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  • Beneath the chaos lies a complex power struggle between generals and Islamists. The West should back

    The Arab spring

    Egypt in peril

    Beneath the chaos lies a complex power struggle between generals and Islamists. The West should back the latter

    Jun 23rd 2012 | from the print edition

     

     

    A YEAR and a half after the optimism of the Arab spring, the Middle East is in frightening turmoil. Syria is close to sliding into a full-scale civil war whose outcome is unknowable, though its bloodstained president, Bashar Assad, looks likely sooner or later to fall. Libya, mercifully shorn of its crazy tyrant, is being periodically rocked by the still-untamed militias that ousted him; its general election, scheduled for this month, has been pushed back until next. Yemen, having shed its ruling bully of 33 years, has become al-Qaeda’s favourite haunt. Tunisia, which had been gliding most smoothly from despotism to democracy, has seen riots by religious extremists (see article). Sudan’s vile government and Oman’s more amiable one have also both been rattled by protests. And in Saudi Arabia a long-lingering succession crisis is back starkly in the spotlight with the death of its crown prince (see article).

    However, the most troubling developments are in Egypt (see article), the Arab world’s most populous country. After 18 months of messy progress towards democracy, the army seems determined to reverse the march to freedom, or at least to put a heavy brake on it. If Egypt goes wrong, then democracy’s progress elsewhere in the Arab world will be far slower.

    Egypt is not, however, doomed to return to dictatorship. Turkey, where the army has reached an accommodation with moderate Islamists, points to a peaceful way out. And the West can help by making it clear that democratically elected politicians, even Islamist ones, rank above generals.

    Who’s actually in charge?

    As The Economist went to press, the power struggle between the army and the Islamists was intensifying. News that Hosni Mubarak, ousted last year after 30 years as despot, was near to death after a stroke in prison may be irrelevant to the outcome of the current power struggle. But it is a ghostly reminder of how politically moribund Egypt used to be.

    On the more hopeful side, it looks as if Muhammad Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, will still probably be declared the winner of the run-off for president, beating Ahmed Shafiq, a general and Mr Mubarak’s last prime minister; if so, President Morsi should take office by July 1st. This in itself would be a momentous event, marking the first time in Egypt that a reasonably free presidential election had been held, producing a head of state legitimised by the popular will, albeit in a polarised society. It would also be the first time in the Arab world that an Islamist president had come to power by democratic means. Mr Morsi would—it is still assumed—be empowered to appoint a government and take his place as Egypt’s democratically chosen leader on the global stage.

    But too little of this is certain. At its worst, the army could declare that Mr Shafiq has somehow won. Even if Mr Morsi’s victory is accepted, it is not clear what powers he will have. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), a cabal of a score or so of generals who became the caretaker rulers after Mr Mubarak’s fall, has never been keen to let Egypt become a fully fledged democracy. But the SCAF now seems to have gone back on its earlier promise to withdraw to its barracks. A week ago the generals told the pliable Mubarak-era judges on the constitutional court to dissolve the new parliament, which had produced a strong Islamist majority, on ridiculously technical grounds that could have been aired months ago. Now the SCAF claims the power to lay down the laws that the parliament was expected to pass and even to draw up the budget. It will also have the right to choose and direct a constituent assembly or a constitution-drafting body to produce a document spelling out the president’s powers and, presumably, new rules for fresh elections to parliament.

    These are threatening moves, but so far at least this does not seem to be a counter-revolution. Rather than a hard coup intended to snuff out the country’s evolving democracy, it is an attempt to slow and control it. The army’s priority is keeping its “special role”, its economic privileges and some of the ministries of power, such as defence and internal security, much as Turkey’s generals did in the 1990s, when they blocked a democratically elected Islamist government and continued forcibly to parade themselves as guardians of a secular order.

    If the Turkish analogy is pursued, the outcome may yet hold out hope. Turkey has suffered more than its share of coups and political violence. But those dangers have receded as the Islamists have proved moderate and popular, winning three fair elections in a row and whittling away the generals’ power. Although the “deep state”, sinister and pervasive in Turkey as it plainly still is in Egypt, lingers in the apparatus of security and repression, Turkey’s Islamists have won the moral authority to send the soldiers back to barracks, and have exercised it. If Egypt follows this path, nothing the generals have done this week will stop the march to democracy for long.

    Wield the stick, Mr Obama

    There are two canards that politicians in the West use as an excuse for ignoring the Arab spring. The first is that there is little to choose between the generals and the Islamists. This is just Mubarakism revisited. This newspaper did not want the Islamists to trounce the secular reformers, but they did. The best way to tame the Islamists, as Turkey’s experience shows, is to deny them the moral high ground to which repression elevates them, and condemn them instead to the responsibilities and compromises of day-to-day government.

    The second argument is that Egypt is too complex for the West to influence. The situation is certainly messy; but messages from the outside can be clear and strong. Frequent insistence that the army sticks to its democratic promises could make a difference. The generals thrive on American aid and are plainly nervous about seizing untrammelled power. By pressing them to negotiate with Mr Morsi over a constitution to provide for a new parliament, the United States and Europe could tip the balance in democracy’s favour.

    In Egypt’s confusion, one thing stands out: Egyptians, and Arabs elsewhere, want to run their own affairs. Kings or generals may slow progress to that end, but they cannot stop it.

    Correction: Turkey’s generals blocked a democratically elected government in the 1990s, not the 1980s as originally stated above. This was corrected on June 22nd 2012.

    from the print edition | Leaders

     

    Copyright. 2012. The Economist. All Rights Reserved

  • Europe preview quotes – Ferrari, Force India, Caterham & more21 Jun 2012

    Europe preview quotes – Ferrari, Force India, Caterham & more21 Jun 2012

    Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari. Formula One World Championship, Rd8, European Grand Prix, Preparations, Valencia, Spain, Thursday, 21 June 2012Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari. Formula One World Championship, Rd7, Canadian Grand Prix, Qualifying Day, Montreal, Canada, Saturday, 9 June 2012Paul di Resta (GBR) Force India F1. Formula One World Championship, Rd7, Canadian Grand Prix, Qualifying Day, Montreal, Canada, Saturday, 9 June 2012Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Force India F1 VJM05. Formula One World Championship, Rd5, Spanish Grand Prix, Preparations, Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, 10 May 2012Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) Caterham CT01 Formula One World Championship, Rd5, Spanish Grand Prix, Preparations, Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, 10 May 2012Vitaly Petrov (RUS) Caterham. Formula One World Championship, Rd6, Monaco Grand Prix, Preparations, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, Wednesday, 23 May 2012Timo Glock (GER) Marussia F1 Team on the drivers parade.1 Formula One World Championship, Rd7, Canadian Grand Prix, Race, Montreal, Canada, Sunday, 10 June 2012Charles Pic (FRA) Marussia F1 Team. Formula One World Championship, Rd7, Canadian Grand Prix, Race, Montreal, Canada, Sunday, 10 June 2012John Booth (GBR) Marussia Racing Team Principal. Formula One Testing, Day 2, Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, 22 February 2012Pastor Maldonado (VEN) Williams. Formula One World Championship, Rd6, Monaco Grand Prix, Preparations, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, Wednesday, 23 May 2012Bruno Senna (BRA) Williams. Formula One World Championship, Rd6, Monaco Grand Prix, Race Day, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, Sunday, 27 May 2012Mark Gillan (GBR) Williams F1. Formula One World Championship, Rd 15, Japanese Grand Prix, Practice Day, Suzuka, Japan, Friday, 7 October 2011Paul Hembery (GBR) Pirelli Motorsport Director with FanVision. Formula One World Championship, Rd2, Malaysian Grand Prix, Qualifying, Sepang, Malaysia, Saturday, 24 March 2012Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren on the grid. Formula One World Championship, Rd7, Canadian Grand Prix, Race, Montreal, Canada, Sunday, 10 June 2012Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren. Formula One World Championship, Rd6, Monaco Grand Prix, Race Day, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, Sunday, 27 May 2012Martin Whitmarsh (GBR) McLaren Chief Executive Officer. Formula One World Championship, Rd6, Monaco Grand Prix, Qualifying Day, Monte-Carlo, Monaco, Saturday, 26 May 2012Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Lotus F1. Formula One World Championship, Rd7, Canadian Grand Prix, Preparations, Montreal, Canada, Thursday, 7 June 2012Romain Grosjean (FRA) Lotus F1. Formula One World Championship, Rd7, Canadian Grand Prix, Preparations, Montreal, Canada, Thursday, 7 June 2012(L to R): Eric Boullier (FRA) Lotus F1 Team Principal. Formula One World Championship, Rd1, Australian Grand Prix, Race, Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, 18 March 2012James Allison (GBR) Lotus F1 Technical Director. Formula One World Championship, Rd1, Australian Grand Prix, Practice, Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia, Friday, 16 March 2012Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull Racing. Formula One World Championship, Rd7, Canadian Grand Prix, Preparations, Montreal, Canada, Thursday, 7 June 2012Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull Racing. Formula One World Championship, Rd7, Canadian Grand Prix, Qualifying Day, Montreal, Canada, Saturday, 9 June 2012Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) Sauber. Formula One World Championship, Rd5, Spanish Grand Prix, Preparations, Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, 10 May 2012Sergio Perez (MEX) Sauber on a cycle. Formula One World Championship, Rd5, Spanish Grand Prix, Preparations, Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, 10 May 2012Michael Schumacher (GER) Mercedes AMG F1 on a bike. Formula One World Championship, Rd7, Canadian Grand Prix, Preparations, Montreal, Canada, Thursday, 7 June 2012Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes AMG F1. Formula One World Championship, Rd7, Canadian Grand Prix, Qualifying Day, Montreal, Canada, Saturday, 9 June 2012Ross Brawn (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 Team Principal. Formula One Testing, Day 4, Barcelona, Spain, Friday, 24 February 2012Norbert Haug (GER) Mercedes Sporting Director. Formula One World Championship, Rd 15, Japanese Grand Prix, Practice Day, Suzuka, Japan, Friday, 7 October 2011Pedro De La Rosa (ESP) HRT Formula One Team. Formula One World Championship, Rd7, Canadian Grand Prix, Qualifying Day, Montreal, Canada, Saturday, 9 June 2012Narain Karthikeyan (IND) HRT Formula One Team. Formula One World Championship, Rd3, Chinese Grand Prix Preparations, Shanghai, China, Thursday, 12 April 2012

    After crossing the Atlantic from Canada, the Formula One calendar returns to the teams’ home continent – and HRT’s home country – for the 2012 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe this weekend. The Valencia Street Circuit is made up of long straights and slow corners; overtaking is a difficult challenge; and there isn’t much grip, especially towards the beginning of the weekend. The high temperatures are another key factor. Those involved discuss their prospects…

    Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
    2011 Qualifying – 4th, 2011 Race – 2nd

    “It would be nice to win here in Spain, but in a championship as tight as this, second place would also be good. On the track, I particularly like the final sector while off the circuit, I would say the atmosphere is one of the best with plenty of activities for the public, with concerts and so on and of course the beach is only 100 metres from the paddock!”

    Felipe Massa, Ferrari
    2011 Qualifying – 5th, 2011 Race – 5th

    “I like the track and even if people say it’s a street circuit, it’s not, because the major part of it is more like a permanent circuit, quite wide and not too tight. It always puts you in a positive frame of mind coming to a place where you have won before. So, I hope we can have another good weekend this time, especially given the fact our car is now more competitive in the races and also in qualifying, because we know how important your Saturday afternoon performance can be for the Sunday. You can overtake at Valencia, especially with the DRS, but starting from the front, being able to run at your own pace immediately right from the beginning, changes everything. It means you don’t get stuck behind cars that are quick in qualifying but slower in the race, which can carry a high price.”

    Paul di Resta, Force India
    2011 Qualifying – 12th, 2011 Race – 14th

    “It’s a mix between a street circuit and a normal track and it’s got a lot of corners to go with it – maybe the most corners of any circuit on the calendar. The track is very smooth but it’s tricky to get on top of the set-up and if you don’t find the sweet spot it can make quite a big difference to your lap time across such a long lap. The main challenge is to be strong in the low-speed chicanes and also through the high-speed end of the lap. There are some big braking zones too followed by big traction zones, so the degradation rate is quite high, which is why it’s hard to manage the rear tyres through the race. It’s a fun place to visit. The city has nice architecture, some great restaurants and we stay next to the beach so I sometimes go for a jog in the morning. City races usually provide a good atmosphere on race day and there are always lots of British fans who come along and show their support.”

    Nico Hulkenberg, Force India
    2011 Qualifying – n/a, 2011 Race – n/a

    “My race there in 2010 was not a particularly happy one. There was some bodywork burning away and I eventually had to retire. I’m looking forward to going back to Valencia because I like the track, even though we’ve seen how difficult it is to overtake there. The track has are a few special corners in the final sector of the lap and it’s enjoyable to drive. It’s also quite a long lap with 25 corners so it can be quite difficult to get a perfect lap together.”

    Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India team principal
    “The teams that we have been comparable with in the past few years like Sauber and Williams have been on the podium, and I’m sure our time will come, as long as we get things right. It’s something we need to do sooner rather than later because we are quickly approaching the midway point of the season. I hope we can recapture our form in Valencia, return to the points and demonstrate our potential.”

    Heikki Kovalainen, Caterham
    2011 Qualifying – 19th, 2011 Race – 19th

    “Next up it’s the European Grand Prix in Valencia. The track isn’t my favourite one of the season but it’s another great city to go to and another venue that makes the most of having F1 in town for the whole week so the atmosphere is around the whole event is great.The track itself is another temporary circuit, a sort of semi-street circuit. The track surface is very smooth and the kerbs aren’t really an issue but it is pretty stop / start, so you need to quickly find a good rhythm to manage the series of long straights that end in tight turns, and pay attention to brake wear rates and cooling. The brake cooling options we have for Valencia are similar to Canada but the track in Spain evolves much more over the race weekend than in Montreal so we’ll be looking closely at setup options that mean we can manage tyre degradation levels right through the whole weekend.” 

    Vitaly Petrov, Caterham
    2011 Qualifying – 11th, 2011 Race – 15th

    “It’s always good to get back to Valencia. It’s a city I know well as I lived there for a couple of years while I was racing in GP2 and I have good memories of racing there as I took my first GP2 win in Valencia in 2007. My F1 results so far have not been quite that good, but it’s always a good challenge and one I’m looking forward to getting back to with Caterham F1 Team. I think the Valencia race and the next one at Silverstone could be pretty positive for our team. We have a few updates coming onto the cars at the next two races, and we keep seeing how the gap to the teams ahead is closing, little by little. That is the aim this year – work as hard as we can to get to the point where we’re racing a couple of cars ahead and then see where we go from there. We were closer than ever to Q2 on merit in qualifying in Canada, so let’s see what the upgrades we’re bringing to Valencia and Silverstone help us do.”

    Mark Smith, Caterham technical director
    “The Valencia circuit presents us with a few technical challenges that are similar to a couple of the other tracks we race on. As a temporary street circuit it obviously has big grip evolution over the weekend but the track surface is pretty abrasive, so deg levels are reasonably high throughout every session on track, particularly in FP1 when the surface is very dirty and what we call ‘green’. This means we not only need to manage tyre usage, so we have enough sets of new tyres for race day, it also means we have to work very closely with Renault Sport F1 on maximising traction and giving the drivers setup options that mean they can attack the traction zones after each braking point with confidence. With DRS engaged I suspect we will see similar levels of overtaking to 2011. The difference this year for us is that we expect to be much closer to the cars ahead than we were last year, giving us a chance perhaps to put one of our cars into Q2 and giving the drivers a real chance to race on Sunday. We have a couple of quite significant updates coming in Valencia and Silverstone – we will take a look at a number of new aerodynamic elements in Valencia as well as some minor modifications to the floor, and even though we will not know exactly what they will give us until we get out on track, we are cautiously optimistic they will help us keep edging ever closer to the midfield.” 

    Tony Fernandes, Caterham team principal
    “These are very exciting times for everyone associated with Caterham F1 Team and the wider Caterham Group. At the next two F1 races, in Valencia and Silverstone, we will see the fruits of the hard work being done by everyone at the factory with a number of important upgrades on the cars. While we are honest enough with ourselves to know that these upgrades alone will not be enough to force our way into the midfield pack, we do know it is a statement of our intent to join the group just ahead that we are updating the car at the same rate or even more quickly than our rivals. We have the people and resources in place to achieve our goal of scoring a point this year, and we are edging ever closer to a group of cars that is now tantalisingly close. The F1 team can take inspiration from our GP2 team who had a slightly slow start to the season, but have forced their way into fifth in the teams’ championship and have helped to put Giedo van der Garde into third in the drivers’ standings after he became the first GP2 driver to record a podium in both races in Monaco. They are working incredibly hard in a similar fight to their F1 colleagues, taking on established teams in a series that reqards experience, precision and risk-taking, and their recent run of success is just reward for the efforts the whole team is putting in.”

    Timo Glock, Marussia
    2011 Qualifying – 21st, 2011 Race – 21st

    “Valencia is another street circuit, one that is different to Monaco but which is still very special in its own way in my view. It’s been a great track for me; I think I’m still the lap record holder and it would be nice if it could stay that way a bit longer. Canada was not the best weekend for us and we have to start to get on top of things and have a better weekend. This is normally a very hot race so it’s a tough one for the drivers, but we should all have the fitness level to cope with that aspect of the challenge. I’m looking forward to the weekend ahead and hopeful of a better outcome.”

    Charles Pic, Marussia
    2011 Qualifying – n/a, 2011 Race – n/a

    “The Valencia Street Circuit is a track I have performed well at in GP2 and last year I achieved pole position there. I am optimistic that this will give me a good headstart this weekend, despite this being my first time round in an F1 car, so I should be able to spend less time learning the track and more time focusing on fine-tuning the car balance. I like the track; it’s very interesting and challenging, and although it’s another street circuit, they have all been very different in terms of the characteristics, which has been quite fun. I feel that we’ve had a bit of bad luck in recent races, but I am hoping that Canada marked a turning point and we can look forward to some improved results from here.”

    John Booth, Marussia team principal
    “It’s good to be back in Europe and to be embarking on the next batch of important races. Two of these are ‘home’ Grands Prix – Silverstone for the team and Hockenheim for Timo – and generally we are working hard to improve our performance level before the official summer break creates a natural hiatus for all of the teams. We took a step back in Canada, where our low downforce package was not working well for us. Having spent a great deal of time poring over the data from Montreal, we are hopeful that we can regain some of that ground in Valencia this weekend, starting with an improvement in our qualifying performance in respect to our race pace, in order to improve our prospects on race day. This is by no means a straightforward race. The combination of the requirement for good braking stability and traction, coupled with the higher temperatures we typically experience and the significant level of track evolution over the course of the weekend all present an interesting but tough challenge. Both drivers have performed well in Valencia in the past and seem to have the measure of the track, so we hope they will be able to reap some of the benefits of that experience this weekend.”

    Pastor Maldonado, Williams
    2011 Qualifying – 15th, 2011 Race – 18th

    “Valencia is a challenge for the drivers because it combines a street circuit that’s used by regular road cars throughout the year with sections of regular race track so it can be tricky to achieve the ideal set up. The layout is quite quick with some long straights but there are also some slow corners so finding the right balance will be crucial to doing well. We’re constantly developing the car and it is showing good long run consistency at the moment and hopefully we can improve on the last couple races and pick up some good points.”

    Bruno Senna, Williams
    2011 Qualifying – n/a, 2011 Race – n/a

    “Street circuits are always challenging for a driver and Valencia is certainly no different, requiring decent straight line speed combined with an efficient braking system to cope with the heavy braking areas. Our pace in Canada was not really reflective of the cars potential, but we’ve been working hard to understand the reasons why and hopefully we can put that behind us and gain a stronger result here.”

    Mark Gillan, Williams chief operations engineer
    “Following the last two sets of race results we are keen to continue to demonstrate our team’s improvement and ensure both cars come home in the points. Valencia proves a difficult track for both driver and car and with the expected large track evolution throughout the weekend tyre management will once more be crucial. Pirelli bring the medium and soft compounds to this race, a pairing that was last used in Bahrain. The track layout places a lot of stress on the braking system and the high ambient temperatures, coupled with a lower than average mean speed, forces one to open up the cooling package.”

    Remi Taffin, head of Renault Sport F1 track operations
    “It’s actually a big challenge to get the engine mapping right for Valencia as the corners are so similar. Ten corners are taken in first, second or third gear, and if you get one corner wrong then you will be at a disadvantage for the rest of the lap. Typically delivering this driveability at low torque and mid revs is one of the strengths of the Renault engine as our engineers are adept at tuning drive maps to deliver torque smoothly to help the driver control slip ratio and tyre wear.”

    Pirelli
    Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director

    “Valencia could not present a bigger contrast to the street circuits that have come before it: the track is faster and the temperatures higher, with plenty of energy going through the tyres. What it has in common with the others is the difficulty of overtaking, which will put the emphasis on qualifying. So we are expecting a fairly straightforward race, with either two or three stops depending on which tactics the teams use – although one team tried a one-stopper last year as well. The weather should be consistently warm throughout the weekend, which should lead to fewer variables in terms of temperature, so there probably won’t be many big surprises to emerge. We’ve used the combination of soft and medium tyres more than any other line-up so far this year, as it has shown itself to be a perfect compromise between performance and durability, allowing drivers to show their speed when they need to but also benefit from longer stints in the race.”

    Jenson Button, McLaren
    2011 Qualifying – 6th, 2011 Race – 6th

    “Canada was just one of those weekends where things didn’t come together – after some difficult races, I really needed the track time on Friday to find a clearer direction with the set-up, and, unfortunately, that didn’t happen due to a number of technical issues. And I think that set the tone for the rest of the weekend: we lacked the data we needed to tackle the race and we struggled. Still, there were important lessons to be learned from those issues, and we addressed everything back at MTC once we’d returned from Canada in a bid to get a clearer direction for Valencia next weekend. A day like that is enormously productive and I think we covered a lot of ground. The last few races haven’t delivered the results I’d like, but there are still 13 races to go. We’ve had seven different winners and no clear championship leader has emerged, so I’ll be looking to get a decent result under my belt next weekend in order to get my title bid back on track. I know just how strong Vodafone McLaren Mercedes can be. Valencia is a track I really enjoy; I’ve already won on a street circuit this year so I’m definitely optimistic about having a great weekend and picking up the momentum again in the title fight.”

    Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
    2011 Qualifying – 3rd, 2011 Race – 4th

    “My win in Montreal was obviously an extremely satisfying moment for me – but, actually, it does very little to alter things in the world championship. Firstly, while it’s always pleasing to be leading the championship, I’m only two points ahead of Fernando [Alonso] – which is nothing, particularly when there are a handful of really strong drivers all separated by a couple of points, so there’s still everything to play for. Secondly, the intensity of this year’s championship means there’s so little breathing space – we may have won in Canada, but there’s an enormous amount of pressure to keep racking up good results at every Grand Prix. I think that consistency, rather than individual strong results, will be the key to winning this world championship, so we need to back it up in Valencia with another strong result. The circuit is quite tough – it’s a very technical track, with lots of slow- to medium-speed corners that require good traction and set-up as well as lots of precision. Towards the end of the lap, the track gathers speed and opens up, the sweepers leading to the pits are actually incredibly fast, and they’re all about correct placement of the car to ensure you’re well placed for the following corner. That’s probably the most satisfying part of the lap. People are always asking me to predict what will happen at the next race and I always tell them it’s really difficult to make an accurate prediction – but I’ll be heading to Valencia feeling super-motivated to get another strong result and maintain my momentum before we head into Silverstone and the Santander British Grand Prix.”

    Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
    “Victory in Montreal last weekend was extremely satisfying, and, while you’re only as good as your last result in F1, it’s done nothing to quell our determination ahead of next weekend’s European Grand Prix – which has traditionally been an extremely tough event. The city itself is an exciting edgy blend of the classical and the ultra-contemporary, and, as such, a perfect locale for one of Formula One’s newest races. Given that the delta between ourselves, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG and Red Bull Racing is so narrow, we’ll once again be pushing hard on both our operational and technical fronts to ensure we stay at the front. As always, we aim to bring at least an additional one-tenth [of a second] lap time benefit to each race, and we’re pushing hard to ensure we can over-deliver on that on as regular a basis as possible. It may sound like a negligible increment, but it could prove to be the difference between winning and losing the world championship. It’s certainly feasible that this year’s title could be won by a driver who scores only two or three Grand Prix wins, but who reinforces those victories with the most consistently solid approach. So, whereas in previous years, there was an emphasis on the ‘big’ results, this year it seems that minor points placings could provide a decisive edge in the title battle.”

    Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus
    2011 Qualifying – n/a, 2011 Race – n/a

    “Valencia is a street circuit, but the layout is not like Albert Park, Monaco or Montreal. It’s definitely the fastest track of these four. It’s likely to be hot and we seem to go well in warm conditions so that’s what we’ll be hoping for. Qualifying is going to be very, very important again here. Obviously, there will be an advantage to starting on the clean side of the track as the streets are only used as a circuit once each year. It’s not an easy place to overtake and we’ll have to see how much help the DRS will be. Valencia is all about being very consistent. It’s so easy to lose time with small mistakes. I love winning and that’s what I’m always trying for. I’ve never won in Valencia, so it’s a good target. Last time I raced in Valencia I finished in third after starting from sixth on the grid which was not too bad.”

    Romain Grosjean, Lotus
    2011 Qualifying – n/a, 2011 Race – n/a

    “I made my Formula One debut here in 2009, so it brings back good memories and it’s a circuit I like anyway. There’s always a great atmosphere too; the city centre is obviously very close, and the America’s Cup harbour is a really nice place to go. The track itself it quite interesting; there are a few second / third gear corners, some high speed sectors, heavy braking zones and usually good weather too so on paper it’s a circuit that could suit us quite well. Hopefully this will be the case!

    “Strategy will be quite different here I think; it won’t be one stop like in Montreal that’s for sure! It’s usually been very hot here in the past so combined with the rough track that’s often led to a three-stop strategy. Hopefully we’ll have consistent conditions throughout the weekend so we can get as much experience as possible before the race.

    “I had a podium in the first GP2 race here in 2008 and was leading the second race until somebody took me out! Then I managed to win in 2011, so it’s a circuit I’m comfortable with for sure. It definitely helps to know the track already as it usually takes less time to get up to speed and you have a rough idea of where the braking points, turn ins and so on will be. Of course, Formula One is always a bit different but at least I have some guidelines going into the weekend.

    “We have to go into every weekend aiming for a win; approaching a race in any other way is like putting yourself on the back foot from the start. I’m mainly hoping for an improvement in qualifying, a good start and then we’ll see what happens from there. It’s great to be fighting at the front and that’s always what we want to do, but we’re in a tight battle this season so of course the most important thing is to score some good points again for the team. If we have a strong weekend from the start then I think we are capable of fighting for a podium or even a win. We’ll see after qualifying where we are; hopefully we can get another good result!”

    Eric Boullier, Lotus team principal
    “The tyres will be different, with the soft and medium compounds available. We’ll have to get used to these again. This said the track temperature should be high, the surface is more abrasive than Montreal, and there are also more corners per lap. All this could suit the E20 quite well. This said, we need to improve our qualifying pace and also the way the car performs when the temperature drops. We’ve got some ideas already. Some of them will be implemented in Valencia and we’ll see how it goes.”

    James Allison, Lotus technical director
    “Valencia is not exactly famous for challenging corners, but it definitely has a few more than Canada. The tarmac on the streets of Valencia is a little big rougher and it tends to be roasting hot at this time of year; these are all factors which tend to suit us. Montreal was one of the circuits I had concerns about in terms of playing to the strengths of the E20, but we ran pretty well there. Hopefully with Valencia being more in our direction we can produce another good result. We’re generally looking forward to the summer, but having said that it’s not as if we need the temperature to be scorching. Forty degrees track temperature, as we’d expect to see in Valencia, is not a roasting hot track by any means; it can get a lot warmer than that. I honestly don’t believe there’s been a race this year where we’ve been incapable of getting a podium on merit. Let’s hope Valencia proves to be the same.”

    Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull
    2011 Qualifying – 1st, 2011 Race – 1st

    “In Valencia, we drive an average of more than 200kph, which means it’s one of the fastest street circuits in Formula One. Overtaking is possible, but only with some risk. The reason is that the air turbulence created by cars driving closely behind each other doesn’t disappear as it normally would due to the high walls around the track; you lose grip and, in some extreme cases, you have to lift the throttle. The start-finish straight in Valencia is special because it‘s not very long, it turns into a fast right corner which we take at 290kph.”

    Mark Webber, Red Bull
    2011 Qualifying – 2nd, 2011 Race – 3rd

    “Obviously it’s very difficult to predict how we might go in Valencia, as we’ve clearly seen with seven winners and plenty of different podiums. Our main goal is to improve our positions in both championships, so personally for me in the Drivers’ Championship and of course the team is looking to keep a good margin in the Constructors’. I know everyone in Milton Keynes has been working incredibly hard in between the two races.”

    Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber
    2011 Qualifying – 14th, 2011 Race – 16th

    “In Valencia it is usually very hot. I personally like that, but it is difficult to say what it means for the car and the tyres. It will be tough, that much is certain. Tyre management will be the key, together with a good race strategy. The street circuit also requires a decent amount of downforce for the car. You are always quite close to the walls, but after our last two races in Monaco and Montreal this is nothing new. Overtaking is not easy but not impossible either. In 2010 it was actually good fun. Valencia as a city is a nice destination by many measure, I would happily choose it for my holidays. By the way, you can also get the best fresh squeezed orange juice there. However, my target is a strong qualifying as well as a strong race.”

    Sergio Perez, Sauber
    2011 Qualifying – 16th, 2011 Race – 11th

    “I enjoyed the Montreal result very much and I want more of that. I like the track in Valencia a lot and also the atmosphere during the race weekend, as we are quite close to the fans. I don’t have the best memories of my Formula One debut race in Valencia, as it was last year and a very difficult one for me. I was returning to racing after my heavy shunt in Monaco and, in hindsight, I have to admit I don’t think I was fit enough. I didn’t feel well at all. The Valencia street circuit has quite long straights with hard braking into the corners, and what we have learnt from Montreal will be important for that.”

    Giampaolo Dall’Ara, Sauber head of track engineering
    “Valencia is a street circuit, but not a typical one, because the surface is very smooth, and the kerbs are not very high. In addition, the aerodynamic efficiency is significantly more important than, for example, in Monaco or Singapore, and there are proper run-off areas. Most of the corners are slow, but you cannot ignore the level of top speed. As a result of this layout, braking stability and traction are very important. In Valencia we have to expect high temperatures at this time of the year, so the tarmac can get very hot. Pirelli is supplying us with the medium and the soft compound tyres, which have changed a bit since last year and may need us to look at a slightly different strategy for them. Rear degradation could be an issue. Overtaking is not easy on this track, therefore qualifying is of particular importance. The car is basically unchanged since Montreal, however, we might run a higher level of downforce.”

    Michael Schumacher, Mercedes
    2011 Qualifying – 8th, 2011 Race – 17th

    “Our entire focus is now on the race in Valencia, and I am sure that everybody’s motivation is even stronger because the weekend in Canada didn’t go as well as we had hoped. Our motto in the last few days has been to roll our sleeves up and focus on the job in hand; everybody in the team has taken that approach to heart, so we can travel to Valencia in an optimistic mood. The harbour area is particularly nice and, given its location, the circuit is also really interesting, so let’s see how we can perform there. You can still feel some of the atmosphere from the America’s Cup in Valencia, which makes this race a special event that we always enjoy taking part in.”

    Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
    2011 Qualifying – 7th, 2011 Race – 7th

    “Valencia is a pretty cool city and it’s always nice to visit there. The track is another street circuit but it’s quite a unique one as it is quicker and has a more open feel than somewhere like Monaco or Singapore. The layout is also kind of like Montreal so it should be a circuit which suits our car. I was at the factory this week and I know how hard everyone is working to improve the car, so we will hope for a strong weekend in Valencia to repay all of their efforts.”

    Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal
    “The calendar returns to Europe next weekend with our visit to the Valencia Street Circuit in Spain. The performance of our car and our tyre management were generally good in Canada, however our competitiveness was compromised by reliability problems and mistakes.
    This is a disappointment that is deeply felt by everyone in our team, and we have been working hard to ensure we understand the reasons and deal with them. Achieving zero-defect reliability is our highest priority. The opportunities available if we can give both drivers a reliable car and a clean weekend are clear.”

    Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
    “The European Grand Prix will be the third consecutive race on a temporary circuit after Monaco and Canada. Seven corners are taken below 100 km/h but straight line speeds are similar to Canada, and the cars brake from over 285 km/h to under 100 km/h on five different occasions around the lap. The weather is usually hot and sunny, which is naturally reflected in high track temperatures. Nico’s race and his lap times in Canada, where track temperatures exceeded 40 degrees, showed that our car can cope well with such extreme conditions when running the appropriate set-up. Our priority for the next race is to achieve the same standard of reliability for Michael’s car that we have seen so far this year with Nico’s, who has completed all racing laps so far this season. Since his win at the Chinese Grand Prix on 15 April, no other driver has scored more points than Nico. The target is to continue that trend.”

    Pedro de la Rosa, HRT
    2011 Qualifying – n/a, 2011 Race – n/a

    “Just like in Barcelona, I’m really looking forward to racing in front of our home fans in Valencia. At the Valencia Street Circuit we will encounter high air and track temperatures so the brakes will be put through their paces once again, but we’re confident we can make the necessary modifications to overcome the problems we experienced in Canada. Valencia has long straights but overtaking isn’t easy and it is a high-downforce track. I think we can do quite well here, although it’s not as favourable to our car as Canada, because there are a lot of braking areas and slow corners which are good for us. We’re looking forward to putting in a good performance in front of our fans and we want to continue with our progress from the last few races, where we’ve been at a good standard, but here we want to confirm this improvement in the race.”

    Narain Karthikeyan, HRT
    2011 Qualifying – 24th, 2011 Race – 24th

    “Valencia will be our third street circuit in a row, and our team’s second home race. It is our second visit to Spain in just about five weeks but the circuit is as different as it could be compared to Barcelona. It shares some characteristics with Montreal and Monte Carlo, like emphasis on low-speed traction so I expect our car to do well here. Apart from that, it is a beautiful place and weather is pretty hot, just like India, but the track itself isn’t a huge challenge. Yes the walls are close but the adrenaline factor isn’t close to Monaco or even Montreal. But on the back of the promise we showed in Canada, I’m looking forward to the race and hopefully we’ll have a chance to build on it this time.”

    Luis Perez-Sala, HRT team principal
    “We’re looking forward to racing in Valencia, as it will be the second time we do so at home this season. In Canada we were quick and performed well but were unable to finish the race. In Valencia we want to confirm this progress and achieve a good result, plus doing so in front of the Spanish public is even more special. I think that the characteristics of this circuit adapt well to our car and I hope we have good reliability and finish the race with a positive result.”

    More to follow.

    For tickets and travel to 2012 Formula One races, click here.
    For Formula One and F1 team merchandise, click here.

     

     

  • DROPPED NAMES Frank Langella and the Affairs He Experienced in His Life.

    National General Pictures/Getty Images

    Frank Langella in a scene from the 1971 film “The Deadly Trap.”                           

     

    DROPPED NAMES

    Famous Men and Women as I Knew Them

    By Frank Langella

    356 pp. Harper/HarperCollins Publishers. $25.99.

     

    April 20, 2012
     

     

     

    By ADA CALHOUN

    DROPPED NAMES

    Famous Men and Women as I Knew Them

    By Frank Langella

    356 pp. Harper/HarperCollins Publishers. $25.99.

    Judging by this satisfyingly scandalous new memoir, Frank Langella has slept with, been propositioned by, or at least swapped dirty jokes with a breathtaking swath of stars over his illustrious half-century career. Each of the 65 chapters in “Dropped Names” offers a no-holds-barred eulogy somewhere between mash note and carpet-bombing. The collection paints Hollywood and Broadway as teeming with vulgar, neurotic and irresistible company, and Langella as relentlessly affable in the face of nonstop groping by famous people in far-flung locations. He ambles into history and falls into notable beds like some kind of sexy Forrest Gump or beefcake Zelig.       

    On Cape Cod, Noël Coward hits on him in the presence of President and Mrs. Kennedy. In Arizona, filming a TV remake of “The Mark of Zorro,” Yvonne De Carlo (better known as Lily Munster) plays Langella’s mother by day, and by night treats him “like a pretty girl in the back seat of a convertible on a hot summer night.” In the south of England, on location for “Dracula,” Langella flashes Laurence Olivier through the doorway of their adjoining suites, calling, “Oh professor, see anything you like?” He and Jill Clayburgh come “dangerously close to a tumble,” and backstage they and Raul Julia become “a pulsating Oreo cookie with nothing remotely chaste about where our hands and mouths wandered.” The book’s subtitle should be “Bad Girls Go Everywhere,” although Langella is no girl — as Anthony Perkins rather bluntly attempts to verify one night in a dressing room.       

    Aside from a little coyness about his intimate relationship with Jackie Onassis, Langella pulls very few punches. Richard Burton is “a crashing bore”; Yul Brynner is paranoid and imperious; Rex Harrison, a “son of a bitch”; Lee Strasberg, “arrogant and insufferable.” Langella is “flattered and somewhat perversely titillated” when Elia Kazan makes a pass at his girlfriend in an effort to break him down, but of Kazan’s other bad behavior, before the House Un-American Activities Committee, he says, “I have always felt that talent such as his doesn’t give you rights.” Langella recalls sitting with his hands folded when Kazan received a standing ovation at the Oscars.       

    Luckily for others, Langella is as enthusiastic as he is vicious. He celebrates Robert Mitchum’s “carefree, rangy masculinity,” Roger Vadim’s “devotion to physical pleasure,” and Paul Newman’s “original and mesmerizing” beauty (although he does call him “dull” and note that he didn’t have “much of a behind”). Langella saves his highest praise for women of a certain age — that age entitling one to a discount at the movies. Loretta Young in her late 70s was “breathtaking . . . very attractive.” Brooke Astor in her late 90s was “ultra­feminine and alluring” — and in Langella’s company not shy about relating how she lost her virginity. He waxes philosophical about his on-set affair with Rita Hayworth when he was 34. It was her last film. She was 20 years older and suffering from alcoholism and early Alzheimer’s, yet, “in the candle’s light and fire’s glow,” Hayworth “once again becomes the Goddess.” If this memoir doesn’t make the book club of every seniors’ home in America, then there’s something wrong with the Greatest Generation.       

    While never boring, “Dropped Names” is in places more sketch than oil painting. The ode to Princess Diana, whom Langella never met, is a weak link, as is his opening chapter on Marilyn Monroe, which leads with the generic: “Remember when everything meant so much?” There are a few distracting repetitions, including at least 10 variations on the phrase “minimal makeup.” (Perhaps he’s spent so much time surrounded by stars in greasepaint that whenever he sees a woman’s pores, he exults.) But the book’s stylistic imperfections add to the sense that you’re reading the uncensored diary of an indefatigably social and curious man, a modern-entertainment-industry Samuel Pepys. Narcissistic? Sure. He grants that he was especially “selfish and obstreperous” in his youth. But he’s inspiringly game.       

    The word “slut” has been invoked in the public discourse as an ugly slur. But Langella’s book celebrates sluttiness as a worthy — even noble — way of life. When Bette Davis wants to have “racy phone conversations . . . rife with foreplay,” he agrees, because how could you not? When Elizabeth Taylor says, “Come on up, baby, and put me to sleep,” who is he to resist? (He does make her chase him first.) By his cheerful debauchery, Langella reveals something certain commentators have obscured: sluts are the best — hungry for experience and generous with themselves in its pursuit. He talks about how joyful it was in his 20s to “throw some scripts, jeans and a few packs of condoms into a bag,” and head out to do plays and bed theater ­apprentices.       

    There is so much happy sexuality in this book that reading it is like being flirted with for a whole party by the hottest person in the room. It’s no wonder Langella was invited everywhere.       

    Ada Calhoun is a co-author (with Tim Gunn) of “Gunn’s Golden Rules,” the author of “Instinctive Parenting” and a frequent contributor to the Book Review

     

    Copyright. 2012. The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfOmDmXT02c&feature=player_detailpage

  • F1 culture embraced in the Lone Star State

    BUSINESS: Formula Expo introduces Formula One to Austin
     

    F1 culture embraced in the Lone Star State

    Austin, Texas has officially become a Formula One town, according to more than 15,000 racing fans that strolled through the Formula Expo Saturday and Sunday.

    The crowd was a mix between passionate fans and interested newcomers, but even children left the center with a better understanding of the spectacle that is F1.

    Close to 10,000 had visited the 2012 Formula Expo by Saturday evening, and Austonites are notorious latecomers, said Ian Weightman, Formula Expo founder and president.

    People are leaving here with a different view of Formula 1, and it’s positive.

    Ian Weightman

     

    To Weightman, a 40-year-fan of F1 racing and creator of formula1austinblog.com, the event represents more than racecars and live music. He wanted fans to experience and appreciate all aspects of F1 culture.

    “I didn’t think I was the one to do it, I was just saying it should be done,” Weightman said. “I don’t think you can have just cool cars. You’ve got to educate people about the history of it, and you’ve got to have live music and a place to grab a beer while the kids play over there, or it just wouldn’t have engaged as many people.”

    Weightman wanted the event to represent all the elements that fans could see at a race weekend.

    James Lancaster and Ciera Brown of Wimberley, Texas drove nearly an hour to visit the expo. Lancaster grew up in Detroit, and his father worked for Ford Motor Company. He attended multiple Detroit Grand Prix in the 1980s, and has been a lifelong fan of racing. Lancaster said he was elated when F1 “followed” him to Austin.

    “[Formula 1] is in my blood. I’ve got to go,” he said of the Expo and the upcoming US Grand Prix.

    Lancaster has been a longtime fan, but many in Austin are new fans of F1. Weightman felt an expo was the best way to introduce fans to the history, technology and passion that define the sport.

    1980 Ferrari 312T5 on display
    1980 Ferrari 312T5 on display

    Photo by: Ellis Goodwin

     

    “People are leaving here with a different view of Formula 1, and it’s positive,” Weightman said.

    He wanted fans to experience and find a new appreciation for F1 they cannot gather from television coverage.

    Fans could feel Pirelli rubber and the weight of a Formula 1 wheel while changing tires. They could closely study the intricacies of every machine on hand, including championship winners 2010 Red Bull RB6, campaigned by Sebastian Vettel, 2000 Ferrari F1-2000, campaigned by Michael Schumacher, and the 1978 Lotus Type-79, campaigned by Mario Andretti.

    The vintage F1 cars on hand were not show pieces, rather they continue to race, and they race hard, said Bud Moeller, driver of the 1980 Ferrari 312T5 on display.

    “We call ourselves the world’s fastest rolling museum,” he said. “But, we get out there are run wheel to wheel…We’re pushing awfully hard.”

    The cars have scarred bodywork, drip oil and balled up rubber from the last race sticks to the Avon tires.

    Moeller said racing the cars is the best way to display the heritage and bespoke nature of the cars, but he admits he uses curbs liberally and races hard from green to checker.

    Moeller’s Ferrari and various other cars from the Historic Grand Prix series are slated to race sometime during race week in November. This is a points scoring championship, and Moeller said every driver is anxious to test the limits of their cars at COTA for a race win.

    Mario Andretti's 1978 world championship Lotus Type 79 John Player Special
    Mario Andretti’s 1978 world championship Lotus Type 79 John Player Special

    Photo by: Ellis Goodwin

     

    Representatives from COTA were on hand to field any questions regarding the venue and ticket sales, which have been selling at an astonishing rate, said Chase Buford, a sales consultant for COTA at Legend Sales and Marketing.

    “They’ve been selling so quickly,” Buford said. “Our reserved grandstands sold out in just a few days and we’ll be adding more.

    More than 15,000 grandstand seats could be added in the coming weeks to meet the demand for tickets, he said.

    Formula Expo’s success and recent ticket sales figures show that Austin was the right choice for F1, but Weightman said more events and fan engagement are the key to F1 taking a major foothold in the U.S. He said that future expos will be held at COTA and there will be an even higher level of interest by teams, F1 personalities and fans alike.

    Photos of the event

     

    Copyright. 2012. motorsport.com All Rights Reserved

  • Can Formula 1 capture the imagination of U.S. sports fans?

     

    Story Highlights

    Formula 1, the world’s most popular motor sport, is coming to the New York area

    Two-time champ Sebastian Vettel was in the area to drive the course on Monday

    Mario Andretti says that stability is key in helping F1 build an American audience

     
    Test driving Jersey
    Source: SI
    Two-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel tests the course for next year’s Grand Prix of America along the scenic Hudson River in New Jersey.

    Two-time defending Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel poses in New Jersey this week to promote next year's race.
    Two-time defending Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel poses in New Jersey this week to promote next year’s race.
    AP

    WEEHAWKEN, N.J. — The scenery outside the window blurs as Sebastian Vettel, the 2010 and 2011 Formula 1 world champion, pushes the Infiniti IPL G37 Coupe toward 100 mph. in a 35-mph zone, drifting onto the wrong side of the road, flouting stop signs, cutting lanes, and generally taking full advantage of the police escorts blocking intersections and keeping the local streets clear.

    The 24-year-old German superstar is here to promote the Grand Prix of America, the new F1 race that will run along the Hudson River waterfront through the New Jersey towns of West New York and Weehawken starting in June 2013. Today he’s taking several media members on test drives of the 3.2-mile course, which runs along existing public streets from the Port Imperial ferry terminal, up 150 feet along the New Jersey Palisades and back down to the river.

    “It will give people a chance to really have a look, see the cars, feel the cars, hear the noise, to feel Formula 1,” says Vettel of the circuit’s effort to drum up interest stateside, while effortlessly negotiating a series of sharp turns and cutting wide around a cluster of parked vehicles. “That’s the best thing you can do, better than talking and stuff like that.”

    Vettel explains the course is far from finished — he enjoyed a laugh at the speed bumps along the rocky palisade ascent — but could see the potential for top-flight racing once complete. “I’ve been to Manhattan and it’s rather flat, but I’ve not been in New Jersey before,” he says. “You have bumps naturally built in and even if you resurface the whole track you still have these bumps — it’s part of the track, it gives the circuit a bit of soul.”

    As if Vettel’s ability to carry a conversation in British-flecked English while hugging downhill turns at 60 mph isn’t impressive enough — fielding questions on the potential of F1′s popularity in America and his impending appearance on Letterman (“I know he’s a big race fan”) — the finale surely is.

    • Click here to see a high-res PDF of the race course (Warning: large file)

    After taking the final hairpin turn and accelerating south toward the ferry terminal — straightaway speeds are projected to reach more than 200 mph — Vettel fires up the rear tires and performs several tire-screeching doughnuts to the delight of onlookers, leaving a scorched-rubber aroma that lingers a half-hour later. In the rear-view mirror, he allows a wry but genial grin.

    New Jersey may sound like an improbable fit for the fabled open-wheel circuit that includes such exotic locales as Monte Carlo, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur, but F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has long fancied an American foothold for the world’s most popular motor sport. Formula 1, which claims more than a billion fans, is the No. 1 sport worldwide in revenue produced per event — and there’s little doubt the world will be watching even if the Grand Prix of America fails to meet the organizers’ three-day attendance projections of 100,000.

    “I think to have a true world championship, you need to be in America,” said David Coulthard, a former F1 driver who is now a BBC commentator and Red Bull Racing team consultant.

    The New Jersey race is one of two F1 events set to debut on American soil in the 12 months. The latest incarnation of the United States Grand Prix will take place on Nov. 18 at the brand-new Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

    “Can the U.S. support two Formula 1 races? I think so,” says Mario Andretti, the racing icon who is acting as an ambassador for the the Austin event. “From a prestige standpoint, the U.S. needs to host Formula 1. And I think Formula 1, they know they need the U.S. as well. So many companies that are global are based in the United States support Formula 1.”

    The only person to win the Indy 500, the Daytona 500 and an F1 world championship, the 72-year-old Andretti is bullish about F1′s potential despite America’s crowded sports marketplace. He says that stability is the key to long-term success.

    “It’s about getting fans to look forward to these events for the forseeable future, not to have an event today and tomorrow and then it disappears,” Andretti says, a nod to the peripatetic United States Grand Prix, which took place in Watkins Glen, N.Y., from 1961 until 1980, with subsequent events in Long Beach, Calif., Las Vegas, Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix. It was last held at Indianapolis in 2007, the race where, coinicdentally, a 19-year-old Vettel made his series debut.

    Five years later, Vettel is a global superstar — the holder of a growing number of “youngest” Formula 1 records — as the world’s most popular form of motor sport readies for a American reapproach.

    “I didn’t know when I woke up this morning what to expect, but it is truly unique,” Vettel said Monday of the New Jersey course, which he compared favorably to the revered Spa track in Belgium but “with less trees, more houses.” Lead promoter Leo Hindery, a founding chairman and former CEO of the YES Network, said formalization of the 2013 schedule will take place “later this month” with the New Jersey race taking place directly after the Grand Prix of Canada.

    Noting the elevation change, waterside setting and winding city streets, Vettel likened the New Jersey course to the famous Circuit de Monaco, home to F1′s most storied tour stop. Yet Formula 1 is very much a TV sport and the instantly recognizable cityscape of Manhattan is what could elevate next year’s Grand Prix of America to iconic status.

    “Just look around,” Vettel said, motioning to the New York skyline, “there’s no comparison in the world. Monaco is very special for us, it has a lot of history, etc. But I think this race is going to be very, very great, and very soon will be one of the races that every driver wants to win.”

     

    Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/bryan_armen_graham/06/14/f1.america.vettel/index.html#ixzz1yE4K2YlC

     

    TM & © 2012 Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved

    Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/bryan_armen_graham/06/14/f1.america.vettel/index.html#ixzz1yE60LLSn

  • Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovic will carry flags at London Olympics

    Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovic will carry flags at London Olympics

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    Maria Sharapova Olympics

    New No. 1 Maria Sharapova will carry the Russian flag in the Olympic opening ceremonies. (AP)

    It’s been a pretty good couple of weeks for Maria Sharapova. First she overtakes Victoria Azarenka to become the new WTA No. 1, then she wins the French Open, thus completing her career Grand Slam, and now she’s confirmed that she’ll have the honor of carrying the Russian flag in the opening ceremonies of her first Olympic Games.

    A day after conflicting reports surfaced over whether the Russian Olympic Committee had indeed nominated Sharapova for the role, Maria did what all 21st century athletes do these days: she broke news via social media. The 25-year-old, who was born in Siberia, took to Facebook toconfirm the news.

    “I can share some exciting news with you,” Sharapova wrote. “After the third round of the French Open, I woke up to a pretty memorable message. The Russian Olympic committee chose me to be the flag bearer at this years Olympic opening ceremony. I am so honored, and especially excited as it will be my first Olympics in my career.”

    Sharapova will be the first female tennis player to have the honor and she’s the second tennis player to be officially confirmed as an Olympic flag bearer this year (though Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are both in the running as well), joining fellow No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who will fly the flag for Serbia. Most notably, she’ll be the first Russian woman to ever serve as an Olympic flag bearer, a distinction that has raised a few brows (two-time gold medalist Yelena Isinbayeva would seem a more obvious choice, but given the late timing of the pole vaulting competition she may choose to skip the opening ceremonies). Most know Sharapova’s origin story by now: born in Nyagan, a small city in western Siberia, she left the country at seven years old with her father, Yuri, to come to America in order to play tennis. She eventually enrolled at Nick Bollettieri’s academy in Florida, signed by IMG when she was eight years old, and has made the States her home ever since.

    The jokes about Sharapova’s “Russian-ness”, or lack thereof, have come quickly and on one level, they’re understandable. Earlier this week, Slate’s Josh Levin jokingly claimed America finally had a Slam breakthrough. “We’ve heard so long about the sorry state of American tennis on the men’s and women’s side,” Levin joked during a podcast. “But I am going to claim Maria Sharapova for America. America just won a Grand Slam. She’s been living in the United States since she was seven years old, she plays for Russia, but in my heart she’ll always be an American.” This sentiment doesn’t just come from Americans. Russians often consider her more American, too.

    But through it all, Sharapova has remained adamant about keeping her Russian passport, and really, doesn’t that actually make her more patriotic? Isn’t there something admirable about Sharapova’s desire to hold on to her Russian roots and honor her ancestry? Look, if Maria Sharapova wanted to be an American citizen and fly Old Glory, she could have done so. And if you look at it from a marketing perspective, she must be leaving a lot of money on the table by keeping the “RUS” next to her name. So credit to her for staying loyal to her roots and to the Russian Olympic Committee for not holding her “American-ness” against her. Because apart from Isinbayeva, whose participation in the opening ceremonies is up in the air, I can’t think of any other Russian woman who would be more deserving.

     Copyright © 2012 Time Inc. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved

  • Traditionally built Caribbean Carriacou Sloop for sale.

    From the Blog of my personal friend, Eli Fuller, who was born and raised on the idyllic Island of  Antigua, where beautiful beaches, and azure water, combined with epic trade winds, make Life often more like a  fantasy than a reality.
    In this post I am sharing here, Eli is offering a very special type of sailing Vessel. Please contin ue reading, and if need be, send me a message, and I will return to you asap.
    Yours Always,
    Michael
    Traditionally built Caribbean Carriacou Sloop for sale.