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Red Bull made a mistake in not appointing Sebastian Vettel the team's number 1 driver prior to the German Grand Prix, according to Ralf Schumacher. The former Grand Prix winner believes the outfit led by Christian Horner should have ensured Vettel was not beaten to the chequered flag at the Nurburgring by dominant pole sitter, winner and teammate Mark Webber. "There are no team orders at Red Bull, where the sport is in the foreground," Schumacher, who lost his Toyota seat at the end of the 2007 season, told the German newspaper Bild. "But at a team that is competing for the World Championship, that is actually an error. Sebastian is the stronger driver and he should be collecting every point he can," the 34-year-old, who now races for Mercedes in the DTM series, added. "On the other hand, it was Webber's first win after many years in Formula One and they didn't want to take it away from him." "In a sporting sense that is certainly right, but (it was) an error with regards to the title," Schumacher, a winner of six Grand Prix for Williams, said. Source: GMM © CAPSIS International
Anyone who saw Sebastien Bourdais walk up to the pitwall and part with a fairly emotional pat on the back from Toro Rosso Technical Director Giorgio Ascanelli following his retirement from the German Grand Prix will not be surprised to hear that the Frenchman has been dropped by the team, it was confirmed today.
Formula one teams reacted with silence to the news that Max Mosley really will step down as FIA president later this year. The last time the 69-year-old Briton mentioned stepping down, after the Paris faux peace deal last month, the reaction angered Mosley and he indicated he might actually stay. But quite apart from the latest looming prospect of peace, there could be another reason the teams were quiet, according to Britain's Guardian newspaper. "The formula one teams' lack of enthusiasm for Max Mosley's choice of successor as FIA president was made clear by the sound of silence," the newspaper said. "As Mosley was lauding Jean Todt, the former Ferrari chief executive officer, as the best man for the job, the teams responded by keeping their own counsel. That wall of silence confirmed a deep-rooted suspicion that Todt is the favoured successor largely because he thinks like Mosley and, perhaps more worryingly for the teams, may act like him too," the Guardian added. McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh hinted last weekend that the teams would rather see the independent presidential candidate, Ari Vatanen, take the top job. The Telegraph sees October's election as a "straight fight between (the) former rally driver ... and Mosley's protege (Todt)." "It represents a choice between change and continuity," the newspaper added. Vatanen echoed that view in an interview with the Associated Press. "You need a new star, you need an independent person who represents change," the 57-year-old Finn said. © CAPSIS International Source: GMM
Only a day after FIA President Max Mosley sent a letter to member clubs recommending his candidacy, Jean Todt on Thursday confirmed his intention of being the next man to lead the FIA. "Following the decision of Max Mosley not to seek a further term of office and his unequivocal support of my candidacy, I have written to the FIA membership to inform them that I wish to stand for the presidency of the FIA," Todt declared
Ralf Skidmarker is full of it wait until Webber gets to full fitness he should give Sebastian a good run for his money, unfortunately the championship is only Buttons to Loose from HERE
So true. And how is Ralf doing in the DTM series, last time I watched no where near the front and outside the top 10. What a stupid comment. Living off his brothers name IMO. He never could drive and from memory was out driven by his team mate many a time. That's always the risk after leaving F1 and trying something else. You are expected to do well.
Norbert Haug has returned fire at Niki Lauda, after the outspoken triple world champion criticised Lewis Hamilton for wanting to abandon the German Grand Prix. When running last at the Nurburgring, the reigning world champion asked with the McLaren pitwall to save this engine and gearbox but was told to concentrate on the driving and leave the strategy to us. Asked about Hamilton's request, Lauda said: "I wouldn't have dared. A driver should drive because that's what he is paid to do." Haug, Mercedes' competition boss, hit back at Lauda, referring to the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix when Lauda could have won the title but refused to drive in the torrential Fuji rain. "Someone who says he 'wouldn't have dared' should remember when he drove into the pits and gave up a race," the German said. Haug said it is absolutely wrong to dismiss Hamilton as unmotivated because he is not in with a shout of the title. "I get the feeling that people are simply looking for anything to criticise," he added, explaining that Hamilton's Nurburgring radio call showed the intelligence to consider pit strategies on the run. Source: GMM © CAPSIS International
Ralf skidmark was and is a has been, money got his drive just look accross at big bro if he cant say anything intelligent then keep quite
MotoGP Free Practice Nr. 1 Classification Pos. Num. Rider Nation Team Motorcycle Lap time Km/h Gap 1 27 Casey STONER AUS Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'22.779 278.350 2 3 Dani PEDROSA SPA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'23.034 281.250 0.255 3 46 Valentino ROSSI ITA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'23.088 276.073 0.309 4 14 Randy DE PUNIET FRA LCR Honda MotoGP Honda 1'23.133 275.019 0.354 5 15 Alex DE ANGELIS RSM San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'23.282 274.739 0.503 6 5 Colin EDWARDS USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'23.295 271.016 0.516 7 24 Toni ELIAS SPA San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda 1'23.351 274.459 0.572 8 69 Nicky HAYDEN USA Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati 1'23.367 273.003 0.588 9 4 Andrea DOVIZIOSO ITA Repsol Honda Team Honda 1'23.370 275.580 0.591 10 33 Marco MELANDRI ITA Hayate Racing Team Kawasaki 1'23.466 276.003 0.687 11 99 Jorge LORENZO SPA Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha 1'23.496 275.089 0.717 12 65 Loris CAPIROSSI ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'23.705 274.250 0.926 13 36 Mika KALLIO FIN Pramac Racing Ducati 1'24.090 273.486 1.311 14 52 James TOSELAND GBR Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha 1'24.317 272.865 1.538 15 88 Niccolo CANEPA ITA Pramac Racing Ducati 1'24.908 270.541 2.129 16 7 Chris VERMEULEN AUS Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki 1'25.161 270.337 2.382 17 41 Gabor TALMACSI HUN Scot Racing Team MotoGP Honda 1'25.416 271.561 2.637
Yet another member of Kimi Raikkonen's entourage has dismissed speculation the Finn is set to leave Ferrari at the end of the season. "That stuff is pure rubbish," his manager Steve Robertson is quoted as saying by the Finnish broadcaster MTV3. He said the rumours, suggesting 29-year-old Raikkonen might switch to the World Rally Championship while his seat is filled by Fernando Alonso, are groundless. "I think a lot of it comes from Spanish journalists but there is no truth in it," Robertson insists. Indeed, the latest reports are emerging from Spain, as the sports newspaper Marca claims that Robertson and his father David were seen in the motor homes of Brawn, Toyota and Renault last weekend at the Nurburgring. Source: GMM © CAPSIS International
Niki has now got his own base setup to work from. Its starting to show in results. He had a particularly nasty fall in qualifying though that resulted in sitting out the end of the session. Coming off hi-side he flew through the air t-boning a satellite Ducati with his head and body knocking the other bike off track too. The flying American slammed shoulder-first into nearby Canepa, sending both bikes and riders scattering through the gravel trap. Hayden was unhurt, rolling to a halt away from the bouncing machines, but Canepa had to be carried away on a stretcher after entering the gravel trap with his bike on top of him.
