Latest F1 news in brief
- Mosley letter stuns F1 teams into silence
- Red Bull drivers summoned to test in Spain
- Webber apologized for Hamilton bump
- McLaren to keep KERS for Hungary GP
- F1 drivers organize fun kart race
Mosley letter stuns F1 teams into silence
(GMM) 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 favored 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 protégé (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.
Red Bull drivers summoned to test in Spain
(GMM) Sebastian Vettel's scheduled attendance at the Ennstal-Classic rally in Austria this weekend has been called off by his formula one employer Red Bull.
Instead, the 22-year-old German has been summoned to the Idiada Proving Ground, near Barcelona, for testing of the title-contending RB5 single seater.
Vettel's Nurburgring-winning teammate Mark Webber will also be there on Saturday, as the Milton-Keynes based team attempts mainly to improve the car's efficiency from a standing start.
"The world championship is entering a crucial stage," team adviser Dr Helmut Marko told Germany's Sport Bild.
"That a test like this has priority (over the Ennstal-Classic) is clear to us. Obviously it is a shame, but we are talking about the world championship," he explained.
Webber apologized for Hamilton bump
(GMM) Mark Webber apologized for bumping into Lewis Hamilton's McLaren in the battle for the first corner last weekend at the Nurburgring.
The Australian went on to record his maiden victory, but he actually lost the lead in the opening moments of the race to a KERS-assisted Hamilton as well as Rubens Barrichello, who he also bumped into.
Webber, 32, was penalized for the Barrichello contact but not the separate incident involving Hamilton, who had to drive slowly around the track en route to the pits with a shredded rear tire.
The Red Bull driver admitted afterwards that he "clipped the back" of his silver-clad rival.
"After the race Mark sent us an email to apologize and to say that it was not intentional," Mercedes' Norbert Haug revealed to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.
The German believes Hamilton would have been a podium contender if not for the Webber collision.
"I would like to say very clearly that we would not have beaten Red Bull," Haug insisted, "but I think a third place would have been possible."
McLaren to keep KERS for Hungary GP
(GMM) McLaren will continue to use its KERS system at the forthcoming Hungarian grand prix, Mercedes' Norbert Haug has confirmed.
The Woking based team did not use the energy recovery technology at last month's British grand prix, arguing that the lack of braking zones meant the KERS batteries would not fully charge during the course of a lap.
The systems, however, returned to the MP4-24 package last weekend at the Nurburgring, meaning that only McLaren and Ferrari are still persevering with KERS.
The power boost contributed to excellent starts for both Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton in Germany, and Haug confirms that the system will remain in place for Hungary next weekend.
"(At the Hungaroring) there is a quite long run from the start to the first corner, and a long straight. It is a great KERS track," he told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.
F1 drivers organize fun kart race
(GMM) A group of formula one drivers planned to fill the two-week gap between the German and Hungarian grands prix by organizing a karting event.
The idea of the two-day races belongs to BMW's Robert Kubica, who invited many of his rivals to congregate at an Italian kart circuit with 125cc machines.
Among those who intended to join the Pole in Italy were Felipe Massa, Timo Glock, Sebastian Vettel, Nelson Piquet, Tonio Liuzzi and even Michael Schumacher.