One rumour doing the rounds in F1 circles at the moment is that Japan's Panasonic wants to stay in F1 and with Toyota having folded up its F1 tent the sponsorship, agreed for three years in March last year, is up for grabs. It is rumoured to be worth around $48m a year.
Panasonic and Toyota have been together since 2001 and there is an industrial alliance between them over the supply of batteries for the Toyota hybrids but at the same time the company wants the publicity that F1 provided, not least because rival LG is now big in F1 circles. If such a deal were to go ahead it would be safe to assume that Kamui Kobayashi might be included. The problem is that Toyota is not keen for Panasonic to do any B2B deals with Renault. Even if the Panasonic deal with Renault is not possible Renault may be considering Kobayashi as he would be useful for Renault's partner Nissan
News from Formula One in the Formation Lap.
Monday 30 November 2009
Manor team entered under Virgin title
Richard Branson's Virgin organisation is set to have its own Formula 1 team next year, as the FIA's latest 2010 entry list revealed that Manor GP would run under the Virgin Racing title.
The paddock rumour mill has long hinted that Virgin would be Manor's title backer.
According to the entry list, the team will be known as Virgin Racing, with its cars entered as Virgin-Cosworths.
The Virgin brand has been linked with an F1 entry for many years, and was mooted as a potential buyer when Honda put its F1 operation up for sale last winter.
Ultimately Branson's company was merely a sponsor of what became the Brawn team, and despite initial suggestions that this was a precursor to a bigger involvement, it became clear during the summer that Virgin was heading for a major role in the Manor project instead.
Manor has its roots in the highly successful Formula 3 team run by Englishman John Booth, and will run out of premises in Yorkshire.
Its cars will be provided by Wirth Research, the company formed by sometime Simtek and Benetton designer Nick Wirth, who was also responsible for the Acura sportscars that have raced in America in recent years.
Former Toyota driver Timo Glock has already committed to Virgin, with Renault test driver Lucas di Grassi linked to the second seat.
The paddock rumour mill has long hinted that Virgin would be Manor's title backer.
According to the entry list, the team will be known as Virgin Racing, with its cars entered as Virgin-Cosworths.
The Virgin brand has been linked with an F1 entry for many years, and was mooted as a potential buyer when Honda put its F1 operation up for sale last winter.
Ultimately Branson's company was merely a sponsor of what became the Brawn team, and despite initial suggestions that this was a precursor to a bigger involvement, it became clear during the summer that Virgin was heading for a major role in the Manor project instead.
Manor has its roots in the highly successful Formula 3 team run by Englishman John Booth, and will run out of premises in Yorkshire.
Its cars will be provided by Wirth Research, the company formed by sometime Simtek and Benetton designer Nick Wirth, who was also responsible for the Acura sportscars that have raced in America in recent years.
Former Toyota driver Timo Glock has already committed to Virgin, with Renault test driver Lucas di Grassi linked to the second seat.
Toro Rosso season review
Between now and Christmas, ITV.com/f1 will look back through all 10 Formula 1 teams' 2009 seasons and their highs and lows.
In the first feature, we review how Toro Rosso slipped back to the tail of the field in 2009 after its remarkable 2008 season with Sebastian Vettel.
This was the final year that Toro Rosso was allowed to use chassis handed down from Red Bull.
It was also the first year that Red Bull came up with a winning car... and yet Toro Rosso took a big step backwards in 2009.
There was no repeat of the shock victory that Sebastian Vettel delivered at Monza a year earlier, or any hint of a podium, and having beaten the senior team to sixth in the 2008 constructors’ standings, this year Toro Rosso slipped to last – the worst result of its short history.
The most obvious change for this season was the absence of Vettel, the rising superstar being promoted to RBR where he would immediately become a title challenger.
That led to a protracted driver shoot-out at Toro Rosso over the winter, as Red Bull protege Sebastien Buemi, incumbent Sebastien Bourdais and Super Aguri refugee Takuma Sato all tried to stake a claim to an STR drive.
Red Bull’s seal of approval put Buemi at the top of the list, but money looked set to decide the second seat – and Bourdais had none of it (and little enthusiasm for finding any), and Sato didn’t have quite enough of it.
Ultimately the winter cost cuts convinced STR its need for extra finance was less desperate than it originally feared and so it stuck with Bourdais, hoping he would blossom in his second year of Formula 1 and help Buemi get up to speed.
But it didn’t quite work out like that.
Despite his unspectacular junior record, Buemi proved the quicker of the pair from the outset, leading Bourdais home as they stayed cool amid the usual Melbourne chaos to take seventh and eighth in the season opener.
Buemi also starred in China – breaking into the top ten in dry qualifying then fighting in the top six in the wet race and taking a point despite smashing his front wing when he ran into race leader Vettel during a safety car period, thankfully without harming the Red Bull.
Bourdais’ only highlight was eighth in Monaco, where Buemi had still out-qualified him before colliding with Nelson Piquet in the race, while the lowlight was definitely the Catalunya first corner tangle that saw Bourdais driving over the top of Buemi as they tried to avoid trouble ahead.
There was no doubting Bourdais’ talent, but in 18 months in F1 there had only been fleeting glimpses of it hidden among endless complaints that the car was incompatible with his driving style.
A less than positive presence in the garage, the Frenchman’s moody nature could have been indulged had he delivered on-track – but he wasn’t doing so, and the axe fell after Germany.
Replacement Jaime Alguersuari, the latest product of the Red Bull talent ladder, was the reigning British Formula 3 champion and a talented young prospect, but had only done straightline tests prior to his F1 debut in Hungary.
STR’s theory was that with testing now so restricted and Bourdais getting nowhere, it had nothing to lose by throwing Alguersuari in at the deep end and letting him use the remaining grands prix as a rehearsal for 2010.
After a media furore over his inexperience died down, Alguersuari was left in peace to get on with that learning process, and acquitted himself fairly well, although by the time of his arrival the team had fallen to the back – left standing as others accelerated development programmes.
Toro Rosso’s lack of resources meant it was hard pressed to keep up, and the upgrades that turned RBR into a world-beater only reached its sister team for the Hungarian GP, and it would be several more races before the small team and its novice drivers got the best from the package.
That breakthrough came in Japan, where Buemi in particular was staggeringly fast on his Suzuka debut.
A podium challenge looked possible after practice, but the drivers perhaps got carried away in their enthusiasm for suddenly having a quick car at a mega venue, resulting in four crashes – including a massive 130R shunt for Alguersuari in the race – in two days and zero points from the weekend.
Buemi stayed out of trouble in Brazil and Abu Dhabi though, and ended the year with two straight top ten starts and two more points finishes.
Normally such a strong end to the season would mean momentum could be carried through to next year’s campaign, but with Toro Rosso’s dispensation to use Red Bull chassis now expired, the underdog squad must create its own car for the first time since its Minardi days.
That’s a big step after four years as a customer, even though it did retain some of its design capacity, so 2010 could prove as low-key as this season for the hard-working team.
Toro Rosso’s 2009 highlight: Buemi’s heroics in the wet in China.
Lowlight: The team’s Spanish Grand Prix weekend ending with two mangled cars within seconds of the race start.
In the first feature, we review how Toro Rosso slipped back to the tail of the field in 2009 after its remarkable 2008 season with Sebastian Vettel.
This was the final year that Toro Rosso was allowed to use chassis handed down from Red Bull.
It was also the first year that Red Bull came up with a winning car... and yet Toro Rosso took a big step backwards in 2009.
There was no repeat of the shock victory that Sebastian Vettel delivered at Monza a year earlier, or any hint of a podium, and having beaten the senior team to sixth in the 2008 constructors’ standings, this year Toro Rosso slipped to last – the worst result of its short history.
The most obvious change for this season was the absence of Vettel, the rising superstar being promoted to RBR where he would immediately become a title challenger.
That led to a protracted driver shoot-out at Toro Rosso over the winter, as Red Bull protege Sebastien Buemi, incumbent Sebastien Bourdais and Super Aguri refugee Takuma Sato all tried to stake a claim to an STR drive.
Red Bull’s seal of approval put Buemi at the top of the list, but money looked set to decide the second seat – and Bourdais had none of it (and little enthusiasm for finding any), and Sato didn’t have quite enough of it.
Ultimately the winter cost cuts convinced STR its need for extra finance was less desperate than it originally feared and so it stuck with Bourdais, hoping he would blossom in his second year of Formula 1 and help Buemi get up to speed.
But it didn’t quite work out like that.
Despite his unspectacular junior record, Buemi proved the quicker of the pair from the outset, leading Bourdais home as they stayed cool amid the usual Melbourne chaos to take seventh and eighth in the season opener.
Buemi also starred in China – breaking into the top ten in dry qualifying then fighting in the top six in the wet race and taking a point despite smashing his front wing when he ran into race leader Vettel during a safety car period, thankfully without harming the Red Bull.
Bourdais’ only highlight was eighth in Monaco, where Buemi had still out-qualified him before colliding with Nelson Piquet in the race, while the lowlight was definitely the Catalunya first corner tangle that saw Bourdais driving over the top of Buemi as they tried to avoid trouble ahead.
There was no doubting Bourdais’ talent, but in 18 months in F1 there had only been fleeting glimpses of it hidden among endless complaints that the car was incompatible with his driving style.
A less than positive presence in the garage, the Frenchman’s moody nature could have been indulged had he delivered on-track – but he wasn’t doing so, and the axe fell after Germany.
Replacement Jaime Alguersuari, the latest product of the Red Bull talent ladder, was the reigning British Formula 3 champion and a talented young prospect, but had only done straightline tests prior to his F1 debut in Hungary.
STR’s theory was that with testing now so restricted and Bourdais getting nowhere, it had nothing to lose by throwing Alguersuari in at the deep end and letting him use the remaining grands prix as a rehearsal for 2010.
After a media furore over his inexperience died down, Alguersuari was left in peace to get on with that learning process, and acquitted himself fairly well, although by the time of his arrival the team had fallen to the back – left standing as others accelerated development programmes.
Toro Rosso’s lack of resources meant it was hard pressed to keep up, and the upgrades that turned RBR into a world-beater only reached its sister team for the Hungarian GP, and it would be several more races before the small team and its novice drivers got the best from the package.
That breakthrough came in Japan, where Buemi in particular was staggeringly fast on his Suzuka debut.
A podium challenge looked possible after practice, but the drivers perhaps got carried away in their enthusiasm for suddenly having a quick car at a mega venue, resulting in four crashes – including a massive 130R shunt for Alguersuari in the race – in two days and zero points from the weekend.
Buemi stayed out of trouble in Brazil and Abu Dhabi though, and ended the year with two straight top ten starts and two more points finishes.
Normally such a strong end to the season would mean momentum could be carried through to next year’s campaign, but with Toro Rosso’s dispensation to use Red Bull chassis now expired, the underdog squad must create its own car for the first time since its Minardi days.
That’s a big step after four years as a customer, even though it did retain some of its design capacity, so 2010 could prove as low-key as this season for the hard-working team.
Toro Rosso’s 2009 highlight: Buemi’s heroics in the wet in China.
Lowlight: The team’s Spanish Grand Prix weekend ending with two mangled cars within seconds of the race start.
Ferrari debuts
Young talents' debuts with the Red
Maranello, 30 November – Tomorrow will be a special day for Jules Bianchi. At Jerez de la Frontera, the young French driver will make his debut at the wheel of a Formula 1 car, driving a Ferrari F60. This will also mark his track debut as a Scuderia driver, as Jules is tied to the Maranello squad with a multi-year contract, confirming Ferrari’s commitment to young talent, a policy of which Felipe Massa is a prime example. Further and more far reaching initiatives will be established in the near future.
Jules is just twenty years old, but his track record is already pretty impressive: French Formula A karting champion in 2006, winner of the national Formula Renault title in 2007, third in the 2008 Formula 3 Euroseries and first in the Masters category at Zolder, winner of the Drivers’ and Teams’ championship with ART Grand Prix in this year’s Formula Euroseries. Racing is very much in the blood of the Bianchi family: his grandfather Mauro was a three time winner of the world title in the GT category, his great-uncle Lucien had several successes, including winning Le Mans in 1969 in a Ford and the 1962 12 Hours of Sebring with Ferrari, as well as competing in 19 Formula 1 Grands Prix.
We met up with Jules, when he was in Maranello recently to be briefed by his engineers ahead of the Jerez test.
How do you feel going into this test?
“I am more than happy! It is difficult for me to explain how I feel, but it is something special. I know this is the first step on a journey that could turn out very nicely, but I’m equally aware that there is still a long way to go to get to Formula 1. In fact, next year, I’m competing in GP2 with ART Grand Prix and that will be the series in which I have to prove my worth.”
What were your first impressions of Maranello?
“Before coming to the Gestione Sportiva, I had not yet realised just what this meant. I have to say it was an absolutely fantastic feeling, getting into the F60 cockpit to prepare for the Jerez test. I also had a go on the simulator to get my confidence up with the steering wheel and all its buttons and switches. It will be important for me to go well on track, to get to know the car and, step by step, to grow as a driver, thanks to the support of the team. Lap times definitely won’t count for much…”
Where do you see yourself in a year’s time?
“I hope to finish in the top three in GP2 and to have shown my talent so that I can move up still further. If things didn’t go that well, then it would be further motivation to do well the following year. One thing’s for sure, I’m not the sort to let adversity get me down.” Jules will drive the F60 for two days, before making way for three very young colleagues. As in 2008, Ferrari, in collaboration with the CSAI, will give the top three finishers in the Italian Formula 3 Championship – Italians Daniel Zampieri and Marco Zipoli and the Mexican, Pablo Sanchez Lopez – the opportunity over the course of the day, to take turns at the wheel of the car that competed in this year’s Formula 1 world championship.
Maranello, 30 November – Tomorrow will be a special day for Jules Bianchi. At Jerez de la Frontera, the young French driver will make his debut at the wheel of a Formula 1 car, driving a Ferrari F60. This will also mark his track debut as a Scuderia driver, as Jules is tied to the Maranello squad with a multi-year contract, confirming Ferrari’s commitment to young talent, a policy of which Felipe Massa is a prime example. Further and more far reaching initiatives will be established in the near future.
Jules is just twenty years old, but his track record is already pretty impressive: French Formula A karting champion in 2006, winner of the national Formula Renault title in 2007, third in the 2008 Formula 3 Euroseries and first in the Masters category at Zolder, winner of the Drivers’ and Teams’ championship with ART Grand Prix in this year’s Formula Euroseries. Racing is very much in the blood of the Bianchi family: his grandfather Mauro was a three time winner of the world title in the GT category, his great-uncle Lucien had several successes, including winning Le Mans in 1969 in a Ford and the 1962 12 Hours of Sebring with Ferrari, as well as competing in 19 Formula 1 Grands Prix.
We met up with Jules, when he was in Maranello recently to be briefed by his engineers ahead of the Jerez test.
How do you feel going into this test?
“I am more than happy! It is difficult for me to explain how I feel, but it is something special. I know this is the first step on a journey that could turn out very nicely, but I’m equally aware that there is still a long way to go to get to Formula 1. In fact, next year, I’m competing in GP2 with ART Grand Prix and that will be the series in which I have to prove my worth.”
What were your first impressions of Maranello?
“Before coming to the Gestione Sportiva, I had not yet realised just what this meant. I have to say it was an absolutely fantastic feeling, getting into the F60 cockpit to prepare for the Jerez test. I also had a go on the simulator to get my confidence up with the steering wheel and all its buttons and switches. It will be important for me to go well on track, to get to know the car and, step by step, to grow as a driver, thanks to the support of the team. Lap times definitely won’t count for much…”
Where do you see yourself in a year’s time?
“I hope to finish in the top three in GP2 and to have shown my talent so that I can move up still further. If things didn’t go that well, then it would be further motivation to do well the following year. One thing’s for sure, I’m not the sort to let adversity get me down.” Jules will drive the F60 for two days, before making way for three very young colleagues. As in 2008, Ferrari, in collaboration with the CSAI, will give the top three finishers in the Italian Formula 3 Championship – Italians Daniel Zampieri and Marco Zipoli and the Mexican, Pablo Sanchez Lopez – the opportunity over the course of the day, to take turns at the wheel of the car that competed in this year’s Formula 1 world championship.
Octane announced as Canadian Grand Prix promoter
Octane Racing Group Incorporated (Octane), of Montreal, is proud to announce that it has reached an agreement with Formula One Administration Limited and Formula One World Championship Limited (together, the F1 Commercial Rights Holder) to act as promoter of the FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA as a round of the FIA Formula One World Championship in each of the years 2010 to 2014. The FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA 2010 will take place on June 11-13 at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
“We are extremely proud and satisfied with the agreement reached last week with the F1 Commercial Rights Holder. I feel that both parties share an equal amount of trust and confidence that we will succeed with the return of Formula One to Montreal’s summer events calendar,” stated Francois Dumontier, President of Octane.
“Our intention is to maintain and enhance the tradition established in Montreal since 1978 by the previous promoters of the event. The FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA has always been a world-class event and extremely popular among racing fans from Quebec, Canada and abroad. The fact that Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is quite challenging to the teams and the drivers, tends to produce a very exciting if not historically memorable event.”
Bernie Ecclestone, CEO of the Formula One group stated: “I am very satisfied with the agreement reached with Octane Racing Group to act as promoter of the FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA. Francois Dumontier and his team have all the necessary knowledge to deliver a great event to the North American fans and make a success of the return to Montreal of the FIA Formula One World Championship.”
In recent months, Octane has established itself as the most experienced team in Canada in motorsport event promotions. Mr Dumontier has been involved at the highest level of the FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA for much of the past 15 years and has gathered a team with a unique expertise to promote and organize such events.
Octane wishes to acknowledge the efforts of the Governments of Canada and Quebec, the City of Montreal and Tourisme-Montreal and thank Mr Ecclestone and the F1 Commercial Rights Holder for their confidence. “We especially see our agreement with the F1 Commercial Rights Holder as a great opportunity to demonstrate our capacity to be up to a great challenge, but also to help confirm the status of Montreal as one of the great venues for Formula One racing,” added Mr Dumontier.
Spectators who have attended previous Canadian Grands Prix in Montreal have witnessed an impressive record of five drivers taking their first F1 wins, starting with Gilles Villeneuve at the inaugural race in 1978, then in 1989 with Thierry Boutsen, 1995 with Jean Alesi, 2007 with Lewis Hamilton and finally in 2008 with Robert Kubica.
“We are extremely proud and satisfied with the agreement reached last week with the F1 Commercial Rights Holder. I feel that both parties share an equal amount of trust and confidence that we will succeed with the return of Formula One to Montreal’s summer events calendar,” stated Francois Dumontier, President of Octane.
“Our intention is to maintain and enhance the tradition established in Montreal since 1978 by the previous promoters of the event. The FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA has always been a world-class event and extremely popular among racing fans from Quebec, Canada and abroad. The fact that Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is quite challenging to the teams and the drivers, tends to produce a very exciting if not historically memorable event.”
Bernie Ecclestone, CEO of the Formula One group stated: “I am very satisfied with the agreement reached with Octane Racing Group to act as promoter of the FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA. Francois Dumontier and his team have all the necessary knowledge to deliver a great event to the North American fans and make a success of the return to Montreal of the FIA Formula One World Championship.”
In recent months, Octane has established itself as the most experienced team in Canada in motorsport event promotions. Mr Dumontier has been involved at the highest level of the FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA for much of the past 15 years and has gathered a team with a unique expertise to promote and organize such events.
Octane wishes to acknowledge the efforts of the Governments of Canada and Quebec, the City of Montreal and Tourisme-Montreal and thank Mr Ecclestone and the F1 Commercial Rights Holder for their confidence. “We especially see our agreement with the F1 Commercial Rights Holder as a great opportunity to demonstrate our capacity to be up to a great challenge, but also to help confirm the status of Montreal as one of the great venues for Formula One racing,” added Mr Dumontier.
Spectators who have attended previous Canadian Grands Prix in Montreal have witnessed an impressive record of five drivers taking their first F1 wins, starting with Gilles Villeneuve at the inaugural race in 1978, then in 1989 with Thierry Boutsen, 1995 with Jean Alesi, 2007 with Lewis Hamilton and finally in 2008 with Robert Kubica.
Manor to run under Virgin Racing title
The Manor Grand Prix team will run under the Virgin Racing name in 2010, according to the latest entry list issued by the FIA today.
Richard Branson's company entered Formula 1 as a sponsor of the Brawn team this year, but has long been linked with a larger role with Manor. The FIA document confirms that this will be the case, although an official announcement from Virgin is still awaited.
John Booth's squad will use chassis created by former Simtek and Benetton designer Nick Wirth's Wirth Research company, which designed the Acura LMP cars. Timo Glock has been signed as Virgin's first driver.
The other news confirmed by the FIA's entry list was that Red Bull Racing will continue with Renault engines. The team had been linked with a switch to Mercedes power earlier in the year.
But the entry list did not resolve the issue of the 13th entry. The Sauber team is hoping to get back into the field now that Toyota had pulled out of F1 - having previously committed to the new Concorde Agreement - but the FIA said it could not make an announcement about this situation yet.
"Toyota Motorsport GmbH remains formally bound by the Concorde Agreement to put forward a team for participation, though it has indicated that it will not be in a position to do so," said a statement from the governing body. "An announcement will be made regarding this entry in due course."
Champion team Brawn GP remains listed under its 2009 name on the entry, but the FIA noted that it "has indicated its intention to change its team name to Mercedes Grand Prix prior to the start of the 2010 season" following its purchase by the Germany company.
No Driver Entrant Constructor
1 Jenson BUTTON (GB) VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES McLAREN MERCEDES
2 Lewis HAMILTON (GB) VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES McLAREN MERCEDES
3 Nico ROSBERG (D) BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM BRAWN MERCEDES
4 TBA BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM BRAWN MERCEDES
5 Sebastian VETTEL (D) RED BULL RACING RED BULL RENAULT
6 Mark WEBBER (AUS) RED BULL RACING RED BULL RENAULT
7 Felipe MASSA (BR) SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO FERRARI
8 Fernando ALONSO (E) SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO FERRARI
9 Rubens BARRICHELLO (BR) AT&T WILLIAMS WILLIAMS COSWORTH
10 Nico HULKENBERG (D) AT&T WILLIAMS WILLIAMS COSWORTH
11 Robert KUBICA (PL) RENAULT F1 TEAM RENAULT
12 TBA RENAULT F1 TEAM RENAULT
14 Adrian SUTIL (D) FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM FORCE INDIA MERCEDES
15 Vitantonio LIUZZI (I) FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM FORCE INDIA MERCEDES
16 Sebastien BUEMI (CH) SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO STR FERRARI
17 TBA SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO STR FERRARI
18 TBA LOTUS F1 RACING LOTUS COSWORTH
19 TBA LOTUS F1 RACING LOTUS COSWORTH
20 TBA CAMPOS META 1 CAMPOS DALLARA
21 Bruno SENNA (BR) CAMPOS META 1 CAMPOS DALLARA
22 TBA US F1 TEAM US F1 COSWORTH
23 TBA US F1 TEAM US F1 COSWORTH
24 Timo GLOCK (D) VIRGIN RACING VIRGIN COSWORTH
25 TBA VIRGIN RACING VIRGIN COSWORTH
Richard Branson's company entered Formula 1 as a sponsor of the Brawn team this year, but has long been linked with a larger role with Manor. The FIA document confirms that this will be the case, although an official announcement from Virgin is still awaited.
John Booth's squad will use chassis created by former Simtek and Benetton designer Nick Wirth's Wirth Research company, which designed the Acura LMP cars. Timo Glock has been signed as Virgin's first driver.
The other news confirmed by the FIA's entry list was that Red Bull Racing will continue with Renault engines. The team had been linked with a switch to Mercedes power earlier in the year.
But the entry list did not resolve the issue of the 13th entry. The Sauber team is hoping to get back into the field now that Toyota had pulled out of F1 - having previously committed to the new Concorde Agreement - but the FIA said it could not make an announcement about this situation yet.
"Toyota Motorsport GmbH remains formally bound by the Concorde Agreement to put forward a team for participation, though it has indicated that it will not be in a position to do so," said a statement from the governing body. "An announcement will be made regarding this entry in due course."
Champion team Brawn GP remains listed under its 2009 name on the entry, but the FIA noted that it "has indicated its intention to change its team name to Mercedes Grand Prix prior to the start of the 2010 season" following its purchase by the Germany company.
No Driver Entrant Constructor
1 Jenson BUTTON (GB) VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES McLAREN MERCEDES
2 Lewis HAMILTON (GB) VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES McLAREN MERCEDES
3 Nico ROSBERG (D) BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM BRAWN MERCEDES
4 TBA BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM BRAWN MERCEDES
5 Sebastian VETTEL (D) RED BULL RACING RED BULL RENAULT
6 Mark WEBBER (AUS) RED BULL RACING RED BULL RENAULT
7 Felipe MASSA (BR) SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO FERRARI
8 Fernando ALONSO (E) SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO FERRARI
9 Rubens BARRICHELLO (BR) AT&T WILLIAMS WILLIAMS COSWORTH
10 Nico HULKENBERG (D) AT&T WILLIAMS WILLIAMS COSWORTH
11 Robert KUBICA (PL) RENAULT F1 TEAM RENAULT
12 TBA RENAULT F1 TEAM RENAULT
14 Adrian SUTIL (D) FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM FORCE INDIA MERCEDES
15 Vitantonio LIUZZI (I) FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM FORCE INDIA MERCEDES
16 Sebastien BUEMI (CH) SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO STR FERRARI
17 TBA SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO STR FERRARI
18 TBA LOTUS F1 RACING LOTUS COSWORTH
19 TBA LOTUS F1 RACING LOTUS COSWORTH
20 TBA CAMPOS META 1 CAMPOS DALLARA
21 Bruno SENNA (BR) CAMPOS META 1 CAMPOS DALLARA
22 TBA US F1 TEAM US F1 COSWORTH
23 TBA US F1 TEAM US F1 COSWORTH
24 Timo GLOCK (D) VIRGIN RACING VIRGIN COSWORTH
25 TBA VIRGIN RACING VIRGIN COSWORTH
Interview with Johnny Herbert
Former grand prix driver Johnny Herbert has never lost his enthusiasm for racing - having shown this year with a comeback in the British Touring Car Championship that he is far from ready to hang up his helmet.
It is also why his annual charity event, the 'Johnny Herbert Karting Challenge' continues to attract the great and good from motor racing - and why on Sunday it again helped raise several thousand pounds for worth causes. This year it was the Harry Birrell Scholarship Trust that benefited.
AUTOSPORT was there to not only race against Herbert but to chat to the Briton about the event, his switch to touring cars and what he thinks of the talking point of the winter - Jenson Button's move to McLaren.
Q. So your team finished sixth overall. Did you have fun?
Johnny Herbert: Yeah, I enjoy it because every year it gets more and more competitive – sadly. It seems to have turned into, with all the drivers who turn up, the last big event of the year. All these teams who now come in make it just so damn competitive. Even this year it has gone up another level, because there were a lot more people complaining about the karts as well! It is good the whole thing is for charity. It is enjoyable, it is competitive but the racing is good at the same time. It is enjoyable for everybody.
Q. Can you believe how far the event has come on since you started it back in 1994?
JH: Again, the main change is that it was always good in the beginning. It was nice when David Coulthard came along, and Allan McNish, and Jenson Button, and Robbie Williams, and all the other people that we have had – but the change has been in where the competitiveness has come in. But I think that is good – it is healthy, and you get that feeling that people want to come to the ‘Johnny Herbert Karting Challenge' and want to win it. So it is nice to do the racing part of it, but also with the nice charities that it goes to.
I've always based it mainly on kids' charities. I did it originally with Sparks, then I did Sidney Kidney, because my daughter had a kidney problem when she was younger. Then the [Warwickshire and Northamptonshire] Air Ambulance was chosen because my wife's Nan had a bit of a turn and the ambulance came in, and I learned they get no government funding so I thought, right okay they have helped me, so I will help them. Then I did something with Clarence House because Peter Phillips is a patron of the Harry Birrell Scholarship Trust, so I thought I would do that one this year. So next year we will probably go back to the air ambulance charity again because I know they need it a lot.
Q. And there was a bit of sibling rivalry for you this year because your daughters were racing for the first time?
JH: That was a nice thing. It is funny with my girls because when I was racing in Formula 1, they knew I did it but there was no interest whatsoever. Now and again they would come to a grand prix, but they didn't really care at all.
Last year my daughters were at the British GP and they had a watch at Becketts, and she said: "Blimey dad, they are so fast. Did you used to go that fast?" She was 18 then, so they had no concept of what I did, or the fame that came with it. You see F1 from the outside, and it looks like such a big event – and they never realised that. So it is only recently as they have grown up, that they knew I was a part of it.
So it is nice that they have come, and they have got their friends together, and six of them came along here. They did one hour last week, and that is all they have done. The last time was probably 10 or 11 years ago when we lived in Monaco – so they did an hour, and this was their first race, at a very competitive event as well. They acclimatised very, very well. They didn't have a particularly good kart but they stuck at it, they enjoyed it and my young one got really stuck into it as well – and didn't keep moving out of the way. It was nice seeing that competitive instinct – which must have come from the equestrian stuff they do. It was good they didn't beat me as well!
Q. How has your year been in general? You finished it with those appearances in the British Touring Car Championship.
JH: It has been okay. It was all a bit of a shame because of what happened with the Speedcar series, because I did enjoy that a lot and it was a good pack of guys that we had there.
Then the touring car thing came up as well. I knew I was going in at the massive deep end as I had only driven a Mini and a SEAT in terms of front-wheel drive machinery before. I knew just coming in at the end of the season would be tough, but I enjoyed it.
The front wheel drive is something that is completely alien to me. I had never driven anything like that competitively, in a proper built front-wheel drive car. There was a very different style that I needed to adapt to, and then of course you have to get into the racing as well. I knew it was all crash, bang and wallop – but if you accept that, then it is fine. If you don't accept it then you shouldn't really go in there to be honest. I did accept it, and it was nice to get involved in the racing, and mix it with the championship guys quite quickly. Hopefully if they can get it together, then we can do it next year, in a proper manner.
Q. Would you like to do a whole season?
JH: Yes, it would be nice to do a whole season. In any form of racing, to do it sporadically is hard. From Matt [Neal], to Jason [Plato] to [Fabrizio] Giovanardi, they have done this front wheel touring car stuff for so many years now that for them, it is just sit in it, drive, and it is like going down to Tesco. For me, I am sitting in it, I am thinking I have to build up, I have to get it right, and it is an alien type of driving. I don't think I could have done it any other way, as I only did it because the opportunity arose. But to do it like I did it, and do the odd races, then I have no chance really.
You need the time to build up really. You know when Nigel Mansell did it in the past, it took a lot to get to that, and there were certain other things that went on – it takes a lot to adapt to these cars. So, we will see. I know there are a few rule changes coming, but we know financially these times are not easy. They are difficult times at the moment, and everybody from West Surrey Racing, who have won the championship, they have to go out there at this time of year and still find money for next season. There is time to find it, but we know how tough it is. We will see what happens.
Q. Talking about F1, you are synonymously linked with Lotus, and the name is coming back to grand prix racing next year. Do you have any special feelings about that?
JH: I think it is great that we have got a name like that back again. The big name that we have got is Ferrari – because the racing names are the McLarens and Williams. They are still there, and still doing very, very well.
But it is nice that there is a marque that is historically British, and has had a lot of success. It is still one of the most successful F1 teams. Okay, it is now owned by Proton, but at the end of the day it is a good thing that they are back.
It is going to be very, very hard for the new teams because they have come under the £40 million cap, because obviously that cap was not capped in the end and the big teams will still spend the big money. But it does prove, like Force India, that if you do certain things, then you can actually be very competitive – surprisingly competitive to be honest, as they probably shocked everybody by how competitive they were. But it does prove it is possible.
It is not easy though. It took Force India a long time from the successful Jordan days, with the same nucleus of people at the end of the day, to get back to that. Of course, they know racing, but F1 is a very different animal from F3, or GP2 or anything else for that matter.
It is going to be tough, and equally so for Lotus. It has a great name and that great name that possibly can help them get the sponsorship that they need, but they have to start well. They are all aware of that and they are all aware that it is going to be tough for them, but it will be nice for Lotus to be able to come back. Mike [Gascoyne] is a very experienced guy, but we will have to see what he has produced at the end of the day.
Q. Are you going to be involved in the team?
JH: No. I was originally (with Litespeed in the summer) but I took a step back and looked at it, and thought I wasn't sure. So I will watch from the distance.
Q. We had another British world champion this year, so two on the trot now. It is a pretty sensational time for British racing fans, isn't it?
JH: Definitely so. It is a shame because for Jenson, I think he had a cracking year but there was a little bit of criticism out there that the second part of the year wasn't very strong and it wasn't like when he was dominant at the beginning. But, to be perfectly honestly, the others didn't move forward. Red Bull probably peaked well too late, and that was probably the quickest car overall but it took so long to get the thing sorted properly for whatever reason.
Then we had Ferrari have a little bit of resurgence, then that petered out a little bit – and then McLaren, who probably had the best year I've ever seen in a way. They came from a few seconds off at that pre-season Barcelona test, to win races. I've never seen a team come back from the back of the grid during a season to win. Teams come back and perhaps get some points, and mix it in the lower end of the points – but never ever to win. So it was amazing that McLaren and Lewis were able to work together to be able to produce what they did. For me, that was the best season they have ever done in a lot of regards.
All that mix of people getting it right in certain places – the McLaren only working at certain tracks, the Red Bull coming in strong, then strangely enough having that little bit of a weak spell when you expected them to dominate from Silverstone onwards, was nice to see. But I think that made it harder for Brawn because there was so much going on. And we hadn't seen for many years so many teams fighting for wins. Normally it is just a straight head-to-head, but it wasn't this time. It kept changing, and they kept level for some reason – and Jenson did everything he needed to do.
He had a Schumacher style of coming to the pit stops, being told to push and he pushed and went much quicker. He showed the Michael speed that we used to see at the right time, with Ross [Brawn] knowing how Michael did it, and he did respond to the call. He had those six races under his belt at the start of the year, then everything started to change with everyone else having their peaks. He stuck there, it didn't go quite to plan, but at the end of the day he did exactly what he needed to do.
It was nothing to do with Brawn, it was nothing to do with Jenson. The failures came from McLaren not getting it right, Red Bull Racing not getting it right early enough and Ferrari having a bad year at the same time. They are the ones that lost it. Brawn did the job in very difficult circumstances because they didn't have a team in December. Even from that point of view – everyone else had an easier time. Red Bull, who ended up being the strongest over the year, they are the ones who should have won because they had everything easy.
I know people say that Brawn already had the car designed and it was all there, but all those difficult times of not knowing what the hell was happening, and all the stress that goes with it, did not make it easier. The first any of us saw that, of the stress of the changeover and the pressures of the season, was from Ross on the pit wall in Brazil [when he cried]. You never see Ross like that, so there was a lot of stress involved and that was the release.
Q. Were you surprised then that Jenson decided to move to McLaren?
JH: You can look at it a few ways. You can say, why move because obviously Brawn was effectively Jenson's team as he has just won the world championship. But Mercedes has just come along and I don't know the situation – he knows it much better than we do about what development work has gone on during the season as to what he needs, and they need, to have a chance of winning it next year.
With McLaren, you can always look and say that they are one of those teams that are going to work at it. They are going to learn from what they did this year. They are on the up, they have a very good chance and the connection between McLaren, Lewis and the engineers is very strong as it is 14-years-old.
And that is the tough thing for Jenson. McLaren will give both drivers equal cars for sure. But it is just those little mental things that can make a difference. Lewis is in his team, and I know the team is going to try as hard as it can, but these little things can be quite sensitive sometimes to a driver.
Fernando Alonso at McLaren provides the perfect example. He went there as a double world champion, thinking he was the best driver out there and that he was going to win it easily. And of course, he didn't.
The positive for Jenson will be that his championship is out of the way. The pressure is off. He has done what he needed to do. He can go out there, and try and defend it in a much less stressful way. He has had the stress of trying to win a championship and not knowing if he is going to win it, or everything that is going with it. That has gone now – he has won it, he has done it, and now he can actually go out there and enjoy it.
Hopefully, early in the season – perhaps in testing – the way he is going to get that team working around him, that nucleus of his engineer and his crew, is to go out there and take it to Lewis. It is well within him to do it. The speed we know is there but he has to go out there and almost prove a point again. It is quite funny how that situation comes about – where he has to go in there and prove himself again as a world champion. It is going to be a very tough thing for all of them – Lewis, Jenson and McLaren. But it will be a good season.
Q. In 1995 you went into Benetton against the guy who was the incumbent – Michael Schumacher – and the big star. If you had to give Jenson one piece of advice from your lessons of that time, what would it be?
JH: Well, I never had a problem with Michael, and I don't think Jenson will have a problem with Lewis. My problem was always with Flavio because it was Flavio who always said yes to Michael. I don't think Jenson is going to get that problem.
The biggest thing I would say to Jenson is to just settle as quick you can – and make the biggest effort now to integrate with all the people, and all the personnel. Now is key to getting those relationships early and positive.
If you get them early and positive, it is something you will feel can help take you forward. That energy will bounce back off everyone – but when I was there with Flavio it bounced and then ricocheted – and then always missed me! That is F1. It is what it is like.
It is never easy – and it is not going to be easy for Lewis either. He has got the world champion coming in, and he is going to want to beat him – and equally so the other way around. Jenson has to get those relationships sorted early – that is key.
It is also why his annual charity event, the 'Johnny Herbert Karting Challenge' continues to attract the great and good from motor racing - and why on Sunday it again helped raise several thousand pounds for worth causes. This year it was the Harry Birrell Scholarship Trust that benefited.
AUTOSPORT was there to not only race against Herbert but to chat to the Briton about the event, his switch to touring cars and what he thinks of the talking point of the winter - Jenson Button's move to McLaren.
Q. So your team finished sixth overall. Did you have fun?
Johnny Herbert: Yeah, I enjoy it because every year it gets more and more competitive – sadly. It seems to have turned into, with all the drivers who turn up, the last big event of the year. All these teams who now come in make it just so damn competitive. Even this year it has gone up another level, because there were a lot more people complaining about the karts as well! It is good the whole thing is for charity. It is enjoyable, it is competitive but the racing is good at the same time. It is enjoyable for everybody.
Q. Can you believe how far the event has come on since you started it back in 1994?
JH: Again, the main change is that it was always good in the beginning. It was nice when David Coulthard came along, and Allan McNish, and Jenson Button, and Robbie Williams, and all the other people that we have had – but the change has been in where the competitiveness has come in. But I think that is good – it is healthy, and you get that feeling that people want to come to the ‘Johnny Herbert Karting Challenge' and want to win it. So it is nice to do the racing part of it, but also with the nice charities that it goes to.
I've always based it mainly on kids' charities. I did it originally with Sparks, then I did Sidney Kidney, because my daughter had a kidney problem when she was younger. Then the [Warwickshire and Northamptonshire] Air Ambulance was chosen because my wife's Nan had a bit of a turn and the ambulance came in, and I learned they get no government funding so I thought, right okay they have helped me, so I will help them. Then I did something with Clarence House because Peter Phillips is a patron of the Harry Birrell Scholarship Trust, so I thought I would do that one this year. So next year we will probably go back to the air ambulance charity again because I know they need it a lot.
Q. And there was a bit of sibling rivalry for you this year because your daughters were racing for the first time?
JH: That was a nice thing. It is funny with my girls because when I was racing in Formula 1, they knew I did it but there was no interest whatsoever. Now and again they would come to a grand prix, but they didn't really care at all.
Last year my daughters were at the British GP and they had a watch at Becketts, and she said: "Blimey dad, they are so fast. Did you used to go that fast?" She was 18 then, so they had no concept of what I did, or the fame that came with it. You see F1 from the outside, and it looks like such a big event – and they never realised that. So it is only recently as they have grown up, that they knew I was a part of it.
So it is nice that they have come, and they have got their friends together, and six of them came along here. They did one hour last week, and that is all they have done. The last time was probably 10 or 11 years ago when we lived in Monaco – so they did an hour, and this was their first race, at a very competitive event as well. They acclimatised very, very well. They didn't have a particularly good kart but they stuck at it, they enjoyed it and my young one got really stuck into it as well – and didn't keep moving out of the way. It was nice seeing that competitive instinct – which must have come from the equestrian stuff they do. It was good they didn't beat me as well!
Q. How has your year been in general? You finished it with those appearances in the British Touring Car Championship.
JH: It has been okay. It was all a bit of a shame because of what happened with the Speedcar series, because I did enjoy that a lot and it was a good pack of guys that we had there.
Then the touring car thing came up as well. I knew I was going in at the massive deep end as I had only driven a Mini and a SEAT in terms of front-wheel drive machinery before. I knew just coming in at the end of the season would be tough, but I enjoyed it.
The front wheel drive is something that is completely alien to me. I had never driven anything like that competitively, in a proper built front-wheel drive car. There was a very different style that I needed to adapt to, and then of course you have to get into the racing as well. I knew it was all crash, bang and wallop – but if you accept that, then it is fine. If you don't accept it then you shouldn't really go in there to be honest. I did accept it, and it was nice to get involved in the racing, and mix it with the championship guys quite quickly. Hopefully if they can get it together, then we can do it next year, in a proper manner.
Q. Would you like to do a whole season?
JH: Yes, it would be nice to do a whole season. In any form of racing, to do it sporadically is hard. From Matt [Neal], to Jason [Plato] to [Fabrizio] Giovanardi, they have done this front wheel touring car stuff for so many years now that for them, it is just sit in it, drive, and it is like going down to Tesco. For me, I am sitting in it, I am thinking I have to build up, I have to get it right, and it is an alien type of driving. I don't think I could have done it any other way, as I only did it because the opportunity arose. But to do it like I did it, and do the odd races, then I have no chance really.
You need the time to build up really. You know when Nigel Mansell did it in the past, it took a lot to get to that, and there were certain other things that went on – it takes a lot to adapt to these cars. So, we will see. I know there are a few rule changes coming, but we know financially these times are not easy. They are difficult times at the moment, and everybody from West Surrey Racing, who have won the championship, they have to go out there at this time of year and still find money for next season. There is time to find it, but we know how tough it is. We will see what happens.
Q. Talking about F1, you are synonymously linked with Lotus, and the name is coming back to grand prix racing next year. Do you have any special feelings about that?
JH: I think it is great that we have got a name like that back again. The big name that we have got is Ferrari – because the racing names are the McLarens and Williams. They are still there, and still doing very, very well.
But it is nice that there is a marque that is historically British, and has had a lot of success. It is still one of the most successful F1 teams. Okay, it is now owned by Proton, but at the end of the day it is a good thing that they are back.
It is going to be very, very hard for the new teams because they have come under the £40 million cap, because obviously that cap was not capped in the end and the big teams will still spend the big money. But it does prove, like Force India, that if you do certain things, then you can actually be very competitive – surprisingly competitive to be honest, as they probably shocked everybody by how competitive they were. But it does prove it is possible.
It is not easy though. It took Force India a long time from the successful Jordan days, with the same nucleus of people at the end of the day, to get back to that. Of course, they know racing, but F1 is a very different animal from F3, or GP2 or anything else for that matter.
It is going to be tough, and equally so for Lotus. It has a great name and that great name that possibly can help them get the sponsorship that they need, but they have to start well. They are all aware of that and they are all aware that it is going to be tough for them, but it will be nice for Lotus to be able to come back. Mike [Gascoyne] is a very experienced guy, but we will have to see what he has produced at the end of the day.
Q. Are you going to be involved in the team?
JH: No. I was originally (with Litespeed in the summer) but I took a step back and looked at it, and thought I wasn't sure. So I will watch from the distance.
Q. We had another British world champion this year, so two on the trot now. It is a pretty sensational time for British racing fans, isn't it?
JH: Definitely so. It is a shame because for Jenson, I think he had a cracking year but there was a little bit of criticism out there that the second part of the year wasn't very strong and it wasn't like when he was dominant at the beginning. But, to be perfectly honestly, the others didn't move forward. Red Bull probably peaked well too late, and that was probably the quickest car overall but it took so long to get the thing sorted properly for whatever reason.
Then we had Ferrari have a little bit of resurgence, then that petered out a little bit – and then McLaren, who probably had the best year I've ever seen in a way. They came from a few seconds off at that pre-season Barcelona test, to win races. I've never seen a team come back from the back of the grid during a season to win. Teams come back and perhaps get some points, and mix it in the lower end of the points – but never ever to win. So it was amazing that McLaren and Lewis were able to work together to be able to produce what they did. For me, that was the best season they have ever done in a lot of regards.
All that mix of people getting it right in certain places – the McLaren only working at certain tracks, the Red Bull coming in strong, then strangely enough having that little bit of a weak spell when you expected them to dominate from Silverstone onwards, was nice to see. But I think that made it harder for Brawn because there was so much going on. And we hadn't seen for many years so many teams fighting for wins. Normally it is just a straight head-to-head, but it wasn't this time. It kept changing, and they kept level for some reason – and Jenson did everything he needed to do.
He had a Schumacher style of coming to the pit stops, being told to push and he pushed and went much quicker. He showed the Michael speed that we used to see at the right time, with Ross [Brawn] knowing how Michael did it, and he did respond to the call. He had those six races under his belt at the start of the year, then everything started to change with everyone else having their peaks. He stuck there, it didn't go quite to plan, but at the end of the day he did exactly what he needed to do.
It was nothing to do with Brawn, it was nothing to do with Jenson. The failures came from McLaren not getting it right, Red Bull Racing not getting it right early enough and Ferrari having a bad year at the same time. They are the ones that lost it. Brawn did the job in very difficult circumstances because they didn't have a team in December. Even from that point of view – everyone else had an easier time. Red Bull, who ended up being the strongest over the year, they are the ones who should have won because they had everything easy.
I know people say that Brawn already had the car designed and it was all there, but all those difficult times of not knowing what the hell was happening, and all the stress that goes with it, did not make it easier. The first any of us saw that, of the stress of the changeover and the pressures of the season, was from Ross on the pit wall in Brazil [when he cried]. You never see Ross like that, so there was a lot of stress involved and that was the release.
Q. Were you surprised then that Jenson decided to move to McLaren?
JH: You can look at it a few ways. You can say, why move because obviously Brawn was effectively Jenson's team as he has just won the world championship. But Mercedes has just come along and I don't know the situation – he knows it much better than we do about what development work has gone on during the season as to what he needs, and they need, to have a chance of winning it next year.
With McLaren, you can always look and say that they are one of those teams that are going to work at it. They are going to learn from what they did this year. They are on the up, they have a very good chance and the connection between McLaren, Lewis and the engineers is very strong as it is 14-years-old.
And that is the tough thing for Jenson. McLaren will give both drivers equal cars for sure. But it is just those little mental things that can make a difference. Lewis is in his team, and I know the team is going to try as hard as it can, but these little things can be quite sensitive sometimes to a driver.
Fernando Alonso at McLaren provides the perfect example. He went there as a double world champion, thinking he was the best driver out there and that he was going to win it easily. And of course, he didn't.
The positive for Jenson will be that his championship is out of the way. The pressure is off. He has done what he needed to do. He can go out there, and try and defend it in a much less stressful way. He has had the stress of trying to win a championship and not knowing if he is going to win it, or everything that is going with it. That has gone now – he has won it, he has done it, and now he can actually go out there and enjoy it.
Hopefully, early in the season – perhaps in testing – the way he is going to get that team working around him, that nucleus of his engineer and his crew, is to go out there and take it to Lewis. It is well within him to do it. The speed we know is there but he has to go out there and almost prove a point again. It is quite funny how that situation comes about – where he has to go in there and prove himself again as a world champion. It is going to be a very tough thing for all of them – Lewis, Jenson and McLaren. But it will be a good season.
Q. In 1995 you went into Benetton against the guy who was the incumbent – Michael Schumacher – and the big star. If you had to give Jenson one piece of advice from your lessons of that time, what would it be?
JH: Well, I never had a problem with Michael, and I don't think Jenson will have a problem with Lewis. My problem was always with Flavio because it was Flavio who always said yes to Michael. I don't think Jenson is going to get that problem.
The biggest thing I would say to Jenson is to just settle as quick you can – and make the biggest effort now to integrate with all the people, and all the personnel. Now is key to getting those relationships early and positive.
If you get them early and positive, it is something you will feel can help take you forward. That energy will bounce back off everyone – but when I was there with Flavio it bounced and then ricocheted – and then always missed me! That is F1. It is what it is like.
It is never easy – and it is not going to be easy for Lewis either. He has got the world champion coming in, and he is going to want to beat him – and equally so the other way around. Jenson has to get those relationships sorted early – that is key.
Oliver Turvey ready for Young Driver test at Jerez
Oliver Turvey, the winner of the 2006 McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award, will be given his prize drive in a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 car at this week’s winter test in Jerez, Spain.
The 22-year-old takes part in this week’s three-day Jerez test, which has been designated a ‘Young Driver’ event, meaning it is only open to drivers with limited Formula 1 race experience – and is the perfect opportunity for Oliver to learn the ropes in a more relaxed environment.
Oliver has already undergone a seat fitting at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking. He has also been thoroughly prepared by the team’s engineers ahead of the test, which will take place in an MP4-24 – the car raced by Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen in the 2009 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Oliver said: “I’ve gone over this moment so many times in my mind, so it’s very exciting to be getting this opportunity to test with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team at Jerez this week. My aim is to enjoy the experience, but also to learn as much as I can from it. If possible, I’d also like to be able to help the team with their preparations for the 2010 season.”
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team principal Martin Whitmarsh added: “We’re extremely proud of our commitment to young talent and the efforts we’ve made to ensure the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver winners are given the experience of a lifetime when they test with us.
“A drive in a race-wining Formula 1 car is every racing driver’s dream, and I’m sure Oliver will use this week’s test as the perfect opportunity to broaden his experience as he continues his successful single-seater career.”
The 22-year-old takes part in this week’s three-day Jerez test, which has been designated a ‘Young Driver’ event, meaning it is only open to drivers with limited Formula 1 race experience – and is the perfect opportunity for Oliver to learn the ropes in a more relaxed environment.
Oliver has already undergone a seat fitting at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking. He has also been thoroughly prepared by the team’s engineers ahead of the test, which will take place in an MP4-24 – the car raced by Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen in the 2009 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Oliver said: “I’ve gone over this moment so many times in my mind, so it’s very exciting to be getting this opportunity to test with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team at Jerez this week. My aim is to enjoy the experience, but also to learn as much as I can from it. If possible, I’d also like to be able to help the team with their preparations for the 2010 season.”
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team principal Martin Whitmarsh added: “We’re extremely proud of our commitment to young talent and the efforts we’ve made to ensure the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver winners are given the experience of a lifetime when they test with us.
“A drive in a race-wining Formula 1 car is every racing driver’s dream, and I’m sure Oliver will use this week’s test as the perfect opportunity to broaden his experience as he continues his successful single-seater career.”
Theissen decides to stay on at BMW
Mario Theissen has decided to remain as head of BMW motorsport despite the German car maker's decision to quit Formula 1.
Theissen had admitted he was considering his future at BMW after it was announced it would not be racing in F1 from next year, but the German will stay on following the sale of the team back to Peter Sauber.
"In Hinwil it is now the end of an era, and I will remain as motorsport director at BMW," Theissen said.
BMW announced last week that it had sold the team back to Sauber, from whom the car maker had purchased a majority stake four years ago.
The FIA is yet to reveal if the Hinwil-based squad has a slot on the 2010 grid.
Theissen had admitted he was considering his future at BMW after it was announced it would not be racing in F1 from next year, but the German will stay on following the sale of the team back to Peter Sauber.
"In Hinwil it is now the end of an era, and I will remain as motorsport director at BMW," Theissen said.
BMW announced last week that it had sold the team back to Sauber, from whom the car maker had purchased a majority stake four years ago.
The FIA is yet to reveal if the Hinwil-based squad has a slot on the 2010 grid.
Soucek: Williams test a dream chance
Formula 2 champion Andy Soucek says his maiden Formula 1 test with the Williams team is a dream come true for him.
The 24-year-old Spaniard will make his F1 debut at Jerez tomorrow as a prize for winning the F2 championship this year.
Soucek says he's not putting himself under pressure for the test, but is confident he will be able to do a solid job.
"For me it is like a dream come true, having an F1 team focus on you for an entire day," said Soucek. "Williams really do set the highest standards, and every detail is examined and catered for - I even had three people analysing how my seat position could improve!
"It's a big responsibility driving Williams' car, and as always I'll be going out hoping to be fast and do the best job I can.
"However I'm not putting myself under too much pressure; I'm confident and relaxed more than anything else, and it will just be great to get experience from the test and get reference points of how Formula 1 works."
Soucek, winner of seven races in F2 this year, is aware that speed will not be the only factor in impressing the team.
"The test is about an accumulation of factors," he added. "You need to be able to create and build a good environment with the team, you have to deliver good and accurate reports on the car, and of course you have to be quick. If you put everything together, then you have a good test. I'm just going to be myself and be natural.
"I knew I had the test after Imola where I won the championship, so since then I have been training a lot, working on my neck and my fitness. F1 requires you to be in very good physical shape, so I have been working hard.
"It's also about your mental state, so I have spent the last few days with my grandmother and family in order to be fully focussed before the test. On Monday I will spend the whole day with my engineer making final adjustments, and then I'm sure the nerves will kick in the night before.
"Overall though I'm feeling very relaxed and confident. I have even had my Stilo helmet repainted with the Williams blue and white colour scheme, and it looks really good. The team made me feel very comfortable, and I can't wait to get out in the car
The 24-year-old Spaniard will make his F1 debut at Jerez tomorrow as a prize for winning the F2 championship this year.
Soucek says he's not putting himself under pressure for the test, but is confident he will be able to do a solid job.
"For me it is like a dream come true, having an F1 team focus on you for an entire day," said Soucek. "Williams really do set the highest standards, and every detail is examined and catered for - I even had three people analysing how my seat position could improve!
"It's a big responsibility driving Williams' car, and as always I'll be going out hoping to be fast and do the best job I can.
"However I'm not putting myself under too much pressure; I'm confident and relaxed more than anything else, and it will just be great to get experience from the test and get reference points of how Formula 1 works."
Soucek, winner of seven races in F2 this year, is aware that speed will not be the only factor in impressing the team.
"The test is about an accumulation of factors," he added. "You need to be able to create and build a good environment with the team, you have to deliver good and accurate reports on the car, and of course you have to be quick. If you put everything together, then you have a good test. I'm just going to be myself and be natural.
"I knew I had the test after Imola where I won the championship, so since then I have been training a lot, working on my neck and my fitness. F1 requires you to be in very good physical shape, so I have been working hard.
"It's also about your mental state, so I have spent the last few days with my grandmother and family in order to be fully focussed before the test. On Monday I will spend the whole day with my engineer making final adjustments, and then I'm sure the nerves will kick in the night before.
"Overall though I'm feeling very relaxed and confident. I have even had my Stilo helmet repainted with the Williams blue and white colour scheme, and it looks really good. The team made me feel very comfortable, and I can't wait to get out in the car
Exclusive Peter Sauber Q and A: Ferrari-powered C29 on schedule
Ask anyone in Formula One racing and they’ll tell you Peter Sauber’s a real gentleman, even in the heat of competition. For the last four years he’s taken a back seat after BMW purchased a controlling share in the team he founded. But following the German carmaker’s withdrawal from the sport, he’s returned to the spotlight after buying it back. Though widely welcomed, the move has come as a surprise to many, not least Sauber himself. They may not yet have a confirmed grid slot for 2010, but Sauber is confident about stepping into the breach once more, with the Ferrari-powered C29 very much on schedule...
Q: Peter, what does the agreement with BMW really mean? Is it true to say that both parties wouldn’t have reached an agreement if there hadn’t been strong signals that the team had a slot on the 2010 grid…
Peter Sauber: This agreement means that the future of the team and the location in Hinwil are secured. I am very relieved about that development. It would have been a crying shame had one of the best Formula One factories closed down. Regarding the slot on the grid I am very confident that we will be given a final confirmation very shortly.
Q: Do you expect the confirmation to come during next month’s FIA meeting in Monaco?
PS: I am pretty confident that there will be a decision before that date.
Q: Did you feel obligated to keep the team alive?
PS: I was strongly focused on that topic before I made the decision to acquire the team. Now the responsibility rests solely on my shoulders, but be sure that I will do everything in my power to secure a positive future for the team.
Q: How have you got the finances in place? Will Qadbak, the investment group that had planned the original deal with BMW, get involved now? Or do you envisage something similar to what happened between Honda and Brawn last year?
PS: I have obtained the financial resources for the acquisition by myself. No other backers are involved.
Q: There was always an air of mystery surrounding Qadbak, with some suggesting the name was a composition of the initials of Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. Can you shed a bit more light on it now?
PS: I have not made any comments on Qadbak in the last two months and I want to keep it that way.
Q: You faced a difficult task to reduce the number of staff by around 130 to reach the agreed headcount of 250. The Hinwil workforce was a perfectly functioning unit. How have you tried to avoid slumps in quality?
PS: That was indeed a very painful procedure. In my 40-year career as an entrepreneur I have never before had to lay off staff on financial grounds. All departments were equally affected by the cutbacks and there is a hope that no quality issues will arise. Regarding performance, we will try to compensate for the lower headcount through efficiency.
Q: You could benefit from Toyota’s withdrawal. Without it, would you have to have waited for one of the new entrants to falter?
PS: The FIA had already promised us the 14th slot on the grid. Under that circumstance it would have been our obligation to persuade the one team that had voted against us to accept our entry.
Q: From your position as a minority stakeholder you have been propelled back into the team principal’s role…
PS: It was truly never my desire to return to the pit wall. But once I decide for myself to get involved with something, then I am fully committed and do it with all my passion.
Q: It seems as though the development of the 2010 car has not been affected by BMW’s withdrawal. What is the state of affairs?
PS: Our 2010 car is perfectly on schedule. The development and fabrication have been unaffected by the situation. Having been able to proceed with uninterrupted development was also possible thanks to excellent cooperation with Ferrari, who submitted all the relevant data very early. Regarding the performance of the C29 we are all very confident. Two months before the first tests, we have already reached a very good basis for further development.
Q: So after four years of racing a BMW engine, you’re back using a Ferrari engine…
PS: That was one of the fixtures very early on. Shortly after BMW announced its withdrawal at the end of July I talked to (Ferrari chairman) Luca di Montezemolo and in a very short time - and without any bureaucracy - we received an okay. We will use a Ferrari engine and drive train.
Q: How about the driver line-up? Is the market for good drivers already swept clean?
PS: No, definitely not. And we have two very attractive cockpits to offer.
Q: How is your schedule looking for the coming weeks?
PS: On my personal list there are two priorities - the slot on the grid and the Concorde Agreement. Then I will look for drivers. My guess is that a lot of time will be consumed by the restructuring from 380 employees to 250.
Q: Peter, what does the agreement with BMW really mean? Is it true to say that both parties wouldn’t have reached an agreement if there hadn’t been strong signals that the team had a slot on the 2010 grid…
Peter Sauber: This agreement means that the future of the team and the location in Hinwil are secured. I am very relieved about that development. It would have been a crying shame had one of the best Formula One factories closed down. Regarding the slot on the grid I am very confident that we will be given a final confirmation very shortly.
Q: Do you expect the confirmation to come during next month’s FIA meeting in Monaco?
PS: I am pretty confident that there will be a decision before that date.
Q: Did you feel obligated to keep the team alive?
PS: I was strongly focused on that topic before I made the decision to acquire the team. Now the responsibility rests solely on my shoulders, but be sure that I will do everything in my power to secure a positive future for the team.
Q: How have you got the finances in place? Will Qadbak, the investment group that had planned the original deal with BMW, get involved now? Or do you envisage something similar to what happened between Honda and Brawn last year?
PS: I have obtained the financial resources for the acquisition by myself. No other backers are involved.
Q: There was always an air of mystery surrounding Qadbak, with some suggesting the name was a composition of the initials of Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. Can you shed a bit more light on it now?
PS: I have not made any comments on Qadbak in the last two months and I want to keep it that way.
Q: You faced a difficult task to reduce the number of staff by around 130 to reach the agreed headcount of 250. The Hinwil workforce was a perfectly functioning unit. How have you tried to avoid slumps in quality?
PS: That was indeed a very painful procedure. In my 40-year career as an entrepreneur I have never before had to lay off staff on financial grounds. All departments were equally affected by the cutbacks and there is a hope that no quality issues will arise. Regarding performance, we will try to compensate for the lower headcount through efficiency.
Q: You could benefit from Toyota’s withdrawal. Without it, would you have to have waited for one of the new entrants to falter?
PS: The FIA had already promised us the 14th slot on the grid. Under that circumstance it would have been our obligation to persuade the one team that had voted against us to accept our entry.
Q: From your position as a minority stakeholder you have been propelled back into the team principal’s role…
PS: It was truly never my desire to return to the pit wall. But once I decide for myself to get involved with something, then I am fully committed and do it with all my passion.
Q: It seems as though the development of the 2010 car has not been affected by BMW’s withdrawal. What is the state of affairs?
PS: Our 2010 car is perfectly on schedule. The development and fabrication have been unaffected by the situation. Having been able to proceed with uninterrupted development was also possible thanks to excellent cooperation with Ferrari, who submitted all the relevant data very early. Regarding the performance of the C29 we are all very confident. Two months before the first tests, we have already reached a very good basis for further development.
Q: So after four years of racing a BMW engine, you’re back using a Ferrari engine…
PS: That was one of the fixtures very early on. Shortly after BMW announced its withdrawal at the end of July I talked to (Ferrari chairman) Luca di Montezemolo and in a very short time - and without any bureaucracy - we received an okay. We will use a Ferrari engine and drive train.
Q: How about the driver line-up? Is the market for good drivers already swept clean?
PS: No, definitely not. And we have two very attractive cockpits to offer.
Q: How is your schedule looking for the coming weeks?
PS: On my personal list there are two priorities - the slot on the grid and the Concorde Agreement. Then I will look for drivers. My guess is that a lot of time will be consumed by the restructuring from 380 employees to 250.
Massa and Schumacher: win for two in kart
Florianopolis, 29 November 2009 - A special weekend for Felipe Massa, back at racing after his long absence after his incredible accident in Budapest on 25 July. The Ferrari driver was the highlight at the "International Champion Challenge", the competition, which has been organised by Massa himself in Florianopolis, Brazil, for several years.
Felipe, third in the first race after a beautiful performance from the eleventh position on the grid, won the second race, held today afternoon, after he had gained the sixth starting position. After loosing two positions at the start the Ferrarista closed the gap and passed the leader, his fellow countryman Vitor Meira, on the last laps. Michael Schumacher crossed the line second in the first race, gaining the trophy with 42 points, thanks to the overall result from both races. Michael was ahead of Felipe (36 points) and Meira (26) in the overall standings.
"This was a fantastic event, maybe the most important kart event in the world," Felipe said after the race. "I demonstrated to be competitive like before the accident and that makes me happy. I think that if there were still any doubts, today I gave the answer. In the end I had a fierce fight with Michael, who was slightly faster, but I made it."
Schumacher dominated the event also in 2007 and could repeat his win today: "it was like in the old days, with Felipe and me on the highest places on the podium: I'm very happy and proud of him. It was a wonderful race and a beautiful day for all of us who took part."
Felipe, third in the first race after a beautiful performance from the eleventh position on the grid, won the second race, held today afternoon, after he had gained the sixth starting position. After loosing two positions at the start the Ferrarista closed the gap and passed the leader, his fellow countryman Vitor Meira, on the last laps. Michael Schumacher crossed the line second in the first race, gaining the trophy with 42 points, thanks to the overall result from both races. Michael was ahead of Felipe (36 points) and Meira (26) in the overall standings.
"This was a fantastic event, maybe the most important kart event in the world," Felipe said after the race. "I demonstrated to be competitive like before the accident and that makes me happy. I think that if there were still any doubts, today I gave the answer. In the end I had a fierce fight with Michael, who was slightly faster, but I made it."
Schumacher dominated the event also in 2007 and could repeat his win today: "it was like in the old days, with Felipe and me on the highest places on the podium: I'm very happy and proud of him. It was a wonderful race and a beautiful day for all of us who took part."
Sunday 29 November 2009
Whitmarsh: Driver rivalry good for team
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh is confident that the competitive rivalry between his 2010 drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton will spur the team on rather than becoming destructive.
The Woking squad has pulled off a major coup by signing new world champion Button to partner last year's title-winner Hamilton. But the pairing of the two champions has led to fears of a repeat of the fractious intra-team rows that occurred when McLaren ran Ayrton Senna alongside Alain Prost in the late 1980s, and Hamilton alongside Fernando Alonso in 2007.
Whitmarsh is certain that McLaren can handle its 2010 drivers and that their desire to beat each other will prove positive for the team.
"We feel confident that, as an organisation, we'll be able to manage the demands and expectations of our drivers," he told the Independent.
"Lewis and Jenson are both world champions, they know what it takes to win, and I'm sure they'll both be very motivated to push each other to deliver even greater results. It's my job to positively harness that competitiveness for the greater benefit of the team.
"It's a proposition that some teams might find troubling, but which we are absolutely relishing - it's a very nice problem to have! We have two fiercely competitive individuals who both fully understand the benefit of teamwork. They are phenomenal team players.
"My job is to manage that racer's instinct: they are there to race each other - and the only instruction they'll receive from me is to respect each other on the track. But that's it - other than that, they're free to race."
Hamilton has been involved with McLaren since his teens, when the team recognised his potential in karting and began backing his career. But Whitmarsh insisted McLaren would do everything it could to ensure newcomer Button felt just as comfortable in what is widely regarded as a team built around Hamilton.
"We've always traditionally involved our drivers in the development of the car, and the most important thing we can do in the early days of our relationship is to get Jenson to look at what we do, evaluate it and to ask questions and make suggestions," said Whitmarsh.
"Preparation is everything: with Lewis at the start of 2007, he showed just how much could be achieved with a combination of rock-solid preparation and solid hard work.
"One of the most important tasks will be to get Jenson familiarised with our procedures: how we work at McLaren and how we go racing. He'll need to start putting names to faces, of course, but it should all be a very straightforward job for someone of his experience."
The Woking squad has pulled off a major coup by signing new world champion Button to partner last year's title-winner Hamilton. But the pairing of the two champions has led to fears of a repeat of the fractious intra-team rows that occurred when McLaren ran Ayrton Senna alongside Alain Prost in the late 1980s, and Hamilton alongside Fernando Alonso in 2007.
Whitmarsh is certain that McLaren can handle its 2010 drivers and that their desire to beat each other will prove positive for the team.
"We feel confident that, as an organisation, we'll be able to manage the demands and expectations of our drivers," he told the Independent.
"Lewis and Jenson are both world champions, they know what it takes to win, and I'm sure they'll both be very motivated to push each other to deliver even greater results. It's my job to positively harness that competitiveness for the greater benefit of the team.
"It's a proposition that some teams might find troubling, but which we are absolutely relishing - it's a very nice problem to have! We have two fiercely competitive individuals who both fully understand the benefit of teamwork. They are phenomenal team players.
"My job is to manage that racer's instinct: they are there to race each other - and the only instruction they'll receive from me is to respect each other on the track. But that's it - other than that, they're free to race."
Hamilton has been involved with McLaren since his teens, when the team recognised his potential in karting and began backing his career. But Whitmarsh insisted McLaren would do everything it could to ensure newcomer Button felt just as comfortable in what is widely regarded as a team built around Hamilton.
"We've always traditionally involved our drivers in the development of the car, and the most important thing we can do in the early days of our relationship is to get Jenson to look at what we do, evaluate it and to ask questions and make suggestions," said Whitmarsh.
"Preparation is everything: with Lewis at the start of 2007, he showed just how much could be achieved with a combination of rock-solid preparation and solid hard work.
"One of the most important tasks will be to get Jenson familiarised with our procedures: how we work at McLaren and how we go racing. He'll need to start putting names to faces, of course, but it should all be a very straightforward job for someone of his experience."
Saturday 28 November 2009
Campos Meta progressing to F1 status
The history of Campos Racing goes back to 1998 when Adrian Campos, after having successfully competed for more than 18 years in motor racing, decided that it was time to launch his own racing team.
Adrián Campos is one of the most experienced players in the motor sports industry. More than 30 years of experience in all fronts; F1 driver, identifying talent (Fernando Alonso, Marc Gené, Roldán Rodriguez, Antonio GarcÃa...), and founder of various teams in F3 and the GP2 Series.
Campos Grand Prix presently holds the GP2 Series 2008 World Championship Title.
“Campos holds 6 driver championships and 5 Team Championships in the GP2 Series, Nissan Series and Euro F3.”
New driver: Bruno Senna
Bruno had just begun kart racing as an eight years old when Ayrton died. A year later Bruno lost his father in a motorcycle accident. Racing activities were halted. Apparently permanently.
However, 11 years later, a bright, intelligent guy decides to follow his passion to motor racing and totally immerses himself in racing, moves to UK in 2004 and begins learning his first steps in racing in some tests and races of Formula BMW before making the big jump into F3. Since then, fuelled by an explosive mixture of passion and talent, Bruno’s career has evolved at an astonishing pace.
In 2005, he competed in British F3 for his first full season in motor sport very much ‘in at the deep end’ Bruno raced against a field of vastly more experienced and accomplished drivers. He instantly demonstrated both his raw talent and his impressive capacity to learn which has been the trademark of his brief but successful career.
As this first full season progressed, Bruno’s pace, consistency and race craft improved so much so that into the second half of the season he was scoring regular podium finishes. Building on this experience from year one, Bruno remained in F3. While still learning and developing on and off track at a great rate, Bruno’s further increased speed and consistency earned him 3rd position in the Championship. Very impressive indeed if you consider that every one of the guys he was racing against there had a decade or more of racing experience.
Having finished F3 at a very competitive level, Bruno made the step up to GP2. This level proved to be a similar ‘in at the deep end’ experience, once again driving against a field of more seasoned, championship winning drivers from around the world. After a short winter test programme, Bruno won the feature race at only his second event, the ‘least experienced’ driver ever to have achieved this.
For his second season in GP2, Bruno moved to the iSport team and started a crucial phase of his personal development during winter testing and the Asian GP2 series. In the 2008 GP2 main championship he was always a front runner, fighting for the championship , and despite having to overcome two maximum scores lost through no fault of his or his team, he finished in 2nd place in the Championship.
Bruno has developed at a faster rate than those around him. On a steep learning curve he’s already one of the fastest drivers in international motorsport and after just four seasons of racing of any kind he proved in his first ever test that he can lap an F1 car very competitively indeed.
Adrián Campos is one of the most experienced players in the motor sports industry. More than 30 years of experience in all fronts; F1 driver, identifying talent (Fernando Alonso, Marc Gené, Roldán Rodriguez, Antonio GarcÃa...), and founder of various teams in F3 and the GP2 Series.
Campos Grand Prix presently holds the GP2 Series 2008 World Championship Title.
“Campos holds 6 driver championships and 5 Team Championships in the GP2 Series, Nissan Series and Euro F3.”
New driver: Bruno Senna
Bruno had just begun kart racing as an eight years old when Ayrton died. A year later Bruno lost his father in a motorcycle accident. Racing activities were halted. Apparently permanently.
However, 11 years later, a bright, intelligent guy decides to follow his passion to motor racing and totally immerses himself in racing, moves to UK in 2004 and begins learning his first steps in racing in some tests and races of Formula BMW before making the big jump into F3. Since then, fuelled by an explosive mixture of passion and talent, Bruno’s career has evolved at an astonishing pace.
In 2005, he competed in British F3 for his first full season in motor sport very much ‘in at the deep end’ Bruno raced against a field of vastly more experienced and accomplished drivers. He instantly demonstrated both his raw talent and his impressive capacity to learn which has been the trademark of his brief but successful career.
As this first full season progressed, Bruno’s pace, consistency and race craft improved so much so that into the second half of the season he was scoring regular podium finishes. Building on this experience from year one, Bruno remained in F3. While still learning and developing on and off track at a great rate, Bruno’s further increased speed and consistency earned him 3rd position in the Championship. Very impressive indeed if you consider that every one of the guys he was racing against there had a decade or more of racing experience.
Having finished F3 at a very competitive level, Bruno made the step up to GP2. This level proved to be a similar ‘in at the deep end’ experience, once again driving against a field of more seasoned, championship winning drivers from around the world. After a short winter test programme, Bruno won the feature race at only his second event, the ‘least experienced’ driver ever to have achieved this.
For his second season in GP2, Bruno moved to the iSport team and started a crucial phase of his personal development during winter testing and the Asian GP2 series. In the 2008 GP2 main championship he was always a front runner, fighting for the championship , and despite having to overcome two maximum scores lost through no fault of his or his team, he finished in 2nd place in the Championship.
Bruno has developed at a faster rate than those around him. On a steep learning curve he’s already one of the fastest drivers in international motorsport and after just four seasons of racing of any kind he proved in his first ever test that he can lap an F1 car very competitively indeed.
Renault announce the three new drivers to test at Jerez
The Renault F1 Team is gearing up for the young driver test which will take place from the 1st to the 3rd of December in Jerez, Spain. Bertrand Baguette, Ho-Pin Tung and Lucas Di Grassi will share driving duties across the three days.
The provisional schedule will see 23-year-old Belgian driver, Bertrand Baguette, get behind the wheel of the R29 on Tuesday 1st of December as his prize for winning the World Series by Renault 3.5 category. This will be Bertrand’s first chance to sample F1 power and an opportunity to complete representative mileage as the team evaluates up and coming young drivers.
The team will also evaluate young Chinese prospect, Ho-Pin Tung. Having previously tested for Williams, the 26-year-old will relish the chance to get reacquainted with an F1 car and will draw upon his recent experience in GP2, A1GP and the Superleague Formula.
The team’s third driver, Lucas Di Grassi, will also have the chance to complete further F1 mileage as he drives the R29 for the first time.
Speaking ahead of the test, Team Principal Bob Bell commented: “Testing is so restricted nowadays, but this young driver test is the perfect opportunity for us to assess rising stars such as Bertrand, Ho-Pin and Lucas. All these drivers have shown great promise and we look forward to seeing what they are capable of as we complete our test programme for the year.”
The provisional schedule will see 23-year-old Belgian driver, Bertrand Baguette, get behind the wheel of the R29 on Tuesday 1st of December as his prize for winning the World Series by Renault 3.5 category. This will be Bertrand’s first chance to sample F1 power and an opportunity to complete representative mileage as the team evaluates up and coming young drivers.
The team will also evaluate young Chinese prospect, Ho-Pin Tung. Having previously tested for Williams, the 26-year-old will relish the chance to get reacquainted with an F1 car and will draw upon his recent experience in GP2, A1GP and the Superleague Formula.
The team’s third driver, Lucas Di Grassi, will also have the chance to complete further F1 mileage as he drives the R29 for the first time.
Speaking ahead of the test, Team Principal Bob Bell commented: “Testing is so restricted nowadays, but this young driver test is the perfect opportunity for us to assess rising stars such as Bertrand, Ho-Pin and Lucas. All these drivers have shown great promise and we look forward to seeing what they are capable of as we complete our test programme for the year.”
Stefan GP still seeking 2010 grid slot
Stefan Grand Prix, the Serbian team that is seeking a move into Formula 1, says it is still looking at opportunities to make it onto the grid next year - despite dismissing talk that it is about to buy Toyota's F1 entry.
The fate of Toyota's slot on the grid remains uncertain, with the FIA having sought clarification from the Japanese manufacturer about its legal position in relation to the entry it committed itself to until 2012.
AUTOSPORT understands that the matter is due to be discussed at the next Formula 1 Commission meeting in Monaco in early December, with the final 2010 F1 entry list due to be published after next month's FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting.
Sauber is still waiting on the sidelines to take Toyota's slot should the FIA confirm that the Japanese manufacturer's position is vacant – and the team's hopes appear to have been boosted with Peter Sauber having taken over the Swiss based outfit today following the collapse of a proposed deal with Qadbak.
However, the 13th team slot situation appeared to have got more complicated over the past few days with rumours emerging that the Cologne-based team's entry had been sold to Stefan GP.
However, Stefan GP's chief Zoran Stefanovich has made it clear that there is no truth to the speculation linking his outfit with Toyota's actual entry – even though his outfit could yet make use of Toyota's 2010 car design for its own plans.
"There is no entry for them [Toyota]," Stefanovich told AUTOSPORT. "We are in the process of evaluating our own plans for next year. We did some sort of agreement with them [Toyota], to take over the F1 project, but I cannot discuss the details at present."
Stefanovich says his team is in a state of readiness to make the move to F1 as early as next year – and is looking at any opportunities that can help his outfit achieve that feat.
"We have a complete facility and we have what is required to start testing immediately," he explained. "There is no question about this.
"There is no reason not to believe that we can do it – and in fact the situation seems to be quite the opposite. F1 will be glad to have a team from this area of the world, as currently its only representation is with the Hungarian Grand Prix. We are on stand-by."
The fate of Toyota's slot on the grid remains uncertain, with the FIA having sought clarification from the Japanese manufacturer about its legal position in relation to the entry it committed itself to until 2012.
AUTOSPORT understands that the matter is due to be discussed at the next Formula 1 Commission meeting in Monaco in early December, with the final 2010 F1 entry list due to be published after next month's FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting.
Sauber is still waiting on the sidelines to take Toyota's slot should the FIA confirm that the Japanese manufacturer's position is vacant – and the team's hopes appear to have been boosted with Peter Sauber having taken over the Swiss based outfit today following the collapse of a proposed deal with Qadbak.
However, the 13th team slot situation appeared to have got more complicated over the past few days with rumours emerging that the Cologne-based team's entry had been sold to Stefan GP.
However, Stefan GP's chief Zoran Stefanovich has made it clear that there is no truth to the speculation linking his outfit with Toyota's actual entry – even though his outfit could yet make use of Toyota's 2010 car design for its own plans.
"There is no entry for them [Toyota]," Stefanovich told AUTOSPORT. "We are in the process of evaluating our own plans for next year. We did some sort of agreement with them [Toyota], to take over the F1 project, but I cannot discuss the details at present."
Stefanovich says his team is in a state of readiness to make the move to F1 as early as next year – and is looking at any opportunities that can help his outfit achieve that feat.
"We have a complete facility and we have what is required to start testing immediately," he explained. "There is no question about this.
"There is no reason not to believe that we can do it – and in fact the situation seems to be quite the opposite. F1 will be glad to have a team from this area of the world, as currently its only representation is with the Hungarian Grand Prix. We are on stand-by."
Canadian GP secures new deal
The Canadian Grand Prix's return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2010 is now official, after the government stepped in to help secure a five-year deal for the race.
Following months of uncertainty about the fate of the event, which was dropped for this season after a deal could not be reached with Bernie Ecclestone, the Montreal race's return was confirmed at a press conference in the Canadian city on Friday afternoon.
The deal to secure the race's place on the calendar has been helped by the governments of Canada and Quebec, Montreal and Tourisme Montreal - who together have helped put together an £8.5 million annual investment plan for the next five years.
In return for the money, Montreal and its partners will receive 30 per cent of the profits from ticket sales for the grand prix - which will take place on June 13 next year.
Montreal's mayor Gerald Tremblay was delighted at the news - which will see F1 return to the North American continent next year after being absent for the first time in world championship history this season.
"The return of the Formula 1 to Montreal attests to our sustained efforts and determination," he explained.
"This win-win deal falls in line with the terms we set and the taxpayer's ability to pay and will create stability for the next five years.
"I am very pleased that our metropolis is bringing back this crucial stage in the Formula 1 series for fans from around the world and an outstanding opportunity in terms of the event's international reach."
Local government officials were adamant that their investment in the event made complete sense - because of the huge financial boost that the grand prix brings to Montreal.
Quebec minister of finance and minister responsible for the Montreal region, Raymond Bachand said: "For Quebec, this event by itself results in annual tax revenues of more than $10 million (£5.5 million), for a $4 million (£2.2 million) investment, minus revenues from ticket sales.
"All three levels of government have worked together tirelessly over the past few months to bring the grand prix back to Montreal, while acting in a financially responsible manner. With this agreement in hand, I am delighted that our efforts have finally succeeded."
Following months of uncertainty about the fate of the event, which was dropped for this season after a deal could not be reached with Bernie Ecclestone, the Montreal race's return was confirmed at a press conference in the Canadian city on Friday afternoon.
The deal to secure the race's place on the calendar has been helped by the governments of Canada and Quebec, Montreal and Tourisme Montreal - who together have helped put together an £8.5 million annual investment plan for the next five years.
In return for the money, Montreal and its partners will receive 30 per cent of the profits from ticket sales for the grand prix - which will take place on June 13 next year.
Montreal's mayor Gerald Tremblay was delighted at the news - which will see F1 return to the North American continent next year after being absent for the first time in world championship history this season.
"The return of the Formula 1 to Montreal attests to our sustained efforts and determination," he explained.
"This win-win deal falls in line with the terms we set and the taxpayer's ability to pay and will create stability for the next five years.
"I am very pleased that our metropolis is bringing back this crucial stage in the Formula 1 series for fans from around the world and an outstanding opportunity in terms of the event's international reach."
Local government officials were adamant that their investment in the event made complete sense - because of the huge financial boost that the grand prix brings to Montreal.
Quebec minister of finance and minister responsible for the Montreal region, Raymond Bachand said: "For Quebec, this event by itself results in annual tax revenues of more than $10 million (£5.5 million), for a $4 million (£2.2 million) investment, minus revenues from ticket sales.
"All three levels of government have worked together tirelessly over the past few months to bring the grand prix back to Montreal, while acting in a financially responsible manner. With this agreement in hand, I am delighted that our efforts have finally succeeded."
Sutil and Liuzzi confirmed for Force India 2010 line-up
The Force India Formula One Team is pleased to confirm Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi will remain with the team for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, thus giving complete consistency in its driver line-up.
2010 will be Adrian’s fourth season in Formula 1. The 26-year-old German started his F1 career with Force India’s predecessors, Midland, as a test and reserve driver in 2006 before graduating to a race seat with Spyker in 2007.
In 2009 he recorded his best-ever F1 finish of fourth at the Italian Grand Prix, also securing his first front row start.
Tonio retains his race seat following his move up from the team’s test and reserve driver role at Monza this year. The 28-year-old Italian made his race debut in 2005 with Red Bull Racing and moved to Toro Rosso for 2006 and 2007. In 2008 he became Force India’s third driver.
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal, commented, ‘We are very pleased to retain the services of both Adrian and Tonio for another season. We have always maintained that consistency is key at this stage in the team’s development and for the first time in many years we will have the continuity of not only the same drivers, but also the same engine and senior management. With this stability now in place I truly believe we have an excellent platform to build on and move forward on our strong 2009 performance. I am sure we have one of the most dynamic line-ups on the grid and I hope this will stand us in good stead in what we all hope will be a transitional year for the team.’
Adrian added, ‘2010 will be my fourth consecutive year with the team. I feel good here, it feels like family, and when you feel at ease you can focus your energy 100% on getting it right on track. Next season I want to be in the points on a regular basis, maybe even challenging for the podium, and the team has exactly the same goals. We are going massively in the right direction so with our combined energies I’m confident we can achieve even more than last season.’
Tonio said, ‘It was always my goal to be back racing in 2010 and I’ve finally achieved it. I feel the five races I did in 2009 were a bit of a warm-up; get back racing, learn the car, get the feeling back. Now I’ve done that I feel ready to really push next season. We were pretty strong in the last part of the 2009 season so if we pick up where we stopped I think we could be in for a good year. For sure points are the aim and showing everyone what we can do.’
An announcement regarding the third driver will be made in the weeks following the young driver test.
Quick Adrian Sutil facts
•Adrian made his F1 debut in 2006, driving the Midland in Friday free practice at the European, French and Japanese Grands Prix. His race debut came at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix and he achieved his first world championship points in Japan later that year. Despite a frustrating 2008 Adrian featured strongly in 2009, securing his first-ever front row start at the Italian Grand Prix and also the fastest lap of the race. To date he has scored six world championship points
•Adrian was the 2006 Japanese F3 champion and also finished second to Lewis Hamilton in the 2005 F3 Euroseries
•Born in southern Germany, Adrian has South American roots on his father’s side but now lives in Switzerland
Quick Tonio Liuzzi facts
•Tonio Liuzzi was Force India’s test and reserve driver from 2008 until the 2009 Italian Grand Prix when he stepped up to replace Giancarlo Fisichella, who had departed to Ferrari. He qualified an outstanding seventh on the grid and was in a points-scoring position until a mechanical failure caused his retirement
•Tonio made his F1 debut in 2005 at the San Marino Grand Prix with Red Bull Racing. He scored a point on this debut although competed in just three more races that year before making a permanent switch to Toro Rosso in 2006, where he remained for the 2007 season
•Tonio holds the joint record for the most F3000 wins in one season; seven out of a possible ten in 2004, his championship-winning year. The Italian holds the record with Juan Pablo Montoya and Nick Heidfeld
•Tonio has also held the
2010 will be Adrian’s fourth season in Formula 1. The 26-year-old German started his F1 career with Force India’s predecessors, Midland, as a test and reserve driver in 2006 before graduating to a race seat with Spyker in 2007.
In 2009 he recorded his best-ever F1 finish of fourth at the Italian Grand Prix, also securing his first front row start.
Tonio retains his race seat following his move up from the team’s test and reserve driver role at Monza this year. The 28-year-old Italian made his race debut in 2005 with Red Bull Racing and moved to Toro Rosso for 2006 and 2007. In 2008 he became Force India’s third driver.
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal, commented, ‘We are very pleased to retain the services of both Adrian and Tonio for another season. We have always maintained that consistency is key at this stage in the team’s development and for the first time in many years we will have the continuity of not only the same drivers, but also the same engine and senior management. With this stability now in place I truly believe we have an excellent platform to build on and move forward on our strong 2009 performance. I am sure we have one of the most dynamic line-ups on the grid and I hope this will stand us in good stead in what we all hope will be a transitional year for the team.’
Adrian added, ‘2010 will be my fourth consecutive year with the team. I feel good here, it feels like family, and when you feel at ease you can focus your energy 100% on getting it right on track. Next season I want to be in the points on a regular basis, maybe even challenging for the podium, and the team has exactly the same goals. We are going massively in the right direction so with our combined energies I’m confident we can achieve even more than last season.’
Tonio said, ‘It was always my goal to be back racing in 2010 and I’ve finally achieved it. I feel the five races I did in 2009 were a bit of a warm-up; get back racing, learn the car, get the feeling back. Now I’ve done that I feel ready to really push next season. We were pretty strong in the last part of the 2009 season so if we pick up where we stopped I think we could be in for a good year. For sure points are the aim and showing everyone what we can do.’
An announcement regarding the third driver will be made in the weeks following the young driver test.
Quick Adrian Sutil facts
•Adrian made his F1 debut in 2006, driving the Midland in Friday free practice at the European, French and Japanese Grands Prix. His race debut came at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix and he achieved his first world championship points in Japan later that year. Despite a frustrating 2008 Adrian featured strongly in 2009, securing his first-ever front row start at the Italian Grand Prix and also the fastest lap of the race. To date he has scored six world championship points
•Adrian was the 2006 Japanese F3 champion and also finished second to Lewis Hamilton in the 2005 F3 Euroseries
•Born in southern Germany, Adrian has South American roots on his father’s side but now lives in Switzerland
Quick Tonio Liuzzi facts
•Tonio Liuzzi was Force India’s test and reserve driver from 2008 until the 2009 Italian Grand Prix when he stepped up to replace Giancarlo Fisichella, who had departed to Ferrari. He qualified an outstanding seventh on the grid and was in a points-scoring position until a mechanical failure caused his retirement
•Tonio made his F1 debut in 2005 at the San Marino Grand Prix with Red Bull Racing. He scored a point on this debut although competed in just three more races that year before making a permanent switch to Toro Rosso in 2006, where he remained for the 2007 season
•Tonio holds the joint record for the most F3000 wins in one season; seven out of a possible ten in 2004, his championship-winning year. The Italian holds the record with Juan Pablo Montoya and Nick Heidfeld
•Tonio has also held the
BMW AG reaches agreement with Peter Sauber regarding sale of the BMW Sauber F1 Team
Munich/Hinwil. Yesterday (Thursday), BMW AG reached an agreement with Peter Sauber regarding the sale of the BMW Sauber F1 Team. The contract is subject to the condition that the team has a starting place for the 2010 Formula 1 season.
Dr Klaus Draeger, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG with responsibility for Development, stated this morning: “We are very happy with this solution. This fulfils the most important requirement for a successful future for the team. Our relationship with Peter Sauber has always been excellent and marked by absolute respect. We would like to express our thanks to Peter Sauber and the whole team for the excellent cooperation during the recent four years.”
Peter Sauber added: “"I am very relieved that we have found this solution. It means we can keep the Hinwil location and the majority of workplaces. I am convinced that the new team has a very good future in Formula One, whose current transformation with new framework conditions will benefit the private teams. Our staff here are highly competent and motivated, and I look forward to taking on this new challenge together with them. I would like to thank BMW for four shared years that have in the main been very successful."
This means that the sale to Qadbak Investment Ltd. that was initially planned will not be completed.
A further agreement with Peter Sauber proposes personnel cuts from the current level of 388 to around 250 employees. The restructuring of the team and compliance with future framework conditions have made this essential. Notices of redundancy have therefore been issued today. BMW AG regrets the need for these personnel cutbacks and will support the restructuring. At this moment in time, due to the aforementioned restructuring of the team, it is not possible to exclude the possibility of further redundancies in the near future.
Dr Klaus Draeger, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG with responsibility for Development, stated this morning: “We are very happy with this solution. This fulfils the most important requirement for a successful future for the team. Our relationship with Peter Sauber has always been excellent and marked by absolute respect. We would like to express our thanks to Peter Sauber and the whole team for the excellent cooperation during the recent four years.”
Peter Sauber added: “"I am very relieved that we have found this solution. It means we can keep the Hinwil location and the majority of workplaces. I am convinced that the new team has a very good future in Formula One, whose current transformation with new framework conditions will benefit the private teams. Our staff here are highly competent and motivated, and I look forward to taking on this new challenge together with them. I would like to thank BMW for four shared years that have in the main been very successful."
This means that the sale to Qadbak Investment Ltd. that was initially planned will not be completed.
A further agreement with Peter Sauber proposes personnel cuts from the current level of 388 to around 250 employees. The restructuring of the team and compliance with future framework conditions have made this essential. Notices of redundancy have therefore been issued today. BMW AG regrets the need for these personnel cutbacks and will support the restructuring. At this moment in time, due to the aforementioned restructuring of the team, it is not possible to exclude the possibility of further redundancies in the near future.
Friday 27 November 2009
BMW sells F1 team back to Peter Sauber
BMW has agreed to sell its Formula 1 team back to Peter Sauber, on condition that the team receives an entry for 2010, after announcing it's original sale to Qadbak Investment Ltd. will not be completed.
The German car maker announced earlier this year it was pulling out of Formula 1, but said it had agreed a deal with Swiss company Qadbak, who was to run the team in the future.
BMW said on Friday however that the Qadbak deal would not be completed.
Instead, the car maker has sold the team back to Peter Sauber, who founded his F1 team in 1993 and ran it until BMW bought it four years ago.
"We are very happy with this solution," said Dr Klaus Draeger, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG. "This fulfils the most important requirement for a successful future for the team.
"Our relationship with Peter Sauber has always been excellent and marked by absolute respect. We would like to express our thanks to Peter Sauber and the whole team for the excellent cooperation during the recent four years."
Sauber added: "I am very relieved that we have found this solution. It means we can keep the Hinwil location and the majority of workplaces. I am convinced that the new team has a very good future in Formula One, whose current transformation with new framework conditions will benefit the private teams.
"Our staff here are highly competent and motivated, and I look forward to taking on this new challenge together with them. I would like to thank BMW for four shared years that have in the main been very successful."
A further agreement with Sauber proposes personnel cuts from the current level of 388 to around 250 employees.
The future of the team in Formula 1 remains unclear, however, as the FIA is yet to confirm its grid slot for 2010.
The German car maker announced earlier this year it was pulling out of Formula 1, but said it had agreed a deal with Swiss company Qadbak, who was to run the team in the future.
BMW said on Friday however that the Qadbak deal would not be completed.
Instead, the car maker has sold the team back to Peter Sauber, who founded his F1 team in 1993 and ran it until BMW bought it four years ago.
"We are very happy with this solution," said Dr Klaus Draeger, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG. "This fulfils the most important requirement for a successful future for the team.
"Our relationship with Peter Sauber has always been excellent and marked by absolute respect. We would like to express our thanks to Peter Sauber and the whole team for the excellent cooperation during the recent four years."
Sauber added: "I am very relieved that we have found this solution. It means we can keep the Hinwil location and the majority of workplaces. I am convinced that the new team has a very good future in Formula One, whose current transformation with new framework conditions will benefit the private teams.
"Our staff here are highly competent and motivated, and I look forward to taking on this new challenge together with them. I would like to thank BMW for four shared years that have in the main been very successful."
A further agreement with Sauber proposes personnel cuts from the current level of 388 to around 250 employees.
The future of the team in Formula 1 remains unclear, however, as the FIA is yet to confirm its grid slot for 2010.
VW considering F1 engine supply
Volkswagen is seriously evaluating a move into Formula 1 as an engine supplier from 2012, when new power unit regulations due to be introduced could make the sport attractive enough for the German car maker to get involved.
Although F1 has been rocked by the withdrawal of three manufacturers in the last 12 months - with Honda, BMW and Toyota all quitting the sport - the Volkswagen Group believes that the sport is actually becoming more attractive with the way rules are heading.
The German car manufacturer's representative Hans-Joachim Stuck says his company would not be interested in becoming a partner with a team - as was rumoured several years ago when it was linked with a deal to buy into Red Bull Racing - but would be up for supplying engines.
However, Stuck has made it clear that the possibility to supply power units to a number of outfits, especially if there was a 'world engine', would be enough to attract Volkswagen into F1.
"If you're the world's largest manufacturer is natural that we're thinking about [Formula 1], but not before 2012," Stuck told AUTOSPORT about Volkswagen's F1 ambitions.
"We're looking for innovative things, and Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport. Two years ago there was some talk that Volkswagen is going to buy the Red Bull F1 team, which we didn't need to buy. Why should we stick with one team if we can give our engines to more teams?
"If you buy Red Bull and Adrian Newey wants to go flying or fishing, the team is not successful any more. Look at BMW. They bought this multi-million dollar wind tunnel and a supercomputer and they now close the doors. Building an engine and providing it to a team is the best way."
Stuck claims Formula 1's return to expanded grids, and low-cost regulations, has put the sport firmly on Volkswagen's radar.
"Now it's amazing; Formula 1 goes the right way," said Stuck. "Many manufacturers have pulled out, which I think is a great deal, because we have manufacturers that we don't know for how long they will do it.
"They should become engine manufacturers and then lease the engine, sell the engine or give it to somebody. Then you lose all the hassle with teams, wind tunnels, engineers, you know.
"It's like Formula 1 in my days. We had March, we had Lotus, and we had Ford engines. Then Renault came in as engine manufacturer, with a formidable engine. This was perfect.
"I followed Formula 1 for the last seven years with BMW and I always asked myself on the grid, with only 20 cars, what if we could have 30 cars? Now we're getting back to this.
"We have three more teams next year, 26 cars, and by having a global engine, which is good in cost and reliable, we can have 30 cars on the grid."
The Volkswagen Group has recently enjoyed great success in racing with its different brands.
Besides its multiple Le Mans wins with Audi, its WTCC titles with Seat in the past two years and its Dakar victory this year, Volkswagen also powered drivers with VW engines to the British and German F3 titles this, rounding out the season with victory in last weekend's Macau Grand Prix.
Although F1 has been rocked by the withdrawal of three manufacturers in the last 12 months - with Honda, BMW and Toyota all quitting the sport - the Volkswagen Group believes that the sport is actually becoming more attractive with the way rules are heading.
The German car manufacturer's representative Hans-Joachim Stuck says his company would not be interested in becoming a partner with a team - as was rumoured several years ago when it was linked with a deal to buy into Red Bull Racing - but would be up for supplying engines.
However, Stuck has made it clear that the possibility to supply power units to a number of outfits, especially if there was a 'world engine', would be enough to attract Volkswagen into F1.
"If you're the world's largest manufacturer is natural that we're thinking about [Formula 1], but not before 2012," Stuck told AUTOSPORT about Volkswagen's F1 ambitions.
"We're looking for innovative things, and Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport. Two years ago there was some talk that Volkswagen is going to buy the Red Bull F1 team, which we didn't need to buy. Why should we stick with one team if we can give our engines to more teams?
"If you buy Red Bull and Adrian Newey wants to go flying or fishing, the team is not successful any more. Look at BMW. They bought this multi-million dollar wind tunnel and a supercomputer and they now close the doors. Building an engine and providing it to a team is the best way."
Stuck claims Formula 1's return to expanded grids, and low-cost regulations, has put the sport firmly on Volkswagen's radar.
"Now it's amazing; Formula 1 goes the right way," said Stuck. "Many manufacturers have pulled out, which I think is a great deal, because we have manufacturers that we don't know for how long they will do it.
"They should become engine manufacturers and then lease the engine, sell the engine or give it to somebody. Then you lose all the hassle with teams, wind tunnels, engineers, you know.
"It's like Formula 1 in my days. We had March, we had Lotus, and we had Ford engines. Then Renault came in as engine manufacturer, with a formidable engine. This was perfect.
"I followed Formula 1 for the last seven years with BMW and I always asked myself on the grid, with only 20 cars, what if we could have 30 cars? Now we're getting back to this.
"We have three more teams next year, 26 cars, and by having a global engine, which is good in cost and reliable, we can have 30 cars on the grid."
The Volkswagen Group has recently enjoyed great success in racing with its different brands.
Besides its multiple Le Mans wins with Audi, its WTCC titles with Seat in the past two years and its Dakar victory this year, Volkswagen also powered drivers with VW engines to the British and German F3 titles this, rounding out the season with victory in last weekend's Macau Grand Prix.
Thursday 26 November 2009
Cregan and Circuit bosses join Business Forum
Formula 1 circuit chiefs are the latest additions to the 2009 Motor Sport Business Forum, which takes place in Monaco on December 9 and 10.
Richard Cregan, the CEO of the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi; Walter Kafitz, the CEO of the Nurburgring, and Razlan Razali, CEO of Malaysia's Sepang, will all join a debate about the business of running circuits - and what motor sport promoters and sponsors can do to make the sport more appealing.
The Motor Sport Business Forum is in its fifth year, and has established itself as a must-attend winter event for leading figures from the worldwide motor sport industry.
This year's event boasts representatives from all levels of the sport - and will include debates about the economics of the sport, the future of the World Rally Championship and how the show can be improved.
Richard Cregan, the CEO of the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi; Walter Kafitz, the CEO of the Nurburgring, and Razlan Razali, CEO of Malaysia's Sepang, will all join a debate about the business of running circuits - and what motor sport promoters and sponsors can do to make the sport more appealing.
The Motor Sport Business Forum is in its fifth year, and has established itself as a must-attend winter event for leading figures from the worldwide motor sport industry.
This year's event boasts representatives from all levels of the sport - and will include debates about the economics of the sport, the future of the World Rally Championship and how the show can be improved.
Alonso testing with Ferrari
Maranello, Two very intense days for Fernando Alonso at his second semi-official visit in Maranello. The Spanish driver arrived yesterday morning at the Scuderia, where he proceeded, together with the technicians, to get to know the team and next year's programme. With a little spare time yesterday and today Fernando had the possibility to visit the works, where the cars from the Prancing Horse, for the road and for Formula 1, are made as well as the Ferrari Classiche department, where, amongst others the single-seater from the 1954 Indianapolis race was present: the unexpected guest received a warmhearted welcome and numerous autograph requests. Before he left, Fernando drove several laps on the Fiorano circuit, first with a 458 Italia and then with a 599: for the red Formula 1 car we've still got to wait a bit!
Lotus, Manor get FOTA membership
The Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) has approved the membership applications of the Lotus and Manor teams, AUTOSPORT can reveal, meaning the organisation now features every team on the grid.
FOTA's executive committee met earlier this week for its latest discussions about the future of F1, and on the agenda was the ratification of the applications of the two new F1 teams.
Sources have confirmed that both Lotus and Manor's membership was approved unanimously, meaning that the outfits follow fellow new entrants Campos Meta and Team US F1 into the organisation.
The move means that FOTA is now made up of 14 teams - with Toyota still members for now despite its pull-out - and significantly it is the first time since Williams was temporarily suspended in May that the body features every team on the grid.
FOTA's executive committee also confirmed that elections for new chairmen will take place next month, with the mandate of both current chief Luca di Montezemolo, plus vice-chairman John Howett, coming to a finish at the end of the year.
Work is also continuing on plans for a common car launch next year, which the teams are considering doing prior to the first official test of the season in February.
It is understood FOTA representatives met with Bernie Ecclestone and F1 shareholders CVC following this week's meeting to discuss the concept - which is being considered to help reduce costs further.
The issue of the final grid slot was also discussed at the meeting, but there is unlikely to be any final decision about what happens with either Toyota or BMW-Sauber until after the F1 Commission and World Motor Sport Council meetings that take place in Monaco early next month.
FOTA's executive committee met earlier this week for its latest discussions about the future of F1, and on the agenda was the ratification of the applications of the two new F1 teams.
Sources have confirmed that both Lotus and Manor's membership was approved unanimously, meaning that the outfits follow fellow new entrants Campos Meta and Team US F1 into the organisation.
The move means that FOTA is now made up of 14 teams - with Toyota still members for now despite its pull-out - and significantly it is the first time since Williams was temporarily suspended in May that the body features every team on the grid.
FOTA's executive committee also confirmed that elections for new chairmen will take place next month, with the mandate of both current chief Luca di Montezemolo, plus vice-chairman John Howett, coming to a finish at the end of the year.
Work is also continuing on plans for a common car launch next year, which the teams are considering doing prior to the first official test of the season in February.
It is understood FOTA representatives met with Bernie Ecclestone and F1 shareholders CVC following this week's meeting to discuss the concept - which is being considered to help reduce costs further.
The issue of the final grid slot was also discussed at the meeting, but there is unlikely to be any final decision about what happens with either Toyota or BMW-Sauber until after the F1 Commission and World Motor Sport Council meetings that take place in Monaco early next month.
Renault boss: Lots of questions about F1
There are fresh doubts over Renault's continued participation in Formula One after the manufacturer's CEO Carlos Ghosn warned that there remain "lots of questions" about the sport.
Renault's F1 future has been in uncertain ever since the Singapore race-fixing scandal when they were a handed a two-year suspended ban.
The team insisted after the FIA hearing that it would stay the course only to reveal a couple of weeks later that a decision on its participation will not be taken until the end of the year.
With the year almost out, Ghosn has now added to the speculation that the French carmaker may yet follow Honda, BMW and Toyota out of the sport.
"F1 is one of the most seen spectacles in the world," he told Forbes India magazine.
"It is facing some challenges - challenges on how fair it is and how do you marry F1 with environmental concerns? Can you bring zero emissions through technology? There are lots of questions about F1...
"I don't think it is going to be very important for anybody, if it doesn't answer some of the concerns that surround F1. I notice that in the last year, three car manufacturers have bowed out of F1 - three in one year!
"That means there are a lot of questions that we need to resolve."
Renault's F1 future has been in uncertain ever since the Singapore race-fixing scandal when they were a handed a two-year suspended ban.
The team insisted after the FIA hearing that it would stay the course only to reveal a couple of weeks later that a decision on its participation will not be taken until the end of the year.
With the year almost out, Ghosn has now added to the speculation that the French carmaker may yet follow Honda, BMW and Toyota out of the sport.
"F1 is one of the most seen spectacles in the world," he told Forbes India magazine.
"It is facing some challenges - challenges on how fair it is and how do you marry F1 with environmental concerns? Can you bring zero emissions through technology? There are lots of questions about F1...
"I don't think it is going to be very important for anybody, if it doesn't answer some of the concerns that surround F1. I notice that in the last year, three car manufacturers have bowed out of F1 - three in one year!
"That means there are a lot of questions that we need to resolve."
De la Rosa still seeking F1 race drive
McLaren's reserve driver Pedro de la Rosa says he is doing everything he can to secure a racing seat in Formula 1 next season.
The Spaniard has been linked with drives at the new Campos Meta and US F1 squads, although the first option seems less likely as team boss Adrian Campos admitted it was hard to find Spanish backers.
De la Rosa's chances at US F1 seemed to increase when the team confirmed it would have its European base at the Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain.
The 38-year-old says there's no rush to confirm his plans, but admits he's working hard to secure a racing seat.
"It's still early," the Spaniard was quoted as saying by the EFE news agency. "There's no hurry to make a decision. It's true that US F1 and Motorland reached a deal to have its European logistic base in Alcaniz. The important thing is that the project materialised.
"I don't know what will happen after that. I don't know what team I will drive for or in what capacity.
"I can happily stay at McLaren as a reserve driver, and I could do that while racing for another team, or just race for another team. I don't know, that's the answer.
"There are options, and whatever I do, people has to be clear that I'm trying everything I can to return to racing in F1."
De la Rosa admitted he never thought getting a racing drive at McLaren was a possibility for next year.
"It's clear that with Button and Hamilton McLaren has drivers for several years. I honestly never believed that I had any options to get that drive, just like in previous years I felt the place was mine. Not this time. I'm working in other direction."
The Spaniard has been linked with drives at the new Campos Meta and US F1 squads, although the first option seems less likely as team boss Adrian Campos admitted it was hard to find Spanish backers.
De la Rosa's chances at US F1 seemed to increase when the team confirmed it would have its European base at the Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain.
The 38-year-old says there's no rush to confirm his plans, but admits he's working hard to secure a racing seat.
"It's still early," the Spaniard was quoted as saying by the EFE news agency. "There's no hurry to make a decision. It's true that US F1 and Motorland reached a deal to have its European logistic base in Alcaniz. The important thing is that the project materialised.
"I don't know what will happen after that. I don't know what team I will drive for or in what capacity.
"I can happily stay at McLaren as a reserve driver, and I could do that while racing for another team, or just race for another team. I don't know, that's the answer.
"There are options, and whatever I do, people has to be clear that I'm trying everything I can to return to racing in F1."
De la Rosa admitted he never thought getting a racing drive at McLaren was a possibility for next year.
"It's clear that with Button and Hamilton McLaren has drivers for several years. I honestly never believed that I had any options to get that drive, just like in previous years I felt the place was mine. Not this time. I'm working in other direction."
Mercedes GP to test Conway at Jerez
Briton Mike Conway is to return to the Formula 1 cockpit early next month when he joins Mercedes Grand Prix for the young driver test days at Jerez, AUTOSPORT has learned.
The Indy Racing League racer was a test driver for the outfit when it was owned by Honda in 2007 in 2008, and is scheduled to run on all three days of the test that is restricted to drivers without vast race experience.
The test takes place at the Spanish track from 1-3 December.
Although the news has not been officially announced by Mercedes GP yet, Conway has been listed on the provisional entry list published by the Jerez circuit - and his management company has also confirmed he is travelling to the Spanish venue.
Japanese Formula 3 champion Marcus Ericsson has also been listed by Jerez as taking part in the test for Mercedes GP, although this has not been officially confirmed.
Ericsson impressed with his campaign in Japan this year, and his year ended strongly when he took pole position for the Macau GP qualification race last weekend
The Indy Racing League racer was a test driver for the outfit when it was owned by Honda in 2007 in 2008, and is scheduled to run on all three days of the test that is restricted to drivers without vast race experience.
The test takes place at the Spanish track from 1-3 December.
Although the news has not been officially announced by Mercedes GP yet, Conway has been listed on the provisional entry list published by the Jerez circuit - and his management company has also confirmed he is travelling to the Spanish venue.
Japanese Formula 3 champion Marcus Ericsson has also been listed by Jerez as taking part in the test for Mercedes GP, although this has not been officially confirmed.
Ericsson impressed with his campaign in Japan this year, and his year ended strongly when he took pole position for the Macau GP qualification race last weekend
Wednesday 25 November 2009
Tribunal De Grande Instance 25/11/2009
The Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris has upheld the FIA’s selection procedure for new teams in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship and rejected a legal action filed by UK company MSC, one of the unsuccessful candidates. The court rejected all points raised by MSC and ordered the company to pay the FIA’s legal costs.
MSC was one of 15 new organizations to submit an application to compete in the championship in 2010. The FIA’s selection procedure involved a thorough due diligence process on all applications with the assistance of financial auditors Deloitte & Touche and other technical experts.
MSC was one of 15 new organizations to submit an application to compete in the championship in 2010. The FIA’s selection procedure involved a thorough due diligence process on all applications with the assistance of financial auditors Deloitte & Touche and other technical experts.
Briatore has to wait until January to learn F1 fate
Former Renault team boss Flavio Briatore will discover on January 5 whether his appeal against a lifetime ban from motor racing, imposed by the FIA, is to be overturned.
Briatore's lawyer Philippe Ouakrat on Tuesday attended the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris to outline his client's assertion that the punishment handed down by motor sport's governing body in September was illegal. The 59-year-old Italian is also demanding damages of just over £900,000.
Briatore was involved in a conspiracy which saw Nelson Piquet Jnr deliberately crash his car at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix in order to help team-mate Fernando Alonso take the win.
"My client vigorously and utterly contests having been aware of such a
conspiracy," Ouakrat told the court.
"The FIA has to overturn its decision... because it's an illegal order in terms of its results and the manner in which it was carried out."
Jean-François Prat, representing the FIA, insists there was a definite link between Piquet's crash, and Briatore.
"He (Piquet) accepted to do it (crash) because he wanted to see his driver's contract renewed for the next season and it was Flavio Briatore who was in charge of these questions."
Briatore claims former FIA president Max Mosley was "blinded by an excessive desire for personal revenge" in pursuing the case, and believes the FIA did not have legal grounds to issue him with a wholesale ban from motor sport.
"The decisions to carry out an investigation and to submit it to the World Council were taken by the same person, Max Mosley, the FIA president," Briatore said in a statement earlier this month.
The statement added that Mosley "assumed the roles of complainant, investigator, prosecutor and judge" in what Briatore claims was a breach of the "most basic rules of procedure and the rights to a fair trial".
Briatore's claim that the FIA World Council chaired by Mosley was out for "personal revenge" stems from his involvement in plans for a breakaway series, an issue that rumbled on through much of last season before an agreement was reached for manufacturers to stay in Formula One.
Renault's former executive director of engineering Pat Symonds also appealed against his five-year ban for involvement in the scandal at Tuesday's hearing
Briatore's lawyer Philippe Ouakrat on Tuesday attended the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris to outline his client's assertion that the punishment handed down by motor sport's governing body in September was illegal. The 59-year-old Italian is also demanding damages of just over £900,000.
Briatore was involved in a conspiracy which saw Nelson Piquet Jnr deliberately crash his car at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix in order to help team-mate Fernando Alonso take the win.
"My client vigorously and utterly contests having been aware of such a
conspiracy," Ouakrat told the court.
"The FIA has to overturn its decision... because it's an illegal order in terms of its results and the manner in which it was carried out."
Jean-François Prat, representing the FIA, insists there was a definite link between Piquet's crash, and Briatore.
"He (Piquet) accepted to do it (crash) because he wanted to see his driver's contract renewed for the next season and it was Flavio Briatore who was in charge of these questions."
Briatore claims former FIA president Max Mosley was "blinded by an excessive desire for personal revenge" in pursuing the case, and believes the FIA did not have legal grounds to issue him with a wholesale ban from motor sport.
"The decisions to carry out an investigation and to submit it to the World Council were taken by the same person, Max Mosley, the FIA president," Briatore said in a statement earlier this month.
The statement added that Mosley "assumed the roles of complainant, investigator, prosecutor and judge" in what Briatore claims was a breach of the "most basic rules of procedure and the rights to a fair trial".
Briatore's claim that the FIA World Council chaired by Mosley was out for "personal revenge" stems from his involvement in plans for a breakaway series, an issue that rumbled on through much of last season before an agreement was reached for manufacturers to stay in Formula One.
Renault's former executive director of engineering Pat Symonds also appealed against his five-year ban for involvement in the scandal at Tuesday's hearing
Donington could still host British GP
Donington Park could still host the British Grand Prix in 2010, according to track boss Simon Gillett, but only if a third party either invests in or buys out the company that runs the track.
Gillett's company, Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd, went into administration last week after failing to raise the required funds to complete ambitious redevelopment plans.
Gillett is confident that there is still time for the key works to be completed before next year's grand prix, with the hospitality and other facilities completed for the 2011 event. This means that a grand prix could be held at the track next year if the money is in place, opening up the possibility of a new contract being agreed.
To get the track to an acceptable state for 2010, around £50 million would have to be spent, with a further £40 million to complete the additional facilities for 2011.
"Next year is possible, but it wouldn't be all of the construction," Gillett told AUTOSPORT. "You'd end up doing pit garages, race control and the track the bare essentials to get the track up and running for 2010 and there's still plenty of time for that to happen.
"It's a very short period of time that we are working to on that front, but it's a really good opportunity for someone. Where on earth can you buy a Formula 1 grand prix? Here you can, potentially. If someone is out there and has that funding at the moment, they have a unique opportunity to steal away the British Grand Prix.
"It would have to be 2010 because Silverstone would not take it for one year and no-one, me especially, wants to see the British Grand prix lost to the UK."
Gillett said that if Donington wants to host the British Grand Prix it will have to be ready for 2010 rather than 2011, as Silverstone would not accept a one-year deal and if the race falls of the calendar it could jeopardise the event's future.
Although the 17-year-contract that DVLL signed with Bernie Ecclestone last year is no longer valid because the track failed to meet its obligations, Gillett is confident that the F1 supremo would be willing to consider a new deal on a similar basis.
"That contract has gone," added Gillett. "But Bernie Ecclestone has said that if someone turns up at Donington with the right ideas and the right money then he will talk to them."
Although continuing with the British Grand Prix project is Gillett's favoured direction, it is one of three options for the future of the track.
Gillett is hopeful about the interest shown in the circuit since it went into administration, although should a buyer or investor not be found, DVLL could be forced to go into liquidation.
"We are now seeing who is out there," he said. "There are multiple paths that we can go down. One is to go back to the good old national and club venue that it was and another is to take it to a hybrid and create the new track for national and club racing.
"The third is if someone comes in with significant funding and go for F1. So that's what the administration process is going through at the moment.
"There has been a significant amount of interest, but predominantly we've been talking about F1, because time is of the essence. But if that doesn't pan out then there will be more interest in the national circuit."
The completion of any buy-out would need to take place within the next two weeks, as Ecclestone has said that the 2010 F1 calendar must be finalised by December 9.
Gillett's company, Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd, went into administration last week after failing to raise the required funds to complete ambitious redevelopment plans.
Gillett is confident that there is still time for the key works to be completed before next year's grand prix, with the hospitality and other facilities completed for the 2011 event. This means that a grand prix could be held at the track next year if the money is in place, opening up the possibility of a new contract being agreed.
To get the track to an acceptable state for 2010, around £50 million would have to be spent, with a further £40 million to complete the additional facilities for 2011.
"Next year is possible, but it wouldn't be all of the construction," Gillett told AUTOSPORT. "You'd end up doing pit garages, race control and the track the bare essentials to get the track up and running for 2010 and there's still plenty of time for that to happen.
"It's a very short period of time that we are working to on that front, but it's a really good opportunity for someone. Where on earth can you buy a Formula 1 grand prix? Here you can, potentially. If someone is out there and has that funding at the moment, they have a unique opportunity to steal away the British Grand Prix.
"It would have to be 2010 because Silverstone would not take it for one year and no-one, me especially, wants to see the British Grand prix lost to the UK."
Gillett said that if Donington wants to host the British Grand Prix it will have to be ready for 2010 rather than 2011, as Silverstone would not accept a one-year deal and if the race falls of the calendar it could jeopardise the event's future.
Although the 17-year-contract that DVLL signed with Bernie Ecclestone last year is no longer valid because the track failed to meet its obligations, Gillett is confident that the F1 supremo would be willing to consider a new deal on a similar basis.
"That contract has gone," added Gillett. "But Bernie Ecclestone has said that if someone turns up at Donington with the right ideas and the right money then he will talk to them."
Although continuing with the British Grand Prix project is Gillett's favoured direction, it is one of three options for the future of the track.
Gillett is hopeful about the interest shown in the circuit since it went into administration, although should a buyer or investor not be found, DVLL could be forced to go into liquidation.
"We are now seeing who is out there," he said. "There are multiple paths that we can go down. One is to go back to the good old national and club venue that it was and another is to take it to a hybrid and create the new track for national and club racing.
"The third is if someone comes in with significant funding and go for F1. So that's what the administration process is going through at the moment.
"There has been a significant amount of interest, but predominantly we've been talking about F1, because time is of the essence. But if that doesn't pan out then there will be more interest in the national circuit."
The completion of any buy-out would need to take place within the next two weeks, as Ecclestone has said that the 2010 F1 calendar must be finalised by December 9.
Tuesday 24 November 2009
Force India young Driver Test Line-Up
The Force India Formula One Team is delighted to confirm a dynamic, exciting driver line-up for the young driver test from 1 – 3 December 2009. Upcoming British driver Paul di Resta and current Indy Lights champion American JR Hildebrand will share driving duties of the VJM02 for the test in Jerez, Spain next week.
Twenty-three year old Paul and 21-year old JR were selected after outstanding performances in the team’s simulator last month.
Paul, from West Lothian, Scotland, is a Mercedes works driver in the German touring car series, the DTM, and finished third overall with one win in the 2009 championship. He also has an impressive record in the junior formulae, winning the 2006 Formula 3 Euroseries against a field including current F1 race winner Sebastian Vettel. In 2004 Paul was awarded the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award for upcoming, stand-out young British racing talent.
JR, from Sausalito, California, USA, has quickly risen to prominence on the American racing scene thanks to impressive results in the junior formula and, most recently, his victory in Indy Lights, the feeder series to the USA’s premier racing championship. In 2006 he secured the Formula Ford 2000 championship title and in 2007 was the top placed US rookie in the Atlantic championship.
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal of Force India, commented, ‘We are delighted to have Paul and JR join us for the young driver test. Both of their showings in the simulator were excellent and we had no hesitations in offering them some valuable testing. We will be looking at their performance on track very closely and should they perform well, as we are confident they will, we will look at a permanent role for one within the team in 2010, potentially as a test and reserve driver. As a young team we are looking for drivers who can grow with us. As we’ve always said, nationality isn’t the primary selection criteria – it’s talent and dedication to the cause and we have seen enough to know that these two have both.’
Paul di Resta added, ‘I am thrilled to be joining Force India for this test. It’s been a while since I last tested an F1 car but I’ve been working hard in the simulator and giving it my all in the DTM so I’m confident I’ll be up to speed quickly. It’s an exciting opportunity for me as F1 has always been my dream and I feel this is taking me one step closer to achieving it. I’m realistic that I’ve got a lot to prove and that I need a bit more experience of the cars and the F1 environment before getting a permanent seat but this is just the beginning of what I hope will be a very bright future with Force India. I’d like to thank Mercedes for giving me this opportunity and to Force India for being so supportive.’
JR Hildebrand said, ‘I’m ecstatic to get my first taste of F1. I’ve heard so much about the performance of the cars and know this is going to be quicker and more responsive than anything I’ve ever sat in before. I know it’s a big challenge but I feel ready to tackle it. The aim is to learn the track and the car and then hopefully show my potential. As an American we don’t necessarily have the culture of F1 but anything that’s so impressive and cutting-edge demands respect. I hope I can do the car and myself justice. Thanks to everyone for making this happen, I can’t wait to get to Jerez.’
The testing programme will be as follows:
Day one: JR (morning) / Paul (afternoon)
Day two: Paul (morning) / JR (afternoon)
Day three: TBA (dependent on progress of test programme)
Quick Paul di Resta facts:
•Paul has been competing in the DTM championship for the past three years. He made his debut in a two year-old Mercedes C-Klasse in 2007 and finished fifth overall in the final standings. His performance earned him a full-time works Mercedes drive in 2008. That year he claimed two wins and second overall
•In 2004 Paul won the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year, following in the footsteps of his cousin Dario Franchitti and fellow Scotsman David Coulthard
•Paul has tested a McLaren F1 chassis twice, the last occasion coming in October 2008
•Paul is still based in Bathgate, Scotland, where he grew up. He is part of a racing ‘dynasty’ with cousins Dario Franchitti the current IndyCar champion and Marino Franchitti an accomplished sportscar drive
Quick JR Hildebrand facts:
•JR will be the first American racing driver to sit in a Formula 1 car since Scott Speed raced for Toro Rosso in the early stages of 2007. Prior to that Michael Andretti was the last American to compete in F1, back in 1993
•JR is the reigning Indy Lights champion
•JR started karting at age 14 in the Jim Russell Arrive and Drive Championship in California. He won his first-ever race and went on to win the series championship with four wins out of six races. In 2003 he raced in the Jr. 80cc Shifter class, finishing a close second in the standings, and at the end of that year made the transition to cars by winning the Jim Russell Graduate Runoffs, thus earning a free year of racing in the SCCA Formula Russell Championship Series for 2004. In 2006 he moved to Formula Ford 2000 before graduating to Formula Atlantic in 2007
•JR also holds a place at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has been granted a two year deferral to pursue his career in racing
Twenty-three year old Paul and 21-year old JR were selected after outstanding performances in the team’s simulator last month.
Paul, from West Lothian, Scotland, is a Mercedes works driver in the German touring car series, the DTM, and finished third overall with one win in the 2009 championship. He also has an impressive record in the junior formulae, winning the 2006 Formula 3 Euroseries against a field including current F1 race winner Sebastian Vettel. In 2004 Paul was awarded the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award for upcoming, stand-out young British racing talent.
JR, from Sausalito, California, USA, has quickly risen to prominence on the American racing scene thanks to impressive results in the junior formula and, most recently, his victory in Indy Lights, the feeder series to the USA’s premier racing championship. In 2006 he secured the Formula Ford 2000 championship title and in 2007 was the top placed US rookie in the Atlantic championship.
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal of Force India, commented, ‘We are delighted to have Paul and JR join us for the young driver test. Both of their showings in the simulator were excellent and we had no hesitations in offering them some valuable testing. We will be looking at their performance on track very closely and should they perform well, as we are confident they will, we will look at a permanent role for one within the team in 2010, potentially as a test and reserve driver. As a young team we are looking for drivers who can grow with us. As we’ve always said, nationality isn’t the primary selection criteria – it’s talent and dedication to the cause and we have seen enough to know that these two have both.’
Paul di Resta added, ‘I am thrilled to be joining Force India for this test. It’s been a while since I last tested an F1 car but I’ve been working hard in the simulator and giving it my all in the DTM so I’m confident I’ll be up to speed quickly. It’s an exciting opportunity for me as F1 has always been my dream and I feel this is taking me one step closer to achieving it. I’m realistic that I’ve got a lot to prove and that I need a bit more experience of the cars and the F1 environment before getting a permanent seat but this is just the beginning of what I hope will be a very bright future with Force India. I’d like to thank Mercedes for giving me this opportunity and to Force India for being so supportive.’
JR Hildebrand said, ‘I’m ecstatic to get my first taste of F1. I’ve heard so much about the performance of the cars and know this is going to be quicker and more responsive than anything I’ve ever sat in before. I know it’s a big challenge but I feel ready to tackle it. The aim is to learn the track and the car and then hopefully show my potential. As an American we don’t necessarily have the culture of F1 but anything that’s so impressive and cutting-edge demands respect. I hope I can do the car and myself justice. Thanks to everyone for making this happen, I can’t wait to get to Jerez.’
The testing programme will be as follows:
Day one: JR (morning) / Paul (afternoon)
Day two: Paul (morning) / JR (afternoon)
Day three: TBA (dependent on progress of test programme)
Quick Paul di Resta facts:
•Paul has been competing in the DTM championship for the past three years. He made his debut in a two year-old Mercedes C-Klasse in 2007 and finished fifth overall in the final standings. His performance earned him a full-time works Mercedes drive in 2008. That year he claimed two wins and second overall
•In 2004 Paul won the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year, following in the footsteps of his cousin Dario Franchitti and fellow Scotsman David Coulthard
•Paul has tested a McLaren F1 chassis twice, the last occasion coming in October 2008
•Paul is still based in Bathgate, Scotland, where he grew up. He is part of a racing ‘dynasty’ with cousins Dario Franchitti the current IndyCar champion and Marino Franchitti an accomplished sportscar drive
Quick JR Hildebrand facts:
•JR will be the first American racing driver to sit in a Formula 1 car since Scott Speed raced for Toro Rosso in the early stages of 2007. Prior to that Michael Andretti was the last American to compete in F1, back in 1993
•JR is the reigning Indy Lights champion
•JR started karting at age 14 in the Jim Russell Arrive and Drive Championship in California. He won his first-ever race and went on to win the series championship with four wins out of six races. In 2003 he raced in the Jr. 80cc Shifter class, finishing a close second in the standings, and at the end of that year made the transition to cars by winning the Jim Russell Graduate Runoffs, thus earning a free year of racing in the SCCA Formula Russell Championship Series for 2004. In 2006 he moved to Formula Ford 2000 before graduating to Formula Atlantic in 2007
•JR also holds a place at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has been granted a two year deferral to pursue his career in racing
Monday 23 November 2009
Rosberg signs for Mercedes GP drive
22nd November 2009
From the 2010 season, German driver Nico Rosberg will drive for the new Mercedes team in the Formula 1 World Championship, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport announced today.
From the 2010 season, German driver Nico Rosberg will drive for the new Mercedes team in the Formula 1 World Championship, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport announced today.
Q and A with Nico Rosberg
What is your aim for next year?
NR: The aim is going to be very high for me. I want to win races at least, and then we'll see. We need to wait a few months to see how the car turns out but I'm confident that we're going to have a strong package.
What does it mean to be the first German to race a Silver Arrows grand prix car in over 50 years?
NR: It's incredible. It is definitely quite a special thing. The last time a German raced a Silver Arrow was 1955, so that's a very long time ago. It's about time there was a German in a Silver Arrows again.
Nika Lauda says that you have the talent to take on and beat Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. What is your reaction to that?
NR: It's very nice to hear that from him and I definitely believe in myself as a racing driver and I'm really looking forward to next year because for sure I'm going to have a great car and I really believe that I'm going to be able to take them on for sure.
Which of the two of them is tougher competition?
NR: That's difficult to say. We'll see next year when they are up against each other. I'm not sure. I raced against Lewis, so I can say for sure that Lewis is a great driver and Jenson is a bit more difficult for me to judge but he is certainly a fantastic driver.
Do you regard yourself as German or Finnish?
NR: I definitely regard myself as a German, quite simply because I grew up with the German culture, we spoke German at home and watched German TV. So overall I'm a German.
You said during the year that you had a lot of options for 2010. You've now signed for one of the few manufacturer teams in F1 - how important a factor was that in your decision?
NR: It was definitely a factor that was important in my decision. It's fantastic to be part of a great manufacturer like Mercedes and that together with the team that used to be Brawn GP is the best possible combination for me.
If the driver in the other car is Michael Schumacher, are you confident that you can take him on and beat him?
NR: I don't want to comment on that, sorry.
Are you surprised that the driver in the other car is not Jenson Button?
NR: It was never certain [to be]. There was a high chance that it was going to be and now it has turned out not to be. That’s just how it went. I wasn't that involved with what was going on so it was a little bit of a surprise, but not too much.
Would you like to have a German team-mate?
NR: I don't really mind who my team-mate is. It's just important that he fits well into the group so that we can attack together for Mercedes GP.
Have you already been to the factory and what do you know about next year's car?
NR: I will go to the factory on Wednesday because I also waited for the announcement to be done. I've been in contact with Ross and the engineers about next year's car to keep in touch, but I'm really going to start attacking on that front on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to visiting the factory and also there are a lot of people that I know from past years in F1 and it will be nice to see them again.
Who do you see as your main rival?
NR: I think it's best to mention teams at this point and the main rivals will most likely be Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.
You are the first driver to be contracted by Mercedes. How far do you consider yourself a team leader?
NR: It's something that I would really like to grow into, to become a team leader. That’s what I'll be pushing to do and you achieve that by working with the team, getting the respect of the team and becoming a team leader in pushing the technical direction and also in terms of results on the track. That's something that you need to build up and I'm going to try and do that very soon.
NR: The aim is going to be very high for me. I want to win races at least, and then we'll see. We need to wait a few months to see how the car turns out but I'm confident that we're going to have a strong package.
What does it mean to be the first German to race a Silver Arrows grand prix car in over 50 years?
NR: It's incredible. It is definitely quite a special thing. The last time a German raced a Silver Arrow was 1955, so that's a very long time ago. It's about time there was a German in a Silver Arrows again.
Nika Lauda says that you have the talent to take on and beat Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. What is your reaction to that?
NR: It's very nice to hear that from him and I definitely believe in myself as a racing driver and I'm really looking forward to next year because for sure I'm going to have a great car and I really believe that I'm going to be able to take them on for sure.
Which of the two of them is tougher competition?
NR: That's difficult to say. We'll see next year when they are up against each other. I'm not sure. I raced against Lewis, so I can say for sure that Lewis is a great driver and Jenson is a bit more difficult for me to judge but he is certainly a fantastic driver.
Do you regard yourself as German or Finnish?
NR: I definitely regard myself as a German, quite simply because I grew up with the German culture, we spoke German at home and watched German TV. So overall I'm a German.
You said during the year that you had a lot of options for 2010. You've now signed for one of the few manufacturer teams in F1 - how important a factor was that in your decision?
NR: It was definitely a factor that was important in my decision. It's fantastic to be part of a great manufacturer like Mercedes and that together with the team that used to be Brawn GP is the best possible combination for me.
If the driver in the other car is Michael Schumacher, are you confident that you can take him on and beat him?
NR: I don't want to comment on that, sorry.
Are you surprised that the driver in the other car is not Jenson Button?
NR: It was never certain [to be]. There was a high chance that it was going to be and now it has turned out not to be. That’s just how it went. I wasn't that involved with what was going on so it was a little bit of a surprise, but not too much.
Would you like to have a German team-mate?
NR: I don't really mind who my team-mate is. It's just important that he fits well into the group so that we can attack together for Mercedes GP.
Have you already been to the factory and what do you know about next year's car?
NR: I will go to the factory on Wednesday because I also waited for the announcement to be done. I've been in contact with Ross and the engineers about next year's car to keep in touch, but I'm really going to start attacking on that front on Wednesday. I'm looking forward to visiting the factory and also there are a lot of people that I know from past years in F1 and it will be nice to see them again.
Who do you see as your main rival?
NR: I think it's best to mention teams at this point and the main rivals will most likely be Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.
You are the first driver to be contracted by Mercedes. How far do you consider yourself a team leader?
NR: It's something that I would really like to grow into, to become a team leader. That’s what I'll be pushing to do and you achieve that by working with the team, getting the respect of the team and becoming a team leader in pushing the technical direction and also in terms of results on the track. That's something that you need to build up and I'm going to try and do that very soon.
Theissen: Team still in dark over slot
The BMW Sauber team says it still does not know if it will get a place on the Formula 1 grid next year.
The Hinwil-based outfit was beaten to the final slot on the grid by Lotus in the immediate aftermath of parent company BMW choosing to pull out of the sport.
And although rival Toyota's decision to quit F1 has now opened up an available place, BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen says that there is still no news from the FIA about what it plans to do.
"The situation has not changed," said Theissen about his team's position. "The team still does not have a grid slot. We expect to get one, but it is not done yet. Obviously the delay makes it difficult for negotiations with drivers and sponsors."
The FIA was left angry that Toyota pulled out of F1 just months after signing the Concorde Agreement that committed it to the sport until 2012.
It has asked for clarification from the Japanese manufacturer about its legal position relating to that commitment - and until that is forthcoming the governing body cannot sort out what happens with the 13th slot.
There remains the possibility that Toyota could face a major fine for quitting the championship.
Theissen has also made it clear that he will not sort out his own personal future until the Sauber team situation is cleared up.
There have been suggestions that he could quit his role at BMW to take up a role at whatever becomes of the Sauber team.
"I will decide on it [his future] when the new team is safe and everything is sorted," he said.
Manor boss positive about F1's future
The end of the manufacturer era and the arrival of more independents in Formula 1 is proof that the sport is heading to the future in good shape, reckons incoming team boss John Booth.
Although the decisions by Toyota and BMW to leave F1 this year prompted fears about the state of grand prix racing, Manor Grand Prix chief Booth says he is far from concerned about what state the sport is in.
"I think that for the long term health of F1 there had to be change," he said at the Macau Grand Prix, where he is taking part in his last race prior to next year's Bahrain season opener. "The budgets that the manufacturers were spending were unsustainable - and were obscene, if I can use that word.
"Funnily enough, I was watching on the plane over here a documentary on Stirling Moss, and it was fascinating how you had the independent teams back then. Someone would buy a car from a manufacturer and run it themselves, and it was great. It will never be the same again, but it is heading that way again."
He added: "It was only six months ago that FOTA was almost a manufacturers' club, but now it is going to be in control of independents. And now you have to call McLaren an independent as well."
Booth believes that there is enough impetus from the teams, and newly elected FIA president Jean Todt, to bring down costs that will make the sport sustainable for non-manufacturer teams.
"I think some things that Jean Todt has said, it sounds like he wants to encourage cost restriction," he explained. "With the majority of teams now being independents, we have every chance of pushing that to the targets that have been set for 2012."
Booth has said Manor GP is ahead of target with its preparations for next year, and it is expected to confirm its commercial tie-up with Virgin within the next fortnight.
"I think we are all a little bit in front of where we hoped to be," said Booth. "The start-up [of the car] is scheduled for January 24. The shakedown is on January 29. That side is the calmest area of all, which is incredible. Nick and the guys at Wirth have done an incredible job."
On the driver front, Booth says the arrival of Timo Glock has been a big boost because of the valuable F1 experience he has.
"The wonderful thing about Timo was that he came over to meet everybody and it was not hours and hours of negotiation and selling to him what we could do," he said. "He just bought into the concept straightaway - and made his decision almost immediately.
"We had to finalise contracts and things, but he liked what he saw and wanted to be part of it. So somebody of his experience and quality, wanting to be part of it, not just an employee, is great. He wanted to build a team around him is as he put it. It is a fantastic boost for Timo to believe in us like he does.
"It is massive for us. Massive. Throughout the seat fitting, which we are doing at the moment, his knowledge even now is helping us plan for the first test."
Lucas di Grassi is expected to get the second seat at the team, with a decision expected within the next fortnight. Booth admitted that the Brazilian would be a good addition.
"Lucas would be great for a number of reasons," he explained. "He is an ex-Manor driver anyway. He won here in Macau for us. It would be great for us to have Lucas, and he has F1 testing experience as well in F1. Somebody like Lucas would be perfect."
And Booth admits that the team is keeping its ambitions in check for next year – with it well aware of how tough it will be to challenge more established outfits.
"Our target, as all the new teams are saying, is to be the best of the new teams," he said. "That is what we are aiming for. But my ambition is to go out there, perform professionally, and earn the respect of our peers – as you are not given respect, you have to earn it.
"We want to conduct ourselves in the correct way. If we get to the end of next year having performed professionally and done a good job then I will be happy."
When asked if he felt there would be two tiers in F1 next year – with the new teams behind the more established outfits, he said: "I think realistically the gap won't close for three years.
"That is our time frame to start to become competitive. There are some very bright guys in F1, the Adrian Neweys and the Ross Brawns – and you think what they have achieved. They are the benchmark that you have to aspire to. If you think you are going to come in and be competitive in one season, you are kidding yourself."
Although the decisions by Toyota and BMW to leave F1 this year prompted fears about the state of grand prix racing, Manor Grand Prix chief Booth says he is far from concerned about what state the sport is in.
"I think that for the long term health of F1 there had to be change," he said at the Macau Grand Prix, where he is taking part in his last race prior to next year's Bahrain season opener. "The budgets that the manufacturers were spending were unsustainable - and were obscene, if I can use that word.
"Funnily enough, I was watching on the plane over here a documentary on Stirling Moss, and it was fascinating how you had the independent teams back then. Someone would buy a car from a manufacturer and run it themselves, and it was great. It will never be the same again, but it is heading that way again."
He added: "It was only six months ago that FOTA was almost a manufacturers' club, but now it is going to be in control of independents. And now you have to call McLaren an independent as well."
Booth believes that there is enough impetus from the teams, and newly elected FIA president Jean Todt, to bring down costs that will make the sport sustainable for non-manufacturer teams.
"I think some things that Jean Todt has said, it sounds like he wants to encourage cost restriction," he explained. "With the majority of teams now being independents, we have every chance of pushing that to the targets that have been set for 2012."
Booth has said Manor GP is ahead of target with its preparations for next year, and it is expected to confirm its commercial tie-up with Virgin within the next fortnight.
"I think we are all a little bit in front of where we hoped to be," said Booth. "The start-up [of the car] is scheduled for January 24. The shakedown is on January 29. That side is the calmest area of all, which is incredible. Nick and the guys at Wirth have done an incredible job."
On the driver front, Booth says the arrival of Timo Glock has been a big boost because of the valuable F1 experience he has.
"The wonderful thing about Timo was that he came over to meet everybody and it was not hours and hours of negotiation and selling to him what we could do," he said. "He just bought into the concept straightaway - and made his decision almost immediately.
"We had to finalise contracts and things, but he liked what he saw and wanted to be part of it. So somebody of his experience and quality, wanting to be part of it, not just an employee, is great. He wanted to build a team around him is as he put it. It is a fantastic boost for Timo to believe in us like he does.
"It is massive for us. Massive. Throughout the seat fitting, which we are doing at the moment, his knowledge even now is helping us plan for the first test."
Lucas di Grassi is expected to get the second seat at the team, with a decision expected within the next fortnight. Booth admitted that the Brazilian would be a good addition.
"Lucas would be great for a number of reasons," he explained. "He is an ex-Manor driver anyway. He won here in Macau for us. It would be great for us to have Lucas, and he has F1 testing experience as well in F1. Somebody like Lucas would be perfect."
And Booth admits that the team is keeping its ambitions in check for next year – with it well aware of how tough it will be to challenge more established outfits.
"Our target, as all the new teams are saying, is to be the best of the new teams," he said. "That is what we are aiming for. But my ambition is to go out there, perform professionally, and earn the respect of our peers – as you are not given respect, you have to earn it.
"We want to conduct ourselves in the correct way. If we get to the end of next year having performed professionally and done a good job then I will be happy."
When asked if he felt there would be two tiers in F1 next year – with the new teams behind the more established outfits, he said: "I think realistically the gap won't close for three years.
"That is our time frame to start to become competitive. There are some very bright guys in F1, the Adrian Neweys and the Ross Brawns – and you think what they have achieved. They are the benchmark that you have to aspire to. If you think you are going to come in and be competitive in one season, you are kidding yourself."
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