Two days after winning in Spain, Williams is scrambling to put together the equipment it needs to contest next weekend’s Monaco grand prix.

Mere hours after Pastor Maldonado secured the once-great British team’s first victory since 2004, a huge fire broke out in the pits, leaving one team member still in a Barcelona hospital with burns.

“His family are in constant communication and he is in good spirits,” Williams said in a media statement.

The Oxfordshire based team is now making efforts to ensure it can race in Monte Carlo, having lost a lot of equipment in the fire.

Mercifully, however, Bruno Senna’s car appears to have survived, with the Finnish broadcaster MTV3 saying an initial inspection of the chassis showed no devastating damage.

Maldonado’s winning car was in parc ferme at the time of the incident.

“We had a lot of damage and lost a lot of equipment, including IT equipment,” chief operations engineer Mark Gillan said, according to the Daily Mail.

“Over the next couple of days we will be looking at where we are parts-wise.

“We will have everything we need to run operationally at Monaco, but we may be missing a few of the extras because obviously we don’t carry a complete set of spares for everything,” he said.

It is believed more than one rival team has offered to help Williams by loaning the Sir Frank Williams-led outfit any equipment it needs.

A McLaren spokesman confirmed the Woking based team has offered to help.

Germany’s Bild newspaper said Williams’ damage bill runs into the millions.

Team manager Dickie Stanford denied a rumour the fire was caused by a cigarette in the vicinity of Senna’s fuel tank while it was being emptied.

“We don’t know the cause, but we would never allow smoking in the pits,” he insisted.

Williams and F1′s governing FIA are investigating.

Pirelli will use the former Renault team’s 2010 car for private track testing this year, the sport’s official tyre supplier announced on Wednesday.
Until now, the Italian marque has tested with Toyota’s 2009 car, the TF109, which was deemed now too outdated to use for the next generation of Pirelli tyre.

“The Toyota is no longer able to generate the same sort of forces that we need to simulate in order to meet the current requirements of formula one,” said motor sport director Paul Hembery.

Another reason is that the Toyota’s fuel tank was not big enough to simulate a race-load of fuel, for the current regulations that came into force in 2010.

Pirelli said the Renault R30, originally raced by Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov, will be run in plain black carbon, driven by a test driver whose identity will be revealed “later this month”.

The car will be adapted to simulate this year’s regulations, and run by Pirelli’s own technicians, “with no team member connected to a current formula one team” in order to “ensure complete impartiality”.

Pirelli said it will test four or five times this year, beginning in May, with an observer from each F1 team invited to attend.

Sebastian Vettel dominated the 2011 season opener two weeks ago but the Red Bull car is not perfect.

The most obvious problem is KERS, with Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport confirming that it was taken off the RB7 due to reliability problems in Melbourne.

The main issue with the team’s energy-recovery system – which ran apparently without problem in the initial Friday session at Sepang – is cooling, with the batteries running hot.

Another potential concern with the RB7 is its fuel tank size, after Mark Webber immediately pulled over with low fuel in Melbourne and Vettel also conserved fuel on his run to victory.

Another sign that Adrian Newey has pushed the envelope with tank size this year is that Webber and Vettel did only a single lap on the way to the grid before the race in Melbourne.

There are also rumblings about the RB7′s high tyre wear, with Lewis Hamilton significantly closing the gap prior to the first pitstop in Australia due to Vettel running out of grip.

“Melbourne has never been a good indicator of the balance of power,” Michael Schumacher said at Sepang ahead of the second race of the season.

“So we have to wait. It is clear that Red Bull have the best car but the question is how much better.”

There were no bold statements at Valencia after Tuesday’s opening day of pre-season testing.
The usually furtive 2010 runner-up Fernando Alonso tested at the wheel of Ferrari’s new F150 and claimed to have not even looked at reigning champion Red Bull’s 2011 challenger.

“I followed Vettel for a while and noticed he had the same colours as before,” joked the 29-year-old to the Spanish press.

Mercedes’ new W02 did not seem fast and broke down on its tenth lap with an hydraulic problem.

“I’ve had cars that started off great and became troublesome, and troublesome cars that became great,” said team boss Ross Brawn.

Vettel was Tuesday’s quickest, but Alonso ridiculed anyone who took that accomplishment seriously.

“I remember last year at the last test we were sixth fastest with Sauber and Force India ahead of us. At Sakhir we lapped them,” said the 2010 Bahrain winner.

“Testing is like watching Real Madrid or Barcelona play against (reserve teams) Castilla or Barcelona B. One or the other could win but it doesn’t mean anything,” insisted Alonso.

More interesting at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit this week are some of the innovations, including Renault’s exhaust, and the heavily undercut roll hoop and waist of the new Williams FW33.

“It’s gorgeous, the rear of the car is fantastic,” gushed Rubens Barrichello.

“At the moment you look at the times and it’s bad for us, but there is a three second difference between an empty fuel tank and what we are using,” he told Globe Esporte.

Another notable innovation is aboard the newly launched Toro Rosso, with Auto Motor und Sport saying it is a reminder of Ferrari’s ‘double floor’ of 1992.

And arguably the least radical of the new cars is Vettel’s currently chart-topping RB7.

“It is the third generation of the RB5 family,” admitted designer Adrian Newey. “It’s an evolution.”

Mark Webber “regrets” comments he made at Silverstone last week, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said on Tuesday.

In the wake of the Silverstone front wing furore, Australian Webber issued a lengthy statement backtracking from suggestions Sebastian Vettel is the team’s preferred driver.

“We spoke together quite early last week,” Horner said in an interview with Germany’s SID news agency.

“It was good.  I think Mark regrets some of the comments he made because they detracted from a great team achievement.

“Mark’s performance was first-class, but it was a victory for the team, just as were the ten before it,” added the Briton.

Horner revealed that more spare wings will be on hand at Hockenheim this weekend, but insisted that running a different specification on one car was not such an unusual situation in F1.

“Every team in the pitlane takes decisions, whether it’s Virgin with their chassis with the bigger fuel tank, the F-duct at Sauber or who at Ferrari was allowed to drive with the new exhaust system in Fiorano,” he said.

“You can find a hundred different examples.  Unfortunately, with this decision, many emotions came together.”

He rejected suggestions that Webber will try to find a way out of his 2011 contract.

“Mark knows the support that he has in this team.  And I can’t imagine where else he will want to go.”

After separation from HRT Dallara driven the development of their own design team is continuing. Under the leadership of the new technical adviser of the team, Geoff Willis, will soon begin work on next year’s car. “The team would like to get there, to hold its own destiny in hand,” Willis said in an interview with ‘MotorsportTotal’.

“We are currently putting together a small technical group,” said Willis on. This also forces in Britain would be committed. “There are a few people, I want to buy that are there at short notice.” Basically, it was but the goal of the team, its basic long-term rearing in the Hispanic space. In the short term but we must also avoid even the UK.
“In the current Formula 1 world, it is obviously a little easier to carry out such a program in the UK because there is now even a larger group of people living and working,” says Willis. By setting the rules whereby the number of employees per team will be limited further in the future, are especially available in the UK market appropriate staff.

The fixed strain on employees but would rather remain within manageable limits. “In terms of design, so of course we want to do everything themselves in the long term. In the short term but it does not matter at first, if many people are employed, or whether one takes freelancers under contract.”
When the program will definitely start, is still not fixed. “The decisions as to look like the design strategy of the team for 2011 but needs to be made soon,” said Willis. “I’m probably a little uneasy if you have not ordered until the end of July. Ideally, I would like to get on with an aero program, but I think we still have a few weeks time.”

“We are in the fortunate position that we will not build one way or our own gear. The gearbox and the engine is provided by third parties. Coupled with the fact that we have the rules for the coming year in relation to the size of fuel tanks and know the weight, we do not have to play some games in the wind tunnel. This saves us some time so start. If we were to design and build our own gear and we had to have in April. “This season is taking HRT a Cosworth engine and an Xtrac gearbox back.
While striving so in terms of design and development for more personal responsibility, the manufacturing of the parts will continue to accepted by third parties. “For teams of our size, it becomes more and more the norm to leave the actual production done outside the home,” said Willis. In the past we have tried to manufacture as much yourself as you could meet only as certain quality standards.

Meanwhile, it highlighted a considerable number of reliable formula-one suppliers, including in Austria, Germany, England, and Italy. “Now we can say pretty directly, you can do everything external. At least that is certainly our model. But we would certainly not give the complete program to third parties. One way or HRT will have in many ways, the technical control.”

Jun.9 (GMM)  KERS should only return to the F1 grid next year if every car is fitted with the energy-recovery technology.

That is the claim of Sir Frank Williams, whose Grove based team is reportedly keen to see KERS make a comeback in 2011.

Williams has its own hybrid technology company, whose unique flywheel KERS unit was fitted to the Porsche 911 GT3 R at the recent Nurburgring 24 hour race.

FIA president Jean Todt is pushing hard for the F1 teams alliance FOTA to overturn its gentleman’s ban on KERS.

KERS therefore already features in the technical regulations, but – if the FOTA ban is dropped – its use is voluntary.

“I am a strong supporter of the use of KERS,” Williams is quoted by the Dutch publication formule1.nl.

“The automotive industry is working on reducing CO2 emissions, and for that reason alone formula one must take the lead.

“But it should be compulsory — either we all use it, or we all do not,” added Williams.

Interestingly, the 68-year-old suggested that if Williams does use KERS in F1 next year, it would not be the flywheel system produced by Williams Hybrid Power.

“Our system works well and is being used by Porsche in long distance races,” he confirmed.

“But it is bigger than the electrical systems.  As we now drive with bigger fuel tanks, it no longer fits in a formula one car.  It would make our car like a London double-decker!

May 27 (GMM)  Lucas di Grassi will this weekend finally race Virgin’s updated car, but it may still be slower than the one piloted by his teammate Timo Glock.

Due to the volcanic ash cloud and then the short turnaround between Spain and Monaco, di Grassi had to drive the original car with the famously small fuel tank while Glock raced one with significant developments.

Rookie di Grassi, 25, will finally receive the longer-wheelbase VR-01 in Turkey, he confirmed to Brazil’s Globo.

“For the first time I have the upgraded car,” he said ahead of the Turkish grand prix, “although it is a little heavier than Glock’s, because of our difference in height.”

Heavier drivers are not normally penalised with heavier cars in F1, due to the 620 kilogram car-plus-driver minimum weight.

But because Virgin’s basic car-plus-driver weight exceeds the 620kg minimum, the 10cm-taller di Grassi is unavoidably penalised in performance terms.

But di Grassi is still hopeful of taking a big step forward at Istanbul Park.

“These improvements will bring half a second in our laptime,” he said.

“I love to race in Turkey, a track where I have won twice in GP2.  I know it’s a quite different reality now, but let’s look to be the best team among the newcomers.

“We are focused on solving our problems of reliability and looking to get a good result,” added di Grassi.

Three years after the ‘spygate’ scandal of 2007, a case alleging sabotage by espionage conspirator Nigel Stepney began in Italy on Wednesday.

As the Monaco paddock is set up on Wednesday, the case harks back to the fabled street race of 2007, with sacked former chief mechanic Stepney accused of trying to ruin Ferrari’s chances by adding white powder to the fuel tanks.

According to reports including by the ANSA news agency, the trial began on Wednesday in a court in Sassuolo, in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region.

Briton Stepney did not appear in person, the German news agency SID reported.

Lucas di Grassi will spend one more race weekend at the wheel of the original Virgin car.

After it was discovered that the fuel tank was not big enough to reach the chequered flag with normal pace, the new British team embarked on a significant redesign that debuted in Timo Glock’s hands last week in Spain.

But di Grassi had to race in Barcelona with the older car, due to the volcanic ash disruptions in the wake of the recent Chinese grand prix.

Now, the ultra-quick turnaround between the Spanish race and Wednesday’s scrutineering in the Principality means that the 25-year-old is still waiting for the new car.

In a statement, Virgin said the second new car will be ready for Turkey in two weeks.

“I was pleased with my performance in Spain so I’m optimistic that we can have a good race here,” said di Grassi.

(GMM)

Timo Glock is looking for an improvement from Virgin Racing before committing long-term to the new British team.

Despite interest from established teams for this year, the German signed with Virgin with a contract that is believed to be for a multiple-season term.

The team has notably struggled for pace and reliability, with Glock only notching up his first finish of the season last weekend in Spain.

That was with the much-vaunted updated VR-01 car featuring a bigger fuel tank, which was not substantially faster in Barcelona than the older model still driven by Lucas di Grassi.

Asked if he is already contemplating how to extract himself from his long contract, 28-year-old Glock said on Tuesday: “If the situation never changed, eventually you would have those sorts of thoughts.

“But at the moment I’m not thinking about that, and neither am I walking around looking for somewhere else (to drive).  We have to wait for a few more races and then see,” Glock told motorsport-total.com.

He admitted that the updated car did not work “as expected” around the Circuit de Catalunya.

“Especially on Friday it was a disaster because I was even slower than the old car.  What’s going on, I don’t know.

“At least we have sorted out the tank.  The fuel supply (issue) for qualifying is significantly improved, but the aero updates have not worked in the way we wanted.”

Virgin’s technical boss Nick Wirth is famously developing the VR-01 car with only computer technology, and asked if the lack of a wind tunnel is hurting the team, Glock answered “I don’t know.”

(GMM)

With rival Lotus hoping for a more than one second improvement in Barcelona, Virgin’s Timo Glock believes his similarly heavily-revised VR-01 car will be faster by about seven tenths per lap this weekend.

Due to the volcano-induced travel chaos three weeks ago, his teammate Lucas di Grassi’s car does not feature the major package upgrade in Spain.

Glock’s car has a longer wheelbase, a bigger fuel tank, a fuel system that allows the car to run light on fuel in qualifying, a new front wing, floor and bargeboards.

“The fuel tank is the main one,” the German told Auto Motor und Sport.  “If it works, it gives us five or six tenths alone.”

Glock added that the rest of the package will add a further one or two tenths.

“Our goal is to beat Lotus,” he confirmed.

May 3 (GMM)  Virgin on Monday confirmed reports that the Icelandic volcano spoiled the new team’s preparations for the Spanish grand prix.

We reported two weeks ago that because team personnel were stranded in Shanghai, the teams plans to debut two heavily modified cars in Barcelona this weekend might be affected.

With FIA clearance, Virgin has been busily designing a new chassis to accommodate a fuel tank big enough to take its cars to the end of races.

Because the sport’s freight was held up for several days in China, the new British team only had a single VR-01 monocoque to work on at its UK factory.

In a statement on Monday, Virgin said it would have needed the “three full weeks of manufacture, homologation and race preparation” to get two modified cars up and running for both Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi in Spain.

“As a consequence, Virgin Racing will debut only one revised chassis in the Spanish grand prix this weekend, which Timo Glock will put through its paces,” read the statement.

Glock commented: “I have done some work in the simulator in preparation for this race and we have a good idea of what to expect from the modified chassis, so I’m looking forward to seeing how we shape up when we hit the track in Barcelona this week.”

Technical director Nick Wirth admitted that running the two fundamentally different specifications of cars in Spain “will certainly challenge the team”.

Apr.26 (GMM)  If the new team’s predictions are right, Lotus is set to take a big step forward at the Spanish grand prix next weekend.

“We are hoping for a time saving of more than a second (per lap),” Heikki Kovalainen told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

The Finnish driver, however, acknowledged that most other teams will also field quicker cars at Barcelona, the first European race of the season and usually the annual scene of major developments.

“But we might have more room (for improvement) than our competitors,” added Kovalainen, referring to the car’s conservative cooling solution, the basic double diffuser and the steel suspension uprights fielded so far this season.

Among F1′s three new teams, the pace of the Lotus and Virgin cars has been close so far.  Virgin is also planning an upgrade for Barcelona, including its famous bigger fuel tank.

Said Lotus’ technical boss Mike Gascoyne: “The Barcelona package has been in the wind tunnel for six months.”  The rear is narrower, the sidepod entries more extreme, the wheelbase longer.

“It will be at least a second faster,” he confirmed.

Team boss Tony Fernandes said he is pushing Lotus to set high targets.

“You’ve got to benchmark yourself against the best, otherwise don’t bother being in it,” he told the Malaysian newspaper The Star.

(GMM) While F1 personnel devise imaginative routes back to Europe, the harshest impact of the volcanic ash lingering above Europe could fall on Virgin.

With FIA clearance, the new British team has been busily designing a new chassis to accommodate a fuel tank big enough to take its cars to the end of races.

The package, at an estimated development cost of 1 million pounds sterling, was due to debut in Barcelona in three weeks.

But F1’s hundreds of kilos of freight – including the two race cars driven by Lucas di Grassi and Timo Glock in Shanghai – are currently holed up at Shanghai airport while the six 747 jets are stranded back in Europe.

It means the Virgin cars, including a third spare monocoque, might not be returned to the Yorkshire base in time – or at all before being shipped to Barcelona – so they can be modified for the new chassis package.

It is believed Virgin only has a single VR-01 monocoque already at the factory, so it is possible that either di Grassi or Glock could be forced to contest Spain next month with the too-small fuel tank still fitted.

However, given Virgin’s reliability record so far, the drivers are rarely in need of a full tank of fuel. Only in Malaysia did Brazilian rookie di Grassi make it to the chequered flag.

At every other race so far, the 25-year-old has retired, while Glock has not completed a full grand prix distance at all in 2010.