Vettel Reigns Supreme In Bahrain

The familiar finger salute of Sebastian Vettel was back on the podium in Bahrain as the defending World Champion bounced back with a bang

After finishing P11 at last weekend's Chinese GP, the German returned to top form in style as he started on pole position and then held off the charging Lotus of Kimi Räikkönen to claim his and Red Bull's first win of the 2012 season.

It was an impressive afternoon for the Lotus team with Raikkonen securing his best finish since returning to F1 and his team-mate Romain Grosjean making it onto the podium for the first time in his career. Grosjean was also the first Frenchman on the podium in more than a decade.

Vettel's Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber, who was driving by himself most of the afternoon, finished P4 while Chinese Grand Prix winner Nico Rosberg had to settle for P5.

Force India's Paul di Resta equalled his best-ever finish as the decision to opt for a two-stop strategy paid off as he just managed to keep Fernando Alonso behind him in P8.

McLaren had another disappointing afternoon with Lewis Hamilton their only finisher in P9. Two appalling pitstops saw the 2008 World Champion lose valuable time on the front runners.

His team-mate Jenson Button's misfortune was even worse as he was forced to retire on the penultimate lap. He was running P5 when he picked up a puncture and was then ordered to park his car in the garage a lap later.

Button's poor luck meant Felipe Massa finished P9 and Michael Schumacher P10.

Full results
01. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h35:10.990
02. Räikkönen Lotus-Renault + 3.300
03. Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 10.100
04. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 38.700
05. Rosberg Mercedes + 55.400
06. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 57.500
07. Alonso Ferrari + 57.800
08. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 58.900
09. Massa Ferrari + 1:04.900
10. Schumacher Mercedes + 1:11.400
11. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1:12.700
12. Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes + 1:16.500
13. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:30.300
14. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1:33.700
15. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
16. Petrov Caterham-Renault + 1 lap
17. Kovalainen Caterham-Renault + 1 lap
18. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 1 lap
19. Glock Marussia-Cosworth + 2 laps
20. De la Rosa HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps
21. Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps
22. Senna Williams-Renault + 3 laps


Did not finish
Bruno Senna Williams-Renault Lap 54
Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault Lap 25
Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth Lap 24

Source: Planet-F1

Vettel: A little bit mixed emotions

Sebastian Vettel led all 60 laps on his way to victory at the inaugural Indian GP but reckons there are still lessons to be learnt

Starting from pole position, Vettel easily took the lead off the squabbling Mark Webber and Jenson Button, who soon swapped positions.

And although Button tried to close the gap to the reigning World Champ, it proved to be impossible with Vettel banging in fastest laps on his way to a comfortable lead.

However, there were a few occasions when Button was able to close up just a little bit and that was when they pitted, which Vettel says is something Red Bull need to look into.

But, all in all it was a comfortable Sunday drive and an 11th win of the campaign for the Red Bull driver.

"It was a very good race for us, I enjoyed the time in the lead very much," said Vettel.

"I had a little bit of a fight with Jenson in the distance, he was always about four seconds behind. Strangely he kept closing in around the pit stops, as I was pushing very hard in and out of the box but we seemed to lose a bit there.

"So we need to understand that, but on the circuit it was crucial to manage to tyres and to make sure we had enough left at the end.

"All in all it was a very smooth race, the car was very well balanced and I even felt a little bit more confident on the hard tyres in the end."

The race, though, began on a sad note with the drivers, team personnel and fans paying tribute to the late Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncelli, both of whom died from racing accidents earlier this month.

And Vettel admits that while racers understand the risks, there's always a heavy heart when reality hits home.

"To be honest with you, it is a little bit mixed emotions," he said. "On the one hand I'm very, very happy as it's the first grand prix in India and I'm very proud to be the first winner.

"But on the other hand, looking back at last weekend we lost two of our mates. I didn't know Dan Wheldon but he was a big name in motorsport.

"This year I got to know Marco Simoncelli, and obviously our thoughts are with them.

"Yes we are ready to take certain risks when we jump into the car, but we pray that nothing happens. Sometimes you get reminded and it's the last thing that we want to see."

Source: Planet-F1

Seb Vettel Wins A Thrilling Belgian GP 2011

Sebastian Vettel claimed the victory in a thrilling Belgian GP, which saw six different drivers each lead a lap or more

Blistering tyres, a lack of dry running, different strategies and the sweeping corners of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit all played a crucial role in what proved to be one of the best races of the season.

Vettel, Nico Rosberg, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Mark Webber all had a turn at the front of the pack but, after 44 laps, it was Vettel who was in the P1 slot.

The reigning World Champ finished ahead of Webber and Button, who had started P13.

As for Hamilton, he retired on lap 13 after contact was made between himself and Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi, which pitched the McLaren driver into a spin and into the barriers.

And as he hit one of the boards, spewing debris all over the track, the Safety Car also made a brief appearance for three laps.

Alonso eventually finished P4 as he just didn't have the pace in the latter stint to hold off the fast-closing Button.

Rosberg could only manage P6 after he was overtaken by his team-mate Michael Schumacher just a few laps from the end of the grand prix. It was a fitting end and a fantastic performance from the seven-time World Champ, who started P24 and finished P5 as he celebrates 20 years in F1.

Results
01. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h26.44.893
02. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 3.741
03. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 9.669
04. Alonso Ferrari + 13.022
05. Schumacher Mercedes + 47.464
06. Rosberg Mercedes + 48.674
07. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 59.713
08. Massa Ferrari + 1m06.076
09. Petrov Renault + 1m11.917
10. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 1m17.615
11. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1m23.994
12. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1m31.976
13. Senna Renault + 1m32.985
14. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 1 lap
15. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault + 1 lap
16. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
17. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 1 lap
18. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 1 lap
19. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth + 1 lap

Did Not Finish
Perez Sauber-Ferrari 27
Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 13
Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 12
Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 6
Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1

Source: Planet-F1

British GP: Alonso Is The King Of Britain

Fernando Alonso won the British Grand Prix thanks to an improved Ferrari, a slow McLaren and a dismal Red Bull pit stop

The Spaniard lined up in third place on the grid behind the Red Bulls of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel and after the first lap was still third, although behind Webber, who was overtaken by Vettel at the start.

With the track drying a battle panned out between Webber, Alonso and the fast-approaching Lewis Hamilton. All the while they trio fought, Vettel led.

But it wasn't until lap 28 that the chinks began to show in the Red Bull armour when Vettel came in for his second stop of the afternoon.

His mechanics had a problem with their wheel gun and by the time they put on Vettel's new rubber and got him out of the pits, Alonso and Hamilton were up to first and second

Vettel was then held up badly by Hamilton for several laps and lost time lap by lap to Alonso. However, Vettel had better pace and after the next stops worked his way up into second place.

With Alonso scampering into the distance and vettel entrenched in second, disaster befell Jenson Button. He came in for his final stop on lap 40 and never quite got out as his mechanics did not put his front wheel on properly. He stopped at the end of the pits and retired.

But McLaren's woes were not over as Hamilton was running out fuel. He had to back off on his challenge from Vettel, was overtaken by Webber and came under attack from Massa as they fought for P4. At the same time, Webber was all over the back of Vettel in the battle for second.

And as Alonso crossed the line for Ferrari's first win since Korea last year, Webber was told to hold station but Massa, of course, was not.

He took P4 off Hamilton only to get a massive whack from the McLaren driver, who retook the position. Massa fought back, ran wide and Hamilton brought his MP4-26, sans a bit of bodywork, home in fourth place.

Results
01. Alonso Ferrari 1h28:41.194
02. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 16.511
03. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 16.947
04. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 28.986
05. Massa Ferrari + 29.010
06. Rosberg Mercedes + 1:00.665
07. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1:05.590
08. Heidfeld Renault + 1:15.542
09. Schumacher Mercedes + 1:17.912
10. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:19.108
11. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1:19.712
12. Petrov Renault + 1:20.600
13. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth -1
14. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth -1
15. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes -1
16. Glock Virgin-Cosworth -2
17. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth -2
18. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth -2
19. Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth -3
Button McLaren-Mercedes -11
Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari -26
Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari -28
Trulli Lotus-Renault -41
Kovalainen Lotus-Renault -49

Source: Planet-F1

Button Pips Vettel In Canadian GP Thriller

Jenson Button claimed his first victory of the season in Canada, beating Sebastian Vettel, who proved he is human

Button was a man on the move in the final ten laps of the grand prix, slicing his way through the field to move into second place behind Vettel.

Catching the German hand over fist, it came down to the final lap where, perhaps for the first time this season on a Sunday afternoon, Vettel made a mistake and ran wide. Button seized his opportunity to take the lead and brought his McLaren home in first place for the first time this season.

The Canadian GP was a race of numbers, not least the fact that the final lap took place as the two-hour time limit was reached. But in truth, Sunday's Canadian GP lasted a whopping four hours and four minutes.

The stewards were kept busy on Sunday with eight investigations, three of which belonged to Lewis Hamilton alone. He kicked off the argy-bargy as he tagged Mark Webber on Lap 5. Neither retired and both faced a stewards' investigation in which they were found not guilty.

Three laps later, Hamilton hit the wall on the main straight when he attempted to overtake his team-mate, resulting in a second stewards' investigation. The Brit's punishment, though, was far worse than a drive-through as he was forced to park his damaged McLaren on the side of the track.

Moments later, with the race behind the Safety Car for the second time, race control revealed that Hamilton was also under investigation for speeding behind the SC during its outing.

The other investigations belonged to Button, Jerome D'Ambrosio, Adrian Sutil, Fernando Alonso/Button, Nick Heidfeld/Paul di Resta, Nico Rosberg/Sutil, and Vitaly Petrov/Kamui Kobayashi.

There were also five Safety Cars with the race starting behind the SC, it re-emerging after Hamilton's crash, coming back out on Lap 20 for the rain and then putting in nine more laps when the race was restarted on lap 25 after a two-hour red-flag situation, again when Alonso crashed out after tagging Button on Lap 37 and it made its final appearance on Lap 57 so that marshals could clear the debris from Nick Heidfeld's shunt.

But at the end of it all, there was just one winner, Jenson Button.

Results
01. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1h23:50.995
02. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 2.709
03. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 13.828
04. Schumacher Mercedes + 14.219
05. Petrov Renault + 20.395
06. Massa Ferrari + 33.225
07. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 33.270
08. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 35.964
09. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 45.100
10. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 47.000
11. Rosberg Mercedes + 50.400
12. de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari + 1:03.600
13. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth + 1 lap
14. Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth + 1 lap
15. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 1 lap
16. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 1 lap
17. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 1 lap
18. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 3 laps

Did Not Finish
Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 62
Heidfeld Renault 57
Sutil Force India-Mercedes 50
Alonso Ferrari 44
Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 36
Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 8

Source: Planet-F1

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

Spanish GP: Seb Holds Off Hamilton

Sebastian Vettel refused to buckle under pressure as he held off a late charge from Lewis Hamilton at the Spanish Grand Prix to claim his fourth win of the season

The defending World Champion's latest win sees him stretch his lead at the top of the Drivers' Championship to 41 points ahead of the McLaren driver.

Unlike in previous races where Vettel was in cruise mode, he had to work hard for his victory in Barcelona. After starting P2 on the grid, he had to battle without KERS for the latter part of the race but did just enough to keep the charging McLaren driver at bay.

Jenson Button claimed the final podium place with Mark Webber fourth and Fernando Alonso fifth.

Alonso looked like he was up for the race as he made a sensational start from P4 to ease into the lead off the line. While the two Red Bull drivers were keeping an eye on each other, the Spaniard snuck through on the inside and he kept himself in the lead until the second round of pit stops.

Unfortunately for Ferrari, Alonso didn't just lose out to Vettel during the stop, but also to Hamilton. Alonso was quickly dropped by the two front-runners and it wasn't too long before Webber and Button caught up and overtook him.

Button, whose strategy cost him a possible podium place in Turkey, was vindicated for sticking to the three-stopper this time as he was able to hold off Webber for the final podium place.

Results
01. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h39:03.301
02. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 0.630
03. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 35.697
04. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 47.966
05. Alonso Ferrari + 1 lap
06. Schumacher Mercedes + 1 lap
07. Rosberg Mercedes + 1 lap
08. Heidfeld Renault + 1 lap
09. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
10. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
11. Petrov Renault + 1 lap
12. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
13. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
14. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
15. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
16. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 2 laps
17. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 2 laps
18. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
19. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 3 laps
20. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 3 laps
21. Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth + 4 laps

Not classified/retirements:
Massa Ferrari 60
Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 49
Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 29

Source: Planet-F1

Photos: Lewis Hamilton the winner of Chinese GP 2011

Lewis Hamilton in his first victory in the 2011 season at Chinese Grand Prix














...

Forza Fernando! Alonso Wins in Italy

Fernando Alonso won an intriguing, if not exciting, Italian Grand Prix, beating Jenson Button to the chequered flag in Ferrari's home race

Although Alonso started the grand prix from pole position, the Spaniard lost out to Button off the line as the Brit pulled off a flying start.

And with Championship leader Lewis Hamilton out of the grand on the first lap with a broken steering arm curtesy of a coming together with Felipe Massa, it was a perfect opportunity for his title rivals to make up some ground on the 2008 World Champ.

Button put up with immense pressure from Alonso, who maintained a second gap between the two as they traded fastest laps with Massa always in the background in third place.

However, it was the pit stops that decided the race as Button pitted on lap 37, handing the lead over to Alonso, who pitted a lap later.

Alonso emerged marginally ahead of Button and although the reigning World Champ tried to put his warmer tyres to good use and overtake the Spaniard, he was unable to.

From there it was Alonso who had to put up with the pressure applied by Button, however, it wasn't long he appeared to break Button's spirits and pull away from the McLaren driver to claim Ferrari's first home victory since 2006.

Massa was third with Sebastian Vettel, who came in for his mandatory pit stop on the very last lap of the grand prix, in fourth place.

Results:
01. Alonso Ferrari 1h16:24.572
02. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 2.938
03. Massa Ferrari + 4.223
04. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 28.193
05. Rosberg Mercedes + 29.942
06. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 31.276
07. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth + 32.812
08. Kubica Renault + 34.028
09. Schumacher Mercedes + 44.948
10. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1:04.200
11. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:05.00
12. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes + 1:06.100
13. Petrov Renault + 1:18.900
14. De la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
15. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
16. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
17. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps
18. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth + 2 laps
19. Di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps
20. Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps

Did Not Finish
Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 47
Senna HRT-Cosworth 12
Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1
Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1

Source: Planet-F1

Belgian GP: Hamilton Claims First Spa Win

Lewis Hamilton won what could be called a race of attrition for the Championship contenders as only two of the five scored points

It was a flying start to the race for Hamilton, who easily stormd by Mark Webber to take the lead while Robert Kubica and Button fought over second place. A brief and blitzing shower caused chaos on lap 2, sending drivers flying off the track, the Safety Car out onto the track, Rubens Barrichello into retirement and Alonso into the pits for intermediates after he was caught up in Barrichello's shunt. However, the move to inters was reversed a lap later, putting an end to Alonso's bid for a podium finish.

With the track drying almost immediately after the brief shower, the race calmed down with Hamilton slowly but surely pulling away from Button and Sebastian Vettel. The battle between Button and Vettel, both of whom are in the thick of the title fight, came to an end on lap 17 when Vettel was caught out by a few drops of rain at the final chicane, lost control and went spearing into Button. Button was put out of the race, Vettel pitted for repairs and was later handed a drive-through penalty.

Kubica and Webber were promoted to the fight for second place, which Kubica held until more rain came down on lap 34, prompting almost everyone barring the top four to pit. The top four finally came in on lap 36 after Hamilton ran off the track, just avoiding the barriers. But he kept it safe, pitted for new rubber and retained his lead. There was a change for second, though, as Kubica missed the mark in the pits and lost a positon to Webber. Massa remained fourth.

The Safety Car made its second appearance of the afternoon on lap 39 when Fernando Alonso spun and stalled in the middle of the track. Alonso's DNF made it three Championship contenders out of the points: the Spaniard, Button (DNF) and Vettel (well out of the points). With the action underway three laps later, it was left to the only two remaining Championship contenders in the race to fight for the victory.

However, Hamilton's superior pace easily won out at the restart as he pulled away from Webber to race to the victory and a much-needed 25 points, which handed him back the lead in the Drivers' Championship. Webber's 18 points for the race means he now trails by three points. Kubica finished the race in third place.

Times
01 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1hr29.04.268
02 Mark Webber RBR-Renault +1.5 secs
03 Robert Kubica Renault +3.4 secs
04 Felipe Massa Ferrari +8.2 secs
05 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes +9.0 secs
06 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP +12.3 secs
07 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP +15.5 secs
08 Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari +16.6 secs
09 Vitaly Petrov Renault +23.8 secs
10 Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari +29.4 secs
11 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes +34.8 secs
12 Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari +36.0 secs
13 Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari +39.8 secs
14 Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth +1 Lap
15 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault +1 Lap
16 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth +1 Lap
17 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth +1 Lap
18 Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth +1 Lap
19 Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth +1 Lap
20 Sakon Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth +2 Lap
Ret Fernando Alonso Ferrari +7 Lap
Ret Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes +29 Laps
Ret Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth +39 Laps
Ret Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 43 laps

Source: Planet-F1

RED BULL ON STAGE - WITH KIMI AS A WINNER...

Kimi Räikkönen Red Bull Rallye Deutschland day three report

After three tough days of the Rallye Deutschland, all the crews can sit back, relax, and enjoy a beer. Germany is the right place to do it: only the Czechs and the Irish drink more beer than the Germans.

Last year, the average German drank 115.8 litres of beer while the Finns, for example, could only manage 85 litres each. At the bottom of the list is India, whose inhabitants on average drink just 0.6 litres of beer over the course of one year.

If you look at average alcohol consumption, per head, all over the world though there is one clear winner - and that, surprisingly, is Luxembourg. Conveniently, the tiny state is located less than half an hour away from Trier, the home of the Rallye Deutschland, so everybody is assured of a good party tonight.

Kimi Raikkonen has plenty of other reasons to be cheerful, after claiming his first ever fastest stage time on the final stage of the rally. Kimi blasted through the 'Circus Maximus' superspecial stage faster than anyone else, in front of thousands of fans in Trier city centre. In the shadow of Roman remains where chariots once raced, Kimi showed that he is still king of the circuits.

Not only that but he enjoyed a solid run to seventh place and six points on only his second-ever WRC asphalt rally, having missed out on sixth by less than four seconds. Germany was no typical asphalt event either: the event contains three very different days, ranging from narrow and twisty vineyard roads to rough concrete tracks that were originally designed for testing tanks. Rather than getting a chance to consolidate his knowledge of all the different surfaces, "the Iceman" was constantly thrust from one new situation into the next. As usual though, he absorbed it with the coolness he has become famous for - despite having to contend with a dramatic lack of experience compared to all the other drivers.

For example, Sebastien Loeb has now won the Rallye Deutschland exactly the same number of times (eight) that Kimi has driven a Citroen C4 World Rally Car on a WRC event!

"It goes to show that experience is important," says Kimi. "But that's the objective for us this year: we want to build up the basic knowledge of how to be a rally driver. Some people might think it's easy to go from Formula One to an asphalt rally, but it's completely different: apart from maybe the superspecial stage, which is more like a racing track! The surfaces are changing all the time and that's one of the most difficult things to get used to, along with the pace notes and all the different corners. But generally it's been another very positive experience, and it was nice to win a stage as well."

Kimi's path wasn't entirely smooth: he had an overshoot this morning and found that the set-up wasn't perfect for his requirements. But the 2007 Formula One World Champion can be very pleased with his work at the end of the Rallye Deutschland as he avoided major mistakes and learnt several important lessons that will be crucial for the future.

Co-driver Kaj Lindstrom, who has been alongside Kimi since he made his rally debut last year, was also pleased by the progress that the duo made by improving their times consistently. "We are on the right road: with every rally we get better but we are climbing a very steep learning curve," he pointed out. "The pace notes we made here were really good: unfortunately we had a couple of small mistakes that cost us what would have been a comfortable sixth place, but it's just one of those things that comes with experience. For our first time here, we can definitely be happy - and we can also celebrate winning a stage."

So now the crew can take a well-earned beer. 'Prost!' as they say in Germany (and they don't mean the French racing driver)...

Source: RedBull Rallye

Hungarian GP: Supreme Webber Wins

Red Bull triumphed over adversity as Mark Webber took the win in Hungary and, more importantly, did it on a day when Lewis Hamilton retired.

Despite a rather processional start to the grand prix with Sebastian Vettel easily outpacing Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber, things got exciting when the Safety Car was brought out for debris on the track.

This led to a mad dash into the pits with Webber not getting in in time. However, it did hand him the lead as all those behind him stopped.

And although it appeared as if this decision meant Webber was out of the running, the Aussie triumphed over the adversity, putting in fastest lap after fastest lap to build a suitable lead over those behind him. And his 23.7s lead meant he pitted from the P1 slot and emerged in the P1 slot.

Behind him the battle for second raged between Vettel and Alonso, who emerged from the pit stops second and third. However, a drive-through penalty for exceeding the 10-car length behind the Safety Car meant Vettel dropped down to third place.

And although he caught Alonso without really having to put much effort into it, he was not able to pass the Spaniard, sitting on his rear wing all the way through to the chequered flag.

Race Report: Sebastian Vettel finally made an ideal start to a grand prix as he kept to his word and stayed on a straight line for the beginning of the 70-lap race in Hungary.

In Germany last week the Red Bull racer, starting from his seventh pole of the season and fourth in a row, attempted to cut across the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, only to slip to third by turn one.

On this occasion at the Hungaroring there were no mistakes as the 23-year-old German was clean away, but on the dirty side of the track team-mate Mark Webber gave up second spot to Alonso.

The McLaren duo of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button struggled as the former lost fifth spot to Renault's Vitaly Petrov, only to swiftly regain that place early on lap two.
As for reigning champion Button, he endured a miserable getaway, dropping four places to 15th from 11th.

At the end of four laps Vettel had opened up a 3.9secs cushion to Alonso, who was being closely followed by Webber, Massa, Hamilton and Petrov, with Button having made up one place as he was 14th.

The Toro Rosso of Jaime Alguersuari was an early casualty with a blown engine.
Vettel then began pulling away at an astonishing rate of knots, taking 1.3secs out of Alonso on lap six to lead by 6.3secs.

Alonso's greater concern, however, was that Webber was right behind him, with second to fifth positions covered by just 3.6secs.

Given the nature of the 4.381km circuit, renowned for its tight, twisty nature, and with bright sunshine overhead, the prospects for overtaking were limited.

After a further six laps Vettel had hit double figures in terms of his advantage, opening up a 10.5secs lead over Alonso, who still had Webber within less than a second on his tail.

Massa was then two seconds behind, with Hamilton starting to lose touch as he had dropped to 2.7secs off the Brazilian, with Petrov five seconds adrift.

As for 14th-placed Button, the 30-year-old was lagging 40 seconds off the pace and struggling on the softer tyres.

It resulted in him becoming the first driver to stop to take on fresh rubber, following which chaos then ensued when the safety car was deployed as there was debris on the track.

Out in front Vettel only just received the call to pit when the safety car announcement was made, cutting across the kerb running alongside the entry to the pit lane.

The majority of the field, other than Webber, piled in behind to switch tyres.

Nico Rosberg, who had been running sixth in his Mercedes, was the instigator of the mayhem that followed in the pit lane - or at least part of his pit crew were as they failed to fit his right-rear tyre correctly.

As Rosberg pulled out onto the pit lane the tyre worked loose, initially rolling and then bouncing its way through the other pit crews.

Whether it was a distraction to Renault's pit team is unclear, but Robert Kubica was released too early by his lollipop man as he ran into the side of Force India's Adrian Sutil just as he was about to enter the pit entry box.

The damage was too great for Sutil to continue, although Renault were able to send Kubica on his way again, only for him to unsurprisingly receive a 10-second stop-go penalty for an unsafe release from the pits.

As for Rosberg, he trundled down to the end of the pit lane on three wheels, and with his crew unable to retrieve him, that is where he retired.

The safety car played into the hands of the McLarens as Hamilton leapfrogged Massa in all the mayhem whilst Button was elevated up to 10th.

But on lap 24 championship leader Hamilton suffered his second retirement of the year, pulling off track by turn three.

The stewards then announced an investigation into Vettel for exceeding 10 car lengths behind the safety car, for which he soon received a drive-through penalty.

Quite simply, with the safety car about to return, Vettel had allowed Webber ahead of him to get a run whilst he backed up the field behind.

After 27 laps Webber had built up a 6.8secs cushion over Vettel, with Alonso a further 5.6secs back, with the same distance to Massa.

At the end of lap 31 Vettel served his penalty, clearly expressing his frustration as he did so as he drove through the pit lane with his fists clenched.

From second, Vettel returned to the track in third behind Alonso and ahead of Massa.

The stewards then announced they would investigate the incident involving Kubica after the race, in addition to also looking at what unfolded with Rosberg.

At the head of the field Webber was opening up a considerable cushion, needing 20 seconds to make his pit stop for new tyres and stay out ahead of Alonso who was being reeled in by Vettel.

By the end of lap 38, after setting the fastest lap at that stage, Webber had stretched his lead to 20.6secs, and now it was just a question of when his team would call him in.

They eventually did after 43 laps when he had just over 23 seconds' advantage to Alonso, returning to the track with a comfortable cushion.

With 26 laps remaining Webber was 6.1secs clear of Alonso, who had Vettel all over his gearbox and looking for an opportunity to pass.

Vettel continued to push, but his frustrations kept getting the better of him and he was never able to get close enough to Alonso to make it count even when they were lapping the backmarkers.

Barrichello, meanwhile, finally pitted from P5 on lap 56 and he came out behind Michael Schumacher who was the last driver in the points. The Brazilian though made up five seconds and had a few goes at Schumi before finally making it stick on lap 67. The German though closed the door right at the last second and nearly put Barrichello in the wall. They didn't make contact and the Williams driver stayed in front to pick up the final point.

At the front Webber continued to ease away and eventually finished a massive 17 seconds ahead of Alonso while his team-mate Vettel was just on the Spaniard's tail.

Meanwhile, at the back of the grid all three rookie teams had both their cars crossing the finish line for the first time this season.

Results:
1. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1h41:05.571
2. Alonso Ferrari + 17.821
3. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 19.252
4. Massa Ferrari + 27.474
5. Petrov Renault + 1:13.100
6. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth + 1:16.700
7. De la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
8. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 1 lap
9. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
10. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
11. Schumacher Mercedes + 1 lap
12. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
13. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
14. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth + 3 laps
15. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth + 3 laps
16. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 3 laps
17. Senna HRT-Cosworth + 3 laps
18. Di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth + 4 laps
19. Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth + 4 laps

Did not finish
Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 25 lap
Kubica Renault 25
Rosberg Mercedes 17
Sutil Force India-Mercedes 17
Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 2

Source: Planet-F1

German GP: Alonso Wins Team Order Battle

Ferrari won Sunday's German GP but could face a backlash after a "sorry" pit wall order Felipe Massa to gift the win to Fernando Alonso

Starting second and third on the grid with Alonso ahead of Massa, pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel did everything he could to squeeze Alonso, leaving a perfect gap for Massa to take the lead.

Adding insult to injury, Vettel then ran wide in his battle with Alonso and dropped to third place.

Massa and Alonso held stations despite what initially appeared to be a minor incident within the Ferrari camp when Alonso was quicker than his team-mate and wanted by. Massa, though, was having none of it - and neither was the Ferrari pit wall.

Forced to remain behind his team-mate, Alonso was fuming but Massa proved Ferrari right in not issuing team orders - which are actually banned - by plugging in fastest lap after fastest lap as he pulled away from his team-mate.

And with Alonso not wanting to be outdone by his team-mate, the Spaniard himself put in quick laps until finally he was back on Massa's rear wing. And that's when the team orders finally came.

On lap 49 as Rob Smedley told Massa: "So Fernando is faster than you? Can you confirm you understand that message?"

A few corners later Massa, very obviously, let Alonso by and into the lead as Ferrari's pit wall decided the outcome of the German GP. "Sorry," Smedley told Massa.

Meanwhile, Vettel finished in third place, completing the podium while behind the top-three battle - if we can call it a battle - Lewis Hamilton claimed fourth place at the start, overtaking Mark Webber through the hairpin on the opening lap. He remained P4 throughout the grand prix while Webber lost out to Jenson Button in the round of pit stops.

Results:
01. Alonso Ferrari 1h28:38.866
02. Massa Ferrari + 4.196
03. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 5.121
04. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 26.896
05. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 29.482
06. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 43.606
07. Kubica Renault + 1 lap
08. Rosberg Mercedes + 1 lap
09. Schumacher Mercedes + 1 lap
10. Petrov Renault + 1 lap
11. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
12. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
13. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
14. De la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
15. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
16. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes + 2 laps
17. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 2 laps
18. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 3 laps
19. Senna HRT-Cosworth + 4 laps

Did Not Finish
Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 58
Di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 51
Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth 20
Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 4
Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 2

Source: Planet-F1

Sebastien Loeb wins Rally Bulgaria!

Citroen C4 WRC driver Sebastien Loeb sealed victory on Rally Bulgaria today, round seven of the 2010 World Rally Championship, to extend his lead in the FIA Drivers' standings and head a record breaking formation finish for the French manufacturer.

Loeb, the defending and six-time World Champion, led the rally from beginning to end and finished 29.5sec ahead of his team-mate Dani Sordo who was second in another C4 WRC.

After a tense final day battle for second, Citroen privateer Petter Solberg had to settle for third, 6.8sec behind Sordo. Sebastien Ogier brought his C4 WRC home in fourth place to complete a 1-2-3-4 for Citroen - the best world championship finish for a manufacturer since Toyota scored a similar result on the 1993 Safari Rally.

Today's win was the 58th at World Championship level for Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena and gives him a total of 151 points in the drivers' championship. Sebastien Ogier is second in the series on a total of 100, while Ford team-leader Mikko Hirvonen is third with 86.

Overall:
Source: WRC

Monaco GP: Webber in a class of his own

Mark Webber claimed consecutive grands prix victories for the first time in his career with a dominant drive around the streets of Monte Carlo

The Australian led from start to finish, surviving four Safety Cars, and was followed home by team-mate Sebastian Vettel to give Red Bull their second straight one-two finish.

Renault's Robert Kubica, who was passed by Vettel prior to the first corner having started from second on the grid, completed the podium in third, ahead of Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton.


Webber and Vettel are now tied for the lead in the Drivers' standings on 78 points and Red Bull hold a 20-point advantage over Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship.

Report: Robert Kubica made a poor start to the Monaco Grand Prix to allow a Red Bull one-two around the first lap of the 78-lap race.

Starting from second on the grid, his highest position since the Canadian Grand Prix of 2008, the Renault driver arrowed his car across the track and attempted to cut across Sebastian Vettel.

But Vettel managed to squeeze up the inside from his third place and settle in behind Red Bull team-mate and pole man Mark Webber.

The rest of the field managed to get through the first corner, but coming through the tunnel Nico Hulkenberg in his Williams ploughed into a concrete barrier.

The German then slid along the wall for around 100 metres before emerging into the daylight with a shattered front left of his car, forcing the safety car into play.

As the remaining 23 cars followed behind, World Champion Jenson Button became the second casualty of the race with what appeared to be a rare Mercedes engine failure at the start of lap three.

The McLaren star had also made a poor start, dropping to 11th from eighth when he was forced to pull over at Sainte Devote with smoke billowing from his car.

Behind the top three of Webber, Vettel and Kubica came Felipe Massa in his Ferrari, the second McLaren of Lewis Hamilton and Rubens Barrichello in his Williams, the Brazilian up to sixth from ninth.

Once the safety car pulled in, Fernando Alonso then set about trying to make amends for his crash in final practice yesterday which ruled him out of qualifying and led to him starting from the pit lane in his Ferrari.

On laps 11, 12, 15 and 16 he pulled off superb overtaking manoeuvres on Virgin Racing's Lucas di Grassi, the Lotus of Jarno Trulli, then the second Virgin and Lotus of Timo Glock and Heikki Kovalainen out of the tunnel heading into the chicane to move up to 16th.

Hamilton took a gamble and made his first stop at the end of lap 17, dropping him into traffic, but hopefully to eventually elevate him through the field and to cover Alonso's charge.

Two laps later Massa, Barrichello, Schumacher and Vitantonio Liuzzi in his Force India all took on fresh rubber, followed soon after by Kubica, Vettel and Webber.

After 25 laps Webber held a 0.9secs lead over Rosberg, who had yet to pit, followed by Vettel, Kubica and the Sauber of Kamui Kobayashi, who was also biding his time before making his first stop.

In fifth place was Massa, then Hamilton and Alonso, testament to his team's tactics as he had pitted at the end of lap one when the safety car was out and was making good use of his harder tyres.
Pedro de la Rosa retired in the pits shortly beforehand with wisps of smoke coming from his Sauber, swiftly followed by Glock with a suspected suspension problem.

With team owner Sir Richard Branson looking on, it proved to be a grim day for the billionaire entrepreneur as Di Grassi then pulled up on lap 27.

That was when Rosberg finally made his stop, but it failed to work for the German as he ended up down in eighth, whilst Kobayashi joined the growing list of casualties as he too retired.

On lap 31 Barrichello became the seventh retirement, losing his car heading up the hill through Beau Rivage, the Williams careering backwards into a metal barrier due to a rear tyre or wheel problem.

Like a rubber ball he then rebounded across the track and hit the opposite barrier before coming to rest in the middle of the circuit facing the wrong way, and minus his front and rear wing.

In an understandble pit of pique Barrichello then tossed his steering wheel out of the cockpit of his car and onto the track where it was hit by a passing rival.

Naturally, it brought the safety car into play for the second time in the race, bunching up the field before it pulled aside after two laps.

After half distance of 39 laps Webber held a 2.5secs cushion over Vettel, with Kubica a second down, followed by Massa and Hamilton, who then received an order to slow down in corners to preserve his brakes.

In bizarre circumstances the safety car made a third appearance on lap 44 due to a loose drain cover at turn three, Massanet, highlighting the unpredictability of racing on public roads.

After another two laps behind the silver Mercedes, the field was again allowed to race, and for the fourth time Webber pulled away.

After 60 laps, with 18 remaining, he found himself 5.2secs clear of Vettel, who had Kubica just a second behind him, with gaps then to Massa, Hamilton and Alonso, who was being tailed by Schumacher.

Rosberg was running in eighth, with the Force India duo of Adrian Sutil and Liuzzi completing the top 10.

Kovalainen and Senna joined the list of retirements as both new team drivers pulled into the pits and called it quits, parking their cars in their respective garages.

With laps running out it looked as if that was it, all hold stations, however, Trulli decided to change the order as he hit the side of Chandhok's HRT car and was launched over the top of it.

Both came to a halt at strange angles with Trulli's car sitting partly on Chandhok's. The two drivers emerged unhurt but brought out the final safety car.

With just 12 runners heading towards the chequered flag, the safety car lifted metres before the end, allowing Webber to cross the line and take a much-deserved victory in Monaco.

Vettel was second ahead of Kubica, Massa and Hamilton.

However, there will be an investigation post-race after Schumacher took sixth place off Alonso at the final corner. Rosberg was eighth ahead of Sutil and Liuzzi.

Results:

1. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1h50:00.000
2. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 0.448
3. Kubica Renault + 1.600
4. Massa Ferrari + 2.600
5. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 4.300
6. Schumacher Mercedes + 5.700
7. Alonso Ferrari + 6.300
8. Rosberg Mercedes + 6.600
9. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 6.900
10. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes + 7.300
11. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 8.100
12. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 9.100
13. Petrov Renault + 4 laps

Did Not Finish

Chandhok HRT-Cosworth 71
Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 71
Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 59
Senna HRT-Cosworth 59
Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 28
Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 27
Di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 26
Glock Virgin-Cosworth 23
De la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 22
Button McLaren-Mercedes 3
Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1

Source: Planet-F1

Bahrain GP: Alonso Tops Ferrari 1-2

Fernando Alonso started his Ferrari career with a bang, winning the season-opening Bahrain GP ahead of team-mate Felipe Massa.

With the new regulations, new drivers and new teams all coming into play, the outcome of the Sakhir race was anybody's guess, although many were guessing that Ferrari were the favourites.

The Scuderia, though, downplayed the tag and justifiably so as Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel had their measure throughout the first half of the grand prix.

However, a broken exhaust cost the Red Bull racer as the problem meant a serious loss of power - costing him almost two seconds a lap. It also cost him the lead as he was overhauled by Alonso while Massa followed his team-mate by seconds later.

Lewis Hamilton was the next to overtake Vettel, moving up into third place while the German could do little more than count down the remaining laps as Nico Rosberg edged ever closer.

The Merc driver, though, wasn't able to get close enough as a heroic last lap burst from Vettel ensured he had a big enough advantage to cross the line ahead of his countryman.

Michael Schumacher bagged points on his return to F1, finishing in sixth place ahead of Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Tonio Liuzzi and Rubens Barrichello.

Meanwhile, it was a disappointing afternoon for two of F1's three new teams as neither Hispania nor Virgin got a single driver to even the halfway point in the race, never mind the finish.

As for Lotus, they got one driver home with Heikki Kovalainen finishing 15th while his team-mate Jarno Trulli was 16th, although he did stop on the final lap.

Results:

1 F. Alonso Ferrari 1:39:20.396
2 F. Massa Ferrari + 16.099
3 L. Hamilton McLaren + 23.182
4 S. Vettel Red Bull + 38.799
5 N. Rosberg Mercedes Grand Prix + 40.213
6 M. Schumacher Mercedes Grand Prix + 44.163
7 J. Button McLaren + 45.280
8 M. Webber Red Bull + 46.360
9 V. Liuzzi Force India F1 + 53.008
10 R. Barrichello Williams + 1:02.489
11 R. Kubica Renault + 1:09.093
12 A. Sutil Force India F1 + 1:22.958
13 J. Alguersuari Scuderia Toro Rosso + 1:32.656
14 N. Hulkenberg Williams + 1 lap(s)
15 H. Kovalainen Lotus F1 + 2 lap(s)
16 J. Trulli Lotus F1 + 3 lap(s)

Did not finish

17 S. Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso + 3 lap(s)
18 P. de la Rosa Sauber + 21 lap(s)
19 B. Senna HRT F1 Team + 32 lap(s)
20 T. Glock Virgin Racing + 33 lap(s)
21 V. Petrov Renault + 36 lap(s)
22 K. Kobayashi Sauber + 38 lap(s)
23 L. Di Grassi Virgin Racing + 46 lap(s)
24 K. Chandhok HRT F1 Team + 47 lap(s)

Source: Planet-F1