Lorenzo looking for rostrum return at Motegi

The Championship leader is in a resolute mood ahead of the Grand Prix of Japan and outlined his aims in the pre-event press conference on Thursday.

Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo heads to Motegi for this weekend's Grand Prix of Japan determined to get back on the rostrum, after a fourth place last time out at Aragón ended the Mallorcan's run of consecutive podium finishes that started with second place in the season opener at Qatar.

Lorenzo still holds a 56-point advantage over Dani Pedrosa at the top of the Championship standings heading into this weekend's race, which was postponed back in April due to the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland. The Fiat Yamaha rider took one of his four wins last season at Motegi and is keen to do well in Yamaha's home race, as he looks to defend his position at the top of the standings.

"I'm not comfortable, but my position in the Championship is good," declared Lorenzo during Thursday’s press conference at Motegi. "We're not in the best shape technically; we have a little disadvantage in terms of power, but the latest evolution engine should improve things. I am thinking about the Championship, so I must keep going fast but I must also be prudent, calculating and not doing any crazy things. This weekend I hope to be able to fight for the podium, and maybe even for the victory."

Brawn: Schumacher will be back in 2011

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, reigning constructor’s champions Brawn GP, technical whizz Ross Brawn and the might of German car giant Mercedes-Benz. The ingredients for a stunning 2010 season were all present and correct when the Mercedes GP launched in Stuttgart back in the January.

Nine months later, however, and Mercedes's dream has faltered and Schumacher’s comeback is in tatters. Currently tenth in the standings, with just 46 points, the veteran German's fall from grace has led some to question whether he will last the season, let alone be back in the cockpit competing next year. But Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn is confident Schumacher will race in 2011.

“Michael is disappointed, of course,” Brawn told Formula1.com. “Still he is enjoying the challenge very much. He definitely doesn’t come to a race wishing to be somewhere else. He wants to work with the engineers, wants to find solutions and is extremely motivated. He is enjoying racing.

"Of course he’s also a bit frustrated that his performance isn’t better. But I tell you, Michael is a very ambitious person and he didn’t win seven titles because he’s quick to capitulate. What sense would it make at that stage of his comeback to pack in his job? He’s not going to do it - be sure of that!”

Although previously famed for his ability to get the most out of tyres, one of the major stumbling blocks for Schumacher this season has been Bridgestone’s 2010-spec rubber. Although Brawn admits the 91-time Grand Prix winner’s driving style does not suit this year’s Bridgestones, he believes the change to new tyre supplier, Pirelli, next season could help matters.

Rossi ready for tough test on body at Motegi

The reigning World Champion knows that the demands of the circuit will push his physical condition to its limit during the Grand Prix of the Japan this weekend, but is prepared for the challenge.

Valentino Rossi is steeling himself for another hard weekend on his body as he prepares for the Grand Prix of Japan, where the right-handed Motegi circuit will place added demands on his recovering shoulder. The Fiat Yamaha rider explained that the leg he broke in June is now the lesser of his problems, with his shoulder the main factor in his ability to push hard.

“The leg is now almost back to normal again – I have even started running – but the shoulder is a problem and we know now that this is not going to change until we have time to treat it properly,” said Rossi, who has fond recollections of the Japanese circuit.

“I have some great memories from Motegi, especially winning the Championship in 2008, but I am expecting this weekend to be quite difficult on my body,” continued Rossi, who is also looking forward to the rounds in Malaysia and Australia which follow on consecutive weekends. “We have a hard three weeks ahead but after this race two of my best tracks are coming up, and I am hoping for some good results. We will do our best and see what happens!"

Rossi’s Team Manager Davide Brivio returns to the paddock this weekend having missed the previous round at Aragón – where Rossi placed sixth – due to a back problem, and he hopes that the previous good showing of the M1 at Motegi (Rossi won in 2008 and team-mate Jorge Lorenzo won last year) bodes well for his rider.

He said: "Valentino is understandably disappointed that he isn't in as good physical shape as he had hoped, and this is a pity for him because the leg is really quite good now! Aragón was hard on him but generally our bike goes well at Motegi so we hope it will be better, even if the nature of the track will still be hard on him.”

“This run of races is tough on everyone but we will be working as hard as ever and hoping for some good results as we head towards the final races,” concluded Brivio.

Hulkenberg penalised after Force India protest

Williams’ Nico Hulkenberg has had 20s added to his Singapore race time for leaving the track and gaining an advantage on lap one. It follows an identical penalty for Force India’s Adrian Sutil.

After receiving Sutil’s penalty, which dropped him from eighth to tenth in the results, Force India protested, claiming that Hulkenberg had committed the same offence.

After hearing evidence from Hulkenberg and Force India’s Vitantonio Liuzzi, the stewards agreed and also penalised the German, dropping him to tenth place. He originally crossed the line in ninth.

Sutil now moves up to ninth, having originally fallen to tenth following his penalty. Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who was tenth at the flag, moves up to eighth.

MotoGP passes the 1 million mark on Facebook

Over a million fans are now enjoying the interactive benefits offered by the Official MotoGP page on Facebook!

MotoGP’s Official Facebook page passed the milestone of one million fans at the weekend, with the number of those enjoying the interactive benefits on offer continuing to grow along with the popularity of the platform.

As the 2010 MotoGP World Championship enters its definitive final phase the ever increasing fan base of the Official Facebook page is staying up to date with the latest news from the Championship via the social network site. The official Twitter and YouTube pages are also excellent sources for the dedicated MotoGP fan, with the latter offering free video and also some exclusive content.

Following MotoGP on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube is free and easy and is an excellent way to stay up to date with all the latest news and developments in the World Championship on a daily basis. Add them to your own personal MotoGP experience now!

Intense MotoGP run-in begins with Motegi

A run of three back-to-back races commences in Japan as the 2010 MotoGP World Championship enters its final stage with Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa continuing their battle.

Just over five months on from its original scheduled date the Grand Prix of Japan will take place this weekend having been postponed back in April due to the Icelandic volcano eruption. Dani Pedrosa will be aiming to mount his own disruptive course as the 2010 campaign enters an intense run-in of the final five rounds, and he is now the only rider who can stop Jorge Lorenzo claiming a debut premier class title.

Lorenzo enters the weekend 56 points ahead of Pedrosa and with the experience of victory at Motegi last year, but the Repsol Honda rider is proving to be a stern obstacle in the fight for the 2010 title. Last time out at Aragón was the first time Lorenzo had not featured on the podium this season, and whilst fourth position in the race was by no means a poor result the recuperation of 17 points on the leader by Pedrosa over the last three rounds has signalled that this year’s Championship is far from decided.

Pedrosa has featured on the third step of the podium at the Japanese track for the previous two years and is on a hot current run of form as he and his factory RC212V remain consistent in their production of results. Both he and Lorenzo have 12 premier class career victories to their names now, another added competitive edge to what has recently developed into an intriguing pitting of wits against one another.

Unlucky lewis is not to blame

McLAREN chief Martin Whitmarsh has leaped to the defence of Lewis Hamilton following the ex-champ's second shunt in two races.

Whitmarsh insisted Hamilton did nothing wrong in his attempted pass of Red Bull's Mark Webber in the Singapore Grand Prix.

Hamilton was clipped by Webber after nudging ahead on the outside of Turn Seven. The resulting damage put the Brit out of the race.

Hamilton, who had to retire after colliding with Felipe Massa's Ferrari in the previous race at Monza, immediately knew he had suffered another major blow in his title challenge.

And he threw his steering wheel out of the cockpit in disgust.

Whitmarsh conceded some critics would take a pop at Hamilton for having two incidents on the trot.

But he said of the Singapore shunt: "I think Lewis was very unlucky.

"If you look at what happened he did not make a late lunge.

"We can get heated about blame but I think Mark has got to race as well.

"The important thing from my perspective was that from Lewis it was not a desperate overtaking manoeuvre, it was a solid overtaking manoeuvre.

"Whenever you overtake in any form of motor racing there is a degree of risk. And he was unlucky it did not come off this time."

A steward's inquiry was opened into the incident but concluded no further action would be taken.

Webber escaped unscathed and went on to finish third.

'Relaxed' Webber: I want to have no regrets

F1 2010 World Championship leader Mark Webber has insisted that he is 'at ease' with himself and 'amazed at how relaxed I am' on the eve of a race that has been tipped to offer a genuine insight into the likely destiny of this year's drivers' crown – adding that whatever happens come season's end, he wants to have 'no real regrets'.

Webber has arrived in the Far-Eastern city-state of Singapore for the third edition of the popular night race around the streets of Marina Bay with a slender five-point margin atop the standings over McLaren-Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton, and with double F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso, Hamilton's team-mate and defending title-winner Jenson Button and his own Red Bull Racing team-mate – and bitter sparring partner – Sebastian Vettel all similarly well within striking-distance.

With a mere 24 points blanketing the crown-chasing quintet and 125 left up for grabs over the final five grands prix, it really is anybody's game – and whilst he might not have the prior experience of a title showdown unlike Hamilton, Alonso and Button, what Webber does have is a calm, cool, measured approach that could just pay dividends by the time the F1 circus reaches Abu Dhabi in mid-November.

The Australian acknowledges that he is not immune to the pressure of being the hunted – just as his pursuers are not immune to the pressure of having to try and chase him down and overhaul him – but he is confident of being able to manage that pressure, despite finding himself in an advantageous position for the first time during his nine-year career at the highest level, a situation that he acknowledges is 'uncharted territory' for both himself and Red Bull

After the Flag now available

The latest episode of the MotoGP series with presenter Gavin Emmett looks back over the World Championship’s first visit to the Motorland Aragón circuit.

Round 13, the Gran Premio A-Style de Aragón, is put under the spotlight in the latest After the Flag with Gavin Emmett as a full review of the weekend’s action is featured. Casey Stoner’s first win of the season, a first podium of 2010 for Nicky Hayden, Jorge Lorenzo’s first time off the rostrum… There is plenty up for discussion so join Gavin for a topical review.

Over 243,000 tickets sold for S'pore F1

All tickets for this weekend's F1 race have been sold out since yesterday afternoon, organiser Singapore GP announced.

However a few hundred tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the major gates.

The sale of these reserved tickets, held back to the combat resales, will begin at 2pm at the selected counters. One of them includes the main ticket sales centre at the Raffles City Convention Centre (RCCC)

These tickets will not be available online.

The breakdown of the available ticket categories is as follows:

Turn 2 Grandstand: available at Gate Ticket Booths 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10 and RCCC

Stamford Grandstand: available at Gate Ticket Booths 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and RCCC

Padang Grandstand: available at Gate Ticket Booths 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and RCCC

Bay Grandstand: available at Gate Ticket Booths 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and RCCC

Friday and Saturday Walkabout: available for sale at the Gate Ticket Booths 3 and 7 and RCCC

The number of tickets available for each of the three days of the event was 81,350 per day, or approximately 244,000 over the race weekend.

Tech 3 confirm Edwards for 2011

The American has signed a one-year extension with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team and will partner incoming with rookie Cal Crutchlow next season.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 have confirmed that Colin Edwards has signed a one-year contact extension to remain with the MotoGP team for the 2011 season, thus combining his vast experience with the potential of the rookie Cal Crutchlow.

Fresh from his 100th race with the Yamaha at the Gran Premio A-Style de Aragón on Sunday the announcement was made that 36 year-old Edwards would remain with Tech 3 next year, continuing a partnership with the French outfit that started in the 2008.

“I’ve finally come to an agreement with the Hervé and Yamaha. I’m happy to stay and it’s been a long relationship with Yamaha, I think 1986 was my first contract with them back in my motocross days! I want to say a big thanks to the Hervé because along with Yamaha he made it happen,” said Edwards.

“I don’t know if next year will be my last one, I’m just looking forward to pushing as we normally do and riding hard. If Yamaha need something I’m always there, the other three Yamaha guys are going to be young. I’m just looking to fight and have fun.”

Commenting on his link-up with the 24 year-old British rider Crutchlow, who will arrive from WSBK, Edwards added: “I think it will be interesting. I don’t know Cal well but he’s young, he’s hungry and he’s ready so I’ll be here to help out if I can. I’m still looking for that first win so I’m still hungry too!”

Poncharal was just as pleased to be able to confirm the 2011 line-up for his team and said: “I’m happy that even though we have a few races to go for this season we have decided that we will have Cal Crutchlow and Colin Edwards in 2011. Colin, Tech 3, Yamaha and myself all agreed that we will have another year together. Colin has been really good to Yamaha and to Tech 3 and has given us lots of great moments with some really good results.”

“This is a good line-up and for sure Cal will be looking forward to hearing Colin’s advice and hopefully he can help him like he helped James Toseland and, this year, Ben Spies. This year the atmosphere between Colin and Ben has been excellent.”

Commenting on the aim for 2011 Poncharal concluded: “I think Colin wants to do one more season in MotoGP and he’s shown that even though he’s not in a position to win races he’s fast enough to be a strong MotoGP rider and brings a lot of information to the team and the factory. He’s helping us to strengthen and I think he’ll be like an advisor for Cal.”

Alonso and Singapore - a match made in heaven?

Occasionally the rapport between a driver and a particular circuit can take on a special significance - be it good or bad. Ayrton Senna, for the instance, had Monaco - a race he won six times and described as being ‘a special place for me’ - whilst one of Rubens Barrichello’s bugbears from his 300 plus-race career is that he is yet to win his home Grand Prix at Interlagos in Brazil.

Like all his competitors, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso has enjoyed many high and lows at different tracks over his years in the Formula One racing, but one which seems to hold special resonance for the Spaniard is Singapore’s Marina Bay Street Circuit. It may only be hosting its third Grand Prix this weekend, but Alonso has already experienced enough drama at this venue to last a career.

From his controversial win in the 2008 through to his unexpected podium last year, Alonso has enjoyed both the success and tribulation at the floodlit venue, and this year in Singapore he must finish in the top-three for a third successive time if he is to realistically stay in title contention.

Rewind to 2008 and Alonso declared himself ‘curious’ about the calendar’s first night race, and after Friday practice it appeared to be love at first sight, with the Spaniard heading the timesheets for the Renault after pipping McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton at the death. Alonso took the honours again in Saturday’s final practice, but in qualifying was left languishing 15th after fuel-supply problems.

For the French team, fighting to defend fourth in the constructors’ table after a tough season, it was a bitter blow. Despite the R28’s obvious pace, everyone believed overtaking would be difficult and Alonso’s hopes of boosting Renault’s points haul looked slim. In post-qualifying interviews the former champion was gloomy, stating he’d need a ‘miracle’ to make progress in the race.

Backstage special: Paddock Girls photo shoot

motogp.com followed the French photographers Alexandre Chailan and David Piolé for a special photo session in the Misano.

Go backstage with the Alexandre Chailan and David Piolé as they prepare for a very special session in the Misano with some of the most popular MotoGP Paddock Girls: LCR Honda's Lauren Vickers and Interwetten Honda's Julia Liptakova and Gabriela Kořínková.

The two French photographers explain their approach as they bring fashion studio know-how to the MotoGP paddock, and you can watch the attached free video to find out the secrets of their techniques.

Barberá battles power delivery issue at Aragón

The Páginas Amarillas rider learnt more about his Ducati Desmosedici in a difficult home race in which he placed 11th, with improvements identified for the forthcoming Japanese round.

Héctor Barberá was ready for anything at the Gran Premio A-Style de Aragón, following a very positive start to the weekend. The Spaniard wanted to take an outstanding result on home soil to cap the visit to the Motorland, but had unexpected difficulties in the early going. A power delivery issue with his Ducati left him fighting to stay upright on the bike, and his on-the-run reparations proved difficult to maintain. He took the flag in 11th, although he can take much useful information from his latest home race in order to mount another assault on the top ten.

Héctor Barberá – 11th

"I had a good start and was able to gain a place as a result. At the beginning of lap three I found that I was unable to open the throttle, so my bike slid out. Then I adjusted things and I ended up with too much power. I was a little too close to the limit and was losing the bike on every turn, which led to my tyre degrading and me sliding more. I switched back to the first setting because of this. It worked right up until the final five or six laps, but I was clinging on by the time I crossed the line. The temperature change today perhaps threw us off a bit, but we really need to address the power delivery issue. The result wasn't great, but we can be satisfied with the weekend as a whole because we took a step forward with the fine tuning of the bike. We were at least able to learn some useful things ahead of the next race."

Vettel: Points gap is not that dramatic

Sebastian Vettel insists the 24-point gap between himself and Mark Webber is not as big as it looks as he bids to become the Red Bull's first World Champ.

Vettel and his team-mate Webber are just two of the five drivers still involved in this year's title fight with the Webber leading the way on 187 points while Vettel is the final driver in the running with 163.

However, the German, who has claimed seven pole positions but only two race wins this season, is adamant the gap is not as big as it may appear.

"Whether I'm not 24, 25 or 30 points behind I still could not care less. The new points system scares people more than necessary," Vettel told the Bild.

"Many are not yet familiar with it and that a win counts for 25 points. If I was eight or nine behind with the old system where there were ten for a victory, then it would all look much less dramatic."

Vettel, though, has had a mixed season, coming for a great deal of cricitism as a result of two high profile accidents.

The first saw him take out his team-mate in Turkey while in Belgium he crashed into McLaren's Jenson Button.

But despite the complaints, which had McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh labeling him a "crash kid", the Red Bull racer says he has not once doubted his ability to win the World title.

"In peace lies strength," he added. "We are not panicking but continue to work quietly.

"I believe I can win the title and that is crucial!"

Stoner secures first win of 2010 at Aragón

The Australian tasted success in the Gran Premio A-Style de Aragón on the Sunday ahead of Dani Pedrosa, as Nicky Hayden scored his first podium of the campaign after edging a fine battle with Jorge Lorenzo for third.

Casey Stoner took his first victory of the 2010 campaign at the Aragón on Sunday, converting his pole position at the Spanish circuit into a well-deserved win. The Ducati Team rider finished 5.148s ahead of the Dani Pedrosa, with Nicky Hayden completing the podium for his first top-three result of the year after a magnificent last-lap overtake on Jorge Lorenzo.

Starting from pole Stoner held his position going into the first turn, but usual rapid starter Pedrosa dropped to fifth as the riders bunched up in the tight opening curve. The Repsol Honda rider fought back in the early stages of the race however to climb to second behind Stoner, and the gap between the two fluctuated throughout.

The pair were consistently fast for the duration of the race but Stoner managed to pull away towards the end as he achieved what was eventually a comfortable 25 points, with Pedrosa maintaining his good form in second.

There were battles all the way through the field and none more entertaining than that between Hayden and Championship leader Lorenzo for the final podium spot. A fearless overtake on Lorenzo by Hayden on the final lap delivered the American the honours, and ended the Fiat Yamaha rider’s record of having placed on the rostrum at every race so far this season.

Ben Spies (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) notched another impressive result with fifth place as he resisted the challenge of Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda), who crashed out on the final lap whilst pushing hard in their contest.

Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha) rounded off a tough weekend in the sixth place, whilst rookies Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Álvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki) completed the top eight with solid displays. Marco Melandri (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Aleix Espargaró (Pramac Racing) took top-ten finishes, whilst Randy de Puniet (LCR Honda) escaped injury when he crashed out on lap 16.

Lorenzo’s advantage at the top of the Championship was cut to 56 points and he now stands on 284 points, with Pedrosa on 228 in second. Stoner’s victory lifts him to third on 155, with Rossi staying fourth and Dovizioso dropping to fifth.

Lewis Hamilton has given the thumbs up to the proposed Indian F1 Grand Prix next year.

With Formula One's bosses giving a go-ahead -- subject to ratification after examining the track -- for the F1 GP to be included as the 20th race of a revamped calendar, starting next year, the former World champion said it will be a big success.

"The Indian Grand Prix will be the most spectacular F1 event due to the incredible fan support," said the Briton.

"It is the fans who make an event and here you have that element guaranteed," he added.

In Chennai, at the behest of promoters Vodafone as part of a contest, Hamilton also promised his participation in the proposed race.

"It will be a great moment to be in India and I will definitely be here," he said.

Asked if he feels India is, infrastructure-wise, ready to host an event of such magnitude, the Briton replied in the affirmative.

"India is ready for F1," said Hamilton.

"I have heard the track is ahead of schedule which is great. It is going to be spectacular to have a Grand Prix in New Delhi," he added.

The driver also talked about the possibility of F1 providing a solid alternative for cricket in India.

"Cricket, I know is huge in India and you guys are pretty incredible," said Hamilton.

"But with a Grand Prix in India and more exposure to F1 racing, perhaps kids can begin to think of race driving as an alternate sport.

"With more people and kids getting exposed to racing in India, they perhaps can aspire to become Chandhoks and Karthikeyans."

The champion driver also had a word of appreciation for Karun Chandhok , the lone Indian driver in F1 at present.

"Karun is young and it is great for him and for India (that he is in F1)," said Hamilton.

"I hope he gets better opportunities as he has a good future ahead of him.

"F1 is a tough sport but I am sure some opportunity will open up for him and he will get a better car," he added.

Spaniard Dani Pedrosa fastest in practice for the Honda

Dani Pedrosa, boosted by signing a new two-year deal with the Honda, continued his superb recent form by topping the practice timesheets during the Friday's running ahead of the inaugural Aragon Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old Spaniard won the last two races in the Indianapolis and Misano and he topped the first of Friday's two sessions near the Alcaniz, setting a best time of one minute 50.506 seconds.

The day's second session, added to the schedule, along with a third session on Saturday morning, to allow the riders to familiarise themselves with their new surroundings, was washed out by the rain with no one able to better their times from the morning running.

Casey Stoner, who will partner Pedrosa at Honda next year, set the pace during that session following a heavy rain shower.

Pedrosa's dominance in the morning saw him beat the Ducati of Nicky Hayden into second by a full four tenths of a second, with the championship leader Jorge Lorenzo third for Yamaha ahead of the other Ducati of Stoner.

Marco Simoncelli was an excellent fifth on his Gresini Honda, ahead of Valentino Rossi and Hector Barbera, who continues to impress on the Aspar Ducati.

Andrea Dovizioso, Colin Edwards and Ben Spies rounded out the top 10.

But the wet afternoon session saw Pedrosa struggle badly and he will be hoping that the remainder of the weekend is dry after ending the second 45-minute session way back in 13th place, a full 3.6 seconds off Stoner's pace.

The Australian took advantage of a drying track surface to beat Lorenzo by over half a second in the dying moments.

Hayden, who looked strong throughout both sessions, was third fastest in the damp with Rossi fourth and Marco Melandri fifth on the second Gresini machine.

Lorenzo, who leads Pedrosa by 63 points in the standings, was disappointed at his relative lack of pace in the morning, but was happier with how his M1 handled in the wet.

"We are lacking a bit of grip but I hope we can improve our setting more tomorrow so we can make another step," he said.

"Unfortunately it rained this afternoon but it was good to get the chance to try our wet setting and it seems our bike was okay in these bad conditions.

"It was good to have two practice sessions today; even though the overall amount of time is the same over four days, four separate sessions makes it easier to get to know the circuit and what we need in order to be fast here."

The new circuit met with almost universal approval from the riders and teams, with Tech 3 Yamaha racer Spies among those enjoying the new challenge.

The Texan said: "I really like the track. It has got some good elevation changes that make it pretty cool and the first couple of the corners remind me of Istanbul Park (in Turkey) on the video game. You know it is a fun track when you want to stay out and ride and that's how I felt today.

"I was pleased with progress in the dry this morning and I'm really happy with how it went in the rain."

Final Pirelli test for Heidfeld, Grosjean to step in

Nick Heidfeld completed his final two-day test for the Pirelli at the Spanish circuit of Jerez this week, ahead of his Formula One race return. With former Renault driver Romain Grosjean set to take over development duties for the Pirelli, Heidfeld now heads to next weekend's Singapore Grand Prix where he will replace Pedro de la Rosa at BMW Sauber.

The German had already completed two tests - at the Mugello circuit in Italy and at France’s Paul Ricard - for the Italian tyre manufacturer, who will replace Bridgestone as Formula One racing's sole supplier next season. Grosjean will be in action for them next week at the Monza.

"We'd like to thank Nick for his very valuable contribution to our tyre development programme and we wish him all the best for the future,” said Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery.

“In order to avoid favouring any individual team, we have jointly decided to release Nick from his contract and now we have chosen Romain to test for us in Monza. He's packed a lot of experience into a short space of time, including all our GP3 tyre development, so I'm sure he'll be able to give us some very useful feedback.”

Grosjean started 2009 as Renault’s third driver but was promoted to a Formula One race seat alongside Fernando Alonso mid season after the team dropped Nelson Piquet. He couldn’t match Alonso, however, with a best qualifying slot of 12th in Italy and a best finish of 13th in Brazil and failed to retain his seat. This season he has been competing in the GP2, FIA GT and Auto GP series.

Heidfeld’s last test for Pirelli was encouraging and over two days he completed 100 laps of the 4.43-kilometre Spanish track at the wheel of the Toyota TF109, which is being used for Pirelli's pre-season development. His main task was to help the engineers finalise development on tyre construction, but he also tried out a range of different compounds.

“The tests here at Jerez have gone extremely well and we completed all the work that we planned over the two days,” concluded Hembery. “Now we move onto Monza, where our task will be to finalise the construction before we focus further on compounds."

Pirelli’s return to the sport next season will see the Italian company compete in their first Grand Prix in two decades.

Aragón racing numbers

Some stats and facts as Round 13, the Gran Premio A-Style de Aragón, approaches.

59 – With Dani Pedrosa’s victory at the Misano, Honda and Yamaha have taken exactly the same number of the victories during the four-stroke MotoGP era; each manufacturer has had 59 MotoGP wins.

34 years – On race day at the Aragón it will be exactly 34 years since the Montjuïc Park circuit in Barcelona was last used for a Grand Prix event.

12 – Both Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo have had 12 MotoGP victories. One more victory for either rider will give them the same number of premier class wins as Randy Mamola and Max Biaggi, who are the two riders with most premier class wins without winning the world title.

12 – At Misano, Jorge Lorenzo became only the fourth rider of all-time to finish on the podium at the opening 12 GP races of the year in the premier class; the other riders to have done this are Wayne Rainey, Mick Doohan and Valentino Rossi.

8 – The victory by Marc Márquez at Misano was the eighth victory of the year in the 125cc class by Derbi riders. If one of the Derbi riders takes the race win at Aragón then it will equal the highest number of wins achieved in a single season (1988) by Derbi in the 125cc class.

3 – The last three MotoGP races held in Spain have been won by Spanish riders; Dani Pedrosa at the final race of last year at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, and Jorge Lorenzo at Jerez and Catalunya this year.

2 – Just two riders have scored points at every event so far in 2010 across all three Grand Prix classes: Jorge Lorenzo in MotoGP and Toni Elías in Moto2.

Trulli: Alonso pushing over-the-limit, RBR 'trying' to throw it away

Jarno Trulli has sprung to the defence of his former team-mate Fernando Alonso in the wake of recent criticism of the Ferrari star's form in F1 2010, arguing that the Spaniard is having to occasionally go 'over-the-limit' due to his car not being quite at the same level as those of arch-rivals Red Bull Racing and McLaren-Mercedes, and quipping that RBR are for their part 'trying everything' not to claim the crown...

The Italian Grand Prix last weekend was billed as something of a 'crunch' race for Alonso, McLaren's defending F1 World Champion Jenson Button and Red Bull ace Sebastian Vettel – all of whom had failed to score in the preceding Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, and who went on to take the chequered flag respectively first, second and fourth at Monza.

Conversely, having finished first and second in the Ardennes, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber respectively crashed out on the opening lap at the Monza and came home a delayed and frustrated sixth whilst their title rivals made hay under the Italian sunshine, meaning with five races still remaining, the destiny of the drivers' laurels is once more anyone's guess.

Alonso has been criticised for the uncharacteristic plethora of errors that have stymied his challenge this season to-date – from his jump-start in Shanghai to his costly practice shunt in Monaco and scrappy Belgian outing – but Trulli contends that the mistakes are likely the product of the double world champion trying too hard to compensate for the fact that his Ferrari F10 is not on balance a match for either the Red Bull RB6 or McLaren-Mercedes MP4-25.

The Italian points out that despite having what is by common consent the quickest car in the field at their disposal, Red Bull – and Vettel in particular – have squandered significant opportunities to score, and as such are coming under pressure as the campaign draws towards its conclusion.

“Ferrari is probably fighting with not such a competitive car,” the Lotus Racing ace – who partnered Alonso at Renault in 2003 and 2004 – is quoted as having said by ITV-F1. “Fernando is sometimes pushing over-the-limit, and when you are over-the-limit you have to accept mistakes. It can happen when you try hard – I make mistakes, everyone makes mistakes. As a driver it's not easy, especially as there are some circumstances where you are pushed into a mistake.

“If you want to win a championship, though, we all know that it's important to finish races and score points in many races – and so far I think the most reliable and consistent has been Lewis. Red Bull have really wasted a lot of points; I think Red Bull so far has had the best car, but it seems they're trying everything to not deliver the best result...

“It's been a very difficult season to judge, because you've seen a lot of mistakes and a lot of events upsetting the front-runners. It's hard to point out who's going to win. I think Lewis has got a good chance, as well as Webber – [but] for Vettel and Alonso, it's almost too late to afford any more mistakes.”

Top three target again for Rossi

The World Champion says his physical condition is constantly improving and he is aiming for another podium finish at the Aragón this weekend.

Valentino Rossi continued to impress in his ongoing return to full fitness with a podium finish at the Misano, and the reigning World Champion has set his sights on a repeat of that result at this weekend’s Gran Premio A-Style de Aragón.

In his five races since returning from a lay-off due to a broken leg Rossi has not finished outside the top five, including podiums at the Laguna Seca and in his home GP last time out. Now the World Championship visits a new circuit but having ridden there in preparation for Round 13 Rossi is confident of being able to challenge at the top end of the race once more.

"Last week I rode an R1 at the track and I really like it. It's quite complicated but it's a lot of fun and it's fast, so I think it will be a real test. I think the best bit is the entry to turn 16 and I am looking forward to riding my M1 there,” said the 31 year-old. “I am feeling stronger and fitter every day so I will be aiming for the podium again this time."

The Italian added: “Misano was a very sad weekend for our sport but now we're looking forward to a new race and we are hoping for a good weekend for everyone in memory of the Tomizawa.”

Rossi has reason to be assured in his approach as he is the most successful rider at GP events held in the Spain, having won a total of 19 races across all classes there. Currently fourth in the standings and level on 130 points with Casey Stoner, Rossi will also be aiming for a first front-row start since his return to action.

Raikkonen bids for 2011 Renault seat

Kimi Raikkonen is making a fresh bid to return to the Formula 1 next year after approaching the Renault team for a drive in 2011, AUTOSPORT can reveal.

Although it had looked likely that Raikkonen would remain in the World Rally Championship next year after his switch of discipline for this season, AUTOSPORT has learned that Raikkonen has renewed his interest in getting back to the grand prix racing.

Sources have revealed that in the wake of Renault's impressive form at the Belgian Grand Prix, Raikkonen approached the French car manufacturer with the intent of putting a deal together.

It is not clear, however, whether Raikkonen spoke to Renault himself or if it was done through his management team.

Raikkonen has always insisted that he would only come back to F1 if he was in a competitive car - and that is something that Renault now appears to be able to offer him.

But despite Raikkonen's credentials, Renault is in no rush to advance talks with him - and it is still holding on for current driver Vitaly Petrov to prove he can deliver what the team is demanding of him.

Renault team principal Eric Boullier confirmed that Raikkonen had approached the team - and is in contention for a seat alongside Robert Kubica in 2011.

"It is true that the summer has passed and we have had more and more requests - and the guy you mentioned [Raikkonen] is on the radar now," Boullier told AUTOSPORT.

"He is on the radar because he contacted us."

Boullier has long said that the team will keep Petrov next year if the Russian can improve his consistency throughout a whole race weekend - and not make silly errors like his spin in qualifying in Spa and blocking Timo Glock in qualifying at Monza.

When asked what Petrov had to do to convince Renault that he is a better option than Raikkonen, Boullier said: "He is not very far away to be honest.

"It is still very complicated for him to have a complete weekend and be faultless, and that is where he needs to work and focus on, and develop clearly his commitment and dedication."

One of the attractions of Petrov is the commercial possibilities he opens up in Russia, and Boullier said Renault would have to change its approach if it decided to take the Raikkonen route.

"It would be a different strategy for the team," he said. "And that is not a question of personality or having a world championship title - it will cost me more if he is world champion than if he is not. It is not a question of this - it is a different strategy.

"You work differently if you have a rookie - and in supporting him - than if you have two experienced drivers. So it is different.

"We need to think about it. But the priority is Vitaly, and to see how he will develop. If we are convinced then we will keep him definitely. This is the first option.

But there are several other options, and one of them is Kimi."

Boullier said he expected a decision on Renault's 2011 driver line-up to be made before the end of the season.

Pedrosa excited at Aragón challenge

A new circuit and the continued chase of the Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo have the Repsol Honda rider in a highly motivated mood ahead of the weekend.

Dani Pedrosa is a focused man ahead of this weekend’s Gran Premio A-Style de Aragón where he will be going for a fifth win of the 2010 season. So far the Repsol Honda rider has already doubled his best-ever win tally in a season with his four wins to date, and with victory last time out at the Misano took his first back-to-back premier class successes.

At 63 points off Championship leader and rival Jorge Lorenzo the task that faces him may appear daunting at first sight, but the fact that Pedrosa has recouped 14 points in the last two rounds and still has 150 to ride for in the remaining six races paints a far more open picture.

This weekend will see the 24 year-old face off against Lorenzo on home soil as the World Championship makes its first ever visit to the new Motorland Aragón circuit, a track that Pedrosa scoped out back in July in a private test.

“I’m looking forward to arriving at the Motorland Aragón and trying the new track on the RC212V,” he said. “I did some laps in July with a Honda CBR1000RR street bike and I really enjoyed the layout – I loved the circuit. It’s very different to the ones we are used to racing at in the MotoGP Championship, and so it will be really interesting this weekend. The circuit combines fast and slow corners which are quite technical, and the last straight and finish line section is going to be amazing. There are also some blind turns where you need to look for the references outside the track. The facilities are very high spec and it looks like the fans are in for a treat at this race.”

Pedrosa has finished second to Lorenzo in both the Spanish rounds so far this year at Jerez and Catalunya, and arrives at Aragón with a renewed confidence following his recent dominant run of form.

“It’s always very nice to race in Spain and I can imagine that the atmosphere will be incredible; I’m looking forward to meeting the Spanish fans again,” he said. “The team and I also arrive in a very good mood thanks to the great job we have been doing and our good results in the last races. It will be a challenge for everybody this weekend and we need to make the most of the practice sessions – in this area we have improved a lot in the second part of the season. Our bike has been working well at very different circuits, so I hope we can also do a good job in Aragón. I’m really looking forward to this Grand Prix.”

It is not just Pedrosa and Lorenzo who are competing closely having both now taken 12 premier class victories in their careers. After the former’s win at Misano Honda and Yamaha have taken exactly the same number of MotoGP victories during the four-stroke era at 59 each.

Ferrari: Title boost caps Monza win

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali says that the biggest positive to come out of Fernando Alonso's Italian Grand Prix victory was not the win itself - but that his outfit was now firmly back in the title hunt.

Alonso had come into the Ferrari's home race at the Monza admitting that he needed a good result to keep his championship hopes alive - but reckoned just a podium finish was enough to fulfil that.

However, Alonso delivered one of his best drives of the season to hound early leader Jenson Button before jumping his McLaren rival at the mandatory pitstop.

Allied to Lewis Hamilton's retirement from the race on the first lap, the victory meant that Alonso cut the deficit to the series leader from 41 points to just 21 to reignite his title challenge.

Afterwards, Domenicali was full of emotion at seeing Ferrari take its first win at Monza since 2006 – but thought the title situation was the best thing to come out of the day.

"Of course we are very happy to have done this performance here in front of our people," he said. "It is amazing when you are on the podium to feel that live – with the people under you, with a sea of the red supporters who were singing the national anthem.

"I was saying together with Jenson on the podium that this feeling is unique and fantastic. I am very happy no doubt.

MotoGP Workshop: Setting up for Aragón

Just how does a MotoGP team go about preparing their machine to race on a new track? Find out here with the Fiat Yamaha’s Wilco Zeelenberg and Félix Rodriguez of the Pramac Racing team.

The Gran Premio A-Style de Aragón this weekend offers up a whole new challenge for the premier class as each individual team and the rider prepares to race on a track they have no experience of on board their prototype machines.

In this motogp.com video feature Wilco Zeelenberg, Team Manager for the Jorge Lorenzo at Fiat Yamaha, and Félix Rodriguez, Team Coordinator for Pramac Racing, explain how they have been getting ready for Round 13 at the Spanish venue.

Lorenzo, Aleix Espargaró and Mika Kallio have all ridden production bikes on the track in a bid to learn the layout, and both Zeelenberg and Rodriguez discuss how they have combined that information with their own research and experience of other circuits to prepare as best as possible for this weekend’s GP.

Hamilton: Most intense competition ever

Lewis Hamilton is loving what he feels is the most intense World title fight he has experienced.

For the third time in the four years Hamilton finds himself firmly in the hunt for a Formula One crown he agonisingly missed out on by a point in the 2007 before triumphing a year later in the most dramatic of circumstances.

The difference on this occasion is there are five drivers fighting to be champion, and with the level of competition of a far higher standard compared to 2007 and 2008.

With six races remaining ahead of Sunday's Italian Grand Prix, Hamilton leads by a slender three points from the Red Bull's Mark Webber.

Webber's team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who may have made mistakes this year, remains a dangerous opponent and is 31 points adrift.

The other two contenders, McLaren team-mate Jenson Button and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, like Hamilton, both know what it takes to become Champion.

"I've not been in this position before where so many drivers have been in the hunt," said Hamilton.

"It's a World Championship, the most intense competition I've ever experienced, and I love it.

"I'm racing against Mark, who has great experience, and two world champions, so I expect nothing but the best from them. Therefore I have to be at my best."

Arguably, Hamilton's own experiences of losing and winning a title in the most remarkable of circumstances stand him in far greater stead than any of his rivals this year.

"In terms of my own experience I've suffered the lowest of the low and enjoyed the highest of the high," added Hamilton.

"I've been to both ends of the spectrum and learned from different situations.

"In 2007 I made a lot more mistakes, and although I've grown a lot, I've still many more to make.

"But I believe that to this point I'm a much more whole and solid driver than in 2007 and 2008."

An easy assumption to make is that because of the gap Hamilton and Webber command over Vettel, they can perhaps afford to play a far more tactical game over the remaining races.

It is a suggestion Hamilton categorically dismisses, believing to do so would be a dangerous game that could easily backfire.

"You would be wrong to assume that because there are so many points available," said Hamilton.

"It would be easy to adopt that frame of mind, go into a race and the next thing you know I'm in that position.

"So I don't feel any different compared to the last race. For me the gap is nothing, we're all equal.

"That's my approach, that I still need to get as many points as I can."

Rossi tests at Aragón

The World Champion today (Wednesday) rode at the circuit that will host Round 13 of the season next weekend, as did Andrea Dovizioso in the morning. Premier class rookie Hiroshi Aoyama rode on Tuesday.

Valentino Rossi today joined the group of the MotoGP riders who have included a test at the Motorland Aragón circuit as part of their preparations for the Round 13 of the 2010 season, on the Spanish track that is new to the World Championship calendar this year. Like team-mate Jorge Lorenzo and other premier class stars such as Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa, Rossi set aside a day to get to grips with the layout of the track.

Unable to ride on his official Fiat Yamaha M1 to comply with testing regulations, Rossi used a Yamaha R1 during the session to study the characteristics of the track which he described as “fast” with “complicated but fun turns”, outlining the entry to turn 16 as a particular highlight during several runs throughout his test.

Earlier in the day Repsol Honda rider Andrea Dovizioso was on track as he also observed the venue which he, Rossi and the rest of the premier class will ride on in just nine days at the Gran Premio A-Style de Aragón. The 24 year-old, riding a Honda CBR1000RR, was particularly impressed by the opportunities for overtaking and expects an enjoyable race next weekend.

On Tuesday morning Hiroshi Aoyama of the Interwetten Honda MotoGP Team rode on the track, as did Moto2 wild card for Aragón Kev Coghlan, who was again present today and has previous experience at Aragón having won there in the Spanish National Championship Moto2 race in July.