| By Sam Tremayne | Wednesday, October 31st 2012, 13:41 GMT |
Force India team principal Vijay Mallya has labelled the departing Nico Hulkenberg as a 'star of the future'.
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| Wednesday, October 31st 2012, 14:30 GMT |
Abu Dhabi preview quotes: Marussia
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'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| By Jonathan Noble | Wednesday, October 31st 2012, 12:23 GMT |
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh says his outfit will not allow itself to get frustrated that the world championships have slipped from its grasp this year.
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| Tuesday, October 30th 2012, 15:25 GMT |
Abu Dhabi GP: Caterham preview quotes
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| By Matt Beer | Tuesday, October 30th 2012, 15:31 GMT |
Giedo van der Garde believes he is making huge progress in his Friday practice appearances with Caterham, as he continues to try and break into Formula 1
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| By Marcus Simmons | Tuesday, October 30th 2012, 15:39 GMT |
British Formula 3 teams completed their Macau Grand Prix preparations last week when they tested at Silverstone
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| By Pablo Elizalde | Monday, October 29th 2012, 12:31 GMT |
Felipe Nasr will join the Carlin team for the first post-season GP2 test at the Barcelona circuit
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| Monday, October 29th 2012, 14:03 GMT |
Abu Dhabi preview quotes: Pirelli
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'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| By Edd Straw and Jonathan Noble | Monday, October 29th 2012, 15:46 GMT |
Sauber reckons it will need both of its cars scoring points if it is going to have a realistic chance of catching Mercedes in the constructors' championship.
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| Sunday, October 28th 2012, 15:13 GMT |
Abu Dhabi preview quotes: Sauber
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'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| By Simon Strang | Sunday, October 28th 2012, 14:27 GMT |
Jenson Button does not expect to encounter the same extreme soft tyre wear that he reckons cost him a chance to fight at the front of the Indian Grand Prix when Formula 1 resumes battle in Abu Dhabi in a week's time.
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| By Andrew van Leeuwen | Sunday, October 28th 2012, 15:55 GMT |
Johan Kristoffersson became the 2012 International Superstars Series Champion, as Raffaele Giammaria won the final race of the season at Pergusa in Sicily
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| By Jonathan Noble | Saturday, October 27th 2012, 14:38 GMT |
Fernando Alonso says he is '100 percent' convinced that he will win the world championship this year, despite Red Bull's current dominance.
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| By Edd Straw and Pablo Elizalde | Saturday, October 27th 2012, 13:50 GMT |
Toro Rosso driver Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne believe it will be hard to repeat the kind of performance they put on in Korea in tomorrow's Indian Grand Prix
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| By Jonathan Noble | Saturday, October 27th 2012, 14:54 GMT |
McLaren may concede that Red Bull looks like is on its way to championship glory, but it is still adamant that there is a good chance to beat them in races.
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| By Jonathan Noble & Matt Beer | Friday, October 26th 2012, 14:57 GMT |
McLaren will continue to give Lewis Hamilton 2013 development parts to try this season, despite his imminent move to Mercedes
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| By Jonathan Noble | Friday, October 26th 2012, 15:45 GMT |
Mercedes boss Ross Brawn believes the introduction of a 'Steering Committee' in Formula 1 for next year will be a huge benefit to the sport
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| By Mark Glendenning | Friday, October 26th 2012, 15:57 GMT |
IndyCar has played down the prospect of the series racing in Italy for the first time next year
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| By Jamie O'Leary | Thursday, October 25th 2012, 13:51 GMT |
BMW will have to work harder than ever before to defend its DTM titles next year, according to the manufacturer's motorsport director Jens Marquardt.
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| By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde | Thursday, October 25th 2012, 14:25 GMT |
Sebastian Vettel will not relax his approach to the final races of the season despite having taken the lead in the Formula 1 world championship
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| By Jonathan Noble and Glenn Freeman | Thursday, October 25th 2012, 15:34 GMT |
Lewis Hamilton is not surprised by Red Bull's recent upturn in form that has taken Sebastian Vettel into the lead of the Formula 1 drivers' championship
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| By Glenn Freeman | Wednesday, October 24th 2012, 11:34 GMT |
Jules Bianchi and Tech 1 racing have called for rule changes to prevent drivers from winning championships by colliding with their rivals.
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| By Sam Tremayne | Wednesday, October 24th 2012, 15:49 GMT |
Kevin Ceccon set the pace for Arden on the opening day of GP3's post-season test at Jerez.
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| By Pablo Elizalde | Wednesday, October 24th 2012, 15:51 GMT |
Davide Valsecchi and Edoardo Mortara will join the Lotus team's line-up for the young driver test in Abu Dhabi
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| By Diego Mejia | Tuesday, October 23rd 2012, 14:39 GMT |
AJ Allmendinger will stay with Phoenix Racing for this weekend's NASCAR Sprint cup round at Martinsville Speedway
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| By Matt Beer | Tuesday, October 23rd 2012, 14:59 GMT |
Ferrari believes it can 'make up the ground lost' to its title rivals in India after an aero test helped it understand its recent windtunnel issues
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| By Peter Mills | Tuesday, October 23rd 2012, 14:42 GMT |
Chevrolet's trio of World Touring Car title challengers will be free to race unrestrained for the remainder of the season following the marque's clinching of the manufacturers' title in Japan last weekend
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| By Pablo Elizalde | Monday, October 22nd 2012, 15:30 GMT |
GP3 champion Mitch Evans got his first taste of the new car that will be used in the series from the 2013 season
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| By Glenn Freeman | Monday, October 22nd 2012, 14:21 GMT |
Robin Frijns hopes he can learn a lot by testing with Red Bull at the Formula 1 young driver test in Abu Dhabi next month.
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| By Sam Tremayne | Monday, October 22nd 2012, 15:30 GMT |
Ben Spies will be forced to miss this weekend's Australian Grand Prix as a result of the injuries sustained in a heavy crash at Sepang.
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| By Glenn Freeman | Sunday, October 21st 2012, 13:59 GMT |
Antonio Felix da Costa completed a dominant Formula Renault 3.5 double at Barcelona, while Robin Frijns sealed the title after a collision with championship rival Jules Bianchi
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| By Jamie O'Leary | Sunday, October 21st 2012, 13:13 GMT |
Bruno Spengler and BMW snatched the DTM title out of Gary Paffett's hands by winning an ultra-tense season finale at Hockenheim
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| By Kevin Turner | Sunday, October 21st 2012, 14:06 GMT |
Gordon Shedden clinched his first British Touring Car title in a wet second race at Brands Hatch, taking second behind new BTCC winner Aron Smith
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| By Glenn Freeman | Saturday, October 20th 2012, 14:02 GMT |
Antonio Felix da Costa beat Sam Bird to victory in the first Formula Renault 3.5 race at Barcelona, while a late spin for Jules Bianchi handed Robin Frijns the championship lead
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| By Kevin Turner | Saturday, October 20th 2012, 15:07 GMT |
Tom Onslow-Cole took pole position in a thrilling British Touring Car session on the Brands Hatch GP circuit
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| By Matt Beer | Saturday, October 20th 2012, 15:47 GMT |
Mikko Hirvonen just has to complete Sunday morning's two stages to secure his maiden victory for Citroen in the World Rally Championship, having maintained a comfortable lead cushion through leg two
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| By Jonathan Noble | Friday, October 19th 2012, 14:51 GMT |
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone remains fully behind plans for the New Jersey Grand Prix to take place in 2014, despite next year's event being dropped from the calendar
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| By Jamie O'Leary | Friday, October 19th 2012, 15:50 GMT |
Felix Rosenqvist grabbed a dominant double pole position for this weekend's Formula 3 Euro Series finale at Hockenheim, while points leader Daniel Juncadella did his title hopes no harm by taking a pair of seconds
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| By Jonathan Noble | Friday, October 19th 2012, 15:52 GMT |
Formula 1 drivers should have a better chance of overtaking at the 2012 Indian Grand Prix thanks to the introduction of an extended DRS area for this year's race
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| By Jonathan Noble | Thursday, October 18th 2012, 14:03 GMT |
Mercedes is not yet ready to write off the rest of the season in favour of focusing its resources on to its 2013 challenger.
Although the German car manufacturer has almost no chance of closing down the 119-points gap to Lotus in the constructors' championship, it does face a battle to hold off Sauber, which is just 20 points behind.
That is why team principal Ross Brawn has said that the outfit needs to both keep pushing for this year, while not wasting effort that could be put to better use ensuring its 2013 challenger is a step forward.
"We need a balanced approach I think," he said when asked by AUTOSPORT about how it was splitting efforts between this year and next season.
"Our chassis team are designing next year's car and there are certain directions they want to confirm. The aero changes you saw on Friday morning [in Korea] with the rear wing [double-DRS] are primarily for next year. So there is a mix.
"We don't want to sacrifice the remainder of this year while working for next year, but there is a strong aspect [of looking to 2013].
"At Suzuka we had two rear different suspension geometries, and we had some other fundamental differences, so we are plugging those things into the programme. But we still want to have a respectable performance for the rest of the year."
Although Mercedes has struggled for results in recent races - having not scored any points since the Singapore Grand Prix - Brawn thinks that venues coming up should suit its car better.
"I think these next few tracks coming up, although we don't know about Austin, will tend to come a bit towards the nature of our car," he said.
"There are still some things we want to try with the car in the last four races, particularly for next year."
| By Jamie O'Leary | Thursday, October 18th 2012, 13:11 GMT |
GP2 driver Felipe Nasr will make his Formula 3 comeback at this weekend's Euro Series finale at Hockenheim with Carlin.
The 20-year-old Brazilian, who won last year's British F3 crown with the team, was announced last week as part of Carlin's six-car line-up for the end-of-season Macau Grand Prix last week.
However, one of the rules of entry for Macau is that a driver must have competed in at least one F3 race during the same calendar year.
As a result, Nasr, who finished 10th with DAMS in GP2 this year, has signed up to partner Will Buller and Carlos Sainz Jr at the German circuit, which hosts the final round of both the Euro Series and the FIA Formula 3 Championship.
"It's been a busy year for me and at times it hasn't quite gone to plan, but the mileage and experience I've gained this year has been invaluable," Nasr said.
"I'm aiming to finish the season on a high before heading to Macau, which will be a fantastic experience.
This will be my first chance to drive the new F3 car, so it will be interesting to see how that compares to the car I won the championship in last season.
"The aim is just to get used to the power and characteristics of the F3 car again after a year of GP2 and help with set-up direction ahead of Macau. It will be really interesting to see how much of a difference there is between the new Dallara and last year's car."
Other one-off entries for Hockenheim include three Fortec cars for British F3 regulars Alex Lynn, Felix Serralles and Pipo Derani, and two new Volkswagen-engined Dallaras for Van Amersfoort Racing's Lucas Auer and Dennis van der Laar.
Prema Powerteam driver Daniel Juncadella currently leads both championships and is the favourite to claim both this weekend.
His team-mate Raffaele Marciello is his closest challenger in the FIA points while Mucke driver Pascal Wehrlein lies second in the Euro Series standings.
| By Pablo Elizalde | Thursday, October 18th 2012, 15:09 GMT |
Luciano Bacheta had his maiden run in a Formula 1 on Thursday, driving for Williams at Silverstone.
Bacheta was awarded the test as a prize for winning this year's Formula 2 title.
The 22-year-old Briton took to the track in the 2011 FW33 car and completed five different sessions, the first two on a damp circuit. He drove on Silverstone's International layout.
"Today's gone very well for me," he said. "I've had a good mix of wet and dry running which has been a perfect way to learn how the car works and adapts.
"Just to be around a team like Williams is a special experience and I've gained so much from the day.
"I'm still taking it all in and I am sure that it won't be until I go away and reflect that I'll realise quite how brilliant it was.
"The car is just a pleasure to drive, better than anything I've driven before, so I'd love to have some more experience of Formula 1 in the future."
Team founder Frank Williams added: "I'd like to pass on my congratulations to Luciano for winning the F2 title, a feat made all the more impressive by the way he achieved it with an unprecedented four consecutive wins at the start of the season.
"No doubt he learnt a lot from today's experience and it will stand him in good stead for his future career which looks very promising indeed."
| By Simon Strang | Wednesday, October 17th 2012, 15:07 GMT |
Williams reserve driver Valtteri Bottas believes that young drivers do not get enough opportunities to drive Formula 1 cars before graduating to the top level of the sport.
Bottas, who has taken part in 12 first free practice sessions in place of Bruno Senna so far this season, said that even with Friday driving, F1 hopefuls needed more opportunities to sell themselves to teams and to gain vital experience.
And the Finn reckons F1 needs to change more to accommodate young drivers coming through.
"I think so," he said. "That's my opinion, because it is obviously really, really difficult nowadays for young drivers to come up and we don't need to go so much further back, only a few years ago, there was a lot of testing and younger drivers could get much more mileage.
"Then the teams could really see which drivers were good. It's a shame nowadays that it is like this, and now it is the same for everyone who is at my age."
"Maybe one example would be to introduce more young driver tests."
F1 has already conducted two young driver tests this year, at Magny Cours and Silverstone.
In spite of the lack of running, Bottas, who has been linked with Senna's race seat for 2013, says he is ready to step up if he is given the opportunity.
Asked by AUTOSPORT if he'd had enough testing to make the step, Bottas said: "Well it's the most you can get really so it has to be enough and in the end you just have to have your first race at some point. And then you see where you are.
"But if you asked me would I be ready to race; definitely. I feel I want to have my first race soon.
"I also feel this second half of the season... because this season I have not been driving as much because I am not racing anywhere else... the second half has been a bit more difficult because I am just spending such a little time in the car in the end.
"So definitely I feel it is time to get more laps in."
Bottas added that he would consider racing in another category next season if he failed to secure a race seat in F1.
"Yeah, I would think I would have to," said the former GP3 Series champion. "Because two seasons driving as little as now I think would be too much.
"GP2 is a good option, but the only thing with GP2 is that then you are not allowed to drive on the Fridays with F1... so, but I hope we don't need to look at that. Definitely the priority is to the race seat for Formula 1."
| Wednesday, October 17th 2012, 14:20 GMT |
Formula 1 engine supplier Cosworth has put itself up for sale after relinquishing hopes of floating on the stock market.
The Times newspaper reports Cosworth had instructed JP Morgan Cazenove to seek an initial public offering some 18 months ago, but the move has been ruled out because of the instability of the market.
"We have been paused for the last 18 months and the board has decided that we can not wait any longer otherwise we risk losing momentum," Tim Routsis, Cosworth's chief executive, was quoted as saying by the Times.
The report speculates that Cosworth, funded in 1958, could be bought by Rolls-Royce or aerospace company GKN.
Cosworth currently supplies engines to the HRT and Marussia teams and has said in the past that it is willing to stay in Formula 1 beyond 2013, when the engine regulations will change.
"We are ready to supply engines for 2014," Cosworth's general manager of F1 Kim Spearman told AUTOSPORT in September.
"Initial discussions have been had with some people, and I think by the end of September we would like to know where we are. But I don't think we have to have all the t's crossed and the i's dotted by then. It can go a little bit longer than that."
| By Sam Tremayne | Wednesday, October 17th 2012, 15:28 GMT |
Williams development driver Susie Wolff dedicated a 'special' first Formula 1 test to injured Marussia test driver Maria de Villota.
The Spaniard suffered a life-threatening testing accident in July, sustaining significant damage to her skull and losing her right eye.
Wolff admitted the accident had been on her mind during her first day, saying it added an extra compulsion for her to succeed.
"After the publicity surrounding Maria's accident without doubt I felt an extra need to go out there, do a good job and show that her accident was a freak one-off and it doesn't generalise women in motorsport," Wolff said.
"I spoke with Maria after her press conference, when she showed everyone that aside from being a great racing driver she is an exceptional lady.
"The strength and dignity she showed after such an accident, to fight back from nearly dying, was quite phenomenal and I said that to her.
"She said 'it's up to you now to show that we can do it, you're driving for both of us' and today I had her in my thoughts, and had her star on my helmet.
"It was very important for me to go out for both of us today and show everybody that what happened was a freak accident and that actually women can drive F1 cars successfully. She was without a doubt without me."
While there have been instances of women testing in F1 recently, Lella Lombardi remains the last female to start an F1 race back in 1976.
Wolff believes her test acts as proof that women can succeed if given the chance.
"I think today was a good first step in the right direction," she said. "I hope I have done enough in the first stage to show the team I can be of assistance to do more tests and aerodynamic work.
"I was conscious of the fact if I wanted more opportunities I had to do well, and that was my main point of concentration.
"Williams is the first team to really take note of a fast female driver and give her a chance and I hope it will set the path for more teams realising in the future that women should be taken seriously."
Asked if she felt able to cope physically, Wolff replied: "Yes. It's easy to say as I didn't do a race distance and wasn't on the correct tyres, but there was never one part of the whole day when I couldn't hold my head up or be in control of the car.
"I've waited a long time for this day, I've dreamed about this day for a long time, and the first lap was something special."
| By Michele Lostia and Pablo Elizalde | Tuesday, October 16th 2012, 14:27 GMT |
Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali is convinced Felipe Massa will repay the faith the Italian squad had put in him by extending his contract.
The Maranello-based outfit confirmed on Tuesday that Massa will continue to partner Fernando Alonso next year, ending months of speculation about the Brazilian's future.
Although Ferrari admitted it had talked to other drivers regarding the second seat, Domenicali has no doubts Massa will prove that keeping him onboard is the right decision.
"We are happy to have lengthened the relationship with Felipe for one further year," Domenicali said.
"He has been part of our family for more than 10 years and he has demonstrated, especially in this last part of the season, to be again competitive at the maximum levels, as is expected of every driver at the wheel of a Ferrari.
"We have always supported Felipe, even during the most difficult moments of his career, and we are certain of his worth and that he will be able to repay the faith that has again been put on him."
Massa, who has driven for the team since 2006, said he was elated after securing a new deal.
"I'm extremely happy with this agreement," said the Brazilian.
"Ferrari is my sporting family and I've always raced in Formula 1 with engines built in Maranello: I can't see myself at the wheel of a single-seater powered by other engines.
"I want to first of all thank president Montezemolo and Stefano Domenicali, who have put their faith in me and have always supported me, even at the most difficult times.
"Both of them, the team and every fan can be certain that I will do everything within my possibilities to help the Scuderia in reaching the goals it sets for itself every year."
| By Pablo Elizalde | Tuesday, October 16th 2012, 14:05 GMT |
Felipe Massa will stay at Ferrari for another season after the Italian squad confirmed a new deal for the Brazilian driver on Tuesday.
Massa's position alongside Fernando Alonso was in doubt for several months after a poor start to the season during which he struggled to even score points.
Before this year's Japanese Grand Prix, the Brazilian had last been on the podium in 2010 in Korea.
Massa, however, turned his form around and began to show the kind of competitiveness Ferrari wanted from him, a resurgence that has secured him a contract extension, as reported by AUTOSPORT on Sunday.
The Ferrari driver has been with the team since the 2006 season, during which time he has scored 11 wins. He finished runner-up to Lewis Hamilton in the 2008 world championship.
Massa said after the Korean Grand Prix that he believed he was back to his best following a difficult period.
"I feel very strong now, to be honest," he said. "I feel in a strong direction, driving the car more in an automatic way, so I am much more happy.
"To put everything together is really nice, so the most important thing is to go in the car and have fun. When you go in the car and you don't have fun or be happy, even if you have one of the best jobs in the world, it is not nice.
"If you are not happy you cannot do the job in the right direction. So the situation is now happier and much better."
| By Jonathan Noble | Tuesday, October 16th 2012, 13:55 GMT |
Lotus believes the best is yet to come from its new exhaust layout as it targets McLaren in the constructors' championship.
Kimi Raikkonen put the new Coanda-effect exhaust design to good use in Korea, finishing fifth on a weekend when the team never expected to be able to fight right at the front.
And the team is optimistic that it will be able to unlock more performance from the car over the remaining four races, especially with Romain Grosjean getting the new parts for the Indian Grand Prix.
Team principal Eric Boullier told AUTOSPORT: "The plan is to have them on both cars in India, and I have to praise the team because we saw some bigger teams than us struggle for some races to get [Coanda-effect exhausts] to work.
"We know we can definitely get more performance from the car from now on thanks to the system."
Lotus has lost ground to Ferrari and McLaren in the constructors' championship since the end of the summer break, and has been fourth in the standings since the Italian Grand Prix.
Although championship leader Red Bull is realistically out of reach, Lotus still wants to capitalise on McLaren's recent woes to make up ground in the teams' race.
"I hope so" explained Boullier. "But look at Korea: both Ferraris were in front of us, so they brought a lot of points back home.
"They are second in championship in front of McLaren, and we grabbed some points off McLaren which is good, but we need to be realistic.
"McLaren had strong form during summer time. I don't see them struggling each weekend like this weekend, so it will be a tough battle, but we will do everything we can to fight for third position."
| By Jamie O'Leary | Monday, October 15th 2012, 15:02 GMT |
Ford will cease to have a factory presence in the World Rally Championship at the end of the 2012 season.
A statement issued by Ford of Europe on Monday said that the decision had been taken due to the current economic climate, following a major review of its marketing activities in the continent.
"Ford has a long and proud history in the WRC and this was not an easy decision," said Roelant de Waard, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe.
"At this time, however we determined that it was better for the company and the Ford brand to reduce our commitment to the WRC and deploy our resources in other areas."
Malcolm Wilson's M-Sport organisation, which has run Ford's factory squad since 1997 and taken 52 wins plus the manufacturers' world championships in 2006 and '07, aims to continue in the WRC with the Fiesta model in the coming years.
Ford is on talks with M-Sport to provide continued vehicle and engineering support.
| By Kevin Turner | Monday, October 15th 2012, 13:47 GMT |
British Touring Car frontrunner Andrew Jordan will concentrate on winning the Independents' Trophy at the Brands Hatch finale this weekend, despite being in with a chance of the outright crown.
Jordan, who has taken one 2012 race win in his Eurotech-run Honda Civic, currently lies fourth in the overall standings. He is 61 points behind title leader Gordon Shedden, with 67 on offer at Brands.
In the Independents' title race, Jordan is 28 points ahead of WSR BMW driver Rob Collard and believes that should be his focus.
"I'm not even thinking about the outright drivers' title - that's between Gordon, Matt [Neal] and Jason [Plato]," he said. "My focus is a winning the Independent trophies."
Jordan did not rule out assisting works Honda drivers Shedden and Neal against MG driver Plato if the opportunity arose.
"If we get the Independent titles sewn up then maybe I'll try and help Gordon and Matt beat Jason but until then I won't be thinking about that," he added.
"You can only juggle so many balls."
Shedden heads into the Brands GP event 15 points ahead of double champion Plato and 31 clear of triple champion team-mate Neal.
| By Sam Tremayne | Monday, October 15th 2012, 15:22 GMT |
Malcolm Wilson admits his M-Sport outfit will need to reviews its options in the wake of Ford's decision to withdraw works support for its WRC effort.
M-Sport has run Ford's factory squad since 1997 and has taken 52 wins, plus the manufacturers' world championships in 2006 and '07.
Wilson pledged to continue developing the Fiesta WRC in preparation for 2013, but said its future race programme would have to be reviewed.
Ford is in talks with M-Sport to provide continued vehicle and engineering support.
"Confirmation of our key championship programmes for 2013 is our first priority and a challenge that the team here is very much looking forward to," Wilson said.
"After that we can review all options and determine the right direction for the future.
"My intention is that we will continue to push to secure stage wins and overall results on the forthcoming events for Ford and to push forward with the development work that was started in March this year to improve and refine the Fiesta WRC even further, ready for the 2013 season.
"We will also continue to work closely with our colleagues at Ford Racing towards the launch of the Fiesta R5 for March 2013 and the improvements that we are working on for the R2 car which will continue to the form the basis of a series of national and regional young driver programmes in the future."
Wilson paid tribute to Ford' role in a partnership that has spanned 16 seasons, and said he sympathised with the company's decision.
"M-Sport is extremely proud of our history with Ford since 1997," he added.
"208 podium finishes, scoring points on 156 consecutive events and 52 wins from 225 starts in the WRC along with two world titles underlines the dedication and commitment of the whole team in Cumbria.
"I would like to thank Ford of Europe for their enthusiastic support and the faith shown in the team over the past 16 seasons.
"We understand that tough decisions have had to be made to safeguard Ford jobs, we accept the commercial reality of the situation and look forward to continuing our strong technical partnership into the future."
| By Pablo Elizalde | Sunday, October 14th 2012, 10:49 GMT |
Kimi Raikkonen believes fifth place was the best possible result for him in the Korean Grand Prix
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| By Jonathan Noble | Sunday, October 14th 2012, 10:54 GMT |
Lewis Hamilton's hopes of a podium finish in the Korean Grand Prix were wrecked by a rear anti-roll bar failure.
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| Sunday, October 14th 2012, 11:17 GMT |
Korea Sunday quotes: Williams
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'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| Saturday, October 13th 2012, 15:51 GMT |
Giandomenico Basso clinched his second Intercontinental Rally Challenge victory with a controlled performance on the final day of Rally Sanremo
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| By Edd Straw | Saturday, October 13th 2012, 11:26 GMT |
Bruno Senna has blamed his failure to make Q2 for the third time this season on a lack of meaningful practice time.
The Brazilian sat out first practice in Korea in favour of reserve driver Valtteri Bottas and his Saturday morning practice running was compromised by a front wing problem despite completing 18 laps.
"It's a typical result of losing the first session on Friday, then having an OK second session but a bad third session with technical problems," he said when asked by AUTOSPORT what went wrong.
"When you lose a session and then lose another session because of problems, that's it.
"On a tight grid like this, you don't have a half-second margin to play around with.
"I'm not surprised that we had a struggle after the morning session when we were chasing front wing problems and not really working on set-up."
Senna described his Q1 lap as "OK" but felt set-up shortcomings caused by his practice problems restricted the potential of the car.
Although team-mate Pastor Maldonado was four tenths of a second faster than him, Senna believes that the set-up problems were to blame for the gap.
"It wasn't a bad lap - it was an OK lap, nothing special with no mistakes but the car set-up was out of the window," said Senna.
"We made some decision on car set-up in the afternoon and went the wrong way, which is understandable.
"The result is where we are in qualifying.
"We are not particularly quick anyway, but it looks worse than it is."
Senna did attempt a second flying lap on his second run in Q1.
He would have bumped McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton had he been able to match Maldonado's time.
"I improved a little bit in the first sector, but by the halfway point of the lap the tyres had given up already.
"It's a one-lap tyre and [the track is] very hard on the tyres with he long corners.
"I needed to try another lap because I knew that it wasn't good enough but it didn't happen."
| By Matt Beer | Saturday, October 13th 2012, 12:24 GMT |
Casey Stoner reckons he could have qualified on the front row for his MotoGP comeback in Japan but for a set-up miscue.
Although Stoner is still struggling with physical difficulties following his Indianapolis injury and subsequent surgery, he said the main reason for only qualifying seventh at Motegi was a handling problem.
"To be honest I thought we had a shot at the front row today," he said.
"On the first soft tyre we used, I achieved a pretty good time and I knew we had something extra in reserve, in both myself and the bike.
"We thought with the second soft tyre we would improve but unfortunately we went in the wrong direction with the bike and I had no rear grip, so I decided to play it safe and not push too hard."
He acknowledged that he remains a long way from full fitness and that this was also affecting his pace.
"Physically I'm a little sore but not so bad, I'm just struggling to lift the bike out of the right hand corners and it's making setting up the bike more difficult than it should be," said Stoner.
"My team can see that my lean angles are nowhere near what they usually are.
"I can't get my foot out of the way, therefore I can't lean the bike over enough or pick it up quickly on the exit of the corner."
| By Kevin Turner | Friday, October 12th 2012, 15:39 GMT |
An NGTC Chevrolet Cruze could appear in the British Touring Car Championship next season.
RML started building the car ahead of the 2012 season before Chevrolet withdrew from the series.
Now former BTCC driver Chris Stockton has acquired the car and hopes to run it under the BTC Racing banner in 2013.
"It's a very big opportunity to buy this car," said Stockton, whose BTCC return at Silverstone earlier this month was curtailed by illness.
"A lot of development has already been completed by RML and it is nearly ready to start assembling the TOCA parts.
"I've tried competing in older machinery and, without making excuses, it's impossible to take on the best in less developed machinery."
Having not been represented in the BTCC in 2012, Chevrolet could have two privateer teams on the grid in 2013.
As well as BTC's car, Tech-Speed is still hoping to run a turbocharged version of the S2000 Cruze it campaigned last year.
| By David Evans | Friday, October 12th 2012, 13:40 GMT |
Nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb says he starts next weekend's Rally d'Italia as determined as ever to secure victory in Sardinia.
Just over a week after securing his latest title success, Loeb begins the recce in Italy in search of his 76th WRC win and his fifth Sardinian success in what will be eight starts on the island.
"When I line up at the start my goal is to achieve the best possible result and therefore to win," Loeb said.
"I want to enjoy myself when driving and to push so that I make the most of what will be one of my last world championship rallies.
"Sardinia is a tough event and I remember having a few scraps here against rivals who have always been very quick on this surface.
"We have seen in the last few rallies that we're not head and shoulders above the rest, so we'll have to fight hard."
Having spent time at home since winning Rallye de France last week, Loeb says he is still amazed at the numbers that turned out to cheer he and co-driver Daniel Elena on.
"There were quite a few emotional moments, especially on Sunday, when we went through the places near where I grew up," he added.
"I was taken aback by how many people turned out to support me throughout the whole week in Alsace. It's mad how popular rallying has become in Alsace."
| By David Evans | Friday, October 12th 2012, 14:10 GMT |
Mini is to withdraw its financial support for its works team - WRC Team Mini Portugal - at the end of this season.
The team's drivers Chris Atkinson and Paulo Nobre face an uncertain future with the Motorsport Italia-run squad following an announcement by Dr Key Segler, senior vice-president of Mini business coordination and brand management, on Friday.
Segler said: "Mini will abandon its works involvement in the WRC at the end of the 2012 season."
FIA World Rally Championship regulations stated that Mini had to contest every round of the season for its WRC machine to fulfil its homologation obligations.
With this to be completed by the end of the season, the budget for running the works cars in 2013 has been withdrawn.
Segler added: "By the end of the season WRC Team Mini Portugal will have competed in every rally in 2012.
"As such, in accordance with FIA regulations, we will have achieved the WRC homologation for the Mini John Cooper Works.
"In doing so, we would have achieved the prerequisites to allow those interested to continue to run the car in the WRC on a customer rallying basis.
"In a very difficult commercial environment, Mini has played an active role in ensuring that friends of the Mini brand can continue to participate in motorsport.
"As such, the Mini family is retaining its presence on various international platforms and getting even closer to its customers.
"We would like to see the Mini John Cooper Works WRC continue to run competitively in WRC and other championships.
"We would like to thank Prodrive, WRC Team Mini Portugal and our partners for the good cooperation, and wish all drivers, teams and customers a successful future in rallying."
While Mini's decision has a significant impact on Motorsport Italia's 2013 plans, it does not affect Prodrive's participation in next year's world championship.
Segler added: "BMW Motorsport will continue to further develop the 1.6-litre turbo engine in conjunction with Prodrive."
Prodrive's business development director Richard Taylor said the Banbury firm was already looking forward to next season.
Taylor, whose Prodrive team has clinched all three of the Mini's podium spots on WRC rounds, said: "We understand Mini's decision and in the current challenging economic climate it was not unexpected.
"It is however good news that Mini remains enthusiastic about the WRC and wishes to see Mini rally cars continuing to run competitively in the WRC and other championships.
"We look forward to continuing to work with Mini and BMW Motorsport to maximise the performance of both WRC and S2000 Minis on behalf of our mutual customers and our own WRC team."
| By Edd Straw | Thursday, October 11th 2012, 14:56 GMT |
Vitaly Petrov insists that he is still in contention to stay with Caterham next year amid question marks over whether he can raise the necessary funding.
The 28-year-old remains in the frame to drive Caterham for a second year despite his manager, Oksana Kosachenko, suggesting in the Russian media last month that they were struggling to raise the money.
Kosachenko's comments have been interpreted in some quarters as meaning that Petrov's three-season grand prix career will come to an end next year.
But Petrov insists that talks with Caterham are ongoing despite the team also considering well-backed GP2 graduate Giedo van der Garde and Marussia driver Charles Pic, who could also bring support.
"They want to keep us here," Petrov told AUTOSPORT. "My management and the team are still discussing the deal for next year so it is still open.
"The team is quite happy with me but we need to make some deals and we will see how we do."
Petrov's future depends on finding more backing from Russia and AUTOSPORT understands that provided he does so, the terms of the option in his contract will allow him to stay on.
He admitted that raising the funds is difficult as he does not benefit from support from a single wealthy Russian company bankrolling him fully.
"You see a lot of drivers - Mexican drivers or Spanish drivers – who have one sponsor who can decide which team they go to," said Petrov.
"We don't have so much big support and we cannot choose and we always have to go to the limit [in terms of time] to find the right [sponsors].
"That's why it's a little bit more difficult for me because maybe we have an opportunity, but we don't have the support behind us."
Despite the struggle to raise the funds, Petrov does not believe that he's in a bad position.
He emphasised that his manager's comments were driven by a desire to push hard to raise funding earlier than in previous seasons so that his future can be tied down sooner.
"It's not negative," said Petrov. "We chose to start to talk now, now at the end of the year or in the last race and this is why we started to complain a little bit earlier than normal.
"It's the right thing to do.
"We work all through the year, but in the last few years, we started to work just at the end of the year and that is why I signed the contract with Renault [for 2010 and 2011] and Caterham late."
| By Edd Straw | Thursday, October 11th 2012, 15:17 GMT |
Bruno Senna is confident that he can deliver the strong end to the season that he needs to have a chance of securing his Formula 1 future.
The Brazilian has struggled to match Williams team-mate Pastor Maldonado's performances this year despite being only eight points behind him in the drivers' championship.
But amid question marks over whether Senna will continue with the team in 2013, particularly given the impressive practice performances of reserve driver Valtteri Bottas, the Brazilian believes that a big result is just around the corner.
"When a weekend strings together, it's going to be a good result," said Senna when asked by AUTOSPORT if he is feeling under pressure to prove himself.
"The team wants us to score points and the most important thing is to finish as many positions up in the championship as possible.
"I don't see why we can't have a good end of the year and score some big points."
Senna admitted that his up-and-down form this season is down to several reasons, some because of his own mistakes and some, such as failing in Q1 at Suzuka two weeks ago after being blocked by Jean-Eric Vergne, caused by external factors.
But he accepts that the results are what he will be judged by and that his priority is to have a strong end to the season.
"Sometimes it's our mistake and I've made a few mistakes this season," he said.
"Sometimes it is just bad luck or circumstances.
"It's a fact that, at the end of the day, all that remains is the results, the laptimes and the numbers.
"If you have a whole year where your wing fell off in qualifying and you got outqualified by your team-mate, people will remember that and not that the wing fell off.
"We need to put as many good weekends together as possible and work from there.
"The pressure is the same now as it was at the beginning of the season."
| By Edd Straw and Joseph Keen | Thursday, October 11th 2012, 15:35 GMT |
Sauber's Sergio Perez insists he is focused on this season and that he is not being distracted by next year's move to McLaren.
The 22-year-old Mexican was criticised by Lewis Hamilton, who branded a pass by Perez early in the race as a "crazy manoeuvre".
Asked if he felt the pressure was getting to him, he replied: "Not really, in a way I feel more relaxed because now my future is secure and I am really focused for my team.
"I am not thinking about McLaren at the moment," he said
"I am fully focused on this year to finish races very high and until the last lap I drive for this team, then I start at McLaren," he said.
"I did a mistake and now I move on. It is normal for people to criticise you after you do a mistake."
Perez added that Sauber's main target is to overhaul Mercedes despite the upcoming circuits not being ideal for the C31.
"In the upcoming races I don't expect one to be really strong but we have to get good points in each race," he said.
"That [overhauling Mercedes] is our main priority and if we have a strong weekend we have a good chance."
| By Pablo Elizalde | Wednesday, October 10th 2012, 13:26 GMT |
Formula 1's ruling body, the FIA, has decided to extend the DRS zone for this weekend's Korean Grand Prix.
The DRS detection point will still be placed right before Turn 1, with the activation point 516 meters after Turn 2.
The DRS zone, however, has been extended by 80 meters compared to last year.
Korea was among the worst tracks for overtaking last year, with just 29 moves completed - just over half of the season average.
| By Edd Straw and Jonathan Noble | Wednesday, October 10th 2012, 14:08 GMT |
Daniel Ricciardo is hopeful that he has now done enough to secure his Formula 1 future at Scuderia Toro Rosso for another year.
The Australian believes his drive in Japan last weekend, which he claims was one of the best performances of his career, will prove to his bosses that he is worth keeping for 2013.
"I never want to count my chickens, but I definitely believe if I wasn't looking good before Japan, [that drive] definitely helps," he told AUTOSPORT.
"I am positive I can give another season a crack here, and hopefully with [technical director] James Key's development on next year's car, we can do what Sauber has done this year."
Ricciardo believes that Key's arrival just before the Italian Grand Prix has been important in helping lift the team's fortunes, with it scoring nine points in the last four races.
"At circuit he has given a fresh approach," said the Australian. "He is very ambitious, that is the right word.
"Sometimes the team is probably too realistic, so it is nice to have someone who is quite ambitious and wants a bit more. That is good.
"It is a bit of a different approach. From Friday, we don't really look at the big picture, and we don't look to Saturday, we just take it session by session and that has really showed from Spa.
"From Friday to Sunday, we kept getting better. I am not sure what it is, but maybe it is a bit of experience and a bit of gelling with the team after 15 races."
* For an in-depth look at Ricciardo's progress this season and how his recent form could put him in a good position for a Red Bull drive in 2014, click here.
| By Pablo Elizalde | Wednesday, October 10th 2012, 14:08 GMT |
Fernando Alonso is convinced he will be able to stay in the championship fight until the final race despite Sebastian Vettel's momentum.
Red Bull driver Vettel has won the last two races to reduce Alonso's lead to just four points with five races to go, the German taking a dominant victory in the Japanese Grand Prix last Sunday.
Although Ferrari seems to have fallen behind Red Bull in the development race, Alonso is optimistic that his team can still take a step forward that will keep him in the fight.
"I am sure we can be in the fight right down to the wire," Alonso said on Ferrari's website.
"The people who are working on the car are the same who have done the job so far and there's no reason to think they can't do a good job again now.
"Let's not forget that, if I am still leading the championship, it's because we have been capable of improving the car significantly compared to the start of the season and also because we are capable of always getting the most out of what we have to work with.
"We have not been gifted anything, indeed Spa and Suzuka deprived us of places that were easily within our grasp.
"It's not through some sort of divine miracle that we are in this position, it is down to the work of all us, from first to last. Formula 1 is a team sport: you win and you lose together."
The Ferrari driver believes his team's lack of competitiveness in some of the recent races is more a reflection of how this season is full of ups and downs rather than a lack of development.
"For sure, there are some teams who, in this final part of the season have made a significant step forward, while we have not matched that, especially in terms of how the car behaves on certain types of track.
"However, it is equally true that, at Monza for example, we had a car that was good enough to take pole, while then at Singapore, we got a bit lost and to a certain extent, we also suffered at Suzuka, even if there, Felipe showed he was pretty competitive in the race: if we weren't as quick as the Red Bulls, we were at least a match for all the others.
"Actually, these ups and downs seem to be the norm this season: in Japan, the McLaren seemed less strong than in the previous race while Red Bull stepped up significantly, as indeed did Sauber."
| By Tom Mallett | Tuesday, October 9th 2012, 15:04 GMT |
Formula 2 champion Luciano Bacheta will drive a 2011 Williams Formula 1 car at Silverstone on October 18.
The 22-year-old has been given the opportunity as his prize for winning the F2 crown. Bacheta has previously competed on the F1 package in GP3, but the F2 championship is his first senior title.
"I had no idea it would be so soon. I've received a measurement chart for the race suit and we'll ramp up the preparation now," said Bacheta.
After a dominant start to the F2 season gave him an early points lead, the Romford driver said he had begun preparing for the F1 chance before the title was confirmed at the end of September.
"All year while I was leading the championship I was thinking that I could be driving a grand prix car so I've been training with F1 in mind," he said.
"I'm so excited and I'm really motivated for it and even before I won the championship I thought I would be ready for it."
The last two F2 champions, Mirko Bortolotti and Dean Stoneman, were able to join the F1 young driver tests in Abu Dhabi for their Williams prize drives, but this year the squad used its rookie test allowance at Silverstone in July, running its reserve Valtteri Bottas.
| Tuesday, October 9th 2012, 14:40 GMT |
Lola Cars International has ceased trading after the administrators concluded that the famous British racing car constructor could not be sold as a going concern.
Lola, which was established in 1958, went into administration in May with debts totaling more than £20 million.
The company had continued to trade through the summer while joint administrators Mark Newman and James Snowdon of CCW Recovery Solutions LLP sought a buyer.
A statement issued on Tuesday read: "At the end of September, having not received an acceptable offer for the business as a going concern, we considered whether or not we should continue trading.
"During the first week of October we concluded that a going concern sale of the business was not going to be possible, and the company ceased to trade on Friday, October 5, which unfortunately led to the redundancy of the remaining staff working in the business."
The administrators said they expected to conclude a sale of the assets of the company in the near future. It is unclear whether they will be sold in their entirety or whether the assets will go up for auction.
The trademarks to the Lola name and the intellectual property rights to its designs are owned by Lola Group Holdings.
Lola Composites, which also went into administration in May, continues to trade. The administrators remain in discussion with "two seriously interested parties" but stated that "neither has committed to progressing their purchase at this time".
Their statement continued: "Following a review of the likelihood of a sale of the business in the short term, and the current order book, we had to consider our staffing needs going forward, and we had no alternative but to make a further 23 staff redundant."
| By David Evans | Tuesday, October 9th 2012, 15:55 GMT |
Jari-Matti Latvala believes he took a big step closer to being able to match Sebastien Loeb on asphalt with his second place in France last weekend.
The Ford driver ended the event just 15.5 seconds adrift of winner Loeb.
Latvala had been in the thick of the lead battle until he dropped time going off the road on the first run through the Pays d'Ormont test on Saturday morning.
He rates the performance as his best on asphalt so far.
"I really have learned a lot," said Latvala. "It was a very tough event and I now know where I have to work to go quicker.
"My problem is still in the muddy sections of the stage. When the road is fast and wide - like a race circuit - then I am OK and I how to make the time.
"It's when the rain is coming and the grip is changing all of the time, this is when Loeb is still taking the time.
"I have to work on it some more, but I am going in the right way.
"This is definitely my best result, we were much further away from him [Loeb] in Germany when we were also second.
"Of course, I wanted the win, but this is a good result."
Although the next World Rally Championship round is Sardinia is on gravel, the majority of the mixed-surface season-closer in Spain in November runs on asphalt.
| By Sam Tremayne | Monday, October 8th 2012, 15:18 GMT |
Jorge Lorenzo says he has no idea what will happen in his 2012 MotoGP title fight with Honda rival Dani Pedrosa.
Pedrosa's championship ambitions took a massive blow when he was wiped out on the first lap at Misano, ending his run of two straight wins and allowing Lorenzo to pull 38 points clear.
Lorenzo however was unable to match his rival at Aragon, and consequently had his lead trimmed by five points.
Pedrosa can now claim the title if he wins every race and Lorenzo finishes third or lower - a situation complicated by Honda's recent superiority and by Casey Stoner's return at this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.
Lorenzo said he was focussing on each race rather than the championship picture, but admitted it was still too close to call.
"In my first two times in 250s, and then [2010 in MotoGP], I have been in a very similar situation: always with a small or big difference - it depends how you see it - to second," he said.
"Every time I could handle it and finished by winning [the championship].
"I don't know what is going to happen this time but I don't want to think too much about that; I just concentrate on every race, on riding and getting the best result and being as fast as I can be."
Lorenzo added that Pedrosa has grown as a force over 2012. The Honda rider only missed the podium once in the opening seven races, but didn't triumph until round eight when he defeated team-mate Stoner at the Sachsenring.
"Dani started in a good way, but for him it was difficult to win races no? [He was] always on the podium but not winning; myself and Casey were winning all of them," he explained.
"But then Casey crashed at the Sachsenring and Dani won, and there the championship got closer between us as a trio.
"I think Dani changed a bit at this moment and started to think about the possibility of winning. He [was on a] high and rode even better in the next races."
| By Jonathan Noble and Edd Straw | Monday, October 8th 2012, 14:02 GMT |
McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe has declared the Japanese Grand Prix a successful damage limitation exercise.
Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth at Suzuka after a difficult weekend for McLaren.
But despite losing a further five points to Red Bull in the constructors' championship, Lowe was pleased that McLaren came out of the weekend in the position that it did.
"Considering the grid, we are pretty pleased because we limited the damage," Lowe told AUTOSPORT.
"We gained in the drivers' championship and we didn't lose as much as we could have because it looked to me that Red Bull were on for a one-two.
"So it could have been a great deal worse."
McLaren feared the worst heading into the race, with Hamilton starting ninth after his Q3 was compromised by having to back off for yellow flags triggered by Kimi Raikkonen's spin.
Button, who was third fastest in qualifying, was also facing a struggle thanks to a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change.
"In a way, it felt like having two penalties, one on each car - Jenson with his gearbox and Lewis with the yellow flag," said Lowe.
"So we're not down in the dumps and we've limited the damage.
"We haven't done a perfect job this weekend in getting the best out of the car."
Lowe added that there was no discussion on the McLaren pit-wall about ordering Button to let Hamilton catch and pass him in the closing stages.
Hamilton is the only McLaren driver with a realistic, if distant, chance in the drivers' championship and had they done so, it would closed what is now a 42-point gap to leader Fernando Alonso to 40 points.
"No," said Lowe when asked by AUTOSPORT if McLaren considered doing so.
"Jenson was competing for a podium and Lewis didn't have the pace to challenge the Sauber at that point."
| By Jonathan Noble | Monday, October 8th 2012, 15:31 GMT |
Ferrari has conceded that it needs to revise its approach to the world championship battle in the wake of Fernando Alonso's disastrous Japanese Grand Prix.
Alonso's lead in the title race has been cut to just four points after he crashed out at the first corner at Suzuka and closest rival Sebastian Vettel delivered a crushing victory.
With Ferrari well aware that it does not have the fastest car, the pressure is on the outfit to make much-needed improvements to its car so Alonso does not lose out to his Red Bull rival.
Team principal Stefano Domenicali knows that Suzuka may well prove to be a significant moment in the title battle, but has urged his outfit to remain calm.
"Now, with the situation of not scoring any points [in Japan], it is different and, if any of the others have any problems, we need to make sure we score more points," he said.
"But for sure we need to think differently now, because that race advantage is not there. But it [the title fight] is still in our control."
Domenicali has flown back to Ferrari's Maranello factory for a post-race debrief, and will spend a few days there before travelling to the next race in Korea.
Ferrari's development progress has been put under the spotlight with rivals Red Bull and McLaren having edged clear in recent races, but Domenicali has defended the work of his team.
"We need to stay very rational here because McLaren was on an unbelievable pace in Singapore, and everybody said they were flying," he said.
"We saw Red Bull this weekend was impressive, so we need to see what we can do to match their development - or see if this track was better for them.
"But for sure we need to know that the others are pushing and we need to keep the positive pressure on our engineers to make sure we deliver the development.
"When I hear that we have not developed the car for many grands prix, it is not true. The truth is that the level of development is very high, but we need to start higher because when you start there [in the middle of the grid] anything can happen."
