Alonso jokes as Webber wins FIA prize

Mark Webber has revealed he had mixed feelings when he beat Fernando Alonso to third place in the 2011 constructors’ standings.

The pair, who are friends, lead similarly guarded private lives, so in the closing stages of the championship they considered the ‘prize’ that went along with pipping the other to the post for third place.

“Only the top three drivers have to go”, said Webber, referring to the official FIA prize-giving gala, which was held recently in India.

“Jenson, Fernando and I had had a bit of a joke on the drivers’ parade before the final race of the season in Brazil last month.

“We were all keen to improve our championship positions, but none of us were that up for any extra travel,” he wrote in his last BBC column for the year.

“In the end, I won in Brazil, relegating Fernando to fourth. He’s an intense competitor but I don’t think he was that unhappy about losing out by one point,” said Webber.

“I got a text message from him the day before I was going to India, reminding me that I had to go. It was along the lines of ‘This is your captain speaking, your flight is ready for boarding’. It made me smile.”

Source: YallaF1

Video: Kimi Räikkönen Crash at Swatch Snow Mobile 2011

Kimi Räikkönen and his accident during Swatch Snow Mobile in Austria



Courtesy: Verena

Hamilton surprised by Alonso warning

Lewis Hamilton has admitted that it is nice to learn that he has the attention of his rival, despite a poor 2011 season

Lewis Hamilton has admitted to being pleasantly surprised by Fernando Alonso's claim that he will be the one to watch in pre-season testing, having struggled for form in 2011.

The Briton, who endured a fractious relationship with Alonso during their season together at McLaren in 2007, admitted that he would not have expected anyone to tip him as a threat for next season based on what has happened in 2011. Citing 'personal issues' as a distraction throughout the past couple of years, Hamilton has won just twice this season, with such performances surrounded by a litany of questionable on-track moments and visits to the stewards' office.

Despite that, Alonso was quoted as warning the F1 field to watch out for the McLaren driver in pre-season testing ahead of the 2012 campaign, telling the Italian press that Hamilton was 'the only driver able to clinch a championship with a car that's not the best'.

"Hamilton did not have a super season this year, who knows whether it was due to the Pirelli tyres or the fact that, with blown diffusers now, driving has changed," the Spaniard mused, "On top of that, [Jenson] Button is having a great year. All of this concurred to give the impression that his season hasn't been so good.

"But let's consider India, when he took second place in qualifying. It's like soccer: if Real Madrid or Barcelona are not performing particularly well on a given season, that does not mean that they're not top league. In fact, at the next winter testing, [Hamilton] will be the only one I'll be watching closely. The other guys can win if they've got the best car; he's the one who's able to clinch a championship with a car that's not the best."

The comments, while taking a little while to register, clearly went down well with Hamilton.

"I'm blown away that Fernando is so positive towards me, despite my season and also despite the differences we've had," the 26-year old admitted after the opening day of practice in Abu Dhabi, "It's nice to know that I've got support from some drivers."

The Briton, who is only fifth in the current standings and hoping to end a series of well-publicised clashes with Alonso's Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa, claimed that, since Alonso left McLaren to return to Renault in 2008, their relationship has got steadily better, with respect now mutual.

"I think our friendship and the respect we have for each other has got a lot stronger," Hamilton confirmed, "It's nice to see that coming out because I have only ever said he is one of the best drivers - if not the best driver - here."

Source: Crash.net

Pained Hamilton looks for answers

The mysterious disappearance of Lewis Hamilton's race pace has stumped the McLaren driver heading into Sunday's Korean Grand Prix

The 2008 Formula One world champion cut an unusually subdued figure after last weekend's Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, struggling to understand where his pace had gone while team mate Jenson Button celebrated victory.

He missed out on pole position after crossing the line too late to get in a second lap and then had another coming together in the race with Ferrari rival Felipe Massa.

Even a visit to paddock neighbours Red Bull to congratulate Germany's Sebastian Vettel on a second successive championship ended in failure when he was unable to find the 24-year-old.

Hamilton could have blamed some of his woes on a slow puncture but instead, talking to British reporters with little animation, he was hard on himself and also seemingly lost for an explanation.

"We've got far bigger problems than that to worry about the championship," he said when asked whether it hurt to see Vettel, more than two years junior, win his second title.

While he agreed that his car was 'fantastically quick', the 26-year-old said he was just "not fast enough."

"I think you're all trying to come out solutions as to why I'm not going well, but there is no solution, there is no answer to it," he said as reporters suggested possible reasons.

"I don't know what the answer is, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't just jump to conclusions because I don't know what the answer is.

"I just wasn't quick enough. I was quick in qualifying, I just wasn't quick in the race."

NIGHTMARE SEASON

Hamilton has had a nightmare season, regularly called before the stewards and triggering numerous controversies over his aggressive driving style. Some of his comments have been ill-chosen and he is trailing Button in the standings.

Since his debut in 2007, and including that memorable season, Hamilton has never ended a championship behind a team mate on points.

There is a suspicion that the easy-going Button's increasing popularity and success in a team once seen as being built around the protege Hamilton, is starting to unsettle the younger Englishman more than he would like to admit.

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh indicated that Hamilton was fighting a number of battles, some of them psychological, but expected him to fight back at the Yeongam circuit.

"His form will return," he said. "There's no-one in this team that doesn't believe in Lewis Hamilton.

"Every international athlete has highs and lows, and this has been a difficult time. That's the way of life sometimes," he told reporters.

"When things aren't going well they seem to multiply on you and that affects your mental condition, your state of mind, and it makes it more difficult."

Whitmarsh pointed out that Hamilton was five years younger than Button, who had been through plenty of difficult times earlier in his career.

"We have these massive expectations, and Lewis has massive expectations, on very young shoulders," he said of a driver who finished runner-up in the championship in one of the most sensational rookie seasons ever.

"When you start and it's very easy, then when you have that pressure and expectation, it takes some adjustment. He is dealing with that, and I am sure he will. He is a tough little fighter," added Whitmarsh.

"So I'm sure he's going to come good very, very soon."

Source: Reuters Sports

Lewis Hamilton doffs his cap to Vettel

Lewis Hamilton is the latest to offer his congratulations to Sebastian Vettel, saying the German has been "exceptional" this year

Vettel clinched his second title in Japan on Sunday when his third-placed finish assured him of an unassailable lead in the standings.

The German's efforts are already being lauded by all with Hamilton the latest to add his praises.

"I think he has been exceptional this year," the 2008 World Champ told the Independent newspaper. "He has driven really, really well.

"He has finished first and second in all the races, apart from one, so consistent, well controlled.

"His persona, attitude, I think has been very professional. He has made very few mistakes - and even the two small ones have not been very costly.

"So I take my hat off to him - I think he has done fantastically well."

Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso, who lost his record as F1's youngest double World Champ to Vettel on Sunday, reckons the German and his Red Bull team fully deserve the title.

"The Championship of Sebastian and Red Bull has been supreme, with no mistakes at all and very dominant victories all through the season," he said.

"He drove perfectly in all races and qualifying in all conditions, wet or dry, and he's a good World Champion.

"We know that we need to improve a lot to be at the levels they were this year."

Source: Planet-F1

Vettel: I could not have done this alone

Sebastian Vettel claimed a dominant second World title in Suzuka on Sunday but insists the "hardest thing is winning after winning last year."

Vettel has been by far the best driver on the grid this season, claiming 12 pole positions and nine race victories. Added to that, he also had an additional five podium finishes to his name.

But while his race to the World title may have looked easy on paper, Vettel reckons winning the second is harder than claiming the first.

"The hardest thing is winning after winning last year," he said. "We won the Championship, it was so close and we were so excited, even knowing how to do it doesn't allow you to forget all these steps.

"I could not have done this all alone. It is as confusing as the first one I must say. It is hard to find the right words."

The German, who finished Sunday's Japanese GP in third place after being beaten by Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso in the pits, was rather emotional in the post-race press conference.

"It's difficult where to start. It's such a long year and a fantastic year and the good thing is it's not over yet," he said.

"Today's race we weren't as quick on the soft tyres and we lost two positions. It was difficult to get past Alonso and I don't think he's letting me through this way twice after Monza.

"To win the Championship here is fantastic.

"There are so many things you want to say but it's hard to remember all of them. I'm so thankful to everyone in the team, pushing hard to build those two cars. It's great to achieve the goal we set ourselves this year already now.

"One person that really stands out this yaer is the person I spend most of my time with my trainer Tommi Parmakoski. He was the one not allowing me at any stage this year to start to think about things that were not in my control.

"It's great to know that it is so tight but to know that we can come so strong out of it. This year we've always been this one step ahead. It's down to people like Tommi and individuals who keep us on the right track."

Sunday's title means Vettel has gone down in the record books as F1's youngest double World Champ and youngest back-to-back title holder.

Source: Planet-F1

Button Wins Japanese GP, Seb The Title

Jenson Button may have clinched Japanese GP victory, however, he could do nothing to stop Sebastian Vettel from claiming the World title

Starting first and second on the grid with Vettel ahead of the McLaren driver, the German did all he could to stop Button from taking the lead - even pushing him onto the grass. But with the Red Bull running out of tyres faster than the rest of the field Button found his way past in the pit-stops.

It was another thrilling race with a resurgent Fernando Alonso taking second place, Michael Schumacher surviving a hefty impact from Mark Webber's front wing and going on to become the oldest driver to lead an F1 GP. Plus there was the inevitable coming together of Massa and Hamilton.

Race Report
It was a bright sunny autumnal day at Suzuka with an ambient tempretaure of 24C and the trac at 35C.

Six Rows of Grid : 1.Vettel, 2.Button, 3.Hamilton, 4.Massa, 5.Alonso, 6.Webber, 7.Kobayashi, 8.Schumacher, 9.Petrov, 10.Senna, 11.Sutil, 12.DiResta

Start: It was a clean get-away for the grid (unlike 2010) with Jenson Button getting a great start from P2. Vettel thought he had a good start too but still veered across to the right and pushed Jenson Button to the inside.

Button had his front tyre tucked inside Vettel's rear and the Red Bull kept on coming, pushing the McLaren onto the grass. Button slowed and dropped in behind Vettel but this allowed Lewis Hamilton to move up to P2. Behind, the Ferraris slotted in in grid order.

Big loser from the start was Kamui Kobayashi who was starting from his best ever gridslot, P7. The anti-stall kicked in for the Japanese Sauber driver and he bogged down, losing many places.

Positions after Lap 1 1.Vettel, 2.Hamilton, 3.Button, 4.Massa 5.Alonso, 6.Webber, 7.Schumacher, 8.DiResta, 9.Sutil, 10.Petrov, 11.Buemi, 12.Kobayashi

With the DRS enabled after Lap 2 it didn't look to be giving the drivers a huge advantage down the straight into Turn 1, but on Lap 6 Alonso made it past Massa in a choreographed move that switched the Ferrari order. Despite being evenly matched in qualifying Vettel started to open up a gap to Hamilton. On Lap 5 it was 2.3 seconds, by Lap 7 it was 3.9 seconds and team-mate Button was catching him rapidly.

Lewis slowed and pitted at the end of Lap 8, when it was revealed that he was suffering from a slow puncture. Vettel radioed in that he was losing the rear tyres during Lap 9 and came in for his first pitstop at the end of the lap. This triggered a whole round of pit-stops with Button, Alonso, Webber and DiResta in the lap after that. Massa was temporarily in the lead until he pitted at the end of Lap 11.

Positions after Lap 12 1.Vettel, 2.Button, 3.Alonso, 4.Hamilton, 5.Massa, 6.Webber, 7.Petrov (not stopped), 8.Schumacher

In the second stint Jenson Button began to close on Vettel and Felipe Massa got into the DRS zone of Lewis Hamilton who was falling away from third place Fernando Alonso. Button closed the gap down from 2.8 seconds on Lap 15 to 1.6 seconds on Lap 18 with a couple of fastest laps thrown in.

Vettel then dived into the pits for more soft tyres at the end of Lap 19 and Red Bull executed a fantastic double pit-stop with Sebastian leaving the pitbox just as Mark Webber arrived. Button came in a lap later and exited in front.

Just as Lewis Hamilton was due to stop for his second pit-stop Felipe Massa tried a highly optimistic pass on the outside going into the final chicane. It was never going to come off, but as Hamilton moved out right the pair made contact yet again. The incident was investigated - just as the Button/Vettel one was - but no action was taken. Hamilton had a slightly longer pit-stop as the team checked out the car for damage.

Positions after Lap 23 1.Button, 2.Vettel, 3.Alonso, 4.Webber, 5.Massa, 6.Schumacher (stopped once) 7.Hamilton, 8.Sutil, 9.DiResta, 10.Kobayashi, 11.Barrichello

The incident between Massa and Hamilton looked to have taken off some Ferrari bodywork which was in the middle of the track approaching the chicane, and on Lap 24 the Safety Car was dispatched to pick it up. There was also some at Turn 7 and the cars circulated for three tours while it was picked up by the marshals.

At the restart, leader Jenson Button backed the pack right up before setting off at pace. His next lap (28) was the fastest lap of the race as he set about establishing a race-winning gap. By Lap 30 he had opened it up to 2.2 seconds, by Lap 32 it was 2.8 seconds.

At the end of Lap 32 Vettel's tyres were gone again and now teams were switching from the soft Option to the medium Prime tyres. Vettel pitted on Lap 33, Webber on 34, Hamilton on 35, Button on 36 and Alonso on 37.

Because of the safety car backing up the pack, when Vettel emerged after his pit-stop he was back down in P11. Delayed by the Saubers and Force Indias, he found Perez in between himself and Button when Jenson rejoined the track. In fact the gap had become so big that Fernando Alonso slotted into it (for nte P2) after his pit-stop. All the while Michael Schumacher hadn't pitted and so he was able to establish the record of the oldest man ever to lead an F1 race.

On Lap 38 there was action up and down the length of the field with Hamilton cruising past Massa on the straight, Vettel keen to get back on terms with Alonso and Mark Webber passing a Force India on the inside at 130R.

Positions after Lap 38 1.Schumacher (stopped twice), 2.Button, 3.Alonso, 4.Vettel, 5. Webber, 6.Rosberg (stopped twice) 7.Hamilton, 8.Massa, 9.Petrov, 10.Kobayashi

Vettel using his DRS down the straight could get close to Alonso, but was never in a position to pass. On Lap 41 Michael Schumacher pitted for the last time and rejoined in P6, behind Hamilton and in front of Massa. Though he was on fresher tyres he couldn't put pressure on the McLaren and never got to within a second of Lewis Hamilton. Massa followed his gearbox all the way to the line just 0.9 back.

On Lap 44 Button had a 4.3 second lead over Alonso but this soon began to drop. By Lap 48 the lead was down to 2.1 seconds, by Lap 50 it was only 1.0 seconds and the Ferrari driver sensed a chance. At which point Button put his foot down and started to set personal best sector times, and then purple fastest sector times and then on Lap 52 the fastest lap of the race a 1:36.568.

The Briton took the race victory but the margin was a slim one. He parked his car at the end of the pitlane, worried about running out of fuel on the slowing down lap. Alonso claimed a P2 that was aided by the Safety Car and Vettel had to settle for P3 (his worst ever Japanese GP result). Webber came home in P4, Hamilton a glum P5 and Michael Schumacher an eventful P6. Midway through the race he had been given a hefty nerf from Mark Webber's front wing, which broke bits off the Red Bull but he had survived a puncture - unlike Felipe Massa in Singapore.

The performance of the Ferraris and McLarens at a circuit where Red Bull were thought to reign supreme had been remarkable, but the day was all about Sebastian Vettel claiming his second World Championship. It was as inevitable as Massa and Hamilton making contact.

Results
01. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1h30:53.427
02. Alonso Ferrari + 1.160
03. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 2.006
04. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 8.071
05. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 24.268
06. Schumacher Mercedes + 27.120
07. Massa Ferrari + 28.240
08. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 39.377
09. Petrov Renault + 42.607
10. Rosberg Mercedes + 44.322
11. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 54.447
12. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1:02.326
13. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1:03.705
14. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:04.194
15. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 1:06.623
16. Senna Renault + 1:12.628
17. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1:14.191
18. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault + 1:27.824
19. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 1:36.140
20. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps
21. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps
22. Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps
23. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps

Did Not Finish
Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 35

Source: Planet-F1

Italian Grand Prix Press Conference Schedule 2011

No surprises that Italian duo Tonio Liuzzi and Jarno Trulli as well as Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa will face the press at Monza on Thursday

All times are local (Italy is GMT +2)

Thursday, September 08 - 15h00:
Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber)
Tonio Liuzzi (HRT)
Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
Jarno Trulli (Lotus)
Mark Webber (Red Bull)

Friday, September 09 - 16h00:
Giorgio Ascanelli (Toro Rosso)
Eric Boullier (Renault)
Stefano Domenicali (Ferrari)
Tim Goss (McLaren)
Peter Sauber (Sauber)

Saturday, September 10 - post qualifying: Three fastest drivers from qualifying.

Sunday, September 11 - post race: First three finishing drivers.

Source: Planet-F1

Räikkönen to skip Rally Australia 2011

Ice Man changes plans and will focus on remaining three WRC events of 2011

ICE 1 Racing’s Kimi Räikkönen is set to skip Rally Australia next month - despite having originally intended to tackle the event when his programme was announced at the start of the season.

Logistical and organisational difficulties mean that Räikkönen is now going to miss the Coffs Coast-based event, which takes place from 8-11 September on mainly gravel stages. Since switching to the WRC in 2010, the Finn has tended to miss the long-haul events, with the exception of Mexico, Japan and Jordan.

With Räikkönen’s programme depending largely on sponsorship input this year after energy drinks giant Red Bull scaled back its involvement compared to last season, less budget has been available for the 2007 Formula One world champion to use for tests and events.

Last year Räikkönen contested 12 rounds, missing only Rally New Zealand during the first half of the year, but also competed on some smaller regional rallies as tests. This season he will have entered nine world championship rallies, with a best result so far of sixth in Jordan (compared with fifth in Turkey last year).

However, his time difference to the frontrunners has improved considerably compared to the two seconds per kilometre he was lacking at the start of the 2010 season, and in Germany last week he showed himself capable of setting top six stage times, even on the most demanding tests such as Arena Panzerplatte - where he was fifth-quickest on Saturday evening.

After missing Australia, Räikkönen will compete in France, Spain and Great Britain: all rallies that he has entered before (although he was forced to miss the Catalunya round last year following a shakedown accident).

The 31-year-old Finn is yet to finalise his plans for next season, but has not ruled out the possibility of a full WRC campaign in 2012. Other possibilities in the frame include a return to Formula One or an extended NASCAR programme.

Räikkönen finished sixth on last week’s ADAC Rallye Deutschland. He’s currently eighth in the drivers’ standings, six points behind M-Sport Stobart driver Matthew Wilson.

Source: WRC

Photos: Fernando Alonso at Wrooom Summer 2011

Fernando Alonso speaks to the media during his day at the Wrooom Summer retreat

Fernando Alonso’s day in the Dolomites finished with a visit to the falls at Mezzo di Vallesinella, a jewel tucked away a few kilometres from the area of the Trentino mountain. From there it was just a short mountain bike dash to the hotel which hosts the journalists and event staff.

“The bicycle is one of my great passions and in this two week break, I will not miss the opportunity for some training on two wheels,” said Fernando, who is quite capable of racking up a hundred kilometres a day when his training is reaching its peak. “Now I need to unwind a bit: the same goes for me as for the whole team, because July was really a very stressful month. We will need to have our batteries fully charged, because from Spa onwards, we can expect three months of doing everything in one go, with the last two races in Europe and then the final run, which will take us back and forth from one side of the world to the other.”

Fernando’s target is very simple: “We must try and win as many races as possible. We are realistic and the championship situation is what it is, but we have seen so often that there can be sudden reversals. And after all, we are Ferrari and we have a moral obligation, especially for the millions of fans spread around the world, to always think of the maximum goal. We can’t ever say we will tackle eight races without having the championship in the back of our mind: we will always have an eye on the title, at least until there is no longer the slightest chance. Of course we must start winning and we have to hope that Vettel makes a few mistakes or has some problems.”

Chatting with the journalists, Fernando managed to find a good reason to win every race still to go. “In Spa I have never won in Formula 1 and it would be nice to do that, then comes Monza which is special and I would like to feel again the amazing feeling I got from it last year,” said the Ferrari man.

“As for Singapore, I have already won twice and I got on the podium a third time: a magic race for me. Winning at Suzuka is great because of the nature of the track and I’ve already managed it in Korea, so doing the double would be welcome, just as it would be to write my name on the first line of the winners’ list for the Indian Grand Prix. Abu Dhabi? Well, you all know I would love to cancel out the horrible memories linked to that track… And Brazil is where I won both my world titles!” recalled the Spaniard.

Alonso did not want to make any promises he might not be able to keep, especially for the fans. “Formula 1 is too complicated a sport to make declarations. It requires everyone to give their all in order to win and the genius of an individual is not enough. If you look at Adrian Newey, it’s not a case of him turning up at Red Bull and at a stroke, creating a winning car with a magic wand. It took years for all the team to reach the level it is at now. It takes great people, structures and, clearly a little pinch of genius. I am convinced we too have that genius.”

Source: YallaF1

Video: Wrooom Summer 2011 - Interviews with Stefano Domenicali and Fernando Alonso

The interviews with Stefano Domenicali and Fernando Alonso on the occasion of the event organised in Madonna di Campiglio in collaboration with Philip Morris International with the participation of the Italian and international press



source: ferrariworld

Sebastian Vettel to win title easily unless 'stupid' says Jacques Villeneuve

Jacques Villeneuve has little doubt this year’s title winner will be Sebastian Vettel.

The 1997 world champion said the reigning title winner, who is 77 points clear his nearest challenger and in the dominant Red Bull, is surely heading for back-to-back spoils later in 2011.

"This year, definitely, the favourite is Vettel. He’s going to win it very easily unless he does something stupid," the French Canadian is quoted by Spain’s Europa Press.

Villeneuve, 40, added that the 23-year-old German’s position at present could be described as being "in the clouds".

"His car is incredible and he has a very strong team; everyone is behind him; the mechanics, the sponsors, a great car. When things are like that, you’re in the clouds - nothing can go wrong," he insisted.

The former Williams and Sauber driver also commented on the recent fortunes of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.

"Hamilton is aggressive and that’s good, it’s good to see that, but sometimes you have to know when to go for it and when to use your head," said Villeneuve.

Source: Auto123

Ex-boss surprised Kimi Räikkönen

Meeting Jean Todt in rally circles got Kimi to melt into a sweet smile.

The buddies met on Saturday afternoon in Loutraki during service, when Jean Todt went to see the drivers before they went to the stages.

Kimi who is usually very quiet in his own company, was clearly happy when Jean came to ask how he is doing.

Räikkönen was explaining a lot about how his rally had went to Todt, who again seemed to be all ears when listening to Kimi.

Source: MTV3
Courtesy: Nicole

Bahrain GP cancellation decision imminent

Formula 1 looking increasingly unlikely to take place in Bahrain this year

The FIA seemed ready on Thursday to overturn its decision to take Formula 1 back to Bahrain in late October, in effect paving the way for Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone to put an end to the saga which has already embarrassed the sport.
Following the withdrawal of Ecclestone’s support for the Bahrain Grand Prix rescheduling, F1′s governing body published correspondence between the FIA and the teams association FOTA which suggests that the opposition is such that a decision to cancel will probably be announced this weekend in Canada.

FOTA’s letter, addressed to Todt, Ecclestone and Bahrain International Circuit chairman Zayed Alzayani, stated that the new calendar was “unrealistic” for logistical and insurance reasons. The letter was signed by chairmen Martin Whitmarsh and Eric Boullier.

The letter also said F1 should only return to Bahrain “once the security conditions have been fully re-established”.

FIA president Jean Todt responded by writing that it is the responsibility of F1′s commercial rights holder, represented by Ecclestone, to “set the calendar and submit it to the FIA for approval”.

“The FIA always has at heart the smooth running of the championship and the interests of the teams, and is always prepared to address any issues, however difficult,” added the Frenchman.

“I have listened to your last-minute objections and have asked the commercial rights holder (Ecclestone) to re-examine his calendar proposal, and if necessary, to resubmit a revised proposal to the World Council,” wrote Todt.

Source: YallaF1

Seb Vettel Is The New King Of Monaco

Sebastian Vettel claimed his maiden Monaco Grand Prix win, but for the second time in two days his performance was overshadowed after a fellow driver was injured in a heavy shunt

On Saturday, a serious accident involving Sergio Perez's led to qualifying to be delayed while on Sunday Vitaly Petrov was involved in a crash that saw him being taken away by ambulance after picking up a leg injury.

The race was red flagged, but restarted after an 11-minute stop and Vettel - who had fresh rubber fitted to his car during the break - eased his Red Bull home with Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button closely behind.

Earlier, Vettel made a clean start alongside Button and Alonso. From then on it turned into a battle of the strategies.

McLaren looked like they had one over their rivals when they pitted Button earlier than usual for supersofts and got him out in clean air. However, his team-mate Lewis Hamilton's crash with Felipe Massa probably cost Button a potential win after the Safety Car was deployed.

That allowed the field to bunch up and with Button forced to stop for a third time, he lost valuable time to the top two, but Red Bull and Ferrari's decision not to pit their drivers again gave the McLaren driver an opportunity to attack on fresher rubber.

The trio found themselves tail-to-tail for the best part of 15 laps, but more drama was to follow with eight laps to go after Adrian Sutil, Petrov and Hamilton got tangled up during their scrap for sixth place together with backmarker Jaime Alguersuari. Petrov and Alguersuari both crashed out and the Safety Car was deployed. The race was then red-flagged as the medical team was called to tend to Petrov.

Once the track was cleared, the race was restarted under the Safety Car and turned into a five-lap shoot-out. Vettel, Alonso and Button held station, but there was one final incident when Hamilton tried to squeeze past Pastor Maldonado in sixth place. The duo made contact and the Williams driver came off second best.

The McLaren driver finished sixth while Mark Webber fourth and Kamui Kobayashi was fifth.

Results
01. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 2h09:38.373
02. Alonso Ferrari + 1.138
03. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 2.378
04. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 23.100
05. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 26.900
06. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 27.200
07. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
08. Heidfeld Renault + 1 lap
09. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
10. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
11. Rosberg Mercedes + 1 lap
12. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 2 laps
13. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
14. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
15. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps
16. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth + 3 laps
17. Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth + 3 laps
18. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 5 aps

Retirements
Petrov Renault 68
Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 68
Massa Ferrari 33
Schumacher Mercedes 33
Glock Virgin-Cosworth 31
Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1

Source: Planet-F1

Webber: 'A lot of question marks' ahead of Monaco

Red Bull Racing star Mark Webber suggests this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix could be even more of a lottery than usual - as Christian Horner warns McLaren-Mercedes has taken a big step forward

As he bids to make it back-to-back victories in the most glittering race on the annual F1 schedule, Red Bull Racing star Mark Webber contends that there are 'a lot of question marks' approaching this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.

Webber celebrated the finest moment of his top flight career to-date around the narrow, tortuous streets of Monte Carlo last year, leading from lights-out to chequered flag in the glamorous Principality to seal a tremendously popular triumph and confirm his status as a genuine title contender.

Returning to the scene of his success twelve months on, the Australian is under pressure to deliver a good result and turn the tables on runaway Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel – but he cautions that with so many changes this year, a race already renowned as one of the most unpredictable on the calendar could throw up even more surprises than usual.

“We know this is one of the most prestigious races of the year,” the 34-year-old acknowledged. “There are a lot of question marks going into this year's race in terms of how the tyres will be, and the strategy could be the most complicated of the year. It's a track that I've always seemed to do reasonably well at, though, and I have some of my best memories as a racing driver there.

“It's clearly a demanding street circuit, which requires incredible concentration and composure for the drivers throughout the weekend, starting with Thursday's practice sessions. The dramatic coastline and cliffs make an incredible backdrop to one of the most famous tracks in the world – it's clearly like no other circuit we race at.”

“It's remarkable to drive an F1 car around Monaco,” concurred Vettel, who will arrive there with a commanding 41-point margin over any of his pursuers in the chase for the drivers' crown, having won four of the five grands prix this season to-date. “It's a completely unique track and a unique challenge for the driver. You have to push as hard as on a normal racetrack, but the smallest mistake can bring a big penalty.

“Grid position is very important and can determine your race, as traditionally, overtaking in Monaco is very tricky. Managing the traffic during qualifying is also a big challenge. As an event, it's one of the highlights of the year. We did well there last year, and I hope we can be very strong again.”

Meanwhile, RBR team principal Christian Horner has argued that the reason Vettel was pushed so hard for victory by Lewis Hamilton in last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix – despite an advantage of the best part of a second in qualifying – was that McLaren-Mercedes had brought a substantial raft of upgrades to its MP4-26.

“We knew it would be a close battle,” the Englishman told Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat. “It would be very presumptuous to believe we have a car that is one second per lap better. We just had a phenomenal qualifying. I stress that McLaren brought an enormous update to Spain – it's almost a B-model.”

Source: Crash.net

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