Bernard Throws in Extra Prize…
Carel Godin de Beaufort Christian Goethals Paul Goldsmith Josй Froilбn Gonzбlez Oscar Gonzбlez
Read MoreIndia Saturday quotes: Renault
Bruno Senna – 14th: “That was definitely disappointing.
Graham Hill Phil Hill Peter Hirt David Hobbs Gary Hocking
Read MoreIf you happen to be in Delhi?
We have an exciting opportunity to win two VIP passes to “F1 Rocks ? The Afterparty? at the Taj Palace Hotel on Sunday night in New Delhi. If you want to join in, go to Twitter by clicking this link, and answer the following question. Who won the 1996 F1 Drivers’ World Championship: a) Sebastian [...]
Hubert Hahne Mike Hailwood Mika Hдkkinen Bruce Halford Jim Hall
Read MoreVettel dominant in Indian GP win
Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs
Read MoreTalladega was more than a win for Mike Wallace
Horace Gould Jean Marc Gounon Emmanuel de Graffenried Lucas di Grassi Cecil Green
Read MoreWhy Michael Schumacher Could Win The 2011 World Championship
Michael Schumacher?s 2010 comeback was somewhat abortive. The results, the driving standard and the overtakes were well below par for the former champion. He even let his team mate beat him for the first time in his career. So why can Schumacher, the fallen Ferrari hero, win the world championship for an 8th time? It?s [...]
Willi Heeks Nick Heidfeld Theo Helfrich Mack Hellings Brian Henton
Read MoreNumber 13 for Seb Vet
Sebastian Vettel took his 13th pole position of the year in India, beating Lewis Hamilton by three-tenths. The English will, in any case, have to drop three places on the grid because of a penalty from Friday. This means that Mark Webber will share the front row with his Red Bull team-mate, while the opposition [...]
Helmuth Koinigg Heikki Kovalainen Kevin Harvick Armour Vienna Sausage Kroger Chevrolet Clint Bowyer
Read MoreRain washes out Cup qualifying at Martinsville
Paco Godia Carel Godin de Beaufort Christian Goethals Paul Goldsmith Josй Froilбn Gonzбlez
Read MoreChevrolet Cruze Dusk and Z-Spec Concepts Headed to SEMA
Two takes on the turbocharged sedan. All told, Chevy will be scattering 51 vehicles throughout SEMA?s various halls this year. Ten of those will be Cruzes, two of which we checked out prior to heading to Vegas. Keep Reading: Chevrolet Cruze Dusk and Z-Spec Concepts Headed to SEMA
Z Line Designs Toyota Parker Kligerman Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota Jason Leffler
Read MoreWinfield Motorsports To Run Toyota In 2012
Winfield MotorsportsMOORESVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 17, 2011) ? Winfield Motorsports announced today that they are switching manufacturers. The team, currently fielding Dodge entries will be fielding Toyota?s for their 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams. ?Our plans are to run full time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series…more»
Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte
Read MoreDi Resta to stay with Force India for 2012
Reports suggest Paul di Resta will drive for Force India once more next season after a successful start to his Formula 1 career while current team-mate Adrian Sutil and reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg will fight it out for a spot alongside the Scot. Di Resta has been praised as one of the finest talents in [...]
Juan Jover Oswald Karch Narain Karthikeyan Ukyo Katayama Ken Kavanagh
Read MoreHamilton on path to redemption
Lewis Hamilton talked about using the Korean Grand Prix to “redeem” himself after a turbulent series of races. It was a strong choice of word, reflective it seems of a man somewhat battle-weary after a long, trying season. But if redemption was what he was after, he went a long way towards achieving it in Yeongam.
Unable to keep pace with Sebastian Vettel’s winning Red Bull, Hamilton drove a virtually flawless defensive race, holding off the faster car of the German’s team-mate Mark Webber for the duration.
His one mistake came on the first lap, when after converting pole position into a lead at the first corner, Hamilton admitted that he “didn’t position my car very well” on the run down to Turn Four. “I didn’t realise there was a car-length gap on the side,” he said.
It was all the invitation Vettel needed to take the lead and drive off into a race of his own, taking his 10th win of the season to keep alive the possibility of equalling Michael Schumacher‘s all-time record of 13 wins in a season. Red Bull‘s one-three sealed a constructors’ title that was as inevitable as the drivers’ crown Vettel won in Japan a week ago.
After a taking a superb pole position on Saturday, Hamilton had hopes of winning in Korea. But the context of Sunday afternoon suggests that he achieved that position at the front of the grid more through sheer driving bravado than any car advantage.
It was certainly a stunning lap – the car dancing on the edge, alive in Hamilton’s hands, in a way it has not been in recent races.
But come race day, Vettel’s Red Bull was untouchable. He drove it like he has so many others this year, using just enough of the car’s pace to pull out a comfortable gap without stressing the tyres and controlling the race from there.
Just how much pace Vettel had in hand became clear on the last lap when, just for fun, he went for the fastest lap of the race. The result was a time a massive 0.854 seconds faster than the mark Hamilton had set the lap before.
As Hamilton himself said ruefully: “Either way, he was going to overtake me.” The other Red Bull, though, did not.
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McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh described Hamilton’s performance as “one of his great, great drives”.
“When you have a car behind you which is frankly quicker and has DRS,” Whitmarsh said, “to be able to hold on and hold on like that was a truly brilliant drive.”
In truth, it is unlikely to be remembered alongside some of Hamilton’s true landmark performances – among which are his two wins this season. Whitmarsh, it should be remembered, is trying to boost the confidence of a man going through a difficult period. But it was certainly of the highest calibre.
Struggling with understeer – the handling characteristic Hamilton dislikes most – he did not put a foot wrong in defending from Webber for the entire 55 laps.
The closest it got was after their second pit stops on lap 34, when Webber made a determined challenge into Turn Four, and the two diced it out for the remainder of the lap. Hamilton used all his peerless race craft to hang on.
Hamilton’s subdued mood after qualifying caused much comment and although he was not exactly jumping around after the race, he did at least afford himself a smile.
“Especially with the amount of pressure I was being put under,” he said, “it’s very easy to lock up and make mistakes, to go wide but I didn’t do that once so I’m very, very happy in terms of that performance.
“The last six races I’ve not been anywhere near that position so it feels good to be back.”
It has, as has been well documented, been a difficult season for Hamilton, but the last few races have been particularly tough for him.
After his victory in Germany, hard-won in a race-long battle with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Webber, Hamilton again led for much of the Hungarian Grand Prix a week later, only for two incorrect tyre choices to leave him down in fourth at the flag, as his team-mate Jenson Button won.
But it was after the summer break that things really began to unravel.
In Belgium, he tangled with Williams’s Pastor Maldonado in qualifying and then crashed out of the race after colliding with Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi when, in hindsight, he could have got at least a podium finish, and perhaps even won.
That led to a subdued performance in Italy, in which he spent a harrowing time trying to break Schumacher’s aggressive defence after making a mistake in letting the German pass him at a restart.
Singapore was another eventful weekend, featuring contretemps with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa on and off the track in both qualifying and race.
In this period, Button had driven consistently superbly, and Hamilton’s team-mate left Singapore having finished second to Vettel and as the only one of the Red Bull driver’s rivals still in with a mathematical chance of stopping him winning the title.
And then came Japan. McLaren had the fastest car at Suzuka and Hamilton missed a chance to take pole when he failed to get round in time to start a second qualifying lap before the session ended and he lined up third, behind Vettel and Button.
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Hamilton was quickly up to second behind Vettel on the first lap, but from there he went backwards, his race ruined by high tyre wear, and he finished fifth as Button won.
The suspicion is that this disparity between the McLaren drivers’ performances in Japan is what explains Hamilton’s behaviour in Korea, particularly after qualifying.
This is a man who believes strongly that he is the fastest driver in the world – and also that both he and Alonso are better than Vettel.
Already he has had to watch Vettel win two world titles in the fastest car – titles Hamilton believes he would have won had he been in that car.
Yet at Suzuka, Button, it could be said, was conclusively, out-and-out faster than Hamilton for the first time ever in a fully dry race – at arguably the world’s greatest drivers’ circuit. That will have taken some swallowing.
In that context, Hamilton’s remarks about “redeeming myself” make more sense. And the seemingly innocuous comment after the race that he was “happy to be the one who got the most points for the team” takes on more meaning.
With the drivers’ title settled, some have said, this season is effectively dead with three races still to go.
In fact, it’s quite the reverse – out there on the race track, there remains an awful lot at stake.
David Hampshire Sam Hanks Walt Hansgen Mike Harris Cuth Harrison
Read MoreVideo: MV Agusta teases Brutale 675 ahead of EICMA 2011
Filed under: Europe, Videos, Motorcycle
Motorcycle manufacturers are on the teaser warpath as we get closer to the annual EICMA show in Milan. MV Agusta is the latest company to roll out a quick clip celebrating its latest effort; the 2012 Brutale 675. The machine is the naked sister to the wicked F3, and with a three-cylinder configuration and a €9,000 price tag, the Brutale 675 is expected to square off against bikes like the Triumph Speed Triple and the Ducati Street Fighter 848. What sort of hardware will it bring to the fight beyond its three pot mill? MV Agusta isn’t saying for certain.
The teaser shows off a few quick, shadowy glimpses of the bike, but we are treated to a solid view of the wild exhaust on the Brutale 675 as well as clear shots of the machine’s front end. Stay tuned for full details once MV Agusta pulls the sheets off at EICMA 2011, but in the meantime, hit the jump to check out the video for yourself.
Continue reading MV Agusta teases Brutale 675 ahead of EICMA 2011
MV Agusta teases Brutale 675 ahead of EICMA 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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William Clyde Elliott Jeffrey Michael Gordon Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick
Read MoreMassa thinks Ferrari can be strong
Felipe Massa believes Ferrari can be competitive in this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix after topping the times on Friday. The Brazilian posted a best time of 1m25.706s to finish on top ahead of world champion Sebastian Vettel.
Boy Hayje Willi Heeks Nick Heidfeld Theo Helfrich Mack Hellings
Read MoreTalladega Truck Series Starting Lineup ? Buescher on pole
1 31 James Buescher Bad Boy Mowers Chevrolet 53.896 SEC / 177.676 2 8 Nelson Piquet Jr. # tagg/Qualcomm Chevrolet 54.149 SEC / 176.845 3 3 Austin Dillon Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet 54.232 SEC / 176.575 4 4 Ricky Carmichael Monster Energy Chevrolet 54.274 SEC / 176.438 5 2 Ron Hornaday Jr. Bad Boy [...]
Brian Henton Johnny Herbert Al Herman Hans Herrmann Franзois Hesnault
Read MoreGresini to withdraw from Valencia
Gresini Racing will withdraw both its MotoGP and Moto2 teams from the season finale at Valencia in the wake of Marco Simoncelli’s fatal accident at the Malaysian Grand Prix. Team boss Fausto Gresini also said his organisation would miss the end of season tests which follow as they struggle to come to terms with Simoncelli’s death.
Oscar Gonzбlez Aldo Gordini Horace Gould Jean Marc Gounon Emmanuel de Graffenried
Read More2011 SEMA Show: Ford Trucks in Four F-series Concepts
If there?s one vehicle that owners love to bolt stuff to more than any other, it?d have to be the humble pickup truck. That’s why it’s important for Ford to continue to showcase customization options, even if its F-series trucks aren?t exactly fresh from the oven. To that end, here’s a look at the four [...]
Eddie Irvine Chris Irwin Jean Pierre Jabouille Jimmy Jackson Joe James
Read MoreMopar Dodge Avenger Pro Stock Driver Johnson Seventh in Friday Vegas Qualifying
Team Mopar® NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Big O Tires NHRA Nationals The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway LAS VEGAS, Nev. Friday, Oct. 28 2011 Team Mopar® NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson…
Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines
Read MoreStripping paint??
In the past I've used brake fluid with slooow, but great results.
I bought a builder some time back, and it appears that they used black primer enamel right over the plastic.
So it's working – sort of 
. This paint is probably nearly 50 years old, and it likes it's home 
.
I stay away from oven cleaner, so is there any other suggestions – besides posting this in the painting tips where hardly anyone will read this 
– LOL
Any idea's would be greatly appreciated
Sterling Burton Marlin Mark Anthony Martin Jeremy Allan Mayfield James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears
Read More’55 Chevy, Golden Edition
Well, IPMS Nationals will be in Orlando next year; that's about three hours of driving and I have a place to stay for free. GO FOR IT!
I have the old (1973) Revell kit, # H-1374
and, using Tamiya TS-21 gold, TS-13 clear, some gold leaf, and gold BMF, I want to convert it into this
http://55classicchevy.com/1955-chevrolet-50-millionth-car.html
That particular car was loaded with options, and quite a bit of scratch building will be necessary (A/C, power brakes, power steering, etc). Here's my goal in the engine compartment. You're right about the battery location, JR. Also note the oil filter housing is on the driver's side, because of the A/C.
The kit has typical issues for it's age. Yes, that's a hole in the passenger fender; while difficult to see in this shot, the flap over the gas filler is missing, so I'll have to scribe that in.
Hans Klenk Peter de Klerk Christian Klien Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig
Read MoreMichael Waltrip teams penalized for wayward windshields
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 25, 2011) ? NASCAR has issued penalties to the No. 00, No. 47 and No. 56 teams that compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as a result of rule infractions discovered during opening day inspection Oct. 21 at Talladega Superspeedway. All three cars were found to be in violation of [...]
Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth
Read MoreDenny Hamlin, 2011 NSCS TUMS Fast Relief 500 Race Preview
Denny HamlinRACE INFO: Event: TUMS Fast Relief 500 Date/Time: Oct. 30/1:30 p.m. ET 2011 winner: Denny Hamlin 2010 polesitter: Denny Hamlin Distance: 188 laps/500 miles Track Length: 0.526-mile Banking: 12 degrees Track Shape: Oval EXPRESS NOTES: Talladega Recap: Denny Hamlin drove the #11 FedEx Office Toyota to a top-10 finish at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday,…more»
Bobby Grim Romain Grosjean Olivier Grouillard Brian Gubby Andrй Guelfi
Read MoreWhat are Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa up to?
It’s time for our latest competition…what do you think is going on in this picture? Let us know by leaving a comment or getting in touch on Twitter…come on we want some good ones! To let us know your thoughts on this, get in touch on Twitter! Also, [...]
Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot
Read MoreIndia preview quotes: Williams
Mark Gillan, Chief Operations Engineer: “The whole team is looking forward to heading out to the Buddh International Circuit for the first time this week.
Chris Irwin Jean Pierre Jabouille Jimmy Jackson Joe James John James
Read MoreCompetition time!
Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota Jason Leffler David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle
Read MoreHamilton on path to redemption
Lewis Hamilton talked about using the Korean Grand Prix to “redeem” himself after a turbulent series of races. It was a strong choice of word, reflective it seems of a man somewhat battle-weary after a long, trying season. But if redemption was what he was after, he went a long way towards achieving it in Yeongam.
Unable to keep pace with Sebastian Vettel’s winning Red Bull, Hamilton drove a virtually flawless defensive race, holding off the faster car of the German’s team-mate Mark Webber for the duration.
His one mistake came on the first lap, when after converting pole position into a lead at the first corner, Hamilton admitted that he “didn’t position my car very well” on the run down to Turn Four. “I didn’t realise there was a car-length gap on the side,” he said.
It was all the invitation Vettel needed to take the lead and drive off into a race of his own, taking his 10th win of the season to keep alive the possibility of equalling Michael Schumacher‘s all-time record of 13 wins in a season. Red Bull‘s one-three sealed a constructors’ title that was as inevitable as the drivers’ crown Vettel won in Japan a week ago.
After a taking a superb pole position on Saturday, Hamilton had hopes of winning in Korea. But the context of Sunday afternoon suggests that he achieved that position at the front of the grid more through sheer driving bravado than any car advantage.
It was certainly a stunning lap – the car dancing on the edge, alive in Hamilton’s hands, in a way it has not been in recent races.
But come race day, Vettel’s Red Bull was untouchable. He drove it like he has so many others this year, using just enough of the car’s pace to pull out a comfortable gap without stressing the tyres and controlling the race from there.
Just how much pace Vettel had in hand became clear on the last lap when, just for fun, he went for the fastest lap of the race. The result was a time a massive 0.854 seconds faster than the mark Hamilton had set the lap before.
As Hamilton himself said ruefully: “Either way, he was going to overtake me.” The other Red Bull, though, did not.
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McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh described Hamilton’s performance as “one of his great, great drives”.
“When you have a car behind you which is frankly quicker and has DRS,” Whitmarsh said, “to be able to hold on and hold on like that was a truly brilliant drive.”
In truth, it is unlikely to be remembered alongside some of Hamilton’s true landmark performances – among which are his two wins this season. Whitmarsh, it should be remembered, is trying to boost the confidence of a man going through a difficult period. But it was certainly of the highest calibre.
Struggling with understeer – the handling characteristic Hamilton dislikes most – he did not put a foot wrong in defending from Webber for the entire 55 laps.
The closest it got was after their second pit stops on lap 34, when Webber made a determined challenge into Turn Four, and the two diced it out for the remainder of the lap. Hamilton used all his peerless race craft to hang on.
Hamilton’s subdued mood after qualifying caused much comment and although he was not exactly jumping around after the race, he did at least afford himself a smile.
“Especially with the amount of pressure I was being put under,” he said, “it’s very easy to lock up and make mistakes, to go wide but I didn’t do that once so I’m very, very happy in terms of that performance.
“The last six races I’ve not been anywhere near that position so it feels good to be back.”
It has, as has been well documented, been a difficult season for Hamilton, but the last few races have been particularly tough for him.
After his victory in Germany, hard-won in a race-long battle with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Webber, Hamilton again led for much of the Hungarian Grand Prix a week later, only for two incorrect tyre choices to leave him down in fourth at the flag, as his team-mate Jenson Button won.
But it was after the summer break that things really began to unravel.
In Belgium, he tangled with Williams’s Pastor Maldonado in qualifying and then crashed out of the race after colliding with Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi when, in hindsight, he could have got at least a podium finish, and perhaps even won.
That led to a subdued performance in Italy, in which he spent a harrowing time trying to break Schumacher’s aggressive defence after making a mistake in letting the German pass him at a restart.
Singapore was another eventful weekend, featuring contretemps with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa on and off the track in both qualifying and race.
In this period, Button had driven consistently superbly, and Hamilton’s team-mate left Singapore having finished second to Vettel and as the only one of the Red Bull driver’s rivals still in with a mathematical chance of stopping him winning the title.
And then came Japan. McLaren had the fastest car at Suzuka and Hamilton missed a chance to take pole when he failed to get round in time to start a second qualifying lap before the session ended and he lined up third, behind Vettel and Button.
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Hamilton was quickly up to second behind Vettel on the first lap, but from there he went backwards, his race ruined by high tyre wear, and he finished fifth as Button won.
The suspicion is that this disparity between the McLaren drivers’ performances in Japan is what explains Hamilton’s behaviour in Korea, particularly after qualifying.
This is a man who believes strongly that he is the fastest driver in the world – and also that both he and Alonso are better than Vettel.
Already he has had to watch Vettel win two world titles in the fastest car – titles Hamilton believes he would have won had he been in that car.
Yet at Suzuka, Button, it could be said, was conclusively, out-and-out faster than Hamilton for the first time ever in a fully dry race – at arguably the world’s greatest drivers’ circuit. That will have taken some swallowing.
In that context, Hamilton’s remarks about “redeeming myself” make more sense. And the seemingly innocuous comment after the race that he was “happy to be the one who got the most points for the team” takes on more meaning.
With the drivers’ title settled, some have said, this season is effectively dead with three races still to go.
In fact, it’s quite the reverse – out there on the race track, there remains an awful lot at stake.
Sam Hanks Walt Hansgen Mike Harris Cuth Harrison Brian Hart
Read MoreDodge Motorsports Presents THE NUMBERS: TUMS Fast Relief 500
Dodge MotorsportsTHE NUMBERS for the TUMS FAST RELIEF 500 Martinsville Speedway (All 125 Sprint Cup races) 1 ? fewest cautions (three times, most recent 4/25/71) 1 ? fewest cars on lead lap at finish (27 times, most recent 4/27/86) 2 ? fewest leaders (11 times, most recent 9/26/76) 3 ? fewest caution laps (4/25/71) 4…more»
Boy Hayje Willi Heeks Nick Heidfeld Theo Helfrich Mack Hellings
Read MorePower suffers compression fracture
Will Power has been diagnosed with a compression fracture following the accident he was involved in during the Las Vegas IndyCar event. The Australian undewent further tests in Indianapolis on Monday as he was experiencing back pains following the crash, despite being released from hospital with no evidence of significant injuries following the accident. On Monday, however, series orthopedic specialist Dr
Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth
Read MoreScale Auto/ Jim Haught Diorama
Jim will be making an appearance in Atanta in a couple of weeks. lol
View:http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/themes/sca/utility/
:550:0]
[View:http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCA.CS/themes/sca/utility/
:550:0][View:http://cs.scaleautomag.com/SCACS/themes/sca/utility/
:550:0]
Elmer George Bob Gerard Gerino Gerini Peter Gethin Piercarlo Ghinzani
Read MoreVettel shines as troubled Hamilton toils
In Singapore
In more ways than one, the Singapore Grand Prix was a microcosm of the 2011 Formula 1 season as a whole.
Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull produced another immaculate weekend, exploiting their blistering pace to take pole position and then quickly extend an advantage in the opening laps that they could then defend for the rest of the race, pacing themselves to their closest ‘rivals’.
The victory, the German’s ninth of the season, has effectively won him a second consecutive world title. Vettel has been either first or second in all the races bar one, in which he was fourth. To clinch the title, he needs to score only one more point in the remaining five races – and that’s only if Jenson Button wins them all.
As he admitted himself with a wry grin after the race: “Obviously, it should not be a problem.”
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It has been a quite stunning season from Vettel and his team - almost completely flawless while operating at a level no one else has generally been able to match.
He has won all the races he should have won, as well as the odd one that he perhaps should not. As every single one of his rivals was all too happy to admit this weekend, he fully deserves this title.
Vettel and Red Bull's superiority has had an interesting effect on his rivals.
McLaren's Button and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso have knuckled down, accepted that they generally have not had the car to challenge Vettel, and concentrated on doing the best they can with what they have.
The result is they lie second and third in the championship - ahead of Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber.
By contrast, Button's team-mate Lewis Hamilton seems to be battling inner demons, the exact nature of which perhaps even those closest to him do not understand.
Not for the first time this year, Hamilton wrecked his race with an avoidable collision with a rival. In Singapore, it was Ferrari's Felipe Massa.
Hamilton was trying to make up ground after losing places at the start when he was forced to back out of an attempt to pass Webber, who was slow off the line for the third race in a row.
The move on Massa was never on. Hamilton was on the outside and behind the Ferrari, and he simply made an error of judgment as they turned into the left-hander at Turn Seven.
He clipped the Ferrari's rear wheel with his front wing, and both their races were ruined there and then. Massa's right-rear tyre was punctured, and Hamilton's front wing damaged - and the stewards added insult to injury by giving him a drive-through penalty.
As he battled to climb back through the field from 16th place, Hamilton's frustration at the situation became clear in his communications with his team - again, not for the first time this season.
"Would you please give me some info on how I'm doing," he said, "what I'm racing for?"
Most people interpreted that as effectively saying, "Is it really worth me continuing with this?" Which is a surprising thing, to say the least, to hear from F1's most aggressive, attacking racing driver.
His team responded by reassuring him that he was fighting for a points finish, adding that there would definitely be a safety car that would further aid his cause - correctly as it turned out, although they were not to know it at the time.
Having been told that, Hamilton got his head down and produced what his team principal Martin Whitmarsh was "a great drive".
Whitmarsh added: "He did some of the best overtaking, some fantastic driving, to get back up into the points, so I think he should be given credit for that."
In that, Whitmarsh was absolutely right, but so, too, was he when he said: "He's a driver who wants to overtake in a hurry. Afterwards he'll regret that and maybe he could have waited another few corners."
Whitmarsh initially bristled after the race when he started to be questioned by the media about Hamilton's race, and his season.
When it was pointed out that this was not the first avoidable accident Hamilton had been involved in, and asked how McLaren and Hamilton could prevent such incidents from recurring, he replied: "If you stay in the garage, any accident is avoidable. Any serious questions?"
But as he was pressed on the same issue again and again, he finally admitted that the race "went badly", adding: "Undeniably this has not been a good year for Lewis Hamilton."
Indeed not. On the one hand, he has delivered two of the greatest wins of the season - his victories in China and Germany rank with any of Vettel's.
But the same driver was over-aggressive and incautious in Monaco - a fact Hamilton has admitted himself; collided with his team-mate in Canada; crashed out of the Belgian race after misjudging an overtaking move; and got into two altercations in two days with Massa in Singapore.
The one in the race followed him barging his way past the Ferrari at the start of final qualifying on Saturday, a move that prompted Massa to say: "I think he didn't use his mind. Again."
After their altercation in the TV interview area post-race in Singapore, Massa implied that if Hamilton kept driving this way, he would find it difficult to win any more world championships.
To which Whitmarsh countered: "I think he's wrong. Lewis is still a young guy, he's learning all the time. He'll win races and I'm sure he'll win more world championships."
Hamilton may indeed be young - but he is two and a half years older than Vettel, who is driving with a maturity way beyond his years. And many people in the F1 paddock feel that if Hamilton is to compete with Vettel in the future, he needs a change of approach.
No one wants to see him abandon the aggressive, charging driving style that makes him the most exciting driver in F1.
But there is no doubt he needs to find a better balance than he has done this year - or indeed in any of his seasons in F1 bar perhaps the first one. A better way, too, of coping with the frustration of not having the best car - which is what seems to be at the root of some of his behaviour this year.
Nor is it just Hamilton who has committed costly errors this season. McLaren have racked up a fair few as well.
"None of us are perfect," Whitmarsh said in mitigation. "The team has made some mistakes; we'll make more mistakes. We don't want to, but that's life. We're pretty open and honest about that. We have to try to get better, Lewis has to try to get better as a race driver."
The honesty and openness is admirable. The fact is, though, that Vettel and Red Bull have raised the bar this season to a level beyond their rivals' capabilities.
Such has been their superiority that even a flawless year from Hamilton and McLaren would almost certainly not have prevented Vettel winning the title - although it would have been a lot closer than it has been.
But however quick McLaren's car is in 2012, they are going to find it hard to beat Vettel and Red Bull if they and Hamilton keep performing like this.
Karl Kling Ernst Klodwig Kamui Kobayashi Helmuth Koinigg Heikki Kovalainen
Read MoreCHESS PIECES???
I love playing chess and I love traditional Staunton style chess sets. However, to get a really quality wood set that interests me, the price would be several hundred dollars. I came across some plastic sets online that were purported to be "quality." I bought a few different ones varying in size, weight, etc. Although the detail on some is great, the mold lines are really bad. Some were just not lined up evenly.
I thought it would be really nice if I could sand down the pieces smooth and airbrush them with a very classy, matte or light gloss scheme such as pearl white and burgandy or camel and black. So I got started.
The mold lines are so bad, that I have to get a Dremel along with a rotor speed control and sand them out with 220. In some cases, I needed some putty and/or CA to fill in some nicks or other small defects. After doing that, the hand wetsanding begins with 320 followed by 400 and then 600 before priming.
One chess piece takes about an hour to get from the beginning to "ready for primer." I have 34 pieces to do including the extra queens. I'm only at primer with 3 pieces and done with 600 with another three. It's going to take a while!
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Read MoreSutil wants answers over 2012 seat
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Read MoreNew Jersey race has 10-year deal starting in 2013
Plans for an F1 race on the streets of New Jersey were formally announced today. To be known as the Grand Prix of America, the race will be held on roads around Port Imperial in the towns of Weehawken and … Continue reading 
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Read MoreFerrari launch their new 2011 car, F150 (+ Launch Pictures)
Ferrari launched their 2011 spec challenger during a media event that took place at Maranello yesterday (28th Jan’11) ahead of a track debut at nearby Fiorano. The wraps came off the F150 ? a tribute to Italian unification and featuring an Italian flag on the rearward-facing rear wing. The team?s new Scuderia Ferrari logo features prominently on the engine cover. The F150 is the first F1 car of 2011 to be revealed.
?As far as the looks are concerned the rules keep them quite unaltered. The cars look like the ones from last year, but from a technical point of view they will be really different,? said technical director Aldo Costa.
?The car?s evolution has been planned with two big stages: one during the winter tests, where we will mainly develop the area of the mechanics, which means that the car?s structure, the chassis, the gearbox and the suspension will remain the same for the first couple of races. The aerodynamics is simplified and temporary for the first tests, waiting for the real aerodynamic development for the first race,?
further explained Costa.
Ferrari’s president Luca di Montezemolo also attended the media event, and wanted to congratulate Fernando Alonso publicly for his wonderful campaign with the Prancing Horse last year. As far as Felipe Massa is concerned, di Montezemolo called him “our little child” and insisted that it was his brother who drove a Ferrari in these past couple of years, only now the true Massa is back.
Chassis Specification
- Carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure
- Ferrari longitudinal gearbox
- Limited-slip differential
- Semiautomatic sequential electronically controlled gearbox ? quick shift
- Number of gears: 7 +Reverse
- Brembo ventilated carbon-fibre disc brakes
- Independent suspension, push-rod activated torsion springs front and rear
- Weight with water, lubricant and driver: 640 kg
- BBS Wheels (front and rear): 13?
Engine Specification
- Type: 056
- Number of cylinders: 8
- Cylinder block in sand cast aluminium V 90°
- Number of valves: 32
- Pneumatic distribution
- Total displacement: 2398 cm3
- Piston bore: 98 mm
- Weight > 95 kg
- Electronic injection and ignition
- Fuel: Shell V-Power
- Lubricant: Shell Helix Ultra
Link
Ferrari F150 ? Launch detail & Analysis (Scarbsf1′s Blog)
“Firstly the front wing is last years; it even has the driver adjustable mechanism which is no longer allowed in 2011. However the nose cone will be fairly definitive, as it needs to match the front of the chassis and being a homologated part, cannot be structurally changed during the season. This front wing may be on the car for the opening test runs, but we will soon see an interim 2011 wing before a final version appears for Bahrain.”
Ferrari F150 Launch Pictures
Images © Ferrari, toilef1.com, daylife.com
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Read MoreAudi Team Quotes after qualifying at Hockenheim
AUDI Motorsport Ingolstadt/Hockenheim, Saturday October 22, 2011 At the DTM’s season finale the Spaniard Miguel Molina in the Red Bull Audi A4 DTM will start from his second pole position this year (Sunday from 1:45 p.m. – local time -…
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Read MoreLoeb close to victory in Spain
Sebastien Loeb remains on course for victory in the Rally of Spain, having brought his lead over Jari-Matti Latvala back up to 31.1 seconds with three stages to go. The champion’s only stage win this morning came on Coll de la Teixeta, which is also used as the bonus points power stage at the end of the rally. With Loeb (Citroen) currently in a joint championship lead with Mikko Hirvonen, he is keen to maximise his score by winning the televised stage as well as the rally itself.
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Read MoreMichael Waltrip teams penalized for wayward windshields
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 25, 2011) ? NASCAR has issued penalties to the No. 00, No. 47 and No. 56 teams that compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as a result of rule infractions discovered during opening day inspection Oct. 21 at Talladega Superspeedway. All three cars were found to be in violation of [...]
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Read MoreToday?s Headlines
No Charges for Truck Driver Who Killed Cyclist Mathieu Lefevre and Left Scene (Gothamist)
MTA Aiming to Go Live With Citywide Real-Time Bus Info in 18 Months (2nd Ave Sagas)
Angotti: “We Need One Street System Connecting Us All, Not 59 Isolated Enclaves” (Gotham Gaz)
Companies Favored By Markowitz Gave Millions to His Non-Profits (NYT)
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Read MoreNASCAR penalizes three teams for Talladega infractions
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Read MoreKenny Wallace Ties NASCAR Nationwide Series Record For Most Career Starts
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Read MoreSoft tyre will be ?two seconds quicker? than hard in India | 2011 Indian Grand Prix
Slow hard tyre and long pit lane to create unusual strategies.
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Read MoreIndia?s F1 track: Another cookie-cutter circuit? | 2011 Indian Grand Prix
Does the Buddh International Circuit offer anything to distinguish itself?
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