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

Red Bull have rejected the idea of losing more key staff following the departure of chief strategist Neil Martin to Ferrari. Team owner Dietrich Mateschitz said: "No! We have extended the contracts with our 50 most important people in recent times. Sebastian (Vettel) knows exactly with which team he can expect in the future. But which chief strategist he gets is open."
Full story: Bild (in German)

Jenson Button is to go riding in Hawaii with seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong as part of his pre-season training on Thursday. "Got a 3km swim in this arvo but been taken it easy as we're going cycling with the man! @lancearmstrong tomorrow morning!!" Button said on his Twitter page. I hope he doesn't ride as strong as he drives F1 cars..." said Armstrong.
Full story: Jenson Button on Twitter

McLaren have denied rumours they will abandon their trademark chrome livery in 2011. "Black livery? Er, no: the same rocket red & chrome finish that you've grown to love since 2007..."
McLaren on Twitterlink text here

McLaren will be staging a display of some of their greatest cars at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
Full story: McLaren

Nico Rosberg expects to be winning races in Formula 1 this year, with his Mercedes GP team quietly confident about the progress it is making with its 2011 contender.
Full story: Autosport

Rosberg is good enough to win the world championship, according to his team boss Ross Brawn. "Nico is a world championship-calibre driver," Brawn said. "In the right situation and the right car he can do it." (Autosport magazine)

Mercedes insiders are convinced the new-for-2011 MGP W02 is a potentially championship-winning car. (Autosport magazine)

Renault will launch their new car on 31 January in Valencia, the day before pre-season testing starts at the city's Ricardo Tormo track, and the same day as Sauber. (Renault F1)

Force India will do the first pre-season test in Valencia from 1-3 February with their old car before launching the new one at Spain's Jerez circuit at the second test from 10-13 February.
Full story: Reuters

Construction of the new India Grand Prix track, which hosts its inaugural Formula 1 race on 20 October, is on schedule despite the heavier than usual monsoon rains in 2010.
Full story: Mail Today

A new survey in Rome, conducted by the Il Tempo newspaper, has revealed that the residents of the Esposizione Universale Roma (EUR) district are in favour of a Grand Prix.
Full story: Joe Saward's Grand Prix Blog

Formula 1 rights holders CVC Capital Partners says it has "no knowledge" of the dealings that led to the arrest in Germany on Wednesday of Gerhard Gribkowsky, the former chief risk officer of German state-owned bank Bayerische Landesbank, when he was responsible for F1's holding company Slec.
Full story: Joe Saward's Grand Prix blog

New Williams driver Pastor Maldonado will demonstrate a Williams Formula 1 car in his home country of Venezuela on 14 February. The event will be held outside capital city Caracas at the Los Proceres national monument. President Hugo Chavez is expected to attend. Maldonado has backing from Venezuela's national oil company.
Full story: Williams

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has become patron of the F1 in Schools programme, aimed at encouraging engineering, science and technology among students.
Full story: McLaren

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel has been named the European Sportsman of the Year by members of the International Sports Press Association (AISP). The German, who became the youngest ever Formula 1 world champion last season, is the 28th winner of the annual poll.
Full story: gpupdate.net

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