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

Good and bad news for McLaren driver Jenson Button. He had his first virtual test of the 2011 car this week but is now being hampered by the wintry weather. He explains: "Had a good day in the simulator yesterday testing the new car and trick bits! Trying to get home but the airport is shut in Guernsey."
Full story: McLaren driver Jenson Button on Twitter

Fernando Alonso is "very pleased" to discover the Formula 1 team principals voted him the best driver of the year.
Full story: Ferrari

Sauber have become the first team to name the launch date of its 2011 car - it will break cover at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia on 31 January, the day before the first pre-season test starts.
Full story: Sauber

There has been quite a bit of chatter in Italy in the past couple of weeks about Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo considering running for office backed by his "Italia Futura" group of leading Italian industrialists, entrepreneurs and thinkers. But Montezemolo says it's not the right moment to enter the Italian political scene and that he does not want to leave Ferrari.
Full story: James Allen on F1

Joe Saward writes: "I have had some interesting conversations about Lotus and Renault with some of those involved and it seems that things are just as complicated and messy as they have been from the start. Proton Group managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir [said] that the company's intention is to buy into the Renault F1 team, in order to support the expansion of the Lotus brand. For the moment, this is way above the heads of the folk at Renault F1 and it is expected that Vitaly Petrov will be retained. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin seems to be keen to help out and while the Petrov family and friends have access to some cash, Putin can open much bigger doors. I expect that we will see Petrov confirmed in the second Renault seat and a deal announced with Lotus to be the title sponsor."
Full story: Joe Saward's grand prix blog

[Drivers] Jarno [Trulli] and Heikki [Kovalainen] in the factory today. Xmas party for all the staff tonight at Carrow Road, home of Norwich City FC.
Full story: Lotus technical director Mike Gascoyne on Twitter

The top three finishers in the Italian Formula Three championship have all been given a test in a Formula 1 Ferrari.
Full story: Ferrari

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