Showing posts with label Formula 1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Formula 1. Show all posts

Kubica: Moving in the right direction

Kubica has spent the last two-and-a-half months at the Pietra Ligure hospital in Italy following an horrific accident whilst competing in the Ronde di Andora rally on February 6.

The Pole was forced to undergo four separate surgical procedures after sustaining multiple fractures to an arm and leg, as well as a severed right hand.

After being taken off the critical list, Renault driver Kubica has since been undergoing extensive rehabilitation, and is now at last approaching a position where he can continue away from hospital.

A further programme will follow under the supervision of Dr Riccardo Ceccarelli, who runs the Italian sports clinic 'Formula Medicine' and is a consultant with Renault.

"I am starting to feel a lot better now," said Kubica.

"My recovery is moving in the right direction. My strength and weight are increasing day on day and as a result I will leave the hospital very soon.

"I don't have a precise date as yet, but I hope to be able to leave within the next 10 days."

Of primary concern has long been the condition of Kubica's right hand, the mobility of which he has admitted "is limited."

However, he added: "This is pretty normal in this kind of situation because the connected arm muscles are still very weak due to the long period of immobility.

"Things are definitely improving day by day.

"As soon as I leave hospital, I'll head to my home in Monaco for a short period of rest.

"Then I'll move to Dr Ceccarelli's facilities where I will start a deep rehabilitation program and a preliminary soft training programme.

"The two programmes will gradually cross over based on the speed of my recovery."

Despite his situation, Kubica has been following the season so far, with Renault making a strong start with podium finishes for Vitaly Petrov and replacement Nick Heidfeld in Australia and Malaysia respectively.

Asked if he had stayed in touch with the team, Kubica said: "Yes, of course.

"Especially since the season started, I've been liaising with my engineers on what's been going on over race weekends.

"They are sending me the race reports so I can remain up to date and fully informed, as if I were there at the tracks.

"(Team principal) Eric Boullier is also in constant contact, keeping up to date with my general condition.

"I've also watched the races, and there is no doubt it's been a strong start to the season.

"The potential of the car, which I already noticed in the February Valencia test, seems to be confirmed.

"As usual, it's now important the development continues to produce consistent updates for maintaining this level of performance.

"The guys did a great job with this car and I'm sure they'll continue to improve.

"From my side, I'll try to use my difficult experience to come back as strong as I possibly can."

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Mercedes Improvements Excite Michael Schumacher

At age 42, and after an inglorious return to Formula One last year, few would have guessed that Michael Schumacher and Mercedes would be touted as a potential championship team for the upcoming season.

Schumacher, who came out of retirement after three years to join Mercedes last season, ended ninth in the 2010 standings, without a single podium finish.

But ahead of Sunday’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and after an impressive winter of testing, Schumacher may soon get a taste of the glory that drew him back to the sport.

Schumacher struggled to adapt to the durable Bridgestone tires on his return to racing and said on Thursday he had high hopes of performing better with the more degradable Pirelli rubber introduced this year.

“What’s most important is what I want to prove to myself,” he said. “Whether it was only the tire. Whether it was me after three years out, not knowing all the switches and positions, and what I had to do to make the whole package work together, I don’t know.

“I just know that now I do feel it and I’m back on it.”

Red Bull’s Mark Webber was quick to identify Mercedes as a race-winning team this season. “Mercedes have had a good finish to the winter testing and they’re going to be winning some races for sure this year,” Webber said.

“The car’s improved, to our predictions,” Schumacher said on Thursday. “We knew we weren’t on the pace for the first tests, but we were focusing on a particular package … it was only in the last tests that we were able to see that everything works out.”

Tires aren’t the only changes to F1 that Schumacher has had to adapt to since making his debut with the Jordan team back in 1991. “In the time that I’ve been racing I’ve gone through many different development phases,” he said.

“From the very standard days of manual gear shifting when I started, there has been the days of active suspension, traction control, ABS and so on.

“And there have been all the electronics you can adjust on the steering wheel. … Now we have this year [adjustable] rear wings and KERS.

“I can only say that anything that makes me go quicker, and I can adapt and adjust in the car, that’s what I like.”

Now Schumacher is looking forward to ending the speculation and seeing exactly what the new car and new tires can do in Sunday’s race.

“We get on with it this weekend and see what is the reality,” he said. “Testing is one thing and racing is another thing.” AP

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McLaren, Ferrari Right on Red Bull's Bumper

Melbourne - McLaren and Ferrari threw down the challenge to the world champion Red Bull team in Friday's practice for this weekend's season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne.

The Red Bull pair of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel dominated first free practice with Webber clocking a best lap of one minute 26.831 seconds, before Jenson Button led a McLaren one-two in the late afternoon hit-out.

Button, bidding for a hat-trick of Melbourne victories in Sunday's race, clocked 1:25.854, just 0.132secs ahead of 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was lurking with the third quickest time in both practice sessions, indicating that the 16-time constructors' champion team will be thereabouts in the first race.

"We were able to complete a lot of laps today, but the weather was a bit difficult," said Vettel, who at 23 became the youngest F1 world drivers' champion last year.

"Despite that, I think we got a good idea as to where we are compared to our competitors.

"All in all, I think we can be pleased, it seems we are not too bad, but we have to wait and see."

Local hope Webber, bidding to improve on his best placing of fifth in a 12th attempt at winning his home GP, said Ferrari and McLaren looked in good shape.

"McLaren look quick, but with Ferrari you can never tell, as they always run a bit more fuel on a Friday," Webber said.

Button, who is bidding to equal Michael Schumacher's record of three consecutive Australian victories at Albert Park, was encouraged by McLaren's advanced showing.

"Today showed that we?ve got reliability, which is great," Button said.

"That?s something we?ve not had all winter so to have a car that runs for as many laps as we want it to is very satisfying. It also means we can get stuck into our set-up work and improve the car.

"We?re encouraged by the step we?ve made today."

Alonso, a winner here five years ago with Renault, looks Ferrari's best hope of landing their seventh Australian GP in 12 years.

"I am happy with the way the car is going," Alonso said. "At the start there was a bit of understeer and we still are a way off from having perfect grip at the front, but it went better than I was expecting."

Vettel said the first use of the abrasive Albert Park street circuit gave all the teams a better sense of how the faster-degrading Pirelli tyres will perform in the first race.

"We expected worse conditions here in terms of how long the tyres would last, but this morning and this afternoon was quite useful in helping us to understand what to do in the race on Sunday.

"So far everything is positive, we can't race with one stop only, I think we will have to come in a couple of times.

"Melbourne is a rough track with a lot of bumps and a lot of corners, and you really feel the speed here in some corners and you don't have much time in between the corners and everything follows up quickly. It keeps you busy."

Seven-time world champion Schumacher had a best lap of 1:26.590 in his Mercedes, which gave him the sixth best time in the second practice session.

"My first impressions are quite positive. We learned a lot today, and are more or less where we thought we would be," Schumacher said.

"We will sort out some issues on our car for the rest of the weekend but I am still happy with what we have seen here so far."

At the other end of the spectrum, Hispania Racing Team mechanics slaved all day to try to get their cars out on to the track but all they could manage was to squeeze half a lap for Vitantonio Liuzzi just in the final minutes of second practice to ironic applause in the media room.

Qualifying for Sunday's Melbourne race takes place on Saturday. AFP (Robert Smith)

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Alonso Says Ferrari Off Pace in New Season

While disappointed not to start the Formula One season with a podium finish, Fernando Alonso says his Ferrari never had the speed to win the Australian Grand Prix.

Alonso finished fourth on Sunday, while teammate Felipe Massa came in seventh.

Alonso lost out on the tight first corner, squeezed onto the grass and pushed down to ninth in the running order.

Despite the setback, he managed to race his way back into contention, but admits his car was not quick enough to challenge the leaders.

The Spaniard said Ferrari now has its work cut out to catch up with the speed and reliability of pacesetters Red Bull and McLaren.

“We got off to a good start, although it was a bit chaotic,” the two-time world champion said. “We could have come third but no higher.”

Both Ferraris went with a three-pit stop strategy during the race, while the podium finishers only took two.

“I was eighth or ninth at one point; thanks to the stops we overtook two cars,” Alonso said. “We did make an extra stop but we regained our position.”

Team assistant technical director Pat Fry said Ferrari employed the right pitting tactics for the circumstances Alonso found himself in.

“With Fernando we made the right choices given what happened on the opening lap, when he found himself back in ninth place,” Fry said.

“Thanks to the pit stops and some good passing moves ... he was fighting for a podium finish right up to the final lap,” he added.

He said the team had plenty of room for improvement heading into the next race, which will take place in Malaysia on April 10.

“We are in the right zone for us to be able to win a title, but definitely not if we keep finishing third or fourth,” Alonso said.

Massa, who had his official result improved from ninth to seventh after both Saubers were disqualified for a technical breach, said Ferrari was a better team than it was able to show in Melbourne.

“We have to get down to work to understand fully what happened, because we have not shown our true potential.” AP

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Mercedes GP launch MGP W01 at Valencia

The Mercedes GP F1 team launched today at Valencia their new car, the MGP W01.

Mercedes GP drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg along with team principal Ross Brawn unveiled the team’s challenger for the 2010 season, before the start of the scheduled testing session.

On the first day of Formula One winter testing, the Mercedes GP Petronas garage doors opened at 08:50am for the new car to make its entrance in front of the assembled photographers and camera crews.

Michael, Nico and Team Principal Ross Brawn posed for photos with the new Silver Arrow in its silver and green livery before the car went back into the garage to prepare for the start of the test session at 10:00am.

Rosberg will be the first of the Mercedes GP drivers to try out the new car with Schumacher taking over later today.

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Marussia Virgin Racing MVR-02

Marussia Virgin Racing MVR-02 Technical Specifications:

Chassis:
Construction: Virgin Racing carbon fibre construction monocoque and nosebox
Supension:
Wishbones: Virgin Racing carbon fibre construction with titanium flexure joints
Uprights: Virgin Racing aluminium alloy construction
Dampers: Penske
Wheels and tyres:
Wheels: BBS
Tyres: Pirelli P Zero
Fuel System:
Fuel cell: ‘FT5′ safety specification
Fuel Capacity: In excess of 220 litres
Brakes:
Calipers: AP Racing 4 pot calipers
Discs/pads: Hitco Carbon-Carbon
Steering:
Steering wheel: Virgin Racing carbon fibre construction
Power steering: Virgin Racing hydraulic steering assist
Driver seat: Anatomically formed carbon composite
Seat belts: Six-point harness (75mm shoulder straps with HANS system)
Electronics:
ECU and logging system: FIA standard ECU & FIA homologated electronic & electrical system
Transmission:
Gearbox: Virgin Racing precision aluminium construction with 7- speed, longitudinally mounted internals
Differential: Electronically controlled hydraulic differential
Gear selection: Paddle operated hydraulic shift system with “seamless shift”
Clutch: AP Racing
Driveshafts: One-piece driveshafts with integral tripod joints
Dimensions:
Overall length: Approx 5200 mm
Overall height: Approx 950 mm
Overall width: Approx 1800 mm
Wheelbase: Approx 3300 mm
Cosworth CA2011 Engine:

Designation: COSWORTH CA2011
Duty cycle type: 4 stroke reciprocating piston, normally aspirated
Configuration: 8 cylinders in banked V configuration with an angle of 90 degrees
Construction: cast aluminium alloy cylinder block and head, forged aluminium pistons, steel crankshaft
Capacity: 2,400cc
Valves: 32 with pneumatic valve springs
Maximum speed: limited to 18,000 rpm
Timing: double overhead cams driven via compliant gear from crankshaft
Mass: in excess of 95 KG
Cyclinder bore: less than 98mm
Fuelling: 8 injectors supplied by a pressurized system at 100 bar
Ignition: 8 ignition coils each driving single spark plug
Lubrication: dry sump
Spark plugs: Champion

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Vettel takes comfortable win in Australia

Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel took a comfortable win today at the Australian Grand Prix ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.

Lotus Renault GP’s Vitaly Petrov finished third, scoring the first ever podium finish for a Russian driver.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso managed to finish fourth, followed by Mark Webber in fifth, Jenson Button in sixth, rookie Sergio Perez* in an exceptional seventh, Kamui Kobayashi* in eighth, Felipe Massa in ninth and Sebastien Buemi in tenth.

* UPDATE: Sauber drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez have been disqualified from the 2011 Australian Grand Prix after the race stewards determined that their cars were in breach of F1′s Technical Rules 3.10.1 and 3.10.2.

2011 Australian Grand Prix, lap by lap highlights:

The first race of the 2011 season is about to start in Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit.

2010 world champion Sebastian Vettel starts from pole position after a commanding performance during Saturday’s qualifying session. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton starts from the second spot of the grid ahead of Mark Webber, team-mate Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Vitaly Petrov and Nico Rosberg.

Both HRT‘s cars won’t race today after failing to get within 107 percent of Vettel’s fastest time.

Formation lap: the grid clears ahead of the formation lap.

Race start: Great start for Vettel. Vettel, Hamilton, Webber and Petrov. Alonso has lost several positions, he’s in P9. Alguersuari pits for a new front wing.

Lap 2/58: Schumacher pits for new tyres.

Lap 3/58: Button pressuring Massa for P5. DRS - Drag Reduction System – has been enabled. Alonso has passed Kobayashi for P8.

Lap 5/58: Alonso overtakes Rosberg for P7. Vettel leads by 3.1 seconds.

Lap 6/58: Vettel P1, Hamilton P2, Webber P3, Petrov P4.

Lap 7/58: Massa is being told over the radio that his brakes are ‘too hot’.

Lap 8/58: Great battle between Massa and Button for P5.

Lap 9/58: Meanwhile Alonso has caught Button and Massa.

Lap 10/58: Vettel reports that his rear tyres are starting to go.

Lap 11/58: Maldonado has stopped.

Lap 12/58: Webber pits. Button has passed Massa through the run-off area; the Briton has to give back the position.

Lap 13/58: Alonso pits. Race Control: Incident between Massa and Button is under investigation by the race stewards.

Lap 14/58: Massa pits. Barrichello pits.

Lap 15/58: Pit stop for race leader Vettel. Race Control: drive through penalty for running off the limits for Jenson Button.

Lap 16/58: Vettel passes Button for P3. Buemi and Heidfeld pit.

Lap 17/58: Pit stop for Hamilton. Petrov pits. Rosberg, Kobayashi and Sutil pit. Replays show Kovalainen running wide into the grass.

Lap 18/58: Button makes his drive through penalty. Alguersuari and Kovalainen pit.

Lap 19/58: Schumacher pits from P20.

Lap 20/58: Vettel P1 followed by Hamilton, Webber, Petrov, Alonso, Massa. Button pits and rejoins in P12.

Lap 22/58: Kovalainen has stopped: he’s out.

Lap 23/58: Schumacher pits and retires. Barrichello attempts to pass Rosberg but he hits him.

Lap 24/58: Rosberg is out. Barrichello pits for a new front wing.

Lap 25/58: Button overtakes Kobayashi for P7.

Lap 26/58: Vettel P1, Hamilton P2, Webber, P3, Petrov P4, Alonso P5.

Lap 27/58: Incident between Barrichello and Rosberg is under investigation. Webber pits. Retired drivers so far: Rosberg, Kovalainen, Schumacher Glock and Maldonado.

Lap 28/58: Alonso pits from P4. The Spaniard rejoins in P6.

Lap 29/58: Race Control: drive through penalty for Barrichello for causing a collision.

Lap 30/58: Barrichello makes his drive through. Fastest lap for Alonso: 1:30.097.

Lap 31/58: Alonso closing in on Webber for P5. Heidfeld pits.

Lap 32/58: Massa pits and rejoins in P8.

Lap 33/58: Replays show Hamilton running wide. Kobayashi pits from P7.

Lap 34/58: Replays show damage on the floor of Hamilton’s McLaren.

Lap 36/58: Hamilton about to pit.

Lap 37/58: Vettel pits. Hamilton pits. Petrov and Alguersuari pit. Di Resta pits in the Force India.

Lap 38/58: Button pits. Sutil pits.

Lap 41/58: Fastest lap for rookie Sergio Perez: 1:29.962. D’Ambrosio pits in the Marussia Virgin.

Lap 42/58: Webber pits from P3. Barrichello pits. Webber rejoins in P5. Webber runs wide at trun 3.

Lap 43/58: Alonso pits. Alonso rejoins in P4 ahead of Webber.

Lap 44/58: Webber pressuring Alonso for P4. Fastest lap for Webber: 1:29.686.

Lap 46/58: Fastest lap for Alonso: 1:29.608.

Lap 48/58: Vettel P1, Hamilton P2, Petrov P3, Alonso, Webber, Massa, Button, Perez, Kobayashi, Buemi, Sutil, Di Resta, Heidfeld, Alguersuari, Barrichello, Trulli, D’Ambrosio.

Lap 49/58: Button has passed Massa for P6. Massa pits and rejoins in tenth.

Lap 50/58: Great performance so far for rookie Sergio Perez who is in seventh with only one pit stop so far.

Lap 52/58: Fastest lap for Massa: 1:29.451. Barrichello pits and retires.

Lap 55/58: Massa overtakes Buemi for P9.

Lap 57/58: Vettel P1, Hamilton P2, Petrov P3, Alonso P4.

Last lap: Sebastian Vettel takes a comfortable win today in Australia ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Vitaly Petrov and Fernando Alonso. Fifth place for Mark Webber, sixth for Jenson Button, seventh for rookie Sergio Perez, eighth for Kamui Kobayashi, ninth for Felipe Massa and tenth for Sebastien Buemi.

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Rosberg fastest on rain-hit final day

Nico Rosberg put his Mercedes at the top of the timesheets as pre-season running for the 2011 season came to an end at the Ciruit de Catalunya on Saturday. The German driver put in a late effort to narrowly beat the FW33 of Pastor Maldonado, who had been the pace-setter for much of the afternoon session in Barcelona.

After most of the field packed up to prepare for the first race in Melbourne last night, McLaren, Ferrari, Williams and Mercedes were the four teams who remained on-track for a final day of testing in Spain. Hispania Racing was set to debut its new F111 today, but had to cancel its plans when key car components were not allowed through Spanish customs.

Heavy overnight rain had drenched the surroundings of Montmeló ahead of the final day of running, with torrential conditions failing to ease off during the early hours. As the session officially got underway, surface water made any true running impossible, with only installation laps taking place during the first few hours.

Lewis Hamilton was the only man to complete a flying lap before the lunch break, with the McLaren driver posting a time of 1:57.765 during a sequence of laps in his MP4-26. It was not until the middle of the afternoon until the Briton improved however, taking over ten seconds off his previous best lap-time, setting a 1:47.304 to move further ahead as the rain continued to fall.

Hamilton was eventually joined by two of the other three drivers out on track today, with Maldonado climbing to the top of the timesheets. After a string of laps the GP2 graduate consolidated his position with an effort of 1:46.157. Rosberg quickly joined the pair on the timing screens in his newly-updated MGP-W02, circulating exactly 1.6 seconds slower than Maldonado.

Rosberg took over from team-mate Michael Schumacher for the afternoon session, and went on to edge out Maldonado in a last gasp effort. Despite the conditions masking drivers' pace even further today, Mercedes will leave Barcelona in a more positive mood than it arrived, with its drivers topping the timesheets on the final two days of running.

With the pre-season testing period now over, all attentions will turn towards the Australian Grand Prix in a fortnight's time. HRT will once again arrive at the opening race with no prior running of its car, with the outfit's 2011 challenger set to be driven for the first time during Friday practice in Melbourne.

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Williams confirms KERS for Melbourne

Williams has revealed that it will be using KERS during the season-opening Grand Prix of the year in Melbourne, with the team opting to stick with its unit despite early teething problems in testing. The Grove-based outfit announced the news on Saturday, with the final pre-season test coming to a close at Barcelona.

Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado have both endured KERS related technical troubles behind the wheel of the newly-designed FW33, but Williams is confident that no such issues should occur when the upcoming Formula 1 campaign gets underway on the weekend of March 25-27.

According to Williams' official Twitter feed, Technical Director Sam Michael was working at Grove to asses the situation, and has since decided to use the system in Australia: "Reviewed KERS problem and good news is that we'll be racing KERS in Melbourne."

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Unrest forces cancellation of Bahraini opening Grand Prix

AFP - The season-opening Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix, due to be staged on March 13, was cancelled on Monday due to the deadly political unrest in the Gulf state, organisers announced.

The widely anticipated move was confirmed in an official statement shortly after reports emerged that F1 teams had decided not to go ahead with a scheduled testing session at the circuit next week.

Bahrain Crown Prince HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa said: "At the present time the country's entire attention is focused on building a new national dialogue for Bahrain.

"Although (F1 rights holder) Bernie Ecclestone had graciously made clear that a decision on the race was entirely Bahrain's to make and was not yet required, we felt it was important for the country to focus on immediate issues of national interest and leave the hosting of Bahrain's Formula 1 race to a later date."

The 2011 season will now get underway with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 27.

No date has been set for a possible rescheduling of the Bahrain race, which was first held in 2004 when Michael Schumacher won, later in the year.

Ecclestone, who has been in constant contact with organisers over the race's fate, gave his reaction.

The F1 chief said: "It is sad that Bahrain has had to withdraw from the race, we wish the whole nation well as they begin to heal their country.

"The hospitality and warmth of the people of Bahrain is a hallmark of the race there, as anyone who has been at a Bahrain Grand Prix will testify. We look forward to being back in Bahrain soon."

Prince Salman in his statement added: "After the events of the past week, our nation's priority is on overcoming tragedy, healing divisions and rediscovering the fabric that draws this country together; reminding the world of the very best that Bahrain is capable of as a nation once again united."

Circuit chairman Zayed Alzayani expressed the hope of restaging the race.

"Bahrain's Grand Prix is a time of celebration and hosting the race is a source of great pride for Bahrain and Bahrainis," he said.

"It is a showcase to the world and we look forward to welcoming the teams and drivers and everyone involved in Formula One back to Bahrain in the very near future.

"I hope that F1 and our friends around the world will understand our decision at this difficult time."

Monday's announcement follows the cancellation of last weekend's GP2 Series race in Bahrain after pro-democracy protests that have led to deadly clashes with police.

The unrest in the small Gulf state of Bahrain is part of a wave of protests that have rippled across North Africa and the Middle East since the revolt that ousted Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January.

There had been unease in the pits over the staging of a race in a country in turmoil, with Red Bull's Mark Webber one of the drivers to voice his reservations.

"When you hear of people losing their lives, this is a tragedy," the Australian told the BBC.

"It's probably not the best time to go there for a sporting event. They have bigger things, bigger priorities."

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Stewart slams Tilke-designed tracks

Sir Jackie Stewart has come out and slammed the German architect, saying 'he has not done much for the spectators'.
Tilke's association with Formula One started way back in 1999 when he designed the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia and since then he has been involved in the design of Bahrain International Circuit, China's Shanghai International Circuit, Istanbul Park Racing Circuit in Turkey, Valencia Street Circuit in Spain and Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit, to name just a few.
Overtaking is notoriously difficult in Bahrain and Valencia and, instead of looking at the design of the circuits, F1's powers that be have opted to alter the cars. In recent years they've introduced KERS and adjustable rear wings in an attempt to boost passing.
However, overtaking remains very difficult at most tracks and Stewart is convinced Tilke's designs are the big problem.
'My belief is that the major reason for the lack of overtaking in modern grand prix racing is down to the modern tracks, nearly all of which have been designed by the same man, the German architect Hermann Tilke,' he wrote in his The Telegraph.
'Yes, braking zones are now much shorter due to highly efficient brakes and aerodynamic downforce, meaning there is a much smaller overtaking zone (in my day it may have been as much as 200m; now it is more like 50m).
'But the new circuits themselves must take their share of the blame. Put simply, they are largely carbon copies of each other and they tend not to penalise mistakes.
'Take the last race of 2010 for example. There were four drivers who could have clinched the championship in Abu Dhabi but Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was the overwhelming favourite.
'He had only to finish fourth to secure his third world crown. It didn't happen because he could not find a way past Vitaly Petrov, a rookie in his first season in F1 and with little or no experience of being under such pressure.'
He added: 'Tilke has been behind almost every new circuit in F1 since the early 1990s. In some respects, he has done a great job, bringing fantastic amenities and luxuries to the sport. But I fear he has not done much for the spectators.
'Unless circuits are modified, spectators and television viewers might have to live with a lack of overtaking for some time.'
Although thankful that racetracks are no longer as dangerous as they used to be, Stewart believes maybe it's 'we have now gone too far the other way'.
'Racetracks have changed since my day and thank God for that. Back then a driver who raced for five years had a two in three chance of being killed.
'Four to six drivers a year lost their lives. It was totally unacceptable and I campaigned hard for improved safety in the sport, which happily came to pass.
'It is nearly 17 years since a life was lost in an F1 car. I can't think of an industry, a sport or a business where that standard of risk management has been achieved.
'But we have now gone too far the other way. Circuits should not permit liberties to be abused without a penalty that can be instantly recognised by spectators or TV viewers. Safety is one thing; abuse of privilege is another.'

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McLaren duo admit car is not up to scratch

The two McLaren drivers had a lot of reliability issues with their new car during the first three winter tests and as a result didn't get enough mileage under the belts. With only one more pre-season test to come in Barcelona, McLaren will have their work cut out for them.
Button admits he had concerns about the MP4-26 pretty much from the word go.
"When I first jumped in the car my first reaction was not 'wow, we're going to blow everyone away'," Button told Press Association Sport.
"But then I don't think anyone would have felt that because the car has a lot less downforce and the tyres (Pirelli) are working very differently to the previous tyre (Bridgestone).
"There's nothing that really scares me about the car in a negative way, so there's a lot we can improve through general set-up work.
"This year, at the moment, we've had some issues in testing in terms of getting parts to the circuit and a couple of reliability issues.
"So we've not done as much running as we would have liked, which has hurt our set-up work.
"But we do have four more days and hopefully things are going to run more sweetly at the next test, we get a lot of laps in, and then we can improve the base we have."
Team-mate Hamilton concedes that they probably left their car launch a little too light.
"The team are aware of it, and of course we'd love to have had more mileage, but there is a real balance," he said.
"We left it (unveiling the car) a bit later, not because the car was late, but because we wanted a week or two more to develop it, and perhaps it's not played right into our hands.
"We've good things in the pipeline, and we definitely improved in the last couple of days' testing, doing 107 laps on the final day at the last test.
"We've not done the mileage at the beginning, but hopefully we can pick up on reliability, and that the downforce is on its way."
The 2008 World Champion added that there were some similarities between the 2009 car and the 2011 model when it comes to downforce.
"The '09 car was terrible as it was hopping, three-wheeling through corners, locking up, and it had no downforce," he said.
"This car doesn't lock up, it doesn't three-wheel, and it handles really nice, better than last year's car, but it just doesn't have as much downforce.
"Because the regulations have changed, it's a similar downforce level to '09.
"We have a little more, but it's not far off, so it feels weak in that area. Hopefully we've more downforce coming onto the car."

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Renault Driver Kubica in Hospital After Rally Crash

By Alan Baldwin

London. Polish Formula One driver Robert Kubica was flown to a hospital on Sunday after a high-speed crash while competing in a rally in Italy, his Renault team said in a statement.

A team spokeswoman said Kubica, Renault’s leading driver and a race winner in Canada in 2008 with his former BMW-Sauber team, was conscious but gave no further details.

The Italian news agency ANSA reported, however, that the 26-year-old had suffered serious injuries with little more than a month to go before the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

“Lotus Renault GP driver Robert Kubica suffered an accident at high speed this morning while competing in the Ronde di Andora Rally,” the Renault statement said. “The driver was airlifted to Pietra Ligure Hospital, where he is currently undergoing medical checks. His co-driver is fine.”

Renault has Brazilian Bruno Senna and France’s Romain Grosjean as their official third drivers. Senna competed last season for the HRT team while Grosjean started seven races for Renault in 2009.

Neither has ever scored a point in Formula One. Kubica’s race teammate is Russian Vitaly Petrov, who made his debut last season.

ANSA said Kubica was heading to the start of the Ronde di Andora event near Genoa in a Skoda Fabia when the car went off the road and hit a church wall.

The co-driver, Jacub Gerber, got out unhurt while Kubica had to be extracted by firemen.

Kubica, a rally fan who has entered several events in the past, tested the new Lotus-backed Renault last week ahead of the Formula One season, which starts in Bahrain on March 13.

He closed Formula One’s first test session of the season with the fastest time over three days in Valencia, Spain.

The Pole walked away virtually unscathed from a massive crash in Canada in 2007 but still bears the scars of a serious road accident as a passenger in 2003 that left him with titanium bolts in his arm.

Reuters

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com
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Schumacher: No Regrets for Scratchy Year Behind Wheel

Berlin - Michael Schumacher insisted on Wednesday that he did not regret returning to Formula One despite a disappointing 2010, finishing ninth for Mercedes behind fellow German Sebastian Vettel in the drivers’ title race.

The seven-time former world champion acknowledged in an interview on his official Web site that the season had been “a big challenge” and that in terms of results “we clearly did not meet our expectations.”

The 41-year-old German continued: “But then, you have to fight for the things you want to achieve, which has always been my credo. Mercedes, the whole team, me — we are working together to build something great.

“I think I have proved over many years that I love challenges and that I am able to handle them. I have not regretted my decision to come back at all.”

Schumacher mustered 72 points, almost half the tally attained by his younger compatriot and teammate Nico Rosberg, and was the target of some scrutiny, which he said he was taking in good spirits.

“I can live with criticism very well, you just have to differentiate it and it can bring you forward as well,” he said.

“What is much more important is that I deeply enjoy building what we are building here at this team and that is always the best base for success because you do not need to question the motivation.

“And please don’t get me wrong here; you don’t question the seriousness either. I can’t wait already to get the new season started.”

Despite his age, the motor racing legend said he was itching for the 2011 season to start.

“Yes, I look forward to some quiet days with my family over Christmas but I also notice that I am going all tingly already thinking about next year,” he said. “We ended the season with a positive feeling and things were starting to come together with a tendency that was clearly positive.

“So, knowing our developments for the new year makes me confident that we can fight for some race victories from our own power. This is a prospect which makes me look forward to competing again.”

Despite his modest showing on his comeback he stated winning the F1 title was still Mercedes’ objective.

“Hey, we are Mercedes! But this is a three-year project, and even if obviously it would be nicer if it worked out sooner, we are talking about competing at the absolute peak of motorsport.

“You cannot just come along, put a new team together and beat everybody. But you can be sure that we are working very hard with all our combined power to achieve our aims.”

Formula 1

Agence France-Presse

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com
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Prince Has Final Call On Bahrain GP: F1 Boss

London - Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone will rely on Bahrain’s crown prince to decide whether the season-opening grand prix will have to be canceled because of unrest on the Gulf island.

The March 13 race has been cast into doubt over the last week as protests mounted, with people demanding the ruling monarchy gives up its near-absolute control over key policies and positions.

At least seven people have been killed and hundreds injured in the capital Manama, where the streets are lined with banners publicizing Bahrain’s premier international event.

Ecclestone said a decision on whether to postpone the race was set to be taken by Tuesday by Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is also deputy supreme commander of the armed forces.

“If anyone’s going to sort it out he’s the right guy to do it,” Ecclestone told BBC radio on Sunday. “He would decide whether or not it’s safe for us to be there. ... Let’s wait until Tuesday and see if this one’s going to take place before we decide what to do.”

Ecclestone said the race could be moved to later in the season, but said it’s not feasible to move the race to another circuit on short notice.

Meanwhile, the chances of resolving the complex Lotus naming dispute out of court look increasingly bleak, meaning there could be two teams starting the new Formula One season with almost the same name.

Automaker Proton, which owns a controlling stake in Lotus Group and says it alone has the rights to the Lotus name, and aviation tycoon Tony Fernandes have so far failed to agree on an out-of-court settlement.

With the case scheduled to be heard in London’s High Court on March 21, the two Malaysian protagonists had hoped to reach a deal well before then.

But if they cannot, Proton’s Lotus Renault GP team will be lining up on the Bahrain grid — assuming the race goes ahead — along with Fernandes’s Team Lotus, also known as 1MRT.

Syed Zainal Abidin Tahir, Proton’s group managing director, said Fernandes was seeking up to 37 million pounds ($60 million) to give up the famous Lotus name.

Proton offered five million pounds, he said.

AFP, AP

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com
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Heidfeld stakes his Renault claim

Nick Heidfeld (1:20.361) set the fastest time on day three of the Jerez test as he staked his claim to taking over Robert Kubica's seat at Renault.

As well as Heidfeld familiarizing himself with the car, the team ran flow viz paint as engineers verified aerodynamic characteristics. "I really enjoyed the day," Heidfeld said. "It was fun driving the car although it obviously takes time to get used to things when it's your first time in a car and working with a new team. We had a good day, without too many problems, and luckily all the changes we made to the car went in the right direction and improved things, so I was able to push harder and harder. In terms of the lap times, it's very difficult for me to compare with the other teams because we don't know the fuel levels or what the others were doing. My first impressions of the car were positive, although there are always areas where you can improve."

Team principal Eric Boullier added: "Today we had the chance to give Nick time in the car and we carried out a big evaluation. Our first feelings are very positive: he worked well with the team, gave good feedback and improved the car during the day. We managed to cover 86 laps and the times are encouraging."

Fernando Alonso (1:20.493) took over testing duties for Ferrari, completing 131 laps and finishing the day second fastest after trying all four Pirelli tyre compounds.

Michael Schumacher (1:21.054) ended up just over half a second shy of the Ferrari as Mercedes concentrated on systems checks with the adjustable rear wing and then general balance over longer runs. "At the end of my two test days in Jerez, I can only be happy with what we have achieved here," Schumacher said.

A shortage of spares meant that Lewis Hamilton (1:21.090) was only able to record 36 laps during the third day of McLaren's work. New components will arrive overnight in time for Jenson Button to take over in the new MP4-26 once again tomorrow.

Kamui Kobayashi (1:21.242) had his first full day of testing with Sauber's C30 and concentrated on general set-up work until his day was cut short by an engine problem.

World champion Sebastian Vettel (1:21.574) mirrored Mark Webber's programme from yesterday in Red Bull's RB7, concentrating on longer runs, while Sebastien Buemi (1:21.681) returned to the Toro Rosso cockpit and was only slightly slower as he completed more than a race distance.

"The team has done a good job moving on with the development since I last drove the car in Valencia," Buemi said. "It's definitely better although at the moment there is no point in talking about its performance level, as we are still working on understanding the cars."

Heikki Kovalainen (1:21.711) was driving for Team Lotus, an exhaust problem not spoiling a positive day: "Today was very encouraging and I really enjoyed driving the car. My feeling is the same as at Valencia - it's a fundamentally good car and there's more to come from it."

Rubens Barrichello (1:22.227) found his Wlliams programme interrupted by more KERS problems which cost the team track time again, while Paul di Resta (1:22.945) and Jerome D'Ambrosio (1:25.471) put more mileage on the new Force India and Virgin chassis respectively.

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Barrichello on top at Jerez test concludes

Rubens Barrichello (1:19.832) set the fastest time of the week as the second pre-season F1 test of 2011 drew to a close at Jerez. The Williams then caused one of the day's red flags when it stopped with a hydraulic leak.

"Nothing was going to stop us from doing over 100 laps today!" smiled technical director Sam Michael, acknowledging the lost running earlier in the week largely down to the KERS system. "Rubens was trying various things to learn about the Pirelli tyres - some worked, some didn't. Now we've also gathered some data on the Pirelli wet tyre after a small shower at the end of the session. At the next test we will also have KERS back on the car as we ran without it today."

Kamui Kobayashi (1:20.601) was second quickest but brought out a red flag when he put the Sauber C30 into the gravel in the morning and then had to stop early because of a power train related problem,

Fernando Alonso (1:21.074) finished up third fastest for Ferrari but concentrated largely on longer runs with heavier fuel loads and again ran more than 100 laps.

Sebastien Buemi (1:21.213) was fourth with the Toro Rosso and had his first taste of the super soft dry compound Pirelli and also the Italian company's intermediate rain tyre.

"I'm satisfied with the past two days, even if we know there is a long way to go in terms of developing the car," Buemi said. "Reliability improved throughout the test and since Valencia, so we must continue working in this direction while also beginning to think more about performance."

Bruno Senna (1:21.400) enjoyed his first experience of the Renault R31 with Eric Boullier stressing this was not a shoot-out with Nick Heidfeld, merely an opportunity to give the young Brazilian some mileage.

"It was an awesome day and I'm pleased with how things went," Senna said. "It was very much a learning day for me. I had never used the adjustable wing or the KERS before, so I had to adapt to these. It's not easy at first, because there is a big workload and you are operating two factors that change the balance of the car, but by the end of the day it became more like second nature. I started the day pretty relaxed; gradually built up my confidence, and then by lunchtime I was feeling pretty comfortable. I was looking forward to doing some hard laps at the end of the day but with the red flags and the weather, there wasn't enough time."

Heikki Kovalainen (1:21.632) got Mike Gascoyne's new Lotus T128 round just a couple of tenths slower, while Nico Rosberg (1:22.103) again suffered some mechanical interruptions to his Mercedes programme.

"The four days in Jerez have proved to be extremely useful although the test has not been without its challenges," Ross Brawn said. "We had good reliability for the middle two days which allowed us to accumulate a lot of mileage, however there are issues to be resolved so that we can maximise our track time for the remaining two tests. Both Michael and Nico continue to feel comfortable in the car and our priorities remain reliability, developing our understanding of the tyres and the KERS, whilst simultaneously pushing on with the developments still to come."

Sebastian Vettel (1:22.222) continued to put more miles on the consistent looking Red Bull but Jenson Button (1:22.278) was unable to find a suitable balance with the McLaren MP4-26 and the team's progress was brought to an early end in the middle of the afternoon following the failure of an internal component.

Jerome D'Ambrosio (1:22.935) stopped the Virgin on track in the morning with an oil feed problem and Paul di Resta (1:23.111) went off at the Dry Sack hairpin with just under half an hour remaining in the Force India, reporting a front suspension problem.

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Renault signs Nick Heidfeld

After completing a successful test with Renault at Jerez, Renault has announced that Nick Heidfeld will join the team to replace the injured Robert Kubica.

Heidfeld will join the team at the end of the week at the test in Barcelona.

Nick Heidfeld said, "I would have liked to come back to Formula 1 in different circumstances, but I'm proud to have been given this chance. Everything has happened so quickly, but I've been very impressed by what I have seen so far in terms of the facilities and the dedication of the people at Enstone. I really enjoyed the test last week in Jerez and I've already settled in well with the guys at the track. I have a good feeling for the car, which is quite innovative. I'm extremely motivated and can't wait for the season to begin."

Team principal Eric Boullier said, "The team has been through a very difficult couple of weeks and we had to react quickly. We gave Nick a chance in Jerez last week and he really impressed us. He's quick, experienced and is very strong technically with his feedback and understanding of the car. We always said the priority was to have an experienced driver in the car and we feel he is the ideal man for the job. We are pleased to welcome Nick to the team and look forward to a strong start to the season with him and Vitaly in Bahrain."

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Schumi: Merc GP 'slightly concerned'

Schumacher was in action at the Spanish circuit on Friday and Saturday, finishing first and third. However, on both days his best times were one-offs as the German struggled to find a consistent pace with his new W02.

In fact, on Friday when he finished at the front of the pack, Schumacher's average lap time put him outside the top half of the field.

"Yes, we are slightly concerned but then on the other hand we know where we will and want to go to," the 42-year-old told the BBC.

"The first race will tell us truly what is the situation."

Mercedes have already made it clear that their target is to win the F1 World titles, however, Schumacher reckons that's going to be a difficult task this season, especially at the start.

"For the team it is very important to climb the ladder and have more success than last year.

"We are Mercedes and we have a very clear target. It is going to be difficult to meet this target straight away this year particularly after last year's experience.

"But it is a programme and a vision for more than just the short term."

One aspect that will have an impact on Mercedes GP's season are the new Pirelli tyres, which Schumacher says Merc still need to get a handle on.

"We have a character of car that we built up," he said, "but we have a new character of tyres and how much they will be in harmony is difficult to say at this moment in time.

"It seemed less important last year and is more important this year."

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Genii Capital and Group Lotus form Lotus Renault GP Team

Written by David

Genii Capital and Group Lotus plc today announced the creation of Lotus Renault GP Team, the successor to the Renault F1 Team that will contest the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship. This exciting announcement is made in the context of a strategic alliance between the two companies that will provide Group Lotus with significant technological and commercial opportunities for its range of road cars.

Following the return of the Lotus name to Formula 1 in 2010, under licence from Group Lotus, this historic announcement marks the complete return of the Lotus manufacturer to the sport, with the full backing of its parent company Proton. Group Lotus plc will become a major equity partner of Genii Capital in Lotus Renault GP, and the two parties have concluded a title sponsorship agreement that will run until the end of the 2017 season. With the continued support of Renault as a supplier of engines and technological and engineering expertise, Lotus Renault GP enjoys a strong, stable platform for future success.

“We are delighted that we can now go public with the news that we will be racing as Lotus Renault GP in 2011. It is extremely exciting to begin a new era for the team in partnership with Group Lotus, and we will continue to enjoy a strong relationship with Renault over the coming seasons. It is a tribute to the excellent work this year by the team in Enstone that we have been able to attract both major sponsorship and new investment for a very bright future,” said Gerard Lopez, Chairman of Renault F1 Team.

“I can think of no better platform for automotive brand communications than motorsport and F1 is the very pinnacle of open-wheel racing. We’re well aware that there has been a lot of controversy around the usage of our brand in F1 and I’m delighted to be able to formally clarify our position once and for all: we are Lotus and we are back,” added Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar.

The new partnership has been enabled by Renault selling its remaining shares in the team to Genii Capital. Group Lotus plc will subsequently become a major equity partner in Lotus Renault GP, which it will co-own with Genii Capital.

Renault will continue its strong support of the team with which it won the 2005 and 2006 world championships, as a supplier of engines and technological and engineering expertise. Reflecting this technological support, Lotus Renault GP will continue to compete with the Renault chassis name and Renault will enjoy pre-eminent brand exposure on the livery.

For 2011, the Lotus Renault GP cars will race in a new interpretation of the iconic black and gold colours that were last used when Lotus and Renault joined forces in the 1980s. This livery, which has been on the drawing board for over two months in order to reinterpret its iconic graphic signature to suit modern media requirements, is sure to strike a powerful chord with the sport’s enthusiasts around the world.

The team scored a strong fifth-place finish in the 2010 constructors’ championship, which included three podium finishes for Robert Kubica. Next season, Lotus Renault GP is aiming to take another step forward which will see it competing regularly with the most prestigious names in Formula 1.

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