FOTA and FIA Resolve Dispute, Mosley Out as FIA President

A deal has finally been reached between the FIA and FOTA (Formula One Teams Association), which will ensure there will be one unified Formula 1 Championship in 2010. FOTA, comprised of eight Formula 1 teams, banded together in response to the FIA’s proposal to place a budget cap of $65 million per team. After much bitter debate, FOTA announced that they would break free of Formula 1 and the FIA to form their own racing championship. After being served this ultimatum, Formula 1 Supreme Leader Bernie Ecclestone was forced to negotiate in order to save his empire.

On Wednesday it was announced that current FIA President Max Mosley has agreed not to run for re-election. This may have been mandated by either Ecclestone or FOTA as the tone of recent statements from Mosley suggested negotiation was not an option.

Source: Jalopnik

Formula 1 Steering Wheel Picture and Guide

This Formula 1 steering wheel from BMW shows how much input a Formula 1 driver deals with on race day.  The steering wheels have an amazing amount of functionality, from setting the differential, to having a drink to even confirming the tire choice at the upcoming pit stop.

Formula 1 steering wheels are hand made and cost around $30,000 each. They weigh less than three pounds and are made from carbon fiber and electrical components. Although it would be a great addition to any motorsport-loving guy or gal’s vehicle, good luck trying to find a steering wheel cover that fits it.

Source: auto123.com

‘KERS Not Relevant to Road Cars According to Mercedes Engineer

KERS - Kinetic Energy Recovery System

McLaren-Mercedes is the only Formula 1 team that has run KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) on both of its cars in every race this season. McLaren has developed two different KERS. One system is electric and uses batteries to store power, while the other is mechanical and uses a flywheel to store power.

A source inside the engineering department has stated that neither KERS system currently has an application for road vehicles at this time. McLaren managing director Anthony Sheriff recently said, “What’s important is that it’s pushing the envelope of battery technology to its limits and that has got to be good news.”

Source: Autoblog

Ferrari Scrambles as Questionable Diffuser Design Ruled Legal

Formula 1 Diffuser

The complaints over the double-decker rear diffuser designs have been rejected as the diffusers were ruled legal by the FIA’s International Court of Appeal. Brawn, Toyota and Williams were all using the different diffusers which are believed to give the cars at least a half second advantage per lap.

Following the recent ruling, Ferrari stated that they have no choice but to modify the Ferrari F60 in 2009 in order to be able to compete.

Ferrari have gotten off to a horrible 2009 campaign as team drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen haven’t secured even one point in the first two races.

Source: Formula1.com

BMW Tries to Lighten Load to Accommodate KERS for Kubica

KERS - Kinetic Energy Recovery System

BMW Sauber is attempting to launch a lighter version of its F1.09 in time for the Spanish Grand Prix to increase the chances of Robert Kubica being able to use KERS in his car. Kubica hasn’t been able to use KERS yet due to the extra weight it adds. The extra weight hurts the handling and increase the tire degradation.

Nick Heidfeld, Kubica’s BMW teammate has been able to use the KERS since he is weighs much less than Kubica.

Source: Autosport.com

BMW is confident that KERS provides an advantage on the track, which is why they are making such an effort to equip Kubica’s car.

Caught On Tape: FIA Official Crashes Renault R28

U.A.E. F1 representative Mohammed bin Sulayem crashed a Renault R28 Formula 1 car during the Renault Roadshow at the Dubai Autodrome. He was drag racing another car when the Renault suddenly veered to the right and crashed into the concert barrier. Bin Sulayem was not hurt in the accident.

Mark Webber: Red Bull Will Be Passed by in Melbourne

Australia’s only Formula 1 driver, Mark Webber, has stated the Red Bull F1 cars are not going to be competitive at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix. He has stated that the Red Bull cars don’t feel bad, but the other team’s cars are just performing much better. Webber also said that the car setup favors the driving style of new Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel more than his own. The favorites to the win the Aussie Grand Prix include Williams, Ferrari, and BMW according to Webber.

Webber has also joined in on criticizing the FIA’s new scoring system which would crown the champion based on which driver wins the most amount of races as opposed to the previous points system. The FIA has since postponed this new rule due to the outcry from teams and drivers.

Source: smh.com.au

Ferrari President and Shumacher Sound Off on Formula 1 Rule Changes

The President of Ferrai, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, has lashed out against Formula One’s new scoring system calling it “dangerous” and “absurd”. The FIA’s new scoring system will name the champion based on who wins the most races as opposed to the previous points system. If this system was in place last year the championship would have been handed to Felipe Massa instead of Lewis Hamilton.

“I find it really absurd, serious and dangerous that one week before the start of the season we have created a situation of this nature which is very negative for our credibility, the teams, the constructors, the supporters, the journalists and the sponsors,” said Montezemolo. “I would like this climate to become more responsible, the teams have already reduced their costs by 50 percent. It’s important to create a more serene climate and to avoid continuously changing the rules, things that provoke trouble and worries for those doing the work.”

7-time World Champion Michael Schumacher has also recently expressed his disagreement of the new rules the FIA has imposed on Formula 1, especially the new scoring system.

“I cannot imagine those changes to help F1, especially regarding the new system to find the champion,”Schumacher said.

“I cannot see how it makes sense to eventually have a world champion who has less points than the driver coming in second, even if I think it is a good move to strengthen the winner’s position.”

The Formula 1 season resumes on March 29th in Melbourne, Australia.

Source: AFP, CNN

Will BMW Sauber have KERS for Australia Opener?

KERS - Kinetic Energy Recovery System

Nick Heidfeld has said that BMW Sauber has yet to make a decision on whether the or not they will be using a kinetic energy recovery system for the opening race in Melbourne, Australia.

Williams and Toyota have stated that they will not have cars with KERS on the starting grid. Red Bull has announced that they might postpone the introduction of their KERS system.

BMW Sauber is believed to have one of the most advanced kinectic energy recovery systems and has been one of the biggest supporters of the technology in Formula 1. The precise benefits gained by using the KERS is still not known. While the system delivers an instant horsepower boost at the driver’s command, the system adds an additional 40 kg of weight to the car, changes the weight distribution, raises the center of gravity, needs more cooling, and affects stability in braking. And then there is also the question of reliability.

“Reliability seems quite good and we are testing it quite often, not all the time, but on and off to understand the benefits that we will hopefully have,” Heidfeld stated on the Formula 1 website.

Read More About KERS

Source: AP

New F1 Williams FW31 Photos

Williams has just released the final design featuring the new color scheme of their new FW31 car for the 2009 season. The dark blue color scheme would have really made the car stand out on the track but for some reason they decided to go with the light blue and white.