Massa says Ferrari have a lot of work to do

Felipe Massa has admitted that Ferrari have 'a lot to do' after their unsatisfactory weekend in Melbourne - suggesting there was a major difference between how the car had performed in difficult and how it had fared during the grand prix.

Ferrari looked like Red Bull's closest challenger through the winter, but in Australia they were leapfrogged by McLaren

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Fernando Alonso and Massa were only fifth and eighth on the grid, and fourth in seventh in the race.

"The Australian Grand Prix did not go the way for my part and the team had predictable, as we were not as competitive as we had thought we would be, based on the winter performance," Massa admitted in a blog on the Ferrari website.

"If there is one lesson we take away with us after the gap round is that we have a lot of work to do.

"We immediately need to find out exactly what happened in Australia, understanding what we did and what the other teams did.

"We did not come away with as many points as we thought we could score in the first race, so we have to get back to where we want to be by the next race."

He was puzzled by why Ferrari had under performed in Australia and keen that the team rediscover their testing form by Sepang next weekend.

"Our car is better than it looked in Melbourne and it is hard to clarify exactly why we failed to deliver, which is why we have to arrive in Malaysia with the car we really built, not the car we raced last weekend," said Massa.

The Brazilian also admitted that Red Bull's pace had come as a shock to him, as Sebastian Vettel took pole by 0.8s and then forbidden the race from the outset.

"I was asked many times over last weekend what astonished me most, the pace of the Red Bulls or of the McLarens," Massa said.

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Doctor happy with Kubica's progress

Robert Kubica is opening to get sensitivity back in his hurt hand, and is in good spirits considering the ordeal he has been through, according to one of the surgeons treating the Pole.

Hand specialist Dr Igor Rossello said he was happy with how Kubica, who has left rigorous care and started to begin the rehabilitation process, is progressing.

"He's no longer in pain and his psychological condition is pretty good," said Dr Rossello.

"He's clearly keen to start the rehabilitation work as soon as possible."

"He is doing pretty well and his situation is positive considering what he has been through."

Dr Rossello explained that the rehabilitation procedure was still at a very early stage.

"He can move his fingers somewhat and has a little bit of compassion already in his hand," he said.

"What is very significant is that there is no sign of infectivity, which is the main concern.

"He is now in his own large room so that he is as contented as possible.

"He has already started some mild hand exercises with the slight flexing of his fingers."

Kubica suffered a incomplete amputation of his right hand plus fractures to his right leg and arm in a awful rally crash in Italy earlier this month.

He may have to miss the entire 2011 season, and has been replaced at Renault by Nick Heidfeld for the period of recovery.

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Renault to assess Heidfeld at Jerez test

Nick Heidfeld is to check for Renault at Jerez this week, as the team starts to assess potential replacements for their driver Robert Kubica, who was gravely injured in a rally crash on Sunday. Heidfeld, who boasts over a decade of Formula One experience and competed in five Grands Prix last season for BMW Sauber, will be in act over the weekend.

As originally listed, Kubica's team mate Vitaly Petrov will drive the R31 at the Spanish circuit on Thursday and Friday, before Heidfeld - and Renault reserve driver Bruno Senna - are given the chance to test over Saturday and Sunday. Renault will verify the exact running order on Friday evening.

Heidfeld began his Formula One profession with Prost in 2000 and since then has participated in 172 Grands Prix driving for Sauber (2001-2003), Jordan (2004), Williams (2005) and BMW Sauber (2006-2010). He enjoyed his most excellent season in 2007 when he ended fifth in the world championship, and he has achieved 12 podium finishes so far in his career.

Kubica remains in hospital in Italy subsequent his high-speed accident during the Ronde di Andora Rally. He has previously undergone seven hours of surgery to reconstruct his offended right forearm, but is expected back in surgery over the coming days to stabilise fractures to his right bear and right foot.

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F1's bad payers exposed

According to the Mail on Sunday, an self-governing study conducted by business information company Dun & Bradstreet reveals that only two teams pay earlier than the due date.

Red Bull Racing and sister team Toro Rosso, both bankrolled by Austrian billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, are the only clothes that pay their creditors - which comprise caterers, designers, equipment suppliers and haulage firms - on time. However, that is mainly down to Mateschitz's decision to boost the teams' budget.

'The data, which contrast the rate of payment between December 2009 to April 2010 and between April to November last year, reveal that even though the economy has begun to pick up, the creditworthiness of F1 teams has not,' the statement claims.

Despite having some of the biggest budgets in the sport, heavyweights Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren are typically late by between 11 and 17 days. The trio were upstaged by rookies Virgin - backed by Sir Richard Branson - who on standard settled their accounts eight days after the due date.

Force India are by far the worst of the recognized outfits as they usually take about a month to pay their bills despite being owned by Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya.

The report adds: 'One supplier, who did not wish to be named, said his company has had to pay its own staff late as a result. 'If Vijay sold his yacht, it would keep the team going for a couple of years,' he said.'

The Northamptonshire-based team though don't get the award for worst overall offender. That honour goes to rookies Lotus who typically pay 180 days late. 

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F1 signs sponsorship deal with UBS

Formula 1 has secured a fresh boost with the major financial services company UBS announcing on Monday that it has chosen to become a global sponsorship partner of the sport.

UBS conducted a detailed evaluation of the worldwide sponsorship opportunities and decided that F1 offered it the best opportunity to fulfil its desire for the global reach and brand awareness.

The deal announcing that UBS has become a global partner will be formally launched at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Oswald Grubel, UBS Group Chief Executive, said: "UBS has been searching for a global sponsorship platform that has appeal to our clients, promotes our brand globally and makes good commercial sense.

"Our new partnership with one of the largest and most popular sporting organizations in the world will fulfil all these criteria, and it constitutes a key element of our newly launched branding activities. The global reach of the F1 complements the many local activities we support."