It was perhaps inevitable that the European Grand Prix weekend in Valencia, Spain, was going to be a little flat. Michael Schumacher was there all right, and wearing Ferrari clothing--but not the driver�s suit virtually everyone hoped he would. Michael smiled a lot, and kept wishing Ferrari stand-in Luca Badoer well, but that didn�t really help. And as he stared at the timing screens, it was impossible to disguise his frustration at Badoer�s, er, modest pace.
During Friday practice, the hapless Badoer set a record by exceeding the pit lane speed limit on four different occasions-�as the paddock�s razor-tongued observers noted, somewhat cruelly, that no one could accuse him of excessive speed on the race track. In qualifying, the No. 3 Ferrari was dead last; 12 months ago, driven by Felipe Massa, it dominated the weekend.
You had to have some sympathy for Badoer, however, as he had not raced an F1 car since 1999, and though he is Ferrari�s official test driver, has virtually no experience of the F60 now that in-season testing is banned.
Some wondered why Ferrari did not draft a guy such as Sebastien Bourdais, whom Scuderia Toro Rosso fired recently. Bourdais may not have set F1 on fire, but he is at least very much race-fit, and fully conversant with both the Ferrari engine and Bridgestone slicks.
Though Ferrari will not make the announcement before the Italian Grand Prix at Monza next month, Fernando Alonso is to drive for the team in 2010, with Massa--assuming he recovers fully from his injuries suffered in Hungary--returning to partner him.
The suggestion in Valencia was that Ferrari reached an agreement with Kimi Raikkonen to end his contract a year early. During three years with the team, Raikkonen, despite nicking the world championship two years ago, has rarely looked anything like the driver he was at McLaren-Mercedes, and it is not known whether he will stay in F1--Renault has been mentioned--or perhaps turn his hand to rallying. During the recent summer break, Kimi took part in Rally Finland--he rolled his car--but not before impressing onlookers with his raw speed.
Given that it is now accepted that Alonso will join Ferrari, the driver market has come very much to life, and of course BMW�s forthcoming withdrawal has contributed to that: Robert Kubica, who has the measure of anyone in terms of natural talent, is unexpectedly available.
Kubica has been linked with three teams--McLaren, Renault and Williams--but the belief at the moment is that current Williams driver Nico Rosberg will join his old karting teammate Lewis Hamilton at McLaren. Renault, soon to lose Alonso, is believed to be keen to sign Kubica, but Robert himself is believed to have more enthusiasm for Williams, a team very much on the up at the moment.
Williams� problem for 2010 could be engines, for it is known that Toyota, which has supplied the team for the last three years, is profoundly displeased by Williams� stance in the recent FIA-FOTA battle, and may well terminate the contract. Rumors abound that Red Bull Racing will use Mercedes engines next year; if that happens, Williams and Renault could very well renew the highly successful partnership last seen in the mid-�90s.
Quite evident in Valencia qualifying was that McLaren is emphatically back on its game. Hamilton won in Hungary, but perhaps his car wasn�t the out-and-out quickest: at Valencia, though, Lewis won the pole, with teammate Heikki Kovalainen alongside him.
Only McLaren and Ferrari still use kinetic energy recovery systems, and as the teams improve their once lamentable cars, KERS can make a difference: An extra 80 hp for six seconds a lap can come in quite handy. Imagine the advantage it might provide in the next race, at Spa, up the long hill from Eau Rouge to Les Combes. Indeed, Hamilton will not retain his title this year, but he may well have a say in who takes it.
By NIGEL ROEBUCK
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Tampilkan postingan dengan label williams F1. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label williams F1. Tampilkan semua postingan
Senin, 24 Agustus 2009
Senin, 03 Agustus 2009
Williams F1 against Schumacher Testing Plans
Michael Schumacher's bid to step up his comeback by testing Ferrari's current car has been blocked by Formula One rivals Williams.
Ferrari last week wrote to the other nine Formula One teams and the FIA requesting Schumacher be granted a day at the wheel of the F60 ahead of the German legend's return to racing at the European Grand Prix in Valencia on August 23.
Under current regulations in-season testing is banned, but Schumacher hasn't raced since his retirement in 2006, so Ferrari were hoping the seven-time world champion, who is standing in for Felipe Massa after the Brazilian's horrific crash in Hungary, would be allowed to practise.
Out of courtesy, the other seven members of the Formula One Teams' Association - McLaren, Renault, Toyota, BMW Sauber, Brawn GP, Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso - gave Schumacher and Ferrari the green light.
Williams, however, see no reason why seven-time world champion Schumacher should be given special dispensation, citing the recent arrival of 19-year-old rookie Jaime Alguersuari into F1.
"While we welcome Michael Schumacher back to Formula One, the fact is any form of in-season circuit testing is strictly prohibited, a regulation clearly laid out by the FIA and adhered to by all of the teams," said Williams in a statement.
"It was for this reason Alguersuari, who drove an F1 car for the first time in Hungary, did not have the opportunity to familiarise himself with the Toro Rosso before he made his race debut.
"Williams sees no distinction between Alguersuari's situation and Schumacher's and feels any deviation from the rule would create a precedent for the future.
"For the sake of consistency and fairness, therefore, we oppose Ferrari's proposal to test ahead of the European Grand Prix."
Rabu, 29 Juli 2009
What does BMW's exit mean for F1?
BBC Business news.
BMW has confirmed that this will be its last season in Formula 1.
The team, which had been tipped to fight for the world championship, has been struggling to make an impact on the track this year.
But that's only part of the story.
Like Honda, which pulled out of Formula 1 before the season had even started, the German carmaker has seen its sales and profits tumble as a result of the global economic downturn.
In such a difficult environment, they are struggling to justify spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year on motor sport.
Before the end of the year, we will see at least one other car manufacturer leave F1
F1 analyst Christian Sylt of Formula Money
BMW's departure leaves four car manufacturers still competing in F1: Ferrari, Mercedes Benz, Toyota and Renault.
Ferrari is unlikely to leave the sport, because its image as a manufacturer of supercars is intimately tied to its racing heritage.
But there is widespread speculation that at least one of the other major brands could follow BMW out of the door.
"BMW definitely won't be the last," says F1 analyst Christian Sylt of Formula Money.
"Before the end of the year, we will see at least one other car manufacturer leave F1."
According to motorsport's governing body, the FIA, such an exodus was inevitable.
"It has been clear for some time that motorsport cannot ignore the world economic crisis," it said in a statement released after BMW's announcement.
"Car manufacturers cannot be expected to continue to pour large sums of money into Formula 1 when their survival depends on redundancies, plant closures and the support of the taxpayer."
Race against time
So will BMW's departure cause any lasting damage to Formula 1?
Ferrari is not expected to pull out of F1 - but at least one other firm is
The answer is, not necessarily.
Three new teams are due to join the series next year. Assuming they can raise enough sponsorship to guarantee their entries, there should still be plenty of cars on the starting grid.
But in the current climate raising the money is likely to prove difficult.
In addition, the new teams face a race against time if they are to be on the grid next year.
If the new entries fail to materialise, and more teams leave, a crisis could yet develop.
Some experts believe that the departure of major names such as Honda and BMW undermines F1's claim to be the pinnacle of world motorsport.
It's an argument that points towards the real problem facing Formula 1.
Spending rows
A key part of the sport's attraction is its brash, free-spending image.
It oozes high-rent glamour, and promotes itself as a hub of white-hot technology.
There have been moves to reduce spending in the glamorous world of F1
That image comes at a cost. In recent years, top teams have been spending more than $400m (�244m) a season.
Yet as the departures of BMW and Honda have illustrated all too clearly, that kind of outlay can no longer be taken for granted.
For much of the past year, the main stakeholders in Formula 1 have been embroiled in a bitter dispute over how to cut costs, without emasculating the sport.
The FIA, led by its forceful president Max Mosley, wanted to put the brakes on spending by forcing teams to cut their budgets to just $60 million a year, as well as restricting technical development.
But this was vehemently opposed by most of the teams, who believed such a move would destroy the essence of Formula 1.
'Nuclear' threat
The teams' ire was also directed at the Formula 1 Group, the network of companies run by Bernie Ecclestone, which control the commercial side of F1.
The group earns close to a billion dollars a year from trackside advertising, television rights and race fees.
But only half of the money goes back into F1, as payments to the teams.
The rest is absorbed by the F1 Group and its ultimate owner, the private equity group CVC Capital partners.
At a time when sponsors were hard to find, the teams argued, they should be given a bigger slice of the cake.
The dispute came to a head at the British Grand Prix in June, when eight teams threatened to walk out of F1 and set up their own rival championship.
That plan, widely seen as a "nuclear option" now looks highly unlikely to be carried out.
Under intense pressure from Bernie Ecclestone and the F1 Group as well as the team owners, the FIA backed down.
Uncertain future
The teams no longer face a compulsory budget cap. Instead they have agreed to work together, establishing ways to cut costs dramatically over the next two years.
The dispute with the F1 Group also appears to have simmered down.
It now looks as though the current commercial arrangements will stay in place until 2012.
These plans are to be formally set out in a new governing document for the sport, known as the Concorde Agreement - which the FIA says will be signed in the coming days.
But while the agreement offers F1 some welcome stability after a period of turmoil, it does nothing to remedy the harsh economic environment.
And as BMW's departure illustrates all too graphically, the sport's future remains far from certain.
BMW has confirmed that this will be its last season in Formula 1.
The team, which had been tipped to fight for the world championship, has been struggling to make an impact on the track this year.
But that's only part of the story.
Like Honda, which pulled out of Formula 1 before the season had even started, the German carmaker has seen its sales and profits tumble as a result of the global economic downturn.
In such a difficult environment, they are struggling to justify spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year on motor sport.
Before the end of the year, we will see at least one other car manufacturer leave F1
F1 analyst Christian Sylt of Formula Money
BMW's departure leaves four car manufacturers still competing in F1: Ferrari, Mercedes Benz, Toyota and Renault.
Ferrari is unlikely to leave the sport, because its image as a manufacturer of supercars is intimately tied to its racing heritage.
But there is widespread speculation that at least one of the other major brands could follow BMW out of the door.
"BMW definitely won't be the last," says F1 analyst Christian Sylt of Formula Money.
"Before the end of the year, we will see at least one other car manufacturer leave F1."
According to motorsport's governing body, the FIA, such an exodus was inevitable.
"It has been clear for some time that motorsport cannot ignore the world economic crisis," it said in a statement released after BMW's announcement.
"Car manufacturers cannot be expected to continue to pour large sums of money into Formula 1 when their survival depends on redundancies, plant closures and the support of the taxpayer."
Race against time
So will BMW's departure cause any lasting damage to Formula 1?
Ferrari is not expected to pull out of F1 - but at least one other firm is
The answer is, not necessarily.
Three new teams are due to join the series next year. Assuming they can raise enough sponsorship to guarantee their entries, there should still be plenty of cars on the starting grid.
But in the current climate raising the money is likely to prove difficult.
In addition, the new teams face a race against time if they are to be on the grid next year.
If the new entries fail to materialise, and more teams leave, a crisis could yet develop.
Some experts believe that the departure of major names such as Honda and BMW undermines F1's claim to be the pinnacle of world motorsport.
It's an argument that points towards the real problem facing Formula 1.
Spending rows
A key part of the sport's attraction is its brash, free-spending image.
It oozes high-rent glamour, and promotes itself as a hub of white-hot technology.
There have been moves to reduce spending in the glamorous world of F1
That image comes at a cost. In recent years, top teams have been spending more than $400m (�244m) a season.
Yet as the departures of BMW and Honda have illustrated all too clearly, that kind of outlay can no longer be taken for granted.
For much of the past year, the main stakeholders in Formula 1 have been embroiled in a bitter dispute over how to cut costs, without emasculating the sport.
The FIA, led by its forceful president Max Mosley, wanted to put the brakes on spending by forcing teams to cut their budgets to just $60 million a year, as well as restricting technical development.
But this was vehemently opposed by most of the teams, who believed such a move would destroy the essence of Formula 1.
'Nuclear' threat
The teams' ire was also directed at the Formula 1 Group, the network of companies run by Bernie Ecclestone, which control the commercial side of F1.
The group earns close to a billion dollars a year from trackside advertising, television rights and race fees.
But only half of the money goes back into F1, as payments to the teams.
The rest is absorbed by the F1 Group and its ultimate owner, the private equity group CVC Capital partners.
At a time when sponsors were hard to find, the teams argued, they should be given a bigger slice of the cake.
The dispute came to a head at the British Grand Prix in June, when eight teams threatened to walk out of F1 and set up their own rival championship.
That plan, widely seen as a "nuclear option" now looks highly unlikely to be carried out.
Under intense pressure from Bernie Ecclestone and the F1 Group as well as the team owners, the FIA backed down.
Uncertain future
The teams no longer face a compulsory budget cap. Instead they have agreed to work together, establishing ways to cut costs dramatically over the next two years.
The dispute with the F1 Group also appears to have simmered down.
It now looks as though the current commercial arrangements will stay in place until 2012.
These plans are to be formally set out in a new governing document for the sport, known as the Concorde Agreement - which the FIA says will be signed in the coming days.
But while the agreement offers F1 some welcome stability after a period of turmoil, it does nothing to remedy the harsh economic environment.
And as BMW's departure illustrates all too graphically, the sport's future remains far from certain.
Rabu, 08 Juli 2009
The Mole brings you... Lee McKenzie at Goodwood
From The Mole @ BBCThe 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.
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.
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.
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
Senin, 01 Juni 2009
A letter to Mr Max Mosley
The future of Formula One is back in the melting pot in the wake of a letter to Max Mosley from all 10 teams.
Less than three hours after Mosley had spoken of the possibility of a compromise with the Formula One Teams' Association regarding next season's budget cap, he was handed the letter that effectively took the wind out of his sails.
Mosley had also expressed his confidence Ferrari, the ringleader in the current war with the FIA, would sign up by this Friday's entry deadline.
But that now has to be in serious doubt as the teams are demanding Mosley scrap the 2010 regulations in return for their commitment through to 2012.
That would be a significant move as Mosley expressed a view that two of the current manufacturers would pull out of F1 anyway, regardless of the budget cap, due to the ongoing financial crisis in the car industry.
News of the letter came from Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali following a Monaco Grand Prix in which his team showed a return to form as Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa finished third and fourth.
"What we have asked is to go back to the rules of this year, the 2009 rules," said Domenicali.
"Then we see together what we can do in order to make changes for next year.
"Bear in mind that for sure the cost is something all the teams are fully committed to working on but is something that is related to the business of the teams.
"We know what we can invest. We know what we can do, and this is something the teams can discuss internally.
"We can decide on our own what we can afford to keep the value of F1 at the standard that we know. It is not something that we feel should be involved with somebody else."
Although Mosley had earlier expressed confidence a resolution was close at hand, he also made it clear "the main stumbling block is really the same old thing".
That is trying to keep everybody happy, including the prospective new entrants for next year.
That view was reiterated by Brawn GP CEO Nick Fry, who said: "We are all in favour of a degree of financial responsibility. I know there is no team that is proposing a financial free-for-all.
"We all represent big companies and the economic times are not appropriate to be spending a lot of money.
"The only discussion is how you do it and what the right mechanism is.
"We have a huge range of teams - teams that want to come into the championship that are small and have limited resources and coming from lower formulas.
"We have teams who do have a huge amount of infrastructure and we have teams like ourselves that were lucky enough to benefit from manufacturer backing but now don't have that.
"Then there are teams that are still very large and enjoy manufacturer backing.
"The issue is how you actually find a compromise that enables the little guys to have a fighting chance and the big guys to down-size their companies in a sensible period of time, and that's not easy."
Less than three hours after Mosley had spoken of the possibility of a compromise with the Formula One Teams' Association regarding next season's budget cap, he was handed the letter that effectively took the wind out of his sails.
Mosley had also expressed his confidence Ferrari, the ringleader in the current war with the FIA, would sign up by this Friday's entry deadline.
But that now has to be in serious doubt as the teams are demanding Mosley scrap the 2010 regulations in return for their commitment through to 2012.
That would be a significant move as Mosley expressed a view that two of the current manufacturers would pull out of F1 anyway, regardless of the budget cap, due to the ongoing financial crisis in the car industry.
News of the letter came from Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali following a Monaco Grand Prix in which his team showed a return to form as Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa finished third and fourth.
"What we have asked is to go back to the rules of this year, the 2009 rules," said Domenicali.
"Then we see together what we can do in order to make changes for next year.
"Bear in mind that for sure the cost is something all the teams are fully committed to working on but is something that is related to the business of the teams.
"We know what we can invest. We know what we can do, and this is something the teams can discuss internally.
"We can decide on our own what we can afford to keep the value of F1 at the standard that we know. It is not something that we feel should be involved with somebody else."
Although Mosley had earlier expressed confidence a resolution was close at hand, he also made it clear "the main stumbling block is really the same old thing".
That is trying to keep everybody happy, including the prospective new entrants for next year.
That view was reiterated by Brawn GP CEO Nick Fry, who said: "We are all in favour of a degree of financial responsibility. I know there is no team that is proposing a financial free-for-all.
"We all represent big companies and the economic times are not appropriate to be spending a lot of money.
"The only discussion is how you do it and what the right mechanism is.
"We have a huge range of teams - teams that want to come into the championship that are small and have limited resources and coming from lower formulas.
"We have teams who do have a huge amount of infrastructure and we have teams like ourselves that were lucky enough to benefit from manufacturer backing but now don't have that.
"Then there are teams that are still very large and enjoy manufacturer backing.
"The issue is how you actually find a compromise that enables the little guys to have a fighting chance and the big guys to down-size their companies in a sensible period of time, and that's not easy."
Jumat, 29 Mei 2009
All Teams submit F1 entries for 2010
Team bosses are all now signed up to compete in next season's campaign Ferrari and the rest of the teams in the Formula 1 Teams' Association (Fota) have submitted conditional entries for the 2010 championship.
Williams announced on Monday that they intend to enter next season's campaign. McLaren, BMW Sauber, Toyota, Renault, Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso, Brawn GP and Force India have now followed suit.
However, the teams have only signed up to the new season on the condition that they are able to operate on the basis of current technical regulations. The teams and the sport's governing body, the FIA, have been at odds in recent weeks over plans to introduce an optional budget cap in 2010. The teams have tried to meet (FIA president) Max Mosley halfway on this one - it remains to be seen now if he agrees to their terms
Those teams who pledged to keep costs under �40m a season would be allowed greater technical freedom than those outside of the budget cap, but many of the teams felt the cap was far too strict, fearing it would create a two-tier championship.
Ferrari, Renault, Red Bull and Toyota all threatened to pull out of the sport if the budgetary restrictions were to be forced through. It prompted a crisis meeting between Fota and the FIA a fortnight ago, talks which failed initially to provide an acceptable compromise. But at a meeting at the Monaco Grand Prix last week, it was agreed in principle to delay the cap until 2011, while motorsport boss Max Mosley has made other concessions to the teams on governance. And it appears enough progress has now been made on that to convince teams to sign up to the new season - on the condition that a new financial agreement with F1's management is reached by 12 June.
"It could be the end (of the budget cap row) but we won't know for certain until the FIA publish its list of accepted teams and drivers for the 2010 championship on 12 June," reported BBC Five Live's F1 commentator David Croft.
"At the moment, it's the current 10 teams plus Prodrive, USF1 and the Campos team from Spain. Those teams will be offered technical assistance from the current entrants who, in return for that, want a sliding scale of cost-cutting. "That means instead of a �40m cap next year, say a spend of around �80m that reduces to somewhere around �40m by 2011.
"The teams have tried to meet Max Mosley halfway on this one - it remains to be seen now if he agrees to their terms." A statement on behalf of Fota said: "Fota confirms all its members' long-term commitment to be involved in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship. "It has unanimously agreed further and significant actions to substantially reduce the costs of competing in the championship in the next three years."
The FIA now has until 12 June to confirm its intentions.
Toyota Motorsport boss, and Fota vice-chairman John Howett, whose team has long been rumoured to be quitting F1 at the end of the year, said: "We await a response from the Federation."
Williams announced on Monday that they intend to enter next season's campaign. McLaren, BMW Sauber, Toyota, Renault, Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso, Brawn GP and Force India have now followed suit.
However, the teams have only signed up to the new season on the condition that they are able to operate on the basis of current technical regulations. The teams and the sport's governing body, the FIA, have been at odds in recent weeks over plans to introduce an optional budget cap in 2010. The teams have tried to meet (FIA president) Max Mosley halfway on this one - it remains to be seen now if he agrees to their terms
Those teams who pledged to keep costs under �40m a season would be allowed greater technical freedom than those outside of the budget cap, but many of the teams felt the cap was far too strict, fearing it would create a two-tier championship.
Ferrari, Renault, Red Bull and Toyota all threatened to pull out of the sport if the budgetary restrictions were to be forced through. It prompted a crisis meeting between Fota and the FIA a fortnight ago, talks which failed initially to provide an acceptable compromise. But at a meeting at the Monaco Grand Prix last week, it was agreed in principle to delay the cap until 2011, while motorsport boss Max Mosley has made other concessions to the teams on governance. And it appears enough progress has now been made on that to convince teams to sign up to the new season - on the condition that a new financial agreement with F1's management is reached by 12 June.
"It could be the end (of the budget cap row) but we won't know for certain until the FIA publish its list of accepted teams and drivers for the 2010 championship on 12 June," reported BBC Five Live's F1 commentator David Croft.
"At the moment, it's the current 10 teams plus Prodrive, USF1 and the Campos team from Spain. Those teams will be offered technical assistance from the current entrants who, in return for that, want a sliding scale of cost-cutting. "That means instead of a �40m cap next year, say a spend of around �80m that reduces to somewhere around �40m by 2011.
"The teams have tried to meet Max Mosley halfway on this one - it remains to be seen now if he agrees to their terms." A statement on behalf of Fota said: "Fota confirms all its members' long-term commitment to be involved in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship. "It has unanimously agreed further and significant actions to substantially reduce the costs of competing in the championship in the next three years."
The FIA now has until 12 June to confirm its intentions.
Toyota Motorsport boss, and Fota vice-chairman John Howett, whose team has long been rumoured to be quitting F1 at the end of the year, said: "We await a response from the Federation."
Sabtu, 25 April 2009
Qualifying analysis - Bahrain Grand Prix
Tyre preservation will again be the name of the game here, but Sakhir is a very different type of circuit to Melbourne and China, where degradation on the super-soft rubber militated in favour of the mediums. They take longer to hit their optimum temperature and have less grip, so everyone will try to go as far as they can on super softs and keep the prime running to a minimum.
But some are more adept at eking out tyre life than others.
On fuel weights, the relevant ones were
Toyota�s Jarno Trulli: 648.5;
Toyota�s Timo Glock 643;
Red Bull�s Sebastian Vettel 659;
Brawn�s Jenson Button 652.5;
McLaren�s Lewis Hamilton 652.5;
Brawn�s Barrichello 649. Which makes Vettel the dangerman�
Toyota
Jarno Trulli, 1m 33.431s, P1
Timo Glock, 1m 33.712s, P2
Toyota were delighted to lock out the front row of a grid for the first time since they entered Formula One in 2002. Trulli reported that things didn�t go as smoothly as planned because of a brake problem that still needs to be rectified before the race. He dedicated his first pole since Indianapolis 2005 to the team for their hard work, and to the people of Abruzzo after the recent earthquake. Glock lost time with an electrical problem in free practice, but was happy with the set-up changes made overnight. A change of wind direction forced him to struggle on the prime tyres in Q1, but he felt more comfortable in Q2. He admitted to a small error in Q3, but said it wasn�t enough to have affected his chances of taking pole from his team mate.
Red Bull
Sebastian Vettel, 1m 34.015s, P3
Mark Webber, 1m 34.038s, P19, will start P18
Vettel was fastest in Q1 and Q2, and said he was very happy with the way things went in Q3. He also harvested a set of option tyres in readiness for the race. Webber was very unhappy after his final runs in Q1 were thwarted by Sutil. The Red Bull was trapped behind the Force India at the end of its first lap, and then Sutil repassed into the first corner to spoiled Webber�s second try. The German was penalised three grid places as a result.
Brawn GP
Jenson Button, 1m 34.044s, P4
Rubens Barrichello, 1m 34.239s, P6
Button and Barrichello complained of lack of grip in Q3, when usually the Brawn is at its best with a fuel load, and were disappointed not to take a pole that they had expected to contend for. Button said he had wheel locking, Barrichello traffic.
McLaren
Lewis Hamilton, 1m 34.196s, P5
Heikki Kovalainen, 1m 33.242s, P11
Hamilton was very happy with fifth place, especially as he is the fastest KERS runner and will have an advantage on acceleration on Sunday afternoon. He even talked of being in a position to challenge for pole position soon. Kovalainen could not explain his relative lack of performance.
Renault
Fernando Alonso, 1m 34.578s, P7
Nelson Piquet, 1m 33.941s, P15
Alonso complained that the closeness of qualifying is stressful in the cockpit but was pleased to have a competitive car after overnight work on his latest diffuser. This time, he said, seventh was about what he had expected. Piquet made it through to Q2 but pushed too hard for Q3 and overdrove.
Ferrari
Felipe Massa, 1m 34.818s, P8
Kimi Raikkonen, 1m 35.380s, P10
Ferrari looked very strong in Q1 and Q2 but faded when it mattered. Massa reported a small step forward and was happy to be in the top 10, especially as his F60 was oversteering more than it had in the morning. He is looking forward to maximising his KERS at the start. Raikkonen said it would have been difficult to better his eventual 10th place as he�d run out of fresh super-soft tyres. He also reported that his car behaved better with KERS.
Williams
Nico Rosberg, 1m 35.134s, P9
Kazuki Nakajima, 1m 33.348s, P12
Rosberg was not comfortable in his FW31 and felt he was lucky to make it through to Q3. But he was happy with ninth as he was running a heavy fuel load. Nakajima said he made no errors, and was mystified why he wasn�t quicker.
BMW Sauber
Robert Kubica, 1m 33.487s, P13
Nick Heidfeld, 1m 33.562s, P14
Kubica admitted that BMW Sauber simply lacked performance, and that a radio malfunction made it difficult to fine-tune tyre pressures. The Pole also had two small flash fires in the pits while refuelling, which didn�t help. Heidfeld found his F1.09�s balance inconsistent between runs as the wind changed. Both drivers used KERS.
Force India
Adrian Sutil, 1m 33.722s, P16, will start P19
Giancarlo Fisichella, 1m 33.910s, P18, will start P17
Sutil reported a drop in grip levels compared to free practice and that the balance of his VJM02 was thus not as good for qualifying. He said the problem with Webber arose because he was trying to make a gap to Alonso to start his own lap, and that he didn�t realise Webber was on a flying lap. The stewards docked him three grid positions.Fisichella felt he�d got close to Q2 but said he wasn�t entirely happy with his car�s balance and that the super-soft tyres made the handling unpredictable.
Toro Rosso
Sebastien Buemi, 1m 33.753s, P17, will start P16
Sebastien Bourdais, 1m 34.159s, P20
Buemi thought he could easily have made Q2 but for a mistake in the third sector on his best lap in Q1. Bourdais lost track time with undisclosed technical problems in the morning, then picked up a lot of understeer on his second run in Q1. He corrected that with the front wing for the final effort, only to encounter serious oversteer.
David Tremayne@www.formula1.com
But some are more adept at eking out tyre life than others.
On fuel weights, the relevant ones were
Toyota�s Jarno Trulli: 648.5;
Toyota�s Timo Glock 643;
Red Bull�s Sebastian Vettel 659;
Brawn�s Jenson Button 652.5;
McLaren�s Lewis Hamilton 652.5;
Brawn�s Barrichello 649. Which makes Vettel the dangerman�
Toyota
Jarno Trulli, 1m 33.431s, P1
Timo Glock, 1m 33.712s, P2
Toyota were delighted to lock out the front row of a grid for the first time since they entered Formula One in 2002. Trulli reported that things didn�t go as smoothly as planned because of a brake problem that still needs to be rectified before the race. He dedicated his first pole since Indianapolis 2005 to the team for their hard work, and to the people of Abruzzo after the recent earthquake. Glock lost time with an electrical problem in free practice, but was happy with the set-up changes made overnight. A change of wind direction forced him to struggle on the prime tyres in Q1, but he felt more comfortable in Q2. He admitted to a small error in Q3, but said it wasn�t enough to have affected his chances of taking pole from his team mate.
Red Bull
Sebastian Vettel, 1m 34.015s, P3
Mark Webber, 1m 34.038s, P19, will start P18
Vettel was fastest in Q1 and Q2, and said he was very happy with the way things went in Q3. He also harvested a set of option tyres in readiness for the race. Webber was very unhappy after his final runs in Q1 were thwarted by Sutil. The Red Bull was trapped behind the Force India at the end of its first lap, and then Sutil repassed into the first corner to spoiled Webber�s second try. The German was penalised three grid places as a result.
Brawn GP
Jenson Button, 1m 34.044s, P4
Rubens Barrichello, 1m 34.239s, P6
Button and Barrichello complained of lack of grip in Q3, when usually the Brawn is at its best with a fuel load, and were disappointed not to take a pole that they had expected to contend for. Button said he had wheel locking, Barrichello traffic.
McLaren
Lewis Hamilton, 1m 34.196s, P5
Heikki Kovalainen, 1m 33.242s, P11
Hamilton was very happy with fifth place, especially as he is the fastest KERS runner and will have an advantage on acceleration on Sunday afternoon. He even talked of being in a position to challenge for pole position soon. Kovalainen could not explain his relative lack of performance.
Renault
Fernando Alonso, 1m 34.578s, P7
Nelson Piquet, 1m 33.941s, P15
Alonso complained that the closeness of qualifying is stressful in the cockpit but was pleased to have a competitive car after overnight work on his latest diffuser. This time, he said, seventh was about what he had expected. Piquet made it through to Q2 but pushed too hard for Q3 and overdrove.
Ferrari
Felipe Massa, 1m 34.818s, P8
Kimi Raikkonen, 1m 35.380s, P10
Ferrari looked very strong in Q1 and Q2 but faded when it mattered. Massa reported a small step forward and was happy to be in the top 10, especially as his F60 was oversteering more than it had in the morning. He is looking forward to maximising his KERS at the start. Raikkonen said it would have been difficult to better his eventual 10th place as he�d run out of fresh super-soft tyres. He also reported that his car behaved better with KERS.
Williams
Nico Rosberg, 1m 35.134s, P9
Kazuki Nakajima, 1m 33.348s, P12
Rosberg was not comfortable in his FW31 and felt he was lucky to make it through to Q3. But he was happy with ninth as he was running a heavy fuel load. Nakajima said he made no errors, and was mystified why he wasn�t quicker.
BMW Sauber
Robert Kubica, 1m 33.487s, P13
Nick Heidfeld, 1m 33.562s, P14
Kubica admitted that BMW Sauber simply lacked performance, and that a radio malfunction made it difficult to fine-tune tyre pressures. The Pole also had two small flash fires in the pits while refuelling, which didn�t help. Heidfeld found his F1.09�s balance inconsistent between runs as the wind changed. Both drivers used KERS.
Force India
Adrian Sutil, 1m 33.722s, P16, will start P19
Giancarlo Fisichella, 1m 33.910s, P18, will start P17
Sutil reported a drop in grip levels compared to free practice and that the balance of his VJM02 was thus not as good for qualifying. He said the problem with Webber arose because he was trying to make a gap to Alonso to start his own lap, and that he didn�t realise Webber was on a flying lap. The stewards docked him three grid positions.Fisichella felt he�d got close to Q2 but said he wasn�t entirely happy with his car�s balance and that the super-soft tyres made the handling unpredictable.
Toro Rosso
Sebastien Buemi, 1m 33.753s, P17, will start P16
Sebastien Bourdais, 1m 34.159s, P20
Buemi thought he could easily have made Q2 but for a mistake in the third sector on his best lap in Q1. Bourdais lost track time with undisclosed technical problems in the morning, then picked up a lot of understeer on his second run in Q1. He corrected that with the front wing for the final effort, only to encounter serious oversteer.
David Tremayne@www.formula1.com
Rabu, 15 April 2009
Williams F1 to diversify Global Business Plans
Team shifts to bear market strategy and may branch into other businesses
The effects of the global recession are catching up with the Williams Formula One (F1) team, with the outfit now branching into other businesses in an effort to supplement income.
Williams F1 chief executive officer Adam Parr said it was �carefully� exploring other opportunities that won�t affect its F1-related activities in any way.
�As part of our strategy in a bear market, we are trying to diversify our business a little bit,� he told StarBiz during the second leg of the 2009 F1 Grand Prix earlier this month.
He said Williams F1 was currently designing the cars that would be used for the 2009 Formula Two (F2) season, scheduled to start in May.
The effects of the global recession are catching up with the Williams Formula One (F1) team, with the outfit now branching into other businesses in an effort to supplement income.
Williams F1 chief executive officer Adam Parr said it was �carefully� exploring other opportunities that won�t affect its F1-related activities in any way.
�As part of our strategy in a bear market, we are trying to diversify our business a little bit,� he told StarBiz during the second leg of the 2009 F1 Grand Prix earlier this month.
He said Williams F1 was currently designing the cars that would be used for the 2009 Formula Two (F2) season, scheduled to start in May.
�This is the first time this century that we will be utilising our skills and designing a car outside F1,� Parr said. 
Williams F1�s experience in designing racing cars beyond F1 can be traced back to the mid-nineties.
It developed cars for Renault when Renault competed in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) between 1995 and 1999.
The touring car venture was a success, culminating in a constructor�s title in 1995 and 1997 and a driver�s title in 1997.
Williams F1 also built Le Mans Prototypes for BMW, known as the V12 LM and V12 LMR.
The V12 LMR won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1999.
Last year, Williams F1 acquired a minority stake in Automotive Hybrid Power Ltd (which was subsequently renamed Williams Hybrid Power Ltd), a company that develops high-energy composite flywheels for use in energy recovery systems.
The company�s primary function is to focus on developing kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) technology for the team.
F1 rules dictate that the teams are allowed to use KERS technology this season.
Parr said plans were ontrack to develop the technology for other vehicles.
�We are also looking at commercial applications for that technology,� he said.
To create more awareness of the Williams F1 brand, the team has also formed a partnership with Cambridge University Press to generate interest in math, science and technology among primary school children, using F1 as a platform.
Through a website called racetolearn.org, children will learn how to form an F1 team and other related issues from designing a car to investigating air resistance and pitching for sponsorships.
�It�s a great initiative to help kids in schools using the imagery of the team and the excitement of F1,� Parr said, adding that the initiative would start in June.
On another note, he said the team�s 2009 budget was relatively the same as last year�s.
Various websites, citing industry trade publication Formula Money, reported that the Williams F1 team had a budget of about US$160mil for the 2008 season.
Parr also said 10 of its sponsors had renewed their contracts with the team this year. The team has about 15 sponsors currently.
�Four of them increased their sponsorship of the team this year so that puts us in a relatively good position for the next couple of years. It also demonstrates the loyalty of our partners and the quality of our relationship with them,� he said.
The team�s sponsors include Dutch electronics giant Philips, US-based telephone service provider AT&T, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia.
�We were the first team to abandon tobacco sponsorship in 1999. Since 2000, our philosophy has been to have a broad range of blue-chip sponsors, a strategy that has served us well,� Parr said.
�These are tough times but we are very optimistic about the team and the sport,� he added.
Williams F1�s experience in designing racing cars beyond F1 can be traced back to the mid-nineties.
It developed cars for Renault when Renault competed in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) between 1995 and 1999.
The touring car venture was a success, culminating in a constructor�s title in 1995 and 1997 and a driver�s title in 1997.
Williams F1 also built Le Mans Prototypes for BMW, known as the V12 LM and V12 LMR.
The V12 LMR won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1999.
Last year, Williams F1 acquired a minority stake in Automotive Hybrid Power Ltd (which was subsequently renamed Williams Hybrid Power Ltd), a company that develops high-energy composite flywheels for use in energy recovery systems.
The company�s primary function is to focus on developing kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) technology for the team.
F1 rules dictate that the teams are allowed to use KERS technology this season.
Parr said plans were ontrack to develop the technology for other vehicles.
�We are also looking at commercial applications for that technology,� he said.
To create more awareness of the Williams F1 brand, the team has also formed a partnership with Cambridge University Press to generate interest in math, science and technology among primary school children, using F1 as a platform.
Through a website called racetolearn.org, children will learn how to form an F1 team and other related issues from designing a car to investigating air resistance and pitching for sponsorships.
�It�s a great initiative to help kids in schools using the imagery of the team and the excitement of F1,� Parr said, adding that the initiative would start in June.
On another note, he said the team�s 2009 budget was relatively the same as last year�s.
Various websites, citing industry trade publication Formula Money, reported that the Williams F1 team had a budget of about US$160mil for the 2008 season.
Parr also said 10 of its sponsors had renewed their contracts with the team this year. The team has about 15 sponsors currently.
�Four of them increased their sponsorship of the team this year so that puts us in a relatively good position for the next couple of years. It also demonstrates the loyalty of our partners and the quality of our relationship with them,� he said.
The team�s sponsors include Dutch electronics giant Philips, US-based telephone service provider AT&T, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia.
�We were the first team to abandon tobacco sponsorship in 1999. Since 2000, our philosophy has been to have a broad range of blue-chip sponsors, a strategy that has served us well,� Parr said.
�These are tough times but we are very optimistic about the team and the sport,� he added.
By EUGENE MAHALINGAM
Rabu, 11 Februari 2009
A round -up Of the latest Jerez Testing
Heikki Kovalainen moved McLaren�s MP4-24 to the head of the order for 2009 cars at Jerez as teams finally enjoyed fine weather at a pre-season European test.
In stark contrast to the dire conditions that plagued the year�s first group outing at Portimao and partly disrupted Tuesday�s opening day in Spain, Jerez was bathed in warm and sunny conditions on Wednesday to allow some serious dry-weather running.
Sebastien Buemi was again predictably the official pacesetter in Toro Rosso�s 2008 car (clocking 1m17.591s after a mammoth 143 laps) but it was the picture behind that really counted as teams began to get an early indication of where they stand in the early 2009 pecking order.
And it was Kovalainen who won day two�s battle following an encouraging trouble-free 110-lap run in the latest McLaren � although his MP4-24 was running with a modified 2008 rear wing and not the new low-downforce version.
The Finn remained on the same programme as the opening day, focusing on set-up and KERS evaluations, with the team reporting an improving balance following several longer runs and a best time of 1m20.799s.
At the start of the test all eyes in the pit lane had been on Mark Webber, the Red Bull driver returning to action for the first time since breaking his leg at the end of November for his first taste of the team's new RB5.
Indeed encouragingly for both driver and team the Australian made an impressive comeback, appearing to show no ill effects from his injury during his 83 laps and clocking the second fastest time for a 2009 car, 1m21.321s.
His former team Williams meanwhile maintained its positive start to testing as Kazuki Nakajima put another 125 laps on the FW31.
The Japanese driver was just over a tenth of a second adrift of Webber after completing a productive programme which included set-up work plus tyre and reliability testing.
�Kazuki was testing for the team in Jerez today and covered over 550kms while undertaking mechanical set-up tests,� Williams technical director Sam Michael said.
�He also completed a full race simulation without issue.
We are looking forward to another productive day tomorrow when we will carry out more tuning work on the FW31 in preparation for the first grand prix.�
Bringing up the order was again Nelson Piquet Jr as Renault surprisingly continued to find itself at the bottom of the order.
A second day of frustration for the Brazilian was characterised by several small mechanical glitches with the R29 which restricted him to 49 laps.
His running for the week is now over, but he hopes team-mate Fernando Alonso is able to put significantly more mileage on the car over the remaining two days.
"The track conditions were better today and we continued with the work we did yesterday, learning about the car and beginning some basic set-up work," Piquet said.
"Again we didn�t do as many laps as we would have liked as we lost some time after lunch, but we still learnt some interesting things.
"The weather looks good for the rest of the week so the team should be able to get some more important data tomorrow and Friday.�
In addition to Alonso's first appearance of the week, Thursday will also see world champion Lewis Hamilton take to the track for just the second time this winter in McLaren's new car.
The recently confirmed Sebastien Bourdais replaces Buemi at Toro Rosso, while Sebastian Vettel will take over the RB5 again from Webber.
In stark contrast to the dire conditions that plagued the year�s first group outing at Portimao and partly disrupted Tuesday�s opening day in Spain, Jerez was bathed in warm and sunny conditions on Wednesday to allow some serious dry-weather running.
Sebastien Buemi was again predictably the official pacesetter in Toro Rosso�s 2008 car (clocking 1m17.591s after a mammoth 143 laps) but it was the picture behind that really counted as teams began to get an early indication of where they stand in the early 2009 pecking order.
And it was Kovalainen who won day two�s battle following an encouraging trouble-free 110-lap run in the latest McLaren � although his MP4-24 was running with a modified 2008 rear wing and not the new low-downforce version.
The Finn remained on the same programme as the opening day, focusing on set-up and KERS evaluations, with the team reporting an improving balance following several longer runs and a best time of 1m20.799s.
At the start of the test all eyes in the pit lane had been on Mark Webber, the Red Bull driver returning to action for the first time since breaking his leg at the end of November for his first taste of the team's new RB5.
Indeed encouragingly for both driver and team the Australian made an impressive comeback, appearing to show no ill effects from his injury during his 83 laps and clocking the second fastest time for a 2009 car, 1m21.321s.
His former team Williams meanwhile maintained its positive start to testing as Kazuki Nakajima put another 125 laps on the FW31.
The Japanese driver was just over a tenth of a second adrift of Webber after completing a productive programme which included set-up work plus tyre and reliability testing.
�Kazuki was testing for the team in Jerez today and covered over 550kms while undertaking mechanical set-up tests,� Williams technical director Sam Michael said.
�He also completed a full race simulation without issue.
We are looking forward to another productive day tomorrow when we will carry out more tuning work on the FW31 in preparation for the first grand prix.�
Bringing up the order was again Nelson Piquet Jr as Renault surprisingly continued to find itself at the bottom of the order.
A second day of frustration for the Brazilian was characterised by several small mechanical glitches with the R29 which restricted him to 49 laps.
His running for the week is now over, but he hopes team-mate Fernando Alonso is able to put significantly more mileage on the car over the remaining two days.
"The track conditions were better today and we continued with the work we did yesterday, learning about the car and beginning some basic set-up work," Piquet said.
"Again we didn�t do as many laps as we would have liked as we lost some time after lunch, but we still learnt some interesting things.
"The weather looks good for the rest of the week so the team should be able to get some more important data tomorrow and Friday.�
In addition to Alonso's first appearance of the week, Thursday will also see world champion Lewis Hamilton take to the track for just the second time this winter in McLaren's new car.
The recently confirmed Sebastien Bourdais replaces Buemi at Toro Rosso, while Sebastian Vettel will take over the RB5 again from Webber.
Jumat, 23 Mei 2008
Monaco Grand Prix - The ONE to Win
As the 55th Monaco Grand Prix gets under way, Rosberg is primed to snatch the crown jewel
Set on the narrow, twisting streets of Monte Carlo, on the coast of the French Riviera, the Monaco Grand Prix is the most recognised motor race in the world.
No wonder, then, that it's often referred to as "the jewel of the Formula 1 crown". And with outsiders standing a good chance, don't be surprised if we see a new prince of Monaco crowned here on Sunday, at the race's 55th edition.
The Monaco Grand Prix is the oldest street circuit in Formula 1 and one of the traditional races on the calendar. Save a four-year break from 1951 to 1954, it has played host each year since the start of the world championship in 1950.
There have been street circuits in the United States, France, Switzerland, Spain and Adelaide, but none have endured as Monaco's has.
Up until this season, which sees the addition of the Valencia and Singapore races to the calendar, Monaco was Formula 1's only street circuit for 12 years.
The 3.3km Monte Carlo track is one of the most challenging stops on the calendar.
Since the first Grand Prix in 1950, the street circuit has not changed much to accommodate the bigger and faster modern Formula 1 car.
With overtaking virtually impossible there, getting pole position is of paramount importance. He who starts the 78-lap race in front almost always takes the chequered flag.
All drivers look forward to the race in the glamourous principality as the formbook usually goes out the window there.
In 1996, Olivier Panis took the chequered flag in a lowly Ligier, in a race interrupted by intermittent rain.
The big boys didn't finish, only four cars crossed the finishing line.
Rain is always a factor at Monte Carlo at this time of the year and predictions are for a rainy weekend.
So while championship leaders Ferrari, BMW-Sauber and McLaren-Mercedes are tagged as favourites on current form to take top billing this Sunday, I'm not going to count out the rest of the field. Qualifying on Saturday for a front row place on race day is everything and my bet is that Williams' Nico Rosberg is good for a big surprise.
It will be the British team's 600th Grand Prix and Rosberg will be pumped up to add more meaning to that milestone with a win for one of the oldest sides in Formula 1.
At Thursday's practice the 22-year-old was the only outsider to feature in the top five, ending the session behind McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, but ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, and Heikki Kovalainen in the other McLaren.
Rosberg, whose father is 1983 world champion Keke of Finland, made his Formula 1 debut in 2006 after winning the GP2 series the year before.
He quickly showed his pedigree with Williams at the opening round in Bahrain by becoming the youngest driver in history to record the fastest lap in a race. That achievement was all the more remarkable as his Williams ride was lagging far behind championship contenders Ferrari, McLaren and 2005 champions Renault.
Last year, Rosberg was the centre of attention when he became the top contender to replace two-time world champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren after the Spaniard left the team in the wake of an acrimonious relationship.
Only the influence of the legendary team principal Frank Williams persuaded Rosberg to continue honing his talents with the Williams team.
Rosberg, who was born in Germany, started the 2008 season well enough with a third-place finish at the Australian Grand Prix behind winner Hamilton and BMW's Nick Heidfeld, and then came in eighth at the Bahrain and Turkish races.
To be sure, the Williams car is still nowhere near fighting for the world championship like its predecessors did in the 1980s and '90s.
But if Rosberg's performance on Thursday is anything to go by, and if his good form continues in qualifying this Saturday, then anything is possible.
Clinching pole will be the first step and then it will be left to his engineers to map out a competitive tyre and pitstop strategy to keep him in front.
A win at Monaco would also put Rosberg in an elite class of drivers who've conquered the mean streets of Monte Carlo, a group that includes the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio, Ayrton Senna, Jackie Stewart, Stirling Moss and Michael Schumacher.
That should be an even bigger incentive for Rosberg.
Set on the narrow, twisting streets of Monte Carlo, on the coast of the French Riviera, the Monaco Grand Prix is the most recognised motor race in the world.
No wonder, then, that it's often referred to as "the jewel of the Formula 1 crown". And with outsiders standing a good chance, don't be surprised if we see a new prince of Monaco crowned here on Sunday, at the race's 55th edition.
The Monaco Grand Prix is the oldest street circuit in Formula 1 and one of the traditional races on the calendar. Save a four-year break from 1951 to 1954, it has played host each year since the start of the world championship in 1950.
There have been street circuits in the United States, France, Switzerland, Spain and Adelaide, but none have endured as Monaco's has.
Up until this season, which sees the addition of the Valencia and Singapore races to the calendar, Monaco was Formula 1's only street circuit for 12 years.
The 3.3km Monte Carlo track is one of the most challenging stops on the calendar.
Since the first Grand Prix in 1950, the street circuit has not changed much to accommodate the bigger and faster modern Formula 1 car.
With overtaking virtually impossible there, getting pole position is of paramount importance. He who starts the 78-lap race in front almost always takes the chequered flag.
All drivers look forward to the race in the glamourous principality as the formbook usually goes out the window there.
In 1996, Olivier Panis took the chequered flag in a lowly Ligier, in a race interrupted by intermittent rain.
The big boys didn't finish, only four cars crossed the finishing line.
Rain is always a factor at Monte Carlo at this time of the year and predictions are for a rainy weekend.
So while championship leaders Ferrari, BMW-Sauber and McLaren-Mercedes are tagged as favourites on current form to take top billing this Sunday, I'm not going to count out the rest of the field. Qualifying on Saturday for a front row place on race day is everything and my bet is that Williams' Nico Rosberg is good for a big surprise.
It will be the British team's 600th Grand Prix and Rosberg will be pumped up to add more meaning to that milestone with a win for one of the oldest sides in Formula 1.
At Thursday's practice the 22-year-old was the only outsider to feature in the top five, ending the session behind McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, but ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, and Heikki Kovalainen in the other McLaren.
Rosberg, whose father is 1983 world champion Keke of Finland, made his Formula 1 debut in 2006 after winning the GP2 series the year before.
He quickly showed his pedigree with Williams at the opening round in Bahrain by becoming the youngest driver in history to record the fastest lap in a race. That achievement was all the more remarkable as his Williams ride was lagging far behind championship contenders Ferrari, McLaren and 2005 champions Renault.
Last year, Rosberg was the centre of attention when he became the top contender to replace two-time world champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren after the Spaniard left the team in the wake of an acrimonious relationship.
Only the influence of the legendary team principal Frank Williams persuaded Rosberg to continue honing his talents with the Williams team.
Rosberg, who was born in Germany, started the 2008 season well enough with a third-place finish at the Australian Grand Prix behind winner Hamilton and BMW's Nick Heidfeld, and then came in eighth at the Bahrain and Turkish races.
To be sure, the Williams car is still nowhere near fighting for the world championship like its predecessors did in the 1980s and '90s.
But if Rosberg's performance on Thursday is anything to go by, and if his good form continues in qualifying this Saturday, then anything is possible.
Clinching pole will be the first step and then it will be left to his engineers to map out a competitive tyre and pitstop strategy to keep him in front.
A win at Monaco would also put Rosberg in an elite class of drivers who've conquered the mean streets of Monte Carlo, a group that includes the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio, Ayrton Senna, Jackie Stewart, Stirling Moss and Michael Schumacher.
That should be an even bigger incentive for Rosberg.
Minggu, 11 Mei 2008
Felipe Massa makes it Three in a Row in Turkish Grand Prix
A delighted Felipe Massa swept to a hat-trick of Turkish Grand Prix victories from pole position here on Sunday in the Turkish Grand Prix when he delivered another domineering display for Ferrari at Istanbul Park.
The Brazilian triumphed by 3.7 seconds ahead of McLaren's British driver Lewis Hamilton with Finland's reigning champion Kimi Raikkonen less than half-a-second behind in third in the other Ferrari.
"This feels fantastic," said Massa.
"But actually, it was a very difficult race. Lewis pushed me very hard for a lot of the race and I was worried for a while, but I knew he was lighter than me.
"When the team told me he was running on three stops I felt better so I realised that was a help for me and I had a chance. I could not hold him when he passed me, but I knew I could win the race so I just had to wait.
"To win here for a third time is really fantastic for me. Now I think I can already get a passport here!"
Hamilton pulled off the overtaking move of the race on Massa and denied Ferrari a likely one-two despite adopting a three-stop fuel strategy compared to his rival's two stopper.
But there was no stopping Massa who controlled the 58-lap race on the 5.338-kms track which he clearly loves.
Hamilton said: "I am absolutely thrilled to come second here after starting third and after my form yesterday.
"I knew it would be tough to get points but we did it well and I am happy. The balance of the car was great on the hard tyres, but the soft tyre was not so good at the end.
"We chose a three stop strategy for safety reasons after what happened here last year when we suffered a failure. Three stops was the safest way to go, but it left us in a less strong position to win the race."
Raikkonen's lead in the championship was cut to seven points with Massa now second, on countback, from last year's runner-up Hamilton. Raikkonen has 35, Massa and Hamilton have 28.
Ferrari extended their lead in the constructors' championship to 19 points over BMW with McLaren two points further back after Finland's Heikki Kovalainen paid for an early pit-stop to finish 12th having started second.
The Finn suffered an opening lap puncture after a suspected collision with Raikkonen on the opening lap.
Poland's Robert Kubica was fourth for BMW just ahead of team-mate Greman Nick Heidfeld with Spain's Fernando Alonso sixth for Renault. Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber was seventh and German-born Nico Rosberg eighth for Williams.
There was no points finish for Brazil's Rubens Barrichello in his record-breaking 257 appearance as he finished 14th for Honda.
Massa blasted into lead from the start with all the drama happening behind him as Hamilton powered past his team-mate Kovalainen into second spot.
Kubica also overtook Kovalainen in the race for the first corner where the Finn squeezed compatriot Raikkonen who dropped from fourth to sixth behind former two-time champion Alonso.
Further down the field, Force India's Italian veteran Giancarlo Fisichella drove right over the Williams of Kazuki Nakajima, missing the Japanese driver by inches but sending them both spinning into retirement in the gravel after a collision at the start.
The safety car was immediately deployed, staying out for one circuit as the debris was cleared. Kovalainen was forced to pit at the end of the second lap while on the third lap Raikkonen easily outpaced Alonso to move back to fourth.
Raikkonen took third spot in the first round of pit-stops leapfrogging Kubica as Massa and Hamilton battled it out at the front.
Hamilton, on a lighter fuel load, thrillingly snatched the lead on lap 24 when he darted down Massa's left before forcing his rival to move over as they came up to turn 12 at around 180mph.
The British driver's lead lasted just eight laps before he made another quick pit-stop allowing Massa to regain control of the race. Hamilton regained the lead after Massa, then Raikkonen, made their final stops.
Hamilton made a stop at the end with 13 laps left and although it was not quick enough to deny Massa, he came out just fractions ahead of Raikkonen to snatch second spot from his chief rival.
The Brazilian triumphed by 3.7 seconds ahead of McLaren's British driver Lewis Hamilton with Finland's reigning champion Kimi Raikkonen less than half-a-second behind in third in the other Ferrari.
"This feels fantastic," said Massa.
"But actually, it was a very difficult race. Lewis pushed me very hard for a lot of the race and I was worried for a while, but I knew he was lighter than me.
"When the team told me he was running on three stops I felt better so I realised that was a help for me and I had a chance. I could not hold him when he passed me, but I knew I could win the race so I just had to wait.
"To win here for a third time is really fantastic for me. Now I think I can already get a passport here!"
Hamilton pulled off the overtaking move of the race on Massa and denied Ferrari a likely one-two despite adopting a three-stop fuel strategy compared to his rival's two stopper.
But there was no stopping Massa who controlled the 58-lap race on the 5.338-kms track which he clearly loves.
Hamilton said: "I am absolutely thrilled to come second here after starting third and after my form yesterday.
"I knew it would be tough to get points but we did it well and I am happy. The balance of the car was great on the hard tyres, but the soft tyre was not so good at the end.
"We chose a three stop strategy for safety reasons after what happened here last year when we suffered a failure. Three stops was the safest way to go, but it left us in a less strong position to win the race."
Raikkonen's lead in the championship was cut to seven points with Massa now second, on countback, from last year's runner-up Hamilton. Raikkonen has 35, Massa and Hamilton have 28.
Ferrari extended their lead in the constructors' championship to 19 points over BMW with McLaren two points further back after Finland's Heikki Kovalainen paid for an early pit-stop to finish 12th having started second.
The Finn suffered an opening lap puncture after a suspected collision with Raikkonen on the opening lap.
Poland's Robert Kubica was fourth for BMW just ahead of team-mate Greman Nick Heidfeld with Spain's Fernando Alonso sixth for Renault. Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber was seventh and German-born Nico Rosberg eighth for Williams.
There was no points finish for Brazil's Rubens Barrichello in his record-breaking 257 appearance as he finished 14th for Honda.
Massa blasted into lead from the start with all the drama happening behind him as Hamilton powered past his team-mate Kovalainen into second spot.
Kubica also overtook Kovalainen in the race for the first corner where the Finn squeezed compatriot Raikkonen who dropped from fourth to sixth behind former two-time champion Alonso.
Further down the field, Force India's Italian veteran Giancarlo Fisichella drove right over the Williams of Kazuki Nakajima, missing the Japanese driver by inches but sending them both spinning into retirement in the gravel after a collision at the start.
The safety car was immediately deployed, staying out for one circuit as the debris was cleared. Kovalainen was forced to pit at the end of the second lap while on the third lap Raikkonen easily outpaced Alonso to move back to fourth.
Raikkonen took third spot in the first round of pit-stops leapfrogging Kubica as Massa and Hamilton battled it out at the front.
Hamilton, on a lighter fuel load, thrillingly snatched the lead on lap 24 when he darted down Massa's left before forcing his rival to move over as they came up to turn 12 at around 180mph.
The British driver's lead lasted just eight laps before he made another quick pit-stop allowing Massa to regain control of the race. Hamilton regained the lead after Massa, then Raikkonen, made their final stops.
Hamilton made a stop at the end with 13 laps left and although it was not quick enough to deny Massa, he came out just fractions ahead of Raikkonen to snatch second spot from his chief rival.
Senin, 03 Maret 2008
Unleash Your Inner Speedster with Nico Rosberg
SCHUMACHER-wannabes can fulfil their car racing fantasies once more with the RBS Grand Prix Challenge.
Now in its second year, the challenge lets speed demons get behind the wheel of the F1 racing simulator, brought in by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS), an official partner of the AT&T Williams F1 team.
RBS has been a major sponsor of the Williams team since 2005. The virtual track is made up of the best straights, corners and chicanes from various circuits including Silverstone, Montreal and Monaco. The simulator will be parked at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza till tomorrow. It will then move to Raffles Place from March 10 to 14.
Anyone above 18 can have a go at the leader board. Holders of the two fastest
lap times from both venues will be invited to race against Williams F1 driver Nico Rosberg on March 18 at the National Museum. The top racer will win a pair of grandstand tickets to September�s Singapore Grand Prix.
Selasa, 22 Januari 2008
TWO FERRARIS LEAD THE WAY IN VALENCIA TEST
F1.
First official test day for Ferrari today, along with another 10 teams (Super Aguri only one missing) that will take part in the 2008 F1 championship. At the 'Ricardo Tormo' track in Valencia, the F2008 led the way.
World champion Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa mainly focused on the general set-up of the F2008, and had no technical problems whatsoever. Massa set the fastest lap today, 1'12"182, Kimi followed with 1'12"721.
Just a few laps for the shake-down of the new Williams FW30, with Nico Rosberg taking third, with 1'12"838.
Fourth and fifth for McLaren Mercedes, respectively with Heikki Kovalainen, 1'13"026 and Pedro De La Rosa, 1'13"163.
Sixth place for Fernando Alonso on the Renault R28 (1'13"316 and 133 laps).
Kazuki Nakajima on the Williams FW29 took 7th, followed by Sebastian Vattel on Toro Rosso, Marko Asmer on BMW Sauber, Nick Heidfeld on F1.08, Jarno Trulli on the Toyota TF108, David Coulthard on the Red Bull RB4 and Timo Glock on Toyota.
More tests are due tomorrow. Ferrari will field Raikkonen and Massa again.
First official test day for Ferrari today, along with another 10 teams (Super Aguri only one missing) that will take part in the 2008 F1 championship. At the 'Ricardo Tormo' track in Valencia, the F2008 led the way.
World champion Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa mainly focused on the general set-up of the F2008, and had no technical problems whatsoever. Massa set the fastest lap today, 1'12"182, Kimi followed with 1'12"721.
Just a few laps for the shake-down of the new Williams FW30, with Nico Rosberg taking third, with 1'12"838.
Fourth and fifth for McLaren Mercedes, respectively with Heikki Kovalainen, 1'13"026 and Pedro De La Rosa, 1'13"163.
Sixth place for Fernando Alonso on the Renault R28 (1'13"316 and 133 laps).
Kazuki Nakajima on the Williams FW29 took 7th, followed by Sebastian Vattel on Toro Rosso, Marko Asmer on BMW Sauber, Nick Heidfeld on F1.08, Jarno Trulli on the Toyota TF108, David Coulthard on the Red Bull RB4 and Timo Glock on Toyota.
More tests are due tomorrow. Ferrari will field Raikkonen and Massa again.
Minggu, 13 Januari 2008
A bit of History...Williams F1 Team
Williams F1 is one of the world's leading Formula One teams. Formed in 1977 by Frank Williams and Patrick Head, the company has secured 16 FIA Formula One World Championship titles. Nine of these titles have been won in the Constructors' Championship in association with Cosworth, Honda and Renault. The remaining seven titles are Drivers' Championships, won with Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve.
Today Williams F1 employs around 520 personnel at a 40ha technology campus based in the heart of the UK's 'Motorsport Valley' in rural Oxfordshire. The company's core competencies are the design and manufacture of Formula One race cars, and the deployment of this expertise in running the team's entries into the Grand Prix each season.
Away from the race track, Williams F1 has grown into a significant international business over a quarter of a century, and its achievements earned its founder, Frank Williams, a knighthood in the 1999 New Year's Honours List to augment France's highest decoration, the Legion d'Honneur. Corporately, Williams F1 has also been awarded two Queen's Awards for Export Achievement, and is today recognised as one of the most enduring and successful organisations in global sport.
The company's business model is relatively unique. Williams F1 is one of the very few wholly independent Formula One teams that exists purely to race. Its income is largely derived from sponsorship. Supplementing this are a number of secondary income streams, including an international business and conferencing facility at the company's Grove HQ, with an extensive interactive museum tracing thirty years of success in Formula One.
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