F1′s advertising supremo Paddy McNally is retiring, Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed.
Late last year, the sport’s chief executive Ecclestone appointed David Campbell to “help” 72-year-old McNally with running the trackside advertising company Allsport and the Paddock Club.

“Paddy thinks someone younger should take over,” confirmed 80-year-old Ecclestone to the Daily Mail. “He is one of the founding fathers of the modern grand prix set-up.”

McNally is also one of the richest men in Britain.

McLaren excused Lewis Hamilton after denouncing his “very poor” race strategy in Sunday’s Malaysian grand prix.
The Briton started second but finished just seventh at Sepang, and was further demoted to eighth place following a penalty for weaving in front of Fernando Alonso.

“I tried my best,” the visibly angry 2008 world champion said after stepping out of the MP4-26, while his teammate Jenson Button climbed the podium.

“I stopped before everyone else and then the wrong tyres were put on. It was very poor strategy but there’s nothing I can do,” added Hamilton.

Team boss Martin Whitmarsh said he understood the 26-year-old’s initial frustration.

“Lewis said a few things straight after the race which were from his view in the cockpit,” he said. “He’s already smiling and laughing and when he looks back and sees the full picture I think he’ll have a different opinion.”

Whitmarsh also said he thought Hamilton’s post-race 20-second penalty for weaving was “harsh”, but Ferrari driver Alonso said his former teammate had been “very aggressive”.

“At 300kmh he did some very aggressive moves with the steering wheel,” the Spaniard told AS newspaper, but he wasn’t critical of the stewards for his own 20-second penalty.

“It was a normal racing incident,” he explained, referring to when he clipped the rear of Hamilton’s McLaren.

“We are racing drivers, I would do the same thing tomorrow, while others make the decisions,” added Alonso.

Sauber team members were paid their contractual monetary bonuses despite the double-disqualification in Melbourne two weeks ago.

Both Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez were thrown out of the points after the season opener when the curvature of their rear wing top elements were found to breach the rules by 4mm.

Most teams pay financial bonuses to the drivers and staff on the basis of points scored.

“Despite the disqualification, we paid the drivers and the entire team their bonuses in full,” confirmed team CEO Monisha Kaltenborn to Sonntagsblick newspaper.

For most of Sauber’s 280 staff, the bonus per point is reportedly $90.

Paul di Resta claims he was hit several times by tyre “marbles” during the Malaysian grand prix.

Off the racing line, the Sepang circuit was littered with discarded chunks of Pirelli’s synthetic compounds that roll off the tyres as they degrade.

“Come the end of the race, it gets difficult to overtake,” Scottish rookie di Resta is quoted by the Telegraph.

“The other big thing is that they kept coming up and hitting me in the hands. In the middle of a fast corner, these lumps of rubber would be smacking into my hands as I turned the wheel.

“Rubber is not the softest material and if it got you in the right place, it could hurt,” said the Force India driver.

Pirelli motor sport director Paul Hembery said he was not aware if di Resta’s complaint was widespread.

“I have not had those comments from the top three (finishers) but if it’s an issue, we will have to confront it,” he said.

“There was a lot of overtaking though. We will have to analyse all the overtaking manoeuvres but the marbles have to go somewhere and that is a difficulty for us,” the Briton added.

The obsession of some F1 observers about overtaking is “silly”, the sport’s top car designer Adrian Newey insists.
With KERS returning in 2011 and the controversial moveable rear wings now also being used in races, the Briton was asked what he would say to Bernie Ecclestone if the F1 chief executive asked him how to make passing even easier.

“I would tell him to stop saying silly things,” Newey is quoted by Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung.

“If overtaking is too easy, it’s not exciting,” he insisted.

“Overtaking in formula one really never was easy and honestly I don’t see a big problem,” added Newey.

David Coulthard has told Red Bull’s critics to “put up or shut up” as the new flexible front wing saga continues to grip the Sepang paddock.

In a repeat of the identical 2010 controversy, some rivals – notably Coulthard’s former employer McLaren – say the front wing of the RB7 is flexing too much even though it passes FIA scrutineering tests.

The Scot, now a commentator for British television as well as an advisor to his last F1 team Red Bull, wrote in the Telegraph that he is suspicious of the complaints.

“Anyone who complains repeatedly about something but does not lodge a protest is either scaremongering, trying to devalue someone else’s achievements or has serious doubts about the solidity of their argument,” said Coulthard.

He added that Red Bull’s rivals “either need to copy it (the wing) – if they can – or challenge it if they think it is illegal. Put up or shut up”.

Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn said the frustration of some of Red Bull’s rivals is because the FIA flexibility tests were further strengthened over the winter.

“It’s fair to say that probably, over the winter, a lot of teams assumed with the new test that the situation was going to change and it hasn’t,” said the Briton.

F1 commentators have been told to “shut up” before denouncing newcomers to the sport as mere “pay-drivers”.

It has been said that Vitaly Petrov only kept his Renault seat this year thanks to his Russian millions, while Sergio Perez has brought the backing of Mexican giant Telmex to the Sauber team in 2011.

Both performed spectacularly in Melbourne last weekend, with Petrov achieving his first ever podium and rookie Perez the only driver in the field to manage a one-stopper on the new Pirelli tyres.

“I know why I’m in F1 and why some people call me that (a pay-driver),” Perez is quoted in a French-language AFP report.

“I’ve always had confidence in myself but it feels good to shut the mouths of those who have not stopped telling me I’m here because I paid for my seat.”

Petrov has a similar attitude about being called a pay-driver.

“If someone says this, I say ‘Shut up! I don’t want to listen to this’,” said the Russian.

“I don’t want people to think that we are here just because of money,” Petrov told The Independent.

“My father wanted to blow all the money the family has and the business,” he said sarcastically, “but after a few races in F1 you can see that I am not here just because of money.”

Ferrari’s drivers were disappointed at Sepang to learn that pole, victory and even a podium on merit are out of reach at present.

The Italian team was surprised to find itself off the pace in Melbourne, but had high hopes that the more conventional Malaysian layout would paint a different picture.

But RTL commentator Christian Danner said Red Bull and McLaren are “in a different league” this weekend.

“The gap between us to them is very big,” Felipe Massa admitted to Agencia Estado. “We will have a tough weekend.”

Alarmingly for the Maranello based team, Fernando Alonso said the 150 Italia car is handling quite well at Sepang.

“What we lack in comparison to Red Bull and McLaren is speed,” said the Spaniard.

“We’ll see how we go but we have not been fast and we expect no miracles,” Alonso is quoted by Spanish newspapers.

He said the Malaysian weather could intervene to give Ferrari a boost, and F1′s other Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari agrees.

“The chances of rain are quite high,” the Toro Rosso driver told AS newspaper. “It rains every day here between 4 and 6pm.”

Bernie Ecclestone has played down rumours F1′s owner CVC is looking to sell its 100 per cent ownership of the sport.
Several sources told the Reuters news agency recently that a strategic review is underway by CVC for a potential “sale, IPO or debt refinancing”.

But F1 chief executive Ecclestone told the Daily Mail that while “People are knocking at their door all the time, CVC is not looking for any exit over the next two or three years”.

CVC declined to comment.

The 80-year-old also said CVC’s $2.9 billion debt “should be cleared by 2014″.

Lewis Hamilton has hit back at Christian Horner’s claim that pairing him with Sebastian Vettel would risk creating “fireworks” at Red Bull.

“Look at me and Jenson (Button),” said the McLaren driver, referring to his current teammate. “World champions can definitely race together as long as there is quality in the team.”

British reporters asked the 26-year-old if the rumours and counter-rumours about his future, particularly the link with Red Bull, had him “rattled”.

He denied it and insisted it’s “positive I’m being talked about, which means I’m not forgotten”, added Hamilton in quotes published by Fleet Street newspapers from Malaysia.

But apparently pouring water on a possible tie-up with Red Bull, Hamilton suggested Vettel is the one who would cause the fireworks if he switched to the reigning championship-winning team.

“Some individuals can take being beaten, some are better losers or better winners,” he said.

“When I beat Jenson, he doesn’t whinge and say ‘Oh, Lewis has a better car than me or Lewis did this and I did that’.”

And he tentatively committed his future to McLaren.

“I’m contracted for the next two years and I want to win world championships here. I hope that continues, but you never know what happens in the future,” said Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton on Friday scoffed at claims Red Bull’s rivals are nipping at the heels of the reigning championship leaders.
“Certainly the McLarens look competitive,” Christian Horner said at Sepang, after Mark Webber dominated the opening practice session before enjoying a smaller margin in the afternoon.

“Mercedes is not too far away,” added the Red Bull boss. “I don’t think Ferrari have shown their full hand yet,” said Horner.

McLaren’s Hamilton, however, said he was not buying into the story.

“I think they are always blowing smoke,” said the 2008 world champion. “I think it’s a load of rubbish really, I think they’ve got another half a second at least to pull out.”

Friday’s fastest Webber admitted he is in a strong position.

“I think we will see pretty much the same picture (as in Melbourne),” said the Australian. “We will be pretty competitive here — that’s my guess.”

And his teammate and championship leader Sebastian Vettel also acknowledged Webber’s pace.

“He was a bit faster today,” said the German, “so I need to find some more from myself tomorrow.”

The Renault cars did not immediately run in Friday afternoon practice while the team investigated the technical failures of the initial session at Sepang.
Team boss Eric Boullier confirmed at the Malaysian circuit that neither Nick Heidfeld or Vitaly Petrov would return to their R31s until the problem is understood and rectified.

“Best to be on the safe side,” the team said on its official Twitter.

Heidfeld had returned to the pits in the first session with a blocked wheel, before Petrov spun into the gravel after a catastrophic failure on his left corner.

It was initially believed the problem was related to brakes, but the later theory was that the fault was in the suspension upright.

Half-way into the second session, it is believed the problem has been found and the cars will return to the track shortly.

Meanwhile, Boullier confirmed that German Heidfeld sat out some pre-weekend events this week with a throat infection.

“It’s not serious,” he told Bernama news agency. “He wanted to rest and be ready for free practice.”

Four F1 drivers are testing a new addition to their helmets designed to prevent injuries like Felipe Massa’s in Hungary two years ago.
Soon, the helmets used in formula one must carry the strip across the top of the visor made of a material called Zylon.

Zylon, similar to Kevlar, is used in bulletproof vests, Nasa’s Mars rover and in F1 it is used for the wheel tethers and cockpit lining.

Vitaly Petrov, Jarno Trulli, Sebastien Buemi and Pastor Maldonado (Bell) are all currently using the strip, but it will mandatory once suppliers Arai, Schuberth and Bell are all supplying it as standard.

“We’ve added about 70 grams to the visor, but we have doubled its impact performance,” said the FIA’s technical advisor Andy Mellor.

Nick Heidfeld said he did not know the details of the problems that affected both Renault drivers in initial practice at Sepang.

The German had to return to the pits with a damaged tyre and floor after an apparent brake locking problem.

And his teammate Vitaly Petrov had a dramatic skip into the gravel following a brake, wheel or suspension failure aboard the sister R31.

Jerome d’Ambrosio then had a similar incident at the wheel of his Virgin.

“Whether Vitaly and I had the same problem, I don’t know,” Heidfeld told German broadcaster Sky.

“We have a few ideas already of course but we haven’t had anything like this in testing so we’re a bit surprised,” he added.

The 33-year-old had a difficult season opener in Australia while Petrov drove to the podium, but Heidfeld is confident of a better performance in Malaysia.

“It was a difficult weekend,” he confirmed. “It would have been nice to race immediately the following weekend, but I used the time to train and have a positive attitude going into this weekend.”

Media outlets have discovered an uncomfortable detail about F1 rookie Paul di Resta’s family.
Bild newspaper in Germany claims the Force India driver’s aunt Delizia runs an adult entertainment club in Edinburgh called ‘Bottom’s Up’.

And it is believed another club, ‘Fantasy Palace’, is run by Delizia’s brother Tom.

The 81-year-old father of Delizia and Tom, meanwhile – Felice di Resta, Paul’s grandfather – heads the empire and runs the Ambassador, a sauna/brothel.

“Yes,” 24-year-old Paul di Resta confirmed reluctantly. “Part of my family is in the ‘gentlemen’s business’.”

His father, Louis, reportedly has several regular clubs, including the popular ‘The Twig’ in Bathgate.