FORMULA 1 - 2010

[MIKA27]

Schumacher downplays Merc updates

Michael Schumacher has warned that although Mercedes GP will head to Spain with major upgrades, so too will all their main rivals.

Mercedes GP have already revealed that their W01 will feature a longer wheelbase at the Barcelona race, which is intended to improve weight distribution.

Added to that, Schumacher will also switch chassis as his previous one was damaged into the opening rounds of the Championship.

And although many of the seven-time World Champ's fans are hoping these changes will see him fighting for a podium finish, the 41-year-old has downplayed the team's potential improvements.

"The European season is about to kick off and now we will see how our developments look in relation to those of the other teams," said Schumacher. "Every team will come to Barcelona with a revised car and so of course do we.

"I see a lot of potential here especially as our team has been reacting very well over the past four races. We have worked on general improvements to the car, as well as specific developments in downforce and efficiency, and I am confident that we have room to make further progress in the future.

"Our step forward in Barcelona will be bigger than you can make at each race during the flyaways but it would not be realistic to expect us to suddenly be competing right at the front.

"I am hoping for a better race in Barcelona than I had in China and of course I would not mind having had better results so far.

"However the good news is that after three years away, I am feeling extremely motivated. So I am clearly ready to take this challenge."

Team boss Ross Brawn is hoping to at least see some gain from their Spanish upgrades but added that they are just the "first step" towards improving the W01.

"The start of the European season is the first opportunity to make significant changes to the car and the Spanish GP will see the first step in our development programme for the MGP W01.

"In addition to a major aerodynamic and bodywork package, we have made changes to the wheelbase of the car which will help the overall handling and weight distribution.

"Michael will use a different chassis for Barcelona as we take the opportunity of having the cars back at the factory after the flyaway races to repair some damage to his original chassis. He will switch to our first chassis which was previously used during the pre-season tests.

"Everyone at our factories in Brackley and Brixworth has worked extremely hard to ensure that the cars and our new developments are ready for Barcelona following the delayed return from China and we look forward to evaluating the impact on our pace whilst remaining conscious that this is very much a first step in improving our competitiveness."

[MIKA27]

Lotus: We're through the hardest part

Mike Gascoyne is adamant that Lotus have made it through the "hardest part" by getting their F1 team on to the grid and through the first four races.

Lotus is one of three new teams competing in this year's Championship and although they haven't set the track alight, they have at least put in an admirable showing by newbie standards.

The team, though, is hoping that next weekend's Spanish Grand Prix will see a massive upturn in form with Heikki Kovalainen believing their upgraded T127 should be a second quicker per lap.

However, tech boss Gascoyne admits that only time will tell as their rivals are also heading to Barcelona with major updates to their cars.

"Now the first four flyaway races are behind us and we're into the European season," he said.

"All the teams will have upgrades for Barcelona, but we're hoping that ours is even more significant than our rivals because we received our entry so late and had to freeze the initial specification of the car very early in the design process.

"We do expect it to be reasonably significant - we have an aero package with revised sidepods, front wings and brake ducts, and a number of mechanical changes, but obviously we'll have to wait and see what step forward our rivals will also make.

"It's very gratifying to see the whole factory in full operation, with every department now nearly fully staffed but starting to work to their full potential.

"This means we can now look at more long-term development and R&D programmes, and start thinking about future cars.

"We're through the hardest part of the team's growth and we're on a very good footing for the future."

[MIKA27]

Fisichella tests Ferrari upgrades

Ferrari made use of one of their four days of aerodynamic testing to put their Barcelona updates out on track on Saturday.

Test driver Giancarlo Fisichella was in action at Vairano, putting the Italian marques's new f-duct system through its paces.

He also tested the aero configuration that Ferrari will use at next weekend's Spanish GP as well as the new positioning of the rear view mirrors, which must now be located on the chassis.

The chassis that the Italian was using was also new, code named 284. It will be raced by Felipe Massa in Spain.

But whether Ferrari will race with all the new upgrades in Spain will only be decided after Friday's two practice sessions.

Under this year's regulations, all teams are allowed four days of aerodynamic testing during the season.

MIKA: Giancarlo who!?

I completely forgot about GF.....! That's a huge waste of talent to be sitting as Test driver just like Nick Heidfeld at MercGP.

[MIKA27]

Webber: No vendetta against Hamilton

Mark Webber insists his fellow drivers do not have anything against Lewis Hamilton after the Brit came in for some stick for his driving.

Hamilton was criticised by his fellow drivers for his antics in the Malaysian GP, which saw him warned by the race stewards for weaving in front of Vitaly Petrov.

Such was the outcry that the Brit was the hot topic during the Friday drivers' briefing at the following race in China. However, 48 hours later, Hamilton's driving was once again making headlines.

This time, it was due to his pit lane antics with Webber's Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel. Both drivers were reprimanded by the race stewards after many felt the punishment should have been more severe.

Webber, though, has denied that Hamilton's rivals are out to get him.

"Look, the situation surrounding Lewis's driving in Malaysia was handled very well at the race after Malaysia, in China. There's absolutely nothing against Lewis," Webber told BBC Sport.

"Hand on heart, the way it was handled was, this is what we think is right, this is what we think is wrong. It's not a witch hunt against anyone.

"If anyone had driven like that there would have been some questions asked. It's totally fair to do that. In the end it was nipped in the bud. Lewis is fine with it and we move on."

But whether one agrees with Hamilton's driving or not, Webber reckons the McLaren driver, together with his team-mate Jenson Button, and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso will be the toughest challenges outside his own Red Bull team for this year's World title.

"It's absolutely impossible to name one driver and it would not be very wise to do so. But you would say both McLaren drivers and Fernando," said the Aussie.

"The McLaren drivers because they look to have a bit more reliability up their sleeve with engines, and we don't know how what's going to go on at the end of the year [with Ferrari].

"But I would find it massively unusual if those three guys aren't in the hunt at the end of the year."

[MIKA27]

Hakkinen in line to manage Hamilton?

Two-time world champion, Mika Hakkinen, is the latest former-driver to be linked with an F1 return, though not behind the wheel this time, more in a managerial role.

The Finn has been linked with becoming Lewis Hamilton's next manager after the 25-year old released his father of the duty at the start of the 2010 season.

Hakkinen who has most recently raced in the Germany-based DTM motorsport series told the media, "I miss racing every day. It's very close to my heart, I'll be back, perhaps as a manager."

Hakkinen, who won both his championships at McLaren before retiring in 2001 has 161 race starts and 51 podium finishes under his belt.

[MIKA27]

Johnny Herbert on the new Silverstone

Johnny Herbert's British Grand Prix triumph in 1995 was one of the most popular - and surprising - home wins in Silverstone's rich history.

So the former Lotus, Benetton, Sauber, Stewart and Jaguar racer was the ideal person to talk itv.com/f1 through the changes to the Silverstone track layout at this week's launch of the new Arena circuit.

ITV.com/F1: What’s your verdict on the new section of track that has been officially opened today?

Johnny Herbert: I think it’s got the classic Silverstone [style].

Silverstone’s always been famous for its high-speed corners and I think what will be turn one [Abbey] and what will lead on to the Wellington straight are very high-speed corners, so I think the drivers will get a big kick from that.

We’ve got that one extra overtaking opportunity [into Village] and I think that’s a good thing, because Bridge, around to Brooklands and Luffield, it really was an impossibility to overtake.

So it’s good to have the high-speed corners and have that one extra opportunity to overtake.

So that should add more I think more to Silverstone itself. I think the way they have worked out even Club corner, and they have even changed the grandstands which are that much higher and you can look down on it [the track] as well.

It will be good for the drivers, hopefully it will be good for the TV and I think it’s good for British and European motorsport to have a modern track that is working very, very hard to try and stimulate the racing that we have at the moment.

I think this is definitely in the right direction.

ITV.com/F1: Over recent years there’s been a lot of new circuits come onto the calendar many of which have claimed their track design will offer a few overtaking spots, yet this often hasn’t turned out to be the case. So are you confident what Silverstone has done here will improve things?

JH: It looks like it because you’ve got some high-speed [sections] so you can get close behind a car and actually slipstream and then put out into a slow speed corner.

Now, I know there are a lot of tracks that have been trying to work out that way, but it’s trying to do it in the correct manner to enable cars to be able to overtake.

And I think the little left-hand [Farm] curve before it gives that opportunity just to draw up [to the car in front] and it’s wide enough to be able to do that overtaking move.

So it’s been thought out, I think, in the right manner to enable drivers to overtake, and the opportunity’s definitely there.

I know it’s not easy full-stop for these Formula 1 cars to do that, but I think that’s a better opportunity than we have in a lot of race tracks around the world – even some of these modern tracks.

These modern tracks are not all the be-all-and-end-all of overtaking and excitement – they are very good to drive, but there is hardly any overtaking that goes on.

So I think Silverstone overall should be proud of the fact that they’ve got a facility that does actually take it to these new tracks in the Middle East, Asia and everywhere else.

ITV.com/F1: What’s your opinion on the way Formula 1 is going these days then, where the trend is for some of the more traditional tracks to be sidelined slightly for new glittering venues such as Abu Dhabi?

JH: It’s a worry but an understandable situation because there are a lot of these tracks that have been here for so many years – Silverstone’s been here for over 80 years I think it is, so it’s been here for a long, long time.

So to enable Formula 1, which nowadays with the high speeds and high cornering speeds they produce, you have got to keep updating them [the circuits].

If you go back to the mid-late 80s when it used to be Brands/Silverstone [for the British GP], of course you could never go back to Brands because everything has moved on so far.

But what Silverstone’s been able to do – and they’ve been a little bit fortunate because of the land mass that it’s got around it – they’ve been able to ***** [away] at and change and adapt the circuit to enable it to be more in line with the rules of the FIA and what they expect from these new race tracks.

Silverstone has always been to adapt to that and I think it’s still good that we have a good facility here for the UK.

Magny-Cours was purpose built for Formula 1 – we don’t go there anymore, the sport’s outgrown it.

The Nurburgring is the other one that’s been around for a long, long time, but they do have that little flexibility [with land space] once again, but Silverstone as a whole is a much nicer venue to go to.

That’s something that’s always been key to what Silverstone and the BRDC have been about, it’s about racing but it’s been able to adapt to changes that come around as well.

ITV.com/F1: Moving things on to the start of the season, what’s your assessment of how things are shaping up? We’ve had three pretty exciting races since Bahrain haven’t we, although Bahrain rarely produces much excitement…

JH: I agree, Bahrain’s always been a hard one – it’s never been the most dynamic of tracks.

That’s a prime example [of unsuccessful track changes]. They added a bit of track to the circuit but it looked horrible; it was a bit longer, there was no opportunity to overtake, it was as bumpy as anything and from my understanding it didn’t really add anything to it.

So I think what Silverstone has been able to do is add something with a purpose and with a proper opportunity and I’m sure it’s going to be very smooth at the same time.

But overall with the season, I think everything that’s happened in Australia, in Malaysia and in China we’ve had some proper races.

Yes, the weather’s played a bit of a part but we live in a world that does rain sometimes and when it does happen it definitely spices things up.

Overall I think the teams and the drivers are in a better situation of racing each other – we’ll see in Spain.

Spain historically has been dry and if it is hopefully it will be an interesting one because there are going to be a lot of development parts come on these cars.

They haven’t been able to test them on track, so they’re all going to be going there with these new development parts and some are going to improve, some are probably going to stay static and that will add to what the championship has seemed to produce so far.

ITV.com/F1: Jenson’s the man leading the championship at the moment, have you been surprised with how quickly he’s acclimatised to life at McLaren given many people thought he was going to go there and struggle to beat Lewis?

JH: I think Jenson has achieved much more than I thought, only because he was going into Lewis’s team in which he’s [Lewis] happy with his team, they understand him, he understand them, they work very, very well together while Jenson’s coming into a brand new team after winning the championship last year.

And to be honest I think after the lucky win let’s say in Australia, it doesn’t matter [that it was lucky], but he got that win and I think that mentally helped him.

But I think the win that we saw in China was a massive one for him. He outqualified, he outraced Lewis and he’s obviously got himself in the lead of the championship.

I think this is probably a side I haven’t seen from him, that result I think has spurred him on massively.

He’s fitted in very well with the team; he didn’t expect it maybe quite as quickly to happen like it has up against the quality of Lewis, but he’s done that, he’s put pressure on Lewis.

Lewis hasn’t been able to respond and at the moment I think he’s only going to get stronger and stronger because I think his mind’s in the right area at the moment.

Lewis is the one who’s under pressure. Lewis is in his team, let’s say, but it’s been taken over by a new Brit.

But I think the important factor now for Lewis and for Jenson is the guy that can steer the car in the direction he wants, and that will be the key for the championship.

As we look at it today, I think it’s going in the direction of Jenson. But we have still got a long way to go.

But I think he’s [Jenson] only going to grow and by him growing that’s only going to make it more difficult for Lewis.

[MIKA27]

McLaren preview the Spanish GP

Jenson Button wants his third win of the season, however, team-mate Lewis Hamilton hopes the Spanish GP marks his chance to shine.

Jenson Button:

"The Spanish Grand Prix is a race I won last year, and I regard it as one of my best victories of the 2009 season. It's a relatively high-speed circuit, and one that's quite enjoyable to drive - provided your car is working properly. There are some fast corners, like Turn Nine and the final corner, but the majority of the track is made up of pretty long corners where you really need the car to do all the work. It's a circuit that really rewards precision, and punishes aggression. And if you've got a car that wants to understeer, then you're going to have a difficult race! Fortunately, our car does seem to have a very good neutral balance in the high-speed corners - it's probably the most impressive aspect of the car - and we went well during pre-season testing, so I think we go into this weekend feeling pretty well prepared. Finally, I'm looking forward to returning to Europe. It's been an incredibly exciting series of flyaway races, but I think everybody in Formula 1 looks forward to racing closer to home, back in the sport's heartland."

Lewis Hamilton:

"We've got a couple of fairly significant upgrades coming for this race. And while it would be naive to think that these will move us up the pecking order - because almost all the teams produce a major bodywork update for Barcelona - we're optimistic that they'll once again help us to bridge the gap to the leading cars. And, of course, we've proved in the past that we've been both extremely capable and prolific at adding performance to the car across the course of the season, so I'm hopeful that we'll be heading into Barcelona in good shape. If it's a dry race, then, realistically, I think it's going to be harder for us to be up at the front. As we did in China, we'll be putting additional emphasis on qualifying; it will be more important than ever in Barcelona as, traditionally, it's always been a track where overtaking is very difficult. Given that most cars will only be stopping once, we have a less scope for passing, so a good grid position will be vital here."

Martin Whitmarsh - team boss:

"In recent years, we've produced successful cars with inherent performance characteristics that enable them to perform better in slower corners. While we haven't overlooked high-speed performance, it's not typically been our strongest area - and that might explain our recent loss of form around Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya. For 2010, however, we feel we have a car that generally excels in high-speed corners, and while that in itself, isn't enough to suggest a complete reversal of our recent fortunes in Spain, we feel that the useful upgrades we're bringing to this race, which include new front and rear wings, will help us consolidate our position among the leaders and, hopefully, enable us to close the gap to the cars at the front.

"Despite leading both world championships, we are still working tremendously hard to bring additional performance to MP4-25. That has meant a tireless fortnight of work back at the McLaren Technology Centre, which was only minimally disrupted by the recent air travel problems across Europe. In addition, Spain will mark the beginning of the European campaign, the return to our home from home in the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Brand Centre, and the debut of an exciting new visual identity inside the garage, which will feature a completely new look. It's a race we're all looking forward to enormously."

[MIKA27]

Mercedes GP preview the Spanish GP

Nico Rosberg heads to Spain chasing his first-ever F1 victory while Michael Schumacher is hoping to put his new chassis to good use.

Nico Rosberg:

"It's a very nice feeling to be going into the European season with second place in the Drivers' Championship and with a significant upgrade for our car in Barcelona next weekend. From talking to the guys at the factory, I know that they having been working really hard to get everything ready on time and it will be interesting to see the effect that the new developments have on the car. Barcelona is such a familiar circuit as we have tested there so often over the years that we should be able to spend the practice sessions just focusing on getting the most out of the upgrades. Returning to Europe is when the season feels like it really gets underway and we will be doing our best to continue our good run and podium finishes from the first four races. I'm looking forward to it!"

Michael Schumacher;

"The European season is about to kick off and now we will see how our developments look in relation to those of the other teams. Every team will come to Barcelona with a revised car and so of course do we. I see a lot of potential here especially as our team has been reacting very well over the past four races. We have worked on general improvements to the car, as well as specific developments in downforce and efficiency, and I am confident that we have room to make further progress in the future. Our step forward in Barcelona will be bigger than you can make at each race during the flyaways but it would not be realistic to expect us to suddenly be competing right at the front. I am hoping for a better race in Barcelona than I had in China and of course I would not mind having had better results so far. However the good news is that after three years away, I am feeling extremely motivated. So I am clearly ready to take this challenge."

Ross Brawn:

"The start of the European season is the first opportunity to make significant changes to the car and the Spanish Grand Prix will see the first step in our development programme for the MGP W01. In addition to a major aerodynamic and bodywork package, we have made changes to the wheelbase of the car which will help the overall handling and weight distribution. Michael will use a different chassis for Barcelona as we take the opportunity of having the cars back at the factory after the flyaway races to repair some damage to his original chassis. He will switch to our first chassis which was previously used during the pre-season tests. Everyone at our factories in Brackley and Brixworth has worked extremely hard to ensure that the cars and our new developments are ready for Barcelona following the delayed return from China and we look forward to evaluating the impact on our pace whilst remaining conscious that this is very much a first step in improving our competitiveness."

Norbert Haug:

"The start of the European season in Barcelona will be a very important race to establish whether the competitive order of the field has changed as every top team will introduce technical upgrades. Our MGP W01 will have the first set of significant changes which will be followed by a defined rhythm of further upgrades, all of which are aimed at getting our car to the very top of the field. After the first four flyaway races in Bahrain, Australia, Malaysia and China, Nico is currently second in the Drivers' World Championship which shows that he and our Mercedes GP Petronas team have done a good job in the first fifth of the season getting the best results from the material available. Michael did not have such a good run, mostly without his fault, in the first four races. I am absolutely convinced that this will change sooner rather than later."

[MIKA27]

Williams preview the Spanish GP

Williams may not be taking major upgrades to Spain, according to the team, but they are taking a new front wing, sidepods and revised wing mirrors.

Rubens Barrichello:

Most of the drivers know Barcelona inside out. It's a great track, particularly for qualifying and that can really be the determining factor of the weekend. The circuit has a combination of high and low speed sectors but the priority is to achieve good speed going into the corners, rather than focusing on the long straight, so you have to have a strong aerodynamic set-up. Turn three is challenging and you are looking to go flat out there for qualifying. The four-through-seven corner sequence is where you can make up the most time on the lap so getting that hooked up is important too. Overtaking is kind of limited because everyone has so much experience of the track. The biggest variable is normally the weather. I've raced at Catalunya plenty of times; it's a circuit I like a lot and I think someone with experience will do better there.

Nico Hulkenberg:

I've enjoyed the first few races so I'm looking forward to Spain and working together with the team again. I've covered a lot of kilometres testing in Barcelona over the past couple of years, and I've raced there in GP2, so I'm confident I know the track well enough to hit the ground running. It's a good circuit to drive and gives everyone a clear indication of how strong your aerodynamics are. The track flows nicely and has some testing corners. The first sector is especially quick. Turn three is a fast right hander, turn nine too, and both are a lot of fun to drive. Like everyone else, we will have new parts for Barcelona so there's some expectation to do better there than in China. I've been to the track so many times but I've never really seen the city itself. Now that I'm actually racing in F1, I doubt that's going to change!

Sam Michael, Technical Director:

We spend a lot of time testing in Barcelona so we know the track well. That brings obvious advantages for the drivers, but it also enables us to spend more time working on different programmes during the practice sessions. We will have some aero updates for the car in Barcelona, including a new front wing, sidepod and revised wing mirrors. We will also be running additional test parts in order to further develop the blown rear wing that we had limited time with in Shanghai.

[MIKA27]

Sauber preview the Spanish GP

Pedro de la Rosa returns home hoping for some improvement in form as both himself and his team-mate Kamui Kobayashi try to bag Sauber's first point.

Pedro de la Rosa:

"I grew up in the city centre of Barcelona, and I certainly love my home town. You have everything there - a lively city, the sea, the mountains and a permanently good climate. I'm very much looking forward to this race! My parents always had a summer house close to where the circuit is. From 1991 onwards I loved to listen to the fabulous sound of the Formula 1 engines from there when teams where testing. Also in 1991 I raced in Formula Renault in the first event at the Circuit de Catalunya. My first Formula 1 Grand Prix there was in 1999.

The circuit has become the best test track for Formula 1. It is a very demanding circuit - tough on the cars, the engines and the drivers. It is a track I really, really like. Turn three is very fast and very long - it is a true neck killer. There is a great variety of corners - high and medium speed, and a couple of slow ones in the last sector. We had a good winter test there and I have the feeling our car suits Barcelona better than some of the more recent tracks. For the Spanish Grand Prix we will also have a new aero package in place. I'm sure at the end of the race we will either be close to or in the points."

Kamui Kobayashi:

"I know the Circuit de Catalunya pretty well. I won a GP2 race there, raced there in Formula 3 and did some Formula 1 testing there. Even my first ever F1 test was in Barcelona. In those days the last two corners were different to now, as it was a very fast double right hander. The circuit is very demanding on the cars and challenging for us drivers. The car-and-driver combination has to be very good, as it is difficult but crucial to get the set-up right. The fast right hander before the back straight is my favourite corner and quite challenging.

"I like Spain and the Spanish Grand Prix. The weather is usually very nice and there is a large crowd. I'm happy for Pedro that it is his home race and all his fans will be there. We have been testing there over the winter. We have an update to the car and I believe our reliability problems are solved. I should have a good chance to finally go racing after I have only done 19 laps in total in all four races."

Technical Director James Key:

"We have some updates for Barcelona, as most of the teams will have. We are trying to push our F-Duct design a step further. This is obviously a technology that will eventually appear all the way down the grid during the year, but our team has some experience of it from the first events.

"Additionally we have a package of updates on the car, which are particularly on the front end and the diffuser. It's a decent package, which will hopefully allow us to find some more performance. Obviously a lot depends on how tough the competition is. Some of the steps address the issues the team has identified in terms of the aero characteristics, so it should make the car a little bit better purely through changing the way it behaves.

"With regard to the circuit itself, it's obviously a place everybody knows extremely well. It's an excellent reference circuit with a real mix of low and high speed corners, which require downforce as well as a good mechanical grip. It's a very technical circuit where it's never been easy to get the best out of the car. It will be interesting going back there after the cars have developed since winter testing, and to see how much they have changed. An important question will be how well we can get the tyres to last because it is a very hard circuit on tyres; and, of course, the difference in temperature between winter and now is also an interesting aspect. "I'm looking forward to the event. It's obviously Pedro's home race, which is great for him and, as a team, we will try to have a good weekend and put the difficult start to the season behind us."

[MIKA27]

Lotus preview the Spanish GP

Lotus are hoping their Barcelona upgrade will prove to be "even more significant than our rivals"...

Heikki Kovalainen:

"I spent two nights at home in Switzerland then flew to Finland to see my family for the first time since Christmas. I've been doing various bits of work with my Finnish partners, relaxing a little and of course training like usual. I had some new golf clubs fitted by Nike Finland and have been practicing with them too, so my golf's definitely improving. It's always good to get to Barcelona as it's where most of the teams bring their first big updates. It's a very fast track and all the teams spend a lot of time there in pre-season, so we know it very well, but it's the complete opposite to racing in Monte Carlo. In Barcelona there are more chances to overtake but nowhere else has the same glamour or prestige as Monaco. It's so busy there on track there's no time to relax, and there are no run off areas so you pay heavily for any mistakes. I really like street circuits - you are rewarded for good car control so I'm looking forward to getting on track and seeing what steps forward we've taken with the updates."

Jarno Trulli:

"I made it back home from China with a number of the other drivers, but we got back safely and I've been home with my family since then. I've managed to fit in a number of good training sessions, and am looking forward to getting back in the car. I think I've had a fair bit of bad luck so far, but I'm looking to put that behind me and see how much further forward we can go with the updates. I've kept in close touch with the team about the tests they've put the car through, and am encouraged by the results they've had. I think we'll take a good step forward in Spain. I like Barcelona - we all know every bit of it very well as we test there a lot, and have raced there for years. Monaco is obviously a very special place for me - a lot of my fans will be out in force, and I love going back to where I've won, so that'll be a busy, but good week."

Mike Gascoyne:

"Now the first four flyaway races are behind us and we're into the European season. All the teams will have upgrades for Barcelona, but we're hoping that ours is even more significant than our rivals because we received our entry so late and had to freeze the initial specification of the car very early in the design process. We do expect it to be reasonably significant - we have an aero package with revised sidepods, front wings and brake ducts, and a number of mechanical changes, but obviously we'll have to wait and see what step forward our rivals will also make. Straight after Barcelona we go to Monaco which is a totally different challenge. It's a unique place in terms of its configuration. Everyone runs maximum downforce and obviously it's a very tight, bumpy street circuit, but the experience our two drivers bring, combined with the progress we've made at the factory and on track, gives me confidence we'll put in a good showing at both races. It's very gratifying to see the whole factory in full operation, with every department now nearly fully staffed but starting to work to their full potential. This means we can now look at more long-term development and R&D programmes, and start thinking about future cars. We're through the hardest part of the team's growth and we're on a very good footing for the future."

Tony Fernandes:

"We're back in Europe and I couldn't be more pleased with the position we arrive in. The first phase of Lotus Racing's life is now behind us, and the next challenge starts here. We've proved all the doubters wrong, and have shown that the hard work everyone in the team puts is making the dream we share come true. I remember the immense pride I had when I first saw the cars run in the pre-season tests in Spain, and in Barcelona we're back, ahead of the other new teams and with a new package that will help us push on closer to the next goal, which is to take on the midfield. Ultimately it's about taking Lotus Racing to the front of the grid and this marks the next step in that journey. On a personal level I've always loved coming to Spain, and with Monaco straight afterwards I'm very excited about seeing how our fanbase is growing into the traditional heartland of Formula One. We've broken new ground in Australia, Asia and China and now we're back at the scene of some of the most famous moments in the Lotus history."

[MIKA27]

Bridgestone preview the Spanish GP

Bridgestone head to Spain with the hard and soft compound Potenza tyres available to the teams.

Hiroshi Yasukawa - Director of Bridgestone Motorsport:

"This is the first race of the year in Europe so we expect a lot of media attention and predict a very busy weekend. It is the first of two visits to Spain where we have over 4000 employees. Over half of our tyre production from here is exported throughout the European Community. Our Formula One activities have been well received here and assisted us in gaining our high brand awareness in this important market."

Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development:

"The Circuit de Catalunya is a good indicator of overall car balance and a car which does well here should do well at any track. We expect the weather to be much warmer than when we last visited Barcelona in February for the final pre-season test and we hope we don't see the snow that the circuit experienced in March! The warmer temperatures make a difference to engine power, aerodynamics, tyre grip and so on, so there is a lot to consider. We often see major car upgrades as this is the first European race of the season after the first four fly-away races. The cars have already evolved a lot so it will be interesting to see the differences from when we were here before the season started. The track surface is in the middle range in terms of abrasion and roughness and we will bring our hard and soft Bridgestone Potenzas. The circuit layout is tough on the front left tyre and we expect to see graining on this tyre."

[MIKA27]

The Spanish GP timetable

The Spanish GP, which takes place around the Barcelona circuit, marks the fifth round of the 2010 F1 World Championship.

All times are local (Spain is GMT +2)

Thursday 6 May

15:00: FIA press conference

Friday 7 May

10:00 - 11:30: First free practice

14:00 - 15:30: Second free practice

16:00: FIA press conference

Saturday 8 May

11:00 - 12:00: Third free practice

14:00 - 15:00: Qualifying

15h00: FIA post qualifying press conference

Sunday 9 May

14:00 - 16:00: Spanish GP

16:00: FIA post race press conference

Spanish GP Info

No of Laps: 66

Race Distance: 307.104 km

Lap Record: 1:21.670 - K Raikkonen (2008)

2009 Winner: J Button (Brawn GP)

[MIKA27]

Hispania seeking a better understanding

Having got both cars to the finish line in China, Hispania head to Barcelona now hoping to do just that but a little bit faster.

Bruno Senna and his team-mate Karun Chandhok both saw the finish line in China, however, they were at the very back of the field, two and four laps off the pace.

And although the team isn't suddenly expecting points at the Spanish GP, team boss Colin Kolles is hoping that the updates they plan to introduce will at least start to close the deficit.

"We reached our next goal with our two cars making it to the finish again in China on our fourth ever race weekend," said Kolles.

"We have used the time since China to work on the car and to introduce new parts.

"We hope to understand the car better and need to improve the performance as well as hit a new target and finish again with both cars."

[MIKA27]

Stewart: Schumi only running on 60 watts

Jackie Stewart reckons Michael Schumacher is not running on full power but believes that may change before the season is over.

Schumacher's return to F1 after three years out has been anything but the success story his fans - and Mercedes GP - were hoping for.

The German has claimed just 10 points in four races while his team-mate Nico Rosberg is second in the Drivers' standings on 50.

"Whether it's age, whether it's wealth, whether it's privilege, there's no doubt in my mind that Michael is not the man he was," Stewart told the Daily Telegraph.

"You don't step out for three years and come back the same man with the same wattage. He's probably running a 60W versus a 100W.

"But that can come back. It is too soon to judge.

"The new car will have the brain over the front wheels - nobody else likes the brain over the front wheels like he does.

"When he has that I think we will have to reassess the whole story. If he then doesn't deliver, then I think he has a problem. But I think he will.

"I don't think Michael will win the World Championship but I think he will be on podiums and I think he could easily win a race this year."

But if Merc can't get the car to suit Schumacher, Stewart reckons it will highlight his biggest short-fall.

"It appears to me that if a car doesn't work, Michael's performance is not as good, whereas others, like Jim Clark, could drive a difficult car," he told the Daily Mail.

"I don't think Michael has that ability. If he doesn't deliver in the new car, he's got a problem."

But it's not just Stewart who has been voicing his opinion on the seven-time World Champion's comeback.

"Michael is taking time to find his feet and we haven't yet seen any of the old Schumacher magic," said Damon Hill. "Is it still there?

"I'm sure that's a question Michael will be asking himself - and it's one that is starting to become valid after four races."

MIKA: Apologies that there is always news on MS's performance however it seems the media find this interesting and many drivers love to put forward their own opinions (Mark Webber). Sure MS has only 10 points this season, but its funny because some drivers who have not retired from F1 barely make 10 points the entire season.

MS can not be compared to any other driver including Jim Clarke as Sir Jackie Stewart seems to be doing because in the end weather JC could drive a more difficult vehicle or not, he didn't win 7 WDC's. Everyone has a weakness and a strength.

Would Jackie Stewart and others who comment in a negative sense have a positive opinion if MS were winning already?

MS has nothing to prove however I am sure he would like to be up there on the podiums.

I like to look at what he has done for F1 by returning, viewers numbers on TV and on track spectator numbers have gone through the roof. I was never a 100% MS fan, I appreciated his talent and still do and I really do hope he springs back to his old formidable self in due course.

[MIKA27]

Hulkenberg: Hit the ground running

Nico Hulkenberg is hoping his prior knowledge of the Barcelona circuit will ensure a strong performance at the Spanish GP.

Four races into his F1 career, Hulkenberg has scored just one World Championship point thanks to his tenth-place finish at the Malaysian GP.

However, the rookie is still learning his trade and had never driven a Formula One car around any of those four tracks.

Barcelona, though, is different.

Not only did Hulkenberg race on the Spanish circuit during his days in GP2 but he also spent time there during F1's pre-season testing.

"I've enjoyed the first few races so I'm looking forward to Spain and working together with the team again," said the German.

"I've covered a lot of kilometres testing in Barcelona over the past couple of years, and I've raced there in GP2, so I'm confident I know the track well enough to hit the ground running.

"It's a good circuit to drive and gives everyone a clear indication of how strong your aerodynamics are.

"The track flows nicely and has some testing corners. The first sector is especially quick. Turn Three is a fast right hander, Turn Nine too, and both are a lot of fun to drive.

"Like everyone else, we will have new parts for Barcelona so there's some expectation to do better there than in China.

"I've been to the track so many times but I've never really seen the city itself. Now that I'm actually racing in F1, I doubt that's going to change!"

MIKA: I hope the HULK does well. He is overdue for a podium.

[MIKA27]

Only Glock will debut modified Virgin in Spain

Virgin have confirmed that they will be debuting their new chassis in Barcelona but, thanks to the delays created by the Icelandic Volcano, only Timo Glock will be running the updated VR-01.

After discovering that their fuel tank wasn't large enough to finish a race distance at full pace, the Virgin team with Wirth Research have been working tirelessly to redesign, test and rehomologate the new chassis which will enable to car to carry a larger tank.

"Having worked tirelessly to prepare the new car for the race, including its successful rehomologation, it is a bitter pill to swallow that we are unable to complete the second car due to the 'volcanic delays'," Nick Wirth said.

"Running two fundamentally different specification cars at Barcelona will certainly challenge the team, but as the reliability fixes apply to both specifications, we’ll keep our heads down and focus solely on getting both cars to the chequered flag."

Glock, who will be debuting the new car is looking forward to racing the new chassis after testing it in the simulator.

"I have done some work in the simulator in preparation for this race and we have a good idea of what to expect from the modified chassis, so I’m looking forward to seeing how we shape up when we hit the track in Barcelona this week."

Meanwhile, Lucas di Grassi is disappointed that he will be running the 'original' chassis in Spain, but expects a positive race.

"I’m disappointed that I will be driving the previous specification chassis, as we didn’t have enough time to modify two cars, I hope with all the work we’ve been doing to make our race weekends go more smoothly we can have a positive European debut."

[MIKA27]

Alonso would do it again, without any doubt

Felipe Massa wasn't too happy with his teammate in China after Fernando Alonso passed him in the pitlane entry, pushing the Brazilian wide and into the gravel trap. Despite this, Alonso says he would do the same again.

It was a move which rival driver Mark Webber thought was an 'incredibly risky' move which could have ended in tears had they collided.

"It was very hard against your team-mate, if fair, but also incredibly risky and incredibly opportunistic," Webber told the BBC.

"And I'm not sure I'd want to risk walking into the factory having taken both cars out at the entry to the pit lane. That would have been a pretty serious one to try and get over."

Despite the friction it might have caused between the pair, Alonso is adamant he would do the same thing again.

"Certainly, without any doubt," he told Corriere de la Sera.

[MIKA27]

Force India preview the Spanish GP: Q&A

Dr Vijay Mallya: What are your thoughts on the team's performance at the last event in China?

"Ultimately we didn't achieve all our aims, but I don't think we should be so critical with ourselves, there were lots of good points as well. Adrian made Q3 and narrowly missed out on points in 11th position in the race and he also enjoyed some good battles with several drivers, including Schumacher, Hamilton and Vettel, which again showed our consistent pace and ability to run with the top four teams. Tonio had a more frustrating weekend but he has drawn a line under it, and is now very positive about Spain. All his bad luck came in one weekend - let's move onto the next round, a track we know well from winter testing. I know what we have coming for the next few races and how determined everyone is to get points at each and every race."

And looking forward to the next few races, we have a European double header in Spain and Monaco and then Turkey. What do you expect for this next period in the season?

"Mark [smith] and his team have a solid programme of developments throughout the first half of the season, some of which will come in Spain. The simulations we've been doing back in the factory are very positive and I'm sure we will be able to maintain the form we have shown before and maybe even move further up the field. The other teams are not sleeping I am sure, and we'll see how much everyone has moved forward in Barcelona, but based on the way the team is working together at the factory and wind tunnel and then the superb implementation we see at the track I think we'll have an edge."

Adrian Sutil: Adrian, we're going back to the European season now, what are your thoughts?

"It's always a nice feeling to get back to Europe. It's been a hard start to the year with the four flyaway races, but it's not going to be easy now with the first European double header and then the Turkish Grand Prix not that far away. But Spain is always a great place to open the European season. We know it well from the winter testing programme but it's still a challenge with the mix of high speed and technical corners. I quite like it and am looking forward to scoring points there for the first time in my career."

The team has some updates coming for Spain, do you think this can consolidate the team's performance in the first four races?

"We have some aerodynamic improvements all over the car, with refinements to the front wing and bargeboard area, plus some mechanical changes aimed at improving lower speed corner performance. I think this will put us in quite good shape for Spain and see us maintaining our position. Of course you don't know what the others are doing but the development race is so tight now, everybody is at a point where it's hard to find every single tenth. We've looked very competitive in the first four races and I don't see why that should change. The feeling in the team is positive, we've got a good plan, I feel very confident and comfortable in where we are and where we are going. Q3 and points is now the normal aim for us and we're disappointed if we don't get them."

Tonio Liuzzi: How would you review the Chinese Grand Prix weekend now?

"It was frustrating, the worst weekend we have had since the beginning of the season. But you always hope that the bad luck comes in one go and then it doesn't come again. We had a really difficult Friday as in the afternoon we didn't get as much information as we would have liked and we didn't have a clear picture. On Saturday we had a stronger FP3 but in qualifying we suffered again with traffic, which was frustrating as we believed we had a pace that was good enough to get close to Q3. Then in Sunday's race, starting from 18th position was always going to be difficult. We had to start really aggressively to try and get some points but conditions were very difficult and since Friday we had had a problem with heating the brakes. During the formation lap I couldn't get much heat into them, then on the damp track I made a mistake in corner six. When I touched the brakes it just locked the rear and basically we lost the car. That was the end of it, which was a real shame as we had a really good start, overtaking about three cars and everything was going to plan, but I underestimated that the brakes were not exactly at temperature. So it was the end of a really difficult weekend, but we haven't lost faith in our potential: we know from the first rounds we have a good pace."

What are your thoughts on the Spanish Grand Prix?

"Every race has its own story and in China everything went wrong, but we always thought we could be very strong for the Barcelona race. In the final winter test we had a good pace, I like the track and the car seems to fit the track characteristics well now. For me personally, I have turned the page after China and am really looking forward to the European season where I want to get back into the points at each round."

Will the upgrades the team has for Spain help in this respect?

"Yes of course. Sustaining this development rate is not just important, it's crucial. All the other teams are bringing their own updates so we need to keep pushing to maintain our position. Our aero department is doing a great job as at every race we have more and more developments, which keeps our heads high and makes us positive. Each step is a good update that helps to rebalance our car in the few weaker areas we have. I think we are in good shape now and we need to get the most out of it and continue scoring points."

Paul di Resta: Paul, you were out again in FP1 in China, replacing Tonio for the second time. Is it easier returning to the same car?

"In China I replaced Tonio for the first session, as I had done in Malaysia. It's getting easier when I get back into the car for a second time as you already know the characteristics and also how to work with that particular set of mechanics and engineers. Having that good baseline and continuity has really helped me understand what needs to happen with tyres and set up. We had difficult conditions in China, it was very cold and with the very hard compound of tyre it was difficult to get any sort of temperatures into them. It really opened my eyes about how this warm up process is critical. It's all part of the learning curve, which is exactly what I am here to do."

And you'll be out again in Spain, this time replacing Adrian. What are your thoughts about this?

"I'll be replacing Adrian this time out and I'm really looking forward to it. Barcelona isn't a track I know, in fact the only European track I know well is Hockenheim, but I have been in the simulator and will do the usual preparations on Thursday and before the session so it should not be a problem to get up to speed. Again I'll be trying to focus on learning, getting into the environment and hopefully with the past three sessions under my belt, giving some genuinely useful feedback to the programme."

And you've also had one race in the DTM since China. Was it very difficult to change from the F1 car to the Mercedes DTM car you drive?

"It's starting to get very busy now for me with races just about every weekend! After China I flew straight to Germany for the first round of the DTM championship in Hockenheim. It was an OK weekend, I got fourth in the first race, which is a good start to the year. But it's all good, positive stress and I don't think too much ahead, I just try to focus on what I am doing at the time and get the most out of that particular car. I didn't find it too difficult to switch when I got back in the DTM car for the first time, but let's see how it goes when I get back into Spain! As they are so different I don't anticipate any problems, it's just a really good opportunity to drive two cars that are so competitive."

[MIKA27]

Virgin Racing preview the Spanish GP

Timo Glock:

"The last few weeks haven’t exactly gone according to plan thanks to the Icelandic volcano, but what this has enabled us to do is draw a line under the disappointment of Shanghai and focus on better things ahead. We have taken a good hard look at the first four races and now have a very clear picture of where things have gone well for us and where we need to improve. It’s a shame that we couldn’t bring two new modified chassis to Spain, because we would have had two sets of data to work from, but we will work with what we have and hope that it brings the kind of results we are hoping for.

"Most of the drivers know this track really well, because we’re all used to testing and racing here so often in the past. To have a really quick lap here you need to have a car with good downforce as you need to have the confidence to commit to the very high speed corners. I have done some work in the simulator in preparation for this race and we have a good idea of what to expect from the modified chassis, so I’m looking forward to seeing how we shape up when we hit the track in Barcelona this week."

Lucas di Grassi:

"Race day was tough for us in China, but we have to stay focused on what we achieved prior to that and the way we have been improving through the race weekends. We had been getting on top of our reliability problems, so we expect Spain to be a new chapter for us. I was one of the lucky ones after Shanghai - I got out on the Monday after the race and headed to Brazil. I spent some good time with family and friends and worked on my fitness. I will do some work on the simulator this week before heading out to Barcelona. This is a track I know from racing in other formulae - in particular GP2. It’s a nice challenge for a driver and though I’m disappointed that I will be driving the previous specification chassis, as we didn’t have enough time to modify two cars, I hope with all the work we’ve been doing to make our race weekends go more smoothly we can have a positive European debut."

John Booth, Team Principal:

"What should have been a useful three-week break in the calendar, and an opportunity to ensure we are fully prepared for the European season, turned into something of a race against time thanks to the fallout from “The Volcano”. It took up to five days after the Chinese Grand Prix before the entire team were back in England, so we had to rush headlong into preparations for Spain. The planned modifications to the chassis were always going to be our most significant development, but they were also the tip of the iceberg in terms of what we will bring to Barcelona. As a new team we will be using new trucks and a new motorhome for the first time and on top of that we moved into our new race preparation facility while the team were stranded in China, so we certainly had a lot going on for us when we finally made it home. Nonetheless, the team have done an admirable job and we’ll be heading to Spain this week full of optimism for the next phase of our debut season."

Nick Wirth, Technical Director:

"Since Shanghai, we have conducted an extensive investigation into the failures that halted the obvious progress the team has been making since its debut. That investigation has highlighted a number of issues that are currently being addressed by the race team, Wirth Research and our key suppliers and our continuing aim is to put an end to the reliability issues that have dominated our Grand Prix debut. Having worked tirelessly to prepare the new car for the race, including its successful rehomologation, it is a bitter pill to swallow that we are unable to complete the second car due to the “volcanic delays”. Running two fundamentally different specification cars at Barcelona will certainly challenge the team, but as the reliability fixes apply to both specifications, we’ll keep our heads down and focus solely on getting both cars to the chequered flag."

[MIKA27]

Hispania Racing preview the Spanish GP

Colin Kolles - Team Principal:

"We reached our next goal with our two cars making it to the finish again in China on our fourth ever race weekend. We have used the time since China to work on the car and to introduce new parts. We hope to understand the car better and need to improve the performance as well as hit a new target and finish again with both cars."

Karun Chandhok:

"I am looking forward to racing again after the extended break. I really enjoy driving here as the circuit is a real challenge with a complete mix of high speed and slower technical sections. Unlike the other teams we did not have a chance to test the car in the pre-season but we have couple of updates for the car this weekend that should give us a clearer picture for the season ahead. The team is highly motivated for our home race and together we are looking forward to developing the car for the rest of the season."

Bruno Senna:

"I'm looking forward to the Spanish Grand Prix. Barcelona is one of my favorite tracks and I have a good record on it and good memories. I completed my first F1 test here with Honda. And prior to that, every time I raced in Montmelo, I won or I was on the podium. I am certain that I will enjoy Barcelona again although it is a very physical track with high speed corners where it is hard to find the perfect lap. The newly introduced last chicane is also very technical. So let's build on our past results."

[MIKA27]

Silverstone vies for fastest track mantle

The revised Silverstone circuit unveiled last week is expected to be 13mph faster than the previous configuration and could take Monza’s place as Formula 1’s fastest track.

The new Arena layout opened last Thursday adds 0.47 mile to the lap distance, but Silverstone’s organisers expect it to increase lap times by only four seconds.

If that projection proves accurate, the Northamptonshire airfield venue will produce average speeds not seen since 1990, the last year the old rectangular layout was used before a major revamp added a host of new corners and modified others.

It would raise the average lap speed to more than 160mph in qualifying trim (compared to the 147mph set by Sebastian Vettel in last year’s low-fuel Q2 session and the similar pole record set by Kimi Raikkonen in 2004), and 155mph in race trim (compared to Vettel’s 142mph best in 2009 and the 146mph record for that layout, set by Michael Schumacher in 2004).

The all-time Silverstone qualifying lap record is still held by Keke Rosberg, who famously broke the 160mph barrier in his Williams-Honda FW10 in 1985, while the race record – on a slightly different layout, with a tighter Woodcote chicane – was the 153mph set by Nigel Mansell during his spellbinding charge to victory in 1987.

Among today’s circuits Monza is easily the fastest overall with a lap speed last year of 153mph in race trim and 156mph in low-fuel qualifying – although the downsizing of engines from 3L V10s to 2.4L V8s and subsequent rev limits have brought speeds well below Rubens Barrichello’s 162mph pole speed of 2004.

Spa is the next quickest track with an average speed in the 146-150mph range, but if Silverstone’s projections are right then the British Grand Prix venue will again vie with Monza for the ‘fastest circuit’ mantle.

And with the race having been shortened from 60 to 52 laps, it might also become the shortest grand prix in duration, with last year’s race time of 1h23m likely to fall to around 1h15m.

The sharp increase in average speeds may seem surprising given that a tight new complex has been created at Village and the Loop, but the effect of this slow second-gear section is more than outweighed by the extra flat-out running on the stretches from Club to Village and the Wellington straight.

On the new layout F1 cars are expected to hit 185mph at five different points, while – as before – the entire first half of the lap will be taken in fourth gear or above.

[MIKA27]

Volcano hampers Virgin's progress

Virgin Racing technical director Nick Wirth has revealed that the team have not been able to install larger fuel tanks in both their cars in time for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.

The Dinnington-based team were forced into making amendments to their cars after realising that the size of their fuel tank would not allow them to finish some races on the Formula One calendar.

The modifications had been planned for the three-week gap between the last race in China and this weekend's meeting at Barcelona, but the disruption caused by the ash cloud from the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland meant a delay in bringing the team cars back to the United Kingdom and they have now run out of time.

The team have completed modifications to one of their cars, which will be driven by German Timo Glock, but his team-mate, Brazilian Lucas di Grassi, will continue to run with the old chassis.

Wirth said in a team statement: "Having worked tirelessly to prepare the new car for the race, including its successful rehomologation, it is a bitter pill to swallow that we are unable to complete the second car due to the 'volcanic delays'."

As well as the new fuel tank Glock will also run with a major aerodynamic upgrade as the team look to improve the performance of the VR-01, and Wirth has acknowledged the difficulties the team will face in running two different specifications of the car in Spain.

"Running two fundamentally different specification cars at Barcelona will certainly challenge the team," he added.

"But as the reliability fixes apply to both specifications, we'll keep our heads down and focus solely on getting both cars to the chequered flag."

The news is a further blow to the team, who are heavily backed by Richard Branson, after the embarrassment caused by the required changes to their fuel tanks.

This followed on from an incident in pre-season testing where the car, which was designed without the use of a wind tunnel, shed its front wing during its maiden outing.

They have so far managed to get a car to the finish on only one occasion, with Di Grassi claiming 14th spot in Malaysia, and even then the former GP2 racer was forced to drop his pace by several seconds a lap in an effort to reach the flag due to a shortage of fuel.

But team boss John Booth is hopeful of a more competitive showing at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Booth said: "What should have been a useful three-week break in the calendar, and an opportunity to ensure we are fully prepared for the European season, turned into something of a race against time thanks to the fallout from the volcano.

"It took up to five days after the Chinese Grand Prix before the entire team were back in England, so we had to rush headlong into preparations for Spain.

"The planned modifications to the chassis were always going to be our most significant development, but they were also the tip of the iceberg in terms of what we will bring to Barcelona.

"As a new team we will be using new trucks and a new motorhome for the first time and on top of that we moved into our new race preparation facility while the team were stranded in China."

[MIKA27]

Montezemolo laughs off livery claims

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has slammed claims his team's cars carry subliminal tobacco advertising as "ridiculous".

A report last week suggested the use of the barcode displayed on the Ferraris driven this year by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa was a link to long-time sponsor Philip Morris.

John Britton, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and director of its tobacco advisory group, suggested the barcode resembled the bottom half of a packet of Marlboro cigarettes, and that it was "creeping branding".

Tobacco advertising has been banned in Formula One since 2005, yet the British and Spanish Governments have been urged to ascertain whether Ferrari and Philip Morris are in breach of EU laws.

Responding to the claims, Di Montezemolo said on Ferrari's official website: "Frankly, I find this argument completely pointless.

"It is verging on the ridiculous to claim that the colour red or a graphic design which shows a barcode could induce people to smoke.

"At a time when, on the other side of the Atlantic they are fighting to provide a more equal health service, in the old continent of Europe, so-called experts are racking their brains to come up with theories that have no scientific basis.

"I think there are more important matters to think about than a barcode.

"Therefore, it's best not to waste any more time replying to this sort of nonsense, or to those who are instrumental in wanting to stoke up the story."

[MIKA27]

US Grand Prix set for Jersey City?

The US Grand Prix could return to the F1 calendar as early as 2012 - in Jersey City.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has spoken of his desire to bring Formula One to New York, and it appears he may get his wish, with Jersey City unveiling plans to build a circuit just a mile from lower Manhattan.

The proposal put forward by the director of tourism for Destination Jersey City involves the construction of a 3.6-mile track at the 1,200-acre Liberty State Park.

"With the incredible backdrop of the New York City skyline, selecting Jersey City for the 2012 Grand Prix Auto Race Circuit will not only boost ticket sales as the Grand Prix returns to the United States, but will [provide] striking television footage," a document outlining the plans for the circuit stated.

"To maximize the dramatic effect, Jersey City could possibly follow in Singapore's footsteps by holding the finals at night."

While many involved in the sport may be keen to return to America, with the last US Grand Prix taking place in Indianapolis in 2007, there is strong opposition to the proposal from those in Jersey City.

"Once you have a track there, and especially with the state's finances, there would be such pressure on the state to have regular car racing there," Sam Pesin, the president of The Friends Board of Trustees told The Jersey Journal.

"You'd end up having the name changed from Liberty State Park to Liberty Race Track."

"There's plenty of places we can have a Grand Prix and Liberty State Park is not one of them," added Hudson County Freeholder Bill O'Dea.

"What are they going to do, pave over the cobblestone? It doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever."

MIKA: I take it Bill O'Dea is not a fan of Formula 1?