| Tuesday, October 30th 2012, 14:58 GMT |
Abu Dhabi GP: Red Bull preview quotes
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
 |
 |
|
 Earlier F1 story | More news | Next F1 story  |
| ||
| Tuesday, October 30th 2012, 15:25 GMT |
Abu Dhabi GP: Caterham preview quotes
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
|
|
|
| Earlier F1 story | More news | Next F1 story |
| ||
| 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
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Jonathan Noble | Monday, October 29th 2012, 16:46 GMT |
Kimi Raikkonen will be a much stronger driver in 2013 than he was during his comeback season for Lotus, reckons his team boss.
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Simon Strang | Monday, October 29th 2012, 16:58 GMT |
Kimi Raikkonen says his desire to win is as strong as ever, following the news that he has signed on for a second season with Lotus.
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Simon Strang | Monday, October 29th 2012, 17:35 GMT |
Nico Rosberg says his Mercedes team is still motivated to finish the season on a high, despite its race performances tailing off recently.
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| 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.
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| Sunday, October 28th 2012, 15:13 GMT |
Abu Dhabi preview quotes: Sauber
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| By Jonathan Noble | Sunday, October 28th 2012, 17:17 GMT |
Red Bull still needs to deliver three 'perfect' race weekends if it is going to pull off another world championship title, according to team principal Christian Horner - despite the team's recent run of dominance
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Edd Straw | Sunday, October 28th 2012, 03:31 GMT |
Williams chief operations engineer Mark Gillan declared his team on top of its car problems after showing improved pace in India
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Jonathan Noble | Sunday, October 28th 2012, 05:55 GMT |
Felipe Massa is not sure that Ferrari has the pace to take the fight to Red Bull in the Indian Grand Prix, but thinks a challenge on McLaren is realistic
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Jonathan Noble | Sunday, October 28th 2012, 06:32 GMT |
Kimi Raikkonen admitted he only has himself to blame for the set-up change that cost him the chance of a decent grid slot for the Indian Grand Prix
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Sam Tremayne | Saturday, October 27th 2012, 06:40 GMT |
Sebastian Vettel continued his and Red Bull's perfect start to the Indian Grand Prix weekend by once again setting the pace in the final practice session
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Jonathan Noble | Saturday, October 27th 2012, 06:52 GMT |
Kimi Raikkonen says it is no surprise that Lotus has not been able to match the development rate of the bigger teams - because it simply does not have the resources to keep throwing money at upgrades
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Jonathan Noble | Saturday, October 27th 2012, 07:06 GMT |
McLaren is not shying away from its need to conquer the reliability issues that derailed its world championship bid, but insists there is no single explanation for its recent run of trouble
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Edd Straw | Friday, October 26th 2012, 05:21 GMT |
Robin Frijns is set for a long-term role with Sauber, provided his run in the Abu Dhabi young driver test proves a success
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Jonathan Noble | Friday, October 26th 2012, 05:36 GMT |
Red Bull will have to switch away from the safety of its old-spec alternators by the United States Grand Prix at the latest, AUTOSPORT has learned
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Simon Strang | Friday, October 26th 2012, 06:02 GMT |
Sebastian Vettel picked up in India where he left off in Korea, as he ended up fastest by more than 0.3s than the opposition in the first free practice session at the Buddh International Circuit.
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Pablo Elizalde | Wednesday, October 24th 2012, 11:15 GMT |
Luiz Razia and Johnny Cecotto Jr will join Toro Rosso for the young driver test at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina circuit
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| 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
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Pablo Elizalde | Thursday, October 25th 2012, 06:38 GMT |
Max Chilton will take part in opening practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when he drives for the Marussia team.
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Jonathan Noble | Tuesday, October 23rd 2012, 11:01 GMT |
Giedo van der Garde will drive for Caterham again during Friday practice for the Indian Grand Prix
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| Tuesday, October 23rd 2012, 10:57 GMT |
Indian GP: Caterham preview quotes
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| 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
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Edd Straw and Pablo Elizalde | Monday, October 22nd 2012, 11:23 GMT |
Pedro de la Rosa has no doubts he will be with the HRT Formula 1 team in the 2013 season
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Jamie O'Leary | Monday, October 22nd 2012, 13:59 GMT |
New European Formula 3 champion Daniel Juncadella will make his Formula 1 test debut for Ferrari at Vallelunga next month.
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| 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.
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Jonathan Noble | Sunday, October 21st 2012, 09:55 GMT |
Williams is adamant that it can rediscover its frontrunning form before the end of the campaign, despite some recent frustrations
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Matt Beer | Sunday, October 21st 2012, 08:23 GMT |
Romain Grosjean now needs to let go of any remaining stress over his run of startline crashes, according to his Lotus team boss Eric Boullier
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Glenn Freeman | Sunday, October 21st 2012, 12:26 GMT |
Damon Hill returned to the wheel of a Formula 1 car on track for the first time since he retired in 1999, driving the 2010 Red Bull RB6 at Barcelona on Sunday
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| 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
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| Friday, October 19th 2012, 18:54 GMT |
Indian GP: Red Bull preview quotes
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| By Matt Beer | Friday, October 19th 2012, 21:19 GMT |
Former FIA president Max Mosley believes his successor Jean Todt will have to become 'more confrontational' to achieve what he wants with Formula 1
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| 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
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| Friday, October 19th 2012, 18:54 GMT |
Indian GP: Red Bull preview quotes
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| By Matt Beer | Friday, October 19th 2012, 21:19 GMT |
Former FIA president Max Mosley believes his successor Jean Todt will have to become 'more confrontational' to achieve what he wants with Formula 1
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Simon Strang | Thursday, October 18th 2012, 12:12 GMT |
Bruno Senna expects Pirelli's less critical tyres to be a help to sensitive drivers like him during the 2013 season.
The 29-year-old Brazilian reckons that while this year's rubber has been critically sensitive to different driving approaches, the Italian tyre manufacturer is aiming to try and make next year's batch work within a broader spectrum.
"Next year we will have new tyres again which can shuffle the order around a little bit," he said.
"Pirelli is trying to make the tyres a bit more, let's say, wider ranging for driving styles so that more people with different driving styles can achieve the same sort of laptime and we will see what is going to happen."
Senna explained that the sensitivity of this year's tyres was such that it had the potential to influence drivers' laptimes even within the same team.
"Pirelli made some changes to the front and rear tyres [this year] to mitigate some of the issues they were having and every time you change one thing in the tyre you are going to introduce another characteristic," he explained.
"So this year the tyres have been very picky, in terms of the driving style that they favour.
"Sometimes you see a big difference between drivers in the same team, and it's basically because the tyre prefers that driving style to the other.
"So for sure as the year goes on the differences get smaller and the consistency gets better but especially from an early season perspective it really makes a difference."
| 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 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."
| 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, founded 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 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."
| 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 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 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 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 | Monday, October 15th 2012, 09:33 GMT |
Nico Rosberg believes Mercedes is closing the gap on rival McLaren, despite the team's failure to score a point in the Korean Grand Prix.
Rosberg retired from the race on the opening lap while team-mate Michael Schumacher struggled with his car's handling to finish in a distant 13th position.
Although Rosberg conceded it was hard to predict what he could have achieved in the race judging by Schumacher's problems, the German reckons the gap to McLaren is being reduced thanks to the updates introduced in recent races.
"The car was okay. We made a little bit of progress there [Japan], and we had some new bits here. Especially compared to McLaren I think we are getting a little bit closer, so there are some positives there," Rosberg said in his post-race video blog.
"In the race I don't know what I could have done, but for sure Michael was struggling a lot, so that didn't look very good. It definitely looked like we moved forward there, we need to look at why.
"Maybe because the temperatures dropped because it was the afternoon here and the tyres get clod and there's graining in the front. The tyres change so quickly, it's a big issue."
Rosberg, who was forced into retirement after Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi crashed into him at the start, failed to complete a single lap for the second race in succession.
In Japan, the Mercedes driver was involved in the accident caused by Romain Grosjean at the start.
Rosberg believes some of his rivals need to "calm down".
"Two weeks, including Japan, that it has been really poor. Terrible to go out in the first lap both times. There are just a bunch of drivers who are pushing too much, taking too many risks. They need to calm down a bit, I think."
| By Edd Straw and Jonathan Noble | Monday, October 15th 2012, 09:46 GMT |
Romain Grosjean's trouble free run to score points in the Korean Grand Prix is proof that the Frenchman is well on the way to getting his career back on track, says his Lotus boss.
After intense scrutiny of his driving in recent weeks following his ban from the Italian Grand Prix, Grosjean was under intense pressure not to suffer another incident this time out.
He duly stayed out of trouble, despite some frantic battles at times during the race, and Lotus team principal Eric Boullier was happy with what he saw.
"When you see the amount of coverage he had since Suzuka, the pressure on his shoulders was very, very high, so definitely it is a big relief for him and us," Boullier told AUTOSPORT.
"To see him make a clean start, and manage the traffic, it was not that easy, but he did it. He had a decent race but also a conservative race because he needs to rebuild himself.
"But he did exactly what we expected him to do, so I am happy for him and you can see him smiling again."
Boullier is not hiding from the fact that Grosjean is facing a stressful time in his career. But he reckons that it is exactly the kind of situation that all top sportsmen face at some point.
"You have to handle this pressure, and be capable to come back from the worst moments," he said.
"You know everybody is watching you and you have been warned you cannot do it again, so it is hard. But the way he handled it proved he could do it and that he has strength to do it. Now can be rebuild his fighting spirit quietly."
Read Tony Dodgins thoughts on the criticism levelled at Grosjean in recent weeks in his latest column
| By Michele Lostia and Pablo Elizalde | Monday, October 15th 2012, 11:20 GMT |
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has played down talk of Sebastian Vettel joining Fernando Alonso at Ferrari in the future, suggesting Felipe Massa is a more suitable second driver.
Vettel has been linked to a switch to Ferrari at times this year, with fresh reports surfacing over the Korean Grand Prix weekend.
Speaking to Italian radio, however, di Montezemolo says he is wary of having a line-up that could create tension within the team.
"Today the problem is not with drivers. 2013 is still to come but I don't want to have two roosters in the same hen-house, rather two drivers who race for Ferrari and not for themselves," Montezemolo told RAI radio.
"I don't want problems and rivalries, which we didn't have between Schumacher and Irvine, between Schumacher and Barrichello, between Alonso and Massa or Massa and Schumi or Massa and Raikkonen."
Massa, whose future at Ferrari was in doubt for months after a poor start to the season, is set to stay at the Italian squad for another year.
Di Montezemolo said he will talk with Massa tomorrow to sort out his future.
"There's no doubt that confirming Massa was unthinkable midway through the season, but he is now giving us what we expect of him," he said. "Tomorrow we'll talk and then we'll take a decision.
"Massa went very well in Monza and in Japan; he is back. I've asked him to come to Maranello tomorrow and we'll have a long chat.
"I think he has always given a lot to Ferrari and that he has a good relationship with Alonso. I count on him to take points off our rivals.
"It's true that the car at the beginning of the season had such characteristics that he couldn't drive it, but I've always told him we needed his reaction and from Spa onwards he has begun to go better. He knew he had the team's full support."
| 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.
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| Sunday, October 14th 2012, 11:17 GMT |
Korea Sunday quotes: Williams
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| By Jonathan Noble | Sunday, October 14th 2012, 16:31 GMT |
Red Bull has been urged to banish thoughts of its world championship chances, as team principal Christian Horner says it cannot afford to ease off in its push for wins
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Jonathan Noble | Sunday, October 14th 2012, 03:11 GMT |
Nico Rosberg believes Mercedes can target a stronger end to the 2012 Formula 1 campaign now it has made progress with its latest updates
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Jonathan Noble | Sunday, October 14th 2012, 03:20 GMT |
Kimi Raikkonen refuses to get carried away with hopes of a Lotus resurgence, despite the team's improved Korea form giving him a shot at staying in title contention
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Jonathan Noble | Sunday, October 14th 2012, 03:33 GMT |
Jenson Button thinks McLaren can be confident about its race chances for the Korean Grand Prix because of its strong long-run pace in practice - but is under no illusions about how tough it is going to be to make progress
You have viewed over 50 free stories this month. Why stop there? Click here to find out how to continue reading.
| By Matt Beer | Saturday, October 13th 2012, 06:46 GMT |
Lewis Hamilton admitted he was very lucky to avoid the humiliation of a Q1 exit in Korean Grand Prix qualifying.
The Briton ultimately qualified third, beaten only by the dominant Red Bulls.
But Hamilton ended Q1 on the cusp in 17th place, and was fortunate that Bruno Senna did not improve on his final lap and eliminate the McLaren, which was back in the pits and tumbling down the order as others found time.
"It was quite a shocking session," Hamilton conceded. "I didn't get a lap in and did quite a poor job when the tyres weren't there temperature-wise.
"I had a bit traffic and locked up. Very poor and I'm lucky I got through."
Hamilton remained unsure about his race pace, having struggled in practice two on Friday when most teams were doing race preparation.
He was encouraged by the fact that team-mate Jenson Button - who qualified only 11th - had a stronger Friday.
"I didn't do a long run yesterday, - didn't have great session in P2," said Hamilton.
"Jenson did a great job and had a competitive long run, so I hope I am able to do the same tomorrow."
| By Jonathan Noble and Simon Strang | Saturday, October 13th 2012, 06:52 GMT |
Mark Webber admitted that his lap was near perfect after taking his first outright pole position of the 2012 Formula 1 season in Korea.
It was the Australian Red Bull driver's 11th career pole position, and it will be the second time this year that he will have started from the first slot, after inheriting the position from Michael Schumacher in Monaco in May.
"The lap was very good apart from Turn 15," Webber said. "I got in OK but the exit was not great.
"Apart from that it worked well because I got [Turns] 11 and 12 absolutely as good as I could, so you take the rough with the smooth. But it was a tight session for all of us - scrubbed tyres, new tyres, Fernando [Alonso] did a reasonable lap on the scrubbed.
"That is the way it is with the Pirellis, things can move around quite a bit."
Webber lost most of the final free practice session to a software glitch that prevented the team from firing up his engine. It meant that it was not possible for him to do a qualifying simulation.
Nevertheless Webber said that Red Bull was quietly confident that another front-row lockout would be possible.
"We didn't get to run anywhere near what we like to in P3 and our information on the option [tyre] was limited," he said. "There was bit of catch up going on. I had not the best sector two or three in terms of balance issues and other things. That is what we focused on in Q3, so we got the job done.
"I think off the back of Suzuka we improved the car a bit," he added. "You never get ahead of yourself, but we were optimistic after that, though we knew it wouldn't be a given.
"We have a handy car and the guys are working very, very hard, no question. That hard work is paying off but we'll keep focused on ourselves and keep pushing the laptimes down."
| By Simon Strang | Saturday, October 13th 2012, 07:09 GMT |
Jean-Eric Vergne was furious with himself after missing out on a chance to shine in Q2 for the Korean Grand Prix.
The Toro Rosso driver instead ended the session 17th fastest.
Vergne set the fastest first sector time of all in the final moments of the middle segment of qualifying, before ruining his lap with a mistake at the final corner.
"The performance looked very good and competitive this afternoon, but unfortunately I tried to take the final corner flat on my very last run, but I got it wrong and ruined my lap, nearly losing the car, so I am angry with myself for that," he said.
"The step up in performance compared to yesterday came partly from improving the car overnight and again since FP3 and partly from myself, in the way I was driving."
Vergne also had to give away time in middle sector during that lap, as ironically it coincided with team-mate Daniel Ricciardo being forced to stop at the side of the track.
"I simply lost drive coming out of Turn 12, feeling as if the car was in neutral and I couldn't find any gears," said the Australian, who qualified 16th. "I could not bring the car back to the pits and had to abort the run at the side of the track.
"A shame, because Q1 went very well and I was able to post a competitive time.
"I don't know if I could have eventually got into Q3, but whatever the result, this has been a missed opportunity."
| By Jonathan Noble | Friday, October 12th 2012, 05:08 GMT |
Jenson Button is to stick with the same gearbox he used in the Japanese Grand Prix, after McLaren was able to rule out any mechanical problems with the unit.
The Briton complained of gearbox trouble during the Suzuka race, with the team initially suspecting that the matter was related to an overheating sensor.
A thorough investigation by McLaren after the race confirmed that there was indeed nothing wrong with the actual gearbox.
So although McLaren has the option of using a fresh gearbox from this weekend, because the unit it used in Japan was a 'replacement', it has decided to stay with the old one.
"We could have done a new box, but we will keep the Japan one," said McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe.
Speaking about the exact cause of the problems that Button encountered, Lowe said: "One corner had overheated quite badly due, we think, to a blockage [probably caused by rubber debris].
"We always get the highest temperature in the pitstop anyway with the lack of cooling and heat soak, and there is an item in there which is a HIU [Host Interface Unit] - which is a small computer used to process local sensors.
"That had overheated in the pitstop, so for a couple of laps after the pitstop, before it had cooled down again, it was issuing erroneous signals.
"This caused slightly less than optimal shifts. But there was no impact on the mechanical side of the box."
| By Matt Beer | Friday, October 12th 2012, 06:33 GMT |
Red Bull took charge in the second Friday practice session for the Korean Grand Prix, as Sebastian Vettel edged out team-mate Mark Webber by just 0.032 seconds.
Vettel arrived in Korea fresh from back to back victories in Singapore and Japan, and having clawed to within four points of Fernando Alonso in the Formula 1 championship fight.
Although the Red Bulls were relatively quiet in first practice, they scrapped over the top spot for almost the entirety of practice two.
Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa briefly intruded early on, but after Webber went fastest on a 1m39.404s just before the half-hour mark, Red Bull was never headed.
Its drivers kept exchanging positions, though.
Vettel beat Webber's benchmark by 0.3s after 34 minutes, and stayed in front until they both moved onto super softs with nearly an hour gone.
Webber initially had the edge, taking first place back with a 1m38.864s.
Vettel had made mistakes and locked up on his first super-soft laps, but he then pulled everything together and set a 1m38.832s to secure Friday honours.
Alonso ended up Red Bull's closest challenger in third, ahead of Jenson Button's McLaren and Schumacher's Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton was only eighth in the second McLaren, suffering a major lock-up into Turn 1 on one of his final outings.
In a generally quiet session, other incidents included Sergio Perez's day ending early with an acctuator glitch on his Sauber, and Bruno Senna spinning his Williams.
Pos Driver Car Time Gap Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m38.832s 33 2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m38.864s + 0.032s 33 3. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m39.160s + 0.328s 28 4. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m39.219s + 0.387s 29 5. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m39.330s + 0.498s 31 6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m39.422s + 0.590s 30 7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m39.584s + 0.752s 36 8. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m39.717s + 0.885s 25 9. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m39.739s + 0.907s 33 10. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m39.839s + 1.007s 26 11. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m39.957s + 1.125s 28 12. Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1m40.089s + 1.257s 32 13. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m40.112s + 1.280s 34 14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m40.445s + 1.613s 28 15. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m40.745s + 1.913s 11 16. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m40.789s + 1.957s 31 17. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m40.997s + 2.165s 32 18. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m41.200s + 2.368s 33 19. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m41.602s + 2.770s 23 20. Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1m42.596s + 3.764s 28 21. Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1m43.067s + 4.235s 21 23. Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1m43.636s + 4.804s 22 22. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m43.869s + 5.037s 36 24. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1m44.533s + 5.701s 24 All timing unofficial
| Friday, October 12th 2012, 06:59 GMT |
Giedo van der Garde - 22nd: "Another very useful session for me and the more time I spend in the car the more confident I'm getting. This morning we were running a similar programme to Heikki and apart from some issues with the front tyres graining early on I think we made some good progress on another track that's new to me. After the first full run we made a few mechanical and aero changes and the car immediately felt much better, giving me more confidence to push a bit harder, but I'm still learning and I want to do what the team asks me, not try and put in the quickest laptimes I can. Next up is FP1 in India and I'm already looking forward to making more progress there."
Heikki Kovalainen - 19th: "FP1 was a good session for me. The car felt well balanced right from the start and it kept improving throughout. The track was obviously very slippery to begin with but the grip levels improved pretty quickly and the small changes we made for each run were working well.
"In FP2 I went off track in my first run and that dislodged a couple of bolts in the cockpit that meant we had to make a temporary fix to the seat so we could get through the programme. Until that point the balance didn't feel quite as good as it had in the morning but once we went out on the supersofts the balance was back to where I'd like. We also improved the braking throughout the session so overall this has been a good day."
Vitaly Petrov - 22nd: "FP2 didn't start as we'd have liked as I could almost immediately feel like we had a right rear puncture. We cut run one short and when I got back in the garage we found we did have a puncture so we changed the session plan to avoid using up another set of the soft tyres. On my first run on the super softs the balance wasn't quite there so we made a couple of mechanical changes and they definitely improved the handling on the long run. The deg level on the super softs is pretty high and with the need to look after the tyres we obviously had to change the programme and my times would have definitely come down with more time on track and with the chance to run more laps on both compounds. Despite that both Heikki and Giedo have put in a good number of laps on the soft tyres so we have a lot of data to work through, enough to put us in a decent position for tomorrow."
| 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 Jonathan Noble | Thursday, October 11th 2012, 02:19 GMT |
Monisha Kaltenborn has become the new team principal of Sauber, with its former chief Peter Sauber electing to step back from his day-to-day running of the outfit.
Sauber has always made it clear that he did not want to be running the team when he turned 70 next year, and has decided that now is the right time for the change to take place.
Kaltenborn becomes the new team principal with immediate effect, and Sauber will continue in his role as president of the Sauber Group's board of directors.
Speaking about the change, Sauber said: "We decided a long time ago that Monisha would take over from me, but we left the timing open.
"Now is a good time for both of us, so this is the right moment to pass on the baton. After all, there have been a number of races I've been unable to attend - most recently the Japanese Grand Prix, where the team put in an excellent performance.
"I'm in no doubt that Monisha has all the necessary skills to be an outstanding team principal, and I'm equally certain she will ensure that the values underpinning the company live on. That is very important to me."
Kaltenborn, who originally joined Sauber in 2000 as head of its legal department, has been CEO since January 2010 and owns a third of the company.
She is excited about her new responsibilities – and will become the first female F1 team principal.
"Naturally I'm very aware of the major responsibility I have for Peter Sauber's racing team," she explained. "He founded the team over 40 years ago, and in the spring it will be 20 years since Sauber lined up for its debut Formula 1 grand prix.
"We are the fourth-oldest team in F1. To build up a project like this and keep it alive in a difficult environment is a tremendous achievement. I have set my sights high and am committed to taking the team forward as Peter Sauber would want and leading it on to success."
Sauber is currently sixth in the constructors' championship, just 20 points behind Mercedes with five races to go.
| By Jonathan Noble and Simon Strang | Thursday, October 11th 2012, 06:56 GMT |
Sebastian Vettel hopes that the momentum built up from back-to-back victories in the last two races will put him on the right track for a fourth win of the season in Korea this weekend.
The reigning double world champion, who is aiming to emulate Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher by winning three titles in succession, closed the gap to championship leader Fernando Alonso to just four points with his win in Japan last weekend.
And with Red Bull historically strong in Korea, Vettel sees no reason why he can't continue his championship recovery this weekend.
"Of course," he said. "We had two good last races so we come here on a high and we will try to use the momentum to have another strong result here.
"We know this circuit should be good for us, and historically we have been competitive here... [so will] we so we try again."
Vettel added that he expected Red Bull to be competitive, though he remained cautious because of the topsy turvy nature of the 2012 season.
"In the end it is the nature of the track that maybe we used to like in the last two years so we should be reasonably competitive, but this year it has been unpredictable and you don't know what happens," he said.
Vettel, who was 44 points adrift of Alonso after the German Grand Prix prior to the summer break added: "Maybe I had a good holiday in the summer, maybe I should consider the same in the winter!
"It has been fairly up and down for a lot of us. We have seen this year there is a lot of cars that can surprise. Look at the race we had where Williams was competitive; in China Nico [Rosberg] was strong and won. There are more than one or two cars able to win so you need to get everything right in order to be competitive.
"It has been up and down, so for us we had good races/bad races, the last couple of races were good for us, but a few races ago we didn't finish the race in Monza.
"We need to stay focused and concentrate on what we have, whether there is a trend or do better in second half I don't know. We will push hard to get our maximum."
| By Jonathan Noble | Tuesday, October 9th 2012, 14:05 GMT |
McLaren insists it is not too worried by the fact that its new signing Sergio Perez spun out of the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Mexican driver was taking part in his first race since it was confirmed that he would be moving to McLaren in 2013 to replace Lewis Hamilton.
But on a day when his Sauber team-mate Kamui Kobayashi delivered a podium finish, Perez got involved in a host of incidents - before eventually crashing out at the Suzuka hairpin while battling with Hamilton.
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh says McLaren is under no illusions about Perez's experience levels, and knows that his outfit will need to work to get the best out of him.
"I thought it was quite keen," said Whitmarsh about the Perez moment. "I think the first [overtaking] move was quite good, the second move less good.
"So I think we have someone who wants to go out there, race and challenge, and there is a diamond that needs to be honed there. That is quite an interesting challenge."
Perez's current boss at Sauber says that it has got used to its young driver getting involved in incidents.
"He is a very emotional character, we know that, and he doesn't have so much experience," said Sauber CEO Monisha Kaltenborn.
"So someone with his character and his side, he is part of the package you have with a young driver. You just have to live with it and make the most of it."
| By Matt Beer | Tuesday, October 9th 2012, 14:06 GMT |
Force India needs a flawless run-in to the 2012 season to have a chance of beating Sauber to sixth in the Formula 1 constructors' championship, reckons Paul di Resta.
Despite Sauber's podiums and near-victories this year, the more consistent Force India had inched closer in the points in the first three races after the summer break.
But Kamui Kobayashi's third place for Sauber at Suzuka - on a day when Force India had to settle for seventh for Nico Hulkenberg as a clutch issue left di Resta 12th - meant the gap increased to 35 points with five grands prix to go.
"Mathematically it is realistic to take the fight to Sauber, but to get ahead of them we will need to be in the points at all the remaining races," said di Resta.
"Sauber were on the podium again in Japan, which makes our task even more difficult, but we are hopeful that the tracks coming up will be more suited to us - certainly compared to Suzuka.
"To beat them we will need to be on top of all the issues we had in Japan."
Hulkenberg was buoyed by the fact that Suzuka was expected to be a weak track for Force India, yet he reached Q3 then recovered from a gearbox-change penalty that left him 15th on the grid to chase Kimi Raikkonen's sixth-placed Lotus home.
"Suzuka was the track we were most worried about in the final part of the year and in the end we did OK," said Hulkenberg.
"I think compared to the start of the year we probably understand the car a lot better and that's helping us find more performance, and improve our race pace."
Team boss Vijay Mallya reiterated his belief that getting a Force India on the podium before the end of the season could make all the difference.
"Our car will suit some tracks more than others, but as long as we keep picking up the points we can keep the pressure on the teams around us," he said.
"Korea should be good for us and hopefully Abu Dhabi and India.
"A podium has been goal since the start of the year. It's what we need if we are to get closer to sixth in the championship.
"We've got two very competitive drivers and they've shown already that either one of them is capable of doing it under the right conditions."
| 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.
| 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."
| By Jonathan Noble | Monday, October 8th 2012, 16:09 GMT |
Red Bull is refusing to believe that it is now in the driving seat for the world championship, despite Sebastian Vettel's crucial victory in the Japanese Grand Prix.
Vettel closed to within four points of leader Fernando Alonso with his triumph at Suzuka, and the strong pace of its car has left him as the main threat now to Ferrari's hopes of the crown.
But Red Bull boss Christian Horner thinks that the recent bad luck suffered by Alonso - who has retired twice on the opening lap in the last four races – is a warning that it too could face its own troubles over the remaining five grands prix.
"I think that Fernando is a very shrewd and formidable opponent and over a season luck tends to balance itself out," explained Horner. "Seb has had two DNFs through reliability.
"Fernando has been unlucky [in Spa] with [Romain] Grosjean, who seems to be a common factor with some of the incidents, and the puncture he picked up, so luck tends to balance itself out over a 20 race season.
"It will be down to what the two of them do on track now, and the relative performance of the cars over the remaining five races."
Although Horner suspects that the world title fight is boiling down to a battle between Vettel and Alonso, he is not yet ruling out challenges from Kimi Raikkonen or Lewis Hamilton.
"Never say never, especially this year," he said. "I think before the summer break Fernando had a significant lead, and since then we were second in Spa. We were unlucky in Monza but we should have scored reasonable points.
"We won in Singapore and we won here, so we have managed to eat into that gap. And hopefully we have some circuits coming up that should suit the characteristics of our package in the remaining races."
He added: "We have seen McLaren have had a really strong streak of performance and let's not underestimate them either, and we certainly don't.
"I think Ferrari has got big upgrades coming over the next couple of races, which they have mentioned. We can only control what we are doing and try and get as much performance out of our package as we possibly can – we cannot control what others do."
