Formula 1 heads to Mugello for three-day testing

The Formula 1 circus is set to travel to Italy on the 1st of May for a three-days testing program. The test will be crucial for teams to develop upgrades and different aero elements set to be introduced on their cars ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.

Testing has become a rare opportunity in the middle of a season, and was completely absent for the past few years as different cost-cutting strategies were applied during the economic crisis. 

In 2012, new rules introduced a three-day testing opportunity for teams, right before the kick-off of the European season in Barcelona. 

Currently, almost all teams are confirmed to participate in testing, with no official driver line-up released just yet. Ferrari will send out Alonso and Massa, while Lotus will provide a drive for reserve pilot, Jerome D'Ambrosio, after which Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean will test new aero specs on the E20. McLaren are set to hand over testing duties to Gary Paffet. 

Official line-up will be available later this week. 

French Grand Prix confirmed on 2013 calendar

Bernie Ecclestone has said the return of the French Grand Prix is a done deal.

Reports over the weekend said authorities had "finally agreed" a figure for the sanctioning fee with the F1 chief executive and Ecclestone confirmed the news on Sunday.

Paul Ricard circuit

"The deal is done," he told L'Equipe. "We agreed the financial terms with the sports minister David Douillet, in my office on Tuesday. We are still discussing a few things about money: 'You give me this, I want that'. But, for me, there is no doubt, we will sign it now."

The Ecclestone-owned Paul Ricard circuit is expected to share an annually-alternating grand prix date with Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps, beginning in 2013.

Ecclestone added that the outcome of the forthcoming presidential elections in France will not spoil the deal.

"Whatever the outcome, I don't care," said Ecclestone. "That's a local issue that doesn't concern me."

If the race does go ahead next year it will be the first French Grand Prix since 2008 when the event was held at Magny-Cours.

Kimi Raikkonen's superb comeback season so far

Raikkonen on the podium in fourth race of the season

In order to finish first, first you have to be Finnish. 

The classic saying might not apply in Kimi Raikkonen's case in Bahrain, but it's not too far off either. It didn't take long for the Finn to bounce back on the podium in his comeback year and silence his doubters with a superb 2nd place finish. For those still questioning his motivation, rest assured. Kimi was disappointed with his result and aims higher next time around.

Raikkonen parks the 2nd placed E20 in parc ferme

Back in November, 2011, Lotus shocked the media by confirming that Raikkonen had joined their squad in Enstone in an attempt to resurrect his career and prepare for a Formula 1 comeback.

Now, we all sampled and witnessed the infamous Schumacher comeback in 2010, and were probably all left with a sour taste in our mouths. Schumi's case was a prime example of how much time a sabbatical driver needs upon return to make up some lost ground. Therefore, the skepticism regarding Raikkonen's approach towards his comeback was fully understandable. Add that to pundits questioning his motivation since 2008 and you get quite a big crowd of angry fans doubting his success upon return.

First time on track with the new Lotus E20 and Raikkonen was already shrugging off the criticism after running fastest in the first testing session in Jerez. Even though it was his first time on Pirelli tyres, the Finn quickly felt at home on the very first day. His concerns regarding tyre management rapidly faded and he shifted his focus on the season opener in Australia.

Arriving in Australia, the team had every reason to be confident of a decent result. They were left slightly disappointed after Kimi dropped out of Q1 due to a simple driver and team error during his flying lap. However, the world champion made up for the mistake during the race, where he sliced through the field from 17th to 7th. It quickly became obvious that he lost little of his infamous race craft.

The Malaysian Grand Prix was the race that really put his skills to the test. Mixed conditions, rain, grid penalty and temporary KERS failure were challenging the Lotus driver at every corner. Despite never having driven on the intermediate Pirelli rubber, Raikkonen again cut through the pack like butter, starting 10th and finishing a hugely impressive 5th during only his second race of his comeback season.

In China, he achieved his best grid position since his return. Starting 4th, Kimi had every reason to believe in challenging for a podium. For a while, he was running as high as 2nd, and kept his position until the very last few minutes of the race. However, a bad strategy call left his tyres degrading rapidly, until they were completely gone and the Finn struggled to even keep the car on the road. He was rocketed back to 14th, and was left utterly disappointed after having had the chance to finish on the podium for the first time since 2009.

Bahrain was finally his golden opportunity. Well, silver, in this case. He gambled during qualifying, decided to miss out on Q2 and start from 11th and save some tyres for the race, as rubber management proved to be a crucial element for success during that weekend. In the end, it turned out to be the right call.

Raikkonen and Vettel celebrate on the podium

Raikkonen stormed through the field in a fashion reminiscent of his McLaren years, especially Japan 2005. He was quickly passing everyone in front of him, without a single display of rustiness or clumsy moves as he was banging some wheel-to-wheel action on track with the likes of Alonso, Button, Massa, Webber and Vettel. He managed to catch Vettel at a certain point, but the German was defending his position well and Raikkonen had to settle, in the end, for second position.


His result in Bahrain was proof, if it was needed, that Raikkonen has lost none of his ability during his two year sabbatical. In just his fourth race on the tricky Pirelli rubber - which was his main concern ahead of the start of the season - he was the fastest man on the track in the opening three stints.


One thing is certain about his comeback after only just four races: Kimi Raikkonen hasn't lost a step. In fact, he seems to be in his best form yet and looks far more comfortable at Lotus than he ever felt at Ferrari. 


Don't bet against Raikkonen winning a race this season. 

Bahrain: Vettel, Raikkonen and Grosjean triumph in the heat

Sebastian Vettel might have started from pole on Sunday afternoon in Bahrain, but he was certainly not given the comfort of a dominating win. Kimi Raikkonen made his mark as his comeback season turns out to be so far quite spectacular, especially after the Finn was constantly hunting Vettel down to victory. In the end, he only had to settle for second place, followed by his teammate, Romain Grosjean, a man who continues to shine in his path to recovery after two troublesome races.

Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen, Romain Grosjean and RBR boss, Christian Horner

On a day when Lotus delivered everything it had promised in the opening races, Raikkonen and team-mate Romain Grosjean hacked through the field to complete the podium behind the winning Red Bull.


Mark Webber took fourth in the second Red Bull, while pitstop problems consigned front row starter and erstwhile championship leader Lewis Hamilton's McLaren to eighth. Nico Rosberg completed the top five after an eventful race for Mercedes.

It soon became clear that the Lotus duo had stunning race pace. Although Vettel stormed away from initial pursuers Hamilton and Webber, Grosjean and Raikkonen were making rapid progress up the order.

Grosjean had moved into fourth at the start, then picked off Webber and Hamilton on laps four and seven, while Raikkonen vaulted from 11th to seventh off the line, had a quick wheel-banging battle with Felipe Massa's Ferrari, then got up to third by the time the first stops were done - by virtue of a string of passes and a long first stint.

Raikkonen then closed on Grosjean, overtook his team-mate on lap 24, just before their second stops, and started hunting down Vettel.

As they approached the final tyre changes, Raikkonen was on Vettel's tail and able to take several looks at passing the Red Bull.

Raikkonen on the verge of overtaking Vettel

The tension eased after the final stops, though, with Vettel able to rebuild a slight lead and keep the Lotus under control, despite the occasional flurry of fast times from Raikkonen, who remained a secure distance ahead of Grosjean.

Webber had a strangely lonely afternoon in fourth place, but there was plenty of action behind.

Rosberg slipped back to ninth on a scrappy first lap, before recovering to fifth - although he attracted the stewards' attraction along the way after some vigorous defensive moves against Hamilton and Fernando Alonso (Ferrari). The incidents will be investigated after the race. Rosberg slowed as he crossed the line, but made it home for fifth.

The Mercedes' final pass had been on Paul di Resta's Force India with just five laps to go. Di Resta did a masterful job on a unique two-stop strategy, allowing him to lead a grand prix for the first time and take sixth place.

Hamilton's afternoon went awry in the pits, as a wheelnut issue with his left rear cost him a lot of time at both his first and second stops. The Briton had to settle for chasing di Resta and Alonso home in eighth place.

It was a miserable race for McLaren overall. Jenson Button spent the afternoon on the fringes of the top six before a late pitstop with a puncture, and then a mechanical problem that left his sick-sounding car heading for the garage on the penultimate lap.

Alonso had got up to fifth with an assertive start, but did not have the pace to stay there. Massa was respectably close to his team-mate's pace on the way to ninth, while Michael Schumacher was able to come through from 22nd on the grid to 10th in the second Mercedes.

Two stars of qualifying saw their race hopes rapidly dashed. Daniel Ricciardo tumbled down the order on lap one and sustained nose damage, after which he could only get the Toro Rosso back up to 15th. Caterham's Heikki Kovalainen picked up a puncture on lap one.

How Red Bull could bounce back

Naturally, at this time of the season, teams are running a development race, that's probably tougher than the one on track. Without proper testing, these last few years of development have been rather dodgy, and it's always a situation of "will they or won't they?" regarding the functionality of new parts on a car. Red Bull are currently dwelling deep in that pit of uncertainty regarding their exhaust layout and straight line speed. There are several areas Red Bull should be paying attention to in order to work out a development plan and make progress.

Exhaust. Sebastian Vettel ran the launch-spec car in China but will revert back to the newer exhaust solution in Bahrain. It transpired that the team used the race in Shanghai as an extended test to compare the two layouts in order to gather more data, and Vettel ran the older exhaust as he is struggling to adapt to the newer configuration. It's an area that appears to be the focus of Red Bull's attention at the moment, and if it has made any progress between races then it could see both Webber and Vettel closer to the front. 

Vettel (left) vs Webber (right) exhaust designs in China 

Front wing. The exhaust is not the only area that Red Bull should be focusing on. The tougher front wing load tests have also lost the team some time, compared to last season. Last year we regularly saw the RB7’s front wing almost scraping the ground at times. Being able to run the front wing that low to the ground brought a significant aerodynamic gain. This is something that Red Bull’s rivals found very difficult to copy. Now, with the new regulations, they seemed to have lost that efficiency.

RB's new nose duct offered them less than expected

DDRS. Another problem Red Bull are going to have to contend with is having to develop Mercedes' super DRS system now that it has been declared legal. Whilst they are spending time and human resources on it,  Mercedes can put their resources in to other developments. Other teams will spend time copying the system too, but it is Red Bull who desperately need a boost in straight-line speed and the double DRS seems to be the solution.

The DDRS leads the air to exit under the front wing

Balance. In China, Vettel explained that the problem they have is related to the balance of the car. It's not a question of downforce, but of ensuring that all the parts are behaving as a whole. Due to the balancing issues, the car tends to be faster at some point, and slower at another time. In cold conditions, the car is not up to pace, while in the warm, it tends to respond better to the driver.

McLaren vs. Red Bull

We can compare the McLaren and the Red Bull in the image above. First of all it is clearly noticeable that the driver is positioned more forward in the Red Bull chassis compared to the McLaren. This feature allows for longer and narrower sidepods, creating more freedom for the aerodynamicists working at the rear of the car. It is also likely moving the centre of gravity of the car forward, although this can be re-adjusted with ballast. This is probably where the balancing issue comes from. 

Secondly, it also appears that the Red Bull is slightly shorter than the McLaren, although that might be irrelevant and not really benchmark for measuring performance. 

Breakdown

The RB8 is not a slow car. Yet, there are two reasons why the team is not running a dominant campaign this time around: the blown diffuser ban + front wing adjustments, and the higher competition from their rivals. It's important for the team to recognize that it's not just one part of the car that will boost them ahead, but the whole package must be intact, which the new car is not really enjoying at the moment. But with Adrian Newey onboard, Red Bull should feel confident about gaining momentum sooner rather than later.

Rumor Mill: Sergio Perez to test Ferrari at Maranello

One of the big rumors that hit the paddock in Bahrain was related to a collaboration between Sauber's Sergio Perez and Ferrari. The Mexican has been linked with the Italian team since the beginning of the season, and his second place in Malaysia did nothing less than intensify the talks. Unofficial sources claim that Perez is set to test with Ferrari at Maranello during the three day-test program from the 1st until the 3rd of May.

Last time Perez sat in a Ferrari was in 2011 during testing

Felipe Massa's ongoing struggles have, no doubt, pursued Ferrari to re-think their driver line-up. At least for the 2013 season. Massa has yet to score a point this season, while his teammate, Fernando Alonso is currently third in the drivers' standings with 37 points.

Ferrari are heading to Maranello on the 1st of May to test new parts from their development program, which will be feature on their heavily revised car, set to launch at the kick-off of the European season in Barcelona.

Alonso will test the "B" version of the F2012 during the first two days, and the last day will see Perez run a few laps, if the rumors are to be trusted. Neither Ferrari, nor Perez, nor Massa have commented on the situation.

Not all rumors eventually turn out to be facts, but Perez definitely seems to be on Ferrari's list for the time being. Massa's performance will most likely be the deciding factor for the "who stays and who goes" dilemma.

Pirelli: Sand will affect the racing

With Bahrain’s Sakhir International Circuit located in a desert, sand can quite often be blown onto the track, causing lack of grip for the cars. This was evident for Pirelli when they tested at the track in 2010, when a sandstorm halted proceedings. No sandstorms are expected this weekend, but sand on the track is expected to be a factor.

Ferrari cleaning their tyres

After having three rain affected race weekends in Australia, Malaysia and China, the trend is naturally expected to stop as the F1 paddock travels to the heat and sandy surroundings of the Sakhir International Circuit in Bahrain. This is one of three tracks which Pirelli will visit this season which they haven’t raced on before, the others being Hockenheim and Austin in America.

However, with extensive knowledge of the track through testing in December 2010 and January 2011, Pirelli are confident on returning to the track. The only aspect of the track which gives cause for concern is the sand that can easily get swept onto the track, which could potentially cause havoc for the tyres.

“We’re expecting a notable degree of degradation that should certainly test the teams in terms of strategy.” Explained Pirelli’s motorsport director, Paul Hembrey. “With the circuit not having been frequently used, we are anticipating quite a high degree of track evolution over the course of the weekend. The risk of sand on the track can be an issue, as it takes time to clear and can cause graining. So tyre management will again be crucial in Bahrain, with rear traction in particular the key to a strong qualifying and race pace.”

The circuit is surrounded by sand everywhere

Spanish driver, Pedro de la Rosa, has had first hand experience when the sand has hit the Sakhir International Circuit. During Pirelli’s first test at the track in December 2010, the Spaniard was behind the wheel when the sandstorm hit. Now driving for HRT, de la Rosa reflects on the occasion.

“We tested there with Pirelli twice, when I was the test driver.” Said Pedro de la Rosa, “It was a fantastic experience and I enjoyed it a lot, as we even got struck by a sandstorm! I’ve experienced rain, hail and even snow but I’ve never encountered a sandstorm in a Formula 1 car, so that was quite incredible.

“You must try to reduce camber as much as possible, in order to put the maximum amount of the surface of the rubber on the asphalt to achieve good braking and traction.” Continued the Spaniard, “You need to reduce downforce because of the large number of straights. It is quite a standard circuit in terms of pit stops. I expect teams to carry out two-stop strategies since the tyres are holding out longer this year and the new Pirelli profile is very beneficial to make the most out of the rubber.”

The heat was noticeable on Thursday afternoon in Bahrain

Coupled with the track layout, heat and sand the fourth round of the Championship is once again shaping up to be all about tyre management. Last weekend in China, Nico Rosberg surprised the field and managed his tyres in superlative fashion. It looks as though the same trick is once again going to be the winner in Bahrain.

Why Mercedes must stay grounded

Not many people expected Mercedes to bounce back from their tyre struggles with a win last weekend. The car was fast as always during qualifying, and less hurtful on its rubber. It was a long time coming, for both the team, and Nico Rosberg, who was undoubtedly the happiest person on Sunday afternoon. Nevertheless, it's very early times, and there's quite a few reasons why the German team shouldn't get carried away with their temporary success.

Rosberg on his way to pole position

China offered a mixture of cold and slightly warm conditions for the field. Tyre degradation was less of an issue than in Malaysia, for instance, where even during rainy moments it was warmer than in Shanghai. Obviously as the temperatures rise, the tyres degrade at a faster rate. This heat was no friend to Mercedes. This car seems to warm up its tyres slightly faster than the rest of the cars. It is all down to an aggressive, qualifying-based setup, where downforce is increased, ultimately leading to faster tyre degradation. This setup tends to favor better lap times, but in the long-run, it's a massive disadvantage, since you would like to conserve your tyres as much as possible in the race.

As no setup changes are allowed between the end of qualifying and the race, the configuration that you prepared ahead of qualifying is the one you will be using for the rest of the weekend. This is where Mercedes come into the picture. They claimed that the car was visibly faster in qualifying due to their aggressive setup, and they did not expect that configuration to hurt them to such an extent in the race. Now, while that may be true, the heat did impact their performance, and there's probably more to it than just simple setup balancing.

In China, either Mercedes have decided to indeed balance the quali-race configuration, and the car has improved just that much in the course of three weeks, or they gambled and used the same aggressive setup, as they knew the temperatures were rather cool for the weekend and that would save their tyres. Considering the circumstances, it was probably down to the low temperatures, rather than a miraculous setup optimization, while having a ferocious speed.

Seeing as temperatures are expected to be as high as 31 degrees all throughout the weekend, Mercedes will most likely opt to run a more race-oriented setup to conserve the rubber. That would mean a little less speed in qualifying, and a better performance on Sunday. The field might be closer to them in case they end up in front in the qualifying session, but it's not worth risking it and playing all their cards in qualifying. The points are handed after the race, and that is what Mercedes should be focusing on while staying grounded.

Bahrain GP Preview: Into the Heat

Two things are certain as we head into the fourth round of the 2012 season: riots and heat. After two races gambled in mixed and cold conditions, it's time to head into the warm climate of the politically unstable Bahrain. Three races into the season, and so far we have three different winners. The big question is who can pop up as a surprise player and scramble the drivers standings from such a competitive field. 

Bahrain is the fourth round in this year's calendar 

Mercedes jumped to the top of the times and positions in China with a solid win, after many have written them off due to their tyre management issues. No doubt, the all-German team have made progress and seemed to have redeemed their problems. At least under cold and mixed conditions. Whether they can replicate their performance this weekend remains to be seen, as hot weather generally means higher tyre degradation. The Bahrain International Circuit has quite a few long straights, so their double DRS system will definitely come in handy during qualifying. 

McLaren were left playing catch-up in qualifying in China, but came alive during the race. Obviously, the car is among the fastest, and with Button famous for his smooth rubber management, they have just as much to look forward to as Mercedes. Hamilton will most likely perform well during qualifying, as he always does, but his racecraft needs some more polishing. He'll at least be glad to start the race without a gearbox penalty this time.

Lotus were slightly behind McLaren in China. That is, until Kimi Raikkonen's faulty strategy proved to be an unsuccessful gamble, as he was running 2nd until the final 10 laps, only to be rocketed to the back of the field due to blistered tyres. Grosjean finally got his first points after a solid run during the race. If the team can sort out their car's updates, and improve on their pit stops, they have a chance to snatch a podium, and possibly even challenge for a win.

Red Bull have been playing "the average team" game for a while now, and will most likely be looking for a podium slot, at least for one of their cars. Rest assured, Vettel would definitely like to be in that car. The RB8 is fast at times, but underperforms during qualifying, which will be a disadvantage during the race, as there are not many chances for overtaking. Webber seems to enjoy his new exhaust layout, and apparently gives him a boost, so the team might apply the same design on Vettel's car, whether he likes it or not. 

Ferrari are obviously feeling skeptical heading to Bahrain. After a miraculous win in Malaysia under mixed conditions, the Italians were left disappointed with 9th best in China under dry conditions. With rain almost completely out of the question this weekend, Ferrari will most likely continue to struggle until the European season kicks off and they implement the "B" version of the F2012. Massa is still kicking the dust off his car, as he's the only driver among the older teams not to score a point. The clock is ticking, Felipe. 

Sauber were lightning quick in qualifying last weekend, but lost the performance during the race. Kobayashi had a bad start and Perez could do no better than 11th, leaving him out of the points. The C31 is impressive on a one lap run, but the team surely need to sort out their racecraft if they wish to stay ahead of the others. \

On form

Nico Rosberg displayed a stunning performance as he took his first win last weekend. He will be looking to replicate his speed in qualifying and manage his tyres as best as possible to stay ahead of the others. The Mercedes has got the pace, but so far we've only seen it perform well in cold conditions. 

Rosberg celebrates his maiden win

Out of form

As mentioned above, Felipe Massa's clock is ticking. And it's ticking fast. He has yet to score a point this season, while Alonso has a total of 37 next to his name. And with ongoing rumors regarding Perez testing with Ferrari between the 1st and 3rd of May in Italy, Felipe now needs a stunning performance, or he might as well start packing. 

One to watch

Michael Schumacher has been plagued by bad luck recently. After Grosjean took him out in Malaysia, his pit crew failed to attach a tyre on his car during one of his pit stops in China. A real shame, since the veteran was running to beat his team mate for a win, and a podium at least would have been possible. He'll be looking for a trouble-free weekend this time around. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All in all, we are finally set for a proper run under dry and warm conditions, which might suggest who is the  fastest at the moment and whether the power distribution will bounce from team-to-team in every race. The Bahrain Grand Prix has never been particularly exciting in any season, but there's much to look forward to this time around. 

China analysis - Mercedes back in the hunt

When Mercedes took over Brawn - then reigning champions - ahead of the 2010 season, they probably didn’t expect to have to wait quite so long for a win. The waiting at last paid off on Sunday, as Nico Rosberg - in his 111th Grand Prix - finally scored the victory everyone knew he was capable of. More encouraging still for Ross Brawn’s squad, the nature of his triumph suggested that in their innovative W03 car, they may now have a genuine title contender.

Mercedes and Rosberg celebrate their victory in China

Mercedes
Nico Rosberg, P1
Michael Schumacher, retired lap 13, loose wheel
You would never have put money on Nico Rosberg and Mercedes winning what was always going to be a tyre race, but they didn’t just win but dominated. The German thus became only the second son of a world champion to win a Grand Prix, and scored Mercedes’ first victory in the team’s current form and the Silver Arrows’ first since Fangio won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza back in 1955. It was a superb and unexpected result that confirmed Ross Brawn’s claim that they had got to the bottom of their tyre wear issues from Australia and Malaysia.

It was disappointing that Schumacher retired when a wheel was incorrectly fitted in his first pit stop (for which the team were later fined for an unsafe release from the pit lane), as he would have challenged Rosberg strongly in a likely Mercedes 1-2. The success, which owed something to the team’s unique DRS front and rear wing system which was declared legal by the FIA over the weekend after a protest from Lotus, might well signal a consistent challenge for the title for the team in 2012.

McLaren
Jenson Button, P2
Lewis Hamilton, P3
Button was delayed 6.5s in his final stop by a rear-wheel problem, and that put him back out in the middle of the second-place train rather than ahead of it. It’s debatable whether he might have been able to close down Rosberg without that. Hamilton rued the gearbox change that dropped him from second on the grid to seventh for the start, and said without that he could have done better than his third place - his third of the year. But his consistency puts him at the top of the drivers’ points table, two ahead of Button, as McLaren extended their constructors’ lead.

Red Bull
Mark Webber, P4
Sebastian Vettel, P5
Three races in, and Red Bull have yet to win. Webber’s chances looked to have taken a dive when he was the first to stop, as early as the sixth lap, to switch from the soft Pirellis to the mediums, but it was a great strategy. Despite a near-miss repeat of his Valencian backflip of 2010 when he wheelied his RB8 over the Turn 13 kerb on one lap, the Australian made the most of a three-stop strategy to snatch fourth from Vettel on the 54th lap. The world champion went for a two stopper in his RB8, which was of course still equipped with the old exhaust system after his disappointing qualifying, and was running second until the 52nd lap when his tyres just went past their best and he fell prey first to Button, then Hamilton and, finally, Webber.

Lotus
Romain Grosjean, P6
Kimi Raikkonen, P14
Raikkonen was right in the thick of the fight for the podium and was running second for a long time before his extended final stint took its toll on his tyres and saw him plunge suddenly from the runner-up slot to an unhappy 14th. Grosjean was also right in the fight and brought his E20 home a great sixth to score his first world championship points in style.

Williams
Bruno Senna, P7
Pastor Maldonado, P8
On the eve of Sir Frank Williams’ 70th birthday his drivers put in great performances to take seventh and eighth places right in the thick of the second-place train, and an excellent haul of 10 points. Senna’s performance, in particular, underlined his strong run in the previous race in Malaysia, while Maldonado kept his cool for his first points of the year. The Venezuelan also set the fourth-fastest race lap.

Ferrari
Fernando Alonso, P9
Felipe Massa, P13
Ferrari’s lack of top speed kept Alonso and Massa in the thick of the traffic for the whole race, as both struggled unsuccessfully to break free. That in turn hurt the tyres, so it was a vicious circle. Ninth, behind the Williams, was the best Alonso could do, but while Massa was only 13th there were signs that he was making progress in his personal battle with a confusing car. His best race lap, though only 14th fastest, was only a tenth off Alonso’s.

Sauber
Kamui Kobayashi, P10
Sergio Perez, P11
Sauber had a brutally disappointing day which saw Kobayashi fade immediately from his third place on the grid thanks to a slow launch. He was overtaken by Perez, who led again briefly and looked racey on the soft Pirellis. But both cars lost performance on the mediums, and a clutch problem further delayed the Mexican in each of his two stops.

Force India
Paul di Resta, P12
Nico Hulkenberg, P15
Force India had a disappointing race, and Di Resta said he just lacked the sheer pace to get himself into the thick of the fight for points. Hulkenberg made a poor start with too much wheelspin, and picked up some debris damage to his front wing on the opening lap. That gave him massive understeer until the nose was changed at the first stop, and cost him any chance of fighting for a decent result.

Toro Rosso
Jean-Eric Vergne, P16
Daniel Ricciardo, P17
Vergne started from the pit lane after the team reverted to a Melbourne/Sepang set-up on his car. The French rookie drove like a demon to make up places and to set the second-fastest race lap, but Ricciardo had a tough opening stint and confirmed that here the STR7 basically lacked pace.

Caterham
Vitaly Petrov, P18
Heikki Kovalainen, P23
Petrov said he got the best from his car and was pleased to avoid being lapped until the very last lap, since it demonstrated the progress the team are making. Kovalainen scrapped enthusiastically with him, but was later delayed by an undisclosed problem with the right rear wheel.

Marussia
Timo Glock, P19
Charles Pic, P20
The team’s third two-car finish of 2012 kept them in 10th place overall, and they were also boosted by another superb performance by rookie Pic who pushed experienced team mate Glock all the way to finish just three-tenths of a second behind. Further underlining the quiet progress being made here, they weren’t far behind Petrov’s Caterham.

HRT
Pedro de la Rosa, P21
Narain Karthikeyan, P22
HRT were very happy to finish the race, make progress and have De la Rosa only a lap down in a hard-fought race.

Mercedes: Tyre degradation is the main focus

Mercedes vice president of motorsport Norbert Haug says the team has been working on how it can improve its tyre usage since the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Schumacher slides on the grass

The team has been the focus of a lot of interest so far this season as its innovative DRS system gives it qualifying performance that it has been unable to reproduce in the opening two races. At Sepang, Michael Schumacher qualified a close third behind the McLaren pair of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button but could only finish tenth while Nico Rosberg was out of the points.

Haug admitted that the lack of race pace was a concern for Mercedes, but said a number of lessons had since been learnt that he hoped would improve the performance in China next weekend.

"The first two races of the 2012 Formula One season have been ones of unfulfilled promise for our team," Haug said. "Michael's second row qualifying positions were less than half a second from pole in Australia and Malaysia, however at both events we did not convert our qualifying speed into a consistent race performance on Sunday when it counts.

"Since the last race in Malaysia, the team has conducted analysis of our tyre usage during the first two rounds, and how we can improve. The Chinese Grand Prix will provide an answer on our progress, although weather conditions and circuit characteristics will be different to either Melbourne or Malaysia ... Our team has been hard at work since Malaysia, and we hope to be able to translate our learning process into consistent and competitive lap times on race day in China."

Bahrain Grand Prix set to be canceled

Formula 1′s governing body kept a close eye on the situation in Bahrain on Friday, as things were starting to take a turn for the worst. All signs hint towards the cancellation of the Grand Prix, as the civil unrest continues to plague the country. 

Protests continue against the grand prix in Bahrain

On a day when protestors clashed with police while more than 5,000 people demonstrated in the north of the capital Manama to demand the release of a jailed activist on hunger strike, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) made clear that it was aware of the latest events.

“The FIA is constantly monitoring and evaluating the situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain,” said a spokesman for the Paris-based body.

“We are in daily touch with the highest authorities, the main European embassies and of course the local promoters at BIC (Bahrain International Circuit) as well as the international promoter.

“The FIA is the guarantor of the safety at the race event and relies, as it does in every other country, on the local authorities to guarantee security,” added the FIA.

“In this respect we have been repeatedly assured by the highest authorities in Bahrain that all security matters are under control.”

Last year’s race in Bahrain was postponed, reinstated and then cancelled due to a February uprising and bloody crackdown. The kingdom has been in turmoil for more than a year with regular opposition party marches and rallies and clashes between riot police and youths in Shi’ite districts involving tear gas and petrol bombs.

Bahrain, the first Middle Eastern country to host a Formula One race, has a strong presence in the sport. Sheikh Abdulla bin Isa al-Khalifa sits on the FIA’s decision-making motor sport council while Bahrain also owns 50 percent of McLaren.

Lotus: New parts, power steering and pit stops

Following back-to-back races at the start of the season the teams are now looking to the development race during the three-week gap between Malaysia and China.

Grosjean will be looking to avoid further collisions 

While last year's car proved difficult to develop, the Lotus E20 is a much more rounded machine and with Kimi Raikkonen qualifying within 0.25s of pole position at Sepang. A small improvement could prove crucial in what is such a tight field.

Lotus technical director James Allison hopes that upgrades brought to the Chinese Grand Prix will give the team "two tenths of a second improvement".

"We're bringing new parts which should add up to around two tenths of a second improvement in lap time," Allison said. "It may not sound like much, but given how close the grids have been so far this season, that is a big deal. Hopefully, it's a bit more than other people will bring…"

Allison also revealed that one area the team would be looking to improve was in the pit lane.

"We have to continue improving the lap time of the car and for that we're looking at improvement in all areas. A specific area we've identified for improvement is pit stop times and we are focusing a greater amount of engineering effort in this direction. The areas we are looking at include the wheel nuts and wheel guns. Looking at our opposition it is clear there are gains to be made in this area."

Raikkonen's power steering is being worked on

While Raikkonen was close to the pole time in Malaysia, he's still not happy with the power steering in the car. Allison revealed that he believes Raikkonen is also losing a bit of time due to a lack of precise feedback through the wheel.

"Our latest set-up now gives Kimi sufficient assistance in the high speed, high load corners, but we still have yet to give him a power steering unit which offers the finesse he wants. We're making progress in this area, but the way Kimi drives the car is to find the limit on the front axle and then adjust the car very delicately around that limit; he can only do that if the steering is giving him exquisite feedback. We are working hard to provide him with perfect equipment so that he can deliver those last few tenths in qualifying."

Argentina to replace Korea in 2013 calendar

The Italian media reports that Argentina is set to sign a 3 year deal in May and replace the Korean GP. AutoSprint reports that the organisers of the Korean event are currently facing some financial difficulties, but are attempting to renegotiate their contract with Bernie Ecclestone.

The Argentinian track is set to become a street circuit, but Tilke will be responsible for the layout. GP count will still be at 20 GP's for 2013.

Layout of the new street circuit in Argentina

Amid question marks about the future of the Yeongam GP, race promoter Won-Hwa Park has admitted that the event faces financial difficulties because of the huge hosting fee that had been agreed before he arrived in his current role.

With a fresh mandate from the South Jeolla provincial government to try and reduce costs, Mr. Park has said that the key factor going forwards is in trying to bring down the outgoings - which includes the race hosting fee.

According to local media, the cost for the race this year stands at £52 million - which includes a £35 million fee for hosting and television rights. The current deal with Formula One Management, which runs until 2016, includes a 10 per cent escalator for hosting rights over its duration. With income from tickets estimated to be around £16 million, the venue is currently loss making unless financial support can be got from the national government.

Despite widespread speculation last weekend that the financial situation could mean Korea elects to drop its event off the calendar as early as next year, Park is determined to do what he can to keep the race going.

In an exclusive interview with AUTOSPORT explaining the future of the Korean GP, Park said: "We are trying hard, but we need the co-operation of Mr. Bernie Ecclestone. We certainly want to continue with this event because it is a big event, even though we have losses.

Korea is currently under the threat to be removed from next year's calendar

"We want to give this region momentum by holding this event to help boost its economy and to boost the image, and to change our farming background in this region."

When asked what the situation would be if Ecclestone was unwilling to change the terms of the original deal, Park said: "It is too early for me to say at the moment."

He added: "He knows perfectly well our current situation, and I hope he is more co-operative."

Speaking about the focus of his efforts since he took over, Park said: "My main focus has been on reducing the costs as much as possible.

"This is the core issue. Some local people in this region are against the race because of a big financial loss in hosting the race and organising this event.

"Those citizens, who have a background as farmers and are normally poor, want to have the funds distributed for other purposes rather than be used for this so-far unpopular event.

"At the same time, I must increase the awareness of motor sport so that people and citizens understand what we are doing. This would be an indirect way to convince the national government. Motor racing is not known here as much as it is in other developed countries."

Why Red Bull have been struggling so far

"At the moment it's almost as though the car decides when it is the fastest, and when it is not" - Sebastian Vettel

It's rather unusual not to see Vettel's first finger waving around parc ferme after a pole position. That's probably because there is no pole position this year for the Red Bull team. Yet. While the squad is playing catch-up so far, there's bound to be a race this season where we'll see them on top again. 

Vettel lands the Red Bull on the grass

Obviously it's been a frustrating start to the season for the double champs. The RB8 was claimed title favorite in pre-season testing, so arriving in Australia, Vettel and the crew had high expectations, which later turned to dust. Not only was the Red Bull unable to clinch pole, it was off the top 5. Malaysia was a similar story, albeit Webber managed to secure 4th place, while the double world champion was left baffled by his collision with Karthikeyan and was well out of the points. 

What went wrong after a dominating campaign? 

The answer lies in two key words: blown diffuser. What is a blown diffuser, you ask? Let's put it this way. On road cars, the engine exhaust exits are normally located at the rear of the car. On a Formula One car they are deliberately located in front of the rear wheels so that the hot, fast flowing exhaust gases can be channelled towards the car’s rear diffuser. This increases airflow through the diffuser and in turn increases the amount of downforce the diffuser produces. This particular amount of downforce was Red Bull's strongest point last season and the reason for their speed. 

This year the FIA has banned the blown diffuser design, so Red Bull were basically forced to re-design their car and focus on a different exhaust system. This proved a severe blow under the belt, as they lost a significant amount of downforce, so the car feels a lot less comfortable than last year. And when the car feels uncomfortable, it's hard to enjoy the advantage we saw in 2011. 

Vettel talking to the media in Malaysia

Of course, this regulation applied to all teams, but they were not relying on the blown diffuser design last season as much as Red Bull. It obviously hurt everyone, but not to the same extent. Nevertheless, new innovative constructions are quickly emerging, and Red Bull are expected to bounce back sooner than later. Don't expect them to stay off the pace too long, especially with Adrian Newey on board. 

Ferrari to copy Sauber's development

"No doubt. Sauber were quicker than us last weekend." - Fernando Alonso

'Ferrauber' to contain rear elements of the Sauber

Ferrari is planning to follow Sauber’s lead when the first major development of the disappointing F2012 car is unveiled soon.

The Italian magazine Autosprint have mischievously christened the updated Ferrari a ‘Ferrauber’, explaining that the rear of the ‘B’ F2012 will be very similar to Sauber’s impressive C31. Right at the end of the pre-season test period, Red Bull rolled out a Sauber-esque solution at the rear of Adrian Newey’s 2012 car, the RB8.

In the wake of the blown diffuser clampdown, the Sauber exhaust layout reportedly flies close to breaching the spirit of the 2012 rules, but the FIA has declared it legal. “We are not in a position to be able to say exactly how much aerodynamic influence each individual system has,” said the governing body’s technical delegate Charlie Whiting.

“Hence, it’s impossible for us to say ‘That’s too much, or that’s ok’. The aim of the new regulation was to ensure that we don’t have to do that,” he explained.

So, Ferrari looks to be the next in line to copy Sauber’s rear solution, particularly as the small Swiss team already uses Ferrari’s engine and gearbox. It is believed the new 2012 Ferrari gearbox is narrower than last year’s unit. Autosprint reports that the F2012 ‘Ferrauber’ will also be similar to the Sauber in the area of the sidepods.

Bahrain Grand Prix still a big question mark

After the messages of reassurance from Bahrain GP organisers this week and the show of the support from the F1 bosses and teams, events on the ground in the country this weekend have raised further questions about what might happen over the next three weeks as we count down to the scheduled race date of April 22nd.

Bahrain still hasn't received the green light

Protests this weekend saw a fatality as local militia shot dead a man who, according to a Reuters report quoting the man’s cousin, was “taking pictures of a demonstration when what he described as “militia members” in an unmarked car opened fire on him.”

Protests are happening almost every day, according to reports, often ending in violence. On Sunday two small protests took place in Shia villages, specifically targetted at the Grand Prix, calling on the authorities to cancel the event.

More worryingly for the image of F1, on Saturday a protester throwing missiles at the police was seen to be wearing the iconic Prancing Horse logo of Ferrari on his back, showing the uncomfortable mix of sporting icons and political struggle, which gives fuel to those who argue that the sport has no business mixing itself with the politics of the country at a difficult time. Ecclestone told me this week that he has no problem with F1 being used by the country’s rulers to send out a message that the country is moving forwards, the race being positioned as “a force for good”,

“We’d be happy to do whatever,” he said. “I don’t see that we can help much but we’re there, we have confidence in Bahrain. The good thing about Bahrain is that it’s more democratic than most places. The people there are allowed to speak what they want and they can protest what they want to.”

Meanwhile it has also been emerged in the German media that the teams have a back up plan to get personnel and freight back to Europe from Shanghai via Dubai in the event that the situation escalates to such a degree that it is considered safer to call the race off at short notice. It is the belief of many within the F1 community that this will happen, at some point during the Chinese GP weekend. McLaren personnel are privately particularly concerned as the team is half owned by the investment arm of the Bahraini ruling family.

However that was far from the message from Ecclestone, the event’s organisers and the team principals who attended last week’s lunch at the RAC Club in London, making for a confusing picture just three weeks before personnel are due to arrive in Manama.

From: JA.com

Why the Chinese GP is Massa's last chance

Massa remains in the Ferrari factory to work on solutions

Felipe Massa has reached a critical point in his career. He is constantly bombarded by rumors from every side, each and every bit of information suggesting his time is up. Even though Ferrari are not yet willing to give up on the Brazilian, the clock certainly is ticking and it won't be long before everyone runs out of patience. 

In the last two races, Massa endured his worst start of a season at Ferrari. Although the team doesn't have the fastest car, and is arguably part of only the midfield, the Brazilian was miles away from Fernando Alonso's pace in both races. The team have quickly jumped to the driver's defense.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: autosport.com

Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali says Felipe Massa's performance during the 2008 season should act as a reminder that the Brazilian's poor start to 2012 can be overcome. Massa failed to score a point in the first two races of 2008, but then went on to fight for the title until the final grand prix of the season, where he lost out to Lewis Hamilton by just one point.

Massa locks up in FP1 in Malaysia

The Ferrari driver has not been on the podium since the 2010 Korean Grand Prix, and he has endured a tough start to the season, having not scored any points yet to his team-mate Fernando Alonso's 35. 

"I well remember that, four years ago, in fact right after a Malaysian Grand Prix, which was won for us by Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe was more or less in the same situation as today," said Domenicali on Ferrari's website. "The papers were demanding his immediate replacement and he managed to react in the best way possible, thanks to support from the team, which saw him win two of the next three races.

"We remember how that particular season ended, with the Brazilian actually world champion, even if it was just for a few seconds, while we took our 16th constructors' title.

"Felipe has changed his plans and, instead of heading home to see his family in Brazil, he will be in Maranello tomorrow to work alongside the engineers to calmly analyse everything that happened in these past two races, trying to identify why he was not able to deliver what he is capable of.

"That's the right spirit and we are here, ready to help him."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even though this is heartwarming and a surprising approach from Ferrari, it's coming from a team that sacked a driver who still had a contract for 2010. Words should never be taken for granted in Formula 1, though it should certainly give Massa some encouragement for his preparations. And considering recent talks around the paddock that the team contacted Jenson Button last season to offer him Massa's place, it's becoming evident that Ferrari are indeed shuffling their plans in case Massa truly fails to deliver. According to various sources, Sergio Perez and Jarno Trulli are on the top of the list. 

One thing is certain: Massa has to deliver some results, and these results must come immediately during the weekend in China. He almost certainly lost his seat for next season at Ferrari, but now he must work hard if he wishes to keep it warm for himself this year too.