Gerhard Berger thinks Vettel will be world champ. Is he right?

Sebastian Vettel will graduate to the senior Red Bull team at the end of this season. It’s the next step in a career that many experts predict will take Vettel to the very top of F1.

Gerhard Berger, Vettel’s boss at Toro Rosso, believes the young German has what it takes to become world champion.

Red Bull shine in Spain again

Mark Webber topped the timesheet at Jerez yesterday, to compete another strong day for the Red Bull team; Seb Vettel - who will team up with Webber in 2009 - set the pace for Toro Rosso, Red Bull’s junior team, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Steady Webbo was pleased with his team’s efforts in Spain:

“The car ran pretty reliably, and we’ve clocked up some good mileage. Today we were mostly getting ready for Budapest, as well as looking at developments for a little later in the season. Yesterday we were focusing more on ‘09, and it was quite a challenging day. Today was better in terms of what we learned mechanically and aerodynamically. It’s been a hot week for the guys working here, and they’ve done a good job.”

Full timesheet after the jump…

Toro Rosso runs with 2009 specs

In scorching conditions, Seb Vettel again was the man to beat in F1 testing at Jerez. He was the only driver to dip below the 1:19.00 mark, beating the likes of Kimi Raikkonen, Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg.

In preparation for the new regulations in 2009, Vettel ran on slick tyres all day, and with reduced downforce. Red Bull, Honda, Williams and McLaren also sent thier drivers out on Bridgestone slicks.

Full timesheet below:

Toro Rosso’s rising star shines in Spain

Seb Vettel was quickest at Jerez yesterday, although he was one of only two grand prix drivers to test - Toyota’s Jarno Trulli was the other. Vettel and Trulli apart, Tuesday was a chance for the test drivers to do what they’re paid for.

Full timesheet below:

The best images from Hockenheim so far

LL Cool L (Ladies Love Cool Lewis) moves in on Scottish “lady driver” Susie Stoddart.

More below…

Toro Rosso’s rising star will replace DC next season

It’s been the worst-kept secret in F1 for a couple of months now: Seb Vettel will step up and replace David Coulthard at Red Bull in 2009. When Coulthard himself called for Vettel to be his replacement last week, it became clear that the deal was 99% done.

This not-so-shocking news, which is set to be officially announced later today, at least puts paid to the rumour that Red Bull were sweet on Fernando Alonso - there is no way that Red Bull will want to ditch the uber-reliable Mark Webber.

Nazionale Piloti lose pre-German GP match

The F1 drivers’ football team, the Nazionale Piloti, lost to a German representative XI at the Böllenfalltor stadion in Darmstadt yesterday. The team, which included Schumi, Seb Vettel and Nico Rosberg in its ranks, was on the wrong end of a 6-8 defeat.

Gotta love those 14-goal thrillers, but you know that Schumi will not be happy to lose a game in his native Germany - even if it was a charity game.

We rate Red Bull’s little brother, based on the first half of 2008

SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO
Drivers Sebastian Vettel (Germany) & Sebastien Bourdais (France)
Championship points 7

Read our verdict on Toro Rosso below:

Looks like Seb will replace DC in Red Bull’s senior team

The longer the 2008 F1 season goes on, the more likely it seems that Sebastian Vettel will make the step up from the baby Red Bull team, Toro Rosso, and into the senior Red Bull team. That would almost certainly see the German take the seat of David Coulthard, rather than Mark “Steady Webby” Webber.

Vettel is getting stronger and stronger, and Coulthard is having a very tough year, despite solid runs in Canada and France.

DC driving on borrowed time

German magazine Auto Motor und Sport claims that only “a miracle” will now prevent Red Bull from starting the 2009 season with its preferred lineup of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.

That leaves David Coulthard out in the cold, and looking very short on options if he wants to stay in F1 for another year. Asked about the mounting speculation, DC replied, mysteriously: “I have plans for the future.”