Posts for 'Formula One Drivers' Category

Mark Webber might be the second driver on the Red Bull team, but he certainly did not offer up a second-rate performance at the Formula One British Grand Prix on Sunday.

“Very special victory for me,” Webber told  “I have won here in Formula Ford, Formula 3000, sports cars and now Formula One.

So it has been a very special track to me. To get the victory for me in Formula One in the company of these guys is something which will be a highlight.

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Lewis Hamilton has admitted there are still problems to overcome in his relationship with his father, Anthony, four months after the two men became professionally estranged. It was in March, two weeks before the start of the Formula One season in Bahrain, that Lewis announced he was no longer managed by his father and the pair did not speak for several weeks.

Hamilton has invited Anthony to the British grand prix at Silverstone next Sunday, but said: "Everything was not 100% in the past. But we're definitely continuing to build on the relationship and things are moving slowly. We're letting things take their time and move progressively and move naturally, rather than forcing things. It's generally positive. He's always sending me positive messages before the race and we spoke before the race in Montreal and pretty much every week. Since quite a long time ago now we've had a message every week."

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Mark Webber claimed his third straight pole position of the Formula One season at the Turkish Grand Prix on Saturday as the Red Bull team maintained its perfect qualifying record. The Australian Webber edged British McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton while Sebastian Vettel had to settle for third after technical problems in the other Red Bull and championship contender Fernando Alonso had to settle for 12th in a Ferrari after a latest mishap.

Webber now appears poised to complete a perfect May treble on Sunday after winning the other two races this month in Spain and Monaco from the pole. The championship leader Webber struggled in practice on Friday, but on Saturday everything was once again perfect for the veteran.

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Ever wanted to know your favourite Formula One driver better? Ever wanted a glimpse inside their lives outside the cockpit and see what really makes them tick - away from the race track? You can with the help of our series, The Secret Life. Williams’ Rubens Barrichello is our latest target, as he reveals a talent for cooking a mean Brazilian barbeque, his past as a teacher’s pet and a penchant for practical jokes…

Q: Are you the kind of guy to have a ‘Plan-B’? Rubens Barrichello: I would say yes. It’s probably not a real Plan B, but let me give you an example. I am very open for changing lines after the start of a race. You can always start by saying to yourself that you’re going to be on the inside, but when you see that there is absolutely no space on the inside, well that’s the time to go on the outside. I am very open to these kinds of things.

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Mark Webber is hoping Red Bull can keep him "on the edge" if he is to maintain his Formula One title challenge this season.

Webber thrust himself back into contention with a dominant victory in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix to leave him 17 points adrift of current champion and title leader Jenson Button.

In taking 25 points with his pole-to-flag triumph, it was almost as many as the 33-year-old Australian had collected from the opening four races.

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Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has come out in defence of under-fire Michael Schumacher following his woeful return to the sport.After more than three years in retirement, Schumacher has been a shadow of his former self in the four races so far on his comeback with Mercedes GP. In particular, the seven-time champion has been out-qualified by team-mate Nico Rosberg in Bahrain, Australia, Malaysia and China, and finished behind his fellow German in all the races.He added: "At the moment he's something of a newbie who has to get accustomed to the trade again. "Michael would have never returned had he not been convinced that he can do the job. "He is not a tourist in the paddock, he's here to win. And he will win again."

Formula One drivers and support staff—from pit crews to crew chiefs to team bosses to PR people—have become deeply immersed in “tweeting,” sending short messages on Twitter, the microblogging social network service.

Michael Gascoyne, chief technical officer at Lotus Racing, told Formula1.com, “I think it is very important to let the fans be part of the team. To create a bond with the younger generation, it is crucial to communicate with them using their tools. The fans seem to enjoy it very much.”

This presents problems in communist China, where Formula One teams are preparing for the Shanghai Grand Prix, this Saturday April 17. In China, the Internet is heavily censored and most social networking sites and services, including Twitter, are banned.

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Sebastian Vettel has described the reliability problems that prevented him from clinching victory in Bahrain and Australia as "massively infuriating".

The young German qualified on pole position in the first two races and showed the best outright pace, leading the way in both races.

In Bahrain Vettel suffered a spark plug issue and had his race in Melbourne ruined by brake failure, a problem which he says was caused by an ill-fitting wheel.

"Well, we had a problem with the brakes of the left front tyre.

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Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher believes the excitement has not left Formula One following accusations that the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix was nothing more than a procession.

With new regulations this year banning race refuelling and allowing just a single tyre change, there were very few moments of overtaking at the Sakhir circuit as Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa claimed a Ferrari one-two.

Schumacher made a relatively low-key return to Formula One following a three-year hiatus as he finished sixth with Mercedes after qualifying seventh.

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Formula One's first day of pre-season testing began in Valencia this morning to kick off 15 days of track action ahead of the first race of the 2010 season in Bahrain on 14 March.

Ferrari, BMW Sauber, Mercedes GP, McLaren Mercedes, Williams, Scuderia Toro Rosso and Renault were the seven teams that took to the track.

On day 1, with the two major attractions being Michael Schumacher in the new Silver Arrows and the return to the track of Felipe Massa in the Scarlet Ferrari, following his horrific accident at Hungary last season.

nico_rosberg2.jpgWell, it was Massa who just about nicked the headlines from the former Ferrari man, posting the quickest time of the day a 1:12.574.

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