[b]Pos Driver Nationality Team Points [/b]
1 Fernando Alonso Spanish Renault 111
2 Kimi Räikkönen Finnish McLaren-Mercedes 86
3 Michael Schumacher German Ferrari 55
4 Juan Pablo Montoya Colombian McLaren-Mercedes 50
5 Jarno Trulli Italian Toyota 43
6 Giancarlo Fisichella Italian Renault 41
7 Ralf Schumacher German Toyota 37
8 Rubens Barrichello Brazilian Ferrari 35
9 Jenson Button British BAR-Honda 30
10 Mark Webber Australian Williams-BMW 29
11 Nick Heidfeld German Williams-BMW 28
12 David Coulthard British Red Bull Racing 21
13 Jacques Villeneuve Canadian Sauber-Petronas 9
14 Felipe Massa Brazilian Sauber-Petronas 8
15 Tiago Monteiro Portuguese Jordan-Toyota 7
16 Alexander Wurz Austrian McLaren-Mercedes 6
=18 Narain Karthikeyan Indian Jordan-Toyota 5
=18 Christian Klien Austrian Red Bull Racing 5
=20 Christijan Albers Dutch Minardi-Cosworth 4
=20 Pedro de la Rosa Spanish McLaren-Mercedes 4
21 Patrick Friesacher Austrian Minardi-Cosworth 3
22 Antonio Pizzonia Brazilian Williams-BMW 2
=24 Takuma Sato Japanese BAR-Honda 1
=24 Vitantonio Liuzzi Italian Red Bull Racing 1
[b]Pos Constructor Points[/b]
1 Renault 152
2 McLaren-Mercedes 146
3 Ferrari 90
4 Toyota 80
5 Williams-BMW 59
6 BAR-Honda 31
7 Red Bull Racing 27
8 Sauber-Petronas 17
9 Jordan-Toyota 12
10 Minardi-Cosworth 7
Incensed Intel may ignore F1
McLaren may miss out on a $50m sponsorship deal because computer chip maker Intel is reportedly furious with the FIA.
Britain's 'Daily Telegraph' newspaper suggested that even Toyota could lose its small existing deal because the governing body is now too closely tied with Intel rival AMD.
A Monza announcement of the 2006 McLaren deal was apparently delayed after Max Mosley appeared in the Friday press conference with the FIA's new 'technology advisor', AMD's Henri Richard.
AMD and Intel are locked in a legal dispute regarding alleged anti-competitive behaviour.
BMW wanted Schumacher
BMW's Mario Theissen has revealed that he asked Michael Schumacher if he wanted to switch formula one teams in 2007.
"I would be negligent if I did not speak to the best drivers," the German answered. "I have, however, the impression that Michael wants to end his career with Ferrari."
Of course, the likely 2006 Hinwil-based BMW team principal knew that Schumacher, 36, would not really be interested. After all, a BMW-powered Sauber is not going to steer quickly to the front of the grand prix grid.
"I am expecting that Williams will have the stronger package next year," Theissen, referring to BMW's six-year team partner, continued. "This is a reality that we mustn't ignore."
The V8-V10 question
'Engine equivalence' is a buzzword in F1 technical circles at the moment.
In a nutshell, manufacturers and most teams are desperate that their brand-new-for-2006 2.8 litre V8 power plants are not out-paced by a dusty old Minardi.
BMW's Mario Theissen is the most outspoken, particularly since the obviously well financed Red Bull snapped up Minardi and vowed to go ahead with Paul Stoddart's plans to stick with a rev limited V10 in 2006.
The German says the V10 option was mooted by the FIA as an 'emergency solution' for cash strapped small teams. At the moment, the detail of exactly how the V10 will be cut down by 200hp is lacking. "It is essential that the V10 restrictions will be defined so that if you want to win a race, you must have a V8," the BMW boss told Motorsport Aktuell. He added: "Otherwise, everyone has a V10 already on the shelf."
Theissen is worried that merely with a rev-limit, the V10 could still be more powerful - or have more torque - in the slower corners. There is a real fear, for example, that Scott Speed - in a 'Red Bull Rookie' car - drives through the field to win at slow circuits like Monaco or Hungary.
Dr Mario Theissen added: "The V10 must be limited so that not only maximum performance is compromised, but (so too is) the performance in the entire range."
Toyota to build second tunnel
Clearly, Toyota is sparing no expense in the chase for F1 victory. The Cologne based team said it will build a second 50 per cent wind tunnel at the German HQ.
"The new (tunnel) will double-up as an aerodynamic research centre for other Toyota ... activities around the world," said executive vice president Yoshiaki Kinoshita.
Construction will begin next month, with the tunnel up-and-running by the start of 2007. More immediately, Japan-owned Toyota's F1 challenge is to beat Ferrari to third in the 2005 championship. "We are only ten points behind," Italian driver Jarno Trulli noted.
Fuelling high performance
It’s what victories are made of: in Formula 1, petrol is one of the most important components for good performance. In the laboratories of the petroleum companies, scientists are constantly searching for the ultimate formula for the best petrol to give their team a crucial advantage on the track.
The battle over seconds requires that refuelling must also be carried out rapidly. Twelve litres per second are pumped into the tank of a Formula 1 car during its pitstop. The tank is located below and behind the driver’s seat, and consists of a deformable Kevlar casing which protects the driver against fire in case of a crash. Only unleaded ‘super’ petrol compliant with EU standards is permitted, the same petrol available at the service station around the corner.
This was not always the case. Back in the founding years of Formula 1, the mixture was left up to the chemists. They brewed aggressive mixtures from substances such as benzene, methanol, acetone and nitrobenzene, some of which had to be drained from the engine immediately after practice and races. Without this precaution, the engine would not have survived the night. Later on, kerosene was used until the late 1960s, before the list of admissible additives was increasingly narrowed by the sport’s governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l`Automobile (FIA), for the protection of drivers and mechanics.
WilliamsF1 Team Manager Dickie Stanford remembers:
“The petrol used to be dangerous for anybody who came into contact with it. Before each Grand Prix, we would therefore locate a hospital which was able to deal with burns caused by our petrol in case of an emergency.”
The petroleum companies experimented with more than 300 mixtures per season up until the early 1990s. It took until 1993 for the FIA to specify that Formula 1 petrol had to comply with all the safety and health regulations of the EU. The performance of the race cars remained entirely unaffected. This is because the development of the petrol, of which approximately 200,000 litres are used for research, tests and races each season, is still conducted on a highly professional level by the manufacturers. In their search for the best mixture and the extra shot of power for those crucial split seconds, the engineers can mix and burn petrol virtually, without actually having to produce the fuel. Some of the teams have developed their computer technology so that the virtual petrol can even be tested in a virtual engine.
In most cases, the ultimate formula is quickly found, although the realisation of it is far from easy. The demands on the petrol used to put the race cars on course for success are considerable: it should not only give the engine maximum power, but also be very light and economical to use, so that the car’s weight can be kept low and refuelling stops kept short. Perfect petrol is a competitive advantage which should not be underestimated. The fact that it allows driving one or two laps more than the competition can alone be decisive for the result of the race.
Consumption is one of each team’s best-kept secrets because it is the most important part of the race strategy. Experts estimate that a Formula 1 car uses approximately 70 litres per 100 kilometres. In Formula 1, as in everyday traffic, the amount of fuel used is heavily dependent on the style of driving. Cars consume the largest amount of fuel when accelerating. Driving with foresight requires less braking and, as a consequence, also requires less acceleration. This is where the potential for saving is greatest.
“When accelerating, the throttle should be opened in a measured manner and the gear should already be shifted up to the next higher one at around 2,000rpm,” Dr. Hartmuth Wolff of the Allianz Center for Technology (AZT) recommends. “During long idle periods, it is worthwhile to switch off the engine. After only 30 seconds of the engine not running, the saved fuel has already exceeded the amount required for restarting the engine.”
The composition of normal service station petrol is specified by law. The FIA ensures that only the fuel permitted in Formula 1 is used. Each team must submit a sample of its petrol before the season. On Grand Prix weekends, the FIA technicians take random samples from the cars, which are then analysed and compared with the submitted fuel sample in a special laboratory on site at the race track. If the samples do not match up, the stewards can issue a penalty. In the worst case, the team in question can be disqualified.
Did you know... that a Formula 1 car is more fuel-efficient than a normal passenger car? While a 900bhp racing car uses 0.78 litres of petrol per bhp, a compact-class car with 75bhp uses 0.093 litres.
RED BULL AIMS FOR TITLE GLORY
Red Bull Racing Sporting Director Christian Horner reckons his team can eventually overcome the mighty car manufacturers and become world championship contenders.
Horner said he wants to emulate the achievements of Benetton – the Italian clothing company that bought its own Formula 1 team and ultimately took Michael Schumacher to his first two titles in 1994/5.
"We won't be content until we are competing at the front, that's what racing is all about,” he told Sporting Life.
"That is very difficult for an independent team but not impossible.
“If a clothing company can do it 10 years ago then why can't a drinks company?”
Red Bull has brought in a large number of new staff since taking over the former Jaguar team at the end of 2005, as well as buying Minardi to run as a ‘junior’ arm from 2006.
Horner is confident that he now has “all the right ingredients” to turn RBR from regular points scorers into winners and title contenders.
“The foundations have been laid for the future and you can see with the personnel we have recruited in recent months they are all good people and from winning backgrounds,” he said.
“The rudiments are coming together very well."
F1 BRACES ITSELF FOR BRAZILIAN RAIN
Formula 1 figures are preparing themselves for a second consecutive wet race, with many predicting that next weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix will be rain affected.
Until the Belgian Grand Prix, the entire 2005 F1 season had been dry, but the damp conditions turned Spa into one of the most incident filled races so far this year.
Most expect the Brazilian race to be a similar story.
“The weather can be unpredictable in Sao Paulo and I wouldn’t be surprised if we had some rain this year,” said Antonio Pizzonia, who stays with Williams for his home race.
Rain has played a big part in the last two Interlagos races, with Giancarlo Fisichella taking Jordan’s last ever win in the remarkable 2003 event, and Juan Pablo Montoya triumphing last season as the previously dominant Ferraris struggled in the conditions.
"Although the Brazilian Grand Prix has been brought forward in 2005, weather conditions might be similar to those we encountered last year - modest ambient temperatures interspersed with heavy showers,” said Michelin’s motorsport boss Pierre Dupasquier.
Drivers were amazed by how long the track took to dry at Spa last weekend, but Dupasquier warned them to expect more of the same at Interlagos.
“It is a particular feature of this circuit that small rivers form on the track surface,” he said.
“As a result, some parts of the circuit remain wet for quite a long time after the rest has dried."
But Jenson Button – who drove through the field to take a spectacular third in the rain at Spa – is looking forward to the weather shaking things up again in Brazil.
“The race is usually an exciting one with the weather quite often coming into play to liven things up a bit,” he said.
BUTTON SET TO STAY AT BAR
Jenson Button has secured a deal to stay with the BAR-Honda team in 2006 after agreeing a £10 million multi-year deal, according to a report on Autosport's website.
Williams is reported to have accepted a cash deal to release the Briton from his commitments to the team.
The deal brings to an end the long-running dispute between Williams and Button.
Button publicly announced in July that he did not wish to switch teams despite having a binding contract to do so.
While Williams has refused to comment on the news, according to Autosport Button will pay not to drive for the team and will then be re-imbursed by BAR-Honda.
An announcement is expected before the Brazilian Grand Prix, and, should it happen it is likely to shake loose the driver market.
Nico Rosberg is considered a hot favourite to take Button's place in the vacant Williams slot but British hope Anthony Davidson and Antonio Pizzonia are also in the frame.
Button's confirmation alongside Ruben Barrichello in the BAR-Honda race line-up, puts Takuma Sato's position with the team in doubt, unless the Japanese driver is willing to accept a third driver role.
Nick Fry's size 10?rpstewart said:Sato? What's the Japanese equivalent of a P45?
rpstewart said:Sato? What's the Japanese equivalent of a P45?
Still no official news on Button..
As more and more media coverage is given over to 'Button staying at BAR', and ever more fanciful reports as to the terms of the deal, there is still no official word from any other parties involved.
The press officers for both teams appear to have mislaid their mobile phones, and are probably on holiday - maybe even together - as they fail to respond to media requests for any kind of information.
Maybe we'll just have to wait until the beginning of the new season to see which car young Jense is sitting in, assuming he doesn't change his mind in the meantime.
awww thats not fairFlibster said:Superb.
Rain again - but in Brazil it's so much more fun.
Sadly they've improved the drainage at turn 3.
Simon/~Flibster
rpstewart said:Finally an end to Buttongate... I just hope for his sake that BAR turn out to be a decent long term prospect because there's no way that any other team is going to offer him a drive elsewhere in case they get dragged into a similar situation.
It's believed that last week's test at Barcelona witnessed Adobe - creators of Photoshop and (surprise, surprise) Adobe Acrobat - agree a deal whereby Adobe becomes technology provider to Honda. According to reports, Adobe will use the partnership with BAR as a 'test bed for technology developments', while BAR will get full use of Adobe's products for artwork for promotion, PR and various other activities