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Vettel eyes treble at Indian Grand Prix

October 21, 2013 - 12:00 | F1

Sebastian Vettel wants to win the F1 title with a victory in India.

Vettel eyes treble at Indian Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel is determined to wrap up his fourth successive Formula One drivers’ championship crown by completing a hat-trick of wins at the Indian Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old Red Bull driver will be crowned champion if he manages a top-five finish at the Buddh International Circuit, where he has already claimed pole position and the race victory in both editions of the Grand Prix. However the German is aiming to seal a third straight win on a circuit he likes and has good memories of.

“So far everything has always gone perfectly for us in India,” Vettel said.

“There is also a very nice trophy at the end of the race – so it would be great to hold one again this year!

It’s a circuit that I like, in a country that is very, very impressive every time we go there.

Sebastian Vettel

“It’s a circuit that I like, in a country that is very, very impressive every time we go there.”

Despite his target to come out on top in India next weekend, Vettel knows it will not be an easy task as he also looks for a sixth successive race victory.

He added: “It is not an easy track, because of a few complicated rhythm- breakers that are in there.

“The most difficult part is the uphill entry to Turn Three, because seeing the apex is practically impossible.

“So to drive a perfect lap around the Buddh circuit, you need a good driving instinct.”

Vettel is 1/2 to win the Indian Grand Prix, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso is 12/1 and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton can be backed at 9/1.

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Vettel can clinch title in Japan

October 6, 2013 - 12:00 | F1

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Red Bull ace Sebastian Vettel can wrap up a fourth straight Formula 1 world drivers’ title in Japan next week, following a controlled victory in the Korean Grand Prix.

Vettel can clinch title in Japan

Vettel made it three wins in a row at Yeongam by dominating from pole position, stretching his championship lead to a massive 77 points, with just five races of the 2013 season to go.

I am really enjoying things at the moment, we have a great team and we are having a great time.

Sebastian Vettel

Lotus enjoyed a fine showing, with Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean coming in second and third respectively, in a race which saw the safety car out of track twice.

Vettel said after another dominant display: “It’s not great getting stuck behind the safety car, but really pleased with the result and great by the team.

“Fortunately we had enough pace to get ahead after both safety cars. I am really enjoying things at the moment, we have a great team and we are having a great time.”

Meanwhile, Vettel’s closest challenger for the title, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, could only manage sixth place and his chances of a third world title are now slipping away.

That means that Vettel could be crowned world champion at Suzuka next weekend, if he wins a fifth consecutive Grand Prix and Alonso fails to finish inside the top eight.

Vettel has won three of the last four Japanese Grands Prix, in 2009, 2010 and 2012, with Jenson Button taking the chequered flag for McLaren in 2011.

He is now 1/500 to be crowned 2013 world champion, with Alonso 66/1 and Raikkonen 250/1.

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Rosberg fastest in British GP practice

June 28, 2013 - 18:40 | F1

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Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg set the fastest time in the British GP practice Silverstone on Friday.

Rosberg fastest in British GP practice

Mercedes star Nico Rosberg emerged with the fastest time after the second practice session ahead of Sunday’s British GP.

The first practice was heavily hit by rain, with Toro Rosso’s Daniel Ricciardo posting the fastest time, but the weather cleared up for the second session.

Rosberg managed to set a lap time of 1.32.248, with Red Bull’s Mark Webber second and just 0.299s slower than the German pacesetter.

Webber, who won the race last year, has a fantastic record at Silverstone and will be keen to take maximum points on Sunday after confirming earlier this week that he will leave Formula 1 at the end of the current season.

Championship leader Vettel came in third, just over a tenth of a second slower than his Red Bull team-mate, while Riccuiardo had to settle for sixth place after his heroics in the first session.

Force India’s Paul di Resta was the fastest Briton around Silverstone on Friday as he came in fourth, 0.584s behind Rosberg, with the Scot closely followed by Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, who managed a lap time of 1.32.911.

McLaren’s struggles continued, despite appearing reasonably confident ahead of the practice sessions, as Jenson Button finished 11th and Sergio Perez 14th.

It was also a disappointing day for Ferrari as Felipe Massa finished bottom of the pile, after crashing in the early stages of the session, while Fernando Alonso was over a second off the pace as he came in 10th.

Rosberg is 11/1 to win the British GP on Sunday, while Webber and Vettel can be backed at 13/2 and 6/4 respectively.

British hopeful Hamilton is 8/1 to come out on top, while Di Resta and Jenson Button are 9/1 and 12/1 to finish up on the podium on Sunday.

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Mark Webber announces Formula 1 exit

June 27, 2013 - 19:51 | F1

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Red Bull ace Mark Webber has confirmed that he will leave Formula 1 at the end of the season to drive for Porsche in sports car racing.

Mark Webber announces Formula 1 exit

The 36-year-old Australian has been in F1 for just over a decade, but now feels the time is right for a fresh challenge.

“It’s an honour for me to join Porsche at its return to the top category in Le Mans and in the sports car World Endurance Championship and be part of the team,” Webber announced.

I’m very much looking forward to this new challenge.

Mark Webber

“Porsche has written racing history as a manufacturer and stands for outstanding performance at the highest level.

“I’m very much looking forward to this new challenge after my time in Formula 1.”

Webber has won nine Grands Prix to date from just over 200 starts and has twice finished in third place in the drivers’ standings during his seven-year stint with Red Bull.

This season he has managed two podium finishes from the seven races to date and lies down in fifth place in the standings.

Next up for Webber and co is the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday, a race which the Australian won in both 2010 and 2012.

Webber is 8/1 to triumph again on Sunday, with team-mate Sebastian Vettel 7/4 and home hope Lewis Hamilton 13/2.

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F1 – Jenson Button sets sights on Canada

June 3, 2013 - 07:24 | F1

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Jenson Button believes McLaren are “making steady progress” after a disappointing start to the season.

Jenson Button is confident he can pick up points in Canada after finishing sixth in Monaco.

The McLaren star admits his chances of securing the race win are slim, but after an encouraging performance at Monaco he is in optimistic mood ahead of the next GP.

Button enjoyed one of the most remarkable victories of his career in Canada in 2011 as he recovered from contact with then team-mate Lewis Hamilton and a puncture to secure maximum points.

The 2009 world champion admits a first place finish could be beyond McLaren, but Button will not rule out a surprise at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

“Like Monaco, the Canadian Grand Prix can be something of an enjoyable lottery - but whereas Monaco is a low-speed, high-grip place, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is the opposite: high-speed and low-grip,” he said.

“It’s a mix that always comes together to provide the fans with great racing, which is another reason why it’s become one of the most popular races of the year.

“Going back to Canada always brings back happy memories of my race there in 2011. Coming through from last to first really does show that anything’s possible in Formula 1. While we won’t be heading to Montreal with a winning package, we’re making steady progress, and there’s always that added motivation that you can pull off a surprising result at this race.

“I’m looking forward to a great weekend in Canada.”

Button can be backed at 12/1 to secure a podium finish in Canada, while Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettl is 11/4 to grab the victory.

Fernando Alonso of Ferrari is 10/3 to win the Canadian GP and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton is priced at 7/2.

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Nico Rosberg dominates for Monaco F1 win

May 26, 2013 - 18:39 | F1

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Nico Rosberg led from start to finish to win the Monaco Grand Prix for Mercedes, with Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel finishing second to extend his standings lead.

Nico Rosberg dominates for Monaco F1 win

Mark Webber, who won in Monaco in both 2010 and 2012, completed the podium by finishing third as Red Bull moved 41 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors’ standings.

The car was really good, the tyres held on okay and that was really the key.

Nico Rosberg

Lewis Hamilton had to settle for fourth place in the second Mercedes, having started on the front row of the grid alongside pole-sitter Rosberg, while Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso finished down in seventh place.

The result leaves Vettel 21 points ahead of Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen in the drivers’ standings, with the Finn finishing down in tenth place following a late tangle with Sergio Perez.

Alonso is now 29 points adrift of Vettel, who is 5/6 to win a fourth consecutive world drivers’ title, with Raikkonen 7/1 to be crowned world champion and Alonso 15/8.

A delighted Rosberg said after his wire-to-wire victory: “The whole weekend went perfectly. I had a terrible start and I was close with Sebastian and Lewis, but after that I controlled the pace.

“The car was really good, the tyres held on okay and that was really the key, so a massive thanks to the team.

“It’s really fantastic to see how much we have been able to improve in a short space of time.”

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Race result:

1. Nico Rosberg – Mercedes 2:17:52.056

2. Sebastian Vettel – Red Bull +00:03.888

3. Mark Webber – Red Bull +00:06.314

4. Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes +00:13.894

5. Adrian Sutil – Force India +00:21.477

6. Jenson Button – McLaren +00:23.103

7. Fernando Alonso – Ferrari +00:26.734

8. Jean-Eric Vergne – Toro Rosso +00:27.223

9. Paul di Resta – Force India +00:27.608

10. Kimi Raikkonen – Lotus +00:36.582

11. Nico Hulkenberg – Sauber +00:42.572

12. Valtteri Bottas – Williams +00:42.691

13. Esteban Gutierrez – Sauber +00:43.212

14. Max Chilton – Marussia +00:49.885

15. Giedo van der Garde – Caterham +01:02.590

16. Sergio Perez – McLaren retired, 72 laps

17. Romain Grosjean – Lotus retired, 63 laps

18. Daniel Ricciardo – Toro Rosso retired, 61 laps

19. Jules Bianchi – Marussia retired, 58 laps

20. Pastor Maldonado – Williams retired, 44 laps

21. Felipe Massa – Ferrari retired, 28 laps

22. Charles Pic – Caterham retired, 7 laps

Pressure lifts for upbeat Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes

May 10, 2013 - 20:00 | F1

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Lewis Hamilton insists he is far happier now he is at Mercedes following his switch from McLaren at the end of last season.

Pressure lifts for upbeat Lewis Hamilton

The former world champion has made an encouraging start to the 2013 season, picking up podium finishes in Malaysia and China, as well as securing fifth spots in Australia and Bahrain.

There was a point where I was driving and crashing – for no reason.

Lewis Hamilton

He is 5/1 to be the fastest qualifier for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix and 12/1 to actually win the race.

Hamilton says he doesn’t feel as though he is under as much pressure at Mercedes compared with McLaren, saying: “I was in a very controlled environment for as long as I can remember and only recently have I come out of that.

“Nothing controls me now. I’ve obviously got a boss in Ross Brawn, but now I make the decisions and I don’t have to report to anyone.

“There was a time when I would make a call and worry about it, that I was wrong, because of the way I was raised to look to my dad. It felt like a lot of pressure and I don’t have that now. I can call my dad and tell him I’ve bought a house or a car and share it with him. It’s a different chemistry.

“There was a point where I was driving and crashing – for no reason. I just wasn’t on the ball. In this job you can’t be thinking of anything else, you need to be focused all the time.”

Meanwhile, Hamilton is 18/1 to win a second world title in 2013, with Mercedes 14/1 to be crowned constructors’ champions.

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Pressure lifts for upbeat Lewis Hamilton

May 8, 2013 - 08:00 | F1

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Lewis Hamilton insists he is far happier now he is at Mercedes following his switch from McLaren at the end of last season.

Pressure lifts for upbeat Lewis Hamilton

The former world champion has made an encouraging start to the 2013 season, picking up podium finishes in Malaysia and China, as well as securing fifth spots in Australia and Bahrain.

There was a point where I was driving and crashing – for no reason.

Lewis Hamilton

He is 5/1 to be the fastest qualifier for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix and 12/1 to actually win the race.

“Nothing controls me now. I’ve obviously got a boss in Ross Brawn, but now I make the decisions and I don’t have to report to anyone.

“There was a point where I was driving and crashing – for no reason. I just wasn’t on the ball. In this job you can’t be thinking of anything else, you need to be focused all the time.”

Meanwhile, Hamilton is 18/1 to win a second world title in 2013, with Mercedes 14/1 to be crowned constructors’ champions.

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Ecstatic Lewis Hamilton claims Shanghai pole

April 13, 2013 - 13:34 | F1

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Lewis Hamilton secured his first pole position for Mercedes after setting the fastest time in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, while team-mate Nico Rosberg was fourth quickest.

Ecstatic Lewis Hamilton claims Shanghai pole

Former McLaren driver Hamilton was nearly 0.3 seconds quicker than the second fastest qualifier, Kimi Raikkonen, while two-time world champion Fernando Alonso will start from third on the grid in his Ferrari.

Rosberg edged ahead of fifth-placed Felipe Massa but it was a bad day for Red Bull. Sebastian Vettel was only ninth fastest while team-mate Mark Webber failed to make the top-ten after apparently running out of fuel in second qualifying.

It’s an incredible feeling. I’m so happy to have our first pole for some time. I’m just ecstatic really.

Lewis Hamilton

The Australian will be sent to the back of the grid unless his car has enough fuel in it to provide a one-litre sample as well as being able to get back to the pits from where it stopped.

Lotus’ Romain Grosjean was sixth ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in his Toro Rosso and McLaren’s Jenson Button. Nico Hulkenberg failed to set a time in the final session.

Hamilton is 2/1 to win Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, while Vettel can be backed at 11/2 and Webber at 50/1. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is 8/1 to clinch this year’s drivers’ title.

Hamilton said of his pole position: “It’s an incredible feeling. I’m so happy to have our first pole for some time. I’m just ecstatic really.

“The lap was great. The team has performed well all weekend so far. I hope we can carry it into tomorrow. It’s really surprising, in P3 the Ferraris were very quick but we had really good pace in Q1 and Q2 but that last lap is really tough to get.

“We left it down to the last three minutes so you’ve got to get perfect out lap and the perfect lap. I really can’t complain about that lap.”

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Jenson Button forecasts McLaren upturn

April 4, 2013 - 13:00 | F1

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Jenson Button still believes he can win his second drivers’ title this year even though he has struggled in the first two races of the 2013 season.

The 33-year-old McLaren driver, who won the world title with Brawn GP in 2009, came ninth at the Australian Grand Prix before finishing 17th in Malaysia.

The great thing is there are so many cars that are competitive and taking points off each other, which is exactly what we need.

Jenson Button

As a result Button has just two points from the first two rounds – 38 less than championship leader Sebastian Vettel – but the Englishman remains upbeat about the season ahead, starting with the Chinese Grand Prix later this month which he is 22/1 to win.

Button, 33/1 to win the 2013 drivers’ title, said: “The championship is still on as far as I’m concerned and I’m aiming for that. Definitely.

“Sebastian Vettel almost beat me to the title in 2009 and he didn’t score for the first four races. It’s a massive turnaround for us. Most of the race in Sepang we were quicker than the Lotus. Most of the race we were quicker than Ferrari. Who would have thought that five days before?

“We are still not where we want to be and we got a bit lucky with the circuit being so smooth which helped a bit, but a lot is understanding where the downforce is.

“The car is still not perfected, it was really thrown together for Sepang. The great thing is there are so many cars that are competitive and taking points off each other, which is exactly what we need.”

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