Sebastian Vettel spoke a bit too freely on the Bahrain podium (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On the podium after winning the Bahrain Grand Prix, interviewer David Coulthard asked race winner Sebastian Vettel to show the cameras a lucky charm on his racing boots. Vettel casually lifted his leg a little, dropped it and said “I don’t get my legs so high, because I’m not a woman.”

Exactly what Vettel meant is uncertain, but the world is going to interpret his comment as suggestive and demeaning. Earlier in the podium interviews, Vettel remarked that, “to have a woman on the podium, I think it’s not happening every day. Gill Jones, she takes care of our electronics in the team… she looks after the boys.” The suggestion that women have a place in F1 only in support of the men is unlikely to make Vettel any friends, both within and outside of the sport.

In the wake of recent sugestions by Sir Stirling Moss that women lack the mental aptitude to race in Formula One, Vettel’s comments are likely to get much more attention than they perhaps deserve. He is in a sport that needs a radical rethink regarding its approach to gender equality, and has not helped an already sensitive situation by publicly putting his foot in his mouth.

Fernando Alonso enjoys interacting with his fans (Ferrari)

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso has a close relationship with his supporters around the world, which is visible at the races where he interacts with the crowds when possible, and also online, where he manages his own Facebook and Twitter account.

Alonso recently took questions from his Twitter followers. He answered as follows:

@isadoracl: What is your best childhood memory?
FA: My best memories are from my school days. When I played football during break time with my friends, birthday parties, where my friends and family would come together, Christmas…

@elcosmopolitasa: What is happiness for you Alonso?
FA: For me, happiness is to be able to enjoy my family. What I need to be happy is for all of them to be healthy and for me to enjoy what I do every day. Races can give you satisfaction as a result of a job well done or disappointment if the contrary occurs. But I really find happiness outside of my job.

@Ruben_173: What is most important in your life, your family or work?
FA: On a scale of 100%, my family takes up 99% and work 1%. I give work all my dedication and I always try to perform to my best, but my family is always on top; it’s always my absolute priority.

@08181: In what country do you pay your taxes?
FA: I love this question! It always comes up! I pay taxes in the country I live in, like everyone else. I’ve been travelling around the world for many years, working since I was small; always keeping out a watchful eye and here I am, with a perfect record. Thanks for the question!!

@Ruben08mzn: Do you know, more or less, when your museum-circuit will be ready in Asturias?
FA: It’s something that doesn’t only depend on me or my collaborators. What we had to do, as I explained in other interviews, we’ve already done. Our work is already done. But we will be in Asturias soon. We thought this through a lot because we want to share with all of you that part of my sporting career which many may never have the opportunity of knowing. After a lot of work, the Foundation (Fundación Fernando Alonso) has reached an agreement with the Canal de Isabel II and, towards the end of this year, we will inaugurate an exposition in Madrid where many of the cars I’ve driven will be on display: my first kart, my F1 cars from 1999 to 2011…Besides my trophies, some of my helmets, boots and gloves will also be on display. Even my first overall which was sewn by my mother for my first competition when I was three! There will also be road safety activities for kids. I hope you like it. At the end of the day, without your support, none of these victories would have tasted as good. What better way to thank you than by sharing it with you!

@f1nal_lap: A life without doing sport is?
FA: Sport, generally, is synonymous of health, well-being and for me it represents the best way of “speaking” to yourself. Sport improves the quality of your life; it cleans your mind and body. I consider it highly recommendable.

@paulagcantalejo: How many hours of sport do you do every week?
FA: On Grand Prix weeks I tend to do 5 hours, besides practice sessions, qualifying and the GP of course. When I spend a week at home, I complete between 15 and 20 hours of sport.

@Mooolina: On a relaxing day off have you ever swapped going out for a run for a couple of hours on the Playstation?
FA: Of course! Whenever I can! The days are very long and I’ve normally got time for a bit of everything. I usually spend my mornings doing sport and in the afternoons leisurely activities…which of course includes Playstation!

@Lili_Tim: Do you watch NBA? And which club do you support?
FA: Yes, I like basketball a lot in general, as a fan and as a player. Every now and then I like to take part in games. And I love the NBA, I’ve spent a lot of nights awake watching games. My favourite team? The Los Angeles Lakers.

@appotumus: Do you watch American sports, if so, which is your favourite?
FA: Yes, I love the NBA. I think it’s a really entertaining spectacle. As I’ve already said, basketball is one of my favourite sports.

@MARIOTETEGUAPO: Who is your current favourite player? And retired legend? #NBA
FA: Well that’s quite a tough question…Probably Kobe Bryant. Our great Pau Gasol also deserves a special mention. What he’s done and what I’m sure he’s still going to achieve deserves a lot of credit. And out of the legends, Michael Jordan. That number 23 for the Bulls made me dream as a kid!

@GomezCampillo14: What do you feel when swapping a team that gave you a Megane for one that gives you a Ferrari? Haha
FA: Well…they didn’t give me Renault cars and they don’t give me Ferraris now! It is true that now and again, for a couple of weeks, they give you a car that the brand has just released to promote it but until now, every car I’ve wanted to have in my garage I’ve had to pay for.

@MAguerri55: What road car which you have driven has impressed you most?
FA: The road car which has impressed me most is the LaFerrari. It’s a spectacular car; I honestly think a long time will have to go by until we see a car on the market with similar qualities.

@guille31794: Have you tested LaFerrari yet? What’s it like driving that machine? Is it a thoroughbred at the level of the F50 or F40?
FA: Yes, I was able to take part in the development of the car and give some directions which were finally adopted. Besides, amongst the team of designers is one of my best friends, so I’ve followed the project from day one.

@william_penna: If you had to choose one of the countries that you’ve got to know through F1 to live in, bar Spain, which would you pick?
FA: To visit, I really like Japan. To live, if I couldn’t live in Spain, I’d live in Italy. It’s the most similar to Spain.

@jupsanchez: Where would you spend your holidays in Spain other than Asturias?
FA: Asturias is always top of the list, without a doubt! I also think the Canary Islands are an ideal destination.

@Uckeritta: What languages do you speak?
FA: I speak Spanish, Italian, English and French. And I’m improving my Russian!

@elisacallen: A question I’ve asked you since you started in this…what is your favourite music, film and series?
FA: Here it goes:
-Series: Lost
-Film: Hannibal
-Music: Pop, Spanish music in general.

@Mr_Waits: How big is your neck?
FA: Hehehe…You’re not the first person to ask! It is 41 cm in diameter.

@_sergiolis_: Where do you find those sized caps?
FA: In any shop! I’ve always found all the commotion created with this really funny! You have to see the funny side My helmet and cap size is M, and is usually smaller than that of my teammates. I’ve always found all this confusion funny.

@ReginaF1addict: I’ve always been curious as to what size clothes you wear
FA: I’ve got size 42 shoes (8 in the UK). As for shirts, jumpers, etc, I wear an M.

@alvarodma: What is your favourite pizza? Where have you eaten what you would consider the best pizza in the world?
FA: Hmmmm…Maybe a “simple” one, with not too many ingredients, like a Margherita, or just with ham. I think I recall eating the best pizza in the world at a restaurant we usually go to in Monza. Spectacular!

@therealrenz: Don’t you get tired of sleeping at hotels all the time?
FA: Formula 1 is probably the competition that chooses the most disperse locations on the planet to celebrate its events. Airplanes, hotels, waiting rooms, transfers…It’s probably the most tiring and worst aspect of F1. But we’re already quite used to it and we take it well.

@AlvGar89: Do you stay at the same hotels every year at each circuit?
FA: Normally, yes. It’s been twelve seasons now going to the same hotels, and at many Grands Prix, going to the same rooms…

@ASapena: Do you always manage your social networks??… Thanks for being close to your fans!!
FA: Thanks to you guys for your support!! Yes, of course I manage them. Always! I’ve already said it on numerous occasions. In my opinion, it would be very daft to spend time taking photos, explaining my sport sessions or mentioning my feelings towards different things that happen to me and then have to send it to another person for them to post it! Another thing is that on occasions I may ask someone from my entourage to take a photo of me in moments where, obviously, I can’t take them (in the car ready to leave the garage, running, on my bike…). My intention when I opened my Twitter and Facebook accounts and my website was to bring you guys closer to me, for you to always know the truth of my whereabouts or what I’m doing and to receive your comments. I think you guys have a lot to say and you always contribute. How then could I let someone else write for me! It would make no sense.

@Alessandra_fed: How would you describe your adventure on Twitter in three adjectives?
FA: I think three adjectives aren’t enough. I hope to answer your question by saying that I think it’s the perfect channel for me to communicate with my fans directly, with no middle men, as I’ve already said on other occasions. It also gives me the chance to “listen” to all of you, something that is really important.

@Grzechu_s: Fernando what do you think about future of Robert Kubica?
Best regards from Poland
FA: Thanks Grzechu. I hope that Robert’s future will be simply fantastic. After the serious accident he suffered, he’s a driver that, because of his strength and personality, is missed dearly. Hopefully we will see Robert back in F1 very soon! He deserves it; he’s an example of fighting and overcoming obstacles.

@IsaacIssy: Are you currently a better friend of Lewis than when he was your teammate or have you always had the same relationship?
FA: Mine and Lewis’ relationship has always been similar: one of respect and cordiality.

@Paula_fanAlo: Are you still in touch with drivers that you coincided with in other categories?
FA: Generally, yes. More with some than others, which is normal. But I keep in touch with all of them, especially those who have been my teammates.

@David_Y_95: Are there any decisions you made in your career that you now regret?
FA: The truth is no. Luckily, every decision I’ve made has turned out to be the right one in time. Some before others, but I don’t feel I’ve made mistakes.

@lukebarry97: How would you like to be remembered when the day comes that you retire?
FA: That’s something that each person will decide for themselves. And, like with everyone, each person will remember you in a different way…;)

Williams development driver Susie Wolff has a real chance of racing in Formula One (Glenn Dunbar/LAT Photographic)

The question of whether or not women can or should race modern Formula One cars has been hanging over the sport for some time. Only a handful of women have even tested in F1 over the last few decades, and the last time a woman attempted to qualify for a Grand Prix was way back in 1992. Women are competing, or have competed recently, in almost all other major racing series, of which Indycar, NASCAR and DTM are the most high profile. Why not F1?

Those against the idea of having women in F1 have spoken about the physical challenges – strength, reflexes, endurance – and the mental challenges – thinking clearly under stress while still competing aggressively against the best drivers in the world, all while controlling a beast of a racing car.

Sir Stirling Moss, who is regarded as one of the greats in Formula One history, recently told BBC Radio 5 live: “I think they have the strength, but I don’t know if they’ve got the mental aptitude to race hard, wheel-to-wheel.

“We’ve got some very strong and robust ladies, but, when your life is at risk, I think the strain of that in a competitive situation will tell when you’re trying to win.

“The mental stress I think would be pretty difficult for a lady to deal with in a practical fashion. I just don’t think they have aptitude to win a Formula 1 race.”

Unfortunately, Moss’s words will be taken seriously in some quarters due to his standing in the sport. But he has no evidence to support his ludicrous suggestion, and nor does anyone else. The idea that mental stress makes it impossible for a woman to win an F1 race is nonsensical. There are female fighter pilots and astronauts – both of those occupations are far more challenging in all respects than driving Formula One cars.

The reality is that the idea that women cannot or should not race in Formula One is simply sexist rubbish. When high profile people in the sport chip in their two cents’ worth on the subject, they are invariably just spouting an opinion rather than actually looking at the issue of women in F1 objectively.

Can women race in F1? Should they? It’s time to put a woman in an F1 race and find out.

This picture of harmony is unlikely to be seen again any time soon at Red Bull (Photo credit: iragazzidiredbull)

Yesterday’s Malaysian Grand Prix delivered some controversy, at least within the Red Bull team. Against team orders, Sebastian Vettel passed Mark Webber – banging wheels with his team-mate along the way – and went on to win the race. Webber was understandably furious afterwards, as was Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

Vettel has been roundly criticised in the media, with some going as far as to question his morals. I don’t see how disobeying a team order has much to do with morality, but I do understand what drove Sebastian Vettel to risk the internal harmony of his team in pursuit of victory.

Vettel is a champion. That’s not referring to his achievements, but rather to his approach to everything he does. He wins. All the time. His preparation is meticulous, his attention to detail reminiscent of Michael Schumacher at his peak, and his performance on the track is almost always flawless. Vettel is capable only of domination. He knows no other way.

So when his team principal tells him not to win, as happened yesterday in Malaysia, there is no chance he will obey that instruction. He knows perfectly well how important his victory at Sepang could prove to be in the greater scheme of this year’s championship. Although it is too early in the season to know who will challenge for the title, every result counts. A victory is not more or less important depending on when it occurs during the season or whether or not the team management supported it.

The 2013 Red Bull RB9 could well prove to be the fastest car in the field. If that is the case, then Vettel’s main rival for the championship will be his own team-mate. Looking at yesterday’s drama from that perspective, Webber showed a major chink in his armour – he thought that Vettel, easily the dominant driver of his generation, would stop wanting to win just because his team said he should. Webber let his guard down, and Vettel took the advantage that was presented to him.

It doesn’t matter to Vettel that his team told him to finish second. He broke no rules of Formula One. His points cannot be taken away; the victory is valid. If the team doesn’t like the situation, they are certainly not going to fire him – he’s won the title three years running, what kind of fool team boss would kick him out? If anyone leaves, it will be Webber, and that will be to his own detriment.

Vettel’s actions may be unpopular, but they show a ruthlessness that could very well take this remarkable 25-year old German to a fourth consecutive World Championship this season, and perhaps on to just about every record in the sport by the end of his career. Vettel is not in Formula One to be liked. He is there to win. And in the words of Ayrton Senna, perhaps the greatest of all Formula One drivers, “Nice men don’t win.”

The stability when it comes to the technical regulations means that the majority of teams was able to get a car to run reliably during the very limited twelve days of pre-season testing, which is why everyone is being very cagey about making any predictions for the 2013 championship. While it’s true that it is very difficult to make any meaningful assessment of everyone’s relative performance, because of different fuel loads and test programmes, at Scuderia Ferrari, we are prepared to stick our collective neck out and make a bold prediction as to who will be the winner in 2013: the answer? The viewers, spectators and race fans, who look set to be treated to a vintage season of close racing, with more than a handful of teams looking like serious contenders for race wins and podium finishes. Felipe Massa reckons the season might not be as open as last year’s. “I expect the drivers from two or three teams to do most of the winning,” says the Brazilian. “As for ourselves, we start the season with a better car than we did last year, so I am happy and positive with the way testing went, when I felt the car evolved from the first day to the last, when I was happy with the balance of the F138 and felt comfortable at the wheel.”

One should not expect too many answers on Friday either: as a temporary street-type circuit, Albert Park is very green, with little running completed in FP1, so it will be on Saturday afternoon that teams will stop being coy about what they can do and deliver the year’s first fairly accurate litmus test of relative performance. However, the Melbourne track is good at hiding the truth. One factor that will no longer be a problem is the cold weather tyre degradation we saw in Barcelona in what was a colder than usual final two test sessions. But on the other side of the world, Melbourne is going to be much hotter than usual at this time of year. Currently, temperatures are in the mid 30s, although these should drop to mid 20s on Friday and Saturday and possibly get as low as 19 on race day. However, the experience gained at the Catalunya circuit regarding Pirelli rain tyres will not be useful this weekend. On the tyre front, the choices in Albert Park are aggressive. “We will have the Supersoft tyres and I like that as I always prefer the softer end of the range,” revealed Felipe. “In fact, managing the tyres, as well as making improvements to the aero side of the package through the year will be very important, but we really need to be perfect in every area, also on the mechanical side of the car. Personally, I plan to start the 2013 season the way I went during the second half of 2012 and then build on that.”

What can one expect of Alonso and Massa this weekend? Predictions serve no purpose except to turn round and bite you when you least expect it. Clearly, the F138 is better born than the F2012 and it would be disappointing if both drivers did not make it through to Q3 on Saturday evening in Albert Park and therefore secure top ten places on the grid. Anything else would be meaningless speculation. Nevertheless, one can risk an extrapolation based on the relative strengths down the pit lane at the final round last year, which means it is reasonable for the Scuderia to expect to be within the top three teams in Albert Park. “I don’t think we will see one team dominate, but also I don’t expect seven winners in the first races, like last year,” added Fernando. “It will be very close and from our point of view, a good result this weekend would remove some of the stress. I enjoy the Albert Park circuit, it is technical and difficult and the track, being a street circuit, evolves throughout the weekend.” Felipe is also looking forward to finally going racing. “I can’t say Albert Park is my favourite track, but I love coming to Australia, which is a great country with very nice people who really like their racing. The track here is demanding, but I expect the F138 will be well adapted to it and that we can have a good first weekend.”

The Australian GP has a habit of providing some surprises, but it would take a brave man to bet on Ferrari adding to its tally of seven wins Down Under, the last dating back to Kimi Raikkonen’s 2007 victory. Fernando was victorious here in 2006, but not at the wheel of a red car, while Felipe’s best result is a third place trip to the podium in 2010.

The move comes as part of Vodafone’s plan to “transform its local and global sponsorship strategy”. In short, Vodafone has enjoyed a successful partnership with McLaren, but now it is time to move on. This was confirmed by a statement from Vodafone Group Chief Commercial Officer Morten Lundal:

“We have been very happy with our engagement with McLaren. Our relationship has been a key ingredient in bringing the Vodafone brand to where it is today. However, our brand is evolving, and we’ve concluded we will have less of a need for this kind of exposure in future. We now look forward to further success and brand engagement with McLaren in 2013.”

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said, “We’re immensely proud that, having been set a number of ambitious challenges by Vodafone back in 2007, together we’ve met or exceeded each and every one… Our focus is on continuing to drive results for all our partners throughout the 2013 season and we look forward to making a major title partnership announcement towards the end of the year.”

Significantly for McLaren, it also comes shortly after the signing of Mexican driver Sergio Perez, who has been supported through his career by billionaire Carlos Slim’s Mexican telecommunications company, Telmex. Perez’s former team, Sauber, continues to display Telmex sponsorship on their 2013 car, and Sauber has a Mexican driver in the form of Esteban Gutierrez for this season. But McLaren, as a higher profile and more competitive team, would provide better return on investment for Telmex, making a switch all the more possible.

McLaren seem to be in the middle of re-aligning their commercial and sporting partnerships. The exit of Vodafone is now confirmed, but what is not yet firmly established is the possibility of a change of engine supplier from Mercedes to Honda. Rumours have surfaced recently that Honda is considering a return to Formula One with the new turbo engine formula that comes into effect in 2014.

While McLaren and Mercedes have enjoyed an extremely successful partnership over the last two decades, Mercedes are now focusing on their own works team, and McLaren will not want to be second on their engine supplier’s priority list. If Honda does make a return to F1, McLaren could easily secure their full commitment. For Formula One fans, the return of the McLaren-Honda combination would be significant and quite emotional – all three of Ayrton Senna’s World Championships came in McLaren cars powered by Honda engines.

For the moment, however, McLaren have a much more immediate priority – the 2013 Formula One season. The first practice session for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix is now a matter of hours away. McLaren will want to start the season with a strong result on Sunday to get their championship campaign underway. It’s been five years since McLaren last won a World Championship, and the team will be anxious not to let it slip away again this season. For Vodafone, as this is their final year of involvement in F1, success for McLaren in 2013 would be the perfect result on which to bow out of the sport.

In many respects, Hamilton is in a similar position to that of Michael Schumacher at Ferrari in 1996. Schumacher had left a top team and gone to Italy to rescue the struggling Ferrari team. It was clear that Schumacher would not challenge for the title that year, and he didn’t, but he also put in some inspired and brilliant performances, particularly in Spain where he dominated a sodden Grand Prix and made the other drivers look like amateurs. Schumacher may not have won the title, but his stock certainly went up as he was recognised for his supreme skill in a difficult car.

Hamilton has similarly moved from a top team (McLaren) to one that was not a title challenger last season (Mercedes). In the last three seasons, the works Mercedes team has won just a single race and never looked like producing a title-winning car. Hamilton has arrived at the team as part of a shake-up intended to deliver championship glory to Mercedes. At the earliest, he and the team are expected to challenge at the front in 2014, when new engine regulations are likely to benefit teams like Mercedes that manufacture their own engines. So this season is dedicated to development, to making sure the pieces are in place for a title challenge next year.

But Hamilton, much like Schumacher back in 1996, is a racer. He is acknowledged as perhaps the quickest driver in Formula One today, and can always be counted on to give his all on the track in pursuit of results. Hamilton does not like coming second. So we can expect him to push with everything he has for victory in 2013.

If Hamilton and Mercedes to triumph against the odds in 2013, it will be a great story for Formula One: the return of one of the great names of motoring to the top of the racing ladder, along with the second title that seems inevitable in Hamilton’s career. On the other hand, if as expected Hamilton and Mercedes have a strong but ultimately unsuccessful season, it will all be accepted as part of the development plan.