The Top F1 Stories This week enjoy reading!
Indian Grand Prix Preview
The Next Race is at the newly Built India Circuit in Dehli, it's no wonder the pictures have now surfaced.
India unveiled the new $400 million Buddh International Circuit on Tuesday, promising to wipe away disappointing memories of last year's Commonwealth Games.
Fears that the 5.14km (circuit in Greater Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi would not be completely ready were put to rest after a grand inauguration of the facility.
The Commonwealth Games, which were meant to showcase India's status as an emerging global power, instead left memories of unfinished venues and massive budget overruns.
"The Commonwealth Games forced us to bow our heads in shame," Manoj Gaur, chairman of race promoters, the private Jaypee group, said at a press conference.
"We took the Formula One project as a challenge. We decided that we will make the track so impressive that the shame of the Commonwealth Games will be forgotten and our pride will be restored in the world."
The track is part of an ambitious 2,500-acre sports complex that will include a motor driving academy to be set up in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz.
The circuit has been designed by German architect Hermann Tilke and boasts the fastest straight-line of any F1 track in the world.
Indian Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan, a member of the HRT team, showered praise on the facility.
"I have raced on all the major F1 tracks across the globe and I rate this track as one of the best in the world," said Karthikeyan, who hopes to get a drive before the 100,000 fans who are expected to attend the race weekend.
The fans will also be treated to other entertainment, including first-ever performances in the country by US heavy metal outfit Metallica and pop sensation Lady Gaga.
"We are trying to make the race a unique experience for the fans," said Gaur. "It is a question of India's prestige in the world. We have tried to make a small contribution to ensure that this investment is fruitful for all."
Gaur said tickets for the race were close to being sold out, except a few corporate boxes which range between 3.5 million rupees ($70,000) and 10 million rupees.
source : planet-f1.com
Stefano Domenicali praises FIA safety standards
As the world of motorsport comes to grips with the death of Dan Wheldon, Stefano Domenicali says F1 owes the FIA a great deal of credit for its efforts to improve safety.
Formula One last mourned one of its own sons at a race that fateful weekend back in 1994 when Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna were killed at the San Marino Grand Prix.
Since then, although there have been some horrific accidents, no driver has lost their life, making it the longest period in F1 history without a driver fatality.
"These sort of images remind one that motor sport is always dangerous, with death always lying in wait," Domenicali said of Wheldon's death in Sunday's Las Vegas IndyCar.
"However, at the same time one needs to recognise and appreciate even more the efforts of the past few years to increase the level of safety of Formula 1 cars and the circuits they race on.
"Risk can never be completely eradicated, but it can be reduced and we must thank the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile for its continued efforts on this front and, perhaps even more importantly, on the roads."
Ferrari driver Felipe Massa has extended his condolences to Wheldon's family. The 2011 Indianapolis 500 winner was survived by his wife, Susie, and two young sons.
"It's terrible news," Massa told the team's official website.
"I first met Dan in 2004, when he took part in the 500 Miles of Granja Viana, when he was invited by Tony Kanaan, who raced with him in Indy Cars: along with Rubens Barrichello, he won the event that year and the next.
source: planet-f1.com
Whitmarsh 'excited' by Indian GP unknowns
McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh says he is excited by the unknowns the Indian Grand Prix could possibly throw up, with it being a brand new circuit and country for the sport.
Whitmarsh expects his outfit to be competitive, though the order among the top three will remain a surprise until Saturday as the teams get to grips with the new surface.
"I am expecting something exciting, I think we all are," he is quoted as saying by Autosport. "It is a venue we have not been to, it is a country we have not visited on the grand prix calendar, so it is going to be interesting.
"I think we felt quite strong in Japan, we felt quite strong in Korea, but Red Bull did a good job. Hopefully it can swing our way in India, and that is what we are trying to do.
"I don't know until we get there, until we see the surface and until we see what it is like," he added. "There is no reason why we cannot be strong there, but I am sure Red Bull will be, I am sure Ferrari will be trying to beat us as well. I think that is the exciting challenge that we have looking forward to India."
source: thef1times.com
Webber desperate for at least one win in 2011
Red Bull driver Mark Webber hasn't won a single race this season despite his teammate, Sebastian Vettel, taking ten victories and the title with three races remaining.
The Australian is desperate to change that, and says he'd rather win just one of the final three races, than finish second in the drivers' championship.
"To get on top of that podium again is a beautiful feeling and I'd probably take a win over second place [in the championship] to be honest," AAP quote him as saying.
"But anyway if we get second I still haven't done that before, so it would be good."
The 35-year-old is hoping for a tighter season in 2012, one which sees him more closely matching Vettel, even if tempers flare, as they did in 2010 when the two were fighting for victory.
"The relationship is fine. It's a lot easier than it was last year because it hasn't been much of a battle so, hopefully, we can have a more interesting relationship next year... Let's hope it's tighter than this year, that's for sure, and I'm pretty sure it will be, but the usual suspects [will be in the hunt]."
source: thef1times.com
Indian Grand Prix Preview
India unveiled the new $400 million Buddh International Circuit on Tuesday, promising to wipe away disappointing memories of last year's Commonwealth Games.
Fears that the 5.14km (circuit in Greater Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi would not be completely ready were put to rest after a grand inauguration of the facility.
The Commonwealth Games, which were meant to showcase India's status as an emerging global power, instead left memories of unfinished venues and massive budget overruns.
"The Commonwealth Games forced us to bow our heads in shame," Manoj Gaur, chairman of race promoters, the private Jaypee group, said at a press conference.
"We took the Formula One project as a challenge. We decided that we will make the track so impressive that the shame of the Commonwealth Games will be forgotten and our pride will be restored in the world."
The track is part of an ambitious 2,500-acre sports complex that will include a motor driving academy to be set up in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz.
The circuit has been designed by German architect Hermann Tilke and boasts the fastest straight-line of any F1 track in the world.
Indian Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan, a member of the HRT team, showered praise on the facility.
"I have raced on all the major F1 tracks across the globe and I rate this track as one of the best in the world," said Karthikeyan, who hopes to get a drive before the 100,000 fans who are expected to attend the race weekend.
The fans will also be treated to other entertainment, including first-ever performances in the country by US heavy metal outfit Metallica and pop sensation Lady Gaga.
"We are trying to make the race a unique experience for the fans," said Gaur. "It is a question of India's prestige in the world. We have tried to make a small contribution to ensure that this investment is fruitful for all."
Gaur said tickets for the race were close to being sold out, except a few corporate boxes which range between 3.5 million rupees ($70,000) and 10 million rupees.
source : planet-f1.com
Stefano Domenicali praises FIA safety standards
As the world of motorsport comes to grips with the death of Dan Wheldon, Stefano Domenicali says F1 owes the FIA a great deal of credit for its efforts to improve safety.
Formula One last mourned one of its own sons at a race that fateful weekend back in 1994 when Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna were killed at the San Marino Grand Prix.
Since then, although there have been some horrific accidents, no driver has lost their life, making it the longest period in F1 history without a driver fatality.
"These sort of images remind one that motor sport is always dangerous, with death always lying in wait," Domenicali said of Wheldon's death in Sunday's Las Vegas IndyCar.
"However, at the same time one needs to recognise and appreciate even more the efforts of the past few years to increase the level of safety of Formula 1 cars and the circuits they race on.
"Risk can never be completely eradicated, but it can be reduced and we must thank the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile for its continued efforts on this front and, perhaps even more importantly, on the roads."
Ferrari driver Felipe Massa has extended his condolences to Wheldon's family. The 2011 Indianapolis 500 winner was survived by his wife, Susie, and two young sons.
"It's terrible news," Massa told the team's official website.
"I first met Dan in 2004, when he took part in the 500 Miles of Granja Viana, when he was invited by Tony Kanaan, who raced with him in Indy Cars: along with Rubens Barrichello, he won the event that year and the next.
source: planet-f1.com
Whitmarsh 'excited' by Indian GP unknowns
McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh says he is excited by the unknowns the Indian Grand Prix could possibly throw up, with it being a brand new circuit and country for the sport.
Whitmarsh expects his outfit to be competitive, though the order among the top three will remain a surprise until Saturday as the teams get to grips with the new surface.
"I am expecting something exciting, I think we all are," he is quoted as saying by Autosport. "It is a venue we have not been to, it is a country we have not visited on the grand prix calendar, so it is going to be interesting.
"I think we felt quite strong in Japan, we felt quite strong in Korea, but Red Bull did a good job. Hopefully it can swing our way in India, and that is what we are trying to do.
"I don't know until we get there, until we see the surface and until we see what it is like," he added. "There is no reason why we cannot be strong there, but I am sure Red Bull will be, I am sure Ferrari will be trying to beat us as well. I think that is the exciting challenge that we have looking forward to India."
source: thef1times.com
Webber desperate for at least one win in 2011
Red Bull driver Mark Webber hasn't won a single race this season despite his teammate, Sebastian Vettel, taking ten victories and the title with three races remaining.
The Australian is desperate to change that, and says he'd rather win just one of the final three races, than finish second in the drivers' championship.
"To get on top of that podium again is a beautiful feeling and I'd probably take a win over second place [in the championship] to be honest," AAP quote him as saying.
"But anyway if we get second I still haven't done that before, so it would be good."
The 35-year-old is hoping for a tighter season in 2012, one which sees him more closely matching Vettel, even if tempers flare, as they did in 2010 when the two were fighting for victory.
"The relationship is fine. It's a lot easier than it was last year because it hasn't been much of a battle so, hopefully, we can have a more interesting relationship next year... Let's hope it's tighter than this year, that's for sure, and I'm pretty sure it will be, but the usual suspects [will be in the hunt]."
source: thef1times.com
