All three Spanish drivers were called up to today’s FIA press conference in Spain, so that Fernando Alonso was there along with Pedro de la Rosa and Jaime Alguersuari. “It’s always good racing in your home country and hopefully we will put on a good show for all the people here,” began the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver. “It will be interesting to see how this race goes as there have been some circuits better for us, some circuits with problems, some up and down for the team performance in the last couple of races so hopefully we can continue the performance we saw in Montreal, be competitive here again and hopefully finish on the podium. We are happy with the job we have done in these last couple of weeks so we arrive in Valencia with a good package in our car but we remain very calm about our expectation as other teams were not watching television in these last two weeks so I think everybody will bring updates here. Hopefully ours is a little bit better than others.”

Having suffered because of slow backmarkers in Canada, the Spaniard was asked if he felt next year’s re-introduction of the rule that any car not qualified within 107% of the pole time cannot start the race would help this situation. “I don’t think that next year we will see the difference that we’ve seen this year. I think the three new teams arrived very late and I think next year they will be better prepared and the gap will be closer.”

A relaxed Fernando also had some fun with a journalist who asked what he felt about the updates on the F10 after, a few days ago, he did some laps of the Fiorano circuit as part of a filming day, which is allowed in the F1 rules. “The feeling was very good and I was running behind a car with cameras so it was very good at 60kph, very stable,” he joked. “We also did some laps without a car in front but we had ten cameras on the car and on the helmet so it was not very comfortable to drive. It was also my first time driving a Ferrari Formula 1 car at Fiorano, so I really have no idea but I think tomorrow we will have a better answer.”

Q: To the front row, it is to some extent a second home race to you guys. What does it mean to you individually?
Fernando Alonso: It is always good racing in your home country. Hopefully we will put on a good show for all the people here. As Jaime said with Barcelona and Valencia we are lucky to have these two opportunities in front of our people, so as I said hopefully we will put on a good show for them.

Q: Fernando, I am sure you and the team felt that you could have won in Montreal. What are the feelings about this race as it has not been a lucky one for you so far?
FA: I think it will be interesting to see this race how it goes. There have been some circuits better, some circuits with problems, some up and down for the team performance in the last couple of races, so hopefully we can continue the performance we saw in Montreal. The line that put us in a competitive level fighting with McLaren and Red Bull. In Turkey we were not quick enough, so just try to confirm the feeling of Canada and be competitive here again and hopefully finish on the podium again.

Q: You have got some developments here I believe with the blown diffuser. What do you think that is going to bring you?
FA: I think we have been improving the car every race more or less, so I think it is a matter of how much the others improve as well to see a clearer step ahead, a step forward. I think we are optimistic. We are happy with the job we have done in these last couple of weeks, so we arrive in Valencia with a good package in our car but we remain very calm about our expectation as other teams were not watching television in these last two weeks, so I think everybody will bring updates here. Hopefully ours is a little bit better than others.

Tyres
Pirelli has been selected as the single tyre supplier for the FIA Formula One World Championship for a period of three years, commencing in 2011. The sole supplier will undertake to strictly respect the sporting and technical regulations implemented by the FIA.

“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 must not be less than 640 kg at all times during the event.

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 resume 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.

Full details plus information on further amendments to the 2011 and 2012 Sporting and Technical Regulations will be available shortly on www.fia.com.

Formula 1’s ongoing attempts to improve overtaking will see adjustable rear wings introduced onto cars from 2011.

Although teams had already agreed to dispense with F-ducts for 2011 as a way of stalling the rear wing for improved straight line speeds and passing opportunities, the Formula One Teams’ Association has been working on other ways of increasing overtaking.

McLaren’s engineering director Paddy Lowe, who also sits on the FOTA technical working group, revealed in a media phone-in on Wednesday that those evaluations had resulted in squads agreeing to a new direction on moveable wings from next season.

Lowe explained that an adjustable rear wing would be available to drivers to use freely throughout practice and qualifying in order to reduce drag, but that in race conditions it could only purely be used as an overtaking tool – provided it was activated from the third lap of the race onwards and only when running within a second of the car in front.

“The flap will be adjustable by the driver,” said Lowe in the latest Vodafone McLaren Mercedes phone-in.

“He can run it however he likes in qualifying, so what we’ll actually do is…the flap so it has very low drag down the straights and in qualifying that will allow you to get a better lap time through using it wherever you can.

“In the race, you can’t use it for the first two laps at all, but after that if you’re within a second of the car in front then you’ll be able to deploy it for the following period.

“So that will be very interesting. It’s a FOTA initiative to help improve the show and I think it’s very exciting.”

The FIA confirmed the changes to ‘driver adjustable bodywork’ in a statement released on Wednesday afternoon after the proposals were ratified at a meeting of its World Motor Sport Council in Geneva.

Although not mentioning adjustable rear wings directly, the governing body did confirm Lowe’s explanation of how the device would be used – adding that the positions it could be activated in the race would be “pre-determined” at each circuit.

“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 FIA statement added.

“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.”

The WMSC also ratified the banning of F-ducts, or any similar driver-controlled devices that aren't the rear wing adjuster, from next season.

Pirelli has been selected as the single tyre supplier for the FIA Formula One World Championship for a period of three years, commencing in 2011. The sole supplier will undertake to strictly respect the sporting and technical regulations implemented by the FIA.

Pirelli will succeed Bridgestone as Formula 1’s tyre supplier on a three-year deal from next season, the FIA has announced.

Following weeks of discussions between the teams, the governing body and Formula One Management over which tyre company would be chosen to replace the departing Japanese manufacturer, the FIA confirmed on Wednesday that Pirelli had seen off competition from Michelin and Cooper Avon and been awarded the sole tyre supplier deal for the 2011-2013 seasons.

The Italian firm will replace Bridgestone from the end of the season after the Japanese manufacturer announced its intention late last year to pull out of the sport at the end of its existing deal.

“Pirelli has been selected as the single tyre supplier for the FIA Formula One World Championship for a period of three years, commencing in 2011,” an FIA statement read,

“The sole supplier will undertake to strictly respect the sporting and technical regulations implemented by the FIA.”

One is the man who made Formula One racing the global force that it is today. The other is the most successful driver of the modern era. Together they know the sport inside out - and both are uniquely qualified to provide an insight into the enigma that is Ferrari. Fernando Alonso has fulfilled his ambition of driving for the Scuderia after securing two world titles elsewhere, while Bernie Ecclestone admits Ferrari is one element of Formula One that you just can’t put a value on...

Q: Bernie, Fernando, what makes you so sure that the Ferrari-Alonso combination will bring the same success as Ferrari-Schumacher?
Fernando Alonso: I don’t know. I just hope it will. I have the impression that the people enjoy this very combination worldwide. Especially in Spain and Italy the vibe is very enthusiastic and this makes me very proud. The rumours that we would join forces had already been there for years anyway.
Bernie Ecclestone: Still there is a big difference between Michael and Fernando. When Michael was with Ferrari he barely had any rivals. The usual procedure in these years was that Michael got pole and won the race. But take a look at Fernando’s opponents today: both Red Bull pilots, both McLaren pilots and Fernando can get pole position and win the race. The competition is far bigger, so you cannot really compare the two situations.

Q: Bernie, even though you have many competitive racing drivers around, you personally said that were you still a team principal, you would go for the combination of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel…
BE: This is totally correct.

Q: Are there any specific reasons?
BE: Of course there are. I personally think that Sebastian has the class to win a world championship, which Fernando has already proven. It is a matter of quality. In my opinion both of them would be an ideal line-up as they would complement each other. Am I right Fernando? Sebastian would not have any issues with you. What about yourself?
FA: Right, I would not have any problems with Sebastian.
BE: This is what I am saying. Both of them would treat each other with respect, regardless of being the biggest opponents.

Q: Employing both of them would not come cheap. Would you put that much money on the table Bernie?
BE: Of course I would.

Q: Fernando, when was the crucial meeting with Ferrari, the one that made you certain that your dream of driving for this team would come true?
FA: When I left McLaren at the end of 2007 it was already in my head that I wanted to be a Ferrari driver at some point of time. This was my goal. I did not exactly have my best time at McLaren. The history of Formula One shows clearly that Ferrari and McLaren are the strongest teams. To make my career perfect I knew that I had to go to Ferrari. At the beginning it was just a dream, but last summer the critical meetings were put in place to make this dream come true. After that everything went really quickly and I did not let this incredible opportunity pass me by.

Q: We can see that you are feeling quite comfortable in the red overalls…
FA: This is absolutely true. They fit just like a glove! The Italian and Spanish mentalities are much alike - and also the lifestyle. And both of us have the same passion for racing. You could say that two have come together who have belonged together for a long time.

Q: Bernie, you have followed Fernando’s career since the beginning - his first season at Minardi, his season with McLaren, his years and successes with Flavio Briatore and Renault. Being CEO of the Formula One Group, you must have been ecstatic to hear that Ferrari had committed to Fernando…
BE: Yes, especially because Fernando is very much a typical Ferrari pilot. He is a fighter with a lion’s heart and has a passion for competing and racing. This simply fits.
FA: That’s right. It also makes me very proud to be part of Ferrari’s history and its drivers. But I also feel a big responsibility being a Ferrari pilot. Ferrari has the biggest fan base all over the globe, and this is unbelievable. I also know that I have to deliver the performance - but I am absolutely ready to do so.

Q: What is it that makes Ferrari so special?
FA: For example, the huge passion to work for Ferrari. You can feel it in every single person working for the company. All of them love Ferrari. If you visit the headquarters in Maranello you can literally feel and inhale this passion. All of them love it to be in the factory at 8am. All of them enjoy seeing a Ferrari on the street, as we all know that we have contributed to this very passion.
BE: And let’s be frank, there is no driver on the grid who does not have the dream of being a Ferrari driver at some point in time. And I am sure about this, as Ferrari transmits this very special vibe. But for sure, the pressure on the drivers is much bigger than anywhere else. Fernando you can agree to this. Of course you wanted to win at Renault, too, but the passion driving for Ferrari, the immense pressure to deliver the performance - isn’t this exactly what a driver wants to experience once in his career?
FA: Exactly. I love this pressure. I love the feeling to absolutely deliver the performance. I love it to start the race as the favourite. This is why it was particularly difficult for me in the last two seasons at Renault. To know after qualifying that you are at best eighth or ninth is not really my thing. This is why I prefer being in this situation now. The bigger the pressure is, the more people expect from me - and the more comfortable I feel.

Q: Bernie, you have sharp business acumen. Why is Ferrari so special for you?
BE: There will always be two things that will never lose their value: Formula One as a product, and Ferrari as a brand. Without wanting to step on anyone’s toes, I have to say the rest comes and goes and in the end it doesn’t matter. This is somewhat inexplicable and has a certain tragic touch to it, but in the end it is exactly like this.

Q: Fernando, you said you wanted to finish your career with Ferrari. That would imply that you are in there for the long haul…
FA: Yes, I hope so. This is at least my goal. I want to bring the performance, always give the maximum and triumph in the end, as long and as often as possible.

Source/Credit: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2010/6/10934.html

Bridgestone has responded to the excitement of the Canadian Grand Prix by announcing a tyre package for Hockenheim designed to create maximum entertainment during next month's German Grand Prix.

Variations in tyre performance in the rubber Bridgestone brought to Montreal were the key factor in what turned out to be the most thrilling dry race of the season so far, with teams choosing diverse pit strategies, drivers' pace constantly fluctuating due to tyres and tactics, and plenty of on-track passing as teams came on strong at different times.

The fantastic reception the Montreal race received has convinced Bridgestone to be more radical with its Hockenheim tyre choice, where teams must use both the super softs and the hard tyres during the grand prix.

"The major interest of this allocation announcement is that we are bringing the hard and super soft compounds to Germany," said Bridgestone's Formula 1 programme boss Hirohide Hamashima.

"The characteristics of the Hockenheim circuit allow us to bring the compounds from the extremes of our softness range.

"This will give us very good data for evaluation and will be interesting for those who have called for a bigger difference between the allocated tyres."

At present Hockenheim is the only other track where such a big variation in tyre performance is likely, with Hamashima explaining that the characteristics of other tracks made it neither safe nor practical to force drivers to use what would be inappropriate tyres.

"The Hungaroring requires a softer allocation as finding grip is always a target there," Hamashima explained.

"Spa and Monza are high speed tests for cars and tyres, needing a harder allocation because of the heat durability requirements.

"Singapore is a high-speed street course where the softer allocation is suited."

Bridgestone will announce its tyre allocations for the remaining races, starting with the Japanese GP, later in the year.

Although this isn't at all related to Ferrari, i come across this video on YouTube which is great fun. It involves Lewis and Jenson trying to put the Vodafone Mclaren car together themselves with no help and is quite funny and interesting too. You can see how these pit crews and technical people involved on the cars in F1 are so skillful in their jobs in putting this beautful machine together. Check it out!

I think this is an ADVERT for VODAFONE, but it's nice to see the drivers in the ad and actually having some fun!

Ferrari has announced that it has signed former McLaren designer Pat Fry as its new assistant technical director.

Fry left McLaren earlier this season, and reports in the Italian press recently suggested that he was bound for Maranello.

Aldo Costa remains at the helm of Ferrari's technical department, with Fry working alongside him from the start of July.

Fry had been one of the two chief designers in McLaren's rotating system, which saw him take responsibility for the creation of alternate years' cars, alternating with Tim Goss.

This year's chassis was led by Goss' team, which meant Fry would have been in line to take charge of the 2011 McLaren had he stayed on.

Before moving up to the senior design role at McLaren, Fry was best known as David Coulthard's race engineer, and had previously also worked at Benetton prior to his 18-year McLaren stint.

Ferrari has again lambasted the new teams bringing up the rear of the Formula 1 grid – with the company’s president Luca di Montezemolo arguing that they are so far off the pace that they should not be allowed to compete in grands prix.

Fernando Alonso lost time lapping slower traffic at two crucial stages in the Canadian Grand Prix, arguably costing him a potential victory.

First he encountered Jarno Trulli’s Lotus while lead on the in-lap before his second pit stop – ensuring that he emerged behind eventual race winner Lewis Hamilton – and later he lost second place to Jenson Button after being badly held up by the Hispania of Karun Chandhok.

Montezemolo feels the slowest cars are now mobile chicanes for the front-runners and should not be competing in the sport’s top echelon.

“In modern F1 races cars with GP2 levels of performance shouldn’t be allowed to participate – they are supposed to race on Sunday mornings,” Montezemolo was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Our car had the pace to win. I hope that in future there are no more errors with lapped traffic which work to our disadvantage, because we’ve already suffered from that.”

After last Sunday’s race Chandhok insisted the new teams’ drivers are doing their best to stay out of the leaders’ way, but said it had been particularly difficult because of the track conditions and heavy tyre degradation in Montreal.

“It was a nightmare because there are marbles off-line and everyone's on the limit with tyres, so everybody is struggling,” said the Indian rookie.

“Quicker guys are coming up behind, and we're battling just to hang on.

“To try and move out of their way is a big nightmare.

"I'm sure we upset a few people, but what can we do? We do the best job we can.”

Ferrari’s criticism of F1’s new teams has been a familiar refrain.

In May last year it warned that the loss of manufacturer outfits and an influx of small independent squads risked turning debasing F1, and it has since poured scorn on the new entrants in several articles on its website.

Today at the Fiorano circuit, a three day test session has just ended, for young drivers of the Ferrari Driver Academy. They carried out a series of tests, driving on the track followed by sessions analysing the results obtained and fine tuning, with support from the Maranello engineers, the preparation for their next races in their various series.

As scheduled, on Monday, Jules Bianchi, Mirko Bortolotti and Daniel Zampieri took turns at the wheel of the F2008, run by the F1 Clienti department, while Tuesday was given over to physical and psycho-attitudinal exercises, as well as lessons in the English language. The first to slip into the cockpit of the F2008 was Jules Bianchi. The French driver, who currently races in the GP2 Series, was preparing for the next round which takes place over the weekend of 27 June at the Valencia street circuit, at the same time as the ninth round of the Formula 1 World Championship. “At Ferrari they believe a lot in me,” commented Jules after the test. “Naturally, I want to win, especially as opportunities like this don’t come along twice.”

Like Bianchi, Mirko Bortolotti was also preparing for a race at Valencia, which hosts the third round of the GP3 Series and he was equally motivated: “I will tackle the next event with maximum effort and of course the aim is to win.”

Daniel Zampieri will be the first to race next, as he will competing this coming weekend at Magny Cours, in the third round of the World Series. “I want to put the Brno race behind me, with the aim of getting back to being a frontrunner,” said the driver, who is keen to make up for the disappointing result at the last round in the Czech Republic.

Today it was the turn of Brandon Maisano and Raffaele Marciello, who are both competing in the ACI-CSAI Formula Abarth championship, in which they are getting good results. The day went well in preparation for the next event which takes place at the Imola circuit over the weekend of 4 July.