Latest F1 news in brief
- Rain spots in Turkey but dry action forecast
- Red Bull abandons F-duct for Turkey GP
- Newey unlikely to ever make F1 team switch
- Mercedes hopes to keep same drivers in 2011
- Ferrari wanted to fix F1 appeal outcome – Mosley
- Another reliability scare for favorite Webber
Rain spots in Turkey but dry action forecast
(GMM) There were a few spots of rain on windscreens on the journey to Istanbul Park on Saturday morning.
After a very warm Friday, Saturday has dawned cooler in the Turkish city.
Shortly before morning practice, light rain spots have also been falling in the paddock.
The skies are mainly overcast, but as occasional rays of sunlight begin to warm the crisp air, the teams are expecting dry weather for the F1 action at 11am.
Qualifying at 2pm local should also be dry, ahead of another mainly fine race day.
Red Bull abandons F-duct for Turkey GP
(GMM) Red Bull has abandoned the F-duct innovation for the rest of the Turkish GP weekend.
Sebastian Vettel's RB6 was fitted with the McLaren-style rear downforce stalling solution on Friday in Turkey, but although promising he also reported that it had not worked "100 per cent".
According to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, the team has decided not to use its hand-activated system for qualifying and the race.
"There are undesirable side effects," confirmed Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko.
"We are going to check the data and try again in Montreal," he added.
Meanwhile, it emerges that after Ferrari used a hand-activated system in Spain, it is believed the developed version in Turkey is controlled by the drivers' left foot.
"We have solved the problems of Barcelona," said Fernando Alonso, referring to the fact that downforce was also leaking in the corners.
"Our system is not yet perfect. We need to keep working on it."
It had been reported that Force India's hand-activated F-duct test on Friday had been a success, but Adrian Sutil said the team still has "a lot to learn" about the concept.
Newey unlikely to ever make F1 team switch
(GMM) Adrian Newey has revealed he is unlikely to ever switch from Red Bull to another formula one team.
Red Bull's highly paid and respected chief technical officer was recently reported to have removed a clause from his contract that set a definite end-date.
The 51-year-old contemplated retirement almost ten years ago, before recommitting to McLaren but then switching to Red Bull in 2006 on an estimated $10m per year retainer.
Newey admits to the Guardian that when he does leave F1, he is not sure what he will do.
"I've looked at (designing) yachts but that seems the only sport more anti-social than motor racing. I don't know.
"I can't see myself staying in this in my 60s but I can't see myself lying on a beach either. At the same time I can't see myself moving on to another formula one team," he said.
When Newey initially joined Milton Keynes-based Red Bull, the infrastructure essentially put in place by Jaguar was not on the level of the top teams.
Now, Red Bull is F1's pacesetter, and the Briton said: "We've managed to create a very good working environment here. It's a good, honest, engineering-based team that goes about its task."
Mercedes hopes to keep same drivers in 2011
(GMM) Team boss Ross Brawn in Turkey said he hopes Mercedes lines up with an identical driver lineup in 2011.
Both Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher have contracts that extend beyond 2010.
But while Rosberg has been facing rumors that the German team is favoring Schumacher, some have predicted that the seven time world champion might not be willing to prolong what has been a difficult return to F1 so far.
When asked at Istanbul Park if the pair are staying on, Brawn answered: "I hope so.
"Do you know something I don't? We're pleased with the drivers, they're both enjoying themselves, so yes," he added.
As for whether 41-year-old Schumacher is tiring of the struggle to regain his dominance of past years, Brawn is quoted by Germany's Die Welt as saying the famous German "knew it would be an enormous challenge".
Ferrari wanted to fix F1 appeal outcome – Mosley
(GMM) Ferrari insists it would only "waste time" to respond to Max Mosley's latest controversial claim.
As Ferrari celebrates its 800th grand prix in Turkey this weekend, the former FIA president is quoted by British newspapers as saying Luca di Montezemolo last year urged him to abuse his power and fix the outcome of the double diffuser appeal case.
"He was on the phone every day saying, 'you have got to sort the Court of Appeal out and make sure we win'," Mosley, referring to Ferrari's charismatic president, is quoted by the Daily Mail.
"He didn't put it as baldly as that but that is what he said. I said, 'Luca, I'm sorry, but first of all they wouldn't take any notice and secondly I am not going to do it'," he added.
A spokesman for the famous Maranello based team responded: "We don't want to make any comment. It is better to look ahead and not waste time talking about what is – luckily – old and gone."
With 70-year-old Mosley indeed departed and the sport generally enjoying Jean Todt's new regime, one team boss in Turkey insisted that the good work of the former FIA president is not forgotten.
As Williams' Adam Parr told reporters that the Grove based team recorded a small profit in 2009, he credited Mosley for the team's mere survival.
Referring to rule changes including the testing ban and long-life components, he is quoted by The Times: "Whatever you say about Max, the only possibility of an independent formula one team existing is because of what he did."
Another reliability scare for favorite Webber
(GMM) Mark Webber had another reliability scare during the final practice session before Saturday's qualifying.
After his engine failure on Friday at Istanbul Park, the back-to-back winner and joint championship leader lost a third of the 60-minute morning session.
The Australian's Red Bull crawled back to the pits on engine tickover, after his electronic throttle stopped communicating to his replaced Renault powerplant.
And when he returned to the track, Webber – whose teammate Sebastian Vettel topped the session – was among the several drivers who spectacularly spun at the notorious Turn 8.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was another driver having trouble with the four-apex bend, spinning and – like Felipe Massa on Friday – cutting all the way to the canvas of his tires.
Force India's Adrian Sutil failed to set a lap time due an hydraulic problem.