Hamilton eyes strong result

Hamilton was forced to make a handful of apologies in the wake of his controversial sixth-placed finish in the principality 10 days ago.

Initially Hamilton "made peace" with the four-man panel of stewards after suggesting, via an obvious joke that badly backfired, that his skin color lay at the heart of their choice making.

The 26-year-old vented his frustration against the stewards after being penalized three times over the path of the weekend, and five times in six races this year.

Hamilton was given drive-through penalties - one looking back - for causing a collision with first Felipe Massa in his Ferrari and then Williams' Pastor Maldonado, the latter at a time when he was on course to score his first points for the team.

The McLaren star described the Brazilian and Venezuelan as "ridiculous" during his post-race outburst, later apologizing to both men via his Twitter account on which he had also been ill-treated in the aftermath of what unfolded.

Hamilton has already made it clear a invasion in one of his favourite races, the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, will help put the stigma of what happened in and after Monte Carlo behind him.

Aiming for a third win in five races at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Hamilton said: "Montreal is a very special place for me.

"It's where I took my first Formula One pole location and won my first race. I also won there last year from pole.

"I've always got on actually well with the track as the layout seems to suit my driving style.

"Perhaps even more prominently the fans in Montreal, and everyone in North America who makes the trip to the city, are some of the best in the world.

"They are so positive, helpful and friendly. My trips to the city have been some of my favourite experiences in Formula One.

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Webber ponders F1 future before Turkey

Mark Webber has not lined out finding a new Formula One team if Red Bull don't offer him a new agreement at the end of 2011.

The 34-year-old was widely predictable to retire if no new deal was forthcoming from Red Bull but told Italian newspaper La Stampa on the eve of this weekend's race in Turkey he still has amazing to offer.

"I have my flaws, but I'm strong-minded," Webber said.

"Last year I fought for the title, and I want to go for it yet again When this season ends my agreement with Red Bull will expire.

"If the team doesn't want me anymore, I will have to react to a good question: to hang up the helmet, or to change teams? Let's see what happens."

The Australian will be hoping for a alike drive in Istanbul to his last outing in the Red Bull car when he came from 18th on the grid to finish third in China.

The Turkish grand prix was the scene for Webber's much publicised collision with coworker Sebastian Vettel last year.

Webber was foremost the race when the pair came together as Vettel tried to pass, allowing McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton to grasp a win while teammate Jenson Button came second.

Webber was able to direct his stricken car to a third-place finish but the incident forced Vettel to leave and began the rumour mill about a split in the Red Bull garage between the two drivers' camps which rumbled all year.

Despite that incident, Webber said he was looking onward to returning to Istanbul Park.

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Whitmarsh: Lewis will remain at McLaren

With McLaren stressed at the start of this year's Championship, rumours emerged claiming that Hamilton is allowing for looking elsewhere for a race-seat.

The 26-year-old didn't help the rumours with his contradictory statements.

While in one breath he affirmed that "loyalty has its limits" in the next he insisted that he is "committed to them. I want to try and help them as well as becoming one of the most winning drivers myself."

Whitmarsh, though, believes it's only a matter of time before Hamilton commits his long-term prospect to the Woking team.

But, having said that, he's in no rush to start contract talks.

"Lewis has a long career ahead of him and I think he's intelligent sufficient to realise that the environment he has here is good for him and plays to his strengths," said the McLaren team boss told the Daily Mail.

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Vettel Rolls In Shanghai P1

Carrying the energy of wins in both of the season's first two races, Sebastian Vettel looked every bit as strong in gap practice Friday at Shanghai International Circuit.

Vettel, chasing the rare feat of initial a season with three straight wins, posted a quick lap of 1:38:739 to easily beat out coworker Mark Webber in the sister Red Bull RB7.

Webber, at 1:39:394, was the only other driver to eclipse the one minute, 39 second fence as third-place Lewis Hamilton (1:40:845) was more than two full seconds back of Vettel.

Jenson Button, who reported throughout the practice that his KERS system wasn't working, and Nick Heidfeld finished the top five.

The 90-minute session didn't turn out to Heidfeld's liking, however, as the German stopped his Lotus Renault GP entry on a wet track below overcast, hazy skies.

Heidfeld went over the curbs at Turn 10 and lost power, damaging his car.

Rookies Pastor Maldonado and Paul di Resta also spun, in that order, at different times.

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Practice One - Webber sets strong Sepang standard

Mark Webber sent shivers down the spines of rivals here in Sepang this morning as he lapped his Red Bull RB7 1.665s faster than anyone else. Lewis Hamilton got neighboring in his McLaren, but his 1m 39.316s best was light years behind Webber’s 1m 37.651s.

A late improvement put Michael Schumacher third for Mercedes on 1m 39.791s, then came a group of runners in the 1m 40s. This comprised Nico Hulkenberg, once again taking Paul di Resta’s Force India seat for the opening session, with 1m 40.377s, then Pastor Maldonado who was up there all morning for Williams on 1m 40.443s, late-improving Felipe Massa on 1m 40.453s for Ferrari, Nick Heidfeld on 1m 40.525s for Renault, Rubens Barrichello in the second Williams in 1m 40.581s, Fernando Alonso who had one off-track instant in the second Ferrari on 1m 40.601s, Nico Rosberg in the second Mercedes on 1m 40.646s, Adrian Sutil in 1m 40.734s in the other Force India, the well-matched Toro Rossos of Daniel Ricciardo and Jaime Alguersuari on 1m 40.748s and 1m 40.770s apiece, Kamui Kobayashi’s Sauber on 1m 40.872s and Jenson Button’s McLaren in 1m 40.927s. That’s P4 down to P15 - 12 cars - estranged by just six-tenths of a second.

Jarno Trulli gave Lotus a major fillip with 16th fastest 1m 41.620s, which put him ahead of Sebastian Vettel, who was clearly not looking for lap times in his Red Bull on 1m 41.627s. Sergio Perez was 18th in the second Sauber on 1m 41.642s, then Timo Glock took his Virgin round in 1m 42.154s for 19th with team mate Jerome D’Ambrosio close on 1m 42.540s. Davide Valsecchi made his official F1 debut in Heikki Kovalainen’s Lotus, which he lapped in 1m 44.054s for 21st.

Renault were in the wars. After Heidfeld had set the early pace with that 1m 40.525s, his R31’s right front wheel detained due to a suspected brake problem and he limped the entire lap back to the pits from which he did not emerge again. Later, Vitaly Petrov’s attempt to better 1m 47.932s was aggravated when his car was pitched off the road in Turn Nine by what at first appeared to be the breakdown of its front left Pirelli; the Russian, however, suggested that there had perhaps been a brake disc problem which devastated the wheel and precipitated the tyre bang. Heidfeld ended the session seventh, with Petrov 24th.

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Massa says Ferrari have a lot of work to do

Felipe Massa has admitted that Ferrari have 'a lot to do' after their unsatisfactory weekend in Melbourne - suggesting there was a major difference between how the car had performed in difficult and how it had fared during the grand prix.

Ferrari looked like Red Bull's closest challenger through the winter, but in Australia they were leapfrogged by McLaren

.

Fernando Alonso and Massa were only fifth and eighth on the grid, and fourth in seventh in the race.

"The Australian Grand Prix did not go the way for my part and the team had predictable, as we were not as competitive as we had thought we would be, based on the winter performance," Massa admitted in a blog on the Ferrari website.

"If there is one lesson we take away with us after the gap round is that we have a lot of work to do.

"We immediately need to find out exactly what happened in Australia, understanding what we did and what the other teams did.

"We did not come away with as many points as we thought we could score in the first race, so we have to get back to where we want to be by the next race."

He was puzzled by why Ferrari had under performed in Australia and keen that the team rediscover their testing form by Sepang next weekend.

"Our car is better than it looked in Melbourne and it is hard to clarify exactly why we failed to deliver, which is why we have to arrive in Malaysia with the car we really built, not the car we raced last weekend," said Massa.

The Brazilian also admitted that Red Bull's pace had come as a shock to him, as Sebastian Vettel took pole by 0.8s and then forbidden the race from the outset.

"I was asked many times over last weekend what astonished me most, the pace of the Red Bulls or of the McLarens," Massa said.

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Webber fine with being the 'underdog'

Having clinched the crown last year, many are predicting Vettel will be the man to beat in 2011 while there are some nay-sayers who reckon last year's title brawl was Webber's one shot at achieving F1's ultimate prize.

The 34-year-old, though, is determined his detractors' comments won't get him down - rather, he says, they'll inspire him.

"I do like to be the underdog to a degree. On the ropes a little bit. And of course there are plans you can use to fire yourself up. But you can only take that so far," said the Aussie.

"Don't worry; I'll be opposing this year again. Very, very hard. And sometimes that will be against Sebastian."

Webber urged Red Bull to bring out their 'A' game as several moments last season, such as their early dependability issues and the intra-team tension between himself and Vettel, played into their rivals' hands.

"There is every reason to suggest we can do well again," Webber told The Telegraph, "but we have learned to deal with convinced situations a little bit better so that we don't help our rivals."

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Schumacher: 2011 Mercedes could be a winning package

Michael Schumacher is now hopeful that the Mercedes W02 can be the car that takes him back to the top of the Formula 1 podium after the team's late surge at the end of winter testing.

Mercedes had been enduring a tough pre-season until its full 2011 package was introduced for the final two days and domed it to the front.

That has left Schumacher feeling confident that he can at least get back on the podium in 2011 - and maybe add to his record tally of 91 victories.

"My feeling is a good one," he said.

"The team has been functioning very hard over the winter to shape our car in all of the areas which had been recognized by us as needing improvement.

"The data I have seen over the winter had been quite hopeful, but then we all know that the realities of data and the race track can be quite different.

"As a driver, you clearly hope for a good step forward and I think this is what we have achieved.

"I am confident that we can fight for podium finishes, and I am hopeful we can fight for victories at some of the races.

"Saying that, we will only see the truth once the season gets underway, so I can barely wait to go to Melbourne to lastly see what the real picture is."

The German myth added that he felt far more at home back in F1 with a year of his comeback under his belt.

"This year feels very different certainly," he said.

"Last year everything was new again; the difficult situation, the car, the team, the structures.

"It was very thrilling but it was still something you had to find your way through.

"Now, one year later, I know much better which areas to work in.

"I am much more recognizable with the team and we have a great group of very skilled and devoted people.

"I enjoy what I do, I enjoy working with Mercedes, and I have never regretted my choice to return."

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Book alleges Alonso tried to scupper Hamilton's probability

Fernando Alonso attempted to weaken Lewis Hamilton's chances at the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix according to a new book titled: No Angel: the Secret Life of Bernie Ecclestone.

Hamilton's acrimonious connection with Alonso while the pair were together at McLaren has been well documented, with them becoming involved in on and off-track battles. One such row broke out at the Hungaroring, when Alonso was naked of pole position after he blocked Hamilton in the pits.

Fresh details have now been free about the pair's relationship, with Tom Bowers' book claiming Alonso asked McLaren team manager Ron Dennis to make sure Hamilton's car ran out of fuel. It also claims Alonso gace Dennis an ultimatum, intimidating to supply the FIA with incriminating emails unless he was treated as McLaren's No. 1 driver ahead of the Briton.

The duo are now on divide teams as the 2011 season approaches, starting in Australia on March 25, and their rivalry is likely to have intensified following the newest revelations.

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Doctor happy with Kubica's progress

Robert Kubica is opening to get sensitivity back in his hurt hand, and is in good spirits considering the ordeal he has been through, according to one of the surgeons treating the Pole.

Hand specialist Dr Igor Rossello said he was happy with how Kubica, who has left rigorous care and started to begin the rehabilitation process, is progressing.

"He's no longer in pain and his psychological condition is pretty good," said Dr Rossello.

"He's clearly keen to start the rehabilitation work as soon as possible."

"He is doing pretty well and his situation is positive considering what he has been through."

Dr Rossello explained that the rehabilitation procedure was still at a very early stage.

"He can move his fingers somewhat and has a little bit of compassion already in his hand," he said.

"What is very significant is that there is no sign of infectivity, which is the main concern.

"He is now in his own large room so that he is as contented as possible.

"He has already started some mild hand exercises with the slight flexing of his fingers."

Kubica suffered a incomplete amputation of his right hand plus fractures to his right leg and arm in a awful rally crash in Italy earlier this month.

He may have to miss the entire 2011 season, and has been replaced at Renault by Nick Heidfeld for the period of recovery.

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Renault to assess Heidfeld at Jerez test

Nick Heidfeld is to check for Renault at Jerez this week, as the team starts to assess potential replacements for their driver Robert Kubica, who was gravely injured in a rally crash on Sunday. Heidfeld, who boasts over a decade of Formula One experience and competed in five Grands Prix last season for BMW Sauber, will be in act over the weekend.

As originally listed, Kubica's team mate Vitaly Petrov will drive the R31 at the Spanish circuit on Thursday and Friday, before Heidfeld - and Renault reserve driver Bruno Senna - are given the chance to test over Saturday and Sunday. Renault will verify the exact running order on Friday evening.

Heidfeld began his Formula One profession with Prost in 2000 and since then has participated in 172 Grands Prix driving for Sauber (2001-2003), Jordan (2004), Williams (2005) and BMW Sauber (2006-2010). He enjoyed his most excellent season in 2007 when he ended fifth in the world championship, and he has achieved 12 podium finishes so far in his career.

Kubica remains in hospital in Italy subsequent his high-speed accident during the Ronde di Andora Rally. He has previously undergone seven hours of surgery to reconstruct his offended right forearm, but is expected back in surgery over the coming days to stabilise fractures to his right bear and right foot.

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Webber targets maiden F1 title in 2011

Mark Webber has a maiden Formula One title in his sights to banish recollections of an unbearable end to his 2010 campaign.

The Australian led the crivers' championship for Red Bull for most of the period only to be pipped at the post by team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who secured the title in the final race at Abu Dhabi.

Webber's year was conquered by controversy, as he accused his team of treating him as a "number two driver" and had a high-profile crash with Vettel in the Turkish Grand Prix which cost them both the chance of victory.

But in spite of missing out on the F1 crown, the 34-year-old says he has moved on from the disappointment of his near miss.

"I'm completely over it," he told the official Formula one website. "Life goes on and I don't feel any regret. It was fairly a season. It was an incredible year.

"I lost the championship in the last race and over the whole season no one had a one-race lead over the other guys fighting for the title. I still think I had the chance to be the champion, but I didn't do it because I didn't get the job done on the track.

"Every race was alive. Even if we'd had one more race after Abu Dhabi four guys could have still won the challenge. He (Vettel) did a great job and deserved the championship.

"There been a lot of great moments for me, but of course I didn't get the jackpot. But I am still very arrogant of what happened. I am definitely looking to improve this year."

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Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull rage back into the F1 limelight

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber stood next to each other and smiled at the same moment today, which was not forever the case for grand prix racing's new world champion and his team-mate last season, when both drivers went into the final race with a possibility of the title at the end of an internecine battle that had sometimes turned sour and was intended to finish in the young German's favour.

A new season began with the ceremonial presentation of the successor to the Red Bull-Renault that gave the team a clean sweep of the drivers' and constructors' championships. Both men, at opposite ends of their careers, could feel a surge of optimism by what was revealed when they pulled the dust sheet off the descendant to the all-conquering RB6, and again when Vettel ended the day with the fastest time of the field, having hammered the car around 93 laps of the taut little circuit in the semi-industrialised scrubland west of Valencia.

Formula One's new champion dismissed the close-season rumours connecting him with a move to Ferrari. "It's not smart to put too much weight on those things," he said. "In the off-season there are no wheels rotating, unfortunately, but obviously there are still pages to be packed with ink. I said many times I am happy where I am. I feel very relaxed in the team."

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Williams to start first test with new FW33

Williams has become the latest team to verify that its new car, the FW33, will make its track debut on the opening day of the Valencia test on February 1.

However, while the team will be receiving straight down to work with its 2011 challenger from the off in pre-season, the car will sport an interim livery with the squad to proclaim an official launch at a late date.

Rubens Barrichello will be given the honour of conducting the first day and a half of testing in the car, with new team-mate and Formula 1 rookie Pastor Maldonado to take over for the second half of the three-day test.

Williams joins Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Mercedes in rolling its new cars out on the morning on the first test, while Ferrari, Renault, Sauber and Lotus will all also definitely be in action with their 2011 cars.

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F1's bad payers exposed

According to the Mail on Sunday, an self-governing study conducted by business information company Dun & Bradstreet reveals that only two teams pay earlier than the due date.

Red Bull Racing and sister team Toro Rosso, both bankrolled by Austrian billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, are the only clothes that pay their creditors - which comprise caterers, designers, equipment suppliers and haulage firms - on time. However, that is mainly down to Mateschitz's decision to boost the teams' budget.

'The data, which contrast the rate of payment between December 2009 to April 2010 and between April to November last year, reveal that even though the economy has begun to pick up, the creditworthiness of F1 teams has not,' the statement claims.

Despite having some of the biggest budgets in the sport, heavyweights Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren are typically late by between 11 and 17 days. The trio were upstaged by rookies Virgin - backed by Sir Richard Branson - who on standard settled their accounts eight days after the due date.

Force India are by far the worst of the recognized outfits as they usually take about a month to pay their bills despite being owned by Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya.

The report adds: 'One supplier, who did not wish to be named, said his company has had to pay its own staff late as a result. 'If Vijay sold his yacht, it would keep the team going for a couple of years,' he said.'

The Northamptonshire-based team though don't get the award for worst overall offender. That honour goes to rookies Lotus who typically pay 180 days late. 

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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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Narain Karthikeyan Makes Surprise Comeback to Formula 1

Narain Karthikeyan’s comeback into Formula One has surely astonished many. The fact that he is coming back after a five-season nonappearance from the top form of motorsport is not an easy attainment.

Seen as someone who has umpteen raw talent, the 33-year-old now has another possibility to prove his mettle with the best in the world.

His last spell in F1 with the Jordan Toyota team in 2005 was unassuming but with things having changed in the sport, it could be a different ball game.

However, he has had some good results and also wins in the now-defunct A1 GP World Cup of Motorsport and the Superleague Formula series (for Dutch side PSV Eindhoven). He has been driving in the Nascar World Camping Truck sequence in 2010 and in Le Mans.

With so much racing knowledge, his 2011 season with Hispania, who have complete his signing up, could indeed throw up something interesting. Daily News & Analysis

Karthikeyan said: “I am confident that I still have the pace, the health and the will to succeed in Formula 1.”

Team boss Colin Kolles said: “I am sure his knowledge and speed will be very useful for the team during the season.”

India will also host its first F1 Grand Prix in October, and Karthikeyan says he is honoured to be clever to race on home soil next season.

“I’ve been from beginning to end a lot in my career but to be a part of the first-ever Indian Grand Prix will a special moment for me,” Karthikeyan said.

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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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Ferrari not happy with engine changes

Last month the World Motorsport Council accepted the plan to switch from the normally-aspirated V8s that are at present in use and have been for a number of time to energy-efficient 1,6 litre, four-cylinder turbo units in 2013. The new scheme would also run in combination with KERS.

Before the choice was made, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone spoken his displeasure stating that: "We have a very good engine formula. Why should we alter it to something that is going to cost millions of pounds and that nobody wants and that could end up with one producer getting a big advantage?"

Di Montezemolo has now additional his voice to the chorus of discontent, and not for the first time either.

"We will not be structure any [four cylinder engines] for our street cars," he told Auto Motor und Sport. "For the top class of racing it sounds a bit pathetic. Why couldn't we have a V6 turbo? We should not confuse reasonable with cheap."

The Italian added that he would do anything he could to stop the 2013 implementation date, but admitted he needed support from other teams to make it happen.

"If there is the least possibility to delay the four cylinder, I will look for it. We see a chance. We need unity," he said.

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