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Vettel rebounds with masterful drive at Spanish GP

By WTOP Staff

JOSEPH WILSON
Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Mercedes may have taken home all the glory from the Spanish Grand Prix, but Sebastian Vettel’s driving display went a long way toward repairing the four-time champion’s reputation after his struggles this season.

Problems with his car’s wiring and transmission plagued Vettel through practice and qualifying in Montmelo. Yet once Red Bull’s mechanics provided Vettel with a reliable car, the German showed few can match his skill behind the wheel.

Vettel wove his way up from a 15th-place start to finish fourth just behind new teammate Daniel Ricciardo, livening up an otherwise dull contest until Lewis Hamilton held off Mercedes partner Nico Rosberg at the end. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner described it as a “fantastic comeback drive.”

And did Vettel ever need it.

After winning 13 of 19 races in 2013 to claim his fourth straight title, Vettel has only reached the podium once this season and has finished the last three races behind Ricciardo. Sunday’s display of passing technique, combined with a smart team strategy and smooth pit stops, indicated that he is still a force to be reckoned with when his car holds up.

Vettel has benefited from driving cars designed by Red Bull’s Adrian Newey, widely considered Formula One’s best, for a team that has dominated the circuit for the previous four seasons.

While no one doubts Vettel’s expertise, the question has always lingered to what degree Vettel’s success has depended on being paired with Newey and a team with the financial resources to build a winning car year after year.

The 26-year-old Vettel showed his laurels are well deserved on Sunday when he used some audacious driving to steer by 11 rivals after starting way down the grid because a faulty gearbox left him stranded during qualifying and earned him a five-place penalty. Among the group of drivers Vettel managed to overtake were three former champions: Ferrari’s troubled twosome of Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button of McLaren.

Ricciardo was the first to acknowledge he was impressed by Vettel’s drive.

“I just sort of heard on the radio that he was making progress through the field,” said Ricciardo. “I definitely see it as a positive for the team, third and fourth, particularly after his starting position. All the talk about Seb, I’m sure that was going to pass very soon and he’ll get to his world champion form.”

Vettel also clocked the fastest lap through the race’s 66 laps, the first time that has been done this year by a driver other than Hamilton or Rosberg.

Red Bull still has a long way to go to catch the pacesetters.

Ricciardo, followed by Vettel, crossed the finish line at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit a full 48 seconds after Rosberg.

Mercedes has established itself as the clear front-runner following an offseason overhaul of the rule book that featured a move to V6 turbo hybrid engines. Hamilton and Rosberg’s fourth consecutive one-two finish– in that order– gave Mercedes a commanding lead in the constructors championship with 197 points to Red Bull’s 84.

“Mercedes is very strong” said Vettel. “They have a phenomenal engine, two very good drivers, a very good car, and a very good team, they’re doing a good job so it would be wrong to complain and moan about how dominant they are. They worked better than everyone else in the winter and deserve to be in that position.”

The remainder of Vettel’s season will depend on Red Bull continuing to make strides with his car. The RB10 suffered several stalls during the preseason tests in Jerez and an engine failure knocked Vettel out of the season-opening Australian GP.

“Hopefully, from our point of view, rather sooner than later we’ll give them a hard time,” said Vettel. “That’s our motivation. I hope that in time we can catch up, and as I said start giving them a run for their money.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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