Rumours are swirling in the Melbourne paddock that Red Bull and Lotus are preparing to lodge a post-qualifying protest.
“I’ve heard something like that,” confirmed Mercedes’ motor sport director Norbert Haug to German Sky television.

They are reportedly unhappy with the new ‘F-duct’ solutions seen on the W03 car.

British television Sky confirmed that team boss Eric Boullier has confirmed that Lotus will protest the outcome of Saturday afternoon’s qualifying result.

“The FIA has its opinion and so do we,” Haug added.

“I remember the noise made about the double diffuser; a noise, incidentally, that came from the same place,” said the German.

 Red Bull is considering taking the ‘old’ version of its new car to Melbourne for the 2012 season opener.
That is the claim of Germany’s authoritative Auto Motor und Sport magazine, after the radically updated model made a troubled debut late last week as the pre-season test period ended.

Rivals and pundits believe the reigning champions are still leading the field, but the latest Barcelona-spec car – featuring a significantly different exhaust layout – did not complete many laps.

Moreover, it also did not appear fast.

“When I watched Webber’s long run on Saturday afternoon,” said an engineer for a rival team, “it was nothing special — not the laptimes nor the tyre wear.”

Also unconvinced are the drivers, with Mark Webber saying the new car did not feel “massively different” to the earlier launch-version RB8.

Sebastian Vettel, meanwhile, was dead last after just 23 laps on Sunday, and is quoted as saying: “It wouldn’t be fair for me to judge the upgrades, so we have to rely on the data collected by Mark.”

Another rival engineer said there is visual evidence that the exhaust gases on the revised layout “are not going where they (Red Bull) want them to go”.

Charlie Whiting has admitted qualifying will not take place in Saturday afternoon’s heavy rain.

With the session already officially delayed for 90 minutes beyond the scheduled 1400 start-time, the FIA will wait until 1630 – when the light will be fading – before announcing the postponement of qualifying to 10am on Sunday.

But as bored drivers and team personnel pushed makeshift boats down the pitlane stream, the BBC ceased its live broadcast and the Virgin drivers played poker in the garage, race director Whiting all but admitted the Sunday postponement is now a certainty.

“With so much rain, we cannot start qualifying — not in these conditions,” Whiting told France’s Auto Hebdo website.

He said he will recommend to the stewards that qualifying be held on Sunday morning.

“That’s feasible because there is no minimum time between qualifying and the race,” the Briton confirmed.

‘Power’ is a keyword in the Red Bull camp on Saturday, after qualifying day for the Italian grand prix.

2010 pole specialist Sebastian Vettel, fast all weekend at Monza and never off the first two rows of the grid all season so far, qualified just fifth on Saturday afternoon.

“I don’t know where the speed went,” said the German.

“I was around 3 or 4 kph quicker yesterday than I was this afternoon with less fuel,” he added.

“There are a lot of straights in Monza, so it was quite costly.”

Engine supplier Renault has accepted the blame for both of Mark Webber’s practice stoppages on Friday and Saturday morning.

Saturday’s problem, which doubly worried the team when the Australian’s stricken RB6 took a long time to be returned to the pits before qualifying, was caused by a fire inside the airbox.

Team boss Christian Horner admitted the V8 might now have to be run with a “slightly more conservative setting”.

Webber qualified fourth on Saturday, crucially ahead of his championship rival Lewis Hamilton.

But asked if he is worried about his engine, he answered: “A little bit, yes.

“We need to look at it with Renault and see what the best plan is. It is not the first time we have seen this, we have experience with this kind of problem and we just need to chip away,” added Webber.

Mainly due to Renault’s 2.4 litre V8, Red Bull had travelled to the ultra high speed Monza venue expecting its “worst” outing of the entire season, Horner confessed.

“We knew Monza would be a difficult race for us,” agreed Fabrice Lom, in charge of Red Bull’s supply of customer Renaults.

“Unfortunately we cost Mark some running time yesterday and today, so we apologise for that,” he said, albeit praising Webber’s efforts to be fourth.

“With Hamilton not at the front, it could be an interesting result,” added Lom.

Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button were smiling at sunny Monza on Saturday afternoon, after locking out the front of the grid for the Italian grand prix.

It was Alonso’s first ever pole in a red car, and Ferrari’s first qualifying triumph in 30 races.

The result is also Button’s first front row of the season, as Lewis Hamilton in the sister McLaren was left ruing a setup “mistake”.

He was running without McLaren’s famous F-duct, while Button stayed with the concept despite having to use an unconventionally big rear wing for the ultra high speed circuit.

Ultimately, the reigning world champion was just a tenth off Alonso’s pole, stranding Hamilton six tenths behind in fifth.

“It was the wrong choice,” the 2008 world champion admitted to BBC television. Button agreed: “Our side made the right decision.”

Championship leader Hamilton’s biggest title rival Mark Webber was also smiling, despite qualifying just fourth.

He qualified two places ahead of Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel, after two practice breakdowns, including an airbox fire on Saturday morning that stopped his engine.

“We might have to run a slightly more conservative setting on that engine,” admitted team boss Christian Horner. “It’s nothing for us to be too concerned about.”

At Hockenheim, the two top teams Red Bull and Ferrari have particularly impressive in qualifying with an incredible speed. Neither McLaren nor Mercedes, Renault or Williams had a chance against Vettel, Alonso and their teammates. “I wonder where you now herbekommt seven tenths of a second” says Champion Jenson Button had been surprised on Saturday afternoon after the time of hunting.

The Briton was no explanation that his team suddenly has such a significant backlog. The declaration could possibly in the front wings of Red Bull and Ferrari to be hidden. According to information received by ‘Motorsport-Total.com’ the solutions of the two teams by the Automobile Association FIA be viewed critically.
The FIA expects the two teams on the possible explanations flexible front wing. The allegations that had been triggered by photographs that show a significantly small distance between the road edge and wing while driving. When one of the cars, the distance seems to be much larger. In the regulations, a corresponding minimum distance is fixed.

“Photos must be taken as a basis always dangerous,” wards off the Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. “You never know whether the camera has moved, or how much petrol, for example just in the vehicle.” The head of Sebastian Vettel is certain: “Our car is in all respects with the applicable rules. Whoever wants to can protest, yes.”

With a special stress test checks the FIA, the maximum deflection of aerodynamic components. These tests have Red Bull and Ferrari have to pass, as all other teams. Now there will be further reviews of the elements. Should the part of Red Bull and Ferrari prove to be legal, have other teams like a new construction site: The front wing would have to be imitated.

Bruno Senna is in danger of losing his formula one seat, according to a report in the Italian media.

Autosprint reports that the 26-year-old Brazilian could be replaced by HRT’s recently-signed Friday and reserve driver Sakon Yamamoto.

Senna said recently he is grappling with the perception that, at the wheel of the uncompetitive Dallara-built car, he is struggling to live up to the image of his famous late uncle.

“There is a fine line between explaining and moaning,” he said.

“It is very difficult but, in the right place, at the right team and with the right car, I can be world champion,” insisted Senna.

The timing of the Yamamoto speculation is odd, given that Senna’s performance on Saturday afternoon in Turkey marked the first time an HRT driver has outqualified a rival car on a dry track.

Meanwhile, another Italian report claims that Italian GP2 driver Luca Filippi came close to taking over the Sauber seat occupied by Pedro de la Rosa in Turkey.

Italiaracing said an agreement with the 24-year-old was “delayed”, but reports that Filippi could instead make his debut at Valencia later this month.

(GMM)

Locking out the front row of the grid, the RB6s driven by pole sitter Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel were approaching a full second quicker than their closest rival on Saturday afternoon.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, the fastest non-Red Bull runner, was more than eight tenths slower than Australian Webber.

“I don’t think anyone expected them to be so fast,” he told the BBC.

Local hero Fernando Alonso shares the second row of the grid with Hamilton, mere hundredths ahead of championship leader Button.

“This should be a walk in park for the Red Bulls,” said the reigning world champion.

The Red Bull camp has been playing down their inevitable dominance throughout the weekend so far, but Webber suggested the team knew their car would be easily the fastest.

“(Team boss) Christian (Horner) said before the session ‘you probably won’t get to drive a car like this around this track very often so go and enjoy it’, and I did. It was a sensational quali session,” said the 33-year-old.

Michael Schumacher, meanwhile, confirmed his step forward with his updated car by qualifying sixth, two places ahead of the sister Mercedes.