IndyCar’s Indianapolis 500 - VIDEO: Final Lap Accident of J.R. Hildebrand

Dan Wheldon emerged as surprising triumphant in the 100th anniversary edition of IndyCar’s Indianapolis 500 for the second time after the leader J.R. Hildebrand struck a wall in the final lap of the race.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won Monaco Grand Prix 2011 after a Close Finish (Celebrating Moments in Pictures)

MONACO – German Formula One Driver Sebastian Vettel having a wonderful season taking his tally to five wins out of six races this season with the latest victory today (Sunday/may 29) in Monaco Grand Prix. 

Red Bull’s Vettel achieved the latest victory over Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button in a thriller in which many drivers couldn’t succeed to finish.

Michael Schumacher, seven-time former champion, was among those who failed to finish the race; along with Ferrari's Felipe Massa, and Vitaly Petrov, whose Renault was involved in the late crash that halted the race.

Sebastian Vettel, defending F1 Champion, had only one loss in this season against McLaren's Lewis Hamilton beat him in China.

It is the best performance of the season for second placed Fernando Alonso who happened to be the two-time Formula One champion. However, Jenson Button will surely be frustrated by losing the race after coming so close to be victorious again in Monaco.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won Monaco Grand Prix 2011 (Celebrating Moments)

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won Monaco Grand Prix 2011 (Celebrating Moments)

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won Monaco Grand Prix 2011 (Celebrating Moments)

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won Monaco Grand Prix 2011 (Celebrating Moments)

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won Monaco Grand Prix 2011 (Celebrating Moments)

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won Monaco Grand Prix 2011 (Celebrating Moments)

German F1 driver Sebastian Vettel wins Monaco Grand Prix 2011 followed by Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button

MONACO – German Formula One Driver Sebastian Vettel having a wonderful season taking his tally to five wins out of six races this season with the latest victory today (Sunday/May 29) in Monaco Grand Prix. 

German F1 driver Sebastian Vettel enjoys season's 5th victory winning Monaco GP

Red Bull’s Vettel achieved the latest victory over Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button in a thriller in which many drivers couldn’t succeed to finish.

Michael Schumacher, seven-time former champion, was among those who failed to finish the race; along with Ferrari's Felipe Massa, and Vitaly Petrov, whose Renault was involved in the late crash that halted the race.

Sebastian Vettel, defending F1 Champion, had only one loss in this season against McLaren's Lewis Hamilton beat him in China.

It is the best performance of the season for second placed Fernando Alonso who happened to be the two-time Formula One champion. However, Jenson Button will surely be frustrated by losing the race after coming so close to be victorious again in Monaco.

Leading positions after race (78 Laps): 

 

1 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 2hr 09mins 38.373secs
2 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari 2:09:39.511
3 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren 2:09:40.751
4 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 2:10:01.474
5 Kamui Kobayashi (Jpn) Sauber-Ferrari 2:10:05.289
6 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren 2:10:05.583
7 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India at 1 Lap
8 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) Renault at 1 Lap
9 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Williams at 1 Lap
10 Sebastien Buemi (Swi) Scuderia Toro Rosso at 1 Lap
11 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP at 2 Laps
12 Paul di Resta (Gbr) Force India at 2 Laps
13 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Lotus F1 at 2 Laps
14 Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) Lotus F1 at 2 Laps
15 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Bel) Virgin Racing at 3 Laps
16 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) HRT-F1 at 3 Laps
17 Narain Karthikeyan (Ind) HRT-F1 at 4 Laps
18 Pastor Maldonado (Ven) Williams at 5 Laps

Matt Kenseth took the checkered flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway - - HGHLIGHTS: Top Gear 300 (May 29)

Watch highlights of the Top Gear 300. Matt Kenseth took the checkered flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway..

Courtesy: Gamut News

New Red Bull F1 Car Unveiled by Sebastian Vettel And Mark Webber

New Red Bull  car for the 2011 Formula 1 season was unveiled on Tuesday by World champion Sebastian Vettel and team-mate Mark Webber.

Vettel and Webber took a blue cover off the RB7 model in the pit lane of the Valencia track before the start of pre-season testing.

 The German Vettel became the youngest F1 champion last year at age 23 when he stole the title from Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso in the last race. Australia’s Webber came third on the championship and Red Bull also won the constructors’ title.

Red Bull’s sister team Toro Rosso and Mercedes with record champion Michael Schumacher were also set to present their 2011 model Tuesday in Valencia.

Ferrari were the first to show off their new car last Friday at home Italy. Title contenders McLaren and their former world champions Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton will unveil the 2011 model Friday in Berlin.

The first round of testing was due to start later Tuesday ahead of the 20-race season from March 13 in Bahrain onwards.

First Arab Champion of the World's Toughest Rally - - Qatar's Nasser al-Attiyah Clinched the Dakar Rally

Qatar's Nasser al-Attiyah clinched the Dakar Rally on Saturday, ending two years of heartache on the gruelling event, while defending champion Carlos Sainz was left with the consolation of taking the 13th and final stage.

Versatile Al-Attiyah, who helped Qatar to a shooting gold medal at the Asian Games last November and has also appeared at the Olympics, had virtually wrapped up the title on Thursday when Sainz's hopes were shattered by a broken suspension.

Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar drives his Volkswagen Touareg during the seventh stage of Dakar Rally 2011.

That cost the former double world rally champion, a Volkswagen teammate of the Qatari, 80 minutes in lost time.

Victory also helped ease Al-Attiyah's misery of being disqualified in 2009 before being edged into second place by Spaniard Sainz in 2010 in a bad-tempered finale when the two men had a spectacular falling out.

"We drove a good, clean stage. I was just thinking about the finish line. It means a lot to win a Dakar, for me, for my people, for my country and for my team," said Al-Attiyah.

"It is a great victory. We demonstrated that we have the strongest team in the world. It is the third time the team has won a Dakar. It is also the biggest moment in my career."

Al-Attiyah had started the final stage, a 181km timed run from Cordoba, with a 48-minute lead over South African teammate Giniel de Villiers and was never troubled.

He finished 38sec behind Sainz, who claimed a record 24th stage win, on Saturday.

De Villiers was fourth on the day, 1min 58sec behind the Spaniard, to finish 49min 41sec behind Al-Attiyah in the overall standings.

"Before racing a Dakar, you know it will be tough. All Dakar raids are tough. It's like that. This is how the race goes," said Sainz.

"After two tough weeks, there is nothing left to say. I gave it my very best shot."

Spaniard Marc Coma won his third Dakar motorcycling title while Dutch rider Frans Verhoeven won the stage.

Coma, 34, had been virtually assured of the title going into the stage and rode his KTM carefully to finish 2min 16sec adrift of BMW rider Verhoeven.

"That is a lot of work and sacrifices that have gone into winning the Dakar from myself and the backroom staff, " said Coma.

"It has cost me a lot. I have had a good year. We gave the bike its debut and worked on it for over a year. I have had a really good team at the Dakar, and I haven't experienced the slightest problem.

"I am happy and emotional, but that is normal, no? It has been a long journey, a lot of built-up tension. And now I have profited from it."

France's defending champion Cyril Despres, also on a KTM, gained 1min 32sec on Coma on the stage but still finished more than 15min adrift whilst Chilean rider Francisco 'Chaleco' Lopez was third 1hr 40min behind the Spaniard.

"This special is different if you are in first place as it was the case last year... then you want the race to be shorter. When you are second, you would want the race to be longer," said Despres.

"But anyway, the feeling of finishing a Dakar is always nice especially here with all the people welcoming you. I am sad I could not do better than this though I have raced 11 Dakars, won 3 and ended 8 times on the podium.

"One more would have been great. But I just could not do any better. I made some mistakes; they were two small mistakes but they held some heavy consequences."

SEBASTIAN Vettel Dismissed Teammate Mark Webber's Conspiracy Theories

With two races to go and Red Bull dominating in practice for tomorrow morning's Brazilian Grand Prix, Webber claimed the team was emotionally favouring the young German, describing his 14-point lead over Vettel as "inconvenient" for the team.

Team principal Christian Horner dismissed the comments, the two men having a heart-to-heart in the paddock at Interlagos, with Webber appearing animated.

Vettel hit back, telling German television station RTL: "If Mark needs help, then he should take the medical car."

Talking after practice, Webber was quick to deny he would leave the team after this season.

"It is OK. I think there were a few comments which I don't think was a big surprise to people, but it is fine in the team. Absolutely fine," he said.

"I have a very good relationship with the right people to give me technically a great chance to do a very good job, and that is the most important thing."

Asked if he believed that Red Bull was emotionally rooting for him, Vettel said: "No. Obviously a lot of things have been said or written.

"Everyone has his own opinion, but for me we both have the same chance every weekend to do well.

"The team supplies us with a very good car and that's ultimately the situation that you want to be in, having a car where you can win races and fight for podiums.

"But do I think there is any conspiracy in the air? No. It's the last thing I think about."

Trailing Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso by 11 points in the championship race, Webber played down the importance of being outpaced by Vettel and insisted he was happy with the performance of his car.

"He went a bit later and it's pretty close," Webber said.

"I think it is pretty even at the moment.

"The track was in pretty good shape straight away, so we could get down to work.

"We are not too sure what will happen weather-wise, but ... we are pretty quick, so it was a good day."

In fourth place in the title race, 25 points behind, Vettel remained cautiously optimistic, insisting it was too soon to declare the Red Bulls favourites for the race.

"It looks like it was a good start," Vettel said.

"The car feels all right and I am not 100 per cent happy yet, so we can still improve it and then we see."

Alonso finished the first day of practice third fastest, despite engine troubles in the opening session.

His Ferrari teammate, Brazilian Felipe Massa, managed the fifth fastest time.

Briton Lewis Hamilton, of McLaren, was fourth fastest, while teammate and defending champion Jenson Button, struggling with grip, could only manage the seventh best time.

Alonso leads the title race with 231 points from Webber on 220, Hamilton on 210 and Vettel four points further adrift.

Alonso can raise the trophy if he wins tomorrow morning's race (3:00 a.m. Melbourne time) and Webber finishes fifth or worse.

Chinese Grand Prix - - Jenson Button Celebrated "Best Victory"; Takes The Lead in the Formula One World Championship

Jenson Button was today celebrating his "best victory" after winning a thrilling Chinese grand prix, his second win in three races, to take the lead in the Formula One world championship. It was a one-two for McLaren's British pair as Lewis Hamilton stormed to second place ahead of the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg.

While Button, the world champion, produced another smooth drive in the rain and led for most of the race it was another dramatic afternoon for the 2008 champion, Hamilton, who again had to carve his way through heavy traffic. He was reprimanded by stewards for dangerous driving, along with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, after their cars clashed in the pit-lane following a tyre stop.

"As far as I'm concerned, I thought it was OK," said Hamilton. "The team were waiting for quite some time and they waited until it was the right time. But as I came out I noticed Sebastian was there – he was pushing me a little bit to the right and we touched wheels."

Vettel blamed Hamilton for the incident. "At the stop I was ahead. I don't know why he pulled to the left and was keen to touch me," said the German. "His front wing was at my rear wheel. I hoped I didn't get a puncture from that – I don't really understand why he did that as I was a bit ahead of him and had the advantage. He didn't have to make contact."

There were no complaints from Button after the ninth win of his career. As in his previous victory in Melbourne, he called his tyre stops right while Hamilton got it wrong after McLaren had let their drivers make the decision; Button made only two pit stops, Hamilton four. "For me it is my best victory," he said. "Every one you win becomes your best victory but this was pretty tough conditions.

"The good thing is our pace was very good today. It wasn't just the call of weather, it was good pace. At the end we were two seconds a lap quicker than other people.

"Staying on dry tyres was the right thing. You would not think it as it was raining quite a bit. We got a lot of grip from those tyres, we just had to be a little careful because every time you arrived at a corner it was in a different condition from the previous lap, either better or worse.It was definitely the right call and when the team called me in for inters that was the right call as well because the tyres had started graining."

The two McLaren drivers embraced after the race and Hamilton, who was twice involved in thrilling overtaking manoeuvres to pass Michael Schumacher, seemed just as delighted. He said: "I am very happy that we have got a one-two and, hopefully, that is the first of many. It was definitely an exciting race.

"I just felt every time I made up places, somehow I would lose them again. It was a very, very hard race but I am very happy with the result. To climb up to second was a great result and I am very happy."

Rosberg finished third, as he had in Malaysia two weeks ago, and is second behind Button in the drivers' standings. But it was another bad day for Schumacher, his team-mate, who was 10th.

Qatar Grand Prix - - Valentino Rossi Starts The Season With a Victory and Determined to Defend His MotoGP World Title

DOHA: Valentino Rossi began the defence of his MotoGP world title with victory in the floodlit Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday after Australian Casey Stoner crashed out early on.

The Italian took the lead on the sixth of 22 laps when Stoner, who had started on pole position and was chasing his fourth successive Qatar win, fell while holding a two second advantage.

From there Rossi controlled the pace, pulling clear of the pack only in the final few laps to win the night race at the Losail circuit by 1.022 seconds.

"A great way to start the season for us, for me, for my team, for Yamaha," said the Italian. "Another first and second and these 25 points in this track are like gold for us, for our championship.

"I think it was from 2005 (that) I didn't win the first race (of the season), so we try to continue like this."

Rossi's Yamaha team mate Jorge Lorenzo worked his way through the pack to finish second.

The Spaniard, riding with stitches in his right hand after an accident in testing, took third place from Ducati rider Nicky Hayden on the 20th lap and then went up the inside of Honda's Andrea Dovizioso on the final lap to give his team the one-two.

"I struggled a lot at this track with the sliding and I was riding at the limit physically and also on my riding style," he said.

"At the end I did the maximum I can to overtake Hayden and Andrea. I am also very tired. This second position is fantastic and also the victory of Vale for Yamaha is perfect."

Hayden passed Dovizioso two turns from the end, but the Italian powered past down the front straight to take the final podium spot by .011 secs.

"It was a strange thing, because to overtake a rider inside at the last corner is not normal," said Dovizioso. "But (Hayden) made a small mistake so I can exit in the same level and my bike in the straight is so strong, so fast so I can get to the podium."

Japanese rider Shoya Tomizawa became the first rider to win a Moto2 race, the class which replaced the 250cc World Championship.

The 19-year-old gave no indication of his potential in 2009, with 10th his best finish, but he put on a masterclass on the Honda-powered Suter chassis.

Starting ninth on the 41-rider grid, Tomizawa took the lead on the sixth of 20 laps and never gave it up as he went on to win by 4.656 seconds.

Spaniard Alex Debon stole second place from Frenchman Jules Cluzel six turns from the end of the race.

Nicol Terol began the night's action by leading a Spanish sweep of the first four places in the 125cc race for a tactically brilliant third career win.

The Aprilia rider was among the seven strong leading pack when he hit the front on the 15th of 18 laps with the fastest race lap and went on to win by 2.395. Efren Vazquez and Marc Marquez filled out the podium, with Pol Espargaro a close fourth.

The next race is the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi in two weeks' time.

Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang: Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel Wins, Lewis Hamilton Sixth, Jenson Button Eighth

Sepang (Malaysia), Apr 4: Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won his first Formula One race of the season, as he overcame his car's reliability issues in the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang on Sunday.

Vettel, whose car cost him potential wins in Bahrain and Australia, overtook team-mate and pole-setter Mark Webber on the first lap after a flying start and held on to triumph.

"It was a very good result for us. After two races where we didn't finish where we did not want to, it was very crucial not to panic. With Mark in second place, it is a big plus for the team. I'm very, very happy," The Times quoted Vettel, as saying.

Mercedes' Nico Rosberg took third and claimed the other podium spot, but it was a disastrous race for his team-mate Michael Schumacher, who retired after 10 laps whilst in sixth position with suspension problems.

Renault's Robert Kubica continued his impressive start to the season to finish fourth, followed by Force India's Adrian Sutil, who successfully held off McLaren's Lewis Hamilton to secure fifth.

Ferrari's Felipe Massa finished seventh, while reigning champion Jenson Button, who won last week's Australian Grand Prix, finished eighth in his McLaren.

The other Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso retired after having an engine failure on the penultimate lap.

Massa is at the top of the championship standings after three races with 39 points, in front of Alonso and Vettel, who have 37.

Britain's Jenson Button Wins Australian Grand Prix, While Australian Hope Mark Webber Crashes

Britain's Jenson Button claims his second Australian Grand Prix, while local hopeful Mark Webber has a day to forget.

McLaren’s Jenson Button survived a first-corner collision and successfully gambled on a bold tire strategy to win a thrilling Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.



Button was the first driver prepared to change from intermediate tires to slicks on a drying track, and drove the final 52 laps on a wearing set of soft tires to claim back-to-back race victories in Melbourne.

Button, the 2009 Formula One world champion, tangled with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso at the first corner, and he inherited the lead just before the halfway point when the pole sitter and race leader Sebastian Vettel ended up in a gravel trap after the brakes on his Red Bull car failed.

Renault’s Robert Kubica was 12 seconds behind in second place, driving doggedly to hold off faster rivals and finish ahead of Felipe Massa and Alonso.

Button changed to slicks when the track was still damp, carefully navigated while he got heat into his tires and was rewarded with a victory in his second race with McLaren.

“I thought it was a terrible call initially,” Button said. “I thought it was a catastrophic mistake. Once I got it going and up to speed, the pace was pretty good. It was the right call, and I am very happy.”

If fortune favored Button, it deserted Vettel, who for the second straight race was let down by a mechanical failure while comfortably leading. RAIN PUSHES BACK I.R.L. RACE With several inches of water pooling on many sections of the low-lying track, the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (Fla.) was postponed a day after a band of thunderstorms pounded the course for much of the afternoon.

Rain began falling at the 1.8-mile street circuit just before 1 p.m. Eastern, and a band of strong storms arrived about 90 minutes later. The race was rescheduled for 10 a.m. Monday.

SPRINT CUP RACE POSTPONED Nascar’s bad weather luck at Martinsville Speedway reared its head again as rain forced the postponement of the Sprint Cup race until noon Monday.

It is the second year in a row that rain pushed an event into the work week at the track in southwest Virginia. Last spring, the truck series event had to be run on a Monday.

Rain also has washed out Sprint Cup qualifying for the past three spring races, putting the points leader Kevin Harvick on the pole for the race.

Mark Webber, Australian Formula One Hope, Takes Swipe at Australian Nanny State

Australia's great Formula One hope Mark Webber has launched a stinging attack on the "nanny state" that exists Down Under.

Just hours before Webber takes to the grid at Albert Park with his best chance to post his maiden Australian Grand Prix triumph, the two-time Grand Prix winner says the country has changed significantly since he left for Europe.

In an apparent swipe at former F1 champion Lewis Hamilton being caught by police doing a burnout in his car in Melbourne on Friday night, Webber said, half-jokingly, that he'd spent the past few days "... dodging the ridiculous speeding and parking (rules) and all the nanny-state country that we have down here in Australia".

Hamilton, who is driving for McLaren, had his Mercedes impounded by police under Victorian anti-hoon laws for an incident as he was leaving the circuit.

"I think we've got to read an instruction book when we get out of bed - what we can do and what we can't do .... put a yellow vest on and all that sort of stuff," Webber said.

"It's certainly changed since I left here. It pisses me off coming back here to be honest.

"It's a great country but we've got to be responsible for our actions and it's certainly a bloody nanny state when it comes to what we can do.

"And Lewis has found out very quickly," Webber said, referring to Hamilton's run-in with police.

Webber left Australia for England in the late 1990s, chasing his dream of becoming a Formula One driver.

The Australian has qualified second behind his teammate Sebastian Vettel for today's race.

Nur Ali: ARCA Series Driver Will Compete in The April 16 Running of The Rattlesnake 150 - - A Pakistani Origin Texan Going for Glory

His name doesn't sound all that Texan or Fort Worth.

But anybody who grows up playing behind a cash register in a convenience store on Rosedale in Stop Six is about as Cowtown as it gets.

"I'm a Texan," said Nur Ali, an ARCA Series driver who spent Tuesday testing his car at Texas Motor Speedway for next month's Rattlesnake 150. "I love this state. Texas has given us a lot of opportunities."

Ali was 8 when his father, newly arrived in Texas with his family, found a store to operate in the southeast Fort Worth neighborhood. His parents hardly knew any English. He and his 5-year-old brother knew not a word, only the Urdu they had learned in Pakistan, where they were born, and German, because they spent part of their childhood in Europe.

Their father spent so much time in his new store trying to learn the business that the boys went weeks without seeing him at home.

"He'd go in at 6 in the morning, come home at midnight, and of course, my brother and I would be asleep when he left and asleep when he came home," Ali said. "My mom used to bring us to the store for a couple of hours after school so we could see him."

Now Ali will get a chance to make a mark in the town where his parents made their mark. The Rattlesnake 150 will be the 35-year-old's first chance to race at TMS as he tries to build a track record in stock cars.

He has only two major sponsors: Budweiser and Tara Energy, a Houston electricity company, along with his dad's Dallas company, A to Z Wholesale, where his start in the convenience store business led him.

If Ali can get the money to race more ARCA events, he'll do it. The Rattlesnake 150 is the only one he's sure of. He didn't have enough to race at Daytona. But he understands why potential sponsors might shy away from a Pakistani-born driver.

"My background shouldn't be an issue. I'm an American. We all come from somewhere," he said. "This country has given me and my family everything we have. If a corporate sponsor gave us an opportunity to represent them, I think we could do a lot for them. When we go into a board meeting, trying to explain ourselves, it's always, 'Yes, yes' -- they're excited. But they come back with an answer, and it's no for whatever reason.

"But my father always taught me to not give up. When he left Pakistan in 1969 at age 18, he was basically homeless. He came to this country with just a few dollars. And now he's a successful businessman, my brother's a lawyer. I'm going to keep at it. I've got two great sponsors in this market that believe in me, so we'll keep at it. Something will come out of it."

Ali hopes he can at least get some name recognition in Tarrant County. He's a 1993 graduate of Euless Trinity, his parents now live in Southlake, and he's lived in Fort Worth since 2005. The only time he hasn't lived in Texas in the past 27 years is when he went to school at American University in Washington, D.C.

"When I found out in late November that the ARCA Series was going to be at Texas, for the first time since '98, my family and I were just ecstatic," he said. "We started discussing with our local sponsors to see if we could put together a program for the Texas race. My sponsors have been supportive for many, many years, but when we got a chance to run at home, they said let's see what we can do."

Michael Schumacher Signed Deal to Return to Formula One Racing With Mercedes GP for the 2010 Season

BERLIN: Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher said Wednesday he has signed a deal to return to Formula One racing with Mercedes GP for the 2010 season.

Having retired in 2006, Schumacher, who turns 41 on January 3, will reportedly be paid seven million euros to be on the grid when the new season starts with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 14.



“After a three-year break, I have all the energy again that I was lacking,” Schumacher told a teleconference with reporters after signing the contract late on Tuesday.

Schumacher had been due to make a remarkable return last season for Ferrari — for whom he acted as a consultant after retiring — as a replacement for the injured Felipe Massa but was unable to because of a neck injury.

But the German said on Wednesday the pain was behind him.

“My neck is no longer a problem,” Schumacher said. “Over the summer it was too soon after the accident. Now everything has healed.”

The pilot will return to Formula One having won 91 of his 250 Grand Prix races and started in Pole Position 68 times.

Schumacher will be linking up with Mercedes’s team principal Ross Brawn, who was the brains behind all of his world titles.

The German won the first of his World Drivers’ Championship titles at Benetton in 1994 and was successful with the Italian team again in the 1995 season.

In 1996, he transferred to Ferrari where he proved virtually unbeatable between 2000 and 2004, winning five further world titles. There will be huge interest in the impact Schumacher and Brawn will have now for Mercedes.

It will be 1239 days after Schumacher’s last Formula One race in Sao Paulo at the Brazilian Grand Prix in October 2006 and he joins Mercedes in an all-German racing team after compatriot Nico Rosberg, 24, signed up last month.

Schumacher’s signature is a major coup for Mercedes, who raced under the Brawn GP banner last season, and a blow to his former stable.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo admitted last week he is distraught at the prospect of losing Schumacher to a rival team.

Di Montezemolo started working with Schumacher in 1996, when the German joined the Italian constructor from Benetton. It was the Italian who first suggested to Schumacher he stand in for the injured Massa after the Brazilian’s horrific crash at the Hungarian Grand Prix in July.

“It was me that rekindled his desire to race after Massa was injured in Hungary,” the Ferrari chief had said.

Di Montezemolo admits he would have liked to see Schumacher back in a Ferrari but with Massa and Fernando Alonso already on their books for next season he simply could not offer the German a drive.

Fifty-two Cars on The Preliminary Entry List For Ford 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Fifty-two cars are on the preliminary entry list for Saturday’s Ford 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Included on the list is the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of series points leader Kyle Busch, who will clinch the Nationwide championship when he takes the green flag.

Also on the list is Roush Fenway Racing's Carl Edwards, a fellow Sprint Cup driver who is second in the Nationwide point standings.

Other Cup drivers entered are Denny Hamlin for CJM Racing, Matt Kenseth for Roush Fenway, Joey Logano for JGR, Jeff Burton for Richard Childress Racing, David Reutimann for Braun Racing, Ryan Newman for Kevin Harvick Inc., Joe Nemechek for Nemco Motorsports, Paul Menard for Yates Racing and Scott Speed for Michael Waltrip Racing.

Other drivers competing with full-time teams this weekend are Mike Bliss for Phoenix Racing, Mark Day for Day Enterprises Racing, Erik Darnell for Roush Fenway, Justin Marks for Braun, Ken Butler III for R3 Motorsports, Scott Wimmer for Key Motorsports, Chase Miller for JTG Daugherty Racing, Kenny Hendrick for Specialty Racing, Blake Koch for MacDonald Motorsports, Johnny Chapman for MSRP Motorsports, Terry Cook for MSRP, Dennis Setzer for K Automotive Motorsports and Michael McDowell for K Automotive.

Other part-time drivers entered include Kelly Bires for JR Motorsports, Parker Kligerman for Penske Racing, Kevin Hamlin for Baker Curb Racing and Todd Bodine for Smith-Ganassi Racing.

Toyota Is Pulling Out of Formula One Racing Due To High Costs - - Announced By Toyota; World's Largest Automaker

Toyota is pulling out of Formula One racing, the world's largest automaker announcing Wednesday that it needs to cut costs and focus on its core business.

"Based on the current economic environment, we realize we have no choice but to withdraw from Formula One," Toyota president Akio Toyoda said at a news conference. "This has been a very painful decision for the company."

Toyota follows Honda Motor Co. as the second major Japanese automaker to withdraw from the sport in the last 11 months. Honda pulled out last December amid worsening economic conditions. Brawn GP, which took over the old Honda team, won the 2009 F1 championship.

Toyota officials called the withdrawal from F1 complete, making a return to the sport when and if conditions improve unlikely.

Toyota, the world's largest car manufacturer, is seeking to cut costs as it expects to post an operating loss for the six months ended Sept. 30. It is due to report earnings Thursday.

The company posted its worst ever loss in the financial year at the end of March.

Like other Japanese exporters, Toyota has been hurt by a strong yen. The dollar has recently hovered around 90 yen. Toyoda, grandson of the company's founder who became president this year, has vowed to avoid a third straight year of losses.

On Monday, Japanese tire manufacturer Bridgestone Corp. announced it would not renew its exclusive deal to supply tires for F1 when its contract expires in 2010.

That announcement came one day after the 2009 F1 season concluded with the Abu Dhabi GP.

In July, Toyota-owned Fuji International Speedway announced it would not host the Japanese F1 GP from 2010 and beyond amid the faltering global economy.

Fellow Japanese automakers Subaru and Suzuki pulled out of the World Rally Championship ahead of this season, citing concerns about the global economic crisis.

Toyota made its F1 debut in 2002 but never won a grand prix. The team's best result was in 2005 when Jarno Trulli finished second in Malaysia and Bahrain.

Toyoda said the team's poor results were not a factor in the decision to leave the sport.

"Our decision would not have changed even if we had a victory," Toyoda said. "The fact that we are unable to give our drivers a chance to compete is very sad."

Despite a promising start to the 2009 season, Toyota finished fifth in the constructors' standings.

Trulli and Timo Glock raced for Toyota this season. Trulli finished eighth in the driver standings and Glock was 10th.

Kamui Kobayashi filled in for an injured Glock in the last race of the season and posted a sixth-place finish at Abu Dhabi.

Japanese manufacturers have supplied engines to various constructors over the decades, as well as operating their own teams. Toyota's withdrawal will mean that for the first time in eight years there will be no Japanese constructor on the grid for the 2010 F1 season.

The withdrawal will also leave just three manufacturers in F1 — Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault — as well as open the way for the Sauber team to become the 13th team in next year's championship.

Ryoichi Saito, an auto analyst at Mizuho Investors Securities Co. Ltd., said Toyota's move underscored a severe slump in the global auto market.

"The withdrawal from F1 is part of Toyota's cost cutting efforts amid a global downturn," Saito said.

"The company can no longer stay in costly F1 while making massive losses. Toyota's decision means that the company wants to invest more in hybrid vehicles rather than F1," he said.

Despite leaving F1, Toyoda said the company is excited about the future.

"Eco-friendly cars are our top priority," Toyoda said. "I have called for Toyota to service our customers one at a time with exciting vehicles that meet our customer's needs."

Formula One Team Brawn Almost Certain to Retain F1 Champion Jenson Button For The Next Season - - Said Ross Brawn

LONDON - Formula One Team Brawn’s owner, Ross Brawn, has said that reigning F1 champion Jenson Button is almost certain to be with them for the next season.

Button had taken a 5 million pound pay cut- to 3 million pound a year - to race for Brawn this season after former team Honda pulled out in December. He even paid for most of his flights and hotel bills en route to the top of the drivers’ championship.

When asked if he was 100 per cent sure Button will stay, Brawn said: “You’re never 100 per cent - but I’d say 99 per cent. Jenson’s obviously a great driver, so he’s got to be a target. We want Jenson to stay in the team, and I think we’ll find a solution.”

“Jenson has a contract with us. But that contract is not the salary of a world champion, not the salary of a team that is in a much stronger position than it was 10 months ago. We’re working with Jenson to find a balance between what we can afford and what he feels is fair for his status,” The Sun quoted Brawn, as saying.

Brawn further said that he expects to have the situation cleared within three weeks.

“We’ve set a target of two weeks after the last race to get this concluded. But maybe it’ll happen before then,” Brawn said.

“We have a great relationship with Jenson and he has been a wonderful part of the team and his race performance has been exemplary,” he added.

Recently Crowned Formula 1 Champion Jenson Button Happy to Proceed With Brawn For The Next Season

LONDON — Newly-crowned world champion Jenson Button says he wants to stay with the Brawn Formula One team next season and will discuss a new deal within the next few days.

Button’s fifth place finish at Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix secured his first world title and also the first for the team created by Ross Brawn.

Arriving back in Britain, Button said Tuesday he was not looking for a bigger team which would pay him more money but preferred to stay with the English-based team. He said: “I want to be with Brawn. We just haven’t discussed it yet.”

37-year-old Brazilian Rubens Barrichello Won Pole Position on His Home Soil in Brazilian Grand Prix

SAO PAULO: Rubens Barrichello here Sunday won his home Brazilian Grand Prix to keep alive his challenge for the drivers world championship.

The 37-year-old Brazilian claimed pole position Saturday for the 71-laps race after an extraordinary storm-hit three hours qualifying session that played havoc with worldwide television schedules.

The local hero's last-gasp fastest lap for the Brawn GP team not only enabled him to outpace nearest rival Mark Webber of Red Bull, but also set up his first triumph in his home event at his 17th attempt.

Backed by not only the crowd, aware that Barrichello grew up at Interlagos and began his career in the shadow of the great Ayrton Senna, but also his father, his family and many friends in the paddock, he has been followed by cheers and goodwill all weekend.

A victory would not only be universally well received, but also enhance his prospects of staying in the title fight with Brawn GP team-mate and championship leader Briton Jenson Button starting down in 14th place on the grid, just ahead of the third man in the scrap for glory, German Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull.

Button needs to make the podium to wrap up the title and after a struggle in the treacherous and madcap conditions on Saturday he was left with a major challenge if he is just to score points.

Barrichello, on 71 points in the title race, is 14 behind his team-mate and needs to make up at least five if he is to keep his challenge alive ahead of the season-closing race in Abu Dhabi on November 1.

Given that Webber has been fuelled for an opening stint two laps longer than Barrichello's, it is quite possible that the Australian could win the race for Red Bull.

If that happened, and Barrichello was second, scoring eight points, then Button would need at least to finish fifth to take the title. If Barrichello manages to beat off Webber's challenge and win, then Button must rise from 14th to third.

In either scenario, it is a difficult job for Button who may well be hoping that the forecast for more stormy weather and torrential rain proves to be accurate. If that happens, and the race is reduced to a lottery, one, or all three, of the title contenders, could finish pointless - and the championship would be settled by the Brazilian climate.

Historical End At Brazilian Grand Prix - - Back-to-back Formula One World Drivers’ Titles For Britain's Jenson Button

Jenson Button claimed back-to-back Formula One world drivers’ titles for Britain for the first time in 40 years after a composed drive in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The 29-year-old from Frome finished in fifth place, but ahead of his Brawn GP team-mate and nearest rival Rubens Barrichello, who led for the first 21 laps before fading badly in the later stages and then being further hampered by a puncture.

It was the fifth successive season that the Interlagos circuit produced decided the title, with Lewis Hamilton being crowned world champion here just 12 months ago. Brawn also claimed the constructors' title to make it a double celebration for the British team.

Mark Webber in the Red Bull drove a near faultless race to take the victory, with Robert Kubica in the BMW Sauber second and Lewis Hamilton third.

The safety car was deployed after an incident-packed first lap at Interlagos. Adrian Sutil in the Force India collided with Jarno Truli, forcing the retirement of both drivers. The Italian remonstrated forcefully with his rival by the side of the track as their damaged cars were lifted out of harm’s way.

Fernando Alonso was also forced out, while Webber clipped the front wing of Kimi Raikkonen, with the Ferrari managing to limp back to the pits.

All this was good news for Button, who took up ninth place behind the safety car having started from a very disappointing 14th position on the grid.

Barichello, Button’s Brawn GP team-mate and his only serious challenger for the world title, made a fantastic start and there was a huge roar from the home crowd as he reached the first turn in the lead from pole position.

Heikki Kovalainen pitted at the end of lap one, but left with the fuel hose attached, spilling fuel over the pit lane and causing Raikonnen’s car to go up in flames, though only momentarily. Both drivers were able to continue and none of the mechanics were injured in what was a scary moment.

Button, though, was a man on a mission, driving superbly and aggressively in the early stages after the safety car left the track. The Frome driver made a masterly overtaking manoeuvre to get past Romain Grosjean’s Renault and squeezing past Kazuki Nakajima on the following lap.

But the inexperienced Kamui Kobayashi, getting a drive in the Toyota with Tino Glock having a cracked vertebrae in his back, proved more of a problem.

Button was unable to get past the Japanese driver, before finally making his move on lap 22. The Briton got past before locking his brakes and having to give way before finally getting past for good on the following lap.

Barrichello looked to have the race in his grasp in the early stages, setting fastest lap after fastest lap, before things took a turn for the Brazilian after he pitted. Barrichello came out in seventh place and was immediately passed after a bold move from the other man still in with a chance of the world championship, Sebastian Vettel.

Mark Webber took the lead of the race, just in front of Button, who had yet to stop, and was mightily impressive from then on, while Barrichello continued to struggle with a heavy fuel load.

Near the middle of the field, Nakajima made a spectacular exit, colliding with the back of the inexperienced Kobayashi as he left the pits.

As the race progressed, it appeared that Barrichello lacked the pace to get the win he needed to realistically keep his hopes alive and a late collision with Hamilton resulted in a puncture. He returned to the conflict in eighth, but in truth he knew his race was run.