Hooton resigns from BRDC
The Board of the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) has announced that Alex Hooton, Chief Executive of the BRDC from May 2001 to August 2005 and thereafter Executive Chairman of Silverstone Estates, has tended his resignation to the Board which takes effect on 30 June 2006.
Stuart Rolt, Chairman of the BRDC said, "We would like to thank Alex Hooton for the great contribution he has made to the BRDC over the last 5 years. At all times Alex has worked enthusiastically in the best interests of the Club and for the future of Silverstone and its development on behalf of British motorsport. The Board would like to wish Alex best wishes and success in his future career."
Alex Hooton said, "Being at the centre of British motorsport for the past 5 years has been an exciting and very challenging time, but I thought it was time to move on in my career. I hope I have made a valuable contribution to the Club and I wish the BRDC well in the future."
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2006 Australian Grand Prix - Race 3/18
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View all postsAustralia GP Preview: Super Aguri
Round three of the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship commences next week at the Albert Park street circuit in Melbourne.
Super Aguri heads to Australia encouraged by the performance of the SA05 during its initial races. The team will introduce a further small aero upgrade package at the forthcoming grand prix and concentrate on weight distribution to enable better use of the Bridgestone tyres.
Albert Park is a high downforce circuit featuring a mixture of short straights and slow to medium speed corners along its 5.303km length. The circuit requires the car set-up to have a balance of good traction and stability under braking, in addition to aerodynamic efficiency. Although a popular track with F1 drivers they face the problem of a 'green' and slippery track during the Friday practice sessions and changing conditions to a high-grip surface as the race weekend progresses.
Takuma Sato: "I enjoy visiting Melbourne very much as the city has good food, a friendly atmosphere and, when the weather is fine, great sunshine. The circuit at Albert Park has very different characteristics to the tracks from the first two races. The team will have a new aero update for this race and I think that our car will be better suited to this meandering street circuit. After the opening back-to-back races the team has now had a chance to take a short break and we have also had time to evaluate our performance from the initial races and hopefully make a step forward for the coming grands prix."
Yuji Ide: "I have visited Australia many times and I always liked it. There's only one hour time difference from Japan and the weather is great. I am looking forward to the grand prix in Melbourne and to hopefully finishing a Formula One race for the first time. It has been very disappointing for me to not finish the past two races, especially since all the mechanics are working so hard. I know that there has been a mechanical problem on my car, but I feel very frustrated. I really hope that I will be able to finish the next race in Australia."
Aguri Suzuki, Team Principal: "I always enjoy visiting Australia and I have a house there. This time my visit will be very special because I return to take part in our first ever Australian Formula One Grand Prix. Super Aguri will bring a further front wing development to Australia, so we shall hopefully see an improvement in our performance. I hope that we will be able to move up a position on the grid and see cars 22 and 23 both finishing the race."
Australia GP Preview: BMW
The Formula One circus can look forward to rather cooler conditions in the next Grand Prix of the year following the sweltering heat of the first two races of 2006. Normally the season curtain-raiser, the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne has been given a later slot in the calendar this time around and will take place on 2 April as the third of 18 world championship races.
Since last weekend's Malaysian GP, the BMW Sauber F1 Team has been preparing for the race in Australia with testing at the Paul Ricard circuit in France. Work has focused on making further improvements to reliability and building on the race pace the cars have recently shown.
Nick Heidfeld: "This season's Australian Grand Prix will certainly have a rather different feel about it. To start with, the race has been put back due to the Commonwealth Games, so there won't be that extra buzz you get when it's the first race of the season. And because it's later in the year, it won't be as hot as usual either – the race is a month later than normal and Melbourne will be getting really quite autumnal. The Albert Park circuit is nice to drive, but also a demanding one for the drivers. Because it isn't a permanent race track, there isn't much grip at the start of the weekend. The situation improves with each lap as the cars lay down extra rubber. Australia is my favourite place on the Formula One calendar to travel to and I tend to fly out to Melbourne a few days early to get used to the time difference."
Jacques Villeneuve: "It's always a pleasure to travel to Melbourne, especially if I have bit of time there to relax before the race. I enjoy racing at Albert Park – I like the circuit and am looking forward to the GP. BMW have got a lot of things going on around the grand prix and that in itself will make it an interesting weekend for me. As for our performance, I think the two points we collected in Malaysia show that we can be pretty competitive – and that was psychologically important for the team. Added to which, BMW has proved with my engine that they can react extremely quickly when a problem comes up. There is a very constructive atmosphere within the team. Having said that, the circuit in Australia is another that's heavy on engines, and this will be my second race with the engine I used in Malaysia. So we'll have to exercise a certain amount of caution during the weekend."
Robert Kubica: "Melbourne is the third circuit in a row that will be totally new to me. However, my performances in Bahrain and Malaysia have given me confidence that I can rise to the challenge on basically any track. On the Friday in Sepang I drove more or less an entire GP race distance in extreme climatic conditions without experiencing the slightest problem. Up to now the team have been happy with my work, and my top priority, of course, is to collect as much information as possible in Melbourne in order to help Jacques and Nick in their preparation for the race. I've never been to Australia but I've heard a lot of good things about Melbourne, so I'm really looking forward to this third race of the year."
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director: "We'll experience a different side to Melbourne this year. The Australian Grand Prix isn't the first round of the championship this season and the race has been put back a month into the Australian autumn. The city always gives Formula One an extremely enthusiastic welcome and I'm sure we'll all be won over by the atmosphere again in 2006.
"As far as the demands on the engines are concerned, the nature of the Albert Park track and the expected weather should make for pretty benign conditions. After the blistering heat of Bahrain and Malaysia, it's unlikely we'll be faced with any extremes demanding special preparation for the engines this time. The high number of engine changes made by the teams so far is evidence that the development time allowed for the new V8 powerplants was simply too short. We are now working all-out on reliability. As far as basic speed is concerned we're just about where we want to be, and during the weekend in Melbourne we'll be looking to build on the good race pace we showed in Malaysia.
"The Australian GP is the last in the first batch of overseas races in 2006. After that comes the first extended break of the year, followed by the beginning of the European season at Imola on 23 April."
Willy Rampf, Technical Director Chassis: "Following our good race performance in Malaysia we are confident that we can be similarly competitive in Melbourne. The character of the Albert Park circuit is very different from Bahrain and Sepang. It's a ‘stop-start' kind of track and the layout is similar to Imola, which is why we held our last round of pre-season testing there. The layout of the circuit means that brakes are placed under serious loads in Melbourne and we will therefore focus heavily on braking stability when it comes to car set-up. Another typical feature of Melbourne is that the track is still fairly dirty on the Friday and grip only really improves after a significant number of laps.
"The last race showed how incredibly tight the field is this year. That's why it will be extremely important to get the maximum out of the cars in qualifying."
Zip said:Tasmania is missing from the map of Australia you posted
It's only Australia...
Full of criminals and sheep molesters anyway.
Simon/~Flibster
Zip said:Well thats Tasmania for ya
Its only the Eastern state (Victoria, Tasmania, NSW and QLD) That are convict states.
The rest were settled by settlers
And its New Zealand that molests sheep not us
Who do you thinks going to win this week?
True - it's the convict states that molest each other...
McLaren are again in with a shout.
I suspect Ferrari may well be a bit slower here.
Renault are going to be favourites I think.
Honda will be around McLaren
Williams will be snapping at the heels of McLaren and Honda I think.
Moves afoot in F1's driver camp
Honda's James Rossiter will take over from Franck Montagny as 'reserve' driver for Super Aguri Honda in Melbourne, it has been revealed.
However, with only two A23/SA05 cars up and running, he will not take to the cockpit at Albert Park unless race drivers Takuma Sato or Yuji Ide are ill or injured.
And, after Giorgio Mondini did the driving duties at Sepang, Germany's Markus Winkelhock is to resume the Friday role in Australia for MF1 Toyota.
Meanwhile, in the German Motorsport Aktuell publication, it is suggested that McLaren's Ron Dennis has made an initial approach to F1 youngster Nico Rosberg, following the German's impressive Williams debut.
Both current McLaren Mercedes pilots, Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya, are out of contract at the end of the year and connected with rival teams.
If they should both depart, a 2007 ride would be vacant alongside Fernando Alonso.
For the record, the rumour goes on that any buyout of Rosberg's solid Williams contract could involve the transfer of McLaren property Lewis Hamilton to Frank Williams' team.
“I have a lot of respect for Frank,” Dennis said, “but we would both do anything to win.”
Drugs helped Moss in the '50s
British racing legend Stirling Moss has revealed that he took “pills” prior to a race in the 1950s.
Moss, the greatest driver never to win the Formula 1 world championship, told British tabloids how he had some extra help from his Mercedes team-mate Juan Manuel Fangio en route to his famous victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia – a thousand mile road race that ran from Italy to Germany.
"Fangio gave me some pills to help keep me awake,” said Moss.
“I have no idea what was in them but they certainly worked.”
Moss added, that while performance enhancing substances are now outlawed, in the 1950’s they were more acceptable.
"At the time all the other drivers were taking them. They used Benzedrine and Dexedrine, especially in rallies.
“They would certainly be banned today."
Performance-enhancing drugs are banned in modern F1, much as they are in all major sporting competition, with drivers required to give random urine samples for testing.
GPMA not defeated, says Haug
Lodging team entries with the FIA for 2008 does not mean the GPMA group of carmakers have been defeated, according to Mercedes-Benz's F1 boss Norbert Haug.
“I don't see it like that,” he told the German dpa news agency, “and (the manufacturers) also don't see it that they are now on their knees.”
Indeed, indicating entry for the 2008 championship is not a binding commitment to race, sources explain, and the GPMA is reportedly still willing to launch a rival championship if final negotiations fail.
However, every recent sign suggests that a compromise is on the verge of being reached - if one hasn't already been found - with another boost on Tuesday in the form of F1's new owner (CVC) confirming that its acquisition is now complete.
Even Haug admitted: “I would say the possibility (of a rival series) is fairly small.”
But he suggested that Mercedes, Renault, BMW, Toyota and Honda only signed up for 2008 in order to 'modify the rules' so that they 'correspond to the wishes of the majority of teams'.
Ecclestone worried about Australia future
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that he is 'worried' about the future of the Australian Grand Prix because of an impending ban on tobacco advertising in the country.
This year's event in Melbourne is the last that will be exempt from a ban on cigarette sponsorship - and this could force organisers to pay out compensation from next year under the terms of their deal with Ecclestone.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Ecclestone said today he was unsure of the race's position but said there was a concern about the situation.
"We've always relied on the fact that in Australia we can run with tobacco branding, but I understand now that there may be some problems with that," he said.
"If there's something in the contract that refers to tobacco advertising, obviously it's something to be worried about.
"We've got a contract with Australia and we'll have a look and see exactly what's what."
Melbourne's contract to host the race runs until 2010, after a five-year option was taken up after last season's event.
Ecclestone has also questioned whether Australia will get the opening slot on the calendar again, after being shifted back this year because of Melbourne's hosting of the Commonwealth Games.
He has hinted that the sport may be better having a season-opener that enjoys better television viewing figures in Europe.
"We got very, very good television ratings (for the Bahrain GP), whereas from Australia, we get lousy (early morning) television ratings in Europe," said Ecclestone.
Minardi F1X2 completes first event in Melbourne
The Minardi F1X2 Team today completed its first event of 2006, with a successful programme at Mangalore Airport, north of Melbourne. The F1X2 crew was more than busy, though, as driver, Zsolt Baumgartner, took a single-car, one-day record of 65 lucky passengers for high-speed rides around the 2.65-km course, laid out within the confines of the airfield, located in central Victoria.
The majority of the passengers in this instance were winners of an OzJet promotional competition, although Melbourne chef, Stephen Hewatt, who generously bid AUS$28,000 in a charity auction conducted by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, which assists orphaned and abused children, was also strapped into the F1X2 car for the ride of a lifetime.
"It was just an unbelievable experience," Stephen commented after climbing from the passenger seat at the end of his run, "almost like you're starting to fly. The forces were incredible at times, particularly through the chicane and under braking. How F1 drivers can do this for 60 or 70 laps at a time, I can't begin to comprehend, but there is no doubt they have to be super-fit to deal with it."
Team boss, Paul Stoddart, said, "It has been another hugely successful event for the two-seater programme, and I particularly want to thank Zsolt, the medical and rescue team from Racesafe, and the F1X2 crew, all of whom worked tirelessly, in 30 degree-plus heat, to ensure the passengers received their rides and had a great day. I would also like to recognise the efforts of the management team at Mangalore Airport. The staff here have been fantastically co-operative, and embraced the idea of the two-seater programme from the outset. There is no doubt this has been a wonderful experience for 65 very happy passengers, and continues the two-seater programme's worthy tradition of bringing Formula One closer to the general public."
Cosworth confident in engine fix
After a three-day test in Valencia last week, Cosworth is confident it has found a solution to the engine problem which cause Nico Rosberg's early retirement from the Malaysian Grand Prix.
"Webber and Rosberg will both start the Australian Grand Prix weekend with fresh CA2006 Series 2 engines," said Simon Corbyn, head of F1 race engineering, Cosworth. "The Melbourne engines incorporate an update in response to the failure in Malaysia and this has been tested both on the dyno and in Valencia last week. Feedback on the CA2006 engine performance from the first two races has been very positive so we're looking forward to the weekend in Melbourne."
Williams technical director Sam Michael confirmed solutions had been found to both the team's problems in Malaysia.
"Both cars will have new engines for Melbourne, with an upgrade to the part that failed on Nico's car in Malaysia," Michael said. "The problem on Mark's car in Malaysia was a cracked hydraulics pipe which we have also addressed."
Concorde announcement imminent
The existence of a new commercial F1 (Concorde) agreement, signed by all existing teams to include 2008-2012, will be announced imminently, it is rumoured.
Ending once-and-for-all the conflict between the carmakers' 'GPMA' alliance, the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone, the news would give the weekend's Australian grand prix an atypically unified feel, devoid of tired politics.
'We aim at a compromise,' Bernie told sports magazine Kicker, 'to halve the budgets but still allow the development of technology.'
But Ecclestone, who has now officially relinquished his role as commercial rights holder to confirmed new owner 'CVC', revealed that McLaren's Ron Dennis proved a significant stumbling block to a deal.
'It's typical Ron,' the diminutive Briton, to remain chief executive, told Germany's 'Auto Motor Und Sport'.
Bernie added: 'He wants equality for all but a little bit more for himself.'
Ecclestone, however, suggested that Dennis and carmaker partner Mercedes-Benz were ultimately forced to ditch plans for a rival series.
The 75-year-old revealed that McLaren's contracts for 2007 and beyond with Fernando Alonso and Vodafone were valid only if the silver team raced in the current FIA-run Formula One championship.
Ferrari modify wings for Melbourne
Ferrari have made modifications to their wings in time for this weekend's Australian Grand Prix that should quell rival teams' concerns about flexing parts, autosport.com has learned.
However, the Maranello team insist that the changes are purely for performance reasons and not because of the recent flexi-wing controversy that has engulfed the sport.
Eight of Ferrari's rivals planned to protest Michael Schumacher's car at the Malaysian Grand Prix after television pictures indicated that the front and rear wings of the car were flexing.
The intervention of FIA technical delegate Charlie Whiting, who promised a clarification of the situation before this weekend's Melbourne race, ensured that the protest never materialized.
After McLaren and BMW announced that they were making changes to their rear wings before the Australian race after a verbal request from the FIA, it had been expected that Ferrari would also confirm they too had been requested to make changes.
However, Ferrari continued to insist that there was no problem with their car and that it was fully in compliance with the FIA technical regulations.
When asked by autosport.com at a pre-event press conference about what the team had told him regarding the flexi-wing situation, former champion Michael Schumacher said on Wednesday: "Not very much.
"The car was checked by the FIA and the FIA is the body who decides that the car is okay and is not okay. So if people think that it is not okay that is maybe their opinion, but it does not mean that is the case."
Team sources have revealed, however, that modifications have indeed been made to the wings of the 248 F1 ahead of the Australian Grand Prix - but only to enhance the team's performance.
A source close to Ferrari told autosport.com: "We have made some changes to the wings to improve the performance of our car. We always comply with the requests of the FIA."
Although the claims that changes have been made on purely performance grounds may be viewed cynically by some as a face-saving exercise for Ferrari, it does at least mean that there will probably be no further controversy over the issue.
The FIA has always preferred to ask teams privately to make changes to their cars if there are concerns about issues, rather than allow situations escalate into official post-race protests.
Honda had vowed to introduce their own flexi-wings for this weekend's Australian Grand Prix if the FIA had not acted in getting Ferrari's wings changed for this weekend.
Walker returns to TV commentary
Murray Walker will make his return to television commentary at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix.
The commentating legend, who retired from his role at ITV at the end of 2001, has signed-up to help out with Australian broadcaster Channel 10's coverage of the Melbourne race.
"I will be sitting in the commentary booth interjecting with some thoughts, I will be doing a grid walk and I will be down in the paddock," said Walker, who is now 82.
Walker has been getting more and more involved in the sport again in recent months.
He is expected to provide the commentary for the new Grand Prix Masters series, he will be providing interviews and insight for BBC Radio Five Live and will also provide paddock commentary for Honda guests at selected events this year.
WANTED:
Someone who can provide me with a copy of the Aussie Channel 10 feed.
Simon/~Flibster
Australia GP Preview: WilliamsF1
The WilliamsF1 Team travels to Australia this week for the third round of the Formula One season, the Australian Grand Prix. Moved from its traditional slot as the season's opening race to allow for the Commonwealth Games, the Australian Grand Prix will, for the eleventh time, be held at the picturesque Albert Park circuit in the heart of Victoria's capital, Melbourne.
Despite showing good race pace, the team encountered mixed fortunes in Bahrain and Malaysia and is seeking a more reflective result in Melbourne this Sunday. Having secured seven podium finishes at Albert Park since the Grand Prix moved from Adelaide in 1996, the team is determined to field competitive FW28s for Mark Webber's home race and Nico Rosberg's debut at the Melbourne street circuit.
The Australian Grand Prix will be the final leg of a continuous three race tour for the team before returning home for the start of the European season. The majority of Williams personnel travelled straight to Australia after the Malaysian Grand Prix, while the drivers completed various marketing commitments for the team's sponsors. Nico Rosberg stopped over in Singapore last Tuesday for a dinner with regional representatives from the Royal Bank of Scotland before heading straight to Melbourne a few days early to settle into the time difference. Mark Webber has also been working hard, starting his trip home with a visit to Tasmania to promote the Mark Webber Pure Tasmania Challenge, his personal adventure race which takes place on the Antipodean island after the end of the racing season. Next stop Sydney and a photoshoot for the team's shaving partner, Philips, followed by a VIP track day for RBS at the weekend. Mark flies into Melbourne later this week but, before he can concentrate on the racing, he will be guest of honour at a store opening for Mattel.
The team returned to the test track after the Malaysian Grand Prix with Alex Wurz and Narain Karthikeyan assuming testing responsibilities in Valencia. Developing race specifications for Melbourne, the pair covered over 1,000kms of the Spanish circuit while evaluating optimum tyre compounds for lower temperature conditions and various revised mechanical components as well as validating fixes for the two mechanical failures encountered in Malaysia. The team is confident that the source of both the engine and hydraulic maladies at Sepang have been identified and rectified. Wurz and Karthikeyan also ran brake checks and put the miles on new parts brought by Cosworth for the CA2006 as part of their on-going development programme.
A non-permanent street circuit, the drivers will face a green and dirty track for Friday's practice sessions prompting low grip levels on a circuit with minimal run off areas. Fortunately, however, conditions improve rapidly over the weekend as the cars continue to lay rubber with every trip out of the garage. At 5.303km, a lap of Albert Park is one of the longest on the calendar and comprises a strenuous mix of short straights and 16 slow and medium speed corners. A high downforce configuration, Melbourne demands a balanced car set-up with good traction control and stability under braking. Webber and Rosberg will both enjoy new engines in Melbourne, which can only be a benefit at a track where torque, rather than top end speed, is rewarded.
Mark Webber: "The Australian Grand Prix is always a special fixture on the F1 calendar because there's a tremendous atmosphere at Albert Park. It is also probably one of the best organised Grands Prix of the season. Of course, it's particularly rewarding for me to drive in front of my home fans and I'm really looking forward to seeing how the weekend will unfold. Melbourne has finished staging a very successful Commonwealth Games so there's already a big buzz around the city and an exciting Grand Prix will be a fantastic way to top off the past few weeks.
The recent pace of the FW28 has been encouraging and, although we had a double retirement in Malaysia which was a big shame, there's no question we'd like a big points haul in Melbourne. With the race a month later than normal this year, the weather could be a lot cooler, and potentially quite inconsistent, so that could be a factor as well. I'm more than ready for the race weekend and I've been in Australia for over a week now and spent a great few days down in Tasmania working on the Mark Webber Challenge which we launched in Melbourne on Tuesday. I was able to do some trekking, cycling and paddling in a kayak in some of the most spectacular and remote locations in the world. It was awesome!"
Nico Rosberg: "I'm looking forward to Melbourne and continuing our strong performance. I haven't been before, but I've heard that Melbourne is a lot of fun so it's going to be good. The cooler temperatures will be a bit of a change from what we've experienced at the last two races, but I believe that we have made some improvements in order to be just as strong in cooler conditions."
Sam Michael, Technical Director, WilliamsF1: "As with all street circuits, Melbourne has low grip levels due to all the contaminants that end up on roads from general traffic. Normally this means there is a high rate of track progression as the rubber from Formula One tyres is laid down over the course of the race weekend. With only two high speed sections and a combination of slow and medium speed corners, the car can be set-up more softly than usual. As the power level has dropped with the introduction of V8 technology, so too has braking energy. This results in lower brake wear and lower brake temperatures compared to that seen in previous years.
Another significant difference this year is that the Australian Grand Prix is being held a month later than normal due to the Commonwealth Games. This means that the temperature is likely to be lower and more variable, with a high chance of rain during the weekend. The most immediate impact this will have is on tyre choice. We have been tyre testing in Valencia this week as it most closely represents the Melbourne circuit, and will help us make our decision this weekend.
Both cars will have new engines for Melbourne, with an upgrade to the part that failed on Nico's car in Malaysia. The problem on Mark's car in Malaysia was a cracked hydraulics pipe which we have also addressed.
Pit-stop strategy will again be interesting as we've seen a lot of different approaches from the teams over the first two races this year. We are confident that the FW28 will be competitive and are looking forward to a good race."
Simon Corbyn, Head of F1 Race Engineering, Cosworth: "Mark and Nico will both start the Australian Grand Prix weekend with fresh CA2006 Series 2 engines. The Melbourne engines incorporate an update in response to the failure in Malaysia and this has been tested both on the dyno and in Valencia last week. Feedback on the CA2006 engine performance from the first two races has been very positive so we're looking forward to the weekend in Melbourne with WilliamsF1."
Australia GP Preview: Midland
MF1Racing arrives in Melbourne - the third and final leg of the season's first 'flyaway' block of races - refocused and ready to compete at the Australian Grand Prix.
The two-week gap since the previous race has allowed the team sufficient time to sort out the mechanical issues that forced both drivers to perform manual launches in Malaysia.
Markus Winkelhock returns for his second Friday testing and reserve stint with the team after an impressive debut in Bahrain.
Improved reliability, coupled with some subtle performance enhancements, should boost the M16's ability to cope with the Albert Park street circuit's brake-burning combination of short straights and low- to medium-speed corners.
Tiago Monteiro: "I love this city, and I have very fond memories of this circuit. This was, after all, where I made my F1 debut last year. I tend to like street circuits - this one and Monaco are the only two on the calendar that use public roads - because they're unforgiving and they give the drivers a chance to make more of a difference. I also think this track suits our car a little better than the previous two. Downforce is still a big factor, but there isn't as much of an emphasis on straight-line aerodynamic efficiency. We've made big gains in that department since last year, but nobody sits still in Formula 1, and we still have some work to do. But if we've done our homework and the car is running the way that it should, I'm pretty confident we can have a much better race here."
Christijan Albers: "Unlike Tiago, my first memories of this track are not so nice! I retired with transmission problems after only 16 laps, so I'd rather forget about that. But I'm really looking forward to this year's race, and fighting alongside the team to get some more performance out of the car. I really think we're going to do better here, because our car tends to work better on this type of track. This is a really hard-braking circuit, and our stability under braking keeps improving all the time, so I expect to have some good battles. There should be some good wheel-to-wheel racing, with plenty of overtaking opportunities. Spectators should enjoy this race, and hopefully, we will, too!"
Markus Winkelhock: "This is a similar situation to Bahrain, in that I've never been here before, so everything is new. I've tried to familiarise myself with the circuit by doing some laps on Playstation and watching a recording of last year's race, and I think that was quite helpful. I'm also going to do a few laps on foot or by bike, examining all the corners carefully, so hopefully that will speed up the process a bit. I'm going to have to take it easy on my first few laps, though, because unlike Bahrain, there aren't any wide run-off areas - the walls are quite close to the track, so you can't afford to make any mistakes. I may not have actually driven here before, but just from looking at it, I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy this track."
Dominic Harlow, Head of Race and Test Engineering: "From a technical point of view, Melbourne represents a different challenge from the previous two races. This is a street circuit that's put together specifically for this weekend, so it has its own set of demands on the cars and drivers. It tends to start off quite 'green' (slippery) and then improve a lot during the weekend. We've got quite a few new parts for this event, so we're hopeful for some improved performance, both from the engine and chassis side of things. The weather here tends to be more unpredictable than at most circuits, so if any rain comes along, we'll be sure to take advantage of those conditions."
And once again - Red Bull Racing are showing they have a sence of humour and have released their own preview of the Australian GP....
AUSTRALIAN GP - PRIXVIEW
The English like to say they "discovered" Australia, which is patently ridiculous as other people were already living there when Captain Cook made this claim. He had been asked by the King of England to sail off and find suitable holiday locations for a travel firm which would later be known as Thomas Cook, who invented the Travellers Check, a suit made of Irish Tweed. Cook's parents had always wanted him to join the Navy, which is why they christened him Captain.
One of the first parts of Australia that he discovered was Manly, a beach suburb, across the harbour from Sydney. Allegedly, the place is called Manly because, when the male natives came out to meet his ship, selling the sailors suntan oil and surfboards, Cook is reported to have commented that the locals were very manly looking. Lucky for today's residents therefore that it was not the female natives who came out to meet him, or today the place might be known as "Cor Look At The Size Of Those," or "Not Many Of Them To The Pound," or "I Don't Like Yours Much."
When Cook arrived, he found that someone else had got there before him and set himself up as Governor. He was a very posh person called The Right Honourable Sydney Harbour-Bridge. He had a lovely wife called Adelaide.
The National Anthem of Australia is called "Advance Australia Fair," a strange choice given that this country really did have a policy of trying to breed out its darker skinned people. At the weekends, most Australians go and lie on the beach to try and make their skin go dark again and those who are into body piercing, leather and whips go to Bondi Beach.
One of the most famous sportsmen in the world was the Australian cricketer, Don Bradman. He was called Don because he was the head of the Australian mafia, which is why he always scored so many runs, as no umpire was brave enough to give him out. He was also the first man to play cricket by using a bat and ball, rather than sitting up a tree rubbing his legs together.
Lots of famous people from all over the world have come to live in Australia to enjoy the beauty of its scenery. American chat show host, Oprah Winfrey is among them. She has built a huge house overlooking the world's most famous harbour and it is known simply as the Sydney Winfrey House.
There are lots of dangerous animals in Australia, such as Funnel Web Spiders and people who play Aussie Rules Football. Even the food can be dangerous and only experienced gourmets should attempt to bite the well known Crocodile Dundee cake.
Australia has a long and proud tradition in motor sport. At first, racing was seen as a way to escape. Even if your family had come here on a convict ship, you would be allowed back to England if you said you had a drive in the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in November. Not so well known is the fact that an Australian invented the modern crash helmet which is compulsory today. Famous Aussie outlaw, Ned Kelly, recently portrayed on film by Heath Ledger, created the world's first "full-face" helmet, when he wore a metal cover over his head prior to getting into yet another fight with the law. Kelly actually said "I feel full in the face," which is Aussie slang for "I feel sick," but from then on, that was the name given to this type of helmet.
Kelly was eventually caught by police, tried and hanged in Melbourne Gaol. Historians now reckon it was all a big mistake and the judge, a keen supporter of Aussie Rules Football wanted him to play in the Cup Final, always held at the MCG, "Melbourne Cricket Ground." He ordered Kelly to be sent to the Melbourne Goal, but his secretary made a simple typing error.
Australians always used to talk about going off into the Bush. But now they have real plumbing and have toilets like everyone else. However, at first they were embarrassed about the little huts behind their houses and would prefer to say they were going to the Outback (those without back gardens had something called an Infront.) Poorer families would often have to share one toilet. In this case, you might be desperate and have to pace up and down while waiting your turn. This was known as "Going Walkabout."
Confusion over Melbourne start time
A number of media outlets are claiming that this weekend's Australian Grand Prix begins at 04:00 BST, this is not correct.
This year, the Australian event is being held later than usual due to the fact that the Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne.
Daylight Saving Time (Summer Time) was extended in Melbourne, to accommodate the Commonwealth Games, however, it ends overnight this weekend, specifically at 02:00 on Sunday.
Consequently, the Australian Grand Prix begins at 14:00 local time, which is 04:00 GMT and 05:00 BST.
Qualifying on Saturday begins at 14:00 local time, which is 03:00 GMT and 04:00 BST.
Everyone understand that? Goood.
Australia 'assured' opening slot for 2007
The Australian Grand Prix will return to the season opening slot on the Formula One calendar next year, despite hints from Bernie Ecclestone that he may prefer Bahrain to stay there.
That is the view of Melbourne race boss Ron Walker, who is adamant that Australia's move down the calendar to accommodate the city's hosting of the Commonwealth Games this year is a one-off.
"Mr. Ecclestone and I had an agreement to move the race for the first time in more than a decade to number three, and I am assured it will go back to number one next year," he told autosport.com.
Ecclestone fuelled speculation that Australia may not get its opening slot back on Wednesday when he suggested that the European television figures for the Bahrain Grand Prix were much better than the sport ever got from the Australian Grand Prix.
He said: "We got very, very good television ratings (for the Bahrain GP), whereas from Australia, we get lousy (early morning) television ratings in Europe."
Walker believes, however, that Ecclestone may have been trying to be deliberately mischievous in his comments in a bid to improve his bargaining position when it comes to negotiating who gets the opening place on the schedule.
"Well, I saw that (the quotes), and Mr. Ecclestone loves to stir me up. From 20,000km away he gets his feather out and stirs me up. Eventually it is up to the FIA I suppose, but Bernie is my closest friend in life and I have such fun being with him because he inspires me."
CVC owns 100% of F1 following Lehman Brothers' purchase
Christian Sylt reports that less than forty-eight hours after completing the purchase of the Formula One Group, Alpha Prema UK Limited has acquired Lehman Brothers' interests in the company, which therefore gives the CVC majority-owned company 100 percent ownership of F1.
Alpha Prema is a newly incorporated company through which funds managed or advised by CVC Capital Partners Group are making their investment in Formula One.
A further company, established in November 2005 and based in Jersey, called Alpha Topco, is the holding company for the Formula One Group.
Having purchased 75 percent of the Formula One Group in November, two weeks later CVC purchased JP Morgan's 14.175 percent of the company.
Today's purchase of Lehman Brothers' stake - also 14.175 percent - gives CVC 100 percent ownership of the Formula One group.
As part of the transaction, Lehman Brothers has an option to reinvest in Alpha Topco.