Race Of Champions Round Up: Germany & Albuquerque Win, Kovalainen Drama
Team Germany ran away to success in the Race of Champions Nation Cup last weekend, a victory on home soil in Dusseldorf for the pairing of Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher.
The pair overcame stiff competition from top motorsport countries of the world, as drivers from all motorsport disciplines tried their hand in a variety of cars on the circuit.
Meanwhile in the individual classification there was a surprise winner in Filipe Albuquerque, the relative unknown driver who has spent the last two seasons racing GT cars in Italy. He previously raced in Gp2 and Formula Renault 3.5.
“I was not really expecting to win. I just came here to do my best. I don’t know if it will open doors. I think I know what I want. But let’s see, take it day by day.
“I came here, did my best, when it counted it was good. Even if I had not won, even being so close to Sebastien [Loeb] in the end was already really good for me.”
Meanwhile there was drama for 2004 champion and Lotus F1 driver Heikki Kovalainen. Following victory in an Audi R8 race, the Finn crashed and knocked himself unconscious.
“Hardcore shunt with throttle jammed and rear suspension damaged, got knocked out, now some medical checkups,” he wrote on his Twitter page.
“Head’s a bit sore, I was unconscious for 30 seconds”
Bernie Ecclestone Injured In London Mugging
Bernie Ecclestone was left injured following a mugging in Central London last night.
The 80 year old boss of Formula One was hurt leaving the headquarters of Formula One Holdings in Knightsbridge. He was with his girlfriend, Fabiani Flosi at the time of the incident.
Ecclestone was punched, kicked and thrown to the ground sustaining head injuries in the process. Around £200,000-£250,000 worth of jewellery was stolen in the incident according to reports from other media stations.
Following a brief admittance to hospital, Ecclestone was said to be OK. London police issued this statement:
“There were no reports of any other injuries. The items stolen are believed to be a quantity of jewellery.”
The investigation continues.
Auto GP Series Gathers Pace As It Confirms F1 Point System Usage
Auto GP, the open wheel racing category previously known as Euroseries 3000 is gathering pace as it revives itself from the lower echelons of motor racing.
The exciting and fast paced series utilises Formula One style cars but with 550bhp engines, similar to those used in the 2009 A1 Grand Prix cars. Since the rename at the start of 2010 the series has looked to put itself on a footing of being an alternative route into Formula One for a mixed bag of drivers, some of whom have already got experience in the series.
Notable entrants last season include Romain Grosjean, Giorgio Pantano and Luca Filipi.
For 2011 the series has announced it will be running as a support race with the WTCC series in place of Formula Two which has aligned itself with another series. Auto GP will now be using the same point scoring system as Formula One, as well as confirming a television rights deal with satellite television channel Eurosport.
Auto GP boss and former F1 team owner Enzo Coloni said: “Having been a racing driver, I know that winning a race is a really big undertaking. So for Auto GP I wanted a points system giving some more value to wins, both in race one and race two.
“I feel that the F1 allocation system is very good for that, and that it should also bring other good side effects. Extending the points zone in both races we should see drivers fighting for position also when they will be a bit back in the standings, providing a better show for fans on track and on TV.”
Romain Grosjean was a star attraction last season
Red Bull Racing Share Out Staff Bonuses For Winning Title
Red Bull Racing owner Dietrich Mateschitz has handed out all of the staff bonuses to his team following their double world championship victory this season, according to German newspaper Bild.
It has been estimated that the majority of the 500 staff in Milton Keynes were given £10,000 for their troubles over the season, while more senior staff earnt themselves a bonus of about £42,000 for their part in the victories.
World Champion Sebastian Vettel earnt himself around £2.6million for winning the world championship, on top of the extra sponsorship money and revenue he will now command following the championship victory. Proctor & Gamble have already signed a new sponsorship deal with the young German.
It is merely a drop in the ocean for owner Mateschitz, himself a millionaire, who is expected to receive about £62million in prize money for the championship wins. He has always maintained however that his wallet is not a bottomless pit when it comes to the budget for the team, they are estimated to have a middle ground budget of between €300million and €500million. Toyota were the top budget spenders in F1, but it is likely that Ferrari have regained the crown of the largest spenders in F1.
Autosport International Show 2011 – What Better Way To Start The New Season!
Autosport, the leading motor racing magazine organises and sponsors one of the biggest motorsport shows of the year every January. The Autosport International Show is held at the NEC in Birmingham, England and is seen traditionally as “the start of the motor racing season”.
For 2011, the show promises to be bigger and better than ever, and just for you readers on The F1Fanatics Blog we have a special preview of the event for you!
In addition to the masses of motorsport teams, clubs and suppliers that will be showing displays of their equipment and cars over the 4 days in Birmingham, there is a fantastic chance to meet some of your heroes. In the past such names as Murray Walker, Jenson Button, Andy Priaulx, James Thompson, Gary Paffett and Sir Stirling Moss have been in attendance. Already confirmed for the 2011 show are Walker, Martin Brundle and Jake Humphrey from BBC F1 and there will be many more drivers happy to come and have autographs and photos with the fans.
Murray Walker answers questions from the fans
On top of this, many of the stars will be taking part in the Fifth Gear Live action arena show, included with the tickets its a chance to see different cars from all forms of motorsport take to the indoor arena track. This year Tiff Nedell and Jason Plato (BTCC Champion) will be running the excellent event.
Alongside the regular Formula One paddock which is a chance to see all of the 2010 F1 cars, this year there will be a special McLaren F1 display so you can see the likes of Mika Hakkinen and Niki Lauda’s cars from back in the day. Recently confirmed was an exact replica of Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull RB6 world championship winning car, in its overall form so you can see what drove the young German to the title in Abu Dhabi. It will even feature their trick diffuser but without the mechanics hiding it!
Last years championship winning Brawn GP 01 was a big attraction, Vettel's Red Bull will be this year too
All in all it is a fantastic event, one which I attend yearly. If you can make it, check out: www.autosportinternational.com for tickets or if not stay tuned on The F1Fanatics Blog for many features before the show and a big summary of all of the events after we spend a whole day there looking for stars and their cars!
Alonso Fastest On Final Day Of Pirelli Tests
Fernando Alonso was the fastest man on the second and final day of the Pirelli tyre tests at Abu Dhabi.
The Spaniard, who came close to winning the 2010 World Championship, set a fastest time of 1.40.529. That was around a tenth quicker than second placed man Michael Schumacher who has clearly taken to the Pirelli tyres better than team mate Nico Rosberg.
World Champion Sebastian Vettel was third, while McLaren testers Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey were 6th and 7th.
Pastor Maldonado, linked heavily with a 2011 Williams drive, was out for Hispania once again and finished in 14th place just ahead of Virgin’s Timo Glock.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m40.529s 105 2. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m40.685s 74 3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m40.825s 66 4. Rubens Barrichello Williams 1m41.294s 100 5. Robert Kubica Renault 1m41.614s 91 6. Gary Paffett McLaren 1m41.622s 46 7. Oliver Turvey McLaren 1m41.740s 30 8. Paul di Resta Force India 1m41.869s 35 9. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 1m42.110s 43 10. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso 1m42.145s 97 11. Tonio Liuzzi Force India 1m42.416s 46 12. Sergio Perez Sauber 1m42.777s 46 13. Jarno Trulli Lotus 1m44.521s 83 14. Pastor Maldonado Hispania 1m44.768s 65 15. Timo Glock Virgin 1m44.783s 82
Drivers Reaction Following First Pirelli Tyre Test
Various drivers had the opportunity to test the new Pirelli tyres today in the first test at Abu Dhabi. While only driving their 2010 machines, it will give them the chance to evaluate the new rubber from the Italian manufacturer.
Here’s what a variety of the drivers thought about the tyres following the test.
Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing):
“Given the short amount of time Pirelli had, I think they did a good job,” said world champion Sebastian Vettel, who set the second-fastest time of the day. “It’s a good start and it was good to be back in the car.
“You need to give the car a bit of time to adapt to the tyres. We need to work on the set-up, but I think it’s a common view that the tyres have behaved pretty well and probably better than a lot of people expected.”
Rubens Barrichello (Williams):
“I’ve been positively impressed,” said Barrichello. “The track is a little bit different because I think they polished the asphalt because of the Bridgestone rubber.
“I don’t think it’s time to make comparisons, but I thought it was positive. I did 42 laps in the morning and it was okay. They are different to Bridgestones and we need to keep learning. We could not expect a completely different tyre to work the same way. I quite like the challenge.”
Felipe Massa (Ferrari):
“The harder compound has a lot of degradation and it’s not as quick as I expected,” Massa said.
“As for the softer tyre, I was very happy with it. It’s quick, degradation is very good. I did long runs with both and the one I did with the softer tyre was very good, possibly better than what I had last Sunday in the race.
“Of course, again, they’ll have to work to improve the harder compound they brought here, but that’s what this test was all about. Pirelli saw what happened, listened to our suggestions and understood the situation.”
Robert Kubica (Renault):
“It’s difficult to compare because we had a race five days ago and the track has changed quite a lot due to the testing and the rubber that was laid down,” said Kubica. “I’m sure that the track grip is much better than it was in the race.
“This makes it difficult to compare them – there’s no point really in comparing them. There’s quite a big difference. It is always pretty interesting when you change tyres to feel the difference and make some set-up changes and stuff like this.
“It’s just to get an idea for next year’s car which characteristics will work best. We will never get track conditions with so much rubber on the race weekends, so actually I don’t think it’s so significant, this test. A lot of the young drivers had many sets of new tyres! Although the track was washed yesterday, I didn’t recognise it. It was like a different track.”
Nico Rosberg (Mercedes Benz):
“They’re at least similar [to Bridgestone's] or perhaps for worse for us at the moment”
“…In the big picture, they are pretty similar in the end to the Bridgestones, but if you are then looking for the fine tuning to extract the performance there is some way to go on adapting the set-up.
“At the moment, we have done the small things that you can do at the track but there are the bigger things that you need to take care of with the car development. That’s going to be one of the areas that are very important for success for next year.”
Massa Fastest On First Pirelli Tyre Test Day
Felipe Massa was the fastest man on the first day of testing for the new Pirelli tyres.
The Brazilian driver was narrowly quicker than World Champion Sebastian Vettel.
Today wasn’t really about the times, it was about seeing how the new tyres coped on the cars, and seemingly they have worked rather well. No major problems for any driver, only a small puncture for Vettel at the end of the session which was due to track debris puncturing the tyre rather than a failure of the wheel itself.
Felipe Massa declared himself very happy following the test.
“It was a positive day to understand the way to go next year with a tyre that is quite different to the one we had in 2010,” said Massa. “We were able to see that direction quite quickly and we understood quite easily what the tyre required from the car and driver.
“But it’s also clear there are quite a lot of things to change for next year. Next year’s car will be quite different, of course, but today was positive and I’m pleased after working with Pirelli for the first time.”
Pos Driver Car Time Laps 1. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m40.170s 94 2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m40.500s 77 3. Gary Paffett McLaren 1m40.874s 94 4. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 1m40.950s 83 5. Robert Kubica Renault 1m41.032s 39 6. Rubens Barrichello Williams 1m41.425s 91 7. Paul di Resta Force India 1m41.615s 20 8. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m41.778s 81 9. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso 1m42.019s 71 10. Adrian Sutil Force India 1m42.859s 20 11. Timo Glock Virgin 1m44.124s 78 12. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus 1m44.686s 88 13. Pastor Maldonado Hispania 1m45.728s 83
De La Rosa Must Find €10million To Secure HRT Seat
Pedro de la Rosa must secure sponsorship and financial backing of at least €10million to gain a race seat with the Hispania HRT team for 2011 it has been revealed.
The Spanish minnow team have been struggling financially throughout the last season, changing drivers repeatedly in order to maximise sponsorship potential. However, following a deal being cancelled with Toyota last week due to a lack of bill payment for technical information and assistance the future of the team looked bleak.
Owner Jose Ramon Carabante says that the team is safe and will continue with its partnership with Williams. However, he said that as much as he wants Spaniard De la Rosa to drive with the team, he must bring appropriate funding.
“Pedro wants to drive for the team, but he has to bring the sponsorship” Carabante told radio station Cadena Ser
“Without the money, sadly, we can’t find a place for him in the team. We cannot afford such a luxury. He must contribute at least €10million
“Someone like Pedro would be great for the team, because he could really develop the car and give us direction into 2012″ he added
Renault Tweet Historic Final Bridgestone Moment
The Renault F1 Team over on Twitter just posted up two pictures of a historic moment for modern Formula One. Photos of the final ever set of Bridgestone tyres being applied to a Formula One car. For now at least!
Bridgestone are leaving F1 to make way for Pirelli to become the sole tyre manufacturer in the premier racing series. The Japanese manufacturer have been working tirelessly since 1997 with the sport, through good times and bad times too. Their history was chronicled by this website a few days ago.
However these tweets have now come to light with the final tyres being applied to young test driver Jerome d’Ambrosio’s car as he took to the circuit for the final few laps of the Abu Dhabi “Young Driver” test series.
With thanks to the official Renault F1 Paddock Pass twitter feed for the images.
Aleshin Confident Of 2011 Race Seat
Mikhail Aleshin has told Autosport Magazine that he is certain and confident of securing a Formula One race seat for the 2011 season.
The Russian driver has been testing for Renault in the current two day young driver tests and was 6th yesterday, with a lot of his running being hampered with a hydraulic problem.
“We are aiming for a race seat next year,” he said
“I’m quite confident on this.
“We’re working on it for next year because it is very important for me. I had a good year in World Series, which is a very competitive series this year especially. Most people see it and understand how difficult it was to win this championship.”
Where he will drive is somewhat unknown. Speculation links him to a drive alongside Timo Glock at Virgin, with the Richard Branson backed outfit now securing significant funding (and a controlling stake) from Russian sports car manufacturer Marussia. Otherwise, who knows – there seem to be more drivers claiming race seats than there are available for 2011!
Schumacher Says First Test Will Be Key To 2011 Hopes
Michael Schumacher has declared that he will know from the first time he drives Mercedes Benz’s 2011 car if it is to be competitive or not.
The former 7 time world champion made a comeback this season with the German based outfit following three years on the sidelines, and says that the initial testing will be key to future development, race wins and importantly whether the team will be able to compete for the titles.
Schumacher added that he knew from the first test with the 2010 car that it was not competitive enough.
“What we want to see is we have a feeling with the car, especially with what I know from now,” he said of his hopes for the first test next year.
“I could jump into the car and get a reasonable feeling, although the rules will change and not be 100 per cent precise, but you do get an input.
“At the [first] test this year, even though I had not driven for three years, I got a warning that was later confirmed.
“I hope we have no warnings, that we have a competitive car, one we can develop, and very importantly it will be what you see towards the end of the tests to the first race [that counts].
“That’s my main focus, so when I drive it I hope I get a good read of it.”
Meanwhile, looking back at his somewhat disappointing 2010 season, Michael said he was satisifed.
“Looking back at certain events there are reasons to be happy with certain things,” he said.
“Looking at the development over the year, particularly with what I take out of it, the team, Mercedes, asked me to come back because of who and what I am, and what contribution I can make.
“From all these factors we are happy to keep on working together, and most importantly I am happy to keep on working together because I have fun.”
Ricciardo Fastest On First Day Of Rookie Testing At Abu Dhabi
Daniel Ricciardo was fastest on the first day of the “young driver” tests at Abu Dhabi.
He was driving the all conquering 2010 Red Bull car and came out on top.
Most drivers were not testing for super speed, moreover gathering data for the teams, and gathering data for themselves about driving a Formula One car. For many, it was their first time in the cockpit.
Jules Bianchi, the new Ferrari test driver was at the wheel, as was Sam Bird having his first F1 run with Mercedes Benz.
Pos Driver Car Time 1. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1m39.616s 2. Oliver Turvey McLaren 1m40.725s 3. Antonio Felix da Costa Force India 1m41.381s 4. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber 1m41.432s 5. Dean Stoneman Williams 1m41.522s 6. Mikhail Aleshin Renault 1m42.073s 7. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso 1m42.489s 8. Paul di Resta Force India 1m42.736s 9. Sam Bird Mercedes 1m42.985s 10. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin 1m43.518s 11. Pastor Maldonado HRT 1m43.750s 12. Jules Bianchi Ferrari 1m43.894s 13. Rodolfo Gonzalez Lotus 1m44.924s 14. Rio Haryanto Virgin 1m49.439s
Toyota Cancel Hispania Deal Following Non Payment Of Fees
The financial security of Formula One minnows Hispania Racing is once again being called into question tonight following a statement that was released late this evening by the Toyota Motorsport Group.
Toyota, a former Formula One team who left the sport at the end of 2009, were in a deal to sell Hispania their un-raced 2010 prototype Formula One car and offer other technical assistance to the team, who featured no less than 4 drivers over the course of this season.
However the deal is now off as Hispania have not paid the Toyota Motorsport Group any of the installments required. Their financial security has been called into question repeatedly over 2010, but team boss Colin Kolles recently said they were totally safe.
“Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) confirms that all cooperation with Hispania Racing F1 Team (HRT) has been terminated and will not resume,” said the statement.
“TMG retains all intellectual property rights to its current F1 car and is completely free to pursue other projects and support new customers for its high-performance engineering services.
“TMG regrets that HRT has not met its contractual payment obligations and will pursue all available options to reach a satisfactory conclusion to this matter.”
I’m Fine And Looking Forward To 2011 – Schumacher
Michael Schumacher reassured fans that he was totally fine following a horrific accident at yesterday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The former 7 time world champion was lucky to escape serious injury following an incident with Force India driver Vitantonio Liuzzi. Schumacher spun early on into the first lap of the Grand Prix, and Liuzzi came flying around the corner to be greeted with Schumacher stranded in the middle of the circuit. The Italian drivers car bounced up onto the Mercedes Benz narrowly missing Schumacher’s helmet. The German was helpless inside the cockpit.
Both drivers emerged unscathed, and shook hands on their way back to the pitlane.
Schumacher said: “I went off the line, spun and because of the dirt there, the back of the car just came around.
“I had to go to the medical centre just for a precautionary check, but I am totally fine and was not hit by anything in the incident.”
It was a sad end to a poor come back year for Schumacher. He had shown good pace towards the end of the season, and said he was looking forward to competing again next year with his German backed Mercedes Benz outfit.
“What happened is a shame as obviously I would have liked to have finished the season with a more positive ending,” he added.
“But I am already looking forward to fighting again next year.”
Di Montezemolo Reacts To Political Criticism Of Ferrari’s Decisions
Luca di Montezemolo, the head of the Ferrari Group, has reacted to criticisms that have been piled onto the team from many sources, but most vocally criticising those from the Italian Government.
Roberto Calderoni, of the Italian Northern league party called for Di Montezemolo, amongst other high ranking Ferrari officials, to resign from the company following what he called a “demented strategy” with regard to Fernando Alonso’s pit stop in yesterday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Spanish driver was on the verge of winning the World Championship for the Ferrari team, but following a bad pit stop call he ended up finishing just a handful of points behind eventual winner Sebastian Vettel.
“For all of us it’s a difficult day, the night hasn’t lessened the bitter taste after the sad end to an extraordinary season,” di Montezemolo said on Monday.
“We’re sorry to see that there are some politicians on the outside who are ready to push for the guillotine when things go badly.
“We don’t understand anyone who revels in self-defeatism, who sinks into the culture of ‘everything’s gone wrong, we have to start all over again’. They are vices that are very Italian, that we must learn to shake off.”
“The hard law of sport requires just one winner, but we ended up fighting right up to the final race – including an exceptional fightback when the critics said we were beaten four months ago,” he said.
“We have always stayed united, acting as the people of Ferrari know how: gritting our teeth and never letting go.. We have returned Ferrari to where it should be – fighting for victory.
“In sport, we remember the margin between victory and defeat is always very slim. You have to know how to accept losing just as you have to enjoy your successes with restraint.”
Williams Retain Barrichello For 2011 But Hulkenberg Leaves
Williams have announced that Rubens Barrichello will race for the team once again next season, but talented rookie Nico Hulkenberg will be leaving the Grove based team.
Barrichello, who is the most experienced F1 driver of all time, had a relatively successful season with the British team headed up by Sir Frank Williams.
“We recruited Rubens knowing he would bring technical expertise, experience and passion,” said Williams. “He has delivered everything we could have hoped for this season and we are delighted to confirm that he will drive for us again in 2011.”
Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg has told reporters he will be leaving the team. The young German, who gave Williams their first pole position since 2005, said he was disappointed to be leaving.
“I heavily regret that,” Hulkenberg said in a statement. “I would have been happy to stay with Williams.
“I want to thank the team for a great time and I wish Williams all the best for the future.”
Hulkenberg’s manager, Wili Weber says that Nico will have a race seat next season.
“I am negotiating with other teams,” Weber said. “Nico will have his seat in F1 in 2011.”
He has only a limited number of options for next season, so it will be interesting to see where he ends up racing.
Reaction To Sebastian Vettel’s 2010 World Championship Win
Here’s a selection of comments and quotes to Sebastian Vettel’s World Championship win today at Abu Dhabi.
Sebastian Vettel: “I am a bit speechless to be honest, I don’t know what you’re supposed to say in this moment. It is unbelievable. I went to bed and kept thinking about the race, about what might happen. I had some good imaginations and a good feeling.”
“We have seen incredible fights and a tight season.” don’t know how many times we have had a different leader. Some people got written off very early and then came back, like Fernando, they came back hard. Lewis [Hamilton] came back and was leading all of us. For some reason it does not feel like it is happening. It’s strange, but it will sink in when I finally go to sleep – but I think we will have daylight before that happens.”
Michael Schumacher (former 7 time world champion): “I’m quite happy for him because we are friends and it has been a tough year for him. He’s had up and downs he has had to go through, probably more on the mechanical side than on the driving side so he really deserves this championship. Well done to him, well done to the team, a great job from them all.
“My time was different time from his time, I just feel very happy for him. I think he deserves all the credit. He is a great driver, he is a fantastic guy, so I am more than happy for him.”
Christian Horner (Red Bull team principal): “It’s unbelievable. It’s been a very emotional week for this team. I’m just so proud of the team. It’s just an amazing feeling to be double world champions, it’s the icing on the cake with the drivers’ [title]. This team is the best team in the world. Sebastian, it’s the first time he’s led the world championship and he’s done it at the last race of the year. Unbelievable. A great job, he drove a perfect race when the pressure was on.
“He has had ups and downs, he’s had bad luck, he’s had some mechanical problems, some engine failures but he never lost his focus and belief – and now he is a champion. A great season.”
Mark Webber (Red Bull team mate): “I fully congratulate Seb on the world championship.”
Nico Rosberg (Mercedes Benz): “Congratulations to Sebastian today and he deserved the title.”
Jenson Button (McLaren): “Sebastian’s had some great races this year. We’ve all had up and down races this year, but for the last few races Sebastian has done a great job, and he deserves to be world champion of course.”
Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber): “I also want to congratulate Sebastian (Vettel) for his great success!”
Rob @TheF1FanaticsBlog: “I was always confident that Vettel would win a title someday, but I really thought Alonso would win today. Well done to him, but as a Ferrari fan I am highly disappointed!”
Abu Dhabi GP: Vettel Wins Race And Championship As Ferrari Blow It
Sebastian Vettel took victory in the Grand Prix at Abu Dhabi, but most importantly for him he takes the victory of the drivers world championship. He is the youngest ever world champion, taking that crown from Lewis Hamilton who could only finish in 2nd.
Jenson Button the outgoing world champion was 3rd after he ran a much longer first stint on the softer tyres.
Michael Schumacher was taken out right at the start of the race after Nico Rosberg tipped his car into a spin, before Tonio Liuzzi mounted the Mercedes in a horrific looking accident which nearly caused serious damage to Schumacher himself. Both fortunately walked away.
The early safety car meant that many drivers pitted early, including Vitaly Petrov and Nico Rosberg who would become pivotal in the world championship battle.
Mark Webber pitted early on in the race as he was struggling with the softer tyres, and he came out well down the field. For some unknown reason, Ferrari pitted Fernando Alonso – from a world championship winning position – meaning he came out of the pits behind Petrov and Rosberg who didn’t need to stop. He couldn’t get passed Petrov for the entire Grand Prix, ruining any chance he had of winning the title.
Webber couldn’t get passed Alonso despite being let through by Alguersuari after his early stop.
The track provided little overtaking at it really was only exciting because of the potential championship fight. In truth that wasn’t half as exciting as it could have been with Hamilton not really closing on the win and Alonso/Webber being stuck right at the back.
So Vettel won easily enough, no hassle. Everything went right for the young German today. Red Bull will be delighted because not only did they win the constructors title last week, they have the drivers title to go with it from their prodigal son – their favoured one. Will Webber stick around at Red Bull? Who knows.
Results
Pos Driver Team Time 1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h39m36.837s 2. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 10.1s 3. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 11.0s 4. Rosberg Mercedes + 30.7s 5. Kubica Renault + 39.0s 6. Petrov Renault + 43.5s 7. Alonso Ferrari + 43.7s 8. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 44.2s 9. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 50.2s 10. Massa Ferrari + 50.8s 11. Heidfeld Sauber-Ferrari + 51.5s 12. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 57.6s 13. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 58.3s 14. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 59.5s 15. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1m03.1s 16. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth + 1m04.7s 17. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth + 1 lap 18. Di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps 19. Senna HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps 20. Klien HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps 21. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth + 4 laps
Bye Bye Bridgestone!
At this afternoon’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Bridgestone will officially say sayonara to Formula One. The Japanese tyre manufacturer has been working in the sport tirelessly (geddit?) since 1997, being the sole supplier of rubber since 2007.
They will have completed 242 Grand Prix by the time they have finished the race this afternoon.
“Abu Dhabi is likely to be an emotional weekend for everyone at Bridgestone Motorsport as this will be our final race” said Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Bridgestone Motorsport.
“I have been involved in Bridgestone’s motorsport operations since our very first limited entry in the 1976 and 1977 Japanese Grands Prix and pushed hard for our full time entry which finally came in 1997.
“In this time Bridgestone has grown enormously as a company, with Formula 1 showcasing our company’s strength and qualities on a world stage to an enormous audience.
“I have attended well over 200 races myself and have made so many good relationships with the participants in this wonderful sport. Next year will be very different for me and for all of my Bridgestone Motorsport colleagues.”
Bridgestone joined at the Australian Grand Prix of 1997, producing tyres for Prost, Lola, Stewart and Minardi.
“We entered the sport in 1997 against a very experienced competitor in Goodyear, who had contested so many races before, yet we were able to be competitive in our first season, even when most of the front-running teams were running on our rival’s products.” Hirohide Hamashima, head of tyre development said,
“We scored points in our first race and the first Bridgestone podium came in our second race. We even came very close to a win with Damon Hill in the Arrows Yamaha at Hungary so this was a very good debut for us.”
At the end of the season, Goodyear walked away from F1 and Bridgestone became the sole tyre supplier. They would remain in this position until 2001, when Michelin came into the sport.
“From 2001 to 2006 we battled hard with Michelin,” continued Hamashima.“Our engineers in Japan and at the track were dedicated to winning and we learnt so many things in this period.”
Many top teams left the supply of Bridgestone for Michelin who had percieved to have created better tyres. Ferrari stuck with the Japanese manufacturer and delivered drivers and constructors titles between 2000 and 2004 with Michael Schumacher at the wheel. In 2005 and 2006 however Fernando Alonso, Michelin and Renault would be the success story.
The tyre war saw increasing budgets and controversy. At the 2005 United States Grand Prix the tyre war came to a head. The cars on Michelin tyres all completed the parade lap of the race and returned to the garages leaving just 6 cars on the starting grid for the race. Nothing like this had been seen before, or thankfully since. Fans were outraged, Bernie Ecclestone too was fuming. The reason behind it was the Michelin tyre sidewalls were alleged to be not strong enough to cope with the banking at the Indianapolis circuit, so in order to keep within safety regulations they pulled out of the race.
At the end of 2006, Michelin walked away from F1 and Bridgestone once again became the sole tyre supplier. It was at this time, the soft/hard compound tyre rules came in and the white stripe was added to the grooved tyres to show which driver was on which compound. The move, designed to spark greater creativity in pit stop strategy and spice up the spectacle with fans remains with us today. At the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix, green stripes were added to the tyres in order to make greater awareness that Bridgestone were being a “green” and “carbon friendly” company.
For 2009, the big news was that grooved tyres were gone and slick tyres were returning. A big hit with the fans, the soft and hard tyre compounds have provided two seasons of classic racing and championships.
Pirelli are set to take over from the start of next season, so its farewell and thanks to the Bridgestone Tyre Company for all the time, money and effort they put into creating such a vital part of our sport.
Thanks, and goodbye Bridgestone!
Abu Dhabi GP 2010: Hamilton Quickest In FP2 As Title Contenders Lock Out Top 4
The 4 title contenders locked out the top four positions in the afternoon practice for Sunday’s F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi. Lewis Hamilton was quickest, hailing the new wing installed by the team for this last race.
In second was Sebastian Vettel, but he had to use the soft compound tyre to get ahead of third place man Fernando Alonso. Alonso was right where he needed to be, splitting the Red Bull’s with Mark Webber in 4th.
Pos Driver Car Time Gap 1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m40.888s 2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m41.145s + 0.257s 3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m41.314s + 0.426s 4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m41.315s + 0.427s 5. Robert Kubica Renault 1m41.576s + 0.688s 6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m41.583s + 0.695s 7. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m42.096s + 1.208s 8. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m42.132s + 1.244s 9. Tonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1m42.203s + 1.315s 10. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m42.222s + 1.334s 11. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m42.246s + 1.358s 12. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1m42.449s + 1.561s 13. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m42.535s + 1.647s 14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m42.768s + 1.880s 15. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m42.914s + 2.026s 16. Nick Heidfeld Sauber-Ferrari 1m42.950s + 2.062s 17. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m43.128s + 2.240s 18. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m43.584s + 2.696s 19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1m45.180s + 4.292s 20. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m45.259s + 4.371s 21. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1m45.612s + 4.724s 22. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1m46.053s + 5.165s 23. Christian Klien Hispania-Cosworth 1m47.210s + 6.322s 24. Bruno Senna Hispania-Cosworth 1m47.434s + 6.546s
Abu Dhabi GP 2010: Vettel Strikes First In FP1
Sebastian Vettel took the morning bragging rights after setting the fastest lap time on a slightly damp Abu Dhabi circuit.
Pos Driver Car Time Gap Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m42.760s 18 2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m43.369s + 0.609s 16 3. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m43.785s + 1.025s 19 4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m43.840s + 1.080s 19 5. Robert Kubica Renault 1m44.080s + 1.320s 19 6. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m44.121s + 1.361s 17 7. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m44.199s + 1.439s 19 8. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m44.604s + 1.844s 18 9. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m44.718s + 1.958s 19 10. Nick Heidfeld Sauber-Ferrari 1m44.737s + 1.977s 19 11. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m45.160s + 2.400s 18 12. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m45.445s + 2.685s 21 13. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m45.474s + 2.714s 15 14. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m45.552s + 2.792s 20 15. Tonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1m45.585s + 2.825s 14 16. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m46.003s + 3.243s 20 17. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1m46.644s + 3.884s 19 18. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m47.105s + 4.345s 22 19. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m48.450s + 5.690s 19 20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1m48.472s + 5.712s 17 21. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1m49.375s + 6.615s 13 22. Bruno Senna Hispania-Cosworth 1m49.590s + 6.830s 18 23. Christian Klien Hispania-Cosworth 1m50.274s + 7.514s 17 24. Fairuz Fauzy Lotus-Cosworth 1m51.705s + 8.945s 18
Russian Sportscar Manufacturer Secures Virgin Racing Stake
Russian sportscar company, Marussia Motors, have bought a major stake in the Virgin Racing team, securing its future.
The Virgin team joined Formula One this season, and have struggled somewhat to make an impact so far. Marussia have been a partner since the formation of the team, their logos appearing on both cars and drivers.
The team will now be known as Marussia Virgin Racing.
“Our first year in Formula 1 was always going to be tough – even more so as we were launching in the midst of a worldwide recession,” said Virgin chief Richard Branson.
“Virgin is delighted to have secured a partner which shares our vision and spirit for challenging the establishment and we look forward to working together to move the team up the F1 grid.”
Graeme Lowdon, CEO of Virgin Racing, added: “This announcement cements our place on the F1 grid and is testimony to the hard work and dedication of every single member of our team.”
Meanwhile the deal has spiced up speculation about the teams second driver. While John Booth says the team are in no hurry to decide upon a second driver to partner Timo Glock next season, multiple names are being linked with the seat. These include current driver Lucas di Grassi, Jerome D’Ambrosio and Giedo va der Garde.
The deal with a Russian manufacturer has made some sources link out of favour Renault driver Vitaly Petrov with the seat, but Booth says a Russian racer in the team is some way off yet.
“There is nothing on the horizon for a Russian driver at the moment, but they have come on in leaps and bounds over the last five years,” he said. “We have [Vitaly] Petrov in F1 and [Mikhail] Aleshin in World Series, so Russian drivers are going from strength to strength.”
