The Drivers and Teams

Tomorrow is qualifying.  The waiting is almost over.  So, who are the teams and the drivers.  This is a quick glance at each.

Click on the link of each driver (where available) for a full biography.  The links go to one of the best F1 websites I've ever seen - F1 Fanatic. There is so much information about everything Formula 1; it's definitely the place to find out more.


Red Bull Racing
1. Sebastian Vettel
2. Mark Webber

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
3. Lewis Hamilton
4. Jenson Button

Scuderia Ferrari
5. Fernando Alonso
6. Felipe Massa

Mercedes Grand Prix
7. Michael Schumacher
8. Nico Rosberg

Renault F1 Team
9. Nick Heidfeld
10. Vitaly Petrov

Williams-Cosworth
11. Rubens Barrichello
12. Pastor Maldonado

Force India
14. Adrian Sutil
15. Paul di Resta

Sauber-Ferrari
16. Kamui Kobayashi
17. Sergio Perez

Scuderia Toro Rosso-Ferraro
18. Sebastien Buemi
19. Jaime Alguersuari

Lotus-Renualt
20. Jarno Trulli
21. Heikki Kovalainen

HRT-Cosworth
22. Narain Karthikeyan
23. Vitantonio Liuzzi

Virgin Racing-Cosworth
24. Timo Glock
25. Jerome d'Ambrosio


So there you go.  24 drivers; the biggest number ever on a Formula 1 grid.  Some 'old' names, with Rubens Barrichello the stalwart of the pack!! There are some new names too; Pastor Maldonado, Paul di Resta (another Brit) and Jerome d'Ambrosio all joining for their first season.

One name missing is Robert Kubica, who suffered a terrible rally accident and is still recuperating.  The Renault team will miss him, and everyone wishes him a speedy recovery.

It really promises to be an exciting season; and I'll be providing my own, brief, updates as the season progresses.

Formula 1 - Cars Unveiled

Over the last few weeks, most of the teams have revealed their new cars; each in the hope that it's an improvement on last year, and it will carry their drivers (and the team) to Championship glory.

Each team has tried to find something different, that will give them the extra power and downforce needed to keep the car on the track, and ahead of the field.  There have even been some changes to the technical specifications.

This year sees the re-introduction of KERS (Kinetic Energy Replacement System) a system that uses the energy from braking and using it to provide an additional power boost.  Last seen in the 2009/10 season, it was only used by a few teams, and last year was banned.  However, all the teams are using it this year, and it's the kind of technical advance that could have a very real benefit in the road cars of tomorrow.

Is this the dream team for 2011?

The F-duct; pioneered by McLaren last year, has been banned; instead the teams are using a flexible rear wing; to help introduce more over-taking.  Since the turbulence of the the lead car, causes the car behind to lose grip; this change will help the chasing driver get closer and, hopefully overtake.  There is an argument that says this isn't the drivers racing, but the car doing the work; on the other hand, it should make for a better show.

Each of the above is governed by rules about when they can be used, and policing them will be important.  No doubt the teams will be watching each other very carefully.

The next round of testing takes place this week, and it will be the first time McLaren have put the new car to the test.

I have lots of fingers crossed that it compares well to the other teams, and we have a great season to look forward to.
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As a footnote; the accident the befell Robert Kubica (Renault) looks like he'll be out for this season.  After major surgery to repair an almost severed hand, I will be very surprised if he makes it back behind the wheel of a Formula One car this year.  Of course, I hope he does; but the boss at Renault has hinted that they are looking for a permanent replacement this season.  

The Transmission - Reactions Test

Quick reactions are very important in the high speed world of Formula 1.  Drivers need to make split-second decisions, and in this video see Jenson Button take the Batak Pro challenge.

The Transmission - Singapore

During the course of the F1 season, a series of short films was made, called "The Transmission".  These behind the scenes look at what goes on, are just a snapshot of the work and effort (and fun) put in by the team.

This one was filmed by Jessica Michibata (Jenson's girlfriend).