Formula 1 - 2010 Season

Oh Yea........its Redbull in pool and second.....Thats great news. Alonso and even Hamilton have problems whith understearing and on this raceway understearing is a disaster!

Well I’m all motor sports’d out, perfect timing saw the build up and start to the Bathurst 1000 (V8 Supercars on Australia Network) at 06:30 through to their mid term break. So a direct x/over to the F1 qualifying. That complete turned back to the last few hours of the Bathurst race, well none Lownes and that olde timer Skaffe. No sooner than the podium presentation been completed there start of the F1 on Star Sports.

Great racing enjoyed them both. “Hang in there our own 2nd fiddle driver – Mark Webber”.

OT was back down to Club Silk for another corporate sponsored event to watch the Japanese GP. Started at 9am where I am in the world which meant bucks fizz and English Breakfast before the start and Lager served by WFB's throughout the race. The start saw 5 blitzed and another loose a wheel because someone forgot to put the locking wheel nut on. Button made good headway but not enough to stop the Red Bulls taking control of the race when he pitstoped late in the race, Hamilton lost third gear but still managed to get fifth, Button fourth. I like Vettel so pleased to see him win with Webber and Alonso following him. Still too hard to predict a World Champ this season.

OT............

Loved Webbers cheeky bit on the last lap; getting fastest lap of the race,something Vettel likes to do.

Lap 36 Korea

I'm very disappointed with Webber, acted like a scared rabbit harassing the officials about the conditions and psyched his way out driving too the conditions. Lost alot of Browney points in my books.

In my book Vettel lost more Brownie points than Webber, for complaining about the lack of light when he was in the lead. Obviously trying to get the race ended early.

Sebastian Vettel wins Abu Dhabi GP to capture F1 title

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsp ... 188023.stm

Congratulations to the youngest ever winner.
Terrible pitting decision by Ferrari on Alonso probably lost him the championship. Something I am not actually gutted about!!
For the race...

Driver Race Time
1 S Vettel 1:39:36.837
2 L Hamilton 1:39:46.999
3 J Button 1:39:47.884
4 N Rosberg 1:40:07.584
5 R Kubica 1:40:15.863
6 V Petrov 1:40:20.357
7 F Alonso 1:40:20.634
8 M Webber 1:40:21.080
9 J Alguersuari 1:40:27.038
10 F Massa 1:40:27.705

Mark Webber did not have the best race of his career, which is a pity, but I think somewhere along the season he must have thought that battling his Team as well as the other teams was just a step too far. Will be interesting to see what the team line ups look like next season.
Final standings..

Position Driver Country Team Points
1 Sebastian Vettel Ger Red Bull-Renault 256
2 Fernando Alonso Spa Ferrari 252
3 Mark Webber Aus Red Bull-Renault 242
4 Lewis Hamilton GB McLaren-Mercedes 240
5 Jenson Button GB McLaren-Mercedes 214
6 Felipe Massa Brz Ferrari 144
7 Nico Rosberg Ger Mercedes GP 142
8 Robert Kubica Pol Renault 136
9 Michael Schumacher Ger Mercedes GP 72
10 Rubens Barrichello Brz Williams-Cosworth 47

Maybe Michael will feel that 9th. is just not a place he wants to be again.
Much of the hype was about his return & it has, I think, been the most exciting F1 season for a long time, but not, necessarily for the reasons thought before it all started...

Not really 2010 season, but I didn't want to start a new F1 - 2013 season thread..

It looks like agreement has been made on a new engine configuration from 2013 on.
The engine size will drop from 2.4-litre V8s to 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo engines with energy recovery systems and fuel restrictions.

The aim is for the new rules to improve the efficiency of F1 engines by as much as 50%.
Care has been taken to ensure the performance of cars will not be affected and total power outputs will remain at current levels - approximately 750bhp.
For 2013, the power capacity of the Kers systems will be increased from 60kw to 120kw.
The new engines will not do more than 10,000 revs per minute - current F1 engines spin at 18,000rpm.

I think these are important developments for the sport & liable to produce ideas that are passed onto normal vehicles.

Full story here...http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsp ... 255871.stm

It looks like FIA are introducing a new change in 2011 which is specifically to aid overtaking.

Formula 1 will announce radical rule changes for 2011 and 2013

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsp ... 275796.stm

Governing body the FIA will confirm the adoption in 2011 of moveable rear wings to aid overtaking, and the return of Kers power-boost systems..........The movable wings, which will be used from the start of next season, are an attempt to improve one of F1's perennial problems - the difficulties of overtaking.
The wings will be operated by the drivers, who will be able to use them when they are within a second of a car in front which they are trying to overtake.

Personally I think that this is the nettle that FIA have to grasp - how to not only make overtaking possible, but encourage it. The 2010 season was probably the most exciting for a long, long time because no one dominated the whole season. The actual excitement of A overtaking B for the lead was still too infrequent though & usually happened only because of pit stops.

In rather of a less surprising move FIA also removed the 'team orders' rule. As it was Ferrari who were last effected by the rule it was always going to disappear. Teams have agreed to

the teams may tacitly agree not to use team orders as much as possible

& rule 151.c (the all encompassing 'bring the sport in to disrepute') is still available to prosecute anyone other than Ferrari that tries to use team orders in the future...