A tension has crept into F1 drivers’ relationships, as they look ahead to a fiery meeting at the Barcelona circuit on Friday.

Fernando Alonso had given the first hints about the tension when he hit out at Nico Rosberg’s aggressive tactics in Bahrain three weeks ago.

And earlier this week, the Spaniard insisted there is not enough “respect” between the drivers when they are jostling for position at grands prix.

“Fernando made it pretty clear,” world champion Sebastian Vettel told reporters on Thursday. “He said ‘you have to leave the space — all the time you have to leave the space!’”

Rosberg said he is happy if discussions about his driving take place this weekend, but also in the firing line is Lewis Hamilton, who passed the Mercedes driver on the asphalt run-off in Bahrain.

“I was surprised Lewis was allowed to keep his position,” said Mark Webber.

“I’m sure we’ll talk about it in the drivers’ briefing.”

McLaren’s Hamilton insisted he did nothing wrong, but he added: “I’m not really bothered. It’s good to have clarity.

“Mark is probably one of the most – if not the most – outspoken individuals here (in F1), so that is the least I expect from him.”

Also among the most aggressive – and regularly criticised – drivers is Michael Schumacher, and he insisted that the FIA is fully able to make judgements about incidents.

“If it’s not within the rules the FIA would have taken action,” said the seven time world champion, referring to the incidents in Bahrain. “They didn’t and I didn’t see anything wrong either.”

Nico Rosberg’s F1 breakthrough proves he is ready to fight even for the world championship.

That is the view of former grand prix winner, team boss and co-owner Gerhard Berger, following Rosberg’s first pole and win in China last weekend.

“It surprised not me, but all the others who had doubted him,” the Austrian told Auto Bild Motorsport.

“It was about time. I was worried,” Berger smiled, “because I have always said I thought Nico was faster than Michael (Schumacher).

“Now he is finally where he has belonged for a long time — in the same league as Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso and Button,” he insisted.

“And when the (Mercedes) car is good enough, he is already ready for the world title.”

Berger, then as BMW motor sport director, said he was instrumental in 2002 in convincing Sir Frank Williams to give the then 17-year-old Rosberg his first F1 test.

Also welcoming Sunday’s breakthrough is Nelson Piquet junior, another son of a world champion who actually went to kindergarten with Rosberg in Monaco.

“It’s funny how in F1 things can take so long to happen,” the Brazilian told Globo.

“It took him more than six years to get his first victory, which for me is a long time considering how good a driver he is,” added Piquet, now in Nascar.

Norbert Haug said he is proud Mercedes has reached the top of formula one in a short space of time and with a small budget.

The German carmaker’s works team is often lumped together with F1′s other grandees including Ferrari and McLaren, but Haug insists the Brackley based outfit is in fact “a small team, with a small budget”.

Mercedes’ competition boss, who on Sunday collected the winning constructors’ trophy on the Shanghai podium, also said some of the team’s rivals – undoubtedly Red Bull – “took five years to win”.

“We have done it in two and a quarter,” the German told the RTL broadcaster. “That’s not bad at all.

“And there are other teams that still have not made it.”

So is Mercedes now a contender for the world championship, despite Haug’s earlier protestations that the team needs a few more campaigns under its belt for that?

“It is too early to make a prediction,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. “I hope so, but so far we have seen three different winners in three races.”

The newest of those winners is Nico Rosberg, who along with Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve are the only sons of F1 drivers to have also gone on to win grands prix.

It is a good omen for Rosberg that both Hill and Villeneuve also won titles.

Rosberg’s former Williams teammate, Alex Wurz, has high praise.

“As a teammate (in 2007) he made my life difficult because he was such a fantastic qualifying driver. In the race it was then always okay.

“But for this (race win) he deserves praise,” Wurz told the Austrian ORF broadcaster, “because he did everything after his pole position also sensationally.”

But in Bahrain, there could be another winner, triple world champion Niki Lauda remarked.

“I have never before seen F1 as interesting as this,” said the Austrian legend. “Every race we see another winner.”

The FIA could sanction F1′s reigning back-to-back world champion for his behaviour during the recent Malaysian grand prix.

Before calling backmarker Narain Karthikeyan a “gherkin” and “idiot” in the wake of their collision, Sebastian Vettel was captured by his on-board camera twice displaying his middle-finger to the Indian driver.

“I think he’s highly frustrated because he’s having a tough season,” Karthikeyan told the Deccan Chronicle on Wednesday.

“It’s completely unprofessional to blame me for the incident. The derogatory remark only goes to show him in bad light.

“Just because he has a good car, he can’t call others an idiot,” Karthikeyan continued.

“I have won races in all the previous single-seater championships I have participated in so I don’t need a certificate from Vettel.”

Reports in Germany, including in the Kolner Express, Bild and Die Welt newspapers, claim that Red Bull driver’s behaviour may have breached the new stricter code of conduct introduced by FIA president Jean Todt.

The FIA has been contacted for comment.

“He has breached the code of conduct,” former F1 driver Marc Surer told Germany’s Sky television. “You sign it when you get the license and then you have to behave correspondingly.

“Any behaviour that hurts other people or the sport is an offense,” added the Swiss.

Asked what the penalties might be, Surer explained: “Anything from a warning to a license revocation. In this case I think it was quite understandable and there will be a mild punishment, if there is anything.”

Hans-Joachim Stuck, however, is slightly less forgiving.

“When you’re overtaking, misunderstandings can occur. I think Vettel needs to learn this.

“With him, the curve was always upwards and now it’s not the case, and he needs to deal with that,” the German legend told the DAPD news agency.

As for Vettel’s description of Karthikeyan as a “gherkin”, Stuck insisted: “It’s better than ‘asshole’.”

Vettel’s attack, however, was sustained, with Kleine Zeitung newspaper now quoting the Red Bull driver as having said: “Maybe formula one is not the place to learn how to drive.”

Stuck responded: “If Sebastian had left more space, it would not have happened. It happens sometimes so it’s a racing incident.

“He (Karthikeyan) didn’t do it on purpose and it always takes two.”

The HRT driver hit back by calling Vettel a “bully”, and even David Coulthard – a Red Bull team consultant – defended Karthikeyan.

“He can’t make his car invisible,” the Scot is quoted as saying by the Mirror.

Also defending Karthikeyan was Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg, who told the Indian press this week: “From what I saw, it was not Narain’s fault.

“So I don’t really understand why he (Vettel) said all that.”

Hukenberg’s Force India teammate Paul di Resta added: “Narain is entitled to do as much on the track in comparison with someone like Vettel.

“Both are F1 drivers and are there to represent their teams.”

HRT refugee Vitantonio Liuzzi has re-emerged on the grid of the Italian-based touring car series Superstars.
Despite having a 2012 contract, the 30-year-old Italian lost his race seat at the struggling Spanish team HRT for this year to the well-backed Indian Narain Karthikeyan.

So, in 2012, he will race a Mercedes C63 AMG – which he tested last week at Monza – in the Maurizio Flammini-organised Superstars series.

Also on the grid will be former F1 drivers Christian Fittipaldi, Mika Salo, Gianni Morbidelli and Johnny Herbert.

“I’m persuaded that Superstars is a great choice to open yourself to other categories than F1,” said Liuzzi.

The season begins in April at Monza, then moving on to Imola, Donington, Mugello, the Hungaroring, Spa, Portimao, Vallelunga and Sentul (Indonesia).

Since 2005, Liuzzi also raced in F1 with Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Force India.

Maria de Villota insists “there are real possibilities” she will be a regular in the formula one paddock next year.
The 31-year-old Spanish female driver tested a 2009 Renault at Paul Ricard in August, and earlier this month she re-appeared in the car during the World Series race weekend at Barcelona.

She told the Spanish news agency Europa Press that she is getting “closer” to securing a job in formula one for 2012.

“The first test we did in August went so well that it helped to accelerate more possibilities,” said de Villota.

She said her short-term objective is to “be in formula one in 2012″.

De Villota, the daughter of former F1 driver Emilio de Villota, said her Superleague races alongside former F1 drivers Antonio Pizzonia and Enrique Bernoldi had convinced her she is capable of contesting grands prix.

“While I have great respect for them, I do not see an uneven playing field,” she said.

“Physically – yes I know – I have to work harder, but as an athlete and a driver I feel that with proper training and with the experience that I need, I think I can do it very well.”

Despite attending his first race as the 2011 champion-elect, it was Sebastian Vettel who doled out a present in Korea.
The Red Bull driver had learned that Rubens Barrichello, the Brazilian veteran, is collecting F1 drivers’ helmets.

“Great surprise when I received a helmet that was missing in my collection. Thanks Vettel,” the Williams driver wrote on Twitter.

German Vettel, 24, signed the helmet with “your friend”.

Barrichello revealed that he has the helmets of “many” current drivers in his collection, including Mark Webber, Jenson Button and Jarno Trulli.

“Almost everyone on the grid really,” added the 39-year-old.

SID news agency said the helmet gifted by Vettel was the one the German wore to second place behind Lewis Hamilton in China this year.

Anthony Hamilton has tempered his recent criticism of his son’s management team.
After Lewis Hamilton returned to the headlines for the wrong reasons after Singapore, his former manager and father said F1 drivers need a proper “driver-manager” rather than “people from a company”.

It was a jibe directed at Hamilton’s entertainment agent Simon Fuller, whose XIX company also handles the careers of Spice Girls Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham, and singer and actor Jennifer Lopez.

Anthony Hamilton has now justified his criticism by admitting he is still “very passionate” about his son’s career even though he is no longer professionally involved.

“I spoke with Lewis during the week after the (Singapore) race,” he is quoted by the Independent.

“He told me that he’s happy with the job that his management and Simon Fuller are doing — and as long as Lewis is happy, then I’m happy.”

Hamilton now manages Force India driver Paul di Resta, as well as the reigning kart world champion Nyck de Vries.

All F1 drivers will be wearing safer helmets at Suzuka this weekend.
Earlier in 2011, some drivers tested a bulletproof Zylon strip across the top of their visors in order to prevent injuries like Felipe Massa’s in Hungary two years ago.

By Singapore, 12 of the 24 drivers were using the strip.

Auto Motor und Sport reports that the visor opening size has also been reduced to a new minimum for the mandatory standard that debuts in Japan this weekend.

The helmets are 50 grams heavier than before, and some drivers are reportedly unhappy that the strip damages the visor tint coatings when removed.

The tear-off strips are also smaller and harder to fit.

Additionally, Auto Motor und Sport reports that the sponsors are not happy that the black Zylon strips are taking up space above the visors.

Red Bull has already produced the t-shirts to mark Sebastian Vettel’s 2011 world championship victory.
The German is tipped to secure the single point he needs to mathematically wrap up his second consecutive drivers’ crown next weekend in Japan.

And according to the Bild-Zeitung daily, Red Bull has jumped the gun by producing a run of white t-shirts bearing Vettel’s logo and the words “2011 F1 drivers’ world champion”.

It will be sold for EUR 29.95, Bild added.

Actually, however, the 24-year-old is highly superstitious and refusing to count on his title victory until it is definitely in the bag.

“Statistically the chances are on our side but generally in sports there have been a lot of stories written, and this one also has to wait to be closed,” he said.

Swiss newspaper Blick reports that Vettel and his parents Norbert and Heike therefore hosted a “One-Point-Missing-Party” in the Singapore paddock late on Sunday.

One interesting attendee was Luca Colajanni, the Ferrari team spokesman.

All four of Sebastian Vettel’s championship rivals on Sunday said the fight for the drivers’ title is now over.

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa is already mathematically out of the hunt, but according to the calculator his teammate Fernando Alonso, as well as the McLaren drivers and Mark Webber, could all still win.

Alonso is the best placed, with a 112 point deficit. That means that if Vettel wins in Singapore with the Spaniard is fourth, the Red Bull driver will secure his second consecutive world championship with five races to spare.

“Obviously the championship is impossible,” said Alonso after sharing the Monza podium with Vettel. “Not mathematically but we are no longer in contention.”

Agreed Red Bull’s Webber: “It’s all over now, isn’t it mate? I think the rest of us are all battling for second place now.”

Hamilton added: “I doubt it’s still possible to beat Sebastian for the title, but we’ll keep pushing.”

And Button said: “Yes, it (the title) is gone and it has been for a few races.”

Other F1 drivers, like Michael Schumacher, feel the same way. “I don’t see many ways that he (Vettel) can lose, but you still have to bring it to the end.”

And Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali said: “It’s perfectly clear that it (the title) is in Sebastian’s hands.”

Brazilian Massa added: “The only way he can lose is if he doesn’t come to the races any more.”

Vettel however smiled that he will be attending the final ‘flyaway’ portion of the 2011 calendar. “I’m contracted to do all the races, so maybe you need a word with Christian (Horner)!” he told a reporter.

But the 24-year-old German insisted that he has no plans to put the champagne on ice just yet.

“I think we just do Singapore as we did all the other races this year. Go there and take it step-by-step and see what we can do,” he said.

And he told Bild newspaper that he will not be exercising his calculator on the flight to Asia. “Maths has never been my strength,” Vettel grinned.

Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko, too, insists he is in no rush.

“(Winning the title in) Singapore or Japan would be fine, but I would probably prefer Korea,” he told F1′s official website. “After that disastrous weekend we experienced there last year it would be a sort of compensation.”

As for the others, their hopes have now turned to 2012.

“Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull have a great advantage with their exhaust blowing, but next year it will be banned and so we hope things change,” McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa told EFE news agency.

“I have to say Vettel is driving flawlessly, perfectly, so we should not detract from that,” he added.

Lewis Hamilton thinks he was knocked unconscious after crashing out of the recent Belgian grand prix.

Cockpit replays of the incident, where the McLaren driver actually dented the Spa-Francorchamps barriers after clashing with Kamui Kobayashi, showed Hamilton completely motionless for 15 seconds in the wake of the impact.

The 2008 world champion admits it is possible he was knocked out.

“I don’t really remember much from hitting the wall,” the Daily Star newspaper quotes him as saying at Monza.

“It’s possible I was out for a couple of seconds, I’m not really sure.”

The crash was the latest incident in a series for Hamilton this year, and he told the BBC 2011 might go down as the “worst” in his F1 career so far.

“I have got to find my way, learn from any mistakes and try to smooth out the creases through these last seven races,” he is quoted as saying by the Guardian.

Hamilton, 26, said he has managed to avoid all the media speculation about his aggressive driving style since Spa.

“I don’t read them, but I hear there are pretty bad stories written about me, so I am thinking it will be good to give you guys something good to write about me,” he told reporters ahead of the Italian grand prix.

“I guess I’m an easy target at the moment because I’m always in trouble.”

Some of his rivals defended Hamilton on Thursday, including Sauber’s Kobayashi, who insisted F1 drivers “need to be aggressive”.

Agreed Mark Webber: “He’s not that aggressive, he’s ok. He’s just had a tough run in the last few races.”

Hamilton’s own McLaren teammate Jenson Button, however, admitted he doesn’t always agree with his countryman’s methods.

“I personally feel it’s better to talk to the team than talk though the media, but we are built differently,” he said.

Lewis Hamilton has won his bid for a breather this week after complaining at Silverstone about his busy off-track schedule.

At the end of an arduous media and sponsor regime ahead of his home grand prix, the Briton had warned that McLaren “are going to be shocked” when they hear his demands for a new contract beyond 2012.

“I will be doing a lot less work. There is definitely a danger of burn-out,” said the 2008 world champion.

Hamilton then revealed on Monday that he refused to do two additional days of appearances early this week.

“I was supposed to be working today and tomorrow but I said ‘no way’ because I’ve been in England for the last week or so and it has been quite busy here.

“It’s great to get home and put my feet up and watch the telly,” he said.

Team boss Martin Whitmarsh admits Hamilton is feeling overworked.

“I think Lewis has done too much coming into this grand prix,” he said.

“We’ve managed to organise a bit of a break for Lewis before Germany, which I know he wants,” added Whitmarsh, who said F1 drivers also get “a big break” during the factory shutdown in August.

It appears one of Hamilton’s cancelled appearances was a scheduled trip on Wednesday to India, with Calcutta’s Telegraph reporting that the Briton’s “visit is off”.

“I was supposed to be flying to India for a day on Wednesday, in and out within a day. Fortunately, for some reason, it got cancelled,” said Hamilton. “So that’s good.”

Sebastian Vettel has broken yet another record.
The Red Bull driver, already the sport’s youngest ever race and title winner, broke Rubens Barrichello’s lap record whilst appearing on the popular British motoring programme Top Gear.

The flying lap, called ‘Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, takes place at the BBC show’s UK test track with F1 drivers at the wheel of a Suzuki Liana.

Last year, Barrichello leapt to the top of the times by beating previous laps set by mystery Top Gear driver The Stig as well as the likes of Nigel Mansell, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber.

But a few days before the British grand prix, Vettel broke that record by 3 tenths.

“Why are we all surprised,” host Jeremy Clarkson joked, “that he’s faster than a 62-year-old Brazilian?”

Lewis Hamilton is considering a move from Switzerland to Monaco.
The Telegraph reports that the 2008 world champion is waiting for a vacant apartment on the glamorous Principality’s Avenue Princesse Grace.

The report said the 26-year-old wants a “livelier lifestyle” than the one he has in Switzerland, but another factor could be the country’s new income tax laws.

The UK government will share information with its Swiss counterpart that could mean residents like Hamilton have to pay millions in backdated tax.

“I am quite happy in Switzerland but it (Monaco) is definitely an option,” said the McLaren driver.

He admitted that Monaco is a “spiritual” home for F1 drivers, including his McLaren teammate Jenson Button.

“Yeah,” said Hamilton, “but I wouldn’t move for spiritual reasons. I love where I live in Zurich, it is a spectacular place to live and it would be hard for me to leave there.”

Hamilton meanwhile returned to the British newspaper headlines on Saturday following his latest reaction to criticism of his driving style and off-track personality.

“I’ll take my driving style to my deathbed, for sure,” he is quoted as saying.

“People overreact to everything. You make a squeak and people overreact to it. That’s the way of this world,” said Hamilton, adding that F1 journalists do a lot of “yapping”.