There are four world champions on the grid for the first time since 1999 - and unlike 11 years ago all of them are driving for what are expected to be competitive teams.The battles facing McLaren
When McLaren bolted their new Formula 1 car together for the first time on Thursday night in preparation for Friday's 2010 launch, they hit upon a problem. It wouldn't fit in the lift in the team's factory.
The engineers solved that little conundrum - caused by the car being longer than last year because of the bigger fuel tank needed following the banning of in-race refuelling - by taking the car around a different way. But McLaren might find other difficulties they face this year harder to resolve.
Friday's launch at title sponsor Vodafone's plush headquarters on the outskirts of Newbury in Berkshire was typical of McLaren for its smooth professionalism but, as last year proved, the realities of racing in the white heat of F1 competition are not always so easy to manage.
To McLaren's credit, they did not try to dodge the issues - in fact, they had clearly worked hard on coming up with an answer to them. But it remains the case that a number of big question marks hang over the team as they head into a season that promises to be one of the most competitive in years.
Ferrari may be working on 'B' spec F10
Ferrari may already be working on a 'B' version of its recently-launched F10 car.
It became the first team to launch its 2010 challenger on Thursday, but there are rumours that the initial performance estimates aren't as high as Ferrari had hoped. The Times said that, despite cutting short development on last year's car to focus on the F10, there is speculation sweeping through the Italian media that a replacement is already on the drawing board.
It is not unusual for teams to immediately work on updates and traditionally all cars receive major tweaks after the first few fly-away races. However, the possibility that the team is already working on a 'B' spec version suggests a more fundamental revision of the design.
Ex-Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger thinks his old team is not as strong as it was during its years of domination in the early 2000s.
http://en.espnf1.com/ferrari/motorsport/story/7644.html
Teams hit with bill for FIA technology
Each of the thirteen Formula One teams have received a bill of almost €60,000 (US$83,000) to pay for the FIA's latest technology addition for this season.
Last year race stewards were criticised for making poor decisions about on-track actions by drivers. To help them, the FIA have told the teams that each car must be fitted with an ultra-sensitive GPS system that will be able to accurately track the cars position on the track to within one metre.
The data from the cars will be sent straight to the race director and will be used by the stewards to judge rule breaking. The technology is likely to be used in examining such infractions as cutting chicanes, ignoring flags, illegal overtaking, impeding rivals and touching pit exit white lines. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports that the total cost of the new technology is €750,000 (over US$1 million).
http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/7777.html
Button dismisses Alonso's fuel-ban concern
Jenson Button has countered Fernando Alonso's suggestion that racing will be more predictable now there is a ban on refuelling.
Fuel strategy, which had been crucial to the outcome of a grand prix in previous years, will have no bearing on races in 2010, as cars have to start with enough petrol onboard to reach the finish. As a result Alonso believes races could be a foregone conclusion after qualifying, as he thinks drivers outside the top three on the grid won't be able to challenge for victory. But Button disagrees and reckons that high tyre wear, which is inevitable when carrying a heavy fuel load, will mean there will be a big enough difference between drivers' speed to allow overtaking.
"I don't agree with Alonso," he said at McLaren's launch. "I think there will still be passing, don't forget we still have the tyre stops and new tyres could be worth two seconds a lap."
McLaren chief engineer Tim Goss agrees and elaborated on why the refuelling ban would make for more exciting racing.
"It could make the show significantly better, yes," said Goss. "Previously, you knew when everyone was going to stop and refuel, so each team based their strategy decisions on overtaking cars during the pit stops. What's changed for this year is that we won't know when people are going to stop. The only thing affecting drivers' mandatory stops now is that they have to run both the option [soft] and prime [hard] tyre, so the strategy choices will be less predictable and will become a little more complicated. Races could be one or two stints with both early and late stops for tyres. It will definitely make the racing more challenging and interesting - and, hopefully, it will promote more on-track overtaking and less overtaking during the pit stops."
McLaren's race director Jonathan Neale said that higher tyre degradation on heavy fuel loads will mean engineers will have to hold their nerve, as a poorly-timed pit stop could cost the race. He added that the team had got tyre changes down to two-and-a-half seconds but would realistically aim for three seconds in a race environment.