Webber confident of equal treatment in 2011

Mark Webber believes Red Bull will treat him equally alongside new world champion Sebastian Vettel this season.

Towards the end of last year Webber claimed that his team gave more support to Vettel on a personal level, after ongoing animosity between the two drivers. They had a tense relationship throughout the season, but it peaked at the British Grand Prix when a new front wing was taken off Webber's car and bolted on to Vettel's. Webber said all he asks is that Red Bull offers a level playing field, and he is confident that will be the case this season.

"You want a good, fair crack at it and if you get caned, so be it," he told the Times. "But if you go to play at Wimbledon with flip-flops on and Federer is playing with Nikes, why bother turning up? The wings weren't worth a huge [advantage] but it was a tough decision for the team. I think, going forward, that we would probably do things differently. It was just another little mistake in the grand scheme of things."

He admitted that his personal battle with Vettel meant he lost sight of the bigger picture, especially at the Korean Grand Prix where he lost control of his Red Bull in wet conditions and seriously damaged his championship chances.

"I didn't want to get beaten by Sebastian," he added. "It's that fine line you walk with the competitive instinct. You go out thinking, 'I don't want to get beaten today', and you are stretched and the big picture is almost forgotten about. Did Vettel crack Webber that day? You could say he might have."

When asked by the Times if he was cracked, Webber responded: "I made more mistakes, early in that race, than I made for ages. I hadn't spun or lost control of the car for nearly a year and a half but I had a 'moment' in that corner [turn 12] in practice and I got on the white line in the race and crashed. It's one of Seb's strengths, early in a race when it's wet, that he drives the needle to make sure the guys behind can't see. Afterwards you think, 'Why didn't I settle for something different? Why didn't I take it to another day like I had been doing?' But you feel, 'Sebastian is one of your rivals and you need to beat him'. And it was probably wrong for the championship but hey..."

However, when asked if he had missed his one shot at the title in 2010, Webber said he still had plenty of fight for this season.

"We'll see," he smiled. "I think I've still plenty of mongrel in me."

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Daimler and Aabar take full control of Mercedes GP

Daimler AG and its partner Aabar Investment have now taken full control of the Mercedes GP team, after buying the final 24.9% share from the previous management team led by Ross Brawn.

Daimler, Mercedes' parent company, now owns 60% of the team, while Aabar, which is Daimler's largest single shareholder, owns the remaining 40%. Brawn, who alongside other investors bought the team from Honda ahead of the 2009 season, will stay on as team principal despite selling his share. Daimler said the deal underlined Mercedes' commitment to Formula One.

"This majority stake holding demonstrates our determination to build a long-term Formula One involvement on an even more successful platform," Dr. Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars said. "Our company's founders invented the automobile 125 years ago and the very first Mercedes was a racing car. These are the reasons why we see our Formula One programme as an important element of our brand history. The acquisition of a majority stake holding in our Silver Arrows team sends a clear signal that we intend to achieve technical and sporting success on world motorsport's biggest and most important stage - and to do so in cost-effective conditions."

Brawn is confident it is a positive move for the future of the team.

"Daimler and Aabar's acquisition of the remaining 24.9% stake in Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix will be a further step in the consolidation and strengthening of our team for the future," he said. "Motor racing, particularly Formula One, is a very specialised industry, and we are privileged to have such strong and understanding partners as Daimler and Aabar to support our joint ambitions. I remain fully committed to our team for the long-term, along with the management team and all of our employees. We all look forward to the challenge of making our team successful, and proudly representing Mercedes-Benz and the racing tradition of the Silver Arrows."

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Infiniti to sponsor Red Bull but no engine branding

Japanese car manufacturer Infiniti has joined Red Bull as a major sponsor for the next two seasons, but will not re-badge the Renault engines used by the team.

The luxury car brand owned by the Renault-Nissan Group will join as a commercial and technical partner to boost its worldwide presence as well as working "with Renault to forge future technical collaboration with Red Bull Racing." Autosport reports that Inifiniti will use its Nissan-backed resources and expertise to help develop the car's battery-powered KERS.

"Over the mid-term, Infiniti will be simultaneously expanding its global presence and broadening its product range," Infiniti's senior vice president Andy Palmer said. "Given these twin ambitions, it is clear that Formula One offers us an unrivalled global communications platform, complementing Infiniti's ethos of Inspired Performance. We are excited to have the opportunity to enter Formula One together with a world-class team like Red Bull Racing Renault."

Red Bull boss Christian Horner added: "Red Bull has always taken a different approach, so when the Infiniti executives outlined their innovative plan to us we were very open to working with them. Coming off the back of our 2010 drivers' and constructors' world championships, we feel even more excited to be starting the 2011 season with a new and committed partner like Infiniti."

Although the deal lasts the same length as Renault's engine contract and will replace much of the French company's signage, Infiniti insists it does not amount to a rebranding of the V8. Instead it will involve prominent billing on the cars, drivers' overalls and team equipment, giving the Japanese brand greater exposure outside its main markets in the USA and Japan.

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What's happening in Enstone?

BLOG | 28/02/2011

What's happening in

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Most teams stick to original Barcelona dates

As many as nine of the 12 teams may stick with the original dates for the four-day test at Barcelona, opting to start on March 8 and not the amended date of March 9 which was announced at the weekend.

So far, only Williams, Mercedes and Ferrari have announced that they will be running on the new Wednesday-Saturday schedule. The Daily Telegraph's Tom Cary wrote on Twitter that "some teams (are) sticking with March 8-11" and that was backed up by other posts.

The news means that Barcelona will in effect be a five-day test, although individual teams will be limited to four days.

With the exception of Williams, Mercedes and Ferrari, all the teams have been contacted for confirmation.

"We will be testing from March 8 to 11," a spokesperson for Sauber confirmed on Monday morning.

And Force India confirmed it is also sticking with the original plan. "Teams can alter their testing days by one day," a spokeswoman said, "but given the quick turnaround for freight departing for Australia immediately after the test we felt these days suited us better."

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Car's potential may not be realised for first race

Jenson Button is not sure the full potential of the McLaren MP4-26 will be unlocked for the start of the season in Australia.

McLaren has not completed as many laps of testing as its rivals in pre-season testing so far, after opting to launch its car after the first test in Valencia. The MP4-26 has had a few reliability issues since then and its pace relative to Ferrari and Red Bull has been hard to determine.

"I have definitely not completed the laps that I expected to and when it comes to developing a new car it is essential to do a lot of kilometres," Button told Autosprint. "This car has a lot of potential, but if the development work is late, there may be a gap in the first races of the championship."

Button said a lot would depend on the final test at Barcelona next week, where all the teams will have their last chance to refine their packages on track before the first race in Australia on March 27.

"It will be an important test for putting everything together, but I think it will be very difficult to get an exact idea of the hierarchy," he said. "I've heard rumours that the Red Bull is six tenths faster than Ferrari, and also that Ferrari are one second faster than everyone on race pace! I think that to get an overall picture we will have to wait until the first race."

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HRT's second driver will bring funding

Narain Karthikeyan is expecting HRT's second driver to bring some sort of budget to the team, but is confident the Spanish-owned outfit has a solid financial package for the upcoming season.

HRT is currently searching for Karthikeyan's team-mate, with Tonio Liuzzi in talks but unable to pay for a drive. When asked if his opposite number will have to bring a budget to the team, Karthikeyan told ESPNF1: "Sure, he will bring some funding. Half the field brings some funding to their teams. So there's nothing unusual about it."

But the Indian driver is confident HRT has a solid plan in place for 2011.

"The team has some new ideas in the marketing side of things and I feel that they will move forward in this department as well. There will be enough money during the season. However, in F1 more money is always welcome."

He is also confident HRT has made progress with its 2011 car, which is expected to run for the first time in Barcelona.

"I have spoken with the engineers and seen some designs and downforce numbers from HRT, and the F111 will be a step in the positive direction," he said. "It would be nice to have the new car ready as soon as possible, and I'm sure that all involved are working absolutely 24/7 to make that happen. However, new car development is a very carefully controlled process, and I'm sure the design and production team have it under control."

When asked what plans he has beyond his return season in 2011, Karthikeyan said: "Staying with HRT has to be the plan for the long-term."

Read Narain Karthikeyan's interview in full

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Book alleges Alonso tried to scupper Hamilton's chances

Fernando Alonso attempted to undermine Lewis Hamilton's chances at the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix according to a new book titled: No Angel: the Secret Life of Bernie Ecclestone.

Hamilton's acrimonious relationship with Alonso while the pair were together at McLaren has been well documented, with them becoming embroiled in on and off-track battles. One such row broke out at the Hungaroring, when Alonso was stripped of pole position after he blocked Hamilton in the pits.

Fresh details have now been released about the pair's relationship, with Tom Bowers' book claiming Alonso asked McLaren team manager Ron Dennis to make sure Hamilton's car ran out of fuel. It also claims Alonso gace Dennis an ultimatum, threatening to supply the FIA with incriminating emails unless he was treated as McLaren's No. 1 driver ahead of the Briton.

The duo are now on separate teams as the 2011 season approaches, starting in Australia on March 25, and their rivalry is likely to have intensified following the latest revelations.

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Todt pays visit to Kubica

FIA president Jean Todt visited Robert Kubica in hospital on Sunday.

According to Italian reports, Todt was accompanied by other FIA officials including Professor Gerard Saillant. He left the Santa Corona hospital without commenting.

"Robert is continuing here on the basis of the plan established by the medical staff," said Kubica's manager Daniele Morelli. "His medical and psychological conditions are good, certainly we will stay here for a few weeks more and then evaluate the next steps based on his clinical condition," he added.

Morelli said Todt's visit was a "personal visit" rather than an official one.

ANSA news agency said Todt was satisfied with the care Kubica is receiving. The report also said Kubica's room in the spinal rehabilitation unit of the hospital is guarded by security guards.

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Hamilton to drive NASCAR in July

Barring an unforeseen scheduling hiccup, two-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart and Lewis Hamilton will swap race cars in an exhibition later this year, Stewart-Haas Racing spokesman Mike Arning confirmed on Saturday.

The seat swap comes at the hands of Mobil 1, a mutual sponsor for the two drivers, and is expected to take place at Watkins Glen International sometime during the summer. The cars involved will not be show cars. They will be legitimate race-prepared machines.

Hamilton will man Stewart's road course ready No. 14 Chevrolet Impala, and Stewart will drive Hamilton's 2010-model F1 McLaren. The respective drivers' race teams will travel with them to the event to tune the cars. Stewart was not available for comment Saturday.

This isn't the first time NASCAR and F1 have hosted an event like this. In 2003, Jeff Gordon traded rides with Juan Pablo Montoya at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, after which both expressed greater appreciation for the other's respective discipline. Gordon made two runs in Montoya's BMW/Williams F1 machine.

"To get the opportunity here today to do this fulfills really every desire and dream that I had," Gordon said at the time.

Marty Smith is a contributor to ESPN's NASCAR coverage

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Hopes linger Bahrain Grand Prix can be rearranged

The press in the Middle East report that the Bahrain royal family are still hopeful the postponed Bahrain Grand Prix can be slotted into the Formula One calendar later in the season.

The general opinion is the schedule is too crammed in the final weeks of the season to accommodate the race, but those running the sport have close links with the royal family and have given signals they are keen to rearrange it if at all possible.

Few have been willing to come out and say the race should not be run in November - the favoured time is around the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - but several leading figures have warned it would be hard to do so.

Mercedes boss Norbert Haug has bucked the trend. " Finding the right gap in the firmly subscribed calendar is going to be a very difficult task," he said. "I don't think it's feasible. One must think first and foremost about the staff."

Bahrain's Economic Development Board chairman Shaikh Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa told CNN: "Bahrain is still seeking the possibility of hosting the much-awaited race later this year."

He was sanguine when comparing the cancellation with Bahrain's recent political turmoil. "Losing the grand prix is nothing compared with a stable country and a strong economy," he said. He added no F1 team had sought compensation for the situation.

At the same time, the local title sponsor Gulf Air vowed to refund tickets for flights to Bahrain for the cancelled race. But Sunil de Souza, regional travel manager for the region including the United Arab Emirates, said travellers are hopeful the grand prix will be rescheduled.

"We are hoping [the protests] will subside and the race will continue at a later date and we will carry [the bookings] forward to a later date."

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Huge turnout as Perez takes his Sauber onto the streets

Huge crowds estimated at around 200,000 lined the streets in the Sergio Perez's home town of Guadalajara as he gave a demonstration of the new Sauber to an adoring public.

Perez went up and down the 1.5 kilometre course on closed public roads a total of eight times in a C29, doing 'donuts' and getting the tyres to smoke.

"This was one of the best days of my life", said Perez after giving dozens of interviews and signing countless autographs. "It was a great, great experience. I have never experienced something like this before with so many people cheering me. I'm proud to be Mexican, and I'm proud to receive all this support. It is a big boost for me ahead of the new season."

"It was an enormous event with unbelievable enthusiasm", said Beat Zehnder, the team's manager."What the state of Jalisco managed to put on within a very short space of time was one of the greatest F1 road shows I have ever looked after."

In glorious sunshine, the programme was rounded off by a NASCAR show, which also involved Sergio's brother Antonio Perez, bike shows and parades involving the police and vintage cars.

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Barcelona test delayed by 24 hours

The final test of the 2011 Formula One pre-season in Barcelona has been delayed until March 9.

Bahrain, which had been scheduled to host the opening grand prix of the year, was initially pencilled in as the home of the final testing session. However, due to political unrest, the Sakhir event was withdrawn at the start of the week.

As a result, all teams will complete their preparations in Barcelona, with original testing dates set for March 8 to March 11.

Those dates will now be put back by 24 hours, meaning testing will take place between March 9 and March 12.

The F1 season officially commences on March 25, beginning with the Australian Grand Prix.

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Malaysia eyes night race to boost attendance

Organisers of the Malaysian Grand Prix are keen to host a night race before their current race contract expires in 2015.

Circuit boss Razlan Razali, who has admitted to AFP that the event has "lost its lustre" since its debut in 1999, said the success of Singapore's floodlit street race has hurt Malaysia.

"And our biggest competitor is the television as many people prefer to watch the race from the comfort of their homes," said Razali.

He said a quick fix to boost spectator numbers would be to organise a night race.

"We should do one night race before we extend the 2015 contract," Razali said. "Maybe this will attract a bigger crowd as the weather at night will be cool."

Despite Sepang having some of the cheapest tickets on the F1 calendar, Razali revealed that less than 100,000 spectators attended the three-day event at the "tired-looking" venue in 2010. He admitted that attendance this April could be even worse, adding that he has received no reply from the government about his request for funding to make renovations.

"When it rains, it [the grandstand roof] leaks," Razali added. "People are not happy. The circuit was built in record time but unfortunately there were shortcuts and poor maintenance."

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'I'm very lucky'

Robert Kubica insists he is "very lucky" his injuries were not worse after his horror crash in an Italian rally earlier this month.

Kubica has undergone three bouts of surgery to stabilise his right arm and foot and still faces a long period of rehabilitation before he returns to full fitness. But he is determined to overcome his problems and is thankful his situation is not worse.

"I know I'm not in good shape, but I consider myself very lucky," Kubica was quoted in La Stampa. "I am facing a long and difficult rehabilitation, but I am not worried about that."

His doctors have warned him his recovery will be lengthily.

"There are milestones to be met, and his journey will be long," admitted Santa Corona Hospital's spinal unit chief Antonino Massone. "For a month, there is the risk of infection. When a bone is exposed for 45 minutes, as it was in this case, it is attacked by bacteria and we need to treat it with antibiotics."

But he hailed the Pole as "extraordinary", and Kubica's manager Daniele Morelli said he is a good patient "because he is a driver".

"The doctors and physiotherapists, for him, are like the engineers at Renault; adjusting, modifying and correcting the machine for the best result."

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'I don't want to talk about F1'

Kimi Raikkonen sounds less enthusiastic than ever about the idea of returning to Formula One.

The 2007 world champion, who switched full-time to the world rally championship when Ferrari replaced him with Fernando Alonso in 2010, was at one point last year considered as a leading contender for a return to the grid in 2011 with Renault.

He was again put forward as a candidate after Robert Kubica's horror rally crash, but 31-year-old Raikkonen expressed no interest and has recently confirmed he is happy rallying under his own entry, which finished a promising eighth in the opening event in Sweden earlier this month.

"I have no interest in returning to Formula One," he is quoted by Gulf News. "I do not want to talk about Formula One. Rallying is where I want to be. And it is good to be back for another season."

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Dates tweaked for final test

The date of the final test in Barcelona has been tweaked from March 8-11 to March 9-12.

The test, which was moved from Bahrain due to unrest in the country, will now run over a Saturday after Formula One teams agreed to the date change

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn confirmed the change: "We will be returning to the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona for a final four-day test starting on Wednesday 9 March and concluding on Saturday 12 March. Nico is scheduled to drive the MGP W02 on the Wednesday and Saturday, with Michael driving on the Thursday and Friday."

The first race of the season will take place in Australia two weeks later on March 27.

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Brawn unflustered by Mercedes' performance deficit

Ross Brawn is not overly concerned about the gap in performance between the new Mercedes and the early pacesetters in pre-season testing.

Despite setting the fastest time on two separate days at recent tests, Brawn has admitted the new W02 is off the pace in its current guise.

"It's a fair statement," he told the Mercedes website. "We are well aware of the pace of our current car, the distance to the current front runners and the reasons for this, which include the compromises brought about by our cooling issues. Our intention was always to launch the car in a fairly basic specification to allow more time to focus on the upgrade package. This inevitably means that we look further off the pace than people might expect. Knowing all of the facts, I am comfortable with our current position and the developments that we have to come."

The team has been forced to cut extra cooling holes in the bodywork at recent tests to stop the car overheating. Brawn said this problem will be resolved with a performance upgrade at the final pre-season test in Barcelona.

"The biggest challenge for us so far has been a cooling problem," he confirmed. "The short-term modifications that we made to the launch-specification car cost a reasonable amount of performance. The solution has been incorporated into the bodywork design for our upgrade package and will recover that performance before the first race."

But he said it was still too early to say whether the car would be challenging for victory at the first race in Australia on March 27.

"It's still too early to say but I am sure everybody will know more after the final Barcelona test. We have a very good base to build on. Our team is progressing very well and the Silver Arrow is coming together. Our target remains to take a step forward compared to last year and to compete with the best."

He added that the cancelation of the Bahrain Grand Prix and later start to the season will have no real effect on the car's competitiveness.

"There is no real impact on our development programme as we had no major upgrades planned between Bahrain and Melbourne," Brawn said. "The additional two weeks will of course provide a good opportunity to regroup and allow all of the teams to have more preparation time before we arrive in Melbourne for the first race. The car specification for Melbourne will remain the same as we had planned."

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