Formula-1 news

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix just where he wants, on pole position. But there was a major disappointment for team mate Mark Webber who managed only fifth place and will be separated from Vettel by Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.

Hamilton already held second place, but trimmed his time down to demonstrate to Vettel that he may yet have a race on his hands on Sunday…

For the four remaining title contenders, qualifying for this weekend’s title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a fraught affair. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel was the quickest when it counted, taking pole position for the tenth time this season, but his team mate Mark Webber seemed to crumble under the pressure, managing just fifth on the grid. In between were the Red Bull duo’s remaining championship rivals McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, as well as 2009 title holder Jenson Button in the second MP4-25. The scene is thus set for a storming race. We take a team-by-team look at qualifying

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel has sealed his place in the F1 history books as the sports youngest world champion after a dominant win in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Vettel led home the McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

The men who had been ahead in the standings, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull’s Mark Webber, lost out on the ultimate prize after ill-timed pit stops, finishing seventh and eighth…

McLaren’s Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton sandwiched Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel at the top of the times after Friday morning’s first free practice session at Monza.

The reigning world champion lapped in 1m 23.693s, just 0.097s faster than the German’s 1m 23.790s, with the 2008 title winner on 1m 23.967s in the second MP4-25. Nobody else breached 1m 24s, but Robert Kubica and Nico Rosberg got closest…

McLaren’s MP4-25 was tipped to be the fastest car around Monza, and it may yet prove so. However, as the British team experimented with F-duct versus non F-duct configurations on Friday afternoon, Hamilton and Button found themselves outpaced by arch rivals Red Bull and Ferrari. We take a team-by-team look at early progress in Italy

Fernando Alonso gave the tifosi what they came to Monza for on Saturday, as he pipped McLaren’s Jenson Button to pole position for the Italian Grand Prix. The Spaniard took over setting the pace in Q2, and went faster still in Q3, clocking the only sub-1m 22s lap with 1m 21.962s for Ferrari on his first run in the final session.

He failed to improve on that, as a good jump forward by high-downforce Button left the reigning champion second on the grid with 1m 22.084s.

With a three-week break between races, you’d expect most drivers to hang up their race suits and take some well-earned rest and relaxation ahead of the season’s final push. McLaren’s Jenson Button has other ideas, however, and this weekend will take part in the world famous London Triathlon.

The annual event, which takes place over Saturday and Sunday, attracts 11,000 entrants making it the largest triathlon in the world. It encompasses a demanding 1500-metre swim, a 40-kilometre bike ride and a 10-kilometre run. Button – a regular triathlon competitor – took part in the event last year and impressively finished second in his age category.

With Red Bull more dominant than ever, and Ferrari taking a step forward, McLaren seem to have lost their way at recent rounds. The MP4-25 is certainly in the midst of a dip in form, and driver Jenson Button seems to have borne the brunt of its drop in pace in qualifying. Button hasn’t qualified higher than fourth all season and at the last round in Hungary failed to make it into the top-10 shootout. Speaking to his official website, Button reviews his Budapest race and the season so far

Felipe Massa handed Ferrari team mate Fernando Alonso a controversial victory in Sunday’s German Grand Prix as the red team scored their second one-two of the season and the win they were under so much pressure to achieve before the summer break, beating Sebastian Vettel’s pole-winning Red Bull into third place.

Lewis Hamilton held on to his championship lead as fourth place brought him to 157 points ahead of McLaren team mate Jenson Button, who moved to 143 points after finishing fifth. Red Bull’s Mark Webber was sixth after a race in which he was held back by an engine problem. He and Vettel are now joint third with 136 points, as Alonso closed up on 123 and Massa climbed to 85.

Friday at Hockenheim was not the best of days for McLaren, with the weather and Lewis Hamilton’s crash making it tough for the team to accurately test their latest developments, including the blown floor and diffuser that were temporarily abandoned at Silverstone. It was left to Jenson Button to do the bulk of the running and the world champion came away quietly confident, even if he does admit beating Red Bull is still going to be tough this weekend