Inglês diz que equipe inglesa ainda terá os motores alemães até 2015

Lewis Hamilton nos boxes de Interlagos Lewis Hamilton, campeão mundial de 2008, insistiu que não está preocupado com o fim da sociedade entre a McLaren e a Mercedes. O inglês tem contrato com a equipe inglesa até a temporada de 2012, que continuará recebendo os motores alemães até 2015. A montadora comprou a Brawn GP e terá seu próprio time na Fórmula 1, com Nico Rosberg como um de seus pilotos.

- Não estamos muito preocupados, porque continuaremos com os motores da Mercedes até 2015. A relação entre a McLaren e a fábrica alemã continuará muito boa, mas eu preferiria que fôssemos os únicos a receber os propulsores. Eles são, definitivamente, os melhores da Fórmula 1 – diz Hamilton, em entrevista ao jornal alemão “Sport Bild”.

O inglês disse que suspeitava dos planos da Mercedes de ter sua própria equipe na Fórmula 1. A montadora alemã, contudo, perdeu Jenson Button, atual campeão do mundo, para a McLaren.

- Minha relação pessoal com a Mercedes se tornou muito próxima ao longo dos anos e gostaria de desejar o melhor a eles. E é uma boa notícia para a Fórmula 1, porque eles assumiram um compromisso enquanto outras montadoras saíram.

[Fonte: globoesporte.globo.com]

Fernando Alonso e Lewis Hamilton já movimentam as casas de apostas para o título de 2010 e partem como os grandes favoritos.

E o espanhol, detentor dos títulos de 2005 e 2006, e o inglês, vencedor de 2008, lideram a preferência do público. Felipe Massa aparece em posição discreta, em quinto.

Segundo o jornal espanhol AS, eles são os nomes mais procurados pelas casas de apostas de Inglaterra, mesmo com as dificuldades este ano. Enquanto a McLaren ainda deu duas vitórias a Hamilton, quinto no campeonato, o espanhol foi o nono no Mundial, com apenas um pódio.

A principal mudança é justamente quanto a Alonso, que fará a sua primeira temporada pela Ferrari. Em caso de triunfo do espanhol o valor recebido pelos apostadores chega a quatro euros, pouco mais do que no caso de vitórias do inglês, que paga 3,50.

Jenson Button, que pagou 80 euros para cada um jogado antes da temporada 2009, aparece como quarto preferido nas casas inglesas, atrás do alemão Sebastian Vettel. Ele foi o “azarão” do ano, já que depois do Mundial de 2008 sofreu com o fim da Honda e quase ficou sem lugar na categoria. Agora campeão do mundo, paga nove euros para cada um apostado.

O brasileiro mais bem cotado segundo a pesquisa do diário espanhol é Felipe Massa. Ainda assim, é apenas o quinto, muito atrás do novo companheiro Alonso.

[Fonte: portalf1.com]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8374911.stm

… They better be. F1 see’s two back to back British champions for the first time in forty years, and also it seems that both of those British champions will be in the same British team, that’s the second oldest team in the sport. Not to mention the fact that it was an all British team (Brawn) that won both the Drivers and Constructers titles in 2009, and McLaren won the Drivers title in 2008. So it seems ridiculous to think that there may not be a British Grand Prix in 2010! Britain really is the heart of motorsport, so I hope that it all gets resolved, as the market for F1 in Britain clearly must be at a high that hasn’t been experienced for quite some time.

So in closing… Please Bernie, please don’t forget you and F1’s roots, and where it all belongs. Don’t let your ego and love for money get in the way.

Relevant song lyric of the post: Fleetwood Mac – The Chain

“Chain…keeps us together
(run into the shadows)”

Closing KoLd Quote:

“The home of motorsport is in Britain. Therefore, along with the great tracks that have such a heritage in F1, of Spa, Monza, Monaco and a few more (many not on the calendar these days, unfortunately), a British Grand Prix should be a no-brainer, a secure vote year in, year out. The majority of the true fans don’t want to see a procession around bland, Tilke-built Valencia, they don’t even want to see cars driving around a multi-million dollar Singapore or Abu-Dhabi. They want to see true, wheel to wheel racing, by the best drivers in the world, on the tracks that have proven to be the best in the world. We want to see a true battle between the best. Not a metropolis or a circus, used to distract the public from the poor racing.”

What is your aim for next year?

NR: The aim is going to be very high for me. I want to win races at least, and then we’ll see. We need to wait a few months to see how the car turns out but I’m confident that we’re going to have a strong package.

What does it mean to be the first German to race a Silver Arrows grand prix car in over 50 years?

NR: It’s incredible. It is definitely quite a special thing. The last time a German raced a Silver Arrow was 1955, so that’s a very long time ago. It’s about time there was a German in a Silver Arrows again.

Nika Lauda says that you have the talent to take on and beat Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. What is your reaction to that?

NR: It’s very nice to hear that from him and I definitely believe in myself as a racing driver and I’m really looking forward to next year because for sure I’m going to have a great car and I really believe that I’m going to be able to take them on for sure.

Which of the two of them is tougher competition?

NR: That’s difficult to say. We’ll see next year when they are up against each other. I’m not sure. I raced against Lewis, so I can say for sure that Lewis is a great driver and Jenson is a bit more difficult for me to judge but he is certainly a fantastic driver.

Do you regard yourself as German or Finnish?

NR: I definitely regard myself as a German, quite simply because I grew up with the German culture, we spoke German at home and watched German TV. So overall I’m a German.

You said during the year that you had a lot of options for 2010. You’ve now signed for one of the few manufacturer teams in F1 – how important a factor was that in your decision?

NR: It was definitely a factor that was important in my decision. It’s fantastic to be part of a great manufacturer like Mercedes and that together with the team that used to be Brawn GP is the best possible combination for me.

If the driver in the other car is Michael Schumacher, are you confident that you can take him on and beat him?

NR: I don’t want to comment on that, sorry.

Are you surprised that the driver in the other car is not Jenson Button?

NR: It was never certain [to be]. There was a high chance that it was going to be and now it has turned out not to be. That’s just how it went. I wasn’t that involved with what was going on so it was a little bit of a surprise, but not too much.

Would you like to have a German team-mate?

NR: I don’t really mind who my team-mate is. It’s just important that he fits well into the group so that we can attack together for Mercedes GP.

Have you already been to the factory and what do you know about next year’s car?

NR: I will go to the factory on Wednesday because I also waited for the announcement to be done. I’ve been in contact with Ross and the engineers about next year’s car to keep in touch, but I’m really going to start attacking on that front on Wednesday. I’m looking forward to visiting the factory and also there are a lot of people that I know from past years in F1 and it will be nice to see them again.

Who do you see as your main rival?
NR: I think it’s best to mention teams at this point and the main rivals will most likely be Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.

You are the first driver to be contracted by Mercedes. How far do you consider yourself a team leader?

NR: It’s something that I would really like to grow into, to become a team leader. That’s what I’ll be pushing to do and you achieve that by working with the team, getting the respect of the team and becoming a team leader in pushing the technical direction and also in terms of results on the track. That’s something that you need to build up and I’m going to try and do that very soon.

Have your say and share your views in the comments  – get writing now…

Reference Source:Autosport.com

Es ist nicht immer leicht, eine Entscheidung zu treffen. Deshalb ist man in aller Regel gut beraten, die Vor- und Nachteile gut abzuwägen, ohne das Bauchgefühl außer Acht zu lassen. Man kann Personen seines Vertrauens in die Entscheidungsfindung einbeziehen, im Einzelfall vielleicht auch, der Objektivität wegen, wildfremde Menschen, und deren Gedanken dann berücksichtigen oder auch nicht. Irgendwann jedoch, möglichst innerhalb der vorgegebenen Frist, sofern es denn eine gibt, sollte man zu einem Schluss zu kommen, den man dann auch als bindend betrachtet und nicht wegen jeder Kleinigkeit wieder hinterfragt. Ob es anschließend ratsam ist, die verworfenen Alternativen öffentlich auszubreiten, muss jede(r) für sich entscheiden. Ich persönlich halte in aller Regel nicht viel davon. Vor allem dann nicht, wenn dieses Bekenntnis die Frage aufwerfen könnte, wen zum Teufel das interessiert, oder gar: warum hat er’s nicht einfach getan?

Frau Pechstein sowie die Herren Hamilton, Bierhoff, Rutten, Löw, Koch, Klopp, Donadoni, Frings, Fischer und ganz aktuell auch Herr Henry sehen das anders.

So Jensen Button has finally come of age – Formula 1 World Champion and all that jazz. He could of have had anything he desired as a result. So why did he decide to go and join McLaren out of all the racing teams that would have welcomed him with open arms? Why not revel in the glory somewhere safer? Afterall he was the one who was proclaimed as the future of Formula 1 having burst on to the scene in the 2000 season driving for the Williams team – let’s be honest he didn’t ever look like setting the world alight and quite rightly barely figured in anything resembling a podium – his solitary win coming in 2006 driving for the Honda team!

I suspect that in joining up with Lewis Hamilton he will at least be able to pit himself up against one of the current best and prove to the world and more importantly himself that he didn’t win this year due to the car alone being that much better than all his rivals motor’s at the start of the season. And that he, himself had some part to play in his ultimate victory – he drove those damn races didn’t he? But when you check it out Hamilton was in a by far inferior car and still managed to put 49 points on the board and finish 5th overall!

So is Button a modern-day Daniel – not Craig, nor 007 and is Lewis a lion? And does the Mclaren HQ resemble a Lion’s den? All this and more will be decided next year and I for one can’t wait – one thing is for certain to the victor goes the spoils.

Read what Button has to say about it all here – Button: I’ll get my buzz from beating Lewis

Briga equilibradíssima em 2010

Bom dia, fufeiros. Aqui em London está chovendo, infelizmente, mas as perspectivas para uma tarde ensolarada são boas, então fico na torcida.

Como hoje não há muito o que falar, pensei em fazer uma rápida enquete para vocês me ajudarem em uma questão que não consigo resolver desde ontem: quem tem a dupla mais forte para 2010, Ferrari ou McLaren?

Alonso, bicampeão mundial, melhor piloto do grid. Felipe Massa, o cara que mais evoluiu de 2006 para cá e também o cara que dominou Kimi-Matias pela primeira vez na carreira do finlandês. Dois pilotos de muito talento, sem sombra de dúvida.

Mas do outro lado temos Lewis Hamilton, campeão de 2008, e Jenson Button, atual campeão. Button, muitos irão argumentar, é o mais fraco da turma, mas não concordo. Ele tem consistência em corrida e é extramente regular (e veloz) nestas condições. Pode até estar ligeiramente abaixo, mas é diferença tão sutil que não me atrevo a cravar sua inferioridade. Ele tem um estilo próprio, e que se provou eficiente em 2009. Em 2010, com carros lotados de gasolina, sua tocada tranqüila poderá ser uma carta na manga.

E sobre Luisinho World Champion, nem preciso falar. É um tremendo piloto, velocíssimo e dos mais agressivos do grid.

A parada está difícil, e peço a ajuda de todos vocês. Quem tem a dupla mais forte para 2010? Ferrada ou McLata?

Um ótimo domingão para todos nós! Beijundas.

PS: Não incluí a dupla da Red Bull por algumas razões. Primeiro que nenhum dos pilotos têm título mundial – contra fatos não há argumentos. E segundo que Mark Webber me parece um claro motivo para descarte imediato. Alguém discorda?

Sebastian Vettel was shocked by title rival Jenson Button’s move to McLaren, and expects Mercedes GP to be a strong contender in 2010.

The German, who finished second in this year’s world championship, said he was not expecting Button to leave the team with which he won both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles, especially given that it had just become a manufacturer outfit, with Mercedes taking controlling equity.

“I think it was a surprise to everyone,” Vettel told AUTOSPORT. “Brawn GP, now Mercedes GP, was very very strong this year. They won the drivers’ and constructors’ championships. They had a very good car, a good team and it’s always a surprise if a champion, in a champion team, is leaving.

“You don’t know if things will change completely next year, but in that regard for Brawn GP it was a very positive thing to happen that Mercedes is now taking over and it’s a manufacturer team.

“So it was a surprise and for next year they’re going to be strong. McLaren always has been. This year they were struggling a little bit but I think looking back they’ve always been strong.”

Vettel said it would be intriguing to watch how Button fares as the new boy coming in at McLaren, with Lewis Hamilton entering his fourth season with the team.

“I think it will be interesting,” he said. “They’re obviously both English and McLaren is an English team. Lewis knows the team very well, already for a couple of years now, Jenson is the new one coming in, so we will see.”

The 22-year-old expects the usual top teams to be back in contention for the world championship in 2010, following a year of shake-ups in the established order due to the new tehcnical regulations. However he remains confident of Red Bull Racing getting even stronger after being Brawn GP’s main rival this year.

“I’m very confident in how strong we are in Red Bull and we will get even stronger,” said Vettel. “It will be a nice challenge next year, not only with McLaren, also with Mercedes GP, whose drivers we don’t know yet, and also with Ferrari, same as McLaren.

“The rules change a little bit, no refuelling, a little bit different tyres but not that much. Not like from 2008 to 2009, so we’ll see in the first test.”

Have your say and share your views in the comments  – get writing now…

Reference Source:Autosport.com

In the past 2 seasons, with Heikki Kovalainen as his team mate, all the smart money has been on Lewis Hamilton to bring the lion’s share of the points home for McLaren and that has proved right. Now Kovalainen has been replaced by Jenson Button, the current world drivers champion, does that mean Lewis Hamilton’s position as the number 1 driver at McLaren is under threat and will he win more points than Hamilton next season?

Despite the not so impressive first half of the season, it seems the Formula 1 world have recognised that the car was to blame and not Lewis Hamilton. This was evident in the second half of the season when improvements to his McLaren MP4-24 saw Hamilton back on top again, twice, in Hungary and Singapore, and competing for the top spot in most other races.

Hamilton thanks his car for victory in Hungary

Lewis Hamilton has been voted the number 1 Formula 1 driver of 2009 by not one, but two of the most prestigious publications in motorpsort.

Autosport
Arguably the number 1 motorsports magazine in the world has a 2009 Formula 1 season review issue out at the moment which rates the top 10 drivers of 2009. At number 1 is Lewis Hamilton. The 9 drivers below him were rated as follows:

2 – Jenson Button
3 – Sebastian Vettel
4 – Mark Weber
5 – Robert Kubica
6 – Fernando Alonso
7 – Felipe Massa
8 – Kimi Raikkonen
9 – Rubens Barrichello
10 – Nico Rosberg

Very interesting top ten indeed – I’ll be picking up my copy tomorrow to see what justification there is for Barrichello being in only 9th place. Sure he didn’t do as well as team mate Button but he did his part to ensure Brawn GP won the constructors championship and towards the end of the season he was a better driver than Button himself. Also, Kubica in 5th – was that based on Brazil alone?

You can flick through a tiny version od the current issue over at Autosport.com

GP Week
If you didn’t know already, GP Week is a free, yes FREE, online publication with excellent written content and superb photos. They have rated the top 5 Formula 1 drivers of 2009, and like Autosport have Lewis Hamilton taking the number 1 spot. The other 5 are as follows:

2 – Sebastian Vettel
3 – Jenson Button
4 – Mark Weber / Rubens Barrichello
5 – Sebastian Buemi

The first thing you’ll notice is the inclusion of 2 drivers at #4 – there’s your top 5 there guys, but I will let you off as the extra driver is Buemi who performed very well considering his absolute dog of a car. Interesting to see they rate Rubens Barrichello a lot higher than Autosport, and rightly so in my mind.

So, anyone agree or disagree with the two sets of rankings?

Team GB

Despite Mercedes buying out Brawn GP to create Mercedes GP, and despite Mercedes’ promise to shareholders and fans alike that it would be back to back championships, the interweb has been abuzz with numerous rumours that the 2009 drivers champ, Jenson Button, was ditching his championship team and heading to (less?) greener pastures. Those wild rumours have been put to rest as McLaren and Button have announced their partnership for the 2010 season. This begs all sorts of unresolved questions. First off… Astonishing, no? What does all of this mean for Lewis Hamilton… is there another driver controversy brewing in the British Midlands… didnt McLaren learn from the Alonso-Hamilton misfire that two drivers of equal talent cant possibly co-exist at the same stall? Just thinking about it makes me wish Australia was just around the corner.

So lets, think about this for a moment… who is driving for Mercedes now?? Barrichello was the first to bolt and now Button has left the BAR replacement. So without any true championship caliber drivers, how exactly does the German stall plan to deliver on their lofty promise of a repeat championship. Why by installing two German drivers of course. Both Nick Heidfeld and Nico Rosberg are tipped to be the 1-2 drives for next year’s squad, though nothing is 100% squared away just yet. There is still a lonely Finn out there who might be the right man for the job, should he decide he can afford a pay cut from 20 million pounds to 6 million pounds for the season.

The Sweet Nectar of Victory

However, considering the financial sticking point and Kimi’s notorious stubbornness, the Button move will likely push the once highly sought after Kimi Raikkonen into no-mans land. Its been a “hard” road for the Finn who could never quite get it done with McLaren, then won a driver’s title with Ferrari, got bumped from Ferrari in favour of driving enemy no 1, Fernando Alonso, returned to McLaren, only to be bumped by driving enemy no 2… Jenson Button?? Based on the personnel changes in F1 thus far it seems more and more certain that the 2010 season will find Kimi without a drive for the first time,  in a very long time. Oh well Kimi, I hear Le Mans is… wait… its too funny to even consider. I doubt you will be able to make anywhere close to 6 mill on the 24 hour circuit, let alone the rally series you are considering. So Kimi… see you in 2011. I hear that Red Bull might have a spot open.

Bookmakers have reacted swiftly to the news that reigning Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button joining McLaren next season, by slashing his odds to 7-1 about him retaining his crown in 2010.

According to the Racing Post, the sports and betting daily paper, Button, who was offered at around 12-1 last month, will line-up alongside Lewis Hamilton – the first time in Formula 1 history, a team has started the new season featuring the most recent successive world champions.

Although Button can be backed at 6-1 to win the first race of the 2010 season, and 10-1 about him finishing in the points in every race next year, bookmakers still believe it will be his teammate Lewis Hamilton who will be crowned champion. They make the 2008 Formula 1 champion 11-4 favourite to take the title, followed by Fernando Alonso at 7-2 and Sebastian Vettel at 6-1.

The bookies are also offering odds about who will gain most points between Hamilton and Button next season. They are offering 2-5 Hamilton and 9-4 Button.

Related News

• Button backed to make switch to McLaren
• Button on the brink – but is he a proper champ?

Visit the Racing Post for more of the latest sports news

Mercedes war with McLaren over Jenson Button switch @ Mirror.co.uk Motorsport
Friday 20th November
Mercedes last night declared war on McLaren over Jenson Button’s switch.

The bad blood between the two teams spilled over less than 24 hours after his £12million move to Woking.

Furious at being dumped for McLaren, the Brackleybased operation has refused to allow Button to start work for his new bosses until after Christmas.(read more…)

New challenge drove Jenson @ Sky Sports Formula 1
Friday 20th November
Jenson Button insists that the challenge of driving with and against Lewis Hamilton as McLaren team-mates was the main reason behind his switch from Brawn.

Button left the team he won the World Championship with in order to move to Woking-based McLaren and complete a stellar all-British line-up with the last two F1 world champions at the same team.

A lot has been said after Button’s decision, with Brawn boss Nick Fry still feeling some bitterness at what he sees as a lack of loyalty from the driver towards a team that gave him a title-winning car. (read more…)

Hamilton/Button would be ‘excellent’ lineup – Massa @ MSN Formula One
Friday 20th November
Experts and pundits are questioning the wisdom of Jenson Button’s reportedly likely move from Brawn/Mercedes to McLaren for 2010.

Sir Jackie Stewart and David Coulthard have advised their British countryman to stay put rather than accept a bigger-money offer from McLaren, where 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton is regarded the unofficial number 1 driver.

The Daily Telegraph said Button, 29, has been assured equal billing, but Martin Brundle – who drove for the team in 1994 – told BBC radio on Tuesday: “In the past they (McLaren) have had a history of really being able to only fully support one driver.” (read more…)

McLaren races back into the black thanks to Hamilton F1 win @ Evening Standard Business
Friday 20th November
Lewis Hamilton’s Formula One world championship victory last year drove his McLaren team from the red to a £14 million pre-tax profit according to its accounts to 31 December 2008.

It comes as good news for the outfit after Mercedes said on Monday that it is selling its 40% stake in McLaren to the team’s co-owners and investing in rival Brawn GP, which took the F1 title this year.

Mercedes is said to be annoyed at the scandals which have dogged McLaren over the past two years. In April the team was given a suspended three-race ban for misleading officials and in 2007 it was fined $100 million. (read more…)

Jenson Button will be pushed by Lewis Hamilton @ Mirror.co.uk Motorsport
Friday 20th November
Now Jenson Button has joined Lewis Hamilton at McLaren we have the prospect of two young Brits in the same car driving at speeds of up to 220mph, and for once the police won’t be in hot pursuit.

Button has been forced out of Brawn because Mercedes are taking over, and they want a wholly German team, preferably with blond hair, blue eyes and jackboots. After his world title win Button said to them: “Show me the money.” They replied: “Show me your papers.”

Button was so anxious to escape the German camp there were fears he’d end up on a motorbike wrapped in barbed wire. Last week he was spotted at McLaren HQ, where it’s rumoured playboy Button demanded the same pay as Hamilton, the same status as driver, and the same Pussycat Doll. (read more…)

After Jenson Button joined the McLaren team this week we asked – Will the real World Champion please stand up?

Jenson Button will look to replicate his his Brawn form with McLaren

Jenson Button’s decision to join up with Lewis Hamilton is set to provide the McLaren team with a bumpy ride next season.

World Champion Button signed a multi-million pound deal with McLaren on Wednesday to set up an all-British team.

Button’s switch from Brawn to McLaren happened after the 29 year-old never received the pay rise he expected from his former team at the end of the season despite being crowned F1 World Champion.

Button has since, however, suggested the chance to pit his wits against Lewis Hamilton was too good to turn down. Many believe he will eat his words come next season.

Although McLaren feel the deal is a fantastic scoop, having the last two World Champions on board may yet see a clash of egos.

Only one driver can become World Champion and so McLaren have a difficult decision in deciding who is their main man.

But who is worthy of being McLaren’s no. 1 driver?

Jenson Button

• Age: 29
• Grand Prix Debut: Australia 2000
• GP Races: 171
• Wins: 7
• Pole Position: 7
• Points: 327
• Podium: 24

Lewis Hamilton

• Age: 24
• Grand Prix Debut: Australia 2007
• GP Races: 52
• Wins:11
• Pole Position: 16
• Points: 256
• Podium: 27

Lots of big news in the world of Formula One today. It has been announced the Jenson Button has signed with McLaren and will be paired up alongside Lewis Hamilton. He has said that it wasn’t about the money and that he is just out to continue moving forward with his career. However, everyone knows that Brawn did not want to pay him as much as he was asking and that McLaren was willing to pay more. Besides the pay increase, he now has a chance to be teamed with another Brit on a British team and he says that was a big reason to make the switch as well. As motivation, there is nothing better than driving for your country, and with McLaren, both Button and Hamilton will be flying the Union Jack, but I still don’t see any way this will work out in the long. This does mean that McLaren will retain the number 1 on the front of the car, and it is also the first time in F1 history that a team has the services of two drivers who were World Champions back to back. There is some speculation that Button had been forced out of Brawn by new owner Mercedes, but it remains to be seen whether that is the case or not. Ross Brawn and Nick Fry have expressed their disappointment at having Jenson leave the team and now have to go with a clean slate of drivers as Rubens Barrichello signed with Williams right after the season ended. The seats at Brawn will be highly coveted though, and the team should have the pace to stay with the front runners, if not be the front runners come the start of the season. More will be revealed as winter testing finally shows up and the true pace of the new cars can really be judged.

The news also means that Kimi Raikkonen is looking for a new place to drive. It has come out as rumor that he has three possibilities. Either he sits out the season, signs with the former Brawn team at reduced income or goes to the WRC with Citroen. There are rumors flying all over the paddock, from people close to him, that he will be in the WRC and contest Le Mans, while others are saying that he will try and shore up a deal with Mercedes F1 so that he can continue racing. Personally, I think Kimi is going to leave F1 behind this season and concentrate on his WRC training. He could possibly make a return in 2011 if all goes well, but his attention is not on F1 right now.

Sebastian Vettel pode ter perdido o título Mundial para Jenson Button, mas para os patrões das equipas de Fórmula 1, foi o melhor piloto, e como uma boa vantagem sobre o Campeão verdadeiro.

No balanço do ano publicado esta semana pela revista inglesa Autosport, e com votações similares às do Mundial de F1, o resultado foi o que pode ver na lista abaixo. Lewis Hamilton ficou no ‘pódio’ e Fernando Alonso foi quarto, apesar da má época da Renault. Veja a lista completa:

[Fonte: autosport.aeiou.pt]

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Luke Pollard

Luke P0llard (@motorsportprint) is an unusally gifted artist. The most fascinating thing about him is his art – he sketches motorsport cars. His artistry brings the excellence, the competitive spirit, the excitement and rivalry of the game to life. His sketches speak for themselves in vivid color or immaculate pencil sketch. Its a privilege to bring an artist of such rare ability to the readers of my blog.

Luke’s website: www.motorsportinprint.com

Q&A WITH LUKE POLLARD

What can you tell us about Luke, the artist and the person?

I am a family man, have two kids (4 and 2). I am a huge follower of motorsports and cars in general.

I spent many years as a graphic designer but its not where my passion was. Ever since being a small child I wanted to be an artist and now I am fulfilling my dream! Its almost perfect; great family and a job that I love!

Senna in a McLaren, 1992

As a motorsport fan, who is/are your favorite driver(s)? and team(s)?

I have many favourites. I am a huge fan of Jackie Stewart. He did so much for F1 and motorsport in general improving safety – not to mention being a superb driver! I am also a big fan of Jim Clark. I wasnt around when Clarke and Stewart were racing but have a huge DVD collection of old footage!

Today, I am a big fan of a lot of teams and drivers really… I don’t have a stand out favourite. I think Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton will be a force to be reckoned with in the future winning many titles. I guess I have to stay loyal to the British drivers so lets just say they are my favourites!

When/how did you become interested in pen and ink sketches for motorsports?

Ever since I was a kid, I was drawing and painting. At a young age, I preferred pencil sketches of landscapes. If I ever went on holiday with my parents, I would always take a note pad with me and would draw. Drawing and painting motorsports is relatively recent. I actually started earlier this year after spending many years as a graphic designer and abstract artist. I am a huge fan of motorsport, especially F1. It all started when I created a picture for my brother of his Caterham for his birthday. It got shown to a few people who really liked the uniqueness. From there, I honed my style and now produce artwork digitally, in pen, ink painting and also using acrylics.

Schumacher in a Ferrari

Did you train to be an artist? Tell us a little bit about your training.

The only art education I had was at high school. I always enjoyed art at school and when going to college it was a difficult choice between studying art or music technology – I went for music technology!

What inspires you about motorsports?

I have been a huge fan of motorsport for as long as I can remember. I just love everything about it; the noise, speed, colours… I love watching it and I love creating artwork of it!

Who is your favorite driver to draw?

I don’t draw drivers.

What is your favorite car to draw?

The F1 cars from the 60s are fantastic. The Tyrrells and early Lotus cars are the most fun to draw. Today, I guess I like drawing the BrawnGP cars. They have a nice uncluttered livery! To be honest, I enjoy drawing them all!

Lewis Hamilton

What is the process of drawing – can you give an insight into the creative process?

For the drawings, I am actually quite brave! I draw straight off using fine liners.

My paintings are a little more time consuming but a heck of a lot of fun. They start off as sketches on canvas detailing the important elements of the car. Next, I add in the paint. Most of the time I will actually mix the paint on the canvas and make a basic colour version of the painting. Next is the fun bit! All the colours get blended together to give the motion of speed. You really have to see the work to understand!

My digital artwork is quite a complicated process that involves blurring, drawing and colouring all then layered up into a finished artwork.

Alonso in a Renault

What do you draw other than motorsports?

My other work is really just abstract paintings… but 99% of my work is motorsport!

What drawing would be a perfect gift for your girlfriend?

It depends on who there favourite driver and/or team is.

What are your goals for the future?

I would like to work more with teams and doing some art demonstrations. It would be great to go to different motorsport events all around the world showing people my artwork!

B&Q: F1 paddock pundits, stunned by Jenson Button’s signing by Mclaren have insisted the Woking outfit may have bitten off more than they can chew by failing to account for another dad in the motorhome each race weekend, writes our Help the Aged correspondent, Gaz Taps.

Button’s tortuous contract negotiations – which have recently been serialised in the Daily Mail – finally came to a head this week when the new World Driver’s Champion allegedly inked his name to a Mclaren contract in a smaller font, just under and behind Lewis’ 10 inch high golden typescript that otherwise covered the entire page.

But the 2009 champion’s apparent dream move may have been fatally compromised when it was revealed that Mclaren are sorely underprepared for the British star’s male parental entourage, especially given their current commitments to Lewis’ father, Anthony.

When 2 dads go to war...who has first dibs on the Black and Decker Workbench?

“Mclaren are cock-a-hoop the number 1 is going to stay on their car for next year”, a paddock commentator commented, “but their ability to retain that for a third year is going to be severely tested by their inexperience in dealing with more than 1 elderly male parental hanger-on”, he said.

And whilst on paper the deal makes Mclaren one of the strongest teams in 2010, there is strong evidence that negotiations were toughest around guarantees that John Button – Jenson’s grizzled, perma-tanned father – would be taken care of adequately by the Woking outfit including:

• Complimentary tea and biscuits at all times during the Grand Prix weekend
• Free pair of sheepskin-lined luxury Drapers slippers
• A secluded shed fully stocked with a range of power tools for downtime tinkering
• The complete Johnny Mathis back catalogue
• Subscription to all UK middle-brow tabloids with which to become suitably morally outraged
• Werthers Originals

“Everyone is talking about the hard ball Jenson played on his salary but few people realise that the deal would never have happened if Mclaren had compromised on the provision of complimentary nips of brandy before bedtime and a cantilevered 3 step leather reclining armchair in the communications centre during race weekends”, said that bloke.

Could this Seattle Intalift Rise and Recline Armchair cause ructions at Mclaren?

And whilst many believe Jenson and Lewis will get on well, it is unclear how the undoubted shift in parental freebie patronage will go down in the Hamilton household where it is believed Anthony merely has provision for a disabled parking space, unlimited coffee and biscuits on race day only and a complimentary monogrammed Mclaren bath robe which he has to have dry cleaned and handed back to the team at the end of the season.

“In trying to put these 2 dads in such close proximity, Mclaren run the risk that there could be some real Senna vs. Prost style handbags all over again; only in fisherman’s hats rather than crash helmets and provided they can still remember what they’re doing in this room and why they were so angry in the first place“”.

http://www.pitflaps.co.uk/

So, a number of strange decisions that I think are all related in some way or other…

First of all – Button to McLaren. There has been a lot of negativity in the press about this, but the only downside I can see for Jenson is the fact that Lewis Hamilton is bloody fast, and has a certain amount of leverage within the McLaren team. This is due i’m sure to his history with the team, his success, the awe of his talents, and his sickly sweet demeanor when it suits him. That combined with the raw speed and his overall competitive spirit will be a tough nut to crack.

However, you could argue that Jenson is the perfect foil for Lewis. When Hamiton’s gung-ho style leads him to destroy his tyres, throw the car off the track, or use his car’s performance up too quickly (could be a factor in 2010), Jenson will be there, calmly calculating what needs to be done to finish the job. He could be the Prost – Lewis the Senna…just hopefully without the animosity.

I would like to make the point that while I think Lewis will beat Jenson more often than not, I don’t think it will be by as much as many are predicting. I think Jenson is seriously underrated, due to his smooth style in and out of the car, and is way cannier than people give him credit for. People rave about Lewis first year, but Jenson’s was equally impressive, with a lot less testing, and a far inferior car at his disposal (sorry Williams I am still a fan – honest)! I expect it to be more like Hamilton versus Alonso – except that Jenson may not be so freaked out by being beaten, and I doubt he will turn the team against him. That was Alonso’s problem – he just couldn’t get his head straight.

Regardless of which side of the fence you are on, it will be enthralling viewing!

Mercedes.

As far as I’m concerned, Ross Brawn is now the smartest guy who ever walked down a pitlane. And I include Colin Chapman in that. This man has, in order, had a years holiday after turning around the most famous team in racing and having nothing more to prove, got employed by a struggling manufacturer team, take the team from one end of the grid to the other in less than a year without changing many of the staff involved, saved a team and most of its staff from going under, overseen the creation of a last-minute “mongrel” of a car, and ran that car with savvy to win both championships, on a shoestring budget. At the same time, with his team around him, he has managed to sell the team to another manufacturer, for over £100million, making himself and his directors Rich beyond their wildest dreams and at the same time secure his staff’s jobs, sign a title sponsor and hand the team over to said manufacturer with running costs that make it a “no-brainer” for the manufacturer to commit.

I’m surprised he doesn’t wear his pants on the outside of his trousers with a matching cape!

Mercedes are now in control however, and it seems that in true manufacturer style, they are laying waste to all of this hard work.

They have let the reigning World Champion (and the kudos he brings) slip through their fingers, due mainly through their zeal to have a German megastar. I am a confirmed fan of Nico Rosberg, but even I am unsure whether he is truly top drawer material. He is yet to prove himself. They now seem certain to sign Nick Heidfeld, who is an excellent driver. However I fear his best years are behind him. Ross Brawn has made a commitment to manage the new team for a while, but I wonder what he is thinking…

I honestly which the team formally known as TYRRELL (and we shouldn’t forget that) the best – I really do. But I fear for their future. BMW got annoyed with their partner (Williams), bought a team (Sauber), then somehow managed to screw up a good thing and then ultimately leave all concerned much the poorer (Williams are still struggling to get back to the front). I hope Mercedes don’t pull the same trick.

Meanwhile, McLaren have free engines for quite a few years, have their total independence back, and two World Champions on their books. I think they’ve come out a difficult situation amazingly well placed. It’s just a shame that when these things happen, the independent teams always take the hit. They will always survive though, as they have no other option.

Frank Williams will be seeing the McLaren/Mercedes situation unfolding and thinking “Yep, Been There. Being independent isn’t so bad after all”!