All the hard work has finally paid off today as the F112, the car with which HRT Formula 1 Team will compete this season, completed its first laps at the Circuit de Catalunya, in Barcelona.

Since the car passed the last crash test and was homologated, the team has carried out work shifts to cover 24 hours a day to make sure it could make it, for the first time in its history, to the first Grand Prix of the season having run previously.

The car was able to run after the team took advantage of one of the filming days available during the season.

The car made it to the circuit from Munich, Germany, just after one in the afternoon and the mechanics and engineers got straight down to business, working on relevant adjustments. It was a combined team effort, working against the clock, which saw its rewards four hours later when Narain Karthikeyan led the car out onto the track. Pedro de la Rosa, Dani Clos and Tonio Liuzzi were also present, as were Carlos Gracia, President of the Spanish Motorsports Federation and Salvador Servià, General Director of the Circuit de Catalunya.

The tests were carried out without any setbacks and the car carried out over ten laps. The team was able to check that the car functioned properly both from a mechanical and aerodynamic point of view as from a systems standpoint.

The team will prepare the necessary material in the upcoming days and head down under for the first Grand Prix of the season which will take place at Melbourne, Australia, in just two weeks.

Narain Karthikeyan: “Today was a shakedown of the F112 and I have had the honour to be the first driver to test it. The first impressions are quite good; it’s definitely a step up from last year. We couldn’t do any set-up work or stuff like that but everything seems to be working fine and there are no major problems so we can look forward to the season now. Everyone has worked hard and the new team management has put everything together in a very short period of time. They’ve done a proper job with the car and I’m sure that it’s a big step forward from last year, so hopefully we can take the competition to the teams we were fighting last year”.

Pedro de la Rosa: “Today has been a very special day because the car saw the light for the first time; Narain did some installation laps and then various times laps without any issues. This is very important, it might not seem like it, but any sort of mileage before Australia is vital to see that the car is in good conditions. From here it is our job to try and improve it and make it progress”.

Luis Péres-Sala, Team Principal: “I’m very satisfied today as it is a very important day for us because we were able to test some things out with the new car during this filming day. I’m very proud of each and every member of this team because everyone has contributed their little bit for this to be possible. Now we have to focus on Australia because we still have a lot ahead”.

Red Bull insists the champagne is not yet on ice, but the team’s owner has already decided what present he will be giving Sebastian Vettel for winning the 2011 world championship.
“The same as last year,” Dietrich Mateschitz said in an interview this week with the German news agency DPA. “His championship-winning car.”

In 2010, when German Vettel became F1′s youngest ever title winner, Mateschitz delivered the Adrian Newey-inked RB6 to his home in Switzerland.

Red Bull’s team management are coy over the 24-year-old’s chances of wrapping up a second consecutive championship in Singapore this weekend, but billionaire Mateschitz is more honest.

“We anticipate that, once again, we will achieve both of the titles this year”, said the famously low-profile Austrian, 67.

He has high praise for Vettel, who enters this weekend’s Singapore night race with a lead so big that his only championship rivals have already given up the fight.

“The fact that Sebastian is highly capable, we knew,” said Mateschitz. “That he would be able to deliver it so consistently over a long time has surprised many people.”

Bild newspaper said Vettel’s championship present, the RB7 chassis that he has unofficially dubbed ‘Kinky Kylie’ – but minus a EUR 200,000 Renault engine – is worth almost a million euros.

“Slowly, his garage in Switzerland is becoming too small,” confirmed Red Bull driver manager Dr Helmut Marko.

So what does Vettel think about his championship present?

“I am not thinking about that because I haven’t won anything yet,” said the driver at Zurich airport before boarding a flight to Singapore.

Vettel told the German-language Eurosport that he is not counting on celebrating his second title this weekend.

“When it happens does not matter. As long as we are still first after the final race, that will be ok,” he said.

The RB7′s designer Newey insisted that Vettel will not be playing a points-counting game under the Singapore lights.

“Seb doesn’t want to cruise to the world championship, he really wants to earn it,” the Briton told The Sun newspaper.

Eddie Jordan suspects Renault team management are guilty of “bullying”.
The former F1 team owner and boss, now a pundit for British television, is referring to Eric Boullier and Gerard Lopez’s outspoken criticism of Nick Heidfeld’s results and leadership qualities.

German veteran Heidfeld replaced injured regular Robert Kubica this season, but now Renault test drivers Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean are being linked with the seat.

Irishman Jordan told Sport Bild he has a theory about the pressure being put on Heidfeld.

“It could even be described as bullying,” he said.

“They probably want to wear him down so he throws in the towel voluntarily.”

Jordan, however, has a high opinion of 34-year-old Heidfeld.

“For me, he is Mr Consistency. I know this because Nick drove for me for a year. 2004 was a very difficult year for Jordan financially, and we could not give him the car that he deserved.

“The same is true also at the moment of the Lotus-Renault,” he added.

Vijay Mallya’s son has admitted he will venture into the world of formula one team management in the future.

23-year-old Sidhartha Mallya, with a business degree obtained in London, is already a company director of his billionaire father’s United Breweries, and he runs the Indian cricket team Royal Challengers.

But his 54-year-old father owns and heads the F1 team Force India, sparking speculation Sidhartha Mallya’s future is on the pitwall.

He told the Deccan Chronicle: “It’s easier to manage a cricket team than F1.  (Cricket series) IPL is a short season, but the F1 calendar is spread across nine months.

“To get the team in shape is a lot of hard work and energy.  Due to my commitments within the UB group, I am unable to dedicate 100 per cent to racing at present,” said Sidhartha Mallya.

“The transition into F1 will happen in the future,” he conceded, while indicating that motor racing is not his foremost passion.

Said Mallya: “After seeing the big-hitting and thrill-a-minute twenty20 (cricket) matches, watching a car go around the circuit for about 65 laps is hopelessly boring.”

Felipe Massa thinks Red Bull’s drivers are open about swapping positions during the Abu Dhabi grand prix on Sunday.

The Ferrari driver, who was controversially ordered aside for his teammate Fernando Alonso at Hockenheim, was commenting on the main topic of conversation at the 2010 finale — whether Sebastian Vettel will move over for Mark Webber in order to prevent Fernando Alonso from winning the drivers’ title.

“My personal opinion is that the Red Bull drivers will fight to the end, because they both have a chance to become champion,” the Brazilian is quoted in Italian by Tuttosport.

“But if at the end Sebastian is first and Mark is second, I’m sure they will swap places. If not, they would give the title to another team.

“But you should ask them, not me.”

Even Rubens Barrichello, who like Massa was also the victim of Ferrari’s blatant imposition of team orders, agrees.

“I have always been against team orders,” he is quoted by Globo.

“But if someone has no more mathematical chances in the last moment but the other one (the teammate) does, then it is definitely better for the team.

“So I see nothing wrong if that happens in the last lap.”

Officially at Red Bull, the position is that team orders will not be imposed, but team management is hoping Vettel will be “magnanimous” should he find himself able to deliver the drivers’ title to Webber rather than Alonso.

“Logic tells me that Sebastian will do it (give up the win) if Alonso is right behind them,” Niki Lauda told RTL television.

“For me it would be a great gesture from Vettel; gentlemanly and fair,” said the triple world champion.

Even from Vettel’s perspective, that scenario appears a no-brainer.

“It would not take a genius to know what to do,” the 23-year-old is quoted by the Spanish media.

Helmut Marko, however, admitted that not seeing Vettel crowned world champion on Sunday would have a bitter taste.

“Without the technical problems this year, Sebastian would already be champion,” Red Bull’s motor sport consultant is quoted by Bild newspaper.

Christian Horner on Saturday played down reports Mark Webber might leave Red Bull after the 2010 season.

After his disparaging comments earlier at Interlagos, Australian Webber had also played down the rumours about his future, but did not entirely rule out the possibility of not driving for the energy drinks-owned team next year.

But team boss Horner told the BBC: “There is no doubt in our minds that Mark will be driving for us next year.

“We’ve provided him with a great car and lots of support. He’s got a contract. Why would he want to be anywhere else?”

It had been suggested that Webber’s critical comments in Brazil could have been the final straw for team management, after the 34-year-old driver had also questioned his status within Red Bull Racing earlier in 2010.

But Horner insisted that Webber’s latest statements have not changed anything.

“They (the comments) are not held against him and we will give him all the support we can,” said the Briton.

Mercedes has categorically ruled out suggestions a move into team management could be an elegant way for Michael Schumacher to return to racing retirement at the end of 2010.

Before the seven time world champion finished a credible sixth at Suzuka on Sunday, Mercedes’ competition chief Norbert Haug was asked if there was any truth to the latest rumours.

“There is more credibility in Norbert Haug becoming an F1 driver than in Michael Schumacher becoming sporting director of Mercedes,” Haug told BBC Sport.

Earlier in Japan, Haug dismissed rumours that 2011 could be Schumacher’s last at the wheel of a Mercedes because the German marque had issued an ultimatum.

“I have no complaints and no regrets that we’re going to achieve our target,” said the German.

“We are sticking together and, for me, Michael is as good as he ever was and probably even better,” added Haug.

Mark Webber’s form in 2010 “surprised” Sebastian Vettel, who thought he was the number one driver at Red Bull.

That is the summation of outspoken former triple world champion Niki Lauda, ahead of the final seven races of the 2010 season.

“Mark has shown a great performance and that has surprised Sebastian,” the Austrian great is quoted by Motorsport Aktuell.

“His (Vettel’s) disadvantage was to see himself as the number one,” added Lauda.

Vettel, 23, is widely regarded as the young star of the pace-setting Red Bull team, but it is Australian Webber with two more race wins and the lead of the drivers’ world championship.

“Vettel assumed that he has the full support of the team. But Webber has more points and team orders no longer exist,” Lauda said.

Lauda, 61, knows the problem well, when he assumed he was McLaren’s number one but then found his teammate Alain Prost with superior pace.

He advises Vettel: “He must look reality in the eye and free himself from the idea that he is the number one.”

Lauda also thinks Red Bull’s team management is to blame.

“Their failure was to count on Sebastian from the beginning, because he was the team’s young and super-talented man. This has disturbed the teamwork.

“Sebastian’s problem now is how fast Mark can go with this car. He (Webber) was not the favourite from the start, but he has done an incredible performance,” added Lauda.

Adrian Sutil has admitted that switching to the Renault team would be an “interesting” move for 2011.

The 27-year-old German said in Hungary on Friday that his future remains “open”, despite having “an option” to stay with Force India next year.

Rumours have linked him with Renault, who are contemplating replacing Russian rookie Vitaly Petrov for 2011.

“That would be interested, of course,” Sutil is quoted by DPA news agency.

“That (Renault) is someone you must definitely listen to if they have interest in you,” he added.

Sutil said Renault is still a top team even though the ownership and team management have recently changed.

On the other hand, he is concerned that Force India’s potential will be exhausted if the sport enters a period of stability.

“If the rules remain the same, then you improve only with details,” said Sutil. “Then we can no longer keep up because of the expense.

“If there is a better option, where you can come forwards or go with a factory team, you have to use it,” he continued.

Ferrari has been fined $100,000 and now faces the wrath of the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council.

A furore erupted after Sunday’s German grand prix, in which Felipe Massa moved aside for winner Fernando Alonso after the Brazilian’s engineer told him the Spaniard was faster.

Team management, and later the drivers, were summoned by the stewards, where Ferrari blankly denied the incident was a clear breach of the rule prohibiting result-altering team orders.

The result stands, but a report will be sent to the FIA’s decision-making council, due to the alleged team orders breach and a charge of disrepute.

Ferrari denies that race engineer Rob Smedley’s radio message to Massa prior to the Brazilian letting Alonso pass amounted to team orders.

“It was a driver decision,” said spokesman Luca Colajanni. “We didn’t give any instruction at all.”

Team boss Stefano Domenicali added: “He (Smedley) gave the information that he (Massa) was slower than the other car. We give the information, it is up to the driver to manage the situation.”

Massa confirmed that he had decided to let Alonso overtake.

“Yes (it was my decision). We do not have team orders. I was struggling on the hard tyres, as I have many times this year.”

And Alonso denied he knew about the team order.

“I thought it was a gear problem (on Massa’s car). When I saw him slowing down, I was surprised,” said the Spaniard.

Ferrari team management have been summoned by the stewards at Hockenheim.

Long after the chequered flag at the German grand prix, won by Fernando Alonso ahead of Felipe Massa, the paddock was still abuzz with suggestions the Italian team breached the ban on team orders.

Via Massa’s race engineer, the Brazilian was told emphatically that Alonso “is faster than you”, after which the Spaniard moved ahead of the slowing sister F10.

But the stewards’ investigation only followed a pitlane and paddock furore, and an FIA press conference described as downright “hostile” by one observer.

Alonso was asked by one reporter if his 2010 success would now be a “dirty championship”.

But BBC pundits David Coulthard and Martin Brundle said it was Ferrari’s handling of the team order that was the problem, with Lotus’ Mike Gascoyne admitting the team handled it “stupidly”.

Mercifully for Red Bull, the scandal has for now overtaken an emerging controversy about the flexibility of the team’s new front wing.

Photographs have emerged that allegedly prove the element bends at speed, but Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said: “It has passed all the stress tests and scrutineering.

“If other people are not happy, they should protest,” he added.

Horner refused to confirm whether Red Bull specifically asked the stewards to look into Ferrari’s team orders breach.

Hans-Joachim Stuck has slammed the front wing affair involving Red Bull at Silverstone.

German Stuck, a former grand prix driver and now motor sport boss for Volkswagen, said: “What the team management did in Britain was an absolute outrage”.

A furore was sparked after it emerged that team boss Christian Horner ordered the new front wing fixed to Mark Webber’s car be transferred to the sister RB6 driven by Sebastian Vettel.

Stuck believes the incident has all the hallmarks of the influence of Red Bull’s motor sport consultant and Austrian Dr Helmut Marko.

“Christian Horner is just a puppet, the strings for Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz are pulled solely by Marko,” he wrote in his column for the TZ newspaper.

“And whoever decided to take the new wing away from Webber qualified for his final pension,” added Stuck.

“Mateschitz must respond by putting in a new man at Red Bull,” he said, recommending the current team boss of Red Bull’s second formula one team for the job.

“(Franz) Tost is in every respect one of the best managers in formula one,” said Stuck.

Christian Klien on Thursday said it has not been decided if he will drive during the opening practice session in Turkey.

Soon after he was appointed as a reserve and Friday driver by the HRT team, Austrian Klien drove in morning practice in Barcelona.

It then emerged that HRT’s other reserve driver, Japanese Sakon Yamamoto, would likely be in action on Friday morning in Turkey.

“All four drivers will be in Turkey,” Klien, 27, said, referring also to race drivers Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna.

“Who gets to drive the Friday practice is a decision entirely left to the team management after weighing all factors,” he explained.

“Track time has become a scarce commodity.  And the test ban hurts a new team even worse than the established ones,” said Klien.

(GMM)

Ross Brawn has revealed that he is “happier” now than when he was solely in charge of a team bearing his own name.

In the wake of Honda’s shock exit at the end of 2008, the Briton and a group of team management took over and won last year’s title.

But for 2010, Brawn GP was bought out to become Mercedes’s new works team, with the 55-year-old staying on board as team principal.

Brawn’s passion and focus has always been on the engineering side, and he told the Financial Times this week: “To perform in the best possible way, I’m happier not being the majority shareholder.”

He said he only ever owned the team “by default”, and while able to run the highly-competitive chassis designed with Honda’s huge resources, was financed only by the Japanese marque’s parting EUR2 million gift.

Brawn explained that F1 teams usually work “to a budget that is guaranteed two to three years ahead.

“But here I was in a situation where there was no budget.  You had to do as well as you could and make the company as viable as possible while spending the minimum amount of money doing it.”

(GMM)