Williams’ official launch took just five minutes in the Jerez pitlane on Tuesday, before the new Renault-powered FW34 had a difficult birth.
“Unfortunately testing was cut short with a couple of initial teething problems which we are currently investigating,” said engineer Mark Gillan.

Official testing action burst into life in 2012, with every team except Marussia – and nine all-new cars in action for the first time – kicking off their campaigns.

Returning 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen was fastest all day.

“The lap times don’t matter today,” Lotus’ Finn insisted.

“I do have a good feeling, and that was not always the case in my career after the first day of testing,” he told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

“But I would rather be P1 at the end of the first race than at the end of the first test day,” smiled Raikkonen.

Red Bull’s Mark Webber, with the team’s brand new title-defending car only the third quickest of the 2012 runners, agreed.

“If what we saw today happens in Melbourne, then we’ll talk again,” he laughed, explaining the missed morning of testing as due to a crucial part being held up at an airport shrouded in fog.

The Guardian also reports that a Red Bull truckie was stopped for speeding.

Lotus team boss Eric Boullier, however, is convinced Raikkonen’s speed is real – and his motivation intact – after two years away.

“Believe me, he is there.”

Agreed technical director James Allison: “You can tell Kimi is a class act.”

Like fellow top team Red Bull, the new McLaren also had a low-profile day, with Jenson Button just eighth quickest.

But he didn’t accuse Lotus and Raikkonen of showboating.

“Maybe he (Raikkonen) was running heavy,” said the 2009 world champion. “We maybe haven’t seen eye to eye a lot of the time when we’ve been racing, but he’s a very quick driver, a world champion.

“He’s obviously in a very competitive car, and whatever they did today – low fuel or whatever – it was still quick.”

Struggling on Tuesday was Caterham, whose new car could not be restarted following damage to the engine starter shaft, and Toro Rosso with an oil leak.

And Felipe Massa was just ninth in the new Ferrari.

“It is obviously too early to say if this year we will be able to win or not,” said designer Nikolas Tombazis.

Team boss Ross Brawn takes the Mercedes-good benefits from the fact that one understands the vote better, and can optimize performance.

In the last race, Mercedes has well presented, although the development of the W01 is set for a long time and the concentration to 2011. Team boss Ross Brawn sees the good form the fruits of efforts to improve the car and the structures within the team. Michael Schumacher missed the podium but in South Korea, but the speed of Nico Rosberg was up to the involuntary loss of strong and a podium would have been possible.

“We are making progress. It probably took longer than expected, but we see really good progress,” Brawn is of ‘Autosport’ quotes. “We do everything together for next year. Now we get everything to work properly. The F-shaft is good and we have the highest speed on the straights. We do not change many things, but to understand how we need to tune the car. It is a consolidation and a lesson. ”
When asked whether the team will benefit in the coming year, Brawn replied. “Maybe I do not think things can be transferred directly, but we have learned over the past few races a lot.

In South Korea, Rosberg could have the first time in Silverstone again climb on the podium. “He was very happy with the car, but I will not speculate. He was doing very well, has felt the car well and might have looked very strong.”

And last year, succeeded the “red bull” on the course in Northamptonshire a double victory. The signs are so good, but is happy not only because of technical director Adrian Newey to forward to the next Grand Prix at Silverstone (July 9 to 11).

For the team headquarters of Red Bull Racing in Milton Keynes is 30 minutes away from Silverstone. “So many of our employees the chance to see the race immediately,” said Newey. Whether they will experience a strong performance of the team, the design guru but can not promise yet: “There are so many variables such as the track temperature, so many things that can affect the performance of the team.”
Unlike in Valencia Red Bull will be at Silverstone have no major upgrade here, but only minor modifications, mainly at the front and rear wings. “We were in Valencia with a new diffuser and another F-shaft a few innovations here, all of which have worked well,” says Newey.
“The team has worked incredibly hard and Sebastian drove a great race,” continues Newey. “He brought the car really well through the race, after he blocked during restart after Safetycarphase the brakes and made the left front tire was flat. And it was a great relief that Mark was after his big crash in order.”

Meanwhile it had become difficult to find under the new regulations still tricks that bring a big step forward with it, continues Newey, but he added with a grin: “It is interesting to see how popular our exhaust systems along the pit lane has become! ”

Newey is now but once the first rounds of the Red Bull looking forward to the new section of the Silverstone course. “Like all other teams, we got the floor plan map and simulated,” he says. “But we have to address details such as bumps and Gripwechsel, we know only when we are driven there. It looks good in any case and as I noted at the MotoGP race there, the drivers loved it.”

Over the past four races had Sebastian Vettel Mark Webber from his teammates were beaten in qualifying at the European Grand Prix in Valencia could fight back the German. Accordingly, happily presented itself the Red Bull pilot.

“In the last few races we had a good run on Saturday, so it is a good result,” said Vettel, who was quicker to just 0.075 seconds as his Australian team-mate.

“These lines do not, Canada and here in Valencia are among those, usually our strongest. It is good for this reason that we have set the car on the pole. Our speed looks good.”
A hair of the driver from Heppenheim would have to hire again later: “Until the end it was a tight qualifying session. On the first attempt I had a huge shock moment in the first sector. I knew I was in the second test everything on must set a card, and it worked. ”

After the qualy for once again successfully ran Vettel now looks optimistic for the race: “To this day I’m happy. It was out there very difficult, especially since we installed the F-shaft, and many other things back to the car have. Some mechanics had only an hour of sleep. ”
In the first race with the F-bay system says Vettel, for the racers expect a benefit, even if this was enormous: “He’s probably not too big, but we feel the difference. We see how much so that McLaren rectified by. We get on each round and at every attempt. ”

“Yesterday we were not quite so happy, but overnight we have taken another step forward. We sat in front of the monitors to see how we can optimize and improve the system. Also, thanks to this circumstance we find ourselves for tomorrow’s race in a good position. “

McLaren has developed this season with the F-bay system with a simple but effective innovation that brings more top speed on the straights, without cost pressure in the turns. Almost all the teams now move to and also develop such systems, but from 2011 these will be banned.

Martin Whitmarsh could not prevent, because the veto has been abolished for individual teams to accelerate decision-making. “Would the F-shaft Vetocarte play one if I had one? Yes, I would. I’m disappointed that the situation is now so? Is yes, I am, I personally,” said the McLaren team boss. The right of veto was abolished, but in the interest of the sport makes sense, because then no one can block improvements from self-interest.
The F-bay system keeps Whitmarsh for “great. It cost no money, is a neat technology, it is clever. We have all the means to build shafts and carbon fiber wing, because it has no complex electronics, no fancy materials, no complicated systems. Anybody can build it – and will continue to do so, of course. And if we want to talk about ‘green’: The F-shaft reduces the air resistance, so is the positive. ”

“But there are inevitably people, particularly in the small teams that say, ‘We are focusing rather on the basics, want this additional challenge not. So must we accept that there is a compromise. That is the nature of the situation, that we have to find compromises that are in the best interest of the sport, “said the Briton. That was not before the veto was the case.

(TMS)

After two double victories in a row, the McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button tip lies in the Formula 1 World Championship, but Sebastian Vettel wants a new car in Valencia back to the place in the sun. “We can be back in front after the next Grand Prix,” said Vettel’s team boss Christian Horner before the Grand Prix of Europe. The bulls want to “keep up with the new R-bay system and without problems in reliability even local hero Fernando Alonso at bay.

The confidence in the camp of Red Bull is based on several pillars. On the one copied from the “inventor” McLaren F-shaft system, which is not satisfactory after a test in the free practice in Istanbul for the first time in the race and used in the simulation is to represent a time savings of three tenths per lap. “We hope an ordinary leap forward,” Horner said in the journal ‘Speedweek’.
was distributed to the other, the team hopes that repeat the transmission problems of Montréal and the defect is not the devil, who followed the team and especially since the start of the season Vettel. “Yes, we had defects, but every mistake only once. We are all the quirks to the bottom left. It’s just incredible bad luck, which happens especially in Sebastian this year, everything,” said Horner.

At the very least, the Heppenheim, which is before the ninth of 19 World Championship races in the championship behind Hamilton (109 pixels), Button (106), Webber (103) and Alonso (94) with 90 points in fifth for Valencia to be transmission probably can not change. The new device has “lost a bit of oil,” Horner gives as reason that Vettel was in the final stage in Canada are clearly lying in fourth place from the gas, “he can use it again in Valencia. Team-mate Webber, who lost by Vettel finished fifth behind the championship leader, had lost in Montréal by an unscheduled gearbox change shortly before the race five starting slots.

The Aussie, who recently was quickly four times in a row in qualifying wants to beat Vettel in Valencia again. “That he can create. For if he was behind it, it’s because of a defect, as in Turkey, due to a driving error like in Montreal or he was beaten only a tenth of a second,” said Horner.

imagine Despite the current benefit, the McLaren drivers not in security: “It’s a surprise that the Red Bulls are not in leadership. They were at every race so fast, but we have more made of it,” said defending champion button that as Webber and Hamilton this year has already celebrated two victories. Hamilton also sees its first championship lead since winning the title in November 2008 “not granted” on.
The Mercedes team with Nico Rosberg and world champion Michael Schumacher, who is the first time since 2004 on an unfamiliar route hopes in Valencia placements at less concerned with the tires and thus better. Meanwhile, Alonso is Ferrari’s home race at a comprehensive revised version of the B-F10 available, which also has an R-bay system and has taken some of the bonds in the aerodynamics of Red Bull. With the new car he was allowed to drive even at short film, Alonso will now shine on home soil – and to inspire both the Spanish and the Italian fans.

“The Italian mentality, and the Spanish are similar, and the habits of life. We both also have the same passion for the race,” Alonso describes in the ‘Sport Bild’, why he feels so comfortable at Ferrari. “We might have to say: There are two grown together, which somehow belong together forever. I have the impression that the people enjoy this combination in the world. Especially in Spain and Italy, the mood is downright enthusiastic about it. It makes me proud.”

With the fifth place in the first free practice session in which Red Bull is almost always with a lot of fuel on the road, pointing to Sebastian Vettel, that he could be competitive in Montreal. The Germans lacked less than half a second to Jenson Button, of the McLaren F-shaft system and Mercedes-Power has two advantages that fall on the long straights particularly significant.

“This track is an interesting test for us,” says team boss Christian Horner. “It should help the Mercedes team and the teams with F-bay system – and we have not both, so we must try to extract otherwise lap time out of our car. When we are fast, then it should be in this be no more World Cup races, in which we have to fear us. ”
For Red Bulls great strength is the high contact pressure, which affects mostly in fast curves, on straight lines but does nothing. In the first free practice at least another five were missing Red Bull to ten km / h top speed. At least, appear after the collision of Istanbul smoothed the internal waves to be. Furthermore, the decision was taken that Vettel and Mark Webber continues to be free to go against each other.

“Both drivers agree that it was a bad outcome for the team and for themselves, as both have lost points,” said Horner. “But it was wrong to let them go against each other? I think not. If we want processions, we would apply to drivers immediately after the start to hold the positions, but that’s not what Red Bull is – and it is also not what we mean by Grand Prix racing. ”
“Therefore we will continue to allow our drivers to drive against each other, but we expect them to respect themselves as teammates, as they have done in the past so many times,” Horner for the record. He also admits that it was a mistake to discuss the question of guilt in public, but for a new team like Red Bull are just such situations, even a “discovery trip”.

“We are a young team, but the progress we have made over the past five years is remarkable,” said Horner. “Two cars in front have to compete for the Grand Prix victory is the reward for the hard work in the factory, and behind the scenes. But I must admit: from team perspective, from an individual perspective and from the driver’s view you can still learn something. ”
(TotalMotorSports)

Michael Schumacher knows the situation in which he finds himself currently at Mercedes, well. He has done construction work at Benetton, he has been fighting with Ferrari in the championship point. With Mercedes, he wants to do it now as well. In Montreal Schumacher sat with reporters and talked about the development process at Mercedes, the current situation, his chances in the title fight, the goal of being able to go on their own at the head and his life as a Formula 1-returnees.

Q: Michael, what expectations you had for yourself when you start in the season?
Michael Schumacher: “The championship is my goal and my focus. But there comes a point where you realize that his package is the way it is. And you have to go through from there a certain program and a certain process. And we make. ”

“The year is still long. I personally do not think that I am really in a position to much to talk about the title. It is more about building and therefore to organize things for what happened, from next year. But you never know. It’s still a long year and there are still have many points. ”

Q: You had two fourth places so far. A podium the next step is for you? ”
Schumacher: “I wonder if I’ll get another podium or not changes to my stats at all. The fact is: I want to see that we can go on their own to this position. And now we are not able to do so. I have found in the get Turkey by Sebastian Vettel’s failure given a place. from team perspective, we are currently third parties must and we work really. We do this so that we drive on their own to the podium and race win. That’s what we want and what we create can. But it takes time. ”

Question: “You are now ahead of Ferrari. Is that the F-shaft?”
Schumacher: “It certainly contributes a part in this. But we were in Turkey in any case an aerodynamic upgrade. So it is a natural process that we go through. In Turkey it has taken us ahead of Ferrari. But that does not mean that that’s the case here. We have seen how a team was in front and then back – it’s sometimes a bit difficult to understand, and strangely, why is the case. We hope that we stay at the front end and so far could we always get the most from the package. Nico Rosberg did a fantastic job, as he has brought the podium. ”

Q: You have spoken of the construction process. You have participated in at Ferrari, Benetton’s there. Are you still very satisfying to get into a team to work with him and build it up? ”
Schumacher: “That is one reason why I’m here. Driving is one thing. But a close cooperation, a good understanding and a good atmosphere in the team are very satisfying.”

Q: You work with a German team. Does it even matter that it is a team of your own home? ”
MS: Sure. If you look at how I started: Mercedes has supported me on the way to F1. Yes, it all fits together very well. ”

Q: You said that it is for you here on personal performance went well except in China. Would you say that Turkey was your best race this year? ”
MS: No, I have in Turkey, I drove the car to go home. I could make to the front at all, because they were too fast for us. I have only kept the place and am so driven, that nothing happened to the rear .

Q: What was your best race then? ”
RS: There was no ‘best race’ for me. Sometimes you have these very special race and moments in which everything fits together perfectly. And so far we have not yet. ”

Question: “Are you missing this?”
Schumacher: “I know I’ll get there. This is one reason why I do this – to get to this point. But for that it needs certain ingredients, and we are looking together yet.”

Q: What is in your life the biggest difference between now and then, when you left the sport? ”
Schumacher: “Maybe I enjoy it much more now because I take only the important things seriously.”

Q: Is it so lucky – there have less stress? ”
Schumacher: “I am extremely pleased with my life with my family, with the excitement that I have. I have absolutely no reason to complain. I feel really relaxed.”

Question: “Stress is one of the ingredients that make you faster, hungrier?”
MS: No. I do not stress! ”

Q: Are you faster because you are relaxed? ”
Schumacher: “I do not think I’m faster. I enjoy it more simply.”

Q: You’re already driving in Le Mans, as you would like to start again? ”
Schumacher: “It was beautiful, as I drove, it was great fun. But security aspect worries me. After so many years, in Formula 1 is not much that would challenge one. But the security question me like this kept away. ”

Q: Is there anything away from the Formula 1, which you would like to do, what would be a real challenge? ”
Schumacher: “I want much, but I am very satisfied with my life.”

Question: “Would you not like to fly once in orbit or something?”
MS: No, that does not attract me. ”

Question: “What a challenge you would you then search for Formula 1?”
MS: I do a lot of things that are fun. But nothing, what should I speak now, because I’m still busy with this and focus on the what I want now are doing. There is no place to think about what I want to do it. “

For Michael Schumacher is the Canadian Grand Prix is always something very special hopes – team-mate Nico Rosberg on other Mercedes-progress

For Michael Schumacher is the Canadian Grand Prix “is really one of the highlights of the year. That is not because he is the most successful driver on the Cirucit Gilles Villeneuve. But the Mercedes star cites two other reasons: “One is that he always gives me the opportunity to do outside of Europe, something unusual, something entertaining.”

“The other reason is that one senses here that the whole city the Grand Prix. The emotion and the fans – this is very spectacular. This makes it so special,” said Schumacher. The track itself is not so demanding: “In a way it is a stop-and-go course. But the mood and the track characteristics to allow overtaking, ensure that there is something else.” For Mercedes, the goal is to continue the upward trend heralded in Canada.

“We find ourselves with the team in a construction process that is extremely good. I’m very pleased with the way we work and how we move forward,” said Schumacher. “We have not yet the package to be very front. After the winter testing we had not expected. But when I see where we are moving, which is very good.” The new aerodynamics package that Mercedes was in Turkey this has brought the silver arrows from Ferrari. But Schumacher a limit, “But that does not mean that this will be the case here.”

“We have seen how a team was in front and then back again – it’s sometimes a bit difficult to understand and strange, why is this the case,” says Schumacher continued. “We hope that we stay at the front end and so far we could always get the most from the package. Nico Rosberg did a fantastic job, as he has brought the podium.”

And this weekend, a podium is there? “In a wet race there are many opportunities,” replies Schumacher.

Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg agrees, that the “development process” comes on, the silver arrows, even if it is his opinion, still not gone quite according to plan: “We could close the gap still not quite what we had hoped,” says he. “But we really make good progress. In Turkey, we had the F-shaft, which has brought us a long way forward.”

Rosberg hopes that in Montreal goes even further ahead: “Here we have another route. I am confident that we can cut a little bit better and have a good chance at many points. With any luck, could even a podium or something in there a little. They also depends on the weather. I think it will be an interesting weekend. ”

A strength of the Mercedes, the braking performance. Rosberg sees this as an area that could meet the Silver this weekend, finally, the brakes will be charged in Montreal was stuck above average. “I personally really like the track, hence, I think it may be good,” he concludes.

Ferrari driver, Fernando Alonso welcomes the extension of the contract of Felipe Massa and comments on the development work in Maranello

Since Wednesday is clear: Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa will take over the next two seasons with Ferrari at the wheel. The tradition of Maranello team extended the contract of Massa by a further two years until 2012, making the contracts, the regular drivers now have the same maturity. Alonso welcomes this decision and is happy for Massa.

“I am very satisfied,” Alonso is quoted by ‘Ticionline’. “The same group is still working so for two more years together. Stability is very important to the success of a team. I am very familiar with Felipe. We have much respect for each other and create a good harmony. And such a one also needs if one is long journey together. ”
It is also important that the development during the season, not stagnant. In relation to Ferrari, however, could be no question of such a scenario, said the Spanish driver. “It is not true that the development has stalled. The distance to Red Bull is still a few tenths. We have improved, but even they have become faster.”
“The truth is, however, that we have not made progress in Barcelona, as we had planned. The others, however good progress come,” Alonso is before the Canadian Grand Prix on record. As team boss Stefano Domenicali admits that Ferrari could have burned “specially modified in view of the new F-shaft technology something.

Alonso would not miss this development: “It was a good thing to address this matter,” says the 28-year-old. “We were so far not yet in a position to exploit the full effectiveness of this system. Other teams also seem to have trouble with it. Who the F-shaft had been from the beginning, however, retains its advantage.”

(TotalMotorsports)

Robert Kubica and Montreal – that’s a Hochschaubahn: 2007 pilot of the accident, the then BMW Sauber F1 Team at the hairpin difficult, but escaped miraculously with minor injuries. A year later he led a complete surprise double victory of his team ahead of Nick Heidfeld – it was the only win for the Bavarians in the premier class. Last year there was no race in Montreal – Kubica this year but returns to the Ile de Notre Dame. “The Grand Prix of Canada is something like my destiny race,” says the poles ‘Auto Bild motorsport’.

And so he feels: This year a sensation in the air – “with little luck.” Because: “The course our car will be. It’s fast on the straights and is as wonderfully out of slow corners. It is these properties are required in Montreal.” The strength in tight corners is based on the small wheel base of the Renault R30 – no current Formula 1 racing car can compete in this discipline with Kubica’s car. It showed the team had in Monaco, where the 25-year-old is the sharpest of the superior competitor Red Bull pilot was.

And although the Renault engine has a power deficit, Kubica and Vitaly Petrov scores are in the top speed is always at the front – reason is the low air resistance of the R30. Moreover, the French have for the Grand Prix of Canada, a secret weapon in the quiver: the first time is given to an in-house interpretation of the F-shaft system, which turned out on the long straights of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as a great advantage. Now the only question is whether the system works right away, or if you have it like Red Bull in Turkey to expand after the first test.

That will leave Robert Kubica after just one season, the team Renault is unlikely. After Felipe Massa contract extension with Ferrari in Maranello in 2012 the door is closed. Even if the pole for 2011 is not linked to Renault, there are few other enticing options. This Renault boss Eric Boullier had managed to retain its number-one pilots in 2011 and to his team. The Luxembourg wants to build the Renault racing team to head the Polish pilots around.

(MotorSportsTotal)

Even though it may “sound crazy,” it’s a commercial agreement that Williams F1 has announced today after the signature of a license agreement exclusively with a US Golf equipment company, Golf Club. The aim is that with this union “Williams” succeeds in the golf business.
The combination of engineering capability of Williams F1 with the design established by Golf Club and the Sports Williams team production expertise, is going to create a partnership that will upgrade golf clubs’ design to a new level in 2010 and beyond.
The purpose of this partnership is the injection of Formula One Williams’ technology for the design and manufacture of golfing equipment. The initial areas will the aerodynamic profiling of golf club shafts and the application of composites and alloys materials science in club design.
With current limitations on modern golf club design, aerodynamics and materials are now the most important aspect of research and development.
Aerodynamics and carbon fiber compound technology are fundamental in Formula One. Aerodynamics is Formula One’s performance key differentiation factor. In addition to the traditional experimental disciplines, as the wind tunnel tests, the sport brings together predictive capacity based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).
The sport has also pioneered the application and use of low weight, high strength carbon fiber since the 1980s, developing race cars that withstand ten annual penetration, static and dynamic crash tests to ensure driver safety while not compromising performance. Together with carbon fiber, several other materials that are critical for racing car performance will be presented in Sport Williams product line. The clubs will feature tungsten inserts that will be used for fine tuning of weight distribution, which is a process used in Formula One. High nickel content super alloy, used in the manufacture of the lightweight racing car exhausts, will be the featured material in the Qualifier Series of Williams Sports irons.
Frank Williams, Williams F1 Team Principal, said: “We are at the start of a fascinating period of business development. [..].I have great hopes for its potential to revolutionize design in golf equipment.”