Schumacher and Webber criticize points system

Michael Schumacher on Thursday joined the majority of the Formula One world by questioning the FIA's latest rules changes.

The former champion, still an advisor to the Ferrari team, said the lateness of the announcements prior to the season is ‘astonishing’, but he also questions the wisdom of their content.

"I cannot imagine those changes to help F1, especially regarding the new (scoring) system to find the champion," said the 40-year-old German.

In the past, he has been quoted as believing the points margin between first and second was only reduced from four to two points in 2003 to make it harder for him to dominate championships.

But Schumacher does not agree with this change. "I cannot see how it makes sense to eventually have a world champion who has less points than the driver coming in second, even if I also think it is a good move to try to strengthen the winner's position," he added.

Mark Webber is more welcoming of the new system, agreeing with F1 Chief Executive Bernie Ecclestone that it increases the motivation to push for race wins.

"I can see why they're trying to do it like that so there could be some guys who might not sit in so much and to start going for wins, especially when it's down to two or three guys," he told the BBC.

"Everyone's trying to win, that's clear, but the difference between a win and second now is huge, much bigger than in the past.”

"There could be a fraction more aggression shown towards victories in the future because second places won't mean as much, and winning will mean a lot more," he added.

Webber, however, personally sees the change as ‘not good or bad’, and also unnecessary, and warns that a possible side-effect is that scraps between more than two drivers for the title is less likely.

"Robert Kubica would have been nowhere near the championship last year, and do you want that? (Also) you could have the world champion making more mistakes than the guy who is second," he added.

Taking on the Singapore Sling

Singapore GP organisers, in association with local newspaper Today, offered fans an opportunity to name three corners of its Marina Bay street circuit. Following its inaugural night race last year, the need to attach names to certain portions of the track arose, hence the contest which was open to participants around the globe.

The three corners in question were Turns 1, 7 and 10. Each proposed name had to respect certain guidelines, such as promoting a local aspect or having an F1-related theme; ease of pronunciation was an important factor as well.

Turn 1, the first corner and scene of crucial moments at any Grand Prix, will be called "Sheares" in relation to the Benjamin Sheares Bridge named after Singapore's second President and under which the track passes.

Turn 7, which offered much action and several overtaking manoeuvres last year, will now be known as "Memorial" due to its proximity to the imposing monument honouring civilian World War II victims.

Turn 10's triple apex and cumbersome kerbs, which proved a difficult section to navigate - and caught out Kimi Raikkonen and Giancarlo Fisichella during the 2008 Singaporean round - was awarded a catchy name: "Singapore Sling."

While the Sheares and Memorial names for Turns 1 and 7 promote local aspects, in Turn 10's case the jury opted for something rather descriptive for the Singapore Sling chicane.

"It says more about the turn," explained Simon Rock, one of the judges, to the Today newspaper. "Drivers have to be careful here, but it can serve as a slingshot if they tackle it well."

Colin Syn, deputy chairman of the Singapore GP and also part of the jury, added that "getting to the eventual winners was a tough task" as the panel of six judges went through 1,400 entries before deciding on the winning trio.

Arthur Lim won the top prize which consists of a trackside hotel room during September's Singapore Grand Prix, a pair of grandstand tickets and a visit to the pitlane. Runners-up Chan Kwan Yew and Foo Say Boon will also receive tickets and a pitlane tour.

Ecclestone backs Massa for title

Just like one year ago, Bernie Ecclestone is placing his pre-season bet for the drivers' title on Felipe Massa.

Prior to the 2008 season, in which 27-year-old Massa won more races than any other driver and finished one point behind champion Lewis Hamilton, the F1 Chief Executive tipped the Brazilian for the title.

In an interview on Thursday with the Daily Express, Ecclestone said: "Red Bull could be a big surprise with Sebastian Vettel. Put him in a Ferrari and he'd be as quick as anyone they have got.”

"Brawn are going well too, but my money is going on Felipe Massa again. I don't see why he shouldn't get the job done. He was quick last year but Ferrari cost him the title with their mistakes," Ecclestone added.

He also thinks Massa's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who was off-colour last year after winning the 2007 title, could reclaim his form in 2009.

"If Kimi Raikkonen wins a couple of the first three races, you will see a different Kimi.”

"Lewis Hamilton, who has been a good world champion, is obviously going to be there if the McLaren improves but, if they miss out on the first few races, he has a mountain to climb," said Ecclestone.

Michael Schumacher on Thursday was also assessing the likely 2009 pecking order, having observed the two last tests of the winter at Barcelona and Jerez.

The seven time world champion believes his old team Ferrari will be in the fight, but he said ‘several teams’ also seem likely to challenge, including the new outfit run by his former Ferrari colleague Ross Brawn.

"Besides us there are Renault and Toyota, and BMW and Williams as well - on the other hand, after Barcelona you clearly have to say that Ross' team was outstanding.”

"They were a second (per lap) in front, and if they can take this into the season they are strong as well - even if probably the big teams will cut that advantage away with time. McLaren at the moment looks pretty bad," said Schumacher.

The Lewis Hamilton brand

In between testing the new McLaren Mercedes MP4-24, Lewis Hamilton has been busy collecting his MBE from the Queen, being measured for his Madam Tussauds wax work as well as preparing for the new season.

A study by UTalkMarketing has now revealed that Hamilton is the 'UK's favourite brand ambassador' following a poll of some 2,000 consumers.

Celebrity endorsement is nothing new with the market awash of products and ranges endorsed by stars.

The study concluded that Hamilton received the highest vote with regard to a consumer actually considering making a purchase at 15 percent, a two-fold increase on this time last year.

Interestingly, some 72 percent of those polled said that celebrity endorsement made no difference to their buying habits.

McLaren still needs test drivers – Dennis

Despite the ever-tightening test restrictions, McLaren still needs its full complement of drivers, company chairman Ron Dennis insists.

The Mercedes-powered team's primary development and reserve driver Pedro de la Rosa announced this week that, due to the diminished role for testers, he will leave Formula One at the end of 2009 if he cannot secure a return to a race cockpit.

"If I cannot race and I cannot even test, I will go to another category," the 38-year-old is quoted as telling the Spanish press.

But while de la Rosa has been scheduled only a few days of testing for the entire year, McLaren continues to rely on the contribution of both the Spaniard and his test deputy Gary Paffett, Dennis insisted.

"I think one of the questions that would be on everybody's lips is, when you are not testing between the first and the last race how come we've got four drivers?" he is quoted as saying by the news agency Reuters.

"But we are fully committed to exploring every possibility as regards how we develop the car and of course we need a reserve driver, that's Pedro, and we need a lot of capacity for our simulator," added Dennis.

McLaren's simulator is credited as being perhaps the industry leader, meaning that much of the forbidden track work can now be shifted to the factory.

"For that to work you really have to have drivers with all the same attributes that are expected of a driver when he actually tests the car on the circuit," Dennis explained.

The World Motor Sport Council this week ruled that, notwithstanding the in-season test ban, teams may conduct eight one-day straight-line tests this season.

Additionally, three days of circuit testing can take place between the end of the 2009 season finale and New Year’s Eve, so long as the drivers used are rookies.

New system to work in Button's favour – Ecclestone

Jenson Button on Wednesday gave a mixed welcome to the new 'gold medals' points system, despite Bernie Ecclestone predicting the Brawn driver could benefit most from it in 2009.

Button, his veteran team-mate Rubens Barrichello and the new BGP 001 were the shock winter pacesetters, moving F1 Chief Executive Ecclestone to predict a flurry of early race wins.

The unique mechanics of the new points system could indeed work in Brawn's favour, for example if the team has done the best job with the concept of the 2009 rules, but ultimately cannot keep up with the development pace of better-funded rivals.

"If Brawn has got it right, there's a chance that for the first three races we could maybe see Jenson winning," Ecclestone told the BBC.

"Now that it is not points that decides the championship, if Jenson has three races in his pocket then it is not bad - although I suppose in the end you have to look at the old timers like Alonso, Kimi, Felipe and Mr Hamilton," he added.

Possibility night race at Abu Dhabi

The possibility of Abu Dhabi switching to become a night Grand Prix in future remains open, an official of the race's organisers has admitted.

Late last year, circuit boss Philippe Gurdjian played down the speculation about a night race at the new Yas Marina venue, despite Bernie Ecclestone saying the possibility was being discussed.

But Richard Cregan, who recently left Toyota to become Gurdjian's deputy in Abu Dhabi, admits that following Singapore in hosting an artificially-lit Formula One race is theoretically possible.

"The fact that we can run the track 24 hours a day leaves us in a very good position to run the circuit at night time.
There are a lot of possibilities," he told Germany's Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

Abu Dhabi will host its inaugural Grand Prix on November 1st.

Lewis Hamilton wax figured unveil at Madame Tussauds

A lifelike statue of reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton was unveiled by London's Madame Tussauds wax museum on Wednesday.

The McLaren driver in December underwent 300 measurements for the immortalisation, which was reported to have cost nearly €160,000.


His figure is complete with his full McLaren overalls and race gear, depicting him holding his helmet and gloves.

Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Michael Schumacher are similarly depicted at Madame Tussauds.

Trulli and Alonso slam lastest FIA rules

Two of the racing veterans of the Formula One circus have reacted with concern to the FIA's latest wave of fundamental rule changes.

The change to the 'gold medals'-style points system for this season has been roundly panned, but it is the duel-rule budget cap idea for 2010 that Fernando Alonso publicly appealed to be 'reconsidered'.

"I don't understand the need to constantly change the rules of this sport," the 2005 and 2006 world champion said.

"I think that these types of decisions can only confuse the fans," the Spaniard added, insisting that the desires of "the teams, the sponsors, the drivers and above all the fans" were ignored by the sport's governing body.

Jarno Trulli, the veteran of 200 races, echoed his former Renault team-mate's view, telling La Stampa that the World Motor Sport Council's decisions this week comprise "many negative factors and no positive" ones.

"It seems to be that Formula One wants to die and we will all have to go and race in some other championship," he is quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Trulli, 34, said the 'gold medals' system runs the risk that if one driver dominates the season as in 2002 and 2004, the championship will be officially over even earlier than usual.

"It is right to try to give the public more, to improve the show, but it shouldn't distort the spirit of Formula One. I am very, very worried," he added.

Mclaren and Williams last test programme

With Brawn Mercedes and Renault concluding their pre-season test programme yesterday, McLaren Mercedes and Williams Toyota had sunny Jerez all to themselves today.

Heikki Kovalainen today took over testing duties from McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton, recording a best lap of 1:18.202s, six-tenths off Jenson Button's pace in the Brawn Mercedes yesterday.

The team continued its week-long programme of introducing and evaluating new aerodynamics modifications for MP4-24 and declared itself satisfied with the results following a race simulation.

Nico Rosberg today handed over the Williams, now featuring a rear diffuser shroud when in the pitlane, to team-mate Kazuki Nakajima. The Japanese racer completed 103 laps of the Spanish test venue and was 1.8s off the pace of Kovalainen.

“Kazuki spent our penultimate day in Jerez working on mechanical set-up and signing off final components for the first race in Melbourne," said Technical Director Sam Michael. "He'll be in the car again tomorrow for the final day of winter testing.”

Both teams continue to test on Thursday, the final day of running ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.

Jerez - 18/03/2009
1 . H. Kovalainen - McLaren Mercedes MP4-24 - 1:18.202 (+ 0.000 ) - 85 laps
2 . K. Nakajima - Williams Toyota FW31 - 1:20.023 (+ 1.821 ) - 103 laps.

Renault first to confirm KERS for Melbourne GP

Renault is the first team to commit to using its Kinetic Energy Recovery System at next weekend's Australian Grand Prix.

"We will run it in Australia, I'm sure of that already," engineering boss Pat Symonds told GP Week.

It is believed that Ferrari, McLaren and BMW are similarly advanced with KERS, but have not yet decided whether to deploy their respective systems at Albert Park.

European publications report that BMW will make its decision this week. "I can not anticipate the outcome," Team Technical Coordinator Willy Rampf told the Swiss newspaper Blick.

The other teams, including Toyota, Williams, the Red Bull teams and Force India, have already decided to commence the season without KERS.

Brawn, meanwhile, has not even tested the technology. "With the time we have had available, quite frankly, we have not considered KERS," Team Principal Ross Brawn said.

Symonds, however, is comfortable with Renault's so-far unique decision to fit the device at Albert Park despite the concerns about compromising weight distribution, tyre wear and safety.

"We believe obviously that it's a positive performance advantage otherwise we wouldn't be running it," he insisted.

He revealed that, despite earlier concerns, Renault's KERS system is also reliable.

"Prior to Christmas I would have said there was very little chance of us running it in Australia, and I really couldn't have put a date on when we were going to run it, but over Christmas the major problems were solved very quickly one after the other in succession.”

"And since we've had it on the car we've really had very little problem with it," added Symonds.

Briatore - FIA budget cap rule a 'shock'

Flavio Briatore has backed Formula One Teams' Association Luca di Montezemolo's criticism of the rules changes unilaterally introduced this week by the FIA.

The Renault boss, a leading light of the F1 teams' alliance, critiqued the voluntary 33m euro budget cap for 2010 by arguing that all teams should have ‘the same rules’.

"We need stability, the changes are a bit of a shock," the Italian told the BBC.

Briatore suggested that the changes, intending that privateers can have low budgets but remain competitive with the big-spending teams due to more technical freedoms, are overly simplistic.

"Formula one is very complicated, (sometimes) you try reducing the cost and instead of reducing it the cost goes up.”

"This will need us to really sit together with the Federation to understand because the teams already did a big job to try and reduce the costs.”

"The financial crisis makes everyone worried and we need Formula One to be more efficient but sometimes we are not happy with the sentences that are imposed," said Briatore.

F1 Test at Barcelona 9-12 March

F1 Drivers hate new points system

Nick Heidfeld on Wednesday was among a number of drivers to comment on the late change to the points system ahead of the 2009 season.

Despite some quarters welcoming the move to guarantee the winner of the most races the drivers' title, the more widespread reaction to the 'gold medals'-style regime has been negative.

"It's a matter of taste, but my taste is not for that," BMW Sauber's Heidfeld told Germany's SID news agency.

"I like the old way better. With points it is comprehensible. There is not only one or a few races (in a season), but 17 or 18."

He said the new system is not straightforward, given that while the 2009 champion could have fewer points than the runner-up, the rest of the standings will be ranked by regular points order.

"I find that silly. The basis should be the same for all," Heidfeld added.

His German countryman Nico Rosberg slammed the new system as "nonsense", while Brawn's Jenson Button - tipped by Bernie Ecclestone as an outsider for the title because of the change - warned the rulemakers that their scheme could backfire.

"I understand the logic behind it and it's interesting," the Briton said. "It's an incentive to try to win but it also looks risky to me."

"After nine races you could get a driver who's already won the title and can take the rest of the season off, while the driver in second is only 18 points behind," he remarked.

When Ecclestone first proposed his radical 'medals' idea, reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton made clear he did not back it because 'the team who is most consistent' should house the title winner.

At the Jerez test on Wednesday, he insisted: "I have no opinion on this."

Barrichello excited for the new season

Rubens Barrichello has scolded suggestions that Brawn GP has pulled clear of the entire F1 field because the BGP 001 is ‘illegal’.

Up and down the recent Barcelona and Jerez test paddocks, it has been intimated that the former Honda might not only be running under the mandatory weight, but circumventing the regulations including in the area of the rear diffuser.

"You're asking are we legal? When someone is behind it is easier to say your rivals are against the rules than to do better work.”

"Our team is very much within the regulations," the Brazilian veteran insisted to Spain's Marca sports newspaper.

The test pace of the 36-year-old driver, and his British team-mate Jenson Button, has led even cynical observers to contemplate that a winning Brawn could come close to lapping its nearest competitor in Melbourne next Sunday.

Barrichello said: "In Australia I believe we will be within the three strongest teams, these being Ferrari, Toyota and BMW, with (Renault's) Alonso who could be a surprise."

The handsome Brackley built chassis has received much of the credit for the incredible boost in form compared with the car's predecessor, but the move from an underpowered Honda V8 to Mercedes-Benz's engine should not be forgotten.

"It is very manageable, very powerful," Barrichello affirmed, "but I believe that the greatest secret is the team; the quality has always been there."

He is openly excited about the now-looming start to the 2009 season.

"I left Ferrari to find a team that would give me equal conditions, more freedom, not having to race for Michael (Schumacher), and now I have a strong car as well," said Barrichello.

Jean Todt leaves Ferrari

As predicted, former team boss and company executive Jean Todt has now stepped down from all his roles with the Ferrari marque.

The development was formalised on Tuesday at Maranello, where the annual Ferrari stockholders' meeting took place.

"Chairman Luca di Montezemolo announced Jean Todt's decision to resign his membership of the Ferrari board of directors and from all of the other positions he holds in the company," a statement confirmed.

63-year-old Frenchman Todt was appointed Team Principal in 1993, and he oversaw the subsequent highly successful Michael Schumacher era, before handing over the role to Stefano Domenicali in 2007.


Todt, however, retained a 'special appointments' responsibility after resigning as CEO, but we reported last month that he would shortly also step down as Ferrari's representative at the FIA World Council.

"Jean Todt has been one of the leading protagonists of the Ferrari story of the last 15 years," said Montezemolo.

The Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport said Todt's severing of all ties with Ferrari clears the path should he bid to become the next FIA President.

New points system sparks more questions than praise

The FIA's decision to overhaul the points system for 2009 was not widely welcomed in F1 circles.

Although the principle is simply to crown the winningest driver world champion, rather than he with the most points, the Formula One Teams' Accociation only wanted to increase from two to three points the gap between first and second places.

FOTA said its rejected proposal was based on a global audience survey across 17 countries, raising the question of why the FIA instead plumped for a variation of Bernie Ecclestone's 'medals' idea.

"It would be a shame if, while encouraging drivers to do what they are paid handsomely to do by winning races, the FIA has adopted its own flawed scheme purely to snub the teams and keep them in line," a report in the Guardian newspaper said.

It is a fact that, if the new system was retrospectively applied to the 2008 results, Felipe Massa would have won the title. "Are Grand Prix bosses out to get (Lewis) Hamilton?" the Daily Mail newspaper wondered.

Former driver, and now BBC commentator Martin Brundle told the Daily Telegraph: "What we may just have is some more exciting races, but whether it will generate a more worthy champion remains to be seen."

Another fact is that, again if retrospectively applied, the new points system alters the outcome of past world championships some 13 times.

F1 Chief Executive Bernie Ecclestone made clear he supports the new scheme.

"This is what I proposed, just without the second and third place awards," he said.

"What it does is make drivers bloody well go for the win, rather than settle for second. It will be real racing. It's good for the fans and the sport," added Ecclestone.

FOTA disappointed by FIA new rules

The Formula One Teams' Association reacted with 'disappointment and concern' to the new FIA rules for 2010.

Headlining the World Motor Sport Council's decisions taken in Paris on Tuesday were the voluntary 33m euro budget cap for next year, and the immediate overhaul of the points system to crown the winningest driver 2009 champion.

'FOTA would like to express its disappointment and concern at the fact that these (decisions) have been taken in a unilateral manner,' Ferrari and FOTA President Luca di Montezemolo said in a statement.

The Italian added that the budget cap risks 'turning on its head the very essence of Formula One and the principles that make it one of the most popular and appealing sports'.

Montezemolo said FOTA will 'study closely the new situation' and 'do everything' to provide stability in F1 'without continuous upheaval, that can be perplexing and confusing for car manufacturers, teams, the public and sponsors'.

FIA President Max Mosley on Tuesday acknowledged that the rules had been drawn up without first seeing FOTA's finalised proposals.

"We cannot wait," he insisted, "because new teams wishing to enter the 2010 championship will need to start work immediately."

The masterstroke of Mosley's scheme is that teams have been offered the option of retaining unlimited budgets with the current rules remaining stable until at least 2012, making it appear as if FOTA's objection is to the smaller budget-capped teams being offered more technical freedoms.

Indeed, as some of the FOTA teams are those who would benefit most from the 33m euro budget cap, The Times newspaper claims that the rules have been 'cautiously welcomed' by some teams 'outside of Ferrari and McLaren'.

The newspaper speculates that Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone are using the initiative to 'help to split FOTA', while the Financial Times referred to the new situation as a 'dangerous rift'.

F1 Chief Executive Ecclestone said: "What team can afford not to accept the new proposal?"

Button concluded pre season test program

Jenson Button concluded the Brawn GP team's pre-season programme in Jerez this afternoon, topping the timesheets on the final day of testing ahead of the new Formula One season.

Button completed 114 laps of the Spanish circuit as the team continued its chassis set-up evaluations and performance development of the new car.

With seven valuable days of running completed with the BGP 001 car in Barcelona and Jerez, the team will now return to its Brackley base to complete the final preparations for the first race in Melbourne on 29 March.

Jenson Button
"We have had a very useful test in Jerez this week, particularly today where we have been able to fine-tune the set-up of the car to my liking ahead of the first race. Even after such a short testing programme, I feel that we are ready for the challenge ahead in Melbourne, however we will still need every minute of the Friday practice sessions to make the most of our first race weekend."

Ross Brawn, Team Principal
"The conclusion of this week's test in Jerez brings our short pre-season testing programme with the BGP 001 to a successful conclusion. Our programme to date has been dominated by the requirement to prove the car's reliability however we are also pleased with the competitive lap times that we have seen from the car over the past two weeks."

"The test in Jerez has been particularly useful and allowed the drivers to complete valuable chassis set-up work and evaluate the Bridgestone Potenza tyre compounds which we will use in Melbourne. I would like to thank the team and our drivers for all their hard work over the past few weeks as we look forward to the first race and the opportunity to finally see the car in action in a competitive environment."

Another slow pace for Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton completed more than 500km today as McLaren Mercedes continued to refine MP4-24 ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.

The programme was a continuation of the work started yesterday, namely the evaluation of a series of small aerodynamic modifications to the car’s bodywork.

The test was hampered by a strong gusty wind that limited accurate assessment of the new parts.

Hamilton completed 118 laps with a best time of 1:19.121s, 1.3 seconds off the ultimate pace.


Heikki Kovalainen joins the test for Wednesday and Thursday in order to continue the programme.