British Grand Prix

Button baffled by McLaren's missing speed

London: Jenson Button will be looking for answers when McLaren's top technical brains meet on Tuesday to try and find out why their car has become so slow. The Woking team had a deeply disappointing British Grand Prix at Silverstone with Lewis Hamilton, a winner in Canada only last month, finishing eighth and Button 10th.

Button, the 2009 world champion and winner of the season-opening race in Australia, is now a hefty 79 points adrift of Ferrari's championship leader Fernando Alonso with 11 races remaining. Hamilton is 37 points off the Spaniard's pace.

"We don't have the pace of the top three teams. At the moment we are racing the Williams, the Sauber and the Force India," Button said candidly. "That's where we are at the moment and, personally, I don't feel they had the best weekend...I feel that if the Williams and Sauber had a good day, they would have beaten us. So we've got a lot of work to do."

Button, who has never stood on his home grand prix podium in 13 attempts and who qualified 16th in a rain-soaked qualifying, said the team had got their strategy right and the pit stops - so troublesome this season - were perfect....more    

Webber makes his case for staying in F1

Silverstone: If anyone doubted Mark Webber's desire to stay in Formula One next year, the Australian Red Bull driver made his position very clear after scorching to victory in the British Grand Prix on Sunday. His second win of the season, and second career victory at Silverstone, firmed up his title challenge and cut Fernando Alonso's overall lead for Ferrari to 13 points with 11 rounds remaining. "It helps my...  

British GP: Kobayashi fined for injuring pit crew

Silverstone: Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi has been fined by race stewards after injuring three mechanics during a pit stop in Sunday's British Grand Prix. The FIA says the $31,000 fine is because the "very dangerous maneuver ... had potentially serious implications." Kobayashi braked too late while pitting on lap 37 and crashed into the pit crew preparing to change his front right tire. Sauber says two mechanics were taken to...  

IOC chief Rogge rules out F1 as Olympic sport

Silverstone: IOC president Jacques Rogge ruled out Formula One as an Olympic sport, saying that the games are a contest between athletes, not engines. However, Rogge said during a visit to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone that the International Olympic Committee can learn a lot from the F1 management about organizing mega sporting events three weeks before the London Games. "There are many similarities between Formula One and the...  

Maldonado accused of being danger to F1 rivals

Silverstone: Williams driver Pastor Maldonado was fined and accused of being "very dangerous" for Formula One after ending a rival's race for a second successive grand prix on Sunday. The Venezuelan was hit with a $12,300 fine and reprimanded by stewards at the British Grand Prix after a collision with Sergio Perez put the Sauber driver out of the race at Silverstone. Two weeks ago, Maldonado received a 20-second penalty...  

Poor show for Force India at British GP

Silverstone: Sahara Force India returned empty-handed from British Grand Prix, their home race, as Nico Hulkenberg finished 12th and Paul di Resta's retired in the opening lap after a car collision, here on Sunday. Hulkenberg was in contention for points till the last 10 laps but could not maintain his position. He had qualified ninth but started 14th from the grid as he was handed a five-place grid penalty due...  

Hulkenberg 14th, di Resta 11th at British GP

Silverstone: None of the drivers of Sahara Force India will start in top-10 in tomorrow's British Grand Prix as Paul di Resta missed out on Q3 just by a whisker and Nico Hulkenberg despite securing ninth position will start from 14th due to a gear box penalty. Di Resta was almost in Q3 but was bumped into by Romain Grosjean, who spun but got away since his timing in that...  

Alonso fastest in final practice for British GP

Silverstone: Championship leader Fernando Alonso was fastest in the final practice session on Saturday ahead of qualifying for Formula One's British Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver clocked 1 minute 32.167 seconds at Silverstone, which remained dry throughout the session after Friday's time on the track was severely restricted by rain. McLaren driver Jenson Button posted the second fastest time, 0.153 seconds adrift of Alonso, who is chasing a second successive...  

Webber indicates to stay in F1 next year

Silverstone: Mark Webber has sent out a strong hint he intends to stay in Formula One in 2013 while leaving open the possibility that it could be with a team other than Red Bull. "For next year there is a pretty decent chance I'll be racing in Formula One," the 35-year-old Australian told reporters at the British Grand Prix. "Let's see, come November, who it is with." Webber is second...  

Hamilton sets pace in wet Silverstone

Silverstone: Lewis Hamilton was fastest in rainy practice sessions for the British Grand Prix on Friday in front of his home fans. As conditions improved slightly in the afternoon, the McLaren driver clocked 1 minute 56.345 seconds in the second session with Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber 0.129 seconds back. Michael Schumacher posted the third fastest time. He's coming off his first podium finish at the European GP since coming out...  

Karthikeyan hopes for better show at Silverstone

Silverstone: HRT driver Narain Karthikeyan is eying an improved qualifying performance at the Formula One British Grand Prix to be held here over the weekend. Despite a troubled start to the season in Australia in March, Karthikeyan has shown a consistent progression in terms of race results, including a 15th place finish at the incident-filled Monaco Grand Prix. However, the Indian has admittedly lagged behind in terms of qualifying, but...  

Grosjean fastest in wet practice for British GP

Silverstone: Romain Grosjean posted the fastest time in a rain-hit first practice at the British Grand Prix on Friday, followed by Daniel Ricciardo. With the Silverstone circuit deluged by rain and puddles forming on the track, Grosjean clocked 1 minute, 56.552 seconds for Lotus. Ricciardo's fastest lap in the Toro Rosso was 0.275 seconds slower. As conditions worsened, championship leader Fernando Alonso was one of three drivers not to set...  

Ferrari's Alonso still hoping for improvements

Silverstone: Ferrari have made a remarkable recovery after a slow start to the season but still have a gap to close on their rivals, Formula One championship leader Fernando Alonso said on Thursday. Ferrari's Spanish driver, who has a 20-point lead over Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber after winning a home race in Valencia last month, told reporters that the British Grand Prix circuit should suit his car. He had...  

Senna hoping for a wet British GP debut

London: Bruno Senna will celebrate a number of firsts at Silverstone this Sunday but probably not the one he wants more than any other. The Brazilian, nephew of the late triple champion Ayrton, will start a British Formula One Grand Prix for the first time and also become the first Senna to drive a Williams in the team's home race. Ayrton, winner at Silverstone in 1988 with McLaren, died in...  

Jenson Button win would be just the ticket

London: A perfect British Grand Prix afternoon for Jenson Button at Silverstone on Sunday would be one that almost certainly ends in tears. The 32-year-old has been a winner from Australia to the Americas, triumphed on the streets of Monaco and been crowned Formula One world champion, but in more than a decade of trying he has never stood on his home podium. A win this time round would be...  

British GP: Hamilton pins hopes on McLaren upgrade

London: Following a disappointing race in Valencia, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton is eying victory in Sunday's British Grand Prix with an upgrade to his car. "We've got some upgrades coming," Hamilton was quoted as saying by BBC Sport. "We're going to need them because other teams have obviously been making some serious steps forward." Hamilton currently occupies third sport in the championship, 23 points clear of Ferraris Fernando Alonso at No....  

Clos to replace Narain for British GP practice

Silverstone: HRT reserve driver Dani Clos will take the wheels from India's Narain Karthikeyan for the opening practise session of the Formula One British Grand Prix here next weekend. Spanish driver Clos will step into the F112 for the second time in the season after the Barcelona round last month. He will accompany Pedro de la Rosa for the first 90 minutes of practice at the iconic circuit with Karthikeyan...  

Hamilton says Maldonado incident just a blip

London: McLaren's Lewis Hamilton has written off his Valencia run-in with Pastor Maldonado as merely a blip in what he hopes will be a winning season. Looking forward to a home British Grand Prix at Silverstone next week, the 2008 Formula One world champion told Reuters Television in an interview that he had put the controversy behind him and had moved on. "I just move forward. It's in the past;...  

We must gain ground on rivals: Vitaly Petrov

Silverstone (England): With many teams introducing car upgrades at the next Grand Prix, Caterham driver Vitaly Petrov hoped changes to the car will help gain ground on his rivals. Caterham comes into the July 8 British race on the back of its best performance of the season at the European Grand Prix in Valencia, when Petrov finished 13th and teammate Heikki Kovalainen 14th. The team hopes tweaks to the car,...