Formula One Blog Returns!

I’d like to apologise for not updating the blog for a while. A few things have put me under a lot of pressure lately, but that’s all over and Formula One Blog is back for what seems to be a thrilling conclusion to the 2008 season!

FOB is the place for Formula One news, stats and opinion. It is written by fans, for fans. Feel free to leave a comment below.

I want to build a network of fans that unite in one place to discuss Formula One.

Force India To Concentrate On 2009 Car

Dr. Vijay Mallya - Force India Owner

High-profile team owner Vijay Mallya says Force India will have a bigger budget for the 2009 season.

The Silverstone based team’s new ownership already pledged more money and resources for its inaugural season this year when it took over the ailing Spyker outfit.

Force India moved closer to the rest of the field in the first half of 2008, but has now shifted its focus to next year.

The last piece of development for the current car will be a seamless gearbox in Hungary.

Mallya said at Hockenheim:

“Beyond that I have decided that we will now concentrate on the 2009 car,”

“We have an increased budget for 2009,”

Mallya added that two new senior engineers have joined the design team.

“We will add as many as we need to,”

“When you have to compete with teams with significantly higher budgets and vast resources you have at least to step up to the plate, otherwise you won’t get anywhere.”

Neal’s View: Long-gone are the days of the independents. Hopefully, Mallya can keep the team running and make them more competitive. They are only 1.8 seconds off pole, on average, and the introduction of a seamless-shift gearbox will reduce this by three tenths. In Mike Gascoyne, Force India have one of the best people for the job.

Massa Hopes The Time Is Now To Be Ferrari Number One

Felipe Massa - Ferrari

It is not yet necessary for Ferrari to appoint a number one driver for the rest of the 2008 championship, according to Felipe Massa.

The Brazilian and his teammate, reigning world champion Kimi Raikkonen, are currently tied on points at the top of the drivers’ standings with McLaren rival Lewis Hamilton.

Massa told the French morning newspaper Le Figaro:

“The team does not have to make a decision as long as things are not leaning either one way or the other.”

In previous years, Michael Schumacher was the undisputed number one driver, receiving the balance of the Italian marque’s effort to lift the drivers’ crown.

But Massa said last year he was also on equal terms with Raikkonen, until his chances took a final hit at the Italian grand prix.

“From then on, there remained a small chance for Kimi. To help him to do it, the team did everything for him, myself included.

“This time I hope it will be my turn.”

In the interview, Massa also played down suggestions Ferrari may be able to vacate his seat in the near future — perhaps by means of performance clauses.

“No. I have a contract until the end of 2010 and I feel perfectly comfortable in the team,”

Neal’s View: Massa needs to get focused if he is going to challenge. All those spins at Silverstone, then he gifted Hamilton the lead in Germany.

Germans Fight over GP Name

Nurburgring

Despite the Nurburgring’s contract to host a formula one race in 2009, the ‘German grand prix’ moniker is likely to be absent from the calendar next year.

The name is owned and controlled by the AvD (the Automobilclub von Deutschland), which plays host to the sport at Hockenheim in even-numbered years.

The Nurburgring, also located in Germany, last year staged the European grand prix, because the AvD refused to let organisers ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club) – a separate and rival club – use the German GP name.

On the recently-published provisional 2009 calendar, the FIA reserved a July 12 race date for ‘Germany’, with the ‘European’ descriptor now being used by Spanish port city Valencia’s new street race.

However, AvD sports president Volker Strycek has suggested that the club is not keen to release the ‘German grand prix’ name for next year’s sole F1 race in the country at the Nurburgring.

“The title is the silverware of the AvD,”

Neal’s View: With Valencia being called the European, one wonders what the Nurburgring race could be called…

BMW Run Only Successful KERS Test

BMW-Sauber F1.08

BMW-Sauber’s first track test of a KERS system for 2009 went off without a hitch, the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport reports.

The event, on July 15, took place at the German carmaker’s own Miramas test circuit, with Marko Asmer at the wheel over 48 kilometres.

It is now well known that Red Bull’s KERS testing resulted in a visit to its Milton-Keynes factory of the local fire department, while Honda had some teething trouble when its initial track testing – with an old car – took place on an airfield runway and subsequently at Silverstone.

BMW-Sauber’s KERS track testing will step up a notch next week when Christian Klien takes to the wheel of a modified F1.08 chassis.

Willy Rampf said:

“It will be obvious that we are running the systems, but the car will have nothing to do with the car for next year.“

Neal’s View: As a new technology, as far as F1 goes, everything is hush-hush. Expect performance and reliability to be much improved by the time they are introduced.

Lauda: Hamilton is unbeatable!

Niki Lauda

Lewis Hamilton has turned a corner and is now on the right track to winning the world championship, according to former triple title winner Niki Lauda.

The great Austrian, who watched 23-year-old McLaren driver Hamilton dominantly win Sunday’s German grand prix at Hockenheim, is sure the Briton is driving better even than his rookie season in 2007.

Lauda had this to say:

“Last year he was my favourite, but he screwed up in the last two races.

“I think he’s got the message now, from Silverstone in a difficult race and here in a difficult race for him. He’s on the right track and if he continues like this he’s unbeatable.”

Lauda, 59, said Hamilton’s Hockenheim drive reminded him of Ayrton Senna.

Ross Brawn, the Honda team boss and former Ferrari technical director, said Hockenheim reminded him of another great.

“It was reminiscent of some of Michael (Schumacher)’s greatest drives.“

Even the seven time world champion himself, Schumacher – rooting for the defeated Ferrari on the pitwall – had to applaud Hamilton’s “fantastic performance” in Germany.

Neal’s View: Lewis is showing some strong performances, and with the car currently the best on track, he has to be favourite.

Honda Keep Current Lineup

Honda RA108 Button (l), Barrichello (r)

Ross Brawn announced at the weekend that Honda will maintain the same driver lineup for the 2009 season. Both Jenson Button’s and Rubens Barrichello’s contracts are due to end at the end of this season and have performed well, and despite being given a dog of a car for the last few years, Barrichello managed a podium at Silverstone.

The raft of sweeping rule changes due for 2009 are set to provide a clean sheet for next season, one where BMW-Sauber, Renault, Williams-Toyota, Red Bull-Renault, Honda and Toyota aim to close the gap to Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes.

Brawn said:

“Clearly our priority is to sort the car out, because we believe with the drivers we have, if we produce a good car then they can produce from their side.

“So we are not looking at anything major on the driver side. Our main priority is the car.“

When asked whether Button, 28, and Barrichello, 36, would be racing for Honda in 2009, Brawn said:

“Yes.”

Neal’s View: This means that Alonso’s options for 2009 are reduced, now Red Bull and Honda have announced their 2009 lineups. Honda know they have to produce a competitive car for 2009 or they will lose Jenson.

McLaren’s Secret Weapon

McLaren-Mercedes MP4-23

It appears as if McLaren’s new steering wheel could be behind the Woking based squad’s recent surge in form with Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen going from struggling to keep up with their rivals at Ferrari in France a month ago to winning back to back dominating victories at Silverstone and Hockenheim.

Hamilton won by over a minute in the rain soaked British Grand prix, and although he wasn’t miles ahead in Germany, he would have been if not for a safety car and the team’s decision not to pit when the rest of the field did. Instead he came in under green flag conditions several laps later, only to make his way back from fifth to first, with a few seconds to spare in just sixteen laps.

Although there is no doubt about Hamilton’s driving finesse, the domination we have seen in these recent races has left other teams scratching their heads, but it claims by the Telegraph are to be believed, the answer is quite simple.

It appears as if the MP4-23’s steering wheel is a little different from its rivals with four paddle levels instead of the regular two. Two being to change gears and the two additional levers used to adjust engine torque to suit the gear selected, helping to minimize wheel spin in slow corners but retaining speed for the fast ones. The rules indicate that drivers can not select gears and torque settings in one move, so the extra two levers must be used for the car to remain legal.

Just how long it will be before other teams use this technology, or the FIA bans it, is anyone’s guess, but if it is the reason for their upward turn in performance, you can bet it won’t take Ferrari too long to be right up there with them!

Neal’s View: I’d be surprised if this was worth more than a couple of tenths per lap. The sad thing, for Ferrari fans, is the McLaren is currently more than a couple of tenths quicker!

Buemi to BMW? Toro Rosso?

Sebastien Buemi

F1 teams Toro Rosso and BMW-Sauber may be interested in accommodating rising GP2 driver Sebastien Buemi in the near future.

The Swiss daily Le Matin quotes BMW boss Mario Theissen as praising the developing talents of the 19-year-old, who is currently a test driver for Red Bull.

With Sebastian Vettel moving on to the senior team in 2009, speculation has linked Buemi’s name with the vacant seat at Toro Rosso.

But Theissen may also be interested, particularly following Buemi’s run of good form in GP2, the F1 feeder category.

“When he was in formula BMW, he was very young but immediately very fast.

“He can still make the odd mistake, but I am following the GP2 championship very closely and I find that Sebastien is making consistent progress.”

He would not, however, be drawn on suggestions that Buemi is at the top of the list for a BMW-Sauber contract, perhaps initially as a test driver.

“Let’s see how his season progresses, but I am not saying no.“

Neal’s View: With Hiedfeld under pressure there may be a seat at BMW for next season. Unless Kubica signs a new contract there will be a spare seat at BMW next season. A Swiss driver would satisfy the needs of the Swiss-based team, and Swiss sponsors, Credit Suisse. Toro Rosso have a spare seat after Sebastien Vettel was promoted to the Red Bull squad and the Red Bull-backed racer could be next in line.

Winkelhock Accepts F1 Career Is Over

Winkelhock leading for Spyker

Markus Winkelhock admits his abortive Formula One career is now over.

The 28-year-old German, as a Spyker test driver, made his Grand Prix debut at the Nurburgring last year – and sensationally led a few laps amid the rain chaos – following the demise of regular racer Christijan Albers.

A lack of sponsorship meant he didn’t retain the seat full-time, and Winkelhock – whose late father Manfred contested more than 50 Grand Prix in the 80s – switched to the German touring car series DTM.

To Spox.com, he admits he is not likely to ever return to the grid.

“It was a great experience, but I am a realist.

“The DTM is what I am concentrated on for the future. Formula One, for me, is over.

“I am not really too sad about it. I am happy with my situation now. With the experiences and the race I had in Formula One, of course it is nice to look back, but with Audi in DTM I’m happier than I was in Formula One last year.”

Neal’s View: Winkelhock did not have the talent, nor the cash to acquire a seat in Formula One. However, his time leading at the Nurburgring will mean he goes down in Formula One history.