Kamui Kobayashi to Sauber.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport...one/8417603.stm

 

Schumacher signs up with Mercedes.
I can wait to see the F1 now
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport...one/8427552.stm

 

......and meet his new Mercedes Petronas.

 

2010 F1 regulations finalised

The FIA published the finalised 2010 F1 regulations, confirming a raft of new rules for the sport, along with the controversial ?40m voluntary budget cap. Here is a summary of all the rule changes to take effect from next year.

2010 rule changes
- Minimum car weight incrased to 620 kg (previously 605 kg)
- Mid-race refuelling banned
- Qualifying to be contested on low fuel (Q3 previously contested on race fuel)
- Tyre warmers banned
- Maximum number of teams allowed to compete in the championship raised to 13 (from 12)
- Stewards can now drop a driver any number of grid positions at a driver's next race if he is involved
in a racing incident (previously drivers were dropped 10 grid places)
- KERS no longer allowed to operate when a car is travelling above 300 km/h
- KERS energy storage (battery or flywheel) must be located behind the driver and in front of the
engine
- Rear brake pressure may be reduced by use of a valve during KERS use
- Tyres must now be inflated with only air or nitrogen (CO2 also previously allowed)
- Teams can avail of a voluntary ?40m budget cap, offering them greater 'technical freedom'

'Technical freedom' offered to budget-capped teams

- No limit on testing mileage or dates (Non capped teams limited to 15,000 km between 1 January
and week of first race)
- No restrictions on wind tunnel scale or speed (Non capped teams restricted to 60% scale and
50m/s rolling road speed)
- No restriction on use of engines during a season (Non capped teams limited to eight engines per
season)
- No restriction on use of gearboxes during a season (Non capped teams forced to run with four-race
gearboxes)
- Moveable front wing allowed to move 10? any number of times per lap (Non capped teams allowed
6? movement twice per lap)
- Moveable rear wing permitted, controlled by driver ( not available for teams)
- No restriction on engine revs (Non capped teams limited to 18,000 rpm)
- KERS to be twice as powerful, producing just over 160 hp of boost for 6.67s per lap
(Non capped teams limited to 80 hp for 6.67s per lap)
- Four-wheel drive permitted (non-capped teams limited to two driven wheels)
- KERS permitted to drive all four wheels (Non capped teams limited to KERS powering the rear
wheels)

Visual comparison of the 2009 car to the 2010 car. http://www.formula1.com/news/technical/

 

Michael Schumacher's Jerez Test in a GP2 car.

 

Interesting vid, Phill. I'm ready for the season to start!

 

This season will be huge. I can't think of a season that's had so many world champions in it for a long time. We can't consider anything that happened (in terms of car performance) from last season as an indicator of what will happen this season, so it's all up for grabs. Who'd want to try and predict the winner. It could easily be Hamilton, Button, Schumacher, Alonso or Massa. I guess they'd be the top 5 favourites from purely a driver point of view. If one of the lower teams steps up though like the Brawn and Red Bull teams did, then one of the 2nd tier drivers could break through and take the lead from those 5. Shame that Nigel Mansell didn't come back too

 

It's going to be a very fast and competitive season, and all eyes will be on Schumi depending on how MB comes out of testing and the kind of laptimes they can pull down in qualifying.

 

Jenson Button will work with Lewis Hamilton for wins
video
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport...one/8468703.stm

 

Meet the new look Ferrari