Jarno Trulli And Toyota Looking For Happier Times at The Monaco F1 Grand Prix After Woeful Weekend

Jarno Trulli is hoping to erase the memory of his pain in Spain by rekindling far happier times around the streets of Monaco.

Trulli was forced to retire from the Spanish Grand Prix with a fuel-line fault at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya 10 days ago as Toyota endured a woeful weekend.

The team's 100% reliability record this year was wrecked as Trulli departed the scene, followed later by team-mate Ralf Schumacher, resulting in Toyota's first point-less grand prix of 2007.

Trulli is now looking to turn back the clock to 2004 when he scored his maiden Formula One victory in Monte Carlo after qualifying on pole for Renault.

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Report: Australian Formula One Grand prix cost 'outweighs benefit'

The cost of the staging the Australian Formula One Grand Prix outweighs its benefit to Victorians, a report to the state government has found.

The Victorian Auditor General's report into State Investment in Major Events found the social cost of staging the 2005 Grand Prix was $69.8 million.

The cost to the community through government agency costs, loss of the use of the Albert Park Lake area, traffic diversion and noise was estimated to be $1.7 million.

Costs to the community did not include losses by local traders.

However, the report says the race may cause some households to spend in different areas.
"The grand prix is likely to increase local spending in Victoria because of the extra spending by interstate and overseas visitors rather than reduce it, " the report says.

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Nick Heidfeld Looking Forward to "the Stars, Starlets And Parties" of Monaco Grand Prix F1 Race

Nick Heidfeld returns to one of his former haunts this week eager to put into perspective "the stars, starlets and parties" that turn the Monaco Grand Prix into a celebrity event.

For glitz and glamour, the blue-riband event of the Formula One calendar is virtually unparalleled in sporting terms.

Yet behind the diamonds and Dior there is still a motor-race that unfolds around the streets of the Principality.

Heidfeld knows Monte Carlo only too well, not only in race terms but also as he lived in the French enclave for many years.

"I had a lot of fun there, " recalled the BMW Sauber driver who has made a strong, steady start to the season.

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Malaysia must be prepared to stage Formula One races at night says Bernie Ecclestone

Malaysia must be prepared to stage Formula One races at night to stay on the FIA's F1 calendar or even harbour any hope of an extension of the Malaysian Grand Prix contract that expires in 2010.

This was among a number of conditions, or rather terms, put forward by Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone with regards to talks of an extension of the contract for staging the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Sepang International Circuit (SIC) chairman Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir said: "The FIA wants us to be prepared to stage night races as well as carry out some upgrading works at the circuit.

"We are actually studying what kind of light that would be suitable, the security aspects, which will certainly be our top priority, and a few other things before anything can be firmed up."

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Kimi Raikkonen: "I’d like to be at the top of the championship table"

After making a flying start to his new career at Ferrari by winning on his debut in Australia, the Finn has lost ground in recent races.

Raikkonen’s optimism, however, could be ill-founded as British sensation Hamilton is showing no signs of slowing down.

He was outgunned by the two McLarens of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in Malaysia, and since then has lost the initiative to Brazilian team-mate Felipe Massa, who won in both Bahrain and Spain.

To make matters even worse for Raikkonen, he failed to score any points in Barcelona as his Ferrari suffered a rare mechanical glitch.

However, he claimed that looking back at failure isn’t his style. "I’m not the type to go over what has happened and I’m not about to start now, " he explained. "That was part of racing and it is impossible to change what took place. Points have been lost and there is nothing to be gained in going back – we will only know the full effect of this retirement at the end of the season. Of course, I’d like to be at the top of the championship table, but there are still 13 races to go and I am only eight points behind (series leader) Hamilton. "

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Lewis Hamilton cautious over chances of victory at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton is remaining cautious over his chances of victory at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, despite having never lost around the challenging Monte Carlo street circuit.

Hamilton, who has finished on the podium at every race this season, triumphed in last year’s GP2 event in Monaco and also won on his previous visit in the F3 Euroseries. The Englishman, however, is taking nothing for granted.

"I have always run well at Monaco, having won there on my previous two visits to the race,” he said. “I am going to the race again this year with the intention of fighting for the win, but that is the case at everything I compete in. "

However we do have to keep being realistic, this will be my fifth race in Formula One and I am still developing. We have to focus on keeping scoring points for both the constructors' and drivers' championships and take it step by step."