Print Page - 2011 F1 Grand Prix season

Hi F1 fans

Well we have just put the 2010 season to bed with a new first time constructor and driver taking the spoils ~~~ So time to start a new thread for next year!

With a record 20 races it's going to be busy! drivinggear Although still not sure why Spain gets 2 races in 5 weeks? confused3

2011 FIA Formula One World Championship Race Calendar

01    2011 FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX (Sakhir)    11 - 13 Mar
02    2011 FORMULA 1 QANTAS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX (Melbourne)    25 - 27 Mar
03    2011 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIA GRAND PRIX (Kuala Lumpur)    08 - 10 Apr
04    2011 FORMULA 1 UBS CHINESE GRAND PRIX (Shanghai) *    15 - 17 Apr
05    2011 FORMULA 1 TURKISH GRAND PRIX (Istanbul)    06 - 08 May
06    FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE ESPAÃ‘A 2011 (Catalunya)    20 - 22 May
07    FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2011 (Monte Carlo)    27 - 29 May
08    FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA 2011 (Montreal)    10 - 12 Jun
09    2011 FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX OF EUROPE (Valencia)    24 - 26 Jun
10    2011 FORMULA 1 SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX (Silverstone)    08 - 10 Jul
11    FORMULA 1 GROSSER PREIS SANTANDER VON DEUTSCHLAND 2011 (NÃ¼rburgring)    22 - 24 Jul
12    FORMULA 1 ENI MAGYAR NAGYDÃJ 2011 (Budapest)    29 - 31 Jul
13    2011 FORMULA 1 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX (Spa-Francorchamps)    26 - 28 Aug
14    FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO SANTANDER D'ITALIA 2011 (Monza)    09 - 11 Sep
15    2011 FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX (Singapore)    23 - 25 Sep
16    2011 FORMULA 1 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX (Suzuka)    07 - 09 Oct
17    2011 FORMULA 1 KOREAN GRAND PRIX (Yeongam)    14 - 16 Oct
18    2011 FORMULA 1 INDIAN GRAND PRIX (New Delhi) *    28 - 30 Oct
19    2011 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX (Yas Marina Circuit)    11 - 13 Nov
20    FORMULA 1 GRANDE PRÃŠMIO DO BRASIL 2011 (Sao Paulo)    25 - 27 Nov
* Subject to circuit approval by TBWG winkboy

TBWG sawadi

Santander have cornered the classics it would seem TBWG :-)
It's going to be a hard year for the teams.
Thank God the Spanish Jackass didn't win this year.
Shame about MW but he screwed up quali and junior Schumi (and Horner) made the most of it!
Oh well we can have a rest now until next season.
Cheers,
John

Hi F1 fans

Another good article by Joe Saward .....................

In the last 48 hoursâ€¦

November 17, 2010

In the last 48 hours there have been some interesting moves in Formula 1, in addition to the Young Drivers test at the Yas Island circuit. I will probably have a wrap-up of the testing at the end of the week. In basic terms it looks pretty much as it should do with a Red Bull fastest.

The Williams team announced that Rubens Barrichello will stay on for 2011, which was not a surprise. The team has a contract with Pastor Maldonado for the second seat and an option on Nico Hulkenberg and while keeping the German is the logical thing to do, the team must be certain that it has the money to do the job properly. Signing Maldonado guaranteed that. If the contract was 100% solid then it would have been announced by now so it is logical to suggest that there are clauses in the deal that would allow Hulkenberg to stay if the team finds the funding from somewhere else. Maldonado would not perhaps have signed the deal if there were no guarantees and one can imagine a situation in which he would be farmed out to HRT (or whatever it is called by the start of next season) with his funding if Williams finds the money to keep Hulkenberg. HRT could use the cash and would benefit from Williams technology, which would make the team much more competitive so Maldonado would have a better place to learn about F1 than in the frontline, under the spotlight.

Two questions come to mind, therefore: can Williams find the money? And can HRT keep itself alive?

Williams has been working hard at raising money in a couple of places for some time and it has played a very clever hand. The team has made an investment in Qatar with the opening of the Williams Technology Centre in the Qatar Science & Technology Park. This has led to a number of deals with Qatar-linked companies, the most recent of which is a deal with the J Sainsburyâ€™s supermarket chain. If Qatar is going to get involved in Formula 1 â€“ and the signs are that this will probably happen â€“ then the Williams team is an obvious route in. The team has heritage and while not able to compete with the big teams because of its lack of manufacturer support (or a billionaire backer, such as Red Bull Racing) it is still in the hunt. There are also rumours from Germany that the team is also close to doing a deal with the Volkswagen-Porsche company. This merger is coming together slowly and the signs are that the company will be wanting to get involved in F1 with one brand or another. Ultimately it is hard to see the firm being anything more than an engine supplier, as running teams has proved to be rather expensive and not a very good return on investment for the likes of BMW, Honda and Toyota. Renault, Mercedes and Ferrari have fared rather better. It helps that the government of Qatar is an important shareholder in VW-Porsche and obviously having a German like Hulkenberg would be a good idea. The question is really whether or not the German firm will commit to F1 and build an engine for the 2013 rules; and whether if that decision is taken whether it will decide to get up to speed by doing an engine-badging deal with Cosworth for the next couple of years, so that its engineers can get up to speed.

The question of the survival of HRT is another issue. Yesterday Toyota announced that all dealings with HRT had been terminated and would not be restarted. This was a most bizarre press release. Normally these things are designed to tell the world something positive, but an announcement that something is NOT happening is therefore rather suspicious. My feeling is that Toyota has had enough with the Spaniards who currently own the team and are trying to force the situation. The Carabantes have been singularly unsuccessful at raising money and their decision to take on Juan Villalonga to help came too late to make a difference. If the team is to survive next year, it needs to be building a car NOW. The culture of maÃ±ana may work in Spain, but it does not work in Formula 1 and the feeling is that the Carabantes have now blown their chance and must be convinced to sell and recoup some money, or watch as the team goes to the wall. In fact, they own very little beyond the entry as the team seems to be rented (complete with all people and equipment) from Colin Kolles. He may not have the money to buy the entry from the Spanish, but he will be happy to work with others if they show up with more idea of what F1 is all about.

In fact, it could be that a smart investor will pump money into Kollesâ€™s operation now so that he has the ability to build a 2011 car and then negotiate with the Carabantes over the question of ownership. It would be a risk, but the outcome would likely be a capitulation by the Spanish because they would get something from a sale, but nothing if the team shuts down.

One way or the other, the Carabantes now face the choice of failure or complete failure. The only hope was Villalonga, but they did not give him enough to find money.

The other fascinating point in recent days has been the announcement that Mubadala Development Company, Abu Dhabiâ€™s state-backed investment fund, has sold its five percent stake in Ferrari back to Fiat, five years after taking a share in the luxury carmaker. The deal was valued at $167 million. This was decided not by the Emiratis but because Fiat had an option to buy back the shares, that were acquired in 2005. Mubadala has lost a lot of money in recent months because many of its investments that suffered in the economic downturn â€“ although share prices will in most cases come up again as confidence returns. It reported a loss (announced in September) of about $1 billion, but some of this is simply accounting for the loss of share value rather than actual cash. The Government of Abu Dhabi is not in any trouble. According to The Economist the sovereign wealth fund ADIA is currently estimated to have US$ 875 billion in terms of total asset value. And the economy has not been much affected by the global financial crisis. Oil keeps coming out of the ground and there is no reason to suggest that is going to stop. Mubadala still has over $20 billion in assets under management. This move is interesting in the light of rumours that Bernie Ecclestone is working on a deal to have Abu Dhabi take over the Formula One group from CVC Capital Partnersâ€¦

TBWG sawadi

Hi F1 Bums

New black round things confused1

Abu Dhabi will play host to Pirelli's debut as Formula One racing's official tyre supplier this week, as the Italian company returns to the sport following a 19-year absence. The 12 teams will test Pirelliâ€™s tyres for the first time from Friday over a two-day session at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Pirelli have already carried out eight private tests at Mugello, Monza, Barcelona, Valencia, Jerez and Paul Ricard as they refined the different tyres that will be supplied to the teams next year. The company used a Toyota TF109 to rack up 7000 kilometres with Nick Heidfeld, Romain Grosjean and Pedro de la Rosa at the wheel.

"We come to these tests with plenty of confidence and satisfaction with our work carried out so far," said Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery. "The tests in Europe have given us all the data we needed at this current phase of development. From tomorrow, the drivers and engineers from every team will give us their opinions and feedback, which are of vital importance for the second phase of testing: a challenge that we are already well-prepared for."

The Abu Dhabi tests will be led by the teams, who have determined the programme they would like to cover. Both the medium and soft compound slick tyres will be used, distinguishable by a coloured stripe on the sidewall. Every team will have eight sets of tyres available, four for day one and four for day two, which adds up to a total supply of 384 Pirelli tyres.

During the test, the teams will be fully supported by Pirelli's engineers and technicians. In particular, each team will have an assigned engineer as well as being able to rely on the back-up of the entire Pirelli contingent, which numbers 30 people in Abu Dhabi.

Ahead of the tests the Pirelli personnel will meet all the teams for a general briefing, during which details of the forthcoming test programme will be discussed, whilst after each day of testing there will also be a debrief between all the teams and Pirelli in order to compare information.

After the Abu Dhabi test, the Italian company will move on to Bahrain in early December for more private testing, in preparation for the first official 2011 tests with the teams next year. Throughout 2011, Pirelli is expected to supply 50,000 tyres to the Formula One paddock.

TBWG sawadi

"The Ferrari F1 team fired their entire pit crew yesterday."

This announcement followed Ferrari's decision to take advantage of the British government's 'Work for your Dole' scheme and employ some Liverpudlian youngsters.

The decision to hire them was brought about by a recent documentary on how unemployed youths from Toxteth were able to remove a set of wheels in less than 6 seconds without proper equipment, whereas Ferrari's existing crew could only do it in 8 seconds with millions of pounds worth of high tech equipment.

It was thought to be an excellent, bold move by the Ferrari management team as most races are won and lost in the pits, giving Ferrari an advantage over every other team.

However, Ferrari got more than they bargained for! At the crew's first practice session, not only was the scouse pit crew able to change all four wheels in under 6 seconds but, within 12 seconds, they had re-sprayed, re-badged and sold the car to the Mclaren team for 8 cases of Stella, a bag of weed and some photos of Lewis Hamilton's bird in the shower.

Quote from: dimple joe on November 19, 2010, 10:02:52 AM

"The Ferrari F1 team fired their entire pit crew yesterday."

This announcement followed Ferrari's decision to take advantage of the British government's 'Work for your Dole' scheme and employ some Liverpudlian youngsters.

The decision to hire them was brought about by a recent documentary on how unemployed youths from Toxteth were able to remove a set of wheels in less than 6 seconds without proper equipment, whereas Ferrari's existing crew could only do it in 8 seconds with millions of pounds worth of high tech equipment.

It was thought to be an excellent, bold move by the Ferrari management team as most races are won and lost in the pits, giving Ferrari an advantage over every other team.

However, Ferrari got more than they bargained for! At the crew's first practice session, not only was the scouse pit crew able to change all four wheels in under 6 seconds but, within 12 seconds, they had re-sprayed, re-badged and sold the car to the Mclaren team for 8 cases of Stella, a bag of weed and some photos of Lewis Hamilton's bird in the shower.

Hi DJ

I think you will find that this article is not entirely accurate! confused4

I have it on good authority that it was in fact photos of Jenson Buttons bird! giggle

TBWG sawadi

Hi F1 bums biggreen

Vettel leads first morning of Pirelli test

Friday, November 19th 2010, 08:48 GMT

Sebastian VettelFormula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel returned to his familiar place at the top of the timesheet on the first morning of Pirelli tyre testing in Abu Dhabi.

The 23-year-old leaped to the top with half an hour to go, knocking Ferrari driver Felipe Massa off top spot.

Vettel's best time, a 1m40.816s, was 1.5 seconds off his pole time for Sunday's race, although as this is the first time teams have been able to run the Pirelli development rubber, their focus is on understanding the tyre rather than chasing laptimes.

Renault's Robert Kubia was third fastest, less than two-tenths off the pace and just under half a second ahead of Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi. The Japanese will resume this afternoon, before handing over to new team-mate Sergio Perez tomorrow afternoon.

Gary Paffett, performing test duties for McLaren on both days in place of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, was fifth fastest. He also ran on the second day of the tyre test, ensuring the team has the most up-to-date benchmark data to compare the new Pirellis to the Bridgestones used during the season. He completed the most laps - 49 - during the session.

Jaime Alguersuari set the seventh fastest time, 0.664secs slower than Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg. The Spaniard was the first driver to take to the track this morning, making him the first regular driver to experience the new rubber.

Williams spent much of the session completing tests designed to understand the difference the Pirelli rubber makes to the aerodynamic performance of the car, running to a strict top speed limit. This data will then be compared with the baseline data accumulated during the recent young driver test to better understand how the Pirellis change the car.

Barrichello did set some quicker laps towards the end of the morning session and the team plans to concentrate more on the performance of the tyres this afternoon.

Force India driver Adrian Sutil completed only 20 laps before an exhaust failure forced him to stop. The team is currently working to replace the exhaust system and will return to the track this afternoon, this time with test driver Paul di Resta at the wheel.

Virgin's Timo Glock was the fastest new team driver ahead of Lotus's Heikki Kovalainen and Pastor Maldonado, who is running on both days for HRT.

Given teams have yet to fine-tune their set-ups for the new rubber, and most will have focused on running mid-levels of fuel, the laptimes posted so far indicate that Pirelli's single-lap pace will be comparable to that of the Bridgestones.

There will be another three and a half hours of testing this afternoon.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m40.861s 34
2. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m40.913s 29
3. Robert Kubica Renault 1m41.032s 25
4. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 1m41.466s 33
5. Gary Paffett McLaren 1m41.588s 49
6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m41.978s 40
7. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso 1m42.642s 33
8. Rubens Barrichello Williams 1m42.655s 44
9. Adrian Sutil Force India 1m42.859s 20
10. Timo Glock Virgin 1m45.057s 41
11. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus 1m46.201s 42
12. Pastor Maldonado Hispania 1m46.534s 46

TBWG sawadi

Whats the likelihood of Thailand hosting F1 in the future? thailandflag drivinggear

Quote from: garytaffy on November 20, 2010, 12:49:06 AM

Whats the likelihood of Thailand hosting F1 in the future? thailandflag drivinggear

Hi Gary

How's things in Taffystan?

Do I think there will ever be a GP in Thailand ~~~ Nah!

But see this previous post, so there is a big Thai involvement with the current World Champs!

Thailand and F1 thumbup bravo1

October 6, 2010 by joesaward

Dietrich Mateschitz has long been a man with ambitions in motor racing. He has been involved in the sport since the very beginning of the Red Bull story, when the then new drinks company had a personal sponsorship deal with Gerhard Berger. He then became the sponsor of Sauber and ultimately bought the Jaguar Racing and Minardi teams to become Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso. He also acquired the Osterreichring, which is now known as the Red Bull Ring. On top of all of this he has invested in a NASCAR team and in any number of personal sponsorships in the junior formulae, in rallying, touring car racing and so on. His ambition is to win the World Championship, while at the same time increasing sales of his celebrated energy drink.

What is not well known is that Mateschitz owns only 49% of the business. His partner Chaleo Yoovidhya, a Thai national, owns another 49%, while Yoovidhyaâ€™s son Chalerm owns the remaining two percent, having been the man who introduced the two major partners. That was back in the early 1980s. The deal was that Mateschitz would run the business, but that the Thais would have nominal control. Chaleo (78) is now the richest person in Thailand, with a fortune estimated at $4 billion, thanks to Red Bull, and to other products that are produced by his TC Pharmaceuticals company, which continues to market the original energy drink Krating Daeng (on which Red Bull is based) in the Asian markets. The success of the Red Bull business has enabled Chalerm to become Thailandâ€™s most celebrated winemaker, while also being the co-owner of Cavallino Motors, a joint venture with the Bhirombhakdi Family, which owns the Singha Beer company. Singha was recently seen as a sponsor on the Red Bull-Renaults in F1 and said that this was designed to promote Formula 1 in Thailand, which would automatically create interest in Ferrari.

Now Chalerm is saying that he wants to build a F1 circuit in Thailand, so that there can be a Thai Grand Prix. He says that this will help to boost the tourism industry in the country. The country does have a 1.5-mile circuit near the seaside resort of Pattaya. This was built in 1985 and named after Prince Birabongse Bhanutej Bhanubandh (known in Europe as â€œPrince Biraâ€) who raced Grand Prix cars with some success in the 1940s and 1950s. This is not suitable for Formula 1.

The shift of F1 towards Asia means that Thailand should be considered a sensible contender if Red Bull is willing to put up the money. Why not a Red Bull Ring in Asia, as well as in Austria?

TBWG sawadi

Hi TBWG, Life in Taffystan is as depressing as ever when Cardiff City lose character2. Interesting article. I've never been to see F1 live and if there was one in Thailand that would be good. Which Grand Prix would you recomend to go and see live and what would be your reasons for that choice? 10 more days and i'll be available for hire to tour round Thailand looking for suitable potential sites spot1

Hi GT

As far as best circuit is concerned, Spa ~~ Belgium is the best one I have visited for pure racing and spectacle.

Being a miserable antisocial git I tend to like Malaysia and China, minimum fuss not crowded, good infastructure and facilities, however the downside with China is that you are constantly pestered by attractive young girls who want to practice their english and act as your guide .... lifes a bummer! giggle

As yet I have not made it to Singapore but that is now high on my list!

TBWG sawadi

Thanks, Spa is just across the pond....and obviously Malaysia is on the doorstep when in LOS so both strong possibilites.

Check this out folks!

Motorsport - Every Second Counts (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xgnkHaAenM#)

TBWG sawadi

Enjoyed the video very much. Thanks. :)

Hi F1 fans

FIA reveals official 2011 entry list

Tuesday, November 30th 2010

Formula 1's ruling body, the FIA, has published the 2011 entry list, with six teams yet to complete their line-ups for next season.

Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Sauber and Lotus had their line-ups confirmed, with Sauber's new signing Sergio Perez the only new driver on the list.

Robert Kubica's team-mate at Renault and Rubens Barrichello's team-mate at Williams are yet to be revealed, the list confirmed.

Force India has not confirmed any of its drivers, while the list did not include any drivers at Toro Rosso either, despite the team having Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari under contract for next year.

Newcomers Virgin and Hispania did not have any drivers entered either.

The list also had the Lotus team entered as "Team Lotus" despite the row over the use of the name.

Red Bull Racing

1. Sebastian Vettel
2. Mark Webber

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

3. Jenson Button
4. Lewis Hamilton

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro

5. Fernando Alonso
6. Felipe Massa

Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team

7. Michael Schumacher
8. Nico Rosberg

Renault F1 Team

9. Robert Kubica
10. TBA

AT&T Williams

11. Rubens Barrichello
12. TBA

Force India F1 Team

14. TBA
15. TBA

Sauber F1 Team

16. Kamui Kobayashi
17. Sergio Perez

Scuderia Toro Rosso

18. TBA
19. TBA

Team Lotus

20. Jarno Trulli
21. Heikki Kovalainen

HRT F1 Team

22. TBA
23. TBA

Marussia Virgin Racing

24. TBA
25. TBA

Nothing new, but a lot more TBA's than I thought, so lots of opportunities still available.

TBWG sawadi

Williams announces Maldonado for '11 icon_latest

Wednesday, December 1st 2010, 14:40 GMT

Williams has confirmed that GP2 champion Pastor Maldonado will be its second driver in 2011, taking the seat occupied by Nico Hulkenberg this season.

Maldonado had been extensively linked with Williams in recent months, and tested for the team during the recent rookie sessions in Abu Dhabi, where he also spent two days with Hispania. He is believed to bring significant levels of personal sponsorship to the team.

"I feel very privileged that Williams has selected me as one of their race drivers," Maldonado said. "It is a great way to end what has already been an amazing year for me.

"I tested with the team in Abu Dhabi, but can't wait to start working with everyone properly to be in the best possible shape going into next year. I will be doing my best over the winter to prepare myself, and I know the team will be working hard to ensure a successful season.

"2011 will be the first time in nearly 30 years that a Venezuelan has driven a Formula 1 car so I will be looking to get some good results in return for the support my country has given me to help get me to this position today."

The 25-year-old took the GP2 title with seven victories this year, but team boss Frank Williams said he had been watching Maldonado's progress since his maiden GP2 win in Monaco with the Trident team in 2007, when he had just moved across from the World Series by Renault.

"Pastor first caught my eye in 2007 when he drove a masterful race at Monaco," Williams said. "Since then, he has regularly reminded us of his unquestionable talent with some skilful wins, particularly during this year's GP2 championship, taking an unsurpassed record of six successive victories.

"Of course, we already know Pastor from the time he spent with the team at the Abu Dhabi test, but we are very much looking forward to developing his talent over the winter and a fruitful season with him next year."

Williams has already announced that Rubens Barrichello will be retained as its other race driver next season, with Valtteri Bottas remaining in the test and reserve role.

TBWG sawadi

Latest on Renault F1 or should I say Lotus Renault GP. icon_latest

Genii Capital and Group Lotus plc have announced the creation of Lotus Renault GP, the successor to the Renault F1 Team.

Group Lotus plc will become a major equity partner of Genii Capital in Lotus Renault GP, and the two parties have concluded a title sponsorship agreement that will run until the end of the 2017 season. Renault has sold its shares in the team but will remain as a supplier of engines and technological and engineering expertise. The news has been expected for some time, but will confuse matters considerably for race fans as this is entirely separate from the Team Lotus effort, which will also use Renault engines, which is being prepared by Tony Fernandesâ€™s team in Norfolk.

â€œI can think of no better platform for automotive brand communications than motorsport and F1 is the very pinnacle of open-wheel racing,â€ said Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar. â€œWeâ€™re well aware that there has been a lot of controversy around the usage of our brand in F1 and Iâ€™m delighted to be able to formally clarify our position once and for all: we are Lotus and we are back.â€

The British courts may not agree with this analysis, but it remains to be seen what will now happen. Clearly Group Lotus and Proton have decided that they are going for it, and will face any legal claims about the use of the Lotus name in F1 at a later date. Thus the worst case scenario has come about. There will be four cars racing next year using the Lotus name. As of now all of them will also be running in black and gold.

How stupid is that?

The cars, by the way, will remain called Renaults although the team is obviously hoping that after a while the world will start to call them Lotuses, whether they are or notâ€¦ One would expect more legal action between the parties involved.

It is worth noting that the car that has been unveiled no allegiance from HP, nor from the Lada car company, both of which were sponsors last year. The team has yet to confirm who will drive, but it is expected that Vitaly Petrov will stay on.

Renault has announced a new structure follow its departure from the world of F1 team ownership â€“ in all but name. The French firm has rebranded its sporting division as Renault Sport F1, which will be responsible for Renaultâ€™s involvement in Formula 1 racing as a supplier of engines and technology for the 2011 season and beyond. As well as supplying engines, Renault Sport F1 will conduct advanced research studies with its partners, as well as engineering programmes in areas such as transmissions and kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS). The new division will put forward Renaultâ€™s technological response to the challenge raised by the new F1 regulations on engines. It will be a laboratory for developing technologies that better respect the environment, applicable to combustion and electric powertrains as well as to production models. It will operate from Viry-ChÃ¢tillon, Renaultâ€™s traditional F1 racing base. Its chairman will be Bernard Rey, a member of Renaultâ€™s Management Committee.

Confused? confused3

TBWG sawadi

Formula 1 in Thailand! Stranger things have happened! :o

Formula 1 has seen a notable shift towards Asia in recent years, with new races in Malaysia, China, Singapore and Korea, with India coming soon. The story may not be over yet as there are signs that other Asian countries have seen the impact that Formula 1 can have and want a piece of the action. The first suggestion of a Grand Prix in Thailand (at least in the modern era) came a few months ago when Chalerm Yoovidhya suggested the idea. He and his father Chaleo own 51% of Red Bull, a fact which is often forgotten in the western world, where Dietrich Mateschitz (49%) gets all the glory. The Thais are very proud of Red Bullâ€™s successes and it helps that Chalerm is also a Ferrari dealer, through Cavallino Motors, which he co-owns with the Bhirombhakdi Family, which owns the Singha Beer company, seen this year as a sponsor on the Red Bulls. The popularity of F1 was seen last weekend in Bangkok when Mark Webber took to the streets for a demonstration run in the downtown area, as part of the celebrations for the Kingâ€™s 84th birthday. The event was presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn. It is reckoned that more than 150,000 turned up, packing the pavements all along the route.

Not far away in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the government of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is considering a proposal to invest in a Formula 1 circuit in the city of Nha Trang. Vietnam has adopted a policy of economic liberalization and international integration in recent years but is still struggling to get over the effects of the war, the over-dependence on Russian aid and a rigid economy. The global recession has hurt the economy, which was doing well with low-cost exports. The government has already tried using subsidized lending programmes to keep the economy moving but foreign investment in Vietnam has collapsed.

The proposal for an F1 track comes from Austrian Hans Geist, the man who developed the old Osterreichring into the A1 Ring and held Grands Prix at the track between 1997 and 2003. He went on to work (albeit briefly) in Bahrain, and in recent years has been heavily involved with the development of the Moscow Raceway in Russia, which is a long way behind schedule and has not landed the Russian GP as had been hoped. Geist reckons that the Vietnamese could have an F1 standard race track for as little as $150 million as Nha Trang has a large deserted airbase which is no longer needed as a result of the development of the recently updated Cam Ranh International Airport, just 30 miles away. Nha Trang is one of the foremost tourist destinations in Vietnam. It boasts beautiful golden beaches and clear water, with mild temperatures all year round. The countryâ€™s Ministry of Investment and Planning, which oversees the economic development of the country, is studying Geistâ€™s proposal.

TBWG sawadi

D'Ambrosio secures Virgin race seat icon_latest

The Belgian conducted third-driver duties for the team in Friday practice sessions towards the end of last season and had been one of the favourites to race alongside Timo Glock next year.

And after weeks of negotiations, as the team weighed up other options including retaining Lucas di Grassi or signing Giedo van der Garde, Virgin has finally decided to commit to D'Ambrosio.

Speaking about the deal, which now gives him plenty of time to get ready ahead of the first running of Virgin's 2011 car, D'Ambrosio said: "I'm thrilled to have achieved my goal of a Formula 1 race seat with Marussia Virgin Racing.

"When I came to the team in September this year it was everything I could hope for. I had a tough test to complete because there was a lot of competition for this seat, but at the same time I got on well with the team and felt that I had found my home.

"I feel very comfortable with them - they are extremely professional and ambitious people and it is exciting to think that I can be a part of shaping the team's future."

Virgin team principal John Booth said that the team's decision on signing D'Ambrosio was made very easy after it saw how good he was in the Friday sessions he did with the outfit.

"Jerome had been on our radar for quite some time as a driver we should seriously consider for a 2011 race seat. We had followed his progress in GP2 closely and it was clear he was 'one to watch', but when we put him in the car for the four race weekends and the Abu Dhabi test he surpassed even our own expectations.

"He slotted into the team perfectly and everyone took a shine to him, including our partners and the media. Apart from his obvious skill at the wheel of a Formula 1 car, he is an immensely personable young guy who is a pleasure to have around.

"He has secured this seat absolutely on merit and I think coupled with Timo we have the perfect blend of youth, experience, speed and potential and we can't wait to see what they can achieve together next season.

"Timo has done an excellent job for us in our debut season, in often challenging circumstances. There is no doubt that he has helped us to establish a strong foundation from which to develop the team and the package. We look forward to being in a much stronger position to deliver the car he deserves in 2011.

"Finally, I must thank Lucas di Grassi for the important role that he also played in establishing the team. He contributed a great deal to our development and we wish him every success in his future career, which we have no doubt will be an exciting one."

D'Ambrosio is part of the Gravity Sport Management programme that is headed by Renault F1 chairman Gerard Lopez and its team principal Eric Boullier.

TBWG sawadi

Petrov gets new two-year Renault deal icon_latest

Although the squad had called for more commitment and consistency from the Russian rookie during the year, in recent months it had become clear that a contract extension for Petrov was the most likely option. Renault had already re-signed Robert Kubica for next season.

Team boss Eric Boullier said Petrov would now have the chance to develop the promise he had showed during 2011.

"We are very pleased to confirm that Vitaly will be staying with us for 2011 and 2012, in order that both he and the team can build on a promising 2010 campaign," Boullier said.

"The entire team has been working flat-out over the past months to improve our competitiveness, and a stable driver line-up is essential to achieving our targets.

"Robert Kubica provides a remarkable benchmark for both speed and consistency, and we are certain that Vitaly will move closer to this level of performance next year."

Team chairman Gerard Lopez agreed that there had been no doubts over Petrov's ability, and that the Russian should able to turn that potential into better results with more experience behind him.

"Last season, he showed on several occasions that he clearly has the potential to deliver," Lopez said. "It was just a matter of putting everything together during the same weekend, race after race, and this will be his target for 2011."

Petrov said he was delighted to have been kept on, and acknowledged that the pressure was on to improve next year.

"I am very happy to continue with the team and proud to be representing Lotus Renault GP for the 2011 and 2012 seasons," he said.

"I learned a lot about the sport, the circuits and the car this year. That will help me improve even more in the future. I am very excited about working with this great team once more, and I'm confident that I will deliver.

"In many ways, 2010 was about learning. 2011 will be about performing. Today, I feel I am ready to rise to this challenge."

Lopez added that Renault was keen to capitalise on Russian interest in F1 generated by both Petrov's presence in the field and the deal for Russia to host a grand prix from 2011.

"Also, thanks to Vitaly and the team, Russia is opening up to Formula 1," said Lopez. "Over the past few months, we've established close links with this country and with some of its strongest companies.

"We're looking forward to building on this special relationship and turning it into a very successful adventure over the next two seasons."

Although Petrov had a mixed rookie season, including several costly crashes, he also impressed with drives such as his strong run to fifth in Hungary, and his defence against Fernando Alonso in Abu Dhabi. He finished 13th in this year's championship.

TBWG sawadi

This one is for you TBWG, wave1

This was seen in Pattaya central mall.

Renault F1 R30 (Robert Kubica).

renault F1 R30 robert kubica car show pattaya chonburi Thailand.mkv (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vBDmnAnIvE#)

Karthikeyan signs race deal with HRT icon_latest

Narain Karthikeyan will return to Formula 1 with HRT this year after revealing on Thursday that he has signed a deal to race for the team.

Although the Spanish-based outfit has not made any official statement itself confirming the news, Karthikeyan told the India media and announced via his own Twitter feed that he will be racing in F1 again.

On his Twitter page, he wrote: "Back in F1 in 2011. Signed a deal to race for HRT. I've always maintained that my time in F1 was not over and now making good on that promise."

AUTOSPORT understands that HRT will make an announcement about one of its drivers on Friday morning.

Karthikeyan last raced in F1 back in 2005, when he competed for the Jordan team - and he is most famously remembered for the huge accident he suffered at the Chinese Grand Prix.

After that campaign, he spent two seasons as a Williams test driver before switching to the A1GP series.

In 2009, he linked up with HRT team principal Colin Kolles to race for the German's Audi team in the Le Mans Series - before spending last season in NASCAR's Truck Series and occasional appearances in Superleague, winning at Brands Hatch.

Speaking to The Times of India about his drive, Karthikeyan said: "It's been a while in the making, but I am delighted to be racing again in Formula 1 in 2011. I have always maintained that I have not given up on my desire to return to the top level of motorsport.

"I am confident that I have the pace, the fitness and the will to succeed in Formula 1. I am extremely grateful to the Tata Group, without whose unwavering support this comeback would not have been possible.

"I'm looking forward to racing for HRT and to working again with Dr Colin Kolles. We have a long standing and excellent working relationship together."

Karthikeyan's return to F1 coincides with the first Indian Grand Prix, which is scheduled to take place in October.

TBWG sawadi

Vijay Mallya is expecting to announce Force India's 2011 driver line-up within the next "few days".

With less than two weeks to go until pre-season testing gets underway, Force India is the only team that has yet to confirm either of its drivers.

But when the announcement comes, it is widely believed that Adrian Sutil will retain his seat while Paul di Resta is expected to move up to a full-time race seat.

Di Resta's promotion would leave Tonio Liuzzi without a race seat despite the Italian having a deal in place for this year's Championship.

Asked by the BBC about his 2011 line-up Mallya stated that "there are some legal loose ends to be tied up" but that he expects an announcement in the "next few days."

TBWG sawadi

Force India set to announce di Resta icon_latest

By Jonathan Noble Monday, January 24th 2011, 16:00 GMT

Paul di RestaPaul di Resta is set to finally be announced as a Formula 1 driver for Force India later this week, with his team scheduled to end weeks of speculation about its 2011 line-up.

Although di Resta is understood to have had a deal agreed with the team for some time, his Silverstone-based outfit has stalled on making an announcement about its plans while it resolved contractual issues with Vitantonio Liuzzi.

The silence from the team on that matter will end on Wednesday, however, with the team having announced that it will hold a press conference at the Whyte and Mackay offices in Glasgow.

Although there has been no comment from the team about di Resta's promotion, it is understood it will use the event to confirm he will line up for the forthcoming season.

Di Resta's promotion comes after the Scotsman impressed Force India during 2010 when he fulfilled Friday testing duties for the outfit at a selection of grands prix.

He was able to do that alongside his commitments with Mercedes-Benz in the DTM - where he ended the campaign as champion.

Liuzzi had a contract to race for Force India for 2011 but it appears that he and the outfit will part ways after a sometimes difficult season last year.

TBWG sawadi

Hi Bums,
there could be a bit more room on the calendar in a couple of more years. The Mayor of Melbourne has been in the news asking why Melbourne should continue funding a losing proposition. He had a long meeting with the Grand Prix Corporation today that didn't go well!
Regards,
John

Schumacher will improve in new car, say Mercedes
Published: 1/02/2011 at 10:31 PM
Bangkok Post: Online news: Sports

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher will improve on his disappointing performance in his comeback season last year as Mercedes GP now has a new "more sophisticated" car, team boss Norbert Haug said Tuesday.

The 42-year-old German failed to reach the podium in 19 Formula One races in 2010 and was completely outshone by teammate Nico Rosberg who finished the campaign 70 points ahead of Schumacher.

"Michael needs to adapt again, it's a different Formula One that he was used to before," Haug told a news conference at the Ricardo Tormo circuit near Valencia where Formula One teams began three days of testing on Tuesday.

"He will have a better year when our car is competitive and I think we have every reason to believe that we have a car that will a big step forward compared to last year's."

He said finishing fourth in the constructors' championship last year "was what we deserved in the end... But ultimately we will reach our targets, I'm absolutely convinced because we are heading in the right direction."

The new MGP W02 Silver Arrow, unveiled on Tuesday with silver and green livery, is "more sophisticated... A lot of work was done on the new car and there are improvements".

Schumacher has blamed technical problems for his poor return to Formula One after his three-year hiatus, saying the car did not always handle the same as Rosberg's.

But he has vowed to put the problems behind him and win his first world drivers' championship since 2004.

A Mercedes statement Tuesday quoted him saying he hoped to make the podium this season.

"We have said it several times already but again, we are really to building up something big together," he said.

"I am very confident that this season we will be standing on the podium much more regularly; ideally in the middle!"

Team principal Ross Brawn described both drivers as "capable of winning races in a good car, and we look forward to seeing them push each other and the development of the new Silver Arrow during the season", the statement said.

Schumacher and Rosberg tried out the vehicle on the track in Valencia on Tuesday at the first of the four pre-season tests ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 13.

The new car design incorporates the various regulation changes that will be enforced in 2011 - most notably the introduction of an adjustable rear wing, operated by the driver to aid overtaking.

It also includes the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery) system, a device that stores energy created by braking and which can be used to boost power at certain points during the race.

"The new Silver Arrow for the 2011 season has little in common with its immediate predecessor," said Haug in the Mercedes statement.

"Our chassis engineers have taken a fairly ruthless approach and were determined to shave off every superfluous gram and millimetre. What emerged from this process is a compact and exquisitely shaped vehicle that introduces a host of sophisticated solutions and truly reflects the enormous dedication of its constructors."

The Mercedes launch follows that of Ferrari last Friday, Lotus Renault, Team Lotus and Sauber on Monday, and Williams, Toro Rosso and world title holders Red Bull on Tuesday.

Formula 1 star Robert Kubica has suffered fractures to his left arm and left leg after a high-speed rally crash in Italy, BBC Sport understands.

The 26-year-old Pole crashed into a church wall and was air-lifted to a hospital near Genoa.

His British-based Renault team said the driver was conscious, with a statement due later after further medical checks.

It looks unlikely Kubica will be ready for the new Formula 1 season, which starts on 13 March in Bahrain.

His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening, but following surgery in 2003 after a serious road accident as a passenger that left him with titanium bolts in his arm, there will be doubts about his ability to continue in the sport.

A Renault statement read: "Robert Kubica suffered an accident at high speed this morning while competing in the Ronde di Andora Rally.

"The driver was airlifted to Pietra Ligure Hospital where he is currently undergoing medical checks. His co-driver [Jakub Gerber] is fine."

They added that another statement would be issued as soon as more information was known about their driver's condition.

Reports suggested that Kubica was 4.6km from the start of the Ronde di Andora rally when his Skoda Fabia crashed on Sunday.

The former driver for the BMW Sauber team regularly competes in rallies and was driving a week after a successful testing session in the new Renault car in Valencia , ahead of the season's opening grand prix in Bahrain.

Kubica was due to lead Renault alongside Russian Vitaly Petrov of Russia, who has a long-term contract to race for the team after signing for the 2011 and 2012 season over the winter.

The reserve drivers for 2011 include Bruno Senna - who raced for Hispania last season - and Frenchman Romain Grosjean, who drove for Renault as a replacement for Nelson Piquet Jr in 2009.

It is likely that either of these drivers will be called up for the second pre-season test which starts in Jerez on Thursday.

Kubica was an impressive performer last season to finish in eighth position in the drivers' table, securing second at Melbourne and a third in Monaco and Belgium.

The Krakow-born star also suffered a bad crash at the Canadian Grand Prix in 2007 and was forced to miss one race. He returned to the same track the following year to claim his first Formula 1 victory.

TBWG sawadi

Can't wait for the new season to start !!! Only 4 weeks to go ..... However looks like I will be staying half way between Prakhon Chai and Prassat in April. Can anyone recommend a good bar to watch the Malaysian & Chinese GPs??

Hi

A long way from you, but I always watch at Paddys bar in Buriram.

Anyway latest test info ~~~~

Barrichello fastest in Jerez

February 13, 2011 by joesaward

Rubens Barrichello clocked the fastest time of the week after four days of testing at Jerez. Barrichello set the best time on Sunday morning, with a best of 1m19.832s after two days and 202 laps of the track. Heavy rain spoiled further any fast runs in the afternoon. His team mate Pastor Maldonado was 23rd fastest after two days during which he did just 50 laps and set a best of 1m22.591s, although clearly he can do better than that if there are no problems.

Second fastest overall was Michael Schumacher, who set his best time on the second day of the test (the German did the second and third days). He was half a second slower than Barrichello’s best but completed 225 laps. Nico Rosberg ended up 18th overall after 118 laps.

Nick Heidfeld set the third fastest time overall in the Renault on the third day of the test, completing 86 laps and setting a best of 1m20.361s. The first two days of the test were done by Vitaly Petrov, but he had troubles with the KERS system and although he did 122 laps, his best time was a 1m22.493s, which was 20th fastest. Bruno Senna took over the car on the final day and completed 68 laps, but his best was only a 1m21.400s, which was the 11th fastest time. He would probably have gone faster in different weather conditions on the last afternoon.

Ferrari was very much in business with Felipe Massa doing the first two days and Fernando Alonso the last two. The two men recorded times of 1m20.413s and 1m20.493s and completed 460 laps between them and ended up fourth and fifth respectively.

Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi was next with the sixth best time overall, set on the final day after 170 laps. Sergio Perez was 17th fastest after his two days, with a best of 1m21.857s, after 150 laps.

The new McLaren MP4-26 was running for the first time with Lewis Hamilton doing the first and third days and Jenson the second and fourth. Hamilton completed 94 laps and Button 139 and the two men set exactly the same time: 1m21.009, which put them seventh equal overall.

Ninth fastest of the week was Sebastien Buemi, who completed 182 laps with a best of 1m21.213s, Jaime Alguersuari was a thousandth of a second slower after 114 laps and thus 10th quickest, while test driver Daniel Ricciardo completed 37 laps with a best of 1m21.755s, which was good for 15th overall.

Red Bull Racing maintained its low profile with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber who together ran for 400 laps. Webber was a few hundredths faster with a 1m21.522s, compared to Vettel’s 1m21.574s.

Team Lotus had made progress since the first test and Heikki Kovalainen was able to complete 104 laps with a best of 1m21.632s, which was 14th overall. Jarno Trulli did the first two days and completed 93 laps and his best was only a 1m23.216s, the 24th and slowest time, but given Kovalainen’s performance there is more to come from Trulli.

The new Force India VJM04 was going through its first test and Adrian Sutil ended up 16th overall after two days, his best last being 1m21.574s after 188 laps. Paul di Resta did the first two days of the test and completed 163 laps, with a best of 1m22.945s, the 22nd fastest time of the test.

Virgin also had its new car in action for the first time and Timo Glock and Jerome d’Ambrosio did two days apiece. Glock completed 100 laps for a best time of 1m22.208s, the 19th best time of the test, while d’Ambrosio was 21st after 120 laps with a best of 1m22.985s.

The times should once again not be taken too seriously as the teams were all working on different programmes. The next test is scheduled to begin in Barcelona on Friday, February 18.

TBWG sawadi

Ecclestone concerned about Bahrain

Oh dear! icon_latest

Bernie EcclestoneFormula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has expressed his concern that unrest in Bahrain could affect the first race of the season.

Amid warnings on Tuesday from a campaign group in Bahrain that it will target the grand prix to publicise its cause, Ecclestone has admitted that the situation needs careful monitoring.

He has vowed to speak to Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman ibn Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa to get an update on the situation, but thinks it far too early to contemplate the possibility of calling the race off.

"The danger is obvious, isn't it?" Ecclestone told The Daily Telegraph. "If these people wanted to make a fuss and get worldwide recognition it would be bloody easy, wouldn't it?

"You start making a problem on the start grid in Bahrain and it would get worldwide coverage."

When asked if there was a possibility of the race being called off if the situation worsened, Ecclestone said: "I have no idea. It's hard to establish exactly what is going on.

"As I say, I'm speaking with the Crown Prince later on. We're watching events closely. We'll rely on what they think the right thing to do is."

TBWG

Heidfeld confirmed at Renault

Nick HeidfeldThe Renault team has confirmed that Nick Heidfeld will be Robert Kubica's replacement this season, starting from this week's test at Barcelona.

Heidfeld was expected to land the drive after impressing the outfit during his test at the Jerez circuit last week.

The 33-year-old will be working as an official Renault driver starting at this week's test at Barcelona, the German driving on Saturday and Monday.

"I would have liked to come back to Formula 1 in different circumstances, but I'm proud to have been given this chance," said Heidfeld. "Everything has happened so quickly, but I've been very impressed by what I have seen so far in terms of the facilities and the dedication of the people at Enstone.

"I really enjoyed the test last week in Jerez and I've already settled in well with the guys at the track. I have a good feeling for the car, which is quite innovative. I'm extremely motivated and can't wait for the season to begin."

Heidfeld will race alongside Russian Vitaly Petrov while Kubica recovers from his injuries following his accident during a rally.

"The team has been through a very difficult couple of weeks and we had to react quickly," said team boss Eric Boullier. "We gave Nick a chance in Jerez last week and he really impressed us. He's quick, experienced and is very strong technically with his feedback and understanding of the car.

"We always said the priority was to have an experienced driver in the car and we feel he is the ideal man for the job. We are pleased to welcome Nick to the team and look forward to a strong start to the season with him and Vitaly in Bahrain."

TBWG

Formula 1 teams concerned about opening race in Bahrain
Bahrain Grand Prix

The Formula 1 season is scheduled to begin in Bahrain in March

Formula 1 teams are concerned about the season-opening race in Bahrain in the wake of growing unrest in the country.

This weekend's GP2 Asia event at the Sakhir circuit has been cancelled after at least three people were killed overnight in clashes with police.

Virgin Racing team boss John Booth told BBC Sport: "It's obviously very disturbing and there is concern - that ramped up with the latest disturbance."

F1 insiders have admitted the race on 13 March could be at risk.

And BBC Sport understands that teams are already considering whether to go ahead with the final pre-season test, which is due to be held in Bahrain from 3-6 March.

It does give you a lot of concerns but if we're informed it's safe to go, we'll go

John Booth
Virgin team principal

It could be moved to Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya if the unrest continues.

Booth said he would be led by F1 commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone's FOM company, motorsport governing body the FIA and the Bahraini authorities on whether his team travel to the race.

"If the local government, the FIA and FOM say it's safe to go, we'll go," he said.

"They will have people on the ground assessing the situation and they will be well informed on the risks.

"It does give you a lot of concerns but if we're informed it's safe to go, we'll go."

Ecclestone was unavailable for comment on Thursday.

Bahrain Grand Prix officials pledged on Wednesday to deliver a safe event, but that was before at least three people were killed overnight when Bahraini police stormed a protest camp in a central Manama square.

Thousands of overwhelmingly Shi'ite protesters have taken to Manama's streets this week demanding more say in the Gulf Arab kingdom where a Sunni Muslim family rules over a majority Shi'ite population.

The F1 teams are due to test in Bahrain from 3-6 March, a week before the race, which Booth admitted was an "added complication".

That means many F1 personnel are due to be in Bahrain for more than two weeks.

Booth said a decision on whether the test would go ahead would need taking by the 25 February, when the freight is scheduled to be sent out, and one on the race a week later, at the beginning of March.

Asked if the race could be held elsewhere, Booth said: "Impractical. Our sea freight, like every other team's, left for Bahrain a month ago, and a lot of the equipment in the sea freight is vital of the running of the cars. So to run it somewhere else would be very difficult."

On Thursday morning, GP2 practice was scrapped after medical staff at the track were assigned to hospitals in the capital Manama where protests are continuing.

Organisers later said the entire meeting was off "due to force majeure".

Ecclestone admitted on Wednesday that the risk to F1's planned activities in Bahrain next month was "obvious" and that he was "watching events closely".

However, Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain International Circuit chief executive, said: "The safety of all Bahraini nationals, expats and overseas visitors is a priority at all times in the kingdom, and our focus at the present time is on delivering another successful event in the form of the Bahrain Grand Prix.

"We are monitoring the situation very closely indeed, in association with the relevant authorities, and will respond appropriately to any further developments."

Speaking on Wednesday before the overnight clashes, Jean Todt, president of motorsport's world governing body the FIA, said he was also monitoring developments in Bahrain.

"Of course, the essence of the FIA is safety; safety on the racing car, safety on the road, safety in our organisation," he said on a visit to Dublin.

The GP2 Asia event cancelled on Thursday is a regional single-seater championship similar to the main GP2 series that serves as a feeder to Formula 1. The first race of the Bahrain meeting was scheduled for Friday with another on Saturday.

Organisers said in a statement on Thursday that practice had been postponed because "medical staff normally stationed at the circuit has been temporarily called to the city's hospitals in case of an emergency".

But they later issued a another which said: "Following the current events in Bahrain, at the request of the Bahrain Motorsport Federation, it has been decided that the remainder of the meeting is cancelled due to force majeure."

TBWG sawadi

Its not looking good for the race to take place on 13th March.....I wouldn't fancy going over there if the current situation persists.....Ecclestone will have a hole in his pocket too!!

WITH THE FIA constantly looking for ways to slow down modern Formula 1 cars, why haven't they tried wrapping hair and fluff around the rear wheel axles? It certainly works on my Scalextric.

F1-kalender 2011:
13/03 Bahrein
27/03 AustraliÃ«
10/04 MaleisiÃ«
17/04 China
08/05 Turkije
22/05 Spanje
29/05 Monaco
12/06 Canada
26/06 Europa
10/07 Groot-BrittanniÃ«
24/07 Duitsland
31/07 Hongarije
28/08 BelgiÃ«
11/09 ItaliÃ«
25/09 Singapore
09/10 Japan
16/10 Zuid-Korea
30/10 India*
13/11 Abu Dhabi
27/11 BraziliÃ«

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone set for talks over Bahrain GP icon_latest

Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is set for talks with Bahrain's crown prince on Monday to decide whether next month's grand prix should be postponed.

Reports suggest the season opener be moved from 13 March to later in 2011 after unrest in the Gulf kingdom.

"I shall be speaking to [Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa] and then we can make some decisions," said Ecclestone.

If the race was postponed the season would instead begin with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 27 March.

The sport's governing body the FIA is expected to make an official decision about the Bahrain race this week and news on a potential alternative venue is also awaited.

Teams had been due to test their cars in Bahrain from 3-6 March but that prospect now appears increasingly unlikely.

"There are two issues - the test and the race," said BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz.

"We expect to hear an official decision on whether the race goes ahead from the FIA on Monday or Tuesday.

"Increasing suggestions point to a postponement rather than a cancellation but let's wait to hear official word from the FIA.

"If the race isn't going to happen neither will the test and the teams will decide in a meeting at the end of Monday whether to stay at the Barcelona track for another test next week.

"It appears the Jerez track is not available and teams would rather stay in Barcelona than relocate to Valencia or Portimao."

There are free weekends either side of the penultimate race in Abu Dhabi on 13 November when a rescheduled Bahrain contest could be incorporated although that would lead to racing being staged over three consecutive weekends at the end of an eight-month season that at 20 races is the longest in F1 history.

Opposition groups and anti-government protesters in Bahrain have said their demands must be met before they could enter into talks with the Gulf state's monarchy.

They want the government to resign, political prisoners to be released and the deaths of protesters investigated.

Six people were killed and many wounded as security forces used deadly force to quell protests.

Earlier, Ecclestone had told BBC Sport that the crown prince was best placed to make the call over the Bahrain Grand Prix.

"He will decide whether it's safe for us to be there," added Ecclestone.

"I've no idea. I'm not there so I don't know."

He added: "We won't advise people to go unless it's safe."

The crown prince is the son of the Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and the country's heir apparent.

Red Bull driver Mark Webber is among those to have expressed doubts about whether the Bahrain Grand Prix should go ahead.

"When you hear of people losing their lives, this is a tragedy," said the Australian.

"It's probably not the best time to go there for a sporting event. They have bigger things, bigger priorities."

TBWG sawadi

Rosberg tops Barcelona day three

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, Catalunya testing 2011Nico Rosberg put Mercedes on top with a rapid late lap in a Barcelona testing session that began wet before later drying.

A shower at the start of the morning and a combination of high humidity and low temperatures meant it was not until the eve of the lunchbreak that drivers were able to try slick tyres, and even then conditions remained treacherous, with lap times five seconds off yesterday's fully-dry pace even on slicks.

But by the afternoon only a few off-line damp patches remained, and Rosberg made the most of the clear running to go quickest with a 1m23.168s on a single-lap, qualifying-style, run with a quarter of an hour to go. He had earlier done a 15-lap stint mostly in the 1m29s/1m30s region.

Renault's Vitaly Petrov took second, 0.295 seconds slower than Rosberg. He had missed much of the wet early running, but a busy afternoon meant he still accumulated over 90 laps through the day. Like Rosberg, his best times came on some short one, two and three-lap runs in the closing stages.

McLaren suffered further reliability problems in the morning, forcing Lewis Hamilton to repeatedly abandon planned stints and return the garage after single laps.

Once the car was running, Hamilton was quick - setting some of the best slick-tyre times in the closing stages of the morning and then going third in the dry. His best laps were also from short qualifying-type bursts, with his pace nearer 1m29s, 1m30s when on longer runs, though this was clouded by the McLaren backing off to get aero data on occasion.

Pastor Maldonado (Williams), Sergio Perez (Sauber) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari) all caused red flag stoppages by spinning in the wet - twice in Massa's case. While the Sauber and the Ferrari were soon cleaned and sent back out, Maldonado lost further time with an alternator problem, though he made up for it by taking fourth in the end - his 1m24.815s coming on the first tour of a five-lap run.

Mark Webber caused the final red flag, bringing the session to an end two minutes ahead of schedule as he stopped his Red Bull on the circuit. He was fifth in the order, his session-best 1m24.995s coming on his first lap out of the pits following a tyre change during an afternoon race simulation, and at the start of a 17-lap stint before his next stop.

Water leaks again hampered Lotus, but the car showed good pace as Jarno Trulli took sixth ahead of Perez and Force India's Adrian Sutil.

Toro Rosso running was shared between test driver Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastien Buemi. Ricciardo was a star of the morning, setting a very impressive pace on slicks during the changeover in conditions. He was only narrowly beaten by Hamilton as the lunchbreak began, leaving him 13th in the end-of-day times having not run in fully dry conditions. Buemi was ninth after his 31 laps.

Hispania also split its running between two drivers. Narain Karthikeyan was well up among the established teams in the mixed wet/drying conditions of late morning, though he was last in the order in the end having sat out the afternoon so that Giorgio Mondini - a former Midland test driver - could make a Formula 1 return.

The Swiss driver covered 39 laps and did a respectable job considering his long absence from the F1 cockpit. He was 5s off the outright pace and within 1.6s of Timo Glock's Virgin.

Pos Driver Team/car Time Gap Laps
1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m23.168s 92
2. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m23.463s + 0.295s 93
3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.858s + 0.690s 93
4. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m24.815s + 1.647s 60
5. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m24.995s + 1.827s 139
6. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m25.454s + 2.286s 48
7. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m25.557s + 2.389s 115
8. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m25.720s + 2.552s 102
9. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m26.155s + 2.987s 31
10. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m26.508s + 3.340s 123
11. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m26.598s + 3.430s 97
12. Giorgio Mondini Hispania-Cosworth 1m28.178s + 5.010s 39
13. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m28.329s + 5.161s 42
14. Narain Karthikeyan Hispania-Cosworth 1m30.722s + 7.554s 32

All timing unofficial

TBWG sawadi

Hi F1 bums icon_latest icon_must

The F1 teams have reportedly agreed not to head to Bahrain for the final pre-season test in light of the political unrest.

According to Sky Sports News, the Formula One teams have agreed not to attend the pre-season test in Bahrain, which was scheduled for March 3-6.

The test, as well as the season-opening race at the Bahrain International Circuit, has been thrown into doubt after violent unrest in the country.

The teams were scheduled to meet on Monday - where pre-season testing is currently taking place - to discuss the viability of travelling to Bahrain.

The decision to stay away will throw further doubt on the grand prix proper, which is scheduled for March 11-13.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone hinted last week that a decision on the race itself will be made on Tuesday.

TBWG sawadi

PS; I reckon season opener will now be in OZ!l

You are right TBWG the postponement has been announced. The first GP will be OZ! There is talk of slotting Bahrain in further into the year.....I guess we will see.
Should do Melbourne a bit of good with all the calls for the race to be discontinued after the contract expires. It's interesting that local and Federal government reps are the ones doing the yelling but do not fund the race stop1
Cheers
John

Quote from: John the Traveller on February 22, 2011, 03:27:26 AM

You are right TBWG the postponement has been announced. The first GP will be OZ! There is talk of slotting Bahrain in further into the year.....I guess we will see.
Should do Melbourne a bit of good with all the calls for the race to be discontinued after the contract expires. It's interesting that local and Federal government reps are the ones doing the yelling but do not fund the race stop1
Cheers
John

Cancelled or Postponed??

Quote from: nookiebear on February 22, 2011, 08:52:56 AM

Quote from: John the Traveller on February 22, 2011, 03:27:26 AM
You are right TBWG the postponement has been announced. The first GP will be OZ! There is talk of slotting Bahrain in further into the year.....I guess we will see.
Should do Melbourne a bit of good with all the calls for the race to be discontinued after the contract expires. It's interesting that local and Federal government reps are the ones doing the yelling but do not fund the race stop1
Cheers
John
Cancelled or Postponed??

Well looks like I have to wait another 2 weeks for my F1 fix!

As to cancelled or postponed I suspect that it will be squeezed in later if situation quitens down. Being cynical it could be down to which is the most financially beneficial to Bernie!

TBWG sawadi

Bahrain GP called off because of civil unrest

The Bahrain Grand Prix has been called off because of anti-government protests in the Gulf kingdom.

The race, due to be staged on 13 March, would have opened the new season but had been in doubt for more than a week because of the civil unrest.

Instead, the 2011 campaign will begin in Australia on 27 March.

"We must focus on immediate issues of national interest and leave the hosting to a later date," said crown prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifah.

"After the events of the past week, our nation's priority is on overcoming tragedy, healing divisions and rediscovering the fabric that draws this country together; reminding the world of the very best that Bahrain is capable of as a nation once again united."

The race could still be rescheduled as the FIA, F1's world governing body, confirmed the postponement in a statement.

"The FIA is responsible for the international calendar as well as all matters of safety relating to the stakeholders involved in Grand Prix racing. We support the decision."

said in a statement that no decision had been taken yet.

The Bahrain GP has been on the Formula 1 calendar every year since 2004.

"It is sad that Bahrain has had to withdraw from the race, we wish the whole nation well as they begin to heal their country," F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.

"The hospitality and warmth of the people of Bahrain is a hallmark of the race there, as anyone who has been at a Bahrain Grand Prix will testify. We look forward to being back in Bahrain soon."

Demonstrators in Bahrain are demanding that the ruling monarchy gives up its near-absolute control over key policies and positions.

Red Bull driver Mark Webber, who expressed doubts about staging the Bahrain Grand Prix at the weekend, supported the decision to call off the race.

"They [the authorities] know what's going on, so the right decision is made," said the Australian, who finished third in last year's championship.

"I made my decision yesterday which was pretty clear - read the papers. They know what's going on out there and they've made their call so let's go to Melbourne.

"It would have been nice to go to Bahrain but we have to wait a bit longer to have our first race and that just happens to be my home race. Back to the good old days."

Williams F1 chairman, Adam Parr, also expressed his relief that a decision had been made.

"It is clear that to race in Bahrain at this time would be inappropriate given the current circumstances," Parr said in a statement by the British team.

"We now look forward to a season debut in Melbourne and returning to Bahrain when it is right to do so."

The fourth and final round of testing was due to take place in Bahrain on 3 March, but this has been cancelled and rescheduled for 8-11 March in Barcelona.

It will play into the hands of the teams that were struggling to make fast and reliable cars

BBC F1 commentator Martin Brundle told Sarah Holt in Barcelona the decision was inevitable, but remains the right call.

"The Crown Prince has a lot of things under consideration at the moment, a lot of decisions and discussions - not just around Formula 1," said Brundle.

"I don't think we were looking forward to going to Bahrain, shouting about a pole position lap or applauding a podium, when they've had so much turmoil there. The deaths and injuries have been a tragedy.

"It is absolutely the right decision for F1."

Brundle believes the delayed start to the new season could benefit some struggling teams.

"It will play into the hands of the teams that were struggling to make fast and reliable cars.

"There were 19 events last year and there will be 19 this year by the looks of it. It is not like we're short of Grands Prix this year.

"I hope it is back on the calendar if not later this year then certainly in its due place next year because it is a great venue."

Eddie Jordan echoed those sentiments and believes the safety of drivers and spectators is paramount.

"The Crown Prince has made an early call, a big call, and he has got it right. He is a pragmatic man and he is logical," Jordan told the BBC.

"F1 is a global sport, we pride ourselves that we have a genuine world championship that goes around the world.

"The Middle East is a crucial part of that so it is very important that we go there. But this civil unrest is far more important than any sporting event."

TBWG sawadi

That new road out of buriram is going to be a race track so it can take over from bahrain dont u think

Hi F1 bums

The question that everyone wants to know the answer to at the moment is who is going to be on top of the timesheets at the end of the qualifying in Melbourne – and who is going to win the race?

Over the years I have made the mistake of making predictions, and seen many others make the same mistake. Testing gives an impression, but one never really knows whether it is the right impression, because one does not know what the different teams are up to. They have more of a chance to assess who is where because they have data available and lots of people who can analyse this information.

In addition to this, in 2011 we have the additional problem of the new tyres, which adds an important new variable to what was already a very complicated task. One does not know, for example, if there is any sandbagging going on; or any performance-enhancing come to that. There is a big difference now between hard and soft tyres with Pirelli having agreed to make tyres that will add to the show rather than the bulletproof black round rubber things that Bridgestone were using at the end of last year. The other point that has to be made is that most of the teams will have new aerodynamic kits for the first race. Development never stops so what is possibly true today may not be true tomorrow. Add to that the important point that some teams are ahead of others in their work, because they have had fewer problems and the point that all testing thus far has been in cool conditions and some cars will work better on their tyres in warmer conditions and you can see that this is a problem which is best left to sort itself out… as it assuredly will.

Impressions are all that can be drawn from the testing to date. I have been really impressed thus far by the amount of running that some of the teams have been doing with new cars. One expects a few problems out of the box but there are teams that have been running 100 laps a day from the start of testing. Given the complexity of the machines this is incredible. Changes to the technical regulations usually increase gaps between the teams, while stability draws them closer together, so we should expect there to be some bigger gaps this year.

The regulatory restrictions that exist these days mean that the differences between the cars are much less pronounced that previously. Engines are fairly well matched and balanced, aero and CFD time is controlled, spending is curtailed and teams are not allowed to build things out of wildly expensive unobtainium because it is two percent stiffer than titanium… These are still fabulously exotic pieces of machinery but they are not as exotic as they could be. That is a good thing because one needs to have a sustainable level of budget to ensure that there is a grid full of cars.

Most people seem to think that Red Bull has not lost the advantage seen at the end of last year and that these are still the cars to watch, although Ferrari appears to have toughened up its challenge. Who is ahead? It may depend on the nature of each individual circuit. It may not. Thus far at least, one gets the impression that McLaren and Mercedes are not quite on the pace. McLaren missed the first test to get some additional aerodynamic development time and that means that there is some on-track catching up to do, although it is dangerous thing to write off a team of such calibre just yet.

Mercedes does not seem to be on the pace but there is clearly a belief that there are new parts in the system that will improve the speed of the cars. Renault seems to have made technical progress but losing Robert Kubica is going to hurt and one has to look at budgets as well because cars with spaces on the bodywork or in-house deals never do as well as those with big corporations writ large on the side… particularly when we get two-thirds of the way into the season.

In the midfield there seems to have been (logical) progress from Sauber, Williams and Scuderia Toro Rosso, but will this be progress enough to be challenging up front? Force India was late getting the new car out and so is not quite there at the moment. Team Lotus has made the expected leap forward that would logically come from using Renault engines and a Red Bull gearbox, but one must not forget that this is a completely new team and it takes time develop the same levels of efficiency as the big established operations. Hence there have been some reliability problems thus far. It is to be expected. Virgin has a better car but the impression is that it has not jumped as far up the order as Lotus and Hispania remains a mystery for now. The car looks nice from the pictures released to date but they are a long way behind in terms of knowledge.

What we do know is that with the Pirelli tyres as they are now, races are going to be won and lost thanks to a driver’s ability to make his tyres last a little longer than the opposition. The drop off in performance when it comes is more pronounced than previously which means that race will be won and lost as a result.

An interesting seson ahead…

TBWG

Ecclestone is still trying to fit Bahrein in just before the Brazilian GP

What about the new idea to sprinkle water to induce 'rain conditions'

I heard that on the radio earlier. When the interviewer asked Eccleston does that mean introducing sprinklers he said " no something more than that" not sure exactly what that meant? TWBG where are you?

Getting over his birthday party!! thumbup

Liuzzi clinches final seat!

March 9, 2011 by joesaward

Hispania Racing has announced the hiring of Vitantonio Liuzzi as team-mate to Narain Karthikeyan. The Italian tested for the team in February and will now take part in this weekâ€™s Barcelona tests, prior to heading off to Australia.

â€œI have known Tonio for many years as he raced with me in lower categories,â€ says team boss Colin Kolles. â€œHe is a very professional driver who will bring a lot of benefits to the team. I am convinced about his skills to develop a car and his speed. He has shown this in the past having contributed to a large extend developing and moving a back grid car to the front.â€

The team will present the new F111 on Friday in Barcelona.

â€œI am really happy to have signed this agreement with Hispania Racing,â€ said Liuzzi. â€œI never lost hope to be in Formula 1 as I knew I have the experience and the right attributes for a young and ambitious team. I face a new challenge now and this excites me. I also face a lot of hard work in guiding Hispania Racing through the development of our new car.â€

TBWG sawadi

Hi F1 Bums

Wet races without the spectators getting a soaking sounds a good idea but I somehow doubt it will happen.

Rain always makes for interesting races but artificially I am not so sure.

It is not as if the technology doe's not already exist as Paul Ricard circuit in France is eqipped with just such a system and was used by various teams and manufacturers to test tyres etc. Incidentaly Paul Ricard is owned by a certain Mr Ecclestone. Humm, wonder if he has a patent on the system ~~~ possible nice earner?

Well only a couple of weeks to go now and it looks as though no change at the sharp end of the grid with Thailand sponsored Red Bull battling it out with Ferrari, but watch out for some surprises from Team Lollo Rosso!

TBWG sawadi

Quote from: boloa on March 16, 2011, 10:46:35 PM

I bet you can find live streams on the internet !!!!!!

Can you?! Show us! Live F1. drivinggear

Just Google ..2011 F1 Grand Prix FREE live streams :P

You may have to visit a few site to find what you are looking for but they are there,like the one below,most will be linked to BBC thumbup

http://www.getsport.tv/motorsport/formula/2010/watch-malaysian-grand-prix-qualifying-live-streaming-free-online (http://www.getsport.tv/motorsport/formula/2010/watch-malaysian-grand-prix-qualifying-live-streaming-free-online)

And don't forget you can listen on BBC Radio 5 Live - Formula One live.....using the BBC iplayer with the expat shield smilenod

Shell dosh guarantees Spa! icon_latest

March 17, 2011 by joesaward

Shell has announced a multi-year agreement to become the title sponsor of the Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa Francorchamps circuit, in addition to continuing its extensive trackside advertising programme at selected Formula 1 races. The 2011 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix will be held on August 28, 2011.

As technical partners with Scuderia Ferrari, Shell first tasted success at Spa in 1952, with victory for Alberto Ascari. To date, Shell has featured in 17 race wins at Spa, most recently in 2009 at the hands of Kimi RÃ¤ikkÃ¶nen, driving a Ferrari.

â€œThe Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix is a cornerstone of the Formula One World Championship calendar. Similarly, Shell has been a leading innovator throughout the history of the sport.â€ comments John Bullock, Executive Vice President, Shell Retail, â€œThe title sponsorship will align our values in a sport recognised as the pinnacle of motor racing and demonstrate Shellâ€™s innovation to a growing global following of motorists.â€

The title sponsorship of the 2011 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix forms part of an extended partnership between Shell and the Formula One Group, including the continuation of Shellâ€™s circuit advertising and branding at a number of races throughout the season.

Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One Group CEO, said â€œShell was amongst the first to recognise Formula 1 as a powerful platform which has been successful for Shell for 60 years. By becoming the title sponsor of the 2011 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix, Shell continues to prove its commitment to the sport and play a key role in its enduring success.â€ Mr Ecclestone continued, â€œWe recognise the valuable contribution made by Shell over many years and are delighted to provide an environment for this global brand to develop its commercial products.â€

Shellâ€™s long-standing technical partnership with Scuderia Ferrari was recently renewed until the 2015 season. The technical partnership provides a technology platform for Shell to develop products such as Shell V-Power fuel and Shell Helix lubricants for the benefit of road car users.

Richard Bracewell, Shell Global Sponsorships Manager, said: â€œThe 2011 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix is a great way to augment our technical partnership with Scuderia Ferrari. The extreme and controlled testing ground provided by Scuderia Ferrari allows us to constantly develop our fuels and lubricants. Spa is one of the most demanding races on the calendar for teams and drivers alike, making it the perfect place to demonstrate Shellâ€™s premium products.

TBWG

Historically Shell have been one of the most constant sponsors of F1 racing and tend to be in it for the long run, so that bodes well for the Belgium GP!

Anyway only 10 days to go till Oz GP! bananadance

OK folks here is the timetable

The Australian GP timetable

Saturday 19th March 2011

The Australian GP, which takes place around the Albert Park circuit, marks the first round of the 2011 F1 World Championship.

All times are local (Melbourne is GMT +11)

Thursday 24 March
15:00: FIA press conference

Friday 25 March
12:30 - 14:00: First free practice
16:30 - 18:00: Second free practice
16:00: FIA press conference

Saturday 26 March
14:00 - 15:00: Third free practice
17:00 - 18:00: Qualifying
15h00: FIA post qualifying press conference

Sunday 27 March
17:00 - 19:00: Australian GP
19:00: FIA post race press conference

Australian GP Info
No of Laps: 58
Race Distance:307.574 km
Lap Record: 1:24.125 - M Schumacher (2004)
2010 Winner: Jenson Button (McLaren)

Bangkok is 4 hours behind Melbourne

TBWG sawadi

John the Traveller ~~~~~ Don't worry I'll have the bottle of Archa anyway! wackobar

Senna Fans check this out!

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=30495 (http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=30495)

TBWG sawadi

Hi F1 freaks bananadance

2nd Friday practice times ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Auatralian GP

Pos.   Car   Driver   Car   Best lap   Gap
1   4   Jenson Button   McLaren-Mercedes   1’25.854
2   3   Lewis Hamilton   McLaren-Mercedes   1’25.986   0.132
3   5   Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   1’26.001   0.147
4   1   Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull-Renault   1’26.014   0.160
5   2   Mark Webber   Red Bull-Renault   1’26.283   0.429
6   7   Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   1’26.590   0.736
7   6   Felipe Massa   Ferrari   1’26.789   0.935
8   17   Sergio Perez   Sauber-Ferrari   1’27.101   1.247
9   11   Rubens Barrichello   Williams-Cosworth   1’27.280   1.426
10   8   Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   1’27.448   1.594
11   19   Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1’27.525   1.671
12   10   Vitaly Petrov   Renault   1’27.528   1.674
13   9   Nick Heidfeld   Renault   1’27.536   1.682
14   18   Sebastien Buemi   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1’27.697   1.843
15   16   Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber-Ferrari   1’28.095   2.241
16   15   Paul di Resta   Force India-Mercedes   1’28.376   2.522
17   14   Adrian Sutil   Force India-Mercedes   1’28.583   2.729
18   12   Pastor Maldonado   Williams-Cosworth   1’29.386   3.532
19   20   Heikki Kovalainen   Lotus-Renault   1’30.829   4.975
20   21   Jarno Trulli   Lotus-Renault   1’30.912   5.058
21   24   Timo Glock   Virgin-Cosworth   1’32.926   7.072
22   25   Jerome d’Ambrosio   Virgin-Cosworth   1’33.359   7.505
23   23   Vitantonio Liuzzi   HRT-Cosworth   No time      1
24   2   Narain Karthikeyan   HRT-Cosworth   No time      0

Although I am keen to see new teams I am beginning to find HRT a bit of an embarassment! Seems to me that at the moment they are just moving bits around the globe to assemble in different hemispheres. buttslap

Anyway hope they improve?

TBWG sawadi

Hi F1 bums

Saturday morning practice times! icon_latest

Pos.   Car   Driver   Car   Best lap   Gap
1   1   Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull-Renault   1’24.507
2   2   Mark Webber   Red Bull-Renault   1’25.364   0.857
3   3   Lewis Hamilton   McLaren-Mercedes   1’25.552   1.045
4   4   Jenson Button   McLaren-Mercedes   1’25.567   1.060
5   10   Vitaly Petrov   Renault   1’25.906   1.399
6   5   Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   1’26.121   1.614
7   16   Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber-Ferrari   1’26.417   1.910
8   8   Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   1’26.520   2.013
9   9   Nick Heidfeld   Renault   1’26.746   2.239
10   7   Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   1’26.856   2.349
11   18   Sebastien Buemi   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1’27.008   2.501
12   6   Felipe Massa   Ferrari   1’27.011   2.504
13   19   Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1’27.066   2.559
14   15   Paul di Resta   Force India-Mercedes   1’27.087   2.580
15   14   Adrian Sutil   Force India-Mercedes   1’27.180   2.673
16   11   Rubens Barrichello   Williams-Cosworth   1’28.068   3.561
17   17   Sergio Perez   Sauber-Ferrari   1’28.077   3.570
18   20   Heikki Kovalainen   Lotus-Renault   1’29.772   5.265
19   21   Jarno Trulli   Lotus-Renault   1’30.003   5.496
20   24   Timo Glock   Virgin-Cosworth   1’30.261   5.754
21   12   Pastor Maldonado   Williams-Cosworth   1’30.496   5.989
22   25   Jerome d’Ambrosio   Virgin-Cosworth   1’30.704   6.197
23   22   Narain Karthikeyan   HRT-Cosworth   1’41.554   17.047
24   23   Vitantonio Liuzzi   HRT-Cosworth

2011 Australian Grand Prix

TBWG sawadi

OK F1 dudes icon_latest

Here it is ~~~~~ bananadance bananadance bananadance

2011 Australian Grand Prix grid yeahme

Row 1   1. Sebastian Vettel 1’25.296
Red Bull-Renault
      2. Lewis Hamilton 1’24.307
McLaren-Mercedes
Row 2   3. Mark Webber 1’24.658
Red Bull-Renault
      4. Jenson Button 1’24.779
McLaren-Mercedes
Row 3   5. Fernando Alonso 1’24.974
Ferrari
      6. Vitaly Petrov 1’25.247
Renault
Row 4   7. Nico Rosberg 1’25.421
Mercedes
      8. Felipe Massa 1’25.599
Ferrari
Row 5   9. Kamui Kobayashi 1’25.626
Sauber-Ferrari
      10. Sebastien Buemi 1’27.066
Toro Rosso-Ferrari
Row 6   11. Michael Schumacher 1’25.971
Mercedes
      12. Jaime Alguersuari 1’26.103
Toro Rosso-Ferrari
Row 7   13. Sergio Perez 1’26.108
Sauber-Ferrari
      14. Paul di Resta 1’26.739
Force India-Mercedes
Row 8   15. Pastor Maldonado 1’26.768
Williams-Cosworth
      16. Adrian Sutil 1’31.407
Force India-Mercedes
Row 9   17. Rubens Barrichello
Williams-Cosworth
      18. Nick Heidfeld 1’27.239
Renault
Row 10   19. Heikki Kovalainen 1’29.254
Lotus-Renault
      20. Jarno Trulli 1’29.342
Lotus-Renault
Row 11   21. Timo Glock 1’29.858
Virgin-Cosworth
      22. Jerome d’Ambrosio 1’30.822
Virgin-Cosworth
Row 12   23. Vitantonio Liuzzi 1’32.978
HRT-Cosworth
      24. Narain Karthikeyan 1’34.293
HRT-Cosworth

107% time in Q1: 1’31.267

Remains to be seen if the HRT cars are allowed to start ~~~~ if so it will be from the pit lane.

TBWG sawadi

P2 or P4 would have been better for Mark position wise. But he has more grip in P3. Should be a very interesting race. After watching today's broadcast it has become very apparent to me that the winning team in Melbourne will be the one that can best read the variables....of which their are many! Well bring it on. Traditionally the first races before the European rounds have been a completely different championship to those that follow. This year looks no different. From what I can glean Red Bulls sagging front wing is set by bumping the left hand front on the out lap and is reset at the finish by a similar bump. The sag and therefore better downforce maybe brought about by a heat reaction,likely an electro chemical one. Two things are apparent 1 the other teams haven't found out the answer and 2 they are mightily pissed off about it. RBR continue to pass the tech and safety inspections and as a consequence get away with it. The F1 pundits in Melbourne are mightily amused with the situation and are openly talking about it. Good on you Adrian Newy!!!!!!
Should be an interesting race.......stock up on Archa TBWG spot1
Cheers,
John

Sebastian Vettel beats Lewis Hamilton in Australian GP

By Sarah Holt
BBC Sport in Melbourne

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel got his title defence off to a perfect start with a pole-to-flag victory in the Australian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton finished second to seal McLaren's turnaround in form but team-mate Jenson Button was sixth after being penalised for cutting a corner.

A brilliant start from Russian Vitaly Petrov propelled him to his first podium with third for Renault.

Scot Paul di Resta finished with 12th for Force India on his debut.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso jumped Mark Webber's Red Bull in his final pit stop to take fourth place from the Australian, who could only equal his career-best finish at his home race.

There was more frustration for Mercedes as both Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg retired from the race.
It was a faultless race from the man intent on chasing Schumacher's record seven championship as Vettel pulled clear at the start, stopped twice and ran much of the ran on his own.

"A stunning performance from the man who's led every lap of the last three grands prix," said BBC F1 commentator Martin Brundle.

"That is a calm and steely Vettel, and frankly I don't think anyone was going to beat him."

Ominously for the rest of the field, team principal Christian Horner revealed after the race that neither of the Red Bull cars was running a Kers boost system.

"It was a fantastic day for Sebastian and the team, he was dominant in qualifying and totally dominant today," said Horner.

"We felt Kers was a potential risk, and we made a decision not to run it. It didn't look like we needed it."

Vettel had already built a 2.6-second lead at the end of the first lap while others toiled behind him.

Button found himself down in sixth after losing position to Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Petrov, who had brilliantly nosed his Renault up from sixth on the grid.

As the race developed, Button tried time and again to pass Massa, and even activated the moveable rear wing which is designed to aid overtaking, but the Brazilian defended deftly and Button was left asking his team over the radio; 'How's he getting away from me?"

There were more headaches to come for Button when he cut a chicane in an attempt to pass Massa and was subsequently handed a drive-through penalty.

"There's no question that he gained an advantage," said BBC analyst David Coulthard.

"He knew that two doesn't go into one around that curve. He had to go off track and had to pay a penalty for that."

Button had a stab at holding up Vettel - who had pitted for the first of his two stops to leave Hamilton at the front for McLaren - before serving his penalty but the German soon flew past him and comfortably resumed his lead when Hamilton came in.

After his stop-go penalty Button fed back in 12th but he crossed the line in sixth after what Brundle described as an "adventurous race".

Despite Button's busy day, he and team-mate Hamilton will be relieved that McLaren's hard work at their Woking factory to turn a winter marred by a lack of pace and unreliability into a competitive start to the campaign..

Hamilton managed his race well and took his car across the line for second despite warnings from his team that his car was damaged.

Renault proved they had taken a step forward over the winter, in part thanks to their innovative car design with its front-exiting exhausts, as Petrov collected third place with a cool drive.

The Russian repeated his trick from the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by holding off a looming Alonso.

Robert Kubica was second for Renault at last year's race in Melbourne and Petrov suggested he is capable of leading the time on the track in the absence of Kubica, who is recovering from serious injuries in a rallying accident.

Petrov's Renault team-mate Nick Heidfeld, the stand-in for Kubica, finished a lowly 14th,

Alonso had got himself caught up in Button's wake as the McLaren went backwards off the line and the Ferrari ran wide into the first corner.

The Spaniard slid to 10th but he picked his way smoothly through the field before passing Webber for fourth place.

Both drivers were on a three-stop strategy but Webber conceded fourth place to Alonso on the final stop after he ran wide on his return to the parkland circuit.

There had been a lot of talk about tyre strategy and management in the build-up to the race as this season's Pirellis tyres had been designed too degrade more quickly than 2010's Bridgestones.

Most of the field made straightforward two-stop strategies work but Sauber raised eyebrows as Mexican rookie Sergio Perez stopped just once on his way to seventh.

Mercedes arrived in Melbourne with high hopes of a podium but their weekend ended miserably inside two laps.

Schumacher, who had a puncture at the start, was retired from the race as a precaution before his old Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello added to his misery by ploughing his left wheel into the side of Nico Rosberg's Mercedes, sending him back to the garage for good.

"I had a good start but someone knocked on my rear right and there were consequences from that," Schumacher told BBC Sport.

"I had an entertaining few laps but the team quite rightly for safety decided that I should come in."

Barrichello was the second drive to serve a drive-through penalty for his move on Rosberg and later had to retire from the race.

More to follow
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9437589.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9437589.stm)

Australian GP update icon_must icon_latest

Sauber gutted ~~~~ rear wing iffy! Disqualified from 7th & 8th slapfight

revised results

Pos.   #   Driver   Team
1   1   Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull
2   3   Lewis Hamilton   McLaren
3   10   Vitaly Petrov   Renault
4   5   Fernando Alonso   Ferrari
5   2   Mark Webber   Red Bull
6   4   Jenson Button   McLaren
7   6   Felipe Massa   Ferrari
8   18   Sebastien Buemi   Toro Rosso
9   14   Adrian Sutil   Force India
10   15   Paul di Resta   Force India
11   19   Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso
12   9   Nick Heidfeld   Renault
13   21   Jarno Trulli   Lotus
14   25   Jerome d’Ambrosio   Virgin
Not classified
   11   Rubens Barrichello   Williams
   24   Timo Glock   Virgin
   8   Nico Rosberg   Mercedes
   20   Heikki Kovalainen   Lotus
   7   Michael Schumacher   Mercedes
   12   Pastor Maldonado   Williams
DQ   17   Sergio Perez*   Sauber
DQ   16   Kamui Kobayashi*   Sauber
DNS   23   Vitantonio Liuzzi**   HRT
DNS   22   Narain Karthikeyan**   HRT

*Car failed scrutineering
**Did not beat 107% time in qualifying

Well that must be a first for a Russian to be on the podium. Ferrari looking quite mediocre~~~oh dear ~ never mind. :biggrin:

TBWG sawadi

March 27, 2011 by joesaward

The FIA has announced that the two Saubers have been excluded from the results of the Australian GP because the rear wings were found to be in breach of Article 3.10.1 and 3.10.2 of the Technical Regulations, which relate to the radius of the curvature of the three rear wing elements. As far as we can ascertain the problem offered no real performance advantage but was simply an oversight by the team, buttslap which they admitted was an error. Unfortunately, rules are rules and the two cars were excluded. This means that Felipe Massa moves up from ninth to seventh, with Sebastien Buemi now eighth and the two Force Indias picking up points for ninth and 10th, which means that Scotland’s Paul di Resta scores a point on his F1 debut.

Sauber has announced its intention to appeal against the exclusion of its two cars from the Australian GP. boxingguy

TBWG sawadi

HI F1 fans

Malaysian 1st practice
icon_latest
Webbo in a league of his own

Pos.   Car   Driver   Car   Best lap   Gap   Laps
1   2   Mark Webber   Red Bull-Renault   1’37.651      22
2   3   Lewis Hamilton   McLaren-Mercedes   1’39.316   1.665   16
3   7   Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   1’39.791   2.140   29
4   15   Nico Hülkenberg   Force India-Mercedes   1’40.377   2.726   23
5   12   Pastor Maldonado   Williams-Cosworth   1’40.443   2.792   31
6   6   Felipe Massa   Ferrari   1’40.453   2.802   22
7   9   Nick Heidfeld   Renault   1’40.525   2.874   6
8   11   Rubens Barrichello   Williams-Cosworth   1’40.581   2.930   21
9   5   Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   1’40.601   2.950   23
10   8   Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   1’40.646   2.995   29
11   14   Adrian Sutil   Force India-Mercedes   1’40.734   3.083   21
12   18   Daniel Ricciardo   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1’40.748   3.097   23
13   19   Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1’40.770   3.119   24
14   16   Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber-Ferrari   1’40.872   3.221   27
15   4   Jenson Button   McLaren-Mercedes   1’40.927   3.276   16
16   21   Jarno Trulli   Lotus-Renault   1’41.620   3.969   21
17   1   Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull-Renault   1’41.627   3.976   18
18   17   Sergio Perez   Sauber-Ferrari   1’41.642   3.991   24
19   24   Timo Glock   Virgin-Cosworth   1’42.154   4.503   18
20   25   Jerome d’Ambrosio   Virgin-Cosworth   1’42.540   4.889   20
21   20   Davide Valsecchi   Lotus-Renault   1’44.054   6.403   18
22   23   Vitantonio Liuzzi   HRT-Cosworth   1’45.228   7.577   20
23   22   Narain Karthikeyan   HRT-Cosworth   1’46.267   8.616   10
24   10   Vitaly Petrov   Renault   1’47.932   10.281   4

But it is only 1st practice ~~~ a few worrying mechanical failures buttslap

TBWG sawadi

Malaysian 2nd practice icon_latest

Webbo ~~~ Ditto spot1

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m36.876s 24
2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m36.881s + 0.005 30
3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m37.010s + 0.134 23
4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m37.090s + 0.214 30
5. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m38.088s + 1.212 26
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m38.089s + 1.213 31
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m38.565s + 1.689 25
8. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m38.570s + 1.694 16
9. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m38.583s + 1.707 27
10. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m38.846s + 1.970 31
11. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m38.968s + 2.092 25
12. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m39.187s + 2.311 30
13. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m39.267s + 2.391 17
14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m39.398s + 2.522 29
15. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m39.603s + 2.727 34
16. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m39.625s + 2.749 31
17. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m39.809s + 2.933 28
18. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m40.115s + 3.239 31
19. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m40.866s + 3.990 24
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m41.890s + 5.014 19
21. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m43.197s + 6.321 15
22. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m43.991s + 7.115 14
23. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m44.886s + 8.010 4

TBWG sawadi

Malaysia 3rd Practice icon_latest

Hamilton on top!

Pos.   Car   Driver   Car   Best lap   Gap
1   3   Lewis Hamilton   McLaren-Mercedes   1’36.340      11
2   2   Mark Webber   Red Bull-Renault   1’36.630   0.290   16
3   4   Jenson Button   McLaren-Mercedes   1’36.762   0.422   14
4   9   Nick Heidfeld   Renault   1’37.115   0.775   17
5   1   Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull-Renault   1’37.175   0.835   14
6   5   Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   1’37.284   0.944   11
7   10   Vitaly Petrov   Renault   1’37.297   0.957   16
8   6   Felipe Massa   Ferrari   1’37.762   1.422   12
9   16   Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber-Ferrari   1’38.059   1.719   18
10   7   Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   1’38.300   1.960   20
11   8   Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   1’38.307   1.967   20
12   17   Sergio Perez   Sauber-Ferrari   1’38.448   2.108   17
13   14   Adrian Sutil   Force India-Mercedes   1’38.464   2.124   16
14   12   Pastor Maldonado   Williams-Cosworth   1’38.597   2.257   15
15   18   Sebastien Buemi   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1’38.665   2.325   14
16   11   Rubens Barrichello   Williams-Cosworth   1’38.681   2.341   16
17   19   Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1’38.716   2.376   14
18   15   Paul di Resta   Force India-Mercedes   1’38.864   2.524   13
19   20   Heikki Kovalainen   Lotus-Renault   1’39.260   2.920   19
20   21   Jarno Trulli   Lotus-Renault   1’39.699   3.359   15
21   25   Jerome d’Ambrosio   Virgin-Cosworth   1’41.215   4.875   17
22   24   Timo Glock   Virgin-Cosworth   1’41.414   5.074   18
23   23   Vitantonio Liuzzi   HRT-Cosworth   1’43.147   6.807   6
24   22   Narain Karthikeyan   HRT-Cosworth   1’43.383   7.043   11

TBWG sawadi

Well folks it's a bit of deja vu ~~~ as the first five places are all as OZ. icon_latest

Vettel pips Hamilton to Sepang pole

By Matt Beer Saturday, April 9th 2011, 09:09 GMT

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, Malaysian denied Lewis Hamilton pole position for the Malaysian Grand Prix in an extremely close battle at Sepang.

Hamilton had held provisional pole early in Q3 with a 1m35.000s lap, which put the McLaren a tenth clear of Vettel's Red Bull at that stage.

The Briton then improved to 1m34.974s on his final run, but Vettel managed to dig deeper still, producing a 1m34.870s to maintain his 100 per cent pole rate for 2011 - although the margin of 0.104 seconds was far tighter than in Australia.

Mark Webber was 0.309s off team-mate Vettel's pace in third, and 0.021s ahead of Jenson Button in the second McLaren.

That quartet had the pole fight to themselves, with the rest of the frontrunners a long way off the pace and without enough soft tyres to do more than one Q3 run.

Fernando Alonso led this 'best of the rest' group in fifth for Ferrari, with his team-mate Felipe Massa seventh.

Both Renaults made it to Q3 despite the team's tough start to the weekend. Nick Heidfeld put his Melbourne misery behind him with sixth on the grid, while Vitaly Petrov took eighth.

Mercedes' Nico Rosberg pipped Kamui Kobayashi's Sauber for ninth.

For the second race in a row, Michael Schumacher missed out on a Q3 spot and will start 11th - this time after his Mercedes team-mate Rosberg's late improvement knocked him out.

Neither Toro Rosso reached Q3 at Sepang, Sebastien Buemi recovering from losing a large chunk of sidepod bodywork (the retrieval of which required a brief red flag) in Q1 to qualify just ahead of team-mate Jaime Alguersuari in 12th.

The Force Indias were 14th and 17th, with Paul di Resta outqualifying Adrian Sutil again. They sandwich Rubens Barrichello, on a disappointing day for Williams, and Melbourne hero Sergio Perez, whose Sauber was only 16th today.

Though neither of its cars got out of Q1, there was great encouragement for Lotus as Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli got within half a second of Williams - Pastor Maldonado joining them in an early exit - and beat the Virgins by two seconds. And Hispania had cause for celebration too: Tonio Liuzzi and Narain Karthikeyan made the 107 per cent qualifying cut very comfortably in Q1.

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m34.870s
2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m34.974s + 0.104
3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m35.179s + 0.309
4. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m35.200s + 0.330
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m35.802s + 0.932
6. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m36.124s + 1.254
7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m36.251s + 1.381
8. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m36.324s + 1.454
9. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m36.809s + 1.939
10. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m36.820s + 1.950
Q3 cut-off time: 1m36.811s Gap **
11. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m37.035s + 1.466
12. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m37.160s + 1.591
13. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m37.347s + 1.778
14. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m37.370s + 1.801
15. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m37.496s + 1.927
16. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m37.528s + 1.959
17. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m37.593s + 2.024
Q3 cut-off time: 1m38.163s Gap *
18. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m38.276s + 1.532
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m38.645s + 1.901
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m38.791s + 2.047
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m40.648s + 3.904
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m41.001s + 4.257
23. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m41.549s + 4.805
24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m42.574s + 5.830

107% time: 1m43.516s

* Gap to quickest in Q1

** Gap to quickest in Q2

Think this calls for a trip to that excellent establishment ~~ Paddys Irish Bar to watch the action whilst quaffing Magners nowinkbar and noshing a Sunday Roast! hungry1

TBWG sawadi

Hi Bums

2011 Malaysian Grand Prix result icon_latest

10 April 2011 by Keith Collantine

Pos.   #   Driver   Team
1   1   Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull
2   4   Jenson Button   McLaren
3   9   Nick Heidfeld   Renault
4   2   Mark Webber   Red Bull
5   6   Felipe Massa   Ferrari
6   5   Fernando Alonso*   Ferrari
7   16   Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber
8   3   Lewis Hamilton*   McLaren
9   7   Michael Schumacher   Mercedes
10   15   Paul di Resta   Force India
11   14   Adrian Sutil   Force India
12   8   Nico Rosberg   Mercedes
13   18   Sebastien Buemi   Toro Rosso
14   19   Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso
15   20   Heikki Kovalainen   Lotus
16   24   Timo Glock   Virgin
17   10   Vitaly Petrov   Renault

*20-second penalty

Not classified: Vitantonio Liuzzi, Jerome d’Ambrosio, Jarno Trulli, Sergio Perez, Rubens Barrichello, Narain Karthikeyan, Pastor Maldonado.

2011 Malaysian Grand Prix

TBWG sawadi

Hi F1 bums

Well its more of the same after 1st Practice in China! Must admit I got caught out expected China GP next weekend! Anyway that Merc chassis must be a real dog, I'm not a Schumacher fan but feel for Nico!

1st Practice times ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m38.739s 23
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m39.354s + 0.615 27
3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m40.845s + 2.106 21
4. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m40.940s + 2.201 22
5. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m40.987s + 2.248 5
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m41.046s + 2.307 25
7. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m41.189s + 2.450 20
8. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m41.222s + 2.483 20
9. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m41.231s + 2.492 16
10. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m41.328s + 2.589 21
11. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m41.361s + 2.622 23
12. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m41.434s + 2.695 15
13. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m41.494s + 2.755 20
14. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m41.579s + 2.840 13
15. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m41.610s + 2.871 18
16. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m41.752s + 3.013 20
17. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m41.939s + 3.200 25
18. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m42.301s + 3.562 23
19. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m43.792s + 5.053 20
20. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m44.089s + 5.350 20
21. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m44.359s + 5.620 18
22. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m44.438s + 5.699 11
23. Luiz Razia Lotus-Renault 1m44.542s + 5.803 9
24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m45.019s + 6.280 23

TBWG sawadi

Ok dudes

2nd practice times ~~~~~~~~~



Vettel fastest again in China practice

By Pablo Elizalde    Friday, April 15th 2011, 07:33 GMT

Sebastian Vettel went fastest in the second practice session for the Chinese Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver leaving little doubt he remains the favourite for the Shanghai race.

Vettel, who was also quickest in the morning, posted a best time of 1m37.688s, but this time he was followed closely by the McLarens of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton less than three tenths behind the world champion.

Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher showed promising form in the Mercedes, the Germans winding up fourth and fifth - less than half a second off the pace.

Felipe Massa was again the fastest Ferrari driver with the sixth quickest time.

Team-mate Fernando Alonso finished in 14th position having been unable to do much running due a hydraulic problem in his Ferrari. The Spaniard managed to return to action late in the session, completing a run with soft tyres but without using his DRS.

Hamilton and Button showed they had pace in store after their discreet showing in FP1, both going quicker right away at the start of the second session. They exchanged positions a few times before Button moved to the top with a 1m39.431s just 10 minutes into the session.

Ten minutes later it was Rosberg moving to the top of the times, becoming the second man alongside Vettel to lap in the 1m38s. Williams's Pastor Maldonado was also among the frontrunners at the start of the session after deciding to use the softer tyre compound, the Venezuelan the first man to do so.

Massa went quickest around the 30-minute mark also using soft tyres, the Brazilian posting the best time of the weekend until that moment - 1m38.570s.

Rosberg regained the top spot minutes later with his maiden run with the soft tyres, the Mercedes driver the first man to move into the 1m37s.

Team-mate Schumacher jumped to second place - also with a run on softs - when nearing the one-hour mark, the seven-time champion less than two tenths behind Rosberg.

A couple of minutes later, Hamilton retook first place, with Button going second as the McLaren duo tried the soft tyres for the first time. The former reported after his flying lap that his tyres were "finished".

McLaren's domination did not last long however, with Vettel flying to the top spot with a 1m37.688s just a moment later.

Nick Heidfeld had another difficult session following his crash in the morning, the German making contact with the barrier again after skidding off track at Turn 12.

He managed to keep the engine going and returned to the track with no front wing, but was forced to stop before reaching the pits. He was later pushed back into the pits by his mechanics and the German could return to action for the last 25 minutes.

Force India's Paul di Resta also had a difficult afternoon, the Briton's car affected by a fuel pressure problem that meant he was unable to complete any running.

HRT's Tonio Liuzzi completed just one timed lap after succumbing to a car problem in the first session. He managed to join the track at the very end, but still outpaced the Virgin cars.

Virgin driver Timo Glock was hit by problems again, and although he managed more running than in the morning, the German still lost valuable time in the pits and finished his session early.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m37.688s 34
2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m37.854s +   0.166 22
3. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m37.935s +   0.247 31
4. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m37.943s +   0.255 34
5. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m38.105s +   0.417 29
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m38.507s +   0.819 36
7. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m38.735s +   1.047 35
8. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m38.805s +   1.117 26
9. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m38.859s +   1.171 31
10. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m39.327s +   1.639 33
11. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m39.538s +   1.850 33
12. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m39.667s +   1.979 37
13. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m39.771s +   2.083 18
14. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m39.779s +   2.091 17
15. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m39.828s +   2.140 25
16. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m39.925s +   2.237 32
17. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m39.953s +   2.265 30
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m40.476s +   2.788 30
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m41.482s +   3.794 32
20. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m42.902s +   5.214 25
21. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m43.850s +   6.162 3
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m44.008s +   6.320 35
23. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m44.747s +   7.059 12

All Timing Unofficial

TBWG sawadi

OK folks

Sat practice results ~~~~

Pos.   Car   Driver   Car   Best lap   Gap

1   1   Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull-Renault   1’34.968
2   4   Jenson Button   McLaren-Mercedes   1’35.176   0.208
3   3   Lewis Hamilton   McLaren-Mercedes   1’35.373   0.405
4   8   Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   1’35.677   0.709
5   5   Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   1’35.818   0.850
6   6   Felipe Massa   Ferrari   1’35.971   1.003
7   10   Vitaly Petrov   Renault   1’36.098   1.130
8   14   Adrian Sutil   Force India-Mercedes   1’36.125   1.157
9   7   Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   1’36.141   1.173
10   15   Paul di Resta   Force India-Mercedes   1’36.370   1.402
11   9   Nick Heidfeld   Renault   1’36.404   1.436
12   16   Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber-Ferrari   1’36.582   1.614
13   17   Sergio Perez   Sauber-Ferrari   1’36.596   1.628
14   18   Sebastien Buemi   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1’36.717   1.749
15   2   Mark Webber   Red Bull-Renault   1’36.896   1.928
16   19   Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1’36.953   1.985
17   11   Rubens Barrichello   Williams-Cosworth   1’37.007   2.039
18   12   Pastor Maldonado   Williams-Cosworth   1’37.304   2.336
19   20   Heikki Kovalainen   Lotus-Renault   1’38.176   3.208
20   21   Jarno Trulli   Lotus-Renault   1’38.739   3.771
21   24   Timo Glock   Virgin-Cosworth   1’39.938   4.970
22   25   Jerome d’Ambrosio   Virgin-Cosworth   1’39.998   5.030
23   23   Vitantonio Liuzzi   HRT-Cosworth   1’40.593   5.625
24   22   Narain Karthikeyan   HRT-Cosworth   1’40.881   5.913

2011 Chinese Grand Prix

TBWG sawadi

WEBBER IS WELL DOWN!!

fastest again in F1 final practice in China
Published: 16/04/2011 at 12:31 PM
Bangkok Post: Online news: Asia

Germany's reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel led the field in final practice for Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix with the Red Bull driver eclipsing his rivals late in the session.

The 23-year-old, who has been fastest all weekend, clocked a time of one minute 34.968 seconds in the final minutes of Saturday's practice session.

Vettel, who is aiming to be the first driver in seven years to take pole at the first three races of the season, finished two tenths of a second ahead of Briton Jenson Button's McLaren.

Button's team mate and fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton was two tenths of a second further back in third place.

Championship leader Vettel's fellow countryman Nico Rosberg of Mercedes was in fourth.

In contrast, Vettel's Red Bull team-mate Australian Mark Webber was left fuming after finishing the session only 15th fastest owing to an electrical fault with his car.

Ferrari drivers double champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso and Brazilian Felipe Massa were fifth and sixth quickest respectively followed by Russian Vitaly Petrov of Renault.

Force India driver German Adrian Sutil was in eighth ahead of his countryman and seven times champion Michael Schumacher in the second Mercedes, while Rookie Briton Paul di Resta in the second Force India was 10th fastest.

If Vettel, who leads the standings after wins in Australia and Malaysia, takes pole Saturday he would become the first driver to start at the front of the grid in the season's opening three races since Schumacher in 2004.
----------------------------------------------

BBC F1 2011 - 3 CHN - Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel upbeat after finding 'good rhythm' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iganxQrGlCI#ws)

OK F1 bums Vettel on pole again!

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m33.706s
2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m34.421s + 0.715
3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m34.463s + 0.757
4. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m34.670s + 0.964
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m35.119s + 1.413
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m35.145s + 1.439
7. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m36.158s + 2.452
8. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m36.190s + 2.484
9. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m36.203s + 2.497
10. Vitaly Petrov Renault No time
Q3 cut-off time: 1m35.858s Gap **
11. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m35.874s + 1.388
12. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m36.053s + 1.567
13. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m36.236s + 1.750
14. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m36.457s + 1.971
15. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m36.465s + 1.979
16. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m36.611s + 2.125
17. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m36.956s + 2.470
Q3 cut-off time: 1m36.147s Gap *
18. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m36.468s + 1.196
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m37.894s + 2.622
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m38.318s + 3.046
21. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m39.119s + 3.847
22. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m39.708s + 4.436
23. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m40.212s + 4.940
24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m40.445s + 5.173

107% time: 1m41.941s

* Gap to quickest in Q1

** Gap to quickest in Q2

TBWG sawadi

What a win for Lewis!!

Hi F1 bums

Well after a self inflicted internet failure getting on for 3 days I can now finally reveal the results ~~~~~~

Pos   #   Driver     Car     Laps   Gap   Difference   Reason
1   3   Lewis Hamilton   McLaren-Mercedes   56
2   1   Sebastian Vettel   Red Bull-Renault   56   5.198   5.198
3   2   Mark Webber   Red Bull-Renault   56   7.555   2.357
4   4   Jenson Button   McLaren-Mercedes   56   10.000   2.445
5   8   Nico Rosberg   Mercedes   56   13.448   3.448
6   6   Felipe Massa   Ferrari   56   15.840   2.392
7   5   Fernando Alonso   Ferrari   56   30.622   14.782
8   7   Michael Schumacher   Mercedes   56   31.026   0.404
9   10   Vitaly Petrov   Renault   56   57.404   26.378
10   16   Kamui Kobayashi   Sauber-Ferrari   56   63.273   5.869
11   15   Paul di Resta   Force India-Mercedes   56   68.757   5.484
12   9   Nick Heidfeld   Renault   56   72.739   3.982
13   11   Rubens Barrichello   Williams-Cosworth   56   90.189   17.450
14   18   Sebastien Buemi   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   56   90.671   0.482
15   14   Adrian Sutil   Force India-Mercedes   55   1 lap   1 lap
16   20   Heikki Kovalainen   Lotus-Renault   55   1 lap   13.068
17   17   Sergio Perez   Sauber-Ferrari   55   1 lap   3.410
18   12   Pastor Maldonado   Williams-Cosworth   55   1 lap   4.929
19   21   Jarno Trulli   Lotus-Renault   55   1 lap   13.811
20   25   Jerome d’Ambrosio   Virgin-Cosworth   54   2 laps   1 lap
21   24   Timo Glock   Virgin-Cosworth   54   2 laps   30.241
22   23   Vitantonio Liuzzi   HRT-Cosworth   54   2 laps   17.781
23   22   Narain Karthikeyan   HRT-Cosworth   54   2 laps   1.172
Not classified
   19   Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   9   47 laps   45 laps   Wheel

2011 Chinese Grand Prix

Well I reckon a few people are mega disappointed after thinking they had the race in the bag ~~~ Rosberg was surprised to inherit the lead with 5 sec plus advantage only to loose it in the same fashion. Jenson had his brain in neutral when entering the pits and obviously can't tell the difference between Red Bull & Macca livery. buttslap But must say a great drive by Lewis whilst Monobrow succeeded in excelling at mediocrity. Love it!

TBWG sawadi

Movement at Williams

Williams technical director Sam Michael and chief aerodynamicist Jon Tomlinson will leave their posts at the end of the year, the Grove-based outfit confirmed on Tuesday.

The team also revealed that they have signed former McLaren technical director Mike Coughlan as chief engineer.

Michael hinted in April that heads could roll after Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado failed to see the chequered flag in the first two races of the season. An although both drivers made it to the finish line in China, they were well off the pace of the top 10.

Team boss Frank Williams confirmed on Tuesday morning that Michael and Tomlinson would part company with the team when their contracts expire at the end of the current season, saying they hope the changes they make will help them to return to the front of the grid.

"Both Sam and Jon are talented and driven people who have worked hard for Williams over 10 and five years respectively," he said.

"Nonetheless, they have recognised that the team's performance is not at the level that it needs to be and have resigned in order to give the team the opportunity to regroup and undertake the changes necessary to get back to the front of the grid.

"Both will continue to work in their present positions through until the end of the year to ensure that the team maintains focus and momentum during the 2011 season. We are very grateful to Sam and to Jon for their professional approach."

Coughlan, who left McLaren in 2007 following the spy scandal involving Ferrari, will join the team in June.

"Mike Coughlan is a fine engineer with extensive experience across Formula One and both civil and defence engineering," Williams said.

"He left Formula 1 in 2007 because of conduct which he acknowledges was wrong and which he profoundly regrets. His two year ban from the sport expired some time ago and Mike is now determined to prove himself again.

"Williams is delighted to be able to give him the opportunity to do this and we are very pleased to have one of the most talented and competitive engineers in the sport helping us to return to the front of the grid.

"This is the first step in re-building and strengthening our technical group. We will announce the next steps as they develop."

Coughlan is delighted that Williams have given him another opportunity after his woes of 2007.

"I am grateful to Williams for giving me this opportunity. My experience in 2007 was life-changing," he said.

"Since then, I have endeavoured to put my skills to good use in the design of the Ocelot vehicle whose purpose is to transport soldiers in safety. I have also enjoyed my time with Michael Waltrip Racing: they are an excellent race team and I wish them well for the future.

"Now, I am looking forward to returning to a sport which I love and to joining a team that I have admired for many years. I will dedicate myself to the team and to ensuring that we return to competitiveness while respecting the ethical standards with which Williams has always been synonymous."

All change......and Bernie has confirmed a "friendly" take over enquiry from News Limited......when will the fun stop cheergirl
Cheers,
John

Hi F! bums

Rumour has it that Patrick Head is also retiring at the end of season!

S'pose he wants time to spend all that dosh he made out of the Williams floatation? thumbup

TBWG sawadi

Well F1 fans it's talk Turkey time!

What with all the Bull**it going on at the moment will this be the last Turkish GP, will Bahrain get a race in 2011, will Rupert Murdoch come up with enough readies to satiate Bernies greed and will the Pope drive for Ferrari?

Time will tell ~~~ now lets get on with the racing!

TBWG sawadi

BBC F1 2011 - 4 TUR - Red Bull still have work to do in Turkey - Mark Webber (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZCljSLOHrg#ws)
BBC F1 2011 - 4 TUR - Sebastian Vettel confident of Red Bull progress in Turkey (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGWEMWabFQQ#ws)

Hi F1 Bums

Well the main protagonists do not even feature in first practice top 10! McLaren did not even bother to go out other than for installtion laps and at the end for practice starts. Vettel wishes he had not gone out after creaming it on the barrier in the wet conditions!

Anyway here are the times. (2nd practice should be dry)?

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m38.670s 13
2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m40.072s + 1.402 14
3. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m40.132s + 1.462 18
4. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m40.338s + 1.668 9
5. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m40.401s + 1.731 10
6. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m40.421s + 1.751 16
7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m40.697s + 2.027 14
8. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m41.094s + 2.424 18
9. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m41.178s + 2.508 22
10. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m41.347s + 2.677 16
11. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m42.564s + 3.894 5
12. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m42.597s + 3.927 7
13. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m43.525s + 4.855 11
14. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m43.913s + 5.243 5
15. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m43.986s + 5.316 6
16. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m44.787s + 6.117 20
17. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m44.954s + 6.284 4
18. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m45.183s + 6.513 15
19. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m45.237s + 6.567 11
20. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m48.461s + 9.791 8
21. Karun Chandhok Lotus-Renault 1m51.676s + 13.006 6
22. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m55.791s + 17.121 13
23. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 2m00.666s + 21.996 4
24. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes no time 1

All Timing Unofficial

TBWG sawadi

Well Folks

Macca & Merc show their form but Alonso WTF?

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.456s 26
2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m26.521s +   0.065   29
3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m27.033s +   0.577   31
4. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m27.063s +   0.607   21
5. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m27.149s +   0.693   31
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m27.340s +   0.884   37
7. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m27.517s +   1.061   37
8. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m27.725s +   1.269   37
9. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.844s +   1.388   32
10. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m28.052s +   1.596   37
11. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m28.069s +   1.613   27
12. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m28.153s +   1.697   36
13. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m28.475s +   2.019   35
14. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m28.765s +   2.309   32
15. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m28.828s +   2.372   19
16. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m28.946s +   2.490   20
17. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m29.409s +   2.953   39
18. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m29.637s +   3.181   27
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m30.281s +   3.825   37
20. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m31.035s +   4.579   28
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m31.221s +   4.765   22
22. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m31.320s +   4.864   29
23. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m31.989s +   5.533   30

All Timing Unofficial

TBWG sawadi

Hi folks

Vettel tops practice 3 but Merc shine ~~~

Pos Driver

Team/Car Time Gap Laps
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m26.037s 17
2. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m26.038s + 0.001s 17
3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m26.404s + 0.367s 16
4. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m26.420s + 0.383s 19
5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.578s + 0.541s 17
6. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.726s + 0.689s 14
7. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m26.755s + 0.718s 20
8. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m26.819s + 0.782s 12
9. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m26.883s + 0.846s 12
10. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m27.080s + 1.043s 16
11. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.121s + 1.084s 20
12. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m27.255s + 1.218s 18
13. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m27.318s + 1.281s 19
14. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m27.379s + 1.342s 17
15. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m27.528s + 1.491s 19
16. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m27.644s + 1.607s 18
17. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m27.724s + 1.687s 15
18. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.976s + 1.939s 19
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m28.911s + 2.874s 15
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m29.697s + 3.660s 17
21. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m31.097s + 5.060s 25
22. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m31.175s + 5.138s 19
23. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m31.375s + 5.338s 19
24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m32.009s + 5.972s 15

All timing unofficial

Now for qualy

TBWG sawadi

Hi F1 Fans

Well Singha Beer sponsored Red Bull team have front row sewn up ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m25.049s
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m25.454s + 0.405
3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m25.574s + 0.525
4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m25.595s + 0.546
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m25.851s + 0.802
6. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m25.982s + 0.933
7. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m26.296s + 1.247
8. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m26.646s + 1.597
9. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m26.659s + 1.610
10. Felipe Massa Ferrari No time
Q3 cut-off time: 1m26.740s Gap **
11. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m26.764s + 1.154
12. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m27.027s + 1.417
13. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m27.145s + 1.535
14. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m27.236s + 1.626
15. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m27.244s + 1.634
16. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m27.255s + 1.645
17. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m27.572s + 1.962
Q3 cut-off time: 1m28.321s Gap *
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m28.780s + 1.767
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m31.119s + 4.106
20. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m30.445s + 3.432 ***
21. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m30.692s + 3.679
22. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m30.813s + 3.800
23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m31.564s + 4.551
24. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari No time

107% time: 1m33.103s

*** Jerome D'Ambrosio starts from last due to a 5 place demotion for passing under a yellow flag during practice.

* Gap to quickest in Q1

** Gap to quickest in Q2

TBWG sawadi

Well TBWG it should get interesting just after the lights go out swordfight
Cheers,
John

OK folks

results here ~~~~~

But now getting a bit boring ...........personaly I'd like to see someone else get a look in or championship will be done and dusted by mid season.

Also Schumacher should rethink his F1 career getting embarrasing watching him dice his way to the back!

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The Turkish Grand Prix
Istanbul, Turkey;
58 laps; 309.396km;
Weather: Sunny.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h30:17.558
2. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 8.807
3. Alonso Ferrari + 10.075
4. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 40.232
5. Rosberg Mercedes + 47.539
6. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 59.431
7. Heidfeld Renault + 1:00.857
8. Petrov Renault + 1:08.168
9. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:09.300
10. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1:18.000
11. Massa Ferrari + 1:19.800
12. Schumacher Mercedes + 1:25.400
13. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
14. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
15. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
16. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
17. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
18. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 1 lap
19. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
20. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps
21. Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth + 3 laps
22. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth + 5 laps

Fastest lap: Webber, 1:29.703

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Team On lap
Di Resta Force India-Mercedes 45
Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1

World Championship standings, round 4:

Drivers: Constructors:
1. Vettel 93 1. Red Bull-Renault 148
2. Hamilton 59 2. McLaren-Mercedes 105
3. Webber 55 3. Ferrari 65
4. Button 46 4. Renault 42
5. Alonso 41 5. Mercedes 26
6. Massa 24 6. Sauber-Ferrari 8
7. Petrov 21 7. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 6
8. Heidfeld 21 8. Force India-Mercedes 4
9. Rosberg 20
10. Kobayashi 8
11. Buemi 6
12. Schumacher 6
13. Sutil 2
14. Di Resta 2

All timing unofficial

TBWG sawadi

Hi F1 Bums

Well it looks like a double for Webbah in first 2 practice sessions!

First Practice ~~~

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m25.142s 27
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m26.149s + 1.007 20
3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m26.379s + 1.237 29
4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m26.480s + 1.338 27
5. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m26.738s + 1.596 26
6. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m26.988s + 1.846 19
7. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m27.016s + 1.874 32
8. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m27.132s + 1.990 21
9. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m27.138s + 1.996 22
10. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m27.212s + 2.070 20
11. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m27.241s + 2.099 22
12. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m27.471s + 2.329 23
13. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m28.005s + 2.863 11
14. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m28.027s + 2.885 26
15. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m28.163s + 3.021 22
16. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m28.654s + 3.512 28
17. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m28.819s + 3.677 23
18. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m28.995s + 3.853 9
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m29.231s + 4.089 21
20. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m30.896s + 5.754 18
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m31.235s + 6.093 24
22. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m31.268s + 6.126 23
23. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m31.418s + 6.276 12
24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m32.106s + 6.964 25

All Timing Unofficial

2nd Practice ~~~ icon_latest

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m22.470s 35
2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m22.509s + 0.039 27
3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m22.826s + 0.356 37
4. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.188s + 0.718 32
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m23.568s + 1.098 34
6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m23.586s + 1.116 35
7. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m23.981s + 1.511 30
8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m24.278s + 1.808 30
9. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m24.290s + 1.820 33
10. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m24.366s + 1.896 31
11. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m24.483s + 2.013 38
12. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m24.786s + 2.316 43
13. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m25.296s + 2.826 33
14. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m25.303s + 2.833 38
15. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m25.457s + 2.987 34
16. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m25.603s + 3.133 43
17. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m26.073s + 3.603 32
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m26.417s + 3.947 37
19. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m27.123s + 4.653 20
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m27.189s + 4.719 34
21. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m28.036s + 5.566 36
22. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m28.062s + 5.592 28
23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m29.469s + 6.999 28
24. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m29.476s + 7.006 31

All Timing Unofficial

Looks like another Red Bull Fest.

TBWG sawadi

Hi Folks

Red Bull dominate 3rd practice! icon_latest

Vettel grabs top spot in final practice

By Matt Beer Saturday, May 21st 2011, 10:03 GMT

Sebastian Vettel set a sensational fastest time in final practice for the Spanish Grand Prix - despite only getting a single flying lap in the session due to a problem on his car.

The world champion had only managed three installation laps before an issue forced him to return to the Red Bull garage. Repairs were only completed with a few minutes to go, but his lack of running proved no impediment whatsoever as Vettel breezed straight to the top with a 1m21.707s on his only flying lap of the morning.

Until then, Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber had been in total command.

The Australian had been quickest in both sessions yesterday, and soon hit the front this morning as well, establishing a one-second margin over the field on hard tyres, and then doing the same when everyone switched to softs in the final minutes. But when Vettel emerged, Webber found himself deposed by just 0.084 seconds.

Mercedes' Michael Schumacher led the way for a while thanks to an early change to softs, and ended the session third - albeit a full 1.3s off Vettel's pace.

The McLarens were only fourth and fifth, ahead of Nico Rosberg in the second Mercedes, Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi and Renault's Vitaly Petrov.

Nick Heidfeld's Renault catches fire at CatalunyaThe latter's team-mate Nick Heidfeld had the most dramatic incident of the morning when his Renault caught fire after 25 minutes. Heidfeld quickly parked the car as flames took hold around the right-hand sidepod and exhaust, and while he was unhurt, the team faces a huge job to get the car ready for qualifying.

Local hero Fernando Alonso was only ninth in the leading Ferrari, and had to park in the garage in the closing minutes after appearing to get stuck in sixth gear.

Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap Laps
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m21.707s 6
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m21.791s + 0.084s 17
3. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m23.057s + 1.350s 16
4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.068s + 1.361s 13
5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.214s + 1.507s 14
6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m23.397s + 1.690s 18
7. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m23.669s + 1.962s 17
8. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m24.043s + 2.336s 18
9. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m24.270s + 2.563s 11
10. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m24.318s + 2.611s 18
11. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m24.322s + 2.615s 17
12. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m24.329s + 2.622s 19
13. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m24.399s + 2.692s 17
14. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m24.535s + 2.828s 16
15. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m24.695s + 2.988s 18
16. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m24.722s + 3.015s 14
17. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m25.223s + 3.516s 19
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m26.236s + 4.529s 11
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m27.000s + 5.293s 20
20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m27.706s + 5.999s 20
21. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m28.330s + 6.623s 17
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m29.057s + 7.350s 18
23. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m29.200s + 7.493s 6
24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m29.562s + 7.855s 16

All timing unofficial

TBWG sawadi

BBC F1 2011 - 5 ESP - Spanish Grand Prix will be tight - Sebastian Vettel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvsff7LFGws#ws)
BBC F1 2011 - 5 ESP - Fernando Alonso confident he can catch Sebastian Vettel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D946Ov9gtLU#ws)
BBC F1 2011 - 5 ESP - Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel keen to cool expectations (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbWTFQR6s-c#ws)

Hi F1 fans

Grid for tomorrows race ~~~~ and your on your own as I will be in transit to UK (Nok Air permitting) when race is on!!

Webber secures pole in Spain

By Matt Beer Saturday, May 21st 2011, 13:02 GMT

Mark Webber, Red Bull RacingMark Webber claimed his first pole position since last year's Belgian Grand Prix in qualifying in Spain.

The Australian beat his Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel to the top spot as the duo mounted an intra-team battle nearly a second clear of all their rivals.

Both chose to make just one Q3 run, with Vettel - who had been suffering an apparent KERS issue earlier in qualifying - setting a 1m21.181s before Webber beat it with a 1m20.981s. Under no threat from anyone else, they then sat out the remaining five minutes of the session.

Lewis Hamilton escaped a big lock-up on his best lap to take third for McLaren, which looked set to fill row two until Fernando Alonso produced his best qualifying effort of 2011 so far to take fourth from Jenson Button. Felipe Massa was back in eighth in the second Ferrari, 0.9s off Alonso.

Vitaly Petrov was an impressive sixth for Renault, just ahead of Nico Rosberg, whose Mercedes team-mate Michael Schumacher chose not to go for a time in Q3.

Pastor Maldonado showed his strongest Formula 1 form yet to make it to Q3 for the first time - and only the second time for Williams this year - and was just off Massa's pace in ninth.

The Toro Rossos and Saubers will share rows six and seven, but the most notable result of Q2 was that Heikki Kovalainen got Lotus into the second part of qualifying for only the second time in the team's history. He then went on to beat the Force Indias to 15th place, though the latter team had played it conservatively and opted to only use hard tyres in Q2, saving more softs for the race.

Kovalainen's progress was not just due to Lotus having made a step forward this weekend, for two big names dropped out in Q1. A gearbox problem stranded Rubens Barrichello (Williams) in 19th place while despite Renault's best efforts, Nick Heidfeld's fire-damaged car could not be repaired in time for qualifying.

Jarno Trulli only just made it out in Q1 due to a gearbox issue but still manged to grab 18th, and a hydraulic problem gave Jerome D'Ambrosio some scores before the Virgin driver scraped in with a time 0.2s quicker than the 107 per cent cut-off, placing him behind the Hispanias.

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m20.981s
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m21.181s + 0.200
3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m21.961s + 0.980
4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m21.964s + 0.983
5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m21.996s + 1.015
6. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m22.471s + 1.490
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m22.599s + 1.618
8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m22.888s + 1.907
9. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m22.952s + 1.971
10. Michael Schumacher Mercedes
Q3 cut-off time: 1m23.506s Gap **
11. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m23.231s + 1.691
12. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m23.367s + 1.827
13. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m23.694s + 2.154
14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m23.702s + 2.162
15. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m25.403s + 3.863
16. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercede 1m26.126s + 4.586
17. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercede 1m26.571s + 5.031
Q3 cut-off time: 1m25.874s Gap *
18. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m26.521s + 3.561
19. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m26.910s + 3.950
20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m27.315s + 4.355
21. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m27.809s + 4.849
22. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m27.908s + 4.948
23. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m28.556s + 5.596
24. Nick Heidfeld Renault No time

107% time: 1m28.767s

* Gap to quickest in Q1

** Gap to quickest in Q2

TBWG

Have a safe trip back TBWG.
Poor timing with the flights though :-)
Cheers, John

Well folks

Didn't have to wait long for next action!

Now in UK, sunny but still bl**dy cold, at least I did not have Icelandic ash to contend with in south of England. Anyway now to South of France for the Monaco GP.

1st practice times ~~~ icon_latest

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m16.619s 25
2. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m16.732s + 0.113   24
3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m17.139s + 0.520   20
4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m17.316s + 0.697   24
5. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m17.350s + 0.731   23
6. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m17.534s + 0.915   24
7. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m18.527s + 1.908   30
8. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m18.578s + 1.959   24
9. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m18.733s + 2.114   16
10. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m18.805s + 2.186   14
11. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m18.928s + 2.309   19
12. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m19.234s + 2.615   24
13. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m19.395s + 2.776   24
14. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m19.463s + 2.844   25
15. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m19.768s + 3.149   25
16. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m19.792s + 3.173   26
17. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m20.083s + 3.464   23
18. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m21.116s + 4.497   27
19. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m21.548s + 4.929   32
20. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m21.758s + 5.139   31
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m21.815s + 5.196   17
22. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m22.840s + 6.221   13
23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m23.885s + 7.266   37
24. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault No time 3

All Timing Unofficial

TBWG sawadi

HI

2ND PRACTICE times......... icon_latest

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m15.123s 42
2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.228s + 0.105 33
3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m15.321s + 0.198 44
4. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.448s + 0.325 38
5. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m15.667s + 0.544 46
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m15.781s + 0.658 45
7. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m16.356s + 1.233 33
8. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m16.642s + 1.519 42
9. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m17.101s + 1.978 46
10. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m17.126s + 2.003 38
11. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m17.337s + 2.214 35
12. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m17.541s + 2.418 47
13. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m17.570s + 2.447 39
14. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m17.581s + 2.458 32
15. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m17.633s + 2.510 49
16. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m17.706s + 2.583 37
17. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m17.789s + 2.666 43
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m18.266s + 3.143 50
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m18.490s + 3.367 39
20. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m19.053s + 3.930 15
21. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m19.185s + 4.062 40
22. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m19.338s + 4.215 35
23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m22.066s + 6.943 33

All Timing Unofficial

TBWG sawadi

Fernando Alonso led the way in the second practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix, beating Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Jenson Button was fourth ahead of Sebastian Vettel, Felipe Massa and Michael Schumacher. Mark Webber was eighth with Adrian Sutil ninth and Nick Heidfeld 10th.

Vitaly Petrov was next but damaged his car at the chicane, breaking the nose of his Renault. Sergio Perez was next, ahead of Rubens Barrichello, Sebastien Buemi and Pastor Maldonado.

Kamui Kobayashi was 16th ahead of Jaime Alguersuari, Heikki Kovalainen, Jarno Trulli, Paul di Resta and Jerome d’Ambrosio.

Timo Glock was next ahead of Narain Karthikeyan, while Tonio Liuzzi was last, his car being repaired after an incident in the morning.

TBWG sawadi

Hi F1 Bums

Saturday practice icon_latest

Rosberg needs new fireproof underwear after creaming it along the barrier at 170mph at the exit of tunnel and Luzzi can probably have the rest of the weekend off after reducing the Hispania to a box of scrap! buttslap

Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap Laps
1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m14.433s 18
2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m14.996s + 0.563s 17
3. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m15.024s + 0.591s 19
4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m15.245s + 0.812s 19
5. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m15.310s + 0.877s 21
6. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.386s + 0.953s 14
7. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m15.529s + 1.096s 19
8. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m16.617s + 2.184s 13
9. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m16.736s + 2.303s 15
10. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m16.821s + 2.388s 19
11. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m16.990s + 2.557s 20
12. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m17.196s + 2.763s 13
13. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m17.333s + 2.900s 17
14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m17.403s + 2.970s 18
15. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m17.779s + 3.346s 17
16. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m17.880s + 3.447s 17
17. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m18.069s + 3.636s 17
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m18.115s + 3.682s 20
19. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m18.580s + 4.147s 21
20. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m18.808s + 4.375s 21
21. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m19.259s + 4.826s 19
22. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m20.115s + 5.682s 15
23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m20.278s + 5.845s 16
24. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 3

All timing unofficial

TBWG sawadi

Hi Folks

Well here are results from an incident packed qualifying! icon_latest

Vettel on Monaco pole as Perez crashes

By Jamie O'Leary Saturday, May 28th 2011, 13:40 GMT

Sebastian Vettel claimed the 20th pole position of his Formula 1 career after going fastest in a Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session that was interrupted by a heavy accident for Sergio Perez.

The Red Bull driver's time of 1m13.556s was set midway through Q3 and was enough to give him the top spot by 0.441 seconds from Jenson Button's McLaren.

A heavy accident for Perez at the chicane with two minutes remaining brought out the red flags for 40 minutes while the Sauber driver was stretchered away and the barriers were reset.

Once the green flags were waved, there was not enough time left for any of the nine remaining drivers to get their tyres warmed up sufficiently to improve on their previous times.

The top six on the grid, therefore, did not change during the final two minutes with Button ahead of Mark Webber's Red Bull and Fernando Alonso's Ferrari.

Michael Schumacher equaled his best grid spot since his return to Formula 1 with Mercedes in fifth, while Felipe Massa put his Ferrari sixth.

Lewis Hamilton had been quickest in both Q1 and Q2, but was the main loser as a result of the red flags as the McLaren driver had been on-track at the time and with four super soft Pirelli tyres on his car.

He could only manage the seventh best time when the session resumed, enough to put him ahead of Nico Rosberg's Mercedes and Pastor Maldonado's Williams. Perez ' should he be fit to start Sunday's race - will do so from a career-best 10th place.

Vitaly Petrov missed out on Q3 for the first time all year, his final flying lap splitting Maldonado from his Williams team-mate Barrichello, while Nick Heidfeld in the second Renault was a disappointing 16th.

The biggest name not to make it into Q2 was Jaime Alguersuari, who was only 20th quickest - slower than Team Lotus drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli. It was Alguersuari's worst qualifying performance since the 2009 Italian GP.

One of the Spaniard's late efforts on super soft rubber was thwarted when he came across Kamui Kobayashi on an out-lap at Rascasse and made a minor collision with the rear end of the Sauber. Both drivers were summoned to the race stewards to explain his actions.

Neither Hispania took to the track. Vitantonio Liuzzi's machine was not repaired in time following his practice accident this morning, while a rear suspension problem was discovered on Narain Karthikeyan's car. Neither, therefore, set a time within the 107 per cent qualifying limit and may not be allowed to start the race.

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m13.556s
2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m13.997s + 0.441
3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m14.019s + 0.463
4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m14.483s + 0.927
5. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m14.682s + 1.126
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m14.877s + 1.321
7. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.280s + 1.724
8. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m15.766s + 2.210
9. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m16.528s + 2.972
10. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari No time
Q3 cut-off time: 1m15.545s Gap **
11. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m15.815s + 1.540
12. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m15.826s + 1.551
13. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m15.973s + 1.698
14. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m16.118s + 1.843
15. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m16.121s + 1.846
16. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m16.214s + 1.939
17. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m16.300s + 2.025
Q3 cut-off time: 1m16.813s Gap *
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m17.343s + 2.136
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m17.381s + 2.174
20. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m17.820s + 2.613
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m17.914s + 2.707
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m18.736s + 3.529
23. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth No time
24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth No time

107% time: 1m20.471s

* Gap to quickest in Q1

** Gap to quickest in Q2

TBWG sawadi

Hi

icon_latest icon_must

McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton has been demoted to tenth place on the Monaco Grand Prix starting grid, after the race stewards deleted his best Q3 time when the 2008 champion was adjudged to have cut a chicane on the lap.

Hamilton was already out of position for tomorrow's Monte Carlo race after a difficult qualifying session.

The McLaren man had gambled on a single flying run in the final ten minutes, but his run was disrupted by Sergio Perez's huge crash, and he was only able to qualify 7th when the session restarted.

But he will now start 10th, after stewards revealed that his slightly naff qualifying lap had been boosted when he cut the chicane during the run.

With Hamilton only setting one lap time in the session, he had no further times to fall back on.

However, he may gain a place by the start tomorrow, with Sergio Perez unlikely to take his 9th place grid slot for the race after suffering a concussion as a result of his crash.

     Monaco GP. Starting Grid.

Pos     Driver     Car
1    Sebastian Vettel    Red Bull Renault
2    Jenson Button    McLaren Mercedes
3    Mark Webber    Red Bull Renault
4    Fernando Alonso    Ferrari
5    Michael Schumacher    Mercedes
6    Felipe Massa    Ferrari
7    Nico Rosberg    Mercedes
8    Pastor Maldonado    Williams Cosworth
9    Sergio Perez    Sauber Ferrari
10    Lewis Hamilton    McLaren Mercedes
11    Vitaly Petrov    Renault
12    Rubens Barrichello    Williams Cosworth
13    Kamui Kobayashi    Sauber Ferrari
14    Paul di Resta    Force India Mercedes
15    Adrian Sutil    Force India Mercedes
16    Nick Heidfeld    Renault
17    Sebastien Buemi    Toro Rosso Ferrari
18    Heikki Kovalainen    Lotus Renault
19    Jarno Trulli    Lotus Renault
20    Jaime Alguersuari    Toro Rosso Ferrari
21    Timo Glock    Virgin Cosworth
22    Jerome d'Ambrosio    Virgin Cosworth
23    Narain Karthikeyan    HRT Cosworth
24    Vitantonio Liuzzi    HRT Cosworth

TBWG sawadi

Hi Folks

Another win for Vettel in the Singha sponsored Red Bull yeahme

Vettel wins interrupted Monaco GP

Sebastian Vettel further increased his World Championship advantage by claiming a gutsy victory in a chaotic Monaco Grand Prix that was restarted with only six laps to go following a red flag for a crash involving Vitaly Petrov at the Swimming Pool.

The Red Bull driver had opted against pitting during a mid-race safety car period, and ran a 56-lap stint on super soft rubber against all expectations, gaining track position over previous leader Jenson Button.

That left him ahead when the race was red-flagged, at which point he, second placed Fernando Alonso and Button, who had dropped to third after pitting just before a mid-race safety car, were all allowed to fit new tyres.

His eventual winning margin was 1.1 seconds ahead of Alonso, who was a similar distance clear of Button.

The race boiled down to a six-lap sprint following a red flag for a crash involving Petrov, Jaime Alguersuari and Lewis Hamilton, that was triggered by Pastor Maldonado passing Adrian Sutil for sixth place at Tabac.

The one-stopping Sutil, who had ran fourth for a long time but was dropping back on old tyres, smacked the wall exiting the corner and punctured his right-rear tyre. While trying to avoid the slowing Force India, Petrov ran into the back of Alguersuari's Toro Rosso, which in turn hit the rear of Hamilton's McLaren.

Alguersuari and Petrov hit the wall hard, forcing the race to be stopped with six laps to go and necessitating Petrov's extrication from the car by medical staff.

Prior to the red flag, the street circuit was staging the best race of the year. Having lost the lead to Button thanks to a sluggish opening pitstop on lap 16, Vettel opted against pitting when Felipe Massa's mid-race crash brought out the safety car.

Button, who had already stopped twice by this point, was clearly the faster driver on his fresher rubber, but had also lost track position to Alonso during the safety car period.

Button made a third stop on lap 48 after becoming stuck behind Vettel, but reduced an 18-second deficit to less than a second with eight laps to go. His problem, however, was that Alonso's Ferrari was in between them.

Button's hopes of victory rested with Vettel's and Alonso's tyres going off before his, as both switched their strategies and opted against making further stops. The stoppage and subsequent tyre changes put paid to that, however.

Mark Webber finished fourth, having dropped as low as 14th early on due to a 15-second stop as Red Bull pitted him on the same lap as Vettel. His two-stop strategy left him with fresher rubber than many of the cars around him during the second half of the race, allowing him to pass Kamui Kobayashi's Sauber, Sutil, Petrov and Maldonado within the final 15 laps.

Kobayashi ceded fourth to Webber after missing the chicane with two laps to go, but still collected the best result of his career. Maldonado kept up his status as a Monaco expert and looked like finishing sixth, but he crashed out of the race at Ste Devote with five laps to go after contact with Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton's rear wing was damaged in the Petrov/Alguersuari accident, took seventh after the McLaren mechanics fixed the right support during the stoppage.

The Briton's race was a frustrating one. Passed by Michael Schumacher's slow-starting Mercedes at Loews hairpin on the opening lap, he lost a significant amount of time when the German's rear tyres dropped off at an alarming rate within the first 10 laps.

Even after passing the seven-time world champion at Ste Devote, his pace was compromised as he became bogged down in a seven-car battle for fourth place behind Sutil.

He, Webber and Felipe Massa all came together at Loews on lap 34 ' an incident that Hamilton was deemed to have caused and received a drive-through penalty for ' but by that time Massa was out, the Ferrari driver having hit the wall in the tunnel as Hamilton passed seconds later.

Hamilton eventually finished sixth, ahead of the lapped Sutil, Nick Heidfeld's Renault, Rubens Barrichello (Williams) and Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso).

Paul di Resta finished 12th after receiving a drive-through penalty for the same reason as Hamilton ' colliding with another car at Loews, but the Force India driver also damaged his car in the incident with Alguersuari and was force to pit for a new nose.

Schumacher did not make the finish, his Mercedes grinding to a halt just ahead of Alonso as the safety car came out for the Massa crash. Timo Glock was the only other retiree, the Virgin driver's right-rear suspension failing just before half distance.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The Monaco Grand Prix
Monte Carlo, Monaco, Monaco;
78 laps; 260.520km;
Weather: Sunny.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 2h09:38.373
2. Alonso Ferrari + 1.138
3. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 2.378
4. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 23.100
5. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 26.900
6. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 27.200
7. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
8. Heidfeld Renault + 1 lap
9. 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 laps

Fastest lap: Webber, 1:16.234

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Team On lap
Petrov Renault 68
Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 68
Massa Ferrari 33
Schumacher Mercedes 33
Glock Virgin-Cosworth 31
Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1

World Championship standings, round 6:

Drivers: Constructors:
1. Vettel 143 1. Red Bull-Renault 222
2. Hamilton 85 2. McLaren-Mercedes 161
3. Webber 79 3. Ferrari 93
4. Button 76 4. Renault 50
5. Alonso 69 5. Mercedes 40
6. Heidfeld 29 6. Sauber-Ferrari 21
7. Rosberg 26 7. Force India-Mercedes 10
8. Massa 24 8. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 7
9. Petrov 21 9. Williams-Cosworth 2
10. Kobayashi 19
11. Schumacher 14
12. Sutil 8
13. Buemi 7
14. Perez 2
15. Barrichello 2
16. Di Resta 2

TBWG sawadi

Hi Bums

India takes it up the rear! ::)

FIA reinstates Bahrain Grand Prix

Bahrain GP The Bahrain Grand Prix will go ahead this year after Formula 1's ruling body, the FIA, voted in favour of reinstating the race on Friday.

The race was scheduled to open the 2011 season in March, but was postponed due to the unrest in the country.

A decision was expected on May 1, but the FIA decided to give Bahrain until today before making a decision on the future of this year's race.

On Friday, the governing body's World Motor Sport Council met in Barcelona to vote, and gave the green light for the Bahrain Grand Prix to take place this year.

The event has been given an October 30 date, which is likely to mean the Indian Grand Prix moves to December 4 or December 11, the latest finish to a season since 1963, although the FIA did not confirm the date for the race.

Indian GP officials said they welcomed the season finale slot.

The season will also comprise a record 20 races.

The FIA said in a statement that the WMSC had "unanimously" agreed to reinstate Bahrain.

"Following a fact-finding mission undertaken at the request of FIA President Jean Todt, FIA Vice President Carlos Gracia visited Bahrain on 31 May 2011 to assess the situation in the country," said the statement.

"Meetings were conducted with the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Bahrain Motor Federation and Bahrain International Circuit, as well as other national and international organisations including Mr. Tariq Al Saffar at the National Institute of Human Rights. It should be noted that the recent announcement by the King of Bahrain has established a political dialogue and reconciliation process.

"After considering all the factors and taking into consideration all stakeholders' concerns, the WMSC unanimously agreed to reinstate the Bahrain Grand Prix in the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship.

"This decision reflects the spirit of reconciliation in Bahrain, which is evident from the strong support the race receives from the Government and all major parties in Bahrain, including the largest opposition group, all of whom endorse the Formula One Grand Prix and motor sport in the country.

"The WMSC feels that reinstating the Grand Prix is a means of helping to unite people as the country looks to move forward, and also recognises the commitment made by the Formula One teams, their employees and families, and personnel associated with the Championship including the local team of volunteers who are so vital to the event."

The Bahrain International Circuit welcomed the FIA decision.

"This is welcome news for all of Bahrain," said Zayed R. Alzayani, Chairman of the Bahrain International Circuit. "As a country we have faced a difficult time, but stability has returned; with businesses operating close to normal, the State of National Safety lifted and countries removing travel restrictions.

"Collectively, we are in the process of addressing issues of national and international concern, and learning lessons from the recent past. By the time the Grand Prix arrives we will be able to remind the world about Bahrain at its best.

"The Bahrain Grand Prix has always been a source of national pride and it is an event than transcends politics. Not only does it receive strong support from the Government, but also from all major parties in Bahrain, including our largest opposition group, Al Wefaq, who yesterday endorsed both the BIC and motor-racing in Bahrain.

"Importantly, it will also offer a significant boost to the economy. The Grand Prix attracts 100,000 visitors, supports 3,000 jobs and generates around $500m of economic benefit. Its positive effect will be felt throughout the country.

"On behalf of Bahrain, I would like to thank Bernie Ecclestone, Jean Todt and the FIA and the rest of the motorsport community for the support and understanding they have extended to us this year."

Mercedes GP boss Ross Brawn revealed earlier this week that Formula 1 teams had informed Bernie Ecclestone that a December 11 finale was "totally unacceptable".

"I think it is unacceptable and we've told Bernie that and he knows our opinion," said Brawn. "If we continue to take those sort of approaches then we will run into problems because our people cannot be expected to work in that environment and situation, so I think it is totally unacceptable."

Red Bull said in a short statement that the Formula One Teams' Association would discuss the decision internally.

"Red Bull Racing has acknowledged the FIA World Motor Sport Council's decision to go ahead with the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix.

"We will go through the correct channels and discuss this decision within the appropriate forum with the other F1 teams and our fellow FOTA members."

Whilst we are about it ~~~ here is next years calender. Why Spain still gets 2 GP's is a mystery as the Valencia circuit is the pits! (excuse pun)

2012 Calendar

11 Mar Bahrain
18 Mar Australia
01 Apr Malaysia
08 Apr China
22 Apr Korea
06 May Turkey *
20 May Spain
27 May Monaco
10 Jun Canada
17 Jun USA United States
01 Jul Valencia, Spain
15 Jul Great Britain
29 Jul Germany
05 Aug Hungary
02 Sept Belgium
09 Sept Italy
30 Sept Singapore
14 Oct Japan
28 Oct India
11 Nov Abu Dhabi
25 Nov Brazil

* Subject to confirmation

TBWG sawadi

Hi

Check this out ~~~~~ bet he's got a few bruises! buttslap

http://www.blick.ch/sport/formel1/mann-springt-buemi-vor-den-f1-boliden-173967 (http://www.blick.ch/sport/formel1/mann-springt-buemi-vor-den-f1-boliden-173967)

TBWG sawadi

Quote from: TBWG on June 05, 2011, 11:41:12 PM

Hi

Check this out ~~~~~ bet he's got a few bruises! buttslap

http://www.blick.ch/sport/formel1/mann-springt-buemi-vor-den-f1-boliden-173967 (http://www.blick.ch/sport/formel1/mann-springt-buemi-vor-den-f1-boliden-173967)

TBWG sawadi

If you think he's dumb ~~~ then watch this guy! :wacko:

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/06/04/dnt.magic.act.goes.wrong.wsb?&hpt=hp_c2 (http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/06/04/dnt.magic.act.goes.wrong.wsb?&hpt=hp_c2)

TBWG sawadi

Hi F1 dudes

As a fathers day pressie my son took me to the cinema last night and we saw the Senna movie. :)

Can really recommend as it has lots of previously unseen footage. I was surprised the cinema was full to capacity and with lots of female patrons.

TBWG sawadi

Stats for 1st & 2nd practice in Montreal icon_latest

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m15.591s 32
2. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m16.139s + 0.548 27
3. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m16.549s + 0.958 30
4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m16.658s + 1.067 26
5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m16.676s + 1.085 20
6. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m16.842s + 1.251 19
7. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m16.990s + 1.399 28
8. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m17.294s + 1.703 26
9. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m17.445s + 1.854 28
10. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m17.549s + 1.958 20
11. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m17.662s + 2.071 27
12. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m17.820s + 2.229 30
13. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m18.458s + 2.867 31
14. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m18.506s + 2.915 15
15. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m18.648s + 3.057 35
16. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m18.852s + 3.261 8
17. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m18.932s + 3.341 20
18. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m19.274s + 3.683 29
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m19.422s + 3.831 30
20. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m19.577s + 3.986 26
21. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m19.838s + 4.247 31
22. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m19.960s + 4.369 23
23. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m20.520s + 4.929 21
24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m20.839s + 5.248 27

All Timing Unofficial

Alonso tops interrupted second practice

Friday, June 10th 2011

Fernando Alonso set the pace for Ferrari in the second practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix on Friday, in an incident-filled 90 minutes of action in Montreal.

The Spanish driver moved to the top of the times halfway through the session and stayed there until the end with a best of 1m15.107s, outpacing Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel by nearly four tenths of a second.

Ferrari enjoyed a very positive start to the weekend, with Felipe Massa finishing in this position ahead of the McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

Vettel showed missing the majority of first session was not a big problem for him, the German setting the fastest time of the weekend at the start of the session. His lap of 1m15.476s was over a tenth of a second quicker than the best set by Rosberg in the opening session.

Alonso outpaced the world champion with 48 minutes to go, the Spaniard setting the benchmark with a la of 1m15.205s using the soft tyres.

A new best time was set by the Spaniard with eight minutes to go, when he went for his first run of super softs.

Second practice was also red-flagged with some 30 minutes remaining when Kamui Kobayashi crashed into the wall at the first chicane when he ran too high over the kerbs. His Sauber impacted straight into the wall and the Japanese could not return to the track.

Just minutes after the restart, Virgin's Jerome D'Ambrosio lost control of his car at the same spot and also crashed heavily against the wall, causing another red flag. The Belgian rookie emerged from the car without assistance, but his car was heavily damaged.

Hamilton suffered a puncture right after that, probably caused by debris from D'Ambrosio's crash.

Adrian Sutil was the protagonist of another incident during the session when he crashed against the wall coming out of Turn 7. His Force India's left front suspension was damaged and the German had to miss the last 35 minutes of action.

The session saw several other small incidents as drivers outbraked themselves throughout the 90 minutes, with 'offs' especially at the last chicane and at Turns 8-9.

Pedro de la Rosa, who is replacing Sergio Perez this weekend after the Mexican felt unwell following FP1, managed to hit the track following the stoppage caused by his team-mate Kobayashi, with some 20 minutes left, but his first run was interrupted by the second red flag.

The Spaniard, still wearing McLaren overalls, eventually completed 14 laps and finished 18th quickest.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m15.107s 34
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m15.476s + 0.369 29
3. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m15.601s + 0.494 33
4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.977s + 0.870 26
5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.989s + 0.882 25
6. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m16.089s + 0.982 34
7. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m16.102s + 0.995 28
8. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m16.324s + 1.217 32
9. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m16.422s + 1.315 32
10. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m16.687s + 1.580 28
11. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m16.905s + 1.798 16
12. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m16.941s + 1.834 39
13. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m17.051s + 1.944 32
14. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m17.684s + 2.577 34
15. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m17.757s + 2.650 20
16. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m18.470s + 3.363 33
17. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m18.482s + 3.375 38
18. Pedro de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1m18.536s + 3.429 14
19. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m18.601s + 3.494 38
20. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m19.209s + 4.102 28
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m19.810s + 4.703 25
22. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m20.284s + 5.177 31
23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m20.311s + 5.204 38
24. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m20.922s + 5.815 26

TBWG sawadi

Hi Folks

3rd practice plus Qualy! icon_latest

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m13.381s 21
2. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m13.701s + 0.320 21
3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m13.919s + 0.538 29
4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m13.956s + 0.575 20
5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m14.335s + 0.954 18
6. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m14.469s + 1.088 16
7. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m14.488s + 1.107 23
8. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m14.917s + 1.536 23
9. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m15.217s + 1.836 18
10. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m15.243s + 1.862 17
11. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m15.312s + 1.931 19
12. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m15.350s + 1.969 22
13. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m16.138s + 2.757 17
14. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m16.145s + 2.764 19
15. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m16.236s + 2.855 21
16. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m16.438s + 3.057 21
17. Pedro de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1m16.706s + 3.325 22
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m17.093s + 3.712 21
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m17.523s + 4.142 24
20. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m18.910s + 5.529 20
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m19.073s + 5.692 19
22. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m19.213s + 5.832 22
23. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m20.475s + 7.094 19
24. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault No time

All Timing Unofficial

#########################

Qualy Vettel beats Ferrari drivers to pole

By Pablo Elizalde

Sebastian Vettel secured yet another pole position this season after finishing on top in qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix on Saturday.

It was the sixth pole in seven races for the Red Bull driver and also the 21st of his career.

Vettel's time of 1m13.014s put him in first place ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, the Italian squad enjoying its strongest outing of the year so far.

Mark Webber had to settle for a place on the second row of the grid after securing fourth.

Despite being tipped as one of the favourites to fight for pole and victory, the McLaren team endured a rather low-key day, as last year's winner Lewis Hamilton could only secure fifth position. Team-mate Jenson Button was seventh, behind Mercedes's Nico Rosberg.

Michael Schumacher was eighth.

Both Renaults made it into the top-ten shootout this time, with Nick Heidfeld qualifying in ninth position and Vitaly Petrov down in 10th.

Paul di Resta qualified in 11th position for Force India, the Scot enjoying another strong qualifying after finishing ahead of team-mate Adrian Sutil, 14th today.

Another rookie, Pastor Maldonado, also outqualified his more experienced team-mate Rubens Barrichello, the Venezuelan four places ahead of the Brazilian in 12th position. Kamui Kobayashi will start from 13th place, in front of Sutil and Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi.

Pedro de la Rosa, replacing the unwell Sergio Perez at Sauber, put on a decent performance despite his lack of running, making it to Q2 and finishing around three tenths of team-mate Kobayashi in 17th place.

The first qualifying segment began under very cloudy skies, but the rain held off for the whole hour despite that.

Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari endured a disappointing day after he was knocked out in Q1, being relegated to 18th position by a last-gasp effort from Kobayashi. The Spanish driver struggled for grip and with his brakes, although he admitted there was not a lot of time to be found.

Jarno Trulli outqualified Lotus team-mate Heikki Kovalainen, as both men were again out in the first qualifying segment. They were joined Tonio Liuzzi in the Hispania, who managed to outpace both Virgins, with Timo Glock in 22nd and Jerome D'Ambrosio last behind Narain Karthikeyan.

Belgian D'Ambrosio failed to qualify for the race after finishing nearly half a second off the 107 per cent time.

He could still be allowed to race by the stewards, although the Virgin driver only ran within the 107 per cent of the fastest time in the opening practice session on Friday.

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m13.014s
2. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m13.199s + 0.185
3. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m13.217s + 0.203
4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m13.429s + 0.415
5. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m13.565s + 0.551
6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m13.814s + 0.800
7. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m13.838s + 0.824
8. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m13.864s + 0.850
9. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m14.062s + 1.048
10. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m14.085s + 1.071
Q3 cut-off time: 1m14.467s Gap **
11. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m14.752s + 1.321
12. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m15.043s + 1.612
13. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m15.285s + 1.854
14. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m15.287s + 1.856
15. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m15.334s + 1.903
16. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m15.361s + 1.930
17. Pedro de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1m15.587s + 2.156
Q3 cut-off time: 1m16.229s Gap *
18. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m16.294s + 2.472
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m16.745s + 2.923
20. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m16.786s + 2.964
21. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m18.424s + 4.602
22. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m18.537s + 4.715
23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m18.574s + 4.752
24. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m19.414s + 5.592

107% time: 1m18.989

Well this is getting a bit boring, championship is going to be done and dusted mid season, not a Ferrari fan but would not mind seeing them win this one! yeahme

TBWG sawadi

Well not F1 but Audi just won Le Mans icon_latest despite a couple of huge accidents ....see ~~~

Allan McNish Crash Le Mans 24 Hours 2011 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jnibRyrK-o#ws)

Le Mans 2011 Audi Car 1 crash Mike Rockenfeller (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-4nux9FFK0#)

TBWG sawadi

Hi F1 Bums

Well that was some race~~~ from last to first and 6 pitstops!

Button wins chaotic Canadian GP yeahme

By Pablo Elizalde Sunday, June 12th 2011, 21:07 GMT

Jenson Button won a chaotic Canadian Grand Prix that finished over four hours after it started, and which included a red flag and five safety car periods, despite a penalty and two accidents.

The Briton, however, is under investigation for clashes with Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

Button's victory came only after Sebastian Vettel lost the lead on the final lap due to a driving error with just a handful of corners left.

The world champion had dominated the race from the start but came under pressure from a flying Button in the end.

Mark Webber was third for Red Bull, with Michael Schumacher in fourth position and Renault's Vitaly Petrov completing the top five.

Felipe Massa was the only Ferrari driver to finish, in sixth place, after beating Kamui Kobayashi to the spot right on the finish line.

Jaime Alguersuari, Rubens Barrichello and Sebastien Buemi completed the points-paying positions.

The event started under the safety car, as the race director deemed the track was too wet for a standing start. The move meant all drivers had to start will full wet tyres. The DRS was disabled while the track was wet.

The safety car dived into the pits after five laps, and Vettel managed to keep the lead despite an attack from Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

Vettel's team-mate Webber was not so lucky, however, and spun after making contact with the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton, the Australian dropping down to 14th position. Hamilton lost a few places too, and then dropped behind Button after going wide at the hairpin when fighting with Schumacher.

The Briton tried to regain the position on lap seven, only to make contact with Button as he tried to pass on the main straight. Hamilton had been quicker coming out of the final corner and tried to pass his team-mate on the left, only for Button to close the door.

Their cars made contact and Hamilton hit the wall, retiring from the race a few corners later and forcing the deployment of the safety car after parking his damaged car after Turn 5. Button pitted for repairs and rejoined in 12th place.

The race was relaunched again on lap 12, with Vettel still leading from Alonso and Massa. Right after that, race control announced a drive-through penalty for Button for having sped under the safety car. The Briton, who had opted for intermediate tyres in his first stop, dropped down to 14th.

Up front, Vettel stretched his lead quite comfortably, but Alonso decided to pit for intermediates on lap 18, seeing that Button was the fastest man on track.

Alonso rejoined in eighth, right in front of Vitaly Petrov and Button himself, but the rain became a downpour moments later and the safety car was deployed for the third time, with Alonso deciding to pit again for full wets.

Leader Vettel and team-mate Webber pitted for full wets during the safety car period, the Australian also getting a new steering wheel as he was having problems shifting down gears. Several drivers followed suit into the pits, leaving Vettel in the lead again, ahead of Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi, who had not stopped, and Massa.

Still under the safety car, Vettel told his team on the radio that it was impossible to drive and that the race should be stopped. On lap 25, Vettel's wish was granted, and the race was red-flagged.

Nearly two hours after it was stopped, the race was restarted behind the safety car and with mandatory full wet weather tyres.

Heikki Kovalainen became the second retirement even before the safety car was back in, the Finn suffering a driveshaft failure on lap 30.

After nine laps on track, the safety car drove into pits and the race was launched with Vettel on top, followed by Kobayashi, who managed to keep Massa at bay at the first corner.

The majority of the field pitted as soon as it was allowed to fit intermediates tyre, although Vettel stayed out for a couple of laps, before the safety car was deployed again when Button made contact with Alonso when trying to pass at Turn 3.

The Briton touched the Ferrari's right rear wheel and sent the Spaniard into a spin, his car getting stuck on the kerbs. Button had to pit to change his punctured tyre.

At the time of the fourth safety car of the day, Vettel led from Kobayashi, Massa, Heidfeld, Paul di Resta and Webber, with Button dropping down to the bottom of the field.

The race resumed on lap 41, with Vettel opening a clear gap right away as Kobayashi held a train of cars behind him.

There was a lot action behind the German, with several position changes which included a clash between Heidfeld and di Resta, the Scot having to pit for a new front wing. Heidfeld's team-mate Petrov was given a drive-through penalty moments later for having overtaken while the safety car was still on track.

Despite the track being still wet, the race director enabled the use of the DRS on lap 45.

By lap 50 - with 20 to go - Vettel was leading Kobayashi by over six seconds and Massa by seven, with Schumacher having charged to fourth.

On lap 51, Webber became the first of the lead drivers to change to slick tyres, as Schumacher passed both Massa and Kobayashi and set his sights on Vettel, both still on intermediates.

However, the Red Bull driver was still the quickest man on track, extending his lead over Schumacher to 11 seconds by lap 52. Schumacher pitted for slicks a lap later, with Massa following suit.

Vettel changed his tyres a lap later, as team-mate Webber showed slicks were the way to go, lapping three seconds faster than the German. The world champion rejoined the race in the lead, while Massa was forced to come into the pits after damaging his front wing when losing control of his car while lapping an HRT.

With 13 laps to go, the safety car was deployed for the fifth time when Heidfeld crashed out following contact with Kobayashi. The Renault driver had damaged his front wing in the clash, and then it got under his car at speed, sending him off the track, and leading to the safety car being deployed while the wing debris was cleared.

With nine laps to go, the race was relaunched once more with Vettel on top, followed by Schumacher, Webber, Button and Kobayashi. Vettel continued his flawless run, opening a gap quickly as Webber and Button pushed a slower Schumacher hard.

Webber passed Schumacher with six laps to go, but had to let German through as he had jumped the final chicane. On the following lap he made the same mistake again, this time losing third place to Button. The Briton took second with five laps left, passing Schumacher comfortably and launching his attack on Vettel.

Webber finally captured third place from Schumacher with three laps left as Button closed in on Vettel. The world champion, however, resisted the pressure until the final lap, when he lost control of his car and let Button through with just a few corners left.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The Canadian Grand Prix
Montreal, Canada;
70 laps; 309.396km;
Weather: Wet, then dry.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1h23:50.995
2. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 2.709
3. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 13.828
4. Schumacher Mercedes + 14.219
5. Petrov Renault + 20.395
6. Massa Ferrari + 33.225
7. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 33.270
8. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 35.964
9. 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

Fastest lap: Button, 1:16.956

Not classified/retirements:

TBWG sawadi

Well not F1 but it is 4 wheeled!

Crash très insolite Promosport Magny-Cours (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLXvae18-ek#ws)

TBWG sawadi

PS ~ Stay tuned for Valencia GP! cheergirl

Quote from: TBWG on June 23, 2011, 02:47:48 AM

Well not F1 but it is 4 wheeled!

Crash très insolite Promosport Magny-Cours (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLXvae18-ek#ws)

TBWG sawadi

PS ~ Stay tuned for Valencia GP! cheergirl

You must see the Video above. :D

Hi Bums

1st practice ~~~~

Apart from Hulkenberg's crash, there were just minor incidents during the first 90 minutes, with several drivers going off track without consequence.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m40.403s 22
2. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m41.227s + 0.824 20
3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m41.239s + 0.836 22
4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m41.510s + 1.107 23
5. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m41.580s + 1.177 24
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m41.758s + 1.355 23
7. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m41.926s + 1.523 14
8. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m41.955s + 1.552 20
9. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m42.043s + 1.640 22
10. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m42.216s + 1.813 29
11. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m42.270s + 1.867 26
12. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m42.412s + 2.009 27
13. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m42.704s + 2.301 23
14. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m42.738s + 2.335 20
15. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m42.841s + 2.438 28
16. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m42.941s + 2.538 21
17. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m43.201s + 2.798 18
18. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m43.769s + 3.366 7
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m44.136s + 3.733 17
20. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m45.026s + 4.623 17
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m45.221s + 4.818 19
22. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m45.494s + 5.091 24
23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m46.926s + 6.523 27
24. Karun Chandhok Lotus-Renault 2

All Timing Unofficial

TBWG sawadi

2nd Practice times icon_latest

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m37.968s 35
2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m38.195s + 0.227 26
3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m38.265s + 0.297 31
4. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m38.315s + 0.347 30
5. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m38.443s + 0.475 32
6. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m38.483s + 0.515 30
7. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m38.531s + 0.563 26
8. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m38.981s + 1.013 33
9. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m39.040s + 1.072 35
10. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m39.586s + 1.618 27
11. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m39.626s + 1.658 31
12. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m40.020s + 2.052 34
13. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m40.301s + 2.333 34
14. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m40.363s + 2.395 7
15. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m40.454s + 2.486 32
16. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m40.531s + 2.563 37
17. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m42.083s + 4.115 34
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m42.156s + 4.188 39
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m42.239s + 4.271 25
20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m42.273s + 4.305 21
21. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m42.809s + 4.841 36
22. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m44.460s + 6.492 29
23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m46.906s + 8.938 16

All Timing Unofficial

TBWG sawadi

Hi Folks

This is getting boring Vettel on pole again! nono

Vettel secures yet another pole position ahead of European GP
By Matt Beer Saturday, June 25th 2011

Sebastian Vettel's 2011 qualifying tally now stands at seven poles from eight grands prix, as the world champion took his 22nd Formula 1 career pole in Valencia.

The German leads an all-Red Bull front row ahead of team-mate Mark Webber, who was only fifth after the first Q3 runs, but was the only man to improve at the second attempt and duly jumped to second.

Lewis Hamilton completes the top three in the best McLaren, ahead of the Ferraris of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Montreal winner Jenson Button (McLaren) will start sixth.

The Mercedes chose to only make one Q3 run and filled row four, with Nico Rosberg a scant 0.009 seconds ahead of team-mate Michael Schumacher.

Fifth row men Nick Heidfeld (Renault) and Adrian Sutil (Force India) both made the Q3 cut but did not set times - Sutil sitting the session out, and Heidfeld going out briefly at the end before aborting his run.

Sutil's last-minute progress into Q3 came at the expense of Renault's Vitaly Petrov - which was the only real upset of the first two thirds of qualifying.

Paul di Resta joined the Russian on row six in the second Force India, ahead of Rubens Barrichello (Williams) and Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber).

The second Williams of Pastor Maldonado caused a brief red flag in Q2 when it ground to a halt in the middle of the track. But he had already done a time good enough to secure 15th on the grid ahead of Sauber's Sergio Perez and Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi.

After some fleeting scares for Webber, Kobayashi and Massa (who got himself out of danger by sticking on soft tyres and blasting to the Q1 top spot by a huge margin), it was Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari who was again the upper midfield driver exiting in Q1. He ended up 18th ahead of the Lotus duo - Heikki Kovalainen in front of Jarno Trulli, who spun on his final Q1 run.

Everyone comfortably made the 107 per cent qualifying cut, with Tonio Liuzzi's Hispania splitting the Virgins as he edged ahead of Jerome D'Ambrosio.

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m36.975
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m37.163 + 0.188
3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m37.380 + 0.405
4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m37.454 + 0.479
5. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m37.535 + 0.560
6. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m37.645 + 0.670
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m38.231 + 1.256
8. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m38.240 + 1.265
9. Nick Heidfeld Renault No time
10. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes No time
Q2 cut-off time: 1m39.034s Gap **
11. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m39.068s + 1.763
12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m39.422s + 2.117
13. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m39.489s + 2.184
14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m39.525s + 2.220
15. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m39.645s + 2.340
16. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m39.657s + 2.352
17. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m39.711s + 2.406
Q1 cut-off time: 1m40.131s Gap *
18. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m40.232 + 1.819
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m41.664 + 3.251
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m42.234 + 3.821
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m42.553 + 4.140
22. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m43.584 + 5.171
23. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m43.735 + 5.322
24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m44.363 + 5.950

107% time: 1m45.301s

TBWG sawadi

Hi F1 Bums

Well Vettel and Singha beer wrapped up another GP, difficult to see how he can loose the world championship now.

Off to Silverstone next ~~~~~~~~~~ cheergirl cheergirl cheergirl

Vettel eases to European GP victory
By Matt Beer Sunday, June 26th 2011, 13:45 GMT

Sebastian Vettel resumed his domination of the 2011 Formula 1 season after his Montreal blip, by winning the European Grand Prix in Valencia with ease.

The world champion broke his rivals' challenge with an early charge that saw him establish a three-second lead within a few laps and then nurse a similar advantage for the rest of the afternoon, before a push for fastest lap in the final stint took his winning margin up to 10.8 seconds.

Fernando Alonso finished a very encouraging second for Ferrari in front of his home crowd. Both Ferraris had jumped Lewis Hamilton's McLaren at the start, with the flying Felipe Massa dodging between Hamilton and Alonso, then trying to get down the inside of Mark Webber for second. But as he had to back out of the move, Alonso went around the outside of his team-mate and took third.

Alonso then stayed close behind Webber and managed to grab second place with an outbraking move on lap 21. The Spaniard could not shake the Australian off, and when the Red Bull made its second stop one lap sooner, Webber was able to vault back ahead of Alonso.

But the battle was not over, as at the final tyre changes Alonso regained the advantage by running three laps further on used softs while Webber was on his new medium tyres. The Ferrari rejoined just in front, and any hope Webber had of coming back at Alonso ended when the Red Bull team ordered him to back off and take care of a gearbox finish. He held on for third.

Running longer at most pitstops did not help Massa, who fell back to fifth in the end behind Hamilton, closing on the McLaren late on without ever threatening.

Montreal winner Jenson Button had a very low-key afternoon. He was passed by Nico Rosberg at the start and by the time he had dived back ahead of the Mercedes with a bold move at Turn 2 on lap six, the rest of the leaders were out of reach. A later KERS fault ensured Button would finish a lonely sixth.

Rosberg took seventh, having battled for a while with the impressive Jaime Alguersuari, as the Toro Rosso driver converted his miserable 18th on the grid to an eighth place finish by making a two-stop strategy work on a day when nearly everyone else had to pit three times. Alguersuari fended off Adrian Sutil to the finish, as the Force India escaped from an early battle with Nick Heidfeld's 10th-placed Renault.

Sauber's Sergio Perez pulled off a unique one-stop strategy but narrowly failed to convert it to points, chasing Heidfeld home in 11th.

Michael Schumacher's hopes of points ended when he made contact with Vitaly Petrov's Renault as he joined from the pit exit after his first tyre change. That meant an extra stop for a new front wing, leaving the Mercedes 17th. Petrov was only 15th, having never really recovered from a bad start.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The European Grand Prix
Valencia, Spain;
57 laps; 310.080km;
Weather: Sunny.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h39:36.169
2. Alonso Ferrari + 10.891
3. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 27.255
4. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 46.190
5. Massa Ferrari + 51.705
6. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 1:00.000
7. Rosberg Mercedes + 1:38.000
8. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
9. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
10. Heidfeld Renault + 1 lap
11. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
12. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
13. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
14. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
15. Petrov Renault + 1 lap
16. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
17. Schumacher Mercedes + 1 lap
18. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
19. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
20. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
21. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps
22. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps
23. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth + 3 laps
24. Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth + 3 laps

Fastest lap: Vettel, 1:41.852

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Team On lap

World Championship standings, round 8:

Drivers: Constructors:
1. Vettel 186 1. Red Bull-Renault 295
2. Webber 109 2. McLaren-Mercedes 206
3. Button 109 3. Ferrari 129
4. Hamilton 97 4. Renault 61
5. Alonso 87 5. Mercedes 58
6. Massa 42 6. Sauber-Ferrari 27
7. Rosberg 32 7. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 16
8. Petrov 31 8. Force India-Mercedes 12
9. Heidfeld 30 9. Williams-Cosworth 4
10. Schumacher 26
11. Kobayashi 25
12. Sutil 10
13. Alguersuari 8
14. Buemi 8
15. Barrichello 4
16. Perez 2
17. Di Resta 2

All timing unofficial

24 starters ~~~ 24 finishers!
TBWG sawadi

The owner of Hispania Racing, José Ramón Carabante, sold his team to the Japanese investment bank Nomura on Friday. According to AS, the deal is worth €24 million.

Official confirmation is expected next Monday, July 4. The team is assumed to continue operating under the same name at least in the near future.

A wet day at Silverstone

July 8, 2011 by joesaward

Mark Webber set the fastest time of the morning session at Silverstone in wet and dreary conditions. As a result the times have little real meaning. Michael Schumacher was second for Mercedes, ahead of Rubens Barrichello’s Williams and Sergio Perez in the Sauber. Felipe Massa was fifth in the Ferrari ahead of Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes and Felipe’s team-mate Fernando Alonso. The top was completed by Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) and Jaime Alguersuari’s Toro Rosso. The only major incident was a crash for Kamui Kobayashi who damaged his Sauber after getting on to a wet kerb.

TBWG sawadi burirampea

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Massa leads the way

July 8, 2011 by joesaward

Felipe Massa set the fastest time of the second session at Silverstone in damp conditions, which again made the times less than indicative of what to expect in dry conditions. Nico Rosberg was second quickest in his Mercedes ahead of Kamui Kobayashi, bouncing back from his morning accident, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button and the two Force Indias of Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta. The top 10 was completed by Rubens Barrichello, Sergio Perez and Sebastien Buemi. Red Bull did not really show its hand with Mark Webber 14th and Sebastian Vettel 18th, while Fernando Alonso was 15th.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m49.967s 9
2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m50.744s + 0.777 16
3. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m51.395s + 1.428 16
4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m51.438s + 1.471 6
5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m51.518s + 1.551 6
6. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m51.738s + 1.771 18
7. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m51.781s + 1.814 7
8. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m51.992s + 2.025 13
9. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m52.169s + 2.202 12
10. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m52.189s + 2.222 21
11. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m52.198s + 2.231 9
12. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m52.325s + 2.358 12
13. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m52.578s + 2.611 16
14. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m52.587s + 2.620 6
15. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m52.869s + 2.902 8
16. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m54.023s + 4.056 8
17. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m54.274s + 4.307 16
18. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m54.545s + 4.578 4
19. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m54.714s + 4.747 13
20. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m55.155s + 5.188 8
21. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m55.155s + 5.188 12
22. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m55.549s + 5.582 10
23. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m55.828s + 5.861 10
24. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m56.037s + 6.070 6

All Timing Unofficial

TBWG sawadi burirampea

Hi Folks

icon_latest

Red Bull 2-1

July 9, 2011 by joesaward

Exhaust crises or not, Red Bull Racing was still 1-2 after qualifying at Silverstone, although perhaps one should say 2-1 given the preferred result in Austria of late… Mark Webber outran Sebastian Vettel by a few hundredths, the pair ending up a tenth clear of Fernando Alonso, six-tenths of a second ahead of Felipe Massa.

McLaren was not having a good weekend with Jenson Button only fifth, a second and a half off the pace of the Red Bulls, but ahead of local hero Paul di Resta in his Force India. Pastor Maldonado was another surprise with the seventh slot in his Williams, ahead of Kamui Kobayashi’s Sauber, Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes and a troubled Lewis Hamilton.

The order did not change after the first runs in Q3 as drops of rain were falling.

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m30.399s
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m30.431s + 0.032
3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m30.516s + 0.117
4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m31.124s + 0.725
5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m31.989s + 1.590
6. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m31.929s + 1.530
7. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m31.933s + 1.534
8. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m32.128s + 1.729
9. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m32.209s + 1.810
10. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m32.376s + 1.977
Q2 cut-off time: 1m32.588s Gap **
11. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m32.617s + 0.977
12. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m32.624s + 0.984
13. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m32.656s + 1.016
14. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m32.734s + 1.094
15. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m33.119s + 1.479
16. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m33.805s + 2.165
17. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m34.821s + 3.181
Q1 cut-off time: 1m35.132s Gap *
18. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m35.245s + 2.575
19. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m35.749s + 3.079
20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m36.203s + 3.533
21. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m36.456s + 3.786
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m37.154s + 4.484
23. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m37.484s + 4.814
24. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m38.059s + 5.389

107% time: 1m39.156s

* Gap to quickest in Q1

** Gap to quickest in Q2

TBWG sawadi burirampea

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Alonso takes commanding British GP win

By Matt Beer Sunday, July 10th 2011, 13:35 GMT

Fernando Alonso ended Ferrari's victory drought by charging to his team's first victory of the year in the British Grand Prix.

Championship leader Sebastian Vettel and poleman Mark Webber had to settle for the remaining podium spots in the two Red Bulls, with Vettel just holding on in a huge late battle between the pair.

None of the British drivers made it onto the podium - Lewis Hamilton faded to fourth for McLaren after a superb early charge, and Jenson Button retired following a pit error.

The race had got underway in half-wet/half-dry conditions, with the area around the original start/finish area sodden but the new grid relatively dry by comparison.

Vettel got the jump on poleman Webber off the line, and charged into a comfortable early lead, while the Australian kept Alonso at bay in third.

Hamilton provided most of the initial action, making very rapid progress from his disappointing 10th on the grid to attack Felipe Massa's Ferrari for fourth within a handful of laps.

Michael Schumacher triggered the move to slicks tyres somewhat accidentally when he slithered into Kamui Kobayashi's Sauber on lap 10 and had to pit for a new front wing on his Mercedes, taking on dry rubber at the same time.

The German's immediate burst of pace convinced everyone else to come in, with Webber, Alonso and Hamilton choosing lap 12 while Vettel and Massa stayed out till lap 13.

Earlier proved slightly the better option, as by the time everyone was back up to speed on slicks, Vettel's lead over Webber was down to 3.3s, and rapidly getting smaller, although once the two Red Bulls were within 1.5s Vettel managed to raise his pace and keep his team-mate under control.

Alonso initially struggled to get temperature into his slicks and not only fell away from the Red Bulls, but lost third to a charging Hamilton into Copse.

But once the Ferrari and Pirellis were working in harmony again, Alonso started flying. He used DRS to sweep past Hamilton into Brooklands on lap 23, and both then started hunting down the Red Bulls.

They got close enough that when both Vettel and Webber had slow second pitstops on laps 26 and 27, they fell to third and fourth behind new leader Alonso and Hamilton.

Now in clear air, Alonso began to look unstoppable - storming away from Hamilton at a second per lap as the McLaren had to start focusing on holding off the Red Bulls.

He succeeded until the final pitstops, when Vettel stopped a lap sooner and jumped ahead. But even with the McLaren out of his way, Vettel could not catch the now dominant Alonso, who was long gone and heading for his first win since Korea last year.

With his team instructing him to save fuel, Hamilton backed off and lost third to Webber, who then caught Vettel and mounted a huge late effort to overtake his team-mate until ordered to 'maintain the gap' on the final lap.

The slowing Hamilton had Massa all over him going into the closing moments, but retained fourth in a wild, wheel-banging battle through the last corners of the race.

Button ran fifth until the final stops, when he was sent out with his right front wheel not properly attached and hard to park and retire in the pit exit.

Nico Rosberg made a two-stop strategy work to take sixth for Mercedes, just ahead of Sergio Perez's Sauber. Nick Heidfeld salvaged eighth from Renault's tough weekend, with Schumacher recovering well to take ninth, followed by Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari, Adrian Sutil's Force India and Vitaly Petrov in the other Renault.

Paul di Resta's brilliant qualifying effort was wasted when a pitstop miscommunication badly delayed the Force India. He later needed a new front wing after clashing with Sebastien Buemi in an incident that forced the Toro Rosso to retire due to damage from a resultant puncture.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The British GP
52 laps;
Weather: Wet, then dry.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Alonso Ferrari 1h28:41.194
2. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 16.511
3. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 16.947
4. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 28.986
5. Massa Ferrari + 29.010
6. Rosberg Mercedes + 1:00.665
7. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1:05.590
8. Heidfeld Renault + 1:15.542
9. 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 lap
14. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
15. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
16. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps
17. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps
18. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps
19. Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth + 3 laps

Fastest lap: Alonso, 1:34.908

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Team Gap
Button McLaren-Mercedes 11
Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 26
Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 28
Trulli Lotus-Renault 41
Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 49

World Championship standings, round 9:

Drivers: Constructors:
1. Vettel 204 1. Red Bull-Renault 328
2. Webber 124 2. McLaren-Mercedes 218
3. Alonso 112 3. Ferrari 164
4. Hamilton 109 4. Mercedes 68
5. Button 109 5. Renault 65
6. Massa 52 6. Sauber-Ferrari 33
7. Rosberg 40 7. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 17
8. Heidfeld 34 8. Force India-Mercedes 12
9. Petrov 31 9. Williams-Cosworth 4
10. Schumacher 28
11. Kobayashi 25
12. Sutil 10
13. Alguersuari 9
14. Buemi 8
15. Perez 8
16. Barrichello 4
17. Di Resta 2

All timing unofficial

TBWG sawadi burirampea

Karun Chandhok replaces Jarno Trulli for German GP

By Andrew Benson

Veteran Jarno Trulli has been dropped by Team Lotus in favour of their reserve driver Karun Chandhok for this weekend's German Grand Prix.

Lotus said the aim was to give Chandhok a chance to prove himself, which was part of their agreement with him.

Trulli, who has struggled with this year's Lotus, will be back in the car for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Lotus have a new power-steering system for the Hungary race, which they hope will help the Italian.

Trulli, 37, has complained consistently that a lack of 'feel' from the system has prevented him driving at his best in 2011.

Known as one of the sport's fastest qualifiers, Trulli has lined up behind team-mate Heikki Kovalainen in eight of the nine races so far this year.

Last year, Trulli out-qualified the Finn 11 times to eight.

Trulli is likely to consider Lotus's decision to leave him out for the race at the Nurburgring as a message that he needs to up his game to retain his drive.

However, Team Lotus boss Tony Fernandes revealed in a statement that he wants to keep Trulli on the staff.

"I am delighted to confirm that we are in the process of negotiating an extension to his contract with us and we are all looking forward to unveiling the details of that very soon.

"He is a key member of our team and I hope that we can give him a car as soon as possible that allows him to utilise his very large talents to the full.

"For this weekend he will be on hand to lend his considerable experience and support to Karun and I am sure Jarno, Heikki and Karun will do me, the whole team and all our fans very proud indeed."

Trulli said he was "looking forward to working with Karun this weekend and doing whatever I can to help him get the most out of his opportunity in Germany".

He added: "It's great that the team is true to its word of helping develop young talent, particularly from parts of the word where it is even harder to break through into the top rung of motorsport, so I'll be there to give him guidance and assistance, in and out of the car."

Regardless of Trulli's performance when he returns to the car, it is considered likely that Chandhok, 27, will race at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix in October.

Sunday's German race will be Chandhok's first in F1 since the British Grand Prix last year, after which he was dropped by the Hispania team in favour of Japanese Sakon Yamamoto.

Chandhok has taken part in the first practice session for Lotus at this year's Australian, Turkish, European and British Grands Prix, although he crashed out of the one at the opening race of the season in Melbourne without completing a lap.

He said: "I want to thank Tony Fernandes, Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin for giving me the chance to race this weekend for Team Lotus.

"Ever since I first joined the team I have been looking forward to this opportunity and I am determined to do my best to repay their faith in me.

"I am approaching the weekend in a very realistic frame of mind. I will be doing my best to push and to make sure I learn as much as possible.

"I know there will be millions of Indian fans, and Team Lotus fans around the world, who will be behind me and the whole team, so I will do the best I can to give them something to cheer for."

TBWG sawadi burirampea

Hi Folks icon_latest party5

Now the excitment of the Buriram Expats is over, it's off to Deutscheland

Webber tops the charts on a grey day

July 22, 2011 by joesaward

Mark Webber set the fastest time of the Friday afternoon session at the Nurburgring, beating Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari to the fastest lap of the session. The weather remained dull and overcast with the temperature still the same as in the morning. This meant that drivers continued to struggle to make their tyres work. The result of this was a number of incidents but without any serious impacts with anything solid.

Sebastian Vettel was third fastest, ahead of Felipe Massa.

Mercedes usually does well on Fridays and traditionally likes to impress the fans at home and so it was not really a surprise to see Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg fifth and sixth. This pushed Lewis Hamilton down to seventh fastest but McLaren’s Jenson Button had exhaust problems and could do no better than 11th. The two Renaults of Nick Heidfeld and Vitaly Petrov were eighth and ninth with Adrian Sutil completing the top 10, despite having a spin.

Paul di Resta was 12th in the second Force India, but was comfortably clear of the Sauber of Sergio Perez. Kamui Kobayashi continued to struggle and could do no better than 16th.

The Williams team were 14th and 16th with Rubens Barrichello ahead of Pastor Maldonado, the two being split by the Toro Rosso of Jaime Alguersuari. His team-mate Sebastien Buemi failed to set a time because of a misfire.

Heikki Kovalainen was 18th in his Lotus but was really fighting the car and had an eye-opening off-track moment. The second Lotus was rather slower but also had an off in the hands of Karun Chandhok, who was 20th.

Between the two was the Virgin of Timo Glock’s Virgin, another spinner, while his team-mate Jerome d’Ambrosio was 21st.

The HRTs were 22nd and 23rd. Daniel Ricciardo getting only a few laps before what looked like an engine problem.

Practice 1

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m31.894s 30
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m32.217s + 0.323 24
3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m32.268s + 0.374 27
4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m32.681s + 0.787 23
5. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m32.996s + 1.102 18
6. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m33.628s + 1.734 22
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m33.787s + 1.893 33
8. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m33.832s + 1.938 27
9. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m33.858s + 1.964 26
10. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m33.863s + 1.969 31
11. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m34.094s + 2.200 22
12. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m35.115s + 3.221 23
13. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m35.371s + 3.477 20
14. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m35.389s + 3.495 24
15. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m35.444s + 3.550 22
16. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m36.371s + 4.477 22
17. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m36.392s + 4.498 29
18. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m36.842s + 4.948 29
19. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m36.882s + 4.988 27
20. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m38.504s + 6.610 22
21. Karun Chandhok Lotus-Renault 1m38.765s + 6.871 19
22. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m39.279s + 7.385 24
23. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m40.109s + 8.215 23
24. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m40.428s + 8.534 22

Practice 2

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m31.711s 34
2. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m31.879s + 0.168 38
3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m32.084s + 0.373 28
4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m32.354s + 0.643 36
5. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m32.411s + 0.700 31
6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m32.557s + 0.846 32
7. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m32.724s + 1.013 28
8. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m33.098s + 1.387 17
9. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m33.138s + 1.427 22
10. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m33.211s + 1.500 34
11. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m33.225s + 1.514 17
12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m33.299s + 1.588 34
13. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m34.113s + 2.402 34
14. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m34.344s + 2.633 34
15. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m34.487s + 2.776 37
16. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m34.491s + 2.780 35
17. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m34.996s + 3.285 35
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m35.753s + 4.042 42
19. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m36.940s + 5.229 32
20. Karun Chandhok Lotus-Renault 1m37.248s + 5.537 33
21. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m37.313s + 5.602 33
22. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m38.145s + 6.434 31
23. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m40.737s + 9.026 5
24. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari No time 3

All Timing Unofficial

I would like to think this one has Webbers name on it yeahme Time will tell.

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Webbah grabs pole! icon_latest Despite Vettel being quickest in 3rd practice! boxingguy

3rd Practice times

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m30.916s 15
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m31.049s + 0.133 16
3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m31.138s + 0.222 12
4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m31.578s + 0.662 13
5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m31.623s + 0.707 14
6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m31.694s + 0.778 19
7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m32.144s + 1.228 13
8. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m32.391s + 1.475 20
9. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m32.523s + 1.607 16
10. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m32.751s + 1.835 18
11. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m32.777s + 1.861 18
12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m32.813s + 1.897 21
13. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m33.072s + 2.156 18
14. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m33.179s + 2.263 17
15. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m33.531s + 2.615 20
16. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m33.671s + 2.755 20
17. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m33.948s + 3.032 21
18. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m34.125s + 3.209 19
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m35.385s + 4.469 13
20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m36.724s + 5.808 21
21. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m36.804s + 5.888 23
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m36.894s + 5.978 23
23. Karun Chandhok Lotus-Renault 1m36.959s + 6.043 18
24. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m37.554s + 6.638 22

Webber beats Hamilton to pole position in the German Grand Prix
By Matt Beer Saturday, July 23rd 2011, 13:03 GMT

Mark Webber claimed his second consecutive pole position by holding off a surprise challenge from Lewis Hamilton in German Grand Prix qualifying.

After McLaren's low-key practice form, the team had not been expecting to challenge for pole position, but Hamilton turned out to be the biggest threat to Webber and Red Bull.

World championship leader Sebastian Vettel will start only third for his home race - the first time all year he has been off the front row. Silverstone winner Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) had to settle for fourth this time.

Webber looked unbeatable throughout Q3, producing a 1m30.251s on his first run and then improving to 1m30.079s to put himself out of everyone's reach.

Hamilton was third after the first runs, was briefly pushed down to fourth by Alonso, but then blasted to second with a lap only 0.055 seconds down on Webber.

Vettel's second effort was not quick enough to reclaim the outside front row spot, while Alonso was 0.4s off the pole pace as he took fourth, half a second clear of his fifth-placed Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa.

Nico Rosberg only required on Q3 run to put his Mercedes in sixth, ahead of Jenson Button, who was a second away from McLaren team-mate Hamilton.

Adrian Sutil reached Q3 for his home race and gave Force India eighth place, ahead of Renault's Vitaly Petrov and national hero Michael Schumacher in the second Mercedes.

Nick Heidfeld and Paul di Resta could not match their Renault and Force India team-mates' progress into Q2 so will share row six, ahead of the Williams duo, with Pastor Maldonado outqualifying Rubens Barrichello by 0.4s.

After three start 18th places in qualifying, Jaime Alguersuari finally got beyond Q1 again - though he only made it as high as 17th, just behind Toro Rosso team-mate Sebastien Buemi. The pair were sandwiched by the Saubers, with Sergio Perez in 15th and Kamui Kobayashi the big gun eliminated in Q1.

Karun Chandhok got within 0.823s of Lotus team-mate Heikki Kovalainen, though the Indian could not prevent Virgin's Timo Glock sneaking between the Lotus duo.

Daniel Ricciardo showed highly encouraging pace in his second grand prix qualifying session as he was only 0.025s adrift of Hispania team-mate Tonio Liuzzi on the back row - and he will start ahead of the Italian in any case due to Liuzzi's gearbox change penalty.

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1n30.079s
2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1n30.134s + 0.055
3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1n30.216s + 0.137
4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1n30.442s + 0.363
5. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1n30.910s + 0.831
6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1n31.263s + 1.184
7. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1n31.288s + 1.209
8. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1n32.010s + 1.931
9. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1n32.187s + 2.108
10. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1n32.482s + 2.403
Q2 cut-off time: 1m33.180s Gap **
11. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m32.215s + 1.217
12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m32.560s + 1.562
13. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m32.635s + 1.637
14. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m33.043s + 2.045
15. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m33.176s + 2.178
16. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m33.546s + 2.548
17. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m33.698s + 2.700
Q1 cut-off time: 1m33.664s Gap *
18. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m33.786s + 1.960
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m35.599s + 3.773
20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m36.400s + 4.574
21. Karun Chandhok Lotus-Renault 1m36.422s + 4.596
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m36.641s + 4.815
23. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m37.011s + 5.185
24. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m37.036s + 5.210

107% time: 1m38.253s

* Gap to quickest in Q1

** Gap to quickest in Q2

Webbo for a win! pray1 yeahme

TBWG sawadi burirampea

Lewis Hamilton wins thrilling German Grand Prix icon_latest

By Matt Beer Sunday, July 24th 2011, 13:42 GMT

Lewis Hamilton took his first grand prix victory since China in April as he emerged on top in a race-long battle with Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber in the German Grand Prix at a dry Nurburgring.

Polesitter Webber's third place behind Ferrari driver Alonso was Red Bull's best result of the day, as championship leader Sebastian Vettel had a muted home race and came home fourth after a lengthy dice with Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari.

Webber almost got swamped at the start, with Hamilton instantly sweeping past him and the two Ferraris then going either side of the Red Bull into Turn 1. Neither made it through, and while Alonso held on in third ahead of Vettel, Massa was edged out wide and dropped to sixth behind Nico Rosberg.

Vettel would get past Alonso for third when the Ferrari ran wide in the first complex on lap two, but six laps later the Silverstone winner was able to successfully retaliate into Turn 1. Soon afterwards, Vettel lost touch with the lead battle when he brushed the damp white marker line under braking for Turn 10 and snapped into a spin. He rejoined without losing a place, but the top three were long gone.

Webber was the first of the evenly-matched lead trio to pit on lap 14. He initially lost time in traffic, but once in clear air he was able to start setting new fastest sector times, meaning that when Hamilton and Alonso pitted in unison on lap 16, they came out just behind the Red Bull.

Once the late-stopping Massa came in for his first tyre change, Webber finally found himself leading a lap for the first time in 2011, though he could not shake off Hamilton and Alonso.

Webber was again the first to come in when the second stops began on lap 30, with Hamilton and Alonso following suit over the next two laps.

This time the under-cut did not work. Hamilton rejoined ahead of Webber and determinedly fended off the Red Bull through the complex. Alonso managed to jump both of them, but Hamilton made the most of his warmer tyres to drive around the outside of the Ferrari at Turn 2 to retake the lead and then start edging clear, holding a three-second cushion while Webber began to drift away from Alonso.

With the medium tyres felt to be significantly slower, the leaders tried to stretch their third set of softs as long as possible. Hamilton came in on lap 50, and though Alonso held on for two laps longer, the McLaren was able to stay narrowly in front.

Webber rolled the dice and ran until lap 56 of 60 before finally taking the harder tyres, but it did not pay off, as he rejoined still some distance behind Hamilton and Alonso, with the McLaren taking what ultimately became a straightforward victory - setting the fastest race lap on the penultimate lap for good measure.

Vettel fell behind Massa at the first stops and spent the rest of the afternoon on the Ferrari's tail. Only when they finally pitted for hards with just one lap to go did Vettel manage to get fourth back as a day after missing the front row of the grid for the first time all year, he finished off the podium for the first time in 2011.

Adrian Sutil's best drive of the year brought him sixth place for Force India, as he made a two-stop strategy work superbly to beat the two Mercedes of Rosberg and Michael Schumacher. The latter had been challenging his team-mate until losing time with a mid-race spin at Turn 10.

A great start and a two-stop strategy helped Kamui Kobayashi come through from 17th on the grid to ninth for Sauber, just ahead of Petrov, who lost ground by staying out too long on his first set of tyres.

Jenson Button never featured at the front. A slow start dropped him to 10th, and he then spent the race in traffic, couped up behind Vitaly Petrov's Renault for most of the first stint. Just after making it past Rosberg and into sixth, the McLaren developed a hydraulic problem and had to retire.

Completing a disappointing day for the majority of the large home driver contingent, Renault's Nick Heidfeld tangled with Paul di Resta's Force India on the opening lap. The German earned a drive-through penalty for the incident, but never got chance to take it as by then he had crashed out for good in a clash with a wandering Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso) on the approach to the chicane.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The German Grand Prix
Nurburgring, Germany;
60 laps; 308.863km;
Weather: Cloudy.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1h37:30.334
2. Alonso Ferrari + 3.980
3. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 9.788
4. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 47.921
5. Massa Ferrari + 52.252
6. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1:26.208
7. Rosberg Mercedes + 1 lap
8. Schumacher Mercedes + 1 lap
9. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
10. Petrov Renault + 1 lap
11. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
12. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
13. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
14. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
15. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
16. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
17. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 3 laps
18. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 3 laps
19. Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth + 3 laps
20. Chandhok Lotus-Renault + 4 laps

Fastest lap: Vettel, 1:34.587

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Team On lap
Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 44
Button McLaren-Mercedes 42
Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 23
Heidfeld Renault 10

World Championship standings, round 10:

Drivers: Constructors:
1. Vettel 216 1. Red Bull-Renault 355
2. Webber 139 2. McLaren-Mercedes 243
3. Hamilton 134 3. Ferrari 192
4. Alonso 130 4. Mercedes 78
5. Button 109 5. Renault 66
6. Massa 62 6. Sauber-Ferrari 35
7. Rosberg 46 7. Force India-Mercedes 20
8. Heidfeld 34 8. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 17
9. Schumacher 32 9. Williams-Cosworth 4
10. Petrov 32
11. Kobayashi 27
12. Sutil 18
13. Alguersuari 9
14. Perez 8
15. Buemi 8
16. Barrichello 4
17. Di Resta 2

All timing unofficial

TBWG sawadi

Hi icon_latest

Ham-garoring II crazydance

July 29, 2011 by joesaward

Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time of the second practice session in Budapest, beating Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel and Felipe Massa. The Mercedes were seventh and eight with Nico Rosberg ahead Michael Schumacher. The Force Indias were next with Paul di Resta beating Adrian Sutil and the two Saubers, Kamui Kobayashi just ahead of Sergio Perez.

Rubens Barrichello was 13th, ahead of Nick Heidfeld and Pastor Maldonado, with Jaime Alguersuari next up, ahead of Vitaly Petrov, who was struggling in the session with his Renault. At the back were the two Lotuses, Jarno Trulli ahead of Heikki Kovalainen, the two Virgins with Timo Glock ahead of Jerome d’Ambrosio and the two HRTs at the back with Daniel Ricciardo ahead of Tonio Liuzzi on this occasion.

Practice 1

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.350s 19
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m23.564s + 0.214 24
3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m23.642s + 0.292 29
4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m23.666s + 0.316 12
5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.772s + 0.422 20
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m24.115s + 0.765 25
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m24.250s + 0.900 22
8. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m24.369s + 1.019 20
9. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m24.620s + 1.270 24
10. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m25.093s + 1.743 22
11. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m25.113s + 1.763 21
12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m25.336s + 1.986 22
13. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m25.357s + 2.007 17
14. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m25.836s + 2.486 24
15. Bruno Senna Renault 1m25.855s + 2.505 25
16. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m25.890s + 2.540 28
17. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m26.099s + 2.749 36
18. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m26.124s + 2.774 25
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m26.878s + 3.528 26
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m27.352s + 4.002 21
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m28.533s + 5.183 30
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m28.903s + 5.553 22
23. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m29.059s + 5.709 24
24. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m29.904s + 6.554 26

Practice 2

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m21.018s 29
2. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m21.259s + 0.241 40
3. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m21.322s + 0.304 34
4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m21.508s + 0.490 35
5. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m21.549s + 0.531 31
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m22.099s + 1.081 40
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m22.121s + 1.103 36
8. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m22.440s + 1.422 36
9. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m22.835s + 1.817 40
10. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m22.981s + 1.963 37
11. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m23.030s + 2.012 34
12. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m23.399s + 2.381 37
13. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m23.679s + 2.661 34
14. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m23.861s + 2.843 28
15. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m24.181s + 3.163 39
16. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m24.182s + 3.164 26
17. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m24.546s + 3.528 21
18. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m24.878s + 3.860 35
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m24.994s + 3.976 38
20. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m25.447s + 4.429 39
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m26.823s + 5.805 33
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m27.261s + 6.243 28
23. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m27.730s + 6.712 31
24. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m28.255s + 7.237 25

All Timing Unofficial pray1

TBWG sawadi burirampea

Hi folks icon_latest

Vettel beats McLarens to HungaryGrand Prix pole hungry1

By Jamie O'Leary

Sebastian Vettel maintained Red Bull's 100 per cent pole position record this year as he stormed to the head of the Hungarian Grand Prix grid with a flying late effort in qualifying.

The world champion had been trailing behind Lewis Hamilton as he began his second and final effort at the end of Q3, but saved his best until last as he lapped the Hungaroring in 1m19.815s, just 0.163 seconds ahead of the McLaren driver.

Jenson Button made it two McLarens inside the front three while a superb late effort by Felipe Massa gave him fourth spot, demoting his Ferrari team-mate Fernando Alonso to fifth and the Red Bull of last year's race winner Mark Webber to sixth.

Adrian Sutil was a superb eighth for Force India, splitting Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher as the trio - unlike the top six - only undertook a single flying lap in Q3. Sergio Perez, who will start 10th for Sauber, did not bother going out at all.

There was a gap of almost two seconds from first to 10th with a couple of minutes of Q2 remaining, the result of which was that the top seven at that moment - led by Button - did not undertake second runs.

All of those drivers had done enough to make it into Q3, but behind them the order was constantly changing. Late flyers for Sutil and Schumacher brought the Force India and Mercedes drivers into the top 10 after the chequered flag had come out.

The big loser was Sutil's team-mate Paul di Resta, who was bumped back to 11th. The Renaults of Vitaly Petrov and Nick Heidfeld were 12th and 14th, split by Kamui Kobayashi's Sauber, while Rubens Barrichello and Jaime Alguersuari were next up for Williams and Toro Rosso.

Barrichello's team-mate Pastor Maldonado did not venture out in Q2, after the Venezuelan pulled himself into the session at the very end of Q1 with a flying lap. The Williams driver knocked Sebastien Buemi's Toro Rosso out of the reckoning.

The star of Q1 was Heikki Kovalainen, who put his Lotus 19th and just over 0.1s behind Buemi.

Behind him were his team-mate Jarno Trulli, Virgin's Timo Glock and Hispania drivers Vitantonio Liuzzi and Daniel Ricciardo, all of whom will move ahead of Buemi once his five-place grid penalty for colliding with Heidfeld in German last weekend is applied.

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m19.815s
2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m19.978s + 0.163
3. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m20.024s + 0.209
4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m20.350s + 0.535
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m20.365s + 0.550
6. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m20.474s + 0.659
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m21.098s + 1.283
8. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m21.445s + 1.630
9. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m21.907s + 2.092
10. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari No time
Q2 cut-off time: 1m23.067s Gap **
11. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m22.256s + 1.994
12. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m22.284s + 2.022
13. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m22.435s + 2.173
14. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m22.470s + 2.208
15. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m22.684s + 2.422
16. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m22.979s + 2.717
17. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth No time
Q1 cut-off time: 1m23.285s Gap *
18. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m24.070s + 2.492
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m24.362s + 2.784
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m24.534s + 2.956
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m26.294s + 4.716
22. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m26.323s + 4.745
23. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m26.479s + 4.901
24. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m26.510s + 4.932

107% time: 1m27.288s

* Gap to quickest in Q1

** Gap to quickest in Q2

TBWG sawadi burirampea

Surely consideration should be given to retiring cars that have been lapped. They juts block up the works

TBWG I appreciate you support for F1 but when you mentioned on the shout box that Vettell had pole you omitted the most importand result of qualifying that Hamilton and Button were on his tail in 2nd and 3rd. Could be a good race!! Best regards to you David look forward to see you back here in Buriram soon.

Hi Nick

If all lapped cars were forced to retire it would be a pretty boring event, in Australia 99 Hakkinen & Coulthard lapped the entire field, watching 2 cars would not be much entertainment! I seem to recall Senna lapping the entire field at Donnington during the 90's but may be wrong!

Hi DT

Don't want anyone accusing me of bias!! But as a Brit it's good to see Lewis and Jenson breathing down his neck, let's hope they get the better of him, see you in October! Steve?

TBWG sawadi burirampea

Hi F1 bums

icon_latest

Button zips it up yeahme crazydance

By Matt Beer Sunday, July 31st 2011, 13:51 GMT

Jenson Button claimed victory in his 200th grand prix as he perfectly judged an absorbing race in changeable weather in Hungary.

McLaren could have had a one-two, with Lewis Hamilton leading much of the race, but a tyre strategy misjudgement and a penalty ruined Hamilton's afternoon.

World championship leader Sebastian Vettel had to settle for second, ahead of Fernando Alonso's Ferrari and the recovering Hamilton.

McLaren had taken the advantage early in a race that began on a damp track with everyone on intermediates, Hamilton attacking Vettel relentlessly through the opening laps as both slid around in a dice more reminiscent of a karting scrap than Formula 1.

The lead finally changed on lap five, when Vettel ran wide at Turn 2 and Hamilton breezed past and pulled away, soon extending a four-second lead over the championship leader, who was at least able to drop Button at this stage.

Laps 10 to 13 saw all the leaders decide the track was ready for slicks, and coming in one lap sooner than Vettel paid off for Button, who made the most of his warmer tyres and greater confidence to take second place into Turn 2.

Mark Webber pulled off the same move on Alonso for fourth at the same time. The Ferrari had lost ground through the first corner on the opening lap, then charged back up the order despite two minor trips off the road.

The relatively serene middle phase of the race saw Hamilton holding a comfortable gap over Button, who had a similar 5s advantage back to Vettel, while Webber fended off Alonso 10s behind them.

Alonso decided to make a relatively early third pitstop and take another set of super softs, while all the other leaders except Hamilton switched to the harder softs at this point.

The burst of pace on fresh Pirellis allowed Alonso to jump both Red Bulls during his rapid laps before they pitted, though the tyres then began to wear and he lost third to Vettel again.

Hamilton followed the same strategy as Alonso, which left him looking very vulnerable to Button as he looked unlikely to pull out enough of a gap to pit again for the softs, but in the event the return of the rain rendered these tactics rather irrelevant.

The sudden shower hit on lap 47, causing Hamilton to spin at the chicane. He tried to rejoin as quickly as possible, but could not prevent Button taking the lead - and also forced Paul di Resta's lapped Force India off the road as he rotated, a move that would ultimately earn Hamilton a penalty.

With the rain increasing, Button slipped up at Turn 2 four laps later, allowing Hamilton back into the lead. Button retaliated on the following lap and briefly regained first place on the pits straight, only to go wide again at Turn 2 as the top spot was exchanged yet again.

But just as Hamilton moved back into first, he made what turned out to be the costly decision to pit again for intermediates. It was obvious almost immediately that this was the wrong call, as the rain rapidly vanished, and the Briton was soon back in for slicks. His drive-through penalty for nearly wiping out di Resta soon followed, dropping him to sixth and leaving Button clear to win.

The 2009 champion briefly came under pressure from Vettel, but had the pace to pull away again and clinch his second victory of the year.

With Webber also switching to intermediates unnecessarily, Alonso regained third, which he held despite a quick late spin.

Hamilton battled back to fourth ahead of Webber, with Felipe Massa recovering from an early spin to sixth in the other Ferrari.

Kamui Kobayashi tried to go the distance on just two tyre stops and held seventh heading into the closing stages, albeit with a massive queue of cars chasing his Sauber. The plan did not work, and he had to pit for fresh rubber after tumbling down the order, as di Resta came through to seventh and Sebastien Buemi turned 23rd on the grid into an eighth place for Toro Rosso.

Mercedes only took ninth place, Nico Rosberg having also pitted for intermediates late on. Michael Schumacher had a gearbox problem shortly after spinning while dicing with Massa in the opening stages. Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) clashed with Kobayashi during their late battle but still took 10th.

Adrian Sutil (Force India) and Sergio Perez (Sauber) saw their great qualifying results wasted in a first lap incident that delayed both.

One of the most spectacular incidents of this highly eventful race befell Nick Heidfeld, whose Renault caught fire in the pit exit after a long stop, with a minor explosion on its left-hand side as the marshals dealt with the blaze.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

70 laps; 306.663km;
Weather: Mixed conditions.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1h43:42.337
2. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 3.588
3. Alonso Ferrari + 19.819
4. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 48.338
5. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 49.742
6. Massa Ferrari + 1:17.176
7. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
8. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
9. Rosberg Mercedes + 1 lap
10. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
11. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
12. Petrov Renault + 1 lap
13. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 2 laps
14. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 2 laps
15. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 2 laps
16. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 2 laps
17. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 4 laps
18. Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth + 4 laps
19. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 5 laps
20. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth + 5 laps

Fastest lap: Massa, 1:23.415

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Team On lap
Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 56
Schumacher Mercedes 27
Heidfeld Renault 24
Trulli Lotus-Renault 18

World Championship standings, round 11:

Drivers: Constructors:
1. Vettel 234 1. Red Bull-Renault 383
2. Webber 149 2. McLaren-Mercedes 280
3. Hamilton 146 3. Ferrari 215
4. Alonso 145 4. Mercedes 80
5. Button 134 5. Renault 66
6. Massa 70 6. Sauber-Ferrari 35
7. Rosberg 48 7. Force India-Mercedes 26
8. Heidfeld 34 8. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 22
9. Schumacher 32 9. Williams-Cosworth 4
10. Petrov 32
11. Kobayashi 27
12. Sutil 18
13. Buemi 12
14. Alguersuari 10
15. Di Resta 8
16. Perez 8
17. Barrichello 4

All timing unofficial

TBWG sawadi burirampea

Very entertaining race to watch well done Button

Quote from: downtime on July 31, 2011, 10:43:47 PM

Very entertaining race to watch well done Button

Just completed my Visa application form for Indian GP! Only hope it goes ahead?

TBWG sawadi burirampea

icon_latest

Grandprix.com has been leaked a copy of the minutes from a Parliamentary Select Committee on F1 Racial Abuse.

Chairman: Gentlemen. Just to inform you that this session is being held in camera.

Mr. E: Camera? Who's got the rights? Who's paying me?

Chairman: No, no, Mr. Ecclestone. I'm saying this is private.

Mr. E: Sorry; got carried away. Lot to be said for going private. F1 should be like that. We're doing what we can.

Chairman: Which leads me to the complaints about your arrangements for F1 TV coverage. I see we also have a representative from the BBC; Mr. Ben Bollock.

BBC: That's Bolloks, actually.

Chairman: No need to be so rude at this stage...

BBC: No, no; it's Ben Bolloks.

Chairman: Beg your pardon. Who else do we have? Representing FOTA, a Mr. Martin Marshwit.

FOTA: Yes, thank you Mr. Chairman. I'd just like to say that this is very positive and..

Chairman: All in good time, Mr. Marshwit. Anyone from Sky?

Mr. E: He's outside, taking an ad break. But he's across this, hacking into your stenographer's email.

Chairman: Let's get straight to the point. Mr. Marshwit, you've gone on record as saying this deal will increase the viewing figures. How so?

FOTA: Mr. Ecclestone told us. He said the figures will probably exceed 10 million.

Mr. E: No, it's 60 million.

Chairman: Good grief! Sixty million viewers?

Mr. E: Dollars! That's what you asked, wasn't it? It's certainly what we asked.

FOTA: I have to say that this is very positive for the teams and...

Chairman: I'm sure it is Mr. Marshwit. But that is precisely the point. One moment you are saying FOTA supports the fans and then, in the words of one of many tweets I've come across, you've, and I quote, 'right royally shafted us and don't give a f...' Sorry, I better not continue, but you get my gist? The fans are unhappy.

Mr. E: Fans? Whatd'ya mean?

Chairman: The people who pay to come to watch your races.

Mr. E: Oh, that lot! Bloody nuisance, clogging up the roads. I see them from my helicopter every race. They're always complaining. I mean, be fair; we keep asking the race promoters for more money so that the gate prices have to go up - and these people still keep coming. I ask you. We do what we can.

Chairman: But, again, have you not hit the nail on the head? The BBC can't continue as before because they can't afford the huge amount of money F1 is asking. Could the teams, in these difficult times, not reduce their costs? Do they really need all this money? Mr. Marshwit, how do you answer that?

FOTA: Well, it's very positive because there's Sky and the BBC covering the races, which has to be very positive news.

Chairman: How do you arrive at that conclusion?

FOTA: Mr. Ecclestone told us we're getting more money, which is very positive and can I just say...

Chairman: Sorry, I'll have to interrupt and ask Mr. Bollock for his view.

BBC: Bolloks.

Chairman: Yes, I know that is thrust of more than 7500 very angry comments in response to your statement on the BBC website, but how do you suppose the new liaison with Sky will work?

BBC: We will be covering half the races live, Sky will do them all and we'll have highlights. This deal offers the best outcome.

Chairman: For who, exactly? Let me get this straight: you've produced superb coverage of every race; five hours of quality television - Mr. Eddie Jordan notwithstanding - each weekend, raised the bar to new heights and now you're doing half that, people are being asked to pay £600 for the other half - and you're saying this is best outcome?

BBC: Exactly! The BBC has to slash costs thanks to the wretched government cutbacks, and yet we're still doing F1.

Chairman: I appreciate the difficult financial circumstances you find yourself in but is this not a way to save the BBC from having to pay handsomely for breaking its contract early while, at the same time, allowing Mr. Ecclestone to say F1 continues to be 'free-to-air', as enshrined in the Concorde Agreement? Mr. Ecclestone, do you have any comment?

Mr. E: We spoke to these people. The Beeb do a super job. We have a lot of supporters in football. It's good for F1. It's gonna be okay.

Chairman: You're nodding your head vigorously. I fail to see your point.

Mr. E: That is the point. We do what we can.

Chairman: Can I ask the BBC why, if money needs to be saved, £900m is being spent moving staff out of London to somewhere they don't want to go? And, on another curious note, a prime-time slot was given over to the riveting news that there was one year to go until the London Olympics when the technicians and crew needed to broadcast this live show looked as if they outnumbered the puzzled on-lookers in Trafalgar Square?

BBC: Nothing to do with me. All I know is they didn't have to pay F1 a bloody big fee to do it.

Mr. E: We're doing what we can.

FOTA: We thought it was very positive.

Chairman: What was positive?

BBC: Look, I think what we're all trying to say...

Chairman: I understand exactly what you're all trying to say and, frankly Mr. Bollock, it's a bit of a fudge to cover F1 making even more obscene amounts of money.

BBC: It's Bolloks!

Chairman: Precisely. Knew you'd come round to my way of thinking. Meeting closed.

TBWG sawadi burirampea

OK Folks

Monza 1st practice

Hamilton tops first practice at Monza

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.865s 18
2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m24.786s + 0.921 19
3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m25.231s + 1.366 25
4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m25.459s + 1.594 24
5. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m26.550s + 2.685 23
6. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m26.625s + 2.760 20
7. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m26.647s + 2.782 20
8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m26.676s + 2.811 24
9. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m26.694s + 2.829 28
10. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m26.696s + 2.831 15
11. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m26.699s + 2.834 21
12. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m26.826s + 2.961 21
13. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m26.836s + 2.971 25
14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m26.996s + 3.131 29
15. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m27.365s + 3.500 25
16. Bruno Senna Renault 1m27.385s + 3.520 23
17. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m27.433s + 3.568 25
18. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m27.492s + 3.627 24
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m29.539s + 5.674 10
20. Karun Chandhok Lotus-Renault 1m30.148s + 6.283 19
21. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m30.609s + 6.744 27
22. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m30.619s + 6.754 24
23. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m31.052s + 7.187 12
24. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m31.899s + 8.034 22

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vettel back on top in second practice for the Italian Grand Prix
By Pablo Elizalde Friday, September 9th 2011

Red BullChampionship leader Sebastian Vettel posted the fastest time in the second Friday practice session for the Italian Grand Prix, just beating McLaren rival Lewis Hamilton.

Vettel, who had a low-key morning session after finishing over 1.3 seconds off Hamilton, could not match the time set by the Briton in the opening session, however, finishing with a 1m24.010s.

The Red Bull driver outpaced Hamilton by 0.036s, but the Briton looked set to go quicker than that before he was hit by traffic during his run of soft tyres.

Michael Schumacher had a promising afternoon with the third quickest time in the Mercedes.

Ferrari's drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso had a stronger session than in the morning, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

Mark Webber was sixth quickest in the second Red Bull.

The afternoon session saw a much busier start than the morning one, with several driver posting a time right away.

Sauber's Sergio Perez was the early pace-setter, before he was demoted to second before the ten-minute mark by Hamilton, who posted a 1m26.507s on his first run with the medium tyres.

The first incident of the session also took place before ten minutes had passed, when Sebastien Buemi went wide at Parabolica, the Toro Rosso driver crashing against the barriers. Although he was unhurt, the Swiss driver's car was heavily damaged and could not return to action.

After that, Button shot to the top of the times with a lap in the 1m25s, with Webber moving to second less than two tenths behind the Briton.

Webber improved on the following lap to outpace Button, but it was team-mate Vettel who took the top spot after 15 minutes when he stopped the clock at 1m25.635s, improving by over a second on the following laps as he completed a longer run.

It took until the 45-minute mark for Vettel to be demoted from first place, when Schumacher completed a run with the soft tyres to set a 1m24.816s, improving to a 1m24.347s on the following lap.

Schumacher's time was closely matched by Massa, the Brazilian completing his first run on softs to finish just 0.019s behind the Mercedes driver.

As more drivers began to use the softer Pirelli compound, the times continued to tumble, with Hamilton going quickest with 30 minutes left.

Vettel's first lap on the soft tyre was hindered by traffic, but the German still managed to move up to second behind the McLaren driver, who looked set to go even quicker on his second lap but nearly made contact at Parabolica with a very slow Jamie Alguersuari.

Vettel did manage to go quicker on his second lap of the run and jumped to the top with a 1m24.010s.

Daniel Ricciardo endured a difficult session after spending most of the 90 minutes in the garage as his HRT mechanics worked on the car. He managed just seven laps.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m24.010s 37
2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m24.046s + 0.036 21
3. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m24.347s + 0.337 39
4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m24.366s + 0.356 33
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m24.433s + 0.423 31
6. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m24.468s + 0.458 32
7. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m24.508s + 0.498 30
8. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m25.097s + 1.087 39
9. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m25.182s + 1.172 37
10. Bruno Senna Renault 1m25.325s + 1.315 38
11. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m25.450s + 1.440 31
12. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m25.496s + 1.486 39
13. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m25.683s + 1.673 37
14. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m25.758s + 1.748 29
15. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m26.202s + 2.192 36
16. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m26.353s + 2.343 40
17. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m28.347s + 4.337 5
18. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m28.559s + 4.549 32
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m28.605s + 4.595 32
20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m28.804s + 4.794 25
21. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m29.162s + 5.152 34
22. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m29.184s + 5.174 29
23. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m29.622s + 5.612 34
24. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m29.841s + 5.831 7

All Timing Unofficial

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

OK TBWG
Noticed you on line

As the professional you are who do you predict will be second to the finger
Before you say anything I belive Button may be there!!

Hi Steve

Think you may be right! Webber seems good at going backwards down the grid, Lewis likes crashing , Ferrari well they are trying but it just does not seem to be working for them, So yes it should be JB!

I think Monza has Maccas name on it, famous last words.

See you soon.

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

The pros and cons of a Thai Grand Prix

September 6, 2011 by joesaward

The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) says that it is considering a bid to host a Grand Prix. The agency, which is run by the government, is responsible for promoting, developing as well as regulating, coordinating and facilitating domestic and international events in Thailand. This is necessary as the country is still suffering from the after-effects of the military coup in 2006 which ousted then then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. There has been regular violence since then as his supporters challenged the government led by Abhisit Vejjajiva. There was an election in July and although Thaksin lives in exile in Dubai to avoid being arrested, his sister Yinglat was elected Prime Minister. The country hopes that there will now be peace although there is no doubt that there is still bitterness between the two main parties.

The goal now is to rebuild the tourist business and attract worldwide attention and so Formula 1 is a logical step. The plan is to research the effects that F1 could have on the Thai economy and then decide on whether to bid. There is much competition for races in Asia with events in Malaysia, Singapore, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. A demonstration run in Bangkok recently by Red Bull attracted huge crowds. The government is looking closely at Singapore’s experience, which has transformed the city’s reputation, even if the race itself is not so popular with the locals because of the disruption caused by the street closures. The Thais must decide whether it is worth building a circuit, or extending an existing facility or running a street race. Street races involve smaller initial investment but cost more in the longer term. The bureau may wish for a race in Bangkok, but it might be wiser to extend the 1.5-mile circuit near the seaside resort of Pattaya, which was built in 1985 and is named after Prince Birabongse Bhanutej Bhanubandh (known in Europe as “Prince Bira”) who raced Grand Prix cars with some success in the 1940s and 1950s. This is currently not suitable for Formula 1. There were plans as long ago as 1939 for a Grand Prix of Thailand, which was being planned by Prince Bira. Sadly that event never happened as World War II broke out a few months before it was due to happen.

The Thais have one major advantage over rival countries. The Red Bull company is 51 percent owned by Chaleo Yoovidhya (who owns 49 percent) and his son Chalerm (who owns two percent). Dietrich Mateschitz owns the remaining 49 percent, but runs the business, leaving the Thais to market their original energy drink Krating Daeng (on which Red Bull is based) in the Asian markets. Chaleo is now the richest person in Thailand, with a fortune estimated at $4 billion. Chalerm to become Thailand’s most celebrated winemaker, while also being the co-owner of Cavallino Motors, which sells Ferraris in Thailand. This is a joint venture with the Bhirombhakdi Family, which owns the Singha Beer company.

Money from a public-private partnership could thus be found… so long as politics do not get in the way.

TBWG

Maybe but not in my lifetime! But hope to be proved wrong!

Thailand stop1 ~~~~ How it should be done thumbup

Change coming in Singapore

September 10, 2011 by joesaward

The word on the street in Singapore is that the city is studying alternative venues for the Grand Prix, because the disruption caused in the downtown area has not gone down well with the locals. The plan is to incorporate the race into a new “Sports Hub”, which is being developed at Kallang, not far from the track, slightly further out of town. This would reduce the traffic disruption considerably while still allowing large crowds to be delivered by the MRT underground network, as there will be a new Stadium station built.

The Sports Hub is designed to draw international events to the world-class facilities and generate sports spectator tourism, while also encouraging Singaporeans to be a more sporting nation (and therefore to become fitter). The aim is for the facilities to be ready by 2014, including a new 55,000-seater National Stadium, with a retractable and air conditioning, an indoor Stadium with 12,000 seats, an Aquatic Centre, a multi-purpose indoor area, a commercial space for leisure, shopping and dining activities, plus a water sports centre, which will use the Kallang Basin. Plus a library, a museum and an exhibition centre.

The plan seems to be to run a track on the roads around the various stadiums. One presumes that this will continue to happen at night and that sections of the track will be by the river, so that the backdrop of downtown Singapore can still be used.

This is a view of what the new development will look like. You can see the Marina Bay facilities and the Casino with its distinctive roof garden in the distance on the left.

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

3rd Practice times

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m23.170s 18
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m23.534s + 0.364 19
3. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m23.668s + 0.498 14
4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.741s + 0.571 17
5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.787s + 0.617 16
6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m23.875s + 0.705 22
7. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m24.114s + 0.944 20
8. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m24.133s + 0.963 14
9. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m24.543s + 1.373 21
10. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m24.581s + 1.411 22
11. Bruno Senna Renault 1m24.853s + 1.683 20
12. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m24.889s + 1.719 19
13. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m24.948s + 1.778 22
14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m25.261s + 2.091 21
15. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m24.319s + 2.149 19
16. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m25.426s + 2.256 19
17. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m25.439s + 2.269 22
18. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m25.539s + 2.369 19
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m27.328s + 4.158 19
20. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m27.491s + 4.321 21
21. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m28.186s + 5.016 23
22. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m28.441s + 5.271 22
23. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m28.962s + 5.792 17
24. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m30.316s + 7.146 16

Qualy icon_latest

Vettel storms to Monza pole position
By Edd Straw Saturday, September 10th 2011,

Sebastian Vettel maintained Red Bull's 100 per cent record of securing pole position in 2011 by topping the times in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix.

The runaway world championship leader breezed through the first two segments of qualifying, comfortably setting the best time in Q2, and ended Q3 0.450s ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

The German immediately asserted his dominance in Q3, bumping McLaren driver Jenson Button from the top of the times with his first flying lap. But when on course to improve on his second flier of that run, he was forced to abort after a lurid slide in the Ascari chicane.

With Lewis Hamilton only 0.112s behind him after the first runs, Vettel had no choice but to go back out for another attempt. But both McLaren drivers had to abort their final runs, with Hamilton locking up his front-left heading into the second chicane and Button losing time in the final sector, leaving German to knock another 0.338s off his fastest time unchallenged.

Fernando Alonso qualified fourth, within one-tenth of a second of Button, after improving on his final run. He knocked Mark Webber down to fifth place, with positions second through to fifth covered by only three-and-a-half tenths.

Felipe Massa qualified sixth, with Vitaly Petrov causing an upset by beating Mercedes pairing Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg to best of the rest honours after putting in a lap of 1m23.530s late in the session. Unusually, Schumacher was the better of the two Mercedes drivers, comfortably outpacing Rosberg, largely thanks to his speed advantage in the second sector. They both ended up ahead of the second Renault of Bruno Senna, the Brazilian opting not to run after using all of his option rubber after making Q3 for the second consecutive race.

Force India pairing Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta looked on course to make the top 10 shoot-out having ended Q1 ninth and 10th, only to lose out to the Renaults in the next session.

Petrov set his time, which proved good enough to make Q3, on his sole run, but Senna had to rely on a last-gasp effort to bump di Resta by just six-thousandths of a second.

Behind them, Rubens Barrichello pipped Williams team-mate Pastor Maldonado by less than a tenth. That said, the Venezuelan was perhaps fortunate even to be in Q2 after losing control exiting the Parabolica and spinning into the barrier on the inside of the track during the first segment of qualifying.

The only significant damage he suffered was to the front wing, meaning that he could limp back to the pits and return to the track a few minutes later.

Behind them, Sauber pairing Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi, along with Scuderia Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi, never looked like credible threats to make Q3.

The other Toro Rosso driver, Jaime Alguersuari, was the main casualty in Q1, joining regular drop-outs Team Lotus, Virgin and HRT.

The Spaniard was bumped into 18th place in the dying moments of the session by team-mate Sebastien Buemi and Rubens Barrichello. He ended up 0.170s off the Swiss.

Jarno Trulli was best of the 'new team' group, outpacing Lotus team-mate Heikki Kovalainen by half-a-second, with all cars comfortably within the 107 per cent qualifying cutoff.

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m22.275s
2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m22.725s + 0.450
3. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m22.777s + 0.502
4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m22.841s + 0.566
5. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m22.972s + 0.697
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m23.188s + 0.913
7. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m23.530s + 1.255
8. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m23.777s + 1.502
9. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m24.477s + 2.202
10. Bruno Senna Renault No time
Q2 cut-off time: 1m24.157s Gap **
11. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m24.163s + 1.249
12. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m24.209s + 1.295
13. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m24.648s + 1.734
14. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m24.726s + 1.812
15. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m24.845s + 1.931
16. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m24.932s + 2.018
17. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m25.065s + 2.151
Q1 cut-off time: 1m25.164s Gap *
18. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m25.334s + 1.358
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m26.647s + 2.671
20. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m27.184s + 3.208
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m27.591s + 3.615
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m27.609s + 3.633
23. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m28.054s + 4.078
24. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m28.231s + 4.255

107% time: 1m29.854s

* Gap to quickest in Q1

** Gap to quickest in Q2

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Still think Macca could take this one yeahme

icon_latest

Vettel closes in on title with dominant Monza victory

By Matt Beer Sunday, September 11th 2011,

Sebastian Vettel cruised to his eighth victory of the 2011 Formula 1 season as he proved that Red Bull had firmly conquered its Monza weak spot by dominating the Italian Grand Prix.

Jenson Button won a battle with Fernando Alonso for second, with Lewis Hamilton having to settle for fourth after spending much of the race trapped behind Michael Schumacher. Mark Webber - Vettel's closest challenger in the points prior to the weekend - crashed out early.

Alonso had briefly raised the Italian crowd's hopes by surging his Ferrari to the front in a spectacular start from fourth on the grid. Poleman Vettel was slow away and was attacked first by Hamilton's McLaren before Alonso appeared down the inside, briefly took to the grass and slipped ahead, with Hamilton running out of space and falling to third behind Vettel.

Carnage further back would prompt an immediate safety car. Tonio Liuzzi lost control of his HRT under braking and spun down the inside grass before slamming into Nico Rosberg's Mercedes and Vitaly Petrov's Renault in the middle of the Rettifilio. Rubens Barrichello's Williams and Kamui Kobayashi's Sauber picked up damage in the consequent traffic jam, while Bruno Senna (Renault), Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso) and Adrian Sutil (Force India) all had to trundle through the gravel in avoidance.

At the lap four restart Hamilton was caught unaware by Schumacher, who had thrust his Mercedes to fourth at the start and then grabbed third from the McLaren.

Webber was taking sixth from Button at the same time, both having lost ground at the start. But when the Red Bull attacked Felipe Massa into the first chicane a lap later, Webber ended up tagging the Ferrari into a spin and smashing his front wing, which then folded under the car and caused him to crash at the Parabolica.

The other Red Bull was faring better. Vettel was all over Alonso as soon as racing resumed, and on lap five he managed to get through into the Roggia chicane despite having put two wheels on the Curva Grande grass moments earlier as the Ferrari defended. After that, Vettel was unstoppable, storming away and holding a 15-second cushion for most of the rest of the race as he notched up yet another victory.

Alonso then came under attack from Schumacher and Hamilton for a while, but soon the latter pair were too busy with each other. The Mercedes' incredible straightline speed and some firm defending from Schumacher kept Hamilton at bay despite the Briton trying move after move.

Button caught them too, and was able to pass both in quick succession on lap 16 - taking Hamilton when he had to abruptly back off as Schumacher slammed the door shut at the Curva Grande, and then slicing down the outside of the Mercedes into Ascari.

That left Button free to chase down Alonso, who he overtook shortly after the second pitstops when the Ferrari got a poor exit from the first chicane.

Hamilton finally overtook Schumacher using the pre-Ascari DRS zone on lap 27, and then mounted his own pursuit of Alonso - catching the Ferrari on the final lap and just running out of time to try a pass.

Massa recovered from the Webber incident to take sixth behind Schumacher.

Sergio Perez looked assured of seventh on a one-stop strategy until his Sauber's gearbox failed, which meant Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) could take the place after a strong drive from 18th on the grid.

Di Resta, Senna and Buemi recovered from their first-corner delays to complete the points-scorers.

A fine start and a safe passage through the first-lap mess saw Pastor Maldonado run as high as sixth for Williams. But he did not have the pace to stay there and slipped to 11th by the finish.

Behind the delayed Barrichello, the high attrition rate allowed Lotus duo Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli, and Virgin's Timo Glock, to take potentially useful finishes in 13th through 15th places.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The Italian Grand Prix
Autodromo di Monza, Italy;
53 laps; 306.720km;
Weather: Sunny.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h20:46.172
2. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 9.590
3. Alonso Ferrari + 16.909
4. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 17.471
5. Schumacher Mercedes + 32.677
6. Massa Ferrari + 42.993
7. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
8. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
9. Senna Renault + 1 lap
10. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
11. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
12. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
13. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault + 1 lap
14. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
15. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps

Fastest lap: Hamilton, 1:26.187

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Team On lap
Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 40
Perez Sauber-Ferrari 34
Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 23
Sutil Force India-Mercedes 11
Webber Red Bull-Renault 6
D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 3
Petrov Renault 1
Rosberg Mercedes 1
Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1

World Championship standings, round 13:

Drivers: Constructors:
1. Vettel 284 1. Red Bull-Renault 451
2. Alonso 172 2. McLaren-Mercedes 325
3. Webber 167 3. Ferrari 254
4. Button 167 4. Mercedes 108
5. Hamilton 158 5. Renault 70
6. Massa 82 6. Force India-Mercedes 36
7. Rosberg 56 7. Sauber-Ferrari 35
8. Schumacher 52 8. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 29
9. Petrov 34 9. Williams-Cosworth 5
10. Heidfeld 34
11. Kobayashi 27
12. Sutil 24
13. Alguersuari 16
14. Buemi 13
15. Di Resta 12
16. Perez 8
17. Barrichello 4
18. Senna 2
19. Maldonado 1

All timing unofficial

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

2012 FIA Formula One World Championship Race Calendar

01    Australia (Melbourne)    15 - 18 Mar
02    Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)    23 - 25 Mar
03    China (Shanghai)    13 - 15 Apr
04    Bahrain (Sakhir)    20 - 22 Apr
05    Spain (Catalunya)    11 - 13 May
06    Monaco (Monte Carlo)    24 - 27 May
07    Canada (Montreal)    08 - 10 Jun
08    Europe (Valencia)    22 - 24 Jun
09    Great Britain (Silverstone)    06 - 08 Jul
10    Germany (Hockenheim)    20 - 22 Jul
11    Hungary (Budapest)    27 - 29 Jul
12    Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)    31 Aug - 02 Sep
13    Italy (Monza)    07 - 09 Sep
14    Singapore (Singapore)    21 - 23 Sep
15    Japan (Suzuka)    05 - 07 Oct
16    Korea (Yeongam)    12 - 14 Oct
17    India (New Delhi)    26 - 28 Oct
18    Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina Circuit)    02 - 04 Nov
19    United States (Austin)    16 - 18 Nov
20    Brazil (Sao Paulo)    23 - 25 Nov

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Hi F1 fans ~~~ Singapore GP

Lewis Hamilton tops shortened first practice for the Singapore Grand Prix
By Matt Beer    Friday, September 23rd

Lewis Hamilton was quickest for McLaren in a truncated opening practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Issues with the kerbing on the exit of Turns 3 and 14 developed during support race session, and led to an half-hour delay while the kerbs were removed before the session could get underway.

With only a two-hour gap between Friday practice sessions in Singapore, practice one was reduced to just 60 minutes to keep the timetable on schedule, although a further problem with the kerbing - this time at Turn 7 - brought the red flags out eight minutes from the end. Quick work by marshals saw the offending kerb section removed within five minutes so a little more running could take place.

When the session had initially got underway, Ferrari's Felipe Massa was the early pacesetter, sitting atop the times with a 1m52.043s lap for a long while.

It was only as twilight became darkness in the final 20 minutes that things began to hot up at the front. McLaren had completed little running in the first half of the session, but Jenson Button deposed Massa with a 1m50.952s when he did get going.

That was comfortably beaten by a 1m50.082s from Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull two minutes later, with the championship leader finding another 0.4s next time around.

Lewis Hamilton then had a brief turn in front with 12 minutes to go, edging a tenth ahead of Vettel. The German soon fought back and delivered a lap half a second quicker than the McLaren's - but Hamilton had more speed to come as well, putting in a 1m48.599s to reclaim the top spot by 0.406s.

The second kerb problem prevented any further changes at the front, with most of the field braving the traffic jam at the pit exit but only a handful of drivers improving in the three minutes of running that followed the green light.

Vettel retained second, with team-mate Mark Webber third.

Aero work early in the session meant Fernando Alonso only had a few flying laps in his Ferrari. He took fourth, ahead of Button and Massa.

A strong session for Force India saw Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta seventh and ninth, split by Michael Schumacher's Mercedes, with Nico Rosberg 10th in the sister silver car.

In his first appearance since Nurburgring practice in July, Narain Karthikeyan was 23rd fastest, ahead of HRT team-mate Daniel Ricciardo. The Indian was given Tonio Liuzzi's car for this session as a warm-up for his racing return at his inaugural home grand prix next month.

In addition to the kerb issues, there was another a brief red flag interruption at the session's halfway point when Heikki Kovalainen's Lotus came to a halt with its front brakes on fire. Unlike last year, when the Finn famously had to put out a blaze on his Lotus himself in the race, Kovalainen was able to summon marshals to extinguish the fires, though he still assisted with pushing the car off the circuit.

The session's other main incident was a collision between Webber and Timo Glock. Contact was made as the Red Bull tried to pass the Virgin into the penultimate corner, smashing a chunk from Webber's front wing and leaving Glock with a puncture.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m48.599s + 10
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m49.005s + 0.406 15
3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m50.066s + 1.467 16
4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m50.596s + 1.997 11
5. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m50.952s + 2.353 12
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m52.043s + 3.444 14
7. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m52.251s + 3.652 13
8. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m52.416s + 3.817 12
9. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m52.435s + 3.836 13
10. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m52.815s + 4.216 13
11. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m52.991s + 4.392 17
12. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m53.050s + 4.451 17
13. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m53.399s + 4.800 18
14. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m53.703s + 5.104 19
15. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m53.749s + 5.150 12
16. Bruno Senna Renault 1m53.765s + 5.166 17
17. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m53.785s + 5.186 16
18. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m54.736s + 6.137 8
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m54.821s + 6.222 9
20. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m56.198s + 7.599 8
21. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m57.798s + 9.199 13
22. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m58.792s + 10.193 6
23. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m59.169s + 10.570 17
24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m59.214s + 10.615 18


Sebastian Vettel fastest in second Singapore Grand Prix practice
By Matt Beer    F

Sebastian Vettel was quickest in second practice in Singapore, completing a strong start to the weekend that could see him crowned world champion for the second straight year.

The Red Bull driver set the early practice two pace with a 1m47.375s lap - 0.7 seconds ahead of team-mate Mark Webber as the champion squad dominated the initial running.

Those times stood until drivers began switching to super-soft tyres in the second half of the session. Ferrari's Felipe Massa was the first of the frontrunners to do so and clocked a 1m47.120s to go quickest with 41 minutes to go. His team-mate Fernando Alonso then beat that time by 0.6s 10 minutes later to hit the front.

Vettel backed off on his first super-soft lap when he encountered Timo Glock's Virgin, but his second attempt resulted in a 1m46.374s, putting him on top by 0.201s over Alonso. With the top teams all switching to long runs thereafter, Vettel's position was secure.

Lewis Hamilton took third for McLaren, while his team-mate Jenson Button's evening ended very early when he slid straight on at Turn 14 just before the session's halfway point. Although Button stopped without hitting the barriers, he was unable to make his car reverse back on course, so had to abandon the McLaren. He tumbled to 10th in the times as a result.

Massa was pushed back to fourth in the end, just ahead of Mark Webber in the second Red Bull.

Michael Schumacher's strong recent run continued with sixth place for Mercedes, followed by Adrian Sutil's Force India and the Saubers of Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi. The latter enlivened the evening with a wild misjudging of the Turn 10 chicane that resulted in the Sauber flying through the air over the middle kerb.

A tough night for Toro Rosso saw Jaime Alguersuari sidelined in the garage with a mechanical issue after 14 laps, though his time before then was still good enough for 11th, and Sebastien Buemi derange his suspension when he made firm contact with the wall at the penultimate corner.

Schumacher also hit the barriers, in his case at Turn 3, as he almost spun the Mercedes on an early run. But the wall nudged the car back onto the correct line and Schumacher continued without damage.

Paul di Resta spent most of the session in the pits while Force India attended to a time-consuming issue on his car. He got back out with a few minutes to go, and was able to lift himself from 17th to 13th.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m46.374s 33
2. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m46.575s + 0.201 28
3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m47.115s + 0.741 22
4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m47.120s + 0.746 23
5. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m47.265s + 0.891 28
6. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m48.418s + 2.044 27
7. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m48.866s + 2.492 32
8. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m49.578s + 3.204 27
9. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m49.730s + 3.356 29
10. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m49.751s + 3.377 10
11. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m49.792s + 3.418 14
12. Bruno Senna Renault 1m50.241s + 3.867 31
13. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m50.345s + 3.971 8
14. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m50.399s + 4.025 29
15. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m50.790s + 4.416 28
16. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m50.897s + 4.523 24
17. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m50.937s + 4.563 30
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m51.950s + 5.576 26
19. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m52.257s + 5.883 15
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m52.489s + 6.115 25
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m53.579s + 7.205 25
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m54.649s + 8.275 25
23. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m54.754s + 8.380 29
24. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m55.198s + 8.824 26

All Timing Unofficial

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

FP3: Webber fastest
joesaward | September 24, 2011 at 12:06

Mark Webber set the fastest time of the Saturday free practice session in Singapore, lapping just a fraction faster than Jenson Button's McLaren. The pair were two-tenths of a second ahead of Sebastian Vettel, with Fernando Alonso right behind him and then a gap to Lewis Hamilton, who had a troubled session, going up an escape road at one point. There was then nearly a second gap back to Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher, who were separated by a tiny margin and then Felipa Massa in the second Ferrari. Kamui Kobayashi was next with Adrian Sutil splitting him from Sergio Perez and then Sebastien Buemi, Paul di Resta and the two Williamses, with Pastor Maldonado ahead of Rubens Barrichello. The two Renaults of Vitaly Petrov and Bruno Senna and then Jaime Alguersuari. At the back Heikki Kovalianen was ahead of the Virgin of Jerome d'Ambrosio, the HRt of Daniel Ricciardo, Jarno Trulli, Tomo Glock and Tonio Liuzzi.

icon_latest Red Bull sponsored by Singha & 7-11 tie up front row!!!

Vettel flies to 11th pole of 2011 in Singapore By Matt Beer

Sebastian Vettel edged a step closer to the 2011 world championship title as he delivered his 11th pole position of the season in Singapore, leading an all-Red Bull front row to keep the team's 100 per cent pole record for the year intact.

Having topped both Q1 and Q2 by half a second, Vettel carried the same margin through to the first runs of Q3, as he started the pole shoot-out with a 1m44.381s - while the McLarens and Ferraris were almost tripping over each other looking for clear space.

Vettel did not improve on his final run, but his team-mate Mark Webber could only get within 0.4s, so the German's pole was safe.

Jenson Button took third for McLaren, 0.005s ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who had picked up a puncture later in Q2 and only did one early run in Q3.

The best Ferrari could manage was fifth and sixth, ahead of Nico Rosberg's Mercedes, with Fernando Alonso a second quicker than Felipe Massa.

Force India got both cars into Q3 but chose not to run in the final segment, so fill row five. Michael Schumacher did not set a time either and starts eighth for Mercedes.

Renault's prediction of a very tough weekend came true as its drivers ended up fighting to escape from Q1. Bruno Senna was in the drop-zone before a mighty last lap got him up to 15th (where he would stay in Q2), but knocked his team-mate Vitaly Petrov down to an eliminated 18th, the Russian's time nearly a second slower than Senna's.

The Force Indias' last Q2 laps denied Sergio Perez a Q3 place and left him 11th. His Sauber team-mate Kamui Kobayashi caused a Q2 red flag when the aggressive approach he had taken to the Turn 10 chicane all weekend became rather too wild and he launched his car into the wall.

The Williams will start 12th and 13th, while the Toro Rossos qualified either side of Senna in 14th and 16th.

Heikki Kovalainen's initial Q3 run saw his Lotus ahead of Petrov and within a tenth of Buemi,though the Finn was cut adrift when he failed to improve on his last lap.

It was a similar story for HRT, which had both cars ahead of the Virgins going into the final Q1 runs, but ended up on the back row again as Timo Glock and Jerome D'Ambrosio improved. Tonio Liuzzi's five-place grid penalty for causing the Monza start mayhem will have no effect whatsoever as the Italian qualified slowest of all, 0.4s behind his Singapore debutant team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m44.381s
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m44.732s + 0.351
3. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m44.804s + 0.423
4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m44.809s + 0.428
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m44.874s + 0.493
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m45.800s + 1.419
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m46.013s + 1.632
8. Michael Schumacher Mercedes no time
9. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes no time
10. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes no time
Q2 cut-off time: 1m47.486s Gap **
11. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m47.616s + 2.685
12. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m48.082s + 3.151
13. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m48.270s + 3.339
14. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m48.634s + 3.703
15. Bruno Senna Renault 1m48.662s + 3.731
16. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m49.862s + 4.931
17. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari No time
Q1 cut-off time: 1m49.588s Gap *
18. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m49.835s + 3.438
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m50.948s + 4.551
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m51.012s + 4.615
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m52.154s + 5.757
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m52.363s + 5.966
23. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m52.404s + 6.007
24. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m52.810s + 6.413

107% time: 1m53.844s

* Gap to quickest in Q1

** Gap to quickest in Q2

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Now TBWG
Posting and pasting other reporter's correspondence is not good enough.
We pay you good encouragement and kind thoughts to bring us up to the moment track side reports
The bottom line was that the finger made pole as he has a Superior car
Button was right up there!!
And the Maclaren team let Hamilton down for holding him in the garage for too long and not allowing him the time to get out there for his last lap which could have been the fastest lap of the Q3

I rest my case

See you soon David

Please stop calling me Steve (You have me mixed up with someone else)

All the best F1 fans

Hi DT alias Ray aka Steve! (to me anyway)

Being a lazy bugger I find it much easier to plagiarise other peoples work rather than put in any effort of my own. buttslap
However I do give them the credit for their work.

But feeling admonished, I have decided at great expense to go to the upcoming inaugural Indian GP so that I can supply a first hand report for the benefit of forum members. As a cash strapped citizen of now bankrupt UK any contributions towards my entertainment, wining and dining expenses incurred on this task and undertaken for the benefit of forum members would be appreciated! Well a bottle of Archa will do! alcoholic

Re Singapore GP ~~~~ Let's hope anyone but "The Finger" wins!

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

icon_latest
Report of Singapore GP expropriated from Autosport site!

Vettel on brink of title after Singapore Grand Prix victory
By Matt Beer Sunday, September 25th 2011,

Sebastian Vettel moved to the brink of a second title by winning the Singapore Grand Prix, but Jenson Button's runner-up finish meant the German was one point shy of the championship lead he required to wrap things up for 2011.

Vettel utterly dominated the majority of the race. The Red Bull man was a second per lap faster than his pursuers at first, and though the pack closed up with a mid-race safety car after Michael Schumacher clipped Sergio Perez and was launched into a violent accident - from which he emerged unhurt - Vettel had a cushion of backmarkers behind him at the restart and was eight seconds clear again after just one lap.

McLaren driver Button started closing in with some very rapid late laps, but Vettel always appeared to have everything under control as he clinched his ninth win of the season.

Button had claimed second with a quick start, while Vettel's front row partner team-mate Mark Webber got away slowly. Lewis Hamilton challenged Webber down the inside in the second McLaren but ran out of space and fell as low as eighth, while Fernando Alonso took his Ferrari around the outside of everyone to grab third from fifth on the grid.

Webber twice passed Alonso on the road, having to get back ahead after the Ferrari reclaimed third in the first pitstops following an on-track exchange. But a bold dive into the Turn 10 chicane amid traffic on the restart lap secured Webber's third place and he pulled away thereafter.

Hamilton had a highly eventful run to fifth. He quickly recovered from being wrong-footed on the first lap but then clipped Felipe Massa while racing with the Ferrari immediately after the first stops. The McLaren picked up both wing damage and a penalty, while Massa was left with a puncture.

A fightback charge from Hamilton took him from a post-drive-through 15th to fifth in the end, helped by the safety car closing him onto the lead pack again. A string of DRS passes got him back into the top five, though having to pit for another set of tyres while those behind him did not meant Hamilton had to make a lot of his moves twice before his top five finish was secure.

Paul di Resta secured the best result of his Formula 1 career so far in sixth for Force India. A very long first stint and the ability to make his second and final stop just as the safety car came out got him ahead of Mercedes' Nico Rosberg and the second Force India of Adrian Sutil.

Massa fell to 20th following the clash with Hamilton, before clawing his way back through to salvage some points in ninth.

Perez's Sauber was undamaged in the incident with Schumacher, which happened when the Mercedes was coming back through after a pitstop, and he finished 10th.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The Singapore Grand Prix
Singapore, Singapore;
61 laps; 309.087km;
Weather: Dry.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h59:06.537
2. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 1.737
3. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 29.279
4. Alonso Ferrari + 55.449
5. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 1:07.766
6. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1:51.067
7. Rosberg Mercedes + 1 lap
8. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
9. Massa Ferrari + 1 lap
10. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
11. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
12. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
13. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
14. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 2 laps
15. Senna Renault + 2 laps
16. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
17. Petrov Renault + 2 laps
18. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps
19. Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth + 4 laps
20. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth + 4 laps
21. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 5 laps

Fastest lap: Button, 1:48.454

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Team On lap
Trulli Lotus-Renault 48
Schumacher Mercedes 29
Glock Virgin-Cosworth 10

World Championship standings, round 14:

Drivers: Constructors:
1. Vettel 309 1. Red Bull-Renault 491
2. Button 185 2. McLaren-Mercedes 353
3. Alonso 184 3. Ferrari 268
4. Webber 182 4. Mercedes 114
5. Hamilton 168 5. Renault 70
6. Massa 84 6. Force India-Mercedes 48
7. Rosberg 62 7. Sauber-Ferrari 36
8. Schumacher 52 8. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 29
9. Heidfeld 34 9. Williams-Cosworth 5
10. Petrov 34
11. Sutil 28
12. Kobayashi 27
13. Di Resta 20
14. Alguersuari 16
15. Buemi 13
16. Perez 9
17. Barrichello 4
18. Senna 2
19. Maldonado 1

All timing unofficial

On To Japan japanflag

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Excellent work TBWG
I have put an Archer behind the bar at Paddy's to help cover your expense's to get you to India for the next track side report.
Best regards

Well Folks it's Japanese GP weekend japanflag

Bearing in mind that I am still stuck in the UK and being a lazy bugger it is extremely unlikely that I will get up at 2.00 am in the morning to watch the practice, so if you want up to date info on this one you are on your own!

Still to wet your whistle check this out!

http://sweetf1.blogspot.com/2011/10/spanish-girl-makes-astonishing-f1.html

and this

http://sports.break.com/f1-guitar-guy.html

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Well just got up in a cold grey UK ~~~ so here is info on 1st & 2nd practice.

McLaren 1-2 in Suzuka P1

October 7, 2011 by joesaward

The first practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix saw a McLaren 1-2, with Jenson Button outpacing Lewis Hamilton by just under a tenth of a second. The pair were four-tenths ahead of Sebastian Vettel, who ended the session in a sand trap, having gone wide at Degner Curve. Fernando Alonso was fourth ahead of Mark Webber, Jaime Alguersuari’s Toro Rosso, Felipe Massa and the second Toro Rosso of Sebastien Buemi. Michael Schumacher was ninth, ahead of Vitaly Petrov and Bruno Senna in the Renaults, Nico Hulkenberg in the faster of the Force Indias, Kamui Kobayashi’s Sauber and Paul di Resta. Fifteenth was Sergio Perez ahead of a rather slow Nico Rosberg, the two Williamses of Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado, the Lotuses of Jarno Trulli and Karun Chandhok, the Virgins of Timo Glock and Jerome d’Ambrosio and the HRTs of Daniel Ricciardo and Narain Karthikeyan. There were a few minor offs, in addition to Vettel, but no major damage was done.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m33.634s 20
2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m33.725s + 0.091 18
3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m34.090s + 0.456 22
4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m34.372s + 0.738 24
5. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m34.426s + 0.792 25
6. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m34.937s + 1.303 23
7. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m35.585s + 1.951 27
8. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m35.590s + 1.956 25
9. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m36.033s + 2.399 22
10. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m36.370s + 2.736 18
11. Bruno Senna Renault 1m36.487s + 2.853 18
12. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m36.700s + 3.066 21
13. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m36.948s + 3.314 24
14. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m36.949s + 3.315 22
15. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m37.103s + 3.469 29
16. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m38.197s + 4.563 18
17. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m38.331s + 4.697 11
18. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m38.446s + 4.812 8
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m39.168s + 5.534 10
20. Karun Chandhok Lotus-Renault 1m39.946s + 6.312 22
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m40.872s + 7.238 13
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m41.019s + 7.385 24
23. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m41.106s + 7.472 25
24. Narian Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m41.775s + 8.141 25

Jenson Button goes fastest in FP2 as Red Bull hints at ominous long-run pace
By Simon Strang Friday, October 7th 2011,

Jenson Button once again set the pace in the second free practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on Friday.

The McLaren man's best time of 1m31.901s was 0.174s quicker than Ferrari's Fernando Alonso. Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber were only third and fourth fastest, but the duo's long-run pace on the softer option Pirelli tyres suggested that they may have an advantage when things get serious later in the weekend.

McLaren's drivers set the initial pace in the 90-minute session, following on from the team's strong showing in FP1, Button and Hamilton trading times at the top of the order. That dispute was settled in favour of Hamilton who set a 1m34.529s.

But that mark was only good until Alonso eclipsed it with a 1m33.848s lap, which itself got bumped when Webber set a new pace of 1m33.782s. Alonso then responded swiftly with a 1m33.503s.

That remained the benchmark for quite a while, with Red Bull's Webber 0.155s behind, as all the teams continued to work through their prime tyre programmes.

During this period Kamui Kobayashi had more than one small moment; Bruno Senna had a lucky moment when a spin resulted in no damage at Turn One; and Rubens Barrichello had more than a mere moment - instead thumping the barriers heavily at Degner One after getting on the grass on entry. The Brazilian climbed from his broken car unscathed.

Just before the hour mark, Barrichello's Williams team-mate Pastor Maldonado also parked his car at Degner One - but this time with a technical issue. That resultant yellow flag period scuppered several drivers' first soft tyre runs.

By that stage though Alonso had already improved his best to 1m32.075s. Webber had also gone quicker to keep the Ferrari man honest - just 0.072s between them - and also Jenson Button had got a lap in on the softs...

In fact not only had he done that, but his 1m31.901s was the fastest anyone would manage on those tyres as he once again went fastest.

No sooner had the yellows dispersed from Maldonado's problems and Jarno Trulli's trundling Lotus, than Kobayashi had yet another scare. This time it was a big one when he got completely sideways in the middle of 130R. The Japanese saved it, but it was close.

Back up to speed again and with 20 minutes to go Vettel improved to third ahead of team-mate Webber, making it four drivers covered by 0.25s at the time.

The front-runners all stuck on those tyres as they begun their soft tyre evaluations and it became clear that while McLaren and Ferrari were quick on the one-laps, the Red Bulls were cruising along in the high 1m37s often a second faster than the opposition. Ominous.

Behind the top four Felipe Massa was half a second off the pace ahead of Michael Schumacher in the quicker Mercedes. The seven-time champion was the last man within a second of Button.

Nico Rosberg in the other Mercedes was seventh with Hamilton, Vitaly Petrov and Sebastien Buemi completing the top ten.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m31.901s 32
2. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m32.075s + 0.174 33
3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m32.095s + 0.194 35
4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m32.147s + 0.246 28
5. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m32.448s + 0.547 34
6. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m32.710s + 0.809 26
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m32.982s + 1.081 27
8. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m33.245s + 1.344 26
9. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m33.446s + 1.545 36
10. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m33.681s + 1.780 33
11. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m33.705s + 1.804 25
12. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m33.790s + 1.889 36
13. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m34.393s + 2.492 35
14. Bruno Senna Renault 1m34.557s + 2.656 27
15. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m34.601s + 2.700 33
16. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m36.038s + 4.137 33
17. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m36.225s + 4.324 35
18. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m37.123s + 5.222 14
19. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m37.440s + 5.539 30
20. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m38.093s + 6.192 30
21. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m38.387s + 6.486 16
22. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m38.763s + 6.862 36
23. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m39.800s + 7.899 24
24. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m42.480s + 10.579 4

All Timing Unofficial

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

October 8, 2011 by joesaward

L

Button still shiny

October 8, 2011 by joesaward

Jenson Button continued his domination of practice for the Japanese GP on Saturday morning at Suzuka, with a lap that was half a second faster than team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Sebastian Vettel was third fastest , three-tenths behind Hamilton. Fernando Alono was next for Ferrari, ahead of Mark Webber, Felipe Massa, Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, Vitaly Petrov and Adrian Sutil. They were followed by the two Toro Rossos with Sebastien Buemi ahead of Jaime Alguersuari. Next up were the two Saubers with Kamui Kobayashi ahead of Sergio Perez. Paul di Resta was 15th ahead of Pastor Maldonado, while Bruno Senna was back in 17th, having caused a red flag when he crashed his Renault at the exit of the Spoon Curve. The shunt ripped the left front wheel off his car. Rubens Barrichello was 18th in his Williams, ahead of the two Lotuses of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen, the two Virgins of Jerome d’Ambrosio and Timo Glock and the two HRTs of Daniel Ricciardo and Tonio Liuzzi, the Italian stopping out on the track with apparent mechanical trouble.

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McLaren gifts pole to Vettel? icon_latest

October 8, 2011 by joesaward

Sebastian Vettel took pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix, but only after Lewis Hamilton missed the start of his final qualifying lap by a couple of seconds when the chequered flag came out. It was an expensive miscalculation for the McLaren team as Hamilton had looked the most likely to grab pole position after an impressive job in Q2. The McLarens were clearly very competitive but Vettel starts the race on Sunday at an advantage. Jenson Button finished up second on the grid, just a fraction slower than Vettel, while Hamilton had to settle for third from his first flying lap. Felipe Massa was fourth after Fernando Alonso messed up his first run with an off at Spoon. Mark Webber was a disappointing sixth while the botton four drivers did not run at all, a rather disappointing situation for the fans at Suzuka. This meant that Michael Schumacher will start seventh with Bruno Senna eighth, Vitaly Petrov ninth and Kamui Kobayashi 10th.

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m30.466s cheergirl
2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m30.475s + 0.009
3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m30.617s + 0.151
4. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m30.804s + 0.338
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m30.886s + 0.420
6. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m31.156s + 0.690
7. Michael Schumacher Mercedes No time
8. Bruno Senna Renault No time
9. Vitaly Petrov Renault No time
10. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari No time
Q2 cut-off time: 1m32.380s Gap **
11. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m32.463s + 1.997
12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m32.746s + 2.280
13. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m33.079s + 2.613
14. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m33.224s + 2.758
15. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m33.227s + 2.761
16. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m33.427s + 2.961
17. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari No time
Q1 cut-off time: 1m35.111s Gap *
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m35.454s + 2.828
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m35.514s + 2.888
20. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m36.439s + 3.813
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m36.507s + 3.881
22. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m37.846s + 5.220
23. Nico Rosberg Mercedes No time
24. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth No time

107% time: 1m39.109s

* Gap to quickest in Q1

** Gap to quickest in Q2

Like to think this one has a McLarens name on it! Time will tell

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Kobayashi to start seventh icon_latest

October 8, 2011 by joesaward

Kamui Kobayashi was promoted to seventh on the grid in Japan after deliberation over how grid positions seven to 10 should be configured for the Japanese GP.

Michael Schumacher, Bruno Senna, Vitaly Petrov and Kobayashi all failed to set a time in Q3 session, deciding that there was more to be gained by not running in qualifying and saving the tyres for the race. The initial classification listed the four cars in number order but the rules state that any driver who starts a flying lap should be classified ahead of those who do not run and so Kobayashi was given seventh because he crossed the line and then went into the pits at the end of the lap. Schumacher, Senna and Petrov all failed to get to the line before the chequered flag came out, so Kobayashi jumped ahead of them.

The start order will therefore be Kobayashi (7th), Schumacher (8th), Senna (9th) and Petrov (10th).

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Vettel clinches second F1 title as Button wins the Japanese Grand Prix bravo1
By Matt Beer Sunday, October 9th 2011, 07:38 GMT

Sebastian Vettel clinched the 2011 Formula 1 world championship with third place in the Japanese Grand Prix, as Jenson Button took victory for McLaren ahead of Fernando Alonso's Ferrari.

The result was Button's first win for McLaren in a totally dry race, and while Vettel's Suzuka winning streak ended, the Red Bull man's podium finish was still more than adequate to make him the champion for a second consecutive year.

Vettel clearly would have preferred to clinch his title with a win - underlining his determination by very firmly defending his lead against the faster starting Button off the line. The McLaren had to flirt with the grass in the close call, prompting Button to enquire over the radio whether Vettel ought to get a penalty. The incident was investigated, but no action was taken.

As Button lost momentum, his team-mate Lewis Hamilton swept around the outside of him into second, where he would stay until signs of a right rear puncture forced him to slow abruptly and make a slightly early pitstop at the end of lap seven. This would drop Hamilton to fourth once the first stops were completed, behind Alonso - who had passed his Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa into the first corner early on.

Button was keeping his tyres in better shape than Vettel, and closed right in on the Red Bull at the end of the stint. Vettel pitted a lap earlier and stayed ahead in the first stops - but not in the second stops on laps 19 and 20, where Button's superb in-lap pace and a great McLaren stop got the Briton out in the lead.

The safety car came out shortly afterwards to clear some debris, including a chunk of Massa's Ferrari bodywork deposited at the chicane when he made contact with Hamilton slapfight while trying to go around the outside of the McLaren for fourth. This clash was also investigated, but no action was taken.

With the pack bunched up by the yellow, Vettel found himself back in traffic when he made an early third stop to switch to medium tyres on lap 33.

Button ran three laps longer and extended his lead, with Alonso staying out a further lap still and emerging just ahead of the frustrated Vettel.

The soon-to-be-champion was all over Alonso for a while, until Red Bull suggested now was not the time to take any risks. Alonso then shot off after leader Button, closing to within a second before the McLaren raised its pace in response.

Mark Webber jumped Massa and Hamilton with an early second stop and secured fourth, while having lost out to Massa in the same pit sequence just after their clash, Hamilton overtook the Ferrari again into the first corner on lap 37.

Michael Schumacher took sixth, staying out very late before his third and final stop and therefore leading a grand prix for the first time in his F1 comeback. That strategy also allowed the Mercedes driver to beat Massa to sixth.

Two-stop strategies worked brilliantly for Sergio Perez (Sauber) and Vitaly Petrov (Renault) as they took eighth and ninth. Nico Rosberg charged from the back row to take the final point for Mercedes.

Home hero Kamui Kobayashi's hopes of a great race were ruined by a poor start that left him in traffic all afternoon. He could only finish 13th for Sauber, behind the two Force Indias.

Bruno Senna also lost out on lap one, getting away slightly slowly, then running wide. That and a slow first stop left his Renault only 16th.

The only retirement of the race was Sebastien Buemi, whose Toro Rosso left its first stop with its right front wheel dangling off.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The Japanese Grand Prix
Suzuka, Japan;
53 laps; 307.573km;
Weather: Sunny.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1h30:53.427
2. Alonso Ferrari + 1.160
3. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 2.006
4. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 8.071
5. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 24.268
6. Schumacher Mercedes + 27.120
7. Massa Ferrari + 28.240
8. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 39.377
9. 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

Fastest lap: Button, 1:36.568

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Team On lap
Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 35

World Championship standings, round 15:

Drivers: Constructors:
1. Vettel 324 1. Red Bull-Renault 518
2. Button 210 2. McLaren-Mercedes 388
3. Alonso 202 3. Ferrari 292
4. Webber 194 4. Mercedes 123
5. Hamilton 178 5. Renault 72
6. Massa 90 6. Force India-Mercedes 48
7. Rosberg 63 7. Sauber-Ferrari 40
8. Schumacher 60 8. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 29
9. Petrov 36 9. Williams-Cosworth 5
10. Heidfeld 34
11. Sutil 28
12. Kobayashi 27
13. Di Resta 20
14. Alguersuari 16
15. Buemi 13
16. Perez 13
17. Barrichello 4
18. Senna 2
19. Maldonado 1

All timing unofficial

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Hi Bums

Check this out ~~~ different huh!

http://www.zigwheels.com/news-features/news/red-bull-f1-car-goes-sky-high-at-khardung-la/9896/1

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Quote from: TBWG on October 12, 2011, 09:56:30 PM

Hi Bums

Check this out ~~~ different huh!

http://www.zigwheels.com/news-features/news/red-bull-f1-car-goes-sky-high-at-khardung-la/9896/1

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Red Bull tonguebar

Not as fast as a Red Jet spot1

Korean GP

P1: Das Lied der Deutschen

October 14, 2011 by joesaward

The German F1 drivers were on full song in the wet first practice session for the Korean GP with three in top four. Veteran Michael Schumacher was fastest ahead of World Champion (World Champion elect) Sebastian Vettel, with Adrian Sutil fourth in his Force ahead, althouh the bad new for Sutil was that he was overshadowed by his young team-mate Paul di Resta.

The sesson was probably not very significant as Sebastien Buemi was fifth, ahead of Kamui Kobaysashi, with the top 10 completed by Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Serio Perez and Mark Webber.

Karun Chandhok was 11th for Team Lotus, while Scuderia Toro Rosso new boy Jean-Eric Vergne did a good job to end up 13th. A number of drivers, including Jenson Button did only token lappery.
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FP2: Lewis and Jenson in dominant form

October 14, 2011 by joesaward

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button set the fastest laps of the second free practice session in Korea, the two separated by a tenth, but an impressive 1.7 seconds ahead of Sebastian Vettel, with Fernando Alonso fourth and Mark Webber fifth, a full two seconds off the McLaren lap times. The others in the top 10 were Jaime Alguersuari, Felipe Massa, Nico Rosberg, Sebastien Buemi and Paul di Resta. The times seemed to be of limited significance.

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

FP3: Button, thanks to Michael

October 15, 2011 by joesaward

Jenson Button set the fastest time in the free practice session on Saturday morning in Korea. Lewis Hamilton had looked faster but Michael Schumacher blocked Lewis in no uncertain terms and left Hamilton frustrated. Clearly the Mercedes was never going to be a match for the McLarens, the car being around two and half seconds a lap slower, but Michael seemed in no mood to get out of the way. Whether he was trying to screw with Hamilton’s head or simply being bloody-minded is hard to say. The same thing happened to Sebastian Vettel with Jaime Alguersuari being the man in the way. It will be interesting to see what happens in qualifying but Mercedes needs to be a little careful because the FIA Stewards gave the team a bit of a smack on Friday evening with a fine of €10,000 (€5,000 suspended) for failing to appear in a timely manner for a disciplinary investigation (which roughly translates as lack of respect for the authorities).

The rest of the session revealed little. The McLarens were seven-tenths clear of Mark Webber’s Red Bull with Fernando Alonso fourth ahead of Felipe Massa, Schumacher, Vitaly Petrov, Adrian Sutil, Vettel, Nico Rosberg, Paul di Resta and Alguersuari.

It will be interesting to see whether Red Bull’s usual qualifying boost will be enough to grab the pole yet again. This time it may be too high a mountain to climb.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Lewis Hamilton ends Red Bull's pole run in the Korean Grand Prix

By Matt Beer Saturday, October 15th 2011, 06:02 GMT

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton ended Red Bull's domination of 2011 qualifying in Korea, as he beat world champion Sebastian Vettel to pole position at Yeongam.

The result was Hamilton's first pole since last year's Canadian Grand Prix, and interrupted a run of Red Bull poles stretching back to Abu Dhabi last year.

Hamilton was quickest in the first two parts of qualifying, then pipped Vettel's Red Bull by 0.03 seconds as they made their first Q3 runs.

Jenson Button briefly made it an all-McLaren front row with his final Q3 shot, and though Vettel managed to beat the Suzuka winner by improving to a 1m36.042s on his second run, Hamilton was already delivering a 1m35.820s to beat the Red Bull. Vettel was still satisfied on the radio, though, having adopted an unusual qualifying strategy by using super softs in Q1 and saving a set of softs for the race.

Mark Webber abandoned his second flying lap and was fourth in the second Red Bull, ahead of the Ferraris. Felipe Massa outqualified Fernando Alonso for the second race in a row.

Mercedes' Nico Rosberg and Renault's Vitaly Petrov will share row four, with the Force Indias both reaching Q3 but choosing not to set times.

Rosberg was the only Mercedes driver in the top 10 as Michael Schumacher was squeezed out of the Q3 positions in a busy end to Q2. Troubled by a tyre vibration on his last lap, Schumacher was shuffled down to 12th, between the two Toro Rossos, with Jaime Alguersuari narrowly missing out on the top 10 when di Resta jumped ahead in the closing moments.

Bruno Senna was 0.6s down on Renault team-mate Petrov in Q2 so ended up 15th.

It was a low-key session for Sauber, as Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez took only 14th and 17th, while Williams struggled again - Pastor Maldonado knocking team-mate Rubens Barrichello out in Q1 then only making it to 16th.

At the back, the Lotus, Virgin and HRT drivers lined up in familiar order, with Daniel Ricciardo unable to set a time due to a technical issue.

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m35.820s
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m36.042s + 0.222
3. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m36.126s + 0.306
4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m36.468s + 0.648
5. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m36.831s + 1.011
6. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m36.980s + 1.160
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m37.754s + 1.934
8. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m38.124s + 2.304
9. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes no time
10. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes no time
Q2 cut-off time: 1m38.254s Gap **
11. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m38.315s + 1.789
12. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m38.354s + 1.828
13. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m38.508s + 1.982
14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m38.775s + 2.249
15. Bruno Senna Renault 1m38.791s + 2.265
16. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m39.189s + 2.663
17. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m39.443s + 2.917
Q1 cut-off time: 1m39.464s Gap *
18. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m39.538s + 2.013
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m40.522s + 2.997
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m41.101s + 3.576
21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m42.091s + 4.566
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m43.483s + 5.958
23. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m43.758s + 6.233
24. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth no time

107% time: 1m44.351s

* Gap to quickest in Q1

** Gap to quickest in Q2

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Vettel takes commanding win in Korea

By Jamie O'Leary Sunday, October 16th 2011,

Sebastian Vettel cruised to his 10th win of the season at the Korean Grand Prix, wrapping up back-to-back Constructors' World Championship titles for Red Bull in the process.

The German, who took the drivers' title last weekend in Japan, started second on the grid alongside Lewis Hamilton, but outbraked his McLaren into Turn 4 on the opening lap to take a decisive advantage.

A four-second lead was wiped out when Vitaly Petrov took Michael Schumacher out of the race at Turn 3, the resultant debris bringing out the safety car. But when racing resumed, Vettel was again able to pull away. His eventual winning margin over Hamilton was 11s.

Hamilton's runner-up spot was anything but easy. Mark Webber, in the second Red Bull, was never more than 1.5s behind him, and closed onto the McLaren driver's tail during the second half of the race.

A quick decision to bring Hamilton in for his final pitstop just as his rear tyres were beginning to go off managed to keep him ahead of Webber - who stopped on the same lap.

The Australian seemed to have more pace than the Briton, the pair running side-by-side for a number of corners on lap 34, and Webber eventually making it into second at the first corner with five laps to go.

Blessed with the superior traction of the McLaren, and employing a tactic of using all his KERS and DRS at the same time, Hamilton retook the position seconds later on the long run down to Turn 3, and held it to the finish, even setting the fastest lap on the penultimate tour.

Jenson Button fell from third to sixth on the opening lap following strong starts from Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso. Such was Massa's lack of pace on worn tyres, that Nico Rosberg made it a four-way battle for the position as they approached the opening round of pitstops.

While Alonso dropped out of the battle after staying out too long on worn rubber, the action concerned Button and Rosberg, who pitted together on lap 14.

Rosberg got out ahead of Button, the Briton giving way at the pit exit after running side-by-side with the Mercedes driver down the pitlane, but then surrendered the position by outbraking himself and running wide as the rejoined the track.

Rosberg regained the place with the aid of DRS a few seconds later, but could only keep the McLaren behind him for another lap.

Massa, by this stage, had fallen behind the pair, and was also overtaken by Alonso at the second round of stops, after a couple of sensational laps from the Spaniard on old rubber.

Button and Alonso finished fourth and fifth, just behind the Hamilton/Webber battle, while Massa was next up.

Jaime Alguersuari put in another strong performance to finish seventh, the Spaniard passing Rosberg for the position on the final lap after a couple of unsuccessful earlier attempts, while his Toro Rosso team-mate Sebastien Buemi was one place further back.

Paul di Resta completed the points scorers, ahead of his Force India team-mate Adrian Sutil, while Pastor Maldonado - who was in the mix with the Force Indias behind the safety car, was given a drive-through penalty for hitting a bollard at pit entry, and later retired.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The Korean Grand Prix
Korea Auto Valley, Yongam, Korea;
55 laps; 305.909km;
Weather: Dry.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h30:01.994
2. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 12.019
3. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 12.477
4. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 14.694
5. Alonso Ferrari + 15.689
6. Massa Ferrari + 25.133
7. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 49.538
8. Rosberg Mercedes + 54.053
9. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:02.762
10. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1:08.602
11. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1:11.229
12. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1:33.068
13. Senna Renault + 1 lap
14. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault + 1 lap
15. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
16. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
17. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 1 lap
18. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 1 lap
19. Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth + 1 lap
20. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 1 lap
21. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth + 3 laps

Fastest lap: Vettel, 1:39.605

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Team On lap
Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 31
Petrov Renault 17
Schumacher Mercedes 16

World Championship standings, round 16:

Drivers: Constructors:
1. Vettel 349 1. Red Bull-Renault 558
2. Button 222 2. McLaren-Mercedes 418
3. Alonso 212 3. Ferrari 310
4. Webber 209 4. Mercedes 127
5. Hamilton 196 5. Renault 72
6. Massa 98 6. Force India-Mercedes 49
7. Rosberg 67 7. Sauber-Ferrari 40
8. Schumacher 60 8. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 37
9. Petrov 36 9. Williams-Cosworth 5
10. Heidfeld 34
11. Sutil 28
12. Kobayashi 27
13. Alguersuari 22
14. Di Resta 21
15. Buemi 15
16. Perez 13
17. Barrichello 4
18. Senna 2
19. Maldonado 1

TBWG burirampea burirampea burirampea

Neel Jani drives new Indian GP circuit ~~~see https://www.redbullcontentpool.com/stock/showVideoOffer.action?offerID=1319192101103-2010327409

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Hi from hot sticky, smelly Delhi
Provisional grid:

(after lots of naughty boys penalised!)

1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault
3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari
4. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes
5. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes
8. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes
9. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari
10. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari
11. Michael Schumacher Mercedes

12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes
13. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth
14. Bruno Senna Renault
15. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth
16. Vitaly Petrov Renault
17. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault
20. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari

21. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth
22. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth
23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth
24. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Hi David from a hot, sticky and smelly Prakhonchai.

Enjoy the main event tomorrow - report no doubt to follow.

Hi David, It had slipped my mind that you were going to be reporting to us from track side. Apparently the BBC commentators have been asked to find another word for dust and dusty, something to do with the amount of dust on the track and DUST coming in from the surrounding farmland. I noticed that you have not mentioned d**t yet so you must be in a non d**t part of the track. I trust that you will be able to give us a full and clear report through the "whats that word again!!" best regards have a good trip and will look forward to a comprehensive report of the whole trip when you get back to Buriram, cheers H

It will soon be "done and dusted"!

Wow just discovered I can post from circuit! Dusty but Internet friendly.Hope no dogs on circuit today! But all things considered not a bad effort. In depth report to follow assuming I can get back (floods permitting). TBWG

Just watched a support race in which British driver Alice Powell came 2nd. Commentator made lots of comments like Alices pink helmet!!! Also she is being squeezed hard and nearly had an off! TBWG

Hi David,
here in Australia the live telecast starts at 7.30pm with one hour catch up on events and then the main event at 8.30pm. I will look for you in the crowd. At many GP's that would be as sensible as saying see you there I will be the one in the Ferrari cap! Not that I would be seen dead wearing the prancing horses apparel. However I feel that there maybe no shortage of seats in the stands. I look forward to hearing a colour piece from you on the ticket take up by the locals and any other observations you care to make on the general ambiance......isn't it ( spoken in best Indian accent ) Amazing tash on the copper what,what!
Yours in pith helmet and tropical rig,
John thumbup

Hi Fans

Well just had a shower back at the guest house and no longer look like a dust devil!

Had some good luck at the circuit and have many good pics, but so many that I will have to wait until I get back to Satuk to download them and write up my report which may be cr*p but will have good pics.

Right packing now for early start to airport, hope Suvarnabhumi is not waterlogged!

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

David,

Latest reports suggest that you should be OK.

Hi F1 Bums

Well I am now home in Satuk and preparing my in depth report!

But as little taster here are a couple of pics.

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Nice pics - is the front girl in red a khatoey

Hi David
Is that you in the middle with the light blue shirt?

Quote from: F1ART on November 01, 2011, 03:04:47 PM

Hi David
Is that you in the middle with the light blue shirt?

Adrian you know full well blue does not suit me! Coco sorry no Katoeys in India but she does have a slight tash!

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Next Instament in a passage to India !

Well arrived safely in India and will someone please give me a good slapping if I ever critisize Thai drivers again as they are angels compared to Indians! This is not my first time in India so I should have known better.

But it appears that once behind the wheel they think they are immortal and anyone in their way should just make way for them, consequently they just lay on the horn even when there it utter gridlock in front of them!

Anyway, I arrive at a dusty bus park early Friday morning to board the bus only to find that my bus pass ticket has been supplied minus the tear off slip that allows me on the bus, no I MUST have the tear off slip! They seem unable to grasp the fact that I cannot get back to Europe and sort out this piece of paper in the 20 minutes before the bus leaves.

A lot of persistance means I am passed up the chain of command, can I get a photo copy of the ticket stub that I do have. Well as mentioned I am in the middle of dusty car park, don't speak the lingo and there do not appear to be any shops in sight! So no I can't get a photocopy. Once again I am passed up the chain of command, where the whole rigmarole is gone through again, once more further up the chain of command. It appears to me that this whole chain of command lark is just to polish the egos of people in the chain so they can lord it over those below them for their moment of glory before they start grovelling to the next higher level.

Well someone makes an executive decision that they will take a note of the number of the ticket then I can get on the bus. Only problem is I have 2 more days to catch this bus and no tear off strip for any of them!

The suicidal driver of this 30 year old? bus eventually sets off for the circuit a maximum speed and half an hour later here we are at the new Buddh Circuit

More to follow!

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

PS Pic below shows new Ferrari rear end! plus more attractive option!

Greetz fans!

First impression on arrival at circuit reasonably impressed, but after going through security and being told I could not bring in my sarnies and having my water confiscated I am not too happy.

Eventually get in after having my ticket scutinised on at least 6 occassions by locals all revelling in their moment of glory!

So I make my way to the press accreditation department and tell them I am the GP correspondent for Buriram Expats. They are most impressed when I tell them that the 2 regular readers of the blog are waiting with bated breath for my in depth reporting and promptly show me the door. I think in Hindi it went something like bugger off and don't waste our time!

Not to be put off I managed to scrounge an FIA vest from a contracter and combined with an official FIA pass for the 2011 Chinese GP managed to blag my way in to the restricted area.

I hope you guys appreciate my sterling efforts and show your appreciation in the usual way. e.g. a bottle of Archa!

Well I am now feeling a bit peckish and could do with some refreshment, well can't buy food with cash need to buy with vouchers, queue for said vouchers can be seen from the moon it is so long. Half hour later I am feeling pleased with myself as I have a fist full of vouchers for the 3 days, oh dear I am advised by another irate englishman that vouchers can only be used on day of purchase. H'mmm.

To late but I need a nice cool beer to perk me up! beer, beer, no beer for sale at the circuit, for christ sake they are Hindus not Muslims and Kingfisher beer amongst others sponsor the teams.

I soon find out that buying beer in India is not easy, but the Kingfisher special at 8% has a kick when you finally track it down.

Well I think I will go and sit in the stands and eat my grub and finish off my can of pop, sorry sir no cans in the grandstand. By now my blood presure is off the scale and I am on the point of being ejected from the circuit after telling all and sundry what a petty bunch of ar**holes they are.

I will say that they learn quick and the following days things got a hell of a lot easier, but it takes time to filter down to the minions who are relishing their new found power.

Most importantly as a cheap Charlie I was able to use my vouchers on the following days.

More to follow! Oh yes and the race!

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

PS Yes I know I am incapable of putting the vest on properly!

Next instalment

Well you don't want to read any of my biased drivel on the race so I have nicked an excellent report by F1 Fanatic

30th October 2011 by Keith Collantine

Sebastian Vettel had the Indian Grand Prix under control from the first lap of the race and took his 11th win of the season.

He was never threatened by Jenson Button, who finished second, while Mark Webber slipped to fourth behind Fernando Alonso.

Alonso had lost ground at the start as he ran wide at the first corner, falling behind Button. As they came onto the long back straight Button lined up Webber and took second place.

Behind them several cars had made contact: Rubens Barrichello lost his front wing at the first corner and ran wide, pushing Kamui Kobayashi off.

The Sauber driver drove into the path of Timo Glock when he returned to the track. The pair made contact, which ultimately put both out.

As they reached turn three Narain Karthikeyan hit Jarno Trulli, tipping the Lotus into a spin, but both continued.

Vettel set about extending his customary advantage at the start. Webber had a couple of looks at Button in the DRS zone, enough to force the McLaren driver to defend, but not enough to make a pass.

Behind them were the two Ferraris, Felipe Massa having passed Lewis Hamilton off the line.

The two Mercedes were next, Michael Schumacher behind Nico Rosberg. Like Vettel in Korea, Schumacher had avoided using his KERS when the lights went out, using it all on the long back straight, and moving up to eighth.

Adrian Sutil and Bruno Senna were behind them but they soon came under attack from the Toro Rossos. Using their superior straight line speed and the added boost of the DRS zone, Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi both moved ahead. Senna complained his KERS wasn’t working as he fell back into the clutches of Pastor Maldonado.

By lap 17 Vettel’s lead had stabilised at just over four seconds. Webber, Alonso and Hamilton pitted together shortly after. Vettel and Button stayed out the next time by but Massa did come in.
Massa and Hamilton clash again

On lap 24 Massa made a slight mistake at turn one and suddenly Hamilton was all over him. On the next lap Hamilton had a run at the Ferrari going into turn five.

Massa moved to defend his position but Hamilton was able to get down the inside of the Ferrari. Massa turned in, and contact was as inevitable as it was avoidable.

The stewards concluded Massa had caused the latest collision between the two and handed him a drive-through penalty. Hamilton had to pit for a new front wing.

Massa’a race quickly went off the rails as he had to switch to the unfavourable hard tyres – a legacy of having lost a set of softs during his qualifying crash. The vibrating front wing from practice made a reappearance and shortly afterwards he was out of the race.

Heading into turn nine Massa hid the kerb on the inside and suffered a repeat of his suspension failure from qualifying. The visibly unhappy Ferrari driver stalked back to the pits.

None of this troubled Vettel who was troubled only by the occasional dawdling backmarker on his way to victory. Button closed on him during the pit stops, Vettel pitting after the McLaren driver on their two visits, but was always able to re-establish his lead.

Alonso closed on Webber during the second stint and the Red Bull driver made an early switch to hard tyres, hoping to preserve his advantage. It didn’t work: Alonso came out of his final pit stop back in front of the Red Bull driver.
Schumacher jumps past Rosberg

The Mercedes drivers also traded places at the final round of pit stops. Schumacher stayed out longer on the soft tyres to jump ahead of his team mate and claim fifth.

Hamilton progressed no further than seventh, complaining of understeer in his McLaren after the contact with Massa. Alguersuari claimed eighth for Toro Rosso but his team mate retired halfway through.

Senna ran in the points towards the end of the race but it was an illusion – he hadn’t made his mandatory switch to hard tyres and once he did he slipped to 12th.

That promoted Sutil and Sergio Perez. The latter used the opposite strategy to Senna, starting the race on hard tyres and getting rid of them early, going on to claim the final point.

Vitaly Petrov did likewise and had a couple of scruffy off-track moment on his way to 11th. Paul di Resta was another driver who started the race on hard tyres, hoping for an early safety car period which never happened. He finished 13th.

The Lotus of Heikki Kovalainen was 14th having run as high as tenth during the race. He finished ahead of the delayed Barrichello.

Behind Jerome d’Ambrosio, Narain Karthikyean brought his HRT home ahead of team mate Daniel Ricciardo, who made an extra pit stop late in the race. Trulli was the final runner.

With both titles already won, Vettel continues to amass more records. Today he had his first perfect result (pole, win, fastest lap, led every lap) and set a new record for most laps led during a season.

The Indian Grand Prix may have been a new event at a new track. But with Vettel continuing his domination, another run-in for Massa and Hamilton, and Webber and Alonso battling for position, the race had a decidedly familiar feel.

pos     Country     Driver     Car   Team     Grid   Fastest lap   Race time   Points
1   germany   Sebastian Vettel   1   Red Bull-Renault   1   1:27.249   1:30:35.002   25
2   great britain   Jenson Button   4   McLaren-Mercedes   4   1:27.967   +00:08.433   18
3   spain   Fernando Alonso   5   Ferrari   3   1:27.953   +00:24.301   15
4   australia   Mark Webber   2   Red Bull-Renault   2   1:27.520   +00:25.529   12
5   germany   Michael Schumacher   7   Mercedes GP   11   1:28.549   +01:05.421   10
6   germany   Nico Rosberg   8   Mercedes GP   7   1:28.600   +01:06.851   8
7   great britain   Lewis Hamilton   3   McLaren-Mercedes   5   1:28.721   +01:24.183   6
8   spain   Jaime Alguersuari   19   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   10   1:29.239   lapped   4
9   germany   Adrian Sutil   14   Force India-Mercedes   8   1:29.289   lapped   2
10   mexico   Sergio Perez   17   Sauber   20   1:29.345   lapped   1
11   russian federation   Vitaly Petrov   10   Renault   16   1:29.289   lapped
12   brazil   Bruno Senna   9   Renault   14   1:29.310   lapped
13   great britain   Paul Di Resta   15   Force India-Mercedes   12   1:28.679   lapped
14   finland   Heikki Kovalainen   20   Lotus-Renault   18   1:30.294   lapped
15   brazil   Rubens Barrichello   11   Williams-Cosworth   15   1:28.635   lapped
16   belgium   Jerome d'Ambrosio   25   Virgin-Cosworth   21   1:31.990   lapped
17   india   Narain Karthikeyan   22   HRT-Cosworth   24   1:31.988   lapped
18   australia   Daniel Ricciardo   23   HRT-Cosworth   23   1:31.674   lapped
19   italy   Jarno Trulli   21   Lotus-Renault   19   1:31.691   lapped
20   brazil   Felipe Massa   6   Ferrari   6   1:30.243   retired, 32 laps
21   switzerland   Sebastien Buemi   18   Toro Rosso-Ferrari   9   1:30.956   retired, 24 laps
22   venezuela   Pastor Maldonado   12   Williams-Cosworth   13   1:33.573   retired, 12 laps
23   germany   Timo Glock   24   Virgin-Cosworth   22   2:09.008   retired, 2 laps
24   japan   Kamui Kobayashi   16   Sauber   17      retired, 0 laps

TBWG

PS 2nd pic shows drivers observing 1 minute silence for Dan Wheldon & Marco Simoncelli

More pics

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Well if you are still awake and not bored stiff and would like to see the complete album of pics in all it's glory, just PM your email address and I will forward it!

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Well done David, excellent reporting, I am confident that your contract will be renewed at the end of the season so please do not be tempted by any silly offers from the likes of Autocar or anyone else as you have a loyal following at Buriram Expats!!

Abu Dhabi

1st practice

Webber pushes Button
by joesaward

Jenson Button set the fastest time of the first practice session in Abu Dhabi, with Mark Webber in hot pursuit in his Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton was third fastest, with World Champion-elect Sebastian Vettel fourth. The two Ferraris were next up with Fernando Alonso ahead of Felipe Massa (as per usual), although both men had big spins in the course of the session. Adrian Sutil was next up in his Force India, ahead of Nico Rosberg, Paul di Resta and the two Toro Rossos of Jaime Alguersuari and Jean-Eric Vergne.

The Renaults of Romain Grosjean and Vitaly Petrov were next up ahead of the Williams of Pastor Maldonado, Michael Schumacher and the two Saubers of Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi. Then came the two Lotuses of Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli, the two HRTs of Tonio Liuzzi and Daniel Ricciardo, the Virgins of Timo Glock and Robert Wickens, the former having a big spin as he raced to keep the youngster at bay, with Rubens Barrichello at the back, the victim of a mechanical problem.

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2nd practice blurb by Joe Saward

Lewis Hamilton set a hot pace in the cool of the evening in Abu Dhabi on Friday, outpacing his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button in the moonlight. The two Ferraris were third and fourth but the Italian cars were being pished hard by the drivers with Fernando Alonso again going off, glancing a wall on this occasion. The Red Bull Racing drivers were also pushing hard, with both going on. Mark Webber having a spin and Sebastian Vettel sliding sideways into a wall. The German’s car was returned to the pits and rejoined at the end of the session, but the two men ended up fifth and sixth with the Australian ahead. Michael Schumacher was seventh ahead of the two Force Indias of Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta, with the Saubers of Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez next, ahead of the Toro Rosso of Sebastien Buemi, the Renault of Vitaly Petrov, Jaime Alguersuari’s STR and Bruno Senna in the second Renault.

The two Williamses were 16th and 17th ahead of the two Lotuses, Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes, which was testing new parts, and the Virgins of Timo Glock and Jerome d’Ambrosio. At the back as ever were Tonio Liuzzi and Daniel Ricciardo in the HRTs.

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Vettel on pole in Abbu Dhabbu :(

Vettel pops McLaren bubble

November 12, 2011 by joesaward

Sebastian Vettel beat the two McLarens to pole position in Abu Dhabi, with a last minute run, just when it looked like Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button would start the race 1-2. Mark Webber was fourth. Ferrari were fifth and sixth with Fernando Alonso ahead of Felipe Massa. Mercedes were seventh and eighth with Nico Rosberg outgunning Michael Schumacher, while the top 10 was completed by the Force Indias of Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta.

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m38.481s
2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m38.622s + 0.141
3. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m38.631s + 0.150
4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m38.858s + 0.377
5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m39.058s + 0.577
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m39.695s + 1.214
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m39.773s + 1.292
8. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m40.662s + 2.181
9. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m40.768s + 2.287
10. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes
Q2 cut-off time: 1m40.554s Gap **
11. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m40.874s + 2.440
12. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m40.919s + 2.485
13. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m41.009s + 2.575
14. Bruno Senna Renault 1m41.079s + 2.645
15. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m41.162s + 2.728
16. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m41.240s + 2.806
17. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m41.760s + 3.326
Q1 cut-off time: 1m42.605s Gap *
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m42.979s + 3.197
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m43.884s + 4.102
20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m44.515s + 4.733
21. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m44.641s + 4.859
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m44.699s + 4.917
23. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m45.159s + 5.377
24. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosoworth no time

107% time: 1m46.766s

* Gap to quickest in Q1

** Gap to quickest in Q2

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Hamilton dominates the Abu Dhabi GP as Sebastian Vettel retires
By Matt Beer Sunday, November 13th 2011,

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton ended a victory drought stretching back to July by winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - after world champion Sebastian Vettel retired on the very first lap due to damage from a puncture.

Fernando Alonso was a close second for Ferrari, with Jenson Button completing the podium despite KERS issues on his McLaren.

Vettel had surged into a clear lead from pole at the first corner, but just one bend later his Red Bull was slewing into a wild spin as its right rear tyre deflated. The champion tried to nurse his car back to the pits, but the flailing rubber had already done too much damage, so Vettel posted his first retirement since last year's Korean GP.

That put Hamilton into the lead, with Alonso in second having passed Mark Webber (Red Bull) at the start and then gone around the outside of Button at the end of the back straight to secure second.

There was little to choose between the McLaren and Ferrari for most of the rest of the race - with the gap sometimes barely more than a second. Ferrari tried to gain an advantage by running longer before Alonso's second stop, but to no avail, and in the final stint Hamilton's lead grew to more comfortable levels as he headed towards his third win of an often-troubled 2011 season.

After losing time with a stubborn wheel at his first stop, Webber tried to regain ground with a three-stop strategy that saw him only change to the harder Pirellis on the very last lap. That did not allow him to beat Button - with whom he had battled fiercely for much of the race - but he did take fourth, helped by Felipe Massa's challenge fading when the Ferrari had a quick spin with six laps to go. The Brazilian quickly rejoined to take fifth.

Mercedes duo Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher had a spectacular early battle, won by the younger German, who went on to take sixth, close behind Massa. Schumacher narrowly beat Force India's Adrian Sutil to seventh. Sutil's team-mate Paul di Resta and Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi completed the points scorers, the former pulling off a one-stop strategy.

Just outside the top 10, Rubens Barrichello ended Williams's awful weekend on a slightly brighter note by charging from the back of the grid to 12th, right on 11th-placed Sauber driver Sergio Perez's tail.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Yas Marina, United Arab Emirates;
55 laps; 305.355km;
Weather: Clear.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1h37:11.886
2. Alonso Ferrari + 8.457
3. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 25.881
4. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 35.784
5. Massa Ferrari + 50.578
6. Rosberg Mercedes + 52.317
7. Schumacher Mercedes + 1:15.900
8. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1:17.100
9. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1:40.000
10. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
11. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
12. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
13. Petrov Renault + 1 lap
14. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
15. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
16. Senna Renault + 1 lap
17. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault + 1 lap
18. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
19. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps
20. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps

Fastest lap: Webber, 1:42.612

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Team On lap
Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 49
Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 19
D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 18
Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1

World Championship standings, round 18:

Drivers: Constructors:
1. Vettel 374 1. Red Bull-Renault 607
2. Button 255 2. McLaren-Mercedes 482
3. Alonso 245 3. Ferrari 353
4. Webber 233 4. Mercedes 159
5. Hamilton 227 5. Renault 72
6. Massa 108 6. Force India-Mercedes 57
7. Rosberg 83 7. Sauber-Ferrari 42
8. Schumacher 76 8. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 41
9. Petrov 36 9. Williams-Cosworth 5
10. Sutil 34
11. Heidfeld 34
12. Kobayashi 28
13. Alguersuari 26
14. Di Resta 23
15. Buemi 15
16. Perez 14
17. Barrichello 4
18. Senna 2
19. Maldonado 1

All timing unofficial

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Brazil 1st practice. icon_latest

G’day for Webber
by joesaward

Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber made a good start to the day on Friday at Interlagos with the fastest time of the first practice session for the Brazilian GP at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo. The Australian was just a fraction ahead of Jenson Button's McLaren and a tenth ahead of the similar car of Lewis Hamilton, while Sebastian Vettel was a tenth down on Hamilton. The Ferraris were fifth and sixth with local hero Felipe Massa ahead, but Fernando Alonso ended the session stopped out on the track with what appeared to be an engine problem of some sort. Michael Schumacher was seventh but only just ahead of fellow countryman Nico Hulkenberg, who was standing in for Adrian Sutil in the session, in the Force India. Hulkenberg beat team-mate Paul di Resta by a tenth. Nico Rosberg completed the top 10 in the second Mercedes, ahead of Jaime Alguersuari's Toro Rosso, Romain Grosjean's Renault (although this also stopped out on the track), Rubens Barrichello's Williams (at the start of what might be his final F1 race weekend as a driver) and Bruno Senna in the second Renault (on what might be his last race for that team). Kamui Kobayashi was 15th, despite a spin, with Pastor Maldonado next in his Williams (in what may be his last...) and Sergio Perez in the second Sauber.

Jean-Eric Vergne was surprisingly slower than Alguersuari in the second Toro Rosso, which suggest that the Frenchman may have had a problem, while the rear end of the timesheet featured the two Lotuses of Heikki Kovalainen and local boy Luiz Razia, the Virgins of Timo Glock (who stopped out on the track) and Jerome d'Ambrosio (in what may be his last...) and the two HRTs of Daniel Ricciardo and Jan Charouz.

The session featured trials of a new TV camera attached to Sebastian Vettel's helmet. Helmetcam nono was new, different and rather vomit-inducing if you watched too closely.

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Lewis Hamilton tops second Friday practice for McLaren in Brazil

By Matt Beer   Friday, November 25th 2011,

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton led the way in the second free practice session for the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.

Amid continued perfect weather at the Sao Paulo track, Hamilton spent the vast majority of the afternoon at the head of the order.

His first serious lap time of the session - a 1m13.852s - put him on top from the 11th minute to the 49th, and was only beaten when others switched to the softer tyres.

It was Michael Schumacher's Mercedes that deposed Hamilton, as the former champion put in a 1m13.723s. But six minutes later Hamilton was back out on soft rubber too, improving to first 1m13.653s, then the 1m13.392s that would keep him on top to the end.

World champion Sebastian Vettel eventually claimed second for Red Bull, 0.167 seconds off Hamilton's pace, and just ahead of RBR team-mate Mark Webber.

Fernando Alonso was the leading Ferrari driver in fourth, with Schumacher staying among the frontrunners in fifth.

Felipe Massa completed the top six for Ferrari, while Jenson Button spent a long spell just behind team-mate Hamilton in second before falling to seventh as he did not make a particular large pace jump on softs.

Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) and the Force Indias of Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta completed the top 10.

The only notable incident of the session was a gearbox failure for Sergio Perez, which stranded his Sauber on the climb out of Juncao with a few minutes to go.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m13.392s 35
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m13.559s + 0.167   41
3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m13.587s + 0.195   41
4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m13.598s + 0.206   35
5. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m13.723s + 0.331   38
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m13.750s + 0.358   39
7. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m13.787s + 0.395   36
8. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m13.872s + 0.480   42
9. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m14.144s + 0.752   41
10. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m14.807s + 1.415   48
11. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m14.856s + 1.464   38
12. Bruno Senna Renault 1m14.931s + 1.539   37
13. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m14.970s + 1.578   32
14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m15.019s + 1.627   45
15. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m15.264s + 1.872   44
16. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m15.388s + 1.996   41
17. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m15.679s + 2.287   43
18. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m15.903s + 2.511   40
19. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m16.298s + 2.906   36
20. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m16.338s + 2.946   48
21. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m18.031s + 4.639   39
22. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m18.051s + 4.659   45
23. Daniel Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 1m18.367s + 4.975   42
24. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m18.476s + 5.084   42

All Timing Unofficial

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Yet more Bull…

November 26, 2011 by joesaward

Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time of the third practice session for the Brazilian GP at an overcast Interlagos on Saturday morning, lapping the track just 0.087s faster than Jenson Button’s McLaren with both Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton just a tenth behind. Fernando Alonso was fifth but his Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa was back in 10th, having been jumped in FP3 by Adrian Sutil’s Force India, the two Mercedes of Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher and Paul di Resta in the second Force India.

Eleventh fastest was Vitaly Petrov, but Bruno Senna was again in the wars, setting the 17th best time. Rubens Barrichello was 12th ahead of Jaime Alguersuari’s Toro Rosso, Kamui Kobayashi’s Sauber, the Williams of Pastor Maldonado and the Sauber of Sergio Perez.

Behind Senna were the two Lotuses of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen, the Virgin of Jerome d’Ambrosio, the two HRTs of Tonio Liuzzi and Daniel Ricciardo and the Virgin of Timo Glock.

Right at the back was the Toro Rosso of Sebastien Buemi, which was reported to have gearbox troubles.

In the paddock this morning the F1 circus was joined by the two Nelson Piquets, Emerson Fittiapldi and by Gil de Ferran.

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Business as usual

November 26, 2011 by joesaward

Sebastian Vettel took his 15th pole position of the year – a new record – and pronounced (as usual): “That’s what I am talking about!” Next year he needs a new catchphrase as this one is worn out. It was nonetheless another superlative performance by the Milton Keynes team with Mark Webber second a couple of tenths behind, but ahead of the two McLarens of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. Fernando Alonso was fifth in the Ferrari, with team-mate Felipe Massa seventh, the two split by Nico Rosberg. Michael Schumacher did not run and ended up 10th in the second Mercedes. Adrian Sutil was eighth for Force India, with Bruno Senna ninth in the Renault.

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Webbo goes nuts in Brazil! yeahme

Mark Webber grabs first win of the year in season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix
By Matt Beer Sunday, November 27th 2011,

Mark Webber finally claimed his first victory of the 2011 Formula 1 season in the very last race of the year, as gearbox troubles for world champion Sebastian Vettel opened the door for his Red Bull team-mate in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Red Bull absolutely dominated the Interlagos race, with Vettel holding the lead at the start, and Webber fending off the cars behind for second despite a slightly slower getaway.

Vettel soon opened up a stable three-second gap to Webber, as the Red Bull duo left the rest in their wake at a rate sometimes up to one second per lap.

But from the early laps Vettel was receiving radio messages warning him to short-shift to nurse a developing gearbox problem, and as the warnings became more vehement, his pace slowed enough for Webber to sweep into the lead on lap 29.

While the Australian went on to take his first win since the 2010 Hungarian GP, Vettel still had enough pace to hang on for second.

He was helped by McLaren's Jenson Button and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso battling over third. Alonso passed Lewis Hamilton's McLaren at the start, then claimed third from Button with a spectacular move around the outside at Ferradura on lap 11.

Alonso then pulled away, only to lose pace on the harder tyres in his final stint, allowing Button to catch and re-pass him nine laps from the finish with an easy DRS pass after various earlier attempts were rebuffed.

Hamilton was set to battle with Felipe Massa - who stopped just twice while most made three pitstops - for fifth until a gearbox failure halted the McLaren, ensuring the Ferrari could keep the place.

Adrian Sutil charged to sixth for Force India, beating Mercedes' Nico Rosberg and the second Force India of Paul di Resta.

Ninth place for Kamui Kobayashi ensured Sauber beat Toro Rosso - which failed to score - to seventh in the constructors' championship. Vitaly Petrov completed the points-scorers for Renault.

His team-mate Bruno Senna clashed with Michael Schumacher at the Senna S early on, giving the Mercedes a puncture. The stewards awarded Senna a drive-through penalty for the collision and with gearbox troubles also developing, he fell to 17th, while Schumacher got back to 15th.

Rubens Barrichello was unable to score in what could be his final grand prix. A poor start dropped the Williams to 21st and he was only able to recover to 14th.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The Brazilian Grand Prix
Interlagos, Sao Paulo, Brazil;
71 laps; 305.909km;
Weather: Cloudy.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time
1. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1h32:17.434
2. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 16.983
3. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 27.638
4. Alonso Ferrari + 35.048
5. Massa Ferrari + 1:06.733
6. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
7. Rosberg Mercedes + 1 lap
8. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap
9. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
10. Petrov Renault + 1 lap
11. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
12. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap
13. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1 lap
14. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap
15. Schumacher Mercedes + 1 lap
16. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
17. Senna Renault + 2 laps
18. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 2 laps
19. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 3 laps
20. Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth + 3 laps

Fastest lap: Webber, 1:15.324

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Team On lap
Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 62
Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 37
Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 27
Glock Virgin-Cosworth 22

World Championship standings, round 19:

Drivers: Constructors:
1. Vettel 392 1. Red Bull-Renault 650
2. Button 270 2. McLaren-Mercedes 497
3. Webber 258 3. Ferrari 375
4. Alonso 257 4. Mercedes 165
5. Hamilton 227 5. Renault 73
6. Massa 118 6. Force India-Mercedes 69
7. Rosberg 89 7. Sauber-Ferrari 44
8. Schumacher 76 8. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 41
9. Sutil 42 9. Williams-Cosworth 5
10. Petrov 37
11. Heidfeld 34
12. Kobayashi 30
13. Di Resta 27
14. Alguersuari 26
15. Buemi 15
16. Perez 14
17. Barrichello 4
18. Senna 2
19. Maldonado 1

All timing unofficial

Well thats your lot for this season :( Lets hope 2012 not so one sided.

TBWG sawadi burirampea burirampea burirampea

Buriram Expats

Buriram Province - General Category => Sports, Hobbies & Activities in Buriram => Topic started by: TBWG on November 15, 2010, 08:41:51 PM