Ecclestone still wants F1 future for India says Chandhok




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Ecclestone still wants F1 future for India says Chandhok



Dropping off the 2014 Formula 1 world championship calendar does not mean India’s grand prix dream is over. That is the claim of Karun Chandhok, one of only two Indians to ever race in Formula 1, and the son of the Indian motor sport chief Vicky. Chandhok, who contested grands prix for HRT and Caterham [...]






Sainz Junior not ready to step up to F1 warns Tost




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Sainz Junior not ready to step up to F1 warns Tost



Team principal Franz Tost has played down reports that Carlos Sainz Junior is ready to make the step up to Formula 1 with Toro Rosso. Spaniard Sainz, whose namesake and father is the world rally legend, impressed recently as he tested for both the Faenza based team and big-brother Red Bull Racing during the young [...]






Marussia wants to keep same driver line-up for 2014




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Marussia wants to keep same driver line-up for 2014



Marussia would like to keep its current race drivers for the 2014 season, team principal John Booth has revealed. Recently, just as Pat Symonds was set to announce his departure for Williams, Marussia’s former technical boss admitted 2013 drivers Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi had left the team with “tied hands”. “We need to have [...]






Tost: It would be better if Ricciardo stays another year with Toro Rosso




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Tost: It would be better if Ricciardo stays another year with Toro Rosso



Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost has admitted he would be happy if Daniel Ricciardo spends another year with the de facto Red Bull junior team. Australian Ricciardo has earned a place in contention for the departing Mark Webber’s 2014 seat at Red Bull. But also in the running is Kimi Raikkonen, amid Formula 1′s hottest [...]






Mercedes happy and Ferrari unhappy with new Pirelli tyres




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Mercedes happy and Ferrari unhappy with new Pirelli tyres



The big news following the Hungarian Grand Prix race debut of Pirelli’s latest tyre specification is that Mercedes’ long struggles could finally be over, but their is discontent in the Ferrari camp Ferrari, on the other hand, thinks the move to the new specification combining the 2013 compounds with the 2012 kevlar construction has hurt [...]






Ferrari begins three-day test in France with 2011 car




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Ferrari begins three-day test in France with 2011 car



Ferrari has begun a three-day test at the former French Grand Prix venue Magny Cours. That is the claim of the authoritative Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, reporting that Pedro de la Rosa is at the wheel of a 2011-specification single seater. The report said Ferrari is conducting the test privately, not in [...]






Organiser confirms no Indian GP in 2014




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Organiser confirms no Indian GP in 2014



Indian Grand Prix organisers on Tuesday confirmed the race at Buddh International Circuit will not take place in 2014. Earlier, Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone – under pressure to limit the calendar to a maximum of 20 grands prix – admitted the race outside New Delhi is the first to go. With Russia, Austria [...]






Heartbroken Hamilton back in title chase




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Heartbroken Hamilton back in title chase



Pole sitter Lewis Hamilton went into Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix having written off his title chances and insisting that victory at the Hungaroring would require a “miracle”. When the chequered flag dropped, the ‘miracle’ had come in the form of a dominant display, leaving Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda to deny that the team had spent [...]






Mercedes are now contenders and keen to take the fight to Red Bull




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Mercedes are now contenders and keen to take the fight to Red Bull



Mercedes believe they can put their tyre woes behind them and mount a genuine Formula 1 title challenge in the wake of Lewis Hamilton’s Hungarian Grand Prix win on Sunday. The 2008 world champion might have greeted his first victory for Mercedes since his move from McLaren at the end of last season as something [...]






Hamilton: I’m going to train intensely and come back stronger for second half




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Hamilton: I’m going to train intensely and come back stronger for second half



Lewis Hamilton has likened his Hungarian Grand Prix win to a sticking plaster for his tortured soul and promised to return in better shape after Formula 1′s August break. The 2008 world champion’s first win for Mercedes since his move from McLaren at the end of last year was just the boost the Briton needed [...]






Hembery: No tyre war unless rules change




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Hembery: No tyre war unless rules change



Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery has played down reports that his company might have to go wheel-to-wheel with Michelin in Formula 1 next year. There are rumours that  Michelin, apparently supported by FIA top man Jean Todt, is planning a Formula 1-related announcement for the middle of this week. The French marque was last seen on [...]






Ferrari tells Alonso to put the interests of the team above his own




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Ferrari tells Alonso to put the interests of the team above his own



Ferrari dealt Fernando Alonso a rare public rebuke on his birthday on Monday for critical comments after Sunday’s Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix. “All the great champions who have driven for Ferrari have always been asked to put the interests of the team above their own,” the team website quoted president Luca di Montezemolo as [...]






Axed Indian GP could return in 2015 believes Chandhok




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Axed Indian GP could return in 2015 believes Chandhok



India, set to lose its grand prix on the 2014 Formula 1 world championship calendar, could return the year after. That is the claim of Vicky Chandhok, the president of the Indian motor sport federation, who works closely with Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone. Ecclestone admitted on Monday that the sport will “probably not” [...]






Ferrari: Alonso put the interests of the team above your own




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Ferrari: Alonso put the interests of the team above your own



Ferrari dealt Fernando Alonso a rare public rebuke on his birthday on Monday for critical comments after Sunday’s Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix. “All the great champions who have driven for Ferrari have always been asked to put the interests of the team above their own,” the team website quoted president Luca di Montezemolo as [...]






Ferrari confirms Allison to start as technical director in September




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Ferrari confirms Allison to start as technical director in September



Ferrari F1 team on Monday confirmed reports that James Allison will join the Italian team, starting in September, and will take up the role of technical director. We reported on Saturday that the Maranello based team is buying out the remainder of Briton Allison’s Lotus contract. “It is believed Allison could get to work (at [...]






Korean GP also likely to be axed in near future




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Korean GP also likely to be axed in near future



The Korean Grand Prix looks set to join India and be axed from the Formula 1 calendar, as Bernie Ecclestone trims the 2014 calendar to a maximum of 20 races. It has been reported that Austria, Russia and New Jersey are to be added to the current 19-race schedule. But the latter of those events, [...]






Ferrari confirm Allison as technical director starting in September




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Ferrari confirm Allison as technical director starting in September



Ferrari F1 team on Monday confirmed reports that James Allison is joining the Italian team starting in September and will take up the role of technical director. We reported on Saturday that the Maranello based team is buying out the remainder of former technical director and Briton Allison’s Lotus contract. “It is believed Allison could [...]






Ferrari confirms Allison as technical director starting in September




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Ferrari confirms Allison as technical director starting in September



Ferrari F1 team on Monday confirmed reports that James Allison is joining the Italian team starting in September and will take up the role of technical director. We reported on Saturday that the Maranello based team is buying out the remainder of former technical director and Briton Allison’s Lotus contract. “It is believed Allison could [...]






Ecclestone admits that 2014 Indian GP could be dropped




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Ecclestone admits that 2014 Indian GP could be dropped



Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed reports that a question mark hangs above India’s Grand Prix. We reported on Friday that, with teams keen to limit the calendar to 20 races, Formula 1′s chief executive had identified India and Korea as the most likely to go. “I think there is a consensus about doing [...]






Pirelli would prefer winter tests at hotter Middle East venue




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Pirelli would prefer winter tests at hotter Middle East venue



Formula 1 appears headed to Dubai for pre-season testing early next year, but the emirate city’s The National newspaper said that, following team boss meetings in Hungary at the weekend, Abu Dhabi is also still in the running to host the ‘guaranteed’ dry-weather running of the new V6-powered cars. According to Pirelli’s Paul Hembery, Bahrain [...]






No tyre war unless rules change says Hembery




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No tyre war unless rules change says Hembery



Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery has played down reports that his company might have to go wheel-to-wheel with Michelin in Formula 1 next year. There are rumours that  Michelin, apparently supported by FIA top man Jean Todt, is planning a Formula 1-related announcement for the middle of this week. The French marque was last seen on [...]






Force India also owes Hulkenberg money




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Force India also owes Hulkenberg money



A report in Blick newspaper claims, Sauber is not the only Formula 1 team that owes Nico Hulkenberg money for his services. Veteran correspondent Roger Benoit told the German he has heard that Force India, his 2012 employer, also failed to pay him his full dues last year. Hulkenberg smiled as he replied: “Is that [...]






Mercedes: It’s been a good day for the three-pointed star




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Mercedes: It’s been a good day for the three-pointed star



Lewis Hamilton achieved his 22nd career victory and his first as a Silver Arrows driver at the Hungaroring this afternoon. Lewis’ win was the 13th Formula 1 win for a Silver Arrow and the third victory in five races for the team. Lewis’ fourth win at the Hungaroring also took the tally of wins for [...]






Vettel: I did all we could but surely wanted a little bit more




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Vettel: I did all we could but surely wanted a little bit more



Although Sebastian Vettel only finished third in the Hungarian Grand Prix, he sustained his healthy lead in the world championship title race, but will no doubt be anxious about the pace and race performance of both Mercedes and Lotus who loo to be their main rivals going into the second half of the season. Vettel [...]






Hamilton: This is one of the most important grand prix wins of my career




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Hamilton: This is one of the most important grand prix wins of my career



Formula 1 career win number 22 for Lewis Hamilton and in his own words the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix is probably his most important triumph to date, opening his victory account as a Mercedes driver with a performance that makes him an automatic contender for this year’s world title. He spoke about his first win [...]






Alonso fined for illegal use of DRS during Hungarian GP




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Alonso fined for illegal use of DRS during Hungarian GP



Fernando Alonso and Ferrari have been given a €15,000 fine for illegal DRS use during the Hungarian Grand Prix, which means that the Spaniard keeps his fifth place finish at Hungaoring The FIA officials reported the team to the stewards as data downloaded revealed that Alonso activated the DRS on his Ferrari on three separate occasions [...]






Raikkonen: It’s better than nothing




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Raikkonen: It’s better than nothing



Kimi Raikkonen lamented the fact he gave himself extra work by qualifying further down the order than he would have liked, nevertheless on race day he made amends as he drove yet another impressive race to finish second in the Hungarian Grand Prix at Hungaroring. The Iceman spoke afterwards about his hot afternoon in Budapest. [...]






Lotus: We’ve shown today that Red Bull can be beaten




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Lotus: We’ve shown today that Red Bull can be beaten



Kimi Räikkönen took second place at the Hungaroring to jump back into second in the F1 Drivers’ Championship after a hot and hard-fought Hungarian Grand Prix. Kimi used a two-stop strategy for his sixth podium of the season, spurning the advances of Sebastian Vettel in the final laps. Romain Grosjean drove a storming race, withstanding [...]






Hungarian Grand Prix: Hamilton dominates to take first win with Silver Arrows




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Hungarian Grand Prix: Hamilton dominates to take first win with Silver Arrows



It took ten races to come – Lewis Hamilton’s first victory as a Mercedes driver – and when it came it was a famous one, as he dominated the Hungarian Grand Prix in a manner that surprised all, including himself who had declared 24 hours earlier that a win at the tight and twisty Hungaroring, [...]






Ferrari: We need to stay calm and not give up




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Ferrari: We need to stay calm and not give up



Team and drivers report on the Hungarian Grand Prix, round 10 of the Formula 1 world championship, at Hungaroring near Budapest. Stefano Domenicali: “Going into this race weekend, we knew we would be struggling a bit. Today’s result cannot put a smile on our faces because at no point in the race were we competitive. [...]






Grosjean handed meaningless 20-seconds penalty for Button clash




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Grosjean handed meaningless 20-seconds penalty for Button clash



Lotus driver Romain Grosjean has been handed a 20 second race time penalty by the Hungarian Grand Prix stewards for his clash with Jenson Button during the race, but the penalty means nothing as the Frenchman keeps sixth place having finished 21.524 seconds ahead of seventh-placed Button. Grosjean who appeared to be ridding himself of the [...]






Hungarian GP organiser extends contract to 2021




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Hungarian GP organiser extends contract to 2021



The Hungarian Grand Prix has signed a contract extension to stay on the calendar until 2021, Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone told Reuters before Sunday’s race. The race at the Hungaroring has been a fixture since its debut in 1986 as Formula One’s first in Eastern Europe and behind what was then the ‘Iron Curtain’. [...]






Marussia: Overall a tough weekend




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Marussia: Overall a tough weekend



This afternoon’s Formula 1 Magyar Nagyd?j 2013 proved to be every bit as challenging as the Marussia F1 Team anticipated as the Hungaroring basked in temperatures reaching 35?C air and 51?C track. Having started from the back of the grid, the team adopted a bold strategy, starting Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton on the Pirelli [...]






Hungarian Grand Prix: Hamilton dominates to take first win with Silver Arrows




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Hungarian Grand Prix: Hamilton dominates to take first win with Silver Arrows



It took ten races to come – Lewis Hamilton’s first victory as a Mercedes driver – and when it came it was a famous one, as he dominated the Hungarian Grand Prix in a manner that surprised all, including himself who had declared 24 hours earlier that a win at the tight and twisty Hungaroring, [...]






Hungarian Grand Prix: Hamilton dominates to claim his first win as a Mercedes driver




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Hungarian Grand Prix: Hamilton dominates to claim his first win as a Mercedes driver



It took ten races to come – Lewis Hamilton’s first victory as a Mercedes driver – and when it came it was a famous one, as he dominated the Hungarian Grand Prix in a manner that surprised all, including himself who had declared 24 hours earlier that a win at the tight and twisty Hungaroring, [...]






Kaltenborn: We have not communicated everything but don’t jump to conclusions




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Kaltenborn: We have not communicated everything but don’t jump to conclusions



The headline grabbing Russian financial package was hailed as Sauber’s salvation, but mounting speculation persists that the Swiss team is not clear of problems. Reports spoke of an enormous investment by the government-linked Russian entities, but then it was suggested that only Sauber’s most pressing debts would initially be paid. Welt newspaper said that the [...]






Boullier: Grosjean has the strengths of any champion and has a future in F1




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Boullier: Grosjean has the strengths of any champion and has a future in F1



Team principal Eric Boullier has hinted strongly that Romain Grosjean’s future at Lotus is no longer in doubt as his form goes from strength to strength. Earlier, it was suggested that despite the French driver ending the ‘first lap nutter’ questions of 2012, a more recent return to poor form meant that his seat beyond [...]






Ferrari still struggling with wind tunnel problems




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Ferrari still struggling with wind tunnel problems



Wind tunnels and  ‘bad calibration’ have plagued Ferrari for a number of years, and are apparently still causing headaches for the Maranello outfit. The fabled team moved its entire aerodynamic testing programme to the Toyota facility in Cologne, after concluding that its own wind tunnel at Maranello needed to be rebuilt because it was not [...]






Sutil: The new tyres are for the top teams, no matter what they say




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Sutil: The new tyres are for the top teams, no matter what they say



Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery in Hungary said that he hopes that the world of Formula 1 can “finally get back to talking about racing, the drivers and the cars”. Indeed, the word ‘tyre’ has utterly dominated the 2013 season, as the grid grappled with excessive wear, the ‘test-gate’ scandal, and the fallout of the [...]






Perez: Jenson is the benchmark for judging my work




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Perez: Jenson is the benchmark for judging my work



Not yet in the fight for race victories, Sergio Perez has admitted that his sights are instead set firmly on beating McLaren teammate Jenson Button. Button, the 2009 world champion and highly-experienced McLaren team leader, has often complained about Mexican youngster Perez’ overly-aggressive driving since the 23-year-old joined the famous British team in 2013. But [...]






Raikkonen still waiting on retainer money from Lotus




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Raikkonen still waiting on retainer money from Lotus



Kimi Raikkonen has admitted he is still waiting on some money from Lotus. “There is some problem,” the 2007 world champion is quoted by Germany’s sport1.de in Hungary. The news could have huge implications for the 2014 ‘silly season’, as Lotus is pushing hard to convince the Finn to stay put rather than move to [...]






Ferrari: It will not be easy to make up ground




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Ferrari: It will not be easy to make up ground



Ferrari team and drivers report from the second day of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend at Hungaororing, near Budapest. Fernando Alonso: “This fifth place is good news after a couple of difficult weekends in Silverstone and the Nürburgring and especially after seeing things improve compared to yesterday, when our race pace left us with even [...]






Williams: We felt we should have been closer to the top ten




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Williams: We felt we should have been closer to the top ten



Williams team and drivers report from the second day of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend at Hungaororing, near Budapest. Qualifying Notes Pastor Maldonado qualified 15th with Valtteri Bottas 16th for the Hungarian Grand Prix tomorrow. After a promising start in Q1, both drivers were unable to improve on their first option tyre runs during Q2, [...]






Webber: A pain in the ass, frustrating and we look stupid




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Webber: A pain in the ass, frustrating and we look stupid



Mark Webber has always been known to speak his mind, and now that his career in Formula 1 is coming to an end there is even less reason for the Australian to indulge in ‘corporate speak’ when things go wrong, as they did in the final stages of qualifying costing him a possible top three [...]






Grosjean escapes penalty after his Lotus fails post-qualifying floor test




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Grosjean escapes penalty after his Lotus fails post-qualifying floor test



Romain Grosjean has escaped penalty, despite his Lotus E21 failing a post-qualifying front floor deflection test on day two of the Hungarian grand Prix weekend. Grosjean, who will now retain his third place grid spot, could  have been excluded from qualifying and sent to the back of the grid, but after a hearing with representatives [...]






Marussia: We aren’t happy to be in the position we are in




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Marussia: We aren’t happy to be in the position we are in



A challenging weekend in Budapest continued for the Marussia F1 Team drivers today in qualifying for tomorrow’s 70-lap race at the Hungaroring. Race drivers Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton saw some improvement in the car as they headed into Q1, having worked determinedly with their engineers to extract more performance. They ended the day in [...]






Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying press conference full transcript




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Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying press conference full transcript



Full transcript from the post Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying press conference at Hungaroring, near Budapest, featuring top three: pole winner Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), second placed Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing) and third placed Romain Grosjean (Lotus) Congratulations Lewis, a phenomenal pole position, a phenomenal time on what is a very challenging circuit I think. Lewis [...]






Ecclestone and Todt set out framework for new Concorde Agreement




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Ecclestone and Todt set out framework for new Concorde Agreement



The news swept through the Hungaroring paddock like a whirlwind – the 2013 Concorde Agreement is signed at last – but it ended up being something of a smokescreen… In the long absence of a current Concorde, Formula 1′s confidential agreement binding the three corners of the sport, Bernie Ecclestone already had new ‘financial’ agreements [...]






Vettel: If you look at the gap to Nico I think Lewis did an exceptional job




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Vettel: If you look at the gap to Nico I think Lewis did an exceptional job



Sebastian Vettel swallowed his pride and heaped praise on Lewis Hamilton on Saturday after the Briton outpaced him to take pole in the final minutes of qualifying for Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix. The 26-year-old defending triple world champion had looked unbeatable with his best lap for Red Bull until the Briton in his Mercedes delivered [...]






Lotus: We’re reasonably happy but we always want more




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Lotus: We’re reasonably happy but we always want more



Romain Grosjean will take third place on the grid with Kimi Räikkönen lining up sixth for tomorrow’s Hungarian Grand Prix, after a hot qualifying session at the Hungaroring. Both drivers are one place behind where they qualified here in 2012 which resulted for a 2-3 finish for the team; Kimi coming home just ahead of [...]