Formula-1 news

Up until Lap 45, when his engine started to smoke and he was forced to retire from the lead, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel had delivered a perfect race weekend. The 25 points he could have bagged for a well-deserved win would have seen him take the lead in the drivers’ championship and step closer than ever to the title. It was a cruel fate, but the thwarted Vettel is determined to be back on the offensive in Brazil

British racer Sam Bird will drive for Mercedes GP at the young driver test to be held at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit on November 16-17, the team have confirmed. Bird, 23, is currently fifth in the GP2 standings with one win and four podiums and will be in Abu Dhabi for the season finale, part of the support bill for the Formula One Grand Prix…

It was a rainy day for a birthday, but that is what you sometimes get in Belgium. A huge cake from his Red Bull team compensated at least partially for the monsoon-like conditions. Regardless, Mark Webber leads the championship and is in relaxed frame of mind going into this weekend’s Grand Prix. The RB6 may not have featured highly on the Friday timesheets, but Sunday’s a different matter and Webber would love to add a prestigious Spa win to his trophy cabinet – even if he admits he now has the championship’s long game in mind

1st Mark Webber (Red Bull), 1h41m05.571s; 2nd Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), 1h41m23.392s; 3rd Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 1h41m24.823s.

Q: Mark, a commanding win by the end of 70 laps. But it was probably the 43 you managed in your first stint that really set it up.
Mark Webber: Yeah, that’s right. The start we always knew was going to be a little bit tricky on that side. Fernando got a good start…

Renault’s Robert Kubica and Force India’s Adrian Sutil on their pit-lane collision; Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel on his drive-through penalty; Williams’ Rubens Barrichello and Mercedes GP’s Michael Schumacher on their close encounter; and Mark Webber on taking his fourth win of the season in Red Bull’s 100th Grand Prix. All 24 drivers, and senior team personnel, report back on Sunday’s race

Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg has grown in self confidence since his Silverstone podium couple of weeks back. It is obvious in the way he walks, the way he talks and the way he interacts with the media. Everything seems to say ‘I am well on the way to becoming a power in Formula One’. Having started the season in the shadow of team mate Michael Schumacher, Rosberg has quickly emerged as a force in his own right. He’s clearly enjoying it, even if that first win has so far eluded him. But that is surely just a matter of time

Danny ‘Spin to Win’ Sullivan, the former Tyrrell Grand Prix driver and famed 1985 Indianapolis 500 winner is the stewards’ advisor this weekend in Hockenheim, and was joined in the paddock by fellow ChampCar racer Adrian Fernandes who was there along with fellow Mexican drivers Sergio Perez and Esteban Gutierrez…

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel on his frustrating start from pole; McLaren’s Jenson Button on his triumphant drive from 14th to fourth; Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso on his controversial pass on Renault’s Robert Kubica; and Red Bull’s Mark Webber on clinching his third win of the season. All 24 drivers, and senior team personnel, report back on Sunday’s race

1st Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 1h40m29.571s; 2nd Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), 1h40m34.613s; 3rd Jenson Button (McLaren), 1h40m37.229s.

Q: Sebastian, fourth time of asking and you finally convert one of those poles into a race win.
Sebastian Vettel: Yeah, it is about time I would say. It wasn’t the easiest way so far but what happened, happened. We cannot change it but it is good to be back and on a circuit where we didn’t expect to be that strong…

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