Rediscover Formula One : Formula One News, Views and Reviews

Jenson defeated the Renaults and the Ferraris to snatch pole position. Schumacher had to sttle for 11th place.

Timings (1st,2nd and third times)

1 12 Jenson Button Honda 1:28.081 1:26.337 1:25.229

2 2 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1:27.765 1:26.196 1:25.635

3 1 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:28.569 1:25.729 1:25.778

4 3 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes 1:27.193 1:26.161 1:25.822

5 4 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes 1:27.079 1:25.902 1:25.976

6 7 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1:28.007 1:26.596 1:26.612

7 9 Mark Webber Williams-Cosworth 1:27.669 1:26.075 1:26.937

8 16 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-BMW 1:27.796 1:26.014 1:27.579

9 17 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber-BMW 1:28.460 1:26.714 1:29.239

10 8 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:27.748 1:26.327

11 5 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:28.228 1:26.718

12 14 David Coulthard RBR-Ferrari 1:28.408 1:27.023

13 20 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Cosworth 1:28.999 1:27.219

14 15 Christian Klien RBR-Ferrari 1:28.757 1:27.591

15 10 Nico Rosberg Williams-Cosworth 1:28.351 1:29.422

16 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:28.868

17 11 Rubens Barrichello Honda 1:29.943

18 19 Christijan Albers MF1-Toyota 1:30.226

19 21 Scott Speed STR-Cosworth 1:30.426

20 18 Tiago Monteiro MF1-Toyota 1:30.709

21 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 1:32.279

22 23 Yuji Ide Super Aguri-Honda 1:36.164

Formula One has never been better

Fuji Speedway announced this week that it will host the Grand Prix in
Japan from next season. The Fuji facility, which is owned by Toyota Motor Corporation, was given a complete facelift last year.

“It will be start of a new era of Formula 1 history,”
Bernie Ecclestone after the announcement.

All i can say is Poor Suzuka !!!
Money Talks

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GP OF AUSTRALIA PREVIEW
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It seems strange to arrive in Australia with the first two races of the
year already under our belts. For the last ten years, Melbourne has hosted
the curtain raiser to each new season. But this year’s Commonwealth Games,
which only came to an end with an impressive closing ceremony on
Sunday, followed by a big celebratory street parade on Monday, meant that the
familiar whine of Formula 1 cars had to give way to the grunt of human
endeavour and our annual pilgrimage to Albert Park was delayed until
now.

Normally, Ralf and Jarno would have stayed on this side of the world
after the last race in Malaysia and taken a few days to put in some training in the more comfortable early autumn conditions in Australia after the tropical heat of Sepang. But they were anxious to get to grips with helping to solve the problems that hampered our tart to the season and both drivers flew back to Europe to get straight on with more tyre esting at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France. Ricardo and Olivier were also in
action with the Brazilian completing 339 laps in three days. He said the results were encouraging. Everybody is now determined to get the best out of this weekend at our third long-distance race in a row.

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Neighbourly Hosts
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Melbourne is one of the most popular races on the calendar. The city, in the state of Victoria, has hosted the Australian round of the Formula 1 world championship since 1996. “It’s a fantastic venue and the atmosphere is always great,” says Jarno. Last year, the Italian qualified on the front row alongside Giancarlo Fisichella on pole. He’s not expecting a similar performance this year. “Given our problems with warming up our tyres in Bahrain, the cooler weather here could be difficult for us, but we’ll use the weekend to understand more about making our car work with the
tyres.”

But Mike Gascoyne, technical director chassis, is confident our season is back on track. “The Malaysian Grand Prix was a big improvement on Bahrain because we were able to get more heat into our tyres. Obviously we’ll have cooler conditions in Australia, so we’ll e keeping a close eye on getting the tyres to work, but I’m sure we now have a better idea how to do that.”

The solution seems to be using a softer compound Bridgestone tyre.
And Ralf says his race pace in Malaysia makes him optimistic. “I set a fastest lap that was on a par with Jenson Button, who finished on the podium, and with the McLarens. Hopefully, we will be challenging for podiums ourselves soon.” The engine failure that uined Ralf’s qualifying session at Sepang, when he reached the 10-car run-off but was unable to take any further part in the proceedings, has been traced to a small shaft
that drives the oil pump. Luca Marmorini, technical director engine, said it was an unusual fault. “We are not worried because it is not something that should happen again,” he explained. “When the shaft broke the engine stayed at full revs for several seconds without any oil. You can imagine what it was like inside!”

The five teams united through the Grand Prix Manufacturers Association...have submitted their entry forms for the 2008 FIA Formula One world championship," the GPMA said in a statement.

The teams are Renault , McLaren Mercedes , BMW Sauber, Honda and Toyota.

"The teams look forward to the FIA's acceptances, and to beginning discussions with the FIA in order to finalise the regulations for 2008," the GPMA statement added.

"The GPMA members are united and remain committed to improve the sport for the benefit of all stakeholders.

"Significant progress has been made in the negotiations between the GPMA and the commercial rights holder, and discussions are ongoing."

Micheal Schumacher Said
"All in all I'm very happy with the first two races, things played out as expected for us," the seven-times world champion told his website after finishing sixth in Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix.

"I'll try to do even better as soon as next week comes around,"

"After all, we know that the circuit at Albert Park is much better for us than Sepang, so we have every reason to be optimistic.

"We wanted to score points in Malaysia and we did, and now we're hoping to score some more in Australia."

Schumacher, enjoying a few days vacation with his wife in Australia, said he had considered returning to Europe for testing but decided it was pointless unless absolutely necessary.

"We are absolutely on schedule, so it wouldn't have done us any good," he declared.

Full name Sauber PETRONAS
Base Hinwil, Switzerland
Team principal Peter Sauber
Technical director Willy Rampf
Chassis Sauber C24
Engine PETRONAS 05A
Tyres Michelin
Debut 1993 South African Grand Prix
Races competed 206
Constructors' Championships none
Drivers' Championships none
Race victories none
Pole positions none
Fastest laps none
2005 position 8th (20 points)

From :: Wikipedia

Pos Driver Team Time Pts
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
1 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 84:17.33 10
2 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari +5.5 8
3 Fernando Alonso Renault +6.7 6
4 David Coulthard Red Bull +16.1 5
5 Mark Webber Williams +16.9 4
6 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren +35.0 3
7 Christian Klien Red Bull +38.7 2
8 Kimi Raikkonen McLaren +39.6 1
9 Jarno Trulli Toyota +63.1 0
10 Felipe Massa Sauber +64.3 0
11 Jenson Button BAR +1 lap 0
12 Ralf Schumacher Toyota +1 lap 0
13 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber +1 lap 0
14 Takuma Sato BAR +2 lap 0
15 Narain Karthikeyan Jordan +2 lap 0
16 Tiago Monteiro Jordan +2 lap 0
17 Patrick Friesacher Minardi +4 lap 0
Ret Michael Schumacher Ferrari Retirement (lap 43)
Ret Nick Heidfeld Williams Retirement (lap 43)
Ret Christijan Albers Minardi Retirement (lap 16)

World Champion Fernando Alonso has had an impressive start to the 2006 season but says he is still looking improve on his performance over the next couple of grand prix.

Alonso said,"I've scored 18 points in two races and I hope to improve on this level in the next two", said Alonso to the Sunday Mirror."Our car was good on heavy and light fuel loads. And I think it will be competitive everywhere and for me this is the perfect start to the championship, more than I dreamed of before Bahrain."

"I will try to win again in Australia and finish this first part of the championship away from Europe in the best way possible."

So FIA has finally released its cost cutting measures for 2008 and beyond, frankly they stink. A major change will be that teams will not be allowed to progress their work on engine technology i.e. the 2008 engine will have to be used in 2009 and 2010 as well. So that basically means teams which dont have a good/reliable engine at the start of 2008 season, don't bother , you wont be able to win anyway for 3 years.

A single tyre company will be chosen for 2008-2010. At each race, every team will receive the same tyres (So no fun here also) - two dry-weather compounds, one wet-weather tyre and one extreme-weather tyre. Tyre warmers will be banned (good,now whats the point ??).

Engines will still have to last 2 races, while gearboxes 4.

1 good thing i feel is instead of 10 place penalties, a 15kg weight penalty will be enforced.

Engine companies also wont be able to sell engines to more than 2 companies without permission of the FIA (What does that mean ? Do they have to pay a fee ?)

Melbourne Track Statistics
Laps 58
Circuit length 5.30 km (3.30 miles)
Race length 307.57 km (191.12 miles)
2005 winner 1:24'17.336 (Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault)
2005 pole 3:01.460 (Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault)
2005 fastest lap 1:25.683 (Fernando Alonso, Renault)

Last Years Winner

Micheal making His Pit Stop

Race Result Formula One Round 2 ::

1. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault one hour 30 minutes 40.529 seconds
2. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault at 4.585 seconds
3. Jenson Button (GB) Honda 9.631
4. Juan Pablo Montoya (Col) McLaren-Mercedes 39.351
5. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari 43.254
6. Michael Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari 43.854
7. Jacques Villeneuve (Can) BMW Sauber 1:20.400
8. Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Toyota 1:21.200
9. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 1 lap
10. Rubens Barrichello (Brz) Honda one lap
11. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Toro Rosso-Cosworth two laps
12. Christijan Albers (Ned) Midland-Toyota 2 laps
13. Tiago Monteiro (Por) Midland-Toyota 2 laps
14. Takuma Sato (Jpn) Super Aguri-Honda 3 laps
R Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 48 laps completed
R Scott Speed (USA) Toro Rosso-Cosworth 41 laps
R Yuji Ide (Jpn) Super Aguri 33 laps
R Christian Klien (Aut) Red Bull-Ferrari 26 laps
R Mark Webber (Aus) Williams-Cosworth 15 laps
R David Coulthard (GB) Red Bull-Ferrari 10 laps
R Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Cosworth six laps
R Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes 0 laps

R = retired

Reactions

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
“The car was good today and I think we had a solid race. We lost a lot of time in the first stint as my front tyres were graining, but as soon as we changed the tyres the car came back to life and if you look at my pace against Jenson Button later on it was pretty much the same. With the hot temperatures here we did have to look after the engine, which means that we had to sacrifice downforce, so finishing fourth is encouraging. We have scored some more points for the team and I think we look strong going into the next race.”

KIMI RAIKKONEN
“I am very disappointed because I had a great car set-up and very good race strategy. I think it was fairly obvious that Christian Klien made a pretty fundamental mistake and ran into the back of me at turn five, breaking my rear suspension in the process. A positive side, the team has had good race reliability in the first two races and I am already looking forward to Melbourne in two weeks."

Michael Schumacher, Ferrari :
“We can accept this result, considering everything that has happened over the weekend. I don’t think that we could have achieved much more. On my second stint I wasn’t as quick as I was on my first and third one, so now we need to understand the reasons why. All things said and done, the race went basically as I had expected even if one always hopes for something more. During my first pit stop I had to wait a fraction of a second before going out because another car was coming down the pit lane. This was a wise decision from the safety point of view. During the closing stages of the race I was not able to get past Felipe because I just wasn’t fast enough and he didn’t make any mistakes. This track has always been one of the most difficult for us. Melbourne is a completely different circuit and I hope that it will be better suited to our 248 F1. Now I’m going to take a few days off with my wife Corinna before travelling on to Australia.”

Jacques Villeneuve, BMW Sauber :
“I got held up early on behind Trulli, which was a pity because it cost me time, but once I had overtaken him it was just a question of running to the end. Physically it was an easier race than I had expected and I knew I should be in good shape mechanically because it was the first race for my engine. It was bad luck for Nick, but we’ve scored the points we should have taken in Bahrain so I am happy. The race pace was strong, so we need now to work on our qualifying.”

Rubens Barrichello, Honda :
"It's certainly been an eventful weekend and it was disappointing to end it with a stop-go penalty when I was in with a chance of at least coming away with a few points. These past two races have been a bit of a learning curve but I'm sure things will pick up for the next few races and we can start to realise more of the car's potential."

Vitantonio Liuzzi, Toro Rosso :
“It was a real pity that I had a tangle with another car on the first lap and had to lose time pitting for a new nose. Apart from that, the car was difficult to drive all through the race, as I was not happy with my brakes or the balance of the car, which meant I kept locking the inside front wheel, which was too light. I could not keep up a good pace and I also seemed to luck out with a load of blue flags. It’s been a race to forget so I’m already thinking about Melbourne.”


Takuma Sato, Super Aguri :
“Great team work has meant that we have been able to improve on our pitstops since Bahrain and as a result I lost no time and was able to get back into the race and actually challenge a few cars. Of course we struggle on the high downforce corners with our pace, but I had another exciting race and at least we managed to finish the race once again. We still have a lot of hard work to do if we are to catch up to our nearest rivals, but we showed good teamwork today and I am very happy and proud of the team.”


Sorry to all readers i couldnt write a proper review due to my exams. Hope you enjoy the driver reactions.

Kimi Raikkonen may be trying to adopt a philosophical approach to his Malaysian GP retirement, however, the Kimi couldn't hide his disappointment as he watching Renault extend their Championship lead.

Raikkonen, who firmly believed he would "be strong in the race" following Saturday's qualifying session, started from sixth place on the Sepang grid. However, he'll never know if his confidence was warranted as he didn't even make it through the opening lap.

At Turn Five on lap One, the McLaren driver was hit from behind by Red Bull Racing's Christian Klien. The impact caused his MP4-21's rear suspension to fail, which sent him careening off the track and into the barriers, ending his race.

"I cannot change anything," an obviously disappointed Raikkonen said."It was not really my fault. These things happen."Klien hit me on the rear tyre and broke my rear suspension".

Raikkonen is looking forward to Melbourne in two weeks.

Formula One 2006 Round 2 Qualifying Times::

Qualifying times and grid positions for the Malaysian Grand Prix:

1. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault one minute 33.840 seconds
2. Jenson Button (GB) Honda 1:33.986
3. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams 1:34.626
4. Michael Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari 1:34.686
(14th on the grid after changing his engine)
5. Mark Webber (Aus) Williams 1:34.672
6. Juan Pablo Montoya (Col) McLaren-Mercedes 1:34.916
7. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes 1:34.983
8. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 1:35.747
9. Christian Klien (Aut) Red Bull 1:38.715
10. Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Toyota no time
11. David Coulthard (GB) Red Bull 1:34.614*
12. Rubens Barrichello (Brz) Honda 1:34.683*
13. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 1:34.702*
14. Jacques Villeneuve (Can) BMW-Sauber 1:34.752*
15. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW-Sauber 1:34.783*
16. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari no time*
17. Scott Speed (US) Toro Rosso 1:36.297**
18. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Toro Rosso 1:36.581**
19. Christijan Albers (Ned) Midland 1:37.426**
20. Tiago Monteiro (Por) Midland 1:37.819**
21. Takuma Sato (Jpn) Super Aguri 1:39.011**
22. Yuji Ide (Jpn) Super Aguri 1:40.720**

* = times in second 15-minutes
** = times in first 15-minutes

Reactions

From Post Qualifying Press Confrence

Question ::You said from the start how much you were enjoying this new qualifying session, a lot of heat out there, a lot of laps, a lot of work to do.
Jenson Button: Yes, but the problem is when you’re stuck in the garage more than anything else. Driving the car’s not so bad, it’s in the garage, but we’ve done a good job with fans and everything so I haven’t got too hot. It’s a bit of a challenge, it’s good.

From Mclaren.com

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
“I am happy with our qualifying result today, and we will see tomorrow with the different fuel loads just how well we have done. Hopefully the Michelin tyres will continue to perform, so far they have been good, but it is a very long and hot race. We have worked intensively on the set-up of the car and I am much happier with it. I am looking forward to a good race tomorrow where we can hopefully be challenging at the front."

KIMI RAIKKONEN
“I had a little bit of traffic on my out lap at the end of the session which disrupted my flying lap. As a result I didn't do as well as I could have, but I am pretty happy with the result. The car could still be better but I think that we have a competitive strategy and we will still be strong in the race tomorrow.”

Micheal Schumacher Fastest !!!!!!

1
Michael Schumacher
Ferrari
1m34.126
2
Fernando Alonso
Renault
1m34.180
3
Giancarlo Fisichella
Renault
1m34.585
4
Jenson Button
Honda Racing
1m34.616
5
Christian Klien
Red Bull Racing
1m34.815
6
Kimi Raikkonen
Team McLaren Mercedes
1m34.854
7
Ralf Schumacher
Toyota
1m35.040
8
Nico Rosberg
Williams F1
1m35.242
9
David Coulthard
Red Bull Racing
1m35.639
10
Jarno Trulli
Toyota
1m35.690
11
Mark Webber
Williams F1
1m35.700
12
Jacques Villeneuve
BMW Sauber
1m36.144
13
Nick Heidfeld
BMW Sauber
1m36.505
14
Tonio Luizzi
Toro Rosso
1m36.549
15
Rubens Barrichello
Honda Racing
1m36.655
16
Juan Pablo Montoya
Team McLaren Mercedes
1m37.053
17
Felipe Massa
Ferrari
1m37.148
18
Christijan Albers
MF1 Racing
1m37.232
19
Scott Speed
Toro Rosso
1m37.437
20
Tiago Monteiro
MF1 Racing
1m37.900
21
Takuma Sato
Super Aguri
1m38.821
22
Yuji Ide
Super Aguri
1m40.542

Position Driver Team Tyres Time Gap
1 Davidson Honda M 1:35.041
2 Wurz WilliamsF1 B 1:35.388 0.347
3 Alonso Renault M 1:35.806 0.765
4 Massa Ferrari B 1:35.924 0.883
5 Raikkonen McLaren M 1:36.132 1.091
6 Fisichella Renault M 1:36.182 1.141
7 M Schumacher Ferrari B 1:36.617 1.576
8 Button Honda M 1:36.661 1.620
9 Villeneuve BMW M 1:37.045 2.004
10 Barrichello Honda M 1:37.270 2.229
11 Trulli Toyota B 1:37.317 2.276
12 Heidfeld BMW M 1:37.418 2.377
13 Kubica BMW M 1:37.457 2.416
14 Montoya McLaren M 1:37.463 2.422
15 Liuzzi Toro Rosso M 1:37.590 2.549
16 Coulthard Red Bull M 1:37.603 2.562
17 R Schumacher Toyota B 1:37.695 2.654
18 Jani Toro Rosso M 1:37.831 2.790
19 Speed Toro Rosso M 1:37.926 2.885
20 Webber WilliamsF1 B 1:38.081 3.040
21 Rosberg WilliamsF1 B 1:38.205 3.164
22 Mondini Midland B 1:38.256 3.215
23 Klien Red Bull M 1:38.644 3.603
24 Albers Midland B 1:38.918 3.877
25 Doornbos Red Bull M 1:39.105 4.064
26 Monteiro Midland B 1:39.416 4.375
27 Sato Super Aguri B 1:41.549 6.508
28 Ide Super Aguri B 1:43.164 8.123

McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen has denied reports that he has signed a contract with Ferrari.

''I have not signed a new contract with anybody,'' an exasperated Kimi said upon his arrival in Malaysia. "This Ferrari thing is written again and again, but there is nothing new."

McLaren have already signed Fernando Alonso. However, the team insists Alonso is a partner for Kimi rather than a replacement.

"We have made no particular secret of the fact that we want Kimi to stay with us," McLaren's managing director Martin Whitmarsh said.

"We have got one Champion in the car next year and it would be nice to have a second with Kimi taking the title and being in the car alongside Fernando."

Just like David Coulthard Felipe Massa will lose ten places at Sepang.

David's engine gave away after Alonso won and had finshed the race hence he incurred the penalty.

Massa's engine will be changed as Ferrari see a problem with it, hence he too will start ten places back in the grid form where he qualifies.

Formula One 's Malaysian Grand Prix is Scheduled for March 19 2006

The Sepang F1 International Circuit is the venue used for the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix.The circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke, who also designed the Formula One circuits in Shanghai and Bahrain. The circuit, raced in a clockwise direction, is 3.44 miles.

Look at the sidebar for the countdown to the race

Circuit length 5.54 kilometres (3.44 miles)

Turns 15

Lap record 1'34.223 (Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams-BMW, 2004)

View the Sepang Circuit Map

Jenson Button in Action

Schumacher led the race from the start, but a well planned pit stop gave alonso the win.On Lap 8 Massa spinned on turn one missed Alonso by a whisker who was ahead of him. Massa remained third inspite of losing a lot of time. By lap 15 schumacher had extended his lead to 6 seconds, but after 1st round of pit stops, Alonso reduced the lead to 2.5 seconds. On lap 39 Alonso was among back-markers and went to the pits. His stop took 7.7 seconds. Alonso got out of the pits wheel to wheel with Micheal but just managed to pass him.It was here that the race was won. Nico Rosberg was the surprise element starting his carrier with a great result. During the race he overtook experienced contenders like Coulthard and Klien


Bahrain Grand Prix result:

1. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 1:29.46.205
2. Michael Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari +1.246 seconds
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes at +19.360
4. Jenson Button (GB) Honda +19.992
5. Juan Pablo Montoya (Col) McLaren-Mercedes +37.048
6. Mark Webber (Aus) Williams-Cosworth +41.932
7. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Cosworth +1:03.043
8. Christian Klien (Aut) RedBull-Ferrari +1:06.771
9. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari +1:09.907
10. David Coulthard (GB) RedBull-Ferrari +1:15.541
11. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Toro Rosso-Cosworth +1:25.997
12. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 1 lap
13. Scott Speed (US) Toro Rosso-Cosworth 1 lap
14. Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Toyota 1 lap
15. Rubens Barrichello (Brz) Honda 1 lap
16. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 1 lap
17. Tiago Monteiro (Por) Midland-Toyota 2 laps
18. Takuma Sato (Jpn) Super Aguri-Honda 4 laps
Retired Yuji Ide (Jpn) Super Aguri-Honda 22 laps
Retired Jacques Villeneuve (Can) BMW Sauber 28 laps
Retired Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault 36 laps
Retired Christijan Albers (Ned) Midland - Toyota 43 laps

Fastest lap: Nico Rosberg(Williams Cosworth), 1:32.408

Reactions

FERNANDO ALONSO
It was the only opportunity to win the race and I was going for it


KIMI RAIKKONEN
“This is a great result after the disappointment of yesterday, but we have known that the car was very strong all weekend. We thought that we had a chance to score some points today, even though we were starting from the back of the grid, but to get a podium is fantastic, The first few laps were crucial to this result, and luckily I managed to overtake a lot of cars at the first corner; I was up to 13th by lap two even though the cars in front were all lighter than me. We then gained some more places later on as a result of our strategy. The outcome is even more important to the whole team, who have been working so hard throughout the winter, as we didn't know where we were after testing and everyone had been saying that we were struggling. However we really have improved over the past few weeks. It proves that we are competitive and if not for yesterday we could have been even better.”

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA
“I have not really been totally comfortable with the set up of my car all weekend, which was clear during all the practice sessions. Obviously I am a little disappointed finishing in fifth as I know that the car could do so much more, but it just wasn't working for me this weekend. However it was a steady race and for the team to get two cars finishing in the points could be very important later in the season. The four points I have scored are good considering the circumstances. I am now looking forward to the next race in Malaysia, where we can improve further on these results."

Team Points
1 Renault 28
2 Ferrari 15
3 McLaren-Mercedes 15
4 Honda 11
5 Williams-Cosworth 5
6 BMW Sauber 2
7 Toyota 1
8 Red Bull 1

Updated after Malaysian Grand Prix

Name Car Nat Points
1 Fernando Alonso Renault Spa 18
2 Michael Schumacher Ferrari Ger 11
3 Jenson Button Honda GB 11
4 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault Ita 10
5 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes Col 9
6 Kimi Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes Fin 6
7 Felipe Massa Ferrari Brz 4
8 Mark Webber Williams-Cosworth Aus 3
9= Jacques Villeneuve BMW Sauber Can 2
9= Nico Rosberg Williams-Cosworth Ger 2
11= Christian Klien Red Bull-Ferrari Aut 1
11= Ralf Schumacher Toyota Ger 1

Updated after Malaysian Grand Prix

Ok, so Ferrari proved they are still a force to reckon with in F1, With Schumi and Massa making it a ferrari 1-2. Kimi had a disastrous start when apparently the suspension of his car broke and he crashed. Mclaren was unable to repair his car in time hence he missed the 15 minutes - 1st qualifying.

The new qualifying rules are exciting and make for a better watch than earlier rules. The only bad thing i thought was that the drivers who had been eliminated earlier will be allowed to have as much fuel on board as possible, but the drivers who qualified for the final session would have to make do with the fuel with which they started the last session.

Reactions --------

Post Qualifying Confrence

Q.Welcome back Michael, your first pole since Hungary ’05.
Michael Schumacher

Micheal Schumacher: " Yeah, I’ve had to wait a long time to get back up here. Hard work in the meantime, an amazing result. All winter we knew that we seemed to have a good package but then you wait, very strongly for the final confirmation and here and now we have the confirmation for all the hard work. Every engineer, every mechanic has been giving everything to put us back up here and it’s the best way to pay back all our guys. There’s such a great feeling and emotion. It’s been too long ago, too long time ago."

Mclaren.com

Juan Pablo Montoya: "I think we did a good job with the new format, and it ran very smoothly for me. I am a little surprised to finish so far up as we had not been looking good in the earlier sessions when I have been suffering from understeer, but that is what the car could do when it counted. I think we have a good strategy for the race, so we will have to wait and see what will happen tomorrow."

Kimi Raikkonen: "There is not much I can say about today. It is very disappointing to not even complete one timed lap as I believe that the team had a good strategy for the new qualifying system, and I could have been amongst the quickest. Although it is far from ideal to start from the back of the grid, there are overtaking opportunities at this track, and I have done this before and still achieved good results. We will just have to see what happens in the race tomorrow."

Toyota

Ralf Schumacher :"It is obviously very disappointing that we just missed out on making it through Session 1 today. I was just starting a flying lap when the red flags came out. Then, when everyone went out for their quick laps I was at the back of the pack. I just lost the temperature in the tyres and I couldn't warm up the tyre again before my lap. That meant that I was sliding around for most of the lap and I was not particularly surprised that I didn't make it through to the other sessions. A disappointing day, then, that confirms that we have hard work ahead to force our way up the grid. But it is very early in the season and the full picture of relative performance will only emerge after the first few races."

All is set for the race tomorrow, lets hope that the start to the F1 season is exciting.

Rumorville --
Renault was on a heavier fuel load, and hence couldn't qualify as fast as Ferrari.

1 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:31.431

2 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:31.478

3 Jenson Button Honda 1:31.549

4 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:31.702

5 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes 1:32.164

6 Rubens Barrichello Honda 1:32.579

7 Mark Webber Williams-Cosworth 1:33.006

8 Christian Klien RBR-Ferrari 1:33.112

9 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1:33.496

10 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-BMW 1:33.926

11 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber-BMW 1:32.456

12 Nico Rosberg Williams-Cosworth 1:32.620

13 David Coulthard RBR-Ferrari 1:32.850

14 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:33.066

15 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Cosworth 1:33.416

16 Scott Speed STR-Cosworth 1:34.606

17 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1:34.702

18 Christijan Albers MF1-Toyota 1:35.724

19 Tiago Monteiro MF1-Toyota 1:35.900

20 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 1:37.411

21 Yuji Ide Super Aguri-Honda 1:40.270

22 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes No time

10-16 time in second 15-minute period 16-22 time in first 15-minute period

Anthony Davidons was at the top, but Schumi was not far behind.

Looks like it'll be Ferrari V/s Honda

More Precisely what it seems Schumi V/s Anthony Davidson

Formula One has never been better.

Practice 2 Timings

1 Anthony Davidson Honda 1:31.353

2 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:31.751

3 Alexander Wurz Williams-Cosworth 1:31.764

4 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:32.175

5 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:32.538

6 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Cosworth 1:32.703

7 Robert Doornbos RBR-Ferrari 1:32.926

8 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1:33.215

9 Jenson Button Honda 1:33.226

10 Robert Kubica Sauber-BMW 1:33.244

11 Christian Klien RBR-Ferrari 1:33.557

12 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes 1:33.577

13 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes 1:33.726

14 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-BMW 1:33.848

15 Neel Jani STR-Cosworth 1:33.900

16 Scott Speed STR-Cosworth 1:34.284

17 Mark Webber Williams-Cosworth 1:34.333

18 Rubens Barrichello Honda 1:34.384

19 David Coulthard RBR-Ferrari 1:34.432

20 Tiago Monteiro MF1-Toyota 1:34.459

21 Nico Rosberg Williams-Cosworth 1:34.953

22 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1:35.170

23 Markus Winkelhock MF1-Toyota 1:35.686

24 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:35.898

25 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber-BMW 1:36.264

26 Christijan Albers MF1-Toyota 1:36.314

27 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 1:37.588

28 Yuji Ide Super Aguri-Honda 1:39.021




For Friday's Pics Visit
Pitpass

Berlin, Germany, Wednesday 8th March 2006: Emirates Airline has entered the high-profile Formula One circuit, signing on as Partner of Team McLaren Mercedes in the days leading up to the opening race of the 2006 World Championship in Bahrain.

The announcement was made today by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group, and Ron Dennis, Team McLaren Mercedes' Team Principal and Chairman and CEO of the McLaren Group, alongside the International Tourism Fair (ITB) in Berlin, Germany.

Starting from the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend, the distinctive "Fly Emirates" insignia - one of the most recognizable brand signages at top global sporting events - will prominently feature on the Team McLaren Mercedes MP4-21 Formula One cars at race events across Europe, Asia, Australasia, and North and South America. In addition, it will also be on the uniform of drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya, and in the team's pit interior.

Sheikh Ahmed said: "Formula One and Team McLaren Mercedes are at the pinnacle of a sport where success is determined by having leading-edge technology, quick responses to strategy changes, ambition and teamwork - all of which resonate with Emirates' own practices to stay at the top of our industry."

He added: "Grand Prix racing attracts millions of followers around the globe, and we believe it will be an excellent vehicle to further Emirates' brand awareness. We are very pleased to partner with such a prestigious team as Team McLaren Mercedes, and wish them every success for the upcoming season."

"Today's announcement makes the start to the 2006 Formula One World Championship even more thrilling for Team McLaren Mercedes," said Ron Dennis. "Emirates is globally recognized as a world-class airline and a leader in its field. We are proud that they recognize the mutual benefits of an association with Team McLaren Mercedes. The 2006 Formula One World Championship promises to be an exciting season and with support from a company like Emirates we are off to a good start. Everybody at Team McLaren Mercedes is looking forward to the opening race this weekend and a successful relationship with Emirates."

Emirates Airline is an established supporter of sport around the world, as it believes that sport provides a platform to reach out to its customers and share in their interests. The airline also reflects many of the values embodied by top sporting events and teams - an ambition to be the best in the field, international appeal, and an unwavering commitment to its fans and customers.

McLaren F1 Press Release

Qualifying - Saturday - 11th March 2006
11:00 gmt
Race at Bahrain International Circuit - Sunday - 12th March 2006
11:30 gmt

Grand Prix League on www.mclaren.com is now up and running. You have just eleven days to set your team up before the lights go out for the start of the season on Sunday 12th March in Bahrain.

The competition is free to enter, and there will be a public League and a separate competition exclusively for Team McLaren members only. Team McLaren members will be able to enter both Leagues for double the chance of winning!

set up your team here

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