| By Jonathan Noble | Thursday, November 29th 2012, 11:45 GMT |
Exclusive analysis: Why Vettel's pass was legal
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| By Jonathan Noble | Thursday, November 29th 2012, 13:01 GMT |
Ferrari wants clarification from the FIA over Sebastian Vettel's overtaking move on Jean-Eric Vergne at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
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| By Pablo Elizalde | Thursday, November 29th 2012, 16:58 GMT |
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone believes the controversy over Sebastian Vettel's overtaking move in the Brazilian Grand Prix is a "complete joke"
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| By Sam Tremayne | Wednesday, November 28th 2012, 14:22 GMT |
Williams insists new signing Valtteri Bottas will not be given carte blanche and will instead be expected to deliver points finishes in his rookie season.
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| By Pablo Elizalde | Wednesday, November 28th 2012, 17:18 GMT |
Maria de Villota underwent further surgery last week following her dramatic accident during testing for the Marussia team
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| By Sam Tremayne and Pablo Elizalde | Wednesday, November 28th 2012, 18:53 GMT |
Red Bull boss Christian Horner admits he was impressed by the way Sebastian Vettel managed to keep his focus and rise above the 'gamesmanship' of rival teams
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| By Sam Tremayne and Matt Beer | Tuesday, November 27th 2012, 15:24 GMT |
McLaren will be a 'weaker team' after Lewis Hamilton's exit, reckons Red Bull boss Christian Horner
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| By Jonathan Noble | Tuesday, November 27th 2012, 16:11 GMT |
Pirelli hopes that a decision on whether or not it will continue as Formula 1's tyre supplier for 2014 can be made well before next June's deadline
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| By Sam Tremayne and Matt Beer | Tuesday, November 27th 2012, 17:58 GMT |
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has thanked Michael Schumacher for his 'gracious' gesture of handing sixth place to Sebastian Vettel at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix
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| By Jonathan Noble | Monday, November 26th 2012, 16:59 GMT |
Red Bull believes it can be even stronger in Formula 1 next year as it targets yet more world championship success
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| By Jonathan Noble | Monday, November 26th 2012, 17:08 GMT |
Ferrari is confident that it will be able to provide Fernando Alonso with a car that is capable of winning the Formula 1 championship next year after his near-miss in 2012
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| By Matt Beer | Monday, November 26th 2012, 18:08 GMT |
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo wants his team to undertake a full analysis of its organisation and practices to ensure it does not repeat the poor start that cost it in the 2012 Formula 1 title race.
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| Sunday, November 25th 2012, 21:37 GMT |
Brazil Sunday quotes: Ferrari
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'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| Sunday, November 25th 2012, 21:40 GMT |
Brazil Sunday quotes: Red Bull
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'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| By Jonathan Noble | Sunday, November 25th 2012, 21:52 GMT |
Red Bull boss Christian Horner labelled the Brazilian Grand Prix as the most stressful race he had experienced in his career.
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| Friday, November 23rd 2012, 20:30 GMT |
Brazil Friday quotes: Lotus
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'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| By Jonathan Noble | Friday, November 23rd 2012, 20:32 GMT |
Ferrari can head into the Brazilian Grand Prix with a level of confidence about its chances of fighting Red Bull wheel-to-wheel after an encouraging opening day of practice, reckons Felipe Massa
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| Friday, November 23rd 2012, 22:15 GMT |
Friday's press conference - Brazil
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'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| By Edd Straw and Pablo Elizalde | Thursday, November 22nd 2012, 18:35 GMT |
Heikki Kovalainen is increasingly pessimistic about his chances of being on the Formula 1 grid next year
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| By Jonathan Noble | Thursday, November 22nd 2012, 19:09 GMT |
Mercedes is set to abandon its Coanda-effect exhaust for the final race of the season in a bid to try and get a better understanding of its tyre situation.
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| By Matt Beer | Thursday, November 22nd 2012, 19:34 GMT |
Lewis Hamilton admits that his final race with McLaren in Brazil this weekend could be his last chance to win a grand prix in a while.
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| By Jonathan Noble | Wednesday, November 21st 2012, 13:53 GMT |
Austin circuit boss Bobby Epstein has urged Formula 1 not to let the impetus of a successful United States Grand Prix go to waste if it wants to make a breakthrough in America
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| Wednesday, November 21st 2012, 14:59 GMT |
Brazil preview quotes: Force India
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| By Pablo Elizalde | Wednesday, November 21st 2012, 15:09 GMT |
Force India has been given a boost ahead of the 2013 season with the news of the approval of a £50 million investment programme
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| Tuesday, November 20th 2012, 11:21 GMT |
Brazilian GP: Mercedes preview quotes
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| By Matt Beer | Tuesday, November 20th 2012, 11:31 GMT |
Michael Schumacher reckons his second Formula 1 farewell at Interlagos this weekend will be "less emotional" than his original retirement at the end of 2006
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| By Jonathan Noble | Tuesday, November 20th 2012, 13:52 GMT |
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh believes that Lewis Hamilton would be fighting for the Formula 1 world championship in Brazil this weekend if the team had got the most out of its car this year
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| By Pablo Elizalde | Monday, November 19th 2012, 14:28 GMT |
Pirelli has confirmed Formula 1 teams will have the opportunity to try out 2013-spec tyres in Friday practice for the Brazilian GP, as revealed by AUTOSPORT last month
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| By Jonathan Noble | Monday, November 19th 2012, 14:36 GMT |
Renault will switch Red Bull on to its newest specification of alternator for the championship decider in Brazil following Mark Webber's failure in the United States Grand Prix
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| By Jonathan Noble | Monday, November 19th 2012, 15:42 GMT |
Sergio Perez thinks there is nothing he can do to end the scepticism over whether he is the right man to replace Lewis Hamilton at McLaren until he races for the team
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| By Edd Straw and Pablo Elizalde | Monday, November 19th 2012, 00:07 GMT |
Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali has no doubts the team made the right decision in incurring a penalty for Felipe Massa to give team-mate Fernando Alonso a better chance in the United States Grand Prix
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| By Jonathan Noble | Monday, November 19th 2012, 00:23 GMT |
Red Bull boss Christian Horner says his team's third consecutive title may be a dream come true for the outfit - but its job for the season is still only half done.
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| By Jonathan Noble | Monday, November 19th 2012, 00:36 GMT |
Red Bull has admitted that the latest alternator failure suffered by the team is a 'worry' ahead of the season finale in Brazil.
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| By Matt Beer | Saturday, November 17th 2012, 21:56 GMT |
Kimi Raikkonen described Lotus's strong United States Grand Prix qualifying form as a pleasant surprise given how badly it had struggled with tyre issues in practice.
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| By Edd Straw and Pablo Elizalde | Saturday, November 17th 2012, 22:57 GMT |
Marussia's sporting director Graeme Lowdon was surprised Sergio Perez got away without a penalty following his clash with Charles Pic during final practice at Austin
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| By Dieter Rencken and Matt Beer | Saturday, November 17th 2012, 23:11 GMT |
Mercedes stands by its decision to switch Nico Rosberg back to an older car specification for United States Grand Prix qualifying, despite him struggling to 17th on the grid as a result.
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| Saturday, November 17th 2012, 00:29 GMT |
Friday's press conference - US
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'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| Friday, November 16th 2012, 23:42 GMT |
US Friday quotes: Lotus
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'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| By Jonathan Noble | Saturday, November 17th 2012, 00:03 GMT |
Pirelli says the United States Grand Prix is going to be another straightforward one-stop race thanks to the zero degradation experienced by drivers.
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| By Edd Straw | Thursday, November 15th 2012, 22:40 GMT |
The FIA is to restrict the use of DRS anywhere on the circuit except in the allocated zones during practice and qualifying on grand prix weekends next year.
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| By Jonathan Noble | Thursday, November 15th 2012, 23:16 GMT |
Formula 1 teams will face tougher front wing tests next year, with the FIA keen to clamp down on team's exploiting the flexible bodywork rules.
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| By Jonathan Noble | Thursday, November 15th 2012, 23:47 GMT |
Formula 1 chiefs are considering revising the qualifying rules for next season to remove ambiguity over what is a justifiable reason for cars not completing their in-laps.
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| By Michele Lostia and Pablo Elizalde | Wednesday, November 14th 2012, 10:35 GMT |
Sebastian Vettel still needs to mature as a Formula 1 driver according to former world champion Jacques Villeneuve, who believes the German "reacts like a child"
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| By Sam Tremayne | Wednesday, November 14th 2012, 15:44 GMT |
McLaren insists it will not allow Lewis Hamilton's 'painful' exit from the lead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to influence its programme at Austin this weekend.
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| By Jonathan Noble | Wednesday, November 14th 2012, 21:05 GMT |
Formula 1 is to have a new medical rescue co-ordinator next year, after the FIA decided not to renew the contract of the long-serving Gary Hartstein beyond the end of this season
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| By Matt Beer | Tuesday, November 13th 2012, 13:50 GMT |
Jules Bianchi believes he now "deserves" a full-time Formula 1 race drive on the basis of his 2012 achievements in his Force India role and in Formula Renault 3.5
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| By Edd Straw and Matt Beer | Tuesday, November 13th 2012, 15:03 GMT |
Marussia sporting director Graeme Lowdon believes his team is now "on a roll" and poised for a breakthrough 2013 Formula 1 season - especially if it can hang on to 10th in the constructors' championship
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| By Matt Beer | Tuesday, November 13th 2012, 15:27 GMT |
Formula 1 has a better chance than ever of cracking the American market now that DRS and Pirelli's tyres have made the sport more unpredictable, reckons McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh
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| By Pablo Elizalde | Monday, November 12th 2012, 15:46 GMT |
The HRT Formula 1 team has confirmed it is looking for a new owner after being put up for sale by Thesan Capital
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| By Pablo Elizalde | Monday, November 12th 2012, 16:02 GMT |
Force India boss Vijay Mallya says his team is in no hurry to confirm its driver line-up for the 2013 season
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| Monday, November 12th 2012, 16:04 GMT |
US preview quotes: Force India
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'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| Friday, November 9th 2012, 17:27 GMT |
US preview quotes:Red Bull
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'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| By Edd Straw and Matt Beer | Saturday, November 10th 2012, 11:35 GMT |
Jean-Eric Vergne believes his new Toro Rosso deal proves the team has faith that he can deliver much more than he has in his Formula 1 rookie season so far
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| By Edd Straw and Matt Beer | Sunday, November 11th 2012, 10:36 GMT |
Mercedes motorsport chief Norbert Haug accepts that his team's recent performances merit criticism, but says Mercedes' current form is a necessary blip in preparation for a stronger future
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| By Pablo Elizalde | Friday, November 9th 2012, 17:07 GMT |
Formula 3 Euro Series and European F3 champion Daniel Juncadella completed his Formula 1 test with Ferrari at the Vallelunga circuit on Friday
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| Friday, November 9th 2012, 17:27 GMT |
US preview quotes:Red Bull
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'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| By Edd Straw and Matt Beer | Saturday, November 10th 2012, 11:35 GMT |
Jean-Eric Vergne believes his new Toro Rosso deal proves the team has faith that he can deliver much more than he has in his Formula 1 rookie season so far
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| By Simon Strang | Friday, November 9th 2012, 15:40 GMT |
Silverstone has completed its refunding process for customers who were forced to miss parts of the British Grand Prix weekend because of poor weather, AUTOSPORT has learned
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| By Pablo Elizalde | Friday, November 9th 2012, 17:07 GMT |
Formula 3 Euro Series and European F3 champion Daniel Juncadella completed his Formula 1 test with Ferrari at the Vallelunga circuit on Friday
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| Friday, November 9th 2012, 17:27 GMT |
US preview quotes:Red Bull
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'); if (google_ads[0].type == "text") { for(i=0; i '; } s += '' + '' + '' + google_ads[i].line1 + '| By Pablo Elizalde | Thursday, November 8th 2012, 14:52 GMT |
Toro Rosso believes it has made good progress in preparation for its 2013 car in this week's test in Abu Dhabi
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| By Pablo Elizalde | Thursday, November 8th 2012, 15:08 GMT |
McLaren is confident it will have a faster car at next weekend's United States Grand Prix thanks to progress made during the young driver test in Abu Dhabi
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| By Glenn Freeman | Thursday, November 8th 2012, 15:21 GMT |
GP2 champion Davide Valsecchi impressed the Lotus team on his way to topping the final day of Formula 1's Abu Dhabi young driver test.
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| By Pablo Elizalde | Wednesday, November 7th 2012, 15:41 GMT |
Antonio Felix da Costa was delighted after making the most of his second day of testing for Red Bull in Abu Dhabi
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| By Jonathan Noble | Wednesday, November 7th 2012, 15:56 GMT |
FIA president Jean Todt wants Formula 1 teams to discuss a cost control plan for the future as soon as the new Concorde Agreement has been signed.
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| By Sam Tremayne | Wednesday, November 7th 2012, 16:08 GMT |
Esteban Gutierrez's previous experience with Sauber proved a significant benefit on his first day driving in the Abu Dhabi young driver test.
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| By Sam Tremayne | Tuesday, November 6th 2012, 14:41 GMT |
Toro Rosso says Luiz Razia's proficiency on his first day with the team led to a productive first day of testing in Abu Dhabi
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| By Jim Holder and Jonathan Noble | Tuesday, November 6th 2012, 15:15 GMT |
Tony Fernandes is to step down as team principal of Caterham before the end of the season so he can focus more on developing his road car business
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| By Sam Tremayne | Tuesday, November 6th 2012, 16:04 GMT |
Antonio Felix da Costa was happy to ease into his first day of testing Red Bull's RB8 in Abu Dhabi
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| By Matt Beer | Monday, November 5th 2012, 15:25 GMT |
Ferrari needs to have a car quick enough to win the forthcoming United States Grand Prix if it has any chance of keeping Fernando Alonso's championship hopes realistically alive, says team president Luca di Montezemolo
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| By Edd Straw | Monday, November 5th 2012, 17:02 GMT |
Formula 1's final young driver test of the season kicks off in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, with Red Bull and McLaren among the six teams running.
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| By Edd Straw and Matt Beer | Monday, November 5th 2012, 17:04 GMT |
Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn has urged McLaren-bound Sergio Perez to remember that helping his current squad to a strong finish to the Formula 1 season is still important for his career and reputation
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| Sunday, November 4th 2012, 18:11 GMT |
Post-race press conference - Abu Dhabi
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| By Edd Straw | Sunday, November 4th 2012, 18:18 GMT |
Daniel Ricciardo insists that he was not to blame for Sebastian Vettel hitting a polystyrene board under the safety car in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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| By Jonathan Noble | Sunday, November 4th 2012, 20:18 GMT |
Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes Sebastian Vettel's drive in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was one of the best of his career
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| By Pablo Elizalde | Saturday, November 3rd 2012, 19:47 GMT |
Sebastian Vettel will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from the pitlane following his penalty for a fuel infringement.
The Red Bull driver qualified in third position but was sent to the back of the grid as his car did not have sufficient fuel on board for the mandatory one-litre sample that is taken out for analysis.
Vettel was ordered to stop on track right after qualifying due to what Red Bull said was a fuel system issue.
Red Bull's decision to start from the pitlane means it will be able to make some changes to Vettel's car's set-up ahead of the race.
"One of the best ski jumpers of all times once said 'Every chance is an opportunity and as far as we are concerned there are still plenty of chances tomorrow'," said Vettel after finding out about the penalty.
Championship rival Fernando Alonso, 13 points behind in the standings, will start from sixth.
| By Edd Straw | Saturday, November 3rd 2012, 20:12 GMT |
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is convinced that the necessary fuel for the mandatory one-litre sample was in Sebastian Vettel's car but that regulations preventing the removal of bodywork meant that it could not be extracted.
The FIA stewards' decision stated that scrutineers found "an insufficient quantity of fuel for sampling purposes", which led to Vettel being excluded from qualifying.
But Horner, who accepted that the penalty was fair, insists that the fuel was there, but that a full litre could not be extracted without removing bodywork, in contravention of Article 6.6.4 of the Formula 1 technical regulations.
"The rules dictate that one litre has to be able to be provided without the removal of bodywork, without manipulating the car," said Horner.
"We believe that the fuel is in the cell, according to what Renault have told us, but you cannot dismantle the cell to give the sample.
"The car will be worked on tonight, so it is out of parc ferme, and we should have a better understanding and hopefully a cure for tomorrow."
The need for fuel sampling is covered by Article 6.6 of the F1 technical regulations, which reads:
6.6 Fuel draining and sampling
6.6.1 Competitors must provide a means of removing all fuel from the car.
6.6.2 Competitors must ensure that a one litre sample of fuel may be taken from the car at any time during the Event.
Except in cases of force majeure (accepted as such by the stewards of the meeting), if a sample of fuel is required after a practice session the car concerned must have first been driven back to the pits under its own power.
6.6.3 All cars must be fitted with a -2 'Symetrics' male fitting in order to facilitate fuel sampling. If an electric pump on board the car cannot be used to remove the fuel an externally connected one may be used provided it is evident that a representative fuel sample is being taken. If an external pump is used it must be possible to connect the FIA sampling hose to it and any hose between the car and pump must be -3 in diameter and not exceed 2m in length. Details of the fuel sampling hose may be found in the Appendix to these regulations.
6.6.4 The sampling procedure must not necessitate starting the engine or the removal of bodywork (other than the cover over any refuelling connector).
| By Jonathan Noble | Saturday, November 3rd 2012, 20:17 GMT |
Red Bull says it is baffled as to the nature of the fuel cell problem on Sebastian Vettel's car that resulted in him getting thrown out of qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Vettel will start from the pitlane at the Yas Marina circuit on Sunday after he was disqualified from his third place slot on the grid for not having enough fuel in his car for a mandatory one-litre fuel sample to be taken.
With the team and Renault both convinced there was enough fuel in the car to provide the sample - but the limits of the regulations preventing it being extracted – the FIA had no choice but to exclude Vettel from the results.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said on Saturday night that his outfit and Renault had no immediate answers for what had gone wrong, which is why Vettel's car was being pulled from parc ferme so a full investigation could be undertaken.
"It is frustrating. It's annoying. It is one of those things," explained Horner, whose team had successfully proven that there was a 'force majeure' reason for stopping Vettel after his qualifying effort.
"It is an issue that was reported on the in-lap. The instruction from Renault was clear. They wanted us to stop the engine immediately due to an issue that they saw within the fuel cell. We did that.
"The FIA accepted that, they accepted the technical issue that Renault reported to us, and unfortunately as the regulations dictate there has to be a one litre fuel sample to be able to taken from the car, and it is only 850ml that has been extracted.
"Renault are convinced that the rest of the fuel is in the tank but we have taken the car out of parc ferme tonight to further investigate."
He added: "It is a frustrating scenario and we need to get into the fuel cell to understand what the issue is. We are working with Renault on it, and they dictate the amount of fuel that goes into the car.
"They are happy with the margins, they are happy with the amount of fuel that should be in the car but for whatever reason we have had this issue on the slow down lap."
Vettel's car being taken out of parc ferme means he will now start from the pitlane, which is a blow to his hopes of further extending his points advantage over Fernando Alonso in the championship table.
Horner said, however, that there were still opportunities for Vettel to limit the damage of what has happened.
When asked what impact he believed the result would have on the title battle he said: "It is difficult to say.
"There is a long race ahead of us and there is an opportunity, so we will go into the race, we will attack the race and I am sure Sebastian will demonstrate to everybody why he is a great racer.
"He has come from the back and produced great races before and I have no doubt he can do it again. There is no reason why Sebastian cannot salvage something."
| Friday, November 2nd 2012, 17:23 GMT |
Kim Raikkonen - 10th/6th: "We were good on Friday in India and we've been strong again here in Abu Dhabi today. We tried a few new parts on the car in both sessions and we have some things to go through before tomorrow. Our lap times seem to be pretty okay so far; hopefully we can find a little bit more pace for tomorrow in practice and then again for the qualifying session."
Romain Grosjean - 14th/5th: "Looking at today's times I think it's possible for us to be battling nearer to those ahead of us this weekend, as I think we can still improve our lap times. I did not drive the best lap of my life with the option tyres today; with the first set of options you put on you have to go for it, so I think I can still improve a little bit. To get in front of the cars ahead of us will be difficult, but we will try, so why not? We had some updates that worked well, so we will keep them."
Alan Permane, Trackside Operations Director: "We're quite happy with where we are today. We spent the morning on medium tyres, setting up and balancing the cars. Both were reasonable, with the drivers relatively happy. We ran an exhaust update with Kimi in FP1 and went back to the standard setup for the start of the second session. We then did another back to back analysis, so whereas we would normally have done a much longer high fuel run we spent FP2 evaluating this to gain good data and give us a clear picture on where we need to be tomorrow."
| By Jonathan Noble | Friday, November 2nd 2012, 17:28 GMT |
Formula 1's teams have been told by the FIA that they cannot run trick brake systems that react to temperature to improve cooling during races, following a complaint by Red Bull.
AUTOSPORT can reveal that Red Bull wrote to motor racing's governing body ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to seek clarification on the use of thermal energy devices within the air duct of the brake system.
The team contended that attempts to use either a bimetallic strip - which would change shape to open and close off cooling ducts depending on the temperature of the brake friction material - or a thermal actuator was a breach of the regulations.
In the letter, a copy of which has been seen by AUTOSPORT, Red Bull argued: "Use of such technology via either of the examples offered or similar devices will change the brake system, thus including the air duct, and are not reacting to the driver's direct physical input and are not under his complete control at all times as required by Article 11.1.4 [of the F1 technical regulations].
"RBR therefore contend such systems are in breach of the 2012 F1 Technical Regulations and seek your opinion on the matter."
Article 11.1.4 of the regulations states: "Any change to, or modulation of, the brake system whilst the car is moving must be made by the driver's direct physical input, may not be pre-set and must be under his complete control at all times."
The FIA duly responded to Red Bull on Friday confirming that it agreed with its view that the use of such systems would be a breach of the rules.
In a letter that was forwarded to all teams and seen by AUTOSPORT, the FIA's Charlie Whiting said: "In our view movement of a bimetallic strip and thermal actuator within the air duct as you describe would not be made by the driver's direct physical input, hence we believe such a system would contravene Article 11.1.4 of the F1 Technical Regulations."
AUTOSPORT understands that Red Bull's complaint was made after suspicions that at least one of its rival teams was using the concept on its car.
However, high levels sources at Red Bull's main rivals insist that they have never used the concept and agree that doing so would be a breach of the rules.
Red Bull's dialogue with the FIA shows how focused the outfit is on ensuring that it maintains every possible competitive advantage as it makes a push to win its third consecutive championship double.
| By Edd Straw and Sam Tremayne | Friday, November 2nd 2012, 18:16 GMT |
Paul di Resta has switched to a new chassis in Abu Dhabi in a bid to move on from the 'fundamental' issue which had blighted his last few races.
The Scot had previously told reporters that he was hopeful the issue had been solved.
AUTOSPORT has learned he has switched to a new chassis, the first time he has done so this season.
Despite the switch, di Resta admitted there were still problems for him to overcome, namely making up the time lost when third driver Jules Bianchi took the reigns in first practice.
"We're not as concerned as we were - I think we have sorted it," di Resta confirmed in relation to his previous issue.
"We're still trying to catch up though. It was quite a difficult day [with having] to miss a session, and it's very tricky to get the car in the right working window.
"We're a bit behind where I'd like to be yeah, but not concernedly so because I think its better to have that going in to tomorrow.
"In terms of the session we got through everything we had to achieve in the outline, so now we can sit down and really get into then nitty gritty of it ahead of tomorrow."
Di Resta stressed the importance of getting the tyres into the right operating window, saying unlocking Pirelli's rubber would be fundamental to a strong weekend.
"We're going to need a step tomorrow morning for Q3 - our immediate competitors seem quite quick, and certainly Williams looks strong," he said.
"I think there is a very narrow [tyre] window, and if you can get yourself in it you can go. I'm reserved at the moment because I have only done one session, and we know we have work to do.
"The car is moving about a lot here and they have changed the kerbs quite a lot so I think it is quite a different approach.
"Every session I went out I got better and by the long run it seemed to be a good step better again.
"The guys already have things written down to change it, and I think with overnight changes we should have a further benefit."
| Wednesday, October 31st 2012, 14:30 GMT |
Timo Glock: "Abu Dhabi is a special race. It's like a night race but with the added factor of starting the race in full daylight, but being dark by the time we finish. So it's something different and very impressive to be out on the track when the light is changing and the track is fully lit at the end. Technically it's a nice track. We have some good experience here across the whole team, but of course things change from year to year, so we still have to do our homework to get up to speed. Naturally I'm hoping for a better race so we can all really enjoy the experience and set ourselves up for the last few races of the season."
Charles Pic: "Abu Dhabi is a circuit I love to drive at and a racing destination I really enjoy. After a few days of training and fun with the team, I can't wait to start running here on Friday. I will take over the car from FP2 for the rest of the weekend and I will be very focused on picking up from a great race for me in India. If we can perform at least as well as we did there on race day, I will be happy, but the wider objective continues to be to catch up to Caterham, which is now within our sights. We also need to work on our preparation on Friday and Saturday as we need that improvement to put us in the best possible position for the race. It's a tough track technically and also we have the factor of the heat and the track direction, but by the time we start racing we will be used to both. I'm looking forward to another great performance for the team."
John Booth, Team Principal: "Abu Dhabi is a race we all enjoy, so despite it being another tough back-to-back for the team, we arrived here full of enthusiasm after a very positive race in India. Everyone is well-rested - the team having enjoyed a bit of relaxation time with the drivers - so we now turn our attentions to the hard work ahead this weekend. It's a very demanding and technically interesting track and of course there is the added factor of the fierce heat. Our first priority will be to ensure a better start to the weekend than we experienced at New Delhi; it all came good on race day for Charles but we need to do a better job on Friday and in qualifying to put us in the best possible position on Sunday. We welcome Max Chilton to the car for FP1 and we will be interested to see how he performs at a track he knows well. Thereafter, Charles will be back in the car and helping us towards our overall objective, which is now a familiar story - competing with Caterham and maintaining our current advantage over them in the Constructors' Championship."
| By Pablo Elizalde | Wednesday, October 31st 2012, 16:01 GMT |
Scuderia Toro Rosso will retain Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo for the 2013 Formula 1 season, the Italian squad announced on Wednesday.
Frenchman Vergne made his grand prix debut with the team this year after finishing in second place in the 2011 Formula Renault 3.5 championship.
Vergne has scored 12 points so far and is currently in 17th position in the drivers' championship.
"I am really happy about this great news," he said.
"Thank you Toro Rosso and thank you Red Bull, who have backed me since the early days of my career.
"It has been a difficult season and, as a rookie, I have learned a lot, thanks to the support I got and the excellent relationship I have enjoyed with all the guys.
"I feel much stronger now and I know I have become a better driver over the course of the season.
"I really believe in this team and with all the experience I have gained, combined with the team's ambitious plans for next year, I think we can look forward to great things in 2013, attacking all the way."
Team-mate Ricciardo made his F1 racing debut with the HRT team in last year's British Grand Prix before switching to Toro Rosso for this season.
The Australian has scored nine points so far this season.
"I am really pumped to know that I am continuing with Scuderia Toro Rosso for another season and want to thank the team and Red Bull," Ricciardo said.
"There are big expectations for next year and I'm ready and willing to fulfil them.
"I feel I have been growing and developing as a driver and my approach to the technical side of the sport has also progressed this year, so I am sure that will serve me well in my second season with Toro Rosso.
"We have had quite a tough season, but despite that, I have always enjoyed a good relationship with all the guys and I am delighted at the idea of working with them for another year."
Team boss Franz Tost added: "Both drivers have done a good job this season. Daniel joined us with a few grands prix under his belt and so his feedback and experience was particularly useful while Jean-Eric got up to speed, often having to deal with tracks he had never seen before.
"Since the summer break, both drivers have scored more points and everyone in the team has been impressed with their maturity in terms of working with the engineers and their race craft on track.
"We will be doing our best in the next few months, to produce a 2013 car which will allow them to demonstrate their talent."
| By Edd Straw | Wednesday, October 31st 2012, 17:40 GMT |
Pirelli needs a bigger choice of dry weather tyre compounds to choose from to avoid low-degradation one-stop races like the Indian Grand Prix.
F1's control tyre supplier has to specify four dry compounds at the start of the season, with two being selected for use in each grand prix weekend.
This system was introduced when Bridgestone became sole tyre supplier in 2007 and has continued under Pirelli.
But Paul Hembery, Pirelli's motorsport director, believes that four compounds cannot cover the full range of track surface, configuration and temperature conditions faced over the course of a Formula 1 season.
"We would love to have a bigger range of compounds, then we could have a bigger range of solutions for each track to guarantee a two or three-stop strategy," Hembery told AUTOSPORT.
"With four choices, you're always going to be slightly compromised.
"As a minimum, we could do with eight compounds, with low and high [temperature] working ranges in each of the four levels [super soft, soft, medium and hard] that we've got now."
For an analysis of the type of racing the low wear and degradation in India resulted in, click here.
Hembery confirmed that there had been no discussions to expand the number of compounds and Pirelli is currently working on finalising four for use in the 2013 season.
But should the Italian firm remain in F1 beyond its current contract, which expires at the end of 2013, Hembery confirmed that it would discuss expanding the compound range with the teams and the FIA.
Hembery also admitted that there is an inevitable tendency for race strategies to become more predictable as the season goes on.
"The teams improve all of the time," said Hembery. "They are trying to reduce wear and degradation and we're trying to increase it so we are working in opposite direction.
"The engineers in these teams are brilliant. At the start of the season, when there was a lot of comment about the tyres, the engineers weren't making comments.
"They realised that 'if I can dominate this technical challenge, I'll have an advantage'.
"We'll change a lot of things next year. Will it be enough? We'll wait and see. But hopefully we'll have an exciting start to the season."
