FORMULA 1 - 2010

[MIKA27]

Epsilon Euskadi will reapply for 2011 season

Epsilon Euskadi will reapply to compete in Formula One in 2011, owner Joan Villadelprat has confirmed.

Epsilon applied for the 2010 season, but missed out on one of four slots, which went to Lotus, Virgin, Hispania (Campos) and the failed USF1 outfit.

"We were ready in June, we had the financial support, but for whatever reasons we were not chosen," Villadelprat said.

It's thought the reason Epsilon, along with Prodrive weren't chosen because they intended not to use the Cosworth engine, but rather source an engine from Renault, Mercedes or Ferrari.

"We will reopen the project, and my job is to re-gather all of the support that we had," he said, according to ESPNF1. "If the FIA gives us enough time to be ready for next year, we can be in F1."

The FIA have just one open spot for a new team, but noted in a press release that they will also look to secure a reserve in the event a team fails between now and 2011.

MIKA: I believe the FIA have made some serious mistakes in who they chose (New teams) seeing Epsilon and Stefan GP have had their hands up since word go to be on the 2010 grid. Instead, FIA chose USFI which had no solid guarantee they would be at the first meet and even HRT almost didn't make it.

[MIKA27]

Access tunnel collapses at Spa Francorchamps

A section of an access tunnel underneath the track at Spa-Francorchamps collapsed on Sunday morning.

The Blanchimont Entry Tunnel, which is located just before Paul Frere Corner (formerly Stavelot), provides access from the outside of the circuit to a karting track on the infield. The incident has left a hole in the surface of the run-off on the outside of the corner, though the only damage to the track itself is some cracks in the asphalt.

The circuit was running a Club Subaru Belgium track day on Sunday but the Belgian media reported that there was nobody in the tunnel or on the circuit at the time of the collapse.

The tunnel was built in 1978, with the last remodelling of the Spa circuit - just beyond Blanchimont - taking place in 2007.

Spa is scheduled to host the Belgian Grand Prix on August 27-29 this year. The circuit was only due to hold test and track days in the coming weeks, ahead of the visits of Formula Renault 3.5 on May 1-2 and the Le Mans Series on May 8-9.

[MIKA27]

More to come from Renault – Kubica

Robert Kubica says he is feeling “very positive” about Renault’s early-season form and reckons it has plenty more speed to exploit from the R30 in Australia.

On the face of it the Enstone-based squad made an unspectacular start to the new season in Bahrain, failing to score a point after team leader Kubica’s hopes of building on his ninth-placed grid position were dashed in a first-lap tangle with Adrian Sutil.

However, Kubica believes that while it may not have take any hard results away from the season-opener, his race pace was such that he would have been enough to score a solid haul of points – suggesting seventh place, ahead of McLaren’s Jenson Button, would have been possible.

Kubica reckons Renault should therefore be in an upbeat mood heading into the second round this weekend.

“We had a very intense winter working hard to understand and improve the car, so it was nice to finally be able to compare where we stand,” he said.

“I still want a couple more races to really judge the situation, because Bahrain is a slightly unusual circuit in some aspects, but I’m feeling very positive.

“We didn’t achieve our full potential in qualifying or the race, for different reasons, but seventh position was realistic in both cases.

“It was disappointing not to achieve that, but encouraging to know that we had the possibility of doing it.”

Indeed the Polish ace is optimistic that the team may be able to show its car’s true capabilities at Albert Park, Kubica one of several drivers on the grid expecting the more open parkland layout to suit his respective 2010 challenger more than Sakhir.

“Overall, before the start of the season, I had the feeling that Melbourne would be a better circuit for us than Bahrain,” Kubica added.

“Now that we have seen the other cars running and collected more information about where we stand, I think even more that it will be a good circuit for us.

“The circuit is very low grip at the start of the weekend, and you need good mechanical grip, braking stability and ride, so I hope we can put in a strong performance and achieve the car’s full potential.”

Renault’s bid to open its points account for 2010 will be aided by several key upgrades this weekend, with the R30 to feature a new front wing and a new part on the rear wing as the team chases more downforce.

“We’re looking at all areas, but it’s no secret that downforce still rules in F1 and the more downforce we can put on the car, the better,” said its chief race engineer Alan Permane.

“We’re also looking at addressing some of our weaknesses on the mechanical side, but that’s a longer term project and it will be a few races before we can integrate suspension updates.”

Permane acknowledges the former champion squad is still a long way from fighting for wins and podium finishes once again, but thinks it should take great heart from Kubica’s race pace in Bahrain and aim for a double Q3 starting berth this time out.

“He did a very credible job to fight back to 11th in the middle part of the race and his pace was very competitive – as quick as the two Mercedes and the McLaren of Button," he said.

“It’s clear that we’re not in the same league as Ferrari and Red Bull at the moment, but the performance in Bahrain gives me confidence that we can challenge for some good points this year.”

He added: “The target [in Australia] is to get both drivers into Q3. I think that’s a realistic target given our competitiveness. If we can do that then both drivers should be capable of fighting for points.”

[patman24]

I can't wait to see tricked out diffusers in Australia. Let's see if the front runners stay in the front; or whether, the others can close the gap. But mostly, I hope that we see real racing going on. Forget saving the tires and motors. GO FLAT OUT F1!

[MIKA27]

I can't wait to see tricked out diffusers in Australia. Let's see if the front runners stay in the front; or whether, the others can close the gap. But mostly, I hope that we see real racing going on. Forget saving the tires and motors. GO FLAT OUT F1!

Perfectly stated Patman!

I hope the midfielders can now catch up to the front runners and provide a challenge. Melbourne is an excellect track to overtake and catch up so perhaps the likes of Mercedes GP (Who seem strong) and Williams can get in the battles. Red Bull racing a SUPER strong!

[MIKA27]

Alonso talks down calls for change

Fernando Alonso has accused his rivals of making "hot-headed comments" given the criticism that followed the season-opener in Bahrain.

The likes of Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber all spoke about the difficulty of overtaking after the race in Sakhir in light of the new regulations for this year.

A number of team principals such as McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh and Christian Horner at Red Bull Racing even suggested there should be two mandatory stops in a race to help spice up the show.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, however, has suggested there is no need to panic, and that if problems continue, they will likely be addressed following the next three "flyaway" races in Australia, Malaysia and China.

Alonso, arguably from a position of strength given the victory on his debut for Ferrari, has also now waded into the debate.

"I think many of us gave some hot-headed comments immediately after the race in Bahrain," remarked the double world champion, who led a Ferrari one-two.

"It's true the race in Sakhir wasn't especially spectacular, although for us Ferraris it was great and exciting.

"But it's too early to talk about changing the rules. We have to wait and see different races and check the situation, without being emotional.

"Something that confuses the fans is changing the rules all the time."

Alonso is refusing to get carried away by his success in Bahrain, in particular as the Red Bull was the class act of the field.

Sebastian Vettel was comfortably quickest in qualifying and in the race until a faulty spark plug robbed him of victory and relegated him to fourth.

Assessing this weekend's race in Melbourne, Alonso added: "The one-two in Sakhir has given us confidence.

"It was a great result for the hard work during the winter on the track and at the factory, but we can't take anything for granted.

"We have to keep our feet on the ground, keep calm and stay concentrated. In Melbourne we're starting from square one.

"Nothing has changed for me. There are four teams and eight drivers who can fight for victory, and we have to give it our all to stay ahead of everybody else."

MIKA: Fantastic to see Ferrari winning the one/two but I wonder if Alonsos' tune would be different if Vettel didn't have the engine trouble and won the race? I am sure Alonso wouldn't be making the same remark about not changing the rules considering Ferrari were well out paced by the Red Bull racer..... He is well known to 'carry on and complain' when things don't work out for him.

[MIKA27]

Button hopeful Australia will suit McLaren

After the disappointment of Bahrain, Jenson Button is hopeful that Australia will suit McLaren better so that they can catch Red Bull and Ferrari.

Button started the defence of his World Championship with a seventh-place finish in the Middle East as the Woking team struggled to match the pace of the two front-runners.

Next up on the calendar is the Australian GP and Button - who won last year's race at Albert Park with Brawn GP - hopes the team can challenge Red Bull and Ferrari.

"The first race for us was difficult," he told Reuters. "I don't think the car suited Bahrain too well.

"I think it will suit this circuit [Albert Park] better. It's a lower downforce circuit so we have to wait and see.

"A podium would be fantastic here (in Melbourne). I think that has to be the aim. I think it's a possibility and you've got to set your sights pretty high.

"I think the Red Bulls are very strong, I think the Ferraris are very strong, and then it's probably us.

"But I'm hoping with the circuit change and a few little updates we'll be closer to them and maybe challenging them here."

This year's race Down Under will once again start in daylight and finish in twilight, something which is a bit of a concern for the 30-year-old.

"It sounds petty, but it's not," he said. "It can be dangerous if you've got the sun in your eyes and you can't see where you're going.

"But I'd rather be racing in the day, even a twilight race for me, I'd rather that than the night-time.

"Out in front's probably not such a bad place to be (as the sun sets), so hopefully we can put ourselves in the same place and won't have to worry."

MIKA: If Button wants to do well, I will state the obvious... He has to out qualify Hamilton. I hope he can, but I highly doubt it.

[MIKA27]

Webber: Ferrari & Lewis are our challengers

Mark Webber believes the two Ferrari drivers and Lewis Hamilton (nope, no mention of Jenson Button) will be Red Bull's main challengers in Australia this weekend.

Red Bull had mixed fortunes in the Bahrain season opener after Sebastian Vettel, who started on pole, saw a possible race victory slip away after a spark plug problem.

Webber, who finished eighth in the Middle East, says the Milton Keynes-based outfit should once again be one of the front-runners in Melbourne.

"I am expecting the car to be strong here as well," he told Autosport. "There is absolutely no reason it shouldn't be - but whether it is enough to have a really, really successful weekend you just never know.

"You can never discount both Ferrari drivers, and particularly Lewis [Hamilton] - who looked like he had a particularly good weekend in Bahrain once he got past Nico [Rosberg], so it is exciting. I am looking forward to it actually."

Hamilton this week called Red Bull's RB6 "ridiculously faster than anyone else's car", much to Webber's delight.

"Yeah! It is a nice compliment for our guys - and nice we have got three drivers telling them that they've done a good job with their car," he said. "That's good - and they have.

"At the end of the day we are not a small team, but we are still Red Bull Racing and the job they have done is incredible. If you look at last year, what they have done there, and then look at this year, to roll out with not a big change in regulations, we could have been a bit exposed, but the car is clearly a very good evolution of the RB5, and that is a credit to all of the guys at the team."

MIKA: RBR do have a great racer however I think Webber is in the same boat as Button (Have a great car but had a poor race week) in that Webber does not mention Button, is that because he completely forgot about mentioning Button who finished in front of Webber in P7 at Bahrain?

Webber shouldn't say 'OUR' Challengers but rather 'Vettels' challengers as looking at Bahrain, Webbers challengers were the midfielders not the front runners.

Looking at Melbourne GP, Don't be surprised to see Mercedes GP and Renault up there in front.

[MIKA27]

Sutil wants to close the gap to top five

Adrian Sutil believes Force India have the potential to close the gap to the top five in Australia this weekend.

Force India had a decent start in the season opener in Bahrain with Tonio Liuzzi picking up a couple of points after finishing ninth. It was a mixed weekend for Sutil as he made it into Q3, but was then forced to settle for 12th after spinning on the opening lap.

The German is confident the team can build on that performance in Melbourne.

"Everything went well until the start of the race for me and then I dropped back down the field but from the team perspective at least one car got into the points," he said. "But now we want to go even higher in Australia. I think there is still potential to improve everything and get close to the top five or six."

The Australian Grand Prix will once again start in daylight and finish in twilight and Liuzzi admits the change in conditions could have an effect on the tyres.

"It wasn't a real problem last year - there was just one corner where the sun was very low and it was maybe a bit harder to see but everywhere else it was okay," he said.

"The real challenge is that it can be critical with the temperature as the sun goes down and when you are on the harder tyre you start to have warm-up problems. But I think Bridgestone have worked on this now and so I am not worried about this."

MIKA: Force India are a great team/out-fit and I hope they do well this weekend. They certainly have the potential to be there with the big guns and may just end up being one of the 'Big guns' in the next couple of seasons.

[MIKA27]

'Fuel consumption could be RBR's problem'

Red Bull's RB6 could be a fuel-guzzling machine, according to Ron Dennis, who doubts it was a spark plug that ruined Seb Vettel's Bahrain race.

The season-opening Bahrain GP looked to a sure victory for Vettel, who claimed pole position before storming away from the chasing pack.

However, victory was snatched away when he suffered a sudden loss of power that eventually saw him fall to fourth place behind the Ferraris and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.

Initially it was assumed that the problem was caused by a broken exhaust while Red Bull later revealed that it was in fact a faulty spark plug that led to Vettel's demise.

However, former McLaren team boss Dennis isn't so sure about that.

"The lap times dropped so rapidly that one can imagine the electronic control unit (ECU) switching to a conservative programme to save fuel," ESPN reports Dennis as having said.

"The problem with the Red Bull could be design. It could be the fuel tank is too small, or the fuel consumption is higher than they expected."

MIKA: Or it could have been a problem with the McLaren designed ECU which all teams use.....The misfiring engine could be a mode, that stops injecting fuel to all the cylinders all of the time to save fuel hence Vettels sudden loss of speed.

[MIKA27]

Renault target Q3 for both drivers

Renault are confident they can fight for points in Australia this weekend after making several updates to the R30.

The team failed to score points in last week's race in Bahrain. Robert Kubica started ninth and finished 11th after taking a knock on the opening lap while his rookie team-mate Vitaly Petrov was 17th on the grid and retired with a tyre problem.

Things though are looking up for the French squad and Permaine hopes the updates will help them to get both drivers into the final qualifying round on Saturday.

"The target is to get both drivers into Q3," he said. "I think that's a realistic target given our competitiveness. If we can do that then both drivers should be capable of fighting for points.

"We have some new aero parts for Melbourne, which should give us a bit more performance. There's a new front wing and a new part on the rear wing, which improves our overall downforce."

Kubica admits that Bahrain was always going to be tough for the team, but they hope to extract the car's full potential in Melbourne.

"Overall, before the start of the season, I had the feeling that Melbourne would be a better circuit for us than Bahrain," he said. "Now that we have seen the other cars running and collected more information about where we stand, I think even more that it will be a good circuit for us.

"The circuit is very low grip at the start of the weekend and you need good mechanical grip, braking stability and ride, so I hope we can put in a strong performance and achieve the car's full potential."

[MIKA27]

Force India preview the Australian GP

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal: In Bahrain Tonio finished ninth and 'best of the rest' behind the eight cars from the four pacesetting teams. Were you satisfied with that?

"It's what our objective was over the winter. We set ourselves an internal objective of finishing fifth in the World Championship. I know there's a long way to go, but it's a right start. We've got a solid car to start with, and we've got a good base, and now it's about the development rate for the rest of the year. It was fantastic for Tonio to have scored points for the first time since 2007. Adrian's second fastest lap means there's also some good for him to take out of the race too. I think we all acknowledge that last year our progress was sporadic - on some tracks we were very quick, on others not so good - so to come out this strongly is a really good step forward. With the new upgrades we have in the pipeline for Australia I can say with every faith that we can carry the momentum forward."

Paul di Resta will be driving one of the cars on Friday in Australia. What is the thinking behind that?

"Paul is a very good driver and has a lot of potential. But as a third driver the question is how he can use this potential if there's no testing in-season. This is a good solution all round, he can learn the car and the tracks in real time and therefore spend his simulator time helping to develop the car, which will be of real benefit to us. The race drivers are very supportive of the move - they've all been young drivers one time!"

How has the reaction been in India to the team's success?

"Formula One is growing by leaps and bounds in India. Firstly they have an Indian team and now, in the form of Karun Chandhok, they have an Indian driver. The fans now have genuine interest to hold on to. Sure, people were aware of the big legends of the sport - Ferrari, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton - but for them to have tangible, identifiable properties is the difference between a minority sport and national interest. With the Indian Grand Prix now looking very promising it's really building - you've got these heroes and now you can go and watch them too. You can see the interest growing day by day, on our social networking site we've got more than one million followers."

Adrian Sutil: How would you review Bahrain?

"I think it was a very good start to the season. We were very competitive in free practice, I was quickest in FP1, and then again in qualifying where both Tonio and myself were in the top 12. Last year we didn't get through to Q2 in Bahrain so to come out and be in the top 12 is really positive. Everything went well until the start of the race for me and then I dropped back down the field but from the team perspective at least one car got into the points. But now we want to go even higher in Australia. I think there is still potential to improve everything and get close to the top five or six."

From your perspective how was the racing in Bahrain?

"Well, after the start I dropped down to 21st position and I came 12th at the end of the race so it shows that you can overtake and have a good race. OK, some of the cars I passed were the new teams and we had a performance advantage over them, but in the midpoint of the race I was fighting with Kubica [Renault] and the two Saubers so you can pass with the new regulations, it was just higher up the field that people were very cautious. But then at the first race of the year you never know really how everything will behave in race trim. You do long run simulations in testing, but until you have the field around you it's can never be 100% representative. Under these circumstances it's natural to take care as you don't want to be a DNF in the first race. But last year's Bahrain Grand Prix was also not that interesting, with only refuelling and pit stops so never really overtaking possibilities. I think every driver was a bit cautious as it was the first race and we had to go a long distance on the soft tyre and nobody really knew the best way to call it. Now we will go to Australia and tweak it a bit more to the limit and start to be a more aggressive. I think there will be some more overtaking."

Looking to Australia now, what are your thoughts on the Albert Park circuit?

"It's one of my favourites. It's quite a nice street circuit with a few run off areas through a park so it's very beautiful. But it's also very challenging with a lot of quick corners and a few slow speed corners so altogether it's a great circuit to race on. I also have a lot of history there - I made my race debut for Spyker at the track in 2007, it was where Force India made their race debut the next year and then last year I was ninth. If we can get that position again this year that's two points! We've got to aim for this or higher - I'm pretty happy with where we were in qualifying and how we performed in the Bahrain race so we've got a lot of reasons to look forward to Australia now."

Tonio Liuzzi: Tonio, Bahrain was a great result for you and the team. How was it from your perspective?

"Overall the whole weekend was positive. We learned a lot about the tyres and how they perform in the warm temperatures and also how far we can push the fuel in the race. I was a bit disappointed with qualifying in that we never got a clear lap, but the race was encouraging and was a great result for the team and myself. The team has worked so hard over the winter to find improvements and never gave up pushing so to get two points in the first race is fantastic. They are a team that is focussed, knows what they are doing and how to get there so they really deserve it to have good results on a regular basis. This is just the start."

There's some new upgrades coming for Australia as well. Do you think this could push you further up the field?

"We have some new developments on the front and rear wing. I'm pretty hopeful it will be a step forward as every upgrade we made last year was positive, so the correlation from the wind tunnel seems to be working well. Of course you never know what the others are bringing but I would hope this would move us a little closer to the teams in front. My target would be to get into Q3 this time out and then, of course, get into the points again."

Australia will be a twilight race again, with the start at 17:00hrs. From a driver's perspective is this an issue or a particular challenge?

It wasn't a real problem last year - there was just one corner where the sun was very low and it was maybe a bit harder to see but everywhere else it was OK. The real challenge is that it can be critical with the temperature as the sun goes goes down and when you are on the harder tyre you start to have warm-up problems. But I think Bridgestone have worked on this now and so I am not worried about this. We'll look through the findings from Bahrain and see what we can do.

[Bartolomeo]

So how many Aussies do we have attending the race this weekend?

Bart

[MIKA27]

So how many Aussies do we have attending the race this weekend?

Bart

I'm there all weekend (Moss Stand)

Will hopefully leave work a little early today and have a peek at the track seeing I have a 4 day pass.

[MIKA27]

'Sauber have copied McLaren's f duct'

It looks like Sauber have won the race to become the first team to copy McLaren's controversial rear wing design.

McLaren arrived in Bahrain a fortnight ago with small flaps in the rear wing of the MP4-25, much to the dismay of most of their competitors.

However, the FIA gave the flaps - which is apparently operated by the drivers who use their right knee to cover the flow of air into the cockpit tunnel - the green light despite protests of McLaren's rivals.

This resulted in several teams indicating that they have no alternative but to copy the design.

According to BBC F1 commentator Jonathan Legard, Sauber have already developed their own device and are considering whether to use it during this weekend's Australian Grand Prix.

He wrote on Twitter: 'Sauber weighing up whether to run their version of the McLaren 'f duct'. McLaren surprised. Took them 2 yrs to develop it.'

[MIKA27]

The weather gods to smile on Melbourne?

This weekend's Australian Grand Prix could yet be an exciting affair, but not because of sudden rule changes or improved performances from the chasing pack.

It could be all down to the weather as rain is predicted in Melbourne.

Local hero Mark Webber tongue-in-cheekly suggested earlier last week that the only way to spice things up after a boring race in Bahrain is wet conditions.

"I reckon a bit of rain might help the entertainment value - yes, it could be useful!" he said.

Webber's prayers could be answered if early weather forecasts are anything to go by.

According to the latest predictions on the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, isolated showers are expected on Saturday while "patchy rain" will develop during the evening on Sunday. Rain is also expected during qualifying on Saturday.

Temperatures will hover in the high 20s, early 30s for most of the race weekend.

Should rain fall during Sunday's grand prix, then it will be the first time that the race has been affected by wet conditions since it moved to Melbourne in 1996 .

MIKA: Regardless what is forecast, it won't rain here in Melbourne.

Weather men are the only people I know who can get it wrong so often and still keep their jobs.

[MIKA27]

Virgin Racing preview the Australian GP

Timo Glock:

Australia is usually a good race. It's a great city and I look forward to it every year. It's one of the best weekends on the Formula 1 calendar. The track itself is a street course, very different from a race track, and quite special. I got a bird's-eye view of it on Wednesday when I flew over the track in a heli - a bit of fun and a great way to recce the track layout. It's a fantastic circuit and I'm hoping it will bring us good luck.

We had a tough time in Bahrain but there were some positives too. We learnt some good lessons which can only make us stronger. The main target is to do everything we can to ensure reliability doesn't stop us from making it to the flag. Hopefully we'll get another strong qualy in the bag too.

Lucas di Grassi:

I've been to Australia a few times but I've never raced at Albert Park before, so it will be an interesting weekend. Basically, I can't wait to get back in the car again and experience the track. Australia as a destination actually reminds me of Brazil - the weather is nice and the people are warm and friendly.

I've been out here for a few days now, acclimatising to the time difference and ensuring I'm relaxed for the weekend ahead. As for the relaxation part, I went surfing with championship-winning surfer Damien Hardman along the Great Ocean Road on Wednesday. I'm a big surfer - and pretty good, if I say so myself – so it was fun to head out of the city to catch a few waves before we get down to the serious stuff.

We're hoping to make a few waves on track this weekend also. We obviously want to build on what we saw in qualifying and reach the finish. I was really pleased with my debut qualifying and race start but obviously I want to carry that through to the race now. I'm looking forward to it.

Nick Wirth, technical director:

It was disappointing to end our debut race with two retirements, but we take a lot of encouragement from knowing that our issues are specific and isolated, which means they are easily addressed. No one said the first few races would be easy and Bahrain was gruelling to say the least. But far better to flush out the problems early on and deal with them and that is exactly what we have been doing in the two week gap between these two races. We have some new parts which we hope will provide a robust solution to the new hydraulic problem and transmission issue we experienced in Bahrain.

Melbourne represents a new and different challenge. This isn't an easy track to contend with because it's a street circuit. It lacks grip on Friday before its starts to rubber in, but the track conditions can change from session to session. The lap is full of stops and starts, so we have to manage the brakes and also the track surface is quite bumpy.

All of these factors conspire to make car set-up quite a challenge, but it's one we're looking forward to. We saw some very positive signs in terms of our qualifying and race pace, and the drivers and engineers have done their homework on our simulators back at Wirth Research, so we are looking to build on the performance level seen in Bahrain and ensure that both cars get to cross the finish line.

[MIKA27]

Renault announce DIAC sponsorship

Renault have announced yet another sponsor in the form of DIAC a subsidiary of RCI Banque.

The DIAC branding will feature on the sidepods of the car, starting at this weekend's Australian GP, and running through to Monaco.

RCI Banque is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Renault car manufacturer, specialising in automobile financing and services for Renault, Dacia, Renault Samsung Motors, Nissan and Infiniti brands.

Gerard Lopez, Chairman of the Renault F1 Team is delighted with the partnership as the R30 slowly fills with sponsors after several left in 2009 when the 'crashgate' saga was unearthed.

"We are delighted to offer DIAC and the RCI Banque group the opportunity to partner with Renault F1 Team during the opening rounds of the 2010 season. This is an excellent opportunity for a member company of the Renault group to enjoy a significant short-term boost in brand awareness. We are pleased to welcome RCI Banque onboard for what we hope will be a successful association."

[Bartolomeo]

I'm there all weekend (Moss Stand)

Will hopefully leave work a little early today and have a peek at the track seeing I have a 4 day pass.

I am expecting lots of pics of the F1 ladies and you

[OZCUBAN]

[MIKA27]

I am expecting lots of pics of the F1 ladies and you

That's a given.

[MIKA27]

Bridgestone confirm next five race compounds

Bridgestone have announced the tyre compounds for the next five rounds of the F1 season.

They will continue to keep a compound gap between the two tyres.

Malaysia, China, Spain and Turkey, will use soft and hard compound, whilst Monaco will use the super soft and medium compound tyres.

Bridgestone's head of motorsport tyre development, Hirohide Hamashima, said: "Deciding which tyres to bring to a grand prix is always a difficult decision, especially as we don't receive advanced notification of the exact weather we will see at the race circuit over the three days of running. Tyre performance in Bahrain was good, however we remain vigilant and safety is the overriding concern for us.

"Shanghai and Barcelona are both quite severe circuits and Istanbul, as we have seen in the past is particularly severe. This is why we are bringing the hardest allocation, while still leaving a gap in our range between the two compounds. For Monaco this year we will have a gap in the allocation too, which is a change from the two softest compounds which we have brought here previously.

"We have a harder prime compound for Monaco because of the heavier fuel loads and longer stint lengths that the current rules encourage. We believe this allocation should provide a reasonable and interesting difference between prime and option tyres for this event."

[MIKA27]

Schumi: I'm not a magician

Although Michael Schumacher says he understands why some were disappointed with his P6 in Bahrain, the German has reminded them that he is not "a magician."

After three years away from Formula One racing, Schumacher made his comeback with Mercedes GP in Bahrain two weeks ago to mixed reactions.

While some celebrated his sixth-placed finish, a decent achievement after a three-year layoff, Schumacher concedes that there were others who wanted better from him.

"I know that people have a lot of trust in me and I'm proud of that, but then I'm not a magician either," said the seven-time World Champ is quoted by ITV.

"I'm just human.

"I've been around long enough to know what it takes, how much attention to details and how important little fine-tuning is, and you can't expect me to just be there straightaway.

"In general I was quite happy - I had a good start, a clean race, and no mistakes.

"The lap times were competitive for the standard of the car.

"For me it was a good start after this kind of break, I was quite happy with this.

"I wasn't dreaming kicking everyone's arse, but neither was I kicked, so I'm okay."

One of the aspects that caught people's attention was the fact that Schumacher was beaten by his team-mate Nico Rosberg, both in qualifying and in the grand prix.

Schumacher, though, isn't at all fazed that first blood went to the younger German.

"It was the other way around in the past, but it was the first race of the beginning of a new challenge for me, so I'm relaxed about it," he said.

"He's a very good and fast driver - I don't think I need to be ashamed of where I was in Bahrain."

Looking ahead to this weekend's race in Australia, the 41-year-old admits that Mercedes GP have some way to go before they catch the Red Bulls, Ferraris and even the McLarens.

"We have a fair amount to catch up," he said. "The matter of fact is that we are a new team and we have to develop ourselves.

"The car was started long before it was clear which drivers would be on board.

"You have to see what issues you have and then develop accordingly."

He added: "I'm mainly here for enjoyment, but at the same time I'm not only here for big laughs - I want to win.

"The joy is much higher if you're successful."

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Alonso wants to win from the front

Fernando Alonso is hoping he will not need to rely on another driver's misfortune as he bids for a second successive victory at the Australian GP this weekend.

The Spaniard made the perfect start to life with Ferrari as he won the season-opening race in Bahrain earlier this month.

In a race that failed to live up to expectation due to the lack of overtaking, Alonso made his move when early leader Sebastian Vettel suffered spark-plug failure in his Red Bull.

Felipe Massa finished second to cap a fine day for Ferrari but Alonso is hoping to qualify at the front of the grid at Albert Park on Saturday to ensure the outcome of the race is in his own hands.

"Hopefully here in Australia we can be strong and we can fight for the win," he said.

"We were lucky enough to win after his (Vettel's) problem. Hopefully we can start in front of him and not need to wait for any problem."

Qualifying at the front will be easier said than done, however, with Vettel and team-mate Mark Webber likely to be challenging as well as both the McLarens and Mercedes.

And while Alonso admitted the Red Bulls currently have the edge over the rest of the field in terms of speed, he feels pace alone is not necessarily enough to win races.

"I think maybe performance-wise maybe Red Bull is a bit ahead of everybody now, which is not a surprise because they finished 2009 very strongly, so they kept the momentum," he added. "But one thing is to be the fastest car and another thing is to win the race.

"At the beginning (in Bahrain) I was not able to attack because (Vettel) was definitely quicker than me with the soft tyres.

"Then with the hard tyres it seemed that I was a little bit more comfortable, but maybe he was controlling that part of the race or something - it's always difficult to say.

"I think we need a couple of races to understand the picture better. We will try to push them again, and it will depend also circuit to circuit."

Alonso also reiterated his belief that Formula One has not become boring following new regulations for this season that resulted in limited overtaking in Bahrain.

Following a ban on race refuelling and the decision to allow just a single tyre change, the race was criticised for turning into a procession but Alonso stressed it is too early to say whether the rules have had a negative effect.

"We need to be calm and wait some races to really see if the new rules have some impact," he added. "I don't think they have any change, last year in the first seven races Jenson (Button) won six. Was it boring? Maybe yes, maybe no.

"This is Formula One. If we want to see wet races, safety cars, all these things every race it will not be Formula One any more.

"This is about the knowledge, about how precise everything - drivers, engineering, everything - if people want extra show, maybe they need to reconsider if they want to watch Formula One?"

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Webber has no plans to retire just yet

Mark Webber has rubbished rumours that this season will be his last in Formula One.

The 33-year-old is one of the oldest drivers on this year's grid, although by no means the eldest following the return of 41-year-old Michael Schumacher. However, unlike Schumacher, Webber has yet to win a World title.

But should he do so this season, rival Lewis Hamilton reckons the Aussie will call it quits.

"He has as good an opportunity as anyone to win the Championship this year. I'm not sure how long he plans to stay in Formula 1 but I get the sense it's one of the years he really wants to finish on top and perhaps call it a day," Autosport quoted Hamilton as having said.

"That's not from me. I don't know how old he is now but he's had a long Formula 1 career and everyone wants to end at a high.

"And he's probably got the best chance to ever finish on a high this year and I wouldn't be surprised if he's considering it - that he wants to win the championship this year and call it a day."

Webber, though, insists he has no intension of walking away just yet.

"I am very motivated, enjoying my job and looking forward to a great season, which is the way I have always approached every year," he said.

"I have no intention at all of retiring whatever season I have. It is Lewis' opinion and he is free to have that and I don't have a problem with that.

"I am very happy at the moment driving for who I am driving for. It is a very, very good situation at the moment and I am looking forward to it."

The Aussie heads into this weekend's Australian GP as one of the favourites to claim victory, a remarkable turnaround in form considering that this time last season he was still trying to recover fully from the broken leg he suffered in an off-season cycling accident.

"It is a different ball game to last year," he said. "I think mentally I did not have an off season last year as I had the big adventure race which takes its toll on you anyway and then I broke my leg.

"Mentally it is draining to have a winter like that so going into the first race I had a few unanswered questions as the most I had done had been 17 laps in testing in one hit and then I was going straight into a grand prix here.

"So now there are a lot less concerns for me, I already have a grand prix under my belt and while there are still a few little niggles here and there they are absolutely nothing compared to last year.

"I am in good shape, I feel good and I am ready to go for a whole season and obviously not just this weekend."