2010 Formula 1 Season - Official Discussion Thread

[phil1993]

Nico Hulkenberg career:

2005 Formula BMW ADAC ||| 1st
2006 German Formula Three ||| 5th
2006–07 A1 Grand Prix Team Germany ||| 1st
2007 Formula Three Euroseries ||| 3rd
2008 Formula Three Euroseries ||| 1st
2008–09 GP2 Asia Series ||| 6th (Competed in 2 of 5 rounds)
2009 GP2 Series ||| 1st

[andrewf1]

Are double diffusers banned for 2010?

[f1anatic]

I thought refueling was banned for 2003. Anyways, it did not stick, I do not expect it to stick this time either. I actually think refueling brings a new aspect to F1, and the costs of that operation is worth the risk reduction in not having to carry 3 times more fuel.

[shailf1]

I thought refueling was banned for 2003. Anyways, it did not stick, I do not expect it to stick this time either. I actually think refueling brings a new aspect to F1, and the costs of that operation is worth the risk reduction in not having to carry 3 times more fuel.

I think the fact that the cars will be much longer now will even reduce overtaking.

[JoostLamers]

Are double diffusers banned for 2010?

The aero rules for 2010 are pretty much the same as for 2009, so I think they're still legal

[phil1993]

Buemi has been confirmed at Toro Rosso, Tost indicates Alguersuari will stay.

[Tom Vandenhove]

Buemi has been confirmed at Toro Rosso

Good choice by STR. With a good car Buemi can do a good job for them

Tost indicates Alguersuari will stay.

And that's a bad choice by STR... Give Hartley and some other drivers a chance to test for them and we'll see who performs best

[phil1993]

Hartley would be just as bad as Algarve at the moment, if not worse. The problem is, there's all these good drivers like Turvey, Valsecchi, Hartley, Filippi, Petrov, Baguette, Bianchi etc , that are really good drivers, but nowhere near good enough for F1 in 2010. 2011 maybe but not next season.

[cformula1]

Buemi has been confirmed at Toro Rosso

Good choice by STR. With a good car Buemi can do a good job for them

Tost indicates Alguersuari will stay.

And that's a bad choice by STR... Give Hartley and some other drivers a chance to test for them and we'll see who performs best

Yeah, but they should give Kobayashi a chance instead. He deserves it.

[phil1993]

Kobayashi isn't part of the Red Bull YDP so they have no interest in him.

[Tom Vandenhove]

Kobayashi isn't part of the Red Bull YDP so they have no interest in him.

True. But at least they can let some drivers visit a test session.

Is Baguette part of Red Bull's YDP ?

[cformula1]

Kobayashi isn't part of the Red Bull YDP so they have no interest in him.

Ah OK, in that case give Alguersuari another season and if he doesn't improve, then replace him.

[phil1993]

Kobayashi isn't part of the Red Bull YDP so they have no interest in him.

True. But at least they can let some drivers visit a test session.

Why should they? Its in their interests to develop their own drivers

Is Baguette part of Red Bull's YDP ?

No.

On the Red Bull Junior Team (YDP):

Jaime Alguersuari
Mikhail Aleshin
Michael Ammermuller
Sebastein Buemi
Karun Chandhok
Colin Fleming
Brendon Hartley
Neel Jani
Daniel Ricciardo
Adrian Zaugg

Ah OK, in that case give Alguersuari another season and if he doesn't improve, then replace him.

Problem is that if you replace him its gonna dent his confidence so he needs to stay unless he is horrendously bad, and considering his F1 experience before Hungary, he's not done a bad job - a whole winter should do him good. If not, expect to see Hartley in 2011

[phil1993]

Brawn: Team can be stronger in 2010
And he has a very good point

Spoiler:

Ross Brawn believes that his team can be even stronger next season, thanks to beginning work on its definitive 2010 car far earlier than a year ago.

Brawn's first Formula 1 car, the BGP 001, was originally designed around a Honda powerplant, and adapted for a Mercedes engine only weeks before the start of the season.

Despite this, the team still took the constructors' world title in its maiden season with Jenson Button winning six grands prix on his way to the drivers' crown.

Brawn believes that heading into a second season with Mercedes - this time with a rear end designed around the German manufacturer's engine – will help strengthen the team's bid to retain its titles.

"The main thing for us is that it’s the second year of working with Mercedes," said Brawn.

"It should be a much better installation because we've had an opportunity to begin early and have the sort of exhaust system that we need, design the gearbox properly for the engine, design the chassis properly for the engine, put the right coolers on... all of those things.

"Obviously we've had a good run into installing this engine in the car, so things like the cooling system and the airbox have been developed a bit more thoroughly in the new car.

"Fuel consumption's going to be critical, so efficiency in those areas and also in keeping the startline weight to a minimum is going to be critical."

Brawn said that the Brackley-based team's determination to retain its front-running status next year was the primary cause of it losing ground to chief rival Red Bull during the second half of the 2009 season.

"We have been trying to balance what we do this year with next year," he added. "With the aerodynamicists going through their programme regularly, we decided at mid-season only to take a week to work on this year's programme, while keeping the rest of the windtunnel time focused on next year.

"If I’m honest, we didn’t throw enough at it, but on balance we got away with it.

"But we needed to get on with next year’s car. Next year we've got no refuelling, a different chassis shape, different tyres and there's a lot of work. And because we don't want to be a one-season wonder, we've had to make sure we can balance this year's and next year’s cars."

[cformula1]

Brawn: Team can be stronger in 2010
And he has a very good point

Spoiler:

Ross Brawn believes that his team can be even stronger next season, thanks to beginning work on its definitive 2010 car far earlier than a year ago.

Brawn's first Formula 1 car, the BGP 001, was originally designed around a Honda powerplant, and adapted for a Mercedes engine only weeks before the start of the season.

Despite this, the team still took the constructors' world title in its maiden season with Jenson Button winning six grands prix on his way to the drivers' crown.

Brawn believes that heading into a second season with Mercedes - this time with a rear end designed around the German manufacturer's engine – will help strengthen the team's bid to retain its titles.

"The main thing for us is that it’s the second year of working with Mercedes," said Brawn.

"It should be a much better installation because we've had an opportunity to begin early and have the sort of exhaust system that we need, design the gearbox properly for the engine, design the chassis properly for the engine, put the right coolers on... all of those things.

"Obviously we've had a good run into installing this engine in the car, so things like the cooling system and the airbox have been developed a bit more thoroughly in the new car.

"Fuel consumption's going to be critical, so efficiency in those areas and also in keeping the startline weight to a minimum is going to be critical."

Brawn said that the Brackley-based team's determination to retain its front-running status next year was the primary cause of it losing ground to chief rival Red Bull during the second half of the 2009 season.

"We have been trying to balance what we do this year with next year," he added. "With the aerodynamicists going through their programme regularly, we decided at mid-season only to take a week to work on this year's programme, while keeping the rest of the windtunnel time focused on next year.

"If I’m honest, we didn’t throw enough at it, but on balance we got away with it.

"But we needed to get on with next year’s car. Next year we've got no refuelling, a different chassis shape, different tyres and there's a lot of work. And because we don't want to be a one-season wonder, we've had to make sure we can balance this year's and next year’s cars."

He most certainly has a very good point, and I can see Brawn at worst being like BMW in 2008.
I think we will have a close championship next year, whether or not that translates to close on-track action is another thing (I hope it does).