July 2009 Archives

BMW has announced its intention to withdraw from Formula One at the end of the current racing season. Following a board meeting in Munich on Tuesday, the decision to quit comes on the eve of signing the new Concorde agreement, commiting all the existing teams to the sport until 2012.

The decision comes as a surprise, for BMW bosses were involved in the drafting of this agreement, which in large part moves to reduce costs and increase revenues for F1 teams.

All car manufacturers are tightening their belts in order to deal with the economic downturn. Chairman of the BMW board, Dr Norbert Reithofer, said the decision to axe F1 from its portfolio of racing and marketing activities was part of the company's "strategic realignment", and resources will be switched to developing new drive technologies and projects in the field of sustainability.

BMW bought the small Sauber team in 2006 and impressed immediately, finishing second in the constructors' championship the following year - thanks to McLaren's exclusion - and won what would turn out to be its sole victory last year in Canada. However, this year's car has raced at the back of the field. Hopes of fighting for the title were dashed, and while teams like McLaren and Ferrari started poorly but have now got up to speed, BMW-Sauber is still languishing at the bottom of the time sheets.

It is hoped that the team will either be repurchased by its original owner, Peter Sauber, who established the F1 team in 1993, or bought by new investors - such as Prodrive or Lola, both of which were prevented from entering the 2010 championship by the FIA, in favour of new teams Manor, Campos and US F1. Sauber himself says he was shocked by BMW's decision and thinks the team will struggle to survive. "The position we are now in makes it very difficult," said the 65 year-old.

There is now concern that the Toyota and Renault teams could follow BMW out the door, leaving only Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari as F1 manufacturers. A Toyota Motor Corporation spokesman said: "Through cost reduction we will continue our Formula One activities. Our situation remains unchanged."

If BMW's decision was made to cut costs, it does vindicate Max Mosley who had campaigned for a £40 million budget cap, which was opposed by eight of the teams - including BMW - for being too restrictive. However, there is speculation that BMW's withdrawl may have more to do with F1's increasingly unsavory image, promoted by Mosley's S&M scandal and Bernie Ecclestone's recent comments about Adolf Hitler, which was vilified in the German press. Also, the BMW-Sauber team's performances this season have been disappointing, though to quit after one season's hiccup would be very short-term thinking.

With the highly-rated Robert Kubica now on the market, it seems very likely we will see him racing for Ferrari soon, replacing the injured Felipe Massa.

Michael Schumacher

Age 40 Nationality German Grands prix 249 Career points 1369 Last race 2006, Brazil Current status Retired

Strengths: Won five world titles at Ferrari and would boost the team's morale. His comeback would be a huge story, and no doubt boost F1's TV ratings.

Weaknesses: Having been a man of leisure for three years, Michael's fitness will have undoubtedly curtailed. Should he fail to match Raikkonen, it may damage his god-like reputation.

Likelihood: 7/10

Fernando Alonso

Age 28 Nationality Spanish Grands prix 132 Career points 564 Last race 2009, Hungary Current status Racing for Renault

Strengths: The only double world champion on the grid. Is known to have signed with Ferrari from 2010, and possibly next year should a seat be free. Taking Fernando early would be ideal for both driver and team.

Weaknesses: Contracted to Renault - though with Renault having been handed a one-race ban after Hungary, that contract may now be invalid. The team are appealing the FIA decision, however.

Likelihood: 8/10

Marc Gene

Age 35 Nationality Spanish Grands prix 36 Career points 5 Last race 2004, Britain Current status Ferrari test driver

Strengths: He's a Ferrari test driver and has therefore already driven its 2009 car, the F60, albeit back in March. Proved his talents at Le Mans this year, winning for Peugeot.

Weaknesses: Has no recent F1 racing experience, and is unlikely to match Raikkonen's pace.

Likelihood: 6/10

Luca Badoer

Age 38 Nationality Italian Grands prix 48 Career points 0 Last race 1999, Japan Current status Ferrari test driver

Strengths: Like Gene, he's a Ferrari test driver and helped develop the F60.

Weaknesses: He hasn't raced in F1 in a decade. His colleague, Gene, is younger.

Likelihood: 2/10

Sebastien Bourdais

Age 30 Nationality French Grands prix 27 Career points 6 Last race 2009, Germany Current status Unemployed

Strengths: Has a lot of experience of 2009-spec F1 cars, having raced for Toro Rosso this year. Is managed by Nicolas Todt, who also manages Massa and has significant Ferrari links.

Weaknesses: Was sacked by Toro Rosso two weeks ago because he failed to meet performance expectations.

Likelihood: 7/10

Nelson Piquet

Age 24 Nationality Brazilian Grands prix 28 Career points 19 Last race 2009, Hungary Current status TBA

Strengths: It looks extremely likely Piquet will be dropped by the Renault team before the next race, and will therefore be available. Like Bourdais, he has 2009 race experience.

Weaknesses: Hasn't impressed at Renault and would struggle with an unfamiliar car.

Likelihood: 5/10

Vitantonio Liuzzi

Age 27 Nationality Italian Grands prix 39 Career points 5 Last race 2007, Brazil Current status Force India test driver

Strengths: A talented driver overlooked by other teams for a couple of seasons. Has tested 2009-spec cars.

Weaknesses: Has done only limited testing miles this year.

Likelihood: 4/10

Jacques Villeneuve

Age 38 Nationality Canadian Grands prix 164 Career points 235 Last race 2006, Germany Current status Unemployed

Strengths: The 1997 champion is desperate to return to F1, and believes his style will suit 2009-spec cars. His father, Giles, was one of Enzo Ferrari's favourite drivers.

Weaknesses: Despite great success in his early career, by the time he drove for BMW-Sauber in 2006 his speed had waned. A three-year absence won't have helped.

Likelihood: 2/10

Bruno Senna

Age 25 Nationality Brazilian Grands prix 0 Career points 0 Last race n/a Current status Unemployed

Strengths: From a marketing point of view, Senna - nephew of the great Ayrton - would be huge. Proved a talented driver in GP2, finishing runner-up last season.

Weaknesses: Has never raced an F1 car.

Likelihood: 4/10

Valentino Rossi

Age 30 Nationality Italian Grands prix 0 Career points 0 Last race n/a Current status Leading the MotoGP championship

Strengths: A super talent capable of racing on four wheels as well as two. Would draw fans from MotoGP and make huge column inches in Italy.

Weaknesses: Despite impressing in tests in recent years, he won't be fast enough without a lot more practice. Plus he is currently fighting for his ninth world title and there are two date clashes in October.

Likelihood: 1/10

Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix, defying expectations. It's his first podium finish since last year's Chinese Grand Prix.

"It's an incredible feeling to be back here after such a long time away, and the frustrations I and the team have had. We didn't expect to win," said Lewis.

Meanwhile, title contenders Red Bull Racing and Brawn GP suffered mixed fortunes. At the start, pole sitter Fernando Alonso led away from the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Kimi Raikkonen came storming through like a wild man, his Ferrari nearly hitting Hamilton. As the field bunched into the 180 degree first corner, he cut across the slow-starting Vettel for fourth place, hitting the Red Bull's front wing. Vettel's race would end in retirement.

At the time of going to press, the FIA are investigating the incident. "I didn't even realize I cut somebody," said Kimi, shortly after the race. "I didn't feel any touching. This is the first I've heard of it." Should he be found to have driven dangerously, it's possible he'll incur a 25 second penalty, demoting him from second to sixth.

Webber was chased by Hamilton, the McLaren making good use of its KERS system. On Lap 4 Lewis hit his boost button and overtook the German Grand Prix winner down the straight.

"We thought we'd be faster, but we knew these guys would be around us. This was quite a difficult track for us and we didn't have the advantage we had at the last couple of races," said Webber.

Alonso's lead ended after his first pitstop, when a wheelnut failed and his right-front wheel fell off during his out-lap. It was an exact replay of what happened to him here in Hungary in 2006.

The Hungaroring was, Brawn hoped, going to suit their car well. However, their cars were disastrously slow. Rubens Barrichello finished tenth, championship leader Jenson Button seventh. A few laps after his first stop, he was straight on the radio to his engineers. "Guys, I'm already getting oversteer. How, how can this car be so bad at the moment?" he shouted, desperately. "After four laps my rear tyres were destroyed," he explained after the race. "I don't know why. I don't think we can blame the weather. We've got to be looking in other areas. Our car is not driving as well as it did at the start of the season. There's obviously an issue."

It was lucky for him that Red Bull didn't dominate. He is now 18.5 points ahead of Mark Webber, who has overtaken his team mate in the title race.

After his win, comeback kid Lewis joined his Pussycat Doll girlfriend in McLaren's motorhome to toast his return to the top. "We're going to keep pushing," he said. "We've got some more work to do, so we can keep beating these guys on a regular basis. Clearly we've already made some serious improvements."

Jenson Button will be hoping for urgent improvements too, specifically to how the Brawn uses its tyres, if he's going to defend his championship lead.

RACE RESULTS

1. Lewis Hamilton - McLaren-Mercedes
2. Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari
3. Mark Webber - Red Bull-Renault
4. Nico Rosberg - Williams-Toyota
5. Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren-Mercedes
6. Timo Glock - Toyota
7. Jenson Button - Brawn-Mercedes
8. Jarno Trulli - Toyota
9. Kazuki Nakajima - Williams-Toyota
10. Rubens Barrichello - Brawn-Mercedes
11. Nick Heidfeld - BMW-Sauber
12. Nelson Piquet - Renault
13. Robert Kubica - BMW-Sauber
14. Giancarlo Fisichella - Force India-Mercedes
15. Jaime Alguersuari - Toro Rosso-Ferrari
16. Sebastien Buemi - Toro Rosso-Ferrari

DNF      Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Renault

DNF            Fernando Alonso - Renault

DNF      Adrian Sutil - Force India-Mercedes

DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP

1. Button - 70
2. Webber - 51.5
3. Vettel - 47
4. Barrichello - 44
5. Rosberg - 25.5
6. Trulli - 22.5
7. Massa - 22
8. Hamilton - 19
9. Raikkonen - 18
10. Glock - 16
11. Alonso - 13
12. Kovalainen - 9
13. Heidfeld - 6
14. Buemi - 3
15. Kubica - 2
16. Bourdais - 2

CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP

1. Brawn GP - 114
2. Red Bull Racing - 98.5
3. Ferrari - 40
4. Toyota - 38.5
5. McLaren - 28
6. Williams - 25.5
7. Renault - 13
8. BMW Sauber - 8
9. Toro Rosso - 5

Budapest is one of my favourite places to visit on the calendar. The temperatures are hot (30 degrees right now) but there's a breeze, and rarely a cloud in the sky. The architecture is largely grand, and sprinkled with eastern block touches, such as trams, trabants, and little bars and café's that haven't been renovated since the turn of the century.

This time I'm staying at the Hilton, which is high up next to the castle and with spectacular views across the Danube. Last night I found the road up to the hotel blocked. This was because Red Bull were holding a street demo. Suddenly I caught sight of David Coulthard screaming past my lodgings. That hasn't happened since Monaco...

With Formula One aiming to slash its budgets, and teams making staff redundant, there could be a few design geniuses at a loose end. Just imagine if you could get a championship-winning team to redesign your kitchen... Let's take a look at when F1's finest minds have got bored and tried their hands at something a bit different.

Fine dining

With one of his F1 Ferrari's on exhibit at New York's MOMA, ace designer John Barnard has already been accepted by the cognoscenti. Now he's developed the perfect dining table for the materially obsessed. So slim it's practically anorexic, Barnard's carbon-fibre 'surface' table spans three metres but is just 2mm thick. It's so light there's no need for coasters, but is there actually any point in a lightweight dining table? Surely carbon-fibre would be more usefully employed in high-end camping furniture. Then Barnard could add some scout badges to the three drivers titles and two constructors crowns he earned at McLaren. The table is available in both the natural unidirectional weave finish or in a walnut veneer. Oh, and it's US$50,000. Carbon with a walnut veneer? If Bentley ever enter F1, Barnard's their man.

Space race

I've long suspected that the inspiration behind McLaren's team kit and motorhome is Star Trek, and this next (starship) enterprise is even more pointy-eared. McLaren composites constructed the landing structure, hull and solar panels for the Beagle 2 space probe. However the US$120 million British project, which was designed to reveal whether life had ever existed on mars, was a failure. Communication with Beagle 2 was lost shortly after it had been released from its mother ship. And there were communications difficulties at the Australian Grand Prix this year, when the team told the media one thing and told the stewards the other.

Deadly diving

F1 is known as 'the piranha club', making this rather deadly gadget a paddock necessity. The Oviosub Speargun introduces F1 high-tech to the ancient practice of spear fishing. The device uses a honeycomb structure filled with hydrogen to improve balance and buoyancy when firing at watery pray. This composite material, called Cratinax, was first developed by the Renault F1 team in its suspension. If Fernando Alonso leaves for Ferrari at the end of this season, Flavio Briatore might just harpoon the Spaniard.

The greatest ever Lotus?

A Norfolk-based bicycle designer, called Mike Burrows, had an idea for a racing bike using a carbon composite monocoque. So after some initial sketches on the back of a beer mat he rang up a mate of his who worked down the road at Lotus. Lotus aptitude for composite techniques were obvious, and they ran the prototype 108 pursuit bicycle in the wind tunnel, some might say at the expense of their 107B F1 car. The result was their most successful racer since the Lotus 79 of 1978, and British cyclist Chris Boardman rode the Type 108 to victory in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, smashing the record for the 4000m. Sadly, two years later, Team Lotus got on its metaphorical bike and left F1 for good.

Tyre flipper

Fuji, a 34 year-old dolphin from Japan, had three-quarters of her tail amputated after suffering localized cell decay. Then Bridgestone stepped in with ten prototype prosthetic rubber fins.  Once they found one that worked it took Fuji another five months to get used to her new tail - initially it scared her. But now she's used to it she can jump again. She's a household name in Japan these days, with many celebrity swimming partners - including ex-F1 driver Takuma Sato.

Extra protection

While the bodies of most military vehicles are primarily built to withstand shell attacks from above, it's a fact that in recent conflicts the biggest threat for armored personnel carriers has been roadside bombs, which explode underneath the chassis. Well, if any company knows how to employ a thick skin when attacked, it's McLaren. The team has designed seats for the US Marine Corps fleet of Humvees. They're inspired by those of F1, protecting soldiers when their vehicle is thrown into the air upon detonation. And like F1, it allows medics to remove the injured still in their seat, thus minimizing the risk of spinal injury. Now McLaren just need to build a title campaign that can survive whatever the FIA throw at it.

The Hungarian Grand Prix's circuit, the Hungaroring, is often compared to an overgrown go-kart track, due to its lack of straights. In fact, it's dubbed "Monaco without the buildings". As a result, races can be processional but it's also true that since 1986 this circuit has hosted some truly remarkable outcomes and a few breathtaking moves too.

Cars look spectacular here, bouncing off the kerbs and with low camera angles giving an impression of speed at what is really quite a low-speed circuit.

The constantly changing gradient makes the track interesting to race on, and precision is of key importance, with each corner leading into the next. And it can be hard on tyres. Cars require mechanical grip and a torquey engine. Most of all, the emphasis is on downforce and teams will run maximum wing.

The track runs along one side of a valley, drops down into the sweeping Turns 1 and 2, and then rises up again. It's at this first corner that the only real chance of a passing move lies. The final section of spoon curves allows cars to bunch up tightly behind each other.

Jenson Button won his first race here in 2006, Fernando Alonso in 2003 and Damon Hill back in 1993, while Felipe Massa was set for the win last year until his Ferrari engine let go, gifting a debut victory to Heikki Kovalainen.

A few years ago Kimi Raikkonen lost his drivers' license in Budapest. That's the story that did the rounds the next day. He must have been speeding, they speculated. Or drunk. Well, the latter is true, but he was nowhere near a car. Instead he was aboard a boat party, cruising down the Danube. He was in an effervescent mood, sat in the VIP room. So he stood up on a sofa and started swirling his man-bag over his head, showering the gathered guests - I among them - with cash, credit cards, his passport and, yes, his license. He then relieved a David Coulthard fan of his bagpipes!

Typical Kimi, you might say, but this isn't normal on a grand prix weekend. Ordinarily the drivers and team personnel jet off straight after the chequered flag.

The Hungarian Grand Prix is different to most races. Here, everyone stays on whether they won the race or crashed out. That's because the Budapest weekend marks the start of a three week break, when we can all go on holiday and recharge our batteries before knuckling down again in Valencia. So there are as many legends made here off track as on.

Red Bull's parties are particularly famous. I remember in 2005 - the team's inaugural season - when they hosted a party on the Citadel for 2,000 of their friends. Five thousand showed up!

I don't even remember Red Bull Racing doing particularly well that day. This Sunday, however, the team are odds-on favourites for victory, off the back of one-two finishes in Britain and Germany.

Jenson Button and his Brawn team are under huge pressure. They have a big lead in the championship - Button leads Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel by 21 points - but that lead is being eroded, and there are still 80 points to play for.

At Silverstone and the Nurburgring we experienced low track temperatures which were a problem for the Brawn car - it struggles to generate heat into its tyres. In Hungary, that is unlikely to be a problem. What's more, the Brawn loves low-speed corners. It dominated in Monaco, which shares its characteristics with the Hungaroring. And Jenson is confident here, having won his first race in Hungary three years ago. Also, Brawn have arrived with some major aero upgrades.

Jenson may be leading the championship, but he's still racing his team mate Rubens Barrichello. The veteran Brazilian has said he will fight to the end, even though he's yet to win this year. After the race in Germany he scolded the team for making a "good show of how to loose a race". This comment did not go down well with team boss Ross Brawn.

Vettel and Webber, too, are fighting. "Both men are treated with total fairness within the team and are supplied with identical equipment," confirms team principal Christian Horner. "I think it's only now we are seeing Mark at the level of fitness he was at prior to his injury [sustained in a bicycling accident in the winter] and his recent results show he is absolutely on the form of his life. Sebastian is a prodigious talent who will continue to get better."

Truer words have rarely been said. Vettel is a superstar who loathes to finish second. In Germany, he was clearly furious with himself that he'd been beaten by his team mate. He will be going all-out this weekend to beat Webber, close the gap to Button, and claim this title as his own.

Ross Brawn, however, believes his team still hold an advantage: "The team has faced many challenges to arrive where we are today and I am confident that we have the people and resources, plus two excellent drivers, to respond and fight to maintain our position."

This will be a fascinating race, as we'll get to see just how much ground Red Bull have made. On the face of it, the conditions should be perfect for Brawn. If they're beaten here, therefore, this championship may be snatched from their grasp. The evidence does now point to the RB5 - previously notable for its high-speed cornering prowess - being the complete all-rounder. Vettel took 18 points from the last two rounds, Button just seven.

If Red Bull do regain more ground, just imagine the party. And whether Raikkonen scores in the resurgent Ferrari or not, I'm sure he'll turn up for a drink and dance on the furniture.

Mark Webber won the German Grand Prix to take his very first victory from 130 starts. He started in pole position but was passed off the line by Rubens Barrichello. Webber incurred a drive-though penalty after the two cars made contact heading down to Turn 1.

"He was in my blindspot," said Webber, "I wondered where he was, and suddenly there he was. It's not my style to drive dangerously. I was shattered when I heard I had a drive-through, I had to recover and I was lucky not to get done for speeding in the pitlane!"

To come back after the penalty proved just how quick the 32 year-old was as he took the fight back to Barrichello.

The Brazilian suffered a fuel rig problem on his second stop, and a third stop pushed him further down the field to sixth, behind team mate Jenson Button. Barrichello was livid with Brawn, saying the team did a "good show on how to loose a race". He added: "I went first on the first corner and then they made me lose the race. If it is really what's going on, we're going to end up losing both championships."

Webber led a Red Bull one-two across the finish line, screaming into his radio "Yes yes yes yes yes..." Once he'd calmed down, he explained that it was an emotional day, but not a life changing one. "My life hasn't changed massively, I'll still be the same person tomorrow, but I am very very happy."

"There haven't been many Australian drivers, and even fewer successful ones," he said proudly. "This is a great day for Australia. I was thinking a lot about [three times world champion] Jack Brabham today. Tomorrow night I'm having dinner with [Australia cricket team captain] Ricky Ponting, so hopefully we can celebrate a double win [after beating England in the Ashes]."

Webber is now promoted to third in the drivers' standings behind Button and team mate Sebastian Vettel. The gap between Button and Vettel has now fallen to 21 points, and Red Bull have closed within 20.5 points of Brawn in the constructors' race.

"They're both still up for grabs, there's no doubt about it," confirmed Webber. "Seb and I are on the top of our game, and we're focused on getting one-two's at all venues."

RACE RESULTS:

1. Mark Webber - Red Bull Renault
2. Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Renault
3. Felipe Massa - Ferrari
4. Nico Rosberg - Williams-Toyota
5. Jenson Button - Brawn-Mercedes
6. Rubens Barrichello - Brawn-Mercedes
7. Fernando Alonso - Renault
8. Heikki Kovalainen - McLaren-Mercedes
9. Timo Glock - Toyota
10. Nick Heidfeld - BMW-Sauber
11. Giancarlo Fisichella - Force India-Mercedes
12. Kazuki Nakajima - Williams-Toyota
13. Nelson Piquet - Renault
14. Robert Kubica - BMW-Sauber
15. Adrian Sutil - Force India-Mercedes
16. Sebastien Buemi - Toro Rosso-Ferrari
17. Jarno Trulli - Toyota
18. Lewis Hamilton - McLaren-Mercedes

DNF      Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari

DNF      Sebastien Bourdais - Toro Rosso-Ferrari

DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP

1. Button - 68
2. Vettel - 47
3. Webber - 45.5
4. Barrichello - 44
5. Massa - 22
6. Trulli - 21.5
7. Rosberg - 20.5
8. Glock - 13
9. Alonso - 13
10. Raikkonen - 10
11. Hamilton - 9
12. Heidfeld - 6
13. Kovalainen - 5
14. Buemi - 3
15. Kubica - 2
16. Bourdais - 2

CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP

1. Brawn GP - 112
2. Red Bull Racing - 92.5
3. Toyota - 34.5
4. Ferrari - 32
5. Williams - 20.5
6. McLaren - 14
7. Renault - 13
8. BMW-Sauber - 8
9. Scuderia Toro Rosso - 5
10. Force India - 0

With his star on the rise, Sebastian Vettel has hit the Formula One A-list. He could probably have his pick of celebrity dinner companions, so I asked him for a guest list...

ROGER FEDERER

"I think that to have been at the top of tennis for so long is a huge achievement. In every sport, they'll be only one or two guys who dominate their whole generation through not only talent but also absolute commitment. So I would consider Federer the Schumacher of tennis."

PABLO PICASSO

"He was able to express a childlike and pure imagination through painting. His was a unique cubist, abstract and neo-expressionist style that many tried to replicate but none succeeded. I would be fascinated to learn how he approached the canvas. Not that I'm into art or anything..."

HUGH GRANT

"He's a very funny actor and I imagine he's very amusing in real life. I like all his movies and I always enjoy the character he plays - bumbling, sarcastic and a little bit arrogant."

AYRTON SENNA

"I'm fortunate to know a few people now who worked with him. Of course he was talented, but I think what was unique about him was his mental strength. I'd like to gain more insight into his mindset. And apart from that, he's a f**king legend."

NEIL ARMSTRONG

"I'd like to ask him what it was like walking on the moon, and what the earth looked like from another planet. It would be cool to float about in zero gravity, wouldn't it? Still, I don't think I'd sign up for space tourism. I like to keep my feet on the ground."

JENNA JAMESON

"Ideally I would invite just porn stars to this dinner, but I can only remember the name of one."

THE MENU:

"We wouldn't have alcohol for an aperitif - instead we'd all drink Red Bull Cola.

"My favourite food is Italian, so we'd start with a Caprese salad - that's the one with tomato and mozzarella drenched in balsamic oil, the proper one not the cheap shit. And the way I do it is I add oregano as well as basil.

"For the main dish we will have a massive beef fillet with mashed potato and a generous serving of red wine gravy.

"For dessert we would have kaiserschmarrm.

"And to drink with dinner I'd get a cardboard box of supermarket wine, and serve everyone a pint of milk before bed."

The troops down at Force India are going hungry this morning because they're not allowed in their own motorhome.

Futurecom Events and Marketing - the company which were tasked with commissioning the team's motorhome and were setting it up at races last year - claim they are owed 2 million Euros. They arrived at the Nurburgring this morning with policemen in tow.

Right now, the debt is being debated in the paddock. If it's not sorted soon, the mechanics will be having lunch at a burger stand outside the circuit.

Not ideal, but no doubt Vijay will chuck them a fat wad to save embarrassment.

The plan to drive to the Nurburgring via Berlin was a bit of a busted flush. Petra Ecclestone's fashion show was cancelled and my co-conspirator Will Buxton didn't actually make it to the ferry on Wednesday.

I believe the fashion show was cancelled due to Bernie's Hitler comments, and I guess he didn't really want his daughter rocking up in Germany and walking into a room full of journalists. Shame for her though.

I was still up for going to Berlin and meeting up with some friends. Will managed to put the kibosh on that though when he opened the boot to the BMW X6 we've blagged for the week and saw his laptop slide out, smashing onto the tarmac in several pieces. So he stayed in Blighty so he could get a new laptop.

That meant I was marooned in soaking wet Belgium for an extra day. So Wednesday was spent sat at my mate Yves' place drinking Jupiler and watching Entourage. Also I happened to have the phone number of last year's Belgian Formula Una winner... I'm resourceful like that. She lives in Antwerp so actually it turned out to be a very pleasant evening.

Buxton did turn up this morning so I jumped behind the wheel and drove us to the Nurburgring via Zolder, to pay our respects to Gilles Villeneuve, who died here in a rather gruesome accident in 1982.

When we arrived at the 'Ring we couldn't believe it. The place has had more than a lick of paint - the spectator area has been completely re-developed with a huge covered shopping village - including some very smart looking stores and car showrooms - a new museum, a casino, an area full of bars, restaurants, and a nightclub, three new hotels and a rollercoaster which actually runs parallel with the edge of the start/finish straight and then through the museum and shops! Michael Schumacher is said to become the first man to ride it this weekend.

The rollercoaster is the fastest in the world and accelerates from 0-217km/h in 2.5 seconds.

It hasn't all been finished yet, but clearly they have spent serious cash - 252 million Euros, to be exact. Silverstone, take note. And as for the awful-looking and inexplicably expensive Dorint Hotel, which is right opposite the pits, I suspect its days might be numbered.

This afternoon some of the drivers took guests for a lap of the track in a series of fast cars. I got taken around by Sebastien Buemi in one of my favourites - the Audi R8.

I also got in a Mercedes C63 AMG with Tonio Liuzzi. There was quite a foxy looking Spanish TV reporter floating about. "See the blonde?" said Tonio, "We should take her too and then park down at the hairpin..." Just what are you suggesting, Tonio? "You are right. If my girlfriend sees me in a car with her my year is over."

But in fact Tonio and I didn't make it around the track, or even just to the hairpin, because Jenson Button threw his car through a gravel trap and the session was red flagged.

Saw Buemi again tonight at dinner. We were eating at an Argentine steakhouse called El Chueco - part of the Nurburgring's new development. The restaurant was named after Fangio. They called him 'El Chueco' which is Spanish for 'Bandy Legs'.

Will and I are staying in a holiday chalet village a stone's throw from the track. They haven't actually finished it yet, so when we arrived we were faced with a building site. However, some chalets are complete and they're these really nice semi-detached three-bedroom houses, with loads of space for entertaining. There are a lot of team personnel on site too, so looks like we'll be getting some house guests.

Nelson Piquet has become a Twittering addict and is racing Rubens Barrichello to get more followers online.

Rubens has 33,971 followers right now, and Nelson 25,871. In order to beat his countryman, Nelson is offering prizes to his Twitter mates as he passes various milestones:

30,000 - 5 signed caps

40,000 - 5 signed t-shirts

50,000 - signed race gloves (+ signed by his dad)

70,000 - signed race suit (+ signed by his dad)

100,000 - signed miniature helmet (+ signed by his dad)

200,000 - signed race helmet (+ signed by his dad)

Rubens says he'll give away a pair of paddock passes if he hits two million.

Nelson is listed as NelsonPiquet_

Rubens is rubarrichello

It appears Nelson may be F1's answer to Cilla Black, though, after a fan got engaged to her boyfriend as the result of one of Nelson's prize draws. When he reached 20,000 followers, they were offered the chance to win a signed helmet visor by responding to the question "what would you do with the visor if you won?"

Nelson picked the winner as Wolverhampton-based Kate Holmden who wrote: "I'll give the visor to my fiancé, in exchange for the engagement ring he's been promising me for the last six months."

I can report that the very next day Kate's boyfriend, Anthony Leake, took her shopping to buy the ring!

"What started as a bit of fun as a competition to beat Rubens has caused all this to happen!" declared Nelson.

The SS Formula One is on a direct course towards a giant iceberg, and all anyone can do is argue what instruments the band should play.

The eight FOTA teams met with the five FIA teams yesterday to discuss the rules for next year. It was understood that any changes put forward would have to be agreed upon unanimously. However, when they got in the room, the FIA told the FOTA teams that they weren't officially entered in the FIA championship.

What? Hang on... The FIA sent out a list on 24 June with the confirmed entries - and all 13 teams were on it. This was published following the Paris World Council meeting where Mosley and Di Montezemolo agreed on a deal - the phasing in of restricted spending and Mosley's retirement.

Well, of course, Max has now said he may stand again. And no one understands why the FIA have said the FOTA teams don't have voting rights, as clearly they were officially entered. Really, no one understands.

The FIA put out a press release today entitled 'Setting the record straight' but it does nothing of the sort. It doesn't address the question over the entry list.

The only thing of value in it was the final line, which said a 2009 Concorde Agreement "will be agreed and ready for signature in the coming days". But will it though? I have a source who tells me there are 126 bones of contention over the current Concorde Agreement and that the majority of those are deal breakers. Consider that they are trying to update an agreement that came into force on 1st January 1998. Only one team principal remains since that agreement was signed, and that's Frank Williams. Only three teams were under the same ownership. And there are five different factions with their interests invested: FIA, FOM/CVC, the FOTA teams, the non-FOTA existing teams, and the new teams. Plus it need to be ratified by the FIA World Council and, Max says, the FIA General Assembly. Their next meeting is slated for 23rd October. So getting this thing nailed in the next few days is bullshit. And meanwhile, the teams - all the teams, old and new - are unable to raise sponsorship in the climate of such uncertainty.

FOTA are not officially reacting to the lastest FIA communiqué, but a FOTA insider did tell me how desperate CVC are for this all to get sorted and how angry they are about Max and Bernie. Bernie, technically, is a CVC employee. CVC put out a statement this week about Bernie's Hitler comments - they were not impressed. So they're rather scared, my source said, "that all they'll be left with are two old alleged Nazis".

Some in FOTA, I'm told, are genuinely excited about the possibility of a new race series, where they can give better value to the fans, better reward for the teams, and improved media access and transparency. Others think that might be too much like hard work, given the eroding timeframe, and that a deal is the best course of action.

As for the FIA presidency, Ari Vatanan - former World Rally Champion, former EU politician, and popular Finn - has said he is seriously considering running.

The original Nurburgring, the Nordschleife, was dubbed The Green Hell by Jackie Stewart, with its 14 miles of endless turns and crests that threw all four wheels off the ground. It was perilously dangerous, and since 1984, the German Grand Prix has been run on the GP-Strecke circuit, which was built to the highest safety standards but has nothing of the character or challenge of the old 'Ring.

The first corner is tight, almost like a wide hairpin, which encourages overtaking, and feeds into a long left-hander followed by a tighter, slightly banked one and a sharp right. The track has gradient and drops to a hairpin, the Dunlop Kehre - definitely a possible passing spot - before climbing back to the Michelin Kurve then dropping to the fast back section with its chicane, from which the Nordschleife can be spotted snaking out into the surrounding forests.

The Eifel region encounters unpredictable weather, which can turn carefully considered strategy into a lottery.

The German Grand Prix now alternates between here and the Hockenheimring. Fernando Alonso won in 2007 in the wet, after an audacious move on Felipe Massa in the very closing stages.

Despite Michael Schumacher's retirement, thousands of fans still attend wearing their Schumi caps and camp next to the circuit, partying throughout the night and into the next day.

Number of laps: 60

Circuit length: 3.199 miles

Race distance: 191.940 miles

Lap record: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari, 2004), 1m29.468s / 128.721mph average speed

MEMORIES

1999: STEWART'S ONE AND ONLY

The lead changed five times to give Stewart Grand Prix it's only win. Heinz-Harald Frentzen led from pole but his race was ended by an electrical problem. David Coulthard picked up the baton but spun off in the rain. Ralf Schumacher was leading when he pitted, giving first position to Giancarlo Fisichella, but he spun too. Johnny Herbert took the chequered flag for a popular victory.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Nurburgring is also the venue for one of Europe's biggest music festivals, Rock-am-Ring. U2, Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have all performed there. Nick Heidfeld has been several times.

Mixed emotions for Jenson Button: He still leads the Formula One World Championship by 23 points, ahead of Brawn team mate Rubens Barrichello, but at Silverstone three weeks ago he conceded seven points to Red Bull wunderkind Sebastian Vettel. Button may have lost his performance advantage. Could the Red Bull now be the quickest package?

Vettel is considered to be the only man who can keep the championship alive, having blown everyone away in Britain. He now sits on 39 points, just two adrift of Barrichello.

While Button has scored in every race this year, Vettel has been less consistent. However, if Vettel can win his home grand prix at the Nurburgring on Sunday, and Button misses another podium, it could dramatically invigorate the title battle - something that was looking most unlikely prior to Silverstone when Button had six wins to show from seven starts.

Red Bull Racing's pace of development has been extreme. With a new nose fitted for Silverstone, the RB5 took high speed corners like it was on rails. The Brawn, meanwhile, is generally considered to be the pacesetter around slow speed turns. Therefore it was no surprise that Monaco suited Brawn and Silverstone Red Bull.

The Nurburgring is a mixed circuit which should present a level playing field for both cars.

The other thing to consider is temperature. The Brawn struggles to keep its tyres warm, which was a major problem at Silverstone where the track temperature is low. This is compounded by the fact that Jenson Button is a very smooth driver and is therefore very kind to his tyres - however, when the temperatures drop, he needs to start being more aggressive.

Germany may not deliver the balmy temperatures Brawn are hoping for. Like the British summer, it can be warm and sunny but more often than not rain falls over the weekend and the changeable conditions during the race can make for a strategic lottery. In 2007, the last time a race was held here, it was red flagged due to heavy rain. Jenson Button slid off the track then, as did Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton's McLaren team are struggling to recover from their awful start to the season, throwing all sorts of new parts on the car but with little return. At the last few rounds, Hamilton has been nowhere, his car perilously short on grip.

Ferrari are baffled. In one session the car can top the time sheets; in the next, they are bogged down in the midfield. The team has hinted the 2009 car's problems are impossible to solve, and it's therefore concentrating on its 2010 model.

Looking to the future, there are strong rumours that Ferrari have signed Fernando Alonso and are trying to contract Vettel. It will be fascinating to see how the 22 year-old - who has only 34 grand prix under his belt - responds to the pressure this weekend in front of his home crowd. Germany believes Vettel is the next Schumacher. If he can keep the next few races mistake-free, he could potentially be the next world champion too.

F1's been a bit quiet for the past two weeks for two reasons - the FIA and FOTA are trying to get things sorted behind closed doors as the threat of a sixth Mosley term lingers, and F1 has taken an extra weekend off.

Several of my paddock chums went to Glastonbury. Instead, I went to Les Eurokeennes last weekend in Belfort, which is a French town close to the Swiss border where they build all the TGVs.

The weather was great and we saw The Prodigy, Kanye West, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Pete Doherty, Tricky and Cyprus Hill.

The Prodigy were particularly good. Always wanted to see them, and now I wonder why I waited so long. They're doing all the major festivals this summer, so if you get the chance you should really go. Video attached:

I was keen to see Kanye as I love his stuff too. As a live performer I don't know that he's all that remarkable but it was a decent show made more memorable by the four naked chicks that were up on stage with him. Check the vid:

I'm now in Antwerp, sat with a frothy pint of local monk brew in this cosy old man's bar  called Café den Engel in a corner of the Grote Markt - the main square - which I seem to end up in every time I come here.

I say every time; I've only been here once before. I am so used to travel that if I'm in one place for more than ten days I literally can't handle it. That happened one time last year. I was in Paris for a whole ten days and had to get on a train somewhere else, anywhere... So I went to Antwerp for 24 hours. All I did when I got here was drank a couple of pints and went to the cinema.

The Grote Markt and narrow cobbled streets that snake into it, and the icy-looking industrial port next door are atmospheric, and this is the start point of my road trip adventure to Germany this week.

My buddy Will Buxton (editor of GP Week) and I have been lent a BMW X6 by the manufacturer. Bit better than the Hertz Astras we're usually lumbered with. I just got a text from Will complaining that the dashboard is like a spaceship's.

Will is going to see Oasis in the UK tonight and is going to drive straight to Dover afterwards. He's on a 04:30 crossing to Calais and should get to my mate Yves house in Geel - not far from Antwerp - around 10am.

I said I'd meet him here because it's a more direct route to Berlin. Presumably he'll pass out when he gets here and I'll be responsible for the next seven hours driving.

We'll be burning daylight though as we lick it down the autobahn. We need to be in Berlin by 19:00 as Petra Ecclestone -  youngest daughter of The Bolt - is putting on a fashion show featuring many of the drivers. Fashionistas, free champers, and a fast car we're not paying for: of course we said we'd go!