Jean Todt says he supports formula one’s push out of Europe into new markets.
The FIA president was speaking at India’s new Buddh circuit, amid some observers’ fears that the sport is steadily walking away from its traditional hosts and venues.

“Slowly (F1) is moving from Europe to other developing countries in Asia and the Middle East.

“India is a strong emerging country and I admire the investments made for building the infrastructure and the resilience shown by the people,” said Todt.

It has also been suggested in the F1 paddock that the calendar is becoming too crammed, with personnel required to travel quickly between countries separated by long distances and different time zones.

“Firstly, the calendar is proposed by F1 rights holder or should we say Bernie Ecclestone,” Todt told the Times of India.

“We are running a world wide championship and teams should be prepared for some travelling. But I think 20 races is good and we shouldn’t increase that,” he said.

And as for F1′s European decline, with the sport absent even in Todt’s native France, he told the Economic Times: “I wouldn’t call it a decline; the world is changing.

“This is a transfer of ideas and resources from one part of the world to another – from the traditional F1 enclaves to big emerging nations.”

Nico Rosberg – 7th: “I’m pleased that we made a step forward today but we could perhaps have finished higher. In Q1, I hit a kerb quite heavily and damaged the floor which lost some of the car’s downforce for the rest of qualifying. I was on my quickest lap at the end of Q3 but unfortunately I had to slow down for the yellow flag after Felipe’s incident so that cost me some time. I will push hard to gain places tomorrow and have a good race on this fantastic track. I’m guessing it will be an exciting race and the Indian people should be proud to have one of the best tracks in the world of motorsport now!”

Michael Schumacher – 12th: “Qualifying today was not really very good for us. At first I hit some traffic, and then on my final run in Q2, there was again vibrations on the set of tyres which I used which was not helpful. Saying that, this certainly does not explain the time gap to Nico so we need to understand what the reason was for that and get on top of it. As for the race tomorrow, this should work out better for me, and my aim undoubtedly is to score some points. I’m not really sure which side of the grid will be the better one, so I will just take it from there and try to gain as much as possible.”

Ross Brawn: “It was an exciting and tense qualifying session today. We got caught out a little in traffic on occasions which didn’t help as it was particularly close out there. It’s a shame that we didn’t get through to Q3 with Michael, and he was unhappy with his final set of tyres. Nico did a great job, especially considering that he was struggling a little with the car yesterday, so all credit to him and his team for getting the car in good shape for qualifying. Our runs on high fuel this weekend have been encouraging so we are looking forward to the race tomorrow at this impressive new track.”

Norbert Haug: “A good job from Nico today and a good qualifying strategy from our team with just one run in Q3 to save tyres for the race. Michael missed getting into the top ten by 0.018s and the gap to P8 was less than two-tenths which shows how intense the battle is. Our target tomorrow is to achieve the best possible result behind the top three teams and hopefully finish in the top six rankings which we achieved three times in the last five races. The new circuit and facilities here in Greater Noida are very impressive and it is very positive for Formula One to be present in such a vibrant country full of passion and friendliness.”

Fernando Alonso: – 4th: “It was important to get onto the front two rows, as it’s easier to fight for a good result from here. I don’t think there’s much of a difference between the two vertical lines of the grid because the ideal line on the start-finish straight goes down the middle, so both sides are quite dirty. In fact the dirt off the racing line could be a problem for overtaking with whoever initiates the move having to give it everything without hesitating. So far, this weekend has gone as expected and now we will try and do a good job tomorrow. It would be very nice to bring home one of the trophies that will be handed out to those who make it to the podium on Formula 1′s debut in India. I came very close to the front row, which is a bit of a surprise. In recent qualifying sessions, we have not managed to get as close as this to our main rivals and already yesterday we looked reasonably competitive. Usually, on Sunday our performance level is better but that does not automatically mean that we will be fighting for the win. There are too many unknowns, even more than usual and then, we have seen how things can change from one track to another. In Suzuka, we came within a whisker of the win and in Singapore we were not competitive. We will be doing our best, that’s for sure.”

Felipe Massa – 6th: “What happened on my last timed lap was a real shame. Today, we had the potential to secure a good placing, as Fernando demonstrated and as can also be seen from the fact my sixth best time was set with a rather slow third sector. I came into Turn 8 and went over the kerb and the front right suspension gave way in the impact with the raised orange part, which in my opinion is too high at this point. It’s a very fast corner, taken at around 215 km/h and it could be arranged differently. These are details that need improving for next year. I repeat, I am disappointed, because the car has been going well all weekend long. Now I find myself with one less set of Softs and with a broken front wing. It was the new one, which we had here for the first time and it delivered a bit extra in terms of performance. Tomorrow, overtaking will be difficult because of the dirt on track, but I think we will still see a lot.”

Stefano Domenicali: “First of all, I wish to congratulate the organisers of this Grand Prix. Bringing Formula 1 to India is a great achievement and they and Bernie Ecclestone deserve the credit for it. This country is growing rapidly, even if there are sharp contrasts, but never before have we seen our sport welcomed with such enthusiasm and interest from the general public. As for qualifying, I have to say our car’s overall performance was good: being less than a tenth off the front row – Vettel was once again untouchable – means that we are not looking too bad at this track. We are obviously disappointed for Felipe, who has been very quick all weekend: accidents like this can happen, but the important thing is that the driver is fine. Usually, our race pace is better than our outright performance in qualifying: let’s hope that is also the case tomorrow and we can leave India with a good result under our belt.”

Pat Fry: “I don’t know if our mechanics will take home happy memories of this race, because we’ve definitely given them a lot to do over the past two days. Yesterday, there was an unexpected engine change on Fernando’s car and today we have to repair Felipe’s car. As for the performance we saw in qualifying, the verdict is reasonably positive. The 150º Italia proved to be very competitive in the first two sectors of the track and given its characteristics, the performance in the second is encouraging. However, we struggled a bit more in the last one, especially when compared to Vettel’s Red Bull. The new front wing allows more room to manoeuvre when it comes to aerodynamic balance, which is always positive. The Soft tyres seem to be at their best on the second timed lap and degradation appears to be lower than expected and similar to what we saw in Korea, where the track was equally smooth. We need to find the best strategy and, in Felipe’s case, minimise the loss of one set of Softs which were damaged in the accident.”

Sebastian Vettel – 1st: “It was an interesting qualifying session; a new circuit and a new challenge – obviously I’m very happy to be on the front row. I don’t know if being on the left or the right side of the track (we are on the left), is really an advantage or not; there’s not one side that seems to be the clean side, as we tend to run down the middle. It was a good battle and after the first run it was very close, so I knew I had to do a little bit better on the second. We decided to only do one timed lap each time, it was still a bit slippery, but overall I’m very happy. Tomorrow it going to be a long race, we start starting the best possible position, so we’ll see what happens.”

Mark Webber – 3rd: “This new venue has been a good challenge for us. It was tricky to work out the right strategy for qualifying. The tyres weren’t easy for one timed lap, so we had to work out how to do the right strategy – lots of teams tried different styles to get the best lap time out of the car. The first sector was tricky to get right on one timed lap. I could have done better in the first sector on my first lap in Q3; I couldn’t complete my second, as there were yellow flags after Massa’s incident. Overall it’s a good job for the team, we’ve come to a new venue, prepared well and we’ve laid a good foundation for a very good race tomorrow.”

Christian Horner: “A great qualifying for the team to have established our 16th pole and a new record for the most poles secured by a team within a season. Also to have achieved a front row lock out after Lewis’ penalty of yesterday has put us in the best position to start tomorrow’s race. The dilemma was whether to do one or two laps, but in the end Sebastian managed to make two laps which were effectively good enough for pole. Mark running two laps on his first set of tyres in Q3 was the right strategy, so first and second on the grid is a great place to be starting the inaugural Indian Grand Prix at a circuit that has been a real challenge for the drivers and is a really exciting venue.”

(Renault) Cyril Dumont: “A wonderful pole position again for Sebastian at this first Indian Grand Prix; I’m pleased for him. I think we had the pace today to lock out the front row – but anyway, we will start first and second on the grid tomorrow. That’s the best place to start the race – we’ve clearly got the pace on low and high fuel, so it could be interesting tomorrow.”

Adrian Sutil – 8th: “We’ve been saying all week that this is a special race for us so I’m very happy with today’s qualifying performance. We are so determined to do well here and today’s result is the first step towards that. P8 is one of my best qualifying results of the season and I think it was the maximum we could achieve from the session. The balance of the car was excellent and I really enjoy this circuit, which seems to suit my driving style. But tomorrow is the important day and now we have to think hard about the strategy we will run. I feel very comfortable with the car and I think we will be more competitive than we were in Korea.”

Paul Di Resta – 13th: “Starting P12 is a bit disappointing really, because we looked quite strong this morning. But I struggled with a bit of understeer in the high-speed corners and we couldn’t fix it during the session. I think the conditions cooled a little bit, which maybe didn’t help us because I couldn’t get the balance quite where I wanted it. I feel that points are still achievable tomorrow and we seem quite strong on the longer runs. There’s a hard task ahead, but I will stay focussed and try to do the best job possible in the team’s home race.”

Dr. Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director: “Another excellent day of track action at Buddh International Circuit and I’m delighted to see a Sahara Force India starting the very first Indian Grand Prix from the fourth row of the grid. The whole team has worked very hard to bring our final upgrade package here this weekend and I think that showed in our performance today. Adrian clearly loves this circuit and was on top form this afternoon. Paul has also been very strong, but unfortunately he lost the sweet spot he had with the car this morning and missed out on making Q3. Still, we know we have a strong car for tomorrow and I’m hopeful both drivers can be in the hunt for points. It’s our home race and I hope all the fans will get behind Sahara Force India in what will be a spetacular and historic moment for India.”

Pastor Maldonado – 14th: The track was getting better and better every lap today so you really needed to be on track at the right time. My engineers achieved that with our qualifying strategy and the set-up we had worked. We had good race pace in the last few events, and we are close to the top ten, so tomorrow we will fight!

Rubens Barrichello – 16th: I was happy with the balance of the car on the first set of tyres and set my best time with those. When I changed to the new set, the car didn’t feel as hooked up and the grip wasn’t really there which was strange. It should be a good race tomorrow; the cars around us seem to be very close, so let’s see.

Mark Gillan, Chief Operations Engineer: Overall that was a reasonably pleasing day with both drivers doing well. Pastor managed to maximise the current performance of the car, qualifying in what will be P13, with Rubens close behind in P15.

A hot topic in India this weekend is the rumoured return to formula one next year of 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen.
Reports suggest the 32-year-old Finn, who left Ferrari to try his hand at world rallying and NASCAR two seasons ago, could come back in 2012 with the beleaguered Williams team.

The famous British squad’s chairman Adam Parr was asked directly about the speculation in India on Friday by Finnish journalist Heikki Kulta.

“I am afraid there is only one answer to that question, which is that our race drivers are Pastor Maldonado and Rubens Barrichello and if, and when, that changes we will make an appropriate announcement,” he answered.

Parr was later asked a nearly identical question in the Buddh paddock by MTV3, Finland’s television broadcaster.

“Kimi has been one of the most competent drivers in the last few years,” acknowledged Parr, “and I think everyone would like to see him back in F1.”

The Former McLaren driver is notoriously unforthcoming with the media, but German-language reports this week have quoted Raikkonen as responding to a question about a hypothetical return to F1.

“Of course you always want a winning car,” he said, “but as we have seen this year, there is only one team that really has that.”

 Red Bull has fended off the latest round of speculation, as tales of cheating and overspending refuse to go away.
Germany’s Bild newspaper said the culprits of the renewed allegations about the back to back world champions are McLaren and Ferrari, reportedly concerned that the FOTA cost-limiting agreement has not been honoured.

“Ludicrous,” Dr Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motor racing consultant, hit back.

“It is the jealously of poor losers, throwing mud and hoping something sticks.”

The major German daily on Saturday published some previously unknown details of the accusations.

The first is that Red Bull has engaged more than the allowed 350 staff for the direct design, construction and development of the car.

“That’s not true,” said Marko. “The other top teams simply need to realise that we work more efficiently than they do.”

The second accusation is that Red Bull has operated its wind tunnel longer than the allowable hours according to the resource restriction agreement (RRA).

“Our wind tunnel is an antique, 80 years old and three times bigger than a modern one. It just takes longer to get going, and so only when it is (running) do we begin to measure (the time),” explained Marko.

Another charge is that Red Bull has refused to let inspectors check the team’s adherence to the RRA during inspections.

Marko insisted: “We have provided the information that we had to and nothing more.”

Red Bull has set its sights on powering Mark Webber to second place in the drivers’ standings, but the Australian has revealed he is not overly interested.
The achievement will complete a perfect clean sweep for the energy drink-owned team in 2011, comprising the constructors’ championship and first and second places in the separate drivers’ standings.

But Webber, currently fourth, admitted to Die Welt newspaper: “I’m more interested in victories than the overall standings.

“If I have not won a race and at the end of the season I’m second (overall), I won’t be satisfied,” added the 35-year-old.

Separately, France’s L’Equipe reportedly suggested that team boss Christian Horner’s eagerness to help Webber in the last races of 2011 has come “late”.

“We will see how the next races go,” he responded. “I have not answered your question!”

The implication is that Red Bull is happy to see him fall in line behind Sebastian Vettel, but the Australian denies he has a bad relationship with his German teammate.

Welt said evidence of their frosty friendship was the missing congratulations after Vettel wrapped up his drivers’ title in Japan.

“That’s not right,” insisted Webber. “On the night he won the title I sent him a text that said ‘Well done, you deserve it’.

“He answered it the next morning, and I thought it was amazing that after the night he had he could still move his fingers,” joked the winner of 6 grands prix.

The BBC’s television punditry team looks set to break up at the end of the season.
Former McLaren driver and lead BBC commentator Martin Brundle earlier this week denied a report in London’s Telegraph that said he is poised to accept a $1.6 million offer to switch full-time to Sky in 2012.

The BBC and pay-channel Sky will share the British hosting rights next year, with the public broadcaster to televise only a handful of grands prix.

French commentator Jean-Louis Moncet revealed in his Auto Plus column that he sat down for breakfast in the Buddh circuit paddock with Eddie Jordan, an expert pundit on the BBC coverage.

“He swallowed a few spoons of soup and then told me Martin Brundle is leaving for Sky next year,” revealed Moncet.

“And he (Jordan) doesn’t want to continue if, as expected, the BBC transmits only half the races,” added Moncet.

Moncet, who calls races for France’s TF1, quoted the former team owner Jordan as saying: “I will do everything or nothing.”

Indian race-goers showed an ugly side late on Friday after American heavy-metal band Metallica cancelled its appearance at the ‘F1 Rocks’ music concert.
The band, in New Delhi for the inaugural formula one event – as is Lady Gaga – called off the concert due to safety concerns relating to audience barriers.

“Our first and foremost concern is always for the safety of you, the fans,” Metallica said in a statement.

But the audience did not take the news well, smashing through barriers to mount the stage whilst ripping off their shirts, hurling chairs at security guards and the LED screens and damaging technical equipment.

“The crowd went berserk,” an audience member confirmed.

F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke received a pat on the back on Friday after drivers enjoyed his latest effort.
The German engineer has been criticised for the ‘boring’ layouts at many of his latest formula one venues, including those in Bahrain, Valencia and Abu Dhabi.

“You are always nervous, there is no routine,” Tilke told DPA news agency when he arrived in India this week ahead of the brand new Buddh track’s first ever race.

But when Nico Rosberg emerged from his Mercedes at the end of the first practice session in Delhi, he immediately sought out Tilke to say ‘well done’ in person.

“This is the best track Hermann has ever built,” Rosberg confirmed.

Adrian Sutil is expecting to know within weeks if he has a race seat at Force India next year.
Amid reports team boss Vijay Mallya has already signed Nico Hulkenberg to replace him next year, German Sutil hit out at the scheduled plans to only announce the 2012 lineup in mid December.

“I can’t wait until December,” said the 28-year-old early this week.

Mallya responded on Friday: “If he wants an early decision I will give (it to) him.”

Sutil explained to F1′s official website: “The announcement can be done in December, but as a driver I need a decision before that as I want to secure my future in formula one.

“That is why I am trying to get a decision in the next two to three weeks, to make sure that I am also racing in formula one in 2012.”

Romain Grosjean will get a new chance to prove his talents to the F1 world before the 2011 season is out.
The Swiss-born Frenchman made an abortive formula one debut in 2009 amid the ‘crashgate’ scandal but was replaced at the end of the year.

The 25-year-old, now managed by Renault team owner Genii, switched to GP2 this year and recently wrapped up the title.

Grosjean will drive the R31 in Friday morning practice in Abu Dhabi and Brazil, the Lotus-sponsored team announced in India on Saturday morning.

He will drive Bruno Senna’s car in Abu Dhabi, and Vitaly Petrov’s at the season finale.

“Since 2009, he has improved in every area and I’m sure he’ll do a good job for us,” said team boss Eric Boullier.

Ferrari’s front wing has been causing a stir in India.
The team has recently been experimenting at the front of its current car ahead of the 2012 season, but it was at the Buddh circuit that heads really began to turn.

A wing fitted to Felipe Massa’s car has been seen violently oscillating and flexing towards the ground at high speed, attracting the attention of FIA technical boss Jo Bauer.

“I can’t see how the FIA is going to be satisfied with this situation,” said BBC pit reporter Ted Kravitz during the radio coverage of Saturday morning’s practice session.

“It is the amount of flex, not the sparks, that will raise the suspicions of other teams.”