FORMULA 1 - 2012

[MIKA27]

Engineer claims some breached August shutdown pact

An unnamed engineer has alleged that some teams broke the 'gentleman's agreement' governing the factory shutdowns during F1's recent August break.

As per an unofficial cost-cutting pact, the twelve competing teams all agreed to close their doors for a full 14-day period.

During that time, the teams pledged to do almost no official F1 business -- not even the sending of a single email.

But some teams broke the agreement, the unnamed engineer claims.

"The factories were, for the most part, closed," the anonymous source told the Spanish newspaper El Pais' correspondent Oriol Puigdemont at Spa.

"But what was done was that some work was put in the hands of suppliers, who continued to make parts in August," he claimed.

"I know firsthand that some teams, like Sauber and Williams for example, told their workers to shut down their computers on the last day of work and leave them at the factory.

"But there were others, like Ferrari, who never did that," the unnamed engineer said.

"The restrictions (of the shutdown) were very vague, and cheating very simple. You could just create a parallel email account.

"Also, if someone looked at the log of communications and you have talked to one of your colleagues, you could just argue that it's just your friend who is in the same team," the source added.

[MIKA27]

Belgian GP: Lewis Hamilton keen to move on from Spa start clash

Lewis Hamilton declined to discuss the Belgian Grand Prix startline crash that began with contact between his McLaren and Romain Grosjean's Lotus.

Grosjean appeared to move across on Hamilton on the run towards La Source, putting the McLaren on the grass.

They then crashed into Fernando Alonso's Ferrari and the two Saubers going into the hairpin.

Hamilton said he just wanted to move on and celebrate team-mate Jenson Button's victory.

"I don't want to talk about the start crash," he said.

"Just congratulations to Jenson, he did a fantastic race. It looked like a walk in the park for him."

While Button took a commanding pole position and race win, Hamilton only qualified eighth following a controversial decision to stick with an older-specification rear wing.

"It's great to see that the team had the pace and I've got to try to pull that out of my car in the next race," said Hamilton.

The start incident saw Hamilton, Alonso and Grosjean's cars all slightly airborne at times, but the Briton played down the severity of the crash.

"I've had a lot worse than that," he said.

[MIKA27]

Belgian GP: Jerome d'Ambrosio set to take banned Romain Grosjean's Lotus seat for Italy

Lotus says there is a "very high" chance that its reserve driver Jerome d'Ambrosio will be drafted in as replacement for Romain Grosjean at the Italian Grand Prix.

Grosjean has been handed a one-race ban for causing a major startline crash in Belgium - which means he will miss next week's event at Monza.

And although Lotus says that it is going to wait a bit more before committing to its decision, team principal Eric Boullier admits that it is likely that d'Ambrosio will be called up.

When asked about the chances of the former Virgin racer being given his opportunity, Boullier said: "Very high.

"There are many drivers around who are looking for a drive. We will consider first Jerome, who is our third driver. He has most of the chance to drive the car.

"But I need to sit down with him. I need to do a couple of things and then we will see."

Other contenders with race experience who are available are Adrian Sutil, Jaime Alguersuari and Rubens Barrichello.

D'Ambrosio raced for Virgin in 2011, but was replaced by Charles Pic for the start of this season.

He has already driven this year's Lotus E20 at the Mugello test, which took place after the Bahrain GP.

[MIKA27]

Belgian GP: Pastor Maldonado gets double grid penalty for Timo Glock crash and jump-start

Pastor Maldonado will be demoted 10 places on the Italian Grand Prix grid as a punishment for both jumping the start in Belgium and colliding with Timo Glock.

The Williams driver had already been given a three-place grid penalty at Spa for blocking Nico Hulkenberg in qualifying.

He then made a premature getaway in the race, before being tagged into a spin as the crash involving Romain Grosjean, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and the Saubers unfolded.

Maldonado rejoined, only to collide with Timo Glock's Marussia at the restart, ending his race.

Although Glock was able to continue, the stewards ruled that Maldonado's actions in the clash deserved a five-place penalty.

They also bestowed an additional five-place drop as he had been unable to take the usual drivethrough penalty for a jump-start in the race due to his early retirement.

"The driver failed to finish the race so the usual penalty for a false start could not be imposed," said an official statement.

Maldonado accepted the blame for the start error.

"I made a slight mistake at the start because the clutch slipped out of my hands before the red light switched off," he said.

[MIKA27]

Cosworth determined to stay in Formula 1 beyond 2013

Cosworth is ready to commit to building a new Formula 1 engine for the V6 era in 2014, as it rubbished suggestions it plans to leave the sport at the end of next year.

There has been talk in recent weeks from leading paddock figures that there would be just three engine manufacturers after next year - Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes-Benz.

That came following the PURE company's decision to suspend its operations because of financial issues, and uncertainty over Cosworth's intentions.

However,in the wake of a fresh deal with Marussia for 2013, Cosworth's general manager of F1 Kim Spearman made it clear the famous engine company is pushing to secure its longer-term future in F1 too.

"We are ready to supply engines for 2014," he said. "Initial discussions have been had with some people, and I think by the end of September we would like to know where we are. But I don't think we have to have all the t's crossed and the i's dotted by then. It can go a little bit longer than that."

Although it is believed that all three current car manufacturers in F1 have begun bench testing of their next engines, Cosworth says that there is still more than enough time for it to development an all-new power unit for the start of the 2014 season.

"Regularly we have done clean sheet of paper engines in 10 months," he said. "It is something we can do and have done time and again over the years. We would like a bit more than that because it is a complicated engine, but there is still a good amount of time left to do one. We are not particularly stressed at the moment about getting it done."

Cosworth's group head of marketing Pio Szyjanowicz said that the company would not reveal who it was speaking to about 2014 - but insisted that any deals would have to make commercial sense for both parties.

"I think what we have seen from Craig [Pollock, head of PURE] putting things on hold is that it demonstrates just how difficult the marketplace is," he said.

"We have said time again that a solution needs to be commercially viable, and it would be remiss of us not to offer something that was commercially viable. The sport owes it to the fans and teams, and everybody involved in our industry, to make sure that they produce something that is sustainable and makes commercial sense.

"We will remain fairly private about our discussions until we have got to the point where we can reveal them to everybody, but commercial confidence is highly regarded in Formula 1. Everyone is trying to understand their options and there are still plenty of them.

"From our point of view we stand ready to provide a competitive engine whatever year that is required."

Cosworth this week announced a new deal with Marussia for next year, and it is in discussions with HRT about extending its deal there for 2013 too.

"We have one team signed and the other team we are working with and expect an announcement in the next 10 days," said Spearman. "Hopefully both teams will go forward for next year."

[MIKA27]

BELGIAN GRAND PRIX: WHO WAS YOUR DRIVER OF THE DAY?

Jenson Button avoided the first lap carnage to take a dominant victory from pole position at Spa, but there were plenty of impressive drives elsewhere. Who was your Driver of the Day?

Jenson Button

Decided on a low downforce set-up after final practice and it appeared to be the right choice as he nailed a brilliant lap in the second part of qualifying. Two more scintillating laps in the top 10 shoot-out sealed his first pole position since the 2009 Monaco Grand Prix. A perfect start saw him escape the carnage behind him and though Sebastian Vettel looked quick in the second half of the race, Button responded with a flurry of fast laps before coasting to his second win of the season and retain hopes of fighting for the world title.

Sebastian Vettel

Was a shock absentee from the top 10 shoot-out in qualifying after making a mistake in the third sector of his final run in Q2. Qualified 11th but started 10th after a five-place grid penalty for Red Bull teammate Mark Webber. Avoided the first corner pile up but lost a few places as he negotiated the debris. Showed good race pace and pulled of a series of bold moves, including one over Webber at the Bus Stop chicane to rise up through the field. A one-stop strategy proved to be the right choice as he rose to second before easing off when he realised he could not catch Button. Climbed to second in the drivers’ standings, 24 points off leader Fernando Alonso.

Kimi Raikkonen

Considered one of the favourites for victory going into the weekend having won the race four times before. Looked strong in third practice but couldn’t get a lap together in qualifying and finished fourth fastest, which became third on the grid following Pastor Maldonado’s three-place grid penalty. Fortunate to avoid the crash at the start, but struggled for pace early on and lost a number of places. Unlucky to come out in traffic after both his two stops, but showed good pace in the final stint to pass Michael Schumacher among others and rise up to third. A sixth podium of the season keeps him in the title hunt, 31 points of the lead.

Nico Hulkenberg

Failed to make it into Q2 and started 12th while his teammate Paul di Resta started two places further up. Avoided the first corner melee to run as high as second early on, battling with Kimi Raikkonen and then Michael Schumacher. Decided on a two-stop strategy which he made work to finish fourth. It was the his best result of the season and lifted him above his teammate in the drivers’ standings while also helping his Force India team rise to seventh in the constructors’.

Felipe Massa

Looked out of sorts in practice and admitted struggling to get the car hooked up in the middle sector in qualifying. Started 14th on the grid and passed both Red Bulls before having to back off due to the first corner crash. That left him 11th after the first lap, but he used his car’s good pace and DRS, and cut out the mistakes, to rise through the field and ensure Ferrari left the weekend with some points after Alonso crashed out on the first lap. It was the Brazilian’s sixth points scoring finish of the season and second in succession.

Jean-Eric Vergne

Struggled for pace in qualifying to finish 15th fastest, one place ahead of his Toro Rosso teammate Daniel Ricciardo. Made a slow getaway, but that meant he was well away from trouble when the first corner crash happened and was therefore able to sneak through down the inside and make up some positions. Showed good race pace which combined with slick pit stops helped the Frenchman rise up the field to equal his best finish of the season and help his team score their first double points finish of 2012.

[Bartolomeo]

From the TV replay, it looked like Maldonado's start was legit....

I was pissed to see that damn French jackass take out Alonso and Lewis......he has a reputation this year and this suspension only speaks to this

Bart

[MIKA27]

Mercedes reportedly tested triple DRS system at Spa

Forget DRS and double DRS, Mercedes has reportedly upped the ante and debuted a 'triple' DRS concept last weekend at Spa-Franorchamps.

The German squad pioneered the straightline speed-boosting idea this year, and at recent grands prix Lotus has been trying to get a similar system up and running.

Mercedes has now taken the next step, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

The publication on Saturday christened the Brackley based team's new idea 'triple-DRS'.

Nico Rosberg reportedly tested the new configuration with the aerodynamics stalling at high speed in no fewer than three places when DRS is deployed during Friday's wet practice sessions.

Asked how it works, team boss Ross Brawn smiled: "We'll leave that up to everyone's imagination.

"We've looked at the Lotus system and drawn our conclusions," he revealed. "Spa was a test in that direction."

AM&S said that the triple-DRS is not yet ready to race.

It was rumoured in recent days that McLaren might be the next to toy with the double-DRS concept.

Technical director Paddy Lowe said on Saturday: "Until now, Mercedes has had only one imitator, and that's Lotus. That shows how difficult it is to get a significant benefit from such a system.

"We are working on it, and if our ideas work the way we want them to, I imagine we will use it…but certainly not in the next two races," he added.

The German publication said that Red Bull might even have been ready to test some sort of innovation at the rear of the RB8 at Spa, but so far this weekend it has not been seen.

They also speculated that Adrian Newey pulled the innovation because of Friday's washed out practice sessions.

[MIKA27]

Spa pile-up renews focus on Formula One safety matters

The Belgian Grand Prix first turn crash that got Frenchman Romain Grosjean banned for a race has stoked the debate about cockpit safety in Formula One without providing any clearer solution to the problem.

Grosjean's Lotus lifted into the air and skimmed across the front of championship leader Fernando Alonso's Ferrari in the first corner pile-up, wrecking his car but fortunately missing the Spaniard's head.The incident, blamed squarely on Grosjean's aggressive driving, was a heart-stopping moment for Ferrari fans and senior team members watching from the pit wall as Alonso took his time getting out of the cockpit amid radio silence.

"We were lucky because nothing hit Fernando on the head," team boss Stefano Domenicali told reporters in a discussion that also touched on the need for inexperienced young drivers to be punished heavily for failings in the junior categories to ensure they arrive in Formula One with more awareness.

"It was a very risky situation and seeing one car fly over his, a few centimetres above his helmet, left us with our hearts "in our mouths" for a few tenths of a second," Ferrari technical head Pat Fry said.

Protecting the driver's head in such incidents with flying cars and debris has long been a concern for Formula One, a sport where the dangers are evident and there is a constant push to improve safety in all areas.

There has not been a driver fatality in a race since Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna died at Imola in 1994 but everyone in Formula One knows there is a constant risk of a freak accident.

Brazilian Felipe Massa's near-fatal head injury at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, when the Ferrari driver was hit on the helmet by a bouncing metal spring shed from a car in front, was a reminder of that.

The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) has done tests with jet-fighter style closed cockpits and forward roll hoops, a metal structure placed right in front of the driver to guard against a frontal blow to the helmet, but all carry other risks.

"We are working with the Federation to try to work on the right system of protection. with what we have tested or are working on there are also some problems that you may have," said Domenicali.

"We need to be very careful on all these devices. We are still working with the federation to find a possible solution… we are working very hard."

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh agreed that there was a need for some sort of added protection but closed cockpits were not the solution.

"I think people underestimate what a cockpit would have to be and how cockpits can make a situation worse," he told reporters after celebrating McLaren driver Jenson Button's untroubled cruise to victory at Spa.

"You can put this glass bubble over the drivers but you can't assume that they are thereafter safe."

Whitmarsh pointed to the considerable amount of research carried out in aviation to counter the effect of bird strikes on aircraft and how difficult it had been to protect a pilot while allowing undistorted visibility.

In the case of motor racing there are the added problems of impeding sightlines, cars overturning or suffering electrical fires with cockpits filling up with smoke.

[MIKA27]

Michael Schumacher – 300 and Counting

Source: Pitlane magazine - Jordan A. Irvine

Michael Schumacher – 300 and counting..!

Schumacher, MSC, Schumi, Schuey, Schu, The Rain King, The Rain Master, Regenkö*** and Regenmeister – these are just a few of the nicknames seven-time Formula 1 Drivers’ World Champion Michael Schumacher has obtained since his F1 career which started back in 1992. Whichever name you choose to associate the German racing driver with, one thing does not change – at the age of 43, and now after his 300th Formula 1 Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher remains one of the most highly decorated F1 drivers’ of all time.

With countless drivers’ records to his name, 18 years in the sport, and “statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen” according to the official online website for Formula 1, Michael Schumacher has become a household name; a celebrity in his own right whom everyone knows and recognises, motorsport fan or not.

The 2012 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps marked Michael Schumacher’s 300th Grand Prix entry into Formula 1. Only one driver, former Formula 1 driver and ex-teammate Rubens Barrichello, has entered more F1 races.

It seems fitting that Schumacher’s 300th Grand Prix entry comes at Spa-Francorchamps where 21 years ago Michael made his Formula 1 debut at Spa. A year later at the same track, he would win his first career Grand Prix whilst driving for Benetton-Ford. As the years followed and the experienced mounted, Schumacher would have continued success at Spa, winning three times consecutively in 1995, 1996 and 1997 and twice again in 2001 and 2002. He holds the record for the highest number of wins at Spa-Francorchamps with six in total; four of those came whilst driving for Scuderia Ferrari.

Look back over Michael Schumacher’s career in Formula 1 and you’ll find that reminiscing is no easy feat. With his record topping seven World Drivers’ Championships to his name, his resume also brags 91 race wins, 68 pole positions, 77 fastest laps and 155 podium places, to name but a few of his records. His career has been filled with excitement, domination of Formula 1 drivers’ records and domination of the sport in general. However, it is not a career that has been without fault. Alongside the glory comes a career filled with controversy, anger, penalties, disqualifications, and fall-outs with fellow teammates, drivers and teams.

World Championships

In 1994, just three years into his Formula 1 career and still being regarded as a ‘rookie’ by the experienced field which included the likes of Ayrton Senna, Damon Hill, Jean Alesi and Nigel Mansell, Schumacher won his first Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship. A spectacular achievement in itself, the Championship deciding race fell in to controversy. Going into the last race of the 1994 season in Australia, Schumacher lead the World Championship by just one point ahead of Damon Hill. Leading the race from the start, Schumacher brushed the wall and lost most of his lead at lap 35. As Damon Hill attempted a pass on Schumacher, the two would collide, forcing both to retire. After, race stewards deemed the collision to be a racing incident, Michael Schumacher would finish the season ahead of Hill, winning the World Championship. The British media were not so convinced of the “racing incident” ruling though, suspecting Schumacher hit Hill on purpose to win the Championship.

Schumacher’s inaugural Drivers’ Championship win would also be overshadowed by the deaths of three-time World Drivers’ Champion Ayrton Senna and Austrian Roland Ratzenberger during the San Marino Grand Prix. Michael witnessed the death of Senna first hand, as he was driving behind him at the time of the collision.

The 1995 season got off to a similar start, with Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill battling on track for the Championship lead. With two wins each in the first four races, it looked to be a tight season ahead. Hill would struggle in the Williams-Renault as the Championship progressed though, leaving the door open for Schumacher to clean up. Of 17 races on the calendar, Michael won nine of them, and with a total 102 points, would win his second Drivers’ World Championship 33 points ahead of Damon Hill.

In 1996, Michael Schumacher moved from Benetton-Ford to the highly prestigious Scuderia Ferrari marque. This marked the beginning of Schumacher’s most successful run in Formula 1. Schumacher drove for Ferrari for eleven consecutive seasons; a run which would see him collect his next five World Drivers’ Championships, all consecutively from 2000 to 2004.

During his Championship run, Schumacher would amass a surreal number of F1 drivers’ records; including consecutive titles (5), consecutive wins (7 in 2004), wins in a season (72% in 2004), podium finishes in a season (100% in 2002), consecutive points finishes (24; Hungary 2001 through Malaysia 2003), fastest laps in a season (10 in 2004) and hat tricks in a season (5 in 2004).

Placing 3rd and then 2nd in the 2005 and 2006 seasons, Schumacher would decide to hang up his helmet, announcing his official retirement from Formula 1 Racing at the end of the 2006 season. Retiring as one of the most successful drivers’ since the sports creation, Michael took up a consultative position with Scuderia Ferrari for the following three seasons, before announcing a ‘comeback’ with the newly formed Mercedes GP Petronas team.

Cars and Controversy

When talking about Michael Schumacher, one can’t help but think of the numerous controversies that have come with being the world’s best Formula 1 Driver. There have been few seasons in his 18 year career where Schumacher has not done something that would attract the attention of the race stewards, the FIA or the media.

Probably the most controversially recognised incident that Schumacher was involved in was during the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez in 1997. Going into the final race of the season, and leading the Championship by just 1 point (ahead of the Rothmans Williams of Jacques Villeneuve), Michael Schumacher developed a coolant leak which threatened his race. Fearing he would not finish, Schumacher attempted a collision with Villeneuve in attempt to retire them both. Though Schumacher would retire as a result of the accident, Villeneuve would finish the race, and ultimately, win the 1997 Drivers’ World Championship. As a direct result of the attempted collision, race stewards penalised Michael Schumacher for unsportsmanlike conduct and disqualified him from the entire 1997 Drivers’ Championship.To date, Schumacher remains the only driver in the history of Formula 1 to be disqualified from a World Drivers’ Championship.

Another infamous incident Schumacher found himself in the middle of was at the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix. Under team orders, teammate Rubens Barrichello purposely slowed his car on the final lap, allowing Michael Schumacher to win the race. With ‘boos’ raining down from the angered crowd during the podium presentations, Schumacher pushed Barrichello onto the top step, resulting in a $1 million (US) fine from the FIA for the drama.

Adding to a string of controversies, Schumacher has a list of ‘dangerous driving’ incidents, which include stopping his car on track in Monaco 2006 blocking Alonso from getting pole, and the now infamous ‘squeeze’ on Rubens Barrichello down the start / finish straight at the 2010 Hungarian Grand Prix, where Schumacher forced Barrichello dangerously close to the concrete wall at speeds of over 180 miles per hour before finally conceding the place to the Williams driver. Schumacher would receive a ten place grid penalty for the next race, and later apologised for the incident.

With all this, one of Schumacher’s most famous incidents takes us right back to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, this time in 1998. Whilst attempting to pass (and lap) the McLaren of David Coulthard in heavy rain, Coulthard’s car would slow, resulting in Schumacher running into the back of him, and ending both cars race. Michael Schumacher accused Coulthard of trying to “kill” him, and upon returning his damaged three-wheeled car to the pit garage, angrily stormed in to the McLaren garage to confront Coulthard. Team members of both Ferrari and McLaren had to separate the drivers – the incident was captured on live TV.

Despite all this though, Schumacher remains one of the most successful, popular and decorated drivers’ in the history of Formula 1 motorsport. And a career without excitement and controversy would hardly be worth the fame and legendary status that is associated with a true sportsman’s career.

Since joining the Mercedes factory team, now named Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team, Schumacher has had relatively little success compared to his ‘glory days’ at Ferrari, scoring a mediocre number of World Drivers’ Championship points, placing on the podium only a handful of times, and failing to collect a race win as of yet.

But the 2012 season is far from over, and with nine races left, and Schumacher’s 300th race entry approaching, one can’t help but to almost expect him to perform well in the upcoming races, taking himself a little closer to the top of the Formula 1 Race entries record in the process. The aptly known ‘silly season’ has thrown numerous rumours around during the summer break and many include what Schumacher will do for the 2013 season. While many expect him to drive another year with the Mercedes team, some question his results since his return and whether he is doomed to another season of mediocrity. At this point, it’s hard to say – we’re not driving the car, he is. When he believes he has nothing left to give, only then will Schumacher call it a day, again.

Love him, hate him, or indifferent, Michael Schumacher has left a mark on Formula 1 the world will never forget. Here’s to 300 – and everything more going forward.

[MIKA27]

Mika Hakkinen - Interview

In this exclusive interview with Pitlane Magazine, Mika talks about his life post racing, looks back at his F1 career and gives his thoughts on current motor racing.

DC – What are you up to these days?

MH – In my business life I am an ambassador for Mercedes Benz which takes up a lot of my time especially in China.

I am also an ambassador for Johnnie Walker for their Drink Aware Drive Aware program which I have been doing for several years, basically educating people not to drink and drive.

Also I am an ambassador for a logistics company based in Germany. There is a connection with Formula One as it is about speed, customers want things on time not one day later.

Also I help with driver management for Didier Coton with Aces Management which is an interesting and challenging program. When I was a driver I had Keke Rosberg as well as Didier looking after me, so I understand how important it is for a driver to have a manager. It is important for a driver to have a manager to take care of everyday life so that he can concentrate on racing, it is a very complicated life when you are a racing driver so you need good management like I had with Keke when I was a racing driver so I am helping with Valtteri.

DC – Do you think a driver who has a manager who has not been a driver is at a disadvantage?

MH – Every person is different, every driver is different, some drivers can do more than other drivers but when you are in F1 you are there for winning the world championship and every driver needs a great team and a great manager to give advice.

DC – What more can be done to help young drivers make it in their chosen formula? I know for example in Finland there is a mechanism in which young drivers with talent are identified early and supported.

MH – For the readers I can say that motorsport is bloody expensive and that is the problem, a serious problem, especially when you are talking about young drivers just starting out in karting from scratch and finishing at 16 or 17.

In these times a normal family can't afford to run this young person in karts all the way because it is ridiculously expensive.

This is already hurting talent in every country because they just can't afford to get the success.

It was expensive when I was young and now it is 10 times more expensive which is ridiculous and this needs to change, this (karting) is the sport for the children, for them to have fun and the cost is too much in todays world, after karting the costs are even higher and need to be bought down.

DC – A driver I help, Dan Wells moved to China to race in the Formula Pilota series backed by the Ferrari Drivers Academy, it is much cheaper. Do you think more and more drivers are going to have to look at alternative feeder series like these as a means of getting over this problem?

MH – It is difficult, I don't think that young talent is coming up in the right way because of the costs involved. The cost of racing is too much and the rules must change to bring down the cost as the way the economy in Europe and the rest of the world is it is difficult to find the money.

DC – Going back to Valtteri and young drivers do you feel the testing restrictions in F1 in particular are holding back drivers from getting experience in the seat?

MH – For sure it makes things more complicated and solutions need to be found.

When I was driving in F1 I used to test a lot, nearly every week, I found it an unbelieveable experience and got more confidence in the car and car handling experience. Now that it is difficult to get as much experience of the car it makes it more risky as drivers don't have as much experience and accidents are more likely to happen, it makes the drivers life much more hard.

Yes they have simulators which are unbelieveable and I have tried some but it is not the same as the real life experience of driving a racing car it is no replacement from actually sitting in the car. Definitely Formula One needs to look at this, if you are not driving the car you are losing learning experience.

DC – What are your views on the 2012 world championship? Kimi is back and doing rather well, do you think he can win the world championship?

MH – It is only halfway now and a lot of racing still to come so you can't at this stage point a finger at anyone and say they will win the world championship. So much can happen in the rest of the season, drivers making mistakes, car development. Things are still too open to call who will be champion.

DC – Do you think the unpredictability of the Pirelli tyres even for the leading teams has been detrimental to the racing? Do you think F1 is too unpredictable?

MH – Tyres have been a bit of a mystery but it is the same for every team, you have to live with it it is the same for every team, the same challenge. So far the tyres have been safe and reliable.

DC – One of your great rivals Michael Schumacher is still racing at 43 and arguably still very competitive. When you see him racing do you ever wish you were still out there going wheel to wheel with him?

MH – No, I had great results and great memories of motor racing and they will always be with me but I know I would not be competitive, you have to be physically in the right condition and to be motivated to race.

When you are in F1 you have to want to win so much more than any other driver and if you don't feel like that there is no point in racing. I had/have done enough. Retire when you are on top.

DC – One of your most spectacular moments in F1 was your overtake on Michael Schumacher at Spa 2000, that was pure driver skill, do you feel with the likes of KERS and DRS that overtaking is too artificial compared with when you were racing?

MH – There are two sides to the story. The show must go on and the public want to see a great show and enjoy what they have seen, and without KERS and DRS they are not going to see so many overtakes, I think it is a great idea to have these.

As a driver I do not know how it feels to have them and to overtake so easily but from a marketing point of view it is important to have overtaking, and these gizmos help the show.

DC – Finally Mika, your son Hugo is currently racing in karting. Does he have ambitions to race in F1? are we in the future likely to see another Hakkinen on the grid?

MH – Hugo loves karting. He loves doing it and that is all at the moment, it is far too early to think about F1. He is having great fun karting, if everything goes right in his motorsport education and learning, as he gets more experience you never know what is going to happen, but it is important for him to focus on karting.

Thanks to Mika Hakkinen for sparing his time to talk to Pitlane Magazine, to Didier Coton of Aces Management for organising the interview and to David Clifford of MotorsportXS for conducting the interview.

[MIKA27]

Button frustrated by Hamilton tweets

Jenson Button admits that he was left disappointed after Lewis Hamilton posted some of McLaren's technical information on Twitter.

Frustrated be McLaren's decision to run the team's old rear wing in qualifying for the Belgian GP which contributed to his eighth spot on the grid, Hamilton took to Twitter to vent his frustration.

"Damn, WTF!! Jenson has the new rear wing on, I have the old. We voted to change, didn't work out. I lose 0.4 tenths just on the straight," he wrote.

"Nothing I could do. Now, it's about picking up every point I can from there. Jenson should win easy with that speed."

While the former World Champion later removed the tweets, he was at it again on Sunday, this time posting telemetry data.

While McLaren have decided not to take any action against Hamilton, Button admitted to being let down by his team-mate's actions.

"I'll say disappointed," Button said of his feelings on the matter. "We work so hard to improve the car and to keep things like that private.

"I didn't want to see it on Twitter. It was the whole telemetry from qualifying. It wasn't just the rear wing. I was very surprised and disappointed."

While Hamilton may have been left frustrated by the weekend's action, Button enjoyed quite the opposite, winning the race from pole.

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Lotus to delay DDRS

Lotus technical director James Allison says that his team will not be making use of their double DRS device until the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Enstone squad had been hoping to test the device during Friday's practice at the Belgian Grand Prix, but rain put pay to these hopes. As a result they did not make use of it during Sunday's race.

Allison reveals that the device won't be ready for Monza and that the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore doesn't suit the double DRS and as such the device will be put on hold.

"Although we would like to have it at Monza - because it is the type of circuit that rewards such a thing - we don't have the DRS device configured to cope with the Monza level of downforce," explained Allison.

"So it is not even on the table. In Singapore you won't see it either, because it's too high a downforce circuit with insufficient straights for it to be worthwhile. The earliest you might see it now is Suzuka."

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D'Ambrosio to replace Grosjean

Lotus reserve driver Jerome D'Ambrosio will fill in for the banned Romain Grosjean at the Italian Grand Prix.

Grosjean will have to sit out the race at Monza after he was slapped with a suspension by race stewards for his role in the first corner mêlée at Spa on Sunday.

The Frenchman's actions were ruled to be "Extremely serious breach of the regulations which had the potential to cause injury to others," and as such he received a one-race ban.

D'Ambrosio is the natural successor as he is the team's reserve driver but there had been speculation that Rubens Barichello or Jaime Alguersuari may be called upon. However, Lotus have now confirmed that the Belgian will get an opportunity to prove his worth.

"When we signed Jérôme as our third driver we signed a man who is highly motivated, fresh, talented and who contested the full 2011 season," explained team principal Eric Boullier.

"We hope that this will pay dividends when he drives the car this weekend in Monza. We know that Jérôme is well integrated into the team and that he did a good job when he drove the E20 at the Mugello test. Now he has the challenge of a Grand Prix at the challenging circuit of Monza, in a car which is capable of finishing on the podium.

"One thing is for sure, he's half Italian and I think I know which driver the spectators will support apart from Fernando ! It's a tough task for Jérôme, but we will be supporting him in every way to achieve a good result."

The former Virgin driver is understandably delighted to have an opportunity to once again find himself in a race-seat.

"My desire for 2012 has always been to get back into the seat of a Formula 1 car so I am grabbing this opportunity with both hands," he said.

"Monza is a fantastic circuit and I can't wait to take to the track on Friday. As third driver I have worked with the team at every Grand Prix, attending all the briefings and meetings that the race drivers do, so I am well prepared in this respect. Monza is a superb circuit, but it is also quite a technical one so I am not underestimating the task ahead of me.

"I want to reward the faith that the team has in me with a good haul of points from the race. I will hand the wheel back to Romain after Sunday's race and I hope that this one showing in Italy will allow me to show my capabilities fully," he added.

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Alonso raring to go

Fernando Alonso has confirmed that he is 100% fit following his accident at Spa and will be ready to race at Monza this weekend.

Alonso was lucky to avoid serious injury when he was hit from behind in a first corner collision at the Belgian Grand Prix and then had Romain Grosjean's Lotus fly past his head.

The Ferrari man was slow getting out of his car following the crash and had to be assisted by marshals. However, he said after the race that he felt a "little bit of pain" in his back but nothing too severe.

On Tuesday the Spaniard delivered more good news writing on Twitter that: "Today I woke up with no pain and 200% ready for Monza!"

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GROSJEAN PENALTY WAS COMING:

It was interesting to speak to a few of the drivers privately after the race in Belgium and to hear that some of them welcomed the stewards’ tough stance on Romain Grosjean, banning him from the next race in Monza. One or two said that the ban should have been longer.

Clearly there is a problem here with two drivers in particular: Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado. Their fellow drivers are upset with their repeated incidents involving other drivers and don’t feel safe racing against them.

Grosjean has been involved in incidents at the start in Australia, Malaysia and Monaco among seven in total and, like Maldonado, has clearly been punished by the stewards this weekend as a way of making them take a long hard look.

A racer’s instinct is one thing, but it’s costing their teams valuable points and is a concern for other drivers.

Maldonado was handed a five place grid penalty at the next race in Monza for jumping the start today and another 5 place penalty for causing an accident with Glock at the restart. This was on top of a three place grid penalty yesterday for blocking Hulkenberg. He has had quite a few run-ins with other drivers, particularly Lewis Hamilton.

An hour or so before the stewards’ decision was announced, Fernando Alonso was asked whether he felt that the stewards should take some decisive action with Grosjean. Alonso was almost taken out by the Frenchman at the start in Monaco and was taken out by him today. He said,

“It may be a good opportunity. It’s true that we saw some repeat accidents for the same people and maybe a different approach from the Federation can be the solution. But it’s not easy; all the incidents are different. F1 with the speed, with the time, the distance, it’s difficult to combine these three elements and sometimes something that looks spectacular on TV is not so easy to avoid in reality.

“(At the start) The first thing was Maldonado; it was still the red lights and he was already P3 or P2, ” said Alonso before turning attention to Grosjean.

“I’m not angry,” he said of being knocked out of the race. “No-one does this on purpose. I think they were fighting and they are two aggressive drivers on the starts, Lewis and Romain and this time it was us in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“It’s true also that in 12 races he (Grosjean) had seven crashes at the start…

“The drivers need to have common sense, to have respect for the others.”

Ironically the driver steward in Spa was Eliseo Salazar, the Chilean driver who caused an accident with Nelson Piquet in Germany in 1982, which led to Piquet attacking him in the famous “punch-up”

.

A further irony is that the last time Grosjean raced an F1 car at Spa in 2009, he crashed into Jenson Button on the opening lap, eliminating the then championship leader!

Lotus can replace Grosjean for Monza and Eric Boullier has indicated that the likely replacement will be Jerome D’Ambrosio, the reserve driver. A decision will need to be made quickly to allow time for the replacement to get up to speed in the simulator.

Grosjean was apologetic about triggering the accident at the start, when he swerved across the road towards Lewis Hamilton, giving him nowhere to go and causing a four car pile up which also eliminated Sergio Perez and Alonso.

“I did a mistake and I misjudged the gap with Lewis,” said Grosjean. “I was sure I was in front of him. So a small mistake made a big incident. I didn’t change my line, I went from left to right. I was not really wanting to put anyone in the wall – I’m not here to stop the race in the first corner. I’m very, very sorry and I’m glad that nobody is hurt.

“But I have to say it is a very, very hard decision to hear.”

Eric Boullier, the Lotus team boss defended his driver, once again,

“He was not responsible for seven incidents. He was involved in seven incidents, which is different,” said Boullier. “But obviously being in the wrong place is not good; and that means we have to keep working and talking, which is more talking I think, about the reason why he is in the wrong place. He will learn even more if he does not put too much pressure on himself at the start of the race.”

Meanwhile Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali believes that the FIA should be tougher on drivers in the junior categories so they have more respect when they reach F1. Many in F1 noticed the number of accidents this weekend in GP2 and GP3; there is a kind of desperation about many of these young drivers who know that their chances of progressing into F1 in this economic climate are virtually non-existent and who are so desperate to catch the eye and impress and to get results.

“I can only say that the judgement falls to the FIA,” said Domenicali. “What is certain is that, it would be better if, starting with the junior formulae, rules relating to on-track behaviour were enforced in an inflexible manner, so as to have drivers as well prepared as possible when they reach this, the highest level of motor sport.”

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ANALYSIS: MCLAREN PACE AND STRATEGY PROVIDES WAKE UP CALL FOR REST OF THE FIELD:

Jenson Button’s victory in the Belgian Grand Prix makes him the leading points scorer of the last three races, a reversal of a trend, which began in May, where the British driver and his McLaren team lost their way.

The problem Button was suffering from was a lack of performance due to mismatched tyre temperatures between the front and rear tyres and the team was experimenting with various ways of solving that, including heating the tyres from the inside, using heat soak from the brakes.

They’ve now found a solution, partly involving aerodynamics to increase rear end grip and aerodynamic balance, but also mechanical set-up and the result has been 51 points in three races. His performance in Belgium showed that he not only got the tyres working well in qualifying to take pole position, but also was able to comfortably do the race with only one tyre stop. His second stint, on the hard compound Pirelli tyre, was almost 170km, the longest that McLaren has done on a single set of tyres in 2012.

In Belgium the McLaren had the largest performance advantage seen so far this season. The pace and the strategy provided a wake up call for the rest of the field. Button is still 63 points behind Fernando Alonso in the championship, but on this form, he will be a contender at the end of the season. So how did he manage to do only one stop and what were the strategic keys to the race? And what about the others; why couldn’t Lotus compete for the win and could Schumacher have finished fourth if he had done the same strategy as Hulkenberg?

Pre-Race expectations

The build up to this race was dominated by the heavy rain on Friday, which meant that the teams learned nothing about long run tyre performance. They were shooting in the dark on Sunday, the only data coming from a handful of dry laps on Saturday morning, where they were also preparing for qualifying. It left little time for drivers to establish how to get the tyres to work.

Also part of the strategy in Spa was deciding whether to go for a low down force set up, with less wing, to help straight line speed in sectors one and three, or whether to go for more down force to help with sector 2. Most went for downforce, with Button and Alonso among the exceptions. Gearing was also important and several drivers found themselves with a less than ideal combination of gearing and down force, with the result that they were hitting the rev limiter on the Kemmel Straight and losing speed.

All of this led to a mixed up grid with two Saubers and a Williams at the front, Red Bull struggling for pace, with Vettel in 10th place and Hamilton down in seventh.

Pirelli brought harder tyres to this race, being a little more conservative than they have been so far and this opened up the possibility of making only one stop. The same will be true in Monza.

Pre-race the feeling was that a one stop strategy would be around 5 seconds faster than two, but it would leave the driver vulnerable at the end of the race to cars on fresher tyres. McLaren were certainly thinking of one stop for Button starting from pole, circumstances permitting, while most of the others were planning two stops, especially as the track temperature started rising before the start.

The start line accident changed the strategy in two ways; by eliminating four competitive cars, it changed expectations of what many drivers might get from the race and it brought out a safety car. This slowed the field down and meant that the first four laps of the race, which are normally the hardest on the tyres as the car is at its heaviest, were relatively easy.

This encouraged a number of drivers and teams to change plans and try to do one stop. Among them were Williams and Mercedes, which is surprising, because they have been among the hardest car on the tyres in race conditions this season. It didn’t work out for them or Williams, thanks to a late puncture, which robbed Senna of 8th place. It did however work for Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel.

He was helped by qualifying outside the top ten so he was able to start the race on a new set of medium tyres, whereas his front running rivals were all on used mediums at the start, from qualifying. This small detail was important to the outcome for Vettel, who was able to get to lap 21 on his first set of tyres, which meant he needed to do 23 laps on a new set of hards in the second stint.

Button enjoys a margin

Jenson Button was able to make the most of the largest performance margin over other cars we have seen this season so far. The McLaren’s underlying car pace was around half a second faster than its nearest rival at Spa and Button was able to exploit that fully in qualifying and the race.

He could do one stop relatively easily, helped by the crash, which eliminated rivals, also by the safety car and by the freedom to run at the front in clear air. Being able to control the pace, not have to defend from other cars meant he could focus exclusively on managing the tyres and this meant Button had complete control all afternoon.

The challenge from Lotus did not materialise as not only did the Lotus not have the expected race pace, but also it seemed to struggle to get temperature into the tyres. This was evident at the restart where Hulkenberg jumped Raikkonen. Lotus was on a two-stop strategy and without the pace to exploit that fully, there was no challenge for the win from Raikkonen.

Button even had sufficient margin in the final 15 laps to make a precautionary second stop and still win the race, but he had the pace and liked the balance of the car on the tyres he had. He was still lapping in the 1m 54s in the last few laps, a similar pace to the Lotus on tyres which were 8 laps newer.

Vettel managed the race skilfully too, using the one stop plan and the pace of the Red Bull on hard tyres to jump the two stoppers and move up from 10th on the grid to 2nd. It’s debatable whether that would have worked if the four front running cars had not been eliminated at the start, but despite losing two places at the start, to cross the line 12th at the end of lap 1, Red Bull adapted well to the changing circumstances and Vettel drove a very positive race, making several important overtakes to ensure his progress.

Schumacher loses a strong result

Michael Schumacher drove very well on Sunday, making some excellent passes and defending robustly, as is his style.

Could Schumacher have finished ahead of Hulkenberg in fourth place if he had done a similar two stop strategy, rather than change tactics after the safety car and switch to a one stopper?

The German ace got past Hulkenberg on lap 13, when Hulkenberg pitted Schumacher was on new medium tyres and ran a 19 lap first stint, which left him 25 laps to do on a set of hards. It was a big ask, but by staying out past lap 13 or 14 he was committed to stopping just once.

Schumacher was ahead after Hulkenberg’s second stop on lap 27. But he only had four seconds advantage and 17 laps to go to the finish on the same set of tyres, ahead of a similar pace car on fresh tyres. It was never going to work. The Mercedes was relatively fast on full tanks, but as we have seen often this year, the competitiveness didn’t continue as the car got lighter and the tyre wear increased. Schumacher was forced to make an unscheduled stop for tyres on lap 35 and lost three positions.

Had he pitted on a similar pattern to Hulkenberg and stayed on a planned two stop, he would have fought him for the fourth position, but possibly would have lost out due to the Mercedes pace fading on lighter tanks. Nevertheless the failed one stop bid cost him places to Massa and Webber and he ended up seventh.

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HRT's De la Rosa will be racing his 100th F1 GP at Monza

Formula 1 has come back with a bang after the summer break with the two first races taking place with barely any time to spare. Once the race finished in Spa-Francorchamps, the team headed straight towards Monza for what will be the thirteenth event of the season: the Italian Grand Prix.

A classic on the calendar which, without a doubt, will be even more special for the team and Pedro de la Rosa in particular as he will be racing in his 100th Formula 1 grand prix at the Italian event. Narain Karthikeyan, on his behalf, aims to have another good performance which translates into a positive result in the race.

The Autodromo di Monza was built in 1922 and is one of the few current circuits that celebrated a grand prix in the World Championship's first season in 1950. Monza is a very low downforce circuit, the quickest in the championship and the one with the fewest corners in the season. Therefore a good maximum speed is very important to achieve a good result.

Pirelli has elected its hard and medium tyres for this Grand Prix.

Pedro de la Rosa: "Making it to 100 grands prix is something very special and I'm very motivated ahead of Italy, not only because of the 100 mark, but because I'm certain that we can be even more competitive. Monza is a similar circuit to Canada, where maximum speed and brake stability are important; and these are our strengths.

I love consecutive races because I like continuity and, besides, Monza is one of my favourite circuits because it's very different to the rest. So, because of all this, I'm really excited ahead of this grand prix".

Narain Karthikeyan: "Monza is a circuit that I really like and an interesting track for us. We're bringing a specific package for this event, with a low drag wing which we hope will help us to have a good performance.

It's a fantastic circuit where I love to race with legendary corners such as the Parabolica and the Curva di Lesmo. I hope not to run into bad luck at this grand prix and to be able to convert a good performance into a positive result".

Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal: "Once again we arrive at an emblematic circuit; a classic on the calendar. Monza is the quickest track in the championship and we come with good sensations since, given the nature of the F112, our car should adapt well to this circuit. Our maximum speed is good and so is our braking so I'm confident that we will be able to perform well.

It will also be a special race because Pedro will be celebrating his 100th Formula 1 grand prix and we're quite excited about that. Very few drivers are able to stay up there for that long and gain the respect of everyone in the way that Pedro has. He's an admirable driver and person and we're extremely proud for him to reach this mark with us".

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Low-downforce package for Mercedes at Monza

The Italian Grand Prix brings Formula One's European season to a conclusion this weekend at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. Located just outside of Milan, Monza is the quickest track on the calendar with top speeds reaching up to 340kph along the straights of the 5.793 km circuit.

• Six of the last ten races at Monza have been won from pole (so far in 2012, 7 of 12 races have been won from pole)

• The braking zone for turn one features a deceleration of 265 kph - from 340 kph to an apex speed of 75 kph

• DRS overtakes outnumbered normal passes by 18 to 15 during last year's Italian Grand Prix

Michael Schumacher: "When I think of Monza, I immediately see everything through a red veil. It is the beating racing heart of Italy, everything there lives and breathes Ferrari, and I must inevitably think of the good times I spent there. What makes me particularly happy is that after all these years, the tifosi still welcome me so warmly, and I would like to thank them for that.

Naturally, now I'm racing in Mercedes silver, I hope I can offer them a nice fight and be a worthy rival. They can be just as sure as our own fans that everybody in the team is looking to have a successful finale to the European season, and is therefore fully motivated to put on a good show in Monza."

Nico Rosberg: "I'm looking forward to getting to Monza on Thursday and getting the weekend underway. After a difficult weekend in Spa, I believe that our car will be much better suited to the amazing and high-speed Monza track. We will also have a different package there for the long straights with the low downforce required.

We are continuing to work hard on improving our car, and I'm quite positive about the news that I hear from the factory, although we know that it will be a tough job with all of the other teams developing quickly as well."

Ross Brawn: "Monza is a very special race track, and certainly one of my favourite venues to visit on the calendar. The atmosphere created by the Italian fans is always fantastic and it's a great place to bring the European season to a conclusion.

The circuit is a unique challenge with its high-speed straights and the requirement for a low-downforce package designed specifically for the weekend. We would like to finish the European season with a strong result and the team will be working hard to achieve that at the weekend."

Norbert Haug: "Monza is a circuit that demands very diverse strengths from the technical package - high straightline speeds through low levels of drag and downforce, with the cars exceeding 300 kph on four separate occasions, and a good mechanical base for braking stability into the chicanes and corners, and good traction exiting them.

Monza is also well known as an engine circuit thanks to its high-speed layout, with over 80 per cent of the lap distance spent at full throttle. The races in Belgium and Italy are separated by just a week. The circuit-specific modifications made for Monza are only run once a year and could possibly mean that the competitive order won't be quite the same as that we saw in Spa."

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Kubica stopped Lotus talks 'months ago' - Boullier

Lotus boss Eric Boullier has revealed there is little chance Robert Kubica will return to F1 with the Enstone based team.

The Pole was a Renault (now called Lotus) driver ahead of the 2011 season, when he was seriously hurt during a minor rally in Italy.

For months afterwards, Frenchman Boullier said the team was supporting Kubica's quest to return to F1, but there were rumours of a subsequent falling-out.

Boullier told the Daily Mail's World of F1 blog: "He (Kubica) stopped contact with us months ago."

It emerged last week that Kubica is still pushing to recover his driving fitness, having reportedly tested a works Ford world rally car.

Boullier insisted: "I cannot make any assumptions about anything because I am not in contact with him anymore."

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BMW rules out F1 in 'medium term'

BMW has ruled out returning to formula one in the "medium term".

"There are currently no plans," said the German carmaker's motor sport director Jens Marquardt, whose predecessor was the well-known F1 figure Mario Theissen.

BMW, having collaborated first with Williams and then Sauber between 2000 and 2009, pulled out of formula one three years ago.

"In July of 2009, a very clear decision was made," Marquardt told the Swiss publication Motorsport Aktuell.

"This (decision) stands. We are very well positioned in terms of our motor sport programme and this is not going to change at all in the medium term."

BMW returned to the premier German touring car series DTM this year.

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McLaren eyes FIA's new electric series

McLaren could get involved in the FIA's new electric-only open wheeler series Formula E.

The series, featuring cars powered only by lithium batteries, will debut in 2014 and race in the centre of cities.

"Who knows, we might pop up in it," Martin Whitmarsh, boss of the famous British formula one team McLaren, told Reuters.

"I think it's a good initiative and we'd be delighted in whatever form to be involved with it."

Asked if that means there will be an electric McLaren team on the Formula E grid, Whitmarsh confirmed: "At some point, yes. But that's not at the moment."

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Magny Cours applies for place on 2013 calendar

Magny Cours has lodged an application to be considered for F1's 2013 calendar.French language sources RMC, L'Equipe and AFP said the application was given to the country's sanctioning body FFSA this week.

The reports said Paul Ricard also intends to apply for consideration next week.

RMC claimed that while the FFSA did not comment, both Magny Cours and Paul Ricard propose to host one race every two years, in alternation with another country.

F1's governing FIA is expected to publish the draft of the 2013 calendar in early October.

FFSA president Nicolas Deschaux is quoted by L'Equipe as saying France will only return to the calendar if it can convince F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

"The commercial rights holder does not hear arguments of the heart," he warned.

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Webber not worried after dropping to third in title chase

Mark Webber insists he is not too worried despite falling from second to third in the drivers' world championship at Spa last weekend.

The Australian was Fernando Alonso's closest challenger at the top of the points standings, but he finished just sixth in Belgium and therefore dropped behind his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel.

But because Ferrari's Alonso scored no points at all at Spa, Webber's deficit to the Spaniard has actually become smaller, and now stands at 32 points with eight races to go.

"At the moment everything is very tight at the top," the Red Bull driver told Austrian television Servus TV.

"Fernando has lost some of his lead, and that's good for all of us," added Webber.

He said dropping from second in the standings to third behind Vettel is not an issue.

"It is less about the position than about the points. Whether you're second, third or fourth right now doesn't matter, what matters is that you stay in reach.

"For me and the others, everything is still open with so many races still to go," said the 36-year-old.

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Glock wants to 'solve' issues with teammate Pic

Marussia teammates Timo Glock and Charles Pic are still far from the best of friends.

It was reported in July that the pair are not getting along, after the experienced German Glock accused his rookie French teammate of blocking him in Hungary.

"Maybe he doesn't understand the English on the radio," the angry Glock said.

He insisted it is "pointless" to try to sit down with the 22-year-old, because the blocking had happened several times this year.

"It's up to the team to solve it."

The tension remains high, after the two Marussias fought hard for track position last weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.

Asked by Auto Motor und Sport if it was a "fair fight", Glock answered: "Only to a certain point.

"That's all I really want to say. There have been a couple of hairy situations that we have to resolve internally."