BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Just as this issue of National Speed Sport News went to press, Renault confirmed that Fernando Alonso would return to the team in 2008.
His teammate will be rookie Nelson Piquet, Jr. Lengths of their contracts were not revealed.
The announcement makes it almost certain that former Renault driver Heikki Kovalainen will head to McLaren. Full details are expected next week.

• The FIA has confirmed there will be a total freeze on engine development for the next 10 years. Max Mosley says that the engines have reached a peak in their development cycle, and it is a waste of money to keep going down that path.
“Instead, we will allow manufacturers to spend money on technology which is really useful,” Mosley said. “The first part of that is the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) device, which we are introducing in 2009. This is exactly the sort of thing that F-1 should be doing because F-1 has a need to show that it is useful.”

• Kimi Raikkonen and Ferrari received their world championship trophies at the FIA’s gala prize ceremony in Monaco on Dec. 7.
“This victory is the result of the efforts of a group that never threw in the towel, even when all seemed lost,” Raikkonen said.

• Indianapolis Motor Speedway won the Formula One Management’s Race Promoters Trophy, awarded to the F-1 promoter who has proved most helpful in the most difficult conditions.
“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has enjoyed hosting the FIA Formula One World Championship and the United States Grand Prix since 2000,” Tony George, President and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, said when he accepted the award in Monaco. “On behalf of our dedicated employees, the citizens of Indianapolis and all of the fans who have supported the event, we appreciate being recognized with this honor.”

• Viviane Senna, the sister of Lewis Hamilton’s hero Ayrton Senna, says of Lewis: “He reminds me of Ayrton, as a pilot. And he has the same kindness in his eyes.”

• Nico Rosberg has agreed to a new contract that will keep him at Williams through 2009.

• Mario Andretti was awarded a FIA Gold Medal, which is given to an individual who either through exceptional success or outstanding effort has made a substantial contribution to motor racing.
“Mario Andretti is one of motor racing’s true legends and is thoroughly deserving of this award,” Mosley said. “He is perhaps the ultimate multi-discipline driver who has achieved success in every area that he has competed. No one in the history of motorsports has had a career as long and as triumphant.”

• Mosley says that because Prodrive failed to field a team for 2008 it won’t necessarily be guaranteed an entry slot in 2009.

• The FIA Technical Department has concluded its detailed investigation to see if the 2008 McLaren incorporates any confidential Ferrari information, but McLaren is not cleared yet. The World Motorsports Council will give McLaren, Ferrari and other teams the opportunity to make considered representations on the FIA report at a meeting of the WMSC in Paris Feb. 14.

• Most teams run their wind tunnels 24 hours a day and seven days a week, and the big teams all have two wind tunnels. The expense is massive, and the FIA plans to cut those costs with a number of measures that will begin in 2008.
The restrictions include: teams to use no more than one wind tunnel; maximum model scale 60 percent; no more than one model to be tested during a run; maximum usage to be equivalent to 15 runs per eight-hour day on five days per week; restrictions will be imposed to stop shift of resource from wind tunnel testing to CFD.
Other cost-cutting restrictions will be placed on rig testing, design and manufacturing, suspension and brakes, hydraulic systems, bodywork, weight distribution, circuit testing and the number of personnel at races.

• Hamilton has been cleaning up on the awards circuit in England. The F-1 rookie star won no less than three decorations at the Autosport Awards as well as three prizes at the British Racing Drivers’ Club Awards.

• Slick tires, standard ECUs and the absence of traction control and other electronic driver aids such as engine braking control were the focus of attention during the four days of testing at Spain’s Jerez circuit that brought an end to the 2007 season.
Nick Heidfeld was fastest on day one in his BMW Sauber, Hamilton on day two in his McLaren Mercedes, Robert Kubica on day three in his BMW Sauber and Sebastian Vettel in his Toro Rosso Ferrari on the final day. All were running slick tires, which were considerably quicker (by about two seconds a lap) than the grooved tires.
With teams running both types of tires, assorted ranges of electronics, and 2008 and the lower (by 25 percent) 2009 aero levels, it was more difficult than ever to get an accurate measure on comparative lap times.
Schumacher, for example, didn’t top the time sheets like he did in Barcelona, as he was eighth and fourth quickest on his two days in Jerez.
But he was also on ’09 aero specs.
The test gave Champ Car’s Sebastian Bourdais another chance to dial himself in with F-1.

• Ralf Schumacher left the Jerez test saying that it was possibly his last ever drive in an F-1 car. He is not interested in racing for Force India, as he does not believe he can achieve his goals with the small team.

• The FIA plans to sue the British newspaper The Sunday Times for libel for an article written by ex-F-1 drive Martin Brundle claiming that the FIA was engaged in a witch-hunt against McLaren Mercedes in the espionage scandal.