Rosberg future's speculation

Nico Rosberg was still giving nothing away as speculation once again reared its head on Wednesday about his future in Formula One.

With it already rumoured that he is McLaren engine partner Mercedes' preferred choice for 2010, the British team's boss Martin Whitmarsh on Wednesday acknowledged that Lewis Hamilton's current teammate Heikki Kovalainen needs to up his game.

We revealed some time ago that an option for the 2010 season on Finn Kovalainen's contract would expire at the end of July. It has now emerged that McLaren indeed did not automatically extend its deal with the 27-year-old.

When faced with the lingering talk about his future this week, German Rosberg, who currently drives for Williams, said only: "Everything is a question of the right timing."

Kubica - "I knew BMW withdraw on internet"

Race drivers Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld were not informed of BMW's decision to withdraw from Formula One at the end of the season by the team's management, they told the media at Valencia on Thursday.

"I woke up in the morning, did some running, opened the internet and then saw it," said Kubica, who is being linked with a move to Renault for 2010. "Then I received an email with the decision."

Kubica said he is not bothered about not receiving a phone call about the news. "I'm just a small piece of this paddock. One small tool of the team," he insisted.

The 24-year-old gave nothing away when asked by reporters about the possible identity of his future employer.

"I'm confident to find the right place to be next year," said Kubica. "It's difficult to know which team it will be."

His teammate Nick Heidfeld meanwhile revealed that he heard the news about BMW's withdrawal not from team boss Mario Theissen, but from press officer Heike Hientzsch.

Alonso - "Piquet sack by human factor"

Fernando Alonso is of the opinion that difficult interpersonal relationships between former teammate Nelson Piquet and Renault team management contributed and eventually led to the young Brazilian's sacking.

Following the Hungarian Grand Prix last month, Nelson Piquet was advised by Renault that his services were no longer required after a season and a half spent racing with the team he joined as a Formula One rookie.

The ensuing statements from the Brazilian were very critical of Renault boss Flavio Briatore – also his current manager – whom he accused of holding double standards between the team's drivers. He also blasted the Italian for having done little to help his F1 career, with Piquet saying he considered Briatore as his 'executioner.'

At the drivers' press conference held in the Valencia paddock media centre on Thursday, Fernando Alonso gave his opinion on the matter: "Obviously something went wrong with him, with the team or whatever.

"Technically speaking, I think we always had the same car; this has to be clear," insisted the double World Champion. "But maybe on the other side, on the human side (...) he was maybe never very happy with the team or whatever, so it was difficult."

Alonso reminisced on his own experience when, after a maiden year racing with Minardi and another year spent test-driving for Renault, he was offered a race seat with the team.

"I also remember my time in 2003-4 with the team," he related. "It was not so easy when you arrive in Formula One and being a hundred percent confident and happy with the team, so I think this was one of the problems with Nelsinho unfortunately."

The Spaniard had good words to say regarding his now-former teammate: "I think that I always had a good relationship with Nelson. I consider him to be a very good driver and a very nice person. I'm sure he will have more opportunities in Formula One because I really think he has the talent."

As for Romain Grosjean, the Renault reserve driver who will become a Grand Prix racer this weekend at the controls of the second R29, Alonso pointed out that the Frenchman holds "a big opportunity to consolidate his Formula One career."

Alonso added: "I hope the best for Nelsinho as I said and I also hope the best for Romain to do well."

Button high hopes in Valencia

Speaking at the FIA drivers' press conference held in the Valencia paddock on Thursday, championship leader Jenson Button advised that his team is fairly certain of having pinpointed the Brawn BGP 001's weak spot.

"We think we know where we went wrong," he said. "We think we know a hundred percent where we've gone wrong but until you get on to the circuit and test it you never know."

Over the course of three races, the Brawn GP car has lost the dominant edge it previously held over its rivals as problems reportedly related to the car's difficulty in bringing the tyres up to their prime operating temperature have seen both Button and teammate Rubens Barrichello lose points to the competition.

Problems arose following updates, and Button revealed that team engineers have considered reverting back to previous configurations as they work on new solutions.

"I think we understand the car much better than we did one or two races ago," he said. "It looks positive and we have got to hope when we get onto the circuit tomorrow that it feels positive and it is not just what we see in the data.

"We can be strong again," Button insisted. "This car is not bad. I think that we have just maybe gone slightly in the wrong direction. But we will pick up our pace for sure."

With seven races remaing on the 2009 calendar - including this weekend's European Grand Prix - Button still holds an 18.5-point lead over his closest rival.

However the Brawn driver is very much aware that Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel have scored at least twice the amount of points he has over the last three events.

Since the British Grand Prix, Button has collected nine points while Webber claimed 24 and Vettel 18 despite retiring once.

"We can't finish off of the podium," Button stated. "We need to be on the podium as often as possible but it is very, very competitive now. You haven't just got the Red Bulls who are strong. You have got the McLarens, the Ferraris, the Renaults and even the Williams has been competitive. Nico (Rosberg) has finished in front of me the last three races, so we need to get back on top of it.

"I have got an 18.5-point lead but that could disappear very quickly," the Briton continued. "We are not going to get too worried, we are just going to stay positive and work out our issues as we do have an advantage.

"18.5 points is quite a bit but we need to make sure that we go into this race and we have a positive attitude and hope that we can get back to the front again," Button added.

The Championship fight is back on Valencia track

Formula One's month-long summer hiatus is over, and the circus has arrived in Valencia for the European Grand Prix weekend while drivers contemplate their objectives.

Jenson Button has lost some ground over the last three races, his Brawn BGP 001 failing to deliver as well as the charging Red Bull drivers. Although Button succeeded in taking points, over the same period Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel have scored double or more.

The series leader still enjoys a 19.5-point advantage on his closest rival, Webber, who is himself in a close fight with teammate Vettel and the Brawn outfit's other driver, Rubens Barrichello.

However the competition is gearing up, as was seen at the Hungarian Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso started from pole, Lewis Hamilton won the race and Kimi Raikkonen came in second. Any points the other drivers and teams take away from the Brawn and Red Bull racers will only make the job harder for the championship contenders.

The Valencia street circuit's many corners will be a challenge as brakes are highly solicited and have little time to cool down, while rear tyre wear might become an issue as drivers accelerate away from the 25 curves the venue features. Both items need to be watched closely over the 57 laps upon the 5.4km track.

Despite the many corners there are a few opportunities to speed above 300kph as the cars race by the coastal city's beautiful marina; engines are therefore required to switch often between high-powered sections and low-speed curves. Although there is more track space and run-off areas than Monaco, Valencia is nonetheless a concrete-walled street circuit where the margin of error remains low.

However, having inaugurated the stylish track last season, this time the teams will benefit from advance knowledge of the challenges which lie ahead this weekend on the streets of the Spanish city.

Fernando Alonso will benefit from a home crowd greatly cheering him on while Valencia sees the F1 debut of his new Renault teammate, Romain Grosjean. Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari takes on his second race with the team, but a first Formula One race before his compatriots.

Replacing the recovering Felipe Massa until further notice, Ferrari test and reserve driver Luca Badoer returns to active Grand Prix racing this weekend, a decade after his previous participation at the wheel of a Minardi.

1. Jenson Button - Brawn Mercedes BGP 001
"It's going to be great to get back racing again after the summer break and everyone at the team is looking forward to Valencia. (The) track is quite fun when it goes round the edge of the marina and over the bridge. It's quite challenging for the drivers with so many turns and the added factor of being surrounded by barriers means you have to maintain your concentration. With the cars at the front being so close at the moment, it will be an interesting weekend."

2. Mark Webber - Red Bull Renault RB5
"I didn't really feel the need for the break after Hungary, but I reckon I'll feel the benefit when we come to the final three races of this season."

3. Sebastien Vettel - Red Bull Renault RB5
"It's been the usual F1 cliché of 'relaxing and training.' I can't wait to get back to work in Valencia, where I came sixth last year – it's a fun track to drive, much quicker than a normal street circuit like Monaco or Singapore."

4. Rubens Barrichello - Brawn Mercedes BGP 001
"Valencia is a cool city and proved to be a great venue for the European Grand Prix last season. The challenge of a new circuit is always exciting and even more so this year as we should be in a much better position to challenge for a good result this time. The first part of the lap is quick with the long pit straight followed by a curved right-hander before the slower section leading up to the bridge over the marina and then you're down onto another curved straight.

"The second half of the lap feels more like a street circuit as you head away from the water and the third long straight ends with a tight hairpin at Turn 17 which is the best overtaking opportunity. The final part of the lap is quite fast with some sweeping corners before the tight left-hander which takes you back out onto the pit straight. It's a very different type of circuit to the classic image of a street track such as Monaco."

5. Nico Rosberg - Williams Toyota FW31
"This will only be our second trip to Valencia and I'm looking forward to going back as the organisers have built a really good track. Unlike what you would normally expect from a street circuit, Valencia has a lot of corners but they aren't tight and twisty, but quite fast and flowing so the whole lap is quite quick. Combined with the temperatures, it can be a demanding race, but I'm prepared."

6. Jarno Trulli - Toyota TF109
"Unlike somewhere like Monaco, Valencia is actually very fast for a street circuit so that should suit our car pretty well. In fact, it doesn't really feel much like a street circuit at all because it is so much faster than other city tracks. We were in the top six last year in Valencia and that is my target this season. The Valencia track has a different character so it's difficult to predict at this stage but my target is to score as many points as possible."

8. Lewis Hamilton - McLaren Mercedes MP4-24
"It's great to be getting back to business after the four-week break. I'm still buzzing from the win in Hungary and I'm hopeful of being able to carry that pace into the Valencia weekend – particularly with our new upgrades to the car. It's a very demanding circuit, the kind of place that punishes any mistakes hard. It's quite tight and relatively slow, so it should suit our package. It's also very difficult to overtake, as we discovered last year – but, with our KERS, Mercedes-Benz has proved that anything can happen and I'm once again hoping that it will provide the difference in the race."

9. Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari F60
"We got a good result in Hungary, which allowed us to climb back on the third place in the Constructors' Championship. This is the team's realistic goal for the final part of the season. For myself I hope to win at least one race, after a third place in Monaco and a second at Budapest.
We're racing on a city circuit at Valencia, but with very different characteristics. Last year I didn't end the race at Valencia, caused by an engine failure. So this year I want to return and maybe even gain a place on the podium. This is our realistic goal, although we know that it will be difficult. The qualifying will be fundamental."

10. Timo Glock - Toyota TF109
"I really enjoy street circuits and I generally perform very well on them. We know from last year that overtaking is very difficult on this track so qualifying will be particularly important, which is a similar situation to the previous race in Hungary. After finishing in the top six from 13th on the grid in Budapest, my goal this weekend is to start as high as possible and give myself the best chance for a good result in the race."

11. Fernando Alonso - Renault R29
"Our performance in Hungary was encouraging as the car was quick and we managed to get pole, which was actually a bit of a surprise. To retire from the race was disappointing, but I'm looking on the bright side because I think that the car can be just as competitive in Valencia. Racing at home is always special and Valencia is a beautiful city and a great place to have a race. I've always enjoyed racing on street circuits as they have a special atmosphere and the whole city gets involved in the race. Also, as it's a home race for me I know that there will be amazing support from the fans and I really want to reward them with a good result. As I've said, I would love to fight for the podium, but the main priority is to score points this weekend."

12. Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren Mercedes MP4-24
"We've now got a car that's much easier to drive on the limit, and which really rewards your input. So I'm really looking forward to the European Grand Prix, which, while it won't suit us as strongly as the Hungaroring, should be another strong opportunity for us to score some more points. I think there's a lot of potential for the remaining races."

13. Nick Heidfeld - BMW Sauber F1.09
"Valencia is a street circuit, but it doesn't drive like one. In fact it's just like one of the modern race tracks. You're not right up against the buildings, there isn't the tightness you usually get at street circuits, but there are run-off areas. I'm excited to find out what effect the latest modifications will have on our car."

15. Robert Kubica - BMW Sauber F1.09
"I really enjoyed the Valencia circuit a lot. I like the character of stop-and-go tracks. In Valencia you have a lot of long straights followed by narrow corners and long straights again. That means a lot of heavy braking. It was very hot there last year as the track is between concrete walls and there is not a lot of air. These conditions are very tough for the car's cooling. Last year I performed quite well in Valencia."

*. Kazuki Nakajima - Williams Toyota FW31
"I've spent lots of time on our simulator preparing for Valencia over the course of the year so feel I know the circuit quite well. It's not a typical street circuit, but you have to be really careful around the lap as there are no run off areas. I think the biggest challenges over the weekend are grip levels as it was quite green when we arrived last year, as well as cockpit temperatures."

*. Adrian Sutil - Force India Mercedes VJM02
"To be honest, Valencia isn't one of my favourites. It's a street circuit but it doesn't feel like it as the roads are so wide and it's really just fast straights into a hairpin, accelerate out and then another hairpin so you don't get the adrenaline you would at Monaco. This year it could be quite good for us though as we have a big new upgrade. Every upgrade we've introduced so far this year has really made a difference so I have a lot of confidence that this will move us forward as well. The car is getting better and better to drive and with another upgrade I hope we will really be in the midfield now and in the hunt for points."

*. Giancarlo Fisichella - Force India Mercedes VJM02
"The Hungarian Grand Prix was quite a tough race but I was able to have a good, quick middle stint and fight with Kubica and Barrichello, so I hope I will be able to do the same, if not more, in Valencia. Last year it was quite a good race for me, one of my best, as we were genuinely fighting for positions. I quite like the track. We also have a new upgrade for this race, the same step as we had in Silverstone, so I hope we can have a good race and score some points."

*. Romain Grosjan - Renault R29
"My goal has always been to become a Formula One driver and to do that with a French team makes it even more special. There is maybe a bit more attention because people have been waiting for a French driver in a Renault, but I will do my best to show that they were right to believe in me. I've only driven the R29 in straight-line testing so my first race will be a learning experience. It's difficult to set myself an objective so my first priority will be to get comfortable with the car, build my confidence over the weekend and do the best job I can for the team."

*. Luca Badoer - Ferrari F60
"I am very motivated to make the most of this opportunity, even if I know I am facing a tough challenge. It will effectively be a test session for me, but I will be trying my best to secure a good result. I have to say, my first thoughts when I take to the track will be for Felipe, because I got a real fright when I saw his accident. I am delighted that he is making a good recovery and I hope he will be back racing as soon as possible. I repeat how grateful I am to Luca di Montezemolo and Stefano Domenicali for giving me the chance to make my childhood dream come true."

* No championship points yet scored.

Hamilton also ready to quit F1

F1's reigning World Champion has joined other drivers and eight current Formula One teams in threatening to quit the FIA World Championship at the end of the season.

Outspoken 2005 and 2006 drivers' title winner Fernando Alonso has been widely quoted as saying he would "prefer to race in any other category before the new F1" if Max Mosley's budget cap is imposed in 2010.

His comments followed a meeting between the drivers of the FOTA-affiliated teams and officials of the alliance prior to Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix.

Afterwards, Toyota's Jarno Trulli was nominated the drivers' spokesman on the issue, and experienced competitors including Nick Heidfeld, Mark Webber and Felipe Massa similarly fully backed the stance of the Formula One Teams Association.

"All the FOTA drivers are with FOTA in the future," said Red Bull's Webber.

Ferrari's Massa added: "If F1 is not possible because it is not F1 any more, then we will go to another championship."

2008 champion Lewis Hamilton is usually guarded when it comes to political matters, but on Monday he said he would not split with his FOTA member team McLaren Mercedes, even if a breakaway championship is established.

"I am under contract at my team and will go wherever they go. That's the way it is. That applies for all drivers," the Briton told Deutsche Presse Agentur in Stuttgart.

Alonso ready to race elsewhere

Double World Champion Fernando Alonso has no qualms about quitting Formula One if FIA President Max Mosley's controversial 45 million (US$ 62m) budget cap deal is implemented next year.

The Spaniard is squarely siding with the Formula One Teams Association in their belief that the sport will be severely diluted if an agreement is not reached between the eight opposing teams and the FIA.

"I would prefer to race in any category before the new F1," Alonso was quoted as declaring by the Daily Record.

"The teams have done their maximum," he said, referring to the cost-cutting proposals presented to Mosley by the FOTA teams, which span a three-year period instead of implementing drastic cuts coming into effect within a few months.

The Renault driver claimed that teams cannot "suddenly move" from 500m budgets to 45m, even if certain salaries and marketing expenses are not affected by the Mosley plan.

The Renault, Ferrari, Toyota, McLaren, Brawn, BMW, Red Bull and Toro Rosso teams filed their entries for the 2010 season under the condition that an agreement be reached with Mosley by June 12th, the date upon which the FIA will be publishing the entry list for next year's championship.
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However, the FOTA members also demanded that their entry forms be handled as a whole, meaning they should all be accepted - or rejected - by Mosley as one group.

There exists a risk that the eight allied teams could be blocked out of the sport and replaced by new outfits which have already pledged their acceptance of the 45m budget cap in order to enter the series.

If such were to happen, the FOTA members will explore alternatives to Formula One.

And if a new high-profile series organised by the FOTA teams should become reality, Alonso has already announced his interest in signing up.

"If the manufacturers organise a parallel event, that would be interesting as you would see the technology and the fastest cars in the world," he stated.

The drivers of all eight 'rebel' teams declared their support for the FOTA initiative.

Turkish GP Race - Button wins again and again

Jenson Button secured his sixth win from seven races today in Turkey to extend his championship lead to 26 points over team-mate Rubens Barrichello who failed to finish after a dramatic day. With title rival Sebastian Vettel finishing in third position, Button surely now is in a commanding position as he aims for the championship with Brawn Mercedes.

The start of an entertaining Turkish Grand Prix saw Vettel make a good getaway from his pole position with Button slotting in behind. Starting third, Barrichello almost stalled his Brawn and plummeted down the field allowing a fast starting Jarno Trulli up to third position with Mark Webber right behind.

Vettel s one error came on that first lap as he ran wide through turn nine and with his momentum lost, Button breezed by to take the lead exiting turn ten, one he would never relinquish.

The Red Bull Renault team has opted to run Vettel with a slightly lighter fuel load than both Button and Webber in the second RB5 but opted not to switch from three stops to two even after the Chinese Grand Prix winner lost the lead to Button. This error would prove critical in the latter stages of the race as Vettel dropped behind Webber and the race for second was effectively over.

Webber drove a strong race and fully deserved his runner-up position to close within 1.5 points of Vettel in the battle for third in the championship. After being jumped by Trulli off the line, the Australian racer soon forced his way ahead and then ran 20 seconds or so behind eventual winner Button until the final laps. Conserving his Brawn Mercedes, the championship leader allowed the gap to tumble to seven seconds at the chequered flag.

Jarno Trulli had a very solid race for Toyota. After losing position to Webber early in the race, the Italian veteran found himself behind Nico Rosberg following the first round of stops. Trulli pressed on and regained the position in the second and final stop.

Rosberg duly finished fifth in his Williams Toyota, his best result of the season, but may have lost time behind team-mate Kazuki Nakajima ahead of his second stop and this could have cost the German racer fourth position. Nakajima himself ran well and was challenging for points until problems fitting the front-left wheel in the final stop dropped him down the order and out of contention.

Felipe Massa had a quiet race to sixth in the leading Ferrari as he trailed Rosberg by eight seconds across the line while Robert Kubica secured his first points of the season with a seventh place finish in his BMW Sauber. The team are still a long way from being a front-runner, but at least they made gains this weekend following the disastrous Monte Carlo showing.
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Kubica held off a charging drive from Timo Glock in the second Toyota who made the best of a long first stint to beat some very big names.

Kimi Raikkonen lost ground at the start and then made light contact with Fernando Alonso to damage his front right wing endplate. It mattered little as the F60 had little race pace and the 2007 champion finished out of the points in ninth position. After his podium in Monaco, Turkey was a disappointing race from the 2007 world champion.

Another champion was out of the points and that was Renault star Fernando Alonso. With a light fuel load from eighth position on the grid, it was always going to be a tough race and the Spaniard duly finished in tenth position.

Nick Heidfeld finished 11th in the second BMW Sauber after losing position mid-way around the first lap ahead of Nakajima and the McLaren Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen. The Turkish Grand Prix was a disaster for the Woking-based team with the flaws in the MP4-24 package cruelly exposed through the long four-apex turn eight. Hamilton at least made best of a one stop strategy to finish on the lead lap.

Sebastien Buemi led the Toro Rosso team to 15th position ahead of Nelson Piquet in the second Renault, Adrian Sutil in the surviving Force India and finally Sebastien Bourdais who was the final finisher in 18th.

Giancarlo Fisichella retired from 18th early in the race with a recurring braking issue while Barrichello had a most entertaining race.

Barrichello leaves Turkey facing an uphill struggle after failing to finish. Starting third, Barrichello s Brawn Mercedes almost stalled off the line dropping the Brazilian down the order. By lap nine of 58 he found himself in a great tussle for 11th place with Kovalainen and after a few moments, contact was made dropping him behind Hamilton. The Brawn racer made a clean pass on the defending champion and then was overly optimistic on a passing attempt on Sutil. After a stop for a new front wing he resumed before retiring on lap 49 with a gearbox problem.

Barrichello s problems is good news for Button as he really does now enjoy a commanding championship lead heading to his home Grand Prix at Silverstone in two weeks time.

Briatore derides F1 new entrants

After Ferrari derided next year's prospective entry list as turning F1 into 'Formula GP3', Flavio Briatore has followed suit.

The Renault boss says the sport risks watering down its prestige and value by opening the door to outfits worthy of junior categories.

"We are devaluing Formula One," Italian Briatore is quoted as saying in El Mundo newspaper. "It is not correct that teams of GP2 race with us; it brings down our image and our technology."

The 59-year-old also rejected claims that making it easy for new teams to enter Formula One is necessary because of the risk of existing competitors pulling out.

"It is said that the constructors will go. But with normal regulations, I do not believe that any constructor would go," Briatore said.

"What we cannot have is F1 with a little bit of Formula Two and a little bit of GP2.
The small teams have to have success on the basis of their results.

"I began with a small team, Benetton, and with clear regulations we competed with McLaren and Ferrari and won (the titles) in 1994 and '95 with a budget 80 percent smaller. We never asked for different regulations."

Briatore added: "We want a Formula One that is unique, with the best technology and the best teams and drivers."

Haug - Rosberg on the list

Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz's F1 boss, has admitted interest in seeing his German countryman Nico Rosberg at the wheel of a McLaren.

Rosberg, 23, is out of contract at Williams at the end of the season, and - while happy with the Grove-based team's progress this year - is openly assessing his options for 2010.

With Lewis Hamilton the darling of the works team and under long-term contract, the seat in question is the one currently occupied by Finn Heikki Kovalainen, who joined McLaren last year to replace Fernando Alonso.

At the same time at the end of 2007, McLaren pushed to hire Rosberg but found the German securely under contract.

"We had to respect it," Haug told Spox.
com in Monaco. "How things develop, we cannot discuss in public, but we have known Nico long enough and he is a man on the list."

"It is clear that he is on many teams' lists," the German added.

Alonso frustated with midfield battle

According to the Spanish press, Fernando Alonso is growing weary of life in the Formula One midfield.

With every passing day, the signs are growing stronger that the Spaniard will definitely leave Renault - perhaps at the end of this season - to join Ferrari.

In multiple press interviews now, the 27-year-old has spoken glowingly about the famous team, and on Sunday said he was "excited" to hear that a poll in an authoritative Italian newspaper showed that the country's fans want him to occupy a red car in 2010.

On the other hand, Alonso is increasingly downbeat about his current mount, the Enstone-built R29, even after boss Flavio Briatore promised him an improved package for Turkey and a race-winning car before the end of the season.

Briatore, blaming traffic in Monaco, said: "I think today Fernando could have easily competed with Ferrari and Red Bull, but not Brawn."

In the pages of Spain's El Mundo, Alonso responded: "I am not going to spend the entire press conference responding to what Flavio has said or not said."

"We are going to introduce new pieces in Turkey but I think everything will stay more or less the same. It happened in Barcelona: everyone promised the world and everything stayed the same," said Alonso.

In Diario AS, he was quoted as continuing: "I am still very motivated, but I'm tired of being left behind."

Red Bull stick with double diffuser

Red Bull is planning to stick with its new 'double diffuser' for the Turkish Grand Prix and beyond.

The concept's debut on the RB5 at Monaco last weekend was later than many of the team's rivals, because it required a substantial reworking of the unique characteristics at the rear of the car.

And after beginning to look a match at recent races for the dominant Brawns without the diffuser, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber were slightly off the boil on the Principality's streets.

Moreover, Vettel dropped dramatically off the pace with ruined soft tyres at the beginning of Sunday's race, leading to his crash and retirement at Ste Devote.

Team boss Christian Horner, however, said Red Bull had always predicted that Monaco would not suit the high-speed aerodynamic characteristics of the Adrian Newey-penned car.

And he said it is wrong to blame the new diffuser.

"We can see that it has put aero performance on the car," he insisted.

"It will be interesting when we go to Istanbul and Silverstone.
Theoretically they are tracks that should come to the characteristics of our car," added Horner.

Meanwhile, BMW Sauber boss Mario Theissen on Tuesday confirmed that the Swiss-based team will use a "multi-level diffuser" for the first time in Turkey in two weeks.

After the German squad's disastrous outing at Monaco, he said: "We are convinced that this will be a step in the right direction."

It is believed that a decision about whether or not to reinstall the KERS system to the F1.09 in Istanbul has not yet been taken.

Monaco podium isn't enough for Kimi Raikkonen

Within seconds of the start of the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, Kimi Raikkonen knew that he wasn’t going to take the victory.

Starting second alongside championship leader Jenson Button, the Ferrari driver made a slow getaway allowing Rubens Barrichello in the second Brawn Mercedes through into second and with passing all but impossible, the race was all but over.

Raikkonen duly pushed Barrichello hard to try and regains the position, but 78 laps later took the chequered flag third and recorded his first podium position of the season.

"I wasn't too happy with the third place at the Monaco GP," he admitted. "For sure it was the best result in the last time, but that was nothing new to me and we knew that we could arrive on a place on the top. When the leaders in the championship are so far ahead in the classification, in the end it's only a victory that counts."

While third position was not that impressive to the Finn, he admitted that it was a good result for the hard working Italian team. "Being back on the podium is a nice reward for the whole team," he stated.
"We know that we're on the right way now: there are still some minor things to be done but sooner or later we will win. We'll show up with further improvements of the F60 in the upcoming races and we hope we can then challenge the leaders even more, in the qualifying and in the race."

Raikkonen went on to explain that starting second at Monaco is a major disadvantage as it is on the ‘dirty side’ of the circuit and traction is therefore compromised. "In the end it was difficult to fight for second position and then there was this story at the last pit stop, where we lost a couple of seconds, due to a problem with the right rear wheel. When I took up the race again I was further behind than before.

"We brought home both cars and gained some important points. There were many things at Monaco we can be satisfied with."

Tough lesson for Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton has likened his current state of mind in Formula One to wrongful imprisonment.

As a diamond number '1' was unveiled on the top of his helmet ahead of the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix, the reigning world champion said the recent battering of his reputation has left him not overly enjoying his job.

From the criticism of his Swiss tax exile, his personality, and now 'lie-gate', the 24-year-old said: "It's got to be a similar feeling to anyone who goes to jail but feels they shouldn't be behind bars.

"That is the feeling I have had, although I know what happened in Australia was wrong," said Hamilton at the McLaren factory on Thursday, where the team's usual sponsor linkup for Monaco with a diamond company was announced.

"I just feel knocked about by it all," he is quoted as saying by The Times newspaper. "I want to be a driver - I am not in the sport to be a politician."

Hamilton insists the controversies have not affected his driving, but admits he is disillusioned with Formula One because of its constant politics.

"It affects your life, it affects the way you are.
I used to enjoy Formula One and part of that has been taken away from me," he explained.

"Unfortunately, it is the way the Formula One world works for some reason. It's much nicer in the lower categories, where all the people are there just to race and the teams are there just to race," added Hamilton.

Reporters have also noticed a marked change recently in Hamilton's attitude with the media, which now prioritises his take on off-track sagas over his work in the cockpit.

"Talking to the media and having interviews on television used to be great fun, but it has changed. I have no doubts in my mind I can enjoy Formula One just as much as I did before. Just not now," he said.

BMW to be next to quit F1

The latest strong rumour in the budget cap row is that BMW is set to become the next car manufacturer to threaten to quit Formula One.

The German squad's F1 chief Mario Theissen hinted at the move in Barcelona last weekend, but subsequently Ferrari, Toyota, Renault and Red Bull made clear declarations of their intentions to miss the May 29th deadline for 2010 team entries.

Giving weight to the BMW speculation on Thursday was Jean-Francois Gaubet, who as a Renault spokesman was quoted as commenting to Europe 1 radio that all the carmakers involved in Formula One are united.

"All of us - Mercedes, Toyota, BMW, Renault and Ferrari - are on the same page," he said.

"We have until May 29 to register ourselves for the championship of 2010, and as long as the regulations are as they stand, we will not be registering," Gaubet insisted.

Taking the threat seriously is F1 Chief Executive Bernie Ecclestone, who arguably has the most to lose from a decimated world championship.

Referring to his meeting on Friday with FIA President Max Mosley and the teams, he told the French newspaper Le Figaro: "We are all going to sit around the same table and find a reasonable solution for everybody.

"It is not going to be easy, but no one wants to destroy Formula One," the Briton added.

However, the late Enzo Ferrari's son and board member Piero Ferrari on Thursday insisted that "there will be no compromise."

"We want no budget cap, (the) same rules for everyone, clear rules," he told the Telegraph. "We want to invest in cars, in engines, in aerodynamics, in the technology of the cars."

By the same token, FIA advisor Tony Purnell - who devised the details of the budget cap - said the cost-limiting mechanism will not be dropped.

It is rumoured that the FIA may be willing to drop the 'two-tier' element and allow the big teams a 'glide-path' from 80m pounds sterling to 40m over the next three years.

But to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, Purnell said the £40m sum is set. "If it rises significantly, it will no longer be attractive from the viewpoint of prospective new entrants."

Pantano for Bourdais seat?

New rumours in the Italian press have shed fresh doubts on the future in Formula One of the sport's only French driver.

The rumours suggest that Sebastien Bourdais, who has scored one point so far in 2009 compared with his rookie team-mate Sebastien Buemi's three, is on the brink of being ousted by Toro Rosso.

The name linked with the potentially vacant Red Bull-sponsored seat is Giorgio Pantano, who despite winning last year's GP2 championship was left without a ride in the premier series for 2009.

30-year-old Italian Pantano, who actually contested most of the 2004 season for Jordan, was said to have been preparing to race in the Renault Eurocup series this year, but may now have delayed that debut.

Ferrari factor crucial for Rome Grand Prix

Rome is pushing ahead with its plans to join the Formula One calendar, but a huge spanner in the works is the sport's current political spat.

"I do not want to consider the idea of a Grand Prix of Rome without Ferrari," the Italian city's Mayor Gianni Alemanno is quoted as saying by Corriere dello Sport on Thursday.

Nonetheless, despite the famous Italian team's threatened exit from the sport, the plans for a 4.7km street circuit in the 1930s Eur district - comprising more than $200m of private investment - were unveiled.

"We are going to set up a promotional committee and then officially launch our candidature," said Alemanno.

A formal bid to F1's authorities has not yet been made, but a target debut date of 2012 was set.

Lola confirm F1 return for 2010

Having signalled an interest in F1's budget-capped future last month, the British racing car company Lola has now committed to submitting a 2010 team entry by the May 29th deadline.

"The Lola Group is pleased to announce that it will be submitting an entry," part of a statement issued by the outfit, which last attempted a F1 foray in 1997, read.

Lola said the 2010 cap figure was set at £30m when it first began evaluating designing and racing a car next year.

The increase of the figure to £40m "led to a re-examination" of the project by Lola, "culminating in today's confirmation that it will proceed."

The FIA is expected to publish the first 2010 entry list in mid June.
Full Lola Statement
Following completion of its evaluation of the technical regulations for cost-capped Formula One teams announced by the FIA World Motorsport Council on 29th April 2009, the Lola Group is pleased to announce that it will be submitting an entry for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship.

The original cap of £30 million, including engines formed the basis of Lola’s initial interest.
The decision by the WMSC to revise the figure to £40 million plus engines, marketing, hospitality and driver fees led to a re-examination of the opportunity by Lola culminating in today’s confirmation that it will proceed with its Formula One project.

The Lola Group believes that the WMSC decisions relating to cost-capping and the provision of revised technical regulations to facilitate the entry of new teams into Formula One should be embraced. This is not only prudent considering the backdrop of global economics but also taking into account the need for new teams to be able to compete credibly against long established entrants.

It is imperative that performance breaks be afforded to new cost-capped entrants who will have a limited period in which to form teams, design and manufacture their cars. With these breaks Lola looks forward to competing with the existing teams who enjoy decades of experience. The question of speed differentials, safety and the spectacle of Formula One must also be considered.

The Lola Group is forging ahead with its Formula One project with the objective of securing an entry into the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship and in the expectation that the decisions of the WMSC will be respected in full.

Gascoyne's return desire

Mike Gascoyne's desire to return to Formula One was confirmed on Thursday, when a UK-based F3 team announced its intention to apply to enter a budget-capped outfit next year.

The Norfolk-based team Litespeed said it is collaborating with MGI Group, whose Managing Director is Gascoyne, the famous engineer for teams including Jordan, Renault, Toyota, and most recently Force India.

"We don't yet know whether the (budget) cap team rules will be changed, and obviously we don't know if our application will be accepted. The cap may be dropped altogether," said Litespeed boss Nino Judge.

"The point is that there is not much time for the project to get on to the 2010 grid and we have to take some risks in order to maximise time for preparation," he added.

A colossal fight over the budget caps issue is already being played out between the governing FIA and major F1 teams including Ferrari.

But Litespeed said there has never been a better time to consider F1.

"There is space and a need in the arena for independent teams and the technical leeway given to the budget-capped teams allows for a competitive performance within the financial parameters," Judge continued.

Judge, who worked in F1 with Lotus in 1989-1991, said Gascoyne's company will act as technical consultants.

BMW Sauber to use double diffuser in Istanbul

BMW Sauber is set to make more steps forward, after the boost provided by a major aerodynamic upgrade for the recent Spanish Grand Prix.

The Swiss-based squad is still not a player in 2009, but boss Mario Theissen insists Barcelona proved a ‘comeback’ after the dire situation of the opening four races.

A double diffuser was not part of the Spain package, but the formerly controversial concept will be fitted to the F1.09 for the forthcoming Turkish Grand Prix.

"To be honest, I am looking forward to Istanbul," said Nick Heidfeld, who on his 32nd birthday moved up from 13th on the grid to score two points in Spain.

"This is when we get another new package with the double-decker diffuser. Hopefully we'll take another large step forward then," added the German.

It is also in Istanbul that BMW plans to reintroduce KERS, after taking the technology off its cars for Barcelona and next weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.

It is understood that, compared with the previous 2009 system, the team's KERS will be running in a modified form from Turkey onwards.

BMW Sauber are seventh in the championship with six points.

Rome F1 circuit project

Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno confirmed the famous Italian capital's project to hold a Formula One race in the near future, AFP reported on Thursday.

The planned layout of the 4.6-kilometre circuit will be situated in the EUR quarter, southwest of centuries-old Rome. The sector's wide avenues had been planned for the 1942 Universal Exposition which never took place due to the wartime situation, but may now serve for Rome's first F1 race.

It is expected that the average speed should be 177kph, for a 1:34 lap time.

"We will establish a promotional committee," said Alemanno.
"And then we will officially present our candidacy."

An eventual Roman Grand Prix should not interfere with the traditional Italian Grand Prix held at Monza.

2010 options for Rosberg

Negotiations about the future of Nico Rosberg have begun, as the German eyes moving up the Formula One pecking order next year.

The 23-year-old started his career with Williams in 2006, and Sir Frank Williams revealed in February that, after the 2007 season, McLaren had made an offer of "majestic proportions" to sign Rosberg to be Lewis Hamilton's teammate.

Rosberg, however, instead signed a two-year contract extension with the Grove team to take him to the end of this season.

But despite always singing his praises, Williams figures whispered a hint of puzzlement and perhaps miscontent with Rosberg after last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.

Mere dozens of hours after that, the driver has been quoted in the specialist media as admitting he is currently in the process of "looking at" his options for 2010.

Several times in assessment of Rosberg's Barcelona form, Williams referred to "inconsistency" that blighted his run to an expected fifth place.

Ultimately, he finished eighth, and in a team-distributed review of the Spanish race this week, an interviewer noticed that Rosberg's lap times had been "a bit erratic."

"Nico's lap times were somewhat inconsistent, yes, and we are now looking carefully through all of the data and bodywork parts to determine what caused that," said Technical Director Sam Michael.

Engineering boss and team co-owner Patrick Head, meanwhile, had said immediately after the race: "Nico's pace was initially good but we then struggled to maintain consistency so we'll have to investigate that."

"I had a very good first few laps but, after 10 laps or so, I started to experience a problem at the rear of the car," Rosberg explained last Sunday. "Something inexplicable would just happen and affect the balance which caused a lot of oversteer. Oddly enough, it would then be OK again."

Interestingly, the three extra points for finishing fifth instead of eighth would have leapfrogged Williams ahead of both Ferrari and BMW Sauber in the constructors' standings.

Instead, the team is ahead of only Toro Rosso and the non-scoring Force India.

Michael added: "Even if we think we have a faster car than how we currently stand in that table, the constructors' order is what the overall performance of our team is measured by."

Ferrari drivers agreed to pull out from F1

If Ferrari were to leave Formula One at the end of the season, team drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen will have to look elsewhere to further their racing careers, but both fully support the decision.

For Felipe Massa, who accomplished a lifelong dream when he joined the famous Italian marque, it is obviously far from a perfect scenario. However the Brazilian fully backs Ferrari's plan to leave F1 if the 2010 regulations imposed by the FIA are not corrected to remove the 'two-tier' format.

"I understand the motivation, why the company got to this point," Massa indicated in a statement. "The idea of having a Championship with two velocities, with cars, which for example are allowed to have flexible wings or an engine without a rev limiter, is absurd."

"For a driver racing a Ferrari in Formula 1 is a dream and I made mine come true," he continued. "Since I was a child Ferrari has been the synonym for racing for me; that's why I'm convinced that even if the Scuderia is forced to leave Formula 1, there will be other competitions, where it will be possible to admire the Reds on the track."

Team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, although it is rumoured that his intentions are to retire from the sport at the end of his contract, agrees nonetheless that things would not be the same in F1 without Ferrari - the only team to have participated in every championship campaign.

"It's difficult to think of a Formula 1 without Ferrari," he said. "When I drove for McLaren the Scuderia from Maranello was the benchmark, the competitor you had to be compared with. Since I arrived here I understood that it is much more than just a team, it's a legend, perpetuated via its road and racing cars."

"I always thought of Formula 1 as the pinnacle of motor sports, in terms of competition and technology," the Finn added. "I can't imagine drivers racing each other on the track with cars built according to different rules; that wouldn't be good for the sport itself or for the fans."

"If that should happen, it would be too bad and I understand that a company like Ferrari is thinking about racing somewhere else," Raikkonen concluded.

Ferrari thanks for fans support and ready to quit F1

Since announcing their intention to quit Formula One if the controversial 2010 rules adopted by the FIA are maintained, Ferrari has been receiving generous public support for its position.

The Italian car manufacturer's Board of Directors confirmed their intentions on Tuesday, following which positive messages began to make their way to Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo. The Italian wrote a note of thanks on the company's website.

"I want to thank you personally for the numerous messages of support we received from all over the world over the last hours on our website and via email," he began. "It is important to know that we can count on the support of our fans all over the world and that our fans completely share the motivations, which brought us to take such a decision."

"If we were forced to leave the Championship we were part of over the last 60 years of our history and where we set all the records in terms of victories, it is because they want to change the nature of its founding values," he continued, in a reference to the 'two-tier' system ands other items put in place for the 2010 season by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council.

Di Montezemolo assured that Ferrari will be seen elsewhere: "I have to say that our cars will race in other competitions, where - and I am absolutely convinced about that - they will find the enthusiasm and the passion of millions of fans, following us in every corner of the world."

"Racing is part of Ferrari's DNA and this is something that will never change," he concluded.

Mercedes not yet decide to join F1 quit threat

Mercedes-Benz's racing chief insists that rival teams' threats about quitting Formula One are real, but for the time being the Stuttgart marque is not following suit.

Renault issued its quit threat on Wednesday, following Ferrari on Tuesday and BMW, Red Bull and Toyota on the weekend of the Spanish Grand Prix.

But Mercedes, the majority owner of the 2008 drivers' championship-winning team McLaren, is for now holding off -- perhaps because it recently narrowly escaped the wrath of the FIA over the 'lie-gate' affair.

Norbert Haug, Vice-President in charge of Mercedes' motor sport programmes, said: "All the teams agree that there cannot be a Formula One with two different sets of regulations."

When asked specifically by the German news agency SID if Mercedes is also threatening to not enter the 2010 championship, he answered: "We want to achieve a common solution to this and we think that it can be done."

"We will do everything we can to contribute," said Haug.

Haug also insisted that the quit threats, for example that of the legendary Italian team Ferrari, are serious and not mere political posturing.

Renault join Ferrari threat to quit F1

Renault could be the next car manufacturer to threaten to quit Formula One at the end of 2009.

Ferrari, F1's oldest and most famous name, sent the specialist and mainstream media into a spin on Tuesday by announcing that the FIA's budget cap plans for 2010 will lead to its withdrawal from the sport.

Toyota and Red Bull have made similar threats, while Mario Theissen said last week that the new regime would likely lead to the BMW board reassessing its commitment to F1.

Le Figaro is a leading French morning daily, and it claims: "According to our information, Renault will announce the same decision (as Ferrari's) on Wednesday."

Kimi signs up another rally contest

Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen is set to contest yet another professional rally, his third of the year.

The 2007 F1 World Champion entered two rounds of the Finnish Rally Championship in the winter, driving a Tommi Makinen-prepared Fiat Abarth Grande Punto.

The Finnish media now reports that Raikkonen, currently 13th in the 2009 drivers' championship, will race the same car in the Rally della Marca on the weekend between the forthcoming Monaco and Turkish Grand Prix.

Taking place in northern Italy's Treviso region, it will be Raikkonen's first asphalt rally.

Ecclestone - "Ferrari don't want to leave Formula One"

Ferrari's executive board is meeting on Tuesday to discuss Formula One, but Bernie Ecclestone is not worried the Italian team is planning to call time on its long association with the sport.

The meeting comes amid other teams' 2010 entry boycott threats, and Ferrari and Formula One Teams' Association President Luca di Montezemolo's fierce spat with Max Mosley over planned budget caps.

But Ecclestone told London's Times newspaper: "Ferrari are not stupid. They don't want to leave Formula One and we don't want to lose them, so we'll get to grips with it."

He suggested that the main gripe is with the 'two-tier' element of the FIA's proposed rules for 2010, but that the prospects of that are ‘slowly disappearing’.

Ecclestone also revealed that the teams are uneasy about external auditors probing the teams' accounts to police the cap, but the Briton said the teams will be allowed to oversee their expenditure themselves.

Ferrari considering to quit from Formula One

Ferrari's Board of Directors, chaired by Luca di Montezemolo, held a meeting on Tuesday at their Maranello headquarters to discuss business matters, but high on the order were the recent decisions taken by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council regarding the controversial budget cap option beginning next year.

Under the 2010 regulations, teams opting to limit their budgets to 45 million Euros ($60m US) would enjoy much greater technical freedom than other teams, effectively creating a 'two-tier' series within Formula One.

Many teams find the matter unacceptable as it currently stands, and the FIA's deadline of May 29th in order to file entries for the 2010 championship only added pressure to an already volatile situation with some teams speaking of boycotts.

Today Ferrari has boldly stated that, unless common ground can be found, it will retire from Formula One at the end of the current season.

Speaking of the WMSC decisions, a Ferrari statement indicated that "for the first time ever in Formula 1, the 2010 season will see the introduction of two different sets of regulations based on arbitrary technical rules and economic parameters."

"The Board considers that if this is the regulatory framework for Formula 1 in the future, then the reasons underlying Ferrari's uninterrupted participation in the World Championship over the last 60 years - the only constructor to have taken part ever since its inception in 1950 - would come to a close."

A long-standing point of conflict has been the FIA's tendency to move ahead with its plans without - from the teams' point of view - taking the considerations forwarded by the teams under serious review.

"The Board also expressed its disappointment about the methods adopted by the FIA in taking decisions of such a serious nature and its refusal to effectively reach an understanding with constructors and teams," the Ferrari press release continued.

"The rules of governance that have contributed to the development of Formula 1 over the last 25 years have been disregarded, as have the binding contractual obligations between Ferrari and the FIA itself regarding the stability of the regulations."

The Formula One Teams Association is not against the principle of budget capping but many teams have been lobbying against the 'two-tier' system on the basis that the sport, like any sport, should have identical regulations for everyone involved. Now Ferrari calls for a change in the way F1 is governed as well.

"The same rules for all teams, stability of regulations, the continuity of the FOTA's endeavours to methodically and progressively reduce costs, and governance of Formula 1 are the priorities for the future," Ferrari affirm.

"If these indispensable principles are not respected and if the regulations adopted for 2010 will not change, then Ferrari does not intend to enter its cars in the next Formula 1 World Championship."

"Ferrari trusts that its many fans worldwide will understand that this difficult decision is coherent with the Scuderia's approach to motor sport and to Formula 1 in particular, always seeking to promote its sporting and technical values. The Chairman of the Board of Directors was mandated to evaluate the most suitable ways and methods to protect the company's interests," the statement concludes.

Domenicali consider to quit

Stefano Domenicali has admitted he would consider his position as Ferrari Team Principal if he thought it would pull the Italian team out of its crisis.

Despite a technical step forward in Barcelona, only Williams, Toro Rosso and Force India sit lower than the reigning constructors' champions in the 2009 standings, following more strategic and reliability issues at the weekend.

F1 Chief Executive Bernie Ecclestone mused in Barcelona that the team's new top management is the problem.

"I think with (Jean) Todt gone, we've gone a little bit back to the way it was before Todt went there," said the Briton, always keen to jump on any particular bandwagon.

And when asked about Felipe Massa running out of fuel at the end of the Spanish Grand Prix, Renault team boss Flavio Briatore told Spain's AS newspaper while laughing: "Fortunately I am not the head of Ferrari!"

Massa’s woes allowed the struggling Alonso to inherit fifth position in the leading Renault.

Quoted by the German broadcaster RTL, Domenicali commented: "I do not think I'm the problem. But if necessary, I would make room."

Flavio vowed to help Piquet

Flavio Briatore has vowed to ‘help’ rather than immediately sack Renault's struggling Nelson Piquet.

Intense speculation has surrounded the future of the 23-year-old Brazilian, including rumours in Barcelona last weekend that Piquet could be ousted as soon as the forthcoming British Grand Prix to make room for reserve driver Romain Grosjean.

But in interview with Spain's Diario Sport, team boss Briatore said Piquet is being given time to prove himself now that the season has begun on the more familiar European circuits.

"He is a good team-mate for Fernando and has always been very loyal to him," the Italian said. "He is experiencing a difficult moment, but when someone is having trouble you help him, not kill him. We have to give him some room for the European races."

Briatore also did not want to address rising speculation that, given Kimi Raikkonen's struggles, Alonso is now being tipped by the Italian media to restore Ferrari's fortunes perhaps as soon as 2010.

"I do not talk about these issues because I have others to solve. These decisions are for another time," he said.

Red Bull love to secured Vettel with long term contract

Red Bull is keen to secure the services of Sebastian Vettel for a long time, team boss Christian Horner has admitted.

The Austrian squad's contract with the 21-year-old German, the only driver apart from Jenson Button to have won a race this year, runs out at the end of 2010.

But Horner told Sport Bild: "We see our future with Sebastian. We want to strengthen and expand our team around him."

Openly interested in Vettel beyond 2010 is BMW Sauber and McLaren Mercedes, but Bernie Ecclestone has made clear he would like to see his driver favourite at the wheel of a Ferrari – no surprise there.

However, Horner said: "Sebastian feels comfortable with us. If we give him cars with which he can drive at the front, there will be no reason for him to move."

Williams expecting more in Monte Carlo

Starting ninth, Nico Rosberg was able to finish Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix one position higher and claim one championship points for the Williams Toyota team, taking their tally to 4.5 from the first five races.

The FW31 proved especially rapid in the opening rounds of the championship, but a few small errors combined with some bad luck went against the Grove-based team who- by their own admission - has been unable to capitalise on their early pace.

"Nico secured a point for the team but we really need to be getting both cars in the points more regularly than we are if we’re going to improve upon our position in the constructors’ standings," stated Technical Director Sam Michael with reference to their eighth position in the constructors' championship.

"There were some positives from this weekend in that it was encouraging to be only 0.3 seconds off the quickest time during Q2, particularly on a track where aerodynamics are the key, and the upgrade package which we brought to the race worked as expected."

While Rosberg was able to finish in the points, team-mate Kazuki Nakajima has yet to qualify in the top ten or score a championship point this year. The Japanese racer started Sunday's race an encouraging 11th however but was forced to pit for a front wing following the inevitable first lap skirmishes.

"That incident caused damage to Kazuki’s front wing end plate so we had to pit him for a new front wing assembly," Michael explained.
"Because the safety car was deployed, it fortunately didn’t cost him as much time as it could have done."

However, stuck behind the Force India Mercedes of Giancarlo Fisichella at the back of the field when the race restarted, Nakajima was unable to make the pass until late in the 66-lap event and this ruined any hopes of his first championship points. He finished a distant 13th.

While the team are disappointed with the results to date, the development race continues and the FW31 will feature further updates for the high-downforce challenge in Monte Carlo is just over a week’s time.

"We will be bringing more upgrades to the car for Monaco, as will all of the other teams," Michael continued. "Our target is obviously to score more points as we haven’t had the conversion rates we would have liked in recent races. We are typically fast on street circuits, so we are looking forward to getting the best out of the FW31 at Monte Carlo."

Mercedes considering adding branding with Brawn GP

Given Brawn's dominance and McLaren's struggles, Mercedes-Benz is considering adding corporate branding to the championship-leading BGP 001.

Brawn GP's use of the Stuttgart marque's engines this year is simply a customer deal, but the package has won four out of the five races so far this season, and is leading the drivers' and constructors' championships.

A three-pointed star was not in Mercedes' original plans for the Brawn linkup, but Norbert Haug said after the Spanish Grand Prix that the scenario is now being ‘considered’.

"We have possibilities and options and it has been offered to us," Mercedes' competition boss, is quoted as saying by the broadcaster RTL.

However, the 56-year-old added that Mercedes does not want to ‘divert’ from its works relationship with McLaren, winner of the 2008 drivers' title with Lewis Hamilton.

Title chances is over for Massa and Hamilton

Last year's championship protagonists on Sunday wrote off their chances of contending for the 2009 crown.

In 2008, Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa finished the drivers' title in first and second places respectively. But this year, with Brawn Mercedes and Red Bull Renault leading the pace, the drivers' respective cars are no longer up to the task of joining the battle for the sport's new pecking order.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton finished the Spanish Grand Prix out of the points and ninth. "It's just a shame they haven't given me a car to defend the championship with," the Swiss resident told the BBC after the race. "The car is that bad. I'm driving the socks off it. There's just no hope."

2008 runner-up Massa fared better in a significantly improved F60 this weekend, but he categorically ruled out having another shot at the championship.

"No, no way," he told reporters in Barcelona, insisting that championship leaders Brawn are poised for the honours. "Even if we improve massively and we are three or four tenths if front of them, they will still score points. So forget it," added Massa.

Vettel slow start ruined his race

Lining up second and fifth for the Spanish Grand Prix with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, the former had been the pre-race favourite for many given that his front-row start had been achieved with more fuel on board than pole-sitter Jenson Button.

However, it all went wrong for the Chinese Grand Prix winner at the start as he lost position to the fast starting Rubens Barrichello as well as Felipe Massa in the Ferrari.

Vettel would follow the Ferrari for most of the race, only gaining the position to move fourth in the closing stages as a pit error from the Maranello-based left the Brazilian lacking the fuel needed to go the distance.

“My start wasn’t the best – by the first corner Rubens was first and I was fourth, so obviously we lost some positions – most importantly to Massa," Vettel explained. "I was then stuck behind him for almost all of the race. He was impossible to pass, he did a very good job with no mistakes. It’s obviously disappointing as my car was quick today, but I couldn’t finish on the podium."

Vettel remains third in the championship just four points shy of Barrichello while team-mate Mark Webber made gains today as he made best of a long middle stint to vault team-mate Vettel and Massa in the second and final round of pitstops.

"Sebastian had more trouble with traffic today, but the team got us both home with a lot of points, which is fantastic," Webber stated.

"I had a very long second stint and was much happier with the car than in the first, although the tyres had nothing left for the last ten laps. We planned to be long in the second, as we knew Felipe would be one lap longer and his drive would be the key to my race."

Team Principal Christian Horner admitted to some frustration that Vettel’s race was essentially compromised by the fast starting Massa.

"It was frustrating for Sebastian as unfortunately it was the second race in a row where a KERS car has cost him dearly," said Horner. "Massa stopped on the same lap as Sebastian for his first stop and then, despite us bringing his middle stint very short, they picked the same lap for Massa as well, so he spent 63 laps looking at the back of a Ferrari! As soon as he was released from him, his pace was obvious."

With a third and fourth finish in Barcelona, Red Bull Renault extend their lead over Toyota in the battle for second behind the all-conquering Brawn Mercedes team.

Barrichello wasn't happy to finished second

Rubens Barrichello on Sunday made clear he is no longer willing to play second fiddle to any teammate.

The Brazilian veteran finished second to Brawn Mercedes teammate Jenson Button in Spain, after the team decided to switch the championship leader to a two stop strategy.

Barrichello, who passed Button at the first corner and led early, remained on his three-stopper. "I had the race in my hands and I was quite surprised when they told me they were switching Jenson to two," the 36-year-old said.

"I would like to understand why they changed that," he added, explaining that his third set of tyres also slowed him down.

For six years at Ferrari, Barrichello was Michael Schumacher's 'number two', ceding to team orders on many occasions, including the infamous radio call of the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix.

"If that happens I won't follow any team orders anymore," Barrichello told reporters in Barcelona. "I'm making it clear now so everyone knows."

The intimation is that Brawn deliberately changed Button's strategy to favour the championship leader over Barrichello, but Button denies it is the case.

"We are all here to win, and today it just went my way and it didn't for him," the Briton said. "It could swing around for the next race, that's the way things go in F1."

Spanish GP Race - Button's another victory

Jenson Button extended his lead at the head of the drivers’ standings after a dominant display once Brawn Mercedes team-mate Rubens Barrichello’s hopes of victory had been dashed courtesy of a strategic error. The championship leader took the chequered flag 13 seconds clear of the Brazilian with Mark Webber making good use of strategy to finish third in the leading Red Bull Renault.

The start of the 66-lap Spanish Grand Prix saw Barrichello get the jump on both Button and Sebastian Vettel who started second. Felipe Massa was also on the move getting ahead of Vettel, a move that would severely compromise the German’s race. As the Brawn Mercedes duo stormed away at the front of the field, Jarno Trulli triggered an accident that would eliminate four runners on the very first lap.

Battling with Nico Rosberg, Trulli found himself running off track exiting the second turn and as he re-joined the circuit, his Toyota made solid contact with Adrian Sutil’s Force India. Behind, Sebastien Buemi and Sebastien Bourdais were forced to take avoiding action and the two Toro Rosso drivers made heavy contact.

The race resumed on lap six once the damaged cars had been removed and Barrichello was able to hold off Button at the front of the field . This would soon become academic however as the team switched Button from a three stop strategy to a two stop, leaving Barrichello on three stops.

This made it an impossible task for the Brazilian veteran who was able to pull out a 15 second advantage over Button at one point, but with the extra pit stop, dropped well behind. It was a strange tactical move from Brawn Mercedes and Barrichello must be wondering why his race was so severely compromised, effectively handing his team-mate the victory.

Mark Webber made good use of a long middle stint to vault ahead of both Felipe Massa and Sebastien Vettel and put in a good charge to the chequered flag. The Australian finished less than a second behind Barrichello. Vettel, who lost out to Massa at the start of the race, shadowed the Ferrari until the very closing stages of the race before gaining the position when Massa was forced to slow. Vettel will be frustrated that his poor start cost him any hope of a podium position.

Fernando Alonso had a relatively lonely race and looked on target for a sixth position finish.

However, an error in the Ferrari pit meant that Massa did not have enough fuel to run at full speed to the chequered flag. Massa backed off, dropping ten seconds a lap allowing the Renault star through to take the fifth position.

Massa finished a disappointed sixth while team-mate Kimi Raikkonen made gains early on in the sister F60 before his car developed a mechanical issue taking him out of the race. Nick Heidfeld made up ground at the start and was able to finish seventh for the BMW Sauber team with team-mate Robert Kubica having a tough race to 11th, one position lower than his starting position.

Nico Rosberg took the final championship point in his Williams Toyota while team-mate Kazuki Nakajima had a poor race. The team called in the Japanese racer whilst the safety car controlled the field, exiting the pits behind Giancarlo Fisichella. Nakajima would spend most of the race tailing the Force India driver, eventually getting the position in his third pit stop. He finished 13th ahead of just Fisichella.

The Spanish Grand Prix was always going to be a tough event for the McLaren Mercedes team but Lewis Hamilton at least was able to go the distance and finished ninth, albeit lapped, after a long battle with Timo Glock. Heikki Kovalainen’s miserable season continued as his MP4-24 suffered a gearbox failure on lap seven.

With Trulli eliminated at the start, Glock carried the Toyota flag but despite his best efforts could finish no higher than tenth. The result sees the German-based team drop 12 points behind Red Bull Renault in the battle for second in the constructors’ championship. With Kubica 11th in the second BMW Sauber, Nelson Piquet finished 12th ahead of Nakajima and Fisichella.

With four wins from five races, Jenson Button now enjoys a commanding 14 point advantage over Barrichello in the drivers’ championship while the Brawn Mercedes team has almost a 30 point lead in the constructors’ championship heading to Monte Carlo..

Brawn - Maintain championship leader with development programme

Brawn Mercedes are dominating both the drivers' and constructors' championships courtesy of Jenson Button's three wins from the first four races.

As ever, the development race in Formula One never stops and this weekend in Barcelona there are numerous updates throughout the field as rivals' look to close the gap on Brawn GP.

"It is always very difficult to even maintain your position wherever it is in Formula One as it moves forward so quickly," explained Brawn Mercedes Team Principal Ross Brawn. "The big challenge we all have is that with no testing you are effectively on a Friday trying to work out what you have got and where you are. It is not such a straightforward process as it used to be.

"We have brought a new package here which seems to be working very well with Rubens but we have got a problem with it with Jenson and we have to understand what is going on," Brawn continued after the duo set the fourth and sixth fastest times in the second practice session this afternoon in Barcelona.

The updates to the BGP 001 include a new floor, engine cover and rear bodywork.

"It is quite a difficult year for everybody and it will continue to be difficult with the testing rules that we have. We have a reasonable sized team now and we are not budget limited in what we can do, we are just being careful in how we spend that money.

"Perhaps we bring three or four sets of parts to a race whereas last year we might have brought six or seven. We make those sorts of judgement calls but we are certainly not holding back on doing any performance improvements that we can. There is a package here, there are some modifications for Monaco and there is another update for the Nurburgring, so we are working hard."

With 50 points on the board already this year, almost as much as Red Bull Renault and Toyota combined, Brawn Mercedes look in very good shape for round five of the 2009 season at Circuit de Catalunya.

FIA erase 'winner takes all' scoring system for 2010

Now you see it, now you don't. The unpopular 'winner takes all' scoring system has now been erased from the 2010 sporting regulations.

After the recent World Motor Sport Council meeting, the FIA published the rules for next year, and Article 6.1 of the sporting regulations said the drivers title 'will be awarded to the driver who has been classified first in the greatest number of races'.

The governing body tried to introduce Bernie Ecclestone's favoured system this year, but the late change was vetoed by the Formula One Teams' Association.

It seems that the Article 6.1 inclusion of 30 April was simply a mistake.
The article now explains that the drivers' title 'will be awarded to the driver who has scored the highest number of points'.

Toro Rosso to design own car for 2010

Toro Rosso is ramping up its efforts to become a full constructor in 2010, team boss Franz Tost has confirmed.

From next year, the regulations will no longer condone the current situation, where the Faenza-based outfit sources its basic chassis from the same designer as sister team Red Bull Racing.

"We are developing the infrastructure so that next year's car is designed in Faenza," Tost told reporters in Barcelona, revealing that the workforce will need to increase from 200 to about 235.

The 2010 rules will allow Toro Rosso to continue to use a Red Bull Technology transmission, and some other parts, but Tost revealed that the team is to appoint it's own chief designer.

Toro Rosso will however continue to use the Red Bull wind tunnel in Bicester.