-Formula 1 - Season 2012 -

[genius83]

Perez denies McLaren approachSergio Perez has revealed that he hasn't been approached by any teams for his services in 2013 amid rumours McLaren wants him as a potential replacement to Lewis Hamilton.

Alonso backs Massa's credentials as a Ferrari driver
Fernando Alonso believes any driver hoping to replace Felipe Massa at Ferrari next year must have a stronger track record than the Brazilian and be ready to work for the good of the team.

Sid Watkins to be honoured in Singapore
The FIA has announced that it will honour the memory of Professor Sid Watkins prior to the start of this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix.

McLaren cannot take pace for granted - HamiltonLewis Hamilton says McLaren cannot take its recent pace for granted at this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, as Formula One returns to a high-downforce track layout.

Raikkonen coy over future plans
Kimi Raikkonen refused to confirm that he would still be in Formula One next season despite being in the championship hunt this season.

Vettel hoping alternator fix works
Sebastian Vettel has admitted Red Bull is still unsure what caused the alternator failure that forced him to retire from the Italian Grand Prix two weeks ago.

Button enjoying team-mate speculation
Jenson Button admits he enjoys following the speculation about who his team-mate will be next season.

Beating Sauber 'unlikey' - di Resta
Paul di Resta believes Force India will need a lot of luck and progress to beat Sauber in this year's constructors' championship.

Massa taking hope from Monaco performance
Felipe Massa says he hopes to be as competitive as he was in Monaco during this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix.

Even the best make mistakes - Grosjean
Romain Grosjean said the incident between Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel in Monza proves that even the best drivers make mistakes.

Red Bull hoping for 'a bit of a reset' - Webber
Mark Webber says Red Bull is hoping the Singapore Grand Prix will see "a bit of a reset" in terms of competitiveness up and down the field.

[genius83]

Provisional 2013 calendar revealed
The provisional calendar for the 2013 season has been sent to the teams, with the season starting on March 17 in Australia.

Provisional 2013 Calendar

[TABLE]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Date[/TD]
[TD]Race[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Circuit[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1.[/TD]
[TD]March 17[/TD]
[TD]Australian GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Melbourne[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2.[/TD]
[TD]March 24[/TD]
[TD]Malaysian GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Sepang[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3.[/TD]
[TD]April 14[/TD]
[TD]Chinese GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Shanghai[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]4.[/TD]
[TD]April 21[/TD]
[TD]Bahrain GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Sakhir[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]5.[/TD]
[TD]May 12[/TD]
[TD]Spanish GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Circuit de Catalunya[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]6.[/TD]
[TD]May 26[/TD]
[TD]Monaco GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Monte Carlo[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]7.[/TD]
[TD]June 9[/TD]
[TD]Canadian GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Montreal[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]8.[/TD]
[TD]June 16[/TD]
[TD]GP of America *[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]New Jersey[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]9.[/TD]
[TD]June 30[/TD]
[TD]British GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Silverstone[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]10.[/TD]
[TD]July 21[/TD]
[TD]German GP *[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Nurburgring[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]11.[/TD]
[TD]July 28[/TD]
[TD]Hungarian GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Hungaroring[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]12.[/TD]
[TD]September 1[/TD]
[TD]Belgian GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Spa-Francorchamps[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]13.[/TD]
[TD]September 8[/TD]
[TD]Italian GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Monza[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]14.[/TD]
[TD]September 22[/TD]
[TD]Singapore GP *[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Marina Bay[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]15.[/TD]
[TD]October 6[/TD]
[TD]Japanese GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Suzuka[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]16.[/TD]
[TD]October 13[/TD]
[TD]Korean GP *[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Yeongam[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]17.[/TD]
[TD]October 27[/TD]
[TD]Indian GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Greater Noida[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]18.[/TD]
[TD]November 3[/TD]
[TD]Abu Dhabi GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Yas Marina[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]19.[/TD]
[TD]November 17[/TD]
[TD]US GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"] Austin[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]20.[/TD]
[TD]November 24[/TD]
[TD]Brazilian GP[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]Interlagos[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]
*Subject to confirmation

Hamilton waiting on higher Mercedes' decision?
While Lewis Hamilton refuses to discuss his F1 future with the media, the speculation surrounding the tug-of-love for his attentions between McLaren and Mercedes continues apace.

Raikkonen admits 'there are nicer things than F1'
Kimi Raikkonen may have been mentioned in connection with possible returns to Ferrari and McLaren before his performance locked him into another year with the Lotus team, but continues to insist that F1 is not the 'be all and end all' for him.

Vettel: It usually helps if you finish....
Sebastian Vettel has admitted that his retirement from the Italian Grand Prix has not only dented his championship defence, but also casts doubt over his ability to mount a renewed challenge to Fernando Alonso in the remaining seven races of the 2012 F1 season.

Di Resta: We need luck to beat Sauber
Paul di Resta says Force India will need luck on its side if it to get ahead of Sauber in the F1 title race.

Hulkenberg now looking closer to home?
Nico Hulkenberg has hinted that the chances of him moving to another team for next year's F1 season may have lessened, despite the driver market being the most fluid it has been for several years.

Caterham names new CEO
Caterham F1 has announced the appointment of Cyril Abiteboul as its new CEO.

[genius83]

Vettel tops first session in Singapore
Sebastian Vettel topped the timesheets during the first practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix, finishing just ahead of Lewis Hamilton's McLaren.

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#a9a9a9'>Singapore GP</font>
<font color='#ff8c00'>Practice Session 1</font>
[/U]</font><font color='#4b0082'>Pos  Driver                Team                  Time        Gap    Laps</font>
 1.  Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault      1m50.566            24
 2.  Lewis Hamilton        McLaren-Mercedes      1m50.615s  + 0.049  15
 3.  Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes      1m51.459s  + 0.893  17
 4.  Fernando Alonso       Ferrari               1m51.525s  + 0.959  20
 5.  Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Renault      1m51.576s  + 1.010  20
 6.  Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault      1m51.655s  + 1.089  19
 7.  Nico Hulkenberg       Force India-Mercedes  1m51.658s  + 1.092  24
 8.  Paul di Resta         Force India-Mercedes  1m51.943s  + 1.377  21
 9.  Daniel Ricciardo      Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m52.275s  + 1.709  24
10.  Sergio Perez          Sauber-Ferrari        1m52.296s  + 1.730  19
11.  Bruno Senna           Williams-Renault      1m52.629s  + 2.063  25
12.  Kimi Raikkonen        Lotus-Renault         1m52.716s  + 2.150  16
13.  Kamui Kobayashi       Sauber-Ferrari        1m52.839s  + 2.273  23
14.  Michael Schumacher    Mercedes              1m52.986s  + 2.420  21
15.  Romain Grosjean       Lotus-Renault         1m53.028s  + 2.462  20
16.  Felipe Massa          Ferrari               1m53.080s  + 2.514  17
17.  Jean-Eric Vergne      Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m53.189s  + 2.623  25
18.  Nico Rosberg          Mercedes              1m53.227s  + 2.661  25
19.  Timo Glock            Marussia-Cosworth     1m54.908s  + 4.342  20
20.  Heikki Kovalainen     Caterham-Renault      1m55.091s  + 4.525  16
21.  Charles Pic           Marussia-Cosworth     1m55.335s  + 4.769  22
22.  Vitaly Petrov         Caterham-Renault      1m55.760s  + 5.194  22
23.  Pedro de la Rosa      HRT-Cosworth          1m56.656s  + 6.090  21
24.  Ma Qing  Hua          HRT-Cosworth          1m58.053s  + 7.487  20

[aref]

Vettel fans really need a win right now.

[genius83]

[genius83]

Vettel quickest again in FP2
Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time of FP2 in Singapore as once again he and Lewis Hamilton looked the men to beat in practice.

<font face='courier new'><font color='#a9a9a9'>[U]Singapore GP[/U]</font>
</font><font color='#ff8c00'><font face='courier new'>[U]Practice Session 2[/U]</font></font>
<font color='#4b0082'>Pos  Driver                Team                  Time        Gap     Laps</font>
 1.  Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault      1m48.340             27
 2.  Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes      1m48.651s  + 0.311   24
 3.  Fernando Alonso       Ferrari               1m48.896s  + 0.556   26
 4.  Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault      1m48.964s  + 0.624   26
 5.  Lewis Hamilton        McLaren-Mercedes      1m49.086s  + 0.746   28
 6.  Paul di Resta         Force India-Mercedes  1m49.300s  + 0.960   30
 7.  Nico Hulkenberg       Force India-Mercedes  1m49.339s  + 0.999   31
 8.  Nico Rosberg          Mercedes              1m49.790s  + 1.450   32
 9.  Felipe Massa          Ferrari               1m50.039s  + 1.699   28
10.  Romain Grosjean       Lotus-Renault         1m50.161s  + 1.821   23
11.  Michael Schumacher    Mercedes              1m50.263s  + 1.923   23
12.  Kimi Raikkonen        Lotus-Renault         1m50.345s  + 2.005   24
13.  Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Renault      1m50.636s  + 2.296   32
14.  Daniel Ricciardo      Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m50.791s  + 2.451   26
15.  Sergio Perez          Sauber-Ferrari        1m51.122s  + 2.782   28
16.  Kamui Kobayashi       Sauber-Ferrari        1m51.450s  + 3.110   21
17.  Bruno Senna           Williams-Renault      1m51.452s  + 3.112   11
18.  Jean-Eric Vergne      Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m52.00$s  + 3.669   31
19.  Timo Glock            Marussia-Cosworth     1m52.218s  + 3.878   29
20.  Heikki Kovalainen     Caterham-Renault      1m52.576s  + 4.236   27
21.  Charles Pic           Marussia-Cosworth     1m52.863s  + 4.523   27
22.  Vitaly Petrov         Caterham-Renault      1m52.936s  + 4.596   25
23.  Pedro de la Rosa      HRT-Cosworth          1m54.448s  + 6.108   25
24.  Narain Karthikeyan    HRT-Cosworth          1m54.514s  + 6.174   30

Red Bull can take pole - Webber
Mark Webber believes Red Bull will be able to challenge for pole position in Singapore after an encouraging day of practice on Friday.

Mistake cost 0.5s - Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton reckons he could have gone at least 0.5s faster in Friday practice at the Singapore Grand Prix had he not run wide in the final two corners.

Vettel confident on softer tyre compounds
Sebastian Vettel is confident his Red Bull is performing well on the Pirelli tyres at this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, although he believes it is too early to judge his pace against his rivals.

Improving Ferrari encourages Alonso
Fernando Alonso was encouraged by Ferrari's progress on a high downforce track following practice for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Button cautious despite McLaren pace
Jenson Button was slightly concerned about the balance of his car despite McLaren's pace during practice for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Difficult Friday confuses Massa
Felipe Massa said he struggled in both practice sessions for the Singapore Grand Prix, and although Ferrari found a problem with his car it did entirely not explain his lack of pace.

Updates will take time to work - Rosberg
Nico Rosberg believes it will take some time for Mercedes to get the best from its exhaust updates after getting his first taste of the new parts during Friday practice for the Singapore Grand Prix.

'Not an easy day' for Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen thinks Lotus is lacking downforce after enduring what he described as "not an easy day" of practice for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Grosjean blames lack of pace on tyres
Romain Grosjean blamed Lotus' lack of pace during practice for the Singapore Grand Prix on a problem with the tyres.

Brake issue curtails Schumacher's practice
Michael Schumacher said a brake issue curtailed his second practice session at the Singapore Grand Prix but he does not think it will be an issue over the rest of the weekend.

Sauber seeks pace after difficult Friday
Sauber's head of track engineering Giampaolo Dall'Ara said the team faces a long night working out why it was so far off the pace in Friday practice in Singapore.

[genius83]

\

[Imaan1]

With what I saw today there is a great chance of either of the Red Bulls to be on pole. Excited for tomorrow , hope Vettel takes pole . A second win from Vettel can spice things up . . Loved this helmet !

[genius83]

[genius83]

[genius83]

[genius83]

[genius83]

[genius83]

[genius83]

[genius83]

[genius83]

Pirelli would welcome Kubica test role
Paul Hembery says Pirelli would be happy to give Robert Kubica a test role in 2013 in order to help him return to Formula One.

Brundle: Hamilton putting title at risk
Former F1 racer Martin Brundle has warned Lewis Hamilton that his chances of winning the title this season would be hit by the ongoing speculation about his future.

Caterham: Heikki's been great for us
Caterham owner Tony Fernandes has admitted that he is keen to retain Heikki Kovalainen next season, despite reports linking the Finn to a number of seats higher up the F1 grid.

Chilton hopes for F1 chance
Max Chilton says he is keen to try and ensure there is another British name on the F1 grid next season after being confirmed as test and reserve driver for Marussia from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards.

Renault crosses fingers for reliability
Having admitted that it needs more time to fully explore the alternator problem that sidelined Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel in both the European and Italian grands prix, Renault heads into this weekend hoping that the heat and humidity of Singapore won't cause a repeat.

Kovalainen hails Watkins over Spanish shunt
On the weekend when Sid Watkins will be remembered by the F1 paddock, Heikki Kovalainen has praised the former F1 medic for the work he carried out to improve the sport.

No going back on V6 plan, admits Renault
Anyone hoping to convince F1's powers-that-be to rethink plans to move from the current V8 engine formula to a proposed turbocharged V6 from 2014 will have been disappointed to hear one of the sport's biggest suppliers admit that backtracking is unlikely.

Whitmarsh plays down 'favourite' tag
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has admitted that the Woking team cannot be considered title favourites in such a competitive season - but insists the Lewis Hamilton 'issue' won't be a distraction.

[Imaan1]

That qualifying was definitely NOT what I had expected. Hamilton takes pole while Vettel sits at P3 :mad:. He was fastest throughout the practice sessions , can't believe it. :rolleyes: Despite of Maldonado crashing out repeatedly , he sure does have raw pace , you've certainly got to give him credit for that. He qualified in P2 today that is brilliant. (Y)

[genius83]

Vettel fastest again in Singapore practice
Sebastian Vettel took a clean sweep of all three practice sessions by setting the fastest time in the final hour of running before qualifying.

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#a9a9a9'>Singapore GP</font>
<font color='#ff8c00'>Practice Session 3</font>
[/U]</font><font color='#4b0082'>Pos  Driver                Team                  Time        Gap     Laps</font>
 1.  Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault      1m47.947             15
 2.  Lewis Hamilton        McLaren-Mercedes      1m48.272s  + 0.325   15
 3.  Fernando Alonso       Ferrari               1m48.623s  + 0.676   11
 4.  Nico Hulkenberg       Force India-Mercedes  1m48.859s  + 0.912   16
 5.  Kimi Raikkonen        Lotus-Renault         1m48.865s  + 0.918   17
 6.  Felipe Massa          Ferrari               1m49.458s  + 1.511   13
 7.  Paul di Resta         Force India-Mercedes  1m49.684s  + 1.737   15
 8.  Nico Rosberg          Mercedes              1m49.699s  + 1.752   16
 9.  Bruno Senna           Williams-Renault      1m49.715s  + 1.768   14
10.  Michael Schumacher    Mercedes              1m49.981s  + 2.034   14
11.  Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault      1m50.110s  + 2.163   12
12.  Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes      1m50.524s  + 2.577   10
13.  Daniel Ricciardo      Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m50.664s  + 2.717   16
14.  Kamui Kobayashi       Sauber-Ferrari        1m50.777s  + 2.830   15
15.  Romain Grosjean       Lotus-Renault         1m50.840s  + 2.893   15
16.  Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Renault      1m51.012s  + 3.065   15
17.  Jean-Eric Vergne      Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m51.059s  + 3.112   17
18.  Sergio Perez          Sauber-Ferrari        1m51.272s  + 3.325   10
19.  Charles Pic           Marussia-Cosworth     1m52.290s  + 4.343   16
20.  Vitaly Petrov         Caterham-Renault      1m53.781s  + 5.834   12
21.  Heikki Kovalainen     Caterham-Renault      1m54.326s  + 6.379   14
22.  Narain Karthikeyan    HRT-Cosworth          1m54.421s  + 6.474   14
23.  Timo Glock            Marussia-Cosworth     1m54.630s  + 6.683    9 
24.  Pedro de la Rosa      HRT-Cosworth          1m54.875s  + 6.928   14

Hamilton secures stunning Singapore pole
Lewis Hamilton secured a stunning pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix as he beat the rest of the field by half a second.

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#a9a9a9'>Singapore GP</font>
<font color='#ff8c00'>Qualifying Session</font>
[/U]</font><font color='#4b0082'>Pos  Driver                Team                 Time         Gap   </font>
 1.  Lewis Hamilton        McLaren-Mercedes     1m46.362s           
 2.  Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Renault     1m46.804s  + 0.442  
 3.  Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault     1m46.905s  + 0.543  
 4.  Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes     1m46.939s  + 0.577  
 5.  Fernando Alonso       Ferrari              1m47.216s  + 0.854  
 6.  Paul di Resta         Force India-Mercedes 1m47.241s  + 0.879  
 7.  Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault     1m47.475s  + 1.113  
 8.  Romain Grosjean       Lotus-Renault        1m47.788s  + 1.426  
 9.  Michael Schumacher    Mercedes             no time              
10.  Nico Rosberg          Mercedes             no time              
<font color='#4b0082'>Q2 cut-off time: 1m47.943s                                   Gap **</font>
11.  Nico Hulkenberg       Force India-Mercedes 1m47.975s  + 1.310
12.  Kimi Raikkonen        Lotus-Renault        1m48.261s  + 1.596
13.  Felipe Massa          Ferrari              1m48.344s  + 1.679
14.  Sergio Perez          Sauber-Ferrari       1m48.505s  + 1.840
15.  Daniel Ricciardo      Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1m48.774s  + 2.109
16.  Jean-Eric Vergne      Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1m48.849s  + 2.184
17.  Bruno Senna           Williams-Renault     no time
Q<font color='#4b0082'>1 cut-off time: 1m49.809s                                    Gap *</font>
18.  Kamui Kobayashi       Sauber-Ferrari       1m49.933s  + 2.245
19.  Vitaly Petrov         Caterham-Renault     1m50.846s  + 3.158
20.  Heikki Kovalainen     Caterham-Renault     1m51.137s  + 3.449
21.  Timo Glock            Marussia-Cosworth    1m51.370s  + 3.682
22.  Charles Pic           Marussia-Cosworth    1m51.762s  + 4.074
23.  Narain Karthikeyan    HRT-Cosworth         1m52.372s  + 4.684
24.  Pedro de la Rosa      HRT-Cosworth         1m53.355s  + 5.667
<font color='#008000'>107% time: 1m55.226s  </font><font color='#800080'>* Gap to quickest in Q1  ** Gap to quickest in Q2</font>

Pic hit by time penalty
Charles Pic has been handed a 20 second time penalty for tomorrow's Singapore Grand Prix after overtaking under red flags in FP3.

Singapore extends contract until 2017
The organisers of the Singapore Grand Prix has announced that it has signed a new contract to stay on the Formula One calendar until 2017.

Vettel unable to explain lack of pace in Q3
Sebastian Vettel was at a loss to explain the lack of pace he experienced in the final session of qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix as his bid for pole position appeared to fall apart in Q3.

Car improving all the time - MaldonadoPastor Maldonado said Williams' ability to improve his car consistently throughout Saturday's running was the key to his second place on the grid for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Hamilton praises McLaren after securing pole
Lewis Hamilton praised McLaren for giving him a competitive car during qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix after the team took its fourth consecutive pole position.

Alonso targets beating three rivals
Fernando Alonso is targeting finishing ahead of three of his four title rivals after qualifying in fifth place for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Button struggles with rear tyres
Jenson Button said a tricky balance in his McLaren was to blame for his lacklustre qualifying session at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Di Resta eyeing Mercedes scalp
Paul di Resta believes Force India can beat both Mercedes cars in tomorrow's Singapore Grand Prix after qualifying in sixth place.

Disappointed Webber says Red Bull has to take medicine
Mark Webber said there was no obvious explanation as to why Red Bull was lacking one-lap pace on the super-soft tyres in qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix.

[genius83]

Massa blames rear grip woes for poor qualifying
Felipe Massa said a lack of rear grip was the reason for his poor qualifying performance as he failed to make Q3 in Singapore.

Car better than it looks - Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen is confident his Lotus is better than his 12th place grid slot at this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix suggests.

Mercedes pair explain Q3 no-show
Nico Rosberg said Mercedes is worried about its tyre situation ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix and as a result decided to save a set by not running in Q3.

Webber escapes grid penalty, handed reprimand
Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber has been cleared by the stewards after it was alleged he impeded Timo Glock during the opening qualifying session for Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix, although he still picked up a reprimand for a separate incident.

Kobayashi: I have no confidence in the car
Kamui Kobayashi has vowed not to give up even though he was unable to make it through the first part of qualifying for Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix.