FORMULA 1 - 2010

[MIKA27]

Ferrari hit back at Niki Lauda

Ferrari have hit back at Niki Lauda, saying he missed "a fine opportunity to keep his mouth shut" in his recent rant against the Scuderia.

Lauda, who won two of his three Drivers' Championship titles with Ferrari, launched an attack on his former team in the wake of their use of team orders in the German GP.

According to the Austrian, Ferrari were "mocking the fans with a collusive result", adding that what "they've done is wrong and they got an immediate punishment - and they will get a pasting from the World Council, that is for sure."

Ferrari, though, have responded with an attack of their own through their Horse Whisperer column, saying Lauda should learn when to keep his mouth shut.

'After events in Hockenheim, a wave of hypocrisy swept through the paddock, with so many pundits, young and old, keen to have their say: some were promptly brought back into line by his master's voice, while others continue to pronounce sentence willy-nilly,' wrote the Horse Whisperer.

'The latest missive comes from Austria, from a person, who having hung up his helmet, has never missed out on a chance to dispense opinions left and right, even if, on more than one occasion, he has had to indulge in some verbal acrobatics to reposition himself in line with the prevailing wind.

'This time, good old Niki has missed out on a fine opportunity to keep his mouth shut, given that, when he was a Scuderia driver, the supposed Ferrari driver management policy suited him perfectly...

'That aside, where was all his moral fury when, over the past years, so many have been guilty of more or less overt hypocritical actions?'

Added to that, the Horse Whisperer insists that Ferrari are not overly concerned about the possible outcome of their World Motor Sport Council hearing on September 8th.

'As for any predictions regarding a possible decision from the FIA World Council on 8 September, time will tell: in this sort of situation, the best policy is to respect and to trust in the highest level of the sport's governing body.'

[MIKA27]

Hamilton: Time to get back into the fight

Lewis Hamilton is determined to get back on top of the title fight, starting with next weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver lost the lead in the Drivers' Championship last time out in Hungary when Mark Webber clinched the victory while Hamilton retired from the race.

But with just four points separating the two, Hamilton is by no means out of the hunt, although McLaren need to up their pace out on track after falling behind the Red Bulls and Ferraris in recent weeks.

The 2008 Champion, though, is confident his team can and will do just that.

"Although it's been great for the whole team to have had the factory shutdown and a well-deserved holiday, I think we're all really looking forward to getting back into the title fight," he said.

"The break gave us some valuable thinking time to consider how to improve our car for the remainder of the season - and we head into these two races not only optimistic of some better results, but also of stronger pace for the rest of the year.

"Neither Jenson or I had a great race at Spa last year - I didn't see much of it from the cockpit, but I think Jenson was pushed into a spin from behind at Les Combes and the resulting accident took me out too. So it was weird to watch the whole race back in the garage.

"For this year, too, I head to Spa off the back of a disappointing non-finish in Hungary. We've investigated the causes, and think we've identified the reason and are confident that it shouldn't happen again.

"Personally, I think Spa is one of the 'great' Formula 1 tracks, and one I'd really love to win. I'll be going flat-out to try and get us back into the hunt again in Belgium, and it would be fantastic if we could take home another win at the end of the weekend."

Meanwhile, team boss Martin Whitmarsh says McLaren can regain their lost momentum, insisting their car has the potential to win.

"After a disappointing Hungarian Grand Prix, we are pushing hard to regain the performance relative to our rivals that we had enjoyed earlier this season.

"While we believe our recent upgrades have given us a downforce improvement, it appears that the package hasn't yet delivered to its full potential, particularly in terms of providing the drivers with a consistent, confidence-delivering platform.

"We were able to carry out some useful evaluative tests during practice in Hungary, which provided us with some useful data and avenues for experimentation. And we'll take that programme further in Spa, running floor rakes during practice to supply us with more information.

"As we've always stated, we believe there are some large areas of performance locked within the car and its recent upgrade, and we are confident that our solid-engineering approach will enable us to fully unlock them sooner rather than later."

[MIKA27]

Aerolab and FIndia dispute continues

Aerolab could launch fresh legal action against Force India after the latter was ordered to pay more than €1 million in damages.

Aerolab initiated legal proceedings against Force India for unpaid funds relating to services. The matter was resolved when the Queen's Bench Division in the High Court of Justice in London ordered the Formula One team to pay the Italian aerodynamics company €1,074,730.

However, the matter is by no means over as Force India then sued Aerolab over windtunnel models produced for newcomers Lotus F1 Racing, prompting Aerolab to hint that they could now use the Italian GP to raise further legal issues against Force India.

"As a result of the retaliatory action already taken by Force India, it is expected that Aerolab's director, Mr. Jean Claude Migeot, will soon be charged pursuant to a criminal complaint filed in Bologna," read an official statement.

"Aerolab is confident in the positive outcome of all judicial matters in this affair.

"It appears that Force India's strategy will be to try and force Aerolab into a settlement that the company has no intention of accepting.

"The upcoming Italian Grand Prix at Monza, during which Force India's assets will be present under Italian jurisdiction, could trigger further exchanges of action between the two parties."

[MIKA27]

DO YOU REMEMBER THIS?

You need to go back in time to remember this one, a rather unusual moment in Formula One history...

The driver is Michael Schumacher and the race, the 1998 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

A wet race saw Mika Hakkinen take the lead and a considerable one before a mistake led to a spin, front wing damage and, with more incidents taking place in the rain, the arrival of the Safety Car out on track.

Schumacher, who was second behind Hakkinen at the time, lapped Alex Wurz, crossing the start/finish line under the Safety Car in order to line up behind Hakkinen on the track.

The move earned the Ferrari driver a ten-second stop-go penalty, although by the time it was announced, six minutes after the 25 minute time limit for issuing penalties, he was leading, having overtaken Hakkinen when the McLaren driver made yet another mistake.

However, not only did the stewards take too long to hand Schumacher the penalty but then there was some debate over whether it was a ten-second stop-go penalty or whether ten seconds would be added to his finishing time.

With the matter finally cleared up, basically on the last lap, Schumacher came in for his penalty and in doing so actually crossed the finish line, winning the grand prix.

McLaren later lodged a protest as they felt Schumacher had not served his penalty. However, the FIA rejected the protest as the stewards were in the wrong for taking too long to inform Ferrari and Schumacher of the punishment.

The victory stood.

[MIKA27]

McLaren preview the Belgian GP

Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton both concede that McLaren have some catching up to do, which they hope they can achieve at Spa.

Jenson Button: "We come into the Belgian Grand Prix knowing that we have some catching-up do to; we didn't have a particularly strong race in Hungary, and the whole team wants to get back to the front again as quickly as possible.

"While we're optimistic that the bodywork rules clarification will close the gap among the top teams, and that both Spa and Monza should suit our package better than the Hungaroring, it's still important that we regain the momentum we'd reached earlier this season.

"I love racing at Spa - it's one of the truly great circuits, and a grand prix that I'd love to win. I didn't have the best race here last year, when I was punted out at the top of the hill on the first lap, so that just gives me additional motivation to do well here.

"While I don't think these two European races will be pivotal to the title fight, it will nonetheless be harder to introduce bigger upgrades to the car at the end-of-season flyaways, so it's important for the whole team that we score well in both events."

Lewis Hamilton: "Although it's been great for the whole team to have had the factory shutdown and a well-deserved holiday, I think we're all really looking forward to getting back into the title fight.

"The break gave us some valuable thinking time to consider how to improve our car for the remainder of the season - and we head into these two races not only optimistic of some better results, but also of stronger pace for the rest of the year.

"Neither Jenson or I had a great race at Spa last year - I didn't see much of it from the cockpit, but I think Jenson was pushed into a spin from behind at Les Combes and the resulting accident took me out too. So it was weird to watch the whole race back in the garage.

"For this year, too, I head to Spa off the back of a disappointing non-finish in Hungary. We've investigated the causes, and think we've identified the reason and are confident that it shouldn't happen again.

"Personally, I think Spa is one of the 'great' Formula 1 tracks, and one I'd really love to win. I'll be going flat-out to try and get us back into the hunt again in Belgium, and it would be fantastic if we could take home another win at the end of the weekend."

Martin Whitmarsh, team boss: "The summer break was extremely welcome for a number of reasons - firstly, it provided the whole team with a much-needed rest period after some particularly relentless races; secondly, it gave our engineers time for consideration and thought ahead of the closing run of races; and, finally, the downtime proved very useful in enabling us to carry out some maintenance work to our windtunnel, which should improve its correlation.

"After a disappointing Hungarian Grand Prix, we are pushing hard to regain the performance relative to our rivals that we had enjoyed earlier this season. While we believe our recent upgrades have given us a downforce improvement, it appears that the package hasn't yet delivered to its full potential, particularly in terms of providing the drivers with a consistent, confidence-delivering platform.

"We were able to carry out some useful evaluative tests during practice in Hungary, which provided us with some useful data and avenues for experimentation. And we'll take that programme further in Spa, running floor rakes during practice to supply us with more information.

"As we've always stated, we believe there are some large areas of performance locked within the car and its recent upgrade, and we are confident that our solid-engineering approach will enable us to fully unlock them sooner rather than later."

[MIKA27]

Merc GP preview the Belgian GP

Nico Rosberg is intent on a 'better weekend' in Spa while Michael Schumacher will need to come back from his grid slot penalty...

Nico Rosberg: "It's been nice to have a short break but it will be good to start racing again next weekend. Spa is definitely up there as one of my favourite circuits and it's one of the most challenging tracks that we race on. The lap is very high-speed with some great corners, including Eau Rouge of course, and it's just a great place to drive a Formula One car. The last race in Hungary was difficult for us but I know that everyone at the factory has been working hard since the shutdown and we hope to have a better weekend in Spa."

Michael Schumacher: "Spa has always been my favourite racetrack and so for that reason alone, I am really looking forward to going back and racing there. It has been ages since I have last been there. Our weekend will obviously be handicapped by my grid penalty and consequently it will be difficult to expect special things from the race. On the other hand, every racing kilometre is important and welcome because we can learn from it with regards to our car. I will definitely try to make the best out of the weekend."

Ross Brawn, team boss: "The summer shutdown has been a well-deserved opportunity for our staff to have a break in the middle of the season but we are all looking forward to the racing getting underway again with the Belgian Grand Prix next weekend. Spa is one of the classic racing circuits on the calendar which is loved by drivers, engineers and fans so it is always one of the highlights of the year. The circuit is dominated by straights at the start and end of the lap with a twisty middle section and the drivers love the fast sweeping corners, including the legendary Eau Rouge. With the shutdown, we have had limited time to work on the car since Hungary, however we will do our best to have a good weekend in Spa to kick-off the final run of seven races to the end of the season."

Norbert Haug, Merc motorsport director: "Spa is a classic race in the Formula One season and I am sure everybody in the paddock as well as the media and the spectators worldwide are looking forward to this special Grand Prix which is run partly on narrow public roads that are used for daily traffic throughout the year. Our team will be focused on achieving respectable results for Michael and Nico."

[MIKA27]

Sauber preview the Belgian GP

A favourite of the Sauber drivers, Pedro de la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi are eagerly anticipating a return to the Spa-Francorchamps track.

Pedro de la Rosa: "It is a long time since I have raced in Spa, but it is a circuit you hardly ever forget. It is extremely challenging with the high speed corners. Eau Rouge nowadays will be flat out, and at the end of the following straight there is a good overtaking possibility. The track is extremely nice to drive and when it rains it becomes even more exciting. I think for a typical Spa weekend you have to have rain at some point. Racing in Spa is all about rhythm, as you need to keep the cornering speed very high. I enjoyed the holiday break, but I must say I prefer this after the end of the season. I did a lot of sports and can't wait to go racing again, especially as our car is getting better and better. I am desperately looking forward to hunting for some more championship points."

Kamui Kobayashi: "I have had good experiences racing in Formula Renault and GP2 in Spa-Francorchamps. It is a great track for a driver, and really exciting! That is mainly because of its high speed corners. Plus the views you get from the circuit being integrated into the natural landscape are exceptional. I am quite sure our car will be good in these fast corners. Perhaps it won't be so good on the straight, but let's wait and see how it goes when we all get back refreshed after the summer break. What always worries me a bit is the weather in Spa. It can be very unpredictable and include heavy rain in some parts of the circuit, while it is dry in others."

Technical Director James Key: "It will be good to go back to Spa and we are looking forward to racing on this unique circuit, which is always a big favourite with the drivers. The track layout is obviously very different from the circuits we have recently raced on. For the first time since the Canadian Grand Prix in June, we will be returning to a lower drag configuration for the car. Certainly we want to continue with the recent form we have shown, and the package for Spa is based around the ongoing developments we have introduced since Valencia. We will need to leave our options open as regards car setup and downforce levels to find the best possible compromise for the fast sectors one and three, where you benefit from low drag, and sector two, which favours a higher downforce level. As always in Spa, you need to be flexible and take the unpredictable weather conditions into account. We are very much looking forward to an exciting Belgian Grand Prix and the restart of the season after the summer break."

[MIKA27]

Hispania preview the Belgian GP

Hispania Racing are seeking further improvements in Spa, a race that will once again see Sakon Yamamoto teaming up with Bruno Senna.

Sakon Yamamoto: "I am looking forward to be back in action after the break. In 2007, I was already running in Spa-Francorchamps with Spyker F1. The track has a very famous corner, the 'Eau Rouge' and there are a lot of up and downs. The weather conditions are very unique and it may change very quickly. We will need a good speed in the fast corners and also a good downforce on the car. We expect that the track layout suits our car and we try to do our best again."

Bruno Senna: "I always look forward to Spa-Francorchamps and I've raced there every year since 2005. It is my favourite circuit of all the ones I've raced at and my first time there in a Formula 1 car will be very special for me. The track is very fast with lovely gradient changes and challenging high speed corners. It is one of those circuits where the more you push, the better the lap time will be. Spa is a medium downforce circuit and it demands a lot of high speed stability of the car, as the average speed of the corners is quite high. It will be very important to find a confidence-inspiring car balance to extract the best lap time possible. The downforce levels of the track are in line with what we have in our car and I have a good relationship with the circuit as well, so I am really looking forward to driving the car for the time."

Dr Colin Kolles, Team Principal: "Spa-Francorchamps is everything a fascinating track should be - fast, fearsome and full of atmosphere. The circuit has a lot of challenging high speed and downward corners and is a real test for the drivers - the wheat is separated from the chaff there. Finding the right car balance is one crucial factor, but it also is a difficult one. The weather in the Ardennes is unpredictable and it is possible for it to be raining in one part of the circuit whilst dry in another. Consequently, you have to be prepared for any conditions. After our positive result in Hungary, we are eager to show our best performance and we hope to finish the race with two cars again."

[MIKA27]

Should be an awseome race - love Spa!

Indeed, the best race on the Formula 1 calendar.

[MIKA27]

Fernando Alonso heads the driver salary table

The salaries of all 24 drives on the grid have been revealed in a report compiled by the Spanish paper El Mundo, citing figures compiled by Business Book GP.

The list highlights double-world champion, Fernando Alonso, as the top earner (£24.5m) on almost double second placed man Lewis Hamilton's £13m annual salary.

Kimi Raikkonen also made the list, despite having left the series in 2009. Ferrari continue to pay the Fin a salary matching Hamilton's, making him the joint-second highest earner.

Felipe Massa and Jenson Button both lag behind their team-mates on £11.4m and £7m respectively.

Meanwhile, Mercedes pay their drivers equally with both on £6.5m a piece.

The surprises of the season are Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. The team-mates earn just £3.4m and £1.6m respectively, however they make far more from good results than most other drivers.

Lotus driver Jarno Trulli came in ahead of Vettel on £2.4m whilst his team-mate, Heikki Kovalainen, matched the Red Bull driver's salary.

Both Karun Chandhok and Sakon Yamamoto pay for their seats, but the exact figure of how much they pay isn't widely known.

The full list: How much do they earn?

1. Fernando Alonso - £24.5m (€30m, $38m)

2. Lewis Hamilton - £13m (€16m, $20m)

3. Kimi Raikkonen - £13m (€16m, $20m)

4. Felipe Massa - £11.4m (€14m, $17.7m)

5. Jenson Button - £7m (€9m, $11m)

6. Michael Schumacher - £6.5m (€8m, $10m)

7. Nico Rosberg - £6.5m (€8m, $10m)

8. Robert Kubica - £6m (€7.5m, $9.5m)

9. Rubens Barrichello - £4.5m (€5.5m, $6.2m)

10. Mark Webber - £3.4m (€4.2m, $5.5m)

11. Jarno Trulli - £2.4m (€3m, $3.8m)

12. Sebastian Vettel - £1.6m (€2m, $2.6m)

13. Heikki Kovalainen - £1.6m (€2m, $2.6m)

14. Timo Glock - £800,000 (€1m, $1.4m)

15. Nico Hülkenberg - £570,000 (€700,000, $900,000)

16. Pedro de la Rosa - £400,000 (€500,000, $635,000)

17. Kamui Kobayashi - £400,000 (€500,000, $635,000)

18. Vitaly Petrov - £320,000 (€400,000, $500,000)

19. Jaime Alguersuari - £320,000 (€400,000, $500,000)

20. Sébastien Buemi - £320,000 (€400,000, $500,000)

21. Adrian Sutil - £160,000 (€200,000, $250,000)

22. Vitantonio Liuzzi - £160,000 (€200,000, $250,000)

23. Lucas Di Grassi - £160,000 (€200,000, $250,000)

24. Bruno Senna - £122,000 (€150,000, $190,000)

25. Karun Chandhok - N/A (Pay driver)

26. Sakon Yamamoto - N/A (Pay driver)

[MIKA27]

Epsilon Euskadi to partner Hispania in 2011?

A possible partnership between the current Hispania team and the 2011 hopeful, Epsilon Euskadi, could be on the cards according to the Spanish media.

Joan Villadelprat, president of the latter, has acknowledged that talks between the two companies have been established, with a deal yet to be brokered, although a meeting in the coming weeks could change all that.

"A few days ago we were in contact with Jose Ramon [Carabante]," the owner of Hispania, "and we've arranged to meet in the coming days," Villadelprat is quoted as saying by AS.

"We'll see what they need, what we can offer and if there is any possibility of collaboration. I'm leaving the door open."

The move comes as the FIA are set to choose in the coming weeks, which entry has been successful in securing the 13th grid slot for the 2011 season.

Epsilon Euskadi are thought to have a good chance among the other candidates, Durango/Villeneuve and Stefan GP, as their facilities are some of the best, something Villadelprat acknowledges.

"Our facilities are among the top five teams in Formula 1, but still lack an investment of seventeen million [Euro]."

That lack of money could be the tipping point in the FIA's decision not to choose Epsilon, which would support their back-up plan of merging with Hispania, who are yet to secure a chassis constructor for next season after parting company with Dallara.

[MIKA27]

Mosley: Ferrari and drivers should lose points

Ex-FIA President, Max Mosley, has called for the World Motor Sport Council to strip both Ferrari and the two drivers involved, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, of the points claimed at the German GP.

The use of team orders during the race has sparked much debate as to what punishment the team should or could receive at the WMSC meeting, scheduled for September 8th.

The 70-year-old believes the $100,000 fine imposed after the race, the maximum fine allowed under the regulations, must be followed by further sanctions if the message is to get through.

"Teams, as usual, above all, pursue their interests and their profits," he told Welt am Sonntag, "But if we talk about the interests of the public who followed the race, visit the Grand Prix and pay money for the tickets, thereby funding the sport, team tactics should be banned. Teams who violate bans must be punished.

"Ferrari did not provide new evidence that would absolve it from liability in connection with violation of existing rules. I'm not going to raise any recommendations, but, given the available facts, a fine should be followed with sporting sanctions."

When probed further on what 'sanctions' he would recommend, the former barrister said the following.

"Obviously, both drivers and the team should be stripped of the points earned at the Grand Prix of Germany."

[MIKA27]

Kobayashi 'worried' about the Spa weather

Kamui Kobayashi admits he's has a few concerns about the notorious ever-changing weather as he gears up for the Belgian GP.

Although the Japanese driver has some experience of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, having raced there in Formula Renault and GP2, this weekend's race will be his first in Belgium as a Formula One driver.

And with Sauber's performances on the rise, Kobayashi is hoping for a solid weekend and a few more points. However, he's worried that the weather could cause chaos.

"I am quite sure our car will be good in these fast corners," he said. "Perhaps it won't be so good on the straight, but let's wait and see how it goes when we all get back refreshed after the summer break.

"What always worries me a bit is the weather in Spa. It can be very unpredictable and include heavy rain in some parts of the circuit, while it is dry in others."

Meanwhile, tech director James Key believes Sauber can look forward to further improvements this weekend, although that could depend on how the team copes with the weather.

"It will be good to go back to Spa and we are looking forward to racing on this unique circuit, which is always a big favourite with the drivers. The track layout is obviously very different from the circuits we have recently raced on," said Key.

"For the first time since the Canadian Grand Prix in June, we will be returning to a lower drag configuration for the car. Certainly we want to continue with the recent form we have shown, and the package for Spa is based around the ongoing developments we have introduced since Valencia.

"We will need to leave our options open as regards car setup and downforce levels to find the best possible compromise for the fast sectors one and three, where you benefit from low drag, and sector two, which favours a higher downforce level.

"As always in Spa, you need to be flexible and take the unpredictable weather conditions into account. We are very much looking forward to an exciting Belgian Grand Prix and the restart of the season after the summer break."

[MIKA27]

UBS joins F1 as a global sponsor

F1 has signed a new global sponsorship deal with Swiss bank UBS, which will be launched at next month's Singapore GP.

The new deal comes in the wake of comprehensive evaluation by UBS of various global sporting sponsorship prospects with Formula One winning the race. Neither party, though, is willing to disclose the financial terms of the agreement.

Oswald Grübel, UBS Group Chief Executive, told the official F1 website: "UBS has been searching for a global sponsorship platform that has appeal to our clients, promotes our brand globally and makes good commercial sense.

"Our new partnership with one of the largest and most popular sporting organisations in the world will fulfill all these criteria, and it constitutes a key element of our newly launched branding activities. The global reach of F1 complements the many local activities we support."

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone was happy to welcome UBS onboard.

"UBS is a global company where performance, teamwork and superior execution are integral to their clients' success. These values complement those of Formula 1 and I'm delighted to welcome UBS to Formula 1," he said.

[MIKA27]

Raikkonen: More to life than Formula One

The chances of Kimi Raikkonen returning to F1 are looking slim with the Finn's second comment in less than a week saying his F1 days have gone by.

Raikkonen has been linked to a possible Formula One race-seat with Renault for next year's Championship while Red Bull, who back his rallying career, are also believed to be interested should one of their two confirmed drivers up and leave.

However, the Finn reckons he'll "probably" never return to the sport, which saw him crowned the 2007 World Champion with Ferrari.

"You never know but I will probably never return to Formula One," the 30-year-old told French sports daily L'Equipe.

"It's something I did for many years, I had many great moments. I won a World Championship title, which is what I always wanted, but times have changed.

"Now I'm in rallying and there are many other things apart from Formula One in life."

Raikkonen also revealed that one series he may consider in the future is the Le Mans 24-hour race.

"I would like to try but you need to find the right team," he said. "If you want to win, there are only two, Peugeot and Audi. One day, I hope, there will be an opportunity."

[MIKA27]

Webber: 2011 may be my final season

Mark Webber has revealed that he may hang up his helmet at the end of next season, the last year of his Red Bull Racing deal.

Webber first competed in Formula One with Minardi back in 2002 and has since raced for Jaguar, Williams and now Red Bull, where he finds himself in the thick of the World title fight.

The Aussie, who has already claimed four victories this season, is currently leading the standings by four points over Lewis Hamilton with just seven races remaining.

However, if he doesn't win the title this season, he may only have next year to try again as Webber has revealed that 2011 could be his last season in F1.

"I cannot guarantee that my head will be the same in 2012," he told Esporte Espetacular.

"Sure I want to try win the World title. I know that it changes people's lives. Changes the person. And I want to see how that feels."

MIKA: I really believe this is Webbers year to win the WDC.

[MIKA27]

McLaren to remove F-duct for Italian GP

McLaren will remove their F-duct for the first time this season at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix which takes place after this weekend's Belgium event.

The pioneer's of the system haven't ran their car, the MP4-25, without the downforce reducing system all season, despite many thinking they would for the Monaco GP due to it featuring very little straight sections.

At the time though, McLaren didn't have any alternative rear-wing.

The Italian GP at Monza is the complete opposite to Monaco with four very long straights, but because this is the lowest downforce circuit on the calendar, the teams bring custom low downforce packages to the race, negating any benefit provided by the F-duct.

Meanwhile, Renault have announced that they will debut their F-duct at the Belgium GP, a track where the device is expected to work well.

[MIKA27]

Ferrari to run updated diffuser in Belgium

Ferrari's race for the title re-engaged gear on Monday morning as their two-week enforced shut-down came to an end.

The Scuderia are determined to further close the gap after a couple of excellent performances which saw them secure a 1-2 in Hockenheim.

"This morning everyone was working again at full throttle," read a statement on the team's website.

"Within the factory one can instantly sense the feeling that everyone wants to carry on with the fight-back that began at Hockenheim and continued in Budapest.

"The 73 points picked up in these two races have seen the gap in both classifications come down, even if there is still a very steep mountain to climb."

A handful of updates, including an updated rear-blown diffuser will be introduced at first free practice for the Belgium GP, where the Italian outfit will make a decision on whether to run it throughout qualifying and the race.

"There are some new aerodynamic components being introduced for this race, most significantly an updated version of the diffuser: these will be tested on track on Friday and then the data will be evaluated and a final decision taken regarding their use in qualifying and the race."

[MIKA27]

Bridgestone preview the Belgium GP

Bridgestone takes to the hills of the Ardennes with the hard and soft Potenza tyres for the thirteenth round of the season, the Belgian Grand Prix on August 27-29.

The challenging 7.004 km rollercoaster that is the Spa Francorchamps circuit presents cars and drivers with a severe test. It’s the longest race lap of the season, and Bridgestone’s tyres will be put through extreme forces over the course of a lap.

Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport: "Bridgestone has its European base in Brussels which is the headquarters of Bridgestone Europe and other group companies. Bridgestone Europe employs more than 13000 people throughout Europe, spread between eight tyre plants, one technical centre/proving ground and different national sales organisations. There are over 1000 employees of Bridgestone in Belgium itself. This will therefore be an emotional final Formula 1 Grand Prix for Bridgestone at Spa. Before we entered Formula 1 in 1997 the Bridgestone brand was not so well known, but now we have achieved many great things all across Europe, all supported by Bridgestone Europe."

Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development: "Spa Francorchamps is a circuit with many secrets. It is the longest circuit of the season, and there are many different characteristics to it. Tyres are put under big loads here, and the circuit is too punishing for the use of our super soft tyre. Eau Rouge and sector two are particularly punishing. Despite the high speeds we see, the requirements of a lap mean that relatively high downforce configurations are used on the cars, placing the tyres under even higher loads. The change from downhill to uphill through Eau Rouge puts the tyres under severe compression forces at high speed added to the downforce and inertia loads, so tyre pressures need to be carefully determined and monitored. The weather is often a factor, especially as you can see track temperatures ranging from 10C to 40C. Rain can come very quickly here because of the forest location, so this is another factor to consider. Spa seldom gives us a dull race, and I hope we will have an enjoyable final visit here."

[OZCUBAN]

Webber: 2011 may be my final season

Mark Webber has revealed that he may hang up his helmet at the end of next season, the last year of his Red Bull Racing deal.

Webber first competed in Formula One with Minardi back in 2002 and has since raced for Jaguar, Williams and now Red Bull, where he finds himself in the thick of the World title fight.

The Aussie, who has already claimed four victories this season, is currently leading the standings by four points over Lewis Hamilton with just seven races remaining.

However, if he doesn't win the title this season, he may only have next year to try again as Webber has revealed that 2011 could be his last season in F1.

"I cannot guarantee that my head will be the same in 2012," he told Esporte Espetacular.

"Sure I want to try win the World title. I know that it changes people's lives. Changes the person. And I want to see how that feels."

MIKA: I really believe this is Webbers year to win the WDC.

I agree wholeheartedly Mika

The unknown factor though is Vettel ,i really wish that Mark does do it this year i think he totally deserves it

Cheers OZ

[MIKA27]

Hamilton fined for Melbourne stunt

McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton has been fined 500 Australian dollars (£288) for "behaving like a hoon" and performing boy racer stunts.

The 2008 world champion was caught by police executing a "burnout" and "fishtail" - tricks in which wheels are intentionally spun and skidded - in front of fans ahead of the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne in March.

The 25-year-old was not in court to hear his punishment today. But his lawyer, Sandip Mukerjea, said Hamilton would plead guilty to the charge of improper use of a motor vehicle.

He avoided conviction as it was a first offence, but will be forced to pay the 500 Australian dollar fine.

Mr Mukerjea said his client suffered "embarrassment, humiliation and distress" as a result of the incident.

Hamilton fell foul to Victoria state's so-called "hoon" laws on March 26, two days before the race.

The driver was in a borrowed Mercedes when he was seen performing stunts outside the Grand Prix track at Albert Park, Melbourne.

The car was impounded by state authorities. It marked the low point in an unhappy race meet for the British driver.

Starting 11th on the grid, he made his way through the field only to be bumped off the track by Australian Mark Webber with two laps remaining. He finished the race in sixth place.

Hamilton is due to compete in the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend and wrote twice to the court to explain his absence.

Magistrate Clive Alsop said the British racing driver was a role model to young people and as such should have known better.

"This is about somebody in a responsible position behaving like a hoon," he added.

MIKA: IMO, Yes, Hamilton is a role model and he should know better BUT come on, this is getting a little carried away.

I drive to and from work every day and I see this kind of crap on the city streets, often done in front of the police who do nothing about it. This was a great opportunity for the VIC police to catch someone like Hamilton and use as an example to show the public 'falsely' that they are doing something about the road tolls here in Victoria which have an increasing amount of drivers who are reckless and cause death or injury, but the reality is that this trend is continuing and more and more people die on our roads.

Australia is well known to hand out silly, tiny little fines for what are big issues such as reckless driving as well as driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol yet again, I hear on the news that there are a great many repeat offenders who have been caught not once or twice but more often than not caught several times driving under the influence and without licenses as they have been revoked due to DUI, yet, they are not imprisoned for these repeat offences.

The laws need to change for anything to work on our roads and harsher penalties applied for any effect to take hold.

Fining Hamilton $500 will barely do much to curtail Victorian drivers nor will it really bother Lewis to lose $500 which is chump change at best.

[MIKA27]

Next stop Paul Ricard for Pirelli

Pirelli, next season's tyre sponsor, will conduct their second development test at the Paul Ricard circuit not at Monza as had been initially reported.

Having completed their first test last week at Mugello, it was believed that recently-signed driver Nick Heidfeld and the Pirelli team would remain in Italy but move to Monza, however, according to reports on Italian site 422race this is not the case.

Instead, Pirellii will head to France to a track which allows them to use a greater number of configurations and thus stress the tyres further.

All tests are conducted behind closed doors, but spectators outside of the Mugello circuit reported that the testing was very intense, with Heidfeld completing more than 100 laps a day.

MIKA: Heidfeld is a machine.

[MIKA27]

Indian circuit constructors turn to teams

Constructors of the new Indian Grand Prix circuit have turned to the Formula One teams for advice on the building of the track as they target a slot towards the end of next season's calendar.

The facility on the outskirts of New Delhi is in the early stages of development, with the hope it will be completed in just under a year's time.

The developers have at least adopted a sensible policy of sounding out the teams before ploughing ahead with the circuit as they look at ensuring excitement and its success.

Mark Hughes, vice president of constructors JPSK Sports, said: "We have worked very closely with Hermann Tilke who came up with the initial design.

"We have also shared the design with some of the Formula One teams to put it into their simulators.

"They have come back with some recommendations on how to modify it to make it a little more exciting. We have come up with a formula to build it."

Hughes has revealed 4million cubic tons of earth have already been moved to provide undulation, adding: "I think the drivers are going to find it a good challenge.

"The track is quite unique, and hopefully the drivers and teams will not complain as they have given their own input.

"It was a good opportunity, as we were in the early stages of construction, so we were able to do that.

"Tilke has quite a good relationship with the teams, but I don't think that as a promoter and venue owner this has been done before.

"I have been lucky to have worked in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi before, so I have a good relationship with the teams myself.

"I was able to go to some of them and ask them if they are able to give their input and the feedback has been invaluable."

As to completion, Hughes said: "We will probably be ready by the end of July next year for the FIA to do the homologation.

"The plan is to have a race at the end of next season, but we will see where it actually fits in the calendar."

Hughes is anticipating a sell-out for the inaugural event, with the likelihood of a crowd in excess of 120,000.

But, as he admits "a lot of people in India haven't seen a Formula One car", the mass Indian market will need to learn how the sport works.

"As it is the first race in India we have to go through an education process for the spectators and the ticket buyers," said Hughes.

"We also need to explain how a race weekend works. They may have seen qualifying and a race on TV, but they have not yet appreciated it's a three-day live event with support races.

"They don't know that they can come and buy merchandise and memorabilia.

"It's not like going to an IPL (Indian Premier League) cricket match that lasts for two hours. It is a three-day festival."

[MIKA27]

Q&A with Eric Boullier

Renault team principal Eric Boullier discusses the introduction of the F-duct and what to expect from Renault at Spa.

Q: Eric, let's look back on Budapest where both R30s qualified in the top ten and showed good pace over the weekend. Were you satisfied with the performance of the car?

Eric Boullier: It was very good to see the relative pace of the car and to see both drivers qualify in the top ten. However, the outcome of the race was a mixed one because we missed the chance to get both cars in the top six. Also, we are here to fight everyone and it's clear that Red Bull are still much quicker than us. So we know that we still have a lot of hard work ahead to improve our pace if we want to fight with them. Vitaly finished fifth in Budapest, his best result in F1.

Q: You must have been very proud of his performance?

EB: The whole team was very happy with Vitaly and it was his best weekend so far. He and the team prepared the car well during free practice to be ready for qualifying, and then he had a faultless race. It was a complete weekend without any mistakes and I think this is as much as you can expect from a rookie driver.

Q: What will this result do for his confidence as we enter the final third of the season?

EB: I'm sure it will give him a boost. Now it's up to him to capitalise on this so that he can repeat this performance on a regular basis.

Q: One of the most significant updates of the season has been the blown floor. Do you feel the team is now able to extract the maximum performance from it?

EB: I think we still have some improvements to make in terms of the set-up on the car, but overall we are getting a considerable gain from running the blown floor. The drivers also seem happier with the balance of the car.

Q: The team will introduce its F-duct this weekend. How big a challenge has it been to introduce this device?

EB: It has been a huge challenge. To begin with we decided to focus our development on the blown floor and on other aero upgrades, which is why we are only introducing our F-duct in Spa. It's not an easy device to get right, but the one we have now looks promising in terms of the simulation results we have seen at the factory. But we still need to test it on the car, and this will be the priority on Friday. It's clear that Spa will be a circuit where the F-duct should bring big gains.

Q: Can we expect the R30 to be as strong at Spa as it was in Budapest?

EB: Let's say that on paper the F-duct should be a big step forward in terms of lap-time gain, so we are obviously keeping our fingers crossed that we can maintain the pace that we had in Budapest.

[MIKA27]

Force India rule out 2009 Spa repeat

While happy to reminisce about their superb weekend at Spa last year, the Force India crew admit they are unlikely to repeat the feat.

Last year in Belgium, Giancarlo Fisichella secured Force India's maiden pole position, before finishing second behind Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari. It remains the team's only pole and podium finish and despite some impressive showings this term, the team seem resigned to the fact that the joy of twelve months ago will not be repeated.

"It's going to be tough to replicate the kind of form we showed in Spa last year: everybody's improved, the competition is fierce and also very even in the midfield - the gaps between teams is so small now," explained team boss Vijay Mallya.

Drivers Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi echoed the sentiments of Mallya but remain confident that while a podium spot may not be on the cards a good showing is well within their reach.

"Of course last year the team had a dream result at Spa, with the pole and then the podium, so we'll go back there with confidence knowing that this has been historically a track we've performed very well on," said Sutil.

"But this is 2010 and we have to look at what we are doing now rather than to the past. I'm pretty confident that we've got a car that will still suit the track very well. We've still got a very strong straight-line speed advantage and the F-duct makes us quickest through the speed traps at most circuits we go to - which will help us on the long straights in Belgium," he added.

"I think we are still capable of a top position and certainly points this year," enthused Liuzzi.

"It will be very interesting to see how everything performs. We are still really confident of being back in business in the second half of the season," he added.