A gutted Red Bull team on Sunday night was ruing a catastrophic Korean grand prix, where Mark Webber lost the championship lead, and Sebastian Vettel the race.

The immediate attention centred on pole sitter and race leader Vettel’s Renault engine failure, which Helmut Marko said took the team and its supplier by complete surprise.

“It did,” the Austrian said on German television RTL. “It’s our first engine failure this year.

“The mileage was at about 1600 kilometres, and normally the average (life) is 2000-2100,” added Marko.

“Something broke in the valve area, so it’s the first time. On Friday we were using an engine with much higher mileage,” said the team’s motorsport consultant.

He advised German Vettel, 23, not to give up.

“It’s not easy, but there are still 50 points to get,” said Marko. “Alonso is on his last engine. We’re not giving up.”

Renault apologised for the failure.

An eventful and marathon inaugural Korean grand prix, beginning in boredom and ending in darkness, has changed the face of the 2010 world championship fight.

Championship leader Mark Webber lost his 14-point lead with a crash on the slippery track, and his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel failed to pick up the pieces because of a Renault engine failure.

“Totally my mistake,” admitted Australian Webber after his crash, which also took out Nico Rosberg.

The result means Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso – who laughed hysterically on the radio at the chequered flag – is the new championship leader, 11 points ahead of Webber with two races to go.

“Nothing has changed really,” said the Spaniard. “We all know the new points system. Anything can happen.”

After driving through the carnage and finishing second, Lewis Hamilton is now third in the championship, 21 points behind but four ahead of Vettel.

“It’s obviously not a nice moment,” said Vettel, the pole sitter and leader until his failure, as the race finished in near-darkness.

Jenson Button, 12th at the finish and among the slowest cars on track, is now a distant 42 points behind.

“I’m not really in it anymore,” said the reigning world champion on BBC television.

The Formula 1 debut in South Korea on Sunday was the first in Yeongam water. Heavy rain made it impossible to drive safely, so it could really kick in until late.

Several safety car periods dominated the race, which in the course of Sebastian Vettel in the fight for the world title first developed very beneficial – until he was forced to retire shortly before the end of the race with a technical defect.

The victory won after a number of cases the stars of the track Fernando Alonso in Ferrari, which thus takes over in the World Cup standings lead. To second place Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes came in ahead of Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari.
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There were also points to Michael Schumacher at the Mercedes in fourth place ahead of Robert Kubica (Renault), Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India), Rubens Barrichello (Williams), Kamui Kobayashi, Nick Heidfeld (both Sauber) and Nico Hulkenberg (Williams).

No points accumulated Jenson Button one in twelfth place, who must say goodbye to the title fight. The failure list was long and contained, inter alia, Adrian Sutil, Sebastian Vettel, Timo Glock, Sébastien Buemi, Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg.
Due to very wet conditions and persistent rain, the jury decided initially to postpone the start of ten minutes. During the shift, the decision was made to start the Grand Prix of South Korea behind the safety car. Hence the choice of tires was not an issue, for to be behind the safety car to be run in wet conditions with rain tires for heavy rain.

After three laps behind the safety car the race with the red flag has been lost – was on the line so much water that the driver was the dozen radio complained about conditions of impassable. At 16:05 local time, ie with a delay of 65 minutes, the race was again taken up behind the Safety Car. Once again, the conditions were, however, no approval of the race, why was first moved for minutes behind the safety car.

In the 18th Round – at 16:42 clock time – the race was finally released. For the top of the launch went smoothly without a position change. Further back, Kubica and Rosberg grabbed Hamilton, who came to the fourth forward. Button again went past Massa.

In the 19th Round, lost the lead in the standings Mark Webber on a curb in control of his car and crashed into the guardrail. Also for Nico Rosberg the race was over – he could not evade the more Australians and lost the fourth. The race director sent again the safety car on track

The order behind the safety car: Sebastian Vettel in front of Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa, Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher, Robert Kubica, Nico Hulkenberg, Rubens Barrichello and Adrian Sutil on the tenth. Timo Glock 13, Nick Heidfeld, 17, Sébastien Buemi 21st

In the 24th Round was the race to salvage the cars of Webber and Rosberg are released. This time everything went smoothly at the top. Behind Trulli collided and Senna, which cost the Italians the front wing and forced him to a repair stop. A few minutes later after a failed repair had Trulli off final.

In the 27th Nico Hulkenberg round overtook Renault driver Robert Kubica, Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button and McLaren-Mercedes and Lucas di Grassi retired after a spin with his Virgin.

In the 29th Button and Sutil came round to the pits – both switched to the intermediate tires. It was pitch Button, who was behind some competitors back to the pits. Sutil, however, turned a short time later – it was probably too early for the tire. While increased the pressure on Alonso Vettel, Hülkenberg came in the 31st Round of pit stops and also moved to the Intermediate.

In the 31 Round was the race for Sébastien Buemi went after he failed in an overtaking maneuver on Timo Glock crashed in UK. From Hamilton to third place, all drivers can use at the head of the opportunity and go to the pits – Alonso and Vettel at this stage were already in the pit lane entrance passed.

They both followed one lap later. During the stop at Vettel ran smoothly, there were on the right front wheel of the Ferrari driver is a problem, which the Spaniard fell behind Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren-Mercedes. The order behind the safety car: Vettel in front of Hamilton, Alonso, Massa, Schumacher, Barrichello, Petrov, Hulkenberg, Kobayashi and Kubica in tenth place. Button 12th ahead of Heidfeld and Sutil.

The race was 35th in the Round released. While Vettel was able to pull away again to verbremste Hamilton and slid off the track – by Alonso came back to second place ahead. Vettel has been placed increasingly under pressure from Alonso, who could take the Intermediates much faster than the German

The distances to 40 of 55 rounds: Vettel 2.3 seconds ahead of Alonso, Hamilton 4.2 to, 7.2 ahead of Massa, 14.6 to Schumacher, 16, 0 before Barrichello, 20.7 before Hulkenberg, 21.8 before Kubica, 24.2 before Liuzzi, 28.4 to Kobayashi in the tenth. Eleventh Heidfeld (29.5), Sutil 13th (31.2) ahead of Button (36.3).

In the 41th Round was the race for Vitaly Petrov went. The Russians lost in the chicane before the start and end control of his car and crashed at high speed into the side of the tire wall. It was the car damaged, the Formula 1 driver was unhurt but his car emerge.

Fernando Alonso was in the last dozen laps of the race considerably faster – but he was in the final sector have driven a new best time, although there were waved yellow flags. This could definitely still draw a punishment. Meanwhile Vetetl reported by radio a bad view – it was too dark. A racing demolition would bring him before that date and the full score.

But this idea was in the 46th Round unnecessary – Vettel difference lying with total engine failure in leadership! Fernando Alonso inherited the leadership – and with it the lead in the overall standings. In the 46th Round had run the race for Sutil, who collided with Kobayashi and thereby lost the tenth.

In the 52 Round Hülkenberg had again come into the pits to change tires, so lost eighth place, while Button turned. The situation was difficult for all riders, and the intermediates were partially hardly profile. Thus lost a place to Kubica and Barrichello. Also on the tenth Algersuari briefly slipped off the track – Hülkenberg took the chance and moved past the Spaniard to secure the final point.

Ross Brawn has admitted he has begun to think about retiring.

The Briton has played down rumours he is at loggerheads with Norbert Haug, but acknowledged that if the 2011 car is disappointing, his role as Mercedes team principal will be in danger.

As for next year, the 55-year-old told the Telegraph: “I will definitely be there next year. 100 per cent. I don’t have any ambitions to be anywhere else.”

But Brawn, who stepped down from Ferrari a few years ago before taking a sabbatical and returning with Brackley based Honda, also admitted that “I will retire one day”.

“For the next few years I will focus totally on getting this team to the front of the grid and then, almost like at Ferrari, I want to start working on a succession plan so that I can ease back a bit,” he added.

Brawn said he plan is to stay in F1 “but maybe not have to come to 20-odd races every year”.

More rain is headed to the already wet Yeongam venue.

With only 40 minutes to go before the scheduled race start at 3pm, plenty of earlier rain has soaked the new Korean layout and grid.

For the Hyundai support race, there was a crash on the first lap and the rest of the race took place behind the safety car as marshals struggled to clear the cars.

Fears about a safety car start for the grand prix eased along with the easing rain a couple of hours ago, but the radar is now showing more showers on the horizon.

“It feels like it is going to rain again before the race starts,” said a media source at Yeongam at 2.15pm.

Four hours before the inaugural Korean grand prix, the brand new Yeongam venue is awash with rain.

It started raining just before 10pm on Saturday night, and was heavy at times throughout the night and did not completely stop at any point.

Some forecasts had predicted the weather would ease on Sunday morning, but at 11am the precipitation is still light and the skies still completely grey.

The sheer amount of water that has fallen on the new track surface will ensure that the rubber laid by the F1 cars on Friday and Saturday has now been washed off.

And the ‘weeping’ of asphalt oils from beneath the newly-laid top layer, mixed with the rain that is still falling at Yeongam, will ensure a very slippery surface for the race at 3pm.

Expert forecasts at the circuit think the rain could stop completely and sunshine emerge at about midday, which would mean a damp surface for the race start is still a possibility.

“I hope it stays wet and slippery!” enthused Lotus driver Heikki Kovalainen.

As the dark Korea paddock emptied on Saturday night, word spread that Lotus has finally secured its engine supply contract for 2011.

It has been an open secret that the new Malaysian team is switching from Cosworth to Renault, but the naming dispute with Proton was believed to have held up the formalities.

But, whatever the current status of the dispute with Group Lotus, it seems the contracts were at last signed in the new Yeongam paddock late on Saturday.

Finnish driver Heikki Kovalainen would not confirm.

“If it happens it will be an interesting deal for our team,” he told the Daily Mail.

After Renault, the next step will be the announcement of Kovalainen’s new deal for 2011, with his current teammate Jarno Trulli also tipped to return next season.

“At the moment I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” Kovalainen insisted.  “I think we have made good progress this year, so it is of course a very strong possibility for me to carry on here.

“That is all I can say at the moment,” he added.

Renault and Force India have emerged as the most likely teams to keep Nick Heidfeld’s formula one career alive beyond 2010.

Although returning from Mercedes and Pirelli test roles to complete the current season with Sauber, Heidfeld has not been signed for next season by the Swiss team, who are instead pitting the Telmex-backed rookie Sergio Perez alongside Kamui Kobayashi.

But veteran Heidfeld, revealing in Korea this week that he does not carry any personal sponsorship, has emerged as a candidate to replace the disappointing Russian pay-driver Vitaly Petrov at Renault.

Team boss Eric Boullier, suggesting that a decision could be made by Abu Dhabi next month, told Auto Motor und Sport: “Both Heidfeld and Sutil have a chance.”

Renault’s thinking is that, with a good driver alongside Robert Kubica this year, the team might have beaten Mercedes to fourth place in the constructors’ championship — with prize-money arguably beyond even Petrov’s impressive dowry.

Adrian Sutil, with a solid offer to stay at Force India, is also an interesting candidate, especially with his EUR5 million in Medion sponsorship to offer.

The good news for Heidfeld is that Sutil is also in the running for the Williams seat, and his departure to either Renault or Williams would free up the place at Force India.

“That place is only free if Sutil goes,” Heidfeld confirmed.

And if Sutil does go, the 33-year-old German must be a strong contender.

“It is hardly conceivable that Force India will go into 2011 with Vitantonio Liuzzi next to Paul di Resta — one a newcomer and another who has been disappointing,” said the German media report.

The F1 paddock is expecting rain at the new Yeongam venue.

After a dry inaugural race weekend in South Korea so far, forecasts are predicting rain later on Saturday and overnight, with a very high chance of more heavy showers on race-day morning.

And the threat of rain for 1500 local on Sunday – the scheduled race start – is more than 50 per cent, leaving some drivers worried about the effect of a wet track atop the new and already low-grip surface.

“It’s going to be tough whatever the weather does,” warned McLaren’s Jenson Button.

The struggling HRT team has emerged as a likely customer for technical support by Williams in 2011.

Last month it was reported that famous British team Williams could be set to supply its hydraulic systems and gearboxes to one or more of the sport’s small new teams.

In 2010, the standard Xtrac systems have proved outdated and unreliable, and Lotus broke ranks to arrange of a supply of Red Bull’s technology for 2011.

“We’ve had enquiries for our hydraulics and gearbox, we’re open to supplying it, but nothing has been agreed at this point,” a Williams spokesman told us in September.

The Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat believes Hispania Racing (HRT), the back-of-the-grid Spanish team, has been in talks with Williams about the systems.

Ross Brawn has admitted his days as Mercedes team boss are numbered if he cannot power the German marque’s name to the top of formula one.

With the Brackley based team failing to live up to its billing as the reigning world champions with Michael Schumacher in the starring role, there have been widespread rumours about team harmony falling apart.

Brawn insists Schumacher is staying put and denies he is at odds with the German manager Norbert Haug, but acknowledges that he needs to deliver a much better silver car for 2011.

“Fourth position in the championship – and forget 2008 because that was the year I came to Honda and I couldn’t do anything about that – is probably the worst result I have had since I have been in senior management,” he told the Telegraph.

“And if the team continues running at a mediocre level then I probably won’t be running a team for much longer.  But the important thing is that I believe I know where we have gone wrong,” added Brawn.

He has explained this year’s problems as due to fighting in 2009 for the team’s survival as Brawn GP last year, whilst also pushing Jenson Button to the title.

“This business is all about spinning plates on the end of sticks.  And if you stop spinning them they fall off.  A few of our plates fell off last year.  Now we have put them back and we are spinning them,” he said.

Team figures are not hiding the fact that a major restructuring is about to take place, with one example being the rumoured drafting-in of Nico Rosberg’s former Williams engineer Tony Ross.

“My lips are sealed,” the German driver, who is currently engineered by Jock Clear, is quoted by Turun Sanomat newspaper.

“Anyway, we are moving in the right direction and nobody is being kicked out,” Rosberg insisted.

Jacques Villeneuve has admitted he wants Mark Webber to beat his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel to the 2010 title.

The 1997 world champion, in Australia for a touring car race, said the Australian driver has been “amazing” in the face of difficult conditions.

“He’s been very strong mentally, it’s the best he’s ever driven, and the team has been against him as well,” said Villeneuve, referring to Webber’s struggle for status alongside the rising star Vettel in 2010.

Earlier this week, French Canadian Villeneuve said he thinks Webber has a mental advantage over Vettel, who he denounced as “spoilt” by Red Bull.

The German newspaper Die Welt said Villeneuve’s opinion is widespread within the driver camp, its headline announcing that Vettel is “unpopular among his colleagues”.

Rubens Barrichello said the ill-feeling can be traced back to Silverstone, where Webber triumphed despite publicly declaring he felt like a “number 2 driver”.

Red Bull has pledged equality, at least for the three-race run to the Abu Dhabi finale, but team boss Christian Horner thinks the team has bigger problems.

“We are going to have to reckon with tactical games,” said the Briton, referring to Ferrari’s clear system of preference as Felipe Massa supports Fernando Alonso’s title charge.

“Our philosophy,” added Horner, “is different.”

Red Bull is nervous about not throwing away the 2010 world championship, and McLaren will be there to pick up the pieces.

That is the gist of the mind games being played in the media by McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh.

“I think it would be tough to take for Red Bull to lose the championship now,” he is quoted by the Guardian newspaper, nearing the end of a season marked by the difficult off-track relationship between the two British-based teams.

Whitmarsh said he hopes the title-charging inexperience of Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull, and the championships already in the bags of McLaren and its two drivers, will show up in the run to the Abu Dhabi finale.

“I hope it’s massively important and decisive.  Both our guys know what it’s like – even if you’re leading a championship – when the pressure comes.  It’s very easy to get defensive and tight,” said the Briton.

Whitmarsh also said Red Bull “can be disappointed” that their championship lead is relatively small despite having easily the fastest qualifying car for much of 2010.

“That will be weighing on their minds as we get into the championship finale.  I’m sure they feel some sense of frustration,” he said.

Reigning world champion Jenson Button admitted in Korea that he too has been attempting to out-psyche Red Bull’s Webber.

“Everybody plays mind games,” he said.  “It was fun because I have been in his position.  They did it to me last year.

“It’s the little things, like me saying, Are you feeling the pressure, mate?  You always get a reaction, even if they say, Nah I am not feeling it,” added Button.

According to the latest rumour in the F1 paddock, Karun Chandhok may be in talks with Lotus about joining Tony Fernandes’ team for 2011.

The rumour was aired on British television on Saturday morning from Korea, with pit reporter Ted Kravitz saying the Indian driver could become reserve driver before moving into the race cockpit in 2012.

Kravitz quoted a Lotus team member as admitting that the 26-year-old Indian, who made his debut with HRT this year before being sidelined by the better-funded Sakon Yamamoto, is a “great guy”.

Chandhok said this week that he is hopeful his F1 career has not floundered permanently after just half a season.

“There is a lot to discuss for next year with the HRT team, but also with other teams to see what other options are available for me, but I do feel good about my prospects,” he is quoted by The National newspaper.

UK-based Chandhok has not attended the most recent Japanese and Korean grands prix.

As Mark Webber bids to further extend his points lead this weekend, the Australian is set to benefit from the freshest engine among his championship rivals.

Before travelling to Korea, the other main contenders had already begun using their final and eighth engine of the season.

But Webber’s last Renault V8 was only fitted to his Red Bull before the last practice session on Saturday morning.

At the other end of the scale is Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who has been managing the usage of his range of eight engines for quite some races.

The Italian team has been playing down the situation recently, but boss Stefano Domenicali now admits that it is a significant issue.

“If we do (have more problems) it will be tremendously difficult to try to fight to the end,” he said in Korea.