Tun Dr. Mahathir Officially Opens Lotus Racing Factory

Tun Dr. Mahathir, ex-Prime Minister of Malaysia, today conducted the official opening of the Lotus Racing factory in Hingham, Norfolk. Malaysia’s longest serving Prime Minister, and one of Asia’s most influential political figures, was joined by Lotus Racing Team Principal Tony Fernandes, Deputy Team Principals Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin and Chief Technical Officer Mike Gascoyne for the official ceremony to declare the factory open.

During his tour Tun Dr. Mahathir was given a detailed explanation of the different aspects of a modern Formula One team factory. He was then seated in the Lotus Cosworth T127 Chassis 02 while the engine was fired up, giving the team’s esteemed guest a very rare insight into the conditions the team’s drivers, Malaysia’s Fairuz Fauzy, Italy’s Jarno Trulli and Finland’s Heikki Kovalainen work in at races and tests.

Tun Dr. Mahathir created the vision for the establishment and growth of motorsport in Malaysia, and therefore the birth of the Lotus Racing team. This visionary spirit was the driving force for the establishment of the Malaysian Grand Prix, held at the world-renowned Sepang International Circuit which was also created and built under his Premiership.

Tony Fernandes and fellow Lotus Racing shareholders Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin were honoured that Tun Dr. Mahathir oversaw such an important milestone in the team’s development, saying “It is very exciting for us and the team that Tun Dr. Mahathir has been able to come to Norfolk to officially open our factory. He is the Father of motor racing in Malaysia, the visionary behind the birth of the Sepang International Circuit and the Malaysian Grand Prix and has given us all the inspiration to reach for the skies and achieve our dreams – as such it is a tremendous honour for us to welcome him here and we are extremely proud he has opened our factory today. ”

Lotus Racing completed its first official test last week in Jerez and now moves to Barcelona for the final official test before the season kicks off in earnest in Bahrain from March 12th – 14th.

Bridgestone Motorsport announce tyre specifications

Bridgestone, the Official Tyre Supplier to the FIA Formula One World Championship, is pleased to announce the compound allocations of Potenza tyres for the first three rounds of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship.

This season will be the second with slick tyres which made a return to Formula One last year after eleven years absence from the sport. Changes for 2010 include a narrower front tyre and new constructions front and rear. All four dry compounds are modified from those used last year.

Just as in 2009, non consecutive allocations of tyres will occur at many circuits. Despite the changes to the compounds themselves, the compound names remain the same, with the range consisting of hard, medium, soft and super soft. There are two distinct temperature working ranges of tyres. The hard and medium have a higher temperature working range than the soft and super soft.

In a change to the regulations, the number of sets of dry tyres available for each driver at a grand prix changes from seven of each compound to six of the harder ‘prime’ compound and five of the softer ‘option’ compound.

The wet and intermediate tyres have no significant changes apart from the width of the front intermediate tyre, which will now be the same as the new dry front tyre.

The means of distinguishing between the two compounds on event will be through means of green bands painted on the edges of the tyre sidewalls of the softer tyres at a race. The wet tyre also has a green line at the bottom of the central groove. These markings allow the compounds to be visually distinguishable by fans at the circuit and those watching on television. The green colour shows Bridgestone’s continued support of the FIA’s Make Cars Green campaign.

Prime Minister Announces Lotus F1 Racing 2010 Drivers

Lotus F1 Racing has today confirmed that Italy’s Jarno Trulli, Finland’s Heikki Kovalainen and Malaysia’s Fairuz Fauzy have joined the team to spearhead driving duties for its debut Formula 1 season in 2010.

There has been much speculation surrounding the identity of Lotus F1 Racing’s driver signings in recent weeks, but the appointment of Jarno, Heikki and Fairuz was made formal in an official announcement by Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon, at which Jarno, Heikki and Fairuz were also present.

35-year-old Trulli is one of the most experienced, consistent racers in Formula 1 and unquestionably still one of the fastest men over a single lap. He is one of just a select few drivers to have tasted victory in Formula 1, and that at the jewel in the crown of Formula 1 racing, the Monaco Grand Prix. He has also finished in the top ten of the drivers’ Championship table on seven occasions.

Heikki’s F1 career began in 2006 when he made his debut as a test driver. His appointment to the Lotus F1 Racing team will see the 28 year old Finn starting his fourth season in the Formula 1 World Championship and he brings with him a race winning reputation, confirmed by his first victory in Hungary in 2008, and a wealth of experience that will make a potent combination with fellow race driver Jarno Trulli and Fairuz Fauzy.

27-year-old Fauzy joins the team having previously held a Formula 1 testing role for the Spyker squad back in 2007. Since then he has driven in the F1 feeder series GP2, the World Series by Renault, as well as being named as lead driver for Malaysia’s involvement in the A1GP Championship.

It is a reflection of the determination and status of Lotus F1 Racing to return to Formula 1 that they have hired two race winning drivers for the debut season.

TONY FERNANDES – TEAM PRINCIPAL

“I am thrilled that we have been able to sign Jarno, Heikki and Fairuz to drive for Lotus F1 Racing in our debut season. The appointment of Jarno, Heikki and Fairuz as our race drivers is a testament to the quality of our team, to our ambition and drive, and above all to our long-term vision of success in Formula 1. Jarno and Heiki are winners and have proven track records in Formula 1, and will be a big asset to us as we look to develop the team and the car throughout 2010. Jarno and Heikki are two extremely versatile drivers who have proven themselves more than capable of achieving solid results no matter how tough the conditions. Having Fairuz on board is also great news. He is undoubtedly the best Malaysian senior driver at the moment and it is a pleasure to welcome him into Malaysia’s Formula 1 team. We only secured our 2010 entry from the FIA in September and already we have our first car in production and have signed two Formula 1 race winners to drive for us, as well as a home-grown Malaysian driver. Not bad for three months’ hard work! There is more to come from us and we head into the holiday period buoyed by what we have accomplished already but inspired to push the boundaries yet further.”

JARNO TRULLI – LOTUS F1 RACING DRIVER

“It is a privilege for me to sign for the new Lotus F1 Racing team. I have been impressed by the long-term vision of the team management and technical staff. Tony has set out very ambitious plans and I am ready to help the team achieve these high targets. I am also pleased to be back working alongside Mike Gascoyne, someone with whom I have enjoyed previous success at other teams. I get on very well with him and I respect his working style. Lotus is a truly iconic and inspirational brand and it is great that the name is back in Formula 1. We will be hoping to draw inspiration from the heritage of Lotus for our team.”

“I am also delighted to be racing alongside Heikki, someone who I have enjoyed racing against since 2007, and someone else, like me, who brings valuable experience from his time with two of Formula 1’s most established teams. I believe that together, we are among the most competitive pairings on the grid, and we will be determined to bring success to Lotus F1 Racing to repay the faith that Tony and the team have shown in us.”

“The fact that the team is Malaysian gives us all an extra responsibility because we will be carrying the hopes of a nation on our shoulders, but we will give the absolute maximum to reward their loyalty and trust. I am here to win; I will fight for the team and for Malaysia. Every proud Malaysian should be behind the team.”

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN – LOTUS F1 RACING DRIVER

“It’s fantastic to be joining Lotus F1 Racing and I am excited about the challenges that lie ahead. I recently visited our factory in Norfolk, UK, and was so impressed by seeing how far the team has come in such a short time since it was launched in September, and by how determined everyone is to meet Tony’s ambitious targets. I knew immediately it would be a fantastic opportunity to help them achieve their goals.”

“I believe that appointing two drivers with the experience Jarno and I have shows how determined the team is to go racing in a truly competitive way, and our pairing sends out a very strong message to our competitors.”

“I’m also excited to be part of a team that is not only bringing back the Lotus name, one of the most iconic teams in any form of global motorsport, but also doing so with the support and backing of Malaysia, a country I fell in love with when I first raced there in 2007. I can’t wait to begin working with Tony, Mike and the team they are putting together, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the welcome we will be given by Formula 1 fans around the world as we bring Lotus F1 Racing to the grid.”

FAIRUZ FAUZY – LOTUS F1 RACING DRIVER

“There is no greater honour than having the chance to drive for your country. I was given the opportunity to do that for A1 Team Malaysia in A1GP for a couple of years, but to have the chance to join Malaysia’s first fully fledged Formula 1 team is very special for me and the highlight of my career so far. I look forward to working closely with Jarno and Heikki on developing the car and the team in our first season together in Formula 1. I am sure we can do Malaysia as a nation proud, as well as upholding the tradition of such a legendary F1 name such as Lotus. Furthermore I look forward to developing as a driver in Formula 1 with the team in the future.”

DRIVER PROFILES

JARNO TRULLI PROFILE

Jarno made a fighting start to his Formula 1 career when he joined the Minardi team in 1997, but after just seven races he was asked to replace the injured Olivier Panis at Prost where he made an immediate impact. He finished fourth in the German GP and led the Austrian GP until he was cruelly denied a sensational podium finish with an engine failure. Nonetheless, Jarno had made his mark and stayed at the Prost team for a further two seasons. Results were not forthcoming but he claimed his first career podium with a fine drive to second place in the wet European GP in 1999. The result was something of a fitting farewell to his time at Prost as Jarno joined the Jordan Grand Prix squad for the new Millennium.

It was another barren period for Jarno in terms of podium results but a handful of fourth places and some sublime qualifying performances attracted the attentions of the Renault team for 2002. His first year at the French manufacturer alongside Jenson Button did little to improve upon his previous results but in 2003, with the team’s technical department led by Mike Gascoyne, he was given a more competitive car with which to show his full potential. Racing alongside Fernando Alonso, Jarno returned to the podium for the first time since his Prost days with third place in the German GP at Hockenheim. The result gave Jarno renewed confidence and paved the way for Jarno’s breakthrough season in 2004.

Once again partnering Alonso, Jarno attained regular points and podium challenges before taking a breathtaking victory around the streets of Monte Carlo. Jarno had established himself as one of the men to beat but midway through the year relations with his team had started to deteriorate and towards the end of the year he opted for a surprise switch to Toyota with whom he would stay until 2009.

In his five-and-a-bit seasons with Toyota Jarno put in some incredible performances both in qualifying and in races. In his first full season with the team in 2005, with Mike Gascoyne at the technical helm, he was one of the Championship leaders in the early races taking Toyota’s first ever podium results in Malaysia and Bahrain. Toyota’s competitiveness dropped off after Gascoyne’s departure from the team in 2006 and Jarno was only able to fight for occasional points finishes until a reversal of fortunes in 2008. His scored his first podium in three years at the French Grand Prix and Toyota were one of the teams to beat in the first races of 2009. Jarno took an incredible pole position in Bahrain but a miscalculated race strategy prevented him from converting it into the team’s maiden victory. Nevertheless, with two podiums from the first four races and a highly competitive second place in the team’s home race in Japan, Jarno ended the season – what would be Toyota’s final in Formula 1 – with some career-high performances.

Incredibly, the 2010 season will mark Jarno’s 14th season in Formula 1 but he shows no signs of slowing down. By joining Lotus F1 Racing, Jarno has the chance to rejoin Mike Gascoyne and to spearhead a brand new team into Formula 1. His vast experience racing at the pinnacle of motorsport and his respected reputation as a team-player will be vital characteristics to the new Lotus F1 Racing team as they fight their way up the grid during 2010.

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN PROFILE

Heikki started his motor racing career karting in the early 1990’s. His first recognition came with second place in the Finnish Formula A Championship in 1999 and 2000. That year also saw Heikki add the Scandinavian Championship and the Elf Masters, held at Paris Bercy, to his achievements, earning him title of Karting Driver of the Year in his native Finland.

Heikki’s success saw him move up to the British Formula Renault Championship in 2001, bringing two wins, two poles and three fastest laps, enough to give him fourth place in the Championship, plus the 2001 Finnish Automobile Sports Federation “Rookie of the Year” award. That same year, Heikki made his F3 debut at the world renowned Macau Grand Prix, finishing 8th.

In 2002 Heikki moved on to compete in the British F3 Championship, scoring an impressive five wins, three poles and three fastest laps, securing his third position in drivers’ standings. He was once again given the “Rookie of the Year” award, and won the prestigious F3 support race at the British Grand Prix. He capped an impressive year by finishing second in Macau and fourth at the Marlboro Masters at Zandvoort.

In 2003 Heikki competed in the World Series by Nissan: a win and two poles were enough to get second place in the Championship. That same year he also made his F1 test debut, driving the Renault R23 at Barcelona and the Minardi Cosworth at Vallelunga two weeks later.

2004 brought more success for Heikki, securing the World Series by Nissan Championship. Driving for the Pons Team he crushed the opposition, with six wins, nine poles and ten fastest laps to his name, competing alongside Tiago Monteiro, Enrique Bernoldi and Narain Karthikeyan. As a member of the Renault Driver Development Program Heikki assisted with the development of Renault’s Championship winning R24, adding to his growing F1 experience.

Stade de France, Paris, was the venue for the season ending Race of Champions in 2004. Alongside Marcus Gronholm, Heikki represented Finland in the Cup of Nations, where he and his team mate took the runner-up spot. However, the top step of the podium did not elude him long, with Heikki winning the coveted Champion of Champions title by beating 2004 World Rally Champion Sebastian Loeb and seven times Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher in front of a packed stadium.

In 2005 Heikki moved up to GP2, taking part in the inaugural series with Arden Motorsport. His impressive development continued, finishing second overall in the series, securing five wins and two poles along the way.

2006 saw Heikki make the step up to the very pinnacle of world motorsport, replacing Frank Montagny as the Renault F1 Team’s third driver. A series of impressive displays in testing saw him achieve his primary Formula 1 goal, with the announcement he had been promoted by the Renault F1 Team to a full-time race seat for the 2007 season.

Pitted against the vastly experienced Giancarlo Fisichella, Heikki enjoyed an excellent debut season in 2007, out-performing and out-scoring his team-mate, becoming second best rookie of the season after Lewis Hamilton and taking a very credible seventh place in the final Championship standings.

These achievements did not go unnoticed, and in December 2007 Team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes announced Heikki as team-mate to Lewis Hamilton, a position he held for the 2008 and 2009 seasons, until today’s announcement of his appointment to Lotus F1 Racing. 2008 saw Heikki claim both his first pole position, at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, and his first race win, at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he became the 100th driver to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

FAIRUZ FAUZY PROFILE

Mohamed Fairuz bin Mohamed Fauzy was born on 24 October 1982 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. From an early age, Fairuz began displaying a natural aptitude to speed. As a child, when most other kids his age were watching cartoons or playing with their friends, Fairuz could be found on a go-kart circuit.

By the age of 12, he was already competing with senior drivers in international races. In 1995, Fairuz, 13, clinched his first victory in one of the Championships – the Formula TKM Race in Buckmore Park, England, which became the base from which he would launch his bid for Formula 1.

A host of other Championships followed, including 5 times consecutively reigning champion of the ASEAN Kart Prix from 1996-2000. In 2000, Fairuz moved to the UK to participate in his first international single-seater series – Formula Ford Zetec Championship. After that time, he participated in numerous races such as the British Renault Sport Winter Series, British Formula Renault Championship, British Formula 3 Scholarship Class and British Formula 3 Championship Class.

Fauzy moved to the GP2 Series in 2005, signing with the DAMS team and becoming the first Malaysian and one of only a number of Asian drivers in the Championship. Fairuz then contested the Championship in 2006 with the Super Nova International Racing team. During this period, he was also one of the A1 Team Malaysia’s drivers alongside Alex Yoong in the A1GP.

After GP2, Fauzy was confirmed as Spyker F1’s test and reserve drivers for 2007. He also participated in World Series by Renault in 2007 with Cram Competition team and in 2008 with Fortec Motorsport. Additionally, in 2008, he participated in GP2 Asia Series driving for the Super Nova team. He became the number 1 Asian driver after finishing fourth out of 26 drivers in the Championship.

Fairuz was the nominated first driver for A1 Team Malaysia in the 2008/09 season and participated in the World Series by Renault for MofazFortec Motorsport, the first Malaysian motorsport outfit in the Championship, finishing the season in second place with an impressive 98 points and one race win.

THE LOGO

The new Lotus F1 Racing logo has been developed to represent the teams future and heritage. We have designed a typeface which is progressive and bold, yet instantly fitting with the teams long and successful history. Taking clues from the iconic Jim Clarke Type 49 the new ‘DNA’ device uses the Lotus colours in a recognizable form which is extremely flexible and will become a key element of the new team brand.

Yoong’s Young Driver Programme

Alex Yoong during a GP2 Asia Series event in 2008. Yoong has joined Lotus to take charge of the Asian part of their young driver development scheme, with the European part being run by Nino Judge. The aim for Yoong is to find and nurture young Malaysian drivers who can step up to the new Lotus F1 team.

Credit: Andrew Ferraro / GP2 Series Media Service

2010 FIA Formula One World Championship – New Entries

Following an intensive selection and due diligence process, the FIA has awarded the 13th entry in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship to the Lotus F1 Team.

The FIA also received an impressive application from the BMW Sauber Team. However, given that BMW has announced it will withdraw its support in 2010, there are still uncertainties regarding the future ownership of the team.

Nevertheless, the FIA considers that BMW Sauber’s application is of high quality and would constitute a competitive participant in the Championship. As such, it has awarded BMW Sauber the ‘14th place’ in the Championship meaning that it will be entitled to fill any vacancy that arises on the 2010 grid.

In addition, the FIA believes that a good case can be made for expanding the grid to 14 teams. The FIA will be consulting urgently with the existing teams regarding the introduction of an appropriate rule change to expand the grid to 28 cars in time for the first Grand Prix in 2010.

Detailed below is information about the new team that has been confirmed to compete in the Championship from next year.

Company Name: 1Malaysia F1 Team Sdn Bhd
Team Name: Lotus F1 Team
Country: Malaysia
Team Principal: Tony Fernandes

A partnership between the Malaysian Government and a consortium of Malaysian entrepreneurs, 1Malaysia F1 Team returns the Lotus name as a constructor to Formula One for the first time since 1994. The team will initially be based at the RTN facility in Norfolk, UK, some 10 miles from the Lotus Cars factory. A 50,000 square foot fully equipped facility, RTN was built by Toyota for its initial Formula One programme and then used by Bentley for its successful Le Mans programme.

The team’s future design, R&D, manufacturing and technical centre will be purpose built at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit.

Team Principal Tony Fernandes is the founder and CEO of the Malaysian-based Tune Group, owner of the Air Asia airline. The team’s Technical Director Mike Gascoyne has over 20 years of experience in Formula One having previously performed the same role for the Force India, Toyota, Renault and Jordan Formula One teams.

As part of its application to compete in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, the team has agreed an engine supply deal with Cosworth and a wide variety of technical partnerships including Xtrac and FondTech.

In BMW’s Hands

Mario Theissen and Peter Sauber pose in front of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. The pair of them have been disappointed in the results of BMW’s search for a buyer, now that they’ve missed the deadline for the Concorde Agreement. Sauber says it’s all in BMW’s hands now.

Credit: BMW AG

Force India – Adrian Sutil: ‘The car has potential’

The Malaysian GP was a frustrating race for Adrian Sutil, who was hoping that rain would give him the sort of boost that he had in Monaco last year. After starting on a light fuel load he made his first stop on lap 15, just before the skies darkened. With rain threatening he came in again just three laps later and gambled on wets, as did Kimi Raikkonen on the very same lap. The gamble didn’t pay off, but after the red flag he was ready with new wet tyres and a full tank for the run to the finish. However, the race was not restarted and thus he was unable to take advantage of his strategy. We asked Adrian for his thoughts on the weekend

Q: Why did you take the tyre gamble?
‘I pitted and I did one or two laps on slicks, but then I had a small problem with the car so I couldn’t really drive the car in the dry. We pitted again and changed onto the wet tyres and with slower speeds through the corners, it was alright, I could drive the car.’

Q: Did you realise straight away that the change was too early?
‘Yes, I think I was one of the first! I did five or six laps on wets in the dry but it was dark, it was starting to spot with rain and we had nothing to lose. Just before the race was stopped I put on new wet tyres because my first set was really worn out as we had changed too early, as we took a gamble. When the race stopped we had pitted and changed again and refuelled. In fact we would have been in quite a good position as some of the other teams still had to stop.’

Q: Any regrets on taking that gamble?
‘For sure we lost a lap or one and a half laps but we had to try, as we were at the end of the field. Sometimes it works out, sometimes not. I’m not really disappointed about that, I’m more disappointed that the race was suspended, and there was no other chance. We have to look at whether it’s really a good idea to run races so late! We were running out of time, and that’s a shame really.’

Q: So do you see it as a missed opportunity?
‘Yes, definitely. I was hoping to restart the race because we were filled up. We were the only car which went into the pits at that point and right at this time they stopped the race and we had to wait at the end of the pitlane. It was not a problem, as I was 15th with a good chance to gain a lot of places but it was just getting too dark.’

Q: Have had a chance to fight with anyone running KERS?
‘In Melbourne I had Nick Heidfeld in front of me, but like I said, our car is very fast on the straight, and I couldn’t really see a benefit of KERS. I was actually slipstreaming him sometimes and trying to overtake, so it is possible without KERS. Right now they seem to have a little bit of a problem with the balance all the time when they run KERS, so it’s very, very equal.’

Q: Any thoughts on the next race in China?
‘It’s quite a nice circuit, with good corners. Let’s see how the temperature is. It could be quite cold there now. In previous years we’ve had the race at the end of the season in hot conditions, so this could be the main difference. But I’m looking forward to it.’

Toyota Motorsport GmbH statement

Toyota Motorsport is pleased to hear the FIA International Court of Appeal has upheld the decision of the Australian Grand Prix stewards concerning the rear diffuser on our car.

As we have maintained throughout, 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.

Chairman and Team Principal Tadashi Yamashina said: “I was confident the Court of Appeal would reach this verdict and I am satisfied with it. It is important to stress we studied the technical regulations in precise detail, consulting the FIA in our process, and never doubted our car complied with them. This has been a challenging period for Formula 1 and I am pleased this issue is now in the past and we can focus on an exciting season on the track.”

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 12th April

The very best from the mouths of those in the know.

When to Start?

The rain in Sepang has caused a stir…

• “I don’t see anything wrong with the start time, we just didn’t know about the rain. If we had started at 2pm then it would have rained as well.” Bernie Ecclestone
  
• “The issue here is whether we have enough daylight, and on Sunday this was not the case. It was not just the fans who were dissatisfied with a shorter race but I think everyone involved in F1 also lost money.” Razlan Razali, CEO of Sepang Circuit
  
• “We should not have a twilight race. Either we have a race without lighting, then it should finish earlier, or we have a night race and you can go on when you want. Here it was on the edge.” Mario Theissen
  

Ferrari’s Lack of Form

The team know they have to do better…

• “So what we have to do now on one side is to work very hard to try to anticipate as much as we can, all of the development on the car. Then on the other side, on the track, we want to make sure that people with certain responsibilities are taking the right decisions in the right way…” Stefano Domenicali
  
• “Should his contract really not be renewed, then it would certainly not be because of the Malaysian GP. Michael may give some advice to the team, but he is not the team leader nor the team manager at Ferrari.” Willi Weber, Michael Schumacher’s manager
  
• “I brought with me a monk’s hood to make everyone understand that we have to tackle this season with humility and made the point that I don’t want to find us on some sort of TV comedy video programme after each race.” Luca di Montezemolo
  

Diffuser Hearing Approaches

The row over rear diffusers will be decided next week…

• “The FIA’s Court of Appeal will decide about the diffuser and this decision will have an enormous impact on the championship.” Kimi Raikkonen
  
• “It’s a rule set at least 14-15 years ago, and that for many years everyone interpreted in the same way. If you look at the Brawn car from underneath, you can see the suspension.” Rory Byrne, Ferrari Design Consultant
  
• “I draw this analogy with rugby, which is that you go out on the field and try and kill each other, then you come back and you have a beer. You have got to be able to separate those two things. And FOTA has got to be able to do that.” Ross Brawn
  

Focusing on Alonso

Alonso poses on track during the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend. Alonso was recovering from flu and suffering from an ear infection, but was feeling better by Sunday. Meanwhile, Briatore has pointed at the action we saw in Sepang as direct evidence that the controversial diffuser is really helping some teams out.
Credit: Andrew Ferraro/LAT Photographic

Next Page »