Thats All for 2011 See you in February 2012

This Blog will be back soon with more news from behind the scenes of F1. For 2012 we will be concentrating on the Technical aspects of the Cars,Tracks and of course the teams as they struggle to remain competitive.

Look out for an introduction to the New Drivers.

Millions of UK F1 fans will lose the opportunity to watch all races live from next season under a revised deal which Will be shared with Sky. A sad day for F1.

F1 Technical Update: July 2011

Picture (c) F1@Home.com

Whilst the teams get to grips with the latest news on the rear diffuser rules the FIA have been testing cockpit canopies from fast jets by firing F1 wheels at them. Whilst on the face of it the test seems rather strange the aim is to study the feasibility of designing a canopy or a windshield for F1 cars that keeps the driver safe from flying debris. Massa was hit by a fist sized spring in 2009, receiving brain damage and is lucky to be a live let alone racing, an sadly the son of racing legend John Surtees was killed in the A1 series in the same year after being hit by wheel. It is likely to be some time before we see these changes translate to changes to the cockpit designs. And so we edge ever closer to Adrain Newey’s concept car the Red Bull X2010 (link to Wikipedia Picture). (link to Wikipidia Red Bull X2010 page)

Blown Defusers. FIA Press Release following the British Grand Prix
On 14 July the FIA issued the following Qusestion and Answer release about blown defusers:

Press Release
Blown Diffusers Q&A 14/07/2011
This issue arose shortly before the Spanish Grand Prix. Was it initiated by the FIA or did it come from an F1 team?

The matter was initiated by the FIA when facts concerning some quite extreme, and hitherto unseen, engine mapping began to emerge. We were concerned that exhaust tailpipes were being positioned and engine maps created with the primary objective of improving in the aerodynamic performance of the car. Prior to that it had been assumed that any aerodynamic benefits were incidental to the primary purpose of the engine and its exhausts, i.e. that of generating torque.

Why did you decide to act?

We decided to act as, not only did we consider such extreme mapping to be arguably illegal, but also if such freedom was left unchecked it would result in the teams incurring significant further development costs during the season.

Is the off-throttle blown diffuser illegal under the 2011 technical regulations?

We certainly consider them to be questionable, however, the key is whether or not we consider any particular engine map to have been created for any other reason than the generation of engine torque.

Is its illegality an unforeseen side-effect of the rule to ban F-Ducts?

No, the two are unconnected.

Why was it not possible to simple introduce blanket limits on hot and cold-blowing and apply them equally to every car?

This is precisely what we attempted to do in the first communication to the teams on 12 May. However, it soon became apparent that the matter was more complex than initially thought. The main problem was the difficulty of ensuring that teams were not prevented from using existing legitimate strategies whilst ensuring that the extreme mapping was no longer possible. This is why we postponed the introduction of the measures until the British Grand Prix.

There are also a number of other mechanical factors to take into account such as the architecture of the engine throttles themselves (butterfly or barrel operation).

What were the measures that were introduced for the European Grand Prix in Valencia?

Whilst examining the engine maps from several teams it became clear that extreme solutions were being used for short times in qualifying and then being changed for more durable solutions for the race. The felt that this was certainly against the spirit of the parc ferme regulations but, more importantly, the relevant regulations simply do not allow changes to be made whilst the cars were being held under parc ferme conditions, connections to the car may be made and electronic units freely accessed, however, no changes to the set-up of the car can be made.

We therefore informed the teams on 14 June that we would take these measures in Valencia, this was done and cars run accordingly with very few difficulties.

Why was the matter still being discussed over the weekend of the British Grand Prix, and why did the clarification change from Friday to Saturday?

The matter was still being discussed because one engine manufacturer (Renault Sport) was reluctant to run with the settings we had imposed and continued to try and convince us that they would require alternative settings in order to maintain their perfect reliability record. At the last minute additional information was provided to us which we felt would be hard to refuse having already made a small concession to another manufacturer (Mercedes Benz HPE).

However, further discussions on Friday evening and Saturday morning resulted in us deciding that we had conceded too much and, to be fair to the manufacturers who had presented cars in what we considered the correct configuration, we should revert to the specification we had specified in our note to the teams on 20 June. This is how all teams then ran on Saturday and Sunday in Silverstone.

What was the purpose of holding two Technical Working Group meetings in Silverstone?

Following the events of Friday the FIA President felt that it would be useful to have an open discussion in order to see if consensus could be reached. Following these two meetings there was unanimous agreement among the teams to revert to the engine mapping regime used in Valencia, i.e. freedom on settings but no changes to the maps between qualifying and race.

This was felt to be the most sensible solution to a very complicated matter as the possibility of finding an alternative solution, which would be fair to all engine manufacturers, was becoming increasingly unlikely.

If the FIA had not acted, would there have been a protest?

As all the teams had reached consensus there would have been no point in doing so.

Has the matter now been settled?

Yes, and all cars will run under 'Valencia' conditions for the remainder of the season.

Are there likely to be any protests now that this matter seems to have been settled?

We are optimistic that there will be no protests over any engine mapping and exhaust tailpipe issues this season. In addition to the main part of the agreement reached in the TWG meetings it was also agreed that no team would raise a protest against another on these matters for the rest of the season.

What will happen in 2012 and beyond?

The teams have already agreed to strict constraints on exhaust tailpipe position which will result in them exiting the bodywork much higher up and no longer in the vicinity of the diffuser. Therefore, any aerodynamic benefit from exhaust gas flow over bodywork will be kept to an absolute minimum.

Engine mapping will remain free (within the existing constraints of the FIA SECU) as, with the exhaust tailpipes in this new position, it is felt that any aerodynamic benefit will now be incidental to their primary purpose.

Lewis Wins in Germany

Lewis Hamilton beat off strong performances by Alonso and Webber in the German Grand Prix. It was all about these three drivers whilst Vettel struggled at his home GP only managing fourth which for Vettel was a very poor finish. Webber and Alonso both had a good race, but Hamilton caught both napping at various stages of the race. In these cooler conditions the Mclaren really was the car to be in.
1st Hamilton
2nd Alonso
3rd Webber

The Prancing Horse Beats Red Bulls

Heavy showers before the start of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone caused confusion as half the track was dry and the remaining portion was very wet with surface water. All cars started on intermediates which by lap ten were looking very much the wrong tyre to be on.

Lewis Hamilton made the most of the wet laps, pulling off some spectacular passes to get to third later in the race only to have to give up the place cheaply to Mark Webber after having been told to save fuel. Meanwhile Button was conserving fuel and tyres and would have been looking at a good points finish had it not been for a wheel nut failing to locate and putting him out of the race at the end of the pit lane.

Red Bull maintained a strong showing, but Ferrari’s Alonso had by far the best car for the conditions as he pulled out a strong lead ahead of Vettel. Massa’s race seemed compromised by a late last stop but still finished fifth.

The last two laps of the race saw more drama as Webber was closing fast on second place Vettel . A sensible pill was dished out by team boss Christian Horner on the last lap ensuring that Vettel stayed second rather than in a tyre wall. Meanwhile Massa was also looking to pass Hamilton, but there was contact on the lasts corner as Hamilton blasted out of the bend to maintain fourth.

All in all another classic British Grand Prix and a big thumbs up to the new layout and facilities.

Webber on Pole for the British Grand Prix

Showers during the qualification session added to the frustration of many of the drivers as they sought to deal with the U turn by the FIA over the rules concerning rear defusers.
Red Bull had appealed to the sports governing body over the planned changes which outlawed the piece of kit which is fundamental to the Adrian Newey designed Red Bull.
After much talking and changing of position the FIA agreed to revert the rules back to the position two weeks ago which placed many other teams in a disadvantage as they ham made the upgrade.

Needless to say the Red Bulls looked strong and Webber is on pole.

And we ARE Racing Again

Possibly the most thrilling f1 race of all time was run in Canada. The start was run behind the safety car after rain caused poor visibility. The race was suspended after 24 laps after a further downpour turned the track into an extension of the St Lawrence Seaway.

Hamilton's race was already over after gong for a gap that was not there after team-mate Button got poor traction out of the last turn. Team Boss Martin Whitmarsh said it was a racing incident, but stewards will decide later if Hamilton will be penalised.

The race restarted two hours later with all cars on full wets which by then was a drying track after more the changes and more safety cars the race ended in a dry Sprint finish with Button first after Vettel made a mistake under pressure spinning on the last lap।

A race full of incident and controversy,but it was right to stop the race although it should have restarted 15 minutes earlier and the safety car should have come in at least four laps earlier.

Ayrton Senna Hero and Legend

Who is the greatest driver of all time. For me there are Hereos and Legends, the greatest is harder to judge as each of the contenters lived and raced in different times, Ayrton Senna was both a hero and a legend, but was he the greatest? Join the debate.

Senna The movie is on General Release across the UK Now.

Bahrain race decision

Bahrain is in the news again. The FIA reported on 3 June that the race would be run at the end of the season, but Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that the race was unlikely to go ahead after the teams association FOTA expressed concern.

This is by no means the end of the story as the FIA have the final say and the contractual position of the teams is unclear. Ex FIA chief and lawyer Max Mosley is quoted in the UK media as suggesting the decision to race needs the support of the teams. Whether that means a majority,FOTA or all teams is unclear.
Update 10 June 2011
The organisers of the Bahrain have now issued a statement suggesting that the race is unlikely. This statement now puts the seal on the situation.
Once again deplomacy has saved the day and everyone has an outcome they can live with. In other words never say never,but it won't happen.

Button robbed in Monaco

Another exciting race with some unexpected outcomes. Vettel took to his standard game plan by pushing hard from ppole. Alonso got of to a good start with Button, meanwhile respective teammates massa and Hamilton did less well and Massa's afternoon was brought to am end shortly after Hamilton made an impossible move at the hairpin.
This incident also put an end to what was looking like a sure win for Button.
Result: Vettel 1st Alonso 2nd Button 3rd.

Monaco Preview

It is a rest day in Monaco today and as the driver contemplate how to navigate the tight and demanding seaside streets the strategists are scratching their heads trying to work out how to get the cars to the end on the least number of stops.
The problem is that their is little or no overtaking and a good grid slot and one stop is the best option. The new Italian rubber wears down fast and is untested on this tarmac. Any teams that may have thought they had a model to predict the wear were still none the wiser as a new supersoft tyre was introduced yesterday for practice.
Alonso showed he was king of the road and early signs are he is looking good for saturday. Red Bull are still in the mix, but their car handles less well on the winding roads of Monaco.

Red Bull Wins, But Mclaren Are Closing Fast

This was quite possibly the most exciting race of the season so far. Alonso got off to a blinding start and dummied both Red Bulls of Vettel and Webber to take the lead out of turn on the first lap.

Button was hoping for a better start on the clean side of the track, but it was not to be as he slipped back. His was however a tactical race and he needed to preserve tyres, which earned him a third place podium finish after only three stops.

Alonso’s race meanwhile was ruined by a period of defending which ruined his tyres. Ferrari responded to the Red Bull’s Pit stops which gave Alonso track position, but hurt his race in the longer term as it meant that he had not necessarily got the full use out of his tyres. By the end of the race he was nursing a set of tyres and a fifth place finish was all he could manage.

Webber’s initial promise shown in qualifying seemed to also slip away but finished fourth. However, the race of the day was Hamilton Verses Vettel. Vettel saw off Alonso and team-mate Webber, but Hamilton had the benefit of a smoother race and let the others ruin their tyres before cruising up behind Vettel and challenging him for the lead over the last 10 laps.

It was not clear if Vettel had full use of KERs, but he was able to maintain track position always managing to get good traction out of the last turn which was enough to see of the advantage Hamilton had when the DRS activated over the start/finish line.
The DRS did not really come into play this weekend. Whilst this was the longest DRS sector this year, the distance from the last turn to the start/finish line seemed to negate its advantage

Spainish F1 Preview

The FIA have anounced a delay to the ban on using exhausts to create downforce. The ban planned for this weekend now comes into effect after Monaco.
The news after both practice sessions is that Mclaren remain on terms with red bull and are happy with the new upgrades brought to Spain. Meanwhile Webber was putting down a marker as he posted the fastest overall time for both sessions. Look out for lotus as they look to build on the last race result with an upgrade package.

A Comfortable Win for Red Bull in Turkey

Another classic F1 race. The tyres KERs and DRS have come together to give us the overtaking we have missed over the last few years.

It was a race of two strategies with some drivers able to make three stops whilst most of the drivers had to go for four. Hamilton got off to a poor start which put him back with team-mate Button. The Mclaren had some anxious moments as once again the pair duelled for three laps before Hamilton had to stop for his first new set of tyres. Schumacher was in all the wrong places as he fought to stay ahead of a succession of cars. Team-mate Rosberg faired better, whilst out in front Vettel was able to protect his tyres. There was a lot of very exiting close racing all through the pack in the middle section of the race and then towards the end Button was again neck and neck with Hamilton as he was able to stick with a three stop strategy. Unfortunately he was unable to protect his position against the newer tyres of Hamilton. Meanwhile even Vettel dived in the pit for an unplanned forth stop to ensure his tyres were fresh to defend any late push from Webber and Alonso. Webber looked in trouble towards the end of the race but after securing second place overall it was clear that he was protecting fuel and tyres.

So Red Bull now have a fully working KERs system get a well deserved win with Vettel proving our point that if you can get a comfortable lead on lap one you can protect tyres and fuel. Webber also made good use of the spare set of tyres to finish second with Alonso in third after having a brilliant race. Hamilton did well to finish forth and the team did well on what seemed to be a changed strategy. Team principal Martin Whitmarsh was slightly disappointed to not have done better and felt that Button was compromised in running a three stop strategy.

The fans are the real winners in Turkey, with more overtaking than I can remember for a long time. We must however make a mention of designers Hermann Tilke who designed the circuit, opened in 2005 and of course Adrian Newey the designer of the Red Bull Cars.

Countdown To TURKEY

The tyres will come into play again at this fast challenging circuit. Red Bull report upgrades to their KERs system
Which has had issues on every race this season. Look out for Mercedes who have shown better form recently. Also keep a close eye on who saves tyres during qualifying.

UPDATE: Friday pm
Mclaren have come good after P2 with Mercedes ahead of Red Bull. P1 was affected by rain which resulted in an off for Vettel that kept him in the pits for P2.

Hamilton Wins in China

Lewis Hamilton took the challenge to Red Bull as he brought home the first win of the season for MclarenThe FIA have really spiced up this years races following the introduction of the new tyres which are designed to degrade quicker than the previous specification. This is not a case of pirelli tyres not being has hardy as last years Bridgestone’s, this is inbuilt, and leads to a dramatic loss of grip towards the end of the tyre’s life. Once again we saw those who got away from the pack in lap one getting the benefit of good young rubber to pull away. Button still thought that Red Bulls tyres were better than his and inexplicably pitted in the wrong box as surprised Red Bull mechanics pulled back to let him through into his own pit. This mistake allowed Vettel, who was right behind to still get out of the pit first. Meanwhile Webber, who had started in 18th place was scything his way though the field. In the end it was Hamilton, with an extra set of new tyres that was able to take Vettel in the closing stages of the race. Button was also suffering in second place and behind was Webber who squeezed though into third on the last lap a mixture of fresher rubber and pure adrenalin. Mercedes demonstrated that they were right up there in the mix. Both Rosberg and Schumacher had excellent weekends and it was good to see Schumacher sparing with Alonso.

Result: 1st Hamilton 2nd Vettel 3rd Webber. Championship Positions after three Races: DRIVERS 1st Vettel 68 Points 2nd Hamilton 47 Points 3rd Button 37 Points. TEAMS 1st Red Bull 105 Points 2nd McLaren 85 Points 3rd Ferrari 50 Points

Countdown to China

In this peview we take a look at Red Bull and how Vettel is able to gain victories with a broken car. So why is it that other drivers including his team mate are struggling.
So, the theroy goes like this. Conventional wisdom suggests that the fastest qualifier is not the fastest in the race and there are a number of reasons for this which tend to be about driving skill. Hamilton was just 100th of a second behind Vettel in qualification, but Vettel finished a country mile ahead of the field without the use of KERs after lap 30.
The new tyres plus a good start and smooth driving give the first car on the grid a bigger advantage than. Those behind. Whilst this seems obvious it has not proved the case in the past. The team can also gamble by underfilling the tank. This may seem a crazy sugestion but why did Webber park his car on the line in Melbourne.
The fact is that if you can make the break on lap one you have more opportunity to look after the tyres and manage the fuel. Button is a smooth driver and had the space to do the same,whilst Webber Hamilton and Alonso were having to work the car and the tyres much harder. China is another of the new tracks which will punish those who cant look after their tyres and we are again looking at about 16 to 18 laps for each set. All I can say is well done FIA for keeping us entertained.

Vettel Wins Again

Sebastian Vettel has secured a win in the first two races of the season which confirms Red Bull's dominance. Whilst this is still early days, Red Bull have done more than any other team on the grid to prove that their winter testing times were based on a solid package. I am not however one of those people that leaps to the conclusion,that after one race, they have it all wrapped up. Red Bull do have the best designer on the grid and a very strong team package, but do they have the drivers and the mechanical reliability to convert every oportunity into maximum points. The team also seem to be doing well without the benefit of KERs. Webber has not done so well at pulling away from the rest of the pack.
The Mclarens look much stronger than in testing and benefited from the late start of the season.The tyres are are also proving a hit with us as the conspire to spice up the action.

F1 Round One. Friday Results

An interesting result In the first two practice sessions. Mclaren in the driving seat at the top of the times .Is this more mind games, or are they ready to challenge.

Season Countdown Australia

A return to Australia for the first race of thee season just seems right. The cancellation of the race in Bahrain has provided the ideal location for a bit of good old F1 wild speculation based on no evidence whatsoever. Over optimistic briefings from drivers trying to spook their buddies are lapped up by any one who will listen and are all part of the ovveral F1 experience.

The only real evidence so far is pre-season testing but its difficult to assess the true relative performance when teams and drivers are testing different things We also know from past experience that drivers racing head to head can out perform in an average car.
So am I going to join in with this mad speculation? ....Of course I am, this is F1.

My prediction is that Red Bull will do very well Ferrari are also strong as are Mercedes and Mclaren will out perform their own publicity.

Let the games begin.

Red Bull looking good in Pre-season Testing

Preseason testing is now well underway, but the Mclaren boys are suggesting that the car is not yet fast enough. The times suggest that Red Bull are looking very strong but let's not forget that the new tyre degredation rate is far higher and those who look after the tyres will be in a much stronger position. Button is a past master of getting the most from tyres, but Lewis's style could hurt the Italian rubber.

2011 F1 Countdown: Rule Changes

The Formula 1 governing body, the FIA works closely with teams to ensure that the sort remains fair and safe. There is a continuing game of cat and mouse where the teams develop tweaks that result in faster cars. Often there will be objections such as in the case of double diffusers developed by Brawn in 2009. In reality teams will often consult with the FIA as the risk of being ruled illegal carries with it huge costs.

Here is part one of this years technical update which will being with 2011 changes to the technical regulations and will continue with details of team developments throughout the season.

Rear View Mirrors

FIA Technical Regulation
14.3.3 - All parts of the rear view mirrors, including their housings and mountings, must be situated between 250mm and 500mm from the car centre line and between 550mm and 750mm from the rear edge of the cockpit entry template.
F1atHome Comments
This change ratifies the decision made during the 2010 season

Weight Distribution

FIA Technical Regulation
4.2 - For 2011 only, the weight applied on the front and rear wheels must not be less than 291kg and 342kg respectively at all times during the qualifying practice session. If, when required for checking, a car is not already fitted with dry-weather tyres, it will be weighed on a set of dry-weather tyres selected by the FIA technical delegate.

F1atHome Comments
This change has been imposed to ensure that all teams start on a level playing field with Pirelli tyres. From 2012 they are free to experiment with the wheelbase and weight distribution to find the sweet spot

Double diffuser ban

FIA Technical Regulation
3.12.9 - In an area lying 450mm or less from the car centre line, and from 450mm forward of the rear face of the cockpit entry template to 350mm rearward of the rear wheel centre line, any intersection of any bodywork visible from beneath the car with a lateral or longitudinal vertical plane should form one continuous line which is visible from beneath the car. When assessing the compliance of bodywork surfaces in this area the aperture referred to in Article 3.12.7 need not be considered.
3.12.10 In an area lying 650mm or less from the car centre line, and from 450mm forward of the rear face of the cockpit entry template to 350mm forward of the rear wheel centre line, any intersection of any bodywork visible from beneath the car with a lateral or longitudinal vertical plane should form one continuous line which is visible from beneath the car.
3.12.11 Compliance with Article 3.12 must be demonstrated with the panels referred to in Articles 15.4.7 and 15.4.8 and all unsprung parts of the car removed.

F1atHome Comments
Double diffusers were invented by the Brawn team and are now outlawed, but single diffusers are permitted. This is all about managing the flow of air under the car and making the best of the down force. The side effect is that what is good for you has the opposite effect on the car behind as it disrupts the air flow. Together with the rear wings they create a vortex making it difficult to positing for an overtake without punishing the tyres and fuel consumption.

Blade style roll hoops

FIA Technical Regulation
15.2.4 - The principal roll structure must have a minimum enclosed structural cross section of 10000mm², in vertical projection, across a horizontal plane 50mm below its highest point. The area thus established must not exceed 200mm in length or width and may not be less than 10000mm2 below this point.

F1atHome Comments
The Mercedes F1 team introduced this style of fin which extended the fin above and forward of the air intake. This was judged to be dangerous in the case of an incident were they allowed the car to dig into soft ground increasing the risk of injury to the driver.

Wheel Tethers

FIA Technical Regulation
10.3.6 - In order to help prevent a wheel becoming separated in the event of all suspension members connecting it to the car failing provision must be made to accommodate flexible tethers, each with a cross sectional area greater than 110mm². The sole purpose of the tethers is to prevent a wheel becoming separated from the car, they should perform no other function.
The tethers and their attachments must also be designed in order to help prevent a wheel making contact with the driver's head during an accident.
Each wheel must be fitted with two tethers each of which exceed the requirements of 3.1.1 of Test Procedure 03/07.
Each tether must have its own separate attachments at both ends which :
- are able to withstand a tensile force of 70kN in any direction within a cone of 45° (included angle) measured from the load line of the relevant suspension member ;
- on the survival cell or gearbox are separated by at least 100mm measured between the centres of the two attachment points ;
- on each wheel/upright assembly are located on opposite sides of the vertical and horizontal wheel centre lines and are separated by at least 100mm measured between the centres of the two attachment points ;
- are able to accommodate tether end fittings with a minimum inside diameter of 15mm.Furthermore, no suspension member may contain more than one tether.
Each tether must exceed 450mm in length and must utilise end fittings which result in a tether bend radius greater than 7.5mm.

F1atHome Comments
Stronger tethers and tougher load testing will lower the risk of wheels detaching in the case of an impact. This is an area which continues to concern the authorities as despite the introduction of tethers there are still many incidents where the wheels risk causing serious injury

Aero Rims

FIA Technical Regulation
12.4.6 - When viewed perpendicular to the plane formed by the outer face of the wheel and between the diameters of 120mm and 270mm the wheel may have an area of no greater than 24,000mm².’
F1atHome Comments
Aero Rims more commonly known as Frisbees were banned in 2010. However Ferrari introduced a replacement which has now been banned.

Teams and Drivers for the 2011 F1 Season

Robert Kubica remains unfit to take his place in the Renault F1 team and a second draver has not been confirmed for the Hispania racing Team.



The full list of drivers is shown below. Click on the image for a larger version of the table.

Could Rossi be the new Surtees?

MotoGP's Valentino Rossi is the only man alive who could beat John Surtees's record. See more at:

http://f1athomehistory.blogspot.com/2011/03/rossi-man-most-likely-to.html

latest: Bahrain GP could be run in the Summer?

The cancellation of the first race in Bahrain means that the 2011 season will now kick off in Australia on 27 March 2011. Bernie Ecclestone is quoted as saying that a decision on whether to return to Bahrain during 2011 will be made before the start of the season. It seems hard to imagine that there will be enough information available this month to base a decision to return. It therefore looks more likely that there will be no Bahrain GP later in the year.

Season Preview: Bahrain GP in doubt

Millions of F1 fans hold their breath as politics spills out into the world of sport. It is not the internal politics of F1 which are making the headlines this week, but the horrors of violence on the streets of the Middle East as the authorities crack down on pro-democracy protests. The F1 season is due to kick of on 11 March in Bahrain but there is some doubt as to the safety of teams and spectators as hundreds of armoured vehicles fill the streets of the gulf state.

Bernie Ecclestone will make a statement on Wednesday 23 March after consulting with local organisers and representatives of the Crown Prince. Bernie is quoted today (20 Feb 2011) as saying that he won’t advise anyone to go if it is not safe. And it is difficult to see how the event could go ahead unless there was a dramatic change in the situation, particularly as pre-season testing is due to start at the Bahrain circuit on 3 March.

Comment on the latest News.

Season Preview: Team Launches

The 2011 season has kicked off as usual with team launching their cars. Gone are the lavish no expense spared launches of the past and in with the multimedia web launches. They are much cheaper for the teams and more accessible as fans log into the action live or catch up later on team websites.
Here are the details of some of the top teams’ 2011 launches.
Ferrari
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Fe_9e765Fk&feature=player_embedded
Mclaren
http://mclaren.com/home
Red Bull
http://www.redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Video/THE-RB7--ON-CAMERA-021242953955190
Renault
http://www.renaultf1team.co.uk/
Williams
http://www.attwilliams.com/news/view/1702
Mercedes
http://www.mercedes-gp.com

Welcome to the 2011 F1 Season

The 2010 season is long forgotten and the teams are ready to go into battle. Over the next few weeks we will be taking a look at the teams and drivers and previewing the first race in Baharain.