Luckless Ferrari did not manage to score a single point in a season-opening grand prix for the first time since 1992.
Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali was left to reflect on "a day to forget".
Last season's title runner-up, Felipe Massa, retired on lap 45, with 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen following suit three laps from home.
Domenicali can only hope his team repeat the kind of recovery they displayed last season when Massa came within a point of clinching the crown, while the team captured the constructors' championship.
"This was definitely not a start worthy of Ferrari, from any point of view," fumed Domenicali.
"We were lacking on the reliability front, with two cars forced to retire, with our performance not up to the potential we had expected after our winter testing.
"We struggled to manage the tyres and our strategy choices did not work out, especially in the case of Felipe.
"To sum up, it was a day to forget from the result point of view but to remember well so as to try and analyse everything we failed in, in order to improve immediately.
"From that point of view, it's good we have a race coming up next week in Malaysia.
"It will give us the opportunity to react, as long as we draw the right conclusions, calmly but also decisively."
Domenicali will be hoping the track in Malaysia is more to the liking of the team's cars, adding: "Australia does not seem to have been a happy hunting ground for us these last few years.
"The circuit is a bit untypical, where it could be that the pecking order is not so clear.
"It will be more evident in Sepang, although we're well aware that, apart from one team that was untouchable today, there are numerous other strong competitors."
Domenicali was referring to Brawn GP's one-two courtesy of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello as the team made a stunning start to their new life in Formula One after two years in the doldrums as Honda Racing.
Massa feels the Brawns are head and shoulders above the rest of the field at present but he remains confident Ferrari will recover.
"We knew the Brawn GP cars would be unbeatable but, all the same, we thought we could have a good race," said Massa.
"In my opinion, apart from the Brawns, we are competitive but we have to work perfectly to get to the front.
"The solution for Malaysia? Work, and work hard."
Monday, March 30, 2009
Ferrari frustrated by pointless race
F1: The new rules and changes
Puzzled by the many new rules witnessed in the Australian GP? We bring you a re-run of the changes for 2009.
Around 18 months ago, when the designers and engineers started to address this year's car, the manual went out of the windeow.
In an effort to spice up Formula One, to increase the possibility of overtaking and to significantly cut costs, a raft of new rules have been introduced.
They have afforded the 'backroom staff' at the various teams the chance to put their skills to the test.
Here are the new rules and changes.
AERODYNAMICS
In early 2007 the FIA set up the OWG (Overtaking Working Group) to think up ways of making F1 more attractive, or to be more precise, to identify areas where change was needed to make overtaking easier.
The principle problem lay in the massive amounts of downforce cars lost once the distance to the car in front dropped below around two seconds.
This 'dirty air' whipped up by the preceding car significantly diminished the effect of the front wing in particular, causing pronounced understeer.
As a result, changes in position were more frequently the result of strategies in the pit lane than overtaking manoeuvres out on the track.
The OWG looked into the situation and it has led to radical changes, especially as far as aerodynamics are concerned.
The front wing has grown in width from 1,400mm to 1,800mm, making it as broad as the car as a whole, while it is also fixed lower down than before.
Via the aid of a button, the flaps on the front wing can also be adjusted twice per lap - once to raise or lower, and secondly to return it to its original position - to make it easier to get up close behind the car in front.
Added to which, there is a significantly narrower, higher-mounted rear wing.
It now measures only 750mm in width and 900mm in height compared to 1,000mm wide and 800mm high in previous years, meaning cars behind will be subjected to less turbulence.
The regulations have also limited the use of air deflectors and cooling apertures to a minimum, with sidepods now higher at the front.
TYRES
A move that has delighted all the drivers is the return to slicks away from the grooves of recent years. These will deliver increased front-end grip, which encourages moving more weight to the nose of the car. A driver is also able to gain more feel of a circuit.
KERS
Or to give it its' full name, Kinetic Energy Recovery System, and one that has caused considerable consternation amongst the teams, primarily due to the cost of implementation.
The electrical device stores energy under braking, and then via the touch of another button at the driver's disposal on his steering wheel, he can provide his car with a 82bhp boost for 6.6 seconds.
It is an ingenious system, but all the teams have had their share of problems
in recent months, and only a handful - if that - will be using it in Melbourne.
The key difficulty for the teams has been in finding a way of packaging the KERS elements - the electric motor/generator, energy storage unit and control unit - as they add weight to a car, hinder aerodynamics and increase the need for cooling.
ENGINE
It was only nine years ago that teams used one engine in practice on a Friday, one for qualifying on the Saturday, and another for the race itself on a Sunday, sending costs soaring.
But to significantly reduce budgets, the life of an engine for this season will double, with each car and driver combination allowed to use just eight for the entire year.
TESTING
Again to slash costs, both the teams and the FIA agreed to a ban on extensive in-season testing from this year. Last year there were eight tests, lasting three or four days, with the season ongoing. However, teams have the opportunity to conduct eight one-day aerodynamic tests on a FIA approved straight-line or constant radius site between now and the final race of the season.
Double finish for Force India
Force India came agonisingly close to scoring its maiden Formula One points before settling for a double finish.
This was Force India's best result since its 2008 debut. Adrian Sutil finished 10th and Giancarlo Fisichella 12th in the rolle-rcoaster Australian Grand Prix.
Running fourth when the first safety car was deployed, Fisichella looked set to score Force India' first F1 points in the season opener before a pit-stop blunder cooked his goose.
The Italian missed the stop mark and Force India crew had to manually push him back to the pit box and the precious time lost saw him rejoin the race in 14th position.
The veteran driver, however, did well to finish the race 12th.
"I'm very disappointed with the mistake I made in the pit stop. I was just confused with last year as we were always in the last slot in the pit lane, so I just overshot and had to be pulled back into the pits. I'm really sad about this as I think we could have got a good result," a dejected Fisichella later said.
Sutil, meanwhile, found himself tangled in the first lap, losing part of his front wing and limping into the pit.
Having dropped to the rear of the field, the German nevertheless drove a measured, consistent race to claim his best result in over a year.
"I had a good start but in the first corner I think (Mark) Webber slowed down and there was nowhere I could go. I damaged my front wing and had to get the car back to the pits. "After the first safety car everything was fine - we had a good strategy with a short stint on the soft tyres in the middle. On the restart I could get past a few cars and then on the hard tyre it went really well. I could finish in 10th position - I think we can be happy with this," said Sutil.
Chairman and team principal Vijay Mallya had little to complain after the double finish and he said it was a good show considering the car was designed and built in 120 days and with only eight days of testing.
He said it was incredible that Sutil finished 10th despite one additional unplanned stop to change a front wing and Fisichella 12th in spite of the pit stop gaffe.
"Without these incidents, Force India could have scored championship points today by finishing in the first eight," Mallya said.
"However, the most important achievement was that FIF1 achieved 100 percent reliability as both cars finished without any mechanical problems. The is also relevant considering that there are pending hearings on protests filed against other teams who are allegedly in violation of the FIA Technical rules and, therefore, enjoy an unfair advantage.
"All in all, a very respectable effort for the first race of the season," Mallya added.
Lewis: Every year gets harder
Lewis Hamilton feels he faces the hardest challenge of his career to help McLaren win the world title this year.
Against the odds, the reigning world champion clinched third place in Sunday's Australian Grand Prix in a car he has revealed is the hardest he has ever driven.
From 18th on Melbourne's Albert Park grid, Hamilton was given a helping hand as three accidents during a dramatic season-opener accounted for four of his rivals, whilst Jarno Trulli was handed a 25-second penalty after the race.
But on the other side of the coin, there was Hamilton's undoubted talent as he produced a masterclass to underline just why he is defending world champion, conjuring up a number of memorable overtaking manoeuvres.
The fact it was in one of the worst designed McLarens to take to a circuit gives you some idea of just how well Hamilton performed.
But these are tough times, potentially worse for Hamilton than anything he has previously endured over the past two years in F1.
"Every year gets harder and I would say right now is the biggest challenge for myself, and also for the team," said Hamilton.
"We've had some serious challenges over the last two years, and this is another big one for us, if not the biggest.
"But like I've said from the beginning, if anyone can do it, we can.
"I've a huge amount of belief in this team we can turn it round, and this is a good foundation for us to work on."
However, the characteristics of Albert Park make it an anomalous circuit, so do not expect a repeat next Sunday in Malaysia.
"Going into the weekend I knew we could have a race where we didn't get any points," added Hamilton.
"Ferrari only got one last year, but they came back and were strong later on, so anything is possible.
"But in going to Malaysia there will be a bigger difference between us and the Brawn cars. We'll be further behind.
"It's going to be even harder for us because the car is incredibly tough to drive, probably the hardest I've ever had to drive.
"Malaysia is more dependent on downforce and aero, so I think there will be a bigger gap, but hopefully by China (a fortnight later), and from then on, we'll be a little closer."
The post-race penalty for Trulli, for passing Hamilton under yellow flags following an accident involving Sebastian Vettel and Robert Kubica, deprived the fans of seeing the Briton on the podium.
That mattered little to Hamilton as he said: "Podium or no podium, it's the result we need to keep everyone motivated and encouraged."
The amended result, with Jenson Button claiming an historic win for Brawn GP, meant for the first time since the Hungarian GP in 1999, Britain had two drivers in the top three.
Appreciating the performance of Button and Brawn over the weekend, Hamilton remarked: "It's fantastic for him and the team.
"My heartfelt congratulations go to him. He drove brilliantly all weekend, and both he and his team really deserve their success."
More to come from Brawn - Button
Jenson Button insists there is more to come from him and his team after leading home a Brawn GP one-two at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
The Briton led from start to finish, despite two safety car periods, with Rubens Barrichello second in Melbourne.
"It may have looked easy but it really wasn't.
"It wasn't the perfect race and there's room for improvement, but we got the win and hopefully this is the first of many. I can't wait for Malaysia now."
The result was a remarkable one for Brawn GP, who become the first debut team to finish one-two since 1954, when Juan Manuel Fangio led home Karl Kling for Mercedes in the French Grand Prix.
And the significance of the turn-around in fortunes for the Honda team - who as recently as a month ago were unsure of their future in Formula 1 - was not lost on the 29-year-old.
"It was an amazing day. I have to say a massive thanks to everyone because it's been a hugely traumatic few months - I can't exaggerate how tough it's been - but this is the perfect start," he said.
"I know I've said it before but it's true, we deserve this, I really feel we do."
Button showed admirable nerve in leading throughout a race littered with incidents.
Robert Kubica, Sebastian Vettel, Barrichello, Heikki Kovalainen and Mark Webber were involved in serious collisions with each other, while the likes of Kazuki Nakajima and Kimi Raikkonen spun into the wall.
But Button, aided by having a clear run out in front, held on to lead home his team-mate.
"Without the safety car periods it'd have been a whole lot easier, but even so there were things to deal with," he said. "Being at the front should be easy but I promise you it wasn't easy at all.
"We can definitely improve our restarts and I really struggled to get temperature into the tyres as well. I also made a mistake in the first pit stop so there's more to come from both me and the team.
"I made it difficult for us today but we got there."
And with just seven days until the Malaysian Grand Prix, Button allowed himself to cast an eye to the next race, saying: "It's wicked it comes up so soon, I'm looking forward to it already."
Button's team-mate Rubens Barrichello endured an incident-packed race but was impressed with the Brawn's durability.
"The car is strong, very strong," said the veteran Brazilian, "I was hit from behind and I hit someone in front and also on the side, so it was a very tough race."
The Brazilian was hit by Heikki Kovalainen's McLaren at the first corner and had another tangle with Kimi Raikkonen in the early stages of the race.
"I thought the car was done, my nose cone was falling apart and I lost braking stability but it survived quite well. I had a lot of mixed emotions but it was fantastic, really fantastic."
Team principal Ross Brawn was almost lost for words after watching his drivers fill the top two spots on the podium.
"It's stunning, absolutely stunning," he said. "With everything that all our staff have been through, it's just sensational.
"It wasn't that easy, there were times when we had to look after things, and of course reliability was a worry because we hadn't done a race distance until today.
"It's unbelievable. It doesn't get much better than that."
Australian Grand Prix photos
Jenson Button makes the most of his pole position by getting away cleanly in Melbourne
The silver and red McLaren of Heikki Kovalainen touches the Red Bull of Mark Webber and both are out of contention at the first corner
Nick Heidfeld in the BMW and Fernando Alonso's Renault are also on the gravel
Button opens a four-second lead by lap four with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari's Felipe Massa closing in
Button pits but gets out again in front, with a lapped car between him and the pack, as the safety car comes out, laps 19-23
Vettel and Kubica, battling behind Button, collide with only three laps left, wiping out both cars despite the German's attempt to continue
Button crosses the line to win the Australian Grand Prix and seal a memorable weekend for him and the whole Brawn GP team 
Barrichello completes and celebrates a Brawn GP one-two, owing as much to other team's performances as their own diffusers
Victory is sweet for Button
Button seals dream Australia win
Jenson Button secured a dream debut victory for the Brawn GP team after dominating the Australian Grand Prix.
The Englishman led throughout and team-mate Rubens Barrichello completed a Brawn one-two after a dramatic finish.
The Brazilian was promoted after Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and BMW's Robert Kubica collided while disputing second place with three laps to go.
Toyota's Jarno Trulli was hit with a 25-second penalty after the race giving Lewis Hamilton an unexpected third.
Clinching an eventual podium finish from 18th on the grid was a superb achievement for the British world champion, given the woeful performance of his McLaren coming into the race.
But all eyes were on Brawn after the chequered flag, with the success of the former Honda team - whose survival was only secured by team boss Ross Brawn in early March - firmly capturing the imagination of the sport as it enters a fresh era under new rules.
Victorious Button secured the second win of his 154-race Formula 1 career after driving coolly throughout, showcasing Brawn's speed to keep Red Bull's Vettel at bay for the vast majority of the race to eventually cruise to a finish behind the safety car.
"This is a fairytale ending for the first race," said Button.
"Some people may say its a pity the race finished under the safety car but I don't care, I won the race and that's all I care about."
Vettel looked set for a brilliant second place but he and Kubica tangled on Turn Three with just three laps remaining.
The Red Bull driver was slow through the first two corners, allowing Kubica to get alongside on the outside.
The Pole gave Vettel room, but the Red Bull's front wheel tagged the rear wheel of the BMW.
That tipped both into a spin, and damaged their front wings.
Both crashed further around the lap, and although Vettel tried to continue on three wheels he was eventually forced to retire.
Along with earning the Red Bull driver a post-race 10-place grid penalty for next weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix, the crash brought out the safety car for the second time in the race and it stayed at the head of the field until the end.
Brawn's one-two looked unlikely at the start of the race as Barrichello, sat next to Button on the front row, was easily passed by the chasing pack as his anti-stall system kicked in.
The Brazilian also tangled with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen to cause significant damage to his front wing, which had to be replaced during his stop on lap 18.
The frenetic start also saw Red Bull's Mark Webber collide with McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen, causing the Finn to retire and putting the Australian to the back for the duration of his home race.
Button built a lead of nearly 4.5 seconds in the first two laps but Vettel stabilised the gap, which stayed at between four and five seconds until the first pit stops.
Kubica - one of several drivers to start the race on the slower, softer tyres in order to get them out of the way early - stayed in the hunt while Hamilton continued to make up good ground after a brilliant first lap that saw him move up to 12th from 18th on the grid.
The first of two safety car periods happened on lap 19, following a crash by Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima.
When it pulled in again, Button again built a five-second lead over a few laps before Vettel held it.
But both - now on the softer, slower tyres - came under pressure late in the race from Kubica, who was now benefiting from the team's decision to use the faster tyres late on.
That pressure on Button was punctured in an instant as the Pole collided with Vettel allowing Jarno Trulli and Hamilton, whose McLaren had woefully underperformed in qualifying by his own admission but was now seemingly capable of giving him a drive, to reap the rewards.
Hamilton received a further boost following the race when he was elevated to third after "I can't say how disappointed I am to finish third and have the result questioned," he said.
"I thought he [Hamilton] had a problem so I overtook him as there was nothing else I could do."
Team principal Tadashi Yamashina said the Toyota team would appeal the stewards' ruling.
Trulli's team-mate Timo Glock eventually finished fourth in Melbourne ahead of Renault's Fernando Alonso and Williams's Nico Rosberg, who suffered a sticking front wheel at a pit stop on lap 15 which scuppered his chance of a podium finish.
Red Bull's Sebastien Buemi made an impressive debut to secure his first F1 points.
And Ferrari finished without scoring in the season opener for the second year running, as Felipe Massa - running in third place - sustained a reliability failure on lap 45, three laps after team-mate Raikkonen had spun out. Trulli was handed a 25-second penalty by the stewards for passing Hamilton under yellow flags following the crash involving Vettel and Kubica, meaning the veteran Italian finished 12th.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Slow start for champion Hamilton
Reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton finished a lowly 16th after the first practice session ahead of the Australian GP.
With the cars sporting newly-designed front and rear wings, as well as a return to slick tyres, it was tip-toe stuff at first around Melbourne's Albert Park for the first practice session. And come the end of the initial 90 minutes run under blue skies and in warm sunshine ahead of Sunday's Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton was left languishing.
However, it was apparent McLaren are playing cat-and-mouse games as team-mate Heikki Kovalainen underlined there is clear potential in the car as he was fifth quickest. The Finn finished almost 1.6 seconds ahead of the Briton, and just under 0.8secs behind an unexpected one-two as Nico Rosberg topped the timesheets ahead of his Williams team-mate in Kazuki Nakajima.
Williams were one of three teams - along with Brawn GP and Toyota - cleared on Thursday by race stewards of using an illegal diffuser, a key aerodynamic component that aids the airflow beneath a car.
Just 0.049secs separated the Williams duo, with 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen a close third, finishing fractions behind the Japanese in his Ferrari.
The Brawn GP pairing of Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button, who had blown everyone away with their speed in testing, sandwiched Kovalainen in fourth and sixth.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who was denied the title last season by a point from Hamilton, finished seventh and almost a second down on Rosberg, whose fellow German Timo Glock was eighth.
The Force India of Adrian Sutil was ninth, followed by Fernando Alonso in his Renault, and then the first of the BMW Saubers in Nick Heidfeld.
As for Hamilton, he was 2.355secs off Rosberg's pace and the last of the Mercedes powered cars as Brawn GP and Force India both run with the German manufacturers engines. However, it is clear there is more to come if Kovalainen's pace is anything to go by.
Sebastian Vettel, now driving for Red Bull after switching from sister team Toro Rosso, finished bottom of the timesheets. The young German, of whom big things are expected this season, managed just four laps due to a technical issue with his car that forced him to pull over to one side of the track.
F1 boss and teams row over money
The Formula 1 teams and the sport's boss Bernie Ecclestone are embroiled with each other in a row over money.
The teams, through the Formula One Teams' Association (Fota), said they are owed money from Ecclestone from the last three years.
Ecclestone responded on the official F1 website accusing Fota of "inaccurate and misleading" comments.
The 78-year-old insisted that none of his companies "owes any amount of money to any team".
Ecclestone met with Renault team principal Flavio Briatore, Toyota boss John Howett and McLaren chairman Ron Dennis in London last week to discuss claims outstanding money was owed to the teams.
"The purpose of the meeting was to discuss payment of money owed to the teams and relates to agreed sums owing from the 2006, 2007 and 2008 championship years," claimed a Fota statement.
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh added: "There is a lot of tension in this climate about lots of teams being owed lots of money.I think that is a business between the teams and Bernie that needs to be resolved urgently."
However Ecclestone insisted that is far from the case, issuing a statement denying their assertions.
The statement said: "Formula One Administration Limited (FOA), the commercial rights holder of Formula One, wishes to clarify and correct inaccurate and misleading statements made to the media by Fota.
"In particular Fota claimed that monies are owed by CVC (FOA's controlling shareholder) to the teams for the 2006, 2007 and 2008 championship seasons.
"Neither CVC nor FOA owes any amount to any team.
"The contract between the commercial rights holder and the teams competing in Formula One, the so-called Concorde Agreement, expired at the end of 2007.
"All prize fund entitlements payable to the signatory teams under that arrangement were paid when due.
"FOA has made new contracts with various teams currently competing in the FIA Formula One World Championship on an individual basis, whereby the team has committed to participate in the championship for an agreed period in return for which FOA has agreed to pay a share of an annual prize fund generated from, and calculated with, reference to its profits.
"Each of these teams has been paid its full prize fund entitlement to date."
Howett explained that the teams were hoping to resolve the issue in the "next three to four weeks".
"I don't think anybody wants to take any action that is excessively militant, but in the end we are performing and therefore we should be compensated for what we do.
"We are making constructive and positive progress. So hopefully in the next three to four weeks everything will be completely clear."
Rosberg fastest as F1 blasts off
Williams driver Nico Rosberg clocked the fastest laps of both practice sessions as the new Formula 1 season burst into life in Melbourne.
Toyota, Brawn GP and Williams - who all fought off a Thursday protest about the legality of their cars - shone the brightest on an intriguing afternoon.
England's Lewis Hamilton, the world champion, struggled in his McLaren to finish 16th then 18th.
Red Bull put in a strong second session while Ferrari had a mixed day.
Ahead of the richly-anticipated opening action of the 2009 season, motorsport's governing body, the FIA, had rejected a protest made by Ferrari, Red Bull and Renault about the legality of a key part at the back of the cars used by Williams, Brawn GP and Toyota.
It had been claimed their rear diffusers do not conform to new F1 regulations, but stewards ruled against the complaint.
And it was those cars that were fastest around Melbourne's Albert Park street circuit, with the traditionally more successful teams suffering.
In the first session, Rosberg came through to take the fastest time - one minute 26.687 seconds - from Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen on his last lap of 19, while team-mate Kazuki Nakajima finished second.
The German ran even quicker in the second session, clocking 1:26.053, while Japan's Nakajima finished up seventh.
"It's been a positive day," said Rosberg. "We've done very well today but it's not clear how much fuel others were running.
"My hopes are higher than before that we can consistently score points. It's a nice step forward but how much, I cannot say."
New team Brawn GP also backed up their impressive performance in testing with a strong showing.
The former Honda team led by owner Ross Brawn were tipped as pre-race favourites and, on this early showing, there is every indication that may be justified.
Veteran Rubens Barrichello, at 37 the oldest driver on the grid, finished fourth and second in the respective sessions with a fastest time of 1:26.157.
England's Jenson Button - widely identified as the pre-race favourite by bookies - finished sixth and fifth with a fastest time of 1:26.374.
Though little can be read into practice times - teams merely use these sessions to determine their qualifying and race tactics - Toyota will also be heartened by their performance.
Drivers Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock, both running on the softer of the two tyre types available, led for much of the second session and eventually finished third and sixth respectively.
Also on the seemingly more responsive softer tyres, Raikkonen led for most of the first session but eventually finished third for the constructor's champions.
In the second session, he finished 11th with Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa one place ahead.
McLaren were slow throughout, which was largely expected given the problems they had experienced in pre-season testing.
Heikki Kovalainen finished fifth in the first session but team-mate Hamilton was well off the pace and both were in the last four places in the second session.
"It's tough for anyone [being at the back] but I have a lot of experience running at the back in other categories," said Hamilton.
"But we are not in the place we want to be. We have a steep and tough challenge but we have to remain positive and keep pushing."
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso failed to shine in his Renault, finishing 10th in the first session and 12th in the second, while BMW Sauber had troubles with their car and were not as quick as anticipated after strong test showings leading up to Melbourne.
Red Bull suffered in the first session, with drivers Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel managing just 11 laps between them.
But Webber hit back to finish fourth in the second session with a time of 1:26.370, though Vettel again span out.
Ferrari, McLaren and Renault, along with BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld, ran with the new kinetic energy recovery (Kers), which gives drivers a power boost.
The third and final practice session is on Saturday at 0255 GMT.
F1 rivals fear new boys Brawn GP
Rivals of Brawn GP say the team could dominate the first race of the season in Australia on Sunday after their sensational form in pre-season testing.
"They will disappear on the basis of what we have seen in testing," said Williams team boss Sir Frank Williams. "I just hope we can be up there, too."
Former champion Fernando Alonso said Brawn's pace was "impressive".
However, a row is looming over the design of a part on Brawn's cars, as well as those of Williams and Toyota.
BBC Sport understands that Red Bull intend to lodge a protest against those teams if their cars are not declared illegal when governing body the FIA checks whether they conform with the regulations on Thursday.
The other six teams are also unhappy with the design of the rear diffuser on the Brawn, Williams and Toyota.
The diffuser is the rear part of the floor of the car between the rear wheels and under the rear wing.
It is crucial to the aerodynamics of the car, and small changes can have a big impact on the amount of downforce - and therefore grip and speed - the car can produce.
Brawn GP carries the name of former Honda team principal Ross Brawn, who put together a last-minute management buy-out in March.
Honda, whose team was based in Brackley, Northamptonshire, pulled out of Formula 1 in December because of falling road-car sales and the global economic crisis.
After Brawn's participation was confirmed, Englishman Jenson Button and team-mate Rubens Barrichello of Brazil shocked their opponents by setting the pace in pre-season testing in Barcelona and also shining a week later in Jerez.
"They are making the rest of us look like amateurs," added Williams.
Renault's Alonso noted Brawn's fine pre-season displays but sounded a note of caution.
"The times set by the Brawn cars in testing are impressive and suggest they will be racing at the front in Melbourne," he said on Wednesday.
"However, testing is one thing and racing is another, and as with our other competitors there could be some surprises this year."
Friday, March 20, 2009
Williams set fastest F1 test time
Williams' Japanese driver Kazuki Nakajima set the fastest time of the week on the final day of Formula 1 testing in Jerez.
Nakajima, 24, clocked a best time of one minute 17.494, while Heikki Kovalainen showed that McLaren will be competitive with a time of 1:17.946.
The previous best had been Jenson Button's 1:17.844 for Brawn GP.
The four-day test was the last before the 2009 season gets underway in Australia on 29 March.
Testing is now banned until the end of the year, apart from a few days of straight-line aerodynamic testing.
The British-based Williams team finished eighth in the constructors' world championship last year but Nakajima and fellow driver Nico Rosberg will be boosted by the car's performance in testing.
"We have put over 8,000 km on the FW31 (car) in the last two months and, while there are always areas that require attention, reliability has been good," said Williams technical director Sam Michael.
Nakajima finished in the points five times last season, scoring nine in total, but came 15th in the overall standings.
F1 champion Lewis Hamilton was a couple of seconds off the pace in testing with a best lap of 1:19.121 set on Tuesday.
Hamilton hits out at rule changes
World champion Lewis Hamilton has criticised the rule changes introduced into Formula 1 this week.
Governing body the FIA changed the points system to award the world title to the driver with most wins and wants to instigate huge costs cuts in 2010.
"It's a shame what's happening to F1," the McLaren driver said.
"It's hard to believe these recent decisions will improve things for the trackside spectators and TV viewers, who should always be our priority."
Hamilton said the FIA should pay more attention to the wishes of the teams, who for the first time in the history of F1 are presenting a united front in trying to change the sport for the better.
The FIA's vision for the future of F1 is at odds with that of the teams.
Hamilton, speaking in a statement issued by McLaren, added: "Whatever the points system, I know that all F1 drivers will always race our hearts out. "For the first time in recent years we have the teams, drivers, sponsors and fans all working together for the good of our sport - now we just need the governing bodies to listen to us and help us.
"F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport and that's what we all love about it; we should all be working together to maintain that."
BBC Sport understands Hamilton's remarks are aimed at the decision to impose an optional budget cap of £30m in 2010 as much as they are at the change to the points system.
The 24-year-old would have lost last year's world title if the new points system had been in place on the basis that Ferrari driver Felipe Massa had won one more race.
The budget-cap idea for 2010 was proposed by FIA president Max Mosley and approved by his organisation's world council on Tuesday.
Teams can choose to operate under the budget cap, but have more technical freedom to develop their cars and engines.
Alternatively, they can continue to spend what they want but operate under this year's more restrictive regulations.
The F1 teams association (Fota) expressed "disappointment and concern" with the financial changes.
Fota is not concerned about the modification to the points system - but is implacably opposed to the £30m budget cap.
The teams are committed to budget cuts, which they accept are necessary because of the global financial crisis.
It has already promised to impose its own 50% cut for 2010, bringing the budget of a competitive team down to about £140-150m - a reduction it considers to be sufficient.
It wants F1 to continue to limit costs; to improve the spectacle for the TV audience and spectators, to develop new environmental initiatives; to increase the transfer of those technologies to road cars and to maintain and improve safety.
It is trying to instigate a dialogue with the FIA so was unhappy to have the latest measures imposed.
Because of the complexity involved, the teams are particularly concerned by Mosley's suggestion that the FIA would alter the rules governing the cost-capped cars to ensure they remain competitive with the ones operating with bigger budgets.
"We will make sure these advantages [of a bigger budget] do no more than balance the disadvantages the cost-capped teams will have because of their very restricted budgets," Mosley said in a statement.
"We will balance the median performances by adjusting the cost-capped cars should this prove necessary."
Mosley insists that his proposals do not hinder technical innovation.
"These rules will encourage clever engineering - success will come to the teams with the best ideas, not only the teams with the most money," he said.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Brawn GP maintain impressive form
Brawn GP maintained their good form in the final pre-season test with some more impressive times in Jerez.
The British team set the fastest lap for the third straight session with Rubens Barrichello clocking a time of one minute 19.236 seconds.
Renault's Fernando Alonso had a less successful day after crashing into a tyre wall which damaged his car and delayed the session by half an hour.
He eventually finished just under six-tenths of a second behind Barrichello.
"Unfortunately I made a mistake this morning which was a shame as we lost a lot of track time, but sometimes this happens in testing when you are looking for the limits of the car," said Alonso. "Tomorrow we will try and recover some of the time we lost today."
Nico Hulkenberg of Williams completed Sunday's line-up, with McLaren joining the test on Monday.
There are just four teams taking part in the final test before the 2009 season starts with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 29 March.
Last week, Barrichello was over a second quicker than the field, with world champion Lewis Hamilton almost two seconds and five kilometres an hour down on the veteran Brazilian.
Brawn's performances are remarkable given it is only just over a week since the former Honda team confirmed it would be on the grid for the new season.
BMW ready to use new Kers system
BMW say their new energy storage and power boost system (Kers) is ready for the start of the season on 29 March.
The technology stores energy that would have been wasted while braking and allows drivers a boost of an extra 80bhp for seven seconds each lap.
BMW are the first team to say their system is ready - but have not decided whether to use it.
"Our Kers is race-ready," said team boss Mario Theissen. "Now it is just a matter of weighing the pros and cons."
BMW will decide whether to fit Kers to their cars in Melbourne, Australia, where practice starts on 27 March, after evaluating a complex set of parameters determining whether it will give them an overall performance advantage or not.
"On the positive side, the drivers would have an extra 82 horsepower at their disposal for 6.6 seconds per lap," said Theissen.
Alonso edges Brawn duo
Fernando Alonso suggested Brawn GP will not have it all their own way come the start of the new Formula One season.
On their return to the track in Barcelona last week, and in their new guise after the demise of Honda Racing, drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello blew everyone away.
At the final test in Jerez this week, it appeared there would be no stopping them again as Barrichello was quickest yesterday and again topped the unofficial timesheets virtually all day today.
That was until Alonso produced a stunning, qualifying run lap of one minute 18.343 seconds with just two minutes remaining in the session, edging out the veteran Brazilian by just 0.055secs.
At the end of his final day in the car ahead of the Australian Grand Prix in 13 days' time, Alonso said: "I'm happy with the day as we did more than 100 laps which was our target for my final day of winter testing.
"This has been the first time we have run on a really hot track and the information we have from today will be very useful for the first few races, which are usually very hot.
"We are really well prepared for the new season, and we can go to Australia knowing we have maximised the time we had available."
Button, who stepped into the car in the afternoon as Barrichello had been behind the wheel in the morning, managed just 12 laps as the car suffered a gearbox problem.
The Briton finished just over half a second down on Alonso, with Lewis Hamilton fourth in his McLaren, but 1.170secs adrift of the Spaniard.
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh openly confirmed last week his team were struggling for speed, and desperate to make up lost ground.
With the car sporting a number of new, subtle aerodynamic changes today, Hamilton ran a series of longer runs after lunch to assess the new aero package's effectiveness on tyre degradation.
Although marginally closer to the Brawn in comparison to the times set at the Circuit de Catalunya, it is clear improvements are still required over the course of the next three days.
Williams' Nico Rosberg was last of the five cars on track, with the other six teams having used up their allotted number of pre-season test days.
The German completed a day-high of 123 laps, but still finished just over 1.4secs behind Alonso.
Friday, March 13, 2009
We are not competitive - McLaren
McLaren say they face a race against time to match the pace of their rivals ahead of the opening Grand Prix of the 2009 Formula One season on 29 March.
World champion Lewis Hamilton's car has performed poorly in pre-season testing.
Team boss Martin Whitmarsh said: "We are working hard to resolve a performance shortfall."
Norbert Haug, engine partner Mercedes' motorsport boss, added: "We are definitely not fast enough and not competitive enough to aim for wins."
During this week's test in Barcelona, Hamilton and his team-mate Heikki Kovalainen were well adrift of rivals Ferrari, BMW Sauber, Renault, Toyota and the cars of the new Brawn team, who have only been officially in existence for a week. Hamilton finished bottom of the timesheets on Wednesday after damaging his car's front wing and nose in a crash and was almost two seconds slower than Rubens Barrichello's fastest time for Brawn GP on Thursday.
When asked if the MP4-24 was fast enough, Whitmarsh conceded: "Not at the moment - and certainly not by our team's extremely high standards.
"Next week we will be testing at Jerez [in Spain], which many of our rivals will not be.
"We aim to continue to develop the car, and the result should be measurable on the stopwatch.
"Will MP4-24 be as quick as we want it to be by 29 March? Perhaps not.
"Will it be quicker than it has been this week at the Barcelona test? Yes."
Overwhelmed Hamilton collects MBE
Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has collected his MBE from Buckingham Palace, saying it was "overwhelming".
The 24-year-old racing driver, who became the youngest winner of the world championship in November, was presented with the award by the Queen.
"It was one of the most overwhelming experiences I've ever had," he said.
Army chief General Sir Richard Dannatt said he discussed the recent killings in Northern Ireland with the monarch as he collected a Knight Grand Cross.
Driving prodigy
Hamilton said: "I don't think you realise until you're standing in front of her how special it is."
In 2007 he became the first black driver in Formula One and a year later took the fifth place he needed at the last corner in the Brazilian GP to take the crown.
"The Queen said she watched very closely the last few laps. She was asking about the car," he said.
"The pressure's on now. She'll be watching as I go into the first race."
His next Formula One race is the season opener in Australia at the end of the month.
Hamilton turned up with his father Anthony, brother Nicolas and stepmother Linda, but his Pussycat Dolls girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger could not make it.
The driver has enjoyed a rapid rise.
At an awards dinner as a 10-year-old, he told the head of racing team McLaren that he would one day like to drive for them.
Three years later, McLaren and Mercedes-Benz signed him to their young driver support programme and he went on to win three junior championship titles.
Sir Richard, who became chief of the General Staff in 2006, was presented with a Knight Grand Cross by the Queen.
"Not surprisingly we both agreed that it was tragic to have lost two soldiers and a policeman in Northern Ireland," he said.
"We very much hope that Northern Ireland doesn't slip back into the dark days.
It's really depressing that a small group has chosen to return to violence."
Two months into the job he said the British military should leave Iraq soon or risk making security in that country worse.
He was awarded the Military Cross at the age of 22 after service in Northern Ireland and also served in Kosovo as British forces' commander.
He later took command of Nato's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.
Canoeist Tim Brabants, 32, picked up an MBE after winning the men's K1 1000m in Beijing - Britain's first Olympic gold in that sport.
Dr Brabants, who also won bronze in the K1 500m, said he was almost as nervous as he was on the starting line of an Olympic final.
"It's amazing. It's a real honour. It really tops off what has been a fantastic 2008," he said.
Cycling champion Jody Cundy picked up an MBE after winning his fourth Paralympic gold.
The former swimmer, from Swansea, switched from the pool to the velodrome in 2006 and said the queen asked him about it.
Tim Coulson, 54, of Oxfordshire, was made an MBE for helping wounded and dying passengers in a smoke-filled carriage after the 2005 London bombings.
"The Queen thanked me for making the effort to save human lives which was wonderfully warm and personal," he said.
David Weir also collected an MBE after winning the wheelchair race of the Flora London Marathon four times.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Heidfeld expects more overtaking
BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld thinks new rule changes for the impending 2009 season will have a positive effect and improve overtaking opportunities.
Drivers will have a kinetic energy recovery system (Kers) at their disposal, and slick tyres are back.
The German, 31, said: "Kers is good fun. Its main advantage is overtaking when you're up close behind someone."
Meanwhile, McLaren's Heiki Kovaleinan has predicted that 2009 may see some surprises but will be "very close".
"Lap times have dropped [because of the rule changes] so all the teams are going a bit slower," he told BBC Sport on Friday.
"I don't think we can see or say until we get to Melbourne and what is really happening. We might see some surprise so we should underestimate anyone.
It's very difficult to say [what will happen this season]. It still will be very close, and if you just make one small mistake you will be out of the top 10."
While Heidfeld welcomes the fresh rule changes - which also include new dimensional regulations on the cars to dramatically reduce downforce - he does not expect an overnight revolution.
"I think the idea underpinning all the changes is the right one - the aim was to make overtaking easier," he told BMW Sauber's official website.
"I also think that the interplay of the various factors will have an effect here, if only to a certain degree,"
"F1 is not about to suddenly become like touring car racing.
I'm pleased to see the return of slick tyres. I never liked the fact that, in F1 of all competitions, we didn't have slicks for such a long time.
"The effects of the noticeably reduced downforce on the cars' aerodynamics require an adjustment in driving style."
Heidfeld also said he has really enjoyed his team's preparations for the first race in Melbourne on 29 March and the season beyond.
"This year our preparations have been like a journey of discovery," he said.
"There are so many new things about the car which all of us have had to get to grips with, and that's a lot of fun."
Writing on his personal blog in mid-February after three days of testing in Bahrain, the former Jordan and Williams driver said that he anticipated greater overtaking opportunities for drivers.
"This week, I finally got a chance to actually tail another car," he said. "In Valencia, all the test runs were solo. I have the impression that the new aerodynamics are going to make it easier to close in on the driver ahead, just as we had hoped.
"This should certainly make overtaking a lot simpler. I'm hoping that this suspicion will be confirmed over the weeks to come."
Heidfeld, who made his F1 debut at the 2000 Australian Grand Prix, has finished second seven times in 152 races and notched 11 podium finishes - but is still without a win.
Button pleased with early testing
Jenson Button, driving for the newly formed Brawn GP team, ended the first of four days of testing fourth fastest after an encouraging day in Barcelona.
Button and Brazilian Rubens Barrichello have retained their places for this season in the new Mercedes-powered car.
But he finished fourth behind the BMW Sauber of Nick Heidfeld, Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Toyota's Jarno Trulli.
"I am so happy the team is on the grid and that's the most important thing for me," said Button.
Button, who has taken a big pay cut to stay in Formula One, spent the morning at the top of the timesheets.
He added: "Whatever people have said about drivers in the past, and me personally, I'm here to race.
"I love racing, this is the best place to be doing it and you've got to make a lot of sacrifices.
"But I'm not the only one, we all do, especially at this difficult time. We all have to make sacrifices."
Owner Ross Brawn said he hopes the team make a "respectable" start to the season in Australia on 29 March.
And the early signs from the Circuit de Catalunya, home of the Spanish Grand Prix, were promising.
Button's fastest lap for Honda in last year's Spanish Grand Prix was 1:22.353 but he recorded an unofficial time of 1:21.140 in the Brawn car, running without branding in its new black, white and yellow colour scheme, on his first full day driving since 19 November. Button's time was 0.8secs slower than Heidfeld's best.
Honda Racing decided to withdraw from F1 in early December as a result of the global financial crisis, but ex-team principal and former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn confirmed last Friday that he had taken over the team.
McLaren's partners Mercedes have replaced Honda as the engine provider, with the new V8 unit believed to be providing around 60 horsepower more than the one used by Button last year, and they are hoping for a big step up in performance.
In 2008, Honda had a miserable season with Button scoring just three points from 18 races.
But after Honda announced their departure Brawn said the new car was considered a potential race winner.
And 29-year-old Button admitted that racing for the newly formed team had given him a huge lift and a different perspective on his career.
"I wouldn't say in the last few years it all went a bit stale but, when something happens like that (Honda pulling out), it's like 'Wow!' and it does become a fresh start," said Button.
"Getting into a Formula One car now, I feel like a kid again. It's so exciting.
"It feels like 2000 again (the year he started out in F1) but with nine years of experience, so it's the perfect position to be in.
"I have the experience but I have the hunger to achieve and I'm not the only person that feels like that within the team.
"It's all of us, especially after having produced a car I think is competitive and very different to the last two cars.
"We all do feel like kids again and you can see that within the team, the smiles on people's faces, and that was before we drove the car today.
"There's a great atmosphere and it's brought everyone that much closer together, and it's a great thing to be a part of."
McLaren face hard work - Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton admits McLaren have a great deal of work to do if they are to be ready for the Australian Grand Prix.
The reigning Formula One world champion is currently testing McLaren's new MP4-24 in Spain, ahead of the season-opening race in Melbourne on 29 March.
"I haven't arrived here thinking I'm world champion, I've arrived thinking I've got a great team I need to push as hard as I can," said the 24-year-old.
"We've got a lot of work to do to make sure we're ready for Australia."
Hamilton admitted in January he was facing a race against time to get to grips with the technical changes Formula One will embrace this season. McLaren is one of the teams using kinetic energy recovery systems (kers) - one of the many changes that are being introduced for 2009 - in its two cars.
Hamilton and former world champions Fernando Alonso of Renault and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen were among those testing on Wednesday, the fourth of five development days.
Alonso headed the standings on a windy day, clocking one minute 19.945 seconds - the third best time of the week and 1.357secs quicker than Hamilton, who could only finish seventh of eight overall on his return to the track.
"I'm very happy with the result from this test as we had two trouble-free days, a very consistent car and the work we have done has been very useful," said Alonso.
Raikkonen was second quickest, just over three tenths of a second down, followed by Nick Heidfeld for BMW Sauber and Toyota's Jarno Trulli.
Red Bull's Mark Webber and the Williams of Kazuki Nakajima also finished ahead of Hamilton, who only managed 70 laps.
On Sunday, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel outpaced last year's championship runner-up Felipe Massa with his fastest lap of one minute 19.055 seconds, nearly 1.3 seconds ahead of the Ferrari driver's best effort.
Massa was followed by Toyota test driver Kumui Kobayashi, Williams' Nico Rosberg and BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica.
"Just from looking at the times it seems like they (Toyota) are doing quite a good job but I think a lot of the teams are doing quite good jobs," said Hamilton.
"The Renault doesn't look bad, the BMW doesn't look bad, so there's quite a lot of teams looking pretty impressive at the moment.
"This is my first day of McLaren and Ferrari being at the same track but for me it looks very similar to every other year. Everyone's times are looking good - some consistent, some not."
Hamilton added that the MP4-24 felt pretty similar to last year's car.
"We have less down force and the tyres have slightly different characteristics but otherwise it's all very similar, he said.
Heikki Kovalainen, Hamilton's team-mate, said he was "99% confident" McLaren would be using kers in Melbourne.
The system provides drivers with a short burst of power on each lap from energy stored under braking.
Despite teething problems, McLaren appear in an advanced stage of development compared to a number of their rivals who have made it clear they will not be using kers at the Albert Park circuit.
"Hopefully it should be an advantage for us. Certainly it's going to potentially give you a big benefit from the start to the first corner," said Kovalainen.
"My feeling comes from how well we're operating it at the track, and that's why I'm 99% confident we should be using it.
"We are now hitting a stage where we can run it all day, reliably, without any problems, at the maximum power. So unless something goes dramatically wrong, I don't see a reason why we shouldn't run it.
"Hopefully other people don't get it and we get it, but there are other good teams around and I wouldn't under-estimate anyone. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the other teams had it as well."
Ferrari, BMW Sauber and Renault are also hoping to use kers in Melbourne.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
De la Rosa unhappy with test ban
McLaren's Formula One test driver Pedro De la Rosa says the ban on in-season testing could prove to be dangerous.
New measures were brought in by the FIA, the sport's governing body, as part of cost-cutting measures for F1.
With Barcelona hosting the last testing session ahead of the season-opener in Australia on 29 March, De la Rosa is worried if reserve drivers are needed.
"We could be a problem, with regard to safety, if we haven't driven enough," he said after testing in Jerez, Spain.
Teams are currently preparing for the new season, which opens with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne at the end of March. The FIA opted for the new ban in December last year and it could lead to F1 team's test drivers becoming redundant for the rest of the year.
The 38-year-old Spaniard added: "I'm hoping I can test again in the next few weeks because to me it's very important to arrive in Melbourne with as many miles as possible.
"Otherwise, the situation for a reserve driver is ridiculous.
"Arriving in Melbourne with very little mileage done, or not having a single day of testing during the season, makes the test driver rusty in case we have to climb into the car."
Force India take wraps off F1 car
Force India launched their 2009 car with its track debut at testing in Jerez, Spain, on Sunday.
Giancarlo Fisichella took the VJM02, which includes a Mercedes-Benz V8 engine and McLaren gearbox, through its paces at the Circuit de Jerez.
And team principal Vijay Mallya said they were looking to score their first world championship points in 2009.
He said: "I would like to see a strong start, rising to points mid-season and a definite improvement in qualifying."Force India failed to register a point in their debut season last year, and Mallya added: "Regular points finishes should be the aim."
And despite the global economic downturn, the team is apparently in solid financial shape.
"Force India is in a good enough position," said Mallya.
"It's a smaller team with a much smaller budget than the big boys and so it is probably relatively easier for us to manage under these circumstances."
This year will see the return of slick tyres and the introduction of Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (Kers), giving the start of the season an air of unpredictability.
This year is maybe the biggest change for many years, with Kers, slick tires, downforce and new aero rules, so it's very exciting," said Fisichella.
"It would be good to see all the teams mixed up and to be able to fight for points. If the car is good, why not even for the podium?"
German Adrian Sutil will occupy the second driver's seat but Mallya is keen to one day employ an Indian driver.
"Much has been made of our decision not to employ an Indian driver, but it was my feeling that, although there is great talent out there, it is not right for Force India at the current time," he said.
"Of course at some point, from a patriotic point of view, I would love to see an Indian driver driving an Indian car and I have always said that with 1.2 billion people there must be a Lewis Hamilton in there somewhere!
"We will keep our eyes peeled and if, or when, the time is right, you'll see it happen."