THE LINE - NOVEMBER 27, 2013

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(Infiniti Red Bull Racing)
Sebastian Vettel, Team Principal Christian Horner and Mark Webber celebrate after the Brazilian Grand Prix, the last race of the 2013 Formula 1 season. Not only was it Vettel's thirteenth win of the season, it tied him with with Alberto Ascari's record of nine successive Grand Prix wins, although Ascari's were spread across the 1952 season and the start of the 1953 campaign. "I don't want to compare the record that we have got today," said Vettel, the now four-time F1 champion. "It's not fair as it was a different time when Ascari was driving. Cars broke down more often then and teams were less consistent, so therefore it's a different type of record that we have got today," he said. 

His Infiniti Red Bull Racing teammate, Mark Webber, finished second in his last F1 start. "It was nice to take the helmet off for the final lap," Webber said. "In this sport it's not always possible to give things a personal touch. We have the helmets on all the time, so they fans don't always see a Formula One driver in a car without a helmet. It was nice to get it off and see the marshals and the fans; it was just a really nice thing to experience. I heard a lot of noises that I don't normally hear. "Crossing the line and seeing all the guys was great," he added. "Christian radioed me and said enjoy the last lap, which I did. I did it as slow as I could; it was a very special day. Seb and I have had our challenges over time and it's easier to have a relationship with Fernando, as he's in another team, but to finish on the podium with those two guys – well, they have been the best of this generation. I have raced them a lot and to finish with those guys was nice for me because it meant a lot, showing that I can drive well at the end of my career and that I got the timing right." 

"Today was of course Mark's last race," Vettel added. "We didn't have the best relationship, but nevertheless we always had respect for each other on a professional level and whatever was going on off-track, didn't make a difference to us on track and we both pushed each other very hard. I certainly learned a lot from Mark. I learned to become a better driver due to his impressive skills; that's why I consider him one of the best drivers on the grid."

(Photos by John Hendrick/INDYCAR)

Juan Pablo Montoya tried out his new INDYCAR ride on Monday. The former Indianapolis 500, Formula One and NASCAR race winner tested his Team Penske Indy car on Monday in Sebring, Florida. Teammate Will Power took the car out first to get it set-up, then Montoya took it out for a few laps. The initial results were very positive. “He was within a few tenths of Will in the first outing,” Team Penske Racing President Tim Cindric said. “It was pretty impressive, really. We put him out on old tires just to learn where the gear shifts were and then put him back on Will’s tire and he was within a couple tenths right out of the box. Right now it’s happening pretty fast, he’s probably a half a second off the guys who were here last week, but that’s not too bad. Finding the last half second without losing his confidence will be the challenge.” “The biggest thing is that everything is still happening really fast, Montoya said. “It’s OK, but as it happens so fast you end up making mistakes. With more time in the car, everything will slow down and it will be easier. It’s happened to me before a few times, so I know that with time everything will be easier.” Montoya turned 20 laps during the morning test session and ran times comparable to Power. “You don’t win races in Formula One and poles in Formula One and races in the CART Series on your first try if you’re slow,” Power said. “I actually expected to learn from him. He’s already brought some good ideas to the team even before he got in the car. Just from what I see from the data he has a very similar style to me. The way he brakes and everything. That should be good as far as our setups.” Montoya returned to car for another day of testing at Sebring on Tuesday, but that session was closed to the media. Montoya gave himself a grade of 8 out of 10, but he said his goal for the test is to gain knowledge that he can use to help the entire team get better. “Do I want to win? Of course I want to win,” he said. “Do I want to do the best I can. Yeah. How good is that going to be?  I don’t know. You have to beat Will, who is one of the fastest guys in the series. Helio has a ton of experience. I ran against him when I won the championship, and he’s still doing it. For them to get in the car every day, this is there home, and I need to make this my home.”

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(Strakka Racing)
Strakka Racing has agreed to a long-term sportscar partnership with DOME, in which it will work together to develop, bring to market and race a brand-new ‘cost-capped’ LMP2 coupe prototype endurance race car – the Strakka DOME S103. Silverstone-based Strakka Racing has competed in the 24 Hour of Le Mans for the last six consecutive years – winning the LMP2 trophy (and finishing a record-breaking 5th overall) in 2010 and the LMP1 Privateers’ award in 2013. In 2012 Strakka Racing was runner up in the LMP1 Privateers’ class in the FIA World Endurance Championship and finished as LMP2 runner up in 2010 and 2011 in the European Le Mans Series. DOME was established in 1975 by Min​oru Hayashi, and over the last 38 years has become a leading racecar constructor and motorsport competitor. Based in Maibara, Shiga Prefecture in Japan, DOME made its Le Mans 24 Hour race debut in 1979. The first Strakka DOME S103 will be powered by a Nissan VK45 4.5-litre V8 LMP2 petrol engine and will contest the entire FIA World Endurance Championship next year, pending approval of the Selection Committee. Utilizing DOME’s 50% wind tunnel (which it has run since 2000), CFD expertise and lightweight technology, the Strakka DOME S103 promises to be one of the most aerodynamically and advancedLMP2 cars on the grid.  

(Images courtesy of Veloce Books)

"Return to Glory!" by Robert Ackerson (Veloce Books) documents the Mercedes-Benz 300SL's debut in racing and the manufacturer's return to competition in 1952. After a 13-year absence, Mercedes-Benz returned to motor sport competition with an automobile that rewrote the history of modern sports car racing. From the 300SL's Mille Miglia debut, through the Nürburgring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans to its greatest race, the Carrera Panamericana, it's all well documented in this book, including a detailed photographic essay illustrating the restoration of the oldest 300 SL in existence.