F1 2011 season news / pre-season updates

Duke · 21 Dec 2010 at 10:42

D'Ambrosio secures Virgin race seat - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88740

Lucas di Grassi loses out

Duke · 22 Dec 2010 at 19:29

Petrov gets 2 year deal to continue at Renault.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88745

Duke · 23 Dec 2010 at 08:28

Yep would be likely.

Duke · 23 Dec 2010 at 18:38

Flibster said:
Loving this video from Team Lotus.

Duke · 2 Jan 2011 at 09:20

Probably at the first test on 1st Feb (or maybe week before for some?)

Duke · 2 Jan 2011 at 13:48

Its going to be all about the tyres. Even a mid field team that get it just right could leap up (but not necessarily keep up there for the whole championship).

Duke · 4 Jan 2011 at 10:54

Ferrari confirmed car launch the last week of Jan.

I will create a thread for each launch as per last year.

Duke · 8 Jan 2011 at 13:07

So two teams doing that (FI and Mclaren). Probably a better solution than RB had recently by ignoring the test, as they are at least learning about the new tyres.

Duke · 11 Jan 2011 at 15:26

Yep if Sky have it, I'm sure the BBC will follow suit.

Duke · 12 Jan 2011 at 08:41

They said native HD, so should be the real deal.

Duke · 12 Jan 2011 at 10:57

Now confirmed by FOM

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88873

Duke · 15 Jan 2011 at 18:43

Duke · 17 Jan 2011 at 18:03

Wet tyre test session

Duke · 18 Jan 2011 at 19:46

sunama said:
Is the race going to be streamed online, in HD, on the BBC website?

Don't think they've mentioned it yet. Do they do that for anything else do you know?

Duke · 19 Jan 2011 at 10:39

MissChief said:
but then again everyone said that this year. Some even said MSc would win a race!

I'm not sure why people said this, it obvious it was a one off year for them and the following car was going to be fairly average - they couldn't keep up the development against the other teams during the 09 season.

Duke · 20 Jan 2011 at 11:59

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/01/19/factory-upgrades-to-boost-lotus-in-2011/

Quite a good read on how Lotus are growing/expanding their tech.

Duke · 25 Jan 2011 at 10:58

The new teams really should be at least two of the four tests. Not sure how many Lotus and Virgin are attending?

Duke · 25 Jan 2011 at 17:24

Hmm HRT themselves say they will make the last test at Bahrain - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89071

Duke · 25 Jan 2011 at 21:08

JRS said:
I think some people (myself included!) were reading far too much into the initial statement they made about the readiness of their 2011 car. I thought it sounded as if they wouldn't have the car ready until the GP weekend in Bahrain. But the car will apparently make the final test in Bahrain, it's just got no chance of making any of the Spain-based test sessions.

I guess they'll treat the Bahrain test session as a shakedown run, make sure that there are no show-stopping bugs in the car, then do their main setup work in the GP weekend test sessions. And with a bit of luck, they won't make the 107% cut-off and save us from having a pair of mobile chicanes on the track for the race....

Yep at least they are making one, to get the basics checked but as said before, they really need two to make some sort of progress.

How well the new three teams do this season is almost as interesting as who will be up at the front

Duke · 25 Jan 2011 at 22:24

Lotus have Dell doing all their IT stuff (random info).