The 2009 Season Preview: All change please

The 2009 Season Preview: All change please

Postby Cheese » Fri Mar 20, 2009 10:29 pm

All change please

Few Formula One seasons have been quite so keenly anticipated as this one. Major changes to the regulations, aimed at enhancing the show by promoting more overtaking opportunities while at the same time reducing costs, have given everyone a dramatic new set of challenges.

The most significant changes relate to aerodynamics, with smaller rear wings and wider front wings which, for the first time since 1969, may be adjusted by the driver, twice per lap. This is a direct result of intensive research done last year by Formula One’s Overtaking Working Group’s into ways of generating passing opportunities.

Hand-in-glove with that goes KERS, the Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems which can give drivers up to an additional 85 horsepower for 6.6 seconds a lap, available via a steering-wheel mounted ‘boost button’ - a sort of environmentally friendly ‘push-to-pass’ aid, if you like.

Then there is the much-welcomed return to slick tyres, a ban on testing once the season has started, and the requirement that engines have to cover twice the mileage that they were allowed in 2008.

Engineers have thus had to adjust to fundamental changes in four key areas at once.

So profound are the aerodynamic changes that everyone has had to start again, almost from scratch, and there have been some highly innovative interpretations of the rules in areas such as diffuser design, in the case of Toyota and Williams, and in suspension layout, as in the case of the Red Bull RB5 which sees a Formula One car revert to rear pullrods for the first time in more than a decade. Variety is clearly still a spice of F1 life as everyone explores fresh avenues of design.

KERS represents largely uncharted territory, while giving F1 a crucial green edge to its activities. The sport will once again become the invaluable crucible in which such technology is developed at a far faster and more innovative rate than could ever be the case in the road car world, and will thus be hugely beneficial in shaping the next generation of economical passenger cars.

While it offers a calculable performance advantage, KERS also presents significant problems with packaging, especially as the units so clearly affect a car’s crucial weight distribution. Then there is the issue of deploying KERS, which has an effect on a car’s handling and balance at critical times during each lap.

Formula One cars have a minimum weight of 605 kg, including the driver. Teams can easily build cars lighter than that these days, and the difference between the actual weight and that minimum is made up with ballast. This, naturally, is positioned at various points on the car to achieve the optimum effect. Traditionally, this has put heavier drivers at a disadvantage, as they have less ballast with which to balance out the car. With KERS the problem is exacerbated by the weight of the system, and the fact that it has to be mounted towards the rear of the car, thus complicating weight distribution.

It is far from a clear-cut issue whether KERS will be advantageous everywhere, and several teams are deferring the introduction of their systems until they feel they have their basic 2009 packages sufficiently sorted. The most aggressive, however, such as BMW Sauber, may well use it from the outset.

“This has been a huge challenge, one which we have taken on with great drive and determination,” admits their team principal Dr Mario Theissen, arguably KERS’ greatest proponent after FIA president Max Mosley who introduced the idea. “When I look back at how far we have come in such a short space of time, it really is very impressive. Here, Formula One has taken on the role of technology accelerator for series production cars of the future."

While purists will applaud the return of slick tyres, they also present some significant challenges as far as balancing the cars are concerned. Getting rid of the grooves that have been a feature since 1997 has increased the area of the narrower front tyre by a greater percentage than the wider rear and that has had the effect of reducing understeer and increasing oversteer. Making Bridgestone’s control tyres last over long race stints will be a key factor in winning.

Small wonder that Ferrari’s chief track engineer Luca Baldiserri was moved to comment: “We’ve never seen such a revolution in F1…” Nobody disagrees.

Thus the scene is set for another gripping season in which so much will remain unpredictable until the first few races have been run. And which will welcome yet another exciting new venue when the finale is held at the bespoke Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, on November 1.

Who will be crowned world champion by then is anyone’s guess, especially given the most recent rule change for the 2009 season. For the first time in Formula One history, the drivers’ title will be decided on wins alone, with points used only to settle the lesser placings.

It could place a whole different complexion on races, especially towards the end of the year - in 2009 winning will be everything!

Coming soon in Part Two - teams and drivers: who are the real 2009 contenders?

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The 2009 Season Preview: A New World Order?

Postby Cheese » Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:39 am

A New World Order?

McLaren, Ferrari, BMW Sauber and Renault all won races in 2008 and at least three of them are confident of winning more in 2009. But they are also aware that this season has all the ingredients for serious surprises - major rule changes, no in-season testing, and some worryingly different interpretations of the technical regs by supposedly ‘junior’ rivals. So do the big guns head to Melbourne with the firepower to stay ahead of the chasing pack? We consider their chances…

McLaren
1 Lewis Hamilton (GB)
2 Heikki Kovalainen (FIN)

It’s official: The new McLaren MP4-24 is not fast enough.

That was the verdict after all the testing, especially the latest runs in Barcelona and Jerez, revealed the car to have a rear-end aerodynamic problem that left both Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen disappointingly far down the timesheets.

According to one insider, it is a problem that can be fixed in time for Melbourne. “The key is that we know what the problem is,” they said. It remains to be seen, however, what the true scale of the problem is.

New team principal Martin Whitmarsh has taken it on the chin and admitted that the MP4-24’s performance has been disappointing, and McLaren are working flat-out to rectify that. Whitmarsh will be feeling the pressure after saying recently: “I am a competitive person and being team principal adds a little zing this year. I have two overriding concerns in the forefront of my thinking: To win the first race, in Melbourne at the end of the month, and to see Lewis Hamilton retain his world championship title. I don’t want to be the team principal in 12 months’ time who didn’t help him to win the world championship again, so that does add pressure.”

Subsequently, he said: "Initial testing of MP4-24, which first ran with an interim aero package, went in accordance with our early developmental expectations. Then the car ran in Barcelona with an updated aero package, as we had always planned it would, and a performance shortfall has been identified that we are now working hard to resolve."

Clearly the car is not quick enough yet, though there were signs of progress in Jerez, and few doubt that McLaren will get it right and will do so quickly. But whether they can solve the problem quickly enough to stop Ferrari - and other rivals - gaining points advantages in Melbourne and Sepang, is going to be a key factor in the early stages of the 2009 championship battle.

Ferrari
3 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)
4 Felipe Massa (BR)

Ferrari’s testing has almost been low-key in comparison with McLaren’s obvious problem and the upstart speed of the Mercedes-engined Brawn GP car. In the early stages the weather in Spain and Bahrain did its best to stymie the team, but in Jerez and Barcelona there were plenty of signs that the elegant F60 is nicely positioned to do the business. Both Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen have expressed themselves happy with the car’s speed and overall performance, and that is particularly important for the team after the Finn’s sometimes lacklustre showings last year.

Were it not for the Brawn’s pace, one suspects that Ferrari would be very happy right now, but the Anglo-German car’s speed has certainly raised many eyebrows in the paddock. Without it, Ferrari would be right where they want to be, with a car that handles well, is quick, and is competitive over long and short runs. Now, having seen the Brawn in action, Ferrari have conceded mentally that they are not the fastest.

“We were able to improve our car a lot in every respect,” Massa reported after testing. “We're where we thought we would be before the start at Melbourne. I'm really satisfied with our competitiveness compared to all the others, except obviously the Brawn. They were unreachable for all of us.”

Reliability has been an issue for Ferrari, however, and after Barcelona team principal Stefano Domenicali admitted: "We're satisfied with the level of our car as far as the performance is concerned. It's obvious that we still have some work to do and that we have to concentrate on its reliability. Last year we've seen how important reliability and the smallest details are. We have to work much harder in this direction."

BMW Sauber
5 Robert Kubica (PL)
6 Nick Heidfeld (D)

Like Ferrari, BMW Sauber have had a relatively low-key time during testing, but there is every indication that both speed and reliability are there in the F1.09 and everyone is quietly confident of being able to launch a major challenge for the world championship.

Also in common with Ferrari, both drivers like the car, and Nick Heidfeld has expressed his confidence that he won’t be troubled by the tyre-heating issues that compromised his performance in qualifying at times in 2008.

Reliability has generally been good for the Swiss-German team, and they have an advantage with their KERS system having tested it a great deal last year. Team principal Dr Mario Theissen recently confirmed that they are in a position to race with it from the start of the season, as planned.

"We've got our KERS to the stage where it is race-ready, which means we can use it in Melbourne,” he said. “Now it's just a matter of weighing up the pros and cons. On the positive side, the drivers would have an extra 82 bhp at their disposal for 6.6 seconds per lap. However, the system adds weight to the car and this has an impact on the car's weight distribution and tyre wear. We will make a decision on a driver-by-driver, circuit-by-circuit basis."

Of all the teams, this one may be the darkest horse, and you get the distinct impression that they are playing down their likely performance. This is a key season in their long-term timetable. “In our first year we set out to finish regularly in the points,” Theissen explained. “In year two we wanted to record podium finishes and in our third year we were aiming to notch up our first victory. We achieved all of these ambitious aims. In 2009 we are looking to take the next and most difficult step yet: we want to be fighting for the world championship title.”

Renault
7 Fernando Alonso (E)
8 Nelson Piquet (BR)

If you believe some of the rumours doing the rounds in testing Renault have been in trouble with their R29. The doomsayers suggest that the only time it goes quickly is when Fernando Alonso’s brilliance is brought to bear, and that Nelson Piquet’s lap times are a better indication of where Flavio Briatore’s team sits in the overall scheme of things.

In Jerez, however, the Spaniard was able to better the Brawn’s lap times, and it is clear that progress is being made. And like BMW, Renault say they are ready to go with KERS, which could bring a critical advantage in the opening rounds as other teams play catch-up.

Also on the positive side, the FIA allowed Renault to modify their engine over the winter and to catch up in the horsepower race with other manufacturers who better exploited the various loopholes in the engine freeze regulations. That will give them another 50 bhp. But Briatore remains very unhappy about the ‘grey’ areas regarding the design of diffusers, particularly those on the Toyota and Williams cars. "I wouldn't like it to end up like the frozen engine, which we respected and ended up with less power than the others," he said. "This is the same story."

Coming soon in Part Three - the title pretenders

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Re: The 2009 Season Preview: All change please

Postby Reverend Gooner » Tue Mar 24, 2009 8:37 pm

Those front wings are too wide, they will prevent overtaking i almost guarantee it.

Looking forward to the season thought.

Anyone staying up for the Aussie GP?
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Re: The 2009 Season Preview: All change please

Postby rogerthornhill » Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:33 am

Reverend Gooner wrote:Anyone staying up for the Aussie GP?


We don't have to stay up as it starts at 7 a.m. our time.
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Re: The 2009 Season Preview: All change please

Postby Reverend Gooner » Wed Mar 25, 2009 2:04 pm

I know but i feel worse if i get a couple of hours and get up than if i stay up and go to bed really late (or early). Plus i want to see the build up which is 6am start.
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Re: The 2009 Season Preview: All change please

Postby Cheese » Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:36 am

Reverend Gooner wrote:Anyone staying up for the Aussie GP?

Stayed up all night to watch the Friday practice which started 1:30 & 5:30 our time.
Williams 1-2 in the first session with Rosberg fastest with a 1:26.687. Lewis (16th) was 2.355 behind with a 1:29.042. Button finished 6th (behind Rubens) with a 1:27.467.
Second session, again Rosberg was fastest with a 1:26.053. Rubens finished just behind in second, and Trulli 3rd. Lewis finished 18th with a 1:27.813 and Button finished 5th with a 1:26.374.
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Re: The 2009 Season Preview: All change please

Postby Cheese » Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:03 am

A Year for Dark Horses?

Toyota believe they are on the brink of achieving a maiden win; Toro Rosso have already done it; Red Bull’s is arguably the most radical car on the grid; Williams’ flywheel KERS could prove a secret weapon; a McLaren partnership should boost Force India; and Brawn GP’s pace has already got the likes of Ferrari worried. The dramatic rule changes for the 2009 season mean midfield teams really could upset the order at the head of the grid. We consider their chances…

Toyota
9 Jarno Trulli (I)
10 Timo Glock (D)

Toyota, like BMW, go to Melbourne feeling quietly confident after an off-season of testing in which the TF109 has consistently showed pace and reliability. Part of the performance has been put down to the innovative design of its diffuser, which has upset some other teams. FIA President Max Mosley described the device as ‘clever’, though the governing body has made no official comment on its legality. Small wonder they covered it from prying eyes at every opportunity during testing. It remains to be seen, however, whether rivals protest it in Melbourne in order to get an official ruling from the race stewards.

This is a crucial year for Toyota, and team principal Tadashi ‘George’ Yamashina recently revealed that he had to fight to keep the team in F1 after Honda’s withdrawal. Panasonic’s continued sponsorship was a major factor in his successful battle. He expects a significant step forward in 2009, and at least one victory is deemed essential if they are to have a long-term future.

"We must win," he confirmed. "I'm sure of our team's potential to win a Grand Prix title after watching the final test. Our team is definitely better than that of last year."

Toyota have confirmed that they definitely won’t be running their KERS system in either of the two opening races.

Toro Rosso
11 Sebastien Bourdais (F)
12 Sebastien Buemi (CH)

Toro Rosso were one of the last teams to reveal their 2009 contender, which is of course very closely related to the Adrian Newey-penned Red Bull RB5. The crucial difference is their power units: the STR4 uses the Ferrari V8, the RB5 Renault’s.

There is no doubt that Newey has created a beautiful car, but Toro Rosso face many challenges in 2009. Not least is replacing Sebastian Vettel, and it remains to be seen whether two other Sebastiens, Bourdais who is onboard for a second season and Buemi, who faces his first, can tap into the rich vein the young German was so able to exploit last year. Then there is the need to organise things behind the scenes so that Toro Rosso can become a fully-fledged constructor in their own right, as required by the regulations, for 2010.

They won’t be using KERS in either of the first two races.

Red Bull Racing
14 Mark Webber (AUS)
15 Sebastian Vettel (D)

Dietrich Mateschitz doesn’t seem to mind which of his two teams wins. But you can bet the farm that the guys at Red Bull are still smarting from being upstaged so comprehensively by Toro Rosso last year, and are determined not to let that happen in 2009.

Adrian Newey has stretched the design envelope far more than anyone else with his RB5, and the result is a superb-looking car that has drawn praise from more conservative rivals. Thus far it has not sparkled too much in testing, and reliability problems reared their ugly head again after all of Geoff Willis’s solid work to improve things in 2008. But the team know they have a gem, and it will be fascinating to see how successful they are in their efforts to unlock its clear performance potential in a crucial year in which they must do an awful lot better than their seventh place in the 2008 constructors’ world championship.

Williams
16 Nico Rosberg (D)
17 Kazuki Nakajima (J)

Every year, of late, Williams have issued upbeat statements claiming that revised rules will aid their aspiration to rescale their once-great heights. But 2009 surely offers them their best hope yet, with the widespread changes. The FW31 has shown good potential at times in testing, and has a similar trick diffuser to the Toyota, with which it shares the same engine. While some question its legality, Williams technical director Sam Michael is adamant the diffuser complies with the rules. "To be honest we were surprised that it even turned into an issue,” he says, “because for us it was very clearly inside the regulations. It was something that in various forms teams have been doing for two years, so it wasn't really a big issue for us or the FIA. It was something that we clarified with the FIA well over a year ago."

Accidents hurt Williams last year, but Nico Rosberg’s greater experience should counter that this time, in a season in which solid results will be most welcome as the team look to attract a major sponsor in time for RBS’s departure at the end of 2010.

Despite being in the vanguard of KERS development, Williams won’t run their flywheel system in either of the two opening races.

Force India
18 Adrian Sutil (D)
19 Giancarlo Fisichella (I)

Like Brawn, Force India are hanging their hopes on Mercedes-Benz power, in a new VJM02 designed by Mark Smith and James Key. Wholesale changes to the team since 2008 have seen the departure of technical guru Mike Gascoyne and team principal Colin Kolles, as owner Vijay Mallya continues to put his own stamp on its development and direction. Drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil have thus far expressed themselves happy with the car’s performance, the Italian in particular showing good pace in testing to shadow more fancied runners. This is another team that won’t be bothering with KERS for at least the first four races, and will be putting their technical focus on improving their aerodynamic package, which they admit still lacks downforce.

Brawn GP
20 Jenson Button (GB)
21 Rubens Barrichello (BR)

A winter of deep discontent left Honda personnel on tenterhooks following the Japanese manufacturer’s withdrawal early in December, but much of that was forgotten when the Brawn BGP001 literally exploded on to the tracks with a slew of fastest lap times close to the end of the official tests.

Insiders had always insisted that the car, whose design may have started earlier than all others as Honda struggled through 2008, was a big step forward, and its performance thus far bears that out. The switch to Mercedes-Benz power has clearly been beneficial, and even allowing for the fact that the car might have run with a low fuel load in testing to attract potential sponsors, it is evident that it is very good. Just how good, we will find out in Melbourne and at Sepang, but there have been rumours of achieving 89 percent of Honda’s 2008 downforce levels, which would explain a great deal.

Like Toyota and Williams, Brawn have made a novel interpretation of the rear diffuser regulations and could well be another team subject to rivals’ protests in Melbourne. They won’t run KERS in Australia, or anywhere else, for that matter, unless they decide to revisit it much later in the season.

Watch out for this dark horse.

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Re: The 2009 Season Preview: All change please

Postby Reverend Gooner » Fri Mar 27, 2009 11:54 pm

All_Arsenal_1886 wrote:
Reverend Gooner wrote:Anyone staying up for the Aussie GP?

Stayed up all night to watch the Friday practice which started 1:30 & 5:30 our time.
Williams 1-2 in the first session with Rosberg fastest with a 1:26.687. Lewis (16th) was 2.355 behind with a 1:29.042. Button finished 6th (behind Rubens) with a 1:27.467.
Second session, again Rosberg was fastest with a 1:26.053. Rubens finished just behind in second, and Trulli 3rd. Lewis finished 18th with a 1:27.813 and Button finished 5th with a 1:26.374.


Where did you watch it? I looked in the guide and it wasn't there.


Great post above
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Re: The 2009 Season Preview: All change please

Postby rogerthornhill » Sat Mar 28, 2009 2:50 am

Reverend Gooner wrote: Where did you watch it? I looked in the guide and it wasn't there.


It was on one of the BBC's extra type channels, I watched it on 302 and it was also on the BBC website. Practice three is live in a few minutes time.
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