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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Q: A question to you all about your Monaco experiences. Varying experiences for different people. Jarno, would you like to start? Jarno Trulli: My Monaco experience has not been very successful this year, probably the worst ever. I had a very bad weekend and I couldn’t turn it around at all. Then in the race also I was very unlucky as I had a bad pit stop where the team was unlucky because one gun didn’t work, so I found myself last after the pit stop.

Then I was following Karun and for more than half the race trying to find a spot to pass him as I was quicker. A few laps to go I saw that he was struggling then I tried and obviously the move was not very successful. We collided and I was glad that no-one was injured.

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Other variations included Robert Kubica taking the second Ferrari seat alongside Fernando Alonso, while early season speculation suggested one of the Red Bull drivers could make way for former Ferrari man Kimi Raikkonen, who left F1 last season to try his hand in a rally car.

But like the scorching temperatures experienced across Britain earlier this month, the speculation has also been rained on with Ferrari this week confirming that Massa will remain alongside Alonso, while Webber has been rewarded for his consistency in the best car on the grid this season with a new deal all but signed.

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The Texas state capital Austin will host Formula One’s return to the United States in 2012, the sport’s commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone announced on Tuesday. "For the first time in the history of Formula One in the United States, a world-class facility will be purpose-built to host the event," the Briton told the official formula1.com website. The website said Austin would serve as host city until 2021.

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We’ve spent the past week or so manufacturing new parts in readiness for Istanbul after the damage we sustained in Monaco. All of the items that needed replacing have been replaced now, apart from the front wings which require more time. As a result, we have to revert back to a previous specification for this race and wait until Montreal for the updated version. Cosworth have been working hard on the issues we have been seeing during the first part of the season and have had some positive indications from their dyno work. Istanbul will be an opportunity for us to test how these solutions look on the track. In line with our development programme, both FW32s will have new brake ducts for Istanbul and some additional mechanical changes.

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Now the first one, VW buying Giugiaro, seems more likely to happen. Some even say that they will announce it officially next week. And that’s a good thing, because with VW money Italdesgin can work on ambitious projects, and also because previous collaborations between VW and Italian designers always resulted in brilliant cars.

But F1 business even for VW sounds like a tall order. After all, even if they have all the funds and resources they need, not VW nor none of their brands have any experience in the modern F1. But if some day they enter F1, they probably won’t be using VW badge on their cars. It’s more likely for them to appear on the grid as Porsche, or Audi. A VW-badged Formual1 car could be a bit of a giggle though! Also as a side-note, VW is reportedly working on a 1,200 hp super Bugatti Veyron as a kinda swansong for this series. Stay tuned for more details, this is something to look forward to!

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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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Fernando Alonso topped the timesheets in both of Thursday’s sessions as Ferrari took the fight to Red Bull in practice for the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Spaniard’s lap of one minute 14.904 seconds was 0.109secs clear of Nico Rosberg who was second in the Mercedes.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel set the third fastest time with Alonso’s Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa fourth. Mercedes’ Michael Schumacher was fifth, while McLaren pair Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button came seventh and ninth.

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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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Hala Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways' destination management company, has launched its 2010 Formula 1 brochure at this year's Arabian Travel Market (ATM), featuring exclusive packages for the 2010 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which takes place between November 12 and 14.

The new Hala Abu Dhabi brochure incorporates special Formula 1 packages at six world-class hotels in Abu Dhabi. The packages offer a full range of services including: airport meet and assist; return airport transfers; three nights' accommodation in selected hotels; daily breakfast; and three-day reserved seat grandstand tickets. Also included in the brochure is an introduction to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the world's first Ferrari theme park which is set to become one of Yas Island's signature attractions.

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