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18 March 2010

The Italian Grand Prix will remain at Monza until 2016, it has been confirmed. With Formula 1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone having already said that capital city Rome will host a race in coming years, the legendary parkland track on the outskirts of Milan will remain as home to the country's national Grand Prix.                 

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The Renault Formula One Demo Team came in action at the historic Silverstone circuit today for the first shakedown of the season. One month ago, the team already came to the British track with the same purpose, but ice and snow changed the plans of the French outfit.

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The McLaren Group has repurchased the majority of shares which were previously held in the company by Mercedes-Benz. McLaren and Mercedes-Benz have been associated since 1995. This season, the Stuttgart manufacturer has returned to the pinnacle of motorsport as works team.

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18 March 2010
Observers might have judged it a comparatively modest performance by his usual exactingly high standards, but record-breaking multiple F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher has insisted that he is 'very happy and proud' when he reflects on his return to competitive action in the 2010 curtain-raising Bahrain Grand Prix at Sakhir at the weekend – arguing that he never anticipated being able to simply 'drive circles around the others'.

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Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has signed an agreement to keep the Italian Grand Prix at Monza until at least 2016.There had been fears that the historic circuit, which has hosted nearly every Italian Grand Prix since 1922, might lose its place on the Formula One calendar when its contract expired in 2012 due to the expected introduction of a Rome Grand Prix.Ecclestone, however, put pen to paper on a four-year extension with Sias, the track's managers, which will see the race continue at Monza where it has taken place almost every year on the outskirts of Milan.The only other circuit to have hosted the Italian Grand Prix is Imola, which hosted the Italian Grand Prix in 1980.

18 March 2010
Former multiple F1 World Champions Williams could be considering a future tie-up with Volkswagen, reports claim – with the eponymously-named outfit's founder Sir Frank Williams acknowledging that 'we are stronger with a manufacturer than as a private team' and admitting that he has 'an affinity with Germany'.

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Bernie Ecclestone has signed an agreement which will keep the Italian Grand Prix at Monza until at least 2016.

There had been fears that the historic circuit, which has hosted every Italian Grand Prix bar one since 1922, might lose its place on the Formula One calendar when its contract expired in 2012.

Read more... »

18 March 2010

The McLaren Group has repurchased the majority of shares previously held in the company by Mercedes-Benz. The two parties have had an association with one and other since 1995 although the Stuttgart manufacturer is back in Formula 1 as a works team this year.

Read more... »

18 March 2010 / Results / Photos

Felipe Massa has insisted that he never held any worries over his physical abilities, having finished runner-up to team-mate Fernando Alonso in the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday. The collection of 18 points marked a strong return for the Brazilian after his never-death experience in Hungary last year.

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Jenson Button is expecting to be more competitive at the next round of the championship in Australia, after starting his title defence with a seventh place finish in Bahrain.Button appeared to struggle for pace all weekend and after complaining about the bumpy and tight new section of the Bahrain circuit, he only managed to qualify eighth. However, he believes his performance belied the true potential of the car and is confident the McLaren will be better suited to Albert Park in Australia."In Melbourne there are slow corners but it's not these really, really slow, second-gear twisty sections," Button said. "I think the car will work better there. The car is much quicker than it suggested in qualifying."Since Bahrain, Button has openly admitted he was out performed by his team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who qualified fourth and finished third. Heading into the season Hamilton was expected to have the raw pace, while many thought Button's smoother diving style would give him an advantage in preserving tyres during the race. However, Hamilton believes he was as smooth as any of the other drivers in Bahrain and can adapt his driving style if necessary."I looked after my tyres as well as, if not better than, anybody," Hamilton said. "If someone said 'Jenson and Lewis, go out and do the smoothest lap possible' I guarantee the laps would be the same smoothness."After spending the last two days at McLaren's Woking base to develop the MP4-25 and launch its road car division, Hamilton is confident his team can close the gap to Ferrari and Red Bull at the front."It's going to be difficult for us to close the performance gap immediately, but I think I'll go back to the factory and give them the biggest push," he said. "I know they're all pushing flat-out as it is, but we need to get some upgrades, and we need to bring as many of them forward as we possibly can."