2012 Formula 1 Constructors' Teams Championship

Motor Sport - F1 - Constructors Championship 2012 (Winner) 05/11/2012

Check out the battle between the teams. See and be it on 12bet.com

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French GP return talks ongoing

France's return to the F1 Calendar is still to be confirmed, according to the country's Prime Minister Francois Fillon.

A return to top-level grand prix racing for France was expected to be announced earlier this week when Fillon visited the Le Castellet circuit in southern France, but Fillon instead revealed that talks were still ongoing.

"We are working on the idea of hosting a grand prix every other year at Le Castellet," the prime minister said. "This idea was agreed by the Formula 1 authorities. It is not up to me to set a date for a grand prix."

The ongoing talks with the Formula 1 authorities are centred on alternating races with Belgium and Fillon also said that the fee is still to be agreed.

"The Formula 1 organisers' proposal is reasonable enough, but we have to make them remove the 'enough'. "There is a two-million-euro gap. French state will bail for (the fee) but we will not go further."

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Horner unhappy with cost-control plans

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has made it clear he is against the latest cost-control suggestions in F1.

Horner has refused to sign up to the latest cost-control measures and believes there are real flaws behind the ideas. However, the Red Bull chief insists the team is, overall, fully behind cost control but is unsure if the sport's governing bodies are currently taking the right route.

"What I would like to make clear is Red Bull is fully behind cost control in Formula One," Horner is quoted by Sporting Life. "Whether the RRA is the right route to achieve that is what we question. I believe that letter, from what I read, requested for the FIA to police the RRA, which in our opinion would be the wrong route.

"We believe whole-heartedly in controlling costs in Formula One and not frivolous spending. But there are better ways of doing that and containing that through the sporting and technical regulations as opposed to a resource restriction that relies on equivalence and apportionment of time and personnel. "That is always tricky in subsidiary companies, particularly of automotive manufacturers. So we would be totally open to any discussion that involves cost control that pursued those avenues."

Red Bull, meanwhile, have begun the 2012 season poorly following Sebastian Vettel's back-to-back successes in 2010 and 2011.

The German did finish second in the season-opener in Melbourne earlier this month, but neither he nor team-mate Mark Webber could get on the podium last weekend in the Malaysian GP.

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Vettel hails unbeatable Button

German full of praise for Briton after opening victory in Melbourne

 

Sebastian Vettel admitted he was powerless to prevent Jenson Button's win on Sunday, describing the Briton's performance in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix as "unbeatable".


So often last year Vettel left his rivals trailing in his wake, claiming a record-breaking 15 poles from which he won 11 races and his second Formula One world title.


Over the course of the weekend at Melbourne's Albert Park, the shoe was very much on the other foot as it was Vettel and Red Bull who were found wanting.


In qualifying Vettel could only manage sixth, his worst grid slot for 25 races, 24 of which he had been on the front row.

The 24-year-old German at least went on to finish second, but was no match for Button who led for 57 of the 58 laps after passing McLaren team-mate and polesitter Lewis Hamilton on the run to the first corner.

"Jenson deserved to win, he was out of reach for us, unbeatable," said Vettel. "I'm very happy with second, especially after the difficult day we had on Saturday. "At least it was good to finally go racing again and stop all the talk, to see some results. "In winter testing we said McLaren looked very strong. They had a very solid winter with no issues with the car. - http://www1.skysports.com

 

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Fry downbeat on Ferrari

Technical director expects Italian team to struggle in Melbourne

Ferrari technical director Pat Fry admits his team will struggle even to get on to the podium in the opening race in Australia later this month. 

The Italian team has been one of the big disappointments of the pre-season testing campaign, although Fernando Alonso did post the second fastest time on the final day in Barcelona. But Fry was not particularly bullish when asked if he thought there was a chance of a positive result in Melbourne. He said, on Ferrari's website: "In the hunt for the podium in Melbourne? At the moment I'd say no.

"We are disappointed with the performance level seen at these tests and I think we have a lot of work ahead of us."It will only be in Melbourne that we will get a clear answer as to whether we have to be very disappointed or just a little, how far we really are off the front runners and consequently how much ground we have to make up to get there."Clearly the decision relating to the exhausts that we took last week meant we took a few steps backwards in terms of development. How much? Difficult to say right now." - http://www1.skysports.com/

 

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Grosjean talks up Lotus hopes

Romain Grosjean says there is a good feeling within Lotus after he recorded the fastest time in testing for the second day running.



The Frenchman had impressed during a race simulation earlier on Friday, the E20 seemingly out-performing Fernando Alonso's Ferrari in preserving its tyres towards the end of the run.Grosjean then clocked the fastest lap of the day with his time of one minute 22.614 seconds during the closing stages of testing, which was extended by half an hour due to fog on Friday.

Having initially had chassis problems which cost them four days worth of testing, Lotus seem to have got a car which could be a surprise package for the new Formula 1 season. Grosjean is certainly optimistic about what the 2012 campaign can bring after a second good day of testing in Barcelona.

"The race simulation was very interesting, it's been a long time since I've done that long in a car," said Grosjean. "We are quite happy with that. We're very happy that the car was reliable from the run no problem, so that was good, and it's very encouraging for Melbourne." - http://www.setanta.com/

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MOTORSPORTS news 12BET update 1/06

No rust on Schumacher

Seven-times champion says Mercedes need "another small step"

Michael Schumacher insists he is no longer "rusty" and reckons that Mercedes need to take only "another small step" forward to challenge F1's pacesetters.

The seven-times world champion, who celebrated his 43rd birthday on Tuesday, has struggled since coming out of retirement a couple of seasons ago, although he showed a marginal improvement last year.

Schumacher has finished below team-mate Nico Rosberg in the drivers' championship in both of the last two seasons, but his overall position in the end-of-season standings has risen from ninth to eighth.

He appeared to prefer the Pirelli tyres introduced last season to the Bridgestone rubber used in 2010, but Mercedes are still searching for their first win as a constructor.

The Brackley-based team have not sampled such success since their 2009 world championship win, but Schumacher thinks both he and his team are not too far off.

"I know the team better and I am more involved... at first I was a little rusty. Things are better now and I am convinced Mercedes and I will succeed," he is quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.

"We need another small step and then we can make it to the top."  -http://www1.skysports.com/

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MOTORSPORTS news 12BET update 1/04

Di Resta eyes Vettel challenge

Force India ace Paul di Resta has revealed he would love another crack at double world champion Sebastian Vettel on equal terms.

The two enjoyed a tussle as team-mates at ASM Formula 3 in the 2006 Formula 3 Euro Series with the Scot coming out on top on that occasion, although it was Vettel who moved straight into Formula One with Di Resta initially trying his hand in the DTM touring car series.

Vettel joined BMW Sauber as the reserve driver, making his debut in the US Grand Prix following an injury to Robert Kubica, becoming the youngest points scorer in F1 history with an impressive eighth-placed finish at the age of 19.

The German had a two-year spell at Toro Rosso before joining Red Bull in 2009, where he has reached the pinnacle in successive seasons.

Di Resta has paid tribute to his former team-mate's achievements but insists that he has had a huge helping hand by the fact he has the best car.

"We were team-mates in Formula 3 in 2006 and we had the same equipment," di Resta told the Daily Star.

"Fortunately, I came out on top that year and we had a great battle that went right down to the wire.

"I'd like to be racing him at the front of Formula One. I have a lot of respect for what he's done.

"You can't take away what he's achieved this year or diminish his success, but he's been in the best car." - http://www.setanta.com/

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MOTORSPORTS news 12BET update 1/03

Rosberg happy with test delay

Nico Rosberg does not feel that Mercedes will be unduly affected by missing the first test of the season.

The team will take no part in the Jerez test on February 7-10, preferring to work on the development of its new W03 machine, and the German hopes that such fine-tuning will help Mercedes competiveness when the new season starts.

"It is just the choice that they have made and I am happy with that," Rosberg told Autosport.

"It is the compromise between testing early enough and having enough time to develop. And they need to find a middle way - and they have decided that that is the best way to do it."

"With the way the factory is going now, I am confident," he added.

"This year we would not have managed to do the first race if we had run the car that late, but with the way the factory is now optimised, I am confident that we can quite happily make it happen and the car can race very soon after the first test - with just a few bits and pieces that need to be sorted out. That shows already that the team is a big improvement." - http://www.setanta.com

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MOTORSPORTS news 12BET update 1/2

Liuzzi unsure over future

Vitantonio Liuzzi has admitted that he is uncertain as to whether he will be driving in Formula 1 in 2012.

Liuzzi signed a two-year deal with HRT before the beginning of last season, but is unsure if he will kept on by the team, following a change of ownership.

"I have a contract to race next season with HRT, but the agreement was concluded with the previous owner [Jose Ramon Carabante] and now the future is uncertain," he told TotalRace.com.

HRT's team boss Luis Perez-Sala recently revealed that the squad have held talks with several drivers, but that they have yet to decide on who will partner Pedro de la Rosa in 2012.

It is thought that 30-year-old Liuzzi is in a battle with Jaime Alguersuari and young Spanish driver Dani Clos for the second race seat. - http://www.setanta.com

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MOTORSPORTS news 12BET update 1/1

VETTEL RIVALS 'NEED PERFECT CAR' Vettel to break Schumacher's Record for wins in a season?

Three-time world champion Niki Lauda feels Sebastian Vettel's rivals "will need a perfect car" to deny him a title hat-trick next year.

Vettel and Red Bull were in a class of their own this year as the 24-year-old won 11 races en route to securing his second consecutive championship.

The German will no doubt start the 2012 campaign as the man to beat, and Lauda believes that those who want to deny Vettel another title will need to have a car that is impeccable.

"In 2011, Sebastian's self-confidence increased immensely and he made no mistakes," he told the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper.

"Next year he will be the man to beat. Whoever wants to beat him will need a perfect car."

Lauda also backed Red Bull to take another big step forward despite the ban on the exhaust blown diffusers.

"Logic tells me that Red Bull will move further forward," he said.

"The only rule change is the modified exhaust and diffuser. The loss in output is compensated by even better aerodynamics.

"Those who can build on a very good car already have an advantage. Red Bull can further develop the success, which is easier than to start over.

"Mercedes must build a completely new car to get there. There is the risk of going in the wrong direction. But Mercedes have employed more technicians. McLaren and Ferrari are in a similar situation. But the real standard for 2012 can only be assessed after the first tests."- http://www.sportinglife.com/

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12bET Tips Sebastian Vettelvs Mark Webber 10/9 2PM GMT+8

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel snatched pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday as he closes on back-to-back Formula One world titles.The Red Bull driver, who has dominated the season and needs just one point to reclaim his driver's crown, timed quickest in qualifying ahead of McLaren duo Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, who will start second and third.Red Bull's Mark Webber secured sixth place on the grid 0.69sec slower than his teammate while fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo was 22nd for HRT.

 

Vettel, winner of the past two races at Suzuka, claimed his 12th pole of the season with a time of 1min 30.466secs, edging Britain's Button by just 0.009sec.The pole was the 27th of Vettel's career and kept Red Bull's perfect 2011 qualifying record intact with a 15th first-place start for the team in as many races this season.The 24-year-old needs to finish just 10th or better on Sunday to become the youngest Formula One driver to win consecutive world titles.Vettel can also clinch the championship if Button doesn't win Sunday's race.Vettel was ecstatic to bounce back from a difficult start to the weekend after his crash in the final minute of the opening practice session on Friday.

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