Mark Webber cools talk of championship glory

Mark Webber says it is too early to talk about winning the world title despite going top of the standings after victory at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Webber made it two wins out of two on Sunday to lead the title race on count-back, with Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel joining him on 78 points.

"We're in a good position and we have a good foundation," he said.
"But no-one knows who is going to be in the hunt with a few races to go. I don't think it's between two guys."

The Red Bull team have been dominant this season, claiming pole position in all of the six races so far, with Webber winning in Monaco and last week in Spain while Vettel emerged victorious in Malaysia.

Vettel could also have had victories in Bahrain and Australia but was hampered by reliability problems.

Red Bull also lead the constructors' world championship by 22 points from Ferrari but when asked whether the championship will be between the team's two drivers, a cautious Webber added: "Two races ago everyone was saying someone else.

"In two races' time they might be saying someone else again.

"Obviously, Seb and I are equal on points. We've got some different venues coming up, keep in mind that engines are going to come into play in the back part of the championship.

"I'm optimistic and realistic enough to know that of course you are not going to win every race but we are looking to get as many top results as we can.

"It is a long way home. We have so many different conditions and different tracks - Montreal, Monza and Budapest - there are many exciting times ahead so I'm looking forward to it.

"There's lots of things to roll into this situation yet."

Webber hailed the victory in Monaco as an important landmark for his Red Bull team, calling it an "incredible day".

"Red Bull have not been around for long," he added. "People forget - three or four years ago they were saying we were the laughing stock.

"It's a great sports story to come in and take on great operations like McLaren and Ferrari.

"That gives us a good feeling but they will be back. They're still fighting right now, it's a good championship."

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner echoed Webber's comments, describing the success as a "brilliant team result".

"This is even sweeter than Spain," said Horner. "Mark Webber has had the week of his life. To dominate the race like that here in Monaco is incredible.
"He has found a rhythm gelled and with the car and the upgrades.
"He is in a very good place at the moment. It's all about confidence round here and you wont find a more confident man than Webber in Monaco.

"Sebastian Vettel drove a great race as well to hold off Robert Kubica.

"The team comes before everything and its testimony to everybody's effort that we got this result.

"We had brake issues coming out of Barcelona the guys have worked relentlessly and this result is a reward for all of that hard work."

Webber was untouchable in Monaco, claiming his second straight pole on Saturday before cruising to victory in the race - despite the disruption of four safety cars - to become only the second Australian to win in the principality.

"It was not a nice situation to be honest with all the safety cars," added the 33-year-old after his fourth career win.
"You do all the hard work, you get away and then you have a safety car which neutralises that and you have some fast guys back on your wheel again.
"It was very difficult when it is like that but that's part of a driver's job, to stay composed and do the job."

The first Australian to triumph in Monaco was Jack Brabham in 1959 and Webber says the three-time world champion was the reason he got into the sport.

"I would not be here without Jack Brabham," said Webber. "My father started following single-seater racing when he was very young.
"He was a huge F1 fan and when Jack was doing the winning back then it started a fire in my dad to keep me interested.
"That translated in to me as a youngster and to win here on the same streets as Jack did is an amazing thing."

Afterwards, Vettel said that he was "very happy" despite not being able to match his team-mate.
"Especially in the beginning and the re-starts I wasn't able to keep up with him," he said. "There was a big difference.
"Later on, when I finally felt the grip I wasn't too far off but by then he was already 10 seconds down the road and winning the race by five, six, seven seconds, so there was no real point to make the effort trying to catch him.

"In the end I think it was our optimum. I am very, very happy - we couldn't have gone better.
"It's a long season and it is not about what you do in one or two races."

Sebastian Vettel wins the Malaysian GP for Red Bull

Red Bull overcame their reliability issues as Sebastian Vettel headed a one-two in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Vettel, whose car cost him potential wins in Bahrain and Australia, overtook team-mate and pole-setter Mark Webber at the start and held on to triumph.
Mercedes' Nico Rosberg took third while the McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were sixth and eighth.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa leads the championship after finishing seventh as team-mate Fernando Alonso retired.
Massa is now two points ahead of Alonso, who is level on points with Vettel but heads him in the standings because of a stronger results countback.
Rosberg and Button are both two points back on 35, four ahead of Hamilton and five in front of Renault's Robert Kubica, who again impressed to finish fourth after coming second in Australia.

Despite losing his position at the head of the grid, Webber drove an excellent race - he produced the fastest lap (one minute 37.054 seconds) - to move up to eighth in the championship.
"The first part of the race is critical and the first sector I had a little wheel spin on the way to Turn One and gave Seb a big tow," said the Australian.
"The spirit and chemistry in our team is awesome and we fought well. Seb got the better of it but it could have gone either way. Great result for the team, we executed a beautiful weekend."
It was a first one-two for Red Bull since the final race of the 2009 season, the team finally getting their reward for consistently being the fastest car on the grid this season.
A broken spark plug did for Vettel in Bahrain and the German had a wheel failure in Melboune, while Webber's engine failed during Friday's practice session for this grand prix.
But they had no such problems on race day at the Sepang Circuit as both cars cruised problem-free and untroubled to the flag.

"I realised straight away I had a good start, I was able to gain, gain, gain and I had a good advantage," said Vettel. "I took the chance into Turn One, it was very late but I took it.
"It's good that we can fight each other but you should keep the respect and I am glad that we have done that, I am sure Mark would do the same as I did.
"After that we had the same pace but I was able to stay in front. We had a magnificent car - I just had to watch the pace and look after the tyres.
"It was a very good result for us especially after two races where we didn't finish where we wanted to be. It was important to stay relaxed and not panic so I am really pleased for me and the team."
The strategic errors made by Ferrari and McLaren during Saturday's rain-affected qualifying meant Alonso and Massa started 19th and 21st respectively, with Button and Hamilton 17th and 20th.
But while Vettel was busy passing Webber on Turn One, all four were making moves of their own and Hamilton, in particular, seemed to be picking off victims at will.

The 2008 champion, along with both Ferraris, was one of the few drivers to start the race on hard tyres but the call paid off as all three put themselves in strong positions.
Reigning champion Button had been sent out on soft tyres but pitted on lap nine for the hard variation and instantly began to hunt down his rivals with several new fastest laps.
Ferrari seemed to be gambling on pre-race forecasts of heavy rain coming to fruition because they kept their drivers out on the hard tyres while most other teams were bringing their men in for a fresh set.
The Italian team's plight was not aided by Alonso's car developing a broken clutch, which produced awkward down-shifts and made braking into the corners tricky and overtaking near-impossible.
With the likes of Rosberg, Kubica and Sutil, who secured an excellent fifth-place finish for Force India, maintaining the pressure up front with some scintillating laps, Ferrari and McLaren acted.
Hamilton stopped for soft tyres on lap 31 and Alonso was the final man to pit on 37, but Hamilton could not make it past Sutil and Alonso's broken clutch put paid to his chances.
The game was up for the Ferraris and McLarens, Button producing increasingly slow laps on ageing tyres and Alonso seeing his engine blow on lap 55 after trying to pass the world champion.

There was more disappointment for Michael Schumacher as the seven-time world champion retired on lap 10 after a nut dislodged itself from the rear left wheel of his Mercedes.
"I lost a wheel nut basically so there was no more drive left," the German, who had climbed from eighth to sixth when he was forced off, told BBC Radio 5 live. "It's very unusual for us to have a reliability problem.
"We were in good position I was pacing myself, and although it is a long race it was all looking OK."
However, Rosberg was understandably delighted to have secured a first podium finish with his new team since joining from Williams.
"It's a great feeling to be back up on the podium again," he said. "This is a great end to a strong weekend for us.
"We're not quite where we want to be yet so we need to push on but I'm confident that we'll get there soon."
Meanwhile, there was an improved showing from the new teams as a Virgin car - Lucas di Grassi's - completed a race for the first while Lotus and Hispania brought both drivers home.
It was also a day to remember for Torro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari and Nico Hulkenberg of Williams, both of whom scored world championship points for the first time.

BBC Sport/formula1

Vettel wins Japanese GP to boost F1 hopes

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel led from start to finish to win Formula One's Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, reviving his championship hopes.
Vettel finished ahead of Toyota's Jarno Trulli and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.

Driver's championship leader Jenson Button of Brawn GP was eighth, a place below teammate Rubens Barrichello.
Brawn GP all but sealed the constructors' championship. Only a one-two finish by Red Bull in both the remaining races and Brawn finishing pointless can prevent a Brawn championship in its first season.
A post-race stewards hearing had the potential to seal the constructors' title, but fifth-place finisher Nico Rosberg was cleared of charges that he did not slow when yellow flags were waved after a late crash. Had he been demoted or disqualified, the Brawn GP cars would have had enough points for the title.
In the drivers' championship, Button's lead over Barrichello was cut by one point to 14, with Vettel just two points further back.
"It can still be done and its looking much better now," Vettel said of his chances in the championship. "Shame there's only two races to go, but that's life. Anything is still possible and it can change quickly."
It was Vettel's third win of the season, and first since the British Grand Prix in June. The German started from pole position and got a strong start to keep the KERS-power boost cars behind him.
He had built a 12.5-second buffer over Trulli before the late emergence of the safety car following a spectacular crash by Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari, who crashed through a trackside advertising board into a tire wall.
Even with the running order compacted, Vettel emerged strongly when the safety car was removed, and his victory was not threatened.
Trulli started second but was overtaken into the first corner by Hamilton, with the aid of the KERS-power boost in his McLaren.
However Trulli stuck behind Hamilton and after his second pitstop, emerged in front of the McLaren, which had lost a malfunctioning KERS system shortly beforehand.
Toyota has finished second in successive races, but still has not broken through for its first F1 win, meaning Trulli was less than exuberant when he climbed from the car, even as Japanese fans reveled in Toyota's strong showing.
"I am happy to be on the podium, but I have had many podiums," Trulli said. "What we are missing at the moment is a win."

Button's eighth place came under threat in the four-lap dash to the finish after the safety car went in, but he defended well to hold off BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica.
Button has not won in eight races, but has collected points in each and still remains in a strong position to clinch the drivers' title in either Brazil or the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Still, the Briton will be mindful that compatriot Hamilton led by 17 points with two races to go in 2007 and still did not take the title � something Vettel reminded him of post-race.
"Everyone said to Lewis it would not be a problem, sitting in one of the most competitive cars, just get a couple of points," Vettel said. "But as we can see, sometimes things don't go your way."
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen finished in fourth place, ahead of Rosberg and BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld.

Interview with Mark Weber

Mark Webber hopes to turn F1 losses into winning formula for Red Bull

Mark Webber started the season with a badly broken leg but the Red Bull veteran could become the most unlikely of Formula One champions

Wisdom comes from adversity," Mark Webber says coolly, his matter-of-fact Australian accent making him sound less like an aspiring sage than an old drinking buddy becoming suitably philosophical at the end of a long night. But, deep into the third hour of our own session, Webber remains brilliantly clear-headed and engaging. It helps that, over lunch at his home high up in the rolling hills above Nice on the C�te d'Azur, French sunshine and soft cheese take the place of a dimly lit bar and hard booze. Webber also has a permanent bump the size of a golf ball at the base of his right leg as a reminder of his own adversity over the last year.
His central role in a remarkably unpredictable Formula One season was almost obliterated when he suffered a severe break to his leg and fractured his shoulder after he was hit by a car while cycling in his own charity challenge last November. But even as he rubs his damaged leg, still held together by a metal rod that will only be removed after the final race in Abu Dhabi this November, Webber's thinking stretches further back.
"You don't learn much when you're winning," he says with a grin, acknowledging that his first victory in Formula One only arrived in his 131st race, and eighth year of trying, at the German Grand Prix in July. The preceding years had been a lonely grind in the middle or near the back of the grid as Webber drove hard for a variety of struggling teams.
"If you drive poor cars for two or three years there's a danger you'll be gone from the sport," Webber stresses. "It's a merciless business but, of course, there are guys who have the talent and the resilience to hang in during those difficulties. Those are the drivers that survive and grasp the opportunity when it comes. Look at Mika Hakkinen � who went a hundred races and then won a world championship. Maybe that's what's happened to Jenson [Button] and me this year. We've survived some tough times and we're now in the hunt for the title."

In contrast Lewis Hamilton, the reigning world champion, has endured a disappointing year, with the initially woeful performance of his McLaren being accompanied by an admission that he had lied to race officials in Australia. His predecessor as world champion, Kimi Raikkonen, has also raced fitfully and his and Ferrari's season has been overshadowed by the freakish accident that almost ended Felipe Massa's career. There have been numerous other problems off the track, from the usual controversy surrounding Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley to a new accusation that last season Renault ordered Nelson Piquet to purposely crash his car to stop a race.
The sporting duel between Button and Webber, and their unheralded teams at Brawn and Red Bull, has been much more uplifting. Webber's win at the N�rburgring came in the midst of an exhilarating surge which took him on to the podium in five out of six successive races and made him a serious contender for the drivers' championship. The streak has since broken and he finished ninth, and pointless, in the last two races preceding today's Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Webber is 21.5 points adrift but the surprising nature of this season continued as Button, looking increasingly twitchy, finished seventh in Valencia and crashed early at Spa.
Rubens Barrichello and Sebastian Vettel, the respective team-mates of Button and Webber at Brawn and Red Bull, have enhanced their own title aspirations. The season, with five races left, has boiled down to a battle of fascinating uncertainty.

"It's incredible how it's swung back and forth," Webber says, "but in the middle of the season I scored more points than anyone and that was a fantastic phase. We've now got to do it at the juicy end of the year. One of us four will win the title but we're also racing Kimi and Lewis. The points are going to be more evenly spread and, with Ferrari and McLaren coming back, it's harder to close the gap on Jenson. But if you have a great weekend and some of the other guys have a rough one then it can swing back your way. It's still wide open."
Today, after qualifying 10th on the grid, with Button starting sixth, Webber has to replicate his mid-season dazzle to have a realistic chance of remaining in the championship race. "Monza is important and, with their teams being the only two to have Kers, Kimi and Lewis could be potent. But we'll do OK and, whatever happens, I just hope I'm in with a sniff going into the last race."
The pressure on Button, meanwhile, is increasing. In a telling illustration of the doubts swirling around the British driver, Massa suggested that Button has buckled. "Jenson has gone down because of the pressure," Massa said while recovering in S�o Paulo from his life-threatening accident. "It's the only reason. The pressure has had a big impact on his mind."
Webber, intriguingly, believes differently. "I've always said Jenson won't lose the championship by blowing it. If anything the team will lose the championship. Brawn are stretched with their smaller resources and, bloody hell, it's amazing how quickly we forget where they came from. It's incredible they've led the whole season in a white [sponsor-less] car."
Brawn were born out of the despair of Honda's sudden withdrawal from Formula One. That shock departure left Button, Barrichello and Ross Brawn, their team principal, facing the prospect of being shut out of racing until just a few weeks before the season started. But they found a way to race again and, as Webber explains: "Ross and Adrian Newey [Red Bull's technical director] are better than anyone at adapting to the new regulations that came in this season. Brawn were incredibly quick at the start."
Button won six of the first seven races but Webber accepts that the psychological balance has shifted. "Jenson is very experienced, but the dynamics have changed. Part of him must think he can only go backwards and it would be disastrous to lose a once massive lead. Maybe the length of time he's been leading has become a factor."
Webber nods at the suggestion that Button would be haunted forever if he lost this championship. "Of course. It would be very unusual. But it's still hard to believe Jenson won't get some podiums before the year is out. If he does that then it's obviously going to be very difficult to beat him."
Such candour is typical of Webber � one of the warmest and most unaffected professional sportsmen you are ever likely to meet. His rounded personality has also helped him deal with the variable moods of his team-mate, the gifted but prickly young Vettel. Their relationship did not begin well when, in 2007, while Vettel was driving for Toro Rosso, the German shunted Webber off the track during the Japanese Grand Prix. Webber was furious because, despite having vomited inside his helmet earlier in the race, he had swept into second place behind Hamilton.
"It's kids," he ranted afterwards, venting frustration at Vettel's inexperience. "They fuck it all up."
The 33-year-old Webber, in the warm sunshine of his French retreat, grins wryly. "I was massively disappointed in him and he was petrified. But we eventually had a chat about it and he's grown up a lot since then."
Vettel still sulked a few months ago when Webber outdrove him in Turkey to finish second behind Button. "He was pissed off but since then he's learnt to deal with someone who can do a better, or similar, job to him. That's a credit to him � but we're both competitive beasts and we've had some tough meetings.
"Red Bull have done a phenomenal job backing us both but it does create some stress. Imagine how it is for the engineers as well. My engineers are for me. His engineers are for him. And in the middle we've got the mechanics doing all the pit stops. My gearbox guy does Sebastian's fuelling so we have to stay sensible and not do anything that would hurt the team."
At Spa, a mistake from one of Webber's team forced him to incur a time penalty after an "unsafe release" from the pit lane. "That drive-through really cost us," he says with a sigh. "I drove really well and we were on course for quite a few points. But with the field being so tight now you can't easily recover a 15-second penalty. But as long as they don't make the same mistake twice, and it's not intentional, I can live with it. Of course I don't want any of these other three guys to become world champion ahead of me but if it does happen then I'm not going to make a shopping list of excuses. Excuses get you nowhere."
That blunt determination helped Webber after his leg fracture last November, which was so bad it drew comparison with the injury that nearly ended the Arsenal player Eduardo's career in football. "The bone in my leg was not jutting out as far as Eduardo's but they were similar fractures," he admits. "If I had been a footballer I would still not be playing now. I would have been out at least a year."
Webber's rise this season seems even more remarkable � for that accident happened just 11 weeks before he returned to pre-season testing. "Naivety is a great thing because you really don't know what you're taking on," Webber says. "I just knew this was a bloody important season, with Vettel coming and the car looking competitive, and so I forced myself back. The leg was nowhere near healed but I had to put on a front. It was exhausting and, at night, once I closed that hotel door, it was really tough. The surgeons had taken out one of the screws, to stimulate the fractured side, and I couldn't walk properly. I probably should have been on crutches getting to and from the car. But that would've been a disaster. The messaging is all wrong."
Yet, for a sport that shuttles between beleaguered controversy and bloodless politicking, there could hardly be a better message than a driver as amiable and intelligent as Webber racing for the championship. His unlikely tilt at the title is one of the sporting stories of the year, and it would become unforgettable should he remain in contention for the rest of this strange but compelling season.
"I'm trying, mate," Webber says, laughing softly. "I'm trying real hard."

Victory for Raikkonen, glory for Fisichella at Spa-Francorchamps

Kimi Raikkonen became the sixth different victor in six races after putting Ferrari back in the winners� circle for the first time in 2009, with a finely judged success in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix, in which his KERS system played a crucial role in the opening stages. But he was dogged all the way to the flag by a gallant Giancarlo Fisichella in the Force India, who kept him honest throughout on the first medium downforce circuit of the season.

Behind them, Red Bull�s Sebastian Vettel drove strongly for third, closing on them both by the finish. Raikkonen crossed the finish line 0.9s ahead, with Vettel 2.9s behind Fisichella.

Jenson Button�s hopes of adding to his points tally in the Brawn GP ended at Les Combes on the first lap when he was spun out by Romain Grosjean�s Renault, while in a separate incident Lewis Hamilton�s McLaren tagged Jaime Alguersuari�s Toro Rosso while trying to avoid the melee. The two incidents are currently under investigation by the race stewards.

After a safety car intervention, Raikkonen, who had sped up to second behind Fisichella on the opening lap, lost no time using his KERS to slingshot by the Italian on the run up Raidillon to Les Combes on the fifth lap, but Fisichella pushed him all the way.Red Bull�s Mark Webber looked strong initially until an unsafe release from his first pit stop nearly put rival BMW Sauber�s Nick Heidfeld in the pit-lane wall. A drive-through penalty subsequently dropped him to ninth.Renault�s Fernando Alonso also seemed on course for a healthy helping of points after running the longest opening stint, but a brush with Force India�s Adrian Sutil in La Source on the opening lap had damaged the left front wheel, and after a disastrously long pit stop on Lap 24 he had to come in again to retire a lap later when the left front wheel could not be secured satisfactorily.

Vettel was able to vault past a fast-starting Robert Kubica after his second stop on the 35th lap and said his Red Bull was perfect thereafter, but the Pole brought his BMW Sauber home fourth ahead of closing team mate Heidfeld. The German has passed Toyota�s Jarno Trulli for second at the start but ran wide and lost ground, allowing Kubica to nip down the inside to run third initially.Heikki Kovalainen did a one-stop strategy in his McLaren to stay ahead of Brawn GP�s Rubens Barrichello for sixth place. The Brazilian, who bogged down off the grid, was saved to an extent by the intervention of the safety car which enabled Brawn to refuel him for a longer opening stint in a fast first-lap pit stop, but had to back off at the end when his Mercedes engine showed signs of failing. He just made it to the flag ahead of a closing Nico Rosberg, who drove yet another strong race for Williams to score the final point, while Webber just missed out with ninth after a frustrating race.Toyota�s Timo Glock had a fuel rig problem in his first stop which delayed him, and could not better 10th, under pressure at the end from Force India�s Sutil. Behind them Sebastien Buemi brought his Toro Rosso home 12th ahead of Williams� Kazuki Nakajima and an unimpressive Luca Badoer, who was the last finisher for Ferrari.

Besides Alonso and the first lap crashers, the other retirement was Trulli, whose front wing was damaged when he made contact with Heidfeld's BMW Sauber on the opening lap. That ruined the Italian�s race, as did a later refuelling problem, similar to Glock�s. He ultimately retired with a brake problem.

In the title stakes, Barrichello took two more points off Button, who still has 74 to the Brazilian�s 56. Vettel moves back ahead of Webber with 53 to the Australian�s 51.5.In the constructors� championship Brawn have 128 points, Red Bull 104.5, Ferrari 56 and McLaren 44.

German Grand Prix Preview

The real action is in the driver�s championship, not in the corridors of power

LEWIS Hamilton pulled a stunt in front of his home crowd after the last race at Silverstone three weeks ago and the fans went wild. The world champion did a doughnut, rotating his McLaren-Mercedes at high revs around the same spot, until a plume of smoke rose up from his rear tyres. It didn�t matter to his fans that their hero ended 16th out of the 18 drivers who crossed the finish. They had fun, so did the 24-yearold Briton. At Nurburgring for Sunday�s German Grand Prix, the McLaren pilot said drivers should be given more freedom to improve the Formula 1 show � just like in MotoGP, where the speed demons do all kinds of wheelies, stoppies and burnouts at the end of a race to the delight of the fans.
The powers-that-be who run F1 ought to listen to Hamilton. Not that they should push drivers to perform tricks. But they need to understand that fans watch motor-racing for fun. The bickering over the past few months between motorsport�s governing body FIA and the top eight teams has left many disturbed. They sighed with relief when both sides seemingly ended their feud in Paris two weeks ago. It was short-lived. At Nurburgring earlier this week, the eight teams walked out of a technical meeting seething after efforts to sort out rules for next year with the FIA broke down. The breakaway series they had threatened to launch resurfaced, and the mud-slinging resumed. Fans are tired, of not knowing what a bunch of men, who have made discord in F1 their life�s goal, will do next. I know I�ve tired of the off-track drama. We�ll just have to let the demons sort themselves out and not lose sight of the fun taking place between Hamilton and company on the track.That is where the real action is. That is where the grown-ups in F1 are today.
Beware the Red Bulls� charge
Hamilton is effectively out of the running for the drivers� championship. The real deal is Brawn GP�s Jenson Button, who has taken six of the eight races so far. But the 29-year-old Briton is facing some real opposition from others, rather than just team-mate Rubens Barrichello, who was the only one pushing him earlier in the season. It came from the Red Bull Racing pair of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, who knocked the wind out of Brawn GP with a one-two finish at Silverstone. They have the talent and now the car to stop the championship leader from taking any more race wins. To do this, Red Bull must come to a bold decision, starting this Sunday in Germany. They must focus the rest of their campaign around Vettel, who is better all around than Webber. The 22-year-old knows how to win races, and his three career wins, including his Silverstone victory, have been nothing short o fGe rman Grand Prix Keep your eye on the tarmac spectacular. In front of his homefans, the German will be fired up to repeat that. Though 25 points behind Button,Vettel has a long shot at the title, and that will require Webber, 3.5 points behind his teammate and who has yet to win an F1 race, riding shotgun. Button�s route to the titleis far easier. All he needs is to register three more wins and be consistently on the podium for the rest of the season.
Ferrari spoilers
The real threat to Button�s bid, however, is from within his camp. Barrichello, second in the championship and two points ahead of Vettel, is in the twilight of his career. At 37, this may be the Brazilian�s last chance to finally be crowned world champion. After playing second fiddle to Michael Schumacher at Ferrari under Ross Brawn, who is again his boss at Brawn GP, Barrichello is not in the mood to be short changed once more. There is no hint that Brawn GP has issued team orders and is forcing Barrichello to give way to his team-mate. But Button must also keep his eye on other drivers such as double world champion Fernando Alonso of Renault and the Ferraris of Felipe Massa and 2007 title winner Kimi Raikkonen. Although out of the championship reckoning, their cars are fast improving and could take precious points off him. They can turn out to be kingmakers and hand Vettel or Barrichello the title. This is where the fun in F1 is, on the track and not off it.

By Ian De Cotta ; TODAY Paper

Week-end Formula 1 News

The Australian Grand Prix will likely be scrapped if leading teams form a breakaway Formula 1 series next year, Australian F1 race chief Ron Walker said on Friday.
Uncertainty continues to surround the future direction of the sport after the eight-member Formula One Teams Association (Fota), including Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes, walked out of a meeting with motor racing's governing body in Paris this week and revived their threat to form a breakaway series.
Walker said he would advise the Victorian state government, which backs the race, to cancel the event should F1's leading teams carry out their threat."The Grand Prix board would probably say to the (Victorian) Premier it's too hard," Walker told a radio station on Friday. "
You can just imagine if the likes of (Roger) Federer and other major tennis players didn't turn up to the Australian Open in January or if some of the best horses didn't come to the Melbourne Cup."
Melbourne has an agreement to run the event until 2015 under a five-year licence extension signed last year

On another note, defending drivers' world champion Lewis Hamilton clocked the fastest time in Friday afternoon's second free practice session ahead of Sunday's German Grand Prix.It was the third time in this disappointing season - for him - that the 24-year-old had been quickest on the opening day in his McLaren Mercedes, having been fastest previously on Friday in Bahrain and China.Cynics, however, may suggest that with his McLaren team-mate Finn Heikki Kovalainen struggling in 17th place on a cool, wet day, Hamilton was running very light on fuel to please the fans sitting in the Mercedes-Benz grandstand.
The Briton clocked a best time of 1min 32.149sec with 6 minutes of the 90 remaining to ease clear of nearest rival German Sebastian Vettel, in his Red Bull, by 0.2sec.Championship leader Jenson Button of Britain was third for Brawn GP, ahead of Australian Mark Webber, in the second Red Bull, with Italian Jarno Trulli fifth for Toyota and German Adrian Sutil sixth for Force India. Button's Brawn team-mate Brazilian veteran Rubens Barrichello was seventh ahead of two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Renault.

Alonso trades Renault in for Ferrari, say press reports

Two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso is planning to switch from Renault to Ferrari next season, Spanish sports newspapers Marca and AS reported yesterday.Negotiations about the Spanish driver's transfer are close to completion and could become official at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza from Sept 11-13, according to the reports which were echoed by Italian media.
The 27-year-old Spaniard won the driver's championships in 2005 and 2006 for Renault and is under contract with the French manufacturer until the end of next year, but with a get-out clause which he can activate earlier.
Alonso, currently ninth in the driver's championship table, has expressed dissatisfaction with Renault's under-performing R29 model, even though engineers say radical improvements are on the way.
Ferrari are believed to be less than happy with Kimi Raikkonen, currently 10th in the table, and could be keen on the idea of Alonso partnering Felipe Massa. But the Italian firm would find it very expensive to buy the Finn out of his cast-iron contract.
According to the Spanish reports, Alonso has secured the backing of Spanish financial giant Banco de Santander to get a five-year deal with Ferrari.

Sebastien Vettel Grabs Pole Position in Shanghai

Sebastian Vettel (born July 3, 1987 in Heppenheim) is a German race car driver. He drives for Red Bull Racing having replaced former driver David Coulthard.
By taking part in Friday practice for the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix, Vettel became the youngest Formula One driver to drive at a Grand Prix meeting, at 19 years and 53 days. On Sunday September 30, 2007, during the Japanese Grand Prix Vettel became the youngest driver to lead a Formula One race. (Mike Thackwell remains the youngest driver to compete in a championship Grand Prix race; Nico Rosberg the youngest to drive an F1 car in private testing) He also became the quickest driver to get a fine in F1, being fined $1,000 nine seconds into his career, after speeding in the pitlane. He went on to become the sixth youngest driver to start a Grand Prix and the youngest driver to score points in a Grand Prix. During qualifying for the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, Vettel became the youngest Formula One driver to win pole position. He went on to win the race, making him the youngest F1 race winner by nearly a year.

Junior Series

Vettel demonstrating his Formula Three Euroseries car in 2006
Vettel started racing karts in 1995, winning various titles such as the Junior Monaco Kart Cup (2001). In 2003, he upgraded to open-wheel cars, and won the 2004 German Formula BMW Championship with 18 victories from 20 races. In 2005 he drove for ASL Mucke Motorsport in the Formula Three Euroseries. He was placed fifth in the final standings with 64 points, winning the year's top rookie honours. He did not win any races, but this was largely due to the championship's domination by Lewis Hamilton. Despite, this, he tested the Williams FW27 Formula One car on September 27 as a reward for this Formula BMW success. He then went on to test for the BMW Sauber team.
Vettel finished as runner-up in the 2006 F3 Euroseries, behind series leader Paul di Resta. He also made his debut in the World Series by Renault at Misano, winning after Pastor Maldonado was disqualified. However, at the next round at Spa-Francorchamps, his finger was almost sliced off by flying d�bris in an accident, and he was expected to be out of racing for several weeks.

However, he managed to compete in the Ultimate Masters of F3 at Zandvoort the following weekend, finishing in sixth place. He also set third fastest lap time, and it surprised his ASM team boss Fr�d�ric Vasseur. Vasseur said: "I was impressed for sure, because at the beginning of the week I was sure he wouldn't race! But he showed good pace from the first practice session. I can't imagine he's 100 per cent but at least we know we can be competitive in the next F3 Euroseries round at the N�rburgring next weekend - that's important."

Vettel became BMW Sauber's third driver at the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix, when former incumbent Robert Kubica was called up to replace Jacques Villeneuve for the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Vettel impressed on his testing debut by setting fastest time in second Friday Free Practice before the race.The young German also impressed on his second testing session in the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, setting the fastest time in both Friday practice sessions, a race weekend in which all the BMW cars were quick, with his predecessor Robert Kubica finishing on the podium in the race.
He was confirmed as BMW's test driver for 2007, and also competed in the World Series by Renault Championship, where he had his first win at the N�rburgring. He was leading the championship when he was called up to F1 permanently, and his seat was taken by Michael Ammerm�ller.

Formula One

Vettel made his Formula One debut at the 2007 United States Grand Prix, driving for BMW Sauber.

2007: BMW Sauber
Following the serious crash of regular BMW driver Robert Kubica at the Canadian Grand Prix, Vettel substituted for him at the US Grand Prix and started in seventh position on the grid, finishing in eighth position, thanks to Nico Rosberg's late retirement, to take his first F1 World Championship point and became the youngest driver ever to score a point in Formula One (at the age of 19 years and 349 days), a record previously held by Jenson Button � who was 20 years and 67 days old when he finished sixth at the 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix.

2007-2008: Toro Rosso

2007
On July 31, 2007, BMW released Vettel to join Red Bull's Scuderia Toro Rosso team, replacing Scott Speed as race driver as of the Hungarian Grand Prix. He earned approximately $165,000 for finishing the season with Toro Rosso. Before the race, it was also announced that Vettel would drive for STR in 2008. His team-mate would be S�bastien Bourdais.

Vettel struggled to keep up with Liuzzi's pace at Budapest, Istanbul, Monza and Spa, and never managed to progress amongst the lower-midfield pack (Toyota, Honda, Toro Rosso, Super Aguri). In the rain-hit Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji, Vettel worked his way up to third behind Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber, and seemed to be on course for not only his but also Toro Rosso's maiden podium finish. However, Vettel crashed into Webber under safety car conditions taking them both out of the race and prompting Webber to say to ITV reporter Louise Goodman �It�s kids isn�t it... kids with not enough experience � they do a good job and then they fuck it all up.� Vettel was caught on camera crying after the incident. He was initially punished with a ten-place grid penalty for the following race, but this was lifted after a spectator video on YouTube showed the incident may have been caused by Hamilton's behaviour behind the safety car, which Hamilton was also cleared of.

However, Vettel bounced back to finish a career-best fourth a week later at the Chinese GP having started 17th in mixed conditions. He collected five championship points, making it both his and Toro Rosso's best race result.

Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz believes Vettel will be one of Formula One's big stars in the future. "Vettel is one of the young guys with extraordinary potential ! He is fast, intelligent, and he is very interested in the technical side."

According to some sources, at the end of the 2007 season Vettel was contacted by McLaren in order to replace Spanish two-time world champion Fernando Alonso who left the British team for Renault in the same period. The talks between McLaren chief Ron Dennis and Dietrich Mateschitz failed however, the Red Bull boss refusing a multi million Euro deal for the young German driver.

2008
After four races of the 2008 Formula One season Vettel was the only driver to have failed to finish a single race, having retired on the first lap in three of them. In each of these three instances, he was involved in accidents caused by other drivers. However, at the fifth round at the Turkish Grand Prix, he finally saw the chequered flag, finishing 17th after qualifying 14th. In the next race at the Monaco Grand Prix, Vettel scored his first points of the 2008 Season with a fifth place finish, mainly due to the changing conditions. Vettel also benefitted from the downfall of other drivers, such as Adrian Sutil and Heikki Kovalainen. Vettel scored again at the Canadian Grand Prix after starting from the pit lane and having to fight off Heikki Kovalainen in the last few laps for the final championship point. Vettel finished 12th in the French Grand Prix after passing Hamilton at the start. Vettel retired on the first lap of the British Grand Prix after being clipped by David Coulthard and aquaplaning into the gravel trap along with the Red Bull driver. He then bounced back from this by finishing eighth at the German Grand Prix by fending off Fernando Alonso and securing the last championship point after Jarno Trulli went off the track. Vettel then became the first retirement of the Hungarian Grand Prix after his engine overheated during his first pit stop. Vettel impressed many at the European Grand Prix by setting the fastest time in the first practice session and fastest time in the second qualifying session, which was also the fastest overall time in qualifying. He qualified 6th on the grid, and finished 6th, 2 seconds behind Jarno Trulli.
At the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, Vettel became the youngest driver in history to win a Formula One Grand Prix. Aged 21 years and 74 days, Vettel broke the record set by Alonso at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix by 317 days as he won in wet conditions at Monza. Vettel led for the majority of the Grand Prix and crossed the finish line 12.5 seconds ahead of McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen.

Earlier in the weekend, he had already become the youngest polesitter, after setting the fastest times in both Q2 and Q3 qualifying stages, and his win also gave him the record of youngest podium-finisher. Toro Rosso team boss Gerhard Berger said, "As he proved today, he can win races, but he's going to win world championships. He's a cool guy". Hamilton praised the German, stating that this victory showed "how good he is".

Alonso, whom Vettel displaced as the youngest Grand Prix winner, said the victory was "deserved" by the whole of the Toro Rosso team. The nature of the victory and the story of the 21 year old's fledgling career led the German media to dub him "baby Schumi", although Vettel was quick to downplay the expectation the result has brought, particularly the comparison with the seven-time World Champion: "To compare me with Michael Schumacher is just a bit ridiculous...It will be difficult in normal conditions for us to repeat this achievement". He then went on to finish fourth at the Singapore Grand Prix and fifth at the Japanese Grand Prix.
In the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, after running second for much of the race, Vettel overtook Lewis Hamilton in the rain for fifth place on the penultimate lap to contribute to a thrilling climax to the season. He nearly deprived the McLaren driver of the championship before Timo Glock slowed dramatically on the last lap (he was struggling with dry tyres in the ever increasing rain) enabling both Vettel and Hamilton to pass him, earning the Briton the title.

2009 onwards: Red Bull Racing

2009
At the start of the 2009 season, Vettel replaced David Coulthard at Red Bull Racing.
Vettel began strongly at the Australian Grand Prix, qualifying third and running in second for the majority of the race. However, a clash with Robert Kubica over second place on the third last lap of the race forced both to retire. He thought that he would be asble to do this because the yellow flag resulting from his incident forbids overtaking. Vettel attempted to finish the race on three wheels behind the safety car to salvage some points, but eventually pulled off to the side. He was given a ten-place grid penalty for the next race, the Malaysian Grand Prix, and his team was fined for instructing him to stay on track after the damage occurred. In Malaysia he qualified in third position, but was demoted down to 13th due to his ten-place grid drop. He spun out of the race while eighth, just before the race was stopped due to adverse weather conditions. However in China he went on to take pole position, the first pole for the Red Bull Racing team.

Race of Champions
Vettel competed in the 2007 Race of Champions, representing the German team alongside Michael Schumacher. Vettel and Schumacher won the Nation's Cup Title, after exciting finals. Vettel had to beat two RoC champions, Kovalainen and Marcus Gr�nholm, after Schumacher stalled his car. Vettel lost the individual competition however, in first heat, in his second battle against Kovalainen.

Helmet design

The Bergstra�e Coat of Arms that appears on the chin area of Vettel's helmet
Vettel's helmet, like most of Red Bull's drivers, is heavily influenced by the energy drink company logo. Apart from minor changes and sponsorship differences, it has rarely changed over the years since he has been backed by Red Bull.

A round -up Of the latest Jerez Testing

Heikki Kovalainen moved McLaren�s MP4-24 to the head of the order for 2009 cars at Jerez as teams finally enjoyed fine weather at a pre-season European test.

In stark contrast to the dire conditions that plagued the year�s first group outing at Portimao and partly disrupted Tuesday�s opening day in Spain, Jerez was bathed in warm and sunny conditions on Wednesday to allow some serious dry-weather running.

Sebastien Buemi was again predictably the official pacesetter in Toro Rosso�s 2008 car (clocking 1m17.591s after a mammoth 143 laps) but it was the picture behind that really counted as teams began to get an early indication of where they stand in the early 2009 pecking order.

And it was Kovalainen who won day two�s battle following an encouraging trouble-free 110-lap run in the latest McLaren � although his MP4-24 was running with a modified 2008 rear wing and not the new low-downforce version.

The Finn remained on the same programme as the opening day, focusing on set-up and KERS evaluations, with the team reporting an improving balance following several longer runs and a best time of 1m20.799s.

At the start of the test all eyes in the pit lane had been on Mark Webber, the Red Bull driver returning to action for the first time since breaking his leg at the end of November for his first taste of the team's new RB5.
Indeed encouragingly for both driver and team the Australian made an impressive comeback, appearing to show no ill effects from his injury during his 83 laps and clocking the second fastest time for a 2009 car, 1m21.321s.

His former team Williams meanwhile maintained its positive start to testing as Kazuki Nakajima put another 125 laps on the FW31.
The Japanese driver was just over a tenth of a second adrift of Webber after completing a productive programme which included set-up work plus tyre and reliability testing.
�Kazuki was testing for the team in Jerez today and covered over 550kms while undertaking mechanical set-up tests,� Williams technical director Sam Michael said.

�He also completed a full race simulation without issue.
We are looking forward to another productive day tomorrow when we will carry out more tuning work on the FW31 in preparation for the first grand prix.�

Bringing up the order was again Nelson Piquet Jr as Renault surprisingly continued to find itself at the bottom of the order.
A second day of frustration for the Brazilian was characterised by several small mechanical glitches with the R29 which restricted him to 49 laps.

His running for the week is now over, but he hopes team-mate Fernando Alonso is able to put significantly more mileage on the car over the remaining two days.

"The track conditions were better today and we continued with the work we did yesterday, learning about the car and beginning some basic set-up work," Piquet said.
"Again we didn�t do as many laps as we would have liked as we lost some time after lunch, but we still learnt some interesting things.

"The weather looks good for the rest of the week so the team should be able to get some more important data tomorrow and Friday.�

In addition to Alonso's first appearance of the week, Thursday will also see world champion Lewis Hamilton take to the track for just the second time this winter in McLaren's new car.

The recently confirmed Sebastien Bourdais replaces Buemi at Toro Rosso, while Sebastian Vettel will take over the RB5 again from Webber.

Another Sebastien for Toro Rosso !!!

Swiss rookie Sebastien Buemi gets Toro Rosso drive

for 2009 season

Formula One's Toro Rosso announced on Friday that Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi will drive for the team in the 2009 season, taking the seat vacated by Sebastien Vettel who has switched to sister outfit Red Bull.
The 20-year-old from Aigle competed in the GP2 series last year, when he was also the reserve driver for Red Bull.
"I am naturally very happy to be driving for Toro Rosso this year," Buemi, who is likely to be the youngest driver on the grid, told the team's official website.

"Being a Formula 1 driver has always been my target, since I first started racing. This year, I will do all I can to bring home the best possible results and to show Red Bull that the confidence it has shown in me is justified.
"I want to thank Red Bull for this opportunity and for all the help they have given me in my career, dating back to 2005."



Buemi's first track outing as an official Toro Rosso driver will be at the test session held at the Portimao Circuit in Portugal later this month. An announcement about who will be his team-mate is yet to be made.

Last season France's Sebastien Bourdais was in the seat but was outperformed by Vettel who enoyed a maiden win at Monza.
Japan's Takuma Sato has tested for the team and remains hopeful of getting the nod.
Toro Rosso team principal, Franz Tost, said he was delighted to see Buemi in the team.
"Our engineers have been impressed with his speed in the car and his ability to learn and progress during the testing he has carried out for us last year," said Tost.
"That, along with some impressive performances in GP2 was enough to convince us to give him the drive."

Brazil - The Final Showdown

McLaren�s Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari�s Felipe Massa go head-to-head in the world championship title decider in Brazil this weekend, and it is still impossible to predict who will triumph.

The odds favour the Englishman, who has a seven-point lead after winning last time out in China. However, that was what he had over rival Kimi Raikkonen coming into this race last year, and still it all went awry at the 11th hour.Technically, Hamilton needs only finish fifth even if Massa wins, in order to beat him by a single point. However, there is an additional complication as McLaren are still fighting Ferrari for the constructors� championship, in which the red team have 156 points to the silver�s 145. BMW Sauber are third, but out of the overall reckoning now, on 135. McLaren thus have to push hard and need a one-two finish to have any realistic chance of securing both titles, whereas a third and eighth would secure the constructors� crown (but not the drivers�) for Ferrari.

"I don�t need to win the race, but that won�t stop me from going into the weekend looking to be as strong as possible," says Hamilton, who will benefit from a new rear wing on his MP4-23. "Shanghai was a good example of that: we hit the ground running on Friday morning and never looked back. Our aim wasn�t to push too hard, but we found ourselves in a position at the front and took it comfortably from there. That�s what I am hoping to achieve in Brazil - a straightforward weekend that allows me to just focus on my car and my driving.

"Ferrari have been dominant in Interlagos for the past two years, when Massa and Raikkonen respectively won. If it is dry that may remain the case, though the signs are that McLaren have made good progress in the latter part of the season. If it rains, however, as is forecast, the odds surely favour Hamilton even more given his wet-weather form in Monaco and Silverstone, where the Ferraris struggled.Massa has been keeping his cool and says that the pressure is off him because of Hamilton�s lead.

He must win with Hamilton either scoring sixth or lower or failing to finish at all. In this respect he may be helped by the Englishman�s need to run his engine for a second time after China."Yes it's true I have a tougher job than Lewis in terms of the points situation, but my own objective for the weekend is much more straightforward than his," the Brazilian said. "I only have to focus on winning the race, hopefully with my team-mate second. The only thing I am thinking about is winning. After that, the matter is not in my hands and we will have to wait and see exactly what and how much we have won."For sure, Lewis will try and put pressure on me, but I have zero pressure, because I have nothing to lose.

In the second McLaren, Heikki Kovalainen must play a key role this weekend in support of his team mate, for Raikkonen will undoubtedly back Massa strongly. The Hungarian Grand Prix winner will have a fresh Mercedes engine in his McLaren. "I want to be able to help the team and Lewis wherever necessary," he says, "but the easiest way to do that is to be running at the front. The team knows I will play my part, but we are also targeting the constructors� championship."While the fight for the crown will inevitably grab all the headlines, there are plenty of other things to be resolved this weekend. There is still a mighty scrap for third place in the drivers' championship between Robert Kubica and Kimi Raikkonen, who have 75 and 69 points respectively. And Nick Heidfeld�s fifth place on 60 could prove vulnerable if Fernando Alonso wins again for the improving Renault team. The Spaniard has 53 points, but may himself fall victim to Kovalainen who has 51.

Elsewhere, Sebastian Vettel and Jarno Trulli are battling for eighth with 30 points apiece.Besides the Ferrari-McLaren fight for constructors� honours, BMW Sauber could still snaffle second from McLaren. Renault are safe in fourth and Toyota fifth, but there is a big fight between Toro Rosso (34), Red Bull Racing (29) and Williams (26) for sixth.

The race will also be notable as David Coulthard�s last. At the same time, venerable race engineer Steve Hallam is also on the last lap as he will be leaving Formula One for NASCAR for 2009.

From a technical perspective, Interlagos poses two main challenges to the teams. It is 800 metres above sea level, so engine power is reduced as a result of the drop in atmospheric pressure. That also has a negative effect on aerodynamic performance.

The other problem has traditionally been the bumpy surface, though a complete resurface for 2007 caught teams by surprise since the tarmac was relatively smooth. However, some bumps remain, particularly in the braking area for Turn 4, Descida do Lago. To avoid bottoming out on these, cars have to run with increased ride heights, which reduces the effectiveness of their diffusers.There are two favoured overtaking points. The first is going into the S do Senna at the start of the lap after a driver has been able to get a good slipstreaming run up the hill from the vitally important final corner, Juncao or Turn 12. The second is under braking for the Descida do Lago left-hander at the end of the back straight.This year Bridgestone are bringing their medium and soft compound tyres after discovering last year that their super-soft was not quite durable enough to suit the track�s unusual characteristics. They are expecting a lot of graining early on thanks to the twisty infield section, and the initial �greenness� of the track before it cleans up and rubbers in.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO - ITALY HIGHLIGHTS

Relive Sebastian Vettel's maiden F1 victory in this exclusive highlight from Sunday's incident-packed Monza race... What an amazing Race, and disapointement ( Though not his fault) for the other Sebastien "Frenchie" Bourdais

Watch all the action here

Did you think Lewis was a bit too pushy ? He's my favorite driver so far, but I definetly thought that in Sunday's race, he was on the edge of being a bully. Not making friends in the driver's club, that's for sure...

Tell me what do you think ?

Canadian GP Practice two - Hamilton takes his turn at the top

Nobody could get near Lewis Hamilton on the Ile Notre Dame on Friday afternoon as the 23 year-old world championship leader lapped his McLaren in 1m 15.752s to all but match Fernando Alonso�s 2007 pole position time of 1m 15.707s.Robert Kubica pushed Ferrari into third place after lapping his BMW Sauber in 1m 16.023s, and Kimi Raikkonen failed to beat 1m 16.093s on his final runs.

His Ferrari team mate Felipe Massa was left in fifth place on 1m 16.413s after his F2008 rolled to a halt with 15 minutes remaining in the session just past the hairpin.Heikki Kovalainen backed Hamilton with fourth place on 1m 16.331s, failing to improve on Bridgestone�s supersoft tyre. Nick Heidfeld likewise failed to go quicker on the same rubber, and was sixth in the second BMW Sauber on 1m 16.589s.

Despite a spin, Mark Webber maintained seventh place with 1m 16.604s for Red Bull, followed by Nico Rosberg for Williams on 1m 16.767s, Sebastian Vettel on 1m 17.019s for Toro Rosso, Jarno Trulli on 1m 17.068s for Toyota, Kazuki Nakajima on 1m 17.242s for Williams, David Coulthard on 1m 17.334s for Toro Rosso, Rubens Barrichello on 1m 17.462s for Honda, Giancarlo Fisichella on 1m 17.508s for Force India, Timo Glock on 1m 17.549s for Toyota and Sebastien Bourdais on 1m 17.559s for Toro Rosso.

It was a disastrous session for Renault, with Fernando Alonso stranded on 1m 17.644s in 17th place after spinning on the exit to Turn One and stalling, and Nelson Piquet down in 20th on 1m 18.076s after a gearbox failure. In between them came Force India's Adrian Sutil on 1m 17.813s and Honda's Jenson Button on 1m 17.842s.

Besides Alonso and Massa, Glock failed to finish the session after crunching his Toyota�s right rear suspension on the exit to Turn Six, and Raikkonen, Webber, Piquet, Bourdais, Barrichello, Kovalainen and Fisichella all had off-course moments.

Bonne Chance Sebastian Bourdais !

In an era when driver ages keep tumbling, at 28 years-old, Toro Rosso�s Sebastien Bourdais is something of an anomaly. Not only is he a fair few years older than his fellow debutants, Bourdais is also vastly more experienced. A four-time Champ Car champion he is one of the most successful drivers of all time, and yet he has never raced a Formula One car.

He came close back in 2003, when Arrows signed him for the season. But when the squad subsequently went bankrupt, Bourdais was forced to look further afield for a race seat. Though his Formula One potential has been touted ever since, a satisfactory opportunity never materialised. That�s all about to change, however, this weekend in Australia, when the Frenchman finally gets his chance to shine, thanks to deal signed with Toro Rosso.

Now Bourdais must prove he can be just as successful racing in Europe as he has been in America. It will take time, of course, to adjust to the change of scene. Former attempts made by Jacques Villeneuve and Juan Pablo Montoya to swap the top US series for Formula One did pay off, but both Michael Andretti and Alex Zanardi struggled to find similar form when they made the move.

Bourdais himself is not expecting to be challenging for the championship just yet. As well as acknowledging the time it will take to find his feet, he also knows that unlike in the States, he is not making his debut for an uber-competitive outfit, rather a backmarker team on the ascendancy. While Toro Rosso are looking in good enough form to occasionally harangue the midfield, the squad are far from being the front-running outfit Bourdais is used to. For the Frenchman, however, the allure of finally sating his Formula One dream took precedence over the practicalities of the team�s budget and when Toro Rosso decided to take a chance on him, Bourdais chose to do the same. At times last season the team were openly critical of their drivers, but Bourdais should have no worries on that front, given that he was selected over incumbent driver Vitantonio Liuzzi. And so far things are progressing nicely on track too. Bourdais has looked pretty strong over the winter testing period and with the Italian squad set to start the season with their 2007 car, their reliability should be strong. While it may not be the dream seat for the start of a Formula One career, anyone who saw Bourdais master first Formula Three, then F3000 and most recently Champ Car, knows he has bucket loads of talent. Put him in a Ferrari or McLaren and Bourdais has more than enough flair to turn in some excellent performances. In a year-old Toro Rosso, however, he knows he will be lucky to make it into Q2 on a Saturday. But while glugging champagne on the podium may soon be but a distant memory, there is no doubting his enthusiasm, given that he has waited this long - and forsaken a potential, historic fifth US title - for his Formula One opportunity.

If he is to make his mark this season, the first hurdle he will have to jump is Sebastian Vettel, his younger team mate. Last season Vettel starred in seven races for Toro Rosso, clinching an impressive fourth place at the Chinese race. With that experience of the team, the German may well sprint ahead in the opening rounds as Bourdais learns the ropes. The Frenchman, however, is an intelligent driver and with his wealth of racing knowledge, don�t discount him catching up fast once he finds his feet.

I'll be following more closely and keep him as my featured driver of the 2008 Season - Vive la France, Vive Sebastien.

As a fellow Frenchman, I wish him all the best for his inaugural F1 season