Heidfeld: traction control ban to make races ‘more thrilling’

MW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld believes that rule changes for the 2008 season should make for more exciting Grands Prix. Heidfeld predicts that the ban on traction control will lead to more dramatic race starts and ensure more overtaking.

Traction control (TC) had been part of Formula One racing since 2002, with the FIA reluctant to outlaw the technology for fear that policing a ban would prove unworkable. However, the introduction of standardised ECUs (Electronic Control Units) for 2008 has removed that fear.

“The ban on traction control is going to make things more thrilling,” Heidfeld told his official website. “There's going to be more drifts, you will make mistakes more easily which should lead to more overtaking manoeuvres - especially when you are under pressure.”

The removal of traction control also means an end to any ‘launch control’ type systems that previously allowed drivers to optimise their getaways at the start of a race. Heidfeld believes that this change too could prove significant in ’08.

“In the past years we had the launch control or at least some help - that is why the starts were always pretty predictable,” he said. “In the beginning Renault always had fantastic starts and after that we had very good starts. Before the return of the launch control it was easy to gain or lose positions during the start. Therefore the next season will be more interesting again.”

Heidfeld finished fifth in the 2007 driver standings, comfortably the ‘best of the rest’ behind the Ferrari and McLaren drivers. However, the German driver believes that the intense rivalry between the two top teams last season could play into his and BMW Sauber’s hands this year.

“It should be an advantage for us that Ferrari and McLaren had to give everything in order to win the title whereas we and Renault were already able to concentrate on the next year,” he added. “So theoretically things look pretty good.”

BMW Sauber finished second in the 2007 constructors’ championship following McLaren’s exclusion from the standings.

BMW Sauber is ready for 2008

The sound basis provided by last year’s F1.07 has allowed BMW Sauber’s engineers to channel their energies into innovative developments for this year’s F1.08. That’s according to technical director Willy Rampf, who was on hand to explain the changes to the team’s new car as it was unveiled in Munich on Monday.

Rampf said the philosophy behind the new car boiled down to what he described as “radical evolution”. The engineers’ development work focused on achieving a high level of aerodynamic efficiency coupled with a stable aero balance. Other development aims included improving mechanical grip in order to make the best possible use of the standard tyres, and reducing the weight of various components to allow maximum use of ballast in optimising weight distribution.

“The data which the F1.08 has delivered ahead of its roll-out is extremely promising,” said Rampf. “And the development work will continue full speed ahead up to the start of the new season. We have already come up with another aero package for the season-opener in Melbourne on 16th March, and this will also change the external appearance of the F1.08 once more.”

While the regulations governing aerodynamics remain unchanged in 2008, two other changes to the rulebook had a major effect on the F1.08’s design: the introduction of a standardised electronic control unit (ECU) and the new reliability requirements for gearboxes, which must now be used over four Grands Prix. Since the ECU does not allow for traction control, among other functions, mechanical grip and sensitive accelerator control will gain in importance.

A particularly eye-catching feature of the F1.08 is its imposing front wing. But despite its appearance, the car’s nose has actually slimmed down - in equal measure to the rear end - compared to its predecessor. The narrower engine cover has been designed with all-new extra wing elements. Another new and immediately noticeable feature are the rim shields, similar in appearance to those introduced by several teams last season.

Toyota has a two-year deadline for success

Toyota team boss, Tadashi Yamashina, has revealed that he has two years in which to turn the Japanese outfit's fortunes around, or else.

In an end-of-year statement, Yamashina, who took over as Team Principal from Tsutomu Tomita at the end of June, admits that his main task is to make the team stronger and to improve the level of organization. "My job is to mobilize the resources to achieve that," he says. "I have been given two more years."

Yamashina fails to say whether it is he or indeed the Toyota F1 project that has been given the deadline, however, the fact is that although there was an improvement in 2007, certainly compared to 2006, the Cologne-based outfit continues to flounder in the lower reaches of the midfield, out-performed by teams that can only dream of a similar budget.

Source: pitpass.com, Toyota boss admits to two-year deadline

Shanghai formula one boss jailed for corruption

The man who brought formula one motor racing to China has been sentenced to four years in jail for embezzling public funds, state media reported yesterday.

Yu Zhifei, who was sacked as chief of Shanghai's formula one track after being arrested last year, has been found guilty of siphoning off more than 1m yuan (about £70,000) in public funds to buy state-owned property on the cheap, according to Xinhua news agency. His lawyers are considering an appeal.

source: The Guardian, Shanghai formula one boss jailed for corruption

Formula One publishes official entry list for 2008

Formula One racing’s governing body, the FIA, has published the official entry list for the 2008 world championship.

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen will take charge of the number one car after winning his first world title last season, while McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen will be numbered 22 and 23 respectively following McLaren’s exclusion from the 2007 constructors’ championship.

Force India is the only team still to finalise their race line-up, with their second seat, alongside incumbent driver Adrian Sutil, still to be confirmed.

The full entry list is as follows:

Ferrari

• 1 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)
• 2 Felipe Massa (BR)

BMW Sauber

• 3 Nick Heidfeld (D)
• 4 Robert Kubica (PL)

Renault

• 5 Fernando Alonso (E)
• 6 Nelson Piquet (BR)

Williams Toyota

• 7 Nico Rosberg (D)
• 8 Kazuki Nakajima (J)

Red Bull Renault

• 9 David Coulthard (GB)
• 10 Mark Webber (AUS)

Toyota

• 11 Jarno Trulli (I)
• 12 Timo Glock (D)

STR Ferrari

• 14 Sebastien Bourdais (F)
• 15 Sebastian Vettel (D)

Honda

• 16 Jenson Button (GB)
• 17 Rubens Barrichello (BR)

Super Aguri Honda

• 18 Takuma Sato (J)
• 19 Anthony Davidson (GB)

Force India

• 20 Adrian Sutil (D)
• 21 TBA

McLaren Mercedes

• 22 Lewis Hamilton (GB)
• 23 Heikki Kovalainen (FIN)

Honda Performance Development president plans for retirement

Honda Performance Development president Robert Clarke has moved into the advisory role that he will hold until his retirement on 30 June to allow for a smooth transition for his successor Erik Berkman.

Clarke ‘moved upstairs' on 2 January as he prepares to bring to an end his 27-year association with Honda, which has included success in CART, IndyCar and the ALMS – where he oversaw the entry of Acura into the sportscar series.

The Honda Indy V-8 will be the power plant for all IndyCar Series cars during the 2008 season, including the 92nd Indianapolis 500.

Oriol Servia will drive for PKV Racing

Oriol Servia will drive for PKV Racing in this year's Champ Car World Series, the team announced on Thursday.

The Spanish driver, who started two races for the team at the end of 2007, and raced for them full-time the year before, is the first driver to be confirmed at the team.

"I am very excited to have the opportunity to continue with PKV Racing," said the 33-year-old. "I know the team and they know me.

"This will be only the second time in my whole career that I am able to race with a team that I have been with before.

"I feel that the relationship the team and I have established in the past will be very important as we compete for the championship in 2008."

Team co-owner Jimmy Vasser added: "We believe that having Oriol compete for the team provides us with the best opportunity to continue developing a championship-calibre programme.

"Oriol, who is not only one of the most experienced and best drivers in the series, but also a good friend, gives us the best chance to contend for the championship."

The team plan to race two cars in 2008, and they are expecting to make a decision on their second seat following a series of driver evaluations.

Ralf Schumacher will sit out 2008

Ralf Schumacher has publicly confirmed what has been reported for some time now, that the German will take a one year sabbatical from Formula One racing after failing to land a ride this winter.

Schumacher split with Toyota at the end of this past season and despite a test with Force India he seemed to indicate that was more as a courtesy to new team owner Vijay Mallya rather than an audition for a full-time ride in 2008.

Toyota and Kingfisher Airlines part ways

Toyota have announced they have agreed to end their relationship with official partner Kingfisher Airlines with immediate effect. The contract between the two parties had been due to continue for another year.

Dr Vijay Mallya, Kingfisher’s chairman and CEO will now focus his activities on the Force India team, of which he recently became co-owner alongside Dutch entrepreneur Michiel Mol.

“I would like to thank Kingfisher Airlines for its support during 2007 and I wish Dr Mallya good luck with his new Formula One venture,” said Toyota’s chairman and team principal Tadashi Yamashina. “I look forward to seeing him next season, even if he is now associated with a rival team.”

Toyota are hoping to improve on their 2007 performance next season, after finishing last year's championship in sixth place with 13 points.

Honda Racing CEO proposes F1 budget limits

Nick Fry, the CEO of the Brackley, UK based Honda Racing Formula One team has proposed limiting the budgets of teams as a means of controlling costs in F1.

Speaking to the website autosport.com Fry explained that he had discussed his proposal with Honda Racing’s new technical director Ross Brawn. Fry said, "Ross and I both think that an overall budget cap is something that should be seriously investigated. What we see at the moment, if you look at the accounts of any of the UK F1 teams, is that the costs keep going up.

"So far what we have been successfully doing is moving money from one area of the team to another. Money is certainly moved from engines to aerodynamics, because that is the next best area of performance advantage.

"We support a lot of the proposals on the aero restrictions, but the fear is that that money will merely be diverted elsewhere. It will go to driver salaries or engineer salaries, or some other part of the car, but will not necessarily reduce the total bill that a team has to pay.

"So rather than chasing our tails, we think we should be considering an overall budget cap. Although it will be difficult to monitor, we think it can be achieved."

Source: eemsonline.co.uk, autosport.com

Anthony Davidson to stay with Super Aguri

Super Aguri's managing director Daniele Audetto insists he will persevere with Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson in 2008.

There had been a suggestion that the team would ditch Davidson before the start of the new season, but Audetto will remain loyal to the 28-year-old.

When asked whether he would keep Davidson, Audetto said: "Definitely, 100 per cent. He's doing a fantastic job. I think Anthony is proving that he was a good choice.

"The speed is still there and the maturity is coming. So I expect that next year we are going to have two very good drivers." Sato scored four points for the team in 2007 while Davidson's best finish was 11th, even though he did better than his Japanese team-mate in ten out of 17 qualifying sessions.

Davidson said of the uncertainty surrounding his future in Formula One: "I think some of the driver choices that have happened in the past, and will continue to happen, have been shocking.

"I mean, this is Formula One - we're supposed to be the best guys in the world driving these cars, and clearly history would suggest that hasn't been the case."