Webber: Delay won't make a big difference

Mark Webber doesn't believe that the delay in the start of the F1 season will serve as a great benefit to the teams

With the Bahrain Gran Prix postponed due to unrest in the Arab nation, the start of the 2011 season will be delayed by two weeks, with the Australian GP on the 27th March will now be the season-opener.

It has been suggested that certain teams who may be struggling with the development of their 2011 challenger will benefit from the delay, but Webber thinks the difference will be negligible.

"I don't think the extra two or three weeks will make a huge difference to the championship," Webber told Reuters

"It might give someone or some teams a bit more time to get their house in order for the first race but also the guys that are in good shape are polishing and sharpening their knives pretty well.

"Everyone can benefit from a bit more time so I'm not going to read too much into that."

There has been intense speculation regarding the future of the Australian Grand Prix, with various members of the Victorian government suggesting that Melbourne should cut its losses and do away with the race.

But Webber is unfazed by the talk, instead focusing on the positives of hosting the opening race.

"That's normal stuff mate, isn't it?" the Australian said of the negative rumours.

"It always comes around each year.

"This [being the season opener] is a real great positive boost. As usual with someone's little bit of misfortune or bad luck, which is certainly the case with this one, someone receives a bit of a boost."

The 34-year-old admits that the upcoming season should be an exciting one although he's not 100% sure what to expect.

"I think every grand prix this year has a chance to be pretty interesting," he said.

"We don't know quite yet how the races are going to unfold with strategy and how the rear wing's going to work and KERS [Kinetic Energy Recovery System] and that sort of stuff.

"When you get down to the nitty gritty of actually what's going to happen on Sunday afternoon and how exciting it's going to be, we don't quite know yet," he added.

Source: Planet-F1

Personality was the biggest difference between Räikkönen and Alonso

Although Fernando Alonso wasn't quite able to do Kimi Räikkönen's heroic deed and win the world championship during his first season as Ferrari's driver the Spaniard has collected significantly more praisal for his whole input.

Turun Sanomat asked team boss Stefano Domenicali what the biggest difference in the work was between Alonso and Raikkonen.

- The language, the Italian leader started.

Was that the biggest difference?

- As everybody knows Kimi has a different approach towards the team. He is in his own style a fantastically strong racing driver. Fernando plays the game with the team in a different way. It is because of the nature of the man's characteristics and we need to focus on that.

- It would be wrong to make comparisons between two different personalities. Kimi won the championship with us. He has a different personality and different characteristics. Fernando's approach to the team differs from Kimi because of his entirely different nature and that's why it's so much easier for him to establish relations with people inside the team, Domenicali said.

Does Domenicali see that 31-year-old Räikkönen still has a future in F1 racing?

- Kimi is a fantastic driver who decides for himself what he wants to do. I know Kimi will want to continue to rally in the championship this year. He also wants to start winning there too. It remains to be seen what opportunities he will have in the future, Domenicali said.

At Ferrari they are counting a lot upon Alonso.

- I think Fernando will start the season from a very special foundation compared to last year. Although the championship went in Abu Dhabi the truth is that we lost earlier in the season so many big points, which also reflected in the final season, Domenicali explained.

Turun Sanomat, Madonna di Campiglio

HEIKKI KULTA

Courtesy: Nicole