F1

Marussia clear final crash test hurdle

London: Marussia were given the all-clear to start the Formula One season after their new car passed the final mandatory crash test on Tuesday. The Russian-licensed team, who gave the MR01 its track debut in a filming day at Silverstone on Monday, said in a statement they had cleared the last hurdle. "The component in question actually passed an 'unobserved' crash test but has been performing inconsistently in the observed...  

Marussia debut new car pending final crash test

London: Marussia gave their new Formula One car its track debut at Silverstone on Monday despite it still having to overcome a final crash test hurdle before the opening race of the season in Australia next week. The Russian-licensed former Virgin Racing team said in a statement that the Cosworth-powered MR01 had been rolled out for the first of two limited-mileage promotional events on demonstration tyres. The season starts in...  

Ready for Melbourne: Webber after final test

Barcelona: Mark Webber completed his last day of pre-season Formula One testing in Barcelona on Saturday with champions Red Bull handing him an upgraded car to try out before his home Australian Grand Prix on March 18. With rivals suspecting Red Bull were keeping their powder dry for Melbourne, the Australian was eighth fastest of 10 drivers on track and played down the importance of the new chassis and changes...  

Sauber's Perez fastest on Day 3 of final test

Barcelona: Sergio Perez of Sauber set the pace on the second-to-last day of testing before the new Formula One season gets under way. The Mexican driver steered his way to a fastest lap of 1 minute, 22.094 seconds at the Catalunya Circuit before rain showers slowed down the Saturday afternoon session. "I am very happy with how my final test day went," Perez said. "We did an intensive programme with...  

No pre-season testing for HRT, Karthikeyan

New Delhi: Narain Karthikeyan will have to wait till the Formula One season opener in Melbourne to get his hands on HRT's new car, with the Spanish outfit failing to get the F112 ready in time for the final two days of pre-season testing on Saturday and Sunday. Karthikeyan, who signed with HRT for the second year running, has not driven since the Indian Grand Prix in October. The first...  

Ferrari unveil their fastest car - F12berlinetta

Following the teaser images and videos of the fastest Ferrari ever built, Maranello has finally unveiled the supercar. The F12berlinettas 6262cc V12 engine produces a mind numbing 750PS of power and an equally gut wrenching 690Nm of torque. This engine is mated to an F1 dual-clutch automatic transmission and along with a dry weight of 1525kg promises a 0-100kmph time of 3.1 seconds and 0-200 in 8.5 seconds with a...  

Marussia to miss final pre-season F1 test

London: Marussia will miss Formula One's final pre-season test in Barcelona this week because their new car has failed a mandatory crash test, the Russian-licensed team said on Monday. Marussia, formerly Virgin Racing, said the MR01 car had failed the final test after passing 17 previous ones. Under new rules introduced this season, cars must have passed all 18 tests before they are allowed to run in the pre-season sessions....  

Ecclestone unhappy with Vettel dominance

London: Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone believes Sebastian Vettel's dominance could be harming the sport and wants this season's title to be decided when Brazil hosts the final race. Vettel became the youngest F1 champion in the last Grand Prix of the 2010 season. But the German Red Bull driver successfully defended his title with three races to spare in October, and Ecclestone is concerned interest could be affected if...  

Maldonado leads F1 testing for Williams

Barcelona: Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado was the fastest at a Formula One testing session on Thursday. The Williams driver's lap time of 1 minute, 22.391 seconds at Catalunya Circuit was nearly a second quicker than Michael Schumacher for Mercedes. Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi was third with Jenson Button of McLaren and Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne rounding out the top five on the next-to-last day of the pre-season's penultimate session. Red...  

New Mercedes a special moment for Schumacher

London: Michael Schumacher looked forward to being a contender again as his Mercedes team belatedly pulled the wraps off their shiny new Formula One car before testing at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya on Tuesday. If the F1 W03 was far from attractive, with the by-now familiar stepped nose seen on all the other 2012 cars with the sole exception of McLaren, the sport's most successful driver declared it a beautiful...  

Bahrain GP tickets go on sale despite protests

Manama, Bahrain: Bahrain Grand Prix officials began selling tickets on Sunday for April's Formula One race in the Gulf kingdom, the latest sign that the government is determined to hold the race despite ongoing protests. Bahrain's season-opening race last year was canceled because of the unrest. This year's race is scheduled for April 22 and F1's governing body FIA has insisted the event will go ahead. There have been lingering...  

Trulli exit a significant low for F1-mad Italy

London: Jarno Trulli's abrupt departure from Formula One on Friday triggered no shockwaves around the world, but the Italian's exit was still a significant moment for the glamour sport and the home of Ferrari. Trulli had not scored a point since 2009 and the quality of the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wines coming out of his vineyards has won more recognition than his achievements at the wheel in recent years. However, until...  

Petrov to drive for Caterham F1 team

Hingham: Russian driver Vitaly Petrov replaced Jarno Trulli at the Caterham F1 team on Friday, leaving the Italian veteran without a drive after 15 seasons in Formula One. Caterham, formerly known as Team Lotus, said Petrov was at the team's factory in Hingham for a seat fitting and will take part in the pre-season testing in Barcelona next week. The 27-year-old Petrov, the first Russian to drive in F1, was...  

Newey waits for new Mercedes to reveal secrets

London: Mercedes gave their new Formula One car a track debut away from prying eyes on Thursday amid lingering suspicions that the late arrival meant the team had something to hide from copycat rivals. The team said Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg each did 50km at Silverstone circuit for what was officially a private filming day before the launch of the W03 at the second pre-season test in Barcelona next...  

Ecclestone keen for Bahrain GP to go ahead

London: Formula One is showing no signs of slamming the brakes on plans to race in Bahrain in April despite continuing violence in the Gulf kingdom a year on from a forcibly-suppressed uprising. Both the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) and commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone made clear after Tuesday's anniversary was met with tear gas and petrol bombs that the fourth race of the season remained on track. "The FIA,...  

Coton brings Hamilton closer to 'happy bubble'

Jerez: Lewis Hamilton identified Mika Hakkinen's former manager Didier Coton on Thursday as a key man in possibly creating a 'happy bubble' around him at race weekends this season. McLaren's 2008 Formula One champion had a controversial and disappointing season last year, despite winning three races, and has at times appeared in need of guidance and support since stepping away from his father Anthony. The Briton said last year he...  

Bianchi mistake costs Force India in Jerez

Jerez: Reserve driver Jules Bianchi's "mistake" left VJM05-02 damaged and cost Sahara Force India a major part of track time to evaluate systems on the third day of their pre-season testing in Jerez on Thursday. The mechanics worked hard to repair the right rear corner of the car but ultimately the team was missing one small brake component, which prevented them from returning to the track. The replacement part was...  

Mercedes top Jerez test, Lotus fastest 2012 car

Jerez: Mercedes' 2011 car topped Formula One pre-season testing for a second straight day, while Lotus were the quickest of this season's new batch of competitors on Thursday. Nico Rosberg was quickest around the Jerez circuit with a lap time of 1 minute, 17.613 seconds to follow up Michael Schumacher's leading pace a day earlier. Romain Grosjean in a Lotus was the fastest in the 2012 designs, the French driver's...  

Schumacher plays down title chances

Jerez: Michael Schumacher was hoping the late arrival of his new Mercedes would pay off after doing nearly two race distances in last year's car on the second afternoon of Formula One testing on Wednesday. Despite that, and despite setting a quickest lap that was meaningless on a day when rivals were trying out their new cars, the German still played down his title chances. The seven-times world champion pounded...  

Schumacher fastest on second day of Jerez testing

Jerez: Michael Schumacher set the fastest pace on the second day of Formula One pre-season testing on Wednesday at the Jerez Circuit track. The German driver, entering the final year of his F1 comeback, used Mercedes' car from last year to clock an early morning lap of 1 minute, 18.561 seconds that proved unbeatable. Schumacher says "it was a good and productive test, full of lots of useful information, and...