Sutil’s second chance means F1 grid complete

F1 News

Date: 28/February/2013

The 2013 F1 grid is finally complete following official confirmation that Adrian Sutil will return to the Force India team after a season on the sidelines.

Sutil, 30, was a Force India driver from the team’s 2008 formation to the end of 2011, when he was replaced by fellow German Nico Hulkenberg.

By that time a cloud was already hanging over Sutil in the form of an altercation in a Shanghai nightclub earlier that year with Eric Lux, CEO of Genii Capital which owns the rival Lotus team.

Sutil was later convicted of causing grievous bodily harm and unable to find an alternative drive for 2012.

However Sutil will now get a rare second chance by retaking his place at Force India from Hulkenberg, who has switched to Sauber. Sutil recently tested for the team in Barcelona, where he was praised for doing an “excellent job”.

“I want to thank Sahara Force India for giving me a second chance,” said Sutil. “Having been away from the sport, I’m even more determined to achieve my goals in Formula One.

“Things went really well at the Barcelona test last week and it almost feels as though I’ve never been away. Driving the car felt so natural and I was able to get back in the groove quickly and find the limit.

“Now my focus is on making the most of the final test session this week, working with the team in the simulator and getting myself in the best possible shape for Melbourne.”

Sutil will again partner Paul di Resta, whom he drove alongside in 2011.

Hulkenberg and di Resta finished eleventh and 14^th respectively for Force India in last year’s Drivers’ World Championship.

Young Frenchman Jules Bianchi, the Force India reserve driver, had been the other frontrunner for the 2013 race seat.

Team Principal Vijay Mallya explained: “It was a close call, but ultimately we felt that Adrian’s experience and historic links to the team gave him the edge, and will provide us with the best possible chance of realising our ambitions for the coming season.”

Alonso: 2013 Ferrari ‘on another planet’

F1 News

Date: 20/February/2013

Fernando Alonso declared the new Ferrari to be 'on another planet' relative to the debut of last year’s troubled machine, after completing his first 2013 laps at the start of the second pre-season test in Barcelona.

The Spaniard, who defied the poor outright performance of last year’s Ferrari to finish just three points from Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, had left driving duties to team-mate Felipe Massa during the opening test of the year in Jerez.

Alonso drove for a lengthy 110 laps on Tuesday at the Circuit de Catalunya, venue for his home Spanish Grand Prix, gathering data on the new F138 and latest specification Pirelli tyres.

The double World Champion set a best lap time of 1m 19.952s, good enough for third on the timesheets and within 0.3s of fastest man Nico Rosberg (Mercedes). Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen was second.

 “I feel reasonably pleased with this first day and I can say I share Felipe’s opinion that the car is on another planet compared to the one we began with on the first day of testing last year,” declared Alonso.

“The programme for this first session in Barcelona is aimed mainly at improving reliability, with the target of completing more than a hundred laps every day. Then, at next week’s test we can concentrate on performance.”

Alonso added that, unlike last year, new developments are now producing the kind of on-track results expected.

“I knew from looking at the Jerez data what sort of car I would find here today, as in fact we know more or less what we will see at the first race in Australia, in terms of what new parts we will have and how many tenths they will produce.

“This is down to all the work done over the winter in the wind tunnel and the numerous tests which confirm that the parts that are on their way will give the expected results.”

Reigning triple World Champion Vettel was fourth fastest, a fraction behind Alonso.

Hard work ahead at Ducati

MotoGP News

Date: 13/February/2013

Ducati, the ‘Ferrari of motorcycles’ that won just six events into its debut 2003 MotoGP season and lifted the 2007 crown with Casey Stoner, has a mountain to climb if it is to tackle Honda and Yamaha this season.

The Italian factory, seeking to rebuild its grand prix project following two miserable seasons with MotoGP star Valentino Rossi, was left two seconds off the pace in the opening test of the year at Sepang.

Recently purchased by German car giant Audi, part of the VW Group, a restructured Ducati Corse arrived at Sepang with a bike barely changed from last year and aiming to work through the full range of set-up options.

The theory was that, in its desperation to make Rossi competitive, too many new parts had been thrown at the Desmosedici, without proper assessment.

Ducati hoped that they could find further performance from the existing parts, whilst also identifying key areas for future gains.

The reality was somewhat different. Nicky Hayden and Rossi’s replacement Andrea Dovizioso put the bike through a full range of settings, but remained off the pace and - perhaps worst of all - declared the bike to be lacking a little in all areas.

The end result was that both Hayden and Dovizioso felt that Ducati will have to roll the dice and try some radical new parts.

“We knew this test wasn’t going to be easy. We tried to be optimistic and hope that just building the 2013 bikes would make us closer, but in reality it’s the same bike as last year with different paint work,” said 2006 World Champion Hayden.

“It was wishful thinking. We got some more data and information, but it’s clear we’ve got a lot of work to do.

“We’ve pretty much tried everything on this bike. The next test is only two weeks away so we’re not going to have anything drastically different to try. It’ll be this bike again and maybe some new electronic stuff.

“We need some help. We need more than some small set-up changes. That’s not going to be two-seconds.

“We’re missing in a lot of areas. We need to open up our expectations and look for some big changes. Expand the horizons and maybe in two ways, not just follow one path.

“We’re not giving up. There are a lot of changes going on behind the scenes and we’re not giving up now. This is just the first test.”

The second Sepang test will be held at the Malaysian Grand Prix venue from February 26 to the 28^th.

Valentino Rossi: I’m back!

MotoGP News

Date: 8/February/2013

‘I’m back’ - that was the message MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi delivered through an impressive performance on his Yamaha return, at the first test session of 2013.

Rossi, adored by fans worldwide for his colourful personality and record-breaking success, suffered a shock fall from grace when he left Yamaha for home Italian manufacturer Ducati at the end of 2010.

The Doctor didn’t win a single race during two seasons for the ‘red team’, but has swallowed his pride and returned to the multi-title winning YZR-M1 motorcycle alongside reigning Champion Jorge Lorenzo.

Lorenzo and last year’s title rival Dani Pedrosa remained at the top of the timesheets during this week’s test at Sepang in Malaysia. However it was the two riders just behind them - Rossi and rookie Marc Marquez, Pedrosa’s Honda team-mate - who stole the limelight.

Rossi, 34 this month, claimed he wasn’t sure he still had what it takes to be a top rider, but those doubts were erased after just a few laps on the Yamaha.

“What I’ve understood from my career is that the first feeling with a new bike is very important and I was straight in the top three,” he said. “When I tried the Ducati, after three laps I understood it would be very hard.

“So it was a great relief, because after two bad seasons you have a lot of doubt. Am I still a top rider? Am I still able to ride at the limit?”

A delighted Rossi went on to finish the three-day test in third place, 0.442s behind Pedrosa and only 0.113s from Lorenzo.

Rossi said: “I’m very happy. I cannot expect a better start to this new adventure because the test was so positive. I think we can fight for important results this year, because I am fast and competitive.

“My lap time got better and better, just like the top guys, and I’m only 0.4s behind. For sure I still have a lot of work to do to stay with Lorenzo and Pedrosa, but at least we have the potential to fight with them.”

But Lorenzo and Pedrosa were not the only riders Rossi highlighted as a threat.

Spanish teenager Marquez had caught Rossi’s eye while racing in Moto2, where he claimed the world title last season. The all-action Marquez was a close third fastest on the opening two days of testing, then fourth and a fraction behind Rossi on the final day.

Rossi said: “I said three or four months ago that Marquez can fight for victory from the start of the season. I like his attitude because it looks like he wants to win the MotoGP Championship at his first try.

“Marquez is ‘scary’ because of all the fast riders he has the most potential to improve even more.”

The second MotoGP pre-season test will be held back at Sepang at the end of February.