Monday, December 31, 2012

WTCC: Monteiro: Honda forced into changes

Honda World Touring Car driver Tiago Monteiro says structural changes have been necessary at the team to accommodate earlier-than-anticipated changes to the series' technical rules

Source: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104965

Martin Brundle Gianmaria Bruni Jimmy Bryan Clemar Bucci Ronnie Bucknum

INDYCAR: Why Don’t you Air your Belated Champions Roast Nationally?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/9ZH80isXHWo/indycar-why-dont-you-air-your-belated.html

Manny Ayulo Luca Badoer Giancarlo Baghetti Julian Bailey Mauro Baldi

Exclusive interview with Caterham's Cyril Abiteboul

Being a team principal is no easy task, even if, like Caterham's Cyril Abiteboul, you've been in and around Formula One racing for a long time. The Frenchman stepped into Tony Fernandes' shoes as Caterham boss back in November and now faces the challenging task of moving the three-year-old team up the grid.

We spoke to him about how he's settled into his new role and how he intends to move the Leafield squad forward

Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2012/12/14160.html

Ivan Capelli Piero Carini Duane Carter Eugenio Castellotti Johnny Cecotto

Circuit of the Americas, “First Lap Ceremony": Video and Pictures

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/mywzfxyqzJ8/circuit-of-americas-first-lap-ceremony.html

John Cannon Eitel Cantoni Bill Cantrell Ivan Capelli Piero Carini

A favorite Christmas story

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/12/17/2550621/a-favorite-christmas-story.html

Richard Attwood Manny Ayulo Luca Badoer Giancarlo Baghetti Julian Bailey

Red Bull Ring put forward as potential 2013 venue

Red Bull has been in touch with the FIA to make the governing body aware that the Red Bull Ring in Austria (formally the A1-Ring) could be made available as a venue for a grand prix next year

Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/97199.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

M·rio de Ara˙jo Cabral Frank Armi Chuck Arnold Rene Arnoux Peter Arundell

Help 'undeck' the NASCAR Hall

Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/12/25/2565749/help-undeck-the-nascar-hall.html

Clemar Bucci Ronnie Bucknum Ivor Bueb Sebastien Buemi Luiz Bueno

F1 2012 Championship Standings after Brazilian GP

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/1E78vDlACfU/f1-2012-championship-standings-after_26.html

Kevin Cogan Peter Collins Bernard Collomb Alberto Colombo Erik Comas

Sunday, December 30, 2012

F1: Red Bull's 'heroic spirit' key to 2012 win

Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner says the 2012 Formula 1 title chase pushed his staff harder than they had ever been pushed before

Source: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104931

Roberto Bussinello Jenson Button Tommy Byrne Giulio Cabianca Phil Cade

F1: Jenson Button: 2012 in quotes

Jenson Button's 2012 Formula 1 season started and finished with victories in Australia and Brazil respectively, but in between things didn't go quite as he had hoped

Source: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104935

Menato Boffa Bob Bondurant Felice Bonetto Jo Bonnier Roberto Bonomi

Discredited US F1 reaches the end of the road

US F1 will not launch a renewed bid to debut in Formula One in 2011

Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/18561.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

JeanChristophe Boullion Sebastien Bourdais Thierry Boutsen Johnny Boyd David Brabham

2012 US GP: Hamilton beats Vettel to win the inaugural race in Austin

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/e6L8O-rZMkM/2012-us-gp-hamilton-beats-vettel-to-win.html

David Clapham Jim ClarkÜ Kevin Cogan Peter Collins Bernard Collomb

Red Bull Ring put forward as potential 2013 venue

Red Bull has been in touch with the FIA to make the governing body aware that the Red Bull Ring in Austria (formally the A1-Ring) could be made available as a venue for a grand prix next year

Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/97199.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

Fred Agabashian Kurt Ahrens Jr Christijan Albers Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi

MOTOGP: Ducati test seat a step forward - Pirro

Michele Pirro insists joining Ducati as a test rider does not represent a backward step even though it will leave him without a full-time race programme for the first time in more than a decade

Source: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104934

Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh Lucien Bianchi Gino Bianco Hans Binder

Austin’s F1 future is bright

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/5XdV6ojP-VM/austins-f1-future-is-bright.html

Jimmy Davies Colin Davis Jimmy Daywalt JeanDenis Deletraz Patrick Depailler

'The point of no confidence is quite near'


The wreckage of Jochen Rindt's car at Barcelona © Getty Images
An excellent insight into the world of F1 as it used to be can be found on the regularly-interesting Letters of Note website. It publishes a hitherto unseen letter from Jochen Rindt to Lotus boss Colin Chapman written shortly after Rindt’s crash at Barcelona which was a result of the wing system on Lotus 49 collapsing at speed.
“Colin. I have been racing F1 for 5 years and I have made one mistake (I rammed Chris Amon in Clermont Ferrand) and I had one accident in Zandvoort due to gear selection failure otherwise I managed to stay out of trouble. This situation changed rapidly since I joined your team. “Honestly your cars are so quick that we would still be competitive with a few extra pounds used to make the weakest parts stronger, on top of that I think you ought to spend some time checking what your different employes are doing, I sure the wishbones on the F2 car would have looked different. Please give my suggestions some thought, I can only drive a car in which I have some confidence, and I feel the point of no confidence is quite near.”
A little more than a year later Rindt's Lotus suffered mechanical breakdown just before braking into one of the corners. He swerved violently to the left and crashed into a poorly-installed barrier, killing him instantly.

Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/the_point_of_no_confidence_is.php

Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot Cliff Allison

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Vettel celebrates third consecutive drivers’ crown in Graz (Pictures+Video)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/w-nyQW9Ar3Q/vettel-celebrates-third-consecutive.html

Zsolt Baumgartner Elie Bayol Don Beauman Karl Gunther Bechem Jean Behra

Luca defends Ferrari strategy

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo says he doesn't care what others think about their policy of favouring Fernando Alonso...

Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8363119/Luca-defends-Ferrari-strategy

Derek Bell Stefan Bellof Paul Belmondo Tom Belso JeanPierre Beltoise

F1: Jenson Button: 2012 in quotes

Jenson Button's 2012 Formula 1 season started and finished with victories in Australia and Brazil respectively, but in between things didn't go quite as he had hoped

Source: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104935

Jim Crawford Ray Crawford Alberto Crespo Antonio Creus Larry Crockett

Chandhok closing on Campos seat

There is increasing speculation that Indian GP2 driver Karun Chandhok will be named as a Campos driver ahead of the weekend

Source: http://en.espnf1.com/hrtf1/motorsport/story/9610.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

Ian Ashley Gerry Ashmore Bill Aston Richard Attwood Manny Ayulo

Marussia Virgin Racing Launch Their 2011 Car

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Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/marussia-virgin-racing-launch-their-2011-car/

Franco Comotti George Connor George Constantine John Cordts David Coulthard

Campaign launched to save Team Lotus


© Save Team Lotus
One side of the Lotus naming dispute has been put forward on a new and in-depth webpage called www.saveteamlotus.com. The basic background is that the Lotus Racing F1 team had its naming rights revoked for next season by Group Lotus and, in order to keep racing under the Lotus name, bought the Team Lotus brand off David Hunt, who had owned it since the original team’s last race in 1994. Group Lotus has now taken Lotus Racing to court to try and stop it using the historic name in Formula One next year. The issue has been a source of constant confusion for many fans and the new webpage offers a breakdown of David Hunt’s and Team Lotus’ side of the argument.

Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/campaign_launched_to_save_team_1.php

Duane Carter Eugenio Castellotti Johnny Cecotto Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert

Two more teams pass crash tests

Mercedes and Ferrari are the latest teams to have passed the mandatory FIA crash tests ahead of the 2013 season...

Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8366339/Two-more-teams-pass-crash-tests

Walt Brown Warwick Brown Adolf Brudes Martin Brundle Gianmaria Bruni

Motivation will never wane - Vettel

Sebastian Vettel says his motivation will never wane following his third consecutive drivers' championship

Source: http://en.espnf1.com/redbull/motorsport/story/97668.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

Eugenio Castellotti Johnny Cecotto Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert Eugene Chaboud

Friday, December 28, 2012

Take the new 2012 F1 season race-by-race quiz | 2012 F1 season review

Take the new 2012 F1 season race-by-race quiz is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

Start, Montreal, 2012The 2012 F1 season featured a record 20 races. And as F1 Fanatic’s quizzes usually feature 20 questions, there seemed an obvious thing to do…

This bonus quiz on the 2012 F1 season includes one question on every race of the year. Give it a go now and see how well you score.

And don’t forget there’s our regular end-of-season quiz to take as well. Find both of them here:

If you’ve not taken one of our quizzes before, have a quick look at this quick guide first:

You can compare your overall score with other F1 Fanatics and take more quizzes here:

If you don’t already have one, you will need to register an F1 Fanatic account to participate in the quizzes. Details on how to get one can be found below:

How did you get on? Share your score in the comments – but remember not to leave clues about the questions!

F1 Fanatic Quizzes


Browse all F1 Fanatic Quizzes

Image © Red Bull/Getty images

Take the new 2012 F1 season race-by-race quiz is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/tXOuyn7bKJM/

Giancarlo Baghetti Julian Bailey Mauro Baldi Bobby Ball Marcel Balsa

F1 dream lives on for Lopez

A disappointed Jose Maria Lopez has not ruled out mounting a new Formula One foray in the future

Source: http://en.espnf1.com/teamus/motorsport/story/11489.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

John Cannon Eitel Cantoni Bill Cantrell Ivan Capelli Piero Carini

Champions receive FIA trophies

Sebastian Vettel and Christian Horner received the drivers' and constructors' championships respectively at the FIA prize-giving gala in Istanbul

Source: http://en.espnf1.com/fia/motorsport/story/97180.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

Michele Alboreto Jean Alesi Jaime Alguersuari Philippe Alliot Cliff Allison

Massa threatened with jail over team orders


© Getty Images
Brazil’s F1 fever may have overstepped the mark after a local prosecutor threatened Felipe Massa with a six-year jail term if he “defrauds” the sporting public by letting Ferrari team-mate Fernando Alonso past at Sunday’s grand prix. The story, reported by a local paper and picked up by the Daily Telegraph, is the latest of several anti-Massa reports to emerge from his home country since the team orders controversy at the German Grand Prix earlier this year. The Daily Telegraph's Tom Cary reckons that Massa simply isn't living up to his home crowd's high expectations.
“A public raised on a diet of Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna were simply appalled and saddened in equal measure by Massa’s apparent lack of ambition.”

Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/massa_threatened_with_jail_ove.php

Fernando Alonso Giovanna Amati George Amick Red Amick Chris Amon

Raikkonen in rude health

Kimi Raikkonen already had a bottle of beer in his hand by the time he joined his Lotus team for the now-traditional group photo following a grand prix victory.

Knowing Raikkonen's reputation, it will almost certainly not have been the last drink that passed his lips in Abu Dhabi on Sunday night as he celebrated his first win since returning to Formula 1 this year after two years in rallying.

"For sure we're going to have a good party today," the sport's most famous hedonist said on he podium, "and hopefully tomorrow, when we are feeling bad after a long night, we will remember how we feel."

How long will you celebrate for, he was asked.

"I have almost two weeks," he said. "As long as I manage to get myself to the next race I think the team is happy. I try to get home at some point."

The party is well deserved. Raikkonen's comeback year has had its ups and downs, but a win has looked a probability since the start of the season, and in many ways the big surprise has been that it has taken so long.

Raikkonen has been remarkably strong and consistent in races this season, but until Abu Dhabi his best chances of victory had been squandered by starting too far down the grid.

Raikkonen has now taken 37% of his career victories after starting from outside the top three on the grid. Photo: Getty

He is the first to admit that he has made too many mistakes in qualifying. Indeed, for the first half of the season he was generally being out-paced over one lap on Saturdays by his novice team-mate Romain Grosjean.

But in the second half of the season his qualifying pace has edged forward, the mistakes have dried up, and this weekend everything came together to produce the result the team and he undoubtedly deserve.

Out of the car, Raikkonen is about as uncommunicative as they come. He simply refuses to engage in the media game. That can be frustrating for journalists who are searching for insight from an undoubtedly great driver, but still there is no mystery about his true character.

The radio messages that caused such amusement during the race sum him up.

His poor race engineer was only doing his job when he informed him of the gap to Fernando Alonso's Ferrari behind him, and some may find it rude that Raikkonen would respond by asking him to "leave me alone, I know what I'm doing".

But that is Raikkonen all over. He's a no-nonsense character, and he just wants things the way he wants them. And if he is not comfortable in the spotlight, he was born to be in a Formula 1 car at the front of a grand prix.

"Kimi is a man of few words but he's all about racing," McLaren driver Jenson Button said, summing up the Finn's unique appeal.

"It's good to see him have a good race here and collect the victory. He does deserve it. He is back for the racing. That's what he loves and it's good to see that."

For all his impressive performance, Raikkonen owed his win to Lewis Hamilton's wretched fortune at McLaren.

Yet another failure - this one in a fuel pump on the McLaren's Mercedes engine - cost Hamilton another victory. It's the second time it has happened in five races and it is the story of his season.

Hamilton said on Sunday that he had "been at my best this year" and so it has looked, but he also made a pointed reference to McLaren's myriad problems throughout the season: "We have not done a good enough job to win this championship."

For the men who can win it, it was a weekend of wildly fluctuating fortunes.

Following Sebastian Vettel's exclusion from qualifying because not enough fuel had been put in his Red Bull to provide the requisite one-litre sample, it appeared that Alonso had a golden opportunity to close down some of the advantage the German had eked out with his four consecutive wins through Singapore, Japan, Korea and India.

But after a wildly topsy-turvy race and an impressive drive by Vettel, the German joined his Spanish rival on the podium.

All three podium finishers gave an object lesson in racing to the many drivers who crash-banged into each other behind them, including each of their team-mates, and while Vettel's drive quite rightly stood out, so too was a little luck involved.

Vettel damaged his front wing against Bruno Senna's Williams on the first lap, but was able to continue and overtake the rabbits at the back of the field.

Then, not for the first time in his career, he made a mistake behind the safety car, misjudging the pace of Daniel Ricciardo's Toro Rosso as the Australian warmed his brakes, veering to avoid him, and finishing off the front wing against a marker board.

The mistake forced Red Bull to pit Vettel when they were not going to and the fresh tyres he fitted at the stop meant he had a grip advantage over the drivers he now had to pass.

Again, he sliced rapidly through the backmarkers - this time without incident - so that he was up to seventh by the time the pit-stop period started for those in front of him.

By the time the leaders had all stopped, Vettel was in second place, and suddenly it looked like he might have a chance of pulling off a sensational victory.

Raikkonen's Lotus team, for one, thought Vettel would not be stopping again, but Red Bull were concerned enough about tyre wear to want to play safe, and the 20 seconds he lost in his second pit stop were then wiped out by another safety car.

Fourth at the re-start, the fastest car in the field and on fresher tyres than Raikkonen, Alonso and Button ahead of him, it again looked like he might win.

In the end, though, Button's clever defence kept him behind long enough to ensure that although he could pass the McLaren, third was as far as he was going to go.

BBC F1 chief analyst Eddie Jordan said Vettel's ability to salvage a podium finish from a pit-lane start must feel like a "dagger in the heart for Ferrari" but if Alonso was disappointed you would not want to play poker with him.

He talked about his pride at finishing second in a race Ferrari had expected to deliver a fifth or sixth place - and as Red Bull team boss Christian Horner pointed out, Alonso celebrated on the podium as if he had won the race.

For a while now, Alonso has been saying Red Bull's winning run would end, that eventually they would have some bad luck.

Well, in Abu Dhabi they had it, and still Alonso could gain only three points on Vettel, and it was noticeable that the tone of his remarks after the race shifted slightly.

In India two weeks ago, he said he was still "100% confident" of winning the title. After Abu Dhabi, though, he did not repeat that remark.

"Without the problem for Sebastian we were thinking we would exit Abu Dhabi with 20 points deficit or something and we are 10 (behind)," Alonso said. "In the end it was a good weekend for us.

"They will have the fastest car in the last two races. There is no magic part that will come for Austin or Brazil. But as I said a couple of races ago, they have the fastest car, we have the best team. So we see who wins."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/11/post_abu_dhabi.html

Dave Charlton Pedro Matos Chaves Bill Cheesbourg Eddie Cheever Andrea Chiesa

Champions receive FIA trophies

Sebastian Vettel and Christian Horner received the drivers' and constructors' championships respectively at the FIA prize-giving gala in Istanbul

Source: http://en.espnf1.com/fia/motorsport/story/97180.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

John Barber Skip Barber Paolo Barilla Rubens Barrichello Michael Bartels

Webber won't play supporting role for Vettel in 2013

Mark Webber insists he will continue to fight Sebastian Vettel next season and is not at Red Bull to provide the new triple world champion support

Source: http://en.espnf1.com/redbull/motorsport/story/96701.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

Georges Berger Gerhard Berger Eric Bernard Enrique Bernoldi Enrico Bertaggia

Doctors use Formula One pit crews as safety model

American Medical News reports hospitals in at least a dozen countries are learning how to translate the split-second timing and near-perfect synchronisation of Formula One pit crews to the high-risk handoffs of patients from surgery to recovery and intensive care.
"In Formula One, they have checklists, databases, and they have well-defined processes for doing things, and we don't really have any of those things in health care."

Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/10/doctors_use_formula_one_pit_cr.php

Gianmaria Bruni Jimmy Bryan Clemar Bucci Ronnie Bucknum Ivor Bueb

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Formula 1 Numbers Game continues...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/nofenders/zbjv/~3/KAZGTYnNA3o/formula-1-numbers-game-continues.html

Giorgio Bassi Erwin Bauer Zsolt Baumgartner Elie Bayol Don Beauman

Exclusive Q&A with Caterham's Charles Pic

Charles Pic may not have scored a point during his debut season of Formula One racing, but his performances relative to experienced Marussia team mate Timo Glock often caught the eye.

We spoke with the 22-year-old Frenchman to find out how he's been adjusting to life at Caterham since signing a multi-year deal with the team for the 2013 season onwards...

Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2012/12/14168.html

Phil Cade Alex Caffi John CampbellJones Adri·n Campos John Cannon

ALMS: Top Drivers Of 2012


SPEED.com ranks the best LMP and GT drivers from the 2012 American Le Mans Series season...

Source: http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/alms-top-drivers-of-2012/

Elie Bayol Don Beauman Karl Gunther Bechem Jean Behra Derek Bell

Vettel- 'Alonso's one of the best'

Sebastian Vettel says he has respect for Fernando Alonso "for the fact that he's fighting" right to the end of the championship

Source: http://en.espnf1.com/redbull/motorsport/story/96583.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

JeanDenis Deletraz Patrick Depailler Pedro Diniz Duke Dinsmore Frank Dochnal

Hamilton's tough decision

Since BBC Sport chief analyst Eddie Jordan reported on this website last week that Lewis Hamilton was on the verge of switching to Mercedes from McLaren next year, Formula 1 has been awash with speculation about the 2008 world champion's future.

McLaren did their best at last weekend's Italian Grand Prix to dismiss the story - team boss Martin Whitmarsh even joked: "Any sentence that begins, 'Eddie Jordan understands' is immediately questionable, isn't it?"

But it was noticeable that not only did McLaren not deny the story was true, they said very little to suggest Hamilton was staying with them.

From Whitmarsh, it was: "Lewis and his management have made their position clear to us", "my understanding is we're talking to him" and "I'm pretty convinced we will have a very good, competitive driving line-up next year."

None of which translates as "Hamilton is staying".

From second left - Lewis Hamilton, Martin Whitmarsh, Jenson Button

Hamilton was triumphant at Monza, but how many more races will he win with McLaren? Photo: Getty

As for the doubts cast on the veracity of the story, the source is strong and credible, and the core information - that Hamilton has agreed terms on a contract with Mercedes for next year - is based in fact.

That does not necessarily mean Hamilton will move but it does mean he is thinking about it seriously. And you can make what you will of his downbeat behaviour throughout the Monza weekend - even after he won the race.

In the paddock, the general view was that a move would be a mistake - but it is a much more complicated decision than that.

Firstly, McLaren have undoubtedly been more competitive than Mercedes in the last three years. Between them, Hamilton and team-mate Jenson Button have won 16 races since the start of 2010; Mercedes only one, with Nico Rosberg in China this season.

Over an extended period, McLaren have a winning pedigree beyond that of any other team. Only Ferrari have won more grands prix, and they have been in F1 for 16 years longer.

Hamilton, who has been nurtured by the team since he was 13, says: "I want to win." On pure performance, there's only one choice, right?

In F1, things are rarely that simple.

Yes, McLaren usually have a good car, but until this year it had been a long time since they had unquestionably the best.

It was close with Ferrari in 2007-8, although hindsight would suggest now that the McLaren was probably not quite as good then. In which case, you probably have to go back to 2005 to find the last time McLaren had conclusively the fastest car in F1.

This is known to have irked Hamilton in 2010-11, and played some part in the cocktail of issues that led to his difficult season last year, when his frustration at the car's inability to compete for the title and problems with his family and his girlfriend led to what he admitted was his worst season in the sport.

That all changed this season. The McLaren is again setting the pace. But a series of operational problems in the opening races badly affected Hamilton, costing him 40 points. Add those points to his current total and he would be leading Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, not trailing him by a win and a fourth place.

Hamilton has done well to disguise his disappointment publicly, but it was around this time that his management started approaching McLaren's rivals about job opportunities.

On top of that, McLaren are entering an uncertain period. For the first time next year, they will have to pay for their Mercedes engines - that's in the region of eight million euros they cannot spend on the performance of the car unless they find it from other sources.

Tied in with this is the question of salary. McLaren have made it clear they cannot afford Hamilton at any price. The word is they have offered him a cut in money for next season, on the basis that they cannot afford anything more. This might be offset by other compromises, such as over PR appearances, flights and so on.

Already on about half of what Alonso earns at Ferrari, one can imagine how that has gone down with Hamilton - especially as McLaren's portfolio of sponsors makes it very difficult for a driver to do personal deals elsewhere to top up his earnings. That's because almost anywhere he looks there's a clash with a company that has links with McLaren.

In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.


Meanwhile, Mercedes are by definition a "works" team with factory engines, have the might of an automotive giant behind them. They can pay Hamilton a lot more than his current salary - believed to be about £13m - if they want to. And at Mercedes there is also a lot more freedom for a driver to do personal sponsorship deals.

The funding for Mercedes' F1 team comes entirely from external sponsors - and the budget is reputedly significantly less than enjoyed by Red Bull and Ferrari. But it is underwritten by the parent company so even if there is a sponsorship shortfall it doesn't affect the team.

Performance-wise, the team that is now Mercedes actually won the world title more recently than McLaren, when they were Brawn in 2009. Ironically, the man who won it was Button. His success - and what he interpreted as the team's ambivalence about him staying - led to him moving to McLaren.

Admittedly, Brawn's success in 2009 was tainted by the row over double-diffusers that clouded that season. Once everyone had them, the car was no longer as competitive as it had been.

Mercedes have certainly been under-performing since then, but that can at least partly be explained by the fact that Brawn, facing serious financial problems, slashed their staff by 40% in 2009. As Mercedes, they have been slowly building levels up again.

The pressure on the team to up their game is massive - hence the huge investment in terms of staffing and resources in the last 18 months or so.

And while they are a long way behind McLaren this season, they are on an upward trend, even if it is significantly slower than either the team or the Mercedes board would like.

Equally, few in F1 would disagree that Hamilton is one of the three best drivers in the world, alongside Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. Mercedes don't have any of them.

It's impossible to know how much faster the car would go in their hands than it has done so far in those of Rosberg and Michael Schumacher. Some might argue not at all. But, that's not how Hamilton, who raced and beat Rosberg in their formative years, will look at it.

Add all that up, and the decision doesn't seem so easy after all.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/09/hamiltons_tough_decision.html

Enrique Bernoldi Enrico Bertaggia Tony Bettenhausen Mike Beuttler Birabongse Bhanubandh

Lotus expects drivers to “deliver more” in 2013 | F1 Fanatic round-up

Lotus expects drivers to “deliver more” in 2013 is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

Romain Grosjean, Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus, Valencia, 2012In the round-up: Lotus expect Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean to raise their game next year.

Links

Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:

Lotus duo ‘will be much stronger’ in ’13 (Autosport)

“I know both our drivers will be race fit and, let’s say, delivering more than 12 months ago.”

Eid and Formula One season boost Abu Dhabi airport traffic (The National)

“The capital’s airport in October recorded a 17.3 per cent surge in passenger traffic, boosted by the Haj and Eid season and the start of the Formula One season.”

Comment of the day

Where did HRT go wrong? Thoughts from @Prisoner-Monkeys:

Trying to create a ‘Spanish’ team was the problem with HRT in the first place.

Adrian Campos fundamentally over-estimated the private and public demand for a ‘national’ team in Spain. He sought to capitalise on the popularity of Fernando Alonso, but did not realise that other Spanish drivers like Jaime Alguersuari received very little support in comparison.

And from that point on, it seemed that every decision was intended to make the team Spanish, which led to them establishing a base in a country with no infrastructure and no resources to draw on.
@Prisoner-Monkeys

From the forum

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Louise.1987!

If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is by emailling me, using Twitter or adding to the list here.

On this day in F1

One year ago today Sebastian Vettel was named the Driver of the Year as voted by F1 Fanatic readers:

Image © Lotus F1 Team/LAT

Lotus expects drivers to “deliver more” in 2013 is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/APoH9S2XnKU/

Keith Andrews Elio de Angelis Marco Apicella M·rio de Ara˙jo Cabral Frank Armi

2013 calendar down to 19 as New York Race postponed to 2014

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/F1InsightAFormula1Blog/~3/jAH1KhpprZM/2013-calendar-down-to-19-as-new-york.html

George Connor George Constantine John Cordts David Coulthard Piers Courage

F1: Symonds' return a boost for Marussia

Timo Glock expects Pat Symonds' clearance to return to the Formula 1 paddock in 2013 to be a major boost to Marussia.

Source: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104912

John Cannon Eitel Cantoni Bill Cantrell Ivan Capelli Piero Carini

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Vettel and Red Bull up for Laureus awards

Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing have both been nominated for a 2013 Laureus World Sports Award

Source: http://en.espnf1.com/redbull/motorsport/story/97422.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

Bobby Ball Marcel Balsa Lorenzo Bandini Henry Banks Fabrizio Barbazza

Life in the pit lane


The Mercedes pit crew prepare for Michael Schumacher in Singapore © Getty Images
Away from the world of multi-million-pound car development laboratories and drivers whose small change takes care of the Monte Carlo harbour fees, another drama will play out in Singapore this week. The Independent's David Tremayne joins F1's unsung heroes.
These are not select millionaires but up to 16 ordinary, yet gifted, guys; team mechanics who have worked their way up the system and often migrate from team to team, are paid real-world wages of between £30,000 and £50,000 a year, are drilled to perfection – and whose split-second synchronisation brings their teams huge rewards.

Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/09/life_in_the_pit_lane.php

Gianmaria Bruni Jimmy Bryan Clemar Bucci Ronnie Bucknum Ivor Bueb

Di Resta says Singapore was his season highlight | F1 Fanatic round-up

Di Resta says Singapore was his season highlight is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

Paul di Resta, Force India, Marina Bay, 2012In the round-up: Paul di Resta says his fourth-placed finish in the Singapore Grand Prix was his highlight of the year.

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Paul Di Resta looks back on his F1 season (Daily Record)

“The high of the year was definitely Singapore. Narrowly missing out on the podium because of a safety car and finishing fourth was a crucial result and certainly a lot of hard work went into the year to achieve that.

“Certainly the likes of Sauber were getting the podium finishes and our team were being a bit left behind. I think that moment was obviously crucial for us on a track that tends to suit our car going into the last remainder races.”

Symonds’ return a boost for Marussia (Autosport)

Timo Glock: “To have Pat at the races will definitely help because he has so much experience, can step back and have a look from the outside, and he’s won championships.”

Formula One, Red Bull in talks about possible night race in Thailand in 2015 (Autoweek)

“It is understood that 40 percent of the annual costs of the Grand Prix will be met by Red Bull and by the Singha beer brand, which were the two prime sponsors of the annual The Race of Champions event when it was held earlier this month in the 50,000-seat Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok. The remaining 60 percent will come from the national government and the city administration.”

The Ferrari Driver Academy year (Ferrari)

“Jules [Bianchi's] objective for 2013 is naturally to find a firm place in Formula 1. ‘That is fundamental for our project,’ said Luca Baldisserri, the head of the FDA, ‘that he reaches this target. It could see him have a great future in red.’”

Tweets

Comment of the day

@Ilanin envisages how BBC and Sky’s negotiation for the rights to next year’s live race broadcasts went.

The BBC go first and pick Brazil, Silverstone and I guess maybe Spa. Sky, going with the strategy they used last year of taking the first two rounds, pick Australia, Malaysia and Monaco. The BBC grab Canada, Italy and Japan and Sky take the US, Singapore and Germany.

The BBC go for China, Spain and India, leaving Sky with Abu Dhabi, Korea and Hungary, and then finally the BBC decide that quite possibly not having a race at all is a better bet than Bahrain.
@Ilanin

From the forum

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Arun Srini, Fastmovingthoughts and Stig 3!

If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is by emailling me, using Twitter or adding to the list here.

On this day in F1

Trevor Taylor won the non-championship Natal Grand Prix 50 years ago today in a Lotus 25.

The event at Westmead circuit was run over two races and a final. Jim Clark suffered car problems in his stint and finished 12th, leaving him 22nd on the grid for the final.

Nonetheless he raced through the field to finish second, six seconds behind team mate Taylor.

Image © Sahara Force India F1 Team

Di Resta says Singapore was his season highlight is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/GbksmhXhlUc/

Eric Brandon Don Branson Tom Bridger Tony Brise Chris Bristow

Kamui Kobayashi: “I have to admit that it is very sad”

A

Source: http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/12/17/kamui-kobayashi-i-have-to-admit-that-it-is-very-sad/

Louis Chiron Joie Chitwood Bob Christie Johnny Claes David Clapham

Why Michael Schumacher Could Win The 2011 World Championship

A

Source: http://f1fanatics.wordpress.com/2011/01/14/why-michael-schumacher-could-win-the-2011-world-championship/

Menato Boffa Bob Bondurant Felice Bonetto Jo Bonnier Roberto Bonomi

Ferrari reorganise design office with eye on 2014

Team principal Stefano Domenicali has said that Ferrari will use separate design coordinators for their 2013 and 2014 Formula One cars in a bid to make its technical department more efficient.

There will be major changes to the technical regulations in 2014, including the introduction of V6 turbo engines, and Domenicali has said that this was a key reason for the Italian squad splitting development programmes

Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/12/14173.html

Duane Carter Eugenio Castellotti Johnny Cecotto Andrea de Cesaris Francois Cevert

OTHER: Colin Davis passes away aged 79

Colin Davis, who won the 1964 Targa Florio, has died at the age of 79.

Source: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104923

Richard Attwood Manny Ayulo Luca Badoer Giancarlo Baghetti Julian Bailey

Vettel set for titles aplenty


© Daily Telegraph
Tom Cary says in his column in the Daily Telegraph that the man dubbed ‘Baby Schumi’ has plenty of time to match or even surpass his compatriot’s record haul of seven world titles after he cinched his first in the Abu Dhabi night.
“Here, after all, is a young man, already dubbed ‘Baby Schumi’ by Germany’s tabloid press, winning the first of what will presumably be multiple world championships, and all at the tender age of 23. Plenty of time yet to match Schumacher's incredible haul of seven world titles. And yet, their phenomenal ability to drive racing cars apart, there is little similarity between the two men. “There are still lingering doubts over his racing ability but with such blistering qualifying pace he is nearly always leading from the front anyway. Vettel is set for multiple world championships. Just don’t call him Baby Schumi.”
The Guardian’s Paul Weaver says it was difficult to begrudge Vettel his moment of glory after he won the first of what will be many world titles. He also looks back at some of the season’s highlights.
“An amazing Formula One season produced its final twist here on Sunday when Sebastian Vettel, who had never led the title race, won his first world championship. It is difficult to begrudge him his glory, for he had more poles (10) than any other driver and shared the most wins (five) with Fernando Alonso. There will be red faces as well as red cars and overalls at Ferrari, though, for deciding to bring their man in when they did, only to see him re-emerge into heavy traffic. “Among the highlights, and every race felt like a highlight after the bore-start in Bahrain, there was that wonderful beginning to his McLaren career by Jenson Button, who won two of his first four races, even though he couldn't keep up the pace, especially in qualifying. “Hamilton once again drove his heart out, and outperformed a car that looked a little too ordinary at times. He was superb in Montreal. Then there was Webber, the Anglophile Aussie who was the favourite among most neutrals to win the title. There was that spectacular crash when he ran into the back of Heikki Kovalainen and the most famous of his four wins, at Silverstone, when he said to his team at the end of the race: 'Not bad for a No2 driver.' “But in the end there was only one German who mattered. It was the remarkable Vettel. This will be the first of a clutch of championships for him.”
The Independent’s David Tremayne focuses on the plight of the other title contenders, writing it is easier to feel more sorry for one than the other.
“It was impossible not to feel for both Webber and Alonso. Yet while a frustrated Alonso gestured at Petrov after the race, the Australian, predictably, refused to complain about his pitstop timing. “A world championship seemed an inevitable part of Sebastian Vettel's future, but it came a little sooner than most expected, after his recent tribulations. You wouldn't bet against several more, and if that record-breaking streak continues, perhaps even Schumacher's achievements will be overshadowed.”
And the Mirror’s Byron Young elaborates further on the petulant behaviour of Fernando Alonso on his slowing down lap after his title dreams ended behind the Renault of Vitaly Petrov.
“Fernando Alonso was hurled into more controversy last night for a wild gesture at the former Lada racer who cost him the title. But the Spaniard brushed off accusations he gave Russian Vitaly Petrov the finger for ruining his title hopes by blocking him for 40 laps as they duelled over sixth place. "The Ferrari ace was caught on television cruising alongside the Renault driver on the slowing down lap and gesticulating from the cockpit. Petrov was unrepentant: "What was I supposed to do? Just get out of his way, pull to the side? I don't think that is how we race. It was important for the team for me to get points."

Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/vettel_set_for_titles_aplenty_1.php

Martin Donnelly Carlo Abate George Abecassis Kenny Acheson Andrea de Adamich