FORMULA 1 - 2010

[MIKA27]

Frentzen to advise stewards in Valencia

Heinz-Harald Frentzen will be the drivers' representative on the stewards' panel at this weekend's European Grand Prix in Valencia.

The German, who raced for Sauber, Williams, Jordan, Prost and Arrows during his F1 career, spent his post grand prix-career competing in the DTM and Speedcar Series.

Frentzen will be working alongside Dr. Gerd Ennser, Radovan Novak and M Vidal Perucho.

[MIKA27]

Renault, Mercedes fit blown diffusers

Renault and Mercedes GP are also to join the exhaust-blown diffuser gang at this weekend's European Grand Prix as teams move to copy the idea put to such good use by Red Bull Racing.

With outfits realising that blowing exhaust gasses through the diffuser can bring a good performance advantage, a lot of work has gone on in this area over recent weeks.

Red Bull Racing's RB6 has had its low exhausts since pre-season testing, while Ferrari tried out its own version of the concept during a 'filming day' test at Fiorano in Italy last week ahead of its introduction this weekend.

AUTOSPORT understands that both Renault and Mercedes GP have also tweaked their cars to make use of the system for this weekend's race in Valencia - although the latter may only trial it during Friday free practice rather than use it for the whole event.

McLaren and Williams are set to introduce their own versions of the blown diffusers for the British Grand Prix.

Paddy Lowe, the engineering director at McLaren, said earlier this week that he believed the advantage from a blown diffuser was easily several tenths of a second over a lap. That is why he is worried Ferrari could make a big leap forward in performance in Valencia this weekend.

"That is a concern," he said. "I think we'll have to see how they get on with it. It's a shame that some others have been slightly quicker than we were getting it, but we are where we are. I think we'll have to do what we can and see.

"It all depends at each circuit on how the different characteristics suit some cars and not others. For instance Ferrari really struggled in Turkey. I can't predict where they'll end up any more really than I can predict where we'll end up.

"What's very interesting and really great for the interest in the sport is the variation you get in very fine differentials between teams as you go through the different circuits with different characteristics. It's not very predictable."

[MIKA27]

107 per cent rule returns for 2011

The 107 per cent rule will return to Formula 1 qualifying sessions in 2011, the FIA World Motor Sport Council announced on Wednesday.

The regulation was first introduced in 1996 to ensure that no cars would be able to start a race if they were deemed too much slower than the leaders. It was scrapped at the end of the 2002 season, with the introduction of single-lap qualifying for '03.

But now that qualfying has resumed to free-running sessions and there are three new teams on the grid - with another likely for 2011 - the FIA has brought back the ruling.

A statement released by the World Motor Sport Council said: "From 2011, any driver whose best qualifying lap exceeds 107 per cent of the fastest Q1 qualifying time will not be allowed to take part in the race.

"Under exceptional circumstances, however, which may include setting a suitable laptime in a free practice session, the stewards may permit the car to start the race. Should there be more than one driver accepted in this manner, the grid order will be determined by the stewards."

The World Council also moved to eradicate slow-moving cars during qualifying sessions ruining the laps of their rivals. From 2011, a maximum time will be introduced, within which all cars will have to circulate under - even on in and out-laps.

"With immediate effect, any car being driven unnecessarily slowly, erratically, or which is deemed potentially dangerous to other drivers, will be reported to the stewards," the statement said. "This will apply whether any such car is being driven on the track, the pit entry or the pit lane.

"In order to ensure cars are not driven unnecessarily slowly on in-laps during qualifying or reconnaissance laps when the pit exit is opened for the race, drivers must stay below the maximum time set by the FIA between the safety car line after the pit exit and safety car line before the pit entry.

"The maximum time will be determined by the race director at each event prior to the first day of practice, but may be amended during the event if necessary."

[MIKA27]

Pirelli hopes for larger tyres from 2013

Pirelli says it would be keen for Formula 1 to move towards larger tyre sizes in the future, but not before the major rules overhaul scheduled for 2013 - and that it could make the change in gradual stages.

With F1's 13 inch tyres no longer a common size for road car tyre manufacturer, a possible switch to 18 inch wheels was much discussed during the debate over who will replace Bridgestone.

Pirelli has committed to remaining at current tyre sizes for now, but the company's managing director Francesco Gori hopes teams might agree to increasing the size eventually.

"We have had quite detailed discussions with teams," he told AUTOSPORT. "Of course, not for the 2011 season or 2012, but possibly, possibly starting from 2013, to progressively move to bigger diameters - maybe step by step and not suddenly to 18 inch, because that's going to be impossible to redesign the car.

"But you may have 15 inch wheels or different wheels front and rear. We will offer some alternatives to the teams.

"But I'm sure there is the room to develop better shape tyres in line with current developments. We are leading in the supercar business, and today you don't go below 19 and 20 inches there."

Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery added that the 2013 regulations overhaul seemed an ideal opportunity to rethink tyre rules if teams were willing.

"It is obviously agreed between ourselves and the FOTA technical working group," he said. "The teams are expecting the changes in bead sizes, and with the big changes in 2013 to the car regs, with the focus on ecology, energy retention, KERS and small-litre turbos that will be an opportunity for us to showcase ecological or even technological solutions.

"But that is something that we will do with the teams. They want our input because they appreciate that the 13-inch tyres have been around 20-25 years and maybe it's time for them to make a change."

[Bartolomeo]

With the USF1 3 hours south of me, I was stoked to see how well they were going to do this year

Sucks they didnt get their act together and have a team ready for this season and now the ban..........oh well

Heres to the US F1 race back in Texas

Bart

[OZCUBAN]

Vettel takes pole for European GP

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel claimed pole position for the European Grand Prix on the Valencia street circuit.

The German pipped team-mate Mark Webber by 0.075 seconds as Red Bull took their eighth pole in nine races this year.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was also in contention for pole, but a mistake on his final run left him third.

Local hero Fernando Alonso took fourth place for Ferrari from team-mate Felipe Massa. The second McLaren of Jenson Button will start seventh on the grid.

Button also made a mistake, going into the final corner.

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh admitted: "Being realistic the Red Bulls were quicker than us today. Without the mistakes we'd have been a solid second row."

Hamilton said: "I'm really happy to be here (in the top three). We were quite a long way behind in practice.

"My first lap was good. On my second I was a tenth and a half up, and then I lost it into Turn 12 and locked up the rears, and locked the rears later in the lap. I was really surprised to be third."

Button added: "That was really good until the last corner - I locked up, went wide and lost a couple of tenths, which is really disappointing."

Red Bull did not anticipate a clean sweep of the front row in Valencia. The circuit's long straights and slow corners were not expected to suit the car, which is renowned for aerodynamic strength in faster turns.

Vettel said: "This circuit shouldn't be our strongest but it's good to put the car on pole.

"It was very tough because we reintroduced our 'F-duct' (aerodynamic device) for this weekend and the mechanics had only an hour or two of sleep, so it's good to say thank you and put the cars one and two."

Red Bull team chief Christian Horner added: "This was the race we absolutely didn't expect to be on pole. It (the track) absolutely doesn't suit our car.

"The F-duct has worked really well around here. A lot of effort has gone into analysing the data from that. That kind of team effort is what is getting the performance to the car."

Webber said: "I'm not going to roll out a shopping list of excuses - I wasn't quick enough."

But BBC F1 pundit David Coulthard calculated that the time gap between Vettel and Webber, when converted into distance, was a mere 56.8cm.

Behind the Ferraris, Robert Kubica's Renault faded to take sixth place, although the Pole's time from the second qualifying session would have put him fourth on the grid. Team-mate Vitaly Petrov rounded out the top 10.

For the first time this year, both Williams cars made it through to final qualifying. Nico Hulkenberg claimed eighth on the grid from team-mate Rubens Barrichello, who set exactly the same time as the young German to the thousandth of a second.

Mercedes were the highest-profile casualties of second qualifying. For the first time, neither Nico Rosberg (12th) nor Michael Schumacher (15th) made it through to the final shootout.

Force India were also disappointed, with Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi 13th and 14th respectively.

Both Mercedes and Force India were beaten by Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi, who followed his strong Canadian Grand Prix performance by taking 11th on the grid.

The race starts on Sunday at 1300 (BST) and can be followed on BBC Two, Radio 5 live and this website.

Story from BBC SPORT:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2/hi...one/8764707.stm

Published: 2010/06/26 13:09:03 GMT

© BBC MMX

Great QUALIFYING session can't wait till the race I was hoping that position 1&2 would be reversed ,but I am biased

[OZCUBAN]

Vettel leads Red Bull front-row lockout

Sebastian Vettel resumed Red Bull’s 2010 qualifying supremacy, returning to pole for the first time since China in the process, as he headed a front-row lockout for the team in a closely-fought battle on the streets of Valencia.

A fortnight after Lewis Hamilton and McLaren finally ended RBR’s run of consecutive poles, Vettel and team-mate Mark Webber showed the improvements he Milton Keynes squad has brought onto its RB6 for this race means it is still very much the team to beat over a single lap.

Vettel claimed his fourth pole of the season, and the team’s eighth out of nine, with a surging 1m37.587s final lap which was good enough to beat Webber by a mere eight hundredths of a second, the latter having held provisional pole after the first runs.

Hamilton had been second prior to the final series of laps but he lost any chance he had of starting from the front row for the third consecutive race when he slithered slightly off line when he outbraked himself at turn 12.

The championship leader's third place duly seemed set to come under threat but home hero Fernando Alonso, who had shown strong practice pace in the upgraded Ferrari, endured a similarly scruffy Q3 which left him nearly half a second off pole in fourth, just ahead of team-mate Felipe Massa.

Robert Kubica had been very close to the fastest Q2 time during another highly impressive qualifying hour and eventually took sixth ahead of the second McLaren of Jenson Button, after the world champion again couldn’t match Hamilton’s single-lap speed.

Williams proved to be the star team of qualifying, however, as the Grove outfit’s drivers returned the team to Q3 for just the fourth time this season, going on to claim eighth and ninth.

Amazingly Nico Hulkenberg and Rubens Barrichello also set identical lap times, although Hulkenberg will start from the higher position by dint of the fact he set his lap first.

On a strong day for the leading members of Formula 1’s rookie crop, Vitaly Petrov made it two Renaults in the top 10 for just the second time this year.

The rare appearances of Williams and Petrov in the pole shootout came after two of the more regular 2010 Q3 teams, Mercedes and Force India, surprisingly fell at the second qualifying hurdle.

Despite running with a blown diffuser for the first time and an improved F-duct, Mercedes’s performance in final practice suggested the W01 lacked outright speed around the harbourside track and that manifested itself in qualifying.

Rosberg had been its brightest hope throughout practice and duly got closest to Q3, but ultimately fell seven hundredths short on his final lap with Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi getting even closer to pip him to 11th.

Michael Schumacher’s first qualifying appearance in Valencia proved even more disappointing – if not surprising given his practice form – as he slumped to his second straight Q2 exit in 15th.

The German legend, who admitted on Friday he had yet to find the required “rhythm” around the stop-start track for a quick lap – only saved himself from a shock Q1 elimination with his final lap and then lapped even slower in the second phase to qualify a massive 0.6s behind the sister car.

Afterwards he pointed to problems with tyres and a persistent front-right locking brake, but the German’s growing critics will no doubt use this latest disappointment as reason to continue to round on the 41-year-old.

Force India’s Q2 demise was perhaps even more surprising given the team had looked strong throughout practice, Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi winding up between the Mercedes’ in 13th and 14th respectively.

The other two Spaniards in the field, meanwhile, Pedro de la Rosa (Sauber) and Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) will start a long way behind the crowd’s main attraction in 16th and 17th respectively.

Schumacher’s last-gasp Q1 improvement came at the expense of Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi who was relegated below the cut line for the second straight race having fallen short of team-mate De la Rosa’s benchmark.

Jarno Trulli won the latest round of his intra-Lotus battle with Heikki Kovalainen by just over 0.2s to head up the 10th row, while over at Virgin Lucas di Grassi outqualified his stable-mate Timo Glock for the first time.

The Hispanias will again make up the back row – Karun Chandhok the quicker of the two HRTs for just the third time in a time half a second off the back of the Virgins.

European GP starting grid

1 VETTEL Red Bull

2 WEBBER Red Bull

3 HAMILTON McLaren

4 ALONSO Ferrari

5 MASSA Ferrari

6 KUBICA Renault

7 BUTTON McLaren

8 HULKENBERG Williams

9 BARRICHELLO Williams

10 PETROV Renault

11 BUEMI Toro Rosso

12 ROSBERG Mercedes

13 SUTIL Force India

14 LIUZZI Force India

15 SCHUMACHER Mercedes

16 DE LA ROSA Sauber

17 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso

18 KOBAYASHI Sauber

19 TRULLI Lotus

20 KOVALAINEN Lotus

21 DI GRASSI Virgin

22 GLOCK Virgin

23 CHANDHOK HRT

24 SENNA HRT

[MIKA27]

With the USF1 3 hours south of me, I was stoked to see how well they were going to do this year

Sucks they didnt get their act together and have a team ready for this season and now the ban..........oh well

Heres to the US F1 race back in Texas

Bart

The USF1 team were unfortunate in so many ways, sorry to see you have all missed out.

But the Texas GP will be brilliant, Id love to attend someday.

[MIKA27]

Holy crap!!!

Just watching the Valencia gp, lap 11 and Webber & Kovaleinnen just had an epic shunt. Webber behind HK, slip streaming when suddenly Webber with greater straight line speed rams into HK and flips backwards!!

Reminds me of Webbers LE Mans days!!

[Smooth]

Both drivers at fault IMO. Webber was being a tool trying to pass there. Could have just waited! Kovaleinnen was also being a tool, trying to defend against a car obviously much quicker. He was going to be overtaken anyway, why defend????

My Mrs even said they were both being silly little boys

It wasnt Webber's day from the moment he went from 2nd to 9th in the opening minute. Driving like an idiot. Had a feeling he would be off today, but like the RBR fan I am, had him on podium in my pool tipping comp

[OZCUBAN]

I agree with all ,but for me the axe has to fall on Kovaleinnens head. The F.I.A needs to seriously look at these slower teams ,IMO if you cannot be within a certain % of other teams you should not be there .

Bloody vettel wins again, sorry but he is just to bloody arrogant for me

But all in all there was a couple of SUNDAY drivers out there today.

And to top it off watching the england game and they are being put to the sword

Cheers OZ

[OZCUBAN]

Here is the video of Webber's shunt hope i embedded it properly

[OZCUBAN]

Reminds me of Webbers LE Mans days!!

Here you go Mika just to refresh your memory

Cheers Oz

[OZCUBAN]

Hi all here is another lucky driver Robert Kubica from a couple of years ago in Montreal

Another very lucky boy

[OZCUBAN]

Sebastian Vettel beats Lewis Hamilton in European GP

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel beat McLaren's Lewis Hamilton to win the European Grand Prix in Valencia.

World championship leader Hamilton bounced back from a drive-through penalty, but German Vettel proved equal to the challenge.

McLaren's Jenson Button was third, but is one of nine drivers who could be penalised for safety-car offences.

The safety car was caused by a massive crash for Mark Webber's Red Bull from which the Australian emerged unhurt.

Webber had made an early pit-stop to get himself out of traffic, after he had found himself running down in ninth place due to losing places on the first lap.

European GP - Top three drivers

Webber was trying to pass the Lotus of Heikki Kovalainen when he hit the back of the Finn's car. The Red Bull reared into the air, before crashing onto the circuit upside-down.

It flipped the right way up before Webber sledded at high speed into the tyre wall. Amazingly, he emerged unscathed.

There had already been an incident on the opening lap, as Hamilton tried to pass pole-winner Vettel for the lead at Turn 2.

The Red Bull's wheel clipped the left-front wing of the McLaren, and as a result Hamilton was suffering from a vibration during the opening stages of the race.

But the safety car, which appeared on track while marshals mopped up the debris from the Webber/Kovalainen accident, effectively allowed Hamilton to have a new nose fitted to his McLaren without losing a position.

Vettel managed to pass the pit-lane exit before the safety car emerged onto the circuit.

The safety car then exited the pits just as Hamilton was passing. Had the Englishman continued at racing speed he would have beaten it to the white 'safety-car line', but he backed off, then accelerated past the safety car a matter of feet after the line.

Hamilton then sprinted clear of the rest of the pack before following Vettel into the pits, as the timing of the safety car scuppered the prospects of Ferrari.

Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa were third and fourth respectively before Webber's accident. They had just passed the pit entry when the race went under caution, and were first in the queue behind the safety car before they pitted one lap later.

Button, who was in sixth position at the time of Webber's accident, was able to dive into the pits immediately the race went under caution.

That vaulted the reigning world champion to fourth, behind Vettel, Hamilton and the Sauber of Kamui Kobayashi, who had elected not to pit while the race was under caution.

With Button unable to challenge Kobayashi for position, Vettel and Hamilton scorched away from the pack.

Hamilton then served his drive-through penalty at the end of the 27th of 57 laps, and such was his advantage over Kobayashi that we able to rejoin without losing a place.

As well as his first-lap brush with Hamilton, Vettel survived another scare when he locked up under braking at the final turn, just as the safety car returned to the pits.

The German was particularly happy to take his third win of the season on a circuit that was not expected to suit the Red Bull.

"We didn't expect to be that strong," said Vettel, "so it was great to be quick enough to slightly pull away, find the gap and then bring the car home.

"I had a huge lock-up of my brakes after the safety car, trying to brake as late as I could. The tyres weren't up to temperature after going round slowly, but I could stay in front.

"I tried not to push too hard and when I got the message that Lewis had the penalty I backed off a bit more.

"It's good to get a lot of points, it's good for the championship and the guys can be extremely proud - they had very little sleep but it paid off, and now we have to focus on the next one (the British Grand Prix in two weeks' time)."

Hamilton said: "At certain stages it looked like he was slowing down, so I tried to close the gap, but he was able to react to that.

"Therefore I just tried to bring the car home in one piece - there's nothing worse than getting almost the whole way through the race and then for something to happen at the end."

Kobayashi pitted with just six laps remaining, freeing up Button, who immediately set what would be the fastest lap of the race.

The Japanese driver rejoined in ninth and, on fresh tyres, was able to pass both Alonso and the Toro Rosso of Sebastien Buemi (who left the door open at the final corner of the race) to take seventh.

But Alonso, who finished ninth on the road, may yet regain fourth place. That is because Button (who finished third), Williams driver Rubens Barrichello (fourth), Renault's Robert Kubica (fifth), Force India's Adrian Sutil (sixth) and Buemi (eighth) are all under investigation for breaching the rules and going too fast in the final sector as the safety car was returning to the pits.

Should penalties be applied to these drivers, then Kobayashi could be promoted to an unlikely third position.

Others who are investigation for the same offence are Pedro de la Rosa, who finished 10th for Sauber, Vitaly Petrov (11th for Renault), Vitantonio Liuzzi (13th for Force India) and Nico Hulkenberg, who retired his Williams a few laps from the finish.

Great Race ,real shame for webber ,still he is unhurt and thats all thats important ,and with the points system this year it could all change again next race

But for me the drive of the day was Kobayashi who doesn't care about drivers reputations

[strayvector]

Kabayashi was huge. Two positions in the final lap and he kept Button in check for most of race. Well done for him.

[MIKA27]

Kabayashi was huge. Two positions in the final lap and he kept Button in check for most of race. Well done for him.

In my opinion Kobayasi was the driver of the race!

What a brilliant drive over the entire race, not a pit stop until I think lap 54 and on last lap, overtakes Alonso of all people which to me was brilliant. Great news for KK and Sauber.

[MIKA27]

Fastest laps: Button sneaks it

McLaren headed to Valencia with no major updated to their car yet they returned with two podium finishes and the fastest lap.

Jenson Button's efforts in the final few laps of the European Grand Prix saw him steal the fastest lap honour right in front of Michael Schumacher's nose.

While the German was putting in best lap after best lap following a pit stop late in the race, Button pulled off his lap on tyres that were more than 40 laps old.

The defending World Champion's 1:38.766 was just 0.202 better than Schumacher's while Sebastian Vettel was a further 0.173 behind the Mercedes driver. Button's team-mate Lewis Hamilton was fourth while Rubens Barrichello completed the top five.

Ferrari, who feel they were "robbed" of a possible podium finish following an incident involving Lewis Hamilton, could only manage the 10th fastest lap of under Fernando Alonso. His team-mate Felipe Massa was only 13th fastest.

Times

1. J Button McLaren 1:38.766

2. M Schumacher Mercedes GP 1:38.968

3. S Vettel Red Bull 1:39.141

4. L Hamilton McLaren 1:39.156

5. R Barrichello Williams 1:39.489

6. K Kobayashi Sauber 1:39.517

7. R Kubica Renault 1:39.542

8. A Sutil Force India 1:39.803

9. N Rosberg Mercedes GP 1:39.878

10. F Alonso Ferrari 1:39.889

11. S Buemi Toro Rosso 1:40.084

12. V Petrov Renault 1:40.100

13. F Massa Ferrari 1:40.208

14. T Liuzzi Force India 1:40.305

15. J Alguersuari Toro Rosso 1:40.327

16. P de la Rosa Sauber 1:40.430

17. N Hulkenberg Williams 1:40.790

18. J Trulli Lotus 1:41.770

19. T Glock Virgin 1:42.319

20. L di Grassi Virgin 1:42.414

21. B Senna HRT 1:42.927

22. K Chandhok HRT 1:43.820

23. M Webber Red Bull 1:44.064

24. H Kovalainen Lotus 1:46.130

[MIKA27]

Schumi again undone by Safety Car

Not for the first time this season, Michael Schumacher and his Merc GP bosses are calling for clarification of the Safety Cars rules after the German was undone in the European GP.

Pitting while the Safety Car was out on track, Schumacher got a set of fresh rubber only to find himself red-lighted when he went to leave the pit lane.

The red light was on due to the fact that the rest of the field was passing the exit of the pits.

As a result, the seven-time World Champ had to wait for the field to pass and dropped all the way down to the back of the pack.

"What a race," said Schumacher, who finished P16, well out of the points.

"We would like to have clarification about the Safety Car situation as the red light on the exit from my first pit stop destroyed a race which otherwise would have offered us very good possibilities.

Our point of view is that as the safety car had passed the pits without having the cars lined up behind it, there should not have been a red light.

"There was a green light for a moment and then suddenly it went red again. We believe that this was not correct.

"Our strategy was right in that context as we took the opportunity which could have given us a finish even close to the podium."

The German, though, wasn't the only Mercedes GP team member who feels the grey regulations for the Safety Car once again cost Schumacher points, just as they did in Monaco earlier this season.

"With Michael, we were looking to benefit strongly from the Safety Car," said team boss Ross Brawn.

"As the leaders had not been picked up, Michael was waved through and that gave us a golden opportunity to make his pit stop as our predictions were that the option tyre would hold up for the remainder of the race.

"However, when Michael came to exit the pits, the red light was showing which cost him a significant amount of time. In our view, the regulations are clear that the exit light should not go red until the line of cars has formed behind the safety car, and we would like the FIA to look into this

"There was no line formed and over 18 seconds between Hamilton and Kobayashi when Michael came in. It was a good effort from Michael to try and recover from there but ultimately a very frustrating afternoon."

MIKA: It was a complete joke!

The FIA need to clarify their regulations clearly. I too agree with what Brawn has stated.

What annoys me also is that anyone else would have got away with it and not been red lighted. Even if the FIA realise yet again they need to clarify the rules, how do they compensate Schumacher and Mercedes for the screw up on their behalf!?

[MIKA27]

Five-sec penalties to nine drivers

Nine drivers have been handed five-second penalties for infringing Safety Car rules during the European Grand Prix.

Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello, Nico Hulkenberg, Robert Kubica, Vitaly Petrov, Adrian Sutil, Sebastien Buemi, Pedro de la Rosa and Vitantonio Liuzzi were all investigated after the race for speeding while the Safety Car was out in Valencia.

Despite the mass penalties only three places in the top 10 are affected with Fernando Alonso, who finished ninth, swapping places with eighth-place finisher Buemi and Sauber's de la Rosa losing his 10th place to Merc GP's Nico Rosberg.

In an unrelated incident, Virgin's Timo Glock has been slapped with a 20-second post-race penalty for ignoring blue flags during the race.

MIKA: What a joke, only 5 second penalties!?

Lewis Hamilton completely ignored the Safety car, it was only a couple races back Michael Schumacher was slapped with 20 second penalty for something that was clearly innocent due to the lack of rule clarification.

This instance, there was no confusion, the SC was ignored yet only 5 seconds was the penalty....

[OZCUBAN]

A five second penalty what a F*#king joke ,with a penalty that small it makes me wonder why they even bothered ,IMO the F.I.A needs to concentrate less on changing the rules and car regs and clean up there own back yard

Cheers OZ

[MIKA27]

Webber: Heikki should have let me pass

Mark Webber isn't blaming Heikki Kovalainen for his Euro GP accident, however, he has implied that the Lotus driver should have moved out of his way.

Lap 10 of Sunday's Valencia GP saw Webber, who had an early pit stop and fell down the order, come up behind the Lotus driver, challenging for position.

However, instead of passing him, Webber drove straight into the back of Kovalainen, the impact sending the Aussie's Red Bull flying into the air before crashing back down and sliding into the barriers at high speed.

The good news is that Webber was not hurt in the shunt, the strange news is, he reckons Kovalainen should have moved out of his way.

"Well, it always takes two to tango, doesn't it? There's two of us in this incident," Webber told the BBC.

"I've driven slow cars - I've been at the back - and obviously when someone comes up with those kind of closing distances to be down the inside, bouncing off the limiter and carrying on like it is going to...

"I mean how long is that (staying ahead) going to last for? It's going to last another 15 seconds so is it worth it?

"I was looking for the best tow to get the job done and pass him and he was playing quite hard as well down the inside, blocking all of a sudden very aggressively.

"In the end the thing that surprised me was how early he braked, that's the thing which caught me out. It didn't matter where I was or how close to the tow, I still had everything under control."

Added to that, the Aussie can't quite understand why Kovalainen braked so early.

"Clearly I was surprised by what was happening on the run down to that corner.

"To start with I thought 'OK, he's releasing me' - letting me go - because obviously the pace difference is massive and then he started closing the door and he's having these small movements and I thought 'where's he going?'

"Yeah, he braked, or lifted or whatever, and it turns out it's about 80 metres before I braked for the previous lap so I mean it's a different category to what had happened the previous few laps."

But at least he's unhurt.

"I'm happy. I was just having a shower and thinking, 'Mate, you're lucky to be in one piece.'

"It was a nasty incident. I was surprised by what happened. I'm a little bit tender here and there but the car did a great job."

MIKA: Hmm.... A very tough call this one.

I can understand Webber stating the HK should have yielded however in stating that, Webber was not over lapping the Lotus of HK so really why should Kovalainen yield regardless if he was slower that the Red Bull of Webber?

Webber himself states he would have over taken HK easily 10 - 15 seconds later on, why couldn't he wait?

I'm really pleased both drivers were not harmed.

[MIKA27]

Rivals want clarity after Ferrari's film test

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh is to take Ferrari to task after their bitter rivals seemingly breached F1's testing ban recently.

Eight days ago Alonso was at Ferrari's Fiorano test track in the current car, fitted with their new performance-enhancing blown diffuser, to do filming for what the team have described as 'promotional purposes'.

The team claim on their own website Alonso "only completed a few kilometres, but slipped up by adding that "you have to make the most of any opportunity in this era of the testing ban."

FIA rules categorically state no circuit testing, other than four days of straightline testing, is allowed in season.

Promotional or demonstration events, however, can be carried out using tyres provided specifically for such a purpose.

It has led to Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner stating Ferrari were "naughty," and what they did was "arguably within the letter of the laws, but not within the spirit."

Whitmarsh, in his capacity as chairman of the Formula One Teams' Association, will now seek to "clarify the regulations."

"I didn't think they needed clarification, but for some they clearly do," said Whitmarsh.

"We have some regulations most of us thought were quite clear.

"But Formula One is a very competitive business and people are going to try to take advantage of any perceived ambiguity.

"It isn't ambiguous in my English interpretation of it, but others obviously thought it was.

"That's why we have to remove that ambiguity, and I think we are going to do the correct and honourable thing.

"The temptation is there. We've had some arguable decisions, such as with Mercedes, and then you hear rumours of Renault doing something, Ferrari doing something.

"Once one does it then everybody feels 'well, if that's how you are going to interpret something, then I'll push it to the limit."'

Whitmarsh, whose team are to conduct a straightline test next week to put through their paces their own blown diffuser, feels limited testing should return to F1 after it was banned in the wake of the global economic crisis.

"I think a little bit would be the right thing," added Whitmarsh, who is proposing one or two single-car tests over two or three days.

"We had to take significant measures given the crisis involving the economy and Formula One.

"I think now, as we can see signs of the economy improving, we can go back to testing.

"Formula One is about running cars, I think drivers enjoy testing and teams enjoy testing and developing cars.

"So it's a good thing to do, and progressively as the health and well-being of the teams develop then hopefully we can go testing in the future."

[OZCUBAN]

Ah the old "FILM DAY" excuse ,Good one ferrari

I think the other teams are spewing because they did not think of it

Very clever

Cheers OZ

[MIKA27]

Sauber praises 'amazing' Kobayashi

Peter Sauber praised Kamui Kobayashi's drive in the European Grand Prix as 'absolutely amazing' following the Japanese's charge in the race.

Kobayashi started from 18th position but made perfect use of his strategy and the safety car period to run in third for a big part of the event.

The Japanese, starting on the harder tyres, eventually pitted close to the end of the race and again charged towards the front with the fresh rubber, passing Fernando Alonso and Sebastien Buemi on the final laps to claim seventh position.

Team-mate Pedro de la Rosa completed Sauber's best race of the season after finishing in tenth for his first points of the year.

"What a fantastic race, particularly considering where we were on the grid," said Sauber. "The team and the drivers did everything right today. Pedro delivered a very solid performance and scored one point, and Kamui was absolutely amazing.

"The lap times which he put in while he was in third were stunning.

"They prove how much potential there is in this car. Congratulations to the whole team and the drivers."