All this year’s title contenders know after four ‘flyaway’ races in 2012 is that they do not know what will happen in Spain next month.

“The only certainty is uncertainty,” read the German headline at Netzeitung.

With F1 generally regarded in the wider world as a sport with predictable results, this is an entirely new situation.

“The statistics show that it’s been nine years since there have been four different winners in the first four races,” said Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali.

Indeed, the famous Italian team as well as McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull have won the opening races of 2012, and also with potentially winning pace have been Lotus and Sauber.

“More than that,” continued Domenicali, “you have to go back 29 years to find the last time four different cars won.”

One explanation is that F1 has never been more competitive, with plenty of well-oiled teams and no fewer than six world champion drivers on the grid.

But Domenicali thinks Pirelli is the dominant factor.

And not everybody is happy about that. Michael Schumacher told Bild newspaper that this year’s tyres degrade so fast that rubber “flies from the rim” if he pushes too hard in a corner.

“We drive around like the safety car. It is not a satisfying situation,” the seven time world champion said.

Pirelli’s motor sport director Paul Hembery is unimpressed with the rebuke, insisting that the Italian marque is only trying to “make tyres that make the races exciting”.

“We cannot take individual drivers into consideration,” the Briton insisted.

“It would be dead easy for us to make tyres that don’t break down. Then the top ten would also be the top ten in the race.

“But no one wants to see boring processions,” Hembery claimed.

Agreed the Swiss headline at Blick: “Pirelli is sweeping away the boredom”.

Indeed, not even the other Mercedes driver, Shanghai winner Nico Rosberg, agrees with Schumacher.

“It’s total chaos. You don’t know who is going to be fast at the next track,” he is quoted by DPA agency. “Formula one has become almost unlike any other sport.

“Yes, you cannot drive any laps any more at full throttle. Often, it’s like driving on ice. But that’s a big and an interesting challenge,” said the German.

Undoubtedly exciting for the fans, but the teams are having to adapt quickly. Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport said on Sunday that Vettel’s victory could mean Red Bull resumes its dominant grip on F1.

Dr Helmut Marko doesn’t think so. “We don’t even know who our opponents are!” he exclaimed.

Dominant team Red Bull stands to lose a chunk of laptime if diffuser exhaust blowing is banned after Sunday’s Canadian grand prix.

The team’s engine supplier Renault argued for a delay of the ban until after Montreal on the grounds that, because of the basic architecture of the engine, it is a reliability issue.

Adrian Newey explained in Monaco that the Renault V8 opens to full throttle when the driver is not pressing on the accelerator due to “exhaust valve cooling”.

Reliability aside, Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport and Autosprint in Italy claim that the driveability of the Renault engine will also be badly affected by the exhaust blowing ban.

The reports say the 2.4 litre Renault was designed specifically to produce an aerodynamic effect off-throttle, while others have struggled to adapt.

“We lost several engines testing this,” confirms Mercedes’ Norbert Haug.

Auto Motor und Sport estimates the total ban of exhaust blowing will cost some Renault and also Ferrari-powered teams as much as eight tenths per lap.

FIA president Jean Todt is resolute: “It (exhaust blowing) is a pointless consumption of fuel.”

Auto Motor und Sport said the Renault engine is designed to be at open throttle when not accelerating, with Ferrari also at risk of reliability and driveability problems in the event of the ban.

Specifically, Ferrari argues that is opens the valves in that situation to reduce pressure in the crankcase, while Mercedes and Cosworth have an entirely different approach to their valve philosophy.

Four teams are using an innovative method to maximise the driver’s ability to efficiently deploy KERS in 2011.
That is the claim of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, describing the novel method as ‘kickdown’.

‘Kickdown’ refers to the additional pressure that a driver must deploy beyond full throttle to activate the KERS power-boost.

It means the driver, who is already at full throttle when he needs to use KERS, must do nothing other than press even harder on the right-foot pedal to trigger the energy-recovery system.

Nick Heidfeld confirmed that he made the ‘kickdown’ suggestion for KERS when he joined Renault this season.

“I had the idea to use kickdown when we had traction control,” the German is also quoted as saying. “We did that at BMW.”

Another clever innovation in 2011 is in the Mercedes footwell, where Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg rest their foot on a third pedal to the left of the brake to activate the DRS rear wing.

Jenson Button loses world champion in the overall standings to fourth place in Singapore on the ground: “But it’s not over yet!”
McLaren is the big loser of the Singapore night. Silver Arrows, the British had to accept a pay freeze Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button made it with the MP4-25 just once in fourth. “It was not a loose race, but I had to do all the time pressure. It’s always sad when you give full throttle all the time and it still not enough for a podium finish,” said the reigning champion.

“At the beginning I have some spared the rear tires because we had noted on Friday that they do not keep so well. That gave me some help. In the final laps of the first stint I was therefore the gap on Lewis, because with him it looked like as if he had had problems with the tires, “said Button, who in the battle for third against Mark Webber had a chance.
“After the safety car period I was on the harder tire had problems with stability on the curves and output. I could not even keep up with the Red Bull, who had 30 laps on the tires on the clock,” reports the British McLaren on the issues. “This shows how fast the were and it shows that it was not an easy race for us.”

“The race was otherwise perfect for me, everything was simply not the pit stop was perfect -.. Probably the best all year, but the balance just does not fit,” said Button. “Our car was not as good here as expected. In qualifying we can get the best, but in the race it was really hard.”
“We hope so on the new parts of Japan. They were supposed to arrive in Singapore to the car, but it happened for reasons of reliability not. In Suzuka, we will hopefully have a competitive car,” says the 30-year-old. Positive the view is now ahead: “Suzuka should suit our car better to eat well for us, Singapore was the most difficult of the routes in the final stage..”

In the overall standings button is now only a fifth, 25 points behind leader Webber. “I’m still in the process,” the British fighting spirit. “Too bad that Mark Webber was able to land before us. But we are at points just from a racing game. It is up to the last race still everything is possible. I wish back the old points system. Then we could better see how close all lie together. ”

“You have to think positive but at this stage of the season,” said Button. “Lewis had today in the duel with Webber pitch. I do not know exactly what happened there. I have only seen that Webber has him forced out clearly. One bad race can be very cost much. My points of today are important, but actually would have to stand on the podium. “

Fernando Alonso surprised by yesterday’s free practice in Montreal with the second fastest time, just 0.086 seconds behind Sebastian Vettel. Ferrari has recently been completely in Istanbul of the role, but the quick stop-and-go course on Île Notre-Dame seems to the one equipped with F-bay system F10 meet.

Although the Ferraris were on the straights, the fastest ever in terms of the measured top speed, but Alonso still went fastest in the final sector, which contains the longest full throttle part of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. In winding the first sector he lost two tenths of a second to Vettel, but: “We have been preparing for the race and not taken on the lap times,” he attaches such number games no meaning.
The visor he had something else: “The brakes are very important because we know how much you can win at this track in the braking zones. We have been working all day on the brakes, tried different materials and cooling stages to the car be tuned for Sunday. Sometimes the car was too slow but easy, but I hope that tomorrow we have found the right settings, “said Alonso.

The Montreal-winner from 2006 was seen yesterday a few times off the track, had once even lucky that he does not turn four sliding into the wall. But it was more like the Bremstüfteleien than on the track, which is torn up in 2008 in part. Alonso: “The track is in good condition. There was now no problems, no bumps. I think it will remain so. There is certainly no negative signs.”
Also regarding the Bridgestone tires, which threatened on several other disintegrating almost want to sue the Ferrari driver does not: “The Supersoft is faster, graint but, but we know that on Sunday usually better if the track is catchy “presumed Alonso, who does not share the fears of some colleagues:” I do not think there will be problems on Sunday, even if today had some graining. ”

Ferrari for a successful event in Montreal would be important, because Alonso is currently missing 14 points on championship leader Mark Webber. Last ran the race not on track, but that is about to change thanks to new parts soon: “In Valencia we will be stronger and at Silverstone again,” announces the 28-year-old. “Between now and Abu Dhabi is also off the track a race to see who can develop the fastest.”

(TMS)

A site for the 2012 United States grand prix has been selected.

It was earlier reported that although a promoter has won the rights to stage the race on a purpose-built track in Austin, Texas, the actual site for the venue is still being decided.

But a lawyer for promoter Full Throttle Productions is quoted by the local American-Statesman newspaper as revealing that land has been secured.

“We’re just not ready to disclose it (the actual location) yet,” said Richard Suttle.

Suttle also said regular F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke has been appointed.

But even with the new details, doubts about the project remain, including insider sentiment that it resembles past negotiating moves deployed by F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

Until the shock news of the Austin deal emerged, Monticello Motor Club in New York was considered the front runner for a contract.

Club president Ari Straus said the 2012 start-date was the biggest surprise.

“Somebody starting from scratch would not be able to do it until 2013,” he said.

The implication could be that if Austin is unable to be ready for 2012, Monticello could be back in the frame for a project the following year.

“If Bernie comes back to the table,” Straus said, “Monticello is ready.”

But Austin promoter Tavo Hellmund, reportedly a friend of Ecclestone’s for decades, said he is not worried about the tight schedule for 2012.

“If it (the date) slides back, it slides back,” he said.

Although mainly funded privately, the project will also enjoy some state input, with a letter to Ecclestone signed by Texas governor Rick Perry pledging $25 million per year from the state’s Mayor Event Trust Fund.

(GMM)

The reaction has been mixed since F1 announced it is heading to Austin, Texas, for 10 consecutive United States grands prix beginning in 2012.

Britain’s Sun newspaper quoted Williams chief executive Adam Parr as saying: “We are a global sport and not having a race in America has been a big hole in the calendar. Our partners will be thrilled.”

But the announcement was short on detail, including where in the Texan capital the venue will be built, and why Austin can succeed where the likes of Donington failed.

McLaren’s managing director Jonathan Neale said in a teleconference on Wednesday: “I’d say it is fantastic news if it turns out to be true and if we can make it happen.”

One sceptic is Kevin Eason, correspondent for London’s The Times.

“This is one old formula one dog who was once bitten by Donington and is twice shy.”

And a blogger at former US GP host city Indianapolis’ Indy Star newspaper read: “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

The German news agency SID said the news had triggered “joy and doubt”.

Even the major Austin daily American-Statesman found the surprise news, which came hot on the heels of claims New York was closing on a deal, hard to swallow.

“Monte Carlo. Istanbul. Barcelona. Montreal. Austin? Maybe,” read a report.

The report added that “significant details” are yet to come, including the cost, the source of the funding, “and why would an Austin project succeed where others haven’t?”

The fabled Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted F1 between 2000 and 2007, and spokesman Fred Nation said: “Some years we had the largest crowds of the year for formula one.

“From a spectator point of view, it was a success. At the end of the day, we could not make a business deal that made sense to us.”

The promoter of Austin’s F1 race is Tavo Hellmund, whose company Full Throttle Productions is largely unknown outside of Austin, and he admitted that land has not been bought but three sites are being considered.

A local race venue owner thinks Hellmund’s task is a huge one.

“I can tell you this facility cost about $250 million,” said Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage, referring to the venue used for NASCAR races.

“(An F1 track) would exceed that,” he added.

In the midst of reports that New York was Bernie Ecclestone’s favoured location, the sport announced late on Tuesday that Austin, Texas will in fact stage its first race in 2012.

The 10-year contract is for a “purpose-built” facility, F1 chief executive Ecclestone said in a statement, although details including an actual site, cost or race date were not released.

A report of the AP news agency said the venue would be built “within 10 miles” of Austin airport.

The promoter is Full Throttle Productions, headed by Tavo Hellmund, who Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Susan Combs revealed has a “30 year relationship with Mr Ecclestone”.

“We have been diligently working together for several years to bring this great event to Austin, the State of Texas and back to the United States,” said Hellmund.

“We realise that over the last 30 years there have been one or two missing pieces from the previous editions of the formula one United States grand prix,” he added.

Never on a purpose-built circuit, previous US grands prix have been held at Watkins Glen, Long Beach, Las Vegas, Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix.

Between 2000 and 2007, the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted the event, and spokesman Fred Nation on Tuesday questioned whether the “business deal” between F1 and Austin is a sound one.

“Since 2007, we have been asked many times about having formula one return, and our answer has been the same each time: if the business deal is right, they are welcome back.

“If such a deal is in place in Austin, we wish both the city and formula one success for a race in the United States,” he said.
(GMM)