something we consciously did because of our approach.

"We will be doing all three winter tests and there will be KERS work being done, work with the tyres, and work with some of the aerodynamic pieces for next year. We have got a full test over the winter with a whole myriad of parts."

Brawn expects Honda's RA109 to be launched in early January, with a major update to the car scheduled to be introduced in time for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in late March.

"I think in common with all the teams we will have an early version and a late version," he explained.

"With the first race not being until later in March we will have the launch car, and none of us will want to reveal all of our secrets in January. So there will be the B-version coming out before the season starts."

Tweaked lineup probable for Wizards

Brawn defends new-look 2009 cars

Brawn confident Honda can still progress

Massa feels no pressure ahead of decider

Felipe Massa says he feels the pressure is off him now that Lewis Hamilton has a seven-point lead in the world championship, and plans to focus only on race victory in Brazil next weekend.

Hamilton's domination of the Chinese Grand Prix means that the McLaren driver only needs a fifth place finish at Interlagos to beat Massa to the title, while the Brazilian must finish first or second and hope his rival hits trouble.

Massa said this situation means he can stop worrying about the championship and just go for another home win in the deciding race.

"Yes it's true I have a tougher job than Lewis in terms of the points situation, but my own objective for the weekend is much more straightforward than his," said the Ferrari driver.

"I only have to focus on winning the race on Sunday afternoon, hopefully with my teammate second behind me. The only thing I am thinking about is winning. After that, the matter is not in my hands and we will have to wait and see exactly what and how much we have won.

"For sure, Lewis will try and put pressure on me, but I have zero pressure, because I have nothing to lose.

"I have my people behind me and all the pressure will be on him, especially when you think about what happened at this race last year. I can't wait for the final Sunday of the season."

Ferrari have won at Interlagos for the past two seasons, with Massa taking victory in 2006 and then leading last year until falling behind his title-chasing teammate Kimi Raikkonen at the final stops.

"It is impossible to predict what will happen in the Brazilian Grand Prix, but I think our car has always been very good at this circuit, even if I cannot explain exactly why," said Massa.

"We have always gone well here and I expect that to be the case at the weekend, whatever the conditions, in the dry or in the rain and in qualifying and in the race."

He added that he expected Raikkonen to support his title bid again if required, and said he had no qualms about the use of team orders in China, where his teammate relinquished second place in the closing laps.

"I know there have been comments about my overtaking Kimi in the final stages of the Shanghai race, but they have come from people who don't really understand how the sport works," he said.

"It is a team sport and both me and Kimi know we have to do what is best for the team. For sure, psychologically a racing driver always wants to finish in front, always wants to win: it doesn't matter if you are playing a friend on a computer game or driving a Formula One car.

"But all drivers have a contract with their team and so you are not racing as an individual. When you are fighting for the championship, with only one driver with a mathematical chance of winning, then all the teams in the pit lane would do the same, which is to put that one driver in a position where he has the best chance of winning. That is part of this sport."

Massa thrilled after ‘perfect’ lap

Dennis would take Ferrari 1-2 in Brazil

High stakes accompany Rio Tinto debut

McLaren confirm maiden Algarve test

McLaren are the first team to confirm that they will test at the new Autodromo Internacional Algarve in Portugal in December.

The state-of-the-art facility, which is due to be officially opened on November 2, is to hold a Formula One test from December 15-17.

A number of teams are expected to attend the try out of the 4.692-kilometre track, with a McLaren spokesman confirming on Friday that his team will definitely be joining the December test.

Ferrari have also indicated there is a 'strong possibility' they will be at the Algarve test.

It is understood that teams will use the December test as an evaluation for incorporating the venue on the 2009 Formula One testing schedule. Alternatively, teams could choose to nominate the track as one of their three alternative test venues that run alongside the standard test tracks.

The Algarve circuit is already scheduled to hold major international events, and talk of it trying to lure an F1 race in the future has not been dismissed.

Portugal's deputy sports minister Laurentino Dias said earlier this year: "The Government will do its best for Portugal to become part of the world's main championships. This circuit is prepared to host a range of motor races, from the most modest to Formula One."

As well as multiple circuit configurations, the track features a high-tech water sprinkling system to simulate wet weather running.

BMW confirm KERS testing

Hoops hoping to reignite attack

Raikkonen happy to help Massa

Kimi Raikkonen says he was happy to give second place to Felipe Massa in China and will "be glad" to help his teammate again in Brazil next weekend if Massa is in a position to win the title.

The Finn ran second for the majority of last weekend's race at Shanghai but was unable to challenge Lewis Hamilton for victory and allowed Massa to pass him for the two extra points for second place in the final stint of the race.

"Once you don't fight for the title any more, it doesn't make a difference if I come in second or third, as long as the points for Ferrari remain the same," said Raikkonen.

"I gained the best possible result in China, considering that we couldn't fight for the win. We had the possibility to win, but our race rhythm was not high enough. The car didn't run too badly, but it wasn't at 100 per cent either.

"Hamilton was faster than us on the first laps immediately after the start and after the pit stops. We could have made up ground on the long run, but it was too late."

But Raikkonen has been encouraged by his performances in the last two races, particularly in qualifying.

"For once, I came back home from a race with a positive feeling," he said. "The best part of the two races in Japan and China is that I was competitive in qualifying again. The car behaves the way I like it and that's why I managed to start from the front row at Fuji and at Shanghai.

"I was glad to be back on the podium, I needed a good final stage of the season. The positive end gives me the possibility of a good winter and a good starting point for the next season."

He returns to Interlagos with fond memories of last year, when he overcame a seven-point deficit to beat Hamilton to the title - the same gap as there is between Hamilton and Massa this season.

"Now we're heading to Brazil, where I had the best weekend of my life last year - I'll never forget that moment," Raikkonen added. "Going back will charge me even more I guess.

"We'll try to repeat our 1-2 from last year and then we'll calculate the outcome of the standings and see where we are in the two championships. I'll have the same approach as in the last two races - the qualifying will be fundamental and it would be nice to start from the front row once more.

"I'd be glad if I could do something for Felipe, that he can win the title and Ferrari will be again victorious in the constructors' championship in the last race of the season."

McCarty bringing Olympic experience home

Ferrari sure Raikkonen will help Massa

Massa delights in proving critics wrong

World championship contender Felipe Massa says his success in Formula One is being made sweeter by the fact that many people still do not like to give him credit for the job he is doing.

The Brazilian is heading into his home race at Interlagos next weekend as the only rival to Lewis Hamilton for the crown - after a season in which he has emerged as Ferrari's leading driver.

But despite his success, Massa admits it is still hard work to erase the reputation of a 'wild guy' which he earned during a crash-filled debut season with Sauber in 2002. However, he says winning over the doubters is giving him intense satisfaction.

"I think when you show people something that they don't believe, it's even more nice for you," said Massa in a group interview ahead of the season finale in Brazil.

"People always put me completely out of the game. Nobody expects you to do a good job and then you do a better job than everyone thinks and it's even nicer.

"I'm sure if I started my career as a Ferrari test driver my reputation would have been completely different. Because of the first year, which was bad, my reputation was bad for so many years."

Massa thinks that his debut in F1 came too early - and his errors came from trying too hard to follow in the footsteps of Kimi Raikkonen.

"I was a little bit of a wild guy, it's true," he said. "But I had a very difficult car to drive. I was very young - maybe too young to start straight away.

"Sauber had the best year in 2001 with Kimi and Nick. I came in the next year and they expected me to do exactly the same as Kimi did, but the car was not as good as it was the previous season. So I tried too much.

"I made some good results, scored some good points and made some good races. But I made some very bad races as well. That was not a great thing for my image and it took very long to recover and change my image in Formula One. But fortunately I think we changed it."

Massa believes the progress he has made during the past few seasons at Ferrari is simply the result of being more experienced.

"Even when you have a difficult car to drive, if you know how to set up the car and how to work with the team, then you know how to have a comfortable car to drive," he said.

"If you have a car that doesn't match with your driving style it's very difficult and very easy to make mistakes when you drive all the time at the limit. With experience I started to learn what I needed and how I wanted the car, and how to work with the team.

"A big part of the learning (for me was) as a Ferrari test driver. That year was like a university for me. Michael (Schumacher) was like the professor and I learned a lot from him, about how to grow inside the team and work with them better.

"To say what you want and to push hard in every area. I learned a lot from him but never tried to be more than him because you cannot. I just tried to learn a lot and wait for my time, and my time is coming a little bit now and I'm quite happy for that."

Massa has the chance of clinching the world championship on home soil – and is well aware that the unpredictable events of this year mean neither he nor Hamilton can take anything for granted about how the Brazilian GP will turn out.

"I hope it will be quite a good deal," he said. "I think it is just a great feeling to first of all be in the position to fight for the world championship, to be in my home race, so I think that is really nice feeling.

"But we have had (races like) Hungary and Singapore this year – and we had many races where unfortunately we could not score. But that is racing, and until the last lap you never know what is going to happen.

"You drive a car where everything is on the limit to be at the maximum performance, but to finish the race as well. Sometimes things don't work like that, and it is racing. It won't be the first time and it won't be the last time, but you learn a lot with these bad results."

And Massa sees no reason why he should look to a future outside of Ferrari now that he is achieving great success.

"I think you can never have a clear idea what is going to happen in three or four years, but for the next two years I feel very good in the team. I hope everything stays like that, and I don't see any reason to change.

"I am comfortable and happy. I think in life the most important thing is to be happy and if you are happy then your job comes more natural."

Ferrari: No regrets over Alonso

Ferrari sure Raikkonen will help Massa

Ferrari target three one-two finishes

Brazil preview quotes: BMW

Nick Heidfeld: "I'm pleased for the fans, but also personally, that we have an exciting finale to the World Championship. Plus, I'm curious to see whether the track is still the same as it was in 2007. That was a nice surprise, as the track's surface used to be really bad and very bumpy. It was always being patched up, but it was only when the track was re-asphalted ahead of the 2007 Grand Prix that it really became a good surface.

The layout of the Interlagos track is excellent and very demanding on the drivers . not least, of course, as far as our neck muscles are concerned. I think São Paulo.s pretty cool as a city, but at the back of your mind are always the stories about muggings and you hear about that sort of thing every year."

Robert Kubica: "Brazil is traditionally the final race of the season, and Interlagos is a very demanding and interesting circuit. My first race there was in 2002 in Formula Renault, and I've been back with the BMW Sauber F1 Team for the last two years.

Interlagos is physically very tiring because we drive the circuit anticlockwise. That's something we're not used to, and we feel it especially in the neck. I'm currently third in the drivers' standings, six points in front of Kimi, and, of course, it's my aim to defend this position.

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director: "The 2008 Formula One season is now going onto the finishing straight. In 2007 the outcome of the title was only decided in a thrilling final race in Brazil. Perhaps the Formula One fans will also get to enjoy a similarly exciting finale this year. Two drivers still have a chance of becoming World Champion in São Paulo.

"The Interlagos circuit has many different aspects, and the weather can also be unpredictable. The long, uphill start-finish straight places particularly heavy loads on the engines. This uphill section also makes the start extremely exciting. Another of its characteristic is the altitude of São Paulo. The thin air means that the engines generate approximately eight percent lower output than at sea level. We are very much looking forward to the final race of 2008 and are aiming to record another good result to round off the season.

"This is the final race in what has been our most successful season since the launch of the BMW Sauber F1 Team. We have achieved our ambitious aims for the third year in
succession. We not only proved to be one of the top teams from the outset, we also recorded our maiden race win. It was all the sweeter, of course, that our success in Canada came in the form of a one two. As things stand, we have now had 11 podium finishes this year, compared with two in 2007. This statistic alone is evidence of the considerable steps forward we have made.

"Added to that, Nick brought us our first fastest race lap in Malaysia, Robert claimed our first pole position in Bahrain, and we.ve now scored points in 34 consecutive races, something no other team can match. The last time we went home empty-handed from a GP weekend was in Brazil in the final race of 2006. This achievement does not come down to chance. Our trump cards this season have been spotless reliability, our - for the most part - excellent race strategy, outstanding work in the pit stops and a very small number of mistakes from the drivers.

"In terms of pure performance, we still have ground to make up on Ferrari and McLaren
Mercedes, and we didn't make the progress we hoped to in the second half of the season. Indeed, some of our development projects did not yield the expected performance gains on the track. But I am certain we shall learn the lessons from this for 2009. After all, we want to be up there fighting for the World Championship title next season..

Willy Rampf, Technical Director: "For us, the Brazilian Grand Prix represents the end of a highly successful season, and of course we want to round the year off on a positive note. Interlagos is one of the few circuits - alongside Istanbul Park and Singapore - which we drive anticlockwise. Here, the middle sector is critical, with one corner following the next. The key elements are good traction and car balance. Top speed is important in the first and third sectors, with engine output playing a particularly prominent role on the uphill start-finish straight. This section also offers a good overtaking opportunity, as does the end of the straight in sector one. The track was resurfaced in 2007, which evened out a lot of bumps. In contrast to last year, when we opted for the softest tyre option, this time around we.ll be using the medium compounds."

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First XI: Headline news

Chivas encouraged by improved effort

Di Montezemolo seeks team orders change

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo wants to speak with FIA president Max Mosley about changing the sport's rules on team orders.

After the furore caused by Ferrari switching Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello on the final lap of the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix, team orders that influence the outcome of a race were outlawed by the sport's governing body.

The rule has been accepted for some time and caused little controversy since. However, the fact that Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa's understandable decision to swap places in China was cause for post-race discussion, questions have again been raised about whether the rule needs a tweak to prevent teams being put in awkward positions.

And di Montezemolo has said that he will bring the matter up with Mosley when they next meet.

"I'll talk about it with Mosley, we need to get rid of this hypocrisy," di Montezemolo told Gazzetta dello Sport. "The important thing is not to damage others. Besides that, team work, in a team sport, is one of the best things. Think of a cyclist leading the sprint for another."

Di Montezemolo also acknowledges that there has perhaps been too many stewards' decisions affecting races this year - although thinks in part matters are not helped by the kinds of circuits being raced on.

"Perhaps they've been a bit too picky, but I agree with them, otherwise the grands prix become a mess," he explained. "But the problem is the new circuits - they don't allow for the spectacle. It's enough with one Monaco."

Ferrari boss positive after FOTA meeting

Di Montezemolo critical of F1 show

Theissen: BMW will learn from 2008

BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen is certain his team will learn the lessons from their disappointing second half to the 2008 campaign, as they bid to become genuine world title contenders next year.

The team led the world championship points standings after the Canadian Grand Prix in June, but were unable to match the development rate of rivals McLaren and Ferrari in the second half of the year.

That lack of progress has been singled out as a key factor that BMW Sauber must address for next season, and something Theissen is sure will be analysed in great detail to ensure there is no repeat next year.

"In terms of pure performance, we still have ground to make up on Ferrari and McLaren Mercedes, and we didn't make the progress we hoped to in the second half of the season," said Theissen in a team preview for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

"Indeed, some of our development projects did not yield the expected performance gains on the track. But I am certain we shall learn the lessons from this for 2009. After all, we want to be up there fighting for the World Championship title next season."

Despite the feelings about the progress made in the second half of the campaign, Theissen is still delighted with that BMW Sauber delivered on track this year.

"We have achieved our ambitious aims for the third year in succession," he said. "We not only proved to be one of the top teams from the outset, we also recorded our maiden race win. It was all the sweeter, of course, that our success in Canada came in the form of a one two.

"As things stand, we have now had 11 podium finishes this year, compared with two in 2007. This statistic alone is evidence of the considerable steps forward we have made.

"Added to that, Nick (Heidfeld) brought us our first fastest race lap in Malaysia, Robert (Kubica) claimed our first pole position in Bahrain, and we've now scored points in 34 consecutive races, something no other team can match.

"The last time we went home empty-handed from a GP weekend was in Brazil in the final race of 2006. This achievement does not come down to chance. Our trump cards this season have been spotless reliability, our - for the most part - excellent race strategy, outstanding work in the pit stops and a very small number of mistakes from the drivers."

McLaren remain cautious ahead of Brazil

McLaren will not allow themselves to get too comfortable about their position in the world championship, despite Lewis Hamilton's Chinese Grand Prix win helping him open up a seven-point advantage going into the final round in Brazil.

Hamilton's margin over Felipe Massa means he needs just four points from the Interlagos race to guarantee himself the title. But even though a fifth-place finish should be fairly straightforward for Hamilton and his team, McLaren F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh is aware of the potential pitfalls that could hinder them.

"It is very easy not to finish a grand prix," explained Whitmarsh. "And, no one is going to go and beat Ferrari in Brazil. It is not a super comfortable position, but it is not a bad position going into the last grand prix.

"I think the way Lewis conducted himself over the course of this weekend - he had a lot of criticism flowing from last weekend, and he answered that. He was totally mature, he was driving within himself and that is how you win championships. He did a great job."

McLaren are evaluating a series of car updates for the final round of the season to try and help boost their performance – although a decision about whether or not they will be used will wait until later this week.

"Well, ordinarily given the pressures you have on the resources of the company you choose whether you want to use some of those resources developing a performance package," explained Whitmarsh. "I don't know what it will be at the moment because we are working on it.

"It may be nothing, but we have put the effort into primarily an aerodynamic package to enhance the efficiency of the car. And hopefully that is delivering while we have been away, and if it is we will have it on the car."

And Whitmarsh has praised the efforts and attitude of Hamilton, who faced huge pressure over the weekend amid criticisms of his driving tactics in the wake of the Japanese GP.

"I think you have to say that the whole weekend he just got on and dominated every session, so I don't think he was unduly affected by it (the criticism)," explained Whitmarsh. "I had several drivers come to me to say that they didn't really say what was reported and it was taken out of context.

"You learn in this industry and in these situations, if you are at the top of your game people are going to be more critical of you. That goes with the territory. It is the same for this team – if we stumble as a team then we will probably get panned to a much greater extent that some of the smaller teams. But on balance I would rather have that than the other."

Dennis would take Ferrari 1-2 in Brazil

FIA and FOTA reach landmark agreement

A plan to make dramatic cost-cuts was agreed between the FIA and the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) in a landmark meeting in Geneva, it was announced in a joint statement on Tuesday.

It is believed that a broad agreement was reached between FIA president Max Mosley and FOTA chiefs Luca di Montezemolo and John Howett to introduce drastic cost reductions from next year.

The joint statement read: "Today's meeting in Geneva has produced significant cost savings for 2009 and 2010.

"FOTA are working urgently on further proposals for 2010 and thereafter."

But while the statement did not detail any specific measures, autosport.com understands that four key points were agreed:

- Engine life will be increased from two to three races from 2009

- Manufacturers must be prepared to make 25 engine units available, at a cost of 10 million Euros, to customer teams

- There will be a further meeting between FOTA members in Brazil to determine testing kilometre limits for 2009, and an agreement in principal on the introduction of a standard Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) unit for 2010 or 2011. KERS is believed to remain open for teams to use next season.

- The sport's governing body and FOTA will meet again after the Brazilian Grand Prix to discuss measures to reduce costs related to chassis development and the continuation of the use of customer chassis in the future.

When asked to comment on the agreements, an FIA spokesman said it was "inappropriate to comment at this time", but described the meeting as "very positive and constructive."

One source added that the meeting had "historical" significance because it "was the first time the teams had enjoyed such unanimity" in their discussions over the sport's future direction.

Ferrari boss positive after FOTA meeting

Real Salt Lake christen Rio Tinto Stadium

Teams considering GP weekend shake-up

Ferrari: No regrets over Alonso

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo says the Italian team have no regrets about rejecting Fernando Alonso's overtures for a future drive with the team - despite the Spaniard's resurgent form in recent races.

Alonso had set his sights on a switch to the Maranello-outfit, but in the end Ferrari opted to stick with Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa until the end of 2010 at least.

But although Raikkonen has had a disappointing time this season, struggling to get to grips with the characteristics of this year's tyres on the F2008, di Montezemolo is sure his team have made the right choice for the future.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport about how cheaply the team could have signed Alonso, di Montezemolo said: "That could have been the case four years ago, now I'm happy as we are.

"We are trying to win the title with a different driver from last year and both of them are winning the constructors' for us. If there is one thing giving us no problems, that's the drivers. Except for a non-elating second half of the season for Raikkonen, Massa has done an extraordinary season."

McLaren rival Lewis Hamilton holds a seven points advantage over Massa heading into next weekend's season finale in Brazil, but di Montezemolo thinks the title fight is far from over.

"I'm sorry that in China we had our worst performance of the year in competitiveness," he said. "But we are ahead in the constructors, which by winning it we can write 'world champions' on our cars. My objective at the beginning of the year was to win eight titles in ten years. That's a feat no one has ever achieved."

Talking about the drivers' crown, di Montezemolo said: "We've lost many chances, we suffered in reliability, however we're there.

"And since the championship will be decided in Brazil, let's hope we can score a goal at the 90th minute. I put my faith in the team, Kimi is at the outfit's disposal and Massa is in good form and races at home."

Guzan hopes to seize opportunity

Alonso still eyes future Ferrari chance

Montreal mayor optimistic after meeting

Montreal mayor Gerald Tremblay has said he is optimistic that the city will get its Formula One race back on the calendar next season, following a meeting with Bernie Ecclestone in London today.

Tremblay held a two-hour discussion with Ecclestone to get a better understanding of the reasons why the event was dropped - with there having been a dispute over whether any race fees were still owed from previous years.

Speaking to local media, Tremblay said: "We have a better understanding of the issues, we still have a lot of work to do to evaluate all the options, but it is still possible to hold a Grand Prix in Montreal in 2009 and subsequent years."

Montreal city representatives are now expected to try and put together a battle plan to get their finances in shape before attempting to secure the race's future.

Federal International Trade Minister Michael Fortier said: "Many people have offered to help but they are all part of the elements we would need to evaluate in the coming days to determine if the Grand Prix will survive and who will be the promoter and organiser."

Ottawa to announce MLS expansion bid

The full letter to FOTA from Max Mosley

Costs

The FIA believes that Formula One costs are unsustainable. Even before current global financial problems, teams were spending far more than their incomes, insofar as these consist of sponsorship plus FOM money. As a result, the independent teams are now dependent on the goodwill of rich individuals, while the manufacturers' teams depend on massive hand-outs from their parent companies.

There is now a real danger than in some cases these subsidies will cease. This could result in a reduction in the number of competitors, adding to the two team vacancies we already have and reducing the grid to an unacceptable level. The FIA's view is that Formula One can only be healthy if a team can race competitively for a budget at or very close to what it gets from FOM.

We should like to hear the teams' views on this together with comments on the FIA's proposals (set out below) and other suggestions for the measures which will be necessary if major reductions in cost are to be achieved.

Power train

2013
The FIA would like to see a modern high technology power train in 2013. We envisage a down-sized DI engine with exhaust energy and heat recovery, coupled to an electrically actuated gearbox.

However, we are completely open to new ideas. The only preconditions are:

(i) that the costs of development, maintenance and unit production for the power train must be an order of magnitude lower than is currently the case and
(ii) power trains must be available to independent teams at minimal cost.

2010- 2012 inclusive
At present we can offer three options.

Option 1
A homologated engine produced by a single supplier after an invitation to tender, with the current suppliers free to build an identical engine themselves (but not the gearbox), subject to rigorous controls.

Option 2
A consortium of teams obtains an engine to current rules but at much lower cost from a single supplier. Engines from other sources to be subject to rigorous controls to eliminate differences in performance.

Option 3
A proposal from FOTA, backed by solid guarantees, for the supply of complete power trains to independent teams for less than €5 million per team per season to include 30,000 km of testing and all on-track assistance.

2009
When the decision was taken to "freeze" the engines, certain teams asked for and got a period of time in which to address reliability problems and re-tune for 19,000 rpm. Some teams took advantage of this period to improve the power output of their engines. This was not intended. Other teams did not improve their engines, believing performance to have been "frozen".

This has produced unfair and inequitable differences in performance. The World Motor Sport Council has therefore decided that engine performance will be equalised in accordance with the 2009 Sporting Regulations in order to re-establish the position as it was when the freeze was agreed.

The FIA would like to discuss with FOTA technicians how best to achieve equalisation in a way which is fair to all and involves minimal cost.

The Chassis

The FIA envisages common parts for numerous areas of the chassis. For example, standard suspension and wheels (ie standard "corners"), a standard underbody and other parts which are currently the subject of major expenditure but add nothing to the spectacle or to the public interest of Formula One.

Other measures, such as a minimum height for the centre of gravity, restrictions on the use of certain materials or the homologation of certain major components (eg the "tub") for a period of time, may also be appropriate.

We invite FOTA to make proposals together with a time scale for introduction.

Race procedures

The FIA would welcome suggestions for changes to the rules for going racing, with a view to reducing costs. We believe that priority should be given to things which the public cannot see (eg telemetry) rather than visible parts of "the show" (eg refuelling during the race).

The FIA would also like to hear teams' views about the distribution of garage space and space in the pit lane.

Ferrari boss positive after FOTA meeting

Tyre strategies - Chinese GP

The Formula One regulations state drivers must use both types of tyre compounds during every race.

Below is the order in which each driver used his tyre compounds in the Chinese Grand Prix, as recorded by Bridgestone:

Team Tyre Choice by StintFerrari Kimi Raikkonen Medium Hard Medium Felipe Massa Medium Medium Hard BMW Sauber Nick Heidfeld Hard Hard Medium Robert Kubica Hard Hard Medium Renault Fernando Alonso Hard Hard Medium Nelson Piquet Hard Hard Medium Williams Nico Rosberg Medium Medium Hard Kazuki Nakajima Medium Hard Red Bull Racing David Coulthard Medium Hard Mark Webber Hard Medium Medium Toyota Jarno Trulli Hard Hard DNF Timo Glock Hard Medium Scuderia Toro Rosso Sebastien Bourdais Hard Medium Medium Sebastian Vettel Hard Hard Medium Honda Jenson Button Hard Hard Medium Rubens Barrichello Hard Hard Medium Force India Adrian Sutil Medium DNF Giancarlo Fisichella Hard Medium McLaren Lewis Hamilton Hard Hard Medium Heikki Kovalainen Hard Hard Medium DNF

Barrett’s finishing touch under fire

Tyre strategies - European GP

Tyre strategies - Canadian GP

Ferrari to test Italian F3 drivers

The first three finishers in this season's Italian Formula 3 championship will test a Ferrari F2008 F1 car at Fiorano next month.

Mirko Bortolotti, Edoardo Piscopo and Salvatore Cicatelli will each receive a prize test, organised by Ferrari and the ACI-CSAI (Italy's motorsport governing body).

The aim of the test is to evaluate young Italian drivers, but it follows news last week that Ferrari are working to set up a junior driver programme of their own.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said: "For every generation, Scuderia Ferrari is a symbol for all those who have a passion for racing. Looking to the youngsters and to the future, I hope this initiative can contribute to the development of young drivers and also to the regeneration of motorsport in our country."

Gino Macaluso, president of the ACI-CSAI, added: "One of our stated duties is promoting young drivers and I an grateful to Luca di Montezemolo for having shown such enthusiasm in offering a great opportunity to three promising hopes of Italian motorsport.

"They will not only realise their dream of driving a Ferrari Formula 1 car, but also experience at first hand what it is to work with a team that is the quintessential expression of motor racing at world level."

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Ferrari president pledges Raikkonen support

Ferrari boss positive after FOTA meeting

Ferrari boss positive after FOTA meeting

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo says he is pleased with the outcome of the meeting between FOTA and the FIA yesterday, when agreements were reached on several cost-cutting measures for the sport.

Di Montezemolo, who is also president of FOTA, attended the meeting along with FOTA vice president, Toyota's John Howett, and agreed on the engine regulations for the next two seasons and have arranged further meetings to discuss the longer term future of Formula One.

"Finally, we will have an economical Formula One," di Montezemolo told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Next year we will lengthen the life of engines to three races. This will translate into a total of 25 engines that for the smaller teams will cost 10 million Euros a season.

"We have decided with president Mosley that we will meet again after Brazil to talk again about limits to the chassis and engines in the future."

Dennis: Ferrari relations better than ever

Shorthanded Quakes stay positive

RSL, Morales agree to extension

Barrichello sorry to miss out on points

Rubens Barrichello was disappointed not to score any points in today's Chinese Grand Prix despite a strong drive from 15th on the grid.

The Brazilian staked his claim for a contract renewal with a solid performance after a difficult qualifying.

Barrichello finished in 11th place, five positions ahead of teammate Jenson Button, but was still disappointed at his failure to get into the point-scoring positions.

"It was a better race today than some of our recent races but it is disappointing not to have been able to get into the points," said Barrichello.

"I had a great start and first lap where I overtook three cars to move up to 10th and went flat out for the whole race to try and make up some ground on the people ahead.

"However our finishing position in 11th is reflective of what the car is capable of and we have to be pleased with making the best out of the package that we have available whilst still being disappointed not to score any points."

Button had a day to forget as he struggled with his car for most of the race. He finished a lap down in 16th.

"The race today was more exciting than the last couple of races have been at least and I had some fun overtaking Sutil and Nakajima into the hairpin at the start," he said. "From then I really struggled with the car and from being stuck behind Coulthard for much of the race.

"After my final pitstop I had a clear stint on the option tyre and the car balance felt reasonable, but I had very poor traction and corner apex understeer. So overall a frustrating race as I wasn't able to find out my true pace on the prime tyre in clean air."

Barrichello sorry to miss Q2 again

Button frustrated to miss out on points

Post-race press conference - China

TV UNILATERALS

Q. Lewis, it looked as if everything went perfectly for you in that race?

Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, all weekend we have had God on our side as always. The team have done a phenomenal job really preparing the car and making steps forward. We came here and the car felt fantastic all weekend and I owe so much to the guys not just at the track but back home. They have done a phenomenal job and the car is really a dream to drive. For the guys here they just make sure the car stays intact, so I can bring it home and that's what we did. It was a fantastic team effort this weekend, so a big thanks to them.

Q. It would be easy to say it was an easy race but there was enormous pressure on you particularly at the start?

LH: Well, it was quite straightforward actually. I managed to get everything right on the formation lap. I was perfectly in my position and it was a great start, it was really probably one of the best we've had. I felt it was one of the best we've had this year which was needed. I got into turn one quite clear, I took it easy the first few corners then I started to bridge the gap. Fortunately we were just very, very consistent and I think every lap was faster and very, very few errors throughout the whole run, therefore I was able to create a gap and from there it was pretty smooth sailing.

Q. Sometimes in that situation it is difficult to keep the concentration level and stop the mind wandering?

LH: After my second pit stop we were pretty much cruising. We were just looking after the tyres and the engine and just trying to bring the car home. I knew that there was an even bigger gap behind me and it was inevitable the Kimi would let Felipe by, so I just had to keep it under control. To be honest it wasn't tough at all. When you are out in front and you have that gap and you know you can push a little bit more if you need to, it is quite comforting, so it is just about keeping your head and keeping the same calm.

Q. Felipe, talk about the early phase of the race for you.

Felipe MASSA: Well, we took the decision to start on soft tyres and we knew already that most of the people were starting on the hard as our car works in a little bit different way compared to the other cars, especially the McLaren's. For us the hard had no grip, was difficult to drive, and the soft was the only option for the first and second stints, so we decided to start on the soft and I think it was the right decision for us. On the start I didn't have a good start, I had a little bit of wheel spin, but even though it was not a very, very high grip on the outside and then we just stayed in the same positions.

We saw that Lewis was a bit stronger in the beginning of the race. I mean he was stronger during the whole race but in the beginning he just started to pull away, maybe two or three tenths sometimes per lap, and then this made for sure his race much more comfortable. For us we were completely driving on the limit trying to reduce the gap but it was not possible. I was trying to push as Kimi was trying to push to get closer to Lewis but it was not possible. So today unfortunately Lewis had the better car for the whole weekend.

Q. And your pass on Kimi towards the end?

FM: Well, it was the best time for me in the race, I was quite strong and then I caught him and I passed him, so that was the good part of the race. But anyway it was not enough as we are fighting with the McLaren's and today at least one was in front but we could manage to finish second or third. I think for the Drivers' Championship it was not fantastic but for the Constructors' it was very good. It is always very important to fight for the Constructors' and today we did a good job thinking of the Constructors' Championship. I try on the Drivers' but it was not possible today.

Q. Kimi, Lewis has just said it was inevitable that Felipe would finish second. Talk us through the last phase of the race.

Kimi RAIKKONEN: I mean we know what we want as a team and that's what we did it. It is normal in these situations. Today I had a very good car, all the time no major issue. The car was handling quite nicely but unfortunately it wasn't fast enough in the moments when we needed it. At the start Lewis pulled away a bit and then I started to be able to do the same lap times, a little bit catching, but every time I was faster it was too late and the gap stayed the same.

Then in the second stop I was catching him a bit and then I got traffic three times and it cost me a lot of time. I mean even if I had been right behind him we were stopping on the same lap, so without mistakes there was no way to get past. Second and third was the best we could do today, hopefully the next race we can challenge them a bit more. I mean once we came here on Friday, Lewis seemed to be very quick, so it was not easy but we did our best but it didn't work out this time.

Q. With team orders not being allowed it is difficult not to influence the outcome of the race, so how did you handle that?

KR: Like I said, I know what the team expects and I know what we want which are results. It is racing and I have nothing to lose or win in a way. I am driving for the team, so it is a normal situation. I was pretty happy with the way things went in the race apart from we could not challenge the McLaren today but apart from that the car wasn't too bad. But like I said, we just did not have the little bit more speed that we needed.

Q. Lewis, seven points is your lead going into Brazil. What does this win mean for you and how does it set up the Brazilian Grand Prix?

LH: Well, this is another step towards the championship and towards my dream and towards my team's dream. The team deserve it. We have worked very, very hard throughout the season and I think our approach to this race was right. It was not to go out and win everything just in this race. It was to look at both races to try and score as many points collectively and I know going to Brazil will be a much better situation compared to last year and also we know that we will be a lot more competitive than we are here, so that is comforting. We know that we have got to do a good job. It will be tough and these two for sure will be pushing us hard but hopefully as a team we can pull through.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q. Lewis, just how close do you feel to that World Championship now?

LH: I have not really thought about it, to be honest. In terms of how close I feel I have not really thought about that. As I said, coming into this weekend we were targeting both races and looking at both of them hopefully to do a good job and collectively hopefully we can have good points from both. It is on your mind for sure but the fact that we have done a good job is what we needed to do. It is just that one step closer. We still have a tough race ahead of us in Brazil but I am really looking forward to it.

Q. At the end of the race Ron came on and talked about 'keeping up the discipline'. Has that what it has all been about?

LH: He didn't say anything to me.

Q. That's what came over on the radio.

LH: I don't remember hearing that, if I am honest. Maybe I was trying to talk to them at the same time.

Q. Tell us about your pace at the start as it must have been pleasing to pull away from the Ferraris.

LH: Yeah, just throughout the weekend we knew we had the pace and from Friday we knew that we had better long run pace than them. With my car I was very happy with the balance and I was able to look after my tyres very well and really extract the most from them but also to make them last. The track conditions were great and the car was great, so I just took my time, pushed where I needed to and really managed the gap. For sure it was great to be able to pull away and pull the gap as we did.

Q. Was there a great deal of difference between the tyres?

LH: No, throughout this weekend on both sets of tyres we were very competitive. When I needed to go quicker on the option I could have. If anything towards the end it seemed to be a bit of a better tyre for me but there was a very small gap between both sets of tyres. Perhaps just a bit more grip on the option but they were both just as consistent for me.

Q. Felipe, what can do you for Brazil? Is it about outright speed, tactics, do you pray for rain? What do you do?

FM: I don't know. For sure we are in a difficult position but we know many things can happen in one race. We just need to keep our head up. It is not finished yet. Until it is finished, we know that in sport many things can happen. We just need to concentrate on our job and try to win the race and then what's happened has happened.

That's our concentration for the last race and that's the way we are going to approach it knowing we are still fighting for the Drivers' Championship. Then we are in a reasonably good position for the Constructors' Championship. I think those are quite important for us, so we are going to do everything we can to achieve our target and then we will see what will happen.

Q. Is it a matter of hoping that the circuit will be better suited to Ferrari?

FM: Well, I think it's both. Hoping is always very important for whatever driver, whatever person. But then for sure you need a good car and I think we can have a much better car in Brazil than we had here because today it was very difficult to follow this guy and fight with him.

Q. And is it a good thing that it's your home race?

FM: Ah, for sure. Always when you play at home you usually play better. I have had very good experiences in Brazil for the last two years, so hopefully we can repeat that and have a great experience again.

Q. So you're slightly optimistic for Brazil.

FM: I'm very optimistic, for sure, and we need to be, everybody in the team. We need to be together, very optimistic and trying to do our job in the best way we can and trying to win.

Q. Kimi, give us an idea of the start and the pace of Lewis in the opening stint.

KR: I think we had pretty much similar starts. He was pulling away at the beginning of the race. There was nothing I could do. It took a few laps for me to get going and once the car started to work better, he was already I don't know how many seconds away and I could just about maintain a similar gap. He was pulling away a bit.

At some point later on I was able to catch him a bit but it was too late and then the gap stayed the same on the second set of tyres, pulling away at the beginning again, and I was then catching up. But then I was stuck behind some traffic and lost quite a bit of time. We just didn't have the speed today. The car felt quite good all the time but we were just missing a few tenths all the time, so I was not able to challenge him really. It was a bit of a shame but there was nothing we could have done.

Q. Do you share Felipe's optimism about Brazil?

KR: The car was very good there last year, so it's another race, another weekend. It can be very good for us, nothing is over yet, so we go there and try to do the maximum that we can and see where we end up but it's too early to say. Once we do the Friday there, I think everybody will have a little bit better idea what the speed difference between the teams is and then it will be easier to go from there.

Q. You had a difference tyre choice in comparison to Felipe; were you happy with that tyre choice?

KR: No, we had the same tyre at the start of the race. I think he was on soft tyres, I was on hard. They wanted to try different... to see if we could catch up Lewis. There wasn't really a big difference between the tyres. I thought they were very similar in the end. The difference wasn't there, the amount that we were losing out. So we tried but it didn't work out.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q. (Bob McKenzie - The Daily Express) Kimi, as World Champion, how tough is it to have to put in a lap that's two seconds slower, for your teammate to go past you?

KR: I'm not in a position to challenge for the championship. I know what the team expects from me and I'm happy to try to achieve the maximum points for the team, what we need. Unfortunately we missed a few points today, overall. But like I said, it doesn't make any difference to my season.

Q. (Ed Gorman - The Times) Lewis, I think you mentioned earlier that your approach to Interlagos this year is going to be quite different to last year. Could you just expand a little bit more on that as you go into it with the same separation in the points and so on?

LH: Well, there's not really much more to say, just that it's a similar approach to what I had this weekend, which was a better approach than I had last year coming here, so hopefully with the same approach that we had this year, a bit calmer, a bit more confident in the package and what we have to do... it's the same as this weekend.

Q. (Jia Chen – Soccer News China) Felipe, in most parts of the race, you were often slower than Lewis and Kimi, even when you were using softer tyres while they were using harder ones. However, Kimi was often able to keep up a similar lap speed to Lewis. What was wrong with your car?

FM: I don't think there was anything wrong. Even if some laps I was slower than Kimi, there was not a big difference. Sometimes we had similar laps, we were trying to push each other very hard, thinking only of Lewis, but in terms of balance, for sure it was reasonable, but as Kimi said, we were not quick enough. When you're not quick, you're always trying to drive more than you can and sometimes you don't find a good lap, so that's it. Today it was impossible to win the race and I think we both finished in the best position that we could.

Q. (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Last week in Fuji Ferrari was very, very strong on race pace. Here, today, it wasn't. Is it because of the tyre compounds you were using here compared to Fuji?

FM: It's so difficult to answer this question. Many things change track to track. I think it's a difficult question and I cannot answer it. I don't know why we were missing a little bit of speed on this track.

Q. (Ian Parkes – The Press Association) Lewis, before you got in the car on Friday, you'd come in for a considerable amount of criticism following what happened last weekend in Japan. How much were you aware of that, and how much did that spur you on in your performance this weekend?

LH: All week I haven't really spoken to many people and I haven't been on the Internet or seen the papers, so I was kind of oblivious to it until I arrived here and heard about it but if anything it amused me. I took the positives out of it and for sure, I arrived at the weekend with lots of energy and not distracted by it.

Q. (Marco Degl'Innocenti – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Lewis, we have learned that Flavio Briatore through the team sent to you his excuses, apologised for what he said on Thursday. Are you comfortable with that?

LH: Again, I have no clue what he said anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

Q. (Marco Degl'Innocenti – La Gazzetta dello Sport) You have won ten points here today. Last year you practically lost ten points here. Is there quite a psychological difference in the approach to the next Grand Prix?

LH: I would say so, yes. I think the last race of last year was tough. We went to Brazil and I can't remember if we were hit or not but we were on the back foot and knowing that Ferrari would be very competitive in Brazil it was going to be tough. We arrived this year and I think having a good race, we will settle back down tomorrow, back to where we were at the beginning of this week and we will work very, very hard to arrive in Brazil even more competitive, so I'm feeling good about it. I know it's going to be a tough weekend but again we will try to do the best job we can.

Q. (Paolo Ianieri – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Felipe, in Brazil you will have to win but it's not just up to you, it also depends on Lewis. How do you think you can beat him, psychologically also?

FM: First of all, we try to win, that's the most important thing. Secondly, we see what happens. As you just mentioned, winning is not enough but winning is the most important thing you can do, so first of all we try to win and then we see what happens.

Q. (Beniamino Natale – ANSA) Of course, you are still fighting for the championship but for the public it was very boring today. Are you ever worried about the future of Formula One?

FM: I think the race today was not very exciting, to be honest, even for a driver. It depends on which track you're on, it depends on how the race develops. For sure it wasn't as exciting as you can see on other tracks, for example, or maybe other opportunities. It depends on how the race develops at the beginning. Anyway, the FIA and everybody is already working quite hard to change the ideas for the future, so I think next year there will be a big, big change in the regulations which can maybe create more battles and more opportunities to overtake and more interesting racing, so I hope we can give you guys more opportunity to enjoy it as well.

Q. (Ian Parkes – The Press Association) Lewis, it's been mentioned that last season you held a seven point to Kimi. This season you've got a seven point lead to Felipe. Are you a believer that lightning strikes twice in the same place?

LH: No, I think it's a completely different year. I don't really have much to say to that to be honest.

Q. (Jerome Bourret – L'Equipe) Lewis, what's your opinion of Ferrari's tactics to switch position between Kimi and Felipe?

LH: There's not really much to say about it. They're a team and I know if it was in my position, if Heikki was leading, we would probably do the same thing. It's playing together as a team and they obviously did a great job.

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