After the spectacular but sparse desert setting of Bahrain, the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship heads to Australia and the bustling metropolis of Melbourne for round two. Both the city and circuit are favourites - not just with those in the stands, but also with those hard at work in the paddock and on the track…
Rubens Barrichello, Williams
2009 Qualifying - 2nd, 2009 Race - 2nd
“Melbourne is a great place for a Grand Prix. The racing is always competitive so it’s a good track from a fan perspective; it’s also a very social city so it’s nice to hang out there. I like Albert Park a lot. It doesn’t really feel like a street circuit, it’s very challenging and has some interesting corners to negotiate. We had some minor problems in Bahrain but we have resolved them now for Australia. I’m positive we will have a stronger race this weekend.”
Nico Hulkenberg, Williams
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“As a circuit, I don't know Albert Park at all as I haven’t raced there yet. I spent a few days in the factory last week going through practice runs on the simulator and running through data with my engineers which was really helpful but nothing beats having time on the track itself. Bahrain wasn't the best race for me, but there were some positives to be taken from it because it highlighted where we need to do some more work. I’m hoping that we will have a more successful weekend in Australia as a result of what I learnt in Bahrain, and what the team have worked on since we came home. I'm flying out to Sydney on Saturday morning for a driver day with RBS on Tuesday. I then have an appearance for Randstad on Wednesday in Melbourne before heading to the circuit.”
Sam Michael, Williams technical director
“Albert Park is a low grip street circuit, and you’re normally on the limit when it comes to tyre graining. As a result, careful management of car set-up throughout the weekend is a pre-requisite. We will have some improvements for the FW32 in Australia that we will roll out during Friday’s practice sessions. It's going to be a really interesting weekend in terms of seeing how the teams perform on such a different track in comparison to Sakhir. In terms of strategy, Bahrain gave a good indication as to what will be the most likely pit strategy for Melbourne.”
Robert Kubica, Renault
2009 Qualifying - 4th, 2009 Race - 14th
“Overall, before the start of the season, I had the feeling that Melbourne would be a better circuit for us than Bahrain. Now that we have seen the other cars running and collected more information about where we stand, I think even more that it will be a good circuit for us. The circuit is very low grip at the start of the weekend, and you need good mechanical grip, braking stability and ride, so I hope we can put in a strong performance and achieve the car’s full potential.”
Vitaly Petrov, Renault
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“My goal now has to be to get closer and closer to the top ten without making any more mistakes. The most important thing is to learn the track and understand how it flows. I need to get out there and feel the tarmac, see the kerbs, walk a lap to have the right feeling for what I need to do. Then I will do the best job I can and we’ll see what happens.”
Alan Permane, Renault chief race engineer
“Albert Park is a track where you need good braking stability because it’s very bumpy in the braking zones. You also need good traction because the lap is mostly made up of second and third gear chicanes where a good change of direction is important. In the final part of the lap the car wants to understeer, especially through the final corner onto the pit straight, so you need a good front end to cope with this. We have some new aero parts for Melbourne, which should give us a bit more performance. There’s a new front wing and a new part on the rear wing, which improves our overall downforce. The target is to get both drivers into Q3. I think that’s a realistic target given our competitiveness. If we can do that then both drivers should be capable of fighting for points.”
Karun Chandhok, HRT
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“I am really looking forward to my second F1 race this weekend. I have never driven in Melbourne, but I am a very quick learner. I was able to work on a team’s simulator before the Grand Prix so that will help my familiarisation a little bit! Our next step with the team’s engineers is to make the car reliable for the race. The secret of good racing preparation is to complete as many laps as possible on Friday to see where we are with the car. Finishing the race would be a fantastic achievement we will strive for.”
Bruno Senna, HRT
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
“We need to continue building on what we achieved in Bahrain. We put two cars together and ran successfully in Bahrain. Now we must continue to work as a team. I came early to Australia to acclimatise to the time difference. I love Australia more and more, as I spend more time here! I have already driven on the Melbourne track, back in 2006. I did the F3 support race for F1 back then and had a fairly successful weekend. I won! Now, I must work with the team to continue learning about the car. I have enjoyed working long hours with the team so far and I will be giving my all as I really want to progress and guarantee them good results.”
Colin Kolles, HRT team principal
"We have worked extremely hard since the Bahrain season opener. We have worked long hours and successfully with Bridgestone, Cosworth and Xtrac learned from our first laps with the car and found a good basis from which to start preparation for our second Grand Prix in Australia in a few days. We have successfully repaired the damage sustained by Karun Chandhok’s car and focused on building our car’s reliability. Our goal is to improve steadily and the next step is to work towards our first race finish. I am confident we will achieve this goal very soon and having seen how we came together as a team in Bahrain I can see just how much potential and commitment we have.”
Jenson Button, McLaren
2009 Qualifying - 1st, 2009 Race - 1st
“I have some extremely pleasant memories of racing in Australia. As with most drivers on the grid, Albert Park was my first introduction to Formula One, and I really enjoyed my debut, running as high as fourth before retiring. I was on pole in 2006, although I had another non-finish. Of course, last year was a fairytale race for me - I took pole and victory, which was one of the most satisfying and emotional moments of my career. Looking ahead to this year, I think we head to the Albert Park circuit feeling more confident of our overall pace. It’s quite a contrast to Bahrain: no tight, low-speed sections and plenty of faster corners. We think the track configuration should suit our package. We learnt some very useful lessons about MP4-25 in the opening race, and the whole team is keen to put them into practice this weekend.”
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2009 Qualifying - 13th, 2009 Race - DSQ
“I’ve always enjoyed Albert Park. I had a great race here on my Formula One debut in 2007, won the race a year later and made full use of KERS to drive through the field there last year. But, for me, the best things about the Australian Grand Prix are the people and the atmosphere. The fans in the grandstands, the people in the city and the organisation at the track are all fantastic, and it is one of the most welcoming and relaxing events of the year. I really love it. I had a great race in Bahrain: despite losing time in the opening stint, I pushed like crazy for the whole race and I’m pleased that we’ve got some decent points on the board. I’m looking forward to Melbourne. I like the circuit, I think we’ll go well there and I don’t think we’ll have the same problems that slowed our progress in Bahrain.”
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“Coming just a fortnight after the opening race in Bahrain, there’s been only minimal time to add developments to the MP4-25. But we’ve got a number of smaller components that we expect to add to the car ahead of the race. We’ve had the chance to reflect upon it, and I believe that our start to the season has been mostly encouraging. Our race pace in Bahrain looked respectable - we had the fastest car for much of the second half of the race - and I think we now have a clearer idea of how to set the car up over a grand prix weekend. Of course, we’re under no illusions that the opposition will be tough - and we expect a fantastic battle in Melbourne this weekend. The Australian Grand Prix organisers put on a fantastic event and it’s an event I always look forward to with huge enthusiasm. I hope that we can put on a great show for everyone.”
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP
2009 Qualifying - 5th, 2009 Race - 6th
"The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne has always been a successful race for me. I have been in the points for my last three races and had my first podium finish there in 2008 when I finished third. Melbourne is a great city so I really enjoy visiting and the Albert Park street circuit is exciting. It's quite a challenging track as the public roads are always dirty to begin with and there are a lot of bumps to negotiate. With the change in the time of the race last year, the low sun was one of the most difficult things due to the late afternoon start."
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"Australia has always been one of the highlights on the Formula One calendar and this has never changed for me in all my years of competing. As in previous times, I arrived on the continent quite early and have spent some nice days training, adapting and relaxing in order to be fit and rested for the race weekend. I have a lot of good memories from Melbourne and most of the time, we saw interesting races there. I am very happy with the outcome of the season opener in Bahrain. Sixth position was good for me, especially considering how few times I have driven an F1 car since my retirement. I am sure that Melbourne will help me to get into the rhythm even more and I am looking forward to it."
Ross Brawn, Mercedes GP team principal
"The team did a good job in Bahrain but we accept that we were not competitive enough and that we have work to do to close the gap to the leaders. I was very pleased with the performance of Nico and Michael and the way that they worked together to provide clear and consistent feedback to develop the car over the weekend. Whilst our car is fundamentally strong, we have a development plan in place for the next few races which should bring the required performance improvements to compete at the front. Looking ahead to the next two races, the Australian Grand Prix is always a popular race with the teams and the fans so we hope to see a more exciting race at Albert Park next weekend. We then head to Malaysia for the home race of our title partner Petronas. With an exciting programme of activities scheduled at the Petronas Pit Pulse fan zone in Kuala Lumpur, it will be a busy and enjoyable fortnight for the team."
Norbert Haug, vice president Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"The forthcoming Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne's Albert Park is the first of two races within eight days. The layout of the traditional race track in Melbourne, which will host its 15th Formula One World Championship race since 1996, is quite different to Bahrain where the season-opener took place. I expect quite a challenging race for us. The base of our car is good and the team is working hard and focused to achieve the next development steps. It will take some time to close the gap but we will definitely close it sooner rather than later. Our spirit is first-class and the whole team is looking forward to the race weekend in Melbourne."
Pedro de la Rosa, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"I'm very much looking forward to this Grand Prix. I really want our performance in Bahrain to be forgotten. Also it is one of my favourite Grands Prix because of the great atmosphere there. My last race there was in 2002. In 2005 I drove in Friday practice. This means I definitely have some memories of the track, but it will be like learning a new one for me. I believe we will be more competitive in Melbourne. Reliability was never an issue in testing, and it was very unlucky that we retired with both cars in Bahrain and with two different reasons as well. Albert Park is a difficult track with many chicanes, stop and go corners and bumps. As it is not a permanent race track it changes significantly over the weekend. This makes it important to read the track properly in order to deal with the grip level. It will not be easy for us in Australia and we need to work hard to be able to fight for points."
Kamui Kobayashi, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"For sure I hope we will be more competitive in Melbourne than we were in Bahrain - we just have to be. I only know the track from the Toyota simulator which I have been in after the race in Bahrain. I like the lay-out of the Albert Park Circuit, and I also like Melbourne as a place. I have been there twice as a reserve driver. The city is great and the spectators are true fans, so I can't wait to race in front of that crowd. To me a four week trip begins now and I'm really excited about that. From Melbourne we go to Kuala Lumpur and before the race in Shanghai I go and spend some time in Japan."
Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber technical director
"After our disappointing performance in Bahrain we have to make up for a lot in Australia. We have analysed the data and drawn conclusions accordingly. I expect us to be significantly more competitive in Melbourne. The failures were caused by hydraulic leaks in both cases, but for different reasons. For both problems we will have solutions ready for the race.
"The Albert Park Circuit is a stop-and-go track, being very demanding on the brakes and requiring high brake stability as well. At the same time good traction is a must. You drive with maximum downforce. Especially at the beginning of the weekend, the grip level is very low and then improves continuously. You have to make sure this development doesn't confuse your set-up work and so you have to keep working in the right direction. I'm curious about how the tyres will be working. Last year the softer of the two compounds was degrading badly after just a few laps. This time Bridgestone is providing us with a harder compound, which naturally has an impact on the set-up."
News from Formula One in the Formation Lap.
Showing posts with label F1 teams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label F1 teams. Show all posts
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Monday, 1 March 2010
Where do the Formula 1 teams stand after testing?
Race calendar
Drivers and teams
Circuit guide
A-Z of Sports
Related BBC sites
* News
* Weather
* Sport Relief
By Ted Kravitz
Formula 1 teams finished their pre-season testing on Sunday and are now packing their cars away to send them to Bahrain for the first race of the season in less than two weeks' time.
After four days pounding around the Circuit de Catalunya, a picture has emerged about the relative competitiveness of the cars.
Leaving Barcelona, the top four teams look closely matched, although Red Bull and Ferrari are probably slightly ahead of Mercedes and McLaren. Either way, F1 looks poised for an intensely competitive season.
We analyse the teams in pit-lane order.
MERCEDES
There's a walkway on the first floor of the Barcelona pit building where one can see straight into the Mercedes GP engineering office. Security guards move people on during the day, but as evening falls they go home, allowing a perfect view of Michael Schumacher at work.
He sits on the edge of a chair, leaning forward on the desk, engaging an engineer in an intense discussion about some minute detail of the car's performance. He's as focused and business-like as he always was, and he needs to be: the Mercedes has not been the quickest car in testing.
Michael Schumacher
Schumacher gave mixed messages about his car's pace in Spain
It's impossible to know precisely who is fastest, not only because they are running differing fuel loads, but because they are doing that on different tyres (medium, soft and super-soft were all being used in Barcelona) at different times of the day in different track and weather conditions.
But the teams have engineers who analyse their rivals' lap times, working backwards from known fuel quantities (at the start of a race simulation, for example), so that's how we have a general picture of how fast the cars are. The Mercedes seems to be tied with the McLaren as third quickest car behind Red Bull and Ferrari.
Schumacher has seen that analysis and says he isn't too worried about Mercedes' shortcomings, but he won't see the true pace of the car until Friday in Bahrain, when the team run with their new wings and diffuser.
As the single largest generator of downforce on the car, the diffuser is a big thing to bring to a track for the first time, bolt on and make work, so the team face a challenge to balance out the car in practice at the first race of the season.
This promised development puts Schumacher's recent statements about Mercedes not being in a position to win races straight away into context.
RED BULL
Webber positive ahead of first race
Confident in their car's speed, Red Bull pack up for Bahrain looking to be at the front straight away.
Team boss Christian Horner believes the RB6 will be "up there with Ferrari" and is happy with the new front wing, bargeboards and rear wing brought to the last two days of the Barcelona test.
The Red Bull's diffuser is a beautifully intricate bit of kit, similar in appearance to the one on last year's Brawn, with a big lemon-shaped hole in the middle section and Toyota-style vanes either side.
Chief technical officer Adrian Newey has also proved innovator with his treatment of the exhaust pipes.
Red Bull's innovative exhaust exit is centre frame, with decoy sticker above
Red Bull's innovative exhaust exit, with decoy sticker above
As this picture shows (right), the exhaust vents to the outer side of the gearbox below the bottom suspension wishbone, channelling the hot air around the rear suspension and out the top side of the floor.
The disadvantage is that the suspension will get quite hot from the exhaust gases, so the team placed blue temperature sensors on the wishbones and the floor during testing to find out if it's too marginal to use.
In a comical and ultimately futile attempt to mislead rival teams and the watching media, the picture also shows that Red Bull placed a sticker of an exhaust pipe on the upper bodywork below the upper wishbone, where one would expect to see it!
As well as that clever chassis, a fuel efficient Renault engine and good tyre performance in qualifying trim mean that the Red Bull is many people's tip for the championship.
One downside: reliability. Precautionary changes to gearboxes and oil pumps interrupted Red Bull's Saturday programme in Barcelona, leading to Mark Webber having to surrender half his allotted time in the car on Sunday to Sebastian Vettel, much to the Australian's annoyance.
McLAREN
McLaren had their Bahrain aerodynamic package on for the last two days of the test and the car enjoyed a significant improvement.
Hamilton happy with McLaren progress
The updates delivered what the wind tunnel suggested they would, which is always a relief for any team with a new car.
Jenson Button ran a race simulation with the new package on Saturday but did not have the set-up he wanted on the car, so his times didn't compare too well with Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who was also doing a race run at the same time, or his McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who did a race simulation on Sunday.
McLaren engineers have been investing a lot of time in tyre management - a key component this year as most races will be done on a one-stop strategy following the banning of in-race refuelling.
Success in the first few races will come from being easy on the tyres and keeping them in good shape. In short, McLaren are not where they want to be yet, but they're close and they believe they'll get there.
FERRARI
It's simple to explain why Ferrari have a good car. They've been working on it full-time since June last year while everyone else was still bringing performance to their 2009 cars.
Alonso optimistic over title chances
Crucially, this year the design has not been compromised by having to integrate last year's Kers power-boost system on the car. They have also exploited the double-diffuser concept to the full.
The result is a driveable car that was quick out of the box, has good reliability (although there were small niggles throughout the Barcelona test) and is consistently easy on its tyres.
Ferrari fly to the first race perhaps the best prepared of anyone. Among the first to launch their car, they made good use of the sunny weather at the first test and have managed to complete their job list in preparation for Bahrain. Both drivers have completed race simulations successfully.
The only surprise might come in the improvements other teams bring to the first race. Ferrari have shown their hand: The package they had on the last two days in Barcelona is pretty much how the car will race in Bahrain. Will the rest catch up?
THE MIDFIELD
The dark horse of the midfield is Force India. Adrian Sutil described this winter as "the best pre-season test programme we've ever had".
In retrospect they lost out by missing the first test as the recent poor weather hasn't allowed as much meaningful practice as they'd like, but the car is predictable, driveable and consistent on high and low fuel.
Nico Hulkenberg's Williams at the Barcelona test
Hulkenberg has impressed with his pace in the Williams
Williams are also happy with their package, with reports of good power and fuel efficiency from their Cosworth engine.
Veteran Rubens Barrichello has integrated seamlessly into the team following his move from Brawn and looks like he's been there for years.
Rookie Nico Hulkenberg has impressed technical director Sam Michael with his speed in testing.
"We want Nico to show a clear rate of progression and to push Rubens while making as few mistakes as possible", says Michael, which is what they wanted - but never got - from Kazuki Nakajima over the last two years alongside Nico Rosberg.
Sauber continue to impress with their qualifying pace.
Kamui Kobayashi was equal to the Williams and Force India on lower fuel, but he admitted that the team need to work on tyre management on heavy fuel loads. Money may also be a factor later in the season - at present the car boasts very few sponsor logos.
In many ways, Renault have the most nervous wait to see where they are in the pecking order. Robert Kubica says the car lacks grip and the lap times back him up.
The team have a package of aerodynamic and mechanical improvements coming for the first race. The wind tunnel suggests they will be a big step, while Kubica is keen to see if they translate to improved lap time.
Gascoyne aiming for Lotus reliability
Rookie Vitaly Petrov faces a tough start to the season, but is lucky to have a new, experienced engineer to look after him: Mark Slade, who won races and championships with Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen and Heikki Kovalainen, has moved from McLaren to Renault.
The Toro Rosso STR5 looks very similar to the Red Bull RB6 even though Toro Rosso have had to design and make the car themselves in Faenza. The team say the car is sound enough, but Sebastian Buemi spent most of the test trying different set-ups in an attempt to unlock some more speed from the Ferrari-engined car.
NEW TEAMS
Lotus ended the Barcelona test five seconds slower than the pace-setting McLaren. This is the margin they will have to live with for the first few races.
The car is more reliable than that of fellow new boys Virgin, although not entirely bulletproof. The team have a significant aero package coming onto the car at the Spanish GP in May, so we can begin to judge their long-term potential then.
The Virgin seems to be faster than the Lotus over one lap but the car is fragile.
Technical director Nick Wirth admits that there has been a design error on some parts of the hydraulic system. As pretty much everything that makes you stop or go in an F1 car is hydraulically-driven (throttle, gearbox, brakes), it's important to have it indestructible.
Wirth says there will be a fix in place for the first four races while a re-design continues back in the UK. There's an improved aero package that will add performance to the car in Bahrain.
Drivers and teams
Circuit guide
A-Z of Sports
Related BBC sites
* News
* Weather
* Sport Relief
By Ted Kravitz
Formula 1 teams finished their pre-season testing on Sunday and are now packing their cars away to send them to Bahrain for the first race of the season in less than two weeks' time.
After four days pounding around the Circuit de Catalunya, a picture has emerged about the relative competitiveness of the cars.
Leaving Barcelona, the top four teams look closely matched, although Red Bull and Ferrari are probably slightly ahead of Mercedes and McLaren. Either way, F1 looks poised for an intensely competitive season.
We analyse the teams in pit-lane order.
MERCEDES
There's a walkway on the first floor of the Barcelona pit building where one can see straight into the Mercedes GP engineering office. Security guards move people on during the day, but as evening falls they go home, allowing a perfect view of Michael Schumacher at work.
He sits on the edge of a chair, leaning forward on the desk, engaging an engineer in an intense discussion about some minute detail of the car's performance. He's as focused and business-like as he always was, and he needs to be: the Mercedes has not been the quickest car in testing.
Michael Schumacher
Schumacher gave mixed messages about his car's pace in Spain
It's impossible to know precisely who is fastest, not only because they are running differing fuel loads, but because they are doing that on different tyres (medium, soft and super-soft were all being used in Barcelona) at different times of the day in different track and weather conditions.
But the teams have engineers who analyse their rivals' lap times, working backwards from known fuel quantities (at the start of a race simulation, for example), so that's how we have a general picture of how fast the cars are. The Mercedes seems to be tied with the McLaren as third quickest car behind Red Bull and Ferrari.
Schumacher has seen that analysis and says he isn't too worried about Mercedes' shortcomings, but he won't see the true pace of the car until Friday in Bahrain, when the team run with their new wings and diffuser.
As the single largest generator of downforce on the car, the diffuser is a big thing to bring to a track for the first time, bolt on and make work, so the team face a challenge to balance out the car in practice at the first race of the season.
This promised development puts Schumacher's recent statements about Mercedes not being in a position to win races straight away into context.
RED BULL
Webber positive ahead of first race
Confident in their car's speed, Red Bull pack up for Bahrain looking to be at the front straight away.
Team boss Christian Horner believes the RB6 will be "up there with Ferrari" and is happy with the new front wing, bargeboards and rear wing brought to the last two days of the Barcelona test.
The Red Bull's diffuser is a beautifully intricate bit of kit, similar in appearance to the one on last year's Brawn, with a big lemon-shaped hole in the middle section and Toyota-style vanes either side.
Chief technical officer Adrian Newey has also proved innovator with his treatment of the exhaust pipes.
Red Bull's innovative exhaust exit is centre frame, with decoy sticker above
Red Bull's innovative exhaust exit, with decoy sticker above
As this picture shows (right), the exhaust vents to the outer side of the gearbox below the bottom suspension wishbone, channelling the hot air around the rear suspension and out the top side of the floor.
The disadvantage is that the suspension will get quite hot from the exhaust gases, so the team placed blue temperature sensors on the wishbones and the floor during testing to find out if it's too marginal to use.
In a comical and ultimately futile attempt to mislead rival teams and the watching media, the picture also shows that Red Bull placed a sticker of an exhaust pipe on the upper bodywork below the upper wishbone, where one would expect to see it!
As well as that clever chassis, a fuel efficient Renault engine and good tyre performance in qualifying trim mean that the Red Bull is many people's tip for the championship.
One downside: reliability. Precautionary changes to gearboxes and oil pumps interrupted Red Bull's Saturday programme in Barcelona, leading to Mark Webber having to surrender half his allotted time in the car on Sunday to Sebastian Vettel, much to the Australian's annoyance.
McLAREN
McLaren had their Bahrain aerodynamic package on for the last two days of the test and the car enjoyed a significant improvement.
Hamilton happy with McLaren progress
The updates delivered what the wind tunnel suggested they would, which is always a relief for any team with a new car.
Jenson Button ran a race simulation with the new package on Saturday but did not have the set-up he wanted on the car, so his times didn't compare too well with Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who was also doing a race run at the same time, or his McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who did a race simulation on Sunday.
McLaren engineers have been investing a lot of time in tyre management - a key component this year as most races will be done on a one-stop strategy following the banning of in-race refuelling.
Success in the first few races will come from being easy on the tyres and keeping them in good shape. In short, McLaren are not where they want to be yet, but they're close and they believe they'll get there.
FERRARI
It's simple to explain why Ferrari have a good car. They've been working on it full-time since June last year while everyone else was still bringing performance to their 2009 cars.
Alonso optimistic over title chances
Crucially, this year the design has not been compromised by having to integrate last year's Kers power-boost system on the car. They have also exploited the double-diffuser concept to the full.
The result is a driveable car that was quick out of the box, has good reliability (although there were small niggles throughout the Barcelona test) and is consistently easy on its tyres.
Ferrari fly to the first race perhaps the best prepared of anyone. Among the first to launch their car, they made good use of the sunny weather at the first test and have managed to complete their job list in preparation for Bahrain. Both drivers have completed race simulations successfully.
The only surprise might come in the improvements other teams bring to the first race. Ferrari have shown their hand: The package they had on the last two days in Barcelona is pretty much how the car will race in Bahrain. Will the rest catch up?
THE MIDFIELD
The dark horse of the midfield is Force India. Adrian Sutil described this winter as "the best pre-season test programme we've ever had".
In retrospect they lost out by missing the first test as the recent poor weather hasn't allowed as much meaningful practice as they'd like, but the car is predictable, driveable and consistent on high and low fuel.
Nico Hulkenberg's Williams at the Barcelona test
Hulkenberg has impressed with his pace in the Williams
Williams are also happy with their package, with reports of good power and fuel efficiency from their Cosworth engine.
Veteran Rubens Barrichello has integrated seamlessly into the team following his move from Brawn and looks like he's been there for years.
Rookie Nico Hulkenberg has impressed technical director Sam Michael with his speed in testing.
"We want Nico to show a clear rate of progression and to push Rubens while making as few mistakes as possible", says Michael, which is what they wanted - but never got - from Kazuki Nakajima over the last two years alongside Nico Rosberg.
Sauber continue to impress with their qualifying pace.
Kamui Kobayashi was equal to the Williams and Force India on lower fuel, but he admitted that the team need to work on tyre management on heavy fuel loads. Money may also be a factor later in the season - at present the car boasts very few sponsor logos.
In many ways, Renault have the most nervous wait to see where they are in the pecking order. Robert Kubica says the car lacks grip and the lap times back him up.
The team have a package of aerodynamic and mechanical improvements coming for the first race. The wind tunnel suggests they will be a big step, while Kubica is keen to see if they translate to improved lap time.
Gascoyne aiming for Lotus reliability
Rookie Vitaly Petrov faces a tough start to the season, but is lucky to have a new, experienced engineer to look after him: Mark Slade, who won races and championships with Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen and Heikki Kovalainen, has moved from McLaren to Renault.
The Toro Rosso STR5 looks very similar to the Red Bull RB6 even though Toro Rosso have had to design and make the car themselves in Faenza. The team say the car is sound enough, but Sebastian Buemi spent most of the test trying different set-ups in an attempt to unlock some more speed from the Ferrari-engined car.
NEW TEAMS
Lotus ended the Barcelona test five seconds slower than the pace-setting McLaren. This is the margin they will have to live with for the first few races.
The car is more reliable than that of fellow new boys Virgin, although not entirely bulletproof. The team have a significant aero package coming onto the car at the Spanish GP in May, so we can begin to judge their long-term potential then.
The Virgin seems to be faster than the Lotus over one lap but the car is fragile.
Technical director Nick Wirth admits that there has been a design error on some parts of the hydraulic system. As pretty much everything that makes you stop or go in an F1 car is hydraulically-driven (throttle, gearbox, brakes), it's important to have it indestructible.
Wirth says there will be a fix in place for the first four races while a re-design continues back in the UK. There's an improved aero package that will add performance to the car in Bahrain.
Thursday, 11 February 2010
F1 Teams warned over missing races
The FIA has told Formula 1's new teams they will be in breach of the sport's regulations if they miss any events this season.
On the back of revelations the Concorde Agreement allows teams to miss up to three races before being deemed to have failed to officially participate, the FIA issued a clarification on Wednesday suggesting that absence from races would not go without penalty.
The FIA stated: "Following recent reports on the interpretation of clauses in the Concorde Agreement concerning the concept of a team's 'participation' in the FIA Formula One World Championship, the FIA wishes to make the following clarification:
"From a sporting and regulatory point of view, each team that has registered for the championship is obliged to take part in every event of the season.
"Any failure to take part, even for just one championship event, would constitute an infringement both of the Concorde Agreement and the FIA Regulations."
The discussion about teams missing three races comes on the back of continued doubts about the chances of new squads Team US F1 and Campos Meta making the first race of the season.
Although both insist they remain on course in their efforts to make the Bahrain Grand Prix, they have faced financial difficulties in recent weeks that have not helped their respective causes.
The uncertainty surrounding these teams comes at a time when Serbian hopeful Stefan GP is pushing for an entry onto the grid - claiming it has the machinery and finances to compete from the first race of 2010.
On the back of revelations the Concorde Agreement allows teams to miss up to three races before being deemed to have failed to officially participate, the FIA issued a clarification on Wednesday suggesting that absence from races would not go without penalty.
The FIA stated: "Following recent reports on the interpretation of clauses in the Concorde Agreement concerning the concept of a team's 'participation' in the FIA Formula One World Championship, the FIA wishes to make the following clarification:
"From a sporting and regulatory point of view, each team that has registered for the championship is obliged to take part in every event of the season.
"Any failure to take part, even for just one championship event, would constitute an infringement both of the Concorde Agreement and the FIA Regulations."
The discussion about teams missing three races comes on the back of continued doubts about the chances of new squads Team US F1 and Campos Meta making the first race of the season.
Although both insist they remain on course in their efforts to make the Bahrain Grand Prix, they have faced financial difficulties in recent weeks that have not helped their respective causes.
The uncertainty surrounding these teams comes at a time when Serbian hopeful Stefan GP is pushing for an entry onto the grid - claiming it has the machinery and finances to compete from the first race of 2010.
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
F1 racing
Red Bull Racing Remains Renault-powered for 2010
16th December 2010
The engines which took RBR to second place in last season’s world championship will again be used in the 2010 challenge.
Renault to compete in the 2010 championship after partnering with Genii.
16th December 2010
Renault has decided to maintain its commitment to Formula One and welcomes the perspective of a strategic partnership with Genii Capital, a Luxemburg based firm specialized in new technologies, brand management and motor sport.
Force India advance engineering design with CRL of France
16th December 2009
Computational Research Laboratories (CRL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, and Force India Formula One Team (FIF1), India’s first and only F1 team, today announced an exclusive three-year multi-million dollar partnership deal to offer a fully automated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solution to aid the design of the team’s next generation race cars as well improve aerodynamic efficiency in the current racing models.
Lotus announce their two drivers for 2010
14th December 2010
Lotus F1 Racing has today confirmed that Italy's Jarno Trulli, Finland's Heikki Kovalainen and Malaysia's Fairuz Fauzy have joined the team to spearhead driving duties for its debut Formula 1 season in 2010. Also Q and A's with drivers and Team boss.
Silverstone to host the British Grand Prix for the next seventeen years
7th December 2009
Silverstone and the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) have announced agreement with Bernie Ecclestone after the contract with Donnington Park falls through.
Q&A with Riad Asmat. Chief Executive Officer of Lotus F1 Team
3rd December 2009
Interview on the background of the Lotus F1 team, the relationship with the Malaysian government and Proton.
Renault continue at Jerez, testing with their young drivers
3rd December 2009
Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung, and the team’s third driver, Lucas Di Grassi share the Renalt seat on the second day of testing at Jerez.
Paul di Resta tests for Force India at Jerez
3rd December 2009
Q and A with young test driver showing some promise for the Force India team that are coming off a remarkable finish to the 2009 season.
FIA announce provisional grid for the 2010 F1 Championship
30th November 2009
Manor GP are to compete under the name of Virgin racing with immediate effect and Brawn are to change their name to Mercedes Grand Prix before the start of the 2010 season. Still awaited is the possible inclusion of the Sauber team in the place of the Toyota team.
Campos Meta progressing to F1 in 2010
28th November 2009
Adrian Campos steering the team to the grid for 2010, Senna aiming high.
Renault announce the three new drivers to test at Jerez
28th November 2009
Renault will be evaluating the Spaniard Bertrand Baguette, the Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung and Lucas Di Grassi in the Jerez tests next week.
Force India keep faith with drivers for 2010
27th November 2009
Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi will spearhead the 2010 campaign for Force India in 2010.
BMW sell to F1 team to Sauber
27th November 2009
Subject to Sauber regaining F1 status in 2010, Bmw have agreed the sale to Peter Sauber, former owner of the team.
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.
Williams confirm sale of stake in team
20th November 2009
Williams have become the third team this close-season to diversify ownership and funding of the team by bringing on-board a minority shareholder in the form of Austrian investor Toto Wolff. Mr Wolff also joins the company’s Board and is a part-time driver who since 2002 has been involved in the management of upcoming racing drivers and co-owns a driver management company with Mika Hakkinen.
McLaren finally announce Button as new driver
18th November 2009
After many days of negotiations, Button and Hamilton line up for the 2010 series alongside each other in the McLaren-Mercedes.
Glock signs with Manor GP for 2010
17th November 2009
Glock had been linked with a move to Renault for next year but has agreed a move to the newcomer Manor GP team headed by Technical director Nick Wirth.
McLaren and Mercedes-Benz announce new terms of business
16th November 2009
McLaren and Mercedes-Benz are delighted to announce a realigned long-term strategic alliance.
McLaren agreed yesterday to buy back the 40% that Mercedes own by 2011, but have agreed to provide engines for them until 2011 .
Mercedes Grand Prix take over Brawn GP
16th November 2009
Mercedes-Benz will enter the Formula 1 World Championship with its own team, beginning with the 2010 season, and Daimler AG and McLaren Group will change their form of cooperation with effect as of 13 November 2009. This was announced by Daimler AG today.
16th December 2010
The engines which took RBR to second place in last season’s world championship will again be used in the 2010 challenge.
Renault to compete in the 2010 championship after partnering with Genii.
16th December 2010
Renault has decided to maintain its commitment to Formula One and welcomes the perspective of a strategic partnership with Genii Capital, a Luxemburg based firm specialized in new technologies, brand management and motor sport.
Force India advance engineering design with CRL of France
16th December 2009
Computational Research Laboratories (CRL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, and Force India Formula One Team (FIF1), India’s first and only F1 team, today announced an exclusive three-year multi-million dollar partnership deal to offer a fully automated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solution to aid the design of the team’s next generation race cars as well improve aerodynamic efficiency in the current racing models.
Lotus announce their two drivers for 2010
14th December 2010
Lotus F1 Racing has today confirmed that Italy's Jarno Trulli, Finland's Heikki Kovalainen and Malaysia's Fairuz Fauzy have joined the team to spearhead driving duties for its debut Formula 1 season in 2010. Also Q and A's with drivers and Team boss.
Silverstone to host the British Grand Prix for the next seventeen years
7th December 2009
Silverstone and the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) have announced agreement with Bernie Ecclestone after the contract with Donnington Park falls through.
Q&A with Riad Asmat. Chief Executive Officer of Lotus F1 Team
3rd December 2009
Interview on the background of the Lotus F1 team, the relationship with the Malaysian government and Proton.
Renault continue at Jerez, testing with their young drivers
3rd December 2009
Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung, and the team’s third driver, Lucas Di Grassi share the Renalt seat on the second day of testing at Jerez.
Paul di Resta tests for Force India at Jerez
3rd December 2009
Q and A with young test driver showing some promise for the Force India team that are coming off a remarkable finish to the 2009 season.
FIA announce provisional grid for the 2010 F1 Championship
30th November 2009
Manor GP are to compete under the name of Virgin racing with immediate effect and Brawn are to change their name to Mercedes Grand Prix before the start of the 2010 season. Still awaited is the possible inclusion of the Sauber team in the place of the Toyota team.
Campos Meta progressing to F1 in 2010
28th November 2009
Adrian Campos steering the team to the grid for 2010, Senna aiming high.
Renault announce the three new drivers to test at Jerez
28th November 2009
Renault will be evaluating the Spaniard Bertrand Baguette, the Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung and Lucas Di Grassi in the Jerez tests next week.
Force India keep faith with drivers for 2010
27th November 2009
Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi will spearhead the 2010 campaign for Force India in 2010.
BMW sell to F1 team to Sauber
27th November 2009
Subject to Sauber regaining F1 status in 2010, Bmw have agreed the sale to Peter Sauber, former owner of the team.
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.
Williams confirm sale of stake in team
20th November 2009
Williams have become the third team this close-season to diversify ownership and funding of the team by bringing on-board a minority shareholder in the form of Austrian investor Toto Wolff. Mr Wolff also joins the company’s Board and is a part-time driver who since 2002 has been involved in the management of upcoming racing drivers and co-owns a driver management company with Mika Hakkinen.
McLaren finally announce Button as new driver
18th November 2009
After many days of negotiations, Button and Hamilton line up for the 2010 series alongside each other in the McLaren-Mercedes.
Glock signs with Manor GP for 2010
17th November 2009
Glock had been linked with a move to Renault for next year but has agreed a move to the newcomer Manor GP team headed by Technical director Nick Wirth.
McLaren and Mercedes-Benz announce new terms of business
16th November 2009
McLaren and Mercedes-Benz are delighted to announce a realigned long-term strategic alliance.
McLaren agreed yesterday to buy back the 40% that Mercedes own by 2011, but have agreed to provide engines for them until 2011 .
Mercedes Grand Prix take over Brawn GP
16th November 2009
Mercedes-Benz will enter the Formula 1 World Championship with its own team, beginning with the 2010 season, and Daimler AG and McLaren Group will change their form of cooperation with effect as of 13 November 2009. This was announced by Daimler AG today.
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