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Ferrari director ‘disappointed’ with performance level

Ferrari Technical director Pat Fry has said that he doesn’t expect the team to start the 2012 season well. Who remembers the 1988 Austalian Grand Prix? Many have suggested that Ferrari need to hit the ground running to improve on last year, but Fry is in a rather pessimistic mood. Speaking at the end of a tough pre-season, [...]

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Sir Frank Williams gives up place on board

In his 70th year Frank Williams will make a first small move towards eventual retirement by giving up his place on the board of Williams Grand Prix Holdings. However his family will still be represented as his daughter Claire has … Continue reading →

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Webber wins but Vettel is still the man to beat

If Mark Webber did not sound as if he was jumping for joy after winning the Brazilian Grand Prix – his first win of 2012 in the final race of what has been a tough season for the Australian – it should be no surprise.

There is no artifice about Webber and he knows as well as anyone that, statistically, this has been a disappointing year for him. One win in a race in which his team-mate had one arm tied behind his back does not on its own signify that his fortunes will change next season.

Nor, though, does the manner of victory necessarily mean that they won’t.

Eleven wins and a new all-time record 15 pole positions for Sebastian Vettel as against one win and three poles for Webber are numbers that do not make comfortable reading for the older man.

But it should be remembered that the two men were evenly matched in 2010 as they both battled for the title with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

Webber is determined to recapture that form and there have been signs in the second half of the season that he is heading in the right direction.

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Undoubtedly he struggled in the first half of this year. He was hit hard by reliability problems – if there was a problem with Red Bull’s troublesome Kers power-boost system at the start of the year, it seemed Webber’s car would have it – but also he took much longer than Vettel to adapt to the different demands of the new Pirelli tyres.

By the time he had, Vettel was long gone in the championship. It has, though, been much closer between the two in the second half of the season.

Vettel has still had the upper hand – and his electrifying qualifying pace and consistency has put him in a position to control many of the races.

But Webber has been getting on top of one of his biggest problems this year – higher tyre wear than Vettel, sometimes influenced by problems outside his control – and on race pace the two have been pretty evenly matched, even if it has not always been obvious because of their different positions in the race.

Webber could have won in Korea had not a mystifying pit-wall decision prevented him from passing Hamilton and exploiting a strategy that should have beaten Vettel, too.

In the end, the much-needed win came in Brazil in a race in which Vettel’s gearbox problem prevented him having a straight fight with his team-mate.

But as Webber pointed out, these things happen and you take wins however they come. Not only has he himself been on the receiving end of that sort of fortune many a time, it was probably also about time Vettel had some bad luck.

“Even if the win didn’t come today there were some positive signs for me in recent races,” he said.

“There has been some good pace from me considering some of the things that have been going on. Today was a good grand prix.

“It’s not a bad thing to finish the year like this, one of the most important things is I started to feel the car a bit better, to get a bit more of an understanding.”

“It’s great Mark has won a race,” team principal Christian Horner said.

“It would have been very, very tough for him to have not won a race if Seb had won 11.

“Hopefully this win will give him a big confidence boost. He’s third in the championship. Hopefully he’ll go into the winter, have a bit of time off, recharge his batteries and I’m sure he’ll come back stronger in 2012.

“Let’s not take anything away from Sebastian, though. He has been operating at such a high level this year. That’s what’s compounded the issue for Mark. He’s been up against a team-mate in the most phenomenal form and operating at the most phenomenally high level.”

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Webber is under no illusions that Vettel will be formidably tough to beat again next season.

The German’s drive on Sunday was yet another from the top drawer in a season that has been full of them.

He drove the first few laps as he has in so many races this year – building a 2.2-second lead in two laps. But after that Webber managed to keep him within three seconds or so – striking distance, in other words – until Red Bull came on the radio at the end of the first stint to warn Vettel of a gearbox problem.

This is not the first time this has happened to him and at first you wondered how he and the team he might react.

Back in Canada in 2010, Vettel also had a gearbox problem while running in fourth place ahead of Webber, who was ordered not to attack him as the team feared what might happen if he did.

But there was to be no repeat of that, as Vettel’s engineer Guillaume Rocquelin came repeatedly on to the radio to warn him of the worsening problem. Eventually he had to accept that this was a race he was not going to win, and he let Webber past.

From then on, it was a case of managing the problem, which he did magnificently.

“Despite running a gear taller in each corner and trying to reduce the amount of shifts as much as possible, his pace was still very strong,” Horner said. “There must be zero oil left in that gearbox because it went off the scale – a very mature and measured drive.”

Inevitably, there were conspiracy theorists who suggested Red Bull were making the whole thing up to provide a convenient excuse to provide Webber with a win he needed and which also lifted him into third in the championship ahead of Alonso by one point. These can be dismissed, however.

For Vettel to still finish second in those conditions was impressive. One doubts, though, whether his performance merits the comparison Vettel himself made with Ayrton Senna’s victory here in 1991, when the great Brazilian battled a failing gearbox in the rain to hold off the faster Williams of Riccardo Patrese despite driving the last two laps with only sixth gear.

Red Bull’s advantage in Brazil was bigger than it has been in recent races, which is a worrying sign for their rivals.

Jenson Button drove a brilliant season this year to take second in the championship, the first time Hamilton has been beaten by a team-mate, and put in another strong performance on Sunday.

Alonso, too, has been mighty, battling the odds in an uncompetitive car. And Hamilton himself will surely find some equilibrium over the winter and come back stronger in 2012.

All of them, though, can do nothing if Red Bull produce a car next year with the sort of advantage seen from this year’s RB7.

“What makes retaining the title so special,” Horner said on Sunday, “is the calibre of opponents we are up against is so high.

“We are a stronger team in all areas than in 2010. I’m convinced with continuity we can still improve. We don’t know what the other teams are doing. We will keep our heads down and hopefully turn up with a competitive car in Melbourne next year.”

The gauntlet has been thrown down and it is up to McLaren and Ferrari to pick it up.

This blog is about the Brazilian Grand Prix and 2011 F1 season. If you wish to read about – and comment on – the BBC’s plans for 2012, please do so here

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“Team Lotus: My view from the pit wall” by Peter Warr – review | Review

Former Lotus team principal Peter Warr once famously said: “Nigel Mansell will never win a Grand Prix as long as I have a hole in my arse.”

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Protests raise fresh concerns over Bahrain GP

Fresh doubts have emerged about the viability of this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix after a human rights group in the Gulf kingdom called on the Formula 1 teams to boycott the race in the wake of continuing civil unrest.

It is the first public intervention by an interested party on the subject of the wisdom of holding the race since F1′s governing body the FIA confirmed Bahrain’s place on the 2012 calendar last month.

Bahrain’s inclusion on the official schedule raised eyebrows. That’s because unrest continues there, despite pledges by the ruling royal family to increase human rights and democratic representation in an attempt to move on from the disturbances that led to the cancellation of last year’s race.

The call for a boycott – by the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) – became public two days after police were accused of beating a leading opposition activist on the back, neck and head at a rally on Friday.

Bahrain GP

Bahrain’s Sakir International Circuit has not had a Grand Prix since 2010. Photo: Getty

That man was the vice-president of the BCHR, Nabeel Rajab, who also happens to be the man who gave the interview calling for the boycott of the race.

Rajab told a leading Arab business magazine: “We will campaign for… drivers and teams to boycott. The government wants Formula 1 to tell the outside world that everything is back to normal.

“Formula 1, if they come, they are helping the government to say [it is normal]. We would prefer it if they didn’t take part. I am sure the drivers and teams respect human rights.”

F1, then, appears headed for another long-running saga over whether the Bahrain race can go ahead this year – just as in 2011, when it was four months between the outbreak of civil unrest and the race finally being cancelled.

During that time, it became clear that F1 commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone was keen for the event to take place, despite the concerns of many both inside and outside the sport that holding a race would send the wrong message.

Those concerns remain alive today.

Ecclestone was unavailable for comment, but I understand he and the FIA are still determined to hold this year’s race.

At the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix six weeks ago, he told BBC Sport: “It’s on the calendar. We’ll be there. Unless something terrible happens to stop us.”

Asked if he had any concerns about the race becoming a magnet for problems in the kingdom, he said: “No, I don’t see that.”

On Monday, the race organisers insisted the race should go ahead, pointing out that the government had already started down the path to reform and insisting that the race was “supported by an overwhelming majority of people from all sections of society in Bahrain and represents a symbol of national unity”.

But within F1 teams, there are murmurings of unease. No-one will publicly comment on the situation, let alone call for the race to be boycotted, but some insiders do believe there is a strong chance the race will be called off.

For the teams and other stakeholders in F1, such as sponsors and suppliers, it is not so much a question of the lack of human rights in Bahrain per se. After all, it is far from the only grand prix venue where there are concerns on that subject; indeed, very few countries have blemish-free records.

Nor, assuming the situation in Bahrain does not escalate, does it seem there is a serious concern that the safety of personnel who would attend the race would be threatened.

Of greater relevance is the effect going there could have on the organisations involved.

The big problem with Bahrain is that the race is so closely tied to the royal family – particularly the crown prince, the King’s son. So it will inevitably become a target for protests – as has now happened with Bahrain Human Rights Watch linking the two things directly.

Last year, the opposition declared a “day of rage” for the date of the race, and some in F1 say they expect a similar thing to happen imminently for race day this year – 22 April.

Once human rights groups have linked the race to the problems in the country, it becomes very uncomfortable for the major global companies in F1 to be associated with it. For them, it would directly contradict with their global social responsibility programmes, which have become so important to many international companies.

This is one of the main reasons the situation came to a head last year. While the teams were careful to say nothing along these lines publicly, several of them let it be known privately to Ecclestone and the FIA that either they or their sponsors were not happy about attending the race.

Among those with the biggest concerns were Mercedes – which runs its own team as well as supplying engines to McLaren and Force India – and F1′s only tyre supplier, Pirelli. Neither was available for comment on Monday.

I’m told, though, that these two, among others, remain concerned about holding a race in 2012. If Mercedes were to decide not to go, that would mean a grid shorn of six of its 24 cars. If Pirelli followed suit, no-one could race.

It is unlikely to come to that, of course.

One insider said that, of those with the power to do so, no-one wants to call the race off, as whoever does will be out of pocket.

If Ecclestone or the FIA jump first, the Bahrainis don’t have to pay their race fee, whereas if the Bahrainis themselves decide to call the race off, F1 gets to keep the cash. And when it is a reputed £25m you’re talking about, that’s a serious consideration, whoever you are.

Last year, it was Bahrain who ultimately made the call – after it became clear that there was a serious threat of a boycott if they did not.

Will it get that far this time? No-one knows, but Ecclestone is unlikely to be in any hurry to move the situation along.

What would you do if trouble did flare up in February or March, I asked him in Brazil.

“I’d wait and see what happened and then decide,” he replied. “Up to now they [the Bahrain royal family] have done everything they said they were going to do.”

The next two months are likely to be a game of brinksmanship over who blinks first, with quiet diplomacy taking place behind the scenes. Whatever solution is found is unlikely to be a quick one.

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Webber ready for title tilt next season

Mark Webber believes he can carry his excellent win in the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix last month into a full-blown title challenge next year. The Red Bull driver was forced to sit and watch while team-mate Sebastian Vettel conquered all before him as he became the youngest ever double world champion in the history of [...]

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2011 Formula One Calendar

2011 FIA Formula 1 World Championship Race Calendar (Provisional)

Round Grand Prix Circuit Date
* Bahrain BIC March 11-13 http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_f2dCclIT9q8/S5kc4Eay8OI/AAAAAAAAFbI/yPbhnQgAlzE/s400/2010+FORMULA+1+GULF+AIR+BAHRAIN+GRAND+PRIX.jpg
1 Australian Albert Park March 25-27 [australia_waving_flag_256.gif]
2 Malaysian Sepang April 8-10 [malaysia_waving_flag_256.gif]
3 Chinese Shanghai April 15-17 [china_waving_flag_256.gif]
4 Turkish Istanbul May 6-8 [turkey_waving_flag_256.gif]
5 Spanish Catalunya May 20-22 [spain_waving_flag_256.gif]
6 Monaco Monaco May 26-29 [monaco_waving_flag_256.gif]
7 Canadian Gilles Villeneuve June 10-12 [canada_waving_flag_256.gif]
8 European Spain June 24-26 [european_union_waving_flag_256.gif]
19 British Silverstone July 8-10 [united_kingdom_waving_flag_256.gif]
10 German Nürburgring July 22-24 [germany_waving_flag_256.gif]
11 Hungarian Hungaroring July 29-31 [hungary_waving_flag_256.gif]
12 Belgian Spa August 26-28 [belgium_waving_flag_256.gif]
13 Italian Monza September 9-11 [italy_waving_flag_256.gif]
14 Singapore Singapore September 23-25 [singapore_waving_flag_256.gif]
15 Japanese Suzuka October 7-9 [japan_waving_flag_256.gif]
16 Korean KIC October 14-16 [korea_south_waving_flag_256.gif]
17 Indian Noida October 28-30 http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_f2dCclIT9q8/TTvUnNQO1uI/AAAAAAAAGkc/1Qtn_gtX60I/s1600/india_waving_flag_256.jpg
18 Abu Dhabi Yas Marina November 11-13 [united_arab_emirates_waving_flag_256.gif]
19 Brazilian Interlagos November 25-27 [brazil_waving_flag_256.gif]

* Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix postponed – future date to be confirmed

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Jenson Button – classic F1

Jenson Button has enjoyed arguably the finest season of his Formula 1 career. The McLaren driver may have won the world title in 2009, when he was driving for Brawn GP, but his driving in 2011 has been even better.

So much so that former Renault team boss Flavio Briatore, who dropped Button at the end of 2002, has even been forced to admit that he “never realised” the Englishman was “that good”.

Button’s three victories in 2011 – including his remarkable climb from last to victory in Canada – were among the very best of the year.

Even more impressive than that, though, is Button’s achievement of finishing above compatriot and fellow McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton in the standings. Hamilton, a man widely thought of as the fastest driver in the world, has never before been beaten by his team-mate.

Given his remarkable year, it is appropriate that Button is in the hot seat for the final edition of this year’s BBC Sport’s classic F1 series.

As regular readers will know, we have asked all F1 drivers for their five favourite races of all time, serialising them ahead of each grand prix.

The drivers have been free to choose whether to interpret the question as a request for their selection of the five greatest races of all time, or for their favourite races from their own career – or a selection of both.

Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, for example, chose their own races, while Mark Webber picked several all-time classics. Fernando Alonso went for a mix – as has Button.

Making the selection was not easy for Button – as you will find out if you read on or watch the video embedded below – but what a choice it is. There are two historic races that would be on many people’s lists of greatest grands prix ever, plus three from the 31-year-old’s own career that could also be on that list.

In Button’s own words, here is his countdown from five to one:

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5) Britain 1987

“Nigel Mansell at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1987, when he pulled an epic dummy on Nelson Piquet into Stowe and went on to win the race. It was an amazing race to watch, especially dummying his team-mate like that.”

4) Europe 1993

“Ayrton Senna annihilated everyone, overtook five cars on the first lap and was leading when he crossed the line. An amazing race. I was actually there watching it. It was one of the first races I saw live.”

3) Germany 2000 (in Button’s maiden F1 season with Williams)

“I had a problem at the start, well, the pre-start and had to start last. I fought my through in wet conditions and finished on the tail of David Coulthard. He finished third, I finished fourth and that was almost my first podium in F1. It was an amazing race for me fighting my way through. It was also at the old Hockenheim track with the long straights, so it was pretty scary in wet conditions. (Editor’s note – the race was memorable for another reason – Ferrari’s Rubens Barrichello won from 18th on the grid, in a race marked by a safety-car period following a track invasion)

2) Brazil 2009

“My second favourite race of all time would be Brazil 2009. This is a tricky one for me because it was either this one, when I clinched the title, or my first ever win in Hungary 2006. But I’ve chosen Brazil, mainly because it clinched me the world title.

“It was a very aggressive drive through the field from I think it was 14th or 15th on the grid. I don’t even know where I finished, but it was one of those races, fighting my through, knowing every single point counted to winning the world championship. I really wanted to get it wrapped up before heading to Abu Dhabi – and that’s exactly what I did.”

1) Canada 2011

“My favourite race of all time has to be the Canadian Grand Prix this year. It’s tricky because every win really matters to you and really means a lot and you remember pretty much every lap. But I’ve chosen this one because of what I went through, the high and lows throughout the four hours.

“To come away with that victory after being 21st and fighting my way through to first on the last lap of the race, that’s a race I will remember forever.

“That’s the one, if I have kids, I will first mention to them when they start watching Formula 1. I’ll say: ‘Daddy used to do that and he used to be all right. And he won the Canadian Grand Prix.’ And I’ll put it on ‘play’.”

The highlights programme broadcast on the BBC on the evening of the Canadian race is embedded below. Beneath it are long and short highlights of Vettel’s victory in last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix, as a warm-up for this weekend’s action in Sao Paulo.

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WATCH HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX
WATCH EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX

The classic races will also be available on the BBC red button on digital television in the UK.

On Freeview, they will be broadcast only between first and second practice at the Brazilan Grand Prix – from 1355 to 1555 GMT on Friday 25 November.

On satellite and cable, the races will be broadcast from 1500 on Wednesday 23 November to 1400 on Thursday 24; from 1500 on Thursday until 1155 on Friday and again from 1355 to 1555 on Friday.

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Brazilian Grand Prix Odds

The Brazilian Grand Prix kicks off on Sunday November 27 and as expected, players from all over the world are putting their money on their favourite driver. Online poker site and sports betting company Bwin have released odds on the race. Sebastian Vettel of team Red Bull is not much better than even money and [...]

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Send me your questions about F1 2011

Hello all,

I am filming the final 2011 entries for this video blog after next weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix and that means I need your help.

I will be answering a selection of your questions as well as reviewing the season.

So if you have any questions about F1 2011 – whether it be about Red Bull‘s domination, Sebastian Vettel‘s superb season, McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, Ferrari and Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher, Mercedes and their ambition, or anything else to do with F1 – please do post them below.

We will pick a selection of the best and I will answer them here after the end of the season.

Thanks,

Murray

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Mark Webber – Classic F1

Red Bull’s Mark Webber is the latest driver to pick his five favourite all-time races for BBC Sport’s classic Formula 1 series.

Unlike some of his rivals, our columnist was a fan of F1 before he started racing in it and has a good knowledge of the sport’s history.

So it is no surprise that his selection is an aficionado’s list of five all-time great races.

Mark Webber

In his 10 years in the sport, Webber has been involved in plenty of classic races himself – but he has not picked any of his six wins, nor great moments such as his pass of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso at Eau Rouge at Spa this year, a move that will go down in the annals as one of the best and bravest there has been.

Instead, the sole race among his five choices in which he took part is one in which he played only a cameo role – albeit an important one. But we will come on to that later.

Webber’s first choice is one he remembers watching as a child in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, the 1986 Australian Grand Prix. It is the race that brought to a climax what some have called the greatest F1 season in history.

Held on the Adelaide street circuit, it is famous for the tyre blow-out that robbed Williams driver Nigel Mansell of the title and for McLaren driver Alain Prost’s unexpected – if thoroughly deserved – second title, won against great odds. As Webber says: “It was a big battle for the championship and obviously Nigel Mansell had the tyre failure. It was a grand prix packed with great drama.”

The 1992 Belgian Grand Prix

Michael Schumacher took his maiden F1 victory on this damp day at Spa-Francorchamps, on the first anniversary of his debut. Schumacher’s win actually hinged on an error. He ran off the track and lost a place to Benetton team-mate Martin Brundle. On rejoining, Schumacher noticed that the Englishman’s rear tyres were ‘graining’ so he decided to pit for new ones. The decision won him the race.

There were also starring roles for those two giants of the era, McLaren’s Ayrton Senna and Mansell. Webber recalls: “Senna tried to make the slicks work in an inferior car while Schumacher got the tactics right although Brundle was just as quick. As was often the case, Michael made a mistake and ran off the track but managed to get back on to notch up his first race win.”

The 1993 European Grand Prix

A favourite of F1 drivers this year – arguably Ayrton Senna’s defining performance in the rain at Donington Park. As Webber says: “The original yellow helmet. Say no more!”

The 2000 Japanese Grand Prix

The race Schumacher has said was his best ever – it won him his first title for Ferrari after a flat-out race-long battle with his most respected rival, McLaren’s Mika Hakkinen, in which both men operated on a separate level from their rivals at Suzuka, one of the most demanding circuits in the world.

Webber says: “This was Hakkinen and Schumacher at their best. It’s only after you’ve driven this track and competed there in F1 that you appreciate what a great grand prix those two contested.”

The 2005 Japanese Grand Prix

“Which is a race I competed in,” Webber says – and one, it should be added, that is arguably the greatest F1 race in history. It featured two of the best overtaking moves there have ever been, and it was won by McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen from 17th on the grid, the Finn overtaking Renault’s Giancarlo Fisichella for the lead at the start of the last lap.

It might well have been won by Fisichella’s team-mate Fernando Alonso, who led Raikkonen in the early laps. But the Spaniard was delayed by a controversial intervention by the stewards, which impacted on his strategy. And when he might have been battling for the lead, he was fighting to pass Webber’s Williams for third place.

Alonso finally forced his way past the Australian in a brave move that involved putting two wheels on the grass halfway down the pit straight. But that pass was nothing compared to the one he pulled on Schumacher at the high-speed 130R corner earlier on in the race. Alonso took Schumacher around the outside of the corner, knowing that if they touched their lives would be in danger. Astonishingly, his apex speed as he passed the Ferrari was 207mph.

Webber says: “After a mixed up qualifying, we had some pretty fast guys in the best cars at the back. I enjoyed the race, driving a Williams car that was good in the corners but very, very inefficient aerodynamically and so I had no top speed. I fought for a podium late in the race with Fernando.”

We have chosen Webber as our driver this week because he had selected this race, which is a fitting scene-setter for this weekend’s action in Japan.

Highlights of the 2005 grand prix at Suzuka are embedded below, while underneath them are short and extended highlights of last year’s Japanese race. It was dominated by Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, with Webber right in his wheel tracks for the entire grand prix, but unable to get past.

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CLICK HERE FOR HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
CLICK HERE FOR EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2010 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX

Webber’s classic races will be available on the BBC red button on satellite and cable television in the UK from 1500 BST on Wednesday 5 October until 0155 BST on Friday 7 October. Freeview viewers will be able to watch them between Friday’s first and second practice sessions, from 0340 to 0550 on Friday.

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My Japanese Grand Prix preview

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel looks set to clinch his second successive title and become F1′s youngest-ever double world champion. Watch my preview to this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix to see why I think there’s still plenty to look forward to this season.

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If you are outside the UK, you can watch the video here.

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Hamilton: This is the start of something very good

After winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the weekend, Lewis Hamilton has said that it marks the start of a new chapter. The McLaren man has had a difficult season overall, but was back to his best at the weekend to secure a memorable victory. Speaking afterwards he said: “It is early days yet, [...]

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