The curtain rises on the 2010 F1 season

Valencia, Spain—The lap times at the first official F1 test of the 2010 season mean less than nothing. As evidence, consider that the fastest lap set over the first two days of the three-day affair, set by Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, was some three seconds off the lap record. In the world of Formula One, three seconds is an eternity.

Still, there was plenty of interest surrounding the events at the Ricardo Tormo circuit, held just outside the burgeoning city of Valencia, which is currently hosting the test. All of the interest derives from the many changes that took place during the off-season—new rules, new teams, new drivers—and one old driver.

On the first day of the session, held on February 1st, all eyes were on this one “old solder,” Michael Schumacher. After making an early morning appearance at the Mercedes GP photo op, the 7-time world champion returned to the team motorhome and allowed teammate Nico (“I’m no #2”) Rosberg to run through the tedious system checks that occupy much of the early-season test mileage.

While the F1 returnee cooled his heels, photographers held station either outside said motorhome or in the pit lane directly across from the team garage. Finally, at just before 4 pm local time, Schumacher took his place in the MGP W01, quickly setting a competitive time that proved to be a half-second quicker than Rosberg’s best effort.

There were numerous other changes on display in Valencia. Of course, all of the seven teams running—BMW Sauber, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Renault, Toro Rosso and Williams—brought brand new cars that have been carefully sculpted to take advantage of the new rule for 2010. Of primary concern is the need to carry a full race fuel load and to develop a handling package that will allow the tires to last the distance as well.

Based on appearances alone, some teams look to be more successful than others. The Mercedes, in particular, is a very striking design with a high, prominent nose and a chassis that is clearly designed for optimal aerodynamics. As expected, the Ferrari and the McLaren look very clean, very well put-together.

On the other end of the scale is the Renault, which looks striking in its retro bumble bee paint scheme, but seems a fairly slab-sided car nonetheless. Worst of all is the BMW Sauber, a car that not only looks outdated, but also has no sponsors at all—just a giant white shark-fin tail waiting for support of some kind. The team were required to call themselves “BMW Sauber” because they’d already registered for this season prior to the Munich manufacturer pulling out of F1 and re-selling the team to Peter Sauber.

If I were BMW, I’d pay to have my name taken off the car; there seems little chance that this outfit will prove competitive in 2010, although I confess to a soft spot for new team leader Pedro de la Rosa, a vastly underrated driver.

In terms of sponsorship, Renault looks to be in similarly dire straits. In effect, the only major sponsor for the team is Renault, so they’ve adopted the yellow-and-black paint scheme that harkens back to the first foray into F1 as a manufacturer, back in 1977. The team have lost their team principal (Flavio Briatore), lead driver (Fernando Alonso) and all their major sponsors from last season. They’ve landed a capable new leader in Robert Kubica, but have had to take on a pay driver, Vitaly Petrov, to fill the second seat. Not a good sign.

Still, according to Renault press officer Clarisse Hoffman, there’s a renewed sense of energy and purpose within the team. “There have been a lot of changes since last year,” she noted during a visit to the team garage, “but all for the better.”

This mood was echoed in the Williams garage, where the outgoing driver pairing of Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima has been replaced by veteran Rubens Barrichello and rookie Nico (The Incredible) Hulkenberg. Barrichello handled all the driving duties on the first two days, running through those same systems checks that can make test sessions so gruelling.

“It’s very refreshing to have Rubens in the team,” reports team press officer Claire Williams. “He’s so experienced, he knows exactly what he wants. And we’re very excited about Nico, so we think we have the perfect balance with our driver pairing.”

Of course, much of the interest surrounding the new season rests in who will get the upper hand within the various teams. Will it be Schumacher or Rosberg? I predict that, within three races, Nico will be required to pick up Michael’s dry cleaning, collect him from the airport and paint his summer home in Switzerland.

What about the two British world champions at McLaren, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button? A quick survey of British racing fans in Spain revealed not one that thought Button had a chance of being the quicker of the two.

For the fans gathered at Valencia, though, all the focus was on whether Alonso would have the early advantage over Massa. The seats were fairly full during Monday testing, even though Alonso was not at the track. On Tuesday, there were more fans still; the Spaniard was not driving, although he was seen in the Ferrari garage. With his first runs in the Ferrari set to happen on the Wednesday, the track will no doubt be thick with Alonso fans.

But let’s all try to remember one thing: The lap times don’t matter—at least not yet.

©2010 Car Advice | News | Reviews - http://www.caradvice.com.au - All Rights Reserved.

The youngest Formula One driver in history, 19 year-old Spaniard Jamie Alguersuari, will drive a SEAT Leon Cupra R, when he ‘s not driving his racing car.

Jamie was just 19 years old, when he drove for the Torro Rosso team in the Hungarian Grand Prix this year.

As well as breaking the record as the youngest ever F1 driver previously held by Mike Thackwell, he also became only the seventh teenager to start a Formula One race.

Despite a mechanical failure, which meant qualifying in last place, he went on to finish in fifteenth place, and ahead of his teammate.

The SEAT Leon Cupra R is a potent three-door hatch, with 194kW driving through the front wheels. It will do 250km/h and 0-100km/h in 6.1 seconds.

It may not be F1 style quick, but Jamie is said to very happy with his new daily drive.

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So you reckon you’re a pretty fast driver eh, quick enough to steer a Formula One car around Monza perhaps?

What about your own private F1 car, any time of the day or night, on any circuit you wish, in the comfort of your own home.

Too good to be true? Well, almost, for just 120,000 pounds, plus optional extras, you could become the greatest Formula One driver that ever lived, without ever leaving your bedroom.

Dutch based Interactive motion-based racing simulator company, Cruden B.V. is offering their professional Hexatech simulator for purchase by the public, and just in time for the Christmas rush.

Frank Kalff, Cruden’s commercial director said, “Let’s be clear, this is not a video game linked up to a steering wheel, race seat and pedals. Although easy to operate, this is the exact same equipment used by the top racing drivers and engineers to improve their race craft and evaluate new tracks and car settings. Our simulator and the software it uses cannot be bought in a store.”

And don’t worry about this simulator wearing out or a systems crash either, its designed to last for hundreds of thousands of kilometres per year, and for between 10 to 15 years.

But don’t expect to become an F1 pilot in a day, as that’s not going to happen. Mastering the simulator and achieving quick lap times is just as difficult as the real thing, and as the brochure says, “the simulator takes minutes to learn but a lifetime to master”

There are a few interesting options too, like a three-seat version, so your friends come go for a spin in your F1 car. You can also choose between three wrap-around 42-inch screens or stereo projectors to view the virtual tracks.

If you get tired of Formula One racing, no problem, you can try the rally, NASCAR, or sports car racing software packages for Le Mans and Nurburgring.

Key features of the Simulator include:

• Driver and/or hardware in the loop simulation tool
• Six degrees of freedom with electromechanical motion system
• Seat belt tensioners
• Near 100% realistic steering feedback
• Fully compatible with Matlab/Simulink and seamless integration of simulation models through dSpace, CarSim and VeDYNA
• State-of-the-art professional image generation offering significantly reduced motion blur as well as real-time CG shadowing and environment mapping
• 42” monitors or alternatively projectors on a curved screen to fully immerses the driver
• Vehicle characteristics modeled and parameterised include chassis, wheelbase/track, tyres, suspension settings, drivetrain (engine, gearbox, differentials, drive shafts), aero loading, aero draft (slip streaming), steering, brakes and driver aids such as traction control, ABS, etc.
• Energy efficient electromechanical motion system typically requires only 5 KWh of electricity (on top of the environmental benefits of not testing on a real race track)

I wonder if you can buy a used one of these simulators on eBay?

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By all accounts Abu Dhabi has proved a popular race venue for the Formula One teams and spectators alike.

The spanking new Yas Marina Circuit, looking more like a theme park at night than a Formula One venue is certainly a spectacular site.

Red Bull must be delighted with their stunning one-two victory in the inaugural race, with our own Mark Webber scoring yet another podium finish.

Most of the twenty drivers were praiseworthy of the track, while there was little, if any, criticism.

Williams’s driver Nico Rosberg said, “…I think they have done a very good job and it is an interesting track and every corner is unique”.

Force India driver has similar things to say about the circuit and said it was better than Singapore. “I think it is better than Singapore for sure. He said, “Singapore is too light, it is too bright and you don’t have the feeling of a night race”.

“Here there is definitely enough light – you really see the track clearly – and it is nice. Driving into the sunset was quite cool with the sun there. It was a good feeling”.

One or two drivers did express concern with the underground section of the pit exit being too narrow, but there were no incidents during race weekend.

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On his official website, the seven-time world champion released an official statement citing a prolonged neck injury sustained after a bike accident in February as the reason behind the decision.

His temporary return to Formula 1 had always relied on the results of a medical evaluation, although few would have guessed that this would have posed a threat, as Schumacher has remaining active with Ferrari Motorsport, despite being in retirement.

“I really tried everything to make that temporary comeback possible, however, much to my regret it didn’t work out. Unfortunately we did not manage to get a grip on the pain in the neck which occurred after the private F1-day in Mugello, even if medically or therapeutically we tried everything possible.”

Schumacher personally informed Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo and Team Principal Stefano Domenicali that he would unfortunately not able to step in for Felipe yesterday evening.

“I am disappointed to the core. I am awfully sorry for the guys of Ferrari and for all the fans which crossed fingers for me. I can only repeat that I tried everything that was within my power. All I can do now is to keep my fingers crossed for the whole team for the coming races.”

Fractures in the area of Schumacher’s head and neck have been deemed too severe to endure the stresses caused by Formula 1, hence the decision to withdraw from a possible return.

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In an official announcement this morning Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro said it intends to put Schumacher, who retired from Grand Prix racing in 2006, in Massa’s car until the Brazilian driver is be able to race again.

“Michael Schumacher said he is ready and, over the next few days, will undertake a specific training programme at the end of which confirmation will be given of his participation in the Championship with effect from the European Grand Prix on the 23rd of August,” the official statement said

Schumacher, 40, will begin training immediately to make sure he is in shape for his comeback and that he is ready to go.

Schumacher suffered some injuries during the winter after crashing a racing motorcycle, and the team needs to be sure he is fit.

Schumacher’s return could prove to be a triumph of boredom over sensibility as while he has kept in touch with the latest race car, he’s driven it at the Fiorano test track, he will not have the level of race fitness that made him the most formidable F1 driver for more than a decade.

He has acted as a mentor to the team since retiring, and particularly to Massa, but will now have to accept a role as number two driver to Kimi Raïkkönen.

Meanwhile, Massa, injured in a freak accident during the Hungarian Grand Prix, has continued to make a recovery and is reported to have taken his first steps.

Doctors have also said they expect he will make a full recovery and return to F! racing.

The European Grand Prix on August 23 will mark the first time that Schumacher races alongside Ferrari’s Kimi Raïkkönen, and it will be the first time that he experiences F1’s new slick tires and kinetic-energy-recovery system on a race track.

In his favour, remaining races take place at tracks known to be among Schumacher’s favourites, including Spa-Francorchamps, Monza and Suzuka.

Schumacher has not raced at Valencia, Singapore or Abu Dhabi, which also are among the coming races.

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The official statement from BMW did not include definitive justification for the landmark decision, although the poor performance of the BMW Sauber F1 team this season is certainly a contributing factor.

Dr Klaus Draeger, the member of the Board of Management responsible for development, has said that it was unfortunate that the team was “unable to meet expectations in the current season”.

As it currently stands, the BMW Sauber F1 team is ranked eighth in the constructors title with a total of eight points, ahead of only STR and Force India.

“Of course, we, the employees in Hinwil and Munich, would all have liked to continue this ambitious campaign and show that this season was just a hiccup following three successful years. But I can understand why this decision was made from a corporate perspective.” said BMW Motorsport director Dr Mario Theissen.

The landmark decision to restructure BMW Motorsport’s activities was made at the Board of Management’s meeting yesterday, with BMW confirming that it would continue to be actively involved in other areas of  motor sport.

Possible redundancies in Munich and Hinwil as a result of this decision are yet to be announced, although have not been ruled out.

“Since we only made this decision yesterday, we cannot provide any more precise information. We will develop and assess various scenarios and do our best to find a solution for the employees in Hinwil and the staff members involved in the Formula One project in Munich. We are aware of the responsibility we shoulder and will inform the staff as soon as we can make a clear statement.” said Dr Draeger.

Since its debut season in 2006, the BMW Sauber F1 team has taken one pole position with Kubica finishing first in Bahrain in 2008, and has accumulated a total of 16 podium finishes.

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Up for grabs is the title of world champion, $1.5 million in university scholarships, and the crystal Bernie Ecclestone Trophy, which last resided Down Under in 2006.

The three F1 teams (Redline Racing from Canberra, Biohazard from Sydney, The Bullets from Noosa) are part of F1 in Schools, which is operated in Australia by Re-Engineering Australia Foundation.

REA is a not for profit organisation founded by Sydney engineer, Michael Myers, 10 years ago to encourage young people to consider engineering, manufacturing and technical career paths.

The students fly out for England in September and are hoping to better last year’s result where Team Australia came second and third. They will also be looking to continue the hold we have on the coveted Best Engineered Award, which has gone to Australia every year since 2004.

To date, more than 30,000 students across Australia from Year Seven are engaged each term in the program, and 100,000+ use the same technology supplied by REA for non-F1 school projects.

REA equips the students with the same 3D software (CATIA) as used by 27 of the world’s automotive manufacturers, along with Virtual Wind Tunnel software, classroom-friendly multi-axis manufacturing centres, mini smoke and wind tunnels, and a 20-metre computer timed race track.

Students must design, analyse, make, test and race a balsa wood F1 car that reaches speeds of up to 80km/h. The current speed record is 0.985 seconds set by Queensland team The Razorbacks.

It’s not all about fast cars. Students learn project management, public speaking, marketing, preparing technical portfolios, multi-media presentations, and engaging with industry.

A few years ago the top Aussie team was invited to be a part of Scuderia Ferrari F1’s media presentation at the Australian Grand Prix.

The race track, complete with two miniature Ferrari F1 cars, was brought to the venue and Michael Schumacher raced against one of the 14-year-olds, who can claim to his friends that he beat the multi-world champion!

For more information, click here.

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The FIA, Mr Ecclestone and the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) have been arguing for more than eight months over the future of the premiere level of motor sport, and now it seems to have ended in a permanent rift.

The FOTA statement represents some heavyweights in motor sport with the organisation representing BMW-Sauber, BrawnGP, Scuderia Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Red Bull Racing, Renault, Scuderia Toro Rosso and Toyota.

In a statement issued after a meeting at the historic Silverstone track in Britain FOTA has said that; “These teams therefore have no alternative other than to commence the preparation for a new Championship which reflects the values of its participants and partners.”

“This series will have transparent governance, one set of regulations, encourage more entrants and listen to the wishes of the fans, including offering lower prices for spectators worldwide, partners and other important stakeholders.

“The major drivers, stars, brands, sponsors, promoters and companies historically associated with the highest level of motorsport will all feature in this new series, the FOTA statement adds.

The statement says that since the formation of FOTA last September the teams have worked together and sought to engage the FIA and commercial rights holder, to develop and improve the sport.

“Unprecedented worldwide financial turmoil has inevitably placed great challenges before the F1 community. FOTA is proud that it has achieved the most substantial measures to reduce costs in the history of our sport.

“In particular the manufacturer teams have provided assistance to the independent teams, a number of which would probably not be in the sport today without the FOTA initiatives. The FOTA teams have further agreed upon a substantial voluntary cost reduction that provides a sustainable model for the future.

“Following these efforts all the teams have confirmed to the FIA and the commercial rights holder that they are willing to commit until the end of 2012.

Not mincing its words about the breakdown in relations between the parties, the FOTA statement says the FIA and the commercial rights holder have campaigned to divide FOTA.

FOTA says the wishes of the majority of the teams were ignored, and furthermore, tens of millions of dollars have been withheld from many teams by the commercial rights holder, going back as far as 2006.

Despite this and the uncompromising environment, FOTA has genuinely sought compromise.

It has become clear however, that the teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 World Championship.

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The Ferrari threat would see its uninterrupted participation in the World Championship come to an end after almost 60 years as the only team to have remained since the sport’s inception in 1950.

Renault’s statement says the decision of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) to introduce two
sets of Formula One technical regulations for the 2010 Formula One season has caused the Renault Group to reconsider its entry in next year’s FIA Formula One World Championship.

The president of the ING Renault F1 Team, Bernard Rey, commented: “Renault has always considered Formula One as the pinnacle of motor sport and the perfect stage to demonstrate technical excellence. We remain committed to the sport, however we cannot be involved in a championship operating with different sets of rules, and if such rules are put into effect, we will be forced to pull out from next season.”

The new regulations are aimed at reducing the overall cost of competing in Formula 1 in order to make the sport more affordable following the withdrawal of Honda before the 2009 season.

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 One 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 F1 in particular, always seeking to promote its sporting and technical values.

This comes as manufacturers cull their motor sport involvement across all disciplines in the wake of the global economic downturn.

Although this is not the first time Ferrari has threatened to quit Formula One and it is unlikely this will eventuate considering the brand’s reliance on the sport to showcase its performance pedigree.

©2010 Car Advice | News | Reviews - http://www.caradvice.com.au - All Rights Reserved.

In what can only be described as extraordinarily privileged access, CarAdvice was today been allowed an exclusive behind the scenes look at Ferrari’s pit garage at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Now before we start, I must begin with an apology, for although we were allowed to take cameras in to the garage, we were forbidden explicitly from publishing the images captured – and yes they were brilliant! It kills me that I can’t share them with you but unfortunately we must make do with those supplied to us from Shell.

However, I digress…

As guests of Shell, our tour focuses particularly on Shell’s involvement with Ferrari and how the two teams have worked together to not only increase engine performance and reduce lap times, but to develop fuel and lubricant technology that has greatly assisted in extending engine durability, a topic that is certain to become even more vital this year with F1 rules now dictating a strict eight engines per driver/season.

While the relevance of Formula One fuel and lubricant technology may seem isolated from the commercial applications you and I employ, our day with Shell has shown that there is indeed a flow on effect from trackside labs to the very same fuels and oils we put in our own cars.

Our tour of the garage, predominantly highlighting Shell’s mobile track lab, was hosted by Dr Lisa Lilley, Shell’s Technology Manager to Ferrari.

So valued by Ferrari are Dr Lilley’s services that she is employed on a permanent basis at the Gestione Sportiva offices at Ferrari headquarters in Maranello, Italy, to coordinate and develop the fuel and lubrication requirements of the team, in conjunction with Ferrari engineers, to blend precise fuel, oil and coolant formulas that will in turn be used during the Formula One race season.

In fact, Ferrari value Shell’s fuel and lubricants so much that these precious liquids are considered as components of the engine and in turn Shell devotes a 50 person research and development team, based in both Britain and Germany, to the cause to continually develop these components in conjunction with the Prancing Horse over some 18,000 person-hours each off-season.

In addition to the European team, and a permanent laboratory in the Britain, Shell also provide Ferrari with a mobile Track Laboratory. This transportable analytical facility is staffed by three scientists from Shell – one for fuel, one for lubricants, and of course, Dr Lilley.

Technical formulation with Ferrari extends back six decades but began in earnest in 1996 with fuel specifically optimised and changed to meet the needs of strict new regulations such as the banning of sulphur and more recently, the 5.75 per cent (by weight) level of bio-oxygenate blend introduced in 1998.

The Track Lab travels with Ferrari to all race meetings outside the European Union with the sole purpose being to ensure the team’s fuel and lubrication needs are not only met, but enhanced and developed along the way so that as much information as possible is extracted and stored to again improve the recipe in the next off-season.

The best thing is that with so much history, and over 11,000 samples on file, the team has an amazing database from which to draw reference. Analysis is therefore almost continuous, ensuring not only that these samples are there for any future reference, but that they continue to meet strict FIA guidelines.

Fuels and lubricants are both bench and track tested during this time to allow for the precise blend of elements to be realised prior to the season’s start. Each fuel, oil and coolant typically meets between 2200 and 2500 kilometres of in engine operational testing prior to the season’s start. At this time a reference sample, which must conform to FAI guidelines, is submitted to the governing body as a datum point.

Once the season is underway track testing is strictly forbidden by the FIA and although bench testing may still be carried out, all fuel and lubricants must match the original sample supplied to the FIA prior to the season opening. The FIA can analyse the fuel anywhere up to 30 times during the course of a single race meeting, meaning any change to the fuel’s blend is certain to be noticed.

As far as Ferrari is concerned of course, this constant analysis also provides engineers with an early warning system of sorts. As Shell’s technical team can determine precisely how the engine and gearbox are wearing by studying the types of metal particles found, a natural occurrence in any vehicle’s lubrication system, any abnormality is very quickly noticed meaning the relative component can be checked before failure occurs.

To do this a sample of oil is placed in to the test equipment where a thin film of the lubricant is heated on a electrode to 4000-degrees Celsius instantly converting it to vapour. This vapour is then studied for any metal traces to determine which, of the fifteen different metals used in the engine, they could be, and indeed if their size and quantity is of any concern as to the health of the car.

Shell supplies Ferrari with 200,000-litres of fuel annually for F1 development and racing. This fuel is produced in batches ranging between 20,000 and 50,000-litres and is transported to the race in sealed 50-litre drums. It takes two of these drums to fill the tank on each car.

Notwithstanding the huge logistical challenge faced in preparing and transporting this fuel from Shell’s British base to 18 track venues, the FIA also has a hand in proceedings with all fuel and lubricants having to meet strict guidelines.

So precise is this analysis that should old and new fuel be mixed together, ie: from separate batches, the FIA could then have cause to further question Ferrari with further checking carried out to see that the fuel is indeed within the allowable spectrum.

Dr Lilley from Shell joked that when supplying the initial samples to the FIA this allowable spectrum is one boundary the team indeed likes to push with the fuel submitted often being marginal in terms of its relation to the edge of the allowable spectrum.

“If we don’t get at least one warning from the FIA, we’re not on the right track,” she said.

As she sees it being well ahead or way under specific values means Shell is pushing the limits of its technical innovation and better allows the fuel technicians and blenders to understand how different components and elements within the fuel compliment one another within the allowed range.

Of course if a batch of fuel is outside these guidelines, scope exists to “trim” the batch to meet FIA requirements, though once the season is underway, this procedure becomes much tighter with any fuel blend alteration made mid-season having to match, within allowable tolerances, the original pre-season sample.

Once the season is underway no further track testing is permitted, with bench testing only allowed, and although this doesn’t mean the formula can’t and isn’t changed throughout the season, the scope allowed for change is really quite restrictive.

When we think of fuel, the first element that springs to mind is usually the octane level, though as Dr Lilley points out, F1 engines rev particularly high, up to 18,000rpm, meaning they are less sensitive to octane levels than the cars you and I drive. In fact, an F1 engine will operate on a range between 95RON and 102RON.

Other elements of the fuel’s chemistry are however key to the performance of the engine and it is this make up that must be spot on, especially when you consider again the logistics of the situation.

As an example, the same batch of fuel that is used in Melbourne will also be used at the Malaysian race and despite drastically differing atmospheric conditions, the car must operate equally as effectively on this same batch of fuel with its same specific weight, volatility and density.

This means, that in races such as these, a faster burning fuel is more important. One that can operate in hot-conditions, develop maximum power and reliability. Counter this then to a race such as Monaco where the fuel will be trimmed to make it slightly more responsive. Yet, in both situations fuel economy is of course a strong consideration.

To balance this volume consumption, as opposed to mass consumption, is of considerable importance, and will become even more so next year with the FIA proposing a “no fill” race. Think of this meaning the fuel is lighter, so it atomises better, effectively meaning more fuel, lighter mass.

Weight is also a key to this recipe and if 50-litres of fuel can be made to weigh say for example 47kgs, then this considerable weight saving will not only improve on track performance, but re-fuelling time as well with an average F1 car fuelled at a rate of 12-litres per second.

Freight is also an issue here when you consider that this weekend in Melbourne, the Ferrari team will consume 2000-litres of race fuel, that’s a lot of 50-litre drums!

Shelf life, something critical in commercial fuels, is surprisingly not as sensitive in race fuels. Typically the natural turn over of a particular batch is three months during race season, though in some instances Ferrari have used fuels up to six months old during a race.

Shell has bench tested race fuel up to 24 months old and has found it to be incredibly robust, still holding the same properties as when it was produced.

The fuel used in Ferrari’s Formula One cars is absolutely bespoke, 100 per cent optimised to the specific requirements of that engine, yet should you and I be lucky enough to get our hands on a drum, it would run in our own road going cars beautifully.

Unfortunately reversing the scenario. ie: putting commercially purchased fuel in an F1 car, would not have quite the same result, and although an F1 car could certainly run, and run rather well on commercially available fuel, it would not perform at its peak.

That’s because commercially available fuels must meet a broader range of requirements, whereas the fuel used in the Ferraris this weekend can be tailored to one specific engine.

The fuels you and I buy need to be used in all manner of different engine types, engine ages, atmospheric conditions and altitude, which all playing their part in a fuel’s performance, and it is each of these factors that Shell engineers must account for in formulating road going fuels.

It’s this formula that we as consumers can thank teams like Shell for developing, for without the years of racing expertise gained in Formula One, our day-to-day fuels would not have progressed to offer us the power, economy and clean burning properties that they do today – something worth remembering the next time you fill up.

CarAdvice would like to take this opportunity to extend a very sincere thank you to Shell and Ferrari for their generous hospitality.

The 2009 Melbourne Formula One will commence at 5pm (EDST) tomorrow, Sunday March 29.

©2010 Car Advice | News | Reviews - http://www.caradvice.com.au - All Rights Reserved.

The hefty bill comes as no surprise to Victorians who have footed consistent losses of up to $40 million for the race over the past three years.

Victoria’s Labor Government, under Premier John Brumby, has been heavily criticised for wanting to keep the race in spite of its rising costs with most sponsors of the event cutting their spending by up to one-third.

This cost-cutting could force the state government to underwrite the event in a move that will push the State budget in to the red for the first time in 15 years.

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation said its overall sponsorship revenue would not be affected, with many corporate supporters on long-term contracts, but its corporate hospitality tickets would be hit hard with BMW, Foster’s and ING all tightening their belts.

This year’s Melbourne F1 Grand Prix will be a twilight event for the first time, kicking off at 5pm in a bid to capitalise on international television audiences. Race day is Sunday March 29th.

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The news comes from F1 Racing magazine which says that Mr Mosley’s plan has already been sent to car manufacturers to gauge interest, so far, no manufacturer has publicly commented on the plan. Furthermore, manufacturers such as Ford and Volkswagen which currently have no interest in F1 have also been contacted.

The engines will be required to run on bio-diesel fuel as well as reducing their maximum power output from the current 700kW+ to around 580kW. Teams would also need to insure maximum engine reliability with requirements changing so that each engine would need to last five races without being changed (currently the engines only need to last 2 races).

Responding to criticism that F1 has become a little boring, Mr Mosley has proposed that all F1 cars be fitted with a four-wheel drive system as well traction control and a 13-second power-boost system to help increase overtaking maneuvers.

Even though promoting green motoring is a step in the right direction, it seems that Formula 1 is starting to lose the plot. Mr Mosley aims to not only make F1 a cleaner sport, but also increase its relevance to everyday cars. Despite what Mr Mosley thinks, one can never compare an everyday car to an F1 car, and thats the way it should be!

The whole point of Formula One is to push the boundaries of technology and create ultimate racing machines piloted by the world’s best drivers. Although its essential for this technology to have practical implementations (so that the money spent on R&D can be used by manufacturers in their everyday cars), limitations placed by engine limits, fuel types etc will inherently damage not only F1s image but its future potential as the ultimate motorsport.

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Drivers

Firstly, as most formula 1 fans are aware, Formula 1 king Michael Schumacher is no longer in the drivers seat. So that leaves double world champion Fernando Alonso and Finn Kimi Raikkonen as F1’s two biggest stars!

More interestingly though, both drivers have changed teams since last season. Alonso has moved to McLaren after winning two titles with Renault and Raikkonen has moved to Ferrari as a replacement for Schumacher. So this has left an empty space to fill for two teams.

Renault have replaced Alonso with Finn Heikki Kovalainen, whilst Englishman Lewis Hamilton, will play wingman to Alonso at McLaren. Australia’s own Mark Webber has moved to Red Bull alongside David Coulthard. We all hope he has better luck this year!

Race Format

After last season an agreement came about to limit testing between races. However with that agreement the two Friday practice sessions have been extended from 60 minutes to 90 minutes. Furthermore, there is no longer a limit of KMs a team can do.

The Safety Car rules have also changed. When the safety car comes out, drivers will no longer be permitted to drive into the pit lane for a fuel-and-tyre stop until they are all lined up behind the safety car and the message “pit lane is open” is deployed on the timing monitors.

Any driver not following the new rules will have to sit in the pits for a 10-second time penalty. Nonetheless, it would still seem worthwhile to undergo the 10 second penatly to take advantage of the safety car conditions.

Another change to the safety car rules will permit lapped cars which are positioned between the leaders to overtake the safety car and rejoin the queue after gaining back their lost lap.

Engines

Formula 1 is one of the richest sports in the world, which means that every year, millions and millions of dollars goes into research to find more and more power. This problem with this is that the richer a team becomes, the more advantage it has over the poorer teams with more money being spent on R&D. To combat this issue, F1 governing body has made a huge decision : engines must remain fundamentally unchanged until the end of the 2010 season.

There are some exceptions with limited development is allowed in certain specified areas, but the specification of the engine each team will use for the next four years was effectively fixed after last year’s Japanese Grand Prix. Furthermore, to stop the quest for more power, the 2.4-litre V8s will no longer be permitted to develop more than 19,000rpm.

This all sounds a little over the top! Nonetheless, there is one piece of good news, despite drivers still being forced to use the same engine for two race weekends, Friday practice is no longer included, so all engine failures on friday would not result in a 10-place grid penalty as it did last year.

Teams

Red Bull have switched from Ferrari to Renault engines. Williams have also dumped Cosworth and have switched to Toyota engines in the hope of attracting some more serious sponsors. Spyker, which used Toyota in 2006 , have switched to Ferrari engines.

Tyres

This year sees tyre supplier Michelin pull out of the world of Formula 1 once and for all, despite being the tyre provider to the winning team of the last two world titles. This rather surprising news leaves Bridgestone as the only supplier.

Bridgestone will be supplying all F1 teams with the same type of tyres, this might be good news in the sense of balancing out the disadvantages of having inferior tyres – but due to their monopoly over the sport the tyres are expected to be considerably slower than last year.

Now whilst majority of spectators will barely notice the diminished cornering speeds, the important news is the new rules which require teams to use one of two types of dry tyre supplied by Bridgestone at each race (at least once). F1 governing body says that the idea behind this rule is to improve the spectacle by adding unpredictability and an extra layer of tactics to the racing.

One of the tyres will be better suited to the track – and therefore faster – than the other. Forcing the teams to use both in the course of a race, theoretically heightens the prospect of overtaking as the gaps between drivers see-saw depending on which tyre they are using.

So that you can work out which car is running which tyre, the two different types of tyre will have a differing white markings on their sidewalls.

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