A short and sweet article on the official Red Bull Racing website has confirmed that Sebastian Vettel has extended his contract with the team until the end of 2015.
Vettel is the youngest triple world champion in Formula 1 having won titles in 2010, 2011 and 2012. After victory in Canada on the weekend the 25-year-old currently enjoys a 36 point lead in the 2013 championship standings.
[Source: Red Bull | Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]
The recent launch of Ferrari’s F150 challenger marks the unofficial beginning of the 2011 Formula One season. So, for a quick reminder of the immediate season past, take the jump to watch an excellent highlights clip which celebrates the sport’s 60th anniversary year.
It’s a very entertaining piece of footage and is the perfect complement to our 2010 pictorial season review.
On the weekend, some 13,500kms apart, the greatest assets of Red Bull Racing were at “home” spreading the word of Formula One. In German capital of Berlin the 2010 F1 World Champion, Sebastien Vettel, was living it large in front of the Brandenburg Gate. While, in sunny Australia, our F1 high priest Mark Webber and his young protege, Daniel Ricciardo, were burning rubber just outside of Perth at the Australian Festival of Speed.
You can see photos along with a mixture of professional and amateur video after the break. At times like these, the life of an F1 driver looks even more appealing than usual.
[Pics: Red Bull/Getty Images]
Unfortunately for Mark Webber fans, and Ferrari fans too, the decision to pit early for fresh tyres at last night’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has not become any wiser. Seventh for Alonso, and eighth for Webber, left those two in places that are darker than they could have imagined before the race began. However, it’s nothing but sunshine for Sebastian Vettel.
At 23 years, 4 months, 12 days, Vettel’s victory on the Yas Marina circuit saw him become the sport’s youngest ever World Champion. On balance the young German has been the quickest driver across the season, his 10 pole positions and five race wins attest to that.
It seems a long time ago now, but poor fortune through mechanical failure robbed him of victory in the first two races at Bahrain and Australia. Then, the recent engine failure in Korea stole another race win from his grasp. Add 75 points to his tally of 256 points and take 50 points away from Alonso, who was the man to benefit with a win in two of those three races, and all of a sudden you can see how the 2010 season may well have been a procession, much like last night’s race.
Sadly, this means it wasn’t to be for Mark Webber, who must be congratulated for running Vettel right down to the wire. Webber wasn’t given much chance at the start of the year and his five pole positions and four race wins certainly made quite a few people stand up and take notice. Especially those in his own garage. Here’s hoping Webber proves to be solid nuisance value again in 2011.
For now, you can read the post-race press conference including Vettel’s comments and those of the McLaren pair of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Perhaps, a nice sight to see the two most recent World Champions on the podium to crown the sport’s newest king.
Sebastian Vettel is the 2010 Formula One World Champion. He is the youngest man to reach the summit of motorsport’s highest peak. Vettel claimed his crown by winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It was Vettel’s fifth race win of the year and he had never led the Championship until this race.
While his nearest rivals, Red Bull Racing team-mate Mark Webber (8th) and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso (7th) faltered due to poor pit strategy, Vettel drove a masterful race. Simply, the least experienced driver in the hunt for the title was the most controlled diver all weekend.
Red Bull Racing won the Constructors’ Championship last weekend in Brazil, and Vettel’s success has capped off a phenomenal year for the team.
Post-race press conference and image gallery from Abu Dhabi to follow later today.
[Pics: via OneHD]
There’s not long to go now. The first Free Practice session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix begins in under 12 hours. This is the first time in Formula One history that four drivers have still been in the hunt for the Drivers’ title going into the last race.
There are numerous permutations that could lead to any one of those guys in the picture above being crowned World Champion after the race; the pressure on Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Red Bull’s Mark Webber, in particular, is huge. Check out the pre-race presser after the break to see how they’re coping so far.
[Pics: Red Bull/Getty Images]
There’s just four sleeps to go until the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Just four sleeps until we learn the ultimate outcome of the 2010 Formula One season. Until then one of the main players, Mark Webber, is talking about the hot, new and clean Yas Marina track. With three ideal spots for overtaking, let’s hope this race is exciting and as close as the entire season has been to date. And, of course, that Mark wins and Alonso finishes third, or lower.
To honour Red Bull’s success in the 2010 Constructors’ Championship and the genius of Adrian Newey’s RB6 here is their post-Brazilian Grand Prix press release, accompanied by a short video montage from BBC TV. Of course, there’s more images from Red Bull’s celebrations in the Brazilian Grand Prix in pictures article.
Also joining in the fun is Renault who have just inked a new two-year deal with Red Bull.
[Thanks to Micky for the video tip]
The Brazilian Grand Prix has been run and won. Red Bull Racing have taken the last of the lollies from the Constructors’ jar; well done them, it’s a ripping effort. Sebastien Vettel’s win at Interlagos made sure the Drivers’ race will go right down to the wire, with Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso his most likely barriers between world title success.
Truth be told, the biggest excitement in Sao Paulo last weekend involved poor old Jenson Button and some masked men. The race itself largely sorted itself out after the novelty of Nico Hülkenberg’s pole position had passed.
You can relive the event after the jump. Unfortunately the pics from McLaren are not available in 2000px super sizing. The good news is, all the others are, so get clicking.
Now, bring on Abu Dhabi!
So it was another Red Bull Racing one-two in Brazil this morning, with the young German Sebastian Vettel taking the win to keep his title hopes well and truly alive. Australia’s Mark Webber came home second and is still the closest man to Ferrari’s Fernando, some eight points behind. Alonso, third, simply needs to finish second or better at next weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to become the youngest man to be crowned a triple World Champion.
The Constructors’ Championship was decided in Sao Paulo with the maximum points haul for Red Bull enough for the Milton Keynes based outfit to deny the chances of McLaren. Cast your mind back to the bits and pieces that were left over from the old Jaguar team at the end of 2004 and consider their reincarnation as Red Bull Racing is now the best team in F1; very impressive given the resources and history of their closest opponents. As Team Principal it is fair and reasonable that Christian Horner was on the podium to claim the team’s trophy, perhaps, though, it should have been Adrian Newey; without him the RB6 may not have been the dominant car in season 2010.
Clearly Fernando Alonso is the odd man out in the picture above, will it be him, or one of the Red Bull men with the broadest smile after the season finale?
You can gauge the thoughts of all three contenders with the full transcript from the post-race press conference below.
[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]
According to a report in the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech has decided against entering VW into Formula One. Such a move was previously intimated by a number of sources, including brand ambassador Hans Stuck.
Volkswagen enjoyed open wheeler success last year by powering young Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo in his Red Bull sponsored Carlin Motorsport machine to the 2009 F3 title. It was understood new engine rules for F1, to be introduced in 2012, would provide an ideal opportunity for VW to move into motorsport’s premier category as an engine supplier. Reportedly there was interest from Red Bull Racing and even McLaren to partner with VW.
However, it now appears the Volkswagen Group may focus its motorsport endeavours on the WRC and Le Mans 24 hour race through its Audi and Porsche brands.
[Source: FAZ.net]
It’s no secret that Mark Webber faces a crucial race at the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend. He needs to win, or, ideally, finish ahead of Fernando Alonso to boost his title chances. Even so, he casually says he’s expecting lots of traffic, strange weather and some nice looking women. Here’s hoping there’s a race win in there, as well!