Formula 1 General Chat & Discussion

News Round Up part 4 :

Honda confirms return to F1 as partner for McLaren :
Honda on Thursday confirmed its 2015 return to formula one, announcing it will supply engines to its 80s and 90s works partner McLaren. "We're proud and thrilled to be joining forces once more to take on the world in formula one," said McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh in Tokyo. Honda pulled out of F1 amid the global financial crisis at the end of 2008, with its Brackley based team becoming Brawn GP and then Mercedes. Before the switch to Honda in 2015, McLaren said on Thursday it will continue to work "diligently and professionally" with Mercedes power in 2014, as F1 transitions to turbo V6 power. Honda president Takanobu Ito said: "We have the greatest respect for the FIA's decision to introduce these new regulations".

Lotus dissapointed with tyre change mid-season :
Eric Boullier has revealed Lotus is "a little disappointed" with Pirelli's decision to change its 2013 tyres mid-season. Amid the media furore and the complaining of prominent teams like Red Bull and Mercedes, F1's official supplier announced that it will revert to elements of last year's tyre design for the Canadian grand prix next month and beyond. But Lotus boss Boullier stressed that only "some teams" actually welcome the changes "because it can help their performance". Indeed, teams including Lotus and Barcelona winner Ferrari were happy with the existing Pirelli tyres. "Unlike Red Bull," Boullier told France's Canal Plus, "who have a policy of developing the car based solely on aerodynamics, we are among the teams like Ferrari, who took into account the Pirelli factor when designing the car. So we're actually a little disappointed by this change," he admitted. "I don't know a lot of other sports where, let's say in football, they decide to increase the size of the goals in the middle of a season," said Boullier. Similarly, Pirelli's test driver Jaime Alguersuari argues that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the 2013 tyre, praising drivers like Ferrari's Fernando Alonso who "understand the tyres where others do not". "I don't see the drama," the Spaniard told the sports daily AS. "When Vettel was winning in 2011 it was like this, but when things go well, you don't complain."
"What is happening now is that a few understand the tyres while others do not. So there is Alonso with Ferrari, and also Raikkonen and Lotus (who understand). It happened to me in 2011," former Toro Rosso driver Alguersuari continued. "I had a horrible start to the year, but from mid-season we began to understand the behaviour of the compounds."

Ecclestone not thinking of retiring after bribery charge :
Bernie Ecclestone has played down the notion he might quietly retire off the back of his German bribery charges. Although F1's 82-year-old chief executive and his Munich lawyers insist the official charge sheet has not actually been received, it is now widely accepted that prosecutors will ask the district court to hear charges related to the Gerhard Gribkowsky corruption affair. It will be alleged Ecclestone paid Gribkowsky - who has already been jailed - $44 million amid the sale of the sport's commercial rights to current owners CVC. "No, that's nonsense," Ecclestone is quoted by German newspaper Bild. "The money I paid him had nothing to do with the sale of formula one shares." Asked if he will nonetheless retire as a result of the bribery charges, he insisted: "No. I don't think so. The shareholders will have to decide. Forget this story -- when my contract expires, they can replace me with whoever they want." As for the German charges, Ecclestone said: "All I know is, I am innocent. And in the end the truth will come out."

McLaren - Button wil drive here as long as he wants :
McLaren on Thursday opened the door for Jenson Button to lead the charge for the new works Honda partnership beginning in 2015. Button's existing contract does not extend that far, and so when the 33-year-old was mentioned and quoted in Thursday's official statement, it did not say if the Briton would still be in the cockpit. But McLaren's managing director Jonathan Neale said on Thursday: "I was just laughing with Jenson about it. "Jenson will drive here as long as he wants to. He fits our values and our culture really well. He's here with the workforce this morning and it's more a question of hoping he will still be here in 2015," he added.
Neale said the Honda deal is essentially a "works" one, but clarified that there is no exclusivity -- meaning the Japanese manufacturer could sign customer teams. "All manufacturers and engine suppliers coming into formula one know that they do so with an expectation that, should they be required, they are prepared to supply more than one team," he said. Neale said McLaren is currently "the only team working with Honda", but rumours suggest Sauber and Lotus have made enquiries to the Japanese marque about price.

Most teams can't afford 2014 V6 engines :
Most formula one teams cannot afford to pay the prices quoted by engine manufacturers for next year's all-new turbo V6 engines. That is the claim of the German newspaper Bild, insisting that grandees Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes aside, the other seven teams are balking at the price demanded by F1's three V6 suppliers Renault, Ferrari and Mercedes. "Even in Barcelona," said Bild correspondent Helmut Uhl, "you could feel the strange, invisible tension." He wrote that, world champions and 'works' partner Red Bull aside, 2014 customers Williams, Caterham, Toro Rosso and even the highly competitive Lotus cannot afford to pay French supplier Renault the fee of EUR 23 million per season. Mercedes, supplying McLaren and Force India, has reportedly lowered its price to between 18 and 20 million, while Sauber and Marussia are being asked for 15m by Ferrari.

'Neutral observer' Lauda hails Pirelli's tyre change :
Niki Lauda has hailed Pirelli's move to alter the design of its 2013 tyres ahead of the Canadian grand prix next month and beyond. Lotus, arguably the team with the best grip on the Italian supplier's controversial tyres this year, is not happy with the decision. "It's clear that Pirelli have found themselves in a difficult situation and under pressure from different quarters," team boss Eric Boullier said. "I hope they (the changes) are not too extreme."
Within the pitlane, the bulk of the 'pressure' put on Pirelli came from Red Bull and Mercedes. Mercedes' W04 is perhaps the fastest car in the entire field over one lap this year, but it chews alarmingly through the tyres over a race distance. Asked what he thinks of Pirelli's change of tack for Canada and beyond, chairman Lauda said: "This is very positive, and I'm speaking as a neutral observer and not the Mercedes chairman. "No one understands what's going on anymore, and there are no more man-to-man fights, because everyone is just focused on the tyres. It can't be the intention of racing that the slowest man wins," the great Austrian told Osterreich. "Everyone is just hoping he gets into the window where the tyres work, and often it's a coincidence only," added Lauda. Former driver Mika Salo, meanwhile, has played down Lotus' fears the team will be overly disadvantaged by the Montreal tweak. Backing the move, the Finn told MTV3 broadcaster: "There didn't seem to be any drivers left who were happy with the tyres. It was clear that something was wrong with them. But I don't think it's anything for Lotus to panic about, as they were also good on last year's tyres. If they are able to use the tyres better now, then they will also use these (new) tyres better," added Salo.

No news on Ecclestone bribery charges until June :
It will be at least June before anything more is known about Bernie Ecclestone's bribery charges. It is believed F1's 82-year-old chief executive has been charged by Munich prosecutors regarding his payment of $44 million some years ago to now jailed former banker Gerhard Gribkowsky. But a spokeswoman told German news agency DPA that the district court will not make a decision about how to proceed with the charges "within three to four weeks". She would not comment further.

McLaren plays down Mercedes fears for 2014 :
McLaren has played down suggestions Honda will unfairly benefit from the great British team's continuing collaboration with Mercedes next year. It was announced in Tokyo on Thursday that McLaren will be powered by 'works' turbo V6 engines provided by Honda from 2015. But, before then, McLaren will run with customer Mercedes power next year, as the sport switches to the all-new and radical engine regulations. The situation has raised some red flags: will the development of Honda's new V6 benefit from the insight gained from the ongoing McLaren-Mercedes pairing? Is Mercedes' intellectual property in danger?
"We have discussed that at length with Mercedes," said McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale, "and we have made sure Mercedes has all the comfort it needs. "It is not in Honda's interests either," he insisted. "Honda is very honourable as an organisation, as is Mercedes. McLaren will operate in a scrupulous way between both of those two organisations." Neale said it is in both Mercedes and McLaren's interests to ensure the 2014 collaboration - prior to the shift to Honda - is successful. "We need each other to be successful, so we have a confidence in our partnership," he added. "We recognise there is mutual dependency. Although we are competitive on circuit, behind the scenes there is the highest of regard between the two organisations."

Ferrari joins Lotus in mid-season tyre tweak criticism :
Ferrari has joined Lotus in criticising Pirelli's mid-season tyre tweak. Following early-season criticism, culminating in the furore after Barcelona recently, Pirelli announced it is making key changes to its controversial 2013 tyres for next month's Canadian grand prix and beyond. Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez was the first to react, likening the change to widening football goals because one team was always striking the post. Now, in the anonymous 'Horse Whisperer' column posted on the official Ferrari website, Ferrari has lashed out at those who claim four-stop strategies in F1 show that the tyres are too extreme. Undoubtedly, the Ferrari writer is referring to the kind of criticism made by world champions Red Bull. "It's a shame that these worthy souls kept quiet two years ago when, at the very same Catalunya circuit and on the Istanbul track, five of the six drivers who got to those two podiums made exactly the same number of pitstops," the column read.
Ferrari also recalled the 2004 French grand prix, when Michael Schumacher won at Magny Cours with a four-stopper that left Ferrari and Bridgestone "showered with praise" within the paddock. "Today however, it seems one must almost feel ashamed for choosing a strategy that, as always for that matter, is aimed at getting the most out of the package one has available," the column added.

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

News Round Up part 3 :

First Mexican sponsor arrives at McLaren :
Carlos Slim, the Mexican telecommunications billionaire, has already arrived as a sponsor at British team McLaren. When Mexican Sergio Perez was signed for 2013 and beyond, speculation swirled that Slim's Telmex empire would replace departing McLaren title sponsor Vodafone in 2014. The future has already arrived. On the rear wing of the MP4-28 in Barcelona last weekend were the words 'Claro Video'. Claro, currently also a sponsor of Perez's former team, Sauber, alongside Telmex, is a Mexican mobile phone operator in the Slim stable.
And according to Mexican reports dated Monday, May 13, Slim's son Carlos Slim Domit has announced that Claro will also be a McLaren sponsor in 2014. The German news agency DPA said Slim Jr made the announcement at last weekend's Spanish grand prix.

Red Bull Racing wants to keep Vettel for 'a long time' :
Christian Horner says he is not worried Sebastian Vettel is about to jump ship to a rival formula one team. German Vettel, F1's reigning triple world champion and the 2013 title leader, has in the past been linked with a move to Ferrari. And the most recent rumour is that Mercedes' Niki Lauda has made approaches to the 25-year-old. Vettel, however, remains under contract to Red Bull, even if his boss Christian Horner told Sport Bild: "What team wouldn't want Sebastian Vettel? He has been part of the Red Bull family for a long time, and he's an important part of our success. We have steadily developed along with him. The issue is not so much about the length of contracts, but how comfortable you feel with one another. Seb feels comfortable with us, and we're comfortable with him. And I have no doubt that will be the same for a very long time into the future," he added. "Seb is fantastic, but I don't think we've seen the best from him yet," said Horner.

German prosecutors file bribery charges agains Ecclestone :
German prosecutors have charged Bernie Ecclestone with bribery, the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reports in its Wednesday edition. Earlier, the newspaper said the officials had completed their long investigation into the F1 chief executive's role in the Gerhard Gribkowsky corruption affair. "Munich has filed charges against Bernie Ecclestone," Wednesday's article reads, adding that one of the charges is the "serious" offense of bribing a public official. The case will surround the 82-year-old's confirmed payment of $44 million to jailed former F1 banker Gribkowsky, surrounding the sale of the sport to CVC some years ago. "The bribery allegations could cost Ecclestone his job as formula one boss," said the Suddeutsche Zeitung, adding that the district court will now decide whether or not it hears the case. If it does, a trial is tipped to take place this year. Briton Ecclestone claims Gribkowsky blackmailed him.

More panic outside than inside after Allison's exit - Lotus :
Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez has played down the impact of technical director James Allison's departure. So highly rated had Briton Allison become within the F1 paddock, that many insiders believe the 45-year-old would be able to take his pick in terms of choosing his next team. Lotus has promoted from within - Nick Chester - to replace Allison, so it is feared that Enstone will now struggle to produce as good a car with a budget smaller than F1's 'big four' Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes. Lopez told Finland's Turun Sanomat: "We have known for some time that Allison is leaving, so I don't think it's relevant to our performance. James is a great guy, an important guy," he is also quoted by Sporting Life, "but that was more from a coordination point of view. When Bob Bell left (for Mercedes), there was panic outside of Enstone, but not with us, and this is the same thing. It's not going to affect us," He added. "Enstone has amazing talent."

Pirelli had to do something 'for own image' :
Pirelli has denied claims it is making major changes to its 2013 tyre design as a result of the pressure applied by world champions Red Bull. Following the controversy in the wake of Sunday's Spanish grand prix, Pirelli announced on Tuesday that it will make major changes in time for next month's race in Canada, including reverting to the basic structure of the 2012 tyre. However, before deciding to make the changes, Pirelli's Paul Hembery had warned that a reaction like that could hand the world championship to Red Bull. But he now insists: "I know there are concerns that the change will help some teams and punish others. But we are convinced that this is not the case. This change has nothing to do with Red Bull's criticism -- certainly the criticism from some in the media was considerably harsher," Hembery is quoted by Speed Week.
Hembery acknowledges, however, that teams like Ferrari and Lotus did not complain anywhere near as loudly, because they were able to manage the original tyres. "They developed more in the mechanical direction than aerodynamic," he said, "but we do not believe that by making this change, they are going to be disadvantaged," he is quoted by Finland's MTV3. "We certainly hope not, although there's always a risk. We are still going to be fairly aggressive in terms of choosing the compounds. Red Bull never officially came to us and demanded change, which is important for people to understand. It is by no means certain that this is going to help Red Bull, so people shouldn't be so quick to assume that," added Hembery. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner agrees that it is "impossible to predict" how Pirelli's change will change the situation in Canada and beyond. "It is all part of the challenge of formula one," he is quoted by the UK newspaper Express. Referring to the widespread criticism of the Italian marque's approach so far in 2013, Horner said the change for Canada is "ultimately in Pirelli's interests". "They had to do something for their own image," the Briton is quoted by Germany's Sport Bild.

Ferrari - Some missed opportunities hard to swallow :
Good traditions are always upheld and there is no exception to that rule at Maranello. That's why, after yesterday's flag raising, today it was time for the buffet with the men and women of the Scuderia, who all gathered together in the Logistics building to celebrate Fernando Alonso’s win and Felipe Massa’s third place in the Spanish Grand Prix. "It's always nice to come together at moments like this, but it's important not just because of the result pure and simple," said Stefano Domenicali. "We have won two of the five races so far, but we can do more. For people like us, who always aim for the maximum, it's hard to swallow having missed some opportunities. In Barcelona we won without ifs and buts, we won fair and square." "We are doing a good job, but we will continue to concentrate on ourselves and on the challenges that lie ahead, aware that if each one of us does our job perfectly then we can do well," continued the Team Principal. "The aspect of the Barcelona weekend I was most pleased about was that we started our post-race meeting at 17.15, just as planned and at 18.30 we were still there analysing the data in detail: that's the right approach, the right attention to detail and the right working method. That's what I expect to see right to the end of the season. Our strength comes from all of you who are here today under this roof."

Honda shaping up to announce F1 return :
Honda is shaping up to announce its return to formula one, a source at the Japanese manufacturer said on Wednesday. We reported at the weekend that McLaren has let a deadline pass whereby it could have extended its customer deal with Mercedes beyond next season. "That can only mean Honda in 2015," said Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt. It is reported Honda, having pulled out its works formula one team at the end of 2008, will return as an engine supplier. It will supply a ERS-powered turbo V6 to McLaren free of charge, and consider customer deals with teams like prospective partners Sauber and Lotus.
The Honda source on Wednesday told French news agency AFP that president Takanobu Ito is close to making the news official. "Honda has not officially denied these reports," said the unnamed source. "Please prepare yourself for the announcement." When asked specifically about the Honda rumours in Barcelona last weekend, McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh did not deny a deal is in the works. "The discussions about '15 are between myself and Mercedes and not for newspapers," he told British broadcaster Sky.

Ricciardo has 'upper hand' over Vergne for Red Bull move :
The signs are growing ever stronger than Daniel Ricciardo is a real candidate to replace his Australian countryman Mark Webber at Red Bull next year. "I was waiting for one of these questions!" the 23-year-old, acknowledging the rumours, said last weekend in Barcelona whilst flashing one of his characteristic grins.
Some think Kimi Raikkonen is a much stronger contender for Webber's 2014 seat, but it should be remembered that Toro Rosso exists to feed drivers to its energy drink owner's main team. So Ricciardo, racing alongside Jean-Eric Vergne at present, looks the strongest contender to be fed into Red Bull Racing since Sebastian Vettel a few years ago. "Ideally for me I'd love to get the Red Bull Racing seat one day, and to sort of really complete their programme," he told Melbourne radio SEN on Wednesday. "Everyone's always watching -- I'm always trying to make sure I'm turning a few heads. Red Bull for me has created a massive opportunity," Ricciardo added. Franz Tost, Ricciardo's Toro Rosso boss, admitted on Wednesday that - weighing up Ricciardo versus Frenchman Vergne - it is the young Australian closest to making the move to Red Bull. "Right now he (Ricciardo) has the upper hand, which we have seen in Barcelona," the Austrian told F1's official website. "But that is a snapshot right now. Generally I would say that both would fit into the Red Bull concept."

Ecclestone to meet Renault chairman over dispute :
Bernie Ecclestone will meet with Renault chairman Carlos Ghosn in Paris on Thursday, according to Germany's specialist Auto Motor und Sport. Reportedly, F1's chief executive and the French carmaker are having a dispute -- ostensibly about Renault's motor home. In Barcelona last weekend, Renault - supplier of engines to multiple F1 teams including world champions Red Bull - was told to park its motor home outside the paddock. Ecclestone said: "Renault is a supplier, and if we let them all in the paddock, there would be no room for anyone else." Auto Motor und Sport, however, claims the dispute runs deeper than that. Reportedly, Ecclestone is pushing for Renault to reduce the price of its turbo V6 engine next year for customer teams, after naming the price at between 20 and 23 million EURO per team per season. The customers are complaining, but Renault is apparently refusing to budge, leading to the motor home situation and Ecclestone's forthcoming meeting with Ghosn.

Alonso third-highest on 'international' sports earners list :
Fernando Alonso is the third-highest 'international' sports earner on earth, according to the influential US magazine Sports Illustrated. Excluding American athletes, like undefeated boxer Floyd 'Money' Mayweather who has already earned $90 million in 2013, the highest paid sportsman is British footballer David Beckham.
His $48 million is trailed by tennis' Roger Federer (43m), followed by Ferrari's Alonso, whose estimated $42 million in 2013 will include his retainer and endorsements. Spaniard Alonso reportedly makes more than Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo (35m) and FC Barcelona rival Lionel Messi, according to the international list. F1's next representative, coming in at eleventh on the list with almost $24 million, is Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, while the newly-retired Michael Schumacher is still raking in the income, with just under $20m estimated.

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

News Round-Up part 2 :

Ferrari doubts 2013 pecking order to change :
Stefano Domenicali doubts F1's pecking order will change significantly as the 'development race' continues in 2013. Speaking to Brazil's Totalrace, the Ferrari boss seemed relieved that the pecking order had not changed significantly between Bahrain and Spain. Usually, the first race of the European season is the scene of a potential pecking-order shake-up, as teams returned to their headquarters after the initial 'flyaway' period. "The Spanish grand prix," said Domenicali, "was important in my view so we could see the jump in performance of each team. From now until the end of July, we will see no more than one or two major steps in the development," the Italian added. He is referring to the forthcoming summer period, when all of the teams will have to turn the bulk of their attention to the huge regulation changes for 2014. Referring to the pecking order in Barcelona, Domenicali surmised: "It seems like everyone had the same kind of improvement, unlike what happened last year. After so many years with these regulations, it is difficult for someone to find a great performance leap." So, from the middle of the season onwards, it seems obvious that the teams will have close to 100 per cent of their resources on honing a competitive package for the V6-powered future. "We will be forced to focus more on the car for next year," said Domenicali, "because if we find something (for 2014), the improvement will not be two or three tenths, but two or three seconds. This is a crucial part of the season," he added.

McLaren denies giving Perez a team order in Spain :
McLaren has denied a radio call to Sergio Perez during Sunday's Spanish grand prix was a 'team order'. After Mexican Perez and teammate Jenson Button's wheel-banging recently in Bahrain, boss Martin Whitmarsh said the incident proved that McLaren lets its drivers race. But in the closing stages in Barcelona on Sunday, Perez again closed on his experienced teammate Button's sister car but was told to look after his tyres. The 22-year-old, who had apologised in the wake of the Bahrain incident, duly followed Button to the chequered flag, for ninth place. "Checo (Perez) himself said at the end that his tyres were finished," Whitmarsh is quoted by the Sapa-AFP news agency. "What we didn't want was him to be battling until he ran out of rubber. So it was not tactical, it was practical. It was a fair fight, but if you are asking 'did we ask him to back off and not fight?' No, not at all," he insisted. Perez also denied the 'team order' charge via his Twitter account. "Just want to tell everyone (that) the radio message was all about saving the tyres. Never a team order," he said.

Drivers divided over new penalty points system :
Romain Grosjean sounds supportive of F1's move to enhance its penalty system. Last year, the Frenchman became the first F1 driver in years to serve a race ban, following a string of first-lap crashes. He admitted to RMC Sport it may seem "ironic" that he therefore supports a system that could lead directly to more race bans.
It is reported that errant drivers will earn 'demerit'-style points against their FIA super license for on and off-track indiscretions, leading to race bans. Grosjean said: "If there is a nice system that comes in, why not? Right now, it is the stewards who decide: it's like boxing or judo, it's arbitrary." But not everyone on the grid is so accepting. Jules Bianchi, Marussia's rookie driver, said the new system also sounds too arbitrary. "I've heard that the sanctions could vary from 1 to 3 points," he said. "They're going to say 'You did it in this way, so 1 point. You did it in another way, so 2 points. So it won't be consistent," added Bianchi.
Another opponent is F1's reigning world champion, Sebastian Vettel. "I don't like it," the Red Bull driver admitted. "I've seen a sketch of it (the plan) and I think you have the potential of scoring points for some things that are not entirely in our hands, and small things that at the end of the day the consequence could be very big," added Vettel.

Bribery charge could end Ecclestone's reign :
If Bernie Ecclestone is charged with bribery, it will be the end of the 82-year-old Briton's long and famous reign over formula one. That is the claim of a source, who was commenting in the wake of reports at the weekend that German prosecutors are close to indicting F1's chief executive over the Gerhard Gribkowsky affair.
According to Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, the next step would be a court deciding if it should hear the case, with a trial to shortly follow. The Financial Times said one option for Ecclestone would be for him to negotiate a settlement with the prosecutors. But "Irrespective of whether he manages to settle," a source told the newspaper, "he would be gone from F1 by the end of the year." Ecclestone told Reuters last weekend in Barcelona: "I've not heard from anybody. Let's wait and see what happens."

Pirelli boss hopes new F1 contract coming 'soon' :
Pirelli is now well on the road to securing a new contract to continue as F1's official tyre supplier beyond 2013. That is the claim of the Italian company's chairman and chief executive Marco Tronchetti Provera.
In Bahrain, Pirelli's F1 chief Paul Hembery had hinted that, with Pirelli's existing contract expiring, a deadline was now fast approaching. "There is a time scale and I'm pretty sure I know what it is," he said.
On Sunday in Barcelona, the Briton said negotiations had continued in the days and weeks since Bahrain, and some progress had been made. "We are moving in the right direction," confirmed Tronchetti Provera, according to reports in the Italian media. "We believe the conditions for the signing of a new contract with formula one have already been established. It will not take much more and I hope it will happen soon," he added. "There will be news in the coming months." He added that Pirelli enjoys its collaboration because working in F1 "produces important results for the research of the products and materials for road cars".

F1's tyre row not so simple to solve :
In the days after the Spanish grand prix, the word on everybody's lips is the same – tyres. Indeed, so crucial is the impact of Pirelli's controversial product this year is that rumours are swirling that Red Bull mogul Dietrich Mateschitz may have renewed his threat to pull out of formula one. Reports say the Austrian met with fellow billionaire Bernie Ecclestone in Barcelona, shortly before hinting to reporters that he is losing his patience. "Formula one tyre management is not a race," Mateschitz told German newspaper Bild. "The tyre is a means to an end -- it's how you transfer the potential and performance of the car and driver to the road." But he said the current situation "contradicts" the very idea of motor racing. Whether Mateschitz threatened to quit or not, or whether the F1 chief executive heard Mercedes' Niki Lauda say the 2013 tyres are "the biggest joke", Ecclestone is now on board. "The tyres are wrong," he is quoted by the UK newspaper Express, "(and) not what we intended when we asked Pirelli to produce something which did a half race. Pirelli know it and they're doing something about it. We'll go back to last season's type of tyres, which gave us some close racing," he added.
As ever in F1, however, it's not that simple. The complaining is not universal -- especially among teams who have made the tyres work for them so far. "It's not as simple as that to just change the tyres," Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali told Auto Motor und Sport. Lotus' Eric Boullier agrees that pulling the rug from under teams who are not complaining is "not fair". "Pirelli was asked to build tyres that last 20 laps, and they've done that. If our car can do it, the other teams should work just as hard," he told German RTL television.
Pirelli is also protesting about the fairness of the current situation; criticised if they do nothing, and potentially accused of favouring Red Bull if they make a change. "If we do something that helps them," Paul Hembery is quoted by the Guardian, "we can understand that Lotus and Ferrari won't be happy. We will be damned if we do and damned if we don't." He is quoted by Brazil's O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper: "It would be much easier and cheaper to produce tyres that last the whole race. Anyone can see the amount of tyres we are manufacturing and taking to the race tracks. We could greatly simplify our task. As I've said, it's a choice between one or another kind of competition." On the F1 grid, competition and politics speak the loudest. "The more frustrating the results," Welt newspaper correspondent Simon Pausch said, "the louder the complaints."
Times journalist Kevin Eason, characterising Mateschitz's words as a "declaration of self-interest', added: "(The) Tyres (controversy) is only a symptom of deep confusion and malaise in F1. Costs, 2014 engines, division of wealth etc," he added on Twitter.

Horner weighs up candidates for Red Bull Racing seat :
Christian Horner was on Tuesday faced with rising speculation Red Bull is weighing up a choice between two drivers for Mark Webber's 2014 seat. Amid suggestions the team has decided to replace Australian Webber, team boss Horner admitted in Barcelona that the 36-year-old is in "the autumn of his career".
On the front row of the grid for his place, according to the rumour mill, are Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo. When asked about the Finn, Horner told Austrian Servus TV: "Kimi is doing a good job. He's very strong at the moment. But we're focusing on our own drivers. Kimi is a competitor that we want to beat. The right time for us to discuss the drivers is later in the summer," he added. Nonetheless, the rumours keep coming. Sitting right alongside Horner amid Tuesday's questioning was Australian Ricciardo, the stand-out driver at Red Bull's second team Toro Rosso in 2013. "I don't know," the 23-year-old driver said when asked about a possible opportunity at the main team. "What do you think, Christian?" he grinned.
Horner answered: "Daniel is a very, very talented driver. He has come from the Red Bull junior programme and has done a great job. We have an eye on him. We're also looking at what Jean-Eric Vergne is doing, and it's nice to see the progress they're making. Daniel has done some great races. He was very strong in China," Horner continued. "The purpose of Toro Rosso is to develop drivers and make them candidates for Red Bull, just as Sebastian Vettel did."

Pirelli speeds up tyre compound changes for Canada :
Pirelli is speeding up a scheduled change of tack for its 2013 tyres. Following harsh criticism both inside and outside the paddock amid the Barcelona four-stoppers, Paul Hembery announced that changes would be made for SilverstoneBut on Tuesday, the Italian marque's motor sport director said the changes will now make their debut one race earlier, in Canada, which is the race after next weekend's Monaco grand prix. "Some structural changes," Hembery tweeted, "combining elements (of the) 2012 and 2013 products."
Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt said the 2012 tyre construction will be revived, although the changes to the actual compounds will be minor "so as not to upset Ferrari and Lotus too much". "The purpose of the change is that the compounds do not heat up as much, especially at the rear," Hembery is quoted as saying . The change will have an aerodynamic impact on the cars, as the 2012 construction did not deform as much in the corners. "This could be the salvation for teams like McLaren, Sauber and Williams. It will definitely also help Red Bull and Mercedes," Schmidt said. Hembery explained: "It may well be that we keep the compounds as we used in Barcelona. If anything, the changes will be minor. We want to stay on the aggressive side, to keep the races exciting and not punish the teams who are doing a good job with these tyres."
Hembery is now stepping up the pressure on the teams to agree to some hot weather winter testing in the Middle East for early 2014, and also for an up-to-date test car. "The Renault that we have is three years old and four seconds slower than today's cars," he said. "Already this year we're seeing as much rear downforce as in 2011 with the blown diffusers. We cannot develop tyres like this," added Hembery.

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

News Round-Up part 1 :

Ecclestone wants Barcelona and Valencia to share race :
Bernie Ecclestone has revealed he would like Barcelona and Valencia to alternate a single date for the Spanish grand prix on F1's annual calendar. Amid reports the two Spanish cities are close to agreeing a deal, Circuit de Catalunya track boss Salvador Servia played down the likelihood. A deal would see Valencia's streets host formula one in 2014, but Servia said Barcelona is already "working on next year". "We have already published the ticket prices for 2014," he told Reuters on Saturday. Clearly, no deal has been struck yet. "Right now I don't know where the (Spanish) grand prix will be next year," F1 chief executive Ecclestone is quoted by the AS sports daily. "The best and right option for both of them is the alternation." AS newspaper said Ecclestone met on Friday at the Circuit de Catalunya with Valencia race official Gonzalo Gobert.

McLaren open for return to orange F1 livery :
McLaren's cars could go orange in the near future, team boss Martin Whitmarsh has admitted. Although the Woking based team's cars have been silver since 1997, orange is actually McLaren's traditional race colour, dating back to the Can-Am days of the 60s. After 2014, however, it looks likely McLaren's long relationship with 'Silver Arrows' carmaker Mercedes will end. Whitmarsh said in Barcelona on Sunday that he could not comment on reports McLaren will definitely be Honda-powered in 2015, saying the matter was "confidential" between the team and existing partner Mercedes. Asked, however, if the change of title sponsor for next year in the wake of Vodafone's scheduled departure might be a chance for McLaren to return to orange, Whitmarsh answered: "I really like the idea. Orange is a great colour, especially for McLaren," he told the Russian website f1news.ru. "We use it for our racing GT and it looks great, and we'll continue to move in this direction. F1 is a bit different: the modern business model is one of the main tasks of the team -- to promote the brands of our partners. But if we're lucky enough to find a sponsor who likes orange, you could see that colour again in formula one," added Whitmarsh.

Lotus sells team stake to Ruhan, Mercedes on F1 board :
F1 team Lotus has reportedly sold a $1.5 million stake to a British property investor. Writing in the Telegraph, F1 business journalist Christian Sylt said the buyer is Andrew Ruhan, who bought a 2 per cent stake from team owner Genii Capital. Genii's Gerard Lopez confirmed that Ruhan is "a friend and a business partner in some substantial real estate developments, loves cars, racing and has purchased, if I am not mistaken, 2pc of the equity to be on the board and feel involved -– for sure, not a substantial deal for either party."
Sylt also revealed in the Telegraph that, having initially refused to let Mercedes onto F1's board as per other top teams, Bernie Ecclestone has now appointed a Daimler executive. "Correct," Sylt told us. "Pre and post (the sport's floatation), they're on it."

Maldonado - 'no idea' how to fix Williams problems :
A year after winning in Barcelona from pole, Pastor Maldonado has hit rock bottom at the scene of his F1 breakthrough. For many in the paddock, the depth of Williams' and Maldonado's decline in just 12 months is hard to believe -- on Saturday, both FW35s failed to make it out of Q1, and the Venezuelan was outqualified by his rookie teammate Valtteri Bottas. With new improvements to the struggling car on board this weekend, Maldonado told EFE news agency that "nothing worked" as his team tried to improve his car through the weekend. "Nothing worked at all," he said again, "but we have to keep calm and keep going. We cannot give up," the 28-year-old added. "We must keep going to find a solution. At the moment we have no idea how to fix our problems, which seems incredible, but this is formula one."

Alonso breached regulations by grabbing Spanish flag :
The FIA on Sunday considered penalising Fernando Alonso for picking up a Spanish flag during his post-chequered flag in-lap. After winning his home race in Barcelona, Alonso stopped beside a marshal who furnished his Spanish compatriot and hero with a red and yellow Spanish flag. Once in 'parc ferme', the Ferrari driver draped the flag over the '1' signboard indicating where he should park. But the glorious moment was actually a breach of a regulation about "receiving an object" prior to the post-race weighing and scrutineering procedure, and Alonso and a Ferrari team member were summoned to the stewards. Ultimately, the FIA officials let him off without penalty "to be consistent with a previous decision made under similar circumstances".

Mercedes will be difficult to beat in Monaco :
Mercedes has been tipped as a likely favourite to win the fabled Monaco grand prix later this month. Having dominated qualifying in Spain, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton fell spectacularly backwards through the field in the race as the W04 chew mercilessly through Pirelli's tyres. Toto Wolff, the team's co-owner and director, said the extreme reversal of Saturday's fortunes caused himself and Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche "almost physical pain". But it could all be different in Monaco. "I think Mercedes has a good chance to win in Monte Carlo," said Swiss commentator and former driver Marc Surer. "Whoever starts at the front in the principality also has a good chance for victory," he is quoted by Speed Week. "And the degradation of the rear tyres will not be such a big issue there." Asked if predictions like Surer's are right, Barcelona winner Fernando Alonso said: "Yes, definitely. They've been on pole position for the last three races, they were on pole last year with Michael (Schumacher), so it would be a surprise if they weren't on pole position in Monaco," said the Ferrari driver. And it's more difficult to overtake in Monaco, so maybe they can keep good positions for longer."
Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen also agreed: "I think Mercedes will unfortunately be pretty quick there and after that it's difficult to overtake. So you can really expect, from what they did last year and what they did here, that they should be pretty fast there," the Finn added in Barcelona. Mercedes' Rosberg told DPA news agency: "In qualifying we are very good, so it's very likely that we'll be close to the front (in Monaco) and hopefully I can keep the train behind me."

Ecclestone uses F1 money to pay off New Jersey debts :
F1 has invested financially in the project to put the sport amid the fabled New York skyline. Amid suggestions the already delayed New Jersey street race might now falter altogether, the project announced this week that Long Beach grand prix founder Chris Pook has joined up. "Chris has a history of great success in formula one, which I'm confident he'll bring to the grand prix of America race," Ecclestone said earlier this week.
Now, in the Barcelona paddock, the F1 chief executive revealed that he has committed some of the sport's money to the New Jersey project. "There's no reason why it shouldn't happen," Ecclestone told Reuters on Saturday. "We've put money behind it to pay a lot of the things off, a lot of their debts," he said, explaining that he will look to recoup the money later. We're going to try and make it happen next year."
Ecclestone also hinted he might be lining up a race on the streets of Long Beach as a potential alternative to New Jersey. "If we do this (in New Jersey), it (Long Beach) won't (happen)," said the 82-year-old.

F1 reaches 'T-word' tipping point after puzzling race :
There is an angry 'T-word' on everybody's lips after Sunday's puzzling and painful Spanish grand prix. "Can anyone tell me what's going on?" an exasperated Paul di Resta asked his team during the race in Barcelona.
With that, he summed up the situation in F1 at present: Pirelli's unprecedentedly heavily degrading tyres are confusing even the sport's drivers. Lewis Hamilton, having qualified on the front row, sounded amazed, sarcastic and incensed when he informed his Mercedes bosses that "I've been passed by a Williams now".
Only 24 hours earlier, the same Williams had failed to make it out of 'Q1', while many were tipping a Mercedes victory. "When we're going round three seconds slower than a GP2 car did in qualifying, and only six seconds quicker than a GP3 car did in the race, there's something wrong," said McLaren's Jenson Button.
Hamilton, asked to slow down to protect his tyres during Sunday's race, replied that he couldn't go any slower "otherwise I'm going at walking pace". "That is the way the sport has gone to improve overtaking," he told reporters afterwards. "It is for the public to judge." Until now, Pirelli has vigorously defended its mandate, having come into F1 tasked with spicing up the action by supplying tyres that will force multiple pitstops per driver. But, amid the post-race vitriol in Spain from both inside and outside the paddock, motor sport director Paul Hembery announced that Pirelli will now make changes. "It's too late for Monaco but we'd look to change things for Silverstone," he said. Gerhard Berger, a former grand prix winner and team co-owner, explained: "They can't go on like this. "Every 14 days it's just negative advertising for them. And the fans no longer know their stuff."
In short, the pressure has built to tipping point, spurred on by vocal opponents like Red Bull, and also the media. "Is this really a formula one world championship?" said Nicola Pohl in the mass-circulation German newspaper Bild. She quoted Red Bull team boss Christian Horner saying: "It's like chess now. And chess is not necessarily a sport that has many fans." Hembery is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport: "In the last two years, the public has supported us. The races have become much more exciting. "But the criticism has reached a level where we can no longer be indifferent." However, not everyone supports a major change. Apparently Ferrari and Force India are quite happy with the 2013 tyres, as is - obviously – Lotus. "It's like football," team owner Gerard Lopez said. "As soon as one team is always hitting the post, the discussion becomes making the goals a bit bigger." Another factor is that if Pirelli makes significant compound or structure changes, they want a day of testing prior to Silverstone. "They'll never get it through," said Sauber team manager Beat Zehnder, "because all the teams would have to agree."

Teams starting to sign 2014 Pirelli tyre deals :
Still unsure it will be retained as F1's official supplier, Pirelli has begun to sign supply contracts with teams for the 2014 season. That is the claim of the specialist German website motorsport-total.com, reporting that Ferrari, and Red Bull's two teams, have already signed deals with the Italian supplier. Mercedes is also believed to have signed, but for the moment insiders at the German squad are quiet. "We have had initial talks with a few teams," Pirelli's motor sport director Paul Hembery said. The report said Pirelli wants to charge each team EUR 1.2 million per season for the tyre deal, but some teams are arguing that a discount is in order due to the huge sponsorship exposure enjoyed by the Italian marque in F1.

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Driver standings after the GP of Spain :

1. Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull - 89
2. Kimi Räikkönen - Lotus - 85
3. Fernando Alonso - Ferrari - 72
4. Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes - 50
5. Felipe Massa - Ferrari - 45
6. Mark Webber - Red Bull - 42
7. Romain Grosjean - Lotus - 26
8. Paul di Resta - Force India - 26
9. Nico Rosberg - Mercedes - 22
10. Jenson Button - McLaren - 17
11. Sergio Perez - McLaren - 12
12. Daniel Ricciardo - Toro Rosso - 7
13. Adrian Sutil - Force India - 6
14. Nico Hülkenberg - Sauber - 5
15. Jean-Eric Vergne - Toro Rosso - 1
16. Esteban Gutiérrez - Sauber - 0
17. Valtteri Bottas - Williams - 0
18. Pastor Maldonado - Williams - 0
19. Jules Bianchi - Marussia - 0
20. Charles Pic - Caterham - 0
21. Giedo van der Garde - Caterham - 0
22. Max Chilton - Marussia - 0

Constructor Standings after the GP of Spain :

1. Infiniti Red Bull Racing - 131
2. Scuderia Ferrari - 117
3. Lotus F1 Team - 111
4. Mercedes AMG Petronas - 72
5. Sahara Force India - 32
6. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes - 29
7. Scuderia Toro Rosso - 8
8. Sauber F1 Team - 5
9. Williams F1 Team - 0
10. Marussia Racing - 0
11. Caterham F1 Team - 0

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

The result of the Spanish GP :

Fernando Alonso takes commanding home win for Ferrari :
Fernando Alonso sent the Spanish Grand Prix crowd into ecstasy as the Ferrari driver and home hero charged to his first Barcelona victory since 2006. Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus emerged as Alonso's main rival, while Sebastian Vettel and the front-row-starting Mercedes faded in the race. Felipe Massa moved in the opposite direction, recovering from a penalised ninth on the grid to take the final podium spot. In a race full of tyre conservation, Alonso's approach from the outset was to charge. While Vettel split the Mercedes into Turn 1, Alonso accelerated around the outside of both Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton at Turn 3 to move into third.
Rosberg clung on at the front of the field through the first pitstops. By the time they were done, Alonso was his main rival, having pitted one lap ahead of Vettel and jumped the Red Bull. Rosberg's plunge down the order began on lap 12, when Alonso passed him into Turn 1, and Vettel and Raikkonen further demoted him before the lap was complete. Once in front, Alonso began to pull away. Despite running longer, Vettel turned out to be on the same four-stop strategy as Alonso, but unable to match the Ferrari's sheer pace. Raikkonen, however, could pull off a three-stop. He lost time behind Vettel in the middle of the, then raised his pace after overtaking the Red Bull on lap 33. Lotus had a potential edge going into the closing stages, with Raikkonen a few seconds ahead of Alonso at a point when both had a single stop to go. But on his fresher tyres, Alonso stormed up behind Raikkonen at a rate of two seconds per lap, breezed past the Lotus then vanished into the distance, swiftly building a 12-second advantage. Raikkonen was left to keep half an eye on Massa, who had been rapid all afternoon and got a green light from Ferrari to try to catch the Lotus. Tyre wear stymied this and forced Massa to back off again, but third was still safe. Vettel's attempts to run longer on tyres ultimately cost him so much pace that he fell behind the earlier-pitting Massa. The world champion had to settle for fourth, followed by his team-mate Mark Webber. Mercedes' fade ended with Rosberg pulling off a three-stop in sixth and his despondent team-mate Hamilton right out of the points in a lapped 12th, having gone into freefall following his first stop. Paul di Resta's Force India chased Rosberg home. McLaren ended up eighth and ninth. Jenson Button had tumbled to 17th in the opening laps, but nursed his tyres through three stops and emerged ahead of his early-charging, but four-stopping, team-mate Sergio Perez. Daniel Ricciardo fended off Esteban Gutierrez to give Toro Rosso the final point. It was still a breakthrough day for Gutierrez, as a long first stint meant Sauber's rookie managed to lead a Formula 1 race for the first time. Last year's Barcelona winner Pastor Maldonado struggled home 14th, recovering from a pitlane speeding penalty to get there. Romain Grosjean was an early retirement with skewed right rear suspension on his Lotus.
Two pitlane incidents attracted stewards' attention. Caterham could face sanctions after Giedo van der Garde lost a wheel on his out-lap, while Nico Hulkenberg had an unsafe release penalty following a pitlane clash with Jean-Eric Vergne, prior to which both had been points contenders.

1. Fernando Alonso : Ferrari
2. Kimi Räikkönen : Lotus
3. Felipe Massa : Ferrari
4. Sebastian Vettel : Red Bull Racing
5. Mark Webber : Red Bull Racing
6. Nico Rosberg : Mercedes GP
7. Paul di Resta : Force India
8. Jenson Button : McLaren
9. Sergio Perez : McLaren
10. Daniel Ricciardo : Toro Rosso + 1 lap
11. Esteban Gutierrez : Sauber + 1 lap
12. Lewis Hamilton : Mercedes GP + 1 lap
13. Adrian Sutil : Force India + 1 lap
14. Pastor Maldonado : Williams + 1 lap
15. Nico Hulkenberg : Sauber + 1 lap
16. Valtteri Bottas : Williams + 1 lap
17. Charles Pic : Caterham + 1 lap
18. Jules Bianchi : Marussia F1 Team + 2 laps
19. Max Chilton : Marussia F1 Team + 2 laps
Did Not Finish :
20. Jean-Eric Vergne : Toro Rosso
21. Giedo van der Garde : Caterham
22. Romain Grosjean : Lotus

Fastest Lap : Esteban Gutierrez - 1:26.217
Pitstop Paul di Resta: 4
Bat.2 Teams : Button > Sutil
Grid Pos. Jean-Eric Vergne : DNF

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Hmmmmm ....i wonder when Hamilton has the lead & Rosberg is behind him and is faster than Hamilton ,will he get again a message on the board radio something like " Nico don't overtake Lewis " or " Nico mix 12 " or that Nico can finaly go for a win and don't care about what Lewis place is or is going to do I hope that Felipe can go into the first corner at the start without having a crash or is involved in a crash now with this gridpenalty ,because the Ferrari always makes good starts ! Will Raikkonen be the one again that we should keep a eye on ?

Kind Regards
Shaky - Schumi

Update :

Felipe Massa - Ferrari en Estaban Gutierrez - Williams are penalysized for holding up Mark Webber & Kimi Raikkonen . Both penalysized with 3 places

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2013
[Versteckter Link - Registrierung notwendig]

Thu 23 May 2013
Practice 1 10:00 - 11:30
Practice 2 14:00 - 15:30
Sat 25 May 2013
Practice 3 11:00 - 12:00
Qualifying 14:00
Sun 26 May 2013
Race 14:00

Result of the Qualifying :

Nico Rosberg leads Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes front row :
Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton secured an all-Mercedes front row in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix.
Rosberg repeated his Bahrain pole in a brilliant Q3 performance in which he delivered two laps good enough for the top spot. His initial 1m20.8s benchmark proved unbeatable, but Rosberg still improved to a 1m20.718s with his last run just to be certain. Hamilton had to settle for second, 0.254 seconds adrift.
Formula 1 championship leader Sebastian Vettel was third for Red Bull, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus and Fernando Alonso's Ferrari. Alonso's team-mate Felipe Massa mounted a strong challenge for pole only to lose time in sector three and end up sixth. He will also have to see the stewards after the session having seemingly impeded Mark Webber's Red Bull in Q2. The Australian subsequently qualified eighth, behind Romain Grosjean's Lotus. Hamilton had earlier starred in a thrilling end to Q2, throwing in a last-gasp lap that jumped him from a worrying 13th to a comfortable first, six tenths clear of the pack.
Sergio Perez also produced an eleventh-hour surge in Q2, getting up to seventh and then qualifying ninth. His McLaren team-mate Jenson Button could not match that - six tenths slower, he will start only 14th.
Toro Rosso had looked promising in practice and both Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne had a realistic shot at Q3, holding top-10 spots late on before being narrowly squeezed out. They will share row six, ahead of Adrian Sutil, who could not join team-mate Paul di Resta in the pole session. The Scot took 10th.
Going into the final seconds of Q2, both Saubers had made it into Q3. But in the subsequent flurry of improvements, Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez tumbled down to row eight. The Mexican could yet face sanctions for blocking Raikkonen in Q1. Last year's winner Williams's plight deepened, despite its upgrades, as neither car got beyond Q1. Twelve months on from his pole and win, Pastor Maldonado was only 18th - and accused of blocking by Button - while Valtteri Bottas was just one place ahead.
The back of the grid battle stepped up a gear with a very close tussle between Caterham and Marussia.
Giedo van der Garde finally emerged on top for Caterham, edging out Marussia's Jules Bianchi by just 0.052s.
Max Chilton and Charles Pic were a few tenths behind having also had a sniff of 'class pole'.

1.Nico Rosberg : Mercedes GP - 1:20.718
2. Lewis Hamilton : Mercedes GP - 1:20.972 + 0.254
3. Sebastian Vettel : Red Bull Racing - 1:21.054 + 0.336
4. Kimi Räikkönen : Lotus - 1:21.177 + 0.459
5. Fernando Alonso : Ferrari - 1:21.218 + 0.500
6. Felipe Massa : Ferrari - 1:21.219 + 0.501
7. Romain Grosjean : Lotus - 1:21.308 + 0.590
8. Mark Webber : Red Bull Racing - 1:21.570 + 0.852
9. Sergio Perez : McLaren - 1:22.069 + 1.351
10. Paul di Resta : Force India - 1:22.233 + 1.515
Q2
11. Daniel Ricciardo : Toro Rosso - 1:22.127 + 1.409
12. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso - 1:22.166 + 1.448
13. Adrian Sutil : Force India - 1:22.346 + 1.628
14. Jenson Button : McLaren - 1:22.355 + 1.637
15. Nico Hulkenberg : Sauber - 1:22.389 + 1.671
16. Esteban Gutierrez : Sauber -1:22.793 + 2.075
17. Valtteri Bottas : Williams - 1:23.260 + 2.542
Q1
18. Pastor Maldonado : Williams - 1:23.318 -
19. Giedo van der Garde : Caterham - 1:24.661 + 3.943
20. Jules Bianchi : Marussia F1 Team - 1:24.713 + 3.995
21. Max Chilton : Marussia F1 Team - 1:24.996 + 4.278
22. Charles Pic : Caterham - 1:25.070 + 4.352

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

brudgon wrote:11/05/1965
stefano domenicali ferrari team manager
[Verstecktes Bild - Registrierung notwendig]

that picture is from the 1965 ?

FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE ESPAÑA 2013
free practice3
1 4 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:21.901 13
2 7 Kimi Räikkönen Lotus-Renault 1:21.907 0.006 14
3 2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:22.044 0.143 17
4 8 Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1:22.069 0.168 13
5 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:22.229 0.328 17
6 3 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:22.254 0.353 15
7 14 Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1:22.574 0.673 11
8 15 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:22.729 0.828 17
9 10 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:22.740 0.839 24
10 18 Jean-Eric Vergne STR-Ferrari 1:22.759 0.858 15
11 9 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:22.839 0.938 26
12 5 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:23.151 1.250 13
13 12 Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1:23.371 1.470 21
14 6 Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1:23.373 1.472 13
15 16 Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1:23.385 1.484 17
16 11 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1:23.388 1.487 18
17 17 Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1:23.660 1.759 16
18 19 Daniel Ricciardo STR-Ferrari 1:23.767 1.866 17
19 20 Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1:24.775 2.874 18
20 22 Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1:24.793 2.892 16
21 23 Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1:25.135 3.234 17
22 21 Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1:25.250 3.349 18

11/05/1965 stefano domenicali ferrari team manager
[Verstecktes Bild - Registrierung notwendig]

Result 2nd practice session :

Vettel edges out Alonso in second Friday practice
Sebastian Vettel narrowly edged out home favourite Fernando Alonso to set the fastest time in second free practice for the Spanish Grand Prix. Just 0.083 seconds covered the top three at Barcelona, as Alonso's Ferrari split the Red Bulls of Vettel and Mark Webber. After an early all-Mercedes battle for the top spot, it was Alonso and the Red Bulls that dominated the lead order through the low-fuel runs.
Webber kicked off the dice with a 1m23.112s after 22 minutes, but was deposed by Alonso on a 1m23.030s five minutes later. When they switched to the softer medium tyres shortly afterwards, Webber reclaimed first place by 0.2s over Alonso, before Vettel jumped ahead of them both. Alonso's retaliation managed to get him back in front of Webber, but Vettel remained just out of reach. Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus and Felipe Massa's Ferrari completed the top five. Lewis Hamilton spun his Mercedes at Turn 11 during the early runs, swiftly rejoining without problems and ultimately taking sixth ahead of team-mate Nico Rosberg.
Tyre wear was again high and there was a scare at Force India when Paul di Resta's left rear delaminated on the main straight, forcing the Scot to park on the grass. He was still 10th quickest, two places behind team-mate Adrian Sutil. Jean-Eric Vergne split them, in a strong performance for Toro Rosso, which also had Daniel Ricciardo in 11th. McLaren was only 12th and 13th with Jenson Button and Sergio Perez as it began to evaluate its major upgrade package, including a new front wing.

1. Sebastian Vettel : Red Bull Racing 1:22.808
2. Fernando Alonso : Ferrari - 1:22.825 + 0.017
3. Mark Webber : Red Bull Racing - 1:22.891 + 0.083
4. Kimi Räikkönen : Lotus - 1:23.030 + 0.222
5. Felipe Massa : Ferrari - 1:23.110 + 0.302
6. Lewis Hamilton : Mercedes GP - 1:23.140 + 0.332
7. Nico Rosberg : Mercedes GP - 1:23.398 + 0.590
8. Adrian Sutil : Force India - 1:23.840 + 1.032
9. Jean-Eric Vergne : Toro Rosso - 1:24.058 + 1.250
10. Paul di Resta : Force India - 1:24.104 + 1.296
11. Daniel Ricciardo : Toro Rosso - 1:24.175 + 1.367
12. Jenson Button : McLaren - 1:24.306 + 1.498
13. Sergio Perez : McLaren - 1:24.854 + 2.046
14. Valtteri Bottas : Williams - 1:24.888 + 2.080
15. Nico Hulkenberg : Sauber - 1:25.167 + 2.359
16. Pastor Maldonado : Williams - 1:25.321 + 2.513
17. Esteban Gutierrez : Sauber - 1:25.441 + 2.633
18. Romain Grosjean : Lotus - 1:25.851 + 3.043
19. Giedo van der Garde : Caterham - 1:25.963 + 3.155
20. Jules Bianchi : Marussia F1 Team - 1:26.078 + 3.270
21. Charles Pic : Caterham - 1:26.930 + 4.122
22. Max Chilton : Marussia F1 Team - 1:26.970 + 4.162

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi

Result of the 1st practice session :

Fernando Alonso leads damp first practice :
Fernando Alonso grabbed the fastest time in a Ferrari one-two as wet weather frustrated the Formula 1 field's attempts to get an early understanding of the Spanish Grand Prix upgrade packages in opening practice at Barcelona. It was only coming into the final quarter of an hour that slicks were viable, and even then there were sufficient slippery patches to limit the relevance of the laps that drivers managed.
But with so many developments to try, teams were less reticent about coming out early than is often the case in wet sessions. The Spanish crowd therefore had a decent amount of track activity to enjoy all morning, and would also have appreciated seeing home hero Alonso on time of the times for much of the session.
Alonso spent a while as the fastest man during the wet running, though he tumbled down the order as conditions improved. Going into the closing seconds, his Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa was the latest to burst to the top of a constantly fluctuating timing screen as everyone got up to speed on slicks.
But Alonso finished the morning with a flourish, setting a 1m25.252s lap to beat his team-mate by 0.203 seconds. Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne had starred by being the first man to get slicks to work, and he remained consistently up front for the rest of the session, ending up third.
Romain Grosjean had an early spin into the hairpin at the end of the back straight, before finishing the session fourth for Lotus. Adrian Sutil's Force India, Lewis Hamilton's McLaren and Valtteri Bottas's Williams were next up in an inevitably shuffled order, with Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Rosberg and Paul di Resta completing the top 10.
Jenson Button was the only driver not to attempt a flying lap, though he did six exploratory tours in the updated McLaren. Red Bull also hung back when the track dried, with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber at the foot of the top 20.

1. Fernando Alonso : Ferrari - 1:25.252
2. Felipe Massa : Ferrari - 1:25.455 + 0.203
3. Jean-Eric Vergne : Toro Rosso - 1:25.667 + 0.415
4. Romain Grosjean : Lotus - 1:26.042 + 0.790
5. Adrian Sutil :Force India - 1:26.212 + 0.960
6. Lewis Hamilton : Mercedes GP - 1:26.374 + 1.122
7. Valtteri Bottas : Williams - 1:26.456 + 1.204
8. Kimi Räikkönen : Lotus - 1:26.614 + 1.362
9. Nico Rosberg : Mercedes GP - 1:26.621 + 1.369
10. Paul di Resta : Force India - 1:26.755 + 1.503
11. Daniel Ricciardo : Toro Rosso - 1:26.940 + 1.688
12. Nico Hulkenberg : Sauber - 1:27.061 + 1.809
13. Sergio Perez : McLaren - 1:27.135 + 1.883
14. Esteban Gutierrez : Sauber - 1:27.250 + 1.998
15. Pastor Maldonado : Williams - 1:27.576 + 2.324
16. Heikki Kovalainen : Caterham - 1:28.373 + 3.121
17. Giedo van der Garde : Caterham - 1:28.600 + 3.348
18. Jules Bianchi : Marussia F1 Team - 1:28.887 + 3.635
19. Sebastian Vettel : Red Bull Racing - 1:29.457 + 4.205
20. Mark Webber : Red Bull Racing - 1:29.473 + 4.221
21. Rodolfo Gonzalez : Marussia F1 Team - 1:30.314 + 5.062
22. Jenson Button : McLaren - no time set

Kind Regards
Shaky-Schumi