FORMULA 1 - 2010

[MIKA27]

Patrick not keen on 'unfriendly' F1

Indy car driver Danica Patrick admits she is unlikely to ever race in F1 because of the 'unfriendly' atmosphere.

Patrick, who was the first woman to win an Indy car race, has been linked in the past with a move to Formula One but the 28-year-old reveals she is put off the sport by the often icy tone in the F1 paddock.

"Something that's very important to me is having fun." Patrick told The Sunday Times.

"I think the environment of F1 is a little bit less friendly than American racing. In F1, you just don't see the drivers hanging out. Drivers such as Takuma Sato, who came over after doing F1 for a while, says everyone's so nice here. And it's true - everyone is so calm, relaxed and friendly."

Despite learning her trade in Britain where she participated in the Formula Vauxhall and Formula Ford series for three years, Patrick insists it was an experience she neither enjoyed nor would want to repeat.

"As soon I was old enough to race cars, I took it to the next level. I was told that I could learn more in a year in the UK than I could in five years in the United States," she explained.

"It felt much more old-school over there [in Britain], though. Women still cooked and cleaned. I feel the women's movement happened a little faster over here [in America].

"I remember I was the quickest one day in practice, and one of the team owners I drove for couldn't believe it. To the male drivers he was like, 'She's the quickest - what are you doing? Get out there, go!' as if it wasn't okay to be slower than me," she added.

MIKA: Danica who....?

Even the best Indycar drivers are normally totally out of their depth in Formula 1, and Danica isn't one of the best. That's why the only person who wants to see Danica in F1 is Bernie, for the marketing opportunity. Team owners? Not so much.

I don't watch Indy car racing, but watching the sport on the news, I quite often see fist fights with some Indy drivers, Danica herself was one of them. How is Indy friendlier than F1 when I can't for the life of me remember an F1 driver punching another. Sure, there have been words flying about on the very rare occasion, but thats about all.

[MIKA27]

'Austin a perfect venue for F1'

Promoters of the US GP in Austin insist that the city is the perfect venue for Formula One's return to America.

Texas is traditionally a state that heavily favours NASCAR and with Formula One waning in popularity in the United States in recent years, on the face of it a move to Austin seems an unlikely choice.

However, Tavo Hellmund who is a partner in Full Throttle Productions, the organistation that masterminded the planned event, believes that F1 has a big following in Austin.

"Austin is more of an F1 crowd than a NASCAR crowd," Hellmund told the Austin American Statesman.

"The geography, the tech money, the nightlife, the music. It all just fits with what Formula 1 is all about."

"Texas has never had an annual global sporting event," he added. "I think everyone is going to be really proud of it."

Local politicians have hailed the plan as a real boost to the city.

"The economic impact is said to be almost as big as a Super Bowl, and that's every year," said state Senator Kirk Watson.

Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell echoed the thoughts of Watson.

"This will be a game-changer for Austin. ... We expect every hotel from San Antonio to Temple will be full," said Leffingwell.

"This will solidify our standing as an international city. ... Hundreds of millions of people also see the broadcast, and those who don't know about Austin will."

Formula One's commercial rights controller Bernie Ecclestone on Tuesday confirmed that the Texas state capital would stage the race for 10 years until 2021 on a purpose-built track.

[MIKA27]

Todt: Massa not going anywhere

Felipe Massa's manager, Nicolas Todt, is confident that his client will be at Ferrari next season despite suggestions that he is in danger of losing his seat.

The Brazilian has recorded two podium finishes thus far this season and never failed to finish outside the top ten, but has been largely outpaced by his team-mate Fernando Alonso.

With drivers the likes of Mark Webber and Robert Kubica impressing further up the field speculation is rife that Massa will not retain his position with Ferrari next season.

However, Todt has dismissed such notions, insiting that both Massa and Ferrari wish to continue the partnership beyond the current season.

"Felipe has been with Ferrari since 2001, he's lived some fantastic times with his first victories, and difficult times like his dramatic crash last year," Todt told Autosprint.

"It's a special relationship, and I hope it can carry on like this for many years. This is Felipe's desire, and I think I understand it's also Ferrari's."

The Frenchman believes that the reason for Massa's comparitivley poor showing this season is as a result of the Bridgestone tyres suiting Alonso more than his client.

"When I see Felipe being six tenths slower per lap, as it has happened sometimes, I don't think it's down to the driving, otherwise he'd need to change jobs," explained Todt.

"We've seen that in races with supersoft tyres Felipe has been level with Alonso, like in Monaco and Bahrain.

"The truth is that he has problems with hard tyres, because the car doesn't have enough load for his driving style and he struggles more to control the car compared with Alonso.

"The team has identified the areas to work on in order to suit Felipe better, so I'm confident. Besides, after seven races his gap in the points is definitely smaller and it's open to any result," he added.

[MIKA27]

Newey commits to Red Bull

Red Bull appear to have secured the services of Adrian Newey for the foreseeable future.

The engineer, who joined the team from McLaren in 2006, had the option of ending his association with the team at the end of 2010, but instead has committed his future to the team.

Newey's decision was initially reported by Sport Bild, but team boss Christian Horner has now confirmed the accuracy of the story.

"Contractual matters are confidential, but [the report] is true," said Horner.

"Last year, Adrian requested to remove a clause that would have ended his contract this year."

MIKA: Great news for RBR, bad news for the other teams.

[MIKA27]

Webber: A lot of hard work ahead

Mark Webber is refusing to let his dizzying spell of success go to his head as he attempts to focus on a third successive victory.

In the space of eight days earlier this month, Webber catapulted himself into the Formula One title reckoning with back-to-back triumphs in Spain and Monaco.

It means Webber goes into Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix in possession of the championship lead, albeit by virtue of his two wins to Red Bull Racing team-mate Sebastian Vettel's one as they are level on 78 points.

As the 33-year-old had to wait until his 130th race for his maiden F1 win last July in Germany, it would be easy to allow his recent glory to cloud his thinking and judgment.

But with age comes experience, and that is why Webber is staying cool, calm and collected ahead of this weekend's event at Istanbul Park where he could become the first Australian since former champion Alan Jones in 1979 to win three races in a row.

"It was a special few days, and the emotions from the Monaco race were incredible," said Webber, who threw himself in a swimming pool and Monte Carlo harbour in celebration of his triumph.

"It's nice to reflect on that for a short time, but then you have to get your head down and concentrate on keeping your form.

"It's important to stay focused and get back to business. It's easy to talk about what you're going to do - anyone can do that. The key is getting out there and doing it.

"I'm working hard with the team. There's a lot more to do, and we need to keep going.

"It's not so much about being selfish with time, but structured so that way you know what you have to do, when you have to do it and you stick to it."

Anyone who considered Webber to be nothing more than a number two to Vettel within the team is now surely revising their thinking.

Vettel had appeared to be the dominant figure, claiming pole in three of the first four races, and ironically winning the one in which he failed to start at the front of the grid.

But even the 22-year-old German will likely have been stunned by Webber's form of late, in particular his searing pace.

Current world champion Jenson Button, although deposed by Webber at the top of the drivers' standings after Monaco, was happy enough to see his friend take the chequered flag.

Button, though, feels Webber is greatly underestimated as he said: "It was good to see Mark win in Monaco.

"I was very happy for him because I know how it feels to win there. It is a very special feeling.

"He is obviously a very talented driver - as everyone is at the front - but maybe he doesn't get as much respect as he should.

"A guy that wins two races in a row is obviously doing a very good job.

"To win in Barcelona and Monaco, two very different types of track, you can't fault what he has done. He's done a great job."

McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton is far from surprised Webber has suddenly found a turn of speed and is leaving his rivals trailing in his wake.

"I said in Australia he's got a great opportunity to challenge for the wins this year, and I think he's doing all he can," said Hamilton.

"It's not easy when you are in a team and the guy next to you is all of a sudden beating you.

"I can't tell you exactly why Vettel is not as quick at the moment. I guess we'll see over the next few races how things turn out.

"But Mark is a great driver. He's clearly got his act together and head in gear. He's driving probably the best he's ever driven."

At least from Button's perspective Red Bull's focus is on both men, unlike for example Renault where Robert Kubica is head and shoulders above team-mate Vitaly Petrov.

"The good thing is he and Sebastian are both competitive. It's not like one person in the team is, and the other guy just follows," added Button.

"So they're taking points off each other, and that's what we need, we really do while they have such a competitive car."

[MIKA27]

Istanbul weekend set for hot and dry race

The Istanbul weekend looks as though it'll be hot and dry race with temperatures ranging from 24°C to 30°C with little wind.

The chance of rain is extremely low. Good news for team strategies, but not great news for fans who have been looking at rain as an added excitement factor.

DAY: WEATHER: MAX (°C) Wind (mph) Humidity Visibility

Friday : 49% Very Good

Saturday: 53% Very Good

Sunday : 56% Good

[MIKA27]

Ferrari preview the Turkish GP

The seventh round of the Formula 1 World Championship takes place at the Istanbul Park circuit, just outside the Turkish city. A relatively new venue, it is an appointment that Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro looks forward to, given that a Prancing Horse car has been first past the chequered flag three times out of a total of the five Turkish Grands Prix held to date. Those wins were the result of a hat-trick for Felipe Massa, with consecutive victories from 2006 to 2008. Fernando Alonso has also been a frequent visitor to the podium here, finishing second in 2005 and 2006, with a third place in 2007.

The logistical challenge which faced all the teams in dealing with the very tight schedule at the start of the European season, having the Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix take place back to back, has not ended yet. Although the Turkish event is considered part of the European leg of the championship and the paddock features all the motorhomes and trucks associated with this part of the calendar, the distance to Istanbul from Maranello and indeed from all the team bases is very long, so that the most efficient method of getting there is by sea transportation from the port of Trieste on Italy’s east coast, with the shipment leaving there last Saturday, a couple of days earlier than usual. The task of preparing for the following race will also have to be fitted into a short space of time as the next challenge is that, this year, the next round is outside Europe in Canada. All the equipment will be back in Maranello on the Wednesday after the Turkish Grand Prix and, just two days later, the cars and equipment boxes will be on a flight bound for Montreal, to join the non-technical equipment sent out by sea a few weeks ago. Only after the race in Quebec will the logistics department be able to pause for breath. At least the Icelandic volcano, which has disrupted so many F1 travel plans, seems to be behaving itself for the time being!

Having opted not to run the blown rear wing on the low-speed streets of Monaco, the device will make a return in Turkey and Friday’s free practice session will be used to evaluate a new management system for this wing, although its actual structure remains unchanged. The aim of the change is to make it more user-friendly for the drivers. Generally, the characteristics of the track, which runs anti-clockwise, should suit the car well. Bridgestone is bringing its Soft and Hard compounds, which theoretically have not been best suited to the F10, but much work has been done in this area to improve the situation and make the car competitive whatever tyre choice is available. One can also expect higher temperatures this weekend than was the case in Barcelona, the last time this combination of tyres was on offer.

The 5.338 km track is considered to be one of the most challenging of the new generation of circuits, offering a good mix of low, medium and high speed corners with a couple of genuine overtaking opportunities. The stand-out corner is Turn 8, which is effectively four left hand turns all strung together. The lateral G-forces at this challenging corner are probably the highest the drivers experience anywhere on the F1 calendar, with the fact the track is anti-clockwise putting an extra strain on neck muscles, more used to going the other way round. Additionally, this year’s refuelling ban will involve manhandling a very heavy car through the turn in the opening stages of the 58 lap race. Whatever the outcome in terms of the final result for Felipe and Fernando, the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix will be a very special date to inscribe in the Ferrari history book, as this Sunday’s race will be the eight hundredth Formula 1 Grand Prix in which a Prancing Horse car has taken part, the first one being the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix.

[MIKA27]

McLaren determined to eliminate errors

McLaren needs to stop squandering chances and make sure it maximises its potential in every race if it is to stop Red Bull escaping in the world championship, says the Woking squad's managing director Jonathan Neale.

Having moved to the top of the standings with its Shanghai one-two, McLaren then lost points with Lewis Hamilton's wheel problem and consequent tyre deflation in Spain, and Jenson Button was forced out of the Monaco Grand Prix with overheating caused by a cover being accidentally left on a sidepod.

Neale believes Red Bull's current speed advantage will be shortlived, so reckons the onus is on McLaren to stay in touch in the points while it closes the pace gap.

"Formula 1 is not at all tolerant and nor should it be," said Neale during the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes phone-in.

"We came out of China on a high and then we have dropped points in the last two races and when it is as tight as it is in the championship and there is only a small gap at the top of the drivers' championship table and also the constructors', it is all still to be played for.

"At the moment Red Bull has the upper hand but I am confident that won't be the case by the middle of the season. When it is this close you just can't afford to make those kind of mistakes - so we need to eliminate those from our game like everybody else does.

"Red Bull I'm sure would say the same thing, if you look at the potential of that car and the points that they perhaps didn't achieve, they may have their own frustrations."

He is confident that McLaren can still overhaul Red Bull as the year progresses.

"They are about 0.8s ahead on some circuits," he said. "We know just based on our own experience that we closed 2.5s per lap gap between the start of the season and Hungary last year so we've demonstrated that that kind of gradient is do-able.

"They have a quick car and it is up to the rest of us now to get the job done. I suspect that they won't have that advantage all season, but I'm sure if you speak to Adrian Newey he will say that they are working just as hard to stay ahead. I think they are eminently catchable and it's our job to do that."

Neale added that McLaren was confident both Hamilton and Button were achieving everything they could with McLaren's current car, and said it was up to the team to resolve the issues that have left Button slightly off the pace at some tracks.

"If I am really honest I don't think that Jenson's fluctuation in form is anything to do with him, I think it's us," said Neale.

"I don't think we have given him or Lewis a car that will put him on the front row of the grid yet so they have got their work cut out.

"Jenson and Lewis are working really well and in terms of their drives both of them are leaving nothing on the circuit. The obligation is now on us as a team to get the car to get the job done, not for the drivers themselves to look at what they need to do next."

He denied that McLaren was finding it hard to make the car suitable for both its drivers' style.

"In terms of tailoring the car specifically for [button] then there is nothing about Jenson's driving style relative to Lewis's that says they want to exploit the tyres any differently," Neale insisted. "They have slightly different preferences for braking but by the time you are into brakes, you are in second orders of magnitude compared to front suspension, wheelbase etc.

"So we are very happy that having these drivers doesn't mean your chief engineer has got to open up two or three development paths which sap the organisation of energy.

"So we are not looking at different suspension layouts for one or the other and it means that we can then focus on getting more downforce and getting more out of the tyres, which is essentially the only way we are going to close the gap to Red Bull. That and be operationally more effective."

[MIKA27]

ART aiming for 2011 F1 entry

ART Grand Prix co-owner Nicolas Todt has confirmed that the multiple GP2 and Formula 3 title-winning team has applied to enter Formula 1 next season, but admitted that being ready for 2011 would be a huge undertaking if its bid was accepted.

Todt told Italian magazine Autosprint that while suggestions ART was among the 2011 applicants were correct, the team had no expectation that it was likely to be selected.

"The news that we have proposed ART is real, but at the moment it's just a request, there is no certainty we'll take the start next season," he said.

"Realistically, I think it won't be easy to take part in the 2011 F1 championship, because it's not easy to set up a programme with very high costs.

"In light of this, I didn't want to make bold statements over something that still needs to be defined. If we don't make it, then it won't be a drama. We'll carry on working over this project, and if it doesn't happen next year, then we'll try again in the future."

He said ART had always eyed F1 as its long-term destination given its relentless success in the feeder categories, but he had preferred to keep its ambitions low-key and did not want to risk harming its other programmes.

"We are ambitious, and obviously after having won a lot in the various series we've taken part for years, you want to go on and do better," said Todt.

"After F3 and GP2, the logical step is F1. The big difference is that it's a gigantic step, and we are aware of the difficulty with this challenge. That's why I've never announced we'll be in F1, I don't like to get visibility when I'm not certain of the programmes, because I don't want to be regarded as a person who only talks.

"We are working with great care on a project, we don't want to damage what we've done to this day over the years. The plans include synergies, but we don't want to damage the team that works in GP2, GP3 and F3.

"We want to enter F1, but only if we manage to have a long-term programme, because even though F1 now costs 30-35 per cent less compared to a few years ago, it nevertheless remains a huge challenge for privateers."

Spanish squad Epsilon Euskadi, Serbia team Stefan GP and ex-GP2 outfit Durango are among the other teams vying for a possible 2011 F1 slot.

Todt has close links with with his father Jean's former team Ferrari, and his protege Jules Bianchi is part of the Italian squad's driver development scheme. But Todt played down the chances of an ART F1 project being a partnership with Ferrari.

"I have a great relationship with Ferrari, I highly esteem Stefano Domenicali," he said. "If we get chosen and we get a chance to work with Ferrari, then it will be great, but the truth is that there's nothing at the moment.

"We are also a Mercedes team in F3, so it's easy to also link us to Mercedes, and we have other links too. But the truth is that there's nothing yet."

He conceded that there was potential for a conflict of interest given that his father is now the president of the FIA.

"I know well that there are people who see this situation in a bad light," Todt admitted.

"First of all there is a commission evaluating the requests and making decisions, so it's not just my father's choice. I think we'll be under the eye of many people, so the truth is that, as ART, we'll have to present an even more solid programme than our competitors, because at our first faux pas we'll risk being criticised more than the norm.

"But this isn't a new situation for me. When [protege] Felipe [Massa] went to Ferrari, some people put it down to my father's presence there. There will always be people judging my work in relation to my father's presence, and I've accepted this.

"If I couldn't stand this I would have changed environment, but I don't want to leave something I'm passionate for because my father works in it and I've had a lot of success that will be difficult to repeat."

[MIKA27]

Massa fired up for return to Istanbul

Felipe Massa says he is particularly fired up to resume winning at Istanbul Park this weekend given his record of success in the Turkish Grand Prix.

The Brazilian won from pole position at the track every year from 2006 to 2008, although Ferrari's 2009 slump meant he had to settle for sixth last year.

He said the confidence he gained from his hat-trick of wins in Turkey would give him a big boost this weekend.

"It's a great memory. It's a track which I love to race on, I enjoy driving this track and I won three times in five races," said Massa in an interview for Ferrari's website.

"It's a great story for my career, it gives me even more motivation to go there and push even harder to fight for the victory. I hope we're going to have a good weekend and that everything works well, because it's a nice track."

His 2006 Istanbul win was the first of Massa's Formula 1 career, and he believes it transformed his fortunes after a sometimes difficult start to his time as a Ferrari race driver.

"I remember everything, I remember all of practice, qualifying, the beginning, middle and end of the race, because the first victory is very special. I will never forget that race," he said.

"It was a very difficult race because I had Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher fighting for the championship and fighting for the whole race, and I was at the front so every lap was very important. After that victory, I won many other victories at other tracks, and I think that race made me a lot stronger than I was before."

Massa thinks Ferrari has the potential to be very competitive in Turkey, provided he can get a set-up which suits the tyres and the team avoids incidents.

"I believe we can bring a good car," he said. "I hope everything will work well, the tyres especially. If everything works perfectly I think we can have a competitive car."

He added that the fact Ferrari would be celebrating its 800th grand prix at Istanbul added further motivation.

"First of all it's a great pleasure for me to be a small part of these 800 grands prix for Ferrari," said Massa.

"I will try my best to go to Turkey and fight for the victory to have a nice celebration of this 800th grand prix. It shows how Ferrari is important for the sport. It's a fantastic feeling to be inside this nice story."

MIKA: I hope Massa does well as both Alonso and he have great success at Istanbul.

[MIKA27]

Turkish GP preview

After Red Bull’s crushing display of superiority at the Circuit de Catalunya it’s hard to imagine anything less than a repeat performance in Turkey.

Like the Barcelona track, the sweeping Istanbul Park layout rewards a car that generates downforce without producing too much drag. It will be a surprise if anything other than a pair of slender RB6s occupies the front row on Sunday.

Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel are evenly matched on points – 78 apiece – and the balance of power in qualifying stands at three-all.

But although Webber has dominated the past two races – no one else has led a grand prix since Shanghai – Vettel can count the most points lost to the RB6’s patchy reliability.

And he will want to make amends for a frustrating race at this circuit in 2009.

Having taken pole position by running less fuel in qualifying than his rivals (an option thankfully not open to the drivers this year), he squandered his advantage by running off the track on lap one.

As well as allowing championship rival Jenson Button into the lead, it compromised Vettel’s three-stop strategy and allowed Webber to beat him to the flag.

This year it’s Red Bull that holds the upper hand and its rivals will be desperately looking for chinks in its armour.

Certainly, the RB6’s advantage on race day is not as great as it is in qualifying.

But more encouragingly, its straight-line speed is poor. The Red Bulls ranked 20th and 21st through the speed trap in qualifying at Catalunya – 9kph (6mph) slower than the Ferraris.

F-duct equipped rivals McLaren and Ferrari will surely fancy their chances of slipstreaming past on Istanbul’s long, flat-out stretch from turns 10 to 12.

But even that option might not be open to them. Christian Horner has said the team may run its version of the F-duct for the first time this weekend.

Bear in mind that when Ferrari tested its wing-stalling device for the first time in China it postponed its race introduction until Spain, so we may not see Red Bull's in action until Montreal.

Expect McLaren to be back on form in Istanbul after a tough weekend in Monaco – a track which was not expected to suit the MP4-25, which, in contrast to last year’s car, is more at home in fast corners.

Button will certainly be hoping to turn the page after two compromised races.

A dashboard failure early on in the Spanish Grand Prix caused problems at his pit stop, which let Michael Schumacher through, and then made it harder for Button to overtake the Mercedes as he couldn’t see the lights indicating when to change gear.

Then at Monaco a cover left on one of his radiator inlets as he drove to the grid caused his Mercedes power plant to cook itself.

Button may have more points than Lewis Hamilton but his team-mate has the upper hand at the moment on pure performance.

He’s had a couple of tenths in hand in most sessions and drove a fine yet cruelly unrewarded race in Spain.

Fernando Alonso has a slightly larger margin over Felipe Massa at Ferrari.

If Massa can’t redress the balance at Istanbul, where he won three years in a row from 2006 to 2008, it will not bode well for the rest of the season.

The concern for Ferrari this weekend is the F10 has worked better on the softer tyre compound mix this year – but at Istanbul Bridgestone is bringing its hardest tyre to cope with the punishingly long, fast turn eight. (Not looking good for Massa IMO)

Renault is, wisely, playing down expectations following its podium finish in Monaco.

Istanbul is not a track where a driver can rise above his car in the way Robert Kubica did at Monte Carlo; remember Hamilton’s failure to escape Q1 in the evil-handling MP4-24 here last year.

The R30 is nothing like as bad as last year’s McLaren was at this stage of the season, but it’s still going to be a challenge for Kubica to get among the top eight.

Mercedes is reverting to its long-wheelbase W01 as used in Monaco this weekend.

Nico Rosberg endured a difficult race with the new car, finishing behind team-mate Schumacher for the first time this year.

Was this the beginning of a trend that will continue with the revised car? We’ll gain fresh insight into that question at Istanbul.

Rosberg is the last of eight drivers in the field who could be leading the world championship after this weekend’s race.

But, realistically, expect the driver with the biggest haul of points on Sunday afternoon to be climbing out of something designed by Adrian Newey.

[Bartolomeo]

So glad that F1 is coming back tot he States!

But how in the heck are they going to build a racetrack in 18 months to get ready for the 2012 season? Seems like a short time for a full time F1 track and buildings?

Bart

[MIKA27]

So glad that F1 is coming back tot he States!

But how in the heck are they going to build a racetrack in 18 months to get ready for the 2012 season? Seems like a short time for a full time F1 track and buildings?

Bart

It certainly sounds like a feat of epic preportions Bart, but in F1, anything is possible.

Money really can get you everything!

Congratulations to the US. I'm looking forward to it!

Are you anywhere near where the circuit will be?

[MIKA27]

Herbert back on the panel

Johnny Herbert will make his return to the stewards' panel having signed up for this weekend's Turkish Grand Prix.

Herbert, who took the role of drivers' representative at the Malaysian round of the Championship, will once again fill the role in Istanbul.

The former F1 driver, who some could argue went rather ease on Lewis Hamilton for his weaving in front of Vitaly Petrov in Sepang, will be on hand to advise the race weekend's three stewards.

Radovan Novak, a member of the FIA World Motor Sport Council member, Dr. Gerd Ennser, a board member of Germany's ADAC automobile club and Haluk Ünsal, who is a member of the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation, will be the stewards in Turkey.

[MIKA27]

Mallya wants another points-double

Force India owner Vijay Mallya believes his team have come a long way in a year, but is still demanding more.

Drivers Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi have each finished in the points on three occasions this year, amassing 30 overall for the team.

The Monaco Grand Prix 11 days ago also saw both Force India cars in the points for the first time as Sutil was eighth and Liuzzi a place behind.

Although the new points system for this season has played a part in their tally so far, it is still in stark contrast to last season.

"To have both cars in the points in Monaco is really a good marker of how far we've come in a season," said Mallya.

"We're a solid sixth place now in the Championship, 30 points up, whereas last year we were points-free until Belgium.

"We've still got a long way to go until (the final grand prix in) Abu Dhabi, but at this point we can be really pleased about where we are.

"Every race we go to we set ourselves very high expectations and, so far, we've generally met them.

"I would say this year we've really established our credentials as a top-five team, which has made a huge difference to how everyone approaches the job in hand."

Ahead of this weekend's race in Turkey, Mallya is rightly pushing for more points on the board from both drivers to underline his remarks.

"Off the back of the Monaco result both Adrian and Tonio are very positive about Turkey," added Mallya.

"We have some new upgrades coming, so with the result of Monaco and these developments I would like to see a similar level of performance and ultimately results."

Because of the updates, and for the second consecutive race, test and reserve driver Paul di Resta will not be allowed any track time in Friday's first free practice.

The Scot said: "It was a late call from the team, but I completely understand their decision.

"There are some new upgrades coming through this race that really need the drivers' and the team's attention.

"I'll still be there in the garage, trying to learn as much as I can as the developments are pretty exciting."

[MIKA27]

Hamilton wants to avoid imperfect ten

Lewis Hamilton believes McLaren will rise to the occasion and help him bring an end to his win-less drought.

Although Hamilton has stated on a few occasions this season his car is the best he has driven, he has yet to taste victory, unlike team-mate Jenson Button who has won twice.

Failure to take the chequered flag in Turkey this weekend will see the 25-year-old equal his worst run in F1 of 10 races without a win.

That was at the start of last season when Hamilton was at the wheel of a painfully-slow McLaren, only for the team to produce a stunning about-turn in performance and results.

Hamilton is convinced all the pieces will fall into place over the course of a weekend, and he will be a winner again.

"With all the different things that have happened, it has been a bit of a lottery for me," said Hamilton.

"Some people have won when it could have gone completely the other way for them, and unfortunately it has gone the other way for me.

"But at some stage during the year I'm sure it will improve because the car feels the best car to drive.

"It's just that there are so many completely competitive cars out there who have done that bit better than us.

"But the spirits are still high within the team, and I know at the moment they want to win just as much as me."

Hamilton concedes, though, McLaren "have a bit of work to do to close the gap" to Red Bull after a dominant start to the season, and in particular Mark Webber's wins in the last two races in Spain and Monaco.

The 2008 World Champion added: "They have some serious speed at the moment, and it's going to take a while to catch them.

"But we have had some good results coming from the wind tunnel and we're just waiting for that key part that will give us that switch, and then we'll be at front - no problems."

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Ferrari hit 800 and counting

Ferrari are to commemorate their 800th Formula One grand prix at this weekend's race in Turkey.

The legendary Italian marque, the only team to have competed in every F1 season, will have a special logo on the engine cover of the cars driven by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.

President Luca di Montezemolo has been involved in 359 of the 799 races to date, initially as sporting director from 1973 to 1976 and in his current role since 1991.

Di Montezemolo said: "Eight hundred Formula One grands prix represents a milestone in the life of Ferrari, which fills us with satisfaction and pride.

"I want to share our delight in this achievement with all the drivers who have driven our cars in the World Championship, and with our fans.

"It is nice to look back and see what we have done together, aware we are part of a story that is without equal and is ongoing."

Ferrari hold all the major records of Drivers' Championships (15), Constructors' titles (16), wins (211), podium finishes (632), pole positions (203) and fastest race laps (221.)

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Kubica's guide to Istanbul

Success in Turkey is all about how a driver tacklesTurn Eight at the Istanbul Otodrom, according to Renault's Robert Kubica.

"When I think about Turkey the first thing that comes to my mind is that it's normally a very hot race. Also, the traffic is always busy, especially over that bridge which links Europe and Asia. That's why I always try and stay in a hotel on the Asian side - that saves a lot of time and your nerves too!

"Istanbul Park is one of the best of the modern tracks with a great first sector which has lots of long, smooth corners. The first corner is quite tricky because there is a blind apex and you begin to turn in before you can see the inside kerb. Then you go up the hill through turn two, which is a very long corner and on the opening lap of the race it's quite exciting with a bit of action as the cars run alongside each other.

"In the middle of the lap, you come to turn eight, which is a four apex corner taken at about 260 km/h. The biggest problem is not so much the line to take, but the bottoming of the car because there are a lot of bumps. With the current cars it's nearly a flat-out corner, so it's not really a big challenge, although it will be on the opening lap when the tyre pressures are quite low and the car is heavy on fuel. One thing you have to watch is the right front tyre, which is under a lot of stress and can grain quite a lot because of this corner.

"After turn eight you go downhill on the approach to turns nine and ten, which make up a chicane that suddenly goes uphill. You can carry a lot of speed in, but if you're not careful you can lose it on the exit because it's very easy to run wide - as Vettel did last year on the first lap. Sometimes you have to change your line, especially if you're racing someone, and you can sacrifice entry speed to try and get on the power early on the exit. It's a strange corner and one I always give a lot of respect to because you never get the perfect balance through it.

"The best chance to overtake is the last section of the lap into turn 12, which is after the long straight and heads into that 'mickey-mouse' section. You can run side-by-side, but you are always limited by traction and front-end grip. Unless someone makes a mistake it's quite hard to get past.

"As for the car set-up, it's a compromise between the first and last sector of the lap. If you choose a high-speed set-up where you're good aerodynamically for the first sector, you sacrifice mechanical grip so you lose that traction and braking stability, which is especially important in the final sector."

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Di Grassi gets upgraded Virgin

Virgin Racing's Lucas di Grassi will again find himself on a level playing field with team-mate Timo Glock this weekend.

Di Grassi will finally have at his disposal the modified car that has been used by Glock in the last two races in Spain and Monaco.

Virgin's plans to upgrade both cars for the Spanish Grand Prix were wrecked by the ash-cloud chaos that followed the race in China.

It meant the team only had enough time available to improve Glock's car ahead of the event in Barcelona.

That was after it had earlier been discovered the fuel tanks were not big enough to get the cars to the end of a race, resulting in a revamp from designers Wirth Research.

"The past week since Monaco presented another logistical challenge for us," said team principal John Booth.

"While two of our trucks, equipment and motorhome were dispatched to Istanbul after the last race, one truck returned to Dinnington with Lucas' chassis so we could carry out the modifications to his car.

"With effect from this race we will be operating and racing two identical cars, which is one of our biggest headaches alleviated."

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Kubica: Not time to talk about the future

Robert Kubica insists it's still too early to talk about where he'll be next season despite rumours linking him to Ferrari.

According to reports, Ferrari are keen to sign the Polish driver as Fernando Alonso's 2011 team-mate, parting ways with Felipe Massa.

However, Renault are determined to hold onto Kubica while Massa's manager is adamant he will be staying at Ferrari.

As for what Kubica thinks about the matter, he's not letting on.

"It's not the time to talk about it," he said. "There will be a time to talk about staying with Renault or not.

"For me, now is still too early. We'll have to see. Once I get the feeling of what I have to decide, I will do it."

Kubica, though, made it clear that he is happy at Renault, pointing out that while some questioned his decision to sign with the team, his two podium finishes have proven him right.

"Many people, when I signed for Renault, told me that I was completely wrong and it was quite a bad move," said Kubica.

"Many people said I should even have stayed at Sauber, and when I decided to move to Renault, its future was uncertain.

"I think I'm pretty happy with my decision and I hope I can rely on my decisions in the future. I'm happy with what I did and where I moved."

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Schumi: No point in rehashing Monaco

Michael Schumacher believes there is no point debating what happened in Monaco, although he has welcomed the FIA's clarification of the rules.

With the Safety Car pitting on the final lap of the Monte Carlo street race, Schumacher took advantage of a "sleeping" Fernando Alonso, overtaking him for sixth place on the very last corner under green flags.

But moments later the German and his Mercedes GP team were informed that he was under investigation by the race stewards.

Merc were confident that Schumacher was in his rights to overtake as the track was green and 'clear track' was displayed.

However, the stewards, headed up by Damon Hill, had a different view of the rules, namely Article 40.13, which states that "if the race ends whilst the Safety Car is deployed it will enter the pit lane at the end of the last lap and the cars will take the chequered flag as normal without overtaking."

Schumacher was slapped with a 20second penalty, dropping him well outside the points into 12th place.

And although in the end Mercedes GP opted not to appeal, the incident did at least result in the FIA taking steps to clarify the regulations regarding the Safety Car.

"There is no point to get into past incidents," said Schumacher.

"But the point is that if I understand the situation correctly, the FIA has identified something that happened in Monaco and they want to improve the situation.

"That is something good for the sport and I am quite happy for this to happen."

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McLaren: Red Bull can be beaten

McLaren's managing director Jonathan Neale is adamant his team can overthrow Red Bull Racing and become this year's team to beat.

Red Bull have dominated this year's Championship, claiming six pole positions from six races and going on to claim the victory in half of those events as well - and it could have been more had Sebastian Vettel not been robbed of back-to-back wins in Bahrain and Australia.

Their dominance has put Red Bull at the top of the Constructors' Championship while Mark Webber and Vettel are also holding down the top two slots on the Drivers' table.

And given their performance last time out in Monaco, there is little sign that their reign will be cut short, although Neale begs to differ.

"Yes they can be (beaten)," he said during a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes phone-in.

"Obviously ourselves, Ferrari and Mercedes and others are trying to do just that. They are about 0.8s ahead in some circuits.

"We know just based on our own experience that we closed 2.5s a lap gap between the start of the season and Hungary last year so we've demonstrated that kind of gradient is do-able.

"They have a quick car and it is up to the rest of us now to get the job done. I suspect that they won't have that advantage all season, but I'm sure if you speak to Adrian Newey he will say that they are working just as hard to stay ahead.

"I think they are eminently catchable and it's our job to do that."

McLaren's attempts, though, have been marred by their own mistakes.

While Lewis Hamilton has dropped points in Australia as a result of incorrect tyre strategies, the team suffered the embarrassment of falling foul of the weather in qualifying at the next race in Malaysia.

And although McLaren appeared to put their mistakes behind them for a brief period, perhaps the biggest one came at the last race in Monaco when Jenson Button was forced to retire two laps into the race when his MP4-25 overheated after one of his mechanics left a transport caps over his left radiator.

The reigning World Champ's DNF saw him drop from first in the Drivers' standings down to fourth, ten points off the pace of Red Bull's Mark Webber.

"Formula One is not at all tolerant and nor should it be," Neale said of McLaren's errors.

"We came out of China on a high and then we have dropped points in the last two races and when it is as tight as it is in the Championship and there is only a small gap at the top of the Drivers' Championship table and also the Constructors', it is all still to be played for.

"At the moment Red Bull has the upper hand but I am confident that won't be the case by the middle of the season, and when it is this close you just can't afford to make those kind of mistakes - so we need to eliminate those from our game like everybody else does.

"Red Bull I'm sure would say the same thing, if you look at the potential of that car and the points that they perhaps didn't achieve, they may have their own frustrations."

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Horner: Webber will stay on at Red Bull

Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner believes it is a matter of merely sorting out the paperwork to ensure Mark Webber remains with the team.

Horner is convinced Webber will eventually sign a new one-year deal with the Milton Keynes-based marque, with the Australian's future now a major talking point in the wake of his stunning recent form.

Back-to-back wins in Spain and Monaco this month have propelled the 33-year-old into the Championship lead, with his two wins to one in comparison to team-mate Sebastian Vettel giving him the edge as they are tied on 78 points.

Pressed today on Webber and whether he would remain at Red Bull, Horner said: "When we sit down and talk about it, it will be very straightforward.

"Mark is an important member of the team, he enjoys driving for the team and we have a great balance between our two drivers. So, it is the usual thing - if it is not broken, don't fix it.

"I think it is clear where our intent is, and it is clear where his intent is.

"It is just a matter of sorting out the paperwork with his management, and in the coming weeks I am sure that will be sorted."

Horner has also confirmed Kimi Raikkonen was not, and is not, an option for Red Bull as the 2007 world champion has been linked with the team, should he opt to pull out of rallying.

But Horner added: "Kimi has committed himself to rallying, and he seems to be enjoying that environment.

"We have been happy with the job that Mark is doing, so why would you change?"

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Vettel puts his faith in 'Randy Mandy'

Sebastian Vettel is hoping a change of car can help him steal momentum back from Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber at this weekend's Turkish Grand Prix.

Having stolen a match at the start of the season, the 22-year-old has had no response to Webber in both Spain and Monaco as the Australian led the last two grands prix from start to finish.

Webber has therefore leapt into the lead of the Drivers' Championship, standing level with Vettel on 78 points but ahead by virtue of his two wins to the German's one.

Vettel won in Malaysia but, having claimed pole position three times in all so far, reliability problems have meant his results have not matched his speed.

The RB6 he used for the first six races of the season has since been discovered to have a defect, meaning Vettel will race a new car in Istanbul.

And, for Vettel, who loves to name his cars, that means kissing goodbye to 'Luscious Liz' and hello to 'Randy Mandy'.

Vettel's 2009 title challenge accelerated when his first car 'Kate' was replaced by 'Kate's Dirty Sister' and he clearly hopes his new model will prove similarly racy.

Admitting to being far from happy with his car in both Spain and Monaco, Vettel said: "If you look at the last race in particular, at some points Mark was one second per lap quicker.

"Fortunately Monaco is not a place where you can overtake because I was struggling to keep Robert (Kubica) behind me.

"So it was good we decided to change the chassis just to make a change and find something.

"It explains a lot. On top of that, we also found other things that weren't in proper shape.

"But it doesn't mean everything is solved. We still have to work hard and try our best to be at the front again."

Asked whether he had been surprised by Webber's recent pace, Vettel said: "It's good to have someone who is pushing.

"We need to see what will happen this weekend, but he has done a very good job."

Seven-times Champion Michael Schumacher said on Thursday that Red Bull "are in a world of their own" and it is hard not to imagine their strong run continuing this weekend.

However, Vettel insists their dominance is not as great as many make out.

"We are not massively clear," said Vettel, who is only three points ahead of the team's nearest challenger, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

"In terms of performance we are looking strong, which is a good thing, so we should be in good shape for this weekend.

"But I am not really a fan of using words like unbeatable. Things change too quickly in Formula One."

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Thursday's Turkish press conference:

Jarno Trulli, Rubens Barricello, Karun Chandhok, Michael Schumacher and Mark Webber attended the first FIA press conference for the Turkish GP weekend.

Q: A question to you all about your Monaco experiences. Varying experiences for different people. Jarno, would you like to start?

Jarno TRULLI: My Monaco experience has not been very successful this year, probably the worst ever. I had a very bad weekend and I couldn't turn it around at all. Then in the race also I was very unlucky as I had a bad pit stop where the team was unlucky because one gun didn't work, so I found myself last after the pit stop. Then I was following Karun and for more than half the race trying to find a spot to pass him as I was quicker. A few laps to go I saw that he was struggling then I tried and obviously the move was not very successful. We collided and I was glad that no-one was injured. The accident was worse than I had expected as when you try to make a move you always try to calculate what might happen. In fact I could never have believed I would park my car on top of his car. But that was it. It was not a very successful move, but I tried. After spending more than half the race behind him I had to try. We know that in Monaco it can happen when you try to overtake someone else and that was it.

Q: Rubens, you too had a little bit of a nasty experience?

Rubens BARRICHELLO: I was having a great weekend as we qualified well and then I had a great start. We were doing well up to the point that after the pit stop the car was handling a bit different. It felt a bit strange on the prime tyres but I was still in the points up to the point that I hit the drain cover which apparently is the final version as we can see on the video. That spun me around and I hit the barriers. I was very lucky to be honest with the whole conditions as if you crash there you are doing quite a good speed. I hit it twice and stopped quite rapidly. Still you can say it was a positive weekend as with the shunt you have got to take it positive. I didn't feel sore on the Monday which was great.

Q: What were your feelings when you first got out of the car? Did you know it hadn't been your fault?

RB: Yeah, as before I crashed it was like if I had a problem with the revs picking up. I saw something was about to go. It was a millisecond. The revs raised just before I hit the barrier, so there was something wrong and then you can see on the image that the tyre was bent before I hit. You are going pretty much straight going through little bends. The car, all of a sudden, swerved to the left.

Q: Karun, your version of Rascasse?

Karun CHANDHOK: Well, first of all I have got to congratulate Mark as I went back and watched the race on Monday and it was an outstanding job he did all weekend, so well done for that. Jarno had a bit more pace than us at the end. Like he said, he tried a move and it didn't work out. It's over. There is not much else to say. Everybody saw it on television and I think Mark had a good eye view of it, probably closer than he would have liked. Not much to say really. We just move on.

Q: It was a very busy race for you and a very tough race. I describe it for the new teams that it was almost like a crash test. If you car lasts around that circuit it is going to last virtually around anywhere.

KC: I ran over Rubens' steering wheel earlier on in the race. It was quite difficult to get out of the way of people as the marbles offline are a real nightmare. I think the safety car helped us a few times and gave us some breathing space. It was a tough race but for me I was quite pleased. We had a problem with the diff on Saturday in qualifying and that meant we were slower than we should have been. The race was quite good. In the opening stint I caught both Lucas (di Grassi) and Jarno and we pitted before them. I was quite pleased with the way my personal race was going. In the end it didn't end up the way we wanted but Monaco is just a great place to be. I enjoyed driving around there in a Formula One car for the first time. It is just one of my favourite circuits and I really enjoyed it.

Q: Michael, your Monaco and particularly your interpretation of what happened on the last lap?

Michael SCHUMACHER: There is nothing more to be said then we said straight after the race. Green flag. Tried. The rules were slightly different to our interpretation and points were taken away, so I think it is a straightforward thing and not too much to look backwards and just look forward to the next one, here, now.

Q: Was there absolutely no doubt that you were going to have a go coming out of Rascasse and you were going to try and overtake Fernando Alonso?

MS: Sure, yes. I sort of was told obviously by the team - similar from my side - I checked everything I could check internally from driving the car to be prepared for that particular manoeuvre, yes.

Q: Up until then how was Monaco for you re-visited?

MS: It is obviously exciting to drive in Monaco, no doubt. The race by itself, I have to say, was rather boring. You just drive and you can't be overtaken, you can't overtake. You have to really wait for the pit stop or wait for mistakes. We are all professional drivers, so we hardly make mistakes, so you are just stuck in your position that you are in and finish the race. That's it.

Q: Mark, a great drive for you and the ultimate reward with a win. How was post race and the reaction worldwide?

Mark WEBBER: Post race was very good. The team had a bit of a party that night and enjoyed (themselves after) their hard work from the whole week. It is an extended week in Monaco with the running on Thursday and then back-to-back with Barcelona, so a pretty tight turn-around and we managed to have a clean weekend and got a good result. The guys and girls enjoyed their result. I did as well. It was a very rewarding weekend, no question about it. It is a special race to win. It is a pretty challenging circuit and now looking forward to this one.

Q: How has the reaction been worldwide as winning Monaco, as you say, is the one to win?

MW: I suppose quite a few more people might watch Monte Carlo as a sporting event, so the general interest is probably a little bit higher than maybe some other races. What helped I suppose were the celebrations after the race. Red Bull always do things pretty cool and it made for a nice wrap-up of the weekend I suppose. That was a nice way for the media to tell the story.

Q: You basically getting wet?

MW: We had some fun.

Q: Jarno, a quick word about how Lotus are improving. They seem to be getting closer and closer to the established teams. How close can they get? Can they overtake them?

JT: I think Lotus is looking better than people can see from the race results. I am really happy about that. The team is growing up really well inside. In terms of results we started the season pretty much too far away from where we wanted to be, so I think people start to understand that we need now to focus on the 2011 season as it will be hard to catch up with the top teams this year. It is probably easier to get ready for 2011. But it is good to see that the team is improving and growing inside in the way they operate and in the way now the team is structured in order to get ready for the big challenge. This year the biggest challenge was to get on the grid and get the team ready for the season and next year will be the other challenge to try and close our gap and be mid-field. I am pretty happy. I think the combination of Mike Gascoyne and Tony Fernandes is looking good in my opinion.

Q: Rubens, I think Williams have been giving Cosworth quite a bit of feedback recently. What has been your impression of the Cosworth engine? How do you feel that that engine is? Where can it be improved? Can it be improved?

RB: As a first year I think they are doing quite well. We were expecting for the whole package to be better but all in all whenever we go to Q3 I think we are doing quite well as we don't have the whole package as good as Force India or Renault. Cosworth is trying very hard on their own, trying to sort the problems out. There are some issues with the fact that the engine starts quite well but through its life loses power, maybe a little bit more than the other engines. We are trying to work with that and see where we can get.

Q: Karun, looking at the HRT team that has now split from Dallara, what positives are there to be taken from that? Can you do your own thing with, maybe, Geoff Willis involved?

KC: They have just made the announcement yesterday and it is not really my place to comment on the way forward. I think that is something that Colin (Kolles) and the team need to talk about. There were limitations. I have driven Dallara cars in the past and I have a lot of respect for them but being a commercial car manufacturer or if you like race car manufacturer there are limitations to what a specialist Formula One team can do and can operate and develop. As it's been announced it is split now and I think that is a question for the team really on what is being developed. I just rock up and drive what they give me.

Q: Michael, since Barcelona I think you have been happier in the car. Tell us what we can expect, what you expect from yourself, in the upcoming races?

MS: If you see the position we are in, it is that Red Bull is driving a little bit in their own world and delivering a good driver's job on top, so it is not just the car that you have to see there. After that it is Ferrari, McLaren, Renault and ourselves and I hope we have another little step of development here that moves us closer to this group and to be in a reasonable position to fight with them and hopefully be in front of them. It is to be seen here exactly where we are. Monaco, I don't think, is a guideline or a reference. It is a very specific track, so it is interesting from our point of view what is going to happen this weekend.

Q: Do you think this should be a continuation of Barcelona, given that Monaco is a very specific track?

MS: Yeah, if you look, we have been in a reasonable position basically right from the beginning of the season and it has continuously gone upwards. I have had two races in Australia and Malaysia I couldn't really prove from my side but from the team's side that was proven. If you take Shanghai away it just continues, Barcelona and Monaco onwards and I think it does it here and therefore it will be interesting how our car can perform physically here with the latest upgrades we have given to it.

Q: Mark, tell us a little bit about the Red Bull as the car itself seems to be quite a complicated car. How complicated is it for a driver to set it up and get the car performing to its limit?

MW: I don't think it is that complicated. A lot of Formula One cars are complicated, the McLaren and there are a few cars out there with some pretty good ideas on them. I wouldn't say it is a great deal more complicated than last year's car. We have good data from last year in terms of the tyres. There have been a few changes, obviously the fuel load and things like that but there has been some stuff we can carry over in terms of set-up and stuff which is good for us to have the knowledge going forward in terms of setting the car up for this year as well. No real big surprises for us. We understand the car well and it is down to a lot of years of hard work and guys interpreting how to get the most out of it. It is going well at the moment but we know from last year that cars that are flying at the start of the year can be exposed at the end of the year. We are very conscious of the fact that we are going pretty good at the moment but we know it is a long season.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Dan Knutson - National Speed Sport News) To all of you: Bernie Ecclestone has announced that there will be a US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. I'm looking at your T-shirts and caps and I see names like Mercedes Benz, Red Bull, AT&T. How important is it for your teams' sponsors to have a race in the US?

MW: It's a huge market, we know that. A lot of people live in North America and they're very passionate about their sport. There's naturally a lot of people involved in our business that do business in North America. If it's of benefit for all of us to go there and hold a Grand Prix under their noses and for them to embrace Formula One racing as best they can - because obviously it's a different kind of sport for them, let's say - so we've seen in the past that it has worked OK at Indy, and it can be exciting in Texas, so let's see how it goes. For Red Bull, we sell a lot of cans over there and it will be good if we can sell some more.

MS: Certainly, it's one of the beautiful places around the world to go to and enjoy some good times, lots of great opportunities. For me, naturally, I love to go and race there as it allows me to spend some days before the race to hang out there and enjoy it. But more important for most of the manufacturers that are involved in Formula One, America is a very important market. If you think of how many countries like Brazil, Argentina, all those countries in South America, how many we had of those guys at Indy, then we should have even more, because logistically it's easier to go to Texas than all the way up to Indy. Hopefully, that's the case because one of the points that we have been missing is the sort of excitement that Formula One can create and can give to the fans that are in America. Yeah, it has not fully arrived, but quite honestly you cannot expect those things to happen overnight. You have to give it continuation, and this continuation hasn't happened for a long enough time, plus maybe we haven't yet got a known or successful American driver in our group that would be quite helpful for this. But certainly from our point of view we are very happy to go there.

KC: It's more of the same, really. I think America is a more developed market than say India. It's a similar thing, they are huge markets with untapped potential as far as Formula One and its partners are concerned. I think that to have a dedicated venue is a new thing. I guess Watkins Glen, so Bernie was saying, was the last time we had one. Maybe that's what it needs, a dedicated Formula One site. I'm very excited to go there. My mum's from San Antonio and my grandparents still live in Texas, so I'd love to go there and have a race.

RB: On a personal side I love America as a whole. I've also spent a lot of time there with the family, so it's really good to be going to that side. From the manufacturers' point of view, it's just a great opportunity that's back again and we should never have stopped racing there. Even though the fans don't know Formula One, they are aware and they obviously know more of NASCAR and Indycar but it's a great opportunity for us to show our show and get together.

JT: I like going to the US, I think it's a good market and I also think that the Formula One circus is a worldwide business, so why not? We would be more than welcome to go there.

Q: (Juha Päätalo - Financial Times Germany) Mark, since you started your career in Melbourne 2002, this is the first time that you're leading the championship. Can you just tell us how it has felt for the last ten days, having that experience after such a long time in Formula One?

MW: I'm not that interested in the points at the moment. It's nice to have quite a few but the results in the last few races have been what it's all about, so that's been very rewarding. We know that there's been some missed opportunities in the past and we need to keep those to a minimum, so we're looking forward, keep trying to do what we've been executing the last few events and that can be good for us in the future, but I don't feel any different really, when I get out of bed, because all of us are pretty much on the same points anyway, so I'm not doing anything that different.

Q: (Ian Gordon - News of the World) Michael, without referring to Monaco itself, do you think the sport's become more safety conscious over the years and that drivers should be encouraged to overtake and not be punished? Think back to the case of Lewis (Hamilton) over the last couple of years when he overtook in Belgium and got penalised by the stewards, and the same with you. Surely the drivers want to race and the fans want to see people racing?

MS: There's no point in getting into past incidents, but the point is that if I understand the situation clearly, the FIA has identified something that happened in Monaco and they want to improve the situation, so I think that's actually something good in the sport and I'm quite happy for this to happen.

Q: (Ian Parkes - The Press Association) Michael, Sir Jackie Stewart remarked in an interview yesterday that given the lack of success so far in your comeback that you were damaging your legacy. Do you agree or disagree with his comments so far?

MS: I guess it's pretty fair that he has opinion and I have mine and I naturally disagree, yeah.

Q: (Alan Baldwin - Reuters) Mark, Sebastian (Vettel) has a different chassis here this weekend. Apparently they found a defect in it from the last couple of races. I just wondered how much that would have affected his performance in the last two races, how much that might have accounted for the fact that he wasn't really getting that close to you?

MW: Obviously I wasn't driving his car, so it's difficult to know, to be honest. We'll see.

Q: (Ronald Lewis - The Times) Mark, during your leaner years in Formula One, did you always maintain the belief that you would eventually get a car as good as you have now? And when did you realise it was such a good car, as well?

MW: Coming into Formula One, obviously with a small team like Minardi, moved to Jaguar and that were some exciting times there in terms of getting your first few points and starting to race towards the front which is a nice thing when you can start to do that in Formula One. Obviously we know I had some tough years after Jaguar and then a fresh opportunity at Red Bull and the clear attraction at Red Bull was Adrian (Newey). His ability to be able to produce good cars is well known, so I think that when we got the regulation change, that was something that was very attractive for our team, in our group of guys and it's turned out that the last few years we've certainly been towards the front. It's nice to be in the team after all the work we put in during those tough years, even when I first arrived at Red Bull. So you are always hopeful that you get an opportunity to drive a car which is very competitive. We know that it's an important part of the job but also as a driver you don't hang around this business that long if you're not performing either. So I obviously needed to keep performing, doing my best and hopefully something one day would have come around and at that moment, for sure I've had the most competitive cars in the last few years, there's no question about that.

Q: (Andrea Cremonesi - La Gazzetta dello Sport) Two questions for Mark: are you going to use the F-duct at this Grand Prix and secondly, what advantage can that give you? Do you expect to have the same advantage that you had in Spain against the other competitors, so a huge advantage, and who will be the first challenger here: McLaren or Ferrari?

MW: Yes, we give the F-duct a go tomorrow, we're going to give it a chance. To answer your second question: Barcelona, clearly we were pretty competitive there, particularly in qualifying. I think it's going to be very, very hard to do that again so, as we saw in Monaco, we know it's a very, very different circuit completely but things tightened up there a lot, so venue to venue, things can move around and even within the race, we saw in Barcelona that things were a little bit different. Lewis was our closest competitor in that Grand Prix, so you can argue that if we had a Turkish Grand Prix after Barcelona, you might say that the McLaren might be the guys that might be our challengers here but we're also mindful of the fact that Ferrari - and also if Mercedes have a clean weekend - there's lots of guys that can come towards us, so we're definitely not taking anything for granted, we know we're working incredibly hard to get the results we have and it's not easy to get them.

Q: Mark, how big is the competition between you and Sebastian?

MW: Oh, every competitor is on the grid (is competition) for all of us. We know that towards the front we have different levels of car performance, so it's obvious that I'm not racing Jarno this weekend but there's guys that you have more fights with throughout the season and clearly Sebastian is in a good car, he's quick and there's going to be a healthy competition there as always. There's no secret that we like to beat each other and that's how it should be. It's healthy, very good balance within the team and Sebastian's had his days in the past where he's been virtually untouchable and I'm sure I hope that they don't happen too much in the future but he's very quick, we know that, and I've got to try and keep those to a minimum. So it's a good battle.

Q: (Alan Baldwin - Reuters) Mark, I'm wondering when the last time was that you won three races in a row. This is your chance this weekend but has it happened before in your career that you've done that?

MW: I think I won a couple in F3000 but maybe not three in a row. I don't know, probably Formula Ford.

Q: (Miran Alisic - Korpmedia) For the four of you whose countries have qualified for the World Cup: before the next Grand Prix starts, the football World Cup will start in South Africa, so what do you think the prospects are for your countries and maybe you can include the prospects for the smallest country, which is my home country, Slovenia?

MW: Australia, (to Michael) yes, we've qualified, yeah. We are there, we're playing you guys actually, in the first one, we're playing you guys in the first match, so we hope that we can get a draw against the Germans. We'll take a draw. But we're in a tough group. Of course I want the Australians to do well. We have a tough group with Ghana, I think, and Germany, and the other team is also strong, so if we can get through it's good, because if we finish second and England win their group, obviously we play England and of course we want to kick their asses, so then they will have big problems in their team. I honestly hope it's a good World Cup for South Africa. That country has gone through a lot, we've seen some big problems there in the past and I just hope it goes off really smoothly. As a big sports fan I hope it's a big sporting event for the people of South Africa and it turns out to be good.

MS: Obviously we all cross fingers for our nation and naturally, after some good results in past championships, we still hope to do a little bit better now and maybe win a final, although it's very optimistic to say that, especially with the sad happening to one of the most important players that we have had recently. Nevertheless, I'm sure that they will keep trying and we cross fingers. I'm sorry for you Mark, but...

RB: Yeah, I'm sorry for both of you! It's a great time for me, it's a great time for Brazil and I agree with Mark. It's great to have it there in South Africa, I think it's a great opportunity to appreciate new things and I think they've done really well with security and everything, so it should be a great show and obviously I hope that Brazil can just keep it up.

JT: I'm not really into football so much but yeah, I think we won the last World Championship in Germany and obviously we will want to be back again, to see what we can do. It's not going to be easy but I think it's important as everyone has said that the football World Championship is going to South Africa, it's good for the people there and I guess it's one of the most important sporting events in the World. We will all be watching and cheering them on and hope to see some very good days of sport. I want to see the players playing well, successfully and nicely. That's very important for the sport.