Tag: Formula One

Vettel gets in trouble in Turkey for driving, then drinking

Ruh-roh. It looks like Sebastian Vettel hasn’t quite ingratiated himself with his hosts in Istanbul, though there’s no telling what (if any) repercussions might ensue.

According to reports, Vettel was told before the start of this weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix that, if he were to win, he would not be allowed to drink the champagne. Not because alcohol isn’t permitted in Turkey – while in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain the traditional bubbly is replaced with a sparkling non-alcoholic beverage in deference to the ban on alcohol under Sharia (Muslim law), Turkey, while predominantly Muslim, is a more liberal country. No, the instructions were given specifically to Vettel because of a new Turkish law that places the minimum drinking age at 24. And Vettel (both the youngest race winner and the youngest world champion in F1 history) is just 23. As you can see above, drink champagne he did.

Now Vettel isn’t the youngest driver on the grid this year. Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari and Sauber’s Sergio Perez are all younger, but given their track records compared to Vettel’s… well, let’s just say the bookies weren’t giving even odds on that particular bet.

The restrictions in Turkey extend as well to a ban on advertising alcohol, forcing some teams to temporarily jettison their liquor sponsors (much as they did when tobacco advertising was banned in certain countries, but not others). McLaren, for example, is sponsored by Johnnie Walker scotch whisky, as Force India is by Whyte & Mackay, while Sauber is sponsored by Jose Cuervo tequila. (Ferrari is apparently no longer sponsored by Martini, while we assume Vettel and Webber simply left the vodka out of their Red Bulls for this round.)

Will Vettel face some sort of punishment at the hands of the Turkish authorities? We’d hate to think what that would entail, but one way or another, he’ll be legal by next year’s grand prix. That is, assuming the race takes place again next year; an increase in the fees by Bernie Ecclestone could mean that this year’s was the last for Istanbul Park.

[Source: ESPN | Images: Luca Bruno/AP]

via Vettel gets in trouble in Turkey for driving, then drinking — Autoblog.

May 11, 2011
Turkey ‘optimistic’ over F1 future

Turkish officials say they are ‘optimistic’ about the chances of the nations F1 event continuining following meetings with Bernie Ecclestone during the Istanbul weekend.

The future of the event has been called into question due to the rising costs involved, with the head of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Murat Yalcintas saying that it was likely that the 2011 race would be the last.

Ecclestone however has said he is keen to Turkey to stay on the calendar as, despite failing to bring in large crowds, the circuit has proved to be a popular one with drivers and served up an exciting fourth round of the season this past weekend.

Speaking following a meeting with the commercial rights holder during the weekend, Turkish youth and sport general director Yunus Akgul said the country was hopeful a deal could be struck to remain part of the F1 schedule.

“We will do everything we can – we will talk with Ecclestone,” he was quoted by the Guardian. “We want this race to stay but it is not the be-all and end-all. We will keep this track alive in every way. There are other races, we will go to them. We definitely want Formula [One] to stay here and we will do everything we can.

“The draft calendar will be discussed on 3 June. Even if the issue is not resolved by that date, we must get into the draft.”

Official figures suggested a crowd of 42,000 attended the 2011 race, up on the figures from twelve months before.

via Turkey ‘optimistic’ over F1 future | F1 News | May 2011 | Crash.Net.

May 11, 2011
2011 GP3: No Turkish Delight For Quaife-Hobbs In Istanbul

Adrian Quaife-Hobbs had a frustrating start to his GP3 campaign after a broken starter motor in the weekend’s opening 15-lap race effectively ended his chances of capitalising on his pre-season testing form. Adrian went into the opening rounds of the 16-race series buoyed by a scintillating pace in Barcelona in which he topped the time sheets.

Arriving in Turkey the 20 year-old was confident of repeating that pace with the Marussia Manor Racing team, but in Friday’s wet/dry sessions was unable to get the most out of his Pirelli tyres. In qualifying on Saturday morning, Adrian was unfortunate to have his flying lap ruined by a spinning car, which came back onto the track in front of him, ending his run. He wound up 16th fastest but still confident of being able to move up through the order.

However as he took to the grid for Saturday’s opening race, Adrian suffered a problem with the starter motor, which his mechanics tried to fix prior to the start. However as the one-minute board was shown, Adrian was pushed off the grid, and forced to start the race from the pit-lane. In a field of 30 cars, and with the added handicap of suffering a drive-through penalty for the grid infringement, he drove a strong race to make up six places crossing the line 24th.

With the results of race one determining the grid for race two, Adrian lined up in that position on the 12th row and by lap three was already up to 17th. Over the course of the remaining laps, the Tonbridge racer was not able to make much more progress but was happy to have made up eight places at the flag to finish 16th.

“It certainly hasn’t been the start of the season I was hoping for after topping the times in testing,” said Adrian. “In qualifying a car spun and came back onto the track just as I was going for my flying lap, which brought that to a finish. In race one the starter motor failed on the grid and although the team did a good job to try and fix it, because the one-minute board had been shown, the marshals pushed me off the grid and into the pits, and then I got a drive-through penalty too.

“That was my weekend pretty much over although I think we recovered well in the second race coming back through the field from 24th to 16th. I was satisfied with our pace in both races, it’s just disappointing we had the starter motor problem in race one as we showed we could have had potentially two strong finishes.

“We will put that all behind us now though and if we carry on working like we did this weekend I’m sure we will do well and be back on the pace for Barcelona.”

The next double-header rounds of the 2011 GP3 Series take place over the weekend of 20-22 May at the Catalunya circuit in Barcelona, Spain.

PaddockTalk Perspective

via 2011 GP3: No Turkish Delight For Quaife-Hobbs In Istanbul :: PaddockTalk :: F1, Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, MotoGP, ALMS, And More!.

May 10, 2011
Vettel leads Red Bull one-two in Turkey to stretch title lead

(CNN) — Sebastian Vettel led Red Bull to a one-two in the Turkish Grand Prix Sunday to increase his lead in this year’s Formula One title race.

The defending world champion drove a flawless race from pole position to claim victory from teammate Mark Webber, with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso in third place.

Webber completed a superb overtaking maneuver on Ferrari’s Alonso in the closing stages in Istanbul to complete a superb day for the English-based team.

Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, came home fourth, with Germany’s Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes, separating the two McLaren drivers as Hamilton’s fellow Briton Jenson Button took sixth.

Button paid the price for a three-stop strategy, while the other leading contenders opted for four.

Germany’s Nick Heidfeld finished seventh for Renault ahead of his Russian teammate Vitaly Petrov.

Swiss Sebastien Buemi for Toro Rosso and promising young Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber completed the points scoring down to 10th.

But there was more disappointment Germany’s seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, who finished adrift of teammate Rosberg in 12th, just behind former teammate Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari.

Schumacher was involved in a tangle with Petrov which resulted in him having a new rear wing fitted.

But it was Vettel, who dominated from start to finish, only led when he went in for pit stops.

“What a race. We controlled it from the beginning to the end. Thank-you,” he said on his team radio.

It was his third win in four races this season and he leads Hamilton by 34 in the drivers’ championship, with Webber four points further adrift.

Red Bull have a big lead in the constructors’ championship with 148 to McLaren’s 105.

via Vettel leads Red Bull one-two in Turkey to stretch title lead – CNN.com.

May 9, 2011
Michael Schumacher admits he is not enjoying racing

Michael Schumacher has admitted for the first time that he is not enjoying racing following a disappointing start to the second season of his comeback.

The 42-year-old Mercedes driver finished 12th in the Turkish Grand Prix after another poor weekend.

Schumacher told BBC Sport: “The big joy is not there right now.”

He won a record seven titles and 91 grands prix before retiring in 2006, but has been bettered by Nico Rosberg in 15 of their 23 races as team-mates.

Rosberg, 25, has also out-qualified his fellow German on 19 occasions.

Michael Schumacher

Schumacher admits to joyless F1 experience

Rosberg qualified third in Turkey, more than a second faster than Schumacher, who was eighth on the grid.

Schumacher was not helped by an opening-lap collision with Renault’s Vitaly Petrov, for which he admitted he was at fault. The incident forced him into the pits for a new front wing.

Schumacher made three further stops for fresh tyres but never looked capable of getting close to the front runners.

The result – allied to a retirement in Australia, a ninth-place finish in Malaysia and eighth in China – means he sits 11th in the drivers’ championship with just six points.

Rosberg finds himself 10th on 20 points, while Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel lead the way on 93 points following his victory in Turkey.

“I told you before the race there was going to be some action and indeed I had lots of action,” said Schumacher.

“I guess I was responsible myself to have the result that I had. With Petrov I guess it was mostly my mistake what happened there.

“I need to analyse it. It was a bit strange that suddenly we got together and I lost my front wing. The race was a given from there – lots of fighting, lots of action, but for nothing.

“From where we came [on the grid], going forward is better than still having to defend backwards, and mostly I was able to go forward.”

ANDREW BENSON’S BLOG

Continue reading the main story

I’ve known Schumacher for a long time, and he looked and sounded like a man beginning, as Coulthard said, ‘to ask himself some questions’

Read more here

Schumacher signed a three-year contract with Mercedes when he returned to F1 last year, but BBC F1 chief analyst Eddie Jordan said it might be time for him to consider his future.

“I felt just a glimmer of sadness that here’s a legendary person who has been magnificent in all the years that he’s raced, winning seven world championships,” Jordan said.

“He’s very human, he’s very, very honest – he’s clearly not enjoying it and the results are showing why he’s not enjoying it. He has a couple of big decisions to make in the next couple of months.”

But BBC F1 co-commentator David Coulthard cautioned against jumping to conclusions.

“He’s not performing at the same level of his team-mate, that’s a fact,” said the former Williams, McLaren and Red Bull driver, who raced against Schumacher for 12 years.

“The statistics show Nico Rosberg is getting more out of that car than Michael Schumacher.

“I don’t think we should write Michael off by any stretch of the imagination – there’s a lot of talent there – but he must be asking himself questions.

“I think the key thing is he’s not enjoying it and to be perfectly open and honest with you there was an element of that for me at the beginning of 2008.

“I wasn’t as competitive as I felt I should be, I wasn’t enjoying the races as much as I used to and then that’s the moment.

“It slowly builds until you look in the mirror and realise that feeling you’ve been having for a few weeks or months is the internal message. You can’t hold back the clock.”

via BBC Sport – Michael Schumacher admits he is not enjoying racing.

May 9, 2011
Drivers want Istanbul to remain

Formula One drivers hope they will not be competing at the Turkish Grand Prix for the last time this weekend.

Doubts were raised that Turkey may not host a race next year, after the head of Istanbul’s Chamber of Commerce Murat Yalcintas – citing an increase in the fee to stage it – last month expressed reservations it could continue.

Turkey joined the F1 calendar in 2005 but the race has attracted poor attendances due to high ticket prices and difficulty of access to the venue on Istanbul’s Asian side.

Although Istanbul’s six-year contract to host the race is due to expire this year, drivers want to keep coming back.

“I would miss it, definitely, as it is a place that you have some better results than you expected. It is a good place, but we will see how it is going to be,” Felipe Massa said.

“It is a track you always like to come (to). You always have a good result, good feeling and we will miss it if we are not coming here next year.”

Massa has a particular fondness for it, as he won three straight races at Istanbul Park from 2006-08, all from pole position.

“It is a very special place for me. I won three times, especially the first time it was a big fight with Fernando (Alonso) and Michael (Schumacher),” Massa said. “In 2008 I had a big fight with Lewis (Hamilton).”

Hamilton won at Istanbul last year and the Briton is hoping more success this Sunday can close the gap on Championship leader Sebastian Vettel. The German F1 Champion leads Hamilton by 21 points after three races.

“It’s got some great high speed corners and quite a nice mixture of corners,” Hamilton said of Istanbul’s track. “Of course it would be a shame to not have the Grand Prix on the calendar.”

Istanbul’s Turn Eight is the longest of the season at 640 meters and is particularly thrilling for drivers to test themselves against.

“We love to race at circuits that are challenging and exciting for us, so fingers crossed it will be here (next year),” Hamilton said.

Yalcintas, who represents the backers of the race, said on his Twitter account last month that Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone doubled the asking fee from $13 million to $26 million, and that Turkey’s Ministry of Finance considered the amount too high.

via Drivers want Istanbul to remain | Planet F1 | Formula One News.

May 9, 2011