Ferrari F150 unveiled

Scuderia Ferrari has become the first Formula 1 team to reveal its 2011 car.


Unveiled at Maranello, Italy, Ferrari’s new challenger is named F150 to honour the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. Continuing the patriotic theme, it also sports a prominent Italian Tricolore on the rear wing.

Changes to the 2011 car, which has an internal code name of 662, have primarily been made to comply with this season’s revised FIA regulations. That means no double diffuser or blown rear wing, but KERS makes a return and the rear wing is now hydraulically adjustable. Other modifications are courtesy of stricter safety rules regarding cockpit protection, wheel retention and crash testing.


A continued ban on development means the Ferrari’s engine is largely unaltered, although work has been done to improve reliability. The team has also taken the opportunity to completely redesign the rear suspension and tweak that at the front, while the Brembo braking system has been totally revamped too.

But it’s not just those changes that need evaluating ahead of the first race in Bahrain, because there’s also the switch from Bridgestone to Pirelli tyres to factor in, plus Ferrari is saying that the aerodynamic package isn’t yet final. With only fifteen days of pre-season testing allowed, it should all make for a packed schedule.


Ferrari is expecting great things from the F150, especially after Fernando Alonso managed to lose the 2010 drivers’ championship to Sebastian Vettel by just four points, and the team ended up in third spot on the constructors’ table behind Red Bull and McLaren. Both team boss Stefano Domenicali and company president Luca Di Montezemolo are making it very clear that victory in 2011 is the only objective.


And finally, if you’re privileged to drive for one of the top-ranking teams in Formula 1 and you get invited to a nice event to launch a new car, then showing a bit of enthusiasm might be appropriate. Obviously not if your name is Alonso, who - judging by the pictures - was in full miserable git mode. Again.

Somewhere else you'd rather be, Fernando? Check out that body language.

Go on, give us a smile...

Two Lotus teams in F1?

The 2011 Formula 1 season could see the bizarre sight of two Lotus-branded teams on the grid.



Group Lotus - the Proton-owned manufacturer of Lotus road cars - has just bought a stake in the former Renault F1 Team, also becoming title sponsor in the process. The move coincides with Renault selling its share in the outfit, although the French firm will continue to supply engines to the newly renamed Lotus Renault GP Team.

Lotus Renault GP Team - 2011 Livery

A black and gold livery has been revealed too, which harks back to the cigarette-sponsored Lotus F1 cars of the 1970s and 1980s. It might look striking, but why the team would want to give free subliminal advertising to a tobacco company is anyone’s guess.



Confusingly Lotus Racing, which competed for the first time during 2010 but is nothing to do with Group Lotus, has already announced a couple of significant changes for next season: not only will it be switching from Cosworth to Renault power, but it will also be painting its cars black and gold. What a coincidence.



To make matters even more complicated Lotus Racing has, according to the official FIA 2011 Formula 1 entry list, now rebranded itself as Team Lotus and intends to race under the Lotus Renault name.



However, Group Lotus is claiming that Lotus Racing / Team Lotus / Lotus Renault (take your pick) was only using the Lotus moniker under licence this year, but that licence has now been revoked.



Consequently Team Lotus and Group Lotus are now involved in an escalating battle for the right to continue using the name. But with neither side looking likely to back down, the dispute will probably end up being resolved by the UK High Court sometime in the new year.

2010 South Korean GP

Following his victory at the Yeongam construction site, venue of the inaugural South Korean Formula 1 Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso is now set to win the 2010 drivers’ championship.

That’s if the odds currently being offered by UK online bookmakers are anything to go by. They all seem to have the moaning Spaniard as favourite.

Driver	Betfred	Paddy Power	Ladbrokes	888 Sport
Fernando Alonso	1/2	4/6	4/6	8/13
Mark Webber	9/4	2/1	2/1	15/8
Lewis Hamilton	12/1	10/1	8/1	10/1
Sebastian Vettel	16/1	11/1	12/1	12/1
Jenson Button	500/1	N/A	250/1	250/1

Indeed, Alonso could secure the title at the next round, which is in Brazil, if he wins that race and nearest challenger Mark Webber finishes fifth or lower. Otherwise, the fight will go to the season’s final event in Abu Dhabi.



2010 Championship standings after the South Korean Formula 1 Grand Prix:

Pos.	Driver	Team	Points
1	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	231
2	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	220
3	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	210
4	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	206
5	Jenson Button	McLaren-Mercedes	189
6	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	143
7	Robert Kubica	Renault	124
8	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes GP	122
9	Michael Schumacher	Mercedes GP	66
10	Rubens Barrichello	Williams-Cosworth	47
11	Adrian Sutil	Force India-Mercedes	47
12	Kamui Kobayashi	BMW Sauber-Ferrari	31
13	Vitantonio Liuzzi	Force India-Mercedes	21
14	Vitaly Petrov	Renault	19
15	Nico Hulkenberg	Williams-Cosworth	18
16	Sebastien Buemi	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	8
18	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber-Ferrari	6
19	Jaime Alguersuari	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	3
20	Heikki Kovalainen	Lotus-Cosworth	0
21	Jarno Trulli	Lotus-Cosworth	0
22	Bruno Senna	Hispania-Cosworth	0
23	Lucas di Grassi	Virgin-Cosworth	0
24	Karun Chandhok	Hispania-Cosworth	0
25	Timo Glock	Virgin-Cosworth	0
26	Sakon Yamamoto	Hispania-Cosworth	0
27	Christian Klien	Hispania-Cosworth	0

2011 Formula 1 calendar

The 2011 Formula 1 season is going to be a busy one because, with the addition of India, there’ll be twenty races in the schedule.



Running from the middle of March to the end of November, Bahrain remains the opening event, although Brazil becomes the finale instead of Abu Dhabi.



The teams still get a month-long break in the summer between Hungary and Belgium, but the trade-off is that four races will take place the week after their preceding events.



As confirmed by the FIA World Motor Sport Council this week, the calendar is:

Date	Race
13 March	Bahrain
27 March	Australia
10 April	Malaysia
17 April	China
08 May	Turkey
22 May	Spain
29 May	Monaco
12 June	Canada
26 June	Europe
10 July	Great Britain
24 July	Germany
31 July	Hungary
28 August	Belgium
11 September	Italy
25 September	Singapore
09 October	Japan
16 October	Korea
30 October	India
13 November	Abu Dhabi
27 November	Brazil

Building F1 circuits

Will the inaugural South Korean Grand Prix actually take place on 24 October?



Construction of the Yeongam circuit, designed by Hermann Tilke, is still not yet finished. It should have had its FIA inspection by the end of July, as the regulations state that that should happen at least 90 days ahead of a venue’s first international event. That particular target has clearly been missed by some margin.

Yeongam Circuit

However, in order to help ensure the South Korean round remains on the 2010 Formula 1 calendar, the FIA has now decided to relax the rules by delaying its final inspection until 21 September. The organisers remain upbeat, saying the track is currently “90% complete”. Only 10% to go, then.



As a sign of progress, a Red Bull F1 car is due to complete a lap this weekend, driven by Karun Chandhok. Incidentally, his race seat at Hispania Racing now seems to be in jeopardy, because Sakon Yamamoto will almost certainly be contesting the season’s remaining races. The move is, allegedly, due to the personal sponsorship that the Japanese driver brings to the team.



Meanwhile, in Texas, the first details have emerged of the Austin circuit which will host the US Grand Prix from 2012. The 3.4 mile long lap has apparently been inspired by classic tracks, and features substantial elevation changes.

It’s another Tilke project so, as with Yeongam, fans will doubtless just be hoping that the tracks allow for decent racing and overtaking. That has definitely not been the case with some other of his designs, such as boring Bahrain and the dreadful Valencia street circuit.

2010 British GP

Mark Webber deserved his British Grand Prix win, especially after the Red Bull team’s fiasco on Saturday. The strange decision, made just before qualifying, to take the new design of front wing off the Australian’s car and give it to team-mate Sebastian Vettel instead certainly caused trouble.



Webber’s "Not bad for a number two driver" radio message to team boss Christian Horner on the slowing down lap was especially telling. It seemed to be evidence of a growing tension in the team, something that has been brewing ever since the two Red Bulls had their infamous coming together during the Istanbul race.



Further proof was Vettel’s cryptic comments in a post-race interview, which suggested the ‘good fun happy family’ image of Red Bull is just a thin veneer that’s starting to crack in places. "Obviously I focus on myself and so does he I guess," said the German. "Especially after what happened in the past people have different opinions. I have opinions, I have my experiences and sometimes, good and bad, you get to know people a little better and see their true faces. So I think I have learned my lesson and focus on myself."



At least Red Bull managed to get both its cars into the points. Over at Ferrari, it was a disastrous afternoon at Silverstone. Fernando Alonso unsurprisingly seemed a bit miffed at the stewards’ decision to give him a drive-through penalty after he cut a corner to pass the Renault of Robert Kubica.



Arguably it was a harsh punishment, especially as Alonso didn’t really have anywhere else to go, and Kubica then retired soon after. The icing on the cake was that the penalty had to be served immediately after the Safety Car had been out, which meant most of the field could stream by as the Spaniard drove slowly down the pit lane.



But maybe Alonso should have let Kubica back through straight away after the incident, instead of getting on the radio to ask Ferrari to sort something out with the race officials? He certainly didn’t bother with the radio much after his drive-through, petulantly telling his team not to talk to him for the rest of the race. And he wasn’t in the mood for a chat afterwards, either, apparently being ‘too angry’ to be interviewed. A while later though Alonso had calmed down enough to say, allegedly without any hint of sarcasm, "What the stewards say is always right so I am not too upset." Yeah, right.



Conversely, McLaren managed to salvage a decent result from what could have been a race to forget. Jenson Button clawed his way up from fourteenth on the grid to an eventual fourth place, thanks to some decent early overtaking, retirements and a good pit stop strategy. Only a rumoured lack of fuel meant he couldn’t go on to challenge Nico Rosberg in his Mercedes for third place.



Team-mate Lewis Hamilton meanwhile secured second spot, benefiting from Vettel’s first lap puncture. He now leads the championship with 145 points, 12 ahead of Button in second.

2010 European GP

Is it time to ditch Valencia from the Formula 1 calendar? The only interesting incidents during this weekend’s race were Mark Webber’s frightening crash (which thankfully he emerged unscathed from), Lewis Hamilton’s passing of the Safety Car (after which Fernando Alonso spent the rest of the afternoon on the radio whinging to his team), Kamui Kobayashi’s performance in his Sauber, and a stray bottle on the track.



Indeed, the excitement levels only mounted after the race, as everyone waited to see whether the race stewards would impose penalties on Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello, Nico Hulkenberg, Robert Kubica, Vitaly Petrov, Adrian Sutil, Sebastien Buemi, Pedro de la Rosa and Vitantonio Liuzzi for going too quickly behind the Safety Car.



In the end, they were all each given a five second penalty, which hardly affected the standings: the moaning Alonso got promoted one place to eighth, while Nico Rosberg was awarded tenth place and a single point.



Yet again, the problem lies with the circuit layout, because it appears almost impossible to overtake. This was visibly demonstrated after the Safety Car returned to the pits. An out of place Kobayashi, who was running third (after he hadn’t bothered to stop for new tyres), headed a convoy of cars for lap after lap that made no real attempt to pass one another. That makes for a dull spectacle.



Ironically, two of the few passing manoeuvres during the race were later performed by Kobayashi after he eventually pitted. Exploiting the advantage of comparatively fresh tyres, he got by Alonso on the penultimate lap, and then overtook Buemi on the very last corner of the race.



Certainly Ferrari’s complaining isn’t doing them any favours. Yes, it was bad luck that Alonso ended up in ninth on the track after the Safety Car deployment, and the situation was even worse for Felipe Massa. But to claim that the result was in some way manipulated by the FIA against Ferrari is ridiculous, especially when many would argue that Ferrari has benefited from FIA decisions on several occasions in the past.

FIA agrees F1 changes

Following today’s meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council, which took place in Geneva, several changes have been agreed for the 2011 Formula 1 season.



Pirelli has been named as sole tyre supplier, following Bridgestone’s decision to withdraw after the 2010 championship. The contract will run for a term of three years, the Italian firm being chosen over rivals Michelin and Cooper Avon. Perhaps, though, it would give the series an extra competitive element if multiple tyre providers were represented?



Of potential concern to Lotus Racing, HRT F1 Team and Virgin Racing (plus any more newcomers) is the reintroduction of the ‘107%’ rule for next year. Originally included in the regulations from 1996 to 2002, it seems the increasingly widening gap in pace between teams has prompted its return.



It will mean that any driver whose first qualifying session performance exceeds 107% of the fastest time will not be allowed to take part in the race. However, sensibly, the WMSC has decided that in exceptional circumstances - such as previously setting a decent lap time in free practice - the stewards may allow a car to start from the back of the grid. This safeguard will mean that top-level drivers who fail to complete first qualifying, as Fernando Alonso did when he crashed his Ferrari at Monaco earlier this season, will still be able to participate.



In yet another attempt to increase overtaking opportunities, cars will be fitted with driver-adjustable rear wings in 2011. Only available after two laps have been completed, a driver will have to be less than a second behind a competitor at one of the pre-determined points around the circuit if he wants to use the system, which then becomes disabled when the brakes are used. Adjustable front wings, devices such as McLaren’s ‘F-duct’ and anything else that allows drivers to change the aerodynamics of their cars will be banned.



Away from F1, the WMSC also agreed that the name of the co-driver will now be displayed alongside that of the driver on the rear side windows of cars competing in the World Rally Championship. The ruling also applies to the FIA Regional Rally Championships, and comes into force with immediate effect. It seems only fair, because without their co-driver calling out the pace notes, a rally driver might as well get out and walk.

Geneva Motor Show: Mercedes SLS AMG F1 Safety Car

When the new Formula-1 season gets underway in Manama/Bahrain (12?14 March 2010), it will mark the debut of the most spectacular and powerful Official F1™ Safety Car of all time. The job of the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, which will be launched on 27 March 2010, is to ensure maximum safety in Formula 1. The "gullwing" model replaces the SL 63 AMG, which was used as the Official F1™ Safety Car in 2008 and 2009. As in the last two years, the C 63 AMG Estate will be used as the Official F1™ Medical Car for the new season.

"Together with the entire AMG Team, I am very proud that the new SLS AMG is the Official F1 Safety Car. I'm sure all Mercedes and AMG fans will be excited to see the gullwing model together with the new Mercedes GP Petronas Team at the F1 circuits," says Volker Mornhinweg, Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

From March 2010, the Official F1™ Safety Car will be deployed whenever hazardous situations such as accidents or bad weather endanger normal racing. The SLS AMG, piloted by Bernd Mayländer (38, from Germany), will be on standby in the pit lane throughout the entire race. When radioed by Race Control, the former DTM driver and his co-driver, FIA man Pete Tibbetts (44, from the UK), will take to the track at the head of the field in order to guide the Formula-1 race cars safely around the circuit.
Unique vehicle concept for maximum driving dynamics

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG has the best possible credentials for this demanding role in the top flight of motor racing: its 6.3-litre V8 engine has a maximum output of 420 kW (571 hp) and a peak torque of 650 Nm, enabling the gullwing model to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. Fast lap times are a must for the Official F1™ Safety Car, otherwise the Formula-1 cars' tyres and brakes would cool down too quickly, while their engines could overheat.

The unique vehicle concept is a key factor in ensuring outstanding driving dynamics: the aluminium spaceframe body keeps the vehicle weight down to 1620 kilograms (DIN kerb weight). And thanks to the dry-sump lubrication system, the AMG V8 powerplant can be installed very low down, resulting in a beneficial lowering of the vehicle's centre of gravity. The installation position a long way behind the front axle and the transaxle arrangement of the new seven-speed double-clutch transmission on the rear axle have a positive effect on the weight distribution, which is 47/53 percent (front/rear). Pure motorsport technology is used for the AMG sports suspension: aluminium double-wishbone axles at the front and rear ensure outstanding driving dynamics with precise turn-in ability, first-class agility, low mass inertia when changing direction spontaneously and, therefore, a high cornering limit.


Double-clutch transmission and ceramic composite brake system

The AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports transmission with double-clutch technology features four modes and allows fast gear changes with practically no interruption in tractive power: in manual mode ("M"), gear changes can be effected in 100 milliseconds. Together with the 3-stage ESP®, the integrated mechanical multidisc differential lock ensures outstanding traction. Meanwhile, braking distances are minimised and resistance to fading is maximised, even when the brakes are subject to typical race-track loads, courtesy of the AMG ceramic high-performance composite brake system with its generously sized ceramic discs measuring 402 x 39 mm on the front axle and 360 x 32 mm on the rear axle. The weight-optimised 10-spoke forged wheels are shod with 265/35 R 19 (front) and 295/30 R 20 (rear) tyres.

The Official F1™ Safety Car features the same engine, power-transmission set-up, suspension and brake system as the standard-production SLS AMG. The exceptional technology package for the super sports car ensures perfect driving dynamics and means that no further technical modifications or lightweight-design measures are necessary, with the sole exception of an all-new rear silencer, which allows the high-revving AMG V8 naturally aspirated engine to breathe more easily and offers Formula-1 fans an even more emotionally charged sound experience.


Aerodynamically optimised light bar incorporating LED technology

Compared to the standard-production SLS, the Official F1™ Safety Car is distinguishable on the outside by its prominent F1 logos, carbon-fibre exterior mirrors and the characteristic roof light bar with integrated TV camera. It sits on an all-new carbon-fibre hood whose shape has been tested in the wind tunnel to ensure optimum airflow at the rear aerofoil. The aerofoil pops up when the car reaches 120 km/h and, together with the rear diffuser, provides the necessary rear downforce. LEDs are used for all light functions for the first time in the new, aerodynamically styled roof light bar. Their advantages over the previously used bulbs lie in their extremely fast response time and low power consumption.

The two centrally positioned green lights in the aerodynamically optimised light bar are illuminated when the Official F1™ Safety Car joins the field and first has to overtake all the racing cars in front of it. Once the SLS AMG has assumed the leading position, the outer orange flashing lights are switched on to signal to the Formula-1 drivers that no overtaking whatsoever is allowed. The white stroboscopic lights in the headlamps and tail lights perform a general signalling function in that they always flash during deployment of the safety car. A special number plate at the rear, displaying the words "Safety Car" and equipped with 700 LEDs, provides additional safety in darkness or wet weather. A reversing camera is integrated to the left of the number plate, allowing those in the cockpit of the Official F1™ Safety Car to keep an eye on the Formula-1 cars behind via monitors.


Practical interior with AMG sports bucket seats

The distinctive gullwing doors open to reveal a practical cockpit which, like the exterior, differs only slightly from that of the standard-production model. AMG sports bucket seats with black leather upholstery and six-point seat belts ensure optimum lateral support. On the right side of the AMG DRIVE UNIT, there are four coloured buttons for controlling the various light functions, along with the signal horn, which is activated when the car is driving into and out of the pit lane. The centre console, like various other interior trim parts, is finished in genuine carbon fibre, while the AMG performance steering wheel in leather/Alcantara features a specially shaped grip area, a high-quality genuine-metal insert and a flat-bottomed rim with a diameter of 370 millimetres. Two genuine-metal shift paddles are used to change between the seven gears in the double-clutch transmission.

Two central monitors in the SLS AMG cockpit are used to monitor the progress of the race. To the left and right of the lower monitor are the controls for the radio system, which allows Bernd Mayländer and Pete Tibbetts to communicate with Race Control as well as with each other. A second interior mirror lets the co-driver keep an eye on the Formula-1 cars behind. Meanwhile, the "Marshalling System" is integrated in the central display on the instrument cluster and in the lid of the glove compartment: here the driver and co-driver can see exactly the same signals as the Formula-1 drivers in their cockpits. For instance, the various LEDs indicate when yellow or green flags are being waved. LEDs indicating the status of the roof light bar, along with an on-board camera angled towards Bernd Mayländer, are mounted at the front end of the dashboard.


C 63 AMG Estate once again Official F1™ Medical Car

The SLS AMG is not the only AMG high-performance car to be involved in the Formula-1 World Championship: as in 2008 and 2009, the C 63 AMG Estate is the Official F1™ Medical Car – responsible for ensuring rapid emergency response in the event of an accident. The lightning-fast estate car follows the Formula-1 field on the start lap, since the race cars are still bunched extremely closely together during this critical phase of the race.

The concept on which the AMG Estate is based is ideal for meeting the requirements of Formula-1: outstanding driving dynamics are assured courtesy of the AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine developing 336 kW (457 hp) with a peak torque of 600 Nm, not to mention the AMG SPEEDSHIFT PLUS 7G-TRONIC transmission, the adjustable coil-over suspension, the AMG light-alloy wheels shod with 235/35 R 19 (front) and 255/30 R 19 (rear) tyres, the differential lock, the 3-stage ESP®, and the AMG high-performance brake system with internally ventilated and perforated composite brake discs on the front axle.

The new AMG front apron with larger air dams hints at the optimised cooling for the water, engine oil, transmission fluid and power steering. One aspect that cannot be seen but can certainly be heard is the distinctive AMG V8 sound emitted from the new rear silencers of the AMG sports exhaust system. Like the Official F1™ Safety Car, the Official F1™ Medical Car is distinguishable by its F1 logos, the roof light bar, and the stroboscopic flashing LED lights at the front and rear. A number plate illuminated with LEDs and displaying the words "Medical Car" on the tailgate makes the car easier to see in darkness or adverse weather conditions.


Plenty of space in the boot for emergency equipment

The Official F1™ Medical Car is piloted by racing driver Alan van de Merwe (from South Africa); his co-driver is the official FIA Grand Prix Chief Medical Officer Dr Gary Hartstein (from Belgium). Two assisting medical experts from a specially selected clinic near the race track sit in the rear. There is plenty of space for all of the emergency equipment – including a defibrillator and respiration apparatus – in the 485-litre boot of the C 63 AMG Estate. Four AMG sports bucket seats with six-point seat belts, two monitors integrated in the centre console for monitoring the race and a radio set for communicating with Race Control distinguish the interior of the Official F1™ Medical Car from that of the standard-production C 63 AMG Estate.


AMG PERFORMANCE STUDIO responsible for development

The development, track-testing and configuration of the two Official F1™ Safety Cars and the two Official F1™ Medical Cars – in both cases, there is one emergency vehicle and one replacement vehicle – are performed by the specialists from the AMG PERFORMANCE STUDIO in close collaboration with the test team from the AMG overall vehicle development department. This involves drawing on over 40 years of know-how from the field of motorsport as well as the wealth of experience in the design of high-performance sports cars. Numerous test drives were performed on various racetracks in order to tune the suspension and verify all the systems and components. Two highly-qualified AMG technicians are also on hand to take responsibility for the deployment of the Safety Car and Medical Car at all 19 Formula-1 races.


Nine generations of Safety Cars from AMG

For 14 years AMG has continuously provided the Official F1™ Safety Car and the Official F1™ Medical Car in the top flight of international motorsport.

All AMG Safety Cars at a glance

1996:	C 36 AMG (W 202)
From 1997:	CLK 55 AMG (C 208)
2000:	CL 55 AMG (C 215)
From 2001:	SL 55 AMG (R 230)
2003:	CLK 55 AMG (C 209)
From 2004:	SLK 55 AMG (R 171)
From 2006:	CLK 63 AMG (C 209)
From 2008:	SL 63 AMG (R 230)
From 2010:	SLS AMG (C 197)

All AMG Medical Cars at a glance

1996:	C 36 AMG (W 202)
1997:	C 36 AMG (W 202); E 60 AMG (W 210)
From 1998:	C 55 AMG Estate (S 202)
From 2001:	C 32 AMG Estate (S 203)
From 2004:	C 55 AMG Estate (S 203)
From 2008:	C 63 AMG Estate (S 204)

As early as 1984, an AMG E-Class Coupé with V8 engine was used occasionally as the Medical Car. The activities of the Affalterbach-based company are also evidence of Mercedes-Benz's long-standing commitment to Formula 1.

Photos: gtspirit & yallaf1

2010 Spanish GP

Exciting, thrilling and breathtaking. All words that couldn’t really be used to describe this weekend’s Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix.



Once again the Circuit de Catalunya served up a rather processional race, which Mark Webber effectively lead from start to finish in his Red Bull. For some reason F1 cars find it almost impossible to overtake at the track, with the main opportunity being the entry into turn one after the long start/finish straight. However, sometimes even that doesn’t work, as Jenson Button demonstrated in his numerous failed attempts to pass the Mercedes of an on-form Michael Schumacher.



The main on-track interest came in the closing laps, when Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren suffered a puncture on its left front tyre, and Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull experienced brake issues. Hamilton had to retire from second place when his car ended up in the barrier, while Vettel managed to limp the Red Bull home to third. The beneficiary was Fernando Alonso in his Ferrari, who ended up in second spot.



With four different winners from five races, at least it means that the championship is still wide open. Button is holding onto a slim lead for now, but with 25 points available for a win, things could change very quickly:



Pos.  Driver / Team / Points

1       Jenson Button / McLaren-Mercedes / 70

2       Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / 67

3       Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull-Renault / 60

4       Mark Webber / Red Bull-Renault / 53

5       Nico Rosberg / Mercedes GP / 50

6       Lewis Hamilton / McLaren-Mercedes / 49

7       Felipe Massa / Ferrari / 49

8       Robert Kubica / Renault / 44

9       Michael Schumacher / Mercedes GP / 22

10     Adrian Sutil / Force India-Mercedes / 16

11     Vitantonio Liuzzi / Force India-Mercedes / 8

12     Rubens Barrichello / Williams-Cosworth / 7

13     Vitaly Petrov / Renault / 6

14     Jaime Alguersuari / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / 3

15     Nico Hulkenberg / Williams-Cosworth / 1

16     Sebastien Buemi / Toro Rosso-Ferrari / 0

17     Pedro de la Rosa / BMW Sauber-Ferrari / 0

18     Kamui Kobayashi / BMW Sauber-Ferrari / 0

19     Heikki Kovalainen / Lotus-Cosworth / 0

20     Karun Chandhok / Hispania-Cosworth / 0

21     Lucas di Grassi / Virgin-Cosworth / 0

22     Bruno Senna / Hispania-Cosworth / 0

23     Jarno Trulli / Lotus-Cosworth / 0

24     Timo Glock / Virgin-Cosworth / 0

2010 Malaysian GP

Sebastian Vettel finally got rid of his reliability gremlins in Malaysia, allowing him to lead Mark Webber to a dominant Red Bull one-two.

So assured was their race, they barely featured in the television coverage. Not much was seen either of third-placed Nico Rosberg, who had a lonely run but managed to secure a first podium for Mercedes GP. That was in contrast to his team mate Michael Schumacher, who had to retire on lap eight after his car encountered rear suspension problems. His disappointing results continue, then.



As expected, most of the action centred on the McLarens and Ferraris as they fought their way through the field following disastrous qualifying sessions. Most impressive were Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa, who both made up fourteen places to finish sixth and seventh respectively.



Hamilton might have finished even further up the order, but after the pit stops he just couldn’t pass Adrian Sutil. Despite the trick vent system on the McLaren, which is designed to increase top speed by limiting air flow to the rear wing, Sutil in his similarly-engined Force India was able to keep Hamilton at bay, even on the long straights of Sepang.



Massa’s consistency meanwhile means he now leads the drivers’ championship. The new points system is making things very close as, going into the Chinese round in two weeks, only nine points separate the top seven drivers.



Championship standings after the Malaysian Grand Prix:



       Driver / Team / Points

1     Felipe Massa  /  Ferrari  /  39

2     Fernando Alonso  /  Ferrari  /  37

3     Sebastian Vettel  /  Red Bull-Renault  /  37

4     Jenson Button  /  McLaren-Mercedes  /  35

5     Nico Rosberg  /  Mercedes GP  /  35

6     Lewis Hamilton  /  McLaren-Mercedes  /  31

7     Robert Kubica  /  Renault  /  30

8     Mark Webber  /  Red Bull-Renault  /  24

9     Adrian Sutil  /  Force India-Mercedes  /  10

10   Michael Schumacher  /  Mercedes GP  /  9

11   Vitantonio Liuzzi  /  Force India-Mercedes  /  8

12   Rubens Barrichello  /  Williams-Cosworth  /  5

13   Jaime Alguersuari  /  Toro Rosso-Ferrari  /  2

14   Nico Hulkenberg  /  Williams-Cosworth  /  1

15   Sebastien Buemi  /  Toro Rosso-Ferrari  /  0

16   Pedro de la Rosa  /  BMW Sauber-Ferrari  /  0

17   Heikki Kovalainen  /  Lotus-Cosworth  /  0

18   Karun Chandhok  /  Hispania-Cosworth  /  0

19   Lucas di Grassi  /  Virgin-Cosworth  /  0

20   Bruno Senna  /  Hispania-Cosworth  /  0

21   Jarno Trulli  /  Lotus-Cosworth  /  0

22   Timo Glock  /  Virgin-Cosworth  /  0

23   Vitaly Petrov  /  Renault  /  0

24   Kamui Kobayashi  /  BMW Sauber-Ferrari  /  0

Hamilton a 'dickhead'

Lewis Hamilton will probably just want to forget his Australian Grand Prix weekend.



First of all, he got nicked by the rozzers on Friday for ‘improper use of a motor vehicle’ after they saw him wheel-spinning his Mercedes-Benz road car, which was then promptly impounded.



He was then outclassed by McLaren team mate Jenson Button in both qualifying and the race itself, Hamilton ending up in sixth place and clearly frustrated. Afterwards, he decided to publicly criticise the team’s tactics. Realising that was never going to make him very popular, Hamilton has since done some diplomatic back-peddling to smooth things over, saying he now ‘understands’ the decision to bring him in for a second pit stop.



But the icing on the cake has been the comments made by Tim Pallas, the Minister for Roads and Ports in the Australian state of Victoria. Launching his ‘Don’t Be A Dickhead’ road safety campaign on Monday, the day after the Grand Prix, Pallas was asked whether Hamilton would fit into that category. Pallas admitted, "OK, I'll say it. He's a dickhead" before going onto claim that Hamilton’s actions had “put people’s lives at risk”. Really?



Aussie driver Mark Webber swiftly came to Hamilton’s defence, saying his country had become a “nanny state” with ridiculous driving rules. Pallas thought Webber irresponsible for making those remarks, but confirmed he definitely isn’t another dickhead.



Perhaps the real dickheads in the Hamilton ‘improper use’ saga were the two McLaren flunkies who tried to shield both Hamilton and his Mercedes-Benz from being filmed after the police stop. One of these guys seemed to believe he could achieve that by holding open his brown jacket, without looking like a total prat. The irony is he’ll probably be strung up for daring to wear a non-regulation piece of clothing with his McLaren uniform. Rumour is the team’s very strict on that sort of thing.

2010 Australian GP

What a difference two weeks make. After the yawn-fest that was the Bahrain Grand Prix, the Australian event had excitement from start to finish. Drivers were even managing to overtake each other.



It just goes to show that you don’t have to spend $150 million on a sterile Hermann Tilke creation to get a decent race… just run the track through your local car park instead.



Jenson Button’s win was definitely helped by his bold decision to stop early and swap his wet weather inter tyres for slicks. His smooth driving style then meant he could make those tyres last until the end, without needing to change again.

By contrast, Button’s team mate Lewis Hamilton did have to use another set of dry tyres. But those too began to degrade towards the end and, although he caught the fourth and third place Ferraris of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, he was unable to pass them.



Hamilton was very public in his criticism of McLaren’s decision to bring him (but not Button) in again for new tyres. It was extraordinary, especially as during the closing stages he was heard complaining over the radio that even his second lot of dry tyres had gone off. That surely just proved that Hamilton was heavier on his tyres.



Either way, he was riled. It’s got to be hurting him psychologically that Button secured McLaren’s first victory this season.



After a first lap spin, Alonso’s drive from the back of the field was impressive, scything through with apparent ease. However, like Hamilton, he then seemed to reach a point where he couldn’t overtake anymore and he had to be content with fourth place, finishing just behind Massa.

Compare Alonso’s performance with that of Michael Schumacher. The Mercedes driver was also sent to the back after an opening lap bump meant his car’s front wing needed replacing. However, he seemed to struggle to overtake mid-ranking cars such as the Torro Rosso of Jaime Alguersuari.

Schumacher eventually finished in tenth place, gaining a single point, but it’s debatable whether this has been the glorious return to Formula 1 he was envisaging.



Sandwiched between Button and the Ferraris was Robert Kubica in his Renault. He managed to hold onto a tremendous second place, nursing his tyres to the end despite being under constant pressure.



Red Bull should consider its weekend a disaster. The promise of a win was there following a dominant qualifying performance by Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.



Things started going downhill when both drivers stayed out too long on their inter tyres with a drying track. Neither was going significantly slower than those cars already on slicks, but it resulted in Webber getting caught up in the pit lane traffic, dropping him several places.



Of course, the lowest point for Red Bull was Vettel’s brake failure on lap 25. It dumped him into the gravel trap and out of a race that he’d been leading since the start. Two races, two technical faults… not good.



Webber eventually finished in ninth, earning a reprimand from the stewards after he collided with Hamilton during the closing phase. His only consolation was setting the fastest lap.



Bernie Ecclestone is probably breathing a sigh of relief that Australia addressed many of the criticisms levelled at Formula 1 after Bahrain. Maybe he’s also thinking that a more interesting track should host the opening round in 2011?



Going into next weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix, Alonso retains his lead in the championship with 37 points, followed by Massa and Button on 33 and 31 points respectively. Fans might just be wishing for a repeat of last year’s torrential rainfall at Sepang if it makes for another thrilling race.

2010 Bahrain GP

Beware samples of one, but the opening Grand Prix of 2010 didn’t bode particularly well for the new Formula 1 regulations.



The revised pit-stop rules - tyres have to be changed during the race, but no refuelling is allowed - seem to have resulted in drivers being more concerned with tyre preservation, rather than battling to get up the running order (something the new points system is supposed to encourage).



Most cars came into the pits fairly early on, resulting in an especially dull middle section of the race as drivers made sure they wouldn’t need to make a second stop.



It may have been the Sakhir circuit, or it may have been the cars’ delicate aerodynamics, but the other problem was that overtaking appeared impossible.



Indeed, apart from the first few corners of the first lap, and Sebastian Vettel’s enforced drop from the lead to fourth after his exhaust problems, was there any on-track overtaking at all amongst the top eight runners?



This situation was ably illustrated by eventual winner Alonso. Even before Vettel had his issues, the Spaniard was able to catch him, only to have to immediately back off or move out of the Red Bull’s slipstream to restore down force and / or get cooler air onto his Ferrari’s engine to prevent it overheating.

Let’s hope Bahrain won’t be typical of the season and the next round in Melbourne, on 28 March, provides a more exciting spectacle.



On a more positive note, it was good to see Felipe Massa back racing - and getting on the podium - after his nasty accident last year.



Bahrain Grand Prix result:



1  Fernando Alonso / Ferrari / 25 points

2  Felipe Massa / Ferrari / 18 points

3  Lewis Hamilton / McLaren-Mercedes / 15 points

4  Sebastian Vettel / Red Bull-Renault / 12 points

5  Nico Rosberg / Mercedes GP / 10 points

6  Michael Schumacher / Mercedes GP / 8 points

7  Jenson Button / McLaren-Mercedes / 6 points

8  Mark Webber / Red Bull-Renault / 4 points

9  Vitantonio Liuzzi / Force India-Mercedes / 2 points

10 Rubens Barrichello / Williams-Bosworth / 1 point

11 Robert Kubica / Renault  

12 Adrian Sutil / Force India-Mercedes  

13 Jaime Alguersuari / Toro Rosso-Ferrari  

14 Nico Hullender / Williams-Cosworth  

15 Heikki Kovalainen / Lotus F1  

16 Sebastien Buemi / Toro Rosso-Ferrari   

17 Jarno Trulli / Lotus F1

18 Pedro de la Rosa / BMW Sauber (Retired)   

19 Bruno Senna / Hispania Racing F1 (Retired)   

20 Timo Glock / Virgin Racing (Retired)   

21 Vitaly Petrov / Renault (Retired)   

22 Kamui Kobayashi / BMW Sauber (Retired)   

23 Lucas di Grassi / Virgin Racing (Retired)   

24 Karun Chandhok / Hispania Racing F1 (Retired)

Should Chandhok race?

HRT driver Karun Chandhok was unable to participate in either of the Friday practice sessions for the Bahrain Grand Prix, after mechanics couldn’t get his car going.



That means the rookie will now get to drive his car for the very first time during Saturday’s free practice, which takes place just before qualifying. He’ll be on a very steep learning curve.



Although it’s sometimes difficult to take too much from Friday practice times, Chandhok’s HRT team mate Bruno Senna was over eleven seconds down on the best lap time, set by Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes. If that pace difference continues into the race, it seems there could be a couple of mobile chicanes for the front runners to contend with.

SLS AMG pace car

After two seasons, the Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG is being retired as the F1 Safety Car.



Its replacement is the 571 bhp SLS AMG, powered by a 6.3 litre V8 engine and capable of accelerating from zero to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds.

Characterised by its gull-wing doors, the SLS AMG has an aluminium spaceframe body that keeps its weight down to just 1620 kg. The F1 Safety Car version will have exactly the same engine, seven speed double-clutch transmission and suspension as the production SLS AMG. The only technical difference is a new rear silencer, mainly to produce a bit more noise.



Visually, the F1 Safety Car is distinguished by prominent graphics, carbon fibre door mirrors and an LED roof-mounted light bar, which incorporates a TV camera.



There’s also a second camera, mounted next to the rear number plate. That’s so FIA representative Pete Tibbetts, who will sit alongside SLS AMG driver Bernd Maylander, can keep an eye on the following F1 cars via an in-cockpit monitor.



It would be cruel to suggest that some of the cars and drivers on the F1 grid this year might struggle to keep up with the new 2010 pace car...



The road-going version of the SLS AMG is available in the UK for £157,500.

Final F1 entry list

The FIA has confirmed the entries for 2010’s Formula 1 season.



As anticipated, US F1 has failed to be ready in time, so won’t be competing this year. In another twist to the new teams saga, the empty grid slots haven’t been offered to Stefan Grand Prix. That’s despite its numerous claims about being all set to race, although nobody ever actually saw any cars.



By contrast, Campos Meta will be taking part, albeit under a new name. It’s now called HRT (Hispania Racing F1 Team), following its recent acquisition by Ramon Carabante. Hard to see how it will be prepared, though. The car has only just been unveiled, and won’t get its maiden run until Friday practice at the first race in Bahrain - just one week from today.



Confirmed drivers for HRT are Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok. During 2009 Chandhok raced in GP2, but only managed to finish in 18th position following a season typified by retirements.



Sauber is a peculiarity on the entry list. The official team name continues to be BMW Sauber F1 Team, with the confusing BMW Sauber Ferrari constructor moniker, even though BMW withdrew from the sport at the end of last year.

It turns out that changing a team name isn’t such a simple process, although Brawn GP was able to manage it. Sauber’s reluctance to amend its name might be about not wanting to jeopardise TV money due to BMW from 2009, however.



There’s a chance this anomaly could be cleared up at the next meeting of the Formula One Commission, to be held on 10 March in Bahrain. Seems daft to leave it as it is.

2010 WTCC points

The FIA has changed the points system for the World Touring Car Championship.



Instead of the top eight finishers scoring (allocated on a 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 basis), the first ten will now be awarded points:



1st: 25 points

2nd: 18 points

3rd: 15 points

4th: 12 points

5th: 10 points

6th: 8 points

7th: 6 points

8th: 4 points

9th: 2 points

10th: 1 point



This brings the WTCC in line with the new system already adopted by F1 and the World Rally Championship for the 2010 season.

The much larger points disparity - especially for the podium positions - is designed to push drivers to battle on, as just one place difference could have a big impact on their overall standing.



Arguably, given the already close racing in touring cars, that’s more applicable to F1 than the WTCC.

Villeneuve back in F1?

Four new teams were due to join the grid for the 2010 F1 season.  So far, however, only two - Virgin Racing and Lotus F1 - have got their cars unveiled and running.

There remain strong doubts about whether the others - Campos Meta and US F1 - will be ready for the first race in Bahrain on 14 March.  Bernie Ecclestone certainly doesn’t think that they’ll be there.



It was reported that Jean Todt, FIA President, had indicated that new teams could skip the first three races.  Apparently his comments were misinterpreted by some journalists though, and a follow up statement by the FIA has now made it clear that all entrants are expected to turn up to the Bahrain event.



Waiting in the wings for an empty grid slot is Stefan Grand Prix, headed by Serbian Zoran Stefanovic.  Even without a confirmed entry, it has continued work on its car, even going as far as sending a container load of equipment to Bahrain just in case.



It’s true to say that Serbia doesn’t have much of a history of developing F1 cars, but the team has had a major head start: its car is the one that Toyota had already designed for the 2010 season, before the Japanese manufacturer pulled the plug on its F1 activities.  Interestingly, virtually all of the subsequent development work has continued to take place at Toyota’s Cologne factory.



As if resurrecting a car wasn’t enough, it seems that Stefan Grand Prix may also be reviving the F1 driving career of Jacques Villeneuve.  The Canadian was seen at a few races in 2009, perhaps checking out the possibilities for a return to F1.  If he is contracted he’ll be joining ex-Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima, who has already been signed up.

The prospect of Villeneuve joining Schumacher, Alonso, Hamilton and Button as a fifth world champion on the grid should be something to look forward to, provided of course that his car can show more consistency than last year’s Toyota.

Nick Heidfeld in reserve

Got to feel a bit sorry for Nick Heidfeld - ten seasons as an F1 driver with over 160 starts, yet a race victory remained elusive. Now he’s been relegated to the role of test and reserve driver for Mercedes GP, as reported by Eurosport.



Perhaps he’s hoping that if Schumacher decides to re-retire after a year or two, he’ll be offered the vacant race seat?