2013 Engine Regulations Agreed

Reports are emerging that new engine rules have been agreed on for 2013 onwards. The FIA are keen to move towards a more energy-efficient engine as Formula One moves to clean up it’s image.

The proposals centre around a move from the current 2.4-litre V8s to a more efficient 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo engine. Energy recovery systems and fuel restrictions also form part of the plans.

The move is designed to make Formula One more relevant to car-makers, who are currently seeing a trend towards fuel-efficiency. It will also attract the interest of new engine suppliers to Formula One, such as Volkswagen, who are looking to enter the sport with their Porsche brand, but find the status quo unattractive.

FOTA discusses new engine rules for 2013 whilst Porsche wait

Thursday saw the latest meeting of the FOTA Technical Working Group ahead of a drastic slate of rule changes for 2013.

Front wings and the refuelling ban

The biggest change in the rules for the 2010 season has to be the ban on in-race refuelling. Many commentators have mentioned various implications of this, such as faster pitstops and increased tyre wear. However, there is one further implication that I have not seen discussed anywhere.

For the full story, check out the new website at www.nealonf1.com

Singapore Grand Prix: FIA Dish Out More Harsh Penalties

The stewards in Singapore handed out two penalties following an incident involving Nick Heidfeld, of BMW-Sauber, and Rubens Barrichello, of Honda, during the first qualifying session.

Due to the disturbing nature of the track design, whereby the pitlane entrance and exit are on the racing line, Heidfeld inadvertently blocked Barrichello, who was on a flying lap.

Heidfeld, who had qualified in P6, will be demoted to 9th on the grid for impeding Barrichello’s lap, whilst the Brazilian picks up a 10,000€ fine for an incorrect entry to the pit lane.

Neal’s View: If anyone should be picking up penalties it is the circuit designer. To have the pitlane entrance and exit on the racing line is pure madness, and both Heidfeld and Barrichello can feel rightly agrieved about the incident.

Singapore Grand Prix: Qualifying Results

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Final Classification
Pos/Driver	Team	Q1 Time	Q2 Time	Q3 Time
1. Felipe Massa	Ferrari	1:44.519	1:44.014	1:44.801
2. Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	1:44.501	1:44.932	1:45.465
3. Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari	1:44.282	1:44.232	1:45.617
4. Robert Kubica	BMW-Sauber	1:44.740	1:44.519	1:45.779
5. Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren-Mercedes	1:44.311	1:44.207	1:45.873
6. Nick Heidfeld	BMW-Sauber	1:45.548	1:44.520	1:45.964
7. Sebastien Vettel	Scuderia Toro Rosso-Ferrari	1:45.042	1:44.261	1:46.244
8. Timo Glock	Toyota	1:45.184	1:44.441	1:46.328
9. Nico Rosberg	Williams-Toyota	1:45.103	1:44.429	1:46.611
10. Kazuki Nakajima	Williams-Toyota	1:45.127	1:44.826	1:47.547
Eliminated After Q2
11. Jarno Trulli	Toyota	1:45.642	1:45.038
12. Jenson Button	Honda	1:45.660	1:45.133
13. Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	1:45.493	1:45.212
14. David Coulthard	Red Bull-Renault	1:46.028	1:45.298
15. Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:44.971	No Time
Eliminated After Q1
16. Nelson Piquet Jnr.	Renault	1:46.037
17. Sebastian Bourdais	Scuderia Toro Rosso-Ferrari	1:46.389
18. Rubens Barrichello	Honda	1:46.583
19. Adrian Sutil	Force India-Ferrari	1:47.940
20. Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India-Ferrari	No Time

Singapore Grand Prix:Kubica Follows McLaren’s Lead

Many of you will have seen the McLaren-Mercedes video, released prior to this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix. If you haven’t, don’t worry, here it is:

Now it seems that BMW-Sauber driver Robert Kubica wants in on the action, as this picture shows:

Kubica's Singapore addition

Neal’s View: After years of being called bland and boring, it seems Formula One has regained it’s sense of humour. Long may it last!

Kubica Fed Up With BMW?

Kubica at Valencia

BMW-Sauber’s Polish driver, Robert Kubica, has admitted that he is frustrated with the Hinwil-based squad’s inability to challenge Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes at the top of the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. Kubica is feeling disillusioned with his team’s lack of progress from their strong early-season form.

The Pole, fourteen points behind Lewis Hamilton in the race for Formula One’s top prize, the Drivers’ Championship, is considering his future with the team. Reports suggest that Kubica held clear-the-air talks with team boss Mario Theissen at the last Grand Prix, in Monza, but has not had his doubts removed in the run-up to this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

“My view has not changed a lot. We did sit down but I think there was no top secret and no miracles in the talks. It was good to talk. But the situation was not really changed.

“Of course as a driver you always want the maximum, and you always want a better car and to be a bit quicker.

“Even if you win, you can always find things to improve and to get stronger. There is no secret that we did not develop as was predicted.

“Lately, we don’t have big steps forward in performance but still we are managing good results. If we hadn’t had the problem in Spa with the second pitstop most probably I would have finished three races in a row on the podium – even though there have been some strange circumstances.

“But still, maybe lap time wise we are not the strongest but reliability is very good and we are able to do strong results.”

Neal’s View: Many were surprised by BMW’s early decision to focus on their 2009 car, but Kubica should take heart from two areas. Firstly, there is an old adage cited around the paddock: to finish first, first you must finish. BMW’s reliability is second-to-none in 2008, and this bodes well for the future. Secondly, we just have to look at Honda and Toyota. It is possible to go from a quick car to an awful one in a short space of time (Isn’t that right Jenson?) But to get to the front of the grid takes time. BMW are almost there, and I would expect a stronger challenge next season.

Ferrari To Confirm Alonso At Monza? Or Is Alonso Off To BMW?

Renault's Fernando Alonso

Formula One fans will be waiting with baited breath ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. It is when Ferrari traditionally reveal their lineup for the following season. Fans of the sport are waiting to find out whether world champion Kimi Raikkonen will retire, making way for former double world champion Fernando Alonso.

Fernando Alonso insists he is not part of those plans.

The Spaniard has said that he does not expect the Finn to retire this year.

“Ferrari tend to confirm their drivers at Monza. I don’t think there is going to be a surprise.”

Alonso also revealed that he thought his Renault team was lacking half a second per lap, purely because of the weaker engine.

He also took the time to dismiss team boss Flavio Briatore’s claims that “at least two more podium finishes” will be coming from the final five grands prix of the season.

When asked how he feels about his teammate Nelson Piquet Jnr. being the only Renault driver standing on the podium this year, Alonso said:

“It is going to be really difficult to be on the podium in the rest of the year, but I do not see it as a failure.

“In comparison with my teammate, this has been my best season ever. I have always been in front of him. He got a podium after a great race and with lots of luck.”

Meanwhile, BMW-Sauber boss Mario Thiessen refused to deny growing speculation Alonso has signed a three-year contract to drive for the Hinwil-based squad from 2009.

The chequered flag had barely fallen at Spa-Francorchamps before it was reported that the Spaniard would replace German Nick Heidfeld.

Thiessen told German newspaper Bild:

“I do not take part in speculation.

“Our driver decision has been postponed. At the latest we will announce our drivers at the end of the season.”

BMW spokespeople were also not available for comment.

However, the Spanish sports newspaper Marca believes BMW-Sauber will confirm the Alonso signing on Monday, after this weekend’s Italian grand prix at Monza.

Neal’s View: Many thought he was Ferrari-bound, but the BMW rumours refuse to go away. I would rule out Honda, but it could be any of BMW-Sauber, Ferrari, or staying with Renault.

Williams Focusing on 2009’s FW31

One of the first Frank Williams F1 cars, the FW06

Williams-Toyota part-owner Frank Williams says his team will focus the majority of their efforts on their 2009 car after another disappointing performance at the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend.

The Grove-based team were tipped as one of the favourites to fight behind the top squads during pre-season testing, and they lived up to that when Nico Rosberg finished on the podium in the opening race in Australia.

Williams’s performances, however, have become worse as the season progressed, as non-privateer teams progress more rapidly than independents like Williams, and the team have scored just two points in the last seven races. They are currently tied with Toro Rosso-Ferrari in seventh place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Williams said during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend that his team are not planning any more significant developments for the last five races of the 2008 calendar, and instead will focus on 2009.

“We recognise that we are right at the back of the grid effectively, too often though not every time. We recognise that this year’s car is almost as developed as we can successfully do it, short of a major revamp of all the aerodynamics and next year’s car [with the drastic rule changes for 2009] is the one where we pin our hopes.

“We’re not saying ‘watch out for our next race’ because it isn’t going to be like that. We just have to soldier on and get more out of what we’ve got.

“There are one or two little bits for the remaining races but essentially our main focus is on next year’s car because it is almost a fresh start for everybody with the aero rules. We started on that quite a long time ago and we will see how it works for us.”

Several new rules will come into play next season in order to improve the spectacle by reducing speeds and increasing overtaking, in a revamp that could see any team make a significant jump in performance.

Williams is confident his team will do a good job with the KERS system to be introduced next season, although he believes that building it themselves will not mean they will have an advantage over their rivals.

“It is not as though it will give us a particular advantage. We think, as most manufacturers, we will do a good job with KERS. Patrick [Head] has his own group in the company and we have been working on it for a number of months. It is much more affordable if you do it yourself providing you are successful with it.

“We are doing it because we have to do it. I imagine most people will come out with roughly similar horsepower.”

Neal’s View: The sweeping rule changes for 2009 meant that many teams switched focus to 2009 once they realised they were not going to be competitive in 2008. The 2009 cars will see an end to the evolutionary development (because of the rule changes) and any car could be winning races next season. Although the top three should still be at the front, there is no reason why Honda, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull, and even Williams cannot close the gap.

Belgian Grand Prix: BMW ‘Gamble’ Paid Off

Nick Heidfeld at Malaysian GP, 2008

BMW-Sauber motorsport director Mario Theissen has admitted that he thought Nick Heidfeld had left it too late to switch to wet tyres when he the gamble was taken in the closing stages of last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

When the rain came towards the end it was torrential, leading teams to choose between staying out on the wrong tyres or pitting. The rain was so heavy at one point, ITV commentator James Allen reported a thirty-second difference in lap-times between cars on intermediate tyres, and those staying on the wrong, dry tyre.

Heidfeld pitted for intermediate tyres two laps from the end of the Spa-Francorchamps when a deluge swamped the track, and staged a dramatic last-lap climb through the field from seventh to grab what eventually became second.

Despite the result delivering another podium finish for BMW-Sauber, team principal Theissen confessed that his team was unsure at the time whether or not Heidfeld had done the right thing in coming in for the tyres.

“I thought it was too late already, but it was worth it to take the risk because it would have been two points only, so you can take some risk in this position. And it turned out to be the perfect move.

“I didn’t watch the TV screen on the last lap, just the positioning screen as he overtook one car after another.”

Theissen said that the decision to change tyres was left entirely up to Heidfeld and his race engineer.

“You need two guys. You need the driver who has to tell what he is feeling and what he thinks is better, and in the end he has to decide.

“But then the race engineer has an overview of what the others do, how much they are struggling and only the race engineer can then judge whether it is possible to make up for 25 seconds in two laps.”

Neal’s View: It was a hard decision to be made, but that is why these people are lucratively paid. Had the rain come a lap earlier, everyone would have had to pit; a lap later no one would have. It is these spur-of-the-moment tactical decisions that make Formula One great!