Felipe Massa will be testing the forthcoming Formula One car this week. Ferrari has portrayed it as a “special Christmas present” for Felipe Massa.

Circuit testing is barred until after the new cars are launched at the end of January, but the Italian team said Massa “asked Ferrari to give him a present”.

“In the next few days, the Brazilian will be back on a race track at the Mugello circuit to drive a Formula One car,” said the Maranello based outfit, revealing that the single seater at the 28-year-old’s disposal will be a F2007 with demonstration tyres.

Ferrari said the test will not take place on Monday, with an exact date to only be set pending the region’s weather forecast.

“I wanted to jump into a Formula One car before the end of the year, so I made the most of being in Maranello to do it,” said Massa.

Toyota has confirmed to declare its plans about the 2010 Formula One season this November 8, it has emerged.
It was expected that the Japanese carmaker’s decision about whether to prolong funding its Cologne based team would not be recognized until the much-vaunted Tokyo board meeting a week later.
“(Japanese) auto and auto-part makers are questioning what they can gain now by spending hundreds of millions of yen in taking part in Formula One,” said Tatsuya Mizuno, an auto analyst at Mizuno Credit Advisory.
On the bright side, Toyota’s withdrawal would make room for Sauber, whose official application to race in 2010 will be automatically activated in the event of a vacancy.
But it would be very bad news for Kamui Kobayashi, the Japanese F1 rookie who has impressed Toyota with his two races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.
The 23-year-old told reporters before leaving the Yas Marina Circuit that he has “no budget” to fall back on GP2 in 2010, after finishing sixteenth in the F1 feeder category this season.
“I would probably go back to Japan to maybe work with my father in his sushi restaurant. It was like that two months ago,” said Kobayashi.

brawn gp

“We are very pleased for Rubens that he will be driving in Formula one once again next year. Rubens was with our team for four years and we regard him as a highly experienced and talented driver whose contribution to the team over that period was significant.

�”2009 was a very special season for Brawn GP and I am extremely proud of the spirit in which our drivers Rubens and Jenson fought for the Drivers’ Championship. Rubens contributed hugely to our success in the Constructors’ Championship with two great victories in Valencia and Monza along with numerous podiums and he was a pleasure to work with.

“We wish Rubens the very best with his new team and thank him for his contribution to Brawn GP this year.”

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