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Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems were introduced this year as a way of making the sport of Formula One greener, more applicable to every-day motorists and to add to the spectacle of the sport through the re-distribution of the saved energy. However, few teams have adopted the technology and those that have are slowly ceasing its use on their cars. BMW today have announced they want to concentrate on car development rather than KERS development. Was KERS ever a good idea? Continue Reading

Firstly, I must apologise for the lack of updates; I’ve come down with the only thing that is worse than Swine Flu – Man Flu. Oh okay, it’s just a cold, but I’m allowed to exaggerate! But in order to start feeling better, I need to convince myself I am feeling better, so on with the show. There hasn’t been much news over the weekend, a bank holiday in the UK, but today BMW announced that neither of their drivers would be using KERS in Barcelona this weekend. Continue Reading

BMW have endured a miserable Bahrain Grand Prix, qualifying in thirteenth and fourteenth and spending the vast majority of the race running around at the back. It is the second race in succession that the Swiss-German squad have failed to score any points, and with the shift in domination leaning towards Brawn, Red Bull and Toyota, BMW cannot afford to lose too much ground to the front-runners. Updates for the F1.09 are apparently arriving in time for the Spanish race in a fortnight, but it could already be too late. Continue Reading

Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems seem to be getting a bad reputation in China as more teams join Ferrari in removing the device from their cars. Gestione Sportiva said prior to the Chinese Grand Prix weekend that they were taking the part off the troubled F60 for reliability reasons, the KERS having caused both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa problems. And now, only three drivers will have the new technology for the rest of the weekend as more more it from their 2009 challengers. Continue Reading

BMW have announced that Robert Kubica will be given a KERS-fitted car on Friday when he takes part in free practice for the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai circuit. The Polish driver has been forced to run a non-KERS car so far this season because the added weight negates the advantage from the added boost in horsepower. However, BMW have been working hard at shedding some pounds from the F1.09 and the team will evaluate its effectiveness on Friday. Continue Reading

BMW have joined Ferrari, Red Bull Racing and Renault in protesting the diffusers of the Brawn, Toyota and Williams cars. The lodging of the protest is just a formality, as the teams expected (and received) the same answer as they did in Melbourne last weekend. The reason for protesting is just to ensure that the FIA take the Malaysian Grand Prix into consideration during the International Court of Appeal hearing meeting on April 14th, where the offending part on the three cars will be judged. Continue Reading

As Father De Rea looked on from outside the helicopter, Terry Trammel tightened the belt around Alex Zanardi’s severed left leg. Dabbing his finger in holy oil, De Rea read Alex his last rites. The make-shift tourniquet kept slipping as medics struggled to stem the incessant bleeding. A fading pulse and plummeting haemoglobin count painted a dire picture for not only an adored racing driver, but a devoted husband and loving father. Continue Reading

My apologies for the late arrival of this post, but here is a quick run down of the runners and riders from the Barcelona test that commenced yesterday. It was the first time that all the 2009 cars were on the same track together and while the times should still be taken with a pinch of salt, we can at last see who is doing what in comparison to others. And while Brawn GP enjoyed their first full day of testing, Nick Heidfeld set the pace in the BMW F1.09. Continue Reading

Despite thinking yesterday that testing was over and done with for this week, the teams have been developing their cars for a fifth day at Jerez in Spain. Renault and Force India left the circuit last night but Ferrari, McLaren, BMW, Toyota, Williams and Red Bull all remained and posted times once again. And so for the final day of the penultimate group test, BMW’s Nick Heidfeld took the honours of going fastest, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton. Continue Reading

After a break at the weekend, testing resumed in Bahrain today at the Sakhir circuit, home of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Ferrari, Toyota and BMW were all present and the trio of squads managed to get some proper running done after the sandstorms interrupted the schedule for much of last week. BMW’s Christian Klien came out on top at the end of the day, leading Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen by 0.3s. Jarno Trulli finished the day in third for Toyota, a further 0.2s slower. Continue Reading