F1 gossip column

BBC Sport brings you a regular round-up of the gossip in newspapers and on specialist websites around the world.

Jenson Button's fear that he is being frozen out by Brawn, who will be taken over by Mercedes this week, was underlined over the weekend when they failed to respond to McLaren's public interest in him by making an improved counter-offer.

It is understood that Ross Brawn, boss of the team at which Button won the world championship four weeks ago, will not budge on his negotiating position, leaving Button increasingly likely to sign a £6m-plus contract with McLaren and partner Lewis Hamilton in a British dream team next season.
Full story: Daily Mail

Mercedes sports boss Norbert Haug has confirmed that talks with Nick Heidfeld about a seat for next season are taking place.
Full story: F1-live.com

Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo is convinced that the Scuderia has the strongest driving pairing in Formula 1 as Fernando Alonso joins to partner the recovered Felipe Massa for 2010.
Full story: gp-update.net

Felipe Massa described his return to the cockpit of this year's Ferrari F60 as feeling as satisfying as a grand prix victory. The Brazilian completed several demonstration laps in the team's 2009 car at today's World Finals event - Ferrari's traditional end of season celebration - at Valencia.
Full story: autosport.com

Robert Kubica's Sicilian Rally Taormina-Messina came to an early conclusion after he crashed out on Saturday morning having previously been in the lead of his class.
Full story: planet-f1.com

Nelson Piquet will go head-to-head with seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher next weekend when he makes his first race appearance since leaving the Renault team earlier this year.
Full story: crash.net

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