Sir Frank Williams has admitted it was a mistake to let F1's most respected engineer Adrian Newey leave his beleaguered team more than a decade ago. Aerodynamic specialist and Briton Newey, who has since built championship-winning cars for McLaren and Red Bull, left Williams in 1997 -- the year Jacques Villeneuve won the Grove based team's last title. Williams, a woeful ninth in the constructors' standings last year, has not won a race since 2004. "He (Newey) wanted some shares that I didn't want to […]

Sir Frank Williams has admitted it was a mistake to let F1's most respected engineer Adrian Newey leave his beleaguered team more than a decade ago. Aerodynamic specialist and Briton Newey, who has since built championship-winning cars for McLaren and Red Bull, left Williams in 1997 -- the year Jacques Villeneuve won the Grove based team's last title. Williams, a woeful ninth in the constructors' standings last year, has not won a race since 2004. "He (Newey) wanted some shares that I didn't want to […]

Jules Bianchi has hinted strongly he is set to ramp up his push for a Formula 1 race seat during the course of the 2012 season. The French 22-year-old, managed by Nicolas Todt and a development and reserve driver for Ferrari, has been linked in recent days to the newly vacant test and 'Friday practice' seat at Force India. In 2011, Nico Hulkenberg used that role with the Silverstone based team to remain in the paddock following his Williams ousting, and then bounce back onto […]

Mark Webber has revealed he had mixed feelings when he beat Fernando Alonso to third place in the 2011 constructors' standings. The pair, who are friends, lead similarly guarded private lives, so in the closing stages of the championship they considered the 'prize' that went along with pipping the other to the post for third place. "Only the top three drivers have to go", said Australian Webber, referring to the official FIA prize-giving gala, which was held recently in India. "Jenson, Fernando and I had […]

Rally ace Sébastien Ogier lifts the Race Of Champions trophy after a Grand Final victory over Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen. Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher is knocked out in the semi-finals along with DTM champion Martin Tomczyk. Schumacher earlier beat reigning F1 champion Sebastian Vettel in a titanic quarter-final showdown between last night’s ROC Nations Cup victors. Sébastien Ogier delivered a thrilling performance to eclipse 15 fellow superstars of motorsport and win the Race Of Champions on a packed afternoon of competition at Düsseldorf’s […]

It was announced by Lotus Renault GP today that 2007 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen will be making a return to Formula One with the team in 2012. He has now signed a two-year agreement with Lotus Renault GP. Raikkonen, 32, left F1 at the end of 2009 and had been competing for the past two years in the World Rally Championship. Raikkonen finished tenth in the driver's standings in 2010 and 2011. In an official statement released by the team, Raikkonen said, "I’m delighted to […]

Luiz Razia has admitted Team Lotus' failure to score a point in 2011 is the reason he is not making his grand prix debut at home in Brazil this weekend. Throughout 2011, it has been rumoured that Brazilian Razia, a 22-year-old team test driver, will replace either Jarno Trulli or Heikki Kovalainen for the entire Interlagos race weekend. Instead, Razia will simply be driving in Friday morning practice. A report by Brazil's Globo claims it is Team Lotus' nervousness about losing the coveted tenth place […]

Ross Brawn will turn his attention to Michael Schumacher's expiring contract in the middle of next season. Mercedes' other driver Nico Rosberg has already inked a new deal beyond next year, but there have been questions about Schumacher's desire to keep racing and also speculation linking Kimi Raikkonen to the seat in 2013. "We have a contract (with Schumacher) for next year and if he is happy then I see no reason why we cannot continue with an agreement in 2013 as well," team boss […]

Adrian Sutil finished 8th in Abu Dhabi and in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, he said he was pleased with the result, even if he feels they missed out on getting 7th place. In the interview, the German driver also admits to be more surprised by the way his team has closed the gap to Mercedes than by the fact that he could put pressure on Schumacher at the beginning of the race. Moreover, he does not think that a different strategy was […]

Jenson Button has admitted he is happy to have won the inter-team battle at McLaren in 2011. After his critics said he was entering the "lion's den" at the British team by pairing with Lewis Hamilton last year, Button has become the only driver in his teammate's F1 career to beat him in the end-of-season points standings. "It's great to get more points than a teammate who is so competitive," he admitted after sealing the achievement in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, despite Hamilton winning. "You […]

Sebastien Buemi is not far away from easing all the speculation about his future in formula one, according to his boss Franz Tost. It is well known that with Jaime Alguersuari ahead in the points standings and Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne knocking hard on the door at Toro Rosso, a big question-mark hangs above Swiss Buemi's head regarding 2012. "I will push until the last metre, no matter what is going to happen," the 23-year-old told Blick newspaper. "The people in charge know my […]

Lewis Hamilton has described as "rubbish" boss Martin Whitmarsh's claim that he has been spooked by the good form of Jenson Button this year. McLaren principal Whitmarsh floated the Button explanation recently when contemplating Hamilton's uncharacteristically bad 2011 season. But according to the BBC on Thursday, Briton Hamilton dismissed the theory that he has withered beneath Button's pressure as "rubbish" and suggested Whitmarsh might have been "misquoted". "He (Whitmarsh) made some comments which I disagree with," he said. "It's rubbish. "My issues have been much, […]