FORMULA 1 - 2013

[MIKA27]

Typhoon heading for Korea ahead of grand prix weekend

Just as Formula 1 sets up camp at the Yeongam circuit, a typhoon is headed for Korea.

The state news agency Yonhap said that Typhoon Fitow is on course to hit the very south of South Korea on race-day Sunday.

The Chosun Ilbo daily said that the typhoon is expected to bring “a lot of rain” and gusty winds.

If the typhoon does strike, it will not be the first time bad weather has affected the Korean Grand Prix.

In 2010, heavy rain delayed the start of Formula 1′s first race in Korea.

[MIKA27]

Valsecchi says he is ready to replace Raikkonen in Korea

Davide Valsecchi insists that he is ready to make his Formula 1 debut this weekend, should he be called up to do so by Lotus.

Kimi Raikkonen, the team’s regular driver, struggled through the recent Singapore Grand Prix with a back injury.

So ahead of the Korean Grand Prix this weekend, the Finn said: “We will have to see how it is when I get out on track on Friday.”

Meanwhile, Raikkonen suggested in Singapore that because he has not yet been paid by Lotus, he is technically entitled to sit out races.

Asked if he might sue the Enstone based team, he admitted: “I don’t know. Obviously there is a reason why we make up contracts.”

With that uncertainty lingering, it is no surprise that Valsecchi – Lotus’ reserve driver – is being asked if he is preparing to make his debut in Korea.

“My role requires me to be ready,” the reigning GP2 champion told Italy’s Autosprint.

“The rest are situations and decisions that are taken by the team alone,” added Valsecchi, 26.

[MIKA27]

Big Formula 1 teams oppose idea of single fuel supplier

Formula 1′s major teams are united in opposing moves to appoint a single fuel supplier for the sport at the highest level.

Last week after the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council, it emerged that the new Concorde Agreement leans towards the use of a single supplier of fuel in future.

The FIA will be “in charge of conducting the tender process”, the governing body’s media statement said, with Bernie Ecclestone “entitled to run the commercial negotiations with potential suppliers”.

But according to Germany’s Sport Bild on Wednesday, the big teams are not happy about this development.

That’s because they all have separate and lucrative deals in place with major oil corporations: Ferrari with Shell, Renault with Total, Mercedes with Petronas, McLaren with Mobil.

But if, for example, Total is selected as Formula 1′s sole fuel supplier, that would cost Ferrari its € 25 million deal with Shell, Mercedes its 30 m Petronas deal, and so on.

The FIA announced last Friday that it has now signed up to the new Concorde Agreement with the commercial rights holder, led by Ecclestone.

In related news, the teams – even Marussia, according to The Times newspaper – now all have financial deals in place with the Formula 1 chief executive.

But before the actual tripartite Concorde Agreement is in force, the teams have to sign up, and Sport Bild said that the new fuel supplier issue could be a fly in the ointment.

[MIKA27]

Hulkenberg too heavy for 2014 McLaren

Nico Hulkenberg’s weight could hamper his chances of securing a McLaren race seat in 2014.

Earlier this year, it emerged that the tall German’s feet were a squeeze in the footwell of the Sauber.

Now, with Sergio Perez’s place in doubt, Hulkenberg’s candidature could end simply because he weighs in at 74 kg.

Amid rumours that Perez’s Mexican sponsors are behind in their payments to McLaren, Germany’sAuto Motor und Sport reports that yet another problem for Perez is the possible identity of the Woking based team’s next title sponsor.

It had been expected the departing Vodafone’s successor would be a Mexican company, but the latest news is that the razor company Gillette is in fact in a good position to take over.

However, Germany’s Sport Bild reports that McLaren is concerned that Hulkenberg – a logical candidate to replace Perez – weighs too much for its 2014 car, which due to the radical new powertrain regulations will weigh almost 50 kilograms more than this year’s single seaters.

The mandatory minimum weight of the cars is being increased, but not by as much as the expected weight increases of the new technology.

Even last year, the tall Mark Webber had complained: “ haven’t eaten for the last 5 years! Minimum weight has been too low for ages.

“Perfect driver weight [is] now 60-65 kg.”

Hulkenberg is also in contention for the Lotus seat being vacated by Kimi Raikkonen, but another contender is the newly sponsor-backed Brazilian, Felipe Massa.

It is believed Hulkenberg sees Force India – his 2012 employer – as a fallback option, and that the Silverstone based team is prepared to replace the underperforming Paul di Resta.

Another candidate for a Force India seat next year is the McLaren-backed rookie Kevin Magnussen, according to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

Respected correspondent Michael Schmidt said that the young Dane could even be the frontrunner, because Force India apparently owes McLaren money for past supplies of transmissions and hydraulics.

[MIKA27]

Inexperienced Sirotkin / Gutierrez line-up could work says Kaltenborn

Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn insists that her team would not be afraid to pair two young and relatively inexperienced drivers together for the 2014 season.

The struggling Swiss team is almost resigned to losing the highly rated Nico Hulkenberg to a more competitive outfit like McLaren, Lotus or even Force India.

As long as he gets a Formula 1 super license, the 18-year-old Russian Sergey Sirotkin will replace Hulkenberg, as he comes with Sauber’s Russian rescue deal.

Some, however, have expressed doubts that Sirotkin should be paired with current Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez, a 22-year-old rookie who has often struggled in 2013.

“Hulkenberg is likely to leave,” ex Formula 1 driver Vitaly Petrov said this week, “and they are not too happy with Gutierrez.”

Sirotkin, however, told Russia’s Championat that Petrov’s claims are not true.

“As far as I know,” he said, “inside the team they are very happy with him.”

But when asked if he would prefer a more experienced teammate in 2014, Sirotkin answered: “It’s hard to say.

“Very often someone who you do not expect actually goes very well, and sometimes someone with a big name does not cause much excitement,” he said.

“I’m ready for any option, because I know what job I have to do.”

Team boss Kaltenborn said that Sauber is yet to decide on who Sirotkin’s teammate will be, but is approaching the decision with an open mind.

“If you look at the history of our team,” she said, “we often had two young and not very experienced drivers, and often we did some of our best seasons.

“It is always good to have a certain mix of qualities, but our team has vast experience of working with young drivers,” added Kaltenborn.

Asked specifically if a Sirotkin-Gutierrez lineup could work, she insisted: “We would not have any reason to worry about it, no.”

[MIKA27]

Marko says Vettel cheat claims are utter nonsense

Red Bull has slammed reports that it is flouting the rules as Sebastian Vettel stamps his dominance on the 2013 season.

After Singapore, former Formula 1 team owner Giancarlo Minardi raised doubts about the German’s RB9, saying its handling and engine tone reminded him of traction control.

“Utter nonsense!” Red Bull’s Helmut Marko told the German newspaper Bild.

Reports have suggested Red Bull might actually be mimicking the banned ‘blown exhaust’ era with a clever engine mapping solution.

Bild said that Formula 1′s governing FIA would not comment.

[MIKA27]

The Big Preview: Korean Grand Prix at Yeongam

After the bright lights and street racing of Singapore, Round 14 of the 2013 Formula 1 World Championship sees the teams take on a very different technical challenge at the Korea International Circuit.

The 5.615 km track, located close to the city of Mokpo in the south of the country, is almost two circuits in one – with the first half featuring a number of high-speed sections and a long, fast 1.2 km straight and the second half comprised of tight and twisting sections featuring lower-speed corners.

As such car set-up at KIC is a compromise, with teams balancing the need for outright speed against the demands of the slow sections, where both aerodynamic and mechanical grip are of paramount importance. Finding that grip can be prove to be difficult, as the infrequently used track is normally dirty at the start of the weekend and set-ups must be constantly adjusted to meet the evolving track conditions. In short, it’s not an easy circuit to get right.

It’s the two men at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings who have had most success in that regard across the first three Korean GPs. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso won the inaugural event, a rain-lashed grand prix that eventually extended to 2 hours, 48 minutes and which ended in near darkness, while current title leader Sebastian Vettel has made Red Bull Racing victorious in the last two editions.

It’s the Red Bull driver who again has the momentum this season. Vettel comes to the Yeongam region on the back of three consecutive race wins, while Alonso has played second fiddle to the German on each of those occasions. In the Constructors’ battle, meanwhile, Red Bull Racing, with 377 points, currently enjoys a commanding 103-point leader over Ferrari, with Mercedes in third place with 267 points.

Korea International Circuit Data

• Length of lap: 5.615 km
  
• Lap record: 1:39.605 (Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing, 2011)
  
• Start/finish line offset: 0.195 km
  
• Total number of race laps: 55
  
• Total race distance: 308.630 km
  
• Pitlane speed limits: 80 km/h throughout the entire event weekend.
  

DRS Zones

• There will be two DRS zones. The detection point of the first is 70 m after Turn 2, with activation 360 m after Turn 2. The second detection point is 60m before Turn 16 with activation 95 m after Turn 18.
  

Changes to circuit since 2012

• The pit exit has been re-aligned. It now runs through the middle of the run-off area at Turn 1.
  
• The kerbs at the apexes of the pit exit are double-sided, 2 x 500 mm wide and four metres in overall length with a maximum height of 25 mm.
  
• The artificial grass on the exit of Turns 1, 3, 10, 13 and 15 has been replaced by a more hard-wearing product.
  
• ’Sausage’ kerbs have been installed at the apex of Turns 4, 5, 9, 11, 13 and 14.
  
• The verge behind the kerb at the apex of Turn 8 has been laid with concrete.
  
• The entire verge between the track and the asphalt run-off area around the outside of Turn 11 has been laid with asphalt.
  
• The verge at the exit of Turn 13 has been extended with asphalt.
  

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber celebrate a Red Bull 1-2 in Korea

Korean Grand Prix Fast Facts

• This will be the fourth Korean Grand Prix. The country made its F1 debut in 2010 as the 17th race of a 19-race season.
  
• The Korea International Circuit is one of only five anti-clockwise circuits on the calendar, the others being Singapore’s Marina Bay Street Circuit, Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina, Austin’s Circuit of the Americas and Sao Paulo’s Interlagos.
  
• The straight between Turns 2 and 3 is the fourth longest in F1 and cars are at full throttle for a full 15 seconds while racing down it.
  
• Tyre manufacturer Pirelli will bring its red-banded Supersoft and yellow-banded Medium tyre compounds to Korea. This is a change to last year, when the company brought its Soft and Supersoft compounds. The combination of Supersoft and Medium tyres has been used this season in Australia, Canada and most recently at the Singapore Grand Prix.
  
• Sebastian Vettel is the most successful driver at the Korea International Circuit, with two wins from three outings. Ferrari have scored the most points at the venue, however, with 85 in total, versus 83 for Red Bull Racing.
  
• Mark Webber will start this race with a 10-place grid penalty. The Red Bull Racing driver was reprimanded by the FIA race stewards after the Singapore GP when, following his failure to finish the race, he accepted a ride back to the pit lane from Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. This was deemed dangerous, and as it was his third reprimand of the season, Webber received an automatic 10-place penalty.
  
• Webber’s 2012 pole position here was his most recent and the 11th of his career. He finished last year’s race in second place, his second career podium finish at the KIC. Team-mate Vettel was on pole for the inaugural race, while Lewis Hamilton started from the front of the grid in 2011 for McLaren.
  
• Jean-Eric Vergne made his Formula 1 debut here in 2011 as a test driver for Toro Rosso. He completed just nine-laps in a wet first free practice session. The Frenchman then signed to drive for the team for 2012 and on his return to the KIC finished the race in eighth place, scoring four points. It was the third of four points finishes for Vergne last year – all were recorded with eighth place finishes (in Malaysia, Belgium, Korea and Brazil).
  
• The 2010 race marked the lastF1 appearance so far for Japan’s Sakon Yamamoto. He made his F1 debut at his home GP in a practice session for Jordan in 2005. His first race was the German GP of 2006, for Super Aguri, for whom he raced the remaining seven races that season. After sitting out the first 10 races of 2007 he joined the Spyker team, for whom he raced the last seven races of that year. He next appeared in 2010, racing for HRT until the final two grand prix of the year when he was replaced by former Jaguar and Red Bull Racing driver Christian Klien.
  

Korean Grand Prix Statistics by Reuters

• Four different teams have won the 12 races so far this year(Lotus, Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes).
  
• Red Bull’s triple champion Sebastian Vettel has seven wins in 2013. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Mercedes’s Nico Rosberg have won two races each. Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen and Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton have each won one.
  
• Vettel has won the last three races.
  
• Vettel has 33 career wins, Alonso 32, Hamilton 22, Raikkonen 20 and McLaren’s Jenson Button 15.
  
• Ferrari have won 221 races since the championship started in 1950, McLaren 182, Williams 114 and Red Bull 41.
  
• Mercedes have been on pole eight times in 13 races. Vettel has taken the other five.
  
• Vettel has 41 poles to his credit and is third in the all-time list (Michael Schumacher had 68 and Ayrton Senna 65). Hamilton has 31 and Alonso 22.
  
• Vettel’s Singapore pole was his second in a row.
  
• Mercedes have locked out the front row in qualifying three times this year.
  
• Alonso has not been on the front row in the last 23 races, with his last appearance being his pole in Germany in July 2012. He has not been on pole in a dry qualifying since 2010.
  
• Caterham and Marussia have yet to score a point after three seasons in Formula 1.
  
• None of the five 2013 rookies have scored points so far.
  
• The circuit runs anti-clockwise and requires medium to high levels of aerodynamic downforce. Most drivers opted for a two-stop strategy last year.
  
• Webber will start with a 10 place grid penalty after collecting his third reprimand of the season in Singapore for taking a ‘taxi ride’ on Alonso’s Ferrari after the race.
  
• Alonso (2010) and Vettel (2011, 2012) are the only drivers to have won in Korea.
  
• No driver has won from pole in Korea so far.
  
• Hamilton has twice finished second.
  
• McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull are the only teams to have had drivers on the Korean podium.
  
• There have been more Safety Car periods (five) than race leaders (two – Vettel and Alonso) in the three Korean Grands Prix so far. Last year’s race had just 34 overtaking manoeuvres.
  

Race Stewards Biographies

• Garry Connelly has been involved in motor sport since the late 1960s. A long-time rally competitor, Connelly was instrumental in bringing the World Rally Championship to Australia in 1988 and served as Chairman of the Organising Committee, Board member and Clerk of Course of Rally Australia until December 2002. He has been an FIA Steward and FIA Observer since 1989, covering the FIA’s World Rally Championship, World Touring Car Championship and Formula One Championship. He is a director of the Australian Institute of Motor Sport Safety and a member of the FIA World Motor Sport Council.
  
• Silvia Bellot began marshalling in 2001, when she was 16. Despite her young age she has been a steward in a number of national and international series, including the, European F3 Open, GT Open, BMW Europe, Spanish Endurance Championship, DTM, World Series by Renault and the WRC. In 2009, she took part in the FIA trainee stewards’ program for GP2 and F1. She made her first appearance as an F1 steward at the 20011 Turkish GP and last year was awarded the FIA’s Outstanding Official prize. She is currently a steward in GP2, GP3, WTCC and F1. Away from the stewards’ room she is a member of the FIA’s Women in Motorsport Commission and also works closely with RACC, the Circuit de Catalunya and the Spanish federation in event organisation.
  
• During a motor sport career spanning almost 40 years, Emanuele Pirro has achieved a huge amount of success, most notably in sportscar racing, with five Le Mans wins, victory at the Daytona 24 Hours and two wins at the Sebring 12 Hours. In addition, the Italian driver has won the German and Italian Touring Car championships (the latter twice) and has twice been American Le Mans Series Champion. Pirro, enjoyed a three-season F1 career from 1989 to 1991, firstly with Benetton and then for Scuderia Italia. His debut as an FIA Steward came at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and he has returned regularly since.
  

[MIKA27]

Webber blames his 2013 struggles on Pirelli tyres

Mark Webber has pointed a finger at Pirelli’s 2013 tyres as the reason for his struggle against dominant teammate Sebastian Vettel this year.

The Australian, who is heading to Le Mans with Porsche next year, fought Vettel hard for the title in 2010, but the German utterly dominated in 2011.

“In 2011 I was only behind Sebastian in qualifying,” Webber told Auto Motor und Sport. ”It was clearly something to do with the fact that his driving style was better suited to the car.”

“In the race, we were pretty much the same – I got a lot of fastest laps,” he added.

Last year was a better season for Webber, because he said the RB8 was “more of a normal race car”.

In 2013, however, Vettel has been dominating again.

Again, Webber points to the tyres. “They are not always easy to understand,” he said. “You lose a lot of time if you don’t bring them into the right working window.”

Referring to Singapore, where Vettel’s dominance moved into an even higher gear, Webber said: “On the medium tyres, I had a good balance. I was able to get the very best out of them.

“But as soon as we went onto the softer ones, it was very difficult to drive.”

[MIKA27]

Force India in no rush to finalise F1 2014 driver line-up

Force India is in no rush to finalise its driver line-up for 2014, according to deputy team principal Bob Fernley.

Paul di Resta is under contract for next season and that Adrian Sutil has options in his contract, but despite that the team has yet to finalise either seat.

But while Fernley believes his current driver line up is strong and he sees no reason to make a change, he insists that the team owners will not start to consider their options until the Indian Grand Prix.

"Our decision process is one that takes place around the Indian Grand Prix, it's a shareholder decision and that's always the timing for us.

"We have excellent drivers that are already with us and equally there are some excellent drivers at the moment who are looking around.

"But there is no reason to change at the moment."

Ex-Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg is understood to have approached the team as a fallback should his hopes of moving to Lotus not be fulfilled.

Ferrari's Felipe Massa has also been linked to the team and Fernley believes that if a change was made, there would be no shortage of strong candidates given that Force India is one of the highest-placed teams on the grid with potential vacancies.

As in previous years, Fernley and the race team will compile their recommendations, although the final decision will be made by the board.

"You would be surprised how many good quality drivers there are but if you are being realistic, there are probably three seats for four quality drivers," he said.

"That's obviously one at Lotus and two at Force India.

"But nobody is going to be looking at a massive change for 2014.

"Our job is to look at what's available, make the recommendations [to the shareholders] and provide the information."

[MIKA27]

Jules Bianchi will remain with the Marussia Formula 1 team for 2014

Jules Bianchi will remain with Marussia for a second season in 2014, the team announced on Thursday morning.

The Frenchman made his debut for the outfit at the start of this year but Ferrari, which has supported his career, was considering moving him to Sauber.

However, Marussia's switch to Ferrari power-units and its progress on track has ensured it will retain Bianchi for at least another campaign.

"I couldn't have wished for a more supportive environment in which to make my F1 debut and from the very beginning I have always felt completely at home with the team," said Bianchi, whose best finish is 13th in the Malaysian Grand Prix.

"We started the season very well and, while the challenge has increased as the season has developed, we have learned important lessons together that will place us in a much stronger position next year when there are a lot of changes for the sport and the team to get used to.

"I am very excited to be part of the team as we all enter this new era of F1 and I look forward to achieving some rewarding performances together."

Bianchi's decision to remain at Marussia is a huge sign of confidence in Marussia from both the driver and Ferrari ahead of the challenges posed by new regulations in 2014.

Marussia team principal John Booth welcomed the fact that his team would have stability on the driver front.

"2014 heralds a new era for the sport and continuity and consistency of line-up will be important in helping us to navigate the transition," he said.

Bianchi’s team-mate Max Chilton is in negotiations with the team to stay on board as well for 2014, with an announcement about Marussia’s second driver plans expected later this season.

[MIKA27]

David Ward would withdraw from FIA elections to ensure reforms

FIA presidential hopeful David Ward would welcome more candidates in the election battle, and would even consider withdrawing from the contest if a rival promised to take on his reform agenda.

Ward is pushing for a major overhaul of the way motor racing's governing body operates, with new election processes, the appointment of a CEO to run the FIA on a day-to-day basis and the president taking on non-executive functions.

Amid mounting speculation that Mohammed bin Sulayem is considering becoming a third candidate, Ward would be happy for the election fight to open up.

However, well aware of the complications caused by the election system that demands candidates get 26 clubs to nominate them, Ward has said he would be willing to throw his weight behind a rival as long as the reforms he wants were taken on.

"If he [bin Sulayem] throws his hat in the ring, and I don't know if he will, I would welcome there is someone else in the race," he said.

"Because of this strange nominating process though, it does create a problem of how many candidates there are, because you have to assemble your vice presidents and your deputies plus your 26 nominees.

"So it is very hard to have any more than three candidates - and I would have to look carefully at what I did.

"In the end I am running for the governance reforms, not because David Ward should be president of the FIA. I think the FIA should have these changes.

"If Mohammed thinks that my reform agenda is worthwhile and, if he is prepared to give solid undertakings and commitments to introduce it, then it [standing aside] is something that I should look at.

"It would be incredible folly to stand, and not do well, and have my reform agenda disappear down the plug hole. That would be completely counter productive to my ultimate aim, so I am simply going to wait and see."

Ward thinks there is no guarantee that bin Sulayem will choose to take on Todt though, because of his profile role in Middle Eastern motorsport.

"It is quite a big decision and, in a way, it is a harder decision for him than me," he said.

"I am in a particular moment where it doesn't matter to me.

"He has got a position to defend in his club; he has a regional role, so he has to weigh up a lot of things. We will wait and see with interested.

"People are asking if I am a stalking horse – but if my running has opened up the election process, then I feel that I have won something already."

[MIKA27]

Webber: We need quality events, quality drivers, quality teams and keep that going

Elder statesman Mark Webber, who is preparing to leave Formula 1 after more than a decade long career at the highest level, has warned the sport to insist upon quality.

Hitting out at pay-drivers locking more talented drivers off the grid, Australian Webber also criticised unpopular yet lucrative races like this weekend’s Korean Grand Prix.

Telling British broadcaster Sky the pay-driver situation is “not right”, Webber said: “We’ve got to be careful we don’t have a bit of a vacuum not having those top boys come through.” Another problem, he said, is races like Korea.

“I think keeping the quality is important, keeping the quality events,” said Webber, as Formula 1 congregates for the fourth but perhaps last time in Mokpo, an odd and eerie place for a Grand Prix, where journalists and mechanics stay in love motels.

“Korea, there’s no one there,” Webber complained. “We need to have quality events, quality drivers, quality teams and keep that going.”

Korea has been given only a provisional date on the bustling 22-race 2014 calendar, with promoter Won-Hwa Park admitting he is trying to negotiate a better deal with Bernie Ecclestone.

Asked what chance there is of a race next year, he admitted: “I would say 50-50, but we are very much firm in continuously holding this event.”

[MIKA27]

Hamilton: When I had traction control I could put the pedal down as quickly as Vettel

Lewis Hamilton is resigned to the fact that championship leader Sebastian Vettel is enjoying a huge advantage at the wheel of the Red Bull RB9 because he is able to get on the power far earlier than anyone else reminding the Mercedes driver of a time when his car had the aid of legal traction control in his rookie year.

Speaking ahead of the Korean Grand Prix, Hamilton said, “If you look at the onboards, he [Vettel] is on the power at least 20 metres before everyone else, which is a huge advantage.”

“There’s nothing we can really do. We’re always asking for more rear downforce and we always want to get on the power sooner.

But the last time I was able to put the pedal down that quickly was in 2007 [at McLaren] when we had traction control. It’s a lot different,” ventured Hamilton.

Although Mercedes have been the closest to Red Bull for most of the season, in Singapore they were clearly lacking the muscle to push hard in the race.

Hamilton believes that Red Bull simply have a far stronger car than anyone else, and perhaps the world champions even have something extra in store should the need arise.

“I think that is the true pace of their car. Perhaps they have a lot more in the bag then we get to see. So they are just cruising generally. On the restart everyone is pushing flat out so there’s no reason why they could be able to pull away that much quicker,” mused the 2007 Formula 1 world champion.

Lewis Hamilton trails Sebastian Vettel in the championship race by 96 points

Hamilton made a move from McLaren to Mercedes at the start of the season, and admits that he is still adapting to his ‘new’ team and the Silver arrows with which he has won once so far this season, and is hoping he continue the forward momentum at Yeongam.

He said, “The last couple of races haven’t been that good for me, but before that I have been growing an understanding of the car, growing an understanding of how to extract the most from it and we have grown as a team in terms of how we communicate. I hope this weekend is even better in that sense.”

“We are constantly making changes, even after the last race weekend there have been things we can improve on in terms of communication. So hopefully we’ll see a better weekend this weekend,” concluded Hamilton who lies third in the championship, albeit 96 points adrift of top spot.

[MIKA27]

Massa: I have talked to a few teams and there may be some good opportunities

In the past few years, the expression “another sunny day in Mokpo,” has been used with a sense of irony as the weather has generally been poor, not to say very wet.

But Thursday, as the Korean Grand Prix weekend got underway, it really is a beautifully hot and sunny day, with the mountains and lake behind the paddock looking picture postcard-pretty.

And Felipe Massa’s disposition was as sunny as ever, when he faced the media in the official FIA Press Conference this afternoon. Inevitably, much of the questioning concerned the Brazilian’s future and what he might be doing next year.

“I have talked to a few teams and there seem to be some good opportunities, but for now I am concentrating on the last races and we will say something when the time is right,” he said, before adding that he had not changed his mind about what sort of drive he would accept. “I am quite optimistic that we can find a good solution, but I want a car that gives me the possibility to fight for good results in the races, otherwise I am not interested.”

When it comes to the final six rounds of 2013, Felipe is keen to do well. “At the moment, I feel good and I’m comfortable in the car, which is why I have scored important points in the last races and qualifying is also going well,” reckoned the Ferrari man.

“I hope to carry on like that, maybe getting better results and podiums for me and the team. It would be a nice way to finish a long and nice time together.”

Asked about comments from Pat Fry and Nik Tombazis that the change of tyre construction during the season and not always going in the right direction in terms of car development, were the reasons for Ferrari’s drop in performance in the mid-season, the Brazilian painted a more general picture of the difficulties faced by the Scuderia.

“Clearly, if you don’t have a car capable of winning then you are not doing a perfect job,” he stated. “There are so many little things that didn’t work as well as they should, so I don’t think we can single out one or two aspects, but we need to look at the car as a whole.”

The two technical chiefs had also mentioned that the remaining six Friday practice sessions would also serve to evaluate a small number of components for 2014. How did Felipe feel about this, given he will not be driving a Prancing Horse car next year. “I hope they give me everything they can to test for next year,” he replied with a big grin across his face. “But to be honest, there will not be much we can test now, as next year’s cars are so different.”

Another topic aimed at Felipe and the others on the panel was next year’s calendar, currently showing 22 races. “It’s a lot and I’m not concerned just for us drivers, but also it will be hard on the team,” he maintained.

“I am not against more races, but with a little bit more thought we could have a nice calendar, so that for example we don’t have a race in Japan on its own, then go back to Europe and then have to return to this part of the world for a race two weeks later.”

[MIKA27]

Whiting: Vettel’s car complies with the regulations, there are no irregularities

The FIA are supporting Sebastian Vettel amid recent claims he is strolling to the 2013 Formula 1 world championship title with a Red Bull car that may be transgressing the rules.

Red Bull’s Helmut Marko has already dismissed the claims the RB9 is mimicking illegal traction control as “utter nonsense”.

But former Formula 1 team owner Giancarlo Minardi had said he saw and heard evidence with his own eyes and ears recently in Singapore, when Vettel was putting down the power 50 metres earlier than his rivals, while the Renault engine emitted traction control-like tones.

However, Formula 1 race director Charlie Whiting has told Sport Bild: “(FIA technical delegate) Jo Bauer has found no irregularities. Everything is under our control, and Vettel’s car complies with the regulations.”

Meanwhile, according to Bild newspaper, Red Bull’s determination to dominate Formula 1 can be seen in the team’s new €100,000 jack.

The jack is reportedly designed to automatically lower the car once it detects that all four wheels have been secured during a pitstop.

Bild said Red Bull’s powerful rivals including Ferrari and Mercedes are now working on similar systems.

Force India team manager Andy Stevenson is quoted as arguing the innovation should be banned.

“If no one has it, everyone’s pitstop will be half a second slower. So who cares?” he said.

[MIKA27]

No guarantee that 2014 Mexican GP will happen

McLaren driver Sergio Perez, and multi-billionaire backer Carlos Slim Domit, have admitted Mexico’s place on the 2014 grand prix calendar is not guaranteed.

Indeed, the race on the former and ageing Grand Prix venue in Mexico City has been given only a provisional date on next year’s schedule.

“I’m very excited,” said 23-year-old Perez, who is backed by Slim-linked Mexican companies. ”It’s not confirmed yet, it’s just a pre-calendar but I feel there are very big chances now of this happening.”

Slim Domit also told Mexico Today: “It (Mexico) is a stable country, our economy is doing quite well and we have drivers people can identify with.

“All of the pieces are coming together and I believe the potential promoters are doing a good job in trying to secure something,” he added.

Mexico is one of three races given only provisional status on the unprecedentedly-long 2014 calendar, the others being New Jersey and Korea.

But Sam Michael, McLaren sporting director, said that even if they all go ahead, Formula 1 can cope.

“Formula 1 is about achieving things that are not normally possible, and this is far from the worst challenge we have had,” he said, suggesting the financial benefits of an expanded calendar will outweigh the hurdles.

[MIKA27]

Sauber considering Rubens Barrichello for 2014 Formula 1 seat

Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn has admitted Rubens Barrichello is on the team's shortlist of potential 2014 Formula 1 drivers.

She insisted speculation that the Brazilian could return to the F1 fold for this year's Brazilian Grand Prix was wide of the mark but kept the door open for next season.

Barrichello, 41, has made the most grands prix starts in history at 322. Although he left the sport after losing his Williams seat at the end of the 2011 season, he has insisted previously that F1 is not a closed chapter.

Asked whether Barrichello was in the frame for 2014, Kaltenborn said: "There are a couple of options out there.

"We know what he [barrichello] has is experience. He would like to come back, so let's see.

"I always have to give you the same answer - we will [make announcements] in due course."

Kaltenborn did however rule out speculation that Barrichello could return in time for his home grand prix, which brings this year's championship to a close on 24 November.

Asked if she expected Sauber to retain its current line-up to the end of the year, she said: "Absolutely. I don't see any possibility there.

"We have no reason to change our two drivers for that race."

After dropping out of F1, Barrichello spent a single season in IndyCar before switching to Brazil's domestic Stock Car V8 series this year.

[MIKA27]

Alonso: We will not give up the fight until it’s mathematically impossible to take the title

Fernando Alonso met the media in a very sunny paddock at Korea International Circuit on the outskirts of Mokpo and admitted that, rain or shine, this was going to be a tough weekend for Scuderia Ferrari.

“Fifteen days ago we were fourth fastest behind Red Bull, Lotus and Mercedes and there are very few new things on the car this weekend,” said the Spaniard.

“However, if we have a good Saturday, then usually in the race we can recover a bit, with a good start and strategy, so we will be hoping to maximise our points haul.”

There is talk of rain for Saturday and Sunday and although the collective wisdom is that rain reduces performance gaps between cars, the Ferrari man doesn’t see a wet track as necessarily providing a route to the podium.

“You never know who will be the lucky one in that situation,” reckoned Alonso. “It’s hard to predict, but even in the wet, Red Bull should be maximum favourites because of the high downforce levels their cars have.”

What was needed to beat Vettel and Red Bull?“ We have to be realistic that we don’t have the pace to beat them in normal conditions and if we do get any luck, you can be sure we will take it!. We will not give up the fight until it’s mathematically impossible to take the title.”

Alonso has fought for the title down to the wire on several occasions, sometimes winning sometimes not, so he is well qualified to assess what this final rush of six races will be like.

“In one word, ‘stressful’. It will not be easy to handle all the travelling and different time zones, but our motivation will be high. We must concentrate on preparing really well in the weeks in between each grand prix so that we tackle them in 100% condition both physically and mentally,” explained the two time World Champion.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Alonso met with Ferrari President, Luca di Montezemolo, “We have quite a few update meetings during the year. He asks me about areas where I think we need to improve and I ask him about plans for the future.

Obviously, one of the main topics at the moment is our wind tunnel which we will now be able to use again after all the [reapair] work done on it.”

Even if the revised wind tunnel will be of more use for next year and beyond, the Spaniard made it clear that neither he nor Montezemolo have given up on this year.

“The President and think [that]anything can happen. Like the Americas Cup, we saw the American team was 1-8 down and they won 9-8. We know it would be difficult, but if you have two lucky races, things can change very quickly. But we need a lot of luck; we know that,” said Alonso.

[MIKA27]

Webber says F1 is discriminating against heavier and taller drivers

Formula 1′s smaller drivers should stand up for the big guys to prevent the larger men being frozen out of the sport because of their size and weight, lanky Australian Mark Webber said ahead of the Korean GP weekend.

The regulations are changing next season with the introduction of a new V6 turbocharged power unit with energy recovery systems which will weigh considerably more than the current V8 engines.

At present the car and driver – in overalls – must weigh a minimum of 642 kilos but while that will go up to 692 kg next year to compensate for the new unit, some drivers argue it is not enough and gives the lighter men a significant advantage.

They would like a further 10 kg to be added on to the combined weight.

“Everybody’s been asking me why I look so skinny but you have to be skinny because it’s to your advantage to be as light as possible,” Red Bull’s Webber told reporters at the Korean Grand Prix. “It’s a car performance advantage.

“The lighter drivers should be pushing as well [for an increase in the minimum weight] but they don’t, because obviously it’s nice for them,” added the Australian, who is leaving Formula 1 at the end of the year and whose triple-champion team mate Sebastian Vettel is considerably shorter and lighter.

[MIKA27]

Sir Moss says booing of ‘jolly nice’ Vettel a disgrace

In the wake of booing that has accompanied Sebastian Vettel’s victory celebrations of late, motrosport legend Sir Stirling Moss has labeled the offending boo-brigade as disgraceful because, in his opinion, the German is up there at the level of the legends of the sport.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph Moss said, “It’s disgraceful. Why do they do it? Because he keeps winning? He can’t help that. He is a nice bloke. Sebastian Vettel is a jolly nice bloke.

Moss is full of praise of Vettel’s prowess behind the wheel which he likens to two legends of the sport.

“For a man to be that much ahead every time, every race, whatever the circuit, whatever the conditions. Vettel is just in a class of his own, really. As was [Juan Manuel] Fangio, as was [Ayrton] Senna,” said Moss.

The winner of 16 grands prix in the fifties and sixties also said that he had no problem with Vettel’s decision to disregard Red Bull’s team orders in the so-called Multi-21 contoversy.

Moss, who is often called ‘the greatest driver never to win the World Championship’ is also forgiving of Vettel’s defiance of team orders in Malaysia earlier this year.

“Well, he’s a racer what’s wrong with that? You’re either a racer or you’re a driver and there’s a big bloody difference. Drivers are easy to find and racers aren’t,” explained Moss.

[MIKA27]

Rosberg annoyed by Vettel’s remark about lazy rivals

Nico Rosberg has revealed that he took objection in Singapore when Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel suggested that his rivals are lazy.

After dominating the floodlit Grand Prix, German Vettel explained Red Bull’s advantage by insisting that while his team works “very hard”, the others are “hanging their balls in the pool very early on Fridays”.

It may have been a joke, but Mercedes’ Rosberg did not laugh.

“Maybe he shouldn’t be thinking about my balls,” he is quoted on Thursday by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

“It was definitely inappropriate,” added Rosberg. “My team works its ass off. And he can’t possibly know how much we work compared to them. My boys work like crazy.”

And as Formula 1 figures puzzle over why Vettel is being booed on post-race podiums, Rosberg said comments like the one made in Singapore do him no favours.

“He is in very clear danger of losing the respect of the other drivers,” he said.

McLaren’s Jenson Button agrees: “It was a wrong and unfair thing for Sebastian to say.”

But Vettel said he found it “strange” that his comment was so controversial.

“It was not my intention to say anything against someone else,” he said, “but only to show that our success is no accident.”

[MIKA27]

Prac One: Hamilton on top in Korea

Lewis Hamilton set the early pace in Friday's first practice for the Korean GP, outpacing Sebastian Vettel by 0.037s while Kimi Raikkonen crashed.

Marussia test driver Rodolfo Gonzalez was the only driver to set a time in the first 30 minutes and also the only one to crash his car.

With 24 minutes on the clock, he hit the inside barrier at Turn 13, sheering off the front wing and the tip of his Marussia's nose before spinning around and tagging the wall with the car's rear.

With Gonzalez back in the pits it was Sergio Perez's turn to control the timesheets as the McLaren driver lowered the benchmark lap after lap ahead of Force India tester James Calado and his own team-mate Jenson Button.

However, the big boys then came out to play.

Nico Rosberg and Fernando Alonso each had a brief stint at the front before Lewis Hamilton overhauled them with a 1:39.630 while the Red Bull drivers came into play with Mark Webber up to second ahead of Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel.

As the clock counted down, Jenson Button broke the Mercedes - Red Bull lock out to go fourth only to fall back out as Vettel climbed to second in the final minute of the session, 0.037s behind Hamilton.

Button therefore finished fifth ahead of Alonso, Romain Grosjean and the crashing Kimi Raikkonen, whose practice session ended in the barriers with serious damage to the front and rear of his E21.

Perez and Felipe Massa, who had an issue with his tyres, completed the top ten.

[MIKA27]

Lauda not convinced Red Bull is legal amid software changes on RB9

Niki Lauda did not sound convinced about the legality of Red Bull’s car as reports of illegal traction control echo around the Yeongam paddock, and points to recent FIA approved software changes on the RB9 package.

Mercedes’ Lauda, however, gave a less convincing answer when asked his thoughts about the Red Bull ‘system’.

“Red Bull did some software testing before Singapore,” he told Osterreich newspaper. “(I know) because the FIA said they (Red Bull) need to change something about it.

“They did that and then everything was apparently fine,” added Lauda.

Told that his answer did not sound completely convincing as to Red Bull’s innocence, the legendary triple world champion insisted: “If you cannot prove anything, you should not speculate.”

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso on Thursday, however, insisted he does not think the reigning world champions are cheating.

“People talk a lot without knowing exactly what they are seeing or hearing,” a spokesman for the Maranello based team told Spain’s Marca newspaper.

“Ferrari will not protest,” he added, while correspondent Marco Canseco said Ferrari is not even planning a mere clarification from the FIA.

[MIKA27]

Sauber close to concluding Ferrari turbo engine deal for 2014

The Sauber team is close to reaching a deal to stay with Ferrari power for the start of the new turbo era in 2014 and beyond.

The Swiss team has had a troubled 2013, but boss Monisha Kaltenborn says money from the Russian rescue deal has begun to flow.

Indeed, Russian teen Sergey Sirotkin’s quest for a super license is set to begin at the wheel of an older Ferrari at the Italian team’s Fiorano track.

The next step is a new Ferrari deal for Sauber, as Formula 1 moves from the current V8 rules to the new turbo V6 era.

“I think it is obvious to everyone in what direction we are moving in the negotiations about the engine,” Kaltenborn is quoted by Russia’s Championat.

It is believed that the deal was held up by Sauber’s financial troubles this year, in which Ferrari reportedly went unpaid.

“We had to resolve some issues,” Kaltenborn revealed, “and most of them have been settled now. So I think we will have an announcement soon.”

[MIKA27]

Toro Rosso maybe an option for Massa reveals Ecclestone

Toro Rosso could be an option for ousted Ferrari driver Felipe Massa in 2014.

That is the claim of Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, who has previously admitted he is trying to help Massa find a seat next year, in order to maintain a Brazilian presence on the grid.

“I’m a big fan of Felipe’s,” the 82-year-old told Germany’s Sport Bild.

“I think he’s a fast driver; just terribly unlucky. But with his situation, I can’t do anything.”

It has been reported Massa, whose manager Nicolas Todt has put together a package of Brazilian sponsors, is in the running for the Lotus seat, but also perhaps Williams, Sauber and Force India.

Ecclestone said: “I think he could even go to Toro Rosso. It’s a better team than many people think. The only problem is that they have young drivers.

“What I can say is that Formula 1 needs a driver from Brazil.”