As we thought back in Monaco in 2010, the friendship between Alonso and Webber looks more certain to bond with the Aussie going to Ferrari for 1 year in 2013.
Spainish press http://www.elconfidencial.com/deportes/formula1/2012/04/29/mark-webber-sera-el-companero-de-alonso-en-ferrari-en-2013-97090/ report today
Today we think back on the day in Imola when Tamburello took the great man from our racing lives.
Always thinking of you Ayrton, not like Brazil who cherish your birthday 21/3/60, we racing fans REMEMBER 1/5/94
Apr.30 (GMM) Rumours that a top English premier league football club is entering formula one as a sponsor have proved correct.
Ever since Sauber has been running teaser ‘Out of the blue’ and ‘True blue’ graphics on its engine cover livery in China and Bahrain, speculation about the identity of the forthcoming sponsor have been swirling in the F1 paddock.
We reported the rumour that the deal could be with the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, to promote his football club Chelsea.
Swiss F1 team Sauber confirmed the “new and innovative partnership” on Monday.
“The C31 sporting the blue logo of Chelsea FC will be seen for the first time at the Spanish grand prix,” the Hinwil based team announced in a media statement.
“A partnership like this between formula one and football has never existed before in this form, yet there are numerous commonalities and possible synergies,” said Sauber chief executive Monisha Kaltenborn.
The statement said Chelsea will in turn display Sauber’s logo on its advertising boards and interview walls, ensuring one another “a significant market presence outside their original sport”.
This week the 2012 MotoGP World Championship heads to the south of Spain for the Jerez Grand Prix, the second round on the calendar.
Following the positive Championship debut with two podium finishes at Losail circuit – second place for Dani Pedrosa and third for Casey Stoner – the Repsol Honda riders arrive in Jerez confident and look forward to repeating the same good potential they showed in pre-season at this track.
The pre-season tests are a good reference to start working from this weekend. Casey Stoner managed to set the fastest lap (1’38.780) while Dani Pedrosa, lapped under his circuit record in Jerez (1’39.731 in 2010) with a best lap time of 1’39.157 and did a race simulation maintaining a high pace.
Dani Pedrosa, who will be making his 100th premier class start on Sunday, has visited the podium in Jerez in the last seven years with two victories (2005 and 2008) and five second positions, while the best result for Casey is a third place in 2009.
DANI PEDROSA World Championship Position: 2nd with 20 points
“The pre season test at Jerez was positive for us, we had good feelings on the bike and finished happy, so I’m really looking forward to going there for the Grand Prix this weekend. We need to be very focused and have a good qualifying session in order to start the race in a good position. I love the Jerez circuit and the passionate support of the Spanish fans, I hope the grandstands are full again as it adds to the unique atmosphere there. We had a great race in Qatar and to start the season on the podium is important, but we cannot relax, we will be aiming for another strong race this weekend”.
CASEY STONER World Championship Position: 3rd with 16 points
“After a difficult race in Qatar, I’m looking forward to Jerez. We had a very good pre-season test there, it’s a track that hasn’t been so good for me in the past so the fact we were able to hold a good pace there in testing has given us a lot of confidence. We still have some issues that we really need to resolve with the bike especially the chattering in the entrance and exit of the corner, when we solve these we believe we will have a very competitive package. Since Qatar I’ve been working on the arm pump issue I experienced in the race and it’s definitely feeling better, we’ve treated it the same way as when I had it in 2010 at Silverstone so I’m hoping it won’t be a problem for us this weekend”.
Rider Statistics – Dani Pedrosa
Age 26
Racing number 26
Race machine Honda RC213V
Date of birth September 29, 1985
Birthplace Sabadell – Spain
Height 1.60m
Weight 51kg
Hobbies Cycling, Music
Grand Prix debut 2001, 125cc Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka
First GP win 2002, 125cc Dutch Grand Prix, Assen
GP wins 38: 8 x 125cc, 15 x 250cc, 15 x MotoGP
GP podiums 98: 17 x 125cc, 24 x 250cc, 57 x MotoGP
GP pole positions 37: 9 x 125cc, 9 x 250cc, 19 x MotoGP
World Championships 3: 1 x 125cc (2003); 2 x 250cc (2004, 2005)
Previous results at Jerez 2011 2nd (MotoGP), 2010 2nd (MotoGP), 2009 2nd (MotoGP), 2008 1st (MotoGP), 2007 2nd (MotoGP), 2006 2nd (MotoGP), 2005 1st (250cc.), 2004 DNF (250cc.), 2003 4th (125cc), 2002 4th (125cc), 2001 10th (125cc)
Rider Statistics – Casey Stoner
Age 26
Racing number 1
Race machine Honda RC213V
Date of birth October 16th, 1985
Birthplace Southport, Australia
Height 171cm
Weight 58Kg
Hobbies Fishing
Grand Prix debut 2001, 125cc British Grand Prix, Donington Park
First GP win 2003, 125cc Valencia Grand Prix, Valencia
GP wins 40: 2 x 125cc, 5 x 250cc, 33 x MotoGP
GP podiums 80: 10 x 125cc, 10 x 250cc, 60 x MotoGP
GP pole positions 38: 2 x 125cc, 2 x 250cc, 34 x MotoGP
World Championships 2: MotoGP (2011, 2007)
Previous results at Jerez 2011 DNF (MotoG), 2010 5th (MotoGP), 2009 3rd (MotoGP), 2008 11th (MotoGP), 2007 5th (MotoGP), 2006 6th (MotoGP), 2005 DNF (250cc), 2004 5th (125cc.), 2003 6th (125cc), 2002 6th (250cc)
Circuit information
First race 1987 (Modified 2002)
GPs held 25
Laps 27
Race distance 119.421km / 74.196miles
Track length 4.423km / 2.748miles
Track width 11m
Longest straight 0.600km / 0.373miles
Corners 13 (8 right, 5 left)
Pole position Left
Apr.17 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has cast doubt on whether New York will feature on next year’s calendar.
The street race in New Jersey, amid the Manhattan skyline, was scheduled to join the 2013 calendar, and it emerged recently that construction of the main pit building is well underway.
But F1′s chief executive said on Tuesday: “Maybe the New York race will be 2013.
“It’s a when,” Ecclestone told the BBC. “2013 or 2014.”
This Sunday sees the long awaited and hugely anticipated season opening race of the 2012 MotoGP Championship at the Losail circuit in Qatar. Yamaha Factory Racing riders Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies will line up on the grid under the spectacular floodlights alongside their rivals for the first true test of the 1000cc era. A strong winter testing period with very competitive times means both riders arrive in Qatar confident in the abilities of their all-new 1000cc YZR-M1 as they set their sights on the podium.
2011 Championship runner up Lorenzo has a strong record at Qatar, starting every premiership MotoGP race there from the front row and always finishing on the podium. An outright Losail victory has so far eluded him, something he aims to put rights this weekend. Team mate Spies has yet to score a podium finish in Qatar, taking fifth in 2010 and sixth in 2011. The Texan is looking very comfortable on the new 1000cc machines and is aiming for nothing less than a podium finish on Sunday.
Jorge Lorenzo
“I’m very excited to finally make a race and see how we are compared to our rivals. Qatar was a good race for us last year but I think this season we have a slightly more competitive bike so I am hoping for good things to happen. Because of my hand injury it has been a long time since I was in a race so I am really excited for Sunday. I have been training a lot for this season; I’m feeling very good and very happy with the bike as well.”
Ben Spies
“Finally! I think testing can get a bit dull after a while so I’m happy we now get to go and do some racing at last. We’ve worked really hard over the winter; the Yamaha Engineers have done a great job so we’ve got a pretty good bike to race with at the weekend. Let’s get out there on Thursday and start finding a set up and see how it feels. It’s always special to race at night under the lights, we’re going to give it 100% and put on a good show!”
Wilco Zeelenberg
Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“I’m really excited to go to Qatar, it’s been a longer off season than usual. We had a great winter test season and we solved a lot of problems from 2011 so I’m curious to see how our package behaves under race conditions. Testing is one thing but finishing on a podium is the real test. Jorge is very fit and the M1 is ready to go. let’s clean the track for the first couple of days and then go racing!”
Massimo Meregalli
Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“We are going to Qatar in good spirits. After the three winter tests our performance was consistently good which is important. We’re starting this Grand Prix with good expectations, knowing that we can achieve a good result. Last year Jorge had a really good race and the bike was less competitive than it is now, and Ben has always been strong at Qatar, also in World Superbike. The Losail circuit layout is very suitable for our bike characteristics so we should do well!”
Jorge Lorenzo
Age: 24
Lives: Barcelona, Spain
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 38 (18 x MotoGP, 17 x 250cc, 4 x 125cc)
First GP victory: Brazil, 2003 (125cc)
First GP: Jerez, Spain, 2002 (125cc)
GP starts: 161 (65 x MotoGP, 48 x 250cc, 46 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 44 (16 x MotoGP, 23 x 250cc, 3 x 125cc)
World Championships: 3 (MotoGP 2010, 250cc, 2006/7)
Ben Spies
Age: 26
Lives: Longview Texas / Lake Como Italy
Bike: Yamaha
GP victories: 1
First GP victory: Assen, Netherlands, 2011
First GP: Donington, UK, 2008 (MotoGP)
GP starts: 37
Pole positions: 1
World Championships: 1 (WSB 2009)
The 2012 MotoGP World Championship officially starts this weekend in Qatar, the small Peninsula off the Persian Gulf, noted for hosting the only race of the calendar under floodlights. The Grand Prix of Qatar is, without any doubt, one of the most spectacular races of the season.
Months of development, testing and hard work have gone into the preparation for this season which sees a switch to 1000cc bikes. In addition to this change the Repsol Honda Team faces another challenge; defending the Triple Crown they achieved in 2011 when they won the rider, team and constructor titles.
Casey Stoner, the current MotoGP World Champion, has also been the man to beat in pre-season, dominating both tests in Malaysia and Jerez, where his teammate, Dani Pedrosa, also confirmed himself as one of the fastest riders in the top class.
The wait is over and the next time that both Repsol Honda riders will go on track will be on Thursday for the first free practice of the GP of Qatar. Two more practice sessions will be held on Friday; the qualifying session on Saturday, and on Sunday, from 22h00 (21h00 CET) the lights will go out for the first race of the 2012 season.
Stoner’s record in Losail circuit is impressive: he’s the main reference with 4 pole positions and 4 wins out of six in the MotoGP class. Pedrosa has visited the podium 3 times in MotoGP and will be fighting, like the Australian, for a strong start to the season.
CASEY STONER
“After good pre-season tests in both Sepang and Jerez, we head to Qatar feeling positive, but still have some work to do. This will be the first time with the new bike on this circuit so we will need to spend some time on the set-up to put ourselves in the best position. We’ve always enjoyed good results at the Losail circuit but this is a new season and there are more competitors contesting for victory this year. I’m excited to get the season started and fight for another World Championship”.
DANI PEDROSA
“Each year is different and there are always various obstacles to go through during a season. I’ve had good and bad races in the past, but a big part of these results are determined by how you have prepared yourself in the winter. I’ve worked very well this year, I had a good pre season with the bike and with my physical training; I hope that luck is on my side this time, so we can have a good championship. Qatar is important because it’s the first race of the season, but you have to minimise risks. If you don’t win this race you can still win the championship, but on the other side, a mistake can complicate the year. I’m ready. Let’s see how everything goes and where everyone is”.
Rider Statistics – Casey Stoner
Age 26
Racing number 1
Race machine Honda RC213V
Date of birth October 16th, 1985
Birthplace Southport, Australia
Height 171cm
Weight 58Kg
Hobbies Fishing
Grand Prix debut 2001, 125cc British Grand Prix, Donington Park
First GP win 2003, 125cc Valencia Grand Prix, Valencia
GP wins 40: 2 x 125cc, 5 x 250cc, 33 x MotoGP
GP podiums 79: 10 x 125cc, 10 x 250cc, 59 x MotoGP
GP pole positions 38: 2 x 125cc, 2 x 250cc, 34 x MotoGP
World Championships 2: MotoGP (2011, 2007)
Previous results at Losail 2011 1st (MotoG), 2010 DNF (MotoGP), 2009 1st (MotoGP), 2008 1st (MotoGP), 2007 1st (MotoGP), 2006 5th (MotoGP), 2005 1st (250cc), 2004 DNF (125cc.)
Rider Statistics – Dani Pedrosa
Age 26
Racing number 26
Race machine Honda RC213V
Date of birth September 29, 1985
Birthplace Sabadell – Spain
Height 1.60m
Weight 51kg
Hobbies Cycling, Music
Grand Prix debut 2001, 125cc Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka
First GP win 2002, 125cc Dutch Grand Prix, Assen
GP wins 38: 8 x 125cc, 15 x 250cc, 15 x MotoGP
GP podiums 97: 17 x 125cc, 24 x 250cc, 56 x MotoGP
GP pole positions 37: 9 x 125cc, 9 x 250cc, 19 x MotoGP
World Championships 3: 1 x 125cc (2003); 2 x 250cc (2004, 2005)
Previous results at Losail 2011 3rd (MotoGP), 2010 7th (MotoGP), 2009 11th (MotoGP), 2008 3rd (MotoGP), 2007 3rd (MotoGP), 2006 6th (MotoGP), 2005 4th (250cc.), 2004 2nd (250cc.)
Circuit information
First race 2004
GPs held 8
Laps 22
Race distance 118.360km / 73.546miles
Track length 5.380km / 3.343miles
Track width 12m
Longest straight 1,068km / 0.664miles
Corners 16 (10 right, 6 left)
Pole position Left
Losail International Circuit,
Al Wusail, North Relief Road,
Doha, Qatar.
Vettel team order ‘not tactical’ – Marko
Mar.28 (GMM) Red Bull has hit back at claims the team lied about a technical problem in Malaysia in order to gain a tactical advantage for the forthcoming races.
Near the end of the Sepang race, Sebastian Vettel’s engineer repeatedly instructed the back-to-back world champion to retire his RB8 car.
Team boss Christian Horner said the brake temperatures had risen to a dangerous level, but Vettel nonetheless raced to the chequered flag and finished eleventh, one position out of the points.
Horner explained Vettel did not hear the radio calls due to a “lightening strike”, but photos prove that the German driver was also repeatedly shown pit boards with the same messages.
And the 24-year-old revealed after the race: “Of course you can save the car, but I wanted to see the chequered flag. I think that’s how it should be.”
Moreover, the authoritative Auto Motor und Sport quotes Vettel as confirming: “I heard the command.”
Red Bull has been accused in some media reports of feigning the brake problem in order to retire the car for tactical reasons and therefore install a fresh gearbox for China next month without penalty.
Dr Helmut Marko told Bild newspaper: “After the crash (with Narain Karthikeyan), the temperature of the brakes rose far above the allowed level.
“We called him in purely because the car was no longer safe. It was not a tactical decision,” the Austrian insisted.
It is reported that Vettel will sit with his team bosses this week in Milton-Keynes to discuss the apparently ignored team order.
German racing legend Hans-Joachim Stuck said: “Another driver would be fired, but Vettel has the confidence of being a double world champion.”
According to Welt newspaper, Swiss commentator Marc Surer added: “It was the right decision by Vettel, as the team needs to be careful with commands like that.”
Mar.28 (GMM) Ferrari’s new deal for the 2013 Concorde Agreement reportedly involves a $50 million annual fee.
It is believed the Italian team has now finalised its commercial agreement with Bernie Ecclestone.
The same is reportedly true for fellow top teams McLaren and Red Bull, whose annual additional fee is, according to German newsmagazine Der Spiegel, $35m apiece.
Ecclestone wanted to announce the conclusion of successful Concorde Agreement negotiations in Malaysia, but major teams including Mercedes and Williams were yet to sign up.
Instead, the F1 chief executive released a statement saying deals have been done with ‘the majority’ of the teams.
Mercedes, in particular, is more than unhappy.
“It can not be,” a Daimler insider is quoted as saying, “that transparency from our business partners is lacking regarding a contract through 2020.”
Mar.29 (GMM) Luca di Montezemolo has offered Felipe Massa some cautious backing.
The struggling driver was summoned to Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters this week rather than travel home to Brazil to see his young family.
But team boss Stefano Domenicali said the 30-year-old retains Ferrari’s full backing, despite two sub-standard performances in Australia and Malaysia and widespread calls within the media for his dismissal.
Germany’s SID news agency quotes Ferrari president Montezemolo as saying: “We have great confidence in Massa.
“And at the moment I don’t see many outstanding drivers out there,” he added.
The implication could be that an “outstanding” driver might be a candidate to replace Massa either now or in the future.
The cream of Ferrari’s own driver development academy, Sergio Perez, sensationally finished second behind Fernando Alonso last weekend in Malaysia, with Massa fifteenth.
Brazilian former driver and now commentator Luciano Burti traces Massa’s decline all the way back to Hockenheim 2010, when on the one-year anniversary of his near-fatal crash he was told by his engineer: “Fernando is faster than you”.
“When that order came, his house fell around him,” Burti told Brazil’s Globo.
Soon after that, Alonso was – and still is – the darling of Ferrari, while one of Massa’s strongest supporters, the O Estado de S.Paulo correspondent Livio Oricchio, now believes the Brazilian is little more than the “test driver” for new components.
