FORMULA 1 - 2010

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Button gets taste of SLR Stirling Moss

Reigning world champion Jenson Button got a taste of Mercedes-Benz's SLR Stirling Moss last week when he drove the 640hp supercar around the McLaren Technology Centre perimeter roads as part of an event for title sponsor Vodafone. The Briton was on his way to the Goodwood Festival of Speed but stopped by to meet some of the 600 Vodafone customers that had been invited to the team's headquarters for the day.

The Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss is the product of McLaren's last ever road car collaboration with Mercedes before they went it alone with the MP4-12C supercar that is due to hit the market next year. The SLR Stirling Moss is derived from the Mercedes SLR McLaren, a €700,000 supercar that was first introduced in 2003.

As can be seen from the pictures, the SLR Stirling Moss is an open-topped racer, harbouring a top speed of 350km/h and capable of accelerating from 0 to 100km/h in under 3.5 seconds. Only 75 cars were ever built and they went on sale at a price of €750,000 to loyal SLR customers last year.

The lucky Vodafone customers, who were selected after signing up to Vodafone's VIP reward scheme, were given a tour of the F1 team facilities in Woking as well as being the first McLaren guests to get a close-up view of the new MP4-12C road car.

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Boullier wants more points from Petrov

Renault team principal Eric Boullier has called on Vitaly Petrov to start turning his promising pace into a consistent run of points finishes over the second half of the season to aid the team’s battle with Mercedes.

Russian rookie Petrov has enjoyed an encouraging start to his Formula 1 career in his first nine grands prix, but has only scored points once when he finished seventh in China in April.

It has meant that Robert Kubica has had to carry the team’s fight to Mercedes for fourth place in the constructors’ championship, the Pole’s consistently strong results meaning Renault sits just 20 points behind its rival heading to Silverstone.

Boullier knows Petrov has faced a steep learning curve this season, but says that given the Russian has shown more than several flashes of promise it is now time for him to start qualifying and finishing in the top 10 more regularly.

“Although he has half a year of F1 under his belt, we have to remember that compared to some of the other rookies he has a lot less F1 experience,” he said.

“Drivers like Hulkenberg and Kobayashi completed lots of testing miles in previous seasons, whereas Vitaly only drove an F1 car for the first time in February this year.

“So I know it has been an incredibly steep learning curve for him, but already he has shown on several occasions that he has the speed and can be close to Robert’s pace.

“What we need to see now is more consistency over a weekend without any mistakes. This is what I expect from him in the second half of the season so that he is regularly in Q3 and scoring points in the races.”

Renault has moved ahead of Mercedes on pace in recent races amid tyre struggles for the Brackley-based squad, but Boullier is wary of writing off its rival and expects it to bounce back strongly.

“The battle with Mercedes is a fight that I expect to last throughout the season,” the Frenchman said.

“They are a very strong competitor and it would be wrong to underestimate them.

“They have two very good drivers and they are ahead of us in the championship so it’s clear that we will have to work hard to beat them.

“Obviously they were missing some performance in Valencia, which was a surprise, but I don’t think they will underperform at every race. So it was important that we took points off them because I know they will fight back.”

Renault’s impressive first half of the season has been based on an aggressive development programme and Boullier acknowledges the team has to keep bringing further updates onto the R30 if it is to avoid dropping backwards.

However, he also admits the time has come in the season when it must soon take a decision about how it splits further work on the R30 with development on next year’s car – a balance he says it will decide on soon.

“The [development] strategy will certainly be different compared to the start of the year, although it’s clear we need to keep pushing hard because we’re still not quick enough to challenge for pole and race wins,” he added.

“And we know that we need to keep up this work rate because Formula 1 is so competitive these days and all our competitors are working hard to improve their cars as well.

“But at the same time it’s important that we look ahead to next year and we must not neglect the development of the 2011 car, which is already well underway. We need to find the right balance of resources and that is a decision we have to make in the coming weeks.”

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James Allen's F1 half-term report

Source: ITV-F1.com

After a 2009 season overshadowed by political in-fighting, it’s the racing action that has taken centre stage in Formula 1 this year – and what a season we’ve had so far, with five different race winners already, a succession of absorbing races and even some memorable overtaking at the front of the field.

So on the eve of the season’s traditional mid-point mark at the British Grand Prix this weekend, itv.com/f1 columnist James Allen has cast his expert eye over the 12-team field and their respective highs and lows so far.

In part one of his half-term review, James takes a look at the three genuine title-contending squads and analyses the performances of the teams as a whole as well as their respective drivers.

This is a terrific season, with close racing and unpredictability going into every race.

This is largely due to the fact that the best drivers are in the best cars and that several teams are doing a very good job, as opposed to the Schumacher/Ferrari years where only one team did a good job and ran away with it.

McLaren

The team of the moment. There is a confidence about McLaren this year, combined with a calmness, which frankly wasn’t there when Ron Dennis was running the team, as he set people on edge.

With two world champions in the car, the whole squad seems to have an assurance about it, which makes them hard to beat.

As with last year, McLaren have done an impressive amount of development on their car since the season started.

They have innovated this year – being the pioneers of the F-duct rear wing – but they have also brought a lot of performance to the car on a race-by-race basis.

That said, they have tended to have a faster race car than qualifying car and it has taken them a long time to get on top of qualifying pace. There were some operational errors earlier in the season too, like the horrendous qualifying session in Malaysia.

Button is driving with real confidence and enjoying himself more than at any time in his career so far, while Hamilton has gone up a gear after a tough 2009 and is now probably the strongest driver in F1.

Red Bull

The fastest car for most of the season – they have only missed pole on one occasion – but they haven’t done a good enough job of converting this pace into results.

They have dropped a lot of points partly due to mistakes; by the drivers, operationally and in terms of reliability. That said it is great to have Red Bull in the thick of the fight with their combination of edgy image and top-secret technology.

I sensed from the end of last year onwards that the team had decided to throw the kitchen sink at trying to win the title this year and they are giving it absolutely everything.

The mechanics are up into the early hours at every race fitting new parts and you can feel that pressure they have put on themselves. If they don’t do it this year, I think they will be quite demoralised.

Vettel and Webber have been jostling all season, and the doors blew off in Turkey when they collided.

Vettel is growing as a GP driver and I think he’ll take the championship battle down to the wire. Webber had a great run of form but he’ll do well to bounce back quickly from that horrendous shunt in Valencia.

Ferrari

The season’s most enigmatic team.

They had the fastest car in winter testing and won the first race with a 1-2, but then went backwards, showing that there is still a problem with the technical direction at Maranello.

They put effort and resource into copying McLaren’s F-duct wing, which took away from other areas of development. Recently they seem to have regrouped and taken a step forward again and it will be interesting to see whether they can get onto McLaren and Red Bull’s level for the second half of the season.

Fernando Alonso has had an up and down season, outperforming the car at times, but also making mistakes, which is unusual for him.

He seems to feel a pressure driving for Ferrari, which he didn’t feel at Renault or McLaren. I also think he’s a bit frustrated not to have won a title since 2006.

Operationally there have been mistakes too. It’s a team that isn’t quite comfortable with itself in this iteration and after the horror season last year you can feel a sense of fear that this year could slide backwards.

I don’t think they will let it do that and I hope we see Ferrari win some races in the second half of the season.

Massa hasn’t had a great year at all but still got his contract renewed which may boost his confidence. He hasn’t figured in the battles at the front so far and his body language speaks of feeling a bit out of it.

Check back later in the week for James's thoughts on the remaining nine teams

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Force India preview the British GP: Q&A

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal:

Were you pleased to see the team get another good helping of points in Valencia?

Very pleased, as that's now five consecutive races in the points for us, two of which as double points finishes. The grid positions on Saturday were unfortunate, but the safety car played into our hands for Adrian. All the same I wouldn't say we were lucky. We had called Adrian in for a pit stop before Webber's crash, but the rest of the race was clearly on merit. Adrian overtook Buemi and didn't make any mistakes so we were able to finish sixth on the road. It was bad luck for Tonio as we believe he was held up by Petrov in the stops, because he couldn't get out of the pit box. But all in all, eight points was good and it certainly reinforces my confidence in the car. We should be regularly in the points, and if we miss, we need to investigate why, because the car is always capable of scoring.

Silverstone is the team's home race, and obviously a big weekend. How do you feel about it?

It's a very big weekend, and obviously Silverstone is where we really want to perform well. It's the home race for us now and there's a lot of involvement from the guys in the factory, and the whole team enjoys the race weekend. We've got a little update coming, over and above what we had in Valencia, and hopefully we can bring both cars home well into the points. Clearly this car is better than anything we've had at Silverstone in many years.

Silverstone is the half way part of the season. Are you happy with the way things have gone so far?

I've said before that the objective of 2010 was to regularly score points, and I think we're meeting that objective. Spa and Monza are tracks that will suit the car better, and if we can get a podium, that would be the icing on the cake. But if not, at least we're demonstrating that we're scoring points. We're up to 43 now, and this team hasn't done as well in a long while.

Adrian Sutil:

Valencia was a weekend of ups and downs for you - what's your perspective of it overall?

Sixth position in the end was very good for us and really a reflection of where we are in the field now. There are some tracks where we might even be a bit higher up but we are right there close to the front and anything from third to sixth is always a possibility. It was disappointing we couldn't show how quick we were in qualifying but we now know what went wrong and how to avoid it in the future. I don't think I've felt so comfortable in F1 - everything is gelling together very well and we're getting the results to prove it now.

Next on the calendar is Silverstone - with the team being based so close to the track, do you have a special affection for it?

Silverstone is the closest to the team's factory and a lot of the staff go over to the track to watch the race. This year as well they are hosting a staff event at the factory on Saturday so it should be an even better atmosphere. Everyone is working so hard for the results it would be perfect to get a good finish in front of our 'home' crowd. There's a lot of history there for the team as well, it's where we shakedown our cars at the start of the year, where we have tested so many times, and getting some points would be a fantastic feeling.

Have you been round the new track, or studied the new layout?

We've done all the usual simulation work for the new layout, and I will go into the simulator this week but there hasn't been so much exceptional preparation. There's only one new section and the rest of the circuit has stayed the same so, in fact, it's not such a big workload for us. They seem to have kept the best sections and the overall character will stay the same, so high speed and flowing for the majority of the lap.

What do you think is possible over the weekend?

We have some new developments, I would say a very similar step to Valencia, around the front wing and floor. As we saw last year, every update we put on - whether large or small - does move us forward so I think it will put us in a similar position to Valencia, top ten, higher if we can. We've also got the SRW working really well now too so the combination of the new parts and the extra top speed makes me feel quite confident going into this race.

Tonio Liuzzi:

How was your Valencia weekend?

It was a tough race as we had the pace but we knew it would be hard to overtake and, starting from 13th, it was always going to be an uphill battle. For some people the safety car worked out well, but for me it didn't. I got the call to come into the pits at the same time as Adrian and I had to queue behind him, then I got delayed by another four or five seconds because of traffic in the pit lane and lost about seven or eight positions. From there it was practically impossible to fight for points. No one was to blame, it was just bad luck. It's quite disappointing as we showed a good pace, but this is racing and we have to accept what happened and move on. We're going to our 'home' Grand Prix next and it would be a dream to get a good result over the weekend there in front of all the factory.

Silverstone is next, with the track highly modified since you last raced there. Have you looked at the new configuration, or been in the simulator?

I'm really looking forward to the next race. I always liked the old track layout with the high speed sections, particularly the Becketts complex that is a real challenge as you need to keep the momentum all the way through the corners. I've looked at the new section and it might actually be even more suited to the characteristics of our car. I think we can be as good there as we were in Valencia, but hopefully without the qualifying problems we had. We will be aiming for the top ten again.

At Silverstone, the halfway point in the year, some teams will bring big updates. Are you confident you can maintain the team's position?

Some teams, including Renault, brought big updates to Valencia, but I don't think this is cause for concern as we held our own and we could have been in the points with both cars if we hadn't had the qualifying session we did. Also I am confident in what we have coming ourselves. We have some solid updates for the British Grand Prix that will give us extra downforce in high-speed corners, which is crucial at that track. I really want to put on a good show in front of the factory to give them a reward for the work they've done and the trust, belief and support they have shown me.

Paul di Resta, test and reserve driver:

You'll be back in the VJM03 on Friday in Silverstone, in front of your home crowd, how does that feel?

I'm looking forward to it, particularly as I've not raced in the UK for some time. I left to go to F3 Euroseries in 2005 and then have been racing in the DTM so this will be a really exciting time to return, particularly when there's so much support for F1 in Britain after our two back to back world champions. More importantly I am looking forward to getting back into the car, and at a track that is as high speed as Silverstone. Valencia wasn't such a challenge as it was just straights then turn in, but at Silverstone you're really relying on the car's performance. Plus to race round a track that's got so much history and so much tradition about it, that's quite special.

What are your experiences of Silverstone, have you raced there before?

I can remember watching my cousin Dario in a Vauxhall Junior race when I was very young and then I got my turn when I raced there in Formula Renault in 2003 and 2004. I started from pole and had good races, but after that I started racing in Europe. But my strongest memory of Silverstone is when I first drove an F1 car there as part of my McLaren Autosport BRDC Award prize that I won in 2004. All the assessments for the prize were also done at the track so, for sure, I do feel that Silverstone is a real milestone in my career so far. It will be a special thrill to sit in an F1 car going around Silverstone and I'm really looking forward to it. All the same I'm going out there with the same approach I've always had: with my head in gear, giving the team consistent running, valuable feedback time and learning the track for the future.

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Button: Updates will help us fight for victory

Jenson Button is confident of fighting for victory at his grand prix this weekend, as McLaren will debut a heavily revised rear-end on the MP4-25 seen at the last race in Valencia.

That race ended with both McLaren team-mates making the podium, although the top-spot was dominated by Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel who took an easy win after the chasing Lewis Hamilton was penalised.

Button is hoping the Woking based outfit can get the updates working straight away, which is often a difficult job.

"We have some new parts on the car that should lift us a little bit," the Brit said. "We know Ferrari are going to be very, very quick and we think Red Bull also, and Mercedes.

"But our package will really lift us into a good position where we can fight for a victory this weekend.

"It [this update] is very important for the rest of our season. They don't always work when you put them on the car as we've seen with a couple of the teams in Valencia; you need to work with it. Hopefully we'll get it all right before this weekend - that has to be our aim. You can't hope that it'll just be ok at the next race because you can't give a race away this year."

The 30-year-old, currently lying second in the championship behind his team-mate, expects a busy weekend fine-tuning the updates.

"It goes to the wind tunnel, it goes to the simulator and it's tested many times before it gets on to the circuit. There is always fine tuning you need to do over a race weekend, so we're going to have a busy Friday and Saturday I think."

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Williams preview the British GP

Sam Michael, Technical Director:

"Although Silverstone has undergone some significant layout changes since last year, the traditional, high speed first sector hasn’t been touched and remains the circuit’s biggest challenge for the drivers and chassis. The FW32 will have further upgrades for the British Grand Prix, including an exhaust blown diffuser, rear brake duct and front suspension changes. We'll evaluate the exhaust during the practice sessions on Friday and will make a final decision as to whether we race it that night."

Rubens Barrichello:

"Valencia was a good effort by the team. It was satisfying to see us move forward and I hope that we continue to do so. To help with that, we have more upgrades coming for Silverstone, which I hope will make the car go faster again. There’s a good vibe in the team to get us back to where we should be and I’m proud to be a part of that effort. I honestly love England and going to Silverstone. I lived in Cambridge for a while to learn the language and to participate in the lower categories so it’s fantastic to go back and race at Silverstone. I like the track a lot. I know it’s undergone some changes since last year, but I watched the MotoGP on the TV a couple of weeks ago and we still have Becketts, Stowe and Club - I love Becketts! I hope we put on a good show for the public and we have good weather; that could be sunshine or rain, either is good for me!"

Nico Hülkenberg:

"We have another update coming for Silverstone. Others will probably be doing the same, so we will have to work hard to keep the momentum going and stay in the top ten. It’s a massive positive that we continue to have new developments in the pipeline. It’s always good to know that everyone in the factory is trying hard to develop the car in order to move forward. I have spent some time at the factory learning Silverstone’s new layout in the simulator, but it will be more interesting to see exactly what they’ve done when we get there. As I’ve lived in Oxford for a while now, and because it’s just down the road from Silverstone, I kind of see the British Grand Prix as my second home race. I’m looking forward to getting started as I have unfinished business from Valencia."

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Lotus Racing preview the British GP

Heikki Kovalainen:

"The first sector of the circuit is the best sector on the whole F1 calendar - lots of fast bits that require maximum commitment. I haven’t driven the new part yet but I’ve heard it’s going to be great and we have some more updates coming that I hope will keep moving us closer to those ahead and further away from the other new teams.

"The fans are always fantastic at Silverstone. You can see from the campsites all around the area that they are big followers of F1™ and they are always really nice and friendly. The Classic Team Lotus Festival at Snetterton really showed just how much support the British people give us so it’s going to be great to race on home soil and see a lot of Lotus Racing flags waving in the grandstands!"

Jarno Trulli:

"Silverstone will definitely be another important weekend for us, the first time a Lotus has raced in F1™ in the UK for a long time, and our second home race. I think we’ll have a lot of support there, and I hope we’ll do well – the British fans are very knowledgeable and there’s always a lot of them, so it’ll be a great show, whatever happens. There’s a new layout, and it’ll be very interesting to see how quick that’s going to be – we’ll be looking at how it affects the tyres and what strategies and setups will be best for us, so all in all I’m looking forward to getting over there."

Fairuz Fauzy:

"I know Silverstone very well, both from racing there numerous times in the past, and also because I live right next to the circuit. I’m very excited about getting out on track in front of my friends, family and fans, and it’ll be a real honour to not only be one of the first F1™ cars to try out the new layout, but also to be able to bring the Lotus marque back to its spiritual home. The new layout looks very quick, and it’ll be very interesting to see how best to attack it, so I’ll do the best job I can to help the team maximise the upgrades we’ve put on the car at one of my favourite tracks in the world."

Mike Gascoyne:

"We’re looking to take another step forward this weekend, with an update package that will give us another chance to take the fight to the teams ahead. We have a number of lightweight parts across the car that, among other benefits, will help us use the ballast more effectively, giving our drivers a better chance to optimise balance and setup. We also have the last major aero modifications of the season, including a new floor and various bodywork updates, and then the design team’s attention turns to next year’s car. It’s a very exciting time for Lotus Racing, and our second home race of the season will be a great occasion for everyone associated with our team, and a great chance for the fans to see us in competitive action for the first time in the UK."

Tony Fernandes:

"Silverstone is obviously an important race for us, and it’s going to be very busy for everyone in the team. A lot of the guys at the factory will be in the stands, alongside our growing army of fans, and it’s great that we’re giving them the chance to see our green and yellow cars taking the fight to the established midfield teams at the home of motor racing. It’s a great honour for us to welcome Hazel Chapman in on Sunday - she’s going to officially open our new motorhome, and that’ll be a great occasion for all of us – I hope we can continue to do justice to Colin’s legacy as we find more pace, lighten the car and grow as a team, and with Hazel and Clive Chapman at Silverstone with us I think we’re in very good company at our second home race."

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Korea pleased with track progress

Korean Grand Prix organisers say they are pleased with the progress of the circuit that will host the country's inaugural Formula 1 later this year.

Organisers also said in a statement the Korea International Circuit (KIC) is nearing completion ahead of the October 24 race.

"We are delighted with the progress of the project, which is both on schedule and being finished to an extremely high standard," said Yung Cho Chung, CEO and President of KAVO.

"We look forward to welcoming everyone to the Korea International Circuit and our fascinating country in October."

The KIC, which has been designed by Herman Tilke, is located on South Korea's southwestern coast, in the province of Jeollanam-do.

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Sauber says Valencia a breakthrough

Peter Sauber believes Kamui Kobayashi's strong performance in the European Grand Prix was a breakthrough for the team - because it proves it is not lacking on the driving talent front.

Kobayashi made the most of a decision to stay out during the early safety car phase in Valencia to run third for much of the event, before a storming recovery after a late pitstop saw him overtake both Fernando Alonso and Sebastien Buemi to take seventh place.

And the way he was able to keep hold of third for much of the race, and fight back at the end, proved to Sauber that Kobayashi has what it takes to succeed in F1 and that his outfit has to work harder on improving its car's weaknesses.

"The performance was very, very important," Sauber told AUTOSPORT. "It shows that Kamui is fast, consistent and he is able to fight hard for the last laps of the race.

"Before, he had no possibility to show his talent, and for me there was still a big question mark about how good he was as a rookie. What he did in Valencia was therefore impressive

"On the other hand, you can only drive such a race with a good car - and now we have to find the right set-up to be faster in qualifying. Of course Kamui needs time to develop in all situations – that is clear.

"But now I know he is fast. I think that is for me very, very important – and for me it is really excellent."

Sauber believes that the Valencia result also provided a big boost to his team ahead of the second part of the season.

"For the team it is like a new start," he said. "And for sure it makes it easier for me to speak to potential sponsors, because the last eight races were a nightmare."

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Ecclestone still eyeing New York GP

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is eyeing plans for a second race in the United States, after confirming on Thursday that talks are ongoing about an event in New York.

Although Ecclestone has already signed a deal for the US GP to return in 2012 at a purpose-built facility in Austin, Texas, that has not stopped him looking at other opportunities in the country.

And despite plans for a race in Liberty State Park falling through earlier this year, Ecclestone has said that another idea for an event in New York is being seriously considered.

"It's happening," he told AUTOSPORT. "We are talking to them and trying to do our best. Let's see what happens."

When asked how sure he was that the Texas race would go ahead, amid scepticism from some quarters about whether the funding exists for the event, Ecclestone said: "100 per cent."

Ecclestone has also played down the prospects of Spain's second race moving from Valencia to Mallorca in the next few years. He met with representatives of a new Mallorca track at the recent European Grand Prix, but has said there was no ongoing plan to change venues.

"There is no discussion for that," he said.

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Williams undecided on blown diffuser

Williams is undecided yet on whether it will race its exhaust-blown diffuser at this weekend's British Grand Prix - with the team keen to wait on how testing of it goes on Friday first.

The Grove-based team will join McLaren in introducing the low exhaust configuration for the first time. Ferrari, Mercedes GP and Renault all introduced their versions of the Red Bull Racing-inspired concept in Valencia a fortnight ago.

It is understood the team has shaken down the new parts in a straight-line test, but it will want proper data from actual running at Silverstone before giving it the green light to remain on the car.

Technical director Sam Michael said: "The FW32 will have further upgrades for the British Grand Prix, including an exhaust blown diffuser, rear brake duct and front suspension changes.

"We'll evaluate the exhaust during the practice sessions on Friday and will make a final decision as to whether we race it that night."

Rubens Barrichello, who delivered Williams' best result of the season so far with fourth place in Valencia, is hoping the upgrades bring a good step of speed.

"Valencia was a good effort by the team," he said. "It was satisfying to see us move forward and I hope that we continue to do so. To help with that, we have more upgrades coming for Silverstone, which I hope will make the car go faster again.

"There's a good vibe in the team to get us back to where we should be and I'm proud to be a part of that effort."

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Alonso trusts he can stay in title fight

Fernando Alonso is heading into this weekend's British Grand Prix optimistic that Ferrari can remain a force in the world championship battle, even though the upgrades it took to Valencia did not deliver the step forward it had hoped for.

The Spaniard had been expected to challenge for victory in Valencia with the new exhaust-blown diffuser on his Ferrari, but instead he was outpaced by Red Bull Racing and McLaren in qualifying - and then lost out badly in the early safety car phase of the race.

Despite that disappointment, Alonso thinks the true pace of the F10 will be better highlighted at the high-speed Silverstone circuit – and he is staying bullish about his team's overall chances in what he thinks is a key part of the title battle.

"It is a crucial moment in the season, with three races coming up in the space of four weeks," Alonso wrote on the official Ferrari website. "We are ready, both on the technical front and physically.

"In Valencia, we introduced significant updates on the F10 and there will be more in Silverstone and the races after that.

"The development programme is intensive and I think we will see it produce results. We have also prepared very carefully from the physical point of view, given that the next events are all very close and one needs to be at a hundred percent all the time."

Alonso concedes that the quick nature of Silverstone will not play to the strengths of his F10, but he sees no reason to be downbeat about his form – especially with rain an ever-present threat in Britain.

"The track seems reasonably similar to the way it was, with a lot of very fast corners, which will not suit us that much," he said. "However, it's a fact that the configuration of the F10 seen in Valencia should give us a boost in these quick corners, so it is best to wait and see where we will be: I remain optimistic.

"Then, there is always a chance of rain playing its part at Silverstone. I would be very surprised to have a completely dry weekend and we will be ready to tackle any situation that comes our way."

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Britain: The complete weekend timetable

All times are Silverstone local time (UTC+1, CET-1). A Formula One-only timetable can be found here.

FRIDAY

08.50 - 09.15: Practice Session [Formula BMW]

10.00 - 11.30: First Practice Session [Formula One]

11.55 - 12.25: Practice Session [GP2]

12.50 - 13.15: Qualifying Session [Formula BMW]

14.00 - 15.30: Second Practice Session [Formula One]

15.55 - 16.25: Qualifying session [GP2]

16.50 - 17.20: Practice Session [GP3]

17.45 - 18.30: Practice Session [Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup]

SATURDAY

08.45 - 09.15: Qualifying Session [GP3]

10.00 - 11.00: Third Practice Session [Formula One]

11.25 - 11.55: Qualifying Session [Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup]

13.00 - 14.00: Qualifying Session [Formula One]

14.40 - 15.45: First Race (29 Laps or 60 Mins) [GP2]

16.20 - 16.55: First Race (16 Laps or 30 Mins) [GP3]

17.25 - 18.05: First Race (13 Laps or 25 Mins) [Formula BMW]

SUNDAY

08.30 - 09.05: Second Race (16 Laps or 30 Mins) [GP3]

09.35 - 10.25: Second Race (24 Laps or 45 Mins) [GP2]

10.45 - 11.20: Race (14 Laps or 30 Mins) [Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup]

11.30: Drivers' Parade [Formula One]

13.00 - 15.00: Grand Prix (52 Laps or 120 Mins) [Formula One]

15.30 - 16.00: Second Race (13 Laps or 25 Mins) [Formula BMW]

2010 British Grand Prix

Track: Silverstone Circuit

Official race name: LXIII Santander British Grand Prix

Round: 10 (of 19)

Race number: 830

Date: Sun, July 11th, 2010

Time: 13.00

Track length: 5.901 km

Laps: 52

Race distance: 306.747 km

History:

Silverstone is owned and operated by the British Racing Drivers Club and opened for racing in 1948 using the runways and service roads of a wartime airfield. The outline is still visible, but constant development and massive investment are still needed to bring Silverstone's facilities up to Bernie Ecclestone's standards.

Revisions to the circuit, enhanced safety precautions, new pits and a redeveloped paddock complex are just part of the ongoing story.

Silverstone hosted the first-ever round of the world championship in 1950 and is one of only two circuits to host a Championship race consistently since then.

And although 2009 was set to be Silverstone's final year as host of the British GP, the demise of Donington Park's bid ensured that the race returns to the Northamptonshire track in 2010.

Early in 2010, Silverstone announced that this year's race will take place on the new Arena circuit. The use of the 'Arena' will increase the circuit length by 760 metres and add around four seconds to current the lap time with hopes that it will also create three new overtaking opportunities.

Silverstone Circuit Results

2009: Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 83:49.328

2008: Lewis Hamilton McLaren 99:09.440

2007: Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 81:43.074

2006: Fernando Alonso Renault 85:51.927

2005: Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren 84:29.588

2004: Michael Schumacher Ferrari 84:42.700

2003: Rubens Barrichello Ferrari 88:37.544

2002: Michael Schumacher Ferrari 91:45.015

2001: Mika Hakkinen McLaren 85:33.77

2000: David Coulthard McLaren 88:50.106

[OZCUBAN]

Kubica commits to Renault until 2012

Robert Kubica will remain a Renault driver until at least the end of the 2012 season after agreeing a two-year contract extension at the Enstone squad.

The highly-rated Polish star joined Renault at the start of this year after becoming a free agent following BMW’s shock withdrawal from Formula 1 and was believed to have signed just a single season deal to allow him flexibility over his future.

Kubica had been strongly linked to a Ferrari seat for 2011 prior to Felipe Massa re-signing with the Maranello squad for a further two seasons last month, which made an extension of his Renault deal highly likely.

He says committing his future to Renault was an easy decision as he feels comfortable at the team and has backed the squad to continue making progress up the field following a strong first half of the season which has seen him finish in the top eight in all but the Bahrain season-opener.

“It was a straightforward decision for me to continue with a team where I feel at home,” Kubica said in a statement.

“What’s important for me is to be in the right atmosphere, with a good group of people, where everybody is pulling in the same direction. This is what we have tried to build from the beginning of my time with Renault.

“I think we have already achieved a lot together, and I believe that with plenty of effort, time and the right approach, we can move even further forward.

“That is certainly our target, so we will keep working hard and pushing on every front, not just for the rest of this season but also for next year when there are more big rule changes on the way. I am really looking forward to the challenge.”

In recent weeks Kubica had also been linked with a Mercedes drive for 2011 should Michael Schumacher abandon his comeback early and Renault team boss Eric Boullier acknowledges that the Pole’s impressive form this season had made speculation that rival teams were trying to lure his services inevitable.

Boullier is therefore thrilled Kubica sees Renault as the place to achieve success and thinks that in the 25-year-old it has the driver to propel it back into title contention over the next two years.

“We are delighted that Robert will remain with us for the next two seasons and I would like to thank him for the faith he has shown in this team,” Boullier said.

“There have been many rumours surrounding his future in recent weeks, which were a tribute to how well he has driven this year, and we are very happy to have agreed a multi-year deal.

“Our clear goal is to become title contenders over the next two years. To do so, we need a driver of Robert’s calibre: somebody who is fast, totally committed and doesn’t make mistakes.

“His performances during the first half of the 2010 season were flawless, and we hope to achieve great things together in the future."

Oz Lets hope that Renault can produce a car that is up to Kubica's obvious talent

Really looking forward to silverstone probably my second favorite track enxt to Spa

[MIKA27]

  OzCuban said:

Oz Lets hope that Renault can produce a car that is up to Kubica's obvious talent

Really looking forward to silverstone probably my second favorite track enxt to Spa

Great posting OZ.

Renault have already delivered an amazing vehicle this season, one can only imagine next seasons developments will build on this seasons strengths. Renault are back in the game for sure!

Bring on Spa my friend, my all time favourite track!

[MIKA27]

Hill: You can never count Schumi out

Damon Hill has insisted it would be foolish to write off old rival Michael Schumacher.

At 41, Schumacher has at times looked his age in his comeback year, in particular in comparison to Formula One's fast young guns such as Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.

Although excuses have been made of late about Mercedes' inability to get their tyres working, among other issues, Schumacher was found wanting in the last race in Valencia as he finished a career-low 15th.

Approaching the halfway point of the season and Sunday's British Grand Prix, the seven-times champion is a staggering 93 points behind Championship leader Hamilton and is still to finish on the podium this year, never mind win a race.

But after enduring many legendary battles with Schumacher on track, 1996 World Champion Hill believes the German cannot be ruled out of any equation.

''I thought he was getting the upper hand there for a while,'' said Hill with regard to his rivalry with team-mate Nico Rosberg.

''His rightful place is at the front, and when that is the case all is well with the world. That is still where he sees himself.

''But you should never write the guy off. I made that mistake. You just can't count him out. He is never out.

''He will somehow pull something out of the hat from somewhere, and he is very determined to achieve things.

''He'll also want to show he can win at the age of 41. He's still a very young guy. These days 41 is not that old.''

Hill is adamant Schumacher, who made millions of pounds throughout his previously glittering career, did not come back simply to cash in again.

''It's not about the money,'' added Hill.

''He loves driving. Where else are you going to get the same sort of fulfilment or kick? He is a racing driver, has always been a racing driver.

''Guys like him have been racing karts or something since they were in short trousers. It's what they love to do.''

[MIKA27]

Senna has a 'rant' about 'chopping'

Hispania's Bruno Senna says the amount of "chopping" taking place this year is "ridiculous" and believes race director Charlie Whiting should do something about it.

Pit stops for new front wings have become common practice this year as too many drivers are cutting in front of each other.

The 26-year-old Senna believes it is time that race control to take action.

"It is happening a lot this year where drivers who are overtaking other drivers are just chopping in front too many times," he told Reuters.

"With the front wing sizes we have, everybody is losing front wings.

"The amount of front wings that are being damaged or lost, and punctures on the rear tyres, is ridiculous. Even if you are not competing for position, sometimes they just chop in front of you.

"I think it's maybe a good idea (to raise with Whiting in the drivers' briefing). We need to see what can be done.

"Rant over."

MIKA: I agree with Senna on this, far too much has occurred this season which has caused a few punctures to drivers (Kubica on Schumacher - Alonso on Petrov) it needs to be policed alot more.

[MIKA27]

Ron: Alonso underestimated Hamilton

Ron Dennis has lifted the lid on Fernando Alonso's problems at McLaren, saying the Spaniard simply underestimated Lewis Hamilton during his rookie season.

Double World Champion Alonso had several run-ins with then team principal Dennis as well as team-mate Hamilton during his troubled season at McLaren. He left the team at the end of 2007 to return to Renault.

Dennis says Hamilton's competitiveness was at the root of Alonso's problems at the Woking team.

"Alonso didn't expect Hamilton to be that competitive in his first year," he told the official Formula One website.

"He told me at the beginning that it was my decision to sign a rookie like Hamilton, but that it could cost me the Constructors' Championship. Fernando was calculating everything, but not that Lewis would challenge him. That affected him massively."

MIKA: And then Alonso ran away with a box of Kleenex....

[MIKA27]

Ferrari seek 'crucial' victory

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali admits a victory before the summer break will be "crucial" to their hopes of winning the Championship this year.

The Italian outfit have failed to reach the top of the podium since winning the opening race of the season in Bahrain. However, they have made major strides in recent races and were unlucky not to be challenging for the victory in Valencia a fortnight ago.

Domenicali says they need to pick up win in the next three races to keep themselves motivated over the three-week break.

"For sure it would be very important," he said on the team's official website. "It would be crucial for the Championships, for motivation, and I think that is really the key before the summer break, to have the kind of result that I think our team deserves."

Although they won't have major upgrades for the British Grand Prix, the F10 will still sport a change here and there.

"We believe that the rate of development will be the key to this year," Domenicali added. "We did quite a reasonable step in Valencia, and we'll do another one, maybe smaller for sure, at Silverstone. We're speaking about the front and rear wings.

"Then in Germany, a new package, in Hungary, a new package, and then we will see."

MIKA: I still can not for the life of me get over the fact that Ferrari ceased developing 2009's car for Kimi as they stated they were midway through season 2009, developing 2010's Ferrari F1 racer. All that and they still have not managed to deliver a competative car.

[MIKA27]

ART Grand Prix withdraw 2011 F1 bid

ART Grand Prix have announced that they will not proceed with their bid to enter Formula One in 2011.

The French GP2, GP3 and F3 team applied to become F1's 13th team and were thought to be leading contenders to succeed in the bidding process.

However, a statement on the teams website said the current, unfavourable economic conditions meant the bid couldn't go ahead for fear it could end up similar to that of USF1.

"ART Grand Prix has decided to withdraw their application to the International Federation of Automobiles (FIA) to take part in the 2011 Formula One World Championship," the statement read.

"The team has been working for several months on this ambitious project that they had undertaken with determination and lucidity.

"ART Grand Prix had forged strong bonds with several technical and financial partners but with unfavourable economic conditions they could not gather the necessary guarantees to ensure the stability of the project in the long term."

The French outfit, which are champions in both GP2 and F3, also stated that they remain focused on their current single seater series, as well as looking to enter F1 in the future.

"Therefore, the company will have to postpone its project until a later date, however it remains completely focused and dedicated to the other single-seater championships in which they are successfully involved in."

[MIKA27]

Force India likely to adopt KERS in 2011

Force India look set to race KERS in 2011, joining Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Renault and Williams.

The Silverstone-based outfit didn't use the technology is 2009 when it became available due to the high development costs. It was later banned under a FOTA agreement despite being allowed under FIA regulations, that agreement expires at the end of 2010, meaning a return for the system in 2011.

The system's failure lied in the weight it added to the cars. To overcome that problem, the FIA has introduced a higher minimum weight allowance of 640kg - a 20kg increase.

This now means the added weight of adopting the system is negated, leading to most teams opting to use the energy recovering system.

"There isn't any other option than to drive with KERS," Force India's chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

Red Bull are also likely to use Renault's system, but the Milton Keynes based team has also expressed an interest in developing its own system, whilst its thought the three new teams won't adopt the technology.

[MIKA27]

Red Bull announces new one-race sponsor

Red Bull Racing has announced a new one-race sponsorship agreement with Amazing Thailand, which will see the company's logos appear on the cockpit sides of the race-winning RB6 cars throughout the forthcoming British Grand Prix weekend.

“This one race partnership with Thailand is quite unique at our local grand prix,” said Red Bull's team principal Christian Horner. “Thailand is one of the most stunning locations in the world and after their recent political issues it's a great opportunity to remind everyone what a fantastic country it is to visit.”

Red Bull will host a special party in the paddock on Friday to promote Thailand and the new deal.

[MIKA27]

Mansell confirmed as Silverstone race steward

1992 Formula One world champion Nigel Mansell will act as the drivers' representative on the stewards at this weekend's British Grand Prix the FIA announced this afternoon. The Worcestershire-born Englishman will be the fourth man on the stewards' panel this weekend and becomes the ninth such experienced driver to be an F1 steward as part of a new initiative by the FIA.

Mansell raced in Formula One for 15 years in total, racing for Lotus, Williams, Ferrari and McLaren over the course of his career. He dominated the 1992 season with Williams, securing the title with five races to spare, before famously leaving the sport to win America's IndyCar series in 1993. He returned to F1 with Williams in 1994 following Ayrton Senna's death, but raced just four times, before racing twice for McLaren in 1995 and finally retiring.

Ron McCabe will be Britain's national steward for the race at Silverstone on Sunday, and will be joined by Australia's Garry Connelly and Sweden's Lars Österlind to make up the four-man panel.

[MIKA27]

Di Resta not thinking about 2011 yet

Force India reserve driver Paul di Resta says he is trying to stay focused on doing the best job he can in practice this year and not think too much about his chances of landing a race seat in 2011.

Di Resta is enjoying more Formula 1 mileage than any other test driver this season as he is driving the Force India in opening practice at the majority of grands prix.

The team has made it clear that it wants the Scot to be well prepared should any racing opportunity open up, but di Resta said he had not been given any indication of his chances of landing a full-time race drive next year yet.

"I'm focused on what the programme is for this year," he told reporters during a pre-Silverstone briefing. "It's taking one step at a time because it is a big task this year.

"Hopefully I'm impressing the team enough that I can build a future. It's certainly a great team to be part of. I'd love to be driving one of their cars next year, so fingers crossed.

"I'll just keep up with the progress I've been continuing on. I'm not going to go into what my contract is, but this year we have a clear path. We're on that path now, and all I can say is we hopefully progress forward."

He said having Anthony Hamilton, who oversaw his son Lewis's rise to F1, as a manager was proving to be a real bonus.

"He's very focused on my ambitions," said di Resta. "He's seen me through my career so far, he knows what I'm capable of, and he's equally pushing for it as much as I am.

"Hopefully we can achieve that. His work is being done in the background."

Di Resta pointed out that he could not push flat-out to show his raw speed in the practice sessions as it was essential for him to stay out of trouble and gather data for the race weekend - and to hand the car back to Adrian Sutil or Tonio Liuzzi in one piece for second practice. But he is confident he is still proving his capabilities to Force India.

"It's always in the back of your mind these things aren't the easiest things to manage when they do break grip, and it's just about driving under that," he said.

"Valencia was quite difficult because the tyres did degrade quite a lot and you wanted to push on. It is a difficult balance.

"But the people who understand it the most are the team here. They know what's going on, what programmes we have, what parts we have on the car, and they can judge that better than anybody.

"I know within myself, but I need to try and prove I'm consistent, but also give good feedback and the necessary information they need to evaluate their car and go forward, and certainly keep the development process up."

He added: "I always pressure myself that I want to be quick, but I don't feel any pressure from the team.

"They understand I'm driving new circuits, and equally I have to drive within the limits of safety. There's always an element of 'it's not my car'.

"It's just about progressing. The main focus is learning the tracks for the future hopefully. As long as everybody is in the right frame of mind, we'll gather the right data, and we're coming back with results, so we're definitely going forward."

[MIKA27]

Massa: Silverstone key test for Ferrari

Felipe Massa believes that Ferrari's performance in comparison to that of its rivals at Silverstone will provide a clear barometer of the progress it has made with the development of its F10 in recent races.

The Brazilian, who has not finished on the podium since the Australian Grand Prix in March, remains confident of Ferrari's potential ahead of the British race, adding that for various reasons he and his team-mate Fernando Alonso have not made the most of the F10 in Canada and Valencia.

"I hope we make another good step forward this weekend, with the new updates we are bringing to England, because we saw in Valencia and even in Canada, that the F10 is progressing in terms of competitiveness, even if for various reasons, that did not translate into good race results," he said in his diary column on the Ferrari website.

"In fact, this weekend should provide a very clear test of how much we have improved, both in pure performance and in terms of where we stand against the teams currently ahead of us.

"Of the tracks we have raced at so far this year, Silverstone is most similar to Istanbul, where we had an uncompetitive weekend, so if the F10 works well here, we will know we are on the right road."

Massa added that it is critical for Ferrari to compile good results in the apex of the season - with three grands prix taking place during July - if it is to remain in the hunt for both championships against Red Bull and McLaren.

"Even if we have a good British GP weekend, we cannot afford to relax for a moment, because we know we are a bit behind in the championship and we are at the halfway point of the season," said Massa. "In addition, from Silverstone to Budapest, we now have to tackle three grands prix in four weeks, with further developments coming immediately for Hockenheim and the Hungaroring.

"Which means these three races will be very important and we will be pushing very hard to try and get ahead of our competitors.

"But before then we have Silverstone, which is a circuit I have always liked, even if we will have to see what it feels like now with the changes," he added.

"I watched the MotoGP race there on television a few weeks ago and my impression is that the new track layout is very different to the old one with some of the new 'slow' corners even slower than before.

"We will have to learn the handful of new corners on Friday, to judge if we need to make significant changes to the type of set-up we have run here in other years, although much of the data we have from the past will still be relevant as several sections are much the same as before."