FORMULA 1 - 2010

[MIKA27]

Webber feared he wouldn't finish

Mark Webber admitted he feared his Red Bull wouldn’t be able to get to end of the Singapore Grand Prix following his clash with Lewis Hamilton, so was relieved to finish third and extend his championship lead.

Despite the team employing an unorthodox pit strategy for him following the appearance of an early safety car, Webber had fought his way back from 11th to the final podium place when the safety car was called for the second time mid-way through the race.

At the lap 36 re-start he had Hamilton – his closest championship pursuer prior to the race – right behind him in the pack, but first had to clear two lapped Virgin cars directly ahead in the first series of corners of the lap.

The second of those, Lucas di Grassi, stayed in front all the way down to the long run down to turn seven which allowed Hamilton to draft the Red Bull and he took to the outside for the braking zone for the upcoming left-hander.

However, Webber was holding the inside line and as Hamilton came round to take the corner the Red Bull hit the McLaren’s left-rear wheel which did terminal damage to the suspension and put the Briton out on the spot.

Webber was able to continue and stay ahead of the other McLaren of Jenson Button despite nursing badly worn tyres to come home third and increase his championship advantage to 11 points.

The Australian revealed afterwards that he had to contend with vibrations from his car over the final phase of the race.

“It was very, very difficult to get away cleanly [at the re-start] when you have the backmarkers involved,” he said.

“I got caught up behind one of the Virgin drivers and he was doing his best, but Lewis just got a big run on me.

“It was pretty harsh for me to have to clear those guys and he could sort of set me up and have a crack at me, and unfortunately we made contact.

“Obviously the contact was similar to what he had in Monza with Felipe [Massa] and it could have easily been my front tyre over his wheel.

“It’s not desirable, it was a key part of the race obviously for me to keep him out and there was contact.

“It’s not something that you want to do all the time.”

Having put a run of poor starts behind him to get away in position from his fifth-placed grid slot, RBR took the appearance of the first safety car to gamble on bringing Webber’s car in for his mandatory tyre stop on lap four in a bid to bring him back into play further up the field later in the race.

Webber admits he had his doubts initially about whether it was worth taking the risk, but having quickly picked off Kamui Kobayashi and Michael Schumacher with bold moves on his return to the track, managed to lap fast enough to jump a host of cars including the two McLarens when they all made their stops later.

“The start was very good, so thanks to the team there,” Webber said.

“Seb [Vettel] had a pretty good one too so it was good for us to get away and set the base of the race in a better fashion.

“I settled into the first stint, the safety car came early and then we decided to pit. I questioned the team to start with and they said it’s the right thing so we gave it a go.

“So we pitted and I though ‘it’s going to be long stint on the primes’, and we came back out.

“And when we re-queued up behind the safety car I thought that’s not too bad, I’m in a reasonable position.

“I passed and few guys and then I got to Rubens [barrichello] and he was driving very well, I couldn’t clear him.”

Webber had admitted after his disappointing qualifying result that he had struggled to get in the groove around Marina Bay, while team-mate Vettel had managed to get the full performance out of the RB6.

And after seeing his team-mate and race winner Fernando Alonso wage a private duel for the victory on Sunday, Webber paid tribute to the pair and expressed his contentment with third.

“These two guys [Alonso and Vettel] drove a fantastic race today – all weekend they drove very well,” he said.

“It was a good race for everyone to see and I’m very happy with third.”

[MIKA27]

Bernie admits Korea could be cancelled

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has conceded there are now major doubts over whether next month's inaugural Korean Grand Prix can take place.

There have been concerns all year that the brand new circuit will not be completed in time for the 22-24 October event, which is scheduled to be the 17th round on this year's calendar.

Despite constant assurances from the Korean organisers that all would be well, Ecclestone said the situation was getting worrying.

"It's not good," he told the BBC.

"It should've been inspected maybe six weeks ago - which it was, but it wasn't passed."

He admitted that by changing its procedures to give Korea more time, F1 was in danger of setting a bad precedent.

"We normally have a 90-day check before a race, and now we're sort of putting this off," Ecclestone explained.

"It's quite dangerous, what we've done, actually."

He said cancellation was now an option under consideration - but that for now he was accepting the Korean GP authorities' line that the situation was under control.

"It's a case of do we cancel the race or not," said Ecclestone.

"They say it's all going to be okay, so we hope they're right."

Former Hispania driver Karun Chandhok demonstrated a Red Bull at the Korean venue three weeks ago, and said at the time that he suspected it would just about be ready for the race date.

"Looking at the facilities, the garages and team buildings look pretty much finished and they're big," said Chandhok after his exploratory outing.

"The track itself needs a bit more work on the asphalt and the kerbs, but the organisers think it's all within their time-lines and are confident that it will be ready on time."

[MIKA27]

Singapore GP photo gallery

Button got a better launch than Hamilton and appeared set to take third away from his team-mate, but Lewis braved it on the outside to hold position into the first chicane

Tonio Liuzzi’s miserable weekend came to an abrupt halt on the opening lap when, having already himself hit Nick Heidfeld’s Sauber up the back, the German returned the favour later round the lap, breaking the Force India’s right-rear track rod

Nick Heidfeld struggles back to the pits for repairs with the right half of his C29’s front wing trapped under his front tyre

The dangerous positioning of stranded Liuzzi’s car to the outside of the turn 10 chicane meant the safety car made its first inevitable Singapore GP appearance

With Webber having been unable to make up any ground from fifth on the grid on the opening lap, RBR’s strategists used the safety car as an opportunity to throw the dice and make the points leader’s one tyre stop early so to try and gain him places later

Virgin found itself in new territory after the safety car having kept Glock out while other teams pitted their cars. He hung on gamely too for over 10 laps before Hulkenberg slung his FW32 up the inside and started a chain reaction

Having quickly dispensed with Kobayashi and Schumacher, Webber’s progress on the hard tyres was slowed by Barrichello who was continuing to show a good turn of speed in the Williams

Trulli’s Lotus takes flight over the lethal turn 10 kerbing. It proved to be another dispiriting day for the veteran Italian, who was one of the first retirees courtesy of more hydraulics problems

McLaren duo Hamilton and Button fell into the clutches of Webber when their soft tyres began to badly go off towards the end of the first stint

Ferrari and Red Bull pitted their respective race-leading drivers on the same lap and, with no mistakes from the former’s crew, it meant Alonso left with his lead over Vettel intact

The safety car was pressed into service for the second time after Kobayashi had hit the wall and Hispania’s Senna had subsequently crashed into the wrecked Sauber

Webber and Hamilton – the pre-race top two in the championship – found themselves line astern at the re-start, but collided at turn seven after a lapped Virgin had slowed the Red Bull and allowed the McLaren to get a run. Lewis came off worst and retired

A disconsolate Hamilton was left to reflect on the consequences of another non-score

Kubica’s race seemed run when he was forced to pit from sixth with a puncture. But, on fresh hard tyres, he showed he wasn’t finished yet, a precise pass on team-mate Petrov one of many similar moves he pulled in the closing laps to net seventh

Senna's race ended when he ploughed into Kobayashi's crash

Sutil finished eighth on the road, but was demoted to ninth

Michael Schumacher endured another of those days that must leave him questioning why he came out of retirement. Mid-way through the race, having already clashed with one Sauber, he damaged his front wing in a banzai lunge on countryman Heidfeld

Once equipped with a new nosecone, Schumacher went on to finish a lapped 13th

Heikki Kovalainen was forced to abandon his Lotus on the penultimate lap on the pit straight after it caught fire following a collision

The Finn then turned firefighter as the race continued to go on to the right of him

Vettel harried Alonso but couldn't find a way past

Despite a renewed challenge by Vettel in the closing laps, Alonso typically didn’t buckle and claimed his second successive win and the 25th of his career

Massa made it through to ninth but hoped for better

Alonso celebrates a stunning Singapore win

Alonso and Vettel exchange pleasantries following one of the most closely-fought battles for victory of the season

The podium tuck jump is gaining in popularity among F1's big hitters

If anyone deserved a cool down after nearly two hours of frenetic racing in high humidity, it was the race winner

After a challenging weekend, Webber was pleased to leave Singapore with both a trophy and an increased points lead

[OZCUBAN]

It's going to be an exciting finish this year, four races to go, C'mon Webber!

My sentiments exactly GO MARK

[OZCUBAN]

Once again great posts Mika

Was a really good race ,and waiting for the axe to fall on webber's head was almost unbearable

Still a good result (apart from vettel )

It's going to be a nail biter

Keep up the good work on what is an excellent thread

a one stop shop

OZ

[brian1]

Great posts Mika. As a Ferrari fan I was happy for the team and the great result in Singapore. I cant stand Alonso, so I hope Webber takes the championship. He seems a very decent guy, is a great driver and after all the bad luck he has had over the years, deserves to take it.

[MIKA27]

Great posts Mika. As a Ferrari fan I was happy for the team and the great result in Singapore. I cant stand Alonso, so I hope Webber takes the championship. He seems a very decent guy, is a great driver and after all the bad luck he has had over the years, deserves to take it.

Thanks very much Brian and to all who contribute by way of reading this thread.

Of late I haven't posted as ritualistically as I normally do due to a busy work schedule, however I do try 99.9% of the times to post each and every day.

I too hate Alonso, I'd have loved to see Massa come out on top of Alonso but I guess theres always next season.

This season is Webbers so I hope he wins the WDC as it is well deserved.

[MIKA27]

Vettel lusts after F1 World title

Sebastian Vettel has revealed that Red Bull are "horny" for success, although even he wonders if that "does not make too much sense."

Vettel's second-place finish in Sunday's Singapore GP allowed the German to close the gap on his team-mate and Championship leader Mark Webber for the second successive race.

He now trails the Aussie by 21 points with a 100 still to play for and reckons the World title fight can still be won by any of the leading five drivers.

"We have now got four races, and it is very tight. I think any of the five drivers at the top of the Championship still have a very good chance," he said.

"Things can change quickly - look at Fernando (Alonso), people wrote him off for the Championship twice already and he is back. You win one or two races in a row and you are back again."

The 23-year-old believes consistency will play a huge part in deciding the outcome but, given that three of the final four circuits should suit his RB6, he's feeling rather "horny" about his prospects.

"The most important thing is consistency and, as I said, I am confident as we have a very strong car and a good team.

"I think it's looking good. We are Red Bull, we are in a unique position again this year and we are horny - can you say that in English or does it not make too much sense?

"I think we have a very good chance.

"Korea is coming up which is unknown but, other than that, if you look at Japan, Brazil and Abu Dhabi, I think we have a very strong car."

[MIKA27]

Bridgestone: Webber very, very lucky

Bridgestone's Hirohide Hamashima has revealed that Mark Webber was extremely lucky to finish the Singapore GP as his tyre was on the verge of coming off its rim.

Webber, who pitted on lap 4 of the 61-lap Singapore GP, suffered a collision with Lewis Hamilton on Lap 36, causing his front right tyre to come loose of its rim.

In fact, in the hours after Webber crossing the line in third place, Bridgestone inspected his tyre and found that it was just 5mm away from slipping off entirely.

"He was very, very lucky. It was just 5mm from slipping off," Bridgestone's director of motorsport tyre development Hamashima told Autosport. "If it had slipped off then the pressure would probably have gone down.

"So Mark was lucky there, but also with the track too. If there were very high-speed left hand corners here, then the tyre would have moved a little bit more and then it would have been finished."

Asked whether he had ever seen a tyre remain inflated like that in those circumstances, he said: "No. A few times I have seen it for a few laps, but over 25 laps is incredible."

[MIKA27]

Korean organisers: We'll be ready

South Korea will be ready to host its first F1 race next month despite concerns about a delayed inspection by the sport's world governing body, organisers said on Monday.

"We will have no problem in hosting the race on October 24 as we have almost completed work" on the 5.6-kilometre (3.5-mile) track, Korea Auto Valley Operation (KAVO) spokesman Kim Jae-Ho told AFP.

A final inspection from the sport's world governing body, originally set for September 23, has been delayed, sparking worries that the circuit would not be ready in time.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone cast doubt on Sunday as to whether South Korea would be ready to host the race.

"It's not good," said Ecclestone, speaking in Singapore. "It should have been inspected maybe six weeks ago, which it was, but it wasn't passed."

He said concerns about the newly built track meant it was not clear whether the event would go ahead.

"We normally have a 90-day check before a race and now we are sort of putting this off. It's quite dangerous what we've done actually.

"I mean, it's a case of 'do we cancel the race or not?' They say it is all going to be okay, so we hope they are right."

The circuit has been constructed on reclaimed land by KAVO, a joint venture between a private firm and the provincial government, at Yeongam, 320 kilometres (200 miles) south of Seoul.

KAVO officials said the inspection from the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) was delayed only because of South Korea's three-day autumn harvest holiday last week.

"We will rush to complete work and FIA officials will see a complete circuit when they conduct a final inspection in two weeks," Kim said.

"We take Ecclestone's remarks seriously as a message that we have to step up preparations for the race."

The Korean Grand Prix will be the 17th event of this year's 19-race season. KAVO will host the race for seven years with an option to extend for five years if arrangements with the FIA are satisfactory.

[MIKA27]

Renault ready to bounce back

Although they don't want to sound over-confident, Renault believe they will be much closer to the front runners in the final four races of the season.

Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov had to settle for seventh and 11th place respectively in Singapore while things didn't go much better at the Italian Grand Prix a fortnight ago. That is in stark contrast to their performances earlier in the season when Kubica claimed a couple of podiums.

Team principal Eric Boullier says they will be a lot more competitive in the remaining races as the circuits should suit their car.

"We don't want to be too optimistic, to be fair," he told Autosport. "The next four tracks should suit better our car, you have to carry less downforce and our package with medium downforce is at its best - you saw this in Spa so we should be much more competitive."

As for the French squad's performance in Singapore, Boullier admits it was a "disappointing" weekend.

"Clearly we were not on the pace that we were expecting to be," he said. "We understand the new surface of tarmac was much less bumpy, which is why high downforce cars get more up to speed than us, and the results at the end were not very good.

"At the end we lost again some points on Mercedes and the result itself is not very good.

"Even if Robert drove brilliantly, and we can praise his performance on this - it was unbelievable to see. But clearly it was not a very good weekend for us."

The poor results in the past two grands prix have seen them slip 35 points behind fourth-placed Mercedes GP in the Constructors' Championship.

Bouller says things will need to go their way if they are to catch Ross Brawn's team.

"I think it can be, but we definitely need a faultless weekend and maybe a little bit of luck from our side."

[MIKA27]

Tug-of-war over Lotus name

Proton squared up with Formula One boss Tony Fernandes on Monday in an argument over the right to use the Lotus name.

The Malaysian car company, which owns the Lotus sports car company, said in a statement that it had terminated a licence agreement which had allowed Fernandes's 1 Malaysia Racing Team to compete as Lotus Racing this season.

Proton also said it would "take all necessary steps" to stop him using the Team Lotus name from 2011 - a move that was announced by Fernandes at last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix.

Fernandes, who also runs the Air Asia airline, hit back however, when team chief executive Riad Asmat said they had issued proceedings in the London High Court.

In a statement, Asmat said they wanted "a declaration that Team Lotus Ventures has the rights to use the Team Lotus name and everything associated with that brand in relation to Formula One".

Successful

The original Team Lotus was created by the late Colin Chapman in the 1950s and became one of the most successful teams in the sport's 60-year history, with 79 race victories and seven constructors' titles.

Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti all won world titles for Chapman's team.

Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna also raced for them in the wake of Chapman's death in 1982.

"A new dream starts today, Team Lotus is back," Fernandes declared last week after acquiring Team Lotus Ventures from David Hunt - brother of former world champion James.

Hunt retained the rights to the name following the original team's exit from F1 in 1994. However, Proton is now disputing those rights.

Proton chairman Nadzmi Salleh said: "We believe the Lotus brand to be one of the most valuable brands in Formula One today.

"We are the owners of this brand, and will take all necessary steps to protect it.

"Tony Fernandes has no rights to use the Lotus brand in the 2011 Formula One season, and we will strongly resist any attempts by him to use our brand without our permission and will withdraw our sponsorship of the Lotus Racing team."

Proton bought Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering in 1996. Known together as Group Lotus, they are now run by former Ferrari and Red Bull executive Dany Bahar.

Until 1994, the team and car firm were in common ownership.

Breaches

"Since 1994, David Hunt has claimed to have acquired assets of Team Lotus, including its name, from the liquidator," said Proton.

"He has never raced as Lotus. Mr. Hunt's attempt to acquire the name Team Lotus was ineffective. Group Lotus is the owner of all rights in the "Lotus" automotive brand including those relating to Formula One."

Proton said Group Lotus had terminated its licencing agreement with Fernandes because of "flagrant and persistent breaches of the licence by 1 Malaysia Racing Team, which were damaging to the "Lotus" brand".

Asmat said in response that the team had never discussed extending the licence and the Proton sponsorship accounted for about 1.5 per cent of their budget.

Group Lotus recently announced a move into Formula One's GP2 and GP3 support series as partners to the championship-winning ART team.

However, in a further clash, Fernandes is also entering GP2 with his own Air Asia team.

[MIKA27]

Boullier frustrated by Petrov mistakes

Vitaly Petrov's hopes of retaining his Renault seat are diminishing after team boss Eric Boullier admitted the rookie's mistakes are "frustrating".

Petrov had another disappointing weekend in Singapore and most of his woes were down to a mistake in Q2 when he spun and broke his right-rear suspension.

Although the team are yet to make a decision on who will partner Robert Kubica next year, Petrov's errors are a cause for concern for Boullier.

"It is still frustrating because he keeps doing mistakes," he told Autosport. "We put a lot of pressure on him and definitely he was not on the pace on Friday but he was there on Saturday.

"He qualified 13th with a crash in Q2, so it was a strange situation. The race could have been good, but he opened up a little bit too much the door and [Nico] Hulkenberg did a kamikaze move on him. It is racing, and it was unfortunate."

Boulllier insists that the most important thing they want from their second driver is score regular points.

"It is definitely not a money issue," he said. "It is only the understanding for him to fit in F1 - and for us to give as much support as we need to give him to make sure he could be, shall I say, a decent second driver to score points next year.

"If Robert is fighting like now for fifth position and Petrov can finish seventh or eighth then that is fine. This is what we expect from a young driver. And it means his learning curve is still improving. If he is already at the limit, then it is a different matter."

[MIKA27]

Jury still out on Singapore's future

While Bernie Ecclestone would love nothing more than to hand a long-term contract to Singapore, local authorities have made it clear that they won't rush into signing a new deal.

Singapore's current contract runs out in 2012 and F1 supremo Ecclestone insists he would be more than happy to extend it.

However, politicians say they want have to do "a thorough cost-and-benefit study" before making a decision.

"We've gone through three quite different years in our experience with F1," Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S.Iswaran is quoted in the Straits Times.

"They give us a good set of data points from which to assess the F1 from.

"We want to make sure the economic benefits are justifiable going forward. I would say the decision to proceed will rest on a robust cost-benefit analysis, and clearly the terms on any deal we get going forward."

[MIKA27]

Button: You have to feel for Lewis

Jenson Button believes McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton's desire to regain the Formula One World title will ensure he bounces back in the wake of his recent double date with disaster.

It was a despondent Hamilton who departed Singapore's Marina Bay street circuit on Sunday following a second successive accident.

After running into Felipe Massa's Ferrari in Italy a fortnight ago, this time Hamilton came off worse in a collision with Mark Webber.

When luck is against you it shows no mercy because it was Hamilton and not Webber who immediately ended up retiring, in contrast to the Red Bull star who strengthened his Championship lead by finishing third.

With another zero against his name Hamilton now trails Webber by 20 points with four races remaining, assuming the Korean Grand Prix is given the go-ahead following a final inspection on October 11.

These are tough times for the 25-year-old who now more than ever must dig deep into his reserves of will and fortitude to drag himself out of the mire.

After working alongside Hamilton for the last nine months and becoming appreciative of the type of character he is, Button knows his fellow Briton will hang in there.

"You have to feel for him because that was a tough way to end a Grand Prix," said Button.

"He's had accidents in the last couple of races now which obviously is not good for him.

"But he's a pretty determined guy, a former World Champion who is determined to win back the World Championship.

"I don't agree that someone comes back stronger after a couple of bad races.

"These last two races will have simply been frustrating for him not getting any points, ending up crashing out, which is tough.

"But when the Championship is so tense and there are five fighting for it, then this sort of thing is going to happen, and it will not be the last time it's going to happen to someone either."

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh, who had to dig Hamilton out of his room in the brand centre at Monza following his error there, again had to put an arm around his driver's shoulder in Singapore.

Whitmarsh, though, is convinced the fighter in Hamilton will emerge at the next race in Japan on October 10.

"I went to speak to Lewis and he was disappointed because he is a passionate individual," said Whitmarsh.

"I told him people will take cheap shots, but that he had to look at the facts - he didn't take a risky overtaking move, he didn't make a mistake, he was unlucky, which is motor racing, and that he now has to focus on the races ahead.

"He knows that, but it doesn't take away the disappointment from knowing he should have been on the podium and he should be leading the championship at this moment and he isn't.

"The fact is he is still within one race win of leading this championship, so with four races left and 100 points, he has to go out there and win races.

"Of course after two races like he's had, it is a bit bruising, but he is a tough competitor who will bounce back and be strong at Suzuka.

"What happened will be out of his mind when he gets there, and if we give him a quick car he can win that race. That is what he will focus on."

Whilst the focus may be on Hamilton, Button himself is still far from out of the title picture, despite only finishing fourth in Singapore and dropping to 25 points behind Webber.

Exuding the kind of positivity that will eventually come to the fore for Hamilton once he has given himself time to overcome his bitter disappointment, Button knows how quickly things can change.

"The gap is still only a win away, so I have to believe I can still get it done," said the reigning Champion.

"I was leading by about 15 points this time last year with three or four races to go, and it was like 'wow, this is tense', and that was just with two guys breathing down my neck.

"Mark has four guys breathing down his, and knowing which one to cover is quite difficult. You are going to have different cars quick at different circuits.

"So every race is going to get mixed up, and hopefully the next race will be our chance to shine."

[MIKA27]

De la Rosa all set for Pirelli role

Pedro de la Rosa will start life as Pirelli's Formula One tester in October, the Italian manufacturer has confirmed.

The Spaniard, who lost his F1 race seat shortly before the Singapore GP, takes over from Nick Heidfeld - the man who replaced him at Sauber.

"I'm really pleased to be joining Pirelli," the 39-year-old said.

"Tyre testing is something that I have always enjoyed as it is a very big challenge, especially in Formula 1. The information you can get from telemetry and sensors is valuable, but nothing replaces the individual feeling of a driver with new tyres so I hope I can be a real asset to Pirelli.

"There's not a lot of time left and a huge amount of work to do, but I'm very much looking forward to it and I am sure that our collaboration will be a success. A lot of useful work has been done already and now we have the opportunity of taking it forward."

De la Rosa will make his debut during a two-day session in Spain on October 5-6.

Fellow tester Romain Grosjean was on duty at Monza recently, completing about 70 laps over the two days to check durability and consistency of the tyres in warm conditions.

"Romain jumped in to do some durability testing and did an excellent job," Pirelli's Motorsport Director Paul Hembery said.

"The objective of this test was to confirm the structural specification of the tyres we will use for the first time at the test in Abu Dhabi, and we now move on to working on our rain tyres and compound definition."

[MIKA27]

Boullier ready to meet with Kimi

Renault have narrowed the shortlist for their final driver's seat for the 2011 season, and yes, Kimi Raikkonen has made the cut.

Team principal Eric Boullier revealed earlier this month that former World Champion Raikkonen is "on the radar" after he contacted them about the possibility of teaming up with Robert Kubica next year.

Frenchman Boullier confirmed that Raikkonen remains one of their options for the upcoming season, but says he wants to meet with the Finn before making a decision.

"It is definitely getting closer to when we will make a decision," he told Autosport. "But we really want to consider all of the options.

"I decided to tell some drivers that we will not carry on discussions with them, so we now wait and see - but Kimi remains one of our scenarios.

"I have said many times that I want to meet with him first before we do anything more. I want to understand more about his wish to come back."

[MIKA27]

'Bruised' McLaren remain upbeat

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh is convinced his team will rise again in Japan after first nursing their Singapore bruises.

Whitmarsh and McLaren endured a rough ride around the Marina Bay street circuit on Sunday, emerging from the night race with only 12 points courtesy of Jenson Button's fourth place.

It could have been so much more if Lewis Hamilton had not been embroiled in another accident to follow on from the one in Italy a fortnight earlier.

Unlike in Monza, however, Hamilton's collision with Championship leader Mark Webber was not of his own making as he attempted a move that would likely have seen him finish on the podium.

A race to forget leaves Hamilton and Button 20 and 25 points adrift of Webber respectively, whilst McLaren have fallen 24 points behind Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship.

Whilst far from ideal, Whitmarsh knows the battle for both titles is a long way from being decided, and with the aim now of giving it everything in Suzuka on October 10.

"There are four races to go and a lot of Championship points - 100 - on offer," said Whitmarsh.

"And if there are 25 points covering the first five drivers, they must all fancy their chances.

"Inevitably we came away from Singapore disappointed and bruised, but it was always going to be a difficult circuit for us.

"A number of disappointments happened over the weekend in one way or another, however we have to regroup.

"I think we were up there racing again and we will see what happens when we get to Japan."

Whitmarsh maintains his team will continue to strive to give Button and Hamilton a race-winning car again, albeit appreciating Ferrari and Red Bull are unlikely to stand still.

"We have to continue to upgrade and develop our car, and we have an upgrade coming for the next race," added Whitmarsh.

"Although Suzuka is a very different circuit to Singapore, I can't make predictions. I don't know what the other cars are going to do.

"All I know is we have decent developments and we will see, but we have to make our car quicker, develop our package to push as hard as we can, eliminate mistakes and do the best job we can.

"Suzuka is a great circuit, one we are looking forward to, as well as putting the race in Singapore in our memory bank."

[MIKA27]

Why Kubica replacing Massa makes perfect sense

The hottest rumour straight from the Formula One oven is that Robert Kubica will takeover Felipe Massa's seat at Ferrari for the 2011 season, whilst the Brazilian will join Kamui Kobayashi at Sauber.

This comes despite both drivers having secured contracts at their respective teams for next season, in fact, Ferrari renewed Massa's contract through 2012.

Whilst contracts are usually a sign that a driver is tied down to a team, Ferrari recently showed if you've got deep enough pockets, anything can happen. That's exactly what happened to Kimi Raikkonen. The Finnish driver was contracted to the Italian marque for 2010, but after a hefty payout his departure was set in stone, making way for Fernando Alonso.

The Fin recently made his intentions to return to F1 with Renault public earlier this month. Which brings me to my point.

Renault are partly in F1 to make money after Luxembourg-based investment firm Genii Capital bought a majority stake of the racing team in late-2009. Ferrari have the monetary resources to buy Kubica out of his contract with the team - however Renault don't want to loose their biggest and best asset, therefore replacing him with the interested Kimi Raikkonen would not only make sense, but would adequatly (dependent on who you rate better) fill a Kubica shaped hole.

That would leave Vitaly Petrov with a race seat for 2011, giving Renault continued access to the vital millions of pounds worth of sponsorship from Russia.

Ferrari would benefit massively with a driver line-up to match the double world champion pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button at McLaren, and the lighting quick Sebastian Vettel and experienced Mark Webber at Red Bull. This would provide Ferrari with the best shot of securing the constructors' championship - the title which brings the most financial reward.

But what of Felipe Massa? No doubt the the Brazilian would prefer to stay with Ferrari than move to Sauber, but Ferrari usually get their way and no contract is going to change that.

Massa is well-known at Sauber. He started his career with the team back in 2002. The links between the two teams are also very strong as Sauber use Ferrari engines. Could the temptation of a cheaper or even free supply of engines for 2011 be enough for Peter Sauber to sign Massa? Let's not forget the second seat at the Swiss based team remains open!

What looks like a wild rumour actually makes perfect sense for all the parties involved.

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Q&A with Williams Sam Michael

Q: What's your reaction to the 20-second penalty given to Nico Hulkenberg following a post-race protest by Force India?

SM: The team accepts the decision made by the FIA stewards.

Q: Aside from that, the Singapore Grand Prix was a positive weekend for AT&T Williams. What's your assessment of the new parts taken to the race?

SM: Singapore showed that we have made good progress with the FW32. Recent results highlight the fact that we've been competitive at a variety of different circuit layouts. That should continue for the remaining races on the calendar.

Q: Nico required a new gearbox on Friday and a new engine just before qualifying. What were the problems with these units?

SM: We had an issue with the differential on Nico's gearbox after Monza. Changing it cost us a five place penalty on the grid for Singapore. We then had a suspected water leak on the engine we were intending to use for Sunday’s race so we also had to change that, but that didn’t demand a penalty. We will check the engine and the cooling system when the parts return to the UK to establish the causes.

Q: Why did Rubens make such a poor start, and how much was his race compromised by the second Safety Car period?

SM: The initial part of Rubens’ start wasn't good so he had to take some risks on the first lap to minimise the damage. Fortunately, the second safety car didn’t affect his race at all.

Q: Going forward, do you think the FW32 can take on Renault and Mercedes at every track?

SM: We should be able to match their competitiveness, yes. That is certainly the aim.

Q: What are your expectations for Suzuka, the next race on the calendar?

SM: As it’s been for the past few races, our objective for Japan is to get both cars into the top ten in qualifying and then for both to score points in the race.

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Brawn: Schumacher will race in 2011

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn has confirmed that Michael Schumacher will race with the team next season.

After an under-whelming return to Formula One, there has been much speculation that Schumacher would retire once more at the conclusion of the current season, an assertion that Brawn has rubbished.

"It is definitely not true," Brawn told the official Formula One website.

"What sense would it make at that stage of his comeback to pack in his job? He's not going to do it - be sure of that!"

Schumacher has been consistently outshone by his team-mate, Nico Rosberg, and Brawn admits that if a driver without the reputation of Schumacher had delivered the same performances they may not have retained their seat.

"To be honest, probably not," said Brawn.

"But because we know Michael, we know that there is still a lot to come because Michael is in many fields more talented than others - in driving and in the cooperation with the team. The team are very happy with the way Michael is contributing.

"If he were a rookie we surely would have asked ourselves if he has the capacity to advance. With Michael we know that he has."

Brawn believes the gap between Rosberg - who has achieved three podium finishes to his team-mates zero - and Schumacher is largely due to the way in which the drivers have coped with the new tyre regulations.

"Michael's driving style depends on a strong front tyre that can withstand his hard braking and the steering manoeuvres that he prefers. Nico has simply understood better how to handle these front tyres," explained the Briton.

"I have to say that this year's front tyre is very uncommon. That stems from the fact that the FIA wanted to promote KERS and had asked Bridgestone to develop tyres that would fit a certain weight distribution and thus create a specific tyre characteristic."

Despite his less than ideal performances, Brawn does not believe that the seven-time World Champion has lost any of the skill that made him a great of the sport.

"If you take the telemetry data in fast corners or his reaction time when the car breaks away, I don't see any difference," said Brawn.

"There he's still the old Michael. But in the slow corners he cannot make full use of the tyres as Nico can. Nico has put the bar very high in this respect. But I guess that's okay for Michael as he clearly sees where he has to improve.

"I predict that in 2011 we will again see the true Michael - when we've delivered him a better car," added the 55-year-old.

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'The most boring race of my career'

Jaime Alguersuari has labelled the Singapore Grand Prix as the dreariest race of his young career.

The Spanish driver's weekend began well, qualifying in eleventh spot, but a water leak meant he was not able to take up his place on the grid and was forced to start from the pitlane.

As a result the Toro Ross driver found himself stuck at the back of the field behind a long train of slower cars, a position he was understandably unimpressed by.

"I am satisfied that I finished the race, but to be honest, it was possibly the most boring race of my career," Alguersuari is quoted as saying by f1pulse.

"I was stuck in a train of cars and there was virtually nothing I could do.

"It should have been a good opportunity for us to score points today, having qualified eleventh, but it went wrong before the start with a coolant leak on the car, which meant I started from pit lane after the others had gone by.

"At that point, my hopes of having a good day disappeared,"

"At least I managed three overtaking moves. Looking on the positive side, I think our car has improved in terms of performance and it's not so bad to start last and finish twelfth," he added.

The 20-year-old has failed to score a point since the Spanish GP at the beginning of May and currently finds himself in 18th spot in the Drivers' standings.

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Red Bull ready for McLaren aggression

Christian Horner has no doubts Red Bull can cover any aggressive strategy McLaren might be planning on employing as the Formula One title race hots up.

With Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button 20 and 25 points respectively behind championship leader Mark Webber, the duo will likely have to start going for broke in a bid to make up lost ground.

Red Bull team principal Horner, however, believes his team have the measure of McLaren in terms of speed, and that should be enough to counteract whatever they might throw at them.

"The points system makes the gaps look bigger than they actually are because Lewis is only 20 points behind," said Horner.

"But they will obviously be going aggressive, although at the end of the day we have to focus on our own performance and maximise our own package at each of the remaining grands prix.

"And if we are quick enough, then whatever they do should not be a factor."

With Webber out in front in the drivers' standings and Red Bull as a team having opened up a gap of 24 points on McLaren in the fight for the constructors' championship, Horner's team are in a position to exercise a degree of caution at times.

Horner, though, feels it is more a case of playing it by ear, adding: "You have to approach every race, race by race.

"That is what we did in Singapore where we were second and third, and I was very happy with that.

"We scored more points than any other team, we closed the gap with Sebastian, but then extended the lead with Mark.

"So I think we just have to address each race as it comes and make sure we maximise our performance.

"If we do that then hopefully we will be in good shape when we arrive in Abu Dhabi (for the final grand prix on November 14)."

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Q&A with Jenson Button

Jenson Button reflects on his weekend in Singapore and looks ahead to the final four races of the season.

Q: Fourth position gives you more useful points in the hunt for the world title. Was the Singapore Grand Prix a good experience for you?

JB: "It was an extremely long and tough race, but I was pleased with my overall performance. I think I got the maximum from the car, and while it would have been nicer to have finished ahead of Mark, Sunday's points still definitely keep me in touch.

It was a little disappointing to see that we probably didn't have enough pace to take the fight to the Ferraris and the Red Bulls, but that was to be expected, really. Singapore is one of the highest downforce tracks on the calendar, so it's not a place where our car would really excel.

I think the next four races will be very interesting, they'll certainly play more to our strengths. And, as we've seen, this championship is going to go all the way, and it's still very hard to predict who'll come out on top - so it's very exciting."

Q: People said Singapore would be a pivotal race in the title fight - did you agree?

JB: It's funny, because every race we go to seems to be called a 'pivotal' race - and, while every result is obviously important, I don't think you'd say that any one race is really pivotal to your title campaign - it's more about the pace you carry across the balance of the season.

And, funnily enough, I think Singapore showed that it will probably actually take a couple of races to have a more significant impact on the overall standings. Okay, Fernando's had two good races, and is right in the thick of things, but Lewis has retired from the last two races, and he's still right there, and both Sebastian and me are ready to strike.

I think the new points systems has definitely amplified what people think of the standings, but I've always imagined the points as they would have been under last year?s system: so, in old money, I'm 10 points off Mark, and Lewis is about eight or nine behind him. And, with four races to go, that's not much at all.

When you say you're 25 points off the lead, that sounds a lot - but it's just easier for me to reference it by the old system. It makes it seem easier to understand and compute, too.

So, as I said, there's not going to be one pivotal race, except perhaps for the final one, it's just about taking home the points every weekend.

Q: Are you feeling confident going into the final four races?

JB: Confident. Relaxed. Happy. Yeah - I can put it in perspective: for the second year running, I'm right in the hunt for the world championship. I'm already the world champion and I've still got every chance of holding on to my title. That's what I'm in Formula 1 to do, and that's why I signed for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes; to have that opportunity.

The next race is Suzuka, a circuit I love. I'm going to spend some time in Japan beforehand, it will be a good chance to relax and to get ready for what I think will be a great weekend.

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Glock realistic about Virgin's chances

Timo Glock has delivered an honest assessment of Virgin's chances of finishing tenth in the Constructors' standings.

Virgin Racing boss Richard Branson talked up his team's chances of finishing tenth in their debut season to such an extent that he challenged Lotus boss - and fellow airline owner - Tony Fernandes that the loser of their little battle should wear a stewardess's uniform for an entire day.

Teams that have not scored points are ranked according to their highest finish of the season meaning that Heikki Kovalainen's 13th place finish in Australia sees Lotus seated above Virgin in the standings.

Branson remains upbeat about his team's chances of claiming the top spot amongst the new teams, despite the fact that they would need to achieve at worst finish twelfth in one of the four remaining races to have a chance of securing tenth spot overall.

However, Glock does not share his boss's opinion.

"It will be very difficult," Glock told Auto Motor und Sport.

"A lot must happen. Perhaps a crazy wet race or something similar. Otherwise I don't see a possibility," he added.