FORMULA 1 - 2013

[MIKA27]

Williams would welcome Smedley but no confirmation as yet

Williams has hinted that Felipe Massa’s race engineer, at Ferrari, Rob Smedley could be the next big name to join the multiple F1 World Championship winning British team.

As it announced that Felipe Massa is joining the team from Ferrari for 2014, deputy team boss Claire Williams said “a number of announcements” will also shortly follow.

We reported in September that Massa’s well-known race engineer Rob Smedley – who has shared a close, almost fatherly relationship with the Brazilian driver – is linked with a move to Williams.

It is believed that 39-year-old Briton Smedley has since signed a contract.

When asked about that speculation, Claire Williams told the BBC: “We have some great talent in Williams but we need to make sure we have all the talent we need to perform right at the top.

“So I’m hoping that before the end of the season or maybe slightly after we’ll be making some more announcements in a similar vein to this one [about Massa].”

It has been reported that, if Smedley does switch from Ferrari, he would not necessarily remain Massa’s race engineer, but may take on a greater responsibility.

“If Rob Smedley was to join our team,” Williams said, “it has to be on his terms, and he has to be given a role [that] he wants … and that may or may not be Felipe’s race engineer.

“Felipe is grown-up enough to join a team without bringing his race engineer with him,” she added.

[MIKA27]

Formula 1 teams worried about 'ugly' 2014 cars

Formula 1 teams are concerned that the 2014 technical regulations are forcing them into 'ugly' designs with hooked nose sections, as shown by this AUTOSPORT image.

The rules for next season require a high chassis of 525mm and a low nose tip at 185mm.

But the regulations only demand a relatively small nose tip cross-section, and teams will want to minimise the width of this area to improve air flow under the chassis.

That raises the prospect of slender, drooping nose tip extensions to meet minimum rules requirements for this section, protruding from a higher, more bulky, section that will pass crash tests and fit teams' aerodynamic needs.

While not all teams are believed to be heading down this design route, it is understood that several leading outfits believe it is the best solution.

AUTOSPORT understands that some senior Formula 1 technical personnel have already called for changes to improve aesthetics, but this was not successful due to a lack of agreement on the need to do something.

An FIA technical directive has also been issued ruling out an alternative nose solution that was put forward with a request for clarification.

Red Bull design chief Adrian Newey and McLaren sporting director Sam Michael have admitted that the 2014 cars are likely to be "ugly" due to the front impact structure.

"The low nose is not a problem," Michael explained.

"The problem is the vagaries in the way you get through the crash test - and the teams will mostly be going down one solution.

"It is not because of the chassis height."

[MIKA27]

Sauber wants swift decision on whether Sirotkin will race in F1 in 2014

Sauber says it will not leave it too late to decide whether its protege Sergey Sirotkin should be given a 2014 Formula 1 race seat.

The team's new Russian partners are keen for Sirotkin to be on the grid as soon as he is ready, and Sauber is carrying out a development programme with him in older machinery in preparation.

Asked how long the squad could wait before making a call on Sirotkin, Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn played down the likelihood of leaving the decision until the eve of 2014 testing.

"I think we will know pretty soon if we think he can make sense [for a 2014 race seat] or not," she said.

"We know the responsibility we have and the key to getting all this is getting the Superlicence.

"We are confident he can achieve that, but it is a step that you should not underestimate."

Kaltenborn said Sirotkin was making good progress, and that a lot of the required work was down to his own fitness efforts.

"Our target is clearly to get him into F1. He was supposed to have two tests but one couldn't happen because of the weather and the other one was a good test," she said.

"He has some other driving activities, so it is important that he continues to focus on his preparation, on the physical side, and you cannot underestimate that."

[MIKA27]

Alonso to race in Austin

Fernando Alonso has confirmed that he will compete at the Circuit of the Americas, ending fevered speculation about his fitness.

The Spaniard was reportedly struggling with a back injury following a crash with Jean-Eric Vergne in Abu Dhabi and it was rumoured that Jules Bianchi or Pedro de la Rosa was lined up by Ferrari as possible replacements.

Late on Monday, however, Alonso dismissed the claims on his Facebook and Twitterprofiles, saying that he was busy getting ready to depart for Texas.

"Packing the bag for Austin," the two-time World Champion wrote.

"(I have) some pain still, but eager and confident to help the team. I will try to give 100 per cent as always!"

Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo welcomed the news, adding that Alonso's dedication to the team has never been in doubt.

"I am pleased to see that Fernando is so keen to give it his all, even when he's not at his best," the Italian said.

"It shows how attached he is to us and I am sure that his example will be a further boost for the whole team in its efforts to end this season in the best way possible."

[MIKA27]

Heikki would be perfect - Salo

Former Formula One driver Mika Salo believes Heikki Kovalainen would be the ideal replacement for the Kimi Raikkonen for the last two grands prix of 2013.

Lotus are expected to hand its reserve driver Davide Valsecchi the seat for the races in the US and Brazil after Raikkonen ruled himself out, but Salo believes the more experienced Kovalainen would be a better choice.

"I have thought about this for a while and I think getting Heikki would be a smart idea," Kovalainen, who lost his seat at Caterham at the end of last season, told Finnish broadcasters MTV3.

"Valsecchi will hardly be able to do anything on a completely new track to him, but Heikki has raced in Austin.

"Caterham also has a Renault engine. Heikki has been waiting for something like this, and if I was a team boss, I would take him rather than Valsecchi.

"That's nothing against Valsecchi, but simply about Lotus needing to score points," added Salo.

The other option open to Lotus is to confirm their driver line-up for next season ahead of schedule.

Nico Hulkenberg is rumoured to be the favourite to take Raikkonen's seat, and Lotus might be able to convince the German to pull out of his contract after Sauber was late in paying him earlier this year.

However, Sauber has played down the rumours linking their lead driver with a move to the Enstone team before the end of the season.

"Nico will do the last two races for us, just as he did the other 17," a Sauber spokesperson told Speed Week.

The other possibility is Pastor Maldonado, who was released from his contract with Williams recently.

"There are four possible candidates," Lotus team owner Gerard Lopez told the German newspaper Die Welt.

"These include Nico Hulkenberg and Pastor Maldonado, and I won't say anything about the other two.

"Don't forget, Maldonado has won a grand prix. He doesn't have to hide anything.

"We would not put someone in our car who has just got their driver's licence, no matter their means."

[MIKA27]

Lotus selects experienced Kovalainen to replace Raikkonen for final two races

Finnish driver Heikki Kovalainen [32] will join Lotus F1 Team for the final two races of the 2013 season as a stand-in for regular race driver Kimi Räikkönen, who is currently undergoing back surgery.

Heikki – a veteran of 109 grand prix starts – has previously driven for Renault F1 Team, McLaren, and Caterham F1 Team. Over the course of his six seasons in Formula 1 to date, Heikki has scored 105 World Championship points.

He has qualified on the front row five times, taken one pole position at the 2008 British Grand Prix, achieved two fastest laps and finished on the podium four times; including victory at the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Prior to racing for Lotus F1 Team in its former guise of Renault F1 Team in 2007, Heikki performed various test duties for the squad from 2004 – 2006. He completed his seat fitting at Enstone on Wednesday 13th November, before proceeding directly to Austin to join up with the race team.

Eric Boullier, Team Principal, Lotus F1 Team: “Obviously we had to move quickly following the news of Kimi’s non-participation in the final two races of this season, and we found ourselves facing a difficult decision in terms of who should take the wheel in Austin and São Paulo.”

“On the one hand we had our reserve driver Davide Valsecchi – who is a talented young driver that has shown a great deal of promise – and on the other we had the opportunity to bring in a seasoned Formula 1 competitor in Heikki.”

“Whilst we have every faith in Davide’s abilities, we are obviously involved in a tight Constructors’ Championship battle, so it was decided that the experience Heikki could bring to the team would be invaluable as we aim to finish the year in the best position possible. We must thank Tony Fernandes and Caterham F1 Team for their professional conduct in allowing Heikki to join us for the final races of this season.”

Heikki Kovalainen, Race Driver, Lotus F1 Team: “It is a fantastic opportunity for me to join Lotus F1 Team for the final two races of 2013. We’ve seen this year that the E21 is a car which can win races and finish on the podium, so I will be pushing hard for the best results possible.

“Jumping into a car so late in the year when you have not been competing in the races all season will be a challenge, but I know the team at Enstone well so I have no concerns about getting up to speed. This is a great opportunity for me, so I would like to thank Tony Fernandes and Caterham F1 Team for allowing me to take advantage of it.”

Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal, Caterham F1 Team: “We were asked by Lotus F1 Team if we could release Heikki from his contract with us for the final two races of 2013 and we are pleased that we can help to give him the chance to race again in 2013. He is a valued member of the Caterham family and we’re sure that he’ll do a good job in the USA and Brazil.

[MIKA27]

Was Sergio Perez ever the right man to fill Hamilton’s shoes at McLaren?

Sergio Perez arrived at McLaren in January 2013 desperate for success, talking of fighting for wins and Formula 1 titles with a team he greatly admired, yet less than a year later the Mexican will walk away with his goals more distant than ever.

Questions will be asked about whether the 23-year-old was ever the right man for McLaren, a driver signed in a hurry late last year when 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton decided to jump ship and join Mercedes.

There will be others, particularly in Mexico, who will wonder just how much of a chance he was really given to prove himself.

Formula 1 is a cruel arena, a world where harsh commercial realities stamp on sentiment, but Perez might have expected more time after being handed one of the worst racing cars McLaren has built in decades.

He arrived at Woking as the first Mexican in more than 40 years with a real chance of winning a grand prix. At mid-table Sauber, he had finished on the podium three times last year.

Ferrari, who had brought him up through their academy, had said he was not ready for them as a replacement for Felipe Massa but McLaren thought otherwise and snapped him up to fill Hamilton’s shoes.

“We undoubtedly believe we can develop him into a World Champion in fairly short order,” team principal Martin Whitmarsh told reporters at the time.

More ominously, in retrospect, he added: “You come to McLaren and you’ve got the scrutiny and the pressure. And you either do well and survive, or he will struggle. You ask me if we are 100 percent sure that he’s the right man for us – I can’t be.”

Had McLaren been able to offer Perez a winning car, the marriage might have lasted. Instead, with their worst since 1980 bringing an unexpected tension into the team, it has ended in divorce.

In a dignified and restrained statement posted on Twitter in English and Spanish on Wednesday, Perez made clear he had been shown the door but thanked the team for giving him the opportunity to drive for them.

“I will always be a fan of McLaren,” he said. “In the meanwhile, I will be looking at my future to ensure my position in the best possible package to fight for wins.”

He is now expected to be replaced by 21-year-old Danish hotshot Kevin Magnussen, winner of the Renault 3.5 series title and a McLaren protege whose performance has turned heads.

Whitmarsh has described the Dane as “pretty special” and “lightning quick” and reports from Woking have suggested that his performances in the simulator have backed up the belief.

McLaren took a risk with Hamilton and it paid off handsomely. The possibility that Magnussen could be another such talent is incentive enough to give him the nod over Perez.

The fact that the sport is going through significant change next season, with all the drivers having to come to terms with a new V6 turbocharged engine, also makes it arguably a better time to bring in a rookie than if the rules were stable.

Sometimes it works and sometimes not. McLaren signed Kimi Raikkonen in 2002 with just one season under his belt at Sauber and they knew immediately that he is special. They took Perez after two seasons at Sauber and clearly the feeling has been different.

The last driver to stay for only a year at McLaren was Spaniard Fernando Alonso, a double World Champion when he joined for what proved a stormy 2007 season alongside Hamilton.

Alonso fell out with then team principal Ron Dennis, and found it hard to accept that Hamilton – a rookie – could be given equal treatment to him.

However, McLaren stuck with Finland’s Heikki Kovalainen for two seasons, even though he was never in Hamilton’s league on the racetrack.

In their first season together in 2008, when McLaren had a title-winning car, Kovalainen scored 53 points to Hamilton’s 98. Perez has scored 35 so far to Button’s 60 and both have had fifth places, the team’s best result so far this year.

When Perez was signed, some saw it heralding a move by Telmex – the fixed-line telephone company owned by the world’s richest man Carlos Slim that has backed him throughout his career – to replace Vodafone as title sponsors.

For whatever reason, the talk of incoming Mexican money has died away while Mexico’s return to the grand prix calendar now looks unlikely to happen until 2015 after being listed provisionally for next year.

McLaren meanwhile are on the cusp of a new era with an engine partnership with Honda starting up from 2015. The future for them, at least, looks bright.

[MIKA27]

Schumacher rejects Lotus offer to fill in for Raikkonen in Austin and Sao Paulo

Lotus reportdly approached Michael Schumacher about making a possible Formula 1 comeback in the last two races of the season but the retired seven time World Champion made it clear that he was not interested.

Schumacher’s spokeswoman Sabine Kehm said the approach to the 44-year-old, who quit the sport last year after a three-year comeback with Mercedes following his earlier retirement from Ferrari, came as no surprise.

“Michael’s performance against Nico [Rosberg, last year] and Nico’s performance against Lewis [Hamilton, this year] made a lot of people aware of how good Michael still was,” she told Reuters in an email on Wednesday.

“Plus, he is still very fit. But he just feels so good in his new life.”

Lotus have been seeking a replacement for 2007 Champion Kimi Raikkonen, who is leaving for Ferrari at the end of the year and has pulled out of the U.S. and Brazilian Grands Prix to have back surgery.

They are now expected to agree a deal with former Renault, McLaren and Caterham driver Heikki Kovalainen at the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

[MIKA27]

Did Ferrari block Hulkenberg from driving for Lotus in USA and Brazil?

According to the hottest report in the Austin paddock, Ferrari has stopped Nico Hulkenberg from joining Lotus for the last two grands prix of 2013, as the two teams battle over millions of dollars for third place in the 2013 F1 Constructors’ Championship.

The first report was that Ferrari, who have signed Kimi Raikkonen for 2014, may have encouraged the Finn to arrange early back surgery and miss Austin and Brazil.

Now, it is being reported that Lotus approached Hulkenberg to replace the Finn, only to find surprisingly that the German is still locked into his Sauber contract.

It was believed Sauber had earlier breached Hulkenberg’s 2013 deal by not paying him.

But Hulkenberg’s manager Werner Heinz told Sport1 radio on Wednesday that moving to Lotus for the last two races would have meant breaking a valid contract.

“Sure, it would have meant that,” he said. “But I also don’t think [that] Sauber would have put obstacles in the way.”

The big report now is that the obstacle was in fact put in the way by Ferrari.

“Apparently,” read a report in the German newspaper Bild, “Ferrari took care of Hulkenberg’s unpaid salary, so that he could not be hired by Lotus.”

Sauber, a traditional ally of the Italian marque, is powered by Ferrari engines. Indeed, it is believed Hulkenberg came so close to moving to Lotus for Austin and Brazil that he even had a seat fitting at Enstone this week.

“One can only speculate about the reason for the change of plans,” read a report in Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport. ”In Austin on Wednesday it was reported that Sauber paid Hulkenberg’s salary at the last minute.”

A report on the Italian website BlogF1 added: “According to our sources, the money came straight from Maranello.”

[MIKA27]

Lotus: Kovalainen’s done a brilliant job, particularly getting used to driving a new car

Heikki Kovalainen has been around Formula 1 long enough not to get excited about Friday practice times but the Lotus team was singing his praises after their Finnish stand-in’s impressive performance at the U.S. Grand Prix.

The veteran of 109 Formula 1 races, the last 60 of which he had to make do without scoring a point, Kovalainen was fifth fastest at the end of the opening day and ahead of French team mate Romain Grosjean on the timesheets.

“We feel he’s done a brilliant job today, particularly with all the procedures and getting used to driving a new car,” declared technical director Nick Chester.

“We felt it might take a little bit of time. But actually straight away in P1 he was already looking after the car very well and in P2 he was fifth quickest and good long runs, I think he’s done a great job today.”

Kovalainen has not raced since he left Caterham at the end of last year, although he has taken part in some Friday sessions for that struggling team.

With compatriot Kimi Raikkonen undergoing back surgery and ruling himself out of the last two races, Kovalainen got a call from Lotus principal Eric Boullier on Tuesday asking if he was interested in stepping in.

So late was the summons that he had to miss a scheduled news conference on Thursday at the Circuit of the Americas, and he was also delayed on Friday by fog that forced practice to be truncated.

A former driver for Renault, predecessors to the Lotus iteration of the Enstone based racers, Kovalainen looked very much at home and ended the afternoon just 0.768 seconds behind Red Bull’s quadruple World Champion Sebastian Vettel.

It was the type of performance that had the paddock buzzing on a sunny Texas afternoon with talk of top four spot on Sunday’s starting grid.

“It’s better not to speculate too much,” Kovalainen cautioned. “It could be a disaster or could be good. You never know, I don’t like to speculate.

“I think the main thing is that if we can improve from today a little bit, chip away slowly and get the best out of the car. If we fall off a little bit it is so close you could easily be out of the top 10.”

A race winner with McLaren in 2009, Kovalainen’s experience is just what Lotus needs as they battle Ferrari and Mercedes for second place behind Red Bull.

“They hired me to score some points, I felt personally that I should be able to do the job,” said Kovalainen. “It’s nice to be chasing the Ferraris and the McLarens and even the Red Bulls in the longer runs, going past some of the cars.

“But you never know about a short transition from one team to another. You never know how things will work out,” he cautioned.

“Today they worked out quite well but tomorrow could be a disaster. We can’t take anything for granted.”

[MIKA27]

Valsecchi: It’s a huge blow to lose out to Kovalainen who is not a great champion

Lotus reserve driver Davide Valsecchi could not hide is anger and disappointment at not being chosen by Lotus to fill in for injured Kimi Raikkonen, as the team opted to bank on the experience of Heikki Kovalainen instead.

Speaking to Italian media in Texas, Valsecchi angrily declared, “It’s a huge blow to me. From the sporting point of view it’s a tragedy. It makes me angry to have lost the battle with Kovalainen who is not a great champion, not even an active driver; his last results were five years ago.”

“If they had taken Hulkenberg I could have understood, even Maldonado, but this…I was sure that from the point of view of motivation and desire to achieve, the team would have taken me and I would have been right up there.”

“Perhaps I lack experience but what chance do you have to gain any? Nevertheless, things change quickly in F1, so I won’t give up and I will be ready if they need me in Brazil.”

Lotus team principal Eric Boullier explained, “We found ourselves facing a difficult decision in terms of who should take the wheel in Austin and São Paulo. On the one hand we had our reserve driver Davide Valsecchi – who is a talented young driver that has shown a great deal of promise – and on the other we had the opportunity to bring in a seasoned Formula 1 competitor in Heikki.”

“Whilst we have every faith in Davide’s abilities, we are obviously involved in a tight Constructors’ Championship battle, so it was decided that the experience Heikki could bring to the team would be invaluable,” added Boullier.

Valsecchi is the 2012 GP2 Series Champion and was appointed team reserve driver by Lotus at the start of the season. He tested for the E21 at Silverstone in July this year, and got his first taste of driving for Lotus at the Young Drivers Test in Abu Dhabi last year.

[MIKA27]

Button gets grid penalty for overtaking during red flag period

McLaren’s Jenson Button has been given a three-place grid penalty by FIA race stewards at Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, for overtaking during the red-flag period in Friday’s first free practice session of the United States Grand Prix.

After reviewing video evidence and spoken to Button, the stewards declared that Button had breached Appendix H, Article 2.4.4.1 ((3) of the FIA International Sporting Code which prohibits overtaking when red flags are shown.

The red flag period was caused by the medical helicopter not being present at the circuit, which is a prerequisite for practice to take place.

[MIKA27]

Rosberg pleased with Merc 'balance'

Nico Rosberg was pleased with his Mercedes' performance during Friday's practice sessions at the US Grand Prix.

The German finished P2 in third position, two tenths ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton in fourth, leaving him feeling optimistic of his chances of a strong performance in Austin on race day.

Although Hamilton admitted that he continued to struggle with the balance on his W04, Rosberg appeared to make some progress with regard to a possible set-up and which tyres to use over the weekend.

"This afternoon, we had a very good session," Rosberg noted after P2.

"The car felt like it was on rails and I was very happy with the balance. I hope we can give the Red Bulls something to think about this weekend and I will be pushing 100 per cent for another podium.

"It's really difficult to get it right with the tyres here as the track surface is very smooth and the compounds are very hard. Therefore the tyres are lasting a long time and a lot of people will try to manage only one stop on Sunday."

Hamilton, in contrast, continued to battle with the set-up of his car and had several off-track moments.

"The circuit was quite green today, which made it pretty slippery out there as we are using the two hardest tyre compounds this weekend," last year's winner confirmed.

"After we changed the chassis yesterday, the car felt better to drive, particularly on the long run when it was pretty consistent, so that's a positive for me.

"The option tyre is working well for a long stint, which may open up some possibilities for us with race strategy. It was a pretty straightforward day although we still have some work to do to nail the set-up because it's not quite there yet. But we're all focused on ending the season on a high and taking that foundation with us into the winter."

Technical director Ross Brawn was also impressed with the pair's performance after the Mercedes pair finished as the 'best of the rest' behind Red Bull duo Sebastian Vettel and Mark Weber.

"It was a fairly straightforward and trouble-free day of running, once we finally got underway after the fog cleared!" Brawn said.

"The track and tyres seemed pretty consistent; the biggest problems came from the gusting wind which was causing a few problems.

Overall, the car seems to be in reasonable shape. We completed our programme and particularly the important high-fuel running, and things looked pretty sensible all round."

[MIKA27]

United States GP Qualifying: Vettel steals pole from Webber in final lap shootout

It came down to a final sector surge, on the final lap of Sebastian Vettel’s run to knock teammate Mark Webber off the top of the timing screens at the end of Qualifying for the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.

It seemed as if we were in for a repeat of Abu Dhabi where Webber had upset the form book to take pole a week earlier. The Australian appeared to have done the business with an impressive final lap of 1:36.441, but Vettel – despite being down in the first two sectors, pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the bag – with a scintillating final sector to claim the top starting spot for the race in Austin.

It was close on all counts, as Webber’s final effort was about a tenth better than Vettel’s best to that point. The World Champion just made it across the line for a final lap attempt – he crossed it with a couple seconds left of the session – and when it seemed that there was no way that he would dispense of Webber, he did exactly that with an astounding time of 1:36.338.

Vettel, who will start from pole for the eighth time this season, reflected afterwards, “Happy birthday to Christian [Horner]. It’s a good result to have both cars on the front row. It was a tricky session as the wind picked up quite a lot from this morning. It’s not that easy round the high-speed corners. I was not happy with my first run, but I think I had a solid run at he end which was enough to put the car on pole.”

“It was a good battle with Mark, he has got closer and closer as the weekend has gone on. I think he might have had a mistake in his final shot. I’m happy with pole position. I really like this place – I like this circuit. It’s important to start on the clean side so we’ll see what we can do tomorrow.”

Webber said of his effort, ”I had two shots and the first part of my final lap was very good, but I didn’t get Turns 19 and 20 as I wanted. Sometimes you’re happy but today I let pole slip through my fingers. Well done to Seb, obviously. He put three sectors together and I put two-and-a-half together. It’s not satisfying when you do that – it’s not your job. But I’m happy to be there on the front [row].”

Behind the Red Bull pair was Romain Grosjean, and not a Mercedes or two as had been expected. The Lotus driver again delivered a mature performance during a time of high duress within the confines of his team. The Frenchman is clearly easing himself into the lead-driver position within the team now that Kimi Raikkonen is Ferrari-bound.

“We are doing a good job, it hasn’t been an easy weekend. We were struggling a bit yesterday and this morning. The conditions were not easy in the morning and I don’t like to wake up early in the morning. We went through Q1 on the Primes even though we didn’t plan to, but we had the pace. The Red Bulls are very quick, but we are quickest of the rest. The race is long and we will see what we can do with strategy, but it’s good to be here,” said Grosjean.

Also performing way above his station was Nico Hulkenberg, who was fourth fastest in the Sauber and best of the Ferrari powered herd.

It was a disappointing session for the Silver Arrows, who many predicted would take the fight to Red Bull, but when it mattered they fell short with Lewis Hamilton fifth fastest and Nico Rosberg failing to make it beyond Q2. He ended the day 14th fastest.

In fact Q2 also claimed McLaren’s Jenson Button and Felipe Massa in the Ferrari, the pair finishing 13th and 15th respectively. Button’s plight has been worsened by the fact that he will drop three places to 16th on the grid thanks to a penalty in FP1 for ignoring red flags.

Button was perplexed by the disappearing performance, ”It’s strange – we’ve been very quick this weekend. It’s very weird, especially in Q1 when you see Bottas quickest and his team-mate out. The most frustrating thing is that we’ve been quick all weekend.”

Back at the sharp end, Fernando Alonso, who is nursing a back injury, muscled the cumbersome Ferrari F138 around the COTA twists to claim sixth place on the grid.

Credit to Sergio Perez for putting thoughts of his recent sacking from McLaren aside and going on to set the seventh fastest time, comprehensively out-qualifying his teammate in what is his second last race for the Woking outfit.

Arguably the drive of the day award must go to Heikki Kovalainen, who prior to Friday had never sat in the Lotus E21, yet come Saturday afternoon and he had plonked it eighth on the grid – justifying the faith put in him by the team ahead of reserve driver Davide Valsecchi who spent the session staring glumly at the proceedings from the Lotus pit garage.

Also starring on the day was rookie Valtteri Bottas who topped the timing screens at the end of Q1, while his teammate Pastor Maldonado failed to make it into Q2. Bottas will start from ninth, with Maldonado lining up 18th on the grid.

Rounding out the top ten was Esteban Gutierrez in the Sauber, although the Mexican may incur the wrath of the stewards for some bizarre weaving during Q1, which saw him nearly collect Maldonado in the process.

It is more than likely that a Red Bull driver will stand on the top step of the COTA podium come Sunday afternoon and betting against Vettel being that driver would be foolish. The World Champion is, at the moment, virtually unbeatable.

MIKA: I'm gonna go out on a massive limb and guess;

- Grosjean

- Webber (He will start poorly as usual)

- Hulkenberg

[MIKA27]

Maldonado: I think in my car somebody is playing with the pressure and the temperatures

Williams rejected any suggestion of favouritism or dirty tricks after their departing Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado made thinly-veiled accusations of shenanigans against the Formula 1 team on Saturday.

Maldonado, who is leaving the team after next week’s finale in Brazil, qualified only 18th for the United States Grand Prix while Finnish rookie team mate Valtteri Bottas put his car in ninth place on the grid.

“I think in my car somebody is playing with the pressure and the temperatures. But one more race to go, so great,” Maldonado told Britain’s Sky Sports television.

“You need to ask the team, to the guys that are working on the car, it is quite clear,” he added when asked to explain the difference between him and his team mate. “It is a question for them.”

Maldonado has scored the former Champion’s sole point of the season so far and has become increasingly frustrated by their performance.

The divorce between last year’s Spanish Grand Prix winner and the team was sealed earlier in the week when Williams announced that Maldonado would be leaving and Ferrari’s Brazilian Felipe Massa taking his place.

Maldonado, who has considerable financial backing from state oil company PDVSA, further stirred up controversy by telling reporters in Austin that he had “delivered more to the team than they did for me.”

He has also made clear that he is happy to be leaving and had sought the move.

Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams dismissed his accusatory words as merely those of a frustrated driver speaking in the heat of the moment.

“It’s a big adrenaline rush for drivers, isn’t it?,” she said. “People say things after these kind of situations and we’ll go back and talk to the engineers and see what happened.

“But never in Williams, in our experience and our history, would we ever do anything like that.”

Williams, winners of nine constructors’ titles in their heyday between 1980 and 1997, denied that there was a bad atmosphere within the team.

“When we are behind closed doors, it’s not acrimonious,” she said. “There’s not that kind of atmosphere within the team. Pastor has said that he wants to go to another team and that’s completely fine. Drivers do that. This is Formula 1, it’s the nature of our business.”

Maldonado has been linked to Lotus, who need a replacement for Kimi Raikkonen and are also in need of funds, and cash-strapped Sauber for 2014.

Bottas, whose place at Williams in 2014 has been confirmed, was fastest in the first phase of qualifying and hoped he could finally score some points on Sunday. The Finn also dismissed talk of any favouritism or anything shifting in his favour.

“I haven’t noticed anything,” he said. “Everything is still the same, the cars are the same and I’m just doing my best here.”

Williams said that the Finn’s performance had been a big morale boost, ”It just shows that Williams is competing again and it just feels so great. He did a great job the whole way through qualifying today.”

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Susie Wolff could get Friday role for 2014 with Williams

Susie Wolff’s role at Williams could be stepped up for the 2014 season to include Friday free practice sessions.

That is the hope of Wolff’s husband, Toto Wolff, who although Mercedes’ motor sport boss is also still a minor shareholder of the Williams team.

Susie Wolff, 30, has had a test driver role at Williams this year, and is likely to stay at the British team for 2014.

Asked what his wife will be doing next year, Toto Wolff told Austria’s Kleine Zeitung newspaper: “She will probably stay at Williams if she gets a suitable offer.

“But she wants to drive more – Friday practices or some such,” he added.

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Vettel Clinches Record-Breaking No8

Sebastian Vettel went unchallenged in the United States GP as he raced to his record-breaking eighth successive win.

Starting from pole position, the Red Bull driver pulled ahead of Romain Grosjean into the first corner on the opening lap and it was game over.

With his race engineer Rocky informing him that it was about lasting the distance and not setting the pace, prompting Vettel to put in a controlled performance.

Reliquishing the lead very briefly when he came in for his one and only pit stop on lap 27, he was back in front when Grosjean two laps later.

Making amends for last year's lost victory, Vettel raced to his 12th grand prix win of the season and his eighth in succession. That was yet another milestone for the German who now holds the record for most successive wins in one season.

Behind him Grosjean finished second after Mark Webber seemed to lose pace during their podium battle. The Aussie, though, was soon back on song but unable to chase down the Lotus.

Lewis Hamilton had a lonely race in fourth place, finishing ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg.

Sergio Perez was seventh in his penultimate race for McLaren with Valtteri Bottas, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button completing the points.

There was only one incident of note in the race which was when the Safety Car was brought out on lap 1 for four laps when Adrian Sutil and Pastor Maldonado made contract resulting in the Force India driver spearing into the barriers. Maldonado later pitted for a new front wing after being shown the black-and-orange flags.

Meanwhile, Heikki Kovalainen's chances of scoring points on his return to the grid were undone when he had to pit on lap 32 for a new front wing. His KERS later gave up leaving him down in 15th place.

Full report to follow...

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Pirelli threaten F1 with one-stop races

Pirelli have threatened to revert to supplying "conservative" tyres that ensure one-stop races in 2014 if Formula One's teams and ruling body fail to legislate for an alternative before next season.

Pirelli chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera met commercial ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago to make it clear that if the sport wants to retain variable and intriguing tyre strategies next season it should write it into the regulations.

According to motorsport director Paul Hembery, Pirelli has lost patience with facing criticism whatever it does - a situation that has arisen this season - and will in future only do what is required by the rules.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, Hembery said: "We just want to be told what to do. We want a clear input and want it clearly defined, because the characteristic this year is that people have maybe forgotten what we were asked to do.

"That has got lost somewhere in the passage of time and that is the important thing that we want to make sure is resolved.

Somebody needs to tell us what they want to do."

Pirelli were briefed to add entertainment by creating fast-wearing tyres that ensured multiple pit-stop races, but this resulted in a backlash after several high-speed tyre failures at the British Grand Prix in June.

Drivers threatened a boycott if the tyres were not made safer and as a result Pirelli reverted to an older form of tyre amid further criticism that it favoured Red Bull and other teams.

This left the Italian company in a dilemma.

The teams are reluctant to support a move for mandatory two-stop races because of fears that drivers will all stop on the same lap, but they have supported Ecclestone's strategy, in tandem with the International Motoring Federation (FIA), to request multi-stop contests.

Asked what may happen if the situation was not resolved with new and transparent legislation, Hembery added: "I guess what will happen is that we will take a very cautious approach and we will end up with one-stop races after this year.

"We have seen a few things that have made us think that we need to take a step back and we would end up with a one-stop which is maybe not what the sport wants. But somebody needs to tell us what they want..."

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Grosjean: I’m very proud to represent Lotus and my guys that are working in Enstone

The absence of Kimi Raikkonen from the Lotus team has galvanised Romain Grosjean, who has taken his game to the next level, as he inherits the mantle of team leader – he ‘first lap nutcase’ of a year ago delivered one of his most impressive performances of his F1 career to date – on his way to second place in the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. He spoke afterwards.

Congratulations, your best effort of the season – sixth podium. You have represented Lotus in a very proud way. I guess number one in the team next year, right? Let’s make it official. So congratulations. Tell us about your race ?

Romain Grosjean: Yeah, good race. Good start, I could pass Mark and almost got Sebastian. The car was working very well today. I’m very proud to represent Lotus and my guys that are working in Enstone. It’s a fantastic team. Being between those two cars is our best – everyone did a 100 per cent job. It means a lot to do a podium here in the United States. I like this country. It’s always good to come here, so glad, and looking forward to come back on that beautiful track and hopefully next year we’ll be one step ahead.

Your sixth podium of the season. I think you just said in your own language that it’s one year ago that you became a father. It’s been an amazing turn around from last year to this year but obviously this was a race all about your start and particularly then about soaking up the pressure from Mark in the closing stages. Tell us about it.

RG: Yes, exactly. We knew that the start would be crucial for us and then the race, if they were going ahead, they had too much speed for us, basically. They’re doing a fantastic job with a phenomenal car, as Seb says. But we can… he spoke about the spirit in his team and I think we have the same: every guy is happy to come in the morning and happy to work and check things. Y’know, drivers will always complain about this and this and this. They change it and it brings us to second at the end of the day. So, a very good start, a very good strategy, same as everyone else – I think I was just a little bit better on the option. I said in my own language that one year ago my wife sent me a picture of a pregnancy test saying that ‘well done Champion, you’re going to be a Dad!’ So America brings me a lot of bliss and pleasure and looking forward to come back here.

What was the strategy to resist to Mark, and Mark, what were the different things you tried with the KERS?

RG: Well, I think the strategy was pretty clear. We were copying what Mark was doing. When he was pitting for hard tyres, we pitted for hard tyres, if he was pitting for prime or option. Then in the race I was just trying to make as much gap as I could before the DRS zone, so turns eight and nine are pretty hard to follow another car. I think we had a pretty good balance around there and then use all the power we could on the back straight, trying to avoid the DRS and then I know that by turns 17,18, 19 it was very difficult to follow me, so he was very close every time into turn one, but never had a go. I think the closest he was into turn 12 was probably ten meters. He pushed me wide once because I outbraked myself but as long as he didn’t seem to be too big in the mirror that was fine.

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Vettel: Eight in a row… it’s one of those records you never expect to be beaten

For the eight time in a row, and the twelfth time this season, we are writing about a Formula 1 race weekend in which Sebastian Vettel has triumphed and invariably his victory has been comprehensive, thankfully the season is coming to an end because we are simply running out of superlatives to describe the quadruple World Champion’s achievements – after his triumph in the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Texas – it suffices to say that he has inked yet another chapter into the sport’s record books. He talks about his afternoon in Austin.

How in the world do you do it: eight straight, I mean you’re rewriting the record books. Tell us about it. Second last year, top podium step this year. Tell us.

Sebastian Vettel: I don’t know, honestly! It’s impossible to know what to say. First of all, I would like to say thanks to the crowd. It’s unbelievable. It’s only our second race here. Second race here and we’ve got more than 100,000 people coming on Sunday. I think this is one of the best races we have all season. The whole city is going crazy, so it’s phenomenal to race here in front of the crowd. The car was fantastic. It was a bit tight at the start; Romain had a good start initially, I didn’t know whether it would be enough. It’s tough judgement up the hill and then I just tried to focus on myself. We had incredible pace again in the car and could control the gaps. I don’t know, eight in a row is… you are a legend, you know….

Your first win on American soil. Your debut was on American soil as well?

SV: Yes, 2007 in Indianapolis. To come back [to the US] last year and finish on the podium and today to win the race is incredible. I don’t know what to say.

Fabulous, congratulations. I guess you’re going for nine next week?

SV: We’ll try.

Your 12 win this season, seventh from pole, 38th of your career but probably the most important number is that it’s the eighth in a row. Never been done before in Formula One. You got a bit fed up answering questions about it in anticipation but now that it’s actually happened and you’ve actually done it, how does it feel?

SV: It’s incredible. I think it’s one of those things that you never expect to… one of those records that you never expect to be beaten so it’s very difficult to find the right words. I didn’t really answer the questions the last couple of days because at the end of the day what makes me jump into the car is not a certain number. But certainly today, when you realise that you’ve done it, it makes you very proud in that moment and, yeah, I think it’s very difficult for all of us to realise what it actually means. If you look back, and if you look those names who had similar records or outstanding performances in the past, I think it’s impossible to understand. People look back and they talk about that time and about certain drivers and one day people might look back and talk about our time and what we’ve done as a team. I said it on the team radio, the spirit is fantastic. Everybody’s just happy to turn up, give it everything he has and I think – if there is one – that’s the secret. Yes, we have a phenomenal car; yes, the car has been mostly very, very reliable but I think it’s the mindset we have going in, really trying to give it everything we have, not miss a single step… yeah… How to, after the race, not to turn around and think that there was a little bit left here, a little bit left there. Another very, very, very strong weekend. I think people tend to forget that every single weekend is a challenge on its own. It’s not eight weekends as a whole. It’s every single weekend. And to have such an incredible run, it’s very difficult to realise.

Not such a massive victory margin as we’ve seen in recent races but still, can you tell us what it’s been like to effectively race yourself in the last few races and what’s been going through your mind in the car?

SV: It’s not as if I’ve been getting bored. Obviously I’ve quite a lot to do, looking at the gaps. First of all, I have to match their pace. Obviously when they do come closer it’s not the best feeling because you want the gap to increase always, but you don’t want the gap to become smaller. I think it was clear this weekend that again we had a very strong package. Friday already looked very good, especially on the long run pace. I think in terms of set-up we might have compromised the pace a little bit yesterday. Also it was very tricky with the windy conditions in qualifying for everyone to get everything right in just one lap. It was very easy to lose out a little bit here and there but today I was happier with the balance. Already on the laps to the grid I could feel the car was more similar to Friday so I was very happy once I was in the lead after turn one. Obviously I had to wait a little bit with the safety car before I could unleash the pace but certainly it’s a great feeling when you do pull away, and then it’s about pacing yourself, pacing yourself to get the range, to look after the tyres etc. Certainly there are a lot of things going on but also it’s a nice feeling to have a little bit of a gap because you can take it a little bit easier in some crucial places, to look after the tyres and benefit from that, especially later on in the stint. Overall, you do tend to have quite a bit of work in the car, it’s not necessarily… it is a Sunday afternoon drive but not in that regard.

A lot of great drivers say they’ve never actually driven the perfect lap, and I guess therefore the perfect race has never been driven. How was your race today, we didn’t see every corner of every lap. In your own standards, did you make any mistakes at all?

SV: Well, it’s different these days. If I compare when I came into Formula One, it was more like sprint racing for twenty laps, get a new set of tyres, refuel and go out and do another sprint. Today, obviously, is different because you don’t refuel, the car is very heavy at the beginning and naturally, just because of the way that you have to look after tyres. Now we’ve seen in the past couple of years that these tyres do need some management as well, also in terms of driving style and looking after them and making sure you don’t go crazy too soon, because it might hurt you later on, so therefore, if you look at the perfect lap, you can’t repeat a 100 percent lap every time, because you need to look after the car and tyres. In the end, I think what you want to achieve is the fastest race to the finish line. I think we had a very very strong race today. The last couple of laps on the softs I was struggling because I running into traffic and the tyres were falling off so we were actually the first to come in this time, despite the big gap, but then the hards seem to last very very well in the end. We had very strong pace. I think I went a little bit wide once or twice into turn 12 under braking but other than that, I obviously tried as well to keep it on the line. It is a little bit easier if you have a ten second gap to the car behind to not necessarily use all the kerbs here and there, to manage the tyres a little bit better.

The concentric doughnuts you did afterwards looked beautiful. Do you have any set-up that you put into the car before the race in terms of diff or brake balance, to make that happen?

SV: No, no, definitely not. Obviously there’s a couple of tricks, we had some… we do have some show runs every year and this is usually when you get to practise your skills when it comes to doughnuts and burn-outs. It just seemed like a good spot. You know, you have to do it in a smooth way otherwise I get a big bollocking from my engineers for not looking after gearbox, engine and so on, so I try to be smooth but equally you want to create some smoke and just have fun. But not any maps, particular set-ups that go in the car just because of that.

What do you think that Michael will tell you about this broken record?

SV: Well, in a way I think I have the same approach as him, as probably every sportsman. I don’t think we are jumping into the car to beat certain records. At his time, he was braking a lot of records and many of them will last forever, I think. To come even close and today to beat one of those is exceptional. I think, as a sportsman, you don’t jump into the car to break records and equally you don’t expect them to last forever. I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago and generally, I think he’s very happy with what he has achieved and seemed fairly relaxed. I think he’s riding a lot of horses lately so he’s quite happy to go karting with his kids and enjoying his life after Formula One. There’s a huge part of our lives if you consider that there’s a lot of years left once we retire. It’s good to enjoy those as well.

On Friday, the technical directors were in here including Adrian Newey talking about next year’s changes and how that might upset the balance of power. Is that something you were maybe referring to in your post-race message, you were talking about ‘this is something we need to remember?’ Are you worried about next year and how it might upset everything?

SV: No, to be honest… Yeah, I remember Adrian said the same thing. I think we have all been there. Yesterday evening I took a shower and I had some thoughts about the day, finishing on pole. It’s a little bit of a shame that obviously because of the run we’ve had lately, people take it as guaranteed that you deliver the result on a Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon because I think people tend to in a way respect the result and what it means, the effort behind it and I think it’s natural that as an athlete you have ups and downs. Right now, you could say that it’s rather more up and then down but you never know what’s going to happen, next year is an unknown. I’m sure we will push very very hard and I’m sure we will fight a lot to maintain our position but there’s no guarantee that next year will be like this year. With the new regulations coming in, I think nobody really knows where he will stand.

You will have the big teams in front but the question is who and the question is also in terms of gaps. Yesterday was one tenth between Mark and myself which is very very small, it’s a small gap and certainly there’s a reason to believe that next year the gaps will be bigger and the season will be less consistent for everyone. It’s unknown at this stage but generally I think we need to remember and therefore enjoy the moment and the days we’re having.

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Webber: I’m happy to finish on the podium in front of American fans for the last time in F1

Mark Webber scored a podium finish in his final appearnace in the United States as a Formula 1 driver, although he qualified second and managed a good start (for a change) his line into Turn 1 compromised his exit and thus he fell back to fourth place. He fought back to take third when the chequered flag fell at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. This is his story at the end of the day.

This is going to be your last stop here in Formula One at the Circuit of the Americas, so not a bad effort today, third, a podium.

Mark Webber: Yeah. Obviously pole position was very important yesterday, so I knew it was going to be important and that it would cost me a lot better result today. A little bit disappointed not to qualify better. We knew it was not going to be the easiest to get into turn one from there. We had a good launch, a good start, but then obviously we all wanted to be on the outside. I got a little bit boxed in and then I had to pass Lewis. Then it’s not easy to pass Romain. He drove very well. He was very clean on the exit of eight, nine. The DRS in the end was a little bit short on the ratios but in the end that’s how you get the ratios for the whole race. So, good job for the whole team and I’m happy to finish on the podium in front of the American fans for the last time, in Formula One anyway. I’ll see you next year with the Porsche.

From your point of view. Obviously starting second. The initial getaway looked fine but it then was going up the hill that you lost the initiative. I guess your race really was dictated by qualifying yesterday to a large extent but particularly by the getaway today.

MW: Yeah, pole position yesterday was where the fight was. Going to be very difficult from there. I think we were… I was very happy with how I drove today. Got a very good start. You want to be on the outside for Turn One but Romain was already there. I think I made a very good start from the left hand side, which is not the easiest here, so we did what we could. Lewis also was on the outside for clean braking so I had to be a little bit careful with Seb on the inside. And then you’ve got to clear people and you know when you’ve got to clear people you use tyres, you use everything up. Romain drove a very good race, he was very strong in the last part of the first sector which you need to be to get out of there. It’s super-super difficult to stay close. I did what I could for most of the time but also the tyres are screaming at you for lap after lap and you have to drop back, give them a breather, go again. So, yeah, I did a pretty clean race. I think the performance and pace were very strong from my side but yesterday was when victory was made easier for Seb.

What were the different things you tried with the KERS?

MW: As usual, the Lotus is not too bad on the softer end of the range, if you like, with this tyre we qualified on. Had to do the race start, obviously I had to use the tyre to pass Lewis, so when it was time to build up towards the stop, to be patient, to go as long as possible but also knowing that Romain was covering us off, covering the move and waiting for us to pit because the Enstone guys are not rookies when it comes to strategy either. We knew we would look to have an attack on the prime but also, as you say, moving the KERS round a lot is part of my job, to try and create more pressure. The back straight was OK to use all of it, but the key areas are eight, nine and then the hairpin. It’s not the easiest track on which to follow people, I think we saw last year, obviously Seb was in traffic with Lewis, Lewis was very quick but following all the time and couldn’t pass. It’s a challenging venue still to pass because of turn eight and nine, I think, so in the end we did what we could do. There’s not many regrets as to what we could have done differently to get the job done on Romain after that.

We have a Brazilian Grand Prix in one week, so what’s your feeling as you go into your final F1 Grand Prix?

MW: I’m looking forward to it, driving round in the middle of the race thinking ‘yes, I’m really looking forward to it because it’s time’, the enjoyment factor is there but it’s not like it was when I was at Jaguar or when I first started at Red Bull. That’s natural, that’s why the decision gets made obviously. The category has changed quite a bit in the last few years, I’ve done what I can, done my best but when you realise there comes a point where it’s not what it once was and that’s what happens to all sportsmen and women, there’s a point when it’s a little bit different. I’ve got one week to go, I will leave the paddock very satisfied. I’ve been dealt a very good hand, very proud of what I’ve achieved. I never thought I would do that when I left Queanbeyan in Australia, to have had the results I’ve had, to have worked with the amazing people I’ve worked with, to race against amazing drivers on the best tracks in the world. I’ve learned a huge amount about myself, about everything. One week to go and go from there. It’s the next chapter when I step out of the car for the last time I will be fine with it. Back to UK Sunday night, walk the dogs on Tuesday morning.

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Bottas: I’m very happy to get my first points in Formula 1, it’s a great day

After a weekend filled with accusations of favouritism and dirty tricks, Williams ended the U.S. Grand Prix on a high note with Finnish rookie Valtteri Bottas scoring his first Formula One championship points.

“I’m very happy to get my first points in Formula One today. It is a great day and I’m very happy for the team,” Bottas told reporters. “We got finally some points with me as well, four points.

“We really did a very good job today. The strategy, the race start, pit stop, everyone from the team did such a good job. I really feel like we deserved it.”

“I want to say a big thanks to everyone in the team and at the factory as they have all been working so hard and really deserve this result.”

A difficult season for Williams, who had scored just one point all season before Sunday, boiled over on Saturday when Bottas’s Venezuelan team mate Pastor Maldonado made thinly-veiled accusations against the team.

Maldonado, who is leaving after next week’s finale in Brazil, told Britain’s Sky Sports television that he believed he was a victim of sabotage and that somebody was playing with the pressure and temperatures in his car.

The team firmly rejected any such talk, but the Venezuelan’s problems continued on Sunday when he became involved in a first lap incident with Force India’s Adrian Sutil.

There were no such problems for Bottas, however, as he turned a solid qualifying effort into an eighth place finish and four points for his ecstatic team – becoming only the second rookie to score this year.

“After a good start Valtteri had a strong race, fighting hard when needed and making a great move to overtake (Sauber’s) Esteban Gutierrez for eighth,” said Williams chief race engineer Xevi Pujolar.

“We managed the gap to (Nico) Rosberg behind us and Valtteri was able to push in the final laps to make sure he held the position.

“It was a great result for him to secure his first Formula One points and a well deserved end to the weekend for all the team.”

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Vergne penalised for collision with Gutierrez on final lap in Austin

Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne was handed a 20-second post-race penalty for colliding with Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez on the final lap of the U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday, dropping the Frenchman from 12th to 16th place.

The drive through penalty was imposed after the finish of the race won by Red Bull’s quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel. Mexican Gutierrez was classified 13th.

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Button hampered by damaged car

Jenson Button enjoyed his United States GP even though first lap contract left him with a broken front-wing endplate.

Having lacked pace in Saturday's qualifying, the McLaren driver's woes were further compounded by the three-place grid penalty he incurred by overtaking under red flags on Friday.

As a result he started the 56-lap grand prix 15th on the grid and found himself fighting hard for track position.

That fight resulted in a broken front-wing endplate that led to the Brit having to battle understeer.

But despite having to contend with that, Button eventually fought his way inside the top scoring, scoring one World Championship point.

"Even though I was only battling for a single World Championship point, I still wanted to do the best job I could this afternoon," he said.

"As in all the past few races, I made contact with another car on the first lap - and that contact broke my left-hand front-wing endplate. It wasn't quite as bad as in Abu Dhabi, but it still left me with quite a lot of understeer.

"We considered changing the nose-box at the pit-stop, but, instead, the mechanics added some extra front wing, and that helped to re-balance the car. It still wasn't ideal, because losing downforce at the front doesn't affect only the front-end, it affects air-flow across the whole car as well.

"Still, I enjoyed the race. The first 30 laps, during which I was stuck behind Felipe [Massa], were particularly tough, but I was able to make some good moves at the end, and that made our day a bit more interesting."

The Brit is now looking ahead to the season finale in Brazil in the hope of ending his campaign on a high note.

"I'm hoping for a trouble-free, exciting and prosperous final grand prix of the season in Brazil next weekend," he added.

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Hamilton: Night and day different

Lewis Hamilton had no complaints after his new chassis helped him secure fourth place in Sunday's United States GP.

Last time out in Abu Dhabi, the Mercedes driver struggled for pace with his team later revealing that there was a crack in his chassis.

Handed a new one for this weekend's race at the Circuit of the Americas, Hamilton qualified in fourth place before bringing his W04 home in the same position.

"The car was night and day different compared to where it was in Abu Dhabi, so I'm sure the new tub helped," he said.

"I'm really just so happy that I could contribute and get some points for the guys. They've been working so hard all year and they've had so many difficult races in this half of the season.

"To finally have a half decent qualifying, move forward, utilise the tyres and have life left in them, makes me really, really happy."

Hamilton's race on Sunday was largely uneventful as once he was overtaken by Mark Webber he had lonely race.

He did, however, come under pressure from Fernando Alonso in the closing stages with the Ferrari driver finishing just two seconds behind.

"I could see Fernando was catching, so I was just looking after the tyres and waiting until he started to push," he told Autosport.

"He started to push, so I reacted a little bit.

"When he was going to bring out a tenth, I was going to bring two tenths. When he was going to bring three, I was going to bring four.

"I'm really, really happy I could do that today."