FORMULA 1 - 2012

[MIKA27]

Hamilton undeterred by Horner's comments

Lewis Hamilton has dismissed comments from Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who claimed Jenson Button would be a bigger threat to Sebastian Vettel's third title.

Hamilton, who was beaten by a teammate for the first time in his Formula 1 career last year, says he won't let comments like those effect him as he looks to bounce back from a disappointing season.

"It's the first time I've heard of [this] but they definitely don't wind me up," Hamilton told the BBC. "There are a lot of opinions, and everybody has their right to an opinion, but it doesn't really affect me.

"It doesn't really matter at the end of the day when I go out and do the job."

The 27-year-old matched Button's wins, with three apiece in 2011, but scored 43 points less after throwing away several podium finishes with silly errors.

Hamilton insists being beaten didn't bother him and he doesn't plan on repeating the mistakes he's made.

"Losing to Jenson didn't really bother me. If it had been a case where we had been fiercely competitive throughout the year it would have been quite tough to deal with," he added.

"But knowing it was a year where I threw away points, made very silly mistakes - sometimes a little unfortunate, but it was just a shocking year - I wasn't really too devastated by it.

"I've drawn a line under it because at the end of the day he didn't win the world championship, so it could have been even worse.

"But there are still many years ahead, and I don't plan on [what happened last year] being the case this year."

[MIKA27]

KIMI RAIKKONEN ON TOP GEAR:(S18,E 7,2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35f4rd5qWA0&feature=player_embedded

Kimi Raikkonen on Top Gear, Series 18, Episode 7, 2012. Laptime: 1:46.1 to go 8th quickest on a wet track.

[MIKA27]

Formula 1 teams predict 'freaky' start to 2012 season and plenty of surprises

Formula 1 fans have been told to brace themselves for an unpredictable start to the season - with the competitiveness of the grid likely to throw up some big surprises in the early part of the campaign.With pre-season testing suggesting little separates the teams this year – with some outfits appearing quicker in single-lap trim while others excel over race distances – plus Pirelli's aggressive tyres making strategy difficult, leading figures reckon the start of the year will be thrilling.

Lotus team principal Eric Boullier told AUTOSPORT: "Yes, it is going to be a freaky one! Qualifying in Melbourne and the first races are going to be unpredictable.

"The tyres are going to make things very interesting. If you push too hard in qualifying then you are going to be screwed for the first part of the race – and if you pit too early it may mean you need to make an extra stop.

"It is going to be interesting, but we like the challenge. We would always love to have a car that is two seconds faster than the other ones, which would be very comfortable for us, but in the end we like the fight as well."

Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn said that as well as the field looking so competitive, the prospect of six world champions on the grid was something to get excited about.

"It is great for Formula 1 to have so many world champions," he said. "It is the quality of the field and the fact that the cars look like they are going to be close this year, it is going to be a really exciting season and it could be one of the best seasons we have seen for a number of years, so I am quite looking forward to a very challenging season. I am expecting the tightest start to a season that we have seen for a number of years."

Lotus trackside operations director Alan Permane reckoned the competitive picture in F1 was much less clear than it had been for several years.

"I would say it is very difficult to predict," he said. "Normally by this stage we have got kind of an idea, but I don't think we know where we are."

Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery predicts that engineers will get on top of understanding the tyres pretty quickly – but thinks the first few races could throw up some shocks.

"Martin Whitmarsh said we needed to give the teams a challenge, and if that happens then we will get some excitement – at least in the early season," he told AUTOSPORT.

"I think you have to remember the engineers in these teams are the best in the world and, while at the start of the year that may create, like we had at the start of the year, some challenges, as the year progresses they will work out the best way to manage the situation and it will equalise a little bit."

MIKA: Lets not forget the shunts that are bound to happen with some of the big names and teams trying to get to the front, mix in a couple rookies who are a little too keen and watch the crash leading into turns 1 and 2.

[MIKA27]

Labor MP Kelvin Thomson takes a swipe at Bernie Ecclestone's 'billionaire bogan' daughter, Tamara

Source: Heraldsun.com.au

VICTORIAN MP Kelvin Thomson has launched a blistering attack on the daughter of Formula 1 Grand Prix boss Bernie Ecclestone, saying the $50 million cost of the race was ''bankrolling Bernie's billionaire bogan''. Mr Thomson made a ferocious attack on the lavish lifestyle of Tamara Ecclestone, saying she used a private jet to go to parties in Europe and took her dogs to the famous Harrods department store to be pampered.

In a speech to Federal Parliament, Mr Thomson said a recent documentary on Ms Ecclestone shows her supervising the refurbishment of her £45 million home in London, including a £1 million bathtub carved from Mexican crystal, an elevator for her Ferrari, an underground pool and bowling alley with crystal studded balls.

''She sets out to prove that she isn't a 'pointless, quite spoilt, really stupid, vacuous empty human being'. Her attempt is not entirely successful,'' Mr Thomson told Parliament.

''She is shown supervising the refurbishment of her £45 million home in London, which includes commissioning a £1million bathtub carved from Mexican crystal, an elevator for her Ferrari, her own nightclub, a bowling alley with crystal studded balls, an underground swimming pool complex, and a spa and massage parlour for her five dogs

''Of course she has her own daily massage, and her busy day includes taking the dogs to Harrods to have their hair sprayed and their nails painted. The day is not complete without a private plane to fly her across the Channel to an exclusive party in Europe, but she cracks it when her stockbroker boyfriend meets a group which includes a former girlfriend and she leaves the party in a huff. If you haven’t seen the documentary I can’t recommend it too highly.''

The former state MP, who holds the federal seat of Wills, said the cost of the Grand Prix had blown out from $1.5 million in its first year to $50 million.

He said that money should be used to help boost tourism in flood-affected Victorian communities, particularly Echuca, Kerang and Rochester.

He said his electorate was screaming for a high school for Coburg to cope with rapid population growth.

He said the money could also go towards putting powerlines in bushfire prone areas underground.

''One thing I am absolutely sure of - there are better ways to spend $50 million, year in and year out, than bankrolling Bernie's billionaire bogan,'' he said.

MIKA: This is exactly the kind of rubbish that jeapordises the Formula 1 Grand Prix here in Melbourne beyond 2015!

The already rich want everything for free and rather than pay for their luxuries out of their own pockets, heaven knows they can afford it, they skim from tax payers and the like for 'perks'.

[MIKA27]

Six world champs on the Melbourne grid

FOR the first time in the history of Formula One, six world champions will be on the grid when the new season starts in Melbourne on Sunday.

We take a look at each world champ and break down their progress ahead of the first race of 2012.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER, 43

Germany, Mercedes

1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Champion

Race Wins: 91

Pole Positions: 68

One of Formula 1's all time greats, Michael Schumacher's decision to come out of retirement after three years went flat soon into the record seven-time world champion's first season two years ago. Unfortunately, Mercedes hasn't provided the car to turn that around to date. The 43-year-old winner of a record 91 races will persevere with a flicker of hope that team principal Ross Brawn can put together a championship winner, although the Silver Arrows seem to have a lot of catching up to do already. Schumacher will probably be pleased with a podium at this point to add to his record breaking tally - ambition that falls well short of his normal expectations. Schumacher is in the last year of his contract with his future still uncertain.

SEBASTIAN VETTEL, 24

Germany, Red Bull

Two-time defending F1 champion

Race Wins: 21

Pole Positions: 30

Is there anything or anyone to stop Sebastian Vettel from joining F1 greats Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher as the only drivers to win three consecutive Formula One titles? With his Red Bull car looking the pre-season favourite, probably not. Vettel's ability to push his Austrian team's car to its capabilities saw the German driver crush the competition and dominate the championship, winning his second straight F1 title with four races to spare. Vettel, nicknamed ``Baby Schumacher,'' has shown an ability to tune out the pressure and focus his attention on track, where he made fewer mistakes with a more reliable car than in his first championship-winning season. His fun, down-to-earth personality also sets him apart from the calculating and businesslike demeanor of fellow German Schumacher.

JENSON BUTTON, 32

Britain, McLaren

2009 Champion

Race Wins: 12

Pole Positions: 7

Button drove with chilling consistency in the second half of last season, getting a podium position in eight of the last nine races, having missed out on the podium in six of the first 10. He won three GPs and finished in second place overall behind Sebastian Vettel, but also three places above McLaren's designated No. 1, his teammate Lewis Hamilton. This will be Button's third season with McLaren and if he continues to blossom, he will be a candidate to win the F1 championship for the second time. While Hamilton may have more speed, the experienced Button, with more than 200 GPs to his name, is a master at handling changing weather conditions. He proved that by beating Vettel in the rain in Canada.

LEWIS HAMILTON, 27

Britain, McLaren

2008 Champion

Race Wins: 17

Pole Positions: 19

For Hamilton, last season was a mixture of off-track distractions, unsavoury clashes with Ferrari's Felipe Massa, and sometimes quite brilliant, if somewhat risky, driving. The Briton won three races - the most impressive when he tactically outwitted Sebastian Vettel to beat the German in China, yet he also retired from three GPs and finished a disappointing fifth overall. He also finished behind his McLaren teammate Jenson Button, the first time he has lost out to a teammate in his F1 career. Hamilton's driving ability rivals anyone's, but the 2008 champion needs a clearer head this year, and to sort out his contract situation with McLaren as quickly as possible.

KIMI RAIKKONEN, 32

Finland, Lotus

2007 Champion

Race Wins: 18

Pole Positions: 16

Raikkonen expects to pick up where he left off when he returns to Formula One, despite two years away from the grid. The Finnish driver, who won the 2007 championship title when driving for Ferrari but quit in 2009 and switched to rally and briefly dabbled in NASCAR racing, will make a comeback this season with the Lotus Renault team. ``Before my two years of rallying I had nine seasons, 157 races and 18 wins in Formula One,'' he said. ``When I went to rallying and when I tried NASCAR, there were many new things to learn, but with Formula One I feel like I'm coming home.'' He geared up for the Australian Grand Prix with the best time in last weekend's final test session. He looks certain to add to the 62 career podiums he has already garnered.

FERNANDO ALONSO, 30

Spain, Ferrari

2005, 2006 Champion

Race Wins: 27

Pole Positions: 20

Despite two roller coaster seasons, Fernando Alonso still believes Ferrari is capable of providing the Spanish driver with a championship-winning car. The two-time world champion from Asturias lost the 2010 title to Sebastian Vettel in the last race, three years after losing a chance at the championship because of in-team squabbles with McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton. But Ferrari is centred on Alonso, who continues to be rated as the best driver on the grid despite his failure to win a title since leaving Renault. Unfortunately, the Italian team has struggled in pre-season. Alonso has remained cautious, and if Ferrari can find the necessary boost, you can never rule the 30-year-old out of the title race.

[MIKA27]

Massa keeping the faith

Felipe Massa is refusing to rule out a possible podium finish for Ferrari at the season-opening Australian GP despite the team's pre-season woes.

Ferrari's team bosses have admitted that they are unlikely to challenge for a top-three finish in Melbourne this weekend after struggling during winter testing, while Fernando Alonso has warned that everyone "will have to grit our teeth for the first few races".

Massa, though, is hopeful that the team can make it onto the podium at Albert Park, but knows they still have plenty of hard work ahead.

Writing in his official blog on the Ferrari website, the Brazilian said: "I believe it's never been as difficult as this year to have a precise picture of the situation based on the winter tests alone: we will begin to learn the truth only in Saturday afternoon's qualifying when we are all in the same conditions.

"I already said this last week in Sao Paulo: in my head is the thought that we can fight for the podium but that doesn't mean that I don't agree with what Pat Fry said in Barcelona.

"I know perfectly well that the tests didn't go as we'd hoped because we had some very ambitious targets in terms of performance. We had some problems getting the best out of the exhaust system we had chosen and we had to go for a makeshift solution.

"That cost us precious time and obviously also a bit of performance. Only in the last two days could Fernando and I do some true and meaningful work on the set-up of the F2012.

"I remain convinced that this car has great potential: we must just find the way to get everything from it. We hope to start doing that as soon as this weekend at Albert Park!"

[MIKA27]

Vettel goes from Kinky Kylie to Abbey

'Kinky Kylie' has made room for 'Abbey' in the Red Bull garage after Sebastian Vettel decided to stick with the tradition of giving his car female names.

World Champion Vettel initially wanted to christen his RB8 'Everybody's Wife', but eventually settled on 'Abbey'.

"Initially we thought of 'Everybody's Wife' to give the car that name," he is quoted as saying by Autosport. "But we binned it because these questions come and you have to explain.

"One of the guys gave the explanation that it might not be too sexy because it has a bit of a beak and it needs a nose job, but it runs like a train!"

When was asked by Bild if he named it Abbey after his favourite Beatles record (Abbey Road) or the chicane at Silverstone, Vettel replied: "Neither. It's just a cool name. "

The German has given a female name to all his cars, starting off with Kate in 2009. That was followed by Kate's Dirty Sister (also 2009), Luscious Liz in 2010 and Kinky Kyle last season.

[MIKA27]

Ricciardo vows to give it his all

Daniel Ricciardo is determined to make the most of his chance at Toro Rosso this season, insisting he won't treat it as "learning year".

Although the Australian has 11 grands prix behind his name following a stint with HRT last year, he is still one of the more inexperienced drivers on the grid.

However, while most other youngsters would use their first full season in F1 to come to grips with the pace of the sport, Ricciardo plans to go all out.

"I'm not going to treat (2012) as a learning year," he told the Herald Sun.

"It could be my one and only if it's not good enough so I've definitely got to step up and do as good as I can."

After spending most of the time at the back of the grid with HRT in 2011, he is likely to find himself in the midfield this campaign as Toro Rosso are expected to challenge the likes of Force India and Sauber.

Ricciardo admits finishing in the points at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix is the target for him.

"My hopes are to survive - then to finish in the points after that," he said.

He added: "To finish in the points is the real goal that I'm after. I guess we'll see where our performance is on Saturday in qualifying.

"We'll try and have the best race we can but anything is possible. Even if qualifying doesn't go to plan, Sunday is a long race so I'll be staying positive until the end."

MIKA: Winning some points is not completely out of the question here considering Webber in 2002 won 2 points comming 5th place with Minardi which coincidentally is now Torro Rosso. Funny how fate works out...

[MIKA27]

Domenicali sure Ferrari will be in the fight

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali is convinced his outfit will be in the fight for the title throughout the 2012 season, despite a less then impressive pre-season.

The Italian outfit hasn't impressed during the winter tests and has often admitted that their current performance level is less than desired.

Domenicali however remains confident and says the team won't be downhearted if they're not on the lead pace at the first race of the season this weekend.

"Everyone is eager to get going with a new challenge," he said. "It's going to be a very long season and, at least as far as I see it, a very unpredictable one: there are many teams who look like being in the hunt, especially in the early stages.

"We arrive in Australia knowing we have not reached our goals in terms of performance for a variety of reasons, which we have discussed at length over the past few days. However, I wish to repeat what I said before, we still need to wait a few days before knowing where we stand in relation to the others.

"I'm convinced that we will be in the fight and we will be there right to the end. I said the same thing at the end of last season: if we happen to do well in the first race, we will not be making a show of ourselves, just as we must not feel downhearted if we are not competitive at the highest level.

"All we must do is stay focussed on the job of developing the car. The championship does not end until the end of November, which is something we should never forget."

[MIKA27]

Lotus signs three-year Microsoft sponsorship

The Lotus F1 Team has announced a three-year deal which sees Microsoft join the outfit as a sponsor and supplier.

The deal sees Microsoft Dynamics branding on the Lotus E20 and drivers overalls with immediate effect.

As part of the partnership, Microsoft Dynamics solutions, which are designed to enable organisations to be more agile and globally competitive in today's business environment, will be implemented at Lotus F1 Team's Enstone base to facilitate the team's business transformation.

For the duration of the agreement, Microsoft personnel will work directly with Lotus F1 Team to continuously transform and optimise operations towards a world class facility.

"Lotus F1 Team is extremely proud to have attracted Microsoft Dynamics as a business and sponsorship partner," said Patrick Louis, Chief Executive Officer of Lotus.

"We are entering an exciting phase in the development of our business model as we move from our recent change management period to a 'global business transformation' process. Microsoft Dynamics will be a crucial enabler for our objectives. This association will help Lotus F1 Team to become comprehensively process and KPI driven, enabling our "smart" approach towards Formula 1."

Hal Howard, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Dynamics ERP Research and Development added: "In a business where every thousandth of a second matters, Microsoft is revved up about working with the Lotus F1 team to help drive efficiencies into their operations and make those seconds count. The Lotus F1 Team is a forward-looking and agile business, and Microsoft is thrilled to provide them with the technology that will help them transform into a Dynamic Business and win."

[MIKA27]

Codemasters secure extended F1 license

Codemasters has secured a multi-year licensing extension to continue developing official Formula 1 games for the PC, PS3, Xbox and other gaming devices.

The British based developer secured its original license back in 2009 with the release of the Wii version. Since then, the company has sold over 5.5 million copies of its F1 2009, F1 2010 (which is the fastest selling F1 game in history) and the most recent F1 2011.

Formula One group CEO Bernie Ecclestone said of the deal: "Codemasters has created some of the best and most successful Formula One games to date. We and the teams work closely with them and look forward to creating more award-winning games together in the future."

Rod Cousens, Codemasters CEO, added: "We got off to a strong start with Formula One but we harbour ambitions to do much more. Formula One is front of mind at Codemasters and we give it the focus and attention it deserves. We have established close links across the sport and they know that, in Codemasters, they have a great partner.

"We remain ambitious with our plans and want to take the series forward. We want to take it to new geographies, make it available on new platforms to new audiences. We are taking Formula One to a new online platform this spring and our portfolio will be extended with a Formula One experience that will address a younger video game audience later in 2012.

"Our teams are hard at it, creating world class Formula One games across multiple genres for players irrespective of location or gaming platform and now, for many years to come."

The company is set to debut a free online F1 management game later this year, similar to that of Football Manager.

MIKA: I agree, Codemasters do a splendid job with details, sounds and gameplay. I've got it on PS Vita and it's

brilliant!

[MIKA27]

Herbert chosen as Australian GP steward again

Johnny Herbert will fulfil the role of driver representative on the FIA stewards panel for the Australian Grand Prix, for the second time in a row.

The former driver of 160 race starts sat in the same seat for the 2011 Australian GP as well as last years inaugural Indian GP.

The Englishman will preside over the rule book as part of the governing body's bid to ensure all decisions are impartial and influenced by someone with experience.

He will be joined by Paul Gutjahr, the president of the FIA Hill Climb Commission and board member and president of the Auto Sport Suisse SARL.

The third steward will be Enzo Spano, president of the Sporting Commission of the Automobile and Touring Club of Venezuela.

[mikec]

Ok I'm ready to make my predictions for the podium this weekend. Anyone else please join me with your picks for the first GP of the season. I usually dont do this especially with the formidable fiels this year it's almost impossible to pick the top three. So hear goes (based on a dry race) which it probably won't be:

1st- Michael Schumacher-Mercedes AMG

2nd-Kimi Raikkonen-Lotus

3rd-Jenson Button-McLaren Mercedes

Waddya think of that? Pretty wild picks but I predict a VERY crazy race if it's dry and a completely insane race if it's wet. I predict first corner carnage taking out some of the favourites (Hamilton& Vettel in particular) Can't wait for practice to start in about 9 hours.

[OZCUBAN]

Hi all

Great to see this thread back up and running for this year ,you do a fantastic job Mika ,

My predictions

Are

1. Webber

2 Vettal

3 Alonso or button, can't make my mind up

If Hamilton and Vettal take each other out that will be a good result

Cheers OZ

[Bartolomeo]

Cant wait for this weekend!

[MIKA27]

Ok so it looks like it's going to be wet weather.

My predictions: (Wishful thinking)

- P1: Button

- P2: Schumacher

- P3: Webber or Rosberg

I think it's going to be a wild race with many trying to push through turn 1 and there will be carnage as no doubt the rookies will try to prove themselves.

[MIKA27]

THE PADDOCK BUZZ IN MELBOURNE:

The F1 paddock was in full swing today as the new season got underway in Melbourne. The atmosphere was positive, with everyone looking forward to what should be a closely fought championship. But as always there are undertones of problems in the offing. And the weather threw up some surprises with rain storms in the afternoon and evening. More are forecast.Whatever happens from here this is an historic season already for two reasons; it’s the first time there have been six world champions in the field and it’s the longest ever F1 season with 20 races.

Although there are voices in the paddock still saying that next month’s Bahrain GP will not happen, people on the ground there have told JA on F1 that the situation is quite different from last year. One neutral reader with no axe to grind, who lives in the Gulf and visits Bahrain regularly, told me this week, “The security threat is nothing like it was 12 months ago, and as far as the race being a ‘political statement’, I don’t think normal people, even those with strong opinions on such matters, see the race as such.” However FIA president Jean Todt said after the recent FIA World Council that they “will take the right decisions at the appropriate time”, which suggests that there are still decisions needing to be made.

Other threats are everywhere; the teams are divided with the FOTA seven on one side and five teams on the outside in Ferrari, Red Bull, Toro Rosso, HRT and Sauber.

They are working together to try to control costs and the signs are that this process is about to enter a new phase where the policing of the Resource Restriction Agreement will fall under FIA management. This is something that all the teams, with a couple of exceptions, are in favour of. Ferrari support it as do Mercedes and McLaren. For it to become part of next year’s regulations it needs to be passed by a majority and that is something being worked towards at the moment.

This way, should anyone be found to have overspent, there would be the possibility of some sanction from the FIA, which FOTA did not have and which therefore made it pointless in the eyes of Ferrari.

Smaller teams running out of money is another threat, with suggestions that not every team will make it to the end of the season.

The paddock was full of the usual hubbub, people reuniting after four months apart, drivers doing a frantic round of media interviews. I spoke to Alonso, Hamilton, Button and Raikkonen today, four of the six world champions, who are ready to dive into this new season.

“F1 is about improving the car every race and it’s something we will have to do better than the others if we want to win the championship,” said a cheerful Alonso. “But I’m in the best team, I trust the team and I know that if everything goes well, before long we will fight for victories and hopefully it will not be too late. We want to be world champions in November, so let’s see how we start in March. We have managed to maximise the Pirelli tyres over a single lap, so that’s good news for qualifying and the first lap. After that it’s all about aerodynamics.”

The word in the paddock is that Ferrari has a heavily revised car under development for the Spanish Grand Prix in May. It will require new crash tests and will be designed to make the external exhaust concept work and the set up be more consistent.

This evening FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting gave a briefing on new rules and answered any questions the media had. He said that the FIA is currently satisfied that the exhausts on all cars here in Melbourne are legal,

“All of the systems we’ve seen so far comply with the extensive new regulations so our position is simple: we are not in a position to be able to say exactly how much aerodynamic influence each individual system has,” said Whiting. “The aim of the new regulation was to ensure that we don’t have to do that. We have no idea how much aerodynamic influence each individual system has, nor really at this point is it anything that interests us. As long as they comply with the rules, we are happy. And as far as we’ve seen so far, they all do comply with the rules.”

He also clarified that the FIA has never said that F Ducts are banned, however driver operated systems, such as McLaren pioneered in 2010, are banned. Another point he made was that DRS Wings are in the 2014 technical regulations, which herald a new era of F1. In other words, DRS is here to stay.

A final note from the Whiting briefing; he said that the Technical Working Group discussed in October the ugly stepped noses on the cars, but it was considered too late in the design cycle to change it for 2012. He did imply that there would be efforts made to improve the situation with a tweaking of the rules for 2013.

Practice gets underway tomorrow. All eyes will be on the Mercedes who have a clever device on the rear wing which acts like an F Duct, but is not driver operated. Whiting alluded to it today, “What it appears some teams are doing is that when the DRS is operated, it will allow air to pass into a duct and do other things,” he explained.

“That is all I can say – you will probably have a pretty good idea of what it might be doing, and other teams will as well. But it is completely passive. There are no moving parts in it; it doesn’t interact with any suspension. No steering, nothing. Therefore I cannot see a rule that prohibits it.”

The usual cut and thrust of F1 life is in full swing, in other words.

For any readers in the UK, here is the full schedule of the BBC coverage of the weekend. Jaime Alguersuari, Jennie Gow and myself will do the commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and on BBC Online (practice sessions).

AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2012, DAY ONE

Friday, 16 March: Practice 0130-0300 and 0530-0700. Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live. Live text and audio commentary on BBC Sport website

AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2012, DAY TWO

Saturday, 17 March: Practice 0300-0400. Qualifying 0600. Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live. Live text and audio commentary on BBC Sport website. Extended highlights on BBC Two 1300-1415

AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2012, DAY THREE

Sunday, 18 March: Race 0600. Live commentary on 5 live. Live text and audio commentary on BBC Sport website. Extended highlights on BBC One at 1400-1600

[MIKA27]

Brawn 'keen' for Schumi to continue

Ross Brawn says he would like Michael Schumacher to extend his stay with Mercedes as that would mean the team is making progress.

Schumacher returned to Formula One with Mercedes in 2010 but has yet to finish on the podium never mind claim a race victory.

His lack of success has led to some speculation that this year - the last on his contract - could also be his last in Formula One.

However, Brawn reckons should Schumacher opt to re-sign it would be an indication that success has arrived for the German and his team.

"It's completely open as to how things will go this season," said Brawn.

"No decision has been reached and there's no timetable. That is something that will naturally evolve and is the nature of these things.

"But at some point in the season we will all have to conclude we carry on or we do something else.

"At the moment it's very relaxed, very natural. We'll do the first third or half of the season and see how things develop.

"But I'm very keen to see Michael continue because that means we're succeeding in what we're trying to do."

[MIKA27]

Prac One: First blood to Button

Jenson Button got McLaren's season off to the perfect start as he led a 1-2 at a damp Albert Park circuit on Friday.

The 2012 season received the green light at noon on Friday with the track declared wet after a few showers earlier in the day.

This, though, did little to dampen spirits as a massive crowd was present for the opening day of the season.

Button took the honours with a 1:27.560, dethroning Mercedes's Michael Schumacher late in the session.

His team-mate Lewis Hamilton followed suit minutes later as, in the dying seconds of practice, he climbed to second place just 0.245s off the pace.

The McLaren duo relegated Schumacher to third, 0.675s off the pace.

Fernando Alonso, who had a near miss as the chequered flag fall when he went into a slide through the final corner almost hitting the pit wall, was fourth quickest ahead of Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg.

It was a solid start to the season for Toro Rosso and Williams with Daniel Ricciardo and Pastor Maldonado seventh and eighth while Kimi Raikkonen was ninth.

However, the Lotus F1 racer had a very slow start to his season as he was stuck in the pits for most of the session with a steering column problem. He managed just eight laps.

Kamui Kobayashi completed the top ten ahead of reigning World Champ Sebastian Vettel.

It was a disappointing start to the season for Felipe Massa, who lost control of his F2012 under braking for Turn 9, beaching his car in the gravel.

But it was an even worse start for HRT who were not able to get Pedro de la Rosa out onto the track at all while Narain Karthikeyan's practice ended after three laps with an engine problem.

[MIKA27]

Ricciardo told 'don't worry about crashing'

Daniel Ricciardo has warned that he isn't going to hold anything back as he gears up for his first full season in Formula 1.The Australian competed in ten races for HRT in 2011 before being promoted to a full-time seat at Toro Rosso.

The Italian outfit have told him not to worry about crashing the car as it proves he's pushing to find the absolute maximum.

"We're going to be on the edge," Ricciardo said. "They [the team] have said if you make a mistake, it happens. At least we know you're pushing it.

"Obviously we're not going out there trying to crash the car, but sometimes a team needs to see you go off, whether it's a crash or you run across the grass, to know that you're trying to find that limit.

"I'm not going to hold back," he warned.

MIKA: See...I told you all. The rookies will not hold back, try to push through the field and take out the midfielders and guys out in front which is not right. It will get messy!

[MIKA27]

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER EXPLAINS THE START PROCEDURE:

Schumi is one of the very best with getting a good, clean start and is well known to make up places even if he's qualified to the midfield. Canada last year was a great example.

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Mercedes F1 team's rear wing concept deemed legal by FIA

Mercedes' hopes of delivering on its strong winter testing form have received a boost, with the FIA confirming ahead of the Australian Grand Prix that a radical wing concept the team has pioneered is fully legal.The Brackley-based outfit stirred up interest from its rivals throughout pre-season testing with its W03 featuring its own version of a rear-wing F-duct concept - that some suspected was activated by vents being opened when the upper wing elements moves during DRS activation.

It is understood that rival teams queried the legality of such a system – which vents the air through the endplates and in to the main plane, to help stall the wing and boost straight-line speed – with the FIA.

However, despite the way the system effectively makes use of driver movement when he activates the DRS, the FIA has no doubts that it complies with the regulations.

When asked by AUTOSPORT to clarify the situation, the head of the FIA's F1 technical department Charlie Whiting said: "Some teams are questioning it on the basis that they thought F-ducts were banned. Well, F-ducts are not banned.

"At the end of 2010 everyone was using driver operated F-ducts and the regulations that were changed specifically banned the use of driver movement to influence the aerodynamic performance of the car – that got rid of that generation of so-called F-ducts.

"At the beginning of last year, with engineers being unable to unlearn things, they wanted to try and get the effect via different means, and they talked about opening and closing a duct by having interaction with the suspension. We said no, you cannot do that because that is not the primary purpose of the suspension system – which is to insulate the car from undulations in the road.

"There was then a lengthy discussion in the TWG at the beginning of last year about that, to make sure everyone was clear about it. It seems a couple of teams went away from that meeting with the impression that F-ducts were banned in general. Whatever an F-duct is. But they are not."

Whiting would not reveal further details of how the Mercedes system works, but said that he viewed it as completely passive.

"What it appears some teams are doing is that when the DRS is operated, it will allow air to pass into a duct and do other things," he explained.

"That is all I can say – you will probably have a pretty good idea of what it might be doing, and other teams will as well. But it is completely passive. There are no moving parts in it; it doesn't interact with any suspension. No steering, nothing. Therefore I cannot see a rule that prohibits it."

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Argentina on verge of grand prix deal from 2013 season

Argentina is on the verge of securing its return to the Formula 1 calendar, the country's president said on Wednesday.Cristina Fernandez said the country has agreed a three-year deal that will see grand prix racing return to the South American nation from 2013.

She said the race will be hosted at a circuit in seaside resort Mar del Plata, 400 km from Argentina's capital Buenos Aires. There is currently no circuit in Mar del Plata.

The race, Fernandez said, will take place at the end of November from the 2013 season.

"We are closing [the deal]," Fernandez said. "For three years, in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in the city of Mar del Plata.

"For us it will be very important because after football, racing is the second favourite sport for Argentineans. Getting Formula 1 back to Argentina is something we deserve in order to be able to show the things we have."

Argentina, which hosts the Dakar rally and a round of the World Rally Championship, last hosted a Formula 1 grand prix back in 1998 in Buenos Aires.

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Jenson Button sad that Rubens Barrichello's persistence for a 2012 F1 seat cost him a big send-off

Jenson Button is sad that the Formula 1 community never had the opportunity to celebrate Rubens Barrichello's career with him as a result of the sport's most experienced driver refusing to give up hope of finding a race seat for this

season.Button, who was Barrichello's team-mate for four years at Honda (and the Brawn when the team changed owners) from 2006 to 2009, reckons that the 39-year-old Brazilian's determination to stay in the sport cost him the chance to bow out in style.

"He is a friend and I worked with him for four years and I have a lot of respect for him," Button said when asked if he would miss Barrichello's presence in the paddock. "I think we were all very disappointed that he wasn't going to be racing this year and also disappointed that Rubens decided to fight to race in F1 because we didn't get to have a big party at the end of the year in Brazil.

"But Rubens is a racer and he still loves it. He's nearly 40 years old and he's raced more GPs than anyone but he still wants to be racing and he's got the hunger still - and he's still quick. Setting up the car he's one of the best in the business.

"He's got his new career now in IndyCar – which is brave – after doing this for so long. But Rubens will be strong definitely."

While Barrichello left the sport against his wishes, Button added that Kimi Raikkonen's return to F1 this year was a cautionary tale for drivers who are considering quitting.

"It just shows you that you shouldn't give up too early on the sport," said Button. "There are obviously things in every job that you dislike, but we are doing one of the best jobs in the world and it proves with Michael [schumacher] leaving and coming back and Kimi [Raikkonen] leaving and coming back, that you have got to be careful when you leave and when you decide to retire.

"It's good to have him back. He's an interesting character and he's a great driver."

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I'm sitting in my office right now and can hear the cars for practice 2!

Also watching the live feed from:

http://tensport.com....e-streaming.htm

Can't wait for the weekend!!