FORMULA 1 - 2010

[OZCUBAN]

JV confirms 2011 F1 bid with Durango

Jacques Villeneuve has confirmed that he intends to return to Formula 1 next season as a team owner in partnership with Italian outfit Durango.

Amid mounting and increasingly febrile speculation about his plans, the 1997 world champion released a short statement on his website confirming reports in Italy of a tie-up with Durango.

However he sought to distance himself from rumours that the son of controversial Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi had been lined up as an investor in his new F1 venture.

“There are a number of rumours circulating at the moment and I wanted to clarify a few things before this gets out of hand,” said Villeneuve.

“The team will be a joint venture with Durango, and based out of Italy.

“To be clear, right now all the money comes from corporate sponsorship, and not from personal investors.”

The FIA is currently considering applications for a potential 13th team and is expected to reveal shortly whether any of the aspirants have demonstrated the necessary technical and financial wherewithal to earn a place on the F1 grid.

Durango dropped out of GP2 competition last year due to a funding shortfall, but claims to have found backers who would be prepared to stump up for an F1 bid but not for the feeder category.

Villeneuve last raced in F1 in 2006, losing his BMW Sauber seat to Robert Kubica midway through the season.

He has made several efforts to return and was set to drive for Stefan GP this season had the Serbian team been granted an entry.

The 39-year-old Canadian has since returned to NASCAR and, after focusing on the second-tier Nationwide series so far, will attempt to qualify for this weekend’s blue-riband Brickyard 400 Sprint Cup race at Indianapolis.

Should his new F1 team come to fruition, it is thought likely that Villeneuve will drive one of the two cars himself to begin with before taking up a different role in the medium term.

OZ

Have always been a fan of JV hope tis enterprise works out for him

[MIKA27]

OZ

Have always been a fan of JV hope tis enterprise works out for him

JV has been trying desperately the past two seasons to get back to F1, unsuccessfully. I think this will be his last bid at having a return.

JV has speed and raw talent, unrefined a little reckless but still a really good driver to mix it up and contend amongst the very best.

What I do love about him is that he is fearless and takes chances. His very first season was amazing where he drove for Williams and raced against team mate Damon Hill where he almost won the DWC in his first rookie season. The year after in 1997 he did win the DWC!

However, 1997 was also the last year he would win a GP.

Would be good to see him return although, I do hope he will be in a racer that is at least a midfield contender.

Jacques F1 stats for those who wish to know or already know:

Formula One World Championship career

Active years: 1996–2006

Teams: Williams, BAR, Renault, Sauber, BMW Sauber

Races: 165 (164 starts)

Championships: 1 (1997)

Wins: 11

Podiums: 23

Career points: 235

Pole positions: 13

Fastest laps: 9

First race: 1996 Australian Grand Prix

First win: 1996 European Grand Prix

Last win: 1997 Luxembourg Grand Prix

Last race: 2006 German Grand Prix

Lets wait and see what happens.

[OZCUBAN]

I agree Mika

It is an impressive record I was at the first melbourne G.P when he made his debut ,awesome

He spent way to long at BAR

[MIKA27]

I agree Mika

It is an impressive record I was at the first melbourne G.P when he made his debut ,awesome

He spent way to long at BAR

Funny to think you were there at the time and I didn't know you then mate.

I'm afraid JV lost alot of his talent over the years with 1997 being his last F1 win, however his return can't be all that bad, especially for his fans.

I'm still waiting for the day Mika Hakinnen returns.

[MIKA27]

'If there are no fires we'll light our own'

Never one to shy away from a controversial statement, Bernie Ecclestone admits he's happy to stir controversy in the sport and believes that FOTA will self-destruct.

The F1 supremo is loathed by many for what is at times perceived to be decision making that benefits the man himself rather than the sport of Formula One.

Ecclestone is currently involved in a disagreement with the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) regarding advertising at the circuits, but the Briton appears unfazed by this disparity or by the notion that FOTA could become a force powerful enough to challenge him as the head of Formula One Management.

"The teams were putting sponsorship on property that belongs to us. I explained to them that's fine and maybe we wouldn't have a problem with that if we could put some things on their cars," Ecclestone told the London Evening Standard of the sponsorship squabble.

"I'm not on a collision course with FOTA, they're on a collision course with each other."

"Competitors will never be together. You can't expect 12 race teams to all be together on everything."

Ecclestone is a man that generally tends to get his way, and it would appear that such is his liking for coming out on top of a battle that he'll create one for the sake of it.

"I like achieving things and I see myself as something of a firefighter and I never get tired of it" he explained.

"And if there are no fires, we light a few of our own."

Such an attitude often rubs both fans and competitors up the wrong way, but the 79-year-old is not concerned about what people think of him or of how he will be remembered once he leaves the sport. Asked about his legacy Eccelstone responded simply: "I don't care what people think."

[MIKA27]

Toyota won't comment on HRT rumours

Toyota will 'neither confirm nor deny' reports that Hispania Racing are set to purchase their Formula One setup.

Toyota withdrew from the sport at the end of the 2009 season, leaving behind an as-yet-unraced TF110, which the Japanese manufacturer had designed for this year's Championship.

However, the chassis could yet hit the track with reports claiming newcomers Hispania Racing have signed a deal that will allow them to use Toyota's Cologne headquarters, staff and the TF110.

The Japanese manufacturer, though, has refused to comment on the rumours.

"We can neither confirm nor deny the rumours," a Toyota spokesperson told AP. "We generally do not comment on such matters."

[MIKA27]

Whiting: Korean GP will go ahead

FIA safety delegate Charlie Whiting has no reason to suspect the inaugural Korean Grand Prix will not take place this season.

Whiting last week made a site inspection of the Korea International Circuit, being developed at a cost of around £200million, examining the facilities and the track.

Despite constant reassurances from Yung Cho-change, chairman of the Korea Auto Valley Operation (KAYO) that his venue will be ready to host the October 24 race, speculation persists it will eventually be cancelled.

Whiting, however, was more than happy with his visit, although has stated that with 12 weeks to go it is not ready.

Despite that he is convinced the country will become the latest to play host to Formula One

Whiting said: "I found the work carried out to date to be to the highest standards and was fully satisfied with the inspection.

"There is still work to be done, but the circuit should be ready in good time for the first Korean Grand Prix.

"Weekly progress reports will be submitted to the FIA and a further inspection will be carried out in six to seven weeks."

[MIKA27]

Nige: Obviously trouble in the Red Bull camp

Former Champion Nigel Mansell believes Red Bull team-mates Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel must put their troubles behind them if they are to have any hope of stopping Lewis Hamilton from claiming his second title.

Hamilton's second place at Silverstone 10 days ago allowed the Briton to pull 12 points clear of reigning Champion and McLaren team-mate Jenson Button ahead of this weekend's German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.

Webber beat Hamilton to first place at Silverstone, but the win was soon overshadowed by the Australian's comments after the race when he sarcastically sniped over his in-car radio that his performance was "not bad for a number two driver".

Webber was unhappy with team principal Christian Horner's decision to remove a new front wing from his car and hand it to Vettel after the one on the German's car broke during final practice.

The controversy came seven weeks after the team-mates crashed at the Turkish Grand Prix, denying the team what could have been a vital one-two finish in Istanbul.

Mansell, who won the Drivers' Championship in 1992, admits the pair must sort their differences out if they are to rediscover the form which saw them dominate the early stages of the season.

"There is obviously trouble in the Red Bull camp at the moment," said Mansell.

"The decision they took obviously upset Mark but the main thing is to put that behind them, get on with it and let their actions on the track do the talking because that's the most important thing for any driver.

"They have a great team, great drivers, fantastic engineers and a fantastic team manager but everyone knows that the two drivers are having some challenges between themselves, and that isn't conducive to the team doing well nor the drivers themselves so they have to settle down."

Horner insists that both drivers are treated as equals by the Milton Keynes based team, and that any problems between the two will be resolved quickly.

Mansell is also confident that the pair can work things out, and insists that Webber can still claw back the 17-point difference between himself and Hamilton.

"I think the team is strong enough to sort it all out," said Mansell, who was speaking ahead of the Nigel Mansell UK Youth Cycle Challenge, which begins on Thursday.

"When you get anyone on the track in F1 you want to beat everyone, even your team-mate but what you have to do is look at the bigger picture.

"As the races come along the intensity will get even higher. We may even see some side-to-side and front-to-wing exciting racing between Jenson and Lewis.

"The great thing is that Red Bull still won the race (at Silverstone). Mark still has a chance to be Champion. He has done an outstanding and fantastic job. Mark is a great driver, he has been under a lot of pressure and I would congratulate him if he won it."

Mansell has been impressed with the recent form of Hamilton, who will be looking to finish inside the top two this weekend for the fifth-consecutive race.

He said: "I'm sure that Lewis is just going to keep getting better and better. Jenson has brought a maturity to the team that Lewis is just feeding off at the moment.

"Those two together are doing a fantastic job. They're complementing each other well.

"If Lewis can keep racing how he is, it will make him drive better, feel better, and he'll be in the position where he can make all the choices.

"If he can start to settle for second or third place then it will give him an important buffer zone that the other drivers don't have so he has put himself in a fantastic position."

[MIKA27]

Monaco: No comment, talks ongoing

The organisers of the Monaco GP are refusing to comment on Bernie Ecclestone's claims that the Principality could lose its race.

Ecclestone, who is looking for ways to keep the calendar down to 20 grands prix while still including new countries, recently stated that Monaco could lose its place.

"I think it is possible (to have F1) without Monaco," the F1 supremo told Sport1. "They do not pay enough."

The organisers of the Principality's event, though, are refusing to get drawn into a public slinging match with Ecclestone.

"The Automobile Club de Monaco does not wish to comment on the statement given by Mr. Ecclestone relating to the future of the Monaco Formula 1 grand prix," said a statement on the ACM's official website.

"Assuming that this information is verified by Mr. Ecclestone and the media where it was reported, one must still understand the context under which such sentiments were made.

"The reality is much simpler: a negotiation is ongoing between the Automobile Club de Monaco and Formula One Management.

"In time, the Automobile Club will not fail to communicate the signing of an agreement."

[MIKA27]

Thursday's German press conference

Timo Glock, Adrian Sutil, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and Mark Webber attended Thursday's press conference for the German GP...

Q: For four of you it's your home race. Just a quick word on what it means to you. Your hopes and expectations. How much you enjoy it or maybe you don't enjoy it. Timo, your comments.

Timo GLOCK: Good to be back at Hockenheim again and I had a lot of good races here at Hockenheim, so really looking forward to it. I hope we have a smooth weekend and try to be in front of Lotus is our own target and we see.

Adrian SUTIL: It is very nice to be here. I like this circuit and it is a home grand prix, so for a German driver it is something special. I want to perform well. I like it. A lot of people come here, a lot of guests, a few people from my family as well, so it's nice. I will enjoy it definitely.

Sebastian VETTEL: I think it is always nice to be back home. For me and Timo we are very close from this area, so sorry for the weather first of all but it is nice to be here. We all know the circuit very well and driving in front of your home crowd is always something special. We saw it the last race at Silverstone. The people were cheering a lot for Jenson (Button) and Lewis (Hamilton), so it is a bit of the same for us here. We are enjoying it and we all want to do well. I think apart from Michael none of us has won his home race yet, so that is the target for this weekend.

Q: Michael, four times a winner here?

Michael SCHUMACHER: Yes.

Q: Your expectations and hopes? How much do you enjoy racing at home?

MS: I think it is different to what it has been in the past as we come here as a kind of German national team. We have our main factory about 100kms from here. We went over there yesterday, so lots of support, lots of expectation in a way. It is good to see that compared to the previous years, ticket sales have gone up and interest has gone up although it is not fully sold out, but still there is a nice influence from that side. We naturally hope to have a decent and good race weekend to satisfy our guys.

Q: Sebastian, you ran the Red Bull car in your home town last weekend. I was going to say is that the fastest you've ever been through the streets, but I won't ask that question. What was it like?

SV: It was great. It was in a 50kph zone in the city, so of course we didn't exceed the speed limit. It was crazy. The night before I was actually a bit nervous about how many people will come and watch us and then the day after it was sunny. It was a fantastic day and we had more than 120,000 people coming, so they had to block the motorway and it was absolutely crazy. I didn't see much of my old roads I used to go to school or the swimming pool or whatsoever as it was full of people. But it was very nice and I think we put on a good show. We also had a DTM car there and a guy with a motorbike, so all in all I think it was a great package and a lot of people came, so I hope they will make it as well this weekend. On Sunday I think it should be dry, so it will be nice.

Q: A lot has happened at Red Bull since the last grand prix. Have you now set the re-set button between you and Mark? Are you now back to normal?

SV: Well, I think as far as I understood if you said to Red Bull I think we are still selling cans, so not much has happened in that regard. A lot of talk and a lot of press but the most important thing you need to understand is that it doesn't matter who wins the race. In the end we are a team and Red Bull Racing won the race on the Sunday. Mark did, so it was a great result. For some reason, or unfortunately, we didn't get a lot of positive feedback. We know where the focus is. It is surely on this race and nowhere else. The team is motivated as ever, so the most important is the atmosphere within the team and for us it doesn't get affected by what is being said or written.

Q: Mark, your thoughts?

Mark WEBBER: Yeah, it wasn't a huge drama at the last race. Obviously there was a little bit of stuff here and there but first of all Sebastian did absolutely nothing wrong with me at the last event. That is totally obvious. Seb did what he did and had an incident at the first corner which was bloody unlucky for him. It can happen to any of us and the race from my side went okay with a great team effort. Unfortunately we didn't get a one-two which we were more than capable of doing. The team is ready to go forward. We are both competitive and it is only natural the media and everyone wants to wind up a nice rivalry between whoever it is, but Seb and I are naturally going about our jobs. What we have in common is that we work for the same team, have the same passion and the same drive to get the same result and there is nothing wrong with that, so we are fine and the team is learning here and there along the way but it is a healthy learning. We are in a sensational position. Two years ago the team was not doing this type of results. Now we are and we are taking on the best teams in the pit lane, so it is an absolute credit to us and we are looking to continue that.

Q: Mark, you have had something like five lock-outs of the front row of the grid, yet not one of those has been converted to a one-two in the race. Is that part of the learning curve?

MW: Yes, it is but also there is an element of people saying we should be 5000 points in the lead. I don't really think we should be for many reasons. Seb had a couple of victories taken away from him at the start of the year but also if you look in Turkey we were not fast enough. We had an incident on the track but we were not fast enough in the grand prix. Canada, we had a different tyre strategy there for qualifying and as the race turned out that was the result we deserved. We are not taking credit away from what other people are doing. At the end of the day there have been some calls from Jenson from the cockpit, a few great victories there and that's how it has been. We look to capitalize on some of those qualifying positions in the future but there is no points given on a Saturday. We know that and we are looking to do better. It's not like it's a no-brainer on Sunday afternoon and we just drive off the front row and disappear. We have got some work to do and that is evident as you can see by the points..

Q: Timo, first of all, your aims and the team's concentration at the moment. Is it looking towards Lotus? What sort of performance are you still putting on the car? Where are the priorities now for you?

TG: I think Silverstone showed the aero update worked quite well and we had, I would say, a second aero update in Silverstone. It doesn't show in the results as we are still in the same position but we were much closer to Lotus. We could race against them in Silverstone and for here we should have another little update in terms of an aero package which will bring us another little step forward again, so that's positive. It goes in the right direction. The first half of the year was tough to sort out all the problems but now it is becoming a more focussed direction in putting performance on the car.

Q: Adrian, what is affecting Force India at the moment? It seems to be very much up and down. Sometimes you qualify and race really well and other times it doesn't go so well.

AS: I don't think it is up and down to be honest. I am very consistent in the points and I think the only driver who has scored points in every race since Barcelona, so it is a very consistent team and good performance of the car. Sometimes it is very close to go into Q3, sometimes it is enough but it is just a very close competition to go into Q3. Williams did a little upgrade on their cars and they are much stronger. Also Sauber did a good step forward. We are not struggling, no. We have to optimise everything a little bit better. We lost out in qualifying in the last two races in my opinion as we could not use our tyres in the best way. But there are all reasons behind that and everything is going well and we should be able here to get another good result, another good points' finish. The car is strong enough.

Q: Michael, do you feel you are being unfairly treated by the media who are perhaps expecting too much from you or are you perfectly happy with your own performance?

MS: No, perfectly happy with my own performance is probably wrong to say. But put it this way. Yes, there is an expectation out there which I think you have to be realistic that it is impossible to meet. I am away three years and just to come back and start exactly where I finished with maybe a car that doesn't allow me to right now is probably unrealistic. I am not a magician either. It just needs time. I take that time. I enjoy most of all this process. There were some set-backs and moments where you would, obviously, be a little bit angry. But, in general, that is what it is about. There are ups and downs and that is the excitement of motor sport. I know the final target where I want to go and I am very confident I can achieve this. That is what I am working for and what I am focussing on. There is the sportive side and there is the entertainment side of this whole circus. You just have to accept and see it is just part of that situation and do not bother too much about it.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q: (Walter Koster - Saarbrücker Zeitung) Mark, did you already have in the past such a situation like in this season with another team principal or team-mate?

MW: Frank (Williams) and Patrick (Head) were sometimes not that easy but look it is normal. It was a situation that happened which was very unusual. As I said already, I don't have any problems with Sebastian. What happened at Silverstone was nothing of Sebastian's doing. I had some discussions with Christian (Horner) over the weekend. He is running the team and we learn and we go forward. There is always unexpected things throughout any driver's career. As Michael just said there are new challengers for him right now and lots of little hurdles along the way. You are dreaming if you think it is always going to be straight up.

Q: (Tobias Holtkamp - Bild) Michael, which of the two guys sitting next to you will be World Champion at the end of this season? Who are you crossing your fingers for?

MS: First of all, it's obviously clear that both of the guys to the left and right of me have a very good package and a very good possibility to fight and win the championship, but you probably don't have to forget the McLaren drivers, that they're still in the picture. I don't think it's finished yet, but naturally you sort of get the feelings of your national heart coming up and therefore you sort of have a German tendency. I'm sorry Mark but I guess that's normal.

Q: (Marc Surer - Sky Deutschland) Michael, I know your car is very sensitive on compounds. Here we have the softest and hardest of Bridgestone's compounds. Does that worry you?

MS: No, not really. I think we actually have much more of a problem with inconsistent behaviour on the same compound. As a clear example, again in some of the races, I go out with the same tyre and suddenly I'm half a second quicker or half a second slower and I've done nothing differently, but the result is there and it's not happened only to us, it's happening up and down the pit lane every so often and it's a little bit difficult to understand.

Q: (Udo Döring - Darmstädter Echo) Sebastian, during the days after Heppenheim, has it kind of been like being on cloud number nine with this great support in your home town? And yesterday, you couldn't play soccer; was it a serious injury?

SV: It's nothing. I can still walk but to play soccer or to play football would probably have been a bit too risky, so that's why I had to cancel. I had a bit of an incident at the beginning of the week, nothing big, but it didn't allow me to play football yesterday. Yeah, I was back home and obviously it settles down. First of all you need to understand what happened. It was a very special day, the Sunday, and as I said, a lot of people - I've never seen it that busy there. All in all, it was just a fantastic day. We started off very early in the morning in the old town, the old party of the city. It takes a while to settle, as I said. It might still be difficult to understand that so many people came to see us but it was a very, very nice day.

Q: (Jonathan Legard - BBC Sport) Michael, as someone who is well versed in winning championships, what are the ingredients that are needed to win a championship, particularly when you are opposing your team-mate, who is very challenging? What factors are there which are crucial to winning a title?

MS: I don't think I can give the answer you're looking for in mentioning one particular part, because it's like a detailed or small piece or puzzle of the big picture. You have to have all those little bits together to finally do it.

Q: (Jonathan Legard - BBC Sport) You talked how you were still very confident in yourself about achieving what you want to do. Has that confidence been knocked at all, because it's taken you longer than you thought it might have done to achieve something in your first year back?

MS: Naturally you wish to go straight ahead with this, thinking, before I was finally able to drive the car, where we'd been last year with the team. You sort of think that there might be a possibility to continue on from there, but then it's easy and clear enough to understand why that is and was not possible. That's about it. You just understand and realise the situation and work from there on.

Q: (Alan Baldwin - Reuters) Sebastian, sorry if I've missed something but perhaps you could just clarify this incident with your leg that you had at the beginning of the week?

SV: I fell down when I was running. Nothing special but I had a bit of a hyper-extension of the muscle on the leg, nothing big. I can walk, it's not a disaster.

Q: (Gary Chappell - The Daily Express) Mark, 'not bad for a number two driver'. You're above Sebastian in the standings now. Should you win on Sunday, what will be your cry over the team radio this time?

MW: I think it would be like it normally is, it's a great team effort. It was said in the heat of the moment at Silverstone and that's what was said but we're both treated very equally in the team and as I said at the time, I would never have continued in that situation. That's why I am continuing, so technically the cars are to give both of us a really fair crack and I'm looking forward to trying to have that big problem on Sunday if I can, to work out what I might say.

Q: (Byron Young - The Daily Mirror) Seb, I'm sure you're not too young to have watched Michael win some of his World Championships. What did you learn from what you saw when you watched when he was competing and when he won World Championships?

SV: Many things. I think from great champions there are always a lot of things you can learn, and also if you look outside the table of Formula One, if you look at others sports - tennis, golf - there are great players, great individuals. They're probably all talented but then there are one or two popping out, like probably at the moment Roger Federer and Nadal in tennis. What did I learn from Michael? I think you just need to listen to what he says. Obviously in the past I was watching mainly, like he said even now. Obviously he himself knows best which situation he is in at the moment. Obviously there are a lot of expectations from the outside but it's part of being a great champion, being wise enough to know what you have to focus on. As he said, there are always two worlds: one is the entertainment and one is the sporting side. I think we clearly understood that he is focussing more on the sporting side and trying to come back and win races again. I could give you many examples but I think that was the lesson of the last ten minutes, I guess.

Q: (Gary Chappell - The Daily Express) Michael, how different is it for you now, coming back to your home race and not being the dominant driver and not actually being the dominant German driver?

MS: It probably evolves into the same answer that I sort of mentioned before, because it is very clear that we are not in the position to come here and win the race, because as a package, we are not yet strong enough to do so. But, for us, we fight for our possibilities of results and if we could manage a podium, that would be a great and a fantastic result for us, for the fans, for our supporters, and that's what we're aiming for.

Q: (Sarah Holt - BBC Sport) Michael, you spoke about your final target that you had in your mind. Can you categorically confirm that you will be driving for Mercedes in 2011, and in which case what is your final...

MS: Yes!

Q: (Sarah Holt - BBC Sport) And in which case what is your final target for that season?MS: For this or next season?

Q: (Sarah Holt - BBC Sport) Next.

MS: It's what I mentioned the day that I officially publicised that I was rejoining Formula One and it is to win another title, that's our aim, that's what my focus is and that's what I'm here for. Very clearly.

Q: (Gary Chappell - The Daily Express) On that point, Norbert Haug says that next season you're going out to win the title. You will be another year older. What will actually change then?

MS: I don't know of anything other than becoming even wiser.

Q: (Byron Young - The Daily Mirror) I just wanted to ask Mark what the reception has been like here from the fans? Is there any sense that you're the rival to their local hero?

MW: No, I think it's been a very good reception so far. I think motor sport here in Germany has a huge following. I think there's a lot of guys who obviously followed Michael in his day, and now there's fresh blood, fresh talent, more people on the grid because of what Michael achieved, so they have a better knowledge of the sport, I suppose. They know there's a bit of bullshit here and there which comes with the sport, and I suppose they like to watch the racing unfold. I drove for Mercedes Benz here, I did a lot of testing here with the sports car, so I have a little bit of a feeling for the guys. Obviously I'm not German but in terms of I have a feeling for how they follow their motor sport, so it's a good time for me to drive here, at that part of my career as well.

Q: (Byron Young - The Daily Mirror) Mark, is there a psychological advantage to winning this race, beating Seb, assuming the two of you are at the front and battling for victory, is there a psychological advantage to winning this race?

MW: Not all the drivers on the grid have the luxury of having a home race, so the guys here do. Obviously I have an Australian race, there's the British Grand Prix. I think last year we all shared the victories around. I think Jenson won my race, I won his race, and Seb won someone else's race, and I won Rubens' race, so it was always moving around. It is a unique thing, obviously, to win your home race and of course it would be right up there with Sebastian's highlights to try and do that, so it's a slightly different event in many ways. Also, on the other side of the coin, it's another 25 points, it's a normal grand prix. It maybe has a little bit more emotion around it for the German drivers. It doesn't mean anything more special to me to win here, so psychologically it doesn't do anything for me, but for the home drivers it's a nice place to win.

[MIKA27]

What's your opinion on the above Mika27? Personally I love the Monaco track, it's a tricky little bugger! I guess if it comes down to money......

I'd hate to see such a prestigious event lose out over a greedy 'Harry Potter' look alike such as Bernie Ecclestone.

Whilst the Monacco GP is not my favourite event to watch as more often than not the driver in Pole position would win the race (Not always), it is still a historic Grand Prix nonetheless.

The Monacco GP has been held (For Formula 1) since 1950 and has had legends like Graham Hill win 5 of his 14 Grand Prix wins at Monacco alone, along with Ayrton Senna winning 6 Monacco Grand Prix, 5 of those consecutively and Michael Schumacher winning 5 Monacco Grand Prix also.

McLaren as a constructor have won a whopping total of 15 grand prix races at Monacco!!

It is a tricky track to master and I always love the rivalry when cars bank up behind each other from Mirabeau Haute (Turn 5) through to Portier (Turn 8) where they suddenly plant pedal to the metal and speed through the tunnel, often able to overtake a slower vehicle before having to slow right down at the Nouvelle chicane.

I personally have great memories of this grand prix and whilst most think about the race winners, I also love the losers such as the unlucky Takuma Sato who I think is the unluckiest driver ever at Monacco having DNF'd in every Monacco race. His most classic shunt was at the 2002 GP where comming through the tunnel he had a tyre blowout which saw him comming out sideways into the wall with Giancarlo Fisichella behind him. Incidentally, he was airlifted to hospital but was ok.

Losing this Grand Prix weather one likes it or not would be an absolute shame and sometimes weather Bernie makes money from this or not, it is historically THE most Prestigious Grand Prix on the calendar which should never be removed only to be replaced with a Herman Tilke designed bore of a track.... IMO.

[MIKA27]

Button: Schumi won't walk away

Jenson Button believes Michael Schumacher will not quit Formula One for a second time until he is finally winning grands prix again.

A month after confirming he would honour his three-year contract at Mercedes, despite his difficulties this year, Schumacher was today again asked if he would be in F1 in 2011.

The response from Schumacher was a simple "yes", and Button does not feel the seven-times World Champion would want to walk away at such a low ebb in his career.

"I didn't expect Michael to be struggling as much as he has done this season," said the reigning World Champion.

"Michael's had some pretty tough races, and he's been slated for having some bad races, maybe it's right, I don't know.

"But he's also had some pretty competitive races, and his team-mate is not slow. Nico (Rosberg) is a very good competitor.

"I am a bit surprised Michael hasn't got closer to him in some races, but then again it's the first year for Michael driving a car that hasn't been built around him.

"Michael has always worked very hard on making sure the car suits his style, it seems. Not that I know, but that's what it seems from the past at Ferrari and Benetton.

"It's difficult to judge, but hopefully Michael will still be here next year so we can see how he performs next season because he will be performing better in 2011."

Asked whether he had any doubts Schumacher will continue racing next year, Button replied: "I don't think he can quit now. He has to stay next year.

"He has to stay until he is winning races, for himself, to leave the sport."

[MIKA27]

Schumi: Yes, I am staying on

Michael Schumacher has given an emphatic 'yes' when asked if he would remain with Mercedes GP next season.

Schumacher's return to Formula One after a three-year lay-off has seen the German dogged more by criticism than by praise, raising questions about whether he will stay on next season, the second year of his three-year Mercedes GP contract.

And the seven-time World Champ is adamant he will continue.

Asked categorically during Thursday's German GP press conference whether he will race for Mercedes in 2011, Schumacher said: "Yes."

The German was questioned about his goals for next season, stating quite clearly that he wants an eighth World title.

"It is what I mentioned the other day - that I officially publicised when I rejoined F1 - which is to win the title. That is my focus and that is what I am here for."

As for the criticism he has faced after only scoring 36 points in the first half of this year's Championship, Schumacher reckons fans and detractors alike were perhaps expecting too much from him in his comeback season.

"Am I perfectly happy with my own performance? That is probably the wrong thing to say," he said.

"There is an expectation out there, but you have to be realistic that it is probably impossible to meet. To be out three years and start where I finished in a car that doesn't allow me do it, is unrealistic.

"I will take my time. I enjoy most of it, this process. There are ups and downs and that is part of motorsport. I am very confident I can achieve it, which is what I am focusing for."

MIKA: Great stuff!!

[OZCUBAN]

It can only be good for the sport great stuff

[MIKA27]

Senna confident of keeping HRT seat

Bruno Senna is confident he will keep his racing seat at the Hispania team for the remainder of the season after missing the previous race at Silverstone.

The Brazilian was forced to sit out the British Grand Prix and was replaced by Sakon Yamamoto for reasons not specified by the team.

Yamamoto will replace India Karun Chandhok this weekend in Germany, while Senna returns to his car.

Senna said he is now hoping to race until the end of the year, although he insisted there are no guarantees in life.

"I always want to be racing. I always want to be in the car, so losing a car out of 18 is always tough, but the important thing is that I'm back for the rest of the season," Senna told reporters at Hockenheim.

"Of course I was not happy to not drive, but it's a team decision.

"There's nothing guaranteed in life. I hope I'll be racing until the end of the year. It's fixed but nothing is guaranteed in life. You have a job today but you may not have it tomorrow."

The Brazilian said the atmosphere in the team was fine after his return.

"Everything is fine. Our team arrived today and everybody was happy to see me back, so I think the environment in the team is fine," he added.

Speaking about 2011, Senna made it clear his main priority was the secure a drive, although he admitted it was still early days.

"It's a bit early to say. The important thing for me is that I have a seat for next year. This is what I'm aiming for."

And the HRT driver said he was in the dark about any possible performance updates for his car for this year.

"I'm not sure. The plan was to have some upgrades by this time of the year, but we are not sure how the investment side is.

"At the end of the day is about what the team can do financially. If it was up to me the car would have an upgrade every race weekend."

[MIKA27]

Barrichello: Tunnel used better now

Rubens Barrichello says Williams's strong results in Valencia and Silverstone can be traced to improvements in the way the team uses its wind tunnel.

The Brazilian finished fourth in the European Grand Prix and then followed that up with a competitive fifth in the British GP two weeks ago.

The Brazilian veteran believes that improved communication between the drivers and the team's wind tunnel staff has meant a recalibration in the kinds of improvements the facility is being tasked to develop.

"The tunnel was giving us 'A', and we were getting 'A', but that was not necessarily the best thing. Rather it was what I needed [to feel] from the car that we needed to develop from the tunnel," he explained. "The tunnel can find downforce in a straightline, but nowadays it is important to find it in the corners also. So a better translation of [the information] we had is how we got better.

"It's a normal process, you cannot just come in to a team, bang on the table and say that is the way it is done," he added. "Tunnels work differently - it's not like 'You won at Ferrari, you won at Brawn, and it's because of this'. It's because the whole thing gets shaped until you get it to a place where you are happy. The team is starting to work on a good level."

Barrichello, speaking prior to the German GP at Hockenheim, had already alluded to the process at Silverstone where he said: "It doesn't matter if the wind tunnel is saying it's better, if it's not better on the track then we need to change that.

"And that was a good way because right now the tunnel is reading a bit more towards what the drivers are saying and we are working on that, so that's why we have seen some improvements since Istanbul."

The 38-year-old also said that it was too early to assess whether the FW32 would be consistently competitive from now on, but reckoned that Silverstone, Hockenheim and the Hungaroring would provide the acid test.

"It is true that if a car goes well at Silverstone it can go well at some other tracks but this year the bumps changed the whole attitude of the car. At the end of the day, it is important that you don't go 'wow; because it goes well on one track.

"It needs to go well on different tracks and in between Silverstone, Budapest and Hockenheim we have very different tracks. So this will be a good test for the car.

"We are still keeping our feet on the ground and keeping for Q3 here and some good points in the race," he added. "Obviously we want to visit the podium this year.

"It's being going quite well. Silverstone was not as good a position as Valencia, but I think it was as good a race. If it wasn't for those safety cars in Valencia we would have finished seventh or eighth, and in Silverstone we finished fifth but that would have been sixth if Alonso didn't get a penalty.

"I think it is improving, it is going okay. We still don't have the car that we wish to have, but I like it."

[MIKA27]

Alguersuari boosted by new STR deal

Jamie Alguersuari says his confidence has been boosted after securing a deal to stay at the Toro Rosso team next year.

The Faenza-based squad announced last week that both Alguersuari and team-mate Sebastien Buemi would be retained in 2011.

The deal means the Spanish driver will stay on with Toro Rosso for a third season, although he suggested things could change until the end of the year.

"I think it's a good motivation thing," Alguersuari told AUTOSPORT ahead of the German Grand Prix. "It's good for the confidence, but there's 10 races to go so a lot of things can happen from there until the end of the season, in the good or in the bad side.

"I'm happy that there is a team interested in me for next year, which is Toro Rosso and the Red Bull family, and this is always good for me, because I've always worked very close with Red Bull since I was 15 years old.

"But as I said there are still 10 races to go and a lot of things can happen."

The 20-year-old, who made his F1 debut with the team in the latter part of last season, is hoping last year's experience will help him perform better in the upcoming races on circuits he knows.

"I'm still getting up to speed especially when I go to new tracks," he said. "I expect a lot from the second half of the season because I know the tracks from last year, and it will be the time to show where I can be.

"I expect a lot from the team because it's been four races we haven't had any upgrades, and I expect a lot also from my side, especially to be consistently in the points at the end of the year."

Alguersuari also said Toro Rosso must stay realistic about its prospects given the resources it has compared to other teams.

"I think we have a really competitive car. I think we have a really good car," he added. "The problem is that the other teams develop more than us. We have to be realistic. Williams and Force India are better teams than us. They progressed better than us, they developed the car better than us and that's the reality for the moment.

"We have a really good car. The problem is that the development is a bit slow because we don't have the structures the other teams have. We need to be realistic and know that it's getting better towards the end of the year, and it will be a much better car, I'm convinced."

[MIKA27]

Stanford is Williams manager again

Former Williams team manager Dickie Stanford is to resume his old position from next month, with incumbent Tim Newton returning to a factory based position.

Stanford is present at the German Grand Prix to work alongside Newton, and he will do the same again at next weekend's race in Hungary before taking over full responsibility from the Belgian GP.

Newton, who has been team manager for five years, will become Williams' Production General Manager with direct responsibility for the race team.

Stanford is a Williams stalwart, and was team manager from 1994 until 2005 - when he took a factory role before returning to a track job as test team manager.

[OZCUBAN]

Practice 2: Alonso shows promise

Fernando Alonso gave Ferrari a much-needed boost in Friday’s second practice session at Hockenheim as he set the pace as weather conditions improved in Germany.

Ferrari has admitted it must achieve big points finishes in the next two rounds before the summer break to stay in the title hunt and Alonso’s pace suggests it could be in position to do just that as he pipped home favourite Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull to the fastest afternoon time.

Alonso’s 1m16.265s effort proved to be just 0.029s quicker than the lead Red Bull, with Felipe Massa appearing to underline Ferrari’s strength with the third-quickest time.

Mark Webber had initially been the fastest driver on the super-soft tyres, but ended 0.3s back on Alonso in fourth, with Mercedes showing solid form as Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher took fifth and sixth respectively.

After his morning crash in the slippery conditions did major damage to his MP4-25, championship leader Lewis Hamilton sat out all but the final 12 minutes of the second session meaning he lost crucial time to assess the blown diffuser.

However, despite the limited dry-weather running time, Hamilton still managed to salvage seventh for McLaren in his late 10-lap run.

Full report to follow…

German Grand Prix free practice session two times

1 ALONSO Ferrari 1m16.265s

2 VETTEL Red Bull 1m16.294s

3 MASSA Ferrari 1m16.438s

4 WEBBER Red Bull 1m16.585s

5 ROSBERG Mercedes 1m16.827s

6 SCHUMACHER Mercedes 1m16.971s

7 HAMILTON McLaren 1m17.004s

8 KUBICA Renault 1m17.009s

9 BARRICHELLO Williams 1m17.056s

10 HULKENBERG Williams 1m17.204s

11 KOBAYASHI Sauber 1m17.336s

12 PETROV Renault 1m17.547s

13 DE LA ROSA Sauber 1m17.573s

14 SUTIL Force India 1m17.701s

15 BUTTON McLaren 1m17.739s

16 LIUZZI Force India 1m17.871s

17 BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m18.147s

18 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso 1m19.327s

19 GLOCK Virgin 1m19.553s

20 TRULLI Lotus 1m20.008s

21 DI GRASSI Virgin 1m20.106s

22 KOVALAINEN Lotus 1m20.377s

23 SENNA HRT 1m21.988s

24 YAMAMOTO HRT 1m23.066s

[OZCUBAN]

RBR duo: No lingering tensions at team

Red Bull drivers Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel insist there is no lingering tension within the team ahead of the German Grand Prix, in wake of the favouritism controversy that engulfed it at Silverstone.

Last week Webber moved to draw a line under the front wing incident that overshadowed his dominant British GP victory following clear-the-air talks with RBR boss Christian Horner at its Milton Keynes factory.

At Hockenheim on Thursday Webber, alongside Vettel, appeared in front of the media for the first time since the controversy and the championship-chasing team-mates were united in their desire to look forward to this weekend.

Webber made clear his Silverstone frustrations hadn’t been in any way directed at Vettel, adding that they were on good terms and would continue together to push the team on.

“It wasn’t a huge drama at the last race. Obviously there was a little bit of stuff here and there,” he said in Thursday’s pre-event press conference.

“First of all obviously Sebastian did absolutely nothing wrong with me at the last event – it’s totally obvious.

“Seb did what he did and obviously had an incident at the first corner which was bloody unlucky for him – it can happen to any of us.

“We are both competitive and it’s only natural that the media and everybody want to wind up a nice rivalry between whoever it is.

“But Seb and I [are] naturally going about our jobs, what we have in common is we work for the same team, the same passion, the same drive, to get the same results. There’s nothing wrong with that.

“So we are fine. The team is learning here and there along the way but it’s healthy learning because we are doing a sensational [job].”

Vettel also stressed the importance of the team ethic at Red Bull, and insisted that this hadn’t been damaged by the events of Silverstone.

He added that the main thing that had come out of that weekend was that Webber had managed to win the race.

Asked to discuss what had gone on at Red Bull since the last round, the German driver replied: “Well I think as far as I understood I think we are still selling [Red Bull drinks] cans.

“So not much has happened in that regard!

“But obviously a lot of talk and a lot of press. I think the most important thing you need to understand is it doesn’t matter who wins the race, we are a team, and Red Bull Racing won the race on Sunday. Mark did.

“It was a great result, but for some reason or unfortunately we didn’t get a lot of positive feedback.

“But I think the most important is we know where the focus is and it’s surely on this race, no where else.

“The team is as motivated as ever so the most important is that our atmosphere within the team for us doesn’t get affected by whatsoever is being said or written.”

Oz

Lets hope that they have put all this behind ,and focus on the championship after all they have the best car and they should be leading the pack by a country mile

[MIKA27]

Practice 2: Alonso shows promise

German Grand Prix free practice session two times

1 ALONSO Ferrari 1m16.265s

2 VETTEL Red Bull 1m16.294s

3 MASSA Ferrari 1m16.438s

4 WEBBER Red Bull 1m16.585s

5 ROSBERG Mercedes 1m16.827s

6 SCHUMACHER Mercedes 1m16.971s

7 HAMILTON McLaren 1m17.004s

8 KUBICA Renault 1m17.009s

9 BARRICHELLO Williams 1m17.056s

10 HULKENBERG Williams 1m17.204s

11 KOBAYASHI Sauber 1m17.336s

12 PETROV Renault 1m17.547s

13 DE LA ROSA Sauber 1m17.573s

14 SUTIL Force India 1m17.701s

15 BUTTON McLaren 1m17.739s

16 LIUZZI Force India 1m17.871s

17 BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m18.147s

18 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso 1m19.327s

19 GLOCK Virgin 1m19.553s

20 TRULLI Lotus 1m20.008s

21 DI GRASSI Virgin 1m20.106s

22 KOVALAINEN Lotus 1m20.377s

23 SENNA HRT 1m21.988s

24 YAMAMOTO HRT 1m23.066s

There's not much difference between the top 6 results really, this could be an interesting race indeed. I'm looking forward to the qualifying tonight.

[MIKA27]

'All radio chats will be free to air'

As of this weekend's German GP, all radio communication between the pit wall and the drivers will be available for broadcasters to air.

Up until now, teams have had the ability to censor their communications, pressing a button that allows them to keep what is said between their drivers and the men on the pit wall away from prying ears.

However, the FIA have taken steps to stop that.

According to Auto, Moto und Sport, motorsport's governing body has taken advantage of a passage in the Sports Act, which states that radio traffic should be made available to all.

However, in a bid to ensure the more colourful drivers keep their swearing to themselves, there will be a short delay between the radio message being said and it being broadcast, allowing FIA race director Charlie Whiting to intervene.

Already, though, concerns have been raised with Mercedes GP team boss Ross Brawn revealing that it won't be long before teams start talking in code, leaving the viewing public with no clue as to what is actually going on.

MIKA: That would be interesting if teams start talking in code. Kinda like cold war tactics.

[MIKA27]

Schumi doing 'everything possible'

Michael Schumacher had a "reasonable" homecoming on Friday as he put in his first competitive laps in an F1 car in Germany since 2006.

The seven-time World Champion, who is determined to claim the first podium finish of his comeback season at Hockenheim this weekend, had a mixed day on Friday.

The morning session, which took place in the rain, saw Schumacher finish second from last as he, like many of his rivals, went off the track, damaging the floor of his Merc W01.

However, he came back in the second session, finishing in sixth place, just 0.706s behind P1 holder Fernando Alonso.

"Today's sessions were a bit mixed due to the weather conditions but we were able to get the car working by the end so it was a reasonable day," said Schumacher.

"One of my excursions caused some damage to the floor which led to a second excursion afterwards and we decided to stop slightly early this afternoon.

"We are looking reasonable over one lap and on longer runs, confirming what we already hinted at during the last weekend in Silverstone.

"If everything goes as it should tomorrow, we should reach fifth or sixth position, which is a step forward, and maybe even more in the race.

"But for sure, we will do everything possible to achieve a good result for our fans at our home race."

Meanwhile, team boss Ross Brawn is quietly confident about Mercedes GP's chances of an improved showing come Sunday afternoon.

"It's been an unusual and challenging day with the changing track conditions and a few small issues to overcome during our running.

"The car looked reasonable in the wet this morning and the experience will be helpful if the weather continues to be variable. This afternoon gave us the first opportunity to analyse our upgrades on a dry track.

"The initial feedback looks positive but we need to take full advantage of the final practice hour tomorrow to maximise their potential."

[MIKA27]

Button: Rivals faster than we expected

Jenson Button admits McLaren face a tough task chasing down Red Bull Racing and Ferrari in Germany this weekend.

Friday's practice saw Ferrari come to the fore with Fernando Alonso edging Sebastian Vettel while their team-mates were right behind them.

As for McLaren, Lewis Hamilton came back from a Practice One shunt to finish seventh while Button was down in 15th place, 1.474s off the pace.

"The Red Bulls and Ferrari look fast, faster than we expected," the reigning World Champ told the BBC. "I don't know if we'll be as quick."

However, the Brit did reveal that he spent much of the afternoon session running with a full fuel load as he was the only McLaren driver in action following Hamilton's accident.

"We got on with our programme today but Lewis had his problem in the morning and so I had quite a busy afternoon making sure we got through our run programme," he said.

"This afternoon we ran on lower fuel and higher fuel. Then we put fuel in the car and did long runs. And then we went back out and did a front wing comparison at the end which was useful.

"I didn't really get much set up work done so Saturday is important. Hopefully it will be dry and we can do some session work."

The one aspect that was Button's primary focus was McLaren's new blown diffuser exhaust, which the team tested but scrapped on the Friday of the British GP.

McLaren spent the time since that Friday working on the exhaust and the floor with Button delivering positive feedback.

"I don't have a negative feeling with the upgrades at all," he said. "I feel we have better traction and balance.

"Then again we have nothing to compare it against at the moment. So we'll see on the data."

He added: "We can have a good race here and with a bit more set-up work I think the car can be competitive, but I don't know if it will be as quick as the Ferraris or the Bulls as they've set a blistering pace this afternoon."

[OZCUBAN]

Vettel denies Alonso Hockenheim pole

Sebastian Vettel produced a brilliant last-gasp lap to ****** pole position away from Fernando Alonso and resurgent Ferrari by the very narrowest of margins for his home German Grand Prix.

Alonso had looked set to end Ferrari’s long wait for a pole – which stretches back to the final round of 2008 – after impressively topping the first two qualifying segments and then setting the pace in the early Q3 forays.

However, a pumped-up Vettel was not going to let his bid for a first German GP pole go without a fight and found some extra speed on his final run to move ahead on a 1m13.791s.

Alonso, behind him on the road, also improved on his final lap but agonisingly fell a mere 0.002s short of delivering his first pole for Ferrari and becoming just the second non Red Bull driver to start at the front this year.

Nevertheless it secured the Spaniard’s first front-row of the season and the F10's pace throughout the weekend so far will give him confidence that he can take the fight to Vettel in the race.

Indeed Ferrari’s improved form was underlined by Felipe Massa who put his recent qualifying difficulties behind him to take third, albeit it some half a second down on the top two.

Mark Webber had trailed Vettel by several tenths through the first two stages and ultimately blew his attempts to get into the pole mix when he ran wide at the first corner on his final lap, meaning he ended up fourth.

McLaren’s practice form had suggested it was trailing both its two main rivals on outright pace and that’s how things played out in qualifying as it could do no better than the third row – although Jenson Button will no doubt take some heart from getting back ahead of team-mate and title leader Lewis Hamilton for the first time since China.

Robert Kubica edged a tight battle behind the top three teams to secure his now customary seventh place on the grid for Renault, while Williams’s resurgence continued as both Rubens Barrichello (eighth) and Nico Hulkenberg (10th) made the top 10 again.

Mercedes’s practice form had appeared to indicate the German squad could even challenge McLaren for positions on the grid, but reminiscent of Canada and Valencia, its pace went awry on Saturday afternoon yet again and it could do no better than ninth with Nico Rosberg.

Indeed like at those two recent races, Michael Schumacher failed to make it into Q3 on his return to Hockenheim – although had he produced a lap just 0.009s quicker he would have been in the top 10 at the expense of his team-mate.

Schumacher will be joined on the sixth row by Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) who wrecked his chances of making Q3 when he ran wide at the first corner on his final lap.

The under-pressure Vitaly Petrov again couldn’t follow Renault team-mate Kubica into the final stage and will start 13th ahead of the other Sauber of Pedro de la Rosa.

The Toro Rosso pair of Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi will start directly behind, the former doing well to outpace his Swiss stable-mate for just the second time this season having never previously driven at Hockenheim.

Adrian Sutil did set the 14th-fastest time for Force India but will drop down to 19th after a driveshaft failure in final practice necessitated a gearbox change and resulted in the mandatory five-place penalty.

He will join team-mate Tonio Liuzzi towards the back of the field after the Italian’s qualifying woes continued as he dropped out in Q1 for the third time this season – although this time it was a mistake, rather than a lack of speed, that did for him after he crashed heavily into the pit wall.

Coming round the final corner to complete his second timed lap, he ran wide over the kerb and onto the still damp Astroturf which spun the back of his VJM03 around and he slithered across the track and into a nasty frontal impact with the wall.

The impact ripped off the car’s front suspension and its front-left tyre, which only rolled back across the track just in front of Timo Glock’s Virgin before coming to rest on the grass.

Liuzzi’s demise allowed several of the backmarkers to qualify one place further up than normal and Lotus’s Jarno Trulli was the one to make the most of that opportunity as he comfortably outpaced his nearest rivals by over 0.7s to head the new teams’ class.

His team-mate Heikki Kovalainen nevertheless managed to sneak ahead of Virgin lead driver Timo Glock, while Bruno Senna did a commendable job on his return to the Hispania race seat to qualify within 0.3s of the pair.

Glock will drop behind both Hispanias and Liuzzi to the back of the grid as he picked up a five-place penalty for a gearbox change after final practice, where he will join team-mate Lucas di Grassi who was unable to set a timed lap.

German GP starting grid

1 VETTEL Red Bull

2 ALONSO Ferrari

3 MASSA Ferrari

4 WEBBER Red Bull

5 BUTTON McLaren

6 HAMILTON McLaren

7 KUBICA Renault

8 BARRICHELLO Williams

9 ROSBERG Mercedes

10 HULKENBERG Williams

11 SCHUMACHER Mercedes

12 KOBAYASHI Sauber

13 PETROV Renault

14 DE LA ROSA Sauber

15 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso

16 BUEMI Toro Rosso

17 TRULLI Lotus

18 KOVALAINEN Lotus

19 SUTIL Force India*

20 SENNA HRT

21 LIUZZI Force India

22 YAMAMOTO HRT

23 DI GRASSI Virgin

24 GLOCK Virgin*

* penalised 5 places for gearbox change