Today will be the presentation of the Formula One BMW Sauber team, with its two official pilots: the Spaniard, Pedro Martinez de la Rosa and the Japanese, Kamui Kobayashi, who will drive the single-seaters.

The presentation event is scheduled at 14.30 PM in the Circuit de la Comunidad Valenciana ‘Ricardo Tormo‘, showing the 2010 single-seater with which they will race said season.

A very special occurrence for Pedro Martinez de la Rosa who again has an official wheel after being test and reserve pilot for the McLaren Mercedes team since 2003.

The British pilot, Lewis Hamilton made some interesting statements to finish for once and for all with rumors regarding his relationship with his fellow countryman and team-mate, Jenson Button, referring to the need to count on him to win the Constructors’ World Championship.

“I’m reading everywhere that my relationship with Button is not good and that I didn’t want him in my team.  All that is false.  I think he’s the best team-mate I could ever have,” he pointed out.

“When he’s winning, I have to try to finish second, and when I’m winning he has to finish second.  I cannot win the Constructors’ Championship alone, so I have to have a strong team-mate,” he added.

The British pilot was right.  He cannot win the Constructors’ Championship by himself.  For instance, last year, his team-mate, Kovalainen contributed with very few points, while tandem, Button-Barichello occupied first positions taking the ‘Scuderia’ to the highest level, ahead of Red Bull y McLaren.

On his part, current champion, Jenson Button, let some significant details be known, for instance that he has  started to talk with the McLaren directors “in Abu Dhabi and in Brazil.”  “We talked in these races, but not before we got here.”

“I was interested with the offer they made me, but didn’t think about changing team, until the Brazil Grand Prix finished.  A second before, I was still thinking in the BrawnGP,” he assured.

Even though, Button did not take the decision in that moment, the fact that he was sure that he would sign up with McLaren must have been a clue element, as Ross Brawn himself seemed confident in the British pilot’s change of ‘Scuderia’, stating that it was 99% a sure thing.

On the other hand, to end up with the alleged arguments, McLaren’s CEO, Martin Whitmarsh explained that Hamilton supported Button’s signing up at all times.  “When assessing the pilots’ market –which we did for weeks-, Lewis agreed with Jenson’s signing up,” he explained.

The 2010 Malaysia Grand Prix, at the Sepang raceway is scheduled at the FIA’s calendar for next April 4.  However, the GP will begin an hour earlier this year, because, if you recall, the test was interrupted due to a tropical storm that made the visibility of the pilots in the racetrack impossible.

Last year’s schedule became a problem after an intense rain that fell over the Sepang International Raceway, which, due to poor visibility, forced the stewards to consider the race as finished at lap 32 of 56, adding only half of the points to the first eight classified pilots.

To avoid a similar situation, this year the Grand Prix organization requested a “more adequate schedule” for the appointment, which will finally begin at 16.00 (local time), as announced by the raceway’s Executive Director, Razlan Razali, at the official presentation of the race.

The organization foresees an increase in the audience.  “We expect approximately 100.000 spectators on Sunday.  On the last edition, there were almost 60.000,″ said the race’s organizer, Mokhzani Mahathir to the ‘Bernama’ news agency.

Speculation has begun because the Campos Meta ‘scuderia’ condition is unknown. According to a press conference by the Stefan GP’s team itself, headed by the Serbian entrepreneur Zoran Stefanovic, who today announced that they have reached an agreement with Toyota for the technical assistance as they allegedly incorporate to the Formula One.

“Stefan GP has clarified its intention to compete in the Formula One.  It has reached a basic agreement with Toyota Motorsport so that it (Stefan GP) receives technical support from the Japanese manufacturer,” the press release indicates.

Stefan GP was one of the teams that did not enter this year.  However, the ‘scuderia’ has not remained isolated; from the time of its refusal to enter as one of the new teams, it has had negotiations with Toyota.

That being so, the Serbian team is shaping up as one of the main reserve teams to take the place that would be left vacant by any of the new teams that have joined the Formula One this year, if any of them withdraws, of course (it is understood that due to financial problems.)

Last year, the current McLaren team CEO, Martin Whitmarsh, suggested the possibility that any of the new teams would be made up with the Toyota place, buying its chassis.  “Many of these teams had the chance to buy a chassis from Toyota.  The Japanese brand built two cars that were available before Christmas, and I’m quite surprised that some of them didn’t (buy a chassis).” Well, this seems to be the case of the Serbian team.

The funny thing is that the team itself gave the press conference.  Do they want to press due to the delays of some teams?

A few days ago, we mentioned the pilots we considered as options to cover the vacant places in the ‘scuderias’.  Now, in the case of Renault, there is a free seat and according to rumors in the media (MARCA), the Hispanic/Austrian, Andy Soucek is closer than we assumed.

We had published that this option was remote, but we must correct ourselves since sources from the Madrid newspaper have declared that his offer was quite well received by Renault.

If for us, the Russian Vitaly Petrov’s offer, together with his career, was the most viable, we might well have to “swallow our words” if the Spaniard (even though he has double nationality, he runs with the Spanish flag), Soucek gets this coveted seat.

Who is he

Andy Christian Soucek was born on June 14, 1985 in Madrid, Spain.  Because his father is from Austria, he has double nationality, however Soucek runs with the Spanish flag because he says “he feels Spanish.”  In 1997, he began his professional career as karting pilot.  That year, he participated in the Spanish Karting Championship and in the Madrid Kart Championship, with 5^th and 3rd places, respectively.  He continued in different karting categories until 2001, year in which he entered the Portuguese Ford Formula, finishing 8th.  That year he was champion of the Margutti of Totoya Kart trophy.

From 2002 to 2005 he took part in the Spanish Formula 3, first in the Racing Engineering Spanish team with 8^th position in the championship, while the following year he arrives 4^th racing for the EV team.  In 2004, he continues with the EV team, but only for two races because he was acquired for the rest of the season by the GTA team ‘scuderia’, arriving fourth again at the end of the season.  A year later, he becomes the Spanish Formula 3 champion with the Llusia Racing team.

The Pons Racing ‘Scuderia’ has been testing the new Moto2 Kalex in the Comunidad Valenciana ‘Ricardo Tormo‘ circuit.

Rain has prevented the Moto2 teams located in Valencia to carry out three days of training.  The first day at Cheste was awful because they could not turn.  However, yesterday, when everybody expected the weather to improve, it happened again, the rain demanded a change of plans.

Sito Pons, declared that in spite of the bad weather conditions, “it has been possible to advance quite a lot.”  With regards to the motorcycle’s development, “the essential goal of these trainings:. “I think we have a good base for the next test that we’ll have in Montmeló,” he assured.

The 2010 F1 Championship is historic for Spaniards.  This season, not only will the beginning of the official calendar will take place in the Comunitat Valenciana ‘Ricardo Tormo‘ circuit, but it will also be an all-time milestone, because, for the first time, three Spanish drivers have a seat in the Formula One World Championship grid as official pilots.

Alonso, De la Rosa and Alguersuari

Fernando Alonso is making his debut as Ferrari’s official pilot in these tests, while Pedro Martínez de la Rosa occupies a place in the grid for fourth time in his career by the hand of Sauber, after seven years as test pilot in McLaren.  The threesome is completed with the young pilot from Toro Rosso, Jaime Alguersuari who has just been confirmed.

But we cannot forget rumors that point to a fourth Spanish pilot who could make his debut in the same season in the Renault team, Andy Soucek.

So, for first time in the history of modern F1, there will be three Spanish pilots confirmed in the Formula One World Championship grid during the 2010 season

The time has come for the presentation of one of the best, accompanied by two world champions: the McLaren team with Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, who this morning, launched the new MP4-25.

The team principal, Martin Whitmarsh, specially emphasized the single-seater’s preparation as a key element to the season’s success, in an event that took place at the Vodafone telephone company’s headquarters, main sponsor of McLaren.

“This car has been prepared more than ever,” began by saying Whitmarsh, who will face the challenge of leading the last two world champions, in the same team.  This situation resembles the one between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, which was resolved with the withdrawal of the pilot from Asturias.

Both champions said a few words about their respective team-mate, making clear that there is cordiality and a good atmosphere in the team.  “I have always wanted to follow Jenson’s footsteps.  I hope to work with him for many years,” Lewis declared.

Whitmarsh, on his part, explained that there is an equal position between “both pilots because there is no doubt that they’re winners and they want to win again this season.”

“Let’s hope it’ll be an exciting year.  We aware that we have to be at our best level to beat our rivals,” the team principal stated.

The test pilot, Gary Paffett will be in charge of the first laps with the new’MP4-25′ this next Monday in Cheste, for the first official trainings that most of the ‘Scuderias’ will carry out.

Ferrari’s chairman, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, left a door open to the future incursion of the motorcycle pilot, Valentino

Rossi in the Formula One.

The nine-times world champion has two days of training last week in a Ferrari at the Montmeló Circuit and the Italian ‘Scuderia’ was impressed with his presentations.  ”He’s a friend and an indisputable champion.  He’s a great Formula One fan and of the engines, and a potential champion,” he assured during the new single-seater’s presentation, the ‘F10′.

This way, the highest person in command of the ‘Cavallino Rampante’ made it clear that there’s a possibility that Rossi will be given the opportunity to drive in Ferrari in 2010.  ”If he can train and adapt to the F1, why not?” he added.

On the other hand, he declared that Mercedes is not a real manufacturer and that Michael Schumacher is back in the competition thanks to Ferrari.  ”Let’s not talk about Schumacher,” Montezemolo suggested in a press conference, before he was forced to point out the differences between Ferrari and the new Mercedes ‘Scuderia’ which bought Brawn GP, the world champion.

“I have great respect for Mercedes.  I have said and repeat that it’s good to see its total participation in the F1.  But it’s a different kind of participation from ours,” he said, at a building located in the “Piazza Michael Schumacher”, spiritual home of Ferrari, in northern Italy.  ”Its participation is based in Great Britain.  They bought Brawn,” he clarified.

Montezemolo is proud of the Ferrari’s Italian “heart,” of the fact that it’s one of the few car manufacturers left and the only team which has competed in the 60 Formula One seasons.

In addition, he does not believe that Mercedes will be able to reproduce that special atmosphere, even though Schumacher might have taken some information with him.  ”Honestly, I’m no longer worried about the secrets that filtered with Schumacher.  I was the one who planted in this head the idea of coming back to the Formula One,” he concluded.

During today’s presentations, the Ferrari pilots, Fernando Alonso and the Brazilian, Felipe Massa seemed confident that the new F10 will allow them to be competitive and fight for the World Championship.

The pilot from Asturias, admitted to be excited.  “This is my first presentation with Ferrari and I’m very moved.  I wish to thank all the team, because they have worked very hard during the last months to create this dream, this new car.  And I also want to thank the sponsors for their hard work and because there’s great passion;” he indicated.

The twice-champion perceives the team as one of the strongest.  “We’re prepared to face this challenge and to take the car to a 100% of its potential.  And I hope that fans worldwide will be very proud to witness this car win the World Championship;” he stated.

The Brazilian, Felipe Massa, said it was a pleasure to attend to another Ferrari launching, after a “very difficult”  2009, as he recalled his accident in the Hungarian Gran Prix classification.

“I’m proud, very happy and I feel I want to work harder than ever.  I hope this is a very competitive car and that we can fight for the World Championship.  Also, that our Ferrari, the red car, is in pole position,” he concluded.

This way, Ferrari has shown his hobby horse for the 2010 season.  Other “Scuderias” and pilots have already commented on their first impressions.  See Schumacher, for instance, who in an interview to the German newspaper ‘Bild’, said he prefers Felipe Massa more than Fernando Alonso, because Massa is like his younger brother

In the official Ferrari’s Web Site we have been able to see the presentation of the new 2010 F281 Ferrari. The grip of the front aileron is very high, resembling last year’s Red Bull, so Ferrari has opted for lengthening the engine’s air intake down to the back aileron.

Ferrari placed Fernando Alonso at the front of the presentation and the pilot from Asturias had some words for the ‘tifosi’: “I hope that all the ‘tifosi’ are again proud to be Ferrari’s fans and that it’s a winning team again,” he said, looking content and very happy, and as he made complicity gestures to the single-seated.

Luca Di Montezemolo, Ferrari Chairman, likewise pronounced some words and said it’s time to leave the past behind and looking forward to the closure of cycles (Schumacher) and opening of new ones (Alonso), ” [..] wishing to be at the height marked by our experience with Alonso and Massa,” he declared.

The bad weather has prevented the F10 from giving its first laps; Maranello

is snowcapped. There’s nothing to do but to wait until next week

Next Monday will be a hectic day in Valencia, because the first Formula One official test will take place, and if yesterday, Mercedes and Williams already confirmed they will be there showing their single-seaters in the Valencian racetrack, now Toro Rosso announced its debut in the Spanish circuit.

The STR5, as his predecessor, have a Ferrari engine and they will be driven by the official pilots that have already been confirmed: the Swiss star, Sebastien Buemi and the young Spaniard, Jaime

Alguersuari.  Buemi will be in charge of the first test on the morning of February 1st.

This year, Toro Rosso aims to occupy a position in half of the grid, above the poor positions that left it in tenth place in the Constructors’ Championship in 2009.

Formula One motor-racing teams have agreed to change the World Championship’s scoring system for the second time in the last two months, aiming to reward the winners and encourage pilots to try more passing maneuvers.

The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) indicated last month that the scoring system will be extended to the first ten classified pilots, instead of the eight, with 25 points for the winner of the race, and not ten as previously.

In any case, some of the team principals confirmed to ‘Reuters’ agency that a new readjustment has been made, which is pending official approval.  Hence, from 25-20-15-10-8-6-5-3-2-1 it will change to 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1.

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren sporting director and team principal stated he was not quite convinced with the change, but that he would not vote against it.  ”We have to take this to the World Motor Sport Council meeting next Monday and see what the result is,” he warned.

“Personally, I think that changing the point system will not make a radical difference.  The original idea was that if the incentive to overtake the other pilots was raised, they would try harder to do so, but the young men I see in Formula One without any doubt already try hard, so I’m not absolutely convinced,” Whitmarsh added, while he declared that he did approve of the ban to fill up, so to encourage pilots overtaking the other cars.

With March’s season about to begin and the first official test of the year scheduled to start in just a week, the teams are locked up at the factories busily preparing their single-seated cars.

This week may be decisive and surely enough, the teams will begin to unveil their cars to their expectant audience.

After months of waiting, this is always an exciting moment and with four new motor-racing teams, great surprises are guaranteed.

First with Ferrari, which will show its single-seated on January 28^th, with pilots Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa; an appointment one must not miss.

The MP4 McLaren with 25 engine, that will be driven by the current World Champion, Jenson Button and the also British, Lewis Hamilton, will be launched next Friday(January 29th) at Vodafone in Newbury, the sponsor’s British headquarters.

On the other hand, BMW Sauber, Williams and Renault will introduce their single-seaters directly in the Valencia racetrack on January 31^st, one day previous to the year’s first official test.  By the way, they have both refused to take place in the traditional show in the factory.

Mercedes has been the first one to officially introduce its team, but with the Brawn GP painted with the colors they will be using this year.

Red Bull and Force India will present their single-seaters in the second official test of the year, at the Spanish circuit of Jerez in February 10th.  Likewise, Lotus will wait until that second test to launch its single-seated car.  Mike Gascoyne has revealed he plans to start out his car’s engine for the first time in February 5^th, before introducing it in February 12th.

The mystery comes from the other side of the “ocean”, from the new USA team.  USF1 has decided to break conventionalism and its car will make its debut on the Barber Motorsport Park’s tests in Alabama, at the beginning of February.

The thing that is worrying most is the lack of information concerning the newcomers: Virgin Racing and Campos Meta which have not specified any date.

Presentations of single-seated cars and teams

28 January – Ferrari, Maranello, Italy.

29 January – McLaren, Newbury, Great Britain.

31 January – BMW Sauber / Renault, Valencia, Spain.

1 February – Mercedes GP / Williams, Valencia, Spain

10 February – Red Bull / Force India, Jerez, Spain

Beginnings of February – Barber Motorsport Park, Alabama, USA.

12 February – Lotus

Although the single-seated will not be seen until next week, the Grand Prix Mercedes motor-racing team introduced today, at the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart, its two official pilots for the next season: Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, both from Germany.

Before the media and a great crowd, the car that was used last year by the British Jenson Button, under the Brawn GP ‘Scuderia” was displayed, but with the silver color that the racing-team will show during the 2010 campaign.

“The German Formula One ‘Scuderia’ is now ready.  A bit of German pride is legitimate,” declared Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Daimler, when the design of the new silver racing cars was presented at the Mercedes Museum at Stuttgart.

The goal of the motor-racing team is clear: the World Championship title.  However, Zetsche chose not to risk himself and stated that the long-term targets do not necessarily have to be complied with in the first season.

“We have a clearly defined goal which is to become World Champions, but that doesn’t mean this has to happen during the first year,” Zetsche said.

“We’re a new team.  Give us some time,” he added.

Next week, the first official tests will take place at the Ricardo Tormo de Cheste circuit (Valencia, which will also be the site where the definitive single-seated named ‘MGP W01′ will be presented for the first time.  On the other hand, during the team’s official introduction, Schumacher, received most of the attention and declared: “Last summer, I already experienced how people received me, and frankly their reaction was a real surprise for me.

“It’s exciting and gives me a very warm feeling.  I’m very grateful with my fans.  Their reaction is a great motivation and driving force for me,” he added.

On his part, Rosberg said he’s looking forward to participate and is very happy.  Driving a Mercedes is a dream come true for him..  “It’s clear that this is a very, very special thing; a dream come true.  I’m looking forward to trying the new car out, and to work with people like Norbert (Haug), Ross (Brawn) and Nick (Fry), and to have Michael (Schumacher) as team-mate; that’s big.  It’s going to be a great season,” pronounced the second German of the racing-car team.

The thing being that Mercedes constitutes an only-German team.  The excitement was quite visible in Dieter Zetsche’s face.