Australian Grand Prix: Jenson's back for more

Jenson Button injects excitement back into F1 with McLaren win

Boring? Who said anything about boring? Formula One rediscovered its vroom Down Under on Sunday as Formula One's "cool guy"

Jenson Button claimed his maiden victory for McLaren in an incident-packed, rain-affected Australian Grand Prix.

An inspired call from Button to switch to dry-weather tyres on lap six, one lap before the rest of the field, paid off as he moved from seventh place into second. Sebastian Vettel's brake failure midway through the race completed the job as Red Bull were once again left ruing their lack of points on a weekend in which they had the fastest car.
As thousands of race fans trudged off into the Melbourne rain, chattering excitedly about the thrilling drama they had just witnessed, back in the paddock McLaren's luminous orange victory shirts lit up the night sky as Button celebrated wildly with his team and inner circle.

This was the eighth victory of the world champion's career but arguably the most important given the "Lion's Den" he was presumed to have entered at McLaren; the house that Ron Dennis built around Lewis Hamilton.
Poor Hamilton. A wretched weekend, in which he was nabbed by Melbourne traffic police performing "burnouts" before struggling to 11th in qualifying, was nearly consigned to history with a truly magnificent drive that saw him climb as high as third at one point. "It was probably the drive of my life," he said.
Unfortunately, a poor call from McLaren to bring him in for a change of tyres backfired and he eventually finished sixth after a less-than-brilliant shunt from home favourite Mark Webber.
It was tough luck on Hamilton, although his radio outburst at the team's "freaking terrible" decision to bring him in, while borne of understandable frustration, only served to highlight the fact that Button had made his call unaided.

Button's experience showed on this occasion, although he admitted he thought his "game-changing" call might backfire badly as he struggled to stay on the track immediately after switching rubber.
"When I went into the pit lane I thought I had made a catastrophic decision as it was soaking wet," he said. "I then had a little off at turn three but generally the pace was good and I was able to overtake three or four cars when they stopped."
Button's win was his second in succession at Albert Park after his emotional victory on debut for Brawn GP last year, but the 30-year-old said it was impossible to make comparisons.
"The emotions are completely different," he said. "But this is very special. It has taken me a little while to get to grips with the car but the team have been fantastic. They have really welcomed me in.

"I feel I am just building in confidence and hopefully when we get to the next race we can do something similar as this feels too good."
Button's team principal Martin Whitmarsh was similarly thrilled, saying his new acquisition had made a "fantastic call" to come in early.
"He's got to take the credit. He was the cool guy," said Whitmarsh who also defended Hamilton, a man he had described as "fragile and distracted" 24 hours earlier. "If Lewis didn't feel disappointed and frustrated, I'd be worried," he said.
At least Hamilton later recovered his poise to give his team mate a generous hug. That bonhomie was not being played out at all teams. In fact, little niggles and rivalries that promise to boil over at some point this year are now simmering nicely.
Nico Rosberg's continued dominance of Michael Schumacher at Mercedes is particularly intriguing. The returning seven-time world champion's woes continued on Sunday as he suffered an early prang and then spent most of the race stuck behind 20-year-old Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari.

Schumacher was even passed by Virgin Racing's Lucas di Grassi at one point, which inspired an almighty and telling cheer from the press room.
Over at Ferrari, championship leader Fernando Alonso bore the brunt of a frantic start and spun 180 degrees after being clipped by Button.
The Spaniard recovered well but could find no way back past slower team mate Felipe Massa. That must have rankled.
A disconsolate Vettel, meanwhile, could not hide his disappointment at all. This was the second race in succession the young German was denied almost certain victory by a technical glitch. "It breaks my balls to be honest," the Red Bull driver said candidly of his brake failure.
A special mention must go to Renault's Robert Kubica and Hispania Racing's Karun Chandhok for finishing second and 14th respectively, but it was Button who had the final word on proceedings.
Such was his control as he opened up a 10-, then a 15-second lead over Kubica that he confessed he was in a unique position to pronounce on the rebirth of F1 as an exciting global spectacle.
"I could see quite a bit on the TV screens and it did look like a very exciting race," he said cheekily. How's that for Mr Cool?

www.telegraph.co.uk

Button's wake-up call

Formula 1Australian Grand Prix

Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve. They are names familiar to motor racing aficionados, but probably not to others.
They are both one-hit wonders, Hill a Formula 1 world champion in 1996, Villeneuve his successor in 1997.
Few youngsters will have either the Briton or Canadian up on their bedroom wall; Englishman Hill and Villeneuve both have fathers who are more highly-rated.The duo reached the top because they happened to be in the best cars at the time. Already, Jenson Button seems to be in danger of joining the club.
The 2010 Formula 1 season, which moves Down Under with the Australian Grand Prix this weekend, is only the second race of the year and Button is struggling. He lifted the world title last year with gifted team principal Ross Brawn by his side in the Brawn GP team, then left for McLaren to form the dream British team with Lewis Hamilton, but it is already looking like he blundered.
The result in the opening race in Bahrain two weeks ago was revealing. Hamilton was strong enough to finish third while Button came in seventh. They both drive the same car, and Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, has already shown how big the difference is between the two in terms of ability.
Worse still for Button, his former team, renamed Mercedes GP, saw their two drivers - Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher - finish fifth and sixth, respectively.
If Button continues his poor form, it will only add to the belief in many racing circles that talent was not the reason for his triumph last year - it was because of the sorcery of Brawn and his team of engineers.But Button has shown what he can do. At BAR-Honda in 2004, he dug deep to go toe-to-toe with Schumacher, who was on top of his game at Ferrari, and on his way to winning No 6 of his seven world titles.
Button was considered driver of the year that season, even though he finished third in the drivers' standings behind the Ferraris of Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, respectively.When the going got tough for the under-performing Honda outfit that season - the precursor to Brawn GP and now Mercedes - Button's talent shone through as he fought tooth and nail for the Japanese team to keep their chins up.That is why they broke the bank in 2006 to keep him when Williams, the team Button started his Formula 1 career with in 2000, wanted him back.
At 30, Button has at least another five years of good racing left with a top team like McLaren. In his team, he is battling one of the sport's brightest young stars in Hamilton.In the paddock, they say the first task is to do better than your team-mate, but Button's job is more difficult, as he is a newcomer in the team compared to the 24-year-old Hamilton, who is regarded as "family".
Button must have known it would be tricky after Fernando Alonso's torrid time with McLaren in 2007. But Button, an Englishman, has a better chance of being absorbed into the "family".If he is going to put up a decent fight in the "Battle for Britain" with Hamilton, he needs to dig deep, just like in 2004. Otherwise, it will be Hamilton alone flying the flag for McLaren, against the charging Ferraris and Red Bull, and Button's 2009 achievement will quickly become a footnote in the history of Formula 1 racing.


by Ian De Cotta

A Formula lost

Could the Singapore Grand Prix be collateral damage?

Ian De Cotta

Jun 20, 2009

"SHOCKWAVES from the pull-out of eight marquee teams from next season’s Formula 1 are being felt by fans and race organisers across the world, and Singapore is no exception.In the sport’s biggest upheaval in 60 years, the eight teams including the likes of Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes have begun preparing for a rival series, after failing to resolve their dispute with motor sport’s governing body.While this should not affect the rest of the season or Singapore’s second F1 race this September, it would mean that from next year, much of the race’s glamour would be gone - along with legendary personalities such as Ross Brawn, and champions Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen.

The Republic is contracted to host the Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix until 2012, and has invested more than $100 million in fees and infrastructure in the first year alone. The annual returns for the economy is estimated to be just as much.How the teams’ departure will affect the numbers or whether courting the new series could be an option for Singapore, no one knows yet - and Singapore GP chairman Teo Hock Seng would prefer, for now, to focus on hosting this year’s night race at the Marina Bay Circuit.

“It would not be appropriate for us to comment on the ongoing discussions between the Formula 1 Teams Association (Fota), Formula One Management and the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile). The exact contractual terms under which the Singapore Grand Prix is staged are confidential,” said Mr Teo. “But we will continue to closely monitor the ongoing developments regarding the 2010 season.

”Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, speaking on the sidelines of the annual Singapore Sports Awards Night on Friday, said: “This is something the teams and the F1 management will have to sort out. We hope they will be able to come to some agreement for the good of motorsport as a whole.

The teams’ split from F1 came after talks with the FIA over budget caps and new regulations for next year broke down, on the eve of the British Grand Prix this weekend.The eight outfits, grouped under the Fota umbrella, are Ferrari - a feature in every season since the start of F1 in 1950 - McLaren-Mercedes, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso and championship leaders Brawn GP.In starting a rival series, they would deprive the F1 of US$2.2 billion ($3.2 billion), which industry research monitor Formula Money estimates is their total yearly investment in the sport.

The bone of contention is a voluntary budget cap of US$40 million on technical developments the FIA is introducing for the 2010 season, to put the brakes on costs. The teams’ breakaway has escalated calls for FIA president Max Mosley to step down, with former world champion Jackie Stewart saying: “A lot of people are kind of fed up with his dictatorial attitude.”

Will race turnout crash?Fans in Singapore were shocked. Property investor Denis Chang, who splurged close to $2,000 tickets for this year’s race, said it would not be the same without Ferrari and McLaren. “They have a big pull and I can’t imagine going to an F1 race without seeing them on the track,” he said.

But Bruno Gillet ( That's me !! ) , who travels to races in Australia and Malaysia, isn’t giving up on F1 yet. “I don’t know if the teams can set up their own series. It will be difficult. F1 is still the world championship, so I won’t give it a miss,” he said.

Malaysian organisers are worried the split will add to the impact of the woeful economic climate on turnout.“My paymaster, the Malaysian government, is concerned how it will affect the Grand Prix in Sepang,” said Sepang International Circuit chairman Mokhzani Mahathir. “We have a contract with Bernie to hold the FIA F1 race until 2015 and it says he will deliver. “What will turn up on the grid next year, we don’t know, but without the big names, it will definitely affect crowd attendance.”

But Drew Ward, chief executive of Australian Grand Prix Corporation, is not too worried that a Ferrari-less series will upset plans to stage the season opener in Melbourne early next year. They will work with F1 rights holder Bernie Ecclestone to make it a success.“This is not the first time a new championship has been proposed and it is not unusual for threats like this to be made by the teams in F1,” said Mr Ward. Mr Ecclestone has so far refrained from commenting, and could still play a role in bringing the teams back into the fold, thinks journalist Fredrik Petersens, who has attended every race since the mid-1970s.“It happened in 2000 when the same teams threatened to start a new series and then Bernie brought Ferrari to heel, and the rest followed. “Right now, it is all words and posturing, so we haven’t seen what Bernie might do.”";

Brawn GP - The complete story

Brawn GP Ltd is a Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was formed on 6 March 2009 after it was confirmed that Ross Brawn, the ex-technical director of the Honda Racing F1 Team, had bought the team from Honda in the wake of the withdrawal from the sport of the Japanese marque in December 2008, and on 17 March 2009 the FIA officially agreed to the name change from Honda Racing F1 Team to Brawn GP. Although the team can be seen as a continuation of the Honda team, Brawn GP was considered by the FIA to be an entirely new entry, but the FIA agreed to waive the standard entry fee in recognition of the team's circumstances. The new team made its racing debut at the 2009 season-opening Australian Grand Prix on 28 March 2009, where they took pole position and 2nd place in qualifying. The team went on to win the top two positions in their debut Grand Prix race on 29 March 2009, with Jenson Button winning the race and Rubens Barrichello coming in second.
The team use Mercedes-Benz engines and its cars are driven by the ex-Honda partnership of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, which has lasted for 3 years. In the early part of the season, several other sponsors were signed, including Virgin, M I G Investments, Henri Lloyd and PerkinElmer.

Although Honda were thought to be the first team to run a KERS in 2008,Ross Brawn stated in an interview that due to the circumstances of the change in ownership the team did not have the time to develop the system yet. On 20 March it was confirmed that Brawn GP will be allocated the final pitlane slot, with Force India moving up one slot. Bernie Ecclestone suggested that this is due to the takeover involving a name change, saying that 'If it was called Honda... whatever was due to Honda, they would have got'. For this reason Brawn GP were initially assigned numbers 20 and 21 after Force India were assigned Honda's old numbers of 18 and 19. This however was changed at the request of Force India because their promotional material had already been printed with numbers 20 and 21. Brawn had no objection and were reassigned numbers 22 and 23, with 18 and 19 not assigned to anyone.

The team started off strongly on the Friday Practice of the Australian Grand Prix finishing in the top five.



In qualifying at Australia Jenson Button took pole with fellow teammate Rubens Barrichello coming 2nd followed by Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel. This was followed by a race win for Jenson Button, who led from start to finish, with Rubens Barrichello second giving Brawn a 1-2 finish on their debut, which had not happened since Mercedes did it in 1954.

Jenson Button won the rain-shortened Malaysian Grand Prix from pole and picked up the fastest lap. With the win in Malaysia, Brawn GP became the second constructor to win their first two races since Alfa Romeo won the first ever two World Championship Grands Prix at the 1950 British Grand Prix and Monaco Grand Prix.

At the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix Barrichello qualified in front of Button for the first time this season but in the rain Jenson Button finished 3rd with Rubens Barrichello 4th behind the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Button won again at the Bahrain Grand Prix from fourth on the grid with Barrichello in fifth from sixth. Button ran most of the race in clean air and maintained the lead after the Toyotas pitted and fell down the order. This was the first time they were slower, with the fuel corrected qualifying times, in the season and was blamed on the lack of development on the car.

At the 2009 Spanish Grand Prix, Brawn achieved their second 1-2 of the season with Button leading home Barrichello again.

Brawn BGP 001

Following Honda's withdrawal, development of the BGP 001 never stopped and on the day of its debut, Jenson Button performed its shakedown – the car featuring white, fluorescent yellow and black colours. The team gave the BGP 001 its first test at Circuit de Catalunya on 9 March 2009, topping the timesheets many times. With the testing moving to Circuito de Jerez, Brawn GP continued to set the pace, finishing the test leading two of the three tests. During an interview Brawn said there was more speed to come after he explained that '...The BGP 001 car is the result of 15 months of intensive development work and the team have been nothing less than fantastic in their commitment to producing two cars in time for the first race'.

At the first race an official complaint was launched by four teams against the rear diffusers of the Williams FW31, Toyota TF109 and the Brawn BGP 001 on the grounds that they did not fall within the dimensions set out in the regulations, but after analysing the cars the race stewards reported that the cars were legal. This ruling has been appealed, the appeal was heard after the second race of the season. However motorsport's governing body ruled that the car was legal. There was another complaint at Malaysia after which BMW Sauber joined the appeal after they were deemed legal, again. After the appeal the diffuser was deemed legal by the FIA. In Spain, the car received its first improvements since Australia and gave Brawn a 1-2, just as in Melbourne.

Sponsorship
The sponsors that were still with the Honda team stayed on as sponsors, including Bridgestone.
Through the early stages of the 2009 season Brawn has obtained various sponsor deals. On 26 March 2009, Brawn GP announced a partnership with British clothing manufacturer Henri Lloyd. The company will supply the team with clothing and footwear and their brand will appear on the BGP 001. On 28 March 2009 Sir Richard Branson announced Virgin as a major sponsor for the team. On April 17 Brawn announced an agreement with MIG Investments. They would sport the logo on the front of the car. It was also confirmed on April 19 that Ray-Ban, a sunglasses manufacturer, would carry on sponsoring the team - their logo appears on the drivers' helmets. At the 2009 Bahrain Grand Prix Virgin sported their Virgin Galactic logo instead of Virgin. They re-signed Endless Advance and NCE and signed a new supplier deal with safety harness supplier Willans before the Spanish Grand Prix. Only for the Spanish Grand Prix, Sony Pictures joined the team with the cars featuring promotional imagery from the upcoming film Terminator Salvation.

Vodafone McLaren get "Suspended 3 Race Ban"

The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council has handed McLaren a three race ban for bringing the sport into disrepute after they were found to have misled race stewards at March’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

The ban will be suspended, however, in light of the ‘open and honest way’ in which team principal Martin Whitmarsh addressed the Council on Wednesday, and will only be applied if further evidence emerges, or there is another breach of the International Sporting Code.

Accepting the decision, Whitmarsh commented: "I would like to thank the FIA World Motor Sport Council members for affording me the opportunity to answer their questions this morning. We are aware that we made serious mistakes in Australia and Malaysia, and I was therefore very glad to be able to apologise for those mistakes once again. “I was also pleased to be able to assure the FIA World Motor Sport Council members that we had taken appropriate action with a view to ensuring that such mistakes do not occur again."

The full statement from the FIA:

At an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council held in Paris on 29 April 2009, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes admitted five charges of breaching article 151c of the International Sporting Code relating to events at the Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix.
The following decision was taken:
“Having regard to the open and honest way in which McLaren Team Principal, Mr Martin Whitmarsh, addressed the WMSC and the change in culture which he made clear has taken place in his organisation, the WMSC decided to suspend the application of the penalty it deems appropriate. “That penalty is a suspension of the team from three races of the FIA Formula One World Championship. This will only be applied if further facts emerge regarding the case or if, in the next 12 months, there is a further breach by the team of article 151c of the International Sporting Code.”The full reasons for this decision will be issued shortly.

Sebastien Vettel Grabs Pole Position in Shanghai

Sebastian Vettel (born July 3, 1987 in Heppenheim) is a German race car driver. He drives for Red Bull Racing having replaced former driver David Coulthard.
By taking part in Friday practice for the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix, Vettel became the youngest Formula One driver to drive at a Grand Prix meeting, at 19 years and 53 days. On Sunday September 30, 2007, during the Japanese Grand Prix Vettel became the youngest driver to lead a Formula One race. (Mike Thackwell remains the youngest driver to compete in a championship Grand Prix race; Nico Rosberg the youngest to drive an F1 car in private testing) He also became the quickest driver to get a fine in F1, being fined $1,000 nine seconds into his career, after speeding in the pitlane. He went on to become the sixth youngest driver to start a Grand Prix and the youngest driver to score points in a Grand Prix. During qualifying for the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, Vettel became the youngest Formula One driver to win pole position. He went on to win the race, making him the youngest F1 race winner by nearly a year.

Junior Series

Vettel demonstrating his Formula Three Euroseries car in 2006
Vettel started racing karts in 1995, winning various titles such as the Junior Monaco Kart Cup (2001). In 2003, he upgraded to open-wheel cars, and won the 2004 German Formula BMW Championship with 18 victories from 20 races. In 2005 he drove for ASL Mucke Motorsport in the Formula Three Euroseries. He was placed fifth in the final standings with 64 points, winning the year's top rookie honours. He did not win any races, but this was largely due to the championship's domination by Lewis Hamilton. Despite, this, he tested the Williams FW27 Formula One car on September 27 as a reward for this Formula BMW success. He then went on to test for the BMW Sauber team.
Vettel finished as runner-up in the 2006 F3 Euroseries, behind series leader Paul di Resta. He also made his debut in the World Series by Renault at Misano, winning after Pastor Maldonado was disqualified. However, at the next round at Spa-Francorchamps, his finger was almost sliced off by flying débris in an accident, and he was expected to be out of racing for several weeks.

However, he managed to compete in the Ultimate Masters of F3 at Zandvoort the following weekend, finishing in sixth place. He also set third fastest lap time, and it surprised his ASM team boss Frédéric Vasseur. Vasseur said: "I was impressed for sure, because at the beginning of the week I was sure he wouldn't race! But he showed good pace from the first practice session. I can't imagine he's 100 per cent but at least we know we can be competitive in the next F3 Euroseries round at the Nürburgring next weekend - that's important."

Vettel became BMW Sauber's third driver at the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix, when former incumbent Robert Kubica was called up to replace Jacques Villeneuve for the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Vettel impressed on his testing debut by setting fastest time in second Friday Free Practice before the race.The young German also impressed on his second testing session in the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, setting the fastest time in both Friday practice sessions, a race weekend in which all the BMW cars were quick, with his predecessor Robert Kubica finishing on the podium in the race.
He was confirmed as BMW's test driver for 2007, and also competed in the World Series by Renault Championship, where he had his first win at the Nürburgring. He was leading the championship when he was called up to F1 permanently, and his seat was taken by Michael Ammermüller.

Formula One

Vettel made his Formula One debut at the 2007 United States Grand Prix, driving for BMW Sauber.

2007: BMW Sauber
Following the serious crash of regular BMW driver Robert Kubica at the Canadian Grand Prix, Vettel substituted for him at the US Grand Prix and started in seventh position on the grid, finishing in eighth position, thanks to Nico Rosberg's late retirement, to take his first F1 World Championship point and became the youngest driver ever to score a point in Formula One (at the age of 19 years and 349 days), a record previously held by Jenson Button – who was 20 years and 67 days old when he finished sixth at the 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix.

2007-2008: Toro Rosso

2007
On July 31, 2007, BMW released Vettel to join Red Bull's Scuderia Toro Rosso team, replacing Scott Speed as race driver as of the Hungarian Grand Prix. He earned approximately $165,000 for finishing the season with Toro Rosso. Before the race, it was also announced that Vettel would drive for STR in 2008. His team-mate would be Sébastien Bourdais.

Vettel struggled to keep up with Liuzzi's pace at Budapest, Istanbul, Monza and Spa, and never managed to progress amongst the lower-midfield pack (Toyota, Honda, Toro Rosso, Super Aguri). In the rain-hit Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji, Vettel worked his way up to third behind Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber, and seemed to be on course for not only his but also Toro Rosso's maiden podium finish. However, Vettel crashed into Webber under safety car conditions taking them both out of the race and prompting Webber to say to ITV reporter Louise Goodman “It’s kids isn’t it... kids with not enough experience – they do a good job and then they fuck it all up.” Vettel was caught on camera crying after the incident. He was initially punished with a ten-place grid penalty for the following race, but this was lifted after a spectator video on YouTube showed the incident may have been caused by Hamilton's behaviour behind the safety car, which Hamilton was also cleared of.

However, Vettel bounced back to finish a career-best fourth a week later at the Chinese GP having started 17th in mixed conditions. He collected five championship points, making it both his and Toro Rosso's best race result.

Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz believes Vettel will be one of Formula One's big stars in the future. "Vettel is one of the young guys with extraordinary potential ! He is fast, intelligent, and he is very interested in the technical side."

According to some sources, at the end of the 2007 season Vettel was contacted by McLaren in order to replace Spanish two-time world champion Fernando Alonso who left the British team for Renault in the same period. The talks between McLaren chief Ron Dennis and Dietrich Mateschitz failed however, the Red Bull boss refusing a multi million Euro deal for the young German driver.

2008
After four races of the 2008 Formula One season Vettel was the only driver to have failed to finish a single race, having retired on the first lap in three of them. In each of these three instances, he was involved in accidents caused by other drivers. However, at the fifth round at the Turkish Grand Prix, he finally saw the chequered flag, finishing 17th after qualifying 14th. In the next race at the Monaco Grand Prix, Vettel scored his first points of the 2008 Season with a fifth place finish, mainly due to the changing conditions. Vettel also benefitted from the downfall of other drivers, such as Adrian Sutil and Heikki Kovalainen. Vettel scored again at the Canadian Grand Prix after starting from the pit lane and having to fight off Heikki Kovalainen in the last few laps for the final championship point. Vettel finished 12th in the French Grand Prix after passing Hamilton at the start. Vettel retired on the first lap of the British Grand Prix after being clipped by David Coulthard and aquaplaning into the gravel trap along with the Red Bull driver. He then bounced back from this by finishing eighth at the German Grand Prix by fending off Fernando Alonso and securing the last championship point after Jarno Trulli went off the track. Vettel then became the first retirement of the Hungarian Grand Prix after his engine overheated during his first pit stop. Vettel impressed many at the European Grand Prix by setting the fastest time in the first practice session and fastest time in the second qualifying session, which was also the fastest overall time in qualifying. He qualified 6th on the grid, and finished 6th, 2 seconds behind Jarno Trulli.
At the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, Vettel became the youngest driver in history to win a Formula One Grand Prix. Aged 21 years and 74 days, Vettel broke the record set by Alonso at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix by 317 days as he won in wet conditions at Monza. Vettel led for the majority of the Grand Prix and crossed the finish line 12.5 seconds ahead of McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen.

Earlier in the weekend, he had already become the youngest polesitter, after setting the fastest times in both Q2 and Q3 qualifying stages, and his win also gave him the record of youngest podium-finisher. Toro Rosso team boss Gerhard Berger said, "As he proved today, he can win races, but he's going to win world championships. He's a cool guy". Hamilton praised the German, stating that this victory showed "how good he is".

Alonso, whom Vettel displaced as the youngest Grand Prix winner, said the victory was "deserved" by the whole of the Toro Rosso team. The nature of the victory and the story of the 21 year old's fledgling career led the German media to dub him "baby Schumi", although Vettel was quick to downplay the expectation the result has brought, particularly the comparison with the seven-time World Champion: "To compare me with Michael Schumacher is just a bit ridiculous...It will be difficult in normal conditions for us to repeat this achievement". He then went on to finish fourth at the Singapore Grand Prix and fifth at the Japanese Grand Prix.
In the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, after running second for much of the race, Vettel overtook Lewis Hamilton in the rain for fifth place on the penultimate lap to contribute to a thrilling climax to the season. He nearly deprived the McLaren driver of the championship before Timo Glock slowed dramatically on the last lap (he was struggling with dry tyres in the ever increasing rain) enabling both Vettel and Hamilton to pass him, earning the Briton the title.

2009 onwards: Red Bull Racing

2009
At the start of the 2009 season, Vettel replaced David Coulthard at Red Bull Racing.
Vettel began strongly at the Australian Grand Prix, qualifying third and running in second for the majority of the race. However, a clash with Robert Kubica over second place on the third last lap of the race forced both to retire. He thought that he would be asble to do this because the yellow flag resulting from his incident forbids overtaking. Vettel attempted to finish the race on three wheels behind the safety car to salvage some points, but eventually pulled off to the side. He was given a ten-place grid penalty for the next race, the Malaysian Grand Prix, and his team was fined for instructing him to stay on track after the damage occurred. In Malaysia he qualified in third position, but was demoted down to 13th due to his ten-place grid drop. He spun out of the race while eighth, just before the race was stopped due to adverse weather conditions. However in China he went on to take pole position, the first pole for the Red Bull Racing team.

Race of Champions
Vettel competed in the 2007 Race of Champions, representing the German team alongside Michael Schumacher. Vettel and Schumacher won the Nation's Cup Title, after exciting finals. Vettel had to beat two RoC champions, Kovalainen and Marcus Grönholm, after Schumacher stalled his car. Vettel lost the individual competition however, in first heat, in his second battle against Kovalainen.

Helmet design

The Bergstraße Coat of Arms that appears on the chin area of Vettel's helmet
Vettel's helmet, like most of Red Bull's drivers, is heavily influenced by the energy drink company logo. Apart from minor changes and sponsorship differences, it has rarely changed over the years since he has been backed by Red Bull.

Panasonic Toyota - Australian GP Preview

Australian Grand Prix - Preview

Panasonic Toyota Racing heads Down Under this weekend for the Australian Grand Prix on the street circuit at Albert Park; the first round of the 2009 Formula 1 season. The new TF109 car has completed 21 test days and around 10,000km kilometres since its first official test on 19 January, including a four-day test with the Australian Grand Prix aerodynamic package in Barcelona earlier this month. These tests produced very promising results so the team makes the 16,000km journey from Germany to Australia full of optimism. Jarno Trulli made his Formula 1 debut at Albert Park in 1997 while Timo Glock's first race with Toyota was in Melbourne last year, the fifth Grand Prix of his career.In 2008 neither Jarno nor Timo finished the Australian Grand Prix so a significant improvement is expected this time around.

Jarno Trulli - Car 9

"Melbourne is a great place to visit and the Australian Grand Prix is always good fun. As a Formula 1 driver you really want to race so I am pleased the season is starting and we can get on with the competition. I am totally fired up for this season and I am feeling very positive about our chances. The TF109 is the best Toyota I have driven in pre-season testing; it feels stable and gives the driver confidence but more importantly it seems to be pretty quick, even though it's hard to make too many judgements based on testing. We made a big step last year, proving we can fight for podiums and finish regularly in the top six so I am hoping for another step forward this year. We have more experience now and the team has worked really hard for a long time on the TF109 - we are ready for the season and I am raring to go."

Timo Glock - Car 10

"It's very exciting to be going to the first race this year because the big changes to the technical regulations for 2009 give Toyota a good opportunity to fight at the front. It's really hard to predict because you don't know what other teams are working on in testing but I know our programme and the results we have seen are very encouraging. Testing has gone really well and I have a good feeling for the new car. It's a different emotion to be starting my second year with Toyota compared to 2008 because now I am much more familiar with the team and I feel I can really start the season strongly. Last year it took a few races to find the right direction for me in terms of set-up but I don't expect that to be a problem this season. Australia is anyway one of my favourite places to visit so I can't wait to get to Melbourne and get the season started."

Ross Brawn on Honda's Revival

The Formula 1 team formerly known as Honda Racing has been saved after the Japanese manufacturer agreed to pass ownership of the operation to Ross Brawn, who becomes team principal of the new Brawn GP outfit.
Brawn served as Ferrari’s technical director for a decade before moving to Honda at the start of last season.
Brawn GP agreed to a deal with Mercedes for a supply of engines in the 2009 season, which gets under way in Australia on March 29.
The deal also secures the future of British driver Jenson Button and veteran Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, who saw off the challenge of compatriot Bruno Senna for the team’s second seat.

Chief executive Nick Fry admitted at a Formula One Teams Association (Fota) press conference that his team would not have survived had it not been for the association’s help.
“There has been an enormous amount of activity behind the scenes; everyone on the stage here has helped us preserve our team.


“I think myself and Ross and our 700 employees all thank them for that. So the answer is yes (the team would have died without Fota),” he said on Thursday.
The future of the Brackley-based outfit had been uncertain since early December, when Honda confirmed they were ending their involvement due to the global economic downturn.
The earlier press conference in Geneva itself was a landmark occasion. A new points-scoring system for this year, a commitment to cut costs by half and the enhancement of the sport’s presentation on television and in the media were the key themes.

But perhaps of even more significance was the palpably flourishing existence of Fota itself. After the love-in on the banks of Lake Geneva, attended by bigwigs from every Formula 1 outfit, the deeply acrimonious McLaren-Ferrari “spygate” affair of 2007 seems like it was a long time ago.

“This is an unprecedented moment in F1 history,” said Ferrari president and Fota chairman, Luca di Montezemolo. “Above all else, for the first time the teams are unified and steadfast — with a clear, collective vision.”

That vision was made manifest when Fota sounded a warning to Bernie Ecclestone, the sport’s commercial rights holder, saying they may consider “alternative” competitions after 2012 if he did not agree to share more revenue.
But Ecclestone was unimpressed. “It’s the same every five years,” he said. “Their revenue isn’t something I want to discuss. It’s up to us — we run the business.”
A number of proposals were put forward at the conference, which Fota want ratified at the FIA’s world council meeting on March 17.
Foremost among them is a new points scoring system for this season, which would change the current scoring system from 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 to 12-9-7-5-4-3-2-1.

Fernando Alonso in warning to Renault

Fernando Alonso has warned his Renault team that he could leave at the end of the season if the car does not improve.
Alonso returned to the constructor after a tumultuous year at McLaren in which he surrendered his world championship to Kimi Raikkonen and was unsettled by his rivalry with team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

Alonso does not expect major improvement
The Spaniard is seventh in the 2008 championship after two races in which the Renault car has been well off the pace set by McLaren in Melbourne and Ferrari in Malaysia.
"I'm at Renault because I wanted to get back to winning, like in 2005 and 2006, if not this year then next year," Alonso said. "But I have an option to leave so I can be in the best possible car, and it is clear Ferrari is one of the best."
Alonso's comments have fuelled the speculation that he could join Ferrari after one season back at Renault.
However, his attempts to distance himself from that theory may have had the opposite effect as he highlighted errors made by Ferrari number two driver Felipe Massa at Melbourne and Sepang.

"It's early to talk about moves and rumours, but Massa has had two bad races with mistakes and that has kicked off speculation about me," Alonso said. "It's logical, but it's too early."
Renault managing director Flavio Briatore said it was a "waste of time to get involved in hypothetical daydreams." He said: "Fernando is a great sportsman who will always give his best and rumours I never comment on."
Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali defended the role of Massa, who is under contract until 2010, despite the setback to the Italian team in both the drivers' and the constructors' championships.

"Felipe has all the qualities and the capabilities to do well," he added. "The championship is long and the team are united, so I see no worries from this aspect."
The Ferrari team were also running checks on the car to be sure a mechanical failure did not cause the spin-out.
At the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Massa retired after a collision and Raikkonen came to a halt with only five laps to race as Ferrari failed to collect any points - its worst start in 16 years. Alonso performed well at Melbourne, moving up from 11th on the grid to finish fourth.
While Alonso said he expected improvements in his car, he also suggested that rival teams would also perform better as the season progresses. "In Barcelona we will have some improvements for the car, (but) the same ones all teams will have, so the championship is going to stay more or less the same.
"We saw it last year and we see it every year. The cars that win the first two or three races stay on top. We are not going to see big surprises during the year."
Briatore, meanwhile, remained optimistic about the team and his star driver. "It does not make sense to judge a car after one or two races. Of course, McLaren and Ferrari have a fast car, but look what happened to Ferrari in Australia," Briatore said. "So we will have to wait and see how it will be at the next couple of races."

Lewis to Date Dannii Minogue ??

It 's not realyy my stuff to gossip about F1 drivers, but this is one story I had to let you know...

It seems that British Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton has the hots for Dannii Minogue, for the sports star has arranged a secret date with the Aussie singer at the Monaco Grand Prix next month.

The two had swapped numbers following Hamilton's Australian race victory last month. Since then, Hamilton has been bombarding Dannii with texts messages.This will be the second F1 outing for Dannii, who was engaged to Jacques Villeneuve in 1999. "Lewis has been texting Dannii like mad since they met in Melbourne. He took a real shine to her," The Sun quoted a source as saying. "Lewis thought she was gorgeous and was really impressed with her knowledge of cars. He wanted to take her out for dinner that night but she had something on that she couldn't cancel.

"He's kept at it and she's finally agreed to meet him for dinner at the Monaco Grand Prix," the source added. The X Factor judge has on the other hand been full of praise for the young racing star after their meeting. "I think the guy is incredible. He is mostly perfect in every way, shape and form," she said.The source also revealed that Lewis was very excited about the whole meeting, and would be doing his best to woo the lady with his charm on May 25. "Lewis is delighted they have finally set a date," the source said. "It's the earliest time they could both do. They will certainly have a lot to talk about. Dannii is quite knowledgeable about F1 thanks to her relationship with Jacques," the source added.

Rosberg Fearful over Singapore Safety

Williams driver Nico Rosberg concedes drivers are still jittery about Formula One's first floodlit race through the city streets of Singapore on September 28.

"Safety is always a concern for street races, and that plus being under the floodlights at night -- safety is a bit of a question mark still," the 22-year-old German said of the night-time race on an untested street circuit.Rosberg said he had no idea how tearing through the streets of the Lion City at more than 300 kph at night would differ from racing in daylight.
"I couldn't tell you because I've never driven at night. I've never tested. There's no tracks with lights so you can't really prepare," he added.

However Rosberg, who finished a career-best third at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, was convinced Formula One authorities would iron out the safety issues.
"I'm sure the FIA has done their job and I think it'll be a great event."
Rosberg, whose father Keke won the world championship in 1982, put an end to two years of frustration on Sunday by claiming a podium place, but it was an achievement just to finish the chaotic Albert Park race.

What a start to the 2008 F1 season !!!!!

It didn't take long for my predictions to come true... Nico Rosberg got the first podium of his carreer in Formula 1 on the first race of the season that proved to be quite eventful start to the 2008 F1 championship and Sebastien Bourdais got a top 8 finish...

Pos Driver Team Pts

1 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 10
2 Nick Heidfeld BMW 8
3 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 6
4 Fernando Alonso Renault 5
5 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes 4
6 Kazuki Nakajima Williams-Toyota 3
7 Sebastien Bourdais STR-Ferrari 2
8 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1

Sebastien Bourdais could have had a 5th place finish except for an engine failure 3 laps from the end.

Ferrari had many troubles and could only get 1 point from Kimi's extravagant day on the track.

A season that promises a lot of surprises and the probable rise of GP2 drivers used to the non traction controlled cars as opposed to the more experienced F1 drivers.

I'l be in Malaysia next week for the Grand Prix and will post all the pictures from the "hottest" race on earth... Sepang - Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix

Have a great week ....

Raikkonen sports new Tattoo in Australia

Mar.13 (GMM) At his first grand prix as reigning world champion, Kimi Raikkonen strolled the Melbourne paddock on Thursday with a huge new tattoo in plain sight.
Having gone over his small 'smiley' tattoo on his right arm with a big black patterned affair one year ago, the 28-year-old Finn's short sleeves on Thursday revealed a new tattoo on the inside of his left forearm.In big black lettering, it predictably reads 'Iceman'.
Also at Albert Park on Thursday, Ferrari driver Raikkonen posed with the supergroup Kiss, who will play after the race on Sunday night.
He blanked the media in Melbourne when quizzed about his new 'iceman' tattoo.The reigning world champion's short-sleeved Ferrari shirt on Thursday revealed to Albert Park paddock dwellers that Raikkonen, 28, seemed to have celebrated his 2007 triumph with the decoration of his inside left forearm.He was asked by the newspaper The Australian if he could talk about his tattoos. "No," Kimi answered.When asked if they have some personal meaning, Raikkonen replied: "I wouldn't have them if they were not personal."

His manager, David Robertson, defended the Finn for not opening up to the press."He has never kissed arse in his life," Robertson said. "He has always just been Kimi. What you get is exactly how he feels."