Just don’t make him angry. I don’t think you would like him when he’s angry…

Images © Williams F1 and via @LiamWF1.

Original article by BlogF1.

Whatever You Do, Don’t Make Him Angry

The car is actually quite different to its predecessor, and although it sports the familiar traits that many other teams are adopting – the higher nose, smaller sidepods, longer wheelbase – the car is apparently a clean-sheet design, and therefore quite a departure from the FW31 that we saw in 2009.

Whenever a car is said to be a clean-sheet design, I always worry. I think this stems from when Ferrari gave Michael Schumacher a radical new car for his maiden season with the team back in 1996. I can remember Schumacher, while testing the 1995 car, saying that he was surprised it didn’t win the championship. Of course, the clean-sheet F310 that followed was a disaster.

The livery hasn’t changed at the moment, still covered in the dark blue and white that makes Williams’s cars look simply beautiful. Also of note is the inclusion of sponsor’s logos, the team having not been dragged through the mud in 2009 and seemingly coping well with the financial crisis that has hit so many other competitors.

The only possible cat among the pigeons at Williams is an all-new driver line-up for the squad. Although admittedly, Rubens Barrichello will surely be an asset to the team, bringing with him many years of experience. Barrichello may be the most experienced driver on the grid (in terms of race starts), but with the return of his old adversary Michael Schumacher, is no longer the oldest.

Partnering Rubens is a young talent who is hotly tipped for great success in Formula One. Nico Hulkenberg joined Williams last year in a testing role, and following the departure of fellow countryman Nico Rosberg to Mercedes, and also the departure of Toyota meaning a farewell to Kazuki Nakajima, the German pilot has been given a promotion. And the timing works well, as Hulkenberg took the GP2 title in 2009, winning with a comfortable margin of 25 points over Vitaly Petrov, who himself is driving a Formula One car this year with Renault.

The driver pairing seems strong then, with the old master teaching the young pretender how it’s all done. The car has been running well in pre-season testing and a move back to Cosworth for the engine supply brings memories of former glories for the team.

Williams’s car designation system refers to the initials of the team’s founder and co-owner, Frank Williams, and an incremental numbering system that for 2010, has reached 32. Hence, FW32.

Original article by BlogF1.

Meet The Cars: Williams FW32

As reported in the Daily Telegraph this morning, current engine supplier to Brawn – Mercedes-Benz – might be about to buy into the team, furthering the company’s interest in the sport and adding to their portfolio of customers. Mercedes currently own 40% of the McLaren Formula One team, and their association with the Woking-based squad goes right back to 1995. Elsewhere on the 2009 grid, the car manufacturer also supplies engines and technical expertise to Force India, a team that ran very well in the recent Belgian Grand Prix.

It would seem the Mercedes-Benz engine is the most desired at the moment, and murmurings are afoot that Red Bull Racing are keen to rid their cars of the Renault V8 in favour of German engineering. This however goes against the FIA policy of only allowing two customers for each manufacturer (Brawn received special dispensation this year by unanimous agreement from all other competitors). And should Red Bull opt out of a Mercedes deal, Williams are said to be poised and could step in.

However, while Mercedes are powering all-and-sundry, it seems they want to increase their presence ever further in the sport, not seemingly content with supplying three teams, the possibility of a fourth as well as providing all official safety and medical cars to the sport. The Daily Telegraph are suggesting that Mercedes want to buy into the Brawn team.

If true, this would be good news for Brawn as it would help to secure the long-term future of the squad. It would ensure the team kept the Mercedes engine and would probably also mean receiving extra items like the KERS device that Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen have been using to great effect thus far in 2009.

What this speculation also suggests is that Mercedes actually make money out of their part-ownership and engine supply with McLaren. Mercedes would not want to buy further into the sport if it wasn’t already doing well. If Mercedes were losing money with McLaren, Force India and Brawn, they would be looking to scale back their operation, just as many other manufacturers are doing at the moment in the troubled economic climate. But to further invest strongly suggests that Mercedes do reasonably well out of the sport.

However, what appears to be the case and perhaps what actually is the case may differ. Earlier in the year, Daimler Board Member, Helmut Lense, stated that Mercedes should end its Formula One operations to help the company stem losses that almost all motor manufacturers are going through at the moment. While the company as a whole is losing money, it seems strange they are now rumoured to looking for further investment. Unless of course, and more than likely, the full picture is still hazy to all those standing outside the boardroom.

Original article by BlogF1.

Are Mercedes-Benz Looking At Buying Into Brawn?

Williams have been partnered with Toyota since 2007 after the squad endured a very difficult year with Cosworth units in 2006. Since 2007, the team have progressed back up the points ladder and this year looks to be a bumper season. Currently Williams rest on 29.5 points, which is already more than their 2008 total and only 3.5 shy of their 2007 total. With six races left to run it is surely very possible that the 33 points benchmark set two years ago will be beaten.

However, Toyota have admitted that Williams have requested an early release from their contract, and John Howett has stated that as long as Toyota are not financially burdened in any way then they will not put up any obstacles.

Williams have been rumoured to be wanting to rekindle their relationship with Renault, an engine manufacturer the team has enjoyed great successes with in the past. The Grove-based team has taken five constructor’s titles with Renault power, although it should be noted this was back when Adrian Newey was designing their chassis. It could also be possible that Ferrari or Mercedes-Benz are on the cards, although it would be hard to understand why Williams would choose Ferrari over Toyota, and Mercedes are already supplying more than their FIA-quota of squads.

It seem very unlikely that Frank Williams would want to return to Cosworth power, even if it is very cheap. But with new question marks hanging over the future of Toyota in Formula One, it is understandable why Frank and Patrick may be looking elsewhere. Another reason for a possible move could be put down to KERS. Toyota have no desire to run the system, and therefore their engines do not have have the necessary capability of running such a device. If Williams want to run their flywheel KERS next season, it may be beneficial to have an engine that is already set up to take such a piece of technology.

Also rumoured to be thinking about a change of engine for next season is Red Bull Racing. The Milton Keynes-based team currently use Renault units, and have done since 2007 – the same year Williams joined forces with Toyota. And just like Williams, Red Bull have grown with their engine and again, just like Williams have done in the past, Red Bull are beating their factory team in the standings this year.

However, this weekend has seen Sebastian Vettel suffer two engine failures, and four overall for the season thus far. This has put the German pilot at a serious disadvantage for the remaining six events, as two engines will have to be spread very thinly. It may be that Vettel has to take a new engine and suffer a grid-penalty, especially considering how hard the Spa Francorchamps and Monza circuits are on the power units.

Again though, it is hard to imagine who Red Bull might go with for 2010 if they do indeed want to change. In 2006 they used Ferrari units, but when Adrian Newey joined, it is believed he insisted on using Renault power as he knows exactly how it all works and can design a better car around their engine. Therefore, Ferrari were passed on to Red Bull sister team, Scuderia Toro Rosso. It seems strange though that Red Bull would want to move away from an engine supplier that on the whole, are getting the job done. The engine failures in Valencia will not have helped the relationship, but one cannot ignore 3 wins, 98.5 points and a P2 in the constructors so far in 2009, with the potential for more in the remaining races.

Of the other engine suppliers, they are only getting thinner as manufacturers withdraw from the sport. Although Honda and BMW did not supply customer teams, their loss only means that they will not be supplying customer teams in the future. Ferrari only supply themselves and Scuderia Toro Rosso, and therefore have the capability of supplying one or two more teams (assuming the FIA allow it), but if the reason for the move was KERS, then you would have to think twice about using the Scuderia units – Ferrari stopped using the device after it proved unreliable*.

Mercedes-Benz have been a real powerhouse this year, supplying their part-owned McLaren team, Force India through a technical partnership deal signed in 2008, and more recently they took on Brawn in order to help the survival of the team. In order to supply the Brawn team though, Mercedes had to seek permission from Force India boss Vijay Mallya, and the FIA who normally only allow manufacturers to have one other customer.

It is unlikely that Mercedes-Benz will be able to break their agreement with Force India, and the team will surely do anything they could to prevent such a move if it was to ever be attempted. Brawn too would be crazy to split from Mercedes, especially as they are winning the 2009 championships at the moment and have been very reliable all year. And if Mercedes can export their KERS with the engines for next season (and assuming the device stays) then based on the reliability of the KERS currently in the McLaren, you would have to say that Mercedes are the best choice of engine suppliers at the moment.

McLaren-Mercedes, Force India-Mercedes, Brawn-Mercedes, Williams-Mercedes, Red Bull Racing-Mercedes… Any more for any more?

Original article by BlogF1.

Why Might Williams & Red Bull Be Looking For New Engine Suppliers?

The shake-up in the rules for 2009 has seen a shake-up in the usual order of the teams as well, with Brawn rising from the desperate ashes to lead both titles from the start of the year. Likewise, Red Bull have got their act together and are catching up the Brackley team with some pace. Williams however, are still somewhere on the edge of, well, I’m not entirely sure.

In free practices this season, the FW31 has been electric, and while Nico Rosberg has often found himself at the top of the timing sheet, Kazuki Nakajima hasn’t been too far behind, credit to the Japanese pilot. However, in qualifying and races, the Williams’s progress has often stalled, leaving the drivers to recover what they can from a bottom top-ten to mid-field position. On occasion Rosberg has managed to haul the car into the realms of the top four or five, but consistency is not on his nor the team’s side.

Williams currently rest in P6 in the constructors title, recently overtaken by McLaren thanks to Lewis Hamilton winning in Budapest. With the MP4-24 looking genuinely better, it would perhaps be unrealistic to expect the Grove-based squad to retake this position. However, both squad’s might be able to pass Toyota, who like Williams, seem to have their good days and their bad.

This still only puts them in P5 in the championship, and the car still doesn’t look like a winner. Conversely, the driver’s championship looks good for Rosberg at the moment, but after a quick perusal at those drivers around him and the picture suddenly looks a little bleaker. Currently in P5, Rosberg will likely lose out to Lewis Hamilton and even possibly Kimi Raikkonen by the end of the year. And with only a difference of 3 points, Jarno Trulli remains a threat.

Therefore, if Williams cannot substantially better the situation this year for their lead driver, or offer any concrete progress for next year’s FW32, Rosberg may well look elsewhere for a drive. But who might be able to give him that winning motor, and would they want to employ him?

Recently, BMW were rumoured to have Nico on their shopping list, but the news of the team withdrawing at the end of the season has paid an end to any switch from Grove to Hinwil. And after the Swiss-German team’s performance this year, BMW would have been a gamble.

Red Bull Racing are sewn up with Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, and Scuderia Toro Rosso would be a poor move for the German. As would Force India, so I think we can rule these teams out. Also, I think any of the three or possibly four new teams would be a dicey move for 2010, so let’s rule those out as well.

That leaves Renault, Toyota, Brawn, McLaren, Ferrari and Nico’s current home, Williams. Renault are a possibility and I have a vague memory of Flavio Briatore offering Rosberg some praise. Renault are in a quandary at the moment with their drivers, and if they aren’t, they really need to be. Nelson Piquet surely needs to be given the elbow, and if Renault cannot dramatically improve, double world champion Fernando Alonso will be hot-stepping over to a rival team as soon as he can. Presuming of course, the contract hasn’t already been signed.

However, I don’t think Renault would be a good fit for Rosberg, they are currently performing worse than his current stable and potentially partnering Alonso could hurt Rosberg’s career. The long-term commitment is also an issue, and it would appear that Nico seems to do well in a family environment like Williams. Although there is no evidence to compare, it is just an impression I get. Toyota too would be similar in my mind. Although they currently are ahead of Williams, the FW31 is arguably a better car at the moment.

So now we’re down to the big two, staying put or the current championship leaders. And I believe this is pretty much the case for Rosberg at the moment. And if I’m totally honest, I think it can be nailed down even further. I think Rosberg is currently weighing up the loyalty issue which means staying with the team that gave him his break (and his father a world championship), or switching allegiances to McLaren.

Ferrari are happy with Felipe Massa, and perhaps to a slightly lesser extent, Kimi Raikkonen as well. And if Kimi were to leave or get elbowed, Fernando Alonso would be in red overalls before you could even blink. As for Brawn, I don’t think they’ve even thought about 2010 yet in terms of drivers. Jenson Button will likely stay on, and Rubens Barrichello will be replaced with a younger model. Certainly, that could be Rosberg, but I just don’t see it.

McLaren cannot be overly happy with Heikki Kovalainen. The Finn has won a race since joining the team, and his performance in Hungary was mildly acceptable considering it took him several races to even complete one lap. But for a team that won the driver’s title last year, they should be expecting more from their pilots. It may not please Lewis Hamilton entirely, but he needs to be pushed, and Kovalainen simply isn’t doing that.

So I believe Rosberg is currently weighing up the decision between remaining loyal, and a potential race-winning car in 2010. It’s a really tough decision as well, because being partnered to Hamilton will not be easy for the German. At Williams, he is the lead driver, but unless Nico can blast Lewis out of the water from the first race onwards, he will end up being the number two. And let’s all be honest, as good as Rosberg is, I don’t think he’s as good as Hamilton.

What would you do if you were Rosberg? Do you disagree with my summation of his options? The comments are open, so please let me know what you think…

Original article by BlogF1.

Where Should Nico Rosberg Go In 2010?

The pomp and circumstance surrounding KERS came primarily from the president of the FIA, the forever embattled Max Mosley. His dream, along with the FIA’s it should be noted, was to make Formula One more environmentally friendly. Or at least, to make it look more environmentally friendly.

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that Formula One cars aren’t particularly fuel efficient, although in the same breath, it should also be noted that they aren’t as bad as you think as this advantage can prove to be the difference between winning and not finishing. And that is a good enough incentive to the engineers to ensure their cars are making full use of the fuel.

Other areas where Formula One falls into the clutches of the green-brigade is the travel and transportation of all the materials around the world. The teams move several hundred tonnes of equipment each time they go to a race, and most of the time that involves an aeroplane and several trucks.

So the idea behind KERS was help the sport become more friendly to the environment by using energy that would have previously been lost. When a car is braking, it is still using the engine and therefore the fuel and other electrical systems. However, with KERS this otherwise lost energy is stored in the form of electrical energy in a battery, and used at the drivers command to give him an extra ~80bhp boost.

However, the system isn’t simple and has been in development since last year for most of the teams. Williams even attempted to try a potentially-safer flywheel solution that negates the use of batteries (as there were some electric shock incidents in testing, notably with BMW). Ferrari’s system has plagued them with troubles since they first tested it, and on more than one occasion a Ferrari driver has ultimately retired from a race this year due the system’s unreliability. Although it must be said, their device has improved significantly in recent events.

And BMW, who haven’t used KERS since the Bahrain Grand Prix, have now decided to completely shelve it in favour of spending more time, energy and resources in improving the aerodynamic efficiency of their car. This is in despite of the fact that BMW were originally all for KERS and were one of the first teams to use the technology in pre-season testing.

We evaluated different alleys, proceeding with KERS or proceeding on the aero side and what could we do with no KERS on board.

We had made some significant progress on the aero side which does not allow to fit KERS, and we have taken a decision just a few days ago to no more run KERS this year because we see a more promising alley in developing the aero. Mario Theissen.

Of course, the other side of the issue is the fact that many drivers felt the need to shed some weight over the winter in order to accommodate the huge weight of the system, something I feel is wrong for the sport to be indirectly encouraging. With the minimum weight set at 605kg, taller and therefore heavier drivers felt they were being penalised. In the BMW garage, Nick Heidfeld was able to use KERS for the first four races, whereas team mate Robert Kubica (who is one of the grid’s tallest pilots) was forced to only test system later in the year.

With all the money that has gone into developing the technology, it would appear to have been a complete failure. Mario Theissen insists that it is not a flop, and that BMW have made good use of the information collected by the Formula One branch of the company. However, within the circles of the racing teams, only Ferrari and McLaren still use the technology.

Considering there are ten teams, and that McLaren Mercedes supply Brawn and Force India with engines and technical support, and Ferrari supply Scuderia Toro Rosso with similar, one could rightly expect these teams to be running the same system as the suppliers. Alas not, and it is perhaps because the technology really isn’t all that useful in the grand scheme of things.

It would appear that KERS will not make into next year’s championship, whichever way the current issues surrounding the breakaway series are resolved. FOTA have called for it to be shelved, and with teams like BMW ceasing development work on it, it does seem unlikely that the planned mandatory introduction of the system next year will now happen.

And while running the risk of alerting the green activists, I say that is a good thing. In my own personal view, Formula One shouldn’t be green. Simply because it isn’t, and it never will be. I therefore feel that all the faffing around trying to change something that is inherently un-green a total waste of money. Formula One is a bit like a vice – it’s naughty, we know it shouldn’t be allowed, but it is. The well-paid playboy drivers thrash their cars around with little regard for their own safety and well-being, and we watch because it is fun, entertaining and most of the time, a darn good spectacle.

And at the very end of the day, it is only 20 or so cars every other weekend. Instead of thinking up of hare-brained ideas, wouldn’t it be better to develop better fuels, reduce unnecessary transportation miles/weight and insist the factories that house the teams make better use of alternative energy sources and are more environmentally sound? Honestly…

Original article by BlogF1.

BMW Abandon KERS For Good: Isn’t It Now Formula One’s Turn?

It’s one of the sport’s ultimate what ifs, and it is very hard to judge a driver who hasn’t actually proven themselves one way or the other, but to speculate is interesting, and that is exactly what this post is about. Of the drivers competing in 2009, do any deserve a better car, a greater chance of proving themselves…

Nico Rosberg

Being the son of a former world champion will always bring with it a great expectation. Keke was a fine driver who showed consistency like few others. Nico though has had a harder time of it. Like his father, Nico was given his break by Williams, but unfortunately the timing was quite different. In 1982, Keke joined the team on the back of their two consecutive constructors titles. It wasn’t all smiles and praise as the team started to endure mixed results, but Keke won his world title in his first campaign with Williams, and showed tenacity while the squad slipped down the rankings.

For Nico, he joined Williams when they were already quite firmly in a slump, which may have been his saving grace as with it comes understanding. In a clearly uncompetitive car, Rosberg Jr has shown he has talent, and a strong run of points finishes towards the tail end of 2007 were impressive. Even more impressive were his two podiums in 2008. Finishing second in the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix is surely both actually and emotionally Rosberg’s greatest result thus far, completing a race where all about him others were falling off the road and retiring.

2009 has once again proving to be a bit of a let down so far. The car is okay, as is the engine, but through a combination of errors from both team and driver, Nico has so far failed to stand on the podium, despite the FW31 looking very competitive in free practices. The experience of Williams should be guiding Nico to greatness, but alas it looks to be the other way around at the moment, with Rosberg guiding the team.

Does Nico have the talent to compete with the best? Lewis Hamilton seems to think so, and Rosberg’s championship winning GP2 season was impressive. The German pilot out-scored Heikki Kovalainen to take the title, and although both pilots equalled each other on wins in 2005, Nico managed 4 poles and 5 fastest laps to Heikki’s 2 poles and 1 fastest lap. Kovalainen is currently sitting in a McLaren and not enjoying his 2009 Formula One campaign, nor did the Finn do spectacularly well last time around. Would Rosberg do any better though?

Heikki Kovalainen

Speaking of Heikki, does he deserve a better car than he is currently driving? The McLaren MP4-24 is far from an all-conquering machine, and team mate Lewis Hamilton has been getting increasingly frustrated with it this year, telling the media that the team have not given him a machine which he can defend his title with. The Briton has scored some points though and looked, on occasion, quite competitive.

Conversely, Heikki has barely finished a race this season, failing to even get around the opening lap in the first two races. He has scored with the 2009 McLaren, but currently sits on half the points of his team mate. Previously, Kovalainen couldn’t match Hamilton in 2008 and while the Briton took the world championship, Heikki finished in seventh on just over half the points of his team mate. It wasn’t a great performance, but there were glimmers of hope. In 2007, Kovalainen’s debut year, the Finn got off to a slow start, but by the time the drivers had completed the final race, Heikki had comprehensively beaten his much more experienced team mate Giancarlo Fisichella.

Previous to Formula One and as mentioned in relation to Nico Rosberg, Heikki did well in GP2 and missed out on the 2005 title by just 15 points. Finishing second is still a good performance, but one has to wonder why this hasn’t translated into Formula One. Would Kovalainen blitz the field if he was given a decent car? Does he have enough talent, or was 2005, [2006 spent testing] and 2007 the peak of his motor racing career?

Sebastien Buemi

Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi has proven to be a bit of a surprise this year. Being the only rookie in the field, Buemi has already shown up his multiple ChampCar champion team mate Sebastien Bourdais, and brought the Scuderia Toro Rosso home in points-paying positions twice already. In the opening round Bourdais scored, but unfortunately for him, Buemi scored better. At the third round in China, Buemi scored again, and currently sits on three points. It is, by all measures, a good start to his debut campaign.

Prior to Formula One, Buemi didn’t look particularly special, finishing in sixth in his first full GP2 season. Over the winter the Swiss driver competed in the GP2 Asia series and managed to finish second after one win and a string of second places. Compared to Rosberg and Kovalainen in 2005 though, Buemi looks vaguely average.

However, to finish in the points in a Scuderia Toro Rosso is not bad. Although the car is often said to be similar to the race-winning Red Bull, it is actually quite a different motor, being powered by a different engine and managed by a different team of people. Thus far, and while eating humble pie, I have to say that Buemi doesn’t look too bad of a driver and in a couple of years will deserve a shot in a better car. But what say you? Is Buemi any good, or are his results so far completely fluke?

Adrian Sutil

Having competed in Formula One since 2007, Adrian Sutil has endured the worse of all the cars currently mentioned. The Spyker wasn’t up to much and although the Force India he now drives is an improvement, it is still hogging the back row of the grid. However, on occasion Sutil has driven the wheels of the car and positioned himself in places that really he shouldn’t be in.

We all remember the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix where Sutil managed to haul himself up to fourth and was defending his position to the reigning world champion Kimi Raikkonen. Unfortunately, Raikkonen crashed into Sutil and his race was over. It wasn’t the only time a Ferrari came into contact with Sutil’s Force India that year as the Scuderia’s pitstop technique often resulted one of their drivers pulling out in front of Sutil. It became almost comical due to the amount of times it happened.

Again this season Sutil has put in a couple of fine performances, finishing in ninth from sixteenth in the season’s opening round, and running in sixth in China before losing the tail of his car and clouting the barrier. However, the fact that the German is able to get his car into these positions shows maturity and skill on his part. Is it enough though. What would happen if Adrian found himself in a Brawn or Red Bull? Would he be winning, or would it be too much for him?

Original article by BlogF1.

Who Deserves A Better Shot At The Big Time?

The surprise of the afternoon were the Force India duo of Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil. Early in the 90 minute running Fisichella popped in a quick lap but the pace of Sutil was the talking point at the end of the day, the German finishing in P7. Also improving were both Red Bull pilots, but this was at the cost of the downward moving BMWs and Brawns. Nick Heidfeld ended his day at the bottom while team mate Robert Kubica could only manage P17. Jenson Button also fared less well, one place down on his morning performance but 0.9s faster.

The Ferrari’s of Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa also struggled around the Bahrain circuit. Traditionally, Sakhir is Ferrari territory, but as we saw in Malaysia (another of the traditional Scuderia tracks) not everything is going their way this year. Raikkonen went from P10 in the morning to P18 in the afternoon, only improving by 0.2s. Felipe Massa started the day well in P8 but also finished further down the tables, 0.025s faster but in P16. Massa is not running KERS this weekend but Raikkonen is, and the fact that Massa has been faster in both sessions says a lot about the state of the F60 at the moment.

Bahrain 2009 Friday Free Practice Two		Lap Time Fastest Time Set	Laps Set Number Laps Set
1.	Nico Rosberg Williams	1m33.339s	36 Laps
2.	Fernando Alonso Renault	1m33.530s	25 Laps
3.	Jarno Trulli Toyota	1m33.616s	37 Laps
4.	Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing	1m33.661s	29 Laps
5.	Mark Webber Red Bull Racing	1m33.676s	32 Laps
6.	Jenson Button Brawn	1m33.694s	35 Laps
7.	Adrian Sutil Force India	1m33.763s	30 Laps
8.	Timo Glock Toyota	1m33.764s	37 Laps
9.	Rubens Barrichello Brawn	1m33.885s	30 Laps
10.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	1m33.899s	36 Laps
11.	Lewis Hamilton McLaren	1m33.994s	30 Laps
12.	Giancarlo Fisichella Force India	1m34.025s	23 Laps
13.	Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m34.127s	37 Laps
14.	Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m34.366s	26 Laps
15.	Nelson Piquet Jr. Renault	1m34.411s	29 Laps
16.	Felipe Massa Ferrari	1m34.564s	34 Laps
17.	Robert Kubica BMW	1m34.605s	31 Laps
18.	Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari	1m34.670s	28 Laps
19.	Heikki Kovalainen McLaren	1m34.764s	35 Laps
20.	Nick Heidfeld BMW	1m34.790s	33 Laps

Original article by BlogF1.

Bahrain 2009: Friday Practice Two

The diffusers mounted on the Brawn, Williams and Toyota cars came under scrutiny in Australia and three teams (Ferrari, Red Bull Racing and Renault) lodged a complaint with the stewards. The stewards in Melbourne judged the offending diffusers as legal and the trio then lodged an appeal. The same process occurred in Malaysia as a formality and the trio became a quartet as BMW joined the appeal, which was heard yesterday in Paris and deliberated yesterday evening and this morning.

The FIA International Court of Appeal has decided to deny the appeals submitted against decisions numbered 16 to 24 taken by the Panel of the Stewards on 26th March at the 2009 Grand Prix of Australia and counting towards the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Based on the arguments heard and evidence before it, the Court has concluded that the Stewards were correct to find that the cars in question comply with the applicable regulations. FIA ICA Statement.

With the diffusers now deemed legal, the other teams will almost certainly have to redevelop the rear of their cars to accommodate this part, the advantage gained from it is too great for the teams not to change. However, the rear of a Formula One car is very complex and Red Bull have already stated that fitting a ‘double-diffuser’ to the RB5 will be far from easy. According to the Milton Keynes team, the rear suspension is going to have to change which brings its own problems to whole area.

This means that the points gained by the three teams using the ‘double-diffuser’ will remain, and Jenson Button is still leading the the driver’s championship with Brawn heading the constructors. Toyota have also welcomed the decision as their TF109 car has so far looked to be a pretty good motor, powering Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock to a third place each in the first and only two rounds of the championship so far.

Brawn look set to continue their dominating pace for now, although Ferrari are said to be already implementing several new parts in Shanghai this weekend, and also at the Spanish Grand Prix at the beginning of May. The race now between the non-offending teams isn’t necessarily one of track position, but rather one of getting the rear end sorted.

Original article by BlogF1.

FIA ICA Declare Brawn, Williams & Toyota Diffusers Legal

One side of the argument is clear: Brawn, Williams and Toyota have acted outside of the spirit of the rules. While there is indeed a loophole enabling these trio of teams to do what they have done, it is against the idea and purpose for which the ruling was written that should be adhered to.

Anyone with a command of English will tell you it is a hole, so do not let someone attempting to be clever with words defeat the express purpose of the rules. Nigel Tozzi, Ferrari Legal Representative.

However, in a sport that is just as much a business as it is a jolly bit of racing every other weekend, it isn’t quite as simple as following the spirit of the rules.

Brawn, Williams and Toyota spotted the potential to design the diffuser so it fits with the exact wording of the rules, although perhaps clearly not to within the idea behind them. Essentially, these three teams saw the loophole and went for it. Interestingly, Brawn lead both championships, Toyota have shown great improvement over their 2008 pace as do Williams, with Nico Rosberg doing particularly well in Malaysia until the early stoppage of the event.

The fault, in my mind, isn’t with Brawn et al for developing this ‘double diffuser’, nor is it with those who have not and may or may not be complaining. The fault quite clearly lies with the person or people who write the rules. If it isn’t absolutely clear what you can or cannot do, can you really blame competitors for pushing the limit to see what they can get away with?

Before anyone chimes in with the Hamilton/Ryan saga, I consider that different and this is not the post to discuss this matter. Instead, this post is about the teams pushing the technical regulations to the limit, just as they always have done, and forever pushing the boundaries of lap time and reliability.

I hope that tomorrow, the International Court of Appeal give a thumbs up to the diffuser. It may prove that the spirit of the sport is broken, but in all honesty, it was broken many years decades ago. The thing this diffuser has allowed though proves to be much more interesting. It has, in part, enabled three teams to improve, one of those dramatically so. It has shaken the grid up. It has made some teams look very carefully at themselves. It will be fascinating to see how those without the diffuser right now will claw their way back into the title fight.

But what say you? Is it a great shame that the diffuser-trio felt the need to circumvent the rulebook a little in order to improve themselves, or is it just typical F1 innovation at its best?

Original article by BlogF1.

The Two Sides Of The Diffuser Debate

Of course, what was legal seven days ago will also be legal now, and the FIA stewards rejected the protest. BMW have appealed the decision which now means that both sets of results – Australia and Malaysia – may change should the court deem the double-decker diffuser illegal next week when they meet.

It was just a formal issue in order to make sure that this race is taken into consideration at the appeal, like Melbourne. There is nothing more than that. It is in order to make it clear it is a formal thing and has nothing to do with what goes on on the weekend here. We just want to make sure that at the court of appeal they will decide on both events. Mario Theissen.

Theissen was keen to point out that he is not asking for results to be changed and stated that only the Court of Appeal can decide on that. The BMW boss also pointed out that changing the final result of the Australian Grand Prix wouldn’t help his team in the slightest.

We are not requesting certain decisions or results, we are stating our opinion and putting documentation behind it, and in terms of Melbourne it would not help us anyway. Mario Theissen.

For Kubica, the disqualification of Brawn, Toyota and Williams would have no imapct as the Polish driver failed to finish the race after coming together with Sebastian Vettel.

However, looking at the amended race result from Melbourne, should Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello, Jarno Trulli, Timo Glock, Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima be demoted down the order or disqualified completely, the victory and associated points would be handed to Fernando Alonso, and Nick Heidfeld would be promoted to fifth. Considering BMW are yet to score any points, the four gained from P5 might prove useful later in the year.

And just as a bit of fun, here’s what the finishing order of the Australian Grand Prix would look like should the trio of teams receive penalties that put them outside of the points.

Australia 2009 Potential Race Results		Original Result	Points Earned
1.	Fernando Alonso Renault	5th	10pts
2.	Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso	7th	8pts
3.	Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso	8th	6pts
4.	Adrian Sutil Force India	9th	5pts
5.	Nick Heidfeld BMW	10th	4pts
6.	Giancarlo Fisichella Force India	11th	3pts
7.	Mark Webber Red Bull Racing	12th	2pts
8.	Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing	13th DNF	1pt

Robert Kubica would therefore be classified as ninth, having retired just before Sebastian Vettel.

Original article by BlogF1.

Malaysia 2009: BMW Lodge Diffuser Protest As Formality

Nico Rosberg went quickest, but he was closely followed by his team mate, Kazuki Nakajima; the pair only being separated by 0.045s. The Brawns had led the first 90 minute session, but in the final few laps, the Williams stole the top slots and denied Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello the leadership of the timing sheet.

The Brawns therefore finished in third and fourth and the Ferraris fifth and sixth. Felipe Massa got the better of team mate Kimi Raikkonen, the Finn’s lap being about 0.4s shy of Rosberg’s pace. Behind the Ferrari duo sits Lewis Hamilton, who unexpectedly found some speed in the MP4-24. Unfortunately, the second McLaren fared worse and Heikki Kovalainen could only manage seven laps before his car needed work doing to it.

Incidents happening in Malaysia this morning include a rather bizarre one involving Kimi Raikkonen. Apparently his KERS shorted out and this required the team to spend some time working on it. However, it is not entirely known if this caused Raikkonen’s cockpit extinguisher to be fired while Kimi was on the back straight. Autosport have reported both incidents, but any link between the two aren’t yet known to me.

A lot of drivers found themselves in the gravel or trundling over the grass, including Nelson Piquet, Lewis Hamilton, Felipe Massa, Timo Glock, Jarno Trulli, Robert Kubica, Sebastien Bourdais and Giancarlo Fisichella.

Malaysia 2009 Friday Free Practice One		Lap Time Fastest Time Set	Laps Set Number Laps Set
1.	Nico Rosberg Williams	1m36.260s	27 Laps
2.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	1m36.305s	25 Laps
3.	Jenson Button Brawn	1m36.430s	20 Laps
4.	Rubens Barrichello Brawn	1m36.487s	22 Laps
5.	Felipe Massa Ferrari	1m36.561s	21 Laps
6.	Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari	1m36.646s	18 Laps
7.	Lewis Hamilton McLaren	1m36.699s	16 Laps
8.	Mark Webber Red Bull Racing	1m36.703s	23 Laps
9.	Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing	1m36.747s	25 Laps
10.	Timo Glock Toyota	1m36.980s	27 Laps
11.	Jarno Trulli Toyota	1m36.982s	26 Laps
12.	Giancarlo Fisichella Force India	1m37.025s	20 Laps
13.	Robert Kubica BMW	1m37.039s	18 Laps
14.	Nelson Piquet Jr. Renault	1m37.199s	20 Laps
15.	Adrian Sutil Force India	1m37.241s	18 Laps
16.	Fernando Alonso Renault	1m37.395s	12 Laps
17.	Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m37.634s	22 Laps
18.	Nick Heidfeld BMW	1m37.640s	17 Laps
19.	Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m38.022s	19 Laps
20.	Heikki Kovalainen McLaren	1m38.483s	7 Laps

Original article by BlogF1.

Malaysia 2009: Friday Practice One

Rubens Barrichello confirmed the pace of the Brawn by going second, just a tenth off the Williams pace. Fellow Brawn pilot Jenson Button also impressed with a fifth quickest time and just 0.3s shy of Rosberg. Jarno Trulli also showed the speed in the Toyota by going third. In the first practice the Toyotas didn’t look overly quick, but Trulli did a good job and team mate Timo Glock also managed a sixth fastest time.

Mark Webber also improved considerably in the Red Bull, the Australian popping his car into fourth and stamping his authority over his younger team mate. Sebastian Vettel spun his Red Bull while trying to match Webber’s pace, and once again did not complete the session. Eighth fastest is still good going though, and despite his spin Vettel should be pleased that his car can mix it with the top contenders. Scuderia Toro Rosso failed to raise their game though, and once again the Sebastians languished towards the bottom. Bourdais finished in sixteenth, Buemi in twentieth and last.

Ferrari finished in tenth and eleventh, this time Felipe Massa getting the better of Kimi Raikkonen, and McLaren fared even worse with Heikki Kovalainen in seventeenth and Lewis Hamilton in eighteenth. Hamilton is reported to have been complaining about his MP4-24 bottoming out on the Albert Park circuit.

Australia 2009 Friday Free Practice Two		Lap Time Fastest Time Set	Laps Set Number Laps Set
1.	Nico Rosberg Williams	1m26.053s	36 Laps
2.	Rubens Barrichello Brawn	1m26.157s	38 Laps
3.	Jarno Trulli Toyota	1m26.350s	42 Laps
4.	Mark Webber Red Bull Racing	1m26.370s	30 Laps
5.	Jenson Button Brawn	1m26.374s	38 Laps
6.	Timo Glock Toyota	1m26.443s	42 Laps
7.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	1m26.560s	33 Laps
8.	Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing	1m26.740s	19 Laps
9.	Adrian Sutil Force India	1m27.040s	29 Laps
10.	Felipe Massa Ferrari	1m27.064s	35 Laps
11.	Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari	1m27.204s	32 Laps
12.	Fernando Alonso Renault	1m27.232s	28 Laps
13.	Giancarlo Fisichella Force India	1m27.282s	32 Laps
14.	Nick Heidfeld BMW	1m27.317s	34 Laps
15.	Robert Kubica BMW	1m27.398s	36 Laps
16.	Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m27.479s	36 Laps
17.	Heikki Kovalainen McLaren	1m27.802s	35 Laps
18.	Lewis Hamilton McLaren	1m27.813s	31 Laps
19.	Nelson Piquet Jr. Renault	1m27.828s	35 Laps
20.	Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m28.076s	33 Laps

Original article by BlogF1.

Australia 2009: Friday Practice Two

Not only was Rosberg’s Williams at the top of the tables, but team mate Kazuki Nakajima confirmed the pace by finishing in second, less than 0.1s slower. It would appear that the FW31 isn’t all that bad. The factory Toyota team failed to impress with Timo Glock in eighth and Jarno Trulli in twelfth.

The Ferraris ran well, and Kimi Raikkonen ended the morning session in third while Felipe Massa finished in seventh, although almost a second shy of the top three’s pace. Brawn delivered with Rubens Barrichello in fourth and Jenson Button in sixth, while McLaren managed fifth with Heikki Kovalainen, but a lowly sixteenth for Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton was about 1.5s off his team mate’s pace.

Adrian Sutil ran well for Force India, now utilising Mercedes-Benz power among other things. The German completed twenty laps en route to ninth and finishing ahead of Fernando Alonso’s Renault. Nelson Piquet had a fairly torrid session and couldn’t improve on eighteenth, despite being the second-busiest driver of the morning.

The Red Bull family perhaps showed the most disappointing form this form, with Sebastian Vettel stopping on track with a hydraulic problem. The German could only complete four laps and therefore his time was well off the pace. Team mate Mark Webber fared a little better, although seventeenth isn’t exactly where he would like to be. Sebastien Buemi completed the most laps and finished in fifteenth while Sebastien Bourdais ended the morning in nineteenth.

Australia 2009 Friday Free Practice One		Lap Time Fastest Time Set	Laps Set Number Laps Set
1.	Nico Rosberg Williams	1m26.687s	19 Laps
2.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	1m26.736s	21 Laps
3.	Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari	1m26.750s	24 Laps
4.	Rubens Barrichello Brawn	1m27.226s	21 Laps
5.	Heikki Kovalainen McLaren	1m27.453s	15 Laps
6.	Jenson Button Brawn	1m27.467s	12 Laps
7.	Felipe Massa Ferrari	1m27.642s	24 Laps
8.	Timo Glock Toyota	1m27.710s	24 Laps
9.	Adrian Sutil Force India	1m27.993s	20 Laps
10.	Fernando Alonso Renault	1m28.123s	16 Laps
11.	Nick Heidfeld BMW	1m28.137s	20 Laps
12.	Jarno Trulli Toyota	1m28.142s	21 Laps
13.	Robert Kubica BMW	1m28.511s	22 Laps
14.	Giancarlo Fisichella Force India	1m28.603s	16 Laps
15.	Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m28.785s	27 Laps
16.	Lewis Hamilton McLaren	1m29.042s	18 Laps
17.	Mark Webber Red Bull Racing	1m29.081s	7 Laps
18.	Nelson Piquet Jr. Renault	1m29.461s	25 Laps
19.	Sebastien Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso	1m29.499s	21 Laps
20.	Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing	1m32.784s	4 Laps

Original article by BlogF1.

Australia 2009: Friday Practice One

Well hopefully, a return to the successes of old; front row grid slots, competitive races, maybe a win or two. When the new car was first tested back in January, it didn’t look too bad. Dressed in it’s dark blue winter livery, the car was aesthetically pleasing, certainly much nicer than the BMW that had been charging around. The team were buoyed and spoke of the regulations shakeup being a boost for the squad. Since then though, as the other new cars made their way out on to the circuits, Williams have slipped backwards a little.

The FW31 has been developed over the winter though, and many parts have been changed as a result of testing. When the race livery was introduced in February, the car showed off skate-fins sprouting up from the side of the monocoque, just behind the driver’s head rest. Although these were quickly removed after the FIA said they could impede marshals in the event of an accident.

Williams retain their driver lineup from 2008, partnering Nico Rosberg with Toyota-friendly Kazuki Nakajima, and therefore needless to say, the Japanese engine remains in the car. Last year Kazuki did quite well in testing, managing a few quick laps and setting some wagging tongues in motion. However, while he did manage to improve throughout the course of the ‘08 season, he was generally outpaced by Rosberg.

Having been around for a while now in Formula One, Nico is starting to show signs of being restless. 2009 will be the German driver’s fourth year at the sharp end of international motor sport, and he has said on occasion that he will evaluate his future at the end of this campaign. Nico arrived at Williams full of hope, but so far the best season Rosberg had was back in 2007, when 20 points were accrued on the way to ninth in the championship. Clearly talented, Nico does deserve a better car than those he has peddled around, but any decision to leave Williams should be taken with a lot of thought and consideration.

From looking at Williams and Toyota, we can say that the RVX-08 engine is fairly reliable and relatively easy to drive. The problems that have dogged Williams in recent years is the chassis and the development of it through the season. With a ban on testing during the racing year, Williams will have a hard time addressing issues with their car if it doesn’t hit the ground running in Australia. Although it should be noted that at the final test in Jerez, when McLaren were said to have found some pace themselves, Nakajima managed a lap time 0.5s faster. A pinch of salt is gladly taken, but it could be that Williams may have improved their chances for this year.

From a personal note, I hope Williams can challenge towards the front of the grid. It was the Oxfordshire team that got me interested in the sport many moons ago, and the privateer nature of the squad in a sport where the manufacturers attempt to rule with limitless budgets is impressive. There was fear over the winter that Sir Frank’s team could be on the brink of folding. The team are surviving though, and the passion that flows from the factory to the car is visible.

Williams are the only squad to attempt to develop a battery-less KERS system (instead they are using a flywheel) and the team is well-known for the little innovative ideas that find their way onto the car. Williams prove that big budgets aren’t necessary when you have great minds at the factory. But for the sake of the squad’s future and the option to retain Rosberg, it needs to start coming together on Sunday afternoons.

Previous Honda Previews

• F12008 Williams Preview
• F12007 Williams Preview
• F12006 Williams Preview

Original article by BlogF1.

F12009: Williams Preview

Despite not setting the track alight on the first day of his final test, Heikki Kovalainen was buoyed by the improvements made to the McLaren MP4-24. Previously, team mate Lewis Hamilton appeared to struggle in the 79s bracket, encouraging the wagging of tongues up and down the pitlane as well as in the media. The problems that are apparently facing McLaren so late in the build up to the season is certainly the talking point of the moment.

By Thursday though, the squad had found something that worked on the modifications made to the car and the young Finn finally looked to be on top of the machine. Kovalainen lapped the Jerez circuit 85 times on Wednesday, and 84 times earlier today.

Kazuki Nakajima followed suit almost identically to his rival. Wednesday saw little in the way of pace, but by Thursday the Japanese driver was on top of his car, the Williams FW31, and Kazuki finished the day ahead of Kovalainen.

Without other teams on track it is still very hard to judge the pace of these two machines, and the improvement in times that both drivers saw may be very easily put down to improvements in track conditions more than anything else. They could both be lapping in the midfield, they could both be up there with Ferrari having found something great in the final two days. To put it simply, we just don’t know. At times, Williams and McLaren have looked strong, although in recent group tests, they have looked mediocre at best.

Jerez Test Day Four Results Table		Lap Time Fastest Time Set	Laps Set Number Laps Set
1.	Heikki Kovalainen McLaren	1m18.202s	85 Laps
2.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	1m20.023s	103 Laps
Jerez Test Day Five Results Table
1.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	1m17.494s	102 Laps
2.	Heikki Kovalainen McLaren	1m17.946s	84 Laps

Original article by BlogF1.

Jerez Test Days Four & Five: Kovalainen & Nakajima Share Fastest Laps

For the 2010 season, a cap of £30m will be placed on those teams who sign up to the proposal, which will for now remain voluntary. The £30m will include driver salaries, team personnel salaries including the team principal, and just about everything else. In fact, the best way to look at what the budget entails is to look at what isn’t included. Currently, fines imposed by the FIA will not be included. Anything provided free to the teams or at a subsidised rate will be audited and a value placed on it by the FIA. This will be included in the £30m budget. However, parts that are standardised (Bridgestone tyres for example) will not.

In order to entice teams to sign up for this, the FIA has said that certain benefits will be rewarded. These benefits look quite intriguing, and primarily concern the freedom of technical development. Because a budget cap will obviously mean that the competitive nature of those signed-up teams may suffer in comparison to those who may remain cap-free, the FIA will ensure that the teams who do cap their expendiature will remain equal.

In order to accomplish this, the FIA has said that the engine rev limit will be abolished, testing, material and wind tunnel usage limits will also be freed up. A standard but modified under body will be issued, as well as no homologation requirements and no restriction on the number or even type of updates. The development freeze on engines will also be lifted.

So what does this mean to the teams who may be thinking of signing up for this? Well, currently, the teams have unlimited budgets, but there are restrictions on what they can and cannot do, as outlined by the technical regulations. The engines for example, are set and cannot be improved upon, no matter how much money a team may have. However, should a squad choose to limit their budget, they could set aside a certain amount to develop and enhance their engine. This is obviously enticing to the manufacturers, who use their own power plants. Quite how this would work if Toyota remain cap-free, but Williams sign up is yet to be understood. Obviously, this also applies to any other team buying an engine from a competing manufacturer.

Another area that will really entice teams is the freeing up of the wind tunnels and testing. Already this year we have seen how the testing limit has impacted the development of the cars, with the weather playing havoc since January. Rain in Portugal and sand in Bahrain has meant that the first proper running didn’t happen until last week in Barcelona, just three weeks prior to the season start.

The budget cap is an interesting idea, and some teams have expressed a wish to see this through, Williams being just one who are all for it. However, as pointed out, there are complications as to exactly how it will work. Undoubtedly though, it is the easiest and quickest way to slash spending in the sport without the need to standardise many of the key components that make Formula One such a technical masterpiece for the world to enjoy, watch and follow.

What is your opinion on capping the budgets? Will it work? Will any team actually sign up for it? Will we end up in a Renault-type scenario (the engine freeze fiasco) where one of the capped teams starts complaining that they are falling behind in competitiveness because of the lack of ensuring all remains as equal as possible? The comments are open, so have you say below.

Original article by BlogF1.

The Future Of Formula One – Capping The Budgets

Very few people have the kind of impact on motor sport that Alessandro Zanardi has achieved. The charm of the Italian exudes from the pores as much as the sweat that tells the story of a hard fought race does. But Zanardi’s impact runs deeper than the usual tale of a gritty driver whose determination ultimately led to a near-death accident. Instead, it was the recovery and return to all that Alex loved that touched the souls of those who know of the moment Zanardi climbed inside a BMW Sauber C24-B and pointed to the sky.

That fateful day back in 2001 at the EuroSpeedway in Lausitz is far from the beginning of this man’s voyage into the hearts of motor sport fans, for Zanardi has previous with wooing the crowds, enjoying the time spent racing cars and passing this satisfaction on to all around with a smile and a wave. Alex’s story begins, for the sake of this article, in 1991; the commencement of his Formula One career.

Following a nigh-on perfect debut season in Formula 3000, where Zanardi won his first race and one other en route to second in the championship, Alex was invited to race in Formula One for the newly promoted Jordan team. Taking over Roberto Moreno’s seat at the Irish squad, Zanardi performed moderately well, finishing two of the three races he competed in, although failing to score any points.

For his second season at the top of the motor sporting ladder though, Zanardi had to settle for occasional drives at Minardi. The Italian combination of driver and car failed to qualify for two races, and for the one grand prix that Alex did manage to get into, only one lap was completed before the gear box gave up. As frustrating at it was, Zanardi persevered and hounded the team bosses up and down the pitlane for a chance to really prove himself. After such a fantastic debut in the feeder series to Formula One, it seemed as though Alex’s chances of progressing were being met with immovable obstacles.

A chance to test for Benetton in the winter of 1992 – 1993 did not generate a drive, and Zanardi’s only hope for the ‘93 campaign was with the struggling Lotus team. Partnered with Johnny Herbert, a driver who himself had overcome a serious leg injury, Zanardi would score just one point at the second round of the championship in Brazil. It was meant to be Zanardi’s first full season in Formula One, and a chance to show others what he could do with a car over the course of a year. Alex worked tirelessly at developing the team’s active suspension system and quickly became the life and soul of a team that was in financial trouble.

However, a full years racing it wasn’t. Zanardi crashed at the Belgian Grand Prix partway through the season and was withdrawn from the race. Heading through the Eau Rouge corner, Zanardi’s hydraulic shock absorbers leaked and sent the car into the barriers at high speed. The following Ayrton Senna followed Zanardi over to the right-hand barrier, although the Brazilian had more time to slow his McLaren and avoid impact. Zanardi spent the rest of the year recuperating from his accident.

Alex hoped for a return in 1994, but Pedro Lamy was sitting in Zanardi’s car, still substituting for the Italian. After the fourth round of the championship at Monaco, Lotus headed to Silverstone to test, and Lamy suffered a high speed accident and broke both his legs. Zanardi was called upon to reclaim his position at the squad.

Unfortunately, the Lotus team’s finances were getting worse and little money could be spent on developing the car. It was hopelessly unreliable and of the ten races Alex participated in, he could only get to the chequered flag on five occasions. By the end of the year, the team had gone into administration.

Being left high and dry, Alex took part in a few sports car races in 1995. But with little attention from Formula One, Alex looked to America to further his motor sport career, and although the move would prove to be very successful, it would also be in the CART series that Zanardi would come very close to dying. Right now though, we are still at the beginning of Alex’s career, and there was much success to be enjoyed first.

For 1996, Zanardi had managed to secure a drive with Chip Ganassi Racing. The team’s race engineer, Mo Nunn, had advised against signing an Italian driver, and although Zanardi was sometimes a little wild in the cockpit, the team had been convinced of the calming nature of Daniela, Alex’s wife and former boss from his Formula 3 days.

Friend of Alex and former Formula One driver Massimiliano Papis once said of the relationship:

He believed in racing with a lot of passion. Daniela believed in racing with a lot of rationality. She added reason to his passion. Massimiliano Papis.

Nunn’s fear of volatile Italian drivers was soon quelled. Zanardi had been reborn in the CART series. Alex took pole position in only his second race, the maiden win came at the ninth in Portland. This would be repeated in Ohio and at the final round in California, held at the Laguna Seca circuit.

It was while racing at Laguna Seca that year that Zanardi would go down in CART history. The Italian was running second behind Brian Herta as the pair climbed the hill towards the infamous Corkscrew corner. Very few people have attempted a pass at the Corkscrew; the track closes up and the corner is already tricky enough to get through on a regular racing line.

The word ‘never’ doesn’t seem to feature in Alex’s vocabulary though, and the Chip Ganassi pilot went for it. Ducking under Herta, Zanardi was going far too fast to make the sequence of corners. Instead, Alex straightened the wheel as best he could and braced himself. The car bumped over the grass and kerbs, narrowly missed the barrier and landed on the tarmac on the other side of the corner. Still in the lead, Alex continued to the chequered that was being waved that lap.

Perhaps unlike modern Formula One, Alex’s move was applauded. The win remained and to this day, it is simply called The Pass. Although in future seasons, such a move would be outlawed; the grass not being considered a part of the race track.

The following two years would bring Zanardi two CART titles from twelve individual victories. Alex’s popularity among the fans grew and the smile that always seemed to adorn Zanardi’s face almost became a trademark. Towards the end of 1998, Frank Williams got in contact with Alex and offered the Italian a drive in one his Formula One cars. Williams had recently had much success with Jacques Villeneuve, a former CART Indycar champion who had gone on to take 1997 Formula One title with Williams.

The chance to return to the sport he adored was too much, and Zanardi promptly signed a three year deal with Williams. Unfortunately, with the Williams team starting to decline in performance and a few errors on Alex’s own behalf led to difficult year. The FW21 was unreliable, and when it did work, Alex was often outpaced by his team mate, Ralf Schumacher. The relationship with the team started to sour and at the end of the year, Frank Williams signed Jenson Button as a replacement for Zanardi.

Alex took a year out of motor racing, choosing instead to spend time with his new family in Monaco. However, like many racing drivers, time spent out of the cockpit only made Zanardi restless, and soon enough he was plotting a return to CART. By this time, Mo Nunn had formed his own team, and the Briton signed Alex based on his previous form in ‘96, ‘97 and ‘98.

It wasn’t a great comeback though. Alex retired more times than he finished, and the best result he could achieve was fourth. Then, just as the performance of the car and driver started to gel, everything became very quickly unraveled.

On 15th September, 2001, Alex was competing in the hastily renamed American Memorial 500 race at the very fast EuroSpeedway in Lausitz, Germany. The race was retitled in honour of those who perished just four days earlier in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Little did anyone know at the time that motor sport was about to see it’s own horrific event. If the clocks were wound back just a few years, it is almost certain that Zanardi would have lost his life.

While leading the race from Patrick Carpentier and Alex Tagliani, Zanardi left the pitlane to rejoin the track. Leaning his Reynard car around to the left, hugging the inside line and preparing to rejoin the circuit closing in on his right, Alex was aware that second place driver Carpentier was closing in fast. Ever determined to improve himself though, Alex increasingly applied the throttle with his right foot. The car released its grip of the inside line and slipped over to the right. With increasing release, the car bumped over the shallow grass divider, designating what is pitlane, and what is full blown racing territory.

Alex’s Reynard joined the race track not under complete control. The car turned broad side on and Carpentier swerved violently to the top of the corner to avoid the much slower Zanardi. As Patrick darted out of the way, the ensuing accident suddenly became very, very clear to those watching. The movement of Carpentier’s Reynard allowed Alex Tagliani to be sighted. Tagliani was closely following Patrick, and his view of what was in front of him suddenly, violently, changed.

Instead of focusing on the rear wing a Forsythe car, Tagliani was now looking at a Mo Nunn liveried Reynard, broad side on, driver in cockpit and closing at a speed of around 200mph.

There was no time. There was little reaction. There was no point in even trying. Not even the quickest of the quick could have avoided it. Tagliani snapped the wheel to the left, and it undoubtedly helped experts would later say. But what happened was going to happen and would have always happened, no matter how many times you try and rewind time and replay the accident. There was nothing anybody could do.

Tagliani’s car struck Zanardi’s car between the front wheel and the mid-section. Tagliani continued forward. Alex’s Reynard was torn in two. His legs went one way, his upper body the other. The right leg was severed at the knee, the left at the thigh. Shrapnel flew around everywhere, the front of the car had disintegrated and spread over a wide area on the track.

The quick response of the marshals and medics, Terry Trammel included, saved Alex’s life. They stabalised him as best they could and rushed him to hospital. It took about 60 minutes from impact to arriving at Berlin, at which point doctors worked tirelessly to stem the bleeding and transfuse blood into Alex. The violence of the accident meant there was nothing that could have been done to rectify the damage. The initial surgery lasted for three hours. Zanardi lost both his legs and 75% of his blood.

One thing Zanardi never lost though, the most important thing, was his spirit. After coming out of the induced coma following his surgery, some say the first thing Alex did before anything else, was smile at his wife. Lying in a bed and suffering the kind of trauma that itself alone would kill the souls of most others, Alex smiled.

Determination, they say, is what keeps the world spinning. Perhaps it is love, perhaps it is money. But to some, it is determination that help one to achieve these two other things, so perhaps it is perseverance that keeps us all on terra-firma. If that is the case, I think it is safe to say that Zanardi could probably keep the world spinning all by himself.

• Just six weeks after his accident, Alex left the hospital that cared for him after the accident.
• Just eight weeks after his accident, Alex was driving a BMW with hand controls.

Zanardi was released from the hospital on 31st October, only six weeks after the crash, and within a fortnight he had learnt how to drive his BMW with hand controls. He was tooling along an Italian motorway when Max Papis called him on his mobile. ‘What are you doing?’ Papis asked. ‘About 240 kilometres an hour,’ Zanardi said. Zanardi The Brave, by William Nack – The Observer.

• Less than twelve months after his accident, Alex was walking on prosthetic limbs and joking with interviewers.
• Just twenty months after his accident, Alex returned to Germany and the EuroSpeedway to complete the lost laps of the race. Zanardi topped out at 195mph.
• Just twenty-four months after his accident, Zanardi was racing – yes, racing – in the European Touring Car Championship, piloting a modified BMW 320i.
• Just four years after his accident, Alex was invited to attend a test session with the Williams-BMW Formula One team, and to drive their car. Unfortunately, Alex forgot to confirm the appointment and the test didn’t happen.
• Just five years after his accident, Alex remembered to check his diary in the morning, and Formula One beckoned once again, this time with the BMW Sauber team.
• Just six years after his accident, and following a witty remark meant as a joke, Alex found himself competing in the New York marathon on a handbike. Zanardi finished in a more than respectable fourth in his category.

On that day in 2006, while sitting patiently inside the cockpit of a BMW C24-B, Alex pointed towards the sky, indicating to the engineers to start tapping away on their laptops. The engine was turned over and roared into life. As the Italian driver and Swiss car were beckoned forward from the confines of the garage into the open dangers of the pitlane, it was clear what was happening.

It wasn’t about the fact that a man with no legs was controlling one of the world’s most complex cars. It wasn’t about the fact that it was probably the greatest Formula One car Alex has ever driven. It wasn’t about results, or even performance.

It was about the smile that everyone knew was being spread from cheek to cheek inside the helmet that hid Alex’s face from view. Nobody saw it, but we all know it was there. Just as it was before, and just as it always will be.

Keep on smiling, Alex.

Recommended Reading

• The Observer Sport: Zanardi The Brave
• The Telegraph: Zanardi Puts Horror Behind Him With Win
• IHT Formula One: Zanardi Back On Track

Image © Allsport (Williams) and BMW AG.

Original article by BlogF1.

Keep On Smiling, Alex

Empii also pointed out in the comments yesterday that the nose of the car looks a little different as well. Previously, the front of the nose had been lower and broader, but in the photographs released on Thursday, the nose is a little slimmer and now much higher. The front wing has also had some work done to it. The end plates have been altered, as has the curvature of the bottom part of the wing.

Images © WilliamsF1.

Original article by BlogF1.

Williams Reveal Final 2009 Livery

The livery was actually leaked over a week ago when F1Today.nl showed a picture of the Williams parked up in a garage with a different colour scheme to the one being used on the test car. It is unknown when Williams were intending to unveil the new livery, but thanks to their own sponsor, it would appear to have been leaked a little earlier than planned.

Images © Williams/Allianz SE.

Original article by BlogF1.

Is This The 2009 Williams FW31 Livery?

Williams haven’t won a championship in many years, the last drivers title claimed by the private team being from Jacques Villeneuve in 1997. Since then, the once successful team has slowly slid down the grid as Frank Williams suffered problems with engines and finances. However, still managing to keep the outfit going, Williams and other co-owner Patrick Head will be hoping the new regulations will see them progress up the field as others face troubles of their own.

The team have invested in the future of Formula One by becoming part owners of a hybrid technology company, Automotive Hybrid Technology, which has since been renamed to incorporate Williams’s name and a move to the Grove factory has allowed the development of the only in-house KERS system to be built. With this advantage over the troubled Ferrari/Magneti-Marelli system (who also supply Scuderia Toro Rosso), it could be that Williams finally start to make inroads into the gap that separates them from the top of the grid.

Photos © WilliamsF1/LAT Photographic.

Original article by BlogF1.

Launches 2009: Williams Showcase The FW31

Scuderia Toro Rosso

STR had an incredible 2008 with both drivers scoring points and a maiden victory for Sebastian Vettel and the Red Bull family of teams. However, the young German has been promoted to the senior team, and Franz Tost is still yet to decide on a partner for the replacing Sebastien Buemi.

To be able to beat Red Bull Racing again will be a real challenge, and one I do not think they will achieve. Part of Scuderia Toro Rossos success last year was down to the luck of the draw, and while nothing can be taken away from the fine victory in Monza, the weather almost certainly helped Vettel claim pole and win. And it was those ten points that helped push STR above Red Bull in the final standings.

The team have signed a driver who they consider to be a real talent, although Sebastien Buemi only managed sixth in last years GP2 championship, having been beaten by other upcoming talents Lucas di Grassis, Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean. Buemi is however, a part of Red Bull’s junior driver programme and earned his place in the squad by putting in some sterling work during the post-season tests at Jerez and Barcelona. He will likely find things tough to begin with, especially as he will undoubtedly be compared to his predecessor Vettel. But hopefully Buemi can find his feet and should be able to score a few points here and there.

The second seat remains vacant at the time of writing this, and the team desire a driver who can bring funds with them. STR also want someone with experience to partner Buemi, and currently Takuma Sato and Sebastien Bourdais look favourite for the role. However, time is ticking on and the Australian Grand Prix is only 75 days away. Scuderia Toro Rosso had better make their minds up quickly.

On the car side of things, the team will likely pick up a few Red Bull Racing chassis, just as they did in 2008. However, unlike 2008, the team will need a car that complies with the technical regulations from the word go, as the current STR3 is essentially illegal now. This pressure on Red Bull Technology is not good, and last season the company didn’t start providing a new car to STR until the Monaco event in May. There has been no sign of an interim car from the Red Bull stable, implying that the company will have build twice as many chassis before the vehicles are shipped out to Melbourne.

Red Bull Racing

Speaking of Red Bull Racing, how embarrassing was their 2008 campaign!? Having been beaten by the junior team must be heartbreaking for the squad, but it did prove that the car was capable during adverse conditions. The ‘08 season was also a marked improvement over the previous year, with the gearbox lasting a little longer.

The team have decided to let David Coulthard retire and in his place comes the young Sebastian Vettel, already a race winner. Vettel should prove to be a real match for team mate Mark Webber, who last year had it fairly easy thanks to Coulthard’s bad luck, error of judgements and fragile car. I can see Sebastian outscoring Webber by the end of the season, which would not be helpful to the Australian. Also, Mark Webber is recovering from a broken leg following a cycling accident in Tasmania.

The lack of testing from Mark Webber shouldn’t hurt the team too much as they have Sebastian Vettel and Sebastien Buemi, who has driven the RB4 since the 2008 season closed. However, the lack of driving will hurt Webber, especially as the cars will handle differently this year.

I would love to say that Red Bull will improve and start chasing the front runner’s gearboxes, but I just cannot see it. The team started out so well, attracting big names like Adrian Newey, Ferrari and Renault. But recently the relentless push forward seems to have slowed. Perhaps the injection of youth from Vettel and the lack of distraction with a cut down in lavish parties will help focus Red Bull back on to the racing.

Williams

They celebrated last year, but it was only the numbers derived from the teams impressive history that were of any significance. On the track, the team did less well and as much as I hope every season that this will be the comeback year, I am finding myself continually disappointed. Williams managed a couple of podiums last year with some great drives by Nico Rosberg, and surprisingly, Kazuki Nakajima didn’t do too badly either, almost matching Rosberg for pace on more than one occasion.

However, being Formula One’s final true privately entered team must be taking its toll, and while that status is something Franck Williams and Patrick Head can be proud of, the bank balance is probably wishing for some manufacturer-sent funds. With the world economy falling off the cliff, many expected Williams to follow Honda and walk away. Fortunately for us, Frank Williams is too resiliant and the team have been toiling away trying to reclaim the glory that once made them great.

The squad were the first to show off a 2009-spec. car, allowing Jonathan Kennard the chance to blast up and down a runway in the interim FW31. The team’s KERS package is the only system to have been developed entirely in-house, although it should be noted that in order for Williams to achieve this feat that had to purchase shares in AHP, get them to move their headquarters to Williams’s at Grove in Oxfordshire, and since then AHP has been renamed WHPForce India
Force India are another team that are going to be hard to judge until the lights go out in Melbourne. Last season, while transitioning from Spyker, the Silverstone-based squad continually locked-out the back row, only on occasion venturing forward. To their credit though, Giancarlo Fisichella did manage a Q2 qualifying effort, once, and in adverse conditions they did look handy for a while. Unfortunately though, while Vijay Mallya has the funds, he doesn’t yet have the experience of Formula One. With a more hands-on approach this year though, that could very quickly change.

Passion though is running through the team once again. This is something that has been lacking since the day Eddie Jordan submitted an advert to the back pages of Autosport asking for buyers for his team*. Passion doesn’t necessarily bring results though, but a canny knack of doing business helps.
*Not strictly true.

The team have affiliated themselves with McLaren and by getting a complete package of engine, gear box and KERS, the car should work more smoothly. The technical support will benefit the team greatly and providing the chassis isn’t too bad, Force India could make some progress in 2009. They won’t be hunting down podiums, but an odd point here and there could be on the cards.

The only thing that really worries me about Force India’s progress are the drivers. Adrian Sutil can drive well, but he seems to have adopted the Jarno Trulli approach to races; he tends to fall asleep. At times, Sutil looks impressive. Other times, you wonder what he’s doing. Fisichella as well is perhaps fast approaching his retirement. The Italian’s experience will undoubtedly help the team, especially as they once again transition from one engine to another. And also, from one type of car to another. Unfortunately, Fisichella’s race pace is starting to look a little tired and I think come 2010, Force India need in place a clear direction for the future of their driver choices.

Given everything though, I still think Force India will be at the back for the majority of the season. Although, perhaps moving away from Ferrari engines will help Sutil in the pitlane; maybe the Ferraris of Massa and Raikkonen won’t be drawn so much to him!?

Honda

The team is currently in flux, so there is very little to be said in all honesty. Ross Brawn has continually stated that the employees at Brackley are still preparing the RA109, although not knowing if it is worth anything must be disconcerting for the team. The lack of an engine deal is also very worrying. Brawn has mentioned that it would take about six weeks to modify the car to fit an unfamiliar engine, which gives the squad until the end of the month to find a buyer and an engine partner.

If the team are saved and they manage to acquire a power plant, I would presume Jenson Button to be one of the drivers, although the second seat remains unknown. For someone completely knew it would be easy to extend Rubens Barrichello’s career by an extra year as they would want some kind of stability. However, if someone took over and wanted immediate change, Barrichello could very quickly find himself left in the wings.

Prior to Honda shelving the Formula One operation, the team had been hyping themselves up, suggesting the RA109 will be a very competitive car. This attitude reminds of the team when they were known as BAR, and each and every year the hype would begin in November, and come March, it would evaporate as the cars came home in paltry positions. Only once was the excitement warranted – 2004. Therefore, I am ignoring the words flowing from Button’s mouth about the car. If they are on the Melbourne grid, they will likely be close to the back due to complete lack of testing, unfamiliar engine and possibly no KERS. I can see reliability causing a problem, which will only be exacerbated as the team will not be allowed to test during the season.

Finale

So that wraps up the 2009 season predictions. To be honest, it is fairly standard as I don’t think too much will change from last year. Ferrari can only lose it, Renault, BMW and Toyota can only move forward and if they don’t, serious questions will be asked. Red Bull and Scuderia Toro Rosso will achieve natural order again, Williams will continue to break fan’s hearts and Force India will occasionally nibble the bottom points. If Honda make it, then a big hurray will sound.

I’m most likely going to be wrong on most of what I have said – my predictions are like that! But these two posts have allowed me to examine some areas of the teams a little closer and compare as best I can between them all. So that just leaves me to ask…

…do you agree?

Further Reading

2009 Championship Predictions: Part I

Original article by BlogF1.

2009 Championship Predictions: Part II

BMW and McLaren (and therefore Force India) are believed to be very much up-to-speed with their KERS system, the Swiss-German team even trying out some strategy work with it at the last test in December. However, Ferrari have admitted to being behind in their development phase as are Renault and Toyota. With Renault and Ferrari both being behind, the knock-on effect will be felt by Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso, who each use the French and Italian engines respectively.

The problem appears to stem from Magneti-Marelli, an Italian company that makes automotive electronic systems and is a subsidiary of Fiat and has also been involved in Formula One for many, many years. Ferrari have obviously chosen Magneti-Marelli to help with the development of their KERS, and the company is also working with Renault and Toyota. The Japanese giant has already stated that they are unlikely start the 2009 with a KERS system in place.

Ross Brawn mentioned to James Allen just before Christmas that teams failing to run KERS could be at a substantial disadvantage, despite the massive weight the system adds to the cars. Brawn is believed to have said that the teams may only activate the boost button after the car reaches 100km/h, which prevents drivers using it to get off the grid. However, in the run down to the first corner, it could be activated and allow some cars an advantage as they tussle to get a decent line into the corner while attempting to make up as many places as possible.

Williams are the only private team who are developing their own system in-house system, although the Oxfordshire-based team does have a minority share-holding in Automotive Hybrid Power Limited, renamed Williams Hybrid Power Limited after they moved headquarters to Williams’s Grove factory. WHP will have helped the development of the Williams KERS system, but despite this the team are still believed to be behind schedule.

Meanwhile, team chiefs at Maranello have said that they will make a decision in late-February as to what they intend to do at the start of the 2009 season with regards to KERS. It could be that some teams do not implement it until mid-season, but developing an integral and complex part without testing (in-season testing has now been banned) will be very difficult and could have disastrous consequences. Therefore, it is possible that some teams may not run KERS until 2010, possibly putting themselves at a distinct disadvantage for the ‘09 campaign.

Is 2009 going to be the year that McLaren finally take back the constructors title?

Original article by BlogF1.

KERS Is Causing A Stir

Buemi, who is substituting the recovering Mark Webber following his cycling accident, managed to pip Vettel by 0.3s, the German driver having a few offs throughout the day. Nick Heidfeld drove the BMW F1.08B fitted with slick tyres, while Robert Kubica continued to evaluate the F1.08K, the interim car fitted with KERS. Heidfeld ended the day 0.7s up on his team mate. Interestingly, BMW were testing different strategies with their KERS device, implying that the system is almost ready for use.

After the delay in the morning the weather was nearly perfect, so overall it was a good day for me. I did short as well as long runs to compare tyre wear. At the end of the session I did some race start simulations, as this is also an area where we have to adjust to the slick tyres. Nick Heidfeld.

Kazuki Nakajima continued testing Williams’s interim car, fitted with the new front and rear wings as well as having clean bodywork and slick tyres.

Kazuki was on duty today and took over from where Nico Hulkenberg left off yesterday, continuing with tyre testing and general set-up work. We lost a small amount of track time this morning due to the icy weather, but the car has been running well and we’ve had no other problems. Kazuki will continue in the car tomorrow for our last day of testing this year. Dickie Stanford, Test Team Manager.

Williams also made other news today with a rumour that suggests the squad will be dropping their test team from January 1st, instead using the race team at test sessions. Tomorrow could be Dickie Stanford’s last day with the crew who attend the tests throughout the off-season. This news does make sense now that in-season testing has been banned. The only time a team will be able to run a car for part or driver-evaluating purposes is over the winter, or during Friday’s free practices at the grands prix.

Jerez Test Day Two Results Table		Lap Time Fastest Time Set	Laps Set Number Laps Set
1.	Sebastien Buemi Red Bull Racing	1m17.029s	83 Laps
2.	Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing	1m17.319s	83 Laps
3.	Nick Heidfeld BMW	1m19.303s	85 Laps
4.	Robert Kubica BMW	1m20.006s	61 Laps
5.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	1m20.332s	105 Laps
Algarve Test Day Two Results Table
1.	Pedro De La Rosa McLaren	1m30.080s	68 Laps
2.	Luca Badoer Ferrari	1m31.320s	71 Laps
3.	Marc Gene Ferrari	1m33.076s	51 Laps

Original article by BlogF1.

Jerez & Algarve Tests Day Two: Buemi Continues At Top Of Tables

Williams became the first team to publicly run a 2009-spec. rear wing earlier in the season at a test in Barcelona. It is expected that many teams will be testing new parts at the upcoming test in Spain later this month. The test at Kemble was just a shakedown and allowed Kennard to try out a Formula One car for the very first time. Although limited to straight runs, the idea of a shakedown is to simply check all the systems are working as they should do.

It has been a good day today and great to be able to drive the new-spec Formula One car for the first time. I would like to extend my thanks to Sir Frank (Williams) and the team for the opportunity. I enjoyed working through the test programme and assisting the team with their preparations for the 2009 season. Jonathan Kennard.

The jury is still out on whether or not the 2009 cars will be as pretty as recent models, as is the jury for whether or not they will actually prove to help overtaking in Formula One. 2008 saw some some great racing, and if wasn’t for the constant interruptions of the stewards at times when perhaps it wasn’t necessary, we would have seen some awesome racing (Italy springs to mind). However, we really won’t know about any improvements to the racing until the Australian Grand Prix commences in 135 days.

Original article by BlogF1.

Williams Run 2009-Specification Aero Package

It all started so well with Nico Rosberg taking a podium in Melbourne with an encouraging third place. From seventh on the grid the Williams FW30 looked pretty nimble without traction control and in the maturing hands of Rosberg, pundits up and down the pitlane took note of the new car’s performance. The following weekend though, the team had perhaps shown the truer pace, with Rosberg barely getting into Q2 and team mate Kazuki Nakajima failing to get out of Q1, qualifying in sixteenth before having a ten grid-slot penalty applied, sending the rookie to the very back.

Bahrain went better though, and Nico managed eighth on the grid and race, while Kazuki continued to lap a few tenths back. Despite claiming one point from the race and one fourteenth place, the reliability of the FW30 had been flawless, with six finishes from the six individual performances. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t last and at Circuit de Catalunya for the Spanish Grand Prix, Rosberg chalked up the team’s first non-finish of the campaign. The consolation prize though was a confidence-boosting seventh for Nakajima.

In Turkey, the roles were reversed and Nakajima suffered a non-finish while Rosberg collected a point for the team. And in Monaco, once again the fortunes of the team mates swapped as Rosberg had a fairly sizeable impact with the barrier during a saturated grand prix. To his credit though, Nakjaima raced well in the tricky conditions and the Japanese driver brought his car home in seventh, repeating his efforts from Spain the month previous.

So the start of the season for Williams was very up and down. The car, it seemed, had pace and could finish in the lower end of the points fairly regularly. Nico Rosberg was driving quite well and Kazuki Nakajima was surprisingly mature at times when it really mattered. Everything looked good for a decent year of racing from the privateer squad – morale was high in the Grove camp.

Williams had scored 15 points from the first six races, visited the podium once and got one car through to Q3 on three times. It wasn’t to last though, and soon it became clear that the difference between the well funded Toyota team and their customer became all too clear. In 2007, Williams embarrassed their engine supplier by finishing ahead of them in the championship, 33 points to a measly 13. By the end of the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix, Williams had 15 to Toyota’s 10. It was about to unravel itself though…

In Canada, Rosberg put in his best qualifying effort of all season, landing fifth place on the grid for the race. His race started well and Rosberg was looking pretty mighty. With desperately unfortunate luck though, the German pilot followed Lewis Hamilton into the pile-up that ensued at the end of the pitlane during a safety car period. The incident ended Hamilton’s and innocent victim Kimi Raikkonen’s race, but Rosberg was able to keep his car running, although with a damaged front wing. An extra stop the following lap to have the damaged part replaced, Rosberg was no longer in any kind contention for points, and team mate Nakajima suffered a similar fate after clouting the back of a Honda.

The French Grand Prix was a disaster, the British event better. In fact, the British Grand Prix went so well for the team it was their second best result of the year, their third overall. And eighth and ninth place finish signalled a slight improvement, but the weather almost certainly played a small part in this result.

Rosberg managed a point around the Valencia port, and despite showing great speed in the tricky conditions experienced at Monaco and Silverstone, the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix were raced with little result. Rosberg equalled his best qualifying effort of the campaign in Italy, but could only claim fourteenth by the time the chequered flag fell.

In Singapore, Rosberg demonstrated his maturity and for the final time this season the German driver stepped onto the podium. This time Rosberg was celebrating second, and Nakajima with an eighth place finish. Not only was it a good result on the Sunday, but for the first time this year, both drivers had managed to get into the third qualifying phase.

After that great result though, Williams just blended into the background, Rosberg taking 11th, 15th and 12th in the final trio of races, Nakajima fairing no better with 15th, 12th, 17th. By the end of the final race, Williams had collected just 10 points since the Monaco race.

A total haul of 26 points for the team puts them down on their 2007 tally (33), but the improved competitiveness of the field meant it was harder for all the teams to score massive points. Ferrari won the constructors title again, but they were 32 points down on their ‘07 total.

Rosberg’s two podiums were great, and to see Nakajima develop as the season progressed was fantastic to witness. On the whole, both drivers did well this year, and at times you could see the frustration of having a car simply not capable of challenging those ahead of them. Part of the problem for the FW30 was the fact that Williams have concentrated their efforts on 2009 very early, thus slowing development of the ‘08 car.

Having both drivers continue to next season though will be good for Frank and Patrick’s squad, and they really are ahead on developing many vital parts for next season, then hopefully they will be able to maintain development throughout the season and enjoy podium visits on a more regular basis.

Williams 2008 Championship Results	Nico Rosberg (Grid) Race	Kazuki Nakajima (Grid) Race
Australian Grand Prix Albert Park	(7) 3	(14) 6
Malaysian Grand Prix Sepang	(16) 14	(22) 17
Bahrain Grand Prix Sakhir	(8) 8	(16) 14
Spanish Grand Prix Circuit de Catalunya	(15) RET	(12) 7
Turkish Grand Prix Istanbul Park	(11) 8	(16) RET
Monaco Grand Prix Monte Carlo	(6) RET	(14) 7
Canadian Grand Prix Circuit Gilles Villeneuve	(5) 10	(12) RET
French Grand Prix Magny Cours	(20) 16	(15) 15
British Grand Prix Silverstone	(18) 9	(15) 8
German Grand Prix Hockenheim	(13) 10	(16) 14
Hungarian Grand Prix Hungaroring	(14) 14	(16) 13
European Grand Prix Valencia	(9) 8	(11) 15
Belgian Grand Prix Spa Francorchamps	(15) 12	(19) 14
Italian Grand Prix Monza	(5) 14	(18) 12
Singapore Grand Prix Singapore	(8) 2	(10) 8
Japanese Grand Prix Fuji Speedway	(15) 11	(14) 15
Chinese Grand Prix Shanghai	(14) 15	(17) 12
Brazilian Grand Prix Interlagos	(18) 12	(16) 17
Driver’s Championship Position	(17pts) 13th	(9pts) 15th
Constructor’s Championship Position	(26pts) 8th

Recommended Reading

• F12008: Williams Preview
• Williams Have Two Causes For Celebration
• Williams Celebrate Being 500 Races Young
• Kazuki Nakajima Stays At Williams For 2009

Original article by BlogF1.

F12008: An Up & Down Season For Williams

Coulthard has competed in 246 races, making 245 starts in 14 years, has managed 12 pole positions, 13 wins and 535 points, making him the highest points scorers among the British competitors. Coulthard said that had been able to finish the race, he would have performed some donuts, despite the risk of being fined by the FIA. Alas, the Scot’s race came to an early end. We should however see and hear David next season as he is supposedly going to be involved in the BBC broadcasting team.

If I had qualified a bit higher up the grid away from the maybe it would have helped. But no, I took a cautious approach into Turn One, left plenty of room for the car on the inside and then unfortunately Rosberg hit me in Turn Two and spun me around. Then Nakajima and I finished off our crashing love affair, and he took off my front corner.

I felt good in the warm-up laps going to the grid, I had no problem driving in the wet. I wanted to get to the chequered flag and I was going to do some doughnuts for the crowd. But it didn’t work out.

I still can’t complain, I’ve had a good career and thank you to everyone who supported me over the years. David Coulthard.

Farewell Coulthard, hope to see you next year.

Original article by BlogF1.

David Coulthard Retires From Formula One

In his 2007 GP2 season, Kazuki Nakajima made a bit of a name for himself, although it was a name based on hit-and-miss results. However, at the age of 22, Nakajima was asked by Williams to step-up to the plate and take over from Alex Wurz in the final round of the 2007 championship in Brazil. This he did, and despite knocking over a mechanic in his very first Formula One pitstop, Kazuki did quite well.

2008 has seen the young driver mature some more, and until team mate Nico Rosberg claimed his second podium of the year in Singapore, the pair were on nine points each. Considering Rosberg has more experience with the sport and the team, and is often said to be something special, that says a lot about Nakajima. Both drivers are also equal on retirements, each having their race end early on two occasions.

Nico Rosberg continues to be one of the most capable drivers in the sport. Kazuki is getting stronger all the time and has more to offer and Nico Hulkenberg is developing well. Frank Williams.

Combining the final race positions of each driver during the 2008 season thus far, we can see that Rosberg has a total of 128, which averaged out into the 13 races he has finished means Nico tends to finish around the 9.8 position. For Nakajima, his total thus far is 150, which averages out to 11.5. Considering the difference in experience, I think Nakajima has done well this year and deserves another chance in the car. Here’s hoping Williams can build a blinder.

Original article by BlogF1.

Kazuki Nakajima Stays At Williams For 2009

Original article by BlogF1.

Caption Contest: #58

As with Rubens Barrichello earlier in the year, there is some question marks over the actual 500th race; the team’s Wikipedia entry states that Williams have started 512 races, while many paddock insiders say that today’s charge around Monza is the fifth-century for the squad. Either way, Williams is not normally a celebratory man unless his car has won, so ultimately, it doesn’t matter too much. What does matter is that Williams have been around for a long time, and of the current grid only Ferrari and McLaren have competed in more grands prix.

From humble beginnings in 1977, Williams Grand Prix Engineering Ltd came about after two failed attempts at Formula One. However, for his third attempt Frank hired young designer Patrick Head and thus the famous relationship was formed. Their time competing in motor sport’s pinnacle series has seen great success and tragedy. It only took Williams 37 attempts before winning; Clay Regazzoni was victorious the 1979 British Grand Prix. But equally so, the events of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix will be permanently etched in Frank and Patrick’s minds for different reasons.

Williams topped the constructors championship in 1980 and 1981, taking another two in 1986 and 1987. By 1992, Williams had moved into new territory of domination by combining the Adrian Newey designed FW14 with the Renault V10 engine. The 1992, 1993 and 1994 titles all fell Williams’s way, and after a second place in 1995, they bounced back with the 1996 and 1997 championships.

Few teams have won so much in such a short time, making Williams one of the most successful teams in Formula One’s 59 year history. Team Willy have claimed an average of 4.88 points per race, only beaten by Ferrari on 5.17 and McLaren on 5.10. Nine constructors trophies and seven drivers titles have been won by the private team, and although they haven’t won a race since the last round of the 2004 championship, their loyal fan base refuse to lose their enthusiasm.

To sum up, Williams have achieved an awful lot in the last 30 years and 500 or so races. 113 victories, 125 pole positions, 128 fastest laps and 2,554.5 points. 9 constructors and 7 drivers titles, 50,000+ laps and three sons of former Formula One drivers have raced for the team (Hill, Villeneuve and Rosberg).

Here’s to the next 500…

Original article by BlogF1.

Williams: 500 Races Young