Dutch website links Symonds with Ferrari switch

Time will tell if Ferrari moves to dismiss the latest speculation about its future team lineup.

In Canada, the Italian squad’s media guru Luca Colajanni slammed as "bullsh*t" a report on a Dutch website linking Flavio Briatore with Stefano Domenicali’s top job.

But in a subsequent report, f1today.nl acknowledged Colajanni’s admonition but quoted a source as saying Pat Symonds is also linked with a senior role.

Symonds, who along with Briatore was ousted by Renault and banned from F1 for the Renault crashgate affair of 2009, returned to the sport this year as a consultant for the struggling Virgin team.

Another scandal-affected formula one figure made headlines on Tuesday, as 2007 ’spygate’ conspirator Mike Coughlan, who was sacked by McLaren and served a ban, started work at Williams.

"I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to everyone who was affected by my conduct," he said.

"I sincerely regret my actions and I fully accepted the penalty given to me by the FIA. I can only hope that I can earn back everyone’s respect."