Two of Vettel's record-long streaks end in Germany

Sebastian Vettel didn't finish on the podium last Sunday, which marked the ending of more than one amazing streak. We reported earlier that prior to the German GP, Vettel had 11 consecutive podiums, which is the third longest streak in F1 history.

The Nürburgring race was also the first one in a long time where at no point did the reigning world champion lead the race. Vettel had been in the lead in 13 consecutive GPs -- ever since the Japanese GP and now ending in Nürburgring.

Only two drivers in the history of F1 have managed to out-do Vettel's performance. Jackie Stewart's record dates back more than 40 years, when he led 17 GPs in a row. Michael Schumacher holds the second place in the list at 15 consecutive GPs.

Drivers with most consecutive led GPs:

17 Jackie Stewart (USA 1968 - Belgium 1970)
15 Michael Schumacher (Australia 2004 - Italy 2004)
13 Sebastian Vettel (Japan 2010 - Britain 2011)
12 Ayrton Senna (Spain 1989 - Germany 1990)
12 Michael Schumacher (Europe 1994 - Germany 1995)
12 Fernando Alonso (China 2005 - France 2006)
11 Michael Schumacher (Malaysia 1999 - France 2000)
10 Jim Clark (Nethelands 1967 - RSA 1968)
10 Alain Prost (RSA 1993 - Germany 1993)
9 Jim Clark (USA 1962 - Italy 1963)
9 Ayrton Senna (Canada 1988 - Portugal 1988)

Source: RacingNewsFlash

Vettel wants 'home race' victory

Sebastian Vettel says he would love nothing more than to take to the top step of the podium at the Nurburgring, the German's home race

Vettel has had an incredible season to date as he sets about defending his Drivers' Championship title.

The Red Bull driver has dropped just 21 points out of a total of 225 as he has claimed the victory in six grands prix and finished the other three in the runner-up position.

Added to that, he has started all nine grands prix from the front row of the grid, seven of which were from pole position.

However, the one thing that would make his season so much sweeter is victory in his home race, the German GP.

"One of the objectives a Formula One driver sets himself, is to win his 'home race'," he said.

"Of course, you always give 100 percent, but at a home race you're always more motivated, simply because you feel at home."

Vettel is relishing F1's return to the Nurburgring, having last raced at the track in 2009.

"This year we're back at the Nürburgring, which is one of the better and more modern tracks; I particularly like the stretch from the Ford corner to the 180° long right corner in the valley.

"The Warsteiner corner is tricky, as is the sharp left before that. The best place to overtake is before the NGK chicane - which is a challenging left-right bend.

"It's possible to overtake on the brakes there, because you come out of the previous corner and have to brake down to 100kph.

"Hitting the brakes later means you can take the bend first, it sounds easy but it's not because you have to keep away from the kerbs or the car lifts off and you get overtaken again.

"The Eifel hills are special because the weather can change there as quick as lightning."

Source: Planet-F1

Ferrari prepared to launch civil action against the FIA

Ferrari would be prepared to launch civil action against the FIA if the team is stripped of its points accrued from the German Grand Prix at the World Motor Sport Council hearing next month, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport .

The Italian team was slapped with a fine after race leader Felipe Massa moved over to let Fernando Alonso past to win in July. But several of the sport's leading figures, including former FIA president Max Mosley, have said that the team should be stripped of its points as well.

"In this sort of situation, the best policy is to respect and to trust in the highest level of the sport's governing body," said a Ferrari statement.

Ferrari's most likely defence would be to argue that team orders should be permitted, so long as they do not impact the races of rival teams. The team may also defend the team order as an innocent explanation of the true situation to Massa by race engineer Rob Smedley that Alonso was indeed the faster driver and that the team did not want to risk a racing incident.

According to Mosley, however, the FIA has a duty to the watching public to uphold the integrity of the sport.

"Most teams are calling for the withdrawal of team orders, which I can understand, because it's in their interests," Mosley told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday.

"But if we are to meet the needs of the public, who are in their millions, watching races all around the world and ultimately funding the sport, then we need to keep the ban."

Source: ESPNF1

The Horse Whisperer – Moralists with short memories

After events in Hockenheim, a wave of hypocrisy swept through the paddock, with so many pundits, young and old, keen to have their say: some were promptly brought back into line by his master’s voice, while others continue to pronounce sentence willy-nilly.

The lastest missive comes from Austria, from a person, who having hung up his helmet, has never missed out on a chance to dispense opinions left and right, even if, on more than one occasion, he has had to indulge in some verbal acrobatics to reposition himself in line with the prevailing wind.

This time, good old Niki has missed out on a fine opportunity to keep his mouth shut, given that, when he was a Scuderia driver, the supposed Ferrari driver management policy suited him perfectly…

That aside, where was all his moral fury when, over the past years, so many have been guilty of more or less overt hypocritical actions? As for any predictions regarding a possible decision from the FIA World Council on 8 September, time will tell: in this sort of situation, the best policy is to respect and to trust in the highest level of the sport’s governing body.

Source: Ferrari.com

Team order scandal erupts as Ferrari wins in Germany

Sunday's German Grand Prix began amid a burgeoning flexible wing saga, and ended with a new scandal about team orders.

After a team one-two, and soaked in champagne, Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali was hounded in the Hockenheim pitlane by reporters accusing him of illegally ordering Felipe Massa to hand his victory to Fernando Alonso.

"This is not true," Italian Domenicali told an angry Eddie Jordan on British television BBC.
Red Bull's Christian Horner, earlier accused by his rivals of running an illegally-flexing front wing on the RB6 in Germany, said the FIA stewards should actually be probing Ferrari's alleged rules breach.

"That was the clearest team order I've ever seen. As clear as 2002," said the Briton, referring to the Austrian Grand Prix of that year, when then Ferrari team boss Jean Todt ordered Rubens Barrichello aside for Michael Schumacher.

Fascinatingly, Todt is now president of the governing FIA.

"The difference with 2002 was that there was no rule (about team orders) then," said Jordan. "This is ten times worse."

The alleged team order at Hockenheim began with Alonso pleading on the radio that sitting behind Massa was "ridiculous".

Shortly afterwards, Massa's engineer Rob Smedley told Massa on the radio: "Ok, so, 'Fernando is faster than you'. Can you confirm you understand that message?"

Massa, 29, then deliberately slowed down on a straight and let Alonso pass.

But Domenicali denied Ferrari is therefore guilty of implementing team orders.

"To be honest, I don't think so," he said when asked if he thought the stewards would be looking into the incident.

Asked if he thought he deserved to win on Sunday, which is the one-year anniversary of his horror qualifying accident in Hungary last season, Massa answered: "Well, I think so."

As for whether he deliberately moved aside, the Brazilian said: "Well, I don't think I need to say anything about that. He passed me."

So obvious was the team order, Smedley actually apologised - "good lad, sorry" - to Massa after the race.

"The apology is just that I'm sorry it happened, I'm sorry he (Alonso) came through," Smedley, who also called Massa "very, very, very magnanimous" on the radio, explained to the BBC.

Alonso, despite asking on the slowing-down lap if Massa was ok, also denied he had been deliberately let through.

"I don't know what happened; I saw Felipe a little bit slow and I took the opportunity," said the Spaniard.

Massa added: "We work for the team, that's the only thing I feel."

Schumacher said he is still very close to his former Ferrari teammate Massa, but admitted he would have done "exactly the same" if he had been sitting on the pitwall on Sunday.

"In principle I fully accept it (team orders). There is only one target: winning the title," said the seven time world champion.

In the championship, the McLaren drivers retain their lead over the now points-tied Red Bulls, ahead of Hockenheim winner Fernando Alonso.

Source: Motorsport.com

FIA Press Conference Schedule - Germany GP

Red Bull’s Mark Webber joins four of the grid's German drivers to answer questions at Hockenheim on Thursday, while Mercedes GP’s Norbert Haug and Williams’ Adam Parr are among those facing the media on Friday. The line-up in full…

Thursday, July 22, 1500 hours local time (1300 GMT):
Timo Glock (Virgin), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes), Adrian Sutil (Force India), Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) and Mark Webber (Red Bull).

Friday, July 23, 1600 hours local time (1400 GMT):
Norbert Haug (Mercedes), Nico Hulkenberg (Williams), Monisha Kaltenborn (BMW Sauber), Kamui Kobayashi (BMW Sauber), Adam Parr (Williams) and Nico Rosberg (Mercedes).

The qualifying and post-race conferences with the top three drivers will take place immediately after the respective sessions.

Source: Formula1.com