McLaren – Gary steps up for Bahrain

Gary Paffett was busy in the simulator at the McLaren Technology Centre yesterday, preparing for his new role with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. After working hard behind the scenes over the winter to finesse the performance of the new MP4-25, Gary will attend the first four ‘flyaway’ grands prix of 2010 as our reserve driver.

“Gary has been on the team since 2006 and we value his dedication and technical feedback,” says Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh. “We need someone who’s ready to step in if anything should happen to prevent Jenson or Lewis from taking part in a grand prix weekend. We know from working with Gary, and from watching his performances in other racing categories, that he’s ready and able to take on this responsibility.”

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 31st January

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

New Drivers in F1

Race and test seats see some new names…

• “Three years ago when I returned from Europe I couldn’t imagine getting this opportunity again. I know how difficult it is to get into F1. Thank God the results and many other things came together. There are five new teams in F1 with more seats available.” Jose Maria Lopez
• “If you are trying to win a championship, to not allow your principal drivers the Friday session is not something we would contemplate. But it’s something that some other teams are looking at and it’s a great opportunity for Paul.” Martin Whitmarsh on Paul di Resta
• “This opportunity gives me even more positive energy to improve as a driver and achieve my future targets as my ultimate goal will be to become Formula 1 world champion one day.” Valtteri Bottas

Thoughts on Schumacher

Michael and more share some musings…

• “I’m hot. It’s just taking far too long to get going and we can’t wait for next week. I have no issues with the neck. I’ve done the GP2 test and lots of preparation in the winter, lots of check to make sure all is good.” Michael Schumacher
• “think there’s lots of analysis that show the peak of your physical condition is in your 30s. It depends on the sport and Michael is achieving the parameters he was achieving when he was younger, in terms of his training, endurance, stamina and strength. He’s already reaching the parameters he was achieving many years ago.” Ross Brawn
• “We can’t forget we wanted him to be Felipe Massa’s replacement last season. He will be one of our rivals, just like Mercedes, and Rosberg, McLaren, with two great drivers, and Red Bull. The title will be fought between ourselves and another three teams.” Stefano Domenicali

Testing Begins Soon

The teams start to ready their new cars…

• “Nico will start with the car. What we want to try and do is give both drivers a drive on the first day. The first day is about checking the car and inspecting all the pieces – and there will be several strip downs of critical parts.” Ross Brawn
• “Bahrain is a test, it’s not a first race for us. The cars are very advanced, we have a driver under contract and our intention is to be in Bahrain for the first race.” Daniel Eisen, Campos Meta
• “It is a very tight programme for everybody with the new car. We’ve only got four tests and we need to make the maximum amount of time prior to the first test. The performance of the car is the most important thing for all of us.” Ross Brawn

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Launches MP4-25 with World Champions Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team today revealed its brand new MP4-25 chassis – the car in which reigning world champion Jenson Button and 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton will contest the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

Unveiled at Vodafone UK’s stunning headquarters in Newbury, the 2010 car looks noticeably different from last year’s race-winning MP4-24. MP4-25 features a radical aerodynamic overhaul and a significantly larger fuel tank to take full advantage of this year’s new regulations, and its design team is confident it has explored every possible avenue to maximise the car’s performance.

Horsepower once again comes from our friends in Stuttgart. Mercedes-Benz’s FO 108X V8 subtly improves upon an engine that has become the benchmark in Formula 1, winning the last two drivers’ world championships.

The team kicks off its 2010 campaign with a stunning driver pairing: 2009 world champion Jenson Button and 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton. It is the first time since 1989 – when it ran Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna – that the team has fielded a joint-world champion driver line-up, and marks the first time in Formula 1 history that the sport’s two most recent world champions have been partnered together.

However, the driver line-up represents only a fraction of the team’s remarkable strength in depth. Members of the design team who contributed to the development of MP4-25 can also trace their involvement back through an incredible seven of the team’s 12 drivers’ world championships, five of the team’s eight constructors’ world championships and 112 of the team’s 164 grand prix victories.

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team begins pre-season testing with MP4-25 at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo on Monday.

JENSON BUTTON
“I’m incredibly proud to be standing here today knowing I’ll be carrying the number one for the whole season: that’s a great responsibility but also a great honour. It’s something I’m relishing.
“From the very first day of testing, I’ll be working with the team to learn about the car and to develop it ahead of the first race. I’ve said it before: the pace of development in those opening tests could well determine the outcome of the championship.
“I’ve got a great team around me, and I already feel very at home here. I just can’t wait to get in the car and start driving again. It really can’t come soon enough!”

LEWIS HAMILTON
“I’ve seen just how much effort and attention has gone into making this car what it is. We’ve been pushing like crazy to find the performance and the result is something that looks very special and very uncompromising.
“Both Jenson and I are world champions, and we both want to add to the team’s incredible winning legacy. I think a strong driver line-up will be very important this year as there are a lot of very competitive teams and drivers – and the stronger we can be, the better chance we’ll have of winning races. We all understand that.
“Obviously, I want to win the drivers’ world championship, that’s clear. But, just as important, I want to help the team win the constructors’ world championship. I think it’s set to be a great year for Formula 1 – it should be brilliant.”

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
“At Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, we’ve demonstrated that strength in depth is the best approach to take in Formula 1. The group of engineers, designers and strategists we’ve assembled demonstrates how much can be achieved by a very focused team operating at the very limit of their abilities.
“In Jenson, we saw a champion driver hungry for more success. We’ve already seen those qualities in Lewis, too. I’m convinced that we have one of the very strongest driver line-ups in Formula 1, and that both Jenson and Lewis are committed to working together to enhance the team’s prospects in what promises to be a fiercely competitive season.”

David Wheldon
Vodafone Global brand director & CEO of VIML
“As we enter into the fourth season of this partnership, we will continue to create real engagement with our customers, utilising the unique opportunities the team partnership delivers, through a powerful integrated marketing platform. With the 2010 season starting, we welcome newly crowned world champion Jenson Button and wish all the team a successful 2010 season.”

Arrested Development

Paul di Resta prepares for another outing in the VJM02 during the young driver test in December 2009 at Jerez. McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh confirmed that di Resta would be available for Force India on Fridays as test driver, to try and impress them for a future race seat.

Credit: Force India F1

26-Jan-10: Jose Maria Lopez Confirmed at US F1

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Today is the 26th January 2010, and this is F1 Minute.

All sorts of driver news today, as firstly Jose Maria Lopez has been confirmed at US F1 for the upcoming season. He was linked with the team a while ago, but needed to bring the required funding before his seat was secure. With a little bit of government backing, Lopez was confirmed by the President of Argentina as having a drive in F1 this year. US F1 later acknowledged the announcement. A strange way for a driver to be revealed to the world, but they all seem quite happy about it.

Whilst we’re talking about strange announcements, Martin Whitmarsh confirmed to Reuters that DTM driver Paul di Resta would be working with Force India as a Friday driver. Whitmarsh said: “Paul will be running I believe in the majority of the Friday sessions for Force India, so it’s a great opportunity for him… he’s going to push like hell to make his case to have a race drive at Force India during the course of this year.” Very odd.

If anyone else wants to announce something on someone’s behalf, just let us know! I’ll see you tomorrow with another F1 Minute.

Silver Side Up

Mercedes GP unveiled their new livery in Stuttgart today, at a team launch. The 2010 car – the MGP W01 – will be revealed on the 1st February in Valencia. Mercedes drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg were both present for the launch, and McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh also showed his face.

Credit: Mercedes GP Petronas

19-Jan-10: Pedro de la Rosa Claims BMW Sauber Seat

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Today is the 19th January 2010 and this is F1 Minute.

BMW Sauber have confirmed their full line up today, with Pedro de la Rosa joining Kamui Kobayashi for the upcoming season. The Spaniard is 38, and has been with McLaren as test driver for seven years, with his last stint behind the wheel in a race in 2006. Peter Sauber says: “Pedro has spent many years working for a top team at the highest technical level. We as a team stand to gain from his experience, and the same goes for young Kamui. The combination of a seasoned racer and an up-and-coming young driver has repeatedly proved a very fruitful one. I don’t expect either of them to disappoint in 2010.”

Elsewhere, FOTA have elected Martin Whitmarsh as their new chairman for the year as Luca di Montezemolo steps down. Stefano Domenicali of Ferrari takes over as vice chairman. Also voted in was Christian Horner who takes charge of the Sporting Regulations working group.

That’s all for today, please join me tomorrow for another F1 Minute.

Martin Whitmarsh elected as new FOTA Chairman

The Executive Committee of the Formula One Teams Association elected Martin Whitmarsh as its new Chairman for the year 2010.

Stefano Domenicali will be the Vice Chairman. Completing the team which will lead FOTA in 2010, Christian Horner takes the role of Chairman of the Sporting Regulations Working Group while Ross Brawn will maintain his role of Chairman of the Technical Regulations Working Group. The activities of the Commercial Development Working Group will be directly managed by the Executive Committee.

All members placed on record their thanks to Luca di Montezemolo for his valuable leadership and remarkable contribution in the successful establishment of FOTA, as well as all the other key figures who contributed greatly to a successful first year. FOTA Teams now look forward to working with Martin Whitmarsh to continue the development of activities in the long-term interest of Formula One, in collaboration with all other stakeholders.

Each member of the association, which now includes all Teams competing in Formula One, is entitled to appoint one representative within the Executive Committee and within each of the standing Working Groups. The different bodies work closely together in order to define FOTA’s objectives and initiatives.

McLaren – TAG Heuer extends 25-year partnership

Fresh from launching its 150th anniversary celebrations at a glittering event at the McLaren Technology Centre on the evening of Wednesday December 2, premium timepiece brand TAG Heuer announced that it has extended its partnership with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team.

The relationship, signed in 1985, is one of the longest sporting sponsorship deals in history, and today’s announcement underlines the ongoing successes that both brands continue to enjoy together.

Among the guests of honour at last night’s event were Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver and 2008 Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, TAG Heuer president and CEO Jean-Christophe Babin, the brand’s honorary chairman, Jack Heuer, executive chairman of McLaren Automotive and founding shareholder of McLaren Group Ron Dennis and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team principal Martin Whitmarsh.

However, the limelight belonged to a classic McLaren Formula 1 car – the MP4/2C, the car driven by Frenchman Alain Prost to a sensational world drivers’ title in 1986 – which had been lovingly restored by the team’s engineers and was last night driven by Lewis around the spectacular lakeside entrance to the MTC.

He parked the car at the entrance to the building alongside last year’s championship-winning MP4-23, and the two legendary machines neatly encapsulated the ongoing strength and health of a 25-year-old winning relationship. And while last night’s event tipped its hat to the past, TAG Heuer, as ever, is looking to the future: 2010 is set to be an extraordinary anniversary year.

- it will mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of the company, which proudly bears the legend ‘Swiss avant garde since 1860’
- it will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its relationship with the McLaren Formula 1 team
- it will see the launch of TAG Heuer’s first-ever in-house movement, the 1887; the first time the Swiss watchmaker has developed its very own mechanism
- it will also mark the relaunch of the classic Heuer Silverstone watch from the 1970s

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team principal Martin Whitmarsh said: “To announce the extension of a partnership that has already prospered for 25 years not only says a lot about the very close relationship that exists between TAG Heuer and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, but it also speaks volumes about the appeal, strength and sustainability offered to all partners by Formula 1.

“We both share a passion for precision technology, and we measure life in Formula 1 by the stopwatch, so the long and prosperous relationship we’ve enjoyed with TAG Heuer feels entirely natural.”

TAG Heuer president and CEO Jean-Christophe Babin added: “It’s a matter of considerable pride to all of us at TAG Heuer that we can not only look back on a fantastically successful 25-year relationship, but that we can continue to share our vision together long into the future.

“In many ways, TAG Heuer has become synonymous with Formula 1 and, in particular, the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team. Many of our ambassadors – Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton – have become some of Formula 1’s greatest champions, and our timepieces will long continue to celebrate the accuracy, the precision and even the history of this great sport.”

2008 Formula 1 world champion and TAG Heuer ambassador Lewis Hamilton said: “My long and ongoing relationship with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team means that I’ve really grown up with the TAG Heuer brand. To be able to sit in the very car driven by one of the team’s greatest champions, Alain Prost, is a great honour; it was incredible to get to drive such a piece of history, and to experience a little taste of Formula 1’s, McLaren’s and TAG Heuer’s glorious past.

“Last night’s event really showcased the perfectionism and dedication that TAG Heuer has always shown the team, and it was an honour to be invited. Finally, it’s great news that TAG Heuer has chosen to revive another classic watch with a motorsport connection: the Silverstone. It’s a fantastic watch.”

28-Oct-09: Renault Sign Up with New Sponsor

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It’s the 28th October 2009, welcome to F1 Minute.

Renault have announced their first sponsor deal since the fallout from the Singapore 2008 row, where two of their main sponsors ditched the team instantly. The team confirmed that they have signed a three year deal with TW Steel, a Dutch watchmaker. The deal starts at this weekend’s race in Abu Dhabi, so you should be able to spot some new stickers on the Renault car.

Elsewhere, McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh is hoping that the British Grand Prix can be saved, after the neverending Donington saga continues. He said: “It’s not just McLaren but everyone in F1 knows the importance of the British Grand Prix. You couldn’t say any are absolutely vital, but losing the British GP would be massively damaging to the sport. It’s the kind of support from the fans there. It’s different to other places.” Ah good. If we can get teams campaigning to get races on the calendar, we might have some hope for the future.

That’s all for now, I’ll be back tomorrow with another F1 Minute.

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