Ringing the changes for 2011

By : Jake Humphrey

Well, here we go then, my first blog of a new year - and it will take me a while to type it. I've just returned from a skiing trip to France and used so many muscles that even my fingers ache. Mind you, I've promised my wife Harriet a six-pack as a New Year's resolution for the past few years so maybe it's actually the perfect start to 2011!
It may only be January but another F1 season will be upon us before we know it - and judging by the tweets I've been receiving it can't come soon enough for lots of you! There's a lot going on and you might have read about changes to the BBC team - I'll come onto those in a bit.


But there is no doubt that since taking this job it feels as though my life has has entered a warp-speed stage. I look at the calendar ahead of the season and feel rather daunted by the travel, the hours of live television, the garish Eddie Jordan outfit and the drama that awaits us... but before I know it, we'll be at the final race of the year with the champion crowned.
The winter break is the same. Knowing when the season starts meant that even before we signed off in Abu Dhabi we had already announced how many weeks it was until the 2011 season. So I've spent most of the winter (in between sore throats/colds/flu) ticking off the weeks until we're back in Bahrain.
I can't believe it's time to turn our attention towards Sebastian Vettel's defence of his crown already.

Coulthard (right) will dove-tail his pundit's role with his new commentating duties. Photo: Getty

I vividly remember coming off air in November, having signed off from the final F1 Forum of 2010, and immediately feeling really down. I mentioned it to Martin Brundle, who told me that it's par for the course. After giving so much both mentally and physically to a gruelling nine-month schedule, it's natural that you experience a dip the moment the adrenalin leaves your body and the slog is over.
Mind you, my dip wasn't quite as big as Ferrari's, was it? I'm sure over the winter you've read the revelations that team principal Stefano Domenicali considered walking away after the Scuderia's strategy calls contributed to Red Bull's double success. Well, to understand what Domenicali must have been feeling, you need to realise how much emotion is involved in a sport more famed for its technical element.
Many of the Red Bull engineers and mechanics have worked for that team throughout all the name changes, back-of-the-field struggles and double retirements they have experienced in less successful years, so you can imagine the outpouring of joy that greeted Vettel's title in Abu Dhabi. And from men who spend their days in the macho world of racing there were plenty of tears as the best partiers in the paddock lived up to their reputation of working hard and playing hard, too.


As I left them to their celebrations, I walked into the pit lane and looked along the garages, where I was met with the clearest example of what suspect calls on the pit wall can lead to.
Right next door to the loud music and joy emanating from the Red Bull garage, there was just one lonely mechanic standing and talking on the phone in a still, silent Ferrari garage.


The money they'd spent, the car they'd devoted thousands of hours to, the flights they'd taken and the dreams they'd had eventually came to nothing. The car was now obsolete, the season over and all because of one split-second decision on the pit wall. That is what makes this such a fascinating sport.
I think we all felt a bit odd at the end of the season. Imagine how it was for our own former Red Bull driver David Coulthard, seeing the team you raced for achieving the ultimate success. He must have had all sorts of emotions.
You'll get the chance to hear for yourself next season just how emotional grand prix racing makes David because, as well as chasing around the paddock with Eddie and me, he is stepping up into the commentary box.
I'm really excited about a 13-time winner sharing his knowledge in the race with you. Remember, David has raced most of the guys on the grid, has first-hand experience of the inner workings of current champions Red Bull and, most importantly, has driven contemporary F1 machinery.


There is no doubt that it is a daunting prospect for him but I think he will fly once he settles in. I always tell him that the pre- and post-race "waffle", as I jokingly refer to it, is important and an interesting way of adding depth to a race weekend. However, we don't directly affect people's enjoyment of the actual racing.
In my mind, the commentary is a somewhat more responsible role for that reason and is also the trickiest job going. I wouldn't swap the pit lane for the commentary box for all the sand in Bahrain!
Although David is moving to the commentary box, the 'three-o' of myself, DC and EJ will remain. We love working together and, when you get an on-screen chemistry that people seem to enjoy, it would be foolish to break it up.
However, David will need to hustle his white jeans to the commentary box a little earlier so immediately pre- and post-race will be a chance for EJ to get on his soap box and share his views at a time when the audience is joining us in their droves for the racing.
The most fascinating part of any race weekend for me has always been settling down to watch the grand prix with Eddie and David as they discuss the race unfolding while regaling me with anecdotes of their first-hand experience. Well, I won't get that anymore but my loss is certainly your gain and I think we've a really strong team in place for 2011.


And who will be alongside David in the box? His long-time friend, one-time business partner and full-time expert on the sport - Martin Brundle.
Martin has had more races behind the microphone than behind the wheel - and what better qualifications can you have than to have taken part in the sport for so long, commentating on almost every race for the past 14 years? I thought in 2010 his instincts, ability to read the race and general enthusiasm for the sport he has dedicated his life to were as prevalent as ever.
I don't envy the work that lies ahead for Martin, though. It might seem like a small change on paper but, in reality, while DC will be sharing his views on drivers, strategy and taking us as close to the cockpit as possible, Martin will need to be aware of every little story, political development and technical development as he calls the action. Racing drivers only exist to be the best, so expect to see him giving it his all to make it a huge success.


Clearly, however, the changes I've talked about mean that Jonathan Legard will no longer be part of our team - I know I'm going to really miss him.
I first met 'Ledgy', as we affectionately call him, at Craven Cottage, where we were both covering football. It was November 2008 and we had both been lined up for the new F1 season. We got talking and were both brimming with excitement and anticipation about the adventure ahead.
I remember before the 2009 season started and we were both incredibly nervous about taking on something as important and prestigious as F1 and I told him how worried I was about the challenge ahead. His instant reply was: "We can both either have an easy life or an exciting life and I know which one I want!"
That is typical Jonathan - always encouraging, incredibly enthusiastic, a good friend to us all, and without doubt the hardest working member of the BBC's F1 team, doing an incredibly difficult job. I know I speak for every member of the production when I say we're all going to miss his entertaining company and his absolute dedication to the job. All the best for the future Jonathan!


One thing you may well also miss is standard-definition coverage. Finally, we are delighted to bring you F1 in high definition, which I think will make the sport even more dramatic and addictive than ever.
So why will you miss SD? Well, mainly because in HD I think Eddie's shirts might be un-viewable. I've warned him, but I'm still expecting something outrageous come March!
So, the clock is ticking for the new season and March will be here in a flash. We have a new Indian driver, a new Indian Grand Prix, the prospect of three British drivers battling it out if Scottish DTM champ Paul di Resta gets the nod at Force India, six world champions on the grid... and once again the whole season will be live and uninterrupted of the BBC.
I can't wait to share the 2011 season with you all. Feel free to leave comments below about the kind of stuff you would like to see in our coverage this year and remember that throughout the season I post plenty of exclusive pictures and other juicy stuff on my Twitter page.
Eight weeks and counting...

1st Formula1 Singapore on Facebook

As one would say, you can't ignore the power of social media. True to our belief of staying close to our many customers, we are pleased to announce that 1st Formula1-Singapore is now on Facebook with a page solely dedicated to F1 Merchandise available for sale to the general public.

http://www.facebook.com/1sformula1

As we look back on the past 6 years and the development that have occurred, I cant help but feeling grateful of how far we've come and how far we can go ! My wife and I have dedicated many hours of our time to this business and we certainly want to thank all our past customers for the opportunity to show our dedication and love for F1.

More great things will come from us in months and years to come and we look forward to forging strong bonds, both in business and private terms with the many Formula 1 Fans in Singapore and abroad.

Do pay us a visit, leave a message, a comment, questions and we will do our best to make this page a very interactive platform for all F1 afficionados as we strive to be the best Official Formula1 Merchandise Company in Singapore.

http://www.facebook.com/1sformula1

We look forward to meet you at our next events in the months to come and thank you once more for your past patronage.

Bruno & Shatz

Sebastian Vettel wins the Malaysian GP for Red Bull

Red Bull overcame their reliability issues as Sebastian Vettel headed a one-two in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Vettel, whose car cost him potential wins in Bahrain and Australia, overtook team-mate and pole-setter Mark Webber at the start and held on to triumph.
Mercedes' Nico Rosberg took third while the McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were sixth and eighth.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa leads the championship after finishing seventh as team-mate Fernando Alonso retired.
Massa is now two points ahead of Alonso, who is level on points with Vettel but heads him in the standings because of a stronger results countback.
Rosberg and Button are both two points back on 35, four ahead of Hamilton and five in front of Renault's Robert Kubica, who again impressed to finish fourth after coming second in Australia.

Despite losing his position at the head of the grid, Webber drove an excellent race - he produced the fastest lap (one minute 37.054 seconds) - to move up to eighth in the championship.
"The first part of the race is critical and the first sector I had a little wheel spin on the way to Turn One and gave Seb a big tow," said the Australian.
"The spirit and chemistry in our team is awesome and we fought well. Seb got the better of it but it could have gone either way. Great result for the team, we executed a beautiful weekend."
It was a first one-two for Red Bull since the final race of the 2009 season, the team finally getting their reward for consistently being the fastest car on the grid this season.
A broken spark plug did for Vettel in Bahrain and the German had a wheel failure in Melboune, while Webber's engine failed during Friday's practice session for this grand prix.
But they had no such problems on race day at the Sepang Circuit as both cars cruised problem-free and untroubled to the flag.

"I realised straight away I had a good start, I was able to gain, gain, gain and I had a good advantage," said Vettel. "I took the chance into Turn One, it was very late but I took it.
"It's good that we can fight each other but you should keep the respect and I am glad that we have done that, I am sure Mark would do the same as I did.
"After that we had the same pace but I was able to stay in front. We had a magnificent car - I just had to watch the pace and look after the tyres.
"It was a very good result for us especially after two races where we didn't finish where we wanted to be. It was important to stay relaxed and not panic so I am really pleased for me and the team."
The strategic errors made by Ferrari and McLaren during Saturday's rain-affected qualifying meant Alonso and Massa started 19th and 21st respectively, with Button and Hamilton 17th and 20th.
But while Vettel was busy passing Webber on Turn One, all four were making moves of their own and Hamilton, in particular, seemed to be picking off victims at will.

The 2008 champion, along with both Ferraris, was one of the few drivers to start the race on hard tyres but the call paid off as all three put themselves in strong positions.
Reigning champion Button had been sent out on soft tyres but pitted on lap nine for the hard variation and instantly began to hunt down his rivals with several new fastest laps.
Ferrari seemed to be gambling on pre-race forecasts of heavy rain coming to fruition because they kept their drivers out on the hard tyres while most other teams were bringing their men in for a fresh set.
The Italian team's plight was not aided by Alonso's car developing a broken clutch, which produced awkward down-shifts and made braking into the corners tricky and overtaking near-impossible.
With the likes of Rosberg, Kubica and Sutil, who secured an excellent fifth-place finish for Force India, maintaining the pressure up front with some scintillating laps, Ferrari and McLaren acted.
Hamilton stopped for soft tyres on lap 31 and Alonso was the final man to pit on 37, but Hamilton could not make it past Sutil and Alonso's broken clutch put paid to his chances.
The game was up for the Ferraris and McLarens, Button producing increasingly slow laps on ageing tyres and Alonso seeing his engine blow on lap 55 after trying to pass the world champion.

There was more disappointment for Michael Schumacher as the seven-time world champion retired on lap 10 after a nut dislodged itself from the rear left wheel of his Mercedes.
"I lost a wheel nut basically so there was no more drive left," the German, who had climbed from eighth to sixth when he was forced off, told BBC Radio 5 live. "It's very unusual for us to have a reliability problem.
"We were in good position I was pacing myself, and although it is a long race it was all looking OK."
However, Rosberg was understandably delighted to have secured a first podium finish with his new team since joining from Williams.
"It's a great feeling to be back up on the podium again," he said. "This is a great end to a strong weekend for us.
"We're not quite where we want to be yet so we need to push on but I'm confident that we'll get there soon."
Meanwhile, there was an improved showing from the new teams as a Virgin car - Lucas di Grassi's - completed a race for the first while Lotus and Hispania brought both drivers home.
It was also a day to remember for Torro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari and Nico Hulkenberg of Williams, both of whom scored world championship points for the first time.

BBC Sport/formula1

Refuelling ban will improve F1, says legend Alain Prost

Felipe Massa's 2008 gaffe, leaving the pits with fuel hose attached, will not be repeated in 2010

Formula 1 legend Alain Prost rejects fears the refuelling ban will have a detrimental effect on racing this year.
The Frenchman, who won the last title before refuelling was introduced in 1994, believes the move will actually serve to improve F1 as a spectacle.
"The drivers have never experimented with that before, so they are a bit confused, even the teams," the four-times world champion told BBC Sport.
"They need to get used to it. It may take some races but it will be better."
Prost, who is second in the all-time winners' list behind Michael Schumacher, was known as 'The Professor' during his career for his intelligent approach to racing, which helped him secure many victories.
After a few races, I am sure the good drivers, the top drivers, will like it
Alain Prost
The 55-year-old said the refuelling ban would have the same effect as it did during his career, in that it would favour drivers able to think about their racing.
The challenge drivers now face is managing their cars through the difficult early stages of the race, when pressing too hard while the car is heavy with fuel can destroy the tyres.
Prost did not want to say which drivers he thought would benefit, but is convinced all the leading drivers would come to appreciate the change.
"They have got used to a sprint - in free practice, qualifying, race. And having 60kg of fuel or 10kg makes no difference," he said.
"When you start with 160kg you have to think differently, and they are not used to that.
"After a few races, I am sure the good drivers, the top drivers, will like it."
But Prost said he would change the rules covering the use of tyres in races.
Currently, all drivers have to use both of the two types of available tyre during the race, while drivers who make the top-10 qualifying shoot-out have to start the race on the tyres with which they set their fastest time.
"If it was my decision," he said, "I would have left the freedom about the tyres - you have one soft, one hard and freedom.
"(It would be) exactly the same - you start the race with the tyres you qualify with but after that freedom. If you want to use only soft tyres, or only hard tyres, (in the race) you do what you want."

Andrew Benson - BBC Sports

F1 to be made into a movie

Coming soon - the definitive Formula One documentary

Production is underway of the definitive feature documentary on Formula One racing. Scheduled for cinema release in spring 2011, the new film will tell the story of the golden Grand Prix age and will include interviews with the sport�s leading personalities, drivers, designers and engineers.

Featuring the most iconic F1 locations, from historic Monaco to the futuristic Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, the film is being produced by Exclusive Media Group�s (EMG) documentary unit, Spitfire Documentary Films, along with Flat-Out Films and Diamond Docs.Writer Mark

Monroe�s credits include the 2010 Academy Award nominated documentary, The Cove, while director Paul Crowder is the man behind the Spitfire documentary, Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who and Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos.�We are truly honoured to make this film, to tell this story which has never been told,� said EMG�s Co-Chairman and CEO Nigel Sinclair. �The heyday of Formula One racing was a very different time, when the risks were high and the characters were larger than life.�

Producing the film are Emmy award winning producer Michael Shevloff and Nigel Sinclair, who produced the Grammy Award-winning documentary No Direction Home: Bob Dylan, directed by Martin Scorsese. �Our goal is to achieve a big screen �action documentary� experience with all of the style and charisma of the era,� Shevloff stated.

�With Paul Crowder and Mark Monroe�s bold style we plan to tell a great story as well as transport the audience on to the track and in to the car.�

Crowder added: "Mark and I are thrilled to partner again with Spitfire and to team up with Flat-Out Films. This is a fantastic opportunity to take the history of these men and the grandeur of Formula One and translate that into a cinematic experience.�The project has the support of Bernie Ecclestone and Formula One Management. Exclusive Film Distribution is handling worldwide sales and distribution, and will be representing the film at the forthcoming European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin.

http://www.formula1.com/

Schumacher will be fighting rivals and the sands of time

Lewis Hamilton, it is safe to assume, will be having a very happy Christmas this year.
When he started his Formula 1 career in 2007, the man who became F1's youngest world champion said his one regret was that he never got to race against Michael Schumacher. Now, following the German legend's decision to come out of retirement and race for Mercedes in 2010, Hamilton can fulfil his ambition.
For those of us watching from the sidelines, Schumacher's return is an equally mouth-watering prospect.
At 41, Schumacher will not only renew his battles with Fernando Alonso - the man who beat him in a straight fight for the world title in his final season in F1 in 2006 - but start new ones with Hamilton, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and the new world champion Jenson Button, whose cars rarely afforded him the chance to take on Schumacher before.

Schumacher's ability to mix it at the front seems to me a given.
Even if he is not quite as quick as he was, as his former team-mate Eddie Irvine suspects, Schumacher will be more than good enough to win races assuming Mercedes provide him with a competitive car - a Michael Schumacher at 90% of his best is still better than the vast majority of the F1 grid.
"I still feel absolutely on the edge," Schumacher said on Wednesday. "This year, when I got back in a go-kart, I was straight away on the pace. I have to prove it, of course, but all the people (I will be working with) have no doubt about my ability."
Ross Brawn, the man who will be masterminding Schumacher's return just as he did all seven of his world titles, is also in no doubt that his new driver will be able to compete at the highest level.
"I asked Michael exactly that," the Mercedes team boss said. "He is the best judge of what he can do. He told me he can do it and I have absolute trust in him, so I'm very confident. He'll do the job."
Whatever happens in 2010, this latest venture is unlikely to harm Schumacher's reputation. Nothing can erase the memory of seven world titles and 91 victories, of a driver to compare with the very greatest names in F1 history.

Schumacher will no more diminish his legacy than did Lance Armstrong when he came back to the Tour de France four years after the last of his seven titles, and, at the age of 38, finished third in arguably the world's toughest endurance event.
If anything, Armstrong's achievement enhanced his standing, and such is the work ethic that Schumacher applied to his career - one of several characteristics he shares with the American cyclist - that the same will surely to apply to him.
But that is not the same as saying that, at 41, he can be the force he was at, say, the beginning of this decade.
Racing drivers tend to slow down as they get older. The reason for that is not that they lose their ability, but because their desire and commitment diminishes.
The willingness to put everything on the line in pursuit of that last scintilla of speed reduces as a man's mind opens to other aspects of life and an awareness of his own mortality grows.
For all Schumacher's talk of his motivation returning after a three-year break from the rigours of F1, of his being thrilled to race finally for Mercedes, not even he will be able to prevent this natural law having some effect.
There are a handful of moments, any one of which could be seen as illustrative of a time when the mantle of greatest driver in the world began to pass from one generation to the next.
Alonso beating Schumacher in a tactical battle in Bahrain at the start of 2006, and the desperation with which Schumacher deliberately crashed his car at Monaco to prevent the Spaniard snatching pole position in the dying moments of qualifying are two that stick in the mind.
But the one that perhaps stands out most of all was during the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix, when Alonso passed Schumacher around the outside at Suzuka's 130R, one of the most demanding corners in F1.
As he swept around the outside of the Ferrari, Alonso's speed at the apex of the corner was 208mph. Knowing that any contact between the two cars would have resulted in an accident that at least one of them may well not have escaped unhurt, the bravery required to pull that off against a man who had built his reputation on bullying and intimidation was immense - the more so given that, two years before, Schumacher had edged Alonso on to the grass at Silverstone at more than 180mph.
But it was not so much the move itself that was telling - once Alonso was alongside and going faster, Schumacher had no choice but to give way - as the mindset that allowed him to think about trying it.
Asked about it a few weeks later, Alonso told the veteran F1 journalist Nigel Roebuck: "At times like that, I always remember that Michael has two kids."
So few words, so much said. In the minds of Schumacher and his rivals, those assessments of what is worth risking and what is not will have grown larger, not smaller, in the three years since his retirement.
Be that as it may, we are talking about moments in extremis here, incidents that happen along only occasionally.
It was in these moments that Schumacher's notorious willingness to dabble in the darker aspects of sporting morality in his quest for success reared its ugly head. It is this side of him that means some of Schumacher's rivals will be a little ambivalent about his reappearance on the grand prix scene. Their tolerance of the dubious ethics that went hand-in-hand with the German's towering ability had been stretched to breaking point by 2006. And most of them were glad to see the back of him.
One suspects, too, that many of them may not be that keen on having him back for another reason - because he is so good.
As good as ever, or not quite as good as that, probably still amounts to a man capable of winning the championship. And that leads one to believe that his chances of success depend on his car.
There are question marks to varying degrees over all the potential title contenders next year.
Can Ferrari, where Alonso now occupies Schumacher's former seat, recapture the form that abandoned them in 2009? Can McLaren make a car that performs on fast circuits as well as it does on slow? Will Red Bull, using a Renault engine, be compromised by the uncertainty surrounding the French manufacturer's involvement in F1 following the decision to sell 75% of the team to a private equity company?
There are uncertainties over Mercedes, too, particularly after the team's slide from competitiveness in the second half of 2009 in its former guise as Brawn. But with them there are arguably less than over any of the other teams.
Given that his new team won the drivers' and constructors' championships in 2009 with a car that was compromised by former owner Honda's withdrawal from F1 last winter, the new Mercedes car will almost certainly be pretty handy.
On that basis, it could even be argued that Schumacher - who will surely have the upper hand over team-mate Nico Rosberg - will start the season as title favourite, at least until the pace of the teams' new cars becomes apparent.
The fact that it is possible to say that about a man who turns 41 on 3 January proves just what a remarkable sportsman Michael Schumacher is, and underlines what makes this such a compelling twist in the unfailingly dramatic narrative of Formula 1.

By : Andrew Benson (BBC F1 Blog)

F1 Merchandise Christmas Bazaar @ East Coast Park

Fancy getting a Christmas gift with style but amazing prices ??

We are back with a Christmas edition of our F1 Merchandises Bazaar.

Making way for the 2010 collections we are giving out specials deals on Ferrari Merchandise. Also clearing stocks of Mitsubishi Race team, Vodafone McLaren and many more. Do come early as quantities are limited and most prices will be rock bottom...

There will also be other booths selling fashion goods, home goods, football clubs apparels too. Else just go for a family picnic or rent a bike.....but do Spread the word and click Share this event!!!

Check out our facebook page for more informations

Schumacher's Back ? or not ?

Mercedes will lure Schumacher back

Michael Schumacher is certain to make his Formula One comeback with Mercedes' new team in 2010 his fellow countryman Timo Glock said at yesterday's launch of the new Virgin Racing team. And as Ferrari made it clear that they will not hold Schumacher to the consultancy contract he has held since his retirement from racing at the end of 2006, the whispers about his return were turning to shouts within the Formula One world.
"The flame is still there, it's still burning," said Glock, the former Toyota driver who will be partnered at Virgin by the Brazilian rookie Lucas di Grassi, "and it will be great if Michael returns. For me, it is quite obvious he is coming back. There's still a lot of speculation, but in the end he is a crazy race driver and he wants to come back to racing. It's not enough for him to just do kart races, or to go to the Race of Champions at the end of each year."
Ferrari's president, Luca di Montezemolo, scotched suggestions that the Italian manufacturer would not release Schumacher from his contract yesterday: "It is not binding. It is clear that if he decides to take another road our agreement will no longer be valid, that is logical. You can't work with a competitor and with us at the same time. But I still haven't spoken to Michael about it. He is only a dear friend, not a team member."

Schumacher tried to return in July as stand-in for Ferrari's injured Felipe Massa, but his neck, injured in a motorcycle race in February, proved unable to withstand the high G-forces imposed by an F1 car. It is now believed that these problems are behind him, and he recently won one of the kart races organised by Massa in Brazil. Though the cornering forces are lower in a kart, it is clear that his competitive spirit is undiminished.
It is also thought that events in his personal life have made him consider a return to his "comfort zone" of wheel-to-wheel competition.

There has been no reaction from Schumacher's representatives beyond a spokeswoman's comment last month: "Michael is enjoying his life. A return to Formula One is not a subject for debate at the moment." But it may be telling that fellow countryman Nick Heidfeld, believed a likely candidate for the second Mercedes seat alongside Nico Rosberg, was also hedging his bets as a possible driver for Lotus until they announced their pairing of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen on Monday.
Recently Germany's Bild newspaper reported that Mercedes have formally offered the seven-time world champion a relatively modest salary of �7m (�6.3m) to join their line-up. Any contract, however, is likely to be subject to a clause that Schumacher first completes a successful test in January.

F1 Community salutes Jenson Button

The world of Formula 1 has paid tribute to Brawn GP's Jenson Button as the Englishman won the 2009 world drivers' championship in Brazil.
Button started from 14th on the Interlagos grid and weaved his way through the field with a scintillating drive to finish fifth in Sao Paulo.
He now has an unassailable 15-point advantage going into the season's final race in Abu Dhabi on 1 November.
Button also helped his Brawn GP team to become the first Formula 1 team to win the constructors' championship in their debut season.



Former F1 driver and BBC pundit David Coulthard:
"Anyone who doubts he's worthy of being world champion just needs to watch that. It was an attacking drive, a really great drive."



Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello:
"I am pleased for Jenson, as a friend, and as a great champion, and if I didn't win, he should have won it, so well done to him.
"Jenson deserved to do it, but he won it on the first six races, and I think the second half of the championship was mine.
"It is a hell of a team that deserves to win and we will have a great night tonight. I feel part of this, especially the constructors' championship."
Brawn GP team principal Ross Brawn: "Jenson's drive today was the the drive of a world champion."
"He's a fantastic racer. Today he had a great race; he knew what he had to do."
"We've lost a little bit of pace in the car over the last few races and he's stuck with it and he's deserved everything he's got."



Red Bull driver Mark Webber:
"JB is such a consistent driver and, unfortunately for us, this year he was also blisteringly quick at the start of the year as well, and he got the results.
"Brawn and Button came out running really well at the start of the season, he was on top of the car and that is where he put a big hit into the championship.
"We pushed hard and other teams arrived in the middle and the back end of the season, Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen in particular, which made it hard for him to close the deal. But he is a deserved champion."



McLaren's 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton:
"Big congratulations to Jenson, I have to say incredible job to him and I am really happy for him and his family.
"I can't take anything away from Jenson he did the better job this year, but I plan on taking it back at some stage, who knows when, but I really hope that we can give it a good challenge next year from the start."



BBC Formula 1 pundit Eddie Jordan:
"Why should we not be in total homage to Jenson Button?"
"He has the most points and he did that before the end of the season with a race to go, he is a totally deserving world champion, never in question."
Formula 1 legend and three-time world champion Niki Lauda: "When you are world champion there is nothing to criticise. He is one of the world champions now and he did a perfect job.
"He was very conservative in the middle of the season, trying to protect his lead, and he did manage to protect it.
"He drove a really aggressive perfect race in Brazil, so he can do both sides. You have a really good world champion back in England again."



Jenson's mother Simone Lyons:
"I'm just cried out! I was just crying and sobbing as he was crossing the line, and those last three laps were the longest ever. I always believed he'd do it and I expect he did as well because he knows the effort he puts into it."



Prime Minister Gordon Brown:
"I want to send my warmest congratulations to Jenson Button for clinching the Formula 1 drivers' championship today in Brazil, on the same circuit that Lewis Hamilton won the drivers' championship last year.
"We can be proud that Jenson is the 10th British driver to win the title.
"His performances over the season with the new Brawn team have excited Formula 1 fans in Britain and across the world, and we look forward to his continuing success in the seasons ahead."



Sir Jackie Stewart, three-time F1 world champion:
"I know the feeling, and to win your first world championship is always a bigger thrill."
"He came through the field magically actually. I mean, he picked up nine places, there were a few accidents that helped him on his way, but he got through those without a scratch and without damaging the car.
"I'm thrilled for him because it's the first time in 40 years that we've had a British champion back-to-back, first Lewis Hamilton and now Jenson Button. It's great."



Brawn GP chief executive Nick Fry:
"As the chief executive I have to do the tough job of contract negotiating and I think Jenson's share price has gone up a bit today. He is making my life even more difficult!"



BBC F1 analyst and former driver Martin Brundle:
"Jenson answered any critics he might have without any doubt with that drive today. He is the world champion with one race to spare.
"It's a bit of a British thing, we like to knock ourselves, but we should pump ourselves up a little bit. Jenson Button is a very worthy world champion."



Rubens Barrichello's Brawn GP race engineer Jock Clear:
"It is all about Jenson Button, and what he did on the track today.
"Everyone complains about not enough overtaking, but Jenson won a championship by overtaking today, and that's what we all want to see.
"It was a brilliant, brilliant drive from him. I take my hat off to him."

BBC.com

Shorter F1 road closure period to minimise disruptions

Organisers of this year's Singapore Grand Prix hope a shorter period of road closure will minimise disruptions to traffic and businesses. Roads will be closed for seven days instead of the 12 days last year. Race organisers will also be beefing up public transport services during the road closure period from September 23 to 29. During the race weekend, up to 650 more train trips will be added, which will run until 1.15am. But what is significant this year is that all taxis will be allowed to enter restricted areas, without the need for special F1 decals.

Restricted areas include Temasek Boulevard via Rochor Road, as well as the single-lane road along Raffles Boulevard. But the new allowance does not apply to race hours, when only vehicles with F1 decals will be allowed in. Race hours are from 9pm to 11pm on September 25 and 26, and from 7pm to 10pm on September 27. Organisers hope the new taxi access will attract more people to visit retail and food and beverage outlets affected by the road closures. Justin Chew, director of F1 project, Singapore Tourism Board, said: "We are a lot more efficient this year, and we are a lot better. All the safety considerations have been addressed. So there is no need to avoid the area."

For race ticket holders, free shuttle services will take them to the race venue from Lavander, Kallang, Outram Park and Clarke Quay MRT stations. Those who will be heading to the affected area are also advised to plan their journey in advance to avoid unnecessary confusion over the road closures. The public can pick up an information leaflet on the road closures at petrol stations, shopping centres and hotels.

Despite the new measures to ease traffic congestion, some feel that more can be done. Michael Ma, CEO, IndoChine Group, said: "I feel that a lot of the roads do not even need to be closed at all, like in Monaco. I keep hearing the same story that Singapore is different from Monaco but to me, the car is the same - the same driver, the same organisation, the same speed. Why do we have to go through such hardship with road closures, and disrupt the whole city�s lifeline? And for seven days, that is ridiculous."

Race organisers stress that public transport is still the best way to travel into the Marina Bay area during the Singapore GP season, and it is also a speedier alternative for fans going to the F1 Rocks concert at Fort Canning Park.

Luca Badoer - Some infos...

Badoer set to race for Ferrari in Valencia

Following the news that Michael Schumacher has had to call off his planned return to Formula One racing, Ferrari have announced that test driver Luca Badoer has been drafted in to race at the European Grand Prix later this month.Schumacher had hoped to stand in for the injured Felipe Massa in Valenica, but neck pain caused by a motorcycle accident earlier this year, has forced him to abandon his comeback plans. "I am very unhappy that a problem means that Michael cannot return to racing," explained Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo. �In the past few days, I have appreciated his great efforts and the extraordinary motivation which had spread through the team and fans around the world. No doubt his return would have been good for Formula One and I am sure it would have seen him fighting for wins again. �In the name of Ferrari and all the fans, I wish to thank him for the strong attachment he displayed for the team in these circumstances. In agreement with (team principal) Stefano Domenicali, we have therefore decided to give Luca Badoer the chance to race for the Scuderia after he has put in so many years of hard work as a test driver."Badoer has tested for the Italian team since 1998 and last raced in a Grand Prix back in 1999 for Minardi.

Luca Badoer (born January 25, 1971) is an Italian Formula One driver who has raced for the Scuderia Italia, Minardi and Forti Corse teams, and is presently a test driver for the Ferrari F1 team.
Career
Badoer was born in Montebelluna, Veneto.
Prior to reaching Formula One, he graduated through the time-honoured route of karting, in which he was Italian champion. He beat Alex Zanardi in the final round of the 1990 Italian Formula 3 Championship. In 1991 he won four races in a row, but was disqualified after a technicality concerning his tyres. For 1992 he was offered a ride with Team Crypton for the F3000 Championship, in which he emerged as champion.
His debut Formula One season in 1993 was mired by Scuderia Italia's uncompetitive Lola chassis, which, despite Ferrari engines, was the slowest car in the championship in terms of qualifying pace. He regularly beat his experienced team-mate Michele Alboreto, but lost out to him for the second drive when Scuderia Italia merged with Minardi for the 1994 season. He was retained as test driver however, and took over the drive in 1995 when Alboreto retired. In the underfunded team his best results were eighth places in Canada and Hungary and ninth in Japan. In 1996 he switched to Forti Corse, where he was only able to qualify for six of the ten races the team entered, which folded after that year's British Grand Prix.

In 1997 Badoer began his long spell as Ferrari's test driver, a role he continues to perform. He returned to racing for one season in 1999, with the Minardi team. In the July of that season, Ferrari's number one driver Michael Schumacher broke his leg in an accident at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. As Ferrari's test driver, Badoer expected to be promoted to the race seat in Schumacher's absence, but the team opted for Mika Salo instead, prompting criticism from former Ferrari driver Jean Alesi.
Badoer holds the dubious distinction of being the driver who has competed in the most Grands Prix (48) without scoring a single point. He nearly achieved his first points finish in the 1999 European Grand Prix when a strong drive saw Badoer lying in 4th place with only 13 laps remaining. Unfortunately the gearbox on his Minardi subsequently failed and television cameras showed Badoer weeping by his car.

Badoer was unable to find a satisfactory race seat in Formula One after 1999, and he became a permanent test driver for Ferrari. He covers thousands of kilometres at the Mugello and Fiorano test circuits each year and it is likely that Badoer has driven more kilometres in a Ferrari F1 car than any other Italian in history.
At the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Badoer demonstrated one of the team's 2005 cars in the centre of the stadium, revving the engine, and performing several doughnuts, creating a large cloud of tyre smoke, and leaving circular black marks on the white platform. The event was witnessed by millions of television viewers worldwide.

Schumacher not driving after all ...

Michael Schumacher on Tuesday announced he has called off his much-anticipated Formula One comeback because of lingering injuries from a motorcycling crash earlier this year.
The seven-time world champion was to fill in for injured Ferrari driver Felipe Massa and hoped to return at this month's European Grand Prix in Valencia, Spain.
Schumacher said on his Web site he informed top Ferrari officials on Monday evening that "unfortunately I'm not able to step in for Felipe."
Schumacher, 40, retired at the end of the 2006 season. Since then, he has raced occasionally in a motorcycling series but was injured in a crash in February.
"The consequences of the injuries caused by the bike accident in February, fractures in the area of head and neck, unfortunately have turned out to be still too severe," Schumacher said. "That is why my neck cannot stand the extreme stresses caused by Formula One yet.
"I really tried everything to make that temporary comeback possible. However, much to my regret it didn't work out," he added.
"Unfortunately we did not manage to get a grip on the pain in the neck" which arose after he tested an old Ferrari at the Mugello circuit in Italy, Schumacher said.
The German won 91 races in 250 starts in an F1 career spanning 15 years beginning in 1991.
"I am disappointed to the core. I am awfully sorry for the guys of Ferrari and for all the fans which crossed fingers for me," Schumacher said.
"All I can do now is to keep my fingers crossed for the whole team for the coming races."
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo thanked Schumacher for his loyalty to the team in attempting an F1 comeback.
"I am very unhappy that a problem means that Michael cannot return to racing," Montezemolo said. "In the past few days, I could appreciate his great efforts and extraordinary motivation which had spread through the team and fans around the world.
"No doubt his return would have been good for Formula One and I am sure it would have seen him fighting for wins again," he added. "In the name of Ferrari and all the fans, I wish to thank him for the strong attachment he displayed for the team in these circumstances."
Ferrari announced that team test driver Luca Badoer will race in Massa's place at Valencia. Badoer, an Italian, was first floated by Italian media after a crash took Massa off the race circuit.
The 28-year-old Massa underwent surgery on multiple skull fractures after he was hit in the helmet by a loose part from another car and crashed into a protective tire barrier during qualifying for Ferrari at the Hungarian Grand Prix last month.
Montezemolo said Ferrari decided to give Badoer "the chance to race for the Scuderia after he has put in so many years of hard work as a test driver."
Last week Schumacher said he was slimming down for the race, but complained of some neck pain.
"I only have to admit that my neck pinches a bit. We have to get a grip on that as health has priority � that's the clear arrangement made with Ferrari and, by the way, with my wife, too," Schumacher said.

Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce to headline F1 ROCKS� in Singapore

The inaugural F1 ROCKS� event will take place at the 2009 FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX later this year, with a star-studded music line-up headlined by global superstars the Black Eyed Peas and Beyonce. �F1 ROCKS� Singapore with LG� will span three days of the night-time race weekend, from September 24-26.F1 ROCKS� fuses the world�s most popular annual sporting series with the most iconic music stars to create an unrivalled experience for Formula One and music fans alike. At the core of F1 ROCKS� is a series of spectacular multi-artist live music events from glamorous Formula One race locations around the world, of which Singapore will be the first.Other artists confirmed for the concerts in Singapore�s Fort Canning Park are ZZ Top, Simple Minds, N*E*R*D and Chinese pop legend Jacky Cheung. Along with the two headliners, they have sold over 245 million records worldwide between them.
The show will also feature guest appearances from top Formula One drivers and celebrities.�I am delighted to be launching F1 ROCKS� in Singapore and very pleased to have Singapore as our inaugural event and LG Electronics as our title launch sponsor,� said Paul Morrison, CEO & Chief Creative Officer, All The Worlds/ F1 ROCKS�. �The world�s only F1 night race just got bigger, faster and louder. Our talent is world class and F1 ROCKS� will rock Singapore!��LG is very excited to be a key partner, with Formula 1� and Universal Music, to launch the F1 ROCKS� with LG program in Singapore,� added Dermot Boden, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of LG Electronics, who are already a Global Partner of Formula 1� and a Technology Partner of Formula 1�.
�LG�s partnership with Formula 1� delivers the �LG - Life�s Good� experience to millions of people across the world. F1 ROCKS� with LG will allow us to further broaden global awareness to build a deeper understanding for our style and technology positioning with an even wider audience that embraces music and entertainment as a passion. It is a natural fit for us to become part of such a premium global music event!�F1 ROCKS� is set to be a global sensation and will be broadcast worldwide across a potential 188 Formula One territories. Two TV programmes will be produced from �F1 ROCKS� Singapore with LG�; the first will be an hour-long entertainment show, giving viewers unrivalled access into the glamorous world of Formula One racing with A-List celebrity interviews, TV stunts, unique performances and aspirational and lifestyle features.
The second will be a high-octane music special showcasing the best live music performances and interviews.

The full line-up for Singapore (other artists to be announced):

Thursday September 24 - Jacky Cheung, Da Mouth and Sodagreen
Friday September 25 - ZZ Top, Simple Minds and N*E*R*D
Saturday September 26 - Beyonce and Black Eyed Peas

Nelson Piquet sacked from ING renault F1 team

Piquet, sacked by Renault, attacks Briatore

Nelson Piquet has been sacked by Renault after failing to pick up any points for the French team this season, the 24-year-old Brazilian announced on his personal website on Monday.
Nelson Piquet has been sacked by Renault after failing to pick up any points for the French team this season, the 24-year-old Brazilian announced on his personal website on Monday.
Piquet, without a win in 28 races, said in a strongly worded statement that he was disappointed at losing the drive and criticised his treatment by Renault supremo Flavio Briatore.
He described his time with Renault as the worst period of his career and said he now wanted to start afresh and prove his driving credentials with a new team.
"I want to say thanks to the small group who supported me and that I worked together at Renault F1, although it is obviously with great disappointment that I receive such news," Piquet, whose father won the world championship three times, said.
"But, at the same time, I feel a sense of relief for the end of the worst period of my career, and the possibility that I can now move on and put my career back on the right track and try to recover my reputation of a fast, winning driver.
"I am a team player and there are dozens of people I have worked with in my career who would vouch for my character and talent, except unfortunately the person that has had the most influence on my career in Formula 1."
Piquet was making reference there to Briatore, his team boss and manager.
Piquet accused the flamboyant Italian of unfair behaviour in his time driving alongside two-time world champion Fernando Alonso.
"On numerous occasions, fifteen minutes before qualifying and races, my manager and team boss (Briatore) would threaten me, telling me if I didn't get a good result, he had another driver ready to put in my place.
"I have never needed threats before to get results. In 2008 I scored 19 points, finished once on the podium in second place, having the best debut year of a Brazilian driver in F1."
Piquet said that despite promises from Briatore that things would be different in 2009, nothing changed.
"Unfortunately, the promises didn't turn into reality again," he claimed, going on to call some of the situations he has had to deal with in the past two years as "strange".
In a final swipe at Briatore he concluded: "I always believed that having a manager was being a part of a team and having a partner. A manager is supposed to encourage you, support you, and provide you with opportunities. In my case it was the opposite. Flavio Briatore was my executioner."

Massa will not rush his F1 return

Ferrari's Felipe Massa insists he will not rush back to Formula 1 ahead of his return home to Brazil on Monday.
"Thank God, I'm feeling very well," the 28-year-old Brazilian said in a statement. "I've only a bit of swelling in the region of my left eye.
"It is important to be fully recovered before returning to the track."
Massa, who will undergo more tests in Brazil, had surgery for multiple skull fractures after a crash in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The accident appeared to be caused by a spring that had fallen onto the track's racing line from Rubens Barrichello's Brawn and collided with Massa's helmet.
With Massa no longer steering and the throttle still engaged, the car then crossed the gravel before hitting a tyre wall.
He is expected to continue his rehabilitation in a Sao Paulo hospital for another two days upon his arrival in his home city on Monday evening.
After undergoing further tests he is then likely to be allowed to go home.
Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher has been brought out of F1 retirement by Ferrari to race in Massa's place for the European Grand Prix in Valencia.
The German, a team-mate of Massa during his final F1 season in 2006, will stand in until the Brazilian is ready to take up the seat again.

Schumacher -Returns

Formula One has produced more than its fair share of shocks already this season but Wednesday's announced comeback by Michael Schumacher surely takes top billing.

The German F1 legend, who will fill in for injured Felipe Massa until the Brazilian is fit enough to return, retired in 2006 as a multiple drivers' world champion.

A man of achievements and unequalled statistical records, he was dogged by controversy fuelled by his most unforgiving critics.

Schumacher was 37 when he hung up his racing helmet having competed in 250 Formula One Grands Prix, 180 of them for Ferrari.

He won 90 races, 71 for Ferrari, took 68 pole positions, 58 for Ferrari, and set 75 fastest laps on his way to seven drivers' world titles, including five for the scarlet scuderia.

He retired having just fallen short of Italian Ricardo Patrese's record of lining up in 256 races.

The man from the flatlands of Kerpen in northern Germany was a Teutonic machine, a human delivery system of speed and points and glory in a sport unused to such high standards of regularity, human reliability and sheer professionalism.

Nobody trained like Schumacher. Nobody was as fit as Schumacher. Nobody raced as hard as Schumacher. Nobody won like Schumacher. Nobody worked on and on and on like he did.

Tributes poured in after he had announced his intention to retire at the season's end.

Some were warm and loving, some were barbed and tinged with envy and some reflected a failure to understand that Formula One was bringing down the curtain on the greatest and most complete driver ever to have raced in a Grand Prix.

Among his critics were 1997 champion Canadian Jacques Villeneuve who claimed he was a flawed champion, a man whose records did not justify a reputation of being the greatest of all time.

Too many controversial incidents punctuated his time at the top, too many accidents, incidents and allegations of wrong-doing, including rumours that in 1994 and 1995 when he won his first titles with Benetton, that the team had an unfair advantage.

His critics talked of his questionable racing ethics, but his admirers spoke only of his virtuoso racing. As a result, his legacy was one of magnificent achievements but with a reputation that divided the paddock.

Purists argue that he should not be included in the pantheon of greatest racing drivers alongside Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina, Scotland's Jim Clark or Englishman Stirling Moss, widely described as the greatest driver never to win the championship.

But the records speak for themselves and Schumacher will be remembered for his competitive instincts, his professionalism, his fitness and his relentless run of successes in the era that followed the 1994 death of Brazilian Ayrton Senna who was, arguably, the man who introduced bruising and aggressive tactics to the tracks of Formula One.

Schumacher's catalogue of alleged misdemeanours included a collision in Adelaide at the 1994 Australian Grand Prix where Briton Hill was forced to retire and so Schumacher lifted his first title, another in 1997 when he collided deliberately with Villeneuve, but lost out and not only failed to win the title, but was punished for it too by the sport's ruling body.

He was also accused of cheating early in 2006 when he left his car on the fast line ahead of Fernando Alonso's Renault in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix.

In short, Schumacher, though gifted with speed and other sporting attributes, was considered a bad loser but one who had mellowed in his later years.

A family man, he had little to do with the so-called glamour of the sport apart from being one of the drivers' leading spokesmen on safety and playing for their football team.

A great driver, a great competitor then for whom the lure of a return to competition ensures an explosive second half of the 2009 season.

Little did those thousands of red-bedecked tifosi fans standing on the asphalt of Monza to cheer him to the end after his 90th victory in 2006 think they'd have another chance to see their man on the grid again.

McLaren in form as Hamilton tops second F1 practice

BUDAPEST, Hungary � Defending driver world champion Briton Lewis Hamilton confirmed that McLaren Mercedes are back on form by clocking the fastest time in Friday afternoon's second free practice for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.
Earlier, his team-mate Finn Heikki Kovalainen had topped the times in the morning's opening session. Kovalainen was second fastest in a McLaren one-two in the afternoon.
Germany's Nico Rosberg was third for Williams ahead of Australian Mark Webber in a Red Bull and his Williams team-mate Japanese Kazuki Nakajima. German Sebastian Vettel was sixth in the second Red Bull.
This battle of three teams across the top six places left Brazilian Rubens Barrichello down in seventh in the leading Brawn GP car, a further demonstration of the team's slip from dominance.
His team-mate championship leading Briton Jenson Button was 13th, struggling to find the pace to deliver a competitive time on the tight and twisting Hungaroring circuit set in rolling countryside 20 kilometres north of Budapest.
The Ferraris also struggled to make an impact and Finn Kimi Raikkonen was 11th and his team-mate Brazilian Felipe Massa 18th on an afternoon when Spanish new boy Jaime Alguersuari continued to avoid trouble and ended up 20th and last.
Kovalainen was fastest early in the session and stayed there until Hamilton raised the pace with his best lap pf one minute and 22.079 seconds. This was 0.047 seconds faster than Kovalainen.

Singapore Hotels dangle F1 'best rates'

HOTELIERS here are dangling yet another carrot this year to get people to book their rooms early for the second run of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix night race, which is taking place from Sept 25 to 29.
Race organiser Singapore GP has got 29 non-trackside hotels to agree to offer a "Best Rate Guarantee" for the early birds who book in advance. This scheme ensures that the early bird customers do not lose out should hotel room prices fall further closer to the race day.
Last year, during the first run of the race, hoteliers initially priced their rooms very high, leading to poor demand for the rooms. As the rooms remained empty in the weeks leading up to the race, hotels started massive discounting in a last-minute attempt to attract more customers. That led to a situation where those who booked early ended up having to pay higher prices than those who came last minute.
To prevent the same situation from happening again this year and to get people to book now instead of waiting for better deals to materialise, the hotels have come up with such a plan.
Singapore GP said in a statement on Tuesday that the Best Rate Guarantee initiative was a "result of feedback from corporate and general ticket-holders" who were unhappy at being penalised for having to pay a high rate for booking early.
Its chairman Teo Hock Seng called the scheme a "win-win solution" for participating hotels and customers and expects more hotels to join in the coming weeks.
He said: "Hotels will be able to manage their inventory better with early confirmations, while visitors who want to come here to watch the race will also have a greater degree of confidence, instead of having to wait and see whether there will be any last minute price deals."
Hotels across the board are having a difficult time this year with dwindling tourist arrivals as a result of the global economic recession and the global outbreak of H1N1. And the bookings for F1 race dates are trickling in rather slowly despite early bird offers which offer massive discounts on last year's prices.

For more information on the list of participating hotels, go to www.singaporegp.sg or www.visitsingapore.com/sgpseason/hotel_rates.html

The Mole brings you... Lee McKenzie at Goodwood

From The Mole @ BBC

The Mole welcomes BBC F1 pit-lane reporter Lee McKenzie back on to the blog, to discuss her experiences at the Goodwood Festival of Speed over the weekend.
What a special weekend the Goodwood Festival of Speed is. It has become an institution in the British motorsport calendar since it was founded by Lord March in 1993 and this year's event, which took place over the weekend, continued the tradition.
The Festival features hundreds of cars - some of the most expensive, the fastest, the most memorable and the strangest in the world. That also goes for bikes, and in some cases drivers, too!
Goodwood is much more than just an event. It is a complete celebration of all things motorsport and I absolutely love it. Nowhere else in the world can the public get so close to the cars and, of course, the drivers.
There are no motorhomes or closed-off paddocks, and not many places for them to hide. And the Drivers' Club, which is where they head for food and drinks, really was a who's who last weekend.
As I walked in I met the always charming Murray Walker, strolled past Sir Stirling Moss and in one quick glance could see multiple world rally champion Sebastien Loeb, Le Mans winner Allan McNish, five-time Grand Prix bike champion Mick Doohan, Ayrton Senna's nephew Bruno Senna and the very first man to spray champagne after winning a race, 1960s Formula 1 legend Dan Gurney.

Stirling Moss in the 1954 Mercedes W154

On Sunday, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton came along to drive the hill and entertain the crowds, joining a number of other current F1 drivers who attended over the weekend - including Red Bull's Mark Webber, Williams's Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima and Toyota's Timo Glock.

Championship leader Jenson Button was one of many F1 drivers at the Festival.. ... and drove the 1934 Mercedes W25 Grand Prix car

Without fail, the drivers find enthusiasm for Goodwood is contagious. Glock was so excited by the whole event and so disappointed when he discovered he could only drive up the hill twice a day in his F1 car that asked if he could drive the Toyota Corolla World Rally Car on the forest stages - which he did and loved. That makes a third rally convert in the F1 paddock - between him, Kimi Raikkonen and Robert Kubica, there will be no drivers left in F1 at this rate!
One of the highlights of the weekend was seeing the McLaren-Honda MP4/4 in which Ayrton Senna won his first world title being driven up the hill, with the great Brazilian's nephew Bruno at the wheel. The same helmet, same colours, same driving style - it was quite spooky.
There were plenty of celebrations, too - 100 years of Audi (former F1 driver Jacky Ickx drove a 1939 Auto Union); 75 years since the arrival of the Mercedes Silver Arrows. And Sir Frank Williams's 40 years of F1 were marked by a collection of the team's cars and drivers, past and present. The 1980 world champion Alan Jones got back behind the wheel as did Jacques Laffite and David Coulthard. Current Williams reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg drove Keke Rosberg's1982 championship-winning FW08, slightly concerned about both having to change gears and the H-shape gearbox as he negotiated the hill.

Former Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine drives Gilles Villeneuve's 1978 Ferrari 312 T3 at Goodwood

But Goodwood was looking forward as well as back over the weekend. Racing car constructor Lola had a car running on bio-fuel made from carrots and potatoes - even the steering wheel was made from carrots and waste material. Maybe F1 teams could cut costs by saving up all the waste from the catering and turn in to spare parts - there's an idea for Max Mosley!
In all seriousness, though, that is the great thing about the Goodwood Festival of Speed - variety and quality and some of the best cars, bikes, driver and riders in the world across all genres. It is a fabulous weekend for anyone with an interest in motorsport pre-war, post-war or present day. And if you have never been before or haven't been for a while, then mark it in the diary for 2010.

Team owner Frank Williams celebrated 40 years in F1 at Goodwood

Marranello : Home of Ferrari

Maranello has been the iconic home to the Ferrari road and race headquarters for seven decades, ever since Enzo Ferrari, the founder and mentor of Ferrari S.p.A., moved his workshop from Modena to this small town in the foothills of the Italian Apennines in the early 1940s.
During that time, the factory has changed significantly to move with the times. Last year Ferrari continued to update the facilities with two buildings that completed their �Formula Uomo� development programme, continuing the transformation from an enchanting historic compound into a state-of-the-art technical facility.
The developments reflect Ferrari�s commitment to continual improvement, performance and cutting-edge technology. This aesthetic combination of old and new continues to advance technologically, with plans to create new energy generation plants which decrease the electricity taken from the public stream and reduce manufacturing emissions by 35 percent.
The strength of Shell�s technical partnership with Ferrari was clearly demonstrated during this period of transformation. Today the Shell filling station takes pride of place near the �Logistica� building. But perhaps more symbolically, Shell�s effect on Ferrari is seen all over the Maranello complex � from the Fiorano race track just next to Enzo Ferrari�s white house, to the uniforms of every Ferrari employee.
Maranello now welcomes visitors from across the globe and the Galleria Ferrari, a tribute to all things Ferrari, sits alongside the factory gates. Every year thousands of people from all over of the world visit Maranello and its Galleria, which displays Ferrari single-seaters, prototypes and Gran Turismo cars, together with trophies and memorabilia. Ferrari fans are invited to taste the charm and to feel the passionate atmosphere of this spot where myth and tradition meet dynamism and technology.
Beyond the factory gates, Ferrari spirit pervades through the surrounding area. The Ferrari logo can be spotted on most street corners as shops, bars and restaurants proudly display the Prancing Horse in support of the team. Streets are named after famous drivers. On days when the Formula One cars take to the team�s private test track � Fiorano � the engine noise carries across the rooftops.
Maranello, a small town in Italy, has become a huge tribute to the spirit of motor racing.