London: Formula One drivers have been told to mind their language after world champion Sebastian Vettel and race winner Kimi Raikkonen turned the air blue on the podium at last Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. A spokesman for the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said on Thursday that a private and 'friendly' letter had been sent to all teams' communications directors about the bad language. The letter reminded them that it was "very much our collective responsibility to make sure drivers are aware such language has no place during media events."
It added that swearing in broadcast interviews "shines an unwelcome beam of adverse publicity on their teams and sponsors, the sport and FIA." Raikkonen, whose win for Lotus was the first of his comeback and first by the 2007 world champion since he was at Ferrari in 2009, is well known for his taciturn nature and much of what he says in English can be hard to follow. He was perfectly intelligible on the Abu Dhabi podium, however, when interviewed by former McLaren team mate turned television pundit David Coulthard.
"Last time you guys was giving me shit because I didn't really smile enough," declared the Finn in his opening remarks on the live televised feed. Vettel, Red Bull's championship leader who finished third, said in the same podium session that starting from the pit lane was "obviously a chance to fuck it up and we didn't do that."
Both driver comments were retained in the
11:30 PM, Nov 08, 2012
Should Sebastian Vettel clinch a third consecutive drivers' championship this season, he may look back on his third-place finish in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as a key moment in his topsy-turvy season. The race on Sunday was won by 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen. But it was the 25-year-old German's fearless drive through the field after starting dead last that had fans on the edge of their seats for most of...
01:33 PM, Nov 08, 2012
London: The knockout blow in the Formula One title battle has yet to be thrown but the moment is fast approaching and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel is landing the big psychological hits. Sunday's floodlit Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a standout chance for Ferrari's Fernando Alonso to recapture the lead in the drivers' standings with two races to go but, even if he beat Vettel for the first time in...
10:15 PM, Nov 05, 2012
Abu Dhabi: Ferrari's Fernando Alonso emphasised the positives after Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel dashed the Spaniard's hopes of seizing back the lead in the Formula One championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Vettel had started from the pit lane and in last place but still managed to finish third, just behind Alonso who is now 10 points adrift of the German with two races remaining in Texas and Brazil....
11:35 AM, Nov 05, 2012
Abu Dhabi: Formula One teams face a stiff hike in entry fees for next year's championship with the winning constructor having to pay USD 6,000 for every point scored this season as well as a basic charge of USD 500,000. The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) spelled out the new fee structure in Appendix seven of the 2013 sporting regulations published without fanfare on their website (www.fia.com). "The winner of...
09:08 AM, Nov 03, 2012
Abu Dhabi: Formula One leader Sebastian Vettel was fastest in the second practice followed by Lewis Hamilton at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Friday. Vettel clocked 1 minute, 41.751 seconds for Red Bull on the 5.6-kilometer (3.5-mile) Yas Marina circuit, .168 seconds quicker than Hamilton. Hamilton's McLaren team-mate Jenson Button was third followed by Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber. Vettel's strongest challenger Fernando Alonso of Ferrari struggled to keep pace....
08:35 PM, Nov 02, 2012
Abu Dhabi: Ferrari worked through the night at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to help Fernando Alonso in his title battle with Red Bull's Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel. Formula One technical delegate Jo Bauer reported in a statement on Friday that the Italian team had broken a curfew for the first time this season, using up one of their four allowed exceptions. He said the Ferrari mechanics had...
02:56 PM, Nov 02, 2012
Dubai: Formula One team Toro Rosso say their current driver line-up of Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne will race again in the 2013 season. Toro Rosso made the announcement on Wednesday. Both drivers joined the team this season. Ricciardo is 17th with 12 points and Vergne 18th with nine in the drivers' standings. Team principal Franz Tost said in a statement that "both drivers have done a good job this...
10:25 AM, Nov 02, 2012
Abu Dhabi: New Sauber principal Monisha Kaltenborn has become accustomed to questions about her becoming the first woman to run a Formula One team. The Indian-born Kaltenborn said she would rather sit back and allow Sauber's recent success to grab the headlines. The team, which was rocked in 2009 by the loss of its majority stakeholder BMW, has righted itself and is enjoying one of its best seasons ever. Drivers...
10:16 AM, Nov 02, 2012
Abu Dhabi: Ferrari's Fernando Alonso insists his chances of winning the Formula One championship aren't over yet, despite Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel winning the past four races and driving a faster car. Their duel resumes this weekend at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Trailing Vettel by 13 points with three races remaining, Alonso knows his car's pace has to improve for him to have any chance of catching the two-time...
09:48 AM, Nov 02, 2012
Abu Dhabi: Formula One is unlikely to float on the stock market before 2014, the sport's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone said on Thursday. "The market's going to take a little bit of settling down, I think," the 82-year-old billionaire told Reuters in the paddock at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. "I think we ought to forget about it for next year," added Ecclestone. "In my opinion we ought to (forget...
08:34 PM, Nov 01, 2012
Abu Dhabi: Sahara Force India drivers say the Yas Marina cicruit suits them well and they are optimistic of carrying forward the good run into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday. Force India had both of its cars in the points bracket in the 2011 season at the Yas Marina circuit with Adrian Sutil finishing eighth ahead of team-mate Paul di Resta. In the 2012 season, Force India are...
05:46 PM, Oct 31, 2012
Greater Noida: Formula 1 team Marussia will give its recently-signed reserve driver Max Chilton a chance to drive at the opening practice of next weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Chilton will drive alongside German Timo Glock, taking over the car from Charles Pic, who will resume his seat from the second practise session in the afternoon. The 21-year-old Chilton, who hails from Britain, has previously raced at the Yas Marina...
04:33 PM, Oct 25, 2012
London: Pirelli have ruled out a structural failure of their tyre as the cause of Sebastian Vettel's sudden puncture at last weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Italian company, Formula one's sole tyre provider, suggested in a statement on Wednesday that debris on the track could be to blame for the double world champion's first race retirement in more than a year. "Having subjected the tyre to minute analysis, structural...
05:34 PM, Nov 16, 2011
Abu Dhabi: Sahara Force India drivers, Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta managed eighth and ninth place finishes at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, to further consolidate the team's sixth position in the constructors' championship, here on Sunday. Force India earned six points to take their tally to 57 and increase the gap with nearest rival Sauber by 15 points, with just one race left in the season....
09:58 PM, Nov 13, 2011
Abu Dhabi: Lewis Hamilton showed signs of his old self as he stormed to victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, after Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel retired on the first lap. Vettel's Red Bull picked up a right rear puncture and spun off at Turn Two. The German driver made it back to the pits, but was forced to retire for the first time this season....
08:13 PM, Nov 13, 2011
Abu Dhabi: Double Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel suffered his first retirement of the season on Sunday after his Red Bull spun off at the second corner of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The 24-year-old German, who has already clinched this year's title, had made a clean start from a record-equalling 14th pole position of the season but appeared to suffer a sudden puncture to his rear-right tyre. Vettel...
07:58 PM, Nov 13, 2011
