Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Chinese Grand Prix preview

Shanghai International Circuit facts & stats

The scale of the Shanghai International Circuit is breathtaking. Built on marshland in 2003, the track sits on more than 40,000 stabilising concrete pillars and its infrastructure is bigger and bolder than at any other circuit on the Formula 1 calendar.

The track is a good technical challenge for the teams and drivers with some high-speed changes of direction and a 1km back straight offering a challenge to find the least compromised set-up. One of the most demanding corners on the lap is Turn One, a tightening right-hander entered at speeds in excess of 300km/h with an apex speed or 70km/h. It places the left-front tyre under prolonged stress, which has an impact on wear rates and race strategy.

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has a strong record in the Chinese Grand Prix. The team has won the race three times and finished on the podium on seven further occasions.

Race distance               56 Laps (189.568 miles/305.066km)

Start time                     15:00 (local)/07:00 (GMT)

Circuit length               3.387 miles/5.451km

2011 winner                 Lewis Hamilton (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) 56 laps in 1hr 36m58.226s (188.758km/h)

2011 pole                     Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing) 1m33.706s (209.416km/h)

Lap record                   Michael Schumacher (Ferrari 2004) 1m32.238s (212.749km/h)

McLaren at the Chinese Grand Prix

Wins                3 (2008, 2010, 2011)

Poles               2 (2007, 2008)

Fastest laps      3 (2005, 2008, 2010)

Car 3: Jenson Button

Age      32 (January 19 1980)

GPs      210

Wins    13

Poles   7

FLs      7

You called the Malaysian Grand Prix a “bad day in the office” – does that change your preparations for this weekend’s race in Shanghai?

“Not really, it makes you a little keener to get back in the cockpit as you’re always a bit more determined to be looking ahead rather than looking back. But, like I say, it doesn’t really make any difference. In fact, the three-week break has been extremely relaxing – I was able to get away, relax and keep training. It’s still the start of a very long season, so it’s good to keep fit and refreshed. I’ve usually gone well in Shanghai, it’s a circuit I really enjoy and I’m looking forward to the race weekend.”

You memorably won here in 2010 – what is it about the circuit that makes it special?

“Well, the facilities are amazing, but it’s a very good, modern circuit – the first two sectors are pretty technical, there are some interesting combinations of corners and you need a good, responsive car to go well. Then the track opens up, the straight is one of the longest in Formula 1 – it just keeps going – then you’re into the hairpin and the final turn, both of which offer good opportunities for overtaking. There’s no one particular corner that stands out, but that’s good, because it means they’ve done a good job with the whole track.

“And if it rains, then it’s going to be another extremely unpredictable race as we’re all still learning about the cars and tyres in damp conditions. Whatever happens, it should be interesting.”

What will be the key to a good race performance in 2012?

“There will be the usual set-up compromises: setting the car up to offer good downforce through some of the faster corners, but without sacrificing too much speed along the straights. We saw different teams address that balance in different ways over the first two races, so it will be interesting to see if things start to converge this weekend after a few weeks back in Europe.

“Tyre wear will also be very important – last year we saw a real disparity between the compounds – so getting the preparation right will be crucial.”

Car 4: Lewis Hamilton

Age      27 (January 7 1985)

GPs      92

Wins    17

Poles   21

FLs      11

You opened your winning account in China last year, are you hoping for the same this season?

“I’m looking at the championship as a whole – although, of course, I’d love to win every race, it’s more important to be in a good points-scoring position at every race. I think the first two races have shown that, as a team, we’re definitely in positions to win.

“I think Malaysia was a good example of how to pick up points when you’re looking at the championship – and that was something I really took away as a positive from that race. But yeah, I’ll be heading to China looking to win – but it’s just as important to pick up some good points if, for whatever reason, a win isn’t on the cards.”

What do you like about the Shanghai International Circuit?

“I have some vivid memories of racing in China – some good, some not so good! I’ve won there twice – both were victories I’m really proud of: in 2008, it was a very important race, and I really needed a good result for the championship – we had a pretty much perfect weekend with pole position, fastest lap and the race win. Then in 2011, coming off the back of a difficult weekend in Malaysia, I had a great race, kept pushing every lap and managed to take the lead right at the end. It was a very important win because it showed that we could be a force in the championship that year.”

Your two third positions have consolidated your position in the championship – is that the key to a good season? 

“I won’t deny that I’m disappointed to have had two pole positions and not to have been able to convert either of them into victories, but I prefer to think of it that luck just hasn’t been on my side, and that it will swing my way sooner or later.

“I also think last year taught me the value of consistency: it’s no use chasing a great result if you can't back it up with another strong finish the following week. So maybe I’m just playing myself in gently: after all, in 2007, I didn’t win a race until the sixth round, and I was in the hunt for the title all through the year. I still don’t think the pecking order has settled down yet, so it’s important to get some good results in the bag while we can. It will be very interesting to see how the order has shaken itself out over the last three weeks – it’s going to be an interesting weekend.”

Martin Whitmarsh

Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“The Chinese Grand Prix is a race in which we’ve traditionally gone very well – we’ve won three of the past four races here, all of which have come through faultless performances from Jenson and Lewis – and we head to Shanghai this year keen to add to that tally.

“While there are mixed feelings to have only been able to convert two all-front-row starting positions into one race win, everybody here at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes feels extremely encouraged by our pace in the first two grands prix of the season.

“Make no mistake, however: we’re acutely aware that our rivals won’t have stood still during the past three weeks. We’ve certainly been extremely busy, too, and we don’t take anything for granted: if the overall competitive order was a little hard to read in the first two races, I have no doubt that it will start to become clearer next weekend, and I strongly believe that, once again, it will be closely fought at the front.”

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes at Jerez - days 3 & 4

Lewis Hamilton stepped into MP4-27 for the first time on Thursday, taking over from Jenson Button, who had conducted the previous two days’ testing at Jerez.

As with Jenson, the first day was about acclimatising Lewis to the new car, finding a workable set-up direction and ironing out a few minor issues following Lewis’s initial feedback. After completing 80 laps, and setting a 1m19.464s best, Lewis declared himself happy and comfortable with the new car.

He said:  “Today felt pretty good considering it was my first time in the new car. My initial feelings are pretty positive, despite going through a long, tough programme of initial tests – there were no nasty surprises, which is pleasing. This year’s car feels a bit different from last year’s: in 2011, we had so much stability from the rear-end, particularly in the high-speed corners – but we’re now having to find that grip elsewhere, or, at least, take grip off the front and somehow offload it at the rear.”

“This car’s baseline is something we can really work with. I know the men and women back at the factory will take a lot from this test and translate it into something new and even better for the next test. The car feels reasonably quick – and that’s a nice feeling.”

Lewis Hamilton was in the MP4-27 yesterday for his second day of testing.

After Lewis completed 86 laps, and set a 1m19.640s best, David Redding, Team Manager, McLaren Racing said: “Today was a good day of testing.  The first hour or so was spent aero data gathering, then Lewis embarked on two or three hours intensive set up work, exploring suspension geometries and general car set up.  The afternoon was then spent comparing tyre compounds.

We had the opportunity to try some changes that were time consuming, so things you wouldn’t normally do at a race weekend.  It was good to get those fundamental changes and tests out of the way early on. The car ran reliably and without any issues.”

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes at Jerez

Jenson Button began the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team’s 2012 pre-season testing programme at Jerez yesterday morning. The day started slowly, with Jenson and the team conducting a number of shorter runs, before completing a thorough systems check to ensure the car was running reliably.

Before lunchtime, however, the car was back on track as the team begun a number of longer runs lasting for the remainder of the day. These were useful in helping the team to begin measuring tyre-wear on Pirelli’s new-spec rubber and assessing the MP4-27’s fundamental handling characteristics over the course of a stint.

Following the day’s running, Jenson said: “It’s been a good day: this morning, we ran through our installation and systems checks and the running was good. We’ve been gathering data on aerodynamics, downforce levels, temperatures and the feeling inside the cockpit.

“We did a 15-lap timed run this afternoon, which is a good starting point for us – and the consistency was okay. It’s been a positive day: there are no niggly areas with the car, which is nice. Overall, today was just a starting point, and was all about putting miles on the car. There are some promising signs, so I’m happy.

“It’s now important for us to get a clean day of running tomorrow, put some miles on the car and find a direction that we like. Today’s a very good basis for the next few days.”

Today was Jenson’s second day of testing with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-27 and another day spent getting used to the new chassis and evaluating a series of braking, set-up and software changes made to the car – particularly the effect on balance and stability at both high and low speeds.

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team manager David Redding said: “Despite the cold and windy conditions, Jenson was able to log further mileage with MP4-27 today. It’s still early days, and this was very much an exploratory day, but we were able to get a useful understanding of how the car behaves and reacts out on the track.

“It’s satisfying that Jenson’s been able to complete more than 600km of trouble-free running over the past two days; that puts us in a good position for the rest of the week.”

Tomorrow sees Lewis Hamilton continue the test programme on the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-27.

McLaren MP4-27

The launch of the McLaren MP4-27 at the McLaren Technology Centre showcased a natural evolution of last year’s six-race-winning car and underlined the message that the new season is very much one of growth through strength and continuity.
After finishing second in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in 2011, McLaren intend to fight for both Drivers and Contructors world titles from the very start of the 2012 campaign. The evolutionary design of MP4-27 masks an overhaul of all major systems meaning that while the all-new Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-27 closely resembles last year’s multiple race-winning car, the 2012 chassis has been substantially revised from the ground-up, with all major systems updated or re-designed for the new season. The most evident visual differences include more tightly waisted rear bodywork, developed to improve flow to the rear of the car, and a revised cooling system, which re-directs the gearbox oil-cooler. Last year’s U-shaped sidepods have also been re-designed – a legacy of the FIA’s new exhaust regulations that redefine the shape of the rear bodywork.
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is the only team in Formula 1 whose driver line-up consists of two world champions: Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. Between them, they have scored 22 grand prix victories for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and are the strongest and most consistent driver line-up in the sport.

Following a one-day private shakedown, Jenson will begin track testing of the MP4-27 at Spain’s Circuito de Jerez on Tuesday February 7.

Monaco Grand Prix

Jenson Button used Mercedes power to dominate the Monaco Grand Prix in his Brawn GP formula one car. Starting from pole Button claimed an impressive win adding his name to the list of great drivers who have won round the tight and twisty confines of the historic track. Team mate Rubens Barrichello followed Button home in second place capping an excellent race for Brawn GP.
Other Mercedes powered teams were less successful with the McLaren Mercedes team enduring a torrid race weekend which started when Lewis Hamilton crashed in qualifying and ended with Hamilton languishing down in 12th and Heikki Kovalainen retiring after a spin.
Force India enjoyed a more competitive race with Ginacarlo Fisichella just missing out on 8th overall and the important point that goes with it. Team mate Adrian Sutil showed bursts of speed on his way to 14th overall.
BMW had yet another awful weekend with neither car being competitive all weekend. The final result was that nick Heidfeld scrapped and struggled his way to 11th and Robert Kubica retired after just 31 laps ensuring that the German Swiss team were deeply disappointed. The messages of “Happy Birthday to the Mini” on the cars were all that was happy in the team!

1. Button Brawn GP / Mercedes
2. Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes
3. Raikkonen Ferrari
4. Massa Ferrari
5. Webber Red Bull / Renault
6. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
7. Alonso Renault
8. Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari
9. Fisichella Force India / Mercedes
10. Glock Toyota
11. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
12. Hamilton McLaren Mercedes
13. Trulli Toyota
14. Sutil Force India/Mercedes
15. Nakajima Williams / Toyota
Retired Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes
Retired Kubica BMW Sauber
Retired Vettel Red Bull / Renault
Retired Piquet Renault
Retired Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari

Spanish Grand Prix.

The Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona hosted the latest round of the Formula 1 World Championship and saw a familiar driver and team combination standing atop the podium.

Once again Brawn GP, a Mercedes engine and Jenson Button took victory (making it 4 wins from 5 races this year), this time with the other Brawn driver, Rubens Barrichello, finishing second. The perfect result for Brawn GP {link} could have finished with either Button or Barrichello 1st overall but an issue with Barrichello's tyres saw him struggle to match Button's pace as the duo ran different pit strategies.

McLaren Mercedes {link} had yet another disappointing race weekend in 2009 with Heikki Kovalainen failing to finish and Lewis Hamilton finishing out of the championship points in a very uninspiring 9th overall.

Mercedes' last engine customer had an expensive weekend as Force India's Adrian Sutil became involved in the carnage of the first lap, resulting in considerable damage to his car and instant retirement. Giancarlo Fisichella, the other Force India driver, was the last classified finisher in 14th place.

At the last race the BMW Saubers were woeful eventually struggling round as the last two classified finishers. Barcelona saw a highly impressive transformation and a dramatic upturn in the teams fortunes. Both drivers proved to be competitive (although still lacking the outright pace of the Brawn GP cars) and the German / Swiss team {link} were rewarded by 7th (Nick Heidfeld) and 11th (Robert Kubica) at the end. Whilst these results are some way off the team's expected pace their are encouraging signs for the remainder of the season.

The teams now head off to Monaco {link} and the most famous and demanding Grand Prix of the year with Button holding a 34 point lead over team mate Barrichello in the driver's championship. Brawn GP are 29½ points clear in the team's championship.

Race results:~
1. Button Brawn GP / Mercedes
2. Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes
3. Webber Red Bull / Renault
4. Vettel Red Bull / Renault
5. Alonso Renault
6. Massa Ferrari
7. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
8. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
9. Hamilton McLaren Mercedes
10. Glock Toyota
11. Kubica BMW Sauber
12. Piquet Renault
13. Nakajima Williams / Toyota
14. Fisichella Force India / Mercedes
Retired Raikkonen Ferrari
Retired Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes
Retired Trulli Toyota
Retired Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari
Retired Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari
Retired Sutil Force India/Mercedes

Bahrain Grand Prix.

Jenson Button and his Mercedes powered Brawn GP car were victorious for the 3rd time this season. Button dominated the Bahrain Grand Prix and took an impressive victory from the second row of the starting grid. The other Brawn GP car of Rubens Barrichello finished down in 5th place behind a rejuvenated Lewis Hamilton in the ever improving McLaren Mercedes. These three drivers were the high points for the Stuttgart engine builders as Hamilton's Mclaren Mercedes team mate suffered a frustrating event finally crossing the line in a less than impressive 12th overall. The Force Indias of Fisichella and Sutil struggled in the hot and dry conditions and finished 15th and 16th.

BMW suffered an even worse fate and ended up with Nick Heidfeld the last car running (19th overall) and Robert Kubica circulating just in front of his team mate in 18th position. The Bavarian-Swiss team suffered a horrible weekend and are hoping that a return to European circuits will revitalise their waning fortunes!

1. Button Brawn GP / Mercedes
2. Vettel Red Bull / Renault
3. Trulli Toyota
4. Hamilton McLaren Mercedes
5. Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes
6. Glock Toyota
7. Raikkonen Ferrari
8. Alonso Renault
9. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
10. Piquet Renault
11. Webber Red Bull / Renault
12. Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes
13. Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari
14. Massa Ferrari
15. Fisichella Force India / Mercedes
16. Sutil Force India/Mercedes
17. Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari
18. Kubica BMW Sauber
19. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
Retired Nakajima Williams / Toyota

Current Formula 1 standings.

Drivers Championship

1. Jenson Button Brawn GP / Mercedes 21
2. Rubens Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes 15
3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull / Renault 10
4. Timo Glock Toyota 10
5. Mark Webber Red Bull / Renault 9½
6. Jarno Trulli Toyota 8½
7. Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 4
8. Fernando Alonso Renault 4
9. Heikki Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes 4
10. Lewis Hamilton McLaren Mercedes 4
11. Nico Rosberg Williams / Toyota 3½
12. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari 3
13. Sebastien Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari 1
14. Adrian Sutil Force India / Mercedes 0
15. Felipe Massa Ferrari 0
16. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 0
17. Giancarlo Fisichella Force India / Mercedes 0
18. Kazuki Nakajima Williams / Toyota 0
19. Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 0
20. Nelson Piquet Jr Renault 0

Teams Championship

1. Brawn GP / Mercedes 36
2. Red Bull / Renault 19½
3. Toyota 18½
4. McLaren / Mercedes 8
5. Toro Rosso / Ferrari 4
6. Renault 4
7. BMW Sauber 4
8. Williams-Toyota 3½
9. Force India-Mercedes 0
10. Ferrari 0

Chinese Grand Prix.

The second wet race of this year's Formula 1 World Championship saw the first non-Mercedes powered team to claim victory with Red Bull eclipsing Brawn GP and securing an impressive 1st and 2nd overall. Championship leader Jenson Button finished 3rd with Rubens Barrichello finishing 4th in the second Brawn GP car.

Mclaren Mercedes saw their fortunes improve with their drivers rounding out the top 6, Kovalainen taking 5th whilst a mistake-prone Hamilton finished 6th.

Force India driver Adrian Sutil had a very strong showing running as high a 6th before fate intervened and an aquaplaning moment threw his car nose first into the tyre wall. Sutil was unhurt but it was a big blow to the third team using Mercedes engines.

BMW had a trying race with neither car showing the performance expected from the Swiss / Bavarian racers. Heidfeld struggled home in 12th with Kubica finishing an eventful race in 13th overall. That Kubica finished at all was testament to how well BMW build their F1 cars, a coming together between the Pole and Toyota's Jarno Trulli saw Kubica launched skywards in a shower of shattered carbon fibre bodyparts.

Force India's Fisichella finished just behind Kubica in 14th place, a disappointing result after Sutil's excellent, yet unrewarded, drive.

1. Vettel Red Bull / Renault
2. Webber Red Bull / Renault
3. Button Brawn GP / Mercedes
4. Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes
5. Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes
6. Hamilton McLaren Mercedes
7. Glock Toyota
8. Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari
9. Alonso Renault
10. Raikkonen Ferrari
11. Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari
12. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
13. Kubica BMW Sauber
14. Fisichella Force India / Mercedes
15. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
16. Piquet Renault
17. Sutil Force India/Mercedes
Retired Nakajima Williams / Toyota
Retired Massa Ferrari
Retired Trulli Toyota

Malaysian Grand Prix.

The Malaysian Grand Prix was red-flagged because torrential rain made driving conditions excessively dangerous. After a long break the final results proved more than favourable for Mercedes and offered a ray of hope to BMW.

Once again the team showing all the speed were Brawn GP with their Mercedes engines, so it was no surprise to see Jenson Button on the top step of the podium after a commanding drive. Two wins from two races is a remarkable result from the team that didn't exist 2 months ago! Rubens Barrichello finished a disappointed 5th overall keeping Brawn GP on top of the manufacturer standings too.

Nick Heidfeld drove a canny and unremarkable race to finish second overall and offer his team encouragement after they saw Robert Kubica retire with engine failure after just one lap.

McLaren Mercedes continue to struggle and Lewis Hamilton was finally classified 7th overall after the heavens opened, his team mate Heikki Kovalainen retired on the first lap (just as he did in Australia).

Force India struggled with the varying conditions and heavy rain ultimately being the final classified finishers down in 17th and 18th positions.

1. Button Brawn GP / Mercedes
2. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
3. Glock Toyota
4. Trulli Toyota
5. Barrichello Brawn GP / Mercedes
6. Webber Red Bull / Renault
7. Hamilton McLaren Mercedes
8. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
9. Massa Ferrari
10. Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari
11. Alonso Renault
12 Nakajima Williams / Toyota
13. Piquet Renault
14. Raikkonen Ferrari
15. Vettel Red Bull / Renault
16. Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari
17. Sutil Force India/Mercedes
18. Fisichella Force India / Mercedes
Retired Kubica BMW Sauber
Retired Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes

Revised Australian Grand Prix result.

After a bit or rule breaking by McLaren and Lewis Hamilton the FIA have seen fit to disqualify Hamilton from last weekend's race. The revised results now read as follows:~

1. Button Brawn GP
2. Barrichello Brawn GP
3. Trulli Toyota
4. Glock Toyota
5. Alonso Renault
6. Rosberg Williams / Toyota
7. Buemi Toro Rosso / Ferrari
8. Bourdais Toro Rosso / Ferrari
9. Sutil Force India/Mercedes
10. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
11. Fisichella Force India / Mercedes
12. Webber Red Bull / Renault
13. Vettel Red Bull / Renault
14. Kubica BMW Sauber
15. Raikkonen Ferrari

Retired Massa Ferrari
Retired Piquet Renault
Retired Nakajima Williams / Toyota
Retired Kovalainen McLaren Mercedes

Disqualified Hamilton McLaren Mercedes

Australian Grand Prix

The first round of the 2009 Formula 1 World Championship {link} proved to be tremendous for Mercedes and disaterous for BMW.

Brawn GP scored a dramatic first and second overall in their maiden GP whilst a time penalty after the racing had finished promoted McLaren to 3rd overall.

The weekend was dominated by the new Brawn GP team with Jenson Button out performing Rubens Barrichello throughout the weekend and taking a deserved and impressive victory. Barrichello required a little bit of luck and fortune to recover from a poor start to claim second overall.

Lewis Hamilton benefited from a selection of crashes and bumps to claim fourth position on the road, this then became third once Jarno Trulli was penalised for overtaking when yellow flags were being shown.

Mercedes engines thus powered the top 3 cars in Australia which seemed exceptionally unlikely given that the McLarens quailified 14th and 15th and Force India (the other team using Mercedes engines) qualified 18th and 19th.

BMW's event ended with a poor showing in the final results but with encouraging signs of performance, especially from Robert Kubica who qualified 4th but was taken out of the race by a rampant Red Bull!

The teams now move on to Malaysia for next weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix {link} with Brawn GP and Mercedes hoping to continue their excellent form.

Formula 1 - practice 1 & 2

Combined times from sessions 1 & 2 result in a grid looking like this:~

1 Rosberg - Williams/Toyota
2 Nakajima - Williams/Toyota
3 Barrichello - Brawn/Mercedes
4 Raikkonen - Ferrari
5 Button - Brawn/Mercedes
6 Glock - Toyota
7 Trulli - Toyota
8 Massa - Ferrari
9 Sutil - Force India/Mercedes
10 Kovalainen - McLaren/Mercedes
11 Alonso - Renault
12 Webber - Red Bull/Renault
13 Heidfeld - BMW Sauber
14 Fisichella - Force India/Mercedes
15 Kubica - BMW Sauber
16 Hamilton - McLaren/Mercedes
17 Buemi - Toro Rosso/Ferrari
18 Bourdais - Toro Rosso/Ferrari
19 Piquet - Renault
20 Vettel - Red Bull/Renault

Tomorrow's qualifying session and Sunday's race are (naturally) when the true performance of each car and driver is fully shown but things are not looking very good for McLaren or BMW. The same can not be said about Brawn GP which has both cars in the top 5 - not bad for a new team! BMW had, arguably, a more shocking day than McLaren with neither car breaking into the top 10. Both team's drivers have been complaining about a general lack of grip, with tyre wear also (seemingly) being a concerning factor for virtually all teams at Melbourne.

Qualifying looks set to be very, very interesting and possibly quite frantic too!

Formula 1 2009

The 2009 Formula 1 championship starts this coming weekend in Australia. By Sunday afternoon the world will know if BMW are running a KERS system for the whole season, if McLaren's poor winter testing performances have been sandbagging or not, whether the combination of Mercedes power and a Ross Brawn chassis is really as fast as it seems.

Winter testing times imply that McLaren {link} have struggled to find speed in their MP4-24 with team boss Martin Whitmarsh publicly acknowledging the fact. Melbourne and the opening race will give a far more accurate picture to every team's performance and McLaren will have nowhere to hide. Their car will either prove to be as slow as some believe it to be or they will be challenging for outright victory as most expect.

Mercedes engines are powering 3 teams this year and dramatically it is not McLaren who have been the fastest of the 3. New team Brawn GP {link} have shocked the F1 world with their, frankly, stunning pace in winter testing. Whether they are able to carry this into the actual 2009 season remains to be seen but things are looking good for F1's newest team. One possible blot on the landscape for Brawn GP is controversy surrounding their diffuser, which some teams 9including Red Bull) deem to be too large. Expect this debate to rumble with protests being a possibility in Melbourne.....

The final team using Mercedes engines in Formula 1 are Force India {link}. Winter testing has been reasonably successful for the team although they have not had the impact that Brawn GP have. Force India's main focus is to challenge for mid-field places as they continue their development as a F1 team.

BMW Sauber {link} have had a very successful winter testing and are expected to seriously challenge not only for outright race wins but also for the championship too. One of the few teams that have really embraced the KERS idea it remains a little uncertain as to whether they will use a form of KERS in Melbourne. The benefits and drawbacks of KERS have yet to be fully seen in an actual F1 race meaning there will be even more interest in the Bavarian-Swiss team than normal.

Melbourne should prove to be a very interesting and action packed Formula 1 weekend, with so many questions to be answered the only safe bet is the old adage when the flag drops the BS stops!

The 2008 Formula 1 World Championship has been won by Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes powered McLaren. The tile was decided on the last corner of the last race in a season that has seen exciting racing and its fair share of controversy.

Mercedes weren't the only German manufacturer to taste the champagne this season, BMW managed their first F1 win as a manufacturer.

Final championship positions (top 10)

1 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
2 Felipe Massa Ferrari
3 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari
4 Robert Kubica BMW Sauber
5 Fernando Alonso Renault
6 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber
7 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes
8 Sebastian Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari
9 Jarno Trulli Toyota
10 Timo Glock Toyota

Max Moseley/FIA/F1 scandal.

The scandal that has engulfed the FIA President Max Mosley has drawn unfavourable responses from BMW and Mercedes and has resulted in both Porsche and Volkswagen reaffirming their commitment NOT to enter Formula 1.
BMW and Mercedes has stated that they feel the scandal requires Max Moslely to resign his presidency whilst the boards of Porsche and Volkswagen cited the scandal as a perfect reason why they feel F1 is unsuitable for their relevant companies.
Volkswagen also added that the sheer size of financial investment required to run a successful F1 team also made their entry impossible.

BMW Sauber F1.08.

BMW Sauber {link} launched their latest Formula 1 challenger, the F1.08, at BMW Welt with the sole aim of winning races in the coming season. Last year saw BMW clearly ahead of the mid-field teams in the F1 championship; the F1.08 is designed to move the German-Swiss team into the same league as McLaren Mercedes and Ferrari.
The BMW Sauber F1.08 is the most radical F1 car launched so far for the coming 2008 season. It has side wings that extend from just behind the fuel tank to the exhaust chimneys. Designed to clean airflow onto the rear wing these wings are also said to produce a quantifiable amount of downforce.
The whole design philosophy behind the F1.08 has been to make it as stable and neutral as possible, ensuring that without (the now banned) traction control the drivers have a car that reacts quickly to any driver input but one that is not balanced on a handling knife-edge. The car’s aerodynamic package has been devised to give constant handling even whilst cornering. The overall weight has been reduced to optimise ballast possibilities to aid handling and traction whilst both front and rear suspension have been re-designed for greater adjustability and driver feedback.
As with all other 2008 cars the BMW Sauber F1.08 sees the engine specification remain the same (development is frozen from last year) so there has been intense work on the peripherals to reduce weight, bulk and improve reliability. Unlike McLaren Mercedes the F1.08 gearbox is not all new though it is still under going test and development on the run up to the first race in March in Australia.
BMW Sauber are hoping that their F1.08 is sufficiently fast and driver friendly that their drivers, Nick Heidfeld {link} and Robert Kubica {link} can continually challenge the top two teams for victories. If it proves to be the case BMW Sauber will have performed the masterstroke of becoming a race winning team in three years.

McLaren Mercedes MP4-22.

Launched at the Mercedes Museum {link}, home to many evocative and highly successful race cars, the MP4-23 is McLaren’s 2008 Formula 1 car. After a stunningly successful but ultimately unrewarding 2007 season the MP4-23 is a clear development of the last year’s car. The 2007 car had very few flaws and those there were have clearly been addressed by this year’s MP4-23.
The latest McLaren Mercedes {link} has a longer wheel base to improve high speed handling, it is also lighter allowing greater use of ballast to improve traction and also tyre wear. A new, longer carbonfibre and titanium gearbox is the most obvious mechanical change over last year’s car. Aerodynamically the MP4-23 benefits from subtle and clever alterations; a new nose and fish-like gills at the rear of the rollhoop being the most obvious.
The complete McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 package is designed at negating the few advantages Ferrari’s F1 challenger had over the team last year. In a quiet and tranquil museum in Stuttgart last week the job seemed to have been done very successfully. A loud, bustling Melbourne in 2 months will offer the real proof. Whether Ferrari or McLaren Mercedes have achieved the best 2008 car will only be seen when the red lights go out on race day. With BMW aiming to make it a trio at the top the MP4-23 has a lot riding on it, yet the drivers and team seem confident that they can, at least, repeat last year’s successful results on any given race day.