Red Bull boss says Vettel can go any time

Sebastian Vettel can leave Red Bull before 2015 if he wants to, according to team owner Dietrich Mateshitz.

The new world champion has signed a new long-term deal with the pacesetting team but he also recently coveted moves to Ferrari or Mercedes.

Austrian billionaire Mateschitz said an exit-clause is a “formality, but it is hardly necessary”.

“If we cannot give Sebastian Vettel what he needs and he asks us – despite his contract – to let him go, I can not imagine that we would not agree,” he told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeiting on Sunday.

Mateschitz also denied that Vettel’s new deal is particularly sweet, for example with regards to the demands for PR appearances.

“His PR appointments have been within limits already in the past, so it will not change in the future,” he said.

Mateschitz said he is not worried about losing Vettel any time soon.

“There is probably no top team from whom Sebastian has not received any offer, so it is wrong to think he wants to go and only we want to keep him,” he insisted.

Source: Motorsport

McLaren boss is banned from driving

THE chairman of the McLaren motoring group has been banned from driving for six months.

Executive chairman Ron Dennis, 63, formerly of Thorley Close, West Byfleet, was ordered to surrender his licence at Woking Magistrates’ Court on Monday (March 7) after pleading guilty to driving through a red light in Bagshot.

Dennis, who joined McLaren in 1980, was spotted ignoring the stop signal just after 7.30am on September 5 last year, while driving his Mercedes Benz on Bracknell Road.

Dennis, of Pinewood Road, Virginia Water, said that he should be spared a driving ban because of the inconvenience it would cause to his lifestyle, which includes long working hours and spending time with his children on weekends.

Defending himself, he explained that he had a friend travelling in another car behind him and he feared that stopping suddenly at the lights might cause a crash.

He said: “There were only two other cars around but I felt that it would be more prudent to continue rather than stop.

“It was the decision I took for which I realise I’m here to take the penalty, but as I have said I really need my licence.

“I have no hardship but I would have a massive amount of trouble not being able to look after my daughter at the weekends."

With nine points already on his licence from three previous speeding offences since April 2008, Dennis was given three further points, resulting in an automatic six-month ban under the “totting” rule.

Chairman of the bench Mike Morritt ignored Dennis’ plea for exceptional circumstances, and said that the ban would stand.

He stepped down from his role as team principal of the McLaren F1 team in 2009, to focus on marketing the company’s new supercar, the MP4-12C

Dennis, who did not wish to comment after the result, was also ordered to pay a fine of £350, plus court costs of £43 and a surcharge of £15.

Source: BBC Sports

Red Bull boss has no fear of losing Vettel

Dietrich Mateschitz on Tuesday said Red Bull will let Sebastian Vettel go if the new world champion wants to switch to a rival team.

Since securing the 2010 title, German Vettel has been quoted on numerous occasions admitting he would like to one day race for fabled Ferrari or Mercedes.

The 23-year-old is under contract only for 2011, while the precise terms of his ‘option’ for 2012 are not definitively known.

“Whether we ‘fear’ losing him is not the terminology we would use,” Red Bull mogul Mateschitz is quoted by SID news agency.

“As long as Sebastian is comfortable with us and has a winning car, he will probably not really think about going elsewhere.”

But the Austrian billionaire acknowledged Vettel’s recent musings about the sport’s famous marques.

“If he tells us one day he wants to go to Ferrari or Mercedes, we would have to understand,” said Mateschitz. “There are more mothers with beautiful daughters — we would let him go.”

Meanwhile, Mateschitz insists Vettel’s teammate Mark Webber will enjoy absolute equality in 2011, after the Australian said recently he foresees a longer tenure with the energy drink-owned team.

“Mark’s personality is different but he is as good as Sebastian. They are both excellent warriors who can both win the war,” he added.

Source: YallaF1

Kimi Räikkönen: a coveted driver

Haug informally visited kimi in Switzerland

Mercedes sports boss Norbert Haug has visited, Switzerland, informally (using the official version), Kimi Raikkonen. The 2007 world champion became a coveted man in 2011.

Linked to Red Bull, but also to Mercedes during the winter, the Finn is trying to convince that he is happy in the WRC. Far from his exploits on the F1 circuit. However both teams trying to revive the flame of the 2007 world champion.

Renault initially, which with the support of Mastercard wishes align a line-up worthy of a top team. But as Mercedes GP, which seeks to obscure the identity of its next line-up 2011. The meeting Haug - Raikkonen makes sense and is an attempt to survey, more than a firm commitment to the German mark to obtain the services of Finland. Unlike the French team which, by the voice of its owner Gerard Lopez, Raikkonen made his war-horse for the future. A demonstration that Kubica might like ...

A few days ago, Pirelli has also put in his list of options the Finnish world champion to test future gums 2011 at the wheel of a GP2 or Formula 1 old.

It seems that its agents have greatly reduced the fare for a return of their foal. In the space of one year, Raikkonen's salary rose from 45 million euros, 25 million euros, and now around 16 million euros.

Source: TomorrowNewsf1.com
Courtesy: vida