McLaren fastest at first practice in Hungary

Posted on July 27, 2012 by adminsports

McLaren set pace in Hungary with Hamilton fastest in first practice

UPDATED:

10:25 GMT, 27 July 2012

McLaren scored a second successive one-two in first practice as Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button set the pace ahead of Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

A week ago in Germany it was Button who led the way from Hamilton as McLaren hit the ground running at Hockenheim, with their cars sporting a raft of new upgrades.

Considerable improvement was made in Germany, only for heavy rain in qualifying to compromise their starting positions as the team discovered to their horror a lack of performance in the wet.

Fastest: Hamilton races in the heat in Hungary

With Button sixth and Hamilton seventh on the grid, the former was able to challenge for the victory, finishing third which was converted to second following a post-race penalty for Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

For Hamilton it was a 100th grand prix to forget, the 27-year-old retiring 10 laps from home with damage sustained from a lap-two puncture, but there was enough performance in the car to offer up hope for this weekend.

Under clear blue skies at the Hungaroring, and with air and track temperatures at 26 and 37 degrees respectively, the British duo were comfortably quickest in the opening 90 minutes as again dry conditions suited the car.

The pits: Second-fastest Button comes into the paddock

Hamilton topped the timesheet with a lap of one minute 22.821secs around a circuit renowned for being tight and twisty, finishing 0.101secs clear of Button.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, now 34 points clear of Red Bull's Mark Webber at the top of the season standings after his win in Germany, was the nearest challenger but over half a second behind Hamilton.

Leading the way: Alonso (above) and Webber (below) are first and second in the standings

Mercedes duo Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher were fourth and sixth, the seven-times champion a second down, sandwiching Romain Grosjean in his Lotus.

Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen were just behind Schumacher, with Williams' reserve Valtteri Bottas again putting in another solid Friday morning outing to finish ninth, 1.331secs down.

Putting the boot in: Nico Rosberg has a kickaround in the paddock

Webber and Vettel were 13th and 15th, but with the duo opting for heavier fuel runs and with much more to come, with Force India's Paul di Resta in 14th and complaining of his car being difficult to drive.

At the bottom, HRT reserve Dani Clos – standing in for Narain Karthikeyan – was 5.355secs behind Hamilton and just over a second down on team-mate Pedro de la Rosa.

Fully focused: Button (above) and Hamilton (below) are hoping for improved performances in Hungary

Lewis Hamilton targets Hungry lift after mid-season slump for McLaren ace

Posted on July 25, 2012 by adminsports

Hamilton targets Hungary lift after title hopes are rocked by mid-season slump

UPDATED:

17:22 GMT, 25 July 2012

Lewis Hamilton is determined to go
into the summer break with the wind in his sails after recently seeing
his Formula One world title hopes blown off course.

Just over six weeks ago, after his
victory in the Canadian Grand Prix, Hamilton resumed the lead in the
drivers' standings, even if only by two points to Ferrari's Fernando
Alonso.

The driver: Lewis Hamilton took time out to shoot a music video with rapper Ludacris in Cannes

Since then the results of both drivers have veered sharply, with Hamilton collecting just four points from three races and Alonso 68 from a possible 75 with two wins and a runner-up to leave the former trailing the latter by 62.

Unfortunately for Hamilton, the 27-year-old was first taken out by Williams' Pastor Maldonado on the penultimate lap of the European Grand Prix in Valencia when running third.

At the British Grand Prix a fortnight later his McLaren was off the pace, leaving Hamilton to trail home eighth.

Then just four days ago a puncture sustained running over debris on lap two of the German Grand Prix eventually forced his retirement 10 laps from home.

At the halfway stage of the 20-race campaign, Hamilton knows he has to deliver this weekend in Hungary to ensure the few weeks off in August are not spent reflecting on what might have been.

'The car was great in Germany. We could have won,' Hamilton said.

The driver: Lewis Hamilton took time out to shoot a music video with rapper Ludacris in Cannes

'I've always known the team are doing everything they can, and they did a great job to bring the upgrades they did for that race. We have clearly now shown we have the pace.

'I've still got confidence within myself, that has never wavered, it was just unfortunate what happened in Germany. That's just the way it is.

'It would now be good to end this part of the season on a high, and we have another shot at it this weekend in Hungary.'

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh is hoping Hamilton will at least be buoyed by the fact the car was considerably quicker than a fortnight previously at Silverstone, at least in the dry.

Hamilton and team-mate Jenson Button were poised to duke it out for pole given their form in the dry during practice, until rain during the second and third qualifying periods saw them struggle.

Despite Hamilton's woes of late, Whitmarsh said: 'It was a deeply frustrating day for Lewis in Germany.

'He will have been disappointed and frustrated for a short while, but he will know the car is quicker, and he will know he has been driving well in dry conditions.

Frustrating: Hamilton's hopes were hit by a puncture at the German Grand Prix

'He will also recognise we've had some good races in Hungary. We've won there quite a few times recently, and he'll be going there eager to win again.'

Hamilton emerged victorious at the Hungaroring in 2007 and 2009, whilst Button triumphed last year on the occasion of his 200th grand prix, and also in 2006 whilst with Honda, his first taste of the top step of the podium.

After finally returning to form on Sunday by finishing runner-up to Alonso, Button is again in a positive mood after a miserable run of six races in which he collected just seven points.

Although trailing Alonso by 86 points in the drivers' standings, Button said: 'All in all it was a positive weekend in Germany.

'We should be happy with the upgrades we put on the car, although we still have a weakness in the wet with (tyre) temperature, but our pace in the dry was good.

'In the race it was always going to be difficult beating Alonso when he started on pole and I was sixth around a circuit that's pretty difficult to overtake.

'But I don't think there was anyone quicker than us, so we should be happy. It was a positive going forward.

'I'm now looking forward to Hungary. It's a special place for me, and I feel really encouraged we can have another great race this weekend.'

German Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso wins

Posted on July 22, 2012 by adminsports

Alonso extends F1 championship lead in Germany as puncture deflates Hamilton's hopes

UPDATED:

14:35 GMT, 22 July 2012

Fernando Alonso stretched his championship advantage to 34 points after claiming his third Formula One victory of the season in the German Grand Prix.

A campaign that started with a record seven different winners in the first seven races has now seen Ferrari star Alonso take a stranglehold by winning two of the last three.

Behind the 30-year-old reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel, on home soil at Hockenheim, finished second for Red Bull ahead of Jenson Button in his McLaren.

Drink it up! Alonso is soaked by Vettel and Button after his victory in Hockenheim

Formula One

Click here for the latest standings

Vettel, however, is under
investigation for a penultimate-lap move on Button as he ran off the
circuit to complete the manoeuvre. If Vettel is found guilty it will be
likely the positions are reversed.

Explaining his actions, Vettel said:
'I wasn't sure he was still on the side or not, I can't see from the
inside of the car, so I tried to give him enough room and went wide.'

At least Button can gain some
satisfaction from an improved car in which he had taken just seven
points in six races prior to today.

As for team-mate Lewis Hamilton, on
the occasion of his 100th grands prix, it was one to forget for the
27-year-old, who has now collected a meagre four points from the last
three races after retiring 10 laps from home.

Like Button of late, from winning in
Canada and leading the way, Hamilton's championship challenge has
rapidly gone off the rails to drop to 62 points behind Alonso.

On this occasion a slow start off the line was a pre-cursor to his downfall as Hamilton lost two places going into turn one.

You beauty! The pit crew celebrate with Alonso as the Spaniard takes the chequered flag

But it was what occurred behind him
that ultimately proved his undoing as Felipe Massa ran into the back of
Kimi Raikkonen in his Lotus, dislodging the front wing of the Ferrari.

That sent shards of carbon fibre on
to the track, yet there was no safety car, so when Hamilton made his way
through the first corner at the start of lap two he collected a
puncture.

It resulted in a long, slow run to
the pits for a change of tyres, and although Hamilton felt he would have
to retire then, his team said otherwise, dropping back to 22nd.

Hamilton, though, would later have a
significant say as in making his second stop after 33 laps – the halfway
point – Hamilton was lapped by leading duo Alonso and Vettel.

It resulted in a radio message from McLaren telling Hamilton not to hold up Button three seconds behind him.

It was a message Hamilton did not
need to heed because on fresh rubber, and although effectively a
backmarker, given the speed of his McLaren he was able to attack first
Vettel and then harry Alonso.

Second best: Vettel congratulated Alonso before showering two of the grid girls

When Hamilton made his move on Vettel
into the hairpin at the end of the DRS zone to un-lap himself, the
German made his unhappiness felt by waving his hand at the Briton.

That allowed Hamilton to then loom
large in the wing mirrors of Alonso, making enough of a nuisance of
himself that McLaren were able to pit Button after 40 laps.

Unsurprisingly Ferrari and Red Bull
reacted by bringing in Alonso and Vettel a lap later, however, Button
did enough on one lap to pick off the latter to move up to second.

Vettel did attempt an immediate pass
into the hairpin using DRS, but Button defended brilliantly, albeit
picking up a flat-spot on the front-right tyre.

It was a case of then playing a
waiting game for Button because, despite closing to within a second of
Alonso, he was unable to make any move on the Spaniard.

Instead, Alonso pulled away from
Button over the closing laps, who in turn fell back into the clutches of
Vettel, who was able to make his move on lap 66 to finish runner-up.

Winging it: Massa lost his front wing which looked to have caused Hamilton's puncture

Behind the leading trio Raikkonen was
fourth, followed by the Saubers of Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez,
with Michael Schumacher seventh in his Mercedes.

Mark Webber could only finish where
he started in his Red Bull – eighth – to fall to 34 points behind
Alonso, with Vettel a further two points behind.

Force India's Nico Hulkenberg and
Mercedes' Nico Rosberg completed the top 10, the latter from 22nd on the
grid, with Paul di Resta just outside the points in 11th in his Force
India.

After savouring the champagne, and
being interviewed by triple world champion Niki Lauda on the podium,
Alonso said: 'It was tough, not an easy race.

'Maybe we were not the quickest, but
we were quite competitive, enough to maintain the lead, with some good
strategy from the team.

All smiles: The grid girls welcome the drivers onto the track

'After the second stop, when I was
coming under pressure, the car was good enough under traction and in top
speed to control the race.'

Vettel, however, was fuming with Hamilton for when he unlapped himself as he said: 'I didn't see the point of that.

'It was a bit stupid to disturb the
leaders. If he wanted to go fast he should have dropped back, found a
gap and go fast then. Overall, I'm not entirely happy.'

Referring to Vettel's under-investigation overtaking move, Button said: “There's nothing to say. The TV camera says it all.

'I'd rather talk about the race. It
was a fun race, I really enjoyed racing out there. It was nice to be
back on the podium and to get some good points.

'This race gives me a lot of confidence. We're there or thereabouts at the front, but still a little to go to the front.'

Hot start: Alonso moved away at the start, but further back there was trouble for Hamilton on lap one

German Grand Prix Live

Posted on July 22, 2012 by adminsports

German Grand Prix Live: Follow all the F1 drama as it unfolds from Hockenheim

UPDATED:

13:04 GMT, 22 July 2012

Fernando Alonso will start on pole for the German Grand Prix after mastering the conditions in yesterday's rain-hit qualifying session.

But it was another disappointing day for the McLaren duo of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton who will start sixth and seventh respectively.

Stay tuned for all the action, and get involved by sending me an email or by directing your tweets to @martin_domin

TALKING POINTS
Lewis Hamilton suffered an early puncture and lies 16th
Fernando Alonso leads from Jenson Button
Sebastian Vettel is third

LAP 44: Less than a second between Alonso and Button now. This is all set up for a cracking finish.

LAP 43: Vettel goes wide which allows Button to pull further clear. As the track temperature increases, the Lotus' seem to be getting faster and we could see something from Raikkonen after all.

LAP 42: So, Alonso still leads but Button is less than two seconds behind with Vettel in third.

LAP 41: Brilliant from Button! He pits which forces Vettel and Alonso to do likewise and the Brit manages to steal second place with a cracking head to head fight with the German.

LAP 40: McLaren are out for Jenson Button.

LAP 39: Raikkonen has made it through those four laps and is in to the pits. Not too much happening in terms of times at the front as Alonso maintains his advantage.

LAP 38: Our F1 correspondent Phil Duncan on Twitter: 'Will be very interesting to hear what Vettel says about this afterwards. He's not a happy bunny.'

LAP 37: Hamilton looks like he'll need another stop after all due to his ongoing battle at the front, despite being at the back, if you get my drift.

LAP 36: Hamilton causing havoc at the front and he closes on Alonso despite being 18th. Button less than two seconds behind Vettel now. The German has been told to go easy on the KERS by his team; his afternoon has suddenly taken a turn for he worse.

LAP 35: Hamilton unlaps himself by passing Vettel which could help Button close the gap even further.

LAP 34: Hamilton is told by his team not to hold Button up, which is fair enough and the front three are close together now.

LAP 33: Button set the fastest lap on his last effort and he is now less than three seconds behind Vettel. Hamilton is among the leaders but is being lapped. Not the day he expected.

LAP 32: Webber is now seventh as Hulkenburg is passed again; not a great day for the German at his home grand prix. Raikkonen is complaining about his tyres but is told he must stay out for four more laps. Hamilton comes in for what we expect to be his last stop.

LAP 31: Mark Webber is now back to where he started in eighth and we'll be expecting cars to come back into the pits soon. Button remains four seconds behind Vettel and 10 clear of Raikkonen.

LAP 30: Nico Rosberg is another who has been on a charge and from 21st, he is now 10th as Paul Di Resta continues to go backwards. Vettel is right behind Alonso now, how long can the Ferrari hold him off

Missing: Massa suffered a bad start as he lost his front wing

LAP 29: This alleged pace from Lotus is not evident. I'd be surprised if the top three changes although any of Alonso, Vettel and Button could win it. And Perez takes Hulkenburg for sixth.

LAP 28: Sergio Perez is sitting seventh after his early march through the pack. Next up is Nico Hulkenburg.

LAP 27: The German certainly looks the fastest man out there. Can he break his hoodoo

LAP 26: Expecting the rest of the drivers to make their seconds stops at around lap 33. Button losing a bit of time over the last few laps while Vettel closes in on Alonso. He looks ominous.

LAP 25: Paul Di Resta is battling with Kobayashi for ninth place in what looks to be a good fight. Raikkonen is informed he's the fastest man on the track, which is not quite true but might motivate the Finn. He's fourth.

LAP 24: Hamilton is informed he might only be stopping just once more despite stopping as early as the third lap. Button continues to close the gap. Alonso not as fast after his stop.

LAP 23: Hamilton is now up to 18th and should be focusing on the race now rather than rain, or retiring, or what's on TV. Just over six seconds separate the top three.

LAP 22: Jenson Button has been informed that he is racing to win. I'm glad they cleared that up. The Brit gained 2.5 seconds over the pit stops on Vettel which is good news for him.

LAP 21: Vettel is in to the pits… and comes out behind Kobayashi and Alonso. The German manages to take second a few corners later however and it's as we were. Raikkonen is now fifth after another impressive move on Schumacher as his race gets better and better.

LAP 20: Button also pits and rejoins behind Takeru Kobayashi in fourth. Hamilton is asking his team if there is any rain forecast. Desperate measures from the Brit. No sign of Vettel coming in. Webber makes his way up to ninth.

LAP 19: Alonso rejoins in third behind Vettel and Button.

LAP 18: Perez is in to the pits as Hamilton catches the back of the field and will begin to work his way through the field. Race leader Alonso is in.

LAP 17: Mark Webber, having won the British Grand Prix, is struggling down in 11th. He'll need to force himself into the points somehow.

Crash: The front wing of Felipe Massa of Brazil flies over the track

LAP 16: Button remains in third place but he's more than five seconds behind Vettel. Perez is now in fourth and is yet to pit but his times are up there with the leaders. Impressive from the Sauber.

LAP 15: Schumacher is in and rejoins in seventh, behind Hulkenburg. Alonso's lead is now two seconds. Terrific scrap between the Germans though! Schumacher gets past then Raikonnen also slips through. The Finn is flying.

LAP 14: Raikonnen looks to be running well after his pit stop. He's in ninth despite having to pass cars on his first lap back out, and has set the fastest lap. No change at the front, Alonso from Vettel.

LAP 13: Hamilton does seem to be rather disinterested in the race. Put stops aplenty now, some teams opting for soft tyres, some for medium. Bit of a guessing game now.

LAP 12: Raikkonen is next to pit but he opts for another set of softs. From Simon Cass: Does Lewis Hamilton have a prior engagement ‘We should retire’ followed by ‘The car doesn’t feel stable’. So how come he was the fastest man on the track'

LAP 11: Di Resta is in to the pits and changes on to medium tyres. Button takes Schumacher and is flying in third. Next up, Vettel.

LAP 10: Hamilton is lapping at a similar pace to the leaders but does have new tyres and is over a minute down.

LAP 9: Alonso has a lead of one second over Alonso who is in turn four seconds ahead of Schumacher. Di Resta loses another place, this time to Perez who continues to storm through the field.

LAP 8: Brilliant move from Button as he overtakes Hulkenburg into fourth. He has been told by his team that he is quicker than Schumacher in third. Is a much needed podium in the offing for the Brit

LAP 7: The McLaren driver is still not happy and is complaining to his team about the handling of the car.

LAP 6: Hamilton remains in the race but he is in 22nd place, behind Massa. He won't be retiring after all. Excellent start from Sergio Perez; he's jumped from 17th to 10th already.

LAP 5: Stunning battle between Raikonnen and Di Resta as the Lotus takes eighth place from the Scot. Going back to Massa, and it looks like he clipped Ricciardo and lost his front wing just after the start.

Pulling away: Fernando Alonso leads from Sebastian Vettel

LAP 4: Hamilton tells his team he should be retiring on his 100th Grand Prix. The front two are pulling away from Schumacher as Alonso sets the fastest lap.

LAP 3: Hamilton is really struggling now and is in 10th place as even Daniel Ricciardo finds a way passed. He's limping towards the pits and his race looks like it's over already. Plenty of debris on the track from Massa's incident that I still haven't seen and the McLaren has suffered a puncture as a result. Vettel sets the fastest lap so far.

LAP 2: Massa
is in the pits and he's lost a front wing somewhere but no-one is quite
sure how. Grosjean comes in as well which would suggest he was
involved. Bruno Senna is also having to come in and he isn't going back
out by the looks of things.

LAP 1: Here we go! Alonso gets away well and is clear of Vettel. Button has passed Maldonado but disaster for Hamilton as both Webber and Raikkonen overtake. Vettel locks up and Schumacher closes in on his fellow German.

1pm: The parade lap is underway… We should be looking at two-stop strategies this afternoon, lets hope McLaren can avoid any slip-ups.

12.55pm: Simon Cass is our man in Germany: 'Afternoon all. So in the sunshine of Hockenheim we should finally get to see whether those McLaren updates are all they are cracked up to be. They will need to be if Jenson and Lewis are to overhaul Maldonado, the German trio of Hulkenberg, Schumacher and Vettel, not to mention championship leader Alonso.

'Red Bull have dodged another bullet after escaping punishment for an engine mapping tweak which most of the competition believe improves rear down force and cuts wheel spin. ‘It is certainly not the end of it,’ said driver steward for the day Derek Warwick. I reckon he is right!'

12.50pm: Red Bull chief Christian Horner claims he was always confident that his team would be cleared. He expects the issue to be debated again and hopes some clarity can emerge.

12.45pm: The German national anthem rings out which means we must be getting close to the start. One home favourite who won't be winning today is Nico Rosberg who had a poor qualifying session and was then relegated to 21st after changing his gear box.

Here we go: Alonso arrives at the track

12.40pm: Ross Brawn of Mercedes reckons there will be more to come from the Red Bull row. Certainly nothing will happen before the race.

12.35pm: Button
and Hamilton will be looking to get past the trio of Michael
Schumacher, Nico Hulkenberg and Pastor Maldonado as quickly as possible.
Then, it's game on. Incidentally, Vettel has never won in Germany, nor
has he won a grand prix in July. Omens…

12.30pm: McLaren struggled in the rain yesterday but conditions are better today and they did look good in the practice sessions before the heavens opened. Whether they can make up enough ground to challenge Alonso and Vettel however is another thing altogether.

12.20pm: The Brits of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, in his 100th grand prix, are sixth and seventh after Mark Webber's five place grid penalty for a gearbox change.

12.10pm: Anyway, the race itself is 50 minutes away and we have Fernando Alonso on pole with Vettel himself sitting second.

12.02pm: It seems however that the stewards were not completely satisfied with Red Bull's explanation but because of the wording of the regulations, they could not find a way to punish them. Hmmm….

12.01pm: No action will be taken against Red Bull.

12pm: Welcome to Sportsmail's coverage of today's German Grand Prix. There has already been a development at Hockenheim as you can see below…

BREAKING NEWS: Red Bull are under investigation by the stewards for a breach of the technical regulations ahead of today's German Grand Prix.

Technical delegate Jo Bauer has questioned the engine torque map of the cars of reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel and team- mate Mark Webber.

Read the full story here

On pole: Fernando Alonso will be hoping to convert his qualifying performance into a race win

Jenson Button baffled about McLaren"s loss of form

Posted on April 23, 2012 by adminsports

It's driving me crazy! Baffled Button can't explain McLaren's drop in form

UPDATED:

16:01 GMT, 23 April 2012

Jenson Button has been left baffled by McLaren's sudden loss of form that left the team looking like also-rans rather than title contenders in Bahrain.

Throughout the race Button and team-mate Lewis Hamilton appeared to be going backwards at times such was the performance – or lack of it – of their cars at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Hamilton was forced to settle for eighth, with two bungled pit stops also contributing to him being knocked off the top of the drivers' standings by race winner Sebastian Vettel in his Red Bull.

Out of ideas: Jenson Button was at a loss to explain his team's loss of form

Button could potentially have finished fifth, however, a cracked exhaust and late puncture resulted in his retirement a lap from the finish.

Despite the issues, McLaren were found wanting in comparison to Red Bull and Lotus, who had two cars on the podium for the first time since the 1979 Spanish Grand Prix, with Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean second and third respectively.

Speaking afterwards, Button was unable to extract a single positive from his race as he said: 'There would have been if we had finished. If I hadn't have had the problem at the end then I'd be leading the championship.

'Even if I had finished there would still have been a negative because we weren't quick. So, no, there's no real positive to take from it. One of our strong points has been the start, and in this race that didn't happen.

'Our race pace is normally very good, but it wasn't in this one; the pit stops weren't that special either, and our tyre deg (degradation) was higher than most, so all in all a very difficult day. We just didn't have anything.'

Worse is that Button cannot figure out where it has all gone wrong since his season-opening win in Australia, especially on race days given McLaren have been strong in qualifying.

Mistakes: McLaren's pit stops were far from their fluid best

'In the race we were in a different category compared to Lotus and Red Bull,' added Button. 'Compared to the four guys in front they were a second quicker than us, and they haven't put a second on the car in the last two or three races.

'Something is working for them, and something isn't working for us, and I don't really understand. We were racing the Ferraris, and for most races this year they have been a second slower than us. It's difficult to understand what the problem is.

'So it's tough. I know we have to limit our mistakes because we have had too many. We have to improve. I think we're quick, but we have to make the consistency better.'

Back on top: Sebastian Vettel

'It was the same for Mercedes (who won in China a week earlier through Nico Rosberg), they weren't quick either.'

Team principal Martin Whitmarsh believes one of the answers to his team's problems revolves around the Pirelli tyres.

Seven-times champion Michael Schumacher criticised Pirelli after the race for making rubber which means a driver cannot push the car or himself to the limit, instead playing a conservative role to ensure the tyres do not degrade too quickly.

Whitmarsh did not go so far as echoing Schumacher's comments, but admits trying to crack Pirelli's code is proving difficult.

'These tyres are very, very challenging,' said Whitmarsh. 'If you're in the sweet spot you're in great shape, if not, you're in for a pretty tough time, and we gave both of our drivers a tough time.

'We were clearly too hard on the tyres, they were going away very quickly, and both drivers really struggled. It's a bit of a concern, but we have to be calm, analytical and fix it.'

With four different drivers and teams winning the first four races, this year's championship is at least proving impossible to call.

'It's a much more interesting championship now than I would like it to be,' joked Whitmarsh. 'We've had four races and they've all been very different in complexion, and who knows what's going to happen at the next one. That lack of predictability, though, is great for the fans.'

Malaysian Grand Prix 2012: Fernando Alonso wins

Posted on March 25, 2012 by adminsports

Alonso edges out dogged Perez to win rain-affected Malaysian Grand Prix

UPDATED:

10:50 GMT, 25 March 2012

Fernando Alonso won his first race since last year's British Grand Prix as he held off the challenge of Sauber's Sergio Perez.

The race was red-flagged after just nine laps due to torrential rain but Alonso emerged as the strongest contender after a 40-minute delay.

He led from lap 16 but had to fight all the way to the chequered flag to keep Perez at bay.

Lewis Hamilton finished third after a disastrous pit stop on lap 15 while Jenson came home a disappointing 14th having required a new front wing after colliding with Narain Karthikeyan.

World champion Sebastian Vettel also finished outside the points after suffering a puncture.

More to follow…

Leading the way: Fernando Alonso held off the challenge of Sergio Perez to win in Malaysia

Slipping: Lewis Hamilton led behind the safety car but had to settle for third after a poor pit stop

Torrential: The race was red flagged after the heavens opened and the McLarens struggled thereafter

Struggling: Sebastian Vettel suffered a puncture and finished outside the points

Brothers in arms! Jonathan and Alistair Brownlee in bid for Olympic glory

Posted on March 4, 2012 by adminsports

Brothers in arms! Jonathan and Alistair Brownlee in bid for Olympic glory

The scene was a Yorkshire park. Two
young brothers were cornered by a group of older boys and ordered to
hand over their pennies. 'Get lost,' responded the older brother and
promptly ran off. His younger brother attempted to follow, only to be
tripped by one of the gang and kicked as he lay on the floor.

The older brother may have been
smaller than the gang and he may have been outnumbered, but he was not
going to leave his brother at the mercy of some yobs. He ran back,
helped his brother to his feet and together they made it to safety.

Family matters: Alistair (left) and Jonathan Brownlee

Twelve years on, the bond between Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee is just as strong. The men who are, respectively, the world triathlon champion and runner-up may laugh about the park story now but have they really changed that much when it comes to competing in sport's most gruelling event, a 1.5km swim, 40km cycle ride and 10km run, completed back to back

Take the example of the 2010 European Championships in Pontevedra, Spain.

'We were in the leading cycling pack when Al got a puncture in his tyre,' Jonny, 21, explained. 'It was my job to slow the pack down to make sure Al could recover the gap. Nobody else wanted to put in the work so it was easy to do. It wasn't long before Al rejoined us.'

Surely the better tactic would have been to have pounced while the race favourite, 23-year-old Alistair, was indisposed, creating an unassailable lead Jonny shakes his head at the unthinkable.

'I wouldn't do that to anyone because it wouldn't feel like a pure win. And I certainly wouldn't do it to my brother,' he insisted. Alistair chips in. 'No, neither would I. It shows that we do work as a team in races, but there's nothing stopping two Germans or two Aussies doing the same. There is one big difference, though. Only one of the Germans can win, which leaves the other wondering what he's getting out of it. With us, whoever loses is still happy because his brother has won.'

Race to the finish: Alistair beat Jonny to claim the European gold

The twist to the Pontevedra story is that Alistair, despite his brother's charity, went on to beat Jonny to claim the European gold. 'We were level with 1500 metres to go,' he recalled.

'Then Jonny tried to make a break and that's when I passed him. It was great. There were tiny, narrow streets, the crowd were pouring out all over the place and we were bumping off walls.'

How much did he beat his younger brother by in the end 'It didn't matter. All that mattered was that we were both a minute-and-a-half ahead of everyone else.'

Alistair has been one pace ahead of his younger brother ever since Jonny came into the world. 'He'd push me in my toy car into walls and beat me up a bit,' said Jonny, prompting chuckles from both men. 'Then I'd go running to our Mum. It made me stronger.

'Then, when I was older, I'd see Al come home with a GB international vest, and then medals. It made the chances of me following suit realistic because it was so close to home.'

Now the students – former Cambridge and Leeds University graduate Alistair is studying finance at Leeds Metropolitan while Jonny is in his third year reading history at Leeds – are inseparable as they prepare for the London Games and the chance to claim an historic onetwo for Britain in Hyde Park this summer.

Jonathan Brownlee of Great Britain

'There can't be two brothers in the history of time who spend more time together,' said Alistair. 'We live together and we train together, for hours and hours upon end every day in what could be, if we allowed it, very intense circumstances with the Olympics looming. Of course, we don't allow this, and it's amazing how well we get on.'

The training has been interrupted by a tear in Alistair's left achilles tendon which means a four-week lay-off in a protective boot. With two weeks already gone, Alistair hopes to start rehabilitation in a fortnight's time, and what he terms 'proper running' a week after that. He is not happy. 'It's not a catastrophe,' he conceded. 'It would be if we were now in May but there's time still to be as fit as I want to be for the Olympics. The key is to be disciplined when the boot comes off and not rush it. I'll be fine for London but not if I have any more setbacks.'

Jonny is taking it all in his stride. 'He's injured at this time of the year every year, normally worse than this, and he always ends up winning in the summer so it's just business as usual,' he argued. 'Although we train with a group of good triathletes at the Leeds Unis I still train a lot alone with Al so it's been a bit strange without him but he'll be back soon and that's when we function best.

'We both know we're training with the best or second best triathlete in the world, and we push each other, either out on the road or in the pool, or even just to get out of bed when it's dark, cold and freezing.'

It should not be any of those come August when the Olympic triathlon takes place in and around the Serpentine in London's Hyde Park. The Brownlees have already had a taste of what to expect when they competed in the Olympic test event last summer in front of huge crowds.

'When they announced our names on the podium we got the biggest cheer of our lives,' recalled a smiling Alistair. 'It's going to be a lot louder this summer. They reckon a million people will be out in the park. That's not going to do us any harm, is it' Indeed not. The race plan will be as always.

'Finish the swim with both of us around third or fourth,' Alistair says. 'Then be part of a small group of cyclists who break away. Then, almost from the start of the running, Jonny and I leave the others behind. We're particularly good at the start of the run when others suffer initially in their legs from the change from cycling to running.'

'It's because of all the fell running we've done from an early age,' added Jonny.

If the dream scenario comes to fruition, and the pair of them are running down the finishing straight together, what then If Alistair had his way they would hold hands and cross the line together.

'It's what the Olympian message is all about, isn't it' he said. 'In reality it won't happen. You'd look stupid if you tried it and then one of us won by a vest in a photo finish. Besides, let's get there first. I'm happy if people see us as favourites, but anything can happen in a triathlon, and I've still got to get fit, remember.'

Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee are BT ambassadors. BT is the official communications services partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Visit www.bt.com/london2012

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