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

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso believes Michael Schumacher is still a challenger for this year's drivers' championship, despite the Mercedes driver's poor start to the season. The German trails championship leader Felipe Massa by 30 points after three races, but second placed Alonso told Germany's Sport Bild magazine: "I seriously believe that Michael will be a serious competitor for the title this year."
Full story: espnF1.com and gpupdate.net

Mark Webber has predicted the 2010 F1 season will turn into a three-horse race this season between his Red Bull team, Ferrari and McLaren. All three teams have taken one victory each from the first three races and occupy the top three spots in the constructors' championship.
Full story: espnF1.com

Drivers' championship leader Felipe Massa has spoken of his fears that McLaren's F-duct system, which allows the team to increase its top speed by 'stalling' the rear wing on straights, could prove a big advantage for the Woking-based team at this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.
Full story: autosport.com

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso will not use a fourth fresh engine at this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix. He used his third new V8 in Malaysia two weeks ago, only to retire from the race with engine failure. Drivers are only allowed eight engines for the entire season and Ferrari have decided to re-use the one used in Alonso's car in the season-opener in Bahrain.
Full story: espnF1.com

Robert Kubica says he is enjoying life far more battling for points-scoring positions with Renault, than he did when fighting it out for wins at previous team BMW Sauber. The Polish driver was second at last month's Australian Grand Prix and is currently seventh in the drivers' championship with 30 points.
Full story: autosport.com

McLaren initiated the end of its long-running exclusive tie-up with Mercedes-Benz at the end of last season, former team principal Ron Dennis has said. "We initiated it, we wanted to be independent," said Dennis of the split from Mercedes, who last year bought the Brawn team but will continue as McLaren's engine partner until 2015.
Full story: autosport.com

Peter Sauber has insisted that stepping in to re-take control of his team from BMW after the German manufacturer withdrew from F1 after last season was the right one, but admited it was a decision based on emotion.
Full story: crash.net

Renault driver Vitaly Petrov says he has one goal ahead of this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix - to finish the race. The Russian, who has yet to go the distance on race day, added: "I also want to get closer to the top 10 and hopefully fight for points."
Full story: planetF1.com

Former Renault engineering director Pat Symonds, who agreed to abstain from having any operational role in F1 until 31 December 2012 as part of the overturning of a five-year ban for his role in Nelson Piquet Jr's deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, has confirmed he will be allowed to work as a consultant for any F1 team right away.
Full story: autosport.com

Force India driver Adrian Sutil is confident he can add to the 10 points he has scored so far this season at the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix.
Full story: gpupdate.net

Renault driver Robert Kubica has admitted his team are wary of the threat posed by Force India in the race for fifth place in the 2010 constructors' championship. Kubica's performances so far this season have helped Renault to accrue 30 points and a hold on fifth place, with Force India 12 points behind them in sixth.
Full story: planetF1.com

F1 chiefs are apparently considering a switch to 1.5 litre engines in 2013 together with the return of turbochargers, which have not been used since 1988, as a means of enticing currently hesitant sponsors to the sport.
Full story: pitpass.com

This story will be updated through the day

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