F1 links: Vatanen could take on Mosley

Here’s a round-up of F1 news and other interesting links I’ve found today.

If you’ve spotted a hot news story, interesting new website or just something funny from the world of F1, please share your links in the comments below.

Vatanen prepared to take on Mosley for FIA helm

“Former world rally champion Ari Vatanen is considering standing against Max Mosley if the Briton seeks re-election as president of motorsport’s world governing body.” (Via Vee8)

De la Rosa for Campos?

"Adrian Campos says that he will make an announcement about drivers in Valencia and that de la Rosa is one of several candidates, including Marc Gene, Javier Villa and Roldan Rodriguez."

Ecclestone: I was an idiot over Hitler

"He said he had been horrified at what he saw at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. 'It takes quite a lot to make me cry and I cried when I came out of that place. What I regret is people who have taken this the wrong way and have been offended, I’m really, really sad about because I have done an awful [lot] for Jewish community throughout, charities and whatever.'"

Bernie Ecclestone dismisses Hitler controversy as ‘misunderstanding’

"Speaking to German newspaper Bild, Ecclestone said: 'This was all a big misunderstanding.' He added: 'I did not put Hitler forward as a positive example, but simply noted that, before his appalling crimes, he acted successfully against unemployment and the economic crisis.' Ecclestone claimed that it was never his intention to 'hurt the feelings of a community … many of my closest friends are Jews.'" (Thanks LewisC)

The top-earning non-American athletes

Kimi Raikkonen is second on $40.1m, Fernando Alonso fifth on $35m and Lewis Hamilton ranks eighth on $32.8m. Jenson Button is the only non-champion on the list, 18th on $21m.Presumably this pre-dates footballer Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking $80m transfer to Real Madrid, which will put him higher up the list. (Thanks Eastman)

Bernie explains and gives F1 pause for thought «

"F1 is where it is today because it has been run by a dictatorship."

Politician cancels Ecclestone meeting

"German press agency DPA has reported that Guenther Oettinger, prime minister of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, who was due to meet Ecclestone to discuss the future of Hockenheim, has called off their get-together because of the controversy."

Hitler, Mosley and other stories

"None of this is good for the sport. It simply adds to the image that F1 is a tawdry business, run by very odd people."

The FIA is under attack – again

"Only days after Max Mosley’s right-hand man Alan Donnelly was accused of a conflict of interests when it became clear that he was involved in negotiating the switch of Richard Branson’s Virgin sponsorship from this year’s championship front runners Brawn-Mercedes to incoming new boys Manor F1, the FIA was accused of telling any new teams who wanted to have their entries considered for 2010 should be prepared to use a Cosworth engine as a ‘mandatory pre-condition’ for that entry."

Red Bull Racing to change engines?

"The success of Brawn GP has shown that the engines are highly competive and Mercedes-Benz is particularly interested in the team because it would give it access to rising German star Sebastian Vettel, who is otherwise tied into a Red Bull contract."

James Allen: Abu Dhabi in the spotlight

"Jenson Button has visited the track and he will have been delighted to hear that the expected temperature for race day on November 1 is 41 degrees, which will suit his Brawn car and the way it uses the tyres."

Team owners accuse Formula One bosses in engine row

"'We were told that if we wanted to take up the 2010 grid slot we would have to sign a three-year engine contract with Cosworth.' one team boss claimed. Another commented in a letter that he 'had a real possibility of obtaining a Renault, Mercedes or Ferrari engine. It was made very clear to me that it was considered a 'mandatory' condition from the powers that be that Cosworth was the engine supplier.'"

Jos Pirkner

Jos Pirkner painting the Toro Rosso livery (Thanks Tommy B!)

These are links I’ve bookmarked using Delicious. You can see my Delicious profile here.