Auto News 5

After a thrilling finish, and the victory of Tio Ellinas from Cyprus, Mitch Evans secured the 2012 GP3 title after the final rounds presented at Monza.

Mitch Evans held the championship's lead by a healthy margin before Monza, and thought he had made a step forward to the title when he clinched pole position.

But the driver from New-Zealand, who could have secured the title after race 1, lost everything at the start. He went straight at the first chicane, then wide at the second corner, which damaged his car.

Evans was forced to retire, while Daniel Abt was flying to the victory, which allowed the German driver to stay in contention for the title, mathematically, ahead race 2, the very last race of the season. Meanwhile, Antonio Felix Da Costa was out of championship race, having retired with a broken gear box.

Abt could still clinch the title, but to do so, he had to win again, and hope that Evans would not score any point. From his 25th position on the grid, Evans had a great comeback up to P10, which was enough for him to secure the title.

But, once more, the New Zealander ran out of luck when he suffered a puncture following an off road, and was forced to stop in the pits again.

Evans could only hope that Abt would not win. Luckily for him, Tio Ellinas got passed the German with two laps remaining, which gave Evans the championship lead back.

Abt passed Ellinas back with two laps remaining, but Ellinas was able to overtake once more the German driver in the penultimate lap. Evans, who once more failed to score any points, there
fore got away with the championship, by only two points.



Monza - Race 1 :
1 - Daniel Abt - Lotus - 16 laps in 28'17"548
2 - Tio Ellinas - Manor - 0"349

3 - Matias Laine - MW Arden - 1"881

4 - Conor Daly - Lotus - 14"108

5 - Patric Niederhauser - Jenzer - 14"602
Etc.

Monza - Race 2 :
1 - Tio Ellinas - Manor - 16 laps in 28'18"541
2 - Daniel Abt - Lotus - 1"003

3 - Giovanni Venturini - Trident - 1"408
4 - Marlon Stockinger - Status - 1"715
5 - Antonio Felix Da Costa - Carlin - 7"377
Etc.

Championship :
1. Evans 151,5 points ; 2.Abt 149,5 ; 3.Da Costa 132 ; 4.Vainio 123 ; 5.Laine 111, etc.

Adapted from GMM

Robert Kubica said on Saturday he could be back in F1 in 2014.

After almost two years out of the limelight following his horror rally crash of early 2011, the Pole is finally back in action this weekend at another minor Italian rally.

Kubica confirmed he will also take his Subaru Impreza to yet another forthcoming Italian rally, but also hinted he would rather be in the Formula One paddocks.

"In life sometimes you have to be content with less than what you would really like; and that time is now. However I say I'm happy to be here, I think it's a fine goal," the Polish driver told Italian TV Sky Sport 24.

"Obviously I would have preferred to come back somewhere else, but this is a more active phase in my rehabilitation path."

"Back in formula one?" Kubica also said. "In 2014, but I still don't know if my journey will take me there."

Polish driver Robert Kubica has won the first motorsport event he's competed in since the horrific crash he sustained in February 2011, the Ronde Gomitolo di Lana rally.

Kubica, a former Canadian Grand Prix winner in Formula One, won all four stages, crossing the finish nearly a minute ahead of his closest rival, Autosport.com has revealed.

The Pole, who drove for Sauber and Renault - now Lotus - in F1, was at the wheel of a Subaru Impreza World Rally Car.

Earlier this weekend, Kubica revealed his intentions of competing in another Italian rally this coming weekend, as well as his will to stage a comeback in F1 in 2014.

The Ronde Gomitolo di Lana rally was the first step towards a return to any motorsport discipline, and it proved succesful.

While Clint Bowyer was winning the Sprint Cup race at Richmond, Jeff Gordon came back from problems to finish second and make the last Wild Card spot in the 12-man NASCAR-style playoffs.

Bowyer, who overcame an earlier incident with Juan Pablo Montoya, smiled and said "thank you, Juan Pablo, for wrecking me and winning me the race," he said in Victory Lane.

The race, at the three-quarter mile oval, was delayed by almost 90 minutes due to rain then red flagged for another 51 minutes due to rain.

While the crews couldn't work on their cars they could think about fixes and that made the difference for Gordon who seemed finished before he began.

When he got out his car for the first and most lengthy stoppage the usually affable Gordon was tense with a television interviewer.

''I was pretty ticked off that we got that far behind,'' Gordon said. ''When you have that kind of a start to a race, you don't have a lot of hope that you're going to get it turned around.''

But it was an entirely different story after the race.

"Went from last week to being the most disappointed I've ever been to finish second to the most excited I've ever been to finish second," said the four-time Cup Champion.

"What a race for us. We just flat out missed the setup at the beginning. Luckily Alan and the engineers got together and found the tools that we could utilize to make the car better."

Mark Martin finished third.

Kyle Busch who had been a favourite for the Wild Card had a problem on a late race call by his crew chief, Dave Rogers, who took the blame when he radioed his driver "we missed it. I blew it, bud. My fault. A taught-faced 16th place."

Busch added "We missed it. Plain and simple."

With Gordon in the Chase, Hendrick Motorsports had all four drivers including five-time champion, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne in the Chase.

And Michael Waltrip Racing made NASCAR's playoffs for the first time and with its two full-time drivers, Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr.

Under NASCAR rules the points were reset to 2000 with the top ten drivers earning three bonus points for each win in the regular 26-race portion of the season.

Denny Hamlin, who had four wins in 2012 will take the top seed with 2012 points.



Chase Seedings
1. Denny Hamlin, 2012 points
2. Jimmie Johnson, 2009 points

3. Tony Stewart, 2009 points

4. Brad Keselowski, 2009 points

5. Greg Biffle, 2006 points

6. Clint Bowyer, 2006 points

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2003 points

8. Matt Kenseth, 2003 points

9. Kevin Harvick, 2000 points

10. Martin Truex Jr., 2000 points

11. Kasey Kahne, 2000 points

12. Jeff Gordon, 2000 points

From GMM

McLaren has questioned Ferrari's slipstreaming tactics in qualifying at Monza.

The red cars endeavoured to give each other aerodynamic 'tows' down their home circuit's long straights on Saturday, but it went awry when Fernando Alonso's car developed a problem in Q3.

And Felipe Massa, who qualified a season-best third, said he got in his best lap once the towing was all over.

"I was always caring about the tow, to find a good tow, but then on the last run when I did my best lap I was completely outside of the tow, so it was better for me," said the Brazilian.

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren's team boss who saw Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button lock out the front row with more conventional tactics, suggested his Italian rivals might have been "a bit too clever" in focusing so much on slipstreaming.

"In practice we were getting tows," said Button, "but it was difficult to work out if it was actually quicker or not.

"It's something that, personally, I feel it's very difficult to plan something like that. It's difficult to get it right.

"You can concentrate too much on it and get your braking point wrong or something.

"The way we did was much better, just finding traffic (to tow) on the circuit, so it worked reasonably well," the Briton added.

No one sells more subcompacts in Canada than Hyundai. In fact, they're moving out almost twice as many Accent sedans and hatchbacks as the second-place Ford Fiesta and the third-place Kia Rio.

And the reasons for its success are easy to see. It's got plenty of power thanks to its class-leading, 138 hp engine, sophisticated good looks and a well-executed cabin. It's got high levels of standard features, and an aggressive price.

In short, the 2012 Hyundai Accent is on a roll and no other subcompact seems able to stop its segment domination.


Rich-looking cockpit
We'll sit you inside an Accent and remove your blindfold, and chances are you'll think you're in a much more expensive car. Our GLS trim tester smartly flaunts its higher-grade cloth upholstery, leather-wrapped and button-laden wheel as well as niceties such as heated front seats, Bluetooth, climate control, power sunroof, and premium sound system. All this wrapped in a tasteful, modern design, including the comfortable front and back seats.

You also get 600 litres of cargo space with the rear seatbacks in place; that's more than in the Accent's rivals that participated in our recent subcompact hatchback comparison test: the Chevrolet Sonic, Fiesta, Rio and Toyota Yaris. Fold down those rear backrests and you get a very practical 1,345 litres of cargo space.

Oh, but the Accent isn't perfect. Its steering column doesn't telescope, which makes finding a good driving position a little harder. Curiously, the Kia Rio which shares many components with the Hyundai does have a telescoping wheel.

Cabin insulation could also be better; driving down country roads sprinkled with sand and tiny stones, you'll hear them all hitting the Accent's underfloor. And the rear window is pretty small, which limits rear visibility.

The 2012 Hyundai Accent GLS looks like a more expensive car, inside and out. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Class-leading power
Like the Kia, the Hyundai gets a new direct-injected, 1.6L 4-cylinder engine that develops 138 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque. While its output ratings are high, it doesn't feel more muscular than the Fiesta's 120 hp or the Sonic's 136 hp. It's also buzzy at full throttle.

Equipped with a 6-speed automatic, our tester reached 100 km/h in 10.9 seconds, pretty much in line with the rest of the pack. On the other hand, at a steady 100 clicks on the highway, the engine spins at only 2,000 rpm, which helps keep both noise and fuel consumption down.

And since we're on the subject, my fuel economy averaged 7.9 L/100km over the course of the test week, which isn't extraordinary. The automatic Accent is rated at 4.8 L/100km on the highway, a figure you might achieve if you drive well under the posted speed limit.

On the road, the Accent handles well for a subcompact, although we found its steering assist a little heavy at slow speeds; somehow, it just doesn't feel right, but you get used to it after a while. The Ford Fiesta, the Honda Fit and the Mazda2 are more engaging to drive, but not by much.

A 138-hp, direct-injected 1.6L engine equips the Hyundai Accent. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Affordable price
The 2012 Hyundai Accent Hatchback starts out at $13,699, while our top-of-the-line GLS automatic lists for $18,649. That's not bad for a well-equipped and decently refined car such as this one. On the other hand, the Kia Rio EX 5-door gets even more features for about the same money.

There's so much to like about the Accent that its shortcomings seem easily forgivable. It offers refinement, power and lots of features for people on a small budget, and it doesn't make them look like cheapskates. That's what a smart design can do.

An Accent or a Rio will please the typical subcompact buyer at about the same level; the only differences concern exterior and interior styling as well as feature content and price gaps of a couple hundred dollars.

We're smitten by the Hyundai Accent, especially in hatchback configuration, and its virtues will provide it with strong and well-deserved sales numbers for the next few years.

News 8 Sep, 2012

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button to share the front row of the grid for the Italian Grand Prix

Honda needs the next generation of its bread-and-butter mid-sized car, the Accord, to be a hit in the United States, and pricing and incentives may play a key role in a tough mid-sized sedan market.

Five years ago, managers at BMW AG realized that with Germany's graying population the average age of their workers would jump from 41 to 46 by 2017. So they decided to make it happen sooner.

Rolls-Royce forecast a second year of record sales as growth fueled by Asian wealth outweighs the economic slump in Europe.

Five years ago, managers at BMW AG realized that with Germany's graying population the average age of their workers would jump from 41 to 46 by 2017. So they decided to make it happen sooner.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the pole at Richmond International Raceway in the final race before the Sprint Cup Chase begins.

In doing so he stole the spotlight from teammate and outside pole, Jeff Gordon. And there is Kyle Busch, who is battling for the Wild Card spot in the Chase, down in fifteenth.

After his eleventh career pole, Earnhardt who qualified at 127.023mph, said the win on Saturday night is key. But for Gordon and Busch the pressure is really on.

Earnhardt's arc to become a threat for the Chase began with teaming him with crew chief, Steve Letarte.

"We've been working the last two years to improve ... and this year we made some gains," Earnhardt said. "It feels good to get a pole position and know that we're doing something right there.

"It gives us a good starting spot for [Saturday]. We feel pretty confident about the car after practice [Friday], and starting up front is an advantage. I'm happy that we're performing well and look forward to the race."

Meanwhile four-time champion Gordon told the media before qualifying that he's not going to be a nice guy on Saturday evening if someone, anyone, is in his way. Then after qualifying he said he's fine.

"I think [Friday] was a big mission accomplished for us," Gordon said. "We were very solid in practice all day. I know exactly where I left a little bit out there in [Turns] 1 and 2. I got everything out of it in 3 and 4. But in 1 and 2, I knew I got down to the yellow line too early and just couldn't get back to the gas as hard as I needed to.

"When you do that, you know that there's somebody out there that has a shot of getting you. Second is still a fantastic effort. We had a great practice [Friday], and our car was solid, so [I'm] pretty excited about this race [Saturday night]."

Regan Smith was third in a Chevrolet followed by Clint Bowyer's Toyota. Denny Hamlin, would could be the top seed following Richmond, was seventh fastest

There are a number of different scenarios to play out for the Wild Card which will be resolved on Saturday evening at the three-quarter mile oval.

One week after dominating a Nationwide race only to lose in Atlanta; Kevin Harvick bounced back with a win in Richmond.

With 17 laps remaining Harvick pulled away on a restart and held off last week's winner, Rick Stenhouse Jr., by almost two full seconds. Last week Harvick led a race-high 157 laps. At the three-quarter mile Richmond International Raceway he led a race-high 141-laps of the 250 lap event.

With his 38th career Nationwide Series victory (and fifth at Richmond) he snapped a 30-race winless drought. This win ties him with Carl Edwards for third place on the all-time career win list.

It's been a long time coming," Harvick said. "I know the first 37 seemed a whole lot easier than No. 38."

"I know we haven't won the races that we needed to, but, man, we've led a ton of laps and been in contention to win just about every race I've been in this car this year," he added.

"Sometimes you go through slumps like that, and when you break 'em, it just makes it that much sweeter."

Stenhouse who now is second in the points said "Kevin and I had a great battle there for a while. I gave it all I had. If we would have won two in a row, that would have been cool, but second's a great night."

Kurt Busch, who finished third in a car owned by his younger brother Kyle, had led just before that final caution but tagged a lapped car causing that final caution.

"When I had Harvick behind us while we were leading if I could hit it perfect we were going to hold him off," said Busch"“If I was off just a fraction he was right there. When I drove down into (turn) three, the lapped car chose inside and I chose inside and I was like, 'This isn't going to be good.'

"Ninety-nine percent of the guys go high, he went low and I just couldn't stay off him. I had to push hard to try to keep Harvick behind me and I made a mistake and got us behind there."

Point's leader Elliott Sadler had a tough race after tangling with Stenhouse on lap 183 and falling one lap down. He finished 12th and had his points lead shrink to just one over Stenhouse. Sam Hornish Jr. fell to fourth in the title battle after a cut tire caused him to crash on lap 156.

After repairs he rejoined the race but finished 30th some 50 points behind Sadler. Austin Dillon who finished sixth is now third 30 points in arrears.

From GMM

An unusually-forlorn Romain Grosjean was an unhappy pitwall spectator on Friday as he began to serve his one-race ban for last Sunday's Spa crash.

The Frenchman arrived at the Monza paddock as practice began, to watch Lotus' reserve driver Jerome d'Ambrosio drive his black and gold car.

Asked by RMC Sport if he has thought deeply about the crash that wiped Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso out of the Belgian grand prix and also cost him EUR 50,000, Grosjean answered: "Think (about it), yes, but then again I would say no because I don't necessarily want to relive it.

"I just wanted to understand why (it happened) so I can go to the next race in Singapore stronger," he added.

Normally smiling ear-to-ear, Grosjean admitted it is hard to be trackside in such difficult circumstances.

"It is not pleasant to come to Monza and not race," he said. "It was a collective decision. We are together as a team in good times and in bad.

"We didn't ask, neither me nor the team, it (coming to Monza) just seemed natural.

"The team has offered me amazing support all week. So, today, I am happy to be here to try to help if I can. If Jerome has any questions, I will answer them with pleasure for the team to score points in the championship.

"It may also be interesting to see how Kimi (Raikkonen) works.

"I spent two sessions with the engineers on the pitwall and noticed a lot of interesting things that I want to try in Singapore."

Grosjean did not want to say if he thinks the penalty - the first time the FIA has banned a driver in almost two decades - is unfair.

"It's severe but I accept it, and hopefully we can grow from it.

"I think we are going to review some things, redesign the weekends a little bit, focus on different things to be better equipped for the starts.

"To throw everything away and start from scratch would be a mistake," added Grosjean.

Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) muted all the rumours regarding his future by taking a convincing pole over his teammate Jenson Button, in the team's 63rd front row effort.

Nobody could touch the 2008 World Champion, that much was clear during qualifying ahead of Monza's Italian Grand Prix.

Felipe Massa (Ferrari), third, had his strongest qualifying effort of the campaign yet. The Brazilian was left by star teammate Fernando Alonso to carry the team on his shoulders, as the Spaniard could do no better than 10th - a disastrous result in front of the tifosis.

Massa was followed by Paul di Resta (Force India), who by taking fourth gave his team something to cheer for. Di Resta himself will drop five places on the grid Sunday because of a gearbox change, while his teammate Nico Hulkenberg was left dead last by mechanical issues.

Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) too had a good showing, in fifth place, beating two-time reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), as well as his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, respectively sixth and seventh.

Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) and Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) follow behind the trio, in eighth and ninth spots.

Notable drivers left outside the top 10 include Red Bull's Mark Webber (11th) - who failed to make it to Q3 by 0.067s - and Jérôme d'Ambrosio (16th), the Belgian driver standing in at Lotus for the suspended Romain Grosjean.



Qualifying results* - Italian Grand Prix (Monza)
1.Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'24"010 - Q3
2.Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'24"133 - Q3
3.Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 1'24"247 - Q3
4.Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'24"540 - Q3
5.Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'24"802 - Q3
6.Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'24"833 - Q3
7.Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'24"855 - Q3
8.Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'25"109 - Q3
9.Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'24"304 - Q3 ***
10.Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 1'25"678 - Q3
11.Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'24"809 - Q2
12.Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'24"901 - Q2
13.Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'25"042 - Q2
14.Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'25"312 - Q2
15.Jerome D'Ambrosio (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'25"408 - Q2
16.Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'25"441 - Q2
17.Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'26"382 - Q1
18.Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'26"887 - Q1
19.Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'27"039 - Q1
20.Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'24"820 - Q2 **
21.Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'27"073 - Q1
22.Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'27"441 - Q1
23.Pedro De La Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'27"629 - Q1
24.Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - no time - Q1

*Unofficial results
**Ten-place grid penalty for Spa incident
***Five-place grid penalty for gearbox change

Luca Filippi, who was away from competition for one year, made a sensational GP2 return as he clinched victory in race 1 in Monza with team Coloni.

The Italian driver, who was without a racing seat since the end of last season, was expected in IndyCar this season but the deal was not finalized. He was called by team Coloni for Monza, where he took third position in qualifying.

Filippi then took the lead after mid race when he overtook poleman and early leader Max Chilton after the pit stops, to cruise to an emotional win on his home soil.

Behind him, Johnny Cecotto concluded a great comeback from 8th position on the grid to second at the finish line ahead of Marcus Ericsson and Max Chilton. Stefan Coletti, who took 8th position, will have the opportunity to start from pole position on race 2, thanks to the reverse grid regulation for the top 8.

As for the title contenders, Davide Valsecchi took the advantage in Monza. The Italian driver took 6th position while his rival Luis Razia, who span after a contact with Fabio Leimer, classified only 25th. And Valsecchi will start from third position on Sunday with the reverse grid.



Monza - Race 1 classification :
1 - Luca Filippi - Coloni - 30 laps in 48'03"604
2 - Johnny Cecotto - Addax - 4"028
3 - Marcus Ericsson - iSport - 5"377

4 - Max Chilton - Carlin - 7"631

5 - Fabio Leimer - Racing Engineering - 9"413

6 - Davide Valsecchi - Dams - 16"057

7 - Jolyon Palmer - iSport - 17"600
8 - Stefano Coletti - Rapax - 18"532
Etc.

From GMM

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has hinted Lewis Hamilton's management is in the driving seat of the current situation surrounding the 2008 world champion's unknown future.

Eddie Jordan was the one who dropped the Mercedes bombshell, but seasoned insiders are sensing the intrigue is really being steered by Simon Fuller, the wily Spice Girls manager who through his XIX Entertainment arm now handles Hamilton's career.

It is easy to surmise the Mercedes story was planted simply to ramp up Hamilton's 2013 price-tag, but it may not be just about that.

Indeed, Jordan - who is reportedly close to Fuller - said he suspects the Mercedes link is about 'brand Hamilton'.

"Fuller is trying to position Hamilton as a major global star like Beckham, and Mercedes is a much bigger global brand than McLaren," said the British television pundit and former F1 team owner.

McLaren team boss Whitmarsh agrees: "Lewis and his team are very interested in the Hamilton brand and providing anything that happens doesn't distract him from being a race driver, we are 100 per cent relaxed about it.

McLaren, though, famously guards the drivers' corporate and even personal images, and their ability to exploit and explore them.

"The life I have had has been very controlled and I am taking control of it," Hamilton said earlier this week.

"I am allowing myself to get who I am out, rather than the corporate McLaren driver some people want you to be."

That would put into context the recent 'WTF' and secret telemetry 'Twittergate' affairs.

Adapted from GMM

Tifosi favourite Fernando Alonso will not have to move five places down Sunday's Italian grand prix grid, but that's not to say his race bodes well.

Surely, Alonso must have felt relieved to hear he would not suffer any penalty despite his gearbox failing, but the news was probably overshadowed by a brake problem coupled to an engine failure on Friday.

Technical director Pat Fry explained that the latter glitch was because the Spaniard was using "a Friday engine at high mileage".

The man himself, meanwhile, said on Friday that even though the F2012 seems more competitive at Monza compared to Spa a week ago, "McLaren is the favourite to win" on Sunday.

Lotus and Mercedes look quick as well.

As predicted by Alonso, McLaren dominated qualifying, with Lewis Hamilton on pole ahead of his teammate Jenson Button.

The Spaniard, only 10th on the Monza grid, was quoted by AS newspaper: "As we said in Belgium, if we can not win then the best news is that McLaren is strongest.

"One (Hamilton) is 47 points behind, the other (Button) 63, so we can afford for them to win a few times without too much worry."

Alonso's closest points challenger, Sebastian Vettel, qualified fifth at Monza.

From GMM

Jean Todt has revealed he did not attempt to sign Fernando Alonso during his time as Ferrari boss due to an earlier betrayal.

The Frenchman, who is now the FIA president, reigned over Ferrari from the 90s until 2008.

At the end of 2006, he chose Kimi Raikkonen as the retiring 'number 1' Michael Schumacher's replacement, even though Spaniard Alonso - now Ferrari's long term hope - was also on the market.

Alonso was only subsequently brought to Ferrari by Todt's successor Stefano Domenicali, and Todt has now told Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport exactly why.

He recalls 2000, the year before Alonso - then an impressive fresh-faced F3000 driver - made his F1 debut with Minardi.

"We (Ferrari) reached an agreement in principle with Fernando, but then (Flavio) Briatore signed him," said Todt.

"It was after his victory in F3000 in Spa when we got in contact with his manager, who came to my home in Maranello, and we agreed.

"It (Alonso signing with Briatore) was something I took badly and after that there was no more contact."

The rest - Alonso's two titles with Renault, his ill-fated switch to McLaren and finally his debut as a Ferrari driver in 2010 - is history.

Alonso's manager in 2000, Adrian Campos, confirms: "Ferrari told us to wait and not to sign with anyone else, but Briatore walked through the door with a contract under his arm."

Todt named the "very good leader" Alonso, as well as Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton as "the favourites" to win the 2012 title.

From GMM

With Ferrari still yet to re-sign him for 2013, Felipe Massa insists he sees no better alternative to him on the market.

Rumours say Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez are the frontrunners to replace Massa next season, but the Brazilian thinks he is the best choice.

"Many people want my seat," he is quoted by Spain's Mundo Deportivo newspaper, "but I do not see anyone better on the market.

"In my place I only see people like Hamilton or Vettel, but they're not available," Massa added.

Meanwhile, the 31-year-old said he will do everything to help his teammate Fernando Alonso win the 2012 title, even if he acknowledged he might be racing elsewhere next year.

"I have no contract yet for 2013, but I will help Fernando," he vowed.

"I am a professional and will behave like that."

Massa hailed the performance this year of Spaniard Alonso, who at the wheel of the same Ferrari model has scored a massive 129 more points, and is leading the championship.

"The F2012 is not a winning car, but Fernando is perfect," he said.