Story updated, see below
A very angry and bitterly disappointed Pastor Maldonado said on television that his Williams F1 car had been sabotaged by an unspecified team member.
Maldonado is leaving Williams at the end of the season in one of the most hostile divorces seen in recent F1 history.
Talking live to Sky Sports F1, Maldonado said after Q1: “I never got 100% from the tires. Someone is playing with tire pressure and temperatures.”
When asked why his teammate, Valtteri Bottas was doing so well in comparison, Maldonado said “You have to ask the guys who are working on the car. It is quite clear.”
Moments later, Claire Williams has insisted the Williams team would never sabotage one of their cars.
The daughter of Sir Frank Williams refused to criticise their outgoing driver in public, insisting that his outburst on Saturday was simply borne of frustration after being out-qualified by teammate, Valtteri Bottas.
UPDATE
Two hours after accusing Williams of deliberately sabotaging his car in qualifying for the U.S. GP, it was a calmer Pastor Maldonado who faced the media in the Austin paddock.
"I drove for three years in the team and I never feel something like that," Maldonado insisted later on Saturday. "The car is nowhere, the car is undriveable and it's very clear on the on-boards and the data where and when I'm suffering on the track.
"The car was turning more to one side than the other," he told Sky Sports F1.
Auto123.com provides a live description of the qualifying session of the 2013 Grand Prix of of the United States from Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Our motorsport editor, René Fagnan is in the media centre located at the race track.
Follow his analysis and comments of the three rounds of qualifying held Saturday afternoon. For logistic reasons, the feed will be carried in both English and French.
Follow the action on TV and follow our analysis here.
From GMM
Paul di Resta could rescue his career in America's premier open wheel series Indycar in 2014.
Curiously, the retirement of his famous cousin, Dario Franchitti, could have opened up the vacant seat for the Scot, Italy's
Italiaracing reports.
Fellow West Lothian-born Franchitti, 40, has called time on his career on medical advice, in the wake of his horror crash in Houston recently that caused head and spinal injuries.
"Racing in America is slightly different, isn't it?" di Resta, who could be replaced after three years at Force India after next week's Brazilian grand prix, said in Austin when asked about his cousin's retirement.
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| Dario Franchitti, IndyCar (Photo: Getty Images) |
"In Europe he (Franchitti) is probably under-appreciated," he is quoted by the
Mirror.
"To sit there at 40, having won four Indycar titles and three Indy 500s -- I would like to be in that position."
Italiaracing said di Resta could be a contender to succeed Franchitti at the Ganassi team.
But the 27-year-old said in Austin that he hopes to stay in F1, even though the 2014 driver market seems to be speeding ahead without him.
"I think it's very late, given where it all is at the moment -- but what can you do?" di Resta said.
The Scuderia Ferrari racing team was founded by Enzo Ferrari on November 16th, 1929, initially to race cars produced by Alfa Romeo.
Scuderia is Italian for a stable reserved for racing horses. As for the logo, the yellow badge represents Enzo Ferrari's hometown of Modena, while the prancing horse is derived from the symbol on World War I ace Francesco Baracca's fighter plane.
Tensions between Enzo Ferrari and Alfa Romeo (which sought control of Scuderia Ferrari) led to Ferrari's independence in 1938. The brand started building its own cars -- both for the road and the track -- in 1947.
Source: Wikipedia
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| Ferrari main entrance in Maranello, Italy. (Photo: WRi2) |
As you may be aware, Walmart authorizes people to spend the night - or even several nights - in its parking lots in an effort to boost sales. However, dozens of Americans are more than happy to take advantage of the situation, like in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Here, you can find a real community of Walmart squatters, including both overnighters and people who call these parking lots a temporary home. They sleep in cars, minivans, trucks, and RVs.
American photographer Nolan Conway met with them and took pictures of some this past summer. All agreed that they've bonded over time, not unlike vacationers at a camping site.
Source: Wired
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| Photo: Nolan Conway / Wired. |
The Chrysler 300 is getting a few upgrades for 2014, and it will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
General Motors CEO Dan Akerson says he's frustrated by the 'confusing' overlap between GM's Opel and Chevrolet brands in Europe, signaling that a major strategic shift is ahead to change the company's brand strategy in the region.
General Motors CEO Dan Akerson says he's frustrated by the 'confusing' overlap between GM's Chevy and Opel brands in Europe, signaling that a major strategic shift is ahead to change the company's brand strategy in the region.
General Motors CEO Dan Akerson says he's frustrated by the 'confusing' overlap between GM's Chevy and Opel brands in Europe, signaling that a major strategic shift is ahead to change the company's brand strategy in the region.
Hyundai will launch new versions of its Sonata and Genesis sedans and a hydrogen-fueled Tucson crossover in the United States in the first half of 2014, the automaker's top United States executive said today.
The Federal Reserve today said it does not object to a revised capital plan for Ally Financial for 2013, after it rejected the firm's initial proposal earlier this year.
Whether you drive a Tesla Model S, a Nissan Leaf or a
Hyundai is working on a 1.8-liter engine that works like a diesel, but burns gasoline.
VW is in the midst of planning an SUV surge in the U.S. market. At the Los Angeles auto show this week it will give a glimpse of one potential offering: the CrossBlue Coupe, a stylishly raked SUV concept shown in Shanghai earlier this year.
Volkswagen is in the midst of planning a SUV surge in the U.S. market, and at the Los Angeles Auto Show, it will give a glimpse of one potential offering: the CrossBlue Coupe, a stylishly raked SUV concept shown at the Shanghai auto show this year.
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17 Nov, 2013
Gran Turismo 6 car brought to life by Mercedes AMG
General Motors is recalling nearly 15,000 Chevrolet Malibu sedans from model year 2013 to check for faulty wiring harnesses that could cause a fire.
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