Noida, October 29
Red Bull set a Formula One record of 16 pole positions in a season when double world champion Sebastian Vettel lapped fastest in qualifying for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix on Saturday.

The 24-year-old German's 13th pole in the 17th of 19 races also kept him on course to break Briton Nigel Mansell's 1992 record of 14 poles in a single year.

Vettel will be joined on the front row by Australian team mate Mark Webber because McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, who was second fastest in the final session, has a three-place penalty for ignoring warning flags in Friday practice.

"A new circuit, new venue and tricky for all of us... we've seen all weekend the dust on the track," said Vettel, who wrapped up his second successive title in Japan this month with four races to spare.

"We ended up with one racing line clear of dirt and just a little bit out makes you lose a lot of time, so it was quite tricky.

"Ideally we want to finish one-two but it's going to be an interesting race," added the German of a 28th career pole that lifted him level with the late Argentine great Juan Manuel Fangio in the all-time lists.

Webber has yet to win this season and Red Bull have said their main aim now both titles have been defended is to ensure the Australian finishes as overall-runner-up.

That has triggered speculation that Vettel could gift his team mate a win on Sunday but Webber was having none of that.

"There's been a lot of talk from the team but no talk from me," he said. "I don't want any positions off Sebastian. Nothing will change.

"I think wins are more important for me," added Webber, when asked whether finishing second overall mattered to him.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and McLaren's Jenson Button will share the second row. Hamilton will start fifth and, once again, alongside Brazilian Felipe Massa with whom he has clashed repeatedly this season.

The Ferrari driver hit a kerb heavily, smashed his front right suspension and crashed across the gravel and into the wall at the end of the session. Hamilton was pleased to have split the Red Bulls in the session, even if he would not be the meat in the sandwich when the grid was formed.

"It's been a good day for me," said the 2008 champion. "I am quite surprised that we are able to split the Red Bulls and it's great to be on the front row in terms of how we qualified.

"I paid the price and tomorrow we still have good race pace and it's a long race so overtaking should be a lot easier. I am still optimistic regardless of where I start."

The Briton was not the only driver to go into qualifying carrying a grid penalty, with Renault's Russian Vitaly Petrov handed a five-place drop for causing a collision at the last race in South Korea.

Sauber's Mexican Sergio Perez was given a three-place drop for the same offence as Hamilton while HRT's Australian Daniel Ricciardo faces a largely meaningless five-place penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change.

Virgin Racing's Timo Glock may also pick up a gearbox penalty after being sidelined by a problem in the first part of the qualifying session that will see him start last of the 24 drivers. — Reuters

Greater Noida, October 29
Within 15 days Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta would know whether they will continue to be Force India drivers next season or not as Team Principal Vijay Mallya today promised to convey his decision to the duo before next month's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Mallya had earlier said that he will reveal his drivers' line up for the 2012 season in mid-December, which made Sutil and Di Resta feel very anxious.

But Mallya today decided to end his drivers' anxious wait and said he will name Force India's line up for next year before the 18th and penultimate race of the season at Abu Dhabi on November 13. "I respect that Adrian (Sutil) and Paul (Di Resta) want to know about their future with Force India soon. They spoke to me about it and I will make the announcement before Abu Dhabi," Mallya told reporters.

Sutil has been with the team since since 2006 when it was known as Midland and then Spyker. Mallya bought the struggling side in 2007 and re-named it as Force India. Since then the German has done reasonably well for the side, which has gone from strength to strength in the last few seasons.

The team had ended the 2008 season in the 10th position on the constructors' championship and then improved to ninth and seventh in the following seasons. In the current year it is placed sixth with three races more to go, starting with the inaugural Indian Grand at the Buddh International Circuit here tomorrow. — PTI

Greater Noida, October 29
When 24 Formula One cars line up on the grid tomorrow for the maiden Indian Grand Prix, the motorsport world will follow it keenly as it is the first major racing event after the tragic deaths of Dan Wheldon and Marco Simoncelli.

The two incidents have plunged the motorsport fraternity into deep shock as they came about within seven days. IndyCar racer Wheldon died on October 16 in Las Vegas while Moto GP rider Simoncelli succumbed to injuries he suffered during the Sepang event on October 24.

Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone had avowed that F1 races are safe and the drivers endorsed his view by saying that they are not concerned about their safety.

The great Michael Schumacher said that drivers push the cars to the limit because this is what they love to do while Sahara Force India's Adrian Sutil remarked that F1 cars are safe.

They have a point as the last casualty that F1 witnessed was way back in 1994 when Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger and three-time world champion Ayrton Senna died during the San Marino Grand Prix in Italy.

The question is what is it that makes Ecclestone and the drivers feel so confident about Formula One racing.

Ever since those deaths in Imola, F1's safety measures have undergone a sea change. From manufacturing of the car to clothes that drivers wear during the race, everything has been designed in such a way that a racer can escape with minor injuries even after suffering a crash.

Here we take a look what is required for making F1 materials, according to FIA. The 'monocoque' or the tub of the car is a very strong component and it includes drivers' surviving cell.

It is made from carbon fibre with up to 60 layers and no fuel, oil or water lines may pass through the cockpit. It is fitted in such a way that the driver is able to get out of the car within five seconds without having to remove anything except seat belts.

The width of the cockpit, where the drivers sits, must be 50 centimetres at the steering wheel, and 30cm at the pedals. The cockpit opening must be 850mm long, at least 350mm wide at the pedals and 450mm wide at the steering wheel, with the rear half wider still at 520mm.

The rear 375mm of the cockpit's side walls must rise upwards at an angle of at least 16 degrees. This is done to reduce the risk of injury in the event of one car flying over the top of another and the edge of the cockpit must be enclosed in an energy-absorbing material with a thickness of at least 100mm.

The survival cell's flanks are protected by a 6mm layer of carbon and Zylon, a material used to make bullet-proof vests, to prevent objects such as carbon fibre splinters entering the cockpit.

The driver's seat is a single plastic cast and should not be a fixed part, and must be possible to remove the driver and seat as one after an accident, thus eradicating the risk of spinal damage.

All F1 cars must be equipped with a fire extinguisher system. This automatically spreads foam around the chassis and engine area in the event of fire and can also be operated manually by either the driver or marshals.

The cockpit is required to be equipped with a master switch that deactivates car's electronics, fuel pumps and rear light.

To reduce the injury risk to neck and head in the event of a crash, F1 helmet must be supremely light — around 1250 grams is the norm — and strong. They are made principally of carbon fibre, polyethylene and fire-resistant aramide. Then there is the very important Head and Neck Support (HANS) system, introduced in 2003. It consists of a carbon fibre shoulder collar that is intended to prevent stretching of the vertebrae and to prevent the driver's head from hitting the steering wheel.

As per FIA guidelines, driver clothing should be flame retardant so as to offer protection in the event of a fire. The drivers use heavy, five layer, NASA-spec race suits. — PTI

Greater Noida, October 29
The glamorous Formula One drivers got emotional for a fleeting moment to pay a quiet, special tribute to British IndyCar racer Dan Wheldon and Italian Moto GP rider Marco Simoncelli, who lost their lives on the racing track over the last two racing weekends.

The high-profile drivers were seen sparing a thought for Wheldon and Simoncelli, whose deaths sent shockwaves through the highly competitive world of motorsports, prompting officials to take extra care about safety during the inaugural Indian Grand Prix here at the Buddh International Circuit.

Ferarri driver Fernando Alonso kissed a sticker on his helmet sporting the No.58, Simoncelli's Honda number, before getting into the cockpit of the car for Saturday's qualifying session. McLaren Mercedes' Jenson Button and Red Bull's Mark Webber, too, kissed Wheldon's DW logo on top of their helmets. Both Button and Webber also wore a black arm band to mourn Wheldon.

Alonso, who had watched Simoncelli's fatal crash at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia last weekend, said drivers know how risky motorsports is. "We love racing, and we know the risks involved in it. We are driving at 320kmph and we are aware of the dangers of an accident. But we love our sport," said an emotional Alonso.

Red Bull's double world champion Sebastian Vettel, who met the Italian earlier this year, said he felt miserable seeing the horrifying crash on TV. "Formula One is very safe as compared to IndyCar and Moto GP. In Formula One, we are aware of the risks as well since we are driving at extremely high speed. But all the drivers are pushing each other for safety driving," said Vettel. —IANS

Greater Noida, October 29
Narain Karthikeyan was today handed a five-place grid penalty for impeding Michael Schumacher's car during the qualifying race, which means that the Indian will have to start his home F1 Grand Prix from the second last position on the grid.

Karthikeyan had qualified in the 22nd position but will now move to the 23rd. The incident happened in Q1 when Schumacher was probably having his best lap but at turn 10, Karthikeyan was found guilty of blocking the German's way. The act was a breach of Article 31.7 of the 2011 FIA F1 Sporting Regulations.

Karthikeyan would actually have been pushed to the last position but since Timo Glock failed to make the 107 per cent requirement and has been allowed to race at the stewards' discretion, the Virgin driver will be at 24th position.

Karthikeyan's teammate Daniel Ricciardo also got a five-place penalty but since he was ahead of the Indian he will start from 22nd position. Apart from the two Hispania drivers, Renault's Vitali Petrov will also move five places behind his original qualifying position and Lewis Hamilton and Sauber's Sergio Perez were yesterday handed three-place grid penalties for ignoring double waved yellow flags. — PTI 

Bad news is no way to start the day. But the facts have to be faced. Lewis Hamilton had the best timings in the practice sessions yesterday, half-a-second faster than two-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. Hami had not slowed down for a yellow flag so was penalised with a three-place grid penalty from his qualifying position today.

It's been a bad year for Hamilton. "The worst of my career," says Hami. Other than on-track performances being below par, his singer girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger split with him. He is disturbed and distracted.

Hamilton has an image of Bob Marley on his helmet with the title song 'One Love' to promote Bob Marley's Foundation. Great song. Perhaps 'No Woman, No Cry' could be added.

Another driver to fall foul of the stewards was Sergio Perez of the Sauber team. He also ignored the yellow flag and was also slapped a three-grid penalty.

11 a.m. Third practice session.

Information for the teams: Track temperature 36c. Air temperature 28c. Wind speed 0.7 km per hour. Humidity 32%. Dogs: none!

The excruciating crescendo of the F-1 engines rent the air. The third and final practice session was on. Yellow flag out twice at 11:18 in Sector 19 and at 11:20 in Sector 5 but the race continued.

Bruno Senna went off track, reported no damage and continued. Michael Schumacher set a blistering pace with a lap timing of one minute and 27. 292 seconds. But as the race continued Vettel pushed him in second place, timing one minute 26. 311 seconds. By the end of the session Schumi had been pushed further down the ladder with Button, Webber, Hamilton, Alonso and Massa being ahead.

At 1:55 p.m., five minutes to go for the qualifying session. The crowd obviously had seen the previous session and now awaited the action with bated breath. The silence was deafening!

At 2 p.m. sharp, the green light came on and the now familiar scream of engines announced the start of the qualifying session. The tension eased on the spectators but it had only started for the drivers. They were driving with their hearts out because the next 60 minutes would decide the outcome for Sundays starting positions.

The race ran for 20 minutes and the chequered flag was shown. The slowest seven drivers were eliminated and would start at the bottom end of the grid on Sunday.

The green light came on again at 2:27. The chequered flag was shown again at 2:42. Seven more drivers were eliminated.

As the green light came on again at 2:50, there were only 10 cars on the track for the final top 10 positions.

The chequered flag was shown again at 2 p.m. The top three finishers were Vettel (Red Bull Racing, 1:26.218; Lewis Hamilton (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, 1:26.563; Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing, 1:26.473).

At the press conference, Hami looked crestfallen. Even though he had finished second, the penalty would make sure he started fifth. Vettel of Red Bull pointed out that in that case there would be two Red Bull drivers up top, himself at pole and Webber at number two.

Vettel summed up his aspirations for the Indian Grand Prix. "Mark and myself want to finish one-two tomorrow." Tomorrow is another day. The super suspense is thick in the air. The excitement continues!

Kolkata, October 29
Kevin Pietersen struck a rollicking 53 as England salvaged some pride on an otherwise dismal Indian tour with a comprehensive six-wicket victory over the hosts in the lone Twenty20 International here today.

Pietersen, who missed the visitors' last ODI here because of a fractured left thumb, returned in style with a match-winning knock that came off 39 balls as England chased down India's modest 121-run target with eight balls to spare.

After being dropped on one by Suresh Raina, Pietersen hit five boundaries and three sixes en route his quickfire innings as the reigning T20 champions proved their supremacy in the shortest format of the game. Samit Patel was the second-best run-maker for England with a 25-ball 21, while Ravi Bopara remained unbeaten on 14.

Earlier, India produced an ordinary batting performance to be restricted to 120 for nine. India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to bat first at a slowish Eden Gardens pitch backfired as barring Suresh Raina (39) and the skipper (21) himself, no other batsmen could post a challenge before the determined English attack.

Virat Kolhi and Manoj Tiwary made identical 15 and towards the end R Ashwin (17) played a short-little cameo to help the home team's cause.

Right-arm pacer Steven Finn, who impressed in the just-concluded ODI series, was the pick of the English bowlers with figures of three for 22, while Tim Bresnan (2/19) and part-timer Ravi Bopara (2/16) gave him the perfect support from the other end.

England, however, did not have the best of the starts while chasing against an all-spin Indian attack. Ashwin and Pathan managed to hold the England openers but it was left-arm spinner Jadeja who gave the first breakthrough removing Kieswetter for 12 to give some ray of hope to the Indians. — PTI

Scoreboard

India

Uthappa c Kieswetter

b Bresnan 1

Rahane c Kieswetter b Finn 0

Kohli c Hales b Bresnan 15

Raina c Bairstow b Finn 39

Tiwary b Patel 15

Dhoni run out 21

Jadeja b Finn 0

Yusuf b Bopara 10

Praveen b Bopara 0

Ashwin not out 17

Extras (lb 1, w 1) 2

Total (9 wkts) 120

Bowling: Finn 4-0-22-3, Bresnan 4-1-19-2, Dernbach 4-0-26-0, Patel 3-0-13-1, Swann 2-0-23-0, Bopara 3-1-16-2.

England

Hales c Rahane b Yusuf 11

Kieswetter c Tiwary b Jadeja 12

Pietersen lbw b Raina 53

Patel c Tiwary b Kohli 21

Bopara not out 14

Bairstow not out 2

Extras (b 1, lb 3, w 4) 8

Total (4 wkts; 18.4 ovrs) 121

Bowling: Ashwin 4-0-20-0, Yusuf 3-0-34-1, Jadeja 4-1-9-1, Praveen 1-0-13-0, Vinay 2- 0-19-0, Kohli 2.4-0-13-1, Raina 2-0-9-1.

Kolkata, October 29
Middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh returned to the top tier of BCCI's contracted cricketers, while Ishant Sharma and Virat Kohli were also promoted to Grade A in the new list announced today.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan retained their places in Grade A, which now has 12 players instead of nine.

The yearly contract amount that was decided here at a working committee meeting, was kept unchanged at Rs one crore for Grade A, 50 lakh for Grade B and 25 lakh for Grade C.

The Cricket Board also increased the number of contracted players from previous year's 24 to 36 with the addition of 11 new players in Grade C.

Yuvraj, who was yesterday named in the Indian squad for the first Test against the West Indies after recovering from an injury, returned to the top tier after one year. He was demoted to Grade B last year.

London, October 29
Skipper Robin van Persie scored a hat-trick as Arsenal beat Chelsea 5-3 after twice coming from behind in a remarkable Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The astonishing victory was Arsene Wenger's 500th since he became Arsenal manager in 1996 and was Arsenal's first away win in the league this season. It also consigned Chelsea to a second successive defeat in a London derby after they lost at Queens Park Rangers last weekend and was the first time Chelsea had conceded five at home in a league match since Liverpool beat them 5-2 in December 1989.

Chelsea lead through Frank Lampard after 14 minutes before Van Persie scored his first in the 36th minute. Chelsea skipper John Terry then took advantage of some woeful Arsenal defending to put his side 2-1 up in the last minute of the first half.

Andre Santos struck Arsenal's second equaliser early in the second half before Theo Walcott scored a brilliant solo goal to put Arsenal 3-2 ahead after 55 minutes.

Juan Mata equalised for Chelsea with a brilliant swerving shot to make it 3-3 after 80 minutes but then Dutch striker Van Persie took advantage of some terrible Chelsea defending to make it 4-3 five minutes later and wrapped up the points with an outstanding shot in the second minute of stoppage time.

In the other early game, Manchester United bounced back from their harrowing 6-1 defeat by Manchester City last weekend when they beat Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park to move to within two points of City at the top of the Premier League, at least until City play Wolverhampton Wanderers next. — Reuters

New Delhi, October 29
The 52nd edition of the Subroto Cup football tournament for schools, to be held at the Ambedkar Stadium from November 4 to 25, will have a novel feature - a girls’ tournament. The Subroto Society will conduct the girls’ tournament on a trial basis in the under-17 age group, which will also have a team from Afghanistan. Eleven Delhi school teams participated in the preliminary rounds, held at the Ambedkar Stadium from October 10, to qualify for the main round.

In all, nine schools, including some from abroad, are participating in the boys’ section, which will consist of 31 teams in the under-17 age group and 28 in the under-14 section. Air Marshal JN Burma, vice-chairman of the Subroto Mukherjee Sports Education Society, will inaugurate the tournament on November 4. 

Patiala, October 29
Punjabi University, Patiala, continued to dominate during the All India Inter-University Cycling Championship after its players won gold medals during various individual events that were held today.

Renu Rani from the university bagged gold medal in the 500m time trial event in the individual category.

Kazhia V from University of Kerela and Rajwinder Kaur from Punjabi University bagged second and third position, respectively.

Karanbir Singh and Sukhwinder Singh of Punjabi University won first place in elimination race and 1 km time, respectively.

In the team sprint event, Kerela eves won first places whereas Punjabi University and GND Varsity were second and third, respectively.