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.

New clause 2009 contract for Vettel

Sebastian Vettel has hastily negotiated a new clause for his 2009 Red Bull contract.

Pre-season, the 21-year-old did not imagine the possibility that he would be a leading candidate to win the drivers' title.

Most top drivers' contracts include the promise of a financial bonus in the event of a World Championship triumph.

Germany's Bild newspaper reported that, with the assistance of his father Norbert, Vettel convinced team boss Christian Horner to offer a ten percent title bonus.

It is therefore estimated that Vettel will be paid an additional $350,000 on top of his $3.5m retainer if he beats his rivals to the crown.

Horner confirmed: "It would have been stupid if he didn't want that (clause), and Sebastian is absolutely not stupid."

Spanish GP Free Practice 2 - Rosberg fastest

Nico Rosberg returned to the top of the timesheets this afternoon at Circuit de Catalunya, recording a best lap of 1:21.588s in his Williams Toyota with team-mate Kazuki Nakajima second fastest, just under two-tenths of a second adrift.

As ever in practice, it is really hard to read too much into the lap times as we do not know what fuel levels the teams opted to run and how many set of tyres they used over the 90 minute session. Rosberg of course has topped many practice sessions so far this year, but has generally flattered only to deceive as the team has just 3.5 points from the first four races of the season. Rosberg pulled his FW31 off track with a mechanical problem just ahead of the chequered flag.

At the other end of the scale we know that Toyota has a tremendous package in the TF109 and this afternoon Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli put in more laps than any other driver and were slowest of the 19 runners to take part in the second practice session, indicating a differing practice strategy.

In between the two Toyota-powered teams, Fernando Alonso was third fastest in his Renault much to the delight of the large Spanish crowds on hand today while team-mate Nelson Piquet survived two spins to record the eighth fastest time in his R29. Piquet in particular has been vocal about the lack of simulated qualifying the team has permitted him to date, but today it seemed he spent a majority of the day looking at his qualifying setup.

Rubens Barrichello led the Brawn Mercedes challenge with the fourth fastest time, just over two-tenths off the ultimate pace with team-mate and championship leader Jenson Button sixth fastest.
Traditionally the Brackley-based team focus much of their Friday running on the race programme.

Red Bull Renault picked up the pace this afternoon with Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel fifth and seventh best ahead of Piquet while Sebastien Buemi's Toro Rosso Ferrari suffered a left rear brake fire on his first timed lap of the day and the Swiss racer was forced to miss the first hour of running. Buemi got back on track late in the session and was immediately on the pace as he ended the afternoon ninth fastest with team-mate Sebastien Bourdais 11th.

Ferrari has a much revised F60 package on hand this weekend in Barcelona with Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa recording the tenth and 15th best times respectively for the defending champions with the Mercedes-powered Giancarlo Fisichella 12th in his Force India ahead of the McLaren Mercedes-duo of Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen.

BMW Sauber were back down the timesheets this afternoon with Nick Heidfeld slowest again for much of the session. Robert Kubica posted the 16th best time with Heidfeld up to 17th just ahead of the chequered flag.

With the Toyota duo of Glock and Trulli slowest, Adrian Sutil was forced to sit out the entire session in his Force India Mercedes due 'a fuel cell problem'.

Theissen - Car first, driver talks after

Mario Theissen has counted BMW Sauber out of any early driver speculation.

The 'silly season' seems to kick off earlier and earlier each year, but Theissen said contemplating the occupants of the Hinwil-built cars is currently a minor priority.

"Once we have a car that is capable of winning races, then we can talk start talking about the drivers again," the German said at the Circuit de Catalunya.

BMW figures at the Spanish venue also affirmed paddock speculation that the target is to have a 'double diffuser' up and running by the Turkish Grand Prix after Monaco.

Theissen admitted that an initial version of the concept did not prove its worth during recent wind tunnel testing.

Spanish GP Free Practice 1 - Button on top

The dust has settled following the lie gate saga and Formula One is now making the headlines off track as the sport's governing body looks to impose optional budget caps for the 2010 season with a raft of regulation changes to encourage teams to sign up to the agreement. While the Formula One Teams Association seeks urgent meeting with the FIA to discuss the matter, practice for the Spanish Grand Prix got underway this morning at Circuit de Catalunya.

It was a case of routine running for many of the 20 drivers as most evaluated both the softer option tyre and the harder prime rubber from Bridgestone. Championship leader Jenson Button vaulted to the top of the timesheets as the chequered flag flew at the end of the 90-minute session as the British racer opted to run the option tyre for his final run.

Button ended the session with a best time of 1:21.799s, three-tenths clear of Jarno Trulli. The Toyota driver topped the timesheets for much of the session opting unusually to focus much of his session on the softer option tyre and then using a set of the harder prime to record the second fastest time late in the session.

After the criticism the Toyota team received following their tyre strategy error last time out in Bahrain, it seems the team are going aggressive this weekend at Circuit de Catalunya.

BMW Sauber has a raft of changes to the F1.09 package this weekend. Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld struggled early in the session but made gains late with the option tyre to move third and fourth fastest. Heidfeld in particular had a troubled start to the morning as it seemed his F1.09 suffered some kind or rear brake issue which left him in the pits for a good hour of the session.

Kazuki Nakajima traditionally runs well at this Spanish venue having out-qualified Williams Toyota team-mate Nico Rosberg at the same venue last year.
Today Nakajima and Rosberg recorded the fifth and sixth fastest times, just under nine-tenths off the ultimate pace.

Nelson Piquet made late gains in his Renault as the Brazilian ended the morning seventh fastest. Local fan favourite Fernando Alonso was just 17th in the sister R29.

Timo Glock was eighth best in the second Toyota and unlike team-mate Trulli opted to remain on the option tyre throughout the session. Felipe Massa was next up in the modified Ferrari which seemed to still be running the single diffuser and not the new doubled decker design. Rubens Barrichello rounded out the top ten in the second Brawn Mercedes ahead of Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari.

Both Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel pushed hard for Red Bull Renault with both having a few off track excursions in the process. The duo were 12th and 13th fastest and 1.1 seconds off the pace of Button.

McLaren are pushing hard in the development race as witnessed this morning as a large brown box of components arrived as Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen were circulating on track. Hamilton was 14th fastest in his MP4-24 while Kovalainen's machine suffered a hydraulic problem leaving him down in 19th position.

Sebastien Bourdais led the Toro Rosso challenge in 15th ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella in his Force India Mercedes, Alonso, Sebastien Buemi, Kovalainen and Adrian Sutil in the second VJM002.

Winner takes all has been revived by FIA in WMSC council

The controversial 'winner takes all' scoring system has been rubber stamped for introduction in 2010 by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.

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.

We reported in March that the FIA would consult the teams before trying to introduce the system for 2010, but the new sporting regulations for next year already feature the controversial rule.

Article 6 states that the drivers' title 'will be awarded to the driver who has been classified first in the greatest number of races'.

The news has until now slipped the attention of the media because - unlike all other changes to the rules - the amended rule was not highlighted in pink and underlined in copies of the 2010 sporting regulations.

The FIA also confirmed that, accompanying the ban on race refuelling next year, drivers in 'Q3' can refuel under parc ferme conditions prior to the race.

This change ensures the spectacle of low-fuel dashes for pole position, not affected by varying race strategies.

Brawn Mercedes - Spanish GP Preview - Near perfect but still cautious

With a score of 31 points from a possible maximum of 35, the opening four races of the 2009 season has been near perfect for Jenson Button. Brawn Mercedes team-mate Rubens Barrichello is second in the standings 12 points adrift while the Brackley-based team top the constructors’ championship by 22.5 points heading to Barcelona.

"The team had to make a tremendous effort simply to have two cars on the grid for the first race in Melbourne and the success that we have achieved has been a well-deserved reward for all our staff for their hard work which has been supported by the commitment of our engine partner Mercedes-Benz,” stated Team Principal Ross Brawn. “The short break which we have enjoyed since returning from Bahrain has enabled the whole team to regroup at our factory in Brackley and spend a little time reflecting upon our first four races.”

While it has undoubtedly been a dream start for the Brawn Mercedes team, Brawn knows that the development race is on and that the traditional front-runners will be working flat out to eliminate the advantage currently enjoyed with the BGP 001 package.

"Jenson, Rubens and the team delivered a first class job to win the Bahrain Grand Prix which is the level of performance that we must sustain if we are to seriously challenge for the championships this year,” Brawn continued. “The field has compressed considerably since the season-opening race in Australia and the performance margins at the front are now very tight indeed.

“Whilst we have been away racing over the past few weeks, the factory has been working extremely hard on our upgrade package for the BGP 001 and we look forward to seeing the results of our development work on track in Barcelona this weekend."

Button has secured three wins from the first four races and one third position and travelled to the Brackley base last week for a ‘small celebration’ to mark the impressive season start but like team boss Brawn, knows that the championship still has a long way to go.

“I visited the factory last week to join the team for a small celebration of our successes to date and catch up on the progress with our latest developments,” the championship leader said. “We know that we have a real fight on our hands from here to maintain our lead in the championships but I am confident that we are well prepared for the challenges ahead.

“I know the track inside out and it feels very familiar to be heading back there for the start of the European season this weekend,” Button continued. “ You need to have a car with good downforce for a really quick lap there and we are fortunate that our car behaves so predictably which enables you to feel completely confident when committing to high speed corners.”

While Button has been making many of the headlines, veteran team-mate Rubens Barrichello has quietly been racking up the points as well. With 19 points from four starts, the Brazilian is very much still in the championship hunt.

"The Circuit de Catalunya feels like a home circuit for the drivers with so much of our pre-season testing taking place here over the winter,” Barrichello explained. “The Spanish Grand Prix is always one of my favourite races on the calendar as it feels like this is where the season really begins..."

Toyota - Spanish GP Preview - "We want more"

Toyota heads to the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona this weekend for the start of the European season. Following the flyaway races which started the season, Toyota is third in the Constructors' Championship having claimed an impressive three podium finishes in four Grand Prix.

Jarno Trulli recorded pole position, fastest lap and third place in the Bahrain Grand Prix while Timo Glock maintained his 100 percent points-scoring record in 2009 with seventh place. That put both Toyota drivers into the top five of the Drivers' Championship.

Toyota has 26.5 points to its credit so far and trail Red Bull Renault by just one point heading to Spain. While the team are satisfied with its progress this year, Team President John Howett is not resting on his laurels.

"We have made a successful start to our season but there is no doubt we want more; we feel we are close to our first victory and this is our clear target for the remainder of the year,” Howett stated. “We narrowly missed out on winning in Bahrain but by starting from pole position and setting the fastest lap, we showed we are right on the pace and we are working hard to bring it about soon.

“Thanks to the fantastic job done by the team over the winter, our car has been one of the very fastest so far this season and we have some aerodynamic upgrades in Spain which will bring more performance,” he continued. “We have an aggressive development programme for the whole season so I'm confident we will be in good shape."

Trulli is fourth in the championship with 14.5 points and is looking forward to the start of the ‘European season’.

"The opening races of the season have shown the potential we have in our new car; to get pole position and the fastest race lap in Bahrain was a good achievement which gives us great encouragement,” Trulli said.

The team has enjoyed podium success in Spain before, with Trulli finishing third in 2005. However, this year’s race at the Spanish event will be a little less predictable than in the past thanks to the test restrictions.

"We'll see how it works out in Barcelona but we have to be optimistic after our strong performances so far," the Italian veteran continued. "We tested in Barcelona before the season but I have to admit it's unusual to be preparing for the race having not driven at the track for a couple of months.

"In the past we have generally tested there just before the race so everything was quite predictable, but it could be different this time. I am enjoying this season because we are consistently fighting at the front so I am really looking forward to the Spanish Grand Prix."

Timo Glock, fifth in the championship with 12 points, led early on in Bahrain before slipping down the order to finish seventh. "It was disappointing only to finish seventh after starting from the front row however the potential of the car is clear for everyone to see," Glock explained. "That motivates everyone to keep pushing hard because we can see there is the possibility for some great results.

“We have an upgrade to the car this weekend so hopefully that can bring something extra but we will have to wait and see how the other teams develop as well,” he added.

Barrichello insist to drive for two or three more years

Rubens Barrichello does not accept that 2009 is his last chance to become world champion.

The veteran Brazilian readily acknowledges that his career hung in the balance last winter, as he waited for confirmation of the rescue of the former Honda team and to know if he would be Jenson Button's Brawn team-mate.

But even though after a record 275 Grand Prix he is a tantalising 12 points from the top of the drivers' championship, 36-year-old Barrichello refuses to admit that this year is his final real shot at the title.

"Who knows," he told Auto Motor und Sport, "perhaps I will drive for another two, three years.

"In my life I have always thought positively and I am convinced that this attitude is what put me where I am."

Button has already won three times in the Mercedes-powered BGP 001, but Barrichello said he does not feel psychologically defeated.

"Motor racing is not like tennis," he insisted. "It's not like you're in the third set having lost two (sets) 6:0. I know from the last three years that I can drive as fast as Jenson."

Liuzzi's seeking seat

Tonio Liuzzi has admitted he accepted a two-year role as Force India test driver because of the prospect of a 2010 race seat.

The 27-year-old Italian recently returned to race action in the A1GP series, but admitted to the Speedweek publication that his hopes are high for a Formula One drive next year.

He told an Italian magazine last month that while Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil's contracts are expiring, he already has a Force India agreement through to 2011.

"My best chance is with Force India," he said.

"It is the reason I was happy with the role as the test and spare driver for two years.

"There are certain prospects for a place as the main driver," Liuzzi revealed.

Bernie will defend Ferrari to stay in Formula One

Bernie Ecclestone has vowed to prevent the brawl between Max Mosley and Luca di Montezemolo turning into all-out war.

After Ferrari President Montezemolo - furious about the FIA President's budget capping - hinted that the famous marque could walk away from F1, Mosley replied by insisting the sport could survive without the Prancing Horse.

The Times newspaper claims some Ferrari figures believe Mosley wants to ‘destroy’ Montezemolo, but Ecclestone insists: "I won't let it happen."

The 78-year-old F1 Chief Executive said: "The trouble with Max is he's not capable, like in the past, of wrapping things up nicely with a pink ribbon and things. He wants to put it in an old cardboard box and tie it with string."

Briton Ecclestone believes the row is equally the fault of Montezemolo.

"The trouble with Luca is that you shouldn't let Max ever be in a position where he can start a debate or an argument. He's reasonably clever and you won't win," he added.

Ecclestone seems happy to play the mediator in negotiations about the budget cap, after the World Motor Sport Council last week set a voluntary figure at £40m.

"It would appear that everyone is in favour of the cap, including Ferrari, if we can get them to agree, which we can," Ecclestone told the newspaper.

"However, there is concern over the amount that is referred to in the cap for some of the teams and also the two-tier system. So these are probably not monumental things to sort out," he added.

The Times suggests that one outcome could be an increase in the cap to 60m, with a steady reduction to 40m by 2012.

BMW Sauber may not use new diffuser in spain

It is not certain that a 'double diffuser' solution will be ready to be added to the BMW Sauber package for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.

"Whether it will be there or not is not yet definite," team boss Mario Theissen is quoted as saying by Germany's Sport Bild.

The Hinwil-based team has had a difficult start to the 2009 season, with hopes now pinned on a major upgrade for the struggling F1.09 in Barcelona.

The publication claims that designers did devise a double diffuser for the single seater, but that computer simulations raised doubts about its effectiveness.

The drivers, including Robert Kubica who is yet to score a single point, are not optimistic.

"We will make a step forward in Barcelona, but whether it will be big enough is improbable,” he said.

Team-mate Nick Heidfeld added: "We did the first four races without big changes on the car, while the other teams constantly had new parts and went further ahead than us."

Massa counting on F60 heavy upgrades

At the conclusion of the Bahrain Grand Prix, Ferrari scored its first points of the season thanks to Kimi Raikkonen's sixth place – a result the Finn said was nothing to get excited about.

Meanwhile, Felipe Massa's start to the season continues to show a zero points return after four races. The Brazilian had good chances of adding his name to the championship standings at the Sakhir circuit last week-end, but a hard nudge on the first lap unfortunately put those expectations to rest.

"The fact the collision was with my team-mate Kimi is just one of those things that can happen in racing, especially at the start when everyone is so close," Massa considered. "I was in the middle of a sandwich and lost my front wing and the long pit stop meant my race was pretty much over. So it's no big deal that it happened with him, but it did ruin my whole afternoon after that, although other problems like the telemetry not working didn't help either."

In view of the negative results obtained at the first four races of the season, Ferrari quickly understood that it needed to work hard on the F60's performance levels and reliability in order to get their red-clad drivers back onto the podium.

Although the people at Maranello have been putting in the hours, the return to Europe for the Spanish Grand Prix also marks a turning point for most teams as it will be the first real opportunity to integrate greatly revised packages on the cars – and that can change the pecking order once again.

Ferrari needs to take a good step forward if they are to continue a serious title campaign, especially since the team has a large gap to cover at present.

"What you can be sure of is that all the teams will be working hard and most should improve by the time we get to Barcelona, so that whatever Ferrari can do will have to be measured against that," Massa pointed out.

"We have a big package coming for Spain and it's not just a case of working on producing a new double diffuser, even though this is the element that has caught everyone's imagination. The numbers show this should have a big effect on lap time and I am pretty confident this should allow the Scuderia to make a big step forward."

The Catalunya circuit is well-known to the teams since it is a venue of choice during winter testing, and therefore its characteristics have already been studied repeatedly in the real world with this year's cars.

"The fact the next race is in Barcelona has several advantages, even if they apply to all the teams equally: it is a track that has been used so much for testing that everyone knows what to expect and how to analyse the data we will get there on Friday, taking into account outside factors like ambient temperature and the wind speed and direction," Massa elaborated.


"In addition, the character of the track calls for a very efficient car and therefore it can provide us with an accurate picture of just how the F60 is performing with the new parts we will have on it for the race weekend. Hopefully, we will use this to our advantage to improve our qualifying performance to give us a better chance in the race."

Notwithstanding the new package for the Ferrari F60, the Brazilian knows that a gain in performance capable of winning races will not happen overnight. And once the car has reached that level, then begins the next step.

"My aim now is firstly to score my first points of the year and then to look to go for my first win of the season," Massa declared. "Until we start winning races again, it's difficult to start thinking in terms of the championship. We need to work day and night to return to having a very competitive car. Only then we can start thinking about the championship titles."

"Maybe it will be too late, maybe not, but we're not giving up," he insisted.

With the sweeping regulations coming into effect this year, all the teams had to work at integrating - and then dealing with - many unknowns. The different approaches taken by the engineers in every team have so far resulted in a mix-up of the usual order of things in Formula One, and Ferrari finds itself among the teams suffering from teething pains in this new environment.

"We have all these new elements, the slick tyres, the KERS, the adjustable front wing and making the most of them on track has been very interesting," Massa said. "A bit more downforce would make it even more fun!"

"But I've got my job to do and even if I only had three wheels on my car I would still be doing my best and (trying to) improve the situation. But for now, more downforce is what I want."

With in-season testing banned, teams need to make the most of the practice sessions during race week-ends to evaluate the newly-added components. Massa revealed the options Ferrari are looking at for this coming Friday in Spain.

"Although it is too early to establish our programme for the first day of practice in Barcelona, we might try the new package on one car only in the first session in the morning, in order to run a comparison test with the old one, before both running it in the second session," he explained. "But nearer the time, we will have a better idea if there's a need to do a back-to-back."

"With all the new aero packages and other interesting developments throughout the field, it should be a very interesting Friday for everyone," Massa predicted.

Webber friendly suggestion for Schumacher

Mark Webber is surprised that Michael Schumacher's latest fall hasn't put him off motorcycle racing completely.

Although escaping serious injury, seven-time World Champion Schumacher fell so heavily while testing in February that he had to call off his participation in this month's opening round of the German Superbike series.

"I too find those machines awesome," Red Bull Renault driver Webber told Auto Motor und Sport. "But race them? No thanks."

Like Schumacher, the Australian is a friend of his compatriot Mick Doohan, the retired five-time 500cc (MotoGP) champion.

"Mick warned me: until you get it right, you fall badly at least ten times.

If you are young, that's part of your job, but when you're older you wouldn't advise it."

"Michael should listen," Webber said, "because Mick knows what he's talking about."