Hamilton Wins in Spa

Changeable conditions in Spa played into the hands of Mclaren who were widely tipped to be the team to watch. The race was exciting, partly due to the conditions but mostly because Spa is the last of the great circuits. It is a circuit that owes its challenge to the roads carved though the landscape and not computer aided design. This is a drivers’ circuit and many have proved competences in their craft here. Damon Hill and Hamilton jump out as two who quite literally out driven their competitors and to circuit. Others who have not been so lucky include Coultard who caused a massive pile up during a wet start after turn one and Schumacher after running into Coulthard in appalling conditions.

This time it was the turn of Vettel who once again pressed the self destruct button on lap 16 ploughing into Button at the Bus Stop. Button suffered a broken radiator and was out of the race, whilst Vettel made what seemed a dangerous turn into the pits for a new front end. A drive through penalty for the Button incident and a puncture meant that he claimed no points on the day and is third in the championship.

Schumacher demonstrated that he has got to grips with the new f1 cars and has a few more races left in him yet, whilst Webber looks much more confident behind the wheel of the Red Bull and claimed second behind Hamilton. In Third place a resurgent Kubica proving that the qualifying grid place was not a fluke and Renault too are making that F-Duct work.

There is no doubting that Vettel is a good driver; he is fast and is a race winner, but somehow he seems to throw it all away in the heat of the moment. He appeared not to have read the conditions when closing on Button and then was involved in a further incident with Liuzzi’s Force India. I’m not qualified to make judgements, but if I was his team manager I would be having a little chat. For me he is no longer a title contender and experience is winning the Red Bull race. As for Mclaren, we may well have been robbed of a thrilling battle of the Brits towards the end of the season. However, still six races to go and plenty of time for Button and even Alonso to eat at the top table.

Ferrari to face World Motorsport Council in September

Ferrari is back in the doghouse following race fixing allegations at the German Grand Prix. This was a race where Massa was in the lead and doing a good job holding off team mate Alonso. However, Massa responded to a team message that Alonso was faster which resulted in a $100.000 fine and a summons to appear before the motorsport’s governing body in September 2010.

There is no doubt that team orders have been around since the beginning with drivers giving up their cars to better placed for the good of the team. My own view is that this is about what the rules say now and the FIA have ruled that team orders are outlawed. The initial view of the stewards was that the law was broken and if this is upheld by the governing body then Ferrari must pay the penalty, which should be administered in such a way that does not penalise the drivers.

Newey Presented with 2009 car at Goodwood

F1 Teams in attendance at The Goodwood Festival of Speed included Red Bull with Designer Adrian Newey Driving the 2009 Red Bull RB5 Presented to him this weekend by the team in gratitude for the work done designing the team's winning Cars. F1 at Home caught up with Adrian as he got to grips with the instruction manual!

Williams run 2010 car at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Williams took time out from a busy year to give their car a blast up the famous Goodwood hillclimb track.
The current F1 testing rules and busy schedule usualy mean that teams opt to run the previous year's car with the current year's sponsership.
However, Williams used the session as one of thier designated filming sessions. Lotus were also in attendance, but had to remain as a static display.

See the FW32 being prepared for a run at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOJQCwi8K2E

Mercedes GP, another team who only have a current car got round the rules by running a 2009 Brawn with Mercedes GP 2010 branding.

Webber Lucky to Walk away from 200mph Crash

The issue of safety was raised again on Sunday 27 June when Mark Webber's Red Bull hit the lotus of Heikki Kovalainen at high speed into a breaking zone on lap 8 at Valencia.

The debate on the day was about the difference in closing speeds an the differential pace of the so called A and B teams. For me that debate is about drivers having an awareness of all the conditions on the track and many racing series throughout the world have slower cars on the back of the grid and even multiple categories in the same race. This debate will run on but I want to explore track safety.

Webbers car just before contact with advertising sign
Click for larger image

Webber's Car brushing the fence before landing
Click for larger image

There may be many variances depending on the type of damage and the effect of the impact on the initial impact speed, but Webber's car lifted in a classic back flip scenario. when almost vertical the bottom of the car struck an overhanging advertising banner and was very close to the top of the the perimeter fence meaning that it may not have been contained if it had struck the fence. In most instances I can't see a problem, but there is a risk particularly at the street type circuits of Melbourne, Monaco, Montreal,Sinapore and Valencia where the tracks are narrower. The other perhaps bigger issue is bridges. Webber was immediately unsighted and said he feared hitting a bridge. Most tracks have them and whilst the closing speed to a bend can be dealt with, by providing more run off or higher fences, bridges ar often built over straights where speeds are much higher.

I am not a jobs worth Health and Safety person, However, there would seem to be a risk that needs some investigation. The FIA will no doubt be considering every detail of the accident in terms of rules and also car/track construction. It was a credit to the FIA and constructor's previous work over the years that Mark was able to walk away from a fuel heavy car which also retained all of it's wheels right up to the final impact.

The race itself was great and provided more drama in the shape of an overtaking manoeuvre by Hamilton who overtook the safety car as it left the pits. This resulted in an advantage not shared by alonso who finished 9th with Hamilton retaining second even after serving a drive through penalty on a slow pit lane. 9 drivers were awarded a 5 second penalty for going too slow in the 3rd sector retuning to the pits. This rule prevents cars from speeding in after clearing the safey car. The penalty variously affected drivers with Button, Barrichello, Kubica and Sutil retaining places and Alonso and Rosberg being promoted whilst Buemi and De La Rosa were demoted

Valencia Preview

As we look forward to the next round, the talk on the street continues to be, just what is going on in Red Bull. Just what happened in Turkey on lap 40 when the team-mates clashed? The media continues to support Webber and there continues to be speculation that the team is supporting Vettel.

For me it was a 50/50 split a case of young and impetuous verses experience dogged determination. Both drivers share the same passion and determination to win. Ask any driver were they are there and it is to win. They live in a world where nobody remembers second place and it doesn’t matter if it is your team-mate, best friend or arch enemy the result is the same. Only Barrichello and Eddie Irvine seem to have been the exception when racing for Ferrari, and even then Barrichello would put on a demonstration of protest before giving way.

I do not condone team orders and watching Schumacher overtake a clearly faster Barrichello during those years was no good for the sport. F1 was the overall winner in Turkey and the tussle by the Mclaren team a few laps later went on to reinforce the point. There is a debate about what was said to each driver.... Just let them race. Give them the information about the fuel and engine condition and let them make the decisions. The reality is of course that it is a team sport as well as an individual sport and if you did leave it to the drivers most would fight all the way to a crash or run out of fuel 2 laps from the end.

So we then moved to Canada and what was the most exciting race of the season so far. Both sets of tyres were rubbish and contributed to a fantastic spectacle of team wrong footed by the unpredictable conditions. Firstly the track had not been used for two years. Mclaren went for the soft gambling on a Safety Car which did not happen. Then the harder compounds started to also go off meaning buy the end of the race most had stopped at least three times and used their allocation of tyres. The nature of the sport is that all the data will be dialled into the computers by the teams and tyre manufactures so that next year will become more predictable. The future saviour for the sport is of course the possibility that a second tyre manufacturer will enter the sport is rumours that Pirelli or Michelin could enter the race.

So on to Valencia on 27 June and the track that caused controversy in 2008 when the Renault team were accused of race fixing.

Webber on pole in Turkey

Click on image to view full size

Webber qualifies pole, but McLaren are in the mix with Button qualifying second and Hamilton fourth behind Vettel.
An exciting day in prospect for tomorrow.

Prediction:

1st L.Hamilton
2nd M.Webber
3rd J.Button

Monaco Report and Technical Updated

© F1at Home

Webber and Vettel managed to convert their qualifying positions into a one two finish, which placed Red Bull firmly in the lead of the constructor’s championship. Meanwhile Mercedes have decided not to appeal against the 20 second penalty imposed on Schumacher for overtaking under safety car conditions. The controversial pass happened on the last lap which was held under safety car conditions. The safety car pulled into the pits and Schumacher made a dive up the inside of Alonso to claim 5th place. The stewards ruled that the overtaking manoeuvre took place before the designated line on the track introduced under a recent rule change. Previously cars were restricted from passing until after crossing the start/finish line.

On 19 May 2001 the FIA issued the following statement:

The problems identified during the final lap of the Monaco Grand Prix, counting for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, showed a lack of clarity in the application of the rule prohibiting overtaking behind the Safety Car.

Adjustments to the regulations are necessary to clarify the procedure that cars must meet when the last lap is controlled by the Safety Car whilst also ensuring that the signaling for teams and drivers is made more clear.

These adjustments will help to avoid the problem which occurred during the Monaco Grand Prix from happening in the future.

The Formula One Commission, upon a proposal of the F1 Sporting Working Group will submit an amendment to the Sporting Regulations to address this issue. These amendments will be considered by the World Motor Sport Council at its next meeting in Geneva on June 23.

Technical Update

Webber is claiming that the tyres are working well on the car, but what updates have Red Bull made to their car during the last few races?

Front Wing
Trying to avoid the obvious advertising slogan, an update in China saw the addition of two vertical vanes under the nose section.

Exhaust
Also introduced for the Chinese GP was a modification to the exhaust which directs hot gases away from the rear wheels. This modification could be to protect the tyres or brake assemblies.

Brakes
In Monaco Red Bull introduced different disks, which was likely to be related to Vettel’s problems in Spain.

Other revisions during April

Ferrari
Modified rear wing similar to McLaren’s F-Duct system. However there is no driver controlled element to the wing. Other air flow control modifications were made around under the body adjacent to the front wheels.

Mercedes
Mercedes have also been working on modifications to the rear wing.

Webber on Pole in Monaco

Click on image to enlarge

Mark Webber came from nowhere to claim pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix tomorrow. Renault's Kubica looked to have pole sewn up in the third qualifying session when Webber clinched pole, with team-mate Vettel in third.

Alonso will start from the back of the grid as he failed to make the start of the session after damaging the chassis after crashing out in the practice session.

Prediction:
1st M. Webber
2nd R. Kubica
3rd L. Hamilton

Red Bull Reign in Spain

Our prediction was almost in the bag as Hamilton’s Mclaren crashed out from second in the penultimate lap meaning Lewis will leave Spain with no points. Button however retains his place at the top of the leader-board after clinching fifth place.

Mark Webber drew away from the pack at the start and maintained a commanding lead during the race. Team-mate Vettel had a more difficult time being demoted into third after the pit stops. Hamilton and Vettel almost came together into turn run as they met a backmarker on the apex. Hamilton won the day and Vettel developed a brake problem resulting in a return to the pits for a wheel change. Vettel pressed on in third and was repeatedly told to slow down to save his failing brakes. He nursed the car home reclaiming second on the podium after Hamilton's demise.

Webber On Pole in Spain

Click image to view full size

Red Bull are keeping up the pressure as they again show promise during the qualifying session in Spain. The third qualifying session ended with Webber on pole and Vetel claiming a comfortable second. Their strong performance was a bit of a surprise for some teams as they were expecting to close the gap this weekend. After claiming fifth place Mclaren’s defending world champion Jenson Button said "Red Bull will be very difficult to beat.............. You'd expect them to walk away into the distance."

Qualifying is one thing, but converting that into a win has been difficult for the Red Bull pair, but here they seem to have enough of an advantage to place some distance between them and the others before the one and only expected stop.

Schumacher seems to have made the most of the Mercedes changes which have increased the wheelbase making the handling more in tune with the Schumacher driving style. Schumacher is in sixth, two places in front of team-mate Rosberg.

Turn one lap one at the Catalunya circuit can be a bit exciting as the pack arrives at the slow corner after having picked up a lot of speed from the start. A safety car on lap two is not out of the question which will punish Red Bull.
Last but not least, Fernando Alonso put in an excellent lap on his home turf to claim sixth place. Alonso will be looking to claim a place on the podium and overtake Rosberg to keep his championship bid alive.

Top 5 Qualifying Places:
1. Mark Webber
2. Sebastian Vettel
3. Lewis Hamilton
4. Fernando Alonso
5. Jenson Button

Race Prediction:
1st Webber
2nd Hamilton
3rd Alonso

Button Wins in China

Jenson Button nailed his colours to the mast in China as once again he demonstrated his strategic and technical ability in changing conditions.

Lewis Hamilton brought his car home in second place which puts Mclaren in the lead for the championship, 19 points in front of Ferrari leaving early favourites Red Bull languishing in third with 73 points.

There continues to be much talk in the press about Schumacher’s lacklustre performances. He is far from a spent force and is no doubt feeding much useful data to Mercedes based on his considerable experience. As I have said before he was out for a long time and will continue to look ordinary, just because the difference between the fastest and slowest teams is relatively small. I have never been a great fan of Schumacher, but there is no doubt he is the best all round driver the sport has seen for many years. He may be passed his peak, but he is far from finished.

Red Bull on the Front Row in China

Click on Map to Enlarge

Vettel is on pole for tomorrow’s Chinese Grand Prix with his team-mate Webber close behind in second place. Alonso put his Ferrari in third slot with Rosberg proving, my point that Mercedes are not there to make up the numbers.

The qualifying was almost predictable but something that nobody foresaw was the catastrophic failure of Sebastien Buemi’s front suspension and brake assemblies as he braked during the first practice session on Friday. As Buemi braked both brake housings appeared to fail causing both wheels to shear off at high speed bouncing on the guard fence and into the spectator area. This bizarre incident once again brings wheels into the spotlight. Tethers are in place to retain wheels, but are only effective when the whole assembly is damaged during a crash. The fact that they were not seen to play any part in this incident means that the axle itself must have failed.

Buemi was unharmed as he was propelled at a shallow angle into the left barrier and then into the gravel trap. I can think of many other circuits where he would not have been so lucky.

Safety was in the news again as the Race Director Charlie Whiting clarified the rules to outlaw Hamilton’s high-speed slow motion weaving manoeuvre. Hamilton initially shrugged off suggestions by other drivers that the move was dangerous. After the ruling Hamilton said "I think the ruling was fair at the race and Charlie - I believe he took a fair decision and gave us a warning for that not to happen again".

Prediction:
1st Vettel
2nd Rosberg
3rd Alonso

Vettel Wins at Sepang

Vettel got the win he desperately needed and will go to China on a high. Hamilton did well to score points coming from the back, and proved that he can beat team-mate Jenson Button. Nico Rosberg demonstrated that the Mercedes Team do have a competitive car with an impressive 3rd place. Reliability could be an issue though with Schumacher failing to finish and no doubt giving the press more to speculate about. Ferrari appear to be doing well, but they too have real reliability issues and have now used three out of the eight allocated engines for 2010. See the table below for details of engines used by all teams.

Team / Driver No of Engines
01 McLaren Mercedes Jenson Button 2
02 McLaren Mercedes Lewis Hamilton 2
03 Mercedes Benz Michael Schumacher 2
04 Mercedes Benz Nico Rosberg 2
05 RBR Renault Sebastian Vettel 2
06 RBR Renault Mark Webber 1
07 Ferrari Felipe Massa 3
08 Ferrari Fernando Alonso 3
09 Williams Cosworth Rubens Barrichello 1
10 Williams Cosworth Nico Hülkenberg 1
11 Renault Robert Kubica 1
12 Renault Vitaly Pertrov 1
14 Force India Mercedes Adrian Sutil 2
15 Force India Mercedes Vitantonio Liuzzi 2
16 STR Ferrari Sébastien Buemi 2
17 STR Ferrari Jaime Alguersuari 2
18 Lotus Cosworth Jarno Trulli 2
19 Lotus Cosworth Heikki Kovalainen 2
20 HRT Cosworth Karun Chandhok 1
21 HRT Cosworth Bruno Senna 2
22 BMW Sauber Ferrari Pedro De La Rosa 1
23 BMW Sauber Ferrari Kamui Kobayashi 1
24 Virgin Cosworth Timo Glock 1
25 Virgin Cosworth Lucas Di Grassi 2

Details correct as at close of Malaysian GP

There has been talk about the rear view mirrors being dangerous on some cars and the FIA have now banned the use of outboard mirrors. The ban due to come in for China on 16-18 April 2010 will now be in place from 7 May, meaning that the revisions will first be seen at the Spanish Grand Prix. Ferrari, Red Bull, Williams, BMW Sauber, Force India and Hispania Racing will be affected by the ban.
The failure of USF1 to get to the grid this year has prompted the FIA to announce that there will be a new selection procedure to fill any vacant spots from 2011 onwards the FIA say that all applicants will be expected to undergo thorough due diligence. And indicate that they will be looking at a scheme that will include:

(a) the technical ability and resources of the team;
(b) the ability of the team to raise and maintain sufficient funding to allow participation;
(c) the team’s experience and human resources;
(d) the FIA’s assessment of the value that the candidate may bring to the Championship as a whole.

The Malaysian Grand Prix Preview

Click on map for larger version

As Lewis Hamilton was posting the fastest lap in the second practice session at Sepang the press was speculating about the pace and commitment of Schumacher. For me there is no doubt that he has the commitment, but what he does lack is experience. He may be a five times world champion and hold just about every record in the book, but he has been away from the sport for too long to just jump back in a car and win races. The Mercedes package is not yet fully competitive, but both Rosberg and Schumacher could win races before too long.
The Malaysian GP has arrived and this year the race has been moved to an earlier start time to avoid losing light if the race gets delayed as was the case last year. Once again it is TV that dictates running times. The organisers must not lose sight of the safety aspects. Last week in Melbourne Jenson Button and other drivers were complaining that the late start would cause problems later in the race as the sun set. In the end the cloudy weather avoided any issues, but I would rather get up a couple of hours earlier than indirectly contribute to an accident on the track. The weather in Sepang is often a influencing factor as the heavy showers develop during the afternoons. This year will be no different and we should see a lot of overtaking and a very exciting race if the weather is changeable.

Qualifying:

Conditions meant that qualifying was chaotic with most of the favorites demoted to the bottom of the grid after spinning. Button made it to Q2 only to spin off. Webber is on pole with Rosberg and Vettal in 2nd and 3rd. If it is wet tomorrow anything could happen if it is dry watch out for those McLarens and Ferrari's cut through the traffic.

Prediction:
1. Hamilton,

2. Webber

3. Alonso

Button Claims Win in Melbourne

Vettel and Webber did not get their boring race and as predicted, the weather played its part in the excitement. Alonso found himself facing the wrong way on turn one after cutting across Jenson Button's Mclaren. The safety car was also called on before the end of the first lap following a nasty crash caused by a front wing failure to Kobayashi's Sauber.

The critics, as usual had got it wrong and the race gave the fans the excitement they wanted. The Red Bull cars were very fast, but on the challenging track with changing conditions they were kept in check. Vettel will find it particulary difficult to bounce back after spinning out whilst leading.

Jenson Button had the lead handed to him on a plate now looks very comfortable in his new team.

Vettel on Pole in Melbourne

Click on Map for larger view

As predicted, Red Bull blew away the opposition to claim both places on the front row in Melbourne earlier today. Sebastian Vettel beat team-mate and local hero Mark Webber to his second pole position of the year, leaving Alonso and Button on row two. The surprise result was Lewis Hamilton who qualified in a lowly 11th place and well off the pace.

The first 3 corners of the Albert Park track will be critical on lap one with a high risk of an incident on turn one. Hamilton gets to choose tyres, but he will be in the middle of the pack as they scramble through the tight first turn. Add to this a 33% chance of rain and a safety car becomes a real possibility. The forecast is for drizzle which may mean a safety car start. Ironically this will bring the cars to turn one even quicker after release.

One thing is clear; the Red Bull boys should clear any excitement behind. Both drivers are very confident and hoping for a boring race, let’s hope they don’t get their way!

Prediction:
1st Mark Webber
2nd Jenson Button
3rd Sebastian Vettel

Ferrari Win in Bahrain, but Red Bull Lay Down the Gauntlet

Spaniard Fernando Alonso placed himself among the legends of Ferrari F1 History by winning his first grand prix for the Italian team, beating team-mate Felipe Massa. The first race of the new 2010 season got off to what can only be described as a processional pace after a bit of excitement in the first couple of corners.

A combination of tyre care, fuel economy engine management meant that drivers settled down into what appeared to be a demonstration run. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel maintained a comfortable lead until a cracked exhaust near the end of the race demoted him to fourth place. Both Vettel and team-mate Mark Webber had an excellent race. They may not have any silverware, or even many points under the new scoring system, but they have demonstrated that they had the fastest cars on the grid. There is no doubt that Vettel would have won, without the problem and Mark Webber’s lowly 8th place finish hides the fact that he was faster than both Schumacher and Button when behind them. However, he just lacked the pace to overtake.

The next race in Australia is a bit of a lottery, but the teams have some serious work to do by Sepang if they are going to stop the Red Bull qualifying on the front row and getting away from them on the first lap.
Hamilton will be very happy with third place, but will not be complacent. The Mclarens were a bit heavy on the brakes.

Lotus were the only newcomers to make it to the end of the race, but both Virgin and Hispania have reason to be proud of their performance

Results:
1st Fernado Alonso Ferrari
2nd Felipe Massa Ferrari
3rd Lewis Hamilton McLaren

Vettel on Pole at Bahrain

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel qualified in front of Ferrari's Felipe Massa at the first qualifying session of 2010.

The results are significant as they represent an accurate reflection of relative performance. All the cars will have been set up for maximum performance with no option to under fill the tank to sneak a higher qualifying place. All cars will now be given a full tank of fuel which will have to last until the end of the race. Each of the top ten will be required to keep their qualifying tyres until they opt to stop. Interestingly most have opted for the softer compound which will have already given up their optimum performance.

This race is all about tyres. Those on softs may opt to pit very soon for the favoured harder compound. Those further down the grid have a tyre option for the start. Those on the harder option may find themselves catapulted to the front as those on the softer compounds loose their performance and pit. However, when these teams choose to use the softer tyres they will at least have the performance advantage of new tyres not enjoyed by the top ten earlier in the race.

Result Prediction:

Haven't got a clue!!

Confirmed Teams and Drivers for 2010

Click on the table for a larger image

The teams and drivers were formally confirmed by the FIA for the 2010 season on 3 March 2010. Teams also have reserve and test drivers that are not listed. The USF1 team registered for the 2010 season, but it was confirmed by the FIa that they would not be in a position to compete this year.

Bahrain Preview

The day that we have been waiting for is almost here. It seems a long time since Jenson Button crossed the line in the penultimate race of the 2009 season to claim the championship. We were at first rather confused by the lack of action on Jenson Button's part to negotiate a new contract with Brawn. However all was revealed and Jenson now partners Lewis Hamilton at Mclaren and I look forward to that competition as much as the main event.

So Brawn became Mercedes Mercedes parted company with Mclaren but still supply engines. BMW pulled out to be reborn as Sauber, four completely new teams signed up and Michael Schumacher rejoined. Wow!

At this point I would normally be predicting the result but it is difficult to call without having seen any competitive action. What I can say is that the pole position will be a good indicator of who has the fastest car and then it is down to who is best at protecting the tyres. Shumacher can’t be ruled out to be up there at the front, but he has been out of an F1 car for a long time, so don’t expect to see him competitive from day one. Button and Hamilton will be closely matched and therefore at risk of taking each other out on the first lap. There are also a few new boys out there who will forget they are in F1 cars when they get in the mix, and we could see cars flying off everywhere on lap one. This will be less of a problem now that Bahrain is the first race of the season.

....So let the games begin!

The Countdown Continues: WYSIWYG Qualifying and more

The first race of the 2010 season is now just a couple of weeks away and as the cars are packed away in Barcelona today after testing there is time to reflect on the changes for this season.

No Fuel Stops: This change in theory provides the opportunity for teams to reduce weight by increasing fuel efficiency. In practice it has resulted in none of the teams taking up the option of the heavy KERS boost system. We saw during 2009 that some cars and drivers were much kinder on the tyres which will be an advantage this year as teams will try to keep cars out for as long as possible. Cars will still have to use both compounds during the race so tyre stops will be back down to times of about four or five seconds with fewer crew needed.
Let me be the first to christen the final qualifying session “WYSIWYG” Sessions as all cars will be on the lightest fuel they can get away with. This which means this year what you see is what you get, with each car qualifying for the race based on the skills of the driver and not an artificially light load to please the sponsors. After qualifying the cars will be topped up with the fuel that the teams think will get them to the end of the race. But who will be the first driver to suffer the fate of running out of fuel whilst in the lead on the last lap of a race?

Narrower Front Wheels and no wheel fairings: The size of the wheels are reduced in size from 270mm to 245mm. This will have an impact on grip, particularly into tight turns under braking. Many teams have employed vertical wings on the radiator pods which may be to take advantage of a change in the airflow caused by the narrowing of the tyre surface. Gone will be the Frisbee style aerodynamic wheel covers which we saw cause a few near misses last year.

Rise in Minimum Weight: Cars will now have the minimum weight increased by 15kg. This provides a theoretical opportunity to position ballast to offset the size of the fuel tank.

Next Week: Bahrain Preview.

The Countdown Begins

The world motor sport council agreed on Thursday 11 Feb 2010 to a new F1 scoring system of 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 for the first 10 drivers in a race.
I am always a bit nervous about new scoring and was against the gold silver bronze system proposed last year. This new system gives greater advantage to a winner which is great were the cars are very closely matched. The problem is that we never quite know how close the cars are until the first race. Also agreed by the council was a revision to allow for a substituted driver, who has not raced within the last two years, to test on a non-F1 track. This is good news for the safety of all involved.

We have a fantastic line up for 2010 but will all the teams make it to the grid?
This year we have some well established teams, some new teams with an established DNA and four completely new teams in the shape of Virgin and Lotus Campos Meta and USF1. Lotus does undoubtedly have a strong historic link with the sport, but it has to be said that the Lotus on the 2010 grid is a very distant cousin of its predecessor. The Virgin car is quite literally something dreamed up on a computer. However its designer Nick Wirth is no stranger to F1 with an impressive career in motor racing and aviation. As for USF1 and Campos Meta F1 things only time will tell.

As for me I am fed yup with the endless speculation and spin. I just can’t wait for the red lights to go off for the first time and see the comparisons in racing conditions.

Sauber F1 2010 Launch

Peter Sauber returns to formula 1 after handing over his team to BMW for a few years. Watch the launch of the 2010 Sauber BMW Car launch By clicking on the link above.

Lotus F1 2010 Car launch

Lotus Racing launched its 2010 F1 Car at London’s Horticultural Hall, Westminster on 13 February 2010.
See Team Principal Tony Fernandes unveil the new car by clicking on the link above. You can also see the car’s first run on youtube at the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOJTbfDwIf0

Renault F1 2010 Car Launch

Get up close and personal with Renault's 2010 F1 car by clicking on the link above.

Mclaren f1 2010 Launch

See the launch of the Mclaren MP4-25 by clicking on the link below and hear Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button look forward to an interesting year:
http://www.mclaren.com/interactive/video/movie.php?show=78

Mclaren is perhaps the only current f1 team that could give Lewis and Jenson the space and technical support to genuinely compete for the championship. I think they both also have the right mental attitude to fight to the limit on the track whilst remaining relaxed in each other's company off the track. I just hope the car proves to be competitive.

The Car

Unveiled at Vodafone UK's Newbury headquarters, the 2010 car looks noticeably different from last year's race-winning MP4-24. MP4-25 features a radical aerodynamic overhaul and a significantly larger fuel tank to take full advantage of this year's new regulations. The engine cover now includes a fin similar to those employed by Renault and Red Bull.

Virgin 2010 F1 Car Launch

David Croft Presents
"A Car is Born"
A behind the scenes
look at Virgin Racing's
2010 F1 Car.




One more very effective low budget coffee and pizza launch.

See "A car is born" by clicking the link below:
http://www.virginracing.com/cars/#/video

Ferrari 2010 Car Launch

It was interesting to see how the 2010 teams are dealing with car launches during the credit crunch. On 28 January 2010 Ferrari launched their car live online claiming 3 million viewers. I have to say that the Ferrari continues to look beautiful car.

At first sight is significantly similar to last year's car but with less of an angle on the engine cover.

More in depth comment as the season gets under way.

Watch the official Launch by clicking on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkcSaJvFBFY

Mercedes GP Launches 2010 Car

The former Brawn GP team was formally relaunched as the Mercedes GP Petonas Formula One team.




On Monday 25 January 2010, 600 specially invited guests attended the official launch of the new MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One team ahead of the 2010 season. The presentation was attended by Michael Schumacher’s wife Corinna, AMG founder and ITR chairman Hans Werner Aufrecht, world boxing champion Vitaly Klitschko, former McLaren Mercedes Formula One driver David Coulthard, former Formula One driver and DTM star Ralf Schumacher, record DTM championship winner Bernd Schneider, plus Mercedes-Benz DTM drivers Gary Paffett, Paul Di Resta, Bruno Spengler, Jamie Green, Maro Engel and Mathias Lauda.

Watch the Official Launch of the 2010 Car at: http://www.mercedes-gp.com/vidhighlight.asp

Watch News Report of the launch from Reuters at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-7IW6BFgr0

Provisional 2010 F1 Teams and Drivers

Revised 1 March 2010