The Formula One circus descends on Monaco for this weekend's showpiece Grand Prix with tensions running high over tyres and Bernie Ecclestone telling drivers to stop complaining and use their brains to win races.
After a week of squabbling between the teams and tyre supplier Pirelli over the performance of the Italian company’s high-degradation tyres, Formula One’s veteran commercial rights holder waded in to the debate.
He said: “The easiest thing for Pirelli would be to produce tyres that you put on at the first race of the season and take off at the last. That would be easy, easy.
“I asked Pirelli to make tyres that would not complete 50 per cent of a race — and that’s what they did.
“In the times when Niki Lauda was racing his biggest concern was looking after the gearbox and the brakes — not the tyres.
“Then we got away from that and the drivers didn't have to think about anything. Now they have to use their brains and start thinking about how to win races again.”
Ecclestone’s comments will add spice to an already hotly-contested scrap for this year’s world championship in which defending three-time world champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing leads with 89 points ahead of nearest rival Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus on 85. Two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Ferrari, winner on home soil at Valencia two weeks ago, is third with 72.
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Nicol survives cold wave, in brit open last 8
Hull (England), May 23: World number one Nicol David survived a huge temperature drop to carry her bid for a fifth British Open title into the quarterfinals with a straight games win over a surprise survivor Wednesday.
The game’s greatest legend did that with an 11-4, 14-12, 11-2 success against the unseeded Sarah Kippax in single figure outdoor temperatures which were almost 20 degrees celsius colder than first round matches played indoors.
David saved a game point in the second game as Kippax, who on Tuesday upset the former finalist Natalie Grinham, started to hit a better line and length, and then grew a little in confidence, advancing to 11-10.
But David responded by simplifying her game, using her consistency and mobility, before once more attempting some more ambitious attacking ploys as she stretched her lead in the third game.
David will now have a day's rest before taking on Joelle King, the sixth-seeded New Zealander.
— AFP