Slick tyres are making their long-awaited return to Formula 1 next year. Drivers and fans have largely welcomed the return of proper racing tyres to F1. The FIA apparently intends to keep the rule requiring teams to use two different compounds per race. But in order to make this more of a challenge Bridgestone plans … Continue reading Bridgestone to widen difference between tyres in 2009 – but how will we know?
2009 F1 season articles archive
If Giorgio Pantano wins the GP2 championship should he get an F1 drive?
Posted onThe GP2 championship has helped several top F1 drivers get into the championship in the three years it’s been running. Every GP2 champion is currently racing in F1: Nico Rosberg (Williams), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) and Timo Glock (Toyota). Giorgio Pantano is leading the championship at the half-way point. But this year is his seventh in … Continue reading If Giorgio Pantano wins the GP2 championship should he get an F1 drive?
Sebastian Vettel probably at Red Bull in 2009 – so who will be at Toro Rosso?
Posted onAfter announcing his retirement from Formula 1 at the British Grand Prix this weekend, David Coulthard heaped praise on up and coming Toro Rosso driver Sebastian Vettel saying he, “has everything a future F1 winner needs.” Vettel has long been tipped to take Coulthard’s seat at Red Bull. Coulthard’s words of praise probably were a … Continue reading Sebastian Vettel probably at Red Bull in 2009 – so who will be at Toro Rosso?
2009 F1 game will be sim – Codemasters
Posted onCodemasters’ 2009 F1 game will be a simulator as well as an arcade-style racing game according to one of the company’s executive producers. The producer, who posts as ‘Uncle Chewy’ on the Codemasters forum and worked on racing titles “Colin McRae: DIRT” and “Race Driver: GRID” said the F1 game will be significantly different from … Continue reading 2009 F1 game will be sim – Codemasters
Bourdais unhappy with grooved tyres
Posted onWhen we debated Sebastien Bourdais here a few weeks ago there were some reservations about the quality of his performances since he scored on his Grand Prix debut in Australia. The Toro Rosso driver has hinted why he might be having difficulty settling into F1 after five years in Champ Car. He remarked he was … Continue reading Bourdais unhappy with grooved tyres
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – two questions
Posted onThe first ever Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be held in 2009 as the last race of the season. But what has become of the plans for the Yas Island circuit to be a hybrid street and permanent track? And how has it suddenly landed the most coveted slot on the calendar?
Provisional 2009 F1 calendar has good news for France, bad for America
Posted onThe first details of the 2009 F1 calendar were published today with the F1 schedule set to return to 19 races – a high it has only reached once before, in 2005. As was expected the French Grand Prix is remaining at Magny-Cours. The Australian Grand Prix also appears as a provisional fixture. However there … Continue reading Provisional 2009 F1 calendar has good news for France, bad for America
2009 F1 calendar expected tomorrow with French round at Magny-Cours
Posted onA provisional 2009 F1 calendar is expected to be announced tomorrow by Bernie Ecclestone according to Nigel Roebuck. Among the changes for 2009 will be the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, announced last year. And on Sunday rumours came to light that Magny-Cours, host of the French Grand Prix, will get a second stay of … Continue reading 2009 F1 calendar expected tomorrow with French round at Magny-Cours
First drivers, now teams to pay more?
Posted onDuring the French Grand Prix weekend more rumours emerged about the behind-the-scenes discussions over the future of Formula 1 between the teams, the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone. According to Autosport the FIA is urging Ecclestone to increase the amount of money the teams receive from promotion and television rights. But with the FIA’s World Motor … Continue reading First drivers, now teams to pay more?
FIA set to allow tyre warmers in 2009
Posted onThe FIA is expected to back down from its proposed ban on tyre warmers for the 2009 F1 season at the World Motor Sports Council’s meeting on Wednesday. A ban on tyre warmers had been proposed for next year along with the re-introduction of slick tyres. However the FIA is now understood to believe that … Continue reading FIA set to allow tyre warmers in 2009
2009 F1 driver rumours
Posted onAn interesting new rumour about the 2009 F1 driver line-up puts Fernando Alonso at Honda alongside Jenson Button next year. Do you believe it? And what should we make of these other rumours about who goes where in 2009?
Tyre warmers set for 2009 ban
Posted onBridgestone is standing firm by its desire to see tyre warmers banned next year despite strong opposition from some teams and drivers. Director of motorsport tyre development Hirohide Hamashima said: Bridgestone has said to the FIA that we have confidence in (producing) a good specification of tyres, in terms of grip and handling, without tyre … Continue reading Tyre warmers set for 2009 ban
How do the new Alonso-Ferrari rumours affect the 2009 F1 driver market?
Posted onFernando Alonso’s prospects of joining Ferrari in the near future appeared to have been killed off earlier this year when Luca di Montezemolo said in public that he did not want Alonso to partner Kimi Raikkonen in the future. But the rumours re-surfaced over the Monaco Grand Prix weekend with sources claiming Alonso had signed … Continue reading How do the new Alonso-Ferrari rumours affect the 2009 F1 driver market?
No more Magny-Cours? Heard it before
Posted onBernie Ecclestone has reiterated his desire to see the 2009 French Grand Prix held in Paris instead of its current venue Magny-Cours: We agreed that there would be a French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours in 2008 but not in 2009. Prime Minister Francois Fillon told me we would then see if we could have a … Continue reading No more Magny-Cours? Heard it before
Good news, bad news: Codemasters to make 2009 F1 video game
Posted onFormula 1 will finally get a new video game title in 2009, three years since the last official F1 game made by Sony. Formula One Management were reported to be demanding up to $200m for the rights. First, the good news: the game won’t be exclusive to a single machine, and is expected to be … Continue reading Good news, bad news: Codemasters to make 2009 F1 video game
2009 F1 drivers – early predictions
Posted onIt’s early days, but Luca di Montezemolo’s comments last week about Ferrari not needing Fernando Alonso started me thinking about which drivers might be on the move for 2009. On the face of it Montezemolo doesn’t seem to want to change his pairing of Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa. And after three driver changes in … Continue reading 2009 F1 drivers – early predictions
2009 F1 calendar will end in Abu Dhabi
Posted onUpdate: the official 2009 F1 calendar has now been published. Brazil’s Grand Prix circuit Interlagos may have had its contract extended to 2015, but next year it will lose the role of season finale it has held (with one exception) since 2004. From 2009 F1’s last race will be at the new venue of Yas … Continue reading 2009 F1 calendar will end in Abu Dhabi
The four drivers fighting for a 2009 F1 drive
Posted onThese are the four drivers who have landed the most desirable seats in GP2, the top feeder category for Formula 1: Romain Grosjean, Luca Filippi, Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna. For the past three years the GP2 champion has gone straight into F1: Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and, in 2008, Timo Glock. So who will … Continue reading The four drivers fighting for a 2009 F1 drive
KERS technology revealed
Posted onA British company has confirmed it is working with a top F1 team on the development of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System planned for 2009. Torotrak is working with two other companies, Xtrac and Flybrid Systems, to supply several important technologies. These are Torotrak’s traction drive technology, a continuously variable transmissions (CVT) by Xtrac and … Continue reading KERS technology revealed
Abu Dhabi 2009 F1 deal confirmed
Posted onA round of the Formula One world championship will be held on the man-made Yas Island in Abu Dhabi from 2009.