One race into the 2012 season, the Italian press has already named a candidate for beleaguered Ferrari driver Felipe Massa's seat. On notice by the famous team and with an expiring contract, the Brazilian driver had a nightmare 2012 opener in Australia. Mika Salo, the 1999 Ferrari substitute driver, told broadcaster MTV3 that Massa's performance, "compared to Alonso's, was very poor". Autosprint, the Italian weekly, has suggested the out-of-work grand prix winner Jarno Trulli is available to step in immediately to replace Massa. The Maranello […]

Ferrari has come to the aid of Felipe Massa after the Brazilian was heavily criticised for his performance in the Australian Grand Prix. Massa retired from the race after clashing with Bruno Senna, having started from a lowly 16th. "Felipe has certainly been the target of criticism after the race in Albert Park", said a team statement in their Malaysian preview "But the Brazilian driver is used to this situation and remembers well 2008 when after two races – Australia and Malaysia – he had […]

Paddock regulars insist the formerly-dominant Red Bull team cannot be written off after a single defeat in Australia. On paper, reigning back-to-back champion Sebastian Vettel's second place on Sunday doesn't look bad. But Melbourne was in fact the first race since before either of the German's title-winning campaigns in 2010 and 2011 that a Red Bull car failed to lead a single lap. "You cannot discount them, they (Red Bull) are always there," said Albert Park winner Jenson Button, "but it seems that the tables […]

All eyes have naturally been on F1 returnee and former World Champion Kimi Raikkonen this weekend, as he made his first race appearance since the 2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Ferrari. It was a weekend of ups and downs as Raikkonen suffered with steering issues throughout the early stages of the weekend. After a disastrous qualifying session, Raikkonen was stranded down in 18th position, whereas his younger team-mate was reaping the rewards after qualifying a stunning 3rd on the grid behind the two McLarens. […]

The BBC's delayed and edited highlights of Sunday's Australian grand prix attracted more viewers than the British broadcaster's live coverage of the same Melbourne race a year ago. From 2012, F1's television coverage for Britain is being shared between pay-channel Sky - who have the full-time live rights - and the public broadcaster BBC. Last year, the BBC's live coverage of the 2011 season opener averaged 2.13 million viewers. But the delayed highlights package for 2012, aired hours after the race finished between 2 and […]

Fernando Alonso was spared the Italian media's wrath after Ferrari opened its 2012 campaign with the troubled F2012 car. "Alonso once again saved Ferrari from disaster," said the authoritative La Gazzetta dello Sport, after the Spanish driver drove the car to fifth place in Australia. The under-pressure Felipe Massa's opening race, however, "was a nightmare", the daily newspaper added. Jaime Alguersuari, the former Toro Rosso driver who is now a media analyst, also praised fellow Spaniard Alonso. "For Ferrari, it is an unique advantage to […]

With one race down out of twenty, F1 teams are now hopping from Australia to Malaysia where the new pecking-order will be immediately tested on a more conventional circuit. Some paddock cynics suspect McLaren - having dominated qualifying in Melbourne before Jenson Button cruised to victory - played a deft hand of bluff in the winter season in order to persuade Red Bull its former dominance remained intact. New 2012 championship leader Button, however, insists the British team was surprised in Australia. "It wasn't bullshit […]

Fernando Alonso kept up a positive outlook on Sunday despite some Italian newspapers describing Ferrari's situation as a "crisis". Melbourne qualifying confirmed the famous team's winter woes, but Spaniard Alonso fared better in the race. "After the way qualifying went, ending up with ten points behind the top two teams is good news," he is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport. The sports daily Marca described the attitude as Alonso "seeing the glass half-full". "For the Ferrari fans I say 'wait a few races'," former […]

Despite not collecting a single point in Melbourne, the Williams team will travel from Australia to Malaysia in upbeat mood. The famous British outfit's slide from its race and title-winning days hit rock bottom in 2011, scoring just five points all season and only finishing ahead of the three struggling new teams in the constructors' championship. But Oxfordshire based Williams has restructured for the 2012 season and is now led technically by former McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan, and in Australia the newly Renault-powered FW34 […]

The debate about Mercedes' controversial new 'F-duct' solution looks set to speed across the Indian Ocean. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, and particularly his Lotus counterpart Eric Boullier, had warned in Melbourne at the weekend that they might protest the qualifying and race results. They are arguing that Mercedes' technical innovation is not legal, but ultimately the 2012 season opener was run without a protest being filed. But the threat is merely on the back-burner, as Boullier and Horner seek urgent talks with the […]

What of strategy? Two stops or not two stops? That is the question. As ever in Formula One, race strategy will be crucial with the closing in performance between the two compounds of Pirelli tyres set to shake things up. A lack of dry running on Friday hurt the teams, while a relatively green track has left grip at a premium. Teams will have to think quickly during the race as an ill-timed Safety Car, something which is a likelihood in Melbourne, could play havoc […]

Questions answers, more questions asked. That was the case after qualifying on Saturday at Albert Park. Lewis Hamilton leads an all-McLaren front row that suggests the Woking based team will have the car to beat. Hamilton looked at ease behind the wheel of the MP4-27 and everything he did came to him effortlessly. As predicted yesterday, Mercedes proved to be the dark horse. Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg will start 4th and 7th yet Ross Brawn admitted disappointment with their Q3 performance. The car appears […]