No more 'Big Two' for Ferrari and McLaren this season

It is no coincidence that the two title protagonists of 2008 are now struggling to set the pace in Formula One, according to McLaren and Ferrari.

They argue that, in fighting for the crown until the final corner of last season, they fell behind others in preparation for the sweeping rules changes of 2009.

McLaren has been open about its lack of race-winning pace with the MP4-24, which is underdeveloped because the bulk of the team's resources was allocated to securing the drivers' title for Lewis Hamilton at the wheel of its predecessor.

"I can have some regrets about resource allocation but we are proud to have Number One on the car," the reigning World Champion said last weekend.

Meanwhile, Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo said on Tuesday that the Maranello marque is also "paying" for its efforts to win last year.

"Like McLaren we had to develop our (2008) machine right until the end, while others were already working on a completely different project many months prior," Montezemolo told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"You should not forget that this year's machines are not evolutions, which means that those who had extra time were really able to draw an advantage," the Italian said.

In contrast, non-2008 contenders like Toyota, Red Bull and Williams were able to turn their attention early to getting the most out of the 2009 regulations.

The furthest ahead is Brawn, who abandoned developing the 2008 (Honda) car almost as soon as it was born - and went on to a one-two victory at the 2009 season-opener in Australia last Sunday.

Haug - White tyre markings looks much better than green

Norbert Haug believes Bridgestone should consider altering its method for visibly distinguishing the two compounds of tyres on offer at Grand Prix in 2009.

With grooves being replaced by slicks for this season, it was no longer possible to paint white the inside middle groove of the softest tyre option.

A month before the 2009 season, following extensive winter testing, F1's official tyre supplier said it would instead paint a green line around the inside and outside edges of the sidewalls.

The colour green was selected to show Bridgestone's support for the FIA's 'Make Cars Green' environmental campaign.

However, in Melbourne last weekend, television viewers - including team figures in the garages and on the pitwall - at times expressed difficulty in identifying the green markings.

The problem may have been worsened by the evening sun.

"Perhaps the contrast of white on black is better than green on black," Mercedes' Haug admitted to German media.

"It is something to think about," he added, echoing comments previously made by several F1 pundits.

To heighten the importance of the matter, the significance of the tyres being used this season has increased given Bridgestone's new policy of skipping a specification in order to avoid offering two consecutive tyre types, therefore augmenting the difference in on-track performances.

For example, in Melbourne the 'medium' tyre was the specification of choice in the race, because the much softer 'super soft' significantly lost performance even after a lap or two.

With the 'soft' option not available, drivers had to deal with the wider margin between 'medium' and 'super soft' tyres. The greater challenge of establishing race strategies therefore had to be worked out accordingly.

Rosberg - Twilight race are too dangerous

So-called 'twilight' races are too dangerous for Formula One, according to Williams driver Nico Rosberg.

The late afternoon format, designed to make a better television viewing time for the bulk European audience, made its debut in Australia last weekend.

With the action completing as the sun fell low in the sky, the drivers gave the format mixed reviews, including complaints of glare and flickering shadows from trees.

This weekend it is Malaysia's turn, but the concerns about the 5pm start have grown louder given the additional likelihood of late afternoon monsoonal rain in the tropical climate.

23-year-old Rosberg, arguing that evening is not appropriate for high speed motor racing, said: "In Melbourne it was obvious that it just increases the danger so much."

"The visibility is so difficult, you can't even see the edges of the track in some corners.
I was driving into the sun and that's not what racing is about."

"So I really hope they reconsider that," he added.

The 'twilight' concept was a compromise for the Melbourne and Sepang organisers, who baulked at the idea of having to install expensive floodlighting - as is the case for the Singapore Grand Prix - for a fully night-time race.

But Rosberg insists F1 should stage either daytime or properly floodlit events.

Interview with Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton delivered a superb drive at the Australian Grand Prix, taking the start from 18th on the grid and pushing all the way to fourth position. The result, accomplished at the wheel of an admittedly off-pace McLaren Mercedes MP4-24, showed just how much the reigning World Champion worked hard on the Albert Park track.

Pending Jarno Trulli's penalty appeal, Hamilton's fourth position was changed to a third-place result, giving the Briton an extra reward for his efforts.

Next Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix offers a very different venue however, as the demanding nature of the Sepang circuit will put the MP4-24 to a harsher test than was the case in Melbourne.

Within this Q&A appearing on his website, Hamilton looks back at his Australian race, considers the upcoming challenge in Malaysia, and reiterates his full confidence in the McLaren team's abilities in returning to the forefront.

Given all that's been said about the pace of the car, what were your thoughts ahead of the race on Sunday?

"I was sat on the grid thinking, 'Shall I take it a bit easy into the first corner, knowing it's a long race, and be patient... or shall I just go for it and try to overtake as many cars as I can before Turn One?' In the end, I decided to be cautious: I knew there was likely to be trouble going into the first corner and I didn't want to be part of it. Then, after that, I just put my foot down, and I didn't back off for the entire race."

We could see your commitment via the onboard footage - there were some hairy moments, particularly exiting Turn Nine.

"Yeah, actually Turn Nine was one of my best corners. The car was quite planted through there so I felt reasonably confident in getting the throttle down hard and being able to deal with the rear-end. In other places, it wasn't so easy. It felt like there were four or five times through each corner where the car could snap away from you. And I was pushing so hard, and you knew it was coming, you were waiting for it, worrying about it, knowing that the car was going to break away and you were going to have to wrestle it back under control. That happened in every corner for 58 laps - it was an exhausting race for me."

Do you think this was one of your best drives in Formula 1?

"It was one of the most unexpected results of my Formula 1 career and, yeah, I think it was one of my best drives too. I'm a fighter, I've never given up at any stage of my motorsport career - both on and off the track - and last weekend was the same. I pushed like crazy on every single lap of the race, always looked for the gap and worked with the team over the radio to find every possible way of making us go quicker."

"This was a fantastic result for me, but also a brilliant team effort - our strategy was perfect, the input from the pitwall was superb and everything came together really well. On paper, the result may not look as strong as our victories, but to come from 18th on the grid to finish third, in a car that we admit is not as good as it should be, is a mega achievement."

What did you learn from this race?

"I learnt to never, ever, ever, give up. We showed in Brazil last year that we would always fight until the very end, and we showed it again in Melbourne yesterday (Sunday). I'll never give up when I'm in the cockpit - I want to race as hard as I can and I'm looking forward to getting closer to the front and mixing it with the leaders again. Also, Melbourne gave us a clearer idea of which teams have done the best job over the winter."

"I've got to say again how much respect and admiration I've got for Ross Brawn and all the men and women at Brawn GP. They've done an awesome job over the winter, worked so hard in such difficult circumstances, that it must have been a dream come true for them to finish one-two with Jenson (Button) and Rubens (Barrichello). He must have had a very worrying winter, and he certainly had a few tough years before that, so he really deserves this success. It must have been a brilliant feeling for him to be able to stand on the podium yesterday (Sunday), waving to his team. I saw a photo of the podium on the internet this morning - he looked really, really happy. They've shown just what an incredible sport we have and just how unpredictable F1 can be - I just wish I could have been on the podium to share his celebrations on Sunday."

Why are you so confident that McLaren Mercedes can bounce back?

"Because we haven't forgotten how to win. We're a world-class team, in fact, and while we're not yet at the front, everything within the McLaren Technology Centre is equipped to help us get back there as quickly as possible. From the strategists, the manufacturing capacity, the management, the mechanics - everybody has what it takes to win Grand Prix and World Championships. That's why I'm so confident that we'll get back to the front soon. I think Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is the strongest team in Formula 1 - and I know just how hard we are focusing on improving MP4-24. That's why I feel so confident that our performance will improve."

Is that something we'll see in Malaysia this weekend?

"The Malaysian Grand Prix is the second of two back-to-back flyaway races, and it's difficult for any team to make big changes to the car when it's so far away from the factory and there's so little time. Also, technically speaking, Sepang is a harder test of a Formula 1 car than Albert Park, so we can't realistically expect a repeat of the result we saw in Melbourne. But we're targeting upgrades and improvements at every race, so I hope they'll have a benefit. I know people are hoping for a night-and-day change in our car's pace, but that's not going to happen this coming weekend."

So when will it happen?

"The aerodynamicists and engineers are working round the clock back at Woking to make us competitive. We're taking huge steps forward and I'm confident we'll show definite signs of progress sooner rather than later."

Thank you Lewis.

"Thank you."

Nakajima will fit for Malaysian GP

Kazuki Nakajima insists he is fully fit to tackle the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Just four days before he was due to begin practicing at the Sepang circuit, the Japanese driver had a heavy crash into Albert Park's concrete walls during the 2009 season-opener.

The 24-year-old admitted blame for the lap 17 shunt and headed to the circuit medical centre for a precautionary check.

"Everything is fine and physically I am okay," the Williams driver said last Sunday.

However, Nakajima has now revealed that he knocked his hand in the impact at Turn Four.

"It was quite a big impact," he said, "but I'm fine except for a sore knuckle on my left hand. I'll be fine to race in Malaysia."

Alonso - Sepang will show the real Renault pace

Renault's pace in Malaysia this weekend will reveal whether the French team is set for a "difficult year" or not, according to Fernando Alonso.

The Spaniard qualified his R29 twelfth in Melbourne before racing to sixth, but he believes his speed at Albert Park may not reflect Renault's true form for the rest of the 2009 season.

"The (Australian) circuit is very unique making it hard to draw conclusions," he said in an interview with Spain's Diario Sport newspaper.

"We have to have a bit more patience. In Malaysia if we don't go into the Q3 (qualifying phase) it will mean that we are probably not fast enough and we are going to have a difficult year," the 27-year-old declared.

"I believe that we are going to be more competitive (at Sepang) but anyway it will give us a better idea of where we are," added Alonso.

He said his goal for Malaysia is to qualify in the top five.

Alonso explained: "It is a very demanding circuit for cars, the same with Shanghai, where we will really see who is fast and if we have a good car."

F1 Medical Car new driver

The official Formula One medical car has a new full-time driver.

Late last year, Alex Wurz and Sebastien Buemi stepped in to drive the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Estate, reportedly because its regular driver, Dr Jacques Tropenat, had fallen ill.

It is not known why Tropenat, a former Le Mans driver, has not returned to the role in 2009, but last year he was promoted to become the FIA's deputy director of medical affairs.

At Albert Park last weekend, 29-year-old South African race driver Alan van der Merwe made his debut as medical car driver, and he will remain in the role for the whole 2009 season.

The former BAR/Honda test driver landed the job due to his links with FIA official David Lowe, who was formerly van der Merwe's team manager at the Carlin British F3 team in 2003.

Van der Merwe has also raced in F3000 and A1GP, and in 2006 was Honda's driver for its Bonneville land-speed record attempts.

Glock - Overtaking more harder without KERS

According to Timo Glock, F1's 2009 regulations have made it even harder to overtake some cars.

One of the main objectives of the new rules, including the introduction of KERS boost buttons and the radical shape of the bodywork, is to make passing less of a rarity.

But after last Sunday's season opener in Australia, Toyota driver Glock said he had rarely found following a rival car as difficult as at Albert Park.

"It's unbelievable how much downforce I lost behind him (Fernando Alonso)," the German told GP Week, when speaking about his battle with the Renault.

"Behind Kimi and the Ferraris it was a bit easier but with Fernando I had no chance and every time I was close enough I lost the downforce overall," Glock added.

The voluntary deployment of KERS technology, meanwhile, means that some cars this season are equipped with a power boost-button, while others - like the Toyota - are not.

27-year-old Glock revealed: "Every time I was behind a car it was a KERS car and I just lost the downforce, and when I was close enough they just pressed the (KERS) button and I had no chance."

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Ferrari confirm to use KERS again in Malaysia

Ferrari will again use active KERS systems throughout the Malaysian grand prix weekend, despite suspecting the technology played a role in the team's lack of pace in Australia.

Team boss Stefano Domenicali said problems managing the tyres at Albert Park was a leading factor in the F60's struggle for speed.

"Tyre use is also linked to KERS, so there are many things that we need to understand now very quickly," the Italian is quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Many teams, having spent a lot of time and money developing the newly allowable energy re-use technology in the winter, decided that the compromise in weight distribution is not offset by the 82 horse power bursts.

Domenicali said BMW-Sauber's Robert Kubica - not running KERS - had a similar strategy in Melbourne last Sunday "but they did not destroy the rear tyres like we did".

"It is something that we must consider: the KERS and the weight distribution," he added. "But in Malaysia we will use KERS again.

Vettel - "I have the feeling Brawn's were playing with us"

Brawn GP recorded a one-two victory in Melbourne, but it seems the former Honda team could have destroyed rather than simply beaten its competition.

BMW-Sauber figures expressed huge disappointment about Robert Kubica's late crash with Sebastian Vettel last Sunday, insisting the Pole could have raced up to eventual winner Jenson Button and passed him.

"That's interesting," Briton Button, 29, grinned as he reflected on his win in St. Kilda - a beach suburb near Melbourne - before having to jet off to Malaysia.

"I don't think Kubica has any idea about whether I was driving as fast as I could have," he added coyly.

Red Bull's Vettel, seemingly matching his Mercedes-powered rival as he ran second to Button for most of the 58-lap race, suspects the Brawn driver's hint is indeed true.

"I have the feeling they (Brawn) were playing with us," the German told Auto Motor und Sport.

An unnamed Brawn team figure is quoted by Britain's Guardian newspaper as also suggesting the Brackley camp did not display its full pace throughout the 2009 season opening race weekend.

"It is just foolish to just annihilate people all the time," he said. "I think we have a little bit in the bag. We've got good stuff coming and I think we have reason to be confident," he said.

Button - Brawn GP future still unknown with financial problems

Jenson Button was all smiles as he lapped up the sun and spoils of victory before jetting to Malaysia, but he admits winning the Australian grand prix is no guarantee of a sound future for Brawn GP.

As he took in a light lunch near the beach with his new girlfriend Jessica at the Stokehouse restaurant near Albert Park, he told reporters he is so excited about the 2009 season that he is having trouble sleeping at nights.

But although reaping the benefits of departed Honda's huge investment last year, the long development path of the BGP001 car, and a power boost in the form of customer Mercedes-Benz engines, 29-year-old Button admits the car's mostly blank livery tells another story.

"We haven't got the budget but, hopefully, we will and hopefully people will take an interest in what we have done with a pretty plain (liveried) car," the Briton is quoted as saying by the UK's Express tabloid.

The much-feted Virgin linkup, estimated by analysts as worth millions of dollars in terms of TV exposure alone in Melbourne, is still just a $500,000 two-race deal, with most of the 2009 budget coming from money pledged by Honda in order to keep the team alive and avoid staff redundancy payouts.

Button, who led a one-two victory for the Brackley camp last Sunday, added: "Our factory and facilities are very good, it is just whether we've enough money to run the machines. I am hoping and guessing it is going to be ok. It would be a waste otherwise," said Button.

McLaren Mercedes - Malaysian GP - Preview

It wasn't the best of races for the McLaren Mercedes team in Australia, with 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton starting from the rear following bad qualifying pace and a gearbox change penalty.

Come race time on Sunday, Heikki Kovalainen was hit by Mark Webber's spinning Red Bull at the first corner; a punctured tyre and broken suspension sent the Finn back into the pitlane as he retired from the race.

Despite struggling with an off-pace MP4-24, Hamilton was aiming for points and pushed his way from beginning to end as he embarked on an aggressive strategy, reaching a remarkable fourth position at the finish line.

However, the stewards considered that Toyota's third-placed Jarno Trulli committed a mistake while the Safety Car was on track late in the race and called a 25-second penalty. The Toyota team intends to appeal the decision, but in the meantime Hamilton is promoted to the final step of the podium.

With the eventful Australian race behind them, the McLaren Mercedes team members now head for the fearsome heat and humidity of Malaysia, where the second round of the 2009 season will take place this upcoming week-end at the Sepang circuit.

Lewis Hamilton:
"Firstly, we shouldn't get carried away by our podium in Australia. Yes, we had a fantastic race but we're all aware that our car isn't capable of repeating that sort of performance on sheer pace alone.
And Sepang is one of the tougher tracks on the calendar, one where we will probably be further from the frontrunners than we were in Albert Park. The track is both fast and technical so requires good mechanical and aero grip. It's much more aero-dependent and rear-limited than Melbourne so it may highlight some of the shortcomings in MP4-24. Nevertheless, we're all really encouraged by the progress we've made and I know we'll be pushing as hard as ever to put more points on the board in Sepang."

Heikki Kovalainen:
"The Sepang track is a challenge because it requires several compromises to get the best set-up. There are plenty of long straights, where you ideally need lower downforce, but that gives the car a tendency to slide too much through the high-speed corners. The best corners are Turns Six and Seven – the fast left-right esses behind the pits. In the car, you've not only got to find the optimum balance, but also make sure the brakes and cooling are efficient, otherwise you'll be in trouble before you get to the end of the race. The only difficulty for me is the heat; coming from Finland, we often see the same temperature-readings – but with a minus in front!"

Martin Whitmarsh, Team Principal:
"Despite a good result in the race, our performance in the Australian Grand Prix was not what we would like it to be, and the reality is that this weekend's race in Malaysia is unlikely to offer a significant improvement in fortunes. Nevertheless, we are still pushing to introduce performance to the car – the close proximity to the opening race means there won't be many large changes to the car but there will be several upgrades to existing components. For us, the mission is clear: we must introduce laptime to our car faster than our rivals to enable us to, firstly, catch the leading runners and then to be able to compete against them. It's a task we take incredibly seriously and are confident that progress will be made sooner rather than later."

Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
"With Lewis in third place, the season opener in Melbourne ended much better for us than we had expected after his 18th grid position. Compared to our test results in Barcelona two and a half weeks ago, we made a good step. This result was mainly due to Lewis' perfect drive and a good strategy by our team. Moreover, some of the incidents in the race went in our favour. However, we cannot expect the same again this coming weekend in Malaysia. We all will work flat out to improve our technical package further – that's a promise."

BMW Sauber - Malaysian GP - Preview

The Australian Grand Prix did not provide the points the BMW Sauber team wished for: Nick Heidfeld claimed 10th position, while Robert Kubica's almost-assured podium expectations came to an abrupt end three laps from the finish when Sebastian Vettel collided with his car.

The BMW Sauber F1 Team now travels to the home of its premium partner Petronas for the second round of the 2009 World Championship. The Twin Towers, the company's head office, are a major landmark of Kuala Lumpur.

The Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang circuit normally takes place in extreme heat, making it one of the toughest races of the season for drivers, team personnel and the cars.

Robert Kubica:
"We have a lot of fans in Malaysia and it is really a special feeling to drive there. The race went extremely well for me last year. Of course I hope that we can get a strong result again this time around. I'm really looking forward to this GP, as this is a unique track with a wide variety of corners; some are seriously quick, but others are very slow. And in some places you can choose different lines, which makes it particularly interesting. The final sector is very different from the other two, as it has just two long straights and a hard braking area.
This track really offers everything, and that means it demands a lot of the car. The later start time means there is a pretty strong chance of rain. I'm sure that we are in for an extremely interesting weekend."

Nick Heidfeld:
"For me Sepang is a nice, challenging circuit. Last year I managed to pull off some good overtaking moves there. The heat is always an issue, coupled with a high level of humidity. However, I've never had a problem with it and am particularly fit this year. We've often experienced cloudbursts in Malaysia in the late afternoon and early evening. This year's schedule increases the chances that we will still be on the track at this time. Hopefully it will still be light enough. I always feel very much at ease in Malaysia."

Toyota - Malaysian GP - Preview

The Malaysian Grand Prix has been a fixture on the Formula 1 calendar since 1999, with Sepang hosting its 11th Grand Prix this year. Prior to that the Malaysian Grand Prix was an event for other racing series, running intermittently from 1962-1995.

Toyota Racing is quickly in action again with the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang, following just days after the season got under way in Australia. Heat and tremendous humidity await the team this coming week-end.

Toyota has proud memories of Sepang, which was the scene for its first Formula 1 podium back in 2005 when Jarno Trulli finished second. Last year the Italian again showed his mastery of Malaysia by finishing a superb fourth place while Timo Glock suffered an unlucky retirement when another car caused an accident.

Jarno Trulli:
"I generally go really well in Malaysia and I have had some strong results there so I am approaching this race with great confidence. We achieved a great breakthrough in Malaysia in 2005 when I got the team's first podium in Formula 1 so I have good memories which will inspire me this weekend. Of course one of the big topics in Malaysia is the heat and humidity, which is quite a challenge for the drivers. It's not easy but that's why I train so much over the winter; I'm fit and it will be fine. Australia was a weekend of highs and lows but we showed that we are very competitive and I hope we can do that again this weekend."

Timo Glock:
"I don't have much experience of racing in Malaysia because I was taken out so early last year, but from the practice and qualifying I know the conditions are quite extreme. It's also pretty tough on the cars and tyres as well but I can adapt quickly to different conditions and different tracks so I'm ready for the challenge. I said before the season started that our car looked pretty good and the performance we showed in Australia proved that. It's great to have good points on the board already this season and my goal is obviously to add to that this weekend. We have every reason to be optimistic."

John Howett, President:
"Australia was a very challenging weekend for the team but we responded extremely well to it and the performance was a credit to everyone. We showed extremely strong pace in the race and all our work has clearly delivered a competitive car which we expect to show again in Malaysia."

Bruno Senna on Force India list

Vijay Mallya has admitted interest in Bruno Senna, the 2008 GP2 runner-up who narrowly missed a seat on this year's Formula One grid.

25-year-old Senna, the nephew of the great Ayrton Senna, was a favourite for the cockpit alongside Jenson Button in 2009, until Ross Brawn completed the management buyout of the former Honda team and opted instead for Rubens Barrichello's experience in completing the Brawn GP line-up.

Indian billionaire Mallya is the owner and team boss of the Force India operation, who reportedly considered making a driver change for 2009 but instead opted for stability in keeping Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil.

"There were too many changes I was making with the team," he told the British Sunday newspaper the Observer.

"We had management changes and I wanted to have some stability and continuity," explained Mallya.

But he indicates that a change next year is on the cards, given that 36-year-old Italian veteran Fisichella is closer to the end of his career than the beginning.

"I know that Giancarlo is reaching the end of his racing career, it may not be next year but he is certainly at the tail end," Mallya said.

"There are youngsters waiting in the wings -- one of them is Bruno Senna and we all thought he would be signed by Brawn GP but they went with Barrichello. We will look at the youngsters at the appropriate time," he added.

Abu Dhabi ready for Formula 1

Organisers of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix have rubbished reports the Yas Marina circuit will not be ready to host the 2009 season finale.

Rumours last weekend, and subsequent reports in the Canadian press, suggested the defunct Montreal race could be revived in order to substitute for Abu Dhabi, whose project may be delayed by the global financial crisis.

But Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management (ADMM) said tickets for the November 1 race went on sale on Monday.

"Progress on the construction of Yas Marina Circuit (...) is on track and there are no concerns regarding delivery deadlines," a statement issued by ADMM read.

"Abu Dhabi is excited to host the world on November 1st and we would love for Canadians to visit us and enjoy our country and hospitality, and to experience the thrill of motorsports with us," the press release added.

Italy dissapointed by Ferrari performance

The Italian press reacted with surprise and disappointment following Ferrari's terrible start to the 2009 championship.

The double retirement in Australia was reportedly the Maranello team's worst start to a season since South Africa in 1992, when both scarlet cars expired with engine failures.

"The Ferrari was slow and fragile," Corriere dello Sport summarised of the Albert Park race, where Felipe Massa stopped with a mechanical problem and Kimi Raikkonen was asked to retire with a few laps to go, having survived a spin into the wall.

Also referring to the F60 single seater, a standout of the winter test season, Tuttosport added: "It was much slower than expected."

Tyre management and poor strategy choices no doubt contributed to Ferrari's performance, and team boss Stefano Domenicali revealed to reporters that engineers will be looking closely at how the weight implications of the KERS system played a role.

"In my opinion, apart from the Brawns, we are competitive.
The solution for Malaysia is to work, work, work," said Felipe Massa, who was seventh fastest in qualifying.

While Ferrari is hoping for better this weekend, F1's other 2008 title protagonist McLaren knows it faces an even harsher challenge on the long curves of Sepang.

"There probably will be a bigger difference between us and the Brawn car (in Malaysia)," World Champion Lewis Hamilton admitted. "We'll be a little further behind."

"Hopefully by China and from then on we will be a little bit closer," he added.

Toyota appeal for Trulli podium

Toyota faces an uphill battle to appeal its lost Melbourne podium, but the Japanese team does have a valid case to argue.

Jarno Trulli's third place and champagne celebrations became twelfth on the official classification, after stewards ruled he illegally overtook Lewis Hamilton behind the Safety Car.

The Italian had been running third when the Safety Car came out late in the race, but he dropped behind the McLaren driver in an off-track moment.

"Trulli took back the place under the Safety Car," said McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh at the time of the investigation.

The stewards of the meeting agreed, promoting Hamilton to third, but Trulli insisted that he only passed the Briton because he had "suddenly slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road."

"I thought he had a problem," the 34-year-old said, "so I overtook him as there was nothing else I could do."

The rules permit overtaking under the Safety Car in such circumstances.

The problem for Toyota is the inadmissibility of appeals for post-race 25-second penalties, because if the incident had occurred earlier in the race, the penalty would have taken the form of a drive-through, which is not subject to appeal.

Toyota snuck in its appeal through a loophole, by lodging it not with the stewards of the meeting, but with the local clerk of the course.

The team has two days to formalise its appeal in writing.

If it allows the procedure, the Court of Appeal would be faced with a difficult decision. Hamilton has been quoted by Speed TV as admitting that - after passing Trulli following the Toyota's off - he was then "told (by McLaren) to let him back past."

Hamilton presumably then pulled over and slowed, which would seem to corroborate Trulli's explanation that he only passed the Briton because "there was nothing else I could do."

Fernando Alonso was unimpressed with KERS

Fernando Alonso was unimpressed with the performance of his KERS system in Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.

The Spaniard's Renault was one of just seven cars fitted with the controversial new energy re-use technology in Melbourne.

"It was not very useful," he told Spain's AS sports newspaper. "In terms of lap time we knew it doesn't give us an advantage, but I used it when I was right behind Glock - without a KERS - and the truth is that it was no help at all."

"At this circuit there was no benefit," Alonso added. "But let's see what happens at tracks with very long straights, like Bahrain, or Monza."

However, Toyota's Timo Glock reported during the race that he was unable to pass Alonso's Renault because the Spaniard kept using his KERS system to reopen the gap between them.

"It was difficult to overtake," said Glock, whose car was not KERS-equipped in Australia.

Schumacher not agreed with Vettel penalty

Michael Schumacher in Australia questioned the stewards' decision to penalise his countryman Sebastian Vettel.

Vettel, driving for Red Bull, apologised to his team and BMW's Robert Kubica for the crash near the end of the 2009 season opener.

The 21-year-old was also quoted by media as calling himself "an idiot", and it is believed he was equally as frank during the stewards' inquiry.

However, not everyone agreed that Vettel was entirely to blame, as he tried to defend his second place to the charging Kubica.

"He (Vettel) was on the inside - he couldn't make his car dissolve into thin air," Ferrari advisor and seven time world champion Schumacher said at Albert Park, according to Germany's Bild newspaper.

1982 world champion Keke Rosberg remarked that Vettel may have been penalised because he is an overly "honest chap".

Stewards ruled that he caused the crash and ordered Vettel to start ten places lower than his qualifying position in Malaysia this weekend.

"I think it's hard but we just have to accept it," Sebastian said.

Alonso - Brawn GP could win every race this season

If the design of the 2009 Brawn car does not change, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello could win every race this season.

That is the suggestion of double world champion Fernando Alonso, whose Renault crossed the finish line sixth in Sunday's season opening Australian grand prix.

The Mercedes-powered BGP001 car - and also the Toyota and Williams - is the subject of high controversy, with many teams questioning the legality of its so-called 'double diffuser' at the rear.

The piece is the subject of a hearing on April 14 of the International Court of Appeal.

"They (Brawn) are on another level to everybody else," Spaniard Alonso told his native country's AS sports newspaper. "They're running rings around us because they are playing in another division. If the Court does nothing on April 14, you can assume that they will win 17 races."

It was rumoured that McLaren might be set to join or actively support the appeal, but Mercedes' Norbert Haug told Germany's SID news agency that the team instead needs to put all its energy into making the MP4-24 more competitive.

But he said: "We agree totally with the protesting teams that a wrong interpretation of the regulations has been done."

Haug pointed out, however, that only four per cent of cases before the Court of Appeal succeed.

Former triple world champion Niki Lauda said it is simplistic to put the speed of the Brawn car entirely down to its diffuser. "It has many precise, innovative and detailed solutions that altogether makes the car very strong," the Austrian told Germany's Sport Bild.

"To say that the diffuser alone is the secret is complete rubbish," he added. "That's a cheap excuse. The fact is, Ross Brawn has simply done the best job."

Five teams try to copying Brawn GP diffuser design

At least five teams have already turned their attention to copying the Brawn-esque diffuser design, according to gossip as the Albert Park paddock packed up ahead of this week's dash to Malaysia.

The appeal against the stewards' decision to allow the controversial diffusers to race in Australia will only be heard in Paris next month, but it is rumoured that BMW, Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Renault are resigned to going down the path of readying for a negative outcome.

"For us it is not really possible to copy it," BMW's Nick Heidfeld told the German news agency SID, "because not everything on our car can be changed at short notice."

Red Bull's Christian Horner added : "The ramifications could be the whole rear half of the car which obviously has a huge amount of cost implications in a not fantastic economic time."

Whispers indicate McLaren is quite advanced with a 'double decker' diffuser design, and the Spanish newspaper Marca said Renault - despite boss Flavio Briatore's anger - is also working on the issue.

The sports newspaper said the same is true for Ferrari, while Fernando Alonso could be racing a new diffuser by the time of next month's Chinese grand prix.

"What is happening with the diffusers is stupid, forcing teams to spend money in a time of crisis," Briatore fumed.

"It is also about safety: we have already put similar pieces in our wind tunnel and it gives 14 per cent more downforce. That is not in the spirit of the regulations. And once they are developed we could be talking 30 or 40 per cent additional," Briatore added.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner said the team's design department began investigating the 'double diffuser' weeks ago during winter testing.

"There is lap time to be gained," he told the BBC.

"The diffuser issues opens up a development path that was not previously open. That is potentially big performance gain because the floor is the most powerful aerodynamic tool on the car," Horner added.

Montreal Mayor respond Ecclestone statement

Talks with Bernie Ecclestone about reviving the Canadian Grand Prix have taken place, Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay said on Sunday.

He was responding to reports that the race could return to the calendar this year, as a substitute for the inaugural Abu Dhabi round, whose organisers have reportedly fallen behind schedule amid the global financial crisis.

"We have been talking with Bernie Ecclestone about it coming back in 2011 and 2010," Tremblay confirmed to the Montreal Gazette.

However, he stated that he would be reluctant simply to offer Montreal as a one-off substitute for Abu Dhabi.

"We don't want to have it just in 2009. We want a long term agreement that respects our ability to pay," said Tremblay.

He insists, however, that Montreal organisers would be able to arrange an event this year, with the Melbourne rumours hinting at an October date.

"We have a lot of good people who have organised the races for many years," he said.

Promoters of the traditional Canadian round at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve fell out with F1 Chief Executive Ecclestone last year over a dispute about race fees.

An earlier dispute also saw the other North American round, the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis, stage its last race in 2007.

F1's first 'twilight' successed

F1's first 'twilight' race was a success for Melbourne, Victorian state premier John Brumby said on Monday.

Despite some drivers complaining of poorer visibility, he said the television images beamed around the world as the sun set low in the sky "couldn't be better."

Sunday's official crowd figure at Albert Park was 105,000, three thousand less than for the 2008 afternoon race.

But major events minister Tim Holding said : "We're in very difficult economic times, so it's not unreasonable that people are cautious as to how they spend their money."

Premier Brumby backed organisers' agreement with Bernie Ecclestone to stage the race later in the day, to better serve the European TV audience.

"Melbourne is an absolute picture, Albert Park is a picture, and the vision, the images that are going overseas now at a better viewing time just couldn't be better," he said.

Drivers and Constructors Standings (Click to enlarge)

2009 FIA Formula 1 Drivers Championship Standings




2009 FIA Formula 1 Constructors Championship Standings

Australian GP - Race Press Conference - Button, Barrichello and Trulli

The following is a transcript of the official FIA press conference taken just after the chequered flag today in Melbourne. Jenson Button dominated the Australian event to record a historic win for the new Brawn Mercedes team while Rubens Barrichello recovered to finish second in his BGP 001. Jarno Trulli took the chequered flag in third position and talks of his day ahead of if exclusion from a points-paying position.

Q: Jenson, mayhem in front of you perhaps and certainly the mayhem behind you showed how much things could have gone wrong for you today. But from where we sat it looked like a beautiful day at the races.
Jenson BUTTON: I think it always looks easier than it is. The first few laps of the race were great for me and I could settle into a pace, but then when the safety car came out I struggled massively to get heat into the tyres. The car was hitting the ground and just before the safety car pulled in I flat-spotted the tyre pretty severely. I was struggling quite a bit with vibration and with the poor light as well. Being in the front it should be easy, but it was not easy at all. I tell you that. But an amazing day. Some people might say it is a pity it finished under the safety car, but I don’t care. I won the race today and that is all I care about. I have got to say a massive thank you to everyone for this.
It has been a traumatic few months for all of us, as I have said already, but I can’t put it out there how tough it has been, so I have got to say thank you to the whole team. But also to my family for being so strong as it has been difficult.

Q: Rubens, backing up the team performance with a brilliant second place proving the car is not only quick but also incredibly strong.
Rubens BARRICHELLO: It is strong, very strong. I was hit from behind and I hit someone in front. It was a tough race and as Jenson just said, it wasn’t an easy race, but for me I never thought I could finish on the podium after the start. I hit anti-stall, so the car went into neutral. I recovered quite quickly but then I lost a lot of pace compared to people and I was hit from behind from a McLaren and that put me sideways and I hit someone really hard. I thought the car was done from that crash but I survived quite well, but on my first stint my nose was falling apart and I lost the braking stability when I hit Kimi as well. He closed the door and I couldn’t avoid him. I had a lot of mixed emotions during the race, but it was fantastic. I started second but could only hope for one better but after the start I am delighted to be here with the second place.

Q: Jarno, in some respects starting from the pit lane was the best place to start, given what happened at the first corner.
Jarno TRULLI: Well, after yesterday’s disappointment this was a great day, especially for my team. I started from the pit and I was lucky enough to get away from the first corner accident. From that time on I was just pushing, pushing, pushing really hard because the car was good. This is a great result and especially I would like to thank my Panasonic Toyota team because they have made a lot of effort and this result is entirely down to them as they have done a god job over the winter time to give me a fantastic car, so after yesterday we bounced back today to show that we are doing things the right way.

Q: Jenson, you said the light was getting bad and the temperature was dropping and after your second pit stop you are emerging on the softer of the two Bridgestone tyres and the pressure is on with Robert Kubica on the hard tyre.
JB: You know, I really made a mistake in my pit stop and it was frustrating. I was in second gear when I came into the box and the neutral didn’t work. It only works in first gear but I was just confused with Massa in front and that lost us a hell of a lot of time, so they just about got the nozzle on after they had done the tyres. That cost me five or six seconds which was a mistake but the good thing was we came out on top anyway with that. There is something to come from me and something to come from the team as well. I made it difficult for us today but we got there.

Q: What were the conditions like right at the end with the shade and the drop in temperatures?
JB: It was really difficult. It is strange for such an open circuit, you could not see the exit of the corners at all. I used a visor that was slightly tinted and that was the correct thing to do. But with the glare from the sun and the change in light from the trees it was so difficult. It was so easy to put a wheel wrong and the problem was the bad light was always on the most difficult corners, so it made it tough and on the prime tyre also we were struggling for heat. I just couldn’t get any heat in the tyres in the second stint.

Q: Rubens, you said that you started second. Explain what happened at the start.
RB: Well, revs are on and my car moved and stopped and that’s when I hit anti-stall. Anti-stall is a protection from the engine that you have. You jump into neutral if you don’t have the right revs. I went on the inside but the McLaren, I don’t know who, I hit it really fast on my back and then I hit the other car which was a Red Bull or Toro Rosso. It was a fairly big hit and I thought my race was over, but one thing we can say is that with the crash if people think that our car is only good because of the diffuser, well, that big hit from behind broke the diffuser completely. The car was very strong after that. It didn’t have a fantastic pace as the temperature dropped but it had a pace, so still a good car after all.

Q: Jarno, a brilliant race from the pit lane but your race really came alive in those closing stages when on lap 56 Robert Kubica attacked Sebastian Vettel with Vettel on the soft tyre and Robert on the harder tyre and I think you going through the debris after this.
JT: Well, there have been a lot of things going on during this race. Mainly I was trying to push as hard as possible in order to catch up. I made a lot of overtaking during the whole race, at the beginning of the session as well as in the middle and in the end. I didn’t know what was going on as my only target was to push as hard as possible to finish as high as possible and somehow I was lucky but once again I have to thank the team as we had a fantastic car, so I could do it.

Q: Jenson, at the 1954 French Grand Prix Juan Manuel Fangio led a one-two for Mercedes. That was the last time a team making its debut had a one-two finish. You did that today with a Mercedes engine behind you. Your emotions and your thoughts at the end of this momentous occasion?
JB: It is not just for me, but for the whole team. This is a fairy tale ending really to the first race of our career together and I hope that we can continue this way and I know we are going to fight to keep this car competitive and with the limited resources we have to keep it at the front. The whole team has done a good job and this has got to continue as this is where I think we deserve to be and we have worked very hard for this. So thank you very much to the team and bring on Malaysia.

Q: Jenson, someone is going to pinch you in a moment and you are going to wake up.
JB: I said on the radio to my engineer ‘can you please pinch me next time round.’ It was at the start of the race after five laps when I had a five second lead or something, but yes, a special moment.

Q: Can you believe being on pole in a brand new car and now winning as well?
JB: Yeah, I mean Rubens made it sort of easy for me on the first timed lap when I was able to pull out four or five seconds in the first couple of laps. That was nice and I just settled into a nice rhythm. I was keeping Vettel’s times in check, just knowing what he was doing and just trying to pace myself. It was all looking reasonably good and then we got the first safety car and I massively struggled to get heat into the tyres. That is something we have not had an issue with before, but I was really struggling with the car bottoming and when I braked to start again when the safety car came in I locked the front left up and had a massive flat spot. It made the next stint very difficult, especially with the poor light, as I couldn’t see any of the corner exits and we were able to plough on and still put reasonably good lap times in. On my last stop I overshot the box a little bit and they couldn’t get the hose on for about four or five seconds, so that lost us more time. It wasn’t my best race I must say but I still won, so I am chuffed to bits. I know there is more room for improvement from myself and from team which is the exciting thing. I think it is just being out of practice for so long and not doing that much testing over the winter.

Q: What about that final stint and especially with Robert Kubica on the harder tyres?
JB: I actually wasn’t worried. I knew when I came out in front of Vettel that I would be fine as I knew that we could look after the tyre. The thing with the last stint was not to push and try and see what was the best time I could do. I was purposely driving very slowly for what pace I think we could do to look after the tyres. I wasn’t turning in aggressively to any corners. I think I could have been in the mid 1.28‘s but we were taking an easy route to stop the graining because as soon as that graining starts you see what happens as Vettel lost a massive amount of time behind me and I was able to just plough on doing my mid 1.29’s when he was in the 1.30’s, so I wasn’t worried once I was out in front of Vettel and I knew we could bring it home from there.

Q: And your thoughts about Ross Brawn and everything he has done?
JB: You don’t find Ross speechless very often but the last 15 minutes I would be surprised if he said a word. When we saw him when we went up to the podium he had nothing to say. The big bear was just there speechless. It was good to see as it was a very emotional day for him as it is for us as well.

Q: And in one week’s time Malaysia?
JB: I’m all for it. I cannot wait. It is a circuit I really enjoy and hopefully we can iron out some of the problems we had here. It is going to be a good race I think. It is never as easy as you think it is going to be and today was reasonably tough and the pace of Vettel was pretty strong. And with the safety cars it does mix up everything. Fair play to Rubens and Jarno, they did a great job to finish second and third. Some of it I am sure was the safety car and it makes it tough. Even though I am on pole, in first position, it is still not an easy place to be.

Q: Rubens, well done to you too. Again, I’m sure you couldn’t have imagined this result.
RB: Well, after putting the car into second place yesterday I was hoping that we could finish first and second but right after the start, like a millisecond after the start, I never really thought we could have imagined to finish first and second. It was a tough afternoon but I had a lot of adventure there. There was a lot of overtaking. I think I kept some of the guys awake in Brazil. It was three o’ clock in the morning, so I think they had reasons to keep awake. I’m pleased. My afternoon was great in a difficult car, let’s put it that way, because some of the bits were broken. We could see a drop in performance in terms of aerodynamics, when I was hit from behind by the McLaren, and then I hit someone on the side because of that. I had to change the nose, I had a difficult pit stop as well. There was no one to blame. We had 1500 kilometres (testing) each, one day for the mechanics to get used to things. They didn’t have a lot of sleep before they came here, so it’s all a dream really, to say that we finished first and second for a new team. It was funny to see Ross that way, not even at Ferrari did I see him like that. It looked like it was his first win, so it was really amazing.

Q: What about that very late second stop? It really was right at the end.
RB: Yeah, I think the team was trying to capitalise on the problems that we went through and made it as long as possible. We knew that the softer of the two tyres could have some graining issues, so with the small problems that I had driving the car, I was very happy to keep the pace with the guys in front on three stops. And then I had a fantastic car when I put on the softer tyres, even though there were some bits missing it was a good car to drive. But I was looking after it and all of a sudden I heard on the radio ‘crash, crash, crash. Be careful.’ And then I saw the two cars going off the track and it gave me second position which was great.

Q: Jarno, I get the feeling that you’re just a little frustrated. Maybe there’s the thought of what could have been if you hadn’t started from the pit lane?
JT: Well, many things happened this weekend, plenty of emotion, some highs, some lows, so it’s difficult to say if you’re happy or not. At the moment, I’m not completely happy with myself because I could have done well, but on the other hand if you look at the result we have all done a great job after the big disappointment of yesterday, we proved that our car has nothing to do in terms of competitiveness regarding the little details which we have been disqualified for. On the other hand, qualifying yesterday went pretty badly. It was the only time when the car felt pretty bad and I don’t know why. On top of that I’ve been struggling all weekend with brakes, so all I had to do today was completely change the brakes to a different material, different things, something I never ran with this weekend. With all the experience I have, I didn’t think about it, I just went flat out, out of the pit lane. It was lacking at some stages of the race, at the beginning, because I gained a couple of positions because of crashes.”

“On the other hand, I don’t know if the TV showed them but I did some great moves and overtaking at the beginning of the race, in the middle of the race as well as at the end of the race. So I was a little bit unlucky because at one stage I fell behind Fisichella who was massively slower than me, something like one and a half seconds and I spent a lot of time, a lot of laps behind him which cost me so much track time. So I don’t know if I could have finished higher but anyway, all I want to say is thanks to the team, because the Panasonic Toyota team has done a great job over the winter and especially after yesterday’s disappointment, it’s a great way to hit back.

Red Bull and Vettel penalised

Contrary to earlier news, it has emerged that Sebastian Vettel was indeed penalised for his Australian Grand Prix crash with Robert Kubica.

We reported that the German was actually handed his ten-grid penalty for the forthcoming Malaysian round, and a $50,000 fine, for failing to promptly pull his heavily damaged Red Bull to the side of the track.

In fact, the Sepang grid penalty was for his crash with BMW's Kubica with three laps to go, when stewards ruled that Vettel caused the incident, a somewhat harsh decision.

"Should I have let him go? You always want to fight.
Maybe I should have said let him go and bring third back home, but that's life," said Vettel, who had been fighting with Pole Kubica for second place.

The $50,000 fine, meanwhile, was levied because Red Bull officials instructed the 21-year-old by radio to continue to race his three-wheeled car rather than pull it to the side of the Melbourne layout.

Trulli loses his 3rd podium finished

Following a stewards' inquiry, Jarno Trulli has been stripped of his podium finish in the Australian Grand Prix.

The FIA officials ruled that the Toyota driver overtook Lewis Hamilton under the safety car, after losing third position to the world champion by running off the track.

Italian Trulli received a 25 second time penalty, dropping him out of the points and into 12th position. McLaren's Hamilton was promoted to third, with Sebastien Bourdais joining the points-paying positions.

In another stewards' decision, Sebastian Vettel will be demoted ten places down the Malaysian Grand Prix grid in one week, and pay a $50,000 fine to the FIA.

The German was penalised not for his late collision with Robert Kubica, but for failing to pull his damaged Red Bull to the side of the track when requested.

Brawn GP - Australian GP - Race

Jenson Button led the Brawn GP team to victory in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix today, achieving his second Grand Prix win and capping a stunning debut race weekend for the British-based team. Team-mate Rubens Barrichello brought his BGP 001 car home in second position to achieve the first one-two finish for a new team since Mercedes Benz in 1954.

The two Brawn Mercedes cars started from the front row of the grid after dominating Saturday’s qualifying session. Button had a good start, maintaining his advantage into the first corner and establishing a strong lead over the field. From there he controlled the race, responding well to the first safety car period and recovering from a slow second stop which reduced his lead over Vettel to 1.5 seconds, before taking the chequered flag for a well-deserved victory at the end of the 58-lap race.

Rubens Barrichello had a somewhat more dramatic race with a difficult start off the line dropping him a few places and he subsequently sustained damage to his front wing and nose in a first corner collision with Mark Webber.

He battled with the damage for the first stint, survived a further collision with Kimi Raikkonen, and passed Nico Rosberg on track to be up to fourth by lap 53.

Barrichello took his podium finish when an incident between Vettel and Kubica put both cars out of the race with three laps to go promoting the Brazilian to second and bringing out the safety car which brought the field home.

Jenson Button
“What an amazing day! This is just a fairytale ending to the first race of our career together at Brawn GP.
It may have looked like an easy victory but it really wasn’t easy at all out there today but we brought the car home and that’s all that matters. This win is for me, my family and my team. It’s been a traumatic few months and I want to say a massive thank you to them all for being so strong and never losing belief. This weekend we have achieved everything that we deserve for all of our hard work over the past few months. And what’s so exciting is that there is so much more to come from myself and from this team. I can’t wait to get to Malaysia!”

Rubens Barrichello
“Well you could say that I had an eventful afternoon! I had a lot of mixed emotions during the race and honestly I am so delighted to have achieved second. It was really tough for me at the start as the anti-stall kicked in which cost me a few places off the line and then I was hit heavily from behind going into the first corner and thought my race was over. Thankfully the car survived and I was able to battle my way up to fourth and be in the position to take advantage of the accident between Vettel and Kubica. It just goes to show that you should never give up! Congratulations to Jenson for a fantastic win today and my heartfelt thanks to the team for providing us with such a good car. This is the start of a very exciting journey for us.”

Ross Brawn
“We have worked incredibly hard for this victory today and to see the dedication, commitment and sheer hard work come to fruition with Jenson and Rubens bringing home a one-two finish for Brawn GP at the first race of the season is immensely rewarding. After everything that our team has been through over the past four months, this is quite simply a sensational result. It is just the beginning for us and it wasn’t a perfect race by any means so we will learn from today and continue to improve. We have to keep developing the car throughout the season if we want to challenge for further wins and the championship."

"I would like to express our sincere thanks to Norbert Haug and Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines who have been so supportive over the past few months and have worked closely with the team to ensure we were in a position to go racing this year. Thanks also to Virgin, Henri Lloyd and all our team partners for having the vision to see what the team could do before today and wanting to be a part of it. It’s difficult to put into words what this win means to our team but I’m sure that I speak for every single one of them, here at the track and back at the factory in Brackley, when I say it has been a wonderful weekend.”

Toyota - Australian GP - Race

Toyota started the 2009 Formula One season with a trip to the podium and a double points finish in an exciting Australian Grand Prix.

Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock started from the pit lane but battling opening laps saw both fight their way up the order. Trulli started on the super soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres and made an early pit stop for mediums while Timo was initially on the mediums, preferring a longer first stint.

With plenty of incident elsewhere on the track, the two Toyotas made their way into the top ten, passing several cars on the way before a breath-taking final few laps.

Trulli's long final stint saw him move into the points when other cars made their final pit stops and he showed great pace to come within sight of the podium, which became a reality after a late accident for two rivals lifted him to third.

Glock chose to finish the race on the super soft tyres and passed several cars in a short final stint to take fifth as the race finished behind the safety car. Race stewards subsequently handed Jarno a 25s penalty for overtaking under safety car conditions, but the team has filed an appeal within the proscribed time period.

Jarno Trulli
"I can't say how disappointed I am to finish third but have the result questioned.
When the safety car came out towards the end of the race Lewis Hamilton passed me but soon after he suddenly slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road. I thought he had a problem so I overtook him as there was nothing else I could do. I would still like to say thank you to the team who have made a huge effort. The fact we were able to fight for the podium despite starting from the pit lane is down to them."

Timo Glock
"I am happy to finish fourth but obviously it is really disappointing for Jarno. For us to be fighting at the front like that after we started from the pit lane really shows the strong performance we have. This is proof that our car has real pace. It was a good race for me and I have to say thanks to the team for their hard work in achieving this. The race was pretty exciting but I was stuck behind the Renault of Alonso for quite a while and it was difficult to overtake. My car felt good but I couldn't find a way past, however when I was in clear air I was able to go about a second faster so the performance is definitely there. I said before the weekend that we looked strong judging by our winter performance and it's great to show that in race conditions."

Tadashi Yamashina, Team Principal
"This is an extremely frustrating way to finish a challenging weekend. Already we were disappointed to be starting from the pit lane after we were informed yesterday about the problem with our rear wing. We responded to that in a fantastic way and we showed that our car has genuine performance. I would like to thank everyone who is part of our team, not just the guys at the track but also everyone at the factory, our partners and our fans. It's sad that this result has been questioned but we have filed an appeal to give us more time to study the data and the situation."

Ferrari - Australian GP - Race

No points for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro at the end of the Australian Grand Prix, the opening round of the 2009 season. Kimi Raikkonen was classified sixteenth, after retiring on lap 55 with a differential problem, while Felipe Massa stopped in the pits on lap 45, with a broken left upright.

The opening race of the new season in Australia saw Ferrari leave empty handed. Starting sixth and seventh Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen opted to start the 58-lap race on the super soft option tyre but this aggressive strategy did not pay off.

It would prove academic anyway as mechanical problems sidelines Massa and following an off track excursion Kimi Raikkonen also pulled into the pits to retire.

Stefano Domenicali
“This was definitely not a start worthy of Ferrari, from any point of view. We were lacking on the reliability front, with two cars forced to retire. Our performance was not up to the potential we had expected after our winter testing: we struggled to manage the tyres. Furthermore, our strategy choices did not work out, especially in the case of Felipe. To sum up, it was a day to forget from the result point of view, but to remember well so as to try and analyse everything we failed in, in order to improve immediately."

"From that point of view, it’s good we have a race coming up immediately next week in Malaysia. It will give us the opportunity to react as long as we draw the right conclusions, calmly but also decisively.
Australia does not seem to have been a happy hunting ground for us these last few years: the circuit is a bit untypical where it could be that the pecking order is not so clear. It will be more evident in Sepang, but we are well aware that, apart from one team that was untouchable today, there are numerous other strong competitors.”

Felipe Massa
“We knew the Brawn GP cars would be unbeatable today, but all the same, we thought we could have a good race. The start was great, but after five or six laps, we ran into trouble with the soft tyres, to such an extent that we had to pit early. We then switched to a very aggressive strategy, which with hindsight turned out to be the wrong one, as shortly after the pit stop, the safety car came out on track. I found myself third, but after the restart, I had less than ten laps to try and make up ground on those who were behind me, but with more fuel."

"At the second stop, we filled it for the finish, but then I was very slow and finally, I had the problem which forced me to retire. In my opinion, apart from the Brawns, we are competitive, but we have to work perfectly to get to the front. Here, it is very difficult to get the tyres to work, partly because the track surface does not provide much grip. The solution for Malaysia? Work and work hard.”

Kimi Raikkonen
“When I ended up in the wall it was my mistake. A shame as, given what happened later, I could have finished second. We lost valuable points but we will try and make up for it starting right away in Malaysia. There, we will get a clearer picture of the situation because this circuit is not very indicative of performance. The KERS worked well at the start, but there was not much room to go anywhere. If we did not think it gave an advantage, we would not use it. Definitely the main problem was in managing the tyres, but we also need to improve our overall performance.”

Luca Baldisserri
“We opted to start on the softer tyres, a gamble that did not pay off today, because, given the huge degradation suffered by both drivers, we had to bring the first stops forward. We then went on two different strategies: with Felipe, in hindsight, we went the wrong way, especially as the safety car period did not help. Apart from this, we must admit that today, our performance was not up to that of many of our rivals. We must work out why and react quickly, starting in Malaysia.”

Renault - Australian GP - Race

It was a mixed afternoon for the Renault team as Fernando Alonso finished in sixth position, while teammate Nelson Piquet retired from the race in the early stages. Alonso was later promoted to fifth position following Jarno Trulli's time penalty.

In a race punctuated by a safety car period, Alonso steadily made up for ground that he had lost on the first lap. He enjoyed a combative race to emerge in the points during his final stint and benefited from the late race incidents.

Team-mate Nelson Piquet ran well in his R29 before locking his rear brakes and spinning out of the season-opening Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso
“Sixth place is not the best result, but in a way we have to be happy because we started the race in a difficult position and I was pushed wide at turn 1 onto the grass and so I dropped to the back of the pack. After that, it was difficult and so it’s great to score points. With what happened during the race, the incidents and the safety car, we managed to finish 6th. In terms of the overall results and looking at our competitors, we have to be happy with the result. With the KERS I didn’t feel a big difference and I was a little bit disappointed at how it worked. We also need to work on the tyres a bit more at the next race.”

Nelson Piquet
“I was really happy because we were lucky at the beginning of the race to gain some positions. The car was good and I was having a consistent drive. But when the safety car came out I started to have some problems with the brakes. I had a good restart and overtook Nico Rosberg, but when I touched the brakes again they were gone. I spun out and I was lucky I ended up in the gravel, so there was no damage to myself or the car. The car was not as competitive as we wanted it to be in the race but we were still running in the top 8. The Malaysian circuit should suit us better and I’m sure that we can get a good result there next week.”

Flavio Briatore, Managing Director
“The three points scored by Fernando are not a great consolation for what has been a disappointing weekend for us. We were just not competitive enough and our qualifying performance penalised us for the race. Fernando lost several positions at the start because of the first corner incident which he could not avoid. That said, our two drivers were consistent and tried to make the most of the situation."

"Nelson made a good start and his race was very promising, but a technical problem unfortunately brought his race to an end. It’s only the first Grand Prix and our intention is to work hard to fight back quickly, starting at the next Grand Prix in Malaysia."

Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
“Nelson’s accident appears to have been caused by a problem with the brake system, although as yet we don’t know what that might be. It’s a shame because he was in a reasonable position. We are clearly not as competitive as we need to be and there is a lot of work to be done to get to the front.”

Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations
“A mixed result this afternoon with the retirement of Nelson and we will need to look into why he couldn’t finish. We would have been able to do something good with Nelson who had a great start to the race. I think he could have been on the podium, so it’s a shame. We finished 6th with Fernando and when you consider the level of competitiveness that we have shown this weekend, it’s not a bad result. We know that we have to do better and so we will take these points and work hard to try and get a strong result at the next race.”

McLaren Mercedes - Australian GP - Race

A storming race from defending champion Lewis Hamilton saw the McLaren Mercedes driver to charge from 18th on the grid to third at the finish of the Australian Grand Prix.

Always on the attack, Hamilton profited from the opening-lap melee and an aggressive first stint on low fuel and option tyres to slot into the top ten by lap five. He made his first stop on lap 11 (12.0s), where he was long-fuelled and switched to primes. A relentless middle stint saw him surge to fifth: evidence of his push was evident, with several opposite-locking moments clearly visible on successive laps out of turn nine.

A second stop (7.8s) on lap 43 and an adjustment to the front-wing settings dropped him to tenth, allowing him to remain ahead of Sebastien Buemi. Pitting cars pushed him back to seventh, after which he really got his head down, catching and passing Nico Rosberg for sixth. The Vettel-Kubica shunt elevated him to fourth and a mistake by Trulli, when behind the Safety Car, vaulted him into the top three.

Heikki Kovalainen got a good start but was an innocent victim in the first-corner accident, touching wheels with a spinning Mark Webber – contact that punctured his left-front tyre and damaged his suspension.

Lewis Hamilton
“We scored way more points than we could have realistically expected. I was looking to try and get one point, so to get six is a great achievement. We’ve definitely not forgotten how to win: our strategy was perfect and the team did a fantastic job. Considering the package we’ve got, I wrung every last ounce of pace out of the car, drove one of my best ever races and absolutely raced my heart out – I’m so satisfied.
Also, my heartfelt congratulations to Jenson – he’s driven brilliantly all weekend and both he and his team really deserve this success.”

Heikki Kovalainen
“Obviously, my race was very short. Webber had a moment at the first corner and his front wheel hit my left-front. It was a racing accident – these things unfortunately happen.”

Martin Whitmarsh, Team Principal
“Today was one of those days on which Lewis demonstrated very clearly just what a fantastic racing driver he is. Throughout the race he showed great speed and tenacity, tempered when necessary by commendable patience. The car we supplied him wasn’t as competitive as we’d have liked it to be – we’ve made no secret of that – but we’re working flat-out, night and day, to improve it. The points Lewis scored today are of course very welcome – and, as and when we regain our form, we hope they’ll take on a greater significance still. As for Heikki, he started with a heavy fuel-load and could also have scored points today – but, sadly, and blamelessly on his part, his race was ended early on when he happened upon an incident involving two other cars. Lastly, well done to all at Brawn GP – and of course also to Mercedes-Benz, whose superb engines powered the first three cars.”

Norbert Haug, Mercedes VP
“Lewis finally in third place and the best car with KERS – this is more than we had expected after starting 18th. He drove an excellent race under very difficult circumstances and proved his world-champion class. During the second Safety Car period, Trulli had an off and Lewis overtook him for third place, but he let Trulli past again. But the stewards’ decision after the race gave him back third place. It’s a shame for Heikki; without the first-corner multiple-car collision which was not his fault, he also could have scored a solid result in this turbulent race. Congratulations to Brawn GP, Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello on their one-two victory – three times Mercedes-powered cars in the top three makes us happy. Our customer team did a great job and we helped to ‘Keep the Customer Satisfied’!”