It has begun!!!!:wow::wow::wow:
This is how things are going in Free practice 2
Attachment 26451
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It has begun!!!!:wow::wow::wow:
This is how things are going in Free practice 2
Attachment 26451
1 Jenson Button
2 Rubens Barrichello
3 Sebastian Vettel
4 Robert Kubica
5 Nico Rosberg
6 Timo Glock
7 Felipe Massa
8 Jarno Trulli
9 Kimi Räikkönen
10 Mark Webber
11 Nick Heidfeld
12 Fernando Alonso
13 Kazuki Nakajima
14 Heikki Kovalainen
15 Lewis Hamilton
16 Sebastien Buemi
17 Nelson Piquet
18 Giancarlo Fisichella
19 Adrian Sutil
20 Sebastien Bourdais
I am happy because of Button,Barrichello,Vettel and Hamilton :D but not happy for the Ferrari
i cant wait its going to be a great season yyyiiipppeee
Those "guys" look good for their age... :laugh::laugh::laugh:Quote:
Originally Posted by paul501
I didn't get to see the race but one thing I can tell you is that I'm really disappointed in how the Ferrari's did :(
It was a fantastic race except for the Ferrari thing of course. Lots of new things to get used to though. And if I were a betting man, I'd put lot of money on Vettel to win this championship.Quote:
Originally Posted by DipShyt
Good to hear it was a good race at least :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Noxide
One thing that does concern me though is that Merc are effectively running 4 cars this year...
They're actually running six. Themselves, Brawn and Force IndiaQuote:
Originally Posted by DipShyt
I going start supporting Massa. Kimi Räikkönen's poor performances for the last year has got me thinking Kimi is not as good as everyone would have as believe.
Just lovely... NOT!Quote:
Originally Posted by Noxide
Now what's happened to "cutting costs"?
Then again, how embarrassing must it be when your second rate team actually out performs the works team... :laugh::laugh::laugh:
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton has been disqualified from last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix after a second stewards’ investigation on Thursday decided both he and his team had provided ‘misleading' evidence during a hearing held after the Melbourne race.
Hamilton crossed the finish line in Australia in fourth, but was subsequently promoted to third after Toyota’s Jarno Trulli was handed a 25-second time penalty for passing his McLaren under the safety car during the race’s closing laps.
Stewards, however, decided to reinvestigate the incident after fresh evidence came to light and convened a second meeting in Sepang. After the hearing, the stewards issued the following statement:
“The Stewards having considered the new elements presented to them from the 2009 Australian Formula One Grand Prix, consider that driver No 1 Lewis Hamilton and the competitor Vodafone McLaren Mercedes acted in a manner prejudicial to the conduct of the event by providing evidence deliberately misleading to the Stewards at the hearing on Sunday 29th March 2009, a breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.
"Under Article 158 of the International Sporting Code, the driver No 1 Lewis Hamilton and the competitor Vodafone McLaren Mercedes are excluded from the race classification for the 2009 Australian Grand Prix and the classification is amended accordingly."
In addition to Hamilton’s disqualification, Trulli’s penalty has been withdrawn and the Italian therefore regains his third place - and six world championship points.
Isn't this just the best news of the year so far?Quote:
Originally Posted by DipShyt
:laugh::laugh:
What a moron!!
Order has been restored people. Lets' hope it stays this way :)
Attachment 26567
As the "Liegate" affair continues to attract attention, the FIA formally announced today that the McLaren Mercedes team has been invited to appear at an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in order to explain the declarations made before the stewards following the Australian Grand Prix.
During the closing stages of the race and while the Safety Car was on the track, Toyota's Jarno Trulli made an error and went wide. McLaren's Lewis Hamilton passed him but immediately enquired with his team if the move was allowed when the Safety Car is present.
Hamilton, unsure, slowed down to let Trulli reclaim his former position; the Italian was afterwards penalized 25 seconds and dropped down from 3rd to 12th position by the stewards for passing while the Safety Car was on track. At the stewards' meeting, Hamilton and McLaren Sporting Director Dave Ryan both assured the stewards that Hamilton has not deliberately allowed Trulli by.
A few days later, a review of McLaren radio communications proved the contrary; Trulli's third place was reinstated and Hamilton's Australian results were excluded from the race.
Since then, the team has been in a whirlwind, with Hamilton apologizing repeatedly and explaining that he had followed Ryan's orders. Ryan was suspended and sent home while team boss Martin Whitmarsh went into damage control, claiming to have missed performing due diligence.
Today the FIA confirmed a special hearing relating to the matter, to be held on Wednesday 29 April.
FIA statement:
"Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has been invited to appear before an extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Wednesday, 29 April, 2009, to answer charges that, in breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code, it
* on 29 March, 2009, told the stewards of the Australian Grand Prix that no instructions were given to Hamilton in Car No. 1 to allow Trulli in Car no. 9 to pass when both cars were behind the safety car, knowing this statement to be untrue;
* procured its driver Hamilton the current World Champion, to support and confirm this untrue statement to the stewards;
* although knowing that as a direct result of its untrue statement to the stewards, another driver and a rival team had been unfairly penalised, made no attempt to rectify the situation either by contacting the FIA or otherwise;
* on 2 April, 2009, at a second hearing before the stewards of the Australian Grand Prix, (meeting in Malaysia) made no attempt to correct the untrue statement of 29 March but, on the contrary, continued to maintain that the statement was true, despite being allowed to listen to a recording of the team instructing Hamilton to let Trulli past and despite being given more than one opportunity to correct its false statement;
* on 2 April, 2009, at the second stewards' hearing, procured its driver Hamilton to continue to assert the truth of the false statement given to the stewards on 29 March, while knowing that what he was saying to the stewards was not true."
Ohh yeahh! Go Kimi !
The FIA International Court of Appeal met yesterday in Paris to hear an appeal lodged by Ferrari, Red Bull and Renault. The three teams were appealing against decisions taken by the Panel of the Stewards on Thursday 26th March 2009 in Melbourne.
Prior to the race the three teams submitted protests to the Panel of Stewards arguing that the cars of Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams did not comply with the Technical Regulations.
The dispute related in particular to the diffuser design used by the latter three teams. The Panel of the Stewards rejected the protests submitted. The protesting teams then appealed the Stewards’ decisions and were joined yesterday in Paris by McLaren, Brawn GP, BMW Sauber and Toyota who give their accounts to the Court.
The International Court of Appeal announced today that the diffusers designs run by Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams are legal and therefore the results from the opening two rounds of the championship are now confirmed.
"The FIA International Court of Appeal has decided to deny the appeals submitted against decisions numbered 16 to 24 taken by the Panel of the Stewards on 26 March at the 2009 Grand Prix of Australia and counting towards the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship," a statement released this morning read.
"Based on the arguments heard and evidence before it, the Court has concluded that the Stewards were correct to find that the cars in question comply with the applicable regulations."
"Full reasons for this decision will be provided in due course."
Ferrari have admitted they now plan to make significant changes to their 2009 car after the failure of their appeal against the rear diffusers used by the rival Brawn, Toyota and Williams teams.
Ferrari, along with three other teams, had disputed the legality of the double-decker designs, thought to be worth at least half a second per lap. Now, after the FIA’s International Court of Appeal (ICA) gave the designs the all-clear, the world champions say they have no choice but to modify the F60.
"Unfortunately this decision forces us to intervene on fundamental areas of the car's design in order to be able to compete on an equal footing with some of the teams from a point of view of the technical regulations,” said team principal Stefano Domenicali. “And that will take time and money.”
The Court’s findings come as another blow to Ferrari, who have had a torrid start to their 2009 season, with neither Felipe Massa nor Kimi Raikkonen scoring in the first two races. In a bid to turn things around, the Italian team have already restructured their operations ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix and the diffuser verdict now brings even more work.
“We will now double our efforts to get the team back to the highest level of competitivity," added Domenicali, who saw Massa and Raikkonen finish second and third respectively behind McLaren's Lewis Hamilton in Shanghai last year.
I feel bad for my team, because I don't think it will be easy to redesign the diffuser in a short amount of time, but I'm glad the ICA declared the others legal.
Ferrari's boss has hit back at Niki Lauda, after the former triple world champion said a re-emerging ‘spaghetti culture’ is to blame for the team's struggles.
With the efficient and dispassionate German, French and British influences of Michael Schumacher, Jean Todt and Ross Brawn respectively now missing, it is tempting to compare Ferrari's past with its increasingly all-Italian makeup.
But the Maranello team's current Team Principal Stefano Domenicali, an Italian, responded: "I take it very personally when people suggest that because we are Italians we cannot get things to work properly.
"We have won titles and races in the past with fundamentally the same team," he insisted.
Domenicali also responded to speculation that Michael Schumacher's expiring contract will be simply allowed to end this year, after the German was implicated in the strategy chaos of the opening races.
"Michael is very important for our group. At certain moments he can be heavy because of his personality, but his positives far outweigh his negatives," he said.
McLaren Mercedes were invited to attend an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris today to face charges of multiple breaches of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code - essentially fraudulent conduct which brings the sport into dispute.
Today a statement from the FIA WMSC announced that the Woking-based squad has received a suspended three race ban for its actions, a light sentence that essentially reflects the team’s efforts to apologise to the governing body and fans of the sport.
“Having regard to the open and honest way in which McLaren Team Principal, Mr Martin Whitmarsh, addressed the WMSC and the change in culture which he made clear has taken place in his organisation, the WMSC decided to suspend the application of the penalty it deems appropriate," the statement read.
“That penalty is a suspension of the team from three races of the FIA Formula One World Championship. This will only be applied if further facts emerge regarding the case or if, in the next 12 months, there is a further breach by the team of article 151c of the International Sporting Code,” it concluded.
The whole sorry ‘lie-gate’ situation dated back to the season-opening Australian Grand Prix where Lewis Hamilton was instructed by the team to allow Jarno Trulli to pass him whilst behind the safety car. Trulli had made an error and slipped off the circuit allowing Hamilton to initially gain the position.
Following the race the stewards deemed Trulli’s pass illegal on Hamilton and handed the Toyota driver a 25 second time penalty dropping the Italian from third to a non-points scoring position. It later emerged that Hamilton had deliberately let Trulli past and the time penalty was retracted.
There were five charges against the McLaren Mercedes team. Firstly, on 29th March they told Australian Grand Prix stewards that no instructions were given to Lewis Hamilton to allow Trulli pass when behind the safety car. This was untrue. Secondly, the team ‘procured’ Hamilton to confirm this untrue statement to the Melbourne stewards.
Thirdly, the team knew that as a result of its actions, Trulli would be stripped of his third position and the team made no attempt to rectify the situation. Fourthly, on 2nd April a second meeting with the stewards in Malaysia saw the team continue with its untrue statement despite being allowed listen to team radio instructing Hamilton to allow Trulli past. Finally, the team again ‘procured’ Hamilton to continue with his false statement.
Sporting Director Dave Ryan, present with Hamilton in the stewards’ hearings, took the fall for McLaren with the team announcing on 3rd April that he had been suspended from his position. Four days later when acknowledging the 'invitation' to attend the World Motor Sport Council meeting, the team announced that the long-serving Ryan had been sacked.
Hamilton meanwhile was busy making his apologies to the media in Malaysia claiming he had been 'misled' by Ryan. It was uncomfortable viewing as the defending champion deflected all calls that he had deliberately lied to the stewards.
“I went into the meeting. I had no intention of... I just wanted to tell the story of what had happened and I was misled," he said. "That’s just the way it went.”
“I’m not a liar, I’m not a dishonest person,” he claimed. “I’m a team player and every time I’ve been instructed to do something I’ve done it. This time I’ve realised it was a huge mistake and I’m learning from it. It’s taken a huge toll on me.”
Back at the Woking base Ron Dennis announced on 16th April that he was severing all ties with the race team to focus on the road car division of the company. Many saw this is an action to try to appease the sport's governing body, given the long-running feud between Dennis and FIA President Max Mosley.
"I admit I'm not always easy to get on with," Dennis said at the time. "I admit I've always fought hard for McLaren in Formula One. I doubt if Max Mosley or Bernie Ecclestone will be displeased by my decision. But no-one asked me to do it. It was my decision. Equally, I was the architect of today's restructure of the McLaren Group. Again, no-one asked me to do it. It was my decision."
The team regrouped, completed the Chinese and Bahrain Grand Prix before Martin Whitmarsh travelled alone to Paris today to give his account of the team’s actions.
While McLaren certainly has a lot to learn from 'lie-gate' the same can be said for the FIA stewards who initially took the words of two individuals to penalise a rival driver without checking the facts thoroughly.
It's ridiculous.
Now all the teams can do whatever they like and just apologize for it afterward.
A precedent has been set now and they can't change it.
As long as they kick out TWO of their very key members of staff(ie if Brawn Gp did this they would have to sack Ross Brawn!)
well i'm a litle out of the topic what you say but since the first night race i stopped watching formula 1 cause it has lost it's champion Michael Schumacher (i'm half German so you can understand why so to get back on up to date races i need a sum up)
:blink: :blink:
Michael retired LONG ago.
Think i don't know that:rolleyes: well ok don't need the full sum up but at least wats up lately...:whistle:
Well Brawn is leading the championship at the moment, and Jenson Button is leading the Drivers' Title.
Sebastian Vettel won his second race in China 2 weeks ago.
Ferrari scored their first points this season with Kimi Raikkonen coming in sixth place in Bahrain.
McLaren were at a hearing where they should have been punished for lying to the stewards in Malaysia. But as expected, they got off with a suspended 3 race ban.
BMW are absolutely NOWHERE at this stage but they, and most of the other teams, are getting major upgrades at Barcelona next week.
Everybody is still up in arms over the diffuser story, but most teams are getting an interim diffuser installed as we speak.
That's about it.
I think.
well well much has changed since last time i watched didn't thought that Raikkonen would be under the 3rd place since micki is out of the game but Brawn and Button no way have to watch that happening to believe that...!:oQuote:
Originally Posted by Noxide
The controversial 'winner takes all' scoring system has been rubber stamped for introduction in 2010 by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.
The governing body tried to introduce Bernie Ecclestone's favoured system this year, but the late change was vetoed by the Formula One Teams' Association.
We reported in March that the FIA would consult the teams before trying to introduce the system for 2010, but the new sporting regulations for next year already feature the controversial rule.
Article 6 states that the drivers' title 'will be awarded to the driver who has been classified first in the greatest number of races'.
The news has until now slipped the attention of the media because - unlike all other changes to the rules - the amended rule was not highlighted in pink and underlined in copies of the 2010 sporting regulations.
The FIA also confirmed that, accompanying the ban on race refuelling next year, drivers in 'Q3' can refuel under parc ferme conditions prior to the race.
This change ensures the spectacle of low-fuel dashes for pole position, not affected by varying race strategies.
Indeed.
Idiots.
I hope Ferrari does what they say they're going to do and start the breakaway series.
Then Mosley and Ecclestone can sit and rotate on each others' thumbs.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by Noxide
Ferrari pull out of next years formula 1 championship over the budget cap
is breaking news on sky sports news.
Ferrari have announced that they will quit Formula One at the end of the 2009 season if a budget cap is introduced into the sport.
In an effort to cut costs, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) are planning to limit the amount teams can spend from 2010 onwards.
The proposal, which would see a ceiling set at £40 million, would mean those capped teams competing would be able to operate with far greater technical freedom than those with unlimited budgets.
Following a meeting of their board of directors in Maranello, Ferrari have reacted by stating they will not compete if a cap is in place.
Statement
"We confirm our opposition to the new technical regulations adopted by the FIA and do not intend entering our cars in the 2010 F1 Championship," a statement from Ferrari read.
The Italian team believe the plans put forward by the FIA, which is headed by president Max Mosley, would lead to a two-tier championship.
The statement released also criticised the FIA's decision-making process, claiming that teams have not been properly consulted.
"The rules of governance that have contributed to the development of Formula 1 over the last 25 years have been disregarded, as have the binding contractual obligations between Ferrari and the FIA itself regarding the stability of the regulations," the report said.
"The same rules for all teams, stability of regulations, the continuity of the FOTA's endeavours to methodically and progressively reduce costs, and governance of Formula 1 are the priorities for the future.
"If these indispensable principles are not respected and if the regulations adopted for 2010 will not change, then Ferrari do not intend to enter our cars in the next Formula 1 World Championship."
Ferrari are the only team to have contested every season of the world championship since the modern format was introduced in 1950.
They are not alone in being against the changes, though they are the first to make a statement of intent ahead of the May 29 deadline for 2010 entries.
Even if the nine rebel FOTA teams do not race in Formula One next year, there are already more than enough valid 2010 entries to potentially fill the grid.
It has emerged that yet more teams have lodged paperwork to abide the announced budget cap rules: Epsilon Euskadi and N. Technology, whose applications swell the potential entry list to ten teams and 20 cars.
Additionally, it is rumoured that junior motor racing outfits Carlin and Manor Motorsport might also have thrown their hats into the 2010 ring, as may have a so far unannounced Italian team.
Alongside current team Williams, already officially signed up with the FIA for 2010 are Prodrive, Lola, USF1, Superfund, March, Campos, Litespeed and Brabham.
Spanish prototype Le Mans sports car team Epsilon Euskadi's Joan Villadelprat confirmed to the Diario AS newspaper on Wednesday that he lodged the 2010 entry one week ago.
"I can say that we have our future assured for at least four years," he said, insisting that even if the budget cap figure increases, the team will remain ready to compete.
Click here to find out more!
Meanwhile, in a statement to the media, MSC Organisation Ltd said it submitted its entry paperwork on 23 May - the day after the one-week window for official applications opened.
While the FIA would despair at the departure of grandee teams like Ferrari, McLaren, and even current championship favourites Brawn, the bustle of the current 2010 entry list has emboldened Max Mosley's stance in the FOTA stand-off.
"I think we are looking quite good," the FIA President said when asked about the teams already entered for next season.
Turning his attention to the existing FOTA teams, he told Switzerland's Motorsport Aktuell: "What I would say to them is that if they want to write the rules, they should organise their own championship."
The FIA will publish the 2010 entry list on June 12.
Formula 1 has been thrown into chaos after eight of its major teams said they are now planning to set up a rival championship for the 2010 season.
The threat by members of the F1 Teams Association (Fota) escalates their row with world motorsport boss Max Mosley over his budget cap proposals.
"The teams have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 F1 Championship," said the teams.
"We've no alternative than to commence preparation for a new championship."
Mosley was insistent on introducing a voluntary £40m budget cap for teams to curtail a "financial arms race" in F1.
But Fota refused to agree to his conditions, prompting championship leader Brawn GP, Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, Toyota, BMW Sauber, Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso to take their drastic action.
They announced their decision following a four-hour meeting on Thursday night ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
"Since the formation of Fota last September the teams have worked together and sought to engage the FIA and commercial rights holder (Bernie Ecclestone), to develop and improve the sport," read a Fota statement.
"Unprecedented worldwide financial turmoil has inevitably placed great challenges before the F1 community.
"Fota is proud that it has achieved the most substantial measures to reduce costs in the history of our sport.
"In particular, the manufacturer teams have provided assistance to the independent teams, a number of which would probably not be in the sport today without the Fota initiatives.
The teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 world championship
Fota statement
"The Fota teams have further agreed upon a substantial voluntary cost reduction that provides a sustainable model for the future.
"Following these efforts, all the teams have confirmed to the FIA and the commercial rights holder that they are willing to commit until the end of 2012.
"The FIA and the commercial rights holder have campaigned to divide Fota.
"The wishes of the majority of the teams are ignored. Furthermore, tens of millions of dollars have been withheld from many teams by the commercial rights holder, going back as far as 2006.
"Despite this, and the uncompromising environment, Fota has genuinely sought compromise.
"It has become clear, however, the teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 world championship."
Fota added that its championship would put F1 fans first and boast the best drivers and sponsors.
"This series will have transparent governance, one set of regulations, encourage more entrants and listen to the wishes of the fans, including offering lower prices for spectators worldwide, partners and other important stakeholders," added the statement.
"The major drivers, stars, brands, sponsors, promoters and companies historically associated with the highest level of motorsport will all feature in this new series."
Former champions Williams and Force India have already committed unconditionally to the FIA's world championship along with three new entrants - Campos, US F1 and Manor.
The FIA has said there are other would-be newcomers waiting to take the places of those teams that refused to enter unconditionally, although one, Lola, has already withdrawn its application.
The stage is also set for a legal battle, with the FIA saying champions Ferrari and the two Red Bull teams have existing contracts which commit them to the existing championship.
The FIA had set a Friday deadline for five teams - Brawn, BMW-Sauber, McLaren, Renault and Toyota - to convert their provisional entries into unconditional ones or risk being excluded.
There was no immediate comment from the FIA or Ecclestone.
Speaking at Silverstone ahead of Friday practice, BBC TV's F1 commentator Jonathan Legard said: "The FIA will say this is a power play, it's brinkmanship, and if they [the teams] want to do their own series then so be it. But things are not looking good."
Good morning,
just read this! Even if it was possible that it comes to this resolution I am quite surprised. But if the new series can provide their promises it could become a great series :clap:
I think it's the right thing to do.Quote:
Originally Posted by SEfan1985
Ecclestone and Mosley are not capable of running the current championship.
And now they only have 5 teams for next year.
Idiots :laugh:
1st season when all drivers will b able 2 win:laugh:Quote:
Originally Posted by Noxide
The predicted rain showers steered clear of the home of British motorsport this afternoon allowing a fully dry qualifying hour. With a large enthusiastic crowd on hand, Sebastian Vettel stormed to his second straight pole position with a best lap of 1:19.509s, three-tenths clear of nearest challenger Rubens Barrichello.
As Red Bull celebrate Vettel’s pole lap, team-mate Mark Webber was left a frustrated third having set the pace ahead of the final frantic minutes of the session. The Australian veteran, who has yet to out-qualify Vettel this year, was just a hundredth of a second shy of Barrichello’s Brawn Mercedes.
As expected, Toyota has shown well with Jarno Trulli behind the wheel as the Italian veteran qualified a fine fourth. Team-mate Timo Glock was four-tenths adrift in the second TF109 and starts in eighth position.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of qualifying was the pace Kazuki Nakajima. The Williams Toyota driver is 20th and last in the drivers’ championship partly through some bad luck but mostly due to qualifying and race errors. There were no such problems today as the Japanese racer secured a career best fifth position on the grid in his FW31.
Championship leader Jenson Button starts sixth in the second Brawn Mercedes, describing his own qualifying performance as ‘not good’. While Barrichello seems to have found the sweet spot on the BGP 001, Button is struggling to find the right balance and at this stage of the weekend, that doesn’t bode well for race day.
Nico Rosberg starts seventh in the second Williams, trailing team-mate Nakajima on this occasion by just over a tenth of a second while Kimi Raikkonen is ninth in the leading Ferrari some 1.2 seconds off Vettel’s pole position time. Fernando Alonso rounds out the top ten in the leading Renault.
Felipe Massa starts 11th in the second Ferrari after a difficult session, while Robert Kubica led the BMW Sauber challenge in 12th. Team-mate Nick Heidfeld suffered a couple of off-track excursions and will line up his F1.09 in 15th position.
Heikki Kovalainen did a good job to make it into the second round of qualifying and starts 13th ahead of the second Renault of Nelson Piquet while Lewis Hamilton, last year’s race winner, is a dismal 19th.
With numerous revisions to the Force India Mercedes package, the Silverstone-based team had hoped to make the second round of qualifying. However, Giancarlo Fisichella will have to be content with 16th position while Adrian Sutil, third fastest in practice yesterday afternoon, is recovering from a sizeable shunt that brought out the red flags just ahead of the chequered flag.
Sutil’s VJM02 seemed to snap away under braking forcing Sutil to take to the grass and then make heavy contact with the Armco on the inside of the circuit. The team later confirmed incident was caused by a brake failure and that Sutil will take over the spare chassis for the Grand Prix.
Sebastien Bourdais starts 17th between the Force India duo in the leading Toro Rosso Ferrari while Lewis Hamilton starts a dismal 19th in the second McLaren Mercedes. Having survived a moment when the rear end of the car broke away in the high speed Maggotts – Becketts sequence, Hamilton could have – perhaps - improved were it not for the red flags at the end of the first round of qualifying. Either way, the MP4-24 lacks the downforce to be competitive at the faster circuits.
Sebastien Buemi has endured a difficult weekend in the second Toro Rosso and brings up the rear of the field.
At the half-way stage of the season it is Vettel on top again and he will be looking not to lose ground on the first lap this Sunday while fellow front-row starter Barrichello will be looking for a clean start following his start-line dramas last time out in Turkey.
Now we await the publication of the fuel levels carried in this session to see what the above all really means.
On a day when Sky Italia took a poll during their broadcast of the British Grand Prix which found an astonishing 91 percent of viewers supported the Formula One Teams' Association stance, Max Mosley said the FIA will not proceed with legal action against the FOTA members, indicating he would rather reach a deal to stave off the threat of a breakaway championship.
"There won't be any writ. I think we would rather talk than litigate," the President of the Paris-based body said before walking the Silverstone grid.
Mosley, who in an earlier interview this weekend dismissed the FOTA figureheads like ‘the Bernie’ Flavio Briatore as ‘loonies’, claims there is actually very little the teams and the FIA is arguing about.
He invited the disgruntled rebel teams to "sit down and iron out the last few difficulties."
"It's definitely getting better - but these things take time," he explained. "The problem is we have eight teams and some want to sit down, some don't.
No doubt, eventually they all will."
He agrees with Martin Whitmarsh that time is a factor, after the McLaren boss said preparations for the breakaway will be too far advanced by the end of July.
"If this goes on for any length of time, it damages the teams. It doesn't affect the FIA, it damages the teams because it affects their sponsors," said Mosley.
Bernie Ecclestone said he was pleased to hear about Mosley's comments.
"If Max says (a deal) is close, then that's good," the F1 Chief Executive said.
I hope that, if it comes to the conlusion that the teams realy found their own series, the teams are able to build a serious series which takes place around the world. There are easier things in the world than building a wordwide sports series ;)
Ferrari has parted company with its head of aerodynamics and wind tunnel John Iley, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Wednesday.
The specialist newspaper said it is the relative lack of competitiveness of this year's F60 that moved the famous Maranello team to act and that other key staff changes cannot be ruled out.
The Italian publication claims a 'serious' mistake in the area of the aerodynamics has been identified as the root of the 2009 car's problems.
Iley, 41, who joined Ferrari from Renault in 2004, reportedly reached an agreement with the team after the German Grand Prix for an immediate departure.
It has been agreed that he will not join a rival team for at least six months, but is already being linked with a return to working with former Ferrari Technical Director Ross Brawn.
Iley's responsibilities for the time being have been taken over by Nicholas Tombazis.
:clap::thumbsup::clap::clap::whee:
Maybe we can be on the podium in the next couple of races...