'Valencia wants out of F1 deal'
Valencia is reportedly seeking a new home for the European GP after Bernie Ecclestone refused to let the Spanish port city out of the remaining two years on their contract.
The streets of Valencia first hosted a Formula One grand prix, the European GP, in 2008 with over 110,000 spectators attending the inaugural race.
But since then the numbers have plummeted with just 75,000 fans arriving at this year's event.
The drop in numbers has made the grand prix too expensive for Valencia, with Spanish newspaper El Periodico reporting that hosting the European GP has 'cost the public coffers 142 million Euros.'
Regional president Francisco Camps has already asked Ecclestone if he can let Valencia out of its F1 contract two years earlier than the scheduled date, however, the F1 supremo refused.
The newspaper added that the port city is now seeking a new home for European GP with alternate venues already being investigated.
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Duo up pace, but Ricciardo stays top
Jerome D'Ambrosio from Renault and Mercedes' Sam Bird threatened to upstage Daniel Ricciardo, but the Red Bull driver hit back to finish the rookie session with the best time...
Ricciardo dominated proceedings on the opening day and in the morning session on Wednesday, but D'Ambrosio and Bird gave him a run for his money late in the afternoon after posting a 1:38.802 and a 1:39.220 respectively.
However, Australian Ricciardo wasn't to be outdone and recorded a blistering 1:38.340 in the final hour. His time would've been good enough for pole position in Sunday's Abu Dhabi GP as Sebastian Vettel's qualifying time was 1:39.394.
Gary Paffett from McLaren and Ferrari's Jules Bianchi were the only two other drivers to dip under the 1:40 mark.
Meanwhile, Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne had to be content with the 1:40.974 he posted early in the day. Vergne left two hours before the end as he had to rush off to Macau for the Formula 3 on Thursday morning.
"These have been two special days for me, having my first drive in a Formula 1 car," Vergne said. "My first run yesterday is something I will remember, with the high speeds being particularly impressive, especially through the corners thanks to the amount of aero downforce you have. It took me a couple of runs to adapt to my new surroundings before we actually started working through a test programme aimed at next year's car. I was pleased that the first day also went well from my side in that I did not go off the track and there were no difficulties with my physical condition.
"I also got to do a long run which was an interesting experience, driving with such a heavy fuel load on board. Today, we did some set-up work, so that I could begin to experience the basic mechanism of how set-up changes affect the car. There is a lot to think about, with so much information to take on board, much more than I am used to and another aspect that felt strange at first was driving with the power steering."
The final few hours was a stop-start affair as three red flags were brought out to go with the two in the morning session. Hispania's Davide Valsecchi, Pastor Maldonado from Williams and Yelmer Buurman in a Force India all brought procedings to a halt at some stage in the afternoon.
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Vettel: We're driving for the team
Without saying so in as many words, Sebastian Vettel has said he will help Mark Webber win the Drivers' title.
With two drivers still in the hunt, much of the focus in the run-up to the season finale in Abu Dhabi has been on Red Bull Racing.
The team has firmly stated on numerous occasions that they will not issue team orders to their drivers even if it costs them the Championship double.
However, in the last few days, they have also stated that they expect both their drivers to do the right by the team.
And given that Vettel is further behind Webber in the standings, 15 points adrift of Alonso whereas Webber is just eight, it will most likely fall on the German to give way should the situation arise.
"I think it is pretty clear," Vettel said when asked about the matter in Thursday's press conference.
"There are lots of things that are going to happen, and more important things before we get to that stage - as we have to focus tomorrow to get the car ready, and then have a smooth qualifying as last year it was quite tricky.
"With lots of things to do, there are better things to spend more energy on than what happens on Sunday. If the situation occurs on Sunday then we know we are driving for the team.
"We have some occasions where we got close and it didn't get too good, so the main target is not to repeat that. And the rest, we will see."
Vettel, though, insists he's not going into Sunday's grand prix thinking about the equations, rather he will be thinking about going for the win and will take it from there.
"It is pretty easy," he said. "Forty years ago the drivers had no tactics - it was flat out. The approach has been like that for the last few races for me.
"It is going to be a long weekend, we will try to do our best and try and put us in a similar position to Korea and last weekend.
"The target is clear. The speed has been there all season and it was not the easiest season for myself. We are still in the hunt and we will try our best.
"But the clear favourites going into the weekend are Mark and Fernando. I will just try to do my best race and then it depends on where those (other) two guys are."
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Vettel leads Webber in opening practice
Sebastian Vettel lapped quickest as Red Bull set the pace in the opening free practice session of this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.
More than half of the session had passed by the time the front runners ventured out for some meaningful track time, and once they were going Vettel and Webber led quite comfortably.
Vettel, Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton were the only drivers to break into the 1m12s, though the latter two were half a second away from the German's pace.
Ferrari was well off the pace, so the McLarens of Hamilton and Jenson Button filled third and fourth spots. Hamilton spent much of the session sampling different front wing set-ups, while Button pledged to gamble at any opportunity due to his slim title chances and had his rear wing changed during the 90 minutes.
Robert Kubica and Nico Rosberg were once again the best of the rest in fifth and sixth, with the session's early pace setters Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher seventh and eighth. The Saubers of Nick Heidfeld and Kamui Kobayashi rounded out the top 10, though the Japanese finished the session in the wall after spinning on his last lap.
Behind Nico Hulkenberg's Williams, championship leader Fernando Alonso was only 12th with Ferrari apparently electing to take it easy this early in the weekend.
Alonso parked his car out on track in the final minute of the session due to concerns over the engine, though the team had already stated that it will change the engine in his car before this afternoon's FP2.
Home hero Felipe Massa was one of the first front runners to go out, but he scurried back to the pits to try to chase understeer out of his car and never really got up to speed after that - ending up behind his team-mate in 14th.
Vitaly Petrov's best time left him 15th but, like Kobayashi, his practice ended in the wall at the Ferradura right hander after spinning off.
Jarno Trulli's Lotus was the quickest of the new teams, quarter of a second ahead of Timo Glock. Jerome D'Ambrosio was 22nd in the second Virgin, while Christian Klien - in at HRT for Sakon Yamamoto - was half a second faster than Bruno Senna.
2010 AUTOSPORT.COM
Whitmarsh impressed by Todt
McLaren boss and FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh says he is impressed with the way Jean Todt has operated during his first year as FIA president.
Todt took over from Max Mosley as the head of motor sport's governing body at the end of last year and teams appear to be much happier under his leadership.
However, reports suggest not everyone is delighted with the way thing are going.
According to Adam Cooper's F1 Blog, 'Whitmarsh was quizzed in the context of recent suggestions that Max Mosley and associates are not happy with the way things have gone under Todt'.
The McLaren boss, though, was quick to state that Todt is doing a good job.
"I don't know if this is about the speculation that has been in the media about Jean Todt," said Whitmarsh, "and that there are moves within the FIA and happiness and who might be behind that. I'm not involved in FIA politics.
"But I've got to say that Jean Todt has, I think, played a good role. I think he's busily and quietly reforming the FIA in the background, which I know has probably caused some discomfort within that organisation. I think he hasn't used F1 as a personal platform for his own promotion, and I think that's very, very positive.
"I think what Jean is doing is good, and we continue to support him in that position."
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Webber impressed by Yeongam track
Formula One World Championship leader Mark Webber said it was hard to find fault with the new Yeongam circuit after the first day of practice for the inaugural Korean Grand Prix on Friday.
The 34-year-old Australian led the afternoon practice session, taking top spot for Red Bull by 0.190 seconds from Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari. Speaking after practice, Webber was full of praise for the 264 million dollar circuit after event organisers won a race against time to have the facility ready for this weekend's grand prix.
"I'm clutching at straws to criticise anything," Webber said. "It's enjoyable to drive here. There are a couple of unique sections, and it's always a challenge for a driver to get into a new venue. The pit entry and exit is a little bit marginal but, apart from that, they've done a remarkable job."
Webber, who leads the title race by 14 points with races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi to come after this weekend's maiden event in Korea, spun off the circuit at Turn 12 on his first attempt at beating Alonso's benchmark time late in Friday afternoon's practice.
The Australian then immediately posted a lap of 1min 37.942secs with 19 minutes left in the 90-minute session, with his Red Bull relishing the twisty second and third sectors of the 16-turn circuit.
"It was a positive day and the car ran well," Webber said. "We're optimistic with today's performance, and now we're focusing on getting ready for (qualifying) tomorrow."
Webber's teammate, German Sebastian Vettel, ended the day in seventh place on the timesheets after finishing fourth in morning practice.
The 23-year-old Vettel, who won the Japanese Grand Prix two weeks ago in a Red Bull one-two, said his first day on track in South Korea "wasn't too bad" despite an unscheduled pause in his afternoon practice programme.
"I had a puncture early on in P2, which affected our running," Vettel said.
"We had to go on to the option (tyre) early, and the tyres weren't too grateful for that.
"I think qualifying should be good as the pace is there. Mark had a calm afternoon and looked competitive."
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Briatore: Red Bull should back Webber
Former Renault boss Flavio Briatore says he is puzzled by Red Bull's decision not to back Mark Webber in this year's championship.
The Australian has been ahead of team-mate Sebastian Vettel in the standings since the tenth round of the championship at Silverstone, and he is currently leading by 11 points from Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.
Vettel, who finished ahead of Webber in the previous race in Singapore, is now 21 points behind Webber with four races to go.
Briatore says it is "incomprehensible" that Vettel is not supporting Webber.
"I don't understand many things. Vettel has taken points away from Webber in Singapore, thus giving a present to Ferrari," Briatore was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Despite the fact that Mark was not on the ball in the last race and even fumbled the start, I find what's happening incomprehensible. Unless Red Bull, who has a big points gap, is aiming for the Constructors' Championship only."
The Italian reckons Webber is the surprise of the year even if he doesn't take the title.
"A great man, a fair sportsman, a fine racing driver," he said of Webber. "No matter how it ends up, the surprise of the year is him. No one put him among the favourites, but I did, as I've known his qualities and tenacity for years.
"He's made good use of every chance. I expect him to be on the attack this week end in Japan already."
Briatore believes, however, that Alonso is the best driver on the grid.
"He's the strongest, someone who knows how to take the team in the right direction. Without him Renault would not have taken two titles," he said.
"Alonso is the world class racing driver we know, and Ferrari has demonstrated to be a great team in the last two races. Fernando contributed with his speed and his class, but the men in the garage added their ability in the pit stops. And the engineers have brought car developments that worked."
He also suggested Alonso's team-mate Felipe Massa should accept a number-two role to the Spaniard.
"Felipe is good and quick, but he must understand that he has a special driver next to him. If I was in his shoes I'd take it easy."
And Briatore also said Lewis Hamilton has made costly mistakes that have ruled him out of the championship fight.
"Hamilton did it all by himself, his overtaking attempt on Webber at Singapore couldn't end up any other way. Two retirements in two races are heavy: it's not conceivable to throw away a season in this way.
"It's the second time it happens, because he also made decisive mistakes in 2007. Had he kept calm and waited, he'd still be in the fight now. Button? I can't see how he can get back in the fight."
2010 AUTOSPORT.COM
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