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From GMM

Bruno Senna has admitted his formula one career is probably over.

The nephew of F1 great Ayrton Senna, Brazilian Bruno Senna, now 29, raced until last year with HRT, Renault and Williams, scoring 33 career points.

He now drives for Aston Martin in the FIA's world endurance sports car championship, and has left the door open to a switch to Indy or NASCAR in 2014.

Felipe Massa (Ferrari) and Bruno Senna (Williams) in Spa-Francorchamps, in 2012. (Photo: WRi2)

Bruno Senna said he would "never close the door" on a return to F1 either.

"But the chance of getting a competitive car there is low," he told Brazil's Globo, "so I'm not too worried about that (F1).

"I do hope that Brazil will not be without a driver in formula one," added Senna, referring to Felipe Massa's push to stay in the sport after losing his Ferrari seat.

"It is difficult to know what will happen, the teams are always in negotiation, but he is a fighter," said Bruno Senna. "His results this year have been good; much more consistent than a year or two ago. I'm hoping he can represent Brazil next year."

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Photo: Chevrolet

From GMM

F1's major teams reportedly oppose moves to appoint a single fuel supplier.

Last week after the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council, it emerged that the new Concorde Agreement paves the way for a single supplier of fuel in future.

The FIA will be "in charge of conducting the tender process", the governing body's media statement said, with Bernie Ecclestone "entitled to run the commercial negotiations with potential suppliers".

Lotus' fuel at Singapore. (Photo: WRi2)

But according to Germany's Sport Bild on Wednesday, the big teams are not happy about this development.

That's because they all have separate and lucrative deals in place with major oil corporations: Ferrari with Shell, Renault with Total, Mercedes with Petronas, McLaren with Mobil.

But if, for example, Total is selected as F1's sole fuel supplier, that would cost Ferrari its EUR 25 million deal with Shell, Mercedes its 30m Petronas deal, and so on.

The FIA announced last Friday that it has now signed up to the new Concorde Agreement with the commercial rights holder, led by Ecclestone.

And separately, the teams - even Marussia, according to The Times newspaper - all now have financial deals in place with the F1 chief executive.

But before the actual tripartite Concorde Agreement is in force, the teams have to sign up, and Sport Bild said the new fuel issue could be a fly in the ointment.

From GMM

The days where grands prix are spiced-up by deliberately heavily-degrading tires could be over.

Since the tire-exploding crisis earlier this season, and the mid-year shift from steel to kevlar-belted tires, Pirelli has also been taking more conservative compound choices to the races.

Very recently, it has culminated in less exiting grands prix, and runaway championship leader Sebastian Vettel's now tight grip on the second half of the season.

And for 2014, despite the radical engine rules shift, little will change on the tire front.

"We will take a very conservative strategy," Pirelli boss Paul Hembery told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "We will take the worst-case simulation as the basis for the development of the tire structure."

Paul Hembery argues Pirelli has been pushed in that direction by the teams, who are not overly willing to help with tire development for 2014.

Indeed, even the attempt to test with a representative car - Mercedes' current W04 - ended spectacularly badly for both the German team and F1's tire supplier.

Photo: Pirelli

Now, Pirelli is having to conduct 1000 kilometre tests with two-year old cars, such as the one with Red Bull in Barcelona recently.

"It went well, as far as we can tell," said Paul Hembery. "The car is three seconds faster than our Lotus test car. But we are still expecting a journey into the unknown with the new 2014 cars."

Even a post-race test in Brazil after the 2013 season finale has now been cancelled.

"It (the tire development situation) is because of the paranoia of the teams," said Hembery. "What we need in order to do our job, unfortunately doesn't fit with what the teams want. And nobody is coming up with a solution."

There is also uncertainty about Pirelli's longer-term future in F1.

The FIA has finally rubber-stamped the marque's presence on the grid beyond 2013, but a statement said that it is just a "transition period" because Bernie Ecclestone and the teams had already agreed deals with Pirelli.

"Pirelli has five year agreements signed with Ecclestone and the teams and expects that these are respected," said La Gazzetta dello Sport's Andrea Cremonesi.

Jean Todt's rival FIA presidential candidate has announced he would consider dropping the highly controversial Bahrain grand prix.

David Ward told the BBC that current president Todt is guilty of "poor decision-making" over green-lighting recent editions of the race amid continuing civil unrest.

"If it looks like the situation is deteriorating or not improving, what there should be - because this could happen tomorrow in another part of the world - is a standard process to handle this, that is immune from suggestions that one place is being treated differently from another," he said.

David Ward, however, denied that his close links to former FIA president Max Mosley are powering his push to dethrone Todt.

"I am doing this entirely for my own reasons," he said. "The reasons I'm running is I can see failures going on in terms of governance that I think are quite serious."

Straight line of Bahrain. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Sebastian Vettel's dominance is being powered by a clever post-'exhaust blowing' solution, a specialist Italian magazine claims.

After the reigning world champion extended his 2013 points lead with a dominant performance in Singapore, former F1 team boss Giancarlo Minardi raised doubts about the legality of Vettel's Red Bull.

Minardi, watching trackside at Marina Bay, said Vettel's car displayed worryingly good handling, while his Renault engine "sounded similar to past seasons when traction control went into action".

Indeed, Autosprint has now revealed an exclusive video that depicts the odd mid-corner sound of Vettel's car in Singapore.

It can be seen at here.

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull RB9, Singapore. (Photo: WRi2)

The cover of the latest edition of Autosprint reads 'Il segreto di Vettel' (Vettel's secret), and reveals reportedly "confidential information" about the German's recent dominance.

Autosprint, however, doubts Red Bull is using some kind of 'traction control', but rather a clever engine mapping that mimics the behaviour of exhaust-blown diffusers in the wake of the FIA's clampdown in that area.

British journalist James Allen, writing on his blog, agrees: "Rather than traction control, some kind of mapping to blow into the exhaust within the rules is more likely".

Toto Wolff, Mercedes' competition boss, is quoted by Speed Week: "In this form, Sebastian could win all the remaining races of the season."

That could lead to more booing on the podium.

Pirelli boss Paul Hembery told the German newspaper Bild: "Sebastian will only be popular again when he loses. He will have to stand up in defeat, laugh and be humble. Nobody likes a bad loser.

"Maybe we can help him out by supplying him with only three tyres?" he joked.

From GMM

Vitaly Petrov could be set to burst back into F1 as a powerful pay-driver, it has emerged.

Once racing for Renault and Caterham, the Russian's former manager, Oksana Kosachenko, claimed last week that Petrov has managed to come up with an impressive EUR 25 million in sponsorship to offer a 2014 team.

Speaking to Russia's Championat, 29-year-old Petrov did not deny Kosachenko's claim.

"I think Oksana always knows more about everyone, in all the projects," he said sarcastically.

"There is nothing to comment on. I don't know what to say," added Petrov.

Vitaly Petrov. (Photo: WRi2)

He hinted, however, that he might now be well placed to secure a seat in 2014, after a season on the sidelines.

"We know that some teams have money worries," said Petrov, "so there is the chance for drivers who can help in this area."

With Sauber already preparing to field a Russian driver next year in the form of Sergey Sirotkin, the big rumour is that Petrov could line up for the Russian supercar maker-owned team, Marussia.

"At the moment there is nothing new to say," Petrov answered, "but it is not a disadvantage for me if some teams wait a little while before deciding their drivers."