Mark Webber doubts rescheduled Bahrain GP will happen

The Australian, 34, said: "Even though a decision has been made, I'll be highly astounded if the Bahrain Grand Prix goes ahead this year."

Bahrain was due to be the season-opener on 13 March but was called off due to unrest and pro-democracy protests.

Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, agreed generally on Friday to restore the race to the calendar on 30 October.

Webber, writing on his official website, added: "In my personal opinion, the sport should have taken a much firmer stance earlier this year rather than constantly delaying its choice in the hope of being able to rearrange it in 2011.

"It would have sent a very clear message about F1's place on something as fundamental as human rights and how it deals with moral issues."

The government has cracked down hard on resistance activists during 11 weeks of martial law and military trials of mostly Shi'ite dissidents are continuing.

The FIA's choice to reschedule the race - with India moving to a December date - was a move strongly criticised by human rights campaigners and also opposed by teams.

"It's obvious that the parties involved have struggled to reach a choice but sadly I feel that they still haven't made the right one," said Webber.

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Bahrain set to learn Grand Prix decision

The Gulf kingdom was planned to host the opening race of the 2011 season but it was called off amid civil unrest.

Bahrain Grand Prix organisers have asked Formula 1's governing body to rearrange rather than cancel its race.

However, driver Mark Webber has voiced opposition, writing on Twitter: "When people in a country are being hurt, the issues are better than sport."

Red Bulls' Webber, third in the driver standings, continued: "Let's hope the right choice is made."

Former world champion Damon Hill has also said that the race should not go ahead, although the president of the British Racing Drivers' Club stated that he was not talking in an official capacity.

"This crisis is an chance for Formula 1 to show it cares about all people and their human rights," said Hill.

"True peace has nothing to do with creating calm through the use of aggressive repression.

"Bahrain has restored order but the methods have been questioned by many dependable journalists and human rights organisations.

"If Formula agrees to race in Bahrain it will forever have the disfigurement of association with repressive methods to achieve order.

"True peace can only be achieved peacefully. The right thing to do, in my view, is to not race in Bahrain until these doubts have been detached."

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FIA press conference schedule - Spain

The grid’s two Spaniards, Jaime Alguersuari and Fernando Alonso, will join three rivals to face the media in Barcelona on Thursday, while on Friday it’s the turn of senior team personnel counting Ferrari’s Stefano Domenicali and Williams’ Adam Parr to answer questions. The line-up in full…

Thursday, May 19, 1500 hours local time (1300 GMT)

Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso), Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Pastor Maldonado (Williams), Sergio Perez (Sauber) and Mark Webber (Red Bull).

Friday, May 20, 1600 hours local time (1400 GMT)

Jose Carabante (HRT), Jean-Francois Caubet (Renault Sport F1), Stefano Domenicali (Ferrari), Mark Gallagher (Cosworth) and Adam Parr (Williams).

The qualifying and post-race conferences with the top three drivers will take place right away after the respective sessions.

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Alonso rates his F1 rivals

Alonso was asked by Spanish paper AS to give his view on his Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa, current World Champion Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber, McLaren duo Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton as well seven-time Champion Michael Schumacher.

Two-time Champion Alonso described Vettel as follows: "Very fast. Very fast and accurate. If he starts first in a race it is hard to stop him."

Mark Webber, who finished third in the Drivers' Championship last year is "experienced, calm and reliable. It is very difficult to see him fail."

Alonso believes his former McLaren team-mate Hamilton is "a great driver and one of the fastest of the present Formula One grid" while Button "has a great nature for difficult races in the rain or with the safety car in the dry".

As for Schumacher, Alonso says "he is the champion, we all respect him and he is a driver able of surprising".

And his views on his team-mate Massa?

"Very quickly, he knows the team, he ongoing with Sauber, but is now with Ferrari and very hungry to win."

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Alonso samples the F150 at Fiorano

Fernando Alonso (ESP) puts the fresh Ferrari F150 through its paces for the first time. Ferrari F150 First Run, Fiorano, Italy, 28 January 2011. Fernando Alonso (ESP) puts the new Ferrari F150 through its paces for the first time. Ferrari F150 First Run, Fiorano, Italy, 28 January 2011. Fernando Alonso (ESP) puts the new Ferrari F150 through its paces for the first time. Ferrari F150 First Run, Fiorano, Italy, 28 January 2011.

Fresh from its start on, Ferrari’s 2011 car hit the track for the very first time in Italy on Friday afternoon, for promotional filming purposes. The honour of putting the F150 through its debut paces at the Italian team’s Fiorano test circuit was bestowed on Fernando Alonso.

The car was obtainable to the world’s media during a glitzy launch at Ferrari's Maranello factory on Friday morning. Alonso was in attendance, alongside team mate Felipe Massa, team principal Stefano Domenicali, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemelo and numerous other Maranello dignitaries.

Alonso will hand over the F150 to Massa on Saturday, who will take a turn in front of members of the team’s fan club. Debut runs over, the real test work will then start in Spain next week, with both the Brazilian and the Spaniard expected in action during the first authorized pre-season session of the year at Valencia from February 1-3. 

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MotoGP : Rossi & Hayden Ice Footage

Here's some recording of Ducati MotoGP team riders Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden racing different machines Friday at the Wroom occasion at Madonna di Campiglio in the Dolomites, Italy.

The traditional ice race finished the week-long event; Rossi and Hayden competed in go-karts and then Fiat Cinquecentos.

Rossi and Hayden represented the Ducati MotoGP team, and the famous Formula 1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa were on behalf of the Italian icon Ferrari, along with three Ferrari F1 test drivers.

The nine-time World Champion Rossi, who signed with the Ducati Team after seven years of MotoGP racing with Yamaha, did not participate in any events like snowboarding at the Wrooom event, but still had some fun in the ice races.

The go-kart races were first, and although Rossi's contribution was dubious due to recovering from shoulder surgery, the Italian still raced.

Alonso, who has talked Rossi's four-wheel aptitude down before, got out front first, led all 20 laps. Rossi would finish fifth. But the American Hayden had different luck, and broken third behind Massa and race-winner, Alonso.

In the Fiat Cinquecentos ice race, the winner again was the Spaniard Alonso. Like his performance in the go-kart race, the Ferrari star Alonso led every lap of the race. Hayden ended second, and Rossi third. Last year at the ice race, the teams raced Fiat Pandas, and Hayden took the win.

Besides taking on Alonso, Rossi was also unveiled in 2011 Ducati Team MotoGP colors for the first time. The team's 2011 Ducati GP11 MotoGP motorcycles were also unvieled in 2011 colors.

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Wrooom finishes with a stunning exhibition

Ducati Team riders Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden faced Scuderia Ferrari F1 stars Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa in an ice-race on the final day of the Wrooom Press Meeting.

Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden connected Ferrari’s Formula 1 drivers for a stunning exhibition on Madonna di Campiglio’s frozen lake in front of an enthusiastic crowd of over 5,000 people.

“This week has been a fantastic event, and the races at the end were a lot of fun,” said Valentino. “In the end, I determined to take part because the atmosphere here at Wrooom was so fantastic, and because the fans deserved it. I got a few jolts from the holes, but nothing too bad. It was value it.”

"This was my third Wrooom, and I believe it was the best one yet," echoed Nicky Hayden. "It seems like they just make it better every year. They really treat us good, and we make a lot of friends, and it’s great to see them each year. This is a great way to kick things off, but there’s been sufficient talking about everything now. It’s time to get out there and do the real thing. I look forward to it."

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Rossi to be unveiled in Ducati colours at Wrooom 2011

Ducati’s 2011 MotoGP project will be formally presented this week at Madonna di Campiglio, with the celebration of the customary Wrooom event. The gathering, which takes place at the Italian ski resort at the turn of each new year, will offer media and fans a first detection of Valentino Rossi in Ducati red as the Italian joins team-mate Nicky Hayden for the week-long programme.

The riders, guests and media will arrive on Monday evening after which a busy schedule will begin. On Tuesday morning both Hayden and Rossi will be the focus of concentration as they field questions from the gathered press in person press conferences, following which they will pretense for photographs with Team Manager Vittoriano Guareschi and then meet fans.

Then on Wednesday it will be the turn of Claudio Domenicali, boss of Ducati Corse, to answer enquiries about the new GP11 prototype after which the 2011 machine will be unveiled. Joining the MotoGP riders during the week will be Scuderia Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, who will be on hand to present the Italian Formula 1 team’s 2011 car.

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Ferrari to reshuffle engineering department for 2011 season

Ahead of their 2011 campaign, Ferrari have opted to make several changes within their engineering department in an effort to boost efficiency. The reshuffle follows a tactical blunder at the Abu Dhabi season finale, which saw Fernando Alonso make an ill-timed pit stop and eventually miss out on the 2010 drivers’ title.

Pat Fry, who joined the team in July 2010 following an 18-year stint at McLaren, is to replace Chris Dyer as the head of race track engineering. Fry will continue in his role as Ferrari’s assistant technical director, whilst Dyer’s new position within the team will be clarified over the next few days.

Another change sees former Red Bull and McLaren engineer Neil Martin join Ferrari to head up their new operations research department. Martin will report directly to the team's technical director Aldo Costa.

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Qualifying - Vettel takes vital Yas Marina pole

Sebastian Vettel will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix just where he wants, on pole position after lapping his Red Bull in 1m 39.394s. But the most important qualifying session of the year was a major disappointment for the team mate Mark Webber who managed only fifth place in 1m 39.925s and will be separated from Vettel by McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and McLaren’s Jenson Button.

Earlier, Hamilton had been fortunate to avoid the contact with Felipe Massa when, after a big slide on his first lap in Q2, he’d had to back off the pace and resumed just as the Ferrari was alongside. The former champion walloped a camera pole, but his McLaren did not sustain any damage and he recovered his momentum brilliantly to lap second quickest before his time eventually left him fifth in that session.

He already held second place as Q3 drew to its close, but trimmed his time down to 1m 39.425s to demonstrate to Vettel that he may yet have a race on his hands on Sunday. Alonso’s late improvement was bad news for Webber. The Spaniard lapped in 1m 39.792s to jump to third, ahead of Button on 1m 39.823s.

Webber will share row three with Massa, who lapped his F10 in 1m 40.202s, while Williams’ Rubens Barrichello’s 1m 40.203s left him seventh ahead of the Mercedes of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg on 1m 40.516s and 1m 40.589s respectively. Like Massa, both suffered in late-session traffic. Vitaly Petrov was 10th for Renault, with 1m 40.901s.

Vettel redefined the ante in Q2 with the fastest lap of the weekend thus far in 1m 39.874s, ahead of the revitalised Button, Rosberg, Webber and Hamilton. Further back, Robert Kubica surprisingly failed to make Q3, taking 11th place behind team mate Petrov with 1m 40.780s in a Renault that still seemed not to be running as well as it did on Friday.

Fernando Alonso has F1 title in his own hands

Fernando Alonso has the championship lead on his side as he aims to clinch the Formula One (F1) world title in a historic finale Sunday in Abu Dhabi.

But in a season of roller-coaster rides for all the stars, Red Bull drivers Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton are also in the frame.

It is the first time in F1 history that four drivers are in the title race ahead of the season-ender.

A simple engine failure in Alonso's Ferrari could for instance open the door for the others, he may be shunted off the track by another driver, make a mistake himself or have yet another negative experience with the safety car as has happened already three times this season.

However, Alonso has a third career title in his own hands as championship leader. He has amassed 246 points from 18 of 19 races, with Webber on 238, Vettel on 231 and Hamilton on 222.

Under the current system, the top 10 drivers get points in a 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1 format.

Alonso has done his maths and says 'I just need to finish second. It does not matter who wins in Abu Dhabi if I finish second'.

The Spaniard can also afford third place if Webber does not win, and fourth or fifth if Webber and Vettel do not win.

Webber will secure the trophy if he wins and Alonso comes no better than third. A team order of sorts may be used if Vettel leads from Webber and Alonso in the final lap, as Ferrari also ordered Felipe Massa to let Alonso pass for victory at the German GP.

Massa determined to make amends in Korea

A resolute Felipe Massa has vowed to do all that he can to support Ferrari - and his team mate Fernando Alonso - in their title fights, as the 2010 season enters its final stages. Massa has struggled recently, crashing out on the first lap in Japan and finishing the preceding Singapore race in eighth, but he’s hopeful he can bounce back in Korea.

“I have been at home in Brazil for about a week and I made good use of my time, getting as well prepared as possible for the final trio of races,” the Brazilian told his official Ferrari blog. “They are going to be very important for me on a personal level to fight back after the disappointing outcome of the last two races. However, more importantly, I will be trying to bring home a significant number of the points to help the Scuderia in its fight for both championships.

“Firstly we need to qualify well on Saturday and after that, in the race, I want to be in the middle of the battle for the drivers' championship, fighting with the five drivers who are chasing the title, which is the best thing I can do to help Ferrari's and Fernando's aspirations. I know that everyone in the team, at the track and the factory is completely pumped up for the challenge of these last three races and I am equally keen to give them my best shot.”

Although Korea’s newly-built Yeongam circuit is very much an unknown quantity, Massa believes the track could suit the Italian team’s F10.

Trulli: Alonso pushing over-the-limit, RBR 'trying' to throw it away

Jarno Trulli has sprung to the defence of his former team-mate Fernando Alonso in the wake of recent criticism of the Ferrari star's form in F1 2010, arguing that the Spaniard is having to occasionally go 'over-the-limit' due to his car not being quite at the same level as those of arch-rivals Red Bull Racing and McLaren-Mercedes, and quipping that RBR are for their part 'trying everything' not to claim the crown...

The Italian Grand Prix last weekend was billed as something of a 'crunch' race for Alonso, McLaren's defending F1 World Champion Jenson Button and Red Bull ace Sebastian Vettel – all of whom had failed to score in the preceding Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, and who went on to take the chequered flag respectively first, second and fourth at Monza.

Conversely, having finished first and second in the Ardennes, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber respectively crashed out on the opening lap at the Monza and came home a delayed and frustrated sixth whilst their title rivals made hay under the Italian sunshine, meaning with five races still remaining, the destiny of the drivers' laurels is once more anyone's guess.

Alonso has been criticised for the uncharacteristic plethora of errors that have stymied his challenge this season to-date – from his jump-start in Shanghai to his costly practice shunt in Monaco and scrappy Belgian outing – but Trulli contends that the mistakes are likely the product of the double world champion trying too hard to compensate for the fact that his Ferrari F10 is not on balance a match for either the Red Bull RB6 or McLaren-Mercedes MP4-25.

The Italian points out that despite having what is by common consent the quickest car in the field at their disposal, Red Bull – and Vettel in particular – have squandered significant opportunities to score, and as such are coming under pressure as the campaign draws towards its conclusion.

“Ferrari is probably fighting with not such a competitive car,” the Lotus Racing ace – who partnered Alonso at Renault in 2003 and 2004 – is quoted as having said by ITV-F1. “Fernando is sometimes pushing over-the-limit, and when you are over-the-limit you have to accept mistakes. It can happen when you try hard – I make mistakes, everyone makes mistakes. As a driver it's not easy, especially as there are some circumstances where you are pushed into a mistake.

“If you want to win a championship, though, we all know that it's important to finish races and score points in many races – and so far I think the most reliable and consistent has been Lewis. Red Bull have really wasted a lot of points; I think Red Bull so far has had the best car, but it seems they're trying everything to not deliver the best result...

“It's been a very difficult season to judge, because you've seen a lot of mistakes and a lot of events upsetting the front-runners. It's hard to point out who's going to win. I think Lewis has got a good chance, as well as Webber – [but] for Vettel and Alonso, it's almost too late to afford any more mistakes.”

Alonso: Monza crucial for team morale

Fernando Alonso has denied that the Italian Grand Prix is a 'make or break' race for Ferrari's title ambitions, but admitted that the championship would be a pretty remote prospect if he had another bad result at the Monza.

After a disastrous Belgian Grand Prix - which saw Alonso qualify only 10th, get pushed into a spin by Rubens Barrichello on the first lap, make an incorrect tyre choice in the changing weather, and then crash out in the late rain shower - the Spaniard is now 41 points adrift of the championship leader Lewis Hamilton with only six races to go.

With the team's home race at the Monza next on the calendar, Alonso conceded that the Italian event would be crucial in both the points and morale terms.

"There is no denying that the Monza race will be very important," he wrote in his blog for the Ferrari website.

"At our home circuit we will have to do everything to avoid losing any more points: a good result here would be a great boost. If things go badly, it won't be over but it would be a hard knock for the team morale."

He is adamant that all is not yet lost for Ferrari this season and that a change of luck could make a massive difference.

"I have always said - and I repeat it now – that in the course of the season, good luck and bad luck tend to balance one another out, so let's hope that from now on it's payback time," said Alonso.

"The first 'final' went badly, but there are still six to go. Going into these seven races, I had said that whoever did the best job in them would take the title: clearly, there are now three of us who need to make up for ground lost in Spa.

"With this points system and the way races swing one way or another, I am convinced we still have a significant chance. There are 150 points up for grabs, enough to turn the situation around. We must remain calm and concentrate, to try and make up the difference as soon as possible."

Alonso 'excited but calm' ahead of Spa

Fernando Alonso looks to impress as the F1 season resumes in Belgium

Fernando Alonso insists that he is both excited but calm ahead of the resumption of the 2010 F1 season this weekend at the Spain.

The Spaniard heads to the Belgian Grand Prix on the back of a pair of top two finishes in the races prior to the summer break, which has brought him right back into the mix in the fight for the 2010 crown.

With just 20 points to leader Mark Webber, Alonso heads to Belgium this weekend looking to narrow that gap even further and the double champion said he was excited about the weekend ahead.

“I really want to get back on track, but in a positive sense, without any feeling of the anxiety, but in a very calm way,” the Ferrari driver said. “I am happy that the return to racing means going to two particularly special venues which host the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix. The Belgian track is possibly the most appealing of the entire season, while Monza will be something special for me, given that it will be my race debut as a Ferrari driver in front of the Italian crowd, in addition to the circuit itself having played such an important role in the history of motor sport.

“I have a good feeling following on from the positive results obtained in Germany and Hungary. As the saying goes, we have to keep the momentum and that should be our aim in Spa, to ensure we carry on the way we started just before the holidays. The Hockenheim and the Budapest results were important not just in terms of the classification in both championships, but also for the confidence it has given us. We have to keep pushing on this way.”

Alonso: Title chances are 50 per cent

Fernando Alonso says he has a 50 per cent chance of winning the championship this year, and he reckons he will close the gap on the leaders by the end of the season.

"It only took us the two normal races to be fully back in contention for the title," said the Spaniard, speaking from the Madonna di Campiglio.

"It's true we are still behind in the classification and it is always better to be in front, but I am convinced that in the final sprint, by which I mean the last two or three races, we will be closer to the top than we are now.

"The important thing is that to remain calm and concentrated and to do our job well. It's hard to say who is my strongest rival: we are all almost equal.

"Maybe, Hamilton, Button and myself, who have already won a title, will tackle the final rush in a calmer way, having that already experienced something similar. Percentage chance? I'd say 50 per cent, which is the normal state of affairs..."

The Ferrari driver has moved to within 20 points of the championship lead after winning the German Grand Prix and finishing second in the Hungary.

Alonso said his and the team's confidence is growing thanks to the improvements made in the car in the last few races.

"After a few unlucky races, which went badly for the various reasons, we are now on the right road," he said. "The car is much improved and so that makes me more optimistic and has seen the whole team grow in the confidence.

"In Spa, we will have a few more things and we hope they help us to progress still more: the others will do the same, which means we will have to be better than them and quicker in terms of development work."

And the Ferrari driver, whose team will face the FIA's WMSC over the team orders row next month, said he is optimistic the matter will be then resolved without any repercussion for the Maranello squad.

"We have to await the decision with the confidence, hoping for a positive outcome. We drivers and the engineers have the task of staying focussed on the car and on our work, trying to get the results on track."

Ferrari was advised to let Kubica through

Ferrari was told three times that Fernando Alonso should have let the Robert Kubica through during the British Grand Prix, according to the FIA race director Charlie Whiting.

Alonso was given a drive-through at the Silverstone after overtaking Renault's Kubica by going off track.

The penalty, which Ferrari felt was too harsh, and ruined Alonso's chances of a good result, the Spaniard finishing down in 14th position.

Although the penalty was given nine laps after Alonso passed the Kubica, Whiting said Ferrari was advised to let the Kubica through immediately, but that the team decided against it.

"We told Ferrari three times that in my opinion they should have given the position back to Kubica," Whiting was quoted as saying by Autosprint magazine.

"And we told them that immediately, right after the overtaking in manoeuvre. On the radio, I suggested to them that if they have exchange position again, there would be no need for the stewards to intervene.

Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso Díaz (born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time World Champion, who is currently racing for Ferrari along with Felipe Massa.

On 25 September 2005, he has won the Formula One World Driver's Championship title at the age of 24 years and 58 days, breaking Emerson Fittipaldi's record of being the youngest Formula One World Drivers' Champion (this record was subsequently broken by Lewis Hamilton). After retaining the title the following year, Alonso also became one of the youngest double Champion. In 2007, he became the second F1 driver, after Michael Schumacher, to score at least 100 points for three consecutive seasons. Nicknamed El Nano, a typical pseudonym for Fernando in Asturias, his place of birth, Alonso acts as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. In Formula One, he is often referred to as "the most complete driver on the grid".

Current team	Ferrari
Car #	8
Races	149 (148 starts)
Championships	2 (2005, 2006)
Wins	22
Podiums	56
Career points	675
Pole positions	18
Fastest laps	14
First race	2001 Australian Grand Prix
First win	2003 Hungarian Grand Prix
Last win	2010 Bahrain Grand Prix
Last race	2010 European Grand Prix
2009 position	9th (26 points)