Internet hackers have threatened to wreak havoc as they sided against formula one over the sport’s decision to push ahead with the highly controversial Bahrain grand prix.

The well-known ‘hacktivists’ Anonymous brought down F1′s official website on Friday, slamming Bernie Ecclestone as “evil” and threatening the “worst sh**storm” if the track action continues to proceed this weekend in the troubled island Kingdom.

“Attacks on their (the teams’) computer servers could prevent the race taking place,” the Daily Express newspaper speculated.

Anonymous also took control of another specialist website, posting a statement that accused the sport of supporting the Bahrain government despite the country’s “human rights situation” and saying F1 will now “be punished”.

In an awkward official press conference on Friday, team bosses continued to support the sport’s decision to press ahead with the race.

“Ultimately we’re a race team,” said McLaren and FOTA’s Martin Whitmarsh. “We’re here to go motor racing and that’s our number one priority.”

Force India deputy boss Bob Fernley has dismissed reports the Silverstone based team could pull out of the controversial Bahrain grand prix.

Two members of the team were allowed to return to Europe this week following a Molotov cocktail attack en route from the Sakhir circuit to the hotel.

There were high-level meetings involving Force India on Thursday, sparking speculation the entire team could follow its frightened members back to the UK.

But Fernley, admitting that security has been ramped up after the incident, is quoted by Express newspaper: “We are definitely taking part, that is decided.”

Bahrain’s information affairs authority also released a statement featuring quotes by Bernie Ecclestone.

“I have no knowledge of any teams planning to withdraw from the race and we are all looking forward to racing in Bahrain,” the F1 chief executive said.

According to Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary, however, another incident like the one involving Force India this week could force F1 to change its decision to go ahead with the race.

“If that happened again and someone was injured then that’s the nightmare scenario for organisers as it might push the teams over the edge,” he said.

Many drivers, like Kimi Raikkonen, have said the situation is normal this weekend in Bahrain, but Cary does not agree.

“Normally there would be PR events in town, you know, ‘meet the fans’ and that sort of thing but certainly as far as I’m aware there aren’t any of those happening,” he said.

World champion Sebastian Vettel said he will be happy when track action begins on Friday.

“I think it’s not a big problem,” the German said when asked about the security situation this weekend, “and I’m happy once we start testing tomorrow because then we worry about the stuff that really matters — tyre temperatures, cars.”

Earlier, Vitaly Petrov’s manager indicated the Russian would only travel to Bahrain if F1 could guarantee his safety.

“If it was dangerous they wouldn’t let us in,” the Caterham driver told The National in Bahrain.

“If they make sure nothing gets thrown onto that track to hurt us, then we’ll be fine. We are here; if it happens, it happens,” added Petrov.

In fact, almost everyone in Bahrain has been reluctant to comment in detail, but there is an obvious feeling of unease.

Peter Sauber told Blick newspaper: “I feel like a guest, and so it is not polite to criticise your host.”

But 1996 world champion Damon Hill allowed himself some criticism of F1, including the sport’s most powerful figures, Bernie Ecclestone and Jean Todt.

He pointed out that FIA president Todt has said “next to nothing” about the Bahrain saga.

“This I find baffling,” Hill wrote in the Guardian. “Surely it is possible to condemn acts of inhumanity without taking a side?”

As for F1 chief executive Ecclestone, who has consistently trivialised the Bahrain issue, Hill noted that “few” in the paddock “dare to publicly disagree” with the imperious 81-year-old.

“Perhaps we should (criticise him), instead of just muttering under our breath, scared of losing our passes,” said Hill.

Hermann Tilke, the German architect who designed the Sakhir circuit, sees the entire saga as a storm in a teacup.

“It is safe in Bahrain,” Tilke, whose company has an office there, told the Kolner Express newspaper. “I’ve never heard about any problems from our people.

“Of course there is some unrest, but it is protests, not civil war. As Bernie Ecclestone has said, we do sports, not politics,” he insisted.

“And if they demonstrate peacefully now, the media will report on it, so both sides benefit.”

Dr Helmut Marko has denied reports Sebastian Vettel was summoned to Red Bull’s headquarters this week to explain his behaviour at the recent Malaysian grand prix.

The Narain Karthikeyan-saga aside, reports suggested the German deliberately ignored his bosses’ instruction that he retire his RB8 – ostensibly due to a brake issue – so that he could fit a new gearbox without penalty in China.

The reports suggested Vettel had confessed immediately after the race that he heard the instruction but chose to ignore it.

“That is all nonsense,” Red Bull’s motor racing consultant Marko told Sport Bild.

“Sebastian did nothing – absolutely nothing – that was against our wishes.”

Marko said Vettel’s visit to Milton Keynes this week was scheduled long ago, adding that he will be working inside the driver simulator amongst other things.

He also hit back at claims the 24-year-old could be penalised by the FIA for breaching the code of conduct when he showed the ‘middle finger’ to Karthikeyan.

“The matter was resolved during the meeting with the stewards (in Malaysia). For me, the case is closed.”

Speaking to Kolner Express newspaper, however, an FIA spokesman confirmed that the code of conduct forbids superlicense holders from insulting their rivals.

But he added: “I imagine the application of this paragraph was considered by the stewards in Malaysia.”

And Sebastian Vettel’s spokeswoman said: “We know of no investigation.”

 If Caterham’s Mike Gascoyne was in the market for a McLaren driver, he would sign Jenson Button.
The green-clad team’s technical boss, Gascoyne, was at Renault in 2002 when it was decided to oust Button in favour of Fernando Alonso.

But a decade on, Gascoyne says the tables have now turned, as 2009 world champion Button now heads the 2012 points standings for McLaren.

“We weren’t wrong (to replace Button), Fernando won two titles very quickly, but Jenson has developed into a hell of a driver,” Gascoyne is quoted by the UK Express newspaper.

He said Button’s advantage over Lewis Hamilton, his highly rated teammate, is his mental strength.

“The difference right now is that Jenson can handle it when Lewis wins, but Lewis really struggles when Jenson does,” said Gascoyne.

Another of Button’s strengths, he explained, is his smooth driving style, which better conserves Pirelli’s highly-degrading tyres.

“Lewis is struggling to match that and then with his attacking style, the more aggression he puts in the harder it gets for him in the race,” said Gascoyne.

Comparing today’s Button with the 22-year-old of 2002, Gascoyne concluded: “Jenson is still the same nice guy, same talent, but mentally so very strong. Right now, Jenson would be the man for me.”

In an interview with Spanish agency EFE, Pedro de la Rosa summed up Button with the words “finesse and intelligence”.

 Sir Jackie Stewart has tipped fellow multiple world champion Michael Schumacher to keep racing beyond 2012.
“He has had a lot of criticism,” the triple world champion told Kolner Express newspaper, “including from me.”

Triple world champion Stewart, 72, said the famous German has taken a lot of time to get back up to speed since returning in 2010, but the final piece of the puzzle is a strong Mercedes in 2012.

“He has had a hard time. So why should he stop now that he knows he can still keep up with the boys?

“I think he wants to collect the fruits of the work that he has been doing with Mercedes,” the Scot added.

After all the pre-season hype, the Melbourne paddock banter about its clever F-duct system and a strong showing in qualifying, Mercedes failed to shine in last Sunday’s season opener.
The situation has many paddock regulars confused as to just how good the new W03 really is.

“Good question,” Michael Schumacher told Bild newspaper at an event this week in Malaysia. “We don’t know yet.”

Agreed Finnish commentator and former F1 driver Mika Salo: “It’s going to be interesting.

“Malaysia requires a lot more from a car aerodynamically than does Australia.

“I am sure McLaren will still be at the front, but Red Bull and Mercedes will probably be closer.”

So what happened to Mercedes’ early promise in Australia?

“In the race we had some problems, especially with the tyres — they degraded too quickly,” revealed team boss Ross Brawn.

But for Sepang, “We have an idea about how we can get it under control,” he added.

If that is true, then Sir Jackie Stewart is looking forward to seeing “the old Michael Schumacher” for the first time since he initially retired in 2006.

“He is driving well again,” the famous Scot told Kolner Express newspaper, “but so too is Nico Rosberg.

“They have a much better car than last year, and Michael is finally showing what he is capable of.

“I don’t know if that will be (good enough for) victories, but for sure we will see him again on the podium,” added Stewart.

 Red Bull has been isolated from F1′s other teams, as the FIA is asked to step in and police their cost-cutting efforts.
Last year, there remained suspicions the energy drink owned team – the winner of the past two world championships – flouted the ‘resource restriction agreement’ (RRA).

But the agreement was only an initiative of the teams’ trade union FOTA, which has now essentially collapsed.

Moreover, the agreement includes only financial sanctions for breaches, and Red Bull was never penalised anyway — Ferrari’s Luca di Montezemolo said recently he didn’t push the issue “Because I didn’t want it to be an excuse for our performance”.

A letter has now been addressed to FIA president Jean Todt requesting that the governing body step in and make the RRA an official sporting regulation.

Breaches would therefore carry a sporting sanction, such as the loss of points, or race bans.

“Yes, it (the letter) was unanimous. Most of the teams have signed it,” said Lotus team boss Eric Boullier.

He would not, however, confirm the identity of the teams that did not sign.

But a report in the Kolner Express newspaper claims “only two teams did not sign: Red Bull and the sister team Toro Rosso”.

Officials of the embattled Korean grand prix are in the paddock this weekend for crisis talks with F1′s governing body.

As previously reported, Charlie Whiting did not inspect the new Yeongam circuit as scheduled earlier this week.

It was believed that September 28 had been installed as the new final inspection date, giving the organisers more time to lay the crucial final layer of asphalt.

However, according to the Associated Press news agency and the Telegraph newspaper, the official reason for the September 21 delay was an unforeseen Korean national holiday.

FIA press officer Alexandra Schieren confirmed on Saturday that talks with the Korean officials are taking place in Singapore.

She said the final inspection will now take place either next week or the week after.

Should it take place the week after next, that would leave mere days before the formula one world is due to travel to Korea.

F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone told Singapore newspaper the Straits Times on Saturday that Asia had become crucial to F1.

“For years and years, I have been saying the world has been moving this way — moving east, not west,” he said.

Former German grand prix driver and now Volkswagen’s competition representative Hans-Joachim Stuck has had surgery after a head injury.

German-language reports including in the Welt, Kleine Zeitung and Express newspapers say the operation on Saturday was for a hematoma that developed after a heavy crash in an Audi R8 at the Nurburgring several weeks ago.

At another event last weekend, the VW Scirocco Cup support race at the Nurburgring, he complained of headaches, dizziness, loss of balance and nausea.

The reports say Stuck, who contested 81 races in the 70s, has been transferred from intensive care to a normal hospital ward in the German town Neuwied.

“We advised Strietzel (Stuck) after practice to consult a doctor,” confirmed VW motorsport director Kris Nissen.

The marque’s spokesman Stefan Moser confirmed the reports about Stuck’s surgery.