Narain Karthikeyan has revealed he is sick and tired of what could be described as ‘cucumber-gate’.

After the Indian collided with Sebastian Vettel in Malaysia three weeks ago, he was twice shown the middle finger, and called a “gherkin” and “idiot” by the reigning world champion.

But that’s when the real fuss began, as the world’s media became involved — a mischievous German reporter even presented Karthikeyan with a cucumber in China.

“It’s done and I would have preferred for it to stay private,” he is quoted by the SID news agency.

But the affair is threatening to drag on even longer, with Vettel telling reporters in Shanghai that Karthikeyan had apologised to him.

He did not say if he has apologised himself.

“Sebastian can say what he likes,” HRT driver Karthikeyan responded.

He said the incident had become an affair of “unbelievable proportions”.

“It’s crazy; I was questioned about it day and night,” he said.

“It’s become too much — I don’t want to talk about it anymore and I’d prefer if I never even thought about it again.”

Whilst admitting the RB8 has “very nervous” handling, Sebastian Vettel insists there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the 2012 Red Bull.

The German looks likely to struggle to add a third consecutive drivers’ title to his tally this season, after slumping to just sixth in the points standings after the first two races.

In China, he has reverted to a launch specification of the Adrian Newey-penned car’s exhaust layout, whilst Mark Webber is plugging ahead with a further development of the Australia-Malaysia solution.

“There is no question of something (being) wrong,” Vettel is quoted in Spanish media reports as saying in Shanghai, “just a few things that are probably just not working in an ideal manner.

“The problem we have is that the balance of the car is not as good as we had last year. It’s not a question of downforce, but of ensuring that all the parts are behaving as a whole.

“That is what we are trying to achieve.”

Vettel dismissed the suggestion that because Red Bull’s cars are in two different specifications this weekend, it means the team has “lost” its way.

“I wouldn’t say that,” he said. “I firmly believe we have a very competitive car, at the moment we are just not able to take its full potential out.”

Meanwhile, the 24-year-old said he has spoken with Narain Karthikeyan, following their collision in Malaysia.

Vettel twice showed his Indian rival the middle finger, and described Karthikeyan – who was penalised by the stewards – as an “idiot”.

“I spoke with him and he apologised,” Vettel is quoted by Germany’s spox.com.

But when told that he was once a backmarker like Karthikeyan, the German insisted: “I was never as far behind as the HRT.

“Of course you have to drive your own race. But you still have to know what is going on around you.”

Sebastian Vettel remains unapologetic after insulting his rival Narain Karthikeyan.

The reigning world champion twice showed Indian Karthikeyan the middle finger in Malaysia recently, also describing the HRT driver as an “idiot” and “gherkin” following their on-track clash.

Karthikeyan hit back by calling the 24-year-old German “unprofessional” and a “crybaby”, amid suggestions Vettel did not display sporting values befitting a double world champion.

Indeed, when asked by Germany’s Sport Bild if he is a ‘bad loser’, Vettel replied: “It’s true, I can only lose badly.

“Why should I lie? If I could lose well, I would not be in formula one. I was disappointed.”

But the Red Bull driver also insists his outbursts should be taken in the context of the moment.

“So soon after the race, I feel like I should be honest rather than playing the ‘smiling boy’.

“Sometimes it takes ten minutes after finishing a race to return to normal, sometimes you need a night’s sleep to check things off and look ahead positively.

“When I put Jenson Button out of the race at Spa in 2010, I apologised to him the next day.”

So, Vettel is much more positive now.

“From a pure sporting perspective, I have more points now than I had at this point in 2010 when I won the championship. So I’m only looking forward,” he insisted.

Boss Franz Tost as well as Jaime Alguersuari have denied that Toro Rosso’s new sponsorship deal has secured the future of the Spanish driver.
The fact that the logos of the Spanish oil company Cepsa have been added to the livery of the STR6 this weekend was interpreted by some as good news for Alguersuari.

The 21-year-old Spaniard, as well as his Swiss teammate Sebastien Buemi, are under pressure by Toro Rosso’s owner Red Bull to prove they should not be replaced for 2012 by Daniel Ricciardo.

“It’s good that they (Cepsa) have come along, because the team needs the money,” Spanish media reports quote Alguersuari as saying at Monza.

“But I don’t think they have come for me, they have come for Toro Rosso because we are a young team with huge potential,” he insisted.

And Tost told The National newspaper: “Jaime’s future with the team is exactly the same as it was before Cepsa came on board.”

Alguersuari also told Spanish reporters that Toro Rosso’s 2012 car has been in the wind tunnel now for “about a month and a half”.

Meanwhile, he said he quickly got over the Belgian grand prix two weeks ago, when Bruno Senna took him out at the first corner.

“I don’t stay angry for long,” said Alguersuari. “Bruno sent me a message and apologised, which I accept. We can all make mistakes, even big ones like that.

“I hope I never make one that destroys the race of another.”

The FIA is keeping a close eye on the aftermath of Lewis Hamilton’s Monaco grand prix.

After the McLaren driver’s two penalties for crashes in the Principality, he returned to the track late on Sunday to explain his ‘Ali G’ remark to the stewards.

It is believed the British team feared Hamilton, 26, was in danger of being charged of contravening Article 151c by bringing the sport into disrepute.

Indeed, the FIA told the Telegraph on Monday that it was “gathering all the relevant information” about the incident.

So also on Monday, the 2008 world champion appeared in British newspapers with further explanations of the Monaco aftermath, and apologised to Pastor Maldonado and Felipe Massa via his Twitter account.

In his post-race tirade, Hamilton had labelled the pair “ridiculous” and “stupid”.

“Hey guys,” he wrote. “I wanted to apologise for last weekend’s performance and also my comments after, I never meant to offend.”

The Briton said he had “respect” for some of the “angry messages” he had received since Sunday.

“To Massa and Maldonado, with the greatest respect I apologise if I offended you. Both of you are fantastic drivers who I regard highly.

“To my fans lost and my fans won, I wish you nothing but love and happiness,” he tweeted.

Quoted by British newspapers, meanwhile, Hamilton explained that his loss of temper was a reflection of his racing style.

“I don’t do it to offend people or to hurt anyone. I do it because I love racing. I feel like I can do it better than others,” he said.

He also said his desire to succeed in Monaco, the past playground of his hero Ayrton Senna, is higher than ever.

“In my heart of hearts I believe I can own this circuit,” said Hamilton. “I feel like I can be the fastest here. I was, and not with the fastest car.”

Fascinatingly, he also revealed that his defiance began long before he spoke with reporters after the chequered flag on Sunday.

“I got hit (in the race) and my rear wing was hanging off and I was asked to come in and retire, and I refused,” said Hamilton. “The first pitstop I was asked to pit and no one was there. So all the tension just boiled up.”

Perhaps tellingly, Jenson Button declined to comment on his teammate’s weekend, and when told he is aware of Hamilton’s character he responded: “No, I don’t.”

After Renault apologised last week for calling him a liar and blackmailer, Nelson Piquet has now issued his own apology to the wider world.

Having lost his Renault seat last year, the Brazilian revealed to the FIA that he was ordered by his team bosses to crash deliberately in Singapore 2008 to aid his teammate’s winning race strategy.

The saga became known as ‘crashgate’ and Piquet, now 25, is rebuilding his career in America, including by agreeing a deal to race full time in the NASCAR truck series in 2011.

Asked in Sao Paulo about the crashgate affair, Piquet is quoted by Brazil’s Globo Esporte: “It was an unfortunate episode that is over now.

“I made a mistake, I was immature, I apologise.

“It happens to many young people who get to a position in a global sport and they’re not prepared.

“What I can guarantee is that it will never happen again. I am restarting my career, getting a second chance, and I think I deserve it. I’ve already proved to everyone that I am a winning driver,” he insisted.

Piquet said his goal now is to open the door for Brazilians to succeed in NASCAR.

“I want to be one of the first Brazilians to do a full season and to be the first Brazilian champion,” he revealed.

“It’s great to open the door for other Brazilians coming to America. There are already many Brazilians racing in Europe and worldwide.”

Piquet admitted it might take him some time to reach the pinnacle of the American racing scene, the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

“Our plan is to be in the main category in five to six years,” he said. “We don’t really know how quickly it will evolve, it could be a little more (time) or a little less.

“But I don’t want to get to the main category unprepared to compete for the title,” added Piquet, who is moving to North Carolina.

Bernie Ecclestone was furious on Friday when Bernie Ecclestone did not show up for F1′s end-of-season photograph.

Amid the backdrop of the colour-changing Yas Marina Hotel late on Friday, team bosses and all the drivers were summoned for a photograph with the international media.

But according to Blick newspaper, Schumacher – as well as Bruno Senna and Timo Glock – did not appear.

The report said Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn tried in vain to call Schumacher on his mobile phone. “Has he retired again?” angry F1 chief executive Ecclestone is quoted as saying.

According to another report in Brazil’s Globo, Senna apologised for not showing up, insisting that his team had not informed him in time after being summoned to the stewards to explain his practice incident with Lewis Hamilton.

Two explanations were given for Glock’s absence, according to Globo. The first was that he was having treatment for a sore foot, and the second that he was on the other side of the paddock and simply ran out of time to appear.

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.

Sebastian Vettel is adamant he is still on course for the 2010 title, despite being roundly criticised for making too many mistakes.
 
Fellow contender Jenson Button has revealed that the 23-year-old German apologised after crashing him out of last Sunday’s Belgian grand prix.
 
“Seb called after the race to apologise, which was good, but it doesn’t give me my points back,” the McLaren driver told Talksport.
 
The pair are now more than 30 points off the championship lead, but Red Bull’s Vettel remains remarkably upbeat.
 
“I know how good we are — I will take the title,” he confidently predicted in the pages of Germany’s latest Auto Bild Motorsport.
 
“Someone who has the most pole positions must think that way. These 13 races have not run completely smoothly, but I’m only 31 points behind.
 
“Assuming we maintain our speed, we can catch up quickly,” added Vettel.
 
He said he is “honest enough” to acknowledge the mistakes he has made in 2010.
 
“In the end, it makes you a better driver,” insisted Vettel, but he admitted that he is not a good loser.
 
“Why should I be? If I could lose well, I should not be in the sport,” he said.
 
“But I’m also someone who can put things in the past and look ahead when the next morning comes.”

Hungaroring steward Derek Warwick has revealed he wanted to disqualify Michael Schumacher during Sunday’s race.

Ultimately, the seven time world champion was handed a post-race ten-position grid penalty for the next event in Belgium, after pushing his former Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello towards the pitwall in a 290kph overtaking duel.

But former grand prix driver Warwick told BBC radio’s Five Live Breakfast that showing the seven time world champion a black flag “would have shown a better example to our young drivers”.

“By the time we got the video evidence we ran out of time and we had to do it retrospectively,” added the veteran of 162 F1 races mainly in the 80s.

Schumacher apologised for the incident on his website on Monday, but Warwick admitted it was “disappointing” how the 41-year-old German “handled” his interview with the stewards after the race.

“You could disqualify him from the next grand prix, or two grands prix,” said the 55-year-old.

“But we felt a ten place penalty is a big penalty to carry for Spa.  Hopefully he will learn from that and remember that the new stewards will not tolerate that driving,” added Warwick.

David Coulthard wrote in his latest Telegraph column that he thinks Schumacher used to get away with his famous “arrogance” because he was a winner.

“Now that he is being regularly shown up by his younger teammate, such lapses of character will not wash,” said the Scot.

“Until he made his apology, the calls for him to quit immediately were shrill,” added the Scot.  “I wonder whether his mea culpa will make any difference.”

Jun.16 (GMM)  Sauber must now turn its attention to designing a much better car for next season.

That was the assessment of team owner and boss Peter Sauber in the wake of last weekend’s Canadian grand prix.

After an uncompetitive and unreliable start to the post-BMW period this year, there had been signs of a recovery until Montreal, where the C29 was faster only than the three new teams.

“We are only able to tinker with this car,” Sauber, 66, is quoted as saying by the veteran Blick correspondent Roger Benoit.

“It was an unpleasant parting gift from BMW and Willy Rampf,” he added.  “All our hopes rest now with the C30 for next year.”

Pedro de la Rosa has already confirmed he is on the market for a job for 2011, while the Japanese rookie Kamui Kobayashi has also been unconvincing.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport gave the 23-year-old a “1 out of 10″ for the Canada weekend, after almost being outqualified by a Lotus and then crashing on the first lap.

“Kamui came into my office and apologised immediately,” Sauber revealed.  “Okay, that is the price one pays if one goes to the line with a rookie.”

Lewis Hamilton has been charged over his high profile reckless driving antics during the Australian GP weekend.

Hamilton was charged with intentionally losing control of the vehicle in a summons served on his Australian solicitor last Monday. A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed that a summons had been served on a 25-year-old Swiss resident.

The matter has been set to be heard in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on August 24.

Hamilton had his complimentary Mercedes impounded under Victoria’s hoon laws on March 26 after he was allegedly caught doing a burnout at the entrance to Albert Park circuit.

It is unknown whether Hamilton will appear in court, with the Belgian GP weekend starting on August 27.

Hamilton apologised at the time, “This evening, I was driving in an over-exuberant manner and, as a result, was stopped by the police. What I did was silly, and I want to apologise for it.”

(yallaF1.com)

Niki Lauda apologised personally to Robert Kubica in Monaco last weekend.

Former triple world champion Lauda, whose straight-talking assessments are still heard at every grand prix, referred to the Renault driver live on German television as “der Polack” (the Polack).

Polack is a derogatory reference to a Polish person, and even more offensive within Germany given the 1939 Nazi invasion that marked the start of World War II.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said officials of the German TV station RTL demanded that Lauda, 60, apologise.

“I have to say to Robert that it was meant in a nice way,” said the Austrian.  “I was just happy that he drove his car onto the front row.”

Lauda reportedly waited for 15 minutes at the Renault motor home on Sunday morning and did apologise publicly to the 25-year-old.

(GMM)

Michael Schumacher accepted an apology from his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in the hours after qualifying at Monaco.

After the seven time world champion told reporters he had been blocked in Q3 by the younger German, Rosberg later said: “I apologised because I realised that it wasn’t ideal.”

The Brackley based team also took a portion of the blame, admitting that the radio and GPS systems have not been working well in the Principality.

Boss Ross Brawn conceded that Schumacher, who has been outqualified by Rosberg at every grand prix venue this year except Barcelona a week ago, was initially “annoyed” about the incident.

“But when I explained to him what happened he was ok, just frustrated,” said the Briton.

And he said it was a mistake to have the two W01 cars circulating nose-to-tail, following a problem getting “Nico’s car out of the garage”.

“We cocked up,” admitted Brawn.

(GMM)