Carbonell and HRT Formula 1 Team have signed a collaboration deal through which the leading olive oil brand will have its image present on the drivers’ overalls, whilst also forming a part of the exclusive culinary experience that the team has created alongside Arzak-Bokado.

The squad of Arzak-Bokado chefs travel with the team and have their operational base in the new motorhome hospitality during European races, whereas in overseas races they use the facilities provided by each circuit to maintain the same quality service. They offer a gastronomic experience that meets the different needs of team members and exclusive guests of the team, using fresh national products of the highest quality that characterize the extraordinary and renowned Spanish cuisine, whilst also leaning upon chefs and suppliers at each of the 19 countries visited throughout the season.

Besides the different menus, the gourmet experience also includes gastronomic activities at the circuit such as the “show cooking” or the “lightning pintxo”, which HRT offers every Grand Prix Sunday before the race for team members, guests, international press and organizers who travel the globe covering Formula 1 all to enjoy.

The presence of Carbonell, world leader in olive oil, will provide an extra contribution to that gastronomic experience whilst also enjoying an unbeatable platform for the brand because of the quality and worldwide reach of the team’s activities in a setting such as Formula 1. Carbonell has chosen the pinnacle of motorsport and HRT Formula 1 Team, the first and only team in the history of this competition to have its headquarters in Spain, to begin this unique culinary experience in Formula 1 and will also be the team’s exclusive brand for olive oil, olives and vinegar.

The agreement, which was signed by José María Collantes, Managing Director of Deoleo S.A, and Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal of HRT Formula 1 Team, at the team’s new headquarters in the Caja Mágica in Madrid, is valid until the end of 2012 with an option to extend. With this, Carbonell becomes the first Spanish food brand to be present in the Formula 1 World Championship.

Jose María Collantes, Managing Director Deoleo S.A: “The partnership between HRT, Carbonell and Arzak will enable to strengthen the link between Formula 1 and the gastronomic world thanks to HRT with an exclusive gourmet experience through which Carbonell will take part in every aspect related to the team’s kitchen, as well as all the culinary activities at the Grands Prix. By supporting such a popular sport as Formula 1, Carbonell will have great visibility and will secure its place as an innovative brand in the world of olive oil, vinegar and olives”.

Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal HRT: “It’s a great satisfaction for HRT to begin a partnership with Carbonell, a world renowned Spanish brand in the food sector. This association offers an opportunity to make the most of and strengthen the synergies of both companies on a worldwide base. Besides, Carbonell integrates perfectly with our gastronomic partners, Arzak-Bokado, to offer a gourmet experience made up of Spanish cuisine and fusion in the different countries where we compete. We thank Carbonell for the confidence they have deposited in us and we will continue to work hard to be competitive in an extremely demanding environment. With everyone’s effort we will reach our targets”.

ABOUT CARBONELL

For more than 145 years Carbonell has been present in kitchens and has created its oil taking close care of every step. Today, as a result of that experience and also of an innovation, Carbonell creates its oil following the Exclusive Carbonell Method® through which the best olives are chosen based on the origin, variety and moment of picking and a unique elaboration process is followed with which the essence of the olive is conserved.

Thereby, Carbonell is the brand that transforms dishes, in short, they give them soul, contributing some specific benefits (more nutrition; more pleasure; makes the normal special; turns the experience of eating into something sublime). Carbonell, the soul of your kitchen.

Carbonell belongs to Deoleo S.A., a Spanish food group that lists on the Spanish stock market and that is a worldwide leader in bottled olive oil, and that counts with the leading brands in the areas and markets where it operates, offering top quality products.

Michael Schumacher could be the next silver-clad driver who takes a Mercedes to the top step of the podium.

His teammate Nico Rosberg dominated the Shanghai weekend and, at his 111th attempt, finally broke through with a maiden pole and win.

The much-younger German also dominated Schumacher, the 43-year-old, at Mercedes in the last two years — ever since the seven time world champion returned to formula one in 2010.

But former Benetton and Ferrari title winner Schumacher appears much more on Rosberg’s pace this season, and in fact even solidly outqualified his 26-year-old teammate in Australia and Malaysia.

“It’s simple,” Schumacher told Brazil’s O Estado de S.Paulo.

“The way I can drive this car is much more how I have driven a car throughout my whole life.

“If you look at my driving today and compare with ten years ago, not much has changed,” said the famous German. “But if you look at 2010 and 2011, my arms never stopped working.

“It wasn’t my way to drive,” insisted Schumacher.

Having followed Rosberg early in the Chinese grand prix – before his retirement – Schumacher admitted that he could not quite match the leading pace.

But, despite not standing on a podium even once since his F1 comeback, he has now smelled that a victory is close.

“It will be the same feeling as when I went to the podium for the first time with Benetton, and Ferrari,” Schumacher predicted.

“When I started with those teams, we were far away from being able to think about it. But after a lot of work, I would say years – just as now with Mercedes – we had reached the stage of being able to fight.

“Most people have no idea how many things need to be changed, how much effort and investment is required. At 43 I’m going through all of this again, but it’s because I really love what I do.”

Schumacher’s Mercedes contract expires at the end of this year.

“You might not believe it,” he responded, “but I’m so focused on developing this car that I don’t think about it.

“Later on in the season, of course, it’s inevitable.

“Of course it gives me great pleasure that we are starting to see the results of this great work. I am still perfectly capable of winning in formula one,” Schumacher insisted.

 Red Bull and McLaren have the quickest cars as formula one teams prepare for the final pre-season test before Melbourne.

That is the view of Sauber designer Matt Morris, despite the Swiss team’s Kamui Kobayashi setting the fastest overall time at last week’s Barcelona test.

“The top teams are yet to show their hands,” read a report in the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport.

Morris agrees with that assessment.

“If we are to believe our own analysis then Red Bull and McLaren are in front, there is a question mark about Ferrari, and behind them is a very close group of several teams.

“I think the gaps between those in this central group will be smaller this year,” he added.

The F1 world’s real gaze this week will however be on the apparent title contenders, with Lewis Hamilton quoted by the SID news agency as saying: “Maybe Red Bull are a bit quicker than us.”

But McLaren’s team boss Martin Whitmarsh revealed: “We will have a fairly substantial (update) package in Barcelona this week.

“We assume Red Bull will do the same,” he added.

Unlike last year, however, there will be no last-minute technical sensation that determines the pecking-order for the start of the season.

Sauber’s Morris explains: “There will be nothing spectacular; the rules don’t allow it any more.”

But he admitted that the best-funded teams will continue to tinker at the edges, as demonstrated by McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull who have so far run several different exhaust configurations in the wake of the blown diffuser ban.

Morris said: “Any modification in this area is an expensive pleasure, while before we (Sauber) do anything, we have to be sure that it is clearly better.”

For Jaime Alguersuari Formula 1′s summer break, now in the harder phase: Fitness Camp in Austria, Italy in Karting
While many other Formula 1 driver still occupies a bed in a dream beach, Jaime Alguersuari goes back to work. The young Toro Rosso driver will enter on Monday back to the intensive fitness training to prepare for the rest of the season. “I will be with Sebastien Buemi in the Red Bull Performance Center in Fuschl and there for three days at the gym work,” the 20-year-old said on his homepage.

“We will be working on our physical condition, to be prepared for the rest of the season. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I’ll be in the gym, there are medical checks,” said Alguersuari. “We will also probably take hundreds of miles by bicycle uncoil and other outdoor activities.”
After three days in the Austrian Fuschl an unofficial competition of some Formula 1 drivers on the program. “On Thursday and Friday I meet with Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg and several other Formula 1 drivers at the kart circuit in Lonato. Where we test some new KZ1-karts for the World Cup,” said the Toro Rosso Youngster who has a contract with Intrepid kart.

The young Spaniard then remains the same in Italy, to the team in preparing for the next Grand Prix in Belgium to help. For Alguersuari obviously many appointments with the Toro Rosso engineers at the factory in Faenza on the program. “I want the team to be as close as possible.” The goal for the rest of the season is to get on the basis of our technical possibilities always the maximum in the Grand Prix. ”
“I feel better, stronger and more balanced than ever before,” is pleased Alguersuari before returning to his Formula 1 work. The passionate DJ used the summer break and to hang up in some top clubs in Europe. “Now the music has only one break to the end of the season,” said the 20-year-old. “I’m going home to perhaps work on my private studio. But always only when I have finished my five-hour fitness program per day.”

“In my life all happened so fast,” says the pilot from Barcelona, who could well earn his money as a DJ. “Formula 1 fans might wonder if I can really be a good DJ. The music fans ask the same if I actually a good racer am. But the fact is that I am at two things for many, many years of work. I I sat with eight years in karting since I was 13, I’m going international races. ”
“Even though I enjoy the status as the youngest Formula 1 driver, it must be said, however, that I have eleven years working very hard towards this goal. And the music was similar. If one has put in thousands of clubs plates, then it is already not a hobby, “says Alguersuari. “I’ve been practicing 13 years ago in real high-tech devices. But still: Formula 1 is my passion, music is more of a side job.”

Among other things, showed Alguersuari his skills as a DJ in the club last icon in Budapest in Formula 1 after show. This was followed by short performances in Barcelona, London and Ibiza. “Nevertheless, I am recovering well. I had had with my parents a little sailing, visiting with them and my aunts a mountain village in the Spanish Pyrenees. Also, I’ve been to Formentera and Ibiza, and am a bit jet-ski driven. This holiday were among the most beautiful I have ever experienced. “

Jun.14 (GMM)  Pirelli has edged yet closer to becoming F1′s new official tyre supplier. The Milan based company’s only competition for the deal, Michelin, is close to falling out of the running.

“The development time for 2011 seems very compromised now,” managing partner Didier Miraton said at Le Mans, according to L’Equipe.

Spotted in Montreal on Sunday was Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s competition director, for talks with the teams association FOTA.

It is believed that, some days ago, contracts were drawn up and signed with the representative of F1′s commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone.

The final hurdle is the signing off by the FIA’s legal department.

Michelin’s Miraton indicated that the French company is essentially now out of the running.

“It is probably too late for the deadlines of next year,” he continued.  “We have intervened to help, modestly, but at the rate things are going, I’m pessimistic.”

Another stumbling block for Michelin has been the lack of widespread desire for a change of rules allowing more than one tyre supplier at a time.

“When there is only one manufacturer, there is no competition, no progress, no pleasure and the interest in the manufacturer is low,” said Miraton.

Lewis Hamilton was just two weeks after his triumph in Istanbul once again delighted with the victory. So that the McLaren-Mercedes driver took over in World Cup standings and the lead. For the British it was the second win in the third race at the Circuit de Montréal.

“This was an incredible weekend, it was fantastic,” said Hamilton, who won from pole position. “I arrived here on Wednesday and things have just gone well. I enjoyed the incredible support of the fans are. With so many Britons at the track, which is great to see.”
“The team continues to provide incredible work,” the former Formula 1 world champion. “It was so far one of the toughest races, but that’s also what you want. I am very happy and proud of the team.”

Jenson Button was in second place, the result for the team perfectly, but Hamilton has Red Bull is still more than just on the bill: “We do everything to close the gap on them. On the other courses, where slightly more Downforce is necessary, they may perhaps be a bit forward. But I have no doubt that we will close the gap. ”

Lewis Hamilton is hoping that the positive trend of recent weeks may be maintained: “At the race weekends, we do obviously better job. I hope we can continue with it. For me it is a special day. I have won my first race, and to repeat those three years is really a pleasure. ”
The most exciting moment experienced Hamilton during the pit stop as he drove alongside the Ferrari from Fernando Alonso through the pit lane, “I think I have something against him came on the air, but I was clearly not the best pit stop.”

“I saw how he was let go, and when he left, he was in my blind spot. Suddenly he was beside me, we went on that ground at the first corner and he came up to me. He had a great speed.” After Hamilton was able to overtake Alonso successful on the track.

Jenson Button had the Grand Prix of Canada let his teammate go first – but he showed a great performance. The McLaren-Mercedes driver was 2.254 seconds behind with the second position to the finish.

“This was a great race, a great pleasure and quite tiring,” said the reigning world champion. “The race was fun. It is very difficult to judge whether we were doing with the tire pressure. I think I’m probably in the last section gave some early gas, but that has brought me to the second rank. So one big thanks to the whole team. ”
Button was the fourth went into the race, while his teammate, who started from pole position: “This guy was phenomenal. This is a good finish in the race, I scored some points.”

The problems that existed in Montreal with the tires, has led to more tension, according to Button, “From this point of view it was an exciting race. It’s great to be at the top, and seeing the struggle between these two . It was fun, even for the spectators it was a great race, what one owes to the fact that the tires were a little different than usual. This has provoked an enormous race. ”
On his race engineer Jakob Andreasen had to give way button on race day – he had to leave before the qualifying, “Jacob is it bad this weekend. He was in the beginning of the work carried out on the set, part of the result is therefore of his.”

“I then Phil Prew had at my side, the chief engineer, and during the past few years has worked with Lewis. It’s always interesting to work with new teams and new ideas. I hope that Jacob’s well, and hopefully will we see him again back at the track. “

The Formula 1 2010 season includes 19 races and only two have been completed, but already has Sebastian Vettel to reason to be disappointed. In the first two Grands Prix of the Red Bull Racing driver was dominant on the way to win both races and would be 50 championship points can have on the account – would not have made him both times the technique a spanner in the works.

Thus the German ranks with twelve points on the seventh instead of a clear edge on the competition from Fernando Alonso (37 points), Felipe Massa (33), Jenson Button (31) and Lewis Hamilton (23) have. The “Project World Cup title had” the 22-year-old differently.

“In the first moment you’re incredibly angry,” the driver from Heppenheim in an interview with ‘World Online’, which reveals that he his team to radio in the first moment of his displeasure quite clearly expresses: “You cry mostly out loud ‘shit ‘”.

There was currently “no reason to panic” and of course he would already show in the next race, he can also take the victory to the finish: “The first moment is a failure always frustrating, but the next day, everything looks different again from .

“We have no big problem that could plague a team half a season,” Vettel reassured his fans. “Only the problems we got, we’ve never had, and they came quite unexpectedly, that you can not prepare you.”

could expect in the coming race Sebastian Vettel one of ups and downs at the moment we make no clear favorites – including Red Bull Racing is not a clear favorite to win at the next race. If anything, he would call the Ferrari at the moment the strongest team.
(TOTALMOTORSPORTS)

Held at the state of the art Shanghai International Circuit on the outskirts of China’s largest city, the Force India Formula One Team will be heading to this event with high hopes of keeping its recent run of form going after scoring points in the first three races of the year. Adrian Sutil picked up his first points-finish of the year in Malaysia with a fighting fifth place, taking the team’s season total so far to 18 points.The Chinese Grand Prix will be the fourth round of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship and the final event in the quartet of flyaway races that opened the season.

Team Q&A
Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal
Dr Mallya, the team is currently sixth in the constructors’ championship and has 18 points from three races. You must be pleased with this progress so far?
At the start of the season I said we wanted to be regular points finishers and here we are, three races in, with three points’ finishes. It’s very pleasing when you see just how far we’ve come in one year: after three races in 2009 we had nul points and were tenth. The difference, I believe, has been keeping the focus on what we want to do. We’ve kept our heads down, got on with the job and to a certain extent kept out of what the other teams are doing – we’ve focussed on our own game. It’s a real credit to Mark Smith and his team that we’ve got the points we have. The team at Brackley and Silverstone are tight-knit, efficient and the results are now coming through.

You’ve made a lot about wanting fifth in the championship. Three races in, do you still think this is possible?
The grid is very tight as we saw in Malaysia and Australia and there’s no clear delineation between the front and the midfield. The most important at this stage is that we are still up there fighting. Renault look very strong right now but there’s still a lot more races to go this year and we have a clear direction about where we are going that will keep us with them, or hopefully leapfrog them. The drivers are confident and the team is working well so I think fifth is still realistic.

Driver Q&A
Adrian Sutil (car 14, VJM03/03)
Adrian, you scored your first points of the season in Malaysia. What were your feelings after this race?
It felt really good to finally get them. It was an exciting race as well in the end, racing against Lewis. Fighting against each other is always a pleasure, as we did it a lot in F3 and sometimes in F1. We have a lot of respect for each other; I am happy for him when he wins and he is happy for me when I do well. I was happy, relieved, proud – all of the above really – when we got to the finish. I knew we had the car to do it so it was only a matter of time before we scored some points. I’m now full of motivation for the rest of the season.

What do you think about the next race in China?
The next race in China will be a bit different but there are some similarities to Malaysia as well. The circuit layout is different, of course, but you need a good top speed, which we have, and you need a little bit of downforce for the mid sector, for the slow corners so I think it should suit our car really well. I don’t think we should be concerned about our performance at the moment, we are strong and we can fight in the top 10, and that’s very encouraging at this point of the year.

What is possible in Shanghai?
I’m confident, definitely. It was encouraging in Malaysia, and also the last races in Bahrain and Australia. I think we can show a very similar performance in China. Temperatures will be a bit cooler, but there is a long straight and you need to be very fast on that, and that’s what our car can do. It has also the downforce required for the slow speed corners. My feeling is that we can perform well again in Shanghai.

Tonio Liuzzi (car 15, VJM03/01)
What are your thoughts on the next race in China?
We are pushing to try to bring some more steps forward for the car. I have been in the simulator and we are pushing to bring updates to China as we want to be ready to score points again and not let our momentum slip. For sure it’s one of the circuits that I like, and I’ve always had good results there. In fact my best result in F1 was at that circuit – in 2007 Sebastian Vettel and myself finished fourth and sixth for Toro Rosso. We go to China pretty positive about our potential. It was good to finally get into Q3 in Malaysia and from there we have to hope for a good race. In Malaysia we were quite comfortable in the car and I have to hope that the luck stays with me this time and we can get some more points.

Do you enjoy driving at the track?
It’s pretty similar to Malaysia. There are a lot of high speed corners, and it’s quite technical, especially Turns One and Six and Seven. It’s got a flow as a circuit and there are some technical corners, and it’s always a crazy race because there can be some different weather conditions. So overall I’m looking forward to it! More points are the aim and we can do it, for sure.

Paul di Resta, test and reserve driver
Paul, you’ve driven two practice sessions now. What are your key learnings from this?
It went relatively well in Malaysia. It was always going to be a difficult task as I hadn’t had any running in the simulator beforehand so it completely new to me and very different conditions. With the high temperatures and the different behaviour of the tyres it was an uphill curve but I felt I moved forward, I improved and I got some good experience. I didn’t find it physically tough but the heat and humidity was something else. In DTM you get very hot inside the car but this wasn’t something I’d ever experienced. It’s all part of that learning curve and I felt I acclimatised to it well.

You’ve also had the chance to sit in different cars, with you driving Adrian’s in Australia and Tonio’s in Malaysia. Is this a particular challenge for you?
Each crew has their ways of doing things as there are different engineers and mechanics but the cars are very similar. I am now getting a feel for how Tonio or Adrian want their base set-ups, but in terms of the programme it is entirely the same as the race drivers. At the moment I’m still conscious it isn’t my car so I have to be careful to build up gradually, be controlled and constructive and get the data for weekend

Have you driven on the Shanghai International Circuit before?
No it will be new again to me and I won’t have any simulator running beforehand so it will be starting from the bottom, learning the new track. At least I have now got some experience on this type of wide, Tilke track so it should just be a case of making steady progress again.

Nick Heidfeld is officially confirmed as test and reserve pilot of the new Mercedes GP Petronas ‘scuderia’ for the 2010 Formula One World Championship.

After his time in BMW-Sauber, the  F1 “German selection” is completed with Heidfeld.

“I’m thrilled to sign for Mercedes.  It’s the most appealing team of this season, not only because Schumacher is there, but also because this year is the comeback of the ‘silver arrows,’ under the solitary work of the Mercedes-Benz team, for the first time in the last years,” declared Heidfeld in the the web site of the German ‘scuderia’.

He admits to be “very proud” of being part of Mercedes and assured that he’ll “do everything in his hand” to help Schumacher and Rosberg.  On his part, the ‘scuderia’ boss, Ross Brawn, considered “a great pleasure” to be able to have “a pilot of the quality and experience of Heidfeld.” “He has 10 years of experience and I’m convinced that his help in the development of the MGP W01 will be priceless,” he stated in the web site.

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