F1 News & Gossip (2009)

Theissen: BMW Sauber are back in business

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BMW Sauber may have only scored two points in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix, but team principal Mario Theissen is convinced that the team have made significant progress with the revised car they introduced in Barcelona.

“We know one thing for definite: the modifications have improved the BMW Sauber F1.09,” he told the team’s website following Nick Heidfeld’s seventh-place finish. “We have a taken a big step forwards, and are back in business.”

Rather than introducing incremental changes at previous races, BMW Sauber chose to concentrate on a major upgrade package for Spain, including a new nose, sidepods and rear wing, plus revisions to the front wing, engine cover and diffuser.

The changes lifted BMW Sauber back into Q3 for the first time since the Malaysian Grand Prix at the start of April, and Robert Kubica might well have qualified far higher than tenth had it not been for a tyre-fitting error. A clutch problem at the start hampered the Pole’s race, but excellent strategy helped lift team mate Heidfeld from 13th on the grid and into the points on his 32nd birthday.

“The measures are taking effect and the foundation has been laid,” insisted Theissen. “We have something we can build on. The result has, of course, lightened the mood in the camp, as there is now a recognisable upward trend. That gives me confidence for the races ahead.”

That confidence is based not just on faith, but on more updates that are already scheduled for the F1.09. After dropping KERS for the Spanish race - and most likely the next round in Monaco - BMW expect to have a new version of the system ready for next month’s Turkish Grand Prix.

“Our goal is to use both a modified KERS and a multi-level diffuser in Istanbul,” confirmed Theissen. “More development packages are in the pipeline for 2009.”

After Barcelona, BMW Sauber lie sixth in the constructors’ table, level with Ferrari on six points. However, the middle-order standings are very close, with fourth-placed McLaren only seven points ahead.

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Renault join F1 pull-out threat

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Renault are the latest high-profile team threatening to quit Formula 1 unless proposals to adopt a £40m budget cap in 2010 are shelved.
On Tuesday, Ferrari joined Toyota and Red Bull in declaring their intention to pull out of F1 because of the plans.
And Renault boss Flavio Briatore has adopted a similar stance.

"If the decisions announced by the FIA are not revised, we have no choice but to withdraw from the world championship at the end of 2009," he said.

The FIA, the sport's governing body, want an optional £40m budget cap in order to encourage new teams to enter.
he plan would allow capped teams to operate with far greater technical freedom than those continuing with unlimited budgets.
However, big teams fear the rules will effectively split F1 into two tiers, those that can live with the cap and enjoy the technical advantages and those that cannot.
It is understood a flexible rear wing alone, currently outlawed but available to a team next season working within the cap, could lead to a car being two seconds per lap quicker than those without.

"Renault has always considered Formula One as the pinnacle of motor sport and the perfect stage to demonstrate technical excellence," Renault F1 team president Bernard Rey said in a statement. "We remain committed to the sport.

"However, we cannot be involved in a championship operating with different sets of rules and, if such rules are put into effect, we will be forced to pull out at the end of this season."

The FIA refused to be drawn into a public discussion following Ferrari's threat to quit the sport.

"We have nothing to add to the letter sent to Ferrari on 29 April," said an FIA spokesman, referring to a letter sent to Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo in which FIA president Max Mosley rejected the team's complaints about the budget cap. However, it is thought the teams will discuss the plans with Mosley in the next week.

And sure to also be on the agenda is the teams' apparent unhappiness at what they see as the FIA's failure to discuss the rule changes with all the teams.

The Renault statement continued: "There is frustration FOTA's (Formula One Teams' Association) constructive proposals, including major cost-saving measures to be adopted progressively between 2009 and 2012, which were carefully constructed by FOTA members, have been completely ignored without any form of consultation by the FIA with the teams.

"It should be stressed that FOTA has set the same, if not lower, financial objective as the FIA but Renault strongly believes that this must be introduced through a different procedure agreed by all parties.

"Renault also believes it is paramount that the governance of the sport is co-ordinated with a spirit of consultation with all parties in order to achieve a better balance between the costs and the revenues.

"Renault is also of the firm view that all entrants in the world championship must adhere to and operate under the same regulations."

BBC F1 correspondent David Croft reports that Renault's announcement underlines the unhappiness felt by the teams surrounding the proposal.

"Whilst not on the scale of the Ferrari announcement yesterday, this is another indication of just how deep the dissatisfaction runs currently within the F1 teams - not just of the proposals but the way they've been introduced," he said.

"The entries for next season open on 22 May and lasts for seven days - as it stands, Renault, Ferrari, Red Bull and Toyota could all be missing when the season begins next March."

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F1 bosses meeting over budget row

The Formula 1 teams are meeting world motorsport boss Max Mosley on Friday in an attempt to resolve an escalating row over new rules for 2010.

Mosley, president of governing body the FIA, has introduced a voluntary budget cap of £40m, giving the teams operating within it greater technical freedom.
But many teams fear that could turn Formula 1 into a two-tier championship.
Ferrari, Toyota, Red Bull and Renault have all threatened to quit the sport if Mosley's plan goes ahead.
The teams' umbrella organisation Fota, whose chairman is Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, held talks in London ahead of an afternoon meeting with Mosley and F1's commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone.
Di Montezelumo will miss the meeting, however, following the death of his father. Team boss Stefano Domenicali will represent Ferrari.
Ecclestone said: "The key to F1 is Ferrari. They have been there for 60 years. They are partners of ours. They are the people we need to take into consideration.

"At the moment everyone is hanging on to their apron strings. Sort that out and we will be OK."

Renault boss Flavio Briatore said another change in the rules of the sport would be "unacceptable" for his team.

"The teams are F1 and the international federation should simply be the referee," said the Italian.

"The rules should be written by us. They can't be imposed by Max without him speaking to anyone. That's an unacceptable way to work.

"The FIA throws at us a new thing every week; we've gone from medals to diffusers with embarrassing thoughtlessness and we can't go on like this. We must protect the work of our employees."

But Briatore has rejected claims that the idea of a breakaway championship, first mooted a few years ago, could be revived.

"I must be clear that we, Ferrari and the others have no intention of breaking with FIA," Briatore said.

"We want to be there, to participate, to preserve the future. We are proposing logical conditions to Mosley."

The teams have until 29 May to submit their entries for the 2010 season but some of the sport's biggest names say that will not happen unless the proposed rules for the new season change.
And Williams chief executive Adam Parr, on his way into the London talks, expressed concern that "time is running out" for the teams and the FIA to reach agreement.

"We had the opportunity to do this 12 months ago in a more flexible, gentle way, and I fear time is running out," he said.

Discussing Mosley's governance of the sport is viewed as equally important, after Briatore described it this week as "unilateral", given the 68-year-old has acted without prior consultation with the teams.

"I'm sure everything will be discussed today," Parr added. "Different teams have different perspectives.

"For all of us the economic situation is very important but there is no question that for some of the teams the governance and the participation of Fota is very important as well.

"We (Williams) have always been in support of the budget cap. This has been going on since it was formally put forward in January 2008, in Paris.

"The level is something we've always been flexible on, we recognise other teams are starting from a different point to us and we want to make sure people can get where they want to get in the right time frame."

In theory, the FIA and the teams have just two weeks to strike a compromise that will satisfy the teams and still fit the FIA's intention to cut costs and encourage new teams to join the grid.
The teams all agree the sport needs to find ways to lower costs but they are split on the cap and the two-tier rules.
They are unanimously opposed to having two sets of rules - which will give those teams operating under the budget cap an estimated advantage of three seconds a lap.
But each has a differing view on the budget cap, which excludes driver salaries, engine costs and marketing.
Ferrari, Renault and others have also expressed displeasure at what they say is a lack of consultation over the rules.

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Formula 1 awaits key court ruling

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Ferrari say they will pull out if a £40m budget
cap is introduced

Ferrari will discover on Wednesday if their bid to stop Formula 1's governing body from introducing controversial new rules has been successful.
The FIA wants to introduce an optional £40m budget cap from 2010, prompting Ferrari, Renault, Red Bull and Toyota to threaten to quit the sport.
Ferrari have applied for a court injunction in Paris and a decision is expected at 1300 BST.
The FIA is likely to appeal if the verdict goes against it.
Either way, the issue seems unlikely to be resolved by 29 May - the official deadline for entries into the 2010 world championship.
Both sides spent Tuesday arguing their case at the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris.

The FIA believes the changes are essential if it is to protect the sport from the effects of the global financial crisis and to attract new teams to the grid.
But Ferrari argue that the budget cap will make it a two-tier championship.
Under the new rules, teams that adhere to the budget cap will be allowed greater technical freedom than those continuing with unlimited funds.
Both F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and FIA president Max Mosley have subsequently said they expect all teams to race to one set of regulations.

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Motor racing-Ferrari case rejected by French court

A French court has thrown out a bid by Ferrari to prevent Formula One's governing body from introducing controversial new rules next season.

The ruling on Wednesday was made in a written statement handed to journalists.

Champions Ferrari went to the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris to try and stop the International Automobile Federation (FIA) from pressing ahead with an optional 40 million pounds ($61.98 million) cap.

"There is no risk of any imminent damage which should be prevented or obviously illegal trouble which should be stopped," magistrate Jacques Gondran de Robert wrote in his ruling.

Ferrari, the sport's most successful and glamorous team, have threatened to quit Formula One if the published rules are not rewritten. Renault, Toyota and Red Bull's two teams have taken a similar stance.

The published 2010 regulations propose allowing teams who accept the cap greater technical freedom than those wishing to carry on with unlimited budgets.

While Ferrari have said this would make it a two-tier championship they cannot accept, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and FIA president Max Mosley have said they expect all teams to race to one set of regulations.

Before the decision was announced, Ferrari issued a statement on its website (www.ferrari.com) referring to some of those who might take part in the 2010 championship if a budget cap was introduced.

"Wirth Research, Lola, USF1, Epsilon Euskadi, RML, Formtech, Campos, iSport: these are the names of the teams which would compete in the two-tier Formula One wanted by Mosley.

"Can a world championship with teams like them -- with due respect -- have the same value as today's Formula One, where Ferrari, the big car manufacturers and teams, who created the history of this sport, compete?

"Wouldn't it be more appropriate to call it Formula GP3?," the statement added in reference to a less high-profile series.

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This post has been edited by InterRaptor: May 20 2009, 01:09 PM

Campos's team lodges F1 entry

The Campos Racing team has confirmed its intention to enter Formula 1 in 2010, having lodged its entry for the championship tonight.

The team, currently racing in the Spanish Formula 3 Championship, is owned by former grand prix driver Adrian Campos, who previously owned current GP2 champion Barwa Addax. This was initially believed to be the team which had F1 plans, something that was denied earlier this week.

Campos Racing confirmed on Friday that at 00:05 it had lodged its entry for the championship under the budget cap rules.

The official period to submit entries for next year opened today and closes on May 29.

Campos said it has lodged its entry in conjunction with Meta Image, and that the F1 team would be called Campos Meta 1.

The team said it was unwilling to reveal the people involved in the project, but denied reports that appeared in the Spanish media about some of the investors linked to it.

Spain's top-selling newspaper Marca had reported earlier this week that Mexican businessman Carlos Slim and NBA player Pau Gasol were involved in the project.

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Superb Button steals Monaco pole

Jenson Button landed his fourth pole position of the season after a dramatic Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session.
The Brawn GP driver came through late to pip Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen with a time of one minute 14.902 seconds.
Disaster struck for McLaren's world champion Lewis Hamilton, who will start last after crashing out early on.
Rubens Barrichello qualified in third for dominant Brawn, ahead of Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and the second Ferrari belonging to Brazil's Felipe Massa.

Championship leader Button, who has driven brilliantly in a responsive car to win four of this season's first five races, has never before claimed victory in Monaco but will fancy his chances on a tight, twisty street circuit which is notoriously difficult for overtaking.

He may, however, face a real challenge in the scramble off the line as Raikkonen's Ferrari is running with Kers (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), which can store energy to give cars a power boost.

"Starting on pole is obviously an advantage... but it's a long race and anything can happen, as they say," said Button, who also proved the fastest man in the field after the weights of the cars in qualifying were published.

"Some people say Monaco can be a procession but I don't think that will be the case. It's not as easy as just qualifying on pole and you've won the race.

BBC SPORT'S FUEL-ADJUSTED GRID
(with projected race first pit stops*)
1 Button (lap 20)
2 Raikkonen +0.113 (lap 18)
3 Barrichello +0.162 (lap 20)
4 Massa +0.635 (lap 18)
5 Rosberg +0.691 (lap 17)
6 Kovalainen +0.702 (lap 18)
7 Vettel +0.769 (lap 11)
8 Webber +0.776 (lap 19)
9 Alonso +0.945 (lap 23)
10 Nakajima +1.929 (lap 31)
* Calculated on the weight of fuel left in cars after qualifying had finished

"Today was a really hard fight. I have been battling with Rubens all weekend, and he has probably had the upper hand. But it's been tight with the Ferraris and the McLarens.

"It is such an adrenaline rush here and a few times I thought I was going to be in the wall as we are right on the edge here."

England's Hamilton had been considered one of the favourites to get on the front row after utilising his aggressive style on the demanding track in all three practice sessions prior to qualifying.

But he wrote off his chances of winning this year in one of the world's finest sporting theatres after he lost his car's back end on the entrance to Mirabeau's hairpin and smashed into the tyre wall in the first part of qualifying, breaking its rear suspension.

"I don't know what I was thinking, I made a mistake," Hamilton, who finished 16th but is demoted to the back of the grid as he now needs a new gearbox, told BBC Sport.

"I apologise to the team for wasting their time.

"It's been tough but you learn from these mistakes. They are bound to happen, but it's just a shame it happened in the first qualifying session.

"My race weekend for a win is for sure over."

Second and fifth on the grid marks a real upturn for Ferrari as the Italian team - the reigning constructors' champions who have threatened to quit the sport if a proposed £40m budget cap is introduced - bid to recover from their worst start to a season.

"The car is the same here so we have done well and I am pretty happy to be second now after what has happened since the start of the season," said Raikkonen.

"I made a mistake on my lap when I had a moment at the first corner, but it is good to be on the front row again. It is nice too to fight for victory I hope tomorrow."

McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen drove well to land seventh ahead of Australian Mark Webber in the second Red Bull while two-times champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Renault starts in ninth.
Both Williams cars made it into the top 10 for the first time this season, with perennial practice front-runner Nico Rosberg in sixth and Kazuki Nakajimi in 10th.
Force India's drivers recorded the team's best-ever qualifying performance but it proved a miserable day for BMW Sauber, who admitted they are seriously struggling after both Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica were knocked out in session one.

"Currently, we don't know what's wrong," conceded Heidfeld. "In Barcelona we made a step forward, but here we are way behind expectations."

The same fate befell Toyota, who are third in the constructors' championship but appear to be falling away after an impressive start to the season.

Drivers Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock are set to start from the back of the grid, though Trulli later revealed that an appeal had been submitted to race officials after claiming he was blocked on a hot lap by Renault's Fernando Alonso.

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Silky Button eases to Monaco win

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Jenson Button took his fifth victory in six races this season as he led Rubens Barrichello to a Brawn one-two in the Monaco Grand Prix.
Button sealed his victory in the early stages of the race, when he managed the deteriorating tyres on his car far better than his Brazilian team-mate.
Barrichello was left to hold off the Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, who finished third and fourth.
Red Bull's Mark Webber was fifth with world champion Lewis Hamilton 12th.
Williams's Nico Rosberg, Renault's Fernando Alonso and the Toro Rosso of Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais filled the remaining points places down to eighth place.
McLaren's Hamilton was never in contention after crashing in qualifying and starting at the back after a penalty for changing his gearbox.

In contrast, the man who looks increasingly likely to succeed him to the crown had a flawless afternoon.
Button's victory extends his world championship lead over Barrichello to 16 points - and to 28 over the third placed man, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, who scored no points after crashing out of the race.
It was Button's first win at Formula 1's most glamorous venue, and the drive of a champion in the making, taking advantage of circumstances as they unfolded to carve an unassailable winning margin.

"I'm lost for words with him because he's exceeding everything I thought possible," said his team boss Ross Brawn. "Stunning."

Unlike all the other front-runners, the Brawns started on the super-soft tyres, which give better initial grip, but are subject to graining, when the surface of the tyre rips and reduces grip.
Button and Barrichello both suffered the problem from about eight laps into the race but Button coped much better and was able to extend his lead by as much as two seconds a lap.
That meant that Barrichello, who was less than two seconds behind his team-mate on lap six, was 18.2secs adrift by the time he made his first pit stop on 16.
From that moment on, the race as effectively over, and Barrichello was left to concern himself far more with the Ferraris behind him rather than with beating Button to the victory.

"The tyres gave us a start, but we didn't expect them to give us so much trouble in the first stint," added Brawn. "But the drivers managed it well.

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England's Button has led Brawn team-mate
Rubens Barrichello all season

"It is a special race and it's a challenging weekend. In such circumstances, to come first and second is stunning."

Constructors champions Ferrari achieved their first podium of 2009 as they bid to recover from the worst start to a season in their long history.
Though Raikkonen and Massa were evenly matched, the Finn was able to convert his second place on the grid into third place, while Massa was caught up in some frenetic action in the opening laps.

"I am very happy about the result because it shows we are working in the right direction," said Ferrari team boss Stefano Domencali.

"We are catching up and getting closer. I am very positive we will push on and this is just a start."

Brazil's Massa trailed Vettel from the start and soon began to climb all over the back of the German's car as the Red Bull driver suffered similar tyre problems to the Brawns.
There was soon a huge queue behind him, right down to 12th place and by lap 10 Vettel's tyres were in such poor shape that he was no longer able to resist his pursuers.

First Rosberg - who had passed Massa after the Ferrari driver tried an overtaking manoeuvre at the chicane that did not come off - powered past the Red Bull, and then the others poured past, too, before Vettel pitted for new tyres at the end of the lap.
His race ended six laps later when he slammed into the barrier at Sainte Devote after making a mistake.
His team-mate Webber was much more impressive, jumping ahead of Rosberg at the first stops thanks to some consistently fast laps and consolidating that position through the middle of the race.

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F1 team chiefs seek new solution

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Team bosses met in Monaco to discuss their views on the budget proposals


Formula 1 team chiefs will meet again in London on Wednesday to plot their next move as negotiations over the future of the sport continue.
In Monaco, the teams told governing body the FIA they would commit until 2012 if president Max Mosley scrapped his controversial rules for 2010.
In a letter to the teams on Tuesday, Mosley reiterated his calls for them to agree a curb on budgets of about £40m.
Teams have until Friday to submit their entries for the 2010 season.

On Monday, Williams confirmed they will enter the 2010 championship despite adding their signature to Sunday's letter.
The move by Williams, who have won the constructors' title nine times, is understood to have disrupted the unity of the teams' association Fota, with some members said to have been angered by their decision. A resolution is still some way off but it is hoped Wednesday's meeting will help determine whether all the 10 teams currently on the grid will stay in the sport.

Last week Ferrari and Renault both threatened to pull out, but with discussions still going on that threat would now seem to have receded.
At the weekend meeting, it was agreed in principle to delay introducing a 45m euro (£39.6m) budget cap until 2011, while Mosley has made other concessions to the teams on governance.
It is understood the teams may also receive more money from Bernie Ecclestone, who runs the companies which control the sport's commercial rights.
The deal was been reached after a series of meetings involving team principals, Mosley and Ecclestone.

Both the teams and Mosley are united in their desire to reduce the huge costs involving in running an F1 team.

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Williams confirm F1 entry in 2010

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Williams are F1's second most successful team in terms of constructors titles

Williams have confirmed they will enter the 2010 Formula 1 championship.
Their announcement comes as a solution to the ongoing budget cap row seemed to move a step closer following a series of meetings in Monaco over the weekend.
Williams chief executive Adam Parr said the team felt "morally and legally obliged" to make it clear the team will participate in F1 in the future.

"We owe it to our employees, sponsors and fans who are affected by statements that teams may not enter next year."

Ferrari, the longest-running team in F1, have led threats to quit the sport - along with Toyota, Red Bull and Renault - if planned regulation changes are enforced next season.
Formula 1's governing body the FIA wants to introduce an optional £40m budget cap in order to encourage new teams to enter.
Those teams operating under the budget will be allowed far greater technical freedom than those continuing with unlimited funds.
Ferrari, supported by the Formula 1 Teams Association (Fota), have maintained that a budget cap would lead to an unacceptable two-tier championship.

Fota met on Renault team boss Flavio Briatore's yacht in Monaco at the weekend and agreed that all teams could collectively leave F1 if the row was not resolved satisfactorily.
A withdrawal is now unlikely after the teams agreed the framework for a compromise over the budget cap proposals with Max Mosley, president of governing body the FIA in Monaco.
It was agreed in principle to delay introducing the 45m Euro (£39.6m) cap until 2011, while Mosley made other concessions to the teams on governance.
BBC Sport understands the teams may also receive more money from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who runs the companies which control the sport's commercial rights.

Parr stressed the Williams team remained committed to Fota despite becoming the first team to announce their entry.
"The unity of Fota is of paramount importance to Williams," said Parr.

"We will continue to work within Fota and with Formula One Management and the FIA to find a compromise but no-one should be in any doubt about our commitment to the FIA F1 world championship.

"We believe that under the leadership of Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo and Toyota motorsport president John Howett, Fota has extracted some very significant concessions from the FIA," said Parr.

"These include not only the procedural aspects of the budget cap but also other elements that will enable the higher budget teams to participate.

"Having said that, Williams has, and has always maintained, that we have a binding contract with both Formula One Management (FOM) and the FIA to participate in the world championship from 2008 to 2010," Parr added

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Briatore also derides new F1 entrants

After Ferrari derided next year's prospective entry list as turning F1 into 'Formula GP3', Flavio Briatore has followed suit.

The Renault boss says the sport risks watering down its prestige and value by opening the door to outfits worthy of junior categories.

"We are devaluing Formula One," Italian Briatore is quoted as saying in Spain's El Mundo newspaper. "It is not correct that teams of GP2 race with us; it brings down our image and our technology."

The 59-year-old also rejected claims that making it easy for new teams to enter Formula One is necessary because of the risk of existing competitors pulling out.

"It is said that the constructors will go. But with normal regulations, I do not believe that any constructor would go," Briatore said.

"What we cannot have is F1 with a little bit of formula two and a little bit of GP2. The small teams have to have success on the basis of their results.

"I began with a small team, Benetton, and with clear regulations we competed with McLaren and Ferrari and won (the titles) in 1994 and '95 with a budget 80 per cent smaller. We never asked for different regulations."

Briatore added: "We want a Formula One that is unique, with the best technology and the best teams and drivers."

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Turkish GP qualifying

Driver Team
1 Germany S Vettel Red Bull
2 Great Britain J Button Brawn
3 Brazil R Barrichello Brawn
4 Australia M Webber Red Bull
5 Italy J Trulli Toyota
6 Finland K Raikkonen Ferrari
7 Brazil F Massa Ferrari
8 Spain F Alonso Renault
9 Germany N Rosberg Williams
10 Poland R Kubica BMW Sauber
11 Germany N Heidfeld BMW Sauber
12 Japan K Nakajima Williams
13 Germany T Glock Toyota
14 Finland H Kovalainen McLaren
15 Germany A Sutil Force India
16 Great Britain L Hamilton McLaren
17 Brazil N Piquet Jr Renault
18 Switzerland S Buemi Toro Rosso
19 Italy G Fisichella Force India
20 France S Bourdais Toro Rosso

Brilliant Button on top in Turkey

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Brawn's Jenson Button coasted to a comfortable sixth win in seven races as he capitalised fully on Sebastian Vettel's first-lap error in Turkey.
The championship leader got past pole-sitter Vettel when the Red Bull ran wide on the exit of Turn Nine and the Englishman dominated from then onwards.
Vettel finished third behind team-mate Mark Webber while Toyota's Jarno Trulli drove solidly to end up fourth.
McLaren's world champion Lewis Hamilton battled hard to finish in 13th.
Williams's Nico Rosberg had his best finish of the season in fifth place, while Ferrari's Felipe Massa, BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica and Toyota's Timo Glock filled the remaining points places down to eighth.

The crucial moment of the race was Vettel's early error that allowed Button to get past him.
Button then built up a commanding lead of almost 12 seconds before his first pit stop and although Vettel got close to Button after that stop he could not get past the Brawn man.
Vettel's three-stop strategy meant he was light enough to slash Button's lead but it also allowed his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber to pass him as he went into the pits for a second time on lap 29.
Button's team-mate Rubens Barrichello had a race to forget as he dropped down 10 places from third to 13th after a clutch problem on the starting grid.
The veteran Brazilian was then embroiled in several battles with the Kers-powered McLarens who used their kinetic energy recovery power boost system to frustrate Barrichello.

Barrichello's day got even worse when he was forced out of the race on lap 48 with a suspected gearbox problem as Brawn suffered their first retirement of the season.
Button's feat of winning six of the season's first seven races has only ever been matched by Formula 1 legends Alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark and Michael Schumacher - all of whom went on to win the world title.
It was Button's fourth consecutive Grand Prix win and the last Englishman to win four races in a row was Nigel Mansell in his 1992 championship-winning season.
The 29-year-old increased his lead at the top of the drivers' championship to 26 points - he now has 61 in total and has dropped only four points all season.

"Today the car was the best it's felt all year, it was immense, it just keeps getting better, maybe it suits this track more than others," said Button.

"I don't think the strategy really mattered in this race, we were just really quick.

"The crucial part of the race was getting off the line in second behind Vettel because then I knew I was stopping one or two laps later.

"The start was so important, we were able to take advantage of his mistake and it made it a lot easier, for sure, but the car just felt great in that stint."

Vettel was also happy with his start as he got away cleanly from pole, but the German doubted he would have had the pace to hold off Button for 58 laps.

"It worked out okay at the start but I nearly lost the car in Turns Nine and Ten. It was my mistake, and I nearly did it again on the second lap.

"But I don't think it made a big difference as Jenson was too quick today. I don't think I would have been able to hold him.

"I nearly passed him, there was one chance, but it was just too tricky. I am not happy - but it is a good result for the team. It's getting closer and that's a good thing."

Brawn boss Ross Brawn paid tribute to Button's elegant driving style as the Englishman continued his dream start to the season.

"It was a beautiful drive from Jenson, absolutely perfect. Sebastian's mistake made it absolutely open but Jenson just managed it perfectly. It was a wonderful drive.

"He drives in a certain style that doesn't look hurried or fussy. Even when he's going quick it's very smooth. It's hard to tell when he's pushing, but he is."

Hamilton, who this weekend effectively ruled out his chances of retaining his drivers' title, put in a typically determined effort on a one-stop tyre strategy to finish 13th.
"I actually thoroughly enjoyed the race considering I started back in 16th. I just pushed and pushed," he said.

"I didn't have anything left and that's why I'm kind of smiling now - I think I fulfilled my driver potential.

"Our biggest problem is that, for example, I was losing nearly 0.5 seconds through Turn Eight. The car feels heavy. I'm trying to get the thing round but it just won't go any faster."

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F1 teams set to learn 2010 fate

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How many of this year's teams will get entries for F1 in 2010?

Formula 1 teams will discover which of them have been given places in the 2010 championship when governing body the FIA announces its entry list on Friday.
The FIA has been at loggerheads with the teams' umbrella group Fota over a proposed budget cap for next season and other plans for the sport's future.
Fota teams have submitted 2010 entries conditional upon changes they want.
Various new teams may be awarded grid places as the FIA seeks to increase participation with lower costs.
Eleventh-hour negotiations aimed at ending the impasse between the teams and the FIA continued through Thursday.
Those talks convened after FIA president Max Mosley wrote to the teams last week advising them to submit unconditional entries so that they might be guaranteed a say in framing next season's rules.

Mosley said that if Fota submitted unconditional entries for 2010, he would sit down with all the confirmed entrants and listen to their proposals with regard to the shaping of the regulations for next season.
Fota - which has suspended Force India and Williams after they submitted unconditional entries - wants a new version of the confidential 'Concorde Agreement' governing the sport.
They also want the published 2010 regulations to be rewritten, removing an optional £40m budget cap with teams operating within it getting more technical freedom than those that do not.
They are committed to cost-saving, however and have accepted the principle of a slower 'glide-path" down to Mosley's budget cap figure over the next couple of years.

Fota says its teams will sign up through to 2012, but only if this year's regulations are in place for next season.
Meanwhile, 10 new teams have lodged applications to join the grid from next season and at least three new teams look set to join the grid.
Among the 10 are an outfit using the historic Team Lotus name, the American USF1 group, British race-car constructor Lola and Prodrive, the company owned by former Benetton and BAR F1 team boss David Richards.
If current teams are left off the entry list when it is published, it is unlikely to mean they have no place on next year's grid.
Negotiations are expected to continue on the subject for most of the summer.

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2010 FIA Formula One World Championship Entry List

Following the completion of the applications process for teams to compete in the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, the following teams have been confirmed.

TEAM - CONSTRUCTOR
SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO - FERRARI
SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO - STR TBA
RED BULL RACING - RED BULL RACING TBA
AT&T WILLIAMS - WILLIAMS TOYOTA
FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM - FORCE INDIA MERCEDES
CAMPOS GRAND PRIX - CAMPOS COSWORTH
MANOR GRAND PRIX - MANOR COSWORTH
TEAM US F1 - TEAM US F1 COSWORTH
VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES* - McLAREN MERCEDES
BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM* - BMW SAUBER
RENAULT F1 TEAM* - RENAULT
PANASONIC TOYOTA RACING* - TOYOTA
BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM* - BRAWN TBA

*These five teams have submitted conditional entries.The FIA has invited them to lift those conditions following further discussions to be concluded not later than close of business on Friday 19 June.

The maximum number of cars permitted to enter the 2010 Championship has been increased to 26, two being entered by each competitor. Pending completion of the discussions referred to above, further due diligence is currently taking place on other potential entries.



This post has been edited by InterRaptor: Jun 12 2009, 01:03 PM

F1 teams drop breakaway bombshell

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Formula One has been thrown into chaos after the Formula One Teams Association (Fota) carried out its threat to set up a rival championship in 2010.
Eight of F1's major teams have been frustrated by deadlocked talks with world motorsport boss Max Mosley over his controversial budget cap proposals.

"The teams have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 F1 Championship," said the teams.

"We've no alternative than to commence preparation for a new championship."

Mosley was insistent on introducing a voluntary £40m budget cap for teams to curtail a "financial arms race" in F1.
But Fota refused to agree to his conditions, prompting championship leader Brawn GP, Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, Toyota, BMW Sauber, Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso to take their drastic action.
They announced their decision following a four-hour meeting on Thursday night ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

"Since the formation of Fota last September the teams have worked together and sought to engage the FIA and commercial rights holder (Bernie Ecclestone), to develop and improve the sport," read a Fota statement.

"Unprecedented worldwide financial turmoil has inevitably placed great challenges before the F1 community.

"Fota is proud that it has achieved the most substantial measures to reduce costs in the history of our sport.

"In particular, the manufacturer teams have provided assistance to the independent teams, a number of which would probably not be in the sport today without the Fota initiatives.

"The Fota teams have further agreed upon a substantial voluntary cost reduction that provides a sustainable model for the future.

"Following these efforts, all the teams have confirmed to the FIA and the commercial rights holder that they are willing to commit until the end of 2012.

"The FIA and the commercial rights holder have campaigned to divide Fota.

"The teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental
values of the sport and have declined to alter their original
conditional entries to the 2010 world championship"
Fota statement

"The wishes of the majority of the teams are ignored. Furthermore, tens of millions of dollars have been withheld from many teams by the commercial rights holder, going back as far as 2006.

"Despite this, and the uncompromising environment, Fota has genuinely sought compromise.

"It has become clear, however, the teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 world championship."

Fota added that its championship would put F1 fans first and boast the best drivers and sponsors.

"This series will have transparent governance, one set of regulations, encourage more entrants and listen to the wishes of the fans, including offering lower prices for spectators worldwide, partners and other important stakeholders," added the statement.

"The major drivers, stars, brands, sponsors, promoters and companies historically associated with the highest level of motorsport will all feature in this new series."

Former champions Williams and Force India have already committed unconditionally to the FIA's world championship along with three new entrants - Campos, US F1 and Manor.
The FIA has said there are other would-be newcomers waiting to take the places of those teams that refused to enter unconditionally, although one, Lola, has already withdrawn its application.
The stage is also set for a legal battle, with the FIA saying champions Ferrari and the two Red Bull teams have existing contracts which commit them to the existing championship.
The FIA had set a Friday deadline for five teams - Brawn, BMW-Sauber, McLaren, Renault and Toyota - to convert their provisional entries into unconditional ones or risk being excluded.
There was no immediate comment from the FIA or Ecclestone.

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Vettel romps to Silverstone win

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Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel scored a crushing victory in the British Grand Prix as championship leader Jenson Button's Brawn struggled to sixth.
Vettel took advantage of his team-mate Mark Webber being caught behind Brawn's Rubens Barrichello to build a decisive lead in the first stint of the race.
Webber passed Barrichello at the first pit stops to complete a Red Bull one-two ahead of the Brawn driver in third.
Last year's winner Lewis Hamilton was 16th in a car he said had "no grip".
Felipe Massa's Ferrari was fourth after winning a battle with the Williams of Nico Rosberg. Behind Button, Toyota's Jarno Trulli and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen took the final points positions in seventh and eighth.
The result leaves Button with a reduced but still substantial championship lead of 23 points over Barrichello, with Vettel two further points adrift and 3.5 ahead of Webber.

Button's advantage is still more than two clear victories but, with more than half the season still to go, he will be concerned by the startling pace shown by Red Bull, who introduced a major upgrade to their car and were in a league of their own throughout the weekend at Silverstone.

"It was a completely seamless race by both drivers and they completely dominated it," said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.

"We can really mount a championship challenge from here."

Brawn's potential was reduced by the low temperatures in Northamptonshire - both Button and Barrichello struggled to get their tyres up to the temperature at which they give their optimum grip.
That put the season's dominant team back into the battle with Williams, Toyota and Ferrari behind the leaders - a position from which they did well to finish third and sixth.
Red Bull, by contrast, had looked strong favourites as soon as their updated RB5 car showed its pace in practice in Friday.
Vettel was on pole by more than half a second and he made the most of the fact that Webber, after a frustrating qualifying session, was stuck behind Barrichello on the grid and could not pass him in the opening laps.

The German rising star, 21, pulled away by about a second a lap over the first stint, and was nearly 20 seconds in front of Barrichello by the time the Brazilian became the first of the top three to stop on lap 19.

"It's never easy it's a long race - you have to stay focused and keep your eyes open all the time," said Vettel.

"The start was very important and in the first stint I tried to push as hard as I could and make a gap.

"That worked perfectly and I had a fantastic car. The tyres were fantastic as well. This was a step in the right direction."

Webber, who spent the first stint less than a second behind the Brawn, came in on the next lap, and made up enough time to exit the pits just ahead of Barrichello.
From that moment, a Red Bull one-two was locked on barring any unforeseen misfortune.
Barrichello found himself holding off the Williams of Nico Rosberg and Felipe Massa's Ferrari - a battle he won by staying out for a couple of extra laps before his final stop and rejoining with a comfortable advantage.

Massa jumped Rosberg at their final stops and in the closing laps they found themselves coming under increasing pressure from Button.
Brawn had decided to save a set of the quicker softer tyres until the final stint, when both Massa and Rosberg were on the harder and slower of the two tyre compounds teams are obliged to use in the race.
That meant Button was much faster than the Ferrari and Williams in the final few laps. The home crowd cheered him on, but although the Englishman closed in on them he was unable to pass.

"I didn't know what was going happen today," he told BBC Sport.

"I had good pace when I was on the soft tyres. The pace in the last stint compared to Rosberg and Massa was magnificent. [But] I had nowhere to go at the start. Everybody shot by on the outside. It is down to [our] tyre temperatures today."

World champion Hamilton - now 11th in the 2009 drivers' championship - started the race in 19th and, after a brief but engaging battle with Renault's two-time former world champion Fernando Alonso, finished 16th.

"I was pushing all the way and I the most important thing for me today was to give something to the fans," he said. "All I could do was try my best.

"This has been the best race in terms of the crowd for a long time in F1. I enjoyed it because of the fans and they gave me so much energy today, regardless of how bad we are doing."

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