Toyota-owned Fuji International Speedway is reportedly planning to pull out of hosting the 2010 Japanese Formula One Grand Prix.

The world's biggest automaker has refused to comment on reports carried by domestic newspapers and Japan's national news agency.

Fuji has decided not to host the 2010 race, Kyodo News agency reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

A Toyota spokesman told the Associated Press: "It's true that (Fuji Speedway) is making various considerations regarding its hosting of the event next year," but refused to elaborate further.

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FERRARI HAS dampened speculation Fernando Alonso will be announced as its new driver ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in September.

Spanish newspaper Diario AS claims Ferrari has agreed to a deal to bring the two-time World Champion to Ferrari next season and replace Kimi Raikkonen, who is currently languishing in 10th place in the driver’s standings.

Alonso was expected to arrive at Maranello in 2011, but Ferrari’s struggles, combined with Raikkonen’s lack of form was reported to have prompted the manufacturer to accelerate its driver succession plans.

Diario AS also claimed Alonso and new team sponsor Santander would be introduced to the Ferrari faithful at the Scuderia’s ‘World Finals’ event at Valencia in November, where the Renault ddriver would appear as a special guest.

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Ferrari Formula 1 driver Kimi Raikkonen will make his World Rally championship debut against the likes of Sebastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen in his native Finland at the end of July.

The 2007 F1 World champion, who has already competed in three non-championship rallies in 2009, will compete in the Finnish rally in a Fiat Abarth Grande Punto with compatriot Kaj Lindstrom as co-driver.

Lindstrom used to co-drive for four-times World champion Tommi Makinen.

He said: "Rally Finland is not going to be easy. The rallies we have done so far have been smaller events, a three-day WRC round is much longer and more intense than those National events."We have two days to do reconnaissance and make notes. Kimi makes very good pace notes but there will be pressure on for the recce.

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The door opens, and in walks Mika Häkkinen, twice Formula 1 world driving champion, winner of 20 Grands Prix during his ten-year career (1991-2001), and the racing foe seven-time champion Michael Schumacher says he admired and feared most. I’m in Stuttgart, Germany, to drive the new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG sedan, and the maker has arranged for its now-retired superstar (Häkkinen won his championships driving Benz-powered McLarens) to sit down for a brief chat.

 The Finnish-born Häkkinen, now 40, looks fit, tanned, and relaxed. As we make introductions, he says he’s already driven the E63 (I drive it tomorrow), and after his flat-out laps around the Nurburgring he found it “a brilliant car. Difficult to find the limit. The car was really well balanced.”

I open by asking the Finn what he thinks of the current Max Mosley versus F1 teams feud. “It’s very negative,” he replies. “But they will sort it out. One day. They will find the right solutions. It will take some time. You have to be diplomatic, find compromises. If you are too direct, it’s over. There’s a lot of questions about egos, you have to really play the game to be able to get the right result. I like the idea of a budget cap, but the big teams like Ferrari and McLaren are going to have big problem spending ‘only’ 40 million Euros.

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MOTOR racing chief Max Mosley has hinted that he will stay on — after he had promised to step down later this year.
He claimed in an interview that he was under pressure to stay on as head of Formula1 governing body.
Last week Mosley, who has been blamed as a cause of a split in F1, said he would not stand for re-election in October as president of the International Automobile Federation .
However, he told the Mail on Sunday: “They [his opponents] made the mistake of dancing on my grave before I was buried.”
He suggested the Formula One Teams Association , led by Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, had made a serious miscalculation. The association opposed Mosley’s attempts to impose spending limits on F1.

FIA president Max Mosley said on Friday a breakaway series could still be formed by the Formula One Teams Association despite a recent peace pact reached by the teams and motorsports' governing body.
The prospect of the fragile accord surviving were put in doubt Thursday — just 24 hours it was reached — when Mosley dispatched an angry letter to Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.

Mosley demanded a public apology after Di Montezemolo hailed the departure of the "dictator" after 16 years in office.

Di Montezemolo chose to respond privately, telling Mosley he had been misunderstood and pledged to respect Wednesday's agreement that saw the FIA's planned voluntary budget cap scrapped to win back the eight teams considering a rival series.

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Formula One points leader Jenson Button hopes to show his remarkable career revival to the home fans Sunday with a first win at the British Grand Prix.
The 29-year-old Button is looking to make it seven wins from the opening eight races by taking the checkered flag at Silverstone, an event that will move to Donington Park in 2010 under a 10-year deal.
Before climbing this season into a Brawn GP car he calls a "monster" and building a 26-point lead in the standings over teammate Rubens Barrichello, the Briton had never given his home fans anything to cheer about at Silverstone.
In nine previous visits, Button has finished no higher than fourth, with his last three ending in two retirements and a 10th place. Six months ago, when Honda withdrew from F1, there was a real chance that Button, with just one career victory to his name, wouldn't find a new team.
But after a management buy-out created Brawn GP, a car that took full advantage of major aerodynamic rule changes has propelled Button to the top of the drivers' standings.
"It has been a dream start to the season," Button said Thursday. "It's obviously a big chance for me and for the whole team. Coming here last year we didn't expect to be getting points, let alone fighting for a podium position and definitely not the top step of the podium."

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Roma, 24 Giugno - I bookmaker non hanno dubbi: il prossimo circuito metropolitano della Formula 1 sarà quello di Roma. Il progetto di Maurizio Flammini, che vuole portare nel 2012 un Gran Premio nella capitale,è un'ipotesi che ha trovato l'iniziale entusiasmo di Bernie Ecclestone, ma anche dei bookmaker esteri che, già a febbraio - quando venne presentata l'idea - ritenevano probabilissima, a 1,80, l'eventualità di un Gp nella capitale. Altre novità metropolitane nel calendario dei circuiti? Parigi è a 4,30 e Londra a 12,00.

Mad Max seems to be stealing the show these days rather than the cars and drivers themselves.

The controversial budget cap rule conjured by Max and Bernie seems to have pushed the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) over the edge, threatening to form a breakaway series! This is precisely what happens when rule-making is devoid of logic!

What is the controversial cap? 2010 onwards, teams that run within USD40 million enjoy technical liberties like flexi wings, etc while those that don’t conform to this cannot, thus leading to a two tier F1.
 
Eight teams including Ferrari, McLaren, Toyota, both Red Bulls, Brawn and Renault and BMW are against this, claiming that lack of technical upgrades undermines the raison d'être in Formula1. Meanwhile, Bernie hopes for a compromise.

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Boss of BMW-Zauber Dr. Mario Taysen said it was disappointed by the performance of the team in Grand UK and admitted that Timothy will focus on the development of the bolide. Pilots of the team, Robert and Nick Kubitsa Haydfeld completed on 13 th and 15 th place and bavartsite are located on the eighth unenviable position in the classification of a building with a total of eight points.
The next race for the German Grand is home to BMW and Dr. Taysen promised serious changes failed F1.09.
"Race of Silvarstoun for us was yet another disappointment. The domestic competition" Nyurburgring will accelerate the development of F1.09 ", admitted Taysen. "In England, experiencing difficulties with insertion of the tires in the working window where the bolide we need to reveal its full potential. Haydfeld Kubitsa and complained about the lack of traction when the tires were hard. We hope that in Germany the new aerodynamic package to help us to be present at the "Teuton finish.