Honda's Formula One team have played down talk of an end-of-month deadline for their survival and insist they are preparing for the new season.
The Japanese team maintain they are hopeful of being ready for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March.
"Don't focus too much on speculation regarding time frames and deadlines," said a team spokeswoman.
"Work on our race car is progressing well. We're optimistic but may not be able to say more for some time."
Honda shocked Formula One last month when it announced it was pulling out of the sport because of the global economic downturn that has ravaged the carmaker's sales and slashed profits.
The fate of the team has become the big question hanging over Formula One, with the clock ticking towards the first race in Melbourne on 29 March and the possibility of there being only nine teams, with 18 drivers on the starting grid.
But rumours within F1 suggest a deal may already have been struck to sell the team and allow it to race this season, and that it is awaiting final sign-off from the Honda board in Japan.
Although the team have had talks with Ferrari about a customer engine supply, BBC Sport understands they would not be using the Italian manufacturer's engines.
Mercedes is said by some sources to be the most likely engine supplier.
Chief executive Nick Fry said this month that Honda had narrowed their options down to a shortlist of about 12 serious purchasers for the team.
McLaren's partners Mercedes has said it is willing to provide engines to whoever buys the team.
However Honda team principal Ross Brawn has recognised that it will take six weeks' work to modify the car to accommodate a different engine.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Honda 'optimistic' on race future
F1 to scrap 'bad' pit lane rule
Formula One's governing body is to scrap the rule that saw drivers penalised for pitting early while the safety car was deployed.
Instead, the pits will be kept open, with software regulating drivers' speeds as they enter the pit lane.
"The rule introduced in 2007 was bad," said F1 race director Charlie Whiting.
The 2007 rule was introduced to stop drivers going through an accident zone at speed to get back to the pits and refuel while the safety car was out.
Whiting told the International Automobile Federation website drivers would have to stick to a time frame they would be given to get back to the pits.
"When we deploy the safety car, the message will go to all the cars, which will then have a 'safety car' mode on their ECUs (electronic control units).
"As soon as that message gets to the car, it will know where it is on the circuit, and it will calculate a minimum time for the driver to get back to the pits.
"The driver will have to respect this and the information will be displayed on his dashboard."
Last season, several races were affected by the safety car rule.
In the opening race in Australia, McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen had to pit for fuel and tyres while the safety car was out and subsequently dropped to the back of the pack. He did manage to recover and finish fifth.
Three races later in Spain, BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld lost fifth place and finished out of the points when he was penalised for returning to the pits during the safety car period.
In Singapore, Nico Rosberg, who was running in second, and Robert Kubica both served stop-go penalties for coming in when the pit lane was closed.
Fernando Alonso took advantage of the situation to claim his first victory of the season as he had already pitted and was able to move up the field.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
F1 drivers delay signing licences
Formula One drivers have delayed signing their super licences for the current season following the latest price rise imposed by the FIA.
The cost of the super licence - the document that allows drivers to compete in F1 - has increased from £9,430 to £9,798.
The FIA said the hike was necessary to help cover the escalation in costs of safety measures in the sport.
But the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) is unhappy at the increase.
The association, which represents the majority of those who race in the sport, although world champion Lewis Hamilton is not a member, has told drivers not to sign their licences until the issue is resolved.
As well as the basic price, the cost of each point has gone up from £1,885 to £1,978.
With a further levy of £2,564 being imposed for compulsory insurance, Lewis Hamilton will have to pay a total of £206,416 to compete in this year's Championship.
FIA president Max Mosley has apparently indicated he will consider the matter, but only if the drivers provide proof of income.
The GPDA has now asked the Formula One Teams' Association to look into the issue at its next meeting early next month.
Hamilton faces tight test regime
World champion Lewis Hamilton is facing a truncated testing schedule in getting to grips with the technical changes Formula One will embrace this season.
McLaren is one of the teams that is using kinetic energy recovery systems - one of the many changes that are being introduced for 2009 - in its two cars.
"I've seven days to master the car, where normally I would have had 20 days," Hamilton, 24, told BBC Sport.
"It's a completely new package for us all - it's going to be interesting."
Kers harnesses energy that would have been lost during braking and allows the driver to reapply it during acceleration.
"We've a huge challenge ahead of us with Kers - with the reliability of that, the reliability of the car and finding the new set-up," said Hamilton, who got his first taste of McLaren's 2009 car when he completed 81 laps in testing in Portugal on Wednesday.
Hamilton said McLaren would definitely be using the system - other teams have yet to decide whether to employ it or not from the start of the season.
The 24-year-old decided to take more time off at the end of last season after he became the youngest world champion in Formula One history after a thrilling Brazilian Grand Prix.
His team-mate Heikki Kovalainen is still waiting to try out his new McLaren after bad weather wiped out the final day of testing in southern Portugal on Thursday.
The Finn had been due to drive the MP4-24 at the Algarve circuit, but rain and fog grounded the medical helicopter and forced organisers to close the circuit for safety reasons.
McLaren's next test is at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain on 10 February, with the F1 season starting in Australia on 29 March.
Driving for the first time since winning the F1 title in dramatic fashion at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Hamilton was third fastest overall after a minor engine problem.
"It was good to be back working with the team. It felt like I'd hardly been away because it was easy to slip back into the routine," said Hamilton.
"This first test was all about just getting used to the new car and the new regulations and about giving my feedback to the engineers - it wasn't about setting a fast time.
"I'm pleased to report that the car feels good, we've made lots of progress over the winter and I'm looking forward to developing the car ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
"It's going to be an extremely busy winter. I've only been in the car for one day and our usual job list for the weeks ahead is already enormous.
India 'will host 2011 Grand Prix'
India will definitely host a Grand Prix in Delhi in 2011, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has told the BBC Asian Network.
Ecclestone insists he and Indian company Jaiprakash Associates Ltd are "fully committed" to the project.
"Of course we will deliver... otherwise we wouldn't have entered into an agreement," said Ecclestone.
Work on a new circuit on the outskirts of Delhi was meant to begin in October 2008 but was postponed.
Ecclestone said that this was because he has issues with the global calendar of sporting events and "certain contracts elsewhere to fulfil".
Top Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan cast doubt over the project last month, saying he didn't believe "anyone would want to invest in motorsport" during the current global economic crisis.
But Karthikeyan, who raced for Jordan and tested for Williams in F1, knows how popular the sport could be in his country.
"It will be very big for the whole of Asia because everyone will benefit," he said.
"It will also be much better for fans in India to get closer to the sport."
Ecclestone is keen to bring F1 to a country with a population of over one billion and one of the world's fastest-growing economies - even in the current global downturn.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
BMW Sauber lose sponsorship deal
Formula One racing team BMW Sauber have lost one of their main backers ahead of the new season after Credit Suisse opted not to renew their deal.
That contract ended in 2008 and Credit Suisse will now "focus on regional sporting and cultural activities".
"We think that the team is on a good path and so now is the right time to say goodbye," continued the statement.
A BMW Sauber spokesman told BBC Sport that it would have "no impact" on the team's budget for 2009.
"It will have absolutely no influence on that," he said.
"The budget for 2009 is fixed, we are happy with it, and we move on as always.
"The search for new sponsors is ongoing, as it always is, but it is not something we can set a deadline on.
"We are having some interesting discussions with various parties and we will see how they develop."
Credit Suisse was the main sponsor of Switzerland's privately owned Sauber race team from 2001 to 2005 and stayed on when the outfit was taken over by BMW at the start of 2005.
Last season was the team's best so far, with BMW Sauber celebrating its first win at the Canadian Grand Prix and finishing third in the constructors' championship.
BMW Sauber are due to unveil their 2009 car on Tuesday, after a winter in which F1 has been forced to face harsh economic realities.
The sport's bosses have repeatedly called for teams to implement cost-cutting measures, and new regulations for the 2009 season include limits on testing and other rules to curb spending.
Honda pulled out of F1 in December, but the sport's remaining teams have all voiced their commitment to shaping a more cost-effective future for the sport.
New Williams given low-key launch
Williams believe they can compete at the front of the 2009 F1 grid having given their new car a low-key debut at Portugal's Portimao test track.
The FW31, still in its dark blue winter testing livery, was quietly wheeled out alongside test driver Nico Hulkenberg.
Like its 2009 rivals, the car features a wide nose and tall, narrow rear wing.
"Under-expect and over-deliver is the best way," said technical director Sam Michael. "But there is more of a level playing field than for many a year."
Williams have committed their future to Formula One following the sport's recent financial uncertainty, but know an improvement on last season's dismal eighth-place finish in the constructors' standings is vital.
The new-look wings on the FW31 are in keeping with those sported by the other cars so far unveiled - Ferrari's F60, Toyota's TF109, McLaren's MP4-24 and Renault's R29.
But the aerodynamic design appears slightly different, and Michael admitted a considerable proportion of the team's 2008 resources had been channelled into the 2009 car.
"We probably started work on this car at the same time as others, working in the wind tunnel in December 2007 and drawing many of the parts six weeks before that," said Michael.
"But the difference is, going into 2008 we increased our resource significantly throughout last season, which is why we took quite a big penalty on the old car.
"Hopefully that will pay off now with a more competitive 2009 car."
One significant difference with the Williams is that the team are testing a flywheel kinetic energy recovery system, the device that stores energy under braking.
All their rivals have chosen the alternative battery option, which Williams have also explored, but the team have yet to decide whether they will begin the season with either on the car.
"The rules are so different aerodynamically, and that is really exciting," said Michael of the differences between his car and those of his rivals on the grid.
"That's why I'm in Formula One, to be honest. If you look at periods like this, from an engineering point of view it's fascinating to see people come up with different concepts.
"It's really exciting to see which ones are good and which ones are not, and there'll be a massive fever of development during the year because of that.
"There are some big differences across the cars at the moment, and that's the great thing about Formula One."
However, the FW31's first full outing ended on a flat note when Hulkenberg aquaplaned off the circuit after completing 17 laps, damaging the front nose.
Despite his wobble, Hulkenberg, who will be replaced by race driver Nico Rosberg for Tuesday's testing session, was pleased with the car's first outing.
Alonso upbeat over Renault hopes
Fernando Alonso says a good start for Renault to the new Formula One season will put speculation about him one day switching to Ferrari on the backburner.
The Spaniard was speaking at the launch of Renault's R29 car in which he will battle for a third drivers' title.
"Hopefully this year I can be more relaxed about this question," he said when asked again about joining Ferrari.
"If we are winning races and fighting for the championship then maybe we forget Ferrari."
The latest rumour emerged earlier this month, with claims he had agreed to join Ferrari in 2011 once Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen's deals have expired.
Alonso refused to be drawn and said: "When we talk about 2010, 2011 or 2012, it is a difficult question to answer because I'm not looking that far [ahead].
"Right now, I only have one target - winning the championship. I am more motivated than ever, more prepared than ever, physically and mentally.
"If we don't win it, then it will be a disappointing season.
"In race two or race three, if we are nowhere, then maybe we have to change our target."
Alonso, 27, committed to Renault until the end of the 2010 season in December.
He finished 2008 with two wins in the last four races, to renew belief in the team's ability to challenge for the title.
Alonso, a two-time world champion with Renault, finished fifth in the drivers' standings, while the French team were fourth in the constructors' championship.
Renault are hoping the R29 will allow Alonso and team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr to mount a serious challenge to front-runners McLaren and Ferrari.
Team boss Flavio Briatore said: "We began our preparations for the R29 project early and I am proud of what the team has achieved.
"There are lots of new things to deal with this year, which could shake things up, but we intend to continue fighting at the front."
The R29 incorporates the wide nose and narrow rear wing seen in other 2009 cars, and carries over last season's shark-fin engine cover.
The most visible change is the team's striking new yellow livery, replacing 2008's blue and orange design.
BMW Sauber target title challenge
BMW Sauber are aiming for a serious championship challenge after unveiling their car for the 2009 season.
Team drivers Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld took the F1.09 for its maiden laps at Valencia's Ricardo Tormo track.
BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen said the team were on course for a title bid after achieving their targets in each of the past three seasons.
The team finished third in the constructors' championship in 2008, behind winners Ferrari and McLaren.
Kubica and Heidfeld took first and second places in the Canadian Grand Prix as BMW collected 11 podium finishes last year.
Pole Kubica led the drivers' championship following the win in Canada, while BMW topped the team standings after three races.
Kubica, 24, said: "Last year we saw that by working together we can achieve good results, and in particular in the first half of the season we were title contenders.
"But everybody remembers how it finished, so we will try to repeat the first half of the season and finish in a better way than last year."
German driver Heidfeld, 31, said he was confident he could have a shot at the title.
"I believe I can win when the car is right, the situation is there, and I believe I can fight for the championship," he said.
New rules for the forthcoming season have introduced major changes to the cars in an attempt to make overtaking easier and improve the quality of racing.
These include changes to the aerodynamics, the re-introduction of slick, untreaded tyres after 11 years with grooved rubber and the potential use of a kinetic energy recovery system (Kers), which stores energy that would have been dissipated during braking and reapplies it while the car is accelerating.
New rules prompt Ferrari concern
Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali admits that the biggest F1 rule changes for 25 years create a "big question" for his team going into the 2009 season.
New car regulations have been brought in aimed at making overtaking easier and improving the quality of racing.
"It is a great concern, when you start from a blank piece of paper, you really don't know," Domenicali told BBC Sport.
"Others can be more aggressive or more naïve... so from the performance point of view, it's a big question."
All cars must comply with the new rules, which include aerodynamic modifications making front wings bulkier and rear wings taller and narrower.
Slick, untreaded tyres are also being reintroduced after 11 years on grooved tyres, and teams have the option of employing a kinetic energy recovery system (Kers).
Ferrari were the first constructor to unveil their new car for 2009, and its F60 model has been run briefly by drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikonen at their Mugello test track.
The new regulations also prohibit testing once the season is under way.
Ferrari has traditionally tested its cars more than other teams because it has its own circuit.
"This means we have to completely change the way we are working," said Domenicali, adding that Ferrari are reluctant to make predictions about the new season, which starts at the end of March in Melbourne.
"We are very cautious and humble," he said, "because we need to see where we are and understand the situation, and we respect our competitors a lot.
"For sure, this year will be a very difficult championship."
Hamilton happy with track return
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton got his first taste of McLaren's 2009 car when he completed 81 laps in testing in Portugal.
The 23-year-old was third fastest overall after a minor engine problem.
It was his first drive since winning the Formula One title in dramatic fashion at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
"It was good to be back working with the team. It felt like I'd hardly been away because it was easy to slip back into the routine," said Hamilton.
"This first test was all about just getting used to the new car and the new regulations and about giving my feedback to the engineers - it wasn't about setting a fast time.
"I'm pleased to report that the car feels good, we've made lots of progress over the winter and I'm looking forward to developing the car ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
"It's going to be an extremely busy winter. I've only been in the car for one day and our usual job list for the weeks ahead is already enormous.
"With the limitations on testing during the season, and the few sessions we have over the next two months, this is going to be an intense time and absolutely critical for every team."
The day's fastest time was set by Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi, who finished almost two seconds clear of second-placed Nico Rosberg in the Williams who was half a second clear of Hamilton.
Hamilton's team-mate Heikki Kovalainen will take over behind the wheel for Thursday's final session at the Algarve Motor Park.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Renault and Williams debut new cars in Portugal
Renault and Williams both gave their 2009 cars their first public outings on Monday morning at the start of this week’s multi-team test session at the Algarve Motor Park circuit in Portugal.
The Renault R28 was presented to the press by drivers Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet, along with team boss Flavio Briatore, while Williams tester Nico Hulkenberg starred with the FW31, running in an interim testing livery. The team’s 2009 race livery will be revealed prior to the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March.
Both cars will be testing alongside those of rival teams McLaren, who track debuted the new MP4-24 at the Portimao circuit on Saturday following its UK launch last Friday, and Toyota, who ran their new TF109 for the first time at the Portimao venue on Sunday.
Testing continues in Portugal until Thursday. In neighbouring Spain, BMW Sauber will launch their new F1.09 - and start testing it - at Jerez on Tuesday.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Raikkonen tipped for form revival
Ferrari expect Kimi Raikkonen to be back to his best in 2009, according to team director Stefano Domenicali.
Raikkonen, 29, won the drivers' title in 2007 but dropped to third last year after some lacklustre performances.
The Finn was outpaced by team-mate Felipe Massa, who ended the season in second place, behind Lewis Hamilton.
"Kimi wants to show, as president (Luca di) Montezemolo joked, that he's back to being his normal self and not his twin," said Domenicali.
"He can't wait to get in the car, while Massa is very fresh and has a lot of desire. He really matured last season."
Domenicali played down speculation that Fernando Alonso could leave Renault for Ferrari in 2011.
Raikkonen and Massa are both under contract at Ferrari until the end of 2010.
"Our drivers have contracts signed," he said. "Fernando is a great driver but we are more than happy with ours."
Ferrari unveiled its 2009 car - the F60 - on Monday, but teething problems curtailed its first day on the track.
It is common for F1 cars to encounter difficulties in their debut outings, but this season's rule changes have created new challenges for the cars' engineers.
The aerodynamics of this season's cars have been modified, with wider front wings and higher, narrower rear wings, in a bid to enable more passing.
The first official tests of the F60 are scheduled for next week in Portimao, Portugal, alongside the new models of several other teams.
However, all the teams are expected to further modify their 2009 cars before the season begins with the Australian Grand Prix on 29 March.
After that point, a new ban on in-season testing means teams will only be able to experiment with technical improvements during practice sessions on race weekends.
"Starting with the test in Portimao we will compare ourselves with the other teams. It will be interesting to see where our car is and where our opponents are," said Domenicali.
"This year I'm very cautious because we're starting with a project that isn't an evolution from the previous years.
"I think the crucial factor will be being competitive right from the start since we can't evolve during the season."
Toyota commit to F1 with new car
Toyota reiterated their commitment to Formula One as their 2009 car made its debut in an online launch ceremony.
In keeping with Ferrari's model, the first to be unveiled earlier this week, the Toyota TF109 incorporates a host of modifications to meet new rules.
"We have to win a race, that's clear," said team president John Howett. "This organisation only exists to win."
Driver Jarno Trulli said Toyota were "better prepared than ever" and "ready to face the fight for 2009".
The Toyota Motor Corporation, which backs the team, forecast an annual loss of £1.1bn in December, prompting speculation that the Japanese manufacturer could follow the lead of compatriots Honda and quit the sport.
But the team once again underlined their determination to remain in F1 as the TF109 was presented to the public.
"We know what's going on with the economy, especially the automotive section, and Formula One is part of that even if it's a high-profile sport," Trulli told BBC Sport.
"F1 has been increasing development and cost for many years, and now it's time to step back. I agree with what they're doing.
"For the first time I can see all the teams working together with common sense to survive. The teams more than anyone else understand what's going on in F1, and today the message we are giving is that we are committed to Formula One."
Trulli said Toyota would remain in the sport "if there is a reason to stay, which means being one of the top teams" and added that he expected 2009 to be a "key season for everybody".
Trulli finished ninth in the 2008 drivers' championship, with team-mate Timo Glock 10th, leaving Toyota fifth in the race for the constructors' title - a position on which the team will want to improve this year
New 2009 regulations have forced modifications which lower and widen the front wing, with a tall, narrow rear wing.
Slick, untreaded tyres will also be reintroduced after 11 years on grooved tyres, and teams have the option of employing a kinetic energy recovery system (Kers).
The Kers system stores energy that would otherwise be wasted as heat during braking, then reapplies it during acceleration to provide a boost in power, controlled from the cockpit by the driver.
"We've got Kers developed and in the car," said Trulli. "Soon we'll run it but we don't know if we will start the season with it or not.
"Kers is very complicated and has no application at all with road cars, it's not like the one Toyota use on road cars.
"It might cause a lot of trouble in an F1 car in terms of reliability, and that might cause a question mark. But that's a problem for everyone."
F1 boss wants Massa to win title
Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone says he wants Ferrari driver Felipe Massa to win this year's world championship.
The 78-year-old said the Brazilian had endured "bad luck" in losing out to McLaren's Lewis Hamilton by one point last season despite winning more races.
"I hoped that Felipe would do something last year so let's hope he does it this year," Ecclestone said.
"Lewis had bad luck the year before and [then] won. Felipe had bad luck last year so I hope he recovers."
Ecclestone made the comments on a visit to Ferrari's annual publicity event at the Madonna di Campiglio ski resort, where he wore a red jacket resembling official Ferrari team kit.
His remarks came in the context of his continuing campaign to radically overhaul the F1 points system.
Ecclestone wants to introduce a new system whereby the driver with most race victories would be champion.
Last year Massa won six races to Hamilton's five, although one of the Ferrari driver's wins was in the Belgian Grand Prix, where Hamilton was controversially stripped of victory for an infringement.
"Forget the word medals," Ecclestone said, referring to his previous proposal that would see gold, silver and bronze medals awarded to the top three finishers.
"I just think the guy that wins the most races should win the championship," Ecclestone said.
"I don't think a guy that is second who's got a lot of points should be world champion, that's all.
"Last year a lot of them sat there being second. It's up to the teams to really push that through. I hope they have enough sense to agree."
Hamilton, whose new car is unveiled on Friday, clinched the title in dramatic style on the last corner of the final race in Brazil - passing Toyota's Timo Glock to move into the fifth position he needed to clinch the championship.
Had he failed to get past, Massa - who won the race - would have been champion.
Hamilton drove a deliberately conservative race, aiming to stay out of trouble and secure only the fifth place needed to ensure he finished above Massa in the final rankings.
"He did what he had to do to win the championship. I'm not complaining, I don't blame him," Ecclestone said.
"What I'm trying to see is that the person who has won the most races is the world champion because it's a bit cranky that although somebody who maybe won one or two races has got more points than the guy who won five races... it just doesn't seem right.
"Last year, I'm sorry to have to say this, and he would admit it, Lewis in lots of cases didn't bother to try and win because to get two points it's not worth taking the risk. I want them to take the risks."
Hamilton eyeing second title bid
Lewis Hamilton targeted a second World Championship as McLaren unveiled their new car for the 2009 season.
The Englishman and team-mate Heikki Kovalainen took the wraps off the new Mercedes-powered MP4-24 at the team's base in Surrey.
And 24-year-old Hamilton said: "This is now my third season and I've got my targets. I want the title again."
Meanwhile, McLaren said Ron Dennis will step down as team principal on 1 March, to be replaced by Martin Whitmarsh.
Hamilton won last year's title by a single point from Brazilian Ferrari driver Felipe Massa, who has already had a day testing his team's new car.
The McLaren car is the third to be unveiled ahead of the new season after Ferrari and Toyota's new models broke cover earlier this week.
And Hamilton said: "The car looks beautiful and it's great to see the final outcome.
"But I certainly don't feel any extra pressure being champion. This season will be a whole new challenge for everyone, including me, because of the rule changes.
"I think this will be a very open season - no-one quite knows what to expect, and that should make it exciting - it's a great prospect for F1 fans."
Team-mate Kovalainen added: "I'm fortunate enough to have watched behind the scenes as this year's car has taken shape and I've been amazed at just how hard everybody has worked.
"With so many new rules, adapting quickly will be essential and I feel more prepared than ever for the new season."
Test driver Pedro de la Rosa will give the McLaren its debut in a private test at Portugal's Algarve circuit on Saturday - the first of a series of critical tests before the start of the new season in Melbourne, Australia on 29 March.
Ferrari, Renault, Williams and Toyota - whose car was unveiled on Thursday - will join McLaren at the new Algarve circuit in Portugal next week.
Renault, fourth last year, and Williams both launch their cars at that test on Monday, while BMW Sauber - third overall in 2008 - have chosen the Valencia track in Spain for the first public appearance of their new model.
All the new cars have been designed to conform to the biggest set of F1 rule changes in 25 years, which are aimed at improving racing and making overtaking easier.
The Algarve test will be the first time Hamilton has driven an F1 car at speed since clinching the title and becoming F1's youngest ever champion in Brazil last November.
Dennis to quit as McLaren F1 boss
Ron Dennis is to step down as team principal of McLaren and hand over to current number two Martin Whitmarsh ahead of the new Formula One season.
Dennis, 61, who has run McLaren since 1981, will stay on as executive chairman of the McLaren Group.
The 51-year-old Whitmarsh will take over McLaren's F1 operation on 1 March.
"It's time for Martin to take over. It is 100% my decision - this is a job he will embrace and from now most race-day decisions will be his," said Dennis.
"I still have huge passion for F1 and I want to be supportive of Martin's responsibilities, but that will come purely in the form of voicing an opinion.
Maybe they'll get my opinion when they don't want it! But I hope Martin will listen to my opinions, even if ultimately - as it will - the ultimate decision rests solely with him.
"This is the right time for this decision. But don't see this as some sort of retirement because it is the exact opposite.
"The first thing I must do is raise my own game because everybody realises this is a tough period in which to work. My decision - and it is solely, and exclusively my decision - has been made on the basis of what is best for McLaren.
"We are a very diverse organisation and we have a number of other projects ongoing, including the development of our road car, and that is going to be a real challenge.
"However, really I want to downplay this decision, because today is about the new car, where we're going forward as a team - it certainly isn't about my stepping down," added the 61-year-old.
Dennis merged his Project Four racing company with Team McLaren Ltd to form McLaren Racing in 1980 and took over as team principal in 1981.
Whitmarsh has been at McLaren since 1989, when he assumed the role of head of operations.
And he said: "It doesn't feel like a bombshell to me - Ron has reached this point and I was keen for him to dictate a timeframe - but I certainly didn't push him.
"I've worked with Ron for 20 years and he has had an incredible career, but Formula One is changing and evolving and so is this business."
The 2009 Formula One season opens with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 29 March.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Ferrari first to unveil new car
Ferrari became the first team to launch their 2009 car on Monday, ahead of a season that heralds the biggest Formula One rule changes for 25 years.
The team's F60 car, unveiled at their Italian base, employs a raft of new features to meet the regulations.
These include an energy recovery system similar to those in hybrid road cars and aerodynamic changes aimed at making overtaking easier.
Ferrari missed out on 2008's drivers' title but were the top constructor.
Felipe Massa, who finished a single point behind eventual champion Lewis Hamilton of McLaren, will become the first F1 driver to experience a definitive 2009 car when he gets behind the wheel of an F60 later on Monday.
The car will make its debut at the Mugello test track after snowy conditions ruled out Ferrari's traditional testing venue, their home track in Fiorano.
Ferrari's new car is the first of a number of launches as F1's teams prepare their machines for the new season, which starts in Melbourne, Australia, on 29 March.
Toyota, fifth last season, unveil their challenger on 15 January, with McLaren's latest model appearing the following day.
Renault and Williams reveal their new cars on 19 January, with BMW Sauber doing the same 24 hours later.
Red Bull announced last week that their car will be launched much later than many other leading teams, on 9 February.
All cars must comply to new 2009 regulations, which include aerodynamic modifications where the front wing will be lowered and widened and the rear wing will become taller and narrower.
Slick, untreaded tyres will also be reintroduced after 10 years on grooved tyres and teams have the option of employing a kinetic energy recovery system (Kers).
The Kers system works by storing energy that would otherwise be wasted as heat during braking and reapplying it during acceleration to provide a boost in power.
This boost is controlled by the driver from a button in the cockpit and it is hoped the burst of acceleration will make overtaking easier.
A cockpit-adjustable front wing is other innovation rooted in that aim.
The idea is that drivers should be able to follow other cars more closely through corners - and therefore make them more likely to be able to pass their rivals at the end of the following straight - by increasing the amount of front downforce produced by the wing.
Though the Ferrari F60 was unveiled on Monday, it is not yet the finished product that Massa and 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen will race in Melbourne.
All teams will introduce a series of updates to their cars between their official launches and the first race weekend in Australia.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Teams unite in cost-cutting plan
Formula One's teams reinforced their commitment to cutting costs at a meeting of the Formula One Teams Association (Fota) at Heathrow.
All teams, with the exception of Force India, were present as they demonstrated their united front in safeguarding the future of F1.
The teams ratified plans to cut testing in 2009 and to supply independent teams with engines costing £4.5m from 2010.
Fota pledged to develop low-cost transmissions for the 2010-12 seasons.
The teams also intend to eliminate the use of expensive materials, components and systems that offer little in terms of performance differentiation.
In a statement Fota said: "All the teams are committed to working together in a rational and systematic manner within the framework of Fota to effectively reduce the costs inherent in Formula One.
The same approach will now be used to improve the spectacle of the sport."
Fota's unified response comes after Max Mosley, president of the sport's governing body, the FIA, urged the teams to find new ways to cut spending in response to the global economic crisis.
At a meeting in Monte Carlo in December, Fota and the FIA agreed a raft of measures to protect the sport's future in the wake of the economic downturn and Honda's shock withdrawal from the sport.
The changes include plans to double engine life in 2009, to limit engine revs and to cut the cost of engines supplied to independent teams by approximately 50% of 2008 prices.
But in a letter to Ferrari president Luca di Montezemelo, who chairs Fota, Mosley urged the teams to focus on radical ways to reduce their multi-million pound budgets.
"Even before the current crisis, F1 was not viable," he said.
"It is impossible to cut costs without change. Cherished projects, facilities and sadly even people have to go.
"We had a championship dependent on the willingness of the world's car industry to continue spending vast sums on Formula One racing and the few remaining independent teams (with one exception) entirely reliant on the generosity of their billionaire owners.
"In current circumstances, it would be crazy to assume this can continue.
"Costs must be reduced to a point where a well-run independent team can operate profitably with just Formula One Management money and very moderate sponsorship."
Mosley has also mooted the controversial idea of introducing a budget cap to reduce spending across the board.
"The idea that each team should have the same amount of money, so that success is simply a function of intellectual ability, has great appeal," he added.
"If properly enforced, it would be a very fair system. Indeed one view is that having much more money than a rival team is just as unfair as having a bigger engine.
"We should like to discuss this further with FOTA."
Fota willingly agreed to cut costs over the next two seasons with more measures, such as increased limits on testing and additional engine restrictions, to follow in the coming campaigns.
But Mosley warned that if the teams were not open to further change then Formula One in its current form would be at risk.
"The FIA itself would not be financially disadvantaged by a collapse of Formula One," he said. "We are therefore prepared to act radically.
"We hope that, notwithstanding the changes which must now be made, all teams which are still in business in 2010 will enter.
"But as already stated, we will be ready to recognise an independent series should some teams prefer to go their own way."
New Donington is granted approval
Plans for a £100m revamp of Donington Park, the new home of the British Grand Prix from 2010, have been approved.
North West Leicestershire District Council granted planning permission for the scheme at a meeting on Thursday.
Work can now start on a raft of improvements to the circuit, including track alterations, a new pit area, a club house and temporary grandstands.
Donington Park inherits the Formula One race from Silverstone in a 10-year agreement beginning next year. Silverstone, in Northamptonshire, has been home to the British Grand Prix since 1987, but Donington Park, just south of Derby, was awarded the contract for the next decade last July.
The council gave approval as long as an event management plan is prepared and approved.
Racetrack owner Simon Gillett said: "This puts us on the world stage with places like Bahrain."
F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone demanded "a world class venue for F1" when awarding Donington its contract last year.
"Donington's development plans will give us exactly that, a venue to put British motorsport back on the map," he said at the time.
However, following Thursday's meeting, McLaren boss Ron Dennis expressed concern at Donington's funding model and infrastructure.
"I really do struggle to understand how the economics of Donington will work," Dennis told the Autosport International Show.
"They have had a 25% swing in the dollar, and the contract will be a dollar-based contract, whilst it has a massive investment into infrastructure.
"I also don't understand how we are going to get in and out of the place - although I can tell you I will be in a helicopter."
Councillors visited the racetrack prior to the meeting and work is expected to start on the new pit complex immediately.
Now the plans have been approved, Gillett has 17 months to raise the money needed to finance the scheme and put it into action.
But he told BBC Sport his team was "confident about all aspects of the project" and would complete the work "to a high standard" ahead of the British Grand Prix in July 2010.
Last month, Gillett dismissed suggestions he would struggle to find the money to implement his plans in the current economic climate.
"They'll see when buildings come out of the ground and cars turn up on the grid," he said.
"If they still want to sit at home not believing me, that's their prerogative. To be honest, I love the scepticism. It's what motivates me.
"The more the experts tell me it won't happen, the more I seem to achieve. I feed off it.
"It doesn't concern me at all. I have my goals and I know they're realistic."
Dennis said he would "applaud anyone coming into grand prix racing and bringing competition", but did not share Gillett's optimism over the plans.
"The reality is I want successful grands prix and I am concerned that, as we go down this path, the economic model, especially in this climate, won't work," said the McLaren boss.
"That could be to the detriment of us hosting a grand prix in this country."
The facilities promised to Ecclestone ahead of the 2010 British Grand Prix include a substantial renovation of the circuit itself.
A new pit and paddock area is also planned, as are new race control buildings and a media centre, plus hospitality suites and new service roads.
The revamped track is set to include a tightening of Coppice, which becomes the final bend before the pit straight, and a redesigned first sector incorporating a new, long left-hand turn and hairpin following the fierce first Melbourne turn.
Toro Rosso confirm Buemi for 2009
Sebastien Buemi will drive for Formula One's Toro Rosso team this season.
The 20-year-old Swiss, who was widely tipped for the job, is likely to be the youngest driver on the 2009 grid.
Dietrich Mateschitz, boss of Toro Rosso and sister team Red Bull Racing, had earlier said Buemi was "very likely" to be chosen having impressed in testing.
"I will do all I can to bring home the best possible results and to show Red Bull that the confidence it has shown in me is justified," said Buemi.
Last year Buemi competed in the GP2 support series and spent time as reserve driver for Red Bull Racing. His team-mate at Toro Rosso has yet to be named.
Buemi fills the gap left by Sebastian Vettel's promotion from Toro Rosso to Red Bull, after his impressive 2008 campaign, which saw him become the youngest Grand Prix winner in history at Monza.
Vettel in turn takes up the vacancy left by the retirement of David Coulthard.
"I am naturally very happy to be driving for Toro Rosso this year," said Buemi.
"Being an F1 driver has always been my target, since I first started racing.
"I want to thank Red Bull for this opportunity and for all the help they have given me in my career, dating back to 2005."
Former team co-owner Gerhard Berger had strongly hinted that Buemi would win a drive when he said in a magazine interview that the 20-year-old would be a "good and fast driver" for Toro Rosso.
Team principal Franz Tost praised Buemi's speed and "ability to learn and progress" during testing.
"That, along with some impressive performances in GP2 was enough to convince us to give him the drive," he added.
Buemi's first official outing as a Toro Rosso driver will be in testing at the Portimao Circuit in Portugal later in January.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Ferrari first to launch 2009 car
Ferrari will be the first team to launch its car for the 2009 season.
The constructors' champion will unveil its latest F1 challenger at its Italian HQ at Maranello on 12 January.
Felipe Massa, who lost the 2008 crown to McLaren's Lewis Hamilton by a single point, will get behind the wheel on the Fiorano track later that day.
McLaren unveil their car on 16 January, a day after Toyota launch their new model, with Renault, Williams and BMW Sauber unveiling the following week.
Red Bull announced on Monday that their car will be launched much later than many other leading teams, on 9 February.
All cars must comply to new 2009 regulations which include aerodynamic modifications where the front wing will be lowered and widened and the rear wing become taller and narrower.
Slick, untreaded, tyres will also be reintroduced and teams have the option of employing a kinetic energy recovery system (Kers) to boost their car's performance.
When Ferrari present their 2009 car in Maranello next week it will not meet race specifications for the opening Grand Prix in Australia on 29 March.
The Italian marque will test the car over the next couple of months and further improvements will be made in time for the Melbourne race
Friday, January 2, 2009
Billionaire Slim denies Honda bid
Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim has denied he is in talks about a rescue bid for the Honda Formula One team.
Slim, who owns telecommunications firm Telmex and a racing team, was reported to be one of four interested parties.
But a statement said: "The Telmex Team can confirm that Carlos Slim Helu has not bought the Honda F1 team nor is holding any negotiations to do so.
"Therefore all information related to this subject has no basis and is completely false."
After the Honda motor company pulled out of F1 earlier this month, blaming the world economic crisis, the team are trying to find a buyer to continue in the sport.
Bruno Senna, the nephew of former triple Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna, is sponsored by Embratel, part of Slim's Telmex group.
Italian reports suggested Senna would be paired with Britain's Jenson Button for 2009, leaving Button's 2008 team-mate Rubens Barrichello, of Brazil, without a drive for the new season.
But Honda team principal Ross Brawn backed up Slim's denial. "We would love it if it were true but it's pure speculation from various members of the media," Brawn told the Daily Telegraph.
"It's just been one of those rumours which has developed a life of its own."
However, Brawn insisted talks are progressing with other parties and revealed the team could stay in business through to the season opener in Melbourne at the end of March.
"There has been a huge amount of interest," he added. "It's now got to the stage where we need to filter out the serious from the not so serious.
"We're all hopeful that something will happen and we're anxious to turn up the wick again in the new year.
"We haven't really lost anything yet as it has still only been a few weeks. Everything is in place although we have had to turn down various programmes.
"We have enough funding to get us through to Melbourne and we still have a competitive package."
A deadline of January has been set to find an investor to fund a team that was costing £300m a year to run for Honda.
If no buyer is found, Honda's decision to quit will leave F1 with just 18 cars on the grid next season.
Honda's F1 team endured a deeply disappointing 2008 season on the track, earning just 14 points to leave them the lowest of the nine points-scoring teams.
Button was ranked 18th in the drivers' standings, contributing only three points. Only four drivers, each without a point to their name, ranked below him.
Barrichello earned Honda's remaining 11 points - more than half of them from a third place in the wet British Grand Prix.
The 2009 Formula One season begins on 29 March in Australia.
Hamilton MBE a 'massive honour'
Lewis Hamilton said he felt "humbled" after becoming an MBE in the Queen's New Year Honours.
The Stevenage-born driver, 23, became the youngest winner of the Formula One championship after a dramatic finish to the Brazilian Grand Prix in November.
"It is a massive honour and incredible privilege to receive an MBE from Her Majesty the Queen," said Hamilton.
"It is the most amazing culmination to what has been quite a year for me and something I am very appreciative of."
Having come close to claiming the F1 drivers' championship in his debut season, Hamilton secured the 2008 title with a fifth-place finish at Interlagos.
The Englishman's title rival and local hero Felipe Massa won the race in his Ferrari but Hamilton passed Timo Glock at the final corner to push the Brazilian into second place in the drivers' championship.
"The support I have received from the UK as a whole has been fantastic and a huge motivation," added Hamilton, who turns 24 next month and now lives in Switzerland.
"This is not just a proud moment for me, but also for my family and every single person involved with the McLaren Mercedes Formula One team.
"I am also very humbled to be included on the Honours list alongside all the members of the general public who have been recognised for their tireless work in such varied and worthwhile arenas.
"It has been an outstanding year for British sport as a whole, and it is great to see so many fellow sportsmen and women being honoured."
Aged 13, Hamilton was signed up by McLaren and Mercedes-Benz to their young driver support programme and went on to claim the British Formula Renault, European Formula Three and GP2 titles.
In 2007, Hamilton became the first black driver in F1 and came within a point of securing the drivers' championship.
Hamilton added: "I am very fortunate to have been awarded for achieving my dream.
"It has required a lot of hard work and dedication, however it has been worth every single minute and I only hope that I can inspire young kids to do the same, whatever their dream may be."