It was an action packed qualifying session, the traffic snarls at the venue were legendary with the snarls extending to late evening when I was passing by the track. Spotted a few team folks in various cars Team Lotus prefers the Renault Fluence to travel in style.

Sebastian Vettel grabbed another pole position showing the dominance of his Red Bull, he is just three wins shy of Michael Schumacher’s record of most wins in a formula one season and looks all set to equal that if he continues his current form.

“The car was fantastic since yesterday and throughout qualifying,” said Sebastian Vettel. “In the end there was a little bit left in the first sector.

“I’m extremely happy and it’s good to be here. It will be a very interesting race on a challenging circuit.

“You have to really make sure you stay on the line and the circuit here is not forgiving mistakes. It’s not easy but I enjoy what I do and I was excited when I came here.”

Lewis Hamilton was second fastest in qualifying however due to a penalty he was given on Friday, he got thrown back three places and will start fifth on the grid. Fernando Alonso who will start third on the grid and seemed pleased with Hamilton’s penalty :

“With Hamilton’s penalty, starting third will be even better,” The Spaniard said

Teammate Brazilian Felipe Massa could manage only sixth position in contrast. He has been quite a press favorite with certain Indian tabloids going gaga over his resemblance to his brother whatshisname Massa.

Meanwhile Narain Karthikeyan would have entered the bad books of Michael Schumacher. Narain impeded the German champion in his hot lap and was penalized five places. Needless to say that generally means Narain Karthikeyan would be starting last on the grid. However since Timo Glock is approved to race despite being too slow, Narain wont be last on the grid.

Adrian Sutil of Force India qualified in eight position impressing new boss Subrata Roy (in photo with Nico Hulkenberg). Force India fans will remember Sahara bought stake in the team rechristening it the Sahara Force India formula one team.

I write this post as the latest game in the series ‘F1 2011’ is launched and yes it includes the new Buddh International circuit at Noida. Its coded by codemasters and is marketed by Zapak in India.

The game has a number of new gameplay options, one of which is the much awaited co-op mode, you and your friend compete as formula one racing partners for a team. I have just got my review copy and cant wait to play it out. If you are looking for features, they are all listed here. You can also view the release trailer here, the graphics look simply awesome ! Am awaiting my Xbox copy to really see the HD graphics

The game is available on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

F1 2011™ is the sequel to the BAFTA winning FORMULA ONE™ videogame from Codemasters®, the developer and publisher of award-winning racing games. Developed under Codemasters’ exclusive worldwide agreement with Formula One   World Championship Limited, F1 2011 will come complete with all the official drivers, teams and circuits featuring in the 2011 FIA FORMULA ONE World Championship™. Zapak Games, the licensing & merchandising arm of Zapak Digital Entertainment Ltd. will distribute the title in India.

Developed using Codemasters’ EGO Game Technology Platform F1 2011 will deliver an unrivalled FORMULA ONE experience that puts players into the heart of the world’s most exciting sport, powered by cutting edge graphics, advanced physics systems and integrated network play.

· Go Compete!  F1 2011 builds extensively on the multiplayer options from F1 2010. Split-screen racing is included for the first time in a high-definition FORMULA ONE title. Competitive online racing is extended with 16 players going head-to-head in GRAND PRIX™ with up to 8 AI drivers added to simulate the full grid of 24 drivers. An innovative new co-op Championship enables two players to lead their favourite FORMULA ONE team to Driver and Constructor glory across the course of a FORMULA ONE season. These enhancements are complimented by additional quick fire modes including Time Attack.

· New Circuits for 2011. Two stunning new additions to the race calendar extend the number of circuits to feature in F1 2011 to 19. Players will be able to debut ahead of the drivers on the Buddh International Circuit, the home of the first FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX OF INDIA and players will be able to test themselves on the iconic Nürburging circuit for the first time in High Definition, as this legendary track returns for the 2011 season.

· Be the driver, live the life.  From the paddock to the track, F1 2011 takes players closer to the experience of being a FORMULA ONE driver than ever before. A new Parc Ferme area, an expanded and revamped Paddock, new Pit Lane, celebration and reaction cinematics and an enhanced media interaction system fully immerse players in the glamour, pressure and excitement of being a FORMULA ONE driver. Players progress from rookie to FIA FORMULA ONE DRIVERS’ WORLD CHAMPION in an extensive career mode where gamers fight to become priority driver and shape the development of the car by performing well in races and earning performance upgrades.

· All the cars, all the stars. Fully licensed, F1 2011 features all the drivers set to contest the 2011 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, including Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button. All 2011 teams are represented including Ferrari, Red Rull Racing, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Lotus Renault GP in their iconic black and gold livery.

· KERS, DRS and more! F1 2011 includes all the new rule changes set to make this year’s season the most exciting yet. F1 2011 debuts DRS (Drag Reduction System) – the new system which enables drivers to adjust the rear wing on the car to give a boost of up to 10km. KERS also returns, giving players an extra 80BHP for up to 6.67 seconds, enabling drivers to blast past rivals. Combined, these systems encourage close wheel-to-wheel racing with new options for both defence and attack. This season’s new Pirelli tyres are faithfully simulated in the game, and if players push their car too hard they may experience a range of authentic new damage failures.

· Full Day / Night Racing. The 2011 FORMULA 1 ETHIAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX comes alive with a full day/ night transition which recreates the special atmosphere at this unique track. Every one of the existing circuits from the 2010 roster has been given a complete visual overhaul. New atmospheric effects, including dynamic clouds, compliment a weather system which features an advanced rain model that affects on-track grip.  Powered by the EGO Game Technology Platforms, F1 2011 pushes forward the graphical standard of what can be achieved in a racing game.

· The world’s greatest cars, the most exciting racing. Building on the heritage of producing award-winning racing games for over a decade, Codemasters is uniquely placed to realise the spectacle and exhilaration of racing 200MPH+ FORMULA ONE cars for all fans. F1 2011 can be tuned for players from a wide range of skill levels, from the casual gamer to the hardcore simulation enthusiast and those in between, with a range of differing skill levels. A huge range of vehicle variables can be tuned to suit each player’s unique driving style, or drivers can entrust their Race Engineer to set their car up and head straight onto the track. F1 2011 will support a comprehensive range of racing wheels for the ultimate racing experience.

· Unprecedented authenticity. Codemasters has used its unprecedented access to the world of FORMULA ONE to connect the development team directly with FORMULA ONE teams and tyre manufacturers. Extensive consultancy has taken place with a range of FORMULA ONE professionals, including race engineers, mechanics and drivers. This has been combined with real world data including CAD and on-board telemetry to deliver a race experience complete with authentic handling, accurate circuits and precisely modelled racing cars.

· EGO powered FORMULA ONE. F1 2011 is being developed on the EGO Game Technology platform, evolved from the award winning EGO engine. Enabling Codemasters development talent to share tools and technology across Studios and Central Technology teams, the EGO Game Technology Platform empowers Codemasters game designers to realise their creative visions across multiple platforms featuring cutting edge graphics, powerful AI, advanced physics systems and integrated network play.

Ferrari today announced that Felipe Massa’s contract has been extended till the end of the 2012 formula one season. the Brazillian has been with the team for 10 seasons now. He ofcourse was ecstatic about the renewal.

Official Press Release from Ferrari follows :

Maranello, 9 June 2010 – Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro announces that it has extended its contract with Felipe Massa, who will now drive for the team until the end of the 2012 racing season.

Felipe has been with the Scuderia since 2001. To date, he has competed in 69 Grands Prix for the team: he has taken eleven wins, 30 podium placings, 51 points finishes, fifteen pole positions and twelve fastest race laps, scoring a total of 360 championship points.

“I am happy to be given the opportunity to drive for Ferrari for a further two seasons,” said Felipe.

“Throughout my entire Formula 1 career, I have always raced with an engine made in Maranello and it is a matter of pride for me to be able to continue working with a team that I regard as a second family.”

“Felipe has been part of Ferrari for almost a decade and together with us, he has grown as a driver and as a man, going through some very difficult times as well as giving us moments of great happiness,” commented Stefano Domenicali. “We wanted to show proof of stability for the future, believing in the worth of a driver pairing that is without equal in terms of talent, speed and its ability to work together for the good of the team.”

Photo : Ferrari SPA

The Ferrari F1 team is all set to achieve an important milestone at this weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix to be held at Istanbul. It will be the Marranello based team’s 800th Grand Prix. To commemorate the occasion the F1 cars will have special 800 races logo somewhere where the Marlboro used to be and the subsequent barcodes and the subsequent white blocks instead of the barcodes. Its a big day for the team that is also the most successful team in formula one (credit to Michael Schumacher, Ross Brawn and Jean Todt).

The Ferrari F1 team is also the oldest still surviving formula one team with a history that goes back to 1948 (1st formula one race in 1950). Here are some stats from Wikipedia :

Races competed till now :
799

Constructors’ Championships
16 (1961, 1964, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008)

Drivers’ Championships
15 (1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1975, 1977, 1979, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007)

Race victories
211

Pole positions
203

Fastest laps
220

Meanwhile Ferrari’s chairman was also happy at the occasion.

“Eight-hundred Formula One Grands Prix represents a milestone in the life of Ferrari, which fills us with satisfaction and pride,” chairman Luca di Montezemolo was quoted  in an interview

“I want to share our delight in this achievement with all the drivers who have driven our cars in the world championship, and with our fans. It is nice to look back and see what we have done together, aware we are part of a story that is without equal and is ongoing.”

Meanwhile we have the photos of the special livery (not a huge change) including its design phase, Fernando Alonso needs a shave.

Photos : Ferrari SPA media

In what is good news for formula one and Michael Schumacher fans all around the world, the German seemed to be on pace in the practice session of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. We have been following this story all week right from the press stories against Michael Schumacher to the Mercedes GP change of the chassis of Michael Schumacher’s car in order to make the car more suitable for him. But the joy could be shortlived as teams could be testing different experimental combinations before the actual race.

Lewis Hamilton was fastest during the session while Jenson Button was second fastest in the session. Mark Webber for the Red Bull team was fourth ahead of his teammate Sebastien Vettel. Nico Rosberg, Michael Schumacher’s teammate was sixth in the practice session.

Fernando Alonso was eighth in the session while teammate Felipe Massa was twelfth in the other Ferrari car.

Jenson Button catapulted himself to first place in the formula one driver’s championship with an incredible drive and 1st place at the Chinese Grand Prix. Jenson Button now leads the championship table with 60 points. Teammate and fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton took second place at the Chinese Grand Prix to make it a McLaren 1-2.

Lewis Hamilton had his brush with the wrong side of the F1 law when he almost took out Sebastien Vettel in the pits. He later blamed the incident on painted advertisements on the tarmac which  reduce grip. It was another matter that to remain wheel to wheel with Vettel he actually was on the wrong side of the driveway. They briefly touched wheels and Hamilton again came into focus for dangerous driving that is becoming his trademark. Sebastien Vettel of the Red Bull team did not mince words while blaming Lewis Hamilton :

“At the stop I was ahead. I don’t know why he pulled to the left and was keen to touch me,” Sebastien Vettel said.

“His front wing was at my rear wheel. I hoped I didn’t get a puncture from that .I don’t really understand why he did that as I was a bit ahead of him and had the advantage. He didn’t have to make contact.” The German added

Jenson Button had a less eventful race by comparison, only looking uncomfortable once when he lost the grip at the hairpin of turn 6 as a result of aquaplaning. Jenson Button called the victory special after the race showing his mastery of the wet track and good judgement in choosing the right tyres.

“This is so special,”  Jenson Button said.

“For me it is my best victory. Every time that you win I think it becomes your best victory, but this one was very special as it was very tough conditions. I had a job keeping it on the road at the end and the great thing is our pace was good. It wasn’t just the luck of calling the weather.” he added

Nico Rosberg finished third for the Mercedes GP team while teammate Michael Schumacher again struggled and finished 10th. Adrian Sutil had a decent race in his Force India car finishing 11th.

The Ferrari team had a mixed race with Fernando Alonso finishing 4th and teammate Felipe Massa finishing a dismal but still points earning 9th.

Final classification of the 2010 Chinese Formula One Grand Prix :

  1. Jenson Button (Britain)       McLaren 1hr 46mins 42.163secs
  2. Lewis Hamilton (Britain)      McLaren           +00:01.530
  3. Nico Rosberg (Germany)        Mercedes           00:09.484
  4. Fernando Alonso (Spain)       Ferrari            00:11.869
  5. Robert Kubica (Poland)        Renault            00:22.213
  6. Sebastian Vettel (Germany)    Red Bull           00:33.310
  7. Vitaly Petrov (Russia)        Renault            00:47.600
  8. Mark Webber (Australia)       Red Bull           00:52.172
  9. Felipe Massa (Brazil)         Ferrari            00:57.796
 10. Michael Schumacher (Germany)  Mercedes           01:01.749
 11. Adrian Sutil (Germany)        Force India        01:02.874
 12. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil)   Williams           01:03.665
 13. Jaime Alguersuari (Spain)     Toro Rosso         01:11.416
 14. Heikki Kovalainen (Finland)   Lotus                  1 lap
 15. Nico Huelkenberg (Germany)    Williams               1 lap
 16. Bruno Senna (Brazil)          HRT                   2 laps
 17. Karun Chandhok (India)        HRT                   4 laps
 Ret.  Jarno Trulli (Italy)          Lotus                30 laps
 Ret.  Lucas Di Grassi (Brazil)      Virgin               48 laps
 Ret.  Pedro de la Rosa (Spain)      BMW Sauber           49 laps
 Ret.  Sebastien Buemi (Switzerland) Toro Rosso           56 laps
 Ret.  Kamui Kobayashi (Japan)       BMW Sauber           56 laps
 Ret.  Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy)     Force India          56 laps
 Ret.  Timo Glock (Germany)          Virgin               56 laps

Image : McLaren Media

Nico Rosberg of the Mercedes GP team was third in the practive session while teammate and veteran Michael Schumacher who is looking to redeem himself at the Chinese Grand Prix was fourth. Sebastien Vettel for the Red Bull team was the fifth fastest during the session.

The biggest news of the circuit during the session was Sebastien Buemi’s crash in which both of his wheels seemed to fly off as he braked. The suspension on his car seemed to have broken and in some of the photos one can see extensive damage to tyres done on his car. Buemi thankfully escaped unhurt and was seen gesticulating to his team engineers. Scuderia Torro Rosso later gave a clarifying statement about the crash that read :

“Sebastien Buemi’s incident in FP1 was caused by the failure of the front-right upright “

Ferrari was ok in the practice but reliability woes hit them again. Fernando Alonso suffered an engine failure with smoke and fire coming out of the rear of his Ferrari 2010 challenger. At the hairpin of turn 6 Fernando Alonso’s car suffered this breakdown. Ferrari are going through their engines very fast with a limited number of engines allowed in the season and later on might have to deal with extra engine penalties.

Felipe Massa thankfully did not suffer an engine failure and was 10th fastest. Force India continued their good run with Adrian Sutil finishing the session 9th fastest ahead of Felipe Massa’s Ferrari. Force India also had some beautiful photos of the track (and their sponsors in the side profile ) :

Felipe Massa – 39

Michael Schumacher – 9

The above is not the equation most anticipated when the season started, Michael Schumacher is 30 points behind the championship leader just 3 races into the season. Schumacher, who was supposed to make a remarkable comeback is struggling in his Brawn GP, oops, Mercedes GP car, fans are starting to lose hope but the 41 year old German still has his eyes set on the title and says its too soon to write him off.

If we have quick development speed, there is no reason we can’t fight for the championship,” Michael Schumacher said

“Its far from thinking and feeling the season is over for Nico and myself.”

Not only has Schumacher been beaten by McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull. His own partner the young Nico Rosberg has been beating Schumacher consistently in the Mercedes GP car. Michael however remains unfazed by the sharp criticism

He went on to justify his optimism and his comeback :

“I have been long enough around to know the wave of emotion, In the winter, everyone was very emotional and supportive and positive and when you are up on this wave, its a natural happening that you fall over it.

“Yes, I would have loved to have better results, but the competition is high. Having all this experience, coming back after this break, I feel more than happy with what is going on.”

Sign of a true champion, wont you say ?

The German Red Bull F1 driver Sebastien Vettel edged Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso to grab the first pole of the 2010 season. Seven time formula one world champion Michael Schumacher who is returning to the track after a sabbatical was seventh in the qualifying with his team-mate Nice Rosberg doing better at 5th place. Vettel’s team-mate was 6th.

Ferrari were the team with most consistent performance in practice and qualifying alike, it seems that this season they might very well be the team to beat, but its still to early to tell.

Newcomer teams like Lotus F1 and HRT F1 (Campos Meta) struggled to make their mark. Some of their times were beyond 2 minutes with Indian rookie Karun Chandhok bringing up the rear for the grid in his HRT F1 car.

Sorry for no qualifying review, but tomorrow, I have an interview with the one of the best schools in India and I wish to get in

Fernando Alonso in Ferrari attire !

The 3 new Ferrari drivers including the newly signed Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella made their debut in Red on 11th January 2010 at Madonna di Campiglio in Italy. They made the appearance for the 20th edition of the Wrooom event.

Felipe Massa gives the thumbs up to fans at Madonna di Campiglio.

This season, Ferrari seem to have a very strong driver lineup with all 3 drivers being seasoned pros and add Alonso’s driver championships to the equation and we see a potential winner in Ferrari. While Felipe Massa is the experienced Ferrari campaigner, Giancarlo Fisichella comes fresh from an awesome season with Force India where he outshone his partner Adrian Sutil in a large number of races.

Third Driver for the Ferrari Team Giancarlo Fisichella in Ferrari Overalls

Ofcourse there is still a lot to be done at the machine end. Last year saw Ferrari struggle to keep up with smaller and much less experienced teams like Brawn GP and the Red Bull formula one team. This difference in power could be attributed to the smart interpretation of rules by these teams and the subsequent controversy that followed but that doesn’t change the fact that they struggled to give a competitive car to their drivers.