Info

Senna signs for Honda?

According to our sources Bruno Senna has now signed for the Honda Racing F1 team - and an announcement that the team will be going ahead will be made soon. The team is expected to use Mercedes-Benz engines and Senna will be partnered by Jenson Button. Backing for the team - the name of which has yet to be announced - is expected to come from one or two of Senna's personal sponsors. Petrobras has decided not to continue its deal and is withdrawing from F1.

It is not clear when the announcement will be made.

There have been some rumours in recent days that the team may have the backing of none other than Bernie Ecclestone. This would not be a surprise as Ecclestone is keen to make sure that the teams are not unanimous within the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA) and having a financial interest in one of them is a good way to ensure that this happens.

It is believed that the majority of the money to run the team will be coming from Honda itself as it is cheaper to pay to keep the team alive than it is to lay off all the staff.

Source:
http://www.grandprix.com

Saving the German Grand Prix

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Rhine-Neckar region of Germany, which represents the interests of more than 65.000 member companies, has written to its members urging them to buy tickets for the German Grand Prix in 2010, in order to save the race.

The city of Hockenheim says that it cannot go on subsidizing the event and and with no help coming from the regional or central government, the circuit is hoping that its business community will show solidarity and buy 20,000 tickets to secure the future of the event. The council will decide in mid-March whether or not to go ahead with the race and it seems that this decision will be based on whether or not the 20,000 tickets on offer have been sold. If they are not sold then Hockenheim says it will not be able to run the event. If the tickets are sold then a new grandstand will be organised for the ticket-holders.

The logic of this move is that the businesses that benefit from the race are being offered the chance to put something back into the event and thus save it.

Source:
http://www.grandprix.com

Ferrari, BMW Sauber, Toyota testing again in Bahrain

Although they found their running in Bahrain thwarted by sandstorms last week, Ferrari Toyota and BMW Sauber are back testing at the Sakhir circuit on Monday. The trio of teams plan to be in action for four days, as they make the most of journeying to the Middle East and continue their preparations for the 2009 season.

Kimi Raikkonen is scheduled to take charge of Ferrari’s programme initially, before handing over the F60 to team mate Felipe Massa later in the week. Raikkonen will be joined on track on Monday by Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and BMW Sauber tester Christian Klien, although Timo Glock and Nick Heidfeld are both expected to make appearances too.

Whilst those in Bahrain continue their on-track development, the rest of the 2009 field, the bulk of whom tested at Jerez last week, have returned to their bases ahead of the next multi-team test at the Spanish circuit at the start of March.

Source:
http://www.formula1.com

Kovalainen: the MP4-24 already feels like home

Following two productive days at Jerez, McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen has revealed he feels comfortable in the MP4-24 and is confident he has already adapted well to driving whilst using the car's KERS device and adjustable front wing. Kovalainen covered over 150 laps of the Spanish circuit on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“It’s been a good start with the new car,” said the Finn. “We’ve been mainly working on the reliability side of things and we seem quite satisfied that everything seems to be working well. The car feels like an evolution of last year’s - the controls, the seating position and driver comfort are very similar.”

With the 2009 regulations allowing for the use of KERS and a driver-controlled moveable front wing, the drivers will have their work cut out over the course of a lap this season. However, Kovalainen is pleased with how quickly he has become accustomed to the additional technology.

“I don’t think it’s very difficult to adapt to these new things,” he explained. “It’s just a few more things to do in the cockpit - press the button a few times every lap. I felt I very quickly became used to it and it quickly becomes a routine.

“There are places where you want to press it and places where you want to back off some front wing: if you feel you need a change during a long run, you can adjust it yourself. I feel I’m already on top of that and controlling it pretty well. And KERS has been running pretty well - it’s been running at full-power without any errors so that’s quite encouraging.”

Indeed, so far the only snag for Kovalainen has been rear tyre wear. But the Finn is certain he’ll be able to fine-tune his style of driving over the coming weeks to solve the issue before the season-opener at Melbourne's Albert Park.

“Obviously, lower grip and with the tyres, you have to take care and really look after them - especially here at Jerez, which is always a killer on the rear tyres,” he added. “So we need to look after them and I think I need to work on my driving style a little bit, to be more cautious in various places.

“But I have all the confidence in the team that they will be able to produce another competitive car. My feeling at the moment is that I have a better feeling this year than I did last year at the same time.”

Kovalainen is scheduled to return to the McLaren cockpit at the start of March, when testing continues at Jerez.

Source
http://www.formula1.com

Michael Schumacher hospitalised after motorcycle accident

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher had on Wednesday a motorcycle accident during a test session at a Spanish race track near the city of Cartagena. The German, who is currently preparing for the German Superbike Championship, fell from his Honda motorcycle and hit his head violently on the ground.

He was taken to the Virgen de Arrixaca Hospital in the city of Murcia where doctors visited him reporting that ‘he didn’t suffer serious injuries except pain in the neck and his right wrist, but these had not hindered his mobility and did not appear serious.’

“Today I had an accident at the biking tests in Cartagena, and to be safe I went to a hospital,” said Schumacher through his official website. “I was driving down start-finish and when breaking into the first corner I hit some bumps which made me fall. The checks in the hospital showed nothing and I am fine.”

Source:
http://www.formula1news.net

Renault react to ING announcement

Following the news that Dutch bank ING is to withdraw from the sport at the end of 2009, Renault this morning made the following statement.

'The ING Renault F1 Team understands completely ING’s decision not to extend its Formula One sponsorship beyond the 2009 season.'

“During the past three years, the Team and ING have enjoyed a rewarding and successful relationship,” commented Renault F1 Team Managing Director, Flavio Briatore.

he continued. “ING has been an enthusiastic and supportive partner for the Renault F1 Team in all respects,”“They have been a true success story and have become a brand that is recognised worldwide thanks to an innovative and proactive sponsorship programme with our Team and Formula One.”

Source:
http://en.f1-live.com

Techincal Spesifications

Engine
Engine type:	Liquid cooled Crossplane crankshaft inline four-cylinder, four stroke
Maximum power:	Over 200 horsepower (147 kW)
Maximum speed:	In excess of 320 km/h
Transmission
Type:	Six-speed cassette-type gearbox, with alternative gear ratios available
Chassis and running gear
Frame type:	Aluminium twin tube delta box, multi-adjustable steering geometry/wheelbase/ride height. Aluminium swingarm
Suspension:	Ohlins upside down front forks and Ohlins rear shock, all adjustable for pre-load, high and low-speed compression and rebound damping. Alternative rear suspension links available
Front/rear wheels:	Marchesini 16.5 front, 16.5 rear, available in a variety of rim widths
Front/rear tyres:	Bridgestone, 16.5 front, 16.5 rear, available as slick, intermediate, wet and hand-cut tyres
Brakes:	Brembo, two 320 mm carbon front discs, two four-piston callipers. Single 220 mm stainless steel rear disc, twin-piston calliper
Weight:	148kg, in accordance with FIM regulations
Fuel capacity:	21 litres, in accordance with FIM regulations

Source:
http://www.yamaha-racing.com