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Welcome to F1Minute - Lotus pull out of Barcelona test after seven laps.

The Lotus team have confirmed that they will not run the remaining three days of this week’s Barcelona test, after finding a problem with the chassis during the morning running.

Romain Grosjean was behind the wheel for just seven laps before the team brought their day to an abrupt halt. They have not specifically said what the problem is, and had planned to bring over the chassis they were using in Jerez. However, they ran some simulations back at the factory and found it was not a simple fix.

Technical Director James Allison said: “It will be more productive for us to carry out these modifications to both chassis at Enstone rather than send E20-01 out to this week's test. We'll put the right measures in place and we will be able to fix the problem before next week.”

And boss Eric Boullier adds: “On the positive side, we have quickly identified the issue with the chassis and our design office has already devised a solution. We will be present at next week's test in Barcelona.”

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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This is F1Minute - Mercedes launch the F1 W03 ahead of Barcelona test.

The Mercedes AMG team unveiled their new car for 2012 in Barcelona today, with Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher present to reveal the F1 W03. The new car features the now traditional stepped nose and tweaked exhausts, but also has 200 more parts than last year’s chassis and still weighs less.

The car was given some brief private running in Silverstone, after Mercedes saved some miles by leaving the Jerez test a day early. It will now go on to complete both Barcelona tests to fully prepare for the 2012 season.

Speaking of the new car, Rosberg said: "The car looks good, and is very nicely packaged under the bodywork – all the parts are in harmony, which reflects how well the different departments of our team are working together. From the beginning of our running, we have been able to focus on understanding the car and making good progress with our test programme."

Meanwhile, Ross Brawn admitted the new nose style is an "acquired taste."

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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Welcome to F1Minute - Vitaly Petrov replaces Jarno Trulli at Caterham for 2012.

Caterham F1 have announced that former Renault driver Vitaly Petrov will replace Jarno Trulli for the coming season. There’s been speculation over the replacement of Trulli for several weeks, but the Italian has been adamant that his contract was secure. Today, however, it’s all change at Caterham, with the Russian Petrov coming in to partner Heikki Kovalainen in 2012.

Speaking of the deal, Petrov says: “This is a very exciting day for me. I’ve been training hard all winter and am ready to get back into the cockpit and go to work. From what I’ve seen already, our new car is another good step forward from 2011 and now I cannot wait to see how it feels when we get to Barcelona.”

Meanwhile, Trulli has said: “Personally, I’m not displeased. I was prepared for a possible divorce from Caterham in the knowledge that difficult economic circumstances would push the team to find an adequately-supported driver.”

Which is not what he said four days ago, when Autosport interviewed him about his 2012 seat and he said: “We are safe, yes.”

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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Welcome to F1Minute - Pirelli name first compounds for opening races.

Pirelli have announced their tyre compound choices for the first three rounds of the 2012 season, with Australia kicking things off using the soft and mediums. The second race in Malaysia will be medium and hards, whilst the racing in China will go back to the same choice as Melbourne - soft and mediums.

The compounds are just one step apart, which differs from last year, where all three events used the hard and soft compound - two steps apart.

Following their first round of testing in Jerez, Pirelli’s motorsport boss Paul Hembery was happy with how the new rubber was performing. He said: “We know the warm-up is better on the medium and hard tyres, which was a criticism we had last year - getting the tyres into the right temperature, particularly for some of the cars in the mid grid who had less downforce.”

Talking about the tyres as a whole, he added: “The drivers are all generally talking about having the cars well balanced, and I think part of that is the fact they’ve been able to understand the tyres better... The overall feedback has been very positive.”

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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This is F1Minute - Bianchi puts the brakes on Force India testing.

Jules Bianchi became the first major casualty at Jerez this morning, during the third day of testing. We’ve seen some trips into the gravel, but the Force India reserve driver went further, spinning into the tyre barrier. The damage wasn’t too great, although the car did have to be winched up and hauled away by tractor.

It put a halt to the team’s running though, as they needed replacement parts to come over from their UK base. The accident stopped Bianchi during his second half day of testing, after a more successful run yesterday afternoon. It also put pay to Nico Hülkenberg’s first stint behind the wheel, as he was due to take over testing duties after lunch. Instead, he will have to wait until tomorrow.

Bianchi apologised for the crash, saying: “I made a small mistake on my second run. The tyres were a bit cold and I spun into the gravel and touched the wall with the rear wheel. I’m very sorry because my mistake has cost the team a lot of time and effort.”

It’s also probably upset the Hülk, and you won’t like him when he’s angry.

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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This is F1Minute - Two days of testing in Jerez, two former champions on top.

The second of four days of testing in Jerez drew to a close today with Michael Schumacher on top for Mercedes - although in last year’s car. The team are waiting to run the new car, and gathering tyre information on the new Pirelli’s while they wait.

Yesterday, it was Kimi Räikkönen on top, making the best possible start he could for his F1 comeback and leading the times all day. The second outing was a tougher day for the Finn, with several trips into the gravel, one of which damaged the car quite a lot.

Other snippets of note from the two days so far in Spain include Ferrari using an awful lot of flow-vis to try and gain an understanding of the aero on their car. Force India split their driving role today between Paul di Resta and new reserve driver Jules Bianchi, who settled in with 46 laps and finished fourth.

Pedro de la Rosa in the HRT has been last on both days so far, but as everyone is fond of saying, times aren’t everything.

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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Welcome to F1Minute - Williams introduce the FW34 as testing begins in Jerez.

Williams have launched their new car for the 2012 season, revealing the FW34 at Jerez before hitting the track for the first day of testing. The car is the first to feature a Renault engine since 1997, with the championship-winning partnership back on for the coming season.

With the regulation changes, Williams have pointed out the new car “carries fewer than 5% of the parts from last year’s FW33.” It features the tweaked exhausts and step in the nose and Frank Williams hails it as a fresh start. He said: “We have a new car, new driver line up, new engine and new senior personnel. The team has had a good winter at the factory and we feel ready and strong for the fight.”

The drivers were on hand to reveal the car, and Pastor Maldonado thinks he’s ready to lend a helping hand, saying: “It will be very important that we develop the car from the start of the season to the end. Now that I have a year’s experience, I can help in that area much more now.”

Meanwhile, Bruno Senna was simply looking forward to his first ever pre-season test since he joined F1 two years ago.

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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This is F1Minute - Defending champions Red Bull launch the RB8.

Red Bull launched their 2012 car today at the Jerez circuit in Spain. The new car features both a bump in the bridge of the nose, and some redesigned exhausts - which were of particular consideration for chief designer Adrian Newey.

Speaking of the new car, he said: “It’s a difficult task, we have lost the exhaust technology with the restriction exhaust outlet position that we were able to develop and perhaps be ahead of the pack on in the last couple of years, that led to a big re think over the winter. Whether that will affect us more than other people is difficult to know of course.”

The team, naturally, are aiming to defend both championships but team principal Christian Horner added they weren’t expecting it to be easy: “We’re always looking to improve, we’re always looking, in all areas, to try and do better. We can’t control what our opponents do, we’re up against some formidable opponents, but we can only really focus on ourselves and only when we get to Melbourne will we truly know where we sit against our rivals.”

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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Welcome to F1Minute - Toro Rosso reveal 2012 car ahead of Jerez test.

Toro Rosso launched the STR7 at Jerez today, with drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Éric Vergne rolling the car out to the waiting media. The team have addressed all the design changes we’ve seen from other cars so far, including stepped wings and tweaked exhausts.

Technical Director Giorgio Ascanelli also talked of some of the less obvious changes, saying: “We have tried to improve the behaviour of our DRS and we have a new generation of wings aimed at this, hopefully in time for the debut of the car. We have also worked on the braking system, because we wanted to improve its efficiency, both front and rear. On paper it seems to be very strong and we will see what our new drivers will have to say about it.”

Team boss Franz Tost spoke of how secure the team feel now, with the STR7 the third car designed in house, the workforce increased to 300 people, and some much-needed funding from the sponsors. He says they’re aiming for sixth or seventh in the championship in 2012.

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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You’re listening to F1Minute - Sauber unveil the C31 at Jerez.

Monday’s busy day of launches began with Sauber, who took the covers off the C31 at Jerez. The car has the stepped nose, and also includes new suspension, with the team opting for pull-rod at the rear. Drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Pérez were on hand to roll the new car out, with Kamui taking it out for a quick installation lap before testing gets underway tomorrow.

Team boss Peter Sauber spoke of his goals for the new year, saying: “We’re aiming to start the new season as strongly as we did in 2011, but then also to maintain this level of performance throughout the year. Our goal is to finish regularly in the points so as to put ourselves in a significantly better position in the World Championship.”

Meanwhile, Chief Designer Matt Morris talked of how the car is a mixture of old and new: “The C31 is revolutionary where we had fresh ideas, particularly at the rear of the car, and it is an evolution where we knew we could carry over certain approaches.”

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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This is F1Minute - Lotus E20 launched online.

The Lotus F1 Team revealed their new car for the coming season, posting video and information about the E20 on their website. The car features the expected black, gold and red colour scheme, and has the stepped nose that is common so far this year. The biggest change from the Renault of last year is the exhausts, which are no longer facing forwards.

Team Principal of Lotus, Eric Boullier has issued his expectations for the 2012 season, with a couple of grand ambitions. He says: “We know that we have a strong commitment from our shareholders, that we want to be a top team and seen as a top team. This will be the year of our final adjustment to be ready and fully operational from 2013. For 2012 we expect to be in a position to fight for fourth place for the championship.”

Meanwhile, a lot of the attention fell on Kimi Räikkönen’s shoulders, who is also expecting good things, saying: “In my last year at Ferrari we weren’t always at the front but I’m a good racer and I want to get to the front. Lotus started well last year and we hope that the new car will be strong.”

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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This is F1Minute - Sauber confirm departure of technical lead James Key.

The Sauber team have announced that technical director James Key is to leave the squad, heading for another job in the UK. Based in Hinwil, Switzerland up until this point, Key has handed over development of the 2012 car to the remaining technical team, saying: “I’ve enjoyed the past two years working at Sauber. It’s been a very instense and interesting time, in which we had to manage the transition from a much larger team to a smaller one, and everybody handled that very well.”

Key hasn’t announced where his new job is, but it’s unfortunate timing for Sauber, as they head into a new season. Peter Sauber said: “A qualified team shares the overall technical responsibility. This structure has proved to work well at other racing outfits. Over a period of almost two years, James has accomplished a lot for our team. We would like to thank him for his efforts, and wish him all the best for his future.”

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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Welcome to F1Minute - HRT complete driver lineup with Narain Karthikeyan.

The 2012 grid is complete as HRT have finally announced their full driver lineup, with Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan rejoining the outfit alongside Pedro de la Rosa. Karthikeyan was an HRT driver for the start of the 2011 season, but found himself replaced by the incoming Daniel Ricciardo until, of course, the Indian Grand Prix.

Now he has the chance to start another season with the hopes of keeping his seat for the entire duration. Talking of the deal, he says: “I have been training hard since the end of 2011, ensuring I was ready for the rigours of F1 if an opportunity arose. I am delighted to have signed with the HRT F1 team. With the new management, Pedro, and the team, there is definite potential for progress.”

New team principal at HRT, Luiz Perez-Sala is keen to get started, saying: “I’m sure the fact that he will continue to work and drive on a regular basis will help him take a step forward this season. And if he advances, so does the team.”

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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You’re listening to F1Minute - Force India roll out the VJM05 at Silverstone.

The Force India drivers, Paul di Resta and Nico Hülkenberg, plus reserve driver Jules Bianchi, were on hand at Silverstone today to reveal the 2012 car - the VJM05. Featuring a similar bump in the bridge of the nose as the Ferrari and Caterham, the Force India also has new sidepods to fit with the exhaust regulations.

Technical boss at the team, Andrew Green, is confident that the new rules will help improve the competition, saying: “My feeling is it should close the field up... I think there are teams out there that extracted way more than we did and hopefully that will hurt them more than it’s going to hurt us.”

He also added that the team have taken a big philosophy change when it comes to aerodynamics but it’s looking positive, saying: “It’s a big departure from where we have been before and the tunnel numbers are really, really encouraging, so we’re quite looking forward to getting on the track and seeing if it does produce what it should do.”

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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Welcome to F1Minute - Ferrari reveal their 2012 car after delayed launch.

Ferrari have launched their car for the new season, the F2012, after cancelling the launch yesterday due to bad weather. The car had been due to circle the track at Maranello but some serious snow put pay to that plan. Instead, Ferrari revealed the new design today, with pictures proving the car features that stepped nose design.

The team expect the new challenger to be competitive from the start, with team principal Stefano Domenicali confident they will be winning from the moment the season begins.

The man behind the design, Nikolas Tombazis, has added that he doesn’t see the car in a bad light as he’s used to it now, and says: “Ultimately, as far as I’m concerned, an ugly car is one that doesn’t win and a beautiful car is one that does win. So, for now, I want to believe it is a beautiful car.”

Aside from the nose, the car also has front pull-rod suspension, something that hasn’t been seen in F1 since 2001.

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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This is F1Minute - The new MP4-27 launches at the McLaren Technology Centre.

McLaren became the second team to reveal their 2012 car at the McLaren Technology Centre this morning, with the chassis thankfully displaying no unsightly lumps and bumps.

Unlike Caterham before them, McLaren’s car looks unchanged from the outside, but as the press release clarifies, there has been significant work done: “The most evident visual differences include more tightly waisted rear bodywork, and a revised cooling system. Last year’s U-shaped sidepods have also been re-designed - a legacy of the FIA’s new exhaust regulations.”

Speaking about the new car, Jenson Button said: “Everyone will be watching us very closely to see what progress we make during the pre-season tests, but I genuinely believe we have every reason to feel optimistic about the progress we’ve made.”

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is keen to get started again, adding: “What’s great about Formula 1 is that you start each season with the baseline completely reset - everybody starts again from zero - and that always makes me so hungry.”

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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This is F1Minute - Adrian Sutil handed suspended sentence for bodily harm.

Former Force India driver Adrian Sutil has been handed an 18-month suspended sentence today, after a two-day court case found him guilty of bodily harm against Eric Lux. The incident with Lux, co-owner of the Lotus team, happened in April 2011 during a night out at a club in Shanghai following the Chinese Grand Prix. Sutil’s sentence includes a fine of 200,000 Euros which will be donated to charity.

During proceedings yesterday, Sutil admitted he didn’t want the matter to end up in court, saying: “I did everything to try to settle this row. I am really sorry, extremely sorry. I never wanted for this to happen.” Lux was apparently not happy with the belated apology, but the pair have now shaken hands.

With no race seat and the court case over, Reuters reports Sutil intends to move on. The German said: “Maybe I will take some time out now. Maybe I will do something completely different, think about things in peace.”

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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Welcome to F1Minute - Caterham unveil their 2012 car, the CT01.

Under their new guise as Caterham, Tony Fernandes and his team have revealed their 2012 challenger - officially launching it via F1 Racing magazine. Pictures of the car emerged yesterday, with the new nose design causing quite a stir. With the regulations changing so that the nose has to be of a lower height, there is a significant step at the bridge which gives the car a clunky and not particularly attractive look.

However, technical boss Mike Gascoyne believes they won’t be the only team heading in that direction, saying: “As we’re the first car out it is obviously stirring up a lot of debate, but because of the 2012 regulations, I think you’ll probably be seeing this type of nose on most of the cars this year.”

Meanwhile, team boss Tony Fernandes has given the squad a goal for the upcoming season saying: “Target wise, I have been quoted as saying I want us to score a point this year and that really has to be the aim. It has to be.”

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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This is F1Minute - Pirelli reveal new tyre markings for 2012 season.

F1’s sole tyre supplier Pirelli held an event in Abu Dhabi today to unveil their new range of rubber for the upcoming season. The most visible change is to the sidewall markings which have been tweaked.

The four compounds of dry tyres remain the same colour, but with thicker lines and text to make them more distinguishable in motion. The intermediate tyres remain blue, but the full wet tyres have changed from orange to green.

In terms of performance, Pirelli claim to have made the tyres “softer, with increased grip, better performance, a longer performance peak, but an unaltered lifespan.” They want to keep at least two pitstops per race for teams, but also create potential for more variety when it comes to strategies.

Pirelli have also created the first realtime database for teams and engineers, recording performance, temperature and pressure. There’s also talk of more information eventually feeding its way through to fan’s TV screens as well.

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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Welcome to F1Minute - Kimi Räikkönen returns to cockpit in two-day Lotus test.

This year’s comeback king Kimi Räikkönen was back behind the wheel of an F1 car today for the first time since he quit the sport in 2009. Lotus are running a two day test for Kimi to help him brush up on his F1 skills, although the testing limitations have forced him into a 2010 chassis with demonstration tyres from Pirelli.

After his first day of running, Räikkönen admitted that it may take a little while to get used to everything again, saying: “The main driving, braking, turning, that doesn’t take many laps. But of course to start learning about the car and team and tyres, that will take time.”

Meanwhile, Lotus themselves will be scrabbling to prepare for the official testing next month after the FIA deemed their new adjustable ride height development illegal. The innovation had preciously been declared as acceptable, as it was not driver operated, but the FIA have apparently sent a note to teams saying they are no longer satisfied with the legality.

This is an original article published by F1Minute.com

© Copyright 2007-2012 • Christine Blachford • All Rights Reserved

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