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Archives for September 2011

Vettel shines as troubled Hamilton toils

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Andrew Benson | 19:21 UK time, Sunday, 25 September 2011

In Singapore

In more ways than one, 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 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 , 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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Stakes still high in Singapore

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Andrew Benson | 19:04 UK time, Friday, 23 September 2011

In Singapore

may be on the verge of clinching his second world title, a feat he could achieve here this weekend, but the narrative thread of this Formula 1 season is a long way from complete.

In fact, in many ways, when the 24-year-old Red Bull driver finally clinches the title, it will change little - it has looked inevitable from very early on in the season.

But here under the spectacular night-time skyline of Singapore, plenty of issues remain to be resolved.

Although , one of those issues is whether he can take the win on Sunday that would make him the sport's youngest double world champion if Ferrari's Fernando Alonso is lower than third, and McLaren's Jenson Button or Vettel's team-mate do not finish second.

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Pastor Maldonado - classic F1

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Andrew Benson | 06:00 UK time, Wednesday, 21 September 2011

is the latest driver to choose his five favourite all-time grands prix for 91Èȱ¬ Sport's classic Formula 1 series.

The Venzuelan has made quite an impression one way or another in his first season in F1.

On the plus side, he has out-qualified his team-mate, the veteran , an impressive six times in 14 races so far this season.

Not so positively, he has yet to shed a reputation for occasional wildness that followed him from the junior categories, and was on full public display when he . The incident earned Maldonado a five-place grid penalty.

Pastor Maldonado

Maldonado not only came to F1 with the backing of and his country's state oil company, he also came to the sport relatively late in life.

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Schumacher of old returns to haunt Hamilton

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Andrew Benson | 17:52 UK time, Sunday, 11 September 2011

Since returned to Formula 1 at the beginning of last season, he has not provided many glimpses of the man who dominated Formula 1 for so long - but that all changed at the .

It is still not clear whether the German legend has the speed he had in his first career, despite two impressive drives in the last race in Belgium and now on Sunday in Monza.

But it was blatantly obvious in Italy that he is as willing as ever to push the boundaries of acceptable behaviour up to and beyond their limits.

Schumacher's driving in defending his position from will split opinions - as 91Èȱ¬ Sport's own experts proved.

"In sporting etiquette between racing drivers," David Coulthard said, "that was right on the line and he had one foot over it. He gave Lewis the chop."

But while Coulthard went on to add that he did not feel Schumacher deserved a penalty for his behaviour, chief analyst Eddie Jordan disagreed: "You cannot move twice. It's certainly questionable. If I was a judge I would have to reprimand him."

Schumacher's defence of the position over 21 enthralling - and occasionally heart-stopping - laps was certainly robust.

But there were two incidents in particular for which many will argue he was lucky to get away without a penalty.

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Jarno Trulli - classic F1

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Andrew Benson | 06:00 UK time, Wednesday, 7 September 2011

is the latest driver to select his all-time favourite races for 91Èȱ¬ Sport's classic Formula 1 series.

It is the 37-year-old Italian's home grand prix this weekend so it seemed appropriate to choose the senior of two Italians on the grid to whet your appetite ahead of the forthcoming action at Monza.

Now in his 15th season in F1, the Lotus driver, like Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher before him, has chosen only races he has competed in - the ones he considers his best drives.

Trulli has slipped off the radar a little since joining newcomers in 2010, even more so this year. He says power steering problems have stopped him competing with team-mate until the recent race in Hungary.

Neveretheless, Trulli's list of picks are a reminder that, on his day and when everything is to his liking with the car, he is one of the very fastest drivers in F1.

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