Webber: I’m determined to fight for the title

Mark Webber intends to fight for the title just like he did last year

Mark Webber denied that he will retire from Formula 1 if he is not signed by Red Bull for next season and is totally committed to fight for the 2011 title.

The Australian told La Stampa during his showcar run in Turin, “I’m determined. Last year I fought for the title and I want to do it again.”

Team boss Christian Horner claimed recently that Australian Webber has “no desire” to switch to a rival camp as his current contract is set to expire at the end of 2011.

The 34-year-old has had a difficult start to the new season but he told reporters that he is confident of a surge of form in forthcoming races.

“When this championship ends my contract with Red Bull does as well,” Webber told the Italian newspaper. “But I don’t think it depends on the results; I want to win for me.”

“We’ll see,” added Webber. “If the team doesn’t want me any more, I will have to ask myself a question — hang up my helmet or change teams?”

He admitted he has “flaws” but said his teammate and reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel does too.

As for Vettel, Webber answered: “Sebastian is very fast and he now has a good amount of experience. But he’s not unbeatable.”

“I prefer not to talk about his weaknesses, but we all have them,” he insisted.

Webber showed ‘true grit’ when he overcame a torrid qualifying in Shanghai, which saw him start 18th on the grid, to recover and after scything through the field in the RB7 finished third.

The message on the day was clear from the Aussie: don’t count me out.

Source: YallaF1

Vettel quiet after title win indulgence

A personal gift after winning the 2010 title

Sebastian Vettel has admitted he treated himself to a personal gift after winning the 2010 title.

"I won’t lie to you," he told a reporter for Germany’s Bild newspaper, after shearing a sheep at a farm outside Melbourne.

"Yes, I did."

But the 23-year-old Red Bull driver is not giving anything else away.

Asked mischievously if he bought a Ferrari, the German smiled: "No, not a car."

Bild added: "A plane?" Vettel: "All I can say is; I have it ordered but it hasn’t arrived yet. So you’ll have to work a bit harder."

Also this week, another champion Lewis Hamilton admitted he too has splashed out since becoming one of F1’s highest earners.

Asked by the Sun what his most expensive purchase has been, the Briton answered: "It’s got to be this diamond ring — it’s Bvlgari. It was ridiculously expensive.

"But the most expensive thing I have ever bought was for my girlfriend, I bought her a ring for our anniversary and that was frigging expensive,"

Source: Nextgen-auto

Hamilton: I am committed to McLaren

Lewis Hamilton took the bold step of seeking out team principal Martin Whitmarsh to underline his commitment to McLaren

With the start of the new season looming large with Sunday's Australian Grand Prix, recent speculation has focused on Hamilton's future with the team.

The suggestion has been that a third successive year without the World title, following his initial success in 2008, could prompt Hamilton to seek pastures new.

That would be despite the fact he has another season remaining on his £10million-per-year contract with McLaren.

Hamilton, though, insists he has no intention of going anywhere, nor is he attempting to engineer a move away from McLaren, a team that has overseen his career since he was 13.

"I've spoken to Martin today because I wanted to reassure him that I am here at McLaren, that I am committed to the team, committed to winning," said Hamilton.

"This is where my heart and mind are. I'm not thinking about going elsewhere, I don't have my people (his new management team) going elsewhere and doing any other talking.

"I try and put myself in other people's positions, to understand how they would feel. I think that's important.

"I can imagine how I would feel if I heard stories that they were looking for another driver to replace me, it would be upsetting and distracting, and I kind of assume that may have been the case.

"So I wanted to make sure I put that right, and why I spoke with Martin."

Hamilton, though, has not ruled out the possibility of one day in the distant future changing teams, but not before he has played his part in helping McLaren rediscover the winning Championship habit.

"Of course, I'm going to be in Formula One for some time, and you never know which way the wind will take you," added Hamilton.

"As I said, for now, I'm committed to trying to make this team the most successful it can be, and I feel we can do that."

Whitmarsh was naturally grateful to Hamilton for being upfront and honest, although felt the 26-year-old had no need to do so.

Whitmarsh said: "Lewis did come to see me today, not that it was necessary.

"It wasn't something I was going to raise with him, but it was nonetheless still nice for him to want to clarify his passion and restate his commitment to being in the team."

Dismissing the stories, Whitmarsh is convinced McLaren will again present Hamilton with the kind of opportunities that will ensure his head will not be turned.

"You glance through the headlines and you see lots of things, but you don't spend too much time dwelling on them," added Whitmarsh.

"He knows we will have highs and lows in any season, but he also knows this team is committed to winning.

"We're a great team, we enjoy working together. There are always plenty of challenges in this sport, and that's what we are here for.

"Obviously he has grown up with this team, we have had some great times together, and I'm sure we're going to have some great times together in the future as well.

"Lewis has grown and developed in self-assurance and his manner in the years I've known him, and has a genuine affection for the team and the people in it.

"It's great he is comfortable, enjoys the environment and working with the people in this organisation."

Source: Planet-F1

Alonso: Fighting for the title is my goal

Fernando Alonso is convinced he faces another nail-biting fight for the Formula One World title this season

Alonso was pipped at the death last year by Sebastian Vettel, with the Spaniard denied a third world crown by a bungled call from his Ferrari team in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

That mistake, viewed from the pitwall by Ferraro president Luca di Montezemolo who believed the title was his team's for the taking, sparked a pointed message from the 63-year-old earlier this year.

On the day Ferrari's new car was unveiled, di Montezemolo said: "This car was created with a very simple aim, and it is so simple I don't want to say it - we just have to achieve it."

As far as di Montezemolo is concerned, nothing less than the world title will do this year, ensuring the pressure is on Alonso, Felipe Massa and the rest of the team.

Alonso, speaking ahead of this Sunday's season-opening grand prix in Australia, said: "If you race for Ferrari there is no other goal than fighting for the World Championship.

"That is the history of Ferrari, the power of Ferrari. This team and its history is about passion, motor racing and about winning.

"That is our aim, that is our goal for the 2011 campaign, trying to fight for the World Championship.

"At the end you can win, you can lose. It depends how competitive you are. It depends on many other factors as well.

"But we need to be there, and I am sure we will be until the last moment."

For now, Alonso simply intends to be firmly in the hunt throughout the opening few races in order to build a solid platform on which to build the remainder of his season.

"Right now it's impossible to determine the order or say who is competitive and who isn't before race one," said Alonso.

"On paper there are five, six teams capable of winning races and to fight for the championship.

"After three or four races you see maybe only two or three can really fight for the Championship.

"The important thing for each team, and for us especially, is to do well and be competitive in these first three races, to be in that smaller group of two or three teams.

"But at the moment everything is very open."

Source: Planet-F1

Vettel takes stock of main title challengers

Sebastian Vettel wary of his world championship rivals

Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel has singled out two leading challengers to his F1 title, and mentioned two more rivals that could spring a surprise.

“Alonso for sure, and Hamilton is without question one of the best drivers,” the German told Sport Bild during an interview.

But Vettel has also warned rivals and pundits against writing off 2006 Ferrari teammates Felipe Massa and Michael Schumacher.

“He (Massa) didn’t have a good season but no one should underestimate him; it’s not so long ago that he was really strong,” said the 23-year-old, referring to Massa’s title challenge of 2008.

And Vettel said the same logic also applies to Schumacher who returned to F1 last year after layoff but has yet to ignite the scene in the fashion he did when racking up seven world titles.

“I think neither of them have forgotten how to drive,” he said. “Schumacher’s history is too great to write him off, and Nico Rosberg has also showed us his strength,” he added.

Vettel also said Jenson Button has unique skills that kept him in last year’s title race, and admitted that his own Red Bull teammate Mark Webber is similarly a threat.

“If our car is good enough, he (Webber) will get involved again.”

On Webber, Vettel said he and the Australian have cleared the air since their 2010 clashes, but admitted that the pair are “not necessarily on the same wavelength”.

Source: YallaF1

Schumi: Race wins, not the World title

Michael Schumacher concedes that while his Mercedes GP W02 may win a race in 2011, the car is not up to challenging for the World title

The first half of pre-season testing has produced varying form from Merc GP's W02, which is proving to be rather inconsistent.

While the car has shown moments of pace, resulting in Schumi finishing the Jerez test with the week's second fastest lap time, on most days the team has finished outside the top half of the timesheets.

Reliability has also proven to be a bit of a worry, although the bulk of the gremlins have befallen Rosberg.

And with half of pre-season testing already completed, Schumacher fears his W02 is not a Championship-winning car.

"The target is still the same as we said weeks ago: to hopefully be, with this car, on the podium and maybe, if things go very well, to win a race this year," said the 42-year-old

"That's probably the maximum we can talk about, but it is very difficult to judge our performance at the moment against the others because obviously we will improve the car a little bit further to the Bahrain race.

"But, how much compared to the others, that's the question mark."

Source: Planet-F1

2011 title win for Mercedes ’difficult’ - Schumacher

Michael Schumacher has admitted it will be "difficult" for Mercedes to triumph in 2011.

The seven time world champion returned from retirement last year and had a troubled comeback season with the German marque.

Mercedes GP is looking more confidently into its second season since the Brawn takeover, but so far the pace and reliability of the new W02 has appeared less than perfect.

"We are Mercedes and our goal is clear," Schumacher is quoted in German by sport1.de. "It will be difficult to achieve our goal this year but we have a vision that is not only short term."

Schumacher ended a day of the recent Jerez test with the fastest time, but it has been rumoured that it was achieved with low fuel on the super-soft tyre.

"Only the first race in Bahrain will show us exactly what our situation is," said the 42-year-old.

Schumacher’s teammate Nico Rosberg has occasionally sounded pessimistic since the debut of the 2011 car, but he told F1’s official website that he is not panicking.

"Yes, we weren’t too fast in Valencia but with Michael’s two days of running in Jerez we are obviously heading in the right direction," he said.

Rosberg said last week that the W02’s current specification is akin to an "interim car", with a big step scheduled for closer to the Bahrain opener.

Source: Motorsport.com

Vettel is ready to defend his title

The story of 2010 is still fresh in the memory and after a rollercoaster season defined by both troubles and triumphs, including outstanding wins in Sepang and Valencia, Vettel’s mesmerising march to the title with three wins from the final four races gave the world a season showdown to cherish.

Now though, the 2011 season beckons, and while Sebastian is still basking in the glow of his title glory, he knows an exciting new challenge awaits.

“It feels at least as good now as it did when I crossed the line in Abu Dhabi,” he says of the final-day title win. “Back then it was quite difficult to really realise what had just happened. But around Christmas I got a couple of days to myself and then I could come to terms with it.”

“As a sportsman, though, you’re always looking forward,” he adds. “That process happens quite quickly when you race week to week. With the Championship it took a little bit longer, but it was a very nice process. Now though, 2010 is behind us. It’s a very proud memory, but now it’s 2011 and there’s another job to do, so we move to the next challenge, which is trying to do the same again.”

This year that means contending with some new technologies and Sebastian is quick to point out that the impact of KERS on the whole grid and the new moveable wing is hard to gauge.

“KERS we know about already, we have seen the effect on the track in 2009, but the moveable rear wing is a bit of an unknown. No one has ever driven the car with that type of wing and it’s difficult to know how it will work: will overtaking be just about possible, which I think is the idea, or will overtaking become very easy and therefore artificial, which is what no one wants to happen.”

“With KERS, the question is how good and how efficient your system is,” he continues. “Not just in terms of performance but in how quickly it recharges the batteries under braking and how much it upsets your car when you do apply it. Obviously, the teams that had it in 2009 have a little bit of an advantage, but we will just have to work hard on that.”

“In the end, though, it is just one variable and there are always variables. We have different tyres to work with this season and we have to see how we deal with that. You just have to adapt and try to make your driving style suit the car. It happens every year and we will deal with it. It’s good, it definitely keeps you on your toes.”

All of which points to a reinvigorated champion taking to the grid for the 2011 season.

“At the end of last year I was feeling very tired and needed a rest, but I’ve had that rest now and I’m really looking forward to it again. You know, I found out that the trophy I got in Monaco last year… I thought everyone got their own one,” he says with a wry smile. “But it’s not that way, you have to give it back. So for this year I need to push really hard to keep it in my house!”

Source: NextgenAuto

Schumacher: I can win another title

Michael Schumacher is confident that he can still add to his seven World titles despite suggestions that he is too old to reach the summit of F1

Having returned to the sport after a three-year absence, the German failed to reach the standards he had set in the past and generally performed below most expectations.

Despite this, the World Champion has lost none of the self-belief that helped him to seven World titles during the 1990's and 2000's, declaring that he is certain he can challenge for the top honours in 2011.

"Absolutely [I can win another title]," the German told F1 Racing.

"Look, we have a three-year project. Very clearly right now, we are not where we want to be. We've put a lot of effort into coming back and are optimistic we have a chance.

"But in the history of Formula 1, when does it ever happen that you come back straightaway from this level to win in just one year? Very rarely.

"So I'm sure we can fight for wins this year and we might be able to fight for the championship. I hope so. I'm here on a mission and I want to succeed. I want to perform and I'm going to put 100 per cent into it. And if that's not the case in 2011, then we will have to do it in the final year," he added.

Source: Planet-F1

Max Mosley happy Ferrari did not win title

Former FIA president Max Mosley says he is happy that Ferrari did not win the championship in 2010.

It was Mosley who banned team orders after the Italian team's rigged Austrian Grand Prix result in 2002 and a similar situation occurred at the German Grand Prix this year when Felipe Massa pulled over to allow team-mate Fernando Alonso past.

"It would have given the world another unpleasant discussion about team orders," Mosley told German newspaper Die Welt. "I doubt whether that would have been good for Formula One. So thank god we are instead talking about the strategy mistake of the last race and not whether Ferrari really deserved the title. That is one less problem for Formula One."

Despite his sentiments over the destination of the title, Mosley did praise Ferrari for their fightback in the second half of the season and Sebastian Vettel for winning the drivers' title.

"Ferrari did an excellent job from the middle of the season to the end. They were almost out of the hunt and they managed to bring themselves back.

"Sebastian [Vettel] deserved to win and in every respect is an excellent world champion. He is a likeable, relaxed and natural personality so for formula one it's a win as well."

Source: ESPNF1

Ferrari: We got it wrong

Ferrari technical director Aldo Costa said Fernando Alonso lost the World Championship in Abu Dhabi because the team decided to play it safe with their strategy

Alonso headed into the final race of the season with an eight-point lead in the Drivers' standings but eventually lost out to Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

While the German led from the front at the Yas Marina circuit to eventually claim victory and also become F1's youngest ever Champion, Ferrari decided to follow Red Bull's lead in pitting Alonso's nearest challenger, Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber, early.

Webber and Alonso stopped for tyres at the start of laps 12 and 16 respectively but the tactic backfired when both became stuck behind cars that had stopped even earlier behind the safety car.

Alonso and Webber tried and failed to pass Renault's Vitaly Petrov for 40 laps and eventually finished seventh and eighth respectively.

The Spaniard, who needed to finish fourth in the race, ultimately lost the crown to Vettel by just four points.

Costa told Italy's La Repubblica: "We got it wrong. We didn't approach the race to do our best but to obtain an average result that would have been sufficient.

"And when you do that a little thing, a 'Petrov', a safety car, comes along and everything falls apart.

"Never again," he added.

Costa said the mood in the Ferrari garage when they realised their title hopes had gone was bleak.

"When Fernando crossed the line we were all frozen. For five or 10 minutes we stared at the monitor," he said.

"No one budged, no one took off their helmets. No one spoke. No one wanted to accept the reality."

Costa admitted that Ferrari "made impulsive and erroneous decisions" in deciding to pit Alonso early but also criticised the relationship between Red Bull and sister team Toro Rosso.

Both are backed by the Austrian energy drink brand, with Webber easily getting past Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari after his stop before getting stuck behind Alonso and Petrov.

In conclusion, Costa insisted that responsibilty for Ferrari's failure in Abu Dhabi should not fall on the shoulders of one team member alone.

"Let's be clear, we didn't lose the Championship because of our strategy in Abu Dhabi, but because our car was too slow," he added.

Source: Planet-F1

Alonso has congratulated Vettel 'repeatedly' - report

The Italian press has leapt to the defence of Fernando Alonso, following media reports that he has so far refused to congratulate F1's new world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Widespread German reports in recent days quoted Vettel, whilst on a triumphant return to his hometown Heppenheim last week, as saying "He (Alonso) still has not congratulated me".

Asked to explain Alonso's cool, Vettel added: "Someone from Heppenheim took the title from him."

But a report in Italy's authoritative daily sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport insists that the Ferrari driver "in fact congratulated him (Vettel) repeatedly in the press".

Alonso said in an interview with the broadcaster Rai that he is already looking ahead.

"There's definitely a lot of sadness but at the same time thinking that 2011 will arrive soon when we can win as we know we can," he said.

Alonso said his and Ferrari's disappointment at missing out on the 2010 title is "normal".

"It happens when you are second in any sport; Wimbledon, (French Open tennis) Roland Garros, the World Cup, NBA -- there is always a feeling of sadness.

"From 2011, I am expecting a lot. 2009 was a difficult year for Ferrari but now we are back in form, the worst is over."

As for the title winner Vettel, he insisted: "He was the fastest of all, with 10 pole positions and some mechanical problems that took points away from him, but he won in the end.

"Congratulations, but we hope that next year is more difficult for him," added Alonso.

Source: Motorsport.com

Vettel: Alonso has yet to congratulate me

Although Fernando Alonso did say congrats in his post-Abu Dhabi press release, Seb Vettel has revealed that the Spaniard has yet to say it personally

Vettel beat Alonso to the 2010 World Championship at the final hurdle in Abu Dhabi, winning the grand prix to take the title by four points ahead of the Spaniard.

Since then it's been a wirlwind week for the 23-year-old, who has been to Austria, England, back to Abu Dhabi for a two-day Pirelli test and then on to his hometown of Heppenheim in Germany.
And although he spent the two-day Pirelli test in the same vacinity as Alonso, Vettel says the Ferrari driver never came over to congratulate him.

"He still has not congratulated me," Vettel told AFP when asked if the Alonso had contacted him.
But, Alonso's lack of personal greeting side, Vettel says this past week has been one of the most amazing of his life as he settles down to life as a Formula One World Champ.

However, he still can't quite believe that it's real even after being greeted by 15,000 screaming fans during a homecoming celebration in Heppenheim, Germany.

"I have been hoping all the time that I don't wake up from this," he said. "It's all a bit unreal for me, it seems my face was on the front page of every German newspaper.

"I find it all a bit hard to take in, because at the end of the day, I am just a normal boy."

Source: Planet-F1

F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel celebrates his title in Heppenheim

Source: NextgenAutoVideos

Photos: Sebastian Vettel visits Heppenheim

Sebastian Vettel visits his home town Heppenheim

Sebastian Vettel Exclusive: I never stopped believing

He may have only been in Formula One for three full seasons, but Sebastian Vettel’s career is already record breaking. Not only is he the youngest driver to score points, clinch a pole position and win a race, Vettel is now the youngest world champion. Still youthful enough to miss watching Grands Prix on the TV, the sport’s brightest talent must now find the maturity to handle being a global superstar. We talked exclusively with the 23 year-old Red Bull driver about his historic title success…

Q: Sebastian, what have you been up to since winning the title?
Sebastian Vettel: After the immediate celebration on Sunday in Abu Dhabi, we jumped on a plane without sleeping to Austria, where a huge reception - and lots of questions - were waiting for the victorious team. Then the evening closed with a small party. Next day the UK was on the schedule with a similar programme to the one in Salzburg. But it was really special because we were with the whole team again, including all the guys in the factory - the folks who made that incredible success happen. On Wednesday evening I touched down again in Abu Dhabi. At some points over the past few days, when I was snoozing away on the plane and waking up again, I wasn’t sure where I was. It was tough, but on the other hand I feel that we’ve made a lot of people happy in a short time.

Q: You’ve spent all that time with team mate Mark Webber. Have you had a chance to talk about your issues during the season?
SV: Immediately after the race we had a long conversation. He came over to congratulate me and we took the chance to speak. There have been some things that annoyed me over the course of the year and vice versa. We’ve had the chance to set the record straight. I would not say that we have become fond of each other after that conversation, because there have been reasons why we collided, but we respect each other and that is a good basis.

Q: You keep breaking records for being the youngest to win, take the title etc. How do you do it?
SV: In reality it’s not important to me. What counts much more is what was achieved - the wins and the championship. Who knows what is still in the wings for me? But for now I am very happy about what I’ve achieved. I know that I’m not the oldest driver on the grid. Whether things become harder the older you get, I (understandably) cannot know that now.

Q: The young drivers who tested this week might be depressed that you have achieved so much, so young…
SV: Obviously you don’t feel these things. They must look a lot different from the outside. Of course when you take a look from a distance, my career looks like it’s progressing very fast, but for me I take one step at a time. In that way you approach every single task separately and lift the throttle only for moments to identify your position. Of course if you take into account what Formula One means - the top of motorsport - then everything looks quite irrational. A few days ago I thought about how long it is since I’ve watched an F1 race on TV, but how could I lately? I’m part of Formula One. Not so long ago watching F1 races was a light-bulb experience for me, and now I am the champion. Unbelievable!

Q: On your in-lap after the Abu Dhabi race you talked about your time in karting on the team radio, when you and your dad were the underdogs…
SV: Well, I was happy to be able to think at all in that moment. The emotions that start to roll over you are almost impossible to describe. That is the moment when pictures of the past start to cross your mind and you dearly hope that nobody is going to wake you up from your dream.

Q: You have reached an incredible goal. What now?
SV: I will take the time to enjoy the success and then I will celebrate with family and friends. And a bit later on I will start to focus on next season - and the defence of my title.

Q: There is no one single character trait that makes a champion. What do you have?
SV: That I never give up is clearly a very strong candidate for my best character trait. I have led this championship exactly once, at the end, which is what really counted. I remember that a certain James Hunt did it in the same style in 1976. I think that there are a number of drivers in Formula One right now who perform on a very high level, but in the end only one can win. And pure speed is only one factor. In the end to succeed needs a combination of many factors. Over the course of a long season it is sometimes tempting to slacken the reins, so you have to be able to shake yourself up at times and do your thing the way you think is right. But the most important thing is to never give up the belief in yourself. And the team always gave me the feeling that they too believed in me and have never stopped doing so, regardless of how it looked.

Q: Would you back the idea that it was in Monza that you turned everything back in your favour?
SV: Yes, because in Spa I admit I made a mistake. In my opinion, it wasn’t a grave one because I just tried to get past somebody and it didn’t work out. After that I was massively criticized, including by the media. That was a real lesson for me - probably the most important of the whole season. Before that I was a kind of favourite and had to learn to live with the situation, learn to only listen to a small circle of people and invest my energy only in those few, because you know you will get some of that energy back. Monza was next and that persistence was rewarded with P4. It was a very special race in terms of my attitude. From that race on I was able to let loose. I still strongly believed I could win the title, and could do so without clenching up.

Q: Have you had chance to watch the Abu Dhabi race back?
SV: Only parts of it. I watched the last 15 laps with my engineers and mechanics on Sunday evening. That was a quite strange feeling because at that stage of the race I had no idea that I would win the title. To see the tense faces of my crew and the jiggling feet of my team principal Christian Horner was quite something. In the end we’ve done everything right this season and have let nobody irritate us. What the others did was not in our hands and that is how we went into that race. Now I am sure there are many who will say that I was just lucky. But looking at the whole season there were many negative moments where I was asking myself, why me? In the end we seized our chance and the others didn’t. It’s that simple!

Source: Formula1.com

Briatore shocked over Ferrari's mistake

Fernando Alonso's former manager Flavio Briatore rumbled on behalf of his protégé in the La Repubblica newspaper. According to Briatore Ferrari made the biggest mistake in the easiest race in Abu Dhabi.

- Ferrari miscalculated. Fernando should have been able to drive a completely different race. Ferrari shouldn't even have thought of Mark Webber because Fernando was so fast.

How was a mistake like that then possible?

- It's hard to say. Maybe they just interpreted Webber's early pitstop the wrong way. Mark didn't come to the pits because of some revolutionary strategy, he came because he had hit the wall. They didn't notice that at Ferrari, instead they started following men and fell into a trap, Briatore acknowledged.

Would Alonso now be a world champion if Briatore would have managed in the Ferrari pit?

- It is not correct to ask something like that at a moment like this. We are wiser after one day after the race. The day before and on racing day it's the most difficult when the solutions have to be made in one second and there's a risk of a mistake on every lap.

- It is a stupid scandal to bring a race this crucial on a track where you cannot make one single overtake.Somewhere in Monaco it's crowded but the Abu Dhabi track is in the middle of the desert where they could have built long and wide straights., which would have been able to build a long straight and wide curves. Now nobody can overtake even if they were sitting on camel's back.

- I'm so sorry for Fernando. He is a phenomenal driver, who drove a brilliant season. It is a pity that everything is now played down.

Turun Sanomat, Rome

Courtesy: Nicole

Vettel: It's just the beginning

Newly-crowned World Champion Sebastian Vettel said on Tuesday his title "was just the beginning" and promised to be just as competitive with his Red Bull team next year

Vettel, 23, became the youngest ever Drivers' champion when he won in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, and says he still has plenty to offer.

"It's not as if I became World Champion overnight: it is a goal that I have pursued since I was a kid and when you reach it, it's a huge step forward," he said in Salzburg, Austria.

"But this title is not the end, things will continue.

"There are other reasons to stay motivated.

"People who know us can be assured that we will continue to be fully motivated for next season and we want to continue what we have accomplished this season."

Red Bull also won the Constructors' Championship and Vettel, the second German champ after seven-times winner Michael Schumacher, has big ideas for next season.

"The aim will be to defend both titles, Drivers and Constructors," he said.

"But all this is still far away and we still have to come back down to earth, take some time for ourselves and store up some energy during the winter.

"I want to enjoy what is happening now."

With Vettel now in high demand, the new World Champion will visit Red Bull's team base in Milton Keynes, England on Tuesday, then depart for Abu Dhabi for the first tests for next season.

"I can't wait to be back in my cockpit," he joked, "because then no one will be able to ask me questions and I can rest a bit."

Source: Planet-F1

Alonso's Blog: In love with Ferrari

Waking up was hard after yesterday’s disappointment, I can’t deny it. It hurts to come so close to the goal and see it slip away like that, but that’s the way sport goes and we have to accept it. The closing chapter of the season must not erase all the positive things that we’ve done this year. And – I repeat – for me it’s been a top year. There have been wonderful moments, such as the Monza podium, that will stay in my memory and the bitter end will never be able to cancel them out.

Now it’s pointless to try and work out who got things wrong: a world championship that slips away by four points after 19 races can be lost on so many occasions, not just at the end. We are a team: we win and we lose all together. I’m happy to be at Ferrari – to feel, together with all the men and women who work here the pride of being a part of this family and this extraordinary history. We are a great group and we will show that – especially in this hardest of moments where this bitter taste will be felt inside every one of us. I know that at Maranello everyone will be working hard on the new car to try to be even more competitive at the start of next year. I know that here at Yas Marina the mechanics are again on track preparing for a week of testing. I can’t wait to get back involved on Friday when I’ll return to Abu Dhabi to try out the new Pirelli tyres on Saturday. This is the spirit of our people: they want to react straightaway, to work even harder to chase victory. That has made me fall in love with Ferrari even more today than ever.

Source: Ferrari.com

Fernando Alonso frustrated as title slips away

Source: ririri074