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.

Lewis Hamilton was on an unconventional three stop strategy and in the end that seemed to have made the difference with his McLaren outclassing the Red Bull of Vettel. The fresher tyres ensured he was able to overtake the Red Bull. It was nice to see strategy again playing a part in the races after the Red Bulls have truly shown technological dominance on the racetrack (Interpretation of Rules again ?, someone please enlighten !). Sebastien Vettel has already won the 1st 2 formula one races and does seem to be on-track for a successful title defense.

Mark Webber was third and Jenson Button took the 4th place. Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg outclassed Michael Schumacher once again and was 5th while the veteran German could manage only 8th. Questions are again being asked about the German’s comeback decision and whether it was a disastrous decision to make. Personally I am proud of him, it takes courage to put your legacy on the line like he has

Sorry for the short and intermittent updates, too much work these day ! But like all things , this too shall pass !

To start winning all you have to do is head on over to the website and register yourself. After registering you will be asked to choose the top ten drivers and that’s it.

If you score high then you get to take home the prizes. I am playing too

Contest Ends 15-November-2010 !

Register for the Race To Finish contest here

Thanks to them we will also be holding a giveaway for some cool Vodafone McLaren Mercedes sometime in the future. Stay Tuned for that !

The Indian Grand Prix which is scheduled to be organised from the 2011 season is very much on track if the officials involved with the track, its construction and operation are to be believed. The Indian Grand Prix circuit which is coming up in Noida near New Delhi in the NCR region has been marred by hiccups with the sports ministry refusing to recognise formula one as a sport and refusing to sanction tax breaks and incentives for the same. The company incharge of the track and the race isnt worried though. The Jaypee Group, one of the leading conglomerates of India is the company entrusted with organising formula one in India for the next ten years.

Mark Hughes who is the former boss of operations at the Bahrain Grand Prix is the man incharge of the Indian formula one circuit. He is very optimistic about the Indian Grand Prix race in 2011. Addressing a section of the media, he was quoted as saying :

“We fully expect the race to go ahead next October,” vice president of JPSK Sports, a Jaypee Group subsidiary, Mark Hughes said.

“The circuit is part of a sports city being constructed 35 kilometres outside the Indian capital on a 2,800 acre site with areas set aside for the Formula One track and a 100,000-seater international cricket stadium,” Hughes added.

“Jaypee Group head Jaiprakash Gaur is passionate about sport and he has a dream to develop Indian youngsters with talent and prospects to progress,” Hughes added. “The sports hub is part of that dream.”

“We expect to complete construction by July 2011 and once the FIA has given its approval we can finalise training for marshals, track officials and medical staff in time for an October race.”

He also revealed details about the track and that formula one teams were sent simulations of the Indian Grand Prix track and asked for their inputs to the same.

“We sent the details to all the teams and they programmed the information into their simulators and gave us feedback on where we could make improvements and add overtaking opportunity points.”

P.S. The logo above is not the Official logo, its a fan logo designed by us.

Apologies for no photo of the winning driver, apparently Red Bull’s media department is not approving our application to use their photos for editorial purposes.

Red Bull really did give Sebastien Vettel and Mark Webber wings with the duo grabbing a 1-2 at the 2010 formula one Malaysian Grand Prix. Nico Rosberg was third for the Mercedes GP formula one team (erstwhile Brawn GP) while his teammate Michael Schumacher was unlucky yet again as a nut came off his car’s wheel and he was forced to retire. Before that Michael Schumacher in a strong start had made up 2 places.

Sebastien Vettel proved that if you are good enough and if you drive good enough, victory will come and luck factor will diminish. After 2 unlucky races, Malaysia proved to be third time lucky.

Lewis Hamilton was another the start performer of the day though, the Briton made his way up from 20th on the grid to sixth place. His teammate Jenson Button was 8th at the finish line.

Meanwhile Spaniard and Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso called the Malaysian Grand Prix the toughest race of his life. He suffered a gearbox problem and apparently no clutch in the race.

“Right from the start things went wrong. On the formation lap, my gearbox broke, and I had no clutch during the race,” Fernando Alonso said.

“So I had to brake in a weird way. I had to first gear down and then push the throttle hard so it would engage the gear for that corner.

“So it was probably the hardest race of my whole life in terms of driving, because I had to improvise for every corner.

Final Classification of the Malaysian Grand Prix 2010

Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Pts

1 5 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault 56 1:33:48.412 3 25

2 6 Mark Webber RBR-Renault 56 +4.8 secs 1 18

3 4 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP 56 +13.5 secs 2 15

4 11 Robert Kubica Renault 56 +18.5 secs 6 12

5 14 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 56 +21.0 secs 4 10

6 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 56 +23.4 secs 20 8

7 7 Felipe Massa Ferrari 56 +27.0 secs 21 6

8 1 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 56 +37.9 secs 17 4

9 17 Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari 56 +70.6 secs 14 2

10 10 Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 56 +73.3 secs 5 1

11 16 Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari 56 +78.9 secs 13

12 9 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 55 +1 Lap 7

13 8 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 54 +2 Laps 19

14 25 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 53 +3 Laps 24

15 20 Karun Chandhok HRT-Cosworth 53 +3 Laps 22

16 21 Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 52 +4 Laps 23

17 18 Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 51 +5 Laps 18

Ret 19 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 46 +10 Laps 15

Ret 12 Vitaly Petrov Renault 32 +24 Laps 11

Ret 15 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 12 +44 Laps 10

Ret 3 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP 9 +47 Laps 8

Ret 23 Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari 8 +48 Laps 9

Ret 24 Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 2 +54 Laps 16

DNS 22 Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari 0 +56 Laps 12

Hi, Im Nico Rosberg, race driver for AT&T Williams. Today myself and Christian Danner are going to introduce you to the Sepang International Circuit.

Nico Rosberg and Christian Danner explain all tricky points on the Sepang International Circuit.

The week after a grand prix just blazes by, doesnt it.

Also it was more bad news for Jarno Trulli, after starting from the pitlane he was penalised for passing Lewis Hamilton during the safety car period and would not be out of points. Lewis Hamilton thus got promoted to 3rd place in his McLaren.

Sebastien Vettel was demoted 10 places for the Malaysian Grand Prix as he was blamed for this accident with Robert Kubica. See a video of Sebastien Vettel vs Robet Kubica. Kind of reminds me of Kubica at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Jenson Button (unlike a certain other Brit) was pretty modest about the whole thing :

“It wasn’t the perfect race and there’s room for improvement, but we got the win and hopefully this is the first of many. I can’t wait for Malaysia now.”

Meanwhile Lewis Hamilton was all praise for his team’s ‘perfect strategy’

“We’ve definitely not forgotten how to win”, said Hamilton “Our strategy was perfect and the team did a fantastic job.”

The Ferraris had a dismal race and i wouldn’t really like to discuss them even, same is the case with Force India (a little more lucky and they could have been in the points though). Anyway, we head to Malaysia now for the Malaysian Grand Prix this weekend. Lets see what the Sepang International Circuit holds.

Toyota had their rear wings marked illegal by F1 Stewards due to too much flexibility

Who in their right minds would have bet their money on Brawn GP, a team which until a few weeks ago didnt exist, the erstwhile Honda team whose fate was uncertain after a disastrous season and on Jenson Button who has often been called just another British driver and has been thoroughly overshadowed by McLaren’s own Brit Lewis Hamilton.

Wee this Saturday at Melbourne was not the place to make informed guesses and preditctions, because things didnt go as expected. The McLarens and the Ferraris werent the forces to be reckoned with, but it was the Brawn GP car of Jenson Button which took the pole position. And as if that wasnt enough, forgotten Brazillian driver and Jenson Button’s teammate at Brawn GP Rubens Barrichello was 2nd and will accompany Button in the front row.

Sebastien Vettel was a cool third in his Red Bull Racing car. While Robert Kubica (whom i had considered a favorite) was only 4th fastest. The Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Raikkonen were 7th and 9th respectively. The McLarens were even more pathetic in 15th and 16th place with world champion Lewis Hamilton 16th.

Force India continued their dismal run despite more marketing efforts (that doesnt work, does it ?). Meanwhile Toyota were banned from the qualifying and relegated to last places after their wings were found to be too flexible. In a statement sent to use by their media team, they claimed :

Toyota Motorsport has been informed that the rear wing of the TF109 has been found to demonstrate “extreme flexibility” by the Australian Grand Prix stewards.

The design has passed our own internal test procedures which are designed to reproduce twice the proscribed official load tests. In light of this decision it is clear we must review these procedures to ensure there is no repeat of this situation and we will also review our production processes to ensure there is no variation between parts.

We naturally accept and respect the decision of the race stewards.

We intend to modify the components overnight and we are confident these modifications will not result in any performance drop.

2009 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying result :

Pos Driver Nationality Team Time

1. Jenson Button Britain Brawn GP-Mercedes 1:26.202

2. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Brawn GP-Mercedes 1:26.505

3. Sebastian Vettel Germany Red Bull-Renault 1:26.830

4. Robert Kubica Poland BMW Sauber 1:26.914

5. Nico Rosberg Germany Williams-Toyota 1:26.973

6. Timo Glock Germany Toyota 1:26.975

7. Felipe Massa Brazil Ferrari 1:27.033

8. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota 1:27.127

9. Kimi Raikkonen Finland Ferrari 1:27.163

10. Mark Webber Australia Red Bull-Renault 1:27.246

11. Nick Heidfeld Germany BMW Sauber 1:25.504

12. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault 1:25.605

13. Kazuki Nakajima Japan Williams-Toyota 1:25.607

14. Heikki Kovalainen Finland McLaren-Mercedes 1:25.726

15. Lewis Hamilton Britain McLaren-Mercedes No Time

16. Sebastien Buemi Switzerland Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:26.508

17. Nelson Piquet Brazil Renault 1:26.598

18. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Force India-Mercedes 1:26.677

19. Adrian Sutil Germany Force India-Mercedes 1:26.742

20. Sebastien Bourdais France Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:26.964

BMW Sauber though have emerged as a team that might be able to do it. Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica have been having one strong run after another in their BMW Sauber cars. They had 11 podium finishes in 2008 and their run in Canada 2008 was spectacular.

So can they go all the way in 2009 ?  , can BMW Sauber be a serious contender in the in the constructor’s championship which has so far been dominated by Ferrari and McLaren.

When asked this question the drivers expressed a little doubt (though it was coupled with hope).

“The ideal would be to fight for the championship to the end and achieve better results than this year, but it’s difficult to predict.
“Next year is a big challenge with so many changes to the regulations. You have to be lucky to get the right direction straight away.”

Robert Kubica said , he was third in the driver’s championship in 2008.

The main worry seems to be with the new Aerodynamic parts and regulations. Heidfeld was worried with the new front wings which have been widened in the 2009 season. He felt that the increase would lead to more accidents.

“I can imagine that now we will see many more touches,” the German Nick Heidfeld said

“Sitting inside the car, the driver cannot see the wing although, of course, you know it is there. However, in previous seasons, when you knew you could take a chance , now I think there will be more problems, especially at the start.”

I certainly feel that BMW Sauber have the stuff to win the championship, but the drivers do need to be a little more confident, dont they ?

Funny Design, reminds me of the Volkswagen Beetle somehow !