Click to follow
Sauber rookie Sergio Perez says he is not paying any attention to his lap-times at this stage in the build-up to his maiden Formula 1 season.
Though the GP2 graduate has set a respectable pace in his first three tests, he feels the actual times are irrelevant at present.
"I am not really into [testing] times," Perez said in an interview with the official F1 website. "What I want is to develop myself and develop the car and that makes us focus on ourselves - not looking at others.
"As we approach the end of the season, I want to be able to congratulate myself that I've learnt a lot and that I've scored all the points that came my way."
Perez believes the 2011 rule changes will put him on a more equal level to the rest of the field for his rookie F1 season.
The 21-year-old Mexican says that rather than his acclimatisation to F1 being made more difficult by the new tyres, return of KERS and introduction of the moveable rear wing, the changes could work to his advantage.
"In many fields everybody starts from zero," he said.
But Perez also acknowledged the challenge he faces: "But then never underestimate experience. The ability to adjust to new situations is much easier when you know the general environment, whereas I have to learn the new bits and parts and the environment."
Perez has only completed six test days so far and admits he still has a lot to learn so may have to rely on team-mate Kamui Kobayashi.
"The key word for me is learning," he said. "Kamui has been involved in Formula 1 for some years as a test driver, so I think I will be able to learn from him."
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Difficult To Fit Bahrain GP In 2011 Schedule
Click to follow
Red Bull chief Christian Horner has admitted it will be tough to fit the recently postponed Bahrain Grand Prix back into the 2011 Formula 1 calendar.
The race, set to be the season-opener on 13 March, was called off because of civil unrest in the small Gulf kingdom.
No decision has been made on a new date, with the now 19-race calendar set to climax in Brazil on 27 November.
"It will certainly be a challenge to accommodate. But nothing is ever impossible," Horner said.
"It's a very busy calendar this year. Already now, at the end of November, we'll have finished 19 races."
As F1 tries to grow the sport globally, the sport's governing body added one extra race for the 2011 season after running 19 Grands Prix in the 2010 season, which started in Bahrain on 14 March and finished in Abu Dhabi on 14 November.
The 2009 campaign, by contrast, contained 17 races. It also started later, on 29 March, and finished earlier, on 1 November.
Horner, however, took no issue with the decision to start the 2011 campaign in Australia on 27 March following the anti-government protests in Bahrain.
"It was the right decision," he said. "Obviously the country's got bigger issues than a Formula 1 race at the moment. It was only right and appropriate to postpone.
"It was Bernie [Ecclestone's] decision, along with the Crown Prince. It's not down to the teams to decide which races we go to or not, and ultimately we trusted in Bernie's judgement.
"It's a great circuit, and a great country to race in, and we've always been made to feel very welcome there.
"Hopefully we'll be back there with F1 cars before long.
"For us it's not too bad logistically to accommodate the switch. The cars hadn't left for Bahrain, that was the critical point."
One of Horner's drivers, Mark Webber, stressed that he believes the decision to call off the Bahrain GP will not hurt team preparations for new season.
"It's the same for everybody," he said. "We are always prepared to race in two weeks' time."
Horner also feels that Red Bull are well placed to defend their constructors' crown and Sebastian Vettel's drivers' world championship title.
"It's going to be difficult to better what we achieved last year, but the challenge is to retain those trophies," he said. "And we're very determined to do that.
"We've got some formidable opponents in Ferrari and McLaren, but we're confident we can put up a good show.
"It's very difficult to tell at this time of year [what the true competition will be] because teams don't disclose fully what their pace is. It's pretty impossible to predict."
Red Bull chief Christian Horner has admitted it will be tough to fit the recently postponed Bahrain Grand Prix back into the 2011 Formula 1 calendar.
The race, set to be the season-opener on 13 March, was called off because of civil unrest in the small Gulf kingdom.
No decision has been made on a new date, with the now 19-race calendar set to climax in Brazil on 27 November.
"It will certainly be a challenge to accommodate. But nothing is ever impossible," Horner said.
"It's a very busy calendar this year. Already now, at the end of November, we'll have finished 19 races."
As F1 tries to grow the sport globally, the sport's governing body added one extra race for the 2011 season after running 19 Grands Prix in the 2010 season, which started in Bahrain on 14 March and finished in Abu Dhabi on 14 November.
The 2009 campaign, by contrast, contained 17 races. It also started later, on 29 March, and finished earlier, on 1 November.
Horner, however, took no issue with the decision to start the 2011 campaign in Australia on 27 March following the anti-government protests in Bahrain.
"It was the right decision," he said. "Obviously the country's got bigger issues than a Formula 1 race at the moment. It was only right and appropriate to postpone.
"It was Bernie [Ecclestone's] decision, along with the Crown Prince. It's not down to the teams to decide which races we go to or not, and ultimately we trusted in Bernie's judgement.
"It's a great circuit, and a great country to race in, and we've always been made to feel very welcome there.
"Hopefully we'll be back there with F1 cars before long.
"For us it's not too bad logistically to accommodate the switch. The cars hadn't left for Bahrain, that was the critical point."
One of Horner's drivers, Mark Webber, stressed that he believes the decision to call off the Bahrain GP will not hurt team preparations for new season.
"It's the same for everybody," he said. "We are always prepared to race in two weeks' time."
Horner also feels that Red Bull are well placed to defend their constructors' crown and Sebastian Vettel's drivers' world championship title.
"It's going to be difficult to better what we achieved last year, but the challenge is to retain those trophies," he said. "And we're very determined to do that.
"We've got some formidable opponents in Ferrari and McLaren, but we're confident we can put up a good show.
"It's very difficult to tell at this time of year [what the true competition will be] because teams don't disclose fully what their pace is. It's pretty impossible to predict."
Ross Confident About The Pace of MGP W02 Despite Performance Issues
Click to follow
Mercedes GP boss Ross Brawn is confident that the team has resloved its cooling issues and will be rival for the first race in Melbourne, Australia.
The team has problem with overheating since it unveiled its new MGP W02 chassis. The cooling issues have limited the car's performance, according to Brawn.
"The short-term modifications that we made to the launch-specification car cost a reasonable amount of performance," said Brawn. "We are well aware of the pace of our current car, the distance to the current front-runners and the reasons for this, which include the compromises brought about by our cooling issues."
The team has followed its plan to use a basic car through testing and add a performance upgrade before the first race.
"This inevitably means that we look further off the pace than people might expect," Brawn said. "Knowing all of the facts, I am comfortable with our current position and the developments that we have to come."
But the Mercedes team was able to post the second-fastest time in its last test session with its launch-specification car at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona this past weekend. Nico Rosberg set a lap of 1 minute, 23.168 seconds.
"It was a good week, and we used the opportunity to complete fundamental setup work, develop our understanding of how to maximize the tires over a single lap, and to improve our long-run performance," said Brawn. "We successfully completed two race simulations with Michael [Schumacher] and Nico at the first attempt, with the car finishing in good condition and without issues."
The team also was testing front-wing variations in Barcelona. The MGP W02 debuted with a front wing based on the 2010 Mercedes chassis. But the wing used in Barcelona was closer to the final 2011 design that will be used in Melbourne, according to Brawn.
Mercedes GP will return to the Circuit de Catalunya March 9-12, in place of the final test scheduled to be held in Bahrain. But both the Bahrain test session and the Grand Prix have been postponed by Bahrain's Crown Prince, HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, because of the country's current political climate.
"The decision to postpone the Bahrain Grand Prix was certainly the correct one. Bahrain has its own priorities at this time, and it is right that the Bahraini people are able to work together to resolve the situation, away from the spotlight that the first race of the new Formula One season would inevitably bring," he said.
But the additional time before the Australian Grand Prix, March 25-27, will not have a real impact on the development of the MGP W02, according to Brawn.
"The additional two weeks will, of course, provide a good opportunity to regroup and allow all of the teams to have more preparation time before we arrive in Melbourne for the first race," he said. "The car specification for Melbourne will remain the same as we had planned."
Mercedes GP boss Ross Brawn is confident that the team has resloved its cooling issues and will be rival for the first race in Melbourne, Australia.
The team has problem with overheating since it unveiled its new MGP W02 chassis. The cooling issues have limited the car's performance, according to Brawn.
"The short-term modifications that we made to the launch-specification car cost a reasonable amount of performance," said Brawn. "We are well aware of the pace of our current car, the distance to the current front-runners and the reasons for this, which include the compromises brought about by our cooling issues."
The team has followed its plan to use a basic car through testing and add a performance upgrade before the first race.
"This inevitably means that we look further off the pace than people might expect," Brawn said. "Knowing all of the facts, I am comfortable with our current position and the developments that we have to come."
But the Mercedes team was able to post the second-fastest time in its last test session with its launch-specification car at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona this past weekend. Nico Rosberg set a lap of 1 minute, 23.168 seconds.
"It was a good week, and we used the opportunity to complete fundamental setup work, develop our understanding of how to maximize the tires over a single lap, and to improve our long-run performance," said Brawn. "We successfully completed two race simulations with Michael [Schumacher] and Nico at the first attempt, with the car finishing in good condition and without issues."
The team also was testing front-wing variations in Barcelona. The MGP W02 debuted with a front wing based on the 2010 Mercedes chassis. But the wing used in Barcelona was closer to the final 2011 design that will be used in Melbourne, according to Brawn.
Mercedes GP will return to the Circuit de Catalunya March 9-12, in place of the final test scheduled to be held in Bahrain. But both the Bahrain test session and the Grand Prix have been postponed by Bahrain's Crown Prince, HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, because of the country's current political climate.
"The decision to postpone the Bahrain Grand Prix was certainly the correct one. Bahrain has its own priorities at this time, and it is right that the Bahraini people are able to work together to resolve the situation, away from the spotlight that the first race of the new Formula One season would inevitably bring," he said.
But the additional time before the Australian Grand Prix, March 25-27, will not have a real impact on the development of the MGP W02, according to Brawn.
"The additional two weeks will, of course, provide a good opportunity to regroup and allow all of the teams to have more preparation time before we arrive in Melbourne for the first race," he said. "The car specification for Melbourne will remain the same as we had planned."
Raikkonen No Longer Interested in Returning to Formula One
Click to follow
Kimi Raikkonen, nicknamed Iceman, the winner of F1 World Champion title in 2007, has insisted he is happy rallying, and has no interest in returning to Formula One.
“I have no interest in returning to Formula One,” the Finnish driver is reported to have said by Gulf News “I do not want to talk about Formula One. Rallying is where I want to be. And it is good to be back for another season.”
Raikkonen, switched to the World Rally Championship full time for the 2010 season, after Ferrari replaced him with Fernando Alonso. Since his departure from the Formula One grid reports and speculations have continued to circulate that the 2007 World Champion may return to the grid in 2011. Most recently Raikkonen name was reported to be in the list of possible candidates to replace the injured Robert Kubica at Lotus Renault GP, although the Finnish driver was quick to express no interest in the available seat.
Raikkonen has already made a promising start to his 2011 WRC season finishing 8th at the season opener in Sweden earlier this month.
Kimi Raikkonen, nicknamed Iceman, the winner of F1 World Champion title in 2007, has insisted he is happy rallying, and has no interest in returning to Formula One.
“I have no interest in returning to Formula One,” the Finnish driver is reported to have said by Gulf News “I do not want to talk about Formula One. Rallying is where I want to be. And it is good to be back for another season.”
Raikkonen, switched to the World Rally Championship full time for the 2010 season, after Ferrari replaced him with Fernando Alonso. Since his departure from the Formula One grid reports and speculations have continued to circulate that the 2007 World Champion may return to the grid in 2011. Most recently Raikkonen name was reported to be in the list of possible candidates to replace the injured Robert Kubica at Lotus Renault GP, although the Finnish driver was quick to express no interest in the available seat.
Raikkonen has already made a promising start to his 2011 WRC season finishing 8th at the season opener in Sweden earlier this month.
Williams Welcomes the Decision on Bahrain GP
Click to follow
Williams would almost certainly have boycotted the Bahrain Grand Prix had it not been called off, team chairman Adam Parr said on Friday.
The opening race of the Formula One season, due to take place on March 13, was postponed , by organizers on Monday because of anti-government protests.
"The decision was right by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and if for whatever conceivable reason that hadn't been the decision, I don't think we would have gone," told Parr
"Had the Bahrain Grand Prix gone ahead, I don't think we, and in fact I suspect even all the teams, would have gone."
Final testing was also shifted from Bahrain to Barcelona and the first race of the year will now be in Australia on March 27.
"It was quite apparent to everybody that we were simply going to make the situation there worse, because we would have been a focal point for demonstrations and unrest," Parr added
"There would have been all the media associated with us there, and therefore I think it would have just been incendiary."
Formula One would try hard to reschedule the race, Parr said, but a packed calendar and the hot summer temperatures in Bahrain would make it difficult.
Williams would almost certainly have boycotted the Bahrain Grand Prix had it not been called off, team chairman Adam Parr said on Friday.
The opening race of the Formula One season, due to take place on March 13, was postponed , by organizers on Monday because of anti-government protests.
"The decision was right by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and if for whatever conceivable reason that hadn't been the decision, I don't think we would have gone," told Parr
"Had the Bahrain Grand Prix gone ahead, I don't think we, and in fact I suspect even all the teams, would have gone."
Final testing was also shifted from Bahrain to Barcelona and the first race of the year will now be in Australia on March 27.
"It was quite apparent to everybody that we were simply going to make the situation there worse, because we would have been a focal point for demonstrations and unrest," Parr added
"There would have been all the media associated with us there, and therefore I think it would have just been incendiary."
Formula One would try hard to reschedule the race, Parr said, but a packed calendar and the hot summer temperatures in Bahrain would make it difficult.
Long Delay - Demolishing Preparation of Big Guns in F1
Click to follow
According to Williams Technical Director Sam Michael, Bahrain's decision to call off the season-opening Formula One Grand Prix has made a "massive difference" for teams racing to develop their new cars.
The Bahrain authorities decided on Monday to postpone the March 13 race due to bloody anti-government street protests in the country.
Australia will now host the opener on 27 March, with a pre-season test scheduled for Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya from 8-11 March before that race at Melbourne's Albert Park.
"I think it just gives you a lot more time to refine things and have a nicer package," Michael told Reuters in an interview before the team showed off the livery of their new FW33 car. "Obviously, you'd always make the first race and be there and do the best with what you've got but you are always a little bit ragged at the first race...having two weeks extra makes a massive difference in Formula One because it's such a long time. It's quite surreal at the moment actually, because everything in Formula One is geared around deadlines and not having deadlines that shift. Then to suddenly have one that shifts by two weeks is massive."
Michael compared it to someone producing a new road car and being told he had another three months to work on it or a aircraft maker being given a further six months to finish off building a jet.
"Two weeks is an eternity in Formula One," he said. "You use a couple of days to tidy up the things you were tight on and then you are straight into development, trying to bring things forward that you've now got more resource to do."
Williams had planned to take specific cooling parts to Bahrain that had yet to be manufactured. The delay freed up time, even if the parts will still be required for the third round of the season in Malaysia, where temperatures are also high.
"We have a first race upgrade package which will be on the car in its entirety for the Barcelona test," said Michael. "Between Barcelona and Melbourne we will also change the car again, because we have found things in the wind tunnel and stuff that we'd like to change.
This will help the teams that are not yet prepared for the Bahrain GP to come up with upgraded packages till Australia and will cover the gap between the Top Teams like Red Bull, Ferrari and will help the Small Teams.
According to Williams Technical Director Sam Michael, Bahrain's decision to call off the season-opening Formula One Grand Prix has made a "massive difference" for teams racing to develop their new cars.
The Bahrain authorities decided on Monday to postpone the March 13 race due to bloody anti-government street protests in the country.
Australia will now host the opener on 27 March, with a pre-season test scheduled for Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya from 8-11 March before that race at Melbourne's Albert Park.
"I think it just gives you a lot more time to refine things and have a nicer package," Michael told Reuters in an interview before the team showed off the livery of their new FW33 car. "Obviously, you'd always make the first race and be there and do the best with what you've got but you are always a little bit ragged at the first race...having two weeks extra makes a massive difference in Formula One because it's such a long time. It's quite surreal at the moment actually, because everything in Formula One is geared around deadlines and not having deadlines that shift. Then to suddenly have one that shifts by two weeks is massive."
Michael compared it to someone producing a new road car and being told he had another three months to work on it or a aircraft maker being given a further six months to finish off building a jet.
"Two weeks is an eternity in Formula One," he said. "You use a couple of days to tidy up the things you were tight on and then you are straight into development, trying to bring things forward that you've now got more resource to do."
Williams had planned to take specific cooling parts to Bahrain that had yet to be manufactured. The delay freed up time, even if the parts will still be required for the third round of the season in Malaysia, where temperatures are also high.
"We have a first race upgrade package which will be on the car in its entirety for the Barcelona test," said Michael. "Between Barcelona and Melbourne we will also change the car again, because we have found things in the wind tunnel and stuff that we'd like to change.
This will help the teams that are not yet prepared for the Bahrain GP to come up with upgraded packages till Australia and will cover the gap between the Top Teams like Red Bull, Ferrari and will help the Small Teams.
Michael Schumacher commented for his future
Click to follow
Michael Schumacher: I am still good enough for Formula 1
Michael Schumacher's 2010 comeback was so woeful at times there were rumours of him retiring if things did not go right in pre-2011 testing.
Mercedes GP driver, Michael Schumacher brushed off all speculations suggesting his age was the reason of a poor campaign last season. Schumacher insisted that he was not too old to be at the top of his game in Formula 1 and assured he would get back to his best soon.
While talking to the media earlier today, the legendary racer admitted that age did matter, but proclaimed that he is still physically and psychologically strong enough to handle the challenges of Formula 1.
Schumacher admitted in an interview, “Certainly it is not possible to turn back the biological clock. It is a fact that I am not absolutely the same now as I was 10 or 15 years ago. But as to whether I am still good enough, I would say yes.”
In terms of physical performance, few drivers match up to Michael Schumacher, despite his age compared to the younger competition. He has always been at the top level of fitness, and he has already stated that this is no different this year to last.
The seven-time World Champion, Schumacher, is statistically the best racer ever in the sport.
The German joined the grids in 1991 and was able to bag the first championship of his career only after his third full season in the sport, followed by another one, the very next year.
Later, as the driver moved to Ferrari, and got a better car, there was no stopping him. From 2000 until 2004, Schumacher claimed five consecutive Championships, dominated almost all the race tracks and made records year after year.
However, at the end of the 2006 season, he announced his retirement, but only to return back after three years.
A huge fanfare and hype was created at his return for the 2010 Formula 1 season. However, the season was nothing more than a disappointment for the driver and his team.
Nevertheless, the 42-year-old not only decided to stay in the sport and complete his three year contract with the team, but also revealed a strong desire to bag another Championship before leaving the sport once for all.
While explaining his abortive 2010 season, Schumacher blamed the Mercedes GP car for not suiting his driving style. He said, "I came on board in December 2009 and the engineers knew already that the car would not suit me… But, of course, it was done."
The biggest stated reason for Schumacher's lack of pace in 2010 was the lack of grip from the front end of the Mercedes W01. This was partly due to the Bridgestone tyres and partly due to the car's design - and both combined to make life difficult for Schumacher.
Ross Brawn explained recently that last year's machine suffered badly from mid-corner understeer and if the set-up was changed to remove that, the car became too skittish on entry for Schumacher to handle. This was particularly noticeable in the slower corners - and with those taking longer to execute that is where significant lap-time was lost.
The driver is now looking forward to a strong 2011 season, hoping to finish many of the races on the podium and bag a few race wins too.
Mercedes, however, have a major new upgrade coming before the opening race of the season and that could spring a surprise performance level that their form so far has hidden. If they do, Schumacher could be well-placed this year to make the most of it.
This year, not only have the new Pirelli front tyres been developed to be stronger and give more precise input when driver turns in, but more importantly Mercedes has improved the range of balance of their car between corner entry and mid corner.
It appears Schumacher is happy with the new approach, stating he was "totally comfortable" after first test, and after the German managed 226 laps in the Jerez test, team boss Ross Brawn noted consistency of response to set-up changes as one of the car's biggest plus points.
Michael Schumacher: I am still good enough for Formula 1
Michael Schumacher's 2010 comeback was so woeful at times there were rumours of him retiring if things did not go right in pre-2011 testing.
Mercedes GP driver, Michael Schumacher brushed off all speculations suggesting his age was the reason of a poor campaign last season. Schumacher insisted that he was not too old to be at the top of his game in Formula 1 and assured he would get back to his best soon.
While talking to the media earlier today, the legendary racer admitted that age did matter, but proclaimed that he is still physically and psychologically strong enough to handle the challenges of Formula 1.
Schumacher admitted in an interview, “Certainly it is not possible to turn back the biological clock. It is a fact that I am not absolutely the same now as I was 10 or 15 years ago. But as to whether I am still good enough, I would say yes.”
In terms of physical performance, few drivers match up to Michael Schumacher, despite his age compared to the younger competition. He has always been at the top level of fitness, and he has already stated that this is no different this year to last.
The seven-time World Champion, Schumacher, is statistically the best racer ever in the sport.
The German joined the grids in 1991 and was able to bag the first championship of his career only after his third full season in the sport, followed by another one, the very next year.
Later, as the driver moved to Ferrari, and got a better car, there was no stopping him. From 2000 until 2004, Schumacher claimed five consecutive Championships, dominated almost all the race tracks and made records year after year.
However, at the end of the 2006 season, he announced his retirement, but only to return back after three years.
A huge fanfare and hype was created at his return for the 2010 Formula 1 season. However, the season was nothing more than a disappointment for the driver and his team.
Nevertheless, the 42-year-old not only decided to stay in the sport and complete his three year contract with the team, but also revealed a strong desire to bag another Championship before leaving the sport once for all.
While explaining his abortive 2010 season, Schumacher blamed the Mercedes GP car for not suiting his driving style. He said, "I came on board in December 2009 and the engineers knew already that the car would not suit me… But, of course, it was done."
The biggest stated reason for Schumacher's lack of pace in 2010 was the lack of grip from the front end of the Mercedes W01. This was partly due to the Bridgestone tyres and partly due to the car's design - and both combined to make life difficult for Schumacher.
Ross Brawn explained recently that last year's machine suffered badly from mid-corner understeer and if the set-up was changed to remove that, the car became too skittish on entry for Schumacher to handle. This was particularly noticeable in the slower corners - and with those taking longer to execute that is where significant lap-time was lost.
The driver is now looking forward to a strong 2011 season, hoping to finish many of the races on the podium and bag a few race wins too.
Mercedes, however, have a major new upgrade coming before the opening race of the season and that could spring a surprise performance level that their form so far has hidden. If they do, Schumacher could be well-placed this year to make the most of it.
This year, not only have the new Pirelli front tyres been developed to be stronger and give more precise input when driver turns in, but more importantly Mercedes has improved the range of balance of their car between corner entry and mid corner.
It appears Schumacher is happy with the new approach, stating he was "totally comfortable" after first test, and after the German managed 226 laps in the Jerez test, team boss Ross Brawn noted consistency of response to set-up changes as one of the car's biggest plus points.
Vitantonio Liuzzi have to take a tough decision
Click to follow
Tricky Contract Situation For Liuzzi
Vitantonio Liuzzi is reportedly still negotiating a compensation payment from Force India while simultaneously talking with HRT...
Vitantonio Liuzzi is in a "difficult contractual situation" with just one month until the rescheduled 2011 season opener in Australia.
That is the claim of the Finnish daily Turun Sanomat, referring to Italian Liuzzi's push to secure the final seat on the grid at HRT.
Technically, the 29-year-old is still under contract to Force India, despite the Silverstone-based team ousting him to make room for Paul di Resta's debut.
The Turun Sanomat report said Liuzzi is therefore still negotiating a compensation payment from Force India while simultaneously talking about an all-new contract with Hispania.
The report said that if the former Red Bull and Toro Rosso driver simply signs now with HRT, he could jeopardize the Force India talks.
At the same time, if he stalls on HRT — which is also considering hiring a pay-driver — he could be left with no job at all.
Meanwhile, Turun Sanomat said another option being considered by HRT is Christian Klien, who impressed last year for the struggling team in Singapore, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.
Tricky Contract Situation For Liuzzi
Vitantonio Liuzzi is reportedly still negotiating a compensation payment from Force India while simultaneously talking with HRT...
Vitantonio Liuzzi is in a "difficult contractual situation" with just one month until the rescheduled 2011 season opener in Australia.
That is the claim of the Finnish daily Turun Sanomat, referring to Italian Liuzzi's push to secure the final seat on the grid at HRT.
Technically, the 29-year-old is still under contract to Force India, despite the Silverstone-based team ousting him to make room for Paul di Resta's debut.
The Turun Sanomat report said Liuzzi is therefore still negotiating a compensation payment from Force India while simultaneously talking about an all-new contract with Hispania.
The report said that if the former Red Bull and Toro Rosso driver simply signs now with HRT, he could jeopardize the Force India talks.
At the same time, if he stalls on HRT — which is also considering hiring a pay-driver — he could be left with no job at all.
Meanwhile, Turun Sanomat said another option being considered by HRT is Christian Klien, who impressed last year for the struggling team in Singapore, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.
With just 1 month left for 1st 2011 Race, Ferrari F150th Italia is the Most Reliable Car
Click to follow
Ferrari : Most Reliable 2011 Car So Far
Ferrari's F150th Italia car has logged 800 more kilometers than its nearest competitor in preseason testing...
Ferrari's new car has been the most reliable of the 2011 preseason
The F150th Italia already has 800 more kilometers on its odometer than its nearest competitor, Red Bull's RB7.
"From what we have seen so far, we are in a good position," admitted Fernando Alonso.
But Red Bull is also happy. "We have never had such a trouble-free testing season," said team boss Christian Horner.
Just 100 kilometers behind Red Bull in the preseason reliability stakes is Mercedes, followed by Sauber and Williams.
Force India is 6th.
The HRT Team which has not yet launched a 2011 car is unranked.
Team Reliability according to kms covered:
Rank
Team
Kms Covered
1
Ferrari
5165.3 km
2
Red Bull
4397.8 km
3
Mercedes
4292.6 km
4
Sauber
4098.7 km
5
Williams
3773.5 km
6
Force India
3740.0km
7
Toro Rosso
3727.2 km
8
Renault
3690.9 km
9
Mclaren
3685.3 km
10
Virgin
3073.0 km
11
Team Lotus
2402.0 km
Unranked
Hispania Racing Team (HRT)
2011 Car F111 not launched yet (1944.6 km with F110)
Ferrari : Most Reliable 2011 Car So Far
Ferrari's F150th Italia car has logged 800 more kilometers than its nearest competitor in preseason testing...
Ferrari's new car has been the most reliable of the 2011 preseason
The F150th Italia already has 800 more kilometers on its odometer than its nearest competitor, Red Bull's RB7.
"From what we have seen so far, we are in a good position," admitted Fernando Alonso.
But Red Bull is also happy. "We have never had such a trouble-free testing season," said team boss Christian Horner.
Just 100 kilometers behind Red Bull in the preseason reliability stakes is Mercedes, followed by Sauber and Williams.
Force India is 6th.
The HRT Team which has not yet launched a 2011 car is unranked.
Team Reliability according to kms covered:
Rank
Team
Kms Covered
1
Ferrari
5165.3 km
2
Red Bull
4397.8 km
3
Mercedes
4292.6 km
4
Sauber
4098.7 km
5
Williams
3773.5 km
6
Force India
3740.0km
7
Toro Rosso
3727.2 km
8
Renault
3690.9 km
9
Mclaren
3685.3 km
10
Virgin
3073.0 km
11
Team Lotus
2402.0 km
Unranked
Hispania Racing Team (HRT)
2011 Car F111 not launched yet (1944.6 km with F110)
Williams reveal FW33 Livery online
Click to follow
AT&T Williams F1 Team reveal their 2011 season car FW33 livery which they will be going to use during the 2011 season.
Earlier the team had launched an interim car at Valencia Circuit on 1st Feb, 2011 with traditional navy blue colour.
Click to find out more about Valencia launch
Williams said they would be competitive in 2011 as they unveiled their blue and white livery for the new season was shown for the first time from the British team's Oxfordshire headquarters.. The British team have come up with a unique rear design for the FW33 and appear to have taken a step forward in testing.
"All the testing has shown that we have a competitive car," said the team's technical director Sam Michael.
The design, particularly from the side where the familiar shapes and familiar red line is visible, strongly reminded nostalgic observers of the team's famous Rothmans cigarette liveries of the 1990's.
Michael highlighted Lotus Renault's forward exhaust and Toro Rosso's double floor as design innovations along with the Williams' tight rear end.
"These are all things that potentially some of them you could have done before, but you didn't because there was much bigger gains for much lower risk," he said.
"And I think that it is great for Formula One because the cars don't look the same, they do look different, and everyone's trying different concepts."
"We ended up with a pull-rod suspension to improve air to the rear wing. And that's really where the gearbox comes in as well, as the whole driving force behind it is to improve airflow to that rear lower wing," he said.
"We saw very early on in the aerodynamic development that this -- along with exhaust-blowing -- was going to be a key differentiator this year.
"The driveshaft angles that we have had to put the car through are very extreme. They are higher angles than anyone has ever done in Formula One before. It took a lot of dyno testing -- we've completed many thousands of kilometers."
Rubens Barrichello did not attend the launch after receiving permission to stay in Brazil for his wedding anniversary.
Williams claim it features the world's smallest gearbox which works with the new pull-rod rear suspension.
AT&T Williams announce partnership with Michael Caines MBE
The AT&T Williams team has announced a new partnership with Michael Caines for the 2011 Formula One season.
The announcement was made today during the unveiling of the team’s new racing livery and technical presentation of the FW33, after which guests were treated to a five course menu of Michael’s signature dishes.
Michael Caines is one of Britain's most acclaimed chefs. He was named AA Chef's Chef of the Year in 2007 and awarded an MBE in 2006 for services to the hospitality industry.
Michael is also Executive Chef at Gidleigh Park, the acclaimed and prestigious country house hotel on the edge of Dartmoor at Chagford, Devon, where he has earned his reputation, as well as two Michelin stars which he has retained for 12 years.
Gidleigh Park was recently rated the number one restaurant in the UK in The Sunday Times/Hardens Guide Top 100 British Restaurants.
AT&T Williams F1 Team reveal their 2011 season car FW33 livery which they will be going to use during the 2011 season.
Earlier the team had launched an interim car at Valencia Circuit on 1st Feb, 2011 with traditional navy blue colour.
Click to find out more about Valencia launch
Williams said they would be competitive in 2011 as they unveiled their blue and white livery for the new season was shown for the first time from the British team's Oxfordshire headquarters.. The British team have come up with a unique rear design for the FW33 and appear to have taken a step forward in testing.
"All the testing has shown that we have a competitive car," said the team's technical director Sam Michael.
The design, particularly from the side where the familiar shapes and familiar red line is visible, strongly reminded nostalgic observers of the team's famous Rothmans cigarette liveries of the 1990's.
Michael highlighted Lotus Renault's forward exhaust and Toro Rosso's double floor as design innovations along with the Williams' tight rear end.
"These are all things that potentially some of them you could have done before, but you didn't because there was much bigger gains for much lower risk," he said.
"And I think that it is great for Formula One because the cars don't look the same, they do look different, and everyone's trying different concepts."
"We ended up with a pull-rod suspension to improve air to the rear wing. And that's really where the gearbox comes in as well, as the whole driving force behind it is to improve airflow to that rear lower wing," he said.
"We saw very early on in the aerodynamic development that this -- along with exhaust-blowing -- was going to be a key differentiator this year.
"The driveshaft angles that we have had to put the car through are very extreme. They are higher angles than anyone has ever done in Formula One before. It took a lot of dyno testing -- we've completed many thousands of kilometers."
Rubens Barrichello did not attend the launch after receiving permission to stay in Brazil for his wedding anniversary.
Williams claim it features the world's smallest gearbox which works with the new pull-rod rear suspension.
AT&T Williams announce partnership with Michael Caines MBE
The AT&T Williams team has announced a new partnership with Michael Caines for the 2011 Formula One season.
The announcement was made today during the unveiling of the team’s new racing livery and technical presentation of the FW33, after which guests were treated to a five course menu of Michael’s signature dishes.
Michael Caines is one of Britain's most acclaimed chefs. He was named AA Chef's Chef of the Year in 2007 and awarded an MBE in 2006 for services to the hospitality industry.
Michael is also Executive Chef at Gidleigh Park, the acclaimed and prestigious country house hotel on the edge of Dartmoor at Chagford, Devon, where he has earned his reputation, as well as two Michelin stars which he has retained for 12 years.
Gidleigh Park was recently rated the number one restaurant in the UK in The Sunday Times/Hardens Guide Top 100 British Restaurants.
Truth about Bernie Ecclestone
Click to follow
No Angel: The Secret Life of Bernie Ecclestone
Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone portrayed as fast, furious, filthy rich and no angel
Bernie Ecclestone’s marked antipathy towards Jean Todt, the president of Formula One’s governing body, and his relentless pursuit of wealth which has seen him extract $5 billion from the sport since 1996, are among the details offered up by a new biography of the F1 chief.
For the first time, the intimate financial affairs of Bernie Ecclestone are laid bare in a new biography that launched on 24th Feb that reveals that he amassed a 2.5 billion pound fortune selling Formula One five times over, at the same time taking home another 600 million pounds in "personal income".
Within the 400-odd pages is chronicled the life story of a remarkable entrepreneur who has graduated from selling second-hand cars in London’s East End to single-handedly running a multibillion-pound business.
Bernie Ecclestone is extremely furious on account that Tom Bower, his biographer and one of Britain's best investigative journalists, has revealed details of his marriage to Slavica, a Croatian former model.
They are divorced after a relationship that became what Bower called "a battlefield". The former Mrs Ecclestone is worth an estimated 750 million pounds thanks to Britain's biggest divorce settlement.
But usually it is Ecclestone who gets away with the money, reflected in a vast fortune acquired by transforming Formula One from a collection of weekend enthusiasts into one of the world's biggest sporting spectacles.
Before their spat, Bower enjoyed unprecedented access to Ecclestone, travelling in his private jet and being allowed to meet trusted associates.
Bower might not have found the incriminating evidence that Ecclestone's enemies crave but he has pulled together the most colourful insight into the rise of a used-car dealer in south London to billionaire friend of pop stars and royalty, and unpeeled the story of a man who charmed his way to becoming one of Britain's most successful entrepreneurs, yet put a dent in a wall with a phone hurled in a fury.
We learn that even after selling Formula One, he banks a salary of 2.5 million pounds plus a 1 million pound bonus from CVC Capital Partners, the latest owner, as its chief executive, as well as expenses - and they include fuel for his 40 million pounds Falcon jet, used for a quick getaway before the end of each grand prix.
Bower also lifts the lid on an intriguing enmity between Ecclestone and Jean Todt, who succeeded Max Mosley as president of the FIA, motorsport's world governing body. Mosley worked hand-in-glove with Ecclestone for 40 years but Todt is viewed with suspicion by Ecclestone, who misses no opportunity to aggravate the new president.
“Ecclestone enjoyed chastening Jean Todt whose indecisive grandeur infuriated him,” the book says. '
The book describes how, at last year’s Italian Grand Prix, Ecclestone parades Flavio Briatore — a man the FIA banned from the sport for his role in a race-fixing row — on the Monza grid just to show who was boss.
The ruthless side of Ecclestone's character shows up in his early life as a car dealer, according to one anecdote in which an acquaintance ordered an MG model from Ecclestone with one stipulation: it had to have a heater. When it arrived without one, he complained. Ecclestone replied coldly: "Are you calling me a liar? You want to be careful, boy. I've had fingers cut off." End of complaint.
If Ecclestone likes to play up his hardman image, it is the quickest mind in business that has been his greatest asset in regularly outwitting leading corporations with legions of accountants and lawyers. No detail escapes his attention, as Ron Dennis, the former McLaren team principal, discovered. In an argument over whether the teams should sign a new Concorde Agreement, the deal that binds them to Ecclestone's network of companies, Dennis told Ecclestone: "The Concorde Agreement will not be signed."
"I bet it will," Ecclestone said.
A wager was made at 250,000 pounds. Ecclestone bent down and signed the agreement in front of a puzzled Dennis. "We never said how many people had to sign it," a triumphant Ecclestone said, and he collected the money.
Ecclestone has not yet read Bower's book and will not until he gets over his fury. When he does, the memories of the deals struck over an extraordinary life will flow thick and fast.
No Angel: The Secret Life of Bernie Ecclestone
Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone portrayed as fast, furious, filthy rich and no angel
Bernie Ecclestone’s marked antipathy towards Jean Todt, the president of Formula One’s governing body, and his relentless pursuit of wealth which has seen him extract $5 billion from the sport since 1996, are among the details offered up by a new biography of the F1 chief.
For the first time, the intimate financial affairs of Bernie Ecclestone are laid bare in a new biography that launched on 24th Feb that reveals that he amassed a 2.5 billion pound fortune selling Formula One five times over, at the same time taking home another 600 million pounds in "personal income".
Within the 400-odd pages is chronicled the life story of a remarkable entrepreneur who has graduated from selling second-hand cars in London’s East End to single-handedly running a multibillion-pound business.
Bernie Ecclestone is extremely furious on account that Tom Bower, his biographer and one of Britain's best investigative journalists, has revealed details of his marriage to Slavica, a Croatian former model.
They are divorced after a relationship that became what Bower called "a battlefield". The former Mrs Ecclestone is worth an estimated 750 million pounds thanks to Britain's biggest divorce settlement.
But usually it is Ecclestone who gets away with the money, reflected in a vast fortune acquired by transforming Formula One from a collection of weekend enthusiasts into one of the world's biggest sporting spectacles.
Before their spat, Bower enjoyed unprecedented access to Ecclestone, travelling in his private jet and being allowed to meet trusted associates.
Bower might not have found the incriminating evidence that Ecclestone's enemies crave but he has pulled together the most colourful insight into the rise of a used-car dealer in south London to billionaire friend of pop stars and royalty, and unpeeled the story of a man who charmed his way to becoming one of Britain's most successful entrepreneurs, yet put a dent in a wall with a phone hurled in a fury.
We learn that even after selling Formula One, he banks a salary of 2.5 million pounds plus a 1 million pound bonus from CVC Capital Partners, the latest owner, as its chief executive, as well as expenses - and they include fuel for his 40 million pounds Falcon jet, used for a quick getaway before the end of each grand prix.
Bower also lifts the lid on an intriguing enmity between Ecclestone and Jean Todt, who succeeded Max Mosley as president of the FIA, motorsport's world governing body. Mosley worked hand-in-glove with Ecclestone for 40 years but Todt is viewed with suspicion by Ecclestone, who misses no opportunity to aggravate the new president.
“Ecclestone enjoyed chastening Jean Todt whose indecisive grandeur infuriated him,” the book says. '
The book describes how, at last year’s Italian Grand Prix, Ecclestone parades Flavio Briatore — a man the FIA banned from the sport for his role in a race-fixing row — on the Monza grid just to show who was boss.
The ruthless side of Ecclestone's character shows up in his early life as a car dealer, according to one anecdote in which an acquaintance ordered an MG model from Ecclestone with one stipulation: it had to have a heater. When it arrived without one, he complained. Ecclestone replied coldly: "Are you calling me a liar? You want to be careful, boy. I've had fingers cut off." End of complaint.
If Ecclestone likes to play up his hardman image, it is the quickest mind in business that has been his greatest asset in regularly outwitting leading corporations with legions of accountants and lawyers. No detail escapes his attention, as Ron Dennis, the former McLaren team principal, discovered. In an argument over whether the teams should sign a new Concorde Agreement, the deal that binds them to Ecclestone's network of companies, Dennis told Ecclestone: "The Concorde Agreement will not be signed."
"I bet it will," Ecclestone said.
A wager was made at 250,000 pounds. Ecclestone bent down and signed the agreement in front of a puzzled Dennis. "We never said how many people had to sign it," a triumphant Ecclestone said, and he collected the money.
Ecclestone has not yet read Bower's book and will not until he gets over his fury. When he does, the memories of the deals struck over an extraordinary life will flow thick and fast.
Economic Effect due to Bahrain GP Cancellation
Click to follow
F1 to lose $100m from Bahrain Grand Prix cancellation
The new financial data, collected from F1 trade guide Formula Money, has been compiled after the Sakhir event was called off due to civil unrest in the country.
Some of the biggest losers will be F1's 12 teams since it is believed there are penalty clauses in their contracts with sponsors that would be triggered by missing a race.
Data from F1's trade guide, Formula Money, show that the teams are expected to lose an estimated $40m from missing Bahrain, with Ferrari set for the biggest fall at $11m. The Italian team receives more income from sponsorship than any of its rivals and so it stands to lose more from the race being scrapped.
The biggest-spending sponsor on the grand prix is Bahrain's national airline Gulf Air, which pays an estimated $6m for naming rights to the race. Its fee comprises around half of the total income from advertisers at the circuit and will leave a big hole in the pockets of CVC, the private equity firm that majority-owns F1's rights-holder, Formula One Administration (FOA). After already paying for tonnes of freight to be dispatched to the Gulf state; the shipment will now be redirected to Australia.
The revenue from advertising at F1 circuits is received by FOA, which also gets the race hosting fees.
Bahrain pay £25 million to host the grand prix, plus an additional £12 million to guarantee it is the first of the new season. Bahrain's royal family pays an estimated US$40 million but FOA's chief executive, Bernie Ecclestone, has waived the fee since the race will not be taking place.
"The fee that is normally being paid for the event is not being paid," he said.
"I am not charging them for a race they are not getting. Whether they are covered by their insurers for loss of revenues, ticket sales, etc. I am not sure, but if anything is force majeure then that is. It is similar to if an earthquake had struck. No-one could have foreseen that a month ago. If and when it is rescheduled they will pay their usual fee."
F1 to lose $100m from Bahrain Grand Prix cancellation
The new financial data, collected from F1 trade guide Formula Money, has been compiled after the Sakhir event was called off due to civil unrest in the country.
Some of the biggest losers will be F1's 12 teams since it is believed there are penalty clauses in their contracts with sponsors that would be triggered by missing a race.
Data from F1's trade guide, Formula Money, show that the teams are expected to lose an estimated $40m from missing Bahrain, with Ferrari set for the biggest fall at $11m. The Italian team receives more income from sponsorship than any of its rivals and so it stands to lose more from the race being scrapped.
The biggest-spending sponsor on the grand prix is Bahrain's national airline Gulf Air, which pays an estimated $6m for naming rights to the race. Its fee comprises around half of the total income from advertisers at the circuit and will leave a big hole in the pockets of CVC, the private equity firm that majority-owns F1's rights-holder, Formula One Administration (FOA). After already paying for tonnes of freight to be dispatched to the Gulf state; the shipment will now be redirected to Australia.
The revenue from advertising at F1 circuits is received by FOA, which also gets the race hosting fees.
Bahrain pay £25 million to host the grand prix, plus an additional £12 million to guarantee it is the first of the new season. Bahrain's royal family pays an estimated US$40 million but FOA's chief executive, Bernie Ecclestone, has waived the fee since the race will not be taking place.
"The fee that is normally being paid for the event is not being paid," he said.
"I am not charging them for a race they are not getting. Whether they are covered by their insurers for loss of revenues, ticket sales, etc. I am not sure, but if anything is force majeure then that is. It is similar to if an earthquake had struck. No-one could have foreseen that a month ago. If and when it is rescheduled they will pay their usual fee."
Friday, February 25, 2011
Massa opinion Pirelli Tyres Will Not Ruins The Race
Click to follow
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa is happy with the new Pirelli tyres and says that they will not ruin the races.
According to Brazilian driver of Ferrari the new tyre suppliers of Formula 1 are aware of what the sport currently requires and believes that they are going to help him perform at his best in the upcoming 2011 season.
“I turned the car upside down to see if the tyres really are working for me. I am much more in control of the car and know what I can do with it,” he told the media.
The Brazilian came back to the sport in 2010 after an almost fatal accident at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2009 but had an extremely disappointing season. His teammate though, the two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, challenged the top running drivers for the title almost throughout the 2010 Formula 1 season.
Massa finished in 6th place more than 100 points behind his teammate as Alonso finished in 2nd place with 252 points just 4 points behind the champion Sebastian Vettel in 2010.
“I couldn't get everything out of the car after trying everything. There was no way to be happy, and happiness is very important, especially with this sort of job. It was hard going to a race knowing what would happen. Now, everything changed after three laps with these new tyres,” Felipe said while talking about his 2010 run.
Massa claims that the Bridgestone tyres did not suit his driving style and he struggled to get the harder compounds up to the required temperature in order to get a better grip on his car. However, the Brazilian seems confident about the new season and believes that he would perform up to the mark.
He has been performing pretty well at the pre-season test sessions but one cannot judge anything from these results as the teams concentrate more on gathering vital data in order to improve their cars before the beginning of the new season
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa is happy with the new Pirelli tyres and says that they will not ruin the races.
According to Brazilian driver of Ferrari the new tyre suppliers of Formula 1 are aware of what the sport currently requires and believes that they are going to help him perform at his best in the upcoming 2011 season.
“I turned the car upside down to see if the tyres really are working for me. I am much more in control of the car and know what I can do with it,” he told the media.
The Brazilian came back to the sport in 2010 after an almost fatal accident at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2009 but had an extremely disappointing season. His teammate though, the two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, challenged the top running drivers for the title almost throughout the 2010 Formula 1 season.
Massa finished in 6th place more than 100 points behind his teammate as Alonso finished in 2nd place with 252 points just 4 points behind the champion Sebastian Vettel in 2010.
“I couldn't get everything out of the car after trying everything. There was no way to be happy, and happiness is very important, especially with this sort of job. It was hard going to a race knowing what would happen. Now, everything changed after three laps with these new tyres,” Felipe said while talking about his 2010 run.
Massa claims that the Bridgestone tyres did not suit his driving style and he struggled to get the harder compounds up to the required temperature in order to get a better grip on his car. However, the Brazilian seems confident about the new season and believes that he would perform up to the mark.
He has been performing pretty well at the pre-season test sessions but one cannot judge anything from these results as the teams concentrate more on gathering vital data in order to improve their cars before the beginning of the new season
Thursday, February 24, 2011
A Reverse Gear to KERS
Click to follow
Having disappeared for 2010, KERS (Kinetic Energy Reverse System) is returning for 2011. Basically , it was never disappeared from the regulations, but due to an agreement between the teams it was put on hold for a year . Now it’s back as a cost-effective hybrid power tool, picking up where the sport left off at the end of 2009
Lotus Renault Blogged a guide about KERS on their official Site.
Why is KERS back?
If it was deemed unnecessary for 2010, why are teams so keen to run it in 2011? Well, things have changed quite a lot in the last year and it’s now been demonstrated that KERS can be reintroduced to the cars at an acceptable cost level. Equally, as a technology that has great relevance to the development of hybrid and electric road cars, it makes sense for Formula 1 to continue pioneering the development of such technology by making them lighter and more efficient.
Will KERS be the same as in 2009?
The technical regulations limit KERS by the size of the electric motor and the amount of time it can run in any given lap. Those limits remain exactly the same as those defined in 2009. KERS should not deliver power in excess of 60kW, which is equivalent to around 80 horsepower, when the driver presses a button on the steering wheel. He cannot use more than 400kJ per lap, which equates to about seven seconds worth of use.
How different will Lotus Renault GP’s KERS be compared to the 2009 version?
Although the basis of the 2011 system comes from 2009, it has been completely re-engineered to ensure a much more competitive device. So every aspect has been optimised, including its integration with the vehicle. That has meant removing weight and significant repackaging to ensure it can be easily installed and removed from the car. This year’s system represents a weight saving of more than 10kg compared to 2009.
Will all teams use KERS in 2011?
In 2009 running with KERS was always a compromise because the additional weight meant precious ballast had to be removed from the car. The knock-on effect made it harder for drivers to optimise car balance, especially the heavier drivers who could run with the least ballast of all. As a result, many teams preferred not to use KERS. To solve these issues, the minimum weight of the cars has been increased from 620kg to 640kg – a move that should encourage most teams to run with KERS since the trade-off between extra weight and extra horsepower has been significantly reduced.
Why don’t the regulations allow KERS to provide bigger gains in 2011?
In order for KERS to be reintroduced at a moderate cost level for 2011, there was little choice but to base it on the 2009 systems, which also meant inheriting the energy and power requirements of those systems. Also, with new engine regulations on the horizon for 2013, it makes sense for any significant KERS developments to coincide with the introduction of new engines.
Will cars with KERS have a clear performance advantage in 2011?
The short answer is ‘yes’ and there are several factors that make KERS more relevant in 2011 than it was in 2009. Firstly, the ban on refuelling has made it much more difficult to gain positions using pit strategy, which places a higher premium on qualifying performance. And it’s during qualifying that the gains from KERS are greatest because cars can run with fully charged systems and get the maximum benefit on a flying lap. Then, at the start of the race (the best opportunity to gain positions), KERS offers another significant performance gain of 10 to 20 metres by the braking point for the first corner. While it comes with penalties in terms of complexity and packaging constraints, these headline gains are difficult to ignore.
What about the safety implications of KERS?
There is a lot of energy stored in the KERS battery, which is at voltages that could cause severe injury if not handled responsibly. The fundamental safety guidelines established in 2009 by the KERS Safety Working Group remain valid, but Lotus Renault GP has also revaluated its internal safety procedures and retrained all staff to ensure optimum safety.
Having disappeared for 2010, KERS (Kinetic Energy Reverse System) is returning for 2011. Basically , it was never disappeared from the regulations, but due to an agreement between the teams it was put on hold for a year . Now it’s back as a cost-effective hybrid power tool, picking up where the sport left off at the end of 2009
Lotus Renault Blogged a guide about KERS on their official Site.
Why is KERS back?
If it was deemed unnecessary for 2010, why are teams so keen to run it in 2011? Well, things have changed quite a lot in the last year and it’s now been demonstrated that KERS can be reintroduced to the cars at an acceptable cost level. Equally, as a technology that has great relevance to the development of hybrid and electric road cars, it makes sense for Formula 1 to continue pioneering the development of such technology by making them lighter and more efficient.
Will KERS be the same as in 2009?
The technical regulations limit KERS by the size of the electric motor and the amount of time it can run in any given lap. Those limits remain exactly the same as those defined in 2009. KERS should not deliver power in excess of 60kW, which is equivalent to around 80 horsepower, when the driver presses a button on the steering wheel. He cannot use more than 400kJ per lap, which equates to about seven seconds worth of use.
How different will Lotus Renault GP’s KERS be compared to the 2009 version?
Although the basis of the 2011 system comes from 2009, it has been completely re-engineered to ensure a much more competitive device. So every aspect has been optimised, including its integration with the vehicle. That has meant removing weight and significant repackaging to ensure it can be easily installed and removed from the car. This year’s system represents a weight saving of more than 10kg compared to 2009.
Will all teams use KERS in 2011?
In 2009 running with KERS was always a compromise because the additional weight meant precious ballast had to be removed from the car. The knock-on effect made it harder for drivers to optimise car balance, especially the heavier drivers who could run with the least ballast of all. As a result, many teams preferred not to use KERS. To solve these issues, the minimum weight of the cars has been increased from 620kg to 640kg – a move that should encourage most teams to run with KERS since the trade-off between extra weight and extra horsepower has been significantly reduced.
Why don’t the regulations allow KERS to provide bigger gains in 2011?
In order for KERS to be reintroduced at a moderate cost level for 2011, there was little choice but to base it on the 2009 systems, which also meant inheriting the energy and power requirements of those systems. Also, with new engine regulations on the horizon for 2013, it makes sense for any significant KERS developments to coincide with the introduction of new engines.
Will cars with KERS have a clear performance advantage in 2011?
The short answer is ‘yes’ and there are several factors that make KERS more relevant in 2011 than it was in 2009. Firstly, the ban on refuelling has made it much more difficult to gain positions using pit strategy, which places a higher premium on qualifying performance. And it’s during qualifying that the gains from KERS are greatest because cars can run with fully charged systems and get the maximum benefit on a flying lap. Then, at the start of the race (the best opportunity to gain positions), KERS offers another significant performance gain of 10 to 20 metres by the braking point for the first corner. While it comes with penalties in terms of complexity and packaging constraints, these headline gains are difficult to ignore.
What about the safety implications of KERS?
There is a lot of energy stored in the KERS battery, which is at voltages that could cause severe injury if not handled responsibly. The fundamental safety guidelines established in 2009 by the KERS Safety Working Group remain valid, but Lotus Renault GP has also revaluated its internal safety procedures and retrained all staff to ensure optimum safety.
Malaysian Circuit Loses Its Charm
Click to follow
Malaysia's Sepang Formula One event is losing traction, according to the circuit's boss who admitted the shabby stadium and tropical temperatures have caused ticket sales to plunge.
The Malaysian event has also been outshone by neighbouring Singapore, which offers not just adrenaline-packed night racing on a street circuit, but teams it with live entertainment by big-name performancers like Beyonce.
Razlan Razali, chief executive of the Sepang International Circuit, said that Malaysians increasingly preferred to watch the race on television rather than brave the afternoon heat.
"It has lost its lustre," Razlan said in an interview with AFP.
"Having Singapore next to us for F1 does not help and our biggest competitor is the television as many people prefer to watch the race from the comfort of their homes."
Despite ticket prices going for as low as $19, the cheapest on the F1 circuit, the 13-year-old Sepang event which has a daily capacity of 130 000 has not been pulling in the crowds.
Razlan said that last year just 97 000 people were drawn to the circuit over three days. In 2009 there were 126 000 while 2006 recorded the biggest crowd with 140 000 over three days.
The circuit boss admitted that Sepang is a "tired-looking" venue in urgent need of rejuvenation.
But he said he has received no reply after petitioning the government to fund a major overhaul at a cost of 180 million ringgit (59 million dollars).
Sepang's soaring roof, inspired by the hibiscus which is Malaysia's national flower, need to be replaced as the grandstand canopy has exceeded its lifespan and cannot cope with Malaysia's tropical downpours.
"When it rains, it leaks. People are not happy. The circuit was built in a record time but unfortuntely there were shortcuts and poor maintainance," he said.
The sport's ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone proclaimed Singapore as the "jewel in F1's crown" when the city-state hosted its first night race in 2008.
But in crushing comments for Malaysia, he likened Sepang to "an old house that needs a bit of redecorating."
"It's starting to get a little shabby and looks a bit tired. There is rubbish all over the place and it’s not really a good sign for Malaysia," Ecclestone said at the time.
Razlan, who took over shortly after Ecclestone aired his criticism, said that to counter the decline, Sepang should stage a night race before its rights to host F1 expire in 2015.
"We should do one night race before we extend the 2015 contract. Maybe this will attract a bigger crowd as the weather at night will be cool," the 38-year-old said.
Other Asia-Pacific countries that host Formula One races are Australia, China and South Korea. India holds its first race this year.
But Razlan said that despite its shortcomings, the Malaysian event has a strong impact on the national tourism industry as it is beamed live across the globe, providing priceless publicity.
"(Financially) it is a loss-making event but the economic impact to the country is great," he said.
Malaysia will host the second leg of this year's Formula One calendar on April 10 after the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix scheduled for March 13 was cancelled due to the deadly political unrest in the Gulf state.
Razlan said that so far demand for the 13th Malaysian Grand Prix has been disappointing, and well short of the targetted average of 33 000 a day over the three-day event.
"In November we began our promotion. We have sold 6 000 tickets to foreigners. However the domestic market is yet to pick up," he said.
Malaysia's Sepang Formula One event is losing traction, according to the circuit's boss who admitted the shabby stadium and tropical temperatures have caused ticket sales to plunge.
The Malaysian event has also been outshone by neighbouring Singapore, which offers not just adrenaline-packed night racing on a street circuit, but teams it with live entertainment by big-name performancers like Beyonce.
Razlan Razali, chief executive of the Sepang International Circuit, said that Malaysians increasingly preferred to watch the race on television rather than brave the afternoon heat.
"It has lost its lustre," Razlan said in an interview with AFP.
"Having Singapore next to us for F1 does not help and our biggest competitor is the television as many people prefer to watch the race from the comfort of their homes."
Despite ticket prices going for as low as $19, the cheapest on the F1 circuit, the 13-year-old Sepang event which has a daily capacity of 130 000 has not been pulling in the crowds.
Razlan said that last year just 97 000 people were drawn to the circuit over three days. In 2009 there were 126 000 while 2006 recorded the biggest crowd with 140 000 over three days.
The circuit boss admitted that Sepang is a "tired-looking" venue in urgent need of rejuvenation.
But he said he has received no reply after petitioning the government to fund a major overhaul at a cost of 180 million ringgit (59 million dollars).
Sepang's soaring roof, inspired by the hibiscus which is Malaysia's national flower, need to be replaced as the grandstand canopy has exceeded its lifespan and cannot cope with Malaysia's tropical downpours.
"When it rains, it leaks. People are not happy. The circuit was built in a record time but unfortuntely there were shortcuts and poor maintainance," he said.
The sport's ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone proclaimed Singapore as the "jewel in F1's crown" when the city-state hosted its first night race in 2008.
But in crushing comments for Malaysia, he likened Sepang to "an old house that needs a bit of redecorating."
"It's starting to get a little shabby and looks a bit tired. There is rubbish all over the place and it’s not really a good sign for Malaysia," Ecclestone said at the time.
Razlan, who took over shortly after Ecclestone aired his criticism, said that to counter the decline, Sepang should stage a night race before its rights to host F1 expire in 2015.
"We should do one night race before we extend the 2015 contract. Maybe this will attract a bigger crowd as the weather at night will be cool," the 38-year-old said.
Other Asia-Pacific countries that host Formula One races are Australia, China and South Korea. India holds its first race this year.
But Razlan said that despite its shortcomings, the Malaysian event has a strong impact on the national tourism industry as it is beamed live across the globe, providing priceless publicity.
"(Financially) it is a loss-making event but the economic impact to the country is great," he said.
Malaysia will host the second leg of this year's Formula One calendar on April 10 after the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix scheduled for March 13 was cancelled due to the deadly political unrest in the Gulf state.
Razlan said that so far demand for the 13th Malaysian Grand Prix has been disappointing, and well short of the targetted average of 33 000 a day over the three-day event.
"In November we began our promotion. We have sold 6 000 tickets to foreigners. However the domestic market is yet to pick up," he said.
F1 Boss Trying His Best to Include Bahrain GP
Click to follow
F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has said that he will try his best to conduct the canceled Bahrain Grand Prix later in the 2011 season.
The Sakhir even was canceled earlier this week due to pro-democracy protests in the capital, Manama.
Formula One commercial rights holder Ecclestone said in the Daily Telegraph that the situation had been completely unexpected.
"What has happened in Bahrain is desperately sad but one month ago everyone was looking forward to the race," he said.
"No one had a problem with it then. If everything is peaceful, which we hope it will be, then we will try our best to fit it in."
Ecclestone confirmed that the US$40 million (R285 million) cancellation cost had been waived and would be covered by his Formula One Management organization.
"The fee that is normally being paid for the event is not being paid," he said.
"I am not charging them for a race they are not getting. Whether they are covered by their insurers for loss of revenues, ticket sales, etc. I am not sure, but if anything is force majeure then that is. It is similar to if an earthquake had struck. No-one could have foreseen that a month ago. If and when it is rescheduled they will pay their usual fee."
But fitting the race in 2011 calendar will be a difficult task for Ecclestone as the season with 19races from record 20 still looks crowded and no space for Bahrain. If possible, then season will end in December.
F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has said that he will try his best to conduct the canceled Bahrain Grand Prix later in the 2011 season.
The Sakhir even was canceled earlier this week due to pro-democracy protests in the capital, Manama.
Formula One commercial rights holder Ecclestone said in the Daily Telegraph that the situation had been completely unexpected.
"What has happened in Bahrain is desperately sad but one month ago everyone was looking forward to the race," he said.
"No one had a problem with it then. If everything is peaceful, which we hope it will be, then we will try our best to fit it in."
Ecclestone confirmed that the US$40 million (R285 million) cancellation cost had been waived and would be covered by his Formula One Management organization.
"The fee that is normally being paid for the event is not being paid," he said.
"I am not charging them for a race they are not getting. Whether they are covered by their insurers for loss of revenues, ticket sales, etc. I am not sure, but if anything is force majeure then that is. It is similar to if an earthquake had struck. No-one could have foreseen that a month ago. If and when it is rescheduled they will pay their usual fee."
But fitting the race in 2011 calendar will be a difficult task for Ecclestone as the season with 19races from record 20 still looks crowded and no space for Bahrain. If possible, then season will end in December.
Choose outfit for Grid Girls for Season opener Australian GP
Click to follow
F1 Fans will decide outfit for Grid Girls
With the Bahrain GP scrapped, the Australian Grand Prix on 27 March is now the 2011 Formula 1 World Championship season opener and to what the appetite F1 fans will be able to choose what outfits the grid girls will wear in Melbourne.
Noted fashion designer Jayson Brunsdon has been asked to come up with eye catching outfits fitting the occasion. “I thought about it, and they can look sexy without looking tarty, they can look stylish without looking tacky,” Brunsdon said.
"I am not a big car racing fan, but when I think of car racing I think of Elvis Presley's speedway-themed movies," he said.He added, “So I wanted them [the outfits] to have a late-’60s, early-’70s retro feel to them.”
Known for his elegant evening wear and sophisticated day wear for women, Brunsdon is a favourite of Princess Mary.
Brunsdon has created three designs - a low-cut dress, a romper suit and a high-neck mini.
Herald Sun readers will vote online to decide which one becomes the official outfit of the Qantas grid girls at the F1 carnival at Albert Park in Melbourne next month.
To Vote, click here.
SORRY boys, fashion, not flesh, will be on show on the starting grid at this year's Qantas Australian Grand Prix.
F1 Fans will decide outfit for Grid Girls
With the Bahrain GP scrapped, the Australian Grand Prix on 27 March is now the 2011 Formula 1 World Championship season opener and to what the appetite F1 fans will be able to choose what outfits the grid girls will wear in Melbourne.
Noted fashion designer Jayson Brunsdon has been asked to come up with eye catching outfits fitting the occasion. “I thought about it, and they can look sexy without looking tarty, they can look stylish without looking tacky,” Brunsdon said.
"I am not a big car racing fan, but when I think of car racing I think of Elvis Presley's speedway-themed movies," he said.He added, “So I wanted them [the outfits] to have a late-’60s, early-’70s retro feel to them.”
Known for his elegant evening wear and sophisticated day wear for women, Brunsdon is a favourite of Princess Mary.
Brunsdon has created three designs - a low-cut dress, a romper suit and a high-neck mini.
Herald Sun readers will vote online to decide which one becomes the official outfit of the Qantas grid girls at the F1 carnival at Albert Park in Melbourne next month.
To Vote, click here.
SORRY boys, fashion, not flesh, will be on show on the starting grid at this year's Qantas Australian Grand Prix.
Chance to Get Good Days Back Says Webber
Click to follow
Melbourne will take Formula One "back to the good old days" after civil unrest in Bahrain left Australia to host next month's season opener, Mark Webber said on Tuesday.
Bahrain authorities called off their March 13 race on Monday after a week of bloody anti-government demonstrations in the Gulf kingdom, leaving Australia to open the sport's new championship on March 27.
Speaking to Reuters from his home in central England, Webber welcomed the lucky chance to kick off his title campaign on home soil.
"It's shameful that we missed out on Bahrain. It has been good to us in the past and hopefully they will get on top of everything out there shortly," said the 2010 title contender. "So on to the next one, which happens to be in Australia. It's back to the good old days isn't it? It always used to be the season-opener and it's a sensational place for it."
Webber start his F1 career in Melbourne when he finished fifth on his debut with struggling minnows Minardi in 2002.
For years that remained his best result but as Australia's sole F1 driver he was always guaranteed a place in the limelight in Melbourne.
Melbourne will take Formula One "back to the good old days" after civil unrest in Bahrain left Australia to host next month's season opener, Mark Webber said on Tuesday.
Bahrain authorities called off their March 13 race on Monday after a week of bloody anti-government demonstrations in the Gulf kingdom, leaving Australia to open the sport's new championship on March 27.
Speaking to Reuters from his home in central England, Webber welcomed the lucky chance to kick off his title campaign on home soil.
"It's shameful that we missed out on Bahrain. It has been good to us in the past and hopefully they will get on top of everything out there shortly," said the 2010 title contender. "So on to the next one, which happens to be in Australia. It's back to the good old days isn't it? It always used to be the season-opener and it's a sensational place for it."
Webber start his F1 career in Melbourne when he finished fifth on his debut with struggling minnows Minardi in 2002.
For years that remained his best result but as Australia's sole F1 driver he was always guaranteed a place in the limelight in Melbourne.
Sebastien Buemi refused to comment for his F1 future
Click to follow
Sebastien Buemi is refusing to comment on speculation that 2011 is a make-or-break season for him at Toro Rosso.
After an encouraging start to his F1 career in 2009, Buemi stagnated last season as Toro Rosso failed to match the lofty heights of the previous two years.
With so many talented drivers in the Red Bull Racing's young driver programme, there have been suggestions that Buemi or team-mate Jaime Alguersuari could make way next year.
Swiss driver Buemi, though, says he's only concentrating on the job ahead.
"It is much too early to say what will happen," he told the official Formula One website. "Obviously Red Bull - and myself - want to see results and improvements. If it does not happen we have to sit down and think what we have to do to change that.
"Right now we have to concentrate on the job ahead of us. Obviously you cannot judge the performance of someone only on the actual results - you need to compare it to his team mate and compare it to the speed of the car. If, for example, in the past you were sitting in a Minardi and qualifying 3.5 seconds from pole position it meant a really good time, so you cannot expect people to win if the car is not good enough.
"Red Bull on the other hand is really good in that respect because they look into the details of the performance and from there they will make a decision on the future of a driver. Let's wait and see. I am pushing as hard as I can and I am prepared as well as possible, so let's wait for the season to start."
He added: "I know that everybody thinks this will be an important season, but for me I don't think that it will be more important than any other season. It is my third season now with Toro Rosso and clearly we want to make a step forward. We expect a lot so let's wait and see what we are able to achieve.
"It is always difficult to say what it will be like before you go to the first race. To read anything into the test times is always like reading a crystal ball, but this year it's even more difficult with four different compounds of tyres. You never really know what the others are up to. We are really aiming to end up ahead of one of the other teams that were in front of us last season - P7 in the Constructors' Championship would be our objective."
Buemi picked up only eight points last year and he says his main aim for 2011 is to get into the top 10 more often.
"I definitely don't want to go below last year. I at least want to be as good as last year, "he said.
"I want to be a regular points' scorer. I am really hungry for points. I didn't have enough last season!"
Sebastien Buemi is refusing to comment on speculation that 2011 is a make-or-break season for him at Toro Rosso.
After an encouraging start to his F1 career in 2009, Buemi stagnated last season as Toro Rosso failed to match the lofty heights of the previous two years.
With so many talented drivers in the Red Bull Racing's young driver programme, there have been suggestions that Buemi or team-mate Jaime Alguersuari could make way next year.
Swiss driver Buemi, though, says he's only concentrating on the job ahead.
"It is much too early to say what will happen," he told the official Formula One website. "Obviously Red Bull - and myself - want to see results and improvements. If it does not happen we have to sit down and think what we have to do to change that.
"Right now we have to concentrate on the job ahead of us. Obviously you cannot judge the performance of someone only on the actual results - you need to compare it to his team mate and compare it to the speed of the car. If, for example, in the past you were sitting in a Minardi and qualifying 3.5 seconds from pole position it meant a really good time, so you cannot expect people to win if the car is not good enough.
"Red Bull on the other hand is really good in that respect because they look into the details of the performance and from there they will make a decision on the future of a driver. Let's wait and see. I am pushing as hard as I can and I am prepared as well as possible, so let's wait for the season to start."
He added: "I know that everybody thinks this will be an important season, but for me I don't think that it will be more important than any other season. It is my third season now with Toro Rosso and clearly we want to make a step forward. We expect a lot so let's wait and see what we are able to achieve.
"It is always difficult to say what it will be like before you go to the first race. To read anything into the test times is always like reading a crystal ball, but this year it's even more difficult with four different compounds of tyres. You never really know what the others are up to. We are really aiming to end up ahead of one of the other teams that were in front of us last season - P7 in the Constructors' Championship would be our objective."
Buemi picked up only eight points last year and he says his main aim for 2011 is to get into the top 10 more often.
"I definitely don't want to go below last year. I at least want to be as good as last year, "he said.
"I want to be a regular points' scorer. I am really hungry for points. I didn't have enough last season!"
HRT Team Boss Collin Kolles speak for F111
Click to follow
HRT team boss Colin Kolles sees no reason why his squad cannot overhaul fellow 2010 newcomers Lotus and Virgin in the future, and believes its new F111 will bring up to date with contemporary Formula 1 design after its poor debut year.
Earlier, HRT showcased the graphical images for F111 on 8th Feb which they will going to use for 2011 season.
The 2010 HRT - which was originally created by Dallara before the relationship between the Italian constructor and the team broke down - was the slowest car in the field throughout last season.
But Hispania is close to finishing an all-new 2011 car, the design of which has been led by former Williams, BAR/Honda and Red Bull man Geoff Willis.
"There are experienced people working on the car. For sure we had no optimum winter, but we have a completely new car, and we will work on it and try to improve it," said Kolles in an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT.
"The car doesn't look too bad; it looks like a modern F1 car. We'll see where we are - I cannot tell you at the moment. I think we'll be better in performance than last year, and this is what the indications are at this stage.
"We have to face reality. It's not just having a new car, we have to see what we do with the new car in the future. I think that we will have a good CFD programme in place, a very strong one, and then we'll see where we will be. You have to have an efficient development programme.
"For me one of the surprises last year was that we were running the same car, but the gap was getting smaller and not bigger. I cannot explain it. Maybe our drivers got better! This is a fact, you can see that the percentage that we were slower got smaller.
"I think that if we have the time and if we have our programmes in place, Lotus is not going to be an issue for us. And also Virgin. Because I trust in the people we have, and also the quality of the people I have. I'm not scared at all..."
Despite regular rumours about HRT's financial health last year, Kolles believes there are other teams in worse positions than his.
"People said you are not going to make it Bahrain, we made it," he said. "Then they said you are not going to end the season, and we ended the season. They said you are not going to be in the Abu Dhabi test, and we were in the Abu Dhabi test. Then they said you are not going to be at the Valencia test, and we were.
"What shall I say? Of course we need sponsors, of course we need investors, and of course we need partners. Like everybody else. I have been criticised for having a lot of test drivers in the past. I mean, what are the others doing, with third class drivers? I'm very sorry, but people have to face reality, and see the facts.
"I think that other teams are in deeper trouble than we are, that's number one. I don't know why we are always asked the same question. I repeat myself, I think that in terms of budget and in terms of budget requirements and in terms of debts and so on, we are in very good shape compared to others.
"Our main strategy is to be long term in F1. How you reach this point, we know there are maybe different ways, but this is the goal. Maybe others have different goals. I cannot judge on this."
HRT team boss Colin Kolles sees no reason why his squad cannot overhaul fellow 2010 newcomers Lotus and Virgin in the future, and believes its new F111 will bring up to date with contemporary Formula 1 design after its poor debut year.
Earlier, HRT showcased the graphical images for F111 on 8th Feb which they will going to use for 2011 season.
The 2010 HRT - which was originally created by Dallara before the relationship between the Italian constructor and the team broke down - was the slowest car in the field throughout last season.
But Hispania is close to finishing an all-new 2011 car, the design of which has been led by former Williams, BAR/Honda and Red Bull man Geoff Willis.
"There are experienced people working on the car. For sure we had no optimum winter, but we have a completely new car, and we will work on it and try to improve it," said Kolles in an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT.
"The car doesn't look too bad; it looks like a modern F1 car. We'll see where we are - I cannot tell you at the moment. I think we'll be better in performance than last year, and this is what the indications are at this stage.
"We have to face reality. It's not just having a new car, we have to see what we do with the new car in the future. I think that we will have a good CFD programme in place, a very strong one, and then we'll see where we will be. You have to have an efficient development programme.
"For me one of the surprises last year was that we were running the same car, but the gap was getting smaller and not bigger. I cannot explain it. Maybe our drivers got better! This is a fact, you can see that the percentage that we were slower got smaller.
"I think that if we have the time and if we have our programmes in place, Lotus is not going to be an issue for us. And also Virgin. Because I trust in the people we have, and also the quality of the people I have. I'm not scared at all..."
Despite regular rumours about HRT's financial health last year, Kolles believes there are other teams in worse positions than his.
"People said you are not going to make it Bahrain, we made it," he said. "Then they said you are not going to end the season, and we ended the season. They said you are not going to be in the Abu Dhabi test, and we were in the Abu Dhabi test. Then they said you are not going to be at the Valencia test, and we were.
"What shall I say? Of course we need sponsors, of course we need investors, and of course we need partners. Like everybody else. I have been criticised for having a lot of test drivers in the past. I mean, what are the others doing, with third class drivers? I'm very sorry, but people have to face reality, and see the facts.
"I think that other teams are in deeper trouble than we are, that's number one. I don't know why we are always asked the same question. I repeat myself, I think that in terms of budget and in terms of budget requirements and in terms of debts and so on, we are in very good shape compared to others.
"Our main strategy is to be long term in F1. How you reach this point, we know there are maybe different ways, but this is the goal. Maybe others have different goals. I cannot judge on this."
Reaction towards cancellation of Bahrain GP
Click to follow
Journalists Slam FIA, Todt, Over Bahrain Handling
FIA President Jean Todt is under fire for not being more vocal on the situation surrounding the Bahrain GP.
A group of British journalists are highly critical of Jean Todt's leadership during the saga leading up to the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
When the unrest in the island Kingdom first began, FIA president Todt told reporters during a trip to Ireland that he would not "overreact," insisting that "at the moment there is no reason to have unnecessary concern."
But as the peaceful protesters then clashed more violently with Bahrain's security forces, raising strong calls for the season opener to be called off, the FIA and Todt went silent.
Finally, as the Bahrain royal family called off the race late on Monday, the FIA issued a three paragraph statement confirming that it "supports the decision."
The statement also made clear that it will be the sport's Paris based federation that decides if the race can be held later in 2011.
A group of British journalists are openly unimpressed.
Daily Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary described the situation as a "complete lack of direction from the sport's governing body."
Via Twitter, The Times reporter Kevin Eason agreed: "I still say the FIA's lack of leadership has been astounding. Where is Max (Mosley, former FIA president) when you need him?"
The Mirror reporter Byron Young described the official FIA statement as "late" and "irrelevant."
Eason agreed: "A press release from the FIA arrives. They are alive!"
Ian Parkes, who covers Formula One for the Press Association, tweeted when he received the statement: "The FIA finally speaks."
Young, describing the FIA as "worse than useless" throughout the Bahrain affair, continued: "You can criticize Max Mosley for many things, and he'd take them on the chin, but he was a good leader.
"Todt has been Mr. Invisible so far."
Cary, agreeing that the "silence from Paris has been deafening" in recent days, offered one possible explanation for Todt's reluctance. He said the Frenchman's "relationship with Bahrain is a particularly sensitive one. The Bahrain royal family has close ties to FIA President Jean Todt."
Cary added that the Bahrain king's second son is a member of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council "and played a key role in Todt's election in 2008."
Meanwhile, Bahrain's crown prince is "a shareholder in Nicolas Todt's — Jean Todt's son's — (GP2) team," he reported.
Late F1 season start to aid struggling teams
The cancellation of the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix gives teams an extra two weeks to get their act together and perhaps reduce the gap between the current pace setting teams.
With McLaren’s new MP4-26 not the best car in the field currently in terms of pace or reliability, Lewis Hamilton said he was happy that the championship starting in Australia “gives us more time” to prepare. “We have some catching up to do and not a lot of time until the season starts,” he said.
BBC commentator and former McLaren driver Brundle agreed: “It (the extra time) will help some teams that were struggling to make fast and reliable cars. “It will play into their hands,” he told the BBC.
But Mark Webber, with arguably the best car in the field in his hands in the Red Bull RB7, countered: “I don’t think the extra two weeks will make a huge difference.
“It’s the same for everybody. We are always prepared to race in two weeks,” said the Australian.
“The freight will still have to leave for Melbourne pretty early,” added Webber. “I suppose you’ve got another 10 days’ headroom, but it is swings and roundabouts.”
His former Red Bull teammate David Coulthard has a similar opinion.
“This is one area where I don’t necessarily agree with Martin,” the Scot, who will share the BBC commentary box with Brundle in 2011, wrote in his latest Telegraph column.
“From the feedback I am getting, it seems Ferrari and Red Bull are currently at the head of the queue so, by implication, he is suggesting it could help Mercedes and McLaren.
“Yes, McLaren will have an extra two weeks of factory time but so will Ferrari. And with just one test to go they won’t have any more track time to test parts or work on reliability,” Coulthard insisted.
Journalists Slam FIA, Todt, Over Bahrain Handling
FIA President Jean Todt is under fire for not being more vocal on the situation surrounding the Bahrain GP.
A group of British journalists are highly critical of Jean Todt's leadership during the saga leading up to the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
When the unrest in the island Kingdom first began, FIA president Todt told reporters during a trip to Ireland that he would not "overreact," insisting that "at the moment there is no reason to have unnecessary concern."
But as the peaceful protesters then clashed more violently with Bahrain's security forces, raising strong calls for the season opener to be called off, the FIA and Todt went silent.
Finally, as the Bahrain royal family called off the race late on Monday, the FIA issued a three paragraph statement confirming that it "supports the decision."
The statement also made clear that it will be the sport's Paris based federation that decides if the race can be held later in 2011.
A group of British journalists are openly unimpressed.
Daily Telegraph correspondent Tom Cary described the situation as a "complete lack of direction from the sport's governing body."
Via Twitter, The Times reporter Kevin Eason agreed: "I still say the FIA's lack of leadership has been astounding. Where is Max (Mosley, former FIA president) when you need him?"
The Mirror reporter Byron Young described the official FIA statement as "late" and "irrelevant."
Eason agreed: "A press release from the FIA arrives. They are alive!"
Ian Parkes, who covers Formula One for the Press Association, tweeted when he received the statement: "The FIA finally speaks."
Young, describing the FIA as "worse than useless" throughout the Bahrain affair, continued: "You can criticize Max Mosley for many things, and he'd take them on the chin, but he was a good leader.
"Todt has been Mr. Invisible so far."
Cary, agreeing that the "silence from Paris has been deafening" in recent days, offered one possible explanation for Todt's reluctance. He said the Frenchman's "relationship with Bahrain is a particularly sensitive one. The Bahrain royal family has close ties to FIA President Jean Todt."
Cary added that the Bahrain king's second son is a member of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council "and played a key role in Todt's election in 2008."
Meanwhile, Bahrain's crown prince is "a shareholder in Nicolas Todt's — Jean Todt's son's — (GP2) team," he reported.
Late F1 season start to aid struggling teams
The cancellation of the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix gives teams an extra two weeks to get their act together and perhaps reduce the gap between the current pace setting teams.
With McLaren’s new MP4-26 not the best car in the field currently in terms of pace or reliability, Lewis Hamilton said he was happy that the championship starting in Australia “gives us more time” to prepare. “We have some catching up to do and not a lot of time until the season starts,” he said.
BBC commentator and former McLaren driver Brundle agreed: “It (the extra time) will help some teams that were struggling to make fast and reliable cars. “It will play into their hands,” he told the BBC.
But Mark Webber, with arguably the best car in the field in his hands in the Red Bull RB7, countered: “I don’t think the extra two weeks will make a huge difference.
“It’s the same for everybody. We are always prepared to race in two weeks,” said the Australian.
“The freight will still have to leave for Melbourne pretty early,” added Webber. “I suppose you’ve got another 10 days’ headroom, but it is swings and roundabouts.”
His former Red Bull teammate David Coulthard has a similar opinion.
“This is one area where I don’t necessarily agree with Martin,” the Scot, who will share the BBC commentary box with Brundle in 2011, wrote in his latest Telegraph column.
“From the feedback I am getting, it seems Ferrari and Red Bull are currently at the head of the queue so, by implication, he is suggesting it could help Mercedes and McLaren.
“Yes, McLaren will have an extra two weeks of factory time but so will Ferrari. And with just one test to go they won’t have any more track time to test parts or work on reliability,” Coulthard insisted.
It is Barcelona instead of Bahrain for Final Pre Season Test
Click to follow
The Final test of the pre-season will take place at the Barcelona circuit following the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Bahrain was scheduled to host the test from the start of next week, but with the news that the Sakhir event has been withdrawn, teams have decided to do all their winter testing in Spain.
The Barcelona test will take place on March 8-11, some two weeks before the start of the season in Australia.
The decision means the teams are likely to be unable to test Pirelli's tyres in hot conditions before they travel to Melbourne.
"To be honest it's a big pity for us," said Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari. "I think it should be a big pity for everyone. It's a really good example to see how these tyres work in different temperatures, hotter, different humidity levels. It's really crucial for us if we don't do that test.
"I would rather prefer to do the test there after this test to keep our training period in Spain because at the end you always find the same kind of temperatures and humidity here. I wanted to see different situations and circumstances on the tyres."
Possibility of moving Final F1 Test Date
The final pre-season test at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya could be moved to a later date, according to a report.
With the start of the F1 season has moved to March 27 in Melbourne, teams will have a big gap between the final test and the Australian Grand Prix as things stand.
However, according to Adam Cooper's F1 Blog 'FOTA is considering a plan to move the extra Barcelona test from March 8-11 to March 10-13, and is canvassing the teams today.
'The original date emerged yesterday, after it became clear that Bahrain wasn't going ahead. The new date would exactly mirror that of the Bahrain GP weekend, and ending on a Saturday/Sunday, would guarantee the track a bumper crowd.
'Either way the teams will travel back to their home bases in order to prepare the cars for shipping to Melbourne. It seems that some teams would prefer to have two extra days of 'factory time' for R&D and production of new parts before the test, rather than after it.'
The Final test of the pre-season will take place at the Barcelona circuit following the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Bahrain was scheduled to host the test from the start of next week, but with the news that the Sakhir event has been withdrawn, teams have decided to do all their winter testing in Spain.
The Barcelona test will take place on March 8-11, some two weeks before the start of the season in Australia.
The decision means the teams are likely to be unable to test Pirelli's tyres in hot conditions before they travel to Melbourne.
"To be honest it's a big pity for us," said Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari. "I think it should be a big pity for everyone. It's a really good example to see how these tyres work in different temperatures, hotter, different humidity levels. It's really crucial for us if we don't do that test.
"I would rather prefer to do the test there after this test to keep our training period in Spain because at the end you always find the same kind of temperatures and humidity here. I wanted to see different situations and circumstances on the tyres."
Possibility of moving Final F1 Test Date
The final pre-season test at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya could be moved to a later date, according to a report.
With the start of the F1 season has moved to March 27 in Melbourne, teams will have a big gap between the final test and the Australian Grand Prix as things stand.
However, according to Adam Cooper's F1 Blog 'FOTA is considering a plan to move the extra Barcelona test from March 8-11 to March 10-13, and is canvassing the teams today.
'The original date emerged yesterday, after it became clear that Bahrain wasn't going ahead. The new date would exactly mirror that of the Bahrain GP weekend, and ending on a Saturday/Sunday, would guarantee the track a bumper crowd.
'Either way the teams will travel back to their home bases in order to prepare the cars for shipping to Melbourne. It seems that some teams would prefer to have two extra days of 'factory time' for R&D and production of new parts before the test, rather than after it.'
Bahrain GP cancelled
Click to follow
Bahrain GP organisers cancel F1 race
Bahrain Grand Prix organisers cancelled the March 13 opening race of the Formula One season on Monday due to unrest in the country.
The race could still be rescheduled but organisers said in a statement issued on their behalf that no decision had been taken yet.
"The Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) today announced that the Kingdom of Bahrain would withdraw from hosting this year's F1 Grand Prix race so that the country can focus on its process of national dialogue," they said.
King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa has asked his son, the crown prince, to conduct a dialogue with all parties. The Crown Prince informed Bernie Ecclestone of the decision by telephone.
"At the present time the country's entire attention is focused on building a new national dialogue for Bahrain," Prince Salman said.
"Although (F1 supremo) 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 One race to a later date," he added.
"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."
"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," he said.
The postponement of the race means the season will now start in Australia on 27 March, two weeks later than originally scheduled.
Bahrain hoping for swift F1 return
Bahrain is hoping to be able to return to the Formula 1 calendar "in the very near future".
The race was today withdrawn as the opening event of the 2011 championship, but no decision has yet been made on whether it will be rescheduled for later in the season or cancelled completely.
Bahrain International Circuit chairman Zayed Alzayani says only that he hopes F1 will be able to return to Bahrain soon.
"We look forward to welcoming the teams, drivers and everyone involved in Formula 1 back to Bahrain in the very near future," he said.
"Bahrain's grand prix is a time of celebration, and hosting the race is a source of great pride for Bahrain and Bahrainis. It is a showcase to the world. I hope that F1 and our friends around the world will understand our decision at this difficult time."
Sheikh Mohammed bin Isa Al-Khalifa indicated that discussions to reschedule the race are already under way, telling CNN: "We still hope to host an F1 grand prix in this calendar year - we are already in negotiations. We hope that we can reschedule the race later this year and be a valuable addition to the F1 calendar."
Drivers and Team commented for Bahrain GP
Felipe Massa hopes the Bahrain GP will be rescheduled for later this year, but agrees that the Gulf state has more important things to focus on at present. The Ferrari driver, who has won the Bahrain GP twice, said: "I like Bahrain, so if we go back there I will be happy.
"Bahrain is a track I like, so I would have liked to start the championship there. But maybe we will go back and race there again - I like the track and I like to be there. "But if we don't go, it's okay. It's for more important reasons. The human side is much stronger than the professional side, what is happening there is very serious and I hope everything will be normal. The safe side is much more important."
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner added: "It's a shame, but the country has got bigger issues than a Formula 1 race at the moment. It is important that they address those. "It's a great shame not to be going, it's always been an enjoyable place to visit, they've always made us feel very welcome, but understandably with the issues the country faces, the responsible decision has been made and the first race will be in Australia. "At the end of the day, we're a sport and we can always go back there, if not this year then in future years."
Renault boss Eric Boullier said his team fully supported the decision. "The recent situation in Bahrain has been very difficult for the country. We feel the decision taken by the Crown Prince is wise and we fully support it," he said. "The Bahrain Grand Prix has always been welcomed with enthusiasm from the Bahraini people, and we're looking forward to going back there when they have healed their country. We will now amend our logistics accordingly and will get ready for Australia."
FIA fully supports Bahrain decision
Formula 1's ruling body, the FIA, says it fully supports Bahrain's decision to withdraw the opening race of the 2011 season.
"The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile supports the decision of the Bahrain Motor Federation and the Bahrain International Circuit to postpone the scheduled first Grand Prix of the 2011 season due to be held in the Kingdom of Bahrain on March 11-13," said the FIA in a statement.
"This decision is the outcome of the close co-operation between the FIA, Formula One Management, the Bahrain Motor Federation and the Bahrain International Circuit.
Bahrain GP organisers cancel F1 race
Bahrain Grand Prix organisers cancelled the March 13 opening race of the Formula One season on Monday due to unrest in the country.
The race could still be rescheduled but organisers said in a statement issued on their behalf that no decision had been taken yet.
"The Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) today announced that the Kingdom of Bahrain would withdraw from hosting this year's F1 Grand Prix race so that the country can focus on its process of national dialogue," they said.
King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa has asked his son, the crown prince, to conduct a dialogue with all parties. The Crown Prince informed Bernie Ecclestone of the decision by telephone.
"At the present time the country's entire attention is focused on building a new national dialogue for Bahrain," Prince Salman said.
"Although (F1 supremo) 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 One race to a later date," he added.
"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."
"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," he said.
The postponement of the race means the season will now start in Australia on 27 March, two weeks later than originally scheduled.
Bahrain hoping for swift F1 return
Bahrain is hoping to be able to return to the Formula 1 calendar "in the very near future".
The race was today withdrawn as the opening event of the 2011 championship, but no decision has yet been made on whether it will be rescheduled for later in the season or cancelled completely.
Bahrain International Circuit chairman Zayed Alzayani says only that he hopes F1 will be able to return to Bahrain soon.
"We look forward to welcoming the teams, drivers and everyone involved in Formula 1 back to Bahrain in the very near future," he said.
"Bahrain's grand prix is a time of celebration, and hosting the race is a source of great pride for Bahrain and Bahrainis. It is a showcase to the world. I hope that F1 and our friends around the world will understand our decision at this difficult time."
Sheikh Mohammed bin Isa Al-Khalifa indicated that discussions to reschedule the race are already under way, telling CNN: "We still hope to host an F1 grand prix in this calendar year - we are already in negotiations. We hope that we can reschedule the race later this year and be a valuable addition to the F1 calendar."
Drivers and Team commented for Bahrain GP
Felipe Massa hopes the Bahrain GP will be rescheduled for later this year, but agrees that the Gulf state has more important things to focus on at present. The Ferrari driver, who has won the Bahrain GP twice, said: "I like Bahrain, so if we go back there I will be happy.
"Bahrain is a track I like, so I would have liked to start the championship there. But maybe we will go back and race there again - I like the track and I like to be there. "But if we don't go, it's okay. It's for more important reasons. The human side is much stronger than the professional side, what is happening there is very serious and I hope everything will be normal. The safe side is much more important."
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner added: "It's a shame, but the country has got bigger issues than a Formula 1 race at the moment. It is important that they address those. "It's a great shame not to be going, it's always been an enjoyable place to visit, they've always made us feel very welcome, but understandably with the issues the country faces, the responsible decision has been made and the first race will be in Australia. "At the end of the day, we're a sport and we can always go back there, if not this year then in future years."
Renault boss Eric Boullier said his team fully supported the decision. "The recent situation in Bahrain has been very difficult for the country. We feel the decision taken by the Crown Prince is wise and we fully support it," he said. "The Bahrain Grand Prix has always been welcomed with enthusiasm from the Bahraini people, and we're looking forward to going back there when they have healed their country. We will now amend our logistics accordingly and will get ready for Australia."
FIA fully supports Bahrain decision
Formula 1's ruling body, the FIA, says it fully supports Bahrain's decision to withdraw the opening race of the 2011 season.
"The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile supports the decision of the Bahrain Motor Federation and the Bahrain International Circuit to postpone the scheduled first Grand Prix of the 2011 season due to be held in the Kingdom of Bahrain on March 11-13," said the FIA in a statement.
"This decision is the outcome of the close co-operation between the FIA, Formula One Management, the Bahrain Motor Federation and the Bahrain International Circuit.
Massa set the fastest time on Final Day at Barcelona Test
Click to follow
Third of the Four Official Formula One Pre - Season Testing - Circuit De Catalunya, Barcelona Test
Day Four
Felipe Massa rules the final day at Barcelona, Circuit De Catalunya with lapping in 1min 22sec. The only driver to achieve the mark in four day testing.
Position
Name
Team
Car
Lap Time
Laps Covered
1
Felipe Massa
Ferrari
F150th Italia
1min 22.625sec
121
2 Mark Webber
Red Bull RB7
1min 23.442sec
69
3
Sebastian Buemi
Toro Rosso
STR6
1min 23.550sec 90
4
Nick Heidfeld
Renault
R31
1min 23.657sec 95
5
Lewis Hamilton
Mclaren
MP4-26
1min 24.003sec
107
6
Pastor Maldonado
Williams
FW33
1min 24.057sec 121
7
Adrian Sutil
Force India
VJM04 1min 24.177sec 64
8
Sergio Perez
Sauber
C30
1min 24.515sec 74
9
D Ambrosio
Virgin
VR-02
1min 26.501sec
50
10 Michael Schumacher
Mercedes
MGP W02
1min 27.079sec 114
11
Jarno Trulli
Lotus
T128
1min 29.992sec
18
Sebastien Buemi continued with Toro Rosso's impressive pre-season by posting the third quickest time of the day, set over a three-lap run.
Despite having a KERS problem that cut his running short in the morning, Nick Heidfeld ended as fourth fastest in the Renault, the German managing 95 laps in the end.
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton took up the fifth slot on the timesheets in the MP4-26. Pastor Maldonado finished in sixth for Williams. Maldonado managed to complete 121 laps despite an early issue with the FW33’s KERS system, which forced the team to disable it for the entirety of the day.
Michael Schumacher caused the final red flag of the day with some 20 minutes of the session left when his Mercedes stopped at Turn 10. The German still enjoyed a productive session, covering over 100 laps, but he finish over four seconds off the pace.
It was a very short day for the Lotus team, which was forced to end the test early after Jarno Trulli crashed his car in the morning. The team said the accident had been caused by an unspecified car problem and, not having enough parts to rebuild it, has to pack up early.
Third of the Four Official Formula One Pre - Season Testing - Circuit De Catalunya, Barcelona Test
Day Four
Felipe Massa rules the final day at Barcelona, Circuit De Catalunya with lapping in 1min 22sec. The only driver to achieve the mark in four day testing.
Position
Name
Team
Car
Lap Time
Laps Covered
1
Felipe Massa
Ferrari
F150th Italia
1min 22.625sec
121
2 Mark Webber
Red Bull RB7
1min 23.442sec
69
3
Sebastian Buemi
Toro Rosso
STR6
1min 23.550sec 90
4
Nick Heidfeld
Renault
R31
1min 23.657sec 95
5
Lewis Hamilton
Mclaren
MP4-26
1min 24.003sec
107
6
Pastor Maldonado
Williams
FW33
1min 24.057sec 121
7
Adrian Sutil
Force India
VJM04 1min 24.177sec 64
8
Sergio Perez
Sauber
C30
1min 24.515sec 74
9
D Ambrosio
Virgin
VR-02
1min 26.501sec
50
10 Michael Schumacher
Mercedes
MGP W02
1min 27.079sec 114
11
Jarno Trulli
Lotus
T128
1min 29.992sec
18
Sebastien Buemi continued with Toro Rosso's impressive pre-season by posting the third quickest time of the day, set over a three-lap run.
Despite having a KERS problem that cut his running short in the morning, Nick Heidfeld ended as fourth fastest in the Renault, the German managing 95 laps in the end.
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton took up the fifth slot on the timesheets in the MP4-26. Pastor Maldonado finished in sixth for Williams. Maldonado managed to complete 121 laps despite an early issue with the FW33’s KERS system, which forced the team to disable it for the entirety of the day.
Michael Schumacher caused the final red flag of the day with some 20 minutes of the session left when his Mercedes stopped at Turn 10. The German still enjoyed a productive session, covering over 100 laps, but he finish over four seconds off the pace.
It was a very short day for the Lotus team, which was forced to end the test early after Jarno Trulli crashed his car in the morning. The team said the accident had been caused by an unspecified car problem and, not having enough parts to rebuild it, has to pack up early.
Creative partner of India GP - Mudra India
Click to follow
Formula One Portfolio of India GP, Jaypee Group will be handled by Mudra India
Infrastructure conglomerate Jaypee Group has roped in Mudra India as its creative agency on board. The agency will now handle the creative duties of the real estate group’s cement business for South India, edible oil, power and Formula One portfolio. The consolidated account size is said to be in the region of Rs 40-50 crore.
Mudra won the account on the back of its strong portfolio in the advertising and creative segment. No formal pitch preceded the win, Shiva Dixit, executive vice president, Jaypee Group.
Speaking on the account win, Shiva Dixit said, “Since we were entering into South India with our cement business, we were looking to engage a new agency. There was no pitch called for these businesses. Mudra is a great agency and they have a lot of good advertising and creative contribution to their credit. So, we just thought of going along with them.”
Ajay Naqvi, executive vice president and head, Mudra North and East, said, “We have kept it simple at Mudra Delhi. In the last eight months, we got the best people, got battle ready and the results are just about starting to show. We are extremely excited with this mandate. We were persistent and I think our passion, thinking and work all got acknowledged and appreciated. We hope to do justice to this responsibility. I must specifically mention Vandana Katoch, creative director, and Gopal Krishnan, vice president, who have ably led this business and I am confident will continue to do so.”
Mudra India
Starting with just one client and a single room office, Mudra India is one of the leading agency networks in the country today offering Branding & Communication Solutions. Mudra India has 4 strategic business units - Mudra West, Mudra South, Mudra North & East who are specialists in Advertising and Brand Management, Water - a Strategy & Design Consulting and Maatra - a Localization & Pre-media Specialist.
Mudra India has been responsible for several iconic campaigns over its 30 year history, including Only Vimal, I Love You Rasna, My Daddy Strongest, The Mint with the Hole, McDonalds Mein Hai Kuch Baat and Kar Lo Duniya Mutthi Mein, amongst others.
Mudra India also boasts some of the most stable client relationships in the industry with names such as Godrej Group, Future Group, LIC, United Spirits, Emirates, Dabur, Aditya Birla Nuvo, Cavin Kare, Union Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Amrutanjan, HCC, Bennett Coleman & Co, amongst others.
Formula One Portfolio of India GP, Jaypee Group will be handled by Mudra India
Infrastructure conglomerate Jaypee Group has roped in Mudra India as its creative agency on board. The agency will now handle the creative duties of the real estate group’s cement business for South India, edible oil, power and Formula One portfolio. The consolidated account size is said to be in the region of Rs 40-50 crore.
Mudra won the account on the back of its strong portfolio in the advertising and creative segment. No formal pitch preceded the win, Shiva Dixit, executive vice president, Jaypee Group.
Speaking on the account win, Shiva Dixit said, “Since we were entering into South India with our cement business, we were looking to engage a new agency. There was no pitch called for these businesses. Mudra is a great agency and they have a lot of good advertising and creative contribution to their credit. So, we just thought of going along with them.”
Ajay Naqvi, executive vice president and head, Mudra North and East, said, “We have kept it simple at Mudra Delhi. In the last eight months, we got the best people, got battle ready and the results are just about starting to show. We are extremely excited with this mandate. We were persistent and I think our passion, thinking and work all got acknowledged and appreciated. We hope to do justice to this responsibility. I must specifically mention Vandana Katoch, creative director, and Gopal Krishnan, vice president, who have ably led this business and I am confident will continue to do so.”
Mudra India
Starting with just one client and a single room office, Mudra India is one of the leading agency networks in the country today offering Branding & Communication Solutions. Mudra India has 4 strategic business units - Mudra West, Mudra South, Mudra North & East who are specialists in Advertising and Brand Management, Water - a Strategy & Design Consulting and Maatra - a Localization & Pre-media Specialist.
Mudra India has been responsible for several iconic campaigns over its 30 year history, including Only Vimal, I Love You Rasna, My Daddy Strongest, The Mint with the Hole, McDonalds Mein Hai Kuch Baat and Kar Lo Duniya Mutthi Mein, amongst others.
Mudra India also boasts some of the most stable client relationships in the industry with names such as Godrej Group, Future Group, LIC, United Spirits, Emirates, Dabur, Aditya Birla Nuvo, Cavin Kare, Union Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Amrutanjan, HCC, Bennett Coleman & Co, amongst others.
Burgopak designed & produced packaging holders for F1 2010 season
Click to follow
The Formula One 2010 Global Broadcast Report has been packaged by Burgopak in a sleek slider pack. Published digitally on CD, the report is distributed annually to Formula One teams, global partners and broadcasters. Burgopak designed and produced Formula On Management’s official pit pass holders for the 2010 F1 Grand Prix season
Formula One Management, who control the media distribution and promotion of Formula One content, needed a slick presentation solution that would align with and communicate the power and integrity of the Formula One brand. Showcasing premium print and production quality, Burgopak's packaging design presents the Formula One 2010 Global Broadcast Report in a unique format that highlights the dedication of Formula One Management to providing the highest quality of report to their global associates.
Emphasis was placed on material efficiency, incorporating a reinforced and removable fitment to facilitate ease of fulfillment. Features a matte black finish and metallic foiling in red and silver for a sleek and stylish look, retaining the overall design quality and integrity of the F1 brand.
In a simple and elegant manner, the Formula One branded CD slides out from the left of the pack as the opening tab is pulled from the right. Utilising Burgopak's patented sliding mechanism, the design features silver hot press foil detail on the front cover.
"A smart and considered design, the graphics further work well to enhance Burgopak's slider format by using the extending motion to reveal a cropped to full image of Formula One racing cars," said Sarah O'Dwyer, senior account manager at Burgopak.
This is the fourth consecutive year that Formula One Management has worked with Burgopak, collaborating on a range of structural design projects that since 2007. From initial design concept through production, Burgopak designed the official Formula One pit pass holders for the 2010 F1 Grand Prix season, as well as the Formula One Global Broadcast Reports in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
“It was a pleasure to work with Burgopak once again on our [2010] Global Broadcast Report. Having worked with them for a number of years we appreciate that their attention to detail and quality of product match our aims of providing a top class report suitable for distribution to our global partners and broadcasters.” - Formula One Management spokesman.
The Formula One 2010 Global Broadcast Report has been packaged by Burgopak in a sleek slider pack. Published digitally on CD, the report is distributed annually to Formula One teams, global partners and broadcasters. Burgopak designed and produced Formula On Management’s official pit pass holders for the 2010 F1 Grand Prix season
Formula One Management, who control the media distribution and promotion of Formula One content, needed a slick presentation solution that would align with and communicate the power and integrity of the Formula One brand. Showcasing premium print and production quality, Burgopak's packaging design presents the Formula One 2010 Global Broadcast Report in a unique format that highlights the dedication of Formula One Management to providing the highest quality of report to their global associates.
Emphasis was placed on material efficiency, incorporating a reinforced and removable fitment to facilitate ease of fulfillment. Features a matte black finish and metallic foiling in red and silver for a sleek and stylish look, retaining the overall design quality and integrity of the F1 brand.
In a simple and elegant manner, the Formula One branded CD slides out from the left of the pack as the opening tab is pulled from the right. Utilising Burgopak's patented sliding mechanism, the design features silver hot press foil detail on the front cover.
"A smart and considered design, the graphics further work well to enhance Burgopak's slider format by using the extending motion to reveal a cropped to full image of Formula One racing cars," said Sarah O'Dwyer, senior account manager at Burgopak.
This is the fourth consecutive year that Formula One Management has worked with Burgopak, collaborating on a range of structural design projects that since 2007. From initial design concept through production, Burgopak designed the official Formula One pit pass holders for the 2010 F1 Grand Prix season, as well as the Formula One Global Broadcast Reports in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
“It was a pleasure to work with Burgopak once again on our [2010] Global Broadcast Report. Having worked with them for a number of years we appreciate that their attention to detail and quality of product match our aims of providing a top class report suitable for distribution to our global partners and broadcasters.” - Formula One Management spokesman.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Growing unrest in Bahrain concerns Formula 1
Click to follow
Mark Webber voices Bahrain Grand Prix doubts
Red Bull's Mark Webber has expressed doubts about whether the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix should go ahead as unrest in the country continues.
Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone told that the decision whether to hold the race on 13 March would be down to the Gulf state's crown prince. "He will decide whether it's safe for us to be there," Ecclestone said. "I've no idea. I'm not there, so I don't know. "We won't advise people to go unless it's safe."
Webber said: "When you hear of people losing their lives, this is a tragedy. It's probably not the best time to go there for a sporting event. They have bigger things, bigger priorities." The Australian, 35, added: "In the end the right decisions will be made. Maybe it is still the first race, maybe Melbourne is the first race, we don't know.
The final pre-season test is scheduled to be held at Bahrain's Sakhir track a week before the first race, from 3-6 March. Teams have already discussed contingency plans amid widespread expectation that the Bahrain test will be cancelled and moved to either Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya, Jerez in south-west Spain or the Portimao track on the Portuguese Algarve.
Holding the grand prix would bolster a regime intent on showing the world that everything is returning rapidly to normal, but Ecclestone will not blink first because a no-show would mean forgoing $US60 million in rights fees; he needs the Crown Prince to call off the race.
F1 figures push for Abu Dhabi test
Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya has vowed to step in should Formula One teams need to replace the Bahrain test next month.
"Formula one is our biggest customer, so when they decide what dates they want to have we will adjust the calendar," track director Salvador Servia. "We are open to their needs. If something happens, we will find a solution," he added, referring to the fact that the political situation in Bahrain makes it appear likely the final pre-season test will be called off.
But some F1 figures are convinced that a non-European test venue should be arranged as an alternative to Bahrain.
"We need a test in hot weather," Red Bull's Adrian Newey is quoted by O Estado de S.Paulo.
Renault's Steve Nielsen agrees: "I don't know any of the details, but if we can't test in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi would be a great option."
The report said that, in the likely event that the Bahrain Grand Prix is also called off, the teams could then stay in Abu Dhabi for yet another test.
"That's the most logical," commented Toro Rosso's Giorgio Ascanelli. "It meets our technical needs and operationally it's not too different from our original schedule due to the proximity of Bahrain and Abu Dhabi."
Formula One CEO Bernie Ecclestone preparing to hold talks with Bahrain prince over season-opening Grand Prix
Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone is due to hold talks with the crown prince of Bahrain later today over whether next month's grand prix will go ahead.
Speculation has been rife over the last 24 hours that the season-opening event on March 13 has been cancelled or postponed in light of the pro-democracy protests across the Gulf kingdom.
Given the money at stake, the suggestion is if the race is called off it may slot into the calendar at a later date, potentially in between the races in Abu Dhabi and Brazil, with the latter pushed into December from its current November 27 slot. It is believed Bahrain pay £25 million to host the grand prix, plus an additional £12 million to guarantee it is the first of the new season.
F1 Teams and Drivers want Bahrain GP to be cancelled
Following threats of boycotts from teams – Mercedes are understood to have stated categorically that they would not attend the final test in Bahrain from March 3-6 if it went ahead as planned – Mark Webber became the first big-name driver to articulate the prevailing view within the paddock.
Mercedes president Norbert Haug added: "The safety of our employees is more important than anything else."
Ferrari legend Niki Lauda has argued for common sense to prevail regarding the Grand Prix, scheduled for March 13. "The race should be cancelled," he said.
Bahrain Grand Prix to be rescheduled for end of season
The Bahrain Grand Prix, which was going to be held from March 11-13, is likely to be rescheduled to the end of the season, It will likely to push the Brazil race in December if Bahrain is adjusted between Abu Dhabi and Brazil.
Mark Webber voices Bahrain Grand Prix doubts
Red Bull's Mark Webber has expressed doubts about whether the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix should go ahead as unrest in the country continues.
Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone told that the decision whether to hold the race on 13 March would be down to the Gulf state's crown prince. "He will decide whether it's safe for us to be there," Ecclestone said. "I've no idea. I'm not there, so I don't know. "We won't advise people to go unless it's safe."
Webber said: "When you hear of people losing their lives, this is a tragedy. It's probably not the best time to go there for a sporting event. They have bigger things, bigger priorities." The Australian, 35, added: "In the end the right decisions will be made. Maybe it is still the first race, maybe Melbourne is the first race, we don't know.
The final pre-season test is scheduled to be held at Bahrain's Sakhir track a week before the first race, from 3-6 March. Teams have already discussed contingency plans amid widespread expectation that the Bahrain test will be cancelled and moved to either Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya, Jerez in south-west Spain or the Portimao track on the Portuguese Algarve.
Holding the grand prix would bolster a regime intent on showing the world that everything is returning rapidly to normal, but Ecclestone will not blink first because a no-show would mean forgoing $US60 million in rights fees; he needs the Crown Prince to call off the race.
F1 figures push for Abu Dhabi test
Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya has vowed to step in should Formula One teams need to replace the Bahrain test next month.
"Formula one is our biggest customer, so when they decide what dates they want to have we will adjust the calendar," track director Salvador Servia. "We are open to their needs. If something happens, we will find a solution," he added, referring to the fact that the political situation in Bahrain makes it appear likely the final pre-season test will be called off.
But some F1 figures are convinced that a non-European test venue should be arranged as an alternative to Bahrain.
"We need a test in hot weather," Red Bull's Adrian Newey is quoted by O Estado de S.Paulo.
Renault's Steve Nielsen agrees: "I don't know any of the details, but if we can't test in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi would be a great option."
The report said that, in the likely event that the Bahrain Grand Prix is also called off, the teams could then stay in Abu Dhabi for yet another test.
"That's the most logical," commented Toro Rosso's Giorgio Ascanelli. "It meets our technical needs and operationally it's not too different from our original schedule due to the proximity of Bahrain and Abu Dhabi."
Formula One CEO Bernie Ecclestone preparing to hold talks with Bahrain prince over season-opening Grand Prix
Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone is due to hold talks with the crown prince of Bahrain later today over whether next month's grand prix will go ahead.
Speculation has been rife over the last 24 hours that the season-opening event on March 13 has been cancelled or postponed in light of the pro-democracy protests across the Gulf kingdom.
Given the money at stake, the suggestion is if the race is called off it may slot into the calendar at a later date, potentially in between the races in Abu Dhabi and Brazil, with the latter pushed into December from its current November 27 slot. It is believed Bahrain pay £25 million to host the grand prix, plus an additional £12 million to guarantee it is the first of the new season.
F1 Teams and Drivers want Bahrain GP to be cancelled
Following threats of boycotts from teams – Mercedes are understood to have stated categorically that they would not attend the final test in Bahrain from March 3-6 if it went ahead as planned – Mark Webber became the first big-name driver to articulate the prevailing view within the paddock.
Mercedes president Norbert Haug added: "The safety of our employees is more important than anything else."
Ferrari legend Niki Lauda has argued for common sense to prevail regarding the Grand Prix, scheduled for March 13. "The race should be cancelled," he said.
Bahrain Grand Prix to be rescheduled for end of season
The Bahrain Grand Prix, which was going to be held from March 11-13, is likely to be rescheduled to the end of the season, It will likely to push the Brazil race in December if Bahrain is adjusted between Abu Dhabi and Brazil.
Nico tops Day 3 at Circuit De Catalunya, Barcelona
Click to follow
Third of the Four Official Formula One Pre - Season Testing - Circuit De Catalunya, Barcelona Test
Day Three
Nico Rosberg sets the fastest time on Day 3 for Mercedes GP. There are very high expectations from Petronas Mercedes GP.
Position
Name
Team
Car
Lap Time
Laps Covered
1 Nico Rosberg
Mercedes
MGP W02
1min 23.168sec 92
2
Vitaly Petrov
Renault
R31
1min 23.463sec 93
3
Lewis Hamilton
Mclaren
MP4-26
1min 23.858sec
93
4
Pastor Maldonado
Williams
FW33
1min 24.815sec 60
5 Mark Webber
Red Bull RB7
1min 24.995sec
139
6
Jarno Trulli
Lotus
T128
1min 25.454sec
48
7
Sergio Perez
Sauber
C30
1min 25.557sec 115
8
Adrian Sutil
Force India
VJM04 1min 25.720sec 102
9
Sebastian Buemi
Toro Rosso
STR6
1min 26.155sec 31
10
Felipe Massa
Ferrari
F150th Italia
1min 26.508sec
123
11
Timo Glock
Virgin
VR-02
1min 26.598sec
97
12 Giorgio Mondini
HRT
F111(2010)
1min 28.178sec 39
13
Daniel Ricciardo
Toro Rosso
STR6
1min 28.329sec 42
14 Narain Karthikeyan
HRT
F111(2010)
1min 30.722sec 32
The German driver Nico Rosberg set himself apart with a late run of 1 minute, 23.168 seconds on Sunday at the Circuit De Catalunya in northeastern Spain.
"We made good progress in understanding the car and the tires, and the reliability was solid once again," Rosberg said.
Renault's Vitaly Petrov was 0.295 seconds behind, and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton had the third fastest lap of 1:23.858.
Pastor Maldonado was encouraging fourth in the times for Williams on his first day in Barcelona, despite a spin in the damp conditions and some technical issues with the FW33.
Mark Webber, fifth in the times, was satisfied with massive 139 laps completed on track “Today went well, with nearly 140 laps completed, and you can’t complain about that. Obviously, we now have a lot of data to digest and we’re learning a huge amount about this car and how to get the best from it. It was damp all morning and that meant we had a pretty condensed program this afternoon but we got through it well and, I have to say, the car ran really, really well.”
Water leaks again hampered Lotus, but the car showed good pace as Jarno Trulli took sixth ahead of Perez and Force India's Adrian Sutil.
Toro Rosso running was shared between test driver Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastien Buemi. Ricciardo was a star of the morning, setting a very impressive pace on slicks during the changeover in conditions. He was only narrowly beaten by Hamilton as the lunchbreak began, leaving him 13th in the end-of-day times having not run in fully dry conditions. Buemi was ninth after his 31 laps.
Hispania also split its running between two drivers. Narain Karthikeyan, Indian Driver, was well up among the established teams in the mixed wet/drying conditions of late morning, though he was last in the order in the end having sat out the afternoon so that Giorgio Mondini - a former Midland test driver - could make a Formula 1 return.
Third of the Four Official Formula One Pre - Season Testing - Circuit De Catalunya, Barcelona Test
Day Three
Nico Rosberg sets the fastest time on Day 3 for Mercedes GP. There are very high expectations from Petronas Mercedes GP.
Position
Name
Team
Car
Lap Time
Laps Covered
1 Nico Rosberg
Mercedes
MGP W02
1min 23.168sec 92
2
Vitaly Petrov
Renault
R31
1min 23.463sec 93
3
Lewis Hamilton
Mclaren
MP4-26
1min 23.858sec
93
4
Pastor Maldonado
Williams
FW33
1min 24.815sec 60
5 Mark Webber
Red Bull RB7
1min 24.995sec
139
6
Jarno Trulli
Lotus
T128
1min 25.454sec
48
7
Sergio Perez
Sauber
C30
1min 25.557sec 115
8
Adrian Sutil
Force India
VJM04 1min 25.720sec 102
9
Sebastian Buemi
Toro Rosso
STR6
1min 26.155sec 31
10
Felipe Massa
Ferrari
F150th Italia
1min 26.508sec
123
11
Timo Glock
Virgin
VR-02
1min 26.598sec
97
12 Giorgio Mondini
HRT
F111(2010)
1min 28.178sec 39
13
Daniel Ricciardo
Toro Rosso
STR6
1min 28.329sec 42
14 Narain Karthikeyan
HRT
F111(2010)
1min 30.722sec 32
The German driver Nico Rosberg set himself apart with a late run of 1 minute, 23.168 seconds on Sunday at the Circuit De Catalunya in northeastern Spain.
"We made good progress in understanding the car and the tires, and the reliability was solid once again," Rosberg said.
Renault's Vitaly Petrov was 0.295 seconds behind, and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton had the third fastest lap of 1:23.858.
Pastor Maldonado was encouraging fourth in the times for Williams on his first day in Barcelona, despite a spin in the damp conditions and some technical issues with the FW33.
Mark Webber, fifth in the times, was satisfied with massive 139 laps completed on track “Today went well, with nearly 140 laps completed, and you can’t complain about that. Obviously, we now have a lot of data to digest and we’re learning a huge amount about this car and how to get the best from it. It was damp all morning and that meant we had a pretty condensed program this afternoon but we got through it well and, I have to say, the car ran really, really well.”
Water leaks again hampered Lotus, but the car showed good pace as Jarno Trulli took sixth ahead of Perez and Force India's Adrian Sutil.
Toro Rosso running was shared between test driver Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastien Buemi. Ricciardo was a star of the morning, setting a very impressive pace on slicks during the changeover in conditions. He was only narrowly beaten by Hamilton as the lunchbreak began, leaving him 13th in the end-of-day times having not run in fully dry conditions. Buemi was ninth after his 31 laps.
Hispania also split its running between two drivers. Narain Karthikeyan, Indian Driver, was well up among the established teams in the mixed wet/drying conditions of late morning, though he was last in the order in the end having sat out the afternoon so that Giorgio Mondini - a former Midland test driver - could make a Formula 1 return.
Robert Kubica begins physiotherapy
Click to follow
Formula One ace Robert Kubica has begun physiotherapy after undergoing a successful third operation on injuries sustained during a horrifying crash over a week ago, the Santa Corona Hospital where he is being treated said on Friday.
The Pole spent eight hours in surgery at the Santa Corona hospital in Pietra Ligure, Italy on Wednesday to repair damage to the outer part of his elbow.
The hospital in Pietra Ligure near Genoa said in a medical bulletin on Friday states that Kubica's condition was "satisfactory." It said he has been "transferred as scheduled from an intensive care unit to a rehabilitation department."
Kubica had earlier in the week undergone surgery on his foot, shoulder and inner elbow while last week he was operated on for seven hours to repair his hand.
"It probably won't be necessary to undergo more surgery," the statement added.
Formula 1 world’s stager journalist, Pino Allievi was the first media person allowed by the driver’s manager Daniele Morelli to have talk with Polish driver. While talking to the reporter, the 26-year-old vowed to "come back stronger than before".
"I'll be stronger as a driver, in the head. I have to return this year. My right arm feels better now than when I was hit by a drunk seven years ago,"
The Lotus Renault GP driver crashed while competing at the Ronde di Andora Rally in Liguria on February 12. He lost control on a bend at high speed and crashed into a guard rail, which buckled the driver's door, before ending up in a church wall.
Formula One ace Robert Kubica has begun physiotherapy after undergoing a successful third operation on injuries sustained during a horrifying crash over a week ago, the Santa Corona Hospital where he is being treated said on Friday.
The Pole spent eight hours in surgery at the Santa Corona hospital in Pietra Ligure, Italy on Wednesday to repair damage to the outer part of his elbow.
The hospital in Pietra Ligure near Genoa said in a medical bulletin on Friday states that Kubica's condition was "satisfactory." It said he has been "transferred as scheduled from an intensive care unit to a rehabilitation department."
Kubica had earlier in the week undergone surgery on his foot, shoulder and inner elbow while last week he was operated on for seven hours to repair his hand.
"It probably won't be necessary to undergo more surgery," the statement added.
Formula 1 world’s stager journalist, Pino Allievi was the first media person allowed by the driver’s manager Daniele Morelli to have talk with Polish driver. While talking to the reporter, the 26-year-old vowed to "come back stronger than before".
"I'll be stronger as a driver, in the head. I have to return this year. My right arm feels better now than when I was hit by a drunk seven years ago,"
The Lotus Renault GP driver crashed while competing at the Ronde di Andora Rally in Liguria on February 12. He lost control on a bend at high speed and crashed into a guard rail, which buckled the driver's door, before ending up in a church wall.
Vitaly Petrov is happy to be the No 1 driver at Renault
Click to follow
Vitaly Petrov has been catapulted to number one driver's spot at Lotus Renault GP in the absence of Robert Kubica.
Russian Petrov was set to continue his low-key introduction to Formula One as the experienced Kubica spearheaded Renault's challenge in 2011.
But with extensive injuries from a rally crash likely to rule his Polish team-mate out of action for the entire season, the 26-year-old Petrov - together with emergency replacement Nick Heidfeld - is now set to come under the spotlight far more than previously anticipated.
"I think the team should move forward because we cannot get frozen at one point," Petrov told formula1.com. "With Nick (Heidfeld), an experienced driver has joined us so that gives hope. Let's put it this way: life is like that - sometimes very unpredictable and cruel."
"This year we have lost Robert but we did find Nick, who comes with a lot of experience. But I also have much more experience than last season, with one year of Formula One under my belt and knowing much more, so the team can also work and rely on me."
Renault has struggled in the latest official testing sessions in Barcelona, with Petrov coming 11th fastest out of 14 participants on day two. But he cautioned against reading too much into the pre-season performance of the new R31 vehicle. "We had some KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems) problems and it was quite tricky to find exactly where the glitch was," Petrov said. "But we've found it and eliminated it, so we are sure that this problem will not haunt us during the season."
"You could say that the bad made the good and I prefer to have problems during testing - that is why we are testing - to have a more carefree season."
"Forget about the lap times. Don't even look at them. Last season we didn't see that Red Bull would be so fast in the tests."
"Everything will be clear at the first race - until then everything is guessing, as everybody can be at the top of the time sheet at the tests if he so wishes - that's no miracle."
Vitaly Petrov has been catapulted to number one driver's spot at Lotus Renault GP in the absence of Robert Kubica.
Russian Petrov was set to continue his low-key introduction to Formula One as the experienced Kubica spearheaded Renault's challenge in 2011.
But with extensive injuries from a rally crash likely to rule his Polish team-mate out of action for the entire season, the 26-year-old Petrov - together with emergency replacement Nick Heidfeld - is now set to come under the spotlight far more than previously anticipated.
"I think the team should move forward because we cannot get frozen at one point," Petrov told formula1.com. "With Nick (Heidfeld), an experienced driver has joined us so that gives hope. Let's put it this way: life is like that - sometimes very unpredictable and cruel."
"This year we have lost Robert but we did find Nick, who comes with a lot of experience. But I also have much more experience than last season, with one year of Formula One under my belt and knowing much more, so the team can also work and rely on me."
Renault has struggled in the latest official testing sessions in Barcelona, with Petrov coming 11th fastest out of 14 participants on day two. But he cautioned against reading too much into the pre-season performance of the new R31 vehicle. "We had some KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems) problems and it was quite tricky to find exactly where the glitch was," Petrov said. "But we've found it and eliminated it, so we are sure that this problem will not haunt us during the season."
"You could say that the bad made the good and I prefer to have problems during testing - that is why we are testing - to have a more carefree season."
"Forget about the lap times. Don't even look at them. Last season we didn't see that Red Bull would be so fast in the tests."
"Everything will be clear at the first race - until then everything is guessing, as everybody can be at the top of the time sheet at the tests if he so wishes - that's no miracle."
Barcelona Day 2 - Vettel Goes quickest again
Click to follow
Third of the Four Official Formula One Pre - Season Testing - Circuit De Catalunya, Barcelona Test
Day Two
Sebastian Vettel does it again. Sebastian Vettel topped the time sheets on Day 2 also. Earlier on Day 1, Sebastian had stolen a quickthunder from Alonso just 10min before the chequered flag.
Position
Name
Team
Car
Lap Time
Laps Covered
1 Sebastian Vettel
Red Bull RB7
1min 23.315sec
104
2
Jaime Alguersuari
Toro Rosso
STR6
1min 23.519sec 97
3
Fernando Alonso
Ferrari
F150th Italia
1min 24.978sec
90
4
Rubens Barrichello
Williams
FW33
1min 24.008sec 118
5
Nick Heidfeld
Renault
R31
1min 24.242sec 41
6
Kamui Kobayashi
Sauber
C30
1min 24.243sec 125
7 Nico Rosberg
Mercedes
MGP W02
1min 24.730sec 131
8
Jenson Button
Mclaren
MP4-26
1min 24.923sec
54
9
Paul Di Resta
Force India
VJM04 1min 25.194sec 80
10
Heiki Kovalainen
Lotus
T128
1min 26.421sec
58
11
Vitaly Petrov
Renault
R31
1min 26.884sec 61
12 Vitantonio Liuzzi
HRT
F111(2010)
1min 27.044sec 70
13
Timo Glock
Virgin
VR-02
1min 27.242sec
66
14
Ricardo Teixeira
Lotus
T128
1min 31.584sec
26
Vitantonio Liuzzi made his test debut for HRT as the Spanish team seek a 2011 team mate for Narain Karthikeyan. And Lotus tried out Portuguese-Angolan driver Ricardo Teixeira.
The world champion went for a string of qualifying-style one and two-lap runs late in the morning, during which he quickly went to the top of the times, and then repeatedly improved his pace until he reached the 1m23.315s that stood as the day's best.
Toro Rosso's good form continued as Jaime Alguersuari took second place. After some short runs in the 1m24s/1m25s region in the morning and then a longer stint through the middle of the day.
Alonso completed fewer laps than the average achieved by Ferrari so far. It is all because there were some problems with the Ferrari like one electrical, the other mechanical, which meant the team did not get through all of their planned program. Alonso still managed to get through 90 laps gathering useful data for the team.
On the issues, Fernando Alonso commented, "Better to have problems here than in a race".
The Renault R31 was fitted with some new parts to the water system, which successfully resolved the problems that the team experienced in Jerez. Renault also logged some useful data from their suspension set-up program in the afternoon, evaluating changes to the front and rear systems.
Nico Rosberg put a massive 131 laps for the team to gather a lot of valuable information.
Former Force India Driver Vitantonio Liuzzi commented: “Today was a positive day. We made a lot of changes on the car, focusing particularly on the set-up and the tyres."
"It was a chance for me to get to know the new tyres and the team as it was my first day with Hispania Racing. We couldn’t do a lot of laps since we had a problem with the gearbox in the afternoon, but we were able to clock a good time given the circumstances. We did long runs and short runs to test the performance of the car. Overall, I believe we’ve taken a step forwards with the balance of the car.”
Third of the Four Official Formula One Pre - Season Testing - Circuit De Catalunya, Barcelona Test
Day Two
Sebastian Vettel does it again. Sebastian Vettel topped the time sheets on Day 2 also. Earlier on Day 1, Sebastian had stolen a quickthunder from Alonso just 10min before the chequered flag.
Position
Name
Team
Car
Lap Time
Laps Covered
1 Sebastian Vettel
Red Bull RB7
1min 23.315sec
104
2
Jaime Alguersuari
Toro Rosso
STR6
1min 23.519sec 97
3
Fernando Alonso
Ferrari
F150th Italia
1min 24.978sec
90
4
Rubens Barrichello
Williams
FW33
1min 24.008sec 118
5
Nick Heidfeld
Renault
R31
1min 24.242sec 41
6
Kamui Kobayashi
Sauber
C30
1min 24.243sec 125
7 Nico Rosberg
Mercedes
MGP W02
1min 24.730sec 131
8
Jenson Button
Mclaren
MP4-26
1min 24.923sec
54
9
Paul Di Resta
Force India
VJM04 1min 25.194sec 80
10
Heiki Kovalainen
Lotus
T128
1min 26.421sec
58
11
Vitaly Petrov
Renault
R31
1min 26.884sec 61
12 Vitantonio Liuzzi
HRT
F111(2010)
1min 27.044sec 70
13
Timo Glock
Virgin
VR-02
1min 27.242sec
66
14
Ricardo Teixeira
Lotus
T128
1min 31.584sec
26
Vitantonio Liuzzi made his test debut for HRT as the Spanish team seek a 2011 team mate for Narain Karthikeyan. And Lotus tried out Portuguese-Angolan driver Ricardo Teixeira.
The world champion went for a string of qualifying-style one and two-lap runs late in the morning, during which he quickly went to the top of the times, and then repeatedly improved his pace until he reached the 1m23.315s that stood as the day's best.
Toro Rosso's good form continued as Jaime Alguersuari took second place. After some short runs in the 1m24s/1m25s region in the morning and then a longer stint through the middle of the day.
Alonso completed fewer laps than the average achieved by Ferrari so far. It is all because there were some problems with the Ferrari like one electrical, the other mechanical, which meant the team did not get through all of their planned program. Alonso still managed to get through 90 laps gathering useful data for the team.
On the issues, Fernando Alonso commented, "Better to have problems here than in a race".
The Renault R31 was fitted with some new parts to the water system, which successfully resolved the problems that the team experienced in Jerez. Renault also logged some useful data from their suspension set-up program in the afternoon, evaluating changes to the front and rear systems.
Nico Rosberg put a massive 131 laps for the team to gather a lot of valuable information.
Former Force India Driver Vitantonio Liuzzi commented: “Today was a positive day. We made a lot of changes on the car, focusing particularly on the set-up and the tyres."
"It was a chance for me to get to know the new tyres and the team as it was my first day with Hispania Racing. We couldn’t do a lot of laps since we had a problem with the gearbox in the afternoon, but we were able to clock a good time given the circumstances. We did long runs and short runs to test the performance of the car. Overall, I believe we’ve taken a step forwards with the balance of the car.”
Barcelona Day 1: Vettel Beats Alonso in a quickthunder at end
Click to follow
Third of the Four Official Formula One Pre - Season Testing - Circuit De Catalunya, Barcelona Test
Day One
Sebastian Vettel steal the thunder from Fernando Alonso in the last 10mins on Day 1 by going quickest.
Position
Name
Team
Car
Lap Time
Laps Covered
1 Sebastian Vettel
Red Bull RB7
1min 24.374sec
37
2
Fernando Alonso
Ferrari
F150th Italia
1min 25.485sec
101
3
Jaime Alguersuari
Toro Rosso
STR6
1min 25.638sec 57
4
Kamui Kobayashi
Sauber
C30
1min 25.641sec 78
5
Jenson Button
Mclaren
MP4-26
1min 26.365sec
77
6
Paul Di Resta
Force India
VJM04 1min 26.575sec 26
7
Rubens Barrichello
Williams
FW33
1min 26.912sec 52
8 Michael Schumacher
Mercedes
MGP W02
1min 27.512sec 90
9 Narain Karthikeyan
HRT
F111(2010)
1min 28.393sec 116
10
Heiki Kovalainen
Lotus
T128
1min 30.065sec
54
11
Jerome D'Ambrosio
Virgin
VR-02
1min 30.950sec
116
12
Vitaly Petrov
Renault
R31
1min 35.174sec 20
13
Nick Heidfeld
Renault
R31
1min 44.324sec 27
With the day starting on a damp track due to heavy rain on Thursday and drying by mid morning, there was a wide spread of times amongst the 13 drivers present.
Fernando Alonso showed a promising result once again. He had proved a stronghold for Ferrari with constantly scoring quick lap times with 100 plus laps a day. A lot of data had been collected for F150th Italia. The car is reliable as there had been no technical problems with the car till now as continue to adopt the setup on car from Jerez Test.
Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari and Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi again set good times during relatively short runs to put themselves third and fourth. Both also caused red flags during the day - the Sauber running dry during a fuel consumption evaluation, and Alguersuari going into the Turn 4 gravel.
Paul di Resta was not able to get the Force India on track until the final few hours while the team waited for new parts for the VJM04. When he did though the Scot was able to swiftly move up to sixth despite only managing 24 laps all day. Paul Di Resta said, "The guys did pretty well to get the car out on track today and towards the end of the afternoon we did some productive running to get a good baseline set-up for tomorrow when we'll have a much more extensive test programme to carry out". I definitely feel there is more to come from the car and I'm looking forward to getting back out there to help the team get as much out of this test as possible.
Michael Schumacher was eighth fastest in Mercedes MGP W02. The German first headed out midway through the morning to complete aerodynamic evaluations and balance checks. Following the lunch break, he completed a successful race simulation including pit stops.
“We had a good day and it is certainly satisfying to finish a race distance with all of the systems operational and to have everything working fine,” said Schumacher, who hands over to Nico Rosberg on Saturday. “Now we have to turn our focus to performance and it was important to complete today’s simulation to understand how the car and tyres behave going from a heavy to lighter fuel load.”
Indian Driver Narain Karthikeyan in HRT F111 (2010 car model) covered 116laps to gather information regarding car functioning.
Third of the Four Official Formula One Pre - Season Testing - Circuit De Catalunya, Barcelona Test
Day One
Sebastian Vettel steal the thunder from Fernando Alonso in the last 10mins on Day 1 by going quickest.
Position
Name
Team
Car
Lap Time
Laps Covered
1 Sebastian Vettel
Red Bull RB7
1min 24.374sec
37
2
Fernando Alonso
Ferrari
F150th Italia
1min 25.485sec
101
3
Jaime Alguersuari
Toro Rosso
STR6
1min 25.638sec 57
4
Kamui Kobayashi
Sauber
C30
1min 25.641sec 78
5
Jenson Button
Mclaren
MP4-26
1min 26.365sec
77
6
Paul Di Resta
Force India
VJM04 1min 26.575sec 26
7
Rubens Barrichello
Williams
FW33
1min 26.912sec 52
8 Michael Schumacher
Mercedes
MGP W02
1min 27.512sec 90
9 Narain Karthikeyan
HRT
F111(2010)
1min 28.393sec 116
10
Heiki Kovalainen
Lotus
T128
1min 30.065sec
54
11
Jerome D'Ambrosio
Virgin
VR-02
1min 30.950sec
116
12
Vitaly Petrov
Renault
R31
1min 35.174sec 20
13
Nick Heidfeld
Renault
R31
1min 44.324sec 27
With the day starting on a damp track due to heavy rain on Thursday and drying by mid morning, there was a wide spread of times amongst the 13 drivers present.
Fernando Alonso showed a promising result once again. He had proved a stronghold for Ferrari with constantly scoring quick lap times with 100 plus laps a day. A lot of data had been collected for F150th Italia. The car is reliable as there had been no technical problems with the car till now as continue to adopt the setup on car from Jerez Test.
Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari and Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi again set good times during relatively short runs to put themselves third and fourth. Both also caused red flags during the day - the Sauber running dry during a fuel consumption evaluation, and Alguersuari going into the Turn 4 gravel.
Paul di Resta was not able to get the Force India on track until the final few hours while the team waited for new parts for the VJM04. When he did though the Scot was able to swiftly move up to sixth despite only managing 24 laps all day. Paul Di Resta said, "The guys did pretty well to get the car out on track today and towards the end of the afternoon we did some productive running to get a good baseline set-up for tomorrow when we'll have a much more extensive test programme to carry out". I definitely feel there is more to come from the car and I'm looking forward to getting back out there to help the team get as much out of this test as possible.
Michael Schumacher was eighth fastest in Mercedes MGP W02. The German first headed out midway through the morning to complete aerodynamic evaluations and balance checks. Following the lunch break, he completed a successful race simulation including pit stops.
“We had a good day and it is certainly satisfying to finish a race distance with all of the systems operational and to have everything working fine,” said Schumacher, who hands over to Nico Rosberg on Saturday. “Now we have to turn our focus to performance and it was important to complete today’s simulation to understand how the car and tyres behave going from a heavy to lighter fuel load.”
Indian Driver Narain Karthikeyan in HRT F111 (2010 car model) covered 116laps to gather information regarding car functioning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)