2 NOVEMBER 2 2011 motorsport-news.co.uk

IN THIS ISSUE

THE VOICE OF BRITISH MOTORSPORT ISSUE JA2794

“India was amazing –

I have no complaints”

P8 Bernie Ecclestone was impressed with the Indian GP

CARLIN TIPS SAINZ JR FOR BRITISH F3 SUCCESS

P10

Rally legend’s son closes on top single-seater deal

P16

MIKKELSEN HEADS

A FIVE-WAY FIGHT FOR IRC HONOURS

Skoda star has a gameplan ahead of Cyprus Rally

LOOKING BACK ON BRITISH F3’S SAMBA SEASON

P22

Felipe Nasr’s stunning year revisited in our review

P24

Indian Grand Prix report

4

Historic race and rally news

15

British F3 season review

22

Retro:Manx Rally memories

24

Profile:Oliver Rowland

27

Paul O’Neill tests a Morris Minor 29 Rally reports 30 Racing reports 31 Sporting Scene round-up 32 Karting round-up 34 Letters/Comment/What’s On 36 SUBSCRIBETOMOTORSPORTNEWS 38 Wanted:More twisty, fast, challenging circuits like Buddh International,but with less dust.Are you listening,Mr Tilke?

FORMOTORSPORT NEWS STAFF CONTACT DETAILS PLEASE SEE P37

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Hamilton has alr ead y hit MN headlines fo r cr ashes

Hamilton’s rough patch goes on

ByMatt James McLaren and Ferrari bosses have said that it is down to Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa to clear the air after colliding yet again in Sunday’s Indian Grand Prix.

The pair, who have been involved in a succession of incidents this season stretching back to Monaco in May, collided while battling for fifth place on lap 24 of the inaugural race at the Buddh

International Circuit.

Hamilton was forced to pit for a new front wing on his McLaren and finished the race in seventh place while Massa’s Ferrari went on to retire with suspension damage after he hit a trackside kerb. Massa was handed a drivethrough for his part in the incident, which he said was unfair.

Hamilton’s team boss Martin Whitmarsh said that the resolution to the ongoing spat needed to come from the drivers: “They’re young drivers but they’re not that young. They’re men. They’ve got to figure it out for themselves. It would be nice if we got a situation where they’re not drawn together magnetically on the circuit and we didn’t have those incidents. But a staged handshake? A conciliatory gesture outside the garage at the next grand prix? You don’t want that, unless it’s to take the Mickey out of it. They’ve got to sort themselves out.”

Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali agreed and said that the simmering rivalry should not get out of hand: “We cannot avoid the fact there were a lot of touches between them on the track. We cannot have these things being bigger than they are because they will be on the mind of the drivers which is not good. We can sit down together and play cards but it will not solve the issue.”

Hamilton:I was squeezed Hamilton said that he had tried to pull out of the on-track incident once he realised that Massa was going to go for the apex of Turn Five but couldn’t avoid a collision. He explained: “I tried to overtake and I tried to come out of it because it didn’t look like hewas going to

APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION - HAMILTONVS MASSA IN 2011

May 29,Monaco Hamilton is penalised twice, once for hitting Pastor Maldonado’s Williams and once for colliding with Massa at the hairpin. The Ferrari subsequently crashed out

July 10,Great Britain The McLaren man forces his way ahead of Massa for fourth place on the last lap at Silverstone, and the pair touch at Club corner in the race to the line

September 24,Singapore Massa is upset by the way that Hamilton forces his McLaren ahead of the Ferrari in a last-minute dash to set a qualifying time

September 25,Singapore The pair collide again when Hamilton tries to climb through the field after a poor start and they touch on lap 10. Both go on to finish, with Hamilton fourth and Massa sixth

October 9,Japan Hamilton bumps into Massa’s car as the pair approach the chicane. The Briton says he was unable to see the Brazilian in his mirrors

October 30,India The pair are fighting over fifth place when Hamilton attempts to pass on the inside of a fast left. The pair collide and both continue with damage Classified advertising: 0208 267 5355

motorsport-news.co.uk NOVEMBER 2 2011 3

HEADLINE NEWS

Bosses urge warring drivers to make up after Indian shunt

Photos: LAT

AND

HAMILTON MASSA TOLD TO IRON OUT

DIFFICULTIES

Massa received penalty for Hamilton collision in India give meany space, and we collided. The contact with Felipe [Massa] was just one of those things. I really didn’t feel like I was at fault – it was a racing incident.”

The Briton also admitted that he had tried to smooth the troubled waters with Massa during the one-minute’s silence before the race, but the Brazilian shrugged off the approach. “Me and Felipe were standing next to each other at the silence before the start of the race,” said the 2008 world champion. “Felipe hasn’t spoken to me in a long, long time so I put myarmaround him and just said ‘good luck for the race’.”

Massa:Lewis to blame Despite that approach, Brazilian Massa said that he felt the contact on the circuit had re-ignited the feud and he said that the officials were wrong to hand him the drive-through penalty.

“When I tried to speak to him [at the minute’s silence] he passed through. He did not look to my face. After the one-minute silence he was at myside and then he just said, ‘have a good race’. So this [the on-track incident] is trying to what? Have a good race?

“I was in front, I braked later than him and I was in front, I was on the grippy area as well and then I started to turn and I didn’t see him on the left as he was behind. He touched my rear wheel. So, to be honest I don’t understand why I have the penalty.” Massa eventually retired from the race with a suspension problem after 32 laps that Ferrari says was partly caused by the crash with Hamilton. Massa’s view that hewas blameless in the crash was endorsed by team chief Domenicali. who said he thought Massa was ahead at the time of the contact.

“I always say that I respect the decision of the referee but I was surprised when I saw that decision,” he said. “When I saw that Felipe was in front at the apex of the corner our reasoning was that he had the line to get the corner. I felt surprised [with the decision of the stewards].”

Massa:judged at fault for hit

McLaren:Lewis will bounce back Whitmarsh backed Hamilton to regain his title-winning form and said that he thought the Englishman was being too critical of himself after his recent spate of problems. He said: “I have told him on several occasions, ‘don’t apologise, you’re a racing driver. If you’ve made amistake, accept it, learn from it andmove on’. He’s much too hard on himself but I’ve known Lewis for a long time and he has always been like that since hewas in karts. That’s his way, that’s his psychology and that’s how hemotivates himself.”

HAMILTONVS BUTTON

While Jenson Button has finished the season strongly, his McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton remains beset by inconsistency. Over the last seven races, Button has outscored his fellow Brit by 131 points to Hamilton’s 68

KEY

Jenson Button Lewis Hamilton Crashed Mechanical

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 DNF

IS HI NG P OS IT IO N

F IN

1

W

W

2

Collides with Alonso in Malaysia and gets post-race penalty

3

4

Soldiers on to sixth at Monaco after hitting Massa and Maldonado

Retires in the early laps in Canada after pit-straight hit with Button

5

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Whitmarsh says Hamilton feeling the pressure of Button’s pace McLaren head Martin Whitmarsh says Jenson Button’s strong end to the 2011 season has heaped pressure on Lewis Hamilton.

Button has finished in the top four positions in each of the last seven grands prix, while Hamilton has picked up just one top-three finish over the same period. Button is second in the title standings behind this year’s world champion Sebastian Vettel while Hamilton is fifth, some 38 points adrift of his team partner. After another contentious collision with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa in India last weekend, Hamilton’s team boss Whitmarsh said that the 2008 world champion was feeling the heat from his fellow Brit.

“Lewis, the great, exciting driver that he is, will not like being beaten by Jenson. For any racer, the first driver you want to beat is your team-mate,” said Whitmarsh.

two Button’s to races three points 26 was Hamilton and final the in Button of clear since But reckoning. points

GP Hungarian the won Button more been has he July, in and Hamilton than consistent the double almost scored has managed. has Hamilton points pressure under feeling be great the of because will “Lewis said: Whitmarsh

Hamilton prevailed against Button when they were first paired in the Mercedes-powered team last season. Hamilton won three races to Button’s two and Hamilton was 26 points clear of Button in the final points reckoning. But since Button won the Hungarian GP in July, he has been more consistent than Hamilton and has scored almost double the points Hamilton has managed. Whitmarsh said: “Lewis will be feeling under pressure because of the great performances from Jenson. I don’t want him [Hamilton] to enjoy being beaten by his teammate. I want him to try to beat Jenson, just as I want Jenson to beat Lewis.” After the collision, Hamilton was performances from want don’t I Jenson.

to [Hamilton] him team- his by beaten to him want I mate.

Jenson, beat to try beat to Jenson was Hamilton eager to apologise to his McLaren team.

“My team worked hard all weekend. I don’t knowwhat else to say. I’m really sorry for my team.”

my for sorry really I’m say. to team.”

Whitmarsh is backing Lewis

W

W

W

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ROUNDS

Massa infuriated by collisions in qualifying and race in Singapore

Pitched into advertising hoardings in Belgium after Kobayashi shunt

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READ SIMON ARRON’S EXCLUSIVE INDIAN GP REPORT ON PAGE FOUR