Pirelli tyre, 2011 - Photo © Pirelli

Despite much protest, every driver in the top ten has been told that they do have to start today’s Belgian Grand Prix on the same set of tyres they set their qualifying time on yesteday, despite severe blistering on their Pirelli rubber.

Earlier on the FIA told the teams that they could start on different tyres, but their mind has been changed and they now believe that the issue is caused by the extreme cambers run by Red Bull, Toro Rosso and McLaren and isn’t an issue with the tyres themselves.

The only way the teams can change the camber is by starting from the pit lane. It is understood that the drivers who are seriously affected by tyre blistering are Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Jaime Alguersuari and Lewis Hamilton, and this means they will likely have to stop earlier for new tyres.

Pirelli have announced that they will supply tyres to the Formula One World Championship for a three-year period between 2011 and 2013, and that the new contract ensures that Pirelli will provide teams with six different types of tyre for the season: four slicks, with different compounds for various types of dry surfaces, one rain tyre for heavy rain, and one intermediate tyre for damp conditions or light rain.

Pirelli is also proud to announce that it will supply the GP2 World Series – the acknowledged stepping-stone to Formula One – for the three-year period between 2011-2013.

The other Formula 1 announcements made at the WMSC are printed in full below:

“Competitor’s staff” FIA Licence
A proposal relating to specific licences for members of staff of competitors entered in the FIA World Championships has been submitted to the Formula One Commission. This is under consideration for implementation in the FIA Formula One World Championship from the start of 2011, with a view to inclusion in other FIA World Championships in the future.

Safety Car
With immediate effect, no car may overtake until it has passed the first safety car line for the first time when the safety car is returning to the pits. However, if the safety car is still deployed at the beginning of the last lap, or is deployed during the last lap, it will enter the pit lane at the end of the lap and the cars will take the chequered flag as normal without overtaking.

General safety
With immediate effect, any car being driven unnecessarily slowly, erratically, or which is deemed potentially dangerous to other drivers, will be reported to the stewards. This will apply whether any such car is being driven on the track, the pit entry or the pit lane.

In order to ensure cars are not driven unnecessarily slowly on in-laps during qualifying or reconnaissance laps when the pit exit is opened for the race, drivers must stay below the maximum time set by the FIA between the safety car line after the pit exit and safety car line before the pit entry. The maximum time will be determined by the race director at each event prior to the first day of practice, but may be amended during the event if necessary.

The grid
From 2011, any driver whose best qualifying lap exceeds 107% of the fastest Q1 qualifying time will not be allowed to take part in the race. Under exceptional circumstances, however, which may include setting a suitable lap time in a free practice session, the stewards may permit the car to start the race. Should there be more than one driver accepted in this manner, the grid order will be determined by the stewards.

Driver adjustable bodywork
From 2011, adjustable bodywork may be activated by the driver at any time prior to the start of the race and, for the sole purpose of improving overtaking opportunities during the race, after the driver has completed two laps. The driver may only activate the adjustable bodywork in the race when he has been notified via the control electronics that it is enabled. It will only be enabled if the driver is less than one second behind another at any of the pre-determined positions around each circuit. The system will be disabled the first time the driver uses the brakes after the system has been activated. The FIA may, after consulting all the competitors, adjust the time proximity in order to ensure the purpose of the adjustable bodywork is met.

Aerodynamic influence
With the exception of the parts necessary for the driver adjustable bodywork, any car system, device or procedure which uses driver movement as a means of altering the aerodynamic characteristics of the car is prohibited from 2011.

Weight
From 2011, the minimum weight of the car has been increased so that it must not be less than 640 kg at all times during the event, in order to accommodate the KERS system which the teams will be running next year.

Fuel draining
With immediate effect, if a sample of fuel is required after a practice session the car concerned must have first been driven back to the pits under its own power.

Licences
Based on his career résumé and comparative F1 testing times, the World Council has approved the granting of a four-race probationary super license to Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung.

What are your thoughts on the decisions taken at the WMSC today? Leave a comment!

With Bridgestone adamant they are leaving the sport at the end of this year, and the likes of Pirelli and Avon adding their names to the list of those who want to supply Formula 1′s tyres in 2011, a return to a tyre war grows ever more likely, but would it be good for the sport?

It is obvious that if you have a tyre war there is going to be a bigger gap between the cars’ performance. Is this a bad thing? Maybe Formula 1 needs more variation on track. It would certainly add more interest by increasing the unpredictability of the racing.

However if one tyre manufacturer is streets ahead of another, then it renders the sport a no-contest, but if two tyre manufacturers are fighting to have the best racing tyre technology on the planet then surely there won’t be a gap big enough to see a team on one type of rubber thrashing a team on another.

In recent years F1 speeds have been excessively high and the new aerodynamic regulations tried to slow the cars down. Gone are the gills and wings of 2008 to slow the cars down. However if a tyre war was brought in this would all be undone. F1 lap times would rocket and the safety of the sport would undoubtedly be called into question once more.

There is one other issue with the tyre war idea though, and it is a mammoth one. Teams like HRT or even Sauber which are run on very tight budgets (so much so that apparently Sauber are going to replace Pedro de la Rosa with pay driver Pastor Maldonando) will not be able to afford a tyre war. It is something else on their already excessively long expenditure report.

If you want the best rubber then you are going to have to pay the highest prices for it, that’s obvious, but a tyre war would throw up more hidden costs. Testing and developing tyres takes up huge amounts of time and money which some teams will not be able to afford. The current testing regulations would have to be changed to allow for more tyre time, or we would end up with a wrong tyre selection and Indianapolis 2005 all over again.

Have your say – leave a comment.

Article 3.12.7 of the 2010 technical regulations states that: ”a single break in the surface is permitted solely to allow the minimum required access for the device referred to in Article 5.15. [supposed to refer to starter motor, although this is Article 5.16].”

However, the regulations do not state what the minimum required access is, meaning teams have exploited this loophole to create intricate shapes in the diffuser. This idea was pioneered by Brawn GP last year – had the FIA clamped down on this this time in 2009, would Sebastian Vettel be the reigning world champion?

The FIA have sent a note to all teams, containing strict dimensions for a maximum diameter for the holes and a maximum projected area, meaning that McLaren, Mercedes and two other teams will have to make modifications ahead of next weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.

The Formula One Team’s Association (FOTA) have announced that for the forthcoming Australian Grand Prix, every car run by its member teams will carry a ‘Make Roads Safe’ logo, to show full support to the campaign led by the FIA.

The Williams FW32 carried the ‘Make Roads Safe’ logo on its endplates at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Charlie Whiting, head of F1 technical department did not inspect the McLaren  rear wing as expected today. It is understood that Whiting’s flight from Brazil were delayed and this is why the proceedings did not take place.

Reports came about after Red Bull Renault team boss Christian Horner and Ferrari were seeking clarification from the FIA of the legality of the MP4-25′s rear wing, amid suggestions that its design allowed the rear wing to ‘stall’ at high speed to improve straightline performance.

A spokesman from the FIA has confirmed that the FIA has no worries over the rear wing. Martin Whitmarsh, team principal of McLaren also said that they had been in contact with Charlie over the course of several months to clarify that the wing met the requirements.

The press release read:

“The USF1 Team have indicated that they will not be in a position to participate in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship. Having considered the various options, the FIA confirms that it is not possible for a replacement team to be entered for the Championship at this late stage.

In the coming days the FIA will announce details of a new selection process to identify candidates to fill any vacancies existing at the start of the 2011 season.”

FIA

“The thirteenth team, USF1, appears to have gone into hiding in Charlotte, North Carolina, to the dismay of those like the Argentinian, Lopez, who thought he had found his way into the Formula 1 paddock, (albeit with help from chairwoman Kirchner, according to the rumours) and now has to start all over again. Amazingly, they still have the impudence to claim that everything is hunky-dory under the starry stripy sky.

Next, we have the Serbian vultures. Firstly, they launched themselves into a quixotic legal battle with the FIA, then they picked the bones of Toyota on its death bed”

This inevitably has led to the complaints –which seem to follow the Maranello squad everywhere- that they are simply being arrogant and upset that the order is being threatened. Well yes and no…

There’s a reason Ferrari is saying this; they aren’t just going to come out and damage a relationship with new FOTA colleagues for nothing. If the new teams can’t take the pressure then they will crumble. There’s no point getting into bed with a new team that’s going to hop right out again. There’s little point in being all sweetness and light to new teams who could potentially go running off to the FIA or Bernie for help and risk the strength and credibility of FOTA especially when there are big names on their side such as Mclaren and Mercedes. Bernie has also been fairly critical of the new entrants recently.

There’s a changing landscape which ultimately means a threat to the established order. There’s more competition at the front which will be tougher for Ferrari but there are also bigger names and therefore in theory, more weight behind FOTA. Additionally, there is still the possibility for FIA vs FOTA rows in the future so FOTA needs to stay together and stand firm. However, there could be internal struggles within FOTA anyway due to Ferrari has the prestige, Mercedes supply the most teams and two of which are the biggest names in the sport while Mclaren works out its own plans in the future.

Ferrari aren’t in an ideal situation at the moment; Brawn has gone, Schumacher too (he may be old but there was fifteen years spent building up a relationship and almost a brand to be sold), they no longer have the genius of Rory Byrne, Todt’s cunning is now at the top of the FIA, Stefano Domenicali has had a few tough moments already, they endured a terrible season last year and have high expectations for a driver who is returning after a pretty big injury. To top that all off, the Italian outfit is going through a transitional phase with Alonso while facing possibly their biggest championship fight yet.

This is just my speculation but privately perhaps Mclaren are thinking along the same lines as they are have a new driver too, Whitmarsh is relatively new in charge and has faced criticism in the previous season and they have the Mercedes engine situation in the future. Mclaren at least showed they could return to form last year unlike Ferrari who has had constant doubts because news on the F10 was silent for a lot of the time which adds to the sense that this is a vulnerable squad who are just lashing out.

That would be a touch naive to say it is the sole purpose for this tirade. Ferrari has the experience to deal with a changing situation but they are under pressure. We’ve still yet to see how much of a threat Mercedes and Red Bull Racing really will be but there is the anticipation of a close battle ahead. I doubt this season and the coming ones will turn out to be a disaster for Ferrari; in fact this could well be a new but very different golden period for them but there is still the uncomfortable experience of change at hand.

F1 can live without Ferrari but Ferrari can’t without F1. They may not like what is afoot but they’re stuck with it and trying to swing as much clout and momentum for their ideas as they can. They have achieved one major thing and that is that the three car idea isn’t going away. It doesn’t have a lot of support but with these blog posts and statements it is still in the public eye and so still on the table but it does seem highly unlikely it will ever come to fruition.

Ferrari are trying to get what they want but behind closed doors every team will be plotting and planning their future, this is just a different style. If you thought 2009 was dominated by politics then the theme doesn’t seem to be going away for this season.

According to Bloomberg, Michelin managing partner Jean-Dominique Senard said the French manufacturer is holding “formal discussions” with the FIA over returning to F1 in 2011.

Senard stated during an interview:

“We might consider returning but there are some very clear conditions.” These conditions include a change of tyre use regulations to “show the performance they can bring, notably in terms of fuel saving and CO2 reductions.”

Jean-Dominique Senard

These conditions suggest that Michelin would like more emphasis placed on tire performance and to highlight their “Green X” program and line of tires which reduce rolling resistance and increase mileage.

It is not only Michelin who would like to implement more environmentally-friendly schemes in Formula 1; FIA president Jean Todt also shares that view:

“I am convinced that we absolutely must reflect the environment with new technologies.

“We must adapt to our time and review fundamentally motorsport – even create new disciplines.”

Jean Todt

With Michelin and the FIA sharing the same standpoint on green initiatives, it appears that the French tyre manufacturer is in pole position to supply F1’s tyres in 2011.

When I was sat, earlier on today watching the World Rally Championship season preview on Dave, seeing all the drivers having discussions with their fans, and signing caps etc, it got me thinking about how, in some respects, rallying is so much better than Formula 1.

In Formula 1, everything is so corporate, with the McLaren drivers playing around with their strategically placed Vodafone mobiles, and Felipe Massa wearing a watch the size of his face. Even Red Bull Racing and their sister team Toro Rosso, who many people argue to be the least corporate teams in F1 can still be seen waving a Red Bull water bottle in full glare of the camera. The drivers seem false and you don’t know what a driver really thinks – is he saying that because he really believes it, or is it because he doesn’t want to upset Mobil 1?

However in rallying the drivers have a lot less sponsorship work to do. In fact the only sponsorship work most of the WRC drivers have to do is wear overalls and drive a car with the brand’s name and logo on.

And the fans; WRC encourage and embrace fan footage, and even use it in their TV programs! This is in stark contrast to Bernie and his mob, who take Formula 1 footage off the web the minute it is posted up there, as well as displaying a ‘do not redistribute or face imminent death’ screen before you can actually click onto the proper video section of their website, and saying that you are not allowed to bring a camera to a Grand Prix with a total focal strength of greater than 300mm!

In the WRC the fans are so much closer to the drivers. I’m not suggesting that the F1 fans should be allowed to stand at the end of the Abu Dhabi straight before running to the side of the track as the cars pass through, or push drivers out of the gravel trap like they can do on rally stages, but I believe that the fans should have a better relationship with the drivers.

Petter Solberg chatting with fans in the service park at Rally Norway

You can see WRC drivers like Petter Solberg having discussions with the fans and signing autographs in the service park, just minutes before getting into the car and driving the rally stage. There is very little of this type of opportunity to get up close and personal with the drivers in Formula 1.

The last thing which WRC can teach F1 is in regards to the politics side of things. 2007 F1 World Champ Kimi Raikkonen who has made the switch to rallying, said on his move: “In F1, politics gets in the way of the exciting side of things. The atmosphere in rallying is much nicer and there’s a lot less politics involved. It’s much more about how the driver performs.” And he is exactly right. There is no messing around with rules, everyone is on a level playing field and in agreement in that the only thing that matters is that the drivers get out there, and drive as fast as they can.