Renault Launch 2010 Car the R30 and Confirm Petrov
Renault have launched their 2010 F1 car, named the R30 today in the second of the launches before the pre-season test at Valencia.
The new car is painted in a radical yellow and black livery, quite stunning and one that harks back to the old days of Renault F1 cars. it is a move away from the white and orange of the previous title sponsors ING and a clear move away from the sky blue liveries used when Renault were sponsored by Mild Seven.
Sponsorship is a big sticking point with this car, because like the Sauber there aren’t many sponsors to mention, with many teams now looking thin on the ground the advertisers. Clearly many firms thinking that the economic recession was a signal that sponsorship was not necessarily the best method of spending cash. Perhaps 2011 will see more advertisers.
Robert Kubica will be joined at the team, as expected but only confirmed today with Vitaly Petrov, a highly rated youngster who was runner up in the GP2 series last year. Petrov will be the first ever Russian Formula One driver.
“The start of a new Formula 1 season is always a time of great anticipation,” said new team boss Eric Boullier.
“For Renault, this is particularly true of the 2010 season as we begin a new era for the team.
“With a new structure in place, new drivers, and new colours, there is a lot to be excited about and a lot to look forward to in the year ahead.
“Setting objectives is never easy, but it’s clear that we have high ambitions for 2010 as we aim to take Renault back to the front of the grid. However, this is not going to happen overnight and our ambition is to make this journey one step at a time.
“The R30 should be a competitive, strong and reliable car and we’ve opted for an aggressive development strategy. The factories in Enstone and Viry have been working flat-out during the long winter months to ensure that we begin the new season in the best shape possible. These factories have been successful in the past and they haven’t forgotten how to win in Formula 1.”
Sauber Launch The C29; Their 2010 Contender
Sauber have launched their first independent F1 car since 2005 today, the team took the covers off their new car known as the C29 in a low-key ceremony in Valencia.
The car retains a BMW Sauber style paint job with a majority white finish and bits of navy and a tiny streak of red, but so far the team possesses no sponsors of note. Hopefully this will change before the season opener in Bahrain in 6 weeks time. Another thing which we hope will change is the name, at the moment the team are still known as BMW Sauber F1, but I’m sure Peter Sauber, and Ferrari their engine supplier would like that name adjusted.
The car features an uncharacteristically high nose, but once again it is a long one – clearly a 2010 common feature. the car has a beautifully sculpted rear, and features a shark-fin wing like the one on the McLaren albeit a little shorter. The Sauber is probably, in my mind, the most visually pleasing of the 2010 cars so far, but it remains to be seen whether it will be fast.
Willy Rampf, technical director was bouyant.
“The development of the BMW Sauber C29 has seen the team build on the experience gained last year and the improvement in performance over the final third of the season. However, the new regulations banning refuelling during the race and stipulating a reduced width for the front tyres have required significant changes to the car’s design.”
Owner Peter Sauber was happy with progress, admitting it has been a frantic chase to the grid.
“The last few months have been very intense for us,” said Sauber. “First we had to battle to secure the survival of the team and then we focused on putting a strong set-up in place for the future.
“The technical preparation of the 2010 car has continued uninterrupted and according to plan since the spring of 2009, despite all the turmoil. We have a long tradition of bringing together an up-and-coming youngster and an experienced campaigner as a driver combination – and it’s an approach that has brought us a lot of success.”
The drivers for 2010 are talented rookie Kamui Kobayashi, and 38 year old perennial McLaren test driver Pedro de La Rosa who says he never expected to get another shot at racing.
“At last I can feel like a proper racing driver again,” he said. “I’ve really missed the competition out on the track. At the same time, though, I’ve learned a lot technically and on the systems side, and now I want to bring that knowledge to the team.”
The car will be on track testing from tomorrow, along with most of the other teams in Valencia. Renault launch their new car, the R30 this afternoon.
Are Ferrari Concerned The F10 Isn’t Good Enough Already?
Rumour is spreading through the media and online that Ferrari are concerned about the quality of their new 2010 contender, the F10.
Only launched this week with much fanfare, Italian newspapers are suggesting that the designers have got a B-Spec car on the drawing board which will be launched before the season opener in Bahrain in just 6 weeks time.
The new Ferrari was fairly conservative in its changes from the F60, a poor car by Ferrari’s standards, in complete opposite to McLaren who have added some radical parts to their car such as the huge shark fin rear aerodyanmic. Some bloggers have suggested that the F10 looks like a re-painted Red Bull RB5.
And to add more fuel to the fire, Felipe Massa is now to test the new car for 2 days instead of 1, with Ferrari saying they hope he can deliver “more immediate feedback about the car in comparison to the F60″.
Gerhard Berger, a former Ferrari favourite says that the days of Ferrari domination are gone, without Schumacher and Brawn the team is back to its old, underperforming days.
“Even with [Fernando] Alonso, Ferrari’s overall package is not as strong as it once was with [Michael] Schumacher,” he told Switzerland’s Blick newspaper.
“They are now missing Jean [Todt] and Ross [Brawn] and the often underestimated designer [Rory] Byrne. And without the right people, soon you are lost.”
We shall wait and see how it performs compared to other teams in the first test this week in Valencia, but it is certainly cause for concern.
Alonso and Button Come To Blows Over Fuel Ban
Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button have come to blows over the new fuel ban, with Alonso saying it will destroy the sport while Button believes it is a needed change.
Alonso, the 2005 and 2006 world champion said that he believes the racing level will not improve at all, and there will be no more overtaking. Fernando suggested there may actually be less overtaking than before as drivers outside the top 4 had no realistic chance of winning with all of the fuel on board.
“If you start among the top two or three that will be fundamental to win the race, otherwise it is almost impossible,” he said. “With the old rules you could be fifth or sixth at the start and know you had a chance with the strategy. Now if the strategy is the same and you are fifth or sixth you have very few chances.
“Previously we had to take all of the opportunities to overtake in Formula One, so we know how difficult it is. This year we will have to continue to seize all the opportunities to overtake, and I think that with no refuelling and without knowing anything about the strategy, qualifying will be even more important than it used to be.”
However, speaking at the McLaren launch the current reigning World Champion Jenson Button dismissed Alonso’s claims.
“I don’t agree with Alonso,” he said.
“I think there will still be passing, don’t forget we still have the tyre stops and new tyres could be worth two seconds a lap.”
McLaren Launch Their 2010 Contender – The MP4-25
McLaren are the latest team to launch their new car, named the MP4-25.
It looks a fairly radical bit of design, and with the new rules surrounding no refuelling, the actual car is 10cm longer than before. It sports a longer pointy nose like the Ferrari, and in a similar fashion to how we expect the Williams to look too.
The rear of the car is where it gets interesting however, with the shark fin being a big part of rear aerodynamics, the long fin stretching right back to the rear wing and attaching in a similar fashion to the end of last season’s Red Bull design. It must be said the McLaren’s rear exhaust outlets are a thing of beauty.
Sporting the now traditional chrome paintwork, and adorned with Vodafone commericals it is similar to the McLaren’s of recent year; the team opting to stick with silver paint despite Mercedes Benz reducing their share in the team and starting their own competitor, now just an engine supplier like Renault to Red Bull. Johnnie Walker, Aigo and Mobil 1 have stuck along as sponsors, but Santander’s presence on the cars has dropped considerably down to small logos and a bit of advertising on the race suits following their departure to Ferrari.
The launch was held at Vodafone’s headquarters further affirming the standing between the company and team and was the first chance to see Jenson Button in McLaren uniform, his helmet is particularly suited to the teams colours.
“It was Alexander Graham Bell who said preparation is key to success and we have prepared for this season more comprehensively than ever before,” said team boss Martin Whitmarsh.
“As team principal I am honoured to represent this great team, but I am one small part of a group of dedicated and fantastic people.
“A great team and a competitive car can only succeed with the best drivers. Neither of our drivers need much of an introduction because between them they have won the past two world championships. We are thrilled this year to have Lewis and Jenson represent the team on track. Both drivers are winners and they want to win this year.
“Every year of F1 racing throws up a unique set of regulation challenges, and 2010 is no exception. We have designed a car that exploits the double diffuser concept.
“We look forward to an exciting championship with many new and notable faces and at least one older one. We remain proud partners of Mercedes-Benz, but we must be at our best to beat the works team.
“Our goal is clear and we aim to win.”
New boy Jenson Button was happy and eager to get behind the wheel.
“It looks pretty amazing, stood here looking at it,” said Button. “I cannot wait to take a step back and have a better look. I always thought Vodafone McLaren Mercedes put a car together properly and meticulously. For me it looks great.”
“After last year you think about what you have achieved and it goes through your mind – the road to becoming world champion, but after that you soon start forgetting because you are concentrating on 2010 and the new challenge.
“I’ve been to a few events and award ceremonies and they bring back memories. To see number one on the car here is special, but we need to forget about last year. It will always be in the back of my mind, but we need to start focusing on the future and this is the future.”
Scuderia Ferrari Launch Their 2010 Car – The F10
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro have launched their 2010 season contender today in Maranello, and it is certainly a beautiful car.
The Italian team are pinning all their hopes on the car to win the world title following a largely disappointing 2009. With Kimi Raikkonen gone, the team now have Fernando Alonso, a driver they have been pursuing for some time.
The car looks fresh and has some features seen on more successful 2009 cars, such as the nose rumps from the Red Bull RB5. As the afternoon shakedown was cancelled due to weather, we will not know how competitive the car – named the F10 – will be until Valencia next week.
The F10 also benefits from the new Ferrari paint scheme with swathes of white on the red for new sponsor Santander. The Spanish bank is toning down operations with McLaren as it moves to Ferrari. It is also likely to be the last time we see the Marlboro bar codes on the Ferrari, now relegated only to the engine cover, as the tobacco firm’s sponsorshop deal ends in 2011.
“This championship will be very important for us,” said team boss Stefano Domenicali. “The last championship, for different reasons, was not very positive, that is why we are dealing with this one looking to be competitive – and this is what Ferrari deserves to have.”
He added: “We have two new drivers, why two new drivers? Fernando Alonso, is a twice world champion and we will say after the second one he will have a third one. He already appears among the big champions in F1, it is the right moment for him, for us, he wants to be successful and we want to repeat what the team concept is in our group.
“Felipe, we are talking of a new version of Felipe, but after such a dramatic championship like last year with the accident in Hungary and such a fantastic season, Felipe has all the assets to prove that he is a very successful one, he can prove that he wants to restart his pathway that destiny interrupted it in Hungary. Good luck to both of them.”
Fernando Alonso was very upbeat on the arrival of the F10.
“This is the first time for me, the first presentation for Ferrari, and it is a big emotion for me,” said Alonso.
“I want to thank the whole team because they have worked really hard in the last few months to create this dream, this new car, and I want to thank sponsors and partners as they have worked hard and there is a lot of passion.
“We are ready to take this challenge and the responsibility to bring it to 100 per cent of its potential. Felipe and I will be a very strong team and we hope we will make all the Ferrari supporters around the world very proud to see this car winning the championship.”
Minardi Stands For Mayor
Giancarlo Minardi, the founder of the almost legendary former team Minardi is set to stand in the mayoral elections in Faenza where the factory was formerly based.
Minardi, who sold his team in 2001 to Australian businessman Paul Stoddart, has had no previous political experience but hopes to use his sporting experience to win the town over. He already has the backing of the centre-right ruling parties and is well liked in the town which now houses the Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 factory.
Minardi told Il Resto del Carlino: “It’s been a difficult decision. I’m 62 and I’ve never been interested in politics.
“I’ve always lived in the sporting world, but that teaches you many things. I’ve made this decision now because I know I’m unconditionally supported, and I’m stepping into politics because I’ve understood that Faenza is going through extremely difficult times.
“I know people at national level and I think I can use that in favour of my hometown. I will not campaign against anyone. I will have to change the way I work, but work doesn’t and has never scared me. I will bring a team of young professionals: I’d like to bring to politics a method I used in sport. My slogan is ‘Faenza races again’.”
Mercedes Benz Launch 2010 Team Colours
Mercedes Benz have launched their team officially today with the unveiling of their 2010 team colours. The actual 2010 car, known as the MGP FO1, will be shown to the public at the forthcoming Valencia test series. Both drivers have been confirmed to be testing the car at the aforementioned test.
The event, in Stuttgart, was the first time to see Michael Schumacher in full Mercedes regalia.
The new car design harks back to the old Mercedes Silver Arrows days with a lot of ilver on the car fading into grey. Petronas, the Malaysian petroleum company are the teams title sponsor and take a large part of the advertising space on the car, with small elements of their sky blue colouring.
Other sponsors to the team include, MIG and Aabar and of course the Bridgestone tyre company.
“With today’s presentation of our new Mercedes GP Petronas Formula 1 team, a new and certainly the most important chapter of over 100 years of Mercedes-Benz motorsport history begins,” said Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug. “The new Formula 1 season will offer challenges which will be bigger than ever before in over sixty years of the sport’s history.
“We look forward to the cooperation with our drivers Nico Rosberg who has enormous capabilities and perspectives, and with seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher who is no less motivated than at the time when he began his professional motor racing career with Mercedes-Benz and then made his first step into such a successful Formula One career with our support.
“Today I also cordially welcome our new title partner Petronas as well as our co-investor Aabar/IPIC together with all of our team partners. I warmly welcome all our colleagues from last year’s World Championship team Brawn GP headed by Ross Brawn and Nick Fry to the Mercedes family. There are challenging tasks ahead of us and we will tackle them with power, consistency and full motivation.”
Michael Schumacher says he is confident that the team are ready for the title fight.
“I think we have everything it takes to do it,” said Schumacher, appearing in Mercedes-Benz race overalls.
“It’s one thing to have all the ingredients to be able to cook it up but it’s another thing to have a good result. I believe with the experience Ross has, with what we did last year, having Mercedes as the team itself, with all the experience and the know-how and the quality they have, on top of myself… I’m sorry but there’s only one target.
“But it’s one thing to have a target and another thing to achieve it.”
Petrov Offers Renault €15million For Race Seat
Vitaly Petrov, respected GP2 driver has tabled an offer to the Renault F1 Team of around €15million to gain a race seat for next season alongside Robert Kubica.
Petrov, who finished in 2nd place in last years GP2 series, is desperate to secure an F1 drive and along with being quick he has the sponsorship profile which will be attractive to Renault, a team attempting to re-invent themselves and their image following turmoil in 2009 with crash gate and top sponsor ING walking out on them.
Petrov’s money comes from a variety of sources but most notably the Gazprom natural gas supplier, the biggest miner of gas in the world.
Willi Weber, Michael Schumacher’s manager runs Vitaly Petrov and says that pay drivers in F1 are nothing new, and are becoming more frequent as sponsors dry up.
“Only six or seven top drivers earn real money, the rest bring it to their teams,” said Weber.
“And whoever starts doing it, needs to keep doing it for his entire career, unless he is an exceptional talent.”
Heidfeld Reduced To Test Role With Mercedes To Stay In F1
Perennial F1 driver Nick Heidfeld has reduced himself from a top race team role to a test driving role to keep himself in Formula One it was leaked today.
The German driver, who raced with the BMW Sauber team until the end of last season was left without a drive following their decision to withdraw from the sport. He did not do enough to secure a race seat with the reformed Sauber team, nor with Renault who are flirting with a variety of new drivers. Nor did Heidfeld do enough to impress Mercedes Benz, as he lost out to Michael Schumacher in the fight for the second seat.
Now Heidfeld’s manager suggests he will settle for a test role to keep his hand in at the pinnacle of motorsport.
“Nick wants to concentrate fully on his job as test driver and support the regular drivers with his experience,” Heidfeld’s manager Andre Theuerzeit told respected German magazine Auto Bild.
“Nick had focused on having a [race] cockpit with the top teams, but their decisions were rather late. So we’ve gone for another opportunity.”
Lopez Set To Be Confirmed In USF1 Role
USF1 are set to confirm their first driver at a major press event on Monday.
Jose Maria Lopez, an Argentinian racer, formerly a Renault F1 team test driver is said to have finalised the deal this weekend, with his heavy sponsorship based deal coming through for the team based in Charlotte, USA.
Lopez raced between 2004-2006 in GP2 and won one race in 2005 with the DAMS team, a team which supported Kamui Kobayashi who now races with Sauber following a good test spell with the Panasonic Toyota team.
Lopez raced a lot recently in his native Argentina, and has got this drive in the most part thanks to finances provided from sponsors and the Argentinian government, with former F1 driver Carlos Reutemann offering governmental support from his high flying political position.
“Everything has been agreed and the official announcement will be made on Monday,” Miguel Mattos, Lopez’s spokesperson told Reuters this morning.
Santander Use Alonso To Commercial Advantage – 2010 Ferrari Livery Revelation
Santander’s filming of a new commercial provided Spanish driver Fernando Alonso his first opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Ferrari F1 car, albeit briefly.
Alonso, the two time world champion, has made the switch from Renault to Ferrari for the new year along with Santander who are now one of the Scuderia’s title sponsors, drawing back their involvement with McLaren, who the team began sponsoring when Alonso had his troubled season with the team.
The short burst test, in a 2009 Ferrari F60, showed the Ferrari with its potential 2010 livery. With plenty of Santander branding, it was evident the banking giant had made is presence known with large swathes of logos on the front and rear wings, and around the mirror/barge board area. It is unknown if the team will sport this much Santander branding when their 2010 car is launched at the end of the season or whether it was just for the advert. Marlboro, a long time team sponsor who suffered in the wake of anti-tobacco sponsorship stances in sport and Europe have seen their hash marking branding drawn down to just on the engine cover of the cars.
Alguersuari Confirmed At Toros – 3 Spaniard’s On 2010 Grid
Jaime Alguersuari has been confirmed as the second driver at the Scuderia Toro Rosso team alongside Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi.
Alguerusuari was drafted in mid way through the 2009 season, and being only 19 at the time of his debut performed well, and will be rewarded with a full season as a result.
2010 is a big year for the Toro Rosso team, they will be fully designing their car for the first time, in a slight move away from parent owner Red Bull, as other teams have complained over the similarities between their cars, and also a change in the rules regarding customer cars.
Jaime’s signing means that with Fernando Alonso and Pedro de La Rosa, Formula One has three Spanish drivers for the first time.
“Considering that he made his debut only halfway through 2009, at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with no prior testing, he did a good job, making steady progress throughout the second half of the year, with a mature approach considering he is still only nineteen years old,” said team boss Franz Tost.
“This season, he will again face a steep learning curve, as all the circuits in the first part of the season will be new to him. Jaime’s appointment also confirms our team’s commitment to bringing on graduates of the Red Bull Young Driver Programme.”
McLaren Sign 14 Year Old Kart Racer
McLaren have signed a 14 year old racing driver onto their young driver programme.
Nyck de Vries is currently racing in go-karting, a level where almost all racing drivers start at before moving on into their chosen path of racing. He will be on the McLaren youth driving programme, and will be managed by Lewis Hamilton’s father, Anthony.
Lewis himself was signed onto a McLaren programme early in his career, and de Vries will be hoping for similar success to Hamilton, who was the 2008 World Champion in F1.
“McLaren has a long-held commitment to assisting young talent – we believe it’s part of the responsibility of the motor racing community to encourage and nurture junior racers, and we are committed to doing just that,” said team boss Martin Whitmarsh.
“Nyck appears to be a very exciting prospect, and we are looking forward to assisting his junior career, providing him with the support and training he requires to succeed.”
De Vries added: “My visit to the McLaren Technology Centre has been a fantastic experience and I am very honoured and grateful for the support of McLaren in helping to develop my career.
“The resources they have are incredible, and I believe they’ll be able to provide me with the perfect framework for improving my skills, my fitness and my motorsport experience.”
Schuey Takes #3 Car Off Rosberg
Seven time world champion Michael Schumacher, who has come out of retirement to drive for Mercedes Benz in a 3 year multi-million dollar deal is already exherting some of his influence over the new team.
Schumacher was originally destined for the #4 car, the team securing numbers 3 and 4 from BrawnGP’s constructors championship win.
However Schuey, who says he prefers odd numbered cars, now has the higher numbered machine.
“Ross [Brawn] knows that I like odd numbers,” Schumacher was reported as saying by German newspaper Bild.
A Mercedes GP team spokesperson told Reuters: “Michael has a preference for odd numbers. He asked if he could be the odd number and we were happy to accept.”
De La Rosa Gets Sauber Seat – Shock Choice
Pedro de La Rosa has landed the second race seat at the recently re-formed Sauber F1 team.
The 38 year old Spaniard was not particularly in the running for the seat the team which has been reborn from the ashes of BMW’s departure from the sport. The last race de La Rosa completed was the 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix, where coincidentally Michael Schumacher retired, when he stood in for Juan Pablo Montoya.
“Pedro has spent many years working for a top team at the highest technical level,” said Peter Sauber. “We as a team stand to gain from his experience, and the same goes for young Kamui.
“The combination of a seasoned racer and an up-and-coming young driver has repeatedly proved a very fruitful one. I don’t expect either of them to disappoint in 2010.
“Of course it is also crucial that we provide them with a decent car; I feel positive about our in-house progress on that front too. We were able to continue work on our 2010 car as scheduled throughout the recent period of uncertainty.”
De la Rosa was delighted,
“I always firmly believed I would be given another chance as a team driver,” he said. “Since the number of test drives were radically reduced, this was what I was working towards.
“I’m really excited about the season with Peter Sauber’s team, which has been a solid fixture in Formula 1 ever since 1993.”
There was speculation he would go to Campos Meta, whose future has been in doubt in recent weeks despite the announcement Bruno Senna would race for them in 2010. Christian Klien and Giancarlo Fisichella headed the list of potential drivers for the Sauber team, but neither were selected. Klien is still sure he will get another drive though and was positive despite the announcement.
“There are still a few seats up for grabs,” Klien wrote on his official website. “I have been approached by several teams throughout the 2009 season. With two of those teams I am currently in serious negotiations.”
F1 Career to Date; Pedro de La Rosa
1998 – Test driver for Jordan
1999; 2000 – Arrows F1 Team driver
2001 – Prost test driver and Jaguar for 13 races
2002 – Jaguar
2003;4;5;6;7;8;9 – McLaren test driver
2010 – Sauber
New Ferrari Almost Ready Says Alonso
Fernando Alonso has told fans that the new Ferrari, as yet un-named, is almost ready and is 100% on track for its debut at the end of the month.
Alonso was talking to fans through a special web chat on the official Ferrari website, and said a full mock up car was in place and he was seat fitting this week in Maranello.
the new car is expected to take to the Fiorano circuit on 28th January, before going off to Valencia for the full first official test of the 2010 machinery.
“It’s almost ready.” Alonso said
“I’m here in Maranello today to prepare the seat and other things connected to the debut on the track. I think that the Ferrari will be competitive and I really hope to bring the drivers’ title here to Maranello.”
Kubica Starts Work At Renault Factory Ahead Of 2010 Season
Robert Kubica today visited the Renault factory at Enstone to get started on his work with the R30 car ahead of the 2010 season kick off test in Valencia.
The popular Polish driver had a seat fitting session in a mock-up R30 car, and took a tour of the factory which has changed a lot in recent years.
I had been to the factory before when I tested for the team a few years ago, but it was great to return and see how much has changed,” said Kubica.
“The site is bigger now and there are more facilities such as the CFD centre, which is very impressive and will play a big role in the development of our car this year.
“When you walk around the factory there is a great atmosphere and everybody seems motivated and up for the fight – just like me!”
“We’ve only done the first stage in a mock-up chassis as the first R30 isn’t ready yet,” he said. “So we checked the dimensions and took measurements to make sure I was comfortable in the car. There are some small changes to be made, but no major issues.
“Later this month I’ll go back to Enstone to try out the proper chassis and to have my seat made so that we are ready for the first test in Valencia.”
Paffett Sticking With McLaren Test Role
Gary Paffett has confirmed to fans that while he will still race with Mercedes Benz in the DTM series next season, he will be contiuing to stay with the McLaren F1 team in their test role.
The British driver said he wanted to do all he could to help the Woking based squad win the world title with their new driver Jenson Button and 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton.
“I haven’t been involved with the Mercedes team. I’ve got a job in DTM with Mercedes and a job in Formula 1 with McLaren. There is still a relationship between the two through the engines and, although there is a rivalry there now, I’m very much with McLaren in F1 and Mercedes in DTM.”
Superleague Formula’s New Prize – F1 Test And €1million
Superleague Formula, the new open wheel racing series based on football teams has come up with a new prize to match its healthy looking calendar for the 2010 season, €1 million and a test in a Formula One car.
The series, which has many entrants including a large number of former Formula One drivers including Sebastien Bourdais and Antonio Pizzonia, has been testing the waters for its survival in the past 2 years, since a demonstration run of its 800bhp car at the Donington Park round of the British Touring Car Championship in 2008.
It was expected to fold early, but has found success with the high powered cars and also success from football fans supporting their teams in the series through its unique selling point.
The boss of the series was adamant the new prizes, including that lucrative F1 test with an as ye unnamed team would be good enough to encourage more teams and drivers to the series.
“The new prize fund offers drivers and teams an even greater incentive to top the Superleague Formula table come November,” said Robin Webb, Competition Director for the series.
“I can’t think of anything else in Europe that offers this level of prize money for the winners, not to mention for individual races as in the Super Final’s case.
“All in all, the series really does now offer drivers the chance to earn a living from motorsport, something that’s not possible in single-seater racing outside of Formula 1.”
Will the million euro prize be enough though, as A1GP a fellow open wheel racing series and Formula One competitor looks to be nearing the end, can F1 competitors survive?
Bernie’s Shortcut Solution Not Liked By Drivers
Bernie Ecclestone’swants to put shortcuts in at F1 tracks. Yes, you read that correctly. The stalwart of F1 wants to put in shortcuts so that the drivers wouldn’t get stuck behind slower cars. They could be used up to 5 times per race.
Now, in theory it seems possible but when you think about it, its just silly. It would seriously degrade the sport, and some of the circuits just couldn’t have shortcuts. Where would you put them at Monaco for example?!
Bernie was defiant yesterday evening with his ideas.
“You wouldn’t get stuck behind a slower car,” he explained. “It would be great for TV. I’ve tried to push the teams on this because I don’t think the efforts to increase overtaking are working, but they haven’t gone for it.”
Lotus driver Jarno Trulli scoffed at the plans, however he admitted that F1 did need livening up a bit
“I think Bernie sometimes has very clear ideas, but this [proposal] is just not possible in Formula One,” Trulli told Reuters.
“This is not a game, this is a sport.”
“We need to find a way to make this sport more interesting,” Trulli added. “To make it more spectacular we need to race wheel by wheel and cars have to be close to each other – those sorts of things. But we don’t have to really invent new things. [NASCAR] has been very clever and very good in making sure that it keeps the rules very consistent over the years by not changing them too much, otherwise people at home will get confused.”
Yes, the sport needs livening up but I don’t think shortcuts are the best idea!
Schuey Completes Successful GP2 Test, But Has Neck Worries
Michael Schumacher has successfully completed his slightly contraversial testing of a GP2 car in Jerez.
The 7 time world champion has scheduled an F1 comeback following 3 years away from the sport with a lucrative contract with the Mercedes Benz team.
Schumacher, eager to prove he is still fit enough, organised and paid for 3 days testing with a GP2 car. Although some drivers say he is flouting the testing ban, front runners like Fernando Alonso have said it is perfectly fine.
Whatever the outcome, Schumacher has completed a fair amount of mileage, doing 360miles just today nearly double the average race distance. And the boss of the Super Nova GP2 team says Schumacher was on the pace, if not ahead of their two drivers from last season.
Michael complained of minor neck strain earlier in the week, but passed off the concerns saying he was just out of practice with the G-Forces.
“I could really drive a lot on this last day of testing and it worked out perfectly,” he said.
“I am very happy with the way testing went here: we worked well, times and consistency went well, we could do everything we had scheduled to do. I feel fit, I felt comfortable immediately back in the car – hey, let’s go for it!”
Alonso Unhappy With Testing Ban
Fernando Alonso has stated his distaste for the testing ban in Formula One.
Alonso, who has just joined the Ferrari team in a multi-million pound deal, cited other sports as he discussed the ban whch will see him have a maximum of 7 days in the car with his new team one month before the new season.
Fernando, who won two world titles in 2005 and 2006 with Renault claimed that it was not just bad for drivers who have changed teams, it affects the new teams and also drivers who have stuck with the same machinery.
“I think the test ban is not an easy thing to solve,” Alonso told reporters during Ferrari’s media event in the Dolomites.
“For sure the seven or eight days before the championship are not enough for any driver. It doesn’t matter if you are new to a team or if you are at the same team as last year.
“I think there is no other sport in the world where you test for seven days before the championship. I cannot imagine a tennis player testing seven times before Roland Garros, or a football player training seven days before a world cup, so this is something strange in our sport.
“If it’s the best for the future and for saving costs we are happy, because it’s what they think it’s best.”
Domenicali: Alonso & Ferrari Can Smash Schumacher’s Title Dream
Stefano Domenicali, the team principal of Ferrari has told of how his team, along with new driver Fernando Alonso can win both world titles and break the dreams of former hero Michael Schumacher in his quest for an 8th world title with Mercedes Benz.
Schumacher, long the hero of Ferrari bringing the team some 5 titles in a row between 2000 and 2004, left the team in 2006 for retirement. However he decided to leave the team where he was loved for Mercedes, and now Domenicali claims, Ferrari are using Schumacher as a motivational tool to win.
“Everyone will look at Michael as very strong of course,” said Domenicali during Ferrari’s traditional winter ski event.
“As Michael decided to address this challenge he is convinced he will have a car which can give him the possibility to show once again the driver that he is.
“Last year when we tackled the issue of substituting Felipe [Massa] we thought about him because we are convinced that Michael is an extraordinary, very strong driver. From this point of view, Fernando has all that is necessary to defeat him.
“But a driver can be the best in the world but without the best tools, even the best in the world will have problems winning. It will be up to us to give him the right car.”
Domenicali also told of how in Italy there was distaste towards Schumacher’s defection, and of how much it hurt him to see the legend in another teams car.
“We have seen some fans not appreciate Michael’s choice,” he added,
“Now we turn the page it is a further stimulus for us that we feel within ourselves. We have to show – also to Michael – that this is the strongest team. It’s a constructive stimulus, a greater will to show that we can win.
“It was difficult to see Michael with his helmet on elsewhere, some wound always remains.”
Massa with new boy Alonso, so far getting along well.
