They are the reigning back-to-back world champions and the favourites heading into 2012, but Sebastian Vettel has admitted Red Bull is not perfect.
“Yes, last year was nearly faultless”, the German is quoted by the Guardian newspaper.

But he admits he made mistakes.

“Fridays have been poor,” said the world champion. “I made mistakes. I crashed the car.”

Dr Helmut Marko elaborated: “He threw the car away four times unnecessarily.”

Vettel, 24, continued: “We got the concentration back when it mattered but on Fridays you only have a couple of hours to prepare the car — so we can improve on that.

“We had a meeting in January and went over the things that we need to do better and you would be surprised. It was a long list. There were lots of points to improve.”

Even heading into the fresh 2012 season, there are already new items on that list: Marko bluntly described the final day of pre-season testing, when Vettel did a paltry 23 laps and was dead-last, as “shit”.

But amid rumours the team might have to scrap its Melbourne update package for now, the Austrian insists Red Bull collected “sufficient” data from Mark Webber’s work last Saturday.

“We had three very good tests, but not perfect,” Vettel admitted to RMC. “Sure, there were a few pieces here and there that worked less well than expected, but overall there were not too many surprises.

“I feel good with the car, it (Sunday) was no big deal.”

McLaren’s Jenson Button, however – runner-up to Vettel last season – is keen to ensure Red Bull feels as much pressure as possible heading into 2012.

“In the last two years we weren’t able to (apply pressure) all that often,” he is quoted by the Koln Express, “but I think this year will be different.

“I want to see how they are when they are feeling that pressure,” the Briton added.

Flavio Briatore has refused to simply rule out speculation linking him with a role at Ferrari.
Recent rumours have suggested the former Renault team boss could be signed shortly by the Maranello based as a consultant, in view of possibly replacing Stefano Domenicali when the ‘crashgate’ ban lifts in 2013.

The flamboyant Italian was asked about the speculation by Onda Cero radio in the wake of last weekend’s Hungarian grand prix.

“I am a Ferrari tifoso (supporter), but in life you never know — anything can happen,” said Briatore, who is still involved in the management of Fernando Alonso’s career.

In 2005 and 2006, Alonso won his two world championships at Renault under Briatore rule.

Briatore insisted: “I think Fernando Alonso can win the championship at Ferrari without Flavio Briatore.

“Fernando deserves to be the best driver in history. He has decided to be with Ferrari until the end of his career and I hope he can get the cars to win more titles than (Michael) Schumacher,” he added.

Briatore said he rates the newly 30-year-old Spaniard higher than any of his current rivals.

“If he had that car,” he said, referring to the Red Bull RB7, “Fernando would be winning by a huge margin. He is one of the few great drivers with Senna, Prost and Schumacher.”

As for the comparison with seven time world champion Schumacher, Briatore said: “They are two totally different drivers.

“Fernando is a little better, because when Michael becomes depressed, he falls back, while in the same situation Fernando’s concentration sharpens.”

Team boss Ross Brawn takes the Mercedes-good benefits from the fact that one understands the vote better, and can optimize performance.

In the last race, Mercedes has well presented, although the development of the W01 is set for a long time and the concentration to 2011. Team boss Ross Brawn sees the good form the fruits of efforts to improve the car and the structures within the team. Michael Schumacher missed the podium but in South Korea, but the speed of Nico Rosberg was up to the involuntary loss of strong and a podium would have been possible.

“We are making progress. It probably took longer than expected, but we see really good progress,” Brawn is of ‘Autosport’ quotes. “We do everything together for next year. Now we get everything to work properly. The F-shaft is good and we have the highest speed on the straights. We do not change many things, but to understand how we need to tune the car. It is a consolidation and a lesson. ”
When asked whether the team will benefit in the coming year, Brawn replied. “Maybe I do not think things can be transferred directly, but we have learned over the past few races a lot.

In South Korea, Rosberg could have the first time in Silverstone again climb on the podium. “He was very happy with the car, but I will not speculate. He was doing very well, has felt the car well and might have looked very strong.”

Filed the “triple” extra-European Jorge Lorenzo is back in his Palma de Mallorca for the due and deserved celebrations for winning his first world title in MotoGP. Long celebration, a few days to stop taking the high level of concentration in the shorter distance to Estoril in its agenda.

On the track where he won his first race in MotoGP in 2008, repeating the claim last year dressed as an astronaut … the world champion aims to return to the top step of the podium where missing from Brno: six races, too many for a driver like him.

“Now we have two races in a row, two very special race, “said Jorge Lorenzo. “The first of these two stages is Estoril where I had my best moments in MotoGP over the past two seasons. Here I had never won in 125 or 250, but I won two Grand Prix wins out of two races, is the only circuit where he won twice in this category!

The track I like very much and I seem to run into the house because there’s a lot of fans from Spain and I always feel their support. Also for me it will be the first time in a circuit ‘home’ by World Champion: I want to try to win maybe even repeat performance of 2009 when the astronaut arrived!”.

Jorge Lorenzo’s early in the last few days in Estoril will present a surprise to his devoted fans: what is it? We’ll find out only in the race weekend …

Nine races, nine podiums, including six victories. An impressive roadmap for Jorge Lorenzo who will try to continue on this positive trend also in Brno circuit where he won in the past, but never in MotoGP. This will be the target for the Grand Prix Czech Republic, the best way to start the second half of the season closer to winning the world title.

“This holiday period is perfect, “says Lorenzo. “I spent ten days in the Caribbean between rest and fun, I recharged the batteries for the second half of the season: I really needed, because the last period was very challenging and I have to take the high concentration.

Now we go to Brno is a track I like where I won three times in the past, but never in MotoGP where they are still on the podium. This is my goal for the weekend.

After the race we will stay in Brno to try something new on the bike to look for improvements for the final championship is definitely the best place to start. ”

Last year, Jorge Lorenzo flew to the ground when he was leading the race, dueling with his team-mate Valentino Rossi to race and championship.

Two days have passed after the contested races in Valencia and Fernando Alonso’s mood has been heated then cooled. In his blog on the official Ferrari site now he regrets his remarks, which he angrily criticized immediately after the race the stewards and the FIA accused of manipulation. Meanwhile, he sees what happened now with a clear head.

“We had the date on which the safety car came out, a special pitch. Only a few seconds earlier or later and the race would have been very different for us,” recalls Alonso. to ruminate about what has happened then bring, not much, “but I’m much calmer now than immediately after the race.”
“It certainly was not the Sunday, we were expecting us,” he explains. “The safety car is on for us came out worst possible time and ruined our race completely. On Sunday evening I was very angry is about all that has happened. But the anger is now transformed into positive energy that drives me the desire, I fight back, .

“At the time I reacted emotionally and in such a situation is all too quick to propose a sound and says things can be misinterpreted and may give cause to suspicion – something that was not my intention at all,” admits the Ferrari Star one. “I understand of course that the race has a difficult job and that they must make decisions that are not easy.”

was “What I wanted a driver who respects the rules as we were at a disadvantage in this situation, unfortunately, more than those who have broken, even if they were given a penalty,” continued Alonso. He refers here not to a specific driver (Lewis Hamilton, editor’s note), says the Spaniard, “This is a basic thing and I think we should talk about it calmly, to ensure that such something does not happen again. ”

He was delighted that the FIA also reacted promptly and an extraordinary meeting of the sporting working group meet as Alonso added: “I am confident even sure that all the contentious issues can be addressed in detail here.”
For Alonso, the subject is checked to a large extent. Its concentration is now the next race at Silverstone. “There we will try to get all the energy accumulated in our car and us to repeat what was denied us in Valencia, for any reason whatsoever. Even though we know Silverstone is theoretically not a route that our car is. ”

Even if the result of Valencia was not what Ferrari had hoped for, “it has left no irreparable damage,” Alonso continued. “It is true that our backlog is at the top now grown to 29 points, but we have not even reached the mid-season. We lack only a little more than a victory, is therefore still open to everything.”
We have been able to catch up with the updates for Spain on the top teams, he stressed: “I am glad, I’m well aware that we have to enter in the development of the F10 on the gas. Because we need a car, we at the Pole and we can fight as soon as possible before our rivals brings. If we now lie 29 points behind the leader, it means that we need to bring in the next ten races at least 30 points more than the leader. ”

was one of the main points of the race from Sunday, however, that Mark Webber his serious accident, “the fear was spectacular and scary”, has survived virtually unscathed, says Alonso: “This shows once again that the work initiated by the FIA at the Security is absolutely essential and that in this field of sport should never be complacent. “

Apr.30 (GMM)  Michael Schumacher’s age and family could be counting against him as he struggles back to full speed in formula one.

That is the assessment of Mika Hakkinen, who although the same age as Schumacher retired at the end of the 2001 season and returned only to race for a time in the German touring car series DTM.

The Finn thinks his former championship rival returned because he missed the sport’s thrill and challenge, but questions the German’s ability to now dedicate the same energy as F1′s current generation.

Asked to explain the German’s struggle so far in 2010, Hakkinen told Germany’s Bild am Sonntag newspaper: “It’s about the new technology of the cars and the tyres.

“Another reason is he is up against young drivers who know nothing else in their lives other than the battle to win.  Their lives consist only of formula one in a sport that requires total concentration and attention.

“It is much more difficult when you’re older,” said Hakkinen.  “If you’re 41 then your life is about other things — family, for example.”

He does, however, think Schumacher will break through for a win in 2010, but recalls a sport that supplies “no mercy and no excuses”.

“I’m glad I don’t do it any more,” Hakkinen admitted.