Formula One 2011

[Lineker]

It was actually the front jackman's fault.

My dad is on the F1 forum! He's just to the right of DC's ear on the wide shot of them all on the Paddock Club sofas. Smiling like a spastic.

[Lineker]

Fernando Alonso ended Ferrari's victory drought by charging to his team's first victory of the year in the British Grand Prix.

Championship leader Sebastian Vettel and poleman Mark Webber had to settle for the remaining podium spots in the two Red Bulls, with Vettel just holding on in a huge late battle between the pair.

None of the British drivers made it onto the podium - Lewis Hamilton faded to fourth for McLaren after a superb early charge, and Jenson Button retired following a pit error.

The race had got underway in half-wet/half-dry conditions, with the area around the original start/finish area sodden but the new grid relatively dry by comparison.

Vettel got the jump on poleman Webber off the line, and charged into a comfortable early lead, while the Australian kept Alonso at bay in third.

Hamilton provided most of the initial action, making very rapid progress from his disappointing 10th on the grid to attack Felipe Massa's Ferrari for fourth within a handful of laps.

Michael Schumacher triggered the move to slicks tyres somewhat accidentally when he slithered into Kamui Kobayashi's Sauber on lap 10 and had to pit for a new front wing on his Mercedes, taking on dry rubber at the same time.

The German's immediate burst of pace convinced everyone else to come in, with Webber, Alonso and Hamilton choosing lap 12 while Vettel and Massa stayed out till lap 13.

Earlier proved slightly the better option, as by the time everyone was back up to speed on slicks, Vettel's lead over Webber was down to 3.3s, and rapidly getting smaller, although once the two Red Bulls were within 1.5s Vettel managed to raise his pace and keep his team-mate under control.

Alonso initially struggled to get temperature into his slicks and not only fell away from the Red Bulls, but lost third to a charging Hamilton into Copse.

But once the Ferrari and Pirellis were working in harmony again, Alonso started flying. He used DRS to sweep past Hamilton into Brooklands on lap 23, and both then started hunting down the Red Bulls.

They got close enough that when both Vettel and Webber had slow second pitstops on laps 26 and 27, they fell to third and fourth behind new leader Alonso and Hamilton.

Now in clear air, Alonso began to look unstoppable - storming away from Hamilton at a second per lap as the McLaren had to start focusing on holding off the Red Bulls.

He succeeded until the final pitstops, when Vettel stopped a lap sooner and jumped ahead. But even with the McLaren out of his way, Vettel could not catch the now dominant Alonso, who was long gone and heading for his first win since Korea last year.

With his team instructing him to save fuel, Hamilton backed off and lost third to Webber, who then caught Vettel and mounted a huge late effort to overtake his team-mate until ordered to 'maintain the gap' on the final lap.

The slowing Hamilton had Massa all over him going into the closing moments, but retained fourth in a wild, wheel-banging battle through the last corners of the race.

Button ran fifth until the final stops, when he was sent out with his right front wheel not properly attached and hard to park and retire in the pit exit.

Nico Rosberg made a two-stop strategy work to take sixth for Mercedes, just ahead of Sergio Perez's Sauber. Nick Heidfeld salvaged eighth from Renault's tough weekend, with Schumacher recovering well to take ninth, followed by Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari, Adrian Sutil's Force India and Vitaly Petrov in the other Renault.

Paul di Resta's brilliant qualifying effort was wasted when a pitstop miscommunication badly delayed the Force India. He later needed a new front wing after clashing with Sebastien Buemi in an incident that forced the Toro Rosso to retire due to damage from a resultant puncture.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS


The British GP

52 laps;

Weather: Wet, then dry.


Classified:


Pos  Driver        Team                       Time

 1.  Alonso        Ferrari                    1h28:41.194      

 2.  Vettel        Red Bull-Renault           +    16.511      

 3.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault           +    16.947      

 4.  Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes           +    28.986      

 5.  Massa         Ferrari                    +    29.010      

 6.  Rosberg       Mercedes                   +  1:00.665      

 7.  Perez         Sauber-Ferrari             +  1:05.590      

 8.  Heidfeld      Renault                    +  1:15.542      

 9.  Schumacher    Mercedes                   +  1:17.912      

10.  Alguersuari   Toro Rosso-Ferrari         +  1:19.108      

11.  Sutil         Force India-Mercedes       +  1:19.712      

12.  Petrov        Renault                    +  1:20.600      

13.  Barrichello   Williams-Cosworth          +  1 lap         

14.  Maldonado     Williams-Cosworth          +  1 lap         

15.  Di Resta      Force India-Mercedes       +  1 lap         

16.  Glock         Virgin-Cosworth            +  2 laps        

17.  D-Ambrosio    Virgin-Cosworth            +  2 laps        

18.  Liuzzi        HRT-Cosworth               +  2 laps        

19.  Ricciardo     HRT-Cosworth               +  3 laps        


Fastest lap: Alonso, 1:34.908


Not classified/retirements:


Driver        Team                         Gap

Button        McLaren-Mercedes             11

Buemi         Toro Rosso-Ferrari           26

Kobayashi     Sauber-Ferrari               28

Trulli        Lotus-Renault                41

Kovalainen    Lotus-Renault                49



World Championship standings, round 9:                


Drivers:                    Constructors:             

 1.  Vettel       204        1.  Red Bull-Renault          328

 2.  Webber       124        2.  McLaren-Mercedes          218

 3.  Alonso       112        3.  Ferrari                   164

 4.  Hamilton     109        4.  Mercedes                   68

 5.  Button       109        5.  Renault                    65

 6.  Massa         52        6.  Sauber-Ferrari             33

 7.  Rosberg       40        7.  Toro Rosso-Ferrari         17

 8.  Heidfeld      34        8.  Force India-Mercedes       12

 9.  Petrov        31        9.  Williams-Cosworth           4

10.  Schumacher    28       

11.  Kobayashi     25       

12.  Sutil         10       

13.  Alguersuari    9       

14.  Buemi          8       

15.  Perez          8       

16.  Barrichello    4       

17.  Di Resta       2       


All timing unofficial[/code]


The McLaren and Sauber teams have been fined for the unsafe releases of Jenson Button and Kamui Kobayashi during pitstops in the British Grand Prix.


Button's team was given a €5,000 fine, while Sauber will have to pay €20,000 added to Kobayashi receiving a drive-through penalty for his unsafe release during the race.


The Japanese driver was released in front of Rubens Barrichello and damaged one of Force India's air hoses in the process.


Button retired from the event after his front right tyre was not attached properly to his car.


Formula 1's row over the off-throttle use of blown diffusers is now at an end, after Ferrari and Sauber agreed to join other teams in backing plans to ditch the ban on the concept.


Although at a Sunday morning meeting the two outfits were alone in failing to support the offer from the FIA to revert engine mapping settings to how they were in Valencia, the two have now indicated that they will support the move.


Once the official agreement from all 12 teams is in place, it is understood that it will be a formality for the FIA to approve teams using off-throttle blown diffusers from the German Grand Prix - although the ban on outfits changing engine mapping settings between qualifying and the race will stand.


When asked about comments from Bernie Ecclestone that all teams had now agreed, Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said: "That is my understanding too...


"I think that this thing was not really good for everyone. We need to draw a line and now look ahead, because otherwise where we are going? Even if I think I don't agree with the process, for the benefit of the sport we should have action."


Domenicali did use the opportunity, however, to take a swipe at the way other teams had tried to use the blown diffuser controversy to their advantage.


"To be honest, when you think of the bigger picture you think of a wider opening. I have to say that I don't think all the people are behaving like we are."


Sauber boss Peter Sauber refused to confirm whether his team had signed the agreement to revert back to the Valencia regulations, but said Ecclestone was not incorrect in stating all teams had agreed.


"When Bernie tells that, normally it is true what he says," he said. "The whole thing is a shame. The whole thing….it started after the race in Montreal and finished I don't know when. I don't want to speak about it.


"The FIA after Montreal said that this system is illegal and we will change it. And then we have a lot of discussion about the engine and all this rubbish. Everybody looked for himself. That is normal."


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Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali is optimistic that a settlement will be achieved in the row over off-throttle exhaust blowing that has dominated the British Grand Prix weekend.


The Italian team and Sauber - which uses Ferrari engines - were the only two outfits which refused to agree to the FIA's offer to return to the pre-Silverstone rules situation when it was discussed in a meeting this morning.


After a weekend of arguments over the rules clampdown and associated concessions, the governing body had said it would allow the rules to revert to the Valencia specification, when off-throttle blowing was permitted but extreme engine maps banned, if all the teams agreed. But Ferrari and Sauber's position prevented this, leaving the situation uncertain.


But Domenicali said after the British GP that he thinks it "likely" that unanimity will be reached.

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner plans to sit down with Mark Webber behind closed doors to discuss his actions at the British Grand Prix, after expressing 'surprise' that the Australian ignored team orders at the end of the race.


Webber confessed that he had deliberately ignored instructions from the pit wall to hold his position behind Vettel in the closing stages of the race - because he was keen to keep racing his team-mate for second place until the chequered flag.


Horner said he did not expect Webber to have acted in such a way – and made it clear that he was unhappy the Australian had risked costing the team valuable points.


When asked by AUTOSPORT if he was surprised that Webber had ignored orders, Horner said: "Yes. At the end of the day the team is the biggest thing, and no individual is bigger than the team.


"I can understand Mark's frustration in that, but had it been the other way around it would have been exactly the same.


"It happened a couple of years ago in Turkey when exactly the same thing happened with Sebastian, so it makes no sense from a team point of view to risk both of your cars. It was obvious that neither was going to concede.


"And, as we saw with [Felipe] Massa and [Lewis] Hamilton at the last corner, who very nearly made contact, it made no sense from a team point of view to allow them to continue to fight over those last couple of laps.


"Mark obviously chose to ignore that and didn't make the pass in any event, but that is the team's position."


Speaking about how he will respond to Webber's actions, Horner said: "It is something that he and I will talk about in private."


Horner said the team decided for its drivers to hold position around four laps from the end of the race – and that it was based purely on the team avoiding the possibility of seeing its drivers collide near the end of the event while in a strong position.


And rather than being a statement that Webber is playing a supporting role to Vettel from now on, Horner emphasised that the team would continue to give both drivers the chance to battle for victory.


"He is free to fight for race wins. He qualified on pole position here. He had the ability, the opportunity to win this race. It didn't pan out for him today but we will continue to give him every chance to do so.


"From a team perspective, I made it quite clear in the drivers' briefing this morning in front of the engineers, that the biggest thing today was about getting a team result in front of all of the staff who put in so much effort into both of those cars, for the Constructors' Championship and the drivers' championship.


"Now both drivers have come away with Sebastian having extended his lead in the world championship, Mark having moved into second in the world championship and the team having increased its lead in the Constructors' Championship."


He added: "At the end of the day, the team championship is every bit as important as the drivers' championship to us. And we risked giving away 33 points today in the last three laps by allowing our drivers to fight it out.


"As we have seen previously, that can have dire consequences. We said okay, we have allowed them to race up until that point and, with three laps to go, rather than risk both of them being in the fence, it was the right decision.


"As a team it was absolutely the right decision. As we see in other sports, sometimes substitutions are made. But, from a team point of view, we were not going to risk the 33 points. Both drivers are now first and second in the drivers' championship and we are going to do nothing to jeopardise that."


Mark Webber says he is 'not fine' with Red Bull's request that he hold position behind team-mate Sebastian Vettel in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix and ignored the instruction.


Webber caught Vettel in the final laps and mounted several overtaking attempts without success.


The Australian said he had received "probably four or five" messages from the team asking him not to attack Vettel, but declined to follow them.


Asked how he felt about the team orders, Webber replied: "I am not fine with it, no. That is the answer to that.


"If Fernando [Alonso] retires on the last lap, we are fighting for the win.


"Of course I ignored the team because I wanted to try and get a place. Seb was doing his best, I was doing my best. I wasn't going to crash with anyone.


"I try to do my best with the amount of one way conversation I was having - I was trying to do my best to pass the guy in front."


Last year at Silverstone, Webber famously quipped "not bad for a number two" over the radio after winning the race in the wake of the qualifying day favouritism row, which erupted when Red Bull took the latest front wing off Webber's car to put on Vettel's after the German's example had failed in practice.


Asked if he felt 'like a number two' again, Webber said: "Not really. I just want to race until the end. Four or five laps to go, they started to chat to me about holding my position. I wanted the points but I also wanted to get some more points as well."


Vettel said he could understand why the team wanted them to avoid racing each other, but also that he was happy to battle.


"I try to stay ahead, nothing wrong with that," he said. "If you have the cars quite isolated in second and third, with the first guy away and the fourth guy pretty far away, from the team's point of view there is no point racing and doing something stupid.


"The difference between second and third is not massive but we naturally try to race. I tried to hold position. I was struggling, Mark was faster and then there was the chequered flag."


Vettel added that he could not understand why a furore was developing over the issue in the press conference.


"I finished second..." he responded when asked if the result was a 'sham'.


"As I said earlier, Mark tried to pass me, I could stay ahead. Clearly you could see he is quicker. If I would not be racing then I would just wave him past, so surely the last thing you want is to do something bad to the team?


"If it was the other way around, there is no point - of course I would like to overtake Mark at that stage, so no point trying to do something stupid. I don't see why there is such a fuss.


"I think we were racing. It was not a scheduled 'I move right, he moves right, I brake here, he brakes there...' He tried to race me as hard as he could, he didn't find a way past.


"To me at this stage it is quite amusing."


Fernando Alonso says his victory in the British Grand Prix is a huge boost for Ferrari after a difficult first part of the season.


The Italian squad had not won any races since the Korean Grand Prix last year, but Alonso took an emphatic victory at Silverstone to put an end to the Maranello squad's drought.


Alonso admitted winning at a circuit that did not suit Ferrari particularly well was also a bonus.


"Obviously it is a huge boost for us," said Alonso. "We were confident of being quick here at Silverstone.


"No doubts it was a race that had one red cross because it was not an easy grand prix for us; the characteristics of the corners, and the layout were never our strongest points.


"We knew that Silverstone, like Barcelona, was difficult for us, so winning here is a good motivation for everyone and gives us confidence approaching the next few races."


The Spanish driver insisted Ferrari will just enjoy the victory without thinking about the championship, as he is aware than his gap to Sebastian Vettel - 92 points - is huge.


"We will try to enjoy the moment, the win and work hard. We will have the same approach as we had in Malaysia and we had in Canada and here as well. It is a weekend to try to go for the victory, to try to go for the race.


"There are not championship thoughts at the moment because the gap is massive to Seb. We need to enjoy every weekend, and there is no time to think about anything."


Lewis Hamilton labeled the end of his British Grand Prix as 'crazy' after beating Felipe Massa by less than a tenth of a second.


The McLaren driver finished in fourth position after having to save fuel during the latter part of the race.


Massa caught up with Hamilton on the final lap, and the duo went side by side at the exit of the final corner, making contact before Massa went off track and crossed the finish line 0.024 seconds behind his rival.


"That's as close as it is going to get. It was crazy," said Hamilton. "First of all the team did a fantastic job with all the pitstops and really today, coming here knowing the support we had - I've never known so many people here at Silverstone.


"The support we have here is far beyond any driver will get anywhere else, I believe. Massively thankful for that. So I could feel them spurring me on and I had a good start, made some places up.


"Unfortunately at the end, with 21 laps to the end or something, I had to save fuel. Massively. So I had to give Webber the position and then the last lap they said 'okay, now you can push' and I was like 'oh, thanks' after I've let him [Massa] catch me up. But I was not giving him that position, no way."


Hamilton admitted he was frustrated to have to save fuel during the race, as he was running ahead of Mark Webber, who finished on the podium.


"Yeah, because you are always trying to drive to the fine line and of course I can think of the guys in front, Ferraris and Red Bulls, they didn't look like they had to save fuel so that's not a positive on our side.


"They tell me go to this delta, but I want to make sure I'm always there and not too much or too little, I don't want to save too much fuel and make sure I can still keep my position."


The Briton also joked that he expected to be called by the stewards following his record in the last few races.


"I've got like a platinum card for the stewards, so I expect to be there! I'm actually going straight from here to the stewards – just sit there and wait - rather than go back and come back."


Team-mate Jenson Button endured another disappointing British GP after being forced to retire when his right front tyre was not attached properly following a pitstop.


"As I turned up the hill, the wheel came off," Button said. "I stopped immediately. Very disappointing. We all make mistakes, we all hope they never happen.


"Disappointing also because it was in front of the home crowd – good couple of battles out there and the pace was very good before my stop. It was all looking pretty sweet and I think I would have come out alongside Mark [Webber], if not ahead of Mark, when I made my pitstop.


"So much could have happened and there's always the possibility of a podium when you are that far up and the pace is good."


Sebastian Vettel said Ferrari defeated Red Bull fair and square in the British Grand Prix.


Although the championship leader admitted that Red Bull's slow second pitstop - which cost him the lead to Fernando Alonso on the track - had definitely hurt his chances, he admitted that Ferrari had been quicker in the end.


"I think it is hard to say how much we lost [in the pits], but we lost the lead and he had quite a bit of a cushion at that stage, so it didn't help," said Vettel.


"I came out behind Fernando and Lewis [Hamilton]. I struggled to get past. I had some places where it was quite close with him but it didn't quite work, and had a long stint at the end, but all in all it was a very good race.


"All in all mistakes here or there, but you cannot get it right all the time and I accept fair and square Ferrari beat us today.


"Not only this race, there has been a trend the last couple of races. They have been good in race pace and improving their car.


"It shows we need to keep working and keep pushing very hard and hopefully soon we'll get there again."


He said the pit issue had been that the left rear was not properly fastened at first.


"I think everything went initially according to plan," Vettel said. "It went on but I think it wasn't tight, we put the car down, back on the floor, when I saw in mirror and realised it was not done yet then they put car back up, lost a lot of time and lost position to Fernando in pit box and Lewis on the circuit."


Jaime Alguersuari said his car's lack of top speed cost him at least two places at the British Grand Prix on Sunday.


The Toro Rosso driver finished in 10th position after another strong charge from 18th on the grid.


Alguersuari was adamant, however, that he was a second quicker than Nick Heidfeld and Michael Schumacher, but could not overtake them because of the lack of speed on the straights.


"I was definitely faster than Heidfeld and Schumacher, around most of the lap, as was the case in Valencia," Alguersuari said.


"But we could not make the most of this as I then lost out to them going down the straight. I'm not sure why that was the case, maybe we ran with a bit more downforce than them.


"However, I am happy for the team, who I thank for doing a good job, as getting back into the points from eighteenth on the grid was a good result after we failed to make the most of the Soft tyre in qualifying."


Team-mate Sebastien Buemi was forced to retire from the race after suffering a puncture following contact with with Paul di Resta.


"I'm a bit disappointed as I feel we could have picked up some points today," he said. "I was running at a good pace. I would like to see the footage with Di Resta again to see exactly what happened, but from the cockpit, I was on the dry line, he tried to come up the inside of me where the track surface was still very wet.


"So he could not brake as hard as if he had been on the dry and I felt an impact. He had touched my left rear tyre which shredded it. But that's racing, so it's best to forget it and start thinking about the next race at the Nurburgring."


Williams felt it was quick enough in the dry to get a good result in the British Grand Prix, but felt it lost too much time in the wet part of the race to recover into the points.


Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado finished only 13th and 14th, despite the latter qualifying seventh.


"It was quite difficult for us today especially with the light rain shortly before the start," said Maldonado. "Our car set-up was geared towards a dry race so we were compromised from the outset. Towards the end, our performance was better but by that stage it was too late. Unfortunately it wasn't the best weekend for us."


Barrichello lost several positions at the start and agreed that the car had been a handful in the wet.


"We didn't have the best of starts and fell back quite a bit," he said. "Strangely, the car didn't feel good in the wet and it was a struggle to keep it on the track. It was also difficult to keep up with the guys in front of us. We had hoped for a better result at our home grand prix."


Technical director Sam Michael was confident that Williams would have been quick enough in a totally dry race.


"Our pace on the intermediate tyre wasn't good enough today," he said. "Compared to some of the guys in the top 10, our lap times on the dry tyre were respectable, but we just lost too much time in the opening laps to be able to make up any ground. We ran different strategies on the two cars to attempt to do something different to recover but it wasn't meant to be today."


Michael Schumacher was unhappy about his mistake during the British GP, something he reckons cost him a possible fourth-place finish.


Schumacher made contact with Kamui Kobayashi early in the race after overshooting a corner, damaging his front wing and also receiving a drive-through penalty.


Despite that, Schumacher put on a solid performance to finish in the points in ninth position.


The Mercedes driver admitted the accident was his fault, and was sorry he could not give his team a better result.


"My result today is a bit of a shame, and of course I am not happy about it," said Schumacher. "I think fifth or even fourth place would not have been out of question today thanks to the superb job the guys back in Brackley and Brixworth have done.


"I would so much have wished to bring them some decent points this evening when we go back to the factory for a BBQ with their families. But unfortunately, and due to my fault, I cannot.


"Having used DRS for the first time in the race, I was arriving at the corner with over-run. Underestimating the effect, my braking was not good and this is how the collision happened.


"It was right to get a penalty but why it had to be a stop-go, and not a drive-through penalty, I would like to understand better as I felt it was too hard. Anyway, the good thing is that step-by-step, the hard work of our team is paying off more and more, and this is a good feeling heading towards our next home race."


Nico Rosberg finished in sixth position after a solid day for Mercedes, the German hoping his team can continue moving forward.


"I'm pretty pleased with our result this weekend," said Rosberg. "First of all because in qualifying we had the potential to be in the top five, and secondly we had a really good strategy in the race. My start was not good, so being able to eventually finish in sixth place is a nice result for us.


"And hopefully it's the start of an upward trend, before our next home race in Germany, so I'm looking forward to confirming our performance at the Nurburgring. In the next few days, we will analyse the whole weekend with our new developments on the car, and will work hard on improving it even further."


Daniel Ricciardo declared himself pleased to have made it to the end of his first Formula 1 race at Silverstone on Sunday.


The Hispania driver, making his grand prix debut this weekend, finished down in 19th and last place, but felt the experienced of completing a full race will help him be stronger in the next one.


"I feel quite good to finish and see the checkered flag," said the Australian. "It was nice to get the laps, which I think was the most important thing for me today for experience.


"Understanding the tyres, the pitstops and the strategy, it's really very complex and something I've never really done before, so in this respect I think it was a step forward.


"I was quite a bit off the other competitors but I think that, as I learn, I will get a bit closer. I also need to try and manage the blue flags a bit better, it's not easy. At the end, looking at it now, I'm quite pleased with the result.


"My expectations for the next race are to learn and move forward, to be a bit closer to Tonio in qualifying and to try and close the gap in the race, I think that is a good target for now."


Felipe Massa says he has no complaints about his battle with Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the British Grand Prix.


The pair banged wheels through the last corners as they fought for fourth place, Massa having caught the slowing McLaren as Hamilton conserved fuel. After several brushes between them, Hamilton crossed the line in front as Massa went wide over the run-off through Club.


But the Brazilian was relaxed about their dice despite the contact.


"Well there is nothing really to say," he said. "I was close to Lewis going into the last corner. He went to the inside, I went outside, I went to brake after him and I was able to turn a little bit in front of him and he touched me a little bit, but I don't think it was anything really wrong, in my opinion.


"And then in the last corner I was completely running wide and I had to do an alteration and he was able to put the car inside. He had the better grip and he was able to finish, I don't know the difference, but only just in front."


Asked if he had enjoyed the battle, Massa replied: "Well no because I finished behind him but for you guys I think it was nice. But you always want to finish at the front."


Massa added that he had been encouraged to see his team-mate Fernando Alonso win today with a commanding performance that saw him come through from fourth place to dominate the second half of the event.


"I hope we are better in the second part of the season and we are more competitive, especially compared with Red Bull," said Massa. "This race the qualifying was very close and in the race Fernando was better than them. I couldn't be but it was good for the team and I hope we carry on like that and be fighting with [Red Bull] from now until the end."


Sergio Perez is adamant he will be even stronger in the German Grand Prix after scoring his first points since his Monaco crash at Silverstone.


The Mexican was forced to miss two races because of his heavy accident in Monte Carlo and he admitted he had lost some momentum following an impressive start to the season.


On Sunday, however, the Sauber rookie put on a strong performance to finish in seventh place, and he is confident he is now back in full form.


"I think it was a good race and a very good result for the team," said Perez. "In the beginning the conditions were quite difficult, but we managed to stay out of trouble. The strategy was good and my pitstops were perfect.


"Unfortunately I couldn't overtake Nico (Rosberg). I was very close but he was too fast on the straights. Overall I am happy and now the difficult times are behind me.


"After the accident it took me time to get back into the rhythm of the season, and find the momentum I had before it. In two weeks' time I shall be even stronger."


Sauber team-mate Kamui Kobayashi was forced to retire from the race due to an oil leak, but not before a crash with Michael Schumacher and a penalty for an unsafe pitstop release.


"It is a real shame because our overall performance was good this weekend," he said. "In today's race I was very unlucky. I think there is not a lot for me to say about the accident with Michael (Schumacher). We were not side by side, and he obviously hit the rear of my car. From then on I had to drive with a damaged car.


"Then I had bad luck with the pitstop, was given the stop and go penalty, and finally had to stop because I was told on the radio there was an oil leak and I should pull off the track."


Paul di Resta says he will still take great encouragement from his British Grand Prix even though his race went awry after a superb qualifying result.


The Scot had started sixth for Force India and was running comfortably in seventh when he had a disastrous pitstop following some miscommunication - the team having expected his team-mate Adrian Sutil, who had just reported a puncture, to arrive first.


That delay and a later stop for a new front wing after tangling with Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi left di Resta only 15th at the flag.


But he said the pace he had displayed all weekend meant he could still leave Silverstone satisfied.


"I'll just continue on and try to do what we've been doing and hopefully our luck will turn," said di Resta.


"We are seeing improvements with the car. In Germany, we've got some updates coming so we're feeling very positive and hopefully they'll work. As a team, we're learning from the mistakes we've made."


He underlined that his Saturday result had been well-earned.


"It wasn't a fluke lap. We got into Q3 on performance and we did a good job in Q3," he said. "As long as we can build on that and do it again at the Nurburgring, it will be satisfying."


Di Resta admitted that hanging on to a top six place in the grand prix had always been unlikely, but was still certain points were on the cards.


"It probably wasn't quite as strong as our qualifying performance," he said of his race pace. "We kind of had an idea it would be like that.


"But we were still in a strong position. We were 13 seconds up the road from a Renault that scored points and I'm sure we could have continued like that."

Post-race press conference:

[spoiler]TV UNILATERALS


Q. Fernando, the first win of the season for you and Ferrari. You were gifted the lead by Red Bull but do you feel you forced the mistake today?


Fernando ALONSO: Well I don't know. It is difficult to know. I saw the problem in the pit-stop with Sebastian and we were in the lead at that moment. I didn't know as I was also fighting with (Lewis) Hamilton and with Mark and I left the pits and I found myself leading the race and then pulling a good gap. You never know. The race was in different conditions. We started with a very wet part of the circuit and then it was a little bit dry, but still with intermediate tyres. Then the intermediates were struggling a little and we were very quick at that part of the race and then with the dry tyres it was again the same thing. Very slow at the beginning when the track was damp and very quick when the track was dry so I knew that it was a race to be calm, to put the car on the track always, no mistakes, not being off the track at any moment as the grass is very wet and with no mistakes I knew the car had enough pace to fight for the victory. At the end it came.


Q. It was a great battle with Hamilton. Tell us about the pass and the re-pass.


FA: Well he overtook me quite easy. When we fitted the dry tyres he was very, very quick at that part of the race so we were forced to stay calm. We knew that our opportunity would be later in the race and when I overtook him again it was thanks to the DRS and the KERS and all these possibilities we have these days. Then we attacked the Red Bulls as from now it will always be the same thing. Every race we try to do like the final. Championship hopes are very difficult because Sebastian keeps finishing all the races first and second so the only thing we can do is try to win every race we go to and be very aggressive. Every race, every start, every strategy will be at the maximum.


Q. Sebastian, the pit-stop cost you the lead but were Ferrari on to you today? What do you think?


Sebastian VETTEL: I think it is hard to say how much we lost but surely we lost the lead. I think we had quite a bit of a cushion at that stage so it didn't help. I came out behind Fernando and Lewis and struggled to get past really. I had some places where I was quite close to him but it didn't quite work so we went in for the stop and I had a longer stint at the end. But all in all we had a very good race. It was very difficult in these conditions. I had a brilliant start and was able to pull away quite good at the beginning of the race on intermediate tyres. Then I think we waited a little bit and we weren't that aggressive which cost us a bit of our lead plus then the pit-stop so little mistakes here and there. But you cannot get it right all the time and you have to accept Ferrari beat us fair and square today. It was not only in this race, I think there has been a certain trend over the last couple of races. They have been very strong on race day on Sunday and generally improving their car so it shows us we need to keep on working very hard and keep pushing very hard so soon it is the other way around again.


Q. You were very, very close to the back of Lewis going into Copse at one point weren't you?


SV: Yeah, I was. I thought it was the only place where I could try something. On that lap I think I had too good an exit so got off the corner very well and was too close. I was sitting behind and in that right kink where the old pit building is you cannot do anything there so I was too close to use my momentum later on. I had to lift and I don't think there was much left. We don't see the front wing but it was very close but good fun.


Q. Mark, you lost the start to Sebastian but what happened at the end? You seemed to be closing on him, but you couldn't get past him.


Mark WEBBER: Well it was a mixed race as the guys touched on. It was very, very slippery and tricky at the start with the inters. Half the track dry and half the track wet. It made it very frustrating as all of us had to stay out on the inters for longer than we would have liked as we had to wait for slicks to come into play at that part of the track. Michael (Schumacher) pitted first then we waited to hear on his pace on the slicks. Then, when he started to go okay we elected to stop. Just before, on the in-lap, I had a massive moment in Becketts so Fernando closed a bit on me. I went across the grass as I came in so bit scrappy there. Then we had an interesting race after that. I felt very strong at the start of the stints, not too strong at the end of the stints, and then both Seb and I were in big trouble with the tyres at the end. I tried to pass him but not quite so that was the race.


Q. Are you surprised at how tough a battle you have been given here this weekend by McLaren and Ferrari?


MW: Not really. I think Ferrari we have seen, in the last few events, going pretty well. You never, never know. Sundays are always difficult. It is always about the tyres as you know. McLaren looked absolutely in trouble yesterday and then today they weren't too bad at all. Very quick and they did a clean job in the pit-lane. I didn't think we had the best day in the box today. It is not normal for our guys but you cannot be perfect all the time. That was it.


Q. Fernando, describe both the emotion and the satisfaction this win gives you today.


FA: It is a very special win. I think Silverstone is a special event for every driver competing in Formula One. We know the history of motorsport here in the UK so it is special grand prix. Also today I had the privilege to drive the Jose (Froilan Gonzalez's) car. It was the first Ferrari win in Formula One and this year it is 60 years ago that one Ferrari car won the first grand prix in Formula One. Today we won on the same circuit with the same passion, with the same group of people, working for this fantastic team. Every year competing in Formula One right from the beginning so this is the big thing about Ferrari. The passion, the victory and the love for competition so very happy to drive this car and achieve this success again.


PRESS CONFERENCE


Q. Fernando, what a way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Ferrari's first win. Ideal way wasn't it?


FA: Definitely. I had two laps today with that car for the parade and it is part of the history of Ferrari. Being every single year, every single championship in Formula One, winning 60 years ago with that car with Froilan and now 60 years later on the same circuit with the same atmosphere I am sure in the team, with the same passion winning again with the red car. Very proud of the team. Very proud of the recovery that we did. I think three or four races ago we were 1.5 seconds behind and now we were leading the race and pulling away so definitely a good recovery from the team and a very special day. Every grand prix is special but winning in historic places on this fantastic circuit, Silverstone, with the tradition in England about Formula One, the culture about motorsport, it is even more special.


Q. Do you think you would have won without the pit-stop problem for Sebastian? After all you did set a succession of fastest laps in the middle of the race and you ended the race with a lead of 20 seconds.


FA: Who knows? You never know. I think it is difficult to have any prediction of what could have happened without the problems of Sebastian. For sure more difficult and you need to overtake on the track and when you are talking about two or three-tenths different pace in favour of them or us it is not easy to overtake as we saw with the McLaren and for Sebastian it was the same when he tried to overtake Lewis. It is not easy to overtake so the pit-stop problems for them was a help. But the same every race. Maybe in Canada it was a different thing also for Jenson. He won the race and we retired. The races are the way it comes.


Q. You said earlier in the weekend this wasn't a circuit that you expected to suit the Ferrari. What can we expect from the Nürburgring?


FA: Well it is a huge boost for us. Good confidence being quick here in Silverstone as no doubts it was a race on the calendar that had one red cross. We knew that it was not an easy grand prix for us in terms of the characteristics of the corners, the lay-out never being our strongest point, the high speed corners in the last two or three years so we knew that Silverstone like Barcelona, was difficult for us so winning here is good motivation for everyone and good confidence I am sure approaching the next races as they will be circuits that are a little bit better for us.


Q. You can put a red tick against it now instead of a cross.


FA: We will try to enjoy the moment, the win, and work hard. We will have the same approach that we had in Valencia, that we had in Canada, and here as well every weekend. It is a weekend to try for the victory, try to win the race. There is not championship thoughts at the moment with anyone in the team as we know that the gap is massive at the moment with Sebastian. We just need to enjoy every weekend. Try to win every weekend and be aggressive at the start, the pit-stops, there is no time to think about any other thing.


Q. Sebastian, what exactly happened at the pit-stop?


SV: Well I think you saw it from a better angle than I did. The mirrors are not really big. I think everything went initially according to plan. We changed all three tyres except the rear left. It went on but I think it wasn't tight yet and we put the car down, back on the floor. I saw it in the mirror that they realized it is not done yet so we had to put the car back up and lost a lot of time. Lost directly the position to Fernando in the pit-box and to Lewis on the circuit. Up to that stage I think it was a very good race. I had an excellent start and an excellent first stint. In these tricky conditions I was able to open a big, big gap which helped us for the rest of the race. Up to that point. It is difficult to say, as Fernando touched on, I think it would have been a tight race as Ferrari had very good pace and we have to respect that and take it into account. It was not just us maybe being unlucky or finishing second because of a mistake. I think especially Ferrari, especially Fernando, was very competitive today and it would have been a long way to the chequered flag. It was an exciting race with the conditions with one half completely wet - even struggling a bit and aquaplaning in places - and the other half dry, sunshine, on the same track. It is a bit funny. I think it can only happen around here. But it makes it very special to us as it makes it very tricky in these conditions. I think it was an exciting race. Then I lost a lot to Fernando behind Lewis. I couldn't get past initially and it gets more difficult. I lost the front tyres right behind him as I was so close and it wasn't easy to attack. I had one chance maybe into Copse but I think in hindsight my exit was too good so I ran into his back too soon on the straight and could not use the momentum. Then we got him at the stop but had to do a longer stint at the end. Mark was closing in, in the last three or four laps and he was quicker but we could stay ahead so a long race, a lot of things happened, easy to do a mistake again. We didn't do many and a good result for the team with Mark coming in third. A podium here is always special. There are so many fans here. It is one the nicest in-laps or coming back to the pits after the chequered flag as you can really feel people are passionate about racing. Most of the cheers goes to Jenson (Button) and Lewis but even with not having the British flag on your car they love racing. It is great to stand on the podium and see that many people.


Q. Mark, what happened at the start as it wasn't quite as good. It was still very good.


MW: Well Fernando and I spoke about it. The right hand side looked pretty good in those greasy conditions so that's the way it went today. I am not really bothered about that to be honest. The race wasn't won or lost there. Seb did a good pace on the inters and we were pretty evenly apart. Pace wise too-ing and fro-ing a little bit when the inters were going off. Then the pit stops started and all of us had different types of strategies, different in and out laps, and the pit-stops weren't the smoothest today so all in all it was where we didn't perform to the maximum. Fernando definitely deserved to win the grand prix, no question about it. He drove very, very well. The team did a great job so Ferrari deserved to win. I finished third.


Q. You had a few battles on the way?


MW: Yeah with Lewis I could get him. It was good to pick him off reasonably quick. It is always difficult when DRS zones have damp areas on the way in but managed to get him. That tyre did a lot so we had to get the tyre to the end. Coming to the end of the race I caught Seb but couldn't do enough to pass him.


QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR


Q. (Adam Hay-Nicholls – Metro) Mark, Christian Horner has said that you should be fine with the team orders at the end and if you and Seb had raced until the end you would both have ended up in the fence. Do you agree with that? Was it the right call? Does this mean realistically that you are out of this championship?


MW: I am not fine with it. No. That's the answer to that. If Fernando retires on the last lap we are battling for the victory so I was fine until the end. Of course I ignored the team as I want to try and get another place. Seb was doing his best and I was doing my best. I don't want to crash with anyone, but that was it. I tried to do my best with the amount of conversation I had. One-way conversation obviously as I wasn't talking too much back. There was a lot of traffic coming to me, but I was still trying to do my best to pass the guy in front.


Q.(Adam Hay-Nicholls – Metro) Do you remember roughly how many messages you had?


MW: Probably four or five.


Q. (Sarah Holt – BBC Sport) Fernando, you've been saying for quite a while that you thought Silverstone was going to be a turning point for Ferrari. What did you know that the rest of us didn't and how personally important is it for you to get your first win this season under your belt?


FA: Well, what I've been saying over the last couple of races is that for sure the team has been improving a lot – there was one part of the championship in which we put new parts on the car and they were not quicker so the wind tunnel was not telling us the truth, so we lost a little bit of ground there in the first couple of races with upgrades on the car. Then it seems in the last three or four races every new part on the car is working fine, so they are steps forward for us and very good news, not just for this year but also for next year's development. We are very happy with this and it seems that here we brought quite a big aero update and everything is working fine. Both Felipe and me feel much happier with the car. It's something that in the last three or four races we were feeling and I was saying. Victory here is very special. As I said, I think here in England motor sport is very big. People understand this sport, people love motor racing. There are hundreds of different categories here, classic cars, different things that only happen here in England, because they love motor sport. So winning here, in front of these people, is great from a driver's point of view, and Silverstone, with all the historic races we've had here and the good fights for many big names that have raced here.


Q. (Mike Doodson – Honorary) Fernando, apropos what you've just said, it was a really thrilling experience for everyone here to see you push that old Ferrari right to the limit and I want to thank you very much for that. I would like to ask, if you would have been 60 years older, do you think you would have wanted to race a rather primitive old car like that as much as you enjoy racing your modern Ferrari?


FA: Yeah, yeah, I think I still love motor sport, I still love cars. I also had the privilege to be with John Surtees last week in Maranello with his car as well, sitting in that car. I think it was obviously a different sport, much more dangerous. The level of power and grip is totally different now. When I drove those cars, there is a huge amount of power for the grip that you have. We are talking about 450-500bhp on a tyre that is this (indicates small amount) wide. I think every car, or every steering wheel that you have in your hands – it doesn't matter if it's from 60 years or 30 years ago, it doesn't matter if it's more dangerous or less dangerous – you don't feel that. You just want to drive and to be flat out and enjoy driving. I perfectly understand the adrenaline, the emotion of that time and I'm sure that it's very similar to what we feel now. We are lucky now that safety has improved a lot.


Q. (Julien Febreau – L'Equipe) To all of you: how much do you think the change to the off-throttle regulations this weekend played a role in global performance of your own cars?


FA: For me, nothing. I don't think it's a big factor. We saw one McLaren fighting for the podium until the last moment. We saw Red Bull, Ferrari for the other positions on the podium and, as we saw 15 days ago in Valencia, I was second. I didn't see any Force India or any Sauber or anything fighting for victory because the rules changed. It was more or less the same.


SV: I think it's hard to measure for us, firstly from a data point of view and also from a feeling point of view, because this is a different track compared to the tracks we've been to previously. To really find out, you have to test one thing against another, so on-off. But I think, as Fernando said, it didn't make a massive difference in terms of driving, driving style. I didn't have to change anything so I think the influence wasn't huge. Sure you can see a little loss here and there but, as I said, it's not changing the driving.


Q. (Ian Parkes – Press Association) Mark, after last year's win here, you came out with a classic quote: 'not bad for a number two driver.' I was wondering, after today's comment from the team: 'maintain your position' on the last lap, do you feel like a number two driver again today?


MW: Not really. I just want to race to the end, so with four or five laps to the end, they started to chat to me about holding my position. Of course, they want the points, but I also need to try and get some more points as well.


Q. (Marco Degl'Innocenti – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Seb, what did you think at the moment when Mark tried to overtake you?


SV: What do I think? I tried to stay ahead. Obviously, we were racing each other. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Sure, from a team point of view, if you have the cars quite isolated in second and third, the first car is away, the fourth car is pretty far away as well, so from the team's point of view, there's no point in racing and trying to do something stupid because the points for the team are the same, the difference between second and third is not massive, but naturally we try to race. What can I say? I was trying to defend my position which I did. I was struggling, Mark was faster. And then there was the chequered flag.


Q. (Peter Windsor – Clarkesport) Fernando, where would you place the Ferrari now in terms of fast and slow speed performance, perhaps relative to Red Bull or indeed relative to where you were four races ago?


FA: Obviously it's difficult to say. We need to analyse the race a little bit better – sectors etc – but I think we were between one and 1.5s behind Red Bull, especially in qualifying four races ago. In Barcelona, I think I was 1.2s and Felipe 1.6s or something like that, so the average was there and here, with similar characteristics, high-speed corners, exactly the same tyres, the soft and the hard, we were much closer so definitely an improvement. Here, for whatever reason, we were quick in sector two all weekend which is the high-speed sector, so maybe that means we have recovered a lot in that part and now we need to concentrate a little bit more on our strongest point that it was the slow speed corners where we need to make improvements.


Q. (Byron Young – Daily Mirror) Seb, isn't this a sham? You're the World Champion, you're supposed to be best driver in the world and Red Bull are reduced to begging on the radio to make your team-mate slow down, so he doesn't overtake you, suggesting the results aren't really what we've seen. How do we know you're a worthy champion?


SV: I finished second, I think. As I said earlier: Mark tried to pass me; I could stay ahead. Clearly you could see he was quicker at that stage. If I wasn't racing, I would just wave him past. Sure, the last thing you want is to do something bad for the team. If it would be the other way round, there's no point – of course, I would like to overtake Mark at that stage but there's no point trying to do something stupid, especially from a team point of view, so I don't see why there is a big fuss really.


Q. (Byron Young – Daily Mirror) But this is motor racing, it's about beating a guy on the track, not the team deciding who wins what.


SV: I think we were racing, it was not a scheduled 'I move right, you move left, I move left, you move right, I brake here, you brake there.' As Mark said, he stayed flat out and tried to race me, as hard as he could, didn't find his way past. To me, at this stage it's quite amusing.


Q. (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) Fernando, if Hamilton didn't keep behind Sebastian and Mark, your race would be different and in a normal race, if you had to use the hard tyres, how would your Ferrari react?


FA: Yes, that's a good point. After the first couple of laps with the intermediates, we didn't need to use the hard tyres any more so we chose to do the whole dry race with the best performing tyre, which was the soft on this occasion, so there's a question mark how the car would have performed with the hard tyre. In FP3 and Q1, we were very, very competitive with the hard, so we approached the race with no problems and no doubts as we had in Barcelona. There was a big problem but here we were convinced that we were OK with hard tyres but obviously it was just a thought. And without Hamilton keeping Sebastian behind, obviously the race was a little bit different, for sure. We had to push more to open the gap. With Lewis there, the race was a little bit more comfortable for us and we could drop the revs a little bit and take a bit more care of the engine, the tyres and things like that.


Q. (Sean McGreevy – CSMA Magazine) Fernando, this is a great way to celebrate 60 years since Ferrari's first win, but what does today's win mean to you personally and the team?


SV: It obviously means a lot for all the guys, the people working for Ferrari who are the sons or daughters of the guys that were here 60 years ago. They are working in the factory, with the same mentality, with the same passion for racing that is in Ferrari's DNA – of all the workers there. For me, as I said to the team on the radio, I feel very proud of them, of this recovery, always fighting to win races. In spite of a difficult start to the year, (they) never give up, they keep working, they keep showing the Ferrari brand and the Italian flag on the rear wing everywhere we go, very proudly. So, for me, it's special to race for this team and to give them the maximum capacity and my maximum abilities to give them a good result. This is teamwork and I'm very happy for them.


Q. (Michael Schmidt – Auto, Motor und Sport) Sebastian, you struggled in the end with your tyres; was it just because they had two more laps on them than Mark's tyres, or was it a set-up thing? Or was it something general because it was a similar story in Montreal when Jenson was catching you up?


SV: I think it depends firstly on when exactly do you stop. I don't know when the others stopped, so it's hard for me to say whether I was doing better or worse than the others. At the end of the race, I was racing against Mark. As he said, he was in a similar position with tyres, so it's not as if only I was struggling. And then, to be fair, it was quite difficult at the beginning in wet conditions, semi-wet, at least, and then moving on to the dry tyres with still some wet places, so really only the third stint was the first dry stint where I was stuck behind Lewis. To judge the car then is quite difficult. At the pit stop, at least, you can change front wing angle, which can be quite useful around here with these high-speed corners. Obviously I didn't get a proper read because I was stuck behind another car, so in hindsight I think I would have done things differently for the last stint, but I didn't get the chance to read the car before and then, yeah, towards the end just tried to get the car to the chequered flag, because there was no chance of catching up 15 seconds in 15 laps. I was quite isolated at the end, then I lost quite a lot in the last two laps compared to Mark behind.


Q. (Joris Fioriti – Agence France Presse) Fernando, one year ago, you were in the middle of the team order crisis; are you enjoying now the fact that politics are involving Red Bull?


FA: I'm not happy with any politics, not to me and not to Red Bull. I don't think there are polemics. What you try to ask here to them, they answer very well, so there are no polemics but I'm sure tomorrow you will write something.


Q. (Joris Fioriti – Agence France Presse) Mark, you were one of the few drivers who actually defended Fernando Alonso last year, saying that it was normal that there were team orders. Have you changed your mind about that or was your track behaviour the answer to my question?


MW: No, I stick by what I said last year. Obviously, they had one guy trying to stay in the championship fight – Fernando. Felipe was not having the season that he's having this year. He's doing a bit better job. Fernando was much, much quicker, it was in the middle of a grand prix and he (Massa) released him, so this is pretty straightforward stuff.[/spoiler]

[Lineker]

Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner hopes that the fresh team orders row with Mark Webber at Silverstone does not hurt the chances of the squad renewing its contract with the Australian.

Webber was left fuming at the British Grand Prix when the team instructed him to hold position behind his team-mate Sebastian Vettel in the closing stages of the race.

However, despite repeated calls from the pitwall, Webber ignored the instructions and continued to fight Vettel until the chequered flag - although ultimately failing to get past.

Horner has vowed to sit down with Webber to talk about what happened at Silverstone, and he said after the race that he was keeping his fingers crossed that the incident did not have implications regarding a deal for next year.

AUTOSPORT understands that team and driver have been on course to finalise a one-year contract extension that would keep Webber at the British-based outfit for 2012 - although it is not yet signed.

When asked whether the Silverstone incident would change what the he thought would be fairly straightforward talks to finalise a deal, Horner said: "I sincerely hope not. "But, at the end of the day, it is about the team. I can understand that sometimes a driver will be frustrated with an instruction, but my responsibility is to ensure the team optimises its results.

"And there would have been absolutely no benefit in both cars coming back on a tow truck today if they had got together, as we so nearly saw Hamilton and Massa do on that last lap."

Although Horner has faced criticism for the team orders instruction - with him having publicly criticised Ferrari for instructing its drivers at Hockenheim last year – he says that there was no choice but to try to stop his two drivers colliding at Silverstone.

Asked to respond to recent claims from Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz that the team would never impose team orders, Horner said: "Mr Mateschitz would not thank us for having both cars in the fence in the last lap, with so many points having got ourselves into a very good position.

"If you look we also gave Mark an undercut at the first two stops. We did not stop them racing each other at the start. But there comes a point in a race, with two or three laps to go, when you have a lot of points, and both cars on the podium, that it would be absolute stupidity to allow them to keep fighting.

"We saw it get very, very close between the two of them. And we would have looked pretty stupid if they had both ended up in the fence."

Mark Webber says the fact that he and his team-mate Sebastian Vettel did not crash in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix as they fought for position showed that team orders were unnecessary between the pair.

The Australian engulfed his Red Bull team in fresh controversy at Silverstone after ignoring repeated instructions to hold position behind Vettel until the end of the race.

However, despite continuing to fight to the end, Webber could do nothing to get himself past Vettel - as the pair came home second and third behind race winner Fernando Alonso.

Writing on his official website, Webber said that he raced on because he did not want to settle for third - and reckons that it is significant he and the world champion did not crash.

"The team radioed me about four times, asking that I maintain the gap to Seb," explained Webber. "But I wasn't happy with that because you should never give up in Formula 1, so I continued to push. If Fernando had retired on the last lap, we would have been battling for the lead.

"The team was worried about Seb and me crashing because it wanted the points for the constructors' championship. I understand that, but I wanted points for the championship too and we proved that we can race without making contact."

Webber reckoned that Alonso was a worthy winner – with Red Bull Racing not getting things perfect at Silverstone with pitstop errors.

"To win on Sunday afternoons, you have to get everything right and we didn't do that," he added.

"You make your own luck in motor racing and Fernando [Alonso] was the deserved winner of the race," he explained.

Ferrari says it will not get carried away with dreaming it is back in World Championship contention, despite Fernando Alonso's British Grand Prix victory.

The Spaniard delivered Ferrari's first win of 2011 in mixed conditions at Silverstone where, after capitalising on Red Bull's mistakes in the pits, he drove away at the head of the pack.

Yet although a raft of updates - including a new rear wing, diffuser and brake ducts - delivered a tangible step forward in pace, team principal Stefano Domenicali wants to wait a few more events to see if his team now has the genuine form to challenge Red Bull regularly for victory.

"It was an incredible performance," he said. "We were expecting an improvement for sure. But, it was so big to be honest, we need to be cautious, we need to understand the data, and we need to understand what the others are doing.

"We saw that the performance of our car during the weekend was always good in all conditions, wet, soft tyres, hard tyres, even on Saturday was not too bad, so I am pleased for that.

"But as always we need to bring along race-by-race the results, and we [will] try to understand because maybe it will be different for the next grand prix."

Domenicali wants the team to adopt Alonso's philosophy of concentrating one race at a time – and he thinks the outfit has also benefited from not getting distracted by the row over off-throttle blown diffusers.

"We don't have to be focused as a lot of people are doing on this saga of the hot and cold gases, I think all the people are fed up about this," he added.

"We need to look ahead and consider we had a good performance that I hope will be the basis for the next part of the season where we will try to be very strong and try to attack without looking at the classification, and maximise the points, to see where we are going to be in seven races."

Domenicali hopes that the team can bring further upgrades to its car for the German Grand Prix, at which a good performance would go some way to convincing the team that it can look forward to a strong second half to the campaign.

"For sure we will try to put some other updates on the car and then we will see what we have," he said. "That is our objective.

"Our aim is to win some other races and for sure that will be the approach with which we will arrive at the Nurburgring.

"Let's wait and judge after a couple of races, and then we will see if we confirm this kind of situation. Now we are focused on our job.

"But I am sure Red Bull and McLaren will push like hell to understand the performance. It is a never-ending story, and if they are going to be better at the Nurburgring we will see. For sure they will push like hell in order to make sure there are some more upgrades and be strong."

When asked how much he believed the victory at Silverstone was down to car updates, and how much to the blown diffuser regulation tweaks, Domenicali said: "I don't know.

"I think that anyone can say something different, because no one really knows what they are talking about. I hear in this period so many things from one second to three tenths [of a second]. It is like playing with dice. I don't know.

"I want my people to be focused on the development of the car and try to maximise the performance of the car. I said: 'don't follow the discussions, try to be focused on the job'."

McLaren has vowed not to throw the towel in on its chances for the remainder of the season, despite a disappointing British Grand Prix weekend.

Both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button struggled for pace at Silverstone, and their fortunes did not improve much in the race - as Hamilton was slowed by the need to save fuel and Button was forced to retire after his front right wheel was not fitted correctly at a pitstop.

And after team principal Martin Whitmarsh openly admitted on Saturday that McLaren was simply not fast enough at the moment, he has reiterated that there is unlikely to be a dramatic change in fortunes for the next race in Germany.

However, despite being realistic about McLaren's chances, Whitmarsh says his team will keep pushing as hard as it can to turn the situation around and get itself back on the top step of the podium.

When asked about his expectations for world championship leader Sebastian Vettel's prospects for the German GP, Whitmarsh said: "Well my expectations are that he will be quick.

"He's doing a fantastic job. Obviously he didn't win today but he has come away with some valuable points. He's still in pretty good shape in this championship, but we won't give up, our drivers won't give up and this team won't give up. We'll keep pushing and see if we can challenge him, win some races, and who knows?"

Whitmarsh praised his drivers for their efforts during a challenging British GP, and admitted that factors outside their control had dented their chances of a podium finish.

"Both drivers did a great race," he said. "They were in some ways a little bit handicapped in the race and that's a shame. Obviously Jenson was driving very well, looking after his tyres, and I think he could have challenged for a position on the podium.

"It was a human error, and in fairness the team I think are just about the most consistent at pitstops during the hundreds this year, and have done a fantastic job.

"The left hand front gun man, as he came off, the nut flew out, which happens periodically as I think you know. Our standard routine is to switch guns which he was doing, and I think frankly it would have cost us a fraction of a second. But unfortunately the signaller saw the car go down on the front, saw the yellow hands at the rear and was concentrating at the rear.

"The rear tends to lag behind the front, so it's easier to miss a problem on the front and it's all you're doing, trying to find every hundredth of a second. In doing that he was released early, so it was a great shame for Jenson. He deserved to be able to be challenging for a podium here and we didn't do that."

He added: "For Lewis it was a great race. We didn't expect to be able to get through the traffic that quickly early on. The engineers calculate the fuel based on what they assume to be the race pace, and it was a bit quicker than we'd expected.

"It was clear from fairly early on that we were burning the fuel, but at that point, we were racing so you do what you can. As we got into the second half of the race, then it was save fuel.

"It's a massive challenge for a racing driver to be told to save fuel. It's counter intuitive, but not only is it that, you lose temperature in your tyres, your brakes, and it becomes very much more difficult to drive like that. And so backing off is not an easier way to drive a Formula 1 car.

"I think Lewis coped with that in a very disciplined and mature way. Inevitably he had to let Webber past and then it was a question of just trying to stay ahead of Massa and that became quite exciting at the end."

Despite Ferrari having delivered a step forward in form over the past few races, Whitmarsh insisted that he was not concerned his team had lost ground to his Italian rivals.

"No, I think it's been a tough weekend," he said. "You come to your home grand prix, and you want to do a good job.

"I think they [Ferrrai] did a good job this weekend but we had two cars that were often comfortably in front of one of the Ferraris, and I think they have got to be congratulated.

"It's their first win this year. It's good for the championship and I suspect when you pull away from it, it was an exciting show. I was immersed in it so I couldn't take it in, but I suspect it was quite an exciting race."

Nico Rosberg believes the British Grand Prix could be the race that turns Mercedes' season around and sees it start to close on the top three teams again.

The German was encouraged that even after a poor first lap that dropped him into the midfield, he was still able to come back through to sixth place.

"I had a really good start but then I didn't do the best of jobs on the first lap so I fell back a bit. From then on the race really went well," Rosberg said in his personal video blog.

"It was a great strategy and one [place] by one I just moved up and finished the race in sixth, so that was really good and I'm pleased with that.

"I think and hope that as a team this is the turning point and from now on we can steadily progress and close the gap to the front. That would be great. All in all I think it was a positive weekend going in the right direction."

Rosberg's team-mate Michael Schumacher also showed good race pace as he recovered from a collision with Kamui Kobayashi and subsequent penalty to take ninth.

Williams thinks it is 'likely' it will keep both Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado on board for next year.

Although the Grove-based outfit has had a difficult start to the campaign, and is currently ninth in the constructors' championship, chairman Adam Parr sees no reason why it needs to change its drivers for 2012.

When asked by AUTOSPORT if he believed the team would retain both Barrichello and Maldonado, Parr said: "Yes. I think that is vastly the most likely outcome."

Barrichello, who is the most experienced driver in F1, said recently that he had every intention of racing on next year - but he made it clear the team had not yet communicated its intention to him.

Speaking to AUTOSPORT about Parr's comments, Barrichello said: "I wish he said that to me. I still haven't heard that. I want to be racing next year, I want to have a competitive car next year.

"I have been working for Williams, I've been talking to Mike Coughlan in the factory and I'm part of that organisation. I hope they have something in place.

"My mindset is to stay in Formula 1, so I hope the team offers me something soon for us to get it together."

When asked if he was looking at options outside of Williams, Barrichello said: "Ideally I would love to stay here, but I would love them to be an open thing. And if they are happy with the drivers they should talk to the drivers, not to the press."

Parr also praised the efforts of Maldonando this year – and said his performance had justified the team's decision to sign the Venezuelan despite the criticism it received at the time.

"I always believed and people derided us and me for saying it, but I think he is a very, very talented driver," explained Parr.

"His record in GP2 certainly earned him a place in F1, and you could see the speed and what he has begun to show is a degree of consistency and maturity that people did not expect as well. We have been in Q3 three times this season and he did it each time."

Jarno Trulli has branded the controversy over off-throttle diffuser blowing at Silverstone as 'ridiculous.'

In his column for La Republica, Trulli said that the situation, which resulted in the FIA performing a U-turn over a severe restriction governing the use of the process for the rest of the year, had become too complicated for the teams to understand, let alone fans of Formula 1.

"As a driver, I can't tell what's right or wrong, but the situation has become quite ridiculous," the Lotus driver wrote.

"The issues seem more political than technical and are undoubtedly difficult to explain to the public and too complex even for us to understand.

"At one point our engine guys couldn't understand what was allowed and what wasn't.

Trulli said that it was time for the arguing among team bosses - the like of which was seen between Red Bull and McLaren team principals Christian Horner and Martin Whitmarsh during last Friday's FIA press conference at Silverstone - to stop.

"As the season progresses, it's not right to change everything and modify rules we've lived with for years. It's unthinkable, it creates huge confusion and team bosses need to reach an agreement, pick a common line, and not change anything until the end of the season.

"They need to quit saying they're unhappy and must suggest something definitive. Bouncing responsibilities backwards and forwards has never worked and the constant revolution does nothing but create confusion.

"Let's stop ruining everything at a time when F1 shows spectacle and overtaking. Let's stop bickering."

Renault has given the green light to plans to evaluate rearward facing exhausts at the German Grand Prix, as part of an upgrade package that team insiders believe will help turnaround its season.

The Enstone-based team has been pondering ditching its radical forward facing exhaust concept because it believes it is not bringing it the development progress that had been hoped for.

But following a difficult British Grand Prix weekend, where the team's form was not helped by the changes to the blown diffuser regulations, team principal Eric Boullier has revealed that the outfit will now definitely trial a different concept at the Nurburgring.

"It is confirmed that we will try it out for Friday practice," Boullier told AUTOSPORT. "I keep saying this, but we know why we are struggling and why we cannot develop the car as fast as the others.

"So we may now have to change a little bit the strategy because we cannot deliver, so that includes changing the exhaust configuration, which we are going to try in Germany now.

"We still have some solid performance coming. I need to investigate in every field where we are lacking, and why we are missing some opportunities as well."

Boullier admitted that Renault's form at the British GP was not helped by the off-throttle blown diffuser situation, but said it was wrong to pin all its struggles on that.

"It didn't help, but it was not the factor - it was one factor, yes."

Boullier said that the team has conducted a detailed examination of why it has struggled to make development progress this year - and that finally some answers have been found. It is understood part of the drop in form after the first two races of the year was because the team failed to make enough progress in its wind tunnel at the start of this year as it worked on updates that should have come on tap in the early events.

Matters were also not helped when the wind tunnel was shut for 12 days in May while the team upgraded from a 50 per cent model to a 60 per cent model.

However, since the upgraded tunnel has been in place, the team has made the progress that it had originally wanted - and hopes are high that updates coming for the German GP will help it move a step closer to rediscovering the form that it had at the start of 2011.

Sources suggest that the team is looking at bringing around 0.3 seconds of improvements to the next race in Germany, with further updates planned over the next few events now that good progress is being made in the wind tunnel.

Boullier added: "Making investments sometimes is good, but sometimes they do no allow you to develop as fast as you like.

"With the wind tunnel upgrade, for example, we had to close the wind tunnel down for some days - and on those days we did not run.

"We also had a choice to go for the 'usual' exhaust system and unfortunately it takes a little bit of time to develop it. But even if we should see some good gain coming from the next race, we will see the development of this over the course of this year and next year as well."

Boullier added he was happy with the technical structure at the team, and said a recent reshuffle - with Martin Tolliday becoming chief designer to replace Tim Densham – meant there was still a good quality of staff working with the highly-rated James Allison.

"When we took over from last year we had to understand what went wrong and part of this was that either we kill half the staff or we have a more proper and strategic understanding," he said.

"There was a restructuring. When you manage 500 people, every month you have somebody leaving and somebody coming in, so we had to restructure the responsibilities of the company, which is what we did with James Allison.

"But we don't need a big name or big star or big job – we just need to strengthen some key sectors in the company."

Toro Rosso's 2012 driver line-up will not be known until the end of this season, according to team principal Franz Tost.

Current drivers Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari have been put under pressure to perform this year in order to maintain their long-term prospects with the team, such has been the pace of Red Bull Junior driver Daniel Ricciardo in Friday practice sessions.

However, both men have raised their games in recent races with Alguersuari scoring points in the last three events, and Ricciardo has replaced Narain Karithikeyan at the Hispania squad.

Parent company Red Bull will now continue to assess the performances of all three drivers for the rest of the campaign before deciding who to place with Toro Rosso next year.

"What our driver pairing will be in 2012, I don't know yet," said Tost. "This will be decided by Red Bull at the end of the season."

Tost believes that reserve driver Ricciardo will only benefit from his new surroundings, even if it means battling for the final few positions in qualifying and racing.

"At the start of the season, Ricciardo was out for us on Friday mornings for 90 minutes to learn the different racetracks, how the team works, how to give technical feedback, how to work with the engineers, even how to conduct himself for marketing activities and press work," he added.

"Now he's been offered the chance to race, and I can see only advantages in this.

"Participating in FP1 is not the same as doing a complete race weekend, so he will be much better prepared for next year. And he can't drive for Toro Rosso because we have two race drivers who are doing a good job."

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Sebastian Vettel has urged his Red Bull Racing team to respond as quick as it can to Fernando Alonso's victory in the British Grand Prix, ahead of what he thinks will be a crucial stage of the championship.

A major update on the Ferrari car, allied to the changes in the blown diffuser regulations for Silverstone, ended the Maranello-based team's victory drought and delivered fresh hope that it could yet stop Red Bull Racing romping away to the world title.

Vettel thinks that his chiefs should not just brush aside Alonso's success as the result of weather and circumstance, and instead he thinks it needs to work hard to bring improvements over the next few races in a bid to kill off Ferrari's title hopes fully.

"It was a tough race and Ferrari was very quick, Fernando in particular, and they beat us," said Vettel in a post race video interview with Red Bull. "We need to accept it, and to understand when you get beaten you have to accept it.

"It was a lesson to learn, and it is up to us now to refocus and make sure that we come back with stronger performance for the next couple of races. It is a very important time now for the championship.

"We are in a good position still, but we need to keep working on ourselves because the otherwise the others come too close for our liking."

Alonso is still 92 points behind Vettel in the standings, but it would only take a short run of bad luck for Red Bull Racing to start feeling threatened by the Spaniard.

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner says there was no doubt at Silverstone that there were times during the race when Alonso was the fastest car on the track.

"It was a race of two halves," he said. "On inters we seemed to be very strong and through the middle phase of the grand prix we seemed to be okay.

"But then the balance seemed to shift during the second half of the race. Potentially, as the fuel loads got lighter or as the circuit rubbered in, Ferrari's pace picked up and Fernando's pace was obviously very strong.

"As we see with these tyres there is obviously a sweet spot, but we were running in a [blown diffuser] configuration this weekend that we have not previously been in."

McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have backed their team to recover from its mid-season slump in form, after a troubling British Grand Prix weekend.

With the outfit having slipped back from being Red Bull Racing's main challengers at the start of the campaign, Hamilton and Button have endured difficult times in recent races that has seen them fall away from runaway points leader Sebastian Vettel.

Team principal Martin Whitmarsh admitted at Silverstone that the team's title hopes were now looking slim, and that its target was simply to get itself back into a position to win races later this campaign.

Although that ambition falls short of the championship target that Hamilton and Button headed into the campaign chasing, neither driver says he is depressed about the plight they find themselves in.

Hamilton says that McLaren has shown itself in the past to be more than capable of making such a recovery.

"We are a team and we will pull through it," he declared. "Through experience we have been one of the only teams that has been able to bounce back from situations like this. We will pull back and regroup.

"While this appears to be a tough time, we have won grands prix this year, and there will be more wins at some stage when we make the next stage and catch up.

"I think it is the morale in the team, it is the team I have been with, the passion that they show, the enthusiasm they show, the dedication they show - all those ingredients give you the belief that you are eventually going to get back there.

"Because we have been there before and we have won races, it leads me to believe we will get back there. That gives you confidence and it very comforting."

Button added: "It is a very, very competitive formula, F1. If it was easy then great, but it is not. It is very competitive and every year they have won races since I have been in F1. That is pretty amazing.

"It is not where the team want to be, but they will not give up, they will fight and they will come back strong."

Whitmarsh is not afraid to admit that the team is not doing a good enough job at the moment, although he does believe its British GP form was hit badly by the ban on the off-throttle use of blown diffusers.

"The fact is that we are at the pinnacle of motorsport and it is not easy winning in this category," he said. "We have won two races this year, and this is not good enough for us.

"We have been second or third too many times and that is difficult for us. No one likes being second or third, and if you are fifth or sixth it is even more painful. We have to make sure we maintain our momentum, we have to make sure we know what we are doing as a team, and that we push forwards. I don't think there is any point in apologies or beating up on ourselves. We have to make sure we go forwards. That is what we are going to be trying to do.

"I believe in the team that we are capable of winning, we have proven it over the years, we have proved it on a couple of occasions and we need to do that consistently."

McLaren's ongoing struggles this season have prompted speculation that Whitmarsh's position as team principal could even be under threat – and the regular attendance of Ron Dennis at races has served only to heighten rumours that he could be plotting a return.

However, Whitmarsh made it clear to the media earlier this week that he was not worried about his position – and that ultimately it was the McLaren board that would decide his future and not Dennis.

"I am confident that I will stay in my job," he said. "I answer to the board, not just to Ron. And they seem happy with the job I'm doing.

"For now, anyway. I have been here for 23 years and worked with Ron for 23 years. Some people thought I was a clone of Ron, but I am not. We do have an interesting relationship - we have ups and downs - but it is strong at the moment.

"And I am hard on myself - even harder than you guys in the press are on me. But doing the job I am doing is an addiction. And success in F1 is cyclical. We are judged by high standards at this team and that's something I welcome."

Jarno Trulli hopes that an updated power steering system planned for the Hungarian Grand Prix can help rescue his season with Team Lotus.

The Italian has struggled all year to get comfortable with his feeling in the car, and an ongoing lack of confidence in the power steering design has left Trulli unable to push it to its limits.

The Hingham-based outfit has made several modifications to the system to try and help Trulli but, having failed to overcome all his problems, another new version will be tried out at Budapest.

Speaking to AUTOSPORT about the ongoing power steering issues, Trulli said: "I hope that in Hungary we should have a new power steering. So this I hope will also help my feeling with the car."

Trulli says that the power steering problems are preventing him making much progress with the car at all, because he cannot feel what set-up changes need to be made.

"I said straight away that I cannot really set up the car or judge the car," he said. "So if someone asked me what's going on in the car I always say I don't know - I'm just trying to drive what I have but I cannot give any feedback to the team. It's a bit frustrating but that's the way it is at the moment.

"It is quite a complicated thing. Basically the power steering has got some anomalies and gives some wrong feelings, and something is happening there. So because I am so precise, at the beginning of the season I was really struggling with that.

"Because basically when you are in the corner, at a certain steering angle you keep feeling [shakes his hands to indicate steering shake] and so I react to this. But actually I am reacting to something which is not correct."

Although Trulli's struggles this season have cast doubt over his future in F1, he is adamant that his major concern is getting the car sorted now rather than worrying about what he does next year.

"I don't really care about this," he said. "What I do care is that I have struggled sometimes to enjoy what I am doing, more than thinking about the future. The future we will see, the team knows what I am going through. They know why sometimes I am quick and sometimes I am not. But to be honest I don't really care about this."

Mercedes GP team principal Ross Brawn is optimistic that a new exhaust development that was raced for the first time at the British Grand Prix should help lift form over the second half of the season.

The W02s ran at Silverstone last weekend with a new longer exhaust design - similar to the concepts that Red Bull Racing, McLaren and Ferrari have been using – aimed to helping improve the efficiency of its blown diffuser.

Although the results of that development appeared to be inconclusive at the British Grand Prix, with Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher struggling in qualifying and the early stages of the race, their form in the second half of the race was encouraging.

But as well as the promise delivered by the race pace of the cars, Brawn feels that the new exhaust configuration offers much more development potential in the forthcoming races.

"We are on a new path with the exhaust system," he explained. "With the system we had before we had explored most of the potential of it, and we were finding it very difficult to make progress.

"The new exhaust system is quite encouraging because we are seeing greater levels of potential with the new system than we saw with the old system.

"Our challenge – and we haven't proven it yet – is to get over the reliability issues, and the installation issues. It wasn't helped with the changes in engine mapping which have come along right in the middle of our project, but if is generally positive."

Brawn feels that as well as the straight benefit from the improved diffuser performance, there will be other upgrades that can further benefit lap time.

"We can see potential in the system, but more important we have things coming which will take more and more advantage of this technology and this approach.

"We are reasonably optimistic. I am optimistic we will find some good advances with the system."

Mercedes GP moved up to fourth place in the Constructors' Championship at the British Grand Prix thanks to Rosberg's sixth and Schumacher's ninth-place finishes.

Bahrain Grand Prix chairman Zayed Alzayani has criticised Formula 1 teams for their attitude towards the event after months of uncertainty about it.

The Sakhir race, which was scheduled to be the season opener this year, was postponed due to the unrest in the country.

Although the FIA reinstated the grand prix, teams opposed the move and the race was eventually cancelled.

Alzayani, who visited the British Grand Prix last weekend, was critical of the teams for being 'very temperamental'.

He also suggested that if Formula 1 was not going to Bahrain for the violation of human rights, most grands prix should also be called off.

"They're going to the US next year," Alzayani told the London Evening Standard. "What about Guantanamo? Isn't that human rights violation? As Bernie [Ecclestone] told me, 'If human rights was the criterion for F1 races, we would only have them in Belgium and Switzerland in the future'."

He added: "They [the teams] have been very temperamental. I feel disappointed because it cannot go within three months from one end of the spectrum, 'Oh, you are my favourite destination. We love it here. We feel like we are at home in Bahrain.' To the other, 'We don't want to go to Bahrain.' Yes, events have happened in between but you can't be so temperamental."

Alzayani said Formula 1 boss Ecclestone always pushed for the race to go ahead, but he denied it was about trying not to lose millions of dollars if the event was cancelled.

"It was a unanimous vote of all the 26 World Council members. Bernie voted for it. On the June 8, I met him here in London.

"He said, 'There is resistance from the teams but if you want I'll push for it. We'll get it sorted.' He even gave us the option of holding it on December 4. This was never about Bernie losing money by not having a race in Bahrain."

The Bahrain GP boss was also critical of former FIA president Max Mosley for his comments over Carlos Gracia, the man sent by the FIA to assess the situation in Bahrain.

Mosley had criticised the FIA for having sent a "very, very nice man called Gracia, [who] speaks no English and, as far as I know, speaks no Arabic."

"That shows you how naive Max Mosley is," Alzayani said. "There were translators there. I don't have to speak Chinese to do business in China. Max is very vocal and not accurate. He talks about morality - if I was him, I would probably not use the word 'morality'.

"I think Max has a grudge against Bahrain because he was officially asked by the Crown Prince not to attend the grand prix."

Bahrain is scheduled to return to the Formula 1 calendar next year, having been given the season-opening slot again.

AUTOSPORT understands, however, that teams are keen for it to move to later in the campaign so its potential return does not overshadow the start of the season.

Alzayani claimed that the main reason why Bahrain decided to also pull the GP2 race off in the end was because of a lack of ambulances in the country.

"We have to have a minimum of 18 ambulances to run a race and, because of the riots and people getting injured, all the ambulances were diverted to attend to the protests. So we couldn't run the race," he Alzayani.

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As well as Hamilton to Red Bull speculation, Jenson has now been touted, and even Kimi Räikkönen has been linked to potentially taking over from Mark Webber - although the team are adamant that he'll eventually be replaced by either Buemi or Algesuari.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo says the Italian squad must keep its feet on the ground despite its first win of the season at Silverstone.

Fernando Alonso ended a victory drought that lasted since last year's Korean Grand Prix by beating Red Bull rivals Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber at the British Grand Prix.

Although Ferrari looked like the strongest outfit in Britain, di Montezemolo reckons the Maranello team must keep on working hard.

And, speaking to the people in the factory, the Italian said Ferrari needs to take another step forward.

"We managed to win and that is down to you and I want to thank you all for it," said di Montezemolo. "You have done well and have shown, every single one of you, how to react at a difficult time. You did not lose heart and you managed to improve in all areas.

"In Stefano Domenicali you have a boss who has proved to be a leader and the congratulations I gave him immediately after the race on Sunday are for all of you.

"Now however, we must keep our feet on the ground, which is something we are used to, given that we know what it means to win. We must take another step forward, because we want to win again this year: to succeed in that, you must all try and do your best in your daily work, trying to achieve a personal pole position."

He added: "Winning in England, at the home race for the great majority of our opponents is something special, all the more so as it happened on the day of such a significant anniversary.

"I think that even Pat Fry, for for whom this is the first win since he took on the role of Chassis Director, managed to feel the difference there is between winning with another team and doing it with Ferrari."

Team boss Stefano Domenicali echoed di Montezemolo's thoughts about staying cautious, but he is not ruling out anything despite the big gap to Red Bull.

"We have got back on our feet thanks to you, but there is still a long way to go," he said. "It's been quite a while already that we had the wherewithal to win and we managed it at a track that did not look too suited to us beforehand.

"Let us continue like this: we are a long way off the leaders, but who knows, if things go in a certain way, the air could begin to get more rarified..."

Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz says there are absolutely no doubts that Mark Webber will stay with the outfit next year, even after the team orders controversy.

The team was involved in a row after asking Webber to 'maintain the gap' when fighting for second place with team-mate Sebastian Vettel in the latter stages of the British Grand Prix.

Webber admitted after the race that he had ignored the orders and that he was not happy about them.

Despite the row, Mateschitz says Webber will get a new deal.

"Mark Webber will re-sign with us," Mateschitz told AUTOSPORT. "This will happen for sure. He is very popular within the team, he feels very comfortable and it is an excellent relationship. He knows this and we know it.

"To be honest, Mark has no better choice than the fastest car and we have no better choice for a fast driver."

The Red Bull boss also admitted he was fine with Webber having tried to overtake Vettel despite the order given to him.

"This is no problem for us," Mateschitz said. "Sebastian realised that Fernando Alonso was gone and could not be caught anymore, so he backed down. This let Mark close in. He would be a very bad racer had he not tried to attack and gain a position."

Williams chairman Adam Parr believes controversies like the one over the blown diffuser rules only increase the interest in Formula 1.

The British Grand Prix was somewhat overshadowed by the row over the rules on diffusers, with the teams eventually agreeing to return to the original regulations as established before the Silverstone race.

Although the controversy was criticised by senior F1 figures who believed it was hurting Formula 1's image, Parr denied it was bad for the sport.

He actually thinks these rows generate more interest and highlight how competitive Formula 1 is.

"I hate when everyone says it's really bad for the sport," said Parr. "A couple of years ago a really serious journalist sat in front of me talking about something else, and said, 'this is really bad stuff...' I said yes, it's really bad stuff, so why aren't you covering darts in Wales?

"The fact is, it's the intensity of the competition, the brutality of it, and the fact that it's across so many dimensions, including the rules, the money, the politics, as well as the little bit that happens on the track. That's what makes Formula 1 so compelling.

"Whether it's good or not I don't know, it's just the way that it is. Nobody's ever said to me, 'Adam, we'd like to interview you but please don't say anything controversial'."

Parr also believes the fact that rules changed in the middle of the season should be 'irrelevant' and he feels no sympathy for the teams hurt by the changes.

He hit out at teams who protested the likes of Williams in 2009 because of the double diffusers used that year.

"It's irrelevant. I have no sympathy," he said. "It really annoys me that I sat in Paris, in the Court of Appeal, with certain teams saying 'these cars are dangerously fast.' Some plonker put in his affidavit, 'this car is dangerously fast.'

"This is a person who is famous for making fast cars, continued to make fast cars and I've never heard such drivel. Anyway, my point is this: do they say 'well, poor old Williams and Toyota and Brawn, they've spent all this money developing the double diffuser, their whole car is built around it, we must let them have it for 2009 and then we'll change it? Like hell they did.

"They protested in Melbourne, they protested us in Malaysia and then they went to court in Paris. So it's bull***t. There's a couple of things that really irritate me and rank hypocrisy is one of them."

Mexican Sergio Perez will test a Ferrari Formula 1 car later this year, the Maranello squad has revealed.

Perez, making his Formula 1 debut this season with Sauber, is part of Ferrari's driving academy.

The rookie will test Ferrari's 2009 Formula 1 car at Mugello or Fiorano in September, when he will be joined by GP2 driver Jules Bianchi, also part of Ferrari's academy.

"It will be a very interesting test, because we will be putting Jules Bianchi and Sergio Perez up against one another," said FDA director Luca Baldisserri

"I think they will both be very motivated and for us it will be the perfect opportunity to assess both drivers."

Karun Chandhok has criticised Force India boss Vijay Mallya for his comments about Indian Formula 1 drivers.

Mallya, whose team has launched a programme to find new Indian talent, said over the British Grand Prix weekend that he did not understand why Chandhok or compatriot Narain Karthikeyan would want to drive for back-of-the-grid teams in F1.

Chandhok, who made his grand prix debut with HRT last year, is currently Lotus's reserve.

Karthikeyan drove for Hispania this year before he was dropped in favour of Australian Daniel Ricciardo.

"As far as the existing Indian drivers in Formula 1 are concerned, I can only feel very sorry for them," Mallya said. "They are getting drives by the teams who clearly can't compete.

"If that's what they want to do, drive a Formula 1 car for the sake of driving a Formula 1 car and winding up at the back, I can't do anything about it."

Speaking to the Reuters news agency on Wednesday, Chandhok hit out at Mallya for his comments.

He also suggested Force India's programme was simply not enough to get new Indian drivers into F1.

"I think it's a bit sad that in one breath the chairman of our Indian ASN is talking about how much he has done for Indian drivers and then in the next breath he is criticising India's only two Formula 1 drivers," Chandhok said.

"If you are going to criticise people, at least do it with some facts. Having never tested either Narain or myself in one of his cars, he doesn't have the facts.

"I understand the need to find the next Indian star, and I use the word next, not first, and the need to create more Indian F1 drivers.

"But you are not going to find the next Indian star by running events in single-engined four-stroke rental karts on 400 metre tracks made out of concrete."

Fernando Alonso says he is not thinking about the Formula 1 World Championship fight, despite his commanding win at the British Grand Prix.

The Spaniard scored Ferrari's first victory of the year after outperforming Red Bull's drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber at Silverstone.

Despite his win, Alonso is still 92 points behind Vettel in the standings and he is adamant he will not change his approach to the races and will instead try to take wins without thinking of the title.

"This win won't change our approach to the coming races," said Alonso on Ferrari's website. "We have to be realistic, because we are 92 points behind in the classification and that is a very big gap! We will tackle the races one at a time, trying to win as many as possible.

"This will also involve taking a few more risks and maybe it will happen that we pay a high price for that, but there is no alternative.

"We are definitely not giving up, but we must not think about the

championship: as [Ferrari president Luca] Montezemolo said yesterday in Maranello, we are keeping our feet on the ground."

The two-time champion also believes that changes to the off-throttle blown diffuser regulations had nothing to do with Ferrari's performance at Silverstone, believing instead that the team has made real progress.

"I haven't spent too much time thinking about the technical reasons behind the win in the British Grand Prix," he added.

"Each race has its own story and we know only too well how much things can change when you go from one track to another. There were definitely some major improvements on the car, which mean it feels much easier to drive now and you can feel it much more stuck to the ground than before, especially in the fast corners.

"That means it's got more aerodynamic downforce, which was the area where we trailed our main rivals the most. However, I don't think the changes to the engine mapping were a factor: we were quicker

specifically at the part of the track where you practically don't have to brake, which means it is the actual car that is going well."

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Robert Kubica is adamant he will be on the Formula 1 grid at the start of next year as he continues with his recovery following his accident.

The Renault driver was sidelined for the season following a dramatic crash during a rally in February.

He has been recovering from his injuries since then, and while there is no date set for his comeback, the Pole says he is determined to be back in action next year.

"Yes to the first question," said Kubica when asked if he would be on the grid next year.

Speaking about his hopes of fighting to the title, he said: "We will have to wait until the first test in 2012."

The Pole does not believe the crash will affect his performance when he gets back on track, as he says it feels as if it hadn't happened.

"I don't think so - I don't have any memory of the accident, and I am just aware of the consequences it had. So, to me, it's as if it never happened," he added.

He said he is feeling happy about how his recovery is going, but insists he is not thinking about his comeback, but rather about recovering well.

"Physically, I am still a bit weak but my general condition is quite good," he said. "My weight has now returned to its normal level and for a few weeks I've been able to walk without help. All in all I feel pretty well.

"I am satisfied with how things are proceeding. The improvement is in line with the expectations, and luckily there are no complications that could affect the recovery time. It is still too early to have a clear picture for the timing of my return but the important thing is the final outcome not the hurry."

And Kubica made it clear there are no doubts about which team he will drive for when he returns.

"I'm a Lotus Renault GP driver. Of course, I'm missing not being able to drive this season but I feel that my job in Enstone isn't finished yet."

Mark Webber says he still feels "comfortable" about his decision to ignore team orders during the British Grand Prix.

The Australian, fighting for second place with team-mate Sebastian Vettel in the latter stages of the race, ignored calls from Red Bull to "maintain the gap" with the German.

In the end, Webber finished behind Vettel, but he admitted afterwards that he had ignored up to four calls from the team.

Writing in his column for the BBC website, Webber said he still felt at ease about his decision.

"I'm not going to get any prizes for guessing what you all want to read about this week, am I? My team's decision to ask me not to try to pass Sebastian Vettel in the other Red Bull in the last four of five laps of the British Grand Prix," wrote Webber.

"I chose to race as hard and as fair as I thought was possible, trying my best to beat Seb. I got pretty close a couple of times but couldn't quite pull it off. It was obviously a difficult situation, but I still feel comfortable about what I did.

"In that situation, you are hit by conflicting emotions. You want to improve your position irrespective of who it is in front of you - especially when it is someone at Sebastian's level, whom you have to work pretty hard to get back on to.

"To manage it but then be told to hold position is something I wasn't prepared to follow at the time. If I'd backed off and held the gap at three seconds, as I was asked to do, it would have been much more difficult for me to sleep after the race.

"At the same time, I knew I was going against the team's wishes. Normally, if you are racing and trying to gain a position, you would imagine everyone would be happy with that.

"They weren't, obviously - not because they didn't want me to finish second; they just didn't want us to have contact. From a team's perspective, it is obviously their worst nightmare."

Webber insisted the row did not affect his future in the team, and the Australian made it clear he was still in positive talks about the renewal of his contract.

"Christian [Horner] and I had a chat about the situation after the race. We both put our cases forward and I think we came away seeing it from both perspectives," he said.

"I'm sure you'll be wondering if it will make any difference to my decision about what I do in 2012, whether I carry on racing with Red Bull or not.

"The team and I have time to make that decision. We're talking about continuing at the moment and it's positive, and what happened on Sunday does not turn my world upside down."

Formula 1 teams and the sport's commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone should work together to try and better improve grand prix racing's exposure on the Internet - and especially in social media.

That is the view of Williams chairman Adam Parr, who feels that although Ecclestone has done an amazing job in making the sport successful at events and on television, more could be done to expand its profile online.

"What I feel very strongly is that as a sport what Bernie has created at the events, the quality of the events, the places we go, the standards we operate to, everybody is blown away," explained Parr.

"If they come to F1 and have been to tennis, or squash or golf or anything else, this is a different level and the logistics of what we do is phenomenal.

"The second thing is that on the media side, the historical side of creating the global audience we have, the quality of the TV feed and the race direction, which is a very difficult task, is unbelievable; and it's world-class.

"The thing I do believe is that social media, the Internet and even pay TV, how it has grown up in the last decade, must change the landscape. Not only how you communicate with people and how you distribute content, but also economically what is possible.

"Rubens [barrichello] has more than a million followers on Twitter, of whom a significant proportion are Brazilian. For Renault, Brazil is a key market and when Rubens is sitting in Grove at the launch of our new partnership and he's tweeting that we're back with Renault and this is fantastic news, a million people, who have opted to follow him, get an endorsement of Renault which is not commercially driven. It is what he genuinely feels about that company and that brand.

"How do you quantify what that's worth? How many TV adverts of a Clio is that worth? Someone they admire, someone they personally chose to follow, saying Renault, a world-class engine, we are so happy to be back. He didn't charge anything for that, there is no cost to that, but it just gives you an insight into the possibility. And that is nothing to do with how you broadcast race feeds."

Ecclestone has long acknowledged that he would like to do more on the Internet - especially when it comes to video footage – but says his hands are tied by the television rights deals he has in place with broadcasters.

In a recent interview with Channel 10 in Australia asking about doing more on the Internet and with social media, Ecclestone said: "You hear a lot about these things. When we do a deal with a broadcaster we give them the rights to broadcast by whatever method they wish in their country.

"So if they want to broadcast through a mobile phone – which in effect is a small television, even more so with these pads and what have you – [they can] but they don't seem to want to do it. People still want to turn the TV on."

He added: "Anything that could be done, we're doing it. We've looked into it. All these different methods of broadcasting. The minute we allow other people to broadcast by other means it would upset the people we've got (TV) contracts with."

That stance explained why Ecclestone recently sent a letter to McLaren, which was circulated to all teams, warning about the posting of F1 videos on YouTube.

Ecclestone was referring to a garage video from inside the McLaren garage taken by rap star Ice-T at the Canadian Grand Prix which became a cult hit – as much for its foul language as for who took it - but which kept being repeatedly taken down.

In the letter to Whitmarsh, Ecclestone said: "I am quite sure it has been brought to your attention that one of your guests recorded activities in the pits and placed it on YouTube.

"You will understand why I am so strict on access and allowing people in the pits with cameras. Perhaps you would make sure that these things do not happen as it could cause unforeseen problems."

When asked about Ecclestone's explanation that television rights deals prevent him doing more, Parr said: "That is fine, and he has created this rarity value around our materials, but maybe that is a strategy, and maybe there are other options.

"Maybe relying on a great broadcaster like the BBC...to me the BBC website is very good, iPlayer is a fantastic product, and the actual quality of the broadcast is stunning but does that mean they are optimising the stuff on the iPhone and iPad? I don't think so."

Parr also made it clear that his comments, and statements he made at a FOTA Fans' Forum in Canada, should not be viewed as an attack on Ecclestone.

"It was portrayed that I was having a crack at Bernie, which, if you read one sentence, I suppose was fair. But that wasn't actually fair if you looked at the discussion at the Fan Forum.

"We cannot just look backwards and say we have done a fantastic job, a brilliant, brilliant job. We have to think about what the future is, and challenge ourselves as a sport, and challenge Bernie because he controls the commercial rights, to look at what is possible.

"I don't regard that as being a war of words, I don't regard it as being an insult. He is an amazing guy and I have enormous respect for him, but we cannot sit here and be smug about our achievements."

Speaking about if he had let his feelings known to Ecclestone, Parr said: "Whenever we have a chat, it is very friendly and he gently puts me back in my box – and reminds me how little I understand and I accept that. But it is not going to stop me asking the question..."

Renault has opened talks with its current engine partner to try and sort out a long-term extension of its deal that could boost efforts to bring a French driver back on to the Formula 1 grid.

The Enstone-based outfit has a firm deal with Renault Sport until the end of 2013, and the team is interested in extending that partnership for when F1 switches to the new V6 power units the year after.

Team principal Eric Boullier says that talks have begun with Renault about longer term plans, and admits they could play a part in efforts to boost the French presence in F1 - through both having a driver and a home race.

Boullier has been part of early discussions with French political representatives about trying to find ways to secure the return of the French GP.

Sources have also revealed that the outfit is giving serious consideration to handing Romain Grosjean another F1 chance later this year if he continues to impress in GP2 and Nick Heidfeld does not deliver stronger results.

Speaking in the wake of reports suggesting Renault could switch to Cosworth in 2012, Boullier said: "Those are new rumours from the paddock that I can kill now if you want – our contract with Renault is ending at the end of 2013.

"We have already started the discussions about extending it, and now we have to negotiate.

"But the situation today is different [from recent years]. Renault today is an engine supplier and, even if historically we have a very good relationship and a good technical partnership, because some of the technology that Renault is selling to the customer is ours, the discussion today is different.

"We are part of this group of four teams, and we would like to put back in the right place the technology where it should be. We are not an engine supplier, we are a chassis maker.

"Plus, on top of this, we have some sponsorship with Renault and Total, which is a French involvement. The intention in France is to bring F1 back to France. So it is very complex, but I am trying to make everybody happy. Me first, but also our partners, to also make sure that we can keep commercial relationships."

Boullier has said he is also keen to secure guarantees from Renault Sport that its decision to expand its supply to four teams next year – thanks to linking up with Williams as well as Red Bull Racing and Team Lotus – does not dilute its efforts.

"Obviously you may have concerns when they are getting bigger in supplying another team," he said. "Maybe they get their energy diluted, with their resources. This is a concern we can have and we have raised this and we will be raising it."

Despite Boullier's push to forge closer links with Renault in the future, Williams is equally trying hard to make the most of its new partnership.

With Renault Sport's managing director Jean-Francois Caubet recently suggesting that the company would need to pick one or two preferred partners from 2014, Williams is well aware of the opportunities it has.

Williams chairman Adam Parr said: "I think from a technology point of view Renault is scrupulous in providing the same kit to everybody. And even if we were beneficiaries, that equity between teams is so important. I would never want preference.

"But in terms of how we develop the commercial relationship, as I said, the advantage we have is that we are not in F1 promoting another car brand. And I kind of feel that Williams-Renault, because of the history, is actually almost synonymous with Renault in Formula 1 in a way. I'm not being derogatory but I don't think that's quite true of Red Bull-Renault. Red Bull is Red Bull.

"They have a fantastic engine in the back and clearly a Renault presence, but it's perhaps not achieving the marketing impact that it might, so we would love to be part of that."

The FIA confirmed on Thursday that it will now allow Formula 1 teams to keep running their blown diffusers off-throttle for the rest of the season, after it was agreed unanimously that a ban on the practice should be abandoned.

After a controversial weekend at the British Grand Prix where the row over off-throttle use of blown diffusers dominated affairs, the FIA said it would be willing to ditch its attempts to outlaw the practice if all teams were in agreement.

The matter had reached a head after world championship leader Red Bull Racing was left fuming when a concession was handed to the Mercedes-Benz-powered outfits on reliability grounds for them to run with a four-cylinder over-run under braking.

Red Bull Racing's Renault team had initially been allowed to keep a 50 per cent throttle opening, which it claimed it needed for reliability reasons, but that was taken away on Saturday morning - prompting fury from the Milton Keynes-based team.

With the FIA keen to find a resolution to the matter, the governing body held a series of meetings with technical chiefs to try and find an answer that all teams would be happy with.

A bid to find unanimous support for the ban to be ditched stalled on Sunday morning, however, when Ferrari and Sauber declined to accept the move during a lengthy meeting.

However, by Sunday evening the situation had changed and both teams suggested they would be willing to agree for the rules to revert back to how they were in Valencia - where teams could keep using their blown diffuser under all conditions but would not be allowed to change engine mapping settings between qualifying and the race.

In a document released by the FIA on Thursday, the governing body confirmed that it was now happy for the rules to be back to how they were at the European Grand Prix.

"All cars will run under 'Valencia' conditions for the remainder of the season," said the document, which went on to state that it believed there would be no protest over the matter.

"We are optimistic that there will be no protests over any engine mapping and exhaust tailpipe issues this season. In addition to the main part of the agreement reached in the TWG meetings it was also agreed that no team would raise a protest against another on these matters for the rest of the season."

The blown diffuser issue will go away in 2012 with new technical regulations set to be imposed that will force teams to run with periscope-type exhausts that exit on top of the sidepods - so will not be able to have any major effect on the diffuser area of the car.

"The teams have already agreed to strict constraints on exhaust tailpipe position which will result in them exiting the bodywork much higher up and no longer in the vicinity of the diffuser," said the FIA. "Therefore, any aerodynamic benefit from exhaust gas flow over bodywork will be kept to an absolute minimum.

"Engine mapping will remain free (within the existing constraints of the FIA SECU) as, with the exhaust tailpipes in this new position, it is felt that any aerodynamic benefit will now be incidental to their primary purpose."

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Formula 1 teams have begun talks to see if there is a way for in-season testing to return next year, with FIA president Jean Todt having said he wants to free up the rules to allow more running.

Todt revealed at the Turkish Grand Prix earlier this year that he was keen to get teams to have some limited running during the season, rather than have testing limited to just a few events in the build-up to the first race.

His calls initially fell on deaf ears, with teams worried that a return to testing would lead to a big escalation in costs at a time when budgets are being kept tightly under control.

However, F1 think tank the Sporting Working Group has now begun discussions to see if consensus can be reached on a way to re-introduce testing without it having too big an impact on expenditure.

One suggestion that has been mentioned is to hold an extra young drivers' test during the summer - to add to the one that takes place at the end of the year.

Speaking about the idea of getting testing back during the season, Williams technical director Sam Michael said: "That is being reviewed in the sporting working group right now and we had a meeting at Silverstone about it. There has not been a vote yet. All they have done is put a few ideas out there about what you could potentially do, which might involve doing an extra young drivers' test during the season.

"It's just being discussed. There's not been any agreement or votes or anything. Now it's been discussed the teams will go away, discuss it internally and think about it. We haven't done anything more than that."

Michael said that although Todt had been pushing for the testing return for several months, other issues - including the future engine formula in F1 and the row over blown diffuser – had proved a distraction from sorting out this issue.

"I think everyone has got a pretty similar idea on it and it's in everyone's interest," he said. "It was a proposal put on the table, and from reading the minutes there was just an initial thought.

"There have been too many other things to sort out. It's been pretty far down the list of priorities especially in terms of V6 engines and exhaust blowing. It's the sort of thing that could be sorted out in an afternoon if need be."

Todt said during a media briefing in Turkey that he felt it was ridiculous that teams did not test at all once the season had got underway.

"For me, it is a stupid decision to have no testing during the season," he explained. "In the past it was crazy to have unlimited testing during the year, but to go from unlimited to completely banned, it is not the right measure.

"It doesn't allow young drivers to test, it doesn't give the opportunity for young drivers to learn some experience in F1, and I will make sure that this situation will change for the future.

"It cannot come back to free testing, but teams now have simulation facilities in the factory, so we are not talking about [a testing ban] being a cost-saving for the big teams.

"So we will push for a few days of free testing during the season as soon as possible but by respecting the rules."

Mercedes GP boss Ross Brawn is hopeful his team can keep on making progress in the German Grand Prix following a boost in Britain last weekend.

The team seemed to take a step forward thanks to the latest modifications to its car's diffuser at Silverstone, and Brawn believes Mercedes can put on an even stronger showing it its home race next week.

"Our car showed positive signs of improvement with the new upgrade package and exhaust system in Silverstone, and we have been working hard since then to further enhance our understanding of its performance capabilities," said Brawn in a team preview.

"We are hopeful of continuing this progression and putting on a good performance next weekend, giving our drivers the opportunity to show what they can do in front of their own supporters."

Michael Schumacher is equally upbeat about his prospects of a strong race at home after finishing in the points in Britain despite a crash and a penalty.

"We saw some improvements over the Silverstone weekend with our new exhaust system, along with improvements to how we work with the tyres, so we go to the next race weekend with a good feeling added to our fighting spirit," Schumacher said.

"We definitely want to show our home crowds our best level of performance possible."

Team-mate Nico Rosberg is also hoping to close to the gap to the top teams thanks to the latest upgrades.

"I hope that we can take another step forward with our new package and close the gap to the top a little. It will be exciting to drive in front of a big German crowd in the Mercedes-Benz grandstand. Hopefully they see a good performance from both me and our car."

Cosworth believes its future in Formula 1 is more secure now than it has been for several months, despite Williams opting to switch to Renault engines for next year.

The Northampton-based engine builder says the current deals it has in place for next year, further opportunities for new customers in 2013 and a Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA) on engine development for 2014 have left it very optimistic about its future in the sport.

"At Monaco time there was a lot of uncertainty over the inline-four, and we needed a powerful lobby to push for it to be delayed or cancelled," Cosworth's general manager Mark Gallagher told AUTOSPORT.

"We were very nervous that, if the pendulum swung to the inline-four definitely happening, we were very concerned about it, because there was no RRA built around it and we could see a space race happening.

"Among our teams, Hispania, Virgin and Williams, there was no apparent appetite to commit to the inline-four, certainly with Cosworth.

"So when you don't have guaranteed customers and when you don't have stability on the cost control; it was a nervous time for us as an independent manufacturer. But now the landscape has changed and it is a very good thing."

Gallagher says that Cosworth's business plan in F1 still makes perfect sense with just Virgin Racing and HRT for next season, and that further added customers in the future will only be a bonus.

"We have Marussia Virgin Racing and Hispania for next season, which is the last year of their three-year contracts," he said. "With the V8s being extended for another year our intention is to extend agreement and also seek new agreements for 2013, so the delay in the introduction of the new engines is beneficial from that point of view.

"Since 1963, Cosworth has had 67 teams that is has supplied engines to, so we are well used to teams coming and going. The business model for the current involvement in F1 was for three new teams - for Campos, US F1 and Virgin Manor.

"When Tim Routsis put those deals together each of them was structured in a way that they would be profitable in their own right, and with a full acknowledgement that whatever the best endeavours of the new teams, the likelihood of them all surviving was probably debatable.

"So having four teams last year, three teams this year and two teams next year, actually overall the three year plan is fine."

Gallagher also hinted that some of the resources Cosworth put in place to operate across three teams this year could be focused on boosting efforts with its two partner teams in 2012.

"The fact that we have two teams next year will not affect our capacity to support those team or our profitability.

"Actually in some ways it may enable us to take the resources applied across three teams and apply it to two teams, which is important at a time when McLaren Applied Technologies will be bringing a new dimension to the Marussia Virgin Programme with Pat Symonds as well. We are already seeing an escalation in the demands from there."

Felipe Massa says Ferrari is heading into the second half of the season confident it now has a car that can take the fight to Red Bull Racing, after the positive signs that came out of Silverstone.

Although the team is fired up by the fact that Fernando Alonso delivered its first victory of the season in the British Grand Prix, Massa thinks there were even more encouraging indications that came out of the weekend.

In particular he believes the fact that the team was pretty quick in qualifying on hard tyres, a compound that had proved so difficult for Ferrari to use earlier in the campaign, shows how much of a step forward the team has made in bringing downforce to its car.

"In the last few races our pace in the race was better than in qualifying, while in Silverstone we were quick in both situations," said Massa, during a chat with fans on Ferrari's official website.

"In qualifying, I finished third in Q1 with the hard tyres, and that shows that the car is very competitive. I am sure this improvement will stand us in good stead for the second half of the season."

Alonso's victory still leaves him 92 points adrift of championship leader Sebastian Vettel in the title standings, with Massa 60 points further behind - which means that Red Bull Racing would need a run of bad luck to become genuinely threatened for the crown.

However, Massa believes the evidence of recent campaigns – especially Kimi Raikkonen's amazing turnaround against McLaren in 2007 – means there is every reason to keep pushing on for the title.

"My experience in 2008 and Kimi's in 2007 shows that anything can happen," said Massa. "Even if this year will be difficult, because Vettel would have to make a lot of mistakes."

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh believes Formula 1 now stands at a crossroads in terms of making the most of the possibilities it has on the Internet.

With an increasing focus from teams about how to make better use of the Internet and social media, Whitmarsh reckons that all stakeholders in the sport should shoulder some responsibility for delivering what fans now want.

He reckons that F1 is in a similar situation to how it was 30 years ago, when Bernie Ecclestone grabbed the opportunities available through television rights and helped propel grand prix racing into the global sport it is today.

"Yes, I would say so," said Whitmarsh in an interview with the official F1 website about whether there were similarities between then and now. "You can say it's a threat, but just like back then it is also an opportunity.

"Formula 1 is a world sport and it is data-rich, and in this digital arena we can populate this digital environment with much more data and information than tennis, soccer or any other sport, so I think it is a huge opportunity that we have.

"Sure there will still be people watching terrestrial television, but for the generation below us that's not good enough anymore. They want more information and they want to interact.

"They want to have communities going - and that's the challenge: to find ways to monetize this as Bernie has done with television. He made sure that the revenues for the sport were very high. You can't hold new developments back, so we need to bring in expertise that probably doesn't exist in Formula 1 today. "

Whitmarsh has praised the efforts that Ecclestone has put in improving F1, but thinks it vital that the sport looks at fresh avenues where it needs to make a bigger impact.

"The sport has to change because none of us will be here in 20 years' time - or not most of us - so I think we owe it to the sport that we find a positive and good way to move forward," he explained. "Media is much more complex these days.

"If you take the young generation, they don't just watch television - they probably have the TV on, then they have probably something different running on their iPad or on their phone or laptop. We grew up with television and for a moment thought that email was cool - but kids don't email anymore. They are definitely on a much more advanced level than that.

"The power of these new media outlets is enormous, but how do you monetize that? Bernie's great trick has been monetizing the media exposure of Formula 1 and we all have to be grateful for how he commercially developed the sport, but today as I said it's a much more complex media environment.

"With fourth generation telecommunication systems, full television will be on phones soon and the phone can then Bluetooth to a monitor. So the question is how are you going to control that and how are you going to monetize it?"

Whitmarsh has added that because there is a need for everyone in the sport to work together, he thinks that is why ultimately a future deal should be struck among the current F1 owners and teams to keep pushing forward together - rather than outside parties who are considering an involvement.

"The teams want to work together. It's the first time in 60 years that the teams are working better together. Historically, the teams have fought each other, they fought with the FIA and FOM, so it was kind of a battlefield.

"What we are trying now is to collaborate in a manner that promotes partnership. There are new suitors, whatever, but we think we are better off working with the partners that we have.

"Bernie (Ecclestone) knows the sport and has done many great things for the sport, CVC are the owners, so we have got to be respectful. But that doesn't mean that we always have to agree and doesn't mean that we will agree all the time, but I think it is better to find good and constructive ways of working together, rather than saying, 'Oh, here is someone new, whom we don't know, who wants to buy the sport so let's rush off in that direction'.

"In my view that would be the wrong thing to do. We all have flaws and weaknesses, but if we can work together that would be the best option. This is a fantastic sport. There are only two global sports: soccer and Formula 1.

"And of course we can do better and we always should be open to embrace new technologies, opportunities and new challenges, but we are better off doing this with people we know - probably - than suddenly saying we must go off in a different direction."

Jenson Button is hopeful that McLaren has not lost too much ground compared to main rivals Red Bull Racing and Ferrari in recent races, as he eyes a return to the podium in next weekend's German Grand Prix.

McLaren has endured difficult weekends in Valencia and Silverstone, with both drivers and team management all but admitting that their title hopes are over for the year.

However, that has not stopped the team setting its sights on star performances in individual races - with Button hoping the Nurburgring will help provide a good opportunity.

"Perhaps we've lost a bit of the momentum we'd built up in previous races, but not much," he said. "Although Silverstone was disappointing, our pace has been good this year. Sometimes we've been quickest, sometimes we haven't."

Team principal Martin Whitmarsh is happy that the ban on the off-throttle use of blown diffusers has been lifted, as it hurt the outfit's performance at Silverstone, as he eyes a step forward in form this time out.

"There has been a degree of uncertainty in recent weeks, with new restrictions placed on off-throttle exhaust blowing, and our entire team has demonstrated enormous passion and commitment as they come to terms with those challenges," explained Whitmarsh.

"We missed an opportunity for a podium finish at Silverstone, and that race was a reminder that while we are always pushing to make our car even more competitive, our rivals are doing likewise with their own machinery.

Nick Heidfeld is adamant Renault is ready to take a big step forward that allows the team to return to fighting with the top squads in the next few races.

Although Renault started the season strongly, its performance has dropped in recent races, and the team has decided to evaluate a more conventional exhaust system after having used the forward-facing one so far.

The team will run the new system in one car during Friday practice for the German Grand Prix to evaluate its performance.

Heidfeld is adamant it is time for Renault to return to the sharp end of the field thanks to the upgrades scheduled to be introduced.

"I know, as [technical director] James Allison has confirmed, that there are some bigger developments coming than we had at the last couple of races," said Heidfeld.

"There has been a tremendous amount of work going on in the wind tunnel so I am very hopeful that we will take a significant step forward.

"We have had to demonstrate our patience during what were a couple of challenging races recently, but now is the time for us to take that step forward and compete with the top teams again, which is where we belong."

The German believes Renault has the potential to finish higher than fourth in the championship, having been overtaken by Mercedes.

"I hope that the car is strong, so that we can go back to qualifying in the top 10, which is exactly where we should be, and then get even stronger in the Constructors' Championship; we will need to take the fight to Mercedes who just overtook us but we know we are more than capable of a fourth placed finish this season."

Although Heidfeld enjoyed a solid British Grand Prix, finishing in eighth place despite starting from the back, he admitted he is is aiming for much more.

"Four points is not what we're aiming for - we need more, deserve more and we must be proactive in making that happen. I really believe that we will be able to score a greater number of points over the next few races as we have some more interesting developments to bolt onto the car."

[Lineker]

Michael Waltrip Racing has filed a lawsuit against Mike Coughlan and the Williams team over the former's hiring as chief engineer, claiming breach of contract and interference from the Formula 1 team.

Court documents of the suit filed in North Carolina seen by AUTOSPORT claim Coughlan, who worked at Michael Waltrip Racing as director of vehicle design from October 2010, had a contract with the NASCAR outfit until November 30 2012 but informed the team he was terminating the deal in April, allegedly breaching his contract.

On June 14, Williams announced Coughlan was returning to F1 as its chief engineer, having been out of the sport since halfway though the 2007 season when he was a key player in the McLaren/Ferrari spy scandal.

The suit also claims Williams interfered with Coughlan's agreement with MWR, harming the NASCAR outfit as a result.

"As a result of Coughlan's premature departure, MWR will face and incur many certain and substantial damages, including the costs of searching for, recruiting, negotiating with, hiring and training a replacement for Coughlan, not to mention the expenses MWR devoted to Coughlan's employment, the benefits of which will go unrealised," reads the suit.

MWR is seeking relief for damages for an unspecified amount, including legal fees.

The Williams Formula 1 team says it has not received any notice of legal action against it or new chief engineer Mike Coughlan by NASCAR team Michael Waltrip Racing.

Coughlan had previously been employed by Waltrip as director of vehicle design, and court documents seen by AUTOSPORT showed that Waltrip was alleging Coughlan had breached his contract by leaving to return to F1 with Williams.

A Williams spokesperson said: "Williams F1 is aware of reports that a lawsuit has been filed by Michael Waltrip Racing against the team and Mike Coughlan.

"Neither Mike nor the team have received notice of any proceedings, or indeed have had any contact with Michael Waltrip Racing since early June.

"Consequently we have no further comment to make on this matter."

Felipe Massa does not believe that Ferrari is out of the running for the Formula 1 World Championship this year, despite trailing leader Red Bull by a huge margin.

Defending constructors' champion Red Bull has a 164-point advantage over Ferrari at the top of the standings while Sebastian Vettel is 92 ahead of Massa's team-mate Fernando Alonso in the race to win the drivers' title.

Despite this, Massa believes that the form shown by the Italian squad at last weekend's British Grand Prix - where Alonso won by demonstrating a clear race pace advantage over Red Bull drivers Vettel and Mark Webber – indicates that a fightback could be on the cards.

He has also been given confidence by Alonso's fightback of 12 months ago, when the Spaniard made up a 47-point deficit at this stage to lead the standings heading into the final race.

"For the championship, what can I say? As long there is a mathematical possibility there is always hope. I have said it so often, but it's still true, that at Ferrari we never give up and we keep on fighting," Massa wrote in his blog on the Ferrari website.

"The best strategy is simply to think about the season one race at a time, like we did at Silverstone."

Red Bull is expected to re-establish the big advantage it held before Silverstone at next weekend's German Grand Prix thanks to the relaxation of the rules governing the exhaust blowing of diffusers when off-throttle, but Massa thinks that his team's aerodynamic upgrades introduced in Britain will have a far greater bearing on results at the Nurburgring.

"Based on what we saw from our aero package in Silverstone, I have high hopes that we can continue in the right direction in Germany," he added.

"Now we need to keep the momentum this weekend and then immediately afterwards in Hungary, as that comes just one week later."

Massa, the World Championship runner-up in 2008, currently lies sixth in the standings, 152 points behind leader Vettel and 57 adrift of fifth placed Jenson Button.

Bernie Ecclestone has said that he would likely approach Channel 5 first if the BBC elects not to extend its deal to cover Formula 1.

The BBC's current contract to broadcast grand prix racing finishes at the end of 2012, and there has been speculation that budget cuts at the company could make it unable to commit beyond then - or even exit its contract a year early.

Ecclestone told The Sunday Telegraph that he hoped the BBC would choose to continue covering the sport - but admitted there were other options if it did not happen.

"We have got no problem with the Beeb," he said. "I can't see how the BBC could cancel [its contract early]. We could probably sue them."

Speaking about other contenders to keep F1 on free-to-air television, Ecclestone suggested that he would approach Channel 5 owner Richard Desmond.

"Let's wait and see about the BBC because at the moment they want to make a noise," he said. "[i would] talk to Richard, obviously."

He added: "It isn't possible that F1 could go on to pay TV, we wouldn't want to do that."

Heikki Kovalainen reckons Team Lotus should remain proud of its efforts in Formula 1 this season - even though it has not achieved ambitious targets it set itself at the start of the campaign.

The Hingham-based outfit had hoped to be scoring regular points this year, thanks to a switch to Renault engines and a deal to use Red Bull Racing's gearbox.

However, despite making good progress with its car and currently sitting in 10th place in the constructors' championship, its best finish has been 13th – a feat matched by rival HRT.

Although acknowledging that the results have not been as good as expected, Kovalainen thinks that Team Lotus has still done a good job – and that better results will follow as its facilities are built up.

"I would say that our expectations were too high," Kovalainen told AUTOSPORT. "Though we have closed the gap compared to last year, where we were five seconds behind, now we are 2.5-3s behind, so we have taken a lot of steps forward.

"But now, looking into year two and into the midfield if you like, many teams are stuck there. The reason for this is because it is very, very tough - and at the moment we are still missing the facilities. We don't have a good enough factory. I don't think our wind tunnel is good enough."

He added: "We have a lot of good people in the team but, at the moment, I don't think you can judge them, because the tools that they have are not good enough yet. So we need to give the people better tools to actually show what everyone can do – including myself."

Kovalainen is delighted with the way he has settled into the team after his switch from McLaren, and believes the atmosphere and structure is helping him flourish.

"Yeah I feel much more in control of the situation when I am driving generally and when I am in the paddock," he said. "But there are reasons why I feel that way.

"In fact now, the way I feel, with a good car I could do a very good job. My experience is now high, I have made mistakes in the past and I haven't always necessarily done the right things but I have learned from the past and all the problems, and I think I have become a very solid and good, quick driver.

"I have no single doubts about my own ability and, at the moment, I am very happy about the situation and my position in Team Lotus. Building everything from the beginning has created a strong position within the team and this is very important obviously for the future when the car gets quicker."

Williams will have new front and rear wings on its cars for the German Grand Prix as it pushes to try and get back into the points after its tough first half of the season.

The team has only scored four points so far this year, via ninth places in Monaco and Valencia.

Technical director Sam Michael said the upgrades for the Nurburgring would be significant.

"We have a new rear wing, front wing and revised engine mapping for the exhaust blowing on over-run that has now been reinstated," he said.

Williams showed promise in practice and qualifying at Silverstone, with Pastor Maldonado taking seventh on the grid, before fading badly in the race and coming away with only 13th and 14th places.

But Rubens Barrichello was confident that the improvements Williams showed at the start of the weekend were real, and that the Nurburgring could bring better results.

"We made a step forward in the qualifying," he told AUTOSPORT. "We would have had two cars in the top 10. The race pace wasn't there but with a little bit of luck, we would have finished in the top 10 today.

"I'm still not happy with the whole car balance situation, because it was a lot of new parts for here we've learned a great deal this weekend. So there will be some fine tuning for the next race."

Renault's new chief operating officer Carlos Tavares has emphasised the company's long-term commitment to Formula 1, having attended the British Grand Prix less than a week after his appointment.

Although Renault has now sold its factory team - which still bears the French manufacturer's name - to the Genii organisation, it continues to supply engines to that squad, Team Lotus and Red Bull Racing, and will add Williams to its line-up next year.

"I only waited six days from when I started this job before coming to a race as I believe there is a great passion for cars and motorsport within the Renault Group," said Tavares in an interview for the Renault Sport website.

"It is also my way of showing that we need to harness this passion within the group so that every Renault partner and employee can benefit from our involvement, which will in turn be for the benefit of our clients."

He said F1 remained extremely important to his company's development and technology transfer even though it no longer had a factory team presence.

"It's crucial and we are very careful to nurture the talent we have at Viry-Chatillon," said Tavares. "This shows in the work we do, and I know we have a lot of engineers that strive to improve their knowledge and understanding in the field.

"We have also taken care to establish a dialogue and interaction between the F1 operation and the rest of the company so that the expertise and the technologies are transferred to the road cars."

Renault has been a key advocate of the move to 'greener' engines in the next generation regulations, and Tavares underlined that he was pleased with the compromise solution that will now see the sport switch to turbocharged V6s in 2014.

"This was one of the conditions explained to our teams for us to be in F1, and it still applies," he said. "Renault has always had an ability to innovate. We want our innovation to be useful to our clients and to the general health of the planet.

"Therefore this 'downsizing' we've put all our support behind is perfectly aligned. There needs to be a convergence between the technologies seen in F1 and the wishes of our clients and the societies we operate in.

"I'm sure that the decision just taken won't be the final step but we are very happy that we have managed to find a common consensus."

Renault technical director James Allison has been appointed head of the Formula One Teams' Association's Technical Regulations Working Group.

Allison's selection was made with unanimous support during a FOTA conference call at the end of last week.

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn had led the technical section of FOTA until the start of this year, when he stood down so he could devote more time to his team.

He was replaced by Ferrari's Aldo Costa, but with Costa losing his position in the company's Formula 1 arm, a new head of the group was required.

Allison has spent the majority of his F1 career with the Renault team, having first joined in the Benetton era in 1991, although he also had spells at Larousse and Ferrari.

He became deputy technical director at Renault in 2006, and was promoted to technical chief in December 2009 as part of a reshuffle in response to the departure of Pat Symonds in the 'race-fixing' scandal earlier that year.

Force India chairman Vijay Mallya says that his team cannot afford a repeat of its Silverstone performance at this weekend's German Grand Prix.

Driver Paul di Resta proved the pace of the Mercedes-engined VJM04 at the British Grand Prix by taking a career-best sixth place on the grid.

But his race was effectively ruined when a mix-up in the pits resulted in his team-mate Adrian Sutil's tyres being readied for him at his first stop, causing a long delay. He finished an unrepresentative 15th, a lap down on winner Fernando Alonso.

"Looking back on Silverstone, we have to view it as a missed opportunity," said Mallya. "With confusion on the pitwall, we failed to convert our excellent qualifying performance into points, which is incredibly frustrating.

"These things happen in racing, but we have put measures in place to ensure such a situation cannot happen again."

Despite this, Mallya believes that the general increase in performance of the car should enable the team to compete against the likes of Toro Rosso and Sauber and score points at the Nurburgring this weekend.

"Over the last few races we have demonstrated that the competitiveness of the car continues to improve and we are capable of qualifying consistently in the top 10," he added.

"What is important now is to deliver that performance in the races where it matters most of all."

"I think we should be quite positive going into the race. After strong qualifying performances at Valencia and Silverstone, we'll be working hard to try and get a race result that reflects our pace."

Pirelli wil try out a new version of its soft tyre in Friday practice at the German Grand Prix.

The tyre firm's motorsport boss Paul Hembery said the revised compound was part of efforts to make the Pirelli range slightly more durable to ensure the number of pitstops in races did not become excessive.

"It's not a big change from the current specification, but it is designed to fit in line with our latest versions of the P Zero Silver hard tyre and P Zero White medium, both of which are a little harder than their original specification in order to reduce degradation," he said.

Hembery added that the tyre was still being evaluated at present and there were no firm plans for its introduction.

"There's no decision yet on when we might use the new tyre yet, but it will be very interesting to hear all the feedback from the teams," he said.

Daniel Ricciardo says closing on the rest of the field and getting a better handle on the Pirelli tyres are his aims for his second Formula 1 race in Germany this weekend.

The Red Bull protege has taken a Hispania race seat, and qualified and finished last on his debut at Silverstone - although he had been quicker than team-mate Tonio Liuzzi in some practice sessions.

"I'm satisfied with my first race finish in Silverstone at the wheel of the HRT Formula 1 team car," said Ricciardo.

"It was nice to finish and get the first race and experience under my belt. Ideally I would have liked to be closer to my rivals but that's the aim for this race.

"I have learnt that there is a lot more to the tyres and managing them than I thought. For now this is one of the main things I need to learn quickly about."

He added: "My goal this time is to finish the race and close the gap to my competitors and to Tonio."

[Lineker]

Here's a great analysis on how this season's new rules have impacted Formula One.

Formula 1's delivery of thrilling grands prix in 2011 may owe much to the new rules introduced this year, but detailed mid-season analysis of exactly what has boosted overtaking has revealed that it is not DRS that has been the sole reason for more spectacular racing.

The sport's leading figures took a bold step this year in introducing a raft of changes to spice up the action - with overtaking being a key area where improvements were sought.

Alongside the return of Pirelli, which arrived with an aggressive intention to make races better via their tyre compound choice, F1 also embraced the return of KERS and the introduction of the radical adjustable rear wing.

While the rules have been a step into the unknown, the initial impression is that DRS has been a huge success - with Nico Rosberg telling AUTOSPORT earlier this year it was probably the best idea in F1 history.

However some, like 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, have argued that the changes make F1 artificial and therefore a turn off.

So how successful have they really been? Statistics released by Mercedes-Benz ahead of the midway point of the season have now offered some insight into just what factors have made the biggest impact in improving the show.

In the first nine races of this season, there have been 623 overtaking moves in total - a figure which takes into account passes by the fastest cars on the slowest three teams, but discounts moves on the first lap or those due to damage.

Discounting the moves by the fastest teams on the slowest, DRS has accounted for 29 per cent of passing manoeuvres in 2011. DRS moves have outnumbered 'normal' passes on four occasions: Shanghai, Istanbul, Barcelona and Valencia.

Significantly, DRS's impact has varied from circuit to circuit, and in direct correlation with its positioning on each circuit. At Monaco and Silverstone, where the DRS was on the short pit and Wellington straights respectively, it accounted for just eight passes in total.

At Istanbul, a track notoriously difficult to overtake on, the DRS zone was located on the long back straight on the run down to turn 12 – and it consequently led to 50 passes, the most of any single circuit.

The figures therefore tend to suggest that while DRS has aided overtaking in general, it has not had an overbearing influence. Silverstone, for example, witnessed just six DRS moves but produced a fraught and ever-changing race right up until the chequered flag. Istanbul meanwhile produced 50 DRS-assisted overtakes, but was no more memorable.

Analysis of the new Pirelli rubber provides similar conclusions. While much has been vaunted about the importance of fresh rubber, on average 54 per cent of overtaking has been done when the tyre ages had a difference of less than five laps – DRS assisted or not.

In high-wear circuits like Barcelona, the figure is slightly skewed as 'old' tyres – with more than five laps difference – accounted for 69 per cent of manoeuvres. In Montreal and Silverstone however, tyre wear – directly at least – had a much diminished impact.

The statistics therefore suggest that while DRS and the new Pirelli rubber may have contributed to overtaking, they have not become too important, or too decisive. Normal passes are not just still possible, but actually more frequent.

The data also suggests that each circuit's individual characteristics can have a heavy influence on the action. Turkey and China, with their long straights, produced a glut of overtaking, while the narrow confines of Monaco dented such ambitions.

At troublesome circuits like Valencia, yet to produce a truly gripping race, the new F1 initiatives have helped the show. But they have not artificially altered the game beyond recognition – Canada still produces great overtaking opportunities and great races, Valencia does not.

That variation is key to the sport's future, and suggests that – for now at least – the powers that be have got the new rules entirely correct.

[Lineker]

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has been named as an involved party in the corruption case involving a former banker during the sale of the Formula 1 back in 2006.

Bayerische Landesbank risk manager Gerhard Gribkowsky has been charged with corruption, embezzlement and tax evasion, and is accused of having accepted a $44 million bribe.

German prosecutors allege that Ecclestone received $41.4 million in commissions from the bank.

Gribkowsky was arrested on January this year over the allegations, which revolve around the sale of BayernLB's stake in Formula 1 to current commercial right owners CVC Capital Partners.

Ecclestone had been questioned by a German state prosecutor back in April and said he had done nothing wrong.

"I am confident that when the full facts have been established, I will be exonerated of blame for any wrongdoing," said Ecclestone in April.

Former Ferrari technical director Aldo Costa has parted company with the Italian car maker, the team has confirmed.

Costa had relinquished his position as technical director back in May, after a poor start to the season for the Maranello squad.

The team had said Costa would "take on new responsibilities within the company".

But Ferrari confirmed on Wednesday the contract has been interrupted by mutual agreement and that Costa will leave the company.

The Italian will be on "gardening leave" until the end of the year.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo insists there are no doubts about Felipe Massa's presence at the Italian team next year.

Drivers such as Mark Webber have been linked to Ferrari's second seat as Massa continues to be overshadowed by team-mate Fernando Alonso.

The Brazilian has not won a race since the 2008 season and is yet to outqualify the Spaniard this year.

Despite speculation about Massa's future, di Montezemolo says there will be no changes to Ferrari's line-up next year.

"Massa and Alonso always bring something more," di Montezemolo was quoted as saying by Sky Italia.

"In the seventies, when I was a young sporting director, people would say that car and driver counted 50-50. Nowadays the car counts for more, but it's in that 30% that the driver can make a difference.

"Alonso is super, Massa is coming back: I think the drivers are not a problem. This is the time for gossip, but next year's drivers will remain Alonso and Massa."

He also backed Alonso's view that the team should not give up on the title despite the gap to the leaders, the Spaniard still 92 points behind Sebastian Vettel despite his win at Silverstone last week.

"[Alonso] is right to keep hoping [about the title], because hope dies last," di Montezemolo said. "We are all disappointed of not having been where we wanted to be at the start of the season, and this is why I'm pleased with the Silverstone victory, with a demonstration of superiority that gives us good hope.

"We'll count the points at the end. In the meantime we are working with next year in mind too."

He added: "The victory has certainly come at the right time, after a lot of work. I asked for a great reaction and I thank our men for the effort and the the capabilities shown.

"The fact that the first victory of the season has come at Silverstone, on the same track and in the same month when Ferrari won its first GP in 1951 demonstrates the team's strength and shows that Ferrari is always there and that a red car has been at the start of every race for the past 60 years.

Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali says the Italian squad is not looking at the championship table despite its first win of the season in Britain.

Fernando Alonso scored Ferrari's first victory since last year's Korean Grand Prix after outperforming Red Bull Racing at Silverstone.

The win was the culmination of Ferrari's recovery following a difficult start to the season which Domenicali rated as "negative".

"For the first three months of the season I would give a negative score to Ferrari for its performance," said the Italian. "But I would say the last part of the first half of the year was better because, although we only took one win, we were competitive enough to have won more, but for various circumstances.

"So I would score it slightly higher, maybe a bit more than the average, in the hope that the second half of the season will be higher still."

The team boss made it clear, however, that Ferrari will focus on trying to win races without looking at the championship table.

Alonso is 92 points behind Sebastian Vettel, with Ferrari on 168 points, exactly half of what Red Bull has scored.

"We don't have to look at the classification, but instead make sure that our performance is always at the highest standard race by race," added Domenicali.

"We know of course that this is difficult because the competition is extremely strong. Then, we will see later on what will be the outcome of the championship. But at the moment we will just fight race by race."

Domenicali admitted Silverstone's win was important for the morale of the team, but he acknowledges it is not enough for a season.

"That victory in Silverstone was an important moment in this season, made more so as it was also linked to our first victory sixty years ago with Gonzalez on the same track," he said.

"We know that Ferrari cannot be happy with winning just one race so far this season, but it was important for the morale of everyone in the company to make sure that everyone feels the pleasant atmosphere that comes with being successful. I never considered a season without a win.

"Don't forget that in the last eighteen years, Ferrari has always won at least one grand prix per year. Eighteen years is a lot and I don't think that other teams can claim this sort of result."

McLaren has dismissed any speculation that team principal Martin Whitmarsh's job might be under threat following poor showings at Valencia and Silverstone.

Rumours had circulated in some areas of the press following the British Grand Prix that Whitmarsh's position could be in jeopardy if the team did not improve within a month.

McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale played down such talk however, insisting Whitmarsh is just as important to McLaren's long term future as Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

"Martin has done such a fantastic job for McLaren, and is a proven race winner and championship winner," Neale told a Vodafone phone-in on Wednesday.

"In terms of a succession plan, that's not something we are either going to publish or that we need to have ready in case there's a sudden exit. We want Martin, Lewis and Jenson here for the long term.

"I think (the speculation) is just part of the media circus and expectation - of course in a home grand prix if you don't deliver, which we didn't, then you have to expect a bit of comeback on that.

"We just looked at it internally, smiled and moved on."

Neale also brushed aside suggestions that Whitmarsh's duties as FOTA chairman may be a distraction, insisting that they actually benefited McLaren - and the other F1 teams – in the long term.

"I don't see FOTA being a distraction at all, I think it's an essential part of managing the sport and the job, and Martin handles it very well.

"When you look at the cohesion around the engine regulations, the ability to bring in some kind of resource restriction, developing a carbon friendly agenda – that stuff wouldn't have happened previously.

"Its part of doing the full job and I think he's done it well – which is why they've asked him to do it for this year as well as last year.

"There are no concerns on my behalf at all."

McLaren is confident that F1's adoption of pre-Silverstone diffuser regulations will allow it to once again lead the fight against Red Bull on the weekend.

Managing Director Jonathan Neale said the change of regulations at Silverstone had hit the Woking squad harder than either Red Bull or Ferrari, but promised his team would once again be in contention at the Nurburgring.

"When you look at Silverstone, the impact of the engine regulations and rules cost us more than both Ferrari and Red Bull - and that is a matter of fact, not opinion," Neale declared during a Vodafone phone-in on Wednesday.

"We probably went backwards relative to them by about 0.7 seconds, that's why we found ourselves dropping back. Up until then, we were the only ones putting up a creditable fight against Red Bull, having both drivers winning races.

"We're not by any means being complacent about the progress that Ferrari has made, or the development of Red Bull, but our job is to beat both of them and that's what we're going to do."

Neale insisted McLaren could overhaul its current points deficit to Red Bull – Hamilton sits 95 points behind Vettel in the drivers' standings, while McLaren lies 110 points adrift in the constructors' – but admitted the team would have to be aggressive and take risks to do so.

"F1 isn't something you can play safe in, it's about taking risks and getting the balance right," he said. "Clearly when you are coming from behind, as we and Ferrari are, then you have to work very hard at that.

"In terms of car development, it means that we have to push very hard to close the gap. It is about taking risks.

"Obviously in the latter part (of Silverstone) Fernando was able to show what he was able to do and the underlying pace of the Red Bull showed itself again. We're mindful of that, not at all complacent, but we're not too petrified."

Neale also insisted that McLaren would continue to devote all its efforts into improving the current car and catching Red Bull, saying: "This organisation exists to win races, and while it is mathematically possible to win the championship, it's possible.

"Even if it isn't, that's not to say we won't try and win races – its good for us, our drivers and it's what we're about. We're not going to make it easy for Red Bull, put it that way."

Jaime Alguersuari says he was never worried about losing his place in Formula 1 to Daniel Ricciardo this year - as he was always confident he would deliver enough to keep his Scuderia Toro Rosso bosses happy.

The Spaniard and his team-mate Sebastien Buemi started the campaign knowing that if they failed to deliver there was a high chance they could lose their place to new reserve Ricciardo.

But with both men having delivered strongly - and Alguersuari putting in a brilliant performance in the race in Valencia after a poor qualifying showing – in the end Ricciardo was slotted in at HRT.

Although it is understood that Alguersuari was the one who came closest to being dropped by Toro Rosso before his Valencia performance, with it likely that he would have been moved to HRT himself, the Spaniard has said he always had trust in his own abilities.

"If I would know that I was not doing well, if I would know that I could have done more from my side, then I would have been worried," Alguersuari told AUTOSPORT. "If I had done mistakes, crashes, or not been fast in the races or so, then it would have been different, but I knew I had something else.

"Working on the car set-up, and understanding the tyres this year, I knew from my side it was just a matter of time. It was coming. I am not Rubens [barrichello] or Fernando Alonso, who have loads of years in F1 and knows everything straight away. I got used to F1 and now it is completely different to last year. It is coming, and it is a matter of time.

"I will be much better at the end of the year and now it is coming better and better and better. That is why I say we have still not shown the best performance, even with some good results in the last few races.

"It is just a matter of confidence and staying calm. I know all the rumours were around the paddock, but I knew I was doing my best. I don't decide my future because I am not the boss from Red Bull, I am not Helmut, but I was confident it was a matter of time."

Alguersuari says it is important to judge his performances this year on his race performances rather than qualifying efforts – because he says his focus has been on delivering his best on Sunday afternoons.

"I have seen there is potential to work for a race car and not so much for qualifying, and you can see that in the races I am faster than qualifying," he explained.

"I am happy to do that because, in the end, the points I get at the end of the race and not on Saturday."

When asked if the speculation about his future being on the line had been a concern, Alguersuari said: "I am not worried about rumours. I have had pressure since I was 15 years old.

"It is always a matter of pressure in racing, but even if you do get out of a programme or go home, you need to be happy with yourself and be confident that you have done your best, and that is it.

"As soon as you have done your best you need to stay calm. That is why the results are coming because you need to stay focused and you need to stay calm. There is still potential to come, still things coming. It is just a matter of time."

Pirelli is planning to alter the shape of its rear tyres next year in order to improve the wear rates.

Although Pirelli has received positive feedback about how its tyres have performed in its return season, motorsport boss Paul Hembery says changes are planned for next year.

He said the tyres will be boxier in 2012 as a result of the search for improved wear.

"The shape, yes [will change]. To get better wear on the shoulder. It's hard to quantify by how much it's going to change," Hembery told AUTOSPORT.

"At the moment we're not utilising the full footprint there, which we knew about, but we had to try and block some of the development because we had so little time and we wanted to at least give the teams some fixed data that we're new to the sport and not wanting to keep making changes."

He made it clear the changes only come as a result of the Italian manufacturer seeking to get better performance out of its tyres.

"It's Pirelli wanting to improve its product, from our point of view, improve the wear, improve the shape of the wear profile across the tyre," he added.

[Katsuya]

Karun Chandhok is replacing Jarno Trulli in the Lotus this weekend. Apparently it was always in Chandhok's contract, but you've got to think that this is his test-run before they send Trulli off in to the wilderness at the end of the season. Rumour is that they'll put Chandhok in the car for the Indian GP too.

[Lineker]

I'm sure he will be in there for the Indian PP but at the same time Trulli has apparently 'accepted the decision' and is 'negotiating a contract extension'. Here's more:

Karun Chandhok will return to grand prix racing this weekend in Germany when he replaces Jarno Trulli at Team Lotus, it was announced on Thursday.

Chandhok, the second Indian driver to race in Formula 1 after Narain Karthikeyan, had been Lotus's reserve this season, getting behind the wheel of the car in practice for the Australian, Turkish, European and British Grands Prix.

The 27-year-old from Chennai had made his grand prix debut with the HRT team last year, and has not raced in F1 since the 2010 British Grand Prix. He was replaced by Japanese Sakon Yamamoto after that race.

Chandhok said: "Firstly I want to thank Tony Fernandes, Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin for giving me the chance to race this weekend for Team Lotus.

"Ever since I first joined the team I have been looking forward to this opportunity and I am determined to do my best to repay their faith in me and help the team progress, this season and for many years to come. I am approaching the weekend in a very realistic frame of mind.

"I will be doing my best to push and to make sure I learn as much as possible all weekend, take each session as it comes and work as closely as I can with the engineers and the whole team to do the best job I can.

"Whatever happens, I am very excited about lining up on the grid on Sunday and I know there will be millions of Indian fans, and Team Lotus fans around the world, who will be behind me and the whole team, so I will do the best I can to give them something to cheer for."

Trulli has endured a difficult season so far this year, struggling to get the best out of his car due to his problems with the power steering, which the Italian says doesn't give him enough feedback.

The veteran was hoping an update to be introduced in the Hungarian Grand Prix would help him overcome the issues.

"I'm looking forward to working with Karun this weekend and doing whatever I can to help him get the most out of his opportunity in Germany," said Trulli.

"It's great that the team is true to its word of helping develop young talent, particularly from parts of the word where it is even harder to break through into the top rung of motorsport, so I'll be there to give him guidance and assistance, in and out of the car."

Lotus boss Tony Fernandes says the team is in the process of negotiating a contract extension with Jarno Trulli, despite the Italian being replaced for this weekend's German GP.

The team announced on Thursday that Trulli will be replaced by Karun Chandhok in Germany as the Indian gets a chance to return to racing for the first time since last year's British Grand Prix.

Fernandes was thankful to Trulli for accepting the decision, and said the Italian is already in talks about a contract extension for next year.

"I want to take this chance to thank Jarno for helping make Karun's opportunity this weekend possible," said Fernandes. "He has been extremely accommodating in stepping to the side for this race and our commitment to him is unwavering.

"I am delighted to confirm that we are in the process of negotiating an extension to his contract with us and we are all looking forward to unveiling the details of that very soon.

"He is a key member of our team and I hope that we can give him a car as soon as possible that allows him to utilise his considerable talent to the full.

"For this weekend he will be on hand to lend his huge experience and support to Karun and I am sure Jarno, Heikki and Karun will do me, the whole team and all our fans very proud indeed."

Technical chief Mike Gascoyne added: "I am delighted that we are able to give Karun a full weekend in the car. He has been a very good addition to our driver line-up and now we are giving him a chance to take the next step in fulfilling his potential.

"Jarno will be stepping aside for him for this race and we will use Karun's feedback over the weekend as a comparison against Jarno's and Heikki's experiences this season with a number of aspects of the car, including the power steering system, to help us keep moving forward in 2011 and beyond.

"I am sure Karun will equip himself very well in this and in his performances in and out of the car all weekend. The whole team is looking forward to helping him get the most out of his time in the cockpit in Germany and it will be good to see him grab this chance and make the most of it."

[Katsuya]

It makes no sense to keep Jarno though. Admittedly he seems to be able to get off the line better than Heikki but Kovalainen is clearly the quicker of the two, plus Jarno isn't even winning the qualifying battle anymore. I'm pretty sure there's a host of younger drivers who would jump to get in the Lotus car and probably be better than Trulli.

[Lineker]

Agreed, but his experience is considered crucial to them when it comes to his feedback on the car, for development purposes. Having said that, you'd have expected him to conquer the steering column issue that Lotus has, if Heikki has been able to.

They should go for Heidfeld next year rather than him, imo.

[Katsuya]

I'm pretty sure Heidfeld is still going to be in the Renault. I just have a nasty feeling Kubica won't be back quick enough.

[Lineker]

He hasn't impressed that much there though. They're allegedly starting to consider replacing him with Grosjean for the remainder of the season.

[Lineker]

Karun Chandhok believes his return to racing this weekend is a good opportunity to try to secure a drive with Lotus next season.

The Indian driver, who had last raced in F1 in the 2010 British Grand Prix, is replacing Italian Jarno Trulli for this weekend's race at the Nurburgring.

Chandhok, whose deal is supposed to be a one-off, says he has his sights set on a full-time drive in 2012.

"I'd love to be back with Lotus next year," said Chandhok on Thursday. "I'd love to be here racing full-time next year.

"I think Tony [Fernandes] said he would love to have an Asian driver one day, but he's not just going to have me because of me.

"So it's a good chance for me to earn respect internally. I'm looking forward to it. I know the circuit from GP2, so that's one box ticked, but there's plenty of other things to learn."

The Indian, who has been the team's reserve this year, admitted he is keeping his expectations in check, and is aiming to outperform the Virgin and HRT drivers.

He conceded beating team-mate Heikki Kovalainen may be tall order.

"Fortunately I've done three days of straightline testing, and I've done Silverstone Friday, which was quite useful and we weren't so far away from the pace there," he said. "So realistically here, I'm taking it one step at the time, see how tomorrow goes.

"The forecast is changing all the time depending on who you talk to. It'd be nice to get two clean sessions and then see where we are. I think a realistic expectation would be to be ahead of those four [Virgin and HRT], but I think it'd be unrealistic to expect me to be ahead of Heikki."

He added: "As I said, as long as people within the team know what the expectations are, it's just a good chance for me to build a foundation to present the case. As long as they see progress from Friday to Sunday... That's what they want. Tony said to me that I should just show progress through the weekend. That's what they want."

The FIA has confirmed that a 15,000rpm rev limit will be imposed on Formula 1 engines from 2014 onwards.

Teams will switch from the current 2.4-litre naturally-aspirated V8s to V6 1.6-litre turbos in 2014. However, there had been concerns that the originally-planned rev limit of 12,000 rpm would detract from the spectacle.

Confirmation of the increase to 15,000, which formed part of the 2014 F1 Technical Regulations released by the FIA yesterday, will go some way toward allaying those fears.

Other changes include the requirement for drivers to be able to start the cars themselves, rather than relying on external starters.

Regulation 5.18 states: "It must be possible for the driver to start the engine at any time when seated normally at the wheel and without any external assistance."

The new rules also place an increasing importance upon alternative energy systems, including a requirement for cars to be operative entirely under electrical power when in pitlane.

According to rule 5.19: "The car must be run in electric mode (no ignition and no fuel supply to the engine) at all times when being driven in the pit lane."

Other areas to be affected by the change include the transmission, with a mandatory eight-speed gearbox to be introduced.

Rubens Barrichello is set for contract talks with Williams chairman Adam Parr during the German Grand Prix weekend, although admits that he is in no rush to finalise a deal.

Parr said two weeks ago that he is keen to keep the veteran Brazilian at the team for a third season next year. Barrichello admits that his first choice is to remain a Williams driver and that agreeing a deal should be "straightforward" even though it is unlikely to be finalised in German.

"We've emailed one another saying we would continue the conversation over here, so I'm looking forward to that," said Barrichello when asked by AUTOSPORT what the status of his contract talks are.

"It will be on the same basis as the last contract, so I don't think it will take very long.

"I'm just enjoying myself while I'm still driving. I need nothing more apart from my pleasure driving the car, so that makes me very cool to the point that if a late call is made, so be it."

Barrichello, who would enter his 20th season if he stays on in 2012, admits that he is relaxed about the situation.

He came close to dropping out of F1 entirely after Honda withdrew from F1 at the end of the 2008 season, and his position at Williams appears to be far more secure that what proved to be an eleventh hour to race for the Brawn team in 2009.

"Right now, I'm in a situation in my career that I'm enjoying very much because there's not the pressure like there was in 2008/2009 where I went for months without a drive," he said.

"All I want in my Formula 1 career is for a car that is competitive again for me to use all my knowledge and my speed to get to the top again and try to win the championship."

If Barrichello does agree a new deal, he is likely to partner Pastor Maldonado in 2012. The Venezuelan rookie has made a good impression with his speed despite failing to score any points so far this year and also brings significant sponsorship to the team.

Parr described retaining his current driver line up in 2012 as "vastly the most likely outcome".

Former Spanish Formula 1 driver Luis Perez Sala has been appointed an advisor to Thesan Capital, the Madrid-based investment company that acquired the HRT Formula 1 team earlier this month.

Perez Sala attended this year's British Grand Prix in order to carry out a report on the team for Thesan Capital.

The 52-year old has strong links to Luis Valls Taverner, owner of Banco Popular, which was involved in Jose Ramon Carabante's sale of Hispania to Thesan.

During 1988 and 1989, Perez Sala competed in Formula 1 for Minardi. More recently he has been involved in the Circuit de Catalunya's Young Driver programme.

The Joves Pilot scheme played an important role in the careers of, among others, Toro Rosso Formula 1 driver Jaime Alguersuari, DTM racer Miguel Molina and leading Formula 3 Euro Series contender Daniel Juncadella, who is also Perez Sala's nephew.

Paul di Resta has set himself and Force India a clear target of producing a perfect weekend as he bids to end a run of seven races without a point.

The Scot has impressed the paddock this season and has been linked to a move to a top team for next year.

But despite his strong qualifying record, beating more experience team-mate Adrian Sutil seven times in nine attempts, and some very strong race drives, a combination of bad luck and errors has prevented him finishing in the top 10 since the Malaysian Grand Prix in April.

The reigning DTM champion is confident that the improving Force India VJM04 is capable of taking more points, but that it depends on trouble-free running.

"We are a midfield team and things need to run exceptionally well because you need to get that break to get into the points," said di Resta when asked by AUTOSPORT whether he is frustrated at recent results.

"For whatever reason, it has not really panned out but in terms of performance, but we can certainly be relatively happy.

"It all needs to work out perfectly for it to happen for us, whereas some of the bigger teams can make a mistake and their performance gets them out of trouble. In the midfield, you need to be spot on.

"The good thing is that that speed has improved and our qualifying performance has been there. If we could just get a weekend where we run relatively normally, then we can pick up points."

Di Resta was in contention for points at Silverstone after qualifying a career-best sixth, but lost close to half-a-minute in the pits when the team asked him to abort his pitstop to allow Adrian Sutil to stop after suffering a puncture when the Scot was already in the pit entry.

At Valencia, his weekend was effectively ruined by reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg's crash during Friday morning practice, while in Canada he suffered damage and was then hit with a penalty after contact with Nick Heidfeld while attempting to take fourth place off the Renault driver.

Di Resta has admitted to making some mistakes, and is determined to replicate the early-season trouble-free runs that netted him 10th place finishes in Australia and Malaysia after being so close to more points in recent races.

"You always want to score points, but I know that it has been close," he said. "It has been out of my hands sometimes, but at the same time I've made some mistakes. The performance hasn't been good enough.

"We had the confusion at Silverstone, which was a big opportunity. But that's racing. I can't say where we would have ended up, but all I can say is that on lap 24 we were looking quite rosy."

Team principal Vijay Mallya has also called on the team to avoid mistakes if it is to live up to the potential that it has shown.

Michael Schumacher says he has been disappointed with Mercedes's first half of the Formula 1 season.

"Yes I am, absolutely," said Schumacher when asked if he was disappointed with his team's season so far ahead of the German Grand Prix.

"We all expected something different. Going to Australia we were very excited, having had a good winter test. It didn't work out the way but we hope to our improve game."

Schumacher and his team have failed to fight for top positions this year, despite high hopes following a strong end to winter testing.

The German is in 10th place in the standings with 28 points.

Schumacher says it is impossible for Mercedes to think about winning races right now, but he remains hopeful for the future.

"I don't think we are yet in a position to talk about winning races," he said."We are on the way, we steadily improve, although the results don't show it.

"If we see the organisation, what are the actions for the future, I am very optimistic. You have to progressively step up and that is what we are doing."

The seven-time champion is looking forward to enjoying a strong race this weekend at home, hopeful that new updates will help his team move forward.

"I have lots of good memories from this place and with the recent updates we hope to be able to improve our gain and give something to our fans," the German added.

"The weather as we pointed out before will be a subject and it will be interesting, but listening to our guys in terms of upgrades and positioning and coming back to the rules as they exist right now, it will be interesting to see what it means. There are lots of things to look forward to."

Sebastian Vettel admits the home support he is set to enjoy at the Nurburgring will give him an extra boost as he seeks his first F1 win on the circuit.

Vettel has never won on home soil in Formula 1, having been led home by Mark Webber in F1's previous visit to the Nurburgring in 2009 and been denied by a Ferrari 1-2 at Hockenheim last year.

The reigning world champion denied there was any extra pressure to take his first win this weekend, and instead believes a partisan home crowd will be a benefit to his weekend hopes.

"Many times people talk about pressure and things that can slow you down, but it is more positive than anything else," Vettel said.

"People everywhere support you and try to push you forward to maybe find this extra tenth or two.

"It's great to have this opportunity to race in front of my home country, and we have six drivers now - I am looking forward to it."

Vettel also played down the team orders row which reared its head in the final laps at Silverstone, saying that drivers had to race both for themselves and the team - a tricky distinction.

Asked if he would do the same as Webber, Vettel said: "It depends always the situation in the race. Last race there was nothing for us to gain as a team - Mark said he wanted to race, wanted to improve the position, but I didn't want to let him by and tried to defend.

"On one hand you want to race for yourself and on the other hand you try your best as a team.

"That stage is quite far away though - I would rather start tomorrow with FP1."

Although there have been three winners in the past three races, Vettel insisted he and the Red Bull team are approaching the weekend full of confidence.

"I think we have seen the true performance throughout the season already, I think we have a good chance," he reflected.

"At this stage everything looks fine and we are as confident as we can be. Last weekend unfortunately we were talking more about rules and rule changes rather than the race, but it should be clear right from the start, we focus on racing again – I am looking forward to it."

Mark Webber says he and Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel remain free to race each other, and claims the British Grand Prix situation was most likely a one-off.

The team was involved in a controversy over team orders at Silverstone after Webber was asked to stay behind Vettel in the closing stages of the race.

The Australian said after the event that he had decided to ignore the orders up to four times, even though he finished behind Vettel after all.

Webber said on Thursday in Germany that he and team boss Christian Horner had discussed the affair, with the Australian driver guaranteed Vettel would also have been ordered to stay behind had the situation been reversed.

Webber believes the Silverstone call was the "awkward one", and he insists Red Bull's drivers are still free to race each other.

"We had a chat straight after the race debrief," said Webber. "Christian put his view forward of how the situation built and he came to decision he made, and I put my case forward in how the situation built and we thought that we were both making the right decision, him to make the call for the team's interest and I was in a situation where I was trying to improve my own position.

"We spoke about it, he guaranteed me that it would have been the same situation the other way around if Seb was closing in on me, he would have still shut the race down. It was over pretty quick really."

He added: "If there is a similar situation, it is not often that you are closing in the last few laps, that was the awkward one I think.

"We are still free to race most of the time - it was an awkward one and it is not often that things like that happen in terms of the time of the race, and up until then we will be racing."

Webber says he decided to ignore the orders based on Horner's comments after the 2010 German Grand Prix, when the team boss said he would never stop his drivers from racing on the back of the controversy generated by Ferrari's decision to ask Felipe Massa to let team-mate Fernando Alonso through.

"That is why I made the decision at the time," said Webber. "I wasn't thinking about Hockenheim but I was thinking about trying to pass Sebastian. He was not having the best stint for him and I was having a reasonable stint so I was just trying to pass him, clearly there is a question you need to ask him – see how he feels about it now.

"Nothing really changes for me. I am comfortable with what I did at Silverstone."

He added: "The points are important but it is momentum and having the opportunity to improve. If Fernando is stopping on the last lap, which is unusual, but if he is...it makes it a bit more tricky. There are some questions that you guys need to ask Christian, which I cannot answer."

Webber insisted he still wants to stay at Red Bull, but admitted he is in no hurry to secure a new contract.

"I should still be driving in F1, not just the road car to get the groceries. I am relaxed at the moment, I am talking to the team and in a good position, performing very, very well and team doing a good job as well, so no rush. I will let you know when we make a decision.

"Silverstone will have zero impact on the contract. We have been talking for a while now and I think I could have been faster with my decision up until now but I haven't been."

Fernando Alonso insists Ferrari's pace at the British Grand Prix was real, and nothing to do with the regulation changes introduced there.

Alonso took Ferrari's first win of the season at Silverstone, after outperforming Red Bull duo Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.

The British track saw the introduction of the ban on off-throttle diffusers, a ban that has now been removed.

Alonso, however, says Ferrari's pace was the result of real progress and not the rule changes.

"The rule changes, as we said there, didn't change anything, because it's not like in Valencia we were tenth," said Alonso.

"We finished second in Valencia and first in Silverstone, so I don't think the rule changes were beneficial for anyone in particular."

He conceded, however, that his chances in the race were aided by the problems Vettel had during his pitstop.

"The pitstop problem helped in the race, because it's always harder to overtake on track," he said.

"In some races it's true they passed us during the pitstops because they were quicker than us and this time they were slower and we beat them this time. Sometimes they get it right and in Silverstone they got it wrong."

Alonso also said Ferrari will need to confirm in Germany that it has also improved its qualifying form, after he finished just a tenth of Red Bull in Britain.

"We'll have to confirm it here. There's no doubt in Silverstone we were a tenth away, but we only had one run and it rained when we were on the second set of tyres. We don't know if they were holding something back and maybe the gap would have been bigger with the second run.

"We'll see here. Qualifying is important, but the race is where the points are awarded and that's what we focus on."

Felipe Massa hopes that Ferrari can carry its race-winning Silverstone form into the Nurburgring, a track he has enjoyed success on in the past.

Ferrari's competitiveness in the British Grand Prix was masked slightly by the diffuser rule changes, but the Scuderia has brought further changes to Germany and Massa is confident it can be competitive once again.

"We brought a good amount of parts to Silverstone and it was the first track where we have managed to use the hard tyres well," Massa said.

"We did a good job there, being competitive in all situations. Here we have another small update and I hope we can be on the pace of the best again this weekend."

Massa is also counting on Ferrari's strong previous form in Germany, having finished on the podium at the Nurburgring in 2009 and at Hockenheim in 2010.

"Two years ago, the last time we were here at the Nurburgring I finished third," he added.

"In fact I have had many podiums with Ferrari at the German Grand Prix and I like this track, so even if the win is what we are always aiming for, another podium would be a good result on Sunday.

"I think a podium in the German Grand Prix, racing for Ferrari - I hope we can continue like that. It's a track I like, and I hope we can see a very good competitive fight here like we saw at Silverstone."

Jenson Button says he and his McLaren team are not afraid of anything that Red Bull Racing and Ferrari can throw at them this weekend - as he predicts a return to form for the Woking-based outfit.

Despite disappointing showings in the last two races, Button believes that updates to the car, plus the lifting of the ban on the off-throttle use of blown diffusers should help McLaren bounce back at the German Grand Prix.

"The last two races have been pretty tough for us in terms of points," he explained. "I think the blown diffuser compared to the Ferraris hurt us a little bit, as I think we are probably doing a better job with our diffuser than maybe a lot of other teams. So when they took away the blowing, that hurt us a lot, so having that back should help us.

"I think it will help Red Bull as well, but I don't think we are scared of anyone this weekend, and I don't think there will be anyone who has a big advantage over us. We come here with some updates, and we are going back to the old regulations - so I am looking forward to this race."

When asked by AUTOSPORT if he believed McLaren would have the form that helped it challenge Red Bull as recently as Spain and Canada, Button said: "I am hoping better, and I think we will be better if we get everything working and everything works as we expected.

"I think we will be on good form here and we can really challenge the Red Bulls and Ferraris. Qualifying might still be reasonably difficult but I don't know – we have to wait and see. I think our race pace will be very good."

Button reckons that Ferrari's form at Silverstone was flattered by both the characteristics of the circuit and the blown diffuser clampdown that hurt both McLaren and Red Bull Racing's competitive form.

"I think Ferrari was very quick at Silverstone because they have a good car around high speed circuits," he said. "They also had some good upgrades and the engine mapping changes, I am sure it helped them – because suddenly they were so much faster than Red Bull and us. In the race Red Bull and us were quite similar to what it was in the past, but not Ferrari – suddenly it was a big step for them."

Although McLaren's recent troubles have prompted criticism in the press about its season and speculation about the future of team principal Martin Whitmarsh, Button says the mood at the factory is actually very upbeat.

"There is a good atmosphere, even though we had a tough time last weekend and we had a tough race the weekend before," he said. "There is still a really good atmosphere and I think it just goes to show that a lot of the stuff that has been written about Martin for example is not correct.

"There is a great atmosphere and we all respect Martin very much. He is a very passionate guy in terms of the sport and I think he is a very intelligent guy who does a great job, he gets the troops in order and is very positive. I am very happy with the way things are going, and obviously tough races, we all have them, but we can move on and up."

Thursday's press conference:

DRIVERS - Timo GLOCK (Virgin), Nick HEIDFELD (Renault), Nico ROSBERG (Mercedes), Michael SCHUMACHER (Mercedes), Adrian SUTIL (Force India), Sebastian VETTEL (Red Bull).

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q. Timo, earlier on this year you called for some sort of change of direction with the Marussia Virgin Racing team. Are you happy with recent developments?

Timo Glock: To be honest on track definitely in terms of the performance of the car I think we are not where we want to be, but in terms of changes for the future I am happy. The commitment the team made and the announcement of the partnership with McLaren is a positive sign for the future. At the moment operating on track we are getting the maximum out of our package, more than 100 per cent sometimes and it is a bit unfortunate that people don't see it that we are doing a good job at the back but that's how it is. We have to make the best for next year.

Q. When would you expect to see improvement then? Not until next year?

TG: It is difficult to say, depends on how quickly we can really start in terms of looking into this year's car. If we find quick improvement I think we can manage to bring an update at the end of the year, but it is too early to say. I just hope we can do a proper job in terms of the development for the 2012 year and if we have something for the 2011 year it would be great.

Q. Nick, we understand the team has recently upgraded its wind tunnel from 50 per cent to 60 per cent. Has that held up things and are you expecting now to see progress?

Nick HEIDFELD: Yes, definitely it slowed things down a bit but in the long term it is definitely a benefit. After we changed that, already we understood more and saw a few more directions we could develop into. We are actually bringing some bigger parts for the Nurburgring race here onto the car which hopefully will work straight away. The figures look good but it is quite big so it is going to be interesting to see the data from the circuit. I hope even more than usual we will have dry conditions as in the wet it will be more tricky to find out.

Q. It is interesting to hear from some people that you are still considered as a stand-in driver for Robert (Kubica). Obviously you would like to hold onto your drive for next year. What do you need to do?

NH: Well as always in Formula One you just do the best job you can. I try to deliver on the circuit and then you hold talks and see how it goes. So far I think the season has gone quite well. We have had some problems over the last couple of races but were still able with the team to hold onto some points. We try to fight Mercedes, but not Sebastian, he is a bit too far a way. But trying to beat Mercedes. They just overtook us on the last race and that's what we are targeting.

Q. Adrian, your thoughts on the team's and your performance at this half -way juncture in the championship?

Adrian SUTIL: I would say a difficult start to the season, but we knew that after the winter test. Now we are creeping up, getting better and better, so I think the next half of the season is going to be our season. That's what we are fighting for. It is not too bad. We wanted to have a bit more points, of course. I think we missed a big opportunity in Montreal and also at the last race in Silverstone. The cars were running fine. We were both, me and Paul (di Resta) were in the points but then we had a little issue in the pit-stops and strategy didn't work out so well. But the potential is there. You can really feel we are really close to the Q3. Sometimes we are able to go into Q3 and then the race pace is there as well. Not too unhappy, but know we have to show it on track again and score a lot of points for the next few races.

Q. What does it mean for you to be racing here, your home grand prix? It could be a wet weekend. Huge number of fans expected and a quarter of the field is coming from the host country.

AS: Yeah, the Nurburgring for me is something special. It is the home of motor racing here in Germany. It is so beautiful and it is a real historical, old circuit and the atmosphere is very special anyway all around this area. I did my licence here, my race licence in the Nurburgring as well many years ago. It is a place where I always like to go. My family also is close to this place and so it is my real home grand prix.

Q. Did you learn sledging here like, as Nick said, he learnt to sledge here as well?

NH: And bicycle.

AS: Not yet, no, no. A lot of rain here, that's normal, so you need to take shorts, you need to take rain jackets probably winter jackets altogether. Your suitcase is always very big here.

Q. Michael, recently the message coming from Mercedes seemed to be very, very positive, very optimistic. The recent upgrades seemed to give you, both drivers, and the management as well a lot of hope. What are your feelings about it?

Michael SCHUMACHER: Yes, well certainly we very much look forward to this weekend. Despite the upgrades, in particular hearing that we have almost sold out Nurburgring weekend. Ticket sales are going very well. Coming here as the German national team, Mercedes and us two drivers, it is going to be a very special weekend. I have lots of good memories from this place and with the recent updates we hope to be able to improve our game and give something to our fans here. The weather as you pointed out before is going to be a subject and it is going to be interesting but, listening to our guys in terms of upgrade and positioning where we could be, coming back to the rules as they exist right now it will be interesting to find out what does that mean to the individual teams and where that is going to move us. So lots of things to look forward to and it is going to be an exciting weekend.

Q. Everyone is waiting for your first win since your comeback.

MS: Me too.

Q. How far away is it?

MS: Well I don't think we are in a position yet to talk about winning races. We are on the way. We steadily improve although maybe results don't show it but if I see in terms of the organisation how we equip ourselves, how we move forward, what's the actions for the future, I am very optimistic to be quite honest. It wasn't initially a long term project for me when I signed up but after a while I understood it is going to be and there is nothing that you can rush through. You have to progressively step up and that's what we are doing.

Q. Sebastian, your first home grand prix as World Champion. What does that mean to you?

Sebastian VETTEL: Well I mean generally after winning the championship last year coming here it is not that different to two years ago or last year in Hockenheim. It is always great first of all to have the opportunity to race in your home country, in front of your home crowd. We are six drivers now so we all share that feeling this weekend and I am looking forward to it. Many times people talk about extra pressure or things that could slow you down but to be honest I think it is more positive than anything else to have people in the grandstands, people outside the paddock and inside the paddock as well support you and trying to push you forward to allow you to find maybe this extra tenth or two around the lap.

Q. The results of the last three grands prix, you have been a winner, McLaren have been a winner and Ferrari have been a winner. The regulations have slightly changed as well. Are you going to find out this weekend, or is it going to be next weekend in Hungary, where the true performance is and where the true position is?

SV: Well I think we have seen the true performance throughout the season so far already. We have had enough races to judge. Last weekend unfortunately we were discussing or we were talking more about rules and rule changes rather than the racing. But from here it should be clear right from the start so there is not a lot to talk about in that regard and we focus on racing again. I think it has been fairly tight all year, especially as you said especially the last three races with three different teams winning, so for here it is difficult to say who will be strongest. We are here to find out but I think we have a good chance. We seem to like the track. We had a very good race two years ago, very, very good race pace so we will see. Since then things have changed. I think we have learned a lot. At this stage everything looks fine. We are as confident as we can be and I, in particular, am looking forward to the race on Sunday.

Q. Nico, first of all I believe you were meant to drive the W196 around the Nordschleife this morning or maybe yesterday. Did it happen and what was it like?

Nico ROSBERG: Yeah, it was this morning. It was a very, very special experience for me to drive the car which (Juan Manuel) Fangio had his first win in a Mercedes in 1954 and around the Nordschleife. It was just a part of it, but still it was very, very nice. Even I must say I didn't know what to expect. To drive the car was fun. It feels like a go-kart and the position is cool. The gear shifting, very easy to shift and everything, so it was great. The only thing was the driving position which was very strange. A big steering wheel and the pedals completely right and left as there was the big gearbox in the middle, right between your legs, so it was quite strange.

Q. Like the question to Michael, the progress of Mercedes and also driving for virtually the national team this weekend.

NR: Of course, all that comes together. As I say this morning to see the history of the team and then to drive the Silver Arrow here in the Nurburgring in front of the home crowd is a great experience. For us performance wise this weekend is about consolidating our upgrade that we brought to Silverstone so there are another few bits and pieces just to make sure that is working well and so, as Michael said already, we are genuinely optimistic that we can move forward from here and that we are going to progress. That's why I hope I can put in a very good result here at home.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q. (Frédéric Ferret - L'Equipe) Michael and Sebastian, you are two World Champions, can you rate one another's seasons and both of you, do you think that Sebastian could become the next Michael Schumacher?

SV: I can rate many seasons by Michael, he did a lot of seasons and he obviously won the Championship seven times. Obviously he's sitting next to me, so whatever I say, he can hear as well but I don't think we have to go through all this again. You have been there for most of the time as well so I think you remember. He had very good seasons, but he also had seasons where he was in a bit of trouble and came out of it, made huge progress with the team and himself, even though he didn't win the championship.

And on the second question - yeah, I'm not his brother, he has one already. Surely, for all of us, except Michael, we will always be compared to him and left with his big footsteps or footprints, but it will be very, very difficult to catch up. Everything he achieved is quite phenomenal, so the question is not only if there will ever be a German achieving that again, the question is if there will ever again be a driver in Formula One achieving what he has done.

MS: Well, as he talked about footsteps, I think we both have similar sized shoes so it should be good.

Q. (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) To all drivers, six drivers means 25 per cent of the grid; why do you have so many German drivers in Formula One?

MS: Why? At the moment, I think the general reason is that we have a huge German industry for cars that is interested in Formula One and that in the past – not only Mercedes but other manufacturers – have invested in Formula One and have invested in young driver programmes and still do. So motor sport in general is of a much higher importance than it used to be and there are lots of schools and talent scouts to find the drivers of the future. Luckily, because of this possibility there is a big mass of drivers anyway who do go-karts, do many, many kinds of categories, so we were lucky to establish the final six ones that you see at the moment here. This is part of the reason that finances and support have been given to us and the opportunities have been given. But then, why did we have, at certain moments, so many Brazilian drivers, so many Italian drivers? I think it's a sort of phase of life that you go through. Why were there more than 10 Italian drivers – I think even 12 or 14 Italian drivers when I started Formula One? Why we have almost none at the moment, apart from Jarno (and Vitantonio Liuzzi)? I don't know, whether it's just because of the financial side or whether there are other reasons or it's just coincidence.

SV: I agree with what Michael says. In a way, it's also as he said, sometimes you have more Italian drivers, there are a lot of French drivers. At the moment we have one Italian (two), no French drivers. I think it changes naturally, but surely, I think for the future, it will be even more important, very difficult. I still believe we have great categories in Germany, giving chances to young drivers, but overall, I think motorsport becomes very expensive from an early age, so you need strong people behind you to support you so unfortunately it's no longer as open as maybe it used to be, just because you need so much money right from the start to go karting. I hope that in the future, there will be manufacturers like Michael said, or individual companies supporting young kids and giving them the chance to, one, have fun, and secondly, maybe live their dream and end up in Formula One or DTM or whatever.

NR: Surely, Michael himself is also responsible for there being so many good Germans in racing, because he's the one who gave the sport such a boom in Germany, and then there's a knock-on effect from there, that more kids want to start racing, there's more money to support them and everything.

Q. (Gary Chappell – The Daily Express) Sebastian, you probably won many fans with your impressions of other drivers on Top Gear (UK TV show) recently. How determined are you to do an impression of, say, Mark Webber and win at the Nurburgring here and claim your first home win?

SV: I think the impression I did was about what happened in the past, so it's a bit more difficult to predict what is going to happen in the future. I really enjoyed the show, it was great fun, not just the lap I did in the Reasonably Priced Car but also afterwards. Obviously I've now had two full years with Mark and am now in the third year alongside him and I still sometimes struggle to understand everything he says, whereas I get quite familiar with all the accents we have in the garage, with people from the UK, even from Ireland and I get along quite well; with Mark's accent here and there I still struggle, so it's not an easy one to copy either.

Q. (Marc Ellerich – Sport1) Mr Schumacher, there are reports that maybe it's the last time that the Grand Prix will take place at the Nurburgring. What is your comment on that?

MS: It would be a shame.

Q. (Adam Hay-Nicholls – Metro) Adrian, I heard you went to the Nordschleife yesterday and had a small accident with a rather expensive car. Is that true?

AS: It was on Tuesday, yes.

Q. (Adam Hay-Nicholls – Metro) Can you tell us what happened?

AS: Well, it was made up to be very dramatic but it was just a technical problem that I had. I went out of the pits and something was broken at the rear of the car so I lost control at a very slow speed and I touched a barrier at about 10km/h and that's it. Nothing really major was broken. I stopped the car there because it was not good to go back to the pits like that and I changed the car. There were a few more cars there, same ones and I had a good day, three great laps in this Gumpert Apollo, a very fast car, very amazing around this place and that was it. When I read the newspaper the next day, I was laughing really hard because they said I lost all my teeth and I just made it out of the carbon wreck of this car and I thought, OK, well, that was lucky then. So I'm in one piece and in good shape and it was just nothing to mention, really.

Q. (Walter Costa – Saarbrücker Zeitung) Michael, at the beginning of this season, you announced that 'this year we will be stronger, we will be better.' Do you remember your points and place after nine races last year? I can tell you. Thirty four points in ninth place and this year, 28 points in tenth place. Are you disappointed until now?

MS: Yes, I am, yeah, absolutely. I think we all expected something different, as we all remember coming to Australia, to the first race and we were very excited, having had a good winter test and then it didn't transform. Now we all know the reason and now we are on the way to improve our game, but as I mentioned at the beginning and have done so very often, it's a mission and the mission unfortunately doesn't always go in one line upwards. It's like a stock market: before it goes up, it falls down a couple of times and the general trend, what I can see in the factory, the progress that we are making in terms of the infrastructure, how the team is building up, I see very good signs that we can make it.

Q. (Gary Chappell – The Daily Express) Sebastian again, if you're coming into the last few corners on Sunday behind Mark Webber, chasing victory at your home Grand Prix...

SV: Or Michael.

Q. (Gary Chappell – The Daily Express) Well, maybe, but if…

SV: What do you mean, maybe?

Q. (Gary Chappell – The Daily Express) But if you're told by your team to maintain the gap behind Mark, what do you think you will do?

SV: I think it always depends on the situation in the race. Obviously I know where you're coming from. I don't think there was anything for us to gain as a team in the last race. Fernando was quite far away and whoever was fourth, Felipe or Lewis, they were battling, they were quite far away from us, so as a team there was nothing to gain. Surely, as Mark said, he wanted to race, he wanted to improve that one position. I didn't want to let him by, I tried to defend. Surely, if he would have been useless in terms of if I would have had no chance any more, then there's no point because at the end of the day he's my team-mate, I move over and let him go. It depends, as I said, on the situation. On the one hand you want to race for yourself and on the other hand you try the best for the team. To be honest, I don't think there's much we have to talk through and go through again. On Sunday, obviously for that to happen, first of all we have to have a lot of good laps to then be in a position to fight against each other for the victory, so I think that stage is quite far away so I would rather start tomorrow morning with free practice one and go from there.

Q. (Ralf Bach – Autobild Motorsport) Sebastian, why the hell do you have 80 points more than Mark Webber this year?

SV: I think I've finished in better positions in the races so far.

Q. (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) Sebastian, the blown diffuser is back, do you think we will have a similar situation to Valencia here or similar to Silverstone?

SV: First of all, I think you need to see that Valencia and Silverstone are very, very different from each other. At Valencia, there are no really fast corners and there are hardly any slow speed corners at Silverstone – just a couple in the new layout – but the circuits are very different to each other. It's difficult to say. Here you have a bit of both, a bit of slow speed, more than in Silverstone, and more high speed than in Valencia, so I would say right in the middle, but we need to see. At this stage, after Silverstone, it was very difficult to say OK, now because of the rule change, that's why Ferrari was quick, that's why – I don't know – McLaren was maybe a little bit worse that weekend. I don't think that was the reason. In the end, we all lost a little bit. It's difficult to measure. Now we go back to where we have been in Valencia, so I think, generally, we didn't change the world switching the blown exhaust or the blown diffusers on and off. As I said, the most important thing is that we focus on the racing again.

[Lineker]

Fernando Alonso kept his momentum going following his British Grand Prix win by topping the times in the opening practice session for the German GP on Friday.

The Ferrari driver, who scored his first win of the season at Silverstone two weeks ago, was the only man to lap the Nurburgring circuit in the 1m31s.

Alonso finished ahead of Red Bull duo Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, who were over three tenths slower than the Spaniard.

Ferrari completed a solid start to the weekend thanks to Felipe Massa's fourth fastest time, the Brazilian outpacing the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton, who was fifth fastest but over a second off Alonso's pace.

Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg, Adrian Sutil, Nico Hulkenberg and Michael Schumacher completed the top 10.

Renault's Nick Heidfeld was the first driver to complete a timed lap after 20 minutes, the German trying out the new rear-facing exhaust system introduced by the team this weekend.

Local hero Nico Rosberg jumped to the top of the times moments later with a lap of 1m35.11s, before he was demoted by Hamilton, who lapped in the 1m34s only to improve by over 1.4 seconds on his following lap. A few minutes later, the Briton moved into the 1m32s, leaving Rosberg two seconds off his pace.

Hamilton was relegated to second place with some 52 minutes of the session to go, when Vettel outpaced him by two tenths of a second in the Red Bull.

Alonso leaped to the top of the timesheets just after the one-hour mark, the Spaniard stopping the clock at 1m32.037s. The Ferrari driver improved even further on his following lap, moving into the 1m31s and outpacing Webber by over two tenths, the Australian having jumped to second.

The session was yellow-flagged with less than a minute to go when Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi went off the track at high speed at Turn 5. The Swiss driver was lucky to avoid contact with anything and his car ended up stuck on the gravel.

Karun Chandhok made his debut as an official racing driver for Team Lotus, the Indian having a rather productive session on his way to the 21st quickest time of the day. He finished two seconds behind team-mate Heikki Kovalainen.

Chandhok's countryman Narain Karthikeyan was back in action after losing his HRT seat to Daniel Ricciardo, replacing Tonio Liuzzi for the opening session.

The circuit was covered by a grey clouds during the 90 minutes, but rain held off for the whole session.

FP1


Pos  Driver                Team                  Time               Laps

 1.  Fernando Alonso       Ferrari               1m31.894s           30

 2.  Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault      1m32.217s  + 0.323  24

 3.  Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault      1m32.268s  + 0.374  27

 4.  Felipe Massa          Ferrari               1m32.681s  + 0.787  23

 5.  Lewis Hamilton        McLaren-Mercedes      1m32.996s  + 1.102  18

 6.  Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes      1m33.628s  + 1.734  22

 7.  Nico Rosberg          Mercedes              1m33.787s  + 1.893  33

 8.  Adrian Sutil          Force India-Mercedes  1m33.832s  + 1.938  27

 9.  Nico Hulkenberg       Force India-Mercedes  1m33.858s  + 1.964  26

10.  Michael Schumacher    Mercedes              1m33.863s  + 1.969  31

11.  Vitaly Petrov         Renault               1m34.094s  + 2.200  22

12.  Jaime Alguersuari     Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m35.115s  + 3.221  23

13.  Sebastien Buemi       Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m35.371s  + 3.477  20

14.  Rubens Barrichello    Williams-Cosworth     1m35.389s  + 3.495  24

15.  Nick Heidfeld         Renault               1m35.444s  + 3.550  22

16.  Sergio Perez          Sauber-Ferrari        1m36.371s  + 4.477  22

17.  Heikki Kovalainen     Lotus-Renault         1m36.392s  + 4.498  29

18.  Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Cosworth     1m36.842s  + 4.948  29

19.  Kamui Kobayashi       Sauber-Ferrari        1m36.882s  + 4.988  27

20.  Narain Karthikeyan    HRT-Cosworth          1m38.504s  + 6.610  22

21.  Karun Chandhok        Lotus-Renault         1m38.765s  + 6.871  19

22.  Daniel Ricciardo      HRT-Cosworth          1m39.279s  + 7.385  24

23.  Timo Glock            Virgin-Cosworth       1m40.109s  + 8.215  23

24.  Jerome D-Ambrosio     Virgin-Cosworth       1m40.428s  + 8.534  22


All Timing Unofficial[/code]




Mark Webber was quickest for Red Bull in the second Friday practice session for the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring.



After Fernando Alonso had led the way this morning, Ferrari was once again the pacesetter for much of the session.



Felipe Massa was quickest for a lengthy spell early on, before his team-mate Alonso produced a 1m31.879s just after the halfway mark.



But his time on top only last a few minutes before Webber (Red Bull) lapped in 1m31.770s. He then cooled his tyres for a while before putting in a 1m31.711s just before the one-hour mark, which kept him ahead for the rest of the day.



Alonso, who also had a quick visit to the gravel and a sideways moment over the hairpin kerbs dodging Michael Schumacher's Mercedes, remained second, ahead of the second Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel, and Massa.



The two Mercedes made late jumps to complete the top six, Schumacher ahead of Nico Rosberg. The latter had a high-speed trip through the Turn 6 gravel without damage.



The best of the McLarens was back in seventh in Lewis Hamilton's hands, while Jenson Button had to sit out the final 20 minutes with an issue on a development exhaust and was only 11th.



Renault's Nick Heidfeld and Vitaly Petrov were eighth and ninth, followed by Adrian Sutil's Force India.



Both Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastien Buemi missed most of the session. The Hispania parked up after just five laps with smoke from its rear, while a misfire on the Toro Rosso prevented Buemi from setting a time at all.



In a session that saw plenty of light visits to run-off areas, the only other incidents of note were a gravel trip by Heikki Kovalainen's Lotus and a spin over the damp grass for Virgin driver Timo Glock.





[code]FP2


Pos  Driver                Team                   Time              Laps

 1.  Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault       1m31.711s   	      34

 2.  Fernando Alonso       Ferrari                1m31.879s  + 0.168  38

 3.  Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault       1m32.084s  + 0.373  28

 4.  Felipe Massa          Ferrari                1m32.354s  + 0.643  36

 5.  Michael Schumacher    Mercedes               1m32.411s  + 0.700  31

 6.  Nico Rosberg          Mercedes               1m32.557s  + 0.846  32

 7.  Lewis Hamilton        McLaren-Mercedes       1m32.724s  + 1.013  28

 8.  Nick Heidfeld         Renault                1m33.098s  + 1.387  17

 9.  Vitaly Petrov         Renault                1m33.138s  + 1.427  22

10.  Adrian Sutil          Force India-Mercedes   1m33.211s  + 1.500  34

11.  Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes       1m33.225s  + 1.514  17

12.  Paul di Resta         Force India-Mercedes   1m33.299s  + 1.588  34

13.  Sergio Perez          Sauber-Ferrari         1m34.113s  + 2.402  34

14.  Rubens Barrichello    Williams-Cosworth      1m34.344s  + 2.633  34

15.  Jaime Alguersuari     Toro Rosso-Ferrari     1m34.487s  + 2.776  37

16.  Kamui Kobayashi       Sauber-Ferrari         1m34.491s  + 2.780  35

17.  Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Cosworth      1m34.996s  + 3.285  35

18.  Heikki Kovalainen     Lotus-Renault          1m35.753s  + 4.042  42

19.  Timo Glock            Virgin-Cosworth        1m36.940s  + 5.229  32

20.  Karun Chandhok        Lotus-Renault          1m37.248s  + 5.537  33

21.  Jerome D-Ambrosio     Virgin-Cosworth        1m37.313s  + 5.602  33

22.  Tonio Liuzzi          HRT-Cosworth           1m38.145s  + 6.434  31

23.  Daniel Ricciardo      HRT-Cosworth           1m40.737s  + 9.026   5

24.  Sebastien Buemi       Toro Rosso-Ferrari     No time              3


All Timing Unofficial

Ferrari, Mercedes GP and Force India had to make minor modifications to their driver overalls ahead of first practice for the German GP after the FIA believed their old versions to be in contravention of the regulations.

FIA's regulations state that a badge that confirms drivers' overalls comply with the governing body's safety standards should be 'embroidered' onto the neck collar.

However, the overall suppliers of the three teams involved in the matter are believed to have used a screen printing process instead - which is not strictly allowed under the wording of the rules.

Appendix III of the FIA's document about FIA Standard 8856-2000 which relates to protective clothing for automobile drivers, states: "The label shall be embroidered directly onto the outermost label of the outer garment and on the rear of the collar so as to be easily visible."

The three teams involved in the matter were told on Friday night that by the time the drivers left the pitlane they should be wearing overalls that complied with the rules - with all doing so.

It is not clear why the issue of the labels was only picked up on the eve of the German Grand Prix, with teams having used the screen-printed versions of their labels for many races.

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has admitted for the first time that he did pay money to banker Gerhard Gribkowsky - but says he only did so because he was 'threatened' over other financial matters.

Gribkowsky was charged this week for having allegedly accepted a $44 million bribe in relation to the sale of F1 by the Bayerische Landesbank.

Ecclestone has been investigated by German prosecutors over his role in the matter, and speaking to The Daily Telegraph he said that he did pay over money - but only because Gribkowsky threatened to expose some of his financial dealings to the Inland Revenue.

"The [inland] Revenue obviously had to check everything," Ecclestone said. "It took five years going through that. I didn't deal with it. The trust had to show it was correct.

"The taxation people in England at the time were in the middle of settling everything with the trust and the last thing you need is for them to start thinking something different. He [Gribkowsky] was shaking me down and I didn't want to take a risk. Nothing was wrong with the trust. Nothing at all.

"He never said to me if you don't give me this I will say that. He left me with the fact that could he do it or not."

Although Ecclestone insists he had nothing to hide from the Inland Revenue, he elected to pay Gribkowsky because any investigations would have cost him money.

Ecclestone said he consulted his lawyers for advice on what to do.

"They said 'I tell you what would happen, the Revenue would assess you and you would have to defend it, because you could defend it, and you would be three years in court and it would cost you a fortune. Better pay'."

He added: "I never bribed anybody or paid any money to anybody in connection with the company. I got five per cent for the sale of the company. Bayerische Landesbank approved the sale and approved the commission, which was cheap.

"I should have got more because for that sort of deal a bank would have charged a lot more. There were no secrets."

Renault says that it will not be afraid to ditch the forward-facing exhaust concept that it pioneered if a new rear design proves to be better.

Although the team's R31 was built around the idea of forward-facing exists to make the most of blowing air under the car, the team suspects that there could be advantages from a Red Bull Racing-style blown diffuser instead.

A test of an initial design at Duxford last month provided some promising feedback on the design and, as AUTOSPORT revealed, the team is experimenting with rearward facing exhausts in practice at the Nurburgring after fitting it to Nick Heidfeld's car.

Renault technical director James Allison says the team is not hung up on pursuing either concept, despite the investment it has made in the forward system, and the decision will ultimately be made on which design it thinks is quicker.

"You commit to a layout before you turn the wheel, and we know that at the point where we committed to the forward exhausts it was head and shoulders better than the rearward exhaust configurations at the time," he told AUTOSPORT.

"We tried dozens of each design, we committed to the forward exhausts, and it worked reasonably well for us. We had a tolerably competitive car.

"However, as we headed into 2012 we had to know if we had chosen the right direction, so we tried the rearward exhausts during one of our straight-line testing days. The purpose of that was to make sure that we were not heading down a blind alley with the forward exhausts.

"It had been scheduled for a while and, in between the scheduling and the test, the whole blown diffuser exhausts shenanigans kicked off, and that outcome of that was that we took all of the worries out of the exhausts for next year because you will not be able to blow the floor.

"The rearward exhausts were not really relevant any more, but we ploughed on anyway with the tests - especially as our car is not on pole and clearly other cars were going quite a bit quicker with the design.

"At the test we saw some interesting numbers, numbers that were sufficiently interesting, that we thought we would bring it to Germany, run it around a track and then see what the driver says."

When asked if it could race this weekend, Allison said: "Yes. If it makes the car go quicker, but we would need to have a good improvement, and we would also have to be confident on its reliability. We just want some answers to the questions we got out of Duxford."

As well as the exhaust experiments this weekend, Renault is introducing a raft of other updates to its R31 at the Nurburgring as part of a package of updates that are coming for the next few races.

Nick Heidfeld says Renault will decide on Friday night whether he continues using the new exhaust system introduced in Germany.

Heidfeld tested a rear-facing exhaust concept the team has been evaluating following the debut of its radical forward-facing system at the start of the year.

The German driver, eighth quickest today, said the new system had a lot of potential, but admitted there were still issues with it.

The team will decide later tonight if it runs it during the rest of the weekend.

"We can see a lot of potential with it, but it is not working perfectly at the moment. There is a lot of work to do," said Heidfeld.

"The car definitely feels different with it, and it is quite a big change from what we had before. We have to work quite a bit on it, so we will look at the data later and then see what we do."

Mercedes GP thinks there is little point is talking up the potential of its new car upgrades - because the only thing that matters is delivering a performance step on track.

The Brackley-based outfit introduced a Red Bull Racing-style blown diffuser for the last race at Silverstone, and its form in the race lifted hopes about the steps forward the team can make over the second half of the season.

With further upgrades being introduced at this weekend's German GP, Mercedes GP is hoping that it can keep hold of its fourth place in the Constructors' Championship now – but motorsport boss Norbert Haug says there is no benefit to making bold claims in public.

"We need to prove it on the race track," Haug told AUTOSPORT. "It does not make sense if I announce what we hope to achieve. We are working on it. But we will only see when we drive and when we are competing against the others.

"This is a completely different layout, with lots of parts, and lots of different capabilities and demands. Here we have some consolidation of what we introduced at Silverstone – with the exhaust and other small bits and pieces with the rear wing."

With developments now delivering progress on track, Haug believes that the whole infrastructure of Mercedes GP is working much better as it beds down – which should deliver more success in the future.

"If you build up a team, and we are in the second year, you need time to learn to bring people together, to form a stable platform and all that.

"We were struggling in the first two races, but the third race looked quite favourable as we saw when we were leading, but did not have enough fuel.

"The Canada race looked quite good so there were some good showings, but we need to stabilise it and consolidate it."

Kamui Kobayashi says he has had to change his approach at Sauber this year because of his position as team leader.

With his Swiss team electing to hand Sergio Perez his F1 debut this year, Kobayashi found himself as the outfit's most experienced driver so was leant on more for car development.

Kobayashi has relished that opportunity and, after finishing in the points at the first seven races of the campaign, he is eager to keep building on his growing maturity.

"I am more confident this year," Kobayashi said, speaking to AUTOSPORT about his feelings on the way the season has gone. "I have had to change my approach as I am the most experienced driver in the team.

"It was not easy, for sure, but I have tried to do my best to always help the team improve, and things are definitely different to last year.

"The team is very stable. In the last two races I had a little bit of bad luck, although the performance was okay. So I am pretty happy with how things have gone."

With Kobayashi having missed out on points at Valencia and Silverstone, he says there is an added motivation to getting back into the top ten this time out.

"I am pretty confident here, in any temperature, and with any track conditions. We will just focus on score points. The last two races I could not get points, and this is what we need to do.

"So far our progress has been good. From last year we have improved, but now the next step is not so easy - but we have done a pretty good job."

World champion Sebastian Vettel believes Ferrari will be very strong in this weekend's German Grand Prix judging from its practice form.

Fernando Alonso, the winner of the previous race in Britain, topped the times in the morning session and then split the Red Bulls in the afternoon, finishing behind pace-setter Mark Webber but ahead of Vettel.

The championship leader reckons Ferrari will be a big threat this weekend, and he said it was good to see the Italian squad being strong again, as it shows the talk about how the diffuser rules affected teams was pointless.

"I think it is a good thing, as it shows that all this exhaust talk was a bit useless," said Vettel of Ferrari's form. "I think Ferrari again looks a bit competitive after what we have seen today with both cars.

"McLaren was very difficult to judge if they are back to where they were for the majority of the season, in terms of exhaust and blowing so we will see. They will be quick again tomorrow so you cannot forget about them.

Vettel, who finished over three tenths of a second behind Webber, reckons there is still room for improvement this weekend.

"I think if we can make a step forward then it is worth a lot. We don't know the conditions for tomorrow and Sunday, rain is forecast it is on the way, it is a question or when and where it will hit us. Now we need to sit down, see what we can improve but surely there is room to improve."

Webber, meanwhile, was happy with his day and reckons a win in on the cards, but he admits he will have to get it all right on Sunday.

"It's all the fine margins I keep talking about - get the start, first stint and building up. My race at Silverstone wasn't too bad but Fernando drove a very good race and Seb and I pretty close. To beat everyone on the day you have to get everything right and I hope to do that on Sunday."

He added: "So far so good. The car feels pretty good, Fernando and Seb are really quick as well and you never know when McLaren - whether they might turn up as well tomorrow as we don't know what they have been doing today.

"We have concentrated on ourselves, and it was good. Nice it stayed dryish as it's easier to manage from everyone's side, but whatever is thrown at us this weekend we should be ready for it and I am really comfortable."

Karun Chandhok declared himself happy with his progress during practice for his first racing weekend since last year.

The Lotus driver, replacing Jarno Trulli for this weekend's race at the Nurburgring, had two productive sessions, finishing as 20th quickest in the afternoon.

Although he was one and a half seconds slower than team-mate Heikki Kovalainen, Chandhok said he was pleased with all that he had learned during the day.

"That was good day of learning," said Chandhok. "The main area I've been looking at is the brakes - we use a different material here to my previous team so I think that's why I've maybe ended up with quite a lot of square tyres today!

"I had a few moments under braking, and a couple of lock-ups, but that's what today was about - getting used to the tyres and the brakes and easing myself into a place where I can start to push.

"Over the day I improved my time from this morning by over 1.5 seconds, so I'm pleased with that, and now I'll work with the engineers to find more time and keep pushing forwards tomorrow."

Kovalainen was also happy with his work after posting the 18th fastest time, having completed most laps than any other driver.

"I'm pleased with today's performance – that was one of the good Fridays," said the Finn. "We completed more laps than anyone else out there and the car has felt good all day.

"I can feel that we have made a decent improvement to the back of the car which helped us find a good balance pretty early on and it was working well on both tyre compounds, so this goes down as a good days work."

Karun Chandhok is confident of closing the 1.5-second gap to Lotus team-mate Heikki Kovalainen before qualifying after his first full day of driving for the team.

Chandhok, who had participated in four free practice sessions so far this season before being promoted from his reserve driver role to replace Jarno Trulli on a one-off basis, ended Friday 1.495s off the Finn.

But while he has ruled out any chance of outqualifying Kovalainen because of his lack of running, the F1 returnee is expecting to make further improvements on Saturday.

"This weekend is all about making progress," said Chandhok. "I was some way away from Heikki this morning, but there were reasons for that because we weren't even chasing a laptime.

"This afternoon, we got going a bit more. Every time i get in the car, I make progress, which is important.

"Now we are 1.5s off. If I put the two laps together there was another half-a-second in there, although I'm sure everybody could say that. The main thing is that we are getting closer. If we were lost and I didn't know where the time was, then I would be worried. But I can see specific areas where we have to work together to improve.

"It's very hard to set targets when you come in in a situation like this. I know that there's no way I'm going to outqualify Heikki given the lack of mileage. If I can outqualify the Virgins and HRTs, I think I will have done quite well this weekend having been thrown straight into it."

The main areas of focus for Chandhok were adapting to the new Pirelli tyres, having had very limited running on the new-for-2011 rubber, and getting the best out of the brakes.

He admitted to struggling in the slower corners, but was happy with his performance in the fast corners, which was closer to Kovalainen's pace.

"I discovered today that the Pirelli tyres are very different to what I drove last year," said Chandhok. "And the material that we use for the brakes is a lot different to what we had at HRT. That's where I need to make progress.

"Between this morning and this afternoon, the time we found mostly came from the brakes. It's just a process of learning how the brakes and tyres react.

"The team has been fantastic and the engineers have been really good with me and very patient. It's a tough situation for them having a different driver straight into the car having not tested."

Jaime Alguersuari is bracing himself for another qualifying struggle in Germany, but is confident Toro Rosso has the pace to score points on race day at the Nurburgring.

In each of the last three grands prix, Alguersuari has come through from 18th on the grid to finish in the points. He was 12th and 15th in today's two practice sessions.

"I did a long run on the option tyre this afternoon and we are still looking better in race trim than in the qualifying simulation," he said.

"Based on this, I would say we have the possibility to score some more points on Sunday, although the weather is looking uncertain.

"Tomorrow morning we can look to improve the car a bit more for the race and in the afternoon, qualifying will again be the limiting factor for us, because it will be very difficult to get ahead of our closest opponents, but I am very motivated for the race."

His team-mate Sebastien Buemi did not manage to set a time in second practice due to a misfire.

"I had a misfire from early on in the morning session, but we continued to run anyway," he said. "Then in the afternoon it got worse and the mechanics had to strip down the car to trace the cause of it, so I could not run in FP2.

"However, despite the lack of laps, I still believe we can move forward tomorrow, when there is also a chance the weather could be different with the threat of rain. So, overnight we have to fix the car then decide on what set-up to run if it is wet and despite today's difficulties, I still believe we can have a competitive weekend."

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have admitted they are unlikely to be able to challenge Red Bull and Ferrari in qualifying for the German Grand Prix.

While a resetting of the diffuser rules and the arrival of new updates for the Nurburgring had led to increased optimism ahead of the weekend, McLaren finished more than one second off the pace in both practice sessions on Friday.

Hamilton admitted the team was lacking downforce, and effectively ruled himself out of the qualifying battle - although he remains slightly more optimistic about his race chances.

"We can't challenge for pole tomorrow, at least that it what it seems from today," Hamilton conceded.

"In pure pace in qualifying we don't have the pace to run with them (Red Bull or Ferrari) - over a single lap they definitely have about a second on us.

"We don't know what fuel load everyone is on, so we might be pleasantly surprised tomorrow to find we're heavier than others - although historically that's not the case.

"It's the race where we're able to do the most damage and close the gap for some reason. We might have the chance to challenge at least one of the Ferraris and Red Bulls - obviously they are still massively quick, but anything can happen."

Despite such an assessment neither, Hamilton nor Button were too downbeat, with Button saying the team still had to aim for the win even after describing his day – which saw him run without KERS in an afternoon in which he finished 11th – as one 'to forget'.

"It was a pretty tricky day to set up the car," Button explained. "Over one lap I think we're getting there with the balance, but we're a lot further away than we thought.

"This morning I couldn't get a balance and struggled massively, and then all afternoon I haven't had KERS, so that wasn't perfect. I'm reasonably happy we got a good balance in the end, but we didn't get a lot of running on the soft (tyres) which is a pity.

"We're not as quick as the Red Bulls over one lap, but I don't think we ever dreamed we would be. It's whether we can race the top cars – we've got to still aim for that, but it's going to be a tough one."

Asked what both he and Button could do about McLaren's current struggles, Hamilton said: "I just have to have faith in my team, in the developments coming through, that eventually we'll close the gap.

"We've said that we're one of the best teams in turning things around, and we still believe that. Ferrari has passed us but it doesn't mean that it's over yet."

Fernando Alonso has urged his Ferrari team to be prepared to risk everything in trying to win races if it is going to have any chance of hunting down Sebastian Vettel in the world championship.

The Spaniard's first victory of the year at Silverstone has reignited hopes that Ferrari could stage a fightback in the second half of the campaign - and its form at the Nurburgring on Friday suggests that the outfit is now right up there with the championship leaders.

However, even though he and team-mate Felipe Massa have enjoyed ever improving form from their cars in recent races, Alonso believes that its season's hopes now rest on it throwing caution to the wind and being prepared to take gambles.

"It means to be aggressive on the strategy, and don't be too safe in terms of response to different strategies compared to the others," said Alonso after being first and second quickest in the two practice sessions at the German GP.

"It means to look at the usage of new tyres in Q1 and Q2. In Q1 maybe we need to save tyres to try to be on pole position in Q3 - to have more sets available there.

"And maybe [that means] one day, because you want to go through Q1 with a hard tyre, you are out of Q1. But that is the risk we can take. We know that maybe one day we are 18th and out of Q1, and it is because we took a risk.

"It also means at the start, no problem to risk, as we have nothing to lose. So if we do a good start and get to the first corner we try to overtake everybody and this is our approach."

As well as wanting Ferrari to be prepared to take risks, Alonso thinks it important that McLaren also improves it forms – because he may need them to take points off Vettel too.

"We need to confirm in the next two races that we are quicker than McLaren," he said. "We were quicker than McLaren in Silverstone and we don't know here. Today maybe they were testing some different things and we need to see tomorrow in qualifying how quick they are.

"To beat Vettel in the championship we need a combination of things – it is not only Ferrari or me that can beat Vettel. We need the best possible combination of results for ourselves; we need a very strong McLaren car as well to take points from Red Bull. We need to be like six or seven team-mates against Vettel, which is not easy to achieve."

And Alonso says he also hopes the German GP is not hit with poor weather – because he thinks Ferrari's advantage is not as big on wet tyres as it is in the dry.

"I think compared to our main competitors we have more difficulties to warm up the tyres and we have better degradation," he said. "One thing in our favour is the degradation in a long stint on the tyres. From the middle of the stint to the end we are much quicker, but for the first five or six laps we are much slower.

"So in case of wet conditions, you never get to very high temperatures and this better degradation is much less visible. We saw similar warm up problems, and this is what we feel, what we felt in the championship, but also what we confirmed at Silverstone.

"When it was wet the Red Bull was clearly faster, but when it was dry they were not that quick and it is the same with McLaren."

Formula 1 fans could be treated to a German Grand Prix that is decided in the closing stages, with Pirelli believing that drivers could opt to make last-minute changes to the medium compound tyres.

With current data suggesting that there is a 1.5 seconds laptime difference between the soft and the medium compound tyres, the strategy prediction is pointing towards a less than usual approach to the races.

Pirelli's director of motorsport Paul Hembery suspects that if it stays dry, then drivers could try and get through as much of the race as possible with two sets of soft tyres - before stopping as late as possible for the slower medium tyre.

"We had a pre-race prediction for 20 laps with the soft, but now some teams are looking at 30 laps," he told AUTOSPORT. "That means it will likely be one or two stops.

"One strategy we would actually like to see is for drivers to run the softs right until the end, and then they make a mad dash to the pits for the last three or four laps to run the hard.

"Some, however, will try and stretch the first set of soft tyres for as long as possible and then stick the medium on to try out a one-stop."

Hembery says that degradation on the medium tyre is almost non-existent, with the track surface and corner characteristics not punishing the rubber too much.

"It's wearing very little," he said. "Our current lap prediction is for 100 laps, so it could do two races. At the start of the season everyone said we weren't able to do that, but we always said that we were.

"It's cold here, the track is not particularly severe, and the teams are clearly learning how to use the tyres very well, either by driving style or set-up. All the teams have increased their return on each set of tyres.

"So we're in a strange situation where at Turkey everyone was worrying that we were going towards four stops, and we're actually now worrying we're becoming too conservative and could end up going back to one-stop. It's become a moving target with the teams, car development, and weather scenarios."

Friday's press conference:

TEAM REPRESENTATIVES - James ALLISON (Renault), Stefano DOMENICALI (Ferrari), Mark GALLAGHER (Cosworth), Norbert HAUG (Mercedes), Monisha KALTENBORN (Sauber)

PRESS CONFERENCE

Q. Mark, how much of a loss has the Williams team been and apparently you are confident of replacing them with another manufacturer?

Mark GALLAGHER: Yeah, it has been an interesting few weeks as the decision Williams has taken to go with Renault starting next season is, from a human point of view inside Cosworth, disappointing. From a business point of view it doesn't change anything for us because we had always planned our comeback into Formula One as an engine supplier based around supplying new teams with engines. It was actually very fortuitous that a team as famous and successful as Williams came along and asked us for an engine supply. Disappointing on a human level, on a business level we understand the decision and we are just looking to the future now. We have got two new teams that have recently announced big changes. The Marussia Virgin Racing deal with McLaren Applied Technologies is a very interesting one, particularly for us to work with McLaren and Marussia Virgin from next season. Then with the recent changes at Hispania Racing in terms of investment in the team, fresh investment, I think everyone can see HRT has made some good steps this season. Business continues. I think we have been quoted as saying and quite rightly that since 1963 Cosworth has supplied 67 different teams with engines. Actually 10 of the teams on the grid today in some form or other have used our engines in Formula One so I am confident that we will have many good days ahead. The quest for us really is to secure long-term contracts, certainly beyond the V8 era, and with the exciting news of the arrival of the V6 engines for 2014, that's more of a focus for us at the moment so onwards and upwards.

Q. And the teams want you as well. The teams' organisation wants to keep you as well.

MG: Yeah, I have to say that although Formula One can often be portrayed as being highly political and there is no doubt that politics does play a part in the sport, Cosworth's experience over the last couple of years has been a very positive one. Working indeed with our competitors in terms of the engine working group technically and the work that I am currently involved in with our competitors on the resource restriction agreement covering the V6 engines which is coming along. There is actually really a good sense of everyone working together to try and secure the long-term stability of Formula One, technically and commercially, and of course that is important for us all. You are quite right, we have had some very positive statements made to us by even our competitors as well as teams that comprise FOTA and we are very confident for the future. We are a company with huge experience and a significant capability technically and an impressive track record and we believe that will stand the test of time.

Q. I guess the V6 regulations mean a fresh start for you as well, but obviously a huge investment?

MG: It is a significant investment but maybe in the mists of time people have overlooked the fact that the current engine, the CA, which started life in 2006 was created by Cosworth as an independent company in the post-Ford era. We have invested significant sums in the past on new Formula One engines and we will invest again for the future. The question has never been can Cosworth invest in new engines or do we have the capability to invest in new engines. The question has been does the sport want new engines and do the customer teams want to pay for the new technologies that are coming through and how is that going to be structured? We have got, I think, great clarity now and for us the V6 engine has got a lot of people in Northampton smiling because we have very talented people who quite frankly live for the day when they can get out of bed and design new racing engines and particularly when we are taking on some of the giants of the sport. It is part of the tradition of Cosworth and long may it continue.

Q. Monisha, both your drivers set personal records, one for qualifying and the other for their race performance at the last race, so you must be very pleased with that and also the very fact that you are competitive at this stage of the season?

Monisha KALTENBORN: Yes, we are quite pleased actually with this season. At the beginning of the season we set the target that we wanted to have a reliable car and fast car and regularly score points. If you look at the performance so far we have managed, with one exception until now, to at least finish the race in ranks where you can score points. We didn't quite manage that on the first race so we are very happy with our performance. We are happy with our drivers. Where we do see room to improve is on our efficiency because we could have scored more points looking at our performance so we have to work on that still.

Q. How important is it to be competitive at this stage of the season where we have got a double header plus then the summer break, plus then another grand prix?

MK: This season is extremely important because there has been so much development going on during the season so you really have to keep it up at each and every race event to stay within your group and catch up on the ones in front of you and I think it is especially very important in this particular season with what's been going on.

Q. You are in a battle really with Scuderia Toro Rosso and Force India, the three of you?

MK: It is the three of us and the gaps are not that big and it doesn't take much and you can find yourself in a very different position after two or three races. You really have to keep this momentum going of your development.

Q. So those are the aims are they at the moment, to get ahead of those two?

MK: The aim is clearly to improve our position significantly from last year and we will see where we end up.

Q. James, how much has it meant upgrading the wind tunnel from 50 to 60 per cent?

James ALLISON: Well it is a lot of work, that's for sure. People call wind-tunnel models 'models' but they are not really models at all. They are things that cost almost as much as making a real car and almost as complicated. Just changing the model from 50 per cent to 60 per cent is already a large engineering exercise but in our case as well the wind tunnel working sections wasn't really quite big enough to support a 60 per cent model so we needed to strip that back to its bare skeleton and replace it with something that was man enough for a 60 per cent model, so all told it was a project that started around about a year ago and culminated just recently.

Q. How much time do you think you lost and is it now back on track totally?

JA: Well very little actual wind tunnel time, as one of the most precious things to all teams is to keep that tunnel running and to keep the aero development going so we made sure we could do the swap-over with the minimum amount of disruption to the actual tunnel testing. We had the tunnel down for 12 days.

Q. You are now FOTA's technical mastermind. What sort of responsibility is that?

JA: Well it is a significant responsibility. I think everyone would agree that FOTA is a group that has acted strongly in the interests of the sport and very constructively and the technical regulation working group is one part of what FOTA does. It's a part which tries to look constructively in the medium and long term to contribute to making the rules of the sport work well, working hand in hand with the FIA to do that, and hopefully I can pick up where some of my predecessors have left off in looking after those meetings in an efficient way.

Q. You said before this race you would let the cars do the talking when it came to the modifications you have got on the cars. What did they say today?

JA: Well we have had a reasonable day today. What I meant by letting the cars do the talking is that we have got a number of improvements to bring over the next several races that we hope will restore us to something closer to where we were at the start of the year than we have been in the last two or three races. It is very easy to talk about 'you've got this and you've got that' but it will be much nicer when we have actually put it on the track and everyone can see it so hopefully that's what will happen.

Q. Stefano, the Silverstone result was excellent but it was said to be a circuit that didn't necessarily suit the car. Does this circuit suit the car better, Hungary even better perhaps?

Stefano DOMENICALI: We are discovering day by day what is going on in internal development and what I can confirm is that we have done a significant step in terms of performance and this is the positive thing at the moment what we can say. I agree with James and let the car speak. This is what we need to see here tomorrow, above all on Sunday and in Hungary. It is a good reward for the team because that result came after a couple of races where we could have achieved more in terms of result but that's it. It is something that we need to put back and make sure it wasn't just one race. This should be the target for every time. We know that the competition is very tight and difficult so let's be very concentrated here this weekend as it will not be easy at all.

Q. Also there is the double header with Hungary coming up and then the break as well?

SD: Yeah, it would be nice to have a good result before the break mainly for the spirit and for the classification but we have learned this year that every weekend is different from the other. The only thing we can do is to make sure that the drivers and the team is fully concentrated on the job. Today we had quite a massive programme to do some comparison, a couple of checks on the car, and we need to make sure that we take the right decision for qualifying tomorrow. I am guessing that the weather will be quite tricky so that's the objective of today. Q. The president (of Ferrari, Luca di Montezemolo) has suggested that Felipe Massa will be staying with the team next year; can that be confirmed?

SD: Have you seen anyone below the president not confirm what the president is saying? At least not in my company; maybe Norbert you can say something later, but apart from that, Felipe had an agreement with us up to the end of next year, so yes, I can tell you. Norbert HAUG: One time, I suppose, just one time.

Q. Norbert, everyone in your team was very upbeat coming here but the cars didn't look very comfortable this morning. Maybe it was better this afternoon?

Norbert HAUG: Well, I wouldn't say upbeat. We had a difficult start at Silverstone and recovered quite well. I think we were 12th and 16th, 17th after lap one or after lap two and then came home sixth and ninth, so at least this was a good recovery, but, of course, we are still not there, to fight with the top three teams. Renault is quite strong, close behind us. We need to establish a better pace. We are working very hard, we are committed and we are working through our programme. That's what we did today. I don't think it was too bad this afternoon. We produced consistent lap times in the race simulation and of course we know that we cannot beat the top three teams, so probably our aim has to be sixth, seventh, eighth, something like that, in qualifying. The race will probably be under rainy conditions - that, at least, is what the forecast says today – having said that, it was not precise for today, so this may change – and this is what we can do. We need to build on what we have, step by step.

Q. Tell us of the importance of this race at the historic Nürburgring, as your home race, particularly for the new Mercedes GP Petronas team.

NH: No doubt this is not quite as Monza is for Ferrari but it is our home race, it is our second home race after Silverstone because the team is based in England, obviously. The Silver Arrows were born here 77 years ago, as you know, so this is a big tradition and we need to fulfil it, we know that but we cannot win on our own means at the moment, we know that, but I think the good thing is that Mercedes is present in Formula One and who knows... Mercedes knows that they are going to get the job done, we are going to get the job done but we are still a young team, a learning team, but we dare to be there, we dare to have the competition, we like to fight with the guys. We're not good enough, at the moment, but we have won in the past, we won six World Championships with our partners, seventy-five races out of 250 so far, so this is not such a bad score and now we are building up something new and I am very grateful that our board gave us the support and gave us the opportunity. It makes sense commercially, we are very good in that respect. We are not good enough in the points standings at the moment but believe me, we are working on it.

Q. I know it's only Friday but it's interesting to see your two customer teams, your two partners, McLaren and Force India very much on similar performance today.

NH: I wouldn't rate that too highly. I think McLaren-Mercedes has to be better. This was the case in the last couple of races. We started ahead of Lewis in the last race. He was on used tyres in qualifying, Nico was on used tyres but they are quicker, they belong to the top three. They have won two races already, could have won more by the way. They could have won four. It was very close in Barcelona and in Monaco. Stefano could have won in Monaco as well, from the sheer speed but they are just better at the moment but not forever, that's for sure.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q. (Ottavio Daviddi - Tuttosport) There is an FIA idea to close cars for safety reasons; I would like to know your opinion on this. I think all the aerodynamics would change if this was the case.

JA: This is something that's been under discussion for a few Technical Working Group meetings now. We're looking to try to look after the driver's head, both from large scale things like tyres and also small scale things like the very unfortunate incident that Felipe suffered. There are a few suggestions around: one of them was looking into a fully enclosed canopy. Another one was looking into a visor-type where it's still open above the driver's head but he has a visor in front of him. And then there is a third type of proposal as well, where there isn't a see-through windscreen at all but there is like a roll (bar) structure in front of the driver that would anyway deflect any big objects. All those things are still in fairly early discussion and you would have seen from what the FIA proposed, published recently, that they are showing some of the very early research that's being done into the feasibility and practicality of this type of solution, but there are a lot of questions to answer before we can bring it to a practical solution. The closed canopy would have an aerodynamic effect – not a bad one, it would be easier to manage the airflow around a closed canopy than an open one – but there are all sorts of other things to discuss, like egress in the event of an accident, keeping the canopy clean, for example when it might get covered in oil and the like, so each of the proposed solutions has advantages and disadvantages and we need to do the basic research to find out what is the best way forward.

NH: I think that if this makes sense for Formula One it needs to be applied to all formula: the junior drivers, everybody and I think we should carefully think that idea through.

Q. (Flavio Vanetti - Il Corriere della Sera) I would like to ask your opinion about the fact that the international Federation has decided that from 2014 only electrical power units can be used in the pit lane. Do you agree and do you believe that this thing could match the opposition of the World Motor Sport Council?

SD: I think that this is something that we have started discussing. There are different opinions on that. As you know, there are some manufacturers that are keen to go ahead with this project. Some others fear that, not from a technical point of view, just from a show point of view, it is something that we need to make sure that the sport is happy for. This is a topic that in my view, because of the situation that it is for 2014, it can still be discussed, we have the time to discuss it in a proper way. There are different opinions on this subject because on one side there is the technical aspect and on the other side there is the sport and the passion. You may say that in the pit lane, with no noise, it would be difficult for the people to perceive the passion that Formula One is all about. On the other side, you may say that Formula One has to be the pinnacle of motor sport in terms of new developments and research and so this goes in the opposite direction. I think this is something that we will discuss.

JA: Stefano's summed it up fairly neatly. There are technical hurdles to be cleared in order to make it happen but nothing that's impossible, just things that make the configuration of the car change relative to what we've got today. It is a complication from a design point of view, but it's not an impossibility. From what I understand, the idea has been trailed in various groups and it largely receives a positive reaction as a useful initiative, but there are pros and cons with it from an operational point of view that we're still discussing.

Q. (Ralf Bach – R&B) But is it not too dangerous for those working in the pit lane who won't hear the cars?

SD: This is possible, because on the main straight you could have cars that are normally running with the engine on so this is a factor that is under consideration, this is one of the points that James is basically mentioning. It's an element of consideration, for sure.

[Lineker]

Sebastian Vettel set the pace in the final free practice session for the German Grand Prix as Red Bull proved the team to beat ahead of qualifying.

The world champion waited until the final lap of the session to go fastest with a 1m30.916s ahead of his team-mate Mark Webber.

Fernando Alonso was third fastest for Ferrari ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg's Mercedes.

Mercedes in fact continued to show encouraging pace this weekend as both drivers were a factor for much of the morning session

Rosberg was the first of the big guns to move to the top of the times after 20 minutes of the hour. His time of 1m34.872s was then eclipsed by team-mate Michael Schumacher five minutes later when the German went fastest with a 1m34.418s.

At half distance the McLarens moved the mark forward as Button lapped the track in 1m33.646s. Hamilton and Ferrari's Alonso also had moments at the top as the times tumbled quickly during this period with drivers finding some temperature on the very cold track.

Rosberg then emerged from the pits on a set of soft Pirellis, earlier than usual - perhaps to counter the fear of rain as the clouds rolled in.

The Mercedes driver went much faster with a 1m33.911s - which he then improved to a 1m31.694s. With 15 minutes to go, that time was still 0.697s faster than Sutil's Force India (a team which also showed pace this morning), while Schumacher - having survived a huge moment - was third.

Alonso then responded with 10 minutes to go with a 1m31.138s lap as a flurry of personal bests began smattering the times from several drivers who had switched to the softs.

Button had a crack at that time with six minutes left of the session but his lap, some 0.485s away from the Ferrari, was only good enough to bump Rosberg to third. Then Hamilton had a try and he too went second fastest, having lost time in the final sector. Red Bull's Mark Webber got even closer, just 0.040s shy of Alonso's lap.

Alonso by this time had dove back into the pits, having completed his programme but the Red Bulls continued on.

Webber then finally moved ahead with a 1m31.049s, only to see Vettel go faster still as the chequered flag fell.

Karun Chandhok added to the drama as the cars returned to the pits, the Indian having a dramatic spin in his Lotus at the final chicane.

FP3


Pos  Driver                Team                   Time              Laps

 1.  Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault       1m30.916s           15

 2.  Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault       1m31.049s  + 0.133  16

 3.  Fernando Alonso       Ferrari                1m31.138s  + 0.222  12

 4.  Lewis Hamilton        McLaren-Mercedes       1m31.578s  + 0.662  13

 5.  Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes       1m31.623s  + 0.707  14

 6.  Nico Rosberg          Mercedes               1m31.694s  + 0.778  19

 7.  Felipe Massa          Ferrari                1m32.144s  + 1.228  13

 8.  Adrian Sutil          Force India-Mercedes   1m32.391s  + 1.475  20

 9.  Michael Schumacher    Mercedes               1m32.523s  + 1.607  16

10.  Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Cosworth      1m32.751s  + 1.835  18

11.  Vitaly Petrov         Renault                1m32.777s  + 1.861  18

12.  Paul di Resta         Force India-Mercedes   1m32.813s  + 1.897  21

13.  Nick Heidfeld         Renault                1m33.072s  + 2.156  18

14.  Rubens Barrichello    Williams-Cosworth      1m33.179s  + 2.263  17

15.  Sergio Perez          Sauber-Ferrari         1m33.531s  + 2.615  20

16.  Kamui Kobayashi       Sauber-Ferrari         1m33.671s  + 2.755  20

17.  Sebastien Buemi       Toro Rosso-Ferrari     1m33.948s  + 3.032  21

18.  Jaime Alguersuari     Toro Rosso-Ferrari     1m34.125s  + 3.209  19

19.  Heikki Kovalainen     Lotus-Renault          1m35.385s  + 4.469  13

20.  Timo Glock            Virgin-Cosworth        1m36.724s  + 5.808  21

21.  Tonio Liuzzi          HRT-Cosworth           1m36.804s  + 5.888  23

22.  Jerome D-Ambrosio     Virgin-Cosworth        1m36.894s  + 5.978  23

23.  Karun Chandhok        Lotus-Renault          1m36.959s  + 6.043  18

24.  Daniel Ricciardo      HRT-Cosworth           1m37.554s  + 6.638  22


All Timing Unofficial[/code]




Mark Webber claimed his second consecutive pole position by holding off a surprise challenge from Lewis Hamilton in German Grand Prix qualifying.



After McLaren's low-key practice form, the team had not been expecting to challenge for pole position, but Hamilton turned out to be the biggest threat to Webber and Red Bull.



World championship leader Sebastian Vettel will start only third for his home race - the first time all year he has been off the front row. Silverstone winner Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) had to settle for fourth this time.



Webber looked unbeatable throughout Q3, producing a 1m30.251s on his first run and then improving to 1m30.079s to put himself out of everyone's reach.



Hamilton was third after the first runs, was briefly pushed down to fourth by Alonso, but then blasted to second with a lap only 0.055 seconds down on Webber.



Vettel's second effort was not quick enough to reclaim the outside front row spot, while Alonso was 0.4s off the pole pace as he took fourth, half a second clear of his fifth-placed Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa.



Nico Rosberg only required on Q3 run to put his Mercedes in sixth, ahead of Jenson Button, who was a second away from McLaren team-mate Hamilton.



Adrian Sutil reached Q3 for his home race and gave Force India eighth place, ahead of Renault's Vitaly Petrov and national hero Michael Schumacher in the second Mercedes.



Nick Heidfeld and Paul di Resta could not match their Renault and Force India team-mates' progress into Q2 so will share row six, ahead of the Williams duo, with Pastor Maldonado outqualifying Rubens Barrichello by 0.4s.



After three start 18th places in qualifying, Jaime Alguersuari finally got beyond Q1 again - though he only made it as high as 17th, just behind Toro Rosso team-mate Sebastien Buemi. The pair were sandwiched by the Saubers, with Sergio Perez in 15th and Kamui Kobayashi the big gun eliminated in Q1.



Karun Chandhok got within 0.823s of Lotus team-mate Heikki Kovalainen, though the Indian could not prevent Virgin's Timo Glock sneaking between the Lotus duo.



Daniel Ricciardo showed highly encouraging pace in his second grand prix qualifying session as he was only 0.025s adrift of Hispania team-mate Tonio Liuzzi on the back row - and he will start ahead of the Italian in any case due to Liuzzi's gearbox change penalty.



[code]Qualifying


Pos  Driver                Team                 Time            Gap   

 1.  Mark Webber           Red Bull-Renault     1n30.079s

 2.  Lewis Hamilton        McLaren-Mercedes     1n30.134s   + 0.055

 3.  Sebastian Vettel      Red Bull-Renault     1n30.216s   + 0.137

 4.  Fernando Alonso       Ferrari              1n30.442s   + 0.363

 5.  Felipe Massa          Ferrari              1n30.910s   + 0.831

 6.  Nico Rosberg          Mercedes             1n31.263s   + 1.184

 7.  Jenson Button         McLaren-Mercedes     1n31.288s   + 1.209

 8.  Adrian Sutil          Force India-Mercedes 1n32.010s   + 1.931

 9.  Vitaly Petrov         Renault              1n32.187s   + 2.108

10.  Michael Schumacher    Mercedes             1n32.482s   + 2.403

Q2 cut-off time: 1m32.180s                                   Gap **

11.  Nick Heidfeld         Renault              1m32.215s   + 1.217

12.  Paul di Resta         Force India-Mercedes 1m32.560s   + 1.562

13.  Pastor Maldonado      Williams-Cosworth    1m32.635s   + 1.637

14.  Rubens Barrichello    Williams-Cosworth    1m33.043s   + 2.045

15.  Sergio Perez          Sauber-Ferrari       1m33.176s   + 2.178

16.  Sebastien Buemi       Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1m33.546s   + 2.548

17.  Jaime Alguersuari     Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1m33.698s   + 2.700

Q1 cut-off time: 1m33.664s      	                      Gap *

18.  Kamui Kobayashi       Sauber-Ferrari       1m33.786s   + 1.960

19.  Heikki Kovalainen     Lotus-Renault        1m35.599s   + 3.773

20.  Timo Glock            Virgin-Cosworth      1m36.400s   + 4.574

21.  Karun Chandhok        Lotus-Renault        1m36.422s   + 4.596

22.  Jerome D-Ambrosio     Virgin-Cosworth      1m36.641s   + 4.815

23.  Tonio Liuzzi          HRT-Cosworth         1m37.011s   + 5.185

24.  Daniel Ricciardo      HRT-Cosworth         1m37.036s   + 5.210


107% time: 1m38.253s


* Gap to quickest in Q1


** Gap to quickest in Q2

Renault has reverted to using its forward-facing exhaust layout on Nick Heidfeld's car for the remainder of the German Grand Prix weekend, despite some encouraging results from a new rear design in Friday practice.

As AUTOSPORT revealed, Renault wanted to experiment with a Red Bull Racing-style rearward exhaust configuration to see if it would make its blown diffuser more effective and deliver better lap times.

A prototype version tried out in a recent straight-line test at Duxford delivered some promising results, and the team elected to further evaluate this version - which is 4kg heavier than it should ideally be because it is not fully made on carbon fibre - on Heidfeld's car at the Nurburgring.

Despite not being familiar with the concept, Heidfeld was able to match the times of Vitaly Petrov, who was sticking with the forward-facing exhaust concept.

However, the team feels that the rearward design still needs more evaluation before being put into race action – so it elected to revert Heidfeld back to the forward facing exhaust layout while it ponders its next move.

Renault team principal Eric Boullier told AUTOSPORT that despite not running the new exhaust, the team was upbeat about the progress of that and other updates added to the car.

"The feedback is positive because it was the first day of using it, in terms of balance and driveability of the car," he said. "It looks like the car is working much better now."

Boullier believes that the team was on course to deliver some good steps forward in the next few races, with development in its upgraded 60% scale wind tunnel now advancing at a quick pace.

"We have a performance indicator where we follow our development," he said. "We know we struggled with our development for a couple of months for many reasons, and now especially the aero development has been back to a very aggressive slope now for three or four weeks.

"But there is a delay, we know, between finding downforce and producing the parts for the track."

Sebastien Buemi has been excluded from qualifying for the German Grand Prix after the FIA discovered an irregularity with the fuel in his Scuderia Toro Rosso car.

The Swiss driver had qualified in 16th place on the grid at the Nurburgring, just ahead of his team-mate Jaime Alguersuari.

However, in post-qualifying inspections, the FIA found that the fuel in his car did not comply with the regulations.

A statement issued by the FIA said: "The stewards, having received a report from the FIA Technical Delegate that the fuel sample taken after Qualifying from Car 18 showed an increase in one given GC (gas chromatography) Peak Area of an absolute amount greater than 0.1 per cent for the component present at a concentration below 0.8 per cent, and having heard from the FIA Formula One Analytical Chemist and the Team Representatives and examined the fuel test graphs, determine this to be a breach of Article 19.8.3 of the 2011 FIA Formula One Technical Regulations and decide to impose a penalty of exclusion of Car 18 from the results of Qualifying."

Article 19.8.3 of the F1 Technical Regulations relates to whether or not the fuel complies with the reference fuel that has to be submitted ahead of the weekend.

It states: "GC peak areas of the sample will be compared with those obtained from the reference fuel. Increases in any given peak area (relative to its adjacent peak areas) which are greater than 12 per cent, or an absolute amount greater than 0.1 per cent for compounds present at concentrations below 0.8 per cent, will be deemed not to comply.

"If a peak is detected in a fuel sample that was absent in the corresponding reference fuel, and its peak area represents more than 0.10 per cent of the summed peak areas of the fuel, the fuel will be deemed not to comply.

"If the deviations observed (above) by GC indicate that they are due to mixing with another Formula One fuel, which has been approved by the FIA for use by the team, the fuel sample will be deemed to comply, provided that the adulterant fuel is present at no more than 10 per cent in the sample."

Although Buemi has been excluded from qualifying, he will still be allowed to start from the back of the grid.

The team said the issue was triggered by a fuel pressure problem.

"During Friday's FP1, Buemi's car had a fuel pressure problem, which then got worse at the start of FP2 which is why he did not do a timed lap in that session," Toro Rosso said in a statement on Saturday evening.

"After FP2 the entire fuel system on his car was changed. When the fuel sample was taken from his car after qualifying, it did not match the one provided to the FIA prior to the start of the season.

"The team believes that some part of the new fuel system contained a chemical that contaminated the fuel and caused the non-conformity."

Vitantonio Liuzzi has been handed a five-place grid penalty for the German Grand Prix after his HRT team changed the gearbox on his car.

The Italian completed the last race at Silverstone and so was supposed to use the same gearbox for this weekend's race at the Nurburgring.

However, ahead of final free practice, HRT decided to make a change. And, with the Italian having already had his free gearbox change earlier this year, the switch means that he will be given a five-place penalty.

With HRT likely to qualify near the back of the grid, the penalty means that Liuzzi will almost certainly start from the last spot.

Nurburgring chiefs are optimistic that they will be able to secure a fresh deal to keep running the German Grand Prix, with its current contract running out after this weekend's race.

The Nurburgring has alternated with the hosting of its event with Hockenheim since 2007, in a bid for the two venues to reduce costs, and it is hoped that the arrangement can now continue for the long term.

Karl-Josef Schmidt, who was recently appointed the COO of the Nurburgring after moving from a similar role at Hockenheim, hoped that contract talks would begin with Bernie Ecclestone after this weekend's GP.

"This is the last race we have under the existing contract, and the normal conclusion is that we have to negotiate a new contract as we did at Hockenheim," Schmidt told AUTOSPORT.

"At Hockenheim we were successful, so why should we not be successful here? There is a very clever method of alternating between Hockenheim and the Nurburgring, and all arguments are in favour of continuing that. And I think Bernie would see it the same way."

Schmidt said he did not believe pressure from Green politicians in the local coalition government would hurt subsidies that the track receives, as he said he would make an appointment to meet Ecclestone soon.

"The F1 race is not the place to negotiate a contract. Any meetings here are for 10 minutes, and for a contract you need time and peace. We will try and find a negotiating appointment with him now."

Schmidt said he expected around 65,000 spectators at Sunday's GP.

Mark Webber admitted he was very much on the limit of he could have achieved after securing his second pole in a row in the German Grand Prix.

The Australian, who had also started from pole position in the British Grand Prix two weeks ago, secured his third top spot of the year as he continued to show improved form.

The Red Bull driver said his final lap in Q3 could not have been any better.

"My performance has been getting a little bit better in last few races and also this track seems to be not too bad for me in the past," said Webber.

"I must say this session went pretty well with the exception of first option run in Q2. That wasn't very smooth, but the other two laps good, and the boys did some great job with the car again.

"There have been some late nights in the build-up to this weekend, so we have recovered well and we got it all figured out at the end there. I was thinking on the in-lap if someone gets me they deserve it because I couldn't have got much more out of it.

"That was my complete limit, it was a pretty good lap. It's very satisfying to see that no one grabs you at the end there as it was an anxious wait those last 30 seconds."

Webber, who beat McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton by 0.055 seconds to achieve pole, is optimistic about his car's pace for the race.

"We should be good," he said. "Yesterday worked out okay for us. We always know that Sunday night gives you a better indication, we saw with McLaren they can be a bit up and down. Let's see who has the smoothest race tomorrow and a few decisions to make from the cockpit if the mountains are a bit wet."

He added: "It was a good qualifying today and you want to lead one lap tomorrow, which is the last lap. I will be in there pushing really hard."

Webber is yet to win a race this season.

Sebastian Vettel insisted he was not disappointed to be starting away from the front row for the first time this season on Sunday, after qualifying third for his home grand prix at the Nurburgring. The world champion instead preferred to highlight his team's strong recovery after revealing he fell into a set-up malaise on Friday.

Vettel qualified less than 0.15s poleman and team-mate Mark Webber at the Nurburgring, having been fastest of all in the morning's free practice session and said afterwards that he was satisfied with his performance.

"It is not really a disappointment, obviously I would like to be a bit further up, but I think it was a tough session overall," said Vettel. "I think we had a good recovery yesterday, I didn't really find my way or find my balance with the car.

"This morning the car felt much better, it was not just one change that we did, we tried many things in free practice so we went back a couple of steps in one way and then changed some small tweaks here and there which made the balance much better.

"This afternoon was a tight session, and there was not much missing. In Q3 I had two solid runs and maybe lost out in the last sector, but all in all Mark [Webber] was very quick and did a good lap today, it would have been very close. I'm happy with third and he is on the clean side of the track, so we'll see if it is worth an advantage or not."

Vettel added that rain forecast for tomorrow might add another element of uncertainty into the outcome and render his grid position potentially meaningless.

"I think rain is on the way, question is when or where it will hit circuit, we are in much better shape than yesterday also regarding race pace and I'm looking forward to the race tomorrow," he said. "It will be a long race, and with the weather here you never know.

"In the end it doesn't really matter, what is important is that we have a solid race, target is to win, which is not impossible from third.

"I'm on the clean side of track, we go forward from there, not often you have people coming here supporting the German drivers so I will make sure I enjoy the race tomorrow."

Vettel also emphasised his determination to perform in front of his home crowd and that he wouldn't just settle for a points finish.

"I don't race and think about the championship all the time, it is important to finish the race tomorrow but first of all I am going to enjoy it. It's not often you have so much support, and it's nice to see the grandstands with people waving national flags. That was very nice. I will enjoy that more than anything else tomorrow whatever the result might be."

Asked whether he would maintain his position if he received any team orders Vettel replied: "I think it always depends on the situation, but if it is in a similar matter to Silverstone if there is nothing to gain and the leader is very far ahead there is no point to try anything silly."

Lewis Hamilton admits his front-row qualifying performance came as a complete surprise following an unspectacular start to the weekend.

Hamilton had effectively ruled himself out of the qualifying battle after finishing more than one second adrift in both Friday's practice sessions, but was shocked at just how competitive his McLaren became once on low-fuel qualifying settings.

Asked whether second was a surprise, Lewis said: "It is, absolutely. I definitely underestimated how good car would be when we went to light fuel. The lap was beautiful - it was one of the happiest and comforting laps I have ever had.

"I was sitting in the car before Q3 and I thought I might have to eat my words. It was definitely the best qualifying session I can remember having at least this year. First session was fantastic and the last lap was excellent.

"When I crossed the line it was massively satisfying."

Hamilton insists his concerns yesterday were genuine, but credited his upturn in performance to McLaren continuing its development push and the return to pre-Silverstone diffuser regulations.

"For us we honestly never thought we would be near the Red Bulls," he said.

"What was important was that even though we were not fastest we kept trying to dial the car in. We made some changes, and the car felt fantastic.

"A huge congratulations for my team, it was a fantastic effort. Throughout the weekend we have had a constant push to bring updates and improve engine modes, which helped massively.

"At Silverstone we really struggled with the rule changes, cornering stability and that sort of things, so we were on the back foot and there was nothing we could do.

"This weekend, (the rule change) doesn't look like it has massively affected the Ferrari and Red Bulls, but it has enabled us to get back in the fight."

Karun Chandhok was happy with his performance in qualifying for the German Grand Prix after finishing less than a second behind team-mate Heikki Kovalainen.

The Lotus driver, making his racing return this weekend as he replaces Jarno Trulli, qualified in 21st position, two places behind Kovalainen.

After finishing 0.8 seconds behind the Finn, Chandhok said he had achieved his target for the day.

"I've got to say I'm pleased with how qualifying went today," said the Indian. "Tony had said to me that if I could get within a second of Heikki he'd be proud, and I finished about 0.8 seconds off him so that's a goal achieved.

"One of the challenges today has been finding out how much grip there is on the soft tyres on low fuel and that was always going to be a pretty steep learning curve in quali, but my times have been coming down all weekend so I'm getting there.

"As I've been saying, the last couple of days have been about learning the car, the tyres and how to get the best out of the DRS system, so to get as close as I reasonably could expect to my team-mate is pretty good progress."

Kovalainen was also satisfied with his showing, even if the Finn was nearly two seconds off the pace of his closest rival.

"I'm relatively pleased with the performance today but I think there was still more to come from the car," he said. "On the second run I was still struggling to get the front tyres working and I maybe pushed a bit more than I should so couldn't improve on my first run.

"That run had gone well and I was able to get a decent time in so all in all not too bad."

Michael Schumacher said Mercedes failed to meet its expectations during qualifying for the German Grand Prix on Saturday.

The seven-time champion will start the race from 10th position after a difficult day during which the German did not feel comfortable with the handling of his car.

Schumacher finished over a second behind team-mate Nico Rosberg, and conceded he was mystified by the gap.

"We did not perform to expectations this afternoon and already this morning the car was not the one I had in my hands up to the first run in P3," said Schumacher. "It felt like I was just sliding around out there and the balance wasn't great.

"We had a KERS problem this morning, which we thought explained the big gap to Nico, however in qualifying I was still nearly a second away and couldn't have matched his time, so we have to analyse deeply what could be the reason for it.

"Obviously then, I tried to push even harder to compensate, which lead to a mistake in the last chicane on my last lap, probably costing me P8. We now have to see how we can improve for tomorrow, and I will certainly try to have a good start and a race as good as possible."

Rosberg, on the other hand, was happy with sixth place and was left optimistic of enjoying a strong race on Sunday.

"Sixth place is a good place to start tomorrow, and whether the conditions are wet or dry, I think we can have a good race from there," he said. "I'm happy with the set-up work that we have achieved this weekend and that the new parts are working which is really satisfying.

"We can see that we are going in the right direction. It should be an exciting race tomorrow and hopefully I can make up a couple of positions in front of all the German supporters."

Sergio Perez says his 15th position in qualifying 'almost maximised' the potential of his Sauber.

The team suffered a disappointing qualifying as Kamui Kobayashi was relegated in Q1 and Perez could only make limited progress in Q2.

Perez insists his best lap was pretty much on the limit of what could be achieved, as both drivers struggle with a perceived general lack of pace.

"Obviously our overall performance isn't good here and I think we almost maximized what was possible in qualifying under the circumstances," Perez declared.

"My fastest lap was okay; there is nothing to complain about. I locked a wheel once but this wasn't the main problem. Perhaps the lap time could have been better by one or two tenths but for sure no more."

Kobayashi meanwhile was plagued by traffic in Q1, but conceded his team was struggling with its general performance.

"Of course it is disappointing to be out in Q1," he said. "My fastest lap wasn't perfect. I had some traffic in front and behind, but it is also the case that we have a general lack of pace here.

"The only positive thing is that I have now two fresh sets of the soft tyres left for the race. I will do my very best to recover from where I have to start."

Technical Director James Key admitted the qualifying struggles could force the team to change its race approach, saying: "This was a poor qualifying session and we have to think carefully about our approach to the race to make the best of it."

Jenson Button admitted to being mystified by his lack of pace in qualifying for the German Grand Prix after the McLaren driver slumped to seventh on the grid - 1.1s off team-mate Lewis Hamilton's pace.

Button, who was fifth fastest in final practice on Saturday morning having more-or-less matched Hamilton for pace, struggled for purchase on the cold track surface during the qualifying session and was not a factor in Q3.

"I couldn't find any grip out there, I was really struggling," he said. "This morning the car felt good, but this afternoon...

"I had too much front end on the way into the corners so we took some front wing out and that basically gave me understeer but didn't help the rear of the car.

"It's very strange that we can't find the grip out there so to be down in seventh is very surprising. Also to be something like 1.1s behind Lewis is surprising, so something is not quite right.

"It was pretty terrible. I just didn't have any pace on either tyre, I struggled on both the hard and the soft tyre and I don't really know where the pace has gone from this morning. We were pretty good this morning and we were always pretty much at the top of the time sheets so it's a bit surprising that I don't know where that time is."

Asked if he was hoping for rain for the race on Sunday, Button replied: "We need to do something because the pace isn't there and the frustrating thing is that it was this morning. The car felt good and I don't know where it's gone.

"The weather has got to do something, I'm 1.1s behind my team-mate so there is something big going on there. I don't whether we are just outside the operating window for the tyres but something isn't working properly."

Rubens Barrichello admitted he expected a difficult qualifying in Germany after not using his KERS during the session.

The Brazilian qualified in 14th position after his Williams team decided not to run KERS in his car in order to gather data for comparison.

Barrichello was using a new diffuser and new front wing.

"We knew we might struggle on my car as we weren't able to use KERS here," said Barrichello. "We didn't have an ideal balance on the car, particularly compared to the morning, and it wasn't possible to get on top of that during the session.

"We need to analyse that in detail, and look for better pace in the race tomorrow."

Team-mate Pastor Maldonado also struggled during qualifying and conceded he was expecting a stronger session after posting the 13th fastest time.

"It was a difficult session for us," he said. "We were looking more competitive than this yesterday, but not enough to be in Q3.

"We were working more on race pace so we will see tomorrow. I think we have the possibility to score some points if we have the right strategy."

Adrian Sutil was delighted with a qualifying performance which saw him seal eighth on the grid and beat team-mate Paul di Resta for only the third time this season.

Sutil, who has qualified inside the top ten on only one other occasion thus far this season, hailed his confidence in the car and the circuit as registered 'pretty much perfect' laps in Q2 and Q3.

"Another strong strong qualifying performance for us and it's great to be starting my home race from P8," Sutil enthused.

"My laps in Q2 and Q3 were pretty much perfect and I feel I got the maximum from the car. I feel confident in the car and I really like this circuit.

"I'm excited about the race tomorrow and really looking forward to it...we just have to wait and see what happens with the weather."

Sutil's team-mate di Resta ended qualifying in 12th position, with the Scot conceding that overnight changes may have caused him to lose ground.

Di Resta did however reveal that his set-up had a race-orientated bias - something he hopes may help his cause tomorrow.

"I seem to have lost some ground to Adrian compared to yesterday so perhaps one of the directions we took overnight hasn't quite worked out," he explained.

"I couldn't really get the tyres to work when it mattered and I was struggling with a lack of grip in both Q1 and Q2. We need to analyse that and hopefully try and improve for tomorrow.

"I still hope we can fight for points because our long run pace has looked quite strong. Also my set-up is more race-orientated, which will hopefully play into our hands."

Fernando Alonso says he was not surprised not to be able to fight for pole position at the German Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver, the winner of the previous race in Britain, qualified down in fourth position, nearly four tenths of a second behind Red Bull's Mark Webber.

Despite not being able to fight for a place on the front row, Alonso said he was happy with his performance.

"We are neither surprised nor disappointed, quite the contrary in fact," said Alonso. "This grid is more or less what we could have expected, from what we had seen in free practice yesterday.

"We thought the Red Bulls would be three or four tenths faster than us and that was the case and then even Hamilton went very well, especially in the first sector and got in between us. In fact, McLaren had so many new parts here and you could see they were working well.

"I am happy with my lap and with the result and anyway, this year we have seen that we have always gone better in the race than in qualifying."

The Spaniard is still hopeful he will get a chance to win tomorrow's race, but admitted Ferrari needs another step forward in order to match the pace of its rivals.

"Maybe tomorrow the situation could turn around, you never know. I am still aiming for the podium, but if the chance of a win comes along I won't need to be asked twice. Also at this track, we have seen the updates we have introduced helping to improve our performance, race after race.

"Clearly, we must take a further step forward if we want to be up there with the best."

Team-mate Felipe Massa qualified in fifth - albeit around half a second off Alonso's pace - and the Brazilian admitted he was not entirety happy with his day, especially after finishing behind Lewis Hamilton.

"I can't claim to be completely happy with this qualifying, because some cars were faster than ours," he said. "That might not be surprising in the case of the Red Bulls, but it definitely is the case with Hamilton's McLaren.

"Tomorrow, we will aim to make our usual step forward in the race, but we know it won't be easy. Sure, if it had been ten degrees warmer, I would not have complained! Especially with the Medium tyre, we struggled a bit and that's why I used my first set of Softs right from Q1."

Martin Whitmarsh says he never wavered from his belief that McLaren would bounce back from its recent troubles - as he said his outfit kept its belief that the world championship can still be won.

McLaren had difficult outings in Valencia and Silverstone, and it appeared that it was going to endure similar frustrations in Germany with a far from encouraging Friday practice at the Nurburgring.

However, Lewis Hamilton delivered what he thought was his best qualifying performance of the year to get McLaren back on the front row for the first time since the Monaco Grand Prix – and has set his sights on victory on Sunday.

With Whitmarsh's own future having been the subject of speculation since the recent downturn in form, he made it clear on Saturday that he never gave up hope about a fight back.

"I didn't spend too much time thinking about it in truth," he said about the speculation regarding his future at the outfit. "I've been around this team for quite a while and we've had periods of great success and periods where by our own high standards if we're not winning, that's disappointing for all of us.

"I focus on those things; focus on how we are going to go forward. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about things written in the paper like that. It's much more productive thinking about how you are going to be stronger, how you are going to be better as a team.

"We've a long way to go, and we're not perfect by a long way. We strive to be better, and that's in everything. The three of us [himself, Button and Hamilton] can do a better job; the team can do a better job, everyone in our organisation.

"All I can ask everyone is we focus and work hard. The difference is that in performance between ourselves and RBR this year, they have been small – six hundredths of a second today. That means it is doable, it is achievable."

He added: "Mathematically this championship is still possible. I have said previous that the right thing to do is let's concentrate on winning races and build our performance, and if that heads us in the right direction then great."

Hamilton said his performance in Germany had reminded him just why he relished racing in F1.

"Today for me is a great reminder of why I love doing what I do. That lap today, it's not very often you get to do those things. It's not always we have the car to be able to put laps like that together.

"It's important to cherish those moments because I can't remember coming across the line, in a qualifying session, feeling so ecstatic, so energised. I didn't realise it meant that much to me, but you are pleasantly surprised each time.

"But our pace, and what we were able to do, again reminds me of how strong a team I have, how they never give up, and how we can do it, which we've been telling lots of people for a long time.

"It just takes time for us to be able to do that."

Ken Block's planned Formula 1 test has had to be postponed, AUTOSPORT can reveal, because Pirelli cannot find a car big enough for him.

The WRC driver, who is famous for his Gymkhana videos, had hoped to run at Pirelli's August test at Monza in its updated 2009 Toyota test car.

However, during a seat fitting at Toyota's Cologne headquarters, it was found that Block's legs were too long for him to be able to fit in the car.

Pirelli had hoped to be able to find an alternative chassis for Block, but so far its hunt has not been successful - which is why the August run has had to be called off.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli's director of motorsport, told AUTOSPORT: "We can't find a car big enough.

"The test has had to be delayed until we find a suitable vehicle. We're confident we can do it, but we haven't yet found the right car. And when we have found the right car, then we can't find the people to run it – because there are no longer any test teams and very few have running old F1 cars.

"To be honest, it's been a bit of a challenge – but we will make it happen."

Block told AUTOSPORT last month that he was overjoyed at Pirelli's plan to give him a chance in F1 machinery.

"I never imagined that something like this would even be available," he said. "But Pirelli saw the idea of doing something unique and different with me. They have been a great partner with me for everything I have been doing, so it is just something that for me is a dream come true.

"I have so little experience in open wheel asphalt, so it will be a huge learning experience for me."

Post-qualifying press conference:

TV UNILATERALS

Q. Mark, pole position for the second grand prix in a row and also the second grand prix in a row here. Is it something about this track or have you just got your mojo back at the moment?

Mark WEBBER: Probably a little bit of both, mate, I think. The performance has been getting a little bit better in the last few races and also this track seems to be not too bad for me in the past. I must say the session went pretty well, with the exception of the first option run in Q2, well the only run in Q2. That wasn't very smooth but the other two laps were good and the boys did a great job on the car. Again, they have had some pretty late nights in the lead-up to this event, so we recovered well and we got it altogether at the end there. I was thinking on my in-lap, 'if someone gets me, they deserve it' as I couldn't have got much more out of it. It was my complete limit, but it was a pretty good lap and so it is very satisfying to see no one grabs you at the end there, as it is a bit of an anxious wait for those 30 seconds.

Q. Lewis, you missed out on pole by five one-hundredths-of-a-second after a lap which you described as as good as it gets.

Lewis HAMILTON: Yeah, first of all, huge congratulations to my team. A fantastic effort. We have had some new upgrades this weekend and throughout the weekend and throughout the week a constant push to bring updates and to improve some of our engine modes which, have helped massively. We definitely underestimated how good the car would be when we went to light fuel, but it felt fantastic and the lap was just beautifully flowing and it was one of the happiest and most comforting laps I have ever had. It felt just incredible. We are not far from them (Red Bull Racing) so it is a good step for us.

Q. Sebastian, the first time in 15 grands prix that you haven't been on the front row, so how much of a disappointment is third?

Sebastian VETTEL: Well, it is not really a disappointment. I would like to be a bit further up but I think it was a tough session. All in all, I think we had a very good recovery. Yesterday, I didn't really find my way, I didn't really find the balance with the car. This morning I think it was much better. Through qualifying here and there maybe we should have been a little bit quicker but, all in all, there wasn't much missing to Lewis and to Mark. A little bit here and there, but the most important thing is that I have a much better feeling for the car today and (I'm) looking forward to tomorrow. I guess if it is dry we have a very good chance, but it might not be the case, so we will see.

Q. Mark, the forecast is that it could be quite wet, but for you tomorrow, the first thing you must do is try to lead a lap, as that is something you haven't done in Formula One this season. But you have got the best chance of doing so once again.

MW: Yeah, that's right. Good quali today and I hope I lead one lap tomorrow, which is the last lap. That is the most important thing, so I will be in there pushing very hard, so don't worry.

Q. Lewis, you say the upgrades have worked for you this weekend, but how much of a surprise is it to you to find yourself on the front row? You said at the start of the weekend you were optimistic, but surely this is beyond your wildest expectation?

LH: It is absolutely. I wasn't expecting the car to feel so great. I think we have found a really good balance throughout with the set-up and I think we were comfortable coming back this weekend, with the rule changes, knowing we would be more competitive. But I don't think anyone in the team would ever have imagined we would be this close to the Red Bulls and also being able to split them. That's fantastic and a really fantastic job done by the guys and I am really happy I could put it up here for them.

Q. Seb, do you go into the race looking for rain to give you a better chance or would you rather it stayed dry?

SV: Well it depends. It will be a long race. With the weather here you never know. Rain is forecast, it is on the way, the question is how much we will have, and when, so we will see. In the end, it doesn't really matter, the most important thing is we have a solid race. The target is to win, which is not impossible from third. It is the clean side of the track and we go from there, so I am looking forward to tomorrow. It doesn't happen so often that you have so many people coming here supporting you, or supporting the German drivers in particular, so I will make sure I enjoy the race tomorrow. PRESS CONFERENCE Q; Mark, oddly enough a reversal in fortunes between yourself and Sebastian in comparison to your home race, where you were third and he was on pole, and this time it is the other way around. I guess that is just coincidence.

MW: Well, I don't know what the gird was. I know I wasn't on pole and Seb probably was and I was a bit further back but anyway I hope the result is the same. It was a good session, I think pretty good for you guys to watch as well: tight between all of us. We had a red car, couple of Red Bulls, silver car, all of us pushing to the limit so a very tight session for all of us. We had to be incredibly accurate and spot on and in the end I could not really complain about my last two laps. I was pretty happy with them and it was enough. It needed to be good, as Lewis was right with us and very nearly took pole off us. So a very good qualifying session for myself and it ran very smoothly, and we did the best job we could do today, so looking forward to tomorrow.

Q. You said earlier on this year that everything had to go absolutely right every time and that was happening with Sebastian. Was that what was happening with you this weekend?

MW: Oh, I think that you can't just... everything was going right and it is not going right for you and you are not getting results. Today was still pretty tight between Seb and I and it is hardly a disaster for him as he is on the second row. Today I did a better lap time but often it is the other way around so it worked out for me today and that was it.

Q. And race pace?

MW: Yeah, we should be cool. Yesterday worked out okay for us. We always know on Sunday night. You have a better indication because we saw with the McLarens that sometimes they are a bit up and down with race pace compared to where normally they are strong. We saw in Valencia they weren't so strong and a few races here and there so let's see who has the smoothest race tomorrow. We might have a few decisions to make from the cockpit as well with the mountains being a bit wet so we will see.

Q. Lewis, earlier on I think today, I don't know if it was today or yesterday, you said that you had no chance of pole position. But as you said you are pretty surprised to be where you are?

LH: Yeah, just as I was sitting in the car before Q3 I was thinking I might be having to eat my words, but I would still do that. For us, we really honestly never thought we would be anywhere near this place. I don't know what happened with Jenson (Button). We were struggling with overall downforce grip compared to the others. I don't know if it was switching tyres on but what was important was that, even though we weren't the fastest, we kept on trying to dial the car in and improve it and find little bits here and there and we did. We made some changes. The car felt fantastic. It really, really felt fantastic. It is the most exciting and fun part of the weekend, so I was massively excited and positive going in to it. But as soon as I saw we were competitive with the guys at the front it felt great. I would say it is definitely my best qualifying session I can remember having, at least this year. My first Q3 lap was fantastic and then my last lap was even better by quite a bit, so when I came across the line it felt massively satisfying.

Q. You were already saying yesterday that the long run here was better than at Silverstone.

LH: Yeah, well at Silverstone we really struggled quite a lot with the rule changes - they massively affected us: corner entry, stability, all those kind of things. All the downforce and grip we had and everything we have developed had gone out of the window pretty much. So we were just on the back foot, there was nothing we could do, but coming back into this weekend, with the rules again made it much better. It doesn't look like it's massively affected the two Ferraris and the Red Bulls but for us it's enabled us to get back in the fight so that feels great.

Q. Sebastian, how much did you have to change the car after you said yesterday that you had work to do and it's obviously better today? How much did you have to do?

SV: Well, quite a bit, obviously. As I mentioned it wasn't the easiest session or the easiest Friday we had but we had a good recovery, so this morning the car felt much better. It wasn't just one change that we made. Obviously we tried many things in free practice so we went back a couple of steps in one way and then obviously changed some small tweaks here and there which all in all made the balance much better and I was much happier this morning. This afternoon, I think it was a tight session, there wasn't much missing. In Q3 I think I had two solid runs, maybe lost out a little bit in the last sector on my last attempt but all in all I think Mark was very quick. He did a very good lap today and it would have been very close. I'm happy with third, it's on the clean side of the track. We will see whether that's worth an advantage or not. It depends on the conditions tomorrow. I think rain is on the way, the question is where and when it will hit the circuit. So all in all, I think we are in a much better shape than yesterday, also regarding race pace so I'm looking forward to the race tomorrow.

Q. To what extent do you look for a points finish, given the lead you have in the championship?

SV: I don't race and think about the championship all the time. Sure it's important to finish the race tomorrow but first of all I'm going to enjoy it, because it doesn't happen too often you have so much support. It was very nice to see so many people in the grandstands waving our national flag and some Red Bull flags as well, so that was very nice. I will enjoy that more than anything else tomorrow whatever the result will be.

QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Q. (Michael Schmidt – Auto, Motor und Sport) How difficult was it today to get the tyres into the operating window with the track temperature of 21 degrees or whatever?

MW: Yeah, it's something we always look at, you know that. Other teams are looking at it, it's a very important factor to get right. In the end I think you saw most people do one timed lap, so the tyre was ready for one lap. As always, it takes some attention and detail to work on it. When you're at the front with these guys obviously everyone's looking at that. We worked on it and it's slightly different from other venues this weekend.

Q. Lewis, was there every any consideration of doing two timed laps on the same set?

LH: No. We've had some interesting experiences in the past where we've done that and it's not been of a benefit to us so we had fresh tyres and every lap that we did was very good, so there was generally no need to have to run another set or the same set again.

SV: I don't think it was easy today but as Mark said, the first timed lap was the one to hit so you had to do your best to get it done. I think for all of us here we managed pretty well. Maybe some people struggled more, depending on what set-up they ran so it's hard to say for us.

Q. (Marco degl'Innocenti – La Gazzetta dello Sport) Sebastian - actually it should be a question for Mark – will you fight Mark tomorrow?

SV: I will fight everyone, that's what is happening when you race in Formula One. First of all there's Lewis eight metres ahead and then another eight metres further on there's Mark. That's where we are going to start and then we will see. It will be a long race, as I said, and tricky conditions but I know that you are very excited but as I said, I'm racing everyone.

Q. (Adam Hay-Nicholls – Metro) Seb, if we have a situation like Silverstone, but the roles are reversed and you're asked to maintain the gap, will you agree to do so?

SV: I think it always depends on the situation, but if it's in a similar matter to Silverstone, where, for the team, there's really nothing to gain, the leader is far ahead, then there's no point in trying something silly.

Q. (Heikki Kulta –Turun Sanomat) Mark, next week it could be one year since your last victory. Do you still remember how sweet it was?

MW: Yeah, mate, yeah. Last victory was where? Hungary, yep. The last victory was nice – they're all beautiful. We all know that. All the drivers love to have them so irrespective of venue, so it would be nice to feel that very, very soon again, so that's what I'm going try to do.

Q. (Livio Oricchio – O Estado de Sao Paulo) With the low temperatures, on this track it looks like the tyre wear is not so high here. It seems we will have fewer pit stops in this race or is that wrong?

MW: Well obviously we all did our work yesterday, conditions were good, it was a dry day and we can get good information. Generally we have an idea, within reason. We know seven out of ten – confident – how the race will unfold for us in terms of tyre wear and pit stops but you're right in your question. It's certainly not Turkey or Barcelona. The tyres look a little bit happier here. We will definitely do two – maybe six – so it's between those two. You can one-stop if you want... The tyres are a bit different here. It's the same for everybody actually.

Q. (Michael Schmidt – Auto, Motor und Sport) The run-in to the first corner is 240 meters shorter than the last time we were here. The first corner normally means trouble; with a shorter run-in to the first corner is it more difficult, is it easier to have a collision?

MW: I don't think it makes much difference on the apex. Obviously it's a tight corner, you go down there, do your best. Braking point is a bit later, obviously, because you arrive a bit slower.

SV: As long as the KERS works it's fine. If it doesn't work then it can be painful. Maybe it's a bit shorter this year, but I don't think it makes a massive difference.

Q. (Walter Koster – Saabrucker Zeitung) Mark, do you feel disadvantage in your team? For example, I remember the circum

[Lineker]

Formula 1 teams are set to seek clarification from the FIA about the status of the 2014 regulations, amid concerns that details of the new rules having not been formally approved by them.

New rules are supposed to be supported by F1's Technical Working Group and the F1 Commission, before being rubber stamped by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council.

Although the principle of the 2014 rules - which include the switch to 1.6-litre V6 turbo engines and aerodynamically different chassis - have received backing from the teams and were approved by the WMSC in June, it is understood that some of the specific regulations have not yet been officially approved.

Despite that, the FIA published the 2014 regulations on its website earlier this week – prompting some surprise from teams who fear that it could set a future precedent for the FIA imposing regulations unilaterally.

AUTOSPORT understands that the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) discussed the matter at a meeting at the Nurburgring on Saturday night, with the teams set to ask the FIA to explain the situation.

Renault team principal Eric Boullier, who is vice chairman of FOTA, told AUTOSPORT: "We are a bit concerned that some rules have been published without being discussed within the F1 Technical Working Group.

"We want to raise a point that if the F1 Commission was created for us, then it is maybe insane to have a governing body deciding some rules that could have dramatic financial consequences for the teams.

"That is why we created this process to make sure that big decisions can be taken, and we need to consider the economical viability and sustainability of the project. It looks like something is missing from this new process."

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh made it clear that the teams did not want a major dispute with the FIA, but were simply seeking clarity about the processes by which the 2014 regulations were made official.

"Some of the teams have expressed their concern about that," he told AUTOSPORT. "What we are trying to do is work productively with the FIA and not get into a fight about it, but I think it has been established that if the teams are involved in the detail of the regulations then not only have you got greater consensus but you have a better item.

"The concept [of the 2014 regulations] was agreed by the F1 Commission, but there have been some detail points that were not put through the process. There is nothing fundamentally wrong in what has been published for 2014, but there is a concern that if we start doing detail regulations without consulting the teams then we will get into a mess."

Boullier said, however, that there were some elements of the new regulations that he was not happy with.

"Personally I have some concerns about the electrical running in the pit lane," he said. "I understand the environmentally friendly push, but there is a safety issue. For me it is very dangerous to have silent cars in the pit lane."

Formula 1 teams have edged closer an agreement for in-season testing to return in 2012, AUTOSPORT can reveal.

FIA president Jean Todt said earlier this year that he was keen for the in-season testing ban to be lifted - as he thought it ridiculous that outfits could do no proper private running once the campaign got underway.

Team principals discussed the idea of testing at a meeting of the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) at the Nurbugring on Saturday night, with AUTOSPORT understanding that major progress was made in finding a plan that received support from everyone.

Although the final details still need to be sorted, teams are close to approving the idea of a single three-day test that will take place before the start of the European season.

No venue has been chosen for the test, but one possibility being looked at is Mugello.

In a bid to keep costs down for teams, the plan is for them to cut back on pre-season days in exchange for the new test. Instead of the current 15 days they have, teams will instead have 12 days of running ahead of the 2012 campaign.

Before further plans can be made for the test, the teams now need a final calendar to be sorted out by Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA - because they want the test to be slotted in during a three-week break. Ideally that gap will come between the first flyaway races and the beginning of the European stage of the season.

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh, who is chairman of FOTA, suggested that if the test goes ahead it will not necessarily be just race drivers who get running.

"We do like testing," he explained. "I can see the pros and cons or a return of in-season testing, and I think it is an opportunity for some younger drivers to get mileage. I don't think we necessarily have to pound our race drivers around for several days."

Timo Glock will remain with Virgin Racing until 2014 after the German signed a new three year deal with the team.

The 29-year-old joined Virgin at the beginning of last season, following Toyota's withdrawal from Formula 1 at the end of 2009.

"I am very happy to confirm that Marussia Virgin Racing will be my home for the next few years of my F1 career," said Glock. "I'm especially pleased to be able to announce this news ahead of my home grand prix in Germany today, where my career began.

"The past 18 months of racing have been quite tough, although this was always to be expected. As a driver I knew I would have to go back a few steps in order to move forward."

Glock expressed his frustration early in 2011 having felt the team had not made enough progress over the winter break.

But a series of big changes, including Virgin Racing's technical tie-up with McLaren and its purchase of the Wirth Racing Technologies business earlier this month, have shown the team has ambition to move forward.

"Now we have tasted the difficult times together I can't wait to be with the team when we start to enjoy the good times," he said. "And I know they are coming.

"I've seen tremendous belief from Marussia and hard work and commitment across the whole team.

"With the additional steps we have taken - the technical partnership with McLaren and bringing the whole team together - I believe we can achieve our goals together. This year we've demonstrated that we know how to build a reliable car, and with the resources we now have we should be able to add to that a high-performing car. After that it's all about gradual but significant steps forward."

Virgin Racing's CEO Andy Webb added that securing Glock's services for the longterm was important to the continued development of the team.

"We are delighted to have agreed a new long-term contract with Timo, which represents another significant step in our plans for Marussia Virgin Racing," he said. "Timo's contribution to the team over the past 18 months has been immeasurable and he has certainly lived up to his commitment to help build a team from within.

"It has been a tough climb at times, and for a driver of his unquestionable record it must have proved frustrating at times.

"Both he and the team are fortunate to be faced with the opportunities we have now created for ourselves when we are still very much in our infancy. Timo is vastly experienced whilst still bringing youth and great spirit to the team. We are looking forward to seeing what we can do together to extract the maximum from our resources, particularly the promising technical partnership with McLaren."

Glock first raced in Formula 1 for Jordan in 2004, where he completed four grands prix, but became a regular in 2008 with Toyota having won the 2007 GP2 Series following a spell in the Champ Car World Series.

Timo Glock says it was an 'easy' decision for him to commit himself to Virgin Racing for the next three years, despite the team's early struggles in Formula 1.

The German announced ahead of the German Grand Prix that he has signed a long-term deal to remain at his current team, with AUTOSPORT understanding that the contract runs through until the end of 2014.

And although the length of his commitment rules him out of contention for prize seats elsewhere, Glock says he never thought of anything else but making a success of his decision to join Virgin.

"The possibilities we have now are quite positive," Glock said, referring to the recent technical partnership that Virgin has struck up with McLaren. "For me the decision was quite easy and I want to have some good times with the team.

"We have to find a way to be in the midfield next year, and regular points maybe. That is what we have to have for next year - and it will be hard work."

Glock has conceded that things have not always been rosy at Virgin Racing, especially with its car having not been as competitive as it hoped, but he insists he never lost faith in the project.

"I was frustrated, as was everyone else at the team, at certain moments last year," he explained. "But for me that takes two to three hours to subside and then I reset my head again for the next weekend.

"For some reason everyone has asked me this weekend how I can still be motivated fighting for P20 at the moment. For me I jump in the car and I just enjoy what I'm doing, F1 was my goal and I am just enjoying every time I jump in there and fighting as hard as possible until the last lap.

"It doesn't matter whether I'm fighting for a podium or P20. That's how I was motivated last year and this year. I set my target for a weekend, and I just want to get more than 100% out of the package we have at the moment, and that's what I am doing."

Fernando Alonso believes Red Bull Racing is now exposed to the possibility of making more errors in the race thanks to the growing competitiveness of McLaren and Ferrari.

With a pit stop mistake at the British Grand Prix having contributed to Sebastian Vettel not winning a race for only the second time this year, Alonso believes that Red Bull Racing are no longer in the super comfortable position that they were at the start of the season.

"For sure it's not as easy as when they were one second in front of everyone," said Alonso, when asked by AUTOSPORT if he felt that Red Bull Racing was now under real pressure.

"Now they are only a couple of tenths, and when you are only a couple of tenths ahead, it's not the same confidence when you do the lap, it's not the same to prepare the race, it's depends on the strategy, it depends on the stops.

"We saw in Silverstone this with the stop, we saw in Monaco also with some pressure that [Mark] Webber lost 20 seconds in a stop. So for sure in the races that we push them a little bit more, there is a possibility for some mistakes. In the races where they are so competitive, they do 1-2 very easy."

Although Alonso believes that his situation in the championship means that he must take every risk possible to try and close the gap to Vettel, he thinks he is not yet in a situation where it is win or bust for him.

"We will see how the weather develops and how competitive we can be in damp conditions or wet conditions," he explained. "Winning the race is always not easy at all and we need to be the fastest on the track at some point of the race.

"At the moment we are not the fastest. Red Bull was the fastest and McLaren were quite close, so we need to make a step forward in the race to move on if we need to win the race.

"With this rain, if we are on the track and we finish the race then I think some of the top three will not finish the race because I think it will be quite crazy in wet conditions. So maybe a podium with someone DNF is a good result."

With Alonso's Ferrari relatively easy on its tyres, Alonso concedes that a wet race will not be as good for his team as a dry event.

"I prefer a dry race. If it rains it's not like we will have problems and I'm not too worried but it's true that when it rained in Canada Vettel opened a gap easily and at Silverstone when it rained the Red Bull ran away and Hamilton passed me quite easily. In the dry we were a lot faster so if it rains there are less chances."