Formula 1 - 2010 season

[Genesis]

Yeah, it just looks like PR. Jenson does have a history of breaking contracts though. The McLaren visit was just last week. But Brawn started negotiations with him even before the Abu Dhabi GP. I think he was fed up with the fact that he had to negotiate so hard with Brawn even after winning the championship. There's also the temptation of moving to McLaren and the fact that their car might be better next year. Maybe it wasn't about the money after all.

[elmir]

his management team should have advised him better, I think....if he wants to have a chance at winning another championship again, then he should have stayed with the mechanics and engineers that knew him and his preferences....he kind of has to start from scratch now....but maybe that's a good thing, he has basically been with one team only for the last 6-7 years....and its time for a change...

plus McLaren want to be the powerhouse they were in the Senna/Prost days...have two talents going at it on the track...so this is not a bad start for them...

it should provide for some decent eye candy from the pitlane...with Jenson's girl and Hamilton's girl side by side, in the same shot...

i approve....

[Genesis]

There are rumours that Kimi is in talks with Mercedes:

Having announced earlier in the week that his client would be taking a sabbatical, Steve Robertson, the Finn's long-time manager, has hinted at a u-turn by acknowledging that "you could never say 100 per cent."

Pressed on the possibility of Raikkonen joining Mercedes in an interview with Autosport, Robertson confirmed: "This is Formula 1. If they can offer, or convince us, that they can provide Kimi an opportunity that Kimi is happy with, and that we are happy with, and he feels he can win races and the championship then never say never. There is always a possibility."

That will be some swap for former partners McLaren and Mercedes. Kimi and Jenson.

[elmir]

yup, i thought as much.
Norbert Haug dropped way too many hints for this to just be a rumor...

if the second Merc seat is available, its Kimi vs Heidfeld.....
its a no brainer....if the previous suspicion of a potential 12m is on the table for him....it would be really stupid for Kimi to sit the season out...
they will give him a good car...and they will give him good money too...

Ross hasn't worked with him yet, and there is no better way to stick it up to Ferrari than to make Kimi a regular winner...both ex Ferrari employees...

Kimi MUST instruct his managers to go for it.

[Ulises]

Jose Mar?a L?pez. Keep that name in mind.

[IzzyDutch]

Yeah the new USF1 driver, never heard of him before.. has he showed some good things?

[Ulises]

He have skills. But we'll have to wait to see.


And let's see if he gets a good car.

[Genesis]

Rosberg confirmed for Mercedes. It seems they are trying to get Schumacher for the second car. That will be unbelievable if it happens, but I doubt it.

[IzzyDutch]

http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/pressreleases/f1releases/2009/Pages/f1_2010_entry_list.aspx


1 Jenson BUTTON (GB) VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES McLAREN MERCEDES
2 Lewis HAMILTON (GB) VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES McLAREN MERCEDES

3 Nico ROSBERG (D) BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM BRAWN MERCEDES
4 TBA BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM BRAWN MERCEDES

5 Sebastian VETTEL (D) RED BULL RACING RED BULL RENAULT
6 Mark WEBBER (AUS) RED BULL RACING RED BULL RENAULT

7 Felipe MASSA (BR) SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO FERRARI
8 Fernando ALONSO (E) SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO FERRARI

9 Rubens BARRICHELLO (BR) AT&T WILLIAMS WILLIAMS COSWORTH
10 Nico HULKENBERG (D) AT&T WILLIAMS WILLIAMS COSWORTH

11 Robert KUBICA (PL) RENAULT F1 TEAM RENAULT
12 TBA RENAULT F1 TEAM RENAULT

14 Adrian SUTIL (D) FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM FORCE INDIA MERCEDES
15 Vitantonio LIUZZI (I) FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM FORCE INDIA MERCEDES

16 Sebastien BUEMI (CH) SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO STR FERRARI
17 TBA SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO STR FERRARI

18 TBA LOTUS F1 RACING LOTUS COSWORTH
19 TBA LOTUS F1 RACING LOTUS COSWORTH

20 TBA CAMPOS META 1 CAMPOS DALLARA
21 Bruno SENNA (BR) CAMPOS META 1 CAMPOS DALLARA

22 TBA US F1 TEAM US F1 COSWORTH
23 TBA US F1 TEAM US F1 COSWORTH

24 Timo GLOCK (D) VIRGIN RACING VIRGIN COSWORTH
25 TBA VIRGIN RACING VIRGIN COSWORTH

*  This team has indicated its intention to change its team name to Mercedes Grand Prix prior to the start of the 2010 season.

-  Toyota Motorsport GmbH remains formally bound by the Concorde Agreement to put forward a team for participation, though it has indicated that it will not be in a position to do so. An announcement will be made regarding this entry in due course.

[IzzyDutch]

Toyota has given it's entry back to FIA, who gave it officially to Sauber.. good news 

Now we'll have 26 cars on the grid.. Renault will change to Prodrive though, backed by Renault engines.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Formula_One_season

[jarmo]

No Kimi in F1 in 2010.

So sad for all true F1 fans who appreciate a real racer and not somebody who's all talk....




/jarmo

[Genesis]

No Kimi in F1 in 2010.

So sad for all true F1 fans who appreciate a real racer and not somebody who's all talk....

All said and done, it's his fault. He should have taken the seat at McLaren. Kimi enjoys WRC so it's not a big deal for him, but his care-free attitude is one day going to bite him in the back. There's a lot of fresh, cheaper talent now in F1, as seen at the Jerez testing session and he'll only have himself to blame if he can't find a seat in F1 in 2011. It is sad to see one of the real three racers leave.

[jarmo]

I hope he can drive for Red Bull with Vettel in 2011 and Adrian Newey designing a car in which Kimi wins his second championship!


Apparently Domenicali had said something along the lines of Kimi not being like Schumacher in developing the car and motivating the team....

What does that say about poor Massa then? 

Massa has been there for years so it's just up to Kimi to "motivate" the team? It seems like Massa wasn't able to do so either because they "need" Alonso...

Alonso who couldn't "motivate" a team or "develop" a car built around him.
 

It's all just bullshit!

Then again, nobody's expecting Ferrari to tell the truth.




/jarmo

[GypsySoul]

Raikkonen departs F1 for World Rally Championship in 2010

London, England (Sports Network) - Kimi Raikkonen will not race in Formula One next season after he confirmed on Friday that he will compete in the 2010 World Rally Championship with Citroen's Red Bull-backed junior team.

Raikkonen, the 2007 F1 world champion, has signed a one-year contract with Citroen. He will compete in 12 of 13 WRC events next year. The team will not run in the New Zealand race.

The 30-year-old driver made his WRC debut in his home country of Finland earlier this year. He will team up with compatriot Kaj Lindstrom, who previously partnered with multiple WRC champion Tommi Makinen.

"I always wanted to compete in rally, especially in the World Rally Championship, at some point in my career," Raikkonen said. "Thanks to Red Bull, I have the opportunity to drive the best car in the series with the Citroen C4.

"This is a new but very exciting challenge. For the moment, we have a one-year contract, and we will see how it goes for the future. I am really looking forward to testing the car and taking the start of the first rally."

Raikkonen drove for Ferrari in F1 the past three seasons. Fernando Alonso will take over his seat with the Italian team next year.

[Genesis]

Silverstone signs 17-year deal for British Grand Prix

Silverstone has agreed a 17-year deal to host the British Grand Prix from 2010, ensuring the race is not axed.

The Northamptonshire circuit stepped in to stage the event, which next year takes place on 11 July, after Donington Park was stripped of the rights.

"This is tremendous news," said 1996 Formula 1 champion Damon Hill, who is president of the British Racing Drivers' Club, which owns Silverstone.

Under the deal, Silverstone, which held this year's race, will be redeveloped.

The modernisation of the facilities at Silverstone, which first staged the British Grand Prix in 1948, will focus on rebuilding the pits and paddock - with work set to start as soon as possible after Christmas.

And the news ensures the oldest race on the F1 calendar retains its place.

Hill added: "It's not easy to enter into an agreement of this magnitude. It's a big commitment.

"But the BRDC felt we wanted this relationship to continue and we were prepared to back the negotiating team, with the level of risk satisfactory for the deal to go ahead."

F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone welcomed the deal and he stated: "This will ensure the British Grand Prix is included on the Formula 1 calendar for many years to come, which is something I've always wanted to happen.

"The team at Silverstone already know how to organise a good event and now everyone can look forward to next summer at Silverstone."

The 2010 race calendar will be officially released on Wednesday when the Silverstone showpiece will be confirmed for Sunday 11 July - the same day as the 2010 World Cup final.

Talks had been ongoing between Formula 1 management and Silverstone since Donington Park failed to show it had the necessary ?135m funding.

The main delay in establishing a deal appears to have been the length of the contract and the inclusion of a 7% annual escalation fee.

Silverstone admitted it needed to improve its ageing facilities but insisted it needed the security of a longer-term contract to justify and help raise the finances needed to upgrade.

The contract on the table was believed to demand a ?12m fee for 2010, with an increase of 7% per year after that.

However it is now understood that the increase has been pegged at 5%.

There is also a clause in the contract that allows either side to end the contract after 10 years.

BBC F1 commentator Martin Brundle commented: "It's brilliant news. I always assumed it would happen in the end because everyone wanted the same thing. The new circuits are exciting and interesting but they always had to balance up with the historic circuits, like Silverstone."

Silverstone managing director Richard Phillips commented: "We've always had five-year deals and never been able to get the investment we needed to redevelop.

"But 17 years gives us the ability to invest and move forward.

"We've always had the belief the British Grand Prix was an important cornerstone of Formula One but, with Bernie, you're never quite sure. At the end of the day, though, you have to have a British Grand Prix."

Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe was quick to welcome the announcement and said: "The news the British Grand Prix is to stay at the iconic Northamptonshire track will be welcomed by millions of fans - not just in this country but across the world."

Silverstone is also set to stage the British MotoGP in 2010 and the venue is planning to use that modified track layout for the grand prix if they can get FIA approval. If not, they will stick with the old circuit.

[IzzyDutch]

I hope he can drive for Red Bull with Vettel in 2011 and Adrian Newey designing a car in which Kimi wins his second championship!


Apparently Domenicali had said something along the lines of Kimi not being like Schumacher in developing the car and motivating the team....

What does that say about poor Massa then? 

Massa has been there for years so it's just up to Kimi to "motivate" the team? It seems like Massa wasn't able to do so either because they "need" Alonso...

Alonso who couldn't "motivate" a team or "develop" a car built around him.
 

It's all just bullshit!

Then again, nobody's expecting Ferrari to tell the truth.

/jarmo

Massa has been Ferrari's teacher pet since he started there.. this year with his crash, guess they felt obligated to keep him on board. But I expect next year that Alonso will show him how it's done and he'll loose popularity within the team. Imo Massa is fast when everything goes right and he starts from pole, when he does he can go without mistakes and bring it home. But when he starts at the back, he can't drive himself way up front like a Kimi, Alonso, Lewis or Schumi.  Alonso can build a team and develop a car.. it has been confirmed by Renault and McLaren and it's a public secret in the paddock, wether you like it or not. Last year the car (and engine) was so bad even Alonso couldn't change tides. Kimi, what Ferrari said was that when the car is good he's way up front but when the car isn't he's not motivated enough. Also it's known that Kimi's Ferrari contract said he wasn't obligated to take part in the development. About engines, suprisenly the Toyota was by far the weakest engine of the field.. over 4 tenths slower. They did an engine analyses comparing what the fabrics presented and what they knew about eachother. Mercedes was the strongest, followed by BMW and then Ferrari, with then a gap to Renault and Toyota the last. Guess the Williams and Toyota chassis were much better then what appeared. Also it showed that Renault did have the engine using the least amount of fuel, they could go with the same amount as another engine and stay on track for 4 laps longer.

Btw, appearantly Schumi is preparing his neck for a rentree at Mercedes.. this according to dad Schumi.

[Genesis]

^ Well, they haven't announced the second driver yet. Anything is possible. If he returns, it will be the most exciting F1 season in a decade.
Schumacher vs. Hamilton.

[Genesis]

Lotus F1 sign Jarno Trulli and Hekki Kovalainen

Lotus F1 have confirmed Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen as their drivers for the 2010 Formula 1 season.

Trulli joins the new Malaysian-backed team from Toyota, while Kovalainen moves after he was left without a seat due to Jenson Button's move to McLaren.

The pair have signed three-year deals, with Malaysian Fairuz Fauzy named as the third driver.

"[The team] shows our seriousness to be a world championship contender," said Lotus team principal Tony Fernandes.

"Trulli will bring us a lot of experience to develop the team, and Heikki is a young driver but has phenomenal experience so I think we have two fantastic drivers with Fairuz as well."
   
Trulli was without a team after Toyota announced they were pulling out of the sport in November.

But the 35-year-old Italian- who won one grand prix for Renault in 2004 - has worked with Lotus's technical director Mike Gascoyne before, most recently when they were both at Toyota.

"I'm really looking forward to the challenge. I have been in Formula One for many years but there's something extremely motivating about helping to build the team from the ground level up," he said in a statement.

Like Trulli, Kovalainen has one grand prix victory to his name, won in Hungary for McLaren last year.

The 28-year-old, who was without a drive following world champion Button's move, warned that Lotus's return "will not be easy and we will have tough times at the beginning".
   
He added: "We have to be realistic and keep the focus on developing the team to a state where we can operate like any other current top F1 team."

Lotus F1 are one of five new teams in next season's championship and will operate with a budget of about ?55m.

Budget airline AirAsia entrepreneur Fernandes said he wants his team, backed by state-owned car company Proton, to be "the best among the new teams" in 2010.

"We are not setting any big targets, we want to at least be the best of the new teams, but I think it shows our seriousness today by announcing two really world-class drivers," Fernandes added at a ceremony in Malaysia's parliament in Kuala Lumpur.

[Genesis]

F1 will have a new points system in 2010, with the top 10 finishes given points. Under the new system, First gets 25 pts, Second 20 pts, Third 15 pts and then the remaining 7 places get  10, 8, 6, 5, 3, 2, 1 pts respectively.

The finalized F1 2010 race calender:

March 14 - Bahrain (Sakhir)

March 28 - Australia (Melbourne)

April 4 - Malaysia (Sepang)

April 18 - China (Shanghai)

May 9 - Spain (Barcelona)

May 16 - Monaco (Monte Carlo)

May 30 - Turkey (Istanbul)

June 13 - Canada (Montreal)

June 27 - Europe (Valencia)

July 11 - Great Britain (Silverstone)

July 25 - Germany (Hockenheim)

August 1 - Hungary (Budapest)

August 29 - Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)

September 12 - Italy (Monza)

September 26 - Singapore (Singapore)

October 10 - Japan (Suzuka)

October 24 - South Korea *

November 7 - Brazil (Interlagos)

November 14 - Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)

* - subject to homologation of the circuit

[Genesis]

Schumacher is coming back to F1!