Webber Looking To Long Term Future With Red Bull
Mark Webber is hoping that he wil have a long and fruitful career with Red Bull Racing, insisting that he has no intention of playing the drivers market.
The Australian, now 32 years of age is recovering from a broken leg after a bicycle accident just before Christmas.
Webber joined F1 in 2002 with the Minardi team before leaving and moving to Jaguar, later Williams and then in 2007 to Red Bull Racing. He scored 21 of the teams 29 points last season, but faces a tough competition from new team mate and rising star Sebastian Vettel.
“I am happy with Red Bull and I hope Red Bull will be happy with me,” the Australian is quoted as saying by redbulletin.com.
“If I keep my consistency and get everything out of the car, I will have no worries for the future,” Webber claimed.
“I plan to stay on with Red Bull long-term. In fact, I do not see me working with any other team.”
Monaco Grand Prix Top Of Sporting Wonder Event List
The Monaco Grand Prix has finished top of the top 7 sporting wonders of the world list, sponsored by Barclays Bank.
Barclays came up with the idea in conjunction with their sporting spaces concept.
Monaco beat off high competition from football grounds including the Nou Camp and San Siro.
Former Barcelona, Arsenal and French footballing international Emanulle Petit told PlanetF1: “I lived in Monaco at the start of my career, and experienced the Nou Camp first hand at FC Barcelona, so it’s no surprise to me these two venues make the Barclays Spaces for Sports top seven. They really are amazing venues for watching and participating in sport and are true global wonders.”
Barclays Seven World Sporting Wonders:
1. Monaco F1 Circuit (18%)
2. Nou Camp Stadium, Barcelona (15%)
3. Bird’s Nest, Bejing (14%)
4. Bernabeu, Madrid (5%)
5. San Siro, Milan (4%)
6. Maracana, Rio de Janeiro (4%)
7. Melbourne Cricket ground, Australia (4%)
Schuey Admits He Is Unlikely To Test In 2009
Michael Schumacher, statistically the greatest racing driver of all time has admitted to a German newspaper that he thinks testing the Ferrari F1 car in 2009 is becomingly a less likely prospect.
Schumacher, who won 7 F1 world titles 5 with Ferrari undertook testing work on the slick tyres driving an F2008 during last season. However with increasing in-seasonn testing restrictions, Schumacher doesn’t see himself as a priority tester.
Not just concerned for his own lack lack of miles, Michael, now 40 years of age reckons that Ferrari test drivers Luca Badoer and Marc Gene will have little testing to do as the main race drivers familiarise themselves with the new car.
“These next weeks and tests are now for preparation of the entire season,” Schumacher told Express
Schumacher will be competing in the German Superbike championships this year.
Ferrari Modify Exhaust Design
Scuderia Ferrari have reported that they have modified their exhaust design in the wake of other teams criticising and claiming that they contravened rules.
The 2009 season sees the regulations dramatically changed, and it was alleged that the Ferrari tailpipes were slightly too long and protruded out of the bodywork too far.
Toyota, Williams and McLaren all believed the design to be illegal and took their concerns up with the FIA. Toyota and Williams themselves are now in ‘hot water’ over their rear diffuser design.
A Maranello source claimed that the pipes were now muich more flush with the body, and that the team were certain nothing else on the car contravened any regulations.
The teams exhausts pre-modification
Prost Wants F1 To Think Rather Than Panic
The four time F1 world champion Alain Prost has called for calm within the F1 paddock, telling te teams and bosses to think rather than panic in the world economic crisis.
“I prefer people who say ‘let’s think’ rather than ‘let’s stop’. Honda aside, I don’t think there is panic,” he said in Paris.
“In F1, everyone is in the same boat with having to reduce budgets, and in the last ten years I had never seen F1 with such an abundance of resources,” Prost continued.
Prost, who drove for top teams including Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren believes that F1′s golden age of overtaking and close racing has gone, and it is now a golden age of safety.
“There is less overtaking and more strategy. Everything happens on the pitwall and the drivers just go.”
“We had to save the brakes and the gearboxes, and monitor fuel consumption, but now it has all been organised by the starting grid,” Prost said.
“I experienced the golden age, but there were crashes, deaths. The drivers today are in a golden age of safety.”
Toyota and Williams Could Be In Trouble Over Aerodynamic Irregularities
It has been revealed in this week’s Autosport magazine that both the Toyota F1 Team and the Williams F1 Team could be in trouble over designs of their rear diffusers which other teams believe to be illegal.
The design is certainly an interesting one, and something that went relatively unnoticed at launch time as everyone was caught up in the shocks over the new front and rear wing elements – completely different to anything we have seen before.
However technical analysis has proven that there is the possibility that the rear diffusers fitted to these cars breach regulations. The diffuser is split into two parts. The centre of the first part which is underneath the main ctrash structure is said to be below the 175mm height restriction. The second piece, which protrudes out of the back is said to be 35mm over the regulation limit for the length of bodywork allowed.
The above may seem slightly trivial but being longer it allows the air to flow better, and with the longer tunnel of air it could potentially lead to Williams and Toyota having more grip through slower speed corners.
It is interesting that Toyota now find themselves in the dock over a design breach after their bosses were so open in criticising Ferrari for having exhaust pipes which allegedly are 10mm over their length restriction.
Toyota and Williams did not want to comment, but Renault technical director Pat Symonds talked about what he thought of the device.
“They (the diffusers) are certainly interesting, although I don’t think I can comment on their legality.” He told Autosport
“That’s something for the FIA to comment on. For sure we will be asking the FIA about it, for clarity.”
Meanwhile an FIA insider had this to say;
“The FIA has had some correspondence with Toyota about diffusers but hasn’t actually seen what they’ve been testing.
“One design has been approved by the FIA but I do not think it is the one in question. I could not say, meearly that a design has been clarified as legal, whether this is it or not is unknown”
Richards Hopes Honda Find A Buyer – But It Won’t Be Him
David Richards completely dispelled rumours that he would buy the remains of the Honda F1 Team today by stating he hoped they found a buyer before the start of the season, but that it would not be him.
The motor racing veteran has decided against purchasing the team in the current economic climate, especially with dark clouds hanging over the British supercar manufacturer Aston Martin which he also owns.
It will be sad not to see Richards back in the pitlane, whose most recent F1 extroverts were with the BAR Honda team, and subsequently with the Prodrive F1 Team which never quite took off.
“I really hope there is a solution there because there are a lot of great people at that team.” Richards told Autosport in an exclusive interview.
“It is a team that should be racing and I am still a great supporter of Jenson Button. I think he has never had his fair opportunity to shine and show his true talents.
“But being realistic, in the current world, it’s going to be a very difficult uphill battle.”
Meanwhile, despite no buyer being found Norbert Haug of Mercedes Benz claims that their engine offer is still on the table and will be for the foreseeable future.
“The timing is anything else but fantastic, but we can still do it. There is not a deadline like tomorrow or next week, but time is running.” Haug said.
For Richards though, today was cause for a small celebration.
His Aston Martin company have unveiled ambitious plans to design and build a Le Mans Prototype car capable of winning the entire Le Mans 24h Endurance Race.
Richards has entered various Aston Martin DBR9′s in recent years into the GT1 category and they have achieved much success. Aston Martin have sold cars onto customers who get frequent race wins in various GT1 series’ around the world. At Autosport International show, Prodrive, Richards’ motorsport company took the covers of an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 to conincide with their Vantage GT2 car allowing them to race in lots of categories and series’.
However, this is the first indicaiton that they are going all out to win the 24h title.
Audi and Peugeot have been at the top of the standings for many years, especially now with their diesel powered cars. But in 2003 Bentley won the 24h race, and with new regulations to make diesel and petrol powered cars more alike in the race for competition, Aston’s V12 project seems viable.
“How on earth did we get here? How could Aston Martin be so audacious as to go to Le Mans and challenge the benchmark teams with their turbo-diesel engines and the record of experience that they have had over the last years?” said Richards.
“2009 is a hugely significant year for Aston Martin at Le Mans and the challenge of reclaiming victory in this famous race for Aston Martin and Great Britain was simply too great to ignore. It’s a leap of faith and a step into the unknown for us, it really is a David and Goliath exercise, but it is that British fighting spirit that we are going to give it a try and see what we can do.
“However, we do not underestimate the task. While we have won the GT1 class for the last two years, competing against the proven speed and endurance of the diesel-powered cars, with all their years of winning the prototype class, will be a massive undertaking. But one thing is for certain that unless you give it a go, you are not going to achieve anything.”
The car will be painted in Gulf racing colours, a classic racer scheme. There are likely to be 3 cars entered, but only 5 drivers have been confirmed; Stefan Muecke, Jan Charoz, Thomas Enge, Harold Primat and Darren Turner. With Honda not finding a buyer, could Jenson Button come into the team? Or maybe even Anthony Davidson?
Aston Martin at the 2008 Le Mans 24h
Rome Considering F1 Race Bid
The Italian capital city of Rome is said to be considering a bid for an F1 race.
Former racing driver Maurizio Flammini had the idea for a street race around the classic city in 1984, but after having previous hopes dashed he has once again proposed it to the mayor. The mayor appars keen on the idea, and plans for the route of the new course and said to be in the process of being drawn up.
“It’s an idea Flammini has proposed and mayor Gianni Alemanno has said it is possible,” a city council spokesman told Reuters.
Rome was visited by the Renault F1 roadshow in 2006, where the R26 was demonstrated by Giancarlo Fisichella, himself a local Roman and Franck Montagny.
The Italian GP currently takes place at the historic circuit of Monza, so it is unlikely to take the Italian GP away from that much loved circuit. However, with the Italian’s loving F1, and with the San Marino GP not in place at the moment it could do a title swap, or even take Valencia’s role as a European GP. How about the Mediterranean GP?!
2011 is the target date, but whether it happens is yet to be seen.
The Renault roadshow in Rome
Reutemann To Try For Argentinian Presidency
Former F1 racer Carlos Reutemann has unveiled his plans to be elected as president of Argentina in their next election of 2011.
The Argentine won 12 Grand Prix, most recently in 1981. He raced with top teams including Ferrari and Williams over a career which spanned 146 races.
Reutemann is already the Senator and governor of Santa Fe state of Argentina.
Reutemann racing a Brabham
Ecclestone To Ask Big Teams To Field 3 Cars
Bernie Ecclestone has spoken of a major plan he may implement in the wake of teams such as Honda pulling out of F1.
The F1 ruler Ecclestone is contractually bound to have a field of at least 18 cars, a position we now find ourselves in. With the world financial crisis setting in, more independent teams such as Williams in danger of going out of business; it could leave the entireity of F1 in jepoardy.
Thus, Ecclestone wants the big teams who are financially stable, such as Scuderia Ferrari, McLaren and BMW Sauber to field 3 cars to ‘make up the numbers’.
“If the manufacturers supply engines to other people, they can run three cars themselves.” Ecclestone told DPA
“It is better to have 20 cars on the grid, whether they are in the hands of manufacturers or in private hands, that doesn’t make any difference,” he added.
Big teams like Scuderia Ferrari could be forced to field 3 cars. It may give test drivers, and young drivers a shot at an F1 seat.
ING To Review And Cut-Back F1 Sponsorship
The Dutch banking giant ING has said in a statement today that it will be reviewing its F1 sponsorship as it looks to save money amidst the major economic crisis.
The company, set to make over 1million euros in losses this year is looking to downscale its participation in major sporting events, with F1 seen as a major expenditure. Around 7,000 employees of ING are to be made redundant.
“ING will cut operating expenses by EUR 1 billion in 2009,” said the statement. “The structural expense reduction will lead to annual savings of approximately EUR 1.1 billion from 2010 onwards. Of the cutback, 35% will come from a reduction of the workforce by approximately 7000 full-time positions in 2009.
“The remainder of the expense reduction comes from decreasing costs for our head office, marketing, the Formula One program, consultancy, third-party staff and the renegotiating of certain contracts with IT-vendors. Of the total expense reduction, EUR 650 million will be realized in Banking and EUR 350 million in Insurance.”
ING are the major sponsor of Renault F1 Team, a team in jepoardy as it is, and also the sponsor to the Australian, Hungarian, Belgian and Turkish Grand Prix.
Lauda Wants F1 Drivers To Compete In DTM During Season
Former F1 World Champion Niki Lauda has told journalists that he would like to see F1 drivers competing in more than their single series during the season, and cited the German Touring Car series DTM as a possible second race for them.
The DTM series is a pinnacle world touring car series, but has been suffering in recent years with reduced entries, rule changes and drivers leaving. Despite this it has been successful in expanding various rounds outside of Germany, to locations such as Zandvoort in the Netherlands and also Brands Hatch in the United Kingdom.
Former F1 drivers have competed in the series, including Mika Hakkinen, Heinz Harald Frentzen, Ralf Schumahcer and Jean Alesi. Michael Schumacher also did a short stint in DTM with Mercedes before hitting the F1 scene.
Lauda reckons that someone like Lewis Hamilton could race for AMG Mercedes in the series, and Sebastian Vettel could drive for Red Bull Audi. He also believes that this would be a good way for the drivers to justify their salaries.
On the subject of salary capping, Lauda said “[the idea is] utter nonsense. It is a free market,”
Former drivers like Mika Hakkinen have found some success in DTM
Drivers May Strike Over Superlicence Fee Hikes
F1 is being thrown into turmoil tonight after it was revealed that the drivers could go on strike over increases to the price of the superlicences, a mandatory document which must be signed and then paid.
The drivers have to pay for the licence, and then an additional fee per point scored.
In 2008 it cost 10,000 Euros, plus 2,000 Euros per point, a fee which top drivers, including two time world champion Fernando Alonso were vocally unhappy about and threatened a strike at the British Grand Prix but signed.
However, there are increases of 1725 Euros for the licence, and 456 Euros per point. This would add up to Lewis Hamilton (if he theoretically gained the same number of points this season) paying around 219,000 Euros.
An email which has been revealed by Autosport from the GPDA to the FIA reads;
“(The) Superlicence issue will be addressed at the next FOTA meeting which will take place on February 3,” said the email. “We would like you to wait approximately three more weeks to sign or pay for the Superlicence.
“This should give us enough time to hear from the FOTA and at the same time increase our pressure on the FIA.”
Fernando Alonso said, “It is a very serious matter…we all agree that it is not fair that from one year to the next it (the cost) increases 500-600 percent.”
Bourdais Set To Claim Toro Rosso Seat
Sebastien Bourdais is on the verge of getting a race seat at the Scuderia Toro Rosso team after months of rumours and tests according to a Swiss magazine.
The magazine, Speedweek, claims that Bourdais has been picked over Takuma Sato and it will be announced next week.
Sato has not been picked, despite good tests apparantly on account that expected sponsorship earnings for the Toro Rosso teams would be significantly lowered thanks to the world economic downturn.
Bourdais, a multiple ChampCar World Champion competed in F1 for the first time in 2008 with a couple of good results and quite a few bad ones. He was frequently centred around controversy and has a strange knack for it being everyone else’s fault but his own.
His manager Nicolas Todt only said “We are always in negotiations with Toro Rosso”.
F1 Would Only Miss Ferrari – Bernie
Bernie Ecclestone has made shock claims in the wake of Honda’s decision to leave F1.
The old man of F1 claims that the only team he, and indeed the sport would miss is Ferrari. Ferrari are the only team that remain in F1 that have been there right from the start (1950 Monaco GP), and have competed in every single season since then.
It will fuel the fire that the FIA favour Ferrari, especially after Toyota have made claims that the F60 has illegal exhaust pipes – we await judgement on that statement.
“It’s bad for me to say this,” Ecclestone told the Financial Times,
“But the only team we would really say we would miss is Ferrari.”
Renault To Make Redundancies In Wake Of World Economic Issues
Renault F1 Team have admitted to ESPN Sports that they are going to make redundancies in the wake of the world economic slowdown and also with the rule changes that have taken place.
The Enstone based team, which launched the R29 just last week have said that 100 staff will be made redundant, some compulsory and some voluntary.
The team confirmed that the whole restructuring plan was “as a consequence of the rule changes in F1″ and that the plan “comprises of a certainvolume of redundancies which must take place”
The losses are said to be limited to the test team and aerodynamic departments.
Renault Staff facing redundancy
Meanwhile, the future of the team has been cast into doubt after paddock rumour is claiming that the Renault bosses want this to be their final season.
Bernard Rey, president of Renault has said the manufacturer will continue its support for “this season”. Also, customer Renault engines currently being supplied to Red Bull Racing will continue for 2009 only.
With Flavio Briatore considering retirement, and Fernando Alonso almost certainly leaving and going to Ferrari in 2010 there is a good chance this will be it for the team.
Renault will stop supplying engines after 2009
De La Rosa Impressed With 2009 Car Speed
Pedro de La Rosa has declared himself pleased and suprised with the speed that the 2009 specification F1 cars provide.
The Spaniard, who is testing McLaren’s MP4-24 this week at the Algarve test circuit admitted he was happy with how similar the overall lap times and speed were to the 2008 machines.
He believes that the times will be similar because the new aero package slows the cars in high speed turns, but the incredible amounts of grip from the slick tyres allow very good low corner ability.
“I’m surprised how little difference the slick tyres and the aero package have made,” said de la Rosa. “The car has more grip at low speed, so we are definitely gaining time, but then losing a little bit in the high speed corners. I think that the laptimes will be very similar. What you lose on the high-speed corners you get back on the low-speed corners.”
“The car has a little bit more grip at the front end generally and it is very responsive to steering.”
De La Rosa went on to claim that the slick tyres were the most important change for 2009, and he would love to have seen the 08 spec cars with slicks, which would have been 3-4 seconds per lap faster.
Trulli Claims New Cars Impossible To Drive In Wet
Jarno Trulli has claimed that the new style 2009 Formula One cars are almost impossible to drive in the rain thanks to their lowered downforce specs.
The Italian, who was testing Toyota’s new TF109 at the Portimao Circuit reckoned that it was just impossible to handle these cars in wet conditions. He also believed it was a pitlane long problem, not just one with Toyota’s new machinery.
“There is a massive drop in downforce and grip,” he said. “In the conditions it was very difficult to get temperature in the tyres. It was really hard for everyone out there and it was nearly impossible to drive. This is the first feeling!”
He defended the new car in terms of its ability though, and is looking forward to a hot test in Bahrain.
“The car doesn’t seem to have any big problems and it has run really well in the past few days with Kamui (Kobayashi) so I will say we are pretty confident about this year,” he said.
“We just need to get into the normal testing with warm conditions and probably this could be the case in (the next test in) Bahrain.”
BMW Launch Their 2009 Car – The F1.09
BMW Sauber have become the latest F1 team to launch their 2009 car, the F1.09 is the car the team are hoping will secure them at the front of the grid after a successful 2008 season. Last season saw Robert Kubica (retained) win the Canadian Grand Prix.
The F1.09 is obviously different thanks to the swathes of regulation changes, but we can draw some big similarities and differences with other 2009 cars previously launched.
The car will be driven this season once again by Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica.
The frong wing looks wider than the rest despite its dimensions, probably down to those large proruding pieces on the top and bottom of the end plates. It is also a three-plane style wing, with a large square nose similar to that of the R29. The sidepods are very blocky and feature no aerodynamic pieces as stipulated in the rules, making this BMW look very different to all of the others and in some ways incredibly stark.
The car itself, finished in the traditional white/blue/red BMW Motorsport colours, shows real signs of the biting world economic crisis. It has literally no sponsors. Petronas Malaysia still are the front runner in terms of advertising space, and probably will stay with the team as they have been involved with Sauber since the original team days. Intel now have much more space, and T-Systems are on the wings. BMW’s other major backer, Credit Suisse pulled out of sponsorship earlier on in the week as reported on F1Fanatics.
“Developing a new Formula One car is always exciting, but this time there was something even more special about it. We really were starting from scratch,” said Willy Rampf, team technical director.
“First and foremost, the switch from grooved tyres to slicks means more grip, of course, but it also moves the balance of forces further forward: removing the grooves gives the front tyres proportionally a greater contact area and more grip than the rear tyres.
“Because the car differs so significantly from its predecessor, we already started work on the first concept studies in February – two months earlier than normal and before the F1.08 had even started its first race.
“Our aim. was to build a car with high aerodynamic efficiency and in so doing claw back as much of the downforce as possible, which the new regulations had taken away.”
Meanwhile speculation remains about whether the team will run the KERS system at the first event.
“KERS is still the most challenging part of the new package to me,” said Dr Mario Theissen during the launch of the new car in Valencia.
“We are still not ready to race, but if I look at what progress we have made in last 12 months, it’s amazing. We have learned so much.
“We are still pushing hard. We are not ready yet. I am sure we will be ready at some point, I don’t know whether we will be ready for Melbourne.”
New car with Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld
Front end of the F1.09
Side detail
Above
Nick Heidfeld's new helmet design
Comparison between the F1.09 (L) and the F1.08 (R)
Williams Launch Their 2009 Car – The FW31
Williams have joined Renault in launching their 2009 challenger today in a low key event at the Portimao Circuit in Portugal.
The British based team left test driver and rising star Nico Hulkenberg with the duty to show the new car, named the Fw31 to the presses.
The new machine will give the team optimism to get back to the top with the swathes of new rule changes leaving this car completly different to the FW30. Still powered by a Toyota engine, this car has a lot in common with the Ferrari F60. It has a very similar front wing, and aerodynamic winglets protruding from the sidepods where Ferrari houses its wing mirrors.
The car seen here is in an interim test livery and will have a liverly launch nearer to the first round of the season in March.
Philips have become a larger sponsor to the team, who are struggling to find backers in the increasingly tough economic crisis. Thomson, Oris and RBS still remain on the car, but for RBS how much longer must be questioned as they posted a £20billion loss, the largest loss for a British company ever today.
Front 3/4
Front
Above
Rear
Nose Detail
Sidepod detail
Renault Launch Their 2009 Car – The R29
Renault today lifted the covers off their 2009 car, the R29 and what a shock it was!
Nope, not the heavily modified look of the machine to match the 2009 regulations, stipulating the wide front wing, tight coke bottle rear and the tiny rar wing but it was the garish colour scheme. The blue has gone, and there is much more yellow and for the first time red, to match the arrival of Total Fuels, a first time sponsor to the team.
Despite the world financial crisis, alongside Total Fuels, ING remain as the big sponsor. Mutua Madrilena are also present and on board.
The car ha s along wide, driver adjustable front wing which is very similar to Ferrari’s, but it has a much fatter and blockier nose. The rear end around the back of the sidepods is heavily curved (see pictures). The car also retains the fin wing on the back of the engine box.
Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet Jr. will be looking to the top of the podiums in the latest car to be released.
The car with Fernando Alonso, Nelson Piquet Jr and Flavio Briatore
The new car with Fernando Alonso, Romain Grosjean, Flavio Briatore and Nelson Piquet Jr.
Front Detail
Centre Detail
Rear Detail
Wide nose with the "blocky" nosecone
Rear coke bottle detail
Credit Suisse Ends BMW Sauber Sponsorship
Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse has ended paddock speculation and announced that it will no longer be continuing its sponsorship deal with the BMW Sauber F1 Team.
The bank, which contributed around 17million euros to the team every season for predominant logos on the cars and drivers feels it is the right time to leave, now that the team is financially stable.
There are two reasons in the paddock being cited as the reason they have parted ways with the Hinwil base dsquad. The first being that the 17million euros per year cost of advertising is unwise in the current economic climate. The second being that their F1 mad CEO Oswald Gruebel has left and been replaced.
Credit Suisse have been in F1 a long time, sponsoring Peter Sauber’s Sauber F1 Team back in the late 1990′s and continued sponsorship right through the change to BMW in 2006.
“The team is on the right track. Therefore, this is the right time to say farewell,” spokesman Matthias Friedli told the Swiss Sunday newspaper SonntagsBlick.
Credit Suisse sponsorship clear on the nosecone of the BMW
Breaking News: Ron Dennis To Retire Immediately
BREAKING NEWS: Ron Dennis, the current boss of McLaren Mercedes F1 Team has announced he is going to retire with immediate effect.
The Brit, who has been involved in F1 since 1981, has announced his plans on the day of the launch of the 2009 McLaren the MP4-24.
Dennis, who was instrumental in bringing Lewis Hamilton from kart racing to F1 and now World Champion will hand over control of the team to Martin Whitmarsh, his long time second in command.
His retirement is only from the Formula One division though, he WILL remain in control of the McLaren Group Division controlling road cars amongst other things.
“We have a clear intention for our production car programme which is really a challenge. Any product we bring to the market will certainly fall the other side of this financial period.” Dennis announced
“I stress nothing to get too excited about but it is absolute time for Martin to take over as team principal. As from March 1 he will adopt that responsibility. I will still go to races, not all of them, because I am passionate.
“I intend to work harder and will take on greater responsibility in the group. I will be full executive chairman. It is time and I have to say it is absolutely 100 percent my decision. It is what I want to do, but I do intend to work much harder.
“Don’t see it as some sort of retirement, I want to work harder in other areas and having to plan those tasks around the GP calendar is disruptive to the process. It is a job that Martin will embrace and enjoy.”
McLaren Launch Their 2009 Car The MP4-24
McLaren Mercedes have launched their 2009 car which they hope will deliver them another drivers world title.
The car, named the Mp4-24 will be powered by a Mercedes Benz V8, also present in the Force India car.
The car is strikingly different from last years thanks to the swathes of new regulation changes, but despite the close aerodynamic limits the car is rather different from their main competitor, Ferrari’s F60. The McLaren has no aero pieces around the cocke bottle, something Ferrari have got with their ingenious wing mirrors, and also the rear wing is completly different with sloping back endplates with slashes, and its also centrally mounted.
It remains to be seen whether the two teams will be as close as they have been across the past two seasons.
“Extensive rule changes require extensive amount of work – these are the biggest rules changes we have seen in 15 years” McLaren boss Ron Dennis told presses at the McLaren Technology Centre today.
“That requires the technologists in our organisation, they are not just engineers but scientist with high qualifications, to go back to a plain piece of paper and conceptualising what the fundamental requirement are for the regulations.
“It is there you can get it wrong because if you get it wrong no amount of development can sort it out. What you see in the MP4-24 is a car correctly conceptualised.
“At the same time you are trying to make a good looking car, that is a value we put high, if it looks good it goes good, so what you see is a tremendous outcome from a lot of people, it is a credit from not just the technologists but the other people, this is a fully running car that can run on a circuit tomorrow.
“But this is a second car, the first is already at Portugal, so we feel we are in a good position to attack the time up to the first grand prix. It will be a critical time because it will set the baseline for the rest of the season.”
Taking the wraps off the new car
The MP4-24
Lewis Hamilton and Pedro de La Rosa messing around for the sponsors
Front end detail
Centre detail
Rear wing detail
