FORMULA 1 - 2012

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Schumacher: Unsatisfactory Sunday

Michael Schumacher billed his Indian GP as a "pretty unsatisfactory" race while Nico Rosberg admits Merc are going through a "difficult time."

Starting 14th on the grid at the Buddh International circuit, Schumacher's race was over before even the first lap had been completed as the German was tagged by Jean-Eric Vergne.

The contract resulted in a puncture for Schumacher, who, trying not to cause more damage to his car, crawled back to the pits for new tyres.

That extremely long and slow trip around the circuit cost him dearly and he dropped to the back of the field, which resulted in him being lapped by eventual race winner Sebastian Vettel on lap nine.

Schumacher's woes continued as he later retired but not before allegedly ignoring blue flags, which will result in a post-race investigation and possible punishment.

"That was a pretty unsatisfactory race today," said the 43-year-old.

"It was effectively over just after the start; I lost so much time getting back to the pits with the puncture that any hope of scoring points was gone.

"In the meantime, the pace was pretty good but I was too far behind to make up more than a few positions.

"In the end, we had to retire the car for technical reasons."

Mercedes' disappointment did not stop with Schumacher as while Nico Rosberg finished for the first time in three races, he did so outside the top ten.

"Finishing just outside of the points is always tough, and it was a hard afternoon for us out there," he said.

"Starting with new tyres, I hoped to be able to make up a couple of places but we just didn't have the pace so I had to keep fighting off the cars coming from behind me.

"It's a difficult time for us but we are learning for next year so that's one positive thing."

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Alonso: But we lost minimum points

Fernando Alonso believes Ferrari have reasojns to be happy after India as while he dropped points to Sebastian Vettel, he dropped the least number possible.

Starting fifth on the grid, Alonso made short work of the two McLaren drivers before hunting down Mark Webber, who was running a distant second to Vettel.

It took the Spaniard some time to make the move but eventually he climbed to second, negating the buffer that Red Bull had hoped to keep between their Championship leader and Alonso.

However, with Vettel ten seconds up the road and ten laps remaining, Alonso had to settle for second best. But it's a result he'll happily take on a weekend when Red Bull were undoubtedly superior.

"It is not easy to fight Red Bull but we will never give up," he said.

"Well done Red Bull and Sebastian but we want to be happy in Brazil, not only here. I am sure we will do it.

"We lost points but this is what we expected this weekend as we are not fast enough but we lost minimum points and there will be better races to come.

"We were fast in a straight line but still missing grip in the corners - hopefully that will come in the next few races."

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Webber: I enjoyed the fight

Coming away with a third place from the Indian GP was very satisfactory for Mark Webber as the race proved to be a lot more difficult than expected.

Having started on the front row of the grid next to his team-mate Sebastian Vettel, Webber enjoyed a healthy gap over Fernando Alonso during the opening half of the race.

However, the Ferrari man found an extra gear just before the pits stops while a KERS problem on the RB8 suddenly shifted the momentum in Alonso's favour, and it was no surprise when the Spaniard overtook him in the DRS zone on lap 48.

Webber continued to lose pace, giving Lewis Hamilton an opportunity to close to gap to less than a second with only a few laps to go, but the Australian managed to hold off the McLaren to claim the final podium spot.

The F1 veteran admits he was relieved to leave the Buddh International Circuit with 15 points after a difficult afternoon.

"I enjoyed the fight today," he said. "It was a difficult race and difficult for me to get into a rhythm. Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso were very strong and without Kers it was very difficult but I'm happy with how I drove and we'll come back for Abu Dhabi."

As for his battl with Alonso and Hamilton: Webber added:

"I managed to break DRS and get away from Fernando, [when the] KERS there or thereabouts.

"Then the blue flags did nothing for backmarkers, the guys don't know how much they kill us in the corners.

"When I had no KERS Fernando came past - they have good top gear - and that was it.

"I pushed as strong as possible to get to the end of the race, but I was lucky Lewis made a mistake on lap 57.

"That was important because he was starting to get a bit of momentum. I was keen to keep him out of DRS as much as possible.

"I am pretty happy with how I drove but not enough - we could have got more points today for sure."

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Poor start put Lewis on back foot

Lewis Hamilton believes his poor start cost him a decent shot of challenging for the lead in the Indian Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver was third behind the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber on the grid, but he was involved in an intense scrap with team-mate Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso on the opening lap.

When the dust finally settled he found himself in fourth place and stayed there for the rest of the race. Things, though, did get interesting during the latter stages of the race after the third-placed Webber lost Kers.

Although Hamilton managed to close the gap to one second on the final lap, he was unable to pass the Red Bull and had to settle for fourth place.

The 27-year-old feels his "one of his famous poor starts" was the main reason why he couldn't challenge for a podium.

"It was a very, very tough race," he told he told Sky Sports F1.

"Within the car it felt great, but it was so difficult - Red Bulls were so quick through the final sector but we were catching them around the rest. I pushed every lap, right to the chequered flag as always, but more so it just felt fantastic to have that battle. It is just a shame I had one of my famous poor starts which put us on the back foot.

"If we had had a better start we had a chance of fighting for the lead, but those guys were faster than us so I probably would have lost time to them at some point - but even staying in my starting spot would have helped and perhaps I could have been fighting the Red Bull a little bit earlier.

"But then we had a steering wheel downshift failure and we had to change it during the race. I've never had that before - it was so quick! I just took it off before I even stopped, back on stuck it in first gear, boom it was gone."

Meanwhile, McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh is confident his squad can still pick up a few wins during the final three races.

"We can still win races and that is what we are here to do," he said.

"There are three races left and we can get wins and podiums so I don't think motivation is a problem. That is what I want to do, what Lewis wants to do and what Jenson wants to do."

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Sauber rue 'disappointing' weekend

Sauber were left to rue a disappointing weekend in India where, for the second successive race, they failed to score a single World Championship point.

With Kamui Kobayashi fighting for his Formula One future, the Japanese driver soon found himself fighting for every inch of track space as he went tooth-and-nail with those around him.

One such incident with Pastor Maldonado resulted in the duo being investigated as Kobayashi's front wing put a puncture in the Williams driver's right rear tyre.

The stewards, though, ruled that no action would be taken against either driver.

"I have to say it wasn't our weekend here," said Kobayashi, who finished down in 14th place and hasn't scored a single point since his Japanese GP podium.

"In the race I was never alone, I always had someone in front of me but not enough straight line pace to overtake. This was frustrating.

"I was stuck behind Daniel Ricciardo and there was nothing I could do.

"The issue with Pastor Maldonado was a bit strange. He had overtaken me but then he suddenly came on my racing line again. I could not avoid having contact.

"I think we should make sure we have a smooth weekend in Abu Dhabi and forget about this one here."

As for his team-mate Sergio Perez, the Mexican driver retired before the halfway point after a puncture - caused by Ricciardo's front wing - damaged his Sauber.

"Today was a total disappointment. First of all I had to pit after 14 laps because the front left tyre was blistering badly. We don't know yet why this happened," said the 22-year-old.

"I wanted to recover the lost positions but touched Daniel Ricciardo's front wing when I overtook him. The rear right tyre came off the rim and damaged something at the rear of the car. So my race was over after 20 laps."

With three races still to be run, Sauber remain sixth in the Constructors' Championship, exactly 20 points behind Mercedes who also failed to score on Sunday.

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Stewards take no action against Schumacher

The FIA stewards have decided to take no action against Michael Schumacher for his alledged breach of the blue flag rule.

The German suffered a first lap puncture after contact with Jean-Eric Vergne which resulted in an unscheduled pit-stop leaving him at the back of the pack.

As Romain Grosjean came up to lap Schumacher, it looked as though the seven-time world champion failed to react and let the Lotus through within the necessary.

However, after studying the footage and hearing from both drivers, the stewards decided Grosjean wasn't close enough to warrant blue flags and therefore no penalty was given.

"The Stewards considered that the driver car 10 (Grosjean) did not close the gap to car 7 (Schumacher) sufficiently to require car 7 to move out of the way in accordance with Appendix H Article 2.4.5.1(d) of the International Sporting Code."

Kamui Kobayashi was also cleared of causing an accident after contact with Pastor Maldonado.

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France could substitute New Jersey in 2013

Bernie Ecclestone has revealed that the French Grand Prix could return in 2013 as a replacement for the now postponed New Jersey race, which was moved back to 2014 due to construction delays.

Plans for a return to France have been circulating for a number of years now since Magny-Cours was dropped in 2008. However, the new Francois Hollande cabinet ruled out government backing for the event which killed off any plans for a comeback.

Ecclestone though says he's ready to sign a contract for 2013 to ensure the calendar remains at 20 events.

"If they are ready, we can slot it in the calendar ... As far as I'm concerned, yes. I'm hoping … we're ready to sign, we've got a pen and we're ready to sign," said Ecclestone who turns 82 on Sunday.

However he confirmed funding remains an issue and which circuit would host the race, Magny-Cours or Paul Ricard.

"Which circuit is going to be used, where and who pays for it … that's the bottom line."

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Kimi Raikkonen re-signs with Lotus for a second season

Kimi Raikkonen has re-signed for Lotus, the team confirmed in a special promotional video on Monday morning.

The 2007 Formula 1 world champion, who returned to the sport at the beginning of this year after two seasons competing in the World Rally Championship, currently lies third in the 2012 drivers' standings.

The 33-year-old had long been expected to remain with Lotus for a second season. The team had an option for 2013 based upon certain performance criteria being met, which it has achieved comfortably.

Despite not winning a race on his return, Raikkonen has impressed with six podium finishes and has attained remarkable consistency, scoring points in every race except the Chinese Grand Prix and completing every racing lap in 2012 so far.

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Kamui Kobayashi confident of 2013 Formula 1 seat amid sponsor hunt

Kamui Kobayashi remains confident he will be on the 2013 Formula 1 grid despite having to secure sponsor backing in order to have a chance of keeping his seat at Sauber.

The Japanese driver has made no secret of the fact that he has been asked for financial support to be retained by the Sauber squad and is now actively seeking a sponsor.

Kobayashi suggested in India on Saturday that helping Sauber beat Mercedes to fifth place in the constructors' championship will aid his cause.

The Hinwil team is currently 20 points behind the German squad with four races to go.

Asked if he was confident he would be in F1 next year, Kobayashi replied: "Yes, I think so.

"I just have to try to focus on the last four races. That's very important for the team and for me. The team needs to be in front of Mercedes, this is our first target."

The Sauber driver, who finished on the podium at Suzuka earlier this month, admitted he has been hard at work seeking a sponsor since the Korean Grand Prix.

"I've been working hard, even after Korea I was back in Japan, in Tokyo looking for sponsors and I will be back again after Abu Dhabi, so it's a very busy time, but it's what we have to do."

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Indian GP: Williams declares its slump is over as form improves

Williams chief operations engineer Mark Gillan declared his team on top of its car problems after showing improved pace in India.

Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna qualified ninth and 13th respectively for the Indian Grand Prix, but both made errorson their decisive laps, costing them as much as half a second.

Since Maldonado qualified second for the Singapore GP, Williams has managed no better than 12th in Japan and Korea and Gillan admitted after those races that the team had some problems to solve.

Williams has focused on front wing work and now appears to have conquered problems it had with balance and consistency.

"We're back on track, but we've still got a lot to do," said Gillan when asked by AUTOSPORT if he was confident that the issues had been solved.

"Sometimes you've got to come up against problems and it has been a good weekend for us.

"We've understood a lot this weekend and it has been a late couple of nights in terms of data analysis, but you can see from the pace of the car [that progress has been made]."

Gillan admitted that the Korean GP, where Williams never showed any hint of points-scoring pace, was the low point of the season.

Extensive work conducted during free practice in India, on top of efforts back at the factory, has allowed the team to recover.

"We came here knowing that we had a lot to do off the back of the disappointing Korea race, which was the first race, if you looked at all of the sessions, where nothing stood out," said Gillan.

"We did a lot of ground work at the factory and came here with a very detailed run programme for Friday. We've managed to get on top of a number of the issues."

Maldonado was also happy with progress and paid tribute to the team's effectiveness in troubleshooting after struggling for pace until qualifying in India.

He believes that the car's improved performance is validation of the Williams FW34's fundamental speed.

"We are so happy after several races without any improvement in qualifying," he said when asked by AUTOSPORT about the step made by the team.

"We've been working so hard to find the problems and we've fixed it, showing that we are strong on analysis and working together as a team.

"On Saturday morning, we were nowhere, but in Q1 we were fastest.

"We showed that the potential is still there. We never lost any potential, we just missed out."

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Webber apologised after walking out of press conference

Mark Webber apologised after he walked out of the official FIA press conference after Sunday’s Indian Grand Prix.

The incident occurred at the tail end of the media formalities at the Buddh circuit, when not a single question from the floor was addressed to the Australian.

So, when Bild newspaper’s Frank Schneider asked title contenders Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel what they would each like from one another, Vettel turned to Alonso and grinned: “Ah, no, you have a cap.

“I was just about to say his cap, but…where did you get that from?” Webber’s Red Bull teammate joked.

Alonso looked puzzled: “I can give it [the cap] to you but…I didn’t understand the…”

Webber, “shaking his head” according to the SID news agency, had already walked out.

F1′s media delegate Matteo Bonciani told the Indian news agency IANS that he later apologised.

“He said it is something [that] he should not have done. Maybe he did that as he didn’t like the questions asked in the room,” said Bonciani.

Bonciani told SID: “He apologised and I accepted.”

He confirmed that he could have referred Webber to the stewards for penalty, but explained: “I didn’t [do that] because anyone can respond incorrectly in the heat of the moment.

“Normally there are no problems.”

Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko also defended Webber.

“Mark actually had an early flight and was running late,” he told Bild. “So because the last question was not for him, he got up [and left].”

Marko also dismissed the ‘psychological games’ played by Ferrari’s Alonso in India this weekend, when the Spaniard said his title fight is not with Vettel but with car designer Adrian Newey.

“It’s just games,” he insisted. “But they don’t make us nervous.”

MIKA: I watched Webber even up on the podium and he looked off colour..Maybe he didn't take his Swisse Vitamins!

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Marko reveals that Buemi could go to Force India

Red Bull’s reserve driver Sebastien Buemi had a meeting with Force India officials on Sunday, Blick newspaper has reported from the Delhi paddock.

The Swiss, who lost his Toro Rosso race seat at the end of last season, has already been named as a possible successor to the probably Sauber-bound Nico Hulkenberg.

Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko also seemed to confirm the possibility Buemi is in with a shot of the Force India cockpit.

“If Buemi doesn’t go to Force India,” he is quoted by Blick, “then we want to keep him.

“He might also do the [sports car] endurance world championship with Toyota,” added Marko.

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Grosjean future secure with Lotus declares Boullier

Romain Grosjean’s future is secure, despite the Frenchman being under pressure after several dasastrous starts to grands prix, after a strong race showing in India on Sunday.

That is the claim of Lotus team boss Eric Boullier, following a tumultuous period for fellow Frenchman Grosjean, whose career has been in doubt due to the early-race incidents on his return to the sport in 2012.

Boullier told RMC Sport after the Indian Grand Prix: “Romain [had] a great race, doing what was expected of him.

“He [made] a good start. He was able to fight and win places. He drove well with no errors.

“I think he has really showed his potential and that he has his place. His confidence has taken a big leap forwards, he is more calm now and he will build on it,” he added.

[mazolaman]

Stil catching up with your thread Mica, good work Fella!

From a very wet Pompeii.

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McLaren change five wheels on Hamilton’s car during race

Already boasting some of the fastest pitstops in Formula One, McLaren went a step further at the Indian Grand Prix on Sunday by changing five wheels on Lewis Hamilton’s car in just over three seconds.

The 2008 world champion had been suffering from a downshift problem during his first stint of the race and was having to change gear with his right hand rather than his left.

So the team decided to change his steering wheel as well as the tyres when he pitted.

“I’ve never had to change a steering wheel during a race before,” said the Briton. “We’ve done it in Barcelona testing before.

“I took the wheel off before I’d even stopped the car and threw it out. The team then fitted a new one, I clicked into first gear and I was away. All in just a bit over three seconds flat.”

Hamilton finished the race in fourth place, leaving him fifth overall and 75 points adrift of Red Bull’s race winner and championship leader Sebastian Vettel with 75 points remaining to be won.

The only way he could win the title now would be the fantasy scenario of Vettel failing to score another point, after winning four races in a row, and Hamilton winning the last three grands prix with other results going his way.

But Hamilton knows that is not going to happen, having already declared his hopes over at the previous race in Korea.

“Still, I loved it out there today,” said the 27-year-old, who will be racing for Mercedes next year.

“I can’t remember the last time I’ve pushed so far, so hard, for so long, right on the limit.”

Other highlights of the day for McLaren were Jenson Button taking their 150th race fastest lap and the team equalling Ferrari’s record of 55 successive races with at least one car in the points.

There was less to celebrate in the standings, with Button’s title chances now mathematically over and Red Bull in a position to win the constructors’ championship in Abu Dhabi next weekend.

Red Bull have 407 points to Ferrari’s 316 and McLaren’s 306. There are 129 points still on offer to be won.

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Stil catching up with your thread Mica, good work Fella!

From a very wet Pompeii.

Thank you my friend. Very much appreciate you reading and thoughts. enjoy, stay dry with a nice glass of your favourite beverage and a cigar if you can.

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Indian fans bid fond farewell to Schumacher the legend

India bid a fond farewell to seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher on Sunday as the great who got young sports fans in the country hooked on Formula One competed in the country for the last time.

F1 has never been as popular as cricket in this ‘nation of cricketers’ but the German’s fame travelled way beyond the confines of a circuit and he became the face of the sport, and a household name in India.

Many of the 62 000 spectators at the Buddh International Circuit were there to cheer on the 43-year-old Mercedes driver, and former Ferrari champion, who is retiring at the end of the season in three races’ time.

“I’m wearing this T-shirt because of being a patriot,” said one fan in a Force India team shirt and Schumacher cap.

“But I’ve been supporting Schumacher since I was 16 years-old and I know he’s not in the best of form because of his car but he’s a legend and he’ll always be one. And I’m only supporting him, only him.”

F1 has only been regularly aired on television in India since the mid-90s and a generation of young fans grew up watching Schumacher take the fight in a relatively uncompetitive Ferrari to the far more superior Williams and McLaren cars.

Stories of his drives in Hungary 1998 or Spain 1996 are the stuff of legend among fans of the sport here and his success in restoring Ferrari’s lustre, and his dominant run of five world championships from 2000 to 2004, only made him more popular.

Last year’s inaugural Indian Grand Prix, when Schumacher was a shadow of his former self, was the first chance for locals to see him race.

Even if his three-year comeback has not lived up to expectations, the loyalty of India’s small legion of F1 fans appeared undiminished on Sunday.

“He has that brand value, no other player has that brand with him,” said Rishabh, an 18-year-old from Delhi who admits he isn’t a regular follower of the sport.

“Not the car but the number of fans Schumacher has no one else has. He’s the personal favourite of many.”

If most fans were clad in Ferrari or McLaren merchandise, affection for Schumacher was evident.

“The legend always stays the legend so there is always a soft corner for Schumi, so I guess it feels bad that he’s going to be out of racing,” said Priyadarshan, who works for McLaren sponsors SAP and was a guest of the team.

“In fact, even though I was sitting in the McLaren paddock, I was trying to get a glimpse of Schumi,” he said.

In the end it was another German, Red Bull’s championship leader and race winner Sebastian Vettel, who hogged the limelight with Schumacher’s supporters disappointed.

The German started 14th and a puncture as a result of Jean Eric Vergne’s Torro Rosso clipping his right rear wheel at the first corner dropped him to the back of the field where he was soon lapped.

He retired three laps from the end, after also coming under investigation for ignoring blue flags warning him of faster drivers behind.

The fans forgave him anyway.

“Michael Schumacher is my favourite, all time hit, he’s there,” Vimal Jain, a die-hard Ferrari fan attending his 26th Grand Prix, said.

“Whether he won, whether he lost, no problems.”

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THE FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO BE A TRIPLE WORLD CHAMPION:

At the end of this season we know that Formula 1 will have a new three-times world champion; either Sebastian Vettel or Fernando Alonso will win this championship and with it will acquire the mythical status of drivers like Ayrton Senna and Sir Jackie Stewart of being a triple world champion.

Becoming a three-times champion means being considered one of the “greats” of this sport.

Fans at present are debating who is more worthy of winning the title; Alonso has had an extraordinary year dragging results out of a less competitive car, but Vettel kept notching up the points and stayed patient early on when the Red Bull was struggling, then worked with his team to bring the car up to the dominant level it now enjoys. His part in that cannot be underestimated, even if Alonso and many fans dismiss it as all Adrian Newey’s work.

But it’s worth pausing for a second to reflect on the value of three world titles, because it is a very special thing in our sport, a remarkable threshold which few have crossed and as a result there is far more at stake for both drivers in the next few weeks than simply winning the 2012 World Championship.

In Singapore I spoke to Alonso about this subject and he confirmed that the main goal of his career is to become a three times champion, like Senna. Lewis Hamilton has said the same thing in the past and he is now trying something different to try to make that happen, although it looks like he may have to bide his time. I think the fact that it matches Senna’s achievement makes it so attractive for the current generation.

There is therefore a huge value for both contenders riding on the outcome of this season. For Alonso it feels slightly more desperate than for Vettel; the chance was there but it’s slipping away now. Red Bull has had a significant performance advantage since Singapore and the 100 points scored by Vettel in Asia these last four rounds has knocked Alonso down onto the canvas, changed the face of the championship.

Although Alonso talks about being 100% certain he will win and the margin of 13 points with 75 to play for suggests that it is still all to play for, Vettel’s task is easier; he has 13 points lead over Alonso, so he just needs to increase that by another 12 or 13 over the next two races and he will be champion in Austin. Alonso’s best chance will come at Interlagos, but it may be too late by then. The Ferrari driver needs a win either in Abu Dhabi or Austin and with a car which is not capable of matching Red Bull’s qualifying performance, let alone surpassing it, that will be very tough indeed.

The Ferrari was half a second behind the Red Bull in qualifying in India, although it looks like Alonso may have let slip a couple of tenths, so third may have been there for the taking, which is where the rumours of a row with Pat Fry have emerged from. The Englishman said after qualifying, “We needed to be perfect today and we weren’t.” While both he and Stefano Domenicali said that the target had been the second row of the grid.

The new diffuser on Alonso’s car only last weekend was a good step and there clearly was some frustration that they didn’t get everything out of it. But they cannot really blame Alonso, who has made the car look better than it was on countless occasions this season.

Over the weekend Alonso made reference to fighting not just Vettel, but Adrian Newey for the championship, “now we are fighting against Newey and at the moment we cannot match him,” he said.

That has always been the case for drivers not sitting in a Newey car during one of his “hot” spells. Michael Schumacher raced against Newey in the 1990s, before the design genius had a quiet spell in his later McLaren years in the 2000s, allowing Ferrari to dominate.

Now Newey is fully on song again and the formidable team of engineers around him is working perfectly together to give Vettel the car to go out and do what he does best; claim pole, make a clean start, get clear of the DRS zone, build a gap, manage the gap, win the race.

Alonso’s race pace on both the hard and soft tyres was strong on Sunday and if he had been able to start the race on row two with the mood he was in for racing, he might well have been able to challenge Vettel in the opening exchanges, but the Red Bull still had something in hand.

Ferrari has wanted for qualifying pace all season, so suddenly finding it now is going to be difficult.

“We are not fast enough, especially on Saturday, but we can improve the situation in Abu Dhabi or USA. I think we need to bring some new parts to Abu Dhabi and hopefully improve a little bit the competitiveness of the car and get closer to Red Bulls on Saturday and hopefully Sunday as well,” Alonso said.

“There are three races remaining and the championship is the main target. We need to recover some points. It would be nice to finish in front of Seb there and if we win even better. For that we need to make a step forward as at the moment we are not able to win.”

After Sunday’s race Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali’s words sounded like those of a competitor who knows he’s got little chance, but isn’t yet going to admit defeat, “It is clear at the moment that Red Bull has a better car,” he said. “But what can we say? We cannot cry. We need to work hard, full stop. By saying that they are stronger we don’t have to change the approach we keep in house.

“I have said to my team, ‘Listen, in 1982 in the World Cup of football, our team (Italy) was not the strongest, but we won the title.’ We have the luxury of having Fernando with us, who is the Number One driver, so it is something we will do and fight up until the end.”

And at the end one of them will become a three times world champion and a legend of the sport.

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HULKENBERG TO MAKE SAUBER SWITCH IN 2013:

Sauber has confirmed the worst kept secret in F1 of the past two weeks: Nico Hulkenberg will drive for the Swiss team in 2013.

With Sergio Perez moving to McLaren to replace Lewis Hamilton at season’s end, and Kamui Kobayashi’s future at the team looking increasing uncertain, Hulkenberg had moved firmly into view for Sauber particularly after rumoured suitors Ferrari opted to retain Felipe Massa.

Rather like Lotus earlier this week, Sauber unusually didn’t confirm both of their drivers for next season together, simply stating that Hulkenberg’s team-mate would be revealed “at a later date”. Mexico’s latest young hope Esteban Gutiérrez is clearly in the running and will test for the team in Abu Dhabi’s young guns’ sessions next week.

Sauber will be Hulkenberg’s third different team in three seasons of racing in Formula 1 but the German appears to have been enticed by the team’s strong step forward this season.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the Sauber F1 Team,” he said in Wednesday morning’s announcement.

“It’s a well-placed team and very competitive. Plus it’s a team in which young drivers have repeatedly delivered exceptional performances. I would like to take up that baton.

“The Sauber F1 Team is currently going through a very positive development and I’m certain that together we can achieve a lot.”

Sauber have a history of strong young driver choices and, with two seasons of F1 under his belt, Hulkenberg is likely to be the team’s de factor leader next season given Kamui Kobayashi appears unlikely to stay on.

Monisha Kaltenborn said of the signing: “We’ve been observing Nico for some time now and his performances have been very persuasive.

“That was the case in GP2 and has continued into Formula One. An obvious highlight was how he scored pole at Interlagos in 2010 despite the most challenging external conditions. He clearly showed that he can seize the chance if it arises.

“But high spots like that are one thing; systematic teamwork is another – and on that score I have confidence in Nico too. I’m sure he will fit in very well with the Sauber F1 Team. We look forward to working together with him.”

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THREE 2013 SEATS CONFIRMED IN ONE DAY: TORO ROSSO STICK WITH VERGNE AND RICCIARDO:

Following on from the confirmation by Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg as one of its drivers for 2013, Red Bull junior team Toro Rosso has this afternoon advised that it will stick with its current young driver pairing of Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne.

The pair have had a stronger second half to the season, with a double points finish in Korea. Vergne has had the stronger results with three 8th places, while Ricciardo has been in the points five times this season.

Red Bull tends to give its young drivers at least a couple of seasons in the Toro Rosso team to establish whether they are “winners” in the eyes of Helmut Marko, the director of the driver programme and Franz Tost, who runs the team.

Last winter they dropped Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari in December, but this year they have decided to confirm the drivers early.

With Mark Webber signed on for another year, but unsure how much longer to continue beyond that, a strong 2013 season for either Ricciardo or Vergne could lead to a Red Bull seat for 2014.

Although the Toro Rosso car has not been as competitive this year as last, the arrival of James Key as technical director recently has had a galvanising effect and the 2013 challenger is likely to give both drivers more of a chance to compete.

Tost said, “Both drivers have done a good job this season. Daniel joined us with a few Grands Prix under his belt and so his feedback and experience was particularly useful while Jean-Eric got up to speed, often having to deal with tracks he had never seen before. Since the summer break, both drivers have scored more points and everyone in the team has been impressed with their maturity in terms of working with the engineers and their racecraft on track. We will be doing our best in the next few months, to produce a 2013 car which will allow them to demonstrate their talent.”

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Mallya praises departing Hulkenberg

Force India team principal Vijay Mallya has heaped praise on Nico Hulkenberg following confirmation that the German will race for Sauber next year.

After being dumped by Williams at the end of the 2010 season, Force India handed Hulkenberg a reserve and test driver spot for the 2011 campaign before promoting him to race driver this year.

The 25-year-old has rewarded the Silverstone squad with some impressive performances, picking up 49 points including a career-best fourth place at the Belgium Grand Prix.

Hulkenberg, though, will continue his career at Sauber next year, but Mallya admits he is delighted with the progress he has performed at Force India.

"It has been a pleasure to have Nico with us for the last couple of years," he said.

"At the end of 2010 we identified him as a star of the future and it has been rewarding to watch him develop his racing skills. Together with Paul [di Resta] he has done a brilliant job for us, helping the team score more points than ever before and giving 100% commitment every weekend.

"We would like to thank him for all his hard work and wish him well for the future. With three races remaining this season, we know Nico will remain totally committed and continue to deliver his best performances for the team."

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Whitmarsh: Perez on learning curve

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has downplayed Sergio Perez's recent on-track struggles.

The Sauber driver hasn't had the best of times since he was confirmed as Lewis Hamilton's replacement at the Woking squad, failing to finish in the top 10 in the last three races.

His tussle with the departing Hamilton in Japan let to him ending up in the gravel, in Korea he was involved in an opening-lap incident while in India he suffered another retirement after picking up a puncture during a scrap with Daniel Ricciardo of Toro Rosso.

There have been suggestions that Perez is trying to hard following confirmation of his move to McLaren, but Whitmarsh feels it is part of the learning process.

"He is a young and exciting driver," he said. "Exciting can be good, it can be bad. But I think he did a fantastic job to be up there [eighth] in qualifying.

"He has the speed, and he wants to get up there and win. But if he hasn't got something to learn at 22, there is something wrong.

"I haven't spent much time with him, but [in] the time I have spent [i've found] he is very intelligent, and very ambitious. And, at the moment, he has a good level of humility.

"If we can turn him into a World Champion he will lose some of that along the way."

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Webber hails Newey as RBR's 'beacon'

Mark Webber admits having Adrian Newey at Red Bull played a major role in his decision to stay with the team.

Newey, who is widely considered to be the one of the all-time greats when it comes to engineering in motorsport, has been credited with Red Bull's resurgence in recent months.

Sebastian Vettel's Championship hopes appeared to be hanging by a thin thread as Fernando Alonso built a handy lead in the standings, but the German has come charging back with four wins in a row to turn a deficit into a 13-point lead with three races still to go.

Webber, who signed a new contract earlier this year that will see him remain with the Milton Keynes outfit in 2013, admits the Newey-factor is key to Red Bull's success.

Asked whether the 53-year-old design guru was still motivated, the Australian said: "Definitely, yeah.

"When I go to the factory it's always a good sign when I see his car there. I'm happy.

"He is always coming up with ideas. Whenever Adrian is around it just brings everyone up - the engineering guys, the mechanics. He is such a beacon for our team.

"For us, when it is a bit smelly, he just sticks to his guns, and when it's going well, you never notice it.

"When we finished first and second in Korea the debrief was no different, and that's just such a quality of Adrian, and that's why it's great to have him.

"He was a big factor in me staying."

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Button looking to match Red Bull

Red Bull will no doubt again be the team to beat in Abu Dhabi, but Jenson Button is confident McLaren "can be right up there" come the weekend.

Sebastian Vettel and his RB8 are in a league of their own at the moment with the defending World Champion winning four consecutive races to move 13 points clear in the Drivers' standings.

The German will be out to make it five wins on a row this weekend and you wouldn't bet against him as he has won two of the three races that have been held at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Button, though, believes McLaren has what it takes to get close to the Red Bulls.

"I think this will be another closely matched race: India showed us that the gap between the top three teams is extremely close at the moment, so I wouldn't like to predict the exact pecking order," he said.

"As in the last few races, I think Red Bull will go into the weekend with a slight advantage, but I'm confident that, with a clear run through practice, we can be right up there too."

Having won last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Button's team-mate Lewis Hamilton has every reason to be upbeat about his chances.

"It's a track where you can really push the car, which is what I most enjoy," he said.

"There are a wide variety of corners - I love the fast sweeps in the first sector - and it's incredibly satisfying to hook together a good sector through the tricky marina section of the lap. Good mechanical balance makes all the difference here because you're always changing direction.

"This has also been a place where Red Bull have traditionally gone well, but our race pace was very strong throughout the race in New Delhi. I really enjoyed that race India - fourth place may have been little reward for 60 laps of flat-out effort, but I couldn't have gone any faster.

"I feel confident that we can pull together a strong race weekend in Abu Dhabi."

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DDRS unlikey for Lotus in 2012

Lotus Technical Director James Allison has revealed that their Double DRS is unlikely to be seen again this season but that they will continue to use a Coanda exhaust system.

The E20 caught the eye in Hungary when it appeared with extra air inlets either side of the engine intake as part of a system designed to stall the rear of the car independently of the DRS system and therefore enhance straight-line speed when DRS is limited.

However, the team have struggled to truly come to grips with the system and as such, while they'll make use of it at the upcoming Young Driver's Test, it's appearance in one of the remaining GPs is doubtful.

"Our plan is to work on understanding how to make it act in a sufficiently predictable manner to be deployable in a race," explained Allison.

"Given the difficulty we have experienced so far, I think it would be optimistic to see it used in anger this season, within the final races remaining."

One device that the team will not be putting on the back-burner is their new Coanda exhaust system which Allison feels will come into its own in Abu Dhabi.

"It is not really the straight-line pace that is the issue as we can set that wherever we like simply by choosing the rear wing setting," he said.

"It is the power that we need to recover. Our first version of the Coanda system is rather power hungry.

"With Renault Sport's help we expect to claw back around one third of the loss in Abu Dhabi, and would be able to get around half of the loss back eventually.

"We aim to introduce an exhaust pipe that keeps all of the Coanda downforce benefit, but sheds some of the horsepower penalty that we suffered with for our first iteration design."