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| Advent and the pre-season countdown |
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| Written by Kate Walker | |
| Tuesday, 01 December 2009 19:26 | |
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Last night we were treated to the FIA’s official entry list for the 2010 season, which confirmed what had been long known about Manor GP and Virgin approximately 12 hours before the press conference scheduled to make the announcement. The official entry list is more interesting for its omissions than for its inclusions. So far this morning we have already had confirmation from Red Bull Racing’s Christian Horner that the Renault engine listed as powering the RB6 has not been officially decided upon. "It's just a formality, as we had to place an engine partner on the list," Horner is quoted by GPUpdate as saying. "Nothing has been decided yet. The FIA is requesting everyone to mention an engine and, at the moment, we are still running with Renault engines but that doesn't mean we will be running with those in 2010 ‒ we haven't made a decision on that yet." Old Formula 1 hands will know that the earlier you can confirm an engine supplier and begin working with that engine, the easier it makes future race wins. Brawn GP were able to work last-minute miracles with the Mercedes engine in time for the 2009 season, but those miracles involved hacking length off the chassis and making engineering compromises to adapt the gearbox to an engine it wasn’t designed for. Red Bull could repeat their success, but it’s not the easiest to start to a season. The fact that Horner won’t commit to a Renault engine for 2010 when it would be far the easiest solution for the team – especially given the relative fuel economy of the Renault in a season that will see a return to no in-race refuelling – underlines the questions surrounding the French manufacturer’s continued commitment to Formula 1. Another surprise on the list – especially to one young Spanish driver and his management – was the absence of Jaime Alguersuari’s name from Toro Rosso’s list of drivers. It was widely publicised last Thursday that the young driver – the first F1 driver to be born in the 1990s, which is just old-making – had resigned with Toro Rosso while the 2009 season was still underway. His management told the AP news agency: "Jaime's contract has been signed and renewed for next season so this is very surprising news. Jaime is, as we speak, undergoing physical and psychological training with the Red Bull team in Austria in preparation for the upcoming season.” Until the FIA or Toro Rosso announce otherwise, it’s probably safest to assume administrative oversight. It would be more fun to announce that Schuey will be the newest driver for the Ferrari-powered team, but that’s a stretch even for our circus. The biggest omission is that of Sauber Formula One (if that’s the name they decide to run with). While the endless Qadbak saga was ongoing, there was no definite news on Sauber’s entry. It was announced last Friday that the sale to Qadbak of BMW’s interest in the team had collapsed due to questions over financing, and Peter Sauber would be buying the team back from BMW. F1 pundits world-wide hoped that this news would mean the automatic re-entry of Sauber, as although BMW did not sign the fated Concorde Agreement, the Swiss former electrician and car salesman has a 30-year history in motorsport, and an excellent reputation. It has been reported that FIA President Jean Todt has assured Sauber that his team will appear on the 2010 grid, so it is unclear what is causing the delay. There have been rumours that Sauber would fall at the final hurdle from 2010, saving his employees from BMW redundancy only to find that the final entry for 2010 was taken from under his nose by Stefan GP, the upcoming Serbian team that wanted to buy Toyota’s grid slot. A footnote to the entry list says an announcement will be made about Toyota’s slot in due course, but it has been widely reported that such a purchase isn’t possible. To take over a team’s grid space, it is not simply a matter of purchasing the team’s entry. Rather, it is necessary to purchase the company that holds the entry. Acquiring design and expertise at knock-down rates is one thing. To buy Toyota Motorsport GmbH is another matter entirely. The full 2010 entry list is below, reproduced in full from Formula1.com. The last time I saw that many holes in an allegedly complete and official list, I was helping my boyfriend with his Christmas shopping. Brawn Mercedes Benz* Red Bull Racing Renault Ferrari Williams Cosworth Renault Force India Mercedes STR Ferrari Lotus Cosworth Campos Dallara US F1 Cosworth Virgin Cosworth - Toyota Motorsport GmbH remains formally bound by the Concorde Agreement to put forward a team for participation, though it has indicated that it will not be in a position to do so. An announcement will be made regarding this entry in due course. by Kate Walker for Girlracer Magazine www.girlracer.co.uk
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 01 December 2009 19:39 |
