Formula 1 News

sky star 2 · Aug 29, 2009

HORNER GUARDED OVER BRAWN TROUBLES

Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner is refusing to read too much into the practice woes of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello.

The Brawn GP duo finished a lowly 17th and 18th after Friday's two 90-minute sessions ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, the first of which was blighted by rain at the Spa circuit.

Championship leader Button later bemoaned his car's lack of one-lap pace that could compromise his qualifying performance unless his team have resolved the problem overnight.

At this stage, Red Bull Racing duo Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel appear poised to close the 20.5 and 25-point gap respectively to Button.

Horner, asked if the Brawns were sandbagging, replied: "It's a lot if they were.

"I think everybody goes about their own business on a Friday, and they were obviously looking at different wings and so on, as I think all teams were up and down the pit lane.

"So you can't read too much into things. They tend to obviously run quite a bit of fuel, and so it will be interesting to see where the performance is today and tomorrow.

"We're quite happy with the preparation we've had and there are a few other cars in the mix as well this weekend.

"Lewis (Hamilton), if you look through the session, looks quick again, as does Heikki (Kovalainen) and Kimi (Raikkonen), so it's going to be an interesting weekend."

Hamilton was quickest on Friday in his McLaren, only 0.016 seconds ahead of Timo Glock in his Toyota, and 0.084secs clear of Raikkonen, with Webber fourth and Vettel 10th.

Button and Barrichello were both just under a second down, and their struggles were not due to any tyre temperature concerns, which have plagued them of late.

Button, who holds an 18-point cushion over Barrichello with six races remaining, appeared concerned following practice.

"I'm not 100 per cent happy with the car at the moment," reflected the 29-year-old.

"We definitely don't have a tyre temperature issue here. The tyres are working. They're very hot.

"I'm sure it's down to some of the things we've done to the car to help with that, but also the asphalt is quite abrasive.

"In fact, a lot of people are struggling in their long runs with overheating, so that is something to watch out for here.

"Overall our long-run pace is reasonably competitive, but we still have to work on our qualifying pace because we're not that strong over one lap.

"We're not on the pace of the Red Bulls and some of the other teams over one lap, whilst the balance of the car is also not great, so there is still a lot of work to do before we are competitive."

Appreciating the Red Bull duo are likely to be ahead of him, Button added: "This is the perfect circuit for a Red Bull car.

"So we have to hope we can be as close as possible and nibble some more points off them.

"Obviously, this circuit is fun to drive. I just have to hope our car is this weekend because the circuit is not the best for it, but we'll do the best job with what we have."

sky star 2 · Aug 30, 2009

ORGANISERS SET FOR ECCLESTONE TALKS

Belgian Grand Prix organisers hope to renegotiate the deal they have with Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone after making a £2.6million loss on this year's event.

Although the race is contracted through to 2012, there is the prospect it could alternate with another circuit, potentially the Nurburgring in Germany.

Etienne Davignon, president of the race organisers, said: "The discussion with Mr Ecclestone is based on the fact we are running too high a deficit and we have to try to accommodate that.

"If we alternate the race, for example with the Nurburgring - and I don't know if they are interested or not - so we keep the fans that come to F1, we get more income, and that goes against the loss.

"That is the hypothesis we are looking at, and Mr Ecclestone said 'Okay, I am ready to look at it.'

"The fact is we have a contract through to 2012, and 2010 is on the schedule, so it is a question of how we organise after 2010 and then beyond 2012. That is part of the whole discussion.

"But the fundamental question is, 'Do we stop or do we go on?' Before answering that we want to see what all the alternatives are to see what can be done.

"It is common sense, which is not too bad from time to time."

sky star 2 · Aug 30, 2009

FIA LAUNCH INVESTIGATION

The FIA have launched an investigation of a highly-sensitive nature regarding a previous Formula One race result.

It is understood motor sport's world governing body are looking into the events of last season's inaugural Singapore Grand Prix.

The race, which made history as it was the first night event run under floodlights, was won by Renault's double world champion Fernando Alonso.

During the race Alonso's then team-mate Nelson Piquet, who was axed by the French manufacturer last month following a string of poor results, crashed on lap 14, bringing out the safety car.

On Sunday night, the FIA refused to specifically divulge either the race concerned or the circumstances that have resulted in them making their enquiries.

Following the Belgian Grand Prix, an FIA spokesperson simply stated: "The FIA can confirm that an investigation is under way regarding alleged events at a previous world championship race."

sky star 2 · Aug 30, 2009

REACTION: TOYOTA, STR, RENAULT

Toyota

Timo Glock: I made a pretty strong start and was running fourth when the safety car came out so we had a good chance of points. But at my first pit stop we had trouble with the fuel rig which cost me time and positions. The crew did well to quickly change to the back-up rig but nevertheless we lost time. Clearly there was a problem with the fuel rig and we have to analyse what happened and prevent any similar problems in the future. I did my best and the car was quite quick but it wasn't to be.

Jarno Trulli: I can't say how disappointed I am with that race. I was really expecting a strong result because we were in great shape after qualifying. But at the first corner I was right behind Heidfeld and at the exit I expected him to pull away faster than he did. I'm not sure if he had a problem but I just touched him slightly and that broke the front wing. It was vibrating a lot so I had no choice but to make a pit stop. There was nothing I could do after that and in the end the team saw a problem with brake wear and decided it was safer to stop.

Toro Rosso

Sebastien Buemi: I drove a consistent race, making no mistakes and everything on the car worked well. It's a shame I could not pass Kovalainen, even though I was quicker than him, but at least I tried. Maybe a one-stop strategy would have worked better for me. I wasn't involved in the first-lap accident, but maybe I picked up some debris, as for several laps my front wing did not seem to be working and I tried driving over the kerbs to shake it loose and eventually it got better. Overall, I think I had a good race and I hope that we do so again in Monza running in a low downforce configuration.

Jaime Alguersuari: "My race didn't last long. These things happen in racing and you just have to accept it. My start was not too bad and the car seemed to be going well. At turn two, Jenson spun and Hamilton had to move to the left to avoid him, moving onto the part of the track that I was on. We collided and my car was too damaged for me to continue. Hopefully we can do better in the coming races.

Renault

Fernando Alonso: Today I missed an opportunity to be on the podium. I had a good start, making up a few positions and the strategy looked good. The car was better than we expected and I was in third position when I came in for my pit stop and it became clear that something was wrong on my left front tyre and the team asked me to retire. We now think it was damaged at the first corner at the beginning of the race. Anyway, Monza is in two weeks and I look forward to making up for the disappointment of today.

Romain Grosjean: I made a very good start, moving up to 13th place and I was keeping a good pace but then Button took me out at turn five and it was the end for me. It's frustrating because I would have loved to finish the race and learn more about the car on this very special track. Hopefully I can do better in Monza.

sky star 2 · Aug 30, 2009

REACTION: FERRARI, FORCE INDIA, RED BULL

Ferrari

Kimi Raikkonen: A great victory for me and the team. The champagne tastes the same wherever you are on the podium, but the feeling when you win is definitely different. This track has everything a driver could want and it's a pleasure to drive here, however, there's no particular secret to explain why I've won here four times. We wanted to win at least one race and we've done it. Our car was not the best in the pack, but we managed to put everything together and this result comes from all the work done with the team. I got away well, but Rubens was stuck in front of me and I had to avoid him. Then, at the first corner and at the end of the straight, I managed to move up to second. Behind the safety car I thought mainly about keeping the tyres and brakes up to temperature to be able to attack Fisichella at the restart, and that's how I managed to pass him quite easily. At the first pit stop, maybe it would have been better to stay with the softer tyre but that's easy to say afterwards. In the final part, when it seemed I might not be able to fight off Giancarlo, I slightly changed the way I used the KERS so as to defend myself on the straight at Stavelot and so I managed to stay in front. Monza will be difficult, because our car is not particularly good over the kerbs, but we will try and do our best.

Luca Badoer: Today I did my best. Unfortunately, at the first corner after the start, I flat-spotted the front tyres and so I always had strong vibrations throughout the first stint. Once the tyres were changed, the situation improved, but the performance of the harder compound was not as good as the soft one. I have upped my performance level yet again and I really want to race at Monza, one of the tracks I know best, along with Fiorano and Mugello. I am very happy for Kimi and the team: this is a fantastic victory, which was just what we needed at this point in the season.

Force India

Giancarlo Fisichella: It's been another great day and it was an amazing result today. Before coming to Spa if you had asked all the team if we would have been happy to finish eighth we would have said it was a fantastic result but second is a dream, just great. Actually, if I can be honest, I am a little disappointed as I felt we could have won the race. I was unlucky with the safety car when Kimi came past me at the restart and overtook me with the KERS. Actually behind him I was quicker but with the KERS I couldn't get past as it was impossible to be quick on the long straight. But we can't take it away from the fantastic result, both at the track and in the factory to get this result. After yesterday I was pretty confident to score points, it's positive for the championship and for the coming races. A big thank you to everyone.

Adrian Sutil: It was a great weekend for the team, particularly for Giancarlo. He did a great race today, second position, which is a big achievement for everyone. We have clearly made a very good step and I think today anything was possible and we can look forward to the next race. Personally I am a little disappointed as someone crashed into me at the first corner and the race was over at that point. I think it was Alonso, who went straight into my rear and turned me around and destroyed my front wing. In the end it was disappointing as the car had the speed and I tried to get back in the race but it was frustrating. I am still very happy with the car and for the team as second place is still a very good position. I hope I can get a similar result in Monza.

Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel: If you look at the championship board, today was a good result. Obviously it was not easy to start from the middle of the pack, but the actual start was good. I was maybe too conservative in the middle of the first lap when I saw Nick (Heidfeld) go off the track - very often cars tend to come back on to the circuit spinning; I lost a position to Nico (Rosberg) and had to catch him back up after the restart. I lost too much ground to the leading cars in the first stint, but in the second and third stints the car was fantastic, I didn't make any mistakes and was pushing like it was qualifying on every lap. It was a pleasure to drive the car and we were quicker than the guys in front. We took points out of the Brawn team today, so that's good for the team and it's good to score more points than Jenson (Button) and Rubens (Barichello) for the Drivers' Championship. A big thank you to the team and compliments to Renault - after everything we've gone through in the last couple of races, it's good to finish a race again. We've proven that we are back.

Mark Webber: I had a good first lap and laid the right foundations to get some good points today. But, at my first pit stop, I was released in front of Nick (Heidfeld), which I was given a drive-through penalty for. After that it was a case of damage limitation. I tried to get back into the points and when we had free air, which was not often, we had good pace, but it wasn't enough. It's very frustrating not to take any points away, I thought I deserved them from that drive, but the drive-through wrecked that. No-one's interested in excuses though; that's how it is, so let's get on and look ahead to the next race."

sky star 2 · Aug 30, 2009

REACTION: BMW, McLAREN, BRAWN, WILLIAMS

BMW

Robert Kubica: I managed to make a good start and was second after the first corner. I was surprised to see Kimi next to me going through Eau Rouge. Approaching the fifth corner he braked very late and went off. It is a very tricky place. He came back on the track right in front of me and I played it safe as we saw a lot of accidents there over the weekend. Although we had a slight touch, I was able to continue. At times we lacked a bit of speed but, of course, it is good to be fighting for podiums again. The result means a lot of points for the team and is good. Unfortunately we didn't have the chance to achieve anything better. The result proves we are quite competitive on low downforce tracks, which is a positive sign for Monza. However, we have to analyse why the car was more competitive and felt better during qualifying yesterday.

Nick Heidfeld: Although it is a good result for the team, I have to admit I'm disappointed. From third on the grid I had higher expectations, but I lost the race on the first lap. My thought pattern before the race went back and forth as to whether I should take the harder or the softer compound for the start. The harder was the quicker one but, of course, not the better one for heating up quickly. Because the sun was shining I went for the harder compound, and paid for it. After the start I tried to out-brake Jarno on the inside of La Source, but I lost ground because the tyres weren't warm enough. Up the hill to turn five several cars were in the gravel, including me, and that's where I lost more positions. Later at my first pit stop I had to lock up the brakes in the pit lane to avoid crashing into Mark, who I was then able to immediately overtake on the track. In the last stint my pace was really good and I closed the gap to Robert. But, even though I was quicker than him, I couldn't overtake because as soon as you are less than two seconds behind another car you start sliding due to losing downforce in the dirty air.

McLaren

Heikki Kovalainen: A good race for me. Even though our overall pace here hasn't been as good as in the two previous races, our strategy worked out perfectly and I was able to overtake a lot of the guys stopping before me. I want to say a big thank you to all the guys in Woking, Brixworth and Stuttgart for all their efforts. Today's sixth place was the result of a strong, reliable car, a great strategy, a fantastic engine and a first-rate KERS - all of which helped me to make up nine places on my grid position today. We still have some work to do to be fully competitive on medium-downforce tracks, but Monza should be a different story as it's a very low-downforce circuit and we are traditionally quite good there. Finally, I'm really happy for Kimi: he drove a great race and I knew he would be a tough guy to beat around this place.

Lewis Hamilton: Some days, when things go bad they go bad - and this was just one of those days. I got a poor start, the anti-stall kicked in and I tried to recover, but got sandwiched at the first corner and lost a bit of my front wing. When Romain Grosjean spun Jenson around at turn five, everyone was trying to avoid them, so I slowed down to try and avoid the damage and got taken out by one of the drivers behind me, who was trying to avoid the accident too. A disappointing day, but we'll come back and try to win this race next year.

Brawn GP

Rubens Barrichello: I have to be happy with seventh place and the two points really after such an eventful race. We should have had far more from today but the problem with the clutch at the start took away any chance of a podium which is frustrating for me and the team. We changed my strategy at the end of the first lap to fuel longer for the first stint which was a good move and gave me the chance to get into the points. I had fun in the race from then on and the move on Mark Webber at the Blanchimont bend was definitely one of the highlights. The oil leak gave us some worrying laps but I was able to manage the pace and bring the car safely home which was a big relief.

Jenson Button: I had a really good start and had made up a few places in the first few corners to be ahead of Lewis and Rubens. I had a good run going down the straight to turn five just after Eau Rouge. I was on the outside of Heikki and turned in for the corner but quite simply Romain outbraked himself and hit my back wheel. That was it for my race today. It's frustrating as I was in a reasonable position having made up some places and with a lot of fuel on board but it's better to have my first retirement here where I haven't been so competitive than when I'm running at the front. We're determined get back on the track at the next race and be more competitive there at a track which should be quite good for our car.

Williams

Nico Rosberg: We got absolutely the maximum out of today and so I am not so unhappy with the result. Even though the car was not good at all on Friday, we moved it forward and had a reasonable qualifying. We built on this with a good start to the race and claimed another point finishing in eighth place. It is more than I could have hoped for at the beginning of the weekend. The car was difficult to drive today and it had a lot to do with the tyres. When the sun came out, the tyres worked well, especially the soft tyres in the final stint. In these conditions, I was able to push more.

Kazuki Nakajima: We struggled with our pace throughout the whole weekend here and qualifying was especially tough, which of course affected our potential in the race. On balance, the race was slightly better than Saturday, but of course all of our attention will now be on what we can do to be sure of an improved result in Italy in two weeks' time.

sky star 2 · Aug 30, 2009

BELGIAN GRAND PRIX - LAP-BY-LAP REPORT

FINISH: That's it from Spa. Join us again in two weeks for the Italian GP

FINISH: What a race! What a result

FINISH: Well done Kimi and Ferrari... and a huge well done to Fisichella and Force India

FINISH: BMW's Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld are fourth and fifth, ahead of Heikki Kovalainen, Rubens Barrichello and Nico Rosberg

FINISH: Sebastian Vettel completed the podium in what is a great result for the Championship hopeful

FINISH: Giancarlo Fisichella is second, Force India's first ever podium and in fact, their first ever points

FINISH: Kimi Raikkonen wins the 2009 Belgian GP, Ferrari's first race win of the season

Lap 44: Barrichello is told it's just an oil leak as the leading two drivers come up to complete the race

Lap 43: Barrichello's Mercedes engine is smoking more and more... will it see the end of the race?

Lap 42: Barrichello is hounding Kovalainen for sixth place but there's a bit of smoke - and more - coming out of the back of Barrichello's Brawn GP

Lap 41: Raikkonen is still not able to shake Fisichella while Vettel is closing up on them

Lap 40: Sutil has a go at Glock but it unable to pull off a move for 10th

Lap 39: Fisichella's team-mate Sutil is P11

Lap 38: Vettel sets a new fastest lap time, a 1:47.263

Lap 38: Badoer is the final runner still in the grand prix. He's P14, 82.6s off the pace

Lap 37: Great battle for the final points-paying position between Rosberg, Webber, Glock and Sutil

Lap 36: Vettel pits and comes out in third place

Lap 35: Webber pits and comes out P9

Lap 35: Fisichella is still just 0.7s behind Raikkonen. What a brilliant race from the Roman, he is not giving an inch

Lap 34: Heidfeld sets a new fastest lap time, a 1:47.541

Lap 34: Rosberg pits

SKYBET: "In the Championship Betting we are going to see significant swings in the direction of the Red Bull men, with Vettel set to score highest of the Championship contenders - justifying Red Bulls decision not to favour either driver this season"

Lap 33: Heidfeld pits from second place while Glock comes in from eighth

SKYBET: "It looks game over for Force India in their quest for their 1st win - Kimi is now 1/20 and Fisichella out to 8/1"

Lap 32: Raikkonen and Fisichella both pit from first and second. Now it's up to the mechanics and Raikkonen gets out just ahead of the Force India driver. They emerge third and fourth

Lap 31: Kubica pits from third, giving Vettel and Heidfeld the much-needed time to put in some blinders and try leapfrog the Pole. Kubica comes out behind Heidfeld

Lap 30: Raikkonen and Fisichella has pulled out another second on Kubica while Vettel and Heidfeld are closing in on the Polish driver

Lap 29: Nakajima pits from 12th place

Lap 28: Barrichello pits from sixth place and comes out 11th with Nakajima on his tushie

Lap 27: Kovalainen pits from fourth and comes out right behind Webber and ahead of Buemi

Lap 26: And Alonso is told to return to the pits and retire his car due the problem with his front left

Lap 25: Alonso pits and his team tells him they'll be putting the option tyres on. Oh and there's a problem with his left front tyre. And finally the team is able to attach the spinner and let him go but he was still for about 35 seconds

Lap 25: Who would've thought we'd be watching a Ferrari try to hold off a Force India for the Belgian GP P1 slot? Unbelievable

Lap 24: Fisichella is not letting Raikkonen get away from him, just 0.7s separate the two leading drivers

SKYBET: "Fisichella could have a lap on Raikkonen, and he's into 5/2 for the race win now. The Ferrari man drifting to 1/2, while Alonso looks to be doing great on his 1 stopper, and is now 14/1 from 150/1"

Lap 23: Sutil has a bit of an off-track excursion, which allows Rosberg and Glock to close up on him

Lap 23: Trulli has retired from the race, parking his Toyota in the team's garage

Lap 22: Buemi pits from sixth place and Trulli comes in for another stop just a lap after his first

Lap 21: Problems in Trulli's stop as the team doesn't have the rear left tyre ready for him. Long stop. Bad afternoon. Pity

Lap 20: Six drivers have yet to pit for fuel, Alonso, Kovalainen, Buemi, Nakajima, Badoer and Trulli. Trulli comes in for his stop. He is last of the remaining 16 runners

Lap 19: Raikkonen is once again leading the grand prix with Fisichella behind him and Alonso, who has yet to stop, in third place

Lap 18: Webber has taken his drive through penalty and is now down in 13th place, just ahead of Nakajima

Lap 17: Rosberg pits from the lead while the stewards announce that Button and Grosjean will be investigated after the race for their lap one accident that put both drivers out of the points. Rosberg rejoins in 11th place

Lap 16: Vettel pits from the lead and comes out ahead of Heidfeld in eighth place

Lap 16: Mark Webber is handed a drive through penalty for an unsafe release from his pit stop

Lap 15: The race stewards confirm that Webber and Heidfeld are to be investigated for their pit lane tussle

Lap 15: Small mistake from Webber sees Heidfeld jump the Australia for position

Lap 14: Raikkonen pits from the lead while Fisichella and Webber also come in. Webber and Heidfeld has a bit of argy-bargy in the pits with Webber coming out trumps

Lap 13: Alonso is told to push hard to prevent Fisichella from getting out ahead of him after he stops. Glock is 13th after his first stop

Lap 13: Heidfeld is flying and does a new fastest lap time, a 1:47.738

Lap 12: Kubica pits from third place, he is followed in by Glock, who was fourth. Kubica comes out ahead of Kovalainen

Lap 11: BMW are ready for one of their drivers

Lap 11: Just outside the points are Fernando Alonso and Heikki Kovalainen. The latter, though, is coming under major pressure from Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi

Lap 10: Three drivers are sharing the fastest sector times, Raikkonen the first, Vettel the second and Heidfeld the third

SKYBET: "Raikkonen has emerged as the clear front-runner, and his swift clearance of Fisichella has seen his odds tumble to 1/4 In Play. Vettel is 12/1 - the same price as Webber, while Fisichella is 20/1, and he would inherit the lead if anything happens to Kimi"

Lap 9: Raikkonen is not able to pull away from Fisichella, who is staying within two seconds of the Ferrari man

Lap 8: Sutil slices by Nakajima and up to 13th place

Lap 8: Trulli is struggling to get past Badoer, complaining about the Ferrari driver's KERS unit

Lap 8: Sutil have overtaken Badoer. Like Kimi earlier in the race he also used a bit of the run-off for some added speed

Lap 7: Barrichello has now taken Nakajima and is moving in on Buemi. Brilliant racing from the Brazilian and such a pity about his start line issues

Lap 6: A 1:48.090 for Raikkonen as he sets a new fastest lap time. The Finn is flying and there's nothing more impressive than a Ferrari flying around the Spa circuit

Lap 6: Barrichello has taken Badoer with such ease it's like taking candy from a baby

Lap 5: Vettel powers by Rosberg for seventh place

Lap 5: Barrichello has taken Trulli and is now all over the back of Badoer as he hussles for 13th place

Lap 5: And we are back racing. And three corners later Raikkonen takes the lead off Fisichella

Lap 4: Safety Car in at the end of this lap

Lap 4: Williams and Red Bull are having a bit of a war in the pits as Vettel has accused Rosberg of passing him under yellow flags. We shall wait to see whether the stewards agree with Vettel

Lap 3: Three drivers also pitted at the end of the first lap, Trulli, Barrichello and Sutil. We are still behind the Safety Car

Lap 2: Barrichello has dropped down to 15th place as a result of his failure to get off the line

Lap 2: The field has lined up behind the Safety Car as the marshals clear up the debris left from the first lap accident at Les Combes

Lap 1: Raikkonen has overtaken Kubica for second place and the Safety Car is out

Lap 1: Oh and Grosjean is out, Button, Hamilton and Alguersuari are all out of the grand prix. Button was tagged by Grosjean and Alguersuari hit Hamilton

Lap 1: Fisichella takes the lead off the start with Kubica in second place. Barrichello just stays still and Raikkonen has to slingshot around him but puts on too much pace and takes to the run-off area. He rejoins and slots into third behind Kubica with Heidfeld, Trulli, Glock, Webber and Vettel behind him

START: And it's go for the 2009 Belgian GP!

13H04: Most drivers are on the harder tyres except Fisichella, Barrichello, Kubica and Raikkonen

13H03: The drivers make their way around the track and line up again on the grid

13H00: The formation lap is underway

12H57: The drivers are strapped in and ready to roll with packed grandstands already cheering them on

12H55: Five minutes to the formation lap

12H52: The drivers are all on the grid, standing by their cars, waiting for the countdown

SKYBET: "Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton have been attracting the money this morning, with Kimi into 3/1 favourite and Hamilton now into 14/1. I can't remember the last time a pole sitter was available at 11/1, but that's Fisichella's price, while my view would be to back Jarno Trulli at 4/1 - he's got plenty of fuel and could enjoy a fruitful afternoon."

12H45: Pit lane is closed

12H40: The Brit heads out of his Brawn garage to take his place on the grid

12H38: Button seems to have a problem with something in his cockpit, which his team are working on

12H34: Fisichella, Hamilton, Trulli all head out to the grid

12H30: Pit lane is open

12H27: Lewis Hamilton is 12th as his McLaren MP4-24 struggled through the fast-flowing high-speed corners

12H26: As for Championship leader Jenson Button, he qualified down in 14th place in what he later declared to be a "disaster"

12H21: The Red Bulls, with Sebastian Vettel ahead of Mark Webber, are next in line with Nico Rosberg completing the top ten

12H16: Rubens Barrichello is the highest-placed of the Championship hopefuls in fourth place, ahead of Robert Kubica, Kimi Raikkonen and Timo Glock

12H11: There's a rather unusual grid for today's race with Giancarlo Fisichella sitting on pole position after an awesome qualifying performance for the Roman and his Force India team. Alongside him is Toyota's Jarno Trulli, followed by Nick Heidfeld

12H07: At this point in time no rain is forecast during the race. There are, however, a few clouds overhead with a maximum temperature of just 18'C expected this afternoon

12H04: The Spa circuit is the longest on the F1 calendar, coming in at 7.004kms. It is also notorious for its bad weather because even if the race starts in sunshine that doesn'tmean it won't finish under a downpour

12H00: Welcome to coverage of the 2009 Belgian GP, which takes place over 44 laps around the historic Spa-Francorchamps circuit

sky star 2 · Aug 30, 2009

JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS - HAMILTON

Lewis Hamilton admitted it was "just one of those days" after his Belgian Grand Prix was wrecked by Toro Rosso rookie Jaime Alguersuari.

The 19-year-old Spaniard crashed into Hamilton after the reigning world champion tried to avoid the accident that accounted for the championship leader in Jenson Button on lap one.

The Brawn GP driver was hit from behind by Romain Grosjean in his Renault just 40 seconds into the race on the approach into the Les Combes turn.

Following in behind, Alguersuari drove into the left-hand side of Hamilton's McLaren, punting the Briton into a tyre barrier.

The accident resulted in the retirement of all four cars, and a bitterly disappointing end to Hamilton's recent resurgence after his victory in Hungary and second place in Valencia.

"Some days when things go bad they go bad, and this was just one of those days," assessed Hamilton.

"I got a poor start, the anti-stall kicked in and I then tried to recover, but got sandwiched at the first corner and lost a bit of my front wing.

"When Grosjean spun Jenson around at turn five, everyone was trying to avoid them.

"So I slowed down to try and avoid the damage and got taken out by one of the drivers behind me who was trying to avoid the accident too.

"It was a disappointing day, but we'll come back and try to win this race next year."

Despite an investigation into the chaos by stewards after the race, they deemed both were just racing incidents, with no action taken.

Alguersuari, after what was only his third race, said: "These things happen in racing and you just have to accept it.

"At turn five Jenson spun and Hamilton had to move to the left to avoid him, moving onto the part of the track that I was on.

"We collided and my car was too damaged for me to continue. I just hope we can do better in the coming races."

sky star 2 · Aug 30, 2009

MALLYA LEFT STUNNED BY PODIUM

Force India tycoon Vijay Mallya was left "in a state of shock" after Giancarlo Fisichella broke the team's Formula One points duck at Spa.

The usually-ebullient Mallya appeared somewhat subdued despite Fisichella's second place from pole in the Belgian Grand Prix, finishing just 0.9 seconds behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.

In their 30th race, Force India were on the podium two years ahead of Mallya's stated ambition as he had previously set such a target by the time of the Indian Grand Prix in 2011.

"As you well know, this is our first real year in Formula One as Force India," remarked Mallya.

"Last year all we did was race the Spyker car because we bought the team at the end of 2007, and in 2008 it was the same Spyker package, the same management team, the same engineering.

"Then we revamped everything and designed and built this car, and I think since Australia it's fair to say we haven't been the laggards at the back.

"We've been a good midfield team and improving all the time, and we went into this race again hoping for points.

"Then when pole showed up we were ecstatic, and clearly we are ecstatic today with the podium finish."

Despite his comment, Mallya was anything but ecstatic, so when asked as to why he was not, the owner of the Kingfisher empire added: "I'm in a bit of a state of shock actually.

"We are still a small team, but obviously we are a good enough team to be on the podium and score some points, so obviously I am very happy.

"The pole was the first real breakthrough, a little surprising, but a very pleasant surprise.

"Starting from pole I was quietly confident we would be in the points that have literally eluded us for a long time.

"We were distinctly unlucky in three previous races in which we should have been in the points, but the podium is obviously a bonus."

There is every prospect Mallya will now lose Fisichella for the rest of the season as Ferrari are expected to prise away the 36-year-old prior to his home race in Italy in a fortnight.

Luca Badoer's two performances as replacement for Felipe Massa have been so bad, it is inconceivable Ferrari will keep faith with their tester of 12 years with so much at stake in front of their fans.

Yet despite an Italian television company claiming before the race the deal was done, Mallya and Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali played down the speculation.

"Ferrari hasn't come to me, Fisi hasn't come to me, his manager hasn't come to me," insisted Mallya.

"This is all speculation, something I should not be commenting on at all because as far as I am concerned the proposal doesn't exist.

"Fisi is a very valuable member of my team and I'm sure he's very proud and pleased with his own performance today and the car that we have given him to drive."

As for Domenicali, he said: "Giancarlo is a driver that seems to be very fast, and he had a great race.

"But I cannot say whether the speculation is true or not."

As part of Massa's rehabilitation after his horrifying accident in the Hungarian Grand Prix that left him with a fractured skull, he is to undergo further medical tests in Miami on Monday at the hands of renowned neurosurgeon Steve Olvey.

Domenicali added: "I heard from Felipe after the race and he was very happy. He cheered with us.

"He is already in Miami, and tomorrow he will have his medical check."

sky star 2 · Aug 30, 2009

BUTTON RELIEVED DESPITE SPA SETBACK

Jenson Button was left breathing a sigh of relief after a Belgian Grand Prix that lasted just 40 seconds for the championship leader.

Despite failing to score any points in a race for the first time this year after being shunted into retirement by Renault's Romain Grosjean, Button was still smiling.

The 29-year-old went on to watch the remainder of the race from the Brawn GP pit wall, at the end of which his title lead had only been cut by a mere two points, with team-mate Rubens Barrichello now 16 adrift.

Of his closest rivals, Barrichello salvaged two points from seventh after a clutch problem at the start saw him plummet from fourth to last heading into the first corner, La Source hairpin.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel is now 19 points behind after a third-place finish behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, his first victory for 26 races, and Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella.

As for Mark Webber, the Australian trailed home ninth, primarily for incurring a drive-through penalty for an unsafe release from the pits as he almost collided into BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld.

"After the accident, and with me not scoring any points, it's a relief," said Button as he reflected on a weekend to forget.

"It's better to have my first retirement here where I haven't been so competitive, than when I'm running at the front.

"But I'm positive. There's no reason to be down, even though I have lost two points of my championship lead, which is not good.

"It could've been worse, but then it could've been a lot better.

"Rubens got a bad start, and I was up in 12th or 11th. It could have been a good race for me until I got hit at turn five, which was obviously very disappointing.

"We've just got to hope it goes the other way at the next race (the Italian Grand Prix at Monza).

"We're determined to be more competitive there at a track which should be quite good for our car."

Button, though, was left incredulous at the fact Grosjean blamed him for their crash at Les Combes.

It was one which also accounted for reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton, who was broadsided by Jaime Alguersuari in his Toro Rosso.

Although the stewards investigated both incidents after the race, they decided no action would be taken against any driver.

Grosjean, insisting "Button took me out at turn five," earned sharp shrift from the Briton in reply, who said: "I can't believe he's blaming me. He hit me.

"But to be fair I don't really care. It's not really important. I didn't score any points, and that's what's important.

"We've just got to look forward to Monza, and we've already talked over ideas for there, certain things you need to have a quick lap, and also how we go about the weekend."

The accident naturally brought the safety car into play for three laps as race marshals cleared the four wrecked cars and debris.

It played into Raikkonen's hands because once the race resumed he swiftly passed Fisichella for the lead down the long, fast Kemmel Straight early on lap five.

Aided by the power boost provided by KERS, Raikkonen managed to keep Fisichella at bay for the remainder of the race.

There was no way past for the 36-year-old Italian who was never more than two seconds behind, and often within a second.

In taking his fourth victory in five years at Spa, and providing Ferrari with their first triumph this season, Raikkonen said: "It hasn't been an easy year for us.

"We have not brought new parts to the car for a few races now as we are really putting all our effort into next year.

"My aim was still to win at least one race this season and try to keep third place in the (constructors') championship, so this is going to help us a lot.

"It is great for the team. Hopefully now we can get some more good results. We will see what we can do in the last part of the season."

It was a mixture of emotions for Fisichella because despite giving Force India their first points in F1 after 30 races, the man likely to be joining Ferrari at Monza believes he could have won the race.

"Prior to the race just to have finished eighth would have been fantastic, so to finish second is a great weekend for us," said Fisichella.

"But for the safety car I feel I could have won the race as I was quicker than Kimi, but anyway second is fantastic, and I am really happy for the team, for myself."

BMW Sauber secured their best result of the year with Robert Kubica fourth and Heidfeld fifth, with McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen sixth, while Nico Rosberg claimed the final point for Williams.

sky star 2 · Aug 30, 2009

RAIKKONEN ENDS BARREN RUN

Kimi Raikkonen claimed his fourth Belgian Grand Prix victory in five years to end an astonishing run of 26 races without a win for the 2007 world champion.

It was a chaos-filled event, though, with British duo Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton crashing out on the opening lap in an accident that also accounted for the Toro Rosso of Jaime Alguersuari and Renault's Romain Grosjean.

Despite Button failing to score points for the first time this season, the 29-year-old still has a 16-point cushion over Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello who was seventh, with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel 19 points down after he came home third.

Raikkonen was hounded all the way in his Ferrari for the majority of the race by pole-sitter Giancarlo Fisichella, who gave Force India their first points in F1 after 30 races with a second-place finish.

Raikkonen, after his 18th career win, said: "We haven't brought new parts for the last few races as we are looking at next year.

"But my aim was always still to win a race because we are aiming for third in the (constructors') championship.

"We probably weren't the fastest in terms of lap time, but we were able to keep everybody behind us.

"Hopefully we can now win more."

Fisichella was delighted and disappointed in equal measure as he said: "It's a great result for us.

"It's a great day but I was quicker than Kimi and I'm a little bit sad because maybe I could have won the race as I was keeping pace with his car."

Vettel concedes anything is possible now over the remaining five races as he, Webber and Barrichello continue to reel in Button.

"If you look at the championship it's a good result," remarked Vettel.

"We lost too much ground in the first stint because of the guys ahead, but in the second and third the car was fantastic. It was a pleasure to drive.

"We've managed to take points out of the Brawns, so overall a big thank you to the team and to Renault (engine providers) after all the trouble we've gone through recently.

"It shows we are back."

Raikkonen, after his 18th career win, said: "We haven't brought new parts for the last few races as we are looking at next year.

"But my aim was always still to win a race because we are aiming for third in the (constructors') championship.

"We probably weren't the fastest in terms of lap time, but we were able to keep everybody behind us.

"Hopefully we can now win more."

Fisichella was delighted and disappointed in equal measure as he said: "It's a great result for us.

"It's a great day but I was quicker than Kimi and I'm a little bit sad because maybe I could have won the race as I was keeping pace with his car."

Vettel concedes anything is possible now over the remaining five races as he, Webber and Barrichello continue to reel in Button.

"If you look at the championship it's a good result," remarked Vettel.

"We lost too much ground in the first stint because of the guys ahead, but in the second and third the car was fantastic. It was a pleasure to drive.

"We've managed to take points out of the Brawns, so overall a big thank you to the team and to Renault (engine providers) after all the trouble we've gone through recently.

"It shows we are back."

Given yesterday's remarkable qualifying session that culminated in Fisichella claiming his team's maiden pole, a chaotic race was expected, and so it proved.

Reigning world champion Hamilton, though, and current championship leader Button would not have expected to have been involved in such chaos, with their grand prix over after less than half a lap.

From 12th and 14th on the grid, and after avoiding the stalled Brawn GP of Rubens Barrichello and a shunt at the first corner La Source hairpin involving Toyota's Timo Glock and the Force India of Adrian Sutil, Hamilton and Button both crashed out three kilometres later at Les Combes.

Approaching the right-left hander at the top of the hill and at the end of the long, fast Kemmel Straight, Hamilton initially appeared to be caught by Alguersuari, sending both into the wall.

In close attendance behind, and braking given the mayhem ahead of him, Button was hit from behind by the Renault of another rookie in Romain Grosjean, sending both spinning out.

The stewards announced they would investigate both incidents after the race, with the likelihood being that Alguersuari and Grosjean - should blame be apportioned - will be deemed the more guilty parties.

It naturally resulted in the deployment of the safety car come the end of the first lap, with Raikkonen directly behind Fisichella.

The Finn had used the power boost provided by KERS to strike going up the hill, running wide and onto the grass at Les Combes at one stage prior to the accident unfolding behind him.

It was then KERS that allowed Raikkonen to pass Fisichella down the straight on lap five after the safety car had departed after three laps.

It was also KERS that ensured the 29-year-old kept his nose in front for the remainder of the 44-lap race as Fisichella never once managed to get close enough to attempt a pass.

That was despite the fact the Italian, almost certain to replace Luca Badoer at Ferrari for the Italian Grand Prix in a fortnight, was never more than two seconds adrift, and often less than a second.

Behind the leading trio, the BMW Sauber duo of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld finished fourth and fifth for the team's best result of the year.

Heikki Kovalainen was sixth from 15th on the grid after McLaren adopted a one-stop strategy for the Finn to at least collect three points.

Barrichello's race was compromised by a stalled start that saw him relegated to the back of the field from fourth on the grid by the end of the first corner.

Despite that, and an oil leak that saw smoke billow from his car for the final three laps and resulted in it going up in flames in the pit lane at the conclusion, the Brazilian still managed to claim two points.

The 37-year-old had Williams' Nico Rosberg and Red Bull's Mark Webber directly behind him, the latter suffering after taking a drive-through penalty.

That followed an unsafe release from the pits after his first stop as he almost collided into Heidfeld on exit, leaving the Australian 20.5 points adrift of Button.

sky star 2 · Aug 31, 2009

FERRARI TO DECIDE ON BADOER

Ferrari will decide within the next three days whether Luca Badoer will drive for the team at the Italian Grand Prix.

Badoer's two performances since stepping in as replacement for the recuperating Felipe Massa have been so miserable he has earned the cruel nickname 'Look How Bad You Are'.

At the European Grand Prix in Valencia and for Sunday's race in Belgium, Badoer qualified at the back of the grid and was last of those that finished.

The team's tester of 12 years has been an embarrassment, and it is hard to imagine Ferrari keeping faith with the 38-year-old for the most important race of their year.

It is almost certain Ferrari will turn to Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella who, after starting from pole, gave the team their first points in Formula One by finishing a superb second to Kimi Raikkonen.

Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali refused to give anything away, but said: "First of all, Luca has to cheer with us because he is part of the team.

"For what he has done for the team, he deserves the victory with us.

"With regard to what we are going to do for the next races, we will tell you in the next three days."

Regarding Fisichella, Domenicali added: "Giancarlo is a driver that seems to be very fast, and he had a great race.

"But I cannot say whether the speculation is true or not."

The team will instead initially focus on the latest step in Massa's recovery from a fractured skull sustained in a horrific accident in last month's Hungarian Grand Prix as he will visit renowned neurosurgeon Steve Olvey in Miami.

"I heard from Felipe after the race and he was very happy. He cheered with us," added Domenicali.

"He is already in Miami, and today he will have his medical check. Then we will use all our consideration after that.

"We will put on the table all the different things that are correct and have been considered, and then we will make a decision."

Despite the speculation surrounding the second race seat, there was no hiding the understandable delight within Ferrari at their first win this year, and Raikkonen's first in 26 races.

"It hasn't been an easy year for us," said Raikkonen.

"We have not brought new parts to the car for a few races now as we are really putting all our effort into next year.

"My aim was still to win at least one race this season and try to keep third place in the (constructors') championship, so this is going to help us a lot.

"It is great for the team. Hopefully now we can get some more good results. We will now see what we can do in the last part of the season."

A beaming Domenicali, who joined Raikkonen on the podium, remarked: "It was a great day.

"After such a difficult season up to now, and after what happened to Felipe just one month ago, I think it was really what the team deserved.

"We at Ferrari, we never give up, we always push, and this is a gift to our president (Luca di Montezemolo), whose birthday is today, and for Felipe who has cheered with us from Brazil.

"Also for the entire Ferrari family and tifosi (their fans) who have suffered with us."

Championship leader Jenson Button and reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton were both involved in a first-lap pile up that brought their race to a premature end.

Button still has a 16-point lead over Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello who was seventh, with Sebastian Vettel 19 points off the Briton after he claimed the other podium place for Red Bull.

sky star 2 · Aug 31, 2009

BUTTON WILL PAY FOR POOR RUN

Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner is convinced Jenson Button will ultimately be punished for his run of poor form.

Button has taken just 11 points from the last five races, yet none of his title rivals has been able to take significant advantage.

Even after failing to finish for the first time this year following a first-lap accident at the Belgian Grand Prix, Button was still able to smile.

The 29-year-old's Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello limped over the line with smoke pouring from the back of a car that caught fire in the pit lane, claiming two points for seventh to close within 16 points.

As for Horner's drivers, Sebastian Vettel is now 19 points adrift after the 21-year-old finished third at Spa.

Mark Webber, meanwhile, failed to score for the second successive race - trailing home ninth after taking a drive-through penalty for an unsafe release from the pits, leaving him 20.5 points down.

Although the trio are struggling to catch Button, Horner feels he will soon pay the price if he fails to improve.

"Rubens has taken 10 points out of him in the last two races and Sebastian six points here - and he's not had a good weekend since Istanbul in early June," assessed Horner.

"He can't continue to have race weekends like he's had without being punished points wise in the next couple of events.

"It's still a four-horse race between now and the end of the championship.

"It's all left to play for, and I think there's going to be another twist in the championship between now and the end of the year.

"Sebastian has moved to within 19 points - and although Mark didn't score, both still have a real chance of overhauling him."

Vettel is convinced "anything is possible" - in particular with the sport so unpredictable, because the first time since 1982 there have been six winners of the last six races.

"It is still open, but the championship is a bit crazy right now," he said.

"When I followed it as a little boy it was always pretty boring. You more or less knew at the first race who was competitive.

"But as we saw, Force India were quick over the weekend - and most likely they will be quick in Monza (Italian Grand Prix).

"So it is up and down, which shows how important it is to be consistent - which has not been our strength.

"But we are here to fight and we are still in reach. I took six points out of Jenson, which is a good thing."

No points from the last two grands prix have severely impacted on Webber's chances, who is already focusing on the next race in Monza on September 13.

"It's very frustrating not to take any points away. I thought I deserved them from my drive, but the drive-through wrecked that," bemoaned Webber.

"No one's interested in excuses, though. That's how it is, so let's get on and look ahead to the next race."

sky star 2 · Aug 31, 2009

BUTTON: I WANT TO WIN AGAIN

Jenson Button is desperate to savour that winning feeling again as he continues to stumble his way towards the Formula One world title.

For the first time this season Button not only failed to pick up a point, he failed to finish a race after crashing out of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.

The first-lap shunt saw him punted off the track by Romain Grosjean in his Renault, with the accident also snaring Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren and the Toro Rosso of Jaime Alguersuari.

After his rampant run of six victories in the first seven races, Button has since taken just 11 points from the last five.

The 29-year-old is fortunate not to have been overhauled by now as his three main rivals in Rubens Barrichello, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber have been falling over themselves to catch Button.

With five grands prix remaining, Button's lead is still 16 points over Brawn GP team-mate Barrichello, with the feeling he could take 11 points again from those five and still end up champion.

But that is not how Button wants to claim the title, commenting: "I suppose having six wins in seven races is the reason why it's taken them so long to close up.

"But we've got to start getting back to being competitive. I know all I need to do is finish fourth or fifth, but that's not what I want to do. I want to win races.

"You've got to say 'think about the championship,' but I still want to win races. It's what I'm here to do, and it's what I love doing, competing at the front.

"So I'm going to be aggressive. I'm not going to suddenly back off after qualifying and take it easy in the races because even if I'm in fifth I still want to do well.

"I still want to win races and I still want to be competitive, and that's exactly what I hope will happen at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza (September 13)."

It is unsurprising Button is able to remain so upbeat because luck would appear to be on his side, as witnessed yesterday following his crash.

The Red Bulls were expected to coast to victory, yet Vettel only managed third and Webber ninth following a drive-through penalty for an unsafe release from the pits.

As for Barrichello, he only collected two points for seventh after a clutch problem at the start relegated him from fourth to last by the first corner.

Of course, Button has his own problems as he slated his car in the wake of a qualifying performance that saw him start a season-low 14th.

He knows there can be no room for frustration, adding: "I've just got to get my head down and work with the team to solve our issues and work on the set-up for Monza.

"We've already discussed what we're going to do there, so I'm looking forward to it.

"I'm positive and excited about the challenge of the next few races. I'm not frustrated or negative."

Button is fully expecting the McLarens and Ferraris to dominate at Monza given the power boost provided by KERS, leaving the rest to fight for the scraps, which would again play into his hands.

"I don't think the Red Bulls will be the main rivals on a circuit that should suit us," assessed Button.

"It's going to be more the McLarens, and Force India because they are good on low downforce.

"Kimi (Raikkonen) will also be quick, and I don't know who else is going to be in the other Ferrari.

"If you've KERS it will be better for you because you can give it a double boost along the home straight.

"You've six seconds out of Parabolica, and six seconds after the start-finish line, so they are going to be pulling half a second, six tenths on us on a qualifying lap.

"We've also a little bit of work to do to make sure the car works over the kerbs, but it's a circuit that should be reasonably good for our car."

sky star 2 · Aug 31, 2009

BARRICHELLO BANKS ON EXPERIENCE

Rubens Barrichello will use his 17 years of Formula One experience to ensure the pressure of being title challenger does not ruin his chances of becoming champion.

Barrichello played it cool during the Belgian Grand Prix, after a clutch problem at the start for the third time this year relegated him from fourth to last approaching the first corner.

The 37-year-old then stayed calm by nursing his car home over the final three laps - with Williams' Nico Rosberg and Red Bull's Mark Webber on his tail - despite smoke billowing from the back.

With Brawn GP team-mate Jenson Button failing to score a point for the first time this season after a first-lap crash, Barrichello at least closed the gap to the Briton to 16 points with his seventh- placed finish.

After taking 10 points out of Button's lead over the last two races, Barrichello said: "It's positive my season has come alive.

"As for the pressure, it is something that you create in your own head.

"In a golf match, for example, if you play against somebody it could get into your head - but if you play against the golf course, it's easier.

"You just have to do your best, and that's what I'm doing. I did really well over the whole weekend, although I got lucky that I finished with two points with all the problems.

"On pure performance I should have finished on the podium when I knew my team-mate would struggle to finish in the points.

"I guess pressure will always exist, but I'm quite cool and I've been there and done that.

"It helps that I've been with a team such as Ferrari and I've seen what happens and lived through it.

"Looking at it, my chances are bigger here. The team cannot say they are going to support one driver over another, because Red Bull are right there as well.

"They have to support both, and I feel good about that."

Barrichello did not allow his anger to take hold after his first-lap woes.

"I had a little swear on the radio because of the start," he confirmed.

"Obviously, you're always annoyed when something like that happens. But after it, I changed page and I had a good race - although I did think it was over when I saw the smoke towards the end.

"I just prayed everything I could in every language, and it worked out.

"I have to look at what happened as a positive, that two points is better than nothing, and better still when you think that two weeks ago I was 26 points behind and now I'm 16."

sky star 2 · Sep 1, 2009

THEISSEN EXPECTS TO END ON HIGH NOTE

BMW Sauber boss Mario Theissen feels his team can play a pivotal role for the remainder of the Formula One season.

Although BMW are pulling out of F1 at the end of the year, Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld combined to conjure the team's best result of the campaign in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.

In finishing fourth and fifth and collecting nine points, BMW Sauber doubled their entire points tally for the year from the previous 11 races.

Theissen is convinced the race at Spa was no flash in the pan for a marque that had previously underperformed, despite their considerable resources.

"I have always said we were disappointed with the first half of the season," said Theissen.

"It was certainly below not just our own expectations, but also below our proven capabilities, and now we want to finish the season on a high.

"Valencia (European Grand Prix) was a first sign, followed by our first strong result at Spa, which I hope will continue for the final five races."

Peter Sauber, who ran the team before selling to BMW in 2006, is being strongly tipped to take over the team, despite failing with an earlier bid.

It is understood the two parties have recently returned to the negotiating table in an effort to thrash out a deal acceptable to the Swiss.

Theissen, though, refused to comment on whether that was the case or how close the German manufacturers are to finding a buyer, adding: "It's an ongoing process.

"There is no decision yet, no clear answer.

"It will take a few more weeks to have a clear view as to whether we will be able to find a successor who really can take the team through the coming years."

It leaves Theissen to concentrate on the final few races, starting with the Italian Grand Prix in Monza on September 13 where Kubica has a good record, twice finishing on the podium.

"I don't know if we can improve, but from the car's performance at Spa, Monza should suit us as well," predicted Theissen.

"The other factor which came into play for us were the tyres as we were able to make the best use of them, a factor that can change in Monza, so we will see."

After being title contenders last year, the team are resigned to playing a bit-part role this season, allowing Theissen a chance to offer an outsider's point of view on the championship chase.

With Brawn GP's Jenson Button faltering and his rivals tripping over themselves in a bid to catch him, it has seemingly become the title no one wants to win.

"Like the entire season, its a strange situation," said Theissen.

"Two teams (Brawn and Red Bull) have run away with it and there is no one to catch them.

"But now they are both struggling and it's interesting. It should be exciting for the fans."

sky star 2 · Sep 1, 2009

RUBENS: I'M UP FOR A FIGHT

Rubens Barrichello insists that he will not let the pressure get to him should he continue to catch Jenson Button in the Formula One world title race.

The Brazilian driver stalled on the grid at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, but recovered through the field to eventually finish seventh.

As Brawn GP team-mate Button crashed out on the first lap and did not score, Barrichello's championship deficit has now been reduced to 16 points.

But the 37-year-old veteran is adamant that he will not let the intense pressure of a championship battle effect his driving.

"It's positive my season has come alive. As for the pressure, it is something that you create in your own head," said Barrichello.

"In a golf match, for example, if you play against somebody it could get into your head - but if you play against the golf course, it's easier.

"You just have to do your best, and that's what I'm doing. I did really well over the whole weekend, although I got lucky that I finished with two points with all the problems.

"On pure performance I should have finished on the podium when I knew my team-mate would struggle to finish in the points.

"I guess pressure will always exist, but I'm quite cool and I've been there and done that. It helps that I've been with a team such as Ferrari and I've seen what happens and lived through it.

"Looking at it, my chances are bigger here. The team cannot say they are going to support one driver over another, because Red Bull are right there as well. They have to support both, and I feel good about that."

Barrichello could have reduced the gap in the standings even further if not for his start-line blunder from fourth position on the grid.

Although the former Ferrari driver admitted the delay annoyed him at first, he says it was soon out of his mind as he had other problems to contend with.

"I had a little swear on the radio because of the start. Obviously, you're always annoyed when something like that happens," he added.

"But after it, I changed page and I had a good race - although I did think it was over when I saw the smoke towards the end.

"I just prayed everything I could in every language, and it worked out. I have to look at what happened as a positive that two points is better than nothing and better still when you think that two weeks ago I was 26 points behind and now I'm 16."

sky star 2 · Sep 1, 2009

RENAULT PROBE WORRIES BERNIE

Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone fears Renault may withdraw from the sport in response to an investigation of last season's inaugural Singapore Grand Prix.

The FIA are looking into the race, which made history as the first night event run under floodlights, won by Renault's double world champion Fernando Alonso.

During the race Alonso's then team-mate Nelson Piquet, who was axed by the French manufacturer last month following a string of poor results, crashed on lap 14, bringing out the safety car.

Ecclestone has spoken to Flavio Briatore and revealed that the Renault team principal knows nothing of the claims that one of the team's drivers was asked to crash his car to help the other win the race.

"This is not the sort of thing we need at the moment. I think it will p*** off Renault for a start," Ecclestone told The Times.

"Them leaving the sport is a danger, obviously. I mean, I hope that it isn't like that, but it's the sort of thing that might happen.

"What I know, I can't say, to be honest with you. All I know is that Flavio is insisting that he knows nothing about it.

"I think the FIA are looking into everything. They are trying to find out the reality."

sky star 2 · Sep 1, 2009

MASSA ON THE MEND

Felipe Massa has been boosted by some positive medical reports and will undergo minor surgery this week, which will set him on the road back to driving in Formula One.

Brazilian driver Massa is still recovering from his horrifying crash in Hungary, when the Ferrari man was lucky to escape with his life after being hit with an errant motor part and slamming into a tyre wall.

Massa met with racing injuries specialist Steve Olvey in Miami and underwent neurological and vision tests, which all came back with positive results.

He will now have minor surgery on his cranium, and Ferrari have said that Massa will then be able to resume physical workouts once he is over the operation.

"I'm very happy with the outcome of the exams," Massa said. "After the small surgery that I will have done in the next few days I can finally start working out a little in the gym to get back in form, and then I can start some kart training.

"When will I be back on a Formula One track? Let's take one step at a time. Right now I'm just focused on starting physical activity again, which is already a big step forward."

Massa was in hospital for nine days after a part flew off Rubens Barrichello's Brawn GP car and smashed into his helmet, rendering him unconscious and resulting in a fractured skull, but the Brazilian now seems to be well on the road to recovery.

Ferrari were delighted with the news of the test results, and say that they will be able to rely fully on Massa for next season.

"The checks all had a positive outcome, just like the eye exam: everything is in order for Felipe to get back to racing," Ferrari said on their website.

"After a short convalescence, Felipe can then gradually start with physical preparations.

"Naturally the results were received with great joy and satisfaction at Maranello with the prospect to be able to count on Felipe 100 percent for the start of the next racing season."

sky star 2 · Sep 4, 2009

ECCLESTONE CONFIDENT OVER INDIAN GP

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is adamant the Indian Grand Prix will go ahead as planned in 2011.

Doubts have been raised of late, notably due to exchange control issues as India's sports ministry refused to release £22.5million to Ecclestone's Formula One Administration as part of the deal.

However, Ecclestone has confirmed he will be in India in October to lay the foundation stone for the Hermann Tilke-designed circuit to be built in Greater Noida, south east of New Delhi.

"We are waiting for the circuit to be constructed, but it's been on for a long time," Ecclestone told the Press Trust of India.

"There's never been any doubt. The contract was signed a long time back.

"The foundation stone will be laid in late October, and I will be in India to do that."

Further problems surfaced when India sports minister Manohar Singh Gill recently dismissed F1 as "expensive entertainment", claiming it was not a sport.

Responding to the remarks, Ecclestone said: "That's his view. The rest of the world thinks it is a sport."