...and Happy New Year !

Merry Christmas !!!

Top 50 drivers for 2010 ( Autosport Magazine )

1. Sebastian Vettel (F1)
2. Lewis Hamilton (F1)
3 Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR)
4. Fernando Alonso (F1)
5. Sebastien Loeb (World Rally)
6. Dario Franchitti (IndyCar)
7. Mark Webber (F1)
8. Will Power (IndyCar)
9. Robert Kubica (F1)
10. Jenson Button (F1)
11. Denny Hamlin (NASCAR)
12. Nico Rosberg (F1)
13. Paul di Resta (DTM/F1)
14. Sebastien Ogier (World Rally)
15. Petter Solberg (World Rally)
16. Edoardo Mortara (F3)
17. Daniel Ricciardo (FRenault 3.5)
18. Kevin Harvick (NASCAR)
19. Rubens Barrichello (F1)
20. Yvan Muller (Touring Cars)
21. Jari-Matti Latvala (World Rally)
22. Nico Hulkenberg (F1)
23. Jean-Eric Vergne (F3)
24. Kamui Kobayashi (F1)
25. James Courtney (V8 Supercars)
26. Jamie Green (DTM)
27. Sam Bird (GP2)
28. Kyle Busch (NASCAR)
29. Stephane Sarrazin (Sportscars)
30. Pastor Maldonado (GP2)
31. Jamie Whincup (V8 Supercars)
32. Jason Plato (Touring Cars)
33. Andy Priaulx (Touring Cars)
34. Marc Lieb (GT)
35. Timo Glock (F1)
36. Timo Bernhard (Sportscars)
37. Jamie McMurray (NASCAR)
38. Sergio Perez (GP2)
39. Juho Hanninen (Rallying)
40. Joao Paulo de Oliveira (FNippon)
41. Mikhail Aleshin (FRenault 3.5)
42. Heikki Kovalainen (F1)
43. Esteban Guerrieri (FRenault 3.5)
44. Gary Paffett (DTM)
45. Valtteri Bottas (F3)
46. Richard Westbrook (GT)
47. Craig Dolby (Superleague)
48. Craig Lowndes (V8 Supercars)
49. Rob Huff (Touring Cars)
50. Filipe Albuquerque (Race of Champions)

Renault rebranded as Lotus Renault GP

Gerard Lopez, Genii Capital chief and chairman of Renault F1 Team:

"We are delighted that we can now go public with the news that we will be racing as Lotus Renault GP in 2011. t is extremely exciting to begin a new era for the team in partnership with Group Lotus, and we will continue to enjoy a strong relationship with Renault over the coming seasons. It is a tribute to the excellent work this year by the team in Enstone that we have been able to attract both major sponsorship and new investment for a very bright future.

Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar:

"I can think of no better platform for automotive brand communications than motorsport and F1 is the very pinnacle of open-wheel racing. We're well aware that there has been a lot of controversy around the usage of our brand in F1 and I'm delighted to be able to formally clarify our position once and for all: we are Lotus and we are back."

Dato' Sri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh, chairman of Proton:

"We know that Group Lotus has much to offer Formula 1 and vice versa. After careful consideration, we believe this arrangement will be fruitful, both from a commercial and marketing point of view." 

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Proton advisor and former Prime Minister of Malaysia:

"This is an exciting development which delivers strategic benefits to both Group Lotus and Proton. I fully support the partnership."

Le Figaro on Lotus Renault ( 13th Nov )

Renault Selling Stake in Its F1 Team to Malaysia’s Proton, Figaro Says. 

“French carmaker Renault SA is about to sell its remaining 25 percent stake in its namesake Formula One team to Malaysia’s Proton, Le Figaro reported, citing people close to the matter it didn’t identify. “Proton’s Lotus Cars brand will be the team’s sponsor for about 30 million euros ( $41 million ) annually over five years, and the team’s new name may be Lotus-Renault as the French automaker will keep providing engines, Le Figaro said.”

Bloomberg

Abu Dhabi GP: PlanetF1.com on Robert Kubica + lap chart + pit stop data

Star of the Race
Robert Kubica, Renault, 5th
Robert Kubica drove an exhilarating race after getting caught out at the start - 14th at Turn 1 - and made his own luck as he progressed through the field. He put in two crucial overtaking moves on Adrian Sutil and Kamui Kobayashi (see below) who were on the similar tyre strategy. Sutil and Kobayashi finished outside of the points in P13 and P14 respectively, but Kubica clawed his way past and up into P5. He also managed to keep in front of Lewis Hamilton, not that that aided his position at all, if anything it could have hindered it. For a car that hasn't been developed much since Spa it was a tremendous result.

Overtaking Move of the Race
Lap 25: Robert Kubica on Kamui Kobayashi for P4
Robmert Kubica could have won this twice over, first for his overtaking move on Sutil and second for his overtaking move on Kobayashi. The Japanese driver held the inside line going into Turn 11 (a corner which really should have been reprofiled to give more room on the exit and to allow cars to run through it side by side) but Kubica used the Renault's straight line speed to good advantage and got far enough in front before the turn-in to dissuade Kobyashi from doing a Webber-at-Singapore move.

Lap chart

Pit Stops

Place where the red and orange bars meet indicates the very first pit stop.

Graphs and data from f1fanatic.co.uk

FINAL STANDINGS 2010

Drivers’ championship

Position	Driver	Points
1	Sebastian Vettel	256
2	Fernando Alonso	252
3	Mark Webber	242
4	Lewis Hamilton	240
5	Jenson Button	214
6	Felipe Massa	144
7	Nico Rosberg	142
8	Robert Kubica	136
9	Michael Schumacher	72
10	Rubens Barrichello	47
11	Adrian Sutil	47
12	Kamui Kobayashi	32
13	Vitaly Petrov	27
14	Nico Hülkenberg	22
15	Vitantonio Liuzzi	21
16	Sebastien Buemi	8
17	Pedro de la Rosa	6
18	Nick Heidfeld	6
19	Jaime Alguersuari	5
20	Heikki Kovalainen	0
21	Jarno Trulli	0
22	Karun Chandhok	0
23	Bruno Senna	0
24	Lucas di Grassi	0
25	Timo Glock	0
26	Sakon Yamamoto	0
27	Christian Klien	0

Constructors’ championship

Position	Team	Points
1	Red Bull	498
2	McLaren	454
3	Ferrari	396
4	Mercedes	214
5	Renault	163
6	Williams	69
7	Force India	68
8	Sauber	44
9	Toro Rosso	13
10	Lotus	0
11	HRT	0
12	Virgin	0

ABU DHABI 14th Nov 2010. RACE RESULTS.

Pos.	#	Driver	Team
1	5	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull
2	2	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren
3	1	Jenson Button	McLaren
4	4	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes
5	11	Robert Kubica	Renault
6	12	Vitaly Petrov	Renault
7	8	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari
8	6	Mark Webber	Red Bull
9	17	Jaime Alguersuari	Toro Rosso
10	7	Felipe Massa	Ferrari
11	27	Nick Heidfeld	Sauber
12	9	Rubens Barrichello	Williams
13	14	Adrian Sutil	Force India
14	23	Kamui Kobayashi	Sauber
15	16	Sebastien Buemi	Toro Rosso
16	10	Nico Hülkenberg	Williams
17	19	Heikki Kovalainen	Lotus
18	25	Lucas di Grassi	Virgin
19	21	Bruno Senna	HRT
20	28	Christian Klien	HRT
21	18	Jarno Trulli	Lotus

OUR PREDICTION: VETTEL

Be with us on Sunday!

Brief Qualifying Analysis

The worst qualifying session by Robert so far and the very first time out of Q Top10. Sunday grid looks terrific, though. Two Mercedes in front of two Renaults, Vettel first, Alonso third and Webber fifth. One hell of a race coming on Sunday. To cheer you all up a bit some nice artwork combined with ABBA song called 'Fernando' ;-) 

"Fernando"

Can you hear the drums Fernando?

I remember long ago another starry night like this

In the firelight Fernando

You were humming to yourself and softly strumming your guitar

I could hear the distant drums

And sounds of bugle calls were coming from afar

They were closer now Fernando

Every hour every minute seemed to last eternally

I was so afraid Fernando

We were young and full of life and none of us prepared to die

And I'm not ashamed to say

The roar of guns and cannons almost made me cry

There was something in the air that night

The stars were bright, Fernando

They were shining there for you and me

For liberty, Fernando

Though we never thought that we could lose

There's no regret

If I had to do the same again

I would, my friend, Fernando

Now we're old and grey Fernando

And since many years I haven't seen a rifle in your hand

Can you hear the drums Fernando?

Do you still recall the fateful night we crossed the Rio Grande?

I can see it in your eyes

How proud you were to fight for freedom in this land

There was something in the air that night

The stars were bright, Fernando

They were shining there for you and me

For liberty, Fernando

Though we never thought that we could lose

There's no regret

If I had to do the same again

I would, my friend, Fernando

There was something in the air that night

The stars were bright, Fernando

They were shining there for you and me

For liberty, Fernando

Though we never thought that we could lose

There's no regret

If I had to do the same again

I would, my friend, Fernando

Yes, if I had to do the same again

I would, my friend, Fernando... 

QUALIFYING SESSION AND GRID POSITIONS ( Abu Dhabi )

Row 1		1. Sebastian Vettel 1’39.394 Red Bull-Renault
	2. Lewis Hamilton 1’39.425 McLaren-Mercedes
Row 2		3. Fernando Alonso 1’39.792 Ferrari
	4. Jenson Button 1’39.823 McLaren-Mercedes
Row 3		5. Mark Webber 1’39.925 Red Bull-Renault
	6. Felipe Massa 1’40.202 Ferrari
Row 4		7. Rubens Barrichello 1’40.203 Williams-Cosworth
	8. Michael Schumacher 1’40.516 Mercedes
Row 5		9. Nico Rosberg 1’40.589 Mercedes
	10. Vitaly Petrov 1’40.901 Renault
Row 6		11. Robert Kubica 1’40.780 Renault
	12. Kamui Kobayashi 1’40.783 Sauber-Ferrari
Row 7		13. Adrian Sutil 1’40.914 Force India-Mercedes
	14. Nick Heidfeld 1’41.113 Sauber-Ferrari
Row 8		15. Nico Hülkenberg 1’41.418 Williams-Cosworth
	16. Vitantonio Liuzzi 1’41.642 Force India-Mercedes
Row 9		17. Jaime Alguersuari 1’41.738 Toro Rosso-Ferrari
	18. Sebastien Buemi 1’41.824 Toro Rosso-Ferrari
Row 10		19. Jarno Trulli 1’43.516 Lotus-Cosworth
	20. Heikki Kovalainen 1’43.712 Lotus-Cosworth
Row 11		21. Timo Glock 1’44.095 Virgin-Cosworth
	22. Lucas di Grassi 1’44.510 Virgin-Cosworth
Row 12		23. Bruno Senna 1’45.085 HRT-Cosworth
	24. Christian Klien 1’45.296 HRT-Cosworth