Racing In Focus

Button ‘worried’ about topsy-turvy 2012

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 08:19:36 +0000

F1′s topsy-turvy 2012 risks turning off confused fans, Jenson Button has warned. The McLaren driver was the first of the sport’s five winners so far this season, with a sixth this weekend to create all-time history. But while some are enthralled by the unpredictability, a slightly “worried” Button warned that the time will come when [...]

Rosberg tips Schumacher to stay in 2013

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 08:16:01 +0000

Nico Rosberg has repeated his view that Mercedes should extend his teammate Michael Schumacher’s contract beyond 2012. With talks about Schumacher’s deal set to begin soon, there has been speculation that Mercedes is weighing up replacing the great German with its former DTM protege Paul di Resta. Shanghai winner Rosberg, however – whose own contract [...]

Ecclestone to push calendar beyond 20 races

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 08:12:16 +0000

The new Concorde Agreement will allow Bernie Ecclestone to expand F1′s race calendar. The current deal provides for 17 races, with only separate agreements with the teams pushing the existing race schedule to twenty grands prix between March and November. F1 chief executive Ecclestone said this weekend in Monaco that he is close to finalising [...]

Briatore admits working on alternate F1 rules

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 08:07:42 +0000

Flavio Briatore could be central to F1′s future. The Italian, who was ousted and banned from the sport amid the ‘crashgate’ scandal a few years ago, was back in the paddock in Monaco on Friday. He admitted he has been working on new regulations, with speculation suggesting they will be an alternative should F1′s commercial [...]

F1 to delay Singapore floatation

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 08:04:21 +0000

Plans to imminently float formula one on the Singapore stock exchange may have stalled. Bernie Ecclestone, F1′s new chairman Peter Brabeck, and CVC representative Donald Mackenzie, admitted in Monaco on Friday that the high-profile, multi billion dollar listing might be delayed. “I think we made a step forwards but no decision has been taken,” Brabeck [...]

McLaren wants to halve Hamilton’s salary – report

admin — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:43:10 +0000

Money could be at the heart of the delay in Lewis Hamilton’s re-signing with the McLaren team. Until now, the British team has indicated it wants the 2008 world champion to stay on board, while 27-year-old Hamilton insists he has no plans to leave and will turn his attention to the 2013 contract soon. But [...]

Raikkonen asks Lotus for rally Finland permission

admin — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:40:40 +0000

Kimi Raikkonen has revealed he would like to contest August’s rally of Finland. F1′s 2007 world champion returned from world rallying to grand prix racing this year. “Of course I wanted to do better. But I’m not finished. I want to go back, whether for my career or after I don’t know,” the 32-year-old told [...]

Student protests threaten 2012 Canada GP

admin — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:37:16 +0000

Angry students could threaten next month’s Canadian grand prix. Protests in Montreal, regarding planned university tuition fee increases, have been turning increasingly ugly and even violent, involving the throwing of glass bottles and hundreds of arrests. According to the French language La Presse newspaper, at least one student association has specifically threatened to disrupt the [...]

Backer says no doubts about 2012 Austin GP

admin — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:29:31 +0000

The key backer of the scheduled 2012 US grand prix insists he remains committed to the Circuit of the Americas project. Construction in Austin, Texas, has continued amid raging local media speculation, as lawsuits are pending and questions are constantly asked about the viability of the project commenced by the now offside promoter Tavo Hellmund. [...]

Schumacher’s future a hot topic in Monaco

admin — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:25:04 +0000

Michael Schumacher’s future is a hot topic in the Monte Carlo paddock. A multiple winner in the Principality, the seven time world champion’s comeback career has been far less glitzy, with some – even his boss Nick Fry – predicting he might return to retirement at the end of his 2012 contract. Key ally, friend [...]