Bahrain, the controversial island Kingdom, could have been central to McLaren’s decision to agree the terms of the next Concorde Agreement.

Bahrain’s ruling family, through its investment arm Mumtalakat Holdings, owns half of the famous British team.

The Times’ F1 correspondent Kevin Eason quoted a source as saying the link “pushed (McLaren’s) Concorde deal over the line”.

In return for signing up, Bahrain reportedly received a “pledge” that last month’s highly contentious grand prix would go ahead.

Eason also said it is possible that one of McLaren’s two Bahraini directors, rather than the obvious choice Ron Dennis, could be appointed to the F1 board once the sport is floated on the Singapore exchange.

Bernie Ecclestone denied the 2012 Bahrain grand prix and the Concorde Agreement deal were linked.

“It was nothing to do with the Bahrain race (going ahead),” the F1 chief executive insisted. “But McLaren liked the deal.”

Intriguingly, however, F1′s post-stock market floatation chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe has defended the controversial decision to push ahead with Bahrain last month.

“The race was exploited by the opposition in Bahrain, not vice versa,” he told the Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung. “That was not interpreted correctly by the media.

“If groups want to exploit sporting events for their interests, then the worst thing you can do is give way.”

Brabeck also compared Bahrain to England.

“In what countries are there no riots?” he asked rhetorically. “A year ago there were riots in London — should the Olympic Games now be cancelled?”

Food giant Nestle’s boss has confirmed he is set to enter the world of formula one.

Austrian businessman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe confirmed to Kleine Zeitung newspaper that he has been lined up to chair the sport’s parent company once it has floated on the Singapore exchange.

“That’s right,” said the 67-year-old.

“And it’s true that I have agreed to take over the chairmanship of the supervisory board in a non-executive function.

“If formula one is to be a public company then it is important that the chairman is independent.”

Brabeck-Letmathe confirmed that Bernie Ecclestone, 82, is remaining F1′s chief executive.

“We certainly hope that Bernie stays healthy for a long time and can keep on working,” he said.

“I am already impressed with his performance. But of course it is the task of a supervisory board to ensure the succession of a business.

“At Nestle, I have always ensured that everyone can be replaced from the executive board within 24 hours. So we need to think about how to replace Bernie Ecclestone as well.”

A support-race team and a respected journalist have become the next to pull out of this weekend’s highly controversial Bahrain grand prix.

The Porsche Supercup team MRS said its decision to skip the support race in the divided island Kingdom is the “first time in our history that we have had to cancel”.

“In the end we have the responsibility for our employees,” said team boss Karsten Molitor, citing security concerns.

Another withdrawal – joining the sacked Williams catering staff member, and the TV broadcasters Sky Deutschland, Fuji TV and MTV3 Finland – is the respected correspondent for O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, Livio Oricchio.

“I have decided in agreement with Estado to not go,” he said. “We had the tickets for the entire season, except for Bahrain and the United States, because there was a doubt they would be run.

“Like many journalists, I will not be at Sakhir,” Oricchio admitted.

“I always believed that the race would not take place, and I’m still not 100 per cent sure that something will not happen that will lead the FIA or FOM to cancel.”

Indeed, following the sport’s decision to push ahead, the pressure on formula one to cancel at the eleventh hour has only intensified.

Nabeel Rajab, the leader of the government opposition group Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, admitted that the next protests – ‘three days of rage’, to coincide with the race’s three-day calendar – are aimed specifically at F1.

“We’re protesting to show anger at formula one for conducting the race here,” he is quoted by the BBC.

And the wife of a well-known jailed Bahraini activist who is on a long hunger strike, added: “I am not angry with the government… what makes me angry is people like Ecclestone who decide to come to Bahrain because he thinks everyone is happy.”

Italy’s La Stampa reports that F1 personnel have been advised to stay away from restaurants and shops, while “girlfriends and wives stay at home”.

That’s not entirely true, as Felipe Massa touched down at the airport on Thursday with his wife and baby son.

And Giedo van der Garde, the reserve driver for Caterham, said he has found Bahrain peaceful since his arrival on Wednesday.

“I’ve not been here long,” he is quoted by Auto Hebdo, “but everything seems quiet. Obviously, there’s a heavy police presence,” the Dutchman continued.

“But I haven’t seen any trouble or anything. Let’s hope it stays like that.”

Marco Canseco, the correspondent for the Spanish sports daily Marca, said he witnessed a “minor altercation” in the capital Manama on Wednesday.

“Then all the teams and everybody were able to get to the track for work without a hitch, the same on return,” he revealed.

Many are protesting the race going ahead on moral grounds, others due to security fears, whilst others fear for F1′s image.

“The ongoing debate about Bahrain is the only damage to the high gloss of the exciting 2012 season so far,” agreed Austria’s Kleine Zeitung newspaper.

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.”

 F1′s governing body has cleared Red Bull and Renault following accusations they are deploying an ‘illegal engine trick’.
Reports suggested Mercedes, having analysed sound recordings of the Red Bull RB8 in Melbourne, suspected the ‘trick’ of cutting more than the allowed four cylinders in corners was not legal.

“As far as we are concerned, it’s legal,” said the FIA’s Charlie Whiting in Malaysia.

There was some good news for Mercedes at Sepang, however, as its W03 passed pre-race scrutineering despite Red Bull and Lotus continuing to argue that its ‘W-duct’ system is not legal.

“The car got the green light again,” competition boss Norbert Haug told Kleine Zeitung newspaper.

Some suspect that the innovation could give Mercedes such a top-speed advantage on Sepang’s long straights this weekend that pole position is already in the bag.

“I think some get a little bit too excited,” smiled Michael Schumacher

 Paddock regulars insist the formerly-dominant Red Bull team cannot be written off after a single defeat in Australia.
On paper, reigning back-to-back champion Sebastian Vettel’s second place on Sunday doesn’t look bad.

But Melbourne was in fact the first race since before either of the German’s title-winning campaigns in 2010 and 2011 that a Red Bull car failed to lead a single lap.

“You cannot discount them, they (Red Bull) are always there,” said Albert Park winner Jenson Button, “but it seems that the tables have turned.”

After not winning a title since 2008 with Lewis Hamilton, Button’s McLaren colleagues will hope that is true.

“Red Bull needs to dress warmly,” German racing legend Hans-Joachim Stuck told Sport1, “although I see McLaren on an equal footing only.”

He warned against over-analysing the Melbourne result.

“This is not a benchmark for the rest of the season — the Malaysia circuit is much more meaningful because who is good there is good everywhere.”

However, McLaren hinted after Melbourne that it could actually have performed more strongly last weekend.

“We were more than marginal on fuel,” boss Martin Whitmarsh is quoted by Kleine Zeitung newspaper. “There is no question we could have been faster (in Australia).”

But so could Red Bull, Vettel insists.

“In Melbourne, we learned a lot about the behaviour of our car, which has great potential,” he said.

“We need to make it harder for McLaren in Malaysia.”

Triple world champion Niki Lauda agrees: “Red Bull will catch up quickly.”

Team advisor Dr Helmut Marko insisted: “We have not brought everything out of the car yet. So we are very optimistic about the next races.”

He is also dismissive of Red Bull’s other rivals.

“Only McLaren are on par with us,” said Marko, who scorned at Mercedes, the team who fared strongly in Melbourne before suffering in the race.

“They were more like a chicane,” the acid-tongued Austrian added, according to laola1.at.

Dr Helmut Marko has dismissed suggestions Red Bull is entering the 2012 season with a question mark over the legality of its new car.
With two days of pre-season testing remaining, the reigning world champions took a heavily revised car to Barcelona recently and guarded the rear exhaust solution intensely, with covers and – oddly – even umbrellas.

Initial analysis indicated it might be close to what the FIA will allow, following the strict clampdown on exhaust diffuser blowing.

Asked by the Kleine Zeitung newspaper if the FIA has completely banned the aerodynamic use of exhaust gases, Marko replied: “No.

“The regulations stipulate the position of the exhaust, within a certain parameter.”

As for the ‘cheating’ rumours, the team advisor insists: “It bounces off us completely. The way we see it, there are no grey areas and we are well within all the regulations.”

Meanwhile, FIA technical delegate Charlie Whiting has admitted it is “quite likely” he will have to “revisit” the exhaust regulations for 2013.

The precise pecking-order is clouded, but one thing is clear: 2012 looks set to be a highly competitive season in formula one.
“There are a lot of cars out there that look competitive,” said McLaren’s Jenson Button, on the day Williams’ Pastor Maldonado set the quickest time in the midst of the second group test in Barcelona.

Earlier this week, Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg was the pacesetter, causing Mercedes’ Norbert Haug to tell Bild newspaper: “That’s great.”

“I didn’t expect that,” agreed world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Hulkenberg smiled: “‘Test champion’ gives me nothing. But I am in good shape.”

Vettel continued to Kleine Zeitung newspaper: “This year everything is closer together”, he said, after his teammate Mark Webber admitted there is “no question” Red Bull needs to keep working on the pace of its new RB8.

According to Die Welt newspaper, Vettel continued: “Most of the competitors are difficult to assess. It’s the same old game.”

He is referring to unknown fuel levels, tyre age and differing approaches and programmes — and teams’ deliberate sandbagging or ‘show-run’ efforts.

“I never paid too much attention to direct comparisons on headline laptimes,” insisted David Coulthard, “but on the longer runs you can start to build a picture.”

Williams engineer Mark Gillan told Auto Motor und Sport: “It seems as though the entire field has moved much closer together. It will be a tough fight.”

An early assessment of the pecking order might have Red Bull and McLaren at the front, and Mercedes and Lotus possibly ready to join the fight.

“It looks like Red Bull are fairly stable,” Coulthard agreed to Russia’s Ria Novosti news agency, “(and) McLaren and Mercedes maybe closer than they were.

“Ferrari is a bit of an unknown but I wouldn’t write them off. Let’s be patient, another three weeks of tweaking and then we’ll find out,” said the former McLaren and Red Bull driver.

 Dietrich Mateschitz is giving Mark Webber at least an equal chance to get back on terms with his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel in 2012.
After his 2010 title challenge, Webber was utterly dominated by back to back world champion Vettel last year.

But team owner Mateschitz told Kleine Zeitung newspaper that the pair will continue to have equal status this season.

“Our attitude has not changed — there are no team orders,” the Austrian billionaire said. “It starts at zero again, for both of them.”

As for which Red Bull driver will get the upper hand in 2012, Mateschitz is open minded.

“From today’s point of view it is difficult to say. But why not (Webber)? I’m curious to know how hard or difficult or impossible it will be for Vettel to defend his dominance,” he added.

Beyond 2012, however, Webber has no contract, and Mateschitz confessed that “our primary goal is to put one of our juniors in the car”.

He also admitted that rule changes could play against Red Bull for 2012, but still expects Adrian Newey’s car to be on the pace.

“The competition copied from us so much last year that at the end our advantages were no longer the same. But at the last race we still had quite a bit of an edge.

“Of course you take that into the new year.”

Based on the initial Jerez test, however, he said it is too early to say the RB8 is the best car.

“These tests are not to scale,” said Mateschitz. “Everyone drives with their own goals and plans or to meet certain criteria.

“But I do think the balance of power has stayed about the same.”

Lewis Hamilton has tipped Nico Rosberg to retain his edge over Michael Schumacher at Mercedes.
Rosberg, a former karting teammate of 2008 world champion Hamilton and now a F1 rival, has signed on for the next few years with the German team, where in 2010 and 2011 he was the standout performer alongside the great Schumacher.

“I know Nico very well,” Briton Hamilton is quoted by the Cologne newspaper Express, “and I knew he would do everything to beat Michael. And he did it.

“I think he’s going to keep that gap now. Nico is hungry, there is no doubt about that. He has not won the championship or even any races but he is still young.

“When Michael was in the same phase in his career, maybe he had the same hunger and he won seven world championships and 91 races.

“I don’t think it’s possible for him to be as hungry as he was before,” added Hamilton.

But while there is no doubt Schumacher has upped his game in the second half of 2011, some commentators still believe he should return to retirement at the age of 42 and open his cockpit for a new charger.

Gerhard Berger, an early contemporary of Schumacher’s ultra-successful initial career, does not agree.

“He has won seven world championships and earned the right to do what he wants,” the former Ferrari and McLaren driver told Kleine Zeitung newspaper.

“The market regulates itself and if he was not good enough still, he would not still be there.”

Red Bull can afford to let its huge points lead over McLaren drop this weekend and yet still wrap up the constructors’ world championship with three races to spare.

Last weekend in Japan, Sebastian Vettel needed a single point to beat Jenson Button to the 2011 drivers’ crown, and duly scored 15 with his podium place.

The next step is the teams’ crown, with Red Bull’s lead of 130 points over McLaren able to drop to 129 points in Korea and yet still ensure a winning lead by the time of the chequered flag at Interlagos late next month.

“It is unlikely that it will elude us, but you still have to get it,” said team owner Dietrich Mateschitz, according to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

And boss Christian Horner is quoted by Austria’s Kleine Zeitung: “The drivers’ title was the first part, now we want to retain the constructors’ title.

“As a team it’s almost the most important one, relating to the prestige in the pitlane and, of course, the bonus payments,” said the Briton, referring to the revenue distribution tables in the commercial Concorde Agreement.

Red Bull’s 2012 car will “surprise” the F1 paddock, its famous designer Adrian Newey has been quoted as saying by a Finnish newspaper.
Already this week, Ferrari’s chief designer Nikolas Tombazis has revealed that next year’s single seater is “fairly different” to the current 150 Italia and could provoke a “wow factor” when it is launched.

But the same is also true of Newey’s RB8, according to Turun Sanomat newspaper, despite the current Red Bull being an evolution of the 2009 concept.

Blown diffusers aside, the rules are staying essentially the same in 2012 but Newey has “revealed that next year’s RB8 will amaze everyone”, correspondent Heikki Kulta wrote.

“When he was asked what about it is so surprising, he replied that if he revealed that now then it would no longer be a surprise.”

Even team boss Christian Horner apparently knows very little about the 2012 Red Bull.

“So far he (Newey) has only told me that it’s going to be blue,” he joked, according to Die Presse.

Dr Helmut Marko said on the Servus TV channel this week that the 2011 car will feature some new parts in Japan this weekend.

“What we learn can be used for the new car in 2012,” said the team advisor. “We want to come back with a clear lead for the first race of the season.”

But before the full focus turns to 2012, Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel need to mathematically conclude their 2011 title triumphs, and Newey insists there is no celebrating yet.

“We still have not won anything,” the Briton said ahead of Suzuka, where Vettel needs only a single point to secure his second drivers’ title.

Horner however insists the team will not be on ‘cruise and collect’ in Japan.

“We are not looking at the one point but the (maximum) 43,” Kleine Zeitung quotes him saying.

As for the future, Horner insists he can live with the constant sniping about Red Bull’s approach to F1 rules and financial agreements.

“We take it as a compliment,” he said. “We have shown that what we have achieved was no fluke.

“Ferrari and McLaren were sworn enemies for twenty years, yet now they are united against us.”

Team owner Dietrich Mateschitz is ready to celebrate Sebastian Vettel’s second consecutive world championship for Red Bull.

The German driver still has to achieve at least a tenth place at one of the remaining five races in 2011.

But given his nine wins and more than 300 points so far, an interviewer for Austria’s Kleine Zeitung told billionaire Mateschitz that it is impossible that that the title will slip away from Vettel.

“Basically you are right, of course,” Mateschitz responded, before laughing: “But what if he falls off a ladder?”

The interviewer told Mateschitz that, even if the 24-year-old broke a leg, McLaren’s Jenson Button would then have to win every remaining grand prix to take Vettel’s title.

So Red Bull must surely now be focused on 2012?

“In a way, yes,” confirmed Mateschitz, “but there are not great changes in the regulations (for 2012) so we will continue to develop as much as possible until the last race.”

A long-awaited summer break, including mandatory factory shutdowns, lies ahead for F1 team members.
But the previously dominant Red Bull, beaten by Ferrari and McLaren at the last three grands prix, is planning a significant upgrade for the RB7 to debut at Spa-Francorchamps later this month.

“McLaren have made the biggest leap in the blown diffuser (area),” team boss Christian Horner told Der Spiegel in Hungary, adding that there is still developmental “potential” in Red Bull’s car.

The report said a new floor and diffuser, to be tested in Friday practice in Belgium, should make the Red Bull three tenths per lap faster.

Brazilian journalist Livio Oricchio said it is a myth that F1′s smartest chiefs will simply lie on beaches in the next few weeks.

“Who really believes that, as McLaren and Ferrari move ahead, Adrian Newey for example says to his guys tomorrow at Milton Keynes: ‘Ok guys, see you in two weeks!’”

Actually, more than 100 points ahead in the constructors’ and 88 points clear of the first non-Red Bull in the drivers’ chase, Red Bull are not panicking.

“We are on a par with McLaren. And we have a head start,” consultant Dr Helmut Marko told Kleine Zeitung with eight races left to run in 2011.

He also confirmed that development of the RB7 is moving ahead.

“We will continue to make the car better,” said the Austrian.

Die Welt headlined after Sunday’s result that second place was “The perfect defeat” for German Sebastian Vettel, whose championship lead actually extended due to Jenson Button winning.

“I definitely can live with P2,” he said.

“Perhaps we don’t have the strongest car at the moment, but we can still achieve good points.”

Sebastian Vettel’s dominance this year is not comparable to 2009.
That is the view of Jenson Button, who won the championship two years ago after a start to the season similarly as meteoric as Vettel’s this year.

But Briton Button, now with McLaren, claims the situation at Brawn GP in 2009 was vastly different to Vettel’s at Red Bull.

“We had no money,” he is quoted as saying by f1today.nl. “We had a good car at the start of the season but could not develop it. Red Bull can keep it up.”

According to laola1.at, Vettel’s start to 2011 is not just as meteoric as Button in 2009, but also Jim Clark in 1965, Jackie Stewart in 1969, Nigel Mansell in 1992 and Michael Schumacher in ’94, 02 and ’04.

On every occasion, the driver went on to be champion.

“He is in great form in a great car and a team behind him so that only abnormal things can stop him now,” former driver Alex Wurz told Kleine Zeitung newspaper on Tuesday.

“The title for him is at hand.”