Formula One 2010

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Racing and strategy

A Formula One Grand Prix event spans an entire weekend, beginning with two free practices on Friday, and one free practice on Saturday. Third drivers are allowed to run on Fridays for teams that finished the preceding season in 5th place or lower. After these practice sessions, a qualifying session is held.

The format of this qualifying session has been through several iterations since 2003. Attempts were made to reinvigorate interest in the qualifying session by using a "one-shot" system in which each driver would take turns on an empty track to set their one and only time.

For the 2006 season a knockout qualifying system has been introduced. The FIA revised the 2006 procedures starting with Round 11, the 2006 French Grand Prix. In the first phase, all 22 cars are permitted on the track for a 15-minute qualification session. Only their fastest time will count and drivers may complete as many laps as they wish. In the original format, the clocks were stopped immediately at the end of the session, which meant that drivers on a timed lap did not have their time registered once the 15 minutes were up. From Round 11, any car running a timed lap at the time of the chequered flag is entitled to complete the lap. The slowest six cars can take no further part in qualifying, these cars will make up the last six grid positions in the order of their times.

The times for the sixteen remaining cars are reset for the next 15-minute session. In the original format, the clocks were stopped immediately at the end of the session. From Round 11, cars running timed laps at the chequered flag are allowed to complete the lap. The slowest six cars will make up the grid in positions 11 to 16 in the order of their times.

The times for the ten remaining cars will be reset for the next session. The shootout session lasted 20 minutes under the original regulations, changed to 15 minutes from Round 11. For the final period, the cars will be arranged on the grid in positions one to ten in the order of their times. In the first two 15-minute sessions, cars may run any fuel load and drivers knocked out after those sessions may refuel ahead of the race. However, the top-ten drivers must begin the final 15-minute session with the fuel load on which they plan to start the race. They will be weighed before they leave the pits. Whatever fuel they use in the 15 minutes may be replaced at the end of the session provided that the laps they complete are all within 110% of their best session time; outlaps (a lap that started in the pitlane) and inlaps (a lap that ended in the pitlane) are permitted to be no more than 120% of the driver's best session time. Any fuel for a lap outside of the 110% time will not be replaced. As with the first two 15 minute sessions, if a driver starts a timed lap before the chequered flag falls for the 15 minute session, their time will count even if they cross the finish line after the session has ended.

The race begins with a warm-up formation lap, after which the cars assemble on the starting grid in the order they qualified. If a driver stalls before the parade lap, and the rest of the field passes him, then he must start from the back of the grid. As long as he moves off and at least one car is behind him, he can retake his original position. A racer may also elect to start from pit-lane if he has any last minute problems with the car. If they choose to do this, they must wait for all cars to pass pit-lane before they may begin the race.

A light system above the track then signals the start of the race. Races are a little over 305 kilometres (190 miles) long and are limited to two hours, though in practice they usually last about ninety minutes. Throughout the race, drivers may make one or more pit stops in order to refuel and change tyres. Drivers have access to seven sets of dry-weather tyres, four sets of wet-weather tyres and three sets of extreme-weather tyres for the entire weekend. Drivers must choose the dry-weather compound they will use for the race ahead of qualifying.

The FIA awards points to the top eight drivers and their respective teams of a grand prix on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis (the race winner receives ten points, the first runner-up eight, and so on). The winner of the two annual championships are the driver and the team who have accumulated the most points at the end of the season. If any drivers and/or teams have the exact amount of points and are both competing for the driver and/or team championships, the driver and/or team who has won more Grand Prix races during the course of the season is declared the winner.

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Drivers and constructors

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Grands Prix

The number of Grands Prix held in a season has varied over the years. Only seven races comprised the inaugural 1950 season; over the years the calendar has almost tripled in size. Though the number of races had stayed at sixteen or seventeen since the 1980s, it reached nineteen in 2005.

Six of the original seven races took place in Europe; the only non-European race that counted towards the World Championship in 1950 was the Indianapolis 500, which, due to lack of participation by F1 teams, since it required cars with different specifications from the other races, was later replaced by the United States Grand Prix. The F1 championship gradually expanded to other non-European countries as well. Argentina hosted the first South American grand prix in 1953, and Morocco hosted the first African World Championship race in 1958. Asia (Japan in 1976) and Oceania (Australia in 1985) followed. The current nineteen races are spread over the continents of Europe, Asia, Australia, North America, and South America.

Traditionally, each nation has hosted a single grand prix that carries the name of the country. If a single country hosts multiple grands prix in a year, they receive different names. For example, every year two grands prix take place in Germany, one of which is known as the European Grand Prix.

The grands prix, some of which have a history that predates the Formula One World Championship, are not always held on the same circuit every year. The British Grand Prix, for example, though held every year since 1950, alternated between Brands Hatch and Silverstone from 1963 to 1986. The only other race to have been included in every World Championship season is the Italian Grand Prix. It has always taken place at Monza, with one exception in 1980 when it took place at Imola which now hosts the San Marino Grand Prix.

One of the newest races on the Grand Prix calendar, held in Bahrain, represents Formula One's first penetration into the Middle East with a high tech purpose-built desert track. The Bahrain Grand Prix, along with other new races in China and Turkey, present new opportunities for the growth and evolution of the Formula One Grand Prix franchise whilst new facilities also raise the bar for other Formula One racing venues around the world.

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Circuits

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Cars and technology

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Future of Formula One

Formula One went through a difficult period in the early 2000s. Viewing figures dropped, and fans expressed their loss of interest due to the dominance of Michael Schumacher and Ferrari.

The FIA has also been tasked with the responsibility of making rules to combat the spiralling costs which affect the smaller teams and to ensure that the sport remains as safe as possible.

To this end, the FIA has in recent years instituted a number of rule changes, including new tyre restrictions, multi-race engines, and reductions on downforce. Safety and cost are paramount in all rule-change discussions, and the FIA has made public its intention to continue to modify the rules with these goals in mind.

Over the coming years, more radical changes will be made to the rules. In October 2005, the FIA proposal of enhancing overtaking won the support of the teams by agreeing about the new rear wing concept that would eliminate the current single rear wing and replace it with two box-like wings, one behind each rear wheel. These changes are due in 2007. [9] In the long run, the FIA intends to introduce greater restrictions on testing and the introduction of standardised electronic units and tyres.

In the interest of making the sport truer to its designation as a World Championship, FOM president Bernie Ecclestone has initiated and organized a number of Grands Prix in new countries and continues to discuss new future races. The sport's rapid expansion into new areas of the globe also leaves some question as to which races will be cut.

Viewing figures are seeing some signs of recovery due to the varied 2005 season. Ferrari's dominance ended in 2005 as Renault and McLaren-Mercedes became the top two teams in Formula 1, with Fernando Alonso becoming the new World Champion. There has since been a resurgence of interest in the sport and 22 teams applied for the final 12th team spots available for the 2008 season (eventually awarded to Prodrive).

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Fernando Alonso

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2004
Alonso remained with Renault for the 2004 season but the R24 kept him out of the winner's circle. In the early part of 2004, though, questions were asked of Alonso when he was comprehensively out-qualified and out-raced by teammate Jarno Trulli. The situation would change towards the end of the year when Trulli suffered a lack of form and also dropped Renault boss Flavio Briatore as his manager. Trulli's relationship with the team deteriorated to the extent that he signed for Toyota from 2005 onwards, and even left for his new team for the final 3 races of 2004. Though he had no wins, Alonso ended the year a career-best fourth in the championship standings, scoring 59 points and four podiums.

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i just cant stand M. SH.

Montoya and Alonso rock

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Engine trouble douses M. Schumacher's F1 title hopes

Michael Schumacher saw his title hopes for this year's Formula One championship go up in smoke Sunday at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, Japan.

Reigning world champion Fernando Alonso won at Suzuka and heads into the season's final race with a 10-point lead over Schumacher, who dropped out in the 37th lap with a blown engine.

''I was leading the race and then suddenly the engine went up in smoke,'' said Schumacher, who will retire after this season. ``And I knew immediately what they meant for the race and championship.

''For me the championship is over,'' he said. ``I have to say clearly I don't really believe in the championship anymore.''

The Formula One driving title will be decided at the Brazilian GP on Oct. 22, with Renault's Alonso leading Schumacher of Ferrari 126-116 in the standings.

All Alonso needs to do in Brazil to win the title is finish in the top eight and score a point, no matter what Schumacher does.

''I think it is a little too early, but for sure the same thing can happen in Brazil. For sure we are now in a much better position than before,'' he said. ``Now we only need a few points and it becomes a bit easier.''

It was the Spanish driver's first win since the Canadian GP in June, his 15th career and seventh this year. Schumacher also has seven season wins.

Felipe Massa finished second to keep alive Ferrari's hopes of winning the constructor's title. Alonso's teammate, Giancarlo Fisichella, finished third.

Jenson Button in a Honda, was fourth, while Kimi Raikkonen of McLaren, last year's winner here, was fifth. Toyota's Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher were next, with Nick Heidfeld of BMW-Sauber eighth.

Sunday's F1 race is the last at Suzuka for a while as the Japanese GP moves to the Fuji track about 93 miles west of Tokyo next year.

DRIVER DIES OF INJURIES

New Zealand racing driver Mark Porter died two days after a high speed crash in the lead-up to Australia's most prestigious motor race, the Bathurst 1000.

Porter died at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital from serious head and internal injuries suffered Friday in the 115-mph crash with Australian driver David Clark during a second tier V8 race over the Mount Panorama circuit.

Clark was also critically injured but his condition stabilized and he was reported Sunday to be conscious and mentally alert, though not yet speaking.

Porter, 31, was climbing the mountain on the 12th lap of a 14-lap development race when his Holden Commodore spun sideways, stalled and was left stranded in the middle of the track in an area blinded to oncoming traffic.

Clark, 28, turned his Ford Falcon sideways in an attempt to escape a collision, but crashed directly into Porter's driver's side door at high speed.

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post count

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Michael Schumacher