Alonso ’100% confident we will win title’ | F1 Fanatic round-up

Alonso ’100% confident we will win title’ is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

In the round-up: Fernando Alonso says he is sure he will win the championship.

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Alonso confident he can still win F1 title (Reuters)

“I think it’s more challenging for us now but I remain 100% confident that we will fight for this championship and we will win it.”

Q&A with Red Bull’s Helmut Marko (F1)

“We have never had team orders but we bank on the intelligence of our drivers. I think they demonstrated their ability to use their brain as well as their feet very recently in Korea. Mark [Webber's] start was not so good but there was no collision. As long as Mark has a theoretical, mathematical chance of winning the title it is understandable when he says that he is first and foremost driving for himself.”

‘Europe will lose out’ (Sky)

“We’ll keep trying to move forward. We’re a world championship. We’ll probably lose two or three more races in Europe as we have to sort of move on.”

I’m not retiring yet – Ecclestone (BBC)

“I will tell CVC [F1 owners] exactly if I’m going to turn it in when I’m 85 or something like that, which will give them plenty of notice.”

McLaren sure it can still beat Red Bull (Autosport)

Sporting director Sam Michael: “If he does get away and maintains a three second gap, there is still a possibility to get him on strategy, but it will be pretty hard. All the signs from practice are that we can run with them but, when you get there and get in the wake, you lose 10-15% of your downforce and then you start falling off the back.”

BJP slams Ferrari’s move to display the Italian Navy flag, while FMSCI is okay with it (The Indian Express)

“The [Bharatiya Janata Party, one of India's largest political parties] in Kerala has slammed Ferrari’s move to display the Italian Navy flag on its racing cars during the Indian Grand Prix to express solidarity with two Italian marines facing trial in Kerala for gunning down two Indian fishermen.”

FMSCI backs Ferrari in flag issue (Deccan Herald)

“‘The FMSCI [Federation of Motor Sports of India] would like to maintain that the FIA code of motorsport is apolitical and non-religious and the FMSCI will not permit motorsports to be politicised in any manner,’ read the statement issued by its president Vicky Chandhok.”

Di Resta: ‘You haven’t seen real me’ (The Telegraph)

“Di Resta is too polite to say that is the reason McLaren have taken on Mexican Sergio Perez as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement next year, but he hints it may be what he thinks. Perez ‘opens up various different markets,’ he says. ‘But listen, it was flattering to be linked to a team like McLaren.’”

Narain Karthikeyan terribly underrated, says team mate Pedro de la Rosa (The Times of India)

“Narain is a very strong driver and terribly underrated. I think he still has a few more seasons of F1 left in him.”

Ferrari via Twitlonger

“To those who think that there’s a coldness between [Alonso] and [Ferrari] the truth is we have never been as united as we are now. Forza Fernando! Forza Ferrari!”

Formula One Betting: Indian Grand Prix Race Preview (Unibet)

My race preview for Unibet.

Tweets

Goodnight. See you tomorrow twitter.com/danielricciard…

— Daniel Ricciardo (@danielricciardo) October 27, 2012

Comment of the day

Minardi (@Gitanes) is disappointed with how the quality of racing has dropped off as the season has gone on:

What a drop off in the excitement level from earlier in the year, which was maybe at an all-time high.

The combination of Red Bull dominance, lack of rain, and teams finally adjusting to the new Pirellis, has totally ruined the season.

I can’t believe that some people were actually complaining about the randomness earlier. I would do anything to bring it back!
Minardi (@Gitanes)

From the forum

• Red Bull’s Antonio Felix da Costa takes F3 Cup pole by nine seconds in the rain at Snetterton
• Going to today’s Indian Grand Prix? Join the discussion here
• Should F1 create regional F1 championships?
• Where will Felipe Nasr go next year?

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to D Winn, Nixon, Vinicius Antunes, Zahir, Doance, Eggry and Dimaka1256!

If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is by emailling me, using Twitter or adding to the list here.

On this day in F1

And happy birthday to Bernie Ecclestone who is 82 today.

Image © Ferrari spa/Ercole Colombo

Alonso ’100% confident we will win title’ is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

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Jean Pierre Beltoise Felice Benasedo

Lorenzo Picks Up the Pace in Phillip Island Qualifying

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo took advantage of slightly less windy conditions at Phillip Island today to secure second on the grid for tomorrow’s Grand Prix of Australia. Lorenzo made big steps forward in set up thanks to hard work from the team overnight, enabling him to get nearly half a second closer to pole man Casey Stoner and nearly half a second faster than Championship rival Dani Pedrosa who sits behind him in third on the grid. Having dropped outside the top three initially, Lorenzo came back with an impressive 1’30.140 lap with a very used tyre to take second. Shortly afterwards the rain began to fall, preventing any further efforts to improve on lap times.

Jorge Lorenzo, Position 2nd - Time 1.30.140 - Laps 22

“Casey is really on another planet here, he’s riding so comfortably, sliding a lot and full throttle always so it’s very difficult to be with him. We are closer now though; in qualifying I made a really good lap with the soft tyre. Second place is a good position to be in for tomorrow, it’s important to be just behind Casey into the first corner and to follow his wheel for at least two laps as fast as we can be. A big thank you to the team who worked hard to improve the bike for me for today.”

Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager

“After yesterday’s practice we were not so positive but today we made quite some improvements, the guys worked really hard so hats off to them. We changed the bike quite a lot and Jorge felt a lot better with it this morning. The qualifying went quite smoothly, Casey is again half a second faster but he’s risking a lot and he has the feeling and the speed. Jorge is doing really well and it seems like we have a good package to fight with tomorrow.”

Yamaha Factory Racing Press Release

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Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/Vd3QtAcdjlZ/Lorenzo+Picks+Up+Pace+Phillip+Island+Qualifying

Kork Ballington Hans Baltisberger

World Superbike 2009: Donington Highlight Vids

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Dario Ambrosini Ray Amm

A Day at the Office with Team Yamaha (MotoGP)

Source: http://sportbikeblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/day-at-office-with-team-yamaha-motogp.html

Manfred Bernsee Bruno Bertacchini

2012 Phillip Island MotoGP Qualifying Practice Result: One Man Leads As Rain Ends Session Early

Results and summary of qualifying for the MotoGP class at Phillip Island:

Race Details

Round Number: 

17

2012

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MotoGPMatters/~3/oRtuFvCbNiE/2012_phillip_island_motogp_qualifying_pr.html

Takashi Akita Kousuke Akiyoshi

Another CRT Battle for Aleix Espargaro and Randy De Puniet at Phillip Island

The breathtaking Phillip Island circuit in Australia is ready to welcome the weary travelling circus of the MotoGP World Championship this weekend as they tackle the third race in as many weekends across Asia and Oceana. The fresh sea air of the Bass Strait could be just what the riders need to keep their focus in check as they take on 4.448km of fast and flowing tarmac, located on the stunning cliff edge of the island. Phillip Island has provided a fitting backdrop to the crowning of many a MotoGP World Champion in the past and it could well do so again this Sunday as Jorge Lorenzo defends a 23-point advantage going into the penultimate round of the season. Dani Pedrosa will most likely require a sixth win from seven races if he is to keep a remarkable challenge alive until Valencia but he will have to contend with the 'King of the Island', his team-mate Casey Stoner, who has won his home race for the past five years.

With two races remaining the quest to finish as the best CRT rider in the championship is a closed book between the POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar pair of Aleix Espargaró and Randy De Puniet. The odds are now heavily stacked in favour of the Spaniard, however, after two 'victories' in the last two races combined with two 'zeros' for his French team-mate. The goal for Aleix is to manage his advantage going into his home race in Valencia in two weeks' time whilst Randy needs to take some risks and recover as many points as possible.

Aleix Espargaró: 

“Australia is a country I love and Phillip Island in particular is beautiful. The atmosphere there makes for a completely different Grand Prix to anywhere else in the world. We stay in houses for the weekend with the team and spend a lot of time together, which just brings us closer together and makes for a special race. The flyaways have been great to us so far – we have qualified and finished as the top CRT in both races. Now we have a ten-point gap over Randy but we have to keep working hard and try to enjoy the weekend to make sure that the situation remains in our favour. Phillip Island is a tricky circuit and it tends to be quite cold so we have to stay focused because it's easy to crash and injure yourself.”

Randy De Puniet: 

“We haven't had any luck in the last two races so we need to work hard to turn the situation around. It was a tough weekend at Sepang, the track conditions were not good and we struggled to get the set-up right. Then the race was wet and we ended up crashing out. We have lost a lot of points in the last two races and Aleix has taken advantage of it in the CRT standings so we have to do whatever we can in Australia to cut the gap. Phillip Island is a very interesting circuit but it is tricky too so we have to work hard from Friday. There are two races left and we need to perform to our full potential if we want to finish as the top CRT in Valencia. We are not ready to give up yet.”

Power Electronics Aspar Press Release

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Source: http://www.zimbio.com/MotoGP/articles/TDkH6_np3L6/Another+CRT+Battle+Aleix+Espargaro+Randy+De

Gianfranco Bonera Bruno Bonhuil

Viñales returns with good pace

For the third consecutive week, the World Championship had free practice sessions to contest this Friday —this time at the Grand Prix of Australia. In Moto3, Maverick Viñales was back on his bike, finishing the day with the third fastest time. Rins, Oliveira and Márquez were all new to the technical layout of Phillip Island, but finished fifteenth, seventeenth and twenty-third, respectively.Maverick Viñales was out on track focused on the job at hand. After finding his pace, despite a small crash, he recorded the fourth fastest time in a session dominated by Sandro Cortese. In the first run, Oliveira surprised with an excellent fifth place, with Rins and Márquez fifteenth and seventeenth, respectively.Despite light rain at the end of the first Moto2 session, the second free practice for Moto3 finished in the dry and the riders managed to reduce their times from the morning. Viñales has stopped the clock at 1'39.495 milliseconds, 0.282 milliseconds off the best time of the day, set by Jonas Folger. A crash in the first few minutes prevented a repeat performance from Miguel Oliveira, who ended the day with the seventeenth fastest time, two tenths off teammate Álex Rins —fifteenth. Álex Márquez also had a fall on the opening laps, suffering a hard hit to his hand. He could not get back on track due to the damage to his bike, and ended the day in twenty-third position.Maverick Viñales"I'm happy and I have a good feeling. Apart from the cold and rain, the first time out at the circuit has been very good. Again, I feel good on the bike. The track is tough, because the asphalt is very cold, and in the morning I crashed, but in the afternoon I could practice better. We found a good setting for the chassis and will have to try to get the most out of it."Miguel Oliveira"This morning things went quite well, although it was the first time we had ridden at Phillip Island. At first we had some problems with the setup of the bike, but with the team we have made changes ahead of the afternoon session. However, we could not find a definitive solution. I need to improve my feeling, especially with the front end of the bike, but tomorrow we will try to improve these aspects."Álex Rins"In the first session we started with good pace and had a good feeling, though later, because of the bumps on the circuit, I crashed in the first corner. In the afternoon, I slowly found my feeling with the bike, but we needed more laps. We still have to improve in many ways, so for tomorrow we have much work to do."Álex Márquez"It was a new track for us and we had to adapt fast in order to place high up. In the morning we went pretty well, although we were still lacking a little something. In the afternoon, I had a small crash at the start of the session that did not allow us to go out anymore. Tomorrow we will have to work harder and be more focused."Communication Repsol Media -www.repsolmedia.com -

Source: http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1351235798-vinales-returns-with-good-pace/

Manliff Barrington Alex Barros

Slow-Mo Supermoto for Your Friday Pleasure

Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is a supermoto so I can go sliding through corners, launching off jumps, and lofting epic wheelies all-day long with reckless abandon. You see Santa, sport bike track days here in Northern California are very expensive, and let’s not even begin to talk about how much a “whoopsies” can cost on today’s Yamahonda GXS-R1′s. I’ve been a good boy this year, and always wear my gear when out ...

...

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Alex Bedford Günter Beer

2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R photos

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Geoff Barry Hans Bartl

Ducati North America Q3 2012 Sales up 24%

Ducati North America has some impressive Q3 2012 sales numbers, as the Italian brand is up 24% over the same time period from last year. Its ninth-straight quarter of retail sales growth, Ducati North America owes a great deal of its success surprisingly to the Ducati Diavel, which was Bologna’s strongest model for growth in September. Ducati North America’s sales were up 40% in September. Ducati hopes that 2012 will be a record year for ...

...

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Philippe Bouzanne Ellis Boyce

Viñales returns with good pace

For the third consecutive week, the World Championship had free practice sessions to contest this Friday —this time at the Grand Prix of Australia. In Moto3, Maverick Viñales was back on his bike, finishing the day with the third fastest time. Rins, Oliveira and Márquez were all new to the technical layout of Phillip Island, but finished fifteenth, seventeenth and twenty-third, respectively.Maverick Viñales was out on track focused on the job at hand. After finding his pace, despite a small crash, he recorded the fourth fastest time in a session dominated by Sandro Cortese. In the first run, Oliveira surprised with an excellent fifth place, with Rins and Márquez fifteenth and seventeenth, respectively.Despite light rain at the end of the first Moto2 session, the second free practice for Moto3 finished in the dry and the riders managed to reduce their times from the morning. Viñales has stopped the clock at 1'39.495 milliseconds, 0.282 milliseconds off the best time of the day, set by Jonas Folger. A crash in the first few minutes prevented a repeat performance from Miguel Oliveira, who ended the day with the seventeenth fastest time, two tenths off teammate Álex Rins —fifteenth. Álex Márquez also had a fall on the opening laps, suffering a hard hit to his hand. He could not get back on track due to the damage to his bike, and ended the day in twenty-third position.Maverick Viñales"I'm happy and I have a good feeling. Apart from the cold and rain, the first time out at the circuit has been very good. Again, I feel good on the bike. The track is tough, because the asphalt is very cold, and in the morning I crashed, but in the afternoon I could practice better. We found a good setting for the chassis and will have to try to get the most out of it."Miguel Oliveira"This morning things went quite well, although it was the first time we had ridden at Phillip Island. At first we had some problems with the setup of the bike, but with the team we have made changes ahead of the afternoon session. However, we could not find a definitive solution. I need to improve my feeling, especially with the front end of the bike, but tomorrow we will try to improve these aspects."Álex Rins"In the first session we started with good pace and had a good feeling, though later, because of the bumps on the circuit, I crashed in the first corner. In the afternoon, I slowly found my feeling with the bike, but we needed more laps. We still have to improve in many ways, so for tomorrow we have much work to do."Álex Márquez"It was a new track for us and we had to adapt fast in order to place high up. In the morning we went pretty well, although we were still lacking a little something. In the afternoon, I had a small crash at the start of the session that did not allow us to go out anymore. Tomorrow we will have to work harder and be more focused."Communication Repsol Media -www.repsolmedia.com -

Source: http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1351235798-vinales-returns-with-good-pace/

Franz Aschenbrenner Stuart Aspin

WSBK: World Superbike from Asen 2010 Highlight Videos

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WSBK: Monza and Kyalami 2009 Highlights

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2012 Indian Grand Prix Thursday in pictures | F1 pictures

2012 Indian Grand Prix Thursday in pictures is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

Pictures from Thursday at the Buddh International Circuit ahead of the Indian Grand Prix.

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2012 Indian Grand Prix Thursday in pictures is an original article from F1 Fanatic. If this article has been published anywhere other than F1 Fanatic it is an infringement of copyright.

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Hector Barberá Fabio Barchitta