FORMULA 1 - 2010

[MIKA27]

Sutil & Buemi hit with Brazilian penalties

Adrian Sutil and Sebastien Buemi have both been slapped with grid slot penalties for the Brazilian GP for causing crashes in Korea.

Sutil, whose Sunday afternoon in South Korea consisted of far too many spins, crashed out of the race but not without doing damage to a rival.

The Force India driver ran out of luck on lap 47, crashing into Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi and earning himself a five-grid slot penalty for the Brazilian GP.

Added to that, Sutil was also fined $10,000 as the Korean stewards felt that by "the driver's admission that he was aware of brake problems with his car throughout the race" he caused unnecessary damage.

However, he wasn't the only driver penalised.

Toro Rosso's Buemi will also start the Interlagos race, the penultimate round of the Championship, five places back on the grid after he collided with Virgin driver Timo Glock

[MIKA27]

Webber: I can still win the title

Mark Webber insists he can still win the the title despite watching his lead in the Drivers' Championship turn into an 11-point defict in Korea.

The Australian started the inaugural Korean GP 14 points ahead of team-mate Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso but he crashed out on lap 19 following a driver error.

Alonso went on to take the chequered flag to move onto 231 points in the Drivers' standings. Webber is second on 220 with Lewis Hamilton a further 10 points adrift after a second place in Korea.

When asked by the BBC if he can still win the title, Webber said: "Absolutely. Positions are not really important at the moment, the points are the important thing.

"They can change very quickly and this is my second non-finish of the year, but there are still two races to go and I will do my absolute best."

Webber, though, was quick to hold his hand up after his accident which saw him collect Nico Rosberg on the way.

"Totally my fault," he said. "I got a wheel on the kerb on the exit of Turn 12 and it was a very slow motion moment off the back of it. Totally my mistake. Today isn't my day.

"It was a very long one (slide), frustrating. I thought I had done enough but in the end it wasn't enough. The wall obviously was close and did some damage and then I wrecked Nico's race as well.

"It brings me back to them on points and we are all back together again so we go to the final two races."

[MIKA27]

Ferrari President: Feet on the ground

Luca di Montezemolo has demanded Ferrari pay attention "to every little detail" if Fernando Alonso is to be crowned World Champ.

Di Montezemolo's words came following Alonso's Korean GP triumph under difficult circumstances that propelled the Spaniard to the top of the Drivers' standings.

It was Alonso's 26th victory of his career, with just five drivers now ahead of him in F1's all-time standings - Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Sir Jackie Stewart.

The 29-year-old is currently in irrepressible form as he has won three of the last four races, four of the last seven, taking a phenomenal 133 points from a possible 175 on offer.

Nothing has been won yet, however, a fact di Montezemolo knows only too well and he has made it clear there can be no let up in the final two races of the season in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

"What I am most pleased about is we have shown with determination, hard work, level headedness and the will to win, we can get out of the most difficult situations," said the Ferrari president, whose team were struggling up until the German GP seven races ago.

"We are a team that never give up and we showed that yet again, so I want to congratulate the entire team who worked in impeccable fashion.

"But now we must keep our feet on the ground. The Championship is still very open and we know we are up against very strong opponents.

"We will have to tackle the final two races with even higher levels of concentration, paying attention to every little detail."

Alonso was highly fortunate, however, as the rain which dominated the event and led to four Safety Car periods that amounted to 24 laps accounted for the Red Bull of Championship leader Mark Webber who crashed out on lap 19.

Then nine laps from home Alonso inherited the lead when Sebastian Vettel's engine blew in his Red Bull, giving the team their first double DNF for the first time in 51 races.

Alonso readily conceded luck was on his side, but it has enabled him to open up an 11-point cushion over Webber, while he is 21 ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton who finished second.

Alonso hailed the race, with team-mate Felipe Massa third, as "one of the best of the year" for Ferrari.

But it was a race that highlighted nothing can be taken for granted as Alonso is fully aware, appreciating his lead means nothing right now.

"We know that with the new points system anything can happen in one race," said Alonso.

"If you don't score, then you lose 25 points to one of your main opponents, so nothing has changed.

"Here it was bad luck for Mark and Sebastian, so anything can happen in the next two races.

"There are still four or five contenders, so as we repeat many times, being on the podium, being consistent is maybe the key to winning the Championship.

"We have been doing well, have been very concentrated, very focused in the last six or seven races.

"But in the last two we must continue fighting for victory, we need to be on the podium."

[MIKA27]

Whitmarsh: Button may support Hamilton

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh says the team will speak in the next few days about Jenson Button supporting Lewis Hamilton's title bid.

Following the Korean GP and his 12th placed finish, Button is all but mathematically out of the World title chase as he trails new Championship leader Fernando Alonso by 42 points with 50 still to play for.

But while Korea delivered a crushing blow to Button's title aspirations, his team-mate's were given a much-needed boost. Hamilton finished the grand prix in second place and is now just 21 points off the pace.

The huge gap between the team-mates and Button's all-but-over title campaign raised the question about whether McLaren will call on the reigning World Champ to support Hamilton in the final two races.

And that, Whitmarsh admits, is something McLaren will have to speak about before the next race in Brazil.

"Mathematically it's not impossible for Jenson, but it looks quite tough, very difficult for him," Whitmarsh said. "So we'll talk about that before we get to Brazil."

[MIKA27]

James Allen's Korean GP verdict

Source: ITV-F1.com

I suggested to Fernando Alonso in the TV unilateral interviews after the race that today was a real “game changer” as far as the championship was concerned.

He batted it away, but his body language before the cameras were switched on and again in the Ferrari hospitality area later spoke volumes about what this result means to him.

This was payback for the difficult races in Valencia and Silverstone, where he had a competitive car but was caught out by safety cars, meaning that he took just four points.

That put him on the back foot, 47 points adrift of Mark Webber, but since then he’s scored 133 points from an impressive haul of four wins and two podiums from seven races.

Ferrari do need to keep their feet on the ground, as team principal Stefano Domenicali insists, because Webber and Sebastian Vettel’s mishaps today show how quickly the situation can change.

Alonso’s concern has to be reliability, particularly of the engine he must use for the final two races.

It is the unit he raced in Monza, so it’s done a bit of work already. The one in the car today had done Spa and Suzuka, so it was its last race. Brazil is a tough circuit on engines.

Lewis Hamilton seemed a bit dejected after the race.

He managed to steal second place from Alonso in the pit stops under the safety car, but lost it again by running wide at the restart soon after the stops.

He now trails Alonso by 21 points. If he had been able to stay ahead the difference would have been just seven points – which shows how big a swing can happen with a simple moment.

The McLaren lacked pace today, especially in the final sector of the lap; it was too stiff for the conditions and Hamilton’s intermediate tyres were bald at the end, while Alonso’s still had tread.

The first Korean Grand Prix was a real thriller – eventually.

It took an hour and 20 minutes to get the race going properly after heavy rain forced the race director Charlie Whiting to start it cautiously behind a safety car and then suspend it after just three laps.

An hour-long wait ensued, before the field trailed around behind the safety car again. Fourteen laps of shifting water and the drivers were ready to race.

It was the right decision to delay the start and they just managed to get the 55 laps in before it went dark.

It was well judged by Whiting, showing what a tricky job race directing is.

The Red Bull team are gutted tonight. Almost home and hosed in the constructors’ championship and with the front row locked out in qualifying, tonight they are under pressure from McLaren in the constructors’ and have lost control of the drivers’ standings.

Webber needs to win one of the last two races and finish ahead of Alonso in the other to win the title. That’s quite a different picture from before today’s race.

Meanwhile Vettel, who has been the faster Red Bull driver for the last three races, is the one with the slimmest chance of the title now, trailing Alonso by 25 points with 50 available.

He needs two wins to have a chance, with Alonso missing the podium at one of the races.

This weekend was also the most convincing showing by Michael Schumacher since his comeback.

He drove well all weekend on a track that everyone was learning for the first time.

He was particularly convincing in the wet conditions today as was his team-mate Nico Rosberg, who would have been on the podium if Webber hadn’t hit him.

Part of the reason for this is that Mercedes made a set-up change on the dummy grid after the aborted first start, putting a wet set-up on the car.

We now move on to Brazil, which should suit Red Bull. Webber won there last year quite convincingly. He’ll need to do that again to get himself back in the hunt for the showdown in Abu Dhabi.

It has been a great weekend. There was a lot of negativity about the race in the build-up, as the circuit was very behind schedule.

This was due to a typhoon and to the unscheduled extra drainage needed to dry out the marshland the track is built on.

The Korean organisers didn’t help themselves much by not communicating their situation, but once we all got here it’s been a pleasure.

It’s a fantastic track with great facilities, and we had a great race. Next year things will be calmer, I’m sure.

[MIKA27]

Hamilton: I don't need Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton insists he would not feel short-changed in his F1 career should he never race for the Ferrari marque.

Hamilton has only ever raced for one Formula One team, McLaren, with whom he made his debut in 2007 and won the 2008 World Championship title.

And although on a long-term contract with the Woking team, Hamilton was recently asked about whether or not he would want to race for Ferrari one day.

"I was at McLaren last week looking around inside the factory," he told the Mirror, "it is such a professional team that I honestly can't see myself anywhere else.

"You never know what's going to happen and you can never say never. But I look at the cars, and of course we've not always had the best car.

"We've not always done a perfect job but it's a fantastic team with great history and I'm proud to be part of it, and I will be here for as long as they want to keep me."

The 25-year-old added: "A career can be complete without having been a Ferrari driver."

MIKA: Well said!

[MIKA27]

South Korea wants a team and driver

Having staged a successful race this past weekend, South Korea is now keen to have its own team and driver on the F1 grid.

South Korea hosted its inaugural race on Sunday and although there were a few teething problems throughout the weekend, the event was deemed a success.

The country is now keen to continue stamping its mark on F1 with the the chief executive of the Korea Auto Valley Association, Chung Yung-cho, revealing that he would like to see a South Korean team and driver on the grid.

"This is something we really must have; a team and a driver in Formula One," he told Reuters.

"I really believe this nation, the corporations, and our association must work together to find a way.

"I know there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes, but it's really time for everyone to come out and make this effort a public one.

"Let's not be afraid that we might fall short. If anyone finds they are just short of what they need, we'll help."

However, South Korea's most likely candidate for Formula One, Hyundai Motor, says they are "simply not interested in Formula One."

[MIKA27]

Maldonado handed Williams trial

Williams have confirmed they will run Pastor Maldonado in the post-season Abu Dhabi test, fueling rumours that Nico Hulkenberg is on his way out.

Hulkenberg's future is on the line with Williams refusing to confirm the rookie racer, who has scored just 18 points this season, for next year's Championship.

In fact, Williams are reportedly looking elsewhere with Force India's Adrian Sutil and GP2 Champ Maldonado both in their sights.

The team has added fuel to the Maldonado rumours by announcing that he will drive a Williams F1 car in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi.

F2 Champion Dean Stoneman will also take part in the test while valtteri Bottas will remain as

"We are delighted to have the two reigning Champions of the two strongest feeder series for Formula 1 in the FW32 for these two test days," the team said.

"Valtteri fought hard for his third place in this year's Formula 3 Euro Series, taking two wins and six podiums in a very competitive year.

"He also set a record with his second consecutive victory in the Formula 3 Masters. He has worked hard both on and off the track and learnt a great deal.

"We continue to see talent, discipline and dedication and are happy to help foster that further in 2011."

[MIKA27]

Horner: We need to look at the mathematics

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner is to review his team orders policy after suffering a huge setback in Korea.

Horner was understandably subdued post-race after witnessing his team's first double DNF for 51 races, stretching back to the 2008 Australian Grand Prix.

The wet conditions that played havoc at the start of the race and led to the first 17 laps being run behind the safety car in two separate stints accounted for Mark Webber as he crashed out on lap 19 once the racing was finally under way.

Further heartbreak followed nine laps from home when the engine in Sebastian Vettel's car blew just as he seemed set for victory.

Webber, who had a 14-point lead going into the race, now trails race winner Fernando Alonso by 11, whilst Vettel, who was poised to lead the Championship for the first time this season, is 25 points down.

With just two races remaining and only 50 points up for grabs, the dilemma for Horner now is whether he puts all his eggs in one basket and asks Vettel to support Webber in attacking Alonso.

Given the perceived pro-German stance within the team, however, it may prove unlikely once Horner has discussed the situation with team owner Dietrich Mateschitz and advisor Helmut Marko.

"I haven't had time to look at all the mathematics and scenarios," said Horner when asked how he will now play the game.

"It's something obviously we will look at pretty closely between now and Brazil.

"Clearly the objective for both of them is to be ahead of Fernando and Lewis (Hamilton), as we achieved on Saturday, and as was the case in the race when we looked set for a good result.

"Unfortunately that didn't happen, and it was a race win that was beyond our control.

"In the end we gifted Fernando 25 points, which is obviously frustrating, but this is a Championship I believe will go down to the last lap in Abu Dhabi."

Indicating which way the dice will roll when it comes to the team orders situation, Horner added: "Mark is second and Sebastian has dropped to fourth in the Championship.

"There is still only a race win between Sebastian and Alonso, and how many times have we seen this year the Championship to and fro?

"So it's impossible to have a crystal ball and predict what will happen in Brazil and Abu Dhabi."

MIKA: This is quite clear. Its not that Horner doesn't want to now impliment team orders but wether Marko and Mateschitz will allow it as it does not favor Vettel.

[MIKA27]

Briatore: 'Only a disaster can stop Alonso'

It would take a disaster to prevent Fernando Alonso winning the title, that's the view of Flavio Briatore.

The Italian, who manages both Alonso and Mark Webber, believes the title is all but Ferrari's, unless Red Bull throw their weight behind Webber's bid.

"Alonso is now eleven points in front. Only a disaster can prevent him from winning the world title," Briatore told Sky Sports 24.

The former Renault team principal, with whom Alonso won his previous two titles, said the chances of gaining a third, stand at "80 percent, unless Red Bull changes its strategy," he added in regards to the British/Austrian team using team-orders.

He then went on to rule out Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel's chances, despite the two being within 25 points of Alonso.

"The only two drivers who can do it, are Alonso and Webber," he said. "Vettel can no longer win the title, nor can Hamilton."

[OZCUBAN]

Horner rubbishes Webber crash claims

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has described as “ridiculous” claims that Mark Webber deployed underhand motives by coming back across the track after hitting the wall in his Korean Grand Prix crash.

Webber spun into the outside wall at turn 12 after losing control of his RB6 over a wet kerb, narrowly missing Fernando Alonso in the process, and then slid backwards into a heavy impact with the oncoming Mercedes of Nico Rosberg.

However in the days after the race quotes attributed to former Ferrari and McLaren driver Gerhard Berger appeared across the internet, the ex-Toro Rosso chief having reportedly said on Austrian TV that Webber could have stopped his car at the wall and that by coming back across the track he was hoping to take either title rivals Alonso or Lewis Hamilton, who had been behind Rosberg, out.

Rosberg also questioned Webber's actions, writing on his Twitter page that he didn’t understand why he didn’t hit the brakes after the initial crash and that he was “crazy” to come back across the track.

Horner, however, has leapt to the defence of his Australian driver, denying Webber had any other motive than trying to rejoin the race and keep going.

“As with every incident in Formula 1, opinions will always be made without all the facts,” Horner told the Daily Telegraph.

“Just to be absolutely clear – Mark’s intention was not to take out another driver after his crash in the Korean Grand Prix and it’s ridiculous to suggest otherwise.

“After Mark’s impact with the wall, it was clear on the TV and from the data that his car was badly damaged. However, the natural and immediate instinct of any competitive driver is not to give up and to keep going.”

Horner added that Webber’s attempts to get himself back in the race were no different to what any other driver in his position would have done.

“In the atrocious conditions, Mark made the snap decision to continue as every driver would in that situation – it’s absurd to suggest that Mark would ever deliberately take out another driver,” the RBR chief added.

“Mark accepted immediate blame for this incident, which in itself deserves credit."

The crash cost Webber the lead of the world championship, the Australian now trailing Korean GP winner Alonso by 11 points with two rounds to go.

OZ

Some people just do not have a clue.

Rosberg also questioned Webber's actions, writing on his Twitter page that he didn’t understand why he didn’t hit the brakes after the initial crash and that he was “crazy” to come back across the track.

Hasn't Nico noticed it was wet and brakes do not work to well on "WET GRASS"

IMHO, The track had very limited grip due to the newness of it ,compounded by the fact that oils resins and polymers, leaching out of the Tarmac and combining with the water ,all this leads to a track that has very low grip, and a nature of unpredictably about it.

Mark made a small mistake and payed a big price,but it could of been worse

As far as said persons comments what a croc of ****

Cheers

OZ

[OZCUBAN]

Horner: Too early to back Webber

Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner has suggested that it is too early for the team to throw its weight behind Mark Webber’s title challenge and ask Sebastian Vettel to support his team-mate.

Vettel was poised to take the championship lead in Korea until his engine expired with 10 laps remaining when victory seemed within his grasp.

That dropped him to fourth place in the standings, 14 points behind Webber – whose crash at Yeongam demoted him to second behind Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.

The twin disasters have left Webber with the better chance of winning the drivers’ title, but Horner balked at suggestions that Red Bull should cast Vettel in a supporting role in Brazil, arguing that the German’s own bid is still not over.

“We saw in today’s grand prix [that] the championship lead changed between three different drivers at different stages of the race,” he said.

“We gifted Fernando Alonso 25 points today, which is obviously frustrating, but I believe this championship will go down to the last lap in Abu Dhabi.

“Mark is P2 in the championship and Sebastian has now dropped to fourth, but there is still only a race win between Sebastian in fourth and Alonso in the lead – and how many times have we seen the championship go to and fro this year?

“So it’s impossible to have a crystal ball and predict what will happen in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.”

Despite his instinct to let both drivers race freely for as long as possible, Horner did leave open the possibility that team tactics might be brought into play at Interlagos if circumstances dictated that Vettel’s realistic challenge was over and Webber stood to lose ground to Alonso.

“I haven’t had time to look at all the mathematics and scenarios,” he said.

“It’s something that we will look at pretty closely between now and Brazil.

“Obviously the objective is for both of them to be ahead of Fernando and Lewis [Hamilton], as we achieved yesterday.”

Horner admitted Vettel’s engine failure and Webber’s crash inflicted a crushing double blow on a day when it had the chance to wrap up the constructors’ title.

“Sometimes motor racing can be cruel, and for Red Bull today was one of those days,” he said.

“Mark unfortunately made a mistake early on – one of those things – and then Sebastian had the cruellest of luck with a catastrophic engine failure, completely out of the blue, with 10 laps to go.

“It’s our first non-score this year, and we had done everything right today: we got the strategy right and read the conditions. To have an engine failure almost within sight of the end of the race is just appalling luck.

“But we are still leading the constructors’ championship and are still right in it in the drivers’, and we will fight back in two weeks’ time.

“It’s so tight. We gave Fernando a big present today – hopefully that’s the last we’ll give him this year.

“We won at both [remaining] tracks [interlagos and Abu Dhabi] last year, so there’s quite a bit of racing to go yet.”

OZ IMHO

This is what has cost red bull this season the inability to play the" team game" , and a bias toward the German driver

Enough said

cheers OZ

[MIKA27]

Heidfeld eyes seat at established team

Nick Heidfeld is still optimistic about securing a race seat with one of the more established teams next year.

The 33-year-old won't be returning to Sauber in 2011 after the Hinwil-based outfit opted to partner Mexican Sergio Perez with Kamui Kobayashi.

The German, who has held talks with several teams, is staying positive about his prospects for the next campaign even though he doesn't have the financial backing that some of the other drivers have.

"I think it will happen, but you cannot be 100 per cent sure," he told Autosport.

"Unfortunately at the moment in Formula 1 it is not solely about how you drive the car and what you can win in terms of talent, speed and clever engineering skills. Other factors play a role as well - and some of these things I cannot deliver compared to others.

"I don't have some backing like the others, but we are speaking to some sponsors who say they are interested, but first they want to see where you drive and then they might jump on board.

"On the other side, I have seen in the past drivers say they will bring five, 10 or 20 million dollars, and I don't understand how teams fall for it over and over again.

"At the end of the year, the teams find out the drivers didn't bring anything. Sometimes you wonder from the outside how they can make these mistakes over and over again. I hope they don't go for the money that is not even there yet."

Reports suggest Heidfeld has held talks with Force India, Renault and Williams, and the German confirmed he is eyeing a seat at one of the established teams, saying he doesn't want to drive for a "very slow team".

"I think it is easy to guess where positions are," he said. "I am still not targeting going to a very slow team for example. I think they are doing a good job, but I don't want to go there."

[MIKA27]

Epsilon Euskadi still eyeing F1 spot

Epsilon Euskadi are refusing to give up on their dreams of making it onto the Formula One grid.

The Spanish-based outfit were one of several teams who were vying for the 13th slot for the 2011 season, but the FIA decided not to fill the position as they felt none of the prospective entrants met the minimum funding or engineering requirements.

However, Epsilon Euskadi boss Joan Villadelprat says they could still make the grid next year as they could buy an existing team.

"We have not thrown in the towel," he told Noticias de Gipuzkoa. "The most important thing in Formula One is the funding that allows you develop for the long-term. We already have the infrastructure and human capacity.

"We are still working with a range of investors and we hope soon to have a final decision. If the decision is positive, we have a range of options. We can go for the 13th entry in 2012, or for 2011 buy an existing team."

There have been reports that Hispania could fold after a disappointing debut season, but Villadelprat says they are not in talks with the F1 rookies.

"We are not in contact with them," he said.

"But we are confident that there are licenses available, because there are several teams in a very delicate economic situation."

[MIKA27]

Bernie: We want to keep Spa

Bernie Ecclestone insists the Formula One Management company wants to keep Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps circuit on the calendar.

Doubts remain over the future of the Belgian Grand Prix due to financial problems and Ecclestone added fuel to the flames during a recent interview with The Guardian.

"If it wasn't supported by the government over there it probably would go because they wouldn't be able to afford it," he told the British paper. "It's the same with the British Grand Prix.

He added that "it's only good for the people who race" as it's a classic circuit.

"That circuit sorts out the men from the boys and if I was driving again I'd feel very happy I'd won in Spa. It's one of those classic courses. We've kept it. But we used to have 16 races. There's 19 this year and next year, with India, it will be 20. There's no magic number - it's what is commercially viable."

However, Ecclestone has dismissed suggestions that Spa could be the first to make way for one of the new venues, saying he was misquoted.

"The Guardian twisted my words," Ecclestone told Belgium's RTBF. "I am sure that in the years to come, we will lose a few races in Europe, it is almost certain. Which ones, I have no idea. But, from our side, we want to keep Spa. There are long discussions about the grand prix there but, if it does go, it will be because of the government, not me."

[MIKA27]

Barrichello wins case against Google

A judge has ordered Google Brasil to pay $118,000 to Rubens Barrichello for failing to remove from social-networking sites fake profiles that mocked the Brazilian.

The judge says Google took too long to remove the profiles after being notified by Barrichello.

Despite a successful F1 career, the Williams driver has always been criticised by some fans in Brazil for the time he was Ferrari's second driver and accepted the team's decision to constantly help then-teammate Michael Schumacher.

The decision by a tribunal court in Sao Paulo was announced earlier this week.

[MIKA27]

Todt: F1's future is looking bright

FIA President Jean Todt has no doubts F1 has a "very strong future" now it has started to emerge from the financial crisis that placed it under threat.

In the space of a year the global economic meltdown forced three major manufacturers in Honda, Toyota and BMW to quit F1.

Honda's exit in December 2008 forced former president Max Mosley to announce a budget cap that initially sparked a war with the teams.

By way of a compromise it eventually resulted in the introduction of the resource restriction agreement by which all teams now have to abide.

Despite what was one of Mosley's last significant acts in office, further pain was felt when Toyota and BMW followed Honda out of F1.

Many believed the loss of three powerhouses would severely weaken the sport, yet it has retained its allure, and for this year a trio of new teams in Lotus, Virgin and Hispania Racing have emerged.

F1 appears to have stabilised itself, much to the delight of Todt, who has now been in charge of motor sport's governing body for a year.

"It's very difficult if you are a very powerful manufacturer like BMW, Honda, Toyota," said Todt in a rare interview in Korea at the weekend.

"Incidentally, none of them were very successful, so when you spend a huge amount of money without success, it's probably easier when you have to decide where and how to invest.

"Last Friday I visited Honda, and the R&D development and all they are doing for their new cars is amazing, so they are definitely leaders.

"But it must be very painful for a company like that, when you are a leader in new technologies, not to have been able to have been a leader in Formula One, so it probably helped them to make a decision.

"Saying that three new teams have arrived, they are doing well for the first year, even if none of them have scored points, but they are respectable teams.

"They have demonstrated to be very brave to get into the business, but lots of teams and drivers have started by being uncompetitive before going to an upper level.

"We now have 12 teams participating in Formula One, which I feel is a good number.

"Hopefully we are at the end of the big economic crisis, and I think 12 teams in Formula One is quite an encouraging result."

Todt knows how easily it all could change again, but feels F1 is taking the right measures to make sure it remains viable, which is why he has cause for optimism.

"We live in a fragile world, so we must never take anything for granted," added former Ferrari team principal Todt.

"And with all the respect and passion I have for Formula One, it is not essential for society.

"So we have to be careful because you have other things that could be more essential, and that is why you have to find the right limits to be applied.

"I'm sure Formula One has a very strong future because let's not forget it is amongst the most important sports on the planet.

"It is extraordinary what Formula One means, and the fascination around it, but as I've said we cannot take it for granted.

"Bernie (Ecclestone) and (commercial rights holders) CVC know that, and on behalf of the FIA, we know that."

[MIKA27]

Massa: Titles looking good for Ferrari

Felipe Massa believes Ferrari are in "in with a fighting chance" in both title races after a double podium finish in Korea.

Fernando Alonso clinched the victory in the inaugural Korean GP, beating Lewis Hamilton and Massa to the chequered flag while both Red Bulls retired from the race.

The Spaniard's victory means he now holds an 11-point lead over Mark Webber with two races remaining while Massa's P3 saw Ferrari improve to just 52 points behind Red Bull Racing in the Constructors' Championship.

"I can look back at the last race with a much better feeling than in the previous two rounds of the Championship," Massa told Ferrari's website.

"It was a great sensation to be back on the podium after a couple of poor results and the points for third place are important for us in the Constructors' Championship and a help to my team-mate in the Drivers'.

"Ferrari's chances in both Championships now look much better than before we tackled these last three Asian races.

"Even during the difficult time, we were able to improve the car, working in the right direction and the result is that the F10 got stronger race by race, even if I missed out on getting a good points score for the team until Korea.

"Looking at the Championships, it is still possible for the team in the Constructors' and Fernando has moved into the lead in the Drivers', so we are in with a fighting chance.

"We still need to work hard to prepare for the final two rounds and clearly, we know we must try and improve our performance on Saturday afternoons. Qualifying is still our weak point, although you have to take into account how strong the Red Bulls are over one lap.

Looking ahead to the next race, the Brazilian GP, Massa's home event, the Ferrari driver is determined to clinch his first victory of the season and his third on home soil.

"I can now look forward to not having to fly anywhere for a while as the next race is in my home town.

"Last year it's true, Red Bull was very strong and won the race in Brazil, but in the years before then, Ferrari had been the strongest team, from 2006 to 2008, with our car going very well at Interlagos.

"I love racing here and can't wait to get out on track in front of my home fans."

[MIKA27]

Horner: Claims are 'absurd and ridiculous'

Christian Horner has slammed claims by Gerhard Berger that Mark Webber deliberately attempted to take out one of his title rivals in Korea on Sunday as "ridiculous."

Webber crashed out on lap 19 of the Korean Grand Prix, spinning into a wall after the wet conditions caught out the Australian.

In drifting back across the circuit, Mercedes' Nico Rosberg was unable to take evasive action, also retiring after hitting the Australian.

It led to a bizarre claim from Berger on Austrian station Servus TV that Webber "would have preferred (Fernando) Alonso or (Lewis) Hamilton," rather than taking out Rosberg.

The 10-times grand prix winner added: "He could have hit the brakes and stopped the car at the wall."

Horner has naturally issued a robust defence of Webber, who himself apologised after a race in which he lost his championship lead to Alonso.

"As with every incident in Formula One, opinions will always be made without all the facts," Horner told the Daily Telegraph.

"Just to be absolutely clear - Mark's intention was not to take out another driver after his crash in the Korean Grand Prix, and it's ridiculous to suggest otherwise.

"After Mark's impact with the wall, it was clear on the TV and from the data that his car was badly damaged.

"However, the natural and immediate instinct of any competitive driver is not to give up and to keep going.

"In the atrocious conditions, Mark made the snap decision to continue as every driver would in that situation.

"It's absurd to suggest that Mark would ever deliberately take out another driver.

"Mark accepted immediate blame for this incident, which in itself deserves credit."

MIKA: These kind of accusations, comments are always made by 'Has beens' such as Lauda, Berger, and the like. They come out of the wood work for attention to themselves and should be ignored.

Its a little sad because I like Berger and for him to make such a comment is quite stupid. IMO.

[MIKA27]

Villeneuve admits F1 team ambitions are over

Jacques Villeneuve has called time on his ambitions to return to Formula One after his partnership, Villeneuve Racing/Durango, failed to secure a spot on the 2011 grid.

The Canadian told the BBC's Radio 5-Live that his hopes of returning to the sport he made his name in, now look 'dim' and admitted it was time to look elsewhere.

"It looks quite dim right now," said the 1997 world champion. "We worked hard on it this year, to come back and build a team. That was the easiest way [to enter the sport].

"But then it didn't work out, so I think it's time to not bother looking at F1 anymore.

"We had the budget to build a team and you can only hang on to that for a certain time, and then people get bored and move on to something else. It was a lot of work and we concentrated only on that."

Villeneuve says he will now focus his time on NASCAR, despite the series taking a back seat during his bid to return to open-wheel motorsport.

"All the other stuff we're doing took to the backburner, like NASCAR. I think it's time to just focus on one thing, right now my focus is on NASCAR."

MIKA: JV's F1 ambitions were over back in 1998 onwards when he stopped winning races and became reckless....

[MIKA27]

Bulgaria set to join F1 with heated track?

A unique new circuit will begin construction early next year in Bulgaria, one which will see the track surface artificially heated to ensure a stable track temperature is maintained.

Bogdan Nikolov, Chairman of the Bulgarian Motorcycling Federation, believes the project will see tyre companies clamouring to use the track in order to test new products, whilst he also hopes to attract Formula One and Moto GP.

"The great thing about our project for hosting F1 races is that we will have a kind of a monopoly since the Bulgarian Formula One circuit will be the first in the world with heating of the asphalt layer, sort-of like central heating of the asphalt covering," he told the Sofia news agency.

"This means that all companies producing tires will be eager to use our track in order to test their tires. On our track they will not be dependent on the atmospheric conditions to test their tires at various temperatures," Nikolov explained.

The organisers behind the unique track say they expect to join the F1 calendar for the 2012 season and the Sofia news agency reports discussions with Bernie Ecclestone are well underway.

"We have until December 15, 2010, as deadline from Mr. Bernard Ecclestone, President and CEO of Formula One management and administration, to have all contracts signed.

"He is still expecting the Bulgarian side to tell him a date on which to come to Sofia to sign the contract," added Nikolov.

[MIKA27]

Red Bull get's one-off Sky sponsorship

The Red Bull team have received one-off sponsorship for the Brazilian Grand Prix from Sky TV.

The Latin-American arm of the satellite broadcaster has teamed up with the Milton Keynes based team. The deal will see Sky's logos adorned on the car for a single race.

"It’s great that we have signed this deal with Sky, which is recognised globally as an exciting and progressive brand," Christian Horner, team principal, commented.

"Sky entertains via the latest technology and so is an excellent fit with Red Bull Racing, which seeks to do the same. I hope that, together, we produce an inspiring result at the Brazilian Grand Prix."

[Baldy]

MIKA: JV's F1 ambitions were over back in 1998 onwards when he stopped winning races and became reckless....

X2

Was a good, not great, driver for a few years then the fame got to his head. As with any team sport, it's the team that win championships.

[MIKA27]

X2

Was a good, not great, driver for a few years then the fame got to his head. As with any team sport, it's the team that win championships.

A spot on point there Baldy.

Added to the fact he let fame get to him, he made a huge mistake in dating Danni Minogue also!

[MIKA27]

'Webber has blown his chances'

Three-time F1 World Champ Jack Brabham reckons Mark Webber has "blown" his chances of winning the title after crashing in Korea.

Webber, who arrived in South Korea with a 14 points lead over Ferrari's Fernando Alonso in the race for this year's title, left the Yeongam circuit without a single World Championship point.

Lapping in second place behind his German team-mate Sebastian Vettel, Webber lost control of his RB6in the trying conditions, crashing out of the grand prix.

Meanwhile, Alonso went on to win the race, bagging 25 points towards his title campaign and the lead in the Drivers' standings. He now has an 11-point advantage over Webber with two races remaining.

And although 11 points with 50 to play for is not a massive gap, Brabham, who won titles in 1959, 1960 and 1966, believes Webber's chances are over.

He told the Australian Associated Press that Webber winning "would mean a lot to me and it would mean a lot to Australia, but unfortunately I think his real opportunity has been blown last weekend."

The only other Australian to win the F1 title was Alan Jones in 1980.

Brabham, who lives on the Gold Coast south of Brisbane in Queensland state, rarely comments on the state of Formula 1. But he says he fears Webber may have missed a career chance at a title.

"I'm really there behind him in the hope that he gets there but if he doesn't do it this year I don't think he ever will, personally.

"He was there with a (14)-point lead so now he's back in the grid and that's going to make it very, very difficult."

"Mark's actually a very good driver but unfortunately he does make mistakes and the mistake at the weekend has probably cost him the Championship.

"It's a pity, really, because Vettel didn't finish and all Mark had to do was finish in front of Vettel one more time and he was home and dry."

Brabham says the 34-year-old Webber will soon be uncompetitive against the likes of younger stars such as Vettel and Alonso.

"People like Alonso are young and Mark's getting a bit too old really now. He can probably go one more year but every year that goes by now he's getting older and this is a young man's sport.

"He's racing against 21-year-olds or 22-year-olds and he's got the job in front of him. He's got to finish in front of Alonso and also Vettel and it's not going to be easy."