Hulkenberg off to Sauber

Force India‘s Nico Hulkenberg says he cannot wait to get started after it was confirmed he is joining Sauber for the 2013 Formula 1 season (Hulkenberg 25/1 – First Driver To Retire – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with bet365).

The German is leaving Force India and is now looking forward to playing his part in the future of the Swiss-based team, who are losing Sergio Perez to McLaren.

Hulkenberg said: “The team is currently going through a very positive development and I’m certain that together we can achieve a lot.

“Until that time I will remain fully focused on my job with Force India. I’d like to thank the management at Force India for giving me the chance to return to Formula One as a team driver.”

Hulkenberg’s team-mate for 2013 is still up in the air, with Kamui Kobayashi needing to secure sponsorship to keep his drive.

The season rolls on to the United Arab Emirates for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend, with Red Bull ace Sebastian Vettel looking to continue his dominance of the race as he bids to take a giant step towards his third world title in a row.

Vettel is the 8/11 favourite to win the race with bet365 with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, his nearest challenge in the drivers’ standings, 5/1 for glory.

Alonso staying upbeat

Despite seeing Sebastian Vettel claim the chequered flag at the Indian Grand Prix on Sunday for Red Bull, Ferrari‘s Fernando Alonso (4/1 World Drivers’ Championship outright with bet365) still believes he has a chance of claiming the world drivers’ championship.

Spaniard Alonso was forced to settle for second place behind Vettel, whilst Mark Webber claimed third spot to make it a successful weekend for Red Bull in the sub-continent.

With three races of the season remaining in Abu Dhabi, the USA and Brazil, there are now 13 points between the defending world champion and Alonso (4/1 Abu Dhabi outright with bet365).

Following his second place finish in India, the 31-year-old is even more confident he can overtake Vettel before the end of the season.

Alonso said: “I think more so now. Because, when we started (the race), we had 10 points with fifth place (on the grid), and now we have 18 with second place.

“I think we gained eight points today, not lost seven to Sebastian. I think today we will remember this race.

“Well done to Red Bull and Sebastian but we want to be happy in Brazil, not only here, and I am sure we will do it.”

Vettel delivers India warning

Sebastian Vettel has been cut to 4/6 to win the Indian Grand Prix with bet365 after dominating both practice sessions on Friday at the Buddh International Circuit.

The German driver is looking to extend his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship this weekend with a fourth successive victory and looked in good form in New Delhi.

Vettel clocked the fastest time in both practice sessions, finishing some way ahead of the rest of the field, with title rival Fernando Alonso 0.599 seconds off the Red Bull driver.

Mark Webber was able to make sure it was a one-two for Red Bull in the second practice session as the tweaks they have made over the course of the year continue to pay dividends.

Vettel is 2/5 with bet365 to be the fastest qualifier on Saturday when the grid places for Sunday’s Grand Prix are decided, with Webber 5/1 to pip him to pole as he did in Korea.

Despite having introduced a series of updates for their F2012, the Ferrari of Alonso looks as though it will struggle to keep up with the two Red Bulls.

McLaren have even bigger problems as they ended the second session nine tenths of a second behind the pace-setters, with Lewis Hamilton sixth and Jenson Button seventh.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg and Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen will hope to be towards the front of the grid in qualifying after they finished fourth and fifth respectively in the second session.

Ferrari to come out fighting

Ferrari have admitted that they cannot afford to do anything but ‘attack’ over the last four races of the season to give Fernando Alonso a chance of securing the world title (11/4 Drivers Championship Outright 2012 with bet365).

The Spaniard – world champion in 2005 and 2006 – had spent much of this season at the top of the standings, despite Ferrari’s slow start to the season.

However, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel (2/7 Outright Favourite with bet365) has found the sort of form that took him to his second world title last year, winning the last three grands prix to move six points clear of Alonso with four races to go.

The Spaniard has mustered just 45 points in the five races since the mid-season break with Ferrari admitting that recent windtunnel issues have affected the car’s performance.

However, chief designer Nikolas Tombazis insists that there will be no holding back from the team as they look to get Alonso back on the winning trail.

“As we are still in the fight for the championship, we therefore have to continue with the development of the car,” Tombazis said.

“And because we don’t currently enjoy an advantage, either in terms of performance or as far as the points situation is concerned, we cannot defend.

“We must attack and adopt an aggressive approach to car development for these four races, bringing updates to every one of them to close the gap and fight for the wins and hopefully bring home the titles.”

Next up on the calendar is the second Indian Grand Prix this weekend with inaugural winner Vettel a strong favourite at 10/11 with bet365 to take the chequered flag, ahead of Alonso at 5/1 and Lewis Hamilton at 13/2.

Di Resta targets more points

Paul di Resta is targeting picking up more points for his Force India team at this weekend’s ‘home’ GP in Delhi (6/1 – Indian Grand Prix Top 6 finish with bet365).

Force India have improved steadily as the season has progressed and have taken points in the last five races to leave them on 89 in the constructors’ championship, closing the gap to Sauber and moving ahead of Williams at seventh in the standings.

Di Resta has enhanced his reputation in 2012 by earning a fairly respectable 44 points but wants more and knows if he can get amongst the top 10 in Delhi it would be very “special” for his team.

“Obviously each race is important because the same number of points are on offer, but there’s no denying that a strong result in the team’s home race would feel special for all of us,” he said.

“So there will be a lot of attention, but we will go there ready to fight and grab some more points.”

Unsurprisingly, Championship leader Sebastian Vettel is the pre-race favourite with bet365 at 10/11, ahead of the likes of Fernando Alonso (11/2) and Lewis Hamilton (13/2).

Vettel focused on India repeat

Sebastian Vettel is relishing next weekend’s Indian Grand Prix (10/11 – To win outright with bet365) in Delhi as he targets a fourth successive race win to help him move closer to retaining the World Drivers’ title this year.

The Red Bull star is understandably the short-price favourite for the race at the Buddh International Circuit next Sunday given his recent fine performances.

The German ace has won in Singapore, Japan and Korea in recent weeks and, in what is clearly a much-improved Red Bull car, has caught previous Championship leader Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso in the standings and now sits six points clear of his Spanish rival at the top. (Alonso 6/1 – To win India GP Outright)

Vettel, who is chasing a third straight drivers’ title and is odds-on with bet365 at 2/7 to do so, won the inaugrual India GP in 2011 and is looking forward defending that crown on what is a fast, but challenging, track.

“I loved the track layout last year, but not just because I won the race,” Vettel said. “With an average speed of 235kph, the course is the second quickest of the year after Monza.

“There is a lot of elevation change around the lap which adds to the fun, from as much as eight per cent downhill and up to ten per cent uphill; it’s like a rollercoaster!”

He added: “It really has emerged as one of the most challenging circuits on the F1 calendar for the drivers.”

Schumacher happy with F1 legacy

Michael Schumacher has just four races left to return to the podium before bowing out of Formula 1 again – and this time he says it marks the end of his racing days (Schumacher 100/1 – To Win Indian Grand Prix with bet365).

The legendary German retired from F1 for the first time in 2007 but still competed in bike racing in order to keep the fire burning.

However, this time around the seven-time world champion says he is “stopping here completely” and is happy with how it has all come to an end.

Schumacher told Gazzeta dello Sport: “I’ve had two distinct careers: one where I won everything, and a second one where I discovered what losing means.

“Yes, I’ve learned how to lose, but this has made me more mature and more patient too, partly thanks to my age.

“Today I have to consider what I have done overall and I’m satisfied with myself.”

The F1 season heads to the sub-continent at the end of the month for the Indian Grand Prix, with the drivers’ title race now set to be a straight fight between reigning champion, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel (2/7 favourite with bet365), and Ferrari ace Fernando Alonso (11/4).

Webber – Still plenty for Vettel to do

Mark Webber says there is no complacency at Red Bull despite talk the team has already got the World Drivers’ title in the bag thanks to Sebastian Vettel‘s impressive resurgence in recent races (Vettel 2/7 – To Win Drivers’ Championship with bet365).

Vettel has won the last three GPs and has now overtaken long-standing Championship leader Fernando Alonso in the title race, leading by six points ahead of the India GP a week on Sunday (Vettel – EVS to win race with bet365).

Webber believes his team-mate and reigning world title holder Vettel is in superb form and knows the car is giving him the best chance to make it three successive drivers’ title victories – although he insists no-one on the team is taking anything for granted with four races still to go.

“The three races in Asia – Singapore, Japan and Korea – have been good for my Red Bull team,” he said. “No-one’s getting carried away but we are starting to find some form at the right point of the championship.

“Seb has now won three races in a row and everyone seems to think he has the championship in his pocket. But think back to Valencia, where we were very strong and it looked like we were on our way again. And then we weren’t.

“That’s why Korea last weekend was a good confirmation for us that we were going in the right direction. Japan was very good for us, and normally if you are quick on that track it is a good indicator that you will be quick elsewhere.”

Webber added in his BBC Sport column: “The next race is in India (October 28) and I don’t believe the car will be slow there either.”

Webber (13/2 to win India GP with bet365), who finished second in Korea last weekend, has been tipped, at 36 years old, to retire at the end of the current season although there are other reports he could yet extend his stay in F1 for at least another season.

Massa secures Ferrari future

After months of speculation, Felipe Massa (66/1 – Indian Grand Prix outright with bet365) has put pen to paper on a one-year contract extension with Ferrari for the 2013 campaign.

The Brazilian driver looked set to be axed by his current employers, as he struggled to compete with his team-mate Fernando Alonso (11/4 – World drivers’ championship outright with bet365), who is challenging for the world drivers’ championship with four races of the season remaining.

However, Massa has started to edge back to his best form and finishing second in Japan and fourth in the Korean Grand Prix looks like it might well have earned him a new deal.

A brief statement from the Italian outfit read: “Scuderia Ferrari announces that it has renewed its contract with the driver Felipe Massa to the end of the 2013 race season.

“The Scuderia’s driver line-up for next year is therefore made up of Fernando Alonso and the aforementioned Felipe Massa.”

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel had been linked with a move to Ferrari next season, although the defending world champion may be tempted by a contract with the team after Massa’s new deal ends in 2014.

Alonso a worthy champion – Hamilton

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton has thrown his weight behind former team mate and adversary Fernando Alonso for the 2012 World Drivers’ Championship, claiming the Spaniard deserves it (Alonso 11/4 Drivers’ Championship outright – bet365).

The title race looks set to go right down to the wire again this season, with Sebastian Vettel moving six points clear of Alonso following his third successive win at the Korean Grand Prix.

With four races left to go Alonso looks as though he will have a job on his hands to get himself back to the top of the standings, with the Red Bull’s having found an extra gear in the run-in to the end of the year.

The fight for the Drivers’ Championship is down to a straight fight between Vettel and Alonso, with Hamilton admitting after Sunday’s race in Korea his chances of winning the title are now over.

The British driver hasn’t always had the best of relationships with Alonso following a falling out while they were at McLaren, but has backed him for the title, saying the Spaniard’s performances this season should warrant him a third championship.

“I feel like Fernando has deserved it throughout the year,” the McLaren driver was quoted as saying by The Sun.

“His team haven’t made one mistake. He hasn’t always been the fastest but he has been up there.

“He has driven like the champion he is all year and I feel as though he is a three-time world champ.”

Alonso will hope to get back on top of the standings in two weeks when the F1 bandwagon heads to India.  Alonso is 6/1 to win the Indian Grand Prix, with Vettel even money.