The troubled Bahrain GP has received the backing of UN official Mahmoud Cherif Bassiouni, the man who led the highly critical report of the country's handling of last year's protests, saying that the race should go ahead.

Double Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel has singled out Red Bull's rivals McLaren as potentially their main threat for 2012, saying that the team's performance on the first day of the Barcelona test was "interesting".

There was a familiar look to the timesheets on the opening day of the second F1 pre-season test, as Sebastian Vettel led the way for Red Bull. After the running, everyone made some excuses as to why they hadn't been faster.

The Lotus Formula One team have announced their decision to withdraw from the remainder of the Barcelona pre-season test, after discovering an unnamed issue with the design of their new E20 chassis during the Tuesday test session.

Recently-ousted Formula One driver Jarno Trulli has excitedly proclaimed that he was once offered a Ferrari drive by former boss Jean Todt, without revealing too many details about precisely how and why the offer emerged.

Mercedes driver Michael Schumacher says that he and the team are prepared to work hard to ensure that the team's new car is competitive, saying that he was "eager to fight again" nearer the front of the Formula One field.

The Mercedes team have become the tenth F1 team to launch their new 2012 machine, taking the covers off the W03 ahead of the start of the second pre-season test of the year at the Circuit de Catalunya track in Spain.

Former Benetton and Williams driver Alexander Wurz has been reunited with one of his former teams, with Williams confirming that the Austrian is to be their new 'driver mentor' for the 2012 Formula One season.

Mercedes motorsport chief Norbert Haug says that there are no "big surprises" on the German marque's new Formula One car, despite suggestions that the team's secrecy with their new car was down to a design breakthrough.

The Sky Sports company has revealed a number of new facets to their coverage of the 2012 Formula One season, including dullard details of improved sound coverage, and an extensive interactive channel service during races.

Toro Rosso driver Daniel Ricciardo does not feel any undue amount of pressure over his race seat for the 2012 Formula One season, despite the Red Bull junior squad's historical lack of patience with their drivers if they begin to struggle.

David Douillet, the French sports minister, has insisted that plans for the return of a French Grand Prix to the Formula One calendar are still on track for success, despite a relative lack of movement on the issue over recent weeks.

The Caterham Formula One team have excitingly revealed a brand new partnership with Russian petrochemical company SIBUR, just days after confirming Vitaly Petrov alongside Heikki Kovalainen in their race seats for the 2012 season.

The chief executive of the Bahrain International Circuit has insisted that the country is now "back to normal" after recent protests, saying that he was now convinced that the Bahrain GP could go ahead without any issues.

Former Formula One driver Sir Stirling Moss has suggested that current world champion Sebastian Vettel is a modern-day equal of the great Juan Manuel Fangio, adding that the German was "quite outstanding" behind the wheel.

Jarno Trulli has said that he is "not displeased" to have been let go by the Caterham Formula One team in favour of Russian driver Vitaly Petrov, with the Italian admitting that he had been prepared for such an eventuality.

The Mercedes F1 team has completed a full day of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on Sunday, utilising the 'spare' day of testing they had available after their three-day stint at Jerez with their 2011 car.

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has played down suggestions that McLaren have made a mistake in their 2012 car design, after they were alone in not opting for a stepped-nose feature on their new 2012 car.

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali has said that he is "very sad" at the prospect of the 2012 Formula One season having no Italian drivers on the grid, after Caterham replaced Jarno Trulli with Russian driver Vitaly Petrov.

The HRT F1 team are aiming to keep themselves off the foot of the constructors championship in 2012, according to team boss Luis Perez Sala, admitting that they could aim for little more given the delays with their new car.