FIA president Max Mosley has revealed that Formula 1's proposed budget cap will be more than £30m per team, ahead of a further announcement on Thursday.
Mosley, who has led motorsport's governing body since 1993, is positive teams will accept plans to reduce spend in the wake of the global recession.
"People cannot, in the current economic conditions, get enough money to survive without that," he told BBC Sport.
Mosley said he was confident teams wary of the cap could change their views.
Ferrari are believed to be the most stringent opponent of financial limitations, but Mosley believes the budget cap - which is set to be slightly higher than the £30m originally proposed - will be ultimately beneficial.We've not had any reaction because they haven't seen the detail," he said, confirming that comprehensive details would be released on Thursday.
"But I think when they do see it they may find it attractive.
"Like everybody else they need to save money, they have to think of their shareholders' money and not just spend like in the old days.
"I suspect when they see the figures everybody will come in under the cost cut, which will come in straightaway from 2010. I certainly hope so.
"It's important we get it in place because if not then we are going to lose a lot of the teams."
Mosley was speaking following Wednesday's extraordinary meeting of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council in Paris - where McLaren were handed a suspended three-race ban for misleading race officials at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
A fierce campaigner for cost-cutting across F1, Mosley announced in March that a voluntary cap of £30m would be introduced from next season, but said teams would have a choice.
The option, he said, would be a freedom to spend - but only operate within the existing technical constraints.
The alternative would be to work within the budget, but with the prospect of being technically innovative. The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) will discuss the new proposals in London on 6 May having, in January, unanimously agreed to a series of cost-cutting measures - including limits on expensive testing and a cheaper engine for smaller teams starting in 2010.
F1 is one of the biggest-spending sports in the world but the global recession has had a tangible effect, with Honda pulling out of the sport in December and Renault introducing wage reductions.
The budget cap could attract new entrants to the sport, with F1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone previously stating that he envisaged as many as three new teams next year.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
F1 awaits full budget cap plans
McLaren given suspended race ban
McLaren have been given a suspended three-race ban for misleading stewards at the Australian Grand Prix by motor sport's governing body, the FIA.
The British team admitted five charges of breaching Formula 1 rules at a special inquiry on Wednesday in Paris.
The penalty will only be enforced upon Lewis Hamilton's team if "further facts emerge" about this incident or if there is a "further breach" of the rules.
McLaren described the World Motor Sport Council hearing as "very fair".
The FIA said the approach of McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh in dealing with the incident once the full details had emerged, helped in earning them a suspension to the penalty they have received.Having regard to the open and honest way in which McLaren team principal, Mr Martin Whitmarsh, addressed the WMSC and the change in culture which he made clear has taken place in his organisation, the WMSC decided to suspend the application of the penalty it deems appropriate," read a World Motor Sport Council statement.
"This will only be applied if further facts emerge regarding the case or if, in the next 12 months, there is a further breach by the team of article 151 c of the International Sporting Code."
Speaking after the hearing, FIA president Max Mosley said the WMSC's decision was "entirely fair."
He added: "McLaren have demonstrated there is a complete culture change, that it's all different to what it was.
"In those circumstances it looks better to put the whole thing behind us, so unless there is something similar in the future, that is the end of the matter."
F1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone told BBC Sport that he felt McLaren may have escaped a harsher punishment.
606: DEBATE
Was it the right decision? Should they have been fined? Or should it have been worse?
bestchelseasteven
"It was good. Fair and honest and straightforward verdict. I thought Martin was happy with that. They knew they did something wrong so they got a slap."
When asked if they got off lightly, he added: "Probably, yes."
The incident occurred towards the end of the season-opening race in Melbourne where world champion Hamilton finished fourth behind Jarno Trulli's Toyota.
Following the race, McLaren accused the Italian of breaking F1 rules by overtaking while the field was under the control of the safety car.
Officials initially handed Trulli a 25-second penalty, promoting Hamilton to third after he and McLaren's long-serving sporting director Dave Ryan gave evidence that the Englishman had not deliberately let the Toyota driver through, and had not been asked by the team to do so.But McLaren's radio communication contradicted this and Hamilton was later disqualified with Trulli reinstated to third place.
Hamilton, who issued an emotional public apology after the incident in which he insisted was not a 'liar', has escaped punishment from the FIA and is free to drive at the next race in Spain on 10 May.
After full details were revealed, Whitmarsh made the decision to sack Ryan after 35 years with the team.
Former McLaren principal Ron Dennis, Whitmarsh's predecessor, also moved away from having any direct involvement with F1 - although he insisted this was not in any way related to the incident.
Whitmarsh also wrote to Mosley to offer an "unreserved apology" and accept the team were in breach of the regulations.
After appearing at the hearing in Paris, Whitmarsh said: "We are aware that we made serious mistakes in Australia and Malaysia, and I was therefore very glad to be able to apologise for those mistakes once again.
"I was also pleased to be able to assure the FIA World Motor Sport Council members that we had taken appropriate action with a view to ensuring that such mistakes do not occur again."
In a team statement, McLaren thanked the FIA World Motor Sport Council members".
"We now look forward with enthusiasm to continuing our efforts to develop a closer and more co-operative relationship between ourselves and the FIA," it read.
"We will also continue to focus our efforts on closing the performance gap that exists between our car and the fastest cars.
"Following Lewis Hamilton's encouraging fourth place in Bahrain last Sunday, we are now optimistic that we will be able to play an increasingly competitive part in what is fast developing into a very exciting season of Formula 1 motor racing."
Hamilton's car has been largely uncompetitive car this season and he has only nine points from the first four races, trailing championship leader Jenson Button by 22.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Branson in Brawn negotiations
Sir Richard Branson has made Brawn GP an offer to become principal sponsor - but finds himself in a battle for branding.
Branson and his Virgin Group forged a partnership with the team in Australia, since when the famous logo has adorned the cars of both Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. As the short-term deal was put together very quickly, he admitted in Melbourne his hopes were for a more longer-lasting relationship.
"The team have become very popular since the beginning of the season," said Branson. "At the moment we are negotiating, as are other people, and we may or may not end up doing a full-branding exercise."
He added: "If we don't do it we will obviously be the sponsor for this year and would be delighted with the way it has gone. And if we end up doing it, even better. Let's see how it goes.
"But someone could come in and pay a silly price. If that happens, we will bow out gracefully. At the moment we've made an offer we feel we can afford."
Team principal Ross Brawn confirmed discussions were still ongoing, adding: "We are looking to try and develop a bigger, longer-term relationship.
"It is understanding what they want and what we want.
"In this particular (financial) environment, any team is looking for medium-term commitments, so it would be nice to have our principal funding in place for the next few years."
Government needs to 'wake up'
Racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart believes the government will only have itself to blame if Britain loses its grand prix.
The future of the race is in serious jeopardy following a breakdown in the relationship between Donington Park owner Tom Wheatcroft and the East Midlands venue's leaseholder, Simon Gillett.
F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has already slammed the government as "a disgrace" for not stepping in to help, and for once he and Stewart are in agreement. "If we lose the grand prix now, the government will only have itself to blame," said Stewart.
With Gillett failing to pay £2.47million in back rent, Wheatcroft has started legal proceedings against the CEO of Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd to reclaim the money, and is also demanding forfeiture of the lease.
It clearly indicates Gillett is in financial trouble and there is now a real possibility there will be no race in Britain from 2010 when Donington is due to begin its 10-year deal.
Stewart added: "It's not just locally, regionally, nationally that there would be an economic loss, it's UK plc that's at risk.
"We've close to 50,000 people employed in an industry that, if the British Grand Prix left, I guarantee you - not immediately - there would be a slide in technology going to other places. That's wrong.
"Now I am a big supporter of wanting to see the Olympics in the UK, but for a small percentage of the money being spent, Silverstone could be whipped into shape for 2010 and thereafter.
"And when you look at it, no other sport has the structure in place that motor sport has and with the number of people employed in the industry. The boots of a footballer get made in Vietnam or wherever, but in our case the cars and parts are all made in 'Motor Sport Valley' (in Northamptonshire).
"That is a big enough incentive for the British government to wake up and say we can't afford to lose a jewel of this kind."
Improving Hamilton urges caution
Lewis Hamilton has warned there will be no quick fix for his McLaren team's problems despite an improved showing at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.
The world champion achieved his best result of the season with fourth place but said the McLaren was still "a long way behind" the leading cars.
"I'm delighted, considering we started fifth, but it was just so hard to keep up with the guys," he said.
"Brawn and Toyota are so quick in the fast corners it was impossible for me."
McLaren were much more competitive in Bahrain than they had been at other venues this year.But that was partly down to the configuration of the circuit - the Sakhir track does not have many of the high-speed corners that expose the McLaren's lack of aerodynamic downforce.
"When you're behind people you learn a lot," said Hamilton, who spent portions of the race chasing Toyota's Jarno Trulli and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel.
"It's fairly difficult to follow someone who has a lot more downforce than you. From Turn 4 onwards they lose me. It's just on the ragged edge each time.
"We're not really fighting back up there. We have just done a better job than a lot of people. While they make mistakes we are just collecting the points. We are still a long way behind with the car."
McLaren have a major update to the car for the next race in Spain on 10 May - as will all the other leading teams.
Despite that, both Hamilton and team boss Martin Whitmarsh said they expected to be further behind the pace-setters at the Barcelona track.
Brilliant Button wins in Bahrain
Brawn driver Jenson Button won the Bahrain Grand Prix to secure his third victory in four races this season.
Button started fourth but was up to third by the start of the second lap, crucially fighting off a challenge from Lewis Hamilton's improving McLaren.
Button chased the leading Toyotas hard early on and moved into a lead he never lost when they made their pit stops.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel was second from Toyota's Jarno Trulli as Hamilton had his best finish of 2009 in fourth.
Hamilton's fast start, made possible by the Kers power-boost system on his McLaren, catapulted him ahead of Vettel on the run down to the first corner and was crucial in deciding the result of the race.
Despite starting third and fourth, Vettel and Button were the favourites for victory once the drivers' respective fuel loads were taken into account.
And the pace of the two cars was close enough over a race stint to suggest that it would have been a close race.
With Glock passing pole-sitter Trulli off the line for the lead, Hamilton rocketed into third, with Button also slipping ahead of Vettel.Then, in the decisive moment of the race, Button was able to take advantage of a mistake by Hamilton at the end of the first lap to pass the McLaren impressively and move into third place at Turn One on the second lap.
That meant Button was able to lap at his maximum potential for his entire first stint, trailing the Toyotas at a few seconds' distance, while Vettel's pace was compromised in the early laps by Hamilton.
Consequently, Button emerged in the lead after the first pit stops and was able rapidly to extend his advantage while Vettel was held up behind Trulli.
The Italian and the German were nose-to-tail, with Hamilton right behind them, until the McLaren and the Toyota made their second and final stops on lap 37.
That released Vettel, who had a 10.5-second lead over Button when the Brawn emerged from its pit stop.
With only three laps before his own stop, Vettel had nowhere near enough time to try to erode Button's advantage.
He did, though, make up enough ground to emerge ahead of Trulli.
"This is a good point for the team," said Vettel. "I was very surprised when Lewis [Hamilton] came up beside me on the first lap and later on I just did not have the tyres to attack and do any better."
Button cruised to a comfortable victory - extending his championship lead to 12 points, while Vettel fought off a challenge from Trulli in the closing laps.
"This was a tough race this weekend, we haven't had the pace advantage we did have - other teams have caught up with or even overtaken us," said Button after the race."The first lap was so important today because I knew Vettel was going long - but I made it work and I was up to third by the end of that lap so I was delighted."
Toyota had chosen a different tyre strategy from the other leading teams.
They chose to get the slower 'medium' tyres out of the way in their middle stint and fit the faster 'super-soft' tyres for the final part of the race, as they were not sure if the softer tyres would last.
The others all chose to save the 'medium' tyres until the final stint, and McLaren in particular proved that - for the overall race strategy - it worked out to be a better ploy.
As such, though Trulli's Toyota running on 'softs' meant he was faster than Vettel in the final 16 laps of the race and had the Italian right behind his rival, he could not pass the Red Bulls's Chinese GP winner who managed to hang on for second place.
"I am a little bit disappointed because I was waiting for the first win for Toyota," he said.
"Unfortunately at the start I had an oil spillage which cost me the position from then on it was a hard race I was following my team-mate I was going longer.
"We did a very long second stint on hard tyres, I was trying to fight and actually it was a really hard fight.
"I wasn't extremely quick but I was competitive on hard tyres - then eventually Sebastian took the position after my last stop - then he was on hards and I was on soft, and I was pushing him. I was quicker but there was no way to overtake him."
Hamilton followed them home in fourth, slipping backwards in the closing stages on his 'medium' tyres."I am delighted with fourth," said Hamilton. "Considering we started fifth we moved up one place, we had a great start.
"But Red Bull, the Toyotas and Brawn are just so fast in the fast corners, I can't keep up with them. We have a lot of work to do.
"It was a long race, it's very hot in this heat. But bit by bit I'm learning more and I'm able to give the team a little bit more direction."
Barrichello was fifth, a three-stop strategy not working out for Button's team-mate, ahead of the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen, Glock and Fernando Alonso's Renault.
Toyota's tyre strategy meant that Raikkonen also had his hands full in the closing laps fighting off Glock.
But he used his Kers power-boost button to good effect to keep the German behind and score Ferrari's first points of the year.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Legal battle threatens British GP
The future of the British Grand Prix at Donington is again in doubt after legal proceedings were issued against the company leasing the track.
Track owners Wheatcroft & Son Limited are seeking £2.47m in rent arrears from Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd (DVLL) as well as forfeiture of the lease.
DVLL, headed by chief executive officer Simon Gillett, secured the 150-year lease in 2007.
The circuit has a 10-year contract to host the race, starting in 2010.
The proceedings against DVLL were started at Derby County Court by lawyers at Browne Jacobson LLP, acting on behalf of the Wheatcrofts, Tom and Kevin.
"It is with great reluctance we have taken this decision," said Kevin Wheatcroft. "Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd owe us nearly £2.5m in rent dating back to September 2008.
"Despite receiving numerous reassurances over a number of months, they have consistently failed to meet their financial obligations under the terms of the lease."We have held off taking legal action for as long as possible, but have been left with no choice but to commence proceedings to recover the outstanding rent and forfeiture of the lease."
Championship leader Jenson Button admitted it would be a "disaster" if the British Grand Prix was taken off the Formula 1 calendar.
"As a British driver, and motor sport is very British, it would be very disappointing not to race in my home country," said Button.
"I don't live in the UK, I live in Monaco, but I'm very British and very patriotic, and it would be a disaster.
"It is a GP that is very hectic for a British driver because it's a very busy schedule.
"But in a way that's what I love about it. It's great driving in and seeing all the Union Jacks. It's a great feeling for a driver."
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone expressed sadness at the latest developments threatening the British GP.
McLaren make apology for 'lying'
McLaren have written to Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, to apologise for misleading race stewards after the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
McLaren were found guilty of misleading race stewards, with their driver Lewis Hamilton disqualified from the race.
The team are charged with five counts of bringing the sport into disrepute and face an FIA hearing on 29 April.
Penalties could include expulsion from the 2009 championship, suspension, a fine or points deduction.
"We are co-operating with the FIA. I have written to (FIA president) Max Mosley but before 29 April I can't say anything about it," said McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh ahead of Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix.
"It's a letter to them. Certainly, there's been no leak about it from us and I can't comment on it."
Whitmarsh's letter offers Mosley, the FIA and race officials "an unreserved apology" for lying to stewards in Melbourne.Hamilton finished fourth behind Trulli's Toyota, whom McLaren accused of breaking F1 rules by overtaking while the field was under the control of the safety car.
Officials initially handed Trulli a 25-second penalty, promoting Hamilton to third after the world champion and McLaren's long-serving sporting director Dave Ryan gave evidence that the Englishman had not deliberately let the Toyota driver through, and had not been asked by the team to do so.
But McLaren's radio communication contradicted this and Hamilton was later disqualified with Trulli reinstated to third place.
Hamilton, who issued an emotional public apology after the incident, is expected to escape further censure but Ryan, who was with him at the hearings and has worked for McLaren for 35 years, has been sacked.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Brawn still team to beat - Webber
Mark Webber insists Brawn GP remain the team to beat despite Red Bull's impressive one-two at the China GP.
Webber followed Sebastian Vettel home at a rain-hit Shanghai to break Brawn GP's early season dominance.
But he told BBC Sport: "There's nothing to suggest a huge amount has changed since Malaysia when, in the dry, Brawn were a second faster than anyone else.
"That car is definitely strong and they are the team that is the benchmark for every team to try to close in on."
It was thought the wet conditions in Shanghai would open up the field and play into the hands of Brawn GP, the championship pace-setters who started fourth and fifth on the grid, but started with a heavier fuel load than the Red Bulls.
However, Brawn GP drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello could do nothing about the consistent pace of the Red Bulls in the soaking conditions, with Webber and, particularly, Vettel showing impressive pace and skill.The result ended Button's run of victories that kicked off the season and saw Red Bull close to within 16.5 points of Brawn GP in the constructors' championship.
However Webber does not believe the result spells the end of Brawn GP's dominance.
"If you look at the fuel-corrected timings, taking into account the loads being carried by each car, the grid would have been Rubens Barrichello, Jenson Button, Jarno Trulli, Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber so clearly we have to keep improving," he said.
"We have some good momentum coming off what was a special afternoon but we realise we're not going to get 18 points every weekend.
"We have to maximise our car's performance every weekend - especially with a mind to the development race we have going on off the track, which is incredible.
"All the teams have got new stuff coming and that is going to move the performance barrier around from team to team, so we have to hope we can continue to push the performance of the car to stay up with the best."
Ferrari predict end to poor form
Ferrari hope they will be able to get their season back on track when the championship moves to Europe in May.
The team have scored no points in the first three races, making this their worst start to a season since 1981.
Kimi Raikkonen, the team's former world champion, said: "We don't have the speed to be where we want to be.
"But for sure when we get to Barcelona (for the Spanish Grand Prix on 10 May) and get some new parts we should improve quite a bit."
Ferrari's car has been off the pace since the start of the season - and they lie last in the constructors' championship, which they won last year.
Raikkonen qualified eighth in the dry in China before dropping back to finish 10th in the wet race, while team-mate Felipe Massa failed to finish following an electronics failure.
But the Finn said he believed the team would find a solution to their problems.
"If we had had a dry race today we would have scored some points," he said.
"We don't have enough grip in the dry but in the wet it seems to be even more difficult. We'll do the best that we can and I'm sure we are going to be back in a position to challenge for wins, so we just need to go through this hard time."But it will take a little while. It will not happen overnight. We know that once we get to Barcelona we should take a step with the car.
"Hopefully it will improve the situation and it has nothing to do with people not trying to do their best.
"But it's not an easy sport to catch up and sometimes when you don't have what you want it just seems to be very difficult and everything seems to be against you.
"It's hard to get out of it, but like I said it takes a while and we need to get through that period and I'm sure that we are gong to be in a position to challenge. I don't know when, but hopefully sooner than later."
Ferrari are hoping to introduce for the Spanish race their own version of the controversial 'double-decker' diffuser that has dominated the sport since the start of the season.
Ferrari were one of four teams to protest against a design of the floor at the rear of the cars run by the Brawn, Toyota and Williams teams, claiming it contravened the new regulations that were introduced for this season.
But the device was declared legal by F1's Court of Appeal last Wednesday and now the other seven teams are facing a race against time to develop one for their cars.
"We probably don't have the same downforce as the others," Raikkonen said.
"When we get the new floor for sure we are going to get lots of downforce and it will make the car fast. In the dry the handling of the car is not too bad, but we are missing downforce through the corners. For sure it will make a massive difference."
Team boss Stefano Domenicali said after the Chinese Grand Prix that the diffuser was not the only reason Ferrari were struggling."That device will give you a benefit," he said. "But it would be wrong to believe that it is the only key. We have seen, for example, the Red Bull car [which does not have one of the controversial diffusers] has done a really great job.
"They had more time, they switched their project much earlier than us and that is the reality and we need to consider it. The other thing that we have to understand well is that today in certain conditions, look at the first part of the race, our car was not too bad at all. So we need to understand a lot of things.
"I think we have to wait. We need to stay cool.
"It is not easy, I know, but we need to stay cool because there are too many things that can change very quickly. The priority number one is to move from zero points."
Vettel seals first Red Bull win
Sebastian Vettel made light work of poor visibility at a rain-hit Chinese Grand Prix with a superb drive to give Red Bull their first ever race victory.
Team-mate Mark Webber made it a one-two to ensure it was a dream day for the British-based team in Shanghai.
Championship leader Jenson Button came third ahead of the second Brawn car of veteran driver Rubens Barrichello.
World champion Lewis Hamilton was sixth for rapidly-improving McLaren behind Finnish team-mate Heikki Kovalainen.
After two days of hot and sunny conditions for practice and qualifying, strong winds brought a continuous rain to the modern track meaning the Chinese GP started as the Malaysian race had finished - under the safety car.That appeared to open up the field and play into the hands of Brawn GP, the championship pace-setters who were sat in fourth and fifth on the grid and carrying a heavier fuel load than the Red Bulls ahead of them and, in particular, Renault's Fernando Alonso in second.
But Brawn's drivers could do nothing about the consistent pace of the Red Bulls in the soaking conditions, with Vettel particularly impressive on his way to his second GP victory after becoming the youngest ever race winner in Italy last year with Toro Rosso.
The race started with eight laps under the safety car, though when it peeled off the cars were still engulfed in spray.
But Vettel drove flawlessly throughout, eventually beating Webber by 10.9 seconds as he occasionally clocked laps that were three seconds quicker than anybody else - and the 21-year-old German now moves up to third in the drivers' championship.
Australian Webber could himself have notched his first GP win but will have to settle for his best ever finish as the pole sitter took victory for the third successive race this season.
Around 30 laps in he and Button became embroiled in a battle for second position and both drivers made small but costly errors, causing them to momentarily skid off the sheets of water which stood on the sodden track.That period proved crucial for Vettel who, with Button and Webber trading places but slightly losing time, kept his cool to stretch out his lead and make sure of the win.
"I am extremely happy, this is the second time now [I have won] in the wet," he said. "The car was fantastic, the team did a really good job in fixing the problems we had and preparing it.
"It was the right decision to start behind the safety car."
Button stretched his lead at the top of the championship by a point as a result of finishing third and highlighted the difficulties drivers faced in the treacherous conditions in Shanghai.
"It was crazy out there, there was so much aquaplaning," he said.
"Every lap I thought I was going to run the car off, especially on the last corner."
Sixth-placed Hamilton secured three points after experiencing an improved showing in a McLaren car which is showing far greater reliability than in the first two Grands Prix of the season.
Starting in eighth, the English driver made an impressive early charge after the safety car went in and moved up to fourth position around the 25-lap mark.
The world champion's determination to challenge the frontrunners in a season in which he has largely been well off the pace, allied to the wet circuit, saw him spin off a number of times - but Hamilton expressed a quiet pleasure with the progress McLaren are making."It was terrible [conditions] out there," he said.
"There was a little bit of fun at the beginning when I had some grip but it was really tough. I'm sure it was the same for everyone.
"[But] the reliability of the car is fantastic and these were some good points for the team."
One of the most notable performances of the race came from Sebastian Buemi - the only rookie driver this season - who drove aggressively and, after briefly sitting fourth at one stage and then recovering from a minor crash into the back of Vettel, eventually finished eight to notch a point for Toro Rosso.
Reigning constructors' champions Ferrari had another disastrous race and it is the first time since 1981 they have gone three races into the season without a point.
Whilst going well in third position on lap 21, Felipe Massa's car gradually slowed down before coming to a halt as it broke down on the track, causing the Brazilian to retire.
"I'm very disappointed and a bit upset but my motivation is still intact," said Massa.
"All of us must work together to get out of this situation. The team is united and there is a real will to turn things round as soon as possible."Team-mate Kimi Raikkonen did enjoy a brief battle with Hamilton around the same period as he looked to secure the Italian team's first points of 2009, but the Finn eventually finished 10th.
Force India came close to securing their first ever points in F1 but Adrian Sutil, who was in sixth place with five laps to go, spun off on worn tyres.
After the race both Red Bull drivers gave credit to the team's crew, who had to fix a driveshaft problem that had blighted the race cars in Saturday practice and restricting their running in qualifying.
They will now be looking to build on their first win in the next race in Bahrain on Sunday, 26 April.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Hamilton: McLaren on right track
Lewis Hamilton feels McLaren are on the road to recovery after he secured ninth on the grid for Sunday's Chinese GP.
The 24-year-old has endured a trying start to his title defence having been stripped of third at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix before registering his solitary point with seventh place in Malaysia.
Following Wednesday's FIA ruling that the controversial 'double-decker' diffuser is legal, McLaren acted quickly to equip Hamilton's MP4-24 car with a modified design of the component as well as a new front wing.
The result was an instant improvement in performance as Hamilton topped the timesheets in first practice yesterday before reaching Q3 for the first time this season today.
While there is still some way to go before McLaren show the sort of form they enjoyed over the past two seasons, Hamilton believes the team is moving in the right direction.
"Step by step, we are moving forward," he said.
"Thanks to all the guys back at the factory for doing such a fantastic job and for churning away on all the new parts - every little step helps us catch the leaders.
"There is still a long way to go but this definitely feels like the start of the road to recovery."
Hamilton's team-mate Heikki Kovalainen could only qualify 12th but the performance of the two was enough to convince McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh that both can claim good results tomorrow.
Whitmarsh said: "There is still a long way to go - and we will not be happy until we are back at the front - but this is an encouraging and significant step for the whole team.
"We go into tomorrow's race seriously optimistic of getting both cars into the points."
Renault & McLaren change diffuser
Renault and McLaren will run with updated diffusers at the Chinese Grand Prix, BBC Sport understands.
The two Formula 1 teams are reacting quickly to a decision by the sport's governing body, the FIA, to approve the use of split-level diffusers.
The FIA Court of Appeal this week rejected complaints from rival teams about the design used by Brawn Grand Prix, Toyota and Williams.
The decision will force the other teams to consider a drastic redesign.
Renault were amongst the teams who spoke strongly against the use of the split-level diffuser - an aerodynamic part at the rear of the car which increases performance - at an eight-hour hearing in Paris on Wednesday.
But the French team, who won constructors' titles in both 2005 and 2006, are now understood to have flown in a modified diffuser to the Shanghai International Circuit.McLaren are also expected to introduce a limited update to their diffuser when first free practice begins in China at 1000 local time (0300 BST) on Friday.
The split-level design is believed to give an advantage of around 0.5 seconds per lap, though Renault and McLaren are not expected to make such a leap in performance immediately.
"I do not think it will be a huge gain in the beginning," conceded Renault driver Fernando Alonso.
"It's not only about putting a magic part on the car - the whole philosophy of the car needs changing and that will take time.
"We will be better than in the last race (in Malaysia) but we can still develop further."
The seven teams who ran without the split-level diffuser in the opening races of 2009 in Australia and Malaysia will need both time and money to catch up with Brawn, Toyota and Williams.
Mike Gascoyne - former technical director of Toyota, Jordan and most recently Force India - told BBC Sport: "A major update to the rear of the car requires a redesign of the gear box, the crash structure and the rear suspension.
"While some teams will implement small updates based on the FIA's clarification, without a huge redesign they won't be able to get the full performance effect.Over the next couple of races we will see more and more teams making small updates while significant updates will only come in the following months."
The diffuser row broke out when Ferrari, Renault and Red Bull protested against the legality of the split-level design on the eve of the season-opening Grand Prix in Australia, but race stewards in Melbourne rejected their claims.
BMW Sauber then had a similar protest rejected at the Malaysian Grand Prix while McLaren subsequently recently added their weight to the official protest.
The FIA introduced a raft of rule changes for the 2009 season designed to aid overtaking and make racing more exciting - and the teams whose controversial interpretation of the FIA's regulations on the design of the diffusers has now been ruled legal have prospered.
Meanwhile, the teams that have used the new Kers (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) energy storage and power boost system so far this season - Renault, Ferrari, McLaren, and BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld - have experienced little success.
Ferrari, who have failed to score a point in the two races so far, have decided to dispense with Kers for the Chinese Grand Prix because of reliability problems.
Two-time world champion Alonso was this week quoted as saying: "We have done what the FIA wanted us to do and because of that are being beaten by teams that did what the FIA didn't want."
Hamilton not upset by Dennis exit
Lewis Hamilton has insisted that despite being surprised at the exit of McLaren mentor Ron Dennis from Formula 1, he was "not disappointed".
Dennis, who stepped down as team boss in January, handed over complete control of McLaren Racing to team principal Martin Whitmarsh on Thursday.
"I wasn't disappointed," said the 23-year-old. "I was surprised."
Hamilton said Dennis would remain key in his life - but admitted he did not know why he had chosen to leave now. "Ron has been a huge force and support in my life, and he still plays a key role in my life," he told a news conference after Friday practice at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.
"Whether or not he is in the team or not, I think you guys have been writing about it for years that as soon as he gets to a certain stage he will move aside.
"I guess I don't know why he decided to do it now."
Dennis ended his 43-year involvement in F1 at a time when McLaren, whose car Hamilton drove to the world title last year, are under intense pressure after a series of on and off-track troubles.
McLaren - who have failed to register a podium finish in the season's first two races - are set to face the sport's governing body, the FIA, on 29 April to answer charges of breaching the International Sporting Code.
That comes after the British team were found guilty of misleading race stewards following the Australian Grand Prix, which led to Hamilton being disqualified from the race.
And 61-year-old Dennis - who insists that the timing of his departure from F1 was "purely coincidental" - admitted his absence may well be welcomed by two of F1's biggest names. "I admit I'm not always easy to get on with. I admit I've always fought hard for McLaren in Formula 1," he said.
"I doubt if [FIA president] Max Mosley or [F1 commercial rights holder] Bernie Ecclestone will be displeased by my decision."
Martin Whitmarsh has also suggested that Dennis' departure may improve the team's standing with the FIA.
As executive chairman of McLaren Automotive, Dennis will now concentrate solely on leading the group's project to develop a range of pure McLaren sports cars, with the launch date for the first model set for 2011.
The future of Hamilton, who is contracted to McLaren until 2013, has been subject to scrutiny since events in Melbourne - but he insisted on Friday that he was not looking elsewhere.
"I'm contracted to the team and I'm happy where I am," he said.
McLaren's Dennis quits Formula 1
Ron Dennis has handed over complete control of McLaren Racing to team principal Martin Whitmarsh, ending his 43-year involvement in Formula 1.
The 61-year-old stepped down as world champion Lewis Hamilton's team boss on 16 January, but stayed involved in F1.
Dennis will now concentrate solely on McLaren's new sports car project.
"I am the architect of this restructure of McLaren. I have no qualms about leaving Martin to look after all matters connected to F1," said Dennis.
"I feel enormously enthused about the prospects for both the McLaren Group and for McLaren Automotive."
As executive chairman of McLaren Automotive, Dennis will lead the group's project to develop a range of pure McLaren sports cars, with the launch date for the first model set for 2011.And with McLaren set to face the sport's governing body, the FIA, on 29 April to answer charges of breaching the International Sporting Code, Dennis admits his departure will be welcomed by two of F1's biggest names.
"I admit I'm not always easy to get on with. I admit I've always fought hard for McLaren in Formula 1," he said.
"I doubt if (FIA president) Max Mosley or (F1 supremo) Bernie Ecclestone will be displeased by my decision."
However, Dennis, who first took over as McLaren team principal in 1981, insisted at a news conference that the timing of his departure from F1 was "purely coincidental" and not linked to the team's upcoming FIA hearing.
McLaren were found guilty of misleading race stewards following the Australian Grand Prix, which led to Lewis Hamilton - who had been awarded third place - being disqualified from the race and stripped of his points.
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Jonathan Legard on Dennis departure
Hamilton subsequently apologised for his involvement in the incident, claiming he had been told to lie by sporting director Dave Ryan, who was suspended and then sacked within 24 hours of the FIA's announcement of its findings.
New team principal Whitmarsh also confirmed on Thursday that he offered to quit.
BBC sports news correspondent Andy Swiss reported: "There has been speculation about Ron's reasons for leaving and I asked him whether he knew about Ryan's and Hamilton's decision to mislead stewards. He said he didn't know anything.
"I then asked whether he was leaving F1 to improve McLaren's chances at the hearing and he said 'no'.
"I also asked him about relationship with Hamilton and his father Anthony, because there were reports that it was not as strong as before. He said this wasn't the case. He revealed he had spoken to Lewis and his father a few days ago in Australia. He also praised Lewis' public apology following the incident in Australia."
Vettel on shock pole for Red Bull
Sebastian Vettel grabbed Red Bull's first ever pole position in a thrilling qualifying session in Shanghai.
Team-mate Mark Webber starts Sunday's race in third as the favourites Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello of Brawn GP were pushed into fourth and fifth.
Renault's Fernando Alonso, who has widely struggled for speed so far this season, will start from second.
World champion Lewis Hamilton was ninth for McLaren, who have shown signs of improvement with an updated car.
Starting in first and third at the Chinese Grand Prix represents a real achievement for Red Bull - considered one of the teams with fewer resources than the traditional powerhouses - as the 2009 season continues to throw any sense of Formula 1's conventions on its head.
It was generally anticipated that Brawn GP, who have dominated the first two races, would again put a driver on the front row. But the British-based team showed they have the best car on the grid that is not running with a double-decker diffuser - a controversial take on a key component at the rear of a car which Brawn, Williams and Toyota have used so far this season and was passed as legal by F1's governing body, the FIA, on Wednesday.
German Vettel coolly came first in the second session before triumphing in the final session with a time of one minute 36.184, triggering an explosion of joy from his mechanics and engineers.
"I am very, very happy," said the 21-year-old.
"It is unbelievable that we made it to pole position in the end. This morning we had a problem with the car. The mechanics did a very good job and fixed the car. Basically it is all down to them."
When the weights of the cars in qualifying were published, however, it emerged that fourth-placed Barrichello was running with 18kg more fuel than frontrunner Vettel.
That heavier load equates to an approximate deficit of 0.6 seconds, meaning that he was essentially three tenths quicker - and the fastest man in the field.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Double finish on Force India agenda
Force India won't mind if a point or two falls into its lap but a double finish will be the primary target in Chinese Grand Prix.
The Force India drivers clarified that finishing the race would be the primary. Adrian Sutil reckons the VJM02 car, powered by a Mercedes engine and a McLaren gearbox, will have its best chance when the Formula One caravan shifts to Europe next month.
As for now however, the German says he will be happy to bring his car home safely in China and see others making mistakes.
"The aim, as was for the previous races, is to be reliable and get to the finish. This year I've got a 100 percent finish record so far, and I want to keep this up," he said.
"We've seen that some of the other teams are having problems with KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems) and the order is not so fixed at the moment. So if you get to the finish there's a good chance you could do well.
"I think this should be our goal for now -- but when we get back to Europe I want to be racing on merit, not just waiting for something to happen to another driver," he explained.
His senior driver Giancarlo Fisichella had more or less the same view, even though the Italian insisted on better qualification.
"The main goal this weekend is to have a clean event without any mistakes, qualify well and to finish the race," Fisichella said.
"I think it's too early to start hoping for points yet, but we need to keep the momentum going and get as much information as possible so when we introduce new parts we can really see an improvement," added the veteran driver.
Two races into the season and both the drivers are optimistic about the car's potentials.
"We are closer this year and in general the VJM02 is an improvement from last season's car," Sutil said.
"The balance and mechanical grip is good and it is very fast in a straight line, but at the moment we dont have enough downforce. We do have a much clearer direction though this year -- last year we were struggling everywhere, but this year it's just downforce. We need more grip in the corners. I know we have some developments in the pipeline so at this point in the season I am hopeful. The car has potential."
Fisichella shared Sutil's optimism and said: "We are definitely closer than we were last year. For sure qualifying is still a bit of a problem for us, but in Australia we were only a couple of tenths from the World Champion so we can't be too disappointed.
"In the race it's not looking too bad. The balance is good and I have had some nice fights with other cars. We need more downforce now, but we have a clear direction to improve and I think this is really positive," he added.
Court rules Button's car is legal
World motorsport's governing body the FIA has ruled that F1 championship leader Jenson Button's car is legal.
Button has won both races this season and there were complaints that his Brawn GP team and rivals Toyota and Williams used an illegal diffuser.
But following eight hours of strongly worded evidence the International Court of Appeal ruled that the cars "comply with the applicable regulations".
All three teams are free to race in the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.
"The decision comes as no great surprise," said BBC Radio 5 Live Formula 1 commentator David Croft.
"Already this season two sets of stewards, an FIA president and an FIA race director have thought that the diffuser design of Brawn, Williams and Toyota was OK."It's a sensible decision for Formula 1. The FIA's court of appeal were highly unlikely, on technical grounds, to go against the decision of the stewards. Seven teams are now playing catch up and have to do something about it very, very quickly."
Brawn GP team boss Ross Brawn said in a statement following the verdict: "We respect the right of our competitors to query any design or concept used on our cars through the channels available to them.
"The FIA technical department, the stewards at the Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix and now five judges at the International Court of Appeal have confirmed our belief that our cars have always strictly complied with the 2009 technical regulations."
Brawn GP currently lead the constructors' world championship with 25 points, with Toyota in second place on 16 points.
A statement from the Japanese team said: "Our team studied the wording of the new 2009 regulations in precise detail to ensure we interpreted them correctly.
"We also made full use of the consultation procedure with the FIA which was a helpful process to ensure our interpretation of the technical regulations was correct."Therefore we had every confidence that the design of our car would be confirmed as legal, firstly by race stewards in Australia and Malaysia and subsequently by the Court of Appeal."
Williams chief executive Adam Parr admitted his relief at the outcome and predicted the rival teams would install rear diffusers "within days".
BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen said the team would accept the decision but didn't consider it fully legitimate.
In a statement Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali added: "We are waiting to hear the reasons the ICA rejected the appeal.
"Unfortunately this decision forces us to intervene on fundamental areas of the car's design in order to be able to compete on an equal footing with some of the teams from a point of view of the technical regulations, and that will take time and money.
"We will now double our efforts to get the team back to the highest level of competitivity."
The judges in Paris heard evidence from both sides, with Ferrari's legal representative, Nigel Tozzi QC, describing Brawn GP team boss Ross Brawn as "a person of supreme arrogance".
Brawn defended himself robustly and insisted his team's diffuser was simply "an innovative approach of an existing idea".
Friday, April 10, 2009
Raikkonen: diffuser issue critical to title hopes
Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen believes the FIA’s ruling on the legality of the diffusers used by Brawn, Williams and Toyota will have a huge bearing on the outcome of the 2009 championship. Ferrari, alongside Renault, Red Bull and BMW Sauber, have protested the decision of stewards to allow the controversial designs to be raced in Australia and Malaysia and their appeal is due to be heard on April 14.
While Ferrari are yet to score points, Brawn, Williams and Toyota all enjoyed strong pace at the opening two Grands Prix, with Brawn clinching two consecutive victories. And Raikkonen believes that the F60’s underperformance can be chiefly blamed on a relative lack of downforce, a shortfall almost certainly made worse by the disparity in diffuser designs.
“We still don’t have any points after two races and this is a very difficult moment," the Finn told the Italian team’s official website. "The next race is in China, but a couple of days before the FIA’s Court of Appeal will decide about the diffuser. This decision will have an enormous impact on the championship.
"You just need to analyse the performance in the three sectors at Malaysia to understand that we’re losing a lot compared to the best cars. You can see that especially in the middle section, where downforce is really crucial.”
Although settling the diffuser issue one way or the other will help Ferrari decide in which direction their development programme needs to progress, Raikkonen is confident that everyone in the Italian team has been working flat-out to find other solutions to boost the F60’s pace.
“We’re missing grip and downforce and we’ve got to give it our all with what we have,” he added. “There are some new features coming up and I know that the team is working very hard to anticipate the whole development. We’ve seen other moments like this, but we know how to react and we’ll do it already at Shanghai.”
The Chinese Grand Prix will take place from April 17-19.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Ferrari boss demands improvement
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has warned his team against becoming the laughing stock of Formula 1.
The Italian team have suffered their worst start to a season since 1992, finishing out of the points in both the Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix.
Di Montezemolo presided over a two-and-a-half-hour crisis meeting at Ferrari's headquarters in Maranello on Tuesday.
"I don't want to find us on some sort of TV comedy video programme after each race," he said.
The Italian giants have won eight of the last 10 constructors' championships, but have endured a miserable start to the 2009 season.
Felipe Massa finished ninth in Sepang following a mistake in qualification, while 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen was five places further adrift in 14th place.
"It would be a euphemism to say people here were very angry, but these same people are also very determined to react," said Di Montezemolo.I know that this group is known for its strong sense of pride and that will help us get out of this situation.
"The team remains united and I have every confidence in it."
Ferrari are one of the teams protesting against the controversial rear diffuser used by Brawn GP - winners of first two Grands Prix of the season - and Toyota, which they feel is illegal.
"There is an awareness of a need to react to close the performance gap, even if part of it is down to the presence of an interpretation of the regulations which many teams feel is incorrect," said a team statement.
"Therefore the next few days will see the team working energetically to anticipate as much as possible the aerodynamic development of the F60 (car)."
Malaysia start time under review
Officials in Malaysia have confirmed they will review the start time of next year's Grand Prix after last weekend's race was ruined by monsoon rain.
F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone switched the start to 5.00pm local time to increase the television audience in Europe.
But after a tropical storm made conditions impossible for drivers, the race was abandoned after 33 laps.
Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak said: "In the future, we may allocate a different time, perhaps a night race."
And Mokhzani Mahathir, chairman of the Sepang International Circuit where the GP was held, said he consulted Ecclestone after the race and they had agreed to look again at the starting time.
"I had a talk with Bernie just now and we will review it. "As to exactly what time we will start next year, we are not sure but we will review the timing for next year's race," he added.
Ecclestone himself brushed off criticism surrounding the start time, saying he has no regrets about his decision.
"No, I just have regrets about the rain," he said.
"I don't see anything wrong with the start time, we just didn't know about the rain."
Australia and Malaysian organizers refused to organise night races last year, but agreed to push back the timing of the race to 5.00pm (0900 GMT) this season to suit European fans.
Mokhzani said they could install a lighting system to illuminate the circuit if the race gets delayed in future years but heavy rain will still be an issue as it makes track conditions dangerous.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Massa feels frustrated
Ferrari's Felipe Massa was left to ponder another pointless weekend at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
After a calamitous qualifying session yesterday when he failed to make it past Q1 after the team badly misjudged the pace of the rest of the cars in qualifying, Massa looked set to rescue something from the race when he took his car from 16th on the grid to ninth.
But a torrential downpour arrived midway through the race, bringing a halt to proceedings and leaving Massa just five seconds behind the eighth-placed Williams of Nico Rosberg, who took the final half-point on offer.
While it left last year's Formula One drivers' championship runner-up empty-handed, he accepted that race organisers had made the right decision in the circumstances.
"When a decision is made for the safety of the drivers, it is always good," he said.
"We had a very difficult situation on the track so when a decision is made for our safety, I cannot go against it.
"I think it was a good decision. It was a nightmare out there. We couldn't stay on the track and at one stage, I was going slower than the safety car - we could not go any quicker."
With Massa's teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, also finishing out of the points in 14th after a disastrous gamble to switch to wet weather tyres a few laps too early, the Ferrari driver believes that the team has some serious soul-searching to do.
"It was a bad day again so we need to start from zero. We need to get together and go through point by point what went wrong and try to improve everything.
"We were not great in the past and stupid now. Certainly the car is not strong enough and we need to improve on that and to understand the mistakes we made with our strategies.
"On these kinds of things we need to get together and understand the problem.
"Last year we had a better car so it was better to improve the situation quickly and get in the fight again.
"This year our car is not so good, so it will be a bit more difficult to improve - but things change from one race to the next so maybe we still have a chance."
Massa was unhappy about the late starting time of the race, which made a restart impossible as dusk descended on Sepang.
"You either have the race in the night or have the race in the day. You cannot go in the middle - that is clear," he said emphatically.
"I have said it before and many other people have said it before and it didn't help. But the events today sent out a clear message."
McLaren likely to face F1 inquiry
The McLaren team are expected to face disciplinary charges after being found guilty of misleading race stewards following the Australian Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton and the team have already been stripped of their points from the race and the Englishman has issued an emotional public apology.
But BBC Sport has learned governing body the FIA is poised to order them to officially account for their actions.
A spokesman said the FIA was awaiting a report from its race observer.
It is understood that is expected imminently, and any further developments should become clear by Wednesday.
It is expected McLaren will be called before a meeting of the FIA World Council - but that this is unlikely to be scheduled before the Bahrain Grand Prix, the fourth race of the season, later this month.
The World Council is the body which disqualified McLaren from the constructors' championship and fined them $100m (£67m) for their role in a spy scandal involving Ferrari in 2007.
There is no limit to the action it could take in this instance if it deemed it serious enough.
Hamilton himself is expected to escape further censure.The world champion has said he was ordered to give misleading evidence by sporting director Dave Ryan, who was with him at the hearings.
Ryan, who has worked for McLaren for 35 years, has been suspended by team principal Martin Whitmarsh.
The two were found guilty of "providing evidence deliberately misleading to the stewards".
Hamilton finished fourth on the road behind Jarno Trulli's Toyota, who McLaren accused of breaking F1 rules by overtaking while the field was under the control of the safety car.
Officials initially gave Trulli a 25-second penalty, promoting Hamilton to third after Hamilton and Ryan gave evidence he had not deliberately let the Italian through, and he had not been asked by the team to do so.But McLaren's radio communication contradicted this - and after reconvening in Malaysia at the end of last week, Hamilton was disqualified from the Australian race and Trulli reinstated to third place.
Whitmarsh, whose own job is under scrutiny, has admitted the team made serious errors in their handling of the situation.
He took over from Ron Dennis as team principal only on 1 March and has admitted he did consider resigning at the end of last week.
"It wouldn't be true to say that it (resignation) wasn't (on my mind) because at a time like this, you think about what you got involved with the sport for, and it wasn't for this sort of thing," he said in Malaysia.
"It hasn't been a great experience for me and it wasn't what I started out 20 years ago to experience."In the longer term, I can contemplate my future. It's not self-determining.
"It's for the shareholders of this team to take a view and it's ultimately up to them to decide what's best for this team.
"I'm not resigning this weekend. We've made commitments to look at how we arrived at this situation.
"We've got to learn from it and we've got to be better in future."
Whitmarsh defends Hamilton
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh is convinced people will judge Lewis Hamilton to be "a great world champion."
Not even the torrential downpour that soaked the Sepang circuit and brought a premature halt to on Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix managed to wash away the stain of the latest furore to tarnish McLaren.
The FIA will on Monday receive a report from their observer and the stewards at the Australian Grand Prix into the storm that resulted in the suspension of McLaren's sporting director Dave Ryan and the besmirching of the name of reigning world champion Hamilton.
Just 19 months after the resolution of 'spy-gate' the World Motor Sport Council may now be summoned to look into 'lie-gate' and the web of deceit spun immediately after the Albert Park race.
The World Motor Sports Council has it within their power to impose sanctions on McLaren should the reports recommend further investigation into the matter.
As for Hamilton, his exclusion from the race, and subsequent act of contrition in front of the world's media on Friday, would appear to suggest he is off the hook.
But there remains a question mark over the long-term damage to his reputation and character, with some critics drawing comparisons to Michael Schumacher and his occasional win-at-all-costs tactics.
"Lewis has openly and bravely admitted what he has done wrong, and he has apologised," remarked Whitmarsh.
Pointedly, bearing in mind seven-times champion Schumacher failed to say sorry for his misdemeanours, Whitmarsh added: "I think that is in contrast with some other things that have happened in F1, so I think there is a difference."
Whitmarsh feels it is easy for people to point accusing fingers and forget drivers make errors under extreme pressure and considering the unforgiving spotlight that can focus upon them.
"At the heart of this process are a group of committed, dedicated, hard-working individuals who are fallible, and have made some mistakes in the heat of the moment," assessed Whitmarsh.
"They are damaging, but I think people understand that no-one is perfect.
"From that, it is for people to decide whether they forgive and balance the equation of the greatness of various people.
"I fully acknowledge and have a great passion for drivers, and that the public ultimately are interested in the driver achievements and their bravery.
"But all of the 20 drivers that take to the grid are extraordinary young men with huge bravery, who participate in a very dangerous, very exhausting, very challenging contest.
"Sometimes there is a sense, when we talk about F1, that we don't always appreciate that.
"Now I have been very fortunate to work with a lot of great, great drivers, and Lewis is very much one of those.
"People will ultimately judge him to be a great world champion, and hopefully a great multiple world champion, and they will recognise he is human."
Whilst Whitmarsh appreciates Hamilton is also his own man with his own thoughts, and therefore capable of acting independently rather than being led, he also knows McLaren failed the 24-year-old.
"I think Lewis has an enormous humanity," added Whitmarsh.
"He has put his hand up and said he has made some mistakes, and that he is deeply regretful of that.
"He was very brave in making the statements he did over the course of the weekend, and for our part we are trying to put our hand up and demonstrate our concern and humility over what happened.
"Lewis is still a young man, but he is a world champion and he has to be accountable and responsible for his actions.
"He is also an important ambassador to this sport, and I think the greatest shame is we at McLaren didn't lead him well enough to uphold the standards he intended to or wanted to."
Classy Button wins abandoned race
Jenson Button's perfect start to the season continued as he won the Malaysian Grand Prix after the race was stopped early because of heavy rain.
Brawn GP's English driver overcame a bad start from pole and drove superbly to ensure he was leading when a storm meant the race had to be declared over.
BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld was second ahead of Toyota's Timo Glock and world champion Lewis Hamilton was seventh.
For only the fifth time in Formula 1 history, drivers only win half points.
After an action-packed opening race in Australia - which Button also won in convincing fashion - the second instalment of the 2009 season lived up to the expectation that there would be more drama.Yet safety was the prime concern as, following the arrival of the red flag after 31 laps, motorsport's world governing body, the FIA, decided the race would not be restarted.
That decision was in theory backed by most drivers, some of whom had called for the race to be suspended over their team radio because of the atrocious conditions even before the safety car came out.
"The visibility is nothing," said Renault's Fernando Alonso before the race was officially called off.
"We could have a serious accident if we restart."
Before weather conditions deteriorated the race was, ultimately, a tale of the continued dominance of new boys Brawn GP - with Rubens Barrichello fifth and Button living up to his status as favourite.
After a poor start in which Williams's Nico Rosberg sped past him followed by Jarno Trulli and Renault's Fernando Alonso, Button utilised the speed of his Brawn car - and his skills as a driver - to storm back past the Spaniard with a clever manoeuvre on Turn 13.
Button quickly built up pressure on the Toyota in second and put himself into the lead during a decisive period for all drivers when, as rain started to fall around lap 17, an unexpected delay in the anticipated deluge threw the tyre strategy of many teams into disarray.Just prior to his first pit stop on lap 19, Button reaped the rewards of staying out two laps longer than race leader Jarno Trulli to clock the fastest laps of the race - taking a second off any other - as his Brawn car made the most of the extra fuel it had been loaded with.
From that point on Button was in control and by lap 26 - when most cars drivers were using extreme wet tyres - the Englishman had established an 18 second lead over Rosberg in second.
By then, however, all drivers were struggling to adapt to the wet conditions and were going 22 seconds slower per lap, on average, than they had been when it was dry.
"What a crazy race, it really was," said Button, who has now extended his lead at the top of the driver's championship.
"My start was really bad, I had a lot of oversteer and maybe I didn't get enough heat in the rear tyres.
"Choosing the tyres here was difficult because unusually when it rains here [in Malaysia] it pours, but it didn't [initially]."
The inclement weather proved most disastrous for Ferrari, who put Kimi Raikkonen on extreme wet tyres too early.
Compounding their poor start to the season, the Finn eventually finished 14th while Brazilian team-mate Felipe Massa could only manage ninth - and the reigning construtors champions now sit last.But the victory of former Honda team Brawn GP, who only secured their place on the grid in early March, creates history: they are the first new team to win its first two races since Alfa Romeo won the first ever two F1 Grands Prix in 1950.
Second-placed Heidfeld, whose clever strategy meant he pitted only once while other drivers had three or four pits to change tyres, secured his best result since the equally chaotic Belgian Grand Prix last season.
German Glock was running in eighth up to the first set of pit stops, but benefited greatly after switching to intermediate tyres rather than full wets when the rain first arrived enabling him to storm through the field for only the second podium finish of his career.
Hamilton, meanwhile, did relatively well to finish seventh after starting from 12th on the grid.
But even the world champion - a notoriously strong driver in the wet - could not find the speed he needed to seriously contest the lead in a McLaren car that has been significantly underperforming through pre-season testing and into the opening two races.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Raikkonen tops Malaysia practice
Ferrari drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa recorded the fastest two laps during the opening two practice sessions for the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima secured a Williams one-two in the first session with times of one minute 36.260 seconds and 1:36.305 respectively.
But in the second Raikkonen went quickest with 1:35.707 and team-mate Massa posted a lap of 1:35.832.
Brawn GP's Jenson Button was seventh and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton 11th.
After being stripped of his third place in Australia for misleading stewards in an inquiry, Hamilton's horror week continued as he was fined 1,200 euro ($1,600) for breaching the pit lane speed limit during morning practice.
Rubens Barrichello was sixth quickest in practice but the Brazilian will start from further back in Malaysia after he was given a grid penalty.
The veteran driver received a five-place penalty after Friday's session because the team put a new gearbox into his Brawn.
The Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber finished third and fifth respectively with Rosberg, who topped the timesheets in all three practice sessions at the season-opener in Australia last weekend, fourth.
Raikkonen's lap was faster than last year's pole-winning time set by Massa and the Fin's strong showing went some way to removing doubts about the reliability of the Ferrari after a morning mishap.
The 2007 world champion, who won at Sepang in 2008, had completed 18 laps when smoke began billowing into the cockpit and streaming from the rear of the car.
Ferrari did not disclose the problem, amid reports that the batteries from the new Kers (kinetic energy recovery system) system had overheated.
Only four teams are fitted with Kers - Ferrari, McLaren, BMW Sauber and Renault - which recovers some of the energy generated by the car's braking process for extra power.
Kers is seen to be an advantage at the Sepang circuit, which features a combination of long high-speed straights, and tight, fast and twisting turns.
The track temperature climbed to 47C (116F) at the start of afternoon practice but soon dropped with dark clouds threatening rain that never materialised, depriving the teams of wet weather testing.
This heightened the chances that they will go into Sunday's race - with rain forecast - without the benefit of acquainting themselves with a wet track.
Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella was the main casualty of the second practice, spearing off the track on the dual right-handers of turns 10 and 11, sideswiping the tyre wall. It ended his session, but he walked away unhurt.
Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, is hoping to recover from an ear infection in time for Sunday's Grand Prix.
The double world champion could only manage a total of 32 laps in his Renault, finishing 16th on the timesheets in the morning and one place higher in the afternoon.
"We tried not to do too many laps today as I wasn't feeling 100%," he said. "It's a very demanding weekend in terms of the heat because we sweat so much but it was important we still got enough information."
"Hopefully I will recover more this evening and feel better tomorrow so I can give my maximum for qualifying, which I think will be one of the most important parts of the weekend. We need to be ready for that."
Trulli: Justice has been done
Jarno Trulli believes justice has been served after Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from the Australian GP on Thursday.
Hamilton was promoted from fourth to third following Sunday's race at Melbourne's Albert Park after stewards handed Trulli a 25-second penalty for passing the reigning world champion under yellow flags.
That followed an accident late on between Sebastian Vettel in his Red Bull and BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica, who were running second and third at the time, bringing the safety car into play.
Toyota driver Trulli, demoted to 12th in light of the penalty, has since protested his innocence, although under the rules the team had no grounds to appeal.
However, with new evidence coming to light - notably radio traffic between Hamilton and his McLaren pit crew - the stewards have now hammered the 24-year-old following a further investigation.
Trulli has been reinstated to third, much to his delight.
He said: "I am happy because I wanted some justice and I got it.
"I am happy for myself and the team and I have to thank the FIA because it does not happen very often they reconsider something.
"It must have been really hard for them, but they had common sense to really try and understand what was going on. I have always been honest and it has paid off.
"It was a controversial end of the race and it was hard for anyone to understand, but I never lied. I was honest in my statement and I never changed it."
With the safety car out, Trulli concedes to making a mistake and running off the track at one stage, giving Hamilton the chance to legitimately pass and move up to third.
Shortly after, Hamilton then deliberately slowed - under orders to do so by McLaren - and believing his rival had a problem, Trulli reclaimed third place, albeit reluctantly.
The veteran Italian claims he offered Hamilton the opportunity to reclaim his place once it became apparent the Briton had no problem.
"The rules say if the car in front of you cannot keep a certain speed to follow the safety car, or is in trouble, you can overtake that car," Trulli added.
"I didn't know what his problem was but if he wanted he could have overtaken me. After I overtook him, I moved to the left side and he didn't overtake me."
Trulli feels Hamilton and McLaren should have been more clear with their explanation, although he added: "This is more up to him and not down to me.
"I know I told the truth and all the evidence shows I didn't break the rules. This is very clear. I said the same thing twice.
"I proved it with every kind of evidence and, on top of that, there was evidence from other teams, so that just confirms my statement."
Ryan made McLaren scapegoat
Martin Whitmarsh has revealed that director Dave Ryan was suspended due to a "serious error of judgement."
Lewis Hamilton was this week disqualified from the race in Melbourne after it was determined that McLaren had deliberately misled stewards in their investigation into an incident towards the end of the grand prix.
As the senior member of the team representing McLaren at that hearing, Ryan has been held responsible.
"It is a very sad day for the team as we have suspended our long-standing sporting director Dave Ryan," said Whitmarsh.
"He has been with the team for 35 years. I've known him personally for 20 years and anyone who knows him knows that he is a dedicated, straightforward, hard-working individual.
"However, it has become clear during discussions with Davey last night into this morning, that during the stewards' meeting after the Australian Grand Prix, he was not entirely full and truthful in the answers that he gave to the stewards.
"Consequently we have had no alternative today other than to suspend him.
"It's something that the team and myself are deeply embarrassed about but also deeply regretful and I think for Davey, it's been an extremely shattering day for him."
Whitmarsh sought to rationalise the decisions made by the 55-year-old New Zealand native.
"Anyone who knows Davey knows that he didn't set out with any deliberate intention to mislead," said the McLaren chief.
"He went to the meeting with every intention of being clear and straightforward but during the course of that meeting - as we explored it more deeply in the last 24 hours - it was found that he was not as clear and comprehensive as he could have been.
"Dave was the senior member of the team there and has to take full responsibility for leading that process.
"This was something that was still unfolding until literally minutes before the first practice session (in Sepang) and I had to take an incredibly difficult personal decision because I have known Davey for 20 years."
Whitmarsh added: "He's shattered by what's happened but we have to take stock of what has happened.
"There were two people in with the stewards but Davey was the senior member as the sporting director of the team and as such, he had the responsibility to ensure that the stewards received a full and entirely truthful account of what happened.
"Davey made a serious error of judgement going into that stewards' meeting and he is paying the consequences for that.
"That's something that he regrets and is something that Lewis, I and the rest of the team deeply regret and it's something that we must put right."
While agreeing that Hamilton had not been entirely truthful himself during the hearing, Whitmarsh implied that the driver had followed the lead of Ryan when meeting with the stewards.
"I think that Lewis was not entirely truthful but we have spoken to Davey, who was the senior member of the team, and they went into a situation together and they were trying to deal with the situation and they got it wrong," he said.
"Davey, as the senior member of the team, was responsible for what happened and so I took the decision this morning."
Hamilton was elevated from fourth to third by the stewards due to Jarno Trulli being handed a 25-second penalty for passing the reigning world champion behind the safety car late in the race.
But in the light of further evidence, notably radio transmissions between Hamilton and the pit wall, and in an interview given by the 24-year-old soon after race, he and Ryan were discovered to have lied.
Hamilton and Ryan both claimed there was no instruction from the team to the 24-year-old asserting he must let Trulli by.
But radio traffic released by the FIA yesterday confirm he was twice ordered to do so.
Furthermore, in an interview immediately after the race and prior to the stewards' hearing, Hamilton admitted he was told by the team to let the Toyota driver through.
On Sunday, the stewards did not have the benefit of radio exchanges or those comments from Hamilton, instead acting solely on video footage.
In the intervening period, the acquired audio evidence forced them to take the action they did against Hamilton.
As the situation is a serious breach of the International Sporting Code, the FIA have it within their power to pursue the matter further.
If the case is referred to the World Motor Sport Council, they could choose to suspend or exclude Hamilton from the Formula One world championship.
A FIA spokesperson confirmed: "Given the seriousness of this matter, we cannot rule out further action at this stage."