Formula 1 News

sky star 2 · Oct 3, 2009

ACCIDENTS PROVOKE SUZUKA QUESTIONS

The first qualifying session at Suzuka for two years proved an action-packed affair with four crashes, three red flags and two drivers taken to hospital before Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel managed to claim pole position for Sunday's 53-lap Japanese Grand Prix.

Q2 was red-flagged with just over 11 minutes to go when Jaime Alguersuari ran wide exiting turn eight and drove straight on into the tyre barrier.

The Spaniard managed to walk away from the wreckage of his Toro Rosso but was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Another red flag came shortly afterwards when Timo Glock ran straight on at the final corner and smashed into the barrier, destroying the front of his Toyota.

A left leg injury thankfully proved the full extent of his injuries, although his participation on race day is in question after he, too, was admitted to hospital.

Heikki Kovalainen induced a third stoppage after sliding off at the troublesome Degner curves early in Q3 while Sebastien Buemi ended up backwards in the tyre wall near turn nine in Q1 after going off in a similar spot to Alguersuari, and where Mark Webber saw his day come to a premature end during morning practice.

The Swiss driver also scraped his car along the barrier after running wide at Spoon Curve in Q2, an incident that led to five-place grid demotions for Brawn GP duo Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, Adrian Sutil and Fernando Alonso as well as Buemi.

While questions will inevitably be raised over the safety of the track - particularly at turns eight and nine where most of the incidents took place - many drivers felt the chaos mostly came down to a combination of a lack of running in yesterday's weather-disrupted session, smaller run-off areas than other tracks and a desire to push as hard as possible.

Pole-sitter Vettel said: "First of all, the most important thing is that all the drivers are okay. It's usual that in qualifying you try to figure out where the limit is.

"Obviously, it's about setting one fast lap time but I think, mainly in turn nine, where people went off, it's quite difficult when you get a little bit wide on that kerb, you're basically just a passenger, you're not able to get rid of the speed and there's not much run-off so the wall is pretty close.

"We know there is no run-off but still you have to attack. It's about one lap, so you have to find the maximum.

"I think the FIA is trying to do their best and I think, with the lay-out of the circuit, it's not that easy. Maybe in the places we've seen today, if there is a possibility it would be good to do something."

Alguersuari admitted he was guilty of overstepping the mark.

"I was pushing hard, I lost control and went into the wall," said the Spaniard.

"It was quite a heavy impact but I'm fine. I felt confident in turn nine so I was going for it and I went a little bit too fast and once I was on the grass, I had no grip. The kerb there is far too high for the speed you're carrying at that point."

Kovalainen highlighted the fact an impact is almost inevitable once a driver runs wide at turn eight of the iconic track.

"In some more modern circuits there would probably be some tarmac but the car bottoms out and you're a passenger," stressed the Finn.

"So it is very fine the line. I went a bit too fast and ran out of road, it happens unfortunately sometimes."

McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who will start third on the grid tomorrow, agreed.

"It is a very tough circuit and the places that they went off, it's a very tricky corner," he said.

"You go through there, the car bottoms out a bit and the wheels lift up and you understeer and go a bit wide and there's no recovering because they've put Astroturf on the outside of the kerb.

"So there's no slowing down and it's such a high-speed corner."

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Mikael71 · Oct 3, 2009

is there any free HD channel that shows the F1 race?

sky star 2 · Oct 6, 2009

HILL: BUTTON MUST SEIZE TITLE CHANCE

Former world champion Damon Hill believes Jenson Button must "raise his game" if he is to win this year's Formula One drivers' championship.

Button's lead was cut to 14 points with two races remaining after he could manage only eighth place and one point in the Japanese Grand Prix, which was won by Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel.

Now Button faces a tense fortnight before the championship moves to Brazil and then Abu Dhabi and with the field closing in, Hill likened it to Tom Watson succumbing to the pressure just when it looked as if he was going to win the Open golf championship this summer.

Hill said: "This is dragging on a bit and it's a bit like the Open with Tom Watson. It's getting towards the last few holes and it does look like it's all won and it should be in the bag but they don't have play-offs in Formula One. He really does have to lift his game, to put his stamp of authority on this one and make sure it happens."

Button will face the challenge of Brawn team-mate, Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, currently in second place, on his home track of Interlagos in Sao Paulo.

And Hill, who won the world title in 1996, said: "Rubens has put on a stunning charge at the end of the championship and he's back on home soil so he's going to be well buoyed up.

"Jenson simply has to look at this as a race entirely on its own and focus on it and just do the very best he's ever done in his life. That would be the right way to go about approaching Brazil."

Hill also revealed his support for former world rally driver Ari Vatanen, rather than Jean Todt, to take over as FIA president from Max Mosley later this month.

The 1996 world champion told Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme said: "Formula One could do with a fresh start. I feel Vatanen is offering that. I haven't really seen anything or heard anything from Jean Todt that suggests there will be any change in the way that Formula One goes about presenting itself.

"My preference would be for a completely clean break and an approach which is a little bit more open."

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sky star 2 · Oct 6, 2009

Mikael71 said:
is there any free HD channel that shows the F1 race?

NO M8:thum:

sky star 2 · Oct 6, 2009

WHITMARSH IN NO RUSH

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh stressed they have yet to make a decision on their second driver for the 2010 season despite speculation linking ousted Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen with a return to the team.

Double world champion Fernando Alonso was confirmed as Felipe Massa's partner for next year, bringing an end to the Finn's three-year tenure with the Italian team with whom he won the drivers world championship in 2007.

While Lewis Hamilton is confirmed for the 2010 campaign, fellow McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen's position is less secure, particularly as the Finn has struggled in comparison to his more illustrious team-mate.

So while a return to the Woking-based team with whom Raikkonen spent four years from 2002 seems likely, Whitmarsh emphasised there is no urgency from McLaren to sign up the Finn.

"We're not waiting on Kimi, there are a number of options available to us," he said.

"Kimi is clearly available now, Heikki is very much part of this team, there's a vaguer possibility that Heikki will be driving for the team next year.

"We don't have to make those decisions right now, I think the right thing and the courteous thing to our drivers is to support them and see if we can get some results in the last races.

"I don't think there's any pressure on the team at the moment, there's a few things happening in the driver market. We don't want to divert the attention of the team by commenting on driver speculation.

"I don't sense we need to make a decision in the next week, two weeks, three weeks even beyond that."

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sky star 2 · Oct 6, 2009

BUTTON PHILOSOPHICAL IN FLAG ROW

Jenson Button was "disappointed" that Williams driver Nico Rosberg was not penalised for speeding under yellow flag conditions but feels the decision will not have a huge impact on his world championship bid.

Button finished eighth at today's Japanese Grand Prix to pick up what could prove to be a crucial point having started 10th on the grid at Suzuka.

Jaime Alguersuari's crash on lap 46 brought out a safety car and Rosberg was later investigated by stewards for speeding under yellow-flag conditions with safety car boards also displayed around the circuit.

If upheld, Rosberg could have been deprived of his fifth-place finish and Button and team-mate Rubens Barrichello - who finished seventh - would both have gained an extra point while Brawn would have clinched the constructors' title.

However, the race stewards opted against a punishment for Rosberg and an FIA statement read: "Telemetry data shows that the driver (Rosberg), from a safety point of view, had reacted adequately to the yellow flags and safety car boards. In view of this, the stewards intend to take no further action."

Button still has a 14-point cushion over Barrichello with just two races remaining but Sebastian Vettel thrust himself back into contention after the Red Bull driver dominated the 53-lap contest to claim his third win of the season.

Having been penalised himself yesterday for a similar infringement during qualifying, the 29-year-old Button his typical philosophical self following news of the Rosberg decision.

"Always when you think someone has done something wrong and they don't get penalised, you're disappointed but it's not going to change anything massively I don't think. Life goes on," he said.

"That's the decision, that's it. I don't know all the information while the FIA and the stewards, they have got all the information in front of them so whatever their decision, that's what it is.

"I did some really good laps, which brought me to the back of Rosberg, pitted, came out, caught up to Rubens, who was about 15-20 seconds down the road.

"So my pace was very good and after the safety car, Rosberg suddenly appeared three cars in front of me, so (it was) very surprising."

Button was handed a five-place demotion yesterday for failing to slow sufficiently under waved yellow flags after Sebastien Buemi's mishap at the exit of turn 14 had left debris from his Toro Rosso in the middle of the track on the run up to 130R.

After the FIA revised the grid this morning, Button started the race from 10th on the grid.

Slow off the line, he dropped to 11th by the end of the first lap but regained the position after overtaking Robert Kubica at the final chicane a few laps later.

Button was then the recipient of more good fortune when, stuck behind Heikki Kovalainen and Adrian Sutil, the pair came together which crucially allowed the Briton to take eighth and eventually grab a solitary championship point.

"It was happening every lap almost, Sutil was all over Kovalainen so it was going to happen, you could see it," he added.

"It was so frustrating, wherever I am on the grid I seem to have a KERS car behind me and (Kovalainen's) pace wasn't that good and I didn't know what my pace was until I got past those two.

"The pace was very good and I was able to pull out a gap to the cars behind in three laps, they were stopping seven laps later than me so I had to make the laps count and I did, just like the last couple of races."

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sky star 2 · Oct 6, 2009

BUTTON TAKES POSITIVES FROM JAPAN

Jenson Button was relieved to have limited the damage from a tumultuous weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix as the Brawn GP driver moved a step closer to securing his first-ever Formula One world championship.

Having started 10th on the grid, Button eventually finished eighth at Suzuka to salvage what could prove to be a crucial point as team-mate and chief challenger Rubens Barrichello could only cross the line one place better in seventh.

Sebastian Vettel dominated the 53-lap contest from pole to take his third win of the campaign, which thrust the Red Bull driver back into contention as he closed to within 16 points of the Englishman.

But in the end, Button's lead in the drivers' standings was reduced by just one to 14 points thanks to Barrichello's inability to take advantage of his team-mate's unfortunate situation.

With just two races remaining, the 29-year-old stressed that even if he fails to finish in Interlagos in two weeks time, he will still be in a very strong position going into the final race of the season at Abu Dhabi having chalked off another round.

"Whatever happens in Brazil, I'll have a four-point lead," Button said.

"I lost a point today, which is frustrating because compared to Rubens my pace was very good in the race but I started a long way behind him.

"Losing one point isn't so bad. It's seven points per race now instead of five points per race that he needs to beat me by.

"It's not a bad position. I go to Brazil positive and looking forward to the challenge and it is going to be a challenge.

"Sebastian's quick and the Red Bull seems very quick, the track's still got high-speed corners and they showed us they are quick on low-speed circuits like Singapore so they're going to be difficult to beat.

"Rubens is always quick so it's going to be a challenging weekend but a fun weekend as well."

Both Button and Barrichello were demoted five places yesterday for failing to slow sufficiently under waved yellow flags following Sebastien Buemi's accident at the exit of Spoon Curve.

However, the grid was revised prior to the race and Button was promoted two slots to 10th, while Barrichello gained four places to start sixth.

That meant the Brazilian was excellently placed to eat into his team-mate's advantage, even more so when Button found himself following the slow-moving McLaren of Heikki Kovalainen around in the early stages.

However, Adrian Sutil took care of that particular problem when the Force India driver and the Finn came together at the final chicane on lap 13, allowing Button to pass both and finally enjoy a clear track in front of him.

"It was happening every lap almost. Sutil was all over Kovalainen so it was going to happen, you could see it," Button added.

"It was just so frustrating with Kovalainen, wherever I am on the grid I seem to have a KERS car around me and it made it very difficult as his pace wasn't that good.

"I didn't know what my pace was until I got past those two and the pace was very good. I was able to pull out a gap to the cars behind in three laps, they were stopping seven laps later than me so I had to make the laps count and I did, just like the last couple of races."

It was the second consecutive race Button managed to bounce back from a potentially disastrous qualifying session to collect crucial points having finished ahead of Barrichello in Singapore, although unlike last weekend his Saturday troubles were not of his own making.

Having won six of the first seven races, Button has picked up just 25 points over the following eight, although he was denied a 26th when stewards decided not to penalise William's Nico Rosberg for speeding under safety car conditions.

However, he rejected suggestions he has been the recipient of excessive good fortune with rivals Barrichello, Vettel and Mark Webber repeatedly failing to take advantage of his setbacks.

"It's because we're doing the best job we can in a difficult situation," Button stressed.

"We're getting ourselves into these tricky situations and we're getting out of them in the race.

"Hopefully in Brazil, we won't have to fight back from a bad grid slot. We can start at the front and finish at the front.

"It was tough in qualifying. The qualifying lap wasn't too bad but the car was transformed from Q2 to Q3 for some reason, it was very good in Q2. We've got to look at the front wing because something's not working correctly.

"Rubens only went back one place on the grid, I went back three so that made it very difficult for me being back in 10th."

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sky star 2 · Oct 6, 2009

LEWIS HAMILTON - KERS COST US

Lewis Hamilton revealed a problem with his McLaren's KERS system scuppered his chances of claiming second place at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Having qualified third, Hamilton had spoken prior to the race of the need to beat both pole sitter Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull and Jarno Trulli's Toyota into the first corner at Suzuka if he was to add to his two race wins this season.

He managed to accomplish the later but not the former when the lights went out as Vettel expertly kept him at bay into turn one before pulling away and going on to dominate the 53-lap contest.

However, Trulli managed to reclaim second during the last round of pit stops and Hamilton admitted without the additional KERS power boost, he had no chance of coming out in front of the Italian and was forced to settle for six points.

He said: "I pulled the gap up to three seconds, I think, which was roughly what I needed, and then on the last couple of laps just before my pit stop we had a KERS problem and we were also just generally struggling with the car a little bit.

"I wasn't able to pull decent times out of the car with a lighter car on a lighter fuel load.

"We pretty much had a qualifying battle, a tenth here, a tenth there, we kept shaving tenths off each other. At the exit of my second pit stop, I had a problem with my gearbox and the thing went into neutral.

"So instead of switching off the pit speed limiter and pulling away, I was in neutral for a hundred metres or something like that, so I maybe lost a second or so there."

Jaime Alguersuari's crash at 130R brought out the safety car with seven laps to go and it looked like a rather uneventful race could have been heading for an exciting conclusion.

Vettel, however, powered away at the restart and Hamilton conceded there was no way he could have found a way past Trulli's Toyota.

"I was generally just looking out to see if you could get as close as possible. I didn't particularly exit the last corner close enough to him any way," he added.

"He did a great job again there and that is always the case. You have to be very close to them but I wasn't able to do so but, nevertheless, it was good points for our team."

Hamilton also had no issue with Vettel's approach as the duo headed down towards the first corner almost wheel to wheel.

"I had enough room there. I think it was fair," he stressed.

"It wasn't our best start, but to be honest this year we haven't really had great starts except for when we get on the KERS button.

"We probably had our best start of the year at the last race (in Singapore). We tried to repeat it again this weekend but these two guys also got quite a good start.

"There's not actually such a long straight to turn one, to actually drag past one of them was not easy but I tried.

"Unfortunately the outside was not the place to be. He did a perfect job to get in the middle."

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sky star 2 · Oct 6, 2009

VETTEL INSPIRED BY RAIKKONEN CHARGE

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel will draw inspiration from Kimi Raikkonen's dramatic title triumph two years ago as he looks to overhaul Jenson Button in the final two races of the Formula One season.

Raikkonen trailed championship favourite Lewis Hamilton by 17 points going into the last two rounds but won his maiden championship in dramatic fashion as victories in China and Brazil, coupled with the Englishman beaching his McLaren in the gravel in Shanghai and only managing seventh at Interlagos, saw the Ferrari driver claim the crown by a solitary point.

Vettel's dominant weekend at Suzuka - he led from pole to win the 53-lap race having topped all three of Saturday's qualifying sessions - saw the German close to within 16 points of championship leader Button.

And the 22-year-old is hoping history can repeat itself in 2009 as the teams head to Interlagos in two weeks' time and then on to Abu Dhabi for the season finale.

"Two years ago, Kimi (Raikkonen) had quite a big gap (to Hamilton) with two races to go. Everyone said to Lewis it will not be a problem, sitting in one of the most competitive cars, just get a couple of points, but you can see sometimes things just don't work your way. Anything is possible," he said.

"We were good at Brazil last year, this time we go with an even stronger car so it should be better and the last race in Abu Dhabi is a bit unknown.

"I will fight until the end, until the last breath. Two more races like this and it is looking better. We have to push ourselves to the maximum and try to win, get as many points as we can, and everything else is out of our hands.

"It was good points today for the championship. I think it looks a bit better now so it's a shame there's only two races to go, but that's life. We are here to fight, so let's see. Anything is still possible as you can see. It can change quickly."

Vettel, though, may ultimately be left to rue his failure to finish at Monaco, Hungary and Valencia, while a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane last time out in Singapore cost him second place and three more points.

But however the three-way battle for the title unfolds - Vettel is just two points behind Button's Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello in second - the German believes Red Bull can still celebrate an excellent 2009 campaign.

"Looking back, I think we have had a great season," he added.

"Obviously we should have been more consistent to fight for the championship right now, it was a little but too much up and down. Sometimes things didn't go our way, that's part of racing I guess, it happens.

"We made some mistakes, we've had some trouble during the season, it can happen but obviously when you want to fight properly for the championship, it shouldn't happen.

"Nevertheless, I think it's been a very good season so far. The car is fantastic, we had three one-twos. We could have collected more points, been more consistent. In more than three or four places we had the pace to win and we didn't."

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sky star 2 · Oct 6, 2009

VETTEL TRIUMPHS IN JAPAN

Sebastian Vettel kept alive his outside chance of winning the Formula One world championship after the Red Bull driver led from pole to win the Japanese Grand Prix.

The German crossed the line 4.8 seconds ahead of Jarno Trulli's Toyota with Lewis Hamilton grabbing third for McLaren.

Vettel's third win of the season now leaves him 16 points behind leader Jenson Button after the Englishman finished eighth, while Rubens Barrichello is 14 adrift of his Brawn GP team-mate having crossed the line seventh.

Following the dramas of Saturday's qualifying session that saw four crashes, three red flags and two drivers taken to hospital, the 53-lap race proved relatively uneventful although Jaime Alguersuari smashed his Toro Rosso into the barrier on the inside of 130R with seven laps to go to bring out the safety car.

However, the unflappable Vettel took it in his stride and pulled away from Trulli once the race restarted to take the chequered flag. The win also kept alive Red Bull's slim hopes of stealing the constructors' title from Brawn.

Outgoing Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth, Nico Rosberg was fifth for Williams and Nick Heidfeld sixth in his BMW Sauber.

Hamilton had yesterday underlined the importance of beating Vettel into the first corner if he was to have any chance of winning and although the Briton's KERS-enhanced McLaren allowed him to jump Trulli off the line, Vettel resisted his attentions as he attempted to go around the outside of the Red Bull.

Trulli slotted in third, Heidfeld fourth, Raikkonen fifth and Barrichello, the main beneficiary of a morning grid revision after his five-place demotion yesterday, maintained sixth.

Button, meanwhile, was slow away and by the end of the first lap was down in 11th having surrendered a place to Robert Kubica's BMW Sauber, which he then managed to regain in the final chicane three laps later.

Vettel had to make the most of Button's qualifying misfortunes and quickly looked to ram home his advantage, establishing a 4.1-second lead over Hamilton during the first 10 laps and, more importantly, he was almost 28 seconds ahead of the Brawn, who was still languishing down in 10th and stuck behind Heikki Kovalainen and Adrian Sutil.

But yet again the gods seemed to smile on the 29-year-old as Sutil attempted to drive his Force India up the inside of Kovalainen's McLaren entering the final chicane, forcing the Finn onto the grass as he refused to yield the position without a fight.

The pair came together and Button happily sped off up the road having gained two places to move into the points.

Sebastien Buemi, whose recklessness in qualifying yesterday led to the slew of penalties, retired his Toro Rosso after 11 laps but Vettel continued untroubled at the front while Hamilton came in for his first stop after 15 laps - an 8.9 second effort - and a number of front-runners followed.

Button had upped his pace to within a couple of tenths of Vettel's by the time he stopped on lap 18 and rejoined down the field, while Vettel was stationary for 12.4 seconds but still regained the lead ahead of Rosberg.

Rosberg came in on lap 23 to allow Hamilton back into second with Trulli battling manfully in third. Heidfeld was running fourth, while Raikkonen reclaimed fifth once Kubica came in on lap 26, which promoted Barrichello back to sixth.

Vettel continued to cruise towards a crucial victory, though, leading Trulli by over eight seconds following his second stop.

Button pitted from sixth and retained his eighth place after most of the field stopped again. Barrichello was up to fourth, Rosberg fifth and Raikkonen had passed Heidfeld during the second round of stops to move into sixth.

Alguersuari's crash on lap 46 could potentially have derailed Vettel's march to the chequered flag but with the cushion of an out-of-position Romain Grosjean in between him and Trulli, he pulled away when the race restarted with four laps to go.

Hamilton could not catch the Italian as he had lost his KERS system following his second stop and had to settle for third, while Button's afternoon got even better when Barrichello lost out in the second round of refuelling to drop to seventh and must have been disheartened to see the Englishman looming large in his mirrors.

Button claimed what could prove to be a crucial point as he managed to resist heavy pressure from Kubica over the closing stages to secure eighth.

Vettel was naturally delighted to still be in the championship hunt.

He said: "We made it and it's good to be back at the front. It can still be done, although it'd be nice to have a few more races left.

"I feel great, what a race. We were the favourites but we had to do the start and it was closer than I thought it would be going into turn one."

Trulli was also pleased to come home second.

"It was a fantastic result, I really wanted to win but Sebastian was untouchable," he said.

"I thought it was going to be a difficult restart with Lewis behind me. It's a double result following Singapore and the car was competitive here."

Hamilton, meanwhile, admitted his victory hopes were over once Vettel beat him into the first corner.

"I tried to get them both at the start, I had quite a good battle with Jarno but couldn't catch Sebastian," he said.

"Just after the last stop, I lost KERS and once Jarno was in front of me, it was impossible to catch him."

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sky star 2 · Oct 6, 2009

PIQUET DEFENDS CRASHGATE ACTIONS

Nelson Piquet Jr claims his former team Renault had "threatened" to withdraw his contract unless he agreed to purposefully crash during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

In what has become known as 'crashgate', the French manufacturer was last month found guilty of causing an accident to aid the cause of their driver Fernando Alonso, who went on to win the race.

The allegations cost former Renault team principal Flavio Briatore and executive director of engineering Pat Symonds their jobs, with the pair stepping down from their posts shortly after details of the incident were made public.

Renault were subsequently given a disqualification suspended until the end of the 2011 season for their role in Piquet Jr's crash.

The 24-year-old has since spoken of his regret at agreeing to the conspiracy, but in an interview with Brazilian television, which was published in The Times, Piquet Jr claimed his Renault contract was under threat unless he agreed to the crash during last season's race in Singapore.

"Some people have suggested that I was blackmailing Renault to continue my career but the situation was more complicated for a long time before," he said.

"At each race it was always the same story of threatening to withdraw my contract or the renewal for the next season.

"I made the allegation so that no other driver would go through what I went through and, more importantly, so that the whole episode would be clarified the way it has been."

Piquet Jr also admitted he did not consider the impact the incident would have on his career, with the Brazilian coming in for a great deal of criticism from several figures in Formula One.

"It all happened so quickly and I must confess that I could never possibly have weighed up the consequences," he continued.

"The crash plan was only made hours before the race. I did not have time to think straight. I didn't have a great qualifying and this was also a contributory factor to me accepting the strategy late in the day.

"I was in a difficult position at the time and the renegotiation of my contract was in play if I didn't accept the strategy.

"Some people have suggested I should have been punished by the FIA but, in reality, no one has been punished more than I have.

"I am at the beginning of my career, unlike the others who have been punished in this case. I am going to have to overcome many obstacles. I more or less have to start my career from scratch in Formula One."

Despite his role in the events in Singapore, Piquet Jr insist he has no regrets about blowing the whistle on his former team.

"Today I am just trying to carry on with my work. Motor racing is my passion and I've got to work hard to prove my worth on the track," he said.

"I know that I committed an error but I would have committed another if I hadn't gone public with everything that happened to me."

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sky star 2 · Oct 6, 2009

VICTORY THE ONLY OPTION FOR BARRICHELLO

Rubens Barrichello conceded he now has to win his home grand prix in Brazil to keep his Formula One title dream alive.

The Brawn GP driver gained a point on team-mate Jenson Button at the Japanese Grand Prix after finishing seventh but still trails the championship leader by 14 points with just races at Interlagos and Abu Dhabi remaining.

It means Button will be crowned world champion for the first time in his career if he gains four points on Barrichello in Brazil and the 37-year-old knows that realistically, only victory will keep him in the hunt.

"I've got to go there and win the race, that's the aim, the rest for me is just the rest," Barrichello said.

"If I deserve to win the championship, I will. I'm not going to be in the middle of the race thinking about if five plus five is 10. I mean five plus five here in Japan was six! I had a five-place penalty here in Japan and all of a sudden I was in sixth place.

"I have no intention whatsoever of looking at points or this and that. My intention is there to live in full the race in Brazil and win the race.

"I'm not there calculating what I can do, I'm going there to win the race and see later what happens. The chances of the title are smaller but not as small as when it was a 26-point gap at one point, so they're very much alive."

Barrichello's task could have been eased if he had capitalised more on a revised grid following Saturday's qualifying penalties that saw him promoted to sixth while Button started down in 10th.

However, poor balance of his Brawn and tyre trouble spoiled his race after pressuring eventual fourth-place finisher Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari in the early stages, although Barrichello tried to put a brave face on the situation.

"I tried everything I could to overtake at the start but the track is just too narrow so you go into defensive mode. If you try too hard, somebody might have a go at you," he added.

"The first few laps I thought we had good pace, Raikkonen didn't have good pace and we lost time but then all of a sudden, everyone started to push and my car didn't improve a lot on the same tyres as Kimi. I was doing okay but as soon as I put on the other tyres, he disappeared.

"We had a different strategy which eventually didn't work fantastically well because other people were doing better on other tyres so that's the story of my race, fighting hard.

"The set-up wasn't brilliant. I wasn't happy with the set-up of the car but I took a point from Jenson, so that's positive."

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sky star 2 · Oct 6, 2009

SAFETY FIRST FOR BUTTON

Jenson Button believes a measured approach to the final two races of the Formula One season will see the Brawn GP driver land his first Formula One world championship.

Button came home eighth in the Japanese Grand Prix thanks to a relatively untroubled drive once he had passed Heikki Kovalainen and Adrian Sutil after the pair had come together going into the final chicane at Suzuka on lap 13, although he had to withstand late pressure from Robert Kubica's BMW Sauber.

Sebastian Vettel won the 53-lap race after dominating from start to finish in his Red Bull to thrust the German back into the title race but more importantly for Button, team-mate Rubens Barrichello could only finish seventh after being handed a morning reprieve following Saturday's five-place penalty stemming from qualifying.

The Brazilian was promoted four places to sixth in a revised grid that saw Button down in 10th but he failed to capitalise, collecting just two points to trail the 29-year-old by 14. Vettel, meanwhile, is now 16 points behind Button.

The championship picture is reminiscent of the 2007 season when Lewis Hamilton led Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen by 17 points and McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso by 12 going into the final two races in China and Brazil - the venue for this year's penultimate race a week on Sunday.

Hamilton crashed out in Shanghai and could only finish seventh at Interlagos, Raikkonen won both races and so took the title by a solitary point from the Englishman and Alonso.

Button, though, is not about to open the door for either Barrichello or Vettel to snatch a maiden drivers' triumph from his grasp.

"It's all about mistakes," he said.

"With them (McLaren), they had a very fast car but for whatever reason, they didn't finish races. Obviously, finishing races, picking up points, we obviously want the best result possible which is to win races and we'll get as close to that as we can but it's about not making mistakes, that's the most important thing."

That approach was exemplified at Suzuka as instead of choosing the soft option tyre for his final stint in a bid to make up places, Button decided to play it safe and follow Barrichello home.

"My pace compared to the cars around me was good on the prime so that was the safest option for us," he added.

"Our pace was nowhere near what the Red Bulls were, they were staggeringly quick, over half a second quicker than us a lap. But compared to the people I was racing, the pace was good."

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sky star 2 · Oct 6, 2009

WHITMARSH BACKS BUTTON TO BAG TITLE

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has backed Jenson Button to hold his nerve and win the Formula One world championship - but he expects the Englishman to feel the pressure of leading the championship over the last two races.

Button heads the drivers' standings by 14 points from Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello while Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel is a further two points back following his superlative drive to win the Japanese Grand Prix.

Button, however, only managed to come home eighth having started 10th on the grid after he was penalised following Saturday's qualifying session for a speeding infraction.

Having won six of the first seven races the 29-year-old has struggled over the second half of the campaign but whatever happens in Brazil next time out he will still hold a minimum four-point lead going into the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.

McLaren have been involved in title battles over the last two years, Lewis Hamilton losing out to Kimi Raikkonen in 2007 having held a bigger lead than Button's with two rounds to go before dramatically snatching the title out of Felipe Massa's grasp on the final corner at Interlagos last year.

Whitmarsh, though, does not expect similar theatre in 2009 but stressed the knowledge that this could be Button's only chance to achieve his life-long dream will surely begin to weigh heavily on his shoulders.

"I would think Jenson will hold it together and will win the championship," he said.

"We went through it in 2007 and 2008, Kimi did a great job in 2007 and took it from us and 2008 was particularly sweaty at the end but we'll see.

"For Jenson, attention grows because it is his unless he throws it away and that can start to really have an impact on a driver, certainly one that has been around as long as Jenson.

"He must feel this is his best chance of his entire career, possibly his only chance ever to win the world championship so I'm sure he's got a degree of tension approaching the last two races."

Hamilton finished third at Suzuka, behind Vettel and Jarno Trulli's Toyota, and Whitmarsh still reflected on a solid job by the Woking-based team.

"We're never happy with third but if Japan had been earlier in the calendar, we would have struggled," he added.

"I think the circuit was likely to be the most challenging of the last half-dozen races. We expected it to be quite a tough weekend so on balance I think we did a reasonable job. Looking towards Brazil, hopefully we can be a bit more competitive."

It was another strong showing from Hamilton, who has been involved at the right end of the grid in recent weeks following a barren run earlier in the season. But Whitmarsh stressed he does not dwell on how the season might have unfolded had the improvements with the car come earlier.

"We could have had a quick car from the start of the season and won the championship but we didn't. I haven't spent a lot of time [thinking] 'what if'," he added.

"I'm very pleased and proud of what the team have done this year."

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sky star 2 · Oct 6, 2009

BUTTON 'VERY PROUD' OF BRAWN SEASON

Championship leader Jenson Button believes clinching the constructors' title for Brawn GP will be "a very emotional moment".

Sebastian Vettel's superb victory at Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix means they will now have to wait until Brazil on October 18 to claim the title as Red Bull trail Brawn by 35.5 points with 36 left on offer after Button crossed the line in eighth and team-mate Rubens Barrichello finished seventh.

There was a chance they would have been celebrating at Suzuka as Nico Rosberg was investigated for speeding under a late safety car period with the Brawn duo in line for an extra point apiece if the German was found guilty, only for race stewards to eventually decide to take no action against the Williams driver.

However it is almost inconceivable they will not finish the job at Interlagos, representing a remarkable turnaround for a team whose very existence was in serious doubt right up until the start of the season in Australia.

Button highlighted the scale of the achievement while also reserving special praise for boss Ross Brawn, whose management buy-out of Honda ensured the 29-year-old and Barrichello would line up on the grid in Melbourne.

"If it does go Brawn's way, and I really feel like it will do when we get to Brazil, everyone should be very proud of themselves within this team," said Button.

"They've been through a lot, it has been a roller-coaster throughout the season but also last winter.

"If it does happen congratulations to everyone, it is going to be a very emotional moment for them and well done to the big man, well done to Ross Brawn.

"He has achieved a lot in his Formula One career, but this is very different, being a team owner and also after such a difficult winter. We didn't even think we would be on the grid in Australia."

Barrichello, who along with Vettel still harbours hopes of pipping Button to the drivers' title, echoed his team-mate's sentiments.

"It has been a very positive year whatever happens," said the Brazilian.

"At the beginning of the year there was no drive, the team had no engine and this and that. The Brawn Mercedes is altogether a fantastic car and team and we have got to be very happy with that. So hopefully we're going to be constructors' champions."

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sky star 2 · Oct 6, 2009

WHITMARSH: NORTH AMERICA IS THE KEY

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has questioned the wisdom of including a Korean Grand Prix on next year's Formula One calendar, and says the sport should instead be focusing on re-establishing a foothold in North America.

October 17 in Yeongnam has been pencilled in as a provisional date for next season, bringing the 2010 calendar to 19 races with Montreal also set to be reinstated provided they can work out a deal with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

But Whitmarsh revealed that the Formula One Teams Association has reservations about adding a sixth race in Asia following reports there could be a shortage of facilities.

"We hear stories it's four or five hours from anywhere, there's no infrastructure, no hotels, no-one can get there.

"It's going to make it difficult for fans and difficult for media," he said.

"We're meant to be doing it for the fans and other people. My personal opinion is that we've got other priorities, we've go to act in North America.

"There shouldn't be question marks over Montreal, we should be prepared to sacrifice a normal week and get to Montreal.

"We want to make sure we crack North America. It's got a big market.

"I don't think we should be so arrogant as to expect them to pay us good money to go there.

"I think we messed it up so badly in the past we should be saying 'if necessary we'll come there for free and we'll work with you to develop the North American audience'."

Whitmarsh also underlined McLaren agreed to go along with FOTA's proposal to defer the use of KERS until 2011 for the good of Formula One as a whole.

McLaren have persevered this season with the energy recovery system that gives a driver the option of a short power boost each lap at the press of a button in contrast to the majority of teams, who decided not to run it on their cars.

However, while Whitmarsh admitted he would like to retain KERS for 2010, he stressed McLaren decided to side with the rest of the paddock in a bid to help reduce costs and ease the passage of four potential new teams into the sport next season.

He said: "As McLaren, we'd rather have KERS, we think we've got the best KERS system. If we were wearing a McLaren bloody-minded Formula One hat then we want it, why should we agree to throw it away?

"But I think what we're trying to demonstrate is that the teams have to pull together, to have some unity and direction, try and build the sport.

"Collectively over the years all the teams and stakeholders in this sport have done a pretty poor job of that and sometimes you have to make some sacrifices to build the sport."

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sky star 2 · Oct 16, 2009

ALONSO PROMISES MASSA PEACE

Fernando Alonso is adamant there will be no psychological war with new Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa.

Massa appeared to stoke the fires on Wednesday by claiming Alonso was aware of the plot that culminated in Nelson Piquet Jnr deliberately crashing his Renault in last year's Singapore Grand Prix, helping the Spaniard to claim a remarkable victory.

"It was the team and Nelson, but Alonso was part of the problem," Massa is quoted as saying by the Brazilian media after a briefing.

"He knew. We cannot know it, (but) of course he knew. Absolute certainty."

Within hours a climbdown followed as he later clarified his remarks via a statement on Ferrari's website, although even then there was still an element of suspicion in his words.

"What I've said is the outcome of a hunch I've had and is not based on any concrete evidence," said Massa, who has previously stated he would have been world champion but for the crash.

"The FIA World Council announced that there was no indication that Fernando may have been informed of what had happened and I respect this outcome.

"What is certain is that this episode will not mar in any way the relationship I'll have with Fernando when we will be team-mates."

Alonso, too, was also keen to play down the prospect of another bitter internal feud as he experienced with Lewis Hamilton during his ill-fated season at McLaren in 2007.

"There will be no psychological war," said Alonso.

"Maybe it was a misunderstanding with Felipe or the media, so it's difficult to know what is true and what was said because later he said a different thing.

"It's not very important for me. I'm not too worried. I made it clear to the World Council I had nothing to do with what happened in Singapore last year.

"I was not involved in anything, I didn't know anything, so there were no doubts. I didn't pay too much attention.

"It will not affect anything, me or the relationship. I actually think we will be great.

"At Ferrari the group is more important than the individual, where everyone is part of the team, a big family.

"I think it will be a good group and we will be very strong next year."

Massa this week completed a successful test in a 2007 Ferrari as part of his rehabilitation following his horrific accident in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix in July.

Although a return to action this season has been dismissed, the 28-year-old will be in the paddock in Interlagos tomorrow ahead of the grand prix on Sunday when he will wave the chequered flag.

Alonso, though, will not be seeking out Massa for any clear-the-air talks, but instead will discuss how best to integrate himself into the Ferrari family next year.

"Maybe we will have a chat, but I'm sure it won't be about this matter," dismissed Alonso.

"If we do have a chat it will be more about his recovery, that he seems well, about his experience at Ferrari.

"He has been there three or four years and I need to learn, to adapt myself a little bit quicker if possible.

"So anything I talk to Felipe about these days or in the future will be a huge help for me to know the team.

"We are working with only one goal next year, which is to again put Ferrari at the top of Formula One, and I think Felipe and I can do it."

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sky star 2 · Oct 16, 2009

VETTEL FREE FROM PRESSURE

Sebastian Vettel believes all the pressure is on title rivals Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello in the fight for this year's Formula One world championship.

Red Bull driver Vettel gave himself a lifeline with a much-needed victory in Japan 12 days ago, while Brawn GP duo Barrichello and Button trailed home seventh and eighth.

With two races remaining, in Brazil this Sunday and Abu Dhabi on November 1, the 22-year-old German is 16 points adrift of Button and two behind Barrichello.

Vettel is very much the outsider of the title-chasing trio, which is why he feels the heat is on the two Brawn team-mates who have to keep an eye on one another.

"For me it is pretty straightforward - the only thing I can do is win," said Vettel.

"You don't have to be a genius to work out from now on we simply have to win the two races and hope the other two mess it up, so the pressure is on them.

"It is a good thing not to have the situation they are facing. They have to race each other."

Vettel admits he is currently riding the crest of a wave after his success at Suzuka, and is the man in form as he could have finished second in Singapore but for a pit-lane speeding penalty, relegating him to fourth.

"The last two races have been very good for us," assessed Vettel.

"We had a very good package for Singapore, which should have been a bit better.

"But it is in the past now and I am just hoping I don't miss those three points in the end. We will see.

"Obviously Japan was fantastic. The car was great all weekend, so if you look at the last two races, we've been very competitive even though the circuits are very different to each other.

"For here we have another couple of things in the bag, so it should be good."

Although mentioning what transpired in Singapore, there have been a number of 'what if' moments for Vettel who has failed to finish in five races overall this season.

Compare that to Button and Barrichello who have had a DNF against their name just once apiece, and there is a definite sense of what might have been for Vettel.

However, he refuses to look back in anger, adding: "It doesn't help. It's done.

"We cannot change it now, so there is nothing to regret. It's still a good season for us, the best one we have had.

"We have to be very positive. Anything is possible."

Vettel should at least be able to call upon team-mate Mark Webber for assistance if the need arises now the Australian is out of the title reckoning.

Webber's troubles in Japan allowed him to use the race as a test session in which he put a new nose through its paces that will be on both cars this weekend.

It is a case of teamwork, which Vettel fully appreciates as he said: "It is a shame for Mark he is not in the race for the title.

"But we are a very strong team. We are working together hand in hand and I think if the situation should come up, I think he is the last one to deny any help."

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sky star 2 · Oct 16, 2009

BUTTON LEADING MAN IN BRAWN DRAMA

Jenson Button believes the remarkable story of Brawn GP this season is worthy of a Hollywood movie.

The team that was on the scrapheap just 10 months ago after Honda announced they were pulling out of Formula One need a mere half a point from the final two races to take the constructors' title.

That should happen in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix in which Button could also clinch the drivers' crown, requiring a six-point haul to guarantee himself the championship.

But as someone who witnessed at first hand what was required to secure the team's survival, he feels their current situation is nothing short of astonishing.

"Taking both myself and Rubens (Barrichello) out of it, not talking about ourselves, the team went through a lot over the winter," said Button.

"It was not just whether they could compete in Formula One, it was whether people had a job that could pay for their kids' school and what have you.

"It was a very difficult situation, and I think a lot of them found it very tough, but they had good leadership.

"That's what counted and it gave them hope, a positive outlook for the future. In the end we got the deal done and we were able to go racing.

"When everyone saw the car drive for the first time in Barcelona they were very surprised by the pace of it.

"People had obviously worked very, very hard because nothing went wrong. It was a perfect test, which meant the season was going to be good.

"So if we come away with the constructors' championship in Brawn GP's first year, and I know it's not a completely new team, it will be a very emotional moment for everyone.

"Ross (Brawn) has achieved so much in this sport, but to win a championship with his own team will be far greater than what he's achieved in the past.

"That goes for everyone within the team. They've worked so very, very hard, and they deserve whatever we achieve this season.

"It's an amazing story, a Hollywood movie for sure - if it happens.

"It's not 100% yet. I would like to say that it is, but it's not."

Although the drivers' title is also on the line, with Button 14 points ahead of Barrichello and 16 clear of Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, the Briton does have another target this weekend.

Button is fuelled by his desire of gaining revenge over Barrichello after being comfortably beaten by the Brazilian in the British Grand Prix.

The man from Frome arrived at Silverstone with many expecting him to continue his storming start to the season and make it seven wins from the opening eight races, yet instead the tide turned.

Button started and finished sixth, whilst Barrichello at least grabbed a podium behind a Red Bull one-two led by Vettel.

What Button would give to beat Barrichello in his own backyard, and potentially seize the championship en route.

"Rubens beat me in Silverstone in my home country, and I'd like to do the same to him here," said Button

"It's not a nice feeling when you get beat by your team-mate in your own country."

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sky star 2 · Oct 16, 2009

KUBICA FEARS FOR BMW

Robert Kubica has voiced his fears for the future of BMW Sauber.

Kubica was forced to look after his own interests when BMW announced in July they would be withdrawing from Formula One at the end of this season.

That culminated in the Pole signing a deal till at least 2010 last week with Renault, replacing the Ferrari-bound Fernando Alonso.

As for the team he will be leaving behind, they have been granted a provisional place on the grid for next season.

However, their presence is dependent on whether one of the current teams falls by the wayside - or if agreement is reached to allow 14 teams to compete.

Given such uncertainty, Kubica is naturally concerned for those who have aided his own career during his three-and-a-half years with the team.

"It is not an easy situation for all the guys who are working with me, and will still work with me at the next two races," said Kubica before this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix.

"I think they have everything to be part of F1. But they are not on the grid, so I think it is a very delicate moment and delicate time for them.

"It is a difficult situation. I just hope they will be on the grid, because there is a lot of passion there."

Kubica is relieved his own future has been resolved - although given his status within the sport, it was a question of which team he would join rather than whether he would have a job.

"I am very happy to be part of Renault next year and looking forward to the new challenge," he added.

"I think it will be a big challenge - because in the end there are many things going on at Renault, with difficult times in the last few months.

"But I believe we can do a good job for next year and in the future, and try to be part of a kind of 'new' team."

There are still question marks over who will be his team-mate, because it is widely expected Romain Grosjean will not keep the seat he has occupied since Nelson Piquet was released in early August.

Kubica insists he has no influence on who will partner him but he made it clear Renault are looking at other options beyond Grosjean.

"I think there are a few names who are quite experienced that Renault are looking at for next year," he confirmed.

"I will welcome all the drivers whose names I have heard. I think all of them can do a good job.

"I have my personal preferences, but this is only because of private personal relationships.

"But I will not have any influence. I will leave it to the people who are deciding."

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