Rallying remains a hot topic for Formula One drivers following Kimi Raikkonen's possible switch of codes in 2010, with both Robert Kubica and Sebastian Vettel looking to take to the stages.

Despite crashing out of the Rally Taormina-Messina in Sicily last weekend, the Pole has confirmed that he will take part in next week's Rallye du Var, driving Clio Renault Sport R3 Max. "I'm interested in all categories of motorsport and I particularly like rally," Kubica confirmed.

While Kubica is able to live out his rally ambitions, however, it appears that Vettel - who attended this year's Rally Finland as a spectator - may have to cool his heels, having apparently been told by Red Bull Racing that he is not risk injury ahead of the 2010 campaign.

"Rallying is strongly in fashion for us F1 drivers," the German admitted to Switzerland's Motorsport Aktuell.
Source: Crash

Sebastian Vettel may have lost out on the world title in 2009, but he has been rated as the season's best driver by team bosses in AUTOSPORT's annual top ten.

The full AUTOSPORT F1 Team Principals' top ten results for 2009 are:

1. Sebastian Vettel 76
2. Jenson Button 67
3. Lewis Hamilton 65
4. Fernando Alonso 39
5. Rubens Barrichello 35
6= Kimi Raikkonen 30
6= Mark Webber 30
8. Felipe Massa 19
9. Robert Kubica 10
10. Adrian Sutil 8
Vettel was clearly delighted about being ranked as the best driver by team principals, but equally knows that the real target is to achieve the number one spot on track.

"It's an honour to be recognised after such an exciting season with many ups and downs," he told AUTOSPORT. "However, the votes won't help me be faster on the track next year and it will still be down to me to prove myself again next season."
Source: Autosport

The Youth Sports of Plouguenast located in the Cotes d'Armor in Brittany, is organizing an auction closing Saturday, December 5, 2009, to celebrate its 10th anniversary and for this year's Téléthon.

The starting bid price is of only 15 euros, and the items are all related to sports, including a signed Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing suit. To check the itens and know how to bid, click here.

All money collected will be fully repaid to the AFM (French Association against Myopathies).

++ Link was fixed!

Sebastian Vettel this week has given another sign that Red Bull is staying with Renault power for next season.

McLaren, Mercedes' exclusive F1 partner, vetoed Red Bull's desired switch to the German marque's engines, and it is believed that moving to Cosworth was ruled out due to question marks about the returning British supplier's 2.4 litre V8.

It is believed that an internal deadline at Red Bull Racing simply came and went without a decision, moving Adrian Newey to progress with work on the 2010 car on the basis of the current Renault specification.

Team driver Vettel was asked by spox.com if he wanted to be powered next year by the Mercedes engine, which is regarded as the best currently in F1.

"It is obvious that the Mercedes engine was an important piece of the success of Brawn," the German answered. "As a team, and myself as a driver, we want the best possible package. That will be possible next season with different engines, including the Renault. ”

Red Bull was thought to be on the verge of announcing an ongoing Renault deal, but the French manufacturer's deliberations about its future in formula one are causing yet another delay.

Renault's hypothetical withdrawal from F1 as a chassis maker might benefit Red Bull, as the carmaker is tipped to stay on the grid solely as an engine supplier.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, meanwhile, reports talks about a takeover of Renault's F1 engine division between the carmaker and Mario Illien.
Source: F1-Live

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Touring car star Mattias Ekstrom upstaged Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher to win the Race of Champions in Beijing's Olympic stadium on Wednesday.

Schumacher had won his third consecutive Nations Cup with German team-mate Sebastian Vettel on Tuesday but was chasing his first victory in the main drivers’ head-to-head competition.

He advanced easily through the knockout stages, dispatching Vettel in the semi-final, and made a strong start in the first heat of the final.

Vettel made an ignominious exit from his semi-final when he crashed his KTM X-Bow into the barriers while trying to keep pace with Schumacher.

“In the first corner I thought I could make it stick in third [gear] and lost the rear at the second apex,” explained the Red Bull ace sheepishly.

“It’s quite a heavy car and if you get counter-movement it can surprise you. So I hit the wall and obviously had damaged the right-front wheel and the rim broke.

“I think the first lap was [neck-and-neck], so it would have been nice to see how it would have turned out on the second one, but the old guy [Schumacher] did it again!”

World champion Jenson Button fell to Ekstrom in the other semi-final, while Vettel had previously edged out his Red Bull colleague David Coulthard at the quarter-final stage.
Source: ITV