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Mansell backing Schumacher for success

Michael Schumacher can still be a winner in Formula One even at the age of 41 if he makes a comeback with Mercedes next year, according to former champion Nigel Mansell.

"Age will not be a factor in Michael's story," Britain's 1992 champion told the Mail on Sunday newspaper.

"It wouldn't surprise me if Michael challenged for another world championship."

Schumacher, a seven-times champion and Formula One's most successful driver, retired in 2006 but has told his former Ferrari team that there is a "very, very, very strong possibility" of his racing for Mercedes in 2010.

Mercedes have taken over this year's title-winners Brawn GP, with Schumacher in line to replace Jenson Button after the world champion moved to McLaren. The German, who took his 91st race victory in China in 2006, will be 41 in January.

"It doesn't matter what age you are as long as you are professional, committed and focused," said Mansell, who won his title aged 39 and competed in Formula One until he was 41.

"People have written Michael off as over the hill, I look at it differently.

"Michael has tremendous experience and talent, and Mercedes will provide him with a fantastic package. He is extremely fit and we can take his commitment and professionalism for granted.

"For me there is no downside to this. He's won enough titles, so what does he have to worry about losing to anyone? It may take a few races to get to grips with his car, but after that it wouldn't surprise me if he was to challenge for his eighth title."

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Button confident he can beat Hamilton

Jenson Button believes he can get the better of team-mate Lewis Hamilton at McLaren next year.

The reigning world champion said on the BBC's Top Gear programme on Sunday that he joined team intending to beat Hamilton and retain his world title.

"That's the aim, I wouldn't be doing it if not - it's a massive buzz for me," Button said.

"I've been in Formula 1 for 10 years now, and having the chance to race alongside Lewis at McLaren is something I'm really excited about."

Button attempted another quick lap of Top Gear's test track in a Suzuki Liana, but in slippery conditions he could only set a time two tenths of a second slower than on his previous visit.

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Rome GP seemingly on

Italian organizers say a deal has been signed with Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone to stage a Rome Grand Prix on the streets of Italy’s capital.

Course planner Maurizio Flammini told Sky Italia on Sunday that an agreement with Ecclestone “has already been done and signed” but did not say when the first Rome GP might be held. The 2010 F1 calendar has already been set.

City authorities have been making plans for the race for more than a year and intend to use the city streets as a course, in similar fashion as the popular races in Monaco and Valencia.

If the Rome GP becomes a reality, it would mean a second annual stop in Italy on the F1 calendar.

The Monza circuit near Milan has hosted the Italian Grand Prix since 1922.

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[subzero9285]

The proposed layout.

 

[Dead Man]

Rome GP seemingly on


Source

Ugh. It seems like a good course, I'm just sick of street races. So bad for quality racing. If they had this instead of Valencia that would be good though.

 

[subzero9285]

Ugh. It seems like a good course, I'm just sick of street races. So bad for quality racing. If they had this instead of Valencia that would be good though.

I'd love it if the following two circuits were integrated into the F1 calender;

Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (Portimao)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XWky2-lAkY&feature=related

And the recently updated Potrero de los Funes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO99ekYBZmQ&feature=related


Having these two tracks would also mean the reinstatement of the Portuguese and Argentine GP's, which I'm all for.

 

[subzero9285]

Tests confirm Michael is super fit, (I think we already knew that).

http://www.f1sa.com/index.php?optio...m_medium=twitter&utm_term=F1&utm_content=F1SA

 

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Mercedes and Petronas hook up

Mercedes Grand Prix has signed a long-term sponsorship agreement with Malaysian oil firm Petronas.

Petronas, which formerly sponsored the BMW Sauber team and had been linked with new Malaysian F1 team Lotus, will become title partner to the German manufacturer.

The team has released a concept image of the car, but the final Petronas-liveried Mercedes will be unveiled at the team's launch, and will take to the track for the first time on February 1 at Valencia.

"Everyone at Mercedes GP is delighted to confirm out long-term agreement with Petronas," said team principal Ross Brawn.

"Our plans for the new season are progressing well, as is the development of our 2010 challenger. We look forward to seeing the car run in the new Silver Arrows and Petronas livery at Valencia."

Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug added: "Mercedes-Benz and Petronas will work together both on and off the track. Petronas' home base in Kuala Lumpur is in a fast-growing region for the automotive industry, which makes this new partnership even more valuable."

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Aston Martin to sit out 2010 season

The works Aston Martin team is set to sit out the 2010 Le Mans Series to focus on its 2011 challenger, with at least one customer team running the current Lola coupe next year.

French team Signature-Plus has announced that it will run at least one of the cars in the LMP1 class of the Le Mans 24 Hours and Le Mans Series next season, driven by Pierre Ragues and Franck Mailleux.

"This is definitely the highlight of my career so far," said Ragues. "To continue with Signature is fantastic, but to have the opportunity to race with Aston Martin is truly wonderful. I am so proud to have been offered this chance and I will do all I can to repay the faith that the team has placed in me."

When Aston Martin Racing's plans for a new car in 2011 were unveiled, AUTOSPORT magazine revealed that marque boss David Richards wanted to concentrate on that project and would consider not running the current car in 2010.

Though AMR is yet to confirm either that it will sit out 2010, and could still enter just the Le Mans 24 Hours with the car.

AMR won the LMS title this year and finished fourth at Le Mans with Stefan Mucke, Tomas Enge and Jan Charouz.

Signature finished 11th at Le Mans with a Courage-ORECA Judd driven by Ragues, Mailleux and Didier Andre.

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A pretty good mock-up of the Mercedes livery.

 

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Rosberg: Schumacher could struggle

Nico Rosberg has warned record-breaking multiple F1 world champion Michael Schumacher that it will not be easy for him if he does opt to come out of retirement and compete in F1 2010.

Rosberg will potentially team up with Schumacher next season, assuming he does join Mercedes GP - former 2009 F1 Constructors' champion, Brawn GP. However while there is still no official confirmation, rumours persist and Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo recently revealed that the 40-year-old had told him there was 'a very, very, very strong possibility that he will drive for Mercedes' in 2010.

Rosberg is not convinced though that his compatriot will be the same if he does comeback, especially as he has been out of the sport now since 2006.

"It will not be easy for him," the 24-year-old told German newspaper, Stuttgarter Zeitung.

"When you stay away from F1 for a long time, it takes time to get used to all the trial sessions again, it is not simple."

Rosberg meanwhile added that the main thing now though is for Mercedes to make a decision.

"I hope that my team-mate will be sorted out pretty soon and at the moment the rumours are very strong for Michael Schumacher," Rosberg added to BBC Sport Online.

"I have no idea if it is true or not but obviously if he would join that would be an absolutely fantastic move [for Mercedes and F1]."

If Schumacher doesn't return next year, Nick Heidfeld is believed to be the favourite to get the nod alongside Rosberg. Robert Kubica, who has a deal with Renault, is also believed to be a possibility.

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Mercedes press release

Mercedes GP is delighted to announce the signing of a long-term agreement with PETRONAS which will see the Malaysian national oil and gas company become the title partner to the new Silver Arrows works team.

From 2010, the new team will compete in the FIA Formula One World Championship as the Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team and will carry the distinctive PETRONAS branding across the car and team liveries.

Leveraging Mercedes-Benz’s rich motorsport heritage and the long-standing involvement of PETRONAS in Formula One, the new title partnership also paves the way for future collaborations between the two companies. For PETRONAS, the partnership will enable the oil and gas giant to generate sustainable business growth, particularly in their downstream lubricants market, through the strategic partnership and business alliance with Mercedes-Benz, one of the most prestigious global automotive brands.

The Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team’s challenger for 2010 will make its track debut in its new livery at Valencia on 1 February 2010 for the first of the pre-season tests ahead of the 2010 Formula One season.

PETRONAS will continue to be the title sponsor of the PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix, scheduled to be the third race of the new season, which will take place at the Sepang International Circuit on 4 April 2010.

Norbert Haug, Vice-President of Mercedes-Benz Motorsports, said: "We are very pleased to begin our long-term partnership with our new title partner PETRONAS. Daimler, our premium brand Mercedes-Benz and PETRONAS will work together both on and off the track and I am sure that everybody involved will guarantee their absolute dedication to success. PETRONAS’ home base in Kuala Lumpur is located in the middle of a fast-growing region for the automotive industry which makes this new partnership even more valuable. Within the limits of the new Formula One resource restrictions, the Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team will be well positioned to achieve our goals. We will all strive to present efficient success in the future knowing at the same time that the new Formula One season with some fundamental rule changes will be a particularly challenging one."

Ross Brawn, Team Principal of the Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team commented: “Everyone at Mercedes GP is delighted to confirm our long-term agreement with PETRONAS and we look forward to working closely with our new partner in the future. The collaboration of the premium automotive brand Mercedes-Benz and a company as prestigious as PETRONAS gives our team a fantastic base from which to achieve our ambitions of competing at the top level of Formula One and building on the success of 2009 which saw the team achieve the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships. Our plans for the new season are progressing well, as is the development of our 2010 challenger, and we look forward to seeing the car run in the new Silver Arrows and PETRONAS livery at the Valencia test in February.”

 

[AndyD]

I'd love it if the following two circuits were integrated into the F1 calender;

Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (Portimao)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XWky2-lAkY&feature=related

And the recently updated Potrero de los Funes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO99ekYBZmQ&feature=related


Having these two tracks would also mean the reinstatement of the Portuguese and Argentine GP's, which I'm all for.

I like Potrero, the other is just OK I think. I dont know what it is about it. My question is, how are they going to add Rome, will they stop Monza? Or have 2 italian GPs? Not that the fanbase isn't there, I was just thinking.

Also, is ROme clockwise or anti?

 

[subzero9285]

I like Potrero, the other is just OK I think. I dont know what it is about it. My question is, how are they going to add Rome, will they stop Monza? Or have 2 italian GPs? Not that the fanbase isn't there, I was just thinking.

Also, is ROme clockwise or anti?

Monza will always be a constant on the F1 calender, so that's not going anywhere. It could alternate with Valencia as the European GP, but Valencia signed a five year contract just after this years race, so that option doesn't seem plausible either. I'm guessing it'll be branded as the Grand Prix of Rome and therefore Italy will have two races.

It's supposedly clockwise.

Here's a video of the track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoPsUO_wDBI&feature=player_embedded

And someone driving the route in real life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN9CM54omSg&feature=related

 

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The mayor of Rome.

The Formula 1 Grand Prix in Rome ‘is not’ alternative in Monza ‘. He said the mayor of the capital, Gianni Alemanno, ‘may exist’. ‘The two circuits – stated – can not only coexist but rather help each other in terms of visibility’. So no one wants to remove the circuit at Monza and take it toRome.

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Ferrari: Alonso can reinvigorate the team

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo says he signed Fernando Alonso a year earlier than expected to accelerate the Scuderia's return to competitiveness.

The Italian, speaking to the press at Ferrari's annual Christmas lunch last week, indicated that with Felipe Massa still recovering from injury, and the 2009-specification F60 having proved less than spectacular, the team urgently needed a driver that could drive the development of a car. He added that he considered Alonso, rather than Kimi Raikkonen to be that person.

"Besides hazy regulations, our car in 2009 wasn't up to the level of competitiveness we needed," Montezemolo was quoted as saying in Gazetta dello Sport. "I was afraid that Massa wouldn't recover. After his crash we have focused on the 2010 car. Kimi had trouble working with the team, but my judgement on him is positive.

"In order to make a leap forward, however, we needed someone able to communicate with the team, Alonso will do that. When Stefano Domenicali, who I trust very much, talked to me about him three years ago, I told him we had to bring him here.

"Alonso was supposed to race with us in 2011, but after Massa's crash we decided to bring that forward, after learning that he wasn't involved in the Singapore scandal."

In an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT last week however, Raikkonen indicated that he suspected the reason he had left Ferrari a year early was financially, rather than performance-related.

"I think when there is enough money involved, you can always change anything! I think it's a lot to do with Santander coming in. Probably they made some deal. I don't know..."

Montezemolo also revealed that he beleived major changes were required in the way F1 is managed and that he hoped that the new FIA president Jean Todt would usher in an era of cooperation between the sport's governing body and the teams.

He proposed relaunching and restructuring the sport so that it can move on from the political strife of recent years.

"We need to set up a table where to bring proposals in order to relaunch in a big way," he said. "We must also think about a new engine from 2013. Bernie Ecclestone? In no sport there is a 50 per cent commission on business deals. We come from a Max Mosley administration to forget.

"We seriously considered abandoning F1. Some have, as a consequence of dead end policies. Now we have new teams with paying drivers, but how many teams will be at the start of the first race? Looking beyond 2012, we'd also like to win at Le Mans, or at Indy.

"Todt? He has the competence and the capability, he must discuss and change many things, and I expect him to do it. The 2010 championship will be very interesting, as long as we win it!"

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Nick Wirth: Brawn GP not a sob story

There have been a few internet reports today which have included some words attributed to Virgin Racing’s tech chief Nick Wirth laying into Williams boss Patrick Head at yesterday’s Virgin team launch. Well you’ll be pleased to hear that he didn’t just have a go at poor old Patrick… oh no. He also took time to have a pop at recently crowned 2009 F1 constructors’ champions BrawnGP.

On a day in which Sir Richard Branson had referred to BrawnGP’s 2009 season, in which his Virgin brand logos appeared on the BGP001 cars, as “David versus Goliath,” Wirth could not help but chuckle when I asked if Branson was expecting the same sort of giant killing form from Wirth’s car in 2010.

“I’m laughing because that’s one of the things I find most annoying about last season because it was Goliath versus Goliath. That was the car that had more money and more resources spent on it than any other 2009 car, possibly [more than any F1 car] in history, so it’s an absolute PR coup for them and it’s laughable. They might want to perceive it that way, and believe me they did a magnificent job in surviving and all the stress they went through, and all credit to those guys and Ross and the whole crew, but it was not a David against Goliath story.”

Wirth’s comments reflect opinions voiced during the 2009 season itself by former Honda and early BrawnGP reserve driver Alex Wurz.

“The car was taken in three different directions in the wind tunnel,” he said earlier this year. “Two directions were found to be wrong, so the team could just switch. The Brawn is probably the most expensive car with the lowest operating budget ever.”

The BGP001, which would have been the Honda RA109, benefitted greatly from 18 months of design work undertaken at Leafiled by the Super Aguri F1 Team which had begun in 2007, a year of design work at Honda in Brackley and Tochigi during 2008, and, it is understood, additional work at the Dome base in Maibara, Japan. The double decker diffuser concept, which would prove so pivotal to the success of the BGP001, is believed to have come from either Super Aguri or Dome. At times it has been claimed that anywhere between four and six wind tunnels were in operation, through the various different arms of the development chain, at one time.

Such benefits will not be afforded to Wirth’s Virgin racing car in 2010, which will be the only car on the grid next season designed solely by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and without the use of a single wind tunnel.

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Alan Henry on Schumacher's return

Veteran F1 reporter Alan Henry looks back at some of the successful and not so successful comebacks to F1 in light of Michael Schumacher's seemingly imminent return to the sport.

F1 returns are always risky. Niki Lauda's was possibly the most celebrated of all. Midway through the first practice session for the 1979 Canadian Grand Prix he steered his Brabham into the pit lane and told team boss Bernie Ecclestone that he was 'sick and tired' of driving in circles and wanted to retire. Ecclestone was a man who believed in acting decisively: "If you want to go, go now," he said understandingly.

Lauda went so promptly that he even left his helmet and overalls in the pits. The car - and the racing kit - was taken over by Argentine driver Ricardo Zunino, a very nice chap but not in the same class as Lauda. When some of Lauda's regular rivals came up behind Zunino later in the day, their first impression was that they couldn't believe how badly Lauda seemed to be driving.

For more than two years he never gave F1 a second glance, instead he worked to build up his airline business Lauda-Air. Then, out of the blue, at the end of 1981 he received an invitation from Ron Dennis to test one of the latest McLarens.

"So I said to Marlene [his then wife], 'right, how do you fancy going to London to do some shopping at Harrods?'" he told me in an interview for Motorsport magazine.

"She looked at me suspiciously and said 'OK.' So we fly to London and check in at the Capitol Hotel. I say 'OK, so here we are. You go shopping in Harrods and I've got some business to attend to.' She continued to look suspicious.

"I went straight up to Donington Park where McLaren were waiting with one of their cars. I drove quite a few laps and, although I wasn't what you'd call race fit, I knew that this was simply a matter of preparation. I knew I could do it.

"I went back to London and told Marlene where I had been and what I had been doing. 'You stupid b**t**d,' she called me. The next thing Frank Williams was on the phone: 'Hello Niki, how are you, enjoying yourself in England? How did your test go in the McLaren; why don't you come down to the factory for a talk?' I asked him how on earth he'd heard about it. He replied that it was his business to know everything."

In the event Lauda won his third race on his comeback for McLaren, and added a third world championship to his tally in 1984. His return was a huge success, well judged by both Lauda and Dennis. But, ultimately, Niki had the best car on the circuit, certainly in 1984 and 1985.

The same couldn't be said a decade later for Nigel Mansell. 'Our Nige,' the great British hero, had stormed to a meteoric world championship success in 1992, but then fell out with Frank Williams and decided to switch to the IndyCar series for 1993. He duly won the American championship at his first attempt.

In 1994 he was parachuted back into Williams as a sometime team-mate for Damon Hill after Ayrton Senna was killed in that year's San Marino Grand Prix. He did well, winning the Australian race at Adelaide and, buoyed by this success, signed a deal to drive for McLaren in 1995.

Just as Lauda had timed his arrival at McLaren to perfection, Mansell's switch during the first year of the team's engine supply contract with Mercedes did not prove a success. The chassis had a lurid handling imbalance and the engine displayed all the progressive response of a hand grenade. After taking part in only two races, team and driver went their separate ways. But it certainly was not Mansell's fault.

Alan Jones, who won the 1980 world championship for Williams, decided to make a return in 1983, just a year after retiring, in an effort to top-up his depleted finances. He briefly flirted with the Arrows team, and then committed himself to a full programme with the Haas Lola squad in 1985/86. But it turned out that the team was as cash-strapped as Jones and withdrew from the sport at the end of its second season.

So there have been wildly differing reasons to justify an F1 comeback. But if Schumacher decides to make a return, then it's simply because he misses the unique excitement which F1 can deliver. He reckons he is fit enough, motivated enough and sufficiently skilled to make it stick if he finally decides to come out of retirement.

Certainly, Schumacher is not doing it because he needs the cash.

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The Times: No obstacles left for Schumacher's return

The contract is not yet signed, but The Times understands that there are now no obstacles to Michael Schumacher’s comeback next season with Mercedes Grand Prix and that his neck injury is not expected to be a problem.

Schumacher’s previous planned return, to replace the injured Felipe Massa at Ferrari in the summer, foundered when tests showed that his neck was damaged from a motorbike fall earlier this year. Although a formal all-clear has yet to be given to the seven-times world champion, there is not expected to be a repeat this time.

Schumacher is thought to have begun training at a level that would have exposed any weakness in his neck and, so far, all has gone without a hitch. The 40-year-old has not yet confirmed all the details with Mercedes, but those close to him no longer doubt that his comeback will be announced by the team in early January.

The impression gained is that the German wants to pick up where he left off with Ferrari when he retired in 2006. Those suggesting that he may see his role more as a mentor to Nico Rosberg, the 24-year-old who would be his team-mate, than a team-leading championship contender, are wide of the mark. He is said to be looking to add not only to his record 91 grand-prix wins, but also to his unparalleled haul of seven drivers’ titles and he has already spent many hours discussing his new car with the Mercedes team.

The relative ease with which Schumacher has come to his decision to return is thought to owe its origins to the test he drove for Ferrari within days of Massa’s injury at the end of July. Schumacher drove a 2007- vintage Ferrari at the track at Mugello, in northern Italy, and he surprised himself with how quickly he found his rhythm and speed. When the call came from Ross Brawn, the team principal of Mercedes, he was immediately positive about his prospects.

Bernie Ecclestone confirmed yesterday that he has signed a seven-year deal for a street race in Rome, which he expects to stage its debut grand prix in 2012. The contract has an option for a further five years and Ecclestone says the track layout is impressive, taking the cars close to the Vatican. “Every time there is an overtaking manoeuvre, we’re going to put the black smoke up,” he quipped.

The Formula One commercial rights-holder revealed that he expects two of the four new teams with sanctioned grid slots for next season — Campos F1 and USF1 — not to make it. “I think the people we expected to perform will and those that we thought wouldn’t, won’t,” he said. Ecclestone expects 24 cars to start the opening race in Bahrain in March.

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USF1 are expected to announce Jose Maria Lopez as one of their drivers and their main sponsor this week.

www.corsaonline.com.ar/2009/12/20/N-2274...

 

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Prost's son linked to Renault test drive

Nicolas Prost, the son of four-time world champion Alain, has been linked to a role at Renault in 2010.

French reports linked Prost to a reserve driver position at the team after he met with agents from Gravity driver management at a recent ice racing event in France. Gravity is owned by the investment company, Genii Capital, that recently took a majority stake in the Renault Formula One team.

Speaking to ESPNF1, an agent from Gravity said: "Our trip to ice racing this weekend was only a friendly visit to Alain Prost and his son Nicolas. So far, we haven't spoken about anything regarding 2010, even if having this prestigious name back in F1 could be fantastic".

Prost was the Euro 3000 champion in 2008 and has competed at the Le Mans 24 Hours since 2007. He has also represented France in A1GP, but never finished higher than sixth.

Robert Kubica is the only driver to sign with Renault for next season, although his manager has said he may consider racing elsewhere now that the team has been bought-out. Another Gravity represented driver, Ho-Pin Tung, has also been linked to a position at the team.

Source

Neither seem to be as talented as their much celebrated fathers, but it would be very interesting to see the Senna/Prost rivalry reignited in F1.

 

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James Allen on the Petronas deal

The Mercedes GP team has won the hotly contested battle to secure the sponsorship of Malaysian oil company Petronas, in what it describes as a “long term deal”. The deal is a significant one, worth €30 million per season. Combined with the prize money the team won this season as Brawn GP, which is of the order of €50 million, this gives Mercedes an €80 million budget for 2010 before they themselves have injected anything, or any other sponsors have contributed.

Alongside Ferrari and McLaren, this team is starting to look like a new powerhouse team for Formula 1, something it never was under BAT or Honda ownership.

The team will be known as Mercedes GP Petronas F1 team, so it is basically a title sponsorship, although the sponsor name comes after the Mercedes name.

This is a great coup for the new Mercedes team, which was Brawn GP this year until Mercedes acquired a 75% stake.

In addition to the media value that Petronas will derive from being on a car which is likely to be pretty high profile in 2010, particularly if Michael Schumacher is driving one of the Silver Arrows, there is a strong business to business deal behind it. One of the incentives Mercedes can offer a company like Petronas is a deal to put its lubricants into its road cars, as Ferrari does with Shell, but clearly Mercedes is a far larger volume seller of cars, vans and trucks. Equally, Mercedes will look to leverage Petronas’ networks in Asia for business growth. With McLaren, Mercedes had a long association with Mobil.

“Within the limits of the new Formula One resource restrictions, the Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team will be well positioned to achieve our goals, “said Mercedes’ Norbert Haug. “We will all strive to present efficient success in the future knowing at the same time that the new Formula One season with some fundamental rule changes will be a particularly challenging one.”

The deal is a blow to Sauber, which has a relationship with Petronas stretching back overy 10 years. Since being forced to take back the team from BMW, Peter Sauber is battling with not having any prize money rights and now has lost a major sponsor. It is also a blow to Lotus, which is Malaysian owned and which has strong political associations in Malaysia.

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Alonso: I feel at my best

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso says he is arriving at the Ferrari team at the best moment of his career.

The Spaniard will be joining the historic Maranello-based squad next year after two disappointing years at the Renault team.

He is replacing Kimi Raikkonen as Felipe Massa's team-mate and the team is counting on him to revive its fortunes after a poor 2009 season.

Alonso says he could not be joining Ferrari at a better time.

"I'm really looking forward to the start of next year," Alonso said during a Cajastur event in Asturias on Monday.

"I'm joining the best team in the world, Ferrari, and I'm arriving at the best moment of my career. Right now I feel like I've never felt before. I think I'm at my best moment as a driver and as a person.

"I hope that joining Ferrari means winning titles to share with Asturias and Spain."

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Williams owed £10m

In an era in which teams are feeling the financial pinch more than ever, it has emerged that Williams' preparations for F1 2010 are scarcely being helped by the fact that the former multiple world champions are still owed £10 million in unpaid sponsorship by collapsed Icelandic bank Glitnir.

According to the Daily Telegraph, in 2008 the bank made a legally-binding guarantee to pay Williams what was owed to the Grove-based outfit by Icelandic retail group Baugur, owner of toy store and team sponsor Hamleys. Baugur similarly owns or has investments in leading British high street names House of Fraser, Oasis and Karen Millen, but after filing for bankruptcy in February of this year and placing its British business interests in administration, the company's payments were assumed by Glitnir.

However, when the Icelandic banking sector spectacularly crashed, Glitnir too found itself taken over by the country's government – since when Williams has failed to receive any money at all. The Telegraph reports that the relationship between Glitnir and the Baugur Group has now come under the microscope – with suspicions that some of the country's banks have granted their shareholders significant interest-free loans, and in the knowledge that Baugur founder and CEO Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson is similarly at the helm of an investment company that owned a third of Glitnir.

Just under two years ago, Jóhannesson also toyed with the idea of buying a stake in Williams – a move that never materialised. Four years ago, the 41-year-old was found guilty and charged by a Reykjavík court with 40 counts of breaking the Icelandic penal code, Accounting Act, Annual Accounts Act and Companies Act – for which he received a three-month suspended sentence.

Last week it was revealed that the Serious Fraud Office has begun an investigation into fellow Icelandic bank Kaupthing Edge in an effort to determine why 'substantial value' was withdrawn from the bank 'in the weeks and days before it collapsed'.

Another of Williams' banking sponsors, the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), announced earlier this year that it would not be renewing its three-year deal beyond the end of the 2010 F1 campaign. RBS' disgraced former chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin was forced to go into hiding after becoming a public figure of hate for the role he had played in the global credit crunch and his subsequent £700,000 annual pension.

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Branson wanted Danica

Sir Richard Branson has revealed that he wanted to sign IndyCar Series winner Danica Patrick for F1 2010.

Branson's Manor GP-run Virgin Racing F1 team confirmed it driver line-up last week, when Lucas di Grassi was announced as the partner for ex-Toyota man Timo Glock.

However, speaking to British tabloid newspaper, The Daily Star, Branson added that he would love to have put a woman on the grid in 2010 to compete against the likes of 2009 F1 World champion, Jenson Button.

"I would have loved to have had a looker like Danica drive [for us]," he told the 'paper. "She is not only good and quick, she's a stunner.

"I believe there is room for women drivers in F1."

Virgin Racing F1 team principal, Alex Tai meanwhile echoed those thoughts – although he doesn't believe there is a female driver, other than Patrica, that is up to the task at the moment.

"There isn't really a female out there right now who could do it," he continued. "This is a really physical and exhausting sport and they would find it hard to cope."

Source

 

[subzero9285]

MotoGP season review - Colin Edwards

The Texan equalled his second best finish in a MotoGP World Championship in 2009 with fifth place.

It was a fine year for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team and Colin Edwards, as the 35 year-old secured a fifth-placed Championship finish in the last race of the campaign.

Starting the season strongly, Edwards signalled his intent with fourth in Qatar from sixth on the grid, and a succession of solid top-seven finishes followed as he rose to sixth in the standings – level on points with Dani Pedrosa – after another fourth at Assen.

The only podium of his season was just around the corner and it was Donington at which it arrived, in an eventful race that ended with the American in second place having come close to challenging rival and race winner Andrea Dovizioso for the win. An overtake on Randy de Puniet on the final lap in the wet conditions was a daring move which was duly rewarded.

It was Dovizioso with whom Edwards would eventually compete for fifth place overall, and the American’s fifth-placed finishes at Indianapolis, Estoril and Phillip Island – he also qualified in fifth place for each race – was the form that would carry him through to the end of the year.

An unfortunate crash at San Marino was the only DNF of his season but came through no fault of his own, as Edwards was taken out by Alex de Angelis, and it was in the last race of the campaign that he secured his final Championship standing.

Fourth at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit clinched fifth spot ahead of Dovizioso by a single point. Ben Spies, who will team up with Edwards for Tech 3 next season, helped his future colleague by finishing ahead of Dovizioso in seventh place as he rode a wildcard entry.

As part of that all-American line-up on the French team next year, Edwards will look to at least repeat his 2009 finish.

Sourc

 

[subzero9285]

General launch event cancelled

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/...einsame-teamvorstellung-abgesagt-1569769.html

Key points

• The new teams feared that the press would be mainly interested in the big teams. They felt it would be too much effort for too little exposure.
  
• Also, Lotus will not have their car ready for the event or even the first week of the test. It would also be quite difficult for USF1, VirginF1 and Campos to make the event.

 

[subzero9285]

Shell pay tribute to Kimi Raikkonen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Aaa9iVYLbQ&feature=player_embedded

 

[subzero9285]

Mercedes/Henkel row resolved

Brawn GP chiefs have avoided a potentially embarrassing legal fight ahead of the start of the new Formula One season.

Henkel, a German consumer products group, last month filed legal proceedings against Brawn GP, who have since been bought out and will compete as Mercedes GP in 2010.

The company insisted a three-year sponsorship deal with the team, believed to be worth £80million, was invalid as the agreement was signed by a former employee without authorisation.

Henkel made clear they informed Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, of the situation in September.

However, the matter has now been resolved without the need for Brawn officials to be dragged through the courts.

A Mercedes statement read: "Brawn GP announce today the differences between Brawn GP and Henkel with regard to a Formula One sponsorship have been resolved by mutual agreement.

"All potential claims will be dropped. As a consequence, all court proceedings will be withdrawn.

"The new Formula One team Mercedes GP Petronas, together with the colleagues from the former Formula One team Brawn GP, will continue to co-operate with the prosecutor's office and assist in the further clarification of the matter."

No further details will be forthcoming as all parties have agreed on confidentiality.

Source

 

[subzero9285]

Petronas deal worth €250m

http://www.bild.de/BILD/sport/motor...sor/viertel-milliarde-euro-fuer-mercedes.html

 

[subzero9285]

Jock Clear set to be Nico's race engineer, meaning Andy Shovlin would be working with Michael.

Yet another sign that Michael Schumacher is set to return to F1 next year has emerged.

According to German sources, even though Nico Rosberg is currently the only confirmed Mercedes driver for 2010, his race engineer will be Jock Clear.

Clear headed the race engineering team on Rubens Barrichello's Brawn in 2009, while Andy Shovlin worked with the world champion Jenson Button.

Shovlin, however - affectionately known by McLaren-bound Button as 'Shuv' - is staying with Mercedes in 2010, meaning that if Schumacher does ultimately agree a deal with the Brackley based team, the duo will pair up.

Bernie Ecclestone is confident Schumacher will return.

"I would personally be very, very happy. I'm quite sure he's going to drive again," the F1 chief executive told Motorsport Aktuell.

Niki Lauda, meanwhile, has dismissed the views of those who believe the German may struggle to mount a comeback as a 41-year-old after a three-year absence.

"His level is that of a seven time world champion," the Austrian, who returned from retirement in the 80s and won a third world championship, told Kicker magazine.

"If Schumacher drives again, he will be immediately competitive, because he was the best -- on another level."

Source

 

[subzero9285]

Mercedes really are shaping up to be a behemoth capable of taking it to Ferrari and McLaren consistently over the next few years, with the Petronas backing and the potential sponsorship money that Michael will bring with him, and most importantly; Ross Brawn's leadership.

 

[DarkMehm]

Schumi signed according to Bild, Blick and several other sources.

This will be an epic season.

 

[AndyD]

Schumi signed according to Bild, Blick and several other sources.

This will be an epic season.

Wheres subzero with an official source.

Man, all British McLaren vs. all German Mercedes... fight!

 

[S. L.]

Schumi signed according to Bild, Blick and several other sources.

This will be an epic season.

that bild article reads like it was written by an eight year old :lol :lol

 

[Goldrusher]

Kobayashi seat-fitting at Sauber...

http://www.blick.ch/sport/formel1/das-sitzt-herr-kobayashi-136440

 

[subzero9285]

So, does anyone want to stick their neck out and predict the outcome of the various driver battles that'll occur with Schumacher's return?

 

[Dead Man]

Gah, I can't take the awesome! 2 threads to post in! :lol Schumi!

 

[Tim the Wiz]

Next season is shaping up to be truly fantastic. Shame about Kimi, but if he hadn't left F1 the Schumi comeback probably wouldn't have happened.

 

[subzero9285]

In non-Schumacher news.

F1 should be trend-setter, not follower

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has taken a thinly veiled swipe at out-going FIA counterpart Max Mosley by using his end-of-season address to criticise what he saw as the Briton's desire to homogenise Formula One.

Speaking to journalists at a dinner to mark the end of the 2009 campaign, di Montezemolo did not refer to Mosley by name, but make it plain that he did not agree with his rival's desire to introduce common parts for all F1 cars, even if the proposal was made in the name of cost-cutting.

“A complicated year from a political point of view is coming to an end and we now clearly want to look to the future,” he insisted, “The previous management of the FIA did a great deal of good, especially in such crucial areas as safety, but, in most recent times, there were too many problems which led to serious consideration being given to Ferrari leaving F1 – that was the feeling of our main board – and, along with the other teams in FOTA, there was a move towards establishing a different race series.

"I don't want to go over those old arguments now. It is important that we were able to find common ground in order to renew the Concorde Agreement until 2012, on the basis of redefining the rules that have governed F1 for so long."

The Italian, twice instrumental in returning Ferrari to the top of the F1 tree, even if the 2009 season was something of a disaster for the Scuderia, maintained his belief that the top flight of international motorsport should not veer in a 'spec car' direction, and hoped that Mosley's replacement, former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt, would opt for technological innovation over such a strong desire to bring everyone into line.

"In Jean Todt, we have a clever and competent person at the helm, who I am certain will know what to do to maintain constructive dialogue between the Federation, the commercial rights holder and the teams united under the FOTA umbrella," di Montezemolo continued, "Indeed, it is this association - of which, until recently, I was chairman - that played a key role in such a delicate situation, as it brought together all the teams in one organisation, as is the case in football and other professional sports.

"We are going through a transition phase and we have to work very carefully in drawing up this sport's future. F1 must return to being synonymous with cutting edge technology, without an imposed egalitarianism which risks turning it into something like F3. Of course, one has to keep an eye on the costs, but we cannot go from one extreme to the other, as someone wanted to do this year."

And it wasn't only the proposed move to teams having to use common parts that caught di Montezemolo's eye, with the current testing ban also finding little support.

"In the space of three years, we went from being able to test wherever and whenever we liked, to being prevented from running the cars during the season," he reflected, "This resulted, for example, in a youngster like the Spaniard [Jaime] Alguersuari making his race weekend debut without having done even a single day's real testing in an F1 car.

"At the moment, we can accept this situation, but it cannot be like this in the future. This sport must set the trends rather than follow them. For this reason, I am unhappy that various companies have quit, which should be cause for thought for many."

With BMW, Toyota and, to a large extent, Renault all following Honda out of F1 in the past eleven months, di Montezemolo admits that he has concerns over the future of the sport if the remaining factions don't work together for the common good, but believes that the foundations laid in the face of a breakaway series can provide a solid platform on which to progress.

"In order to build a new F1, we must work together, involving all parties, including the media," he insisted, "There are so many topics up for discussion: the length of the races, the timetable, access to drivers, spectacle on the track, the role of the internet, to name but a few. But we have the time to do a good job, making changes where necessary, rather than just for the sake of change.”

Source

 

[subzero9285]

Gascoyne revels in Lotus challenge

Experienced Formula One designer and engineer Mike Gascoyne has admitted that he is relishing the challenge of reintroducing the Lotus name to the top flight, especially having been involved in helping to build the team from the ground up

An unashamed fan of the marque from his youth, Gascoyne confesses that there is a personal elements to his latest role, as chief technical officer of Team Lotus F1, and admits that it is nice to find a home after a turbulent few years in the sport. Nicknamed 'the Rottweiler' by his peers, Gascoyne has a no-nonsense approach to the sport, but insists that he has been unfairly pictured as a difficult employee, particularly having parted company with both Toyota and Force India in recent years.

"I think, after my last two jobs, it became pretty clear that no-one wanted to employ me, so I thought I'd better set up my own team," he told the official F1 website, "I don't think I have a confrontational approach, but I am very straightforward and I say what I believe. At Toyota, the direction I wanted it to go technically wasn't where the management wanted, and that's fine. It's their choice, so we went our separate ways. You could say the consequences of their decisions weren't necessarily that great..."

Despite the acrimony that accompanied the split from Toyota, however, Gascoyne admits to a tinge of disappointment at seeing the Cologne-based programme curtailed this season.

"I do have mixed feelings about them leaving," he conceded, "In one respect, I'm very disappointed. When I went there in 2004, it was a fantastic opportunity to take the team forward, to win the world championship and, in 2005, I exceeded the goals that were set for me.

"They wanted to score a podium and reach 40 points - we scored five podiums and 88 points. The idea was to move on to score the first race win in 2006, and then the championship in 2007. But it was clear the senior management wanted the company to operate in a way I didn't feel would bring them the results. The bottom line was that they didn't get the results. In some ways, you could say 'I told you so' but, in other ways, I feel it is a terrible shame for the people out there. Really, my overriding feeling is of disappointment."

Among the benefits of Toyota's demise - and to some extent that of Renault - is that staff from both who previously worked under Gascoyne's leadership are now looking to rejoin him in his latest venture.

"One of the great things here is the number of people coming on board who want to work with me," he confirmed, "At Jordan, Renault and even Toyota, I built some very strong teams. That was resented at Toyota because the management didn't see that as the way to go, so it's nice that a lot of those people are coming over to Norfolk now."

The opportunity to rebuild the Lotus brand clearly energises Gascoyne, and he is confident, not only that the team will have two cars on the grid in Bahrain for the 2010 season-opener, but also that it won't be disgraced.

"This is obviously a unique challenge, because it's setting up a whole team from scratch, not just the car, and it's a team that has the Lotus name," he reflected, "It's a daunting task, but the advantages are clear. We haven't got any baggage to deal with and we can set the team up to operate in a lean and efficient manner.

"You can't bring the Lotus name back into F1 without pressure - from Group Lotus and all the fans. And that's how it should be - we don't shy away from it. As F1 is changing and becoming less of a spending competition, hopefully now it's more about innovative engineering. And that's what Colin Chapman's philosophy always was, so if we can bring some success that would be a fantastic result. How quickly can we become competitive? A small, efficient operation has to look at doing so in three to five years, and that's our aim.

"The simple fact is we will be ready for Bahrain, it's just a question of how ready. We've said we want to be the best of the new teams, and I'm confident we'll be able to give that a good go. But I think it's not just about Bahrain, it's about our development pace three months from now, and where we are six months from now. I think we'll put on a good showing in Bahrain for a team that got such a late entry."

Source

 

[subzero9285]

USF1 and Campos strike back at Bernie

The two teams thought most likely to be those over which F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has cast doubts for next season have both responded by insisting that they will be on the grid in Bahrain come March 2010.

While fellow newcomers Lotus and Virgin have revealed complete line-ups for their first season, Team USF1 and Campos Meta have named just one driver between them and continue to be surrounded by speculation that Ecclestone suggests might see them struggle to complete the step up to the top flight [see story here]. Both, however, maintain that they are on course to debut in Bahrain.

"I'm surprised Bernie said that," USF1 team boss Peter Windsor told BBC Sport, We will be there. We're in good shape. Everything is going well and we are looking forward to the year. We've just finished the chassis and are now in the hands of Cosworth."

While there has been much speculation about potential drivers for the Carolina-based team, Windsor insists that there is no rush to name names, with only Argentina's former Renault development scheme hopeful Jose Maria Lopez having been mentioned as close to a deal.

"We are trying to find the best drivers we can, but there's no rush," he maintained, aware that the likes of Jacques Villeneuve, Danica Patrick and Jonathan Summerton - amongst others - had also been linked to seats at USF1, "We have no date [for the car to fully completed] - it's difficult to predict when that date would be - but there will be a moment when we announce the drivers at the factory and that will be some time towards late January."

Campos Meta has at least inked one driver in Bruno Senna, and has reported that its Dallara-built chassis has passed various stages of the mandatory FIA crash test procedure, but also felt the need to respond to Ecclestone's doubts.

"My opinion is that Bernie does not have all the information," eponymous team owner Adrian Campos claimed, "We are working very hard. We are now very close to a title sponsor and a second driver. We will be there - otherwise we lose everything."

Campos confirmed that the team was expecting to take delivery of its first car in mid-January, while Cosworth commercial director Mark Gallagher confirmed that, while each of the company's five customer teams - the four newcomers plus stalwart Williams - were at different stages in their development, all were continuing to push ahead with plans for 2010.

"We've been working with the four new teams for six months and have only seen signs that they are preparing for F1," the Irishman said, "There is no indication that operationally there are any issues."

Source

 

[subzero9285]

Ferrari's new simulator

Ferrari has finally caught up with some of its rivals after unveiling its new Formula 1 simulator in Maranello.

Although a number of other F1 teams have used simulators to improve their competitiveness over recent years, Ferrari has not had use of its own dedicated facility so far.

However, following two years of development in co-operation with Moog, Ferrari's own simulator has now been officially opened at its Italian base.

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali said: "It's an important day for us as the completion of this project means we will now be able to tackle with confidence some of the challenges that make up modern-day Formula 1, while putting Ferrari at the cutting edge in terms of this technology,"

“Furthermore, I am pleased that such a complex project as this, which got underway around two years ago, has been completed on schedule thanks to the efforts of all those who worked on it."

The simulator is housed in a two-storey building - which includes both the aluminium and composite car structure as well as the control room.

The driver is sat in front of five displays, which offers him a view of greater than 180-degrees. Andrea Bertolini was the first man to try out the new simulator at the opening ceremony.

Source

 

[Brainboy]

There's a pretty good video interview with Schumacher on the BBC website, apparently Mercedes officially announced his return a few hours ago.

 

[subzero9285]

F1 comebacks of the past

As the most successful driver in the history of the sport prepares for his return in 2010, AUTOSPORT takes a look at the illustrious list of famous names that Michael Schumacher will join when he takes to the Bahrain grid in 2010.

For multiple champions like Niki Lauda and Alain Prost the allure of winning at the highest level proved too much to stay away from, while other greats like Alan Jones and Nigel Mansell still felt they had more to achieve. For Michael Schumacher it seems he never might never have wanted to be away in the first place, either way the sport's history is full of comeback stories through the years.

Jose Froilan Gonzalez

Gonzalez finished runner-up in the 1954 world championship but he is most famous for scoring Ferrari's maiden win in the 1951 British Grand Prix. He raced full-time until 1954 and after that made one-off appearances in his home race - the
Then, after two years away from F1 altogether, he made a comeback for Ferrari, again in Argentina, in 1960 and finished 10th.

Mike Hailwood

'Mike the bike' began his F1 career in the 1963 British Grand Prix driving Red Parnell Racing's Lotus 25. At the time he was still on his way to a third world motorcycle championship with MV Agusta. The Briton continued to combine his racing exploits in both disciplines until 1966 when he switched back to bikes full-time, adding four more world titles to his name in the process.

He returned to F1 in 1971 with the Surtees team. This second chapter brought him a fastest lap in the 1972 South African Grand Prix and two podium finishes. He finally retired from the sport at the end of 1974 aged just 34.

Dan Gurney

Dan Gurney was offered a drive with Ferrari's Formula 1 team in 1959. He switched to BRM in 1960 but his breakthrough win came in 1962 when he scored Porsche's only F1 win as a constructor at Rouen. Two more wins came with three years at Brabham, including the team's first, also at Rouen, in '64.

Through this time he earned a fierce reputation as an under-rated competitor carrying the respect of the likes of Jim Clark. Championship glory eluded him as he opted to create the All American Racers team along with Carroll Shelby. His last win came at Spa in 1967 with the Eagle Weslake. In 1969 Gurney walked away from F1 to compete in the USAC Series (pre-IndyCar) and CanAm. He returned to F1 in 1970 for three races at McLaren.

Alan Jones

Was the second Australian driver to win the F1 world championship after Jack Brabham. Jones won four grands prix in 1979 with William and followed that up with title success in 1980. He couldn't repeat that high in 1981, in a year marked by a bitter feud with his team-mate Carlos Reutemann. Ultimately the title went to Nelson Piquet. Disenchanted by F1's rules and some of its drivers, he retired immediately after winning the season finale at Las Vegas.

He made an ill-advised return to the under-funded Arrows team in the 1983 Long Beach Grand Prix, but stopped again before returning at the end of 1985 with the Carl Haas-run Beatrice Lola project. He completed the following season with the same manufacturer, gaining four points and ending 12th in the standings.

Jacques Villeneuve

The Canadian joined Williams in 1996. He nearly won on his F1 debut at Melbourne, but did score four victories and finished runner-up in his debut year. He followed that up with the title and seven more wins in '97.

He opted to join his manager Craig Pollock's BAR F1 project in 1999 and toiled until 2003 trying to make it competitive. David Richards took over the team in 2003, and Villeneuve fell from favour. He was dropped from the team prior to the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix.

An enforced break ensued until Flavio Briatore brought him back to replace Jarno Trulli at Renault in the final races of 2004. He then completed two more seasons with Sauber and BMW-Sauber - but never won a race after 1997.

Niki Lauda

Famous for turning around the fortunes of a waning Ferrari team in the mid-70s along with Luca di Montezemolo, the Austrian might have won three consecutive world titles from 1975-77 but for his near-fatal accident at the Nurburgring in '76. Lauda left Ferrari at the end of '77 and joined Brabham winning two races in 1978. In a characteristically forthright manner he pulled in to the pits during practice for the Canadian Grand Prix and informed that Bernie Ecclestone that had lost interest in racing cars and retired on the spot.

In the next two-and-a-half years he built up commercial airline Lauda Air, but Ron Dennis courted him back to McLaren in 1982. He won two races, Long Beach and Brands Hatch on his return before beating team-mate Alain Prost to the 1984 world championship. Lauda's final win came in Holland in 1985 and he retired for good at the season's end.

Nigel Mansell

The Briton only scored his maiden win with Williams at Brands Hatch in 1985, after more than four years of toil with Lotus. A concerted effort on the 1986 world title then famously blew up in a shower of sparks, along with his rear-tyre, at Adelaide. He was beaten by Nelson Piquet to the 1987 world title crashing heavily in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix. Mansell joined Ferrari in 1989 and won on his debut in Brazil. The tifosi loved him, but in 1990 he became disillusioned by the politics of racing alongside Alain Prost and announced at the British Grand Prix that he was quitting the sport.

He didn't follow through with his threat and instead re-joined Williams where he dominated the 1992 world championship. But when the team announced it had signed Prost for 1993, Mansell quit F1 for the US. He won the 1993 IndyCar crown with Newman Haas. But in 1994 Williams and Renault asked him to return after the death of Ayrton Senna. He ran four races that year, winning the final event in Australia. He signed for McLaren for the 1995 season, but the partnership failed to take off and Mansell left after only two races.

Alain Prost

Perhaps the defining driver of the 1980s, the Frenchman was a contender for every drivers' world championship title bar his debut season with McLaren in 1980. Prost joined Renault in 1981 where he was a pace-setter and won his first race at Paul Ricard. Two more wins followed that year, and another two in the following season. Took Nelson Piquet to the wire in 1983, before switching to McLaren and finally taking a title of his own in 1985. Another followed in '86 and a third, controversially against team-mate Ayrton Senna in 1989.

The fall-out from this rivalry fuelled his switch to Ferrari in 1990, where he nearly gave the team it's first title since Jody Scheckter in 1979. Instead he and Senna crashed in Japan, handing the championship to the Brazilian. The 1991 Ferrari was less successful and Prost was fired at the end of the season for comparing it to a truck.

He took a sabbatical in 1992 before joining Williams and dominating the following year to secure a fourth title, whereupon he retired from F1 on his own terms.

Other noteable facts about breaks

• Of the list above, only Lauda, Prost and Mansell won races after their comeback.

• Three unusual comebacks were recorded in recent times: Mika Hakkinen, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa were all relegated to test-driver roles after their first year in Formula 1 and resumed far more successful careers after that experience.

• It's the first time that a driver over 40 years of age has climbed into a Formula 1 car during a race weekend since Chanoch Nissany tested for Minardi at the 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix on the 29th of July. It was his 42nd birthday

• The last driver over 40 to start a race was Nigel Mansell, at the 1995 Spanish Grand Prix (41 years, 9 months and 6 days).

• The oldest driver ever to start a race was Louis Chiron: he was 55 years, 9 months and 19 days old at the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix.

• Michael Scumacher will beat a long-standing record in Formula 1: the one related to the longest career span between two races. At the moment Schumacher lays sixth in the rankings behind Jack Brabham, Riccardo Patrese, Luca Badoer, Rubens Barrichello, and Graham Hill who established the record in the 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix, starting his last race 16 years, eight months and eight days after his maiden race, the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix. Hill participated in another two race weekends that year, South Africa and Monaco, failing to qualify. When he starts the race in Bahrain, 2010, Schumacher will snatch that record with a career that will have spanned 18 years, 6 months and 17 days .

• Despite Schumacher's presence in Bahrain, at the age of 41, the event won't be the one with the highest age difference between two drivers on the starting grid. That record belongs to the 1952 French Grand Prix, when Peter Collins (20 years, 8 months) and Philippe Etancelin (55 years, 6 months and 8 days) were at the opposite edges of the age chart.

• Michael Schumacher already holds the record for the longest timespan between wins (14 years, 1 month and 1 day from Belgium 1992 to China 2006) and fastest laps (14 years, 1 month and 22 days from Belgium 1992 and Brazil 2006), but misses the one for pole positions (Rubens Barrichello, 15 years, 1 month and 20 days from the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix to the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix) and podiums (Rubens Barrichello, 15 years 4 months and 27 days from the 1994 Pacific Grand Prix to the 2009 Italian Grand Prix). But a pole or a podium next year will also claims these records.

 

[subzero9285]

Button left Brawn to prove himself

Ross Brawn believes that reigning Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button left Brawn GP to prove his worth as a world champion in different machinery, rather than because of differences over his pay for 2010.

On the day that Mercedes Grand Prix (formerly Brawn) announced that it had signed Michael Schumacher for next season, Brawn told BBC Five Live that Button's decision to quit the team had been motivated by a need to prove his ability against Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren team that is perceived to be structured around the 2008 world champion.

"Jenson wants to prove he can do it with another team and another car," said Brawn. "I don't think Jenson left because of money; the proposals we made to Jenson were very good.

"There was a feeling that he somehow lucked into this championship and that was very unfair. Now, he's going to face Lewis Hamilton and that's a fascinating match-up.

"Formula 1 is a complex matter because the ratio between the car and the driver can vary. A top-level driver needs the equivalent. There is a huge war to try and improve the cars and I think Jenson wants to prove he can do it elsewhere."

Brawn also confirmed that he only decided to contact Schumacher about his availability after he knew that Button was leaving the team to join McLaren.

"We were in deep discussion with Jenson and I wanted to bottom those out before we entered into discussions with Michael," he said. "We didn't want to see Jenson leave but I could understand his reasons."

Source

 

[subzero9285]

Boullier tipped for Renault role

New Renault shareholder Gerard Lopez looks set to have a major influence over the future direction of the outfit with one of his key allies tipped for the team principal position.

Eric Boullier, CEO of the Gravity Sports Management company that Lopez is involved with, is in discussions with Renault management about adopting a senior role at the outfit.

It is understood that if the discussions are successful, he will take the team principal role, with Renault representative Jean-Francois Caubet carrying on in a senior management position.

The BBC reported that Lopez told Renault staff during a visit to its Enstone factory earlier this week that Boullier would be taking charge, and that he was serious about getting the French car manufacturer back to the front of the grid.

Boullier has gained a wealth of experience as a team principal and engineer in junior categories, although has not yet been involved in F1. He was managing and technical director at DAMS from January 2003 until November last year, during which time he was also team boss of France's A1 Grand Prix team. He joined Gravity late last year.

Boullier confirmed to the BBC that talks were ongoing, but that nothing was decided yet.

"There are some discussions, but it is definitely still pending further discussion," he said. "It's one possibility."

Soure

 

[subzero9285]

Aston to support GT1 teams

Aston Martin will give factory support to two teams running the DBR9 in next year's FIA GT1 World Championship.

Aston Martin Racing will back the Hexis AMR and Young Driver AMR teams, which plan run two cars each.

French team Hexis, based at the Nimes circuit, has campaigned Aston Martin's DBRS9 in FIA GT3 for the past three seasons and will step up to the new GT1 world championship for 2010.

The Young Driver team has been created especially for the world championship and has taken delivery of its two DBR9s.

The inaugural FIA GT1 World Championship will comprise 10 events, six in Europe and races in Abu Dhabi, South Africa, Brazil and Argentina.

Source

 

[subzero9285]

Rally Finland heads to the high street

Neste Oil Rally Finland will commemorate its 60th anniversary in 2010 with a brand new city-based Super Special stage in Jyvaskyla and a revised itinerary that ends on Saturday night, rather than the more usual Sunday.

The new Jyvaskyla street Super Special replaces the previous gravel test at the Killeri horse trotting complex and will play an important strategic role in the rally, with stage times determining the all-important start order for the first full day of the competition.

"Our jubilee concept is an event taking place over three days," explained event manager Tiina Lehmonen. "It starts off with a city centre special stage on the Thursday and the results from that will determine the running order on Friday."

"Friday and Saturday will comprise a little bit over 300km of stages with the finish on Saturday evening, immediately followed by festivities including a concert. The Super Special that we’ve had for the past several years is not in the schedule now."

Event promoter Jarmo Mahonen added that the long term agreement struck this year with WRC promoters ISC meant further developments were planned for the future.

"We’ll be breaking numerous positive news about our rally and we have a strong belief in the future of both the FIA World Rally Championship and of our own event," he said. "Our five-year agreement with the WRC promoter very much helped us to sign a Finnish TV-deal of similar length. MTV3 has gained TV-rights for the series for as long as our contract with ISC runs."

"Having pocketed these deals it’s now so much easier to talk to potential business partners, as all our commercial agreements had been scheduled to terminate at the end of this year. Last week we signed a new three-year deal with Neste Oil and that enables us to work towards the future. This is the kind of stability I have for years been calling for. All stakeholders are bound to benefit from it in the long term."

"Our big target is already set for 2011, when you’ll witness the most far reaching changes this rally has seen in 60 years, but we’ll get back to those at an appropriate moment, sometime in the autumn."

Rally Finland is the eighth round of the 2010 FIA World Rally Championship and runs from 29 to 31 July.

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MotoGP season review - Dani Pedrosa

A season that started with injury ended with a win in Valencia and third place in the 2009 MotoGP World Championship for the Spaniard.

An injury-plagued pre-season for Dani Pedrosa, which included a crash in the Qatar test the month before the opening race of the 2009 campaign at the Losail Circuit, meant the Repsol Honda man was fighting to be fit for the start of the MotoGP World Championship.

A weakened Pedrosa could only finish 11th in the first race, and doubts were raised over whether he could compete in the early stages of the season. Successive podium finishes in the next three races in Japan, Spain and France – from pole position at Le Mans – seemed to answer those questions.

However, the physical problems Pedrosa had encountered appeared to still linger as crashes in Italy and at Assen sandwiched a sixth place at Catalunya, as Pedrosa struggled to maintain a challenge for the top spots. He lay in fifth place after Assen, well off the pace of the top three.

The perfect response came in the next race at Laguna Seca however, as Pedrosa rose from fourth on the grid to take his first win of the season, leading from start to finish as he displayed blistering pace to finish ahead of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.

Further podiums came, as well as a crash at Indianapolis which limited Pedrosa to 10th place after he had led the early part of the race, before a strong finish to the season.

In Malaysia, Pedrosa recorded his first podium in the wet as he finished second, and the season was rounded off in fantastic style with a win at Valencia to make sure of third spot in the standings for 2009. The Spanish rider continues aboard the factory bike of the Repsol Honda team in 2010 and will be targeting a challenge for the top two spots in what will be his fifth season in MotoGP.

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