Rob Veenstra

Rob founded GPToday together with Danny. He started as an intern at the end of 2004, after which he became the first journalist to be hired and wrote articles and various interesting columns for many years. He was regularly the daily hub of the news, but also provided live coverage of the test sessions.

News

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Sebastien Buemi hopes to announce 2013 return 'soon'
Sebastien Buemi has revealed he is confident he will return to the grid in 2013. Like the now Pirelli tester Jaime Alguersuari, Swiss Buemi was ousted by Toro Rosso at the end o...

15 Oct 2012 15:14
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Less 'respect' for small teams Timo Glock
Timo Glock has lamented an apparent lack of respect for F1's smallest teams. According to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, engine supplier Renault has said it is 'not interested'...

15 Oct 2012 14:53
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Vergne: "Korea was my best race in F1 so far"
Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne has branded his eighth-place finish in the Korean Grand Prix as his best performance in Formula One so far. To get eighth and ninth, with Daniel al...

15 Oct 2012 12:13
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McLaren chose Button over Hamilton's farewell party
McLaren mechanics chose a run with Jenson Button over Lewis Hamilton's farewell party in Japan recently, according to British newspapers. The reports have revealed that Hamilton...

15 Oct 2012 11:48
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Red Bull Racing not imposing team orders on Webber yet
Red Bull is still not willing to slot Mark Webber into a supporting role after Sunday's Korean grand prix. With the Australian on pole but 60 points behind Fernando Alonso's cha...

15 Oct 2012 11:01
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Alonso loses championship lead to rival Vettel
A visibly disappointed Fernando Alonso has in Korea finally lost his long-standing championship lead, as his title rival Sebastian Vettel won a third consecutive grand prix on S...

15 Oct 2012 09:58
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Announcement Massa staying put at Ferrari imminently
Felipe Massa has done enough to secure a new Ferrari contract for 2013. The Brazilian was at times even faster in Korea than his championship-challenging teammate Fernando Alons...

15 Oct 2012 09:04
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Webber beats Vettel to pole position in Korea
While practice times had Sebastian Vettel favourite to take pole position in Korea, it was team-mate Mark Webber who finished qualifying in P1. It's a great place to start the r...

13 Oct 2012 16:34
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Force India boss faces arrest in India
Two weeks before he is due to sit on the pitwall in his native India, Force India chief Vijay Mallya is facing arrest. A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued by a Hyderabad co...

13 Oct 2012 16:29
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Korea 2012 Friday quotes: Lotus F1 Team
Kimi Raikkonen: "The circuit is okay; it's surprisingly bumpy in some parts but it's quite different from other places we race. It's difficult for me to say about the exhaust un...

12 Oct 2012 15:03
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Two pit stops likely at warmest-ever Korean Grand Prix
Pirelli's P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft tyres took to the track in Korea for the first time this season, during the two free practice sessions at the 5.615-kilomet...

12 Oct 2012 14:42
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Korea 2012 Friday quotes: Marussia F1 Team
The opening sessions of the 2012 Korean Grand Prix got underway at the Korea International Circuit at Yeongam today, where the day proved a little challenging for the Marussia F...

12 Oct 2012 14:16
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Alguersuari prepares for 'new challenge' in 2013
Jaime Alguersuari is preparing to announce his plans for 2013, having wrapped up his on-track duties as Pirelli test driver. "New challenges, new goals. Follow me very soon," th...

12 Oct 2012 13:54
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Korea 2012 Friday quotes: Scuderia Toro Rosso
Jean-Eric Vergne: "Today was a sort of anniversary for me, as it was in Korea that I started driving the Friday morning sessions for Toro Rosso and today, that went much better ...

12 Oct 2012 12:12
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Sauber confirms Hulkenberg and Gutierrez on shortlist
Peter Sauber has essentially confirmed reports Esteban Gutierrez and Nico Hulkenberg are in the running to drive for the Swiss team in 2013. With Sergio Perez heading to McLaren...

12 Oct 2012 11:56
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Korea 2012 Friday quotes: Caterham F1 Team
Giedo van der Garde: "Another very useful session for me and the more time I spend in the car the more confident I'm getting. This morning we were running a similar program to H...

12 Oct 2012 11:25
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Felipe Massa thinks 2013 extension 'will not be long'
Felipe Massa has hinted an announcement about his 2013 contract extension at Ferrari may be imminent. "I think it will not be long," the Brazilian told Totalrace, amid reports t...

12 Oct 2012 11:05
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Vitaly Petrov says F1 career not definitely over
Vitaly Petrov has hit back at reports he will definitely slide out of formula one at the end of the season. Previously boosted by his Russian supporters, Petrov's manager Oksana...

12 Oct 2012 10:17
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FP2: Red Bull Racing take command in Korea
Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber pushed Red Bull to the top of the timesheets in the second free practice session at Yeongam on Friday afternoon. Just 0.032s separated the battl...

12 Oct 2012 09:47
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FP1: Hamilton leads the way on dusty Korea International Circuit
McLarens Lewis Hamilton set the two fastest laps in Fridays opening practice session for the Korean round. First he recorded 1m 39.280s to depose long-time pacesetter Fernan...

12 Oct 2012 06:39
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Montezemolo urges 'huge effort' from Ferrari for title battle
With the title battle now essentially a head-to-head between Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso, Ferrari has acknowledged that its F2012 was outclassed by Red Bull's improved ...

11 Oct 2012 17:45
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Korea among least-popular races on F1 calendar
Korea, among F1's new breed of grands prix, is far from the most popular stop on the sport's annual calendar. Well-known British F1 photographer Darren Heath tweeted from the me...

11 Oct 2012 17:01
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Whincup and Doohan team up for Race of Champions
Team Australia will have a star-studded pairing for the 2012 Race Of Champions as triple V8 Supercar champion Jamie Whincup lines up alongside motorcycling legend Mick Doohan at...

11 Oct 2012 16:01
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Lauda makes a move to poach Newey and Vettel - Marko
Niki Lauda has already made a move on Adrian Newey. Austrian great Lauda, having negotiated Mercedes' new Concorde Agreement and wooed Lewis Hamilton to the German squad, has al...

11 Oct 2012 14:42
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Kamui Kobayashi could lose F1 seat over sponsorship
Kamui Kobayashi has admitted he could lose his formula one seat due to a lack of sponsorship. Sauber is yet to name its 2013 driver lineup, but Japanese Kobayashi was considered...

11 Oct 2012 13:32
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Korea 2012 preview quotes: Williams
Mark Gillan, Chief Operations Engineer: "After a disappointing qualifying in Suzuka both drivers demonstrated very good pace in the race, with Pastor securing a solid 8th place....

11 Oct 2012 12:15
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Sergio Perez a 'rough diamond', not crazy - Whitmarsh
Martin Whitmarsh has defended McLaren's 2013 signing, Sergio Perez. After their on-track battle at Suzuka, in which Perez spun his Sauber into retirement, departing McLaren prot...

11 Oct 2012 11:26
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Mercedes denies Michael Schumacher was sacked
Mercedes chiefs Niki Lauda and Norbert Haug have scotched claims the German squad sacked Michael Schumacher. Mere days after Mercedes signed Lewis Hamilton to be Nico Rosberg's ...

11 Oct 2012 10:20
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Video: A lap around Korea International Circuit with Alonso
South Korea will play host for the sixteenth Grand Prix of this season. As preview for that race a video of a lap around the circuit of Yeongam with Fernando Alonso ...

11 Oct 2012 09:35
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Sauber turns Kaltenborn into first female F1 team boss
Peter Sauber has handed over the role of team principal to Monisha Kaltenborn, making her the first female boss on the pitwall. The Swiss squad announced in a statement that, tw...

11 Oct 2012 08:27
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Korea 2012 preview quotes: Red Bull Racing
Sebastian Vettel: "In principle, the track is made up of two parts: a permanent race track and the end, which is more like a street circuit although were not in the city. The ...

10 Oct 2012 16:45
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Marko happy Lewis Hamilton is leaving McLaren
Dr Helmut Marko has revealed he is pleased Lewis Hamilton is moving to Mercedes. Red Bull's driver manager, who is also the team owner Dietrich Mateschitz's right-hand man on ra...

10 Oct 2012 16:04
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Honda unlocks door to comeback in formula one
Honda is not ruling out a return to formula one in the future. The Japanese carmaker pulled out of the sport after the 2008 season, amid the global financial crisis and the slum...

10 Oct 2012 15:30
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Korea 2012 preview quotes: Pirelli
The Yeongam circuit takes in a very wide variety of speeds and corners, with Pirelli bringing the P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft compounds: making it one of the tou...

10 Oct 2012 14:14
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Massa 'can be even faster' than Alonso - Vettel
Sebastian Vettel has stated he does not "understand" why Felipe Massa has struggled so much alongside Fernando Alonso at Ferrari. The 2012 championship looks set to be a head-to...

10 Oct 2012 13:44
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Jenson Button working to build McLaren team around him
Jenson Button has admitted he is working to build a team around him at McLaren. Even as reigning champion, when the Briton arrived at McLaren in 2010, paddock figures likened th...

10 Oct 2012 12:56
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Red Bull Racing boost due to exhaust - report
It is simplistic to say Red Bull has sped into the 2012 title favourites' role due to its new 'double DRS' device. As Sebastian Vettel closed the championship gap to Fernando Al...

10 Oct 2012 11:25
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Korea 2012 preview quotes: Marussia F1 Team
It's another short hop in the space of a week as the Marussia F1 Team embarks on its fifth back to back race of the 2012 season - this time from Japan to Korea. Suzuka was a str...

10 Oct 2012 10:42
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Pastor Maldonado admits 'chance' of Williams switch
Pastor Maldonado has admitted there is "a chance" he will switch teams ahead of the 2013 season. Days ago, before Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez was re-elected by his countrym...

10 Oct 2012 09:11
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Schumacher had talks with Sauber, Ferrari - Lauda
Niki Lauda has confirmed that Michael Schumacher turned to Sauber and even Ferrari once he knew he would lose his Mercedes seat. Austrian legend Lauda, who has joined Mercedes a...

10 Oct 2012 08:39
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Korea 2012 preview quotes: Caterham F1 Team
Giedo van der Garde (driving FP1 in Vitaly Petrov's car): "I'm looking forward to my second FP1 in a row in Korea after driving the first Friday in Suzuka. The Korean track is a...

09 Oct 2012 16:37
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Vettel makes us nervous with his fastest laps - Marko
Even on his dominant cruise to Suzuka victory, Sebastian Vettel managed to irk his Red Bull bosses. Late in the Japanese grand prix, with the race in the bag, the German sped up...

09 Oct 2012 15:49
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Korea 2012 preview quotes: HRT F1 Team
The Formula 1 World Championship continues in the Far East as it leaves Japan behind and heads to South Korea. It will be the fifth back-to-back race in the season meaning that ...

09 Oct 2012 15:15
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Gerhard Berger urges Ferrari to dump Felipe Massa
Former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger thinks the great Italian team should drop Felipe Massa. However, after the Brazilian at Suzuka finally returned to the podium after a two-ye...

09 Oct 2012 14:41
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Danner gives Lauda advice to fire Mercedes staff
A German F1 pundit has advised Niki Lauda to take an axe to Mercedes' current personnel lineup. Lauda, the great Austrian triple world champion, has been signed on as Mercedes' ...

09 Oct 2012 14:00
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Korea 2012 preview quotes: Sauber
After a breathtaking Japanese Grand Prix with Kamui Kobayashi clinching his first podium in Formula One, the Sauber F1 Team wants to build on the momentum as it heads to South K...

09 Oct 2012 13:21
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Lewis Hamilton concedes title now 'two horse race'
McLaren's drivers have conceded that they are effectively now out of the chase for the world championship. After Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won in Suzuka with title leader Fern...

09 Oct 2012 12:13
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Grosjean's career not in danger 'for now' - Boullier
Eric Boullier was vague when asked if Romain Grosjean's constant first-lap crashes have endangered his future in formula one. "Not for now," said the Lotus team boss, who double...

09 Oct 2012 11:06
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Korea 2012 preview quotes: Mercedes
Michael Schumacher: "Korea is one of the more recent additions to the Formula One calendar, and that's still reflected in the fact that we don't get too many fans at the race. I...

09 Oct 2012 10:36
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Lotus to test new exhaust layout in South Korea
Lotus has sidelined its 'double DRS' system for now. While Red Bull quickly got its similar concept up and running to great effect with wins in Singapore and Japan, Lotus has be...

09 Oct 2012 09:53
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Non-members attend FOTA meeting at Suzuka
Political allies Ferrari and Sauber returned to a FOTA meeting on Sunday, despite no longer being official members of the F1 teams association. With the notable exception of Red...

09 Oct 2012 08:51
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Relief for Maldonado as supporter Chavez re-elected
F1 insiders had a keen eye on Venezuela's presidential election on Sunday. The sport's main focus was, of course, in Japan, where Pastor Maldonado was racing his PDVSA-branded W...

08 Oct 2012 16:47
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Korea GP organisers insist F1 'worthwhile' despite loss
South Korea has indicated it could keep organising an annual grand prix. Despite the Yeongam race only joining the F1 schedule in 2010 and having a contract through 2016, recent...

08 Oct 2012 16:08
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Lewis Hamilton slams teammate Button on Twitter
Lewis Hamilton accused his McLaren teammate Jenson Button of lacking respect in the hours after Sunday's Japanese grand prix. Earlier media reports - indicating that the pair's ...

08 Oct 2012 15:24
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Bernie Ecclestone still doubts New Jersey race
Bernie Ecclestone has continued to cast doubt on the inaugural running of next year's New York street race. With the F1 chief executive claiming organisers no longer have a vali...

08 Oct 2012 14:54
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Pirelli to decide on F1 future in June 2013
Pirelli will decide next June whether or not to stay in formula one. The Italian marque's three-year contract to be the sport's sole tyre supplier expires at the end of next sea...

08 Oct 2012 13:37
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Raikkonen to announce 2013 plans on his birthday
Kimi Raikkonen will announce his plans for the 2013 season on October 17. Despite Lotus chiefs saying the Finn is staying in 2013, 2007 world champion Raikkonen insisted at Suzu...

08 Oct 2012 12:09
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Cosworth not ruling out V6 engine foray in 2014
Cosworth has rejected reports it will definitely bow out of formula one after 2013. It has been suggested the independent British engine marque, currently supplying V8s to Marus...

08 Oct 2012 11:25
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Pirelli wants Michael Schumacher as tyre tester
Pirelli has offered Michael Schumacher a job as F1 tyre tester. After losing his Mercedes seat to Lewis Hamilton, the seven time world champion announced on Thursday that he is ...

08 Oct 2012 10:54
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Grosjean should be sent on holiday again - Webber
Mark Webber was furious with Romain Grosjean on Sunday at Suzuka. The Australian referred to his French rival as "the first lap nutcase Grosjean", after yet another first-corner...

08 Oct 2012 10:07
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Bad day for Alonso as Vettel dominates with 'double DRS'
Fernando Alonso's championship lead took a massive hit in Japan on Sunday, after the Spaniard spun into retirement at the first corner. The fact his main championship rival Seba...

08 Oct 2012 08:41
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McLaren also considered Di Resta and Hulkenberg - Whitmarsh
McLaren also considered Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg for the departing Lewis Hamilton's 2013 seat, team boss Martin Whitmarsh admitted on Friday. He told British broadcaste...

05 Oct 2012 15:02
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Barrichello criticism 'doesn't matter' - Senna
Bruno Senna has dismissed countryman Rubens Barrichello's suggestion he would have scored twice as many points as Williams' 2012 drivers. F1 veteran Barrichello, who was Pastor ...

05 Oct 2012 14:20
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Heikki Kovalainen closer to new Caterham deal
Heikki Kovalainen now appears closer to staying with the Caterham team for 2013. Recently linked with a switch to Sauber or maybe even Lotus, the Finn's management - IMG Worldwi...

05 Oct 2012 13:51
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Hamilton right to leave McLaren - Alonso
Fernando Alonso has backed Lewis Hamilton's decision to leave McLaren. Spaniard Alonso inked a multi-year contract with the British team ahead of the 2007 season, but he acrimon...

05 Oct 2012 12:11
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Kimi Raikkonen insists 'no agreement' for 2013
Kimi Raikkonen has kept rumours about his plans for 2013 alive by insisting he is yet to agree to stay at Lotus. Team chiefs Eric Boullier and Gerard Lopez have recently said th...

05 Oct 2012 11:28
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Pastor Maldonado says 2013 plans unclear
Once believed secure at Williams with his Barcelona win and Venezuelan dollars, Pastor Maldonado admitted at Suzuka that his plans for 2013 are unclear. "We shall see, we shall ...

05 Oct 2012 10:51
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New engine rules could push HRT off grid - boss
HRT boss Luis Perez-Sala has expressed concerns F1's 2014 engine regulations could push small teams out of business. "Yes," he is quoted by Autosprint magazine, "today for a tea...

05 Oct 2012 10:07
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FP2: Webber quickest as Di Resta and Schumacher crash in Spoon
Mark Webber put Red Bull to the top of the timesheets after the second practice session in Suzuka on Friday afternoon, lapping his RB8 in 1m 32.493s to head McLarens Lewis Ham...

05 Oct 2012 09:30
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Nicolas Prost to test for Lotus in Abu Dhabi

Hot on the heels of Alain Prost's test in a Red Bull, it has emerged that the F1 legend's son Nicolas will drive the black and gold Lotus in Abu Dhabi next month. The 31-year-ol...

05 Oct 2012 09:26
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