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There seems something strange about Formula 1 this year. Much like it was after the opening races of 2006; there's no Michael Schumacher, a man who had become part of the F1 furniture after 21 years of involvement in the sport and two careers.

Whilst Schumacher failed to reach the successes he experiences with Ferrari during his return to the sport with Mercedes, there was something comforting about having him back. It was like having a favourite pair of shoes; an element of comfort, if you will...

... and now he's gone. And that's sad.

Whilst Michael - in the early to mid 2000s - didn't manage to win himself any fans by dominating Formula 1 in a fashion we're unlikely to ever see again, it's this dominance which is something worthy of celebration.

Michael Schumacher, F2002. (Photo: Ferrari)

Instead of lambasting him for making the sport boring, how he managed to make Ferrari an organic entity, a place where driver and team, car and tyres became one unit should be saluted.

In light of the Multi-21 scandal at Red Bull and his retirement, it seems an appropriate time to give one of F1's most polarizing characters a revision. History has a habit of being kind to winners.

It seems impossible to think that Schumacher would have gone against the team in such a fashion like Vettel or publically trashed the team like Webber in the aftermath. Whilst Schumacher put in some ethically dubious performances in his career, it seems unthinkable that he would have bitten the hand that made him the statistically most successful driver in history.

It was Schumacher's spirit in losing that galvanized the team to do their best for him because they knew that irrespective of triumph or defeat, he would make sure they lose together and win together. Naturally, the relationship between team and driver became one of the closest in history and when people are happy, they perform at their best.

This is why the Ferrari/Schumacher era should be celebrated; it was a time of joy within Ferrari, a unit of people striving for one goal, a time when the relationship between driver, car and team was so symbiotic they reached a level of perfection which is unlikely to ever be witnessed again in F1.

So whilst Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull could be well on their way to usurping Michael's seven titles and 91 wins by turning in consistently stunning performances and smashing records, the Red Bull/Vettel partnership is something that isn't yet on a par with the dominance shown by Michael and Ferrari. The division of camps Vettel and Webber in Milton Keynes are evidence of this and for as long the team continues to operate in this fashion, then Red Bull will have a long way to go in terms of reaching the level of perfection achieved by Schumacher and Ferrari in the mid to early 2000s.

One-two finish in Malaysia, but no joy at Red Bull. (Photo: WRi2)

EXECUTIVE EDITOR BOB GRITZINGER: This 2013

At car dealers across the United States, loans to subprime borrowers like Nelson are surging -- up 18 percent in 2012 from a year earlier, to 6.6 million borrowers, according to credit-reporting agency Equifax Inc.

IndyCar current champion Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport) earned pole position for this weekend's IndyCar race at Barber Motorsports Park in an action-filled session.

Will Power (Penske) finished a close second having tried to have the best on his final flying lap but to no avail in the end.

Ryan Hunter-Reay got away with the pole (Photo: IndyCar)

Rookie Tristan Vautier continued to show remarkable pace and ended-up third in the Fast-Six shoot-out in which he was allowed to run after Takuma Sato was disqualified for having blocked Justin Wilson.

Ganassi's Scott Dixon was fourth fastest while his teammate Charlie Kimball and Penske's Helio Castroneves rounded out the top six.

The winner of the inaugural race in St Petersburg James Hinchcliffe (Andretti Autosport) had his share of problems and finished a distant 20th.

AJ Allmendinger (Penske) made it through to the second phase in his open-wheel comeback, and will start in the middle of the field.


Qualifying results - Barber Motorsport Park
1.Ryan Hunter-Reay (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 1'07"0871
2.Will Power (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 1'07"3304
3.Tristan Vautier (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Schmidt - 1'07"3616
4.Scott Dixon (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 1'07"3642
5.Charlie Kimball (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 1'07"4987
6.Helio Castroneves (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 1'07"5106
7.Marco Andretti (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 1'07"4893
8.Justin Wilson (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Coyne - 1'07"4964
9.Sebastian Saavedra (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Dragon - 1'07"6317
10.AJ Allmendinger (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 1'07"6962
(...)

Price Range: $29,250 and up

Description: Thanks to a finely honed recipe consisting of equal parts lightweight engineering, peppy powerplants and agile, dynamic and track-ready handling, the Mazda MX-5 enters 2013 just as popular as ever. Since 1989, this best-selling sports roadster has been a popular item for how simply, purely and efficiently it captures the joy of open-topped motoring.


A slew of enhancements, grade-level content revisions and cosmetic updates are applied for the 2013 model year as well, making the MX-5 an even more appealing overall package.

All models are two-seat convertibles, featuring either a simple, fast-acting manual cloth roof, or a motorized Power Retractable Hardtop (PRHT) unit comprised of composite panels. Both roof assemblies fold compactly into their own specially designed storage spaces, leaving the 150 litres of trunk space untouched.

Drivetrain: All MX-5 models are powered by a proven and robustly built MZR-series 2.0L 4-cylinder dual-cam powerplant that generates 167 horsepower when paired with a manual transmission. An automatic with paddle-shift control is available for drivers who prefer not to shift their own gears.

The MZR powerplant at the heart of the 2013 Mazda MX-5 is track validated, fuel-efficient and noted for its eager mid- and high-rpm pull. All models are rear-wheel drive, and most get a Limited Slip Differential (LSD) for optimal power delivery in all driving situations.

Consider it if: fuel efficient, sensible and affordable fun are deliverables required of your next sports car. The MX-5's modest power and light weight mean it's great on fuel while still being a blast to drive. Engineered from square one as a drop-top, the 2013 Mazda MX-5's stiff chassis encourages high handling limits. This is also an ideal car for someone interested in participating in motorsports.

Skip it if: you need a rear seat, or if you need more than 167 horsepower. Performance should prove pleasing for most shoppers, though no up-level engine is available.

Other Notes: Power accessories, xenon lights, satellite radio, a Bose audio system, and heated leather seats are all available to enhance long-haul comfort. Automatic climate control furthers that goal. A wide range of dealer accessories is available, too.

All models get an anti-theft alarm, dual front airbags, side-impact door beams, side airbags, and seatbelt pretensioners with force limiters. At-hand storage space is surprisingly generous, too.

Thanks to “best practices” learned through years of engineering lightweight sports cars, Mazda's MX-5 boasts a virtually perfect weight balance between the front and rear axles which results in more stable, predictable handling at the limit, and a feeling of increased agility all around.

Don't Miss: the aerodynamic “barrier” that forms over the top of the MX-5 at speed, trapping warm air in the car when the roof is stored away. Combined with a powerful heater that features special vents for roof-off operation, sub-zero topless driving is possible without heavy clothing.

The Bose stereo self-adjusts its equalizer to fine-tune audio delivery between top-up and top-down modes.

Billstein shocks and a sports suspension calibration are standard on most Mazda MX-5 models.

The MX-5 GS gets its hardtop lid painted in gloss black for a unique look.

Photo: Mazda

From GMM

Sainsbury's, the UK supermarket giant, has denied rumours it could lose its boss to formula one.

Last week, F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone failed to deny rumours Sainsbury's Justin King is being lined up to replace him.

"I've no idea whether the boss of a company like Sainsbury's could do my job," the 82-year-old told the Guardian.  "Maybe he could."

A Sainsbury's spokesman has now replied: "This is pure speculation.

"Justin's made his commitment to the business clear and is excited about Sainsbury's long-term prospects for growth.  Any discussion of succession is entirely premature."

Max Angelelli held off a persistent Alex Gurney in the final phases of the Porsche 250, round three of the Grand-Am season, held at Barber Motorsport Park.

Max Angelelli, Barber Motorsport Park (Photo: Grand-Am.com)

Angelelli and teammate Jordan Taylor denied Alex Gurney and teammate Jon Fogarty a second consecutive win. Fogarty and Gurney had to settle for second, despite starting from pole.

Championship leaders Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas managed to keep their championship lead, just, with a third place. They head the standings by only two points over Fogarty-Gurney.

Robin Liddell and John Edwards pulled off the GT win. The Camaro duo led Alessandro Balzan and Jeff Westphal's Ferrari 458 to the checkered flag. Boris Said and Eric Curran round out the top three in their Marsh Racing Corvette.

Porsche prevailed from Mazda in GX, even though the Japanese manufacturer had the front row all locked out in qualifying. Jim Norman and Spencer Pumpelly drove the winning Cayman to the top step of the podium.



Race results - Barber Motorsport Park
1 - Angelelli-Taylor (Corvette DP/Dallara) - Taylor - 84 laps
2 - Fogarty-Gurney (Corvette DP/Riley) - Stallings - 84
3 - Taylor-Westbrook (Corvette DP) - SpiritOfDaytona - 84
4 - Pruett-Rojas (Riley-BMW) - Ganassi - 84
5 - Pizzonia-Yacaman (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 84
6 - Dalziel-Popow (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 84
7 - Cameron-Nonnamaker (Riley-BMW) - Sahlen - 84
8 - Valiante-Pew (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 84
9 - Barbosa-Frisselle (Corvette DP/Coyote) - ActionEx - 84
10 - Potolicchio-Sarrazin (Corvette DP/Coyote) - 8Star - 84
(...)
14 - Edwards-Liddell (Chevy Camaro) - Stevenson - 78
15 - Balzan-Westphal (Ferrari 458) - Corsa - 78
16 - Curran-Said (Corvette Z06) - Marsh - 78
Etc.

From GMM

Toto Wolff, a new shareholder at Mercedes alongside Niki Lauda this year, has denied rumours of a 'power struggle' between the Austrian duo.

"I am going to use Niki's words by saying that is the biggest bullshit I have ever heard," Wolff told Germany's Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

Actually, the rumours of a power struggle between the German-speaking faction and the old guard led by Briton Ross Brawn are much stronger.

After Malaysia, both Wolff and Lauda were said to have loudly disagreed with Brawn's imposition of 'team orders' that kept the faster Nico Rosberg behind Lewis Hamilton for the last rung of the podium.

"From a sporting point of view, team orders are an absurdity," Wolff insists.

"I speak as a fan, as a sportsman, as a race car driver.

"From the team's point of view, you need to make sure you don't throw away the team result.

"If we had let Lewis and Nico race each other, we would certainly have had a fuel problem with both cars.  We knew this and so we used the team order.

"We did it because we didn't want to look like idiots at the end."

Those "Race with Insulin" paint schemes and decals on Chip Ganassi's Race teams this weekend are more than a sponsorship. It's actually a wake-up call of diabetes awareness and treatment.

Jamie McMurray's No. 1 Chevrolet in Martinsville and Charlie Kimball's Dallara-Honda, at Barber Motorsport Park this weekend will have those paint schemes. And all of Ganassi's cars and drivers (Grand-Am, IndyCar and NASCAR) will have some form of identification of this initiative.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 26 million people are currently living with diabetes in the United States.

The pressure surrounding racing is obviously intense. Just imagine the additional pressure for a diabetic crew member who has to monitor his own blood sugar while his focus is more on the car than his health.

One of those crew guys is Randall Burnett the engineer on Earnhardt Ganassi Racing's No. 42 car driven by Juan Pablo Montoya. Burnett has type 1 diabetes. That's the type which is genetic and requires constant monitoring and application of insulin.

During the gruelling NASCAR season Burnett is home only three nights a week.

“It's very intense,” Burnett explains adding “a lot of go-go-go. It's totally different for me on the weekends then it when I'm home I know what I eat for breakfast everyday and do what most diabetics do. Unfortunately this sort of life style doesn't leave a lot of time to do all that.”

Burnett says he must take his blood sugar level readings at least six times a day.

Good thing his mind works like an engineer's: “It's something I've developed over the years. I don't have a constant reminder. I just know I have to keep up with it.

“It's kind of second nature now.”

Dario Franchitti, Charlie Kimball and Scott Dixon (Photo: Charlie Kimball@Twitter)

IndyCar driver Charlie Kimball too, suffers from diabetes.

“Charlie is an emerging talent in the race car, and he is an even better human being. A program like this speaks volumes about him,” said Team Owner Chip Ganassi.

“If our team can help others understand that even with diabetes, you can live life to the fullest, then we are glad to help .

• During the weekend CGRT NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Jamie McMurray (No. 1 Chevrolet SS) will carry a special "Race with Insulin.com" paint scheme at Martinsville Speedway.
• Charlie Kimball will compete with a special Race with "Insulin.com" paint scheme at Barber Motorsports Park in the IZOD IndyCar Series race.
• In addition, all other Chip Ganassi Racing drivers will run special blue wheels to emulate the blue circle that is the International Diabetes Federation's global symbol for diabetes.

Cars running the special blue circle on the wheels include:

• Juan Pablo Montoya's No. 42 Chevrolet SS at the NASCAR race in Martinsville
• Scott Dixon's No. 9 Honda - at the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama
• Dario Franchitti's No. 10 Honda - also at Barber Motorsports Park
• Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas' No. 01 BMW - in Saturday's GRAND-AM race in Alabama

EXECUTIVE EDITOR BOB GRITZINGER: I'm concerned that people will buy this 2013

Europe's automakers are concerned that a proposed free-trade agreement between the EU and Japan may end up favoring their Japanese competitors.

Fisker Automotive, hours after dismissing about 75 percent of its employees, was hit with a federal lawsuit accusing the company of breaking the law that requires employers to give workers advance notice of mass layoffs.

At his Houston Cadillac store last weekend, Carl Sewell had an unusual experience: He helped a mother secure a baby seat into a car she was considering. Young-shopper sightings were once a rarity for Sewell.

Fisker Automotive, hours after dismissing about 75 percent of its employees, was hit with a federal lawsuit accusing the company of breaking the law that requires employers to give workers advance notice of mass layoffs.

Jon Fogarty won from pole, about a month ago in Austin. The 37-year-old was at it again Friday, qualifying ahead of round 3 of the Grand-Am season, presented at Barber Motorsport Park.

Fogarty landed his career 25th pole, aboard GAINSCO's Corvette DP. Despite a valiant effort, Rick Taylor couldn't match Fogarty's time, and settled for second, in another Corvette DP.

Jon Fogarty, No. 99 GAINSCO Corvette DP (Photo: Grand-Am.com)

His brother Jordan, in a third Corvette, also came short for the pole. At least, he completed a top 3 sweep for the Detroit manufacturer.

A similar story unfolded in GT, with the pole going to John Edwards' Camaro. Boris Said followed in a Marsh Racing Corvette, at least locking out the front row for GM.

In both classes the track record was broken.

In GX, it was Mazda that dominated qualifying, with a pair of Mazda6 splitting the front row. Tom Long led Sylvain Tremblay.


Qualifying results - Barber Motorsport Park
1.Fogarty-Gurney (Corvette DP/Riley) - Stallings - 1'18"949
2.Taylor-Westbrook (Corvette DP) - Spirit Of Daytona - 1'19"141
3.Angelelli-Taylor (Corvette DP/Dallara) - Taylor - 1'19"195
4.Pruett-Rojas (Riley-BMW) - Ganassi - 1'19"656
5.Barbosa-Frisselle (Corvette DP/Coyote) - ActionEx - 1'19"858
6.Pizzonia-Yacaman (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 1'20"105
7.Fittipaldi-Frisselle (Corvette DP/Coyote) - ActionEx - 1'20"147
8.Dalziel-Popow (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 1'20"344
9.Potolicchio-Sarrazin (Corvette DP/Coyote) - 8Star - 1'20"933
10.Cameron-Nonnamaker (Riley-BMW) - Sahlen - 1'21"081
(...)
14.Edwards-Liddell (Chevy Camaro) - Stevenson - 1'26"610
15.Curran-Said (Corvette Z06) - Marsh - 1'26"677
Etc.

Felipe Massa could put his name on a humble title during next week's Chinese Grand Prix.

The Brazilian is set to become the first ever teammate to out-qualify Fernando Alonso in five consecutive races.

Massa, who suffered a horrible crash in 2009 and then endured three seasons in the shadow of Ferrari's unquestioned leader Alonso, turned things around at the end of 2012, out-qualifying his teammate in the last two rounds of the season.

And thus far in 2013, he has also out-qualified Alonso twice (out of two), in Australia and Malaysia.

Felipe Massa is red hot at the moment (Photo: Ferrari)

"Not even Lewis Hamilton, in his rookie season alongside Alonso at McLaren in 2007, managed to inflict five successive qualifying 'defeats' on the double world champion," wrote a Crash.net reporter.

"It is a surprise that (Massa) is now out-qualifying Alonso so consistently," added the BBC's chief F1 writer Andrew Benson.

It's a surprise indeed -- a pleasing surprise --, but a surprise nonetheless. Everybody wanted Massa's head when the former vice-champion hit rock bottom in 2012. His whole F1 career was in jeopardy.

Now, the 31-year-old is sitting four points ahead of Alonso in the drivers' standings.

"It's the best news for the team (Massa being back to form)," admitted Alonso himself. "We will push each other to our own limits."

Jimmie Johnson broke the Martinsville track record winning his 30th Sprint cup pole and third at the track nicknamed the Paperclip.

“That's the icing on the cake,” said the five-time Sprint Cup champion.

“That makes the day even better yet. Track records are hard to come by, so I'm very proud of that and happy to have that. My first run out, we were in q-trim (qualifying trim) and we made two or three laps and we just knew right away that we would have a great shot at it today.”

Driving a Chevrolet SS, Johnson turned a 98.4-mph (19.244 seconds) as five additional drivers beat the record on a cooling track surface.

Australia's Marcos Ambrose who drove a Ford Fusion at 98.364 mph, .007 seconds slower than Johnson, will start alongside the pole winner.

Brian Vickers qualified third, followed by Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon.

Looking for his eighth win at the half-mile oval, Johnson wanted really badly to pick his pit stall. So Friday's first job was getting that pole.

“At that point, I just needed to do my job and not mess up. So I'm very proud of that. It's very easy to do at this race track, especially once practice ends. You'll sit and have lunch and relax for a couple of hours and then have to do it all over again. It was a great day across the board for the team, driver, the engine, the car, and everything. We got the car dialed-in.”

Johnson was adamant about the importance of the pole.

“That pit stall. If you get behind or if you're off-strategy or if you have any reason that leads you to lose track position, that pit stall is worth three to five positions on the race track. It's a big, big advantage from that perspective.”

Former F1 drivers Michael Schumacher and Jaime Alguersuari are taking part in this weekend's round 2 of the World Series Karting championship, held in Salerno, Italy.

Specialists Max Verstappen and Bas Lammers were sharing the headline, before Schumacher and Alguersuari came along.

The event is taking place at the Circuito Internazionale Napoli.

Schumacher didn't actually compete in the other WSK event he entered this season, instead he only took part in the practice sessions.

It is still unclear if the seven-time world champion decided to race in Salerno or not.

Tristan Vautier (Schmidt Motorsports) and Helio Castroneves (Team Penske) topped Friday's two practice sessions, ahead of this weekend's IndyCar round at Barber Motorsports Park.

The Frenchman clocked the best time during the morning session, while Ganassi's Scott Dixon finished second in front of current champion Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport).  

Returnee AJ Allendinger showed that he was a force to be reckoned with by setting up the ninth fastest time before improving to 8th in the afternoon, at the wheel of a Penske car. 

Helio Castroneves took over from Vautier later in the day and even lowered his mark, as teams tried to take advantage of the improving track with different tire approaches. 

Alex Tagliani, Barber Motorsport Park (Photo: IndyCar.com)

Alex Tagliani (Bryan Herta Autosport) took the second spot ahead of rookie Vautier, his Schmidt teammate Simon Pagenaud, and Will Power (Team Penske).

From GMM

Gerhard Berger has refused to jump on the bandwagon with those criticizing Sebastian Vettel in the wake of the 'Multi-21' affair.

Lotus team boss Eric Boullier is the latest to hit out at F1's reigning world champion, insisting Vettel was wrong to ignore Red Bull's team orders in Malaysia.

"I don't see any people in the world who could disobey their company and not be sanctioned, or at least give clarification as to why they've disobeyed," he said.

"One of our drivers (Kimi Raikkonen) is famous for doing pretty much what he wants, but when you have 600 people behind you, there is a certain respect you must have for the team," he added.

However, former grand prix winner Gerhard Berger - the late Ayrton Senna's most famous teammate - sees it differently.

The always plain-speaking Austrian puts Vettel in the same category as the great Senna, as well as Michael Schumacher.

"There are drivers like Senna or Schumacher or Vettel who develop an extra selfishness on the track," Berger told Germany's Auto Bild.

"Situations such as in Malaysia brings out their killer instinct, where they can think of one thing only -- 'I want to win the race'.

"Ultimately that's what makes you a three time, five time, seven time world champion," he added.

Some, like 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, have slammed Vettel's Sepang tactics as revealing his lack of "honour" and "respect", but Berger thinks it is "the others not winning who sleep the worst".

He therefore advises Mark Webber to "wipe your mouth, put your foot down and prove to the world that you can beat Sebastian Vettel".

And that's because "guys like Schumacher, Senna and Vettel" will always ignore team orders "unless it is to their advantage".