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.

 Charlie Whiting has given the 2012 cars at the Jerez test this week an early clean bill of health.
It was reported the FIA’s technical delegate decided to attend the opening test of the 2012 pre-season amid speculation the teams may have overstepped the mark with their new exhaust layouts.

Exhaust-blown diffusers have been banned for this season, but the early signs were that teams had been clever in their interpretation of the new rules to maintain an aerodynamic benefit.

“At the moment they’re all legal,” Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, following Whiting’s inspection of all the team garages on Wednesday, quoted the Briton as saying.

Red Bull’s Adrian Newey also played down all the speculation about 2012 exhaust interpretations, insisting there is unlikely to be a “bright idea” from this year’s restrictive rules similar to the double diffuser or blown exhaust innovations.

“We do not see any big differences between all the possible solutions,” he said. “The rules are very specific and very restrictive.”

That could, of course, be great news for Red Bull’s rivals, particularly with the FIA having also clamped down on flexing front wings — another area perfected recently by Newey.

“That rule change,” said Newey, referring to the halving of the allowable wing flex for 2012, “came very late.

“The result is that the wing has gained a lot of weight, making it harder to achieve the optimum weight distribution.”

Newey said the FIA’s new stance on wings was “probably” powered by the violently fluttering components on Ferrari’s car late last season.

Indeed, between Ferrari and Red Bull, there already appears some tension.

Spain’s Marca newspaper claims Newey suspected Ferrari’s initial exhaust solution on the F2012 was not legal.

Then on Wednesday – the day of Whiting’s pit visits – the Maranello based team hastily cut into its exhausts and fairings, ostensibly to meet the new rule about top visibility.

“Honestly,” Ferrari designer Nikolas Tombazis said, “I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary. We have analysed what everyone is doing and I do not see a great innovation that we have not studied already.”

The saga will continue to run.

“They will still be able to use the exhausts (aerodynamically) this year,” predicted Remi Taffin, engine supplier Renault’s track boss.

“So we will see changes in this area in the Barcelona testing and probably also in Melbourne,” he is quoted by France’s Auto Plus.

McLaren may have to alter the design of its car’s mirrors in order to help Lewis Hamilton, team boss Martin Whitmarsh has admitted.
The 2008 world champion has had multiple on-track incidents in 2011, and after the latest – yet another collision with Felipe Massa – he acknowledged that one problem could be the MP4-26′s rear view side mirrors.

“Sadly, they (Hamilton and Massa) do seem to be magnetised don’t they?” Whitmarsh is quoted by AFP news agency. “Lewis did not see him (at Suzuka).

“You could say ‘well he should have done’, but are the mirrors big enough, good enough? Maybe not, but it was one of those things,” he added.

Some commentators are not sure visibility is not Hamilton’s biggest problem at present, pointing instead at a lack of trackside support since his managerial split with his father, or a lack of focus.

“I don’t think so,” the 26-year-old told British reporters this week. “You are all trying to come up with solutions as to why I am not doing well. There is no solution.

“There is no answer to it so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t just jump to conclusions,” added Hamilton.

But there is no doubt one strong theory is that his teammate and Suzuka winner Jenson Button’s surge in recent form has rattled Hamilton.

“Jenson is proving to be a formidable teammate,” agreed Whitmarsh.

“Bear in mind he is five years ahead of Lewis in his professional development. We have these massive expectations, and Lewis has massive expectations on very young shoulders.”

Fernando Alonso has vowed to shave off his beard before the 2011 season begins officially in Bahrain.
The Spaniard has been wearing a ‘three musketeers’-style goatee at Ferrari’s ‘Wrooom’ media event and also for the launch and track debut of the team’s new 2011 car.

Asked if it will still be there when the racing begins in March, Alonso told Reuters: “I don’t think so. My mother doesn’t want it.”

A more important issue for the 29-year-old is the seating position of the new F150 car due to the higher nose.

Both Alonso and his shorter teammate Felipe Massa appeared to be straining over the cockpit to see the corners when they tried the car for the first time at Fiorano.

“We’ve had to change it (the seating position) as visibility could be a problem,” said Alonso before the maiden test.

At night race in Singapore Formula 1 is in the spotlight. 1,500 lighting ensure that the track also appears as bright as day in the late evening, the cars in bright colors seem almost unreal. “Visibility is surprisingly good. There is absolutely no problems with shadows, you will never blinded by the floodlights.”

“Before we first have driven there, there were some reservations,” reports the Lotus-pilot, who took in recent years as a McLaren driver in the Asian metropolis. “In the flood, the cars just look cool. You are almost in the spotlight again and look a lot better than usual”

“I fly at the last minute of the race, so my body can not enforce the will to get used to the time zone,” said the Finn. “Because it is a night race, then you have to maintain the European rhythm. I am not even at my clock. The hotel must be able to darken the window well. We see almost only artificial light.”

“The track is nice, aside times of the bumps,” said Kovalainen. “So far they have not be able to get a grip. No light waves, but really heavy blows. Are the real jump hill. Some drivers were already there back injuries because of it. We are deep in the car, have little suspension – comfort is not the .

“Let’s see how it will be this year. If they have smoothed out the bumps better, it’s just a great road course – a track where I really have a lot of fun,” expressed the 28-year-old from his anticipation. Specifically for the Lotus Event in Singapore is obviously important. It has been “spectacular news,” announced the driver election 2011, change of name of the team and switch to Renault engines.

Felipe Massa on Thursday said he overshot his starting box on the Spa grid two weeks ago due to a visibility problem.

The FIA is currently investigating how it did not notice the Brazilian driver’s Ferrari get a head-start in the Belgian grand prix.

“I think I am one of the drivers who sits lowest in the cockpit and the front of our car is quite high, so I definitely did not see the line on the grid very well, which is why I was a bit over it,” Massa said at Monza.

“To be honest I was lucky that this was not noticed during the race!”

The 2008 championship runner-up also revealed that Ferrari, like many other teams including McLaren, Renault and Red Bull, have not decided whether or not to use an F-duct rear wing this weekend.

“We will try it tomorrow and then decide which way to go for the rest of the weekend,” said Massa.

Renault F1 has scoffed at reports suggesting its former French carmaker parent is considering buying back the Enstone based team.

Amid the car sales crisis and economic downturn, and the damaging crashgate scandal, Renault SA sold a rumoured 85 per cent of the team that still bears its name to Luxembourg-based investment firm Genii Capital.

But Finland’s Turun Sanomat claimed the carmaker’s financial situation has dramatically improved to the point that it is interested in returning wholeheartedly to F1.

“Rumour mill in overdrive with some creative stories on the web,” Renault F1 said via its official Twitter account.

“For the record, Renault are very happy with the Genii partnership, great visibility and a good relationship. No plans to change,” added RF1paddockpass.

Renault also dismissed rumours that Felipe Massa could be headed to Renault next year, with Robert Kubica linked once again to Ferrari.

“Has anybody seen Robert and Felipe standing next to each other? I’m not sure they’d fit in each other’s seats if they swapped,” wrote the team’s Twitter author.

Mark Webber is sure Monaco could have been his third win of 2010.

Actually, the Australian pulled into the lead of the world championship with his second win of the season in Monaco.

But he had also been on pole in Malaysia, where his teammate Sebastian Vettel passed him at the start and drove to victory.

Sepang was just one race before a new rule requiring the distant outboard rearview mirrors to be attached to the cockpit sides in the interest of visibility.

After Red Bull’s motor home pool party and Webber’s leap into the Monaco harbour on Sunday night, the 33-year-old told Martin Brundle that he was still ruing Vettel’s Sepang pass.

BBC commentator Brundle quoted Webber as saying “in the early hours of Monday morning”: “Mate, if I had had these mirrors in Malaysia I would have dominated that race too.”

(GMM)

Apr.21 (GMM)  A naming sponsorship is possible but not crucial ahead of Canada’s return to the F1 calendar in 2010.

After its absence in 2009, the popular Montreal race is back this year with a June 13 date. But unlike most other events on the calendar it has not yet announced a title sponsor. “Yes, there are companies (interested in sponsorship),” the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve event’s new promoter Francois Dumontier told RDS.

“But with a partnership the important thing is long-term visibility.  So we are working on that rather than solely on 2010.” The new $75 million Canadian GP contract is for five races.

The rain that affected the programs of the teams on Friday was still pouring down at the beginning of the session.  However, dry conditions as of mid-morning allowed the single-seaters to roll out with more confidence on this test day at Jerez (this week), where Rubens Barrichello, did best time with 1:22.319.

Robert Kubica was the first to start out to a wet racetrack, with Sebastien Vettel in the Red Bull and Barrichello behind the wheel of the Williams FW32 following his trail.

Nonetheless, it was Felipe Massa, who did the first timed lap of the day with the Ferrari F10.  In his first attempt, the Brazilian made a time of 1:29.534, but little by little he found the rhythm until his car stopped on the grass of the pit-lane entrance.  It seems as though the team is pretending to go the limit.  There was the rumor that the car was deliberately left without fuel to confirm the tank’s capacity.

Michael Schumacher, Massa’s ex-team mate was slightly shaky during the first moments, achieving the best lap with 1:29.768 before taking his Mercedes GP W01 to boxes, where it remained the rest of the morning.  The spectators were surprised.

The changing weather conditions forced the teams to the difficult task of choosing tires.  Even though the pools of water in different parts of the racetrack were drying, the teams decided to play it safe and made pauses, waiting for the track to dry.

Barrichello informed through the radio that the driving and visibility conditions were quite good and hoped that the team could realize an evening session “to its fullest.”  Lewis Hamilton was glad with these news, who seemed distraught after he began his work with Jenson Button’s McLaren MP4-25, on Friday.  He declared that the day had been a waste of time, since neither him nor McLaren had been able to make a remarkable progress on their test program due to the wet racetrack.

On the contrary, Nico Rosberg, was filled with confidence after his second day with the Mercedes W01 GP, despite the fact that he was not allowed to drive in dry during two sessions.  He announced feeling comfortable with the car and to be sure that the Silver Arrow “will be near the racing pole positions when the competition begins in Bahrain, on March 14^th.”

“We have some valuable data, like all the procedures.  It’s difficult when you change teams; there is so much to learn.  It’s like airspace science, you know?  Two days ago I did four dry laps, and a one and a half today.  I felt extremely comfortable with the car, as if I could really up.  That gives me a lot of confidence, so I’m not worried with the fact that there was not much time to roll in dry” Nico assured.

The first appearance of the red flags came when Vettel skidded out of the racetrack and left the Red Bull trapped at the circuit end.  Yet, the delayed caused by this incident was minimal, thanks to the quick response of Jerez circuit recovery team.  In 15 minutes, the RB6 was back in the boxes.

At the end of the morning session began to improve quickly.  Barrichello did 1:22.319 after 39 laps and Massa stopped the chronometer at 1:22.697 after 94 laps.  The red flag indicated that Barrichello reached midday as time leader, three tenths faster than Massa.

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.