I’ve finally got 5 minutes to myself, so I thought I’d do a quick post on the movements of all the drivers for 2010.  Obviously, not everyone has been announced, but thus far, here are the teams and line-ups for the 2010 championship.

McLaren – Lewis Hamilton & Jenson Button (from Brawn GP now Mercedes)

Ferrari – Felipe Massa & Fernando Alonso (from Renault)

Brawn (now Mercedes) – Nico Rosberg (from Williams) & TBA

Red Bull Racing- Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber (no change)

Renault – Robert Kubica (From BMW Sauber) & TBA

Williams – Rubens Barrichello (from Mercedes formally Brawn) & Nico Hulkenburg

Force India - TBA & TBA

Toro Rosso – TBA & TBA

Manor GP – Timo Glock (from Toyota) & TBA

USF1 - Jose Maria Lopez (subject to securing sponsorship) & TBA

Lotus – One driver signed but not yet announced who & TBA

Campos Meta – Bruno Senna & TBA

BMW Sauber – Withdrawn

Toyota – Withdrawn

This still leaves quite a few F1 drivers without a confirmed seat so far.  These include ;

Heidfeld, Grosjean, Fisichella (quite likely to return to Force India), Sutil, Liuzzi, Kobiyashi, Alguersuari, Nakajima, Kovalainen, Raikkonen (sabbatical unless a championship winning seat is available).  Other possibilities include De La Rosa, Piquet, Bourdais, Davidson, Sato and Wurz.  I could continue, but it would make my list quite long.

There are several teams with one experienced driver announced, which could pave the way for them to sign a younger driver, or former F1 driver a second ‘rookie’ seat.

Campos have put their money in Senna and will want an experienced driver to direct the team into the 2010 season, which would leave the door open for drivers such as Heidfeld or even De La Rosa.  Either way, I’ll keep the list updated with any further announcements.

As for the 2010 calendar, that’s had some changes also, and there is still some debate if some of the tracks will still be participating.  Most notably in the United Kingdom, is the British Grand Prix.  It has been said my Bernie Ecclestone that Silverstone (who have been handed an offer due to Donington now in the hands of  administrators), has until the 9th of November to make their minds up or there is no British Grand Prix.

The Canadian GP is subject to completion of changes, Korean subject to completion and

Smith & Wesson expects to nearly double its annual sales in the next three to five years as demand for its firearms soars in the recession. It is not alone.

All over America demand for firearms and ammunition is rising amid concerns that rising unemployment, which passed 10 per cent this month, will lead inexorably to higher rates of crime. Fears of terrorism have also helped to lift demand, as have concerns among gun owners that the Obama Administration may introduce restrictions on gun ownership and impose additional taxes.

Smith & Wesson is expecting sales to rise by 30 per cent to $102 million in the first quarter of the next financial year, after growing by more than 13 per cent this year to $335 million.

At Sturm Ruger, sales for the third quarter hit $71.2 million, up 70 per cent from the same period last year.

At Glock, the leader in law enforcement markets, pistol sales rose by 71 per cent in the first quarter of the financial year for 2010, in comparison with the same period last year.

According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the FBI carried out more than a million background checks on behalf of gun dealers in September (a check is required with every sale), an increase of 12.4 per cent on the same period in the previous year.

Mike Golden, chief executive at Smith and Wesson, is skeptical about the so-called Obama effect on gun sales, believing that his company’s booming revenues have “nothing to do with the administration” and everything to do with the economy.

“People are worried about personal protection with unemployment and crime on the rise,” he said, adding that 30 per cent of customers who had bought the company’s guns in the first half of this year were “first-time gun owners”, up from 9 per cent nine a year earlier.

Randy Williams, industry editor at Hoover, the research firm, agreed. “As an example of the personal safety and terrorism aspect, Smith & Wesson’s hunting rifle sales in 2009 dropped about 33 per cent at a time when the company’s other gun sales — revolvers, pistols, Walther imports, and tactical rifles — grew 33 per cent,” he said.

At the Freedom Group, whose brands include Remington, Marlin, Bushmaster and Harrington & Richardson, managers are encouraged by the “meaningful percentage of current firearm sales . . . made to first-time gun purchasers, particularly women”.

Elérkeztünk a Száguldó Cirkusz azon szakaszába, amelyik bombahírektől és bombapletykáktól hangos: bár a pályán semmi sem történik, most alakul ki a 2010-es felállás, és a pilótapiac „felszabadulásával” egyre erőteljesebben pusztítják a csapatok a kérdőjeleket. Ettől függetlenül van belőlük bőven, és még hosszú ideig találkozhatunk megválaszolatlan kérdésekkel.

Jövőre 13 csapat indul, minden istálló két pilótát vonultat fel. A teljes mezőnyből mindössze négy csapat ismertette mindkét versenyzőjének a kilétét:

Red Bull: Sebastan Vettel (német) és Mark Webber (ausztrál) – tehát a 2009-es felállás.
McLaren Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton (brit) és Jenson Button (brit) – az utóbbi évek legerősebb felállásának tekinthetjük abból a szempontból, hogy két világbajnokot vonultat fel a csapat. Utoljára 1989-ben volt példa arra, hogy két, már világbajnok pilóa ugyanazon csapatban versenyezzen: a francia Alain Prost és a brazil Ayrton Senna éppen a McLaren színeiben rótta a köröket, és csúnya marakodástt eredményezett a „bajnokok harca”.
Ferrari: Felipe Massa (brazil) és Fernando Alonso (spanyol) – a maranellóiak fizettek Räikkönennek, hogy 2010-re még érvényes szerződése ellenére hagyja el a csapatot.
Williams: Nico Hülkenberg (német) és Rubens Barrichello (brazil) – Hülkenberget az a Wili Weber menedzseli, aki korábban a Schumacher-testvéreket is „beszervezte” a Forma–1-be.

További négy csapat már hivatalosan bejelentette a szerződését az egyik pilótájával:

Renault: Robert Kubica (lengyel). A francia gyártó lehetőségei között elsősorban a már idén kipróbált francia Romain Grosjean szerepel, de korántsem biztos, hogy ő kapja a másik autót.
Toro Rosso: Sebastien Buemi (svájci).
Manor: Timo Glock (német).
Campos: Bruno Senna (brazil) – a fiatal dél-amerikai tehetség a néhai Ayrton Senna unokaöccse.

A Brawn GP utódja, a Mercedes GP egyik pilótája a német Nico Rosberg – annak ellenére, hogy a szerződést hivatalosan még nem közölték. A világbajnok csapat másik 2010-es versenyzője több mint valószínű, hogy a szintén német Nick Heidfeld. Kavarog a hír Michael Schumacher szerződtetéséről – aki egyébként elérte, hogy a Ferrarihoz kapcsoló tanácsadói szerződését bármikor felbonthassa –, de a szerződés életképességéről eléggé megosztott a vélemény.

Szinte biztos, hogy a Force Indiánál megmarad Adrian Sutil. Bár az idén kiválóan versenyző németet korábban a McLarennel is összefüggésbe hozták, jelenleg egyetlen lehetősége az átigazoláshoz a BMW utódcsapata, a Sauber-Qadhok. Az indiai csapat tehát az egyes számú pilótájában sem lehet biztos, a második számú pedig ennél is nagyobb rejtély.

Az említett Sauber csapat mellett a visszatérő Lotus és az újonc amerikai US F1 berkeiben még nincs konkrétan megnevezett pilóta. Eléggé nagy a valószínűsége, hogy az amerikai csapat színeiben visszatér 1997 kanadai világbajnoka, Jacques Villeneuve, viszont egyre több pletykát hallani a tengerentúliak felkészületlenségéről. Számos szakértő kétségbe vonja a US F1 2010-es indulását.

A bejegyzés végére pedig érdekességnek: Ross Brawn jelképes összegért, 1 fontért vásárolta fel a Forma–1-es bukás után a Honda-csapatot. A Brawn által felpofozott csapat megnyerte a konstruktőri vb-t, és az egyéni világbajnokot is – Buttont – ő adta. Ma a csapat értéke mintegy 245 millió dollár – derült ki, miután a Mercedest birtokló Daimler és részvényese, az Abar 184,2 milliót fizetett a 75,1 százalékos többségi tulajdonért.

Kovács Hont-Imre

Friday night I installed a Lone Wolf Dist. 3.5lb connector into my Glock 19, at the same time I did some much needed cleaning since getting the gun,and polished some of the friction parts within the trigger assembly.

I used a 2.5 hex head as a punch for disassembly.

Hear you can see the two pins you have to remove. One above the trigger, and another towards the rear.

Pin removed. The slide stop has to get moved slighty to allow this pin to come out.

Pins and slide stop removed.

Block slides straight out the top, then you can remove the trigger assembly.

Removed.

Clear.

Connector location

Ready for removal.

All it takes is a knife to pry under the connector and slide it out, takes very little pressure.

New Lone Wolf Connector.


Basically then you just reinstalled in the reverse order, not hard to do at all.

Installed

Most 3.5lb have the – symbol on them, the standard 5.5 are blank, and the 8.5lb depending on manufacturer are blank or have a + on them.

One of the areas I polished. Before I did.

Just helps smooth things out.

I haven’t taken this to the range yet, I hope to go this week, and at the least I’ll fire it at my HCP class Saturday. I can already tell a great difference in the pull. But I cannot say really which part really made the most difference, the cleaning, the polishing, or the connector in my gun, the pull was VERY hard on it to start with. I know all three together have made a great impact.

I just got came into two KCI 15rd Glock magazines.

I’d heard some 50/50 things about them online, but worth a shot to try out, already have 3 OEM ones.

First thing they loaded like crap. One the first one, it jammed and I couldn’t load more then 9rds in. I tried using the Glock speedloader and when you pressed the back of the round the nose of the bullet would go stay up and the rear of the casing would go down. So I took the mag apart and bent the spring slightly so the pressure would be a little bit more even. Then I reloaded it, this time it took all 15rds but was difficult to load towards the end. Was still binding a little.
I shot these yesterday. So far only 45rds through each mag but working well so far, both fed through just fine.
Here is a side by side picture comparison of the two magazines.
KCI left Glock Right

KCI bottom, Glock top


KCI left , Glock right

KCI Bottom Glock Top

Glock left KCI right

Glock left KCI Right

Glock top, KCI bottom

Glock

KCI

KCI left Glock Right

O que antes se especulava agora se confirma. O austríaco Timo Glock, desempregado desde o anúncio de retirada da Toyota da Fórmula 1, disputará a categoria no ano que vem pela novata Manor GP. Também colocado, por rumores, na Renault, o piloto assinou com a nova escuderia.

Com boas atuações nos últimos anos, Glock tinha perspectivas de acertar com outras grandes. No entanto, a Ferrari, a Mercedes GP (ex-Brawn GP), a McLaren, a Red Bull e a Williams já estavam praticamente certas com seus dois pilotos. Para completar, a Renault ainda sofre com rumores de que poderá deixar a categoria – o que faria com que Robert Kubica também perdesse sua vaga.

Com isso, o grid vai se definindo. Veja abaixo:

Mercedes-Benz GP: Jenson Button (ou McLaren) – Nico Rosberg
Ferrari: Felipe Massa – Fernando Alonso
McLaren: Lewis Hamilton – Kimi Raikkonen (Indefinido)
Williams: Rubens Barrichello – Nico Hulkenberg
Red Bull: Sebastian Vettel – Mark Webber
Toro Rosso: Sebastien Buemi – Jaime Alguersuari
Renault: Robert Kubica – Romain Grosjean
Manor GP: Timo Glock – Lucas di Grassi (Indefinido)
Campos Racing: Bruno Senna – Pedro de la Rosa (Indefinido)
Lotus/USF1: Não anunciados
Force India: Indefinidos
Sauber Qadback - Aguarda definição da FIA para entrar no lugar da Toyota.

Com a saída da Toyota, outro piloto promissor ficou sem emprego: Timo Glock. O austríaco, após o anúncio da marca japonesa, poderia acertar com a Renault e ser o companheiro de Robert Kubica. No entanto, a novata Manor GP também está de olho no jovem condutor e pode acabar acertando com ele para 2010.

De acordo com informações internacionais, Glock teme pelo futuro da Renault, apontados por muito como incerto. Além disso, Richard Branson, dono do patrocinador Virgin, estaria metido nas negociações. O austríaco é o primeiro de sua lista, além de outros nomes como Lucas di Grassi e Adam Carrol.

Glock está negociando com três equipes, sendo a Manor confirmadamente uma delas.

Unsuprisingly, Toyota has announced to quit F1 as brought about by the economic downturn.

Kobayashi, if without a drive for 2010, was quoted saying, “I would probably go back to Japan to maybe work with my father in his sushi restaurant.”

Now without a team, Trulli & Glock remain his potential customers.

Toyota has confirmed that it is pulling out of Formula 1 racing after posting its worst ever financial loss.

The world’s largest car manufacturer will concentrate on its core business.

Toyota president Akio Toyoda said the Japanese team had no option but to pull out citing “the current severe economic realities” affecting the world.

The team failed to win any of the 139 races it entered after making its F1 debut in 2002 but was fifth in the 2009 constructors’ championship.

Toyota’s withdrawal leaves the sport with no Japanese team after Honda left F1 at the start of the 2009 season.

Honda was replaced by Brawn, who went on to win this year’s drivers’ championship with Jenson Button and the constructors’ championship.

The company revealed its worst set of figures for the financial year to March 2009, and is expecting further losses to continue when it posts its results to September 2009 on Thursday.

Toyota’s demise could pave the way for Sauber to return, after Swiss-based Qadbak Investments stepped in in September following BMW’s withdrawal from the BMW Sauber team in July.

At the time, the FIA gave Sauber “14th place” for next season, meaning they were first reserve to fill any vacancy.

Toyota’s season promised much after long-term driver Jarno Trulli finished third in the opening race of the season in Australia and followed that with another third in Bahrain, after starting race four from pole position.

His team-mate Timo Glock also stood on the podium after finishing third in the rain-affected second race of the season in Malaysia.

But neither driver would reach the podium again until race 14 when Glock finished second behind Britain’s Lewis Hamilton in Singapore, equalling the team’s best finish to a race.

One week later, in early October, Trulli also came second in Toyota’s final home grand prix at its Fuji Speedway circuit.

Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi joined Trulli, who finished the season eighth in the standings, for the final two races of the season after Glock, who came 10th, was injured.

Germany’s Ralf Schumacher, France’s Olivier Panis and Britain’s Allan McNish have also all driven for Toyota over the years.

Williams also announced last month that it would be replacing its Toyota engine with a Cosworth for next season.

And Japanese tyre firm Bridgestone announced on Monday that it would not be renewing its contract to supply F1 after its current deal runs out at the end of the 2010 season.

In July Toyota pulled out of hosting the Japanese Grand Prix at its home circuit from next year.

Fellow Japanese companies Subaru and Suzuki withdrew from the World Rally Championship prior to this season while Kawasaki pulled out of MotoGP.

Reference: bbc.com/f1 (BBC Sport)

Will Rogers once said that strangers were friends he hadn’t met yet. With this in mind, I can’t help but wonder why it is so foreign for women to handle a firearm. Mine is definitely one of my best friends. Why?

I can trust this best friend to be reliable—to never flake out on me.

I can trust this best friend to protect my children, myself, and my loved ones.

This best friend will dependably fight for freedom and liberty for me.

I can rely on this best friend to stand for right over might.

This best friend is always available and by my side.

This best friend strengthens my physical weaknesses against enemies, foreign or domestic.

This best friend enables me to preserve life when others may desire to take it.

Other than my husband, I have a hard time finding any other friend that I can say these things about. So ladies, my I suggest that you introduce yourself to Mr. Glock, Mr. Smith & Wesson, or any other Mr. soon and make a new friend?

Copyright 2009 Women of Caliber and Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Women of Caliber and Kellene Bishop.

Guns Holsters and Gear has more on the 4th Generation Glock

• Interchangeable Backstraps
• Frame redesign and improvements (with particular attention to 40mm)
• Ambidextrous slide release
• Reversible Mag release

And more…

http://www.gunsholstersandgear.com/2009/10/29/gen-4-glock-a-look-at-the-new-features/

By Kellene Bishop

A true best friend is always by my side. Photo c/o Accurate Shooter

Will Rogers once said that strangers were friends he hadn’t met yet. With this in mind, I can’t help but wonder why it is so foreign for women to handle a firearm. Mine is definitely one of my best friends. Why?

I can trust this best friend to be reliable—to never flake out on me.

I can trust this best friend to protect my children, myself, and my loved ones.

This best friend will dependably fight for freedom and liberty for me.

I can rely on this best friend to stand for right over might.

This best friend is always available and by my side. 

This best friend strengthens my physical weaknesses against enemies, foreign or domestic.

This best friend enables me to preserve life when others may desire to take it.

Other than my husband, I have a hard time finding any other friend that I can say these things about. So ladies, my I suggest that you introduce yourself to Mr. Glock, Mr. Smith and Wesson, or any other Mr. soon and make a new friend?

Copyright 2009 Women of Caliber and Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Women of Caliber and Kellene Bishop.

Gun Game

Wer unkompliziertes Gameplay mag und einfach mal mit verschiedenen Waffen auf bewegte und unbewegte Zielscheiben ballern will, ist beim Gun Game richtig. Zugegeben, der Name des Spiels (The Gun Game) ist nicht gerade einfallsreich, dafür wurde bei Grafik, Sound und Spielphysik nicht gespart. Mehr als 13 verschiedene Waffen stehen zu Auswahl, die in 3 verschiedenen Kampagnen  (Defense -, Efficiency -, Offense Campaign) getestet werden können. Mit jeder Runde steigt natürlich der Schwierigkeitsgrad, sprich die Geschwindigkeit der Ziele, so dass auch Profis es nicht einfach haben, alle Missionsziele zu erfüllen.   Viel Spass mit dem Gun Game!

Glock has announced that it will introduce a new “Fourth Generation” Glock handgun with an interchangeable grip back-straps and improved ergonomics. The new “GEN-4″ Glock will probably be unveiled at the January 2010 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, though Glock hasn’t commited to a SHOT Show release. According to the Guns, Holsters & Gear Blog, “[GEN-4] Glocks are rumored to have a textured finish that is not nearly as aggressive as the RTF2 introduced at the 2009 SHOT Show. The new finish is said to be rougher than the prior generations, but easier on the hands and clothes than the RTF2.”

Glock has been hugely successful selling polymer-framed handguns to the law enforcement, military, and civilian markets. While Glocks enjoy an enviable reputation for durability and reliability, for many handgunners, Glock ergonomics are second rate. This editor has personally trained novice shooters with both a Glock 17 and Sig p226 9mm. More often than not, when the novices switch from the Glock to the Sig, their 10-yard groups shrink from basketball size to softball size — primarily because of the superior Sig grip size and shape. That’s not to say that Glocks are not accurate — they can be very accurate — it’s just that the Glock grip is far from ideal for many shooters.

For decades Glock has stubbornly refused to redesign or improve the grip on Glock handguns (other than adding finger grooves of questionable utility). Meanwhile, Beretta, Smith & Wesson, and Walther have offered polymer-framed handguns with more comfortable, ergonomic grips fitted with interchangeable grip back-straps. These “swappable” back-straps come in different sizes to provide a better, more custom fit for the shooter. Women with small hands, in particular, benefit from a thinner back-strap.

The success of Smith & Wesson in securing large police contracts for its adjustable-gripped, S&W M&P pistol has finally prompted Glock to come up with a major grip redesign. Glock has been losing market share as police departments nationwide have traded in their Glocks in favor of the more ergonomic Smith M&Ps.

A hand-picked team from CO19, the Metropolitan Police Services’s elite firearms unit, will walk the beat in gun crime hotspots where armed gangs have turned entire estates into “no go” zones.

Local politicians and anti-gun campaigners have reacted with anger at the news that the officers will carry Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns – capable of firing up to 800 rounds-per-minute – and Glock semi-automatic pistols.

CO19 currently provides armed support in volatile situations like sieges and terrorist attacks, with its officers on constant call in vehicles around London.

But this is the first time that armed officers will be sent on permanent foot patrol anywhere in the country outside Northern Ireland.

“Historically, CO19 was only called out when someone rang up to report a gun crime,” said Inspector Derek Carroll, head of the new unit.

“But a lot of streets in London have young people in postcode gangs, aged 14 and upwards, and a lot of communities feel that they are controlling areas of estates.

“We are looking at gangs that have access to firearms and will be robust in dealing with them and disrupting and deterring them.”

The team of 18 constables, led by an inspector and two sergeants, will begin their patrols of Brixton, Haringey and Tottenham on Nov 9, following successful trial schemes.

The officers – some on motorbikes – will carrying out weapon “sweeps” of their neighborhoods in an effort to deter gang members from carrying guns, and are also intended to be a reassuring presence for residents.

“My view is that just because you carry a gun, it should not affect the way you police,” Inspector Carroll added. “We chat to people and they love it.”

Unlike their counterparts in the United States, British police officers not routinely carry guns, although armed patrols are frequently deployed in the aftermath of shootings and to guard potential terrorist targets.

In October 2000 armed officers on the beat were temporarily introduced in Nottingham after a string of drug-related deaths.

Jennette Arnold, a Labour London Assembly member for northeast London constituency, said that the patrols threatened to tear up the contract between the community and the police.

“No one asked us or the people I represent if this was acceptable and when they do I shall tell them it isn’t. It isn’t acceptable to throw away the principle of policing by consent,” she said.

Gill Marshall-Andrews, chairwoman of the Gun Control Network campaign group, described the routine arming of officers as a “very retrograde step” and warned that it could lead to higher levels of gun crime.

“This is likely to raise the stakes and encourage more criminals, especially young criminals, to arm themselves,” she said.

“Gun crime in this country is very low by international standards and that’s largely because there aren’t many guns about. Arming police officers sends out all the wrong messages.”

The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, has long campaigned against attempts to arm a larger section of the force, but said it had no objection to the new scheme.

Simon Reed, vice-chairman of the national federation, said that although majority of his members did not wish be to armed, forces must be free to respond to particular threats.

“The ethos will always be that the British police are unarmed, but we need officers to be able to use firearms when appropriate,” he said. “My feeling is that the current balance is just about right.”

The Home Office declined to comment, saying that the operational use of firearms was a matter for local forces.

Officers from CO19, formerly known as SO19, have been involved in a number of high-profile incidents in the capital, including the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell station in 2005.

Gun-related crime is on the increase in London with 1,736 gun crimes reported in London between April and September this year – up 17 per cent on 2008.

The problem of turf violence between drugs gangs was highlighted earlier this month with a spate of shootings in north London linked to two Turkish gangs, the Tottenham Boys and the Bombacilar.

Glock – say anything against them and you’ve got instant debate “just add internet water”.

The truth is that Glocks are excellent firearms with an excellent reputation for reliability, accuracy, and maintenance.  But the reality is that they are not perfect for everyone. I personally find many of the larger Glocks to be uncomfortable. The G17 is decently comfortable for me but many of the rest are not. I have short stubby fingers.  I’ve also known people who get nipped by the slide on Glocks because of the short dove tail.

Many have commented that Glock has been falling behind the times compared to the feature sets of other firearms. The solid reliability of the Glock design has kept it a strong seller. But there has been a noticeable trend of many police departments migrating to S&W M&P’s.  Glock’s traditional bread and butter.

There has been much hypothesizing that Glock would eventually have to improve their “perfection”.  It appears that 2010 will be when we see such (im)perfections. This does create some confusion as Glock released an update earlier this year. So was that generation 3.5?

H/T to Blue Sheepdog

I just got an email from a friend who is new to shooting handguns.  He had asked my advice for his first purchase, and I of course told him to get a Glock.  Only problem is I forgot he is left-handed.  He looked it over at the store, but ultimately decided on the Smith and Wesson M&P because of the ambidextrous controls.

He has been very satisfied with the pistol so far because it fits him which brings us to a great point.  Don’t conform yourself to any particular gun.  The gun needs fit you.  If you are buying from Smith, Glock or Springfield, you have nothing to worry about.  The quality is great, and the guns will simply run.  Don’t get caught up in the brand name.  We all have reasons why we like a particular gun, and at the end of the day that gives us confidence in our system.  Be confident in yours.

By the way, he is doing this right.  He has taken a CCW course and is getting some training.  I recommended that he shoot IDPA once in a while to gain the skills necessary to carry CCW.  Don’t just buy a gun and think you’ve got it all figured out.  Become proficient with it.

Toyota driver Timo Glock will not take part in the Brazilian Grand Prix due to injuries he suffered in a serious crash in qualifying at Suzuka.

The German was initially diagnosed with only a minor cut to his leg. However, further medical tests revealed the 27-year-old had actually suffered a cracked vertebra, leaving doctors with no option but to rule him out of this weekend’s race.

He will be replaced at Interlagos by Toyota’s third driver, Kamui Kobayashi, who also stepped in during Friday practice for the Japanese Grand Prix while team-mate Glock recovered from illness.

John Howett, president of Toyota Motorsport, said: “Obviously everyone in the team is very disappointed and feels for Timo and we wish him a speedy recovery.

“He’ll remain in Germany to recover and we hope he can recuperate in time for Abu Dhabi, although at this stage the situation isn’t clear.”

Howett said 23-year-old Kobayashi was a “natural” replacement for Glock, adding: “He proved in Suzuka that he’s capable of holding his own. It’s a difficult task for him but he knows the team will give him its complete support and we know he’s motivated to make the most of this unexpected opportunity.”

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