In 2008, Bernie Ecclestone sensationally announced that Donington Park had signed a deal which would see the Leicestershire circuit host the British Grand Prix from 2010. However, funding issues and disputes got in the way and after Ecclestone had extended deadlines various times, the deal was called off. Silverstone then set about negotiating with Ecclestone to reclaim the event, which was finally announced this morning.

The title of Silverstone as home of motorsport has come true. It is a place for all motorsport. Everyone in the BRDC loves motorsport and we are looking forward to the MotoGP as well as the British Grand Prix.

It is not easy to enter into a contract of this magnitude and you have to take on a lot of responsibility, but the BRDC wanted this relationship to continue.

Everyone was well aware that the British GP is not just a sporting event, but it is dynamo of the industry in this country. Losing it would have been damaging and perhaps there would have been no coming back. Damon Hill.

The news means that Formula One will continue to have a British event and will undoubtedly come as good news to British fans. The majority of teams on the grid are based in Britain and the nation has long been involved with the sport, and currently enjoying great success with both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

Although the deal is for 17 years, taking on what had been offered to Donington Park, there is a clause in the contract to break the deal after 10 years, although Silverstone’s managing director Richard Phillips said this is not what he wants to happen. Phillips and Hill also spoke more of the planned schedule of works due to be carried out, starting after Christmas.

Even this year with the new circuit we are trying to get better access for public, changing granstands for better viewing and running our own campsites to be better than the current ones.

We want to increase the entertainment factor. Richard Phillips.

Interestingly, Bernie Ecclestone has changed his tone considerably. Previously, Ecclestone had been quite anti-Silverstone, stating that even if the Donington deal fell through, Formula One would not return to the old airbase. However, this morning Bernie had nothing but good things to say, stating he is pleased Britain will continue to feature in the world championship.

I am pleased that we have reached an agreement with Silverstone for the retention of the British Grand Prix. This will ensure that Great Britain will remain on the Formula 1 calendar for many years to come, which is something I have personally always wanted to see happen.

The team at Silverstone already knows how to organise a good event, so now everyone can look forward to next summer at Silverstone. Bernie Ecclestone.

With Woking-based McLaren fielding both British champions on the 2010 grid, the race should draw huge crowds, although the new facilities and circuit will not be ready until 2011. The circuit will also host a round of the MotoGP championship.

Original article by BlogF1.

British Grand Prix To Remain At Silverstone

Original article by BlogF1.

Chris Goodwin Shakes Down The McLaren MP4-4

Fantasy Racers Silverstone 2009 Update	Points Scored Team/Driver	Race Result Position	Overall Position Championship
BlogF1 Racing	715	601st	980th
Adrian Sutil	63
Jenson Button	120
Nico Rosberg	130
Rubens Barrichello	150
Sebastian Vettel	250
Budget Remaining	2
Team Finitalia	362	4306th	4521st
Giancarlo Fisichella	80
Heikki Kovalainen	37
Jarno Trulli	110
Kimi Raikkonen	100
Budget Remaining	35
Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate	495	3048th	2640th
Adrian Sutil	63
Jenson Button	120
Mark Webber	160
Rubens Barrichello	150
Budget Remaining	2
Blogger’s Dog Racing	538	2453rd	2397th
Adrian Sutil	63
Giancarlo Fisichella	80
Nick Heidfeld	65
Nico Rosberg	130
Robert Kubica	67
Sebastien Bourdais	39
Timo Glock	90
Budget Remaining	4
Inner Pickle Racing	560	2209th	1541st
Jenson Button	120
Nick Heidfeld	65
Nico Rosberg	130
Rubens Barrichello	150
Timo Glock	90
Budget Remaining	5

As we can see though, Team Finitalia continue their abysmal assault on the title with only Kimi Raikkonen and Jarno Trulli earning any decent points. PETN didn’t do too badly and collected almost 500 points, themselves capitalising on Mark Webber’s strong finish today. The team of numpties, Blogger’s Dog Racing also did okay for once, adding 538 points to their total, with Nico Rosberg, Giancarlo Fisichella and Timo Glock scoring well.

Overall, BF1R rests in 980th which is up 84 places since the Turkish Grand Prix, and 143rd in the Sidepodcast League, an improvement of 8 places.

Fantasy Racers is a fantasy Formula One competition. It is free to sign up but if you wish to have more than team you will need to make a donation to the site. You can also join private leagues, and currently BlogF1’s set of squads race in the Sidepodcast League.

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2009: Fantasy Racers Update

Silverstone 2009 Pitstop Strategies	Stint 1 (Start Tyre)	Stint 2 (Lap)	Stint 3 (Lap)	Stint 4 (Lap)
McLaren
Lewis Hamilton	Soft	Soft (20)	Hard (44)
Heikki Kovalainen	Soft	Hard (32)	Hard (33)	DNF (37)
Ferrari
Kimi Raikkonen	Soft	Soft (15)	Hard (42)
Felipe Massa	Soft	Soft (21)	Hard (45)
BMW
Nick Heidfeld	Soft	Hard (21)	Soft (46)
Robert Kubica	Hard	Soft (28)	Soft (47)
Renault
Fernando Alonso	Hard	Hard (18)	Soft (38)
Nelson Piquet Jr.	Hard	Soft (29)
Toyota
Jarno Trulli	Soft	Soft (18)	Hard (46)
Timo Glock	Soft	Soft (19)	Hard (48)
Scuderia Toro Rosso
Sebastien Buemi	Hard	Soft (21)	Soft (42)
Sebastien Bourdais	Soft	Soft (26)	Hard (33)	DNF (38)
Red Bull Racing
Sebastian Vettel	Soft	Soft (20)	Hard (44)
Mark Webber	Soft	Soft (20)	Hard (46)
Williams
Nico Rosberg	Hard	Hard (18)	Soft (43)
Kazuki Nakajima	Hard	Hard (14)	Soft (41)
Force India
Giancarlo Fisichella	Soft	Soft (21)	Hard (?)
Adrian Sutil	Hard	Soft (?)
Brawn
Jenson Button	Soft	Hard (18)	Soft (49)
Rubens Barrichello	Soft	Hard (19)	Soft (46)

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2009: Pitstop & Tyre Strategies

Sebastian Vettel’s win has been heralded by many paddock insiders as a turning point in this year’s championship, with many suggesting that Red Bull will now have the ability to start hauling in Brawn who have led all season. It is perhaps far too early to make such a claim, and Red Bull need to put in some more performances similar to today’s. But there is little question that the RB5 is a good car and worked very well on a day when Brawn suffered.

The start of the race proved interesting, as Sebastian Vettel got away from the line well. Although Barrichello did challenge the young German, it simply wasn’t enough and Vettel headed through Copse in the lead. Jenson Button also had a good start, leaping away from his grid slot only to be boxed in by those around him. As the Briton attempted to find some space on the tarmac, he eventually lost position.

Also romping away as the lights went out were the Ferraris. Both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa made up places and both went very wide around Copse, using all of the track and some more to ensure they made the most of the afternoon. The KERS, still being used by the Maranello team, was used to good effect on the run down to the first corner.

Early on in the race, Jarno Trulli and Nico Rosberg enjoyed a little tussle, the pair fighting for points and honour; Toyota supply engines to the Williams team. Further back, Lewis Hamilton lost out to Fernando Alonso as he went for a pass but found himself trundling over the grass. Alonso cruised by as did Robert Kubica.

Nick Heidfeld had a good start, going from P15 to P11 on the opening lap. However, all was not well with the BMW pilot as the team ordered Heidfeld to pit for a new nose. The German driver refused however, and stayed out on the track.

Soon enough, a slow starting Fernando Alonso found himself behind the BMW and by L8 the Spaniard was getting frustrated at not being able to pass. The BMW was under-steering in the Becketts complex, which allowed Alonso to get on the gearbox of the Swiss-German car. However, Heidfeld had better traction out of the corners and was able to defend to the Renault.

By L10, Vettel had pulled out a 10s lead over Barrichello, who was clearly holding Mark Webber up. However, the Australian couldn’t pass and essentially, Webber’s race was ruined. Although Vettel was too far ahead to be caught, Webber did manage to leap frog Barrichello, but it wouldn’t happen until the pitstops. The Red Bull team managed to turn Webber around quickly and as he exited the pits on L20, he found himself ahead of the Brazilian.

Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso continued their battle, albeit for P14 towards the back of the pack. Hamilton had a couple of interesting moves, one on Alonso into copse, and another on Heidfeld who was caught out exiting the pits and going into the Becketts complex. It wasn’t all good for the Briton though, as a spin at Club hampered his progressed.

At the mid-point of the race, Heikki Kovalainen allowed his team mate to pass, which gave Sebastien Bourdais the opportunity to close in on the McLaren. Unfortunately for both, it ended in tears as the Scuderia Toro Rosso slammed into the back of the Finnish driver. Bourdais lost his front wing, Heikki suffered a rear-left puncture. Both drivers struggled back to the pitlane, and although they tried to contine, they would retire a couple of laps later. Naturally, Bourdais blamed Kovalainen and Kovalainen blamed Bourdais.

The only other significant battle was between Felipe Massa, Nico Rosberg and in the final few laps, Jenson Button. The trio were pounding around in P4, P5 and P6 respectively, and feeling the car was better, Button was hungry for more points. Although the Brawn driver closed in on the Williams, there was no way through and the positions remained as they completed the final lap.

It wasn’t a classic British Grand Prix, and in fact it was a little dull. However, it was an interesting race because we could see just how good the Red Bull RB5 is, and without being hampered by his team mate, Vettel was able to cruise to the win, his first in the dry. Sebastian’s win moves him to within 25 points of Button in the drivers championship and just 2 behind Rubens Barrichello. In the constructors, Brawn still maintain a very healthy lead over Red Bull, the pair separated by a mammoth 30.5 points.

A three week break is now upon us before the circus heads to the Nurburgring for the German Grand Prix. Undoubtedly, Button will be looking to return the favour to Vettel and spoil his home party. Although Brawn do have a huge collection of points, the championship isn’t over yet.

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2009: Red Bull Triumph As Brawn Struggle

• L1: Good start from Ferrari.
• L1: TRU and ROS battling.
• L1: BUT in P9
• L1: Good start from HEI – P11
• L2: FIS passes KUB and ALO.
• L2: VET lead up to 2.5s
• L3: KUB passes HAM after trying to ALO and getting on the grass.
• L4: HEI told to pit for new nose. HEI insists he wants to stay out.
• L4: ALO pressuring HEI. Clearly HEI does need to pit.
• L5: Last year’s championship leaders HAM and KUB are battling for P14 this time around.
• L6: VET lead up to 6.1s.
• L7: TRU and BUT in P7 and P8
• L7: BAR soft tyres are not heating up properly. It will be even harder on the hard compound later on.
• L8: BUT told MAS going to L24
• L8: ALO still can’t pass HEI. He’s getting frustrated.
• L9: HAM told KUB is going longer and HAM has to pass.
• L10: VET pulling out a second a lap
• L14: KOV in P19
• L14: NAK pits. From hard to hard tyres. Front right slow to go on.
• L15: RAI pits. Soft tyres.
• L16: RAI has leapfrogged NAK on pits.
• L18: TRU ROS BUT pit. BUT goes soft to hard, TRU stays soft
• L18: ALO pits
• L19: BAR pits. Soft to hard tyre
• L19: GLO pits. Soft tyres
• L20: WEB pits. Soft to soft
• L20: WEB out ahead of BAR. Just.
• L20: HAM pits.
• L20: VET pits. Soft to soft.
• L21: HEI pits.
• L21: HAM passes HEI as HEI exits pitlane. Very close into Becketts.
• L21: MAS pits. Soft to soft
• L21: BUE pits.
• L23: BUT says car understeering at high speed.
• L26: VET lead up to 21s. WEB is lapping faster though in P2.
• L26: BOU pits.
• L28: KUB pits.
• L29: PIQ pits.
• L30: HAM passes ALO in to Copse.
• L31: ALO has repassed HAM.
• L32: ROS catching BAR quickly.
• L33: KOV pits. Soft to hard.
• L33: KOV exits pitlane ahead of HAM. HAM passes.
• L33: BOU slams the back of KOV. Damagaed front wing. KOV has left-rear puncture.
• L33: It looked as though KOV moved over cheekily. DC reckons BOU was being a bit stupid though and out-braked himself.
• L33: Both KOV and BOU pit. Both on hard tyres.
• L37: KOV retires.
• L38: ALO and BOU pit.
• L38: BOU retires.
• L41: NAK pits.
• L42: BUE pits
• L42: RAI pits. Soft to hard tyres.
• L43: ROS pits. Hard to soft.
• L43: HAM spins off track at Club.
• L44: VET pits. Soft to hard.
• L44: HAM pits. Soft to hard.
• L45: MAS pits. Soft to hard.
• L45: FIS pits.
• L45: MAS leapfrogs ROS in pits.
• L46: TRU pits.
• L46: WEB pits. Stays hard.
• L46: Bar pits. Hard to soft
• L46: HEI pits.
• L47: KUB pits.
• L48: GLO pits. Soft to hard.
• L48: BAR exited pits comfortably ahead of MAS.
• L49: BUT pits. Hard to soft tyres.
• BUE says KOV moved three times in their incident.
• L49: BUT exits pits in P6
• L53: BUT catching ROS
• L53: GLO chasing RAI
• L55: BUT closing in at 1.5s per lap on ROS
• L58: BUT in ROS turbulent air now.
• L60: VET wins.
• L60: WEB completes 1-2 for Red Bull.
• L60: BUT finishes in P6.

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2009: Live Race Notes

Silverstone 2009 Race Results		Laps Completed	Time Race Length	Points Earned
1.	Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing	60		10pts
2.	Mark Webber Red Bull Racing	60		8pts
3.	Rubens Barrichello Brawn	60		6pts
4.	Felipe Massa Ferrari	60		5pts
5.	Nico Rosberg Williams	60		4pts
6.	Jenson Button Brawn	60		3pts
7.	Jarno Trulli Toyota	60		2pts
8.	Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari	60		1pt
9.	Timo Glock Toyota	60
10.	Giancarlo Fisichella Force India	60
11.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	60
12.	Nelson Piquet Jr. Renault	59
13.	Robert Kubica BMW	59
14.	Fernando Alonso Renault	59
15.	Nick Heidfeld BMW	59
16.	Lewis Hamilton McLaren	59
17.	Adrian Sutil Force India	59
18.	Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso	59
19.	Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso	38		Damage
20.	Heikki Kovalainen McLaren	37		Damage

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2009: Race Result

Silverstone 2009 Post-Qualifying Car Weights		Car Weight Kilograms	Fuel Weight Kilograms	First Stop Estimated Lap
1.	Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing	666.5	56.1	23
2.	Rubens Barrichello Brawn	657.5	47.6	19
3.	Mark Webber Red Bull Racing	659.5	49.6	20
4.	Jarno Trulli Toyota	658	48.1	20
5.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	652.5	42.6	17
6.	Jenson Button Brawn	657.5	47.6	18/19
7.	Nico Rosberg Williams	661.5	51.6	21
8.	Timo Glock Toyota	660	50.1	19/20
9.	Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari	654	44.1	18
10.	Fernando Alonso Renault	654	44.1	18
11.	Felipe Massa Ferrari	675	65.1	27
12.	Robert Kubica BMW	689.5	79.6	33
13.	Heikki Kovalainen McLaren	695.5	85.6	35
14.	Nelson Piquet Jr. Renault	682.5	72.6	30
15.	Nick Heidfeld BMW	665.5	55.6	23
16.	Giancarlo Fisichella Force India	668	58.1	24
17.	Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso	687.5	77.6	32
18.	Adrian Sutil Force India	692	82.1	34
19.	Lewis Hamilton McLaren	666	56.1	23
20.	Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso	672.5	62.6	26

From the table we can see that both Brawns are on the same strategy, supposedly pitting on the same lap, although it is likely that one of them would be brought in earlier than anticipated. Button is likely to be on the most flexible of strategies because the team will want to know how to play his race out after the opening lap. Therefore it is Button who may be brought in first. Interestingly though, to highlight Button’s troubles with the car, both he and Barrichello had the same fuel level on board, yet Rubens went 0.4s faster.

We can also see that Sebastian Vettel took pole comfortably from the Brawn pilot, but Vettel was in fact heavier than his team mate Mark Webber. Therefore, Webber’s performance in Q3 earlier has to be questioned. The Australian looked good all day, but then in the final 10 minutes appeared to be struggling, before finally getting distracted by a very slow Kimi Raikkonen who was sitting on the racing line.

Kazuki Nakajima is considerably lighter than those around him, including his team mate who he managed to out-qualify today. Also of note are Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando, who are on the same fuel load in P9 and P10 respectively. Considering their lap times in qualifying were only 0.03s apart, one can presume that at Silverstone, the pace of the two cars is fairly even. So either Ferrari are having a bad weekend or Renault have improved.

Outside of the top-ten, where the car weights are declared by the teams rather than weighed in Parc Ferme, we can see that Heikki Kovalainen is once again the heaviest on the grid. And again it has to be asked why McLaren feel it necessary to fill Heikki up so much; has it actually worked yet in the past year and a half?

Nick Heidfeld and Lewis Hamilton are relatively light and will be looking to make places up at the start. And for the last mention, look out for Giancarlo Fisichella. the force India driver is on a strategy that implies he his competitive, and given that the car has looked good until qualifying went horribly wrong, I think the Italian could make a few places up. Adrian Sutil could also come into play for a top-ten finish later on, the German being heavier than his team mate and playing the long-game.

• The qualifying results can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: Qualifying Result.
• The qualifying report can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: Silverstone 2009: Sebastian Vettel Romps To British Pole
• The grid can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: The Grid

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2009: Post-Qualifying Car Weights

Following on from the last race’s grid post shoutout… this grid post goes to Tom McLoughlin and Andy Murphy from Edelman PR Agency, who keep trying to get me into Formula One events only for it to either go wrong at their end or at mine. Keep trying guys – I’m sure it will all come good at some point.

Silverstone 2009: The Grid Inclusive of penalties given.
1		Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing 1m19.509s
			Rubens Barrichello Brawn 1m19.856s		2
3		Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 1m19.868s
			Jarno Trulli Toyota 1m20.091s		4
5		Kazuki Nakajima Williams 1m20.216s
			Jenson Button Brawn 1m20.289s		6
7		Nico Rosberg Williams 1m20.361s
			Timo Glock Toyota 1m20.490s		8
9		Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1m20.715s
			Fernando Alonso Renault 1m20.741s		10
11		Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m18.927s
			Robert Kubica BMW 1m19.308s		12
13		Heikki Kovalainen McLaren 1m19.353s
			Nelson Piquet Jr. Renault 1m19.392s		14
15		Nick Heidfeld BMW 1m19.448s
			Giancarlo Fisichella Force India 1m19.802s		16
17		Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 1m19.898s
			Adrian Sutil Force India 1m19.909s		18
19		Lewis Hamilton McLaren 1m19.917s
			Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso 1m20.236s		20

• The qualifying results can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: Qualifying Result.
• The qualifying report can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: Silverstone 2009: Sebastian Vettel Romps To British Pole
• The car weights and fuel levels can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: Post-Qualifying Car Weights.

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2009: The Grid

Can Button recover and win on home soil, repeating Lewis Hamilton’s triumph from last year? Or will Mark Webber finaly beat his demons and take his maiden victory? Which for Webber, incidentally, is like a second home race as the Australian lives in the UK. Or will Sebastian Vettel make it two wins this season and start to quell the rumours that he cannot win in the dry or overtake other drivers?

• The qualifying results can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: Qualifying Result.
• The qualifying report can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: Silverstone 2009: Sebastian Vettel Romps To British Pole
• The grid can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: The Grid
• The car weights and fuel levels can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: Post-Qualifying Car Weights.

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2009: Who Is Your Favourite For The British Victory?

The surprise of the session, aside from Red Bull’s improvement, was Jenson Button, who only just squeezed into the final shootout and from there could only manage P6. Button stated that his car isn’t handling as well as it has done previously, and the temperature of the track is hampering the tyres on the BGP 001.

Another surprise of qualifying were the Williams, with Nico Rosberg finishing his afternoon in P7, two places behind his lesser experienced team mate Kazuki Nakajima. The Japanese pilot has been competitive all weekend and set the fastest time in the first session, albeit perhaps due to an early stoppage caused by Adrian Sutil impacting the tyre barrier at Abbey. Nakajima finally ended his afternoon in P5 and the pair look handy for the race.

Mark Webber has also been setting some great laps this weekend and looked good for pole position just prior to the start of the final stint. Webber’s first proper run was well down the pace of those around him and although he improved on his second quick lap, the Australian looked less comfortable in the final 10 minute session. On his final run Webber came across a cruising Kimi Raikkonen as most drivers had set their final lap moments previously. Although Raikkonen didn’t block the Red Bull pilot, Webber said it was a distraction as Raikkonen remained on the racing line.

Kimi was, I don’t know, drinking some vodka or dreaming or something, I don’t know what hell he was doing but he should have been on the right and he was on the racing line, dreaming. That wrecked my rhythm really into Stowe, I was very tight into there.

Kimi couldn’t have done a better job of distracting me. He was right on the racing line, on the most important lap of qualifying and it ruined my rhythm. Mark Webber.

The Force India duo had also been impressing so far this weekend, and the improvements that have been made to the VJM02 are certainly taking the car in the right direction. Unfortunately, a brake problem with Sutil’s car resulted in the German skating over the gravel and grass and slamming into the tyre barrier with some force. Sutil was perfectly okay, but it did ruin his and many other driver’s laps.

Once again the BMWs appear to be struggling, with Robert Kubica managing P12 and Nick Heidfeld finding little solace in P15. The Renaults are split, with Fernando Alonso setting his final lap of the day in Q3, although the Spaniard will start the race in P10. Nelson Piquet Jr will leave grid slot number 14 tomorrow afternoon.

With all the political wranglings that are consuming the sport at the sport at the moment, it is a pleasure to watch the drivers on the track, battling it out for Saturday supremacy on one of the calendar’s more challenging circuits. Undoubtedly there is more news to digest and report before tomorrow’s British Grand Prix, principally the fact that Silverstone may return next year. But for now, we need to look forward to an exciting battle on Sunday.

Will Button be able to improve his position and fulfill his dream of winning at home, or will the Red Bull drivers scupper his plans and edge ever-so-slightly closer in the title races? Or will Rubens Barrichello save the day for Brawn and win on a track he so clearly loves?

• The qualifying results can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: Qualifying Result.
• The grid can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: The Grid
• The report on Adrian Sutil’s accident can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: Sutil Stops Qualifying After Heavy Shunt
• The car weights and fuel levels can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: Post-Qualifying Car Weights.

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2009: Sebastian Vettel Romps To British Pole

Adrian Sutil’s Force India wiggled as he entered the fast and sweeping corner that makes up the Abbey chicane. Sutil corrected the wiggle on the VJM02 but then it seemed to bottom slightly on the rear left – although that could have been the camber of the track – and ran wide over the grass. There was no locking of any brakes, indicating that Sutil either didn’t brake, or more likely that he suffered some kind of brake failure. Sutil skated over the gravel and impacted the barrier quite hard, but thankfully it wasn’t head-on and instead a side impact.

The G-meter light came on for Sutil’s accident – an device that measures the G-force and lights when the impact is substantial enough. This means Sutil has to pay the medical centre a visit, but so far he seems perfectly fine.

I had a brake problem and then had no brakes going into the complex. I pushed on the pedal but there wasn’t anything. I tried to avoid a big accident but it was impossible so I crashed really hard.

I’m completely okay, I was just taken to the medical centre for some checks as it was a big crash. Adrian Sutil.

Fortunately Adrian is okay, and we take any potential car problem that could cause an accident like that very seriously. We will fully understand what happened and ensure that it is addressed. Dominic Harlow, Chief Race Engineer.

Sutil had been driving superbly well all weekend, and managed to haul his Mercedes-powered Force India to P3 in the afternoon free practice session. The improvements made to the car are clearly helping, and Sutil looked to be in the zone until this accident. Unfortunately, both Force Indias are now out of qualifying, along with the two Scuderia Toro Rossos and Lewis Hamilton.

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2009: Sutil Stops Qualifying After Heavy Shunt

Silverstone 2009 Qualifying Results		Q1 20 minutes	Q2 15 minutes	Q3 10 minutes
1.	Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing	1m18.685s	1m18.119s	1m19.509s
2.	Rubens Barrichello Brawn	1m19.325s	1m18.335s	1m19.856s
3.	Mark Webber Red Bull Racing	1m18.674s	1m18.209s	1m19.868s
4.	Jarno Trulli Toyota	1m18.886s	1m18.240s	1m20.091s
5.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	1m18.530s	1m18.575s	1m20.216s
6.	Jenson Button Brawn	1m18.957s	1m18.663s	1m20.289s
7.	Nico Rosberg Williams	1m19.228s	1m18.591s	1m20.361s
8.	Timo Glock Toyota	1m19.198s	1m18.791s	1m20.490s
9.	Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari	1m19.010s	1m18.566s	1m20.715s
10.	Fernando Alonso Renault	1m19.167s	1m18.761s	1m20.741s
11.	Felipe Massa Ferrari	1m19.148s	1m18.927s
12.	Robert Kubica BMW	1m19.730s	1m19.308s
13.	Heikki Kovalainen McLaren	1m19.732s	1m19.353s
14.	Nelson Piquet Jr. Renault	1m19.555s	1m19.392s
15.	Nick Hedifeld BMW	1m19.559s	1m19.448s
16.	Giancarlo Fisichella Force India	1m19.802s
17.	Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m19.898s
18.	Adrian Sutil Force India	1m19.909s
19.	Lewis Hamilton McLaren	1m19.917s
20.	Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m20.236s

• The qualifying report can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: Silverstone 2009: Sebastian Vettel Romps To British Pole
• The grid can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: The Grid
• The car weights and fuel levels can be viewed here: Silverstone 2009: Post-Qualifying Car Weights.

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2009: Qualifying Result

The wind picked up after lunch and was causing havoc with the balance of the cars. Many drivers had moments, particularly under braking to Stowe when the drivers attempt to control the car decelerating from the fast Hangar Straight into the moderately fast right-hander. There were also a few spits of rain during the lunch break, but this did little to upset the cars.

Like in the morning session, Red Bull Racing looked strong and were again comfortably the fastest, Vettel posting a lap 0.1s up on his team mate Mark Webber, who was a leisurely 0.7s clear of the Force India in P3.

Adrian Sutil drove well (until he collided with Fisichella’s car in the pitlane at the end of the afternoon) and posted his quick lap early on. The improvements made to the VJM-02 car are clearly working well, but it remains to be seen if the local team can carry this pace through Saturday and into Sunday. Of course, thoughts cannot help but turn to maiden points for Vijay Mallya’s team, particularly as the team’s factory is just over the road from the circuit.

Not performing as well as expected are Ferrari. Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen languish in P17 and P18 respectively. Also slipping a little were Toyota and Brawn. Rubens Barrichello managed to semi-respectable P6, but Silverstone favourite Jenson Button ended his day in P14.

Robert Kubica had a swiftly executed engine change after low oil pressure readings were noted and Nelson Piquet improved himself considerably after the break, going from P18 and 1m21.525s to P10 and 1m20.608s. Kazuki Nakajima also enjoyed the afternoon more, finishing in P4 and improving his time by 1.5s.

Silverstone 2009 Friday Free Practice Two		Lap Time Fastest Time Set	Laps Set Number Laps Set
1.	Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing	1m19.456s	39 Laps
2.	Mark Webber Red Bull Racing	1m19.597s	35 Laps
3.	Adrian Sutil Force India	1m20.141s	41 Laps
4.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	1m20.209s	36 Laps
5.	Fernando Alonso Renault	1m20.237s	36 Laps
6.	Rubens Barrichello Brawn	1m20.244s	26 Laps
7.	Lewis Hamilton McLaren	1m20.417s	35 Laps
8.	Jarno Trulli Toyota	1m20.458s	40 Laps
9.	Nico Rosberg Williams	1m20.468s	42 Laps
10.	Nelson Piquet Jr. Renault	1m20.608s	37 Laps
11.	Robert Kubica BMW	1m20.622s	23 Laps
12.	Heikki Kovalainen McLaren	1m20.733s	37 Laps
13.	Timo Glock Toyota	1m20.762s	37 Laps
14.	Jenson Button Brawn	1m20.767s	28 Laps
15.	Nick Heidfeld BMW	1m20.932s	35 Laps
16.	Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m20.945s	36 Laps
17.	Felipe Massa Ferrari	1m21.005s	37 Laps
18.	Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari	1m21.132s	38 Laps
19.	Giancarlo Fisichella Force India	1m21.413s	40 Laps
20.	Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m21.668s	37 Laps

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2009: Friday Practice Two

With a cool track temperature this morning, drivers struggled to get heat into their tyres, some taking as many as five laps before feeling comfortable on the rubber. This lead to a number of incidents of drivers spinning and/or almost losing the car under braking. Nelson Piquet Jr predictably spun in his Renault and Jarno Trulli visited the scenery at Becketts at the end of the session. Team mate Timo Glock found himself pointing the wrong way at Club as well, but like Piquet, he was also able to keep going.

Mark Webber lead for much of the session but a late charge from Sebastian Vettel moved him up the timing sheet. Also doing well were Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil, who found themselves in P10 and P11 respectively.

Doing less well than usual for a free practice session were the Williams duo of Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima. All season the pair have impressed on Friday, but at Silverstone Rosberg could only manage P9 while Nakajima struggled down in P17.

Silverstone 2009 Friday Free Practice One		Lap Time Fastest Time Set	Laps Set Number Laps Set
1.	Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing	1m19.400s	20 Laps
2.	Mark Webber Red Bull Racing	1m19.682s	19 Laps
3.	Jenson Button Brawn	1m20.227s	20 Laps
4.	Rubens Barrichello Brawn	1m20.242s	29 Laps
5.	Fernando Alonso Renault	1m20.458s	26 Laps
6.	Felipe Massa Ferrari	1m20.471s	23 Laps
7.	Jarno Trulli Toyota	1m20.585	32 Laps
8.	Lewis Hamilton McLaren	1m20.650s	26 Laps
9.	Nico Rosberg Williams	1m20.815s	32 Laps
10.	Giancarlo Fisichella Force India	1m20.838s	25 Laps
11.	Adrian Sutil Force India	1m20.913s	22 Laps
12.	Heikki Kovalainen McLaren	1m21.029s	22 Laps
13.	Nick Heidfeld BMW	1m21.103s	24 Laps
14.	Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari	1m21.179s	27 Laps
15.	Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m21.384s	23 Laps
16.	Timo Glock Toyota	1m21.386s	32 Laps
17.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	1m21.489s	26 Laps
18.	Nelson Piquet Jr. Renault	1m21.525s	30 Laps
19.	Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m21.590s	37 Laps
20.	Robert Kubica BMW	1m21.801s	16 Laps

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2009: Friday Practice One

Wheatcroft & Sons, the family owned company that owns Donington Park, lease the track to Donington Ventures Leisure Limited, who run motor sporting events as well as music festivals on the land. However, DVLL owe £2.47m in rent to WSL, and this is why legal proceedings have commenced. If DVLL have their contract revoked, then the British Grand Prix is in serious trouble.

Bernie Ecclestone has insisted that Silverstone will not hold the British Grand Prix again, despite the circuit investing a lot of money in redevelopments of the old airfield. Such is Ecclestone’s disgruntlement towards Silverstone’s owners, the BRDC, that Ecclestone would rather drop the race from the calendar or postpone it until Donington can get its act together.

If the work at Donington is not finished in time, we would be happy to skip a year. I don’t want to lose the British Grand Prix, that’s the last thing we want to do, but we aren’t going to Silverstone for sure. Bernie Ecclestone, speaking to The Times.

One has to question why Ecclestone has allowed this to happen, and the bad press this saga is generating for Formula One in the UK. While Bernie may not get along with the BRDC, surely the billionaire businessman can see how this is reflecting on the sport in the UK, a nation that contributes an awful lot to the global motor sporting industry.

Original article by BlogF1.

British Grand Prix Could Be Postponed Until 2011

Currently, the circuit is owned by the Wheatcroft family and Donington Ventures Leisure Limited lease the track for motor sporting activities as well as music festivals and other outdoor events. The Wheatcroft’s, who own and operate the company Wheatcroft & Sons Ltd, have commenced legal proceedings against Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd because of arrears in rent, reportedly amounting to £2.47m. If DVLL cannot afford the rent, WSL may evict the resident company whom the contract for the 2010 British Grand Prix is with.

Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd owe us nearly £2.5m in rent dating back to September 2008. Despite receiving numerous reassurances over a number of months they have consistently failed to meet their financial obligations under the terms of the lease.

We have held off taking legal action for as long as possible but have been left with no choice but to commence proceedings to recover the outstanding rent and forfeit the lease. Kevin Wheatcroft.

At the 2008 British Grand Prix, held at Northamptonshire’s Silverstone circuit, Bernie Ecclestone allowed the FIA to announce the change in venue from 2010 onwards, the Donington Park track having been awarded a ten year deal to host motor racing event. At the time, Ecclestone made it clear that Formula One would not return to Silverstone, owned by the BRDC, an organisation Bernie doesn’t get on too well with. If Donington failed to complete their redevelopment works on time, there would be no British Grand Prix. Ecclestone reiterated this while visiting the Bahrain Grand Prix.

If Donington can’t put on the British Grand Prix then that’s it. We will be leaving Britain. There is no question of us going back to Silverstone. They have had enough chances and have not delivered what they promised. Bernie Ecclestone.

It is at this point that the British Government were asked to step in and help, the campaign being voiced by Formula One commercial rights owner Bernie Ecclestone. Having completed deals all over the world for the sport, Bernie has seen what can be done with government funding, the race in Bahrain this weekend being a great example of top-notch facilities all funded by the country itself. Abu Dhabi, which looks to be an absolutely stunning arena for motor sport and business, is also funded by the government, and Ecclestone believes the United Kingdom should follow suit.

It’s a disgrace that the British government don’t step in to help. They are throwing billions at the London Olympics. They could do what is needed to save the race by putting in a fraction of it – 0.002 per cent. Bernie Ecclestone.

Damon Hill, the 1996 Formula One World Champion and now president of Silverstone’s owning organisation the BRDC, has tried to keep the door open to Ecclestone and Formula One, and has apparently maintained communication with the Macronym title=”Formula One Management”>FOM director. Hill would obviously want the race to return to Silverstone, and speaking live on the BBC during today’s qualifying session, Eddie Jordan believes Ecclestone’s firm stance on the issue of not returning is actually his way of saying it will happen.

Confused yet? Well, Jordan believes that Bernie’s negotiation tactic is hard and almost reverse of he publicly says. But on the face of it at the moment, the fate of the British Grand Prix doesn’t look healthy. The House of Lords debated the issue yesterday and Labour deputy chief whip Lord Davies stated that their would be no direct financial hand-outs. Lord Davies emphasised that the government would do what it could, but there would not be any financial aid.

We do not want a state-sponsored motor industry, but the government can give necessary assistance and support in judicious ways, particularly by emphasising how important the industry is to the development of our society and economy.

The government will continue to give the support that we have done in the past. We see our role as facilitating and encouraging the Motor Sports Association and the owners of Donington to be proactive about attracting money from various funding arrangements to guarantee the finances they need.

However, should anything go wrong on that front, it is important that Silverstone is available to resume its position, because the essential thing is that we must not lose a British Grand Prix. Lord Davies.

Lord Davies may want to run that last sentence by Ecclestone before believing his own words.

It would be a tremendous shame for Britain to lose the British Grand Prix, and drivers up and down the Bahrain pitlane today have expressed a desire for the event to remain. Even non-British drivers like Rubens Barrichello who essentially cut his teeth in lower formulae around many of the UK’s racing tracks spoke of a desire for the race to remain.

It is also a great shame that the country is willing to pour so much many into hosting the Olympic Games, but is unwilling to spend (by comparison) a little amount on ensuring the UK remains on the Formula One calendar.

Perhaps using tax payers money on sporting events is incorrect, to which you would have to include the Olympic Games, but surely in a crisis, the government should be there to prop up the affected industry/business/event and offer a helping hand.

Of course, life and politics doesn’t work like that and the UK will applaud the efforts of the government at funding the organisations that will bring the Olympic Games to London in 2012, over budget and probably behind schedule. The British Grand Prix, by then, could be but a distant memory. Just as long as Team Great Britain can host the Games then all is okay with this county’s involvement in international sporting events.

Original article by BlogF1.

2010 British Grand Prix Facing Fresh Threats

Images © Brawn GP Ltd.

Original article by BlogF1.

Brawn BGP 001 Debuts At Silverstone

The photo, owned by LAT Photographic and exclusively shown on Autosport (in higher res) depicts the BGP 001 in a predominantly white livery, with black and yellow detailing. No sponsors can be seen on the car other than the mandatory Bridgestone logo on the tip of the nose. Like all other 2009 cars, the rear wing in high and narrow while the front wing is low and wide. Interestingly, Button was driving on 2008 style grooved tyres, but this may have been because of the last minute nature of the shakedown.

The test was completed behind closed doors and very few people allowed within the confines of the Silverstone track. However, the team are expected to be testing at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya next week, and also in Jerez the following week.

Image © LAT Photographic/Autosport.

Original article by BlogF1.

Jenson Button Shakes Down The BGP 001

Original article by BlogF1.

The Search For David Coulthard

Original article by BlogF1.

McLaren MP4/9 vs. Porsche 911 vs. Peugeot 306

The Start

Rain had fallen on Silverstone all morning and the race started with a damp track and all drivers on wet tyres (commonly called intermediates). From the line Heikki Kovalainen had a good start and led the field into Copse, but further behind Lewis Hamilton had a superb start and troubled his Finnish team mate around the first lap. As the duo exited the first corner, Hamilton was very quick on the throttle (as he was in Malaysia and France) and almost clipped the back of Kovalainen. The Finn had a wiggle as he applied his throttle and showed bravery as he defended his position down to the Becketts corners.

Behind the leading pair all sorts of cars were spinning around in circles and skating over the grass and gravel. Mark Webber found himself looking in the wrong direction on the exit of the Becketts Complex and had to wait until the field had passed before he could spin his Red Bull around. Kazuki Nakajima had an off and Felipe Massa pirouetted his Ferrari in similar fashion.

David Coulthard’s final British Grand Prix didn’t last long either, with a synchronised slide off the track with Sebastian Vettel at the Priory corner. Both drivers retired on the spot, their cars beached in the gravel. And it wasn’t long into the first stint before Massa was spinning again, this time down at the final Woodcote corner. From looking at the camera views, he appeared to have some issue with applying even the smallest amount of throttle.

By lap three though, it was all over for Kovalainen as Hamilton made his move going into Stowe. Lewis managed to pass his team mate and wandered off into the distance. Meanwhile Mark Webber started to make his comeback through the field following his earlier spin and was soon pressuring the top ten again.

The Middle

Heikki’s troubles were worsened after a spin going into Abbey allowed Kimi Raikkonen through into second and Webber continued to make up places in the poor conditions, giving those around him some driving lessons in the process. Unfortunately Adrian Sutil didn’t get one and the cameras just about picked up the German bouncing sideways over the gravel, across the track and finally in the gravel again. Sutil simply lost the back of his Force India as he braked in Abbey and he became a passenger as it slid over the water.

At the front the lead was yo-yo-ing back and forth and on some laps Hamilton looked comfortable while on others, Raikkonen looked immensely quicker. Mark Webber was the first of the scheduled pitters though, followed by Kovalainen and then Alonso. The following lap both Hamilton and Raikkonen pitted together, the Briton getting out ahead of the Finn. Interestingly though, McLaren put fresh intermedite tyres on Hamilton’s car, but Ferrari left Raikkonen on the same set.

Straight away Lewis Hamilton pumped in some fast laps, all this despite his tyres being colder than Raikkonen’s. The gap was improved and Hamilton took more control over the race. As the rain fell heavier Hamilton was able to judge the grip levels better and the Briton looked relatively comfortable at the front.

Nelson Piquet, who was enjoying a great run at Silverstone, passed his experienced team mate Fernando Alonso and once again, looked to be much improved over his form from earlier in the season. Unfortunately for Raikkonen, his gamble of remaining on the same tyres didn’t pay off and along with Alonso who did the same, ended up losing a lot of time over the cars ahead. It was at this point that Nick Heidfeld came into his own and made some superb passes. And as Heikki eased his way back past the troubled Raikkonen, Heidfeld seized the opportunity and passed both of them.

Honda, who started well down the field, were also looking very handy, the team having switched both drivers to full wet tyres at their stops and Rubens Barrichello making full use of them. While the rest of the pack gambled on intermediates, Barrichello was passing cars left, right and centre. Jenson Button was lapping quickly as well, but the slippery track eventually got the better of him and an off at Club saw Button retire. Robert Kubica also suffered a similar fate at Abbey and retired. Honda were very much in contention though on the full wets, and Rubens soon found himself in second.

However, despite Rubens driving maticulously well, the team had to pit the Brazilian again; there was a problem with the fuel rig and little gas went into the Honda. But Barrichello’s experience paid off and after a few blindly quick laps he had enough of a gap to pit and rejoin in third, losing only one place to Nick Heidfeld.

Felipe Massa really struggled with his Ferrari all day and suffered spin after spin. Nelson Piquet also ended his afternoon early and after a mature drive, he unravelled it with an off and beached his Renault in the gravel. Kazuki Nakajima, another rookie in the field, also had a fair few trips into the scenery, but the Williams pilot was able to rejoin the track after each excursion and the Japanese driver would eventually finish in the points in eighth position.

The End

The final few laps were all about the battle behind the leaders, with Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso and Heikki Kovalainen all running in close proximity. Kovalainen spent most the last few tours attacking Alonso, but the experienced double world champion defended well until Heikki grabbed the bull by its horns and made a pass stick. Raikkonen had already made his move was in a good fourth place.

Nico Rosberg had a good race by all accounts and considering that he started from the pit lane with a suspension problem that dogged him all weekend. The German driver was in a point-paying position until the final stint when the Ferrari, McLaren and Renault sorted their acts out. Team mate Kazuki Nakajima also had a good run but a few offs and lack of experience allowed the trio of faster cars past. The Williams drivers finished in eighth and ninth.

Felipe Massa finished last of the remaining runners and will want to very quickly forget about this weekend. Raikkonen too will want to forget about his British Grand Prix. Although he managed to collect a few points, Kimi’s Ferrari was good for a podium had he or the team not decided to stay on the same set of tyres.

Rubens Barrichello celebrated his podium-placing and dedicated the race to his son, who after hearing his father had qualified poorly, prayed for rain. Heidfeld also raced well and is hopeful his qualifying woes are now behind him. Again, experience paid dividends with Kubica sliding off the road one too many times. The Toyotas too ran well with Jarno Trulli collecting two more points. Glock had a series of offs and even had Rosberg contact him in the final stage, the Williams driver having to pit for a new nose. Timo went off a few times as well, but a twelfth place finish from twelfth on the grid is not bad considering his experience and the difficult conditions.

Of course, Hamilton was ecstatic to win in front of his home fans and brings himself right back into the championship hunt. Nick Heidfeld saved the day for BMW and Ferrari leave Silverstone wondering why they made the choice to stay on the same tyres. Red Bull will head to Germany for the next race knowing that they have made substantial progress on the RB4, and Webber in particular should be delighted with his pole from yesterday. But an early mistake from the Australian meant he couldn’t capitalise on his front row grid slot. Despite all this though, Webber drove a fine race and provided fans with much entertainment.

This may (or may not) be the penultimate race at Silverstone, but it sure has given the championship a good shake with the top three drivers all the sharing the same amount of points. The second half of 2008 is sure going to be very interesting.

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2008: Lewis Hamilton Wins The British Grand Prix

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2008: Race Live Blog

Sebastian Vettel looks good providing he can keep out of trouble at the start tomorrow and both Renault’s are in the top ten and looking reasonable. Toyota are lacking performance at Silverstone and the BMWs don’t look al that fast either. Although Nick Heidfeld does tend to race better than qualify, but Robert Kubica is way back in tenth after a problem in qualfying put him out of contention.

The 2008 British Grand Prix Grid

Inclusive of penalties given – none yet.

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2008: The Grid

Silverstone

Silverstone have submitted plans to radically redevelop the circuit, but given they have now lost the British Grand Prix contract, it is unlikely that these plans will go ahead before the final 2009 race. Therefore, it is likely that the layout will remain the same for next year.

Donington Park

Whereas Donington may have just about enough time to make some changes (if the rumours of planning permission already gained are to be believed). To be honest, less than 24 months isn’t really enough but, the grand prix circuit could, in a pinch, change. Without any details though, the above Google Earth image and BlogF1-style overlay is the current configuration.

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2008 vs. Donington Park 2008

Silverstone has been a popular venue for drivers and fans alike, but in recent years Ecclestone has been very outspoken about the gradual decline in the facilities at the track. While the old airfield is synonymous with British motor sport, the governing body along with FOM feel that with Donington’s planned improvements, the Leicestershire track will offer a more secure future for the UK’s grand prix.

After many years of patient but fruitless negotiation with the BRDC, we are delighted that Bernie has nevertheless been able to ensure that the British Grand Prix will keep its place on the Formula One World Championship calendar.

We understand that the development programme planned for Donington will achieve the very high standards we and FOM expect from a modern F1 circuit. Finally, British Formula One fans will get the Grand Prix venue they deserve. Max Mosley.

We wanted a world class venue for Formula One in Britain, something that the teams and British F1 fans could be proud of. The major development plans for Donington will give us exactly that. A venue that will put British motor sport back on the map. Bernie Ecclestone.

Ecclestone went on to say that he wanted the UK government to support Silverstone with their planned redevelopment and estimated it would have cost about 0.002% of the government’s commitment for the 2021 Olympic Games.

The news must come as a bitter blow to the BRDC, Silverstone’s circuit owners, and their president and former British Grand Prix winner and world champion, Damon Hill. Along with Jackie Stewart and many other British motor sporting alumni, they have tried to negotiate with Ecclestone over the years and plans to improve the circuit were recently submitted to the Northamptonshire authorities for approval. Unfortunately, it seems it was too little, too late.

Donington Park was brought-out last year by Simon Gillett and Lee Gillm, and even back then there was a rumour that they may appraoch Bernie about hosting the British Grand Prix. With investment from a shareholder in the company that owns the track, Donington Park will undergo improvements and development ahead and after its first race in 2010.

At the beginning of last year when we acquired the circuit and its substantial lands, we made clear our commitment towards realising the full potential of the Park by making the necessary investments in current and future events that will see Donington revitalised, ensuring its leading position as one of the most iconic racing circuits in the world. Simon Gillett & Lee Gillm.

The last time a Formula One car was driven in anger at Donington was in 1993; Ayrton Senna blitzed the field on the opening lap in torrential rain and performed one of the greatest laps to have ever been driven in a grand prix car.

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone Loses Out To Donington Park From 2010 Onwards

This is the final post in the British Winners series, and over the coming weekend BlogF1 will of course cover the grand prix from Silverstone, the race possibly being the last time David Coulthard competes in a Formula One car in front of his home-fans. But while the Scot may have never won the championship, he does have thirteen victories to his name and a career that to date, has lasted for 15 seasons and 236 starts. However, of his wins the two on home soil will perhaps be the most remembered.

In 1999, the McLaren Mercedes MP4-14 was a competitive machine and Coulthard’s team mate was using it to good effect, Mika Hakkinen being the reigning world champion. However, Coulthard wasn’t far behind his team mate and the nation expected as the British Grand Prix weekend began. Qualifying had gone to Hakkinen and Coulthard was directly behind on the grid in third, although he was some eight tenths down on the lead McLaren.

The start of the race was aborted due to Jacques Villeneuve and Alex Zanardi stalling. The second start would prove to be just as luckless as the race was stopped almost immediately. From the line both Coulthard and Eddie Irvine got ahead of Michael Schumacher in second as they went through the Copse corner. However, on the run down to Stowe Schumacher suffered rear brake failure and was pitched across the gravel and into the tyre barriers. It was immediately clear that all was not well as Schumacher couldn’t get out of the car; he had broken his leg.

For the third start, Irvine managed to get ahead of Coulthard but Hakkinen maintained the lead and the three drivers continued in this position until the pitstops. Mika’s stop didn’t go well and the Finn returned after his out lap saying that he felt a wheel was loose. When Irvine stopped he missed his marks and caused the team to reposition the equipment, loosing out on valuable time. Irvine rejoined the race behind Coulthard and Hakkinen eventually retired when his wheel came off. The net result of these blunders meant that David was in the lead.

The Ferrari and the McLaren fought it out for victory, but by the sixtieth lap Coulthard was still leading and took the win for himself and his team. It was David’s fifth career win but he would only manage another by the end of the season. Hakkinen took his second title and Irvine finished in the runner-up spot, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen edging out Coulthard into third.

The following season Coulthard was once again partnered at McLaren by Hakkinen, and once again the pair would duke it out for the championship. Unfortunately for them both though, Schumacher had recovered from his broken leg and was on a crusade to win the title. The Ferrari was competitive and Schumacher was on a winning charge. The German took the first three races, and the trio came to Silverstone each with a mission to win.

Qualifying was all about getting the set up right as the track was in a drying condition following rain showers earlier in the morning. Rubens Barrichello was the driver who got it right and the Brazilian would start the race from pole position. Coulthard was back in fourth alonside his team mate Hakkinen and between them and Barrichello’s Ferrari was Frentzen’s Jordan.

On race day the morning warm-up session had to be delayed; thick fog had prevented the safety helicopter from flying. However, by the time the race was due to start the weather had improved and everything looked good for an exciting race. Barrichello left the grid well as did Frentzen in the Jordan. Coulthard squeezed past Hakkinen going into the first corner. The order remained until the first round of pitstops. The Jordan was demoted to seventh after the first and only stop and that left Barrichello leading Coulthard and Hakkinen.

At about mid-distance Barrichello would make a couple of mistakes that allowed the lead to change. On lap 29 the Ferrari pilot lost three seconds to the chasing McLaren, and with Coulthard right on Rubens’s gearbox, it only needed another minor error from the Brazilian and Coulthard would be able to pass. The following lap, Coulthard was presented with his opportunity. Barrichello had been slow on the exit of Chapel and this allowed Coulthard to stay right with the Ferrari down the Hangar Straight. Going into the Stowe corner, Barrichello held the defending inside line but Coulthard decided to attempt a pass around the outside.

Remembring Nigel Mansell’s move on Nelson Piquet [in 1987], I thought I would give that a try. It held together. David Coulthard.

The crowd stood in celebration and the cheers reverberated around the Silverstone circuit. Rubens’s Ferrari was malfunctioning, which was the cause for his decrease in performance, and by lap 35 he was out of the event. For the remainder of the race Mika Hakkinen stayed on Coulthard’s tail and only 1.4 seconds separated the pair as Coulthard crossed the line to win at home for the second time in succession.

Coulthard would go on to take two further victories that year and finish in third in the drivers title. Hakkinen finished in second while Schumacher romped to his third championship and his first with the Ferrari team. David stayed with McLaren for another four years but couldn’t win the title nor the British Grand Prix again. In 2005 he switched to the newly-formed Red Bull team who took on the failed Jaguar project. David was given a new lease of life and has driven well for the Milton Keynes team.

With rumours of his retirement failing to disappear, this year could very well be David’s last in the sport, and the Scot would undoubtedly like to leave Formula One on a high. His RB4 has been relatively quick in places, but consistency has fallen to Coulthard’s team mate Mark Webber. The Australian has scored points in six of the first eight races this year, while Coulthard has only scored once, albeit a fine podium in Canada.

To read more in this series of articles, click the tag ‘British Winners’.

Original article by BlogF1.

The British Winners Of The British Grand Prix: David Coulthard

Perhaps part of Herbert’s popularity was his remarkable comeback after a fearsome accident in Formula 3000. At the Brands Hatch circuit in 1988, Johnny was involved in a serious accident and impacted the barrier very heavily. His legs were badly broken and his feet were shattered; it was feared that Johnny – a much praised driver who was regularly compared to Jim Clark at the time – may not ever drive again, let alone race.

However, Herbert’s incredible determination saw him come back to racing just one year after his accident and the British driver tested for Benetton in the winter of ‘88-’89. Despite the fact he could barely walk, Herbert impressed on-lookers and he was given the race seat. And even though Johnny scored on his debut for the squad, his career would once again go on hold as internal politics at Benetton and a lack of race pace saw Herbert let go partway through the year. According to some, braking the Formula One car into a corner was causing Johnny considerable pain and many feel this was the reason for his lack of pace at some circuits, particularly his last for Benetton that year – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

Towards the end of 1990 though, Herbert was back and this time in a Lotus. The occasional point would fall Johnny’s way but it was hardly the success story he had wished for. After moving around a few teams Herbert found himself in a Benetton once again at the end of the 1994 season. Although Herbert retired in the final two races of the season, he was given a contract to partner Michael Schumacher for 1995. The car was pretty competitive and although it wasn’t the best, it was enabling Schumacher to win races and the 1994 title. The team had also secured Renault engines for ‘95 and everything looked quite promising.

By the time the British Grand Prix came around though, it was clear to Herbert that the Benetton team revolved around Schumacher and Johnny was having a tough time in the second car, not even being allowed to see Schumacher’s telemetry. But never one to get down, Herbert continued to give the squad his best and in front of a home crowd at Silverstone, Johnny took his first career win.

Damon Hill had taken pole position, and Herbert’s team mate Schumacher was alongside in second. Herbert qualified down in fifth for the race and as such, all eyes were on Hill’s Williams for a repeat win. At the start, Hill got away well from the line but the surprise was Jean Alesi in the Ferrari who managed to go from sixth to second by the time the field passed through Copse. Hill then proceeded to edge out a 20 second lead while Alesi held everybody up behind him.

Eventually the field started to get past Alesi and the pit stops helped in this situation, although it was now clear that Hill and Schumacher were on different strategies. The Williams driver was pitting twice while the Benetton of Schumacher just once. This meant that Hill was faced with chasing down and passing his rival later in the grand prix. On lap 46 and with a faster car, Hill followed Schumacher through Bridge and as Michael braked for the Priory left-hander, Hill made an ambitious move up the inside. Schumacher turned in on his racing line and the pair collided and retired from the race.

This left Herbert, who was also on a good strategy, in the lead. However, Hill’s team mate David Coulthard was behind and in a very fast Williams. The Scot would eventually get by Herbert but the following lap receive a ten-second stop-go penalty for speeding in the pitlane. This handed the lead back to Herbert who had the slower Ferrari of Alesi in second. On lap 61 Herbert took the win with a margin of 16 seconds to Alesi.

It is what I have always wanted. Winning here is special. Johnny Herbert.

Herbert would go on and take another victory that season and finish fourth in the championship. However, it was clear that the Briton was not happy in the team and Johnny left at the end of the year. Herbert moved around teams once again before finding a home at Stewart Grand Prix. The chirpy chap would manage his third victory and Stewart’s first in difficult 1999 European Grand Prix at Nurburgring. The weather was the cause for a problematic but very entertaining race, and with a well-timed change to wet tyres, Herbert won for the final time.

To read more in this series of articles, click the tag ‘British Winners’.

Original article by BlogF1.

The British Winners Of The British Grand Prix: Johnny Herbert

The 1994 season was particularly emotional and stressful following the untimely death of Williams driver and team mate to Damon, Ayrton Senna. The passing of the team’s lead driver meant Hill was promoted to the leader’s role and Damon took on Michael Schumacher for the world championship. However, by the time the British round of the championship was upon the drivers, Hill was massively behind his rival in the title race, Schumacher accruing more than twice as many points as Hill at the time. However, Hill’s fortunes in Britain would change this by the final race of the season Damon was still mathematically able to take the crown.

Hill lined up alongside Schumacher on Silverstone’s grid, the Britain taking pole position the day previous day by just 0.003s. The first start of the race was aborted due to David Coulthard stalling on the grid. However, during the parade lap Michael Schumacher passed Hill temporarily, and although he let the Britain back through when they took to their grid slots, the incident would not be overlooked and an investigation ensued at race control.

For the second start, Hill got away well and the top three drivers maintained position with Gerhard Berger in a close third. However, while it was status quo at the top for the first part of the race, the stewards would soon throw a curve-ball into the mix that would spice the event up; Schumacher had been given a five-second stop-go penalty for infringing the rules on the parade lap. The Benetton team though, whom Schumacher drove for, refused to call their driver in exclaiming that they had not been properly notified of the issue. Schumacher continued to pound around the circuit following the rear wing of Damon’s Williams.

As the first round of pit stops ensued, Schumacher was able to get ahead of Hill and left his box in the lead of the race. Hearts sank all around the Northamptonshire circuit but the race was far from over. Seven laps after the Benetton team had been told to stop Schumacher for his penalty, a black flag was waved for Michael, indicating that he must enter the pits on the following lap to serve his penalty. But still the German race winner continued to lap the circuit, citing later on after the race that he did not see the flags being waved.

After a further seven laps and only after the race director visited the Benetton team and ordered them to call their driver in, Schumacher peeled off into the pitlane and paused his car outside the garage. Benetton would go on to appeal the decision only to then feel the full wrath of the FIA; the punishment was increased to a two-race ban and a $25,000 fine.

After Schumacher left the pits he was in fourth but was promoted to second following the pit stops of Jean Alesi and Mika Hakkinen; Gerhard Berger retired on lap 32 with engine trouble. For the remaining 28 laps, Schumacher was unable to dent Hill’s lead and came in second, although later disqualified for failing to adhere to the steward’s flags following his parade lap misdemeanor.

After the event, Hill was fairly emotional, particularly as his late father, a master of many racing circuits, had never won the British Grand Prix.

It’s the best day of my life. I think I was destined to win this race although I can’t quite believe it. It means so much, not least because my father never won it… it is like a dream. Damon Hill.

The win, combined with Schumacher’s added penalties, would allow Hill to close down the championship lead and a string of victories in the last few races of the season meant Damon was within one point of Schumacher as they headed into the final grand prix in Australia. The race would prove to be very controversial with the pair colliding. The crash meant Hill was forced to retire and Schumacher took the title. It is still not 100% known if Michael turned across Hill with the intention of taking him out, but Williams chose to not dispute the incident as they were still dealing with loss of Ayrton Senna from earlier in the year.

Damon Hill would go on to have a difficult 1995 campaign, with added incidents with his rival in the Benetton, but after Schumacher moved to Ferrari for 1996, Hill fought off a season-long battle with new team mate Jacques Villeneuve to take the title. Hill would never win the British Grand Prix again, but did manage to collect the Arrows team’s first points in 1997 with a great sixth place finish at Silverstone. In Hill’s final year of Formula One competition, he managed a fifth-place finish at home, this time in a Mugen-Honda-powered Jordan.

Now retired from Formula One, Damon Hill is president of the BRDC, an organistion that owns the Silverstone circuit and in charge of hosting the British Grand Prix. Recently the track has come under fire from Bernie Ecclestone for being below-standard, and as I type, Hill has stated that it is still 50:50 if the circuit will get an extension to its contract. However, under Hill’s direction the circuit is planned to receive various upgrades in the coming years.

To read more in this series of articles, click the tag ‘British Winners’.

Original article by BlogF1.

The British Winners Of The British Grand Prix: Damon Hill

1986 was Mansell’s best season to date and the Williams driver romped to second in the world championship, missing out on the title by just two points, Alain Prost being the eventual winner. Mansell’s tyre blew in spectacular fashion at the final race of the year in Australia, the footage becoming quite famous with Murray Walker’s startling commentary over the top.

However, while Mansell missed out on the world championship, he did take five victories that year, the British Grand Prix being one of them. Held at Brands Hatch, it was Mansell’s sixth career win and the fourth of the ‘86 campaign. The race was typical of the season, with Mansell fending off his team mate Nelson Piquet. At the time Piquet had already won two titles and was an experienced and proven winner. In qualifying at Brands Hatch Piquet took pole position but Mansell was alongside on the front row in second.

The race start would not go Mansell’s way though and the Worcestershire-born driver suffered a race-ending problem with his Williams going into the Paddock Hill Bend. But luck was on Nigel’s side that day and moments after retiring from the race a dramatic accident brought out the red flag. Thierry Boutsen, somewhere in the midfield in the Arrows, lost control of his car and bounced off the barriers back in to the path of the backmarkers. Among them were Stefan Johansson and Jacques Lafitte, and as the Swede jinked right to avoid Boutsen’s Arrows, he clouted Lafitte and sent the Ligier into the barriers.

Lafitte was cut from the wreckage of his car and flown to hospital. The French driver had broken his legs in the impact, and although he would go on to make a full recovery, Lafitte would never race a Formula One car again. However, back at Brands Hatch and with the race being stopped, Mansell would be able to rejoin at the restart in the spare Williams. By the end of the first lap Gerhard Berger had squeezed his way past Mansell and demoted the Briton to third. However it wouldn’t be long before Mansell reclaimed the position and after Piquet missed a gear Mansell found himself in the lead.

The Williams duo fought it out for the rest of the race but Mansell remained in the lead and took his first British win in front of the exuberant crowds all around the Brands Hatch circuit. Piquet and Mansell lapped every other driver who was still on track for the final tour and the Briton managed the fastest lap on the 69th turn.

Nigel’s second British victory would come in the following year and again the Briton was pitched against his formidable rival, Piquet in the dominant Honda-powered Williams. Although Ayrton Senna managed to get ahead of both the Dernie-designed cars at the start, it wasn’t long before Piquet got past the Lotus of Senna, shortly followed by Mansell. The Williams’s powered off into the distance, but Nelson was putting in the faster laps and by the 45th tour, with just 20 laps left, the Brazilian had edged out a 20 second lead over his team mate. However, Mansell was determined not to give up and with Piquet’s tyres wearing out, Nigel dug deep and started to make up time. On lap 63 Mansell made his move, selling Piquet a dummy at Stowe and passing the then double champion.
See comment one and three below for a correction to this part of the post.

The win was greatly celebrated as one of Mansell’s finest performances on home soil and even Murray Walker, commentating for British audiences, cheered as Mansell overtook Piquet with just two laps left on the counter.

It would be four years before Mansell would win in Britain again, the years in between being spent driving the unreliable Williams FW12 which prompted a move to Ferrari, but few victorious results. A return to Williams in 1991 though proved to be a positive highlight in Mansell’s career though and with a new engine partner, Renault, the Didcot team had found their feet again and partnered with Riccardo Patrese, Williams were once again looking like the class of the field.

Mansell took pole position at the Silverstone circuit, but at the start of the race on Sunday, he made a poor start and Senna got ahead. However, heading down the Hangar Straight, Mansell turned off his rev-limiter and blasted his way past the McLaren. From this point Mansell remained in the lead and finished with a popular victory in front of the British fans. Senna, who was eventually classified as fourth ran out of fuel on the slow-down lap, and Nigel famously gave his rival a lift back to the pits while waving to crowds.

1992 would be Mansell’s last victory at home, but the season would prove to be his finest with a well deserved world championship at the end. Once again at Silverstone, the fans were expectant with Nigel in the Renault-powered Williams. Mansell was on pole and the tension was electric around the Northamptonshire track. As Mansell left the grid though, team mate Patrese got ahead and led Nigel through the Becketts Complex. As ever though, Mansell had none of it and repassed Patrese on the same lap.

58 laps later and after a relatively trouble-free race, Mansell was ahead by 39 seconds and took his fourth and final victory in Britain. The fans were so jubilent they invaded the track and cheered their hero around on his slowing-down lap; Mansell-mania had gripped the nation. Williams would go on to score another constructors title that season, but this was shadowed by the drivers title being won by Mansell. It would be the moustached-driver’s only title in a career that often left fan’s hearts in their mouths.

Following 1992 Nigel moved to America to race in the CART IndyCar World Series after a falling out with the Williams team. Winning the title Mansell became the only driver to have held both the Formula One title and the CART title at the same time. However, things started to deteriate for the Briton and an unreliable car prompted Mansell to return to the UK and take up the opportunity to drive for Williams once again. Mansell was placed in the car after the untimely death of Ayrton Senna, and he shared the drive with up-and-coming pilot David Coulthard. However, with three Britons on the team and only two cars, Williams chose Coulthard to race at Silverstone alongside regular driver Damon Hill.

After a win in the final round at Adelaide, Mansell moved to McLaren but it was an unmitigated disaster. Nigel couldn’t fit in the car and was unable to compete until the third round at Imola. However, Mansell was being outpaced by his team mate, Mika Hakkinen, and after just two races, retired from Formula One. But with four British Grand Prix wins and one Formula One championship, Mansell went down in the history books as one of the greats, and after Jim Clark, is the second most successful Briton at the British Grand Prix.

To read more in this series of articles, click the tag ‘British Winners’.

Original article by BlogF1.

The British Winners Of The British Grand Prix: Nigel Mansell