Catch-up Session – Week No. 34
The 34th week of the year was synonymous with the resumption of Formula 1. Motors Inside did not miss this opportunity and has created this summary article outlining the essentials of recent F1 news. On the agenda, the European Grand Prix, the 11th race of the season, and especially the first after four weeks. This […]
The 34th week of the year was synonymous with the resumption of Formula 1. Motors Inside did not miss this opportunity and has created this summary article outlining the essentials of recent F1 news. On the agenda, the European Grand Prix, the 11th race of the season, and especially the first after four weeks. This year, the summer break was long with a mandatory two-week factory shutdown. This race, on the streets of Valencia in Spain, ended with the victory of an ‘old veteran’. Rubens Barrichello wins the GP. All the details to follow… This race saw new faces emerging like Romain Grosjean, a Franco-Swiss, who was confirmed at the beginning of last week as a race driver with the Renault team. The new teams of 2010 continue to unveil their various sponsors, like USF1 which landed a fantastic contract with YouTube, while others already present in F1 this year are negotiating their drivers’ contracts. This is the case for Vettel with Red Bull and Trulli with Toyota. Finally, the 2010 season is clearly in sight since important regulatory points were clarified this week.
An European GP with Brazilian Flavors
After a four-week break, Formula 1 made its grand return. For the second consecutive year, the European Grand Prix was held in the stifling streets of Valencia, Spain. At the very venue of the America’s Cup in sailing, the weekend took on a Brazilian dance flavor. And for good reason: it was Rubens Barrichello on Brawn GP who won the race starting from third place. A victory he dedicated to another Brazilian, Felipe Massa, absent due to recovery from his accident. To recall, it was Barrichello’s car spring that caused the terrible accident. A beautiful tribute just a month later. The podium was completed by Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) and Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari). Barrichello seemed too strong for Hamilton to win. McLaren-Mercedes is truly back as for the second consecutive time the second driver, Heikki Kovalainen scores good points. He is 4th this weekend. Nico Rosberg is the man of unwavering consistency, which contrasts with his teammate, Nakajima. The German is 5th followed by Fernando Alonso and his R29, who raced in front of his home crowd. He couldn’t do better. Championship leader Jenson Button continues to lag and is only 7th. Finally, Robert Kubica scored points for BMW just weeks after the announcement of his team’s withdrawal at the end of the season. He finishes 8th. Force India is becoming more and more competitive, unlike Toyota and Toro Rosso, who struggled this weekend. A word about Luca Badoer, the second Ferrari driver and Massa’s replacement, he did not live up to Scuderia’s standards, finishing the race only in 17th. His pace is a notch below other drivers. In the championship, Brawn GP regains strength in both the driver and constructor standings. Button is still the favorite for the title, but his runner-up is now his teammate, Barrichello. The team is pulling away from Red Bull. Ferrari and McLaren will contest for 3rd place at the end of the season. And Romain Grosjean in the story?
The summary of the Valencia race
The full live coverage of the 2009 European Grand Prix
A new French (and Swiss) driver in Formula 1!
The news did not surprise anyone after Nelson Piquet’s removal from the Renault team, the third driver has become number 2. Romain Grosjean makes a notable entry into the small circle of F1 drivers. A Frenchman within a French team! The dream! The rumor had been circulating for weeks, and his appointment came last Tuesday right after Renault’s confirmation of the Valencia race. Indeed, in Valencia, Spain, he participated in his first F1 race. The result is quite good as he met his objectives without any problems. He reached Q2 in qualifying, stopping at the 14th place, then finished 15th in the race, managing to complete it under challenging weather conditions due to the heat. He even set the 5th fastest time of the GP, good points ahead of the Spa race coming in less than a week.
The appointment of Romain Grosjean at Renault
USF1 takes a risk with video next year…
The new Formula 1 team, the American team USF1, is making waves by securing the services of YouTube for the 2010 season. The rumor was persistent, and it has been confirmed, the main sponsor of USF1 will be one of the largest, if not the largest, video hosting websites. The company is now owned by Google after a deal made in October 2006. Both parties are very pleased with this commitment, which is currently the largest investment for a new team. We eagerly await the sponsors of Manor GP and Campos Meta…
The sponsorship announcement between USF1 and YouTube
The 2009/2010 transfer market in full swing this summer 2009:
To the delight of Red Bull Racing fans, Sebastian Vettel has seen his contract extended until the end of 2011 assured. There is even an option for the 2012 season. The current year has certainly played a role in the negotiations since the Austrian team is striving to catch up with Brawn GP, the leader. The constructor and driver titles are therefore in sight this season. We already knew Mark Webber is also confirmed for 2010. There is therefore no more competition at Red Bull apart from perhaps the position of driver No. 3 which will likely be a young driver. On the Toyota side, it’s a different story as Jarno Trulli is mainly unsure about returning with the Japanese manufacturer. It’s still conditional, but the Italian might find himself among one of these new teams. This provides some clarity this August with one less uncertainty for next year, Vettel will not be going to McLaren. These 2009/2010 transfers will revolve around Fernando Alonso, and the situation will only resolve after an official confirmation of his status. Not to forget the three or maybe four new teams that will have a say.
