US F1 Update

[Wayne Maybury]

Ferrari introduced their new car for the upcoming season. It has been designated as the F10 (F for Ferrari and 10 for the year). They have a new sponsor so the front and rear wings are all white with the sponsor's name in a contrasting colour. Ferrari had a terrible season last year so they are hoping to turn it around this year. Testing of the new car is to begin shortly.

I find it interesting that every team in F1 must design and build their own cars from the ground up but in NASCAR modifications to the spec car are all but impossible to make. They are two very different approaches; F1 is innovation, innovation, innovation while NASCAR will stick with the same old formula until the fans, the drivers, or the sponsors, scream like mad about something.

Wayne

[Don]

Recent rule change for 2010:

MotorSport.com

" The top ten qualifiers in 2010 will have to start grands prix with the same tyres used at the end of Q3, according to reports.

Reports, including in Switzerland's Motorsport Aktuell, the Spanish sports newspaper

Marca and Finland's Turun Sanomat, reveal that the decision was made at a recent meeting of the teams association FOTA. Previously, the top ten could decide to change to a different set of their allocated tyres for the start of the race, with the only stipulation being that both types of compounds be used at least once.

Motorsport Aktuell says the move, to be rubber-stamped by the F1 Commission and World Motor Sport Council next week, is to add a strategic element in order to make races more exciting.

Marca said that "most" of the teams at the FOTA meeting voted for the rule change and that the approval of the subsequent bodies is "likely to be a formality".

Turun Sanomat said teams will have to consider whether to use soft tyres for a high grid position, because the same tyres need to be used with the hefty initial race fuel load. "

[Don]

The end of US F 1 Team ??

AutoWeek.com

" Twenty-three days.

As I write this, that is the countdown ticking until Formula One opens the 2010 season with its first practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix. For F1 fans, the clock can't move fast enough.

For U.S. F1, all signs say that this imaginary timer might as well be attached to a dirty bomb secreted away in the team's Charlotte, N.C., shop. In fact, less than 23 days remain before detonation, since teams need time to ship their cars and equipment to Bahrain.

Sadly, the explosion has almost certainly occurred already. "

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100217/FREE/100219906

[Wayne Maybury]

This certainly does not look good. Very sad.

Wayne