November 2009 Archives

There were a lot of cynics of there, but I must say I was quite excited about USF1 when they announced their intention to build a team in the US and run American drivers. However, it would have to succeed and get respectable results in its first year, or it would collapse along with its intended rehabilitation of American interest in the sport. It would do yet more damage to the not-so-special relationship.

For atmosphere, few motor racing events can match the Macau Grand Prix. It's 56 years-old, but it's since Formula 3 started coming here, in 1983, that Macau has given us some of the greatest names in racing. This year I've come to experience a race I've always admired for the very first time.

Photographs by Paolo Pellegrini

Macau is mecca for petrol heads. It might not get the TV exposure of races like Monaco or Indianapolis, but this is where the best young drivers come to make their name. Racing Formula 3 cars, previous winners here include Ayrton Senna (1983) and Michael Schumacher (1990). In fact, the winner's trophy is covered in the names of spotty 19 year-olds that would go on to be Formula One drivers.

The self-styled Las Vegas of the East, Macau's street circuit is treacherous, made up of a long wide straight stretching along the seafront, which then turns into a narrow twisty, undulating mountain section where passing is impossible. It's a track of two halves, overlooked by neon-lit casino hotels, colonial Portuguese churches, and pre-fabricated Chinese dwellings.

The drivers stare at the hypnotic yellow and black barriers that are way too close for comfort. Give one the tiniest tap and you'll lose your rear suspension.

Because of the prestige, the risk, and the inherent pressures upon any driver trying to make his name, the fingers that tap on steering wheels as the starting grid clears are generally well chewed.

I was shadowing Edoardo Mortara this weekend. "I'm really really stressed," he confided, an admission rarely made by a driver. He said he had been sleeping badly all week. A lot was riding on this race. The 22 year-old Italian finished second in 2008, followed by a tough season in GP2 this year. He came to Macau with one goal: "I have to win, nothing else will do."

Mortara started P3 behind pole sitter Jean-Karl Vernay and second-placed Marcus Ericsson. By the first corner, Mortara was leading. The difficulty with Macau is the walls, and that when an accident occurs - as they do frequently - the race has to be stopped, or at least run under the safety car, while the marshals clear up. On lap one, a seven car pile up brought out the red flags.

On the restart, the long straight here played into Vernay's hands and he was able to draught past Mortara for the lead. Then began a ten-lap duel as Mortara stared down his team mate. On Lap 11, Vernay mistimed a gear change and Mortara was there to scald him, passing on the straight and then disappearing into the lead. Vernay had been holding him up through the mountains, running a low-downforce set-up.

It was an emotional victory for Mortara, who was full of praise for Vernay's driving and "pushed 100 percent on every corner of every lap."

"Having struggled in GP2 this year with a car that was, at times, undriveable, I came here to prove some people wrong - that I still have it".

With victory on Macau's mean streets, his class can be in no doubt.

Sabine Kehm and Ross Brawn have both dismissed claims that Michael Schumacher will join Mercedes GP, but that hasn't stopped Eddie Jordan from saying IT WILL HAPPEN.

It looks like Jenson Button has already figured out how to blow his McLaren wages.

Not averse to spending big bucks on ostentatious luxuries such as a £100,000 watch and a £1 million Bugatti Veyron, Jenson has lodged a £6 million offer for a seven-bedroom pile in Wiltshire that is currently owned by Robbie Williams.

Funnily enough, the house is located just a mile away from where I grew up!

The 18th century Compton Bassett House near Calne, about a two hour drive west of London, was bought by the singer less than a year ago for £8.5 million. He's hoping for a quick sale so he can head back to LA.

Previous to Robbie, former owners include architect Norman Foster who, coincidentally, designed the McLaren Technology Centre that Jenson visited for the first time last week.

The mansion, which used to be a stable block and is 24,000 sq ft, boasts 71 acres of land filled with temples, fountains, a helicopter hanger, and even a 'rage buggy' track.

It has a huge basement pool surrounded by Doric pillars, and black and white marble floors inspired by Pierce Brosnan's residence in The Thomas Crown Affair. There is also an 11th century church near by.

There's also a separate cottage on the property for when John Button comes to stay.

If you like the sound of all that, why not try to outbid JB? See http://www.casa.co.uk/view-details--593196--0.htm

Check out the pad:

This week I joined Mark Webber at the Circuit Paul Ricard to test a new car that is going to catapult a new generation of drivers into Formula One.

Mark Webber stalls at the first two attempts. This is not a good sign. He holds 5,000 revs, drops the clutch, the sound is like a stuck drill... Finally the rear wheels spin and he's off.

 

A new championship for 2010, the GP3 Series will be a training ground for future F1 stars like Mark. This car is the prototype, and clearly the clutch needs looking at.

 

This does not bode well for me, as I've never used a hand-release clutch before and I'm about to take over from Mark. Being under the watchful supervision of a grand prix winner is daunting enough.

Sitting below F1 and GP2, GP3 will cater for young drivers with a few years of car racing under their belt. It looks like a miniature F1 car and is powered by a 280bhp engine, which will propel it quickly to speeds in excess of 160mph. Lifted from a Renault Megane, it's cheap and very reliable, and that is critical at this level (it's also a bit on the quiet side).

 

"The layout is like my office at Red Bull," explains Mark. "Two pedals - brake and throttle - a wheel-mounted clutch and paddle-shift gears."

 

The wheel is rather too close for comfort, my arms bent back like chicken wings. And I'm sat so low that I can barely see over the top of the cockpit. The lack of comfort is exacerbated by a mechanic getting a bit carried away with my crotch straps.

 

I match Mark by stalling twice. The first time was because I had my foot on the brake - I forgot the clutch wasn't down there. Out of the pits, it's clear that the acceleration is strong and the gearbox is tight.

After half a lap the tyres come in, and the low-speed grip is really impressive. I though I'd entered a few corners too quickly, but the car remained firmly planted. The Dallara-built chassis is so composed. I would have to push much harder to get this car out of shape.

Back in the pits after my four laps, I share my thoughts with Webber, gushing about the grip. "Yeah, the low-speed grip will help drivers overtake," he agrees, and says it takes him back in time to his carefree Formula Ford days.

 

Mark is keen to help other drivers through the ranks and has joined forces with his Red Bull Racing boss, Christian Horner, to run the MW Arden GP3 team. "I've always enjoyed seeing young drivers fulfill their potential. I'm not at the beginning of my F1 career, so it's a logical step for me." I ask if he's training to become an F1 team principal. He says he's dipping his toe in the water, and he's worried about repair bills.

 

"I'll be at an arm's length. I won't be involved in the everyday running, but I have a lot of experience which is valuable. And I guarantee I'm going to be way more nervous at the start of a GP3 race than I will be sitting in my F1 car, waiting for the lights. Having young guys drive these cars could be very expensive for me."

 

And with that, he pats me on the back for bringing the car home.

As I posted before, Timo Glock's announcement at Manor/Virgin came as a surprise because he was close to finalizing a deal with Renault and he could have slotted into the seat at Mercedes Grand Prix that was rejected by Button. There's already a German beach towel lying on that seat.

So, Jenson Button has signed a multi-year deal with McLaren - something that merely a week ago seemed utterly unfeasible. But things change fast in F1.

American racer Jonathan Summerton, who you'll remember I tipped for the USF1 seat back in April, has written on his Twitter feed "F1 here I come".

The news that Timo Glock had signed for Manor was a surprise to me. The German had been in protracted talks with Renault and, with the French team being a more known quantity for 2010, it seems strange he would go with the new comers.

Jenson Button popped down to McLaren yesterday to "say hello" according to the team. It's certainly a nice piece of theatre as negotiations continue between Raikkonen and McLaren and Button and Brawn.

 

Are McLaren serious about Button? The flippant quote suggests they're not, but Button would be a good option for them. He'd be a lot closer to Hamilton than Heikki Kovalainen was this season. At around £6 million he's a lot cheaper than Raikkonen, and more committed even though he might not quite have that killer instinct which Kimi and Lewis have in spades. McLaren care a lot about image (even though they repeatedly end up with egg on their face) and servicing their sponsors, and while Kimi has major international appeal (Tag Heuer have made him a superstar) he's not much use away from billboards. Jenson is very good at that side of things, possibly better (or at least more convicing) than Lewis.

 

But I don't think McLaren would be such a good match for Button. On the team side, McLaren has its idiosyncrasies - for one it seems to frown upon individuality and that would be hard for a free spirit like Jenson to swallow. And if he did try to cover up his personality, that would be a big loss for the sport I think. People like Jenson because he's like an ordinary bloke, who can also be a bit of a playboy. He's not a corporate parrot (though he did a good impression of one during those Honda years).

 

McLaren is always going to appeal to drivers, though, because they're so focused. When it comes to building racing cars there is no more professional team out there. Who will have the better car next year? Well the way Brawn and McLaren went about this year were polar opposites. Brawn started with the best car and then started to fall back. McLaren started with something not much faster than a Reliant Robin but it ended the season looking like, well, a McLaren - unbeatable at certain tracks.

 

If Button goes to McLaren he'll struggle to beat Lewis - that's the reality. And even if he takes 19 second place finishes next year, if he gets beaten by Lewis and has his number '1' taken away it will hurt.

 

Both McLaren and Brawn are very confident in their developments for next year and it's impossible to predict which team will be faster. But if Button sticks to Brawn, he will be the team's focus, he should beat Rosberg, and even if he doesn't retain the title his reputation will remain strong.

 

Raikkonen could be good for McLaren because he's unlikely to be affected by Hamilton's psychological games (something he's rather good at), probably will finish behind Hamilton most of the time, but we all know he's fast enough to put the frighteners on him and, on occasion, completely blow Lewis away. It could be a pretty good balance.

 

That said, I'd love to see Nick Heidfeld finally take his rightful place at McLaren. Most dependable driver in F1 - great tester, always gets the car home, and could be the number two from heaven for Lewis.

 

Heidfeld is the sensible option. And if Jenson rejects Brawn's final offer it would be interesting to see how he fares against Rosberg.

Kimi Raikkonen's managers, Steve and David Robertson, were seen at McLaren HQ in Woking on Wednesday.

Kimi has said McLaren is his only option in F1 - he wants a car that can win and a suitably large pay packet, or else he'll look at WRC and NASCAR.

McLaren have baulked at the Robertson's wage demands so far. Have they come down to a reasonable figure yet? We'll find out soon.

I'm told that the pay-off deal with Ferrari is that they will pay the Finn more money if he isn't in F1 next year. So if Kimi takes a sabbatical he'll likely be better off.

But will he be able to come back? And does he care?

F1 ringmaster and recent divorcee, Bernie Ecclestone, has found his way into Tatler's annual list of the world's most eligible singletons.

Coming in at 5ft 1/2, and 79 years of age, one assumes his £2.4 billion fortune helped him onto the roster.

As the magazine put it: "A 79 year-old billionaire - what's not to like?"

Bernie is the oldest singleton on the list, which includes Prince Harry and Lily Cole.

James Allen has published a new book based on his blog postings from the last year. Jamesallenonf1.com is a great resource for F1 fans and this book features a lot of the most interesting, well observed and poignant happenings of 2009 in chronological form - a great reminder of a story-filled year:

Button's rise from the back, Hamilton's slide from the front; Vatanen versus the FIA; the withdrawl of Toyota and BMW; Crashgate; Liargate; it's all here, with interviews of those at he heart of the story, and James' views on the matter.

It's out in paperback on November 27, priced at £9.99 and with a foreword by Ross Brawn.

It's available in bookshops, but if you buy it through www.jamesallenonf1.com you'll be sent a signed copy.

When I asked Renault if I could drive their F1 car, I never thought in a million years they'd say yes!



I've been strapped into this car so tightly I can barely draw breath. My steering wheel is clipped on, and then a pair of mechanics fit the snug cockpit surround in place, banging it fixed with what seems the finality of nails in a coffin lid.

 

Not that I'm scared, or resigned to an early grave. I'm excited, impatient even. And this moment - punching the start button on an F1 car and feeling its mighty V10 beating menacingly behind me - is something I have dreamed of since I was a kid.

 

We are at the Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track near Marseille, where Renault has invited a small group of VIPs to sample two laps each of an F1 car, to gain a better understanding of the skill required to drive one of these machines. And no, this is not a two-seater with a professional up front - I'm on my own in here.


Renault's 'Feel It' program promises that we will never again watch a grand prix in the same way. In the morning we were given briefings on safety and how to control a single seater. We were given ten laps in a Formula Renault car, undertook physiological and reactionary tests, before walking out into the garage and climbing into the F1 car.


This Renault is the 2004 car but with an '05 front wing to give it a downforce boost. The grip promises to be mind blowing at speed, but I'm a bit anxious about the slower stuff combined with the hyper sensitive throttle. Each centimeter of pedal travel is worth about 200 horsepower.

Altogether I have 700hp to play with, slightly down on its original 900hp, but weighing only 580kg it's still like, say, driving a hatchback with 2000hp.

 

I've been briefed on the starting procedure: Clutch in, select gear, a dab of throttle - enough for the first of ten rev lights to illuminate atop the steering wheel. Gradually pull back on the clutch, feel the bite, and gently away... A sense of relief that I didn't stall.

 

The pit exit lights are green, so lets experience the Scud-like acceleration. The noise is part opera, part punk rock - beautiful yet angry. I pull on the right paddle: third gear, fourth gear - watching for a red light before shifting. Only a few seconds have passed and I'm at the first corner.


The steering is heavy, particularly at slow speed. The tyres are cold, so I need to be cautious when feeding the power. To brake, apply maximum pedal pressure at first, then back off a little to avoid locking a wheel.

 

Use the brakes to slow, not the cogs. Get the engine revs down before dropping each gear. Downshift too early and the rear wheels could lock, making it very difficult to control.

 

It comes as no surprise that the brakes are phenomenal. They make my eyes want to pop out of their sockets. What is unbelievable is the aerodynamic grip at speed, throwing the car in sixth gear into a long 90 degree right-hander with only the lightest of lifts, it seems to defy physics that I'm still facing forward as the corner opens up.

 

My head is thrown left, and I have to strain my neck back into the turn. I'm pulling about 3G, whereas Fernando Alonso, taking that corner flat, could pull 5G - that's a lateral force five times the weight of the driver.

 

Two laps. That's all I've got. Enough to experience the sensations of a grand prix car, but not enough to push. I keep reminding myself: Alonso didn't become the best driver in the world in two laps. Just get back in one piece!

 

I've been rattling around in this carbon-fibre cigar for all of three minutes, and I feel lightheaded. I ache, but I'm elated. It's like a hangover, but after the best party ever and one that I'd been planning for years.

The news this week that Toyota have pulled out of F1 with immediate effect and that tyre supplier Bridgestone will do the same at the end of 2010, both citing economic pressures, has sent shock waves through the sport. Who will be next?

Speculation is rife that Renault could walk after the French manufacturer called a board meeting in Paris yesterday, with its continued participation in the championship on the agenda. 

Renault F1 is playing down the potential ramifications of the meeting, and in fairness the team might do better to rebuild its tarnished reputation rather than bow out covered in you-know-what. Plus, to sign Robert Kubica and then cancel everything would be a capital offense. 

I really hope this rumour isn't true, and I'm 75 percent confident it isn't.

Meanwhile Ferrari, now one of only three manufacturers left in F1, left a cryptic message on its website likening F1 to an Agatha Christie whodunnit, suggesting one team was trying to kill off all the others.

Now that Toyota is gone, the Sauber team is free to take up the 13th and last grid slot for 2010. The Williams team had opposed the participation of a 14th team.

In Abu Dhabi, Toyota F1 spokespeople were confident that the board's decision to continue in F1 was only a formality, albeit with a dramatically reduced budget. However, there are noises coming out of Japan that the team is to quit, and that an officially announcement could come as soon as today.

I was chatting to ITV Sport anchor Jim Rosenthal in Abu Dhabi, who summed the place up well. "They haven't just raised the bar, they've snapped it in half," he said. The Yas Marina experience was a bit like watching a race in the distant future.

One of the most enjoyable aspects, for me, were the concerts. I've already written about the Kings of Leon. Well, Aerosmith were outstanding last night. It was like rock pantomime. The Rolling Stones on acid.

After the show I popped by the paddock again to say bye to people. Most of us won't see each other again until the season starts again in Bahrain in March. Round the back of the BMW motorhome, Mario Theissen, Peter Sauber and the team's PR department were having a glass of wine, toasting the end of their alliance.

I bumped into Mario again later that evening. Red Bull and BMW were staying at the same hotel and both teams organized to have little staff parties each, around the same swimming pool. So on one side of the pool you had the winning team celebrating, and on the other the sad faces of a team which, it's ghastly to think, may well be facing extinction.

After a few drinks the parties intertwined though, and Mario created a dance floor out of nowhere and was soon jumping into the pool and mechanics threw one another in.

England cricketer Freddie Flintoff was there as a guest of Red Bull, chatting to everyone. 

Sebastian Vettel was there too and stayed until the end, at 5am. He was probably quite sensible not to continue the party in one of the rooms like a few of us did. Juvenile stuff happened, and the resulting mess would probably rival an Aerosmith after-party.

I'd hate to see what the room looks like this morning. I left to catch my 8.30am flight and it was still going strong.

It was a suitably rock n' roll ending to an amazing season.

The Abu Dhabi circuit's grandstands are now empty, and the Formula One teams pack up one last time. Cars are loaded into crates, overalls are signed by team mates and well-wishers, champagne is poured into plastic cups as friends say goodbye. The circus will not reconvene before testing resumes in February. By then, there will be new arrivals and one team, maybe more, missing.

 

This season is likely to go down in F1 history as one of the most remarkable, not for the headline grabbing Renault 'crashgate' scandal, Lewis Hamilton's 'liegate' folly, and incessant political games, but for the reversal in fortunes that teams like McLaren and Ferrari suffered, and Red Bull and Brawn were rewarded with.

 

Round one in Melbourne read like a Hollywood script. After an uncertain winter, due to Honda's withdrawal, the newly christened Brawn GP team did well just to make it to the grid. They then dominated, scoring the first 1-2 for a debutant team since 1954.

 

Rival teams tried, and failed, to have its clever double diffuser banned. It shouldn't have been a surprise that the BGP-001 was quick. Three wind-tunnels had been working 160 hours a week for 18 months to fine-tune that car. R&D estimates indicate Jenson Button was driving a billion dollar machine, but with six wins from seven races, you couldn't take anything away from him.

 

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel drove peerlessly in the wet in China, and a crushing performance at Silverstone showed it wouldn't be a walkover for Button. In the second half of the season, Brawn team mate Rubens Barrichello got on top of the car and overshadowed Jenson, taking emotional victories in Valencia and Monza. JB was under immense pressure.

 

Ferrari's campaign was compromised by a car that was tremendously difficult to drive, and the casualty of their favourite son, Felipe Massa, who suffered a skull injury in Hungary. His replacements, Luca Badoer and Giancarlo Fisichella, struggled. We can only wonder what Michael Schumacher could have done, if it weren't for his own skull fractures that prevented his comeback. Meanwhile Kimi Raikkonen turned in some heroic drives, not least in Spa - his first victory in 16 months.

 

McLaren got over its nightmare start and turned a dog of a car into a race winner. Lewis Hamilton drove at 100 percent to beat more fancied rivals and take two wins away from a very difficult year.

 

Jenson may have driven more conservatively in the second half of term, as the other teams caught up, but he still managed to claim the title at the penultimate race in Brazil. He's a popular champion, and a terrific ambassador for F1.

 

In Abu Dhabi, Vettel claimed second in the championship with a brilliant victory. He was up until 5am the following morning, celebrating with his team and Metro, as BMW-Sauber boss Mario Theissen tried to forget about the fate of his team by throwing himself in the swimming pool. BMW helped bring Vettel into F1, who has a fabulous future ahead of him. The future of Sauber is dependent on another team dropping out, after BMW withdrew its support and failed to sign the concorde agreement.

 

It would be a huge loss if the talented Sauber team are not with us again next year, but there are many exciting things to look forward to in 2010, not least Fernando Alonso in a Ferrari and the promise of a more competitive car from McLaren. Still, it would be a shame if things went back to the way they were - a two horse race between those teams.

 

In 2009, there were times when every team looked capable of winning and races were utterly unpredictable.

Here's who I think have done the best jobs in 2009, and who must try harder.

For the last few races I've been on at Jenson Button's dad, John, saying wedding bells must be in the air soon. He doesn't deny it.

Having blown everyone away in qualifying, the very first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix winner's trophy seemed assuredly Lewis Hamilton's. But the pundits were wrong. The day belonged to "proud" Sebastian Vettel.

 

The McLaren led away at the start, but Vettel - on a heavier fuel strategy - was able to keep him within 0.8 seconds. On lap 17 Hamilton pitted, two laps before Vettel, and it was clear the Red Bull driver had the lead in his grasp. "In the last sector the car was a dream and I was able to catch up there," said Seb.

 

There was a problem for Hamilton; his car was suffering unusual right rear brake pad wear and the team brought him in on lap 20 for retirement. It was Lewis' first mechanical failure in the three years he's been racing in F1.

 

"I couldn't stop the car. I was locking and locking and locking," he complained afterwards.

 

The Yas Marina circuit was a wonder to behold. It was like seeing a race in the distant future. But the racing seemed quite sober. There was a great overtaking move by one-stopping Kamui Kobayashi on world champion Jenson Button, and a hilarious moment when Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari made an accidental stop in Red Bull Racing's pit.

 

Then, two laps from the end, we had a proper race. Mark Webber, in second, was struggling with his rear tyres, and Jenson Button was all over him, right alongside twice on the final lap, sliding all over the place. But the Aussie held Button at bay. "Mark's difficult to overtake," noted Jenson, who after claiming his title came here "to enjoy myself. We were clean, but on the edge". Webber admitted the battle gave him "a few grey hairs."

 

It was Red Bull Racing's fourth 1-2 victory this season. "It's the perfect way to finish the season on a high," said Vettel.

 

Last night most of the paddock headed down to the not-yet-fully-built Ferrari World to see the Kings of Leon.

Lewis Hamilton has looked unbeatable all weekend and qualified seven tenths of a second faster than P2 man Sebastian Vettel.