14-Mar-10: Alonso Leads a Ferrari 1-2 in Bahrain

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Welcome to F1 Minute for the 14th March 2010.

Fernando Alonso has won the first race of the year, taking a Ferrari 1-2 victory in Bahrain. Vettel had been leading from pole, but his car developed some exhaust trouble and he started drifting backwards. Both Ferraris, and Hamilton got past him to make it onto the podium, whilst Vettel himself held on to fourth place.

Further back, the Hispania cars started from the pitlane, and Chandhok was out after just one lap. He hit a kerb and spun off. Senna’s engine blew up. Both Glock and di Grassi suffered mechanical problems for Virgin Racing. Pedro de la Rosa and Kobayashi both retired for Sauber. Lotus were ecstatic to be the only new team bringing both drivers to the finish safely, although Trulli did have to nurse his car across the line.
Elsewhere, Rosberg finished ahead of Schumacher – 5th and 6th place – whilst Kubica just missed out on some points finishing 11th, whilst teammate Petrov retired from the race.

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

Fernando’s First for Ferrari

Fernando Alonso leads his teammate around the Sakhir circuit before taking his first victory since Japan 2008. He and Massa made it a 1-2 for the Italian squad, with Hamilton joining them on the podium. Pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel suffered mechanical troubles that meant he fell back through the field, ultimately finishing fourth.

Credit: Bridgestone Corporation

13-Mar-10: Vettel Takes Pole Position in Bahrain

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Today is the 13th March 2010, this is F1 Minute.

Fernando Alonso led the way in free practice 3 this morning, showing some excellent Ferrari pace. He was followed by Rosberg and Webber. Di Grassi had gearbox troubles and didn’t set a time, whilst Chandhok’s car still wasn’t able to leave the garage, meaning he would have to put in his debut lap in F1 during qualifying.

When the three-part session took place, Chandhok did finally make it out on track, and although he was initially 21 seconds off the pace, he closed up considerably and finished last, but only one second off his teammate. All the new teams plus Alguersuari were out in the first session, but it was Glock who led the new team battle, finishing 19th. At the top, Vettel took a storming pole position, with Massa and Alonso lining up behind him. Webber made a mistake on his final flying lap to finish down in 6th. Rosberg was 5th, finishing ahead of Schumacher yet again – the seven times world champion qualified 7th,

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

The Back of Beyond

Sebastian Vettel celebrates his pole position in Bahrain, hugging chief mechanic Kenny Handkammer. The Red Bull driver stormed to pole, whilst teammate Webber qualified in 6th, after making a mistake on his final flying lap. Tyre wear was a significant problem in the heat of the desert, but Vettel starts in the best possible position – ahead of Massa and Alonso.

Credit: Getty Images

The Boys are Back in Town

A ten-part F1 Big Picture series celebrating the return of F1 in Bahrain. Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel compare notes as they make their way through the paddock in Bahrain. Button finished ahead of Vettel in both sessions, but the pair were only four tenths apart by the end of the day. Vettel is slightly concerned about the lack of running he got in the afternoon, a brake problem meant he completed ten laps less than Button.

Credit: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

27-Feb-10: Rosberg Fastest on Day Three of Testing

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This is a special F1 Minute for the 27th February 2010 – catching up on the third day of testing in Barcelona.

The rain has held off since Jerez, but it returned to Barcelona today for a couple of hours. Nico Rosberg posted the fastest time of the day in the morning, and the damp track ensured that no one could beat it. Rosberg also completed the most laps with 128, whilst Massa completed 115 back in fifth place. Is it even worth me saying that Virgin Racing completed the least number of laps and Timo Glock was the slowest of the day? Well, that happened, but Vettel also completed a relatively low number of laps with 51. He ended up 8th but most of the Red Bull running was done after the rain came down.

Elsewhere, Michael Schumacher has done some rapid backtracking after proclaiming that Mercedes weren’t ready to be winning any races yet. He said: “”Yesterday I was a little bit pessimistic before I studied the data. I mentioned it after not having studied the data, afterwards it looks much more reasonable than I thought.” Does anyone else think he got told off?

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

17-Feb-10: Vettel Leads as Jerez Test Resumes

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This is F1 Minute for the 17th February 2010.

Testing resumed today in Jerez, as the teams continued their pre-season programmes, and they were joined by Lotus as well. Sebastian Vettel was the fastest man of the day, with a time set during the early afternoon – when the track was drying. Yes, that’s right, it was still wet over there with intermittent showers making things a bit frustrating for teams. Ferrari in particular were not impressed with conditions, despite the fact Massa led for a lot of the day and finished up third.

Lotus did well, running test driver Fauzy in the car and completing 76 laps. They were lacking in power steering, apparently, due to a supplier problem, but they weren’t last on their first day out. That honour fell to Virgin, again, who only managed a few laps, again. Glock completed 10 laps and finished ten seconds off Vettel’s fastest time.

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

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 27th December

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

Schumacher’s Big Comeback

Michael Schumacher joins Mercedes for 2010…

• “Michael and I kept very close over the years and I saw from his disappointment over the summer, when he couldn’t drive a Ferrari, how much passion he still has for the sport. We’re incredibly excited now about the prospect of Michael being part of the team.” Ross Brawn
  
• “I never left the race track. I was tired of F1 by the end of 2006, but in three years of absence I got back all the energy that I am feeling right now. I played around with motorbikes and I feel ready for some serious stuff now.” Michael Schumacher
  
• “It is fantastic that Michael is returning to Formula 1 and will be my team-mate at Mercedes GP. It’s a great challenge for me to be up against one of the best drivers of all time. I’m sure that we will form a very strong partnership as he will have lost none of his speed. It is also great news for our sport and the fans.” Nico Rosberg
  

Ecclestone Picks His Favourite

Bernie sets his sights on a new champion…

• “There are several – Hamilton, Alonso… But I will say this now: Vettel will be the next world champion.” Bernie Ecclestone
  
• “His return is good for F1. Now this is obviously the main point of conversation, and the entire world is talking about it. But I think that once the engines start again and the season begins, there will certainly be more important things to focus on.” Sebastian Vettel on Schumacher
  
• “Don’t forget, next year we have four current or former world champions in the shape of Alonso, Hamilton, Button and Schumacher on the starting line. I can’t remember the last time that happened.” Bernie Ecclestone
  

New Team Updates

Confirmed and potential teams talk of the future…

• “A number of people have asked me why we’ve been relatively quiet over the past six months or so. My answer is twofold – one, while the F1 politics were sorting themselves out there was very little that we could do or say. We’re all in the entertainment business we call F1 and there seemed little or no point in adding to the situation from the perspective of a new team.” Peter Windsor
  
• “We have suffered from changes to the FIA rules since we became part of Formula 1, but despite difficulties we have never considered the option of giving up on the championship. Our project is solid as it has always been and we confirm we will be in Bahrain in March and of course Abu Dhabi in November.” Statement from Campos
  
• “We will offer teams, who are changing drivers during the season, or even young drivers themselves, the chance to test our car so they can gain experience. It will be purely a commercial operation.” Zoran Stefanovich, Stefan GP
  

Button Seals Memorable Season

The FIA Gala in Monaco provided the grand finale for a dramatic season in the FIA Formula One World Championship. The winning trophies were presented to Jenson Button and Ross Brawn for the drivers’ and constructors’ titles respectively, whilst Sebastian Vettel and Rubens Barrichello took the stage to collect their second and third place trophies.

It was a season of records for all of those on stage. Having won six of the first seven races of the championship, Brawn became the first team to claim the Constructors’ title in its debut season.

Vettel, at age 22, became the youngest Drivers’ Championship runner-up in Formula One history. Rubens Barrichello, at age 37, attained his fourth top-three finish in the Formula One Drivers’ Championship, whilst maintaining his position as the most experienced driver in F1 history, having competed in 288 races and counting.

Jenson Button said:

“I am honoured to be here in Monaco this evening to collect the Drivers’ Championship trophy and to see my name engraved alongside the famous racing legends of the past. Motor racing has been a part of my life since my father bought my first go-kart at the age of eight and to have achieved my dream of becoming World Champion makes me incredibly proud.

“This has been a fantastic year for myself and Brawn GP. Just 23 days before the start of the season, we didn’t even know if we would be at the first race and now I am the World Champion with the team winning the Constructors’ Championship. Everyone at the team deserves our success so much.

“I would like to say a very big thank you to everyone at Brawn GP and at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines for all of their hard work and commitment and for producing such a great car. It has truly been a fantastic year and I am very proud of the success that we achieved together.”

Brawn Team Principal Ross Brawn said:

“This has been an incredible year for Brawn GP. To live the trauma of the winter months and make it to the grid for the first race and then to achieve eight Grand Prix victories and the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships in our first year was inconceivable before the season started.

“On behalf of the team, it is a great honour to receive the Constructors’ Championship trophy this evening and I look forward to taking the trophy back to Brackley to share with our team. I would like to thank Jenson and Rubens for the spirit in which they fought for the Drivers’ Championship this year, all of our staff at the factory in Brackley for their hard work and dedication, and Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart and Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth for the support that they have given us since the start of the year and the superb engine that they provided.

“Our team has now formed a partnership with Mercedes-Benz for the future through the investment in the team by Daimler AG and Aabar. Our new position as the Mercedes works team will revive the brand’s iconic Silver Arrows heritage and we are all looking forward to representing Mercedes-Benz at the pinnacle of global motorsport and the challenge of defending our title next season.”

Sebastian Vettel said:

“It is a great honour for me to be here in Monaco at the FIA Gala to receive this award. Of course, as a sportsman, coming second is never your target, but we can be happy with what is nevertheless a great result. For the team, it was a fantastic season – its best ever – and the credit goes to everyone at Red Bull Racing, both at the race track and back in the factory. We are very proud of what we have achieved and it will motivate us to try and do even better next year.”

Rubens Barrichello said:

“It was a great season for everyone at Brawn GP. We had a really fun year together that will remain in our memories forever and it’s good to be here this evening to see Ross collect the Constructors’ Championship trophy on behalf of the team.

“I’m really pleased to have played my part in securing the title for the team with the two wins in Valencia and Monza and the podium and points finishes in what has been one of my strongest seasons in Formula One. The team were superb all year, producing and developing a car which gave me the opportunity to return to winning ways, and maintaining their belief through the difficult times. We fully deserve our Championship success and it was a real privilege to be part of such a strong team.”

Quotes Roundup – Week Ending 8th November

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

Toyota Leave F1

The team announce their decision to quit…

• “When considering TMC’s motorsports actitives next year and beyond from a comprehensive mid-term viewpoint reflecting the current severe economic realities, TMC decided to withdraw from F1.” Statement from Toyota
  
• “The decision by Toyota Motor Corporation to withdraw from Formula 1 with immediate effect is deeply regretted but underlines the importance of all stakeholders in the sport working together to ensure a profitable and sustainable future.” Mark Gallagher, Cosworth boss
  
• “The announcements this week by Toyota and Bridgestone of their withdrawal from Formula One are of concern to the FIA. Bridgestone has given almost 18 months’ notice of its intentions, thereby allowing the necessary arrangements to be made for the future supply of tyres to the championship. Toyota’s decision, however, comes just weeks after its F1 team signed the new Concorde Agreement until 2012.” Statement from the FIA
  

Team Movements

Personnel saying goodbye and hello…

• “We are very pleased for Rubens that he will be driving in Formula 1 once again next year. Rubens was with our team for four years and we regard him as a highly experienced and talented driver whose contribution to the team over that period was significant.” Ross Brawn
  
• “Dr Kolles has held positions as team principal, director and the managing director of the team during his tenure. We thank Dr Kolles for his contributions during his term and wish him success in his future endeavours.” Statement from Force India
  
• “This decision doesn’t surprise me, even though this doesn’t sadden me any less especially for the people in the team, with whom I’ve had a fine relationship and with whom I hope to be able to work again in the future.” Jarno Trulli
  

Looking Ahead

Teams want the next season to begin already…

• “The team is doing fantastically well, we have a great atmosphere, everybody for sure now needs the break to relax a little bit with the family. But at the same time I know that everybody is extremely motivated to come back as soon as possible, build the new car and make the next season better than this.” Sebastian Vettel
  
• “It’s a team and a marque born for competition and so you know they are going to give it all for their car, and you know that Ferrari is usually among the first. Sometimes they win titles, sometimes they don’t, but they never have a year that’s too bad. I think going to Ferrari is the safest option for any driver.” Fernando Alonso
• “The way these guys learned to anticipate what will happen, what will be the next tenth of a second and so on, I think this five/six months period was probably the best learning history in the history of McLaren, in the history of our team definitely, and it shows this team is stronger than ever.” Norbert Haug
  

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