The rumours about Fernando Alonso joining Honda appear to be gaining strength with some sources suggesting a deal has already been done. And several teams appear to be interested in signing Bruno Senna. Plus, Heikki Kovalainen was confirmed as a McLaren driver last weekend, for at least one more year, on what turned out to … Continue reading 2009 F1 driver rumours: Alonso & Senna
f1 2009 articles archive
Adjustable wings – a change too far?
Posted onThe 2009 F1 rules are a source of great interest with several radical changes aimed at improving overtaking. Along with bring back slick tyres and reducing wing sizes, teams are expected to be allowed to use adjustable wings. I’m not a fan of the idea. What do you think of it? Cast your vote below…
Sebastian Vettel confirmed as Red Bull driver for 2009 ?óÔé¼ÔÇ£ try to look surprised
Posted onSebastian Vettel will take David Coulthard?óÔé¼Ôäós place at Red Bull in 2009. Anyone not see that coming? Vettel is one of the stars of Red Bull?óÔé¼Ôäós young driver development programme. Dozens of aspiring young drivers have worn Red Bull colours at one stage or another in their careers. Only a handful made it into F1. … Continue reading Sebastian Vettel confirmed as Red Bull driver for 2009 ?óÔé¼ÔÇ£ try to look surprised
Bridgestone to widen difference between tyres in 2009 ?óÔé¼ÔÇ£ but how will we know?
Posted onSlick tyres are making their long-awaited return to Formula 1 next year. Drivers and fans have largely welcomed the return of proper racing tyres to F1. The FIA apparently intends to keep the rule requiring teams to use two different compounds per race. But in order to make this more of a challenge Bridgestone plans … Continue reading Bridgestone to widen difference between tyres in 2009 ?óÔé¼ÔÇ£ but how will we know?
If Giorgio Pantano wins the GP2 championship should he get an F1 drive?
Posted onThe GP2 championship has helped several top F1 drivers get into the championship in the three years it’s been running. Every GP2 champion is currently racing in F1: Nico Rosberg (Williams), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) and Timo Glock (Toyota). Giorgio Pantano is leading the championship at the half-way point. But this year is his seventh in … Continue reading If Giorgio Pantano wins the GP2 championship should he get an F1 drive?
2009 F1 game will be sim – Codemasters
Posted onCodemasters’ 2009 F1 game will be a simulator as well as an arcade-style racing game according to one of the company’s executive producers. The producer, who posts as ‘Uncle Chewy’ on the Codemasters forum and worked on racing titles “Colin McRae: DIRT” and “Race Driver: GRID” said the F1 game will be significantly different from … Continue reading 2009 F1 game will be sim – Codemasters
2009 F1 driver rumours
Posted onAn interesting new rumour about the 2009 F1 driver line-up puts Fernando Alonso at Honda alongside Jenson Button next year. Do you believe it? And what should we make of these other rumours about who goes where in 2009?
Tyre warmers set for 2009 ban
Posted onBridgestone is standing firm by its desire to see tyre warmers banned next year despite strong opposition from some teams and drivers. Director of motorsport tyre development Hirohide Hamashima said: Bridgestone has said to the FIA that we have confidence in (producing) a good specification of tyres, in terms of grip and handling, without tyre … Continue reading Tyre warmers set for 2009 ban
How do the new Alonso-Ferrari rumours affect the 2009 F1 driver market?
Posted onFernando Alonso?óÔé¼Ôäós prospects of joining Ferrari in the near future appeared to have been killed off earlier this year when Luca di Montezemolo said in public that he did not want Alonso to partner Kimi Raikkonen in the future. But the rumours re-surfaced over the Monaco Grand Prix weekend with sources claiming Alonso had signed … Continue reading How do the new Alonso-Ferrari rumours affect the 2009 F1 driver market?
The Ben Evans column: Piquet, Moto GP, and the star F1 driver of 2009
Posted onOnly a handful of races into the season and already the doom mongers are out for the scalp of Nelson Piquet Jnr The Renault driver?óÔé¼Ôäós erratic start to the year is, in some people?óÔé¼Ôäós view, enough to cost him his seat should he disappoint again at Monaco. Now, though I have never been the greatest … Continue reading The Ben Evans column: Piquet, Moto GP, and the star F1 driver of 2009
Codemasters 2009 F1 game wish list
Posted onWe learned last week that Codemasters had snatched the rights to produce the official Formula 1 game from Sony, and the first installment in the series will arrive next year. Codemasters have a clear choice in how to approach this. They can cynically exploit the F1 brand and just stick the official drivers and team … Continue reading Codemasters 2009 F1 game wish list
Good news, bad news: Codemasters to make 2009 F1 video game
Posted onFormula 1 will finally get a new video game title in 2009, three years since the last official F1 game made by Sony. Formula One Management were reported to be demanding up to $200m for the rights. First, the good news: the game won’t be exclusive to a single machine, and is expected to be … Continue reading Good news, bad news: Codemasters to make 2009 F1 video game
2009 F1 drivers – early predictions
Posted onIt’s early days, but Luca di Montezemolo’s comments last week about Ferrari not needing Fernando Alonso started me thinking about which drivers might be on the move for 2009. On the face of it Montezemolo doesn’t seem to want to change his pairing of Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa. And after three driver changes in … Continue reading 2009 F1 drivers – early predictions
Rubens Barrichello wants 300 GP starts
Posted onRubens Barrichello will soon become the F1 driver to have started the most races but he’s told the media he wants to go on much longer: It is no secret that my contract expires at the end of the year. I want to extend it, because I think that with Ross Brawn a new and … Continue reading Rubens Barrichello wants 300 GP starts
Ross Brawn and the Honda recovery
Posted onAfter a dismal showing in winter testing Honda’s performance in the first three races of the season has been almost respectable. Jenson Button got the RA108 into the top ten in qualifying at Bahrain – beating Fernando Alonso’s Renault – and reckoned a points finish was on the cards had he not picked up a … Continue reading Ross Brawn and the Honda recovery
Problems with KERS and its impact on F1
Posted onMax Mosley has tried to shrug off growing demands for him to quit in the face of lurid revelations about his personal life and pushed ahead with his plans to introduce environmentally-friendly kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) in F1 from 2009. He has written to teams outlining a vision of how a more powerful KERS … Continue reading Problems with KERS and its impact on F1
Poll: should tyre warmers be banned?
Posted onThis poll is now closed. The results are as follows: Yes 101 29% of all votes No 224 65% of all votes Don’t know 21 6% of all votes Debate rumbles on over F1’s planned ban of tyre warmers for next year. Last year drivers including David Coulthard criticised the move to ban tyre warmers … Continue reading Poll: should tyre warmers be banned?
Indianapolis still hopeful of 2009 F1 race
Posted onIndianapolis Motor Speedway is still sending out positive signals about its desire to hold a 2009 United States Grand Prix. The circuit owners have made a point of stating that the Moto GP race held for the first time this year is not a replacement for F1 (it’s behind held in September, not June), and … Continue reading Indianapolis still hopeful of 2009 F1 race
Ecclestone wants French Grand Prix in Paris from 2009
Posted onBernie Ecclestone has confirmed what many people were saying last year, that he wants to move the French Grand Prix from Magny-Cours to Paris in 2009. I wouldn’t be sorry to see the back of the Circuit Nevers – it’s too flat and featureless for my liking. Presumably Ecclestone wants another new street circuit in … Continue reading Ecclestone wants French Grand Prix in Paris from 2009
The four drivers fighting for a 2009 F1 drive
Posted onThese are the four drivers who have landed the most desirable seats in GP2, the top feeder category for Formula 1: Romain Grosjean, Luca Filippi, Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna. For the past three years the GP2 champion has gone straight into F1: Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and, in 2008, Timo Glock. So who will … Continue reading The four drivers fighting for a 2009 F1 drive