British Grand Prix

Car not to blame for De Villota accident

Banbury: The accident that caused one of the Marussia Formula One drivers to lose an eye wasn't the fault of the car involved, the team's representatives said after an internal investigation into one of the most serious F1 crashes in years. Maria de Villota was driving an F1 car for only the fourth time - and first for Marussia - when she hit a support truck during a straight-line exercise...

Qing Hua becomes first Chinese to drive F1 car

Silverstone: Ma Qing Hua has become the first Chinese-born driver to test in Formula One, completing 82 laps of the British Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone for HRT. The 24-year-old Ma was on the track on Thursday on the first of two days of a young-driver test on the site of Mark Webber's F1 win on Sunday. "It was a fantastic feeling to drive a Formula One car for the...

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...

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...

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...

F1 must analyse De Villota accident: Drivers

Silverstone: Formula One must analyse the safety implications of the freak testing accident that left Spanish racer Maria De Villota critically injured this week, drivers said on Thursday. The daughter of former F1 driver Emilio De Villota lost her right eye after her car suddenly accelerated into the lowered tailgate of a parked team truck at Duxford airfield in eastern England on Tuesday. She remains in hospital, with her condition...