Grand Prix Formula 1 stories

Designed by Hermann Tilke - the architect responsible for the Sepang, Shanghai, Istanbul Park and Valencia GP venues - the new Grand Prix Circuit (configured using the inner and outer circuits, and with the addition of the endurance loop for 2010) presents drivers with an exceptional challenge.

Read more! »

Q: How does it feel to start the season as the defending champion? Is it a different mindset to previous seasons?
Jenson Button: I’m actually really looking forward to the start of the season. It will be a thrill and an honour to sit on the grid with the number one on my car - it’ll actually be the first time in my car racing career that that’s ever happened - but I won’t be spending too much time thinking about the drivers who want to take it away from me. Obviously, my aim is to retain the title and we’ll need to start the year extremely strongly if we’re going to achieve that because, more than ever these days, world championships seem to be won at the start of the season rather than at the end of it.

Read more! »

The official entry list for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship was republished by the FIA on Thursday evening. Following weeks of speculation the sport’s governing body has confirmed the North Carolina-based US team will not compete, which means 12 teams will line up on the grid at next week’s season-opener in Bahrain.

Read more! »

With just over two weeks to go until the Bahrain Grand Prix, 11 teams are testing at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya this week. Mercedes GP are amongst those in action, keen to make the most of the dwindling track time left before March’s Sakhir race. Although Michael Schumacher only managed to clock the seventh-fastest time in the MGP W01 on Friday, he remains confident his car won’t let him down as he targets a fruitful 2010 season…

Read more! »

Q: Are you aware that you are a love-hate figure?
Michael Schumacher: I simply think that if you are around as long as I have been there will always be people who follow you more and some who follow you less. But to be able to be around for so long, I sometimes had to close myself up a bit. It may be the same again this time.

Read more! »

The Formula One Commission, comprised of the sport’s major stakeholders, has agreed a number of proposals for last-minute revisions to the 2010 regulations. Among them are further changes to the points system and to the tyre rules. The proposals will be put to the FIA World Motor Sport Council for approval later this week.

Read more! »

As last season’s innovative double diffusers demonstrated, thinking outside of the box can bring Formula One teams some pretty substantial rewards. As one of four new squads joining the 2010 grid, the North Carolina-based US team have started from scratch and are hopeful that the resulting fresh outlook will serve them well once the season gets underway in March.

Read more! »

BMW Sauber have revealed their new management structure following Peter Sauber’s purchase of the team from the German carmaker at the end of last year. Sauber himself will become president of the board of directors and will lead the squad at Grands Prix as team principal. He won’t, however, take on any operational tasks at their Swiss factory.

Read more! »

BMW Sauber have announced that they will unveil their new car in Valencia later this month. The launch will be held on January 31, the day before the first official three-day test of 2010 gets underway at the Spanish track.

Read more! »

FIA race director Charlie Whiting has confirmed that the safety car rules have been altered for the 2009 season. The previous regulations, which saw the pit lane closed for a period of time after the safety car’s deployment, came under intense scrutiny last year after several drivers were penalised for pitting to avoid running out of fuel.

Read more! »

Although their rivals are already tweaking their new cars after testing last week, Force India are yet to unveil their 2009 challenger. But on Friday the team revealed that they are on target to debut the VJM02 during testing in early March, ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix later in the month.

Read more! »

Kimi Raikkonen has ruled himself out of a Formula One drive for next season following confirmation that he will compete for Citroen’s Red Bull-backed junior team in the 2010 World Rally Championship (WRC).

Read more! »

The British Grand Prix is to stay at Silverstone for the foreseeable future after the circuit and its owners, the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), signed a deal to retain the event for the next 17 years. The race had been due to switch to Donington Park from 2010.

Read more! »

The FIA published the entry list for the 2010 world championship on Monday evening, featuring 12 rather than the expected 13 teams. According to Formula One racing’s governing body, this is related to Toyota’s planned withdrawal and an announcement regarding their entry will be made in due course.

Read more! »