Last month Nick Heidfeld began testing Pirelli's F1 prototype at Mugello, alongside a GP2 car driven by Briton Ben Hanley. The Italian tyre company's track programme continued last week at Paul Ricard, where this time alongside Heidfeld's Toyota was Giorgio Pantano in a GP2 car.

"We were using the same tyres as Heidfeld with the 2009 Toyota," confirmed GP2 technical director Didier Perrin, according to Germany's Auto Bild.

"This is good news because it means you can use the same tyres in both series, which is important for Pirelli and GP2. For the GP2 drivers, it means them racing on the same tyres as in formula one, which would be very useful for their futures."

Most teams are expected to turn up to Monza with the option of either running the system or leaving it off and will complete back-to-back comparisons during Friday practice.

The thinking behind leaving the system off is that the difference in drag between a stalled wing while running the F-duct and the low-downforce wing used at Monza normally is so small that there would be little to gain by running it. Instead, teams could lower the centre of gravity by removing the extra weight of the F-duct at the top of the engine cover.

But speaking at the last grand prix in Belgium, Michael said he was surprised some teams were contemplating not running an F-duct at Monza.

"I don't really understand that," he told reporters. "I don't know where that story came from to be honest.I think someone was just playing around."

Michael said using an F-duct at the Monza is a "no-brainer".

"On the Monza wing that we've got, it [an F-duct] is a massive drag difference.So I don't know why you wouldn't do it. It's a stalled wing, so if the wing stalls then it stalls.I think everyone will run it."

At Hungary and Monaco the majority of teams removed their F-ducts as the straights were not long enough to gain an advantage. McLaren did not, but that was only because it did not have an alternative engine cover and wing ready to race.

Renault has enjoyed steady progress with the development of its R30 this year while Mercedes has struggled for performance at recent races. At the Belgian Grand Prix Robert Kubica took the team's third podium of the season, after the successful introduction of the F-duct gave him one of the most competitive packages at Spa Francorchamps.

Technical director James Allison reckons Mercedes is still within Renault's sights and is confident the car will be quick at the final six rounds.

"We're currently 23 points behind Mercedes so we've got to take four points off them in each of the remaining races," he said. "We only managed to take three points out of their lead in Spa, but I'm hopeful that, if we can maintain our current level of competitiveness, we can start finishing ahead of Mercedes with both our cars. If we can achieve that, and race effectively with no reliability issues, we stand a good chance of catching them by the end of the year.

"By this stage of the season any sensible team will be spending most of its time working on next year's car, and we are no exception. However, we've still got a few more upgrades to come before the end of the season, although it's fair to say they will not be as significant as those we were brining to the car at the start of the year."

Robert Kubica expects Renault will be competitive at this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, but is aware that the F-duct will have less of an effect when combined with a low-downforce aero package and said his team might not use it at all.

"Spa was a good example of how powerful the F-duct can be and we were immediately more competitive and closer to the front when we fitted it," he said. "The effect will be less powerful in Monza because the cars run with less drag, but there will be still be an advantage, so we need to see which teams use it and if we are able to as well. This circuit can sometimes throw up some surprises, so I prefer to stay cautious when it comes to predictions. But if the car feels as good as it did in Spa, then there's no reason why we won't be competitive in Monza."

Lopez's Luxembourg-based investment company Genii Capital bought a large stake in the team after the French carmaker considered leaving the sport in the wake of the financial crisis and the crashgate scandal.

But while the team has performed better than expected with its new structure in 2010, it emerged recently that Renault F1 had applied to Bernie Ecclestone for an advance of its commercial revenue due to cash flow issues.

"From a commercial point of view, things are going well," Lopez is quoted in Autosprint. "We are in line with our plans.But it costs more than we expected.Formula One costs much more than we thought.

Renault has brought continuous updates to its car this season and Lopez admitted that process had been expensive.

"We knew that our car was not born with as much speed as we wanted, and we had to inject resources to make it competitive. And then there's the development aspect, which is higher than expected, meaning additional costs. But regarding 2011, we are still looking forward with much enthusiasm."

Yeongam, about a four-hour drive from Seoul, is scheduled to host its inaugural grand prix late next month. Karun Chandhok did the first demonstration laps of the track on Saturday in a Red Bull, admitting that the venue is not yet complete.

Photos showed some buildings and grandstands are half built, fences missing, run-off areas unpaved and the track with only an initial layer of asphalt. And the German newspaper Bild reported that a full supply of water and electricity is not yet present. Additionally, many seats in the main grandstand are not installed, while parking lots are not ready to accommodate cars.

"There are problems but we assume that the race can take place," Ecclestone said. "The circuit is definitely ready, but as for all the buildings, perhaps not.

"So we may have to put up some tents," he joked.

His sixth triumph of the season sees him move 31 points clear of nearest rival Jolyon Palmer - who could only finish a disappointing 12th - with two rounds remaining.

Stoneman led from start to finish as Palmer, who struggled in qualifying and began the race in 14th, was unsuccessful in his bid to climb the field.

His quest began strongly - he was 10th by the end of the first lap - but an attempt to edge past Ivan Samarin sent him wide and dropped him down the standings, ending his chances of catching Stoneman. He would finish in 12th, 28 seconds off the pace.

Kazim Vasiliauskas finished second after Nicola De Marco, who had been Stoneman's nearest pursuer, was forced to retire in the closing stages. Sergey Afanasiev was seven seconds off Stoneman in third.

In the Saturday race, Stoneman revelled in the wet conditions as he recorded a dominant victory ahead of Vasiliauskas in second and Palmer in third.

Button was forced out of the Belgian Grand Prix when well positioned in second place, after Vettel lost control of his car as he attempted to pass the British driver. The incident was just the latest in a growing line of impetuous moments from the Red Bull driver.

The crash left Button trailing team-mate Lewis Hamilton by 35 points in the championship race, and he admits he still cannot get his head around Vettel's mindset.

"My thoughts haven't really changed," stated Button. "At the time I was pretty confused by what Sebastian did. Now, I still think what he did was completely unnecessary.

"He didn't need to pass me at that point, and I wasn't making his life difficult, so his car shouldn't have been on such a knife-edge when he hit me.

"What's most frustrating is that I've lost out on a good handful of championship points. I know there are 150 points still up for grabs, but it doesn't help to now be 35 behind Lewis.

"Anything's still possible, but at this point in the season you've got to take every point you can, and the incident in Spa certainly didn't help."

The Hispania driver is on loan to Red Bull and he took his temporary team's car for a spin. He was impressed with the facilities that will greet the teams and believes the circuit will offer real entertainment - provided organisers polish off some rough edges.

"Looking at the facilities, the garages and team buildings look pretty much finished and they're big," Chandhok said. "I think teams will need to bring around 30% more furniture to fill them! The grandstands also look reasonably finished.

"The track itself needs a bit more work on the asphalt and the kerbs, but the organisers think it's all within their time-lines and are confident that it will be ready on time. And the location's nice, we're overlooking the sea.

"It's a really interesting layout. The track's got a good mix of corners and I think we'll see a lot of overtaking in the first sector - there are long straights into slow hairpins. The straight after Turns 1 and 2 is really long, so we may see some good slipstreaming there, like in Shanghai.

"From Turn 7 onwards, there's a fast section of flowing corners all the way back to the start-finish line - so I think the Red Bull Racing guys will be happy in sectors two and three. It's an interesting layout."

Button was running a strong second in Spa before Vettel crashed his McLaren into retirement and he now finds himself 35 points behind championship leader and team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

"Obviously, my non-finish in Spa wasn't ideal for my championship aspirations, so I head to Monza next weekend determined to put myself back in the hunt for the title," said Button. "We still have some work to do to make sure the package we bring to Italy is perfectly suited to the track, but I'm confident that our engineers have made some good steps forward with their understanding of our car, so we should be in good shape."

Although Button is yet to win the Italian Grand Prix, it is a circuit he enjoys driving and also one that he expects to provide plenty of excitement.

"I love racing at Monza - it's a totally unique experience; running minimal downforce at incredible speeds along the straights, and then coping with the lack of grip, and an extremely skittish car, through the low-speed stuff. Given the competitiveness at the front of the field, this could be an intense, thrilling grand prix."

Victory in Belgium last weekend meant that Hamilton has won at Monaco, Silverstone and Spa Francorchamps. And according to the McLaren driver, only Monza is missing to complete his set of wins at the sport's most historic venues.

"Yeah, I've always looked at those four circuits on the calendar as being a little more special than the others," Hamilton told his official website. "A couple of years ago, I remember David Coulthard saying he was proud to win those four grands prix for McLaren because they somehow connected him to the history of the sport, and I know exactly what he means. It's because those venues are unique - they're very special; you can feel the history at those races more than anywhere else.

"That's why I was so pleased and proud to have finally won at Spa - because it's a giant of the sport, and it means something to every driver who's ever raced there.

"I've made no secret of my wish to win this race. Monza is an incredible circuit - full of history and stories from the past. It has a special feeling in the air that you don't find anywhere else in the world. It's a circuit that inspires you to race at your limit, and I'll be pushing hard all weekend."

Victory at Spa meant that Hamilton once again leas the drivers' standings with only seven races remaining. And with the long straights of Monza again expecting to favour McLaren, Hamilton is confident he can achieve his goal.

"I'm going to Monza looking to take another win and keep pushing forward in the championship. Our car should be strong there too, but, as with every race in this championship, you can never take anything for granted."

The 16-year-old, who drives in the Asian Formula BMW Pacific series, was joined by regular drivers Heikki Kovalainen and fellow Malaysian reserve driver Fairuz Fauzy as he undertook aerodynamic evaluations and practiced pit stops.

"I have had an incredible day, one of the best days of my life," said Jeffri. "I have to admit the first time I went out it was pretty scary. Everyone told me the acceleration would be unbelievable and the braking would be so much greater than anything I've ever experienced, and it took a while to get used to that.

"Heikki and Fairuz gave me some advice on how to settle in to it, and after a while I was more comfortable and was able to get through the day's plan. It's such an honour to have had this opportunity and it'll be a long time before the excitement wears off. I'll keep working hard to one day join Heikki, Fairuz, Jarno [Trulli] and the rest of the F1 grid."

Team boss Tony Fernandes, who runs the AirAsia ASEAN driver development programme of which Jeffri is a part of, added that he was delighted with how the youngster acclimatised.

"When I first offered Nabil the chance to drive our car, he couldn't tell if I was joking or not, but I was very serious about giving a young Malaysian the chance to step up to the big time," said Fernandes. "He's repaid my faith in him and has performed incredibly well, and that's a source of real pride for me. I suspect Nabil will head back to Malaysia with his head spinning from everything that's happened to him today, but now he can say he's driven an F1 car, and that will set his sights at the very top for the rest of his life."

Team regular Kovalainen echoed the opinion of Fernendes, saying that the youngster acquitted himself admirably.

"He did a great job today, he quickly picked up the correct procedures and was working well with the whole team, which is pretty awesome when you think we've got the proper race team here which could have been a bit daunting," added Kovalainen.

Although Jeffri is the youngest driver to test a Formula One car, the youngest driver to take part in a grand prix is current Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari, who made his debut for the team at last year's Hungarian Grand Prix, aged 19 years and 125 days. Jeffri, born in October 1993, turns 17 next month.

Schumacher finished seventh behind team-mate Nico Rosberg in Belgium but is not so confident of a repeat result in Italy.

"The next race in Monza might well be entertaining in a very different way as I expect it to be a real challenge for our team," said Schumacher. "We have seen already several times this year that circuits with characteristics like those of Monza do not really play in our hands. Of course, we will go there prepared to try hard to achieve the maximum we can from our package and we will see to what extent we can achieve that and fight our way through."

Always a favourite of the passionate Tifosi from his years driving at Ferrari, the five-time Italian Grand Prix winner is looking forward to returning to one of his most successful venues.

"On a personal level, I am very much looking forward to returning to Monza where I have been supported so warmly over so many years."

Rosberg, who lies eighth in the drivers' standings just behind Felipe Massa and Robert Kubica, is more confident than Schumacher of another good result.

"There is always a special feeling about the Monza weekend and I love racing there," said Rosberg. "We made a good recovery from a difficult start to the weekend in Spa and it was nice to come away with some points. Monza is a completely different type of track but we will hope for an equally good weekend there."

Vettel crashed into Jenson Button and suffered a puncture before finishing out of the points in the Belgian Grand Prix. It means Vettel is now third in the drivers' standings, 31 points behind Lewis Hamilton.

"I know how good we are - I will take the title," a confident Vettel told Auto Bild Motorsport. "Someone who has the most pole positions must think that way. These 13 races have not run completely smoothly, but I'm only 31 points behind. Assuming we maintain our speed, we can catch up quickly."

Vettel's mistake in the Belgian Grand Prix was the latest of many in a season punctuated by impetuous moves. But the young German says he will learn from his mistakes and come back a stronger driver.

"In the end, it makes you a better driver. But I'm also someone who can put things in the past and look ahead when the next morning comes."

Meanwhile, Jenson Button, who fell victim to Vettel's move in Belgium, is also confident he can still win the title.

"I was very dejected after the race and was very down, but in reality 35 points is not that much. If you look in the old money of last year's points system, it equates to 14 points - which is not a lot of points," Button told talkSPORT radio. "It is a win and a fifth place, so it is all still to play for and, as it heats up in the last six races, there is going to be a lot more action. It will be about staying out of trouble and every race I go to I have to be fighting for victory."

According to the International Sporting Code, the FIA should already have approved or rejected the new South Korea circuit ahead of its inaugural grand prix on October 24 as the circuit's final inspection should have taken place at the end of July.

But with work on the circuit reportedly held up due to bad weather, the venue has been given longer to complete the circuit in time for Charlie Whiting's final inspection.

Although event organisers KAVO insist the venue is "90 per cent" complete, an FIA spokesman admitted that "a lot of work remains to be completed" at the Yeongam site.

Should the circuit fails its final inspection, the sporting regulations state that the event 'will not be considered for inclusion in the following year's championship unless the FIA judges the cancellation to have been due to force majeure'.

The FIA will learn more about the current state of the venue when HRT driver Karun Chandhok becomes the first driver to lap the circuit in a Red Bull demonstration car this weekend.

An estimated 52,500 spectators attended last Sunday's dramatic race, well short of the figure of 65,000 that organisers had hoped for in order to "achieve a balanced financial position".

With new grands prix on the calendar offering much higher annual promotional fees, organisers have expressed concern about seeing the event's local government funding reduced when the current contract expires in 2012.

"It doesn't mean we intend to end the contract. But at the time of negotiation, it [the finances] will be borne in mind," local budget minister Andre Antoine told the AFP news agency in a French language report.

One possible solution to the continued running of the historic race could be for Spa Francorchamps to alternate with another European circuit and run the race every other year.

"We are playing with the idea. That is the current situation, even if we are not quite at that stage," Spa president Etienne Davignon told hln.be.

Amateur footage posted on Youtube clearly showed Massa well ahead of his grid box as the cars assembled for the start of the race although stewards and rival teams apparently failed to notice or report Massa's error to race director Charlie Whiting.

It did not escape the attention of BBC commentator Martin Brundle, however, who commented that the Brazilian's Ferrari was at least "two metres" ahead of its starting box.

A report published in the Telegraph newspaper said the transponder on the floor of Massa's Ferrari did not send a signal to the tarmac sensor because he was too far out of position. Because the matter was not looked at in any further detail before the results became official, no further action will be taken.

"As no further information or complaints were received before the publication of the official result on Sunday night, the classification of the Belgian Grand Prix will now remain unchanged," said an FIA spokeswoman.

"The FIA are investigating the causes of the apparent failures in communication with race control in order to ensure a repetition is not possible."

"Race day is the 12th September, which is exactly one year to the day since we heard that our entry into the 2010 Formula One World Championship had been accepted," said Gascoyne. "It's hard to put into words just what that means to all of us, but it's already been an incredible 365 days, and we have many more exciting times to come.

"I've been asked a number of times if I really thought we'd be able to do what looked to many like an impossible task - creating a team from literally just words on a piece of paper to now sitting 10th in the Championship, best of the new teams and with a very bright future ahead of us."

Whilst the majority of the assembled fans will be cheering for Ferrari, Gascoyne is sure an equally famous F1 name will enjoy its fair share of support from some of the most knowledgeable fans in the sport.

"The Tifosi create an incredible atmosphere, and while it's obviously focused on Ferrari, I think seeing Jarno and Heikki in our green and yellow cars will be pretty special for some of the most passionate motorsport fans in the world."

It will also be a special race for Italian driver Jarno Trulli in front of his home fans.

"We Italian drivers have fantastic support out there, and the fans are really fired up for the race. It's such a warm atmosphere, you can't help but enjoy it," said Trulli.

The 16-year-old, who drives in the Asian Formula BMW Pacific series, was joined by regular drivers Heikki Kovalainen and fellow Malaysian reserve driver Fairuz Fauzy as he undertook aerodynamic evaluations and practiced pit stops.

"I have had an incredible day, one of the best days of my life," said Jeffri. "I have to admit the first time I went out it was pretty scary. Everyone told me the acceleration would be unbelievable and the braking would be so much greater than anything I've ever experienced, and it took a while to get used to that.

"Heikki and Fairuz gave me some advice on how to settle in to it, and after a while I was more comfortable and was able to get through the day's plan. It's such an honour to have had this opportunity and it'll be a long time before the excitement wears off. I'll keep working hard to one day join Heikki, Fairuz, Jarno [Trulli] and the rest of the F1 grid."

Team boss Tony Fernandes, who runs the AirAsia ASEAN driver development programme of which Jeffri is a part of, added that he was delighted with how the youngster acclimatised.

"When I first offered Nabil the chance to drive our car, he couldn't tell if I was joking or not, but I was very serious about giving a young Malaysian the chance to step up to the big time," said Fernandes. "He's repaid my faith in him and has performed incredibly well, and that's a source of real pride for me. I suspect Nabil will head back to Malaysia with his head spinning from everything that's happened to him today, but now he can say he's driven an F1 car, and that will set his sights at the very top for the rest of his life."

Team regular Kovalainen echoed the opinion of Fernendes, saying that the youngster acquitted himself admirably.

"He did a great job today, he quickly picked up the correct procedures and was working well with the whole team, which is pretty awesome when you think we've got the proper race team here which could have been a bit daunting," added Kovalainen.

Although Jeffri is the youngest driver to test a Formula One car, the youngest driver to take part in a grand prix is current Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari, who made his debut for the team at last year's Hungarian Grand Prix, aged 19 years and 125 days. Jeffri, born in October 1993, turns 17 next month.

Having tested the tyre manufacturer's 2011 prototypes for the first time at Mugello, Nick Heidfeld was again behind the wheel of the Toyota TF109.

After the test, Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery confessed himself happy with the progress made and went as far as saying that they were ahead of schedule with the programme.

"We're very happy with the progress we've made so far, which actually puts us slightly ahead of where we expected to be at this point in time," said Hembery. "We worked through an initial development programme that has given us a useful insight into the performance of our prototype tyres under a wide range of conditions, corners and speeds.

"We've been hugely encouraged by what we've seen up to now, and that's been helped by both Nick's clear and precise feedback, as well as all the different possibilities afforded to us by the Paul Ricard circuit."

The next Pirelli test is set to take place in Spain in two weeks time.

Victory in Belgium last weekend meant that Hamilton has won at Monaco, Silverstone and Spa Francorchamps. And according to the McLaren driver, only Monza is missing to complete his set of wins at the sport's most historic venues.

"Yeah, I've always looked at those four circuits on the calendar as being a little more special than the others," Hamilton told his official website. "A couple of years ago, I remember David Coulthard saying he was proud to win those four grands prix for McLaren because they somehow connected him to the history of the sport, and I know exactly what he means. It's because those venues are unique - they're very special; you can feel the history at those races more than anywhere else.

"That's why I was so pleased and proud to have finally won at Spa - because it's a giant of the sport, and it means something to every driver who's ever raced there."

Victory at Spa meant that Hamilton once again leas the drivers' standings with only seven races remaining. And with the long straights of Monza again expecting to favour McLaren, Hamilton is confident he can achieve his goal.

"I'm going to Monza looking to take another win and keep pushing forward in the championship. Our car should be strong there too, but, as with every race in this championship, you can never take anything for granted."