-Formula 1 - Season 2011

m_waqas (m_waqas) 2011-03-21 18:35:59 +0500 #901

Fernando Alonso and the class of '01

brilliant.. just read it.. i could do with some more ..

portrayed Kimi as an elite of a rookie class :S ... and i see ALO was intelligent from the start... great read. but it ended abruptly...

BBC Sport - F1 - Jenson Button's thoughts with Japanese people

glad to know she's safe :P.. beautiful jessy..

We’ve made McLaren a second a lap faster, says Whitmarsh

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh says that some tough decisions have been taken following the team’s poor performance in winter testing and the result, he believes, is a one second per lap improvement in the car.

Two of the key areas are the floor and the exhausts, where a simpler solution has been employed.

Speaking in a Vodafone phone-in with leading F1 websites, he said, “I was not satisfied with where the car was from a reliabiliy or performance point of view. We have made some dramatic changes to the car. There is some risk, but we hope that it pays off and the car is more competitive.

“The changes are aimed at making the car over a second quicker than it was in the tests.”

genius83 (Mohammad Saad Umar) 2011-03-22 01:58:54 +0500 #902

Extra tyres for Melbourne practice
Formula 1 teams will be given an extra set of tyres to use at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix, with Pirelli deciding to bring into use more rubber for Friday practice.

Massa unsure where Ferrari stands
Felipe Massa says Ferrari still does not know how well its car stacks up against the opposition - even though he is sure the team has put together a reliable package for the season ahead.

Chandhok is Team Lotus reserve driver
Karun Chandhok has joined Team Lotus as its reserve driver for 2011 - and his duties will begin in Australia this weekend with him taking to the track for the first free practice session.

@UK
Excellent article, thanks for posting.

genius83 (Mohammad Saad Umar) 2011-03-22 02:37:02 +0500 #903

Here are the first pics of preparations for the first race of the season this weekend.

alliereyaz (alliereyaz) 2011-03-22 13:06:08 +0500 #904

Hamilton: Red Bull is just a drinks company | YallaF1.com
its true, and its all about Mclaren Ferrari. full stop.

Button enjoys historic F1 drive at Bathurst | YallaF1.com

http://www.yallaf1.com/2011/03/22/adjustable-rear-wing-could-be-scrapped/
please hurry....

http://www.yallaf1.com/2011/03/22/fia-considers-banning-high-nose-cones/
what???? they should ban 4cylinder turbo engine instead

genius83 (Mohammad Saad Umar) 2011-03-22 14:18:14 +0500 #905

Walker: Australian GP future secure
Australian Grand Prix promoter Ron Walker insists the future of his event is 'very secure' beyond its current 2015 deal - despite ongoing speculation suggesting Bernie Ecclestone could pull the plug on the race.

Mercedes: No reason to get excited yet
Mercedes GP is taking nothing for granted about its form heading into this weekend's season opener in Australia, despite an encouraging final test for the new W02.

Ferrari: Strategy 'absolutely vital'
Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali believes having the quickest car will not be enough to win this year's titles, as he is adamant that strategy will be "absolutely vital".

Button drives Bathurst in F1 car
Jenson Button became the first man to take a Formula 1 car around the legendary Bathurst circuit on Tuesday.

Here is the video, one thing is for sure Bathurst is one hell of a track:

//youtu.be/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLCVk5J-f-4

UncleKracker (UncleKracker) 2011-03-22 14:40:50 +0500 #906

Brawn tips Schumacher to "surprise" a few people
Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn has tipped Michael Schumacher to pull off a surprise in 2011.
Brawn said: “I think Michael can surprise a few people this year because he’s had a much better preparation.
“He’s now worked with the team for a year, knows all the engineering staff, knows how the team works and he’s had a good winter test.

Mark Webber crosses Bolt Bridge

//youtu.be/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhiTKIB0y5U

UncleKracker (UncleKracker) 2011-03-22 15:14:17 +0500 #907

Mark Hughes on F1's three top men

Choosing the finest driver on the grid is the eternal debate for F1 fans. Mark Hughes picks his top three from the 2011 field and explains what gives them the edge over the rest of the pack.

By Mark Hughes

Source: Autosport

In a sport that generates a fanatical following, the question of who is Formula 1's best driver is perhaps the most emotive one of all.

In essence though, the question itself illustrates the gap between external perception and participant reality. From the driver's perspective, the whole nature of the game is to get oneself into a position to win. He's endeavouring to have the right team of people and resource around him, to build that team to enable him to then beat everyone else.

The fact that there are differences between the performance of the cars is part of the game, part of the sport's sophistication. It's a contest between engineers as well as between drivers and it's the driver's task to ensure he's at the wheel of the fastest car. Who is actually the 'best' driver in the cockpit is almost of secondary importance; they are very closely matched and the performance differentiators are likely to be elsewhere.

That's certainly how Fernando Alonso or Sebastian Vettel or Mark Webber look at it. Lewis Hamilton is probably an exception to this rule: like most fans, he would really like all the cars to be equally matched, so that the game became just a straight driving contest.

But it isn't and it's never going to be, not in F1. So that leaves a permanently tantalising question of just who is the best. Most fans are unconcerned about who the best aerodynamicist is, or the best race engineer, or tyre technician, or sponsorship finder. All these people, and many more, determine the result, but it's the driver that generates the human interest and fascination.

How they actually rank can never be definitively answered. In terms of turning the wheel and pressing the pedals, it is likely that one man will be doing it fractionally better than everyone else – someone has to be the best, after all. But it's likely to be different guys at different times and under different circumstances.
<table class="pictable" width="183" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5"> <tbody> <tr> <td> It can be hard to show talent in the midfield © LAT
</td></tr></tbody></table> There are times when circumstances present no opportunity for a driver to do his best stuff. You might be stuck in traffic in a mediocre car at a track at which passing is not possible and all you can do is be patient and error-free and pounce on any opportunities – which may or may not come. Your fantastic in-lap capability, the huge ability on cold tyres, the uncanny way of reading a race, of knowing when to push, when to conserve, can all be of no value on the day.

Whereas another guy, up at the front in a better car, may be able to exercise those skills – purely because of better circumstance. In that instance he will have done a better job than you. But that doesn't mean you couldn't have done a yet better one, had you been in his circumstances. But you didn't, and you can only be judged on what you did.

The specifics of driving style and how that dovetails or doesn't with the type of car demanded by the regs (or what the team has provided) is immensely important. Yes, a top driver should be able to adapt. But even if he does, it can be that he possesses specific skills that are beyond the others in that department but which are simply not required.

It happened this way with Robert Kubica when the tyre war came to an end and he went from super-grippy Michelins to very ordinary control Bridgestones. His ability to use every bit of grip by taking huge momentum into the corner but still somehow making the apex, an ability beyond anyone else's with regard to that specific skill, was wasted because it was suddenly so much easier to do. When a driver has to pull back from what he could do because of the car/tyre being the limitation rather than pushing himself up to what the car can do, it can change the picture significantly.

The specific dynamics of a race, or a title battle, bring their own very specific challenges and pressures. And these can reveal strengths/weaknesses and it might be that your rivals aren't being subject to the same challenges – and again this can give a misleading picture.
<table style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px;" class="pictable" width="183" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5"> <tbody> <tr> <td> It took many years for Webbe to get his hands on a winning car © LAT
</td></tr></tbody></table> You can see a driver grow as these challenges are met and conquered – and we saw it particularly with Webber when he finally got into a car his raw ability had long warranted. It made him look like a late bloomer, but you can be sure he would have developed these skills earlier had he been in a fast car earlier.

As a journalist analysing relative merits of performance all you can do is learn as much as possible about the specifics, talk to the drivers, to the engineers who spend their time looking at the telemetry traces, who know from the recorded tyre loadings what is possible and how close to achieving the maximum they are. Those guys are in a position to give detailed perspective.

Talk to the team principals for a broader view about how well the driver integrates, leads and inspires. Then trawl through the lap history charts and relate what you find there with what was happening and have more questions for drivers and engineers. Go out and watch trackside close-up repeatedly, preferably with at least some track experience of your own, and compare what you see there with what the data is saying. Do it over years and years and a picture builds. But reality is never black and white definitive.

Within all the above provisos, the three drivers, in my opinion, with probably the best range and depth of abilities are, in alphabetical order: Alonso, Hamilton, Vettel. They are each capable of being the 'best' on any given day and probably achieve that more regularly than the others. But which among them turns in the best performance over a season will almost certainly vary because the demands, circumstances and actual performance do not remain constant.

Based on last season, forced to make a ranking for AUTOSPORT magazine, I put them in the order of Hamilton, Kubica, Alonso, Vettel and made the relevant justifications for that. With Robert sadly out of the game for the time being, we are left with the list below, but based, I must emphasise, on last year. How the demands play to their various and different skills this year may be completely different.

Lewis Hamilton
<table class="pictable" width="275" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5"> <tbody> <tr> <td> © LAT
</td></tr></tbody></table> What he actually does with the car, the things he can make it do, are beyond anyone else, in much the same way that was true of Ronnie Peterson in the 1970s. When McLaren was testing with him in earnest in the 2006-07 off-season, the engineers were stunned to discover how he adapted to wildly varying handling characteristics and also to how relaxed he was with levels of oversteer that none of their previous drivers – Senna, Hakkinen and Raikkonen included – would have lived with. Davey Ryan's words, not mine. It is pure, raw, undiluted talent of a massive order.

But he needs guidance more than most top drivers, is less adept at making his own calls than Alonso, Webber or Jenson Button. All of his being seems consumed with driving faster than any man on earth and often that is all that's required. But sometimes – see Australia or China last year – the demands are more multi-layered than that. It was noticeable too that Button was more usually relied upon to give technical direction post-Fridays.

Fernando Alonso
He has a multi-dimensional understanding of what is required and the talent to deliver on every level. Central to this is an inner rage to win and he can control and direct this rage wonderfully well.

<table style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px;" class="pictable" width="275" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5"> <tbody> <tr> <td> © LAT
</td></tr></tbody></table> He also demands that the team be centred around him, in much the way that previous greats did. Understanding the crucial moments of a race, a fine-honed awareness of the strategic implications within the ebb and flow of a race and a very solid technical direction are additional to his core basic speed – and Ferrari adores him for all those things.

He is less convincing when the car does not allow him to be in contention and Hamilton revealed his Achilles heel by being as fast or faster during that infamous '07 season. His emotional reaction there led to several bad decisions.

Sebastian Vettel
<table class="pictable" width="275" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5"> <tbody> <tr> <td> © LAT
</td></tr></tbody></table> His free and easy spirit is translated directly in the way he effortlessly extracts the maximum from a great talent: that's his default setting.
He is quick regardless of handling traits and never happier than when the car is edgily darty on turn-in. He's razor sharp too and at his best makes the whole thing look ludicrously easy.

There is an inner fierceness behind the smiles and it is this which drives him. He has the raw desire of all the greats, though occasionally that can boil over into irrationality. They are niggles though, and likely to be eradicated as his experience builds.

UncleKracker (UncleKracker) 2011-03-22 15:37:20 +0500 #908

The 2011 AUTOSPORT gamble

At the start of every season, the AUTOSPORT team gets off the fence and picks their tips for the drivers' and constructors' championships. Each member predicts the top five drivers, ranking them from first to fifth, and likewise for the top five teams. The first receives five points, second four, and so on down to fifth. Collating the votes results in what AUTOSPORT predicts will be the standings at the end of the season. In eight months time we'll know whether we rule, or if we're just a bunch of fools... <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td width="25">
</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">By AUTOSPORT</td> </tr> <tr> <td>
</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">
</td> </tr> <tr> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table class="content" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td class="bluebg" colspan="17" height="20">THE 2011 DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP GAMBLE</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td class="greybg" align="left">Pos</td> <td class="greybg">Driver</td> <td class="greybg">SS</td> <td class="greybg">AC</td> <td class="greybg">MG</td> <td class="greybg">CB</td> <td class="greybg">PE</td> <td class="greybg">MB</td> <td class="greybg">TD</td> <td class="greybg">JOL</td> <td class="greybg">BA</td> <td class="greybg">JN</td> <td class="greybg">KT</td> <td class="greybg">DR</td> <td class="greybg">ES</td> <td class="greybg">AV</td> <td class="greybg">Total</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>1.</td> <td>Vettel</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>3</td> <td>5</td> <td>4</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>4</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>66</td></tr> <tr class="boxes rowalt" align="center"> <td>2.</td> <td>Alonso</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>3</td> <td>4</td> <td>5</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>3</td> <td>4</td> <td>5</td> <td>3</td> <td>4</td> <td>55</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>3.</td> <td>Webber</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>2</td> <td>
</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>4</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>4</td> <td>3</td> <td>40</td></tr> <tr class="boxes rowalt" align="center"> <td>4.</td> <td>Hamilton</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td> <td>3</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>22</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>5.</td> <td>Massa</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>6</td></tr> <tr class="boxes rowalt" align="center"> <td>6.</td> <td>Heidfeld</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>5</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>1</td> <td>8</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>7.</td> <td>Button</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>5</td></tr> <tr class="boxes rowalt" align="center"> <td>8.</td> <td>Schumacher</td> <td>2</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>4</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>9.</td> <td>Rosberg</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>3</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table class="content" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td class="bluebg" colspan="17" height="20">THE 2011 CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP GAMBLE</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td class="greybg" align="left">Pos</td> <td class="greybg">Team</td> <td class="greybg">SS</td> <td class="greybg">AC</td> <td class="greybg">MG</td> <td class="greybg">CB</td> <td class="greybg">PE</td> <td class="greybg">MB</td> <td class="greybg">TD</td> <td class="greybg">JOL</td> <td class="greybg">BA</td> <td class="greybg">JN</td> <td class="greybg">KT</td> <td class="greybg">DR</td> <td class="greybg">ES</td> <td class="greybg">AV</td> <td class="greybg">Total</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>1.</td> <td>Red Bull</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>4</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>69</td></tr> <tr class="boxes rowalt" align="center"> <td>2.</td> <td>Ferrari</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>3</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>5</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>56</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>3.</td> <td>McLaren</td> <td>1</td> <td>1</td> <td>2</td> <td>3</td> <td>2</td> <td>4</td> <td>1</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>1</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>33</td></tr> <tr class="boxes rowalt" align="center"> <td>4.</td> <td>Mercedes</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>1</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>3</td> <td>1</td> <td>1</td> <td>3</td> <td>2</td> <td>1</td> <td>2</td> <td>1</td> <td>25</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>5.</td> <td>Renault</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td> <td>3</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>1</td> <td>2</td> <td>1</td> <td>2</td> <td>25</td></tr> <tr class="boxes rowalt" align="center"> <td>6.</td> <td>Toro Rosso</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td></tr></tbody></table>

Simon Strang, AUTOSPORT.com editor (SS)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Schumacher; 5. Hamilton
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Mercedes; 4. Renault; 5. McLaren

I have a sneaky feeling that Fernando Alonso might actually come out on top this year, but in the end logic prevails and there are just too many factors pointing to Vettel and Red Bull – not least of which is that Sebastian knows how to win titles now. Webber is over last year, but for him being a world champion remains an unknown and all his key rivals now have that knowledge. I still believe Schumacher can bring something to the game while Hamilton and Button will overcome whatever shortcomings exist within the McLaren MP4-26 to play a part this year.
Team-wise Red Bull looks secure in its position as champion, while Ferrari has been ominously efficient in testing. Mercedes turned testing around in the end and, I think, could usurp Renault through the year. McLaren it seems have a lot to do, but if any team can achieve time recovery miracles it's that one. Question remains why it should have to?

Adam Cooper, AUTOSPORT contributing writer (AC)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Massa; 5. Rosberg
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Mercedes; 4. Renault; 5. McLaren
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td width="25">
</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">By AUTOSPORT</td> </tr> <tr> <td>
</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">
</td> </tr> <tr> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table class="content" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td class="bluebg" colspan="17" height="20">THE 2011 DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP GAMBLE</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td class="greybg" align="left">Pos</td> <td class="greybg">Driver</td> <td class="greybg">SS</td> <td class="greybg">AC</td> <td class="greybg">MG</td> <td class="greybg">CB</td> <td class="greybg">PE</td> <td class="greybg">MB</td> <td class="greybg">TD</td> <td class="greybg">JOL</td> <td class="greybg">BA</td> <td class="greybg">JN</td> <td class="greybg">KT</td> <td class="greybg">DR</td> <td class="greybg">ES</td> <td class="greybg">AV</td> <td class="greybg">Total</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>1.</td> <td>Vettel</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>3</td> <td>5</td> <td>4</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>4</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>66</td></tr> <tr class="boxes rowalt" align="center"> <td>2.</td> <td>Alonso</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>3</td> <td>4</td> <td>5</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>3</td> <td>4</td> <td>5</td> <td>3</td> <td>4</td> <td>55</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>3.</td> <td>Webber</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>2</td> <td>
</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>4</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>4</td> <td>3</td> <td>40</td></tr> <tr class="boxes rowalt" align="center"> <td>4.</td> <td>Hamilton</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td> <td>3</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>22</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>5.</td> <td>Massa</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>6</td></tr> <tr class="boxes rowalt" align="center"> <td>6.</td> <td>Heidfeld</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>5</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>1</td> <td>8</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>7.</td> <td>Button</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>5</td></tr> <tr class="boxes rowalt" align="center"> <td>8.</td> <td>Schumacher</td> <td>2</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>4</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>9.</td> <td>Rosberg</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>3</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table class="content" width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td class="bluebg" colspan="17" height="20">THE 2011 CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP GAMBLE</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td class="greybg" align="left">Pos</td> <td class="greybg">Team</td> <td class="greybg">SS</td> <td class="greybg">AC</td> <td class="greybg">MG</td> <td class="greybg">CB</td> <td class="greybg">PE</td> <td class="greybg">MB</td> <td class="greybg">TD</td> <td class="greybg">JOL</td> <td class="greybg">BA</td> <td class="greybg">JN</td> <td class="greybg">KT</td> <td class="greybg">DR</td> <td class="greybg">ES</td> <td class="greybg">AV</td> <td class="greybg">Total</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>1.</td> <td>Red Bull</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>4</td> <td>5</td> <td>5</td> <td>69</td></tr> <tr class="boxes rowalt" align="center"> <td>2.</td> <td>Ferrari</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>3</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>5</td> <td>4</td> <td>4</td> <td>56</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>3.</td> <td>McLaren</td> <td>1</td> <td>1</td> <td>2</td> <td>3</td> <td>2</td> <td>4</td> <td>1</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>1</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>33</td></tr> <tr class="boxes rowalt" align="center"> <td>4.</td> <td>Mercedes</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>3</td> <td>1</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>3</td> <td>1</td> <td>1</td> <td>3</td> <td>2</td> <td>1</td> <td>2</td> <td>1</td> <td>25</td></tr> <tr class="boxes" align="center"> <td>5.</td> <td>Renault</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td> <td>3</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>2</td> <td>1</td> <td>2</td> <td>1</td> <td>2</td> <td>25</td></tr> <tr class="boxes rowalt" align="center"> <td>6.</td> <td>Toro Rosso</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>1</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> <td>2</td></tr></tbody></table>

Simon Strang, AUTOSPORT.com editor (SS)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Schumacher; 5. Hamilton
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Mercedes; 4. Renault; 5. McLaren

Adam Cooper, AUTOSPORT contributing writer (AC)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Massa; 5. Rosberg
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Mercedes; 4. Renault; 5. McLaren

No big gambles here I'm afraid! We have to take testing at face value and assume that in essence 2011 will be about Red Bull and Ferrari. After that it's anybody's guess, but I have a feeling that Vettel will be super strong this year, and Webber just won't get the breaks that he had last year.
Obviously a lot of people are backing Alonso and that's a logical assumption, but if I have to make the choice, I'll go with Seb. I expect Massa to be a lot stronger than he was last year, which will make the Ferrari situation more interesting.
Mercedes could turn out to be a more potent force than I'm suggesting here, and I'm also putting a lot of faith in the Renault drivers being able to get the most out of what could be a very good car. I am sure McLaren will make become more competitive as the year goes on but I suspect that they will be too far behind to make too much progress up the order.

Mark Glendenning, AUTOSPORT deputy F1 editor (MG)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Massa
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Mercedes; 4. McLaren; 5. Toro Rosso

Red Bull and Ferrari looked like they had things nailed during testing, and the improvements from Mercedes might be just enough to protect them from any mid-season recovery by McLaren. Nevertheless, I'm still not sure whether either of the Mercedes drivers will be consistent enough to feature in the title battle.
Felipe Massa should step up a bit this year – he has little choice if he wants to keep his job – and although the midfield looks even more difficult to pick than it is normally, there was something about Toro Rosso in testing that made me wonder whether it can be this year's surprise package.

Charles Bradley, AUTOSPORT deputy editor (CB)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Hamilton; 4. Webber; 5. Button
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. McLaren; 4. Mercedes; 5. Renault

Now Red Bull has nailed its first title, I can't see anything upsetting its success – not the new moveable wings, Pirelli tyres or the return of KERS. That said, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso will not go down without a fight, and we could be in for the sort of full-on head-to-head duel we haven't seen since Alonso vs Schumacher.
But Vettel should prevail again. McLaren and Mercedes don't seem prepared to challenge the big two from the start, while Renault's drivers simply aren't good enough to beat them.

Pablo Elizalde, AUTOSPORT.com managing editor (PE)

1. Heidfeld; 2. Alonso; 3. Vettel; 4. Hamilton; 5. Rosberg
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Renault; 4. McLaren; 5. Mercedes

You can call me crazy. Yes, it is very, very unlikely that Nick Heidfeld will be the 2011 world champion, but I prefer to fail (or triumph) spectacularly rather than pick Alonso and then lose out to Vettel. After all, Quick Nick winning the title would be a fairy tale story, and who doesn't like those? In reality, however, Alonso or Vettel will win the title this year, but I reckon the Spaniard will edge the German this season because Ferrari will get things right throughout the whole year.
Hamilton's McLaren will again struggle at the start of the season and that will rule the Briton out of the championship fight, while Rosberg will finally get his first win and enjoy another consistent season, but fighting for the title will be tall order.

Matt Beer, AUTOSPORT.com writer (MB)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Button
1. Red Bull; 2. McLaren; 3. Ferrari; 4. Renault; 5. Toro Rosso

Yes, that is exactly the same drivers outcome as last year. Sorry to be tedious, but it's looking like Ferrari chasing a slightly faster Red Bull again, and surely with a title under his belt there will be less daftness, more domination from Vettel in 2011.
Even though things have looked bleak for McLaren in testing, it has proved rather good at swiftly going from the back to the front in the recent past, so it will get there.

Tony Dodgins, AUTOSPORT contributing writer(TD)

1. Alonso; 2, Vettel. 3. Webber; 4. Massa; 5. Rosberg
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Mercedes; 4. Renault; 5. McLaren

Logic tells you to go for Red Bull. They've had a super-reliable testing programme and the RB7 will inevitably be quick. So why am I plumping for Alonso? The Ferrari has run like clockwork too and it's simply that over recent seasons Ferrari chassis have been very easy on their rubber and I think that will be key in 2011.
For that reason I'm going for Fernando to take his first crown in five years. I do think that Vettel/Webber is a better combination than Alonso/Massa though, so will take Christian Horner's troops to retain their constructors crown. The take on McLaren is only because they appear to be starting the year with a deficit.

Jamie O'Leary, AUTOSPORT BTCC editor (JOL)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Massa
1 Red Bull; 2 Ferrari; 3 McLaren; 4 Renault; 5 Mercedes

Testing form points towards a Red Bull v Ferrari fight this year, and while this may not be the case in Australia, thanks to its usual job of throwing up the unexpected, it should be the early-season pattern. Mark Webber will have a massive task to turn the tide against Sebastian Vettel in the team, and this should allow Ferrari number one Fernando Alonso to take advantage.
Lewis Hamilton will be there or thereabouts, as he was in 2010 – he's too good not to be – but he will probably have to drive out of his skin just to stay in touch with the Red Bulls and Ferraris when things go to plan for the latter teams.
The Renault looks better than the McLaren at the moment, but Nick Heidfeld and Vitaly Petrov is not the line-up that Hamilton and Jenson Button is, while Mercedes, despite a slow start, will still have too much strength to be beaten by Williams or testing surprise Toro Rosso.

Ben Anderson, AUTOSPORT editorial assistant (BA)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Button
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. McLaren; 4. Renault; 5. Mercedes

Red Bull has had the fastest car in F1 for the past two seasons and it's hard to see that changing this year, which should mean reigning champ Vettel and team-mate Webber will enjoy the lion's share of time at the front.
An Alonso-centred Ferrari can never be discounted and McLaren should be there or thereabouts, while Renault could edge closer to breaking back into the big league with its innovative design – despite the loss of star driver Robert Kubica.

Jonathan Noble, AUTOSPORT F1 group editor (JN)

1. Vettel; 2. Webber; 3. Alonso; 4. Schumacher; 5. Heidfeld
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Mercedes; 4. Renault; 5. McLaren

New rules, new tyres and new cars – but it still seems that the top team of 2010 is going to be the benchmark again in 2011. With Red Bull Racing's RB7 looking swift in winter testing, and Sebastian Vettel a more confident and consistent driver than he was last year, it is hard seeing anyone beating him.
But even so, there will still be great days for Fernando Alonso, for Renault and for Mercedes GP with Michael Schumacher – who will have taken on board the areas he struggled last year and will knuckle down to prove his comeback was not a mistake.

Kevin Turner, AUTOSPORT national editor (KT)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Button
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. McLaren; 4. Mercedes; 5. Renault

There have been enough hints in testing that Red Bull will again set the pace and it seems unlikely the team will have the problems, or make the mistakes, that hampered its 2010 challenge. You can't discount Fernando Alonso, especially if the tyre situation makes reacting to changing situations more important, and Ferrari shouldn't be far away.
McLaren and Mercedes have both had troubles in testings, but it's hard not to believe they will not ultimately develop themselves ahead of Renault and Williams, who will probably start the season looking strong. Losing Robert Kubica is a big blow for Renault, but Nick Heidfeld will do a solid job and pick up some decent points if the car is good.

Dieter Rencken, AUTOSPORT.com columnist (DR)

1. Alonso 2. Vettel; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Button
1. Ferrari; 2. Red Bull; 3. McLaren; 4. Renault; 5. Mercedes

Having missed out by a whisker, Fernando Alonso won't let a first Ferrari slip through his fingers again. Expect him to be utterly committed from FP1 in Melbourne through to Brazil's chequer.
But, it will be exceedingly close: Vettel will defend to the last; Mark Webber knows his body clocking is ticking merrily, and the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button can't be discounted. Then, Felipe Massa knows he's in last-chance saloon…
Tyres are this season's joker: get them right and you're smiling; screw them and its 'good-bye title', so the team that gets the rubber equation right will take it. Just two will get it right: Ferrari and Red Bull, likely in that order, from McLaren, with Renault springing the odd surprise.

Edd straw, AUTOSPORT F1 editor(ES)

1. Vettel; 2. Webber; 3. Alonso; 4. Hamilton; 5. Heidfeld
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. McLaren; 4. Mercedes; 5. Renault

Red Bull is a real deal as a top team, so it makes sense that its two drivers will end up as the top two in the championship and lead the team to the constructors' title. Even if Fernando Alonso manages to take the crown for Ferrari, it's likely that Felipe Massa won't be able to bring home enough points to grab the constructors' as well.
Although pre-season testing suggests that the season will start with Red Bull pitted against Ferrari, it's incredibly difficult to tell with the wild card of the new Pirelli rubber and the moving goalposts of adjustable wings. Lewis Hamilton's tenacious performances will haul him to fourth in a car that will not start the season in great shape and although I suspect that Renault and Mercedes might have a faster car than Scuderia Woking at the start of the season, the strength of the McLaren line-up will see it to third in the constructors.
Disclaimer: It's almost certain that the above will prove to be utterly wrong.

Andrew van de Burgt, AUTOSPORT editor (AV)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Heidfeld
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. McLaren; 4. Renault; 5. Mercedes

I expect to see domination of epic proportions this year from Vettel - like last year but without the mistakes and bad luck. Alonso's skills will keep him in the hunt, while Hamilton will have the McLaren in places it has no business being in at the start of the season. A string of fourths, fifths and sixths are the backbone to Heidfeld's season.
As we've seen countless times before, stable rules favour the status quo and I expect Red Bull to dominate until 2013. Ferrari will keep it honest though. McLaren is in trouble at the moment but only a fool would write them off. Expect a mid/late season resurgence. I can't see anyone else winning a race in normal conditions but Renault or Mercedes may just nick one if they read the conditions correctly.
No big gambles here I'm afraid! We have to take testing at face value and assume that in essence 2011 will be about Red Bull and Ferrari. After that it's anybody's guess, but I have a feeling that Vettel will be super strong this year, and Webber just won't get the breaks that he had last year.
Obviously a lot of people are backing Alonso and that's a logical assumption, but if I have to make the choice, I'll go with Seb. I expect Massa to be a lot stronger than he was last year, which will make the Ferrari situation more interesting.
Mercedes could turn out to be a more potent force than I'm suggesting here, and I'm also putting a lot of faith in the Renault drivers being able to get the most out of what could be a very good car. I am sure McLaren will make become more competitive as the year goes on but I suspect that they will be too far behind to make too much progress up the order.

Mark Glendenning, AUTOSPORT deputy F1 editor (MG)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Massa
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Mercedes; 4. McLaren; 5. Toro Rosso

Charles Bradley, AUTOSPORT deputy editor (CB)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Hamilton; 4. Webber; 5. Button
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. McLaren; 4. Mercedes; 5. Renault

Pablo Elizalde, AUTOSPORT.com managing editor (PE)

1. Heidfeld; 2. Alonso; 3. Vettel; 4. Hamilton; 5. Rosberg
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Renault; 4. McLaren; 5. Mercedes

Matt Beer, AUTOSPORT.com writer (MB)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Button
1. Red Bull; 2. McLaren; 3. Ferrari; 4. Renault; 5. Toro Rosso

Tony Dodgins, AUTOSPORT contributing writer(TD)

1. Alonso; 2, Vettel. 3. Webber; 4. Massa; 5. Rosberg
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Mercedes; 4. Renault; 5. McLaren

Jamie O'Leary, AUTOSPORT BTCC editor (JOL)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Massa
1 Red Bull; 2 Ferrari; 3 McLaren; 4 Renault; 5 Mercedes

Ben Anderson, AUTOSPORT editorial assistant (BA)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Button
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. McLaren; 4. Renault; 5. Mercedes

Jonathan Noble, AUTOSPORT F1 group editor (JN)

1. Vettel; 2. Webber; 3. Alonso; 4. Schumacher; 5. Heidfeld
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. Mercedes; 4. Renault; 5. McLaren

Kevin Turner, AUTOSPORT national editor (KT)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Button
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. McLaren; 4. Mercedes; 5. Renault

Dieter Rencken, AUTOSPORT.com columnist (DR)

1. Alonso 2. Vettel; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Button
1. Ferrari; 2. Red Bull; 3. McLaren; 4. Renault; 5. Mercedes

Edd straw, AUTOSPORT F1 editor(ES)

1. Vettel; 2. Webber; 3. Alonso; 4. Hamilton; 5. Heidfeld
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. McLaren; 4. Mercedes; 5. Renault

Andrew van de Burgt, AUTOSPORT editor (AV)

1. Vettel; 2. Alonso; 3. Webber; 4. Hamilton; 5. Heidfeld
1. Red Bull; 2. Ferrari; 3. McLaren; 4. Renault; 5. Mercedes

Disclaimer: It's almost certain that the above will prove to be utterly wrong.

Source: Autosport

genius83 (Mohammad Saad Umar) 2011-03-22 15:37:47 +0500 #909

@UK
Ah!!! Looks like Mark Hughes was reading this topic:-# and don't want to hurt any of the mentioned drivers fans on this forum.

But again a good read and thanks for posting.

UncleKracker (UncleKracker) 2011-03-22 16:14:49 +0500 #910

@genius83

Lol! Spot on. He has been known to favor:-#:-# Let's just leave it at that for now.

There are a couple of other articles but I'll post them tomorrow maybe `cause posting entire articles one after another is a little:S

So, Craig Lowndes thundered around Mount Panorama 1 second slower than Button:-# And the F1 car went 18 seconds faster than the Australian V8's

alliereyaz (alliereyaz) 2011-03-22 18:05:51 +0500 #911

nice posting UK, i only read hamilton and alonso part i dont like vet

@genius: i got it :),

genius83 (Mohammad Saad Umar) 2011-03-22 23:37:13 +0500 #912

Webber confirms Tasmania event return
Mark Webber confirmed on Tuesday the return of the event that carries his name, the Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge, following a three-year hiatus.

Webber questions moveable wing use
Mark Webber has added his voice to calls for a rethink about the moveable rear wing rules in Formula 1 - saying he does not understand why its use is unrestricted in practice and qualifying.

@alliereyaz
Seriously, if any of the mentioned drivers have not been mentioned either of us were questioning his analysis.

@UK
Well Lowndes knows Mount Panorama better then Button, but it also means that there was some more time left in the F1 car and anyother agressive driver would do it in a much faster time.:-#

Here is the Timing Schedule for the Season Opener Australia GP:

[U]<font color='indigo'>Australian GP</font>[/U]
[U]<font color='darkorange'>Friday</font>[/U]
<font color='green'>Practice Session 1           6:30 To  8;00   </font>
<font color='green'>Practice Session 2          10:30 To 12;00 </font>
[U]<font color='darkorange'>Saturday</font>[/U]
<font color='green'>Practice Session 3           8;00 To  9;00</font>
<font color='green'>Qualifying Session          11;00 To 12;00</font>
[U]<font color='darkorange'>Sunday</font>[/U]
<font color='green'>Race                        11;00 To 13;00</font>

genius83 (Mohammad Saad Umar) 2011-03-23 02:15:41 +0500 #913

Here is an example of how 107% rule will be applied from this weekend's Australian GP:

Pos  Driver       Car                  Q1           Time in Secs  
 1.  Alonso       Ferrari              1m40.170s =   100.170
 2.  Rosberg      Mercedes             1m40.231s =   100.231
 3.  Vettel       Red Bull-Renault     1m40.318s =   100.318
 4.  Hamilton     McLaren-Mercedes     1m40.335s =   100.335
 5.  Webber       Red Bull-Renault     1m40.690s =   100.690
 6.  Button       McLaren-Mercedes     1m40.877s =   100.877
 7.  Barrichello  Williams-Cosworth    1m40.904s =   100.904
 8.  Massa        Ferrari              1m40.942s =   100.942
 9.  Hulkenberg   Williams-Cosworth    1m41.015s =   101.015
10.  Petrov       Renault              1m41.018s =   101.018
11.  Kobayashi    Sauber-Ferrari       1m41.045s =   101.045
12.  Schumacher   Mercedes             1m41.222s =   101.222
13.  Kubica       Renault              1m41.336s =   101.336
14.  Heidfeld     Sauber-Ferrari       1m41.409s =   101.409
15.  Sutil        Force India-Ferrari  1m41.473s =   101.473
16.  Liuzzi       Force India-Ferrari  1m41.681s =   101.681
17.  Alguersuari  Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1m41.707s =   101.707
18.  Buemi        Toro Rosso-Ferrari   1m41.824s =   101.824
19.  Trulli       Lotus-Cosworth       1m43.516s =   103.516
20.  Kovalainen   Lotus-Cosworth       1m43.712s =   103.712
21.  Glock        Virgin-Cosworth      1m44.095s =   104.095
22.  di Grassi    Virgin-Cosworth      1m44.510s =   104.095
23.  Senna        Hispania-Cosworth    1m45.085s =   105.085
24.  Klien        Hispania-Cosworth    1m45.296s =   105.296

The above given table is last year's AbuDhabi GP's Q1 session, Alonso has put the fastest provisional pole time with 1:40.170secs and if the 107% rule is applied then the time to beat by the drivers to qualify for the race would be as follows:
100.170*0.70=7.182 secs
which then added to the provisional pole time:
100.170 + 7.182 = 107.352
Hence, the time to beat by other drivers to qualify for the race is
107.352 or 1m47.352s

which means all the drivers have qualified within the 107% time.

I hope this will clarify the rule and calculation during the qualifying.

alliereyaz (alliereyaz) 2011-03-23 08:52:07 +0500 #914

i will not b able to watch the race not quali neither the race thanks to F***** KESC loadshedding time. 4.30 to 6.00, damn!!! im going to buy ups or generator to watch the race atleast from internet....my whole season is ruined...F****

alliereyaz (alliereyaz) 2011-03-23 08:59:20 +0500 #915

ive just downloaded 2011 Formula 1 mobile application for my n82, and its not working. great

genius83 (Mohammad Saad Umar) 2011-03-23 13:17:38 +0500 #916

Yamamoto joins Virgin as reserve
Sakon Yamamoto will be Virgin Racing's reserve driver for the first three races of the 2011 season, the team announced on Wednesday.

Vettel says Red Bull has nothing to fear
Sebastian Vettel says he and Red Bull Racing have nothing to fear from the huge uncertainty that new rules have thrown up, as he begins his title defence at this weekend's season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Trulli: Tyre wear to create confusion
Jarno Trulli believes the high degradation of Pirelli's tyres will lead to confusion in the races this season.

@alliereyaz
The site from where you have downloaded the mobile app. mentioned anything that after downloading they will provide some sort of info or have they said that we provide information from the season start.

Because if it is the first then the application is not working but if its the second then don't worry and wait till Friday to get the needed info.

As for the loadshedding I am feeling sorry for you.

genius83 (Mohammad Saad Umar) 2011-03-23 13:32:00 +0500 #917

Atlast Toyota made the come back to F1

HRT is here:P

m_waqas (m_waqas) 2011-03-23 14:35:32 +0500 #918

ahem ahem.. awesome ..

great job stevy, thanks .. keep it up.

and great vdo of Button too.. yeah track looks amazing..

Mark Hughes on F1's three top men
very nice.. though the extravagant speech before the actual meat of the article was tad excessive :S ...
but right,.. he seems to be aware of the war here before writing this ..

PS: and just to be clear on Race timings.. its 11.00 AM Sunday morning ??..

m_waqas (m_waqas) 2011-03-23 15:00:30 +0500 #919

Australia preview quotes

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
2010 Qualifying - 3rd, 2010 Race - 4th

“Finally, the moment has arrived! I was so impatient to get to the first race and the postponement of the Bahrain Grand Prix made the wait even longer. Yes, it did give the engineers more time to prepare and it meant the work could be done with less haste, but for us drivers, and I think the same applies to all my colleagues, the desire to go racing again is very strong.

“It was a very busy winter. We have covered so many kilometres in testing and have shown that we have reached a good level of reliability, which is always important. There are reasons to be optimistic, even if we cannot really be sure where we are compared to the others. At the last test, in Barcelona, we introduced a significant number of updates and here in Melbourne we have also brought a newer version of the front wing. We will see if it delivers the expected results, even if I think we will need three or four races to get a clear picture of the situation.

“I won here in 2006 and made it to the podium a further three teams, so let’s hope we can repeat that. It was here ten years ago, that I first set out on the Formula One path. I have spent twenty six of my twenty nine years behind a steering wheel, controlling four wheels and ten of those, the best of them, have been spent in the blue riband category. I never would have thought that things would have turned out this way and I have achieved so much more than I had hoped for when I was little. Now I want to continue and for a long time too, trying to have even better years in the future!”

Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2010 Qualifying - 5th, 2010 Race - 3rd

“It’s time to go! I’m ready to race and I think the whole team is well prepared after doing so many laps over all the days of winter testing, even more than we had planned in the end. The car appears to be reliable, but this is not enough on its own as the car needs to be quick too. For the moment, reliability has been good and I don’t think we can complain about performance, but we won’t have a clear picture until all the teams are together on track in Melbourne.

“I’m happy to be starting the season in Australia, although I am also disappointed not to be going to Bahrain from a racing point of view. I really liked going there, as the track seemed to suit me very well and also the team, because Ferrari has won so many races there. But, when you build an F1 car, you build it to be good at every track, so wherever the championship starts you have to go there thinking of the victory and I will be concentrating on doing my best in Melbourne, even if the Albert Park circuit has not been a very successful venue for me, or a lucky one, as I’ve had a few accidents there.

“Last year was better as I got my best ever result here finishing third on the podium. I hope this time we can have a great start to the season in Australia and I am optimistic about our chances, based on the reliability we have shown so far and I can’t wait for us to measure up against the other teams and see where we stand.”

Thoughts as I (James Allen) board the plane for Melbourne

It’s a grey, chilly morning in London. The traffic has been intense, the news programmes are full of the Libya intervention, Japanese earthquake, problems in Yemen and the prospect of the British chancellor bringing in a tax on private jets. And Karun Chandhok has just been given the reserve driver role at Lotus this morning.

UncleKracker (UncleKracker) 2011-03-23 16:37:53 +0500 #920

Exhaust systems explained

Gary Anderson

AUTOSPORT technical guru and former F1 designer Gary Anderson analyses this season's must-have aerodynamic trick.
Trick exhaust systems have been the major topic of conversation in the lead up to the new Formula 1 season, but people have been using exhausts to achieve other ends for many years. It comes and goes.

The science
Many of the teams have experimented with different solutions but the purpose is the same: to increase the velocity of airflow underneath the car and thus generate downforce. It's about trying to get that airflow to the underfloor moving as quickly as possible - ¬the diffuser will suck on that and speed the air up by a certain amount. So the faster you can get the airflow to the front of the floor, the better the work the diffuser can do and create more downforce.

Obviously the process is driven by the exhaust gases, so in the days when there was a more linear relationship between the driver and the engine, when he was off the throttle a system like this would be compromised because the flow of gas would stop. Now that we have more sophisticated engine management systems you can make this work more of the time, as opposed to it having an effect just when the driver is on the throttle.

The trend
Why, then, is this all so important right now? Since the loophole in the rules that the double diffusers exploited was closed up, engineers have been scratching their heads to find ways to recover the downforce that has been lost.
Last year Red Bull started using their exhaust to accelerate air through the diffuser, and the others followed suit. Everyone learned that they can use these exhaust gases to change the way the car works. Over the winter, some of them have gone off in different directions as they've tried to exploit the exhaust gases a little more.

Renault's interpretation is vastly different compared with Red Bull's. Renault has directed the exhausts out via the front corner of the sidepod, increasing the velocity in that area of the floor and giving a faster feed to the diffuser. Red Bull has concentrated on the foot area inside the rear tyres, and by doing that is extracting the air from underneath the floor. They are trying to achieve the same end but through a different philosophy.

If you use the exhaust pipes to help accelerate the flow you get more downforce, but the mass volume that exits the engine via the exhaust, and the velocity of the air coming out means you have to concentrate on a reasonably small area. It doesn't increase the velocity of the airflow across the whole underfloor.

The performance
There is a benefit from these systems in terms of grip, but I don't see it being in the order of that generated by double diffusers. I think you've got to have a very highly developed system to get close to that. At the moment, the systems that are working well are worth maybe two tenths of a second a lap, and that's about it; in reality, about 20 kilogrammes of downforce. We're not seeing much more than that, from Renault or anybody else.

I wouldn't be surprised if some teams are already working on a more advanced solution, something that works across the whole leading edge of the floor. That's an area about 40 centimetres long rather than just a round pipe. Although to be honest, sometimes this kind of thing can take more engineering than it's worth.

The handling
At any point in time, downforce is good for you so long as it's reasonably stable. As I mentioned earlier, modern engine management systems enable you to not have to shut off the throttle completely under braking, so these exhaust-driven aerodynamic systems are perhaps working under braking at about 50 per cent of what they would on full throttle.

<table class="pictable" width="275" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5"> <tbody> <tr> <td> Red Bull's Renault engine and exhaust covered up © sutton-images.com
</td></tr></tbody></table> It's important to understand that while Renault and Red Bull are attacking the principle from opposite ends of the car, it's not the case that Renault are working the front and Red Bull are working the rear; they're both working the underfloor.

The Renault will be biased towards the front because it's increasing the velocity at that front corner, but the diffuser will use that velocity to produce more downforce under the floor. Red Bull will achieve a similar end by dragging more air under the floor. Neither of them should suffer dramatic problems because they can use the engine to adjust the car's behaviour. For instance, if you're braking and the car is too sensitive because the centre of pressure is too far forward - perhaps because of the Renault exhaust system - you can alter the engine management so the throttle pumps less.

So you can expect slight differences in the handling characteristics but that will fade into insignificance compared with everything else on the cars – the front and rear wings, for instance. If a driver came in and said, "Whenever I lift in the middle of that corner the car gets too much front downforce," then you can play tunes on the engine control system, if it's the exhaust doing it, to change that characteristic.

The concept
As far as the design concept is concerned, obviously the Renault package is a bit more dramatic than the Red Bull package because it involved a hell of a lot of staff and a hell of a lot of different materials for heat dissipation, the radiator cooling package, getting the exhaust all the way up there, and getting the engine mapping to work well with that length of exhaust pipe.

It's quite complex, and sometimes you need to be a little careful as to what the return is for the complexity. It will be interesting to see which other teams head down that route because obviously Renault has based its layout around that concept; it hasn't started with a different system and then reworked it. If anyone else changes to forward exhausts it will be very time consuming to get it up and running. I question that it's actually the best solution; personally I would have gone for a lesser compromise for the rest of the car relative to making that all function, because the return is not that big.

<table class="pictable" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px;" width="275" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5"> <tbody> <tr> <td> One of Mclaren's various exhaust lay-outs during testing © sutton-images.com
</td></tr></tbody></table> The compromises of having a complicated exhaust, as far as the car is concerned centre on the throttle characteristics and overall power, as well as the heat dissipation issues and the possibility that bodywork may catch fire. That's why we've seen some teams try several different solutions during testing. And we still haven't got a good handle on what McLaren was trying to do; it looked like it tried to put the exhaust in the middle of the car, acting on the centre of the diffuser.

It's always difficult to know where people are heading because you can't say, "I'm going into the wind tunnel today and try every possible solution for the exhaust pipe." You follow a theory and try to optimise it in a certain area.

Renault and Red Bull ended up at two different ends of the scale and it's difficult to say, at this stage, whose system is the most effective. As we've seen with McLaren, who had all sorts of heat dissipation issues with their complex exhaust and ended up reverting to a standard set-up, it's all about compromise.

The solution
My own preference would be for the Red Bull route, because I think it's the least complicated for probably the best return. The way the airflow is displaced by the rear tyre on the ground affects the diffuser operation quite significantly.
<table class="pictable" width="275" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5"> <tbody> <tr> <td> Red Bull's exhaust exit is placed in front of the rear wheels © sutton-images.com
</td></tr></tbody></table> Red Bull's solution blows across the foot of the floor inside the rear wheel and straightens that flow up a bit, making it have less of an effect on the diffuser and underfloor generally. It makes the diffuser more efficient. It's similar to what the team did last year and it offers the least aggravation to the engine.

The Renault system is more complicated and it could be a steep learning curve because exhaust systems can't be changed quickly. There's a lot to consider – harmonics, for instance, which can cause cracking in the pipes.

Exhausts will continue to be a big area of development throughout the year, but it will not happen in isolation. As ever, teams will devote a lot of resources to their front wings because these are the most critical areas of the car, and there's still some room to manoeuvre. There will also be some development on the rear wings with the variable slot gaps.

But so long as there is a perception that the exhausts can be exploited, people will work on that – and when any one team is seen to be getting a strong benefit from a particular solution, everyone else will look to follow that.

Source: Autosport