Auto Racing Capsules: NASCAR asks appeals court to restore Mayfield ban

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - NASCAR on Wednesday asked an appeals court to ban Jeremy Mayfield from racing, alleging the participation of "a proven methamphetamine user" could lead to fatal consequences for other competitors and fans.

NASCAR wants the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen's decision last week to lift Mayfield's indefinite suspension following a positive drug test.

Mayfield attorney John Buric scoffed at the idea Mayfield is a potential danger and revealed the driver was tested twice Monday - once at an independent laboratory and once at his home by NASCAR.

"He's not a danger, and they have the right to test him anytime to find that out," Buric said. "In fact, they did test him on Monday night at his home. A group of people went to his home and watched him pee in a cup. It was humiliating."

Mayfield was suspended May 9 for failing a random drug test eight days earlier. NASCAR has said he tested positive for methamphetamine, but Mayfield has denied using the illegal drug.

NASCAR's appeal did not mention the most recent random test, but NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston confirmed Mayfield was tested Monday evening.

Buric and NASCAR differed on what exactly happened during the seven-plus hours between the time Mayfield was asked to report for testing and when NASCAR collected a sample - a lag time the program administrator called "a classic case of delay tactics used by someone who doesn't want to be tested."

"The standard procedure for this type of testing is notification to an individual and no more than a 2-hour time lapse before the sample is collected," said Dr. David Black, CEO of Aegis Sciences Corp., which runs NASCAR's program.

"When an individual has more than two hours, they have an opportunity to engage in behavior that can mask a sample. When you are dealing with a seven-hour lag, there is a great opportunity for mischief."

NASCAR said Mayfield was notified by an Aegis representative at 1:18 p.m. Monday to report to a nearby testing center within two hours, but the driver said he had to first speak to his attorney. After a delay, Buric told NASCAR that Mayfield couldn't get to the center by 3:18 p.m., so NASCAR said it found a lab closer to his location.

At 3:45 p.m., Mayfield called the lab to say he was close but lost, and a receptionist offered to talk him the rest of the way, Poston said.

NASCAR said Mayfield told the lab he would call right back but no one was contacted until 5:30 p.m., when Buric called NASCAR to inform them Mayfield could not find the location so the lawyer had sent him to an independent laboratory. Buric said he did that so Mayfield would avoid accusations of refusing to be tested.

Buric confirmed Mayfield received a call at 1:18 p.m. But he said Mayfield told him it went to voice mail, and he did not get the message until 2 p.m. By the time Mayfield sorted it out with Buric, he had just 36 minutes to report and told his lawyer he couldn't make the deadline. Buric confirmed a second location was found but said Mayfield was "given bad directions" and could not find it.

"I told him go to our lab, go to our doctors, and he did. He provided a sample to our own doctors," Buric said.

He told NASCAR of the independent test at 5:30 p.m., and NASCAR told him to send Mayfield home, where testers would meet him to collect a sample.

Buric would not reveal what laboratory tested Mayfield and said he wasn't sure if it was certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. He said the results have not come back yet.

Black said those results would be irrelevant because "a testing program never accepts a sample from a donor who selects the time and circumstance."

Poston said two testers and a NASCAR security officer arrived at Mayfield's home in Catawba County, N.C., at 7:20 p.m., could not gain access for 10 minutes, and then weren't able to persuade Mayfield to give a sample until 8:20 p.m.

Poston said one tester watched Mayfield give the sample, and Mayfield vehemently protested being monitored.

"The litany of excuses and delay tactics he used to keep away from our testers was ridiculous," Poston said.

Buric disagreed, saying NASCAR's confusing instructions led to the delays and that if Mayfield were "stalling" he would not have given the sample.

Black said the test processed by Nashville, Tenn.-based Aegis would be completed by Friday at the latest. His lab typically needs four days to analyze a sample. If the "A" sample were to come back positive, Black said NASCAR likely would look to the court for guidance on how to proceed with the "B" sample.

Mayfield has argued that NASCAR's drug policy is flawed and that he should have been allowed to have the backup "B" sample collected May 1 tested by an independent lab of his choosing.

Even though Mayfield has been cleared to race, Buric said he doubted the driver will be in Chicago for this weekend's event. Mayfield has until Thursday afternoon to enter his Mayfield Motorsports' car or find another team owner willing to hire him for the event.

"As of right now, he does not have any sponsors, he does not have anyone asking him to drive," Buric said. "His career is all but ruined unless someone gives him a chance. But people are treating him like a pariah. We thought the injunction was an important factor in getting him back on track.

"As it appears to be turning out, having accomplished that doesn't at all get him what he really wants: getting back in a car going around the track."

That's exactly what NASCAR's fighting.

NASCAR wants the injunction lifted, arguing Wednesday to the appeals court that Mullen relied on incorrect information when he lifted the drug suspension. If allowed on the track, NASCAR believes Mayfield poses a dangerous threat.

"The District Court failed to give proper weight to the safety interests of the NASCAR drivers, teams, and fans who will be subject to increased risk of injuries or fatalities if NASCAR is forced to allow a drug-impaired driver to participate in NASCAR events," NASCAR wrote.

NASCAR also argued Mullen was incorrect in ruling that the harm to Mayfield outweighed the harm to NASCAR if he were not allowed to race.

"(The court) must focus on the substantial injury the injunction will cause the drivers who risk serious injury or death by racing next to Mayfield at speeds of more than 180 miles per hour, and the potential injury to teams and fans located just a few feet away from the track," NASCAR argued in the motion.

"A stay will not "substantially injure" the interested parties - rather a stay will prevent substantial injury or even death to other drivers, teams, and any one of the millions of fans who attend NASCAR events each year."

Stewart: Goodyear has solved tire problems

INDIANAPOLIS - Two-time Allstate 400 winner Tony Stewart said Wednesday he is confident Goodyear has solved the tire problems that plagued last year's race at the Brickyard.

Stewart is among the drivers who have participated in Goodyear's seven test sessions at the track since last year, when severe tire wear turned the race into a series of 10- to 12-lap sprints.

"I can promise you they put on a full-court press on making sure we don't have the issues we had last year," Stewart said during an appearance at the track with teammate Ryan Newman. "We were able to run almost 30 laps and were still not down to the cords on the tires, so I'm confident that with a full field there shouldn't be any issues at all.

"Obviously I can't guarantee that, but I can tell you that normally the test is a lot worse on tire wear than it is in the race," he said. "I think they've come back with a combination that's not only durable but also to where it should be better racing."

The July 26 race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be the first for Stewart as both driver and team owner. He said that gives him two shots to win, and either would be fine.

"It was a dream come true to win at Indianapolis and I've been blessed to win it twice," said Stewart, a native of nearby Columbus, Ind. "But it would be even more special to win it as a team owner. If Ryan wins, I would have that same gratification."

Stewart won the Brickyard in 2005 and 2007 for Joe Gibbs Racing and formed Stewart-Haas Racing after last season. With three wins in the last eight races, including the non-points NASCAR All-Star Challenge, he leads the Sprint Cup Series by almost 200 points over four-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon heading into Saturday's race at Joliet, Ill.

Newman is seventh in the standings.

"We're extremely excited with the progress of this race team," Stewart said. "The success we've had has come quicker than any of us dreamed."

Newman, who is from South Bend, Ind., said his relationship with Stewart is no different than it is with other teammates on race day. Off the track is a different story.

"Our friendship is definitely important, but we have to compete against each other," Newman said.

"We're working our way to kind of solidify ourselves to be in the chase," he said of the end-of-the-season showdown for the series championship. "That's our goal at this point of the season, to make sure that we can lock up that position."

Stewart says he and Busch on 'same page' after wreck

INDIANAPOLIS - Tony Stewart called his last-lap dust up with Kyle Busch at Daytona International Speedway last weekend "just a part of racing," and Busch apparently agrees.

Stewart said he spoke to Busch on Tuesday and that the two NASCAR stars were on the "same page" following the accident that sent Busch to the infield care center and Stewart to Victory Lane in the final moments of the 400-mile race on Saturday night.

Busch took the lead on the next-to-last lap and tried to fend off a hard-charging Stewart. He successfully blocked Stewart once, but when he tried to do it again Stewart hooked Busch's right rear fender instead, sending Busch into the wall a few hundred yards from the finish.

Stewart, the points leader heading into this week's race in Chicago, said it was important to clear the air with Busch as quickly as possible.

"When something like that happens, you want to make sure that both guys are on the same page with what happened and we definitely were," Stewart said. "I mean, there was no question on either one of our parts of what happened."

Stewart knew Busch - one of the circuit's most talented drivers - would do everything he could to hold on for the win.

"Nobody in his position would have just stayed there and let somebody drive back by him," Stewart said. "You've got to do something, and he wasn't trying to wreck us, he was just trying to make me slow down."

Busch, who skidded across the finish line in 14th, has not spoken publicly since the wreck.

Stewart downplayed the significance of the crash, saying endings like that have been a part of racing at superspeedways for decades.

It marked the second time a crash has marred the end of a restrictor plate race this season. Carl Edwards went flying into the catch fence at Talladega this spring while trying to block Brad Keselowski in a mad dash to the finish.

"There's just so many instances and cases where that's happened in the past," Stewart said. "It's really no different than what we've got going on other than the fact that instead of two cars being involved, now we have 32 cars in the pack. That's the only variable that's changed."

Sadler expects smoother roads ahead at Petty

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Elliott Sadler's season has been about as bumpy as a lap around Daytona International Speedway.

He threatened a lawsuit to keep his ride, nearly won the season-opening Daytona 500 and endured all sorts of changes, cutbacks and layoffs at Richard Petty Motorsports. But Sadler remains upbeat, even with the team's uncertain future with Dodge.

Why? Because he believes things are about to turn.

"We just need some momentum, we need a little change of direction, we need something really good to happen to this race team," Sadler said.

Coming off his second 10th-place finish in the last three weeks, Sadler has reason to be optimistic heading into this weekend's race at Chicago. It also helps that some of his favorite racetracks - Indianapolis, Pocono, Michigan and Bristol - are on the horizon.

Nonetheless, Sadler realizes he's a long shot to make the Chase for the championship. He's 23rd in points, well behind the 12th-place cutoff, but not far enough back to give up on the season.

"I've still got some unfinished business for this year," Sadler said. "We're not too far from 20th, but we need to have some good luck and run as good as we can each and every week.

"Right now, 2010 seems like 10 years away for me. I feel like we still have a lot of racing to do this year before we drop this season and work on next."

No one, including Sadler, knows what might happen between now and next season.

RPM laid off nine employees last month and reduced salaries throughout the organization, a byproduct of Chrysler's bankruptcy filing. RPM took the measures because of anticipated cutbacks from Dodge, a subsidiary of Chrysler.

RPM is in the final year of its contract with Dodge, and the team is widely believed to be trying to negotiate a switch to Toyota in 2010. Petty declined to address the speculation last week at Daytona.

RPM currently fields Cup cars for Sadler, Kasey Kahne, Reed Sorenson and AJ Allmendinger, who are all signed through 2010. The team has funded Allmendinger's car largely out of pocket all year, and has only committed to run it through the 26th race.

Now that financial backing from Dodge has become a concern, the organization could scale back even more - maybe even drop a team - at any time.

"If you go through some of those bad times, you go through some of that tough stuff and you go through some of that adversity, it makes you appreciate the good weekends even more," Sadler said.

The good weekends, however, have been scarce.

Sadler finished fifth at Daytona in February, but went the next 14 races without another top-10 finish.

Maybe it took that long to get over his near-win at Daytona. Sadler moved to the front just as the rain neared the superspeedway, all he needed to do was hang onto the lead for another lap.

He couldn't do it. Matt Kenseth passed Sadler just before the final caution and was declared the winner when NASCAR called the race 20 minutes later.

"I was literally 15 or 16 seconds away from becoming Daytona 500 champion," Sadler said. "That's pretty hard to swallow. I still think about it a lot, 'What if? What if I would have done this different? What if I would have done that different? What if the rain had come a little earlier?' That was tough to swallow."

With Allmendinger (third) and Sorenson (ninth) also in the top 10 at Daytona, it was the best showing in years for Petty's team. It also was a soothing start following a tumultuous offseason, during which Sadler threatened a lawsuit to stop Gillett Evernham Motorsports from dumping him in favor of Allmendinger.

GEM, which later merged with Petty, worked out a deal to keep both. Sadler said time and Tom Reddin's resignation in May as Petty CEO have eased the tension.

"A lot of stuff we went through this winter, just being on different pages of where we thought our future should be, really went out the door when Tom was let go," Sadler said.

Foster Gillett, a managing partner in RPM, has taken on a greater role in day-to-day operations.

"When you start with leadership that has a positive outlook on things and is a good motivator, that just trickles down through the whole team," Sadler said. "He has brought this team a long way from where it was a month and a half ago. We're seeing that in the way all four cars are running. It starts with him."

It could get better, too.

RPM has lagged behind in development of the new R6P8 engine that Penske Racing, the other Dodge organization, has used all season.

Even though some believe it wouldn't make sense to spend more money developing the new engine considering a potential split between RPM and Dodge, Sadler said he has received assurances that the motor will power his No. 19 car next month.

And that's another reason he's hopeful of a turnaround.

"It doesn't happen overnight," he said. "You have to build on this stuff and put it all in motion. We're going to get better as the year goes. We're better in July than we were in June and we're going to be better in August than July and we should be back close to where we need to be around September. Hopefully, that's the path we're taking."

-- Mark Long

Darlington lands sponsor for racing festival

COLUMBIA, S.C. - If any of the entries breaks down at Darlington Raceway's fall festival, they might not have to look far for replacement parts.

Track president Chris Browning said on Tuesday that O'Reilly Auto Parts has signed on as a presenting sponsor for the Darlington Historic Racing Festival in September.

The second-year festival is Darlington's attempt to tap into its history as NASCAR's oldest superspeedway and keep the quirky oval relevant when it's not hosting the annual Mother's Day weekend Sprint Cup race.

"That's our goal, to build this thing," Browning said. "You hear Darlington Raceway and you think about the history and tradition of the sport and this event fits right in with that.

"I really think that in 10 years, we're going to be just in awe of how big the event has gotten."

Because of the economic downturn, Browning and Darlington officials struggled to find a backer for last May's Southern 500, landing GoDaddy.com less than a month before NASCAR came to down. The short timeframe limited the promotion GoDaddy.com and Darlington could do as partners.

Browning says O'Reilly signed on well before the track's major promotional push for the festival, which will be run Sept. 26-27. The festival will feature historic cars taking turns on Darlington's egg-shaped 1.366-mile oval, along with question-and-answer sessions from racing greats David Pearson and Cale Yarborough, both among the 25 nominees announced last week for the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

A highlight of last year's first festival was when attending car clubs got to drive their machines on a parade lap around Darlington. Browning said about 125 cars and 5,000 fans took part.

O'Reilly Auto Parts marketing director Wes Wise said the company has enjoyed its association with Darlington, and the festival is a way to expand on that. "It's a win-win for everyone," he said.

Darlington, which celebrated its 60th racing season this year, had been an end-of-the-summer NASCAR tradition from 1950 through 2003 when it hosted the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend as the second of its two NASCAR weekends.

A year later, the Southern 500 was shuffled to November, and in 2005, Darlington's second NASCAR weekend disappeared.

Darlington has experienced success since moving its lone race to the night before Mother's Day. The event sold out its first four runnings and came within a few thousand seats of a fifth-straight sellout this year despite the recession.

Browning hopes he can build the track's brand through the festival and keep fans eager to return in 2010 and beyond.

He hasn't heard anything about Darlington's place on the next Sprint Cup schedule, but has no reason to believe there won't be another Mother's Day weekend. Browning said GoDaddy.com was pleased with its association and Darlington officials are talking with the company about continuing its sponsorship.

Darlington held last year's festival on Labor Day weekend, but the steamy heat and the start of college football limited attendance. Browning says people "got out of the habit of closing the summer at Darlington" last year and expects to draw a bigger crowd because of with a sponsor and a better date.

-- Pete Iacobelli

Matos has track record of championship success

RICHMOND, Va. - Raphael Matos knew he could drive a race car, and he had the record to prove it - six championships in a variety of go-kart series in his native Brazil.

After a decade, though, what he ached for was a chance to prove his talent on a grander scale. When he convinced some small sponsors to help him chase his dream in 2003, he headed for the United States with a little bit of money and a whole lot of faith.

Six years later, he's 27 and nearing the top of the open-wheel ladder in this country.

He's got a full-time ride in the IndyCar Series, is a top contender for rookie of the year at the season's midpoint and has a record of achievement that suggests the best is still to come.

"Determination. I think that's the key," said Andre Serra, who gave Matos a job in a go-kart shop after he arrived from Brazil. "The guy, he knew for a long time, 'I want to be a race car driver, and I will be a race car driver, and I'm going all the way to the top.'"

Matos lived with a friend from Brazil at the start, used $50 to buy a bicycle and rode it 15 miles each way to his job as a mechanic in Miami. The commute served as his fitness program and he raced in the Skip Barber Series on weekends, winning the 2003 championship.

The title earned him a $150,000 scholarship up to the next level of open-wheel racing, the Star Mazda Series, but there was a catch: It costs twice that much to fund a team.

"I was lucky enough to find a team that had the other half of the money," Matos said. "We had a really tight budget. We never tested. We never did anything. We had a few podium finishes, a couple of pole positions and we finished fourth in the championship that year."

But Matos found himself without a ride for the following year until another team in the Star Mazda Series came along with an offer, and he had no choice but to agree to their terms.

They said, "You drive for us one race, but you also have to come and coach our second driver for the whole year for free. I said, 'OK. No problem.' I had nothing," Matos said.

He foiled that plan by making it hard for the team to take him out of the driver's seat, winning his first race, and then his second, and third, and fourth, to earn a contract.

"I ended up winning the championship," Matos said.

The logical next step up the ladder was the Champ Car Atlantic Series, and Matos headed to California for a two-week tryout with Sierra Sierra Enterprises in Minden, Nev.

Among those also participating were Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal, two up-and-comers whose pedigree made them the open-wheel equivalent of NASCAR drivers named Petty and Earnhardt.

"Raphael had the fastest time, he listened the most, he did everything the way that we wanted so we thought we'd give him a try," said Diane Kottke, one of the team owners.

"He beat them not just by a little bit; he beat them by a lot."

The contract with Sierra Sierra in the development series for Champ Car allowed Matos to finally give up his job at the go-kart shop and concentrate on his racing career.

The team won one race in 2006, finished fourth in points and re-signed Matos.

In 2007, he won six times and dominated the championship, winning easily.

He "blossomed and just took off," Kottke said. "He was just absolutely a superstar."

The title came with a $2 million scholarship, but the Champ Car Series went bankrupt, leaving Matos again ready to take the next step up but searching for a team.

He wound up in the Indy Lights Series - the IndyCar Series' equivalent to the Atlantic Series - with Andretti-Green Racing. It was a "sidestep," Matos said, "but in the end it worked out well for me because I won the championship and proved I could be fast on ovals."

It also earned him an interview with Steve Luczo and Jay Penske, co-owners of the upstart Luczo Dragon Racing team, who were looking for a driver for the 2009 IRL season.

He made their decision easy, especially when his eyes grew wide at the mention of their commitment to teaming with sports figures such as Donovan McNabb, Shaquille O'Neal and Wayne Gretzky, and supporting their charities.

"When he found out about the charity aspect, he was like, 'Do you think we can also do something for charities down in Brazil?' and we were like, 'OK. He gets it," Luczo said.

"He's a franchise player and just someone we can build a team around," Penske said.

Through nine of 17 races, Matos is 13th in the points. He has three top-10 runs, with a best finish of sixth at Milwaukee, and trails Robert Doornbos by one point for rookie of the year. Penske - the son of famed race team owner Roger Penske - remains upbeat.

"He's won at every level he's raced," he said. "Let's just hope it happens soon."

Matos hopes so too, but pauses to laugh at the road he has taken.

"I'm sure a lot of people that saw me at the go-kart track working, they didn't have any idea, maybe because I was in that situation, that I had the talent, I had the desire to win," he said. "I'm sure they never expected to see me here, being in that position, a go-kart mechanic struggling to make a living, but I was racing, man. I never stopped racing."

-- Hank Kurz Jr.

F1 Teams Association walks out of FIA meeting

LONDON - Formula One's fragile peace deal was thrown into doubt Wednesday when eight leading teams walked out of a meeting with the governing body after being told they had not been entered into the 2010 championship and would have no say on finalizing cost-cutting measures.

The Formula One Teams Association accused the FIA of putting "the future of Formula One in jeopardy" by reneging on a deal that saw them halt plans to form a breakaway series.

At a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council two weeks ago in Paris, the FIA backed down on plans to implement a voluntary budget cap that had angered FOTA.

Under their agreement, FOTA teams agreed to cut costs to 1990s levels and FIA announced they would be entered into the 2010 championship.

But at Wednesday's meeting of the German Grand Prix to discuss the rules for the 2010 series, the FOTA teams were told that was not the case by the FIA's technical chief.

FOTA said in a statement: "The team managers were informed by Mr. Charlie Whiting of the FIA that, contrary to previous agreements, the eight FOTA teams are not currently entered into the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship and have no voting rights in relation to the technical and sporting regulations thereof."

FOTA's members - Ferrari, McLaren, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Brawn GP - asked for the meeting of the technical working group to be postponed.

"This was rejected on the grounds that no new Concorde Agreement would be permitted before a unanimous approval of the 2010 regulations was achieved," FOTA said. "However, it is clear to the FOTA teams that the basis of the 2010 technical and sporting regulations was already established in Paris."

FOTA said at no point in the June 24 meeting in Paris did the FIA request "unanimous agreement on regulations change expressed."

"To subsequently go against the will of the WMSC and the detail of the Paris agreement puts the future of Formula 1 in jeopardy," FOTA said. "As a result of these statements, the FOTA representatives at the subsequent Technical Working Group (on Wednesday) were not able to exercise their rights and therefore had no option other than to terminate their participation."

The FIA said that all 13 teams in next year's championship must sign a legally binding agreement to reduce costs to early 1990s levels and agree to a minimum car weight of 1,364 pounds.

"The eight FOTA teams were invited to attend the meeting to discuss their further proposals for 2010," the FIA said. "Unfortunately no discussion was possible because FOTA walked out of the meeting."

-- Rob Harris

Vettel looks for home win at F1's German GP

MADRID - Although Jenson Button holds a sizable lead in the standings, Red Bull's recent performance gives Sebastian Vettel hope of winning his home German Grand Prix and injecting some drama into Formula One's championship race.

Vettel finished ahead of teammate Mark Webber for his second victory of the season in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, a result that kept Button on six wins in eight races.

Though no driver has been so dominant by the halfway point of the season and not gone on to win the championship, seven drivers have won six times in a season without taking the title.

Even so, Webber believes the Austrian team will need help to catch the Button.

"He's been so impressively consistent and just doesn't make mistakes," Webber said. "If he loses the title now, it will be down to a problem from the team, not him."

Webber is counting on the Red Bull team to maintain both his and Vettel's chances of catching Button, who finished a season-worst sixth at the British GP.

"It is too early to start backing one driver, and the team are being brilliant with that," the Australian driver said. "Sebastian is only 3.5 points ahead of me in the drivers' championship, which means mathematically I still have a chance to do very well."

Button has 64 points, Barrichello 41, Vettel 39 and Webber 35.5.

Barrichello will be glad to return to the Nordschleife track after last season's race was held at Hockenheim due to an alternating arrangement between the circuits.

The Brazilian came from 18th on the grid to win at Eifel hills for Ferrari in 2002 and has also reached the podium five times.

"The layout and flow is nice, which allows you to get into a rhythm and there are some interesting undulations and bumps to look out for," Barrichello said. "It will be interesting to see how the circuit feels in a good car."

Rain is expected to play a part in Friday's practice sessions. That could provide an extra boost to Vettel, who has already shown his skill on wet tracks with victories in rain-soaked conditions at Monza and China.

"This is special because being at home is the best place to stay," said the 21-year-old Vettel, who is hoping to join Michael and Ralf Schumacher as the only German drivers to win three times in a season. "The new Nuerburgring is one of the better modern tracks. Even the schnitzel in the local pubs is legendary."

Vettel is one of five German drivers expected to star on Sunday, with Toyota's Timo Glock and BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld hoping to give those two Germany-based teams a chance. The other Germans likely to be in the grid are Nico Rosberg for Williams and Adrian Sutil for Force India.

While Brawn and Red Bull are battling at the front of the grid, perennial powers like Ferrari and McLaren continue to lag at the back.

Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen has written off the Italian team's chances of winning a race this season. The last time Ferrari was blanked for a whole season was 1993.

"Realistically this year our objective can't be a win," Raikkonen said on Wednesday. "We still have to make up ground compared to the leaders as far as the performance is concerned. That's why the team continued to work very hard over the last weeks to bring some new solutions to this race."

Defending champion Lewis Hamilton has scored just nine points, with McLaren off the podium for nine races and out of the points for four straight giving the British team its worst run since 1980-81.

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who won here two years ago for McLaren, was trying to take any positives in a car that left him 14th at Silverstone.

"I still had some fun battles, especially with Lewis, but I prefer to be fighting at the front," the Renault driver said.

-- Paul Logothetis