Weekend review and results round-up
At the Spanish Grand Prix this year we learned that DRS and Pirelli can make even a Catalunya race enthralling, that Red Bull's margin over the field in race trim really isn't very big at all, but also that Sebastian Vettel is almost certainly going to be 2011 world champion - given his ability to keep churning out wins even in complicated circumstances and under pressure, as he did in Spain
It was a very, very busy weekend off-track too, and it started early Thursday morning with the news that not only had Ferrari extended Fernando Alonso's contract, but that the deal now stretched right through 2016.
For the first time in a while, there was also a technical row brewing. Ferrari's new rear wing was swiftly banned on Saturday morning, but the question of whether off-throttle exhaust-blown diffusers are legal looks set to run on to Monaco, where there might even be a protest.
Expect F1 2011 to keep changing shape too. Pirelli revealed it is working towards a situation where two stops rather than the current three or four become the most sensible option, and the FIA announced that there would be two DRS zones on each track from Montreal onwards.
The main non-F1 event of the weekend was Indianapolis 500 qualiying, and in the most competitive and unpredictable Pole and Bump Days in years, underdogs Alex Tagliani and Sam Schmidt Motorsports took pole on a largely depressing weekend for the usual big guns. Ganassi rued a fuelling error, Penske lacked pace, and Andretti Autosport struggled so much that two of its cars did not even qualify.
Elsewhere in America, Kimi Raikkonen's arrival in NASCAR Trucks gathered as much attention as Carl Edwards' victory in the non-points All-Star race at Charlotte.
The F1 sessions
Webber tops first Spanish GP practice
Webber stays on top in second practice
Vettel grabs top spot in final practice
Vettel fends off Hamilton for Spain win
The F1 headlines
Alonso extends Ferrari contract
F1 ponders Dec 4 slot for Indian GP
Sutil focused on on-track efforts
Schumacher still up for F1 fight
RBR happy with Vettel contract length
Teams set to resist diffuser rule tweak
Massa: Too early for future talk
Hamilton slates 'disastrous' hard tyre
Pirelli defends hard tyre performance
Teams warned over diffuser protests
Double DRS zone from Canadian GP
FIA bans Ferrari's new rear wing
Pirelli aiming for two-stop races
Alonso ecstatic over qualifying lap
Williams 'just wants diffuser clarity'
Brawn against December season finale
Todt pushing ahead with 2013 engines
Alonso never thought win was possible
Kolles hints at protest in Monaco
The motorsport action
IndyCar: Tagliani secures shock Indy pole
IndyCar: Conway and Hunter-Reay miss the cut
GP2: Pic heads Addax one-two finish
GP2: Leimer triumphs in second race
GP3: Evans takes comfortable first win
GP3: Kiss wins Barcelona GP3 race two
NASCAR: Edwards beats Busch to All-Star win
NASCAR: Raikkonen enjoys solid Truck debut
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments