Cost cuts by the team that gives you wings

An insider at Red Bull has emailed us to say that Red Bull is about to close its Red Bulletin magazine/website, a fine source of F1 news and paddock gossip since it was launched at the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix.

Apparently, Red Bull is desperate - like all F1 teams - to cut costs, and Red Bulletin, which makes no money for the drinks company, is set to become a significant casualty. The fact that the Red Bulletin URL doesn’t seem to work right now (for us, at least) is a substantial clue that the decision to close it has already been taken.

It’s a shame but no great surprise. With a global recession upon us, of course each team will look to trim the fat from its operation.

We also hear that the Formula Unas programme, which transforms the local talent in each grand-prix venue into grid girls for the weekend, is to be ditched - it’s not cheap to keep these girls in champagne and earplugs, clearly.

German media fights to free “imprisoned” Rosberg

Promise not to tell anyone, but Nico Rosberg (the most brattish driver on the grid?) really, really doesn’t want to drive for Williams in 2009, even though he has just signed up to do exactly that. The reason? It’s quite simple: Rosberg, a young man blessed with a freakish surfeit of self-confidence, sees himself as a future world champion who should be driving for Ferrari or McLaren. Instead, he’s destined to spend 2009 stuck at the back of the grid in a crappy Williams.

Rosberg isn’t the only one who’s thoroughly pissed off with the situation. The German media, who would quite like another German F1 world champ (especially one who is photogenic and outpsoken), is doing its bit to free Nico from the tyranny of a seat in a Williams…

Pussycat Doll ready to commit to Lewis

Nicole Scherzinger is set to move in with boyfriend Lewis Hamilton. The lovestruck couple are currently househunting, but it seems they can’t decide which side of the Atlantic to live on…

Red Bull poised to ditch DC earlier than planned?

Vicious whispers in the paddock suggest that David Coulthard may not see out his final season in F1. The rumour goes that DC will compete in the Italian GP at Monza in a couple of weeks’ time, then step aside to let Sebastian Vettel take up his seat in the senior Red Bull outfit - something that was set to happen at the end of the 2008 campaign.

The rumour came about in the wake of Toro Rosso’s confirmation today that Sebastien Buemi and Takuma Sato will test for STR at Jerez later this month, with the quicker driver replacing Vettel in 2009. Some F1 insiders think Toro Rosso also intends to give Buemi and Sato a real trial in the last four grands prix of the year. That would leave DC out in the cold.

Will this happen? Read our verdict below:

Honda ace papped with ex-Destiny’s Child star

F1 bachelor Jenson Button, who split up from girlfriend Florence Brudenell-Bruce earlier this year, was snapped last night leaving Nobu with Kelly Rowland.

Celebs only dine at Nobu when they want to be photographed by paparazzi (see Lewis and his Pussycat Doll). Therefore we can only assume Jenson is having hot, entirely legal sex with the former Destiny’s Child singer.

Lil’ Lewis doesn’t want to upset his sponsors

Lewis Hamilton visited London’s Dorchester Hotel for an event recently. But rather than walk in off the street, like a normal person, he was secretly bundled in via the back door.

Why the shady, superstar treatment? McLaren has a lucrative deal with Hilton hotels, and so Hamilton’s crew were very sensitive about their man being photographed going into a different hotel.

[Popbitch]

Brazilian rookie faces nervous wait re: next season

Nelsinho Piquet has not yet done enough to secure his seat with Renault for 2009, according to the latest paddock rumours. Flavio Briatore plans to keep the fast-improving rookie on his toes and so the team has delayed a decision to renew his contract until the end of September.

Auto Motor und Sport claims that Renault extended the option deadline in the Brazilian’s contact by a month to coincide with Fernando Alonso’s decision about his future.

German’s podium in Hungary enough to earn him another year

Most of us thought Timo Glock was a bit rubbish, but it turns out he can drive. Now the German’s superb second place at the Hungaroring, achieved just a forntnight after a major crash at Hockenheim, looks like being the turning point in his F1 career.

Before Hungary, it seemed highly likely that Toyota would ditch Glock at the end of the season. Now we know that the team will keep him for 2009 - what a turnaround.