Toro Rosso might be the team to watch this year after showing impressive performance throughout all three pre-season tests so far.

The Red Bull sister-team has managed to consistently finish at the top of the timesheets during the majority of tests, whilst they set the sixth and seventh quickest times overall during the final four-day test in Barcelona.

That's led to both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button marking the team as one to watch.

"Toro Rosso looks reasonably strong in terms of consistency," Button is quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, team-mate Hamilton described their pace as 'ridiculous.'

"Toro Rosso looks ridiculously fast," he told the Independent. "They could be the most interesting one to watch."

Not only do the McLaren lads think the innovative STR6 could be competitive, but the Faenza-based teams own driver Jaime Alguersuari believes he'll be able to fight for points 'at every race.'

"We will fight for points at every race," Alguersuari told Marca.

"[The new regulations] have favoured us. I think we will be competitive."

Vitantonio Liuzzi is close to securing the final race seat on the 2011 grid.

That is the claim of the Spanish newspaper AS, despite Italian Liuzzi's former Red Bull teammate Christian Klien saying on Sunday that he is still in the running.

"The last details are still missing but the agreement between Hispania and Liuzzi is about to be formalised," read the report.

29-year-old Liuzzi, who was dropped by Force India despite having a contract for 2011, tested HRT's 2010 car recently, as did another contender Giorgio Mondini.

Diario AS also said HRT will launch its 2011 car on Wednesday or Thursday at the Circuit de Catalunya, during the final pre-season test.

Indian Narain Karthikeyan, linked with HRT's only confirmed sponsor so far Tata Motors, will drive the sister F111 this season.

Agreeing that Liuzzi and Klien are the main contenders for the other seat, a report in the Swiss newspaper Blick reads: "(Colin) Kolles must have realised that after Karthikeyan they must not have another Geldesel ('money-mule')."

HRT may not have its 2011 car ready for this week's testing in Barcelona, according to Spanish daily Sport. At best, it is likely to appear near the end of the four-day session.

A report said the Cosworth-powered F111 will make its debut at the earliest possible moment during the final pre-season test "depending on when it is ready".

HRT, which has still to name its second driver, has not made any official announcements about the car's debut, but journalist Josep Viaplana was told by a source: "The car is in the final stage of assembly. We do not know if it will be Wednesday or Thursday, but the F111 will run in[Barcelona]."

After the technical collaboration with Toyota fell through, another setback for HRT this winter was the defection of key staff. These include engineer Xevi Pujolar who returned to Williams, and four other Spanish team members including chief mechanic Enrique Colomina who returned to work with departed team founder Adrian Campos.

However, two prominent new staff members have joined, both from the Spanish Le Mans team Epsilon Euskadi; marketing boss Maria Serrat, and engineer Albert Fabrega.

Reports in the Spanish media suggest Tonio Liuzzi is favourite to be confirmed as Narain Karthikeyan's team-mate after a successful test a fortnight ago.

First and foremost, however, some breaking news. Hispania have announced Vitantonio Liuzzi as their second driver for 2011. The Italian will join forces with Narain Karthikeyan behind the wheel of the F111, which has yet to be unveiled.

I am really happy to have signed this agreement with Hispania Racing," says 29-year-old Liuzzi, a former Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Force India driver. "I never lost hope to be in Formula One as I knew I have the experience and the right attributes for a young and ambitious team. I face a new challenge now and this excites me. I also face a lot of hard work in guiding Hispania Racing through the development of our new car.

The FIA has formalised its push to increase overtaking in Formula One by looking closely at the design of circuits.

Influential figures including Sir Jackie Stewart and FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh have recently said circuit design is the best way to minimise processional grands prix.

Pedro de la Rosa has returned to McLaren as its official test and reserve driver.

De la Rosa was with the Woking based outfit from 2003 until he was signed up to race for Sauber last year, but will now revert to his old position to help develop the current MP4-26 with Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.