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Finally, The Killers to perform at F1 this year, after cancelling their 2010 gig here

admin — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:44:20 +0000

Popular American indie rock quartet The Killers will stage their first gig in Singapore at the Padang stage on the second night of the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix on Sept 21.

The 15-million selling band, which have won several awards including the Brits, MTV, and NME, cancelled their sold-out Singapore Indoor Stadium gig in early 2010 to go on a year-long hiatus.

Their fourth and most recent album, Battle Born, was released last year (2012) and peaked at No. 1 on the British charts and No. 3 in the United States.

By Eddino Abdul Hadi – http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/

Sharp-looking Alonso fastest in F1 testing

admin — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:27:10 +0000

Former two-time world champion Fernando Alonso clocked the best time on the third day of pre-season Formula One testing at the Catalunya circuit on Thursday.

The Spaniard had sat out the first four-day session in Jerez earlier in February, but he continued to demonstrate he had lost none of his sharpness over the winter by taking his Ferrari to a best time of 1min 21.875sec off a total of 97 laps.

Nico Hulkenberg, in a Sauber, was second fastest with 1min 22.160sec with French driver Romain Grosjean, in a Lotus, laying down the third best time of 1min 22.188sec off 119 laps.

Alonso, the runner-up to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel last season, improved his time from Tuesday by a second and was just a fraction off the week’s best time of 1min 21.848sec set by Sergio Perez in the McLaren on Wednesday.

“The track was a lot colder than yesterday, especially in the morning. That made it more difficult to find the right level of grip,” said Alonso.

“Tyre management will be crucial this season; they are softer and faster, but they also degrade a lot faster.”

Germany’s Adrian Sutil, competing with Frenchman Jules Bianchi for the only drive left this season — with Force India – was eighth fastest.

Sutil, out of the sport for 15 months, improved by a second the best Force India time of the week so far set by Paul di Resta.

“This team knows me well because I spent six years with them,” said Sutil.

“I wanted to show them that I am still quick and that was very important. I can sleep peacefully. I have done all I can to get back into F1. I don’t know who is the favourite for the drive, it’s up to Force India to decide.”

The new season opens in Melbourne, Australia on March 17.

Thursday’s best times:

1. Fernando Alonso (ESP/Ferrari) 1:21.875 (97 laps),
2. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Sauber-Ferrari) 1:22.160 (91),
3. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Lotus-Renault) 1:22.188 (119),
4. Nico Rosberg (GER/Mercedes) 1:22.611 (108),
5. Pastor Maldonado (VEN/Williams-Renault) 1:22.675 (79),
6. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Williams-Renault) 1:22.826 (68),
7. Jenson Button (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes) 1:22.840 (71),
8. Adrian Sutil (GER/Force India-Mercedes) 1:22.877 (78),
9. Mark Webber (AUS/Red Bull-Renault) 1:23.024 (108),
10. Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA/Toro Rosso-Ferrari) 1:23.366 (106),
11. Max Chilton (GBR/Marussia-Cosworth) 1:25.690 (57),
12. Giedo van der Garde (NED/Caterham-Renault) 1:26.177 (93)

AFP News – http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news

Alonso returns as F1 testing moves up a gear

admin — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 18:25:17 +0000

LONDON (Reuters) – Fernando Alonso will test his new Ferrari for the first time in Spain on Tuesday while former champions Williams bring Formula One’s ‘launch season’ to a close as the last team to unveil their 2013 car.

There will not be much fanfare, if any, at either event when the second of three pre-season tests gets underway at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.

In days gone by, the unveiling of new cars was an excuse for excess – whether it be through extravagant presentations in glamorous locations or enlisting the Spice Girls as part of the show – but the current age of austerity has made such lavish gestures a thing of the past.

Forget putting the car on a plinth in Venice’s St Mark’s Square (Benetton 2001) or hiring the Cirque du Soleil to perform at London’s Albert Hall (Jordan 1998).

The norm this year has been for the bright and shiny new cars to be pushed out of the garage into the sunlight and then sent on their way after a few brief words from the team boss and drivers.

When tail-enders Marussia revealed their car in Jerez this month they merely rolled it on to the starting grid and removed the travel cover without even a driver next to it.

Champions Red Bull splashed out on champagne and finger food for guests but otherwise showed off their car at the factory while McLaren and Ferrari did likewise.

“There are some reality checks going around,” observed McLaren principal Martin Whitmarsh, whose own team’s launch involved putting up temporary seating in the factory atrium with a drive-past of classic cars to mark McLaren’s 50th anniversary.

“We used to hire Alexandra Palace and launches were a competition. People don’t want to see one-million-pound extravaganzas any more. Times have changed. We peaked,” added Whitmarsh.

Williams are last to launch – the others all getting their cars out before or at Jerez – but the livery has already been revealed and new bits tried out at the previous test.

The emphasis will be on getting Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado on track and putting miles under his belt as much as anything.

Ferrari tested the F138 with Brazilian Felipe Massa at Jerez, with Alonso absent. Tuesday, in front of his home fans, will be the Spaniard’s first run in a promising-looking car that will carry his hopes of a third championship this year but it will be a test like any other.

The spirit in Formula One, even if the smallest team still spends tens of millions a year, is very different to what it was in the years of excess of the 1990s and the start of the new century.

“That was one of the allures of Formula One, because we were in the decade of excess,” said Whitmarsh.

“I think we’ve got to grow up as a sport and realise that actually there comes a point where that’s not attractive any more and we’ve got to be about efficiency.

“If we were seen as the gas-guzzling, money-profligate sport that we were so proud to boast about in the ’80s, I think we’d be losing relevance and touch with our audience,” he added.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Clare Fallon)

By Alan Baldwin | Reuters – http://sg.sports.yahoo.com

Motor Racing: Early-bird sales of F1 Singapore GP tickets

admin — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 18:23:45 +0000

SINGAPORE: Fans of the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix can buy tickets from Wednesday, with 65,000 general three-day tickets on sale for the early birds.

They will enjoy significant savings and new initiatives for the sixth instalment of the world’s only Formula One night race on 20, 21 and 22 September.

As in previous years, race promoter Singapore GP will release the tickets in two phases: the early-bird phase from 20 February to 30 April, and the regular phase from 1 May.

About 85 per cent of the ticket categories on offer are priced the same or lower than in 2012.

Fans can look forward to savings of up to 30 per cent if they buy early as a group under the Group Booking Special scheme.

In response to popular demand, Singapore GP is offering an additional combination package for spectators to explore different parts of the Circuit Park on each of the three days.

Fans can opt for the new Zone 1 Walkabout combination package that consists of a Pit Grandstand ticket for both Friday and Saturday, as well as a Sunday Premier Walkabout ticket at only S$688 during the early-bird phase.

The Turn 1, Padang and Bay combination packages will still be available from S$398 to S$788 at early-bird price.

Following the sell-out success of the Turn 3 Premier Grandstand last year, an additional Premier Grandstand has been launched.

It offers spectators the chance to witness possible overtaking opportunities at the Memorial (Turn 7) up-close.

Tickets are priced at S$1,598 for the Turn 7 Premier Grandstand @ Stamford and S$2,128 for the Turn 3 Premier Grandstand.

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com

Formula One: F1 testing times

admin — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:20:29 +0000

Fastest times on Friday on the fourth and last day of the opening testing programme for the 2013 Formula One season:

1. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Lotus-Renault) 1:18.148 (83 laps),
2. Jules Bianchi (FRA/Force India-Mercedes) 1:18.175 (56),
3. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Red Bull-Renault) 1:18.565 (96),
4. Esteban Gutierrez (MEX/Sauber-Ferrari) 1:18.669 (142),
5. Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA/Toro Rosso-Ferrari) 1:18.760 (92),
6. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:18.905 (145),
7. Sergio Perez (MEX/McLaren-Mercedes) 1:18.944 (98),
8. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Williams-Renault) 1:19.851 (92),
9. Pedro de la Rosa (ESP/Ferrari) 1:20.316 (51),
0. Charles Pic (FRA/Caterham-Renault) 1:21.105 (109),
11. Luis Razia (BRA/Marussia-Cosworth) 1:21.226 (82),
12. Paul di Resta (GBR/Force India-Mercedes) 1:23.435 (49)

Week’s best times

1. Felipe Massa (BRA/Ferrari) 1:17.879 (226 laps),
2. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Lotus-Renault) 1:18.148 (123),
3. Jules Bianchi (FRA/Force India-Mercedes) 1:18.175 (56),
4. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Lotus-Renault) 1:18.218 (148),
5. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Red Bull-Renault) 1:18.565 (198),
6. Esteban Gutierrez (MEX/Sauber-Ferrari) 1:18.669 (252),
7. Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA/Toro Rosso-Ferrari) 1:18.760 (177),
8. Nico Rosberg (GER/Mercedes) 1:18.766 (162),
9. Jenson Button (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes) 1:18.861 (120),
10. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:18.905 (160)
11. Sergio P rez (MEX/McLaren-Mercedes) 1:18.944 (179),
12. Paul di Resta (GBR/Force India-Mercedes) 1:19.003 (236),
13. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Toro Rosso-Ferrari) 1:19.134 (153),
14. James Rossiter (GBR/Force India-Mercedes) 1:19.303 (61),
15. Mark Webber (AUS/Red Bull-Renault) 1:19.338 (174),
16. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Sauber-Ferrari) 1:19.502 (177),
17. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Williams-Renault) 1:19.851 (178),
18. Pedro de la Rosa (ESP/Ferrari) 1:20.316 (51),
19. Pastor Maldonado (VEN/Williams-Renault) 1:20.693 (155),
20. Charles Pic (FRA/Caterham-Renault) 1:21.105 (166),
21. Luis Razia (BRA/Marussia-Cosworth) 1:21.226 (113),
22. Max Chilton (GBR/Marussia-Cosworth) 1:21.269 (107),
23. Giedo van der Garde (NED/Caterham-Renault) 1:21.915 (152)

AFP News – http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news

Sauber unveil new car for 2013 F1 season

admin — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 18:18:13 +0000

The Sauber F1 team unveiled their new Sauber C32-Ferrari car in Hinwil, Switzerland on Saturday, that drivers Nico Huelkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez hope will launch them into a successful 2013 Formula One season.

The Swiss team are optimistic for the upcoming campaign, which kicks-off in Melbourne on March 17.

They finished sixth in last year’s constructors’ championship, which was won by the Red Bull team of drivers’ world champion Sebastian Vettel and Australian Mark Webber.

“The 2012 season was a very successful year for us,” said team boss Monisha Kaltenborn.

“We not only moved up from seventh to sixth place in the constructors’ standings, but also improved our points total from 44 in 2011 to 126 last season.

“We have a strong platform in place now, on which we are aiming to build and continue our upward curve.”

Kaltenborn believes Gutierrez is ready to make his mark in Formula One, and is also pleased with the arrival of Germany’s Huelkenberg, who will make his debut with the team after spells with Williams and Force India.

“We have had our eye on Nico Huelkenberg for some time and have been impressed by his performances,” Kaltenborn explained.

“He is very quick, but, most importantly, he’s also very efficient.

AFP News – http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news