FORMULA 1 - 2010

[OZCUBAN]

2010 season changes

Though not as dramatic as the rule changes introduced for the 2009 season, the revisions for 2010 could still have a significant impact on the teams’ relative performance…

Refuelling

The biggest change for the 2010 season is the banning of refuelling during races for the first time since 1993. Pit stops will not become a thing of the past, however, as drivers still have to use both dry-weather tyre compounds during a Grand Prix. Of course, those stops will now be much quicker, quite possibly under four seconds.

The change requires cars to possess a much larger fuel tank - up from around 80 litres to something nearer 250 - and has a major effect on race strategy, with drivers having to pay more attention to tyre and brake conservation. To accommodate the bigger tank, the cars are likely to feature wider rear bodywork and a longer wheelbase. As a result, the weight distribution will be quite different to that of a 2009 car.

Points system

In place of the previous structure, which saw the top eight drivers scoring 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point respectively, from 2010 the top ten finishers in a Grand Prix score points. The change has been introduced as a result of the expanded grid of 13 teams. Under the new system, the race winner takes 25 points, with 20 and 15 being awarded for second and third places respectively. The next seven finishers will score 10, 8, 6, 5, 3, 2 and 1 point respectively.

Weight

The minimum weight of the car has been raised from 605kg to 620kg. The initial thinking behind this was to offset the disadvantage faced by taller, heavier drivers in KERS-equipped cars (the additional weight of the KERS system meant they were left with less flexibility in terms of weight distribution than their lighter rivals). By mutual agreement, however, teams are now not expected to run KERS in 2010.

Narrower front tyres

When slick tyres returned to Formula One racing in 2009, the tyre size remained unchanged. In terms of contact area, this meant that the fronts gained proportionally more grip than the rears. This has been addressed for 2010, with front tyre width reduced from 270mm to 245mm, thus helping to bring back a better grip balance. Also, the ban on refuelling means cars will be around 100kg heavier at the start of a race than in 2009, so Bridgestone will use slightly harder tyre compounds to compensate.

No wheel fairings

Teams are no longer allowed to use the wheel rim covers that became so commonplace in 2009. Their removal means one less thing to go wrong when pit crews are trying to change of set of tyres in less than four seconds, and could also aid overtaking by making the airflow immediately behind cars less turbulent.

More teams

Thirteen teams - 26 cars - will feature on the grid in 2010. This means a slight alteration to the knockout qualifying session, which will now see eight drivers (as opposed to five) eliminated in Q1 and Q2, leaving ten to fight it out for pole in Q3. The ban on refuelling means that cars will qualify on low fuel in all three phases of the session.

Testing

If a team declares that one of their current race drivers is to be substituted by a driver who has not participated in an F1 race in the two previous calendar years, one day of track testing will now be permitted, on an approved circuit not being used for a Grand Prix in the current season. This is to avoid scenarios such as that seen in 2009 when Jaime Alguersuari made his Formula One debut with Toro Rosso having only previously driven an F1 car in straight-line testing.

In another minor change, teams will be allowed six rather than eight days of straight-line aero testing per season. They will also have the option of substituting any of these days for four hours of wind tunnel testing with a full-scale (rather than the normal 60 percent-scale) model.

Oz These rules changes are less radical than previous seasons ,but on a personal note i would have still liked to see refueling..

Cheers Oz

--------------------

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.

“Superbia in proelia”

[OZCUBAN]

Schumacher 'can win title at 41'

By Sarah Holt

BBC Sport in Stuttgart

Michael Schumacher is adamant he can battle for the world championship in his first season out of retirement.

The 41-year-old is returning to Formula 1 with new team Mercedes after a three-year spell away from the sport.

"I am convinced Mercedes will be in a position to fight for the championships this season," said Schumacher.

Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn added: "He is incredibly fit and I don't think the talent disappears. I'm convinced he can do the job."

Brawn masterminded all of Schumacher's seven world titles - two with Benetton and five with Ferrari - and insists the German can reach the same heights again.

"Racing drivers tend to lose the physical ability to compete and the determination that you need to compete at every race, every minute of the day," said Brawn.

"What I saw with Michael is that he has been refreshed by his break - as I was during my sabbatical (in 2007).

"He looks far younger than 41. I don't think the physical side is a problem. If the talent eases off he has huge experience. He has a tremendous work ethic.

None of us will know until he starts competing again what level he will be - but why should he not be at the level he was at before?

Ross Brawn

"In training, he's achieving the parameters that he was reaching before, so I don't see any problem at all.

"He is an exceptional athlete. It's not as if the joints wear out from driving the car. There's no knee problems and there is nothing in the racing car that breaks down your body.

"None of us will know until he starts competing again what level he will be - but why should he not be at the level he was at before?

"His latter part of 2006 were some of his strongest races. There is no reason not to believe.

"Each season a driver starts again with the belief that they will perform. I think he will perform at high levels straight away."

Schumacher, who joins a Mercedes team born out of last year's victorious Brawn GP outfit, said he had no concerns about the neck injury that prevented him making a temporary return to F1 last summer as a stand-in for the injured Ferrari driver Felipe Massa.

Then, he discovered that an injury sustained in a motorcycle crash last winter had not healed sufficiently to enable him to withstand the high G-forces in an F1 car.

But at the Mercedes F1 launch in Stuttgart on Monday, Schumacher said: "You're questioning the neck - there are no issues.

"I've nothing to prove to anybody about my age or anything. I just have to prove to myself that I'm still able (to do it).

"The main reason (I'm back) is that I feel thrilled about it - I feel an excitement to drive at the highest level of motorsport. Now I feel again, why not something at the high level?"

Schumacher is the oldest driver to compete in F1 since Nigel Mansell made a brief comeback in 1994, also at the age of 41 - and the German will quickly surpass the Englishman's age as the year progresses.

Last year's F1 season was one of the most competitive in history, and three other teams are expected to battle at the front with Mercedes in 2010 - Red Bull, McLaren and his former team, Ferrari.

That is much more competition than Schumacher generally faced throughout his career, but he rejected suggestions he would find it tougher against the new generation of talent such as McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.

Nico is such an exciting prospect and he'll enjoy working with Michael

Ross Brawn

"The point is that you are probably comparing to the past (when there was) one team that was able to compete - there are two or three teams now," Schumacher said.

"But you have to pick a point and focus. Last year was a bit of an exception - and it could be again - but you are there to win whoever you have to beat.

"Whether the drivers are young or experienced - it doesn't matter. You don't look how old you are - you just look how to be better than the others."

Mercedes have been an engine supplier in Formula 1 since 1993 but this year will be the first time they have raced their own car since 1955.

They have bought the Brawn team that last year won the drivers' and constructors' championship in their debut season, after former owner Honda quit F1.

They chose to launch the team at the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart on Monday even though the car they will race this season was not ready.

The car on show was one of last year's Brawn cars in the new 2010 colour scheme.

The new Mercedes car will break cover in a test at Valencia in Spain on 1-3 February, with Schumacher's team-mate Nico Rosberg set to be the first man at the wheel.

Brawn said the plan was to have both both drivers try out the car on the first day of the three-day test, with Rosberg probably driving on the second day and Schumacher on the third.

"We only have four tests (before Bahrain) and we need the maximum amount of time (to prepare the car)," Brawn said.

"The performance of the car is the priority and this is just the launch of the team."

Rosberg initially signed to move to the Brawn team, before the Mercedes takeover was confirmed and before there was any public discussion of Schumacher's return.

The 24-year-old German said his new situation was a "dream come true", adding: "Having Michael as a team-mate is really great."

Former BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld has been linked to the role of test and reserve driver, but Brawn would not confirm the 32-year-old German's appointment.

"We're working on the third driver," he said, "it's not finalised yet. It's not been our greatest priority but I think there will be some news in the next week or so."

Mercedes' decision to buy its own team at a time when other car manufacturers have pulled out of F1 amid the global economic crisis has drawn some criticism in Germany.

But Norbert Haug, the company's sports boss, said its F1 budget for 2010 was a quarter of what it was five years ago.

Story from BBC SPORT:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2/hi...one/8478471.stm

Published: 2010/01/25 14:08:20 GMT

© BBC MMX

Oz I think the schu is a real dark horse for this years championship any team that under estimates him is in for a serious lesson in pain and humiliation

Oz

[OZCUBAN]

Schumacher comes full circle with Mercedes

Stuttgart shimmered as Mercedes re-launched their famous "Silver Arrows" back into Formula 1 and, for the first time since announcing his own dramatic return, Michael Schumacher faced the media in the flesh.

The snow-laden skies and snaking autobahns of the southern German city were mirrored by the metallic grey of the imposing Mercedes-Benz Museum where the launch was held.

A homage to Mercedes' motoring prowess, with eight floors packed to the rafters with historic cars, the museum - where past and present merge - was the perfect setting to mark the reuniting of the famous German manufacturer with the legendary German driver.

But despite the hype of a match made in heaven, the 2010 F1 season will not be the first time Schumacher has raced for Mercedes.

Twenty years ago, the future seven-time world champion was given his first taste of professional elite racing in the company's team in the world sportscar championship.

Schumacher's top-flight racing career started with Mercedes in sportscars in 1991...

"There is some story of myself in here already," a coolly confident Schumacher explained. "It is from the early Nineties. I started my racing career with the three-pointed star on my helmet. Naturally, we look forward to closing the loop in the future."

Schumacher's relationship with Mercedes was key to his development on and off the track in those early days.

As Schumacher's personal website explains: "Mercedes not only taught him how to handle a powerful racing car. The young drivers were also taught how to deal with the press, the engineers, the sponsors, how to behave at a gala dinner and to communicate in English."

In 1991, Mercedes invested further in their protégé by funding Schumacher's F1 debut with Jordan at the Belgian Grand Prix.

By the next race in Italy, the German, who had stunned onlookers by qualifying seventh on his debut, had signed for Benetton and his F1 journey career had begun.

In the intervening years, Mercedes kept an eye on Schumacher from afar as they strengthened their commitment to F1, first as engine partner to Sauber and McLaren before buying a 40% stake in McLaren in 1999.

At various points in Schumacher's career, former McLaren team boss Ron Dennis tried to sign him but Mercedes have had to wait until now to get their own team - and their man.

"The only reason I came back was because of old friends at Mercedes," Schumacher said when he announced his surprise comeback just before Christmas. "I spent years trying to get into F1 with Mercedes but it wasn't possible before."

Now the dream has been realised, Schumacher appeared to be taking it in his stride and sat in typical pose with arms folded and head held high as he tackled an F1 media barrage for the first time in three years.

>... and has now come full circle with his return to F1 with the marque 20 years later

In fact, despite his apparent comfort, Schumacher admitted that he was still getting used to his new circumstances - and he wasn't just referring to the fact that he was no longer a retired racing driver.

"It is a little strange (not to be wearing red)," smiled Schumacher, who won five titles during his 11 years with Ferrari. "Red is part of my history and you cannot deny those good moments.

"To be reinstated with the Silver Arrows team is very emotional. I'm always focused, motivated and determined - and that is no less here than it was at Ferrari."

It may seem like three long years away from F1 for Schumacher, but Mercedes have had to wait 55 years to return to F1 with their own race team.

After dominating what was then called the European Championship in the 1930s, Mercedes repeated the feat in two brief seasons in the F1 world championship in 1954 and 1955, when the great Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio claimed back-to-back drivers' crowns for the German marque.

Mercedes pulled out of F1 at the end of 1955 after Pierre Levegh's Mercedes ploughed into the crowd at the Le Mans 24-hour sports car race, killing 80 spectators.

The German company did not race in F1 for 38 years, returning first as an engine supplier to the Swiss Sauber team in 1993 before striking an engine deal with McLaren in 1995, which ultimately saw them power Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton to three world titles.

But it has taken until now for Mercedes to come full circle in F1.

At the end of last year they bought a 75.1% stake in Brawn Grand Prix, who handily had won both the championships that season.

"With the presentation of the new Mercedes GP team a new and certainly the most important chapter of more than 100 years of motorsport history begins," Mercedes motorsport vice-president Norbert Haug said.

In the confines of the Mercedes-Benz museum, the sense of uncertainty about just what this new beginning will bring for both Schumacher and Mercedes was an inescapable preoccupation.

Neither Mercedes or Schumacher want to live off their former glories. Mercedes made their intentions clear by buying Brawn at a time of economic crisis when several car manufacturers have scurried away from the financial burdens of F1.

Schumacher has literally put his neck on the line by returning to F1 at the age of 41 when he has nothing left to prove. So there is a sense that this gamble on future reward must pay off.

"We have everything it takes to be world champions," said Schumacher. "But it's one thing to have all the ingredients to make a nice meal and another to have a good result.

"There is only one thing to target and a mission to achieve it.

"There is a story of myself already (in the museum) but to have cars that we have driven in here will be a stamp of success on those new Mercedes cars."

Mercedes have a lot to live up to - in the '30s and '50s their famous Silver Arrows operated in a class above their rivals, as did the C11 and C291 sportscars that Schumacher drove for Mercedes in 1990 and 1991 before his F1 adventure began.

"There was some dominance," agreed Haug. "But it is probably no longer possible to achieve that; it's hard to imagine how to be dominant for a whole season.

"The A-class Mercedes road car is the best one in the field and we will try to do the same with F1 even though it is a bigger task in terms of competition.

"You will not win with gambles and this is not a gamble. This just hard work to beat our opposition and that is our aim. We have been successful in the past and we want to go back in that direction."

In Stuttgart, Mercedes chose to unveil a 2009 Brawn decked out in silver and turquoise livery rather than wait for the 2010 car to be ready.

It was a statement of intent to their rivals. They wanted to be the first team to launch in 2010 and they want to the first team at the end of the season too.

After three years for Schumacher and 55 for Mercedes, both must endure another 10 months of waiting to find out whether their mutual comeback will pay off.

Oz There are definitely two reputations at stake here and not least the SILVER ARROWS which have been out of the game for quite sometime ,i for one wish them all the best the more competition the better

[OZCUBAN]

Mercedes promise Rosberg equality

Mercedes say they will give equal treatment to drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg in 2010.

Schumacher had number one status in 11 years with Ferrari, where Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn was technical director.

But Brawn said: "I'd dispute this title of number one driver. We will give maximum support to both drivers."

Rosberg said: "Of course there is this little bit of doubt within me but I'm confident and comfortable we'll have the same car, chances, everything."

Schumacher, who has a record seven titles and 91 wins to his name, is returning to F1 at the age of 41 in 2010 after a three-year hiatus and has made it clear he expects to challenge for the title.

Rosberg, whose best result is a second place, signed for the Brawn team last summer before the takeover by Mercedes was confirmed - and long before there was any public talk of Schumacher's comeback.

It's there for both drivers to establish their positions, to beat each other, compete with each other, but in the correct fashion, a constructive way

Ross Brawn Mercedes F1 team boss

It is widely expected within F1 that the relationship between Schumacher and Brawn will pick up where it left off at Ferrari in 2006.

And that impression was heightened when Schumacher recently asked to swap car numbers with Rosberg because he was superstitious about racing with an even number.

Rosberg was initially given number three after becoming the first driver to sign to race for Mercedes in 2010 but he will now be number four, with Schumacher number three.

Rosberg said he had sought reassurance about his status from Brawn and Norbert Haug, Mercedes' sports boss.

He said their promise of equality was "fantastic - part of the base philosophy of Mercedes, of the way Ross wants to do things".

Brawn pointed to his decision to allow his drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello to race each other for last year's title as evidence that he would do the same now the team had a new owner.

"Whoever is the fastest driver and winning the most races, you could argue is the number one driver," Brawn said.

"We will give maximum support to both drivers. Of course if a championship starts to develop where one has a greater chance of winning it, there may be different priorities.

"But it will absolutely be evenly split, and I think we underlined last season when we gave Rubens (Barrichello) and Jenson even support.

"That will be the case this year, so it's there for both drivers to establish their positions, to beat each other, compete with each other, but in the correct fashion, a constructive way.

"So we don't have a number one driver, and we don't intend to have a number one driver.

"Of course, I have a long-standing relationship with Michael, and we can't ignore that.

"But beyond that there will be complete parity in terms of support and equipment. We've discussed it and been completely open."

Rosberg believes he can beat Schumacher if he has a level playing field.

"We're racing together, and we want to achieve success for this team," Rosberg said.

"Of course it's important for me to beat my team-mate, so it's going to be a big challenge this year, it's not going to be too easy.

"But I'm confident I'm going to be strong, so it shouldn't be a problem.

"I think I can make a big step up. This is the opportunity I've been waiting for."

Oz we have all heard this before, various teams various pairings some have worked some have not ,if i was Niko i would use this as an a opportunity to really learn something from a true Champion

Oz

[stargazer14]

Anyone watch TopGear last nite to see the Stig take the helmet off...

after watching that Ferrari fly, i thought it could only be Schumi.

[OZCUBAN]

Ferrari aim high with new F1 car

Ferrari have unveiled the car they hope will take them back to the front in Formula 1 after a painful 2009.

The new F10 car broke cover at the team's base in Maranello, Italy.

It will be driven by Spain's double champion Fernando Alonso, who has joined from Renault in place of Kimi Raikkonen, and Brazil's Felipe Massa.

Team boss Stefano Domenicali said: "We are coming off a season that was not competitive and this should mark a turning point. We want to win."

Massa will be the first driver to get behind the wheel of the 2010 car when he takes it for a shakedown at Ferrari's private test Fiorano track later this afternoon.

The unveiling of the car also represents a fresh start for Massa, who sat out the final eight races of 2009 after a life-threatening crash during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Massa ploughed into the barriers after being hit on the helmet by a spring that had come loose from Rubens Barrichello's Brawn, fracturing his skull and narrowly avoiding permanent damage to his left eye.

"This is a special moment because last year was very difficult as I had the accident," said Massa, who became a father in November.

Fernando is a double world champion, and we say he will have a third title

Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali

"I'm very happy, and I now want to work more than ever, so I really hope this will be a very competitive car and we will be fighting for the championship."

Massa could find a stiff rival for the title within his own team with the arrival of double world champion Alonso.

After claiming a single podium with Renault in Singapore last season, Alonso is ready to reignite his push for a third crown.

"This is my first presentation with Ferrari which is emotional for me," said the Spaniard, 28.

"We are ready to face the challenge and take up the responsibility of realising the maximum potential of this car.

"Felipe and I will be a very strong team, and we hope we will make all the Ferrari supporters around the world very proud to see this car winning the championship."

Alonso and Massa clashed over a number of on-track incidents in 2007 but the new team-mates have pledged to leave their old squabbles in the past.

Nevertheless, many F1 experts are predicting fireworks between the new Ferrari team-mates, especially given Alonso's tempestuous relationship with Lewis Hamilton when they were both at McLaren in 2007.

For now, Ferrari boss Domenicali is tipping both drivers to bring success to the team.

"Fernando is a double world champion, and we say he will have a third one (title)," remarked Domenicali.

"He is already amongst the big champions in F1, and this is now the right moment for him, for us.

"But we have two new drivers. Why two new drivers? With Felipe we are talking of a new version of Felipe.

"After such a dramatic championship like last year, with the accident in Hungary, Felipe has all the assets to prove he can be very successful.

"He can prove he wants to return to the pathway that destiny interrupted in Hungary."

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo added: "I notice some healthy humility and great determination and that's what I want from this team."

Ferrari won just one race last year, after being champions in 2007 with Raikkonen and missing out by just one point in 2008.

Last year they failed to interpret a major change in regulations as well as the Red Bull and Brawn teams, and effectively wrote off the year from mid-season to concentrate on 2010.

That, and the arrival of Alonso, means the pressure on Ferrari to bounce back is enormous after what some observers perceive to have been a slow but consistent drift away from competitiveness following a major upheaval after 2006.

That was the year Michael Schumacher drove his last season for the team, and which also saw the departure of technical director Ross Brawn, now the boss of the new Mercedes team.

The F10 is a great step ahead in terms of our competitiveness

Ferrari technical director Aldo Costa

Since then, sporting director Jean Todt and chief designer Rory Byrne, who were keystones of Ferrari's domination of the first half of the last decade, have also left.

Todt has become president of governing body the FIA and Byrne has retired.

With the new F10, Ferrari appear to have learned the lessons of 2009.

The nose bears a strong resemblance to that of last year's Red Bull, which ended the season as the fastest car.

The front wing shows intricate detailing, the sidepods have a unique shape which is designed to maximise airflow to the rear of the car, and the back of the car appears very clean and narrow.

"The F10 is a great step ahead in terms of our competitiveness," said Ferrari technical director Aldo Costa.

The Williams team are also running their new car for the first time on Thursday, the FW32 is taking to the track at Silverstone.

Oz I hope Massa can win his first championship as i think that he really deserves it and he is a really nice guy and they are thin on the ground sometimes

Cheers Oz

[PartagasIV]

Yesterday I purchased tickets to the Montreal GP in June 11-13th...five hours away from New England but I cannot wait! If anyone knows a relatively inexpensive hotel in the city that's close to the Metro, please shoot me a PM!

[MIKA27]

Yesterday I purchased tickets to the Montreal GP in June 11-13th...five hours away from New England but I cannot wait! If anyone knows a relatively inexpensive hotel in the city that's close to the Metro, please shoot me a PM!

Sounds like a plan however I myself have only just returned from Chile.

Each and every year I head to the Melbourne F1 GP (Moss stand) and never miss it! If you're free, I can meet you there.

Either way, enjoy this season and also thanks for reading this thread and contibuting.

[MIKA27]

You know, I don't follow much of this stuff. But while the thread was young I wanted to step in and say congratulations for starting one of the most popular series threads on the board. No matter when I look, this thread is almost always on the front page. For that reason I think that your posting of it and keeping it alive with so many followers deserves a round of applause! Here is to another sucessful year of your F1 thread.

Good show! - Piggy

Thanks Piggy!

I really love this sport and I figure if this awesome Cigar forum has so many facets about various other topics, then why not the greatest sport on earth (Along with NFL and NHL).

Last season both OZ and I made a huge effort to post news and opinions on F1 and enjoyed other member contributions also. I invisage there would be some members who may be outside on a laptop, smoking a stogie and reading up on the latest news in F1. For me, that's fantastic.

I have only just returned from one months holidays to Chile and I can already see that OZ has posted some great stuff along with other members as well as your wonderful compliment. Thank you.

[MIKA27]

NEXT RACE - 14th March

Grand Prix of Bahrain

Bahrain International

Length : 5.412

Profile :

Time difference: GMT +3

No of Laps: 57

Race Distance: 308.238 km

Lap Record: 1:30.252 - M Schumacher (2004)

History :

The Bahrain GP was staged for the first time in 2004.

The circuit at Sakhir has accommodation for 50,000 spectators housed in two fixed grandstands and other temporary ones.

The circuit built specially for the arrival of F1 racing, is almost five and a half kilometres long and boasts an inner track of 2.4km with eight turns and an outer track of 3.66km with 10 turns.

The circuit is designed by renowned specialist Hermann Tilke, who was also responsible for the Sepang circuit in Malaysia and carried out the recent modifications to the Nurburgring and Hockenheim circuits.

[MIKA27]

Heidfeld confirmed as Merc GP test driver

Nick Heidfeld will fill the role of Mercedes GP test and reserve driver in 2010.

The former BMW-Sauber man was linked with many teams during the off season including Renault, Lotus, Sauber and Mercedes themselves.

However, with a race seat failing to materialise the German has now accepted a back-up role with the Brackley-based team.

"I am very pleased to be joining the Mercedes GP Petronas Formula 1 Team," said Heidfeld.

"It's the team which has attracted the most interest in the close season, not only because of the comeback of Michael Schumacher, but also because this season sees the return of the Silver Arrows cars as a Mercedes-Benz works team for the first time in over 50 years.

"While I would of course have preferred a seat as an active driver, I am really proud to be part of the new Silver Arrows team. I have seen how committed everyone at the team is and I feel the same. I will be doing my very best to support Michael and Nico this year," he added.

Merc GP now boast an all-German driver line-up with Heidfeld joining compatriots Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg at the team.

MIKA: What great news!

Whilst I would have preferred NH in an active role myself because NH is so gifted as a consistent racing driver, I am equally pleased he did not join 'Just any team' as some others have done so in the past (Ralph Schumacher) just to stay in the sport and then fail to then find their reputation tarnished because the team could not deliver.

NH in the Merc team is fantastic news!

[MIKA27]

'Rubens's comments to be expected, Schu beat him'

Nico Rosberg has shrugged off Rubens Barrichello's comment he should quit Mercedes now before being overshadowed by seven-times Champion team-mate Michael Schumacher this season.

There was a tongue-in-cheek element to Barrichello's remark, but there was also a grain of truth given the Brazilian spent six years as stooge to Schumacher during their time at Ferrari.

Asked if there was any advice he would give Rosberg, Barrichello replied with a smile: "Yeah. Get out of there!"

Following the second day of the opening pre-season test in Valencia and after further seat issues that resulted in him finishing fifth of the seven drivers overall, Rosberg was asked for his response.

"From his point of view, he was beaten for six years, so from him it doesn't surprise me he has said that," countered Rosberg.

"I am confident I can do well. I don't have a problem, although it is going to be challenging of course because I'm up against one of the greatest of all time.

"I am also quite strong, so I'm not too worried, and in general I'm going to go for it and we will see what comes out of it.

"If I am ahead, great. If I am behind, I need to work harder."

MIKA: "OUCH!"

[OZCUBAN]

Welcome back mika

good to see you posting again heaps of stories to do ran out of time

should be a. Excellent season a lot to look forward to

cheers my friend

OZ

[MIKA27]

Welcome back mika

good to see you posting again heaps of stories to do ran out of time

should be a. Excellent season a lot to look forward to

cheers my friend

OZ

Thanks OZ!

Great to be back even though I really would have liked to stay longer in Chile.

Thanks for all your posts bud, really enjoyed reading up on lost news.

[MIKA27]

Mercedes ready to hit the front in Jerez

Mercedes are confident they will be up to speed during next week's pre-season test in Jerez.

The all-German outfit lagged behind Ferrari and McLaren during the first test in Valencia this week and team boss Ross Brawn admitted afterwards that they still have "a bit of work to do" in order to catch the two pacesetters.

However, Brawn believes they gap will be bridged by the time Jerez arrives as they are busy ironing out a few problems.

"We have identified the areas where we can improve and we'll achieve this in time for Jerez next week," Brawn is quoted by DPA.

"It is always difficult to estimate speed so early on in the season but we are in a reasonable position."

Although he doesn't want to read too much into this week's testing times, Nico Rosberg also believes the team "will be at the front" next week.

"It's still early days," he told the official Formula One website. "Sometimes we would arrive with Williams at a test thinking that we were in good shape, so to make a statement would be very premature.

"I sure hope that I don't have to experience a not-so-great car again, but where we are exactly is impossible to say, as every team is trying different things in terms of fuel loads.

"Probably next week in Jerez the fog will lift and we will get a better picture of where we are. But for sure we will be at the front - I hope!"

Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug insists the team are not feeling any pressure with Michael Schumacher in their ranks.

"I think we have all the same targets and we are just trying to build the best possible car, the best possible package, and then we will see where we are," he told Autosport.

"Having said that, I think we will be the last ones to underestimate the competition - and we will have strong competition.

"We will find out what happens. I think it is positive. It is very good for the sport as well and of course for us.

"It's a good story because he started his professional racing career with us. But at the end of the day it only counts that we are competitive. So far we are going in a good direction."

[MIKA27]

Ralf confirms Stefan GP interest

Ralf Schumacher may yet follow in his brother's footsteps by making a Formula One comeback.

Michael Schumacher came out of retirement this year to drive for Mercedes GP and now Ralf has confirmed that Stefan Grand Prix are interested in his services.

Serbian outfit Stefan are yet to gain entry into the 2010 Championship, but F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone says he is "trying to get the team a starting spot".

Ralf revealed on Friday that he's interested in a return to the sport.

"Everything I have heard about the project so far gives the impression of it being very ambitious," Schumacher told German Press Agency DPA.

"For me, the complete package such as team structure, chances of success and competitive material have to be in place," said Schumacher of the possibility of emulating brother Michael at Mercedes GP by returning to F1 in 2010.

"As I said in the last two years, I would consider a return to Formula One if there was an offer that involved a competitive car," he added.

[MIKA27]

Schumi: Into the rhythm faster than expected

After three years out of the sport, Michael Schumacher reckons he got back into the rhythm "faster than thought" during this week's Valencia test.

Schumacher, who hasn't turned a wheel in anger since retiring from Ferrari back in 2006, made his Formula One return this week, taking part in Mercedes GP's three-day test at Valencia.

The seven-time World Champion, whose name is carved in Formula One's record books, put the new Mercedes W01 through its paces on Monday afternoon before returning to the cockpit for a full day's running on Wednesday.

On both days, Schumacher posted the third best time and impressive showing given his time away from the sport.

"Coming back to F1 in Valencia caused less trouble than expected for me - I picked up the rhythm faster than thought and everything went well," he told his official website.

"The car is reliable, that is the most important basis.

"I am now having a good feeling for the season that is spread ahead of us. Of course we will have to work a lot more but that is fun actually.

"We are a new team, you have to get used to each other and the way everybody works but with Ross I have the right person at the right spot. I am really happy about that first test."

[MIKA27]

Ferrari 'don't know' where they stand

Despite dominating the Valencia test, Ferrari insists it's going to take time before Formula One's true pecking order is revealed.

The Scuderia joined six of their rivals at Valencia on Monday for the start of a three-day test session and immediately took control of the timesheets.

Felipe Massa set the pace on the first two days before handing over to his new team-mate Fernando Alonso, who brought the test to its conclusion on Wednesday with the fastest lap time of the week, a 1:11.470.

Ferrari's pace out of the box has prompted some optimism with the Italian team's camp. "It was a very positive test," tech boss Aldo Costa told the team's website.

"We did 1,400 kilometres, good reliability, good performance to start with. We are reasonably happy.

"Feedback is it general was good, a good baseline to develop the car for the next test and the first few races, so positive."

But despite Ferrari's satisfaction over their initial results, Costa has downplayed claims that the Italian marque is the team to beat.

"To be honest we don't know. We see that we are fast but we don't know how much we are fast compared to the others precisely," he said.

"The good thing is that, as I said, all the calculations and all the evaluations during the design and testing campaign of the new car are seeing a good result on the track itself."

The next stop on the schedule for Ferrari is a four-day test at Jerez, where they will be joined by several more teams, including last year's runners-up, Red Bull Racing.

The team will see the introduction of several new developments for the F10 while new aero parts will follow at the second running at Jerez.

"We will have some mechanical development to do and we will start later on testing the new aerodynamic components," Costa revealed.

[MIKA27]

Anyone think US F1 & Campos will make the start grid this year?

I deffinitely believe US F1 will be on the grid (Without an American driver) however I too am uncertain about Campos .

Looking at the USF1 web page, they look to be on schedule and have thus far kept a low profile from the media etc in order to focus on their racer as well as recruitment of drivers and test driver.

http://www.usgpe.com/index.html

Campos are all over the place and I have also heard that they will not be paying a salary to Bruno Senna so who knows how that will work out and weather Bruno will pull out?

Have a read of the below regarding Campos:

No pay for Senna at Campos F1 in 2010

Bruno Senna will not be paid by his 2010 team Campos, the Brazilian rookie has revealed. Having already denied he is a pay-driver, the nephew of the late Ayrton Senna admitted that he hopes to help Campos to attract sponsors.

And as for earning a living himself, the 26-year-old – who has signed a two-year contract – said: “I will receive no pay, but I’m allowed to have personal sponsors.”

Senna said: “I am here because I trust Adrian (Campos) completely. I spoke with all the teams except Ferrari, and almost all of them demanded that I contribute five million euros in sponsorships. In the end I reached an agreement with Campos because they believe in me and because they think that my name will help them to get sponsors.”

[MIKA27]

Campos expects a solution by Monday

Campos Meta team boss Adrian Campos is confident that his team's recent financial woes will be a thing of the past within the next 24 hours.

Campos is one of four new teams expected to line-up on the grid in Bahrain next month. However, the team's build-up to its F1 career has been blighted by rumours of their pending doom, many of which have been voiced by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

It is a known fact, though, that finances are proving to be a problem for Campos with the team's boss admitting the need to find a serious investor to carry the shortfall.

This has led to speculation that Campos could settle for selling a stake in his Formula One team, although he has insisted in the past that he would rather find an investor.

Time is running out for the fledgling team, who may even enter the season-opening Bahrain GP without having completed a single lap of testing.

Campos, though, insists they will be there as he expects to have a resolution some time this Monday.

He told BBC Sport: "We are trying to have everything solved on Monday - and people are saying a lot of stupid things. Some are true and some are not.

"We are working very hard to be in Bahrain."

Asked whether his solution could come in the form of South African businessman and A1GP boss Tony Teixeira, Campos wouldn't be drawn.

"The problem is we have confidentiality clauses in everything we are doing," he said.

As for reports that his team is behind in their payments to chassis builder, Dallara, Campos admitted: "Sometimes we pay the (instalment) 7m Euros to Dallara and sometimes we don't have the money. We are trying to solve the problem."

But despite a few late payments, Campos denied rumours that Dallara have pulled out their deal to build his team's F1 car.

"No, they (Dallara) can't do that - we have a contract with them," Campos said.

[MIKA27]

Kovalainen refuses to point the finger

Heikki Kovalainen has refused to point the finger at anyone for his underperformance during his time at McLaren.

Kovalainen left McLaren at the end of 2009 after two rather mediocre seasons during which he was soundly trounced by his team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

The Finn stepped aside for reigning World Champion Jenson Button, who, upon his arrival at McLaren for a look-and-see, actually asked team boss Martin Whitmarsh "is this Hamilton's team?"

Button, though, is not alone in his perception of McLaren - which was quickly denied by the team - although Kovalainen, who put in some decent results during his time at Renault, has refused to be drawn on just why he slumped at McLaren.

"I think I know the reasons why it didn't work out and I will do things differently here at Lotus," he told ITV.

"But I don't want to get into that too much - it's gone now, it's gone, the past time for me. A shame I didn't win more races but that's the way it is sometimes."

Kovalainen's inability to match his team-mate led to some rather public criticism from his McLaren team bosses, who made it clear that he wasn't performing as expected and that unless he upped his game he would be out.

The Finn, though, wasn't able to and when the end of the season he arrived found himself looking for a new job.

Securing one with newcomers Lotus, Kovalainen is determined to prove he deserves to be in Formula One and to raise his stock, which was taken a dive in the paddock.

"I've always had 100 percent confidence in my own ability and I have a lot of people around me that have kept supporting me," he said.

"I don't really have any problems with the criticism from people, public or management or whoever commenting [from] outside.

"I'm quite well aware myself where I am, where I'm at and what needs to be done and for me it's quite easy to go work with that philosophy - and it doesn't really bother me what people say outside.

"Of course to stay in Formula 1 and be among the top drivers there you have to do good performances and at McLaren I wasn't able to do that so in that sense, yeah, I have to sort of prove myself again to get my name back up there where it should be.

"I'm confident I can do that."

MIKA: Quite a mature attitude really by HK unlike Alonso a couple years back who pointed the finger at everyone. I think HK knows there's no point in blaming when part of his performance did come down to his own performance. Weather his inability to score more points did in some part come down to McLaren's lack of fairness to both drivers, remains a mystery.

[MIKA27]

Force India launch VJM03

Force India are the latest team to unveil their 2010 challenger, with the team releasing images of the VJM03.

The VJM03 packs no surprises, with a high nose and shark fin engine cover that many teams have adopted this year.

Having endured a rocky start to the production of the 2009 model in which the team switched both their supplier of engines and gearboxes at a late stage, design director Mark Smith reveals that the process went according to plan this time round.

"It's been a lot smoother," Smith told reporters on Tuesday.

"From the very beginning we designed the VJM03 in full knowledge of the engine and gearbox that we would be using for 2010, which gave us a significant advantage by comparison with respect to the same point in design time for VJM02.

"Fundamentally, key relationships are established and data is available to us much earlier. The result of this is a much smoother design and development process," he explained.

Smith admits that there is overall happiness regarding the car, despite other teams providing some dramatic points of differentiation.

"There's a little bit of variety out there but predominantly we are happy," Smith told Austosport.

"You will always see something on each car that makes you think 'that's interesting', but understanding how they work on your car is the key thing.

"We haven't looked at photos and thought 'we've missed something significant' and we're excited to get down to Jerez."

Smith added that the VJM03 was a 'natural progression' from the 2009 model, with only the back end of the car undergoing significant changes.

"The back of the car is the area that has evolved most as everyone has had a year of experience with the double diffusers so we've all gone into 2010 much wiser to what we can do," explained Smith.

"There have been some refinements in that area and it's formed part of the make-up of the car this time around, rather than being added very quickly, as happened at the beginning of last year. It's natural now to design the car to take these devices.

"The gearbox is now a little bit easier to work around, and there are tweaks to make the diffuser potential bigger."

Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi have been confirmed as the VJM03's pilots, with Paul di Resta the team's reserve driver. Liuzzi will have the honour of giving the car its first run, when he begins Force India's pre-season testing campaign on Wednesday in Jerez.

[MIKA27]

Todt: Teams are allowed to miss three races

FIA president Jean Todt has said that any new team that fails to make the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix will in fact be allowed to miss the first three races of 2010 without fear of punishment.

There have been persistent doubts that two of the four new teams scheduled to join the Formula One grid this season, Campos Meta and USF1, will not be ready in time for the first race on March 14.

Both outfits have so far announced only one of their two drivers for 2010, with Bruno Senna lined up for the Spanish Campos team and Jose Maria Lopez confirmed by USF1.

However, both have yet to unveil their cars and as a consequence are missing out on vital pre-season testing which started last week in Valencia and continues on Wednesday at Jerez.

Speaking at a media briefing in Paris on Tuesday, Todt confirmed: "In the last draft of the Concorde Agreement it's written that a team can skip three races."

Another new outfit, Serbia's Stefan GP, have stolen a march by acquiring the 2010 cars and technical support from Toyota, which announced in November that it was pulling out of F1.

Despite Stefan GP having yet to secure an official entry, they have announced a test later this month and are even shipping equipment to Bahrain.

However, Todt remains cautious that they will be allowed to race.

"If one of them doesn't make it, it doesn't mean another team comes in. It's up to the FIA to decide if they have the credentials," the former Ferrari team principal said.

Todt, who replaced Max Mosley as FIA president last year, also said that he was against the latter's budget cap proposal which almost brought about a breakaway series last year.

The Frenchman did state that he wanted to continue to reduce costs, although he supported the expensive KERS energy recovery system which has been dropped this year.

[MIKA27]

Exclusive: First image of Lotus F1 car

Source: Autosport

The first Lotus Formula 1 car for 15 years hit the race track on Tuesday as Fairuz Fauzy completed a secret shakedown for the team's 2010 challenger at Silverstone.

As AUTOSPORT's exclusive spy shot of the new car shows, the so-far unnamed machine was running in the historic green and yellow colours that were so synonymous with Lotus in the 1950s and 1960s.

It is not clear, however, whether the team will keep these colours for the season or they have just been used for the initial run.

The successful shakedown of the car marked an emotional moment for the Lotus team, which was only granted an entry for the 2010 season back in September.

Having undertaken the first engine fire-up of the car on Saturday, the team travelled to Silverstone to get some mileage on it before its official launch in London on Friday.

Team principal Tony Fernandes admitted that the first run with the new car had meant a lot to him. "Shakedown started. Quite a few tears," he wrote on his official Twitter feed.

Lotus is scheduled to begin proper testing of the car at next week's third pre-season F1 test at Jerez in Spain.

[MIKA27]

Michael predicts exciting tyre stop races

Williams’s Sam Michael has predicted that pit stop battles between teams are going to become even more exciting in 2010 now they will come down to a straight tyre-changing race.

The ban on mid-race refuelling for the first time since 1993 means pit stops will become even shorter this season, with pit crews now just required to change all four tyres.

With stops likely to take between just three and four seconds to complete, Michael believes today’s crews are set to create an exciting pit-stop spectacle.

“How fast these guys are changing the tyres is bloody impressive and it’s going to be a really good show I think in Formula 1,” Williams’s technical director told reporters at last week’s Valencia test.

Formula 1 is unique in terms of pit-stop times because a lot of other categories either don’t have pit stops or they have a limited number of people in pit stops, so they are generally slow.

“But the pit-stop times in Formula 1…it is going to be an impressive race.

“So I think they will easily smash the previous records.”

Williams posted on its official Twitter page last month that its crew had managed to dip below the 3s mark for a tyre-change stop in a practice at its Grove base.

And while Michael doesn’t think stops will prove to be quite as quick as that in a pressurised grand prix environment, he reckons that the fact crews will be striving to complete the tyre changes more quickly all the time mean slip-ups are inevitable.

Asked if the thought more mistakes would be made with tyres changes this year, he said: “Absolutely.

“To be honest they’ve been on a cruise for 15 years because they are fuel limited.

“So they could have a spare four seconds up their sleeve in previous times.

“So there was no desire to push them for those last two or three tenths because as you push for those two or three tenths you make mistakes, so you’d rather say slow down by half a second to make sure you get it right.”

In a bid to alleviate fears that the disappearance of fuel strategy will make races more processional, the F1 Commission last week agreed to introduce a new tyre rule which will see drivers who reached Q3 having to start the race on the same tyres that they used for the final part of qualifying.

With the top-10 shootout having reverted to a low-fuel battle for pole, Michael reckons the new rule should in theory ensure strategic elements remain a feature of races – but admits this will only really be achieved if the gap between the two tyre compounds is reasonably big.

“I think it’s a good thing because if you look at the grid otherwise, it’s just purely formed on pace order,” he said.

It will only make a difference if you’ve got a big difference between the prime and option [compound].

“If they are only one or two tenths apart it won’t make a big difference at all because everyone will just take the prime because they won’t risk taking the option.

“But ideally if you’ve got an option [tyre] that’s four or five tenths quicker then you’ll get people on the edge of seventh, eighth and ninth saying ‘right, I’m close enough to get to third or fourth if I take the option and I’ll just put up with holding everyone up for the first stint.'

“So it will create some differentiator – like the fuel load did. It’s a semi-replacement for what the fuel load used to do when people used to vary their first stint.

“So it creates some decision making.”