FORMULA 1 - 2010

[MIKA27]

'The challenge is how Schu copes with new team'

Jenson Button reckons the interest in Michael Schumacher will be two-fold as F1 waits to see how the former Champ copes on track and with a new team.

Schumacher last raced in Formula One back in 2006, his 11th season with Ferrari, a team that was largely built around the German, who was known to have unofficial number one status.

Now, three years since his last grand prix, the German is returning to the sport in which he won seven World titles.

But rather than racing for Ferrari, he's joined Mercedes GP where at the age of 41 he will be just another driver with the same status as his team-mate Nico Rosberg.

"A lot of people will be interested to see how he copes," reigning Button told Reuters.

"It's not just Michael at 41 that people are talking about, it's Michael coming into a team that's new to him.

"He was with Ferrari for many years, where I'm sure he could pretty much have anything he wanted, whereas now Formula One is different."

MIKA: Mercedes GP may be a new team but the main principles within the team are not new to Michael Schumacher. Ross Brawn is also a familiar face and operator so I dont believe MS has any issue and even if he was new to the team, thats one of MS's strengths which has aided him in being so successful.

Looking at the picture above however pretty much sums Jensen Button up for me..... He's afraid and watches from afar.

[MIKA27]

Alonso downplays his chances of title glory

Fernando Alonso is not getting his hopes up of pinning down his third Formula One World Championship title this season.

The Spaniard, World Champion in 2005 and 2006, has moved from Renault to Ferrari this year, making him a hot favourite for Championship victory.

But the 28-year-old has played down his chances of title success and insists he could be upstaged by the competition.

"I understand that people can be disappointed if I'm not Champion but I personally won't be," he told Spanish radio Cadena Ser.

"It's a sport, (Real) Madrid and Barcelona are the best (football) clubs in the world but they can lose the Champions League or a match. Not winning the Championship is completely logical and it would not be a disappointment."

Alonso was driving for Renault when he beat seven-time Champion Michael Schumacher to the World title two years in a row.

The Spaniard will reignite his rivalry with the German this season as the 41-year-old makes his comeback from retirement to drive for Mercedes GP.

Now at Schumacher's former stomping ground Ferrari, Alonso last week described the team's new F10 car as the best of his racing career.

The 2010 season gets underway in Bahrain on March 14.

[MIKA27]

Senna: HRT a second up on Virgin and Lotus

Despite not having a single lap time to their name, Bruno Senna reckons his HTR F1 car will be a full second quicker than Virgin and Lotus's machines.

Hispania Racing Team, previously known as Campos Meta, has yet to turn a wheel in anger after financial problems caused delays which forced the team to miss all four pre-season tests.

However, the sale of the team to Jose Ramon Carabante has at least ensured that HRT - and Senna - will be on the grid when the season kicks off in Bahrain next week.

"It has not been an easy winter," Senna wrote in his Motorsport Magazin column.

"But I am naturally very glad that everything has played out so far that HTR, as the new team is called, will be in Bahrain."

And although he has yet to even put the car through a single lap, the Brazilian, nephew of the late great Ayrton Senna, reckons his HRT could be as much as a full second up on fellow newcomers Virgin and Lotus.

"Lotus and Virgin were, in Barcelona, only a good second faster than the GP2 cars, of which Dallara has all the data," said Senna.

"And, according to their calculations, we should be faster at the first attempt by at least two seconds to the GP2...

"Naturally, much of that will also depend on whether the car is reliable to some extent from the beginning.

"I hope that with the experience of the Dallara people and secondly with a bit of luck that the few problems like those which have plagued the other newcomers a lot at the beginning, particularly with hydraulics that are not team specific, have now generally been discarded."

MIKA: What kind of drugs is Bruno Senna on? Not a single lap in testing and he makes claims like that?

I think I have worked out what his initials 'B.S' mean and it ain't Bruno Senna....

[Ozz1113]

Ozz - I completely agree.

Whilst I enjoy posting news on F1, I'd much rather skip the rumor mill/paddock talk and get into the season and discuss individual performances of drivers and teams alike.

What are your thoughts on this season?

Who do you think will perform well? (This question to all).

I think it will be an exciting season. With Schumi back, more German influence, no Kimi, no fueling, more cars, Button vs Hamilton, Massa vs Alonso, No KERS, new tracks...what more could you ask for? =)

The cars look great too.

I usually make my way to the Montral grand prix but this year I don't think I can make it. Planning a trip to Spain later in the year.

[MIKA27]

I think it will be an exciting season. With Schumi back, more German influence, no Kimi, no fueling, more cars, Button vs Hamilton, Massa vs Alonso, No KERS, new tracks...what more could you ask for? =)

The cars look great too.

I usually make my way to the Montral grand prix but this year I don't think I can make it. Planning a trip to Spain later in the year.

Great stuff Ozzzz.... I think you pointed out quite a few positives for the season ahead and you know what, I completely forgot the 'No KERS' which has made my day even better!! What a load of BS that was.

You also pointed out the inter-team rivalry (Weather they admit it or not) which gives food for thought seeing there are going to be 4 world champions on this years grid. It will be a fantastic year and I do hope you enjoy it as well as your trip to Spain.

Are you 'Running with the bulls?"

[MIKA27]

Massa: Newcomers could be a danger

Felipe Massa has taken a swing at Formula One's newcomers, saying he fears their lack of pace could prove a danger to others on the track.

This year's Championship will see three new outfits join the Formula One grid; Virgin; Lotus and Hispania Racing.

Of those three only two have tested with Virgin and Lotus taking part in the pre-season action while Hispania Racing has yet to turn a wheel in anger out on the track.

However, even though Virgin and Lotus have a number under their belts, both teams were well off the pace in testing, finishing as much as five seconds behind the front runners on an average day.

And it's because of their lack of pace that Massa fears they could be danger - or at least ruin other drivers' races.

"I hope they won't be a danger," Massa said in an interview with Italy's Corriere della Sera, which was reprinted on Ferrari's website.

"There are 6 to 7 teams one second apart while those teams are four seconds behind. It's not good for the sport and not good for them: it's like two different series.

"They'll suffer. And we'll suffer too, when we have them in front of us during qualifying."

As for the fight at the front of the pack, the Ferrari driver reckons Williams could join last year's top four in the race for victories.

"There are many competitive teams: Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, maybe Williams. And we are in there for sure."

MIKA: Exactly my thoughts, especially HRT (Compos) who are yet to even fire up their engines...

[OZCUBAN]

Right on the money Mika,there will be trouble i will put money on it ,i think that at any given track there should be a minimum lap time and if you cannot match it you miss the cut

[MIKA27]

Red Bull aim to stop in a blink of an eye

We all know that pit stops are going to be lightning fast this year, but Red Bull are ready to take that to a new level.

With refuelling banned, drivers are only required to head to the pits to change their tyres and it's no surprise that teams are doing everything possible to make sure they pip their rivals in the pit stop stakes.

Red Bull have gone as far as training with Olympics.

According to The Mirror the team's '18-man pit crew drove 60 miles to the Bisham Abbey facilities in Buckinghamshire, also used by England's football and rugby teams, to get in top shape for the coming season.

'The plan is paying off, with the Milton Keynes outfit stripping their time for changing all four tyres to a lightning 1.8 seconds.'

Team principal Christian Horner says there's a lot more scientific approach to pit stops these days.

"The guys have trained like hell over the winter," he said. "Bisham Abbey has proved great.

"We have even changed the crew around quite a lot to get the right guys in the right place because some are better than others at using the gun or changing tyres.

"They have all lost weight and got fitter in the process. The guys have been training in the gym at 12 and 4pm every day since November.

"We have done sub-two second stops. They are absolutely lightning.

"We've always been fast but now there's been a lot more of a scientific approach to the whole issue."

MIKA: 1.8 seconds is impressive and its quick if they are only changing tyres BUT... they have clearly not factored the time to clear/wipe down engine intakes, brake cooling intakes and changing of front nose cone where required(They can be a pain!).

Also remember that EVERY team will be training hard to deal with tire change also.

[MIKA27]

Moss breaks both ankles in lift accident

British Formula 1 legend Stirling Moss is recovering in hospital after breaking both his ankles when he fell down a lift shaft at his Mayfair home on Saturday evening.

The 80-year-old opened the lift door on the third floor of his house in central London and walked forwards but a malfunction meant the door opened when the lift was still on the floor above, resulting in Moss falling down three floors.

After paramedics were called to his home, he was taken to the Royal London Hospital before being moved to a hospital closer to his home, with the assistance of legendary F1 doctor Professor Sid Watkins, where he underwent surgery on both his ankles.

Moss also suffered four broken bones to his foot, skin aberrations and four chipped vertebrae, but escaped internal injuries.

A statement published on behalf of his family on his official website said Moss was now comfortable in hospital following a good night’s sleep and is on the road to recovery.

Moss’s wife Susie said: “This was a very unfortunate accident; it could have just as easily been another member of the family stepping into where the lift should have been."

It is expected to take Moss up to six weeks to recover from his injuries.

The British sporting great, who was knighted in 2000, enjoyed an illustrious career in motorsport and is widely considered to be the best driver never to have become world champion, the 16-time grand prix winner finishing second in the standings every year between 1955 and 1958.

MIKA: Ouch! Hope Sir Stirling recovers and pulls through.

[MIKA27]

Renault hopes for progress with upgrade

Renault is optimistic a big aerodynamic upgrade for this weekend’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix will improve its R30’s performance – with team principal Eric Boullier hopeful the team starts the season not too far off the top teams.

Although the former world champion squad showed solid midfield, rather than clear front-running, pace across the four pre-season tests, new star driver Robert Kubica thinks it has made good progress since the opening test and that the Sakhir overhaul should bring a further decent step forward.

“It’s difficult to judge performance, but we’re heading in the right direction,” he said.

“We also haven’t run with all our new updates yet and there is another aero upgrade for Bahrain, which we hope will match the wind tunnel predictions and improve performance.

“Overall, it seems that all the top teams are quite close, but some have definitely hidden their full potential during testing and will also have more updates for Bahrain.

“So far, I think Ferrari and Mercedes look very strong.”

The new-look Renault team comes into the season desperate to banish the memories of its dismal 2009, when it slumped to eighth place in the constructors’ standings and became embroiled in the damaging ‘Crashgate’ scandal.

Frenchman Boullier, who was installed as team principal following Genii Capital’s majority takeover of the team, agrees with the general consensus that the testing picture was hard to read – but says that Renault at least was satisfied with the approach it took to the winter and is hopeful it results in the R30 being within striking distance of the expected front-running cars.

“It has been very tough to understand and unpick the details of winter testing and how we compare with the other teams because we don’t know what approach they have taken,” Boullier said.

“We took a decision to run with heavy fuel at every test because we believed this was the best way to understand and improve the car.

“In terms of outright performance, I hope we are close to the top four teams.”

However, rather than setting any lofty targets for his first race at the helm, Boullier would be pleased with a solid opening weekend.

"I certainly have a dream result in mind, but I need to balance my expectations with reality," he said.

"If we can have both cars qualify in the top 10 and finish the race, that would be a great way to start the season."

With the Enstone-based squad looking likely to start the season in the midfield, Kubica added that his new team must consistently make improvements to the R30 if it is to re-establish itself at the very front of Formula 1.

“It will be a long season and our goal must be to develop faster than our competitors,” he said.

“There was a big gap to make up at the end of 2009 so we will have to take two steps forward if we want to catch the top teams. Performance is what we need – it’s always the best medicine.”

MIKA: I do hope Renault do well this season for F1's sake as they are a good manufacturer and have a great driver being Kubica. Perhaps if they perform well, more sponsors will jump on board.

[OZCUBAN]

I totally agree Mika F-1 needs to hang on to as many engine/car manufacturers as possible,basically to ensure the sports survival.

I also think that the F-1 :gene pool has been somewhat compromised with these new teams,as i along with others are concerned about there pace during the races,we will have to wait and see .

cheers OZ

[MIKA27]

I totally agree Mika F-1 needs to hang on to as many engine/car manufacturers as possible,basically to ensure the sports survival.

I also think that the F-1 :gene pool has been somewhat compromised with these new teams,as i along with others are concerned about there pace during the races,we will have to wait and see .

cheers OZ

It is a huge concern that many new-commers are so underprepared and the FIA do not impose a rule(s) to ensure new starters have the very basics in check moving forward into the new season. I can see (As mentioned by Massa) new teams being so slow off the block that many of the stable teams having potential accidents, be it at the very start or when they start over lapping the new teams.

You could have potential drivers in a winning position 'taken out' by accidents etc.

In my opinion, if a new team has asked to be granted an F1 position on the grid, they MUST ensure they can put in the same amount of testing, development as any of the already developed teams. If they can not (Hello USF1) then they shouldn't be granted a spot in the first place.

This is the pinnacle of motorsport and its disheartening to see from a fans perspective the lack of organisation in many of the new teams as well as the FIA granting these teams entry.

Whilst this season is already showing signs of improvement over the 2009 season which was riddled with politics and scandal from the very start of last season, the issues with the newer teams could show signs of weakness to F1's reputation as the 'Ultimate pinnacle' in motorsport should they be far less competative than the already 'grounded' teams.

Perhaps I'm just being too optimistic but as a fan, I guess I expect a good show in all the races and for me, whilst I have my team(s) I generally go for, all in all, I equally love watching the midfielders battle it out amongst themselves for points etc. This will be a ripper season!

[Bartolomeo]

Looking forward to this weekends race

Bart

[MIKA27]

Schumi ready for F1's battle royale

Most drivers on the grid are more than happy to tell the world that they want to beat Michael Schumacher this year, but the seven-times World Champion says he is more than ready for the battle ahead.

Jenson Button has already warned the German that "no one's going to give him an inch" this year while Mark Webber says "it'll be a bloody hard season for him".

Schumacher, though, insists he would not have returned to Formula One if he wasn't prepared for a fight.

"This is what I am here for, and I am confident we can play a role in this fight," he said on his official website. "If we win it at the end will be a different question, as always in sports. But our entire team is extremely motivated, as am I.

"The guys [Mercedes] have won both titles last year, and now, with Mercedes Power on board, they want to repeat this success. We all want to win. The season will be long and hard, no doubt about that, but I love this fight - it is because of this fight that I came back to Formula 1."

Schumacher, realistic about the chances of starting with a win in Bahrain, has urged his fans to judge the team on the final standings at the end of the season.

"I said it quite clear from the beginning: we do not have to - and probably will not - be in the position to win right from the start," he said. "It is important to be close and then use the long season to be at the top at the end. It is not the start which is important; it is the finish."

MIKA: It all begins in 4 days! Schumis assault!

[MIKA27]

DRIVER HELMETS 2010:

JENSON BUTTON

LEWIS HAMILTON

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

NICO ROSBERG

FERNANDO ALONSO

FELIPE MASSA

SEB VETTEL

MARK WEBBER

RUBENS BARRICHELLO

NICO HULKENBERG

ROBERT KUBICA

VIT PETROV

ADRIAN SUTILL

VITANTONIO LIUZZI

SEBASTIAN BUEMI

JAMIE ALGUERSUARI

JARNO TRULLI

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN

KAMUI KOBAYASHI

PEDRO DE LA ROSA

TIMO GLOCK

LUCAS DI GRASSI

[MIKA27]

DC: F1 is not a finishing school

David Coulthard has come to the defence of Ferrari over their attack on some of the new teams that were given entries into this year's Championship.

Ferrari last month slammed the FIA over the standard of teams that have been allowed to enter the sport.

Campos Meta and USF1 were given the green light to be on the 2010 grid, but both struggled to come up with enough money. Campos appear to have sorted out their problems, but USF1 have been forced to withdraw due to financial woes.

Coulthard believes Ferrari were pretty much spot on, saying "Formula One is not a finishing school".

"I have heard a lot in recent months about how great it is to have 'fresh blood' in the sport," he wrote in The Telegraph. "And I noted with interest the criticism levelled at Ferrari for the scathing editorial published on their website last month, when they belittled the "small teams" entering F1.

"Well, I have to admit, I have some sympathy with Ferrari's point of view.

"Formula One is not a finishing school. Either you come prepared, or prepare to fail. This is the pinnacle of world motorsport. It's no use them bleating about the fact that the goalposts moved after they joined under a £40 million budget cap. The Formula One Teams' Association never signed up to that cap.

"Fresh blood is all well and good but I would argue that the carry-on we have seen over the past few months has been a poor advertisement for F1. First it was going to be four new teams, then Bernie Ecclestone admitted he thought only two of them would make it. Then USF1 collapsed and died, along with the reputations of Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor, who cried wolf so many times.

"Finally we are left with three new outfits - Virgin Racing, Lotus and Hispania Racing - although the last of these launched only last week following a last-minute change of ownership and has never turned a wheel in testing.

"Has the world gone mad? F1 is a dangerous sport at the best of times but asking teams to just turn up at practice on a Friday before a race is plain irresponsible.

"For a team who have been up and running for years it is difficult enough to pass the stringent FIA crash tests while accumulating adequate miles to prove the integrity of parts which are not required to be tested; for instance suspension parts, which as a reminder to all keep the wheels attached to the car."

MIKA: "Here, here!"

[MIKA27]

Heavy Changes From Heavy Fuelling

The big rule change for the 2010 is the ban on in-race refuelling. How will that impact the season? In lots and lots of ways. For drivers and teams, a fine-lined balancing act is being demanded...

Extra Quick Pit-Stops

Pit stops will still occur because every driver will have to use both dry-weather tyre compounds during a Grand Prix. However, with refuelling no longer permitted, the stops will be blink-of-the-eye pauses in 2010. The cars are likely to be stationary for just a couple of seconds and so every tenth will count - which is why Ferrari's attention to detail has even focused in on the miniscule matter of testing different types of wheel nuts...

The Weighty Issue Of Fuel Efficiency

Whilst all the teams will have to start with enough fuel to finish the race, that doesn't mean that each car will be carrying the same amount of fuel. The fuel efficiency of each engine will be the determining factor in the actual amount of petrol on board and thus how heavy the car is. And, of course, the heavier a car, the more petrol it requires...

The spectre of that nightmare catch-22 will be causing plenty of sleepless nights ahead of the season and a number of races may be run before the comparative levels of efficiency are revealed. More than most, Ferrari will be anxiously awaiting the reading - they've been dogged all winter by persistent rumours that their engine is a guzzler...

Consistency Over Speed

Identifying the fastest car over a single lap could be the red herring of the season because it's the car that achieves the greatest consistency whilst running light and heavy that will win the day. It's not quite a retelling of the tortoise and the hare but there's a perverse possibility that the fastest car of all will, over the course of an entire grand prix, prove to be one of the slowest. Outpacing the rest of the field by a couple of tenths will count for nothing if a slight superiority in sheer speed is achieved at the expense of competitiveness over long runs. And, of course, there's far more time to be won and lost over long runs than there is over short stints.

But how to strike the right balance? The impossibility of attaining perfection is one of the great fascinations of the 2010 season. Every team will know that a trade-off is required between consistency and pace but who can know what the optimum balance is? On the one hand, the teams will want their cars (and drivers) to be quick and hard on their tyres on Saturday afternoon. Twenty-four hours later, with no set-up changes permitted in between and the top-ten qualifiers denied the luxury of changing their tyres, the demand will be for consistency and tyre preservation. Good luck staying upright on that fine line...

Less Discrepancy From Track To Track

And if it is the case that the teams have prioritised consistency rather than outright pace when building their 2010 chargers, it stands to reason that we'll see less fluctuations in form through the season depending on a circuit's characteristics and relative speed.

Better Safe Than Sorry Driving

For the teams, fuel efficiency will be the season's ongoing concern. For the drivers, it will be tyre management. Those drivers who are gentle on their rubber will reap a considerable benefit towards the end of their stint, whilst those who are hard on their tyres - or, worse still, wreck their rubber with a lock-up or excess - will be sitting ducks.

But even if none of the drivers will be racing at 100% on every lap in order to save their tyres, they will all have the nagging doubt in the back of their mind - and maybe in their ear via the car-to-pit radio - that they are being overly-cautious and losing ground...

Adjusting The Technical Jargon

For 2009's 'double diffuser', read 'an adjustable front wing' in 2010. The device - and its use - will be a critical force in determining the overall pecking order. In non-technical speak, it will be a driver's best friend during races. When the boffins are speaking technically, expect to hear how the device 'trims' a car as its fuel load diminishes and serves to protect the tyres.

The drivers who master the art will gain a substantial advantage over the rest and it was perhaps a telling indication of the difference the device can make that McLaren leapt to the top of the timesheets on the final day of Barcelona testing only after introducing it. "We didn't have an adjustable front wing for most of the winter so it's been quite difficult doing long runs, because the way the cars now work with the high fuel you really are adjusting the front wing a lot," commented Jenson Button. "So having the wing at the last test was great, you're really playing with that a lot as the fuel load comes down - and through the stint you're doing the same. So that is key - the reliability of the wing is important."

Friday Splits

To repeat: every car must use two different tyre compounds during a race. In preparation, teams are likely to split into two on Friday with one driver doing long-run donkeys while the other focuses on setting up the car for a different range of fuel loads. How long, though, before the split is a source of discord and accusations of preferential treatment?

Varied Lap Times

Whilst winter testing only offered a few hints as to the pecking order going into the new season, it did confirm that the difference in lap times between those set at the start of a race and those towards the end of a stint could be as much as five seconds - a lifetime by F1's regular standards.

Slow Opening Laps And Longer GPs

Nor will it only be slow going at the start of races compared to the times set later on in the grand prix. With their tanks full to the brim, the cars will be approximately 100kg heavier than in 2009 and a substantial number of laps will have to be run before the times set match those of yester year. The overall upshot will be longer races.

Strange Strategies Made On The Cuff

To quote the reigning World Champion: "I think the top teams will have similar strategies but I think you're going to have teams trying to stop two or three laps before their rivals for new tyres and maybe bump them. You'll also have the teams that maybe aren't so competitive trying crazy strategies like pitting after lap one and putting on a new set of tyres to run to the end of the race. So there'll be lots of different strategies, which will make it exciting for the viewers. But for us the problem is that it's very difficult to know what the strategy is. You can't plan in advance really - all you can do is go through every scenario and hope that you're ready when you have to jump on a strategy change."

Longer Than Long Runs

Long distance runners will be even truer to their description than before: Previously rarely-seen stints of 40 to 50 laps are expected to become regular forays this season, if not the norm.

More Off-Track Action...

Whilst the onus will be on the drivers to protect and save their tyres, it's inevitable that mistakes will occur - the point, after all, is to race as fast as possible - and tyres will lose their grip long before they are due a change. When that happens, expect to see cars running wide and, sometimes, into the gravel.

And More On-Track Action...

Some cars will be on tired tyres, some cars will have pitted earlier for fresh rubber, some drivers will have saved their tyres, some will have overcooked theirs. Outcome: Plenty of overtaking. Hopefully.

[MIKA27]

Tyre advantage boosts Sauber's hopes

BMW Sauber has a real chance of becoming a thorn in the side of Formula 1's 'big four' teams this year because its car is so good at looking after its tyres, Bridgestone analysis has revealed.

With the Swiss-outfit's C29 having already shown some strong pace in pre-season testing, the team's hopes of delivering some surprise results are boosted by the fact that early data reveals it suffers less tyre degradation than Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull Racing and Mercedes GP.

That ability to look after its tyre could prove crucial on two fronts this season - by first of all allowing the team to use a softer tyre than its rivals in Q3, but also in delivering it greater consistency over the course of a race when there will be a premium on looking after the rubber now that refuelling is banned.

Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone's director of motorsport tyre development, says there is little separating the big four teams in terms of tyre degradation – but Sauber is a different case.

"We have compared many teams' data and looking at the quick [four] teams – their degradation tendency is very, very similar," he told AUTOSPORT. "Once they have the 150kg start weight, with both the medium and soft compound, then there is little difference – so we could expect a very close pace. However, Sauber is more consistent."

Although this weekend's race is Bahrain will not be too punishing on the tyre front, Hamashima believes the difference between Sauber and the other teams is enough to offer the outfit strategy options that others do not have.

When asked if there was a chance for Sauber to opt for more marginal tyres than their rivals to help boost qualifying performance, Hamashima said: "Yes, it is possible.

"With an easy car, you can have the possibility to do that. Somewhere like Barcelona will be very interesting – because the circuit is severe and the softer tyre may only be good to get one lap time before suffering big degradation in the race.

"But even places like Monaco and Bahrain, which are very, very easy on tyres, the specification that shows the best lap time should be the best race tyre – which could make it interesting as well."

BMW Sauber's technical chief Willy Rampf acknowledged that the C29's tyre performance was one of its main strengths.

"The car doesn't have any stability problems, and its performance and balance on high fuel loads is a strong point," he told AUTOSPORT in an interview. "We will build on this – it's a very good thing. Our car is not too heavy on its tyres, so we can do reasonable long stints without killing them.

"That will help keep the strategies more flexible, if you're not forced to stop by tyre wear."

Hamashima also believed that the competitiveness at the front of the field had closed up in the final pre-season test at Barcelona, as McLaren and Red Bull Racing delivered car improvements.

"At the first three tests, Ferrari it seemed had a little bit of an advantage over one lap. However, in Barcelona, McLaren and Red Bull used their latest cars and the picture was very mixed. It's now very difficult to judge."

[MIKA27]

McLaren relaxed over wing controversy

McLaren says it is heading to Bahrain fully relaxed about the controversy that has surfaced over its rear wing design - and says it expects the concept to be given the green light by the FIA later this week.

FIA technical chief Charlie Whiting will take a look at the rear wing design of the MP4-25 in Bahrain ahead of this weekend's season opener, following complaints from Red Bull Racing that it could be in breach of the regulations.

Red Bull Racing believes McLaren is making clever use of air flow through the engine cover and air box – and perhaps even from the cockpit – to stall the wing at high-speed and deliver a straight-line speed advantage.

Whiting had been due to inspect the wing during a meeting in Woking last week, but he had to cancel that visit after getting delayed while travelling back to Europe from Brazil.

McLaren's managing director Jonathan Neale said during a regular Vodafone McLaren Mercedes phone-in media call on Tuesday that the team was sure there would not be an issue.

"Charlie's going to continue to confirm that he's happy, which is what we've tried to do all the way through this process," said Neale. "It's regrettable that his plane got cancelled while leaving Sao Paulo by 24 hours.

"It would have been nice to take the opportunity with him and some of the other FOTA team members to finish it off in the UK, but we're quite relaxed about it.

"We've spoken to Stefano (Domenicali) and some of the other team principals and colleagues there and of course everyone wants to see clarity. We're doing the same on a number of other teams' developments. There's nothing untowards about it though - we're quite confident the car is legal."

Neale said that his team had put a contingency plan in place, just in case an issue did arise with the wing.

"We're not taking a radically different package, but you just never know what the stewards are going to do on the day," he said. "We get the best advice we can from the FIA in the interests of transparency.

"If the stewards decide on a different course of action though, it's still our duty to go racing. So we have a contingency, but I wouldn't put much effort into it and I'm not expecting it to be used."

Neale said he also doubted Red Bull Racing had a full understanding of what McLaren had done with its car.

"I have a pretty good idea, knowing Adrian [Newey] and the guys as I do, that they have a pretty good idea of what's going on with our car," he said. "They won't have figured it all out, but they'll be close."

McLaren is planning some further upgrades to its car for this weekend's season opener in Bahrain, after a major update package in Barcelona delivered a clear step forward in pace.

"There are some pretty low level ones. Nothing night and day," he said about what was coming for Bahrain. "We continue to work through details regarding the efficiency of our pit stops.

"[There are] one or two minor aerodynamic developments on the car, but it will look and feel like the car we had at the end of the Barcelona test - some around the diffuser and we're yet to make a decision on what we do about sidepod wings. There's the usual arsenal of stuff to come over the next few races."

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A good friend of mine (Thanks Rob) emailed me the below link to a video which has to be seen to be believed. It is really funny as well as amazing.

Watch the whole video, you'll love it.

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Silverstone revamp nearing completion

Silverstone’s new Arena layout is set to be completed on schedule by the end of this month, British Grand Prix organisers said on Tuesday.

The £5 million revamp will add 760m to the historic Northamptonshire track through an infield detour from Abbey towards Becketts and back to the Brooklands complex via the National circuit straight.

The changes – originally conceived for MotoGP – are designed to improve safety, spectator viewing and overtaking opportunities.

“Work on the circuit and venue is on schedule,” said Silverstone’s managing director Richard Phillips.

“The team has been working around the clock, through some pretty terrible weather conditions, to make sure the circuit is ready on time.

“The track works at Brooklands and Woodcote are now complete, including the new run-off area for the fast entry into Pits Straight, while the major new development – the new section of circuit from Abbey, up to the Arena Complex and round to the National Straight – is also coming along nicely.

“There is still a considerable amount of work going on at Silverstone, including the new elevated banks and spectator viewing areas, which will continue beyond March.

“Conference and hospitality buildings are also being built on the new Stowe Complex.”

Formula 1 will use the Arena layout from this year’s British Grand Prix on 11 July, but the new configuration will be christened by the FIA GT championship at the start of May.

PICTURES:

Graphic showing the trace of Silverstone's new Arena layout

The new circuit swings right at Abbey and heads towards Becketts before turning sharply left

The tight hairpins on the infield loop are designed to promote overtaking

After powering along the National circuit straight the cars will rejoin the old circuit via a tight U-bend at Brooklands

New kerbs suitable for both F1 cars and MotoGP bikes are being laid around the circuit

Conference and hospitality buildings are being erected at the new Stowe Complex

Banks are being elevated at Becketts to improve spectator viewing

When the £5m revamp is finished at the end of March the new circuit will look like this

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Massa expects best start in years

Felipe Massa believes Ferrari could enjoy its best start to a season for several years given its performance in winter testing.

The Italian squad was quickest throughout the first test at Valencia and remained among the front pack throughout the month, while also having very few reliability issues.

Massa reckons his team will therefore not only put its 2009 misery behind it, but can get off to an even stronger start than it did when battling for titles in the previous three seasons.

"I am very happy and very motivated that we can start the championship in a better way not just than last year, which was not a very good year, but also than the other championships," he told the official Ferrari website.

"It looks like we are in good condition to start the championship with a good car and a reliable car, which is good for the start of the season. It's good to think about the points straight away."

While not being certain Ferrari will win in Bahrain this weekend, Massa is confident it will leave Sakhir with a strong points haul.

"My expectation is definitely to score many points," he said. "Even if maybe we don't know if it will be possible to win, it will be important to start the championship in the right direction. That's our expectation and that's what we're looking for."

But he added that he was staying calm about Ferrari's chances and not underestimating the strength of the competition despite his encouraging testing results.

"The feeling is good, but for sure feet on the ground, because we know we are going to have a very difficult championship," Massa said. "There are a lot of good cars, good teams and good drivers.

"But I can say that the feeling is really, really good. What we did in the winter tests was always very positive. Our car and our team were very competitive.

"I think it shows that we have a car ready to start the season. But we have to work every day to improve the situation and improve the car race by race to be at the top. But I'm very motivated."

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Villeneuve joins BBC commentary team

Jacques Villeneuve is set to join the BBC's Radio 5 Live commentary team for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The 1997 Formula 1 world champion, who has been disappointed in recent weeks after his plans to return to F1 this year with Stefan GP collapsed when the team was not granted a last-minute 2010 entry, will move into the commentary box for the first race of the season.

The incumbent Radio 5 Live team consists of David Croft and ex-Honda driver Anthony Davidson. Davidson is scheduled to race a Peugeot in the American Le Mans Series opener at Sebring the following weekend, and is expected to begin testing ahead of the event on Monday.

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McLaren's rear wing gets green light

McLaren will be free to use their controversial rear wing in this season's opening grand prix in Bahrain after it was given the all-clear by the FIA.

Rivals Red Bull had asked the governing body to issue a clarification about the MP4-25's nostril above the driver's head that diverts air flow away from the rear wing in order to reduce drag.

The team claimed the wing gave the Woking team an advantage of 6mp/h in straight-line speed.

However, McLaren maintained there was nothing untoward about the wing and they were vindicated on Thursday.

FIA technical chief Charlie Whiting inspected the car in Bahrain and was satisfied that the design doesn't break any regulations.

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New movie set to hit screens in 2011

An officially sanctioned Formula 1 movie is set to hit the cinema screens early next year after a landmark deal was reached with the sport's commercial chief Bernie Ecclestone.

Preparations are now well underway for the film, which will be an action documentary charting the history of the sport but focusing especially on the period between 1968 and 1982.

The film is being produced by Hollywood-based Michael Shevloff, and is being worked on by the partnership of Oscar winners Mark Monroe (writer) and Paul Crowder (director).

With the full support of Ecclestone, it is hoped production for the film will be completed this year with a release date scheduled for early in 2011.

Monroe, who won an Oscar with Crowder last week for his recent documentary film 'The Cove', said the plan was for the F1 movie to appeal to both casual fans and the hardcore enthusiast as it charted the sport's history and growth.

"My partners and I really believe that documentaries can be entertaining and engaging - not just reporting facts,"

"We want to make a big action movie - do something that puts people in the car and makes them gasp at the speed of the thing. Then, tell the human stories all the while, so you can dip in and out of these human stories with these big action moments that are enhanced from archive footage.

"We will do it with music, flare and energy - and get people excited about it. It is a pretty tall task as we have to hit the right tone so the proper fans don't think it is a rubbish, but also make it broad enough so that someone who doesn't know anything about the sport can really enjoy it.

"That is the task and it is a tough one – but it can be done and that is what we have set out to do."

Although previous plans for F1-based movies have fallen through, with Sylvester Stallone abandoning his own efforts and making the widely-lambasted 'Driven' movie based on ChampCar instead, Shevloff believes that by having a documentary approach, rather than creating fiction, the idea had every chance of being successful.

"It is a tough order to make a dramatic film about a dramatic sport," he explained. "To make a film and say we will spend 100 million dollars or 200 million dollars on this movie – well Bernie would just reply and say the teams spend a billion dollars on the sport.

"So I don't know how you would make it bigger than it is. It is bigger in real life than you could ever make in a film, so a documentary is a much better form for this. The real thing is so huge that if you put it in a movie, the whole thing would seem contrived."

The film does not yet have an official name – but it has been decided the main focus will be on the period between Jim Clark's death at Hockenheim in 1968 and Gilles Villeneuve's fatal accident at Zolder in 1982.

"We don't have a title. We are still looking at titles – and it is the last thing on our plate at the moment," added Shevloff.

"We have had various working titles, from 'The Greatest Show on Earth', to 'The Untitled F1 Doc'. We need to find something that is a film rather than a documentary title – we are intent on making people see it as a film."