July 30, 2009

Seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher is making a sensational return to Formula One, Ferrari have announced.

The German motor racing legend, who retired in 2006, will replace injured Felipe Massa in the European Grand Prix in Valencia on August 23, and possibly for the remainder of the season.

"The Ferrari-Marlboro team plans to give Michael Schumacher Felipe Massa's car until the Brazilian returns to competition," Ferrari announced in a statement on its website carried by Italian news agency ANSA.

The statement added: "Michael Schumacher says he is available and in the coming days he will pursue a specific programme of preparation at the end of which it will be possible to confirm his participation in the European Grand Prix."

Schumacher, 40, commented: "Ultimately I like challenges and this is a great challenge."

"The important thing is that Massa gets better," he continued, adding that he "just wanted to help the firm (Ferrari) when they needed it".

Schumacher, who last test drove for Ferrari in April last year, was pleased, though, that the most recent update on the unlucky Brazilian was encouraging.

"The most important thing first thank God, all news concerning Felipe (Massa) is positive," he was quoted as saying on the official Formula One website.

"I wish him all the best again. I was meeting this afternoon with (Ferrari team chief) Stefano Domenicali and (Ferrari president) Luca di Montezemolo and together we decided that I will prepare myself to take the place of Felipe.

"Though it is true that the Formula One chapter has been completely closed for me for a long time, it is also true that for reasons of loyalty to the team I cannot ignore this unfortunate situation.

"But as the competitor I am I also very much look forward to facing this."

News of his comeback to the sport he virtually made his own came 24 hours after the possibility had first been raised by his spokeswoman, Sabine Kehm.

"The whole thing will be considered by Ferrari. If they approach Michael, then he will consider it," Kehm had told BBC Sport.

She added: "Usually, I would say he's not interested because he's fine with his life and he doesn't miss anything but now the situation is so different - it's very hypothetical - and Michael doesn't want to step into that (discussion)."

Schumacher, who is on Ferrari's pay roll as an advisor, will be filling in for Massa, who is recovering from surgery following his horrific high speed crash in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Only this month he had made it clear speaking at the German Grand Prix that he was not interested in making a full-time comeback.

But the offer of a temporary return to the Ferrari cockpit obviously proved too much to resist for 'Schumi' who has recovered from a neck injury sustained in a motorcycle accident in February.

August 30, 2009

Finn Kimi Raikkonen rode his luck to claim Ferrari's first win this year when he held off a strong challenge rom Force India's veteran Italian Giancarlo Fisichella in a dramatic Belgian Grand Prix.

It was the 2007 world champion's 18th career win but his first since the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix - a welcome fillip for the Ferrari team after a torrid year.

The race was overshadowed by a multiple accident on the opening lap which wrecked the hopes of drivers championship leader Jenson Button and defending champion and fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton, of McLaren Mercedes, both of them crashed out.

Fisichella, who had grabbed his Force India team's maiden pole position on Saturday, came home second, just nine-tenths of a second behind Raikkonen.

He scored the team's first points and first podium.

German Sebastian Vettel came home third for Red Bull to go third in the title race with 53 points behind Button on 72 and his Brawn GP team-mate Brazilian Rubens Barrichello on 56 with five races remaining.

Pole Robert Kubica was fourth for BMW Sauber ahead of his team-mate German Nick Heidfeld with Finn Heikki Kovalainen sixth for McLaren Mercedes.

Barrichello was seventh, nursing his car stricken by an oil leak over the closing laps, and German Nico Rosberg eighth for Williams.

Red Bull's Mark Webber finished ninth to drop back to fourth in the standings on 51.5 points.

After the extraordinary drama of Saturday's qualifying session, the 44-laps race managed to produce even greater spectacle on the opening lap.

Pole-sitting Fisichella made a clean start, but behind him mayhem took place as the field escaped from the La Source hairpin and raced through Eau Rouge and up the hill towards les Combs.

In an initial incident, Raikkonen's Ferrari collided with Kubica's BMW, but this was just an appetizer for what lay ahead when, seconds later, the two rookies - Frenchman Romain Grosjean of Renault and Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari of Toro Rosso - collided with Button and Hamilton.

All four were removed from the contest in a cloud of debris close to the trackside barriers, the two luckless Englishmen climbing unscathed from their cockpits shaking their heads in disbelief.

Button said: "I got a very good start. I got past Lewis, I made up four places. As we were going down the straight through turn five, Grosjean out-braked himself. It is so frustrating to be taken out like that.''

Hamilton shrugged off his fate, commenting: "It's just one of those days.

"I got off to a really bad start, the anti-stall kicked in. I tried to recover but I got hit at the first corner and lost a bit of my front wing. Then I saw Jenson and backed off to avoid it all, but got hit from behind.''

The safety car was sent out until lap five when, on the resumption, Raikkonen's Ferrari powered past Fisichella and into the lead amid wildfire paddock rumours that the veteran Italian would be joining the Finn in the Ferrari team in time for next month's Italian Grand Prix.

On lap 14, Raikkonen, Fisichella, Webber and Heidfeld all pitted with Webber pulling out in front of the German and having to allow him to re-pass him out on the track. It cost him a drive-through penalty as Vettel took over in the lead before he pitted after 17 laps, handing the lead to Rosberg.

Raikkonen held second ahead of an inspired Fisichella until Rosberg pitted after 18 laps and the Finn regained control.

Both Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso were then forced to retire after respectively a jammed fuel rig and tyre problem.

After 31 laps, the front pair were back into the pits together again with Raikkonen and Ferrari emerging back in front but with Fisichella pushing hard in second place.

The Italian driver's pace was amazing everyone and Ferrari were struggling to pull clear with Vettel, third, enjoying a relative return to form for Red Bull after two pointless races.

All of this left Raikkonen, revelling in his form on one of his favourite tracks, holding on to his narrow lead from Fisichella over the closing laps.

Belgian Grand Prix Results
1. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/FER) 1hr 23min 50.995sec
2. Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA/FOR) +0.939
3. Sebastian Vettel (GER/RBR) 3.875
4. Robert Kubica (POL/BMW) 9.966
5. Nick Heidfeld (GER/BMW) 11.276
6. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN/MLA) 32.763
7. Rubens Barrichello (BRA/BRA) 35.461
8. Nico Rosberg (GER/WIL) 36.208
9. Mark Webber (AUS/RBR) 36.959
10. Timo Glock (GER/TOY) 41.490
11. Adrian Sutil (GER/FOR) 42.636
12. Sebastien Buemi (SUI/TOR) 46.106
13. Kazuki Nakajima (JPN/WIL) 54.241
14. Luca Badoer (ITA/FER) 1min 42.177
Not classified: Fernando Alonso (ESP/REN) 18 laps
Jarno Trulli (ITA/TOY) 23 laps
Jenson Button (ENG/BRA) 44 laps
Jaime Alguersuari (ESP/TOR) 44 laps
Romain Grosjean (FRA/REN) 44 laps
Lewis Hamilton (ENG/MLA) 44 laps


F1 Drivers Ladder
Driver Team Pts
1 Jenson Button (GBR) Brawn 72
2 Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Brawn 56
3 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 53
4 Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 51.5
5 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari 34
6 Nico Rosberg (GER) Williams 30.5
7 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren 27
8 Jarno Trulli (ITA) Toyota 22.5
9 Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 22
10 Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) McLaren 17
11 Timo Glock (GER) Toyota 16
12 Fernando Alonso (ESP) Renault 16
13 Nick Heidfeld (GER) BMW Sauber 10
14 Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Force India 8
15 Robert Kubica (POL) BMW Sauber 8
16 Sebastien Buemi (SUI) Toro Rosso 3
17 Sebastien Bourdais (FRA) Toro Rosso 2
18 Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 0
19 Kazuki Nakajima (JAP) Williams 0
20 Nelson Piquet Jr. (BRA) Renault 0
21 Luca Badoer (ITA) Ferrari 0
22 Jaime Alguersuari (ESP) Toro Rosso 0
23 Romain Grosjean (FRA) Renault 0


Team Pts
1 Brawn 128
2 Red Bull 104.5
3 Ferrari 56
4 McLaren 44
5 Toyota 38.5
6 Williams 30.5
7 BMW Sauber 18
8 Renault 16
9 Force India 8
10 Toro Rosso 5

September 13, 2009

Veteran Rubens Barrichello produced a beautifully-measured drive from fifth place on the grid to win the Italian Grand Prix ahead of his Brawn GP team-mate Jenson Button.

The 37-year-old Brazilian made the most of his one-stop strategy and a fine start to finish 2.8 seconds ahead of the 29-year-old Englishman and endorse his challenge for the drivers' world championship.

Australian Mark Webber had a disastrous day, retiring on the opening lap after tangling with Robert Kubica's BMW, but retained fourth place in the championship.

Button, winner of six of the seven opening races of the season, remains on top with 80 points, but Barrichello is now second with 66 points, having cut his teammate's advantage from 16 to 14 points with just four races remaining.

Defending world champion Briton Lewis Hamilton, who started from pole, looked certain to come home third for McLaren Mercedes, but crashed heavily at the Curva di Lesmo on the final lap and failed to finish.

This left local hero Finn Kimi Raikkonen to take the third podium place for Ferrari ahead of German Adrian Sutil of Force India, two times champion Fernando Alonso, who was fifth for Renault, and Finn Heikki Kovalainen in the second McLaren.

German Nick Heidfeld finished seventh for BMW Sauber and compatriot Sebastian Vettel eighth for Red Bull.

Barrichello's win was his second this season and 11th in his long 284 races career, lifting him into a strong position to catch Button in this unpredictable season.

The Brawn pair now looking certain to deliver the constructors championship to their eponymous team-chief Ross Brawn in the outfit's first season.

The Monza fans had seen Hamilton make a perfect start from his 15th pole position and led the field down and through the Rettifilio Tribune, Raikkonen storming past Sutil into second place and Barrichello advancing from fifth to fourth.

Hamilton continued his fast opening surge with a series of fastest laps before he pitted after 15 laps with a lead of more than seven seconds.

On lap 17 Sutil pitted from second behind Raikkonen who in turn came in after a further two laps.

All of this early action meant the drivers on a two-stop strategy were in command with the two Brawn GP cars in control, Barrichello ahead of Button by 2.4 seconds, with Hamilton third.

Debutant Vitantonio Liuzzi, on a presumed one-stop strategy in the second Force India, was fourth at this stage ahead of Raikkonen and Alonso.

Hamilton struggled to keep pace with the Brawns before their pit stops and the Force Indias were also proving a match for the Ferraris until, lucklessly, Liuzzi suffered a mechanical failure on lap 22 and joined the growing list of retirements.

Button was the first Brawn to pit from second and a 12-seconds advantage on Hamilton after 28 laps with Barrichello following a lap later.

With all of the leaders having pitted once, Hamilton led Raikkonen and Sutil ahead of Barrichello and Button, but the Briton's advantage was only 5.6 seconds.

Hamilton made his second stop after 33 laps when he led by more than 16 seconds, but he rejoined fifth behind the two Brawn men.

The two leaders, Raikkonen and Sutil then came in together after 36 laps, the Force India driver arriving with such velocity that he sent one mechanic flying. He appeared to be unhurt.

Raikkonen seemed to stall before rejoining, gifting Sutil an opportunity he was unable to take.

This left Barrichello leading ahead of Button by 5.4 seconds with Hamilton third a further 2.9 seconds adrift with 15 laps to go, with those placings remaining until Hamilton's last lap disaster.

Italian Grand Prix Results
1. Rubens Barrichello (BRA/BRA) 1hr 16min 21.706sec
2. Jenson Button (ENG/BRA) +2.866
3. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/FER) 30.664
4. Adrian Sutil (GER/FOR) 31.131
5. Fernando Alonso (ESP/REN) 59.182
6. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN/MLA) 1min 0.693
7. Nick Heidfeld (GER/BMW) 1min 22.412
8. Sebastian Vettel (GER/RBR) 1min 25.407
9. Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA/FER) 1min 26.856
10. Kazuki Nakajima (JPN/WIL) 2min 42.163
11. Timo Glock (GER/TOY) 2min 43.925
12. Lewis Hamilton (ENG/MLA) 1 lap
13. Sebastien Buemi (SUI/TOR) 1 lap
14. Jarno Trulli (ITA/TOY) 1 lap
15. Romain Grosjean (FRA/REN) 1 lap
16. Nico Rosberg (GER/WIL) 2 laps
Not classified: Vitantonio Liuzzi
(ITA/FOR) 31 laps
Jaime Alguersuari (ESP/TOR) 34 laps
Robert Kubica (POL/BMW) 37 laps
Mark Webber (AUS/RBR) 53 laps

F1 Drivers Ladder
1 Jenson Button (GBR) Brawn 80
2 Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Brawn 66
3 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 54
4 Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 51.5
5 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari 40
6 Nico Rosberg (GER) Williams 30.5
7 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren 27
8 Jarno Trulli (ITA) Toyota 22.5
9 Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 22
10 Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) McLaren 20
11 Fernando Alonso (ESP) Renault 20
12 Timo Glock (GER) Toyota 16
13 Nick Heidfeld (GER) BMW Sauber 12
14 Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Force India 8
15 Robert Kubica (POL) BMW Sauber 8
16 Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 5
17 Sebastien Buemi (SUI) Toro Rosso 3
18 Sebastien Bourdais (FRA) Toro Rosso 2
19 Kazuki Nakajima (JAP) Williams 0
20 Nelson Piquet Jr. (BRA) Renault 0
21 Luca Badoer (ITA) Ferrari 0
22 Romain Grosjean (FRA) Renault 0
23 Jaime Alguersuari (ESP) Toro Rosso 0
24 Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) Force India 0

Team Pts
1 Brawn 146
2 Red Bull 105.5
3 Ferrari 62
4 McLaren 47
5 Toyota 38.5
6 Williams 30.5
7 BMW Sauber 20
8 Renault 20
9 Force India 13
10 Toro Rosso 5

September 28, 2009

Lewis Hamilton produced a masterful drive to win Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix ahead of Timo Glock and Fernando Alonso as Jenson Button got more points on the board to shore up his championship lead.

Starting from first on the grid, Hamilton led from start to finish in difficult driving conditions to take the chequered flag in his McLaren, 9.6 seconds ahead of the Toyota.

It was his second win of the season, after Hungary, and the 11th of his career.

Spain's Alonso, who won in Singapore last year in controversial circumstances when Nelson Piquet junior deliberately crashed, brought some cheer to Renault with a hard-fought third to make the podium again.

It left Germany's Sebastien Vettel to take fourth but it could have been much better.

The Red Bull driver was second and in a close-fought battle with Hamilton, but after pitting for a second time on lap 39, exited too quickly and incurred a drive-through penalty.

At least he finished one place ahead of championship leader Button, but with just three races left the gap between the two is 25 points and Vettel's chances of catching the Briton are disappearing.

Button now has 84 points with his Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello 15 behind after finishing sixth under the lights in Singapore.

Vettel has 59 points and teammate Mark Webber remains fourth with 51.5, the Australian failing to finish the Singapore race.

Heikki Kovalainen in the second McLaren finished seventh and BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica was eighth.

The Brawn pair now look certain to deliver the constructors' championship to their eponymous team-chief Ross Brawn in the outfit's first season, with one of them being crowned world champion.

The front row of the grid was always going to be decisive on the bumpy Marina Bay street circuit, where overtaking is difficult, and Hamilton made the most of starting on pole.

Driving with aplomb and assurance on a track that demands precision, nerve, and confidence, he came through the opening corner scramble in prime position.

Nico Rosberg got past Vettel to be in second and Alonso had a storming start, powering to fourth from fifth.

But by the end of the first lap, the Spaniard was down to sixth with Webber and Glock getting past him. Button was up one place to 10th and Barrichello was seventh.

Webber was subsequently asked by his team to move aside and let Glock and Alonso back past him as his overtaking move on that opening lap was deemed to be illegal as he marginally left the track.

Hamilton and Rosberg were trading fastest times but by lap 10 the Briton was 2.2 seconds clear and over 10 seconds ahead of fourth-placed Glock.

Vettel was the first to pit from third on lap 17, followed by Rosberg and Hamilton four laps later.

It was bad re-entry by Rosberg, who clumsily bounced over a painted line on his exit and was handed a drive-through penalty.

Just minutes later and Force India's Adrian Sutil spun and then slammed into Nick Heidfeld's BMW Sauber as he attempted to get going again, leaving the track littered with debris and forcing the safety car out.

When they resumed, Hamilton only had a 0.5 second lead ahead of Rosberg, then Vettel, Glock and Alonso. Barrichello was sixth and Button was up to eighth.

When Rosberg went in to serve his penalty the top 13 all moved up a place with the German dropping down to 14th.

It set the scene for a dramatic second half of the race. Hamilton and Vettel pulled away from the pack and with less than a second separating them it looked like an exciting finish.

But Vettel pitted again on lap 39 and pushed too hard coming out, speeding in the pit lane to be slapped with a drive-through penalty, ruining his night.

Singapore Grand Prix Results
1. Lewis Hamilton (ENG/MLA) 1hr 56min 6.337sec
2. Timo Glock (GER/TOY) +9.634
3. Fernando Alonso (ESP/REN) 16.624
4. Sebastian Vettel (GER/RBR) 20.261
5. Jenson Button (ENG/BRA) 30.015
6. Rubens Barrichello (BRA/BRA) 31.858
7. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN/MLA) 36.157
8. Robert Kubica (POL/BMW) 55.054
9. Kazuki Nakajima (JPN/WIL) 56.054
10. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/FER) 58.892
11. Nico Rosberg (GER/WIL) 59.777
12. Jarno Trulli (ITA/TOY) 1min 13.009
13. Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA/FER) 1min 19.890
14. Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA/FOR) 1min 33.502
Not classified: Jaime Alguersuari (ESP/TOR) 14 laps
Sebastien Buemi (SUI/TOR) 14 laps
Mark Webber (AUS/RBR) 16 laps
Adrian Sutil (GER/FOR) 38 laps
Nick Heidfeld (GER/BMW) 42 laps
Romain Grosjean (FRA/REN) 58 laps

F1 Drivers Ladder F1
1 Jenson Button (GBR) Brawn 84
2 Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Brawn 69
3 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 59
4 Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 51.5
5 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari 40
6 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren 37
7 Nico Rosberg (GER) Williams 30.5
8 Fernando Alonso (ESP) Renault 26
9 Timo Glock (GER) Toyota 24
10 Jarno Trulli (ITA) Toyota 22.5
11 Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 22
12 Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) McLaren 22
13 Nick Heidfeld (GER) BMW Sauber 12
14 Robert Kubica (POL) BMW Sauber 9
15 Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Force India 8
16 Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 5
17 Sebastien Buemi (SUI) Toro Rosso 3
18 Sebastien Bourdais (FRA) Toro Rosso 2
19 Kazuki Nakajima (JAP) Williams 0
20 Nelson Piquet Jr. (BRA) Renault 0
21 Luca Badoer (ITA) Ferrari 0
22 Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) Force India 0
23 Romain Grosjean (FRA) Renault 0
24 Jaime Alguersuari (ESP) Toro Rosso 0

Team Pts
1 Brawn 153
2 Red Bull 110.5
3 Ferrari 62
4 McLaren 59
5 Toyota 46.5
6 Williams 30.5
7 Renault 26
8 BMW Sauber 21
9 Force India 13
10 Toro Rosso 5

October 01, 2009

Spain's two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso has joined Ferrari for three years, commencing in 2010.

A Ferrari statement confirmed that Alonso, 28, will line up with Brazilian Felipe Massa with Giancarlo Fisichella in the role of reserve driver.

"I'm very happy and proud to become a Ferrari driver. Driving the prancing Horse represents a dream for everyone who does this job and now I have the good fortune to be able to realise that,'' Alonso said.

"Already in the summer he had reached an understanding for 2011 but then over the last few days the picture of the situation changed and we decided to bring forward the switch to Maranello by a year.

"The last few years at Renault were fantastic, together we managed to win four titles (two drivers' and two constructors') and so far 21 Grand Prix races.

"I wish the team all the luck possible and I hope we can put together some good results in the last races of this season.

"After that all my energies will be focussed on next season: I'm sure that together with Felipe we'll be able to give great satisfaction to Ferrari and to their fans all over the world."

The Ferrari statement did not reveal the value of the three-year deal although media reports have estimated Alono's salary at €25 million ($36 million) a season.

After winning the drivers' championship with Renault in 2005 and 2006, Alonso spent an unhappy year with McLaren before returning to French constructor Renault last year.

He will become the second Spanish driver to race for the prancing horse following Alfonso De Portago who competed for the Italians from 1956 to 1957.

Alonso began his F1 career with Minardi in 2001 before moving to Renault as test driver the next season.

In 2003 he became a Renault driver and secured his first pole and won his first race during his debut season for the French team.

Speculation had been rife in the Formula One paddock of an impending move by Alonso to Ferrari with Raikkonen moving on to McLaren.

Renault was expected to confirm that Polish driver Robert Kubica will lead its team in 2010.
Raikkonen admitted it would be a wrench to leave Ferrari.

"With common consent, we have agreed to terminate the contract binding me to Ferrari to the end of 2010, one year ahead of schedule,'' he said in the Ferrari statement.

"I am very sad to be leaving a team with which I have spent three fantastic years, during which time I won plenty of races.

"Together, we have won 50 percent of the world titles in that period and I managed to take the Drivers' title in 2007, thus achieving the target I had set myself at the start of my career.

"I have always felt at home with everyone here and I will have many happy memories of my time with the team.''

October 04, 2009

Australian Mark Webber was left to rue missing out on a taste of champagne Sunday after another difficult and pointless race saw him finish at the back of the field in Japan

The Red Bull driver had the same car as his victorious teammate German Sebastian Vettel, but instead of jumping on the podium at the finish, he was left to reflect on another missed opportunity.

"It would have been nice to have had some champagne today, which clearly I was in a position to do with the car I had - and the pace I showed in the race," he said.

"It's not nice to not have any momentum at the moment, and all I can do is dust myself down and go to Brazil.

"I'll be a furious man if I finish the season on 51.5 points - I can't get off that (number) now after accumulating so many (points) so fast. Seb has scored 20 in the last five races, and I've scored none."

Looking back on a year that saw him emerge as a possible championship challenger and then fade away, he said: "It's clearly been a very good season for us.

"A lot of the rules and regulations carry on to next year except the fuelling, so there's no reason why our car can't be good next year as well."

His crash on Saturday meant he started Sunday's race from the pit lane.

Then he experienced a series of misfortunes that put paid to any hopes of a decent finish.

"The first lap, the head rest came loose, to a point that I had to pit straight away as the turbulence in the cockpit was way too much for me," he said.

"The second lap, the same thing happened, so I pitted again. I went back out again, and on my first timed lap, I got a puncture on the front right. So I had to pit again. And then we started the race - on lap five.

"But my pace was good with the fuel we had and I did everything that was asked of me in the race. But when you start four laps down, you don't get anything."


Japan GP Results
1. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Red Bull) 1h 28 mins 20.443 secs.
2. Jarno Trulli (ITA/Toyota) at 4.877
3. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/McLaren) at 6.472
4. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) at 7.940
5. Nico Rosberg (GER/Williams) at 8.793
6. Nick Heidfeld (GER/BMW Sauber) at 9.509
7. Rubens Barrichello (BRA/Brawn) at 10.641
8. Jenson Button (GBR/Brawn) at 11.474
9. Robert Kubica (POL/BMW Sauber) at 11.777
10. Fernando Alonso (ESP/Renault) at 13.065
11. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN/McLaren) at 13.735
12. Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA/Ferrari) at 14.596
13. Adrian Sutil (GER/Force India) at 14.959
14. Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA/Force India) at 15.734
15. Kazuki Nakajima (JPN/Williams) at 17.973
16. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Renault) at 1 lap
17. Mark Webber (AUS/Red Bull) at 2 laps

Retirements
Sebastien Buemi (SWI/Toro Rosso) - lap 12
Jaime Alguersuari (ESP/Toro Rosso) - lap 44

F1 Drivers Ladder
1 Jenson Button (GBR) Brawn 85
2 Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Brawn 71
3 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 69
4 Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 51.5
5 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari 45
6 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren 43
7 Nico Rosberg (GER) Williams 34.5
8 Jarno Trulli (ITA) Toyota 30.5
9 Fernando Alonso (ESP) Renault 26
10 Timo Glock (GER) Toyota 24
11 Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 22
12 Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) McLaren 22
13 Nick Heidfeld (GER) BMW Sauber 15
14 Robert Kubica (POL) BMW Sauber 9
15 Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Force India 8
16 Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 5
17 Sebastien Buemi (SUI) Toro Rosso 3
18 Sebastien Bourdais (FRA) Toro Rosso 2
19 Kazuki Nakajima (JAP) Williams 0
20 Nelson Piquet Jr. (BRA) Renault 0
21 Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) Force India 0
22 Luca Badoer (ITA) Ferrari 0
23 Romain Grosjean (FRA) Renault 0
24 Jaime Alguersuari (ESP) Toro Rosso 0


Team Pts
1 Brawn 156
2 Red Bull 120.5
3 Ferrari 67
4 McLaren 65
5 Toyota 54.5
6 Williams 34.5
7 Renault 26
8 BMW Sauber 24
9 Force India 13
10 Toro Rosso 5

Congratulations to Mark Webber for winning his 2nd F1 race and what a 24 hours for Aussies in Motorsport Stoner & Webber Quinella. Also Congrats to Jenson Button on winning F1 championship. GO MARK WEBBER !!!!!!

Courtesy of Fox Sports.com.au
Mark Webber wins Brazilian GP, Jenson Button secures first world title
October 19, 2009

Australian Mark Webber has claimed the Brazilian Grand Prix, the second race win of his career, while Jenson Button sealed his first world title on in action-packed day in Sao Paulo.

Webber, in a Red Bull, won comfortably ahead of Pole Robert Kubica in a BMW Sauber and third-placed outgoing drivers' champion Briton Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren Mercedes.

German Sebastian Vettel, in the second Red Bull, was fourth ahead of Button with Finn Kimi Raikkonen sixth for Ferrari.

Swiss Sebastien Buemi of Toro Rosso was seventh and the luckless local hero Rubens Barrichello, in the second Brawn, eighth after starting from pole position.

He suffered from heavy traffic and then a late puncture that wrecked his hopes of glory.

Button, who has led the championship all season after winning the opening Australian Grand Prix in March, had started 14th on the grid, but drove with courage and determination to achieve his goal and send the Brawn GP team into wild celebration.

"We are the champions," Button sang out of key from his cockpit after crossing the finishing line and capturing the title with one race to spare.

Later the 29-year-old told the BBC: "It's really amazing especially after the last few weeks. It was such an awesome race - I'm world champion baby!

"When I first jumped in a car 21 years ago I never expected to be world champion - but we did it today."

Button's success ensured also that the Brawn team, created out of the ashes of the defunct Honda team last winter, also clinched the constructors' world championship.

"It's very special," said team boss Ross Brawn, who paid tribute to Button and also former company workers who were laid off in the team's reorganisation.

"The work over the winter was sensational and I give all my thanks to all the people who couldn't be with us and who had to leave.

"The second half of the season was hard but it was a great race today. Jenson knew what he had to do."

While it was Button's season, it was Webber's day. His success didn't come without incident, however.

Barrichello made a fine clean start to lead, but behind him Raikkonen attacked hard on super-soft tyres and KERS on his Ferrari, jumping to third through the Senna S curves before grazing Webber's Red Bull.

Jarno Trulli of Toyota was also in the wars, colliding with Adrian Sutil's Force India.

Both went off and took two-times world champion Fernando Alonso out with them in his Renault.

Trulli was so furious he confronted Sutil as soon as they had climbed from their cars and the pair, with their racing uniforms and helmets on, were seen gesticulating and shouting as their cars were rescued.

All this resulted in a safety car being required and Heikki Kovlainen of McLaren, who had spun on the opening lap, was swiftly into the pits, but exited prematurely with a fuel hose still attached to his car and petrol pouring from it.

This flew into Raikkonen's car, which briefly burst into flames as the fuel hit the exhaust system.

The safety car came in after five laps with Button benefiting from the mayhem and advancing to ninth from 14th.

Given this encouragement, he then settled down to produce a series of aggressive laps and dashing passing moves as he swooped past Romain Grosjean's Renault for eighth and then Kazuki Nakajima's Williams for seventh.

At the front, Barrichello led by 1.8 seconds ahead of Webber and the field closing up rapidly before the Brazilian pitted after 21 laps.

This left Webber clear in front of the field and he made the most of it when Barrichello rejoined in heavy traffic in eighth place, one ahead of Vettel who overtook him.

The first round of pit stops saw Button move up to second and briefly lead having passed the troublesome Kamui Kobayashi of Toyota.

Webber pitted after 26 laps, but rejoined ahead of Button with his heavily-fuelled Red Bull. Button pitted after 30 laps and rejoined 11th.

More drama came on lap 31 when Nakajima crashed off at the end of the straight, upset by the illegal weaving of Kobayashi.

Vettel then pitted after 38 laps and came out behind Button who, thanks to the one-stoppers' stops, climbed to fourth by lap 45 when the order was Webber, Kubica, Barrichello, Button and Vettel.

Button, however, needed to take a second pit stop and this came with 16 laps left.

He moved up to sixth and within reach of seizing the title, a prospect that was enhanced with eight laps to go when Barrichello was forced to pit with a puncture to his left rear tyre, following a minor collision with Hamilton.

With the carnage behind him, Webber kept his nerves in check to cruise over the line in first position.

Brazilian GP Results
1. Mark Webber (AUS/Red Bull) 1h32:23.081
2. Robert Kubica (POL/BMW Sauber) at 7.626
3. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/McLaren) at 18.944
4. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Red Bull) at 19.652
5. Jenson Button (GBR/Brawn) at 29.005
6. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) at 33.340
7. Sbastien Buemi (SWI/Toro Rosso) at 35.991
8. Rubens Barrichello (BRA/Brawn) at 45.454
9. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN/McLaren) at 48.499
10. Kamui Kobayashi (JPN/Toyota) at 1:03.324
11. Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA/Ferrari) at 1:10.665
12. Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA/Force India) at 1:11.388
13. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Renault) at 1 lap
14. Jaime Alguersuari (ESP/Toro Rosso) at 1 lap
Retirements
Fernando Alonso (ESP/Renault): accident 2nd lap
Adrian Sutil (GER/Force India): accident 2nd lap
Jarno Trulli (ITA/Toyota): accident 2nd lap
Nick Heidfeld (GER/BMW Sauber): accident 22bd lap
Nico Rosberg (GER/Williams): mechanical problem 28th lap
Kazuki Nakajima (JPN/Williams): accident 31st lap

F1 Drivers Ladder
Driver Team Pts
1 Jenson Button (GBR) Brawn 89
2 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 74
3 Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Brawn 72
4 Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 61.5
5 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren 49
6 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari 48
7 Nico Rosberg (GER) Williams 34.5
8 Jarno Trulli (ITA) Toyota 30.5
9 Fernando Alonso (ESP) Renault 26
10 Timo Glock (GER) Toyota 24
11 Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 22
12 Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) McLaren 22
13 Robert Kubica (POL) BMW Sauber 17
15 Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Force India 8
15 Nick Heidfeld (GER) BMW Sauber 14
16 Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 5
17 Sebastien Buemi (SUI) Toro Rosso 5
18 Sebastien Bourdais (FRA) Toro Rosso 2
19 Kazuki Nakajima (JAP) Williams 0
20 Nelson Piquet Jr. (BRA) Renault 0
22 Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) Force India 0
23 Romain Grosjean (FRA) Renault 0
24 Jaime Alguersuari (ESP) Toro Rosso 0
25 Luca Badoer (ITA) Ferrari 0

Team Pts
1 Brawn 161
2 Red Bull 135.5
3 McLaren 71
4 Ferrari 70
5 Toyota 54.5
6 Williams 34.5
7 BMW Sauber 32
8 Renault 26
9 Force India 13
10 Toro Rosso 7

November 02, 2009

Australian Mark Webber rounded out his best Formula One season by finishing second behind Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel at the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Red Bull pair took full advantage of the early retirement of pole-sitting Briton Lewis Hamilton with brake problems on his McLaren Mercedes to claim their fourth one-two result of the season.

Webber endured a tense tussle with world champion Jenson Button over the closing laps but held on to secure his eighth podium finish of the season, which included wins in Germany and Brazil.

It completed a remarkable year for the Australian after his pre-season preparations were hampered by broken leg sustained in cycling accident.

"I just want to congratulate the team for their patience with me at the start of the year coming back from what happened," Webber said after the race.

"It's been my best season and we (he and Vettel) have had sixteen podiums together so it's been good."

The results confirmed that Vettel finished the season as runner-up in the drivers' championship behind Button, with Rubens Barrichello third and Webber fourth.

Red Bull also proved they were more than worthy of finishing second to Brawn in the teams' championship.

In a race that started in late afternoon sunshine, but finished under dazzling floodlights, Barrichello finished fourth in his expected last outing for Brawn.

German Nick Heidfeld marked his last race for the departing Sauber BMW team, which is leaving Formula One, by taking fifth ahead of Japanese Kamui Kobayashi, who secured his first points in Formula One in a Toyota in only his second race after replacing the injured Timo Glock.

Italian veteran Jarno Trulli finished seventh for Toyota and Swiss Sebastien Buemi, who was 21 on Saturday, took the final point in eighth place for Toro Rosso.

Hamilton, who was smartly out of the blocks to establish a solid early lead, retired on lap 20 with McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh indicating his car appeared to have a brake problem.

"I was struggling to stop the car," said outgoing world champion Hamilton.

"The right rear brake wasn't working and it was too dangerous to continue," Hamilton said.

F1GP - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Pos No Driver Team Time/Retired
1 15 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 01:34:03.4140
2 14 Mark Webber Red Bull 01:34:21.2140
3 22 Jenson Button Brawn 01:34:21.8140
4 23 Rubens Barrichello Brawn 01:34:26.1140
5 6 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 01:34:29.6140
6 10 Kamui Kobayashi Toyota 01:34:31.7140
7 9 Jarno Trulli Toyota 01:34:37.7140
8 12 Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso 01:34:44.6140
9 16 Nico Rosberg Williams 01:34:49.3140
10 5 Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 01:34:51.5140
11 2 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren 01:34:56.1140
12 4 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 01:34:57.7140
13 17 Kazuki Nakajima Williams 01:35:03.2140
14 7 Fernando Alonso Renault 01:35:13.0140
15 21 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India 01:35:47.8140
16 3 Giancarlo Fisichella Ferrari +1 Lap
17 20 Adrian Sutil Force India +1 Lap
18 8 Romain Grosjean Renault +1 Lap
19 1 Lewis Hamilton McLaren DNF
20 11 Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso DNF

Driver Team Pts
1 Jenson Button (GBR) Brawn 95
2 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 84
3 Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Brawn 77
4 Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 69.5
5 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren 49
6 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari 48
7 Nico Rosberg (GER) Williams 34.5
8 Jarno Trulli (ITA) Toyota 32.5
9 Fernando Alonso (ESP) Renault 26
10 Timo Glock (GER) Toyota 24
11 Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 22
12 Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) McLaren 22
13 Nick Heidfeld (GER) BMW Sauber 19
14 Robert Kubica (POL) BMW Sauber 17
15 Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Force India 8
16 Sebastien Buemi (SUI) Toro Rosso 6
17 Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 5
18 Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) Toyota 3
19 Sebastien Bourdais (FRA) Toro Rosso 2
20 Kazuki Nakajima (JAP) Williams 0
21 Nelson Piquet Jr. (BRA) Renault 0
22 Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) Force India 0
23 Romain Grosjean (FRA) Renault 0
24 Jaime Alguersuari (ESP) Toro Rosso 0
25 Luca Badoer (ITA) Ferrari 0

Team Pts
1 Brawn 172
2 Red Bull 153.5
3 McLaren 71
4 Ferrari 70
5 Toyota 59.5
6 BMW Sauber 36
7 Williams 34.5
8 Renault 26
9 Force India 13
10 Toro Rosso 8

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso wins opening Formula One Grand Prix in Bahrain

March 15, 2010

Fernando Alonso rolled back the years for Ferrari on Sunday, dedicating his Bahrain Grand Prix victory to the Italian giants' staff and fans who endured a miserable 2009 season.

With Felipe Massa in second spot, it was Ferrari's first one-two in an opening race since 2004 in Australia where Alonso was third for Renault behind Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello.

The Spaniard's relentless precision and his sheer ambition on his debut have re-motivated the team and ignited Italian passions again following a memorable show that has wiped away all the bad memories of 2009.

Last season it took Ferrari until the 12th of the 17 races to record a victory and they endured their worst start to a season in F1 history.

No wonder Alonso dedicated his win to the long-suffering men and women back in Maranello - and loyal president Luca di Montezemolo.

It was the team's first one-two since the 2008 French Grand Prix and a landmark triumph delivered in front of Schumacher who upset many Italians by coming out of retirement to race for German rivals Mercedes.

The seven-time world champion finished sixth.

"This is a very special day for me," he said. "But in the end it is the start, not the finish. Now is not the time to celebrate, but to push harder.

"It is always great to be on top of the podium, but even more special with Ferrari. We have history behind the team and all the expectations a driver has when he drives for Ferrari.

"There is no better way to start our relationship. This is the best team in the world, we worked hard all winter, the guys did a very good job in winter testing.

"We have done nothing so far - we only won the first race, but to be first and second is the result that the guys in Maranello deserve because they have been working day and night to give us this fantastic car."

Alonso added: "I always say the same thing, the first three or four races of the championship are not crucial for anything, you just need some solid points for the team, to get used to the regulations, the tyres, the races themselves.

"There are now more points but this first part is not the crucial part of the championship."

Massa, racing for the first time since his horror crash in Hungary last year, said: "It is just fantastic to be here with a competitive car and going through the whole race with good pace -- so thanks to God I am fine and thanks to everybody who was supporting me in a difficult time."

F1 Drivers Ladder
Driver Team Pts
1 Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 25
2 Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 18
3 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren 15
4 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 12
5 Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes GP 10
6 Michael Schumacher (GER) Mercedes GP 8
7 Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren 6
8 Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 4
9 Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) Force India 2
10 Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Williams 1
11 Robert Kubica (POL) Renault 0
12 Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 0
13 Jaime Alguersuari (ESP) Toro Rosso 0
14 Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Williams 0
15 Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) McLaren 0
16 Sebastien Buemi (SUI) Toro Rosso 0
17 Jarno Trulli (ITA) Lotus 0
18 Pedro de la Rosa (ESP) BMW Sauber 0
19 Bruno Senna (BRA) HRTF1 0
20 Timo Glock (GER) Virgin 0
21 Vitaly Petrov (RUS) Renault 0
22 Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) BMW Sauber 0
23 Lucas di Grassi (BRA) Virgin 0
24 Karun Chandhok (IND) HRTF1 0

Team Pts
1 Ferrari 43
2 McLaren 21
3 Mercedes GP 18
4 Red Bull 16
5 Force India 2
6 Williams 1
7 Renault 0
8 Toro Rosso 0
9 Lotus 0
10 BMW Sauber 0
11 HRTF1 0
12 Virgin 0

March 28, 2010

A brave gamble paid off for Formula One world champion Jenson Button as he seized his second straight Australian Grand Prix - but for Mark Webber the hoodoo still haunts him.

Button, driving in just his second race for new team McLaren, cruised to a 12-second win over Poland's Robert Kubica in a Renault with the Ferrari of Brazilian Felipe Massa third.

Webber, who started from second place on the grid with his best chance for a hometown victory to date, clashed twice with McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, limping home in a dismal ninth spot.

His fifth on debut in 2002 remains his highest finish at home in nine starts, but he was defiant afterwards saying he "went down fighting."

"I wanted to get on the podium...I hope the fans were impressed with the way I fought," Webber said.

As the track began to dry the choice of tyres became critical as all teams started on intermediate wet weather rubber.

Webber pitted later than his rivals and rejoined the field in sixth before tangling with Hamilton on lap 16 and dropping to eighth, his race effectively over.

Any slim chance he had of making the podium evaporated when he and Hamilton again clashed on the second last lap.

Hamilton was clearly not impressed despite Webber issuing a post-race apology.

"I think that was one of the drives of my life, but unfortunately due to the strategy I was put further back than I deserved and then I was taken out by Mark Webber," the former world champion said.

Hamilton said that second collision with Webber was not his fault and blamed the Australian for hitting him from behind, costing him a higher finish.

"My move was not the trouble, I was not at fault and I could have cut back and got past Fernando Alonso, but Mark was not thinking clearly and he took us out," he said.

"Really, it was not cool. I think we could have had a one-two today."

Hamilton’s teammate Jenson Button survived a chaotic opening in steady drizzle when he clashed with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, the Spaniard spinning off seconds after the start.

Button then rolled the dice and selected slick tyres, before driving to victory – though he originally thought the tyre decision was “catastrophic.”

"It's a lot easier for the driver to feel the conditions and for me I didn't have a balance at all on the inters - I was really struggling and I lost a couple of places so I thought, let's get in and stick the slicks on," Button said.

"There was a dry line, a few places were a little bit wet, but when I went into the pit lane I thought I'd made a catastrophic mistake because it was soaking wet in the pit lane.

"But once I got it going and up to speed the pace was pretty good and I was able to put in some good laps and overtake three or four cars when they stopped and put their tyres on.

"It was the right call and I'm very happy that made it," he said.

Button steadily made his way through the field and inherited the lead when Vettel produced a rare unforced error and slid off on lap 26 while holding a five second lead.

Button sent out a clear warning to the field after his victory.

"It's a very special feeling and I feel that I'm just building in confidence and hopefully when we get to the next race we can do something similar because this was too good," he said.

However the 5pm (EDT) start again came under scrutiny.

Earlier in the week leading drivers complained about the glare from the setting sun last year, with Kubica calling the situation "extremely dangerous."

But it was the lack of light which was the problem on Sunday, according to Button.

"One thing that was pretty tricky in this race was the light," Button said

"I had a clear visor on at the end of the race and I was struggling to see in the last few laps.

"It seemed a lot darker than last year...that might be something we need to look at a little bit," he said.

Australian Grand Prix Results
1. Jenson Button (ENG/MLA) 1hr 33min 36.531sec
2. Robert Kubica (POL/REN) +12.034
3. Felipe Massa (BRA/FER) 14.488
4. Fernando Alonso (ESP/FER) 16.304
5. Nico Rosberg (GER/MER) 16.683
6. Lewis Hamilton (ENG/MLA) 29.898
7. Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA/FOR) 59.847
8. Rubens Barrichello (BRA/WIL) 1min 0.536
9. Mark Webber (AUS/RBR) 1min 7.319
10. Michael Schumacher (GER/MER) 1min 9.391
11. Jaime Alguersuari (ESP/TOR) 1min 11.301
12. Pedro de la Rosa (ESP/SAU) 1min 14.084
13. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN/LOT) 2 laps
14. Karun Chandhok (IND/HRT) 5 laps
Not classified:
Timo Glock (GER/VIR) 17 laps
Lucas Di Grassi (BRA/VIR) 32 laps
Sebastian Vettel (GER/RBR) 33 laps
Adrian Sutil (GER/FOR) 49 laps
Vitaly Petrov (RUS/REN) 49 laps
Bruno Senna (BRA/HRT) 54 laps
Sebastien Buemi (SUI/TOR) 58 laps
Nico Hulkenberg (GER/WIL) 58 laps
Kamui Kobayashi (JPN/SAU) 58 laps
Jarno Trulli (ITA/LOT) 58 laps

F1 Drivers Ladder
1 Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 39
2 Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 37
3 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 37
4 Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren 35
5 Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes GP 35
6 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren 31
7 Robert Kubica (POL) Renault 30
8 Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 24
9 Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 10
10 Michael Schumacher (GER) Mercedes GP 9
11 Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) Force India 8
12 Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Williams 5
13 Jaime Alguersuari (ESP) Toro Rosso 2
14 Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Williams 1
15 Sebastien Buemi (SUI) Toro Rosso 0
16 Pedro de la Rosa (ESP) BMW Sauber 0
17 Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) McLaren 0
18 Karun Chandhok (IND) HRTF1 0
19 Lucas di Grassi (BRA) Virgin 0
20 Bruno Senna (BRA) HRTF1 0
21 Jarno Trulli (ITA) Lotus 0
22 Timo Glock (GER) Virgin 0
23 Vitaly Petrov (RUS) Renault 0
24 Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) BMW Sauber 0

Team Pts
1 Ferrari 76
2 McLaren 66
3 Red Bull 61
4 Mercedes GP 44
5 Renault 30
6 Force India 18
7 Williams 6
8 Toro Rosso 2
9 BMW Sauber 0
10 Lotus 0
11 HRTF1 0
12 Virgin 0