The Curious Tale of the 2010 Entry List

Despite the fact that the world is only just emerging from a deep recession there are 14 teams all vying for the 13 spaces on next years grid. So why did the FIA publish a list with only 12 teams named?

The published list reads as follows:

1. Jenson Button Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

2. Lewis Hamilton Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

3. Nico Rosberg Brawn GP Formula 1 Team*

4. TBA Brawn GP Formula 1 Team*

5. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing Renault

6. Mark Webber Red Bull Racing Renault

7. Felipe Massa Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro

8. Fernando Alonso Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro

9. Rubens Barrichello AT&T Williams - Cosworth

10. Nico Hulkenberg AT&T Williams - Cosworth

11. Robert Kubica Renault F1 Team

12. TBA Renault F1 Team

14. Adrian Sutil Force India F1 Team

15. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India F1 Team

16. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso Ferrari

17. TBA Toro Rosso Ferrari

18. TBA Lotus F1 Racing - Cosworth

19. TBA Lotus F1 Racing - Cosworth

20. TBA Campos Meta 1 - Dallara Cosworth

21. Bruno Senna Campos Meta 1 - Dallara Cosworth

22. TBA USF1 Team - Cosworth

23. TBA USF1 Team - Cosworth

24. Timo Glock Virgin Racing - Cosworth

25. TBA Virgin Racing - Cosworth

* The Team has indicated that it would like to change name to Mercedes Grand Prix prior to the start of the season.

This list reveals a few things to us but also poses a few questions. The first thing to note is that (as expected) the Manor GP operation from Sheffield are going to be entered under the Virgin Racing brand. This is good news all around; it means that Manor have a creditable backer which should mean that they survive long enough to make an impression. Richard Branson gets maximum exposure for his company and Timo Glock is in a team which could keep up with the development race (of the new boys anyway).

Secondly, why has Bruno got car 21? Has his team signed but not revealed another driver for car 20 or did they simply request 21 for personal reasons?

The Red Bull Team have confirmed that their partnership with Renault will continue for another season (despite trying to switch to Mercedes power only a few months ago). This was always going to happen when McLaren prevented Mercedes from supplying anyone else as that meant that Red Bull were left with the unproven Cosworth or the familiar Renault. No Brainer.

Finally, only 12 teams were named. This is interesting because the final space was intended for the Toyota team. Toyota's decision to pull out of grand prix racing for the 2010 season meant that most people expected the (now saved ex-BMW) Sauber team to be named as the 13th team but so far no announcement has been forthcoming. Originally, it was thought that the reason for this was that the expected new owners of the BMW team (Qadbak) were a somewhat 'dodgy' company (as the suspicion around Notts County FC hints at too). However, Peter Sauber has been in formula 1 before and is a respected figure in the paddock - he will get the team to the grid if he is allowed.

The problem therefore lies with Toyota. If they fail to sell their team then they will incur a penalty of $150Mil for breaking the concorde agreement (comitting them to F1 until 2012). As interest in buying the plans for next years car has wained the team is now holding out as long as possible for a solution that will make the expendature as little as possible for Toyota.

The problem I have is that Toyota don't have a leader like Honda did. There is no Ross Brawn figure that can guarentee that whatever happens to the team it will be secure. Therefore, if Toyota do manage to sell to whoever gives them an offer, I fear that it could be curtains for the team before long anyway. Sauber knows how to run an F1 team and moreover, the BMW improved massively over the final few races of 2009. This makes me optimistic that they figured out how their aerodynamic package worked - a key factor in developing for next year. Furthermore, where Toyota went searching for success in 2009, BMW switched to 2010 development early. This is bound to bear fruit.

To put it bluntly 2010 would be much stronger for having Sauber Ferraris on the grid as opposed to some team without any racing heart.

The FIA should be speaking with the remaining 12 teams, pushing them to agree to expanding the field to 14 teams. This would allow Sauber to take their place and if Toyota aren't rescued then so what? If they are then there will be 28 cars in the field next year and no spectator would complain of that.

p.s. if Sauber are confirmed then I would put them down as a strong dark horse for (at least one) victory next year. As I said, BMW were developing for next year and the development parts that they brought to the last races of '09 improved performance massively.

p.p.s. Bet on Nick Heidfeld. I am confident that Sauber will be allowed to race next year and if this is the case then quick Nick can be assured a seat. Of course he could yet end up at Mercedes. Either way 34:1 seems good value at the moment.

Past Masters: Mika Häkkinen

A new look for Mat F1 heralds the first of many dives into the F1 history book with the start of my Past Masters series.

However, before I begin I must thank Sam Townshend for his work on the new graphics. They may yet change again but I'm sure that you'll agree this blog is already looking much better. Secondly, thank you to James Allen; the man much missed from the TV commentary box was kind enough to pay a visit to this very site a few days ago. He even sent me a message. You may notice the new recommended links section below - check out James' blog to see how a professional does it. : )

So, to Mika Hakkinen. I decided to start with the flying Finn because he was one of my favourites as a kid. I was never a Ferrari supporter, I respect them and think that F1 needs them but I've never supported them. To this end, I guess its natural (especially for a kid) to support those people who manage to beat the red cars. When I was growing up this meant Mika.

Mika Pauli Hakkinen was born on September 28th, 1968. Like most modern formula 1 drivers he started racing at a young age (5) when his parents hired a Go-Kart for him - he crashed on his very first lap! Mika went on to win 6 karting championships by the age of 18 (1986) but his big break came due to the original flying Finn, Keke Rosberg. The 1982 champion arranged sponsorship for his protege which meant that the young racer could move up through the junior ranks of open wheeled racing. On his way Mika won 3 Scandinavian championships, the Opel Lotus Euroseries and the British F3 championship. He moved to formula 1 in 1991 with Lotus.

Unfortuately for Mika, the Lotus of the early 90s was not in the same league as the Williams, McLaren or Ferrari and although he scored points in only his third race it was difficult to do anymore in the cars he was given. Despite this, Mika managed to get himself noticed as a star of the future with some brilliant drives to fourth place in the 1992 French and Hungarian Grand Prix.

A move to McLaren heralded the start of a long and fruitful relationship. He started the 1993 season as test driver for the team but was promoted to No. 2 when Michael Andretti left the sport after some disappointing results. Mika was an instant success; outqulifying team mate Ayrton Senna in their first race together. His first podium came a race later at the Japanese GP in Suzuka.

By 1995 Mika had established himself as the leader of the McLaren team and just as a new partnership with Mercedes was starting to bear fruit something happened which would rock a paddock still shaking from the events of 'that' San Marino GP in 1994. Mika suffered a tyre failure in Adelaide which sent him crashing heavily into a wall. An emergency tracheotomy at the side of the track saved Mika's life that night.

1997 saw Hakkinen (finally) win his first race at the season ending European GP in Jerez. However, he was gifted the win by both Jaques Villeneuve (nursing a car broken by Michael Schumacher) and his team mate David Couthard (team orders). For the next two years, nobody could catch the flying Finn as he swept to two drivers world titles and established himself as one of the sports greatest personalities with some ballsy drives and blistering qualifying.

The 2000 season was one of the most competitive for a while. Both Mika and Michael (Schumacher) went in search of a third world title. The McLaren generally had the edge in qualifying but it was the Ferrari driver who prevailed in the end. However, Hakkinen did pull off one of the greatest overtakes of the decade when he simultaneously passed Schumi and (backmarker) Ricardo Zonta at Spa.

Mika Hakkinen retired at the end of the 2001 season. He seemed to lose his mojo throughout the season. This was fuelled by a McLaren which wasn't of the same standard as the Ferrari but more than this he convinced himself of mechanical problems which didn't exist (notably Monaco). However, flashes of brilliance in Spain, Britain and America ensured everyone was sad to see Mika go.

He was, according to Michael Schumacher, "the driver I feared the most." Enough said.

Oh My Ghosn, Are Things Really That Bad?

Honda, BMW and Toyota have already pulled the plug - surely an outburst by Renault's CEO means that we should fear the worst for the much loved French outfit.

Renault had a poor 2009. There are no two ways about it, they were simply awful. The only highlight came at Singapore where Fernando Alonso dragged his car onto the podium. In fact, a late season surge from BMW meant that Renault finished the season in 8th. If you take into account the fact that Force India only started scoring in the latter part of the season and that Toro Rosso enjoyed the improved Red Bull chassis for the last couple of races; it could be argued that Renault went backwards in performance and were the worst at the end. Of course, going backwards just means that they weren't going fast enough forwards; not developing enough. This is a sure fire clue that Renault gave up about midway through the year and decided to get an early start on the 2010 challenger but will we get to see (new lead driver) Robert Kubica drive this car in anger? After Carlos Ghosn (Renault-Nissan CEO) reportedly said that F1 would soon be "not very important for everyone," I have my doubts.

Like most teams, Renault managed to miss the double diffuser loophole in the rules for '09. This meant that they were already on the back foot, but the car had more fundemantal problems than that - it just lacked downforce. This had an effect on both drivers - Alonso wanted out. ASAP. Nelson Piquet Jnr (never the best anyway) was often found trying too hard and ending up in the armco barriers. Renault swiftly dismissed Piquet and hired the unprepared Grosjean. What was he meant to do? At least he was French (good publicity at home).

There was a twist though. Piquet rocked F1 with the 'crashgate' scandal which showed that the team had cheated its way to victory in the '08 Singapore GP. This caused internal carnage for the team - losing two of its most senior figures, its title sponsor and a lot of credit in one foul swoop. With Alonso off to Ferrari for 2010, Renault had become a mere shadow of a few years ago (when they claimed both world championships in 2005 & 2006.

Although (temporary) team principle Bob Bell has done a good job of solidifying the team and giving them hope, it is out of his hands whether Renault is allowed to continue its adventures in F1. Rumours have been rife that the parent company doesn't want to fill the void left by ING (ex-title sponsor) and so when crisis meetings were held a few weeks ago it seemed like this team was heading for the exit. Interestingly though they haven't stepped through it (yet).

I think that those meetings were resolved with the following agreement between the parent company and race team; Renault is allowed to go racing next year IF they can find a way of replacing the finances lost fromm ING. This would make sense as there have been many reports about potential buy-ins and it would also explain the early announcement of the (highly marketable) Kubica. This also gives Renault the ability to see what (financial) punishment is given to Toyota for pulling out (and therefore breaking the Concorde agreement - signed as commitment to the sport until 2012) and thus whether it would just be better to fund the team (at least for a while-until the economy settles further and more people want to invest).

Ghosn's outburst may have been telling though. An announcement is expected before the end of 2009 as to the future intentions of Renault F1. The comments made by the CEO imply that the aim of Renault as a company has changed with the times; they are now more focussed on being green than being sporty. It just sounds like he's starting to make excuses already. Time must be waring thin to find a sponsor. Timo Glock's announcement as a Manor driver shows what he thinks will happen. Once favourite for the seat alongside Kubica, Glock has signed with one of the new teams (unkown performance level) rather than waiting to see if Renault (who are surely going to at least be respectable next year) make it to the grid. Similarly, Mercedes are holding fire on their second driver signing in the hope that they can catch Kubica if Renault don't make it.

If 2009 was Renault's last season I, for one, will miss them. To me they are the team which broke the stranglehold of Schumi and Ferrari when they romped to the 2005 title. As a Brit, I am not allowed to like many French things but I was always glad to see them win. They are a team which seems to have a youthful, Latin vibe which makes me smile and provides a contrast to the clinical nature of McLaren or the occasional arrogance of Ferrari.

Lets hope they do pull through. It would not be fair to let things end with the bitter taste of 2009 and as I said earlier, they must have been developing the 2010 car for a while - Renault could prove to be one of the suprises for next year.

Recipe for News: Michael Schumacher

In a year when still only half of the grid has been confirmed, is the drivers market about to see another twist with the return of the red baron?

The last 12 months have seen massive changes in how the formula 1 teams go racing. Bust has followed boom and now we are in a stage of measured spending where big bucks are earned by a few rather than by all. Moreover, such has been the change of grid dynamic that 2010 will see the power with the privately owned teams as they outnumber the manufacturer teams 10:3 - 2008 ended 4:6 in favour of the manufacturers. Whether this change is a good thing or not remains to be seen, but with 4 new teams next year there is a lot of flux among who's going to be driving where and a lot of risks to be taken (by drivers) trying to decide which of the teams are going to do a Brawn and which are going to do a Minardi.

The long and short of it is that of all the cars that are going to be on the grid next year there are 4 teams that you would want to be driving for; McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull. These teams are the teams which have either the pedegree (McLaren/Ferrari) or had a brilliant 2009 (Mercedes/Red Bull) and are therefore the form of the paddock and under much less financial pressure. Of these teams only Mercedes is yet to announce its driver lineup and until they do most of the other seats will remain free - drivers/managers will be marketing themselves to fill the space left by Button.

Of course, Ross Brawn and the rest of the Mercedes outfit are very aware that they have (potentailly) one of the best seats in the house up for grabs and that means that any driver that they even hint at (or simply don't comment on when asked about) is going to gain them extra column inches. The more news they are making, the more people are going to talk Mercedes. This is even more important now as some of the impact from their Brawn overtake was overshadowed by the Button move; something which has threatened to leave them fielding a line up of Nico Rosberg (potentially great but has yet to win a race - something that would have to be overcome quickly if he is to be champion) and Nick Heidfeld (rated by Merc but more of a Fisichella than Fangio).

To combat the lack of impact that this would have Mercedes are searching for a star. They talked to Raikkonen but I think that Kimi priced himself out of their range (such a shame to lose a true racer and champion from a grid filled with mediocrety). Then the news was released that they were lining up 7 time champion Michael Schumacher. No star is bigger.

However, no bait is jucier for a newspaper either. Every time it was mentioned last week the Mercedes profile was increased. Eddie Jordan's outburst that Brawn has been planning this for months just added a can of petrol to the fire. Publicity gold.

I personally feel that the Schumacher talk is the smoke and mirrors to mask (or at leat delay) the driver announcement for next year. It just doesn't make sense; why would Brawn have (by all accounts - from both sides) been in discussion with Button as recently as last Saturday if they had been planning on bringing Scumi on board for next year? Furthermore, Schumi wants to race for fun; not a championship. This was never that serious.

Expect the rumours to die down in the next few days when Micheal recommits his love of everything red (thus increasing the Ferrari profile lest we forget them).

I could be wrong, it happens, but I cannot see beyond the dutiful Heidfeld to fill the vacancy next year before moving aside for Vettel. There are other options; Trulli, Kovalainen, and Sutil could all be in the frame but only one is German and he crashes a bit too much.

Still, that would get in the news...

Jenson to McLaren; we'll see who has the last laugh!

My first post!! What a week to launch my blog. Granted it's not as newsworthy as Mercedes' buyout of Brawn, Kimi's farewell or Buttons move to Macca but it isn't far off!

Today the news was broken; Jenson Button has completed his move to McLaren. Many people have questioned this; asking why the current F1 champion would want to step into a team that is built around Lewis Hamilton, someone who won't easily be beaten (just ask Fernando Alonso). I on the other hand am quite happy for him. A year ago he was down and out - it looked like he would never win another race, let alone a title. He took the gamble to stay with Ross Brawn rather than jump ship to Toro Rosso or Renault and he got Lucky. It is true that he wouldn't have got close to being champion had he not been driving the Brawn but he still had to go out there and win those races; the title didn't just win itself and I feel that he deserved it more than Barrichello (just look at their relative performaces during the race at Brazil).

Brawn's success has come at a price. This year they survived on the charity of Honda who ensured that Ross had enough money to go racing and keep as many people as possible in a job. Luckily the Brawn GP 001 was a phenomenal car and the Mercedes was a potent and reliable power pack to propel it (try saying that 5 times when drunk). The trouble is that this team was born out of the credit crunch and this has caused CEO Nick Fry (never the best person at attracting sponsors) many problems - people just don't want to invest. The only thing that could be done was to sell the team whist they were on the crest of a wave. The Mercedes deal was done (I think around the Italian GP where Brawns 1-2 finish had all but secured the constructors title) and the team was secured in a way Brawn and Fry could not have managed on their own.

Mercedes are a decent company and as such they weren't going to abandon McLaren or enter like a wrecking ball and destroy all that Brawn has built in the last year. They wanted 2 things; Mercedes branding next year (for which they needed McLaren's permission) and a German superstar to drive one of their cars. I imagine that Ross Brawn was happy to accomodate Nico Rosberg but made the argument that consistency helps to maintain winning form and so he had to choose between his (then soon to be) champion Button or (second fiddle) Rubens. He chose Button. Button, aware that Merc were coming on board, demanded more money and a long term (3 year) contract. It is the latter point which I think caused all of the problems. Mercedes didn't want Jenson for 3 years; they wanted him until they can get hold of Vettel. This is why Button left.

Going to McLaren has almost guarenteed him a race winning car for the next 3 years; something he would have jumped at the chance of a year ago. Moreover, even before the Mercedes deal was annonced, the general view was that next year is going to be a battle between McLaren and Ferrari with Brawn and Red Bull fighting for 3rd. If these predictions turn out to be correct then Button in a Brawn/Mercedes wouldn't have beaten Lewis in a McLaren anyway and at the end of it he would probably have to find himself another drive (but without reigning champ status). Button in a McLaren however, will probably win races and he has the chance to fight with Lewis. If he fails to beat the 2008 champion then he can be assured of a seat the following year and he may even get his win tally into double figures (secretly I think he's out to better DC's 13). On the other hand, if he beats Lewis then the likelihood is that he will have retained his championship, definitely won races and have the right to force all the nay-sayers to eat their words!

At the end of the day, Button has today put himself in the position where he can continue his success with one of motorsports great teams and I wish him the best of luck!