Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8991962/Sat-Red-Bull-Merc-Ferrari-Lotus
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Sat: Red Bull, Merc, Ferrari, Lotus
Sebastian Vettel claimed his third Indian GP pole in as many years, beating Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton...
Vettel takes over at the top
As Sebastian Vettel put down his winner’s trophy after holding it up in celebration on the Korean Grand Prix podium, Fernando Alonso tapped him on the back and reached out to shake his hand. It was a symbolic reflection of the championship lead being handed from one to the other.
After three consecutive victories for Vettel and Red Bull, the last two of which have been utterly dominant, it does not look as though Alonso is going to be getting it back.
Alonso will push to the end, of course, and he made all the right noises after the race, talking about Ferrari “moving in the right direction” and only needing “a little step to compete with Red Bull”.
“Four beautiful races to come with good possibilities for us to fight for the championship,” he said, adding: “Now we need to score seven points more than Sebastian. That will be extremely tough but we believe we can do it.”
Sebastian Vettel won the Korean GP by finishing ahead of team-mate Mark Webber and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso (left). Photo: Reuters
Indeed, a couple of hours after the race, Alonso was quoting samurai warrior-philosophy again on his Twitter account, just as he had in Japan a week before.
"I've never been able to win from start to finish,” he wrote. “I only learned not to be left behind in any situation."
Fighting against the seemingly inevitable is his only option. The facts are that the Ferrari has been slower than the Red Bull in terms of outright pace all year, and there is no reason to suspect anything different in the final four races of the season.
Vettel’s victory in Korea was utterly crushing in the manner of so many of his 11 wins in his dominant 2011 season. The Red Bull has moved on to another level since Singapore and Vettel, as he always does in that position, has gone with it.
Up and down the pit lane, people are questioning how Red Bull have done it, and a lot of attention has fallen on the team’s new ‘double DRS’ system.
This takes an idea introduced in different form by Mercedes at the start the season and, typically of Red Bull’s design genius Adrian Newey, applies it in a more elegant and effective way.
It means that when the DRS overtaking aid is activated – and its use is free in practice and qualifying – the car benefits from a greater drag reduction, and therefore more straight-line speed than its rivals.
Vettel has been at pains to emphasise that this does not help Red Bull in the race, when they can only use the DRS in a specified zone when overtaking other cars. But that’s not the whole story.
The greater drag reduction in qualifying means that the team can run the car with more downforce than they would otherwise be able to – because the ‘double DRS’ means they do not suffer the normal straight-line speed deficit of doing so.
That means the car’s overall lap time is quicker, whether in race or qualifying. So although the Red Bull drivers can’t use the ‘double DRS’ as a lap-time aid in the actual grands prix, they are still benefiting from having it on the car.
And they are not at risk on straights in the race because the extra overall pace, from the greater downforce, means they are far enough ahead of their rivals for them not to be able to challenge them, let alone overtake them. As long as they qualify at the front, anyway.
It’s not all down to the ‘double DRS’, though. McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe said in Korea: “They appear to have made a good step on their car. I doubt that is all down to that system. I doubt if a lot of it is down to that system, actually. You’ll probably find it’s just general development.”
BBC F1 technical analyst Gary Anderson will go into more details on this in his column on Monday. Whatever the reasons for it, though, Red Bull’s rediscovered dominant form means Alonso is in trouble.
While Red Bull have been adding great chunks of performance to their car, Ferrari have been fiddling around with rear-wing design, a relatively small factor in overall car performance.
They have admitted they are struggling with inconsistency between the results they are getting in testing new parts in their wind tunnel and their performance on the track, so it is hard to see how they will close the gap on a Red Bull team still working flat out on their own updates.
The Ferrari has proved adaptable and consistent, delivering strong performances at every race since a major upgrade after the first four grands prix of the year.
But the only time Alonso has had definitively the quickest car is when it has been raining. It is in the wet that he took one of his three wins, and both his poles.
But he cannot realistically expect it to rain in the next three races in Delhi, Abu Dhabi and Austin, Texas. And after that only Brazil remains. So Alonso is effectively hoping for Vettel to hit problems, as he more or less admitted himself on Sunday.
How he must be ruing the bad breaks of those first-corner retirements in Belgium and Japan – even if they did effectively only cancel out Vettel’s two alternator failures in Valencia and Monza.
If anyone had reason on Sunday to regret what might have been, though, it was Lewis Hamilton, who has driven fantastically well all season only to be let down by his McLaren team in one way or another.
Hamilton, his title hopes over, wasted no time in pointing out after the race in Korea that the broken anti-roll bar that dropped him from fourth to 10th was the second suspension failure in as many races, and a broken gearbox robbed him of victory at the previous race in Singapore.
Operational problems in the early races of the season also cost him a big chunk of points.
Hamilton wears his heart on his sleeve, and in one off-the-cuff remark to Finnish television after the race, he revealed a great deal about why he has decided to move to Mercedes next year.
“It’s a day to forget,” Hamilton said. “A year to forget as well. I’m looking forward to a fresh start next year.”
In other words, I’ve had enough of four years of not being good enough, for various reasons, and I might as well try my luck elsewhere.
There was another post-race comment from Hamilton, too, that said an awful lot. “I hope Fernando keeps pushing,” he said.
Hamilton did not reply when asked directly whether that meant he wanted Alonso to win the title. But you can be sure that remark is a reflection of Hamilton’s belief that he is better than Vettel, that only Alonso is his equal.
Whether that is a correct interpretation of the standing of the three best drivers in the world, it will take more than this season to tell.
In the meantime, if Alonso and Ferrari are not to be mistaken in their belief that they still have a chance, “keeping pushing” is exactly what they must do. Like never before.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/10/as_sebastian_vettel_put_down.html
Ferrari eye more podiums
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has urged the team to finish the 2013 season on a high and fight for a few more podiums...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8975361/Ferrari-eye-more-podiums
Pirelli: Drivers wrong to criticise tyres
Paul Hembery has hit back at Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber after both drivers criticised the Pirelli tyres in Korea...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8961770/Pirelli-Drivers-wrong-to-criticise-tyres
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Exclusive interview with Mercedes' Ross Brawn
Ross Brawn's name has rarely been out of the news in 2013; not only because of Mercedes' race-winning performances, but also because of speculation surrounding his future.
In a wide-ranging interview, the silver arrows' team principal addresses that issue, as well as discussing the current season, the possible effects of the 2014 rule changes, and why all he really wants is to have fun
In a wide-ranging interview, the silver arrows' team principal addresses that issue, as well as discussing the current season, the possible effects of the 2014 rule changes, and why all he really wants is to have fun
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2013/10/15134.html
FIA post-race press conference - India
Having said that winning his fourth world title left him initially speechless, Sebastian Vettel composed himself ahead of the official FIA press conference where he was joined by Mercedes' Nico Rosberg and Lotus's Romain Grosjean
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/10/15166.html
Five ways to improve F1
 Emerson Fittipaldi in his heyday |
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/five_ways_to_improve_f1.php
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Alonso urges Ferrari to up their game
Fernando Alonso was unimpressed with his running in Friday's practice in Japan after falling behind a Toro Rosso and a McLaren...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8967163/Alonso-urges-Ferrari-to-up-their-game
Sat: Red Bull, Merc, Lotus, Ferrari
Mark Webber will start the Japanese GP from pole position having beaten Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton to the coveted grid slot...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8968831/Sat-Red-Bull-Merc-Lotus-Ferrari
US F1 and Stefan GP reportedly in merger talks
US F1 and Stefan GP are rumoured to be in merger talks to ensure a thirteenth team is present at the first race of the season in Bahrain
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/9681.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Ferrari Has Conceded Defeat
It's not mathematically impossible for Fernando Alonso to pull off an amazing finish but it would require Sebastian Vettel to suffer major disaster...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8979311/Ferrari-Has-Conceded-Defeat
Monday, October 28, 2013
Exclusive Christian Horner Q&A: Success breeds success
Having guided Red Bull to a fourth successive constructors' and drivers' title double, team principal Christian Horner had every right to have a big smile on his face in India on Sunday evening.
We spoke exclusively to the 39-year-old about the secret to the Milton Keynes-based team's success
We spoke exclusively to the 39-year-old about the secret to the Milton Keynes-based team's success
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2013/10/15164.html
Jenson Button Q&A: Strategy might give us an advantage
McLaren's Jenson Button sprang something of a surprise in Q1 in New Delhi when he topped the timesheets. The Briton was quick again in Q2, but in Q3 he had to settle for tenth place, albeit on the slower but more durable medium tyres.
Afterwards he talked to reporters about his day and about his feelings on racing in India
Afterwards he talked to reporters about his day and about his feelings on racing in India
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2013/10/15156.html
US F1 closes shop
US F1 has ceased operation, laying off its entire staff indefinitely and closing its factory
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/13412.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Alonso: I'm not doing good enough
Fernando Alonso admits he needs to up his pace in qualifying after finishing eighth in Japan and three-tenths behind Felipe Massa...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8968970/Alonso-I-m-not-doing-good-enough
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Pirelli “disappointed” teams disobeyed tyre advice | 2013 Indian Grand Prix
Pirelli have said they are "disappointed" Lotus, Force India and others did not obey their advice on the maximum stint lengths for each tyre during the Indian Grand Prix. 
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/fHL1DKtcW_I/
Bernie Ecclestone - No plans to put the brakes on
 |
The way I feel at the moment, why stop? I do it because I enjoy it. And yesterday is gone. I don't care what happened yesterday. What else would I do? People retire to die. I don't get any individual pleasure because we don't win races or titles in this job. I'm like most business people. You look back at the end of the year and you see what you've achieved by working out how much money the company has made. That's it.
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/10/bernie_ecclestone_no_plans_to.php
Saturday, October 26, 2013
F1: India qualifying quotes: Ferrari
India qualifying quotes: Ferrari
Vettel admits title 'would be a great relief'
Sebastian Vettel admits "it would be a great relief" to win a fourth world championship this weekend in the Indian Grand Prix
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/redbull/motorsport/story/131339.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Friday, October 25, 2013
How Vettel, Red Bull can be crowned champions in India
Sebastian Vettel could wrap up a fourth consecutive drivers' title in New Delhi this weekend, with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso now his only championship rival. Meanwhile, Red Bull can also secure their fourth successive constructors' crown, with their only competition coming from Ferrari and Mercedes. Here are the main permutations
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/10/15144.html
F1: Raikkonen form hurt by revised tyres
Kimi Raikkonen says the chances of curing his qualifying issues are being hampered by the tyre usage restrictions that have been imposed over the second half of the campaign.
Cool, canny Alonso seems to have all the answers
The remarkable story of Fernando Alonso and Ferrari's incredible season continued at the German Grand Prix as the Spaniard became the first man to win three races in 2012 and moved into an imposing lead in the world championship.
Those three victories have all been very different, but equally impressive. And each has demonstrated specific aspects of the formidable army of Alonso's talents.
In Malaysia in the second race of the season, at a time when the Ferrari was not competitive in the dry, he grabbed the opportunity provided by rain to take a most unexpected first win.
In Valencia last month, it was Alonso's opportunism and clinical overtaking abilities that were to the fore.
Other drivers may wonder how to stop Alonso's relentless drive to a third title. Photo: Getty
And in Germany on Sunday his victory was founded on his relentlessness, canniness and virtual imperviousness to pressure.
Ferrari, lest we forget, started the season with a car that was the best part of a second and a half off the pace. Their progress since then has been hugely impressive.
But vastly improved though the car is, it was not, as Alonso himself, his team boss Stefano Domenicali and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel all pointed out after the race on Sunday, the fastest car in Germany.
Vettel's Red Bull - which finished second but was demoted to fifth for passing Jenson Button by going off the track - and the McLaren appeared to have a slight pace advantage over the Ferrari, given their ability to stay within a second of it for lap after lap.
But Alonso cleverly managed his race so he was always just out of reach of them when it mattered.
He pushed hard in the first sector every lap so he was always far enough ahead at the start of the DRS overtaking zone to ensure his pursuers were not quite close enough to try to pass him into the Turn 6 hairpin.
After that, he could afford to back off through the middle sector of the lap, taking the stress out of his tyres, before doing it all over again the next time around.
Managing the delicate Pirelli tyres in this way also meant he could push that bit harder in the laps immediately preceding his two pit stops and ensure he kept his lead through them.
Equally, he showed the presence of mind to realise when Lewis Hamilton unlapped himself on Vettel shortly before the second stops that if he could, unlike the Red Bull driver, keep Hamilton behind, it would give him a crucial advantage at the stop.
It was not quite "67 qualifying laps", as Domenicali described it after the race, but it was certainly a masterful demonstration of control and intelligence.
And there was no arguing with another of the Italian's post-race verdicts. "(Alonso) is at the peak of his personal performance, no doubt about it," Domenicali said.
It was the 30th victory of Alonso's career, and he is now only one behind Nigel Mansell in the all-time winners' list. The way he is driving, he will surely move ahead of the Englishman into fourth place behind Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna before the end of the year.
At the halfway point of the season, Alonso now looks down on his pursuers in the championship from the lofty vantage point of a 34-point advantage.
That is not, as Red Bull team principal Christian Horner correctly pointed out in Germany, "insurmountable" with 10 races still to go and 250 points up for grabs. But catching him when he is driving as well as this will take some doing.
Alonso is clearly enjoying the situation, and is taking opportunities to rub his rivals' noses in it a little.
He is not the only driver to have been wound up by the index-finger salute Vettel employed every time he took one of his 11 wins and 15 pole positions on the way to the title last year.
So it was amusing to see Alonso do the same thing after he had beaten the German to pole position at Vettel's home race on Saturday.
The exchange between Alonso, Button and Vettel as they climbed out of their cars immediately after the race was also illuminating.
After standing on his Ferrari's nose to milk the applause, Alonso turned to Button and said: "You couldn't beat me?" He then pointed to Vettel and said: "He couldn't either."
All part of the game, but a little reminder to both men of what a formidable job Alonso is doing this season.
The race underlined how close the performance is between the top three teams this year.
Red Bull had a shaky start to the season by their standards - although to nowhere near the extent of Ferrari - but have had on balance the fastest car in the dry since the Bahrain Grand Prix back in April.
And while McLaren have had a shaky couple of races in Valencia and Silverstone, they showed potential race-winning pace in Germany following the introduction of a major upgrade.
Despite a car damaged when he suffered an early puncture on debris left from a first-corner shunt ironically involving Alonso's team-mate Felipe Massa, Hamilton was able to run with the leaders before his retirement with gearbox damage.
And Button impressively fought his way up to second place from sixth on the grid, closing a five-second gap on Alonso and Vettel once he was into third place.
This has not been Button's greatest season, as he would be the first to admit.
Germany was the first race at which he has outqualified Hamilton in 2012 and even that may well have been down to the different tyre strategies they ran in qualifying.
Nevertheless, he remains a world-class grand prix driver and Germany proved the folly of those who had written him off after his recent struggles.
And despite Alonso's lead in the championship, the season is finely poised.
Germany was a low-key race for Mark Webber, who was unhappy with his car on the harder of the two tyres but remains second in the championship. And Red Bull's two drivers clearly have the equipment to make life difficult for Alonso.
The McLaren drivers are determined to make something of their season still and Lotus are quick enough to cause the three big teams some serious concern.
Mercedes, meanwhile, have a bit of work to do to turn around their tendency to qualify reasonably well and then go backwards in the race.
"It's going to be a great, great season," said McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh on Sunday. "It already has been a great season."
And the next instalment is already less than seven days away in Hungary next weekend.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/07/cool_canny_alonso_looks_diffic.html
Alonso urges Ferrari to up their game
Fernando Alonso was unimpressed with his running in Friday's practice in Japan after falling behind a Toro Rosso and a McLaren...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8967163/Alonso-urges-Ferrari-to-up-their-game
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Webber still doubts Red Bull call
Mark Webber still believes Red Bull's strategy cost him his best chance of victory at the Japanese Grand Prix
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/redbull/motorsport/story/131259.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Alonso urges Ferrari to up their game
Fernando Alonso was unimpressed with his running in Friday's practice in Japan after falling behind a Toro Rosso and a McLaren...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8967163/Alonso-urges-Ferrari-to-up-their-game
Ferrari to try out 2014 parts
Ferrari will use the remaining free practice sessions this year to test bits and pieces for 2014, starting in Korea...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8952737/Ferrari-to-try-out-2014-parts
Sebastian Vettel Q&A: Suzuka a season highlight
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel could wrap up the 2013 drivers' title in Japan on Sunday, though the odds are heavily stacked against it. Instead, Vettel is concentrating on simply enjoying racing at one of his favourite circuits, with the support of some of his biggest fans
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2013/10/15075.html
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
F1: F1 has 'failed' over Indian GP
Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn thinks it will be tough for India to return to the grand prix calendar, and that Formula 1 failed to promote itself effectively in the country
Ferrari ‘open’ about team orders, unlike rivals | 2013 F1 season
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali says Ferrari are 'open' about their use of tactics that disadvantage one of their drivers to favour the other in the championship. 
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/f1fanatic/~3/aPjltkcNyEU/
MOTOGP: Lorenzo: title battle now transformed
Jorge Lorenzo says the 2013 MotoGP title fight is totally different following Marc Marquez's Phillip Island disqualification, but that it is still largely out of his hands.
'Massa would be an asset'
Ferrari deputy chief designer Simone Resta believes any team would be lucky to have Felipe Massa on the pay roll...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8949792/-Massa-would-be-an-asset-
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Team orders in spotlight again
 Will Christian Horner regret not utilising team orders in Brazil? |
“The extra seven points Alonso collected when Ferrari ordered Felipe Massa to move over for him in Germany earlier in the season are now looking even more crucial. “And the £65,000 fine they picked up for ruthlessly breaking the rules will seem loose change if Alonso clinches the title in his first year with the Maranello team. “Red Bull could have switched the result yesterday given their crushing dominance and still celebrated their first constructors' championship just five years after coming into the sport. “That would also have given Webber an extra seven points, leaving him just one behind Alonso.”The Guardian’s Paul Weaver says that if Fernando Alonso does take the drivers’ title in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari owes a debt of gratitude to Red Bull for their decision not to employ team orders in Brazil.
“If Alonso does take the title next week it would not be inappropriate were he and Ferrari to send a few gallons of champagne to Red Bull's headquarters in Milton Keynes. “While Red Bull should be heartily applauded for the championship they did win today their apparent acceptance that Ferrari might carry off the more glamorous prize continues to baffle Formula One and its globetrotting supporters. “Their refusal to make life easy for Webber, who has led for much of the season and is still seven points ahead of Vettel, means that whatever happens in the desert next week Alonso, the only driver who was capable of taking the championship in the race today, only has to secure second place to guarantee his third world title.”The Independent’s David Tremayne is also of the opinion that Red Bull may regret not using team orders in Brazil.
“Had Red Bull elected to adopt team orders and let Webber win – something that the governing body allows when championships are at stake – Webber would have left Brazil with 245 points – just one point off the lead. For some that was confirmation of his suggestion that Vettel is the team's favoured driver – which generated an angry call from team owner Dietrich Mateschitz in Austria and was much denied by team principal, Christian Horner. “And it sets up a situation where, if the result is repeated next weekend, as is likely, Vettel and Webber will tie on 256, five behind Alonso.”The Mirror’s Byron Young has put Lewis Hamilton’s fading title chances down to an inferior McLaren machine and he admits the 2008 World Champion now needs a miracle.
“Sebastian Vettel's victory sends the world title fight to a four-way showdown for the first time in the sport's history. “Hamilton goes there as part of that story with a 24-point deficit to Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, but with just 25 on offer in the final round in six days' time it would take more than a miracle. “Driving an outclassed McLaren he slugged it out against superior machinery and stiff odds to finish fourth.”
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/11/team_orders_in_spotlight_again_1.php
Would Vettel or Alonso be more deserving champion?
On the surface, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso seem very different. Alonso is all dark, brooding intensity; charismatic but distant.
Vettel is much sunnier - chatty, long answers, always ready with a joke and, as the Abu Dhabi podium ceremony proved, a salty English phrase.
Underneath, though, they share more than might at first be apparent. Both are highly intelligent, intensely dedicated to their profession, and totally ruthless in their own way.
Equally, although Alonso’s wit may be less obvious than Vettel’s, it is highly developed, bone dry, effective, and often used to tactical ends.
Sebastian Vettel (right) leads Fernando Alonso in the Championship going into the penultimate race of the season. Photo: Reuters
And they are both, of course, utterly fantastic racing drivers.
These two all-time greats head into the final two races of a marathon and topsy-turvey 2012 Formula 1 season separated by a tiny margin. Ten points is the same as a fifth place - or the margin between finishing first and third.
Vettel, on account of being ahead and having comfortably the faster car, is favourite. But within F1 there is a feeling that Alonso would be the more deserving champion, so well has he performed in a car that is not the best.
But is that a fair and accurate point of view? Let's look at their seasons, and you can make your own judgement.
THE GOOD
Vettel
It seems strange now, in the wake of Red Bull's recent pulverising form, but at the start of this season the world champions were struggling.
The car always had very good race pace - it was right up with the quickest from Melbourne on - but qualifying was a different matter.
In China, Vettel did not make it into the top 10 shoot-out in qualifying; in Monaco he did – just - but then did not run because he didn’t feel he had the pace to make it worthwhile.
In both races, though, he was competitive, taking a fifth place in China and fourth in Monaco, where he nearly won.
That was the story of the first two-thirds of Vettel’s season. He kept plugging away, delivering the points and keeping himself in contention in the championship.
He took only one win – in Bahrain, from pole – and he should have had another in Valencia, when he was as dominant as he ever was in 2011 only to retire with alternator failure.
Then, when Red Bull finally hit the sweet spot with their car, he delivered four consecutive wins (one of them inherited following Lewis Hamilton’s retirement in Singapore), the last three from the front row of the grid, including two pole positions.
And in Abu Dhabi there was an impressive comeback drive to third after being demoted to the back of the grid, albeit with the help of a significant dose of luck.
Alonso
It is hard to think of a race in which, assuming he got around the first corner, Alonso has not been on world-class form.
In Australia, when Ferrari were really struggling with their car at the start of the season, he fought up from 12th on the grid to finish fifth (including getting up to eighth on the first lap).
His three victories have been among the best all year –in the wet in Malaysia from ninth on the grid; in Valencia from 11th, including some stunning, clinical and brave overtaking manoeuvres; and a superbly controlled defensive drive in Germany, holding off the faster cars of Vettel and Jenson Button for the entire race, by going flat out only where he needed to, lap after lap after lap.
Then, to pick out some other highlights, there was beating the Red Bulls to pole in the wet at both Silverstone and Hockenheim; his rise from 10th on the grid to third in Monza, including a courageous pass on Vettel a couple of laps after being forced on to the grass at nearly 200mph; and splitting the Red Bulls to finish second in India.
THE BAD
Vettel
Impressive Vettel has been this year, flawless he has not.
In Malaysia, he cost himself a fourth place by sweeping too early across the front of Narain Karthikeyan’s HRT while lapping it. There was a hint of frustration and a sense of entitlement about the move – as there was in his post-race comments in which he called Karthikeyan an “idiot”.
In Spain, he was penalised for ignoring yellow caution flags.
In Hockenheim he overtook Jenson Button’s McLaren off the circuit, earning himself a demotion from second to fifth place, despite the drivers being warned only a month or so before that they could not benefit by going off the track.
In Monza, he earned a drive-through penalty for pushing Alonso on to the grass at nearly 200mph, in presumed retaliation for a similar move the Spaniard had pulled on Vettel in the same place the previous year. Again, this was despite the drivers being warned that they had to leave room for a rival who had any part of his car alongside any part of theirs.
In qualifying in Japan, he got away with blocking Alonso at the chicane, despite Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne being penalised for doing the same thing to Williams’s Bruno Senna earlier in the session.
And in India he appeared to break guidelines about having all four wheels off the track at one of the chicanes on his only top-10 qualifying lap, but kept his time because the only available footage was from outside the car, and showed only the front wheels. So the FIA had to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Alonso
Er… Has Alonso made any errors at all this year?
Well, he did cost himself a couple of points in China when he ran off the road attempting to pass Williams’s Pastor Maldonado around the outside of Turn Seven – a move that Vettel did pull off against Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen.
He spun in a downpour in second qualifying at Silverstone, just before the session was red-flagged because it was too dangerous.
And some argue that, defending a championship lead, he should not have put himself in the position he did at the start in Japan, where his rear wheel was tagged by Kimi Raikkonen’s Lotus on the run to the first corner, putting Alonso out of the race.
The claim is that Alonso had everything to lose and that, while he did nothing wrong, trying to intimidate Raikkonen into backing off, and squeezing him twice, was too big a risk.
The opposing view of that incident is that Raikkonen, who was behind Alonso, had a better view of the situation and should have realised he wasn’t going anywhere from where he was and backed off.
THE MISFORTUNE
Vettel has lost points from two alternator failures, one in Valencia when he was leading and one in Italy when he was running sixth. And third became fourth in Canada when a planned one-stop strategy had to he aborted. That’s 36 points lost.
Alonso was taken out twice at the start – once definitely not his fault (Belgium, when Romain Grosjean’s flying Lotus narrowly missed his head); and once arguably not (Japan).
He lost a possible win in Monaco because Ferrari didn’t realise that if they left him out a bit longer before his pit stop he could have overtaken leader Mark Webber and second-placed Nico Rosberg as well as third-placed Lewis Hamilton.
He should have finished second in Canada and probably won in Silverstone - rather than being fifth and second - but for errant tyre strategies, and he would have been on the front row and finished at least second in Monza had his rear anti-roll bar not failed in qualifying.
That’s 60-odd points lost.
A POST SCRIPT
While we’re analysing Vettel and Alonso, spare a thought for Lewis Hamilton.
The McLaren driver finally lost any mathematical chance of the title after his retirement from the lead in Abu Dhabi. He is 90 points behind Vettel.
Hamilton has said that he has driven at his absolute best this season, and it’s hard to disagree – he has not made a single mistake worth the name.
But his year has been a story of operational and technical failures by his team.
At least three wins have been lost (Spain, Singapore and Abu Dhabi), as well as a series of other big points finishes, as detailed by BBC Radio 5 live commentator James Allen in his blog.
Without that misfortune, Hamilton would be right up with Vettel and Alonso, if not ahead of them.
So, if you’re thinking about ‘deserving’ world champions, if such a thing exists, spare a thought for him too.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/11/benson.html
McLaren drivers out of title race
 Is it now a three-way battle for the title? |
“Focus and concentration will be of paramount importance and there is none stronger in this regard than Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.”The Guardian’s Oliver Owen thinks that it is Mark Webber’s title to lose now, and that this may be the Australian’s last realistic chance of winning the title.
“He has driven beautifully. Monaco and Silverstone spring to mind. He has been an uncompromising racer, not giving Vettel or Lewis Hamilton an inch in Turkey and Singapore respectively. Most importantly, he has largely avoided the bouts of brain fade that can wreck a season – his on-track hooning in Melbourne when racing Hamilton being the only exception. But there is a feeling that for Webber it is now or never, that a chance of a tilt at the title may never come again. He is certainly driving as if that is the case and that has been his strength.”According to The Mirror’s Byron Young, both McLaren drivers are now out of the title hunt after their fourth and fifth place finishes in Suzuka.
“McLaren's title hopes died yesterday in a weekend from Hell at Suzuka. Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth in a Japanese Grand Prix they had to win to have the remotest chance of keeping their title bid alive."The Sun’s Michael Spearman was of the same opinion, saying “Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button's title hopes were in tatters after a shocker in Japan.”
Source: http://blogs.espnf1.com/paperroundf1/archives/2010/10/mclaren_drivers_out_of_title_r_1.php
Lewis Hamilton Q&A: I have nothing to lose
Having topped both practice sessions in Korea on Friday, Lewis Hamilton headed into qualifying on Saturday as a serious threat for pole position.
In the end the Mercedes driver had to settle for second best behind the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel, but Hamilton doesn't intend to let the reigning world champion have an easy ride on Sunday
In the end the Mercedes driver had to settle for second best behind the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel, but Hamilton doesn't intend to let the reigning world champion have an easy ride on Sunday
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2013/10/15050.html
Monday, October 21, 2013
FIA Friday press conference - Japan
Team Representatives - Dave Greenwood (Marussia), Tom McCullough (Sauber), James Key (Toro Rosso), Jonathan Neale (McLaren), Pat Fry (Ferrari), Paul Monaghan (Red Bull Racing).
Q: Dave if I may start with you. You've got a new partnership starting… I guess it's started already. In fact, that's the question: how's it going
Q: Dave if I may start with you. You've got a new partnership starting… I guess it's started already. In fact, that's the question: how's it going
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/10/15086.html
Sat: Red Bull, Merc, Lotus, Ferrari
Mark Webber will start the Japanese GP from pole position having beaten Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton to the coveted grid slot...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8968831/Sat-Red-Bull-Merc-Lotus-Ferrari
The Finishing Line - with Williams' Valtteri Bottas
Williams' rookie Valtteri Bottas may still be awaiting his first points finish in Formula One racing, but there's no doubt he's made a strong impression, not least with his performance in Canada where he qualified a brilliant third.
Now it's time for the 24-year-old Finn to tackle our special 'Finishing Line' quiz; designed to help you get to know the world's greatest drivers a little better
Now it's time for the 24-year-old Finn to tackle our special 'Finishing Line' quiz; designed to help you get to know the world's greatest drivers a little better
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2013/10/15116.html
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Maria de Villota, 1980-2013
Former Marussia test driver Maria de Villota has passed away, aged 33.
The Spanish racer, daughter of ex-Formula One driver and British Formula Three series champion Emilio de Villota, raced in several categories including Spanish F3 and sportscars before joining Marussia as a test driver in March 2012
The Spanish racer, daughter of ex-Formula One driver and British Formula Three series champion Emilio de Villota, raced in several categories including Spanish F3 and sportscars before joining Marussia as a test driver in March 2012
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/10/15083.html
F3: Rosenqvist keeps hopes alive with win
Felix Rosenqvist kept his bid for the Formula 3 European Championship alive with a dominant victory in the first of three races at the Hockenheim season finale
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Ready Stefan GP hits out at US F1
Stefan GP will reveal its 2010 car next week in the hope that the FIA will allow it to take the place of any no-shows in this year's championship
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/9736.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Sauber: Giving up on 2013 was never an option
The first half of 2013 was anything but satisfying for Sauber. Seven world championship points after ten races was a modest harvest. Nevertheless, since the Italian Grand Prix the team has shown a significant improvement, scoring 38 points in the last four races.
This puts the Swiss squad into a solid seventh place in the constructors' standings. Team principal Monisha Kaltenborn explains how they turned the tide
This puts the Swiss squad into a solid seventh place in the constructors' standings. Team principal Monisha Kaltenborn explains how they turned the tide
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2013/10/15114.html
Friday, October 18, 2013
MOTOGP: Lorenzo edges Marquez in practice one
Jorge Lorenzo edged Marc Marquez as the two 2013 MotoGP title contenders set a blazing pace in first practice at Phillip Island
Alonso looks to keep 'miracle' alive
Fernando Alonso believes it is only through a miracle that he is still fighting for the World title so late in the season...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8964429/Alonso-looks-to-keep-miracle-alive
Ferrari eye more podiums
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has urged the team to finish the 2013 season on a high and fight for a few more podiums...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8975361/Ferrari-eye-more-podiums
India preview quotes - Sauber & Caterham on New Delhi
Round 16 of the 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship sees the paddock make its third trip to the Buddh International Circuit in New Delhi. This year the exciting young venue could well stage its very first title decider. Those involved in the 2013 Formula 1 Airtel Indian Grand Prix discuss their prospects for the coming weekend
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/10/15115.html
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Hulkenberg remains on Ferrari's radar
Nico Hulkenberg's dreams of driving for Ferrari are not completely over with team boss Stefano Domenicali admitting he could move there in future...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8951024/Hulkenberg-remains-on-Ferrari-s-radar
Hamilton and Mercedes on top in FP1
Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes set the pace in the opening practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix as Suzuka threw up its usual share of thrills and spills in FP1
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/japan/motorsport/story/129257.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Ferrari eye more podiums
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has urged the team to finish the 2013 season on a high and fight for a few more podiums...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8975361/Ferrari-eye-more-podiums
Alonso urges Ferrari to up their game
Fernando Alonso was unimpressed with his running in Friday's practice in Japan after falling behind a Toro Rosso and a McLaren...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8967163/Alonso-urges-Ferrari-to-up-their-game
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Webber cost himself chance of win - Horner
Christian Horner has explained the reasons behind Red Bull switching Mark Webber to a three-stop strategy in the Japanese Grand Prix
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/japan/motorsport/story/130159.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Never forget how great Michael Schumacher was
Michael Schumacher was given a round of applause by the assembled media after he finished the prepared statement with which he announced his second retirement from Formula 1 at the Japanese Grand Prix on Thursday.
It was a mark of the respect still held for Schumacher and a reflection of the appreciation for what was clearly an emotional moment for the man whose seven world titles re-wrote the sport's history books.
Schumacher stumbled a couple of times as he read off the paper in front of him and once, as he mentioned the support of his wife Corinna, his voice almost cracked.
Once through the statement and on to a question-and-answer session with the journalists, he was more comfortable, relaxed in a way he has so often been since his comeback, and so rarely was in the first stint of his career.
Schumacher's retirement from the Singapore Grand Prix had a familiar look to it. Photo: Getty
The Schumacher who returned to Formula 1 in 2010 with Mercedes was quite different from the one who finished his first career with Ferrari in 2006.
The new Schumacher was more human, more open and more likeable.
As he put it himself on Thursday: "In the past six years I have learned a lot about myself, for example that you can open yourself without losing focus, that losing can be both more difficult and more instructive than winning. Sometimes I lost this out of sight in the earlier years."
Most importantly, though, the new Schumacher was nowhere near as good.
In every way possible, there is no other way to view his return to F1 than as a failure.
When he announced his comeback back in December 2009, he talked about winning the world title. Instead, he has scored one podium in three years, and in that period as a whole he has been trounced by team-mate Nico Rosberg in terms of raw pace. In their 52 races together, Schumacher has out-qualified his younger compatriot only 15 times.
It is ironic, then, that there have been marked signs of improvement from Schumacher this season. In 14 races so far, he has actually out-qualified Rosberg eight-six.
And although Rosberg has taken the team's only win - in China earlier this year, when he was demonstrably superior all weekend - arguably Schumacher has been the better Mercedes driver this year.
Schumacher has suffered by far the worst of the team's frankly unacceptable reliability record and would almost certainly have been ahead of Rosberg in the championship had that not been the case. And he might even have won in Monaco had not a five-place grid penalty demoted him from pole position.
That penalty, though, was given to Schumacher for an accident he caused at the previous race in Spain, when he rammed into the back of Williams driver Bruno Senna having misjudged his rival's actions.
That was only one of four similar incidents in the last 18 months that have crystallised the impression that the time was approaching where Schumacher should call it a day.
It is unfortunate timing, to say the least, that the last of those incidents happened less than two weeks ago in Singapore, almost as if it was the straw that broke the camel's back.
That was not the case, of course. Schumacher has been vacillating on his future for months and in the end his hand was forced. Mercedes signed Lewis Hamilton and Schumacher was left with the decision of trying to get a drive with a lesser team or quitting. He made the right call.
His struggles since his return have had an unfortunate effect on Schumacher's legacy. People within F1 - people with the highest regard for his achievements - have begun to question what went before.
There have always been question marks over his first title with Benetton in 1994, given the highly controversial nature of that year. Illegal driver aids were found in the car, but Benetton were not punished because governing body the FIA said they could find no proof they had been used.
But since 2010 people have begun to look back at the dominant Ferrari era of the early 2000s, when Schumacher won five titles in a row, and begun to wonder aloud just how much of an advantage he had.
It was the richest team, they had unlimited testing and bespoke tyres. Did this, people have said, mean Schumacher was not as good as he had looked?
If you watched him during his first career, though, you know how ridiculous an assertion this is. Schumacher in his pomp was undoubtedly one of the very greatest racing drivers there has ever been, a man who was routinely, on every lap, able to dance on a limit accessible to almost no-one else.
Sure, the competition in his heyday was not as deep as it is now, but Schumacher performed miracles with a racing car that stands comparison with the greatest drives of any era.
Victories such as his wet-weather domination of Spain in 1996, his incredible fightback in Hungary in 1998, his on-the-limit battle with Mika Hakkinen at Suzuka that clinched his first title in 2000 were tours de force. And there were many more among that astonishing total of 91 victories.
So too, as has been well documented, was there a dark side to Schumacher, and it was never far away through his first career.
Most notoriously, he won his first world title after driving Damon Hill off the road. He failed to pull off a similar stunt in 1997 with Jacques Villeneuve. And perhaps most pernicious of all, he deliberately parked his car in Monaco qualifying in 2006 to stop Fernando Alonso taking pole position from him.
Those were just the most extreme examples of a modus operandi in which Schumacher seemed often to act without morals, a man who was prepared to do literally anything to win, the sporting personification of Machiavelli's prince, for whom the ends justified the means.
Those acts continue to haunt Schumacher today, and even now he still refuses to discuss them, won't entertain the prospect of saying sorry.
"We are all humans and we all make mistakes," he said at Suzuka on Thursday. "And with hindsight you would probably do it differently if you had a second opportunity, but that's life."
He was given a second opportunity at F1, and he took it because in three years he had found nothing to replace it in his life.
His self-belief persuaded him that he could come back as good as he had been when he went away, but he learnt that time stands still for no man.
He has finally been washed aside by the tide of youth that with the arrival of Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen towards the end of his first career already seemed to be replacing one generation with the next.
It seems appropriate in many ways that the agent for that was Hamilton, the man who many regard as the fastest driver of his generation.
That, after all, is what Schumacher was, as well as one of the very greatest there has ever been. And nothing that has happened in the last three years can take that away.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2012/10/never_forget_how_great_schumac.html
I'm not as boring as Schumacher - Vettel
Sebastian Vettel denies his dominance in the last four races is similar to Michael Schumacher's in the early 2000s
Source: http://en.espnf1.com/redbull/motorsport/story/129047.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Sebastian Vettel Q&A: I'll be racing for victory in India
For a while in Japan on Sunday Sebastian Vettel looked beatable, but Red Bull's world champion was playing the long game all along and came through in the closing stages for another convincing victory. It means that fifth place in India in a fortnight's time will be enough to secure him a fourth successive drivers' crown. Vettel, of course, will be aiming much higher than fifth
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2013/10/15110.html
Sun: Red Bull, Lotus, Sauber, Merc
Sebastian Vettel claimed victory number eight of the season as he beat Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean in Korea...
Source: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3370/8960027/Sun-Red-Bull-Lotus-Sauber-Merc
F1: Bottas criticises Maldonado move
Valtteri Bottas has criticised Williams team-mate Pastor Maldonado for forcing him off track to avoid a collision on the final lap of the Japanese Grand Prix
Monday, October 14, 2013
Alonso overhauls Schumacher to become top scorer in F1® history
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso has surpassed Michael Schumacher as the all-time leading points scorer in Formula One history.
Alonso scored 12 points for finishing fourth in Japan on Sunday, taking his career tally to 1,571 points - five more than Schumacher's total of 1,566
Alonso scored 12 points for finishing fourth in Japan on Sunday, taking his career tally to 1,571 points - five more than Schumacher's total of 1,566
Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/10/15106.html
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".
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.
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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
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