McLaren deny missing winter testing session is risky McLaren insist their new car will not suffer early-season teething problems - despite missing the first winter testing session for the 2011 season. The new MP4-26 will be launched on 4 February, a day after the first official testing session ends in Spain. It means McLaren have three chances to test its reliability before the opening grand prix in Bahrain on 13 March. "We are reasonably confident we can get all the reliability we need," said McLaren engineer director Paddy Lowe. Team principal Martin Whitmarsh said the decision to delay the testing of the MP4-26 was to give drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton "the best possible package" for Bahrain. It means the British team will head to the first of four winter sessions at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia between 1-3 February with a standard 2010 chassis and a limited number of updates, while rivals Red Bull and Ferrari will unveil their new models for on-track testing.
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Fernando Alonso did the double in the traditional ice kart races at Ferrari's pre-season media event in Madonna di Campiglio. The Spaniard beat team-mate Felipe Massa and Ducati MotoGP rider Nicky Hayden in the first race, and headed Hayden and his new team-mate Valentino Rossi in the second.
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New Williams driver Pastor Maldonado has demonstrated a Formula 1 car in his home country Venezuela, whose president Hugo Chavez was on hand and was personally thanked for his financial backing by Maldonado. Williams have officially announced that Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA has entered into a "long-term" sponsorship deal with the team. "They are a substantial partner and can make a meaningful difference to our fighting ability," said team owner Frank Williams in a statement. (AFP/Reuters/Williams F1)
FIA president Jean Todt's push to use experienced drivers as race stewards in Formula 1 has been deemed a huge success by one of the men who helped fulfil that role in 2010, eight-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen.
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McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh believes that 2011 could deliver an even closer battle for the world championship than last year - when four drivers went to the final race of the season fighting it out for the world title.
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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner hopes the introduction of adjustable rear wings this season will not make Formula 1 "artificial".
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Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo believes it is better for Formula 1 to visit new nations than to add a street race in Rome to its calendar, as the Italian city's hopes of hosting a grand prix fade.
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Montezemolo has urged the Formula 1 Teams' Association (Fota) to stay united, amid news that Hispania has turned its back on it and speculation that Red Bull has broken its cost-saving agreement.
Full story: ESPNF1.com