Webber, Vettel bury hatchet for new season

Feuding Red Bull drivers Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel have put their bitter rivalry from last season behind them for the 2011 campaign.

“We’re starting from zero. It’s the same game, business as usual. He’ll try to beat me and I’ll try to beat him,” said world champion Vettel at the final pre-season testing session on Wednesday.

Vettel overtook Webber to take the world title in the final race last season with the Australian finishing third.

“Last year several times we had differing opinions. But we’re not brothers, we don’t have the same parents, so there is a strong chance we’re not the same type of people. But even brothers sometimes can be very different,” said Vettel.

Vettel set the fastest time in Wednesday’s testing session, but remained cautious about his team’s chances for the new season which gets underway in the Australian Grand Prix on March 27.

“It’s still difficult to say. Sometimes depending on the configurations we’re going 8 or 9 seconds slower,” explained Vettel.

“For this reason it’s difficult to read what the other teams are doing. But this year our car has behaved rather well in terms of reliability as much as speed.

“We know what we did in 2010 but that doesn’t help us this year. We have a lot of things to resolve, new parts. That will keep us busy,” said Vettel, adding: “We’ll really see in Melbourne where we are.”

Kandy Speed at night 2011 this weekend

For the very first time, in the racing history of Sri Lanka professional racers are all set to hit the streets of Kandy this weekend to race under lights marking a significant milestone in the sporting calendar.

 “Kandy Speed @ Night 2011” has been organised in tandem with the world cup matches to be held in Pallakale with the view of adding more fun, fiesta and pomp to the world cup festivities that will engulf the sacred city of Kandy during that time.

There has never been any ‘night motor racing event’ in Sri Lanka before, and we are proud to announce that the first such event has been organised here, by the Kandy Off Road and Adventure Club (KORAC) says the President of KORAC Chula Ratwatte.

Tusith De Silva, Rohan Dammapala, John Baskeran and Errol Kemp all talented racers who have been in the forefront of organising the event added that the night races will add much entertainment and excitement to thousands of spectators from Kandy, Colombo as well as those who are travelling from other countries specially the international media personnel.

Chula Ratwatte further added with enthusiasm that, Kandy Speed @ Night is organised with the view of turning in to an annual event.

Minister of Sports Mahindanda Aluthgamage, has extended his fullest cooperation towards the event, in an effort to develop motor racing in Sri Lanka where there is undeniably a lot of talent.

Chief Minister of the Central Province Sarath Ekanayake, the Mayor and the Kandy Municipal Council Governor of the Central province Tikiri Kobbekaduwa and young parliamentarians Lohan Ratwatte and Dilum Amunugama have all extended their cooperation towards organising this event, in order to boost sport tourism in their constituency.

The races will commence from Queen’s at 8 p.m. on 12 March where Roshan De Silva, Pasindu Peris, Ashan Silva, Dammika Pieris, Sujeewa Karavita, Raam Brothers, Prabath Pieris, Gayan Sandaruwan, and Ned Daniel will be competing.

Kandy Speed @ Night 2011 has been proudly sponsored by Mobitel, and conducted by the SLMCC, approved by Sri Lanka Automobile Sports and fully supported by the Sri Lanka Army and the Police.