FORMULA 1 - 2012

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Montezemolo slams Ecclestone and Schumacher at end of year bash

Luca di Montezemolo used Ferrari’s end-of-season event at Valencia to criticise former team driver Michael Schumacher as well as Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, as he reflected on another season where the Maranello squad played second fiddle to Red Bull.

Directing his attention to German Schumacher, who won five consecutive drivers’ titles at Ferrari, president Montezemolo admitted that he was unhappy that the now-retired Mercedes driver moved over so readily at Interlagos for countryman Sebastian Vettel.

In Brazil, Ferrari’s new ‘number 1′ Fernando Alonso was fighting for the drivers’ title with Red Bull’s champion.

“I was expecting a slightly different final race on the part of Michael Schumacher because he is a driver with links to Ferrari through some extraordinary moments and with whom we feel very close,” said Montezemolo.

The Ferrari president, however, saved his real vitriol for Bernie Ecclestone, who last week described Ferrari’s questioning of the outcome of the 2012 championship as a “joke”.

The affair surrounded an overtaking move by Vettel that, although ultimately declared legal by the FIA, was questioned by Ferrari in the days after the Brazilian finale.

Insisting that Ferrari remains highly critical of F1 regulations including the emphasis on aerodynamics and a lack of testing, Montezemolo said: “Since some people have used the expression ‘It’s a joke’ in recent days, I would like to say that this is the real ‘joke’.”

As for 82-year-old Ecclestone’s criticism of the yellow flag saga, Montezemolo – who is 65 – said: “My father always taught me that you have to have respect for your elders, above all when they reach the point that they can no longer control their words.

“So I will stop there. Certainly, old age is often incompatible with certain roles and responsibilities.”

Full transcript of Montezemolo’s interview at Valencia as supplied by Ferrari:

F1 dominated Luca di Montezemolo’s traditional meeting with representatives of the media. It couldn’t be any other way, above all in Spain: “I will begin straightaway with the ending, that way we can stop thinking about it,” said Montezemolo.

“I’ve already said it but I want to say it again: I am proud of what the team has done and I want to thank everyone for that. In particular I want to thank Fernando, who has had the best season of his career: I must congratulate him because he never gave up and he managed to give more than anyone could have thought possible.

It also gave me great pleasure to see a great second half of the championship by Felipe, showing we did well to keep him hanging on before we confirmed he would be staying: he has been with us for many years and this end to the season will be very important to him for the start of next year, not just psychologically.”

“We have had extraordinary reliability and this is down to Domenicali and all his men, just as we have been very strong in our strategies and pit stops: it’s hard to find real errors in these areas. We haven’t had a car at the same high level as the top two and we have to improve this.

To win races you have to start at the front and to win the championship you have to win races. I want to win the world championship and I expect a big step forward by the team in terms of organisation, methods and quality of work: if we can give a car that is capable of winning to our drivers then they will do the rest.

This year perhaps we suffered a few too many pile-ups but that is a part of the sport and now we must look ahead. I am celebrating 21 years at Ferrari: for me the most important thing is to have always had a team that is united, compact, which works together and takes meticulous care.”

As for the affair that dominated the days after the end of the championship, Montezemolo was very dry: “Some people cried scandal, or said a bit too much. The story is very simple: we saw some images, some of which were broadcast on all the internet sites, and we received thousands of requests from our fans so we did the simplest and most straightforward thing: we asked the FIA what they thought, telling them we would accept whatever decision they took.

I think that is the best way to resolve questions when there are doubts.

The FIA replied that in their view Vettel had been given a green flag before the passing move and then we said that for us the discussion was closed: you can’t be any more straightforward than that. I would like to take this chance to congratulate Vettel and Red Bull because they won and we like to congratulate whoever wins, hoping and wishing that next year it can be others who are congratulating us. If anyone says a bit too much then I’m sorry but that’s too bad for them.”

Asked for an opinion on some of what was seen in the final moments of the season, in particular the ease with which Vettel managed to carry out certain passing moves on the day in Brazil, the Ferrari president said this: “I was expecting a slighty different final race on the part of Michael Schumacher because he is a driver with links to Ferrari through some extraordinary moments and with whom we feel very close.

As for the rest, I don’t want to make any comment other than to underline that in the past we have been strongly criticised for playing a sensible, necessary, right and open team game.

I have always told my drivers that they are not racing for themselves but for Ferrari.

Ours is one team, you can see that in the pit stops and you can see it on the track and one of the things I most appreciate about Felipe is the fact that he has always been a team player and I know that Fernando has been one too.

We have had criticism for how we apply these team games but it’s up to the public and the spectators to judge these things. I don’t like to create controversy for its own sake: we look ahead and everyone makes their own judgement. The behaviour of Ferrari has always prized the team game and the sport.”

Montezemolo also looked to the future of F1: “There are things that aren’t going well in this sport and the moment has arrived to clarify these once and for all in the appropriate places.

We can no longer have a situation in which the transfer of technology from the track to the street is reduced to the bare minimum, engines and gearboxes are always the same and the aerodynamics no longer has anything to do with research for road cars.

Moreover, it cannot be that in this sport you can’t test. We’ve been saying this for a while and we will repeat it in the appropriate places so for the moment I don’t want to add anything else.

But our patience has run out so someone needs to think about whether they want F1 still to have companies that invest and consider it the most advanced research bench for its own cars – as Ferrari has always done since 1950.

We are constructors, not sponsors: I’m no longer happy that we can’t do testing on tarmac and that you can’t give any chance for young drivers to emerge – since some people have used the expression ‘It’s a joke’ in recent days, I would like to say that this is the real ‘joke’. Yes, I’m referring to one of Ecclestone’s phrases: my father always taught me that you have to have respect your elders, above all when they reach the point that they can no longer control their words.

So I will stop there. Certainly, old age is often incompatible with certain roles and responsibilities.”

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Formula 1 could return to Turkey

Moves are afoot to revive the defunct Turkish Grand Prix and return it to the Formula One World Championship calendar.

F1 one raced at the Hermann Tilke-penned Istanbul Park – featuring the famous four-apex Turn 8 corner – between 2005 and 2011.

Bernie Ecclestone and race organisers could not agree a new race fee for 2012 and beyond.

However, late last week, British journalist Bob Mackenzie of the Daily Express, revealed that the F1 chief executive is “pushing for a return” of the Turkish event, “after ruling out a French race”.

Greek website gocar.gr said that the decision will be made in the coming week.

Turkey’s change of fortune is due to a local businessman, Vural Ak, buying the circuit’s management rights.

“I’ve known Bernie Ecclestone for many years,” he said.

Ak, who is willing to pay $5m out of his own pocket, said Ecclestone is asking for a $26 million fee for the race.

He said the Turkish government is willing to put in $13.5 million, “So we are close to the sum of about $20 million a year”.

Ecclestone said: “It is an issue that we would be happy to discuss with those responsible.

“We would very much like to return to Turkey.”

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Pirelli want 8-10 year commitment from F1

Pirelli are hoping to remain sole tyre supplier for at least another six years in order to maximise the commercial benefits of the deal, according to motosport director Paul Hembery.

The Italian supplier returned to the sport in 2011 and has been praised for its faster degrading and unpredictable tyres which have helped to spice up the action.

Their deal however was for only three-years, and whilst it's almost certain they will be offered an extension, Hembery says it must come at the right cost and last for at least five more years on top of their current contract.

"It's not at any cost and every cost because we're a business and there's parts of the world that are really struggling at the moment and are still struggling," he told ESPN F1.

"But in terms of the concept, if all the conditions remain viable we'd like to continue for the medium term which is what we've really always said and we haven't changed from that. But equally if factors outside our control change then that can change their viewpoint as well."

Hembery hinted that a 'medium term' commitment would likely see them sign up for another five to seven years, giving them "8-10 years" in the sport.

"I think most people would think you need to do 8-10 years really in a sport to be able to activate your involvement in an activity right down to the point of sale, which is what everybody wants to do of course if they're involved in any form - we're a technical sponsor it's not just sponsoring for us - but it would probably take a medium term agreement to allow you to really maximise the return on your investment."

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Ross Brawn hopeful Mercedes can give Lewis Hamilton winning car

Mercedes boss Ross Brawn is hopeful he can prove Lewis Hamilton wrong and give the Briton a car that is capable of fighting for victories in 2013.

Hamilton is leaving McLaren at the end of the year after a six-year spell at the Woking team to race alongside Nico Rosberg at Mercedes from next season.The Briton admitted ahead of the season finale in Brazil that the Interlagos race may have been his last chance to win a race for a whilegiven Mercedes's current form.

The Brackley-based outfit won the Chinese Grand Prix earlier this year but then struggled to keep up with its rivals and endured a five-race point-lessstreak in the championship run-in.Despite that, Brawn believes Mercedes has all the ingredients to fight back and is not ruling out competing at the front."I hope so," Brawn said when asked by AUTOSPORT if Hamilton's predictions were too pessimistic.

"Obviously we're working very hard to give both him and Nico the opportunity to win and take pole positions. That's our ambition, our objective."It's obviously critical we improve from where we are.

We're going to try [even] if we don't hit all our objectives next year. You never know what other people will do."I'd like to think we can do a few things of those things next year."I think Lewis was just playing things down. I'm sure in his heart he wants to win and set pole positions, but he understandsthe journey we've got to go on."

Brawn reckons the 2008 world champion's quality and input will also provide Mercedes with a significant boost."We're very excited about the prospect of working with Lewis," he said.

"It's going to be very interesting for all of us. I'm sure he'll be different to Michael."The team are very excited that we're still able to have a driver of that calibre.

As we get a stronger car, obviously the drivers will become even more critical for us.

"Hamilton is under contract with McLaren until the end of the year, meaning he cannot start work with his new team until 2013.

Brawn is optimistic that such delays will not affect Hamilton's transition to his new environment, adding:

"It's not a big problem."There are obviously things that you start to do. You start to build the relationship with the engineers, and that can start in earnest in January."

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Johnny Herbert backing Button and Raikkonen

F1 pundit Johnny Herbert believes that Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen will be the drivers to watch in 2013.

While Button endured a disappointing 2012 season, finishing fifth in the Drivers' standings, 93 points behind World title winner Sebastian Vettel, Herbert feels that the tide could change for the McLaren driver in 2013.

"McLaren and Jenson Button. [He's] leading the team and I think he's got a good situation to be able to possibly win that second world title," Herbert told Sky Sports.

The Briton is not the only former World Champion that Herbert thinks will surprise, with the ex-Benetton driver backing Kimi Raikkonen to build on a successful comeback year.

"I think it was fantastic for him. The comeback has been absolutely brilliant," he said.

"He's come back, he's very, very hungry for it. We saw the race win and, potentially, he could be a big threat next year."

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Silverstone set to make changes

In an effort to learn from the mistakes that blighted the weekend of many fans at the 2012 British Grand Prix, Silverstone has made additional investments in its infrastructure.

Bad weather in the build-up to the event in July saw campsites and grass parking areas turn into mud baths on the Friday before the race and led to organisers to advise roughly 10,000 fans to stay away from the circuit for Saturday's qualifying so that the waterlogged areas could be repaired.

Many fans were also caught in long traffic jams as they made their way to the circuit.

As a result, investments will be made to improve the campsites, car parks and expand the park and ride system.

"For more than ten years now, fans have had little or no issue getting in and out of the circuit for the British Grand Prix, so it's important to keep the problems of this year in perspective," explained Silverstone Circuits managing director Richard Phillips.

"That said, the traffic issues on the Friday of this year's event, and having to ask a number of fans to stay away on the Saturday, were far from ideal. We have learned from this year's experience and are taking steps to ensure we're better equipped to deal with whatever the weather may throw at us in future.

"In 2001 approximately 18,000 fans attended on the Friday of the Grand Prix, which was relatively easy to manage. However, our three-day ticket and entertainment package has become more and more popular and we are now seeing attendance figures exceed 80,000 on a Friday. We have been able to accommodate these numbers in the past, but this year's torrential weather, waterlogged campsites and saturated car parks created a 'perfect storm' of unforeseeable issues, to which we were having to react throughout a difficult and challenging day.

"Ironically, prior to this year's Grand Prix we had identified the need, and had been working on plans, to start reducing the number of people driving to the event. It will take time to change the mind-set of fans, but we need to ensure that public transport is available as a comfortable and reliable option. 'Park and Ride' has been a popular transport option and has worked well; this is one of the areas we will be building on for 2013.

"More land will be allocated to get campers off the roads and into holding areas, while plots are assigned," added Phillips.

"The weather conditions caused delays in getting campers onto the site this year, which compounded traffic issues on the Dadford Road. Larger holding areas will enable us to get campers off the road and keep traffic flowing.

"One of the main problems on the Friday of this year's event was privately-owned campsites having to close, without notice, on safety grounds. This resulted in bottlenecks as campers, being turned away, joined the traffic system with nowhere to go. For 2013 we will be looking to introduce a communication network with other campsite operators, to improve the flow of information about capacities, availability and access.

"We are confident that we won't see a repeat of the events of this year. Tickets for next year's British Grand Prix are selling reasonably well and we're already looking forward to what will be a fantastic three days of world class F1 action and entertainment."

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Vergne happy but wants more

Jean-Eric Vergne says he is content with the manner in which his debut season unfolded but that he wanted to score more points.

Having served as Toro Rosso's test driver in 2011, Vergne made the step up to a race-seat this season and scored points on four occasions, all through eighth place finishes - including at the season-ending Brazilian GP.

This saw him out-score his team-mate, Daniel Ricciardo, by six points with the Australian only managing a best finish of ninth.

"It was nice to sign off the season with another four points," Vergne mused.

"I wasn't too excited about the result immediately after the race, as you always want more and I do think seventh was possible, but with a bit of time to reflect on the result, it was nice for both me and the team to finish the last race in the points. It feels like positive way to end 2012.

"I had four eighth places during the year and scored 16 points. For my first year in Formula One, and given that we didn't have the best car in the world, I don't feel too bad about that record. For sure, it could have been better and I certainly expect better of myself next year, but all in all I'd mark it down as a successful first season.

"Ultimately, I think this year was all about learning and the points are not the most significant thing. The important thing for me is that I think I have learned a hell of a lot about Formula One this year.

"First, there's obviously the whole process of driving the car, learning how to work properly with the team and learning how to race in F1, all of that has been a massive learning curve and at times it has been pretty hard, especially when the results weren't coming and we seemed to be going backwards.

"But that's where the second lesson comes into play. At the end of my first season I think I've learned a lot about being a Formula One driver out of the car as well as in it. Driving the car is obviously the sharp end of what we do and the most crucial part of the job, but it wouldn't work if, as a driver, you didn't learn how to work with your engineers, if you didn't learn how to process all the information you get given and help everyone in the team arrive at the best solution for the circumstances you're in."

The 22-year-old is certainly not resting on his laurels, determined to come back a better driver.

"All I want now over the winter is to put all I've learned together and arrive back next year with, hopefully, a better car, more experience, more skill and hopefully I'll have an even better experience next year," he said.

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Billionaire to build new Malaysian F1 circuit

A Singapore billionaire has revealed plans to construct a new circuit in the Iskandar region of Malaysia.

The development, which will be known as 'Motorsport City', includes an F1-compliant 4.5 kilometre track, as well as hotels and apartments.

The venture is valued at over $1.2 billion and is just minutes away from the Singapore border.

Both Malaysia and Singapore currently have F1 races - though Lim is keen to attract the series to his circuit once completed in 2015 or 2016.

Lim, who owns a stake in McLaren, will control 70 per cent of the project whilst the remaining 30 per cent will be divided between the Johor royal family and Malaysian state investment firm Khazanah Nasional.

MIKA: Nice, when are we all going?

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Former Williams man could be in line to sue Ecclestone

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone’s next legal headache could be in the form of former Williams chairman Adam Parr, according to a report in the German language Speed Week.

Earlier this year, Briton Parr – at the time William’s de-facto team principal – suddenly quit.

His shock departure from the famous team and the sport was met with cynicism, as it coincided with the end to an impasse with F1′s chief executive over Williams’ stalled Concorde Agreement negotiations.

We reported in March that Parr did not see eye-to-eye with Ecclestone.

The Telegraph hinted at the time that he “was the victim of a power play”, while Speed Week journalist Peter Hesseler has now gone one step further.

He repeated rumours that “a former team official” could be set to commence legal action against Ecclestone, because the F1 chief executive earlier this year threatened to call off Concorde Agreement negotiations if he didn’t quit.

Writing in Speed Week, Hesseler said that the unnamed team official is almost certainly Parr.

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Kimi Raikkonen optimistic he and Lotus can be even stronger in 2013

Kimi Raikkonen is optimistic he and Lotus can be even stronger in next year's Formula 1 world championship.

The Finn starred on his comeback season in the sport, winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, claiming seven podiums and finishing the year third in the championship.

Raikkonen believes there is still room for he and the Enstone-based team to improve however, particularly if they can hit the ground running in 2013.

"I think definitely it is easier now than it was in the beginning of the year, and it should be easier again next year," Raikkonen said.

"We scored a lot of points but we know if we could have started the year stronger then probably we would still have been in the championship.

"I know the team next year, I know the business, so it should be an easier start for us.

"Hopefully we can build it up for next year."

Asked about his success in 2012, Raikkonen said: "It has been OK, but for sure when you start getting good results you want to do it even better; you start expecting yourself to do better.

"We have been quite consistent - not the strongest, but consistent. That kept us in the championship for a long time.

"First though you have to build the car..."

The Finn paid tribute to the atmosphere of Lotus, saying it had contributed to his strong performances over the season.

"I think it is the whole thing together: there are always a lot of people who are involved," he said when asked how beneficial team spirit had proved.

"It is team work and everybody tried to do the same thing, do the best we can and I think it has been a good atmosphere - and that helps.

"I always said this team is a bit different from the others I have raced before. It is all about the racing and less the politics, and it is a good place to be."

Raikkonen admitted he had harboured some doubt before his return about his ability to push to the limit, but said such fears were assuaged as soon as he began driving the car.

"I never really thought I would lose it, that it would be more difficult," he explained.

"Maybe the biggest question mark was if I could push as much on the limit as before, with a new team and new tyres, as things had changed.

"Since the first test though I felt comfortable with it; I was never worried by the racing."

[rckymtn22]

Billionaire to build new Malaysian F1 circuit

A Singapore billionaire has revealed plans to construct a new circuit in the Iskandar region of Malaysia.

The development, which will be known as 'Motorsport City', includes an F1-compliant 4.5 kilometre track, as well as hotels and apartments.

The venture is valued at over $1.2 billion and is just minutes away from the Singapore border.

Both Malaysia and Singapore currently have F1 races - though Lim is keen to attract the series to his circuit once completed in 2015 or 2016.

Lim, who owns a stake in McLaren, will control 70 per cent of the project whilst the remaining 30 per cent will be divided between the Johor royal family and Malaysian state investment firm Khazanah Nasional.

MIKA: Nice, when are we all going?

2013! I am looking at going to the Malaysian GP since I will be out that way in March.

[MIKA27]

SEBASTIAN VETTEL: 2012 WORLD FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPION: WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO DO?

Sebastian Vettel won this year's world drivers' title, his third in total as well as his third in three years which only Fangio and Schumacher had done before, yet you'd hardly know it. Beyond the Red Bull team and Seb's/Red Bull's coteries of supporters much of the reaction has been rather muted, almost resentful in some quarters.

What does he have to do?

And further, the more you dig into the achievements the more remarkable they become: it's Seb's third championship from only five full years in the sport, and just four in a front-running car (indeed, had FIA's decision on the double diffuser gone the other way - and many thought it should have - Seb could be celebrating four from four). And Seb's done it from the front: he's triumphed 26 times (from just 101 starts) in a field that has good claim to being F1's most talented ever, and has almost always been a contender at the head of the pack. Seb is no cruise and collect points-gatherer.

All the while Seb has developed into a driver with just about everything. The speed and precision that he can turn on like it is on tap are well-established, and this is allied to intelligence, industry and increasing demonstration of his ability to race. Seb is a great ambassador for the sport too: a well brought up, friendly and responsible guy who is refreshingly open (for an F1 driver) with the media.

And while, yes, Seb has often had an excellent set of wheels to call on for much of that time, surely only a churl would argue that Seb isn't also personally bringing something to the party. If nothing else, where has Mark Webber (no slouch he) been when all this has been going on?

Seb's up 25-9 on wins in their four years sharing a stable, as well as is 3-0 up on titles of course.

If you're still not convinced, I invite you take a look at the entire list of F1 world champions since 1950, and count the number who won it without the best car (or close to the best). You'll likely not need more than the fingers of one hand.

And, oh yeah, did I mention that he's just 25?

In F1 history only Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso had won any world championships at that age, and in either case it was just the one. If the past is any sort of guide then Seb's a good six or seven years shy of his peak even now. There's a long way to go of course and nobody knows what lays ahead, but it's not outrageous to say that even Schumi's stratospheric records might be vulnerable. One can only imagine what sort of force Seb might end up as.

So, what's going on?

Well, the first thing to say is that a large part of it is that success often struggles to get the appreciation it deserves in its own time.

Name just about any period of sustained triumph in F1 - the Schumacher/Todt/Brawn/Byrne Ferrari dominance of the 90's, Williams in the mid-90s, Ron Dennis's McLaren success of the 1980s - and there was very little affection among neutrals at the time.

Only later did the full force of appreciation materialise.

At the time the overriding feeling is if only someone else won! I find it hard to believe that in years, and decades, to come many will look back at Vettel's and Red Bull's success in the last three season with anything other than awe. And even if Seb never wins another championship it's hard to imagine in that he'll be considered as anything other than an all-time great.

Part of it too is that Red Bull, right now, isn't a collective prone to winning popularity awards outwith its own fans and employees. It is viewed rather as an arriviste, or nouveau-riche, not a 'member of the club' as the likes of Ferrari and McLaren are.

And Seb, rather like Piquet was at Brabham and Clark at Lotus, seems a perfect fit within his organisation, almost to the point that you cannot see the join. And the team it seems right now have to cope with slings and arrows that come with its success combined with arriviste status: that it's seen as brash, arrogant, self-centred (amplified by its tendency to stand alone on political matters), single-minded, not constrained by whatever is considered 'the done thing', prone to ruffling establishment feathers. And possibly a lot of this rubs off on how Seb is viewed too.

And the circumstances of the title triumph this time were peculiar: few doubted Fernando Alonso's status as driver of the year, and his hauling of his F2012 into the championship fight was indeed a wonderful tale, and had he taken the title it would have had a credible claim as the most impressive and unlikely in the sport ever. And everyone loves an underdog, fighting against the odds.

Therefore, the consensus at the final round in Brazil was that people thought Seb would take win the day, but that they wanted Alonso to. But a couple of points spring to mind at all of this in Seb's defence. One is, it's all not Seb's fault; Alonso's mighty performances are no reason to denigrate what Seb was doing. As Alain Prost tended to say to Senna fans: 'Good, that's fine - but please don't hate me!' And many noises coming out of the Red Bull team late in the season (and after it ended) do betray annoyance at the plaudits Alonso is receiving.

Plus, a glaring point, this is Formula 1.

It's not a sport where scruples, or how success is achieved (so long as it's within the rules) should weigh us down. Prizes aren't handed out on sympathy. It's simply a matter of driver and team getting the job done. And Seb and Red Bull do just that.

And those who seek to describe Seb as a chauffeur benefiting from a fine Red Bull, or else a 'gazelle' who can only run on his own out front - to take the two most common criticisms - sell him short. Way short.

Recency is powerful of course, and therefore it's easy to forget that, for all that the Red Bull RB8 finished the 2012 season on form, for the first two-thirds of the year Seb's machine was by no means the class of the field as it was in 2011 (or even as it was in 2010).

Designer Adrian Newey admitted that the restriction of exhaust blown diffusers impeded the Red Bull disproportionately, and suddenly Seb didn't have a nailed-on rear-end, especially in qualifying, that he benefited from last year. Therefore, Seb's qualifying knack from 2011 was gone, leaving him with much to do on race day (it's worth reflecting that qualifying remained important for almost everyone in 2012 - only 3 of the 20 races were won from off the front row, and two of those wins were helped by attrition and the other was in the wet).

In China Seb missed out on the top 10 for no other reason than the pace not being there, while in Monaco he scraped in but then concluded that he was better off saving tyres for race day rather than set a timed lap in Q3.

But despite this Seb, almost unnoticed, stayed in championship contention with a number of gritty drives through the pack to maximise the race results: in Australia, China (in which he might have finished second but for late tyre drop-off), Spain (despite a penalty), Monaco and Spa the impressive swim against the tide was the same. And while Webber often was ahead in qualifying, still usually Seb was the better on race day - so much for relying on strong grid slots. In Valencia and to a lesser extent in Bahrain as well as in Canada's qualifying Seb looked a lot like his imperious self of last year, but they were false dawns.

Frustration did show on occasion though, his drive in Germany was scrappy and ended with a penalty for passing Button off-track, costing him points, he was at least imprudent in tagging Narain Karthikeyan in Malaysia (and his past-race criticisms of him were rather unbecoming), while his forcing Alonso off the track at Monza was ugly and deserving of the penalty it received. Furthermore, losses of temper behind the wheel, betrayed in his radio transmissions broadcast to the world from his cockpit, seemed regular: such as in Germany's qualifying session and Hungary's race (curiously, such barbs continued even when he was on top, such as in qualifying in Korea and after he lost the lead in Austin - fortunately for him such outbursts don't appear to impact on his driving).

But whatever the case, Seb was able to do enough when the car wasn't good to be within striking distance when the car got good later. These points won him the title just as much as the later run of victories.

From Singapore onwards various developments meant that the RB8 was suddenly the class of the field and thus it was just like 2011 all over again. With dazzling speed, precision and confidence Seb would claim pole by putting the car on its very end - to the point that you'd gladly allow Seb to nail a qualifying lap in the final moments of Q3 to save your life. It's by no means exaggeration to say that Seb's qualifying ability is Senna-esque. Then, once the red light went out on race day, just as with Senna and Schumacher, it was like flicking a switch: Seb would immediately be at the limit and the opposition would be on their knees within a few corners. Seeing Seb complete lap one with a clean pair of heels became a positive expectation. This all helped Seb to four wins on the bounce in a year wherein no one else even won two in a row. By the time he'd done this the 2012 drivers' championship was in the palm of his hand.

Of course, the 'Seb can't pass' idea really should have been buried long ago; any sort of analysis of his driving in 2011 should have led one to conclude that it was poppycock. And this year Seb had plenty of opportunities to bury it yet deeper. He started the season with a fine, around-the-outside, pass of Nico Rosberg at an unlikely part of the Melbourne track. At Spa he passed several cars in rising from 12th to 2nd in a car that was one of the slowest through the speed traps; those points were vital at the year's end. And then there was his double coup de grace when in Abu Dhabi and in Brazil after delays he came through the field in what seemed the blink of an eye. In Brazil he rose from 22nd place to sixth in just seven laps (and with a damaged car); the passes were decisive, aggressive and usually immediate. It was the sort of performance that led you to doubt your own senses.

And Seb is by no means a passive recipient of a fine Red Bull machine. No one in F1 works as hard at their game, no one leaves less to chance. To illustrate, who was the only F1 driver who went to visit the Pirelli factory after that company entered the sport at the start of 2011 to check out the rubber being developed? Yes, that's who.

Allied to this is a rare intelligence, which many insiders rate as higher even than Alonso's. It's hard to doubt them, especially when one hears Seb in radio conversation during a race where, in addition to the not small matter of driving an F1 car, he retains a variety of strands of analysis within his head, more than most watching at home behind a desk with live timing and lap charts to hand can manage.

And when in Brazil while facing backwards into oncoming traffic at the fourth corner, Seb rather than panic at the major setback in the most vital race of the year had the presence of mind to let the car roll backwards and to steer it between the various cars flashing past. Seb is also hand in glove with the Red Bull team and strong technically - Newey recently complimented Seb's sensitivity and contribution on the technical side - and knows what he wants from the car as well as how to get it. Even though Seb and team mate Mark Webber were close in the championship table in mid-season the car was developed with Seb's driving style in mind. This was particularly in its qualifying spec where Seb likes to drive the car on its nose and - counter-intuitively - correct rear slides with additional throttle (it's something that Webber has never mastered).

Seb isn't perfect of course.

The incidents from this year listed earlier added to his contact with other cars in coming though the field in Abu Dhabi and Brazil could add up to a case that his judgement when wheel-to-wheel still lets him down perhaps too often. And had the Abu Dhabi or Brazil contacts ended his race (and I can't for the life of me work out how the Brazil double-whack didn't) I could be writing a very different article right now. Yet, no F1 driver is perfect, especially not when they're 25, and Seb has improved immeasurably in this in recent times and has plenty of opportunity to refine his skills further. And, whatever the case, it's now upwards of 50 races since Seb last retired due to contact (more than half of his career), so it seems that either by accident or design he has a tendency to get away with it.

Seb as a driver is about as complete these days as can be reasonably expected. Hard-working, good technically, has a close and productive relationship with his team, decisive in the overtake, and most important of all extremely quick. Surely almost all doubters will by now have been converted. Surely what doubts remain are in the main born of obduracy. And, just you wait, in years to come you'll hark back to the days when you were privileged enough to watch Sebastian Vettel at the top of his game. It's high time we learned to stop worrying and respect Seb.

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ROLEX JOINS FORMULA 1 PARTNER ROSTER AS OFFICIAL TIMEKEEPER FROM 2013

Formula 1 has signed a major new commercial deal with Rolex which will see the luxury watchmaker become the sport’s official timekeeper as part of a long-term partnership.

The agreement, which is believed to be worth around £15 million per annum, will also see Rolex design F1’s official timepiece with the Swiss brand’s logos to also be positioned around grand prix circuits and at several corners next season.

The joint statement announcing the new partnership also made clear that Rolex’s presence in F1 is “due to develop over the coming seasons”.

Ecclestone and long-time Rolex ambassador Jackie Stewart were on hand to unveil the partnership on Wednesday and the F1 commercial supremo said: “Without question Rolex is the partner of choice for a world class sporting series like Formula One.

“The brand’s prestige, the excellence of its watches as well as Rolex’s passionate and long-standing commitment to motor sports gives it true credibility.

“This partnership is something that many people interested in Formula One will have been waiting for and should rightly be excited about. Rolex has incredible sporting heritage and therefore Formula One is the right place for Rolex to be.”

Rolex has a long history of sponsoring major sporting events, most notably in the UK at The Open golf championship and Wimbledon.

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FIA tweaks F1 rules and adds more stringent front wing tests

Formula 1′s governing body, the FIA made amendments to the technical and sporting regulations for the 2013 season.

These included more stringent front wing deflection tests, after a number of controversies in that area this year, and an increase in the minimum weight of cars to compensate for heavier Pirelli tyres.

The current ‘force majeure’ allowance, that can be used when a car stops on track in qualifying, was deleted and the FIA will instead determine how much fuel the car would have used to get back to the pits and add it to the one litre sample minimum.

Red Bull’s world champion Sebastian Vettel was sent to the back of the grid in Abu Dhabi this season when he was told to stop his car on track after qualifying third.

The car was subsequently found to have not enough fuel on board to pass post-qualifying tests, although Red Bull were convinced the car had more in the tank.

The DRS drag reduction system can only be used in practice in the same zones where it will be available in the race.

On the sporting side, a ‘curfew’, designed to ensure hard-pressed mechanics and team personnel do not work around the clock at circuits, will be extended from six hours to eight hours on Thursday nights with only two exceptions allowed during a season instead of the current four.

Changes were also made to the 2014 technical regulations to reduce the costs of introducing a new engine, including postponing to 2017 a requirement for cars to be driven exclusively under electric power in the pitlane.

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Vettel frowns upon fans’ Bruno Senna abuse

World champion Sebastian Vettel has distanced himself from a barrage of criticism directed at Williams driver Bruno Senna after the recent 2012 F1 championship finale in Brazil.

It was contact with Brazilian Senna’s Williams that spun Vettel around on the first lap at Interlagos, and caused significant bodywork and exhaust damage that almost cost the German his third consecutive drivers’ title.

Vettel said immediately after the race: “The grave of Ayrton Senna is here in Sao Paulo. Maybe someone has to go there and tell him what his nephew did today.”

The 25-year-old was smiling and clearly joking when he made the remarks, but – according to German media reports – that did not stop some of his fans from defacing Bruno Senna’s social media pages with abuse.

Vettel told Sport Bild: “I clearly distance myself from these so-called fans. In the end we are all part of a sport and it can always happen that we get in each other’s way.”

Meanwhile, he denied he lost any sleep over the recent yellow flag controversy, despite team boss Christian Horner admitting this week that it had been “an uncomfortable 48 hours”.

“I always knew that I’d done nothing wrong,” Vettel insisted.

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McLaren MP4-27 was the fastest Formula 1 car in 2012

McLaren fielded the consistently fastest car in 2012, according to an analysis by Speed Week, although Red Bull and Ferrari ended up fighting for the title, it was McLaren with the consistently faster car, based on an averaging of race laps throughout the 20-grand prix season.

Based on all the fastest race laps this year, McLaren was just 1.8 tenths from perfection, the report claimed. Champions Red Bull came in second with an average of 3.8 tenths off the best, followed by Lotus, at seven tenths.

Ferrari was just fourth, with an average deficit of 7.5 tenths.

“It means Fernando Alonso almost became champion with the fourth fastest car,” the report read.

2012′s fastest team McLaren won seven grands prix this year, compared to seven for Red Bull and three for Ferrari’s Alonso.

McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, meanwhile, respectively won the last two grands prix of the season in Austin and Brazil.

“We have to make the normal gains over a winter and Red Bull and Ferrari will be flat out doing that, as will the other teams trying to catch up — Lotus and Mercedes,” McLaren’s sporting director Sam Michael is quoted by the Sun.

“But we’re pretty confident we can do the right things over the winter and start off strong. We’re going to Melbourne to win,” he insisted.

Another analysis, by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, shows that if the 2012 championship was in fact divided in two, a McLaren driver would not have been the champion or even the runner-up of either half.

Based on the first ten races, Alonso would have beaten Red Bull’s Mark Webber to the title by 40 points, while the second-half champion was Vettel, with a 45-point margin over Spaniard Alonso.

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Briatore joins Montezemolo in criticising Schumacher

Former team principal Flavio Briatore has joined Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo in criticising the way Michael Schumacher ended his Formula 1 career recently in Brazil.

Despite winning five consecutive titles for Ferrari in his ultra-successful first career, Schumacher – now driving for Mercedes – openly let his friend Sebastian Vettel overtake during the Interlagos finale.

Schumacher’s fellow German Vettel was fighting for the title against Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who ultimately lost the battle by 3 points.

“I was expecting a slightly different final race on the part of Michael Schumacher”, Ferrari president Montezemolo admitted last weekend.

Italian Briatore, who was team boss when Schumacher won his first two titles with Benetton in the mid-90s, agrees with his fellow Italian Montezemolo.

“The way he (Schumacher) behaved in Brazil was not good. His preference was that Red Bull beats Ferrari,” said Briatore.

“The only one who helped Ferrari was Webber,” he added, referring to Vettel’s Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, who is in Briatore’s management stable.

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Red Bull creating historical legacy in F1 says Vettel

Red Bull is “well on the way” to achieving the same sort of “mythical status” as fellow grandee F1 teams like Ferrari, claims newly crowned triple world champion of Sebastian Vettel.

After winning his third consecutive drivers’ championship with the energy drink-owned team, again played down persistent rumours he could soon make the move to fabled Ferrari.

“Clearly Ferrari and Mercedes have a great history and a kind of mythical status,” the German told Sport Bild.

“But we’re well on the way to achieving the same with Red Bull. Realising it needs to be our goal,” added Vettel.

F1 legend Niki Lauda, however, can imagine Vettel eventually hanging up his Red Bull helmet and making the switch to another top team.

“He will eventually move somewhere else,” fellow triple world champion Lauda, who won his titles with Ferrari and McLaren, told CNN.

“It’s normal. Any skier changes his skis every year — so you have to change your cars at least once in your history.”

Former Renault boss Flavio Briatore, however, ruled out the concept of Vettel joining Fernando Alonso at Ferrari.

“It only works in a dream,” he told Italian radio Rai. “It would be a disaster.”

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No London grand prix at Olympic stadium

Plans to stage a Formula 1 grand prix in and around London’s Olympic stadium have all but collapsed.

Earlier this year, a company called Intelligent Transport Services launched a bid to take over the venue in the wake of the British capital’s Games.

But rival bids were also launched, including by the premier league football club West Ham United.

And the AFP news agency says the club has been named “first bidder”, which is reportedly a “major step” towards West Ham becoming the permanent tenant of the stadium.

“We had four good bids, as everybody knows,” said London mayor Boris Johnson.

“The bid that has been ranked top is West Ham United. I am very pleased about that,” he added.

“It will, if it goes through, mean a football legacy for the stadium but there is still a lot of negotiation to go on … about the terms of the deal.”

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F1 again set for 20 races in 2013

Formula One could have 20 races again next season after the sport’s governing body said on Wednesday that it had pencilled in an unspecified European race to make up for the postponed grand prix in New Jersey.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement that the German Grand Prix has been moved from July 14 to July 7 with July 21 now “reserved for another F1 European event” subject to the approval of national bodies.

That date would be back-to-back with Hungary on July 28 while Germany would follow on immediately from the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on June 30, according to the previous, provisional calendar.

Istanbul, where the FIA is currently meeting, would be one likely option with renewed talk in recent days of the Turkish Grand Prix making a return to the calendar after being dropped this year.

France, which has returned to the frame with either its Magny-Cours circuit or Le Castellet in the south, could be another possibility.

Formula One had a record 20 races this season but the absence of New Jersey, which had been due to make its debut with a race on June 16 while Valencia dropped off the list, had reduced that to 19.

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Ex-F1 drivers looking at DTM as an option

Three prominent Formula One names are being linked with the premier German touring car championship DTM.

When former F1 and Champ Car driver Alex Zanardi recently tested a modified hand-controlled BMW, the 46-year-old played down suggestions that his next project could be a DTM race seat.

But Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said that there is a chance the popular Italian will soon be chosen by BMW.

“Who will drive the eighth BMW M3 DTM in the coming season will be announced at a later date,” a spokesman is quoted.

Former Toro Rosso driver and 2012 Pirelli tester Jaime Alguersuari has also been linked with the seat.

Portuguese reports say that 2012 Williams driver Bruno Senna, who has been replaced for 2013 by Valtteri Bottas, did some test laps at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz DTM car at the Estoril circuit at the beginning of this week.

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Sponsor says Bottas not like other pay drivers

Valtteri Bottas is not like other ‘pay drivers’ on the F1 grid, his main backer insists.

The young Finn, set to debut for Williams next year, is backed by Antti Aarnio-Wihuri, whose company Wirhuri is a global industry and trade conglomerate.

Aarnio-Wihuri is quoted by Turun Sanomat: “I have a personal acquaintance with Frank Williams, which played a role.

“On next year’s car we will have big ads. We are talking about substantial sums, but not tens of millions, as has been mentioned for some of the other [F1] drivers.

“We hope to get back the money we have invested through the advertising.”

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No 2013 Concorde Agreement deal for Marussia yet

Marussia is the only team on the official 2013 Formula One entry list that is yet to be offered a new Concorde Agreement deal.

The German website motorsport-total.com reports that the news could be particularly bad for the Russian-owned British backmarker, as Bernie Ecclestone is apparently considering scrapping the so-called ‘Column 3′ benefits for the sport’s new teams that debuted in 2010.

Presumably, Ecclestone wants to scrap the Column-3 entitlements because Caterham has moved into a higher status due to regularly finishing tenth in the constructors’ world championship.

Fellow backmarker team HRT has not applied to compete in 2013.

Marussia is therefore the only active team that has not even been offered a new Concorde Agreement deal by Ecclestone.

“The last thing we were told was that the columns 1, 2 and 3 will still be there. But to be honest, as long as there is no agreement, who knows?” said the team’s sporting director Graeme Lowdon.

He insisted: “It has no effect on us in terms of us being here. We will be here, no question.”

But the situation has raised the question of whether Marussia will ever be offered a Concorde Agreement deal.

“I don’t know, it’s up to Bernie,” Lowdon explained. “It is strange that some teams have one while others don’t.

“You would have to ask the owner of the commercial rights or the FIA.”

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Qinghua in talks with Caterham and Marussia

As soon as the chance of survival for Formula One outfit HRT looked bleak, the Spanish team’s Chinese development driver Ma Qinghua started to look elsewhere.

That is the claim of the Diario AS newspaper, reporting that the 24-year-old Shanghai-born driver entered talks with other F1 backmarkers Caterham and Marussia.

Each of those teams are yet to confirm their second race drivers for the 2013 season.

AS said that Qinghua’s management, China Sport Management, opened talks with Caterham and Marussia around the time of the recent Austin and Brazil double-header.

The news is a real blow to HRT’s chances of remaining in F1, as rumours had suggested that China Sport Management was involved in talks to rescue the ailing Spanish team.

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Jenson Button wants more accessible tyres in 2013 F1 season

Jenson Button believes Pirelli should focus on widening the operating window of its 2013 tyre compounds in order to make the Formula 1 playing field fairer.

Unpredictable tyre compounds played their part in seven different drivers winning the opening seven races of the season, with form varying from one round to the next.

Mercedes, for example, suffered in Malaysia - a race in which Fernando Alonso hung on to deny a flying Sergio Perez – but then dominated in China, with Nico Rosberg winning for the first time.

Button said some teams and drivers had 'lucked in' to working the tyres properly, while others had been undermined by an inability to do so.

"I think it would be nice to see the working range of the tyre changed a little bit," Button said.

"As a lot of teams have, we've struggled to get it working and in the right region, and there just needs to be a bigger band of working range for everyone.

"It just makes it a little bit more fair.

"Some guys luck in to the tyres with their car at the start of the year and others luck out.

"It's so hard to find a way of getting tyres in the right range, and you have to change your car dramatically in terms of cooling in order to make it work."

Button otherwise paid tribute to Pirelli's 2012 compounds, saying that uninspiring one-stop races proved just how effective its high-degradation focus has been on improving the racing.

"I think the degradation of the tyres has not been too bad all year," he explained.

"The new asphalt has changed things in terms of one stop, which worked in the USA, but not at others which were not so exciting.

"I think Pirelli and the FIA are all pushing for more degradation."