Alonso: Five teams and even a Toro Rosso

Despite Ferrari being billed as one of the favourites for this year's Championship, Fernando Alonso says we'll have to wait until Australia to know the truth

Ferrari and reigning Champions Red Bull have led the way during the first 11 days of pre-season testing, proving to have reliable and quick cars, often registering near the front of the timesheets, if not at the very front.

This has prompted many in the paddock to state that they are the favourites to win this year's World titles.

Alonso, though, reckons it's still too early to say who will be on top as there could be a few surprises.

"We will only really know where we stand compared to the others when we are in Melbourne," said the double World Champion.

"At the moment, I am happy because we proved to have a reliable car.

"If all goes to plan, we will be in the group of teams capable of fighting for the title, along with Red Bull the reigning Champions, McLaren, Mercedes and also Renault, who had already made a step forward towards the end of last season.

"Even Toro Rosso has made significant progress."

And like many of his rivals, the Spaniard believes the title could be decided by the new Pirelli tyres.

The rubber, which suffers high wear, has been one of the hot topics ahead of the new season as it promises to offer varied strategies and multiple pit stops.

"From what we have seen so far, degradation is very significant, which means we will have races with lots of pit stops," Alonso told Ferrari's website.

"I'm not keen on that because I think this increased uncertainty does not favour the strongest teams: it's as if in football, it was decided to have a penalty per team each half hour in which case Barcelona and Real Madrid would not be jumping for joy.

"However, the situation is the same for everyone: it will be important to be fastest because I don't think we can make one stop less than our main rivals."

Source: Planet-F1

Lewis Hamilton says new tyres will slow F1 teams down

Formula One is on a go-slow, according to Lewis Hamilton, one of five world champions on the grid when the new season gets under way in Melbourne three weeks time.

The new season will herald a number of technical changes, including the introduction of an adjustable rear wing and the return of the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), which will make life busier than ever for the drivers.

But it is another change, the arrival of Pirelli as the sole tyre provider, which has made the biggest difference. According to Hamilton it has made the cars slower. As McLaren prepare for their final testing session in Barcelona, Hamilton said: "There is more to think about in the car. But Formula One does seem to have slowed down

"The cars are slower on a race distance. Last year we had to make tyres last with heavier fuel load and now it's even slower. I did run the other day and it was painfully slow, it really was. Just not exciting, to be honest.

"The first run – I didn't think I was pushing very hard – and the tyres were finished after nine laps, down to the canvas. On the next run, I had to go easier. It was almost like doing an out lap and just about made it to 15 or 16 on a soft tyre."

McLaren already have their hands full as they try to close the gap between themselves and the pace-setting Red Bull and Ferrari cars, but all the teams will have to come to terms with the new, fast-wearing tyres, which is likely to result in more pit-stops and more changes in the running order.

"Over the years you have to change your style and adapt, while keeping the important part, which is the speed and aggression," Hamilton said. "Now the biggest step is how we are going to have to look after the tyres.

"You'll see it's going to be just as competitive this year, if not more. The regs are bringing the teams closer, making it more competitive, but not as hard-core competitive. In 2007 and 2008, the teams were so quick and pushing each other so fast at the front. They've now slowed down the cars a little, it's maybe a more even playing field."

Hamilton's team-mate, Jenson Button, has seen a very fast Ferrari in the early testing sessions. Fernando Alonso has been very quick in testing – both drivers have at Ferrari. "And they have been reliable," Button said. "They were doing 140 laps a day and a couple of days we did 55. Big difference.

"They are in a great position. I don't really know how quick they are. I know he [Fernando] did his quick lap on a supersoft tyre in Barcelona. We didn't have one. You can look at their long runs and say they are consistent and so they must have downforce. They look strong.

"Red Bulls are the same as last winter. They didn't look amazingly strong and got to first race and were massively quick. Then you have a gaggle of cars. The Toro Rossos look very competitive, they have done a great job, the Renault is a step behind that, even Force India … There are a lot of quick cars out there."

Source: The Guardian

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

The Launch of the Teams Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso 2011

Source: RedBullRacing

Travel chaos hits WRC's teams and drivers

The World Rally Championship’s top drivers and teams are still hopeful of returning home from Rally of Turkey by the middle of next week despite the travel chaos across Europe caused by the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland intensifying.

Leading teams spent the closing stages of the event trying to finalise travel arrangements for their drivers and personnel as part of what is proving to be a huge logistical operation, which is being complicated by limited air travel options and restrictions taking vehicles out of Turkey by road.

Citroen Racing director Olivier Quesnel said his mechanics and engineers will return to France in two separate coaches leaving on Sunday night and Monday morning. Ford is also arranging busses to get its team, which has more than 100 members, back to the UK. They are due to set off from Istanbul on Monday evening.

Sebastien Loeb is hoping the private jet he has chartered will still be able to fly to Italy, where he is planning to complete his journey to his home in Switzerland by road.

Mikko Hirvonen said he was investigating hiring a minibus to drive him, co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen and his support team back to Finland.

Ken Block’s return trip to the USA, where he is taking part in the launch of his Gymkhana driving event on Tuesday, will take him from Istanbul to Dubai, then onto Seoul and San Francisco.

Aaron Burkart, who won the Junior World Rally Championship section of Rally of Turkey, was contemplating driving his recce car to his native Germany.

Pirelli, the world championship’s exclusive tyre supplier, is planning to get its 20 staff and equipment back to Milan via a flight to Athens and then a ferry from Greece to Italy.

Source: MaxRally
Courtesy: Kriss