F1 links: Virgin to take over Manor

Manor Motorsport’s F1 entry for 2010 looks set to be branded by Richard Branson’s Virgin company. Also, Rubens Barrichello won’t have to take a second gearbox change at Singapore.

Virgin reach for the stars with Manor (The Independent)

"Richard Branson's Virgin group have taken control of the new Manor team joining Formula One next year, according to official company filings."

Q & A with Ross Brawn (Autosport)

Barrichello won't need another gearbox change after his qualifying crash: "It does not look like we need another gearbox change because it hit the wall fairly hard, so I was worried that we might need to change the gearbox yet again."

Spanish money will hopefully drown out Ecclestone’s ‘naughty’ nonsense (Sunday Express)

"[ING and Mutua Madrilena] did Formula One a huge favour, cutting through so much sentimental claptrap being spouted in defence of Briatore. The worst of it came from the sport’s veteran ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone, whose considered verdict was that Flavio had been “a naughty boy” who had just handled the whole thing badly, Let’s trust that these silly words are drowned out by the roar of serious money.."

Ari Vatanen’s peasant revolt gathers momentum to end the Max Mosley era (The Guardian)

"It is like any other election campaign where people simply want to be liberated from the iron gates of the past. The tide has turned. All of Max's troops are mobilised, he is contacting everyone and flying here, there and everywhere. That will work in our favour because you can't swim against the current and the current is with us now."

Teams to seek 2010 calendar talks (Autosport)

"Shipping the cars by either boat or road over back-to-back weekends will be especially tough – and the option of turning Turkey into a 'flyaway' event would then have repercussions on the following proper flyaway in Canada."

Let’s hope this isn’t another F1 scandal in the making (Pitpass)

BMW employee: "BMW doubled the population of this place in the few years they were here. Many people that arrived on the understanding that BMW are committed to F1 for a long time are ex-pats that have moved families abroad, put kids in school etc etc. And there are the Swiss that have worked here for a long time, some since Peter Sauber started the sportscar programs (25+ years). There is nothing wrong with BMW changing plan. But, the exit strategy is non-existent."

Alonso abriendo nueces con el cuello (YouTube)

Fernando Alonso breaking a walnut with his neck! (Thanks to Bartholomew for the tip)

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