FORMULA 1 - 2010

[MIKA27]

Whitmarsh: Third car would add to spectacle

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh says his Woking outfit would have no qualms about running a third car should the number of teams on the grid drop below 10.

Ferrari have on numerous occasions urged the FIA to allow teams to enter a third car, but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

Whitmarsh admits the Formula One Teams' Association has touched on the issue, but says there are fears that a third car will only benefit the big teams like McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.

"A third car is really an idea if you get a reduced number of teams," he said. "FOTA is working hard to find ways in which we can encourage and allow all of the teams that are currently members to develop and flourish. If you introduce a third car - McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes would all be probably happy to - I think in fairness to the smaller teams it would only disadvantage them further.

"I think that in the event that the number of teams in the sport dropped below ten, and at the moment we are hoping it is 13 next year, then it would be a fantastic opportunity. I think if we then attached the third car to some regulations that encouraged some of these very competent but non-F1 experts to participate I think it would create some interesting spectacle and public interest."

[MIKA27]

Di Montezemolo: Races should be shorter

Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo, never one to pass on an opportunity to make a controversial statement, believes F1 should make sweeping changes to make things more interesting.

Some of his suggestions include: Changing the traditional 2pm (CET) starting time and shortening races.

"Do we need to race at two in the afternoon when everyone is at the sea?" he said during an interview with Autocar. "Could we have two races per meeting? Do races need to last so long? F1 is not an endurance race. We need races to be short and tough."

He also believes the ban on in-season testing should be lifted as "F1 is the only sport in the world where there is no training".

Di Montezemolo also repeated his criticism of the new teams on the grid, saying F1 can't afford to have too many small outfits.

"There is a need to have competitive teams," he said. "F1 is like soccer. It needs heroes and it needs big teams. You cannot equalize everything. We need to avoid having too many small teams as it means too many compromises."

MIKA: (F1 Guy) Doesn't Luca have anything else to do but come up with crazy ideas like third cars, now, shorter races?

I agree that testing should be allowed and bigger teams would be welcome, ridding poor performing teams like HRT, but we do need some under dogs like Lotus and Virgin. Look what has become of Force India, they were once the Virgin/Lotus on the grid but are now doing very well in the midfield, even winning a podium.

[MIKA27]

Hairpin resurfaced after 2008 problems

The FIA have confirmed that certain areas of the Montreal track have been resurfaced after problems in 2008 caused cars to loose grip on the broken-up tarmac.

The most notable area of concern was the hairpin just before the long straight leading to the start/finish line. Martin Brundle got in trouble when he said live on air during qualifying, that the race organisers should get a couple of 'pikeys' to throw down some new tarmac.

Other areas have also been fixed after burst water pipes flooded parts of the track earlier this year.

A few smaller changes have also been made to the track. The run-off areas at turn six and eight have been laid with more modern asphalt instead of gravel traps.

[MIKA27]

Button: 'We are doing a better job than Ferrari'

Jenson Button says he is surprised to see Ferrari falling down the grid, rather than competing with McLaren and Red Bull after showing impressive form in testing and the season opener in Bahrain.

"It’s quite unusual," he told Canada's Star. "They had the perfect winter. They were very quick, very consistent and very reliable [in testing] and we were thinking, 'Wow, these guys are going to be untouchable.'

"At the first race [bahrain], they were very fast. But we’ve made steady progress and at the moment we are faster and doing a better job than Ferrari."

However, whilst the British and Austrian team have made steady progress and opened up a gap between themselves and the Italian outfit, Button isn't ruling out a comeback.

"They can come back. They’re a very strong team, Fernando [Alonso] and Felipe [Massa] have the experience. You can’t ever count them out. We never forget them."

[MIKA27]

Weather: Mostly dry with a chance of showers

A short-break in the European leg of the season will see the teams head to North America for the Canadian GP at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Weather for the weekend is expected to be mostly dry with a possible chance of showers during the race, a similar situation to that of a fortnight ago in Turkey.

The temperatures will hold around 20°C for the majority of the sessions. The race could see some strong gusts of wind, however the high walls surrounding the circuit means this will have very little effect.

Expect a warm, overcast weekend, mostly dry with a small chance of rain during the race.

[MIKA27]

Spotlight On: Bruno Senna

Starting a motorsport career with a such a prominent surname, Bruno Senna was always going to be expected to replicate his late-uncle's prowess. But, although he successfully secured a Formula One drive for the 2010 and 2011 seasons, the Brazilian is yet to impress on the paddock as much as many had hoped.

Twenty one years of age is regarded by almost-all in the motorsport industry as a "late" point in which to begin a racing career as a motor vehicle driver. Even with a name such as "Senna", professionals on the Formula One grid are regularly expected to have begun their journey towards the pinnacle of motorsport in their early years, with many Formula One "greats" having started as early as five years old.

What stood out in Bruno was, however, occasional flashes of brilliance and his last name, which, unfortunately, brought him the most of the attention.

Sadly, Senna's early-career was largely-unimpressive, with the Brazilian failing to secure results which were naturally assumed of him. Senna's continuation as a motor-racing driver became largely-reliant on the influence of his family name.

It would take two years of racing commitment until Senna would eventually achieve results that put him in contention as a "rising star" of the motor-racing world, but, beginning his 2006 British Formula Three campaign with three-consecutive wins from the first race, Bruno's competitive edge gradually, and unfortunately, faded as races passed. In the next 19 events, Senna would achieve only two more wins and finished well-behind eventual series-winner, Mike Conway.

The following year, Senna would feature as a guest in the high-profile "Ferrari Challenge" series. Although not being able to gain classification for his performances, Senna quickly rose to the top, winning - and gaining pole position at - both of the races he was permitted to drive in. This outstanding achievement, along with a select few of his 2007 GP2 performances, quickly earned him praise in the eyes of his competitors, and was signed to drive for the reigning-GP2-champions, iSport for the 2008 season.

His drives in the following season showed far more mature performances than he had shown in 2007, with Senna acquiring two wins and seven podiums over the 20-race season, eventually placing second behind championship winner, and former Formula One pilot, Giorgio Pantano.

His performances earned him respect from the Formula One community, and the then-operational HondaF1 team supplied Senna with a test in the months following the 2008 Formula One Season.

The promised tests showed Senna's potential, with the Brazilian consistently only a few tenths adrift of Honda pilot, and eventual 2009 Formula One World Driver's Championship winner, Jenson Button. Senna's progress was hindered in the following weeks, however, as Honda pulled out of Formula One racing, leaving Senna with little-opportunity of a race seat for the 2009 season.

The introduction of a proposed four "new" teams to the 2010 Formula One grid gave Senna far greater potential of finding a racing seat for the following seasons. With 1Malaysia Lotus and Virgin Racing filling their positions (and with the USF1 team pulling out of the championship due to financial shortcomings), Senna was partnered with former GP2-teammate Karun Chandhok at the former-Campos Meta team, Hispanic Racing.

Although his past record partnering the Indian would suggest Senna's dominance over Chandhok would continue, the results in 2010 speak differently. In the first seven rounds of the season, Senna has failed to consistently outpace his teammate in qualifying, and has been consistently beaten in race scenarios.

The assumption that the "Senna" name would automatically ensure success has become grossly exaggerated. Bruno's driving has consistently been compared to his uncle's in ways that are unfair on a driver of his experience. However, whilst the Hispanic F110 is easily the most unimpressive vehicle on the grid, it is performances delivered whilst in struggling teams which show drivers as being potential stars.

Performances by his uncle, Ayrton, plus drives from Schumacher, Hakkinen, Raikkonen and even 2010 Championship-leader Mark Webber whilst in lower teams all showed fundamental characteristics needed by drivers to achieve success. These are performances that Bruno has, as of the seventh round of the 2010 season, failed to deliver.

Being fair to the Brazilian, it is important not to judge Senna so-harshly, and so-early into his career. His preparation into Formula One has been so limited, and so quick, that he and Chandhok are likely to be still be learning how to drive the car that HRT have supplied them until the final race of the year. What is important for his progression as a driver, though, is that he is able to consistently outperform his lesser-regarded teammate, Chandhok, who is beginning to steal Senna's light.

[MIKA27]

Feature: Taming the unpredictable Montreal

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal is one of the most unusual circuits on the F1 calendar. With a mix of long straights and low-speed chicanes hemmed in by unforgiving concrete walls, it’s a bit like combining Monaco with Monza and therefore poses some unique challenges for car set-up.

In terms of aero, Montreal will see the cars running with the lowest levels of downforce so far this year. “It’s only Monza where we will run less downforce,” confirms Vitaly’s race engineer Mark Slade. “We will therefore bring different wings that haven’t been used before to ensure good straight-line speed. That will give the car quite a different feel and the drivers will need to adjust to this.”

Because those long straights are followed by low-speed chicanes and hairpins, the brakes can expect a punishing workload this weekend. “Montreal is by far the toughest circuit on the calendar for the brakes with 16% of the lap spent on the brakes, which compares to 12% at Monza,” continues Mark. “There are four big stops where the drivers are braking from over 300 km/h plus down to around 120 km/h, which puts enormous energy levels through the braking system. And because it’s such a short lap, we’re doing those five big stops for 70 laps during the race.”

With cars starting the race fuelled to the brim, the demands on the brakes will be even tougher than in previous years. Compared with the last Canadian Grand Prix in 2008, we can expect around 10% more energy going through the braking system.

The low downforce package means the braking contribution caused by aerodynamic drag will be reduced, putting even more burden on the brake system. “The discs see very high peak temperatures for much longer than usual in Montreal,” says Mark. “We therefore need to keep a close eye on the wear and temperature sensors, which let us know if we’re getting marginal on brake wear because it’s not something the driver can feel in the car.”

The ideal Montreal set-up also demands good traction and a car that can cope with the bumpy track surface. “If the car is bouncing through the air then you’re losing grip,” continues Mark, “so the focus is on trying to keep the wheels in contact with the ground by softening up the suspension to improve ride over the bumps. Running softer suspension also gives the drivers good mechanical grip through the chicanes where it’s important to be aggressive because there’s a lot of lap time to be found.”

In terms of traction out of the low-speed corners, the teams will be keen to avoid high levels of rear tyre degradation. “To ensure good traction we might compromise mid-corner performance of the car in order to have better traction and protect the rear tyres,” concludes Mark. “This almost inevitably causes more understeer on corner turn-in, but it’s about making the right compromise for a set-up that will work for the whole race.”

Driver confidence around Montreal should not be underestimated either, and kissing the walls is just as important for finding those final few tenths as it is in Monaco. “The walls are very close on the exit of the chicanes, especially turn four,” confirms Robert Kubica. “If you can scrape it by millimetres you will be two tenths quicker than if you miss it by two feet.”

[MIKA27]

Brawn sure Red Bull can be caught

Mercedes GP boss Ross Brawn is adamant that Red Bull Racing can still be caught this season despite having the quickest car of the field.

"I think so," Brawn told Autosprint magazine when asked if Red Bull was still within reach.

"In their design there are aspects different from anyone else's, so I think others will introduce them over the next races. For instance, I know that everyone is looking with interest at Red Bull's exhaust system.

"What they haven't managed to get to work is the F-duct. It's what makes McLaren competitive: on a suited track it makes up for the deficiencies they have in relations to the RB6.

"As for the championship table, Red Bull is still completely reachable," added Brawn, whose team is 71 points behind Red Bull, now second in the standings, one point behind McLaren.

Brawn, however, believes Red Bull has improved significantly since last year, and he believes its car is likely to be strong in all kinds of tracks.

"At the beginning of last year we had a better car aerodynamically," he said. "Then they closed the gap and even bettered us aerodynamics-wise, but we remained better from a mechanical point of view.

"We know from our analysis that we had an advantage on tracks like Monaco, Valencia, and even Monza, which is very quick but with few corners. Under braking and in traction we were better.

"Now they've improved, they've understood their weak points and this year, while maintaining a fine aerodynamics package, they are stronger mechanically. Nowadays there are no more circuits that don't suit them."

[MIKA27]

Kubica to demo Renault in Poland

Robert Kubica will get the opportunity to drive a Formula 1 car in Poland for the first time next month after Renault secured the Poznan circuit as the venue for its latest Roadshow event.

Kubica, the first and so far only Pole to compete in F1, will drive last year’s Renault R29 at the 4.1km circuit in the west of the country on July 17.

He said: “The chance to drive an F1 car in my home country is something that I’ve always wanted to do, so I have to say a big ‘thank you’ to Renault for making it possible.

“Poland doesn’t have its own Grand Prix, so this is the next best thing and I’m really looking forward to going home and seeing all the Polish fans.

“It will be the first chance for a lot of them to see an F1 car up close and I will try my best to show them how amazing these cars are.”

The Poznan event – which will be free of charge to visit for fans – is the latest leg of Renault’s successful Roadshow tour which has seen the team’s drivers demonstrate its F1 cars in cities around the world since 2004.

It will be the second time the Enstone team has held an event in Poland – in 2007 its then race driver Heikki Kovalainen drove a car through the streets of Warsaw.

[rckymtn22]

Time for F-1 to get it right

F-1 needs to emulate NASCAR and connect with fans, Button says

Reigning world driving champ Jenson Button thinks that Formula One can learn a lot from NASCAR — mostly on how to treat its fans.

Button — who was in Toronto on Tuesday to promote the Canadian Grand Prix and his sponsor Hugo Boss — said that F-1 has treated its fans poorly for too long.

The 30-year-old Briton said that coming back to North America and Montreal after a one-year absence should provide race bosses with the opportunity to connect with F-1’s fan base in a way that hadn’t done before.

That is where NASCAR has succeeded far beyond Bernie Ecclestone’s global series.

“In North America fans love getting involved with their drivers,” Button said.

NASCAR makes that happen at their events. Button said F-1 must make its drivers that accessible for the fans.

“In past in F-1 fans haven’t been able to do that,” he said. “But I think things are changing. And we need to do that. We need to get the fans involved because we wouldn’t be racing if it wasn’t for the fans.”

Button said the promoters of the Canadian GP have already started to make moves to allow that to happen.

“This weekend we are having an (autograph) session; we’ll be spending more time with the fans,” he said.

This is something that just hasn’t happened in the past and Button thinks it is the way of the future if F-1 wants to compete with NASCAR.

“We have got top pay more attention to those people who have made it possible for us to get to the position we are in,” Button said.

He said that Montreal also does a terrific job in making the whole Grand Prix experience special.

“To me, Montreal is a great race because it’s a race where the city just sort of stops for the Grand Prix weekend,” Button said.

“We need more of that in Formula 1.”

As for Button someday moving to the North American stock car series, it is something that is in the back of his mind, especially after watching Juan Pablo Montoya having some NASCAR success.

“Maybe someday I’ll try to get into that also,” he said.

But for now Button said he’s concentrating on helping his McLaren team beat rival Red Bull for the drivers and constructors championships. Going into Montreal, Button is five points back of Red Bull’s Mark Webber and McLaren is just a single point up on the Austrian team in the constructors’ battle.

He thinks Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is the perfect place for McLaren to pull further ahead.

“It’s a circuit that you need sufficient downforce,” Button said. “There aren’t any quick corners around Montreal which is where the Red Bull is very strong.

“This is a circuit where we can fight them.”

Button said that the most recent Grand Prix — at Istanbul — showed that the battle between McLaren and Red Bull appears to have energized the sport.

“The last few races have been fantastic, with the two Red Bull drivers and the two McLaren drivers fighting,” Button said. “I’m happy that (McLaren) has made the leap to be competitive with them.”

[MIKA27]

Montreal form card

After the explosive events of Turkey, Formula 1 heads back to Montreal and another potentially thrilling Canadian Grand Prix.

1. Jenson Button (GB) - McLaren

Championship position: 2nd, 88 points

He didn't win in Turkey, but by stalking Hamilton all race then boldly pouncing on the man who was supposed to blow him away once both were in McLarens, Button underlined that he is right on Lewis's pace. He's still ahead in the championship too. In a straight fight for pole on a dry track, you'd still put your money on Hamilton when it came down on raw pace, but Button's good judgement and tiger-ish racing skills are paying dividends for him this year.

Last five race results: 2nd / R / 5th / 1st / 8th (most recent first)

2. Lewis Hamilton (GB) - McLaren

Championship position: 3rd, 84 points

Having finally broken his 2010 duck at Istabul, you might have expected Hamilton to radiate delight on the podium. Instead his expression was more along the lines of 'what the hell was that?' There was no doubt that he was perturbed to have spent so long fuel saving, and that Button had tried to pass him when he believed both were in conservative mode. That doesn't mean McLaren is about to implode, 2007-style, again. Hamilton now knows the score and won't get too relaxed with Button in his mirrors again.

Last five race results: 1st / 5th / R / 2nd / 6th

3. Michael Schumacher (D) - Mercedes

Championship position: 9th, 34 points

Now he's shaken off the rust and stopped being demolished by his young team-mate, Schumacher appears free from questions about whether he'll persist with his comeback. Instead the spotlight has shifted onto Mercedes - can it close the gap on Red Bull and McLaren? Or is Schumi going to have to aim for 'best of the rest' honours, a long way behind the leaders, every weekend? At least he is now achieving that position consistently.

Last five race results: 4th / 12th / 4th / 10th / R

4. Nico Rosberg (D) - Mercedes

Championship position: 8th, 66 points

Poor Rosberg. All winter the question was 'how do you feel about having Schumacher as a team-mate?' Then he beats Schumacher and the question changes to 'how does it feel to beat Michael?' Then Schumacher beats him and all Rosberg is asked is whether the revised Merc is designed to favour the former champion and compromise Nico. Yet even in the new car, Rosberg is closer to Schumacher than any of his former team-mates - the gap rarely strays above is tenth or two and Rosberg is still often quicker. But he knew when he signed up that he was in for a season of talking only about Schumacher, whatever he achieved for himself.

Last five race results: 5th / 7th / 13th / 3rd / 3rd

5. Sebastian Vettel (D) - Red Bull

Championship position: 5th, 78 points

If his rollbar hadn't broken in Q3, Vettel may well have taken pole in Turkey, won from the front, claimed the championship lead and there would never have been a Red Bull team-mate clash. But that didn't happen, so now he's on the back foot in the title race again, and it's nearly two months since he beat his team-mate in a grand prix. Which makes it all the more important for Vettel to turn things around and do some straightforward winning this weekend.

Last five race results: R / 2nd / 3rd / 6th / 1st

6. Mark Webber (AUS) - Red Bull

Championship position: 1st, 93 points

Three straight wins were within Webber's grasp until 'that' tangle with Vettel in Turkey. Still, at least that situation's all totally resolved now - Red Bull released pictures of the drivers grinning at each other. So it won't be on either driver's mind, and those unnerving comments that seemed to suggest the team blamed Webber when 99% of the rest of the world blamed Vettel, they're all forgotten too... There's going to be a lot at stake this weekend...

Last five race results: 3rd / 1st / 1st / 8th / 2nd

7. Felipe Massa (BRA) - Ferrari

Championship position: 7th, 67 points

About the only good thing Massa could take from Turkey was that he beat Alonso. But they were fighting for the minor points and the final Q3 spots, as Ferrari's gradual loss of momentum turned into a full-scale crisis of underperformance at Istanbul. With McLaren and Red Bull well into their own development war, it won't be easy for Ferrari to regain that lost ground.

Last five race results: 7th / 4th / 6th / 4th / 7th

8. Fernando Alonso (ESP) - Ferrari

Championship position: 4th, 79 points

Alonso is still salvaging whatever he can from these races, but the season that looked so promising when he dominated early tests and won in Bahrain is starting to turn into a bit of a mess. With Ferrari not on the lead pace, he can't afford things like practice crashes, jump starts and Q2 eliminations. Alonso is still in touch in the championship but time is running out to regain some momentum.

Last five race results: 8th / 6th / 2nd / 4th / 13th

9. Rubens Barrichello (BRA) - Williams

Championship position: 12th, 7 points

After the encouraging pace shown in Monaco, Turkey was a miserable weekend for Williams. Perhaps the upcoming Montreal and Valencia tracks will play to its strengths rather more. But even so, on current form a good result for Barrichello and Williams would be to get back into the top 10 and avoid midfield embarrassment - which is not what this ambitious team would see as a satisfactory achievement.

Last five race results: 14th / R / 9th/ 12th / 12th

10. Nico Hulkenberg (D) - Williams

Championship position: 17th, 1 point

If Williams wasn't already struggling for speed, there might be more attention on how poorly Hulkenberg's maiden F1 season is turning up, for the man who obliterated the opposition Hamilton-style in the junior formulae has made zero impact on the top level so far. The Williams is a not a winner, but Hulkenberg is not beating team-mate Barrichello and keeps getting involved in scrapes.

Last five race results: 17th / R / 16th / 15th / 10th

11. Robert Kubica (POL) - Renault

Championship position: 6th, 67 points

Even on its worst tracks - and Turkey was never going to be a great venue for this year's car - Renault now sees itself as a contender for 'best of the rest', behind only Red Bull and McLaren, and at least on Mercedes and Ferrari's pace. And now we come to Montreal, a much more favourable track for the car, and scene of Kubica's only F1 win to date in 2008. If you're looking for a potential star underdog in Canada, look no further than this man.

Last five race results: 6th / 3rd / 8th / 5th / 4th

12. Vitaly Petrov (RUS) - Renault

Championship position: 13th, 6 points

While Hulkenberg, who beat him to the GP2 title, has stumbled in F1, the relatively unheralded Petrov is making fine progress. Not far behind the mighty Kubica on pace now despite the experience gulf, he was a solid top 10 contender in Turkey. Ferrari promised Alonso that Petrov would soon crack if he piled on the pressure - and sure enough he did, but about 40 laps later than the Ferrari engineers had predicted. There will be ups and downs to come, but so far Petrov's rookie season has to be classed a success.

Last five race results: 15th / R / 11th / 7th / R

14. Adrian Sutil (D) - Force India

Championship position: 10th, 22 points

The former wild man Sutil is becoming one of the most dependable performers in F1, scooping out point after point for Force India almost regardless of where he qualifies and if he loses ground early. This tenacious racer not only won his long battle with Kobayashi in Turkey, he also stayed in touch with the Mercedes, Ferraris and Renaults. Another underdog who might do something special in Canada.

Last five race results: 9th / 8th / 7th / 11th / 5th

15. Tonio Liuzzi (I) - Force India

Championship position: 11th, 10 points

He keeps struggling in qualifying, he keeps being beaten by Sutil, and his team has a ready-made replacement called Paul di Resta hanging around at every grand prix and gathering experience in most Friday practice sessions. So it's no wonder there are rumours about Liuzzi's future at Force India. He hopes a change of chassis this weekend changes his fortunes and solves his qualifying problems, which are putting his F1 career in jeopardy.

Last five race results: 13th / 9th / R / R / R

16. Sebastien Buemi (CH) - Toro Rosso

Championship position: 15th, 1 point

If Montreal causes as much carnage among the front-runners as usual, then Toro Rosso has a chance to score well this weekend. But given Buemi's luck this year, he'll probably be taken out of the race long before then. Trouble seems to be tracking him down everywhere in 2010, and it's very rarely been his fault.

Last five race results: 16th / 10th / R / R / 11th

17. Jaime Alguersuari (ESP) - Toro Rosso

Championship position: 14th, 3 points

While Buemi has spent most of 2010 hopping out of a damaged car or dragging one back to the pits, Alguersuari has had a more straightforward year and has been able to settle into F1 and show what he can do. Montreal will be a new track for him, but is a good opportunity for more points.

Last five race results: 12th / 17th / 10th / 13th / 9th

18. Jarno Trulli (I) - Lotus

Championship position: 22nd, 0 points

Lotus has suggested that Montreal is one of the tracks where it might sneak a point if it stays out of trouble. But thanks to various incidents and failures, Trulli hasn't had too many straightforward runs to the flag recently. So while the team is right that this is a great weekend for underdogs, it has to make sure it reaches the end first.

Last five race results: R / 15th / 17th / R / 17th

19. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) - Lotus

Championship position: 19th, 0 points

He still tends to be the fastest driver among the new teams more often than not - in both qualifying and the race - but one thing Kovalainen hasn't done a lot of recently is finishing races, as Lotus has run into various problems with reliability. Recent tech team signings mean its long-term future looks increasingly exciting, but in the immediate present the priority has to be to see the chequered flag more often.

Last five race results: R / R / DNS / 14th / R

20. Karun Chandhok (IND) - Hispania

Championship position: 20th, 0 points

Don't be fooled into thinking that just because the Hispanias are always on the back row regardless of who is in the cockpit, the drivers are not worrying about their performances and perceptions of them. Even the genial Chandhok is frustrated that various gremlins have left him miles off Senna's pace in the last two qualifying sessions. The fight for 23rd still matters when that's the only way you can show your talent.

Last five race results: 20th / 14th / R / 17th / 15th

21. Bruno Senna (BRA) - Hispania

Championship position: 23rd, 0 points

While the front-runners will find Montreal bumpy and short on grip, down at Hispania, that's how most circuits feel. Senna is optimistic that the recent behind the scenes changes will mean the team eventually produces more respectable form - but the light at the end of the tunnel remains a dim flicker at present.

Last five race results: R / R / R / 16th / 16th

22. Pedro de la Rosa (ESP) - Sauber

Championship position: 18th, 0 points

On the rare occasions Sauber's scrappy season has gone smoothly enough to make a top 10 shot possible, it seems to have been Kobayashi rather than de la Rosa who has got the job done. There's never much between them on pace, but Kobayashi is squeezing the speed out in qualifying - and that's why he was in a position to finally give Sauber a point in Turkey while de la Rosa - who was faster in the race - had to chase him home.

Last five race results: 11th / R / R / R / R

23. Kamui Kobayashi (J) - Sauber

Championship position: 16th, 1 points

At last the Sauber stayed intact and Kobayashi kept the tyres alive long enough to grab a point in Turkey. Hopefully that will mark the start of the team's turnaround, for the car is beginning to look quicker. At least Sauber no longer has the unhappy distinction of being down with the new teams on the zero point mark at the foot of the standings.

Last five race results: 10th / R / 12th / R / R

24. Timo Glock (D) - Virgin

Championship position: 24th, 0 point

Virgin's reliability problems seem to be easing a little, but has the revised car been the step the team was hoping for? Lotus is certainly still confident it has the faster car, though its fragility meant Glock was the 'new team class winner' in Turkey.

Last five race results: 18th / R / 18th / R / R

25. Lucas di Grassi (BRA) – Virgin

Championship position: 21st, 0 points

Di Grassi took a while to get up to speed in the new Virgin in Turkey, then a fraught weekend of engine issues and other gremlins meant just getting to the flag was the best he could hope for. Which is probably going to be the story of his rookie season.

Last five race results: 21st / R / 19th / R / 14th

PERDICTIONS:

Winner: Hamilton

Not enough fast corners for Red Bull to flex its aero muscles, plenty of long blasts for McLaren to show off its straightline prowess - and Hamilton is a former winner here. He might have won in Canada twice had he not rammed Kimi Raikkonen in the pits two years ago. We predict he'll put that behind him this weekend and take a win that - unlike Turkey - actually makes him smile.

Star performer: Kubica

When a hard charger like Kubica says he believes Montreal is a big chance for Renault, you know he means it. A former winner here, but even more impressive was his amazing speed when he first saw the track as BMW's rookie tester in Friday practice in 2006.

Disappointment: Ferrari

Too far off the pace in Turkey, and not enough time to do anything about it, plus Alonso seems to get more ragged as his car's pace leaves him increasingly frustrated about his title prospects.

[MIKA27]

Michelin: Time is getting very tight

Michelin has warned the F1 teams that time is running out to make a decision on next year's tyre supplier.

With just Michelin and Pirelli in the hunt, it is thought that the latter is the one favoured by the Formula One teams to replace Bridgestone.

However, with the FIA stating quite clearly that they will have the final say, Michelin could yet steal the deal away from the Italian tyre manufacturer.

Michelin, though, have warned that a decision needs to be made soon.

"Since the trip that I made to Istanbul two weeks ago, the objective of which was to meet with the teams to talk about the details of our offer, I've had no feedback, but I am expecting some," Michelin's competitors chief Nick Shorrock told Autosport.

"But time is getting very tight to develop a product that is consistent, delivers good performance and above all is safe.

"Michelin has vast experience of competition in different disciplines in F1, and endurance gives us a very strong base to develop whatever tyre.

"The sooner the better because then we can start working in earnest."

The decision, though, may still be weeks away after FIA President Jean Todt revealed that motorsport's governing body will "soon launch a tender."

However, Shorrock says he's cutting it close.

"Within the next couple of weeks if there's not enough information then it's going to make life extremely hard for all parties," he said.

"My past experience of F1 is around this time people start moving on to next year's car. If you're not on board in June/July time you will be struggling."

[MIKA27]

Alonso welcomes Massa's new contract

Fernando Alonso has welcomed Ferrari's decision to hand his team-mate Felipe Massa a two-year contract extension.

Ferrari announced earlier this week that Massa, whose contract expired at the end of this season, would remain a Scuderia driver for a further two years.

"We wanted to show proof of stability for the future, believing in the worth of a driver pairing that is without equal in terms of talent, speed and its ability to work together for the good of the team," said team boss Stefano Domenicali.

And the decision has been greeted with smiles from Alonso, who believes it was the right decision to ensure stability within the team.

"This leaves the group together for two more years," the Spaniard told Ticionline. "Stability is very important to the success of the team."

Massa's signing put an end to rumours that Alonso's good friend Robert Kubica would be on his way to Ferrari in 2011.

[MIKA27]

Di Grassi: Virgin will be best of newbies

Lucas di Grassi is adamant Virgin will end the season as the best of the newbies after getting a handle on their reliability issues.

Virgin's debut season did not get off to the best of starts with the team only getting one car to the finish line in the first four races. But that was followed by a double finish for the team in Spain before once again they were blighted with DNFs in Monaco.

However, the last race, the Turkish GP, once again saw both di Grassi and his team-mate, Timo Glock, reach the chequered flag, albeit three laps down on the race winner.

Now, confident that their reliability issues are a thing of the past, di Grassi concedes the team needs to work on their pace in order to match fellow newcomers Lotus Racing.

"We haven't developed as fast as we would have liked, especially because of the reliability problems we had at the beginning of the year," he said.

"All the focus was to get that problem sorted out, and it has improved a lot recently.

"Now I think is the point when we need to shift a little bit from the reliability side to the performance side.

"I strongly think that we can be the best of the new teams yet, and that's our target and what we're going to work towards."

He added: "The team has started the year in a very difficult way, with a very short time to develop the car.

"But I've seen a lot of improvement, not only on the car, but in the team as a whole, with the mechanics working together and on the engineering side.

"Everyone who was not used to Formula 1 is now used to Formula 1."

Looking ahead to this weekend's Canadian GP, the Brazilian believes the race could be the perfect opportunity for Virgin to bag their first F1 World Championship point - although he admits they will need their rivals to encounter a few problems.

"Because everyone will be reducing their downforce, it's going to be closer, but it's not going to be enough for us to fight with anyone in the midfield," said di Grassi.

"I think there is a possibility here of a lot of safety cars and a lot of strategy around it, and we expect this will reduce the gap to the midfield.

"It's a good chance for us to have a strong result."

[MIKA27]

Fitipaldi joins stewards for Canadian GP

Two-time world champion, Emerson Fittipaldi will join the stewards as the driver's representative for the Canadian GP.

Fittipaldi competed in F1 between 1970 and 1980, taking 14 victories, 35 podium finishes, six pole positions and six fastest laps.

He won his first championship in 1972 driving for Lotus, his second came with Team Texaco (McLaren) in 1974.

[MIKA27]

Canadian GP sells out for 2010

Montreal has achieved a sell-out crowd for its first Formula 1 race in two years, with the organisers of the Canadian Grand Prix reporting that they closed sales for 2010 this afternoon.

Tickets for the 2011 race have now gone on sale, with this year's prices held for all bookings up to the end of July.

Event promoter Francois Dumontier of Octane Racing Group said Montreal's enthusiasm for F1 was evident as soon as the race's return to the calendar was secured.

"We are of course very pleased with the public response," said Dumontier. "Local fans, obviously proud of their grand prix, were quick to respond when we announced ticket sales last December, and we soon realised that they were not going to stay away from something they appreciate.

"Then, over the course of the following months, we received huge fan response from abroad, which pleasantly surprised us. Our ticket sales in Europe were exceptional, and this is a testimony to the appeal of our event in traditional Formula 1 markets.

"There are thousands of connoisseurs who have for years watched the Canadian Grand Prix broadcast from Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and were now ready to cross the ocean to witness a Formula 1 Grand Prix, Montréal style. We are going to welcome them, as we do with all other fans, with warmth and enthusiasm. And I invite Montrealers to do the same."

[MIKA27]

Schumacher now looking towards 2011

Michael Schumacher says he now regards the rest of the 2010 season as preparation for 2011, with Mercedes looking unlikely to be a factor in this year's championship battle.

The seven-time champion has yet to finish on the podium since returning to the sport, and is ninth in the championship at present - 59 points behind leader Mark Webber.

Schumacher admitted he had initially hoped to be a title contender from the outset, but was now taking a longer term view.

"You think in terms of the championship, that's what is my aim and my focus," he said. "But then at one point you understand that your package is where it is and from there on you have to do a certain programme and process and that's what we are going through.

"The year is still long. I don't think on my side that I'm really in a position to win the championship, it's more building up and organising things for what happens from next year onwards. But you never know, it's still a long year with many points to give."

He insisted he was happy with the progress Mercedes had made so far.

"We are in a build-up process with the team that is going extremely well," said Schumacher. "I'm very happy with how we work together, how we progress. We don't have the package to be in front right now, and after winter testing it was not expected to be. But when I see where we are going, it's very good."

The German added that the Mercedes had not yet allowed him to recapture the feeling he had when on his best form in his initial career.

"Sometimes you have these very special races and moments where things really fit together perfectly and we are not there yet," Schumacher said. "I know I am coming there.

"It's part of the reason that I'm doing this, to get to that point. But you need certain ingredients and we are still searching for those."

[MIKA27]

Fri: McLaren, Renault, Williams, Sauber

There were top ten places on the Canadian practice timesheets for both McLaren drivers and Robert Kubica while Williams just missed out.

McLaren

Lewis Hamilton:

"I guess I'd have to say I'm not entirely happy with how this afternoon went. Today, in general, the track has been incredibly difficult to drive. It's very hard to switch the tyres on and get heat into them - it's so slippery, it's like driving on an ice rink. It's such a huge difference from when we were last here. We're not pulling away down the straights and we've got quite a bit of bottoming - but we can improve in those areas. We're going to have a big debrief this evening and work out where we want to go with the car for tomorrow. The graining on the Option tyre made things difficult too - but I think everybody had a similar experience out there, except maybe the Red Bulls. I don't think you'll be seeing a long first stint on the Option tyre on Sunday, that's for sure."

Jenson Button:

"We need to find out what changed from this morning to this afternoon. I was happy with the car in P1, but less so in P2. Certainly, we struggled with the balance instability under braking and corner entry during P2. It was tough on the long runs - the tyres didn't last long. I ran with the Option tyre at the end of the session for just a couple of laps, and it grained so much that I had to put the Prime on, where I was two or three seconds quicker than the cars still running Options. Still, I then started experiencing graining as well, so we have a few tyre issues - but then again I think almost everybody is struggling with tyre issues here. It could be a pretty interesting race. We're possibly a little bit too quick along the straights, too. Maybe we're not running enough downforce, but we'll look at that. But we've got a lot of info from today's running, so we'll go away now and work out what we need to do for tomorrow."

Renault

Robert Kubica:

"It was quite a difficult Friday. In the morning the track conditions were very poor, especially at the start of the session, so we had to wait quite a long time for the track to get better. In both sessions we tried to evaluate different downforce levels because we were not sure what would work best for us. Overall we are struggling with a lack of grip and it seems like everybody is suffering with the tyre wear on the long runs. So managing the tyres will be quite an important factor for the weekend."

Vitaly Petrov:

"It was my first experience of Montreal today so I had to learn the track. It's a challenging circuit because you need to attack and be aggressive, but also beware of the walls, which are very close to the track. We did some set-up work preparing for the race and evaluated the tyres, which have quite a big drop off in performance here during the long runs, and that could be a problem for the race. We still need to find the optimal set-up, but we have final practice tomorrow morning to work on things."

Williams:

Rubens Barrichello:

"We have quite a lot of new development parts for this circuit which has definitely made the car more competitive. I hope that with this progression forward that we can do well here, especially as this our only visit to North America and we have plenty of guests and sponsors supporting us."

Nico Hulkenberg:

"The circuit here is so narrow compared to places like Turkey. It's great and much more exciting to race close to the wall as opposed to 200 metres away. In terms of progress today, we got through the programme but didn't end up with exactly the results we wanted. I am struggling to find balance with the car, but I am confident we will achieve something here."

Sauber

Pedro de la Rosa:

"It was a difficult day. We tried to find a good balance for the car on a very slippery track, which is not easy. But I think we have a clear understanding of the tyre compounds and can improve the car after we analyse the data tonight."

Kamui Kobayashi:

"Although the track improved a bit compared to this morning, the lack of grip was a major problem and both tyre compounds degraded very quickly. We had hard sessions today, but we do have time to improve the car for tomorrow."

[MIKA27]

Fri: Toro Rosso, Lotus, Hispania, Virgin

The Toro Rosso drivers' lack of experience of Montreal unfortunately showed, putting them at the back of the timesheets with F1's newcomers.

Toro Rosso:

Sebastien Buemi:

"I have never driven here before and it takes some time to learn the track, dealing with the lack of grip from the surface and being careful of the walls that are so close to you. Therefore, it is hard to find the limit as the car is moving around a lot. You need to know the circuit really well before you can push hard. At least we had a clean day with no technical issues which is important for the rest of the weekend. Now, having learned my way round, I can expect a better day tomorrow, although we don't seem very competitive at the moment."

Jaime Alguersuari:

"Another new track for me and it is a difficult one to learn because there was very little grip today and the walls are very close. I need to do more laps and tomorrow I will be in a position to push harder, with what I have learned so far. I think the lap times will come and the important thing now is to stay calm. We have seen quite a bit of degradation, which will be a factor in the race. For qualifying, I think we have the potential to do well in Q2. In terms of brakes, which are important here, it was quite good and I know we can learn a bit more now by studying the data regarding the braking points and the retardation rates on the pedal. As long as it doesn't rain tomorrow, I expect to improve a lot before Sunday."

Lotus:

Heikki Kovalainen:

"Both sessions were pretty good today. The circuit obviously has not been used for a little while and it was quite dirty to start with, and even at the end of the second session the grip level was still quite low, but it's definitely improving though! It felt a bit like a Rally Finland stage first thing this morning, so it could only get better from there! I think the team did a really good job today, improving the balance and keeping us going in the right direction all the time. The low downforce package seems to be working really well, which is very encouraging, and again, we're not far away from the Toro Rossos. Maybe tomorrow in qualifying, I'll be able to have a go at challenging them, and see what happens. We're going to focus on keeping the rear of the car under control, and I think we are getting there with that, so, from my side of the garage, things are working out really well."

Jarno Trulli:

"It's been a difficult day but I'll move on from this and I still feel positive - after all, this is still our first season, and we're only eight races in. I had a few laps, but not enough to get a setup I felt comfortable with. I could feel that both the hard and the soft tyres suffered bad degradation, but after today I want to thank the team for working very hard to fix the problems on my car, and we'll see if the luck will change tomorrow."

Hispania:

Karun Chandhok:

"I am very pleased with my first day here at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The track is still very green but our pace relative to the other new teams has been more competitive than at any other time this season. There is a lot of tyre graining so we didn't really push for the ultimate lap time in the afternoon but just spent time trying to understand the tyre wear for the rest of the weekend. The delta time difference to the established teams also seems to be closer than we have seen so far this year so hopefully we can carry on this form into tomorrow and Sunday."

Bruno Senna:

"It was a tough first session as it was the greenest track we drove so far this year. It was very dirty and there was a very poor grip level. During the morning session and also in the afternoon, the track conditions changed a lot. We could do 59 laps today which was good for me because I could learn the track very well with this. All in all, it was a successful day for us and we are looking forward to qualifying tomorrow."

Virgin:

Timo Glock:

"It has been a difficult day for us. Obviously we haven't raced here since 2008 and the track conditions didn't really help us today. We have played around with a lot of things on the aero side and I think we were a bit optimistic with our package for here. We expect the track to continue to improve, which will help us for tomorrow, but the competition looks quite strong so we have a lot of work to do this evening to get to where we need to be."

Lucas di Grassi:

"It was a tough day for me today because it's my first time racing in Canada and we didn't get the best start to the weekend. I didn't run in the first Free Practice because we had an assembly issue with the brakes on the front left. In the second session I was trying to improve the car but we have a long way to go before we arrive at the best set-up."

[MIKA27]

Fri: Red Bull, Ferrari, Merc, FIndia

Seb Vettel set the pace in Friday's Canadian practice, beating Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg...

Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel:

"It's looking okay for us, we're quite competitive. The secret here is the tyres; everyone was sliding around a bit at the end - it was a bit more like rally cross than Formula One! The track started very green this morning, but that's normal and it will improve as the weekend goes on. The secret with these circuits is not to panic, as they tend to come towards you. We only made some small adjustments between the two sessions."

Mark Webber:

"It was a pretty good day - we were pleasantly surprised with the pace. We're going to have a tight fight with everyone tomorrow, but the car ran really well today. There was some graining with the option tyre, but they'll get better as the track rubbers in, so I'm not worried about it. We're happy with how today went, it was good."

Ferrari

Fernando Alonso:

"Friday's results tell us little. In the second session in Turkey, we had not done too badly and then everyone saw what happened in qualifying and the race. We must keep trying our best and then let's see what we can do. A podium, a place in the points, a win: the final result depends on so many factors and the important thing is to concentrate on our job. We worked on the brakes which have a very hard time here and on various set-ups on the car as well as different downforce levels: we still have a few more ideas to try tomorrow morning before taking a final decision. The soft tyre degrades very easily, but today is only Friday and the track conditions will change a lot between now and Sunday. In Bahrain, after the first day, we were all concerned, but then we all pitted around lap 20 without having any problems. We must try and have a good race, always keeping in mind that our final goal is the world title."

Felipe Massa:

"It was not an easy day, especially in terms of the degradation on the rear tyres, a factor which could play a decisive role in Sunday's race. From what we have seen today, our car seems to be more competitive than in the previous race: the gap to the strongest teams like Red Bull and McLaren appears to be smaller and I really hope we can get back to fighting for the top places. One of the most complicated aspects is finding the right compromise between the top speed you need on the straights and the stability for traction and braking. We have a few ideas in mind which I hope can take us in the right direction."

Mercedes GP:

Nico Rosberg:

"I'm generally pleased with the progress that we made today although conditions were difficult because it was very slippery out there on the track. We made some good set-up changes to help the car around this circuit and spent a lot of time working with the tyres to understand their performance. The soft option tyre was particularly difficult and we were struggling a little there, like many teams. But overall it was a good start and we have a lot of information to look at tonight before qualifying."

Michael Schumacher:

"My sessions today were a bit mixed. In the morning, we were making progress but towards the end we carried over some issues into the second session which we could not solve. The main focus this afternoon was to get the tyres together. The track is pretty green with not much rubber which means the tyres are getting a hard time and everybody was struggling with graining. If it rains, the track will remain green and it will probably be difficult to hold the tyres together again, even the harder compound. For tomorrow, it is difficult to predict what we will be able to achieve. My feeling is that we will perform according to our expectations which is around the third quickest of the teams."

Force India:

Adrian Sutil:

"It went OK today. I had a small issue at the end of the morning session so I missed my final run of first practice. The team did a great job to fix it over lunch and we could put in a really good session in the afternoon. After the delays we had in Turkey we could finally do a comparison between the standard rear wing and the switchable rear wing and I could see the difference it made. In addition to the set up and baseline work we also completed our normal tyre programme. The surface grip is one of the lowest in the calendar and the car is moving around a lot so the soft tyre is quite difficult to use, particularly on the long runs. Over one lap it is much better but to go over any sort of distance is very hard as the tyre just grains up so much. It's the same for everybody though so we'll look at the information overnight and hopefully there will be a little bit more grip tomorrow when there has been more running. The times look pretty good and I felt comfortable so I'm really hopeful of a good result in qualifying."

Tonio Liuzzi:

"Today was very positive and definitely a good place to start from. We went in a good direction and got a lot of information to look at for the qualifying. Everything felt a bit better and I was more comfortable, which shows in the times, but it's difficult to compare here with other races as the track doesn't have any grip at all right now. Overall I think we're looking pretty good, particularly with the harder tyre - I think we are spot on with the set-up on this compound. I didn't get a clear run on the new option tyres in FP2, which was a shame as you only get a couple of laps where they can work at the optimum. It will be an interesting weekend and I think we can be quite encouraged by the speed we've shown here today."

[MIKA27]

Button: Tyre wear will decide strategies

Jenson Button reckons the severe tyre wear many of the drivers suffered in Canada on Friday will play a major role in Sunday's race strategies.

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a favourite amongst the drivers, is partly made up of public roads, which accounted for the slow start on Friday morning as many waited for the lower order teams to clean the track.

However, even with that done, grip levels did not improve by much while Friday's second practice saw the drivers suffering with severe graining when they swapped to the softer option Bridgestone rubber for the latter part of the session.

Button was one of those, with the reigning World Champ's lap times suffering a result.

Although he set the pace in Practice One, by the end of the afternoon session he was down in 11th place, over a second off the pace.

"I don't know, we need to find out, because we were competitive this morning, maybe running less fuel than most people," Button said.

"This afternoon I struggled with the balance a little bit, instability under braking.

"Then on the long runs it was a little bit emotional out there. The tyres aren't lasting very long.

"I ran with the Option tyre at the end with heavy fuel and it grained so much I came in, put the primes and went two or three seconds quicker than the other cars, which were running Option.

"Still, I started graining as well. We've got a few tyre issues, everyone is struggling with the same thing, so I think it will be a pretty interesting race to see what happens with strategies."

The tyres, though, weren't Button's only problem as he conceded McLaren need more downforce for this weekend's race.

"We think possibly we were a little bit too quick. Looking at our consistency we are struggling a little bit, so maybe we are not running enough downforce. But there's a lot of info we got from today.

"This morning was good and this afternoon wasn't so good so we have to work on that."

[MIKA27]

Alonso: Friday's practice was okay

Fernando Alonso may have finished with the second best time in Friday's Montreal practice but the Spaniard wasn't exactly jumping for joy.

After a dismal outing in Turkey where Ferrari struggled for pace, falling behind the Renaults, the situation appeared a lot better in Canada with Alonso second quickest on Friday. In fact, the Ferrari driver only lost out on the P1 slot by 0.086s to Sebastian Vettel.

However, he didn't sound too happy about it.

"I think it was okay today, a little bit better," he said. "But also in Istanbul I remember we were fourth and fifth on Friday practice, and then in qualifying we were out of Q2.

"So we need to stay concentrated, stay focused for tomorrow, because everything can change when everybody goes flat out in qualifying.

"This is only Friday, only practice, we used these sessions to try the tyres and work a little bit on the brakes as well. This is a very hard braking circuit, so I think we just concentrate on the race situation and we don't pay attention to the times.

"Tomorrow everything can change."

Friday's practices, though, did some a couple of moments for the double World Champ under braking. However, he says it's nothing to be concerned about.

"We know this is one of the key parts in the circuit, in terms of performance, because we know how much time you can gain in the braking zones," he added.

"We have been working on the brakes all day long, trying different materials and cooling levels, etc to make the car ready for Sunday. On those occasions it was not easy sometimes to brake, but I think it will be fine for Saturday."

And unlike his McLaren rivals, who were not happy with the track after Friday's sessions, the Spaniard insists he had no problems with it.

"I think it's good," he said. "New asphalt in most of the corners, just Turn 8 remains with the old asphalt. No problems at all today, so everything was fine.

"In terms of level of grip and how smooth is the circuit, it's improved as well, no bumps. I think it will remain good all the weekend, because there are no signs of anything."

[MIKA27]

Hamilton: It's like an ice rink

Lewis Hamilton was not happy with Friday's running in Montreal, admitting that the lack of grip on the dirty track meant it was like being on an "ice rink."

McLaren were fastest in opening practice session at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with Jenson Button setting the pace.

However, Practice Two saw the Woking team fall down the order with both drivers complaining about severe graining to their tyres.

Hamilton eventually finished Friday's sessions in seventh place, 0.645s behind pace-setter Sebastian Vettel.

"I'm not happy with how this afternoon went - I think today in general the track has just been incredibly difficult to drive," he said.

"It's very difficult to switch the tyres on, to get heat into the tyres, and it's just like being on an ice rink out there. It's so slippery.

"It's a huge difference to how it was when I was here before. We had great grip (back then), the track got better and better, but we were struggling for sure.

"We're not pulling away down the straights, we have quite a lot of bottoming. There are areas we can improve on, we just have to do a big debrief now and figure out where we want to go with the car tomorrow.

"But it's a bit of an unknown, because we tried a few things and the car was just as bad, if not worse."

The 2008 World Champ added that it was the softer rubber that was giving him the most problems, which was evident by the fact that he wasn't able to improve his lap time when he switched to it in the latter part of Practice Two.

"On the option tyre it's unbelievable," said Hamilton. "With the graining I had on the option tyre, I had to come in.

"But I think a lot of people had the same experience, except perhaps the Red Bulls, so it's going to be an interesting one.

"I don't think you'll be seeing a long first stint on the option tyre, that's for sure."

[MIKA27]

Not long to go now, just under 20 minutes before the race.

Webber has been placed back 5 spots on the grid, now back to P7 due to a late gear box change. I wonder if it has anything to do with his right rear hitting the wall during qualifying?

The Ferraris are in the top 10, along with Force India, I wonder how they'll fare?

In all seriousness, Force India will prove a headache for Ferrari and will be strong the entire way.

Most wins at this track goes to Schumacher winning 7 since/between 1994 - 2004 however back in P13, I doubt this race he'll make it to the podium. Mercedes really need to give the Mercedes some balls for straight-line speed.

Enjoy the race.

[sje]

Button was correct, Tire wear realy did cost the race, webber was nearly 18 sec ahead at one stage as Hamilton caught him in a hurry with a better tire strategy,

in my eyes the fact that Horner (i think thats his name "red bull boss) sent the 2 redbull on different strategies, to be (and i am no expert) this is guess work rather than clever strategy.

just my 2c

spiro