Testing for 2010 will begin at Jerez on December 1st

The 2009 Formula One season is over but the fun is just beginning anew as the teams and drivers are already testing their cars for the up coming 2010 season. There will be three new teams on the grid next year, along with the perennial teams that have been competing for years. Lewis Hamilton will be someone to watch, along with Sebastian Vettel and of course the 2009 Formula One World Champion Jenson Button.

Force India has been busy this week setting up their VJM02 race car to be driven by new drivers’ British driver Paul di Resta and the present Indy lights champion American JR Hildebrand. These two up and coming drivers will be competing in next week’s young driver test being held at Jerez in Spain. These two drivers were the lucky racers chosen for their strong performances in Force India’s simulator last month and one of these two drivers will land a spot as a full time test driver and will act as a backup for Force India’s regular drivers.
Dr Resta hails from West Lothian, Scotland, and drives in the German DTM touring car series; he finished third in the series last year and had one win. He did win the 2006 Formula 3 Euroseries against Sebastian Vettel and in 2004 was hailed as the McLaren Autosport BRDC young driver of the year.

JR Hildebrand comes from the sunny state of California. He has climbed the racing ladder quickly in America, with impressive showings in the junior circuits, and is the current Indy Lights champion, which is the runner up series to the American premier racing series. In 2006 he won the Formula Ford 2000 title and in 2007 was the top new racer in the Atlantic championship series.

Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India’s chairman and team principal was on hand to greet these two young drivers and he welcomed them to the Force India young driver test. If they perform well they’ll set themselves up for a chance at a Formula One career and maybe a few wins or a championship if they have what it takes.

The testing at Jerez will involve a few teams and will begin on Tuesday December 1^st and run until December 3^rd. Force India will test both drivers on separate days and then they’ll have to wait to see what they think.

Good luck to these two young gentlemen during their tests.

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2010 Formula One Testing at Jerez

Jenson Button wasn't expected to do as well as he has

Jenson Button grew up in the racing industry and with his early success, so a lot was expected of Jenson. Having so much success early in his career might have put him behind the wheel so to speak, but the expectations surrounding him were probably a little too optimistic, and may have put him behind a little in his development.

After ten years of toiling in the race trenches of the racing industry, Jenson Button has finally reached the top of his profession and it must feel good for a racer who had trouble concentrating on anything but racing as a young man. A strong will and drive has gotten Jenson to where he’s now, along with a level of driving and racing talent that’s rare. He has come along way since his first scramble bike and there’s only one thing left for him to do. Repeat as Formula One champion in 2010.

Repeating is going to be even more difficult after his first championship, because he’ll have a bull’s eye on his car every time he gets in a Formula One car.

Jenson will probably head back home after this to recharge his batteries and talk about his year with one of the inspirations of his win, his mother and father, and family. They have supported him and paid for his development during the developmental years and deserve as much credit for the win as anybody on the fringes of his achievement. They did after all help to decide his character and drive, and they have done their part to produce a man with the drive and ability to be the best in his field.

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Jenson Button Makes Them Eat Their Words

Bruno Senna will be thrilling the girls next season

Lewis Hamilton knows how hard it’s to repeat and you can bet that he’s hungry to get back to the top, but are these two champions as hungry as a racer who hasn’t won his first title. I would say no, just because of the way such things work. Of course there can be exceptions to such things and it will be fun to watch and see what happens in 2010.

Sebastian Vettel will be one of the really hungry and talented racers on the track next year. He hasn’t tasted a championship, yet, and I expect him to be hungrier than Hamilton or Button. He showed a lot of skill and grit during the 2009 Formula One season and I expect him to have learned from his mistakes and the races he took part in. Can Vettel win the title? He has the talent, but it takes more than talent to win a Formula One title. Everything has to come together at the right time, the team, the car, the tracks, the weather and the driver, but expect him and his team to lay their life down trying.

There will be a new racer, with an old racing name, on the Formula One circuit next year driving for the new Spanish team Campos Meta, as Bruno Senna will make his debut behind a Formula One car. This nephew of three-time Formula One World Champion, Aryton Senna, is a 26-year old racer who grew up racing karts and hearing stories about his uncle, who was tragically killed in a accident in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

After the death of his uncle and his father in a motorcycle accident, Senna decided to go away from racing and concentrated on other parts of life, before deciding a few years ago that racing was in his blood and returning to the industry. He’ll be on the track next year, but will the ghost of his famous uncle be with him on the track to help to guide him? We never really know but it’s a nice thing to wish for and think about.

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2010 Formula One Season Begins

Jenson Button is the 2009 FIA Formula One World Champion

Sebastian Vettel would win four times during 2009 and emerge as the runner up to Jenson Button and his first FIA Formula One World Championship title. Bubens Barrichello finished third for Brawn, while Mark Webber would finish the 2009 Formula One campaign in fourth place in the standings, with two wins in the bank. Kimi Raikkonen had a steady but unremarkable 2009 Formula One season for Ferrari, he looked strong at points but never really looked like he could win it all at any point and finished sixth. Nico Rosberg had a good 2009 campaign for Toyota but was in tough company and finished seventh. It isn’t going to get any easier in the years ahead for Rosberg. Nico has talent but is over shadowed by racers of world championship calibre and world championships could be a stretch for him. Jarno Trulli showed tremendous promise at points during the season, but wasn’t able to get a win, which is probably a burr sticking in his rear. It’s only a matter of time in my opinion that Jarno breaks through and has a great season. Will the 2010 campaign be the year for Jarno? Only time will tell, but expect big things from Jarno Trulli in the years ahead. Spanish driver Fernando Alonso had an unremarkable year for Renault that left him in ninth place in the standings. Fernando has a lot more talent than his results would suggest though and if he ever gets behind the wheel of a car with the power and performance, he’ll be hard to beat on a race track. German Timo Glock finished the 2009 Formula One season in the unfortunate position of being the driver that completes the top ten. No Formula One driver wants to finish tenth in the standings.

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Final 2009 FIA Formula One Standings

NASCAR's titles are still up for grabs

On the two-wheeled race circuit, Valentino Rossi has closed the show on his seventh MotoGP Premier Class World Championship and his ninth in all classes and is currently basking in the glory of it all. He had a hard fight all year with his team mate Jorge Lorenzo and deserves all the credit we can give him for taking the pressure once again and coming out on top. The only thing harder than winning it all is doing it over and over again and this is something Rossi has learned to handle well. The real question is if he can do it again or if he’s coming back at all? Could Valentino Rossi be contemplating retirement, it wouldn’t surprise me. After all, what else does he have to prove and what can his motivation be to come back again and put his life on the line. I guess we’ll see next year.

Jenson Button is the newest racer to win his first Formula One World Championship by winning the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship. He had a fast start to the year and was able to keep his momentum and car headed in the right direction and was eventually able to close the show on his rivals. Lewis Hamilton will have to try again next year but it should be exciting to see what happens in 2010. There will be a few new teams on the track next year and it will be exciting and possibly frustrating for many.

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The Year’s Racing Summed Up

Robert Kubica thinking about 2009 and what could be in the 2010 Formula One season to come

Things are kind of low key at the moment and Formula One is currently formulating their plans for the 2010 Formula One season. The World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) recently got together to discuss plans for the 2010 season and talk over the revised schedule for the 2010 season, which still isn’t written in stone. Formula One is planning on coming to Canada next year on the tentative date of June 13, but they still need to iron out a few contract problems. The Japanese and Korean Grand Prix races still have to have their circuits looked at again and approved for Formula One competition and I am sure they’ll think of a few more things that need to be taken care of before we can safely say where the races will be held and when we can start planning a trip to take in one of the races. The Monaco Grand Prix is going to be moved forward one week in the schedule to May 16 from the original race date of Maya 16. Formula One has also entered into talks with Abu Dhabi and Brazilian Grand Prix officials about swapping the dates between these two races, but an agreement has yet to be agreed on.

The final calendar for the 2010 Formula One season probably isn’t going to be finalized until the planned December meeting of the World Motor Sports Council. The following list of races and dates shouldn’t be taken as absolute and you should look for updates in the coming weeks.

Formula One will visit Bahrain on March the 14, before heading to Australia, Malaysia, China and then a stop in Spain is scheduled. Next, Formula One is scheduled for a stop in Monaco, before heading to Turkey, Canada, Valencia in Europe and then the British Grand Prix. After the British Grand Prix Formula One heads to Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Abu Dhabi and lastly Brazil.

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The 2010 Formula One Season Schedule

Jenson Button celebrates his victory in style

The overall race was won by Red Bull’s Mark Webber, just ahead of BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica, last year’s Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel in fourth, just ahead of Button. Raikkonen had to make a few crucial changes to his car and strategy during the race but was still able to finish sixth, Sebastien Buemi finished seventh ahead of a dejected Barrichello in eighth, Heikki Kovalainen finished ninth, but this could change once the investigations are finished, while Kobayashi had a great first showing for Toyota with a tenth place finish.

The race from the start was a chaotic affair as heading into the first corner we had our first indication of what was to come as Kimi Raikkonen and Adrian Sutil touched wheels. Coming out of the bend in the track Sebastian Vettel collided with Heikki Kovalainen, which forced Kovalainen to spin into Giancarlo Fisichella way and force him onto the grass to avoid a full speed collision. A little further down the track Jarno Trulli lost control of his car in the straight stretch and took Adrian Sutil off his racing line with him. Sutil lost control of his car and as it came back onto the track after spinning off, he appeared in front of Fernando Alonzo, who had no where to go but into Sutil. The safety car had to be brought onto the track as the debris left on the track by the crash was removed. Jenson was able to make his way through all of this and the remainder of the chaos on this day and finish fifth, a remarkable achievement considering the facts.

Jenson’s fifth place finish is also notable for three other reasons. First, besides guaranteeing him the 2009 Formula One drivers crown and Brawn the constructors crown, his fifth place finish also makes him the tenth British Formula One champion. Second, it makes him in combination with Lewis Hamilton the first back to back British Formula One champions in history. Third, it makes Brawn a truly historical team by winning the Formula One constructors championship on their first try.

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Button clinches Formula One Championship

Jenson Button is getting ready for the biggest weekend of his life, so far!

Jenson Button is in position to achieve his ultimate dream of becoming 2009 Formula One Grand Prix World Champion after a season that started hot but has cooled off in the later stages of the season. Jenson Button is in the enviable position of holding his own fate in his hands. All he has to do is perform up to his ability and stay out of the way of lady luck’s bad side and he should be able to finish well enough in the last two races of the year to close the door on his competition. This would leave his two rivals for the world title Sebastian Vettel and Rubens Barrichello looking in and thinking about what could have been.

There are only a maximum of 20 points available in the remaining two races and if Button can finish no worse than third in the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend, he’ll be 2009 Formula One Grand Prix World Champion. At present Button is 14 points ahead of Barrichello and 16 points ahead of Vettel, and although a third place finish isn’t easy, it’s well within the reach of his car. Button needs to stay within himself during this race and not be drawn into a battle to win if the chance isn’t within his reach. He needs to grab whatever points the track and his competitors give him, and not be overly aggressive in his pursuit of a win. The big picture for him and the team is the championship, which they can win by finishing ahead of Barrichello and Vettel.

If he can control his emotions and race within the ability of his car he’ll be the 2009 Formula One World Champion. If he gets drawn into a personal battle to win the race, he could find himself looking back one day and thinking about what could have been.

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Jenson Button Poised to Achieve his Dream

Sebastian Vettel wins the Japanese Grand Prix

Vettel seemed to know this as he came out onto the track because with the drop of the start flag he leaped into the lead and never looked back on his way to victory in the Japanese Grand Prix. Behind him Lewis Hamilton and Jarno Trulli were startled to see Vettel so fast off the start and settled in for along race of seeing if they could catch him. Nicky Heidfeld and Kimi Raikkonen were behind them battling for their own positions on the track, while Button was struggling to get his car up to speed.

It looked like it was going to be written in stone until Jaime Alguersuari lost control of his Toro Rosso coming out of 130R on lap 44. His problems resulted in the safety car coming out onto the track for five laps and allowed the field to pull a little closer to Vettel and the leaders. It looked like Hamilton and Trulli might get to take another shot at passing Vettel, but the chance never materialized as Hamilton lost space to the leaders and was soon feeling pressure from Rosberg Heidfeld behind him.

In the end Vettel crossed the line 4.8s ahead of Jarno Trulli for the victory in the Japanese Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton was a further 1.5s behind in third place due to a slower pit stop. Kimi Raikkonen came home in fourth, Nico Rosberg finished fifth for Williams, while Nick Heidfeld held on for sixth for BMW Sauber. This win allows Vettel to keep his hopes for the 2009 Formula One drivers’ championship alive, as he’s now just 16 points behind Button for the championship with two races left. He still has to content with Sebastian Barrichello who is only 14 points behind Button, but both Barrichello and Vettel need help to win. In fact, Button holds his own future in his hands, as long as he can continue to handle the pressure. He only needs to grab seven points in two races to capture the Formula One Championship but they might be the hardest points in his life to capture.

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Vettel Pulls Closer to Button

Jenson Button is trying to close the show on the 2009 Formula One Drivers Championship

The track of Suzuka is a challenging one with lots of high-speed corners and quick changes of momentum as the racers are manoeuvring on the track. The race car that is the strongest in all areas and has the best combination of braking, balance and horsepower is going to have the best chance to win. Finding the correct set up is critical on Suzuka as it’s a medium speed track where aerodynamic performance is going to be a key element for the teams. Tire selection is going to be just as important on the track of Suzuka and Bridgestone has brought hard and soft compound tires for the teams to test on the altered track of Suzuka.

Officials at the track have made a few changes that are going to give racers who have raced here a different look than their use to. This won’t be a concern for Lewis Hamilton or Sebastian Vettel because they have never raced at Suzuka before, but for those that have, they’ll have to take another look before they start the race.

Hamilton will certainly be in fine form after a victory in Singapore but with no chance of winning the 2009 Formula One Drivers Championship, he’ll be racing for the team and personal pride.

You can catch the first practice Friday at 10:00 and then stick around for Friday’s second practice session at 14:00. Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix begins Saturday and the race will kick-off at 14:00 on Sunday.

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Formula One Heads to Japan