Bahrain GP cancellation decision imminent

Formula 1 looking increasingly unlikely to take place in Bahrain this year

The FIA seemed ready on Thursday to overturn its decision to take Formula 1 back to Bahrain in late October, in effect paving the way for Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone to put an end to the saga which has already embarrassed the sport.
Following the withdrawal of Ecclestone’s support for the Bahrain Grand Prix rescheduling, F1′s governing body published correspondence between the FIA and the teams association FOTA which suggests that the opposition is such that a decision to cancel will probably be announced this weekend in Canada.

FOTA’s letter, addressed to Todt, Ecclestone and Bahrain International Circuit chairman Zayed Alzayani, stated that the new calendar was “unrealistic” for logistical and insurance reasons. The letter was signed by chairmen Martin Whitmarsh and Eric Boullier.

The letter also said F1 should only return to Bahrain “once the security conditions have been fully re-established”.

FIA president Jean Todt responded by writing that it is the responsibility of F1′s commercial rights holder, represented by Ecclestone, to “set the calendar and submit it to the FIA for approval”.

“The FIA always has at heart the smooth running of the championship and the interests of the teams, and is always prepared to address any issues, however difficult,” added the Frenchman.

“I have listened to your last-minute objections and have asked the commercial rights holder (Ecclestone) to re-examine his calendar proposal, and if necessary, to resubmit a revised proposal to the World Council,” wrote Todt.

Source: YallaF1

F1 teams want Bahrain opener cancelled

It is believed most formula one teams would like next month’s season opener in troubled Bahrain to be cancelled.

Western countries are advising against travel to the island Kingdom, where mainly peaceful protesters have been clashing violently with the government in past days.

"The F1 community has agreed privately that it would be both irresponsible and indefensible to arrive in Bahrain at a time when the country is counting its dead after a week of bloodshed," read a report in the Daily Mail, one day after a FOTA meeting in Barcelona.

However, the official line is that the teams are waiting on Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA - which has been strangely silent amid the saga - to make the call.

But the Sunday Times reports that "at least one leading team" will boycott the race if authorities decide to go ahead, and it emerges that new world champion Sebastian Vettel’s father Norbert has cancelled his flight.

Ecclestone told BBC radio that a final decision about the race will probably be made on Tuesday, curiously explaining that it will be Bahrain’s Crown Prince who will decide.

"If anybody’s going to sort it out he’s the guy to do it," said the 80-year-old.

"He would decide whether or not it’s safe for us to be there. Let’s hope it will be all right as it’s already scheduled."

Countries’ advice not to travel to Bahrain, however, could void insurance policies, and teams face ramifications if they decide unilaterally not to race unless ’force majeure’ is declared.

Source: Nextgen

F1 eyes Barcelona to replace Bahrain test

F1 might simply stay in Barcelona if the final pre-season test scheduled to take place in troubled Bahrain early next month is called off.

After testing between Friday and Monday at the Circuit de Catalunya in the coming days, formula one had intended to conclude its pre-season programme in Bahrain a week before the championship opener in the island Kingdom.

But with cancellation of 2011’s first of 20 scheduled rounds now looking likely, the teams will not want to forgo the four days of testing scheduled in Bahrain for March 3-6.

"FOTA has asked us what dates we have available at the prospect of being unable to go to the last test, but there is no formal request yet," Vicenc Aguilera, the new president of the Circuit de Catalunya consortium, is quoted by El Pais newspaper.

Aguilera said the Montmelo venue is booked on some of the days between the end of this week’s test and early March.

"But if F1 asks us something, we will do our best to please," he insisted.

The F1 teams association FOTA will meet in Barcelona on Friday, as the four days of scheduled pre-season testing begins.

Source: Nextgen

Lotus to launch at Valencia, not leaving FOTA

Team Lotus will have its 2011 car at the opening test in Valencia but is not planning a traditional "launch", a spokesperson said on Monday.

After a visit to the team’s Hingham (UK) headquarters last week, owner and boss Tony Fernandes said the new car "is looking great" and "much slicker" than its predecessor but warned that Lotus "won’t do (a) conventional launch".

But a spokesman clarified to Dutch website f1today.nl that, as per the plans of many rival teams, Team Lotus will be giving the new car its debut at Valencia early next month.

"We will present the car there," he said, referring to the permanent Ricardo Tormo circuit in Cheste, on the outskirts of the Spanish port city.

Meanwhile, after an HRT spokeswoman confirmed that the Spanish team elected to leave FOTA due to "politics", Fernandes said on his Twitter account on Monday that Team Lotus will not be following suit.

"We think Fota is very good and very important," he said.

Source: Motorsport

Formula One unveils ground-breaking carbon emissions reduction programme

The Formula One Teams Association [FOTA, whose membership comprises all current Formula One teams] is pleased to announce today that Formula One has inaugurated a comprehensive and externally audited carbon emissions reduction programme. In order to conduct the analysis that has informed the programme, FOTA commissioned the world-respected environmental research analysis organisation, Trucost, which has for several months been (a) researching and analysing the full range of activities performed by and within Formula One teams and their suppliers, and (b) advising FOTA re measures that will reduce carbon emissions now and in the future.

Trucost’s research and analysis shows that the carbon emissions caused by the testing and racing of Formula One cars is a small proportion of the total carbon emissions generated by Formula One as a whole, but it is important to emphasise that this research and analysis has encompassed Formula One’s entire supply chain. Formula One is, and must always be, the pinnacle of world motor sport. Equally, Formula One cars have traditionally provided an exciting and productive development platform for new automotive technologies, and must continue to do so. Many of those new technologies have ultimately been introduced into consumer production cars.

Turbocharging, fuel injection, variable valve timing and kinetic energy recovery systems [KERS] have all been developed within Formula One, and it is the intention of FOTA, in collaboration with the FIA, that Formula One should continue to pioneer technologies that are appropriate to the challenges faced by society today and in the future, and that are applicable to products that will benefit mankind in the longer term.

Modern Formula One is and must continue to be all about efficiency – and, whilst Formula One cars are and must continue to be very fast and very exciting, it is also necessary and desirable that their engines and powertrains are and must continue to be as efficient as possible. With that in mind, working closely with the FIA, FOTA has committed to working to develop new Formula One engine and powertrain regulations that will require all entrants from 2013 onwards to fit their Formula One cars with engines and powertrains that incorporate technologies designed to enhance fuel efficiency. At the same time, revisions to Formula One’s sporting regulations will enhance and incentivise the competitive benefit of further reducing fuel consumption.

Martin Whitmarsh (Chairman of FOTA and Team Principal of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) said: “The good news is that, in conjunction with the FIA’s and FOTA’s recent successful efforts to improve efficiencies and restrict resources applied to Formula One, it has already been possible to reduce Formula One’s total carbon emissions. “Moreover, building on what we have already achieved, and extrapolating what is now being planned, we anticipate that by 2012 Formula One will have reduced its total carbon emissions by 12.4% compared with 2009.

“With the support of all its member teams, FOTA has committed to the continuation of this programme, and has undertaken to maintain continuous and independent analysis and assessment in order to ensure that these carbon emissions reduction targets are met or bettered, and to investigate where further carbon emissions reduction opportunities may exist. Measurement and management, in other words. “In addition, the FIA and FOTA are already working together to tailor the 2013 technical regulations to ensuring that all engines and powertrains used in Formula One by that date will showcase, and provide a platform for the ongoing development of, technologies designed to enhance fuel efficiency. “This is a very exciting time for Formula One, and I am delighted that our sport has been able to take a global environmental lead in this way.”

Dr Richard Mattison (Chief Operating Officer of Trucost) said: “FOTA has used advanced techniques to measure greenhouse gas emissions across the sport – from the sourcing of raw materials to production, logistics and racing itself. It has identified ambitious reduction targets and will be working to further improve its efficiency over time. “Via this work, Formula One as a sport has demonstrated its commitment to becoming more environmentally efficient, and will continue to lead the way in developing innovations that will improve efficiency across the automotive industry globally.”

Simon Thomas, Chief Executive of Trucost, said, “Formula One is fundamentally about efficiency – how to squeeze performance within the restrictions of physics and the rules. There is a growing need to transition from fossil fuel dependency to an economy that is more carbon efficient. In keeping with this trend, the Formula One teams have collectively made a firm commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in a significant way. This is consistent with Formula One’s position as a leader in technological innovation and illustrates what can be achieved by organisations not traditionally associated with the environmental agenda. We also believe that the engineering excellence that exists within Formula One will have a part to play in the inevitable shift to more carbon efficient transportation”

Source: Ferrari.com

Ferrari to use KERS throughout 2011 season

Ferrari will run a KERS-equipped car in every race of next year's world championship, team boss Stefano Domenicali has revealed.

The confirmation was made after the F1 teams met in Canada to discuss technical matters relating to the 2011 season.

Adjustable rear wings are also set to debut in order to boost overtaking, and FOTA's ban on using energy-recovering KERS systems is to lapse.

Some teams including Ferrari had pushed hard to make the KERS systems much more powerful in 2011, but agreement has instead been made to lift the minimum weight of the car-plus-driver.

As the weight handicap was considered among the problems of the KERS debut in 2009, the minimum limit will rise from 620 to 640kg next year.

"The teams have agreed on that," Domenicali confirmed.

"We would have preferred to see a solution with much more energy being available (to KERS), but unfortunately an agreement could not be found."

It is understood that the reason for staying with a lower power output is that some manufacturers would have had trouble adapting their existing technology.

However, while it has been suggested that another major problem for KERS in 2009 is that the systems were voluntary to run, it has emerged that the units will not be compulsory in 2011.

Mercedes, for instance, is considering whether to use KERS next year, even though a programme has already been initiated by the Brackley based squad with a view to a 2011 implementation.

"We will make a decision (about KERS for 2011) within four to six weeks," said Ross Brawn.

Source: Motorsport.com

KERS set for 2011 return?

Renault and Ferrari offer a way for KERS to be brought back into F1 for the 2011 season

The KERS system could make a return to the F1 grid for the 2011 season after it was revealed that work is ongoing on cheaper and more powerful versions of the energy recovery system.

KERS was introduced into the sport last season but teams agreed to shelve the technology this year due to the costs involved.

However, Williams F1 technical director Sam Michael has now revealed that both Renault and Ferrari have offered to supply KERS at an affordable level with teams now left to decide on whether or not to bring the technology back.

“Basically, Ferrari and Renault put forward proposals that they could do KERS for less than a million euros,” he told Reuters following a meeting of the Formula One Teams' Association. "Those have been accepted but what Ferrari and Renault are both saying is that unless we increase the energy level from the current 400 kilojoules up to 600 or 800, to make KERS more beneficial, they are not prepared at this stage to commit that they will actually do KERS.

"I think that by Barcelona, the FOTA executive is due to try and make a decision on KERS for 2011. It's all pretty split at the moment on that. Renault will supply anyone who asks for it on the grid and Ferrari will supply any of their customers, anyone who is running a Ferrari engine."

Should KERS be reintroduced, Williams would more than likely develop its own system after increasing its stake in Williams Hybrid Power from 40 to 78 per cent.

Source: Crash

Pirelli admits possible interest in F1 tyre supply

A third name has emerged as a potential supplier of Formula One tyres in 2011.

It has been confirmed that Michelin, favoured by the FOTA group, as well as Avon-Cooper - believed to be favoured by Bernie Ecclestone and small F1 teams due to its lower-cost proposal - are in the running to replace the departing official supplier Bridgestone.

Milan-based Pirelli said late last year that it did not want to enter F1 because it "prefers to develop tyres for racing that will also be used on the road".

But after a shareholder's meeting in Milan on Wednesday, chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera said Pirelli might rethink its attitude if certain conditions are met.

Like Michelin, he said Pirelli wants the diameter of F1's tyres to be increased from 13 to 18 inches, and would also need to supply its product with an economic benefit to the company.

According to Italian reports including ANSA and the Milan daily Il Giornale, Tronchetti Provera added that if those conditions can be met, Pirelli would "look into this (F1) world with greater attention".

He insisted however that at the moment "there is nothing" more to the rumours.

Source: Motorsport

Schumacher voted most popular F1 driver

It may not surprise many people to learn that Michael Schumacher is the most popular driver in F1.

But his margin of victory shows just why his return to F1 this year is huge news. In last month’s FOTA/LG/F1 Racing survey he garnered more than twice as many votes as the next most popular driver, Fernando Alonso, with 19.5% to 9.7%.

In third place was a driver who isn’t even racing in F1 any more – Kimi Räikkönen.

Over 90,000 fans responded to the survey earlier this year. Of course what we really want to find out is what they had to say about F1 and how they responded to questions such as whether F1 races should be shortened. Expect those results soon.

Source: F1Fanatic.co.uk