Mark Webber set for move to Le Mans

Following from the incidents in Malaysia and China, the media is reporting a link between Webber and Porsche in Le Mans. The Australian is believed to retire from Formula 1 at the end of the season.

Bild and various other German sources are reporting that Mark Webber has visited the Porsche factory in Weissach, Germany to negotiate a three to five year deal. Webber and Red Bull have declined to comment.

Porsche categorically denied the link, but as we've seen in previous years, these are all politics and no team wants to announce a driver line-up by confirming a rumor. 

In Malaysia and China, the Red Bull driver admitted he is considering his future options after Vettel disobeyed team orders in Sepang to take victory. 

Meanwhile, Red Bull are looking for potential candidates should Webber decide to leave the team. Kimi Raikkonen is high on their list as both Helmut Marko and Dietrich Mateschitz have mentioned their interest in hiring the Finn. Following his impressive 7th place finish in China, Daniel Ricciardo from sister team Toro Rosso has also emerged as a potential replacement. 

Official announcements are unusual at this early stage of the season, so expect some reliable information only by the end of the year. 

Malaysia: Raikkonen confirms Lotus the team to beat

Kimi Raikkonen eradicated any doubts that his Melbourne performance was a one-off by topping the time sheets in Sepang on Day 1 of the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend.

With track temperatures over 30 degrees, the 33 year old Finn edged out Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull and Felipe Massa’s Ferrari, but the margins were tight; just 9/100ths of a second separated first and third.

Lotus’ technical director James Allison confirmed that only Raikkonen had the new updates on his car today, with Romain Grosjean thus disadvantaged. Lotus has a new exhaust package and was trialling a new front wing today. The Frenchman was 6th, some seven tenths of a second slower than his team mate.

The session was punctuated with a rain shower; the track was soaked but dried quickly. Nevertheless the times never got back to the levels of the first part of the session.

There was some encouragement for McLaren and Jenson Button when the track was damp; he was closer to the pace than in the dry. But the reality for his team is that without rain, he will once again be trailing Force India in the bottom of the top ten. Also showing strong pace in the wet once again was Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez and the Mercedes drivers.

Raikkonen’s pace was strong on both low and high fuel and in the wet conditions and with tyre degradation looking severe, especially on the harder compound, the Lotus’ ability to cover the distance in one less stop than its main rivals while maintaining good pace, may turn out to be a big advantage again.

Allison observed that Malaysia is traditionally one more stop than Melbourne, which indicates that his team is planning for three stops on Sunday. The question is whether Red Bull and Ferrari can also do the 56 laps at pace in three stops.

Williams, another team that has had a disappointing start to the season, ran an evaluation programme today hoping to solve some of its problems which are partly aerodynamic and partly set-up geometry. Early indications looked positive, but by the end of Free Practice 2 it appeared that they were still some way off, with Jules Bianchi’s Marussia ahead of Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado only half a second ahead.

“We haven’t made the progress we had hoped for today,” admitted technical director Mike Coughlan. We need to look at the data we have from both sessions to maximise the package we have. We will then head straight back to the factory to work on some improvements ahead of Shanghai.”

GP Review: Raikkonen untouchable in Australia

After claiming a victory he called his easiest to date, Raikkonen shook the paddock. Lotus set a new benchmark and example of managing tyres and doing so with such ease. Add to that a fastest lap in the closing stages on worn rubber and the question arises: is this the man to beat this year?

Raikkonen's impecable tyre management was just half the story today in Australia. The Finn came from 7th place and stormed to a victory he called easy, after being the only one to manage a two stop strategy effectively. 

But the bell rang on lap 56, as Alonso was closing in to challenge for victory. Raikkonen was on 5 laps older tyres than the Spaniard and three laps before the end, he set the fastest lap of the race, 1 second faster than the Ferrari. This was the cause of worry for many of his rivals. 

"I was taking it easy most of the time". Raikkonen was not pushing in order to preserve the tyres and keep the strategy going. It was about a sensitive balance of pace and tyre management and no one could've done any better. 

There is a lot of discussion going on whether the track configuration and the temperatures played part in Lotus' victory. Whatever the situation, the team seems to have built a better car than last year and most importantly, one that better suits Raikkonen's driving style. It's a car that's fast, and easy on its tyres. Which many drivers have said is key to sealing the championship this year. 

Australia's low temperatures will be replaced with Sepang's soaring heat as the teams prepare for next week's Malaysian GP. And with high temperatures cutting through tyres like butter, it's hard not to imagine Lotus challenging for another win. 

Kimi Raikkonen storms to victory in Australia

Kimi Raikkonen opened his 2013 campaign with a victory at the Australian Grand Prix, making use of a two-stop strategy to beat Fernando Alonso to victory by 12.4s.

Raikkonen's long second stint was the key to his race as he kept in touch with Sebastian Vettel and the two Ferraris, who led the race early on. Raikkonen remained out on track preserving his tyres as the cars around him adopted three-stop strategies, while Alonso managed to shuffle his way ahead of team-mate Felipe Massa and Vettel.

As Alonso emerged from the pits after his third and final stop, Raikkonen was sitting pretty with a 7.7s lead which he was able to extend on his way to victory. Behind him Alonso finished 9.8s ahead of Vettel in third, with Massa fourth, Lewis Hamilton fifth and Mark Webber recovering from a poor start to take sixth.

Adrian Sutil led large chunks of the race after running a reverse strategy to the top six and went on to finish seventh. Paul di Resta, Jenson Button and Romain Grosjean took the final points positions.

Fears that Vettel would disappear in to the distance after Red Bull's qualifying performance appeared to be well-founded as he opened up a two-second gap on Massa on the opening lap. Webber's start problems returned as he dropped back to seventh place, while Alonso passed Hamilton out of turn three to take third. However, the Ferraris immediately pegged back Vettel and once Raikkonen cleared Hamilton around the outside of turn 13 on lap two he started to catch the leading trio.

First stops were early as drivers struggled with graining on the super soft tyres, and it was actually the Mercedes pair of Hamilton and Rosberg who went longest before finally pitting to leave Sutil - having started on mediums - leading. Sutil had Vettel for close company with the Ferraris immediately rejoining the battle, but then Sutil started to pull away before his first stop.

Raikkonen caught up with the back of Alonso, who pit for a second time before Sutil's first. The following lap Sutil and Vettel came in together and the undercut allowed Alonso to jump them both, while a slightly later stop for Massa dropped him behind the pair and left Raikkonen clear in the lead.

Again the Mercedes were running longer and as the Alonso-Vettel-Sutil train caught Rosberg he pulled off the track with a suspected electrical problem. Hamilton was ahead and trying to make a two-stop race work but was forced to pit after locking up heavily in defence after a good scrap with Alonso.

Hamilton's stop was only two laps before Raikkonen's second but the Mercedes couldn't preserve the tyres enough and he was forced to switch to a three-stop, dropping him out of contention. Raikkonen, however, enjoyed some clear air and as all of those ahead of him pit he was left to retake the lead from Sutil.

Alonso threatened to close the gap at the start of his stint but Raikkonen was nursing his tyres and soon responded to the threat to cruise home. Sutil dropped behind Alonso before pitting early for super soft tyres and dropping back behind Hamilton and Webber as his tyres went off in the closing laps, though he did manage to hold off a late charge from team-mate di Resta as the team prioritised solid points.

While his team-mate crossed the line to win, Grosjean was forced to hold off Sergio Perez on the final lap to keep tenth place, while Jules Bianchi impressed for Marussia to finish 15th ahead of both Caterhams and team-mate Max Chilton.

Are Red Bull set for a whitewash in Australia?

Red Bull rivals fear for a complete domination this weekend as Sebastian Vettel grabbed the early headlines in the season opener. As teams prepare for qualifying, there's a slight sense of worry in the air. 

Vettel set his best time on his third lap on the super soft tyres, which suggests there's a lot more to come from Red Bull in qualifying. 

If times are insignificant at this stage, trackside experts would start a lengthy discussion. Regardless of sector times, the Red Bull seems to be the most stable car on the track. The car is practically glued to the surface without a single sign of under or oversteer.

Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton said they were not surprised to see Vettel on top so early on. The general consensus in the paddock is that Red Bull were merely sandbagging in testing and are about to show their cards this weekend. 

But not all hope is lost. Mercedes, Ferrari and Lotus all claim they have some tricks of their own left. Let's hope they can unlock that potential, otherwise this will feel a lot like 2011. 

Practice 1 & 2: Vettel dominates, as McLaren hit trouble

Sebastian Vettel's pace on Friday might be the shape of things to come in qualifying tomorrow, as the Red Bulls blitzed the rest of the field. McLaren are suffering, Ferrari, Mercedes and Lotus are in tight competition. 

While the pecking order is still a bit blurry, Vettel's dominance today sent a clear message to the field: Red Bull is the team to beat. 


Vettel, who had also led the morning session, was quickest for the majority of the afternoon, leading by a second early on.

Webber nosed ahead briefly during the super-soft runs, before Vettel took the top spot with a 1m25.908s lap, 0.264 seconds ahead of the Australian.

The teams all switched to heavy fuel runs soon after. Tyre degradation appeared severe, with lap times on short runs dropping off dramatically after the first flying laps, and the pace on longer stints slowing considerably.

Tyre wear looked like it was a factor in a late-session spin for Webber, who lost grip on the exit of Turn 13 and slid sideways and backwards down the track.

Mercedes showed encouraging pace but also had issues.

Nico Rosberg took third fastest, before stopping on track in the closing moments with a suspected gearbox failure.

His team-mate Lewis Hamilton was seventh. A potentially better lap was interrupted with a trip over the Turn 9 gravel and grass, and he later ploughed into the gravel just minutes before Rosberg had his issue.

Also in trouble were Jean-Eric Vergne, who spun his Toro Rosso across the asphalt run-off, and Giedo van der Garde, who spun off at Turn 6 and got stuck in the gravel with an hour to go.

Lotus got both cars in the top five, with Kimi Raikkonen ahead of Romain Grosjean in fourth.

Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa's Ferraris were sixth and eighth, followed by Adrian Sutil and Nico Hulkenberg.

The Wait is Over: Formula 1 2013 kicks off in Australia

The Australian Grand Prix hoves into view like a sailor's home port after a lengthy sea voyage. We're home at last. And after 12 days of testing, teams are expecting shocks in Melbourne. 

It doesn’t matter to whom you speak - representatives of Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Lotus or Mercedes - nobody really has an idea of what to expect at the 2013 Formula 1 Rolex Grand Prix in Melbourne this weekend.


“We could be first or we could be someway off,” Mark Webber said down at Red Bull. “But Ferrari look pretty handy.”

“Looking at their car it’s hard to imagine that they’ve found 65 points of downforce since November,” an insider at McLaren said of Mercedes, before adding, “but I’d be surprised to see them outside the top four.”

“Mercedes looked pretty good, as did Red Bull, while Lotus’s car seems to go exactly where the drivers point it,” former driver Johnny Herbert suggested.

“So much will depend on the combination of ambient and track temperature and their influence on tyre performance,” somebody at Ferrari said.

The truth is nobody has a clue what to expect, in what could prove to be the closest season in recent history.

Thus, as we await Friday’s two practice sessions, the focus is best switched now to the tyres more than the teams, all of who showed form at one time or another in pre-season testing.

Pirelli have brought their new P Zero White medium and P Zero Red supersoft compounds to Australia. The latter is new to Albert Park - last year the Italian tyre supplier brought the mediums and softs and the first seven drivers home in the race each made two pit stops. More pit stops than that are expected this time around as the 2013 compounds are softer and faster than their predecessors.

Historically, Melbourne offers low levels of grip since it’s a semi-permanent facility and the deliberate choice of compounds presents a significant challenge to the teams and drivers regarding strategy and tyre management.

The medium tyre is best suited to circuits with lower ambient temperatures and not particularly aggressive asphalt, two boxes that Melbourne ticks. Its durability characteristics are very similar to those of last year’s soft tyre, resulting in lap times that are around 0.8s quicker than the 2012-specification medium. 

The supersoft has been designed to come up to temperature quickly and it delivers maximum performance instantly on twisty and slow-speed circuits. 

“After 12 days of pre-season testing we finally get to go racing with our 2013 compounds,” Pirelli's motorsport manager Paul Hembery says. “They were developed over the course of the last season in private testing and they are the most focussed and performance-orientated tyres we have ever made. 

“Cold weather conditions during pre-season testing meant that we weren’t able to showcase them to the best of their abilities, but we are expecting a different story in Albert Park, with two to three pit stops per car. 

“The start of any new season is always a very exciting time and from what we have observed during pre-season testing the field seems to be closer than ever: quite an achievement when you consider that we had seven different winners from the first seven races last year. 

“All the compounds and constructions have changed for 2013, and the drivers should notice a wider working range and a bigger window of peak performance. The performance gaps between the compounds are also larger, which means that teams have a greater opportunity to use strategy to their advantage by exploiting the consequent speed differentials.”

The meeting promises to tax not only the stars, but the five rookies: Valtteri Bottas at Williams, Esteban Gutierrez at Sauber, Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi at Marussia, and Giedo van der Garde at Caterham.

“One of the most fascinating things about Formula One is the way it resets itself each and every winter,” says McLaren’s Jenson Button, who made his debut here with Williams in 2000. 

“I’ve seen every side of that: you can have a terrible winter of testing, then turn up at the first race and be competitive; equally, you can look impressive in winter testing and be nowhere in Melbourne. If you’re lucky, it all comes together in the tests and you hit the ground running at the first race. That's always the goal.

“This year, I don’t think any team really knows or understands the competitive order. It’s been an extremely hard-to-read winter: varying fuel-loads and levels of tyre degradation mean that it’s hard to accurately predict who’ll arrive in Australia with the best-sorted car. But that’s part of the game.”

As for the circuit, the 5.303 kilometres (3.295 miles) of asphalt is largely unchanged with minor changes to the kerbs on the exit of Turns 14 and 16 the only points of note. The DRS detection point is before Turn 14 with the first activation point after Turn 16 and the second activation point after Turn 2. Once again the race will be run over 58 laps or 307.574 kilometres (191.11 miles) and starts at 1700 hours local time (0600 GMT).

The city of Melbourne has just celebrated a record number of days in which the ambient temperature exceeded 30 degrees Celsius, but the weather is just beginning to turn. The temperature is expected to drop to around 25 degrees on Friday and there is a chance of rain on Saturday. The temperature is then set to dip still further for race day on Sunday.