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F1: Grand Prix News Briefs (Update 5)
Sergio Perez has had a difficult and low-profile start to his career with McLaren...
SPEED Staff / GMM  |  Posted March 03, 2013   GMM Newswire
Sergio Perez made his formal debut with McLaren in Australia. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
McLaren Happy With Newcomer Perez: McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh says he is happy with team newcomer Sergio Perez. Mexican Perez has had a difficult and low-profile start to his career with the famous British team, arriving to replace Lewis Hamilton but struggling with the uncompetitive 2013 car. Nonetheless, Whitmarsh said the 23-year-old has done "a solid job. It's easy to get rattled in coming to a team like McLaren and not having a quick enough car," he is quoted by sportinglife.com. "But he's an intelligent guy, who might be incredibly young but to my mind he has not put a foot wrong."

Three Teams Beat Old McLaren Pit Stop Record: Red Bull claims it beat McLaren's all-time record for the fastest ever tire pit stop during the recent Malaysian GP. The reigning champions claim that, before the 'Multi-21' affair kicked off, Sebastian Vettel's first pitstop took the Red Bull mechanics just 2.13 seconds. The previous record, McLaren's 2.31 seconds, has stood since Germany last year. But when Mark Webber came in for his second stop at Sepang, Red Bull stopped the clock at an incredible 2.05 seconds. In fact, the team says it beat McLaren's old record no fewer than five times in Malaysia. "It's possible this season we'll see the magical two-second barrier breached at some point," Red Bull said in a media statement. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claims McLaren's best stop in Malaysia was 2.28 seconds — just good enough to beat its old record. Also under McLaren's old record in Malaysia was the Mercedes crew, which turned around Nico Rosberg in 2.29 seconds.

Webber Lucky To Escape Penalty — Rival: Mark Webber may have been the victim of the 'Multi-21' affair at Sepang, but the Australian's behavior also raised a few eyebrows. As his teammate Sebastian Vettel ignored team orders and launched an overtaking attack, Webber pushed the sister Red Bull almost into the pitwall at 300 kph. He then showed his middle finger to his German cohort, and after the checkered flag was flown, he swerved into Vettel at high speed in one final act of frustration and anger. The FIA, however, remained silent, and not a single stewards' investigation was launched. "Other drivers have been punished for much less," an unnamed boss of a rival team is quoted by respected Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt.

Journalists Say FIA 'Splitter' Story Untrue: Two F1 correspondents have contradicted reports about allegedly illegal 'splitters' aboard the top Red Bull, Lotus and Mercedes cars. Italian reports had said F1's governing body warned the teams to make changes before China, after scrutineers flagged the too-flexible front floor solutions in Malaysia recently. But Jennie Gow, the pitlane reporter for British radio BBC, said on Tuesday that she has "spoken to Lotus and Merc who say FIA splitter story is just that — a story!" "Both teams passed tests and no changes to make," she added on Twitter. German correspondent for Auto Motor und Sport, Tobias Gruner, agreed: "Neither Lotus and Mercedes nor Red Bull was asked to change the splitter. So everybody calm down!"


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