2009 rookie starts

How the new drivers of this season are getting on

21/04/2009 by Christine

Sebastien Buemi is the only rookie in F1 this year, and as ever, he has a lot to live up to. Taking over from Sebastian Vettel, the pressure was always going to be high for him, and since Lewis Hamilton's amazing rookie year, we expect more from our first time drivers.

F1 2009, Round 3 - China

Red Bull secure a 1-2 victory at the Shanghai circuit

20/04/2009 by Christine

When Vettel took pole in qualifying on Saturday, it wasn't a complete surprise. The Red Bulls have been threatening the Brawn GP drivers in terms of speed and it was only a matter of time before they made it stick.

Teams change mind on KERS

Early worries about the technology continue into the season

17/04/2009 by Christine

We've had two rounds of the championship already, with teams sticking to their decision to run KERS (or not) during both races. Now, though, BMW and Ferrari have changed their minds and heading into the Chinese Grand Prix, we're looking at a different KERS lineup on the grid.

Rear diffusers declared legal

The FIA conclude the new designs are allowed to race

15/04/2009 by Christine

The FIA International Court of Appeal met on Tuesday of this week to discuss the issues regarding the rear diffusers of the Brawn GP, Williams and Toyota cars. Since before the season started, the other teams have protested against these three designs, suggesting they are exploiting a loophole in the regulations that is not in the spirit of the rules.

Ferrari reshuffle to solve problems

The Scuderia make management changes to improve performances

13/04/2009 by Christine

It's no secret that Ferrari haven't been very impressed with their performance so far this season, and if you think back, they had already started to go off the boil towards the end of last year.

Qualifying strategy - Last minute laps

Leaving it to the last minute can reap rewards on a Saturday

10/04/2009 by Christine

There are many elements that affect where a driver qualifies on the Saturday of a Grand Prix weekend. The speed of his car, whether the driver has everything setup to his liking, and in the final session, how much fuel is in the car.

Car liveries

What goes in to choosing the colours of each Formula One car

09/04/2009 by Christine

Every single part of a Formula 1 car is regulated, right down to the very paintwork and stickers that are applied. The rules are quite strict, although of course, there is no mandating what colours are allowed. That decision is strictly down to the team, and their sponsors.

Follow F1 on Twitter

Keep up with Formula One on the social network

08/04/2009 by Christine

The Twitter phenomenon just keeps on getting bigger, and F1 isn't about to step aside and miss out. A few teams have picked up on the concept, plus some influential journalists have also started sharing their thoughts in 140 characters or less.

Driver profile - Mark Webber

The Australian driver worked hard to get to Formula One

07/04/2009 by Christine

Most drivers start out karting when they are very young, and progress through the lower formulae before entering F1. Mark Webber took a slightly different approach, not starting until he was 14 years old. He had a go at motorbikes, then switched to karting, and from there, he followed the traditional route.

F1 2009, Round 2 - Malaysia

A red flagged race sees half points handed to the drivers

06/04/2009 by Christine

The Malaysian Grand Prix was approached with some excitement, as we'd seen a great season opener, that really didn't match up with what we'd expected. The Brawn GP boys were really, really fast, and they didn't let up when we got to Sepang.

McLaren admit lying to stewards

Lewis Hamilton's incident with Jarno Trulli is investigated further

03/04/2009 by Christine

The matter of Lewis Hamilton's disqualification from last week's race results has now moved on to a much bigger problem. It's not simply about getting an extra point or having to pay a fine, it's now a matter of being dishonest with the stewards.

Hamilton stripped of third place

Lewis Hamilton loses podium place after controversial Australian incident

02/04/2009 by Christine

Rumours began yesterday that Lewis Hamilton was being called back in front of the stewards (only this time in Malaysia) to go over what happened in Australia again. The McLaren driver was promoted to third after it emerged that Jarno Trulli had overtaken him under safety car conditions.

Drivers concerned about twilight racing

Later start times cause worries about shadows and visibility

01/04/2009 by Christine

It has long been the case that the flyaway races mean European audiences have to get up in the early hours to catch the Grand Prix live. The TV broadcasters will usually run a more family friendly re-run of the race in it's usual mid-afternoon slot, but by then, the results are already known.

Two penalties from Australia

The Safety Car is brought out for one incident, and causes another

31/03/2009 by Christine

There were two main penalties handed out after the Australian Grand Prix had been completed. One affects the results of the race we've just seen, and the other will have some bearing on what happens in Malaysia next weekend.

F1 2009, Round 1 - Australia

Jenson Button wins with a surprisingly dominant Brawn GP car

30/03/2009 by Christine

We'd waited so long for the Formula 1 season to begin that it couldn't be anything but brilliant. The Free Practice sessions proved from the outset that the natural order of things from last year was being completely turned on its head. Nico Rosberg, in the Williams, led all three sessions, dominating Friday and Saturday practice.

FOM settle royalties row

Bernie Ecclestone and the teams go head to head again

27/03/2009 by Christine

Bernie Ecclestone has been trying to keep the row between himself and the teams under wraps over the past few days, and with the diffuser row dominating headlines, that's been easy to do. However, it has emerged that a couple of the teams had even threatened not to get on the plane to Australia, until they were paid the money they were owed.

Hamilton joins the GPDA

The defending champion signs up to the driver's group

26/03/2009 by Christine

In 2008, members of the GPDA were slightly critical of Lewis Hamilton's decision not to join the association. Although at the time, rumours of big arguments appeared to be overstated, it's fair to say there was some pressure on the McLaren driver to sign up.

Two reserve drivers announced

Red Bull and Brawn GP confirm their third drivers for 2009

25/03/2009 by Christine

Red Bull recently announced that they would be signing up New Zealand driver Brendon Hartley for the third driver role with the team, and with their sister team Toro Rosso. Hartley has been associated with Red Bull for a long time, and last year finished the F3 championship in third, having picked up five wins.

Rear diffusers cause issues

The FIA look closer at new designs on 2009 F1 cars

24/03/2009 by Christine

As soon as the Williams and Toyota cars were launched, it was obvious that they had taken the regulations and interpreted them in a different way to the majority of the rest of the field. When the Brawn GP car was released into the wild, it was one of the most extreme examples.

New championship deciding system retracted

The points system announced last week is overturned already

23/03/2009 by Christine

Early last week, the FIA announced some new regulations that would affect the 2009 season. It seemed very late to be changing things, particularly the points system. The World Motorsport Council met and decided that the driver with the most wins would secure the championship, regardless of how many points he had scored.