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ianh
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« Reply #135 on: March 08, 2010, 04:55:39 AM » |
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Monday 8 March
Schumacher deal nearly fell through: Michael Schumacher would not be racing at the Bahrain Grand Prix had he replaced Felipe Massa at Ferrari.
Massa has told close friends that Ferrari's 2009 challenger was such a pig of a car that it would have dented Schumacher's reputation had he replaced the injured Brazilian at the Italian team.
And the former team-mate of the German has suggested the damage would have also scuppered any approach by Mercedes for 2010.
As a result, the grid would have had an altogether different look in Bahrain this weekend.
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ianh
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« Reply #136 on: March 09, 2010, 05:40:57 AM » |
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Tuesday 9 March
Red Bull to win in Bahrain: There are growing suggestions that Red Bull have the best package for the season opener in Bahrain.
There had been question marks about British team's competitiveness after missing the first winter test.
Rumours of problems with the team's 2010 car intensified following a host of engine problems when they did begin testing.
However, Red Bull is believed to have sufficiently cleaned up its act to the extent that Ferrari, most people's tip to shine from race one, believe Christian Horner's team will set the early pace.
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ianh
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« Reply #137 on: March 10, 2010, 06:52:10 AM » |
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Wednesday 10 March
Third Middle East race? Formula 1 could have a third Middle East race in 2011.
The F1 circus already visits Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, the first and last races of the season.
But Qatar are now looking at being added to the schedule, with FIA president Jean Todt recently impressed by the venue.
FIA race director Charlie Whiting will visit the track in Losail, which already hosts MotoGP, after the Bahrain race to check its eligibility.
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ianh
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« Reply #138 on: March 11, 2010, 06:04:28 AM » |
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Thursday 11 March
Coulthard targets return: David Coulthard is on the lookout for possible drives in 2011, despite publicly stating this week that he has no chance of returning to F1.
There has been a growing interest in older drivers among teams this season, predominantly due to the lack of winter and in-season testing.
As a result Coulthard, who has kept race-fit, believes he has a shot of a return to the cockpit.
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ianh
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« Reply #139 on: March 12, 2010, 05:47:26 AM » |
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Friday 12 March
Heidfeld nearly joined McLaren: Nick Heidfeld was just a day away from signing for McLaren.
The German had initially been lining up a move to Mercedes, but was then coveted by McLaren as Lewis Hamilton's team-mate until Hamilton mentioned the possibility of signing Jenson Button.
McLaren are then said to have slammed the door in Heidfeld's face leaving him with a best option of the reserve driver role at Mercedes.
It marks a second successive season blow for Heidfeld, who had been on the verge of joining Brawn GP ahead of their stunning 2009 season.
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ianh
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« Reply #140 on: March 15, 2010, 08:44:16 AM » |
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Monday 15 March
Ferrari to copy McLaren: Ferrari will make their own version of the controversial McLaren rear-wing design that sparked a pre-race row in Bahrain.
A duct on the front of the McLarens allows both Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton to control airflow to the rear wing using either their knee or elbow.
The system sparked a row which could yet drag on despite the FIA giving it the thumbs-up.
Other teams are expected to follow suit with Ferrari likely to be the first to unveil their own version of the system, which is thought to currently add 5mph to McLaren's straight-line speed.
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ianh
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« Reply #141 on: March 16, 2010, 05:34:50 AM » |
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Tuesday 16 March
Vettel to open Ferrari talks: Sebastian Vettel's management are keen to open talks over a possible deal.
Despite suggestions that Red Bull should have good pace throughout 2010 judging by his Bahrain performance, Vettel is reportedly keen to look at his options elsewhere.
Ferrari have made no secret of their admiration for the German, who could form a dream team alongside Fernando Alonso.
Vettel has also told close aides that he is keen to drive for Ferrari, something he would see as the pinnacle of his career.
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ianh
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« Reply #142 on: March 17, 2010, 06:01:10 AM » |
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Wednesday 17 March
F1 return for Fisichella: Giancarlo Fisichella could be set for a shock switch from Ferrari to the Hispania Racing Team.
The veteran was Ferrari's reserve driver at the Bahrain Grand Prix, but has reportedly been in talks with the Spanish outfit and was given a tour of the team's garage at the weekend.
It is not clear who the Italian would replace, with Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok the team's current drivers for 2010.
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ianh
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« Reply #143 on: March 18, 2010, 03:38:34 AM » |
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Thursday 18 March
New F1 role for Heidfeld: Nick Heidfeld has been linked with the job of chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.
Current chairman Pedro de la Rosa has asked to step down from the role in a bid to concentrate on his return to frontline racing with Sauber.
The 24 drivers on the grid agreed their interests are best looked after by a reserve driver, with more time to spend on the role.
Heidfeld, currently Mercedes' reserve driver and a well-respected figure in Formula 1, fits the bill perfectly.
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ianh
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« Reply #144 on: March 19, 2010, 05:24:32 AM » |
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Friday 19 March
New Ferrari looms: Not content with full points from Bahrain, Ferrari are working on a new car for the European races.
At the heart is a new-look double diffuser inspired by the one planned by Toyota for the coming year before they pulled their plug on their F1 operation.
Team boss Stefano Domenicali is so confident of its power that he has called on his team to rebuild their 2010 car despite the fact it already appears to be a front-runner.
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ianh
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« Reply #145 on: March 22, 2010, 04:05:01 PM » |
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Monday 22 March
Red Bull overhaul for Melbourne: Red Bull were clearly the fastest team in Bahrain, and Sebastian Vettel's engine problems denied him a certain win.
However, the British team believe they have found additional pace for round two of the season in Melbourne on Sunday.
The secret to their additional pace is a new, lighter weight chassis which will be given to both Vettel and Mark Webber for the race at Albert Park.
Red Bull technical guru Adrian Newey is confident the chassis could shave as much as half a second off the two drivers' lap times.
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ianh
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« Reply #146 on: March 23, 2010, 04:43:09 AM » |
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Tuesday 23 March
Ferrari's fuel fears: Stefano Domenicali admitted after the Bahrain Grand Prix that the Ferrari engine was the one slight problem with this year's car, but did not expand on that assertion.
Now it appears his biggest complaint is the fact that the car's engine guzzles far more fuel than its rivals'.
Such news is a major blow to Ferrari in a season without any refuelling. It means they generally have to carry more fuel than the likes of McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull in any given race.
Ferrari are struggling to come up with a fix for the problem, which could yet derail their title ambitions.
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ianh
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« Reply #147 on: March 24, 2010, 06:04:54 AM » |
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Wednesday 24 March
Fresh F1 civil war looms: Formula 1 looks set for its latest internal row which could damage the sport further.
The problem lies in the dull season-opener at Bahrain where overtaking opportunities were virtually nil throughout the race.
Martin Whitmarsh, chairman of FOTA, claims the teams will be pushing to modify the rules after three or four races if the problem continues.
However, that looks likely to leave the teams on a collision course with Bernie Ecclestone, who is adamant that all the new rules - such as refuelling and the points system overhaul - are here to stay for the entire season.
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ianh
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« Reply #148 on: March 25, 2010, 06:21:26 AM » |
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Thursday 25 March
New teams set to miss races: The top teams in F1 are to push ahead with a return to the old qualifying rule in a bid to get rid of slow cars in races.
Safety concerns have been raised about the new teams' lack of pace. As a result, only cars that finish within 107% of the polesitter at any grand prix qualifying session will be banned from competing in the race.
Had the rule been in place in Bahrain the Hispania Racing Team cars of Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok would not have been allowed to race.
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ianh
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« Reply #149 on: March 26, 2010, 06:24:22 AM » |
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Friday 26 March
Webber on his way out: Red Bull racer Mark Webber has been quick to silence claims that he will quit F1 at the end of the season, but there could be some truth in the rumours.
Lewis Hamilton started it all off in the build-up to Sunday's Australian Grand Prix, but Webber dismissed them as "nonsense".
However, Webber is deemed surplus to requirements at Red Bull next season and is reluctant to build up a new team. He is also keen to focus on a management role having recently set up his own GP3 team.
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