FOTA Walks Out on FIA Meeting

FOTA (Formula One Teams Association) reportedly walked out of a FIA technical meeting in Germany. The FIA was holding a routine Technical Working Group meeting at the Nurburgring in order to finalize Formula 1 rules for the 2010 season. This is the latest incident to raise new doubts about the recent agreement between FOTA and the FIA to hold a unified championship for the 2010 season. FOTA has even announced that they are still keeping the option open for a breakaway race series.

Source: Autosport.com

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

FOTA vs. FIA Battle Time Line Revealed

FOTA - Formula One Teams Association

The recent announcement by the FOTA has rocked the Formula 1 world. The FOTA teams are showing their solidarity and making their intentions known to the world. A resolution is still possible and if Ecclestone wants save his empire he will have to cave and give these top tier teams what they want. How do did we even get to this point? F1-live.com provides a great time line showing the key points in this politically charged year in Formula 1.

Click the link below:

FOTA vs. FIA Time Line

Formula 1 Rebel Teams Announce Break Away From FIA

The Formula One Team Association (FOTA) has announced their intention to withdraw from the Formula One Championship at the end of the season and create their own championship series for 2010. FOTA is comprised of Brawn GP, McLaren, Renault, Ferrari, BMW Sauber, Toyota, Red Bull and Toro Rosso. FOTA has been frustrated by recent budget cap proposals of £40 million and a general disregard of the team’s opinions by the FIA.

Click through to read the statement released by FOTA:

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.

New Evidence Disqualifies Hamilton from Australian GP

In last Sunday’s Australian Formula 1 race, Toyota’s Jarno Trulli finished the race in the third. He was later penalized 25 seconds for an alleged illegal pass of Lewis Hamilton while the safety car was out. McLaren was responsible for filing the complaint. The Trulli’s penalty pushed Hamilton into the third position, a very impressive finish especially considering Hamilton started at 18th on the grid.

New evidence has now surfaced that is indicating Hamilton let Trulli go by intentionally. Hit the jump to continue…

Brawn Reigns Supreme in Melbourne F1 Debut

The Brawn GP debut in Melbourne, Australia couldn’t have been any better. The team finished the race taking the top two spots with Rubens Barrichello finishing 2nd and Jenson Button winning the race from pole. There is still a great deal of controversy regarding the diffusers used by the Brawn GP, Williams and Toyota teams. Ferrari, Red Bull and Renault protested the use of the diffusers stating they were illegal. The race stewards dismissed these claims and decided the diffusers were acceptable according to FIA regulation. It is believed that the protesting teams will follow up with their previous complaint claiming that while the diffusers are technically legal according to the regulations, they violate the “spirit” of the rule.

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

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-24 Photos, Press Pack and Technical Specification

Ferrari was first with the F60, then Toyota with the TF109, now McLaren has introduced their new 2009 Formula 1 car to the world, the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-24. Judging from the pictures, Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen look very happy with the design of the new car with huge smiles all around. As expected, the look of the car is very similar to the Ferrari F60 and Toyota TF109. A side-by-side comparison of the MP4-24 and last year’s McLaren F1 car may leave you believing that they are taking a step in the wrong direction aesthetically. Don’t blame McLaren. Channel all your rage towards the regulations. Let’s just hope the sacrifice in looks is forgotten as soon as the boys hit the track.

Aerodynamics

This year’s aerodynamic regulations were framed by the FIA and the Overtaking Working Group (helmed by Vodafone McLaren Mercedes engineering director Paddy Lowe, Ferrari’s Rory Byrne and Renault’s Pat Symonds) which met throughout 2007 in order to address the issues affecting passing in Formula 1.

The OWG’s influence can be most clearly seen around the front wing, which has been widened, and the rear wing – which is now more compact. Other factors affecting aerodynamics include the banning of ancillary appendages, the addition of driver-adjustable front-wing flaps and a heavily revised diffuser.

KERS

The MP4-24’s KERS device has been developed in collaboration with McLaren and Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines, which has been developing and refining the system for almost two years. The device enables the car to recover energy under braking, store the energy for a lap and release it when the driver presses a button on the steering wheel.

With a fully optimised KERS device’s output capped at 400kJ (discharging 80bhp boost for 6.7s per lap), the development team’s primary focus has already shifted to further improving the unit’s integration within the chassis in order to minimise performance loss elsewhere within the package.

An optimised KERS package can be expected to deliver a 0.3-0.5s gain per lap.

Winter test programme

With in-season track testing now prohibited, the MP4-24 will undergo an intensive winter programme at the following venues prior to the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 29:

Jan 19-22	Portimao	Group test one
Feb 10-13	Jerez	Group test two
Mar 1-4	Jerez	Group test three
Mar 9-12	Barcelona	Group test four
Week 12	Private test ahead of transportation to Melbourne

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

Chassis	McLaren moulded carbon fibre/aluminium honeycomb composite incorporating front and side impact structures. Contains integral safety fuel cell
Front suspension	Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pushrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
Rear suspension	Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pushrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
Suspension dampers	Koni
Electronics	McLaren Electronic Systems control units incorporating electronics for chassis, engine and data acquisition. McLaren Electronic Systems also supplies the electronic dashboard, alternator voltage control, sensors, data analysis and telemetry systems
Bodywork	One-piece engine cover and sidepod covers. Separate floor section, structural nose with integral front wing
Tyres	Bridgestone Potenza
Radio	Kenwood
Race wheels	Enkei
Brake calipers	Akebono
Brake master cylinders	Akebono
Batteries	GS Yuasa Corporation
Steering	McLaren power-assisted
Instruments	McLaren Electronic Systems
Engine
Type	Mercedes-Benz FO 108W
Capacity	2.4 litres
Cylinders	8
Maximum rpm	18,000 (FIA regulatory limit for 2009)
Bank angle	90°
Piston bore maximum	98mm (FIA regulation)
Number of valves	32
Fuel	Mobil High Performance Unleaded (5.75% bio fuel)
Lubricants	Mobil 1 – for higher performance, lower friction and better wear resistance
Weight	95kg (minimum FIA regulation weight)
Transmission
Gearbox	Seven forward and one reverse
Semi-auto	Yes
Driveshafts	McLaren
Clutch	Hand-operated

Source: McLaren.com