MOTORSPORT: Australia back in F1 'pole position'?

Doubts about the Bahrain GP going ahead may return Melbourne to its traditional starting position for the F1 season, and the green light close for Craig Lowndes to drive an F1 car at Bathurst

Latest Middle East unrest threatens opening GP
Australia could return to hosting the first grand prix of the Formula One world championship next month -- if the Bahrain GP has to be cancelled due to the unrest in the country.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has said a decision will be made by the middle of next week on whether the Bahrain race proceeds on March 13.

If not the Australian GP on March 27 will be the season opener, returning Melbourne to its traditional "pole position" on the calendar -- which this year has 20 rounds for the first time.

After Melbourne took over as the home of the Australian GP from Adelaide in 1996 it held the first race of the F1 season every year except 2006, when it was delayed because of the Commonwealth Games, up until 2009.

Bahrain, thought to have paid extra for the privilege of "pole position" on the calendar, became the opening race last year.

There have been deaths and arrests in Bahrain this week as Shi'ite protesters have taken to the streets demanding more say in the running of the Arab kingdom in the Persian Gulf where a Sunni Muslim family rules over the majority Shi'ite population.

The GP2 Asia round to have been held there this weekend has been cancelled.

That series ran on the V8 Supercar program in Abu Dhabi last weekend and the V8s may well have been scheduled to be in Bahrain this weekend had not the arrangement between the parties collapsed late last year.

The first GP2 race in Bahrain was due to be run tonight (Friday), Australian time, with another tomorrow night.

Last night's practice at the Sakhir circuit was cancelled for safety reasons and the circuit's medical staff transferred to hospitals in the capital Manama "in case of an emergency".

Ecclestone is in touch with Bahrain's crown prince as he assesses whether the F1 event will go ahead next month.

The final four-day F1 pre-season test is scheduled there too from March 3.

Nabeel Rajab, of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, said this week: "For sure F1 is not going to be peaceful (in that country) this time. There'll be lots of journalists, a lot of people looking and the government will react in a stupid manner as they did today and yesterday. And that will be bloody, but will be more publicised."

Ecclestone told Reuters last night: "We'll make a decision by Tuesday or Wednesday (next week on whether to proceed).

"If things stay as they are today, the answer is no. If it's not quietened down by Wednesday, I think we will have to cancel probably.

"If you are making travel arrangements, I'd say don't."

Sakhir circuit chief Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa said: "Our focus at the present time remains on delivering another successful event. We continue to monitor the situation very closely indeed in association with the relevant authorities."

Ecclestone said that if Bahrain was cancelled and the Australian GP would become the season opener.

"We may try to put it (Bahrain) on again later in the year," he said.

Meanwhile, the third pre-season test starts tonight in Barcelona, Spain.

Australia's Mark Webber will be in the new Red Bull RB7 on Sunday and Monday, while young Aussie Daniel Ricciardo will have another run for Toro Rosso on Sunday after his impressive test at Jerez on the other side of Spain last week.

Red Bull Racing principal Christian Horner has said that he sees no reason why Webber won't continue with the team next year.

Webber is happy to do one year contracts these days but it looked during last season that he anticipated this being his last year. However, Horner said that, starting his fifth season with Red Bull, Webber's "speed, motivation, hunger and commitment look undiminished".

"If anything they are burning brighter than ever," he said. "I think he's come back (from the off-season) leaner, lighter and extremely motivated.

"If he's delivering at the same level as he did in 2010 then why not [contract him for another year]?"

Red Bull energy drink tycoon Dietrich Mateschitz said he saw no reason for Webber to retire.

"He has a body of steel and he is mentally in perfect shape," Mateshitz said. "If he does not continue with us he will be offered a contract somewhere else.

"He is a top driver, at the same level as Sebastian (Vettel, Webber's world champion teammate). They are both exceptional guys -- and this includes characters."

Mateshitz rubbished reports that Red Bull broke the spending limit on F1 teams in taking its first constructors' and drivers' world titles last year.

"We are definitely behind Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes with our budget," he said.

As expected, the Renault team -- now officially Lotus Renault GP -- has confirmed 33-year-old German Nick Heidfeld as the replacement this season for injured Robert Kubica, who has had surgery for the third time since his rally crash and remains in intensive care.

"Nick really impressed us (at the Jerez test)," Renault team principal Eric Boullier said. "He's quick, experienced and is very strong technically with his feedback and understanding of the car.

"He's the ideal man for the job."

Heidfeld, a veteran of 172 GP starts who was the initial tester last year of the new Pirelli F1 tyres and then replaced Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa in the Sauber team for the last five GPs, said the latest Renault was "quite innovative".

Lowndes almost set for Bathurst F1 dash
The Bathurst council has given its approval for Craig Lowndes to drive a McLaren-Mercedes F1 at the Mt Panorama circuit on March 22 -- and for McLaren F1 driver and 2009 world champion Jenson Button to drive Lowndes' Holden V8 Supercar.

The final approval required, from CAMS (Confederation of Australian Motor Sport), is expected within a week.

While Lowndes hopes to beat his V8 Supercar lap record in the five laps he will allowed at the 6.213km circuit in the F1 car, this event -- as with the Button-Jamie Whincup swap at Melbourne's Albert Park last year -- is not so much about sport but simply a promotion for Vodafone, sponsor of McLaren and Triple Eight Race Engineering.

Skaife chief fundraiser for international hopefuls
As if Mark Skaife is not already wearing enough hats -- V8 Supercar Car of the Future project leader, V8SA director, TV commentator, road safety campaigner and endurance race co-driver -- he has donned another.

Skaife Racing has been given responsibility for the commercial side of the Australian Motor Sport Foundation.

Essentially that involves raising money to help fund young Australian drivers pursue international racing careers.

Skaife's sidekick Lucas Docking, nephew of the low-profile but quite legendary expatriate Australian junior openwheeler team owner Alan Docking, will have the day-to-day responsibility for that project.

Ambrose in Daytona 500, pole man Earnhardt relegated
Australia's Marcos Ambrose will start 34th for Richard Petty Motorsports in the Daytona 500 early Monday, Australian time.

Ambrose, who has returned to racing a Ford in NASCAR this year after two seasons in Toyotas, is listed 35th in the field for the "Great American Spectacle" after today's two sprint races to decide the order of the 43 qualifiers.

However, he will move forward one spot because Dale Earnhardt Junior, the pole position qualifier last weekend, will drop to the back of the field after crashing his Chevrolet in practice midweek and swapping to a back-up car for the classic.

Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet), Kurt Busch (Dodge) and Jeff Burton (Chevrolet) will lead the field to the green flag for the 53rd running of NASCAR's biggest race.

NASCAR this week reduced the size of restrictor plates on the carburettors of the cars in an attempt to curb lap speeds, which have topped 206mph (331.5kmh) at Daytona this month.

The restrictor plate holes are now 57/64ths of an inch in diameter -- 1/64th smaller than they were -- and expected to sap 8-15 horsepower from engines and reduce speeds 2-3mph.

American stock car racing circles have been rife with speculation about whether NASCAR allowed Earnhardt Junior any technical advantage in setting the pole time in the week of the 10th anniversary of his iconic father, "The Intimidator", who died on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

One long-time NASCAR reporter rated it a 60 per cent chance Earnhardt Junior's Chevy was not legal.

NASCAR is renowned for its ability to create publicity and questions are still raised about Richard "The King" Petty's record 200th victory, which coincided with a track visit by then US president Ronald Reagan.

Petty has survived the near collapse of his team in recent months, but this Daytona 500 will be as much about the memory of "The Intimidator" as the race winner.

The Daytona 500 field is here.

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