FORMULA 1 - 2013

[MIKA27]

Straight eight historic winning streak puts Vettel ahead of childhood idol Schumacher

Sebastian Vettel promised that he would never get used to winning, even as he celebrated a record eighth victory in a row at the United States Grand Prix on Sunday.

Asked whether he felt like pinching himself at what he had achieved, Red Bull’s quadruple World Champion grinned: “Not just step back and pinch. I think step back and hit hard. That’s more like it.”

Amid the back-slapping and champagne being sprayed in the Red Bull hospitality suite, Vettel and team principal Christian Horner struggled to come to terms with a season that continues to rewrite the record books.

Red Bull, like their 26-year-old driver, has won every title for the past four years but this year has set a new level of dominance.

Having clinched a fourth, consecutive Drivers title last month in India, and become the youngest ever quadruple Champion, Vettel had managed to find fresh motivation where others might have eased up.

He showed the same hunger and zeal at the Circuit of the Americas as he had two weeks earlier when he equalled Michael Schumacher’s 2004 record of seven wins in a row in a single season.

“I think the moment you are not hungry any more and are asking yourself what are you doing, it’s time to move on and do something else.” he said. “I jump into the car and I just want to be fastest. It’s still there, same as a couple of years ago.

“Obviously [winning races] was more the case lately than many years back, but still I think you should not allow yourself to get used to it.”

With just one race of the 2013 season remaining, in Brazil next weekend, Horner said that the team will keep its foot on the gas all the way to the chequered flag in Sao Paulo, where Vettel can equal Schumacher’s record of 13 wins in a season after collecting his 12th of the year in Texas.

“I think when we reflect at the end of the season on what we have actually achieved this year, it’s very remarkable,” Horner told reporters.

“[Vettel] was quite emotional at the end of the race because he has beaten the record of one of his idols when it seemed likely that kind of record would not be beaten.

“To have won every race since July is mind-blowing, especially against the quality of opposition that we are up against. I think it will take a while to sink in.”

Vettel had said earlier in the week that he was not driven by records but he was well aware of the magnitude of what he had achieved the minute he crossed the finish line in Texas.

“I’m speechless,” the German told his team over the radio. “We have to remember these days. There is no guarantee they will last forever.”

Later, talking to reporters, Vettel was still trying to put it all into perspective.

“I think you should never lose the passion and the joy and always remember the days when you were just dreaming of these things to happen,” he said. “So therefore I think it’s important for all of us to just enjoy the moment.

Sebastian Vettel won his first grand Prix at Monza in 2008

“There’s more time later in our lives to realise what it meant.”

With massive changes to the cars coming next season that could turn the sport on its head, or at least threaten Red Bull’s supremacy, Horner agreed that it was important to make the most of present success.

“In sport whether it is Roger Federer or Ferrari, or Williams or McLaren there are phases of sportsmen being dominant and at some point that does come to an end and then you have to regroup and you have to go again,” said Horner.

“Sebastian is right, it’s important to savour moments like today. It’s easy to become complacent but you have to appreciate every single moment.

“It never gets boring because you have to remember the days when we weren’t winning,” said the team principal, who marked his 40th birthday on Saturday.

[MIKA27]

Alonso 'tired' and 'stressed'

Heading into the final race of this season, Fernando Alonso has revealed that his recent injury and its headaches have left him feeling tired.

The double World Champ suffered back pain and headaches following his 25G impact over the kerbs in Abu Dhabi.

But despite racing with his back taped up, Alonso put his F138 home in fifth place in Sunday's United States GP.

The Spaniard later revealed that he feeling stressed and tired but hoped to recover a bit before the season ending Brazilian GP.

"I'm tired," he old ESPNF1. "I'm tired; also I didn't have good preparation for this race physically. I was one week on the sofa, in bed with headaches.

"The race was demanding, it was not an easy race, I had to fight all the way through so physically I feel tired now. I felt stressed all weekend from all the battles etc.

"Hopefully I can feel a little bit better in Brazil, less tired, enjoy the weekend a little bit more. But there are some targets to do with the Constructors' Championship etc so it's not as if we race for fun in Brazil.

"It might seem like that from the outside - there's nothing more to fight for, you go to Brazil to race and have fun - but there's a lot of stress and a lot of pressure on these weekends for the team and we'll all try to do as well as we can."

Alonso, however, has all but ruled out Ferrari achieving second place in the Constructors' Championship after dropping more points to Mercedes on Sunday.

The Scuderia now trail the Brackley squad by 15 points with Lotus 18 points adrift in fourth place.

"We wanted to close the gap a little bit in the Constructors' Championship; that was the goal. We did not have the pace this weekend to do that and we lost a little bit of points again while Lotus got closer, so not a good weekend in terms of points.

"But there's nothing we can do at the moment, we didn't have the pace, we were too slow all weekend; we fight to be in qualifying three, we fight to be in the points on Sunday.

"So we need to do better in Brazil if we want to fight for the Constructors' Championship or that was too optimistic a goal. We need to be more realistic and know that fighting for second place in the Constructors' Championship was a dream and maybe that dream is difficult to come true."

[MIKA27]

'More dangerous to race Maldonado'

Adrian Sutil says he won't speak with Pastor Maldonado about their US GP coming together as the Williams driver is "on a different planet."

Sutil's outing at the Circuit of the Americas came to a premature end on Sunday when the two clashed on the opening resulting in the Force India spearing into the barriers.

Explaining the incident, he told Autosport: "On a very big straight, with a lot of space left and right, for some reason I got a hit on the left tyre in the middle of the straight and lost the car.

"It was very shocking. You'd never believe something like that, but it happened.

"There was no reason to be so close. I was on my line and I didn't do anything different.

"I was staying straight with my steering wheel and to the left and right there was a lot of space. I don't understand why someone then hits you.

"There's like an emergency area around him, you have to give room for two cars, not just one."

The German continued saying that Maldonado, who is set to leave Williams at the end of this season, is one of the "more dangerous" drivers to go up against

"Whenever you get close to him, he brakes 50 metres later than everyone else and he's sometimes over the limit.

"It's more dangerous to drive against certain drivers. Of course many drivers have had incidents with him.

"I think for him to back off sometimes a little bit would be quite good. It gets to a stage where it could be dangerous."

However, he ruled out having a chat with the 28-year-old, saying: "I don't see a big point in talking. I've tried it several times, but he's on a different planet.

"In the incident at Spa, he went straight into Paul [di Resta] and said it was our fault...

"For me, it's done and over."

[MIKA27]

Teams to get two sets of '14 prototype tyres to try during Brazilian practice sessions

Formula 1 teams will get their first opportunity to test the new 2014 Pirelli tyres at the weekend after the Italian supplier gained the necessary permission to issue teams with a few sets each.

With the new engine regulations resulting in an increased amount of torque going through the rears, Pirelli has had to change the structure and compound to cope. With the in-season testing ban, Pirelli has been granted permission by the FIA to give each driver two sets to try during FP1 and FP2 at the season finale in Brazil. Pirelli is hoping to learn a great deal from the test - but it will only yield useful data if the sessions remain dry, which currently looks unlikely.

[MIKA27]

Hulkenberg set to snub Lotus and Quantum for return to Force India

Nico Hulkenberg has agreed a €1.9 million deal to return to Force India in 2014, according to the veteran Formula 1 correspondent Roger Benoit.

Mere hours ago, Lotus team boss Eric Boullier said the German driver remained Enstone’s top choice to replace Kimi Raikkonen full-time next season.

But while the long wait for the Quantum investment group’s cash injection continues to stretch out, the Frenchman acknowledged that Hulkenberg could not be blamed “if he signs somewhere else”.

“It would just mean the timing was not right for him or for us,” said Boullier.

According to Benoit, writing in Blick newspaper, Hulkenberg has indeed decided to return to Force India, who also rescued his career in late 2010 when he was dropped unceremoniously by Williams.

All the Silverstone based team has to do, according to Benoit, is pay Hulkenberg’s arrears from 2012 “and an advance” on his €1.9 million fee for 2014.

Hulkenberg raced for Force India in 2012, but for this year switched to Sauber, who have been suffering with financial problems throughout 2013.

Benoit quoted Hulkenberg as saying: “Don’t worry, I will have a seat next year.”

It is now widely believed that it is the PDVSA-sponsored Pastor Maldonado, and not Hulkenberg, who will be heading to Lotus in 2014.

Hulkenberg admitted that he is sceptical about whether the Enstone based team’s necessary millions in ‘Quantum’ investment will ever actually arrive to pay his salary.

“[The Quantum deal] has been dragging on for so long to the point that it loses credibility,” the German admitted.

“When it is repeatedly put off and put off, you eventually lose hope,” added Hulkenberg.

[MIKA27]

Schumacher: Sebastian is able to achieve seven titles, he is still so young and hungry

Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher has tipped his countryman, protege and mate Sebastian Vettel to eventually beat his record tally of seven World Championships.

In Austin at the weekend, Red Bull’s dominant quadruple title winner surpassed Schumacher’s decade-old record of seven wins in a single season.

Vettel, still just 26, was visibly and audibly emotional when grappling with the significance of the feat, admitting that Schumacher had been an ‘idol’ in his youth.

“That’s the first I hear of that,” 44-year-old Schumacher, who retired for the second time at the end of last season, said to RTL television when told that his friend Vettel considers him a hero.

Schumacher said that Vettel can “now stand on his own two feet” as a true Formula 1 great.

“If you look at the consistency of his performances and how he achieves it, it is very unique,” the great German said.

“There are some really good drivers in the field, but someone who is able to pull together all the facets of the sport so efficiently is very unusual,” Schumacher added.

He admitted that there are “many parallels” between Vettel’s career and his own.

“I am sure that when he was a boy he would sit in front of the TV and try to analyse what I am doing. The nice thing is that even now he still calls me and asks questions,” said Schumacher.

From that platform, Schumacher added, Vettel could go on to become Formula 1′s first ever eight-time World Champion.

“I have always had the attitude that records are made to be broken,” he said.

“It is clearly the case that Sebastian is able to achieve the seven titles, as he is still so young and hungry. Maybe he can even go past it. I will definitely cross my fingers for him.”

[MIKA27]

Brawn: Hamilton’s bad tempered radio calls no problem

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn has come out in defence of star driver Lewis Hamilton, after the British driver made bad-tempered and contradictory radio calls to his engineer in Austin.

When told during the US Grand Prix to look after his tyres, the 2008 World Champion hit back : “That’s what I’m doing man, let me focus.”

But after the ensuing radio silence, Hamilton later insisted: “You need to give me some feedback, man – tyres, temperatures.”

When asked about Hamilton’s inconsistency, Brawn said: “We are just getting used to working with Lewis. It’s not problematic.”

Hamilton said he had apologised to his engineer for the outbursts, ”The poor guy has come on the radio and then I come back at him – I will always say sorry.”

“Stuff does not come out like ‘Hey buddy, just give me a little moment here’. It’s like you are holding on to a bull and it’s like ‘Give me a frickin’ second!’” Hamilton explained.

[MIKA27]

Rosberg: What Sebastian’s car can do in the corners is madness

Nico Rosberg has described the performance of Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull as crazy, in the aftermath of the World Champion’s record breaking eighth consecutive win of the season at the United States Grand Prix.

After a weekend of disappointing pace in Austin, Mercedes driver Rosberg admitted that watching onboard footage of Formula 1′s dominant champion did not cheer him up.

“I just sit and think ‘Are you crazy? How does that work?’” Rosberg told Bild.

“What Sebastian’s car can do in the corners is madness,” he added.

On Sunday, Vettel surpassed Michael Schumacher’s record of seven wins on the trot in a single season.

The statistic was one of the only talking points of the United States Grand Prix, with the possible exception of Red Bull’s new all-time pitstop record of 1.923 seconds.

Part of the reason for the questionable spectacle in Austin was undoubtedly because of Vettel’s imperious dominance.

“I have to admit,” Mercedes’ Toto Wolff told Austrian journalists, “when the audience can predict the winner with 90 per cent probability, this might be seen as boring.”

But some blame should fall on Pirelli’s shoulders, after the Italian marque – tired of the constant criticism of its heavily-degrading tyres – made an ultra-conservative Hard compound choice for the weekend.

Formula 1 has been warned by Pirelli that if the lack of cooperation remains the same up and down pitlane, fans will have to get used to the spectacle of one-stop races in 2014.

“It will be a topic of conversation in the coming weeks,” Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali is quoted byL’Equipe, “because we cannot always have races where the show is absent.”

[MIKA27]

Lowe happy to bide his time

Mercedes Technical Director Paddy Lowe insists that he currently has no plans of succeeding Ross Brawn as Team Principal of the Brackley outfit, adding that the team's executive management structure is performing optimally.

Brawn's future at Mercedes has been the topic of some fevered speculation ever since Toto Wolff was appointed as Executive Director and Lowe was given his current role, but Mercedes have made no secret of the fact that they haven't given up hope of convincing the Englishman to stay on past the 2013 season.

Speaking to Sky Sports at this past weekend's US GP, Lowe insisted that no tension exists between himself, Brawn and Wolff, and that no time-frame exists for Brawn's departure, should he decide to leave the team.

"There's been a lot of talk about this in the last few months, you're right," Lowe noted.

"The fact is that Ross will step back at some point. It's not clear what the timing is for that or whether he will step back completely or remain in a different role within the team. At the moment we're waiting for Ross's call on that.

"In the meantime, I'm working very well with Ross and with Toto, there's no issue there, we work very well together. I would like to say there's no impatience on that aspect, so we'll just have to wait and see how it turns out."

If Brawn decides to leave Mercedes, he would do so with the team in strong shape following a largely disappointing 2012 season.

Currently, they are 15 points in front of Ferrari going into the season's final grand prix and are seemingly on target to finish second in the Constructors' Championship.

"Formula 1 is a very tough business and you can't build to championships from nowhere. Our target this year was actually to come third, so if we can get third or exceed third that would be meeting our ambitions," Lowe continued.

"We very much hope we can get second and that would be a fantastic platform from which to mount an attack for the championship next year. But we have tough rivals around us, so we're not underestimating how difficult that would be."

MIKA: I don't know why, but every time I see Lowe, he reminds me of an Evil little Leprechaun ;)

[MIKA27]

Perez not interested in backmarker seat

Outgoing McLaren driver Sergio Perez has admitted that he isn't interested in joining a constructor at the back of the Formula One grid.

McLaren announced in the lead-up to last weekend's US Grand Prix that the Mexican would be replaced by Formula Renault 3.5 champion Kevin Magnussen.

By his own admission, his sudden departure from the Woking team has put Perez in a difficult position, despite McLaren's efforts to secure him a drive elsewhere on the grid.

However, the 23-year-old isn't interested in taking up a seat just anywhere.

"Yes, it's true they are helping me, but it's also true that right now it's very hard to find a seat that motivates me to stay in Formula 1," said Perez.

"I don't know [about moving to Caterham or Marussia] but I don't want to consider it because I have a lot to offer and going to a team like that would basically make my career stall.

"I would have to find another option."

He added that he would consider racing outside of F1 if he couldn't find a competitive outfit for the 2014 season.

"Right now I haven't considered [racing in another series], but if I have to get to that point, I'll consider it and I want to make a decision in the new few days."

[MIKA27]

Kovalainen feels Austin pace shows he did the right thing staying in F1

Heikki Kovalainen reckons the speed he showed on his Formula 1 comeback in Austin justified his decision not to turn his back on the sport at the end of last year.

The Finn is seeing out the season as Kimi Raikkonen's stand-in at Lotus, having not competed since being dropped by Caterham for this season.

Kovalainen could have switched to other categories but elected to help out Caterham with third driver duties which has included several Friday practice sessions.

Those performances put him in the running for the Lotus drive, and he reckons his US GP efforts last weekend proved he did the right thing.

"I never doubted myself, but it is another thing trying to show it and do it," said Kovalainen, who qualified eighth but failed to finish in the points due to a front wing problem.

"You always think that you can do it. That is the reason why I decided to stay still in F1 this year.

"Even if it was as a reserve driver only, I thought I could still do the job. I had to keep working and wait to see if the moment arrives.

"If I got racing again it was more likely that I would race at Caterham, but when this opportunity came it showed that it was worthwhile to stay in F1, and not to switch focus to something else.

"It is funny how quickly things change in F1, and things might change suddenly.

"So you have to keep your focus where your heart feels, where you feel you should be, and try to keep that dream going."

Lotus chiefs were impressed with how quickly Kovalainen got up to speed, especially in making it through to Q3 on his race return - and team boss Eric Boullier thinks he will be much stronger in Brazil this weekend.

"Definitely," he said. "Heikki is a good driver. He's got experience, and maybe he is a bit rusty, but he's going to deliver."

[MIKA27]

Ferrari have made championship winning changes claims Allison

James Allison believes Ferrari have put in place the necessary changes to see them return to the very top of the pile in Formula 1.

The British engineer joined the Italian team this season from Lotus and says Pat Fry's efforts to turn Ferrari around will soon pay off, adding that he's lucky to be joining them at this stage.

"I've, first of all, been very fortunate to arrive at Ferrari at a point in their cycle when a lot of the changes necessary to return to the front rank - I mean right at the front rank, i.e. winning championships - a lot of the changes necessary to do that have been put in place by Pat Fry," he said.

"I think I'm particularly lucky to have arrived and been able to benefit from those investments rather than having to start them from scratch. There is much more to be done but I'm a lucky chap to be picking up where I am."

Ferrari has reshuffled its management after several poor seasons without a championship and upgraded its wind tunnel in an effort to beat Red Bull. He's expecting a shake-up in the order next year thanks to significant rule changes, but ultimate pace might not be enough with the potential for reliability to play a key role.

"I think that the size of the rule change means that there will be some unanticipated reshuffling of the pack in terms of where all the teams will find themselves in the pecking order. "I would also imagine that the first half of next year is likely to be heavily affected by reliability. Next year's rule changes are big enough, just in terms of the configuration of the car but they also place a much much higher burden of reliability on us as well."

[MIKA27]

Perez hasn't been the star McLaren needed

Sergio Perez has had a solid season for McLaren, but they needed him to be a star to fill at least part of the large hole left by Lewis Hamilton.

Whilst the young Mexican has had a few great moments in what has been a very difficult car, Jenson Button has had the edge on him over the course of the championship.

To stand a chance of retaining his seat he needed to match Jenson at the very least, or ideally edge ahead. In many ways 2013 has just been like 2012 performance wise. When Perez has an on form weekend he is a great driver. He drove brilliantly in Bahrain to finish sixth, and his drive recently in India to fifth was also very impressive. His Monaco qualifying lap to take seventh was a stunning display too.

Those performances were the equivalent to those three races last year where he finished on the podium in a strong Sauber. If he could have performed like that at every race then he would have had no problem keeping his seat for 2014. However just like last year there have been too many races where he hasn’t extracted the most out of the car and himself.

There have been a few errors too such as the collision with Kimi Raikkonen in Monaco, and getting a penalty in Spa for not leaving Romain Grosjean enough room on the Kemmel straight. Consistency is by far his biggest problem.

Sadly he hasn’t shown any signs of improvement on that front. Having two or three great weekends in a season of 19 races just isn’t good enough when you are driving for a top team - albeit not a top car.

The best drivers are those who can deliver a high level of performance at every single event. This is what we see from Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, and why they are so sought after. That’s what McLaren need.

It’s no surprise to see that they are working desperately hard to get Alonso to return to Woking in 2015. Unfortunately the stats alongside Button don’t make the best reading for Perez. With just one race remaining Jenson has a 25 point gap over him in the championship. In qualifying Jenson is ahead 9-8. Plus he has scored points 13 times so far this season compared to Perez’s nine.

Yes, Perez has had some bad luck which cost him points such as that dramatic tyre blow-out at Silverstone. However Button has had a bit of bad luck too. He could have been on the podium in Malaysia if it wasn’t for a reliability issue. Therefore the points gap in the standings is a fair reflection.

Alongside Hamilton, Alonso or Vettel these stats would have looked decent. A 9-8 qualifying record against someone like Sebastian would have made Sergio look rather good in actual fact, and ensured he had a long future in a good car. The problem is these stats are against Button. This a guy who is happy to admit that in terms of raw pace he isn’t the fastest out there. At the age of 33 he is now past his peak level of performance (a F1 driver’s peak period is in the 27-31 bracket).

Whilst Button is a great driver he isn’t quite in the same class as Vettel, Hamilton and Alonso. He is a great driver to have in a team alongside one of those big names. He will reliably score big points every weekend and not make mistakes. He is fantastic at leading a team and setting up a car.

Any race where there are mixed conditions he is the man you want in the car. Whilst all those qualities are great he lacks those final few tenths, which is exactly what Hamilton brought to the table. It’s what McLaren have missed this season. They were hoping that is exactly what Perez was going to deliver, or at least show the potential that he can in the future. They were expecting him over the course of 2013 to emerge as the team’s number one driver, but it hasn’t happened that way. Back in Singapore Martin Whitmarsh told the press: “Sergio has a tremendous benchmark in Jenson, who is consistent, a great quality driver, a great team player and who brings a tremendous amount of benefits to our team.”

He added: "For a young charger like Sergio, he knows and I know that he has to come in and beat him. He hasn't done that consistently enough so far this year.”

Some may say that Perez deserved more than one season in a bad car to prove he is worthy of a long term future with McLaren. However we often see star drivers (or drivers with the potential to be stars) dragging bad cars to places where they don’t belong.

Lewis did it all year in 2009, when it took the team a while to adapt to the new aero regulations.

Sergio has only come close to doing that one or two times this season. Perhaps more telling is the fact that Jenson has struggled in poor machinery historically, but in 2013 he has still been able to edge his young team mate. It’s a brutal decision by Whitmarsh, but McLaren are a team that should be competing for championships. There is no room for sentiment when trying to achieve that goal.

Huge calls have to be made. Sergio simply hasn’t shown enough to suggest that he could potentially be key to future success over the next two or three seasons.

2014 is going to be a bit of a limbo year for McLaren with Mercedes customer engines, before Honda arrive in 2015. They obviously feel that they could gain more from giving the young and very talented Kevin Magnussen his big chance next year. Hopefully after a year of learning and experience he will be in great shape for 2015, when a McLaren championship challenge is more realistic.It will be interesting to see how good a decision it turns out to be.

Looking back, McLaren made an impulse decision on the back of Perez’s second place finish at Monza last year. They perhaps should have taken more time with their decision on who should replace Hamilton. For Perez it was maybe a season too early to join a top team. He would have been better off spending another year at Sauber to gain more experience, and improve his consistency safe from the media spotlight. Although it hasn’t been a great year he still deserves to be in F1.

At 23 he still has time to develop, and it’s not impossible he could get another chance in a top team later in his career. After all, F1 shouldn’t give up on young drivers as we have seen too often in recent times. Button and past McLaren champion Mika Hakkinen both started to blossom later in their careers. Unfortunately for Perez, McLaren simply needed him to blossom immediately.

[MIKA27]

Brazilian Grand Prix has been a second home race for Ferrari over the years

Felipe Massa of Brazil and Ferrari celebrates winning the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix

The Brazilian Grand Prix has become something of a home race for Scuderia Ferrari. From 2000 to today, with the exception of the 2009 edition of the race, a Brazilian driver has been at the wheel of a car with the famous Prancing Horse badge on its side.

From 2000 to 2005, it was Rubens Barrichello who faced the task of defending Ferrari colours and from the following year onwards the honour and duty has been in the hands of Felipe Massa. The latter has definitely enjoyed more success here than his predecessor and friend: twice, in 2006 and 2008, Felipe triumphed in Interlagos, as well as making two further trips to the podium in 2007 and 2013, while being fastest on Saturday afternoon three times.

Rubens’ results were very different, as he only saw the chequered flag twice, making it to the third step of the podium just the once in 2004, when he took a second consecutive pole position at his home track. The Brazilian suffered an incredible series of technical failures in the race that meant the most to him: the most resounding one was the problem with the fuel metre which saw him run out of fuel in the F2003-GA when he was leading the race by a comfortable margin.

Kimi Raikkonen celebrates victory and his F1 World Championship triumph after the 2007 Brazilian GP

Interlagos was also the scene of one the nicest and most exciting wins in the history of the Scuderia. In 2007, the one-two finish from Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa saw the Finn take the world title, which just two races earlier looked almost impossible, given that Hamilton had a 17 point lead over him. That day there were mighty celebrations in the Red garage for what is currently its last win in the Drivers’ Championship.

Seven Ferrari drivers have won this Grand Prix. Apart from the previously mentioned Massa and Raikkonen, in reverse chronological order they are Michael Schumacher (2000 and 2002), Alain Prost (1990), Nigel Mansell (1989), Carlos Reutemann (1977 and 1978) and Niki Lauda (1976.)

There have been a total of 26 podium finishes: along with the ten wins there have been seven seconds and nine third places.

Seven is also the number of poles, of which five go to the Maranello Brazilians – three for Massa, two for Barrichello – with the other two being down to Schumacher in 2000 and Alboreto in 1985.

Michael Schumacher won the 2002 Brazilian GP

The Brazilian Grand Prix is one of the few races in which victory has eluded Fernando Alonso. The man from Oviedo has however been on the podium seven times, with three second places and four thirds, from eleven starts in this race, but more importantly, he clinched both his title crowns here.

In 2005, Fernando finished third right behind Raikkonen’s McLaren, his rival for that year’s title, thus becoming champion with two races in hand. The following year, he had to wait for the final race to get the better of Schumacher. In Interlagos, the Spaniard was second behind Felipe, controlling Michael’s spectacular climb back up the order, as he went from last to fourth in the race that marked his first farewell to Formula 1.

We are now preparing for another farewell, that of Felipe Massa who leaves Ferrari after this race. This weekend sees the Brazilian take part in his 139th and final race of his romance in red: only Michael Schumacher has taken part in more. The wins are fixed at eleven for now, the last one coming right at Interlagos back in 2008: it would be the realisation of a dream to turn that into a twelve this weekend.

Almost impossible according to this season’s statistics, in which Vettel’s Red Bull seems to have become unbeatable and Ferrari seems to be struggling more and more. However, Formula 1 is a sport and, as such, open to surprises, even the most unimaginable ones. Why not dream of such a beautiful finale for a driver who, without a doubt, is part of the Prancing Horse’s history.

[MIKA27]

Massa: At my final race with Ferrari I say thanks to all fans who supported me

After the race in Austin, Formula 1 stays in the Americas, albeit having to make the trip south from Texas to Sao Paulo for the nineteenth round of the championship, this Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix.

It marks the end of the 2013 season, but it is also a very special landmark for one driver in particular, as this will be the last time that Felipe Massa takes to the track with the Prancing Horse emblem on his race suit.

This part of the Paulista’s career, which makes him the second longest serving driver of all time after Michael Schumacher is coming to an end. And the good news in his native Brazil and for all his fans around the world, is that the long tradition of having a Brazilian driver competing in the highest level of motorsport continues, because Felipe’s move to the Williams team for 2014 was confirmed not long ago. Can the boisterous Brazilian crowd make even more noise than usual? We will find out in a few days’ time.

Felipe Massa performs donuts at the end of the 2011 Brazilian GP

“Just competing in the Brazilian GP is a dream for all Brazilian racing drivers,” says Felipe. “My racing career started in Interlagos, my local go-kart track and I also raced in other junior categories here. Before then, I remember sitting in the grandstands when I was a kid, watching Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet and even Rubens Barrichello.

After that, to race there in Formula 1 is a feeling that is hard to explain. There is all that energy you get from the crowd, from being at the track you love the most, hearing the music in the stands, feeling all that support.”

In fact, Felipe has experienced the even greater thrill of winning his home race, joining the great names of Emerson Fittipaldi, Carlos Pace, after whom the Interlagos circuit is named, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna.

“Winning there is a feeling that is hard to describe,” continues the Ferrari man. “Winning here in 2006, in my first year with Ferrari was definitely the most incredible race of my life. I had a special race suit featuring the yellow and green colours of our national flag and standing on the top step of the podium was more than I had ever expected from my life. For a Brazilian to win this race, it’s like winning the world title. It was the most emotional race of my life and I remember it as though it was yesterday. It really was the realisation of a dream.”

Felipe’s mention of the world title has to bring us to the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, when for a few seconds it seemed that the name Massa was to be engraved on the World Championship trophy, until an overtaking move, after the Ferrari driver had taken the chequered flag, handed that year’s crown to Lewis Hamilton.

“I didn’t win the title, but I did win the race and also took pole position and set the fastest lap of the race,” recalls Felipe. “So I did everything perfectly that weekend, which made it very special as well.”

Felipe Massa came desperately close to winning the 2008 F1 World Championship on home soil

Everyone who was there at the circuit, or who watched the events unfold on television, remembers the dignified way Felipe behaved on the podium and the way he handled himself in the aftermath of the most bitter-sweet victory: it marked the Brazilian out as a truly great sportsman.

“I’d like to be remembered as an important component of the Ferrari team,” is Felipe’s view of his time in red.

“We had great times together, winning races and championships and we also lived through some difficult moments. I am proud to be part of Ferrari’s history. It was always my dream to drive for Ferrari and I did it for ten years, eight of them as a race driver. Actually, I had a contract with Ferrari even before then, when I was just a kid really. It’s been a long time during which I always gave my all for the team.”

“For my final race with them, I also need to say thanks to all the fans who have supported me throughout this time with Ferrari. They really feel part of the Ferrari world and the Ferrari family. With those fans I have celebrated many great moments and, on the other hand, when I was going through tough times, they gave me so much energy and support. It will be very emotional racing at Interlagos for Ferrari for the final time.”

If Felipe’s farewell represents the emotional side of Ferrari’s Brazilian weekend, then the cold hard racing necessity is to try and secure second place in the Constructor’s Championship. The task was made harder on Sunday, when second placed Mercedes edged further ahead in Austin, but there are still plenty of points up for grabs and it is doable.

There are some circuits on the calendar where car performance, although still an essential component, is less vital than at others and Interlagos is definitely one of those: the tiny left handed track with its insidious corners and camber changes and its bumpy surface has often produced some incredible racing with equally incredible and unexpected winners.

If ever there was a need for that to play in the Scuderia’s favour, it’s this Sunday.

[MIKA27]

The Big Preview: Brazilian Grand Prix at Autodromo Carlos Pace, Interlagos

Brazil plays host to the 19th and final round of the 2013 FIA Formula 1 World Championship as teams make their way to São Paulo and the suburb of Interlagos, home of the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.

The lap of Interlagos is one of the year’s shortest but it crams a lot into its 15 turns and 4.3 kilometres. It presents a classic demand for compromise between the high-downforce requirements of the looping medium-low speed middle section and the flat-out, low-drag search for ultimate top speed that characterises the long section uphill from the Junção corner to the start-finish line, which then drops down to the overtaking-friendly, heavy-breaking Senna S.

Forever local hero Ayrton Senna during his last Brazilian Grand Prix weekend in 1994

As in 2012, Pirelli will bring its Hard and Medium compounds to Interlagos. The rain-affected 2012 race provides few clues to strategy but key to Jenson Button’s victory last year was his ability to run on slicks in marginal conditions, winning on a two-stop strategy while his pursuers made an extra stop for Rain tyres. The forecasts suggest that rain may play a part again.

Even if rain does fall, the 2013 edition is unlikely to deliver quite the level of drama seen in 2012’s title-decider. However, although the main issues of the season have been resolved, F1 goes to Interlagos with questions still to be answered. There are tight battles up and down the field in the Constructors’ Championship, not least of which is the competition for second place.

In the USA, Mercedes increased their lead over Ferrari to 15 points, while Lotus remain a long-shot thanks to Romain Grosjean’s sterling efforts in Austin. Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, Marussia and Caterham are both fighting to avoid finishing the season in last place.

Marussia currently holds tenth, courtesy of Jules Bianchi’s 13th-place finish in Malaysia. In the normal course of events it would be difficult to imagine that being under threat, but Interlagos is perfectly capable of springing a surprise.

Carlos Pace (middle) won the 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos

Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace (Interlagos) Circuit Data

• Length of lap: 4.309 km Lap record: 1:11.473 (Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams, 2004)
  
• Start/finish line offset: 0.030 km
  
• Total number of race laps: 71
  
• Total race distance: 305.909 km
  
• Pitlane speed limits: 80 km/h throughout the weekend
  

Changes to circuit since 2012

• New debris fences have been installed on both sides of the track between Turns Three and Four
  
• Race control has been renovated with new high definition camera feeds and other enhancements.
  

DRS Zones

• There are two DRS zones at Interlagos. Zone One has a detection point at the apex of Turn Two with activation 20m after Turn Three. Zone Two has its detection point 30 m after Turn 13 and activation 60 m before Turn 15.
  

Brazilian Grand Prix Fast Facts

• Sebastian Vettel’s sixth place in last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix made him a triple World Champion. It was the sixth time that the Drivers’ Championship has been decided at Interlagos since the race was moved to the back end of the calendar, in 2004. Fernando Alonso (’05, ’06) Kimi Räikkönen (’07), Lewis Hamilton (’08) and Jenson Button (’09) also sealed their titles at this circuit. Only Räikkönen marked the occasion with a victory.
  
• McLaren have a record 12 victories in Brazil. Emerson Fittipaldi triumphed at home in 1974, as did Ayrton Senna in ’91 and ’93. Alain Prost won in ’84, ’85, ’87 and ’88, Mika Hakkinen in ’98 and ’99, David Coulthard in 2001, Juan Pablo Montoya in ’05 and Button last year.
  
• Button is scheduled to make his 247th grand prix start on Sunday – a record for a British driver, overtaking David Coulthard who ended his driving career in F1 at this circuit in 2008.
  
• Prost’s four McLaren victories are bracketed by wins for Renault (’82) and Ferrari (’90) making him the most successful driver in the history of the race. He and Carlos Reutemann are the only drivers to have won the race both in Rio and São Paulo.
  
• The current 4.3km layout of Interlagos has hosted the Brazilian Grand Prix since 1990. Prior to this the race was held in Rio at the Jacarepaguá circuit (’78,’81-’89) and on the original 8 km Interlagos layout (’73-’77, ’79-’80).
  
• Vettel’s victory in Austin was his eighth consecutive win of 2013, beating a record set by Michael Schumacher in 2004. This weekend Vettel can equal the nine consecutive victories recorded by Alberto Ascari. Ascari’s record was set over the season’s 1952-1953 and is only applicable if the Indianapolis 500 (in which Ascari and other ‘regular’ F1 drivers did not participate) is discounted.
  
• Interlagos historically has provided excellent overtaking opportunities. In the modern times Turns One & Two (Senna S) and Turns Four & Five (Descida do Lago) have provided the bulk of the overtaking action. Records show that from 30 races at this circuit, pole position has only led to victory on 10 occasions. The only driver to win from pole this century is Felipe Massa, who managed the feat in both ’06 and ’08.
  
• This is Mark Webber’s final grand prix. To date, the Australian has 214 grand prix starts, nine victories, 32 other podium finishes, 13 pole positions and 18 fastest laps. He has twice finished third in the Drivers’ Championship (’10, ’11). His first F1 race was the 2002 Australian Grand Prix, in which he finished fifth, driving for Minardi.
  
• This weekend F1 also says goodbye to Cosworth for the immediate future. The engine privateer has powered 176 F1 victories, second in the all-time list behind Ferrari. It’s most recent victory was at this circuit in 2003: Jordan’s Giancarlo Fisichella awarded the win after a red flag. Cosworth also recorded its most recent pole position here, Nico Hülkenberg taking P1 for Williams in 2010.
  

Brazilian Grand Prix Statistics by Reuters

• Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel has won 12 races in 2013 and will equal Michael Schumacher’s 2004 record of 13 in a single season if he wins at Interlagos.
  
• The quadruple World Champion will also be the first man to win nine races in a row in a single season. The only other man to win nine times consecutively was Italian Alberto Ascari over two seasons in 1952-53.
  
• Vettel won his fourth successive title, becoming the youngest quadruple Champion at 26 years old, and the first to win his first four crowns in a row, sealed in India last month. The German is only the fourth quadruple Champion.
  
• Red Bull also won the Constructors’ crown for the fourth year in a row, becoming only the third team to perform that feat after Ferrari and McLaren.
  
• Vettel’s U.S. GP win made him the first driver to win eight races in a row in a single season.
  
• Four teams have won the 18 races so far (Lotus, Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes).
  
• Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Mercedes’s Nico Rosberg have both won twice and Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton once.
  
• Vettel has 38 career wins, Alonso 32, Hamilton 22, Raikkonen 20 and McLaren’s Jenson Button 15.
  
• Ferrari have won 221 races, McLaren 182, Williams 114 and Red Bull 45.
  
• Vettel has taken eight poles this season, team mate Mark Webber two and Mercedes the rest.
  
• Caterham and Marussia have yet to score a point after three seasons in F1.
  
• Valtteri Bottas (Williams) took his first F1 points in Austin and joined Sauber’s Mexican Esteban Gutierrez as the only rookies to have scored this season.
  
• Felipe Massa is the last Brazilian to have won his home grand prix, doing so in 2008 and 2006. Massa has not won any race since his last triumph at Interlagos.
  
• Massa is the sole Brazilian driver on the grid at present.
  
• Four of the last five titles have been decided at Interlagos.
  
• Only four of the drivers who will be on the grid on Sunday have won in Brazil: Massa, Webber, Vettel and Button.
  
• The last driver to win from pole position at Interlagos was Massa in 2008.
  
• Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg started on pole for Williams in 2010, his only pole to date.
  
• Webber will be starting his last F1 race before departing for a new career in sportscars.
  
• Massa will be saying farewell to Ferrari, the team he has raced for since 2006, before moving to Williams.
  
• F1 will be waving goodbye to the 2.4 litre V8 engine, with a new and smaller 1.6 litre V6 turbo unit with energy recovery systems coming in for 2014.
  
• Ferrari stretched their record for most consecutive points finishes to 66 in Austin. The run dates back to the 2010 German Grand Prix.
  
• Marussia’s Max Chilton chalked up his 18th successive finish, a record for a rookie.
  

Start of the 2012 Brazilian GP

Brazilian Grand Prix Race Stewards Biographies

• Paul Gutjahr started racing in the late 1960s with Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Lotus and Porsche, then March in Formula 3. In the early ‘70s he became President of the Automobile Club Berne and organised numerous events. He acted as President of the organising committee of the Swiss GP at Dijon between 1980-82. Between 1980-2005 he acted as President of the Commission Sportive Nationale de l’Automobile Club de Suisse and in 2005 he became President and board member of the Auto Sport Suisse motor sports club. Gutjahr is President of the Alliance of European Hill Climb Organisers and has been steward at various high-level international competitions. He was the Formula 3000 Sporting Commissioner and has been a Formula 1 steward since 1995.
  
• Italian-born Vincenzo Spano grew up in Venezuela, where he went on to study at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, becoming an attorney-at-law. Spano has wide-ranging experience in motor sport, from national to international level. He has worked for the Touring y Automóvil Club de Venezuela since 1991, and served as President of the Sporting Commission since 2001. He was president for two terms and now sits as a member of the Board of the Nacam-FIA zone. Since 1995 Spano has been a licenced steward and obtained his FIA steward superlicence in 2003. Spano has been involved with the FIA and FIA Institute in various roles since 2001: a member of the World Motor Sport Council, the FIA Committee, and the executive committee of the FIA Institute.
  
• Mark Blundell raced for McLaren, Tyrrell, Ligier and Brabham in an F1 career that encompassed 61 grands prix between 1991 and 1995 and included three podium finishes. He is a three-time winner in IndyCars and won the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race in 1992, driving for Peugeot. While still occassionally seen behind the wheel of a racing car in endurance events, the 21st Century has seen Blundell forge a second career as a TV commentator and analyst. He first appeared as a driver steward in F1 at the Spanish Grand Prix of 2011.
  

[MIKA27]

Renault set to bid adieu to V8 engine era in which they scored ten World titles

After eight seasons, the FIA Formula 1 World Championship will say goodbye to the 2.4 litre V8 engine formula at the Brazilian Grand Prix, an era in which they won five Drivers’titles and five Constructors’ titles.

At the end of the year, the highly optimized, ultra-high output, ultra-high speed, normally aspirated engines make way for new turbocharged 1.6 litre V6 power units in 2014.

Renault aims to end this season on a high note having become the most successful engine manufacturer of the V8 era, with five Constructors’ and Drivers’ titles (2006-2010-2011-2012-2013) of the possible eight crowns. With 59 wins, 65 pole positions and 55 fastest laps to date with the V8 engine, Renault Sport F1 aims to finish the era in a blaze of glory.

Renault’s V8 vital statistics:

• 2.4 L V8 (2006 to 2013)
  
• 8 years of competition
  
• 59 wins – 40% of wins in the V8 era
  
• 65 pole positions
  
• 55 fastest laps
  
• 3665.5 points
  
• 5 Constructors’ world titles
  
• 5 Drivers’ world titles
  
• 750 bhp maximum power (2013 version, typical car installation, typical temp/pressure/humidity)
  
• 18,000 rpm maximum engine speed (2013 version)
  
• 95kg weight, FIA perimeter
  
• 1,271 engines built, 683 for track use, 588 for dyno use
  
• more than 2 000 000 km total
  
• more than 5 000 components per engine
  
• more than 7 600 000 parts used
  
• 21,800 pistons used
  
• 43,200 inlet valves used
  
• 45,900 exhaust valves used
  
• 43,800 connecting-rod bolts fitted
  
• 22,000 spark plugs used
  
• 10,600 oil filters used
  

Personal memories of the V8 power plant

Rémi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 head of track operations: ” Brazil will be quite poignant. The high-revving naturally aspirated engines are all I’ve known in F1 – and I’m sure there will be a few in the pitlane saying the same. The V8 was the era of how to make a car faster using everything except the pure power of an engine so we’ve learnt a lot of different skills, such as better integration, greater fuel economy and how to use the auxiliary facets such as the exhausts to a much greater extent.”

“We always think about what we could have done better, but to be completely fair we have achieved a hell of a lot and we can be proud. I really think Renault and our customers showed the way to design and use an engine in its most efficient way to get the fastest car! We could argue we could have finished more races without any problems, but in the end, wins sometimes come from failures and you learn by pushing the limits.”

Remi Taffin on the podium after the 2013 Japanese GP

“One of my favourite memories of the period will be the 2006 season. We were up against it as we had had an engine failure at Monza and Schumacher had taken the championship lead. It was nearly impossible to recover as the Ferrari was quicker at this stage. But we kept our heads down and at the race after in Japan, we won. This time it was Ferrari’s engine that blew up and we regained the championship lead before the last round in Brazil. That was a perfect example of racing to the end. These were the early days of the V8 but we already were using them at the limit and the failure in Monza just proved how close we were.”

“While I’ve enjoyed this era immensely next year will be an even greater challenge. For me, I grew up watching the turbos and it’s what I dreamt of doing when I was a kid, so it will be a bit like going back in the future..!

Jean-Michel Jalinier with Sebastian Vettel, Alain Prost and Christian Horner in Abu Dhabi

Jean-Michel Jalinier, Renault Sport F1 President and Managing Director: “The V8 era has been a particularly successful one for Renault, and one that stands up to the exceptionally high standards we set with the V10 in the 90s. We can be very proud of the ‘hit’ rate of wins and poles, but equally of the progress we have made, particularly under the frozen engine regulations. What is equally satisfying is the relationships we have built up with all of our teams. We have worked hard on installation to provide the most driveable engine, sacrificing outright power to enable greater integration and other benefits such as energy recovery and cooling to make the overall speed of the car quicker. To have won with four different teams and six different drivers shows the relationships have flourished.”

“Throughout the V8 era Renault has experienced growth outside Europe and our success in Formula 1 has supported the growing awareness and image of the brand in all the countries of conquest, which has in turn contributed to the objective of international development. Additionally, every race victory is a source of motivation for all the people working for Renault.”

“Now we can focus on our new challenge of 2014, with the same motivation and dedication.”

[MIKA27]

Webber won't be gifted a win

Mark Webber has been informed that Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel won't gift him a victory during his final Grand Prix, at Interlagos this week.

The Australian is quitting Formula One at the end of the season and Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes it would be fitting for the 37-year-old to sign off with a victory in Brazil.

Vettel, however, is looking to extend his record-break run of victories to nine and is unlikely to sacrifice a victory in order to appease Horner and Webber.

"It would be great to see him win his final race - what a way to sign out - but Sebastian is going to be going for that record as well," Horner said.

"As usual it will be a straight fight between the pair of them. Mark would not want to be gifted a win."

Despite wrapping up both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championship titles earlier in the season, Horner insisted that Red Bull are still striving to improve.

"You only have to look in the eyes of every single member of the team to see the motivation and desire that still exists," he continued.

"Even though we won the championship in India we have been pushing flat out.

"And, as I have always said, we will continue to do so until the chequered flag in Brazil next weekend.

"The target now is to try to get Mark the third place in the drivers' championship and see out the season in style.

"There is nobody lacking motivation or being complacent in any way."

[MIKA27]

Webber made his Mark in F1 but 2010 title loss to Vettel still hurts

Mark Webber is not ready to spill the beans on the intriguing story of his “f*cking intense” title battle with Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel in 2010, but has admitted the title loss still hurts.

But as the Australian’s long Formula 1 career draws to a close this weekend in Brazil, Webber has hinted that there was much more than meets the eye to 2010, during which he famously retorted “Not bad for a number 2 driver” after winning the British Grand Prix.

“Only those closest to me know what went into it,” Webber, 37, told the Telegraph.

Asked if the truth will eventually come out, he insisted: “Not from me. Looking back I’m pretty proud of myself, the way it was kicking off and how I handled myself.”

Silverstone was the epicentre of the fraught campaign, when a newer specification front wing was taken off Webber’s car and put on eventual champion Vettel’s.

But there was also the collision in Turkey, while Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary suggested that Webber’s once-close relationship with Red Bull team boss Christian Horner never fully recovered after the goings-on of 2010.

“To manage the whole scenario hasn’t been super easy for the team,” Webber conceded. ”We were in uncharted waters in 2010: F*ck, we’re going for our first title. Holy sh*t, how do we do it? Let them both go at it maybe? Oh no, maybe not…”

Webber’s relationship with Vettel only nosedived further in recent years, culminating in the notorious ‘Multi-21′ affair of early 2013 and eventually the veteran Australian’s decision to retire and move to the Le Mans racing series.

Referring to ‘Multi-21′ and the loss of the Malaysian Grand Prix victory this year, Webber said: “There are blinkers and there are blinkers.”

“I saw Michael Schumacher’s blinkers, too, and I don’t think Seb’s are as bad as that. I think in time, a stiff glass of red wine one day down the line, it will probably be ok with us. But it’s hard at the moment,” he admitted.

Some of Webber’s closest paddock allies will wear t-shirts bearing the words ‘Made My Mark’ to bid farewell the popular driver into Formula 1 retirement in Brazil.

During their tenure together in the team since 2009, Webber scored nine grand prix victories while Vettel has racked up 37 wins.

[MIKA27]

Montezemolo frowns at idea of number 1 and number 2 drivers

Having given Fernando Alonso a score of “8 out of 10″ for his 2013 Championship campaign, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo now insists the Spaniard is not the famous Italian team’s number 1 driver.

“I don’t like number 1 and number 2,” he told CNN.

Alonso, who has had an often fraught relationship with Montezemolo this year and flirted with moves to Red Bull and McLaren, has been controversially paired for 2014 with Ferrari’s 2007 World Champion, returnee Kimi Raikkonen.

But Brazilian Felipe Massa, who has been regarded as Ferrari’s number 2 in recent years, was clearly Alonso’s preferred teammate going forwards.

“Alonso knows that he drives to win for himself, but also for Ferrari,” Montezemolo insisted.

“Ferrari is a team and I want drivers [who] will drive and will act and react as a team member, not only one man,” he added.

Montezemolo also dismissed suggestions that Alonso, who infamously clashed with Lewis Hamilton at McLaren in 2007, will not get along with Finn Raikkonen.

“I don’t want to say that they are old,” he smiled, “but I’m sure [thatthey will get along], yes.”

[MIKA27]

Hamilton and Rosberg disagree over Massa’s move to Williams

Formula 1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are split over whether Felipe Massa’s move to Williams is a boost to the departing Ferrari driver’s career.

Hamilton, the 2008 World Champion, likened Massa’s move after a long stint with Ferrari to his own decision to leave McLaren and join Mercedes this year.

“It’s a great opportunity for Felipe,” said the Briton, who was almost beaten to his title by Massa in a thrilling Interlagos finale five years ago.

“He was at Ferrari for a very long time,” Hamilton is quoted by Brazil’s Globo.

“And that is good in some ways, but going somewhere else – trying something new and working with new people – will be refreshing for him. It will be like fresh air for him, as it was for me,” he added.

“And [Williams] will have a good [Mercedes] engine next year,” Hamilton continued. ”So I think it could be a turning point for him.”

Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, however, has a slightly different view. Before joining Mercedes in 2010, Rosberg began his career at Oxfordshire based Williams, where he drove for four years.

“I think it will be quite difficult for him,” the German said. ”To leave a team like Ferrari, where everything is possible, to go to Williams, he will find that everything is much more limited.”

“It will be difficult for him to adapt to being in a smaller team,” he added.

[MIKA27]

Wet season finale in Brazil

The Formula One season could end in a deluge with heavy rain forecast for Sao Paulo this weekend.

Friday's first practice could be the wettest of the weekend with thundery showers expected which should fade to a light rain by the afternoon. The maximum temperature will reach 21'C.

There will be more rain on Saturday but only light rain throughout the day with a high of 18'C.

However, on Sunday the conditions will grow steadily worse with heavy rain forecast in the closing stages of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Sunday's high will be 22'C with a 10mph South-Easterly wind.

Last season Jenson Button won in the rain for McLaren after starting second on the grid.

[MIKA27]

Alonso doubts that Ferrari will finish second in Constructors title

Fernando Alonso does not think that Ferrari can end its 2013 campaign by finishing runner-up to dominant champions Red Bull.

The Italian squad is currently sandwiched between Mercedes and Lotus in the lucrative Constructors’ World Championship with just Sunday’s Brazil finale to run.

But Spaniard Alonso said that continuing to fend off Lotus is all Ferrari can now realistically hope for.

“There is nothing more we can do in this moment,” he is quoted by L’Equipe.

“We are fighting to be in Q3 and scoring points on Sunday. Maybe [finishing second] was just too high a goal. You have to be realistic and realise that second place was a dream,” Alonso added.

However, while acknowledging that Ferrari’s 2013 car is slower than the Mercedes and the Lotus, Alonso said he is proud of his personal performance this year.

Indeed, in Austin, he mathematically clinched the runner-up spot behind Sebastian Vettel in the Drivers’ title chase, ”I am proud, because we clearly do not have the second fastest car. So finishing second is a great reward for me.”

“But I would rather be tenth ten times and once Champion, than to always finish second,” Alonso insisted.

He is quoted by Spain’s AS sports daily as admitting that he is feeling “tired” heading into the last race of the season in Brazil.

“My preparation for [the US GP] was not ideal,” said Alonso. “I was a week on the couch and in bed with headaches, dizziness.

“Physically I feel tired now and I felt stress throughout the weekend,” he added. ”I think I’ll be fine for Brazil, I am improving day by day and hopefully I feel a little better, less tired and I enjoy the weekend some more.”

[MIKA27]

Caterham steering support to typhoon ravaged Philippines

Caterham F1 Team is continuing its support of the people of the Philippines with a unique opportunity to win an actual 2013 Caterham F1 Team steering wheel as part of its fundraising campaign to help those affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan.

Continuing the #toPHwithlove campaign, which started in Austin with dedicated branding on the CT03 race cars, a dedicated fundraising page has been set up by the team at JustGiving, supporting GlobalGiving’s ongoing fundraising efforts. Everyone who makes a donation at JustGiving will be eligible for a random prize draw to win the Caterham F1 Team steering wheel used by Charles Pic in the 2013 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The campaign will run from 1400 GMT on Thursday 21st November, before the Brazilian Grand Prix, and will continue until 1200 GMT on Monday 2nd December when the draw will be made by random selection from all those who donated funds to the campaign.

To be able to win the wheel, anyone who donates needs to make sure they can be contacted after they have made their donation.

When the donation is made, the contact preferences must be set to ‘allow your email address to be passed on to the fundraiser’, or Twitter handles can be left in donation messages, again enabling that person to be contacted if they are lucky enough to win.

In addition, help can also be given to the people in the Philippines affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan through our partners at AirAsia and their #toPHwithlove campaign.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. All details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once the donation is made, JustGiving will send the money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

[MIKA27]

Circuit of the Americas CEO Sexton resigns

The Circuit of The Americas (COTA) CEO Steve Sexton has resigned, with its president Jason Dial assuming the role.

The Austin-based circuit has hosted Formula 1’s United States Grand Prix since last year. The 2013 iteration took place over the weekend before Sexton’s resignation was announced. The venue will also be home to ESPN X Games that will visit Austin for the first time in its series in June next year.

Sexton said: “This was a tough decision for me to make, but the timing is right. Our team’s accomplishments in the last three years have been remarkable, and I am very proud and privileged to have worked with a group of experienced and dedicated individuals, who’ve proven time and again that nothing is impossible.

“We’ve done a considerable amount of heavy lifting the past few years, and the time is right for me to pass the executive torch to Dial, who is well positioned to lead COTA into its next chapter. The enormous effort required to build and launch an internationally-renowned company in a matter of months has left little time for anything but work. “