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Webber puts in champions drive to win in Hungary

A run of hot laps mid-race set Webber up for the win

Mark Webber stormed to victory at a thrilling Hungarian Grand Prix to take the lead in the drivers' championship from Lewis Hamilton, who had to retire.

What was expected to be a procession for Red Bull burst into life thanks to a safety-car period and drive-through penalty for pole-man Sebastian Vettel. That enabled Webber to leap-frog his team-mate as well as Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who held off Vettel for second.

A gearbox problem ended Hamilton's race on lap 24 when he was running fourth. Ferrari's Felipe Massa took fourth, ahead of Renault's Vitaly Petrov and Williams' Nico Hulkenberg. Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa scored his first points of the season with seventh ahead of McLaren's Jenson Button.

The result means Webber goes into the mid-season three-week break with a four-point lead in the standings, and the Australian said: "It was a bit of a gift, but I've not had many of them, so I'll take it. It's an incredible day for us.

Just 20 points now separate the top five drivers - Webber, Hamilton, Vettel, Button and Alonso - while Red Bull also now lead the constructors' championship.

McIntyre reveals new-look NZV8 Ford at Speedshow

New look and return of BP for McIntyre
Top NZV8 racing team John McIntyre Racing launched a new look for their V8 Ford for their fifth season in New Zealand’s premier racing championship.

The striking black, white and green livery was revealed for the first time at this weekend’s Speedshow in Auckland as the two-time NZV8 championship-winning team confirms a number of new sponsors.

“It’s the most striking livery in our five year history,” says driver John McIntyre. “One of the great things about our sponsor family this season is that several companies have complementing colours and this helped us create a really cohesive look. The black, white and green colours are really strong and our race-winning car certainly won’t be missed by V8 fans and competitors this season!”

The Nelson-based driver says that many sponsors have been with the team since their launch in 2006. “It’s an absolute delight to have Talley's, BP Ultimate, Castrol Edge, Protector Safety, Ford NZ, Ideal Electrical, Dynamic Fluid Systems, Eaton, Websters Hydrated Lime, Squawking Magpie Wines, Lodge Auto Centre, City Collision Repair and Avon City Ford all part of the John McIntyre Racing team again this season.
“I'm proud to also announce three new sponsors Amcor Kiwi Packaging, Blackwoods Paykels and New Zealand Ceiling and Drywall Supplies this season.”

McIntyre says the new team colours will be reflected in an exciting new range of merchandise which will be released in October, prior to the first round of the NZV8 championship at Pukekohe Park on 6 and 7 November.

McIntyre’s Falcon race car livery is also duplicated on the two JMR Ford Falcon FG promotional cars which play an important role helping promote the team and sponsors.

Future of IndyCar revealed

Not as radical as hoped - the new Dallara design

After months of deliberation and pondering several design options, IndyCar has decided on its future look, and it has opted for incumbent manufacturer Dallara's design ahead opf some of the more exotic designs that were part of the pitch.

The platform is a universal road/oval rolling chassis with an enhanced driver safety cell and an anti-wheel lock design that will be produced by long-time IZOD IndyCar Series partner Dallara Automobili at a state-of-the-art facility to be built on Main Street in Speedway, Ind. -- a few hundred yards from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy Racing League offices.

The IndyCar Safety Cell will serve as the base, with bodywork (aero kits of front and rear wings, sidepods, engine covers) an open development area. Any manufacturer (including inhouse by teams) will be able to produce aero kits for the chassis with stipulations that the parts receive approval from the IZOD IndyCar Series, be available to all teams, undergo safety testing approved by the IZOD IndyCar Series and have a maximum price of $70,000. Each team can race two different aero kits from any manufacturer during a season.Dallara has a contract through 2015 to produce the IndyCar Safety Cell.

Dallara’s rolling chassis (encompassing everything but the driver's seat) will cost $349,000 -- a 45 percent price decrease from the cost of each of the 26 cars that will compete this weekend in the Honda Indy Toronto. Dallara's aero kit the first year of the program will be available for $36,000, increasing to the $70,000 ceiling the second year. Total weight will drop 185 pounds to 1,380, with a minimum weight determined once variables with suppliers, including engine weight, are determined.

Massa lets Alonso win

Alonso won controversially in Germany

Fernando Alonso controversially led a Ferrari one-two at the German Grand Prix after Felipe Massa appeared to be given orders to let his team-mate past.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel was third at his home Grand Prix at Hockenheim, 5.1 seconds adrift of the Spaniard. McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button never threatened the leaders but Hamilton's fourth-place finish means he still leads the drivers standings. Mark Webber was one place off Button in sixth for Red Bull after engine issues.

The result was a first one-two for Ferrari since the first race of the season in Bahrain, a race Alonso won, but the Spaniard's victory in Germany was soured by the coded team orders given with 18 laps to go. Ferrari were subsequently fined $100,000 for breaching sporting regulations.

The Italian team has also been referred to the sport's governing body, the FIA, after Felipe Massa slowed down to allow team-mate Fernando Alonso past to win. However the result of the race, won by Alonso from Massa, is unaffected. Ferrari continued to insist the incident was "a driver decision" and no instructions were given to Massa.