In qualifying for the Canadian GP, Heikki Kovalainen was just two hundredths of a second off beating the Sauber of Kamui Kobayashi, just showing the impressive performance by the Malaysian-owned team in catching the middle runners.

Instead of being best of the new teams, Lotus are focusing on catching the back of the established teams, and we  can expect to see Lotus racing with Sauber or even Williams, at some stage, although Toro Rosso may have now pulled too far ahead – they had a great race in Canada, with Sebastien Buemi leading at one stage.

Next up is Lotus’s 500th Grand Prix and Colin Chapman’s family will be present at the historic race. Malaysian or not, they sure know the heritage of the team and they will mark the milestone with a specially designed livery, but Clive Chapman (son of Colin) says that he would easily swap this for a good result:

“Much as it is nice that Lotus Racing is celebrating 500th Grand Prix, I am sure the most important thing about the weekend for the team is that it is another race and the next opportunity to continue to make progress towards the established teams.

“It was exciting to watch Montreal qualifying, when Heikki almost pipped the Sauber, and I for one would swap the 500th landmark for the landmark of outqualifying an established team in normal circumstances. Fingers crossed!”

McLaren MP4-25

Mercedes MGP W01

Red Bull RB6

Ferrari F10

Williams FW32

Renault R30

Force India VJM03

Toro Rosso STR5

Lotus T127

Hispania F110

Sauber C29

Virgin Racing VR-01

Polls

A computer generated image of the new 'Arena' circuit

Formula One Management have today approved plans for the 2010 British Grand Prix to be held around the new Arena layout, Silverstone announced today.

The only significant change from last year’s layout is from Abbey corner where, instead of heading into Farm Straight, Bridge and Priory, the drivers will now turn right at Abbey onto a dramatic new section of track.

Scientific data, based on mathematical simulations and interpolations show that Silverstone will continue to be one of the quickest circuits on the F1 calendar. Despite the circuit length being increased by 760m, lap times for an F1 car will only be increased by four seconds.

Richard Phillips, Managing Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited, commented:

“The new sections of circuit were initially brought in to comply with MotoGP safety regulations, but the

Work on the Silverstone Arena circuit layout is scheduled to finish in March 2010

Arena Complex was always designed with both two and four-wheeled racing in mind. We have been very careful, working closely with drivers and riders, to make sure we are improving and enhancing what Silverstone already has to offer – from a drivers, riders and spectators point of view.

“Some will miss not seeing modern day F1 cars accelerating through Bridge, but we have to move with the times and continue looking at ways to improve the overall experience. The new layout will bring an extra dimension to Silverstone, a new challenge for the drivers, and will enable fans to get closer to the action. We have a very exciting year ahead of us, with F1, MotoGP and World Superbikes all coming to Silverstone, and I can‟t wait to see how the drivers and riders tackle the new circuit.”

Richard Phillips

More than £5million has been invested on this new circuit layout which includes improvements to its spectator viewing areas. In addition to constructing elevated viewing banks, existing grandstands and fence lines are being moved to bring fans closer to the on-track action. The work is scheduled for completion in March 2010.

The diagram suggests that the car is heavily based around the aerodynamically successful 2009 Red Bull car the RB5, taking ideas like the V shaped nose from the Newey-designed Red Bull.

It also shows the much enlarged fuel tank for 2010 due to the refuelling ban

It is predicted that the 2010 Ferrari will debut on or around the 28th or 29th of January.

Below is a closer look at the diagram, with the text from the newspaper translated into English:

1. At the launch in Maranello the new car will still have the front wing of the F60, we will only see the new front wing during the Valencia test.

2. The chassis will be higher in the area of the nosecone, which will have a shape à la Red Bull (already tested on the F60 last summer).

3. Thanks to the front tyres being smaller and the chassis higher in that area, aerodynamic elements will be attached to the underside of the nosecone in between the front suspension. The smaller front tyres and the ban on wheel fairings are responsible for substantial changes in the front end aerodynamics.

4. Ferrari will continue to sport the external mirrors, still on top of the aerodynamic appendages.

5. The radiators will be longer to compensate for the larger tank area.

6. The tank capacity will be a lot bigger, it goes from around 100-120 litres of fuel last year to around 240 litres this year. As a consequence all the cars will have a longer wheelbase (around 15 cm). Everything has been designed in function of this major change in the regulations: from the weight distribution to the aerodynamics, from the suspensions to the brakes. Keep in mind that during the race, due to the ever lowering fuel load, the ride height of the car will be substantially different at the end of the race compared to the start of it. The aerodynamics and suspensions have been designed in such a way that they are least affected by this change. On the other hand, it will be up to the drivers to manage the brakes and the mechanical side of things in the best way possible.

7. The exhaust manifolds will be a bit more to the front.

8. The arms of the rear suspension will be inclined a bit more to the front as well in order to better exploit the air channels that aid the area of the double diffuser.

9. The biggest change will be the return (after 12 years) of the dislocation of the oil tank. The necessity to gain space in the quest to minimise the lengthening of the wheelbase prevents the designers to place the oil tank a central position (in between the engine and the chassis like usual).

Therefore, a solution first applied in 1998 (and then adopted on all cars) by Alan Jenkins, designer of Stewart, and John Barnard, technical chief of Arrows back in those days, has been reintroduced. So the technicians have made a leap into past placing the oil tank behind the engine, inside the housing of the gearbox. A choice that’s not optimal in terms of lowering and centering the weight as much as possible, but one that had to be taken due to fuel tank being much bigger now.

10. The shape of the diffuser, comprising of three channels, resembles to the one Red Bull had in the latter part of the 2009 season.

11. The rear end crash structure is an integral part of the rear end aerodynamics.

12. Like the front wing, we will only see the new rear wing during the first test in Spain.

Many of the experienced drivers are already signed up for next season. However, drivers such as Pedro de la Rosa, Nick Heidfeld, Jacques Villeneuve and Alex Wurz may be willing to join. However, Peter Windsor has already said that many of these drivers are not in consideration for the posts. To be honest, this could be a big mistake. Bringing on at least one experienced driver is essential for a startup team. Lotus and Virgin have already gone down this route, and will definitely help them start off.

There are many rookies to consider, such as James Rossiter and JR Hildebrand. Hildebrand was part of the young driver testing session in December, and drove for Force India. He was in the midfield in terms of lap times, but steadily improved across the 3 days. However, Windsor has told the official F1 website that they are likely to only bring on one rookie driver. This inevitably means considering one pay driver.

The favourite for the job here is José María López, an Argentinian touring car driver, who reportedly brings $8m in sponsorship with him. He has previous F1 experience, having tested an F1 car in 2004 and 2006. However, he was dropped from the Renault young driver scheme in 2006, after showing poor form in other competitions. If he is signed, it will be certainly because of his sponsorship money.

Without an experienced driver, USF1 could be in serious trouble. The rookie drivers may not be able to prove themselves, and without a pay driver, the team may fold. The driver line-up, in my opinion, is crucial to USF1′s survival. Whether they will make it to the grid, and show us their driver line-up, we will have to wait and see.

“It’s a real pleasure to be a part of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, and I’m really looking forward to working with you all in 2010″.

Schumacher’s deal could have been decided after Button left Brawn and Nico was signed. If so, then Rosberg probably felt he had a good chance of being top dog and grabbing his first win. But with Shumacher’s return and Brawn in the team, there could be that doubt in Rosberg’s mind whether he will get a fair shot or be the next Barrichello. Even if he does have a a free reign and the chance to take on his compatriot, he’s still going to face the toughest challenge of his career by trying to beat the winner of 7 World Championships.

There are at least three other teams who are going to be watching their drivers’ rivarlies closely. The one that everyone has been talking about recently is Ferrari. The two Latinos fighting to be top dog. Massa will have something to proove after returning from injury and Fernando will need to make the most of a competitive car after two years in a poor Renaults.

However, Felipe’s contract is up at the end of the season and no doubt the highly-rated Kubica (who is thought to have only a one-year deal at Alonso’s former team Renault) will be waiting in the wings to take the Ferrari cockpit. If these two get bitter than surely it’ll be Massa who goes as Ferrari have invested so much in Alonso. Despite that, Alonso’s reputation was badly damaged in 2007 and he’ll be keen to show he can cope with the pressure from a competitive teammate. So there should be a hard fight but it’s unlikely to implode the way Mclaren did in 2007 with Alonso and Hamilton.

Then there is the all British line-up at Mclaren. Button should cope with the new rules better; his smooth driving style should look after the tyres with the hevay fuel load whereas the incredibly aggressive Hamilton may take more time to adjust. However, Hamilton is the most rated in terms of talent and has built the entire Mclaren team around him. It remais to be seen just how Button will slot into the team and deal with a car which may not be completely stable. Alonso may also be the one with the bad reputation but Hamilton was there in 2007 too. Mclaren may never be shy when it comes to hiring the best drivers and it’s always good to see some rivalry but Button will have to fight hard to retain his crown.

At Red Bull Webber will want to be top dog and his contract is up soon too. If Red Bull are to stay as a top team then they will need the best drivers possible so if Mark wants to keep his seat he needs to stay as close to Seb as possible.

The new teams bring a new element too, many will have familiar faces and new rookies (Glock/di Grassi, Sauber wants experience with Kobayashi and at Williams Barrichello will be against Hulkenberg). Next year is shaping up nicely for teammate rivaries.

It’ll be a good mix of the rookies desperate to show their worth and progress and the ones at the top racing hard for the big prize.

By the end of the 2009 season Ferrari had written off development on their F2009 car, abandoning what had been a disastrous year for them in order to focus on 2010. It’s not a new gamble – it paid off for Brawn (nee Honda) last season, and completely failed to pay off for BMW when they attempted the same thing. But their decision was motivated by the sweeping rule changes that came into force in 2009, totally changing the shape and balance of the car.

By contrast, the regulations for 2010 are largely the same as last year – leading many, including other F1 teams like McLaren, to conclude that the best strategy for 2010 is to continue developing their 2009 car, on the assumption that next year’s machinery will be a natural evolution of the cars they have produced this season.

However, what Ferrari have anticipated is that the banning of refuelling is going to fundamentally alter the behaviour of the cars next year, to a greater extent than any aerodynamic modifications of recent years have managed.

One of the most important factors in the performance of an F1 car is how it is balanced; it is important for a car to be stable or it will be impossible to drive. Starting on a full tank of fuel, F1 cars will start the race weighing around 780kg, which will drain to 620kg by the end of a Grand Prix. This massive difference in weight means that the fuel tanks must form the car’s centre of gravity, to stop the balance of the car shifting uncontrollably as the race progresses.

It was rumoured at the start of the season that one of the fundamental problems with the F2009 was its centre of gravity was somewhat off-centre; this problem will be exacerbated in 2010, and probably explains why Ferrari felt that this year’s car was no basis for next season’s challenger.

This year the FIA gave us the luxury of releasing the declared weight of each car before the start of the race, enabling fans to calculate fuel strategies before the race began. Over the course of the season, very few cars ever topped 700kg; what that means is that the ban on refuelling is a massive step into the unknown for teams, in terms of how their cars will behave.

Generally the behaviour of heavier cars is predictable; longer braking distances, slower acceleration and so on. But how the aerodynamics will work given the effects of an extra 100kg or so is less clear, and a lot of development time will be devoted to determining the best aerodynamic solution for each car. Perhaps even more critical is balancing the performance of the car, so it is consistently quick throughout the race. Again, this will be a challenge to F1′s finest technical minds, to best figure out how to surmount these difficulties.

Thus McLaren’s approach – to throw their resources into continued development of their 2009 car in the hope that some of it will be transferable to 2010 – seems like a gross underestimation of the changes conveyed by the ban on refuelling. However, the men who come and go across Woking’s immaculately polished gravel are not stupid, and they will have their own solutions to the problems posed by the new rule.

2010, then, should be expected to be every bit as much of a lottery as 2009 was, where the established order was overturned by some clever thinking from a couple of the smaller teams. Perhaps it is time once again for the best minds, rather than the fattest wallets, to shine.

F1′s head honchos – and by that I mean the people who are more concerned with “the show” than the technical spectacle that is F1 – are currently panicking over the perceived lack of excitement that will be generated by a lack of refuelling. But whatever happens on the track, from a technological point of view it’s going to be fascinating.

The Brazilian and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix have switched places in the 2010 calendar, meaning the finale will be held in the United Arab Emirates again.

The race at the Yas Marina circuit had been planned as the penultimate race of the season, but the sport’s governing body decided to switch the fixtures.

The returning Canadian Grand Prix will be held on June 13 and the British Grand Prix will be at Silverstone on July 11.

And Korea will stage its F1 debut on October 24, as long as work on the circuit in Yeongam is finished an passes an FIA inspection.

Kevin Lee, general manager of the circuit’s strategic planning department, said;

“We have a plan to finish the whole construction work at the circuit on July 5 next year, and up until now it is roughly 60 per cent done.”

2009 Calendar

March 14 – Bahrain (Sakhir)

March 28 – Australia (Melbourne)

April 4 – Malaysia (Sepang) April 18 – China (Shanghai)

May 9 – Spain (Barcelona)

May 16 – Monaco (Monte Carlo)

May 30 – Turkey (Istanbul)

June 13 – Canada (Montreal)

June 27 – Europe (Valencia)

July 11 – Great Britain (Silverstone)

July 25 – Germany (Hockenheim)

August 1 – Hungary (Budapest)

August 29 – Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)

September 12 - Italy (Monza)

September 26 – Singapore (Singapore)

October 10 – Japan (Suzuka)

October 24 – South Korea *

November 7 – Brazil (Interlagos)

November 14 – Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)

*subject to approval

Today it has been announced that all 13 Formula 1 teams who will compete in 2010 will have a joint car launch.

This cost-cutting initiative is likely to take place at the Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias complex in Valencia on January 30, and is backed by most teams.

Mercedes Chief Executive Nick Fry said;

“We’ve agreed among the teams to do a joint launch. It’s a demonstration of how we’re working together.”

The boss of the new team Lotus – Tony Fernandes said that the supposed launch on January 30 2010 is too soon for his team, who plan to roll out their car in February. He joked;

“I won’t have a car at that time. I could come with a Matchbox car.”