Jenson Button produces Hungarian masterclass

On Saturday evening in Hungary, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso were two of the luminaries who joined Jenson Button to celebrate the occasion of his 200th grand prix. Twenty-four hours later they stood either side of the McLaren driver as he celebrated another superb win in the tricky wet-dry conditions in which he excels.

Every one of Button's four wins since he joined McLaren at the start of last season has come in wet-dry races, conditions which reward the deftness of touch and exquisite feel for grip levels that the 31-year-old has displayed from the very beginning of his Formula 1 career.

"I'm always pretty lucky in these conditions," Button said in the news conference after the race, but it has absolutely nothing to do with good fortune. It is about skill and judgement.

It was a drive as perfect as the symmetry that saw him take his second win of the year at his 200th grand prix and at the same track where five years ago he finally took his first victory at the 113th attempt, also in mixed conditions.

Button has something of a sixth sense, a way of feeling the limits of what is possible in conditions where the track is damp but not soaking wet, that goes beyond that of nearly all his rivals, and he demonstrated it vividly again at the Hungaroring on Sunday.

Perhaps only Button's team-mate Lewis Hamilton has the same deftness and certainty of touch in rainy conditions - the younger McLaren man also has a clutch of brilliant wet wins on his CV. But even he was caught out by the tricky combination of a low-grip track surface and a sprinkling of mid-race rain.

It was not, though, Hamilton's lap 47 spin at the chicane that lost him the race, nor the decision five laps later, while disputing the lead with Button, to stop for intermediate tyres. By then, the writing was already on the wall.

No, the critical moment for Hamilton was his third stop on lap 40.

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McLaren fitted another set of the super-soft tyres to Hamilton's car, while Red Bull - whose cars stopped on the laps immediately before and after him - fitted the harder prime tyre, the idea being to run it for the final 30 laps of the race. Button, who stopped two laps after Hamilton, did the same.

Of the front-runners, only Alonso did the same as Hamilton - and the Ferrari driver needed to gamble to try to clear the Red Bull of Mark Webber, which had been holding him up for much of the race.

Once that choice was made, Hamilton's only hope of winning was to use what should have been the extra grip of the softer tyre to quickly pull out enough of a lead to make the additional pit stop he was going to need, as the super-softs were never going to get him to the end of the race.

Instead, with rain starting to fall, Button started closing at about a second a lap. Who knows, perhaps that was what prompted Hamilton's spin. Perhaps, feeling the race slipping away, he was pushing just that little bit too hard.

The incident led to a diverting - and thoroughly entertaining - couple of laps as the two McLaren team-mates passed and re-passed each other, showing fantastic judgement and respect as they raced wheel to wheel for the lead.

But a diversion was all it was.

Up in the stewards room, they were about to hand Hamilton a drive-through penalty for forcing Force India driver Paul di Resta - producing yet another impressive drive - to take avoiding action as the McLaren spin-turned back into the race.

Meanwhile, out on the track, Hamilton, struggling with a radio problem that meant he could hear the team but they could not hear him, was called in to change to intermediate tyres, and he obeyed. Right behind him, Button got the same call, he revealed on the BBC post-race forum on the red button, but ignored it.

On that decision hung the victory. Had Button come in, he would have needed to stop again for dry tyres - as did Hamilton and Webber, who also changed to intermediates during the shower - and Vettel would have won the race.

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As it was, the German took second place with a calm, mature, understated but effective drive that has made his grip on the championship even more vice-like than it already was.

Vettel has not won for three races now, and there is no doubt that Red Bull are slightly on the back foot, but still he left Hungary with a bigger championship lead than he had when he arrived.

Vettel is now 85 points ahead of second-placed Webber rather than 77, with Hamilton a further three points back, Alonso one behind the Englishman and Button 100 points, four clear wins, adrift in fifth.

Nevertheless, the man who has scored the most points in the last four races is Alonso, even if Vettel's impressive consistency means he has notched up only three points fewer despite not winning since Valencia at the end of June.

The Ferrari was genuinely fast again in Hungary, and Alonso had the pace to contest the lead battle had not a difficult opening lap led to a messy first half of the race stuck behind other cars.

Alonso did not help himself - he had to pass both Mercedes drivers twice because he made mistakes after overtaking them the first time and let them back in front. He then spent the second stint with Webber blocking his progress, before his tyre gamble got him some free air.

Had it not been for Webber's mistake in fitting intermediates and Hamilton's penalty, that strategy call would not have paid off, and Alonso would have ended the race still stuck down in fifth.

Nevertheless, Alonso, like the McLaren drivers, has sensed a shift in the balance of power and that is something all the protagonists will be pondering in the three-week summer break before the Belgian Grand Prix.

"The second part of the championship should be good for us," Alonso said. "Spa, with medium- and high-speed corners, should suit the team, and then Monza is our home race."

Red Bull, it is clear, are vulnerable in the races, and wins are there for the taking. But unless some kind of disaster befalls Vettel - or all his rivals start finishing ahead of him all the time, rather than just the odd one or two - the championship is already gone.

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Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2011/07/on_saturday_evening_in_hungary.html

Markus Winkelhock Reine Wisell Roelof Wunderink Alexander Wurz Sakon Yamamoto

BMW 1-Series Performance Accessories


BMW’s stand at the Frankfurt Motor Show will be pretty crowded. Among many other models, visitors will also enjoy a new 1-Series model equipped with BMW Performance Accessories. The new equipments will improve the dynamic appearance and sporty driving characteristics of the 1-Series.

The list of accessories include a BMW Performance aerodynamics package, a BMW Performance suspension and a new BMW Performance 18-inch brake system that will improve both weight and high thermal resistance. The new brake system will be combined with a new set of 19-inch BMW Performance light alloy wheels, while the interior will add a BMW Performance steering wheel.

And as BMW Performance components includes updates for power train, suspension, aerodynamics and cockpit, BMW will offer an upgrade package for the 135i versions. The BMW Performance power kit includes a modified engine management system that will increase the 3.0-litre unit’s output by of 20 HP to a total of 326 hp.

BMW 1-Series Performance Accessories originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 5 September 2011 18:00 EST.

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Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/bmw/2012-bmw-1-series-performance-accessories-ar115530.html

Rene Arnoux Peter Arundell Alberto Ascari Peter Ashdown Ian Ashley

Luminaries gather to honour Button

At the Hungaroring

Once the intense competition of qualifying was over in Hungary, the Formula 1 fraternity put aside their rivalries for an unusual social occasion.

Luminaries from the top to the bottom of the paddock had crammed into McLaren's buzzing motorhome on Saturday evening to celebrate Jenson Button's 200th Grand Prix.

It was a fascinating scene for the F1 voyeur. Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali stood chatting to Mercedes motorsport chief Norbert Haug with a friendly arm around his shoulder. Team Lotus driver Jarno Trulli perched on a stool under the towering presence of Silver Arrows team boss Ross Brawn as Sauber's Sergio Perez mingled with the Virgin Racing drivers.

Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso nearly stole the show when the former McLaren arch-rivals warmly embraced each other, suggesting the particularly bitter cold war between the 2007 team-mates was well and truly thawing.

But the evening had been arranged by McLaren to mark Button's career and each of the 31-year-old's previous team bosses - with the exception of exiled Renault boss Flavio Briatore and BAR-Honda chief Dave Richards - spoke enthusiastically about the Somerset-born racer.

Button's F1 career began in 2000 when he beat Brazilian Bruno Junqueira in a shoot-out for a Williams race seat.

Sir Frank Williams had a unique take on the then 20-year-old, recalling: "In those days he was devastatingly good-looking and was always being pursued.

Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Pedro de la Rosa, Jenson Button, Timo Glock, Jerome d'Ambrosio, Paul di Resta (hidden), Sergio Perez and Felipe Massa at Jenson Button's 200th grand prix celebration

F1 drivers celebrate Jenson Button's 200th grand prix with the McLaren driver. Photo: McLaren

"He is a top, top guy. I really think that. He knew exactly how to get to the top and was completely unstoppable."

After two seasons with the Benetton team, which was re-branded Renault, Button lost his drive to Alonso and joined BAR, which then morphed into Honda.

The Japanese team helped the Englishman win his first race at the 113th attempt in 2006 in the only wet race - so far - to be held at the Hungaroring.

Shortly afterwards Brawn joined Honda, and under the former Ferrari technical guru Button went on to claim the world title in 2009 with the renamed Brawn Grand Prix team.

Brawn toasted his former charge, saying: "Jenson has got some essential qualities; speed, honesty, integrity and professionalism. Eventually he put all those things together in 2009.

"The greatest compliment I can pay him is I'm really sad he's not driving for us still."

Luckily, Michael Schumacher - who just happened to win a record seven world titles with Brawn - and his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg weren't around to weigh the implications of that remark.

It was left to Martin Whitmarsh, Button's chief at McLaren for the last two seasons, to fill in the gaps in the Englishman's career.

"Grand prix wins 10, pole positions seven, podiums 35, fastest laps four, number of points 650..." Whitmarsh began before Button tried to boost his statistics saying: "Why can't you make some of this up?"

Whitmarsh continued: "What [the list] doesn't say is; a great world champion and a fantastic ambassador to F1 - and the son of a smurf." The latter - and lesser-known fact - was a humorous reference to Dad John Button's nickname 'Papa Smurf'.

Finally, Button took centre stage, surveyed the room of F1 faces, friends, media and McLaren staff before choosing his words carefully.

"Wow! 200," he had begun. "Somebody actually asked me the other day what does 200 mean to you and first of all I thought they were talking about the number of PR days I've done this year.

"For a racing driver, the number normally doesn't mean so much but it makes you think back to the good times you've had - and the bad times.

"Winning the world championship was a big thing for me but winning grands prix and fighting it out with the best, I'm very lucky to be in that position.

"It's not over yet. I'm hoping for many, many more. Martin..?"

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sarahholt/2011/07/luminaries_gather_to_honour_bu.html

Dieter Quester Ian Raby Bobby Rahal Kimi Räikkönen Hernando da Silva Ramos

Who remembers what happened at the 2010 Italian Grand Prix? (Video)

This weekend sees the 2011 Formula 1 season head to Italy. Who can remember what happened at Monza last year though? Here are some video highlights for your viewing pleasure! [There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.] Do you think Fernando Alonso can [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Formula1Fancast/~3/wJZKXUkthzA/who-remembers-what-happened-at-the-2010-italian-grand-prix-video

Leslie Marr Tony Marsh Eugene Martin Pierluigi Martini Jochen Mass

Toyota Camry Daytona 500 Pace Car


The Daytona 500 has been about as ’Americana’ as any sporting event in the US today. The only others that are on that level are the Indy 500 and the SuperBowl. So it’s no surprise that in the 50 years that the event has been held, only one of the pace cars involved doesn’t have an American lineage to it. That is until now.

Joining the Porsche 914 that was used as a pace car in 1971 is the all-new Toyota Camry, which has been tapped to lead-off the Daytona 500 and open the NASCAR Sprint Cup season next February.

In an event that has fielded a steady number of Pontiacs, Buicks, Chevrolets, Fords, and so many other US-born automakers, the decision to choose the 2012 Camry as the official pace car of the 2012 Daytona 500 is a testament to the Japanese automaker’s growing influence in the US stock car world.

Details surrounding the pace car have yet to be announced, but when you happen to watch the event this February and you notice a Japanese car leading the field on the warm-up lap, understand that it’s only the second time in the event’s 50-year history that a foreign car is leading the parade at the Daytona 500.

That in itself is something worth looking into.

Toyota Camry Daytona 500 Pace Car originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 3 September 2011 23:00 EST.

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Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/toyota/2012-toyota-camry-daytona-500-pace-car-ar114910.html

Francois Mazet Gastón Mazzacane Kenneth McAlpine Perry McCarthy Ernie McCoy