Formula 1 BLOG

Torro Rosso have been handed a €10000 fine for failing to secure Jamie Alguersuari’s wheel properly after the Frenchman’s right-rear tyre came loose in the early stages of the Chinese Grand Prix.

Live f1 fans became aware of the problem after BBC commentator Martin Brundle pointed out the loose fitting tyre as Alguersuari exited the pit lane, and his wheel came off later in his outlap, leaving the 21-year-old to nurse the car back to the pit-lane on three wheels.

Starting early on the grid, Alguersuari was bought in early in an attempt to feed him back out into clean air on a three stop strategy, but that was scuppered as his tyre bounced dangerously into the barriers.

“From quite early on I was struggling with grip from the rear tyres, so we decided to come in earlier than planned for the first stop to try and fight back for the ground lost at the start,” Alguersuari said of the incident.

“Then, immediately after leaving the pits, I felt the car was very unstable and then I lost a wheel nut and the wheel came off, so there was nothing I could do.”

“After my best qualifying position I was hoping for better even if we knew we would be using quite worn tyres after qualifying, so we had started on my worst set of tyres to try and have an edge later in the race, but it was not to be.” He added.

After being charged by the Chinese GP stewards for breaching sporting regulations by releasing an unsafe car, chief engineer Laurent Mekies admitted the team had yet to get to the bottom of the incident.

“We brought Jaime in fairly early to have him running a three stop strategy,” he said.

“But we had to retire the car soon after the pit stop as we lost a wheel. At the moment, we are examining the exact cause of this incident.”

Team-mate Sebastian Buemi enjoyed a more successful race, although the Swiss driver will not have been pleased to finish 14th having started the race in 9^th.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has backed Mark Webber to start pushing team-mate Sebastian Vettel for race victories after a difficult start to the 2011 season.

While the German has proved un-catchable so far, winning both races this season, Webber has found himself down on pace and luck as he struggled to 5^th and 4^th in the Australian and Melbourne Grand Prix respectively, despite being amongst the favourites in each race according to sports bets placed.

But Horner believes Webber can still influence the outcome of the Championship, and cites the manner in which the Australian was able to battle back from a poor start to battling with Renault’s Nick Heidfeld for the 3rd in the final laps of the race in Malaysia as evidence he is capable of competing.

“I have no doubts his time will come this season, absolutely, in difficult weekends he has picked up a fifth (in Australia) and a fourth place and they will all count at the end of the day.” He said.

“He was 10th at the end of it (the first lap), so we decided to go aggressive with him, and went with a four-stop strategy. He needed to make it work, and his drive was a great recovery”.

Webber himself insisted he wouldn’t “lose any sleep” over the 28 point difference between him and his team-mate, and Horner believes the outcome of the first two races won’t affect him.

“Mark’s old enough to know how long the season is, and his points are invaluable.” He commented.

Having missed out on the Championship last year in controversial circumstances, sports betting outsider Webber will be keen to make amends this season. He is currently in joint third position with Lewis Hamilton in the drivers standings.

I must say I’m currently ashamed to have a Ferrari car on the header of this site.   Sadly, I don’t think that anything will be done about this shameful display by Ferrari.  Shame on Ferrari and Alonso.