F1 Tickets

Renault have revealed their line-up for next week’s young driver test in Spain. Reigning Formula Renault 3.5 champion Bertrand Baguette, Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung and the French team’s third driver Lucas Di Grassi will share driving duties during the three-day session at Jerez.

“Testing is so restricted nowadays, but this young driver test is the perfect opportunity for us to assess rising stars such as Bertrand, Ho-Pin and Lucas,” explained team principal Bob Bell. “All these drivers have shown great promise and we look forward to seeing what they are capable of as we complete our test programme for the year.”

Baguette will be on track on Tuesday. The test, which is a prize for winning this year’s World Series by Renault 3.5 category, will be the 23 year-old’s first taste Formula One power. Tung, who has tested for Williams in 2003, will then get behind the wheel of the R29, before Di Grassi racks up further mileage for the French team.

The test will run at the Spanish circuit from Tuesday 1 December to Thursday 3 December.

He may have to wait until next year to make his Formula One return, but Ferrari’s Felipe Massa will get the chance to sharpen his racing skills at his annual International Challenge of the Stars karting event in Brazil this weekend. It will be the first time Massa has driven competitively since he fractured his skull during an accident at the Hungarian Grand Prix back in July.

The Brazilian will be joined at the charity fundraiser by a host of famous motorsport names including seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, 2010 Williams driver Rubens Barrichello, Force India’s Vitantonio Liuzzi, former Williams’ driver Antonio Pizzonia, 2004 Indycar champion Tony Kanaan and ex-F1 driver Christian Fittipaldi.

Former Renault driver – and fellow Brazilian – Nelson Piquet will also be in action and can’t wait to get started. “I’m happy that I can be back in Brazil to do Felipe’s race this weekend,” said the 24 year-old. “It’s going to be very competitive as usual, there are some great drivers confirmed and I want to try to win it this year!”

Both Schumacher and Piquet should be well prepared. Only last weekend they went up against some of the world’s best karters at the SKUSA Supernationals in Las Vegas, USA, finishing the final an impressive seventh and eighth respectively.

The Challenge of the Stars was launched by Massa in 2005. Last year it was won by Barrichello, whilst in 2007 Schumacher clinched the honours. In 2006 Massa himself secured the winner’s trophy. This year’s on-track action will get underway at a brand new circuit in the Brazilian city of Florianopolis on Saturday.

Three-time world champion Niki Lauda always has a keen eye for what’s going on in Formula One racing. He is full of praise for Ross Brawn and his achievements – and for Mercedes’ decision to take a majority stake in the Brackley team. And yes, Jenson Button is a worthy world champion – simply because he’s the champion. Lauda knows what he is talking about: half a point made all the difference to his third title in 1984…

Q: Niki, let’s start with the 2009 drivers’ championship. Jenson Button clinched the 60th title in Formula One history, but some questioned whether the ‘right’ guy won, citing his relatively lacklustre midseason spell. What is the opinion of a three-time world champion?
Niki Lauda: Worthy or unworthy is the wrong approach. A world champion is a world champion. You might argue about the manner in which he won, but history has shown that in some years you have guys who win everything, and then you have guys – and I count myself among these – who win with a half point lead in the last race. There are many ways to win a championship. He put in a good season: starting very strong at the beginning to forge ahead and then keeping the lead through difficult times of constantly losing points, but still staying in front. Yes, the 60th Formula One world champion is a worthy champion.

Q: Would you say the second half of the season proved Button’s strategic prowess, or was it simply the nail-biting scenario his critics would like to suggest?
NL: He was ‘nail biting’ himself to the title – at least from the outside. It is hard to say why he was losing out to Rubens (Barrichello) – someone running on the same equipment – in the second half of the season. In the end it’s a pointless discussion because he was not the only one running on a bumpy performance curve: Sebastian (Vettel) also had his share of poor results. In that scenario of ups and downs, Jenson was able to keep enough points to maintain his lead – that’s why he ended up as champion and not somebody else.

Q: Brawn GP were one of the three teams that introduced the double diffuser at the beginning of the season, leaving others to play catch-up for the first couple of months. How crucial was that to Brawn taking both titles?
NL: You can argue back and forth about Jenson, but one thing is undeniable: what Ross (Brawn) formed out of the bankrupt Honda estate, in a cloak-and-dagger operation, to dominate all the ‘big boys’ in the paddock, was truly phenomenal. That has never happened before in Formula One. That is the real sensation of the season and their winning the constructors’ championship is highly deserved.

Q: Other teams had to swallow the bitter pill of their parent company pulling out of Formula One racing. What do you see as the main reasons for BMW’s and Toyota’s withdrawal?
NL: I see commercial reasons behind these decisions. The global car sales have suffered, and as Formula One is part of the companies’ marketing concepts – and marketing costs have been severely downgraded – in the case of BMW and Toyota it meant the withdrawal from F1. Probably this year’s performance was just the last straw.

Q: What else springs to mind when you reflect on the 2009 season?
NL: Insane KERS was introduced, and all the big teams – Ferrari, McLaren, Renault and especially BMW – jumped on it in the hope that when pushing the button, three-tenths (of a second per lap) would be the gain. From the very beginning that gain seemed too little in my view, because three-tenths was the ideal scenario – when the car was perfectly balanced and set-up. Instead, what became clear almost from the first test was a situation where all the KERS followers faced weight distribution issues causing aerodynamic problems. It was as though that massive technical armament meant they couldn’t see the track any more. That is why the Brawns and the Red Bulls dominated – because they gave KERS the cold shoulder and concentrated on racing. The first team to bounce back was McLaren-Mercedes in mid-season. They then won two races, but didn’t play any role whatsoever in the hunt for the championship. If you think about that, this madness of KERS being abolished in 2010 is a shame for all the money invested.

Q: Two of your long-time companions in the paddock vanished in the course of the season: Ron Dennis and Flavio Briatore. Do you miss them?
NL: ‘Long-time companion’ is over-egging the pudding a bit. I once drove for Ron and won a championship with him and Flavio I know only on a personal level. Their departure from the paddock had completely different reasons: Ron was fined a $100 million penalty due to copyright violations – is that the politically correct term? Flavio had to go because of that Singapore incident. And that incident was one of the worst things that can happen in racing. Does their departure serve them right? Well, Ron played it too hard with (former FIA President) Max Mosley and what Flavio is accused of was a real stab against the sport – Singapore clearly was one step too far. Formula One folks have always been sort of frontier runners, but both Ron and Flavio exaggerated things and have been punished for it. It’s that simple.

Q: While two car manufacturers pulled out, another – Mercedes – invested heavily by taking over Brawn GP to form Mercedes GP. If it didn’t work for BMW and Toyota, how can it work so much better for Mercedes?
NL: Well, Mercedes made a very smart move by acquiring a majority stake in Brawn GP, to follow the concept of cost cutting that (former FIA President) Max (Mosley) had begun: to run a team with a reduced budget of $100 million per year by 2011. Brawn GP is the team already fit for that kind of financial downgrade, whereas many others will have a hard 2010 season being competitive on the track and simultaneously working their way down on the economic side. By reviving the real Mercedes ‘Silver Arrows’ – which means an excellent marketing tool for the car manufacturer – Mercedes stays involved with F1 at a very reasonable cost-benefit ratio. Never forget, they’ve got the world championship team!

Q: Nico Rosberg has been confirmed as the team’s first driver. Rampant speculation surrounds the second seat: could Michael Schumacher really switch from red to silver, or will Nick Heidfeld get it, or perhaps even ‘Iceman’ Kimi Raikkonen?
NL: The takeover of Brawn GP was a masterly achievement. Now it is important to proceed in this same manner by having a very close look at the important issue of the driver line-up. With the Button departure, Rosberg is at the moment their only driver – a good man for sure, but good men get even better with a team mate that gives them a hard time 24 hours a day. That is positive, performance and development-wise. They have to be very careful now in their selection, trying to get a top man for the second cockpit. Otherwise the advantage will be on Red Bull’s and Vettel’s side – and they might find themselves riding on Red Bull’s coat tails.

Q: And the Schumacher rumours?
NL: I don’t believe that there is one single grain of truth in them, at least from all the signals that I get. There was a window of opportunity after Felipe’s (Massa’s) accident and had Michael been fit he would have taken up that chance to race for three or four races – to prove himself, get the adrenaline rush, and see where he stood in the pecking order. But I cannot believe that he would be up for a full season. Why then he did stop racing in the first place? But that is my personal opinion.

Q: Were you surprised by Jenson’s switch to McLaren?
NL: Not really. That was a true ‘Ron Dennis’ move – to run a team with two British world champions. On the other hand, I am sure that Ross (Brawn) was not completely satisfied with Jenson’s performance in the second half of the season. But if Mercedes ends up with someone not as good as Jenson, then they’ve drawn the short straw. I would not have an idea who they should take.

Q: Ross Brawn and Mercedes. How do you see this relationship working? Who’s wearing the trousers?
NL: Ross Brawn and the team. Mercedes will sit on the board and be part of the decision-making process. And to use your term who is wearing the trousers – always those who delivered the success. Anything else would not make sense.

Q: Taking a glimpse ahead into 2010, when you look at the driver line-ups who do you think promises the best performance: Alonso and Massa, Hamilton and Button, Vettel and Webber – or Rosberg and whoever?
NL: Ferrari’s pairing of Alonso/Massa and McLaren with their two British champions will be very, very competitive. We have also seen how Vettel and Webber egg each other on to top performances, so the ‘Silver Arrows’ will be confronted with competitors with top driver line-ups. In my opinion all the top drivers are already signed.

Q: Never in modern Formula One history have there been so many new teams in the making. Do you expect them all to show up in Bahrain?
NL: First of all there is what you might call the Sauber team – the leftovers of BMW Sauber. They have facilities, people and an investor willing to bankroll them, and yet it is not clear if they will get a (2010 grid) slot. On the other hand you have four teams that are difficult to judge. For me the most doubtful case is this American team. They seem to be nowhere. Campos seems to have the basics – at least their car was homologated by the FIA some days ago, which is a big step ahead of all the others. I have no idea where Lotus and Manor are. Fact is that they all applied for a slot because of the budget cap already in place for 2010. Now we know that this is postponed by one year and that might be a stumbling block for one or the other. The winter will show what is cooking.

Q: November’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix saw the last refuelling stop in Formula One racing. Running with full tanks is one of the biggest new challenges for the teams to come to terms with next season. A good idea?
NL: It is a good idea because it saves costs. On the other hand we had some attractive scenes surrounding refuelling. Just remember the little barbeque scene in Sao Paulo when Heikki Kovalainen was released from the pits with the fuel hose still on the car. But the refuelling ban is a real challenge, as the teams have to come to terms with cars that start the race with double the fuel load that they have now – some 170 or 180 kilos instead of the 80-something they have now. To find the right balance for the car will be an interesting task – and it will also be a new experience for the drivers. I remember very well how it was running with a fully loaded tank. Teams and drivers will have to set new criteria in how they strategically approach each race.

Despite pulling out of Formula One racing, BMW is staying true to its promise of giving two talented young Formula BMW drivers their first taste of an F1 car. Alexander Rossi and Esteban Gutierrez will take part in next week’s official Formula One test for young drivers at Jerez in Spain.

“Depriving these junior drivers of the test we had promised them was not an option for us, even after the withdrawal of BMW from Formula One,” said BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. “BMW remains committed to motor sport and is keen to continue making a contribution to well-structured talent development.”

Rossi, from Nevada City in California, earned his opportunity to test an F1 car by taking victory in the 2008 Formula BMW World Final in Mexico City. The 18-year-old qualified for the international showdown by winning the Formula BMW Americas series earlier that year.

The 2009 season saw Rossi finish fourth overall in the International Formula Master series and wrap up the rookies’ title in the process. Shortly before his 18th birthday – which he celebrated on 25 September 2009 – the American was able to familiarise himself with the Jerez circuit during a test in a GP2 car. He went on to make his GP2 Asia debut in Abu Dhabi during the final weekend of the Formula One season, finishing fourth in race one and fifth in the sprint race.

“I take the opportunity to present myself as a driver at Formula One level very seriously and I’m very aware of the far-reaching potential it has,” said Rossi. “I feel very fortunate and my goals for the test are to put in a fantastic performance while fully absorbing the whole experience. There is a growing list of people that have helped me get where I am today. This is a team effort and I am very grateful for this support. A special thanks to BMW Motorsport Director Dr. Mario Theissen for making this test possible and having the confidence in me.”

Gutierrez – another 18-year-old – also secured his place at the Formula One test on the back of strong performances in Formula BMW. Having swept to the 2008 Formula BMW Europe title in convincing fashion, the Mexican went into the World Final on home territory as favourite, eventually finishing third.

Gutierrez was born in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon on 5 August 1991 and now lives in Paris. This year he finished ninth in the drivers’ standings in the Formula Three Euro Series. A GP2 test at Jerez in October enabled him, like Rossi, to gain prior knowledge of the track in southern Spain. In early November he completed a two-day test in a GP2 car in Le Castellet, southern France.

“We have put all our efforts into the preparations for this great opportunity that will provide me with an insight into what the future may bring,” said Gutierrez. “The opportunity to drive a Formula One car is the fulfilment of part of my dreams. I feel very pleased and will use this experience to learn about and experience the professionalism of a Formula One team. This will help me to find the aspects where I need to work on myself more. This test is the achievement of many people who have given me support. It is also an honour for me to represent my home country Mexico. I will deliver my best.”

The three days of testing (on 1-3 December) are for young drivers who have taken part in no more than two Formula One events. A large number of F1 teams are expected to travel to Jerez, not least because no other testing has been permitted since the start of the season and the ban remains in force until 31 December.

Force India have confirmed their line-up for next week’s young driver test in Spain. Upcoming British driver Paul di Resta and current Indy Lights champion American JR Hildebrand will share driving duties of the VJM02 at Jerez.

Twenty-three year old Di Resta and 21-year old Hildebrand were selected after strong performances in the team’s simulator last month and one could now land a full-time test and reserve role for 2010.

Di Resta, from West Lothian, Scotland, is a Mercedes works driver in the German DTM touring car series and finished third overall with one win in the 2009 championship. He previously won the 2006 Formula 3 Euroseries against a field including current F1 race winner Sebastian Vettel and in 2004 was awarded the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.

“I am thrilled to be joining Force India for this test,” said Di Resta. “It’s been a while since I last tested an F1 car but I’ve been working hard in the simulator and giving it my all in the DTM so I’m confident I’ll be up to speed quickly. It’s an exciting opportunity for me as F1 has always been my dream and I feel this is taking me one step closer to achieving it. I’m realistic that I’ve got a lot to prove and that I need a bit more experience of the cars and the F1 environment before getting a permanent seat but this is just the beginning of what I hope will be a very bright future with Force India. I’d like to thank Mercedes for giving me this opportunity and to Force India for being so supportive.”

Hildebrand, from California, USA, has quickly risen to prominence on the American racing scene thanks to impressive results in the junior formulae and, most recently, his victory in Indy Lights, the feeder series to the USA’s premier racing championship. In 2006 he secured the Formula Ford 2000 championship title and in 2007 was the top placed US rookie in the Atlantic championship.

“I’m ecstatic to get my first taste of F1,” said Hildebrand. “I’ve heard so much about the performance of the cars and know this is going to be quicker and more responsive than anything I’ve ever sat in before. I know it’s a big challenge but I feel ready to tackle it. The aim is to learn the track and the car and then hopefully show my potential. As an American we don’t necessarily have the culture of F1 but anything that’s so impressive and cutting-edge demands respect. I hope I can do the car and myself justice. Thanks to everyone for making this happen, I can’t wait to get to Jerez.”

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal of Force India, commented: “We are delighted to have Paul and JR join us for the young driver test. Both of their showings in the simulator were excellent and we had no hesitations in offering them some valuable testing. We will be looking at their performance on track very closely and should they perform well, as we are confident they will, we will look at a permanent role for one within the team in 2010, potentially as a test and reserve driver. As a young team we are looking for drivers who can grow with us. As we’ve always said, nationality isn’t the primary selection criteria – it’s talent and dedication to the cause and we have seen enough to know that these two have both.”

The Jerez session, to be attended by several teams, will run from Tuesday 1 December to Thursday 3 December. Force India will test Di Resta on day one, Hildebrand on day two, with the driver for the final day dependant on the progress of the team’s testing programme.

Nico Rosberg was confirmed as the first member of the new Mercedes team’s 2010 driver line-up on Monday. The announcement follows Mercedes’ recent purchase of Brawn GP, who have not retained either of their 2009 drivers – world champion Jenson Button or Rubens Barrichello – for next season.

Rosberg moves from Williams, the team with which he started his Formula One race career in 2006, having won the inaugural GP2 championship the previous season. Since his F1 debut the 24-year-old German has scored two podiums, two fastest laps and 75.5 points. Barrichello has already been confirmed as his Williams replacement.

“I am really happy to be a part of the Silver Arrows re-launch in 2010 as a driver for Mercedes,” said Rosberg, whose father Keke was world champion in 1982. “No other brand in Formula One can look back on such a long and successful tradition in motor racing.

“I am very proud that I will now drive for the new Mercedes team and work with Ross Brawn. I am more motivated than ever and can hardly wait to start testing with the new Silver Arrow and for the first race of the new season at Bahrain on 14 March 2010.”

Commenting on the signing, team principal Ross Brawn said: “We are delighted to welcome Nico Rosberg to our Mercedes team and are very much looking forward to working with him. Nico is a great talent, and with four years of experience in Formula One, is a driver who will be able to make a valuable contribution to our team right from the outset.

“I had the pleasure of working with his father Keke during his Formula One career and it is great to see Nico following in his footsteps. 2009 was Nico’s best season in Formula One to date and we look forward to seeing his development continue with us at Mercedes next year.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, added: “I saw Nico racing karts alongside Lewis Hamilton and later in the support programme of the DTM events – I have known him since he was a young boy. Early on it was obvious that he would make his way as a race driver and we are glad that after four years with Williams he will now be one of our drivers at Mercedes.

“It makes our re-start even nicer, that we have as talented and sympathetic a driver as Nico in our line-up. Nico has positive ambitions, we have positive ambitions and together we want to achieve a great deal. I am really looking forward to working with him.”

Mercedes have yet to reveal who will partner Rosberg for the German company’s first season as a works team since 1955.

Former Renault Formula One tester Jose Maria Lopez says he expects to be confirmed as a 2010 race driver for the new US F1 Team very soon. According to the Argentine, a contract with the US-based squad is in place, subject to the completion of personal sponsorship arrangements.

Lopez raced in Formula 3000 and GP2 between 2004 and 2006, scoring a GP2 win in Spain in 2005. He then returned to Argentina and touring cars, becoming national champion in 2008. He visited the US F1 Team’s North Carolina factory last week.

“Until now, all the contacts had been by telephone, but given the advanced negotiations, we went there to visit the team headquarters and talk with (team founders) Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson,” Lopez told his official website.

“We have a verbal agreement that will be completed next week,” added the 26-year-old, who is thought to have the vast majority of the required backing in place. “The visit has been highly positive, we just need to complete some economic supports that are already committed.”

Lopez, a veteran of Renault’s driver development programme and a test driver for their Formula One team in 2006, said he had been pleasantly surprised by what he found at the US F1 Team’s Charlotte facility.

“It is a new team, starting from scratch, something different from what I experienced in Renault, where the structure had many years of experience. But I was impressed by the commitment and professionalism they’ve put into this project. There is a wind tunnel that is almost 1:1 scale, which is very important to develop the car I will be able to drive in 2010.”

The US F1 Team is just one of four new teams joining the Formula One grid next season. Campos Meta have already confirmed Bruno Senna as their first driver, while former Toyota star Timo Glock will head Manor GP’s line-up. Lotus have signed one driver, but have yet to reveal his identity.

For months it’s been merely an option. Now it looks set to become a reality. Kimi Raikkonen will take a one-year sabbatical from Formula One racing in 2010, to bridge the gap from one competitive car to another – or so he hopes. Some fear the recent Abu Dhabi Grand Prix may have been the Finn’s last race, and that would be a shame – seeing a great character leave the paddock with no further ado. Then again, the ‘Iceman’ can usually be relied on to surprise…

Q: Kimi, we learned yesterday that you are thinking of taking a year off from Formula One racing. What is the state of affairs?
Kimi Raikkonen: Yes, that appears to be the case. I could not agree terms with McLaren so I have decided to take a one-year sabbatical.

Q: You always said that your staying in Formula One was dependant on having a competitive car. Presumably you now feel this is not achievable for 2010?
KR: Yes. I felt McLaren offered the best opportunity to win races and challenge for the drivers’ championship and if that would not work the one-year break is the result. And to be honest, I will only return in 2011 if a competitive drive is available.

Q: What would you do in that year off? Rallying? Look for other talents lurking within you?
KR: I do not know yet. I will look at competing in rallying. Again, naturally I want to drive a competitive car. If not I will spend more time with my family and friends.

Q: And how convinced are you that you will be back in 2011? Couldn’t going now mean the end of your Formula One career? Are you ready for that?
KR: As I said, I will only return in 2011 if I can drive a competitive car. I do not want to race just to make up the numbers. That does not interest me. But there’s a lot of time until then, so let’s wait and see what happens in the months ahead.

Q: The McLaren route is now blocked following their signing of Jenson Button. What brought your negotiations with them to a halt?
KR: My management held many meetings with McLaren. Unfortunately, certain issues could not be resolved. We knew in the last three or four days that it would be highly unlikely a deal could be reached. Now we know it is definite.

Q: What about moving to the newly formed Mercedes GP team? Have you put out any feelers towards Brackley?
KR: No, I have not held talks with Brawn. I feel they will run two German drivers next year now that Mercedes are involved.

Q: There was a lot of speculation concerning the role salary played in Button’s switch to McLaren – and lots of reports suggesting the same team were unwilling to meet your pay demands. What is your position on bargaining for salary?
KR: I feel a good driver can make a bigger difference nowadays. If you look at how close the whole grid was this year, if a driver can lap two-tenths faster that is worth many positions on the grid. That could easily be the difference between winning and losing.

Q: 2009 was your ninth season in Formula One racing. Have you achieved what you wanted? Your Ferrari successor Alonso was quoted as saying that after Ferrari he will quit, because after Ferrari any other team is a step down. So you could go out with your head held high…
KR: I achieved my dream of winning the drivers’ world championship. I would like to win another championship, but I can only do that if I have a competitive car. It’s that simple.

Q: How much of a petrol head still lays within Kimi Raikkonen?
KR: I have enjoyed my time in F1 and I still have ambitions. In the right circumstances I am very keen to return. The door is open. Let’s see what the future brings.

Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi and seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher are among more than 300 drivers competing at the SKUSA Supernationals karting event in Las Vegas, USA, this weekend.

Buemi and Schumacher are entered in the Super Pro KZ2 class, the Swiss driver with Intrepid, the German with the Tony Kart Racing Team. They will battle it out around a 0.66 mile circuit constructed in the grounds of the Rio Las Vegas Hotel and Casino.

Among the other famous names taking part are ex-Renault Formula One star Nelson Piquet, former Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice, and Pietro Fittipaldi, grandson of the two-time F1 world champion Emerson.

To celebrate this week’s release of F1 2009™, producers Codemasters