Formula One 2012 Podcast Preview

Andy Alston brings you the latest gossip from around the paddock about the upcoming season, featuring a report from GPUpdate.net English F1 Editor,  Gregory Haines.

Can anyone stop Sebastian Vettel?

Vettel is the man to beat in the upcoming 2012 season.

Sebastian Vettel was the star man of the 2011 season, dominating proceedings recording eleven victories and fifteen pole positions. The Red Bull ace cast a shadow over teammate Mark Webber with his impressive displays over the course of the season.

The 24-year-old’s driving style has often been linked to that of seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher, the man who Vettel cites as one of his biggest influences as a child. Vettel’s aggressive nature on the circuit has seen him rise above the rest of the field leaving many questioning just how do you topple the German ace.

Like Schumacher, Vettel was brought up from a working-class background and had to fight his way to the top with pure speed alone. As a consequence of not having as much money to fund his career as his opponents at the time, Vettel had to rely on grit and determination to succeed.

Vettel’s natural speed is difficult for his rivals to contain, with his raw pace often seeing him top the timesheets at the end of qualifying. His ability to find an extra tenth of a second when it matters on the track makes him a formidable opponent.

However, under pressure Vettel has a tendency to crack under pressure and the German has rarely been under threat during the 2011 season. His Red Bull car was comfortably quicker than the rest of the pack and he rarely had to fight his way through the field. In the rare instance where he has been forced to battle with his rivals Vettel has often made errors and collided with his opponents on numerous occasions, casting doubt on his overtaking ability.

When Vettel has been stuck behind other cars he has often found it difficult to overtake cleanly, most notably at the Belgian Grand Prix where he collided with Jenson Button, effectively ending the McLaren drivers’ hopes of retaining his title in 2010.

The German has been fortunate enough to be racing in arguably the best car in the field for the past two seasons and his superior machinery has often been the difference between victory and defeat.

It is often said by observers that he only wins due to his equipment but Vettel has proven that he can still win at circuits where the Red Bull is not the strongest, as proven in Belgium, Japan and Abu Dhabi in particular last season.

It remains to be seen whether or not he has what it takes to be ranked above the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in the long-term but he certainly has the potential to do so at this stage in his career.

Vettel wins at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix

Vettel has continued to dominate the headlines in 2011

Sebastian Vettel cruised to victory at the first ever Indian Grand Prix last weekend with the Red Bull driver taking his 11^th win of the season.

The German crossed the line eight seconds clear of second placed driver Jenson Button and never looked in danger of conceding the lead throughout the race.

Vettel led every lap of the inaugural event held at the Buddh circuit and was delighted with the race pace of his Red Bull machine.

He said: “Obviously it was a very good race for us. I enjoyed the time in the lead very much. I had a little bit of a fight with Jenson. The gap was always around four seconds and strangely he kept closing in around the pit-stops. I don’t know, I was pushing very hard into the box and out of the box but we seemed to lose a little bit there so we need to understand.

“But on the circuit it was crucial to manage the tyres, make sure that you have enough of them left in the end, so all in all it was a very smooth race. The car was very well balanced. I felt even a little bit more confident on the hard tyres at the end, but overall a fantastic performance.”

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso finished in third place, just 1.2 seconds behind the Red Bull of Mark Webber in fourth.

Vettel is no stranger to breaking records and last weekend was no exception. The German now holds the title for having led the most laps during a season, beating Nigel Mansell’s record set in 1992.

He said: “It is really enjoyable to see that knowing that we have already achieved a lot this year, but we are still hungry so we are not lacking motivation at any stage.

“All the people come back with their questions but we seem to give them the right answers. I love what I do. I think we all do so it is great and in a way we don’t want this to end.

“The car is fantastic. The great thing is you walk into the garage every morning and you see the guys and they are flat out. They are pushing very hard and there is no sign of getting lazy and not paying attention to detail.”

Vettel heads into the next event in Abu Dhabi confident of winning his 12th race of the season at a circuit where the twilight conditions offers a unique atmosphere and challenge for all of the drivers.

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Hamilton delighted to have Button on board for 2012

Button and Hamilton have a strong understanding both on and off the racetrack.

McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has praised his team after they announced that team-mate Jenson Button has signed a new, multi-year contract with the Woking outfit on Wednesday.

The pair have enjoyed a good working relationship since Button’s arrival as reigning World Champion in 2010 and Hamilton has welcomed the new deal with open arms.

He said: “It’s great that Jenson has chosen to stay with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. Jenson has been a great person to work with, and a genuine team-player, from the moment we welcomed him on board.

“Jenson and I are as hungry and as ambitious as ever to win races and world championships in the future.”

Button’s re-signing will come as no surprise to many Formula One fans as the likeable Englishman has performed well for the team and is the only driver mathematically capable of challenging Sebastian Vettel for this year’s Drivers’ Championship.

Button added: “I’ve never felt more at home at a team than I do at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. I’ve won four of the greatest races of my life here, I’m currently lying second in the drivers’ world championship, and I feel that I’m driving better than ever.”

McLaren Team Principal, Martin Whitmarsh, said: “I think he and Lewis say it better than anyone. Their comments show just how much they respect and trust each other, and they once again continue to prove what we as a team have always known: that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has the very best driver line-up in all of Formula One.”

Button commits long-term future to McLaren

Jenson Button has been a stalwart for the McLaren team since his arrival in 2010

McLaren Mercedes have announced today that former World Champion Jenson Button has signed a new, multi-year contract with the team.

Button, who turns 32 next January, has had a strong season for the team this year and is currently second in the Drivers’ Championship.

The deal is likely to be the Englishman’s last major contract in Formula One and is delighted to be able to commit his future to McLaren.

Button said: “I’ve never felt more at home at a team than I do at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. I’ve won four of the greatest races of my life here, I’m currently lying second in the drivers’ world championship, and I feel that I’m driving better than ever.

“You can only achieve that with the right level of support – and I truly believe that the passion and determination to win are stronger here at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes than anywhere else.

“As a Grand Prix driver, those are incredibly powerful feelings to share and be part of, and they’ve only reinforced my desire to commit my long-term future to this team.

“I’ve made no secret of my ambition to continue winning races and world championships, and I fully believe this is the place where I can achieve those aims.

“We at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes know how to win, and we’re busy refining an organisation that will enable us to keep on doing that for years to come.”

Button has always made it known that he enjoys driving for the team and the deal makes sense for both parties.

McLaren Mercedes Team Principal, Martin Whitmarsh, added: “Jenson is a great driver and a great guy. In fact, I can safely say that he’s one of the most capable and respected drivers we’ve ever had, and I’m therefore absolutely delighted that he’ll continue to work with us into the future.

“He’s a considerable credit to this organisation, and I’m proud to be his team principal. I feel sure that he’ll now build on the considerable success he’s already achieved with us, and will be even more successful with us in years to come.”

Team Lotus hails ‘best race so far’ at Singapore

Heikki Kovalainen delivered an impressive performance at the Singapore event.

Team Lotus Principal Tony Fernandes was delighted with his team’s performance at the Singapore Grand Prix after Heikki Kovalainen finished in a respectable 16^th place.

The Finnish driver ended the race ahead of Lotus-Renault ace Vitaly Petrov in a result that raised more than a few eyebrows in the Formula One paddock.

Team Lotus have endured a difficult two seasons since their return to Formula One in 2010, but the team are confident that they are moving in the right direction after Kovalainen’s performance.

Fernandes said: “For me that is probably the best race we have had in our short life in Formula One so far. Heikki drove an outstanding race and was able to keep pace with a lot of the cars around him, and pull away from the cars behind, and he made the most of the new package we brought here to finish very well.”

Kovalainen added: “I’m really pleased with the performance today and we should all be happy as it was a great race from the whole team. The pit-stop strategy worked out well for us and the boys worked brilliantly to get me out quickly each time, helping me make sure I could stay ahead of Petrov at each stop.

“The car felt balanced throughout the whole race and the tyres worked well so I was able to pull away from Petrov and ended up finishing strongly in 16th. It’s also good that the upgrade we’ve brought here has helped us take a small step forward and I think we’ll see more from that in Suzuka where it will come more into its own.

“After a race like today I can’t wait to get back in the car, so we leave Singapore feeling pretty good about the last few races of the season.”

Jarno Trulli’s retirement with a gearbox problem was the only black mark in an otherwise impressive performance under the Singapore floodlights. Fernandes explained: Jarno again suffered from bad luck and maybe the strategy we gave him was not the best, but we called it as we saw it and I am sure we will learn from how his race worked out.”

Team Lotus have yet to score a point in their Formula One comeback but Fernandes insists that the possibility of competing with the mid-table teams is becoming a reality.

Fernandes said: “I am delighted for everyone back at the factory to see their hard work on the upgrade work out well on track, and I think we can look forward to a strong end to the season, knowing we can fight with established teams around us when the opportunities arise.”

 

Webber admits poor starts are costing him dearly

Mark Webber has been overshadowed by his team-mate Sebastian Vettel this season.

Red Bull driver Mark Webber has conceded that his poor starts are the reason behind his disappointing season but said that he is confident he can improve.

The Australian finished the Singapore Grand Prix in third place and is currently fourth in the drivers’ championship. Team-mate Sebastian Vettel is one just point away from clinching the title with Webber yet to win a race this season.

Webber has struggled to recapture the form that made him a contender for the drivers’ championship last season but is optimistic that he can recover.

He told the press after the race: “Unfortunately I’ve found myself having to come back through the field too often this season. I can’t make the starts I made last year at the moment. I need to work on those; we’ll look at them and definitely improve.

I have to keep working harder because it’s quite frustrating and it’s quite risky to have to come back through and try to regain positions on the track, particularly when the DRS isn’t working. In the end I probably lost a position today out of that.”

Webber praised his team-mate and said that he was happy third place at a circuit he does not particularly enjoy. He said: “Sebastian deserved the victory today and overall, if you come here and you get a podium, it’s not too bad. Of course you’d love a win, that’s what we all strive for, but this is a very challenging venue.

“The guys have done a great job all weekend, for me in particular – as it’s not the easiest track for me here. I want to thank all the guys – they’ve done a great job for me all weekend and Renault also – we have had 100 percent reliability, so a great job.”