We've moved to a bigger paddock

Exciting times ahead with the upcoming season, and due to the outstanding reception The F1 Paddock has received already we've decided to say goodbye to the kind people at Blogspot and take up a new home at our own domain.

You can now find us at http://www.thef1paddock.com. You can expect to find the same passion, the same level of detail and the same quality of reporting. However our own domain will give us a lot more room and allow us to introduce some new exciting features. So we hope to see you at http://www.thef1paddock.com and to follow the 2011 F1 season with you.

Transcript of MP4-26 launch press conference

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were at the launch of the new MP4-26 today in Berlin. Below is a transcript of the press conference that took place at the launch:

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Force India extends partnerships with McLaren and Mercedes, announces new technical director

Force India today announced it had extended its partnerships with McLaren Applied Technologies and Mercedes Benz for a further two years.

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Jacques Villeneuve: "HRT are a total joke"

Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve has voiced his disgust at Hispania Racing Team's decision to replace Brazillian Bruno Senna with Indian Narain Karthikeyan.

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Valencia Report - Scuderia Toro Rosso

Car: STR6

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Valencia Report - Red Bull Racing

Car: RB7

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Valencia Report - Lotus Renault GP

Car: R31

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Valencia Report - Sauber

Car: C30

Drivers: Kamui Kobayashi (Tuesday/64 laps); Sergio Perez (Wednesday & Thursday/145 laps)

Fastest Times: 1:15.621 (Kamui); 1:14.458 (Sergio, Thursday)

Aims: Systems check; setup work; testing how different set ups affect the new tyres and getting them to co-ordinate

Summary: Tuesday and Thursday ran well, with minimal problems. KERS and the moveable rear wing were both introduced on Tuesday afternoon and ran with no issues. Wednesday however was difficult due to a multitude of mechanical faults and saw limited running.

Comments: "We had to check all the various new systems and sort things out. But that is no problem, as it is something you just have to go through. However, due to the work with the new systems we had no time for proper performance runs. The grip of the new tyres dropped off quite quickly. This is something you can improve with set up work, but for the reasons mentioned we did not really have time for that." - Kamui Kobayashi

"I’m very happy with how things went today. It was a busy day and I learnt a lot about the systems and the car, while the team also collected a lot of information. We will keep working hard to improve – me personally from a driver’s perspective and all together, of course, with regards to the car." - Sergio Perez

"Having had more time working with the car, we have been able to start changing the set up to match the tyres better, which is giving us some useful directions for the next test. We have also been using different tyre compounds for the first time and the super soft is very fast on the first lap, but degrades quickly. Meanwhile the medium compound is faster than we thought over the first lap, but certainly more consistent." - James Key, Technical Director

Valencia Report - McLaren Mercedes

Car: Modified 2010 MP4-25

Drivers: Gary Paffett (Tuesday/91 laps); Lewis Hamilton (Wednesday/83 laps); Jenson Button (Thursday/105 laps)
Fastest Times: 1:14.292 (Gary); 1:14.353 (Lewis); 1:13.533 (Jenson)

Aims: Tyre development for the MP4-26; tried to replicate 2011 downforce levels on the '10 car to simulate the tyre wear accurately

Summary: No reliability issues throughout the three days, meant they could do a mix of long and short runs to test different compounds and seeing how set ups affected degredation levels.

Comments: "Interesting day and a new experience for me to try the Pirellis. They work in a different way to last years tyres but that's to be expected. There's degredation - particularly in the super soft - but that's also to be expected" - Jenson Button

“Even though we were using the 2010 car, we had quite a productive day. We were trying to replicate 2011 downforce levels on the old car – so it wasn’t 100 per cent accurate – but we still got a good understanding of the new Pirellis and covered quite a lot of ground. “The new tyres are easy to get a feel for; there’s not as much grip on the Pirellis as we had last year; they drop off quite a bit, too, and they’re a little bit harder to control over a longer stint – but it’s the same for everybody.” - Lewis Hamilton

Valencia Report - Mercedes GP

Car: MGP W02

Drivers: Nico Rosberg (Tuesday & Wednesday/78 laps); Michael Schumacher (Tuesday & Thursday/125 laps)

Fastest Times: 1:14.645 (Nico, Wednesday); 1:14.537 (Michael, Thursday)

Aims: Reliability, getting KERS performing, systems checks, some small set up tests on Thursday

Summary: Nicos time was severely cut due to reliablity issues on Tuesday, Michael however was able to do some long runs to help with the tyres. KERS encountered some "teething problems" but the comments were that it was nothing cricical.

Comments: "It feels like a better car in general. I felt completely at home and comfortable in the cockpit straight away. It's just a matter of getting used to the buttons" - Nico Rosberg

"We were able to achieve a lot of valuable mileage and it was a positive day. I am pleased with that, and with how the car was behaving, a lot of elements have already proved to be a significant step forward. I felt totally comfortable in the car immediately and noticed how much I had missed driving since November. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and this week gives us a very good idea of where we should concentrate our work." - Michael Schumacher

"We're starting to get an insight into the car's behaviour and its responses to various set-up changes are proving to be very consistent. After a few difficulties at the start of the test, we have finished with a strong day providing plenty of data and options to take forward to the next test in Jerez" - Ross Brawn, Team Chief

Valencia Report - AT&T WilliamsF1

Car: FW33 (Temporary Livery)

Drivers: Rubens Barrichello (Tuesday & Wednesday/128 laps); Pastor Maldonado (Wednesday & Thursday/130 laps)

Fastest Times: 1:16.023 (Rubens, Wednesday); 1:14.229 (Pastor, Thursday)

Aims: Shakedown; aerodynamic tests; getting Rubens and Pastor acclimatised to the car; testing KERS and ensure it's performing efficiently

Summary: KERS problem on Tuesday morning led to its removal for the afternoon session; sensor problem on day 2 also hampered Rubens' time. But Pastor had a trouble free run on Thursday with 100+ laps and experienced no issue with the KERS

Comments: "We have improved the car from yesterday. It's a very different car to the FW32. We are still not there with the balance but we are going in the right direction." - Rubens Barrichello

"I am feeling much more confident in the car now using both the KERS and the rear wing. I am also working even better with the team and developing the car over both long and short runs. I am feeling better every time I get in the car." - Pastor Maldonado

"We did more set-up changes to keep learning about the car and some longer runs for stabilised temperature checks. We ran 100 laps trouble-free so are quite happy with that. Overall it has been a good shakedown test for us." - Sam Michael, Technical Director

Valencia Report - Force India

Car: Modified 2010 VJM03

Drivers: Nico Hulkenberg (Tuesday - 71 Laps); Paul Di Resta (Tuesday/Wednesday - 139 Laps); Adrian Sutil (Thursday - 117 Laps)

Fastest Times: 1:13.938 (Nico, Tuesday); 1:13.844 (Paul, Wednesday); 1:13.201 (Adrian, Thursday)

Aims: Gathering data on the Pirelli tyres for the VJM04 (still in development); testing different compounds and the effect different fuel loads

Summary: Minimal interruptions to their programs in terms of reliablity/accidents, enabled them to do lots of long and short runs to help get data on the tyres

Comments: "We're now understanding a lot more about the performance of the Pirellis and the differences between the compounds, particularly with regards to long and shorter runs and different fuel loads. At this stage we're not going for times, just trying to get representative data to work on. I'm feeling good and well integrated into the team and my new role, there's a really positive atmosphere, which will set us up extremely well for next week when the new car testing programme starts." - Paul Di Resta

"Programme-wise I worked through the different set-ups on the car and was able to complete a lot of laps, which gave me a good first understanding of how the Pirelli tyres worked as I was not able to do any running at the tyre test last year" - Nico Hulkenberg

"My aim today was to continue this work on alternative set-ups and fuel loads. We got all the information we needed and I feel like we understand the tyre performance pretty well now" - Adrian Sutil

"Our strategy for this test was to use the VJM3 to gain our drivers some early season mileage and collect as much data on the Pirelli tyres as possible. Overall we achieved our objectives today, looking at the three compounds available here" - Dom Harlow, Circuit Engineering Director

The exquisitely designed MGP W02

This picture was issued by Mercedes GP yesterday, capturing Nico Rosberg in action. And it shows just how wonderful the car looks. Both in terms of livery and design itself. Here's a shot for you to enjoy in full high res beauty, simply click it to see.

The danger of overtaking zones

For the most part of the off season, most of the talk has been about the introduction of the Moveable Rear Wings. A regulation change designed to increase overtaking and "the show". While the FIA initially said they'd only be useable when the driver is within 1 second of the car in front, the regulations were still a bit sketchy on how they'd actually work. Today a fascinating article by Autosports Jonathan Noble has shed some light. The FIA has announced that while they're open to fine tuning the rules on how the wings, the initial plan is for a designated 600mt overtaking zone on the main straight at each track. There'll be a timing zone set up in braking area of the corner before that main straight and if at that timing zone, the car behind is within a second, he may use his moveable rear wing in the overtaking zone.

Simple, right?

Well, not so much. Comments from the drivers after the first two days of testing suggest it may not be the saving grace the FIA hope it is. Lotus Renault GP driver Robert Kubica said yesterday that he doesn't think the speed gained by the device will be significant enough to allow much overtaking, and that by the time you're close enough to attempt an overtake you'll be to close to the braking zone of the next corner to actually get past the car in front. With similar comments was AT&T WilliamsF1 driver Rubens Barrichello, who was concerned about how much time the driver was having to spend with his eyes off the road with all the buttons on the steering wheel now. These are two very experienced Formula 1 drivers talking, so we can safely assume they know what they're talking about.

With the restricting of the wings to these designated "overtaking zones", it also raises another concern. Will drivers be somewhat hesitant to chance an overtaking move at other points on the track? They'd be risking running wide and perhaps losing that precious half second that could cost them the chance to use the rear wing on the straight. It could be the irony of something designed to increase overtaking and excitement actually taking away from it. Why would a driver chance an overtake on a corner when if they're simply patient and careful enough, they can attempt it on the much safer main straight?

And in addition to this, with the dedicated "overtaking zones", drivers may see them as their one and only chance of getting past a car with similar speed. The 600 metres is the last 600 metres of the straight leading into the corner, but the rear wing closes immediately when the driver applies the brakes. So could this in turn lead to more reckless/dangerous moves in these corners and cause more accidents? Wisely the wing cannot be used in the early laps of the race, but if two drivers are scrapping it out for 10th and that last championship point on the last lap of the race, there's a chance the driver behind may throw his car into the corner in an attempt to get past, knowing full well the driver behind won't get a chance to use his rear wing again. There is the legitimate possibility that confining the strong overtaking chances to just one small section of the track that drivers may be forced to take unnecessary risks to utilise the chance.

While the FIA must be applauded for innovation and thinking outside the box, the concept does present several dangers. And the announcement of these overtaking zones only further adds to them. The FIA has declared their intention to run with these regulations for the first 4 races and then reassess. Turn 1 at Australia is notorious as an accident prone corner. Add in the differing speeds and the need for a driver to get past at that point, and there is the possibility we could be in for an accident heavy first 4 races which could force a reassessment of the rules.

Q&A with Pastor Maldonado

Pastor Maldonado made his official debut in a Formula 1 car yesterday at Valencia. Afterwards he took the time to answer some questions:

Q: You had your first official outing for AT&T Williams yesterday, how did it feel?

PM: Driving the FW33 and getting a feel for the new car was great! My run wasn’t that long, but we are concentrating on learning the car to begin with and I was preparing myself for today’s programme.

Q: Did you run KERS and the rear wing flap yesterday?
PM: We didn’t run KERS. On some laps I did use the rear wing flap, but not many. Yesterday’s run was really just to understand the new car and to gather more data.

Q: Are you up to speed on all the new systems in the car so you can concentrate on the test work?
PM: Not yet, but I think it is the same for everybody, and it’s not easy because you are very busy during a lap. I am getting more confident every time I go out though and I feel really ready to do my job.

Q: What did you think of the new Pirelli tyres?
PM: The speed feels more or less the same, but they need to be managed differently. I haven’t done much running on new tyres yet so I will have a better idea of how they are working today after more track time.

Q: What is the feeling you get sitting in the FW33?
PM: The feeling is really good. We need to adapt some parts of the car’s set-up to better suit my racing style, and maybe I need to adapt as well. We didn’t run for too long yesterday, but we will see how we go today and at the forthcoming tests.

Q: What is the biggest difference between GP2 and Formula One?
PM: There are a few differences but really I have to keep running, and get some long runs in, in order to understand more clearly the different systems in the car. There are so many things to look at during pre-season testing, but we will start to do that now. I also need to get used to the team. I think the biggest difference between GP2 and Formula One is the people working around you, there are a lot more people doing lots of different things.

Q: Has your fitness improved?
PM: You can always improve your fitness if you keep training. I do lots of running and have also improved what I eat so I’m a bit lighter than I was which is good for the team. I am hoping being very light will maybe help me this season!

Q: How does it feel to jump into a brand new car as opposed to the FW32, as you did in Abu Dhabi, which had a whole year of development behind it?
PM: Starting from zero is a bit different. Last year I just had to focus on myself and on improving lap by lap. Now we need to keep working together to develop the car as well, so there will be more of a job to do which will keep us busy. The feeling in the team and with my engineers is good though. I know it will be a really great season with them.

Q: What is your objective for the 2011 season?
PM: To learn, be really quick, do my best for the team and improve race-by-race.

Q: Do you feel the pressure is on you to get up to speed quickly?
PM: No, I don’t have this kind of pressure. I will do my best and understand everything, and to do the maximum for the team.

Q & A with kind permission of AT&T Williams F1

Sauber - Valencia Day 2

The second day of testing for the Sauber team proved to be quite a trying day. There was the intial excitement of rookie Sergio Perez getting behind the wheel of the C30 for the first time, however it was shortlived as technical difficulties led to him only being able to complete 42 laps. He did still manage to post a respectable 1:16.198, placing him 10th in the overall standings yesterday.

Perez managd to get his aerodynamic checks done in the morning but before he could do some performance/set up runs, the team discovered some issues with the rear bodywork of the car. And then in the afternoon they suffered a power train issue, the source of which the team is still trying to determine. Technical director James Key was upbeat, saying "it is only day two of the first test, and that is how winter testing can be. That is simply the nature of early testing."

Driver Perez however was more disappointed with the day, saying "it was a difficult day with not much running and we obviously could not complete our programme." But he did mention that he was looking forward to being able to do more running in the car yesterday, hoping to do a lot of laps to compensate for today.

All quotes with kind permission of Sauber F1 Team

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes - Valencia Day 2

Former World Champion Lewis Hamilton took over driving duties for the McLaren team on Day 2 at Valencia. Driving an updated version of last years MP4-25, Lewis Hamilton told the media that it had been modified in an attempt to replicate 2011 downforce levels. "it wasn’t 100 per cent accurate – but we still got a good understanding of the new Pirellis and covered quite a lot of ground".

Lewis managed to complete 83 laps of the circuit yesterday, with his best effort of 1:14.353 earning him 4th on the carts. Hamilton was also happy with his first experience of the new Pirelli tyres, saying "(They're) easy to get a feel for; there’s not as much grip on the Pirellis as we had last year; they drop off quite a bit, too, and they’re a little bit harder to control over a longer stint – but it’s the same for everybody"

Hamiltons teammate Jenson Button hits the track today to wrap up McLarens testing programme in Valencia.

All quotes with kind permission of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

AT&T Williams - Valencia Day 2

Pastor Maldonado made his official debut in an F1 car yesterday at Valencia as Williams continued testing out the FW33. Maldonados run was however shorter than intended, due to a sensor problem robbing fellow driver Rubens Barrichello of two of his allotted hours, and as such Maldonado also lost time on track. However the main aim for Pastor was simply to shakedown the car and get used to driving it, and he managed 29 laps which should be good preperation for his full run tomorrow. In terms of lap times, Rubens best effort was the 9th best of the day with a 1:16.023, with Maldonado 2 tenths behind him in 11th. Following their day Rubens and Pastor spoke to the media:

Rubens: "We have improved the car from yesterday. We had an electrical problem in the morning and the boys did a great job to sort everything out. We then had to do some quick work as I had to hand the car over to Pastor this afternoon. The work done last night on set-up has improved the car a little. We are still not there with the balance but we are going in the right direction."

Pastor: "It was great to adapt myself to the new car. It was my first time in the FW33 so I am really happy to get started. Tomorrow I will get more experience and keep working to understand the car"

All quotes with kind permission of AT&T Williams F1

Lotus Renault GP - Valencia Day 2

Robert Kubica took to the track for the first time in 2011 in the new Lotus Renault R31 yesterday in Valencia. Following Vitaly Petrov on Tuesday, the aim of Kubicas run on Wednesday was making sure he was comfortable with a new steering wheel layout (no doubt due to the extra buttons), assessing the performance of the aerodynamic package using Flow Viz paint and also gathering data on the Pirelli tyres. Having completed 104 laps, posting the 5th fastest time of the day, Kubica spoke to the press:

Kubica: "“It’s always difficult to judge things after just one day in the car, especially with so many changes compared to last year. The main factor is definitely the new Pirelli tyres, which have a big influence on how the car behaves and we ran on some of the different compounds to start getting a feeling for them. We did have a couple of mechanical issues with the car and we couldn’t complete the entire programme, but we still did lots of laps. This is very important because we managed to complete a lot of the usual system and reliability checks needed with a new car and made sure there were no overheating issues.”

Following the days running technical director James Allison was also pleased with the days results. "The KERS and DRS Wing (moveable rear wing) worked flawlessly" he said, also mentioning that doing so many laps enabled them to do some set up work for the car in addition to the normal pre-season programme.

All quotes with kind permission of Lotus Renault GP.

Force India - Valencia Day 2

Rookie Paul Di Resta took the wheel for Force India on day two of testing at the Valencia circuit yesterday. In an uneventful day Resta managed to complete 111 laps of the track, which will no doubt have given the team mountains of useful data in terms of the Pirelli tyres to put towards the VJM04. What was interesting was that Di Resta commented that they're "not going for times", yet he still managed to post the third fastest time of the day, finishing behind only Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. Obviously he's behind the wheel of a fully developed 2010 car, while the others are still testing out their 2011 models. But it's still interesting nonetheless. After testing yesterday, Di Resta and engineering director Dominic Harlow had this to say:

Di Resta: "Another good day of testing for the team, gathering lots of information for the guys to work on. We're now understanding a lot more about the performance of the Pirellis and the differences between the compounds, particularly with regards to long and shorter runs and different fuel loads. At this stage we're not going for times, just trying to get representative data to work on. I'm feeling good and well integrated into the team. There's a really positive atmosphere, which will set us up extremely well for next week when the new car testing programme starts"

Harlow: "Today's programme was intended to compare the various tyre compounds' performance with yesterday's as the track improved. During the course of the session the circuit should have reached something approaching race conditions in terms of the laps run on it, so it's interesting data. It was a productive day and we also worked on some systems development for the VJM04. Adrian will be in the car tomorrow for the final day here."

All quotes are with kind permission of Force India F1.

Force India Day 1 - Valencia

Force India hit the track at Valencia with last years car, the VJM03, yesterday at testing. The main objective of testing this week is just to gather tyre data, with work continuing in Silverstone on this years challenger, the VJM04. In terms of lap times Force India had a rather successful day, with new test driver Nico Hulkenberg clocking the second fastest time of the day (behind Red Bulls Sebastian Vettel) while rookie Paul Di Resta managed the fourth fastest time. the drivers also managed a healthy 99 laps between them, which will no doubt go some way towards the development of this years car in terms of how it will handle the new Pirelli tyres. With thanks for forceindiaf1.com, we hear from Hulkenberg and Di Resta.

Hulkenberg: "A very productive and promising first day with the team. The main goal was principally for me to get used to the team, the car and the new Pirelli tyres and my impressions of all were pretty positive. Programme-wise I worked through the different set-ups on the car and was able to complete a lot of laps, which gave me a good first understanding of how the Pirelli tyres worked as I was not able to do any running at the tyre test last year. I really enjoyed the day and am looking forward to working with the team over the coming weeks.

Di Resta: "A short outing for me today but good to get back in the car and out on track again. We completed just under 30 laps to get ready for the full day tomorrow. I think we're in good shape to get through the full programme and get the information we need to feed into the development of the new car."

Mercedes Day 1 - Valencia

The German outfit started the first day of winter testing by pulling the covers off the MGP W02 and sounding very optimistic and excited about the promise of the car. However the day was interrupted when the car stopped on track with Nico Rosberg at the wheel. Team chief Ross Brawn attributed this to a hydraulics problem which led the the system having to be replaced and it was late in the day before Michael Schumacher could get behind the wheel. Between them the Mercedes drivers were only able to manage 24 laps, less than most other drivers did individually. With thanks to mercedes-gp.com, Rosberg and Schumacher share their thoughts on Day 1:

Nico Rosberg: “The good thing is that I felt completely at home and comfortable in the cockpit straight away this morning. Initial impressions are very difficult to make as we’ve now changed to the Pirelli tyres but the feeling was very good. It just feels like a better car in general and it will be good to have a full day to really make progress tomorrow.”

Michael Schumacher: “It has always been and is still very special to go out in a new car for the first time, and I very much enjoyed today even if it was just a few laps that we could do. It was mainly about doing a few system checks today and I am looking forward to the laps to come. All in all, I am very happy after today’s launch."

Mercedes W02 on track - high res images

The MGP W02 hit the track for the first time today in Valencia, below are the first couple of images. As usual, click the link below for a high res look. All images with kind courtesy of mercedes-gp.com.

Click for high res image

Click for high res image

Schumacher, Rosberg and Brawn speak at launch MGP W02

German outfit Mercedes GP joined the other teams at Valencia today to unveil the MGP W02 to the world. Highly billed after the disappointment of last years car, the car was released today shortly before the first testing session of the year. Present to pull off the covers were drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg. Mercedes are confident in this years challenger having spent most of last year focusing on it when it became apparent that the 2010 car wasn't up to speed. Mercedes have decided to include the KERS device, along with most other teams, which should add another element to the speed of the car. (All images provided with kind permission of mercedes-gp.com)

Click for high res image

Team principal Ross Brawn said that development on the W02 has been long but is confident the results will be well worth the effort put in. "After our first year as the Mercedes-Benz works team, we are now seeing the benefits of our chassis group and our engine group working well together. With a good technical structure and a strengthened race engineering organisation, both at the factory and the race track, I am confident that we have done and will continue to do a better job this year in all key areas." No doubt he refers to the fact that last years car was developed amid the financial strain of Brawn GP, and most of the Mercedes staff only joining the team late in the year. Having them together all last year focusing on this years car can only lead to a more promising season ahead.

Seven time world champion Michael Schumacher also seemed more confident in this years car following a disappointing 2010. This was put down to a lack of grip from the Bridgestone tyres with Schumacher favouring a car with more oversteer than what was given to him. Speaking at the launch he said "We have said it several times already but again, we are really to building up something big together. I am very confident that this season we will be standing on the podium much more regularly.". Reports are that the Pirelli tyres do indeed provide more front end grip which can only benefits Schumachers chances.

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Fellow driver Nico Rosberg echoed his teammates words, by describing their targets as "aggressive" and stating that "We want to be competing at the front and challenging for race wins". After a somewhat successful year last year, Rosberg appears keen to take the next step. And following statements in the last couple of months by Brawn stating his belief that Rosberg is indeed a future race winner and likely champion, seeing him in a competitive car in 2011 can only bring excitement to all fans of Formula 1.

High res look at the FW33

Williams today released their 2011 car, the FW33. The car at Valencia this week is running a temporary livery, however it's much darker than what's been seen from Williams in a long time. As such there's only a couple of studio shots that have been released thus far, and one imagines that once they've designed and applied the permanent livery, they'll go back and take several more. All images are with the kind permission of www.attwilliams.com.

Click here for high res image

Looking at the car from side on the first thing you notice is how short the front wing is. Compared to the other 2011 cars it is especially noticeable. Also the engine cover doesn't look to be as high as the other teams. At the rear of the car they've introduced a Red Bull style pull rod suspension. In conjunction with this Williams have managed to construct their smallest gearbox yet. With the new regulation stating gearboxes must now last 5 races reliability is more important than ever. But technical director Sam Michael didn't appear to be concerned saying "I’m not expecting it to be a problem because the new gearbox has the same stiffness characteristics as the old one".

Click here for high res image

Unlike most other people, Michael doesn't seem to think the moveable rear wing will have a significant impact on overtaking. Michaels point was that you can only use it when you're within a second of the car in front, "which might not be until halfway down a straight, depending on where the FIA places the timing loop that activates it. That will take a few races to fine tune.". Michael also said he doesn't think the drag reduction is big enough to provide the significant change the FIA expects it too.

Overall, the talk out of Williams is promising. Rubens Barrichello described the design as "aggressive" several weeks ago, and the team today boasted that the R&D put into this car is "unprecedented". They're also a development program that will introduce upgrades at every race. Quite a claim, but Frank Williams described the challenge as not being easy, "but we hope this car will take us closer to the leaders than we were in 2010."

Adrian Newey talks through the RB7

With the exciting launch of Red Bulls 2011 car the RB7, the man most were wanting to hear from was technical director Adrian Newey. Renowned as the best in the business, he has a long track record of producing stunningly quick cars and a reputation for adapting to regulation changes. With thanks to redbull.com, Adrian Newey has spoken on some of the elements in the RB7.

Check out the rest at our new home thef1paddock.com by clicking this link

A look at a 2011 F1 steering wheel

In the 2011 pre-season a lot of the talk has been about the steering wheel and how much the driver will be doing in the cockpit. KERS, adjustable rear wings, will it all be too much? Well now thanks to Red Bull Racing we can take a look for ourselves. This is a rendering of their 2011 steering wheel, complete with all the buttons you can imagine. Will it ultimately be too much for the drivers? We'll only really find that out in the first lap on race day in Bahrain.

Check it out at our new home by clicking this link

They said what?

For 2011 we'll be keeping a record of all the humorous, interesting quotes from the world of F1. Jokes, mistakes, fruedian slips and the like. Should make for good reading throughout the year, and as everyone is aware, this is one area F1 doesn't lack in. Our first nominee comes from Lotus Renault GPs Robert Kubica:

I learnt something from him, without knowing or wanting it - how to keep the car on the track - Robert Kubica referring to what his teammate, Vitaly Petrov, taught him in 2010

Scuderia Toro Rosso - 2011 Preview

2010 was a mixed year for the Red Bull F1 organisation. While the main team achieved all success possible, its sister team Toro Rosso had a disappointing season. No doubt part of this can be attributed to the fact that 2010 was the first year Toro Rosso has had to construct its own car from scratch, rather than simply getting a customer car from Red Bull. While the STR5 was clearly influenced by the Red Bull chassis, there is a significant difference between being given a customer chassis, and looking at last years car and thinking "we've gotta build that?".

There were promising signs from Toro Rosso though. Their young drivers in Buemi and Alguersuari continued to show talent and another year of Formula 1 experience will mean they're much improved for 2011. Also the reliability of the STR5 can not be underestimated. In their first year constructing a chassis in-house, they only had 3 mechanical retirements from the two cars combined. That is a phonomoneal effort and you can only think they'll maintain it in 2011, and with so many cars vying for points reliability between 6th in the Constructors Championship, or 9th.

For 2011 you'd be fairly confident Toro Rosso are going to move back up the standings. With a years worth of experience in building and developing their own chassis under their belt, you feel they'll be much more on the ball in 2011 as last year was probably a learning experience as much as it was a season in itself. Plus the continued partnership of the drivers can only be a benefit, as it means the feed back to and from the team is consistent and everyone knows what to expect. Plus as they're so young, you feel this area can only improve, as well as their driving ability.

Ultimately in 2011 Toro Ross will be hoping to be ahead of Sauber for most, if not all, of the season. They'll probably want to be fighting it out with Williams and Force India in the midfield battle, and not be embroiled with the new teams too often. Those are probably realistic aims too as with improvement in the chassis with more experience, similar standards of reliability and development of the drivers, Toro Rosso could be another piece to add to the battle in the middle of the pack.

First shots of C30 in action

After the unveiling yesterday, Kamui Kobayasi took the C30 out for its shakedown and first few laps at Valencia. However Sauber were keen to make the point that this is only the beginning for the C30, technical director James Key saying "it was important for us to build, firstly, a fundamentally predictable car and, secondly, one that would provide sufficient flexibility to respond to ongoing findings at the track and during further development stages". Sauber have promised a new aerodynamic package before the first race in Bahrain. Below are some images from the shakedown yesterday.

Sauber release 2011 challenger, the C30

Sauber were team number three to take the wraps off their 2011 car in Valencia this morning Europe time. Present were drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez as well as Peter Sauber himself. It was a rather low key launch at the circuit with testing due to get underway tomorrow morning, as such it was a simple case of pulling off the covers and having a look, as compared to the glamorous ceremony by Ferrari.

Looking at the C30, the most striking thing is that it appears narrower than the F150 or the T128. The narrowness of the wheelbase is particularly noticeable, something that does differ it from the other cars. It does however feature the 2011 trademark high nose, although its sidepods aren't as big as those on the F150.

Also noticeable is the size of the rear wing, comparably small to what's been seen so far. Possibly the first different approach to the move able rear wing we've seen thus far. If that is the case, it will make the times this week particularly interesting between competitive cars in Sauber and Team Lotus. Also the speed trap readings will be interesting to see whose approach provides the higher top speed with the new device, although one will have to take into account Sauber running KERS while Team Lotus is not.

Also thanks to the Sauber F1 team, we can provide you with a short interview with driver Sergio Perez, in both Espanol and English. For the English portion of the interview, simply skip to the 45 second mark, and we anticipate one with Kamui will be provided shortly.

Now we wait for the Lotus Renault GP unveiling later on today, then we get the fun of doing it all again tomorrow for 4 more teams, followed by the excitement of the cars hitting the tarmac properly for the first time in 2011.

Confirmed: Bruno Senna to be test/third driver at Lotus Renault GP

It's now confirmed that Bruno Senna has joined Lotus Renault GP (that's Robert Kubicas one, not Jarno Trullis one) as a test driver for 2011. It was announced at the launch of the R31 today in Valencia. Rumours surfaced when Senna was spotted at the press conference in LRGP overalls, and was confirmed a short time afterwards.

Team Lotus release T128

The second 2011 F1 car was released today with team Lotus releasing the first images of its challenger, the T128. Although Mercedes released a computer render of their car earlier today, it was only one computer generated shot. Lotus however have given a proper look at their car on their website. While it hasn't been shaken down yet, it does provide us with an idea of what to expect in Valencia. (all images courtesy of www.teamlotus.co.uk)

The initial impression when looking at it is that it's a lot neater than last years car. More aesthetically pleasing and obviously a result of the fact the team had more than 10 seconds to design and build the car this time around. Another initial impression is that the front wing on it is rather high, similar to the Ferrari and Mercedes. It's possible that teams have found this to be more effective with the sudden speed boosts provided by moveable rear wings, and is probably something we can expect to see across the board.

What is also good to see is that the team are confident this is a midfield car. Mike Gascoyne summed it up by saying "it's a front running car in every area" and "The start of a process to take Lotus back to the front of the grid". While most deemed their debut year succesful, Lotus seem determined not to rest on their laurels and to push as hard as they can. This is fantastic as it adds another competitor to the tight midfield battle. After the Red Bulls, McLarens, Ferrari and Mercedes, there are only two points finishing spots left and 12 cars to compete for them (not counting HRT and Virgin). With passing made much easier this season the fights in the middle of the pack could be compulsory viewing in 2011, with excitement guaranteed.

Ferrari concerns a diversion?

In the last few weeks three big name people at Ferrari have come out with rather similar comments. "There's too much going on in the cockpit, too many buttons to push, it could have an adverse affect on the drivers performance". These comments have been made by driver Fernando Alonso, president Luca di Montezemolo, and now technical chief Aldo Costa. Three big names all sharing similar concerns. Coincidence?

Last year Montezemolo said that unless things improved by Silverstone, they'd have to turn their attention fully to the 2011 car. However things did start to improve and come years end they were surging towards the World Championship. The last time Ferrari were in a fight for the WDC at the last race, they produced a turkey in the 2009 F60. Are there internal concerns at Ferrari that the same thing has happened again?

The comments coming out are "We HAVE to win", not "We will win, this is the best car". And Ferrari are saying not to take much notice of early testing times, instead to wait until the later test sessions. Not the usual Ferrari confidence, especially with a driver like Fernando Alonso at the cockpit. You'd think that even if they'd produced a moderately competitive car, they'd be confident of a shot at the title. But it doesn't seem that way, so far at least. Ultimately there's little we can do expect to wait for testing sessions and compare times. But the early signs are that Ferrari aren't all that confident about 2011.

Future of the Australian Grand Prix

In recent weeks a conflict has arisen over the status of the Australian Grand Prix, no doubt fueled in part by the Australian media have little to report about on Formula 1 due to a lack of knowledge amongst the media. An article by Melbournes lord mayor Robert Doyle in the Herald Sun last week stated that Melbourne would be best to get rid of the Grand Prix, one of suggestions being that Bernie Ecclestone "pick up his bat and ball and go home". Ultimately Doyles point was that the GP did more harm to Melbourne than good and as such it should be dumped. Ecclestone then responded by saying that FOM would never terminate a contract early, but that if Mr Doyle wanted to discuss with him a way for Melbourne to opt out of its commitments, he'd be happy to talk to him.

A bit of a mess brought on by Doyle trying to get his name in the limelight really. All it's succeeded in doing for the Australian GP is make the country appear ungrateful for its GP, as if it has some god given right to hold one. As an Australian I can honestly say I love the GP down here, both in terms of the pride in having a Grand Prix, and the race it usually provides. Unpredictable weather combined with Turns 1 and 3 that almost always cause chaos on the first lap usually result in fantastic races to watch. In a racing sense it would be a sad loss.

But the fact remains that there is pressure on the FIA and FOM to cut races from an already crowded calendar. The introduction of the Indian GP this year means there are 20 races, with Texas and Russia to come. The Australian GP doesn't do itself any favours by losing money, especially in conjunction with its timezone being awful for European TV viewers. The fact is that should they look at Grands Prix to cut, it's likely Australia would be high on the hit list, as well as China. Both with big bills, dwindling attendances and poor timezones. Australia would most likely be dumped to bring in Russia, given that Russia is due to enter in 2014, though with the Winter Olympics possibly conflicting that could be delayed till 2015, the last year of Australias contract.

So what has Robert Doyle managed to achieve? Apart from showing himself as an inept mayor, he's simply hurt the reputation of Australians in the F1 world and jeopardised their chances of retaining the Australian GP following the end of this contract. It would hurt both in terms of losing a fine race, but also losing a continent from the calendar. The World Championship should be just that, a World Championship. Not a championship set in Europe and the Middle East with a couple of races outside that. Australia adds a colour and flavour to the calendar different to other countries, lets hope we don't lose that because a politician decided to poke his head into business that's not his.

A glimpse of the future

Having received a very warm respsonse in its short life so far, Pole Position will be looking to expand before the beginning of the season. This will most likely involve moving away from the kind people at Blogger and taking up residence at our own home website. This may necessitate a name change, for which preparations have already begun. But it will mean more regular posts, more pictures and hopefully more interesting material for yourself, the loyal reader. So as a bit of a teaser I thought we'd unveil the potential new logo, should a name change be necessitated, for our upcoming new home. Hope you like.

F150 launch (and first look at moveable rear wings)

The 2011 car launches got underway in Italy yesterday with the covers coming off the F150, Ferraris 2011 Formula 1 challenger. There will be many better and more detailed technical analysis' than I'm capable of providing, so with this in mind I thought I'd attempt to do a non-car nuts take on the new Ferrari F150, with the help of some high res pictures, simply click on them to see them bigger. (Pictures courtesy of ferrari.com)

At first impressions, the F150 looks similar to last years car. No real striking differences like there have been in years past. But at closer look there are a few things. The nose of the car is significantly higher than it has been previously. The effect of this is that the driver is much higher up in the car. Last year you could just see the top of Alonsos helmet over the sides of the cockpit, now his head is just below the airbox (as seen in pictures below). Hard to comment on the front wing itself as that'll change significant before Bahrain. In fact given the simplicity of the design, it may have been purely for the unveiling.

Another noticeable change is the size of the sidepods. They appear much bigger than last year, almost McLaren style. They also make the front half look narrow in contrast when the car is viewed from above. The other visible change is the size of the rear wing. The central flap looks huge in comparison to '10 cars, but this will probably be the standard with the introduction of moveable rear wings.

Speaking of moveable rear wings, here's our first glimpse (below) at them in action. Above is the wing in standard mode, and below is what I suppose we'll call "pass mode". It appears the top part of the wing lifts up to open up the gap between the bottom flap. For some reason I was envisioning a standard wing with a slot in the middle that would drop down when going into "pass mode" so it's quite different to what I imagined. Given this was just a shakedown there was obviously no pace/timing to see what a difference it made, so when we get to Valencia it will be interesting to see the other designs and just how much of a boost it gives the cars.

So there we are, we now know what a 2011 Formula 1 car looks like. On Monday the covers come off the new Lotus-Renault, the Lotus Renault (confusing isn't it?) and the Sauber. The day after we see the efforts from Mercedes, Toro Rosso, Williams and the eagerly anticipated Red Bull. Coupled with the excitement of the first round of testing, it is a very interesting week coming up in Formula 1.

Team Lotus - 2011 Preview

2010 was for Lotus Racing, as it was for the other new teams, a year that began with rushed preperation. Admitted to Formula 1 late with the withdrawal of BMW Sauber the team had even less time than Virgin and HRT to prepare for the season. As such the fact they wound up being clearly the best of the new teams was impressive. However, given the distinct lack of speed and reliability from the other two teams throughout the year, it's possible people have overrated the performance of Lotus Racing as a result.

They must be commended for building such a reliable car off such little preparation time. And equally, credit must be given to Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen for managing to bring the car home more often than not. That said, there was a distinct lack of improvement in pace from the car throughout 2010. they started off behind Sauber & Toro Rosso, and at no point whatsoever did they look like getting anywhere near challenging. Given the experience of Trulli, Kovalainen and technical director Mike Gascoyne, that surely must rank as a disappointment.

Looking to 2011 though, it's possible the new regulations could somewhat assist the Lotus team in 2011. The adjustable rear wings and KERS will make overtaking a whole lot easier, and while Lotus may not have the fastest car on the grid, they do have two tremendously talented, experienced former race winners in the cockpit. And you feel that with these regulations to assist overtaking, they could be more than a handful for rookies like Di Resta, Maldonado and Perez. While those three may be in faster cars, with these overtaking assists you feel that the two Lotus cars may find it easier moving up the grid in 2011.

Put simply in 2011 Lotus must be aiming to take some steps forward. They've got the money, they've got the people and they've got the know how. They lack the excuses of most new teams in Formula 1. For the start of the year they need to be aiming to be on a par with Sauber/STR. Simply being the best of the three new teams won't cut it in the second year. And unlike last year, car development throughout the season must also be a target. Starting off on a par with the back of the midfield, and hopefully making points finishes a realistic target by the end of the season. With basically half the grid getting points by the end of races these days it's not an altogether difficult target, and one they must aim for if they are to get anywhere. And with the right mix of experience, dedication and skill, it's very achievable in 2011.