What’s more they gave Badger a rare treat, the sort of thing money can’t buy – a few hours hanging out backstage in the paddock and the pit lane on the Thursday afternoon.  We were collected in one of the oh so funky F1 golf carts and escorted to the paddock complete with fancy paddock passes.  It’s a somewhat surreal experience being free to roam around the paddock, having a chat with Peter Sauber who was enjoying a fat cigar, bumping into Liuzzi, Heidfeld and Virgin’s own, Timo Glock as well many other of F1’s unsung heroes (that’s the engineers folks!) before having a tour of Virgin’s hospitality area and enjoying the view.

We even had the chance to have good look around an F1 team’s pit garage, which resembles more of a laboratory than a garage with it being squeaky clean and organised with loads of odd but complicated looking gadgets neatly aligned.  The engineers were hard at work on the cars, ensuring they’re ready for Friday practice.  Seeing such activity close up really brings home how intricate and perfect F1 engineering is, check out the photos:

Car in progress

The F1 engineers tool box

Under the covers

We explored every nook and cranny of the VR garage and have compiled some facts that you may not have known already (we didn’t!)

• Smoke alarms – well things that look like one above the cars are there to monitor whether any work is being done during Parc Ferme (and no, putting a bag over it won’t work)
• While Virgin Racing is pretty much Manor GP, with Branson turning up only to selected GPs, the Virgin brand definitely helps with getting sponsors (have you seen Sauber’s blank canvas this season!?)
• Geoff, the wonderful Technical PR chap at VR often tweets direct from the pit wall
• The team’s CEO Graeme Lowden is a thoroughly nice gent and one of few (if any?) CEOs present in the paddock throughout the GP weekend
• How hot is F1 fuel – very, around 80 degrees – so hot that it begins to vapourise, so very special pumps are needed to pick up the fuel to feed the engine.
• The team’s new front wing for Silverstone had a camera mount that wasn’t machined, but ‘grown’ – a method formally known as sintering
• Under no circumstances must anyone (Badger or otherwise) photograph the floor pan of an F1 car
• Each car has over 300 sensors on it, which send data back to garage – a seriously bonkers amount (see one of the screens below)
• There actually is a bloke that says ‘gentlemen start your engines’ – he’s the one who’s monitoring all the data on the car before it leaves the garage.
• The front wishbones on an F1 car can’t support the weight of the car alone, without the suspension, dampers and what not – i.e. if one thing goes then it’s game over – there really is nothing extra in F1 car design, it’s playing at the limits of every single component.

Timo's controls

Datatastic

Geoff assured us that engineers aren't usually head-scratching

The 'smoke' alarm FIA Parc Ferme monitoring gizmo

The Cosworth engine with oil tank mounted on

Your editor with Badger's senior member, Uncle Badger

So there you have it, that’s Badger’s exploration of the Virgin Racing pit garage, if you have any other questions or comments, use the comments box below.

Here at Badger we wish VR all the best for the rest of the season and will be keeping a close eye on their progress during the 2nd half of the 2010 season.

• Follow the team on Twitter here: @VirginRacing
• Follow the Badger on Twitter too: @f1Badger
• Buy VR team merchandise here: VR Shop
• And read their reports and features: VR Online

If you don’t no already FxPro is all about the Foreign Exchange (hence Fx) markets which in layman’s terms means buying and selling currencies.  The game involves you choosing a currency pair and your car’s performance is in relation to real-time market performance of your currencies.  It’s free to play, so there’s no excuse to have a go and learn something new at the same time.

You can play the game here: www.f1.fxpro.com – let us know how you get on in the comments below, Badger’s performance is somewhat dismal, languishing in 140th place at Silverstone…

Virgin out in front © Virgin Racing Media

Official details:

The Virgin Racing F1 Team and FxPro Financial Services Ltd (FxPro), a leading global retail broker in FX and CFDs, has launched an exciting new racing game that pits online players against each other for the chance to win VIP tickets to F1 races, football matches and other great sporting experiences.

The FxPro Currency Race is an online game and combines the thrill of F1 Racing with the high-pressure currency trading market.  Online racers will be asked to choose a currency pair at the start of the race and their speed around the track will depend on its performance on global financial markets during that lap. The race will take place in real time.

Each race winner will earn points towards winning tickets to F1 races, Premier League football matches and other great sporting prizes as part of a campaign to promote “The World of FxPro Sports”. FxPro, as well as sponsoring Virgin Racing, recently announced shirt sponsorship of Aston Villa and Fulham football clubs, as well as an existing partnership with the WRC. The aim of “The World of FxPro Sports” is to offer consumers the chance, through FxPro, to experience top class sporting events.

Timo Glock and team mate Lucas di Grassi, the Virgin F1 drivers, worked with FxPro to test the game, displaying their healthy rivalry, even during its test phase!

Virgin Racing driver Timo Glock says:

“Nothing beats the thrill of F1 racing and this is a fun way to compete against people around the world to win a great prize!’’ he says.

The launch coincides with high volatility in the markets around the confidence in Euro, which has played havoc with the currency markets. Players will be able to choose certain currency pairs that are depicted as F1 cars and race around the track in record time based on real time currency data received from FxPro.

So what are you waiting for start playing now and let us know how you get on! Best of luck!

And yes, that microphone is laughably fake. Credit TAG Heuer.com

Since the switch to McLaren just over 6 months ago, a team which more resembles a corporate powerhouse than a racing outfit, Button has been thrown into a sea of corporate events, interviews, adverts, sponsorship and, well, you get the picture. It was thanks to TAG Heuer, McLaren corporate partners, that I ended up putting the questions to Jenson at their swanky boutique shop in London’s Westfield.

Jenson arrived perfectly on time, which was fortunate given that TAG Heuer, the luxury watch-makers, was organising the event. Despite having been on McLaren’s state-of-the-art simulator for 10 hours that day Jenson was chatty and relaxed, and even managed to blag himself some TAG freebies before he left.

To watch the full video of the interview CLICK HERE, but read on for a few snippets of the interview…

Credit: TAG Heuer.com

Jenson started off by revealing a surprising fact about himself. “I get more nervous about interviews than the racing” said Jenson. He also insisted that he wouldn’t change anything about his past, including his many frustrating years driving supremely uncompetitive cars. “If I didn’t have those difficult times then maybe I wouldn’t have won the world championship last year”.

They haven’t been allowed to take one home yet, but McLaren team-mates Jenson and Lewis have been able to test drive the hotly anticipated McLaren road-car which, if you were wondering, is what Ron Dennis has been keeping himself busy with since passing over the reigns of the F1 team to Martin Whitmarsh. “It was good fun … they didn’t let us go out on the circuit together, which you can understand, but it’s a good car … the balance is good, it just needed tweaking. The handling is great, I’ve never driven a road car quite like it.” After seeing one up-close at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, I can testify that it does indeed look mighty impressive, despite the garish metallic orange they’ve chosen as its defining colour.

Jenson was candid about his thoughts during the difficult period between Honda pulling out of F1, the eventual buy-out of the team by team principal Ross Brawn, and the fairytale ending with a double world championship last year. ” That was a time in my career when I thought wow I’ve won one race, it’s great and all, but there’s so much more I want to achieve, so that was a very difficult time in my career and in my life to know that my hobby and my passion might come to an end. So all I could do really was push hard, and to help out as much as I could to make sure the team continued in 2009, and it happened, and that’s how I became world champion.”

Are there any downsides to being an F1 driver? I certainly can’t think of any, and funnily enough Jenson agreed, “as a package there isn’t a downside, because it’s something I love doing and something I’ve loved from a very early age”. Jealous doesn’t even begin to describe it.

And don’t forget, check out the FULL video by clicking here!

Before putting the T127 through its paces Fairuz took some time out to speak to Badger yesterday. Read on to hear about his F1 debut on home soil, why he’s no fan of the test ban, and dabbling with Heikki Kovalainen in some classic Lotus F1 cars…

© Lotus Racing

First up, you’re in the car for first practice at Silverstone this weekend- how are you feeling about it?

It’s a great opportunity to be back in the car. The last time I drove it was in Sepang, and since then both the car and the team have progressed a lot- so it’ll be better this time! Also, Silverstone is special for me. I’m looking forward to driving the new track layout and I only live 50 metres from the circuit, so it’s like my second home. I’m really looking forward to it.

But the session is about the team and development work. Of course, it’d be great to do some quick lap times, but at the end of the day I have to work for the team. We’ve got a few things to test.

What upgrades do you have for this weekend?

We’ve got changes to the bodywork and also some new aero parts. We’re looking to gain up to half a second, and if we can achieve that it’d be great. I think Silverstone is going to be our final upgrade- we’re going to concentrate on the 2011 car after that. So I’ll be doing a programme to evaluate the aero, and hopefully we’ll have enough time to maximise everything, as time’s very tight to try everything. But it’ll be great to see how the comparisson goes.

You mentioned the new section of track at Silverstone- what do you make of it from what you’ve seen?

I think it looks fantastic. There’s a combination of slow-speed, medium-speed and really high-speed corners, and I think it’s going to create more opportunities for overtaking- there’s definitely a lot of corners where you can overtake, so I think it’s going to be interesting to watch. For us, the most difficult part is that we don’t know what the tyre wear is going to be like, and we’ll only find that out tomorrow. It’s probably going to be a bit like Valencia, but we don’t know yet.

© Lotus Racing

You did first practice in Malaysia earlier in the season- tell us a bit about that experience

Yeah, it was great to be there in an F1 car. I enjoyed racing in front of my home crowd in A1GP in the past, but to do it in an F1 car is something that I’ve always wanted to do and something I’ve always aimed for in my career. The session in Malaysia was the first time I officially drove in F1, so I was very happy, and it was an honour to drive in front of the home crowd. I hope I can do it as a race driver some day.

What’s it been like, as a racing driver, having to watch from the pit wall?

It’s been frustrating, but at the end of the day I’ve got to be professional about it- you need to start somewhere in F1. Heikki started as a test driver, but of course in those days there was no test ban, so it helped drivers like him get a seat. Now it’s a bit more difficult. They’re talking about maybe lifting the ban for next year, so we have to wait and see.

But from me, I just need to be prepared and work hard to stay in shape, physically and mentally. I just need to be positive and professional, because you never know. I need to be ready for my chance when it comes.

In Heikki and Jarno you’ve got two very experienced teammates with a lot of F1 milage- has it helped you to work with these guys, in terms of learning the ropes?

To be honest, experience is one thing, but I’ve got my own style of approaching things and I bring new things as well. To me, how I approach it is ‘don’t make mistakes’. You need to have a proper programme, don’t try to push too hard, because you’ve got to complete the mission that the team has set you.

Of course, tomorrow is my opportunity and everyone is saying ‘you need a lap time’, but to me it’s a job. It’s about allowing the team to evaluate things and gather data so I just need to do what I’ve been told. Of course, I’d love to nail a time, and if I’m given an opportunity on new tyres then I’ll do it.

© Lotus Racing

What’s it like working for a team with as much Formula One history as Lotus?

Lotus are like Ferrari- they’re one of the teams to beat- so for me to open my career with them is fantastic. It feels like being with a top team. Of course, this is a modern Lotus, but the spirit is the same as the old one. We’ve got the blessing of Clive Chapman, and it’s very important to have the family’s support.

I think the team has done a fantastic job this year. For a new team to come in and get stronger and stronger and get closer to the midfield is fantastic, and so far we’ve finished a lot of races, which is very important for us.

What’s the reaction to Lotus been like back home in Malaysia, because it’s essentially a Malaysian team?

It’s been good. I think they’ll properly understand it after a few years. They want a Malaysian to drive, so hopefully I can get my shot. Of course, Lotus is a Malaysian team, but every country wants to see their hero in the car. That’s the most important thing.

So you were at the Classic Team Lotus Festival at Snetterton a few weeks back- how did that go?

It was a fantastic weekend! To be able to drive the modern F1 car and classic F1 car on the same weekend was great, and I didn’t think the crowd was going to be that big. It definitely helped that the current Lotus team, with Heikki and Jarno, were there. So yeah, it was a really good experience for me and I’m looking forward to being back their again next year.

I had an opportunity to try the Lotus Type 72, the one that Emerson Fitipaldi won the championship in, and Heikki drove the Type 78. The car was unbelievable, and we had some fun! We did a bit of racing in the classic cars, which was really good fun for us and the crowd. Most of the day the classic cars were just doing demo laps, going round slowly, but me and Heikki were really nailing it, so that was good fun for the crowd!

Fauzy and Kovalainen do battle in a pair of classic Lotus F1 cars. © Classic Team Lotus

Finally, a question it’s always good to ask test drivers: do you feel more testing time is needed to allow guys like yourself, di Resta and other testers to get F1 experience and ultimately get a race drive?

Well, I don’t think the test ban makes a difference to the cars, because the teams will just spend a lot of money doing in-house research, so it’ll end up almost the same. But if they lifted the ban and restricted the development you’d create more competitive racing and it’ll provide better testing chances for the drivers.

So I think it’s very important for them to lift the ban, especially to help young drivers like myself. If they could create a session just for rookie drivers, like they used to do in A1GP, that’d be great. Maybe practice 1 could just be for rookie drivers. It would help them for sure, and if anything happens to the main driver the rookie is prepared- he knows what he’s going to face during the weekend. If you don’t do any testing or any Friday sessions and suddenly you’re in a race seat and you have to just jump in and qualify, I think that’s a bit unprofessional, and it can be dangerous as well.

But what’s really got people talking, in the paddock and beyond, is the introduction of adjustable rear wings, which the FIA hopes will increase overtaking in the sport. Views on this have so far been largely negative but, before we make up our minds, let’s take a look at just what they are.

The new device will allow the drivers to adjust the rear wing and thereby reduce drag, much as the McLaren-pioneered F-Duct does. But, unlike the F-Duct (which is banned for 2011), this is purely to assist with overtaking, and will be a standardised system for all. And, to quote the FIA, “it will only be enabled if the driver is less than one second behind another car at any of the pre-determined positions around the track”, and will be switched off when the driver begins braking for the next corner.

McLaren pioneered the F-Duct this season, but it's an FIA controlled adjustable rear wing system for 2011. © Sutton/Autosport

So, this new piece of kit is basically an overtaking helper. Get close to the driver in front and you’ll be able to use it to drop the wing-angle, thus reducing drag and giving you a speed advantage of approximately 15kmh. The driver in front can’t use it until he’s been overtaken, so unless  he decides to put you in the wall you’re probably going to get past.

A good idea? It will certainly increase overtaking. Picture the scene: Lewis Hamilton charges up to the tail of Fernando Alonso. Lewis has the quicker car, but Fernando is making his Ferrari very wide and, stuck in the dirty air, the McLaren can’t make a move. But, as Lewis inches the gap down to 1 second the adjustable rear wing is activated. He’s suddenly much quicker on the straight, and nails Fernando in to the hairpin. But, exiting the corner, Alonso is under 1 second behind Hamilton. His rear wing drops, he gets a speed boost, and the position is retaken in to the next corner. Repeat for 25 laps, whilst fans watch in rapt excitement and Bernie rubs his hands together thinking of increased TV viewing figures.

The idea of more overtaking is undoubtedly something almost all F1 fans are positive about- but is this the way to achieve it? There are concerns that it’s a gimmick, that it will make passing too easy in a formula that prides itself on having the most skilled drivers in the world, and level the playing field for racers who haven’t honed their attacking skills. In other words, it could eliminate the art of overtaking,  making it as simple as engaging a device and breezing past your opponent.

Raikonnen put a stunning move on Fisichella at Suzuka '05- would this have been quite as special with adjustable rear-wings? © LAT/Autosport

And if that were the case think of all the great overtakes we’d have missed out on. One move immediately springs to mind for this writer: Mika Hakkinen’s brilliant pass on Michael Schumacher at the 2000 Belgian Grand Prix. As the two lapped the BAR of Ricardo Zonta Mika dived right whilst Michael went left, giving the McLaren the line in to Les Combes. The Finn used all his daring and cunning to make that move, and it’s rightly remembered of one of F1’s finest. With the adjustable rear wing Mika wouldn’t have needed Zonta, or any quick thinking- he’d just have powered past Michael a few laps earlier.

Some of the drivers have voiced negative opinions too. “Overtaking moves should be about pressurising, being skillful, and tactical,” said Red Bull’s Mark Webber. No word from teammate Sebastian Vettel- perhaps he’s not keen on bringing up the subject of overtaking after what happened in Turkey.

Renault star Robert Kubica though has joined Webber in voicing concerns: “if the wings move a lot we will see the cars overtake in a straight line and I don’t think there’s a lot of excitement in that,” said the Pole. Force India’s Adrian Sutil recognises that the new rules could spice up the on-track action, but isn’t to keen from a racer’s perspective: “It’s very good for the show, but it’s not so good from a driving point of view, because if you defend your position well it doesn’t really matter. If there’s a car behind you and he has the advantage of the slipstream anyway, and then he turns down the wing and he will gain another five or 10kmh”.

Webber’s worries were made terrifyingly real by his massive accident in last Sunday’s European Grand Prix. One of the primary reasons for the crash was the he was approaching the corner at a far greater speed than the Lotus of Heikki Kovalainen, and when the Finn braked slightly earlier his car became a launch ramp for Webber’s Red Bull. The combination of adjustable rear wings and KERS would make this sort of differential in corner approach speed common. If the driver in front did move to defend his line the chances of an accident similar to  this- one the likes of which we’ve seen little of in F1 lately- would be far greater. Webber was incredibly lucky to walk away from that shunt unhurt. The more it happens the more likely it is that someone will, eventually, not be so lucky.

Many paddock voices reckon the adjustable rear-wing will make accident's like Webber's in Valencia more common. © LAT/Autosport

It’s also been suggested that it’ll prevent defensive driving, a skill in itself. No matter how honed your ability to defend you position is you’re still going to get blown away when the car following you is 15kmh quicker on a straight. Tracks like Monza, Silverstone and Shanghai to name but three, all of which have very long straights, would see plenty of overtaking, with the driver trying to make the pass likely to breeze by on the straight. What about Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell’s battle to the flag at Monaco in 1991? If Nige was able to pick up the extra speed this device will bring he’d probably have cruised past Senna in to the Nouvelle Chicane. We’d have lost what was a stunning battle to the flag.

There’s also a nagging feeling that this is a move towards more standardised cars, something F1 fans are largely against. The F-Duct has been a great addition to F1 2010. It was fantastic to see one team pioneer a new aero device, and then watch the competition work furiously to produce their own versions, with each hitting upon a different way of getting the system on to their cars. A standard FIA system removes the element of technical intrigue and development so many of us love to see in F1.

Undoubtedly then there are some pretty negative aspects to this idea. But there’s also no doubt that it would increase overtaking in Formula One, something fans are always crying out for more of. It’s also a step towards ‘green’ racing- no turbo boosts here, just good, old fashioned aero trickery. So is this the way forward? Make your opinion heard- cast your vote in the poll below and let us know just what you think in the comments section.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Bridgestone announced their decision to quit late last year, influenced by the poor global economy and the departure of both Japanese teams, Honda and Toyota,  in the previous 12 months.

After entering F1 in ‘97, supplying a number of smaller teams, Bridgestone became sole supplier for 1999 and 2000 before being joined by Michelin in 2001. The French company withdrew in 2006, returning Bridgestone to sole supplier status. With their contract ending this year they decided not to renew the deal, sparking a battle to replace them as F1’s rubber of choice.

Pirelli supplied F1 tyres for the first 8 years of the championship (1950-1958) and returned for much of the 1980s. To date Pirelli shod cars have started a total of 200 Grand Prix, notched up 44 wins and taken 6 drivers world championships. Their last race victory came courtesy of Nelson Piquet’s very fortunate triumph at the 1991 Canadian Grand Prix.

© LAT/Autosport

Pirelli motorsport boss Mario Isola is confident of a happy reunion between his company and F1. “Pirelli has been involved in motorsport for more than 100 years. In all our history, we’ve showed that we have the technical ability to build motorsport tyres– in the past with F1, and recently with the World Rally Championship. I think the teams recognise that we have the ability to do it.”

Among the other companies who’d been looking to win the F1 tyre tender were Bridgestone’s most recent rivals Michelin, Cooper Avon and Korean manufacturer Kumho.

As well as F1 Pirelli will also supply feeder series GP2 and GP3 in 2010. With the path to F1 so clearly defined nowadays some drivers are going to forget any other tyre brands even exist.

Unlike Pirelli, who are happy with the monopoly system, Michelin had wanted competition between multiple manufacturers if they were to return to F1. There are clear pros and cons to a tyre war- which do you think would have been best for increasing on-track action for the 2011 F1 season?- but Pirelli’s new contract guarantees them at least three years as F1’s tyre of choice.

It was an impressive display and once in a lifetime chance to see so many classic ‘British Ferraris’ doing what they do best.  Thanks to our friends at Octane Photographic, here’s some shots from the day out in Norfolk – if you look closely, you’ll spot Johnny Herbert, Mike Gascoyne and none other than Elliot Moss (yes, that one!)

Slideshow: (or browse images at you leisure using the thumbnails below)

[[Show as slideshow]]

 

All images courtesy of Octane Photographs, please request permission before using them elsewhere

You can read more about Elliot Moss’ experience in his father’s classic Lotus, here on StirlingMoss.com

With the championship currently so nip and tuck it seems fair to say that the title will, in the end, go to the team who best develop their car over the remainder of the season. This is certainly how McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh sees things: “It is a classic case: if we don’t develop the car at a quick enough pace then we won’t win races and we won’t win this championship,” he said after Canada. “So we won’t stand still.”

And nor, you can be sure, will McLaren’s chief rivals Red Bull nor title dark horses Ferrari. Both have aggressive upgrade programmes ready to roll for the next few races, with Valencia and Silverstone likely to see a raft of changes to their cars.

McLaren have so far proven themselves the most development savy team of 2010. In Bahrain their quickest car- that of Lewis Hamilton- was over a second shy of poleman Sebastian Vettel. A hefty gap, and one that had both drivers a little worried. But by Turkey things had changed- Lewis was less than two tenths slower than Mark Webber in qualifying, and this at a track where Red Bull were estimated to be gaining between two and four tenths through a single corner. Canada completed the turnaround, as Hamilton snatched pole from Webber by two tenths.

The F-Duct (or blown rear wing) has been Mclaren's trump card in 2010. © Sutton/Autosport

Of course, each track is different, and some fluctuations in pace can be put down to this. Hamilton’s second on the grid in Turkey, and the way he and Button held on to the Red Bulls in the race, was actually more impressive than pole and victory in Canada, considering the different characteristics of these two tracks. But what can’t be disputed is that McLaren have made big gains between early March and now.

But they’ve still got plenty of work to do. “We have an underlying development programme, and we are trying to cut 0.15 to 0.25 seconds off every race,” says Whitmarsh. “We have a reasonably big upgrade that we are fighting to have for Silverstone, and if that’s there then I would be disappointed if it’s not a much bigger step than that. If we don’t- if we fail to develop the car- we will get overhauled and beaten by more teams than just Red Bull.”

Among other things McLaren look set to introduce a Red Bull-esque exhaust system in Silverstone, and will hope to feel the advantages on quick corners like Maggots and Stowe.

And that brings us on to Red Bull. They started the season with the quickest car, which to an extent makes development more difficult. They were already enjoying the benefits of the RB6’s mighty aerodynamic grip, so the season so far has seen their competitors develop the same bits they already have and cut the gap. The fact that McLaren and Ferrari will both introduce Red Bull-style exhausts in the next two races is a great example of that. Red Bull are already gaining from this, and can’t squeeze much more from it. Their rivals, on the other hand, have much to gain- if they get it right.

Mind boggling levels of grip through fast corners have been the key to Red Bull's success- but can they keep it up? © LAT/Autosport

Despite concerns that McLaren have surpassed them on pace Red Bull haven’t been fully pegged in yet. Canada, with its long straights and total absence of fast corners, was a track they knew they wouldn’t dominate. It played in to McLaren’s hands, what with them having the best developed F-Duct, whilst also not highlighting Red Bull’s strength. Adrian Newey won’t be tearing what little hair he has left out to revolutionise the car.

Speaking of the F-Duct Red Bull did trial it in Turkey, but decided not to run with it, concerned that it drained downforce. Downforce- lots and lots of downforce in high speed corners- is what makes the RB6 so mega. Whether they’ll introduce it at a later date remains to be seen. What’s certain is that it wouldn’t be worth compromising other areas of what is already a superb car just to have an F-Duct.

Because make no mistake, the Red Bull is still the quickest car. If F1 was at Silverstone next weekend there’s little doubt they’d decimate the competition in qualifying and go on to win the race- barring technical problems or a coming to together between Mark and Seb. But with their rivals ringing the changes over the next two races can they remain the quickest- can they develop their car as well as McLaren and Ferrari?

Undoubtedly they developed well in 2009, particualrly considering that they had to make major changes to the RB5 to incorporate the must-have double diffuser. This year will see a similarly aggressive development of the RB6, a car that’s already gone through several changes throughout the season. Back-to-back wins in Spain and Monaco were aided in no small part by a new front wing and changes to the floor of the car. The rear of the Red Bull was already top-notch, and by maximising the front they put themselves in a strong position to win- and win they did.

So what about Ferrari, who have seemingly gone back backwards in 2010 but remain at the sharp end of the points? They started the season strongly, qualifying close to the Vettel’s Red Bull in Bahrain, keeping him in sight during the race and then inheriting the win when he suffered a technical problem.

Can Ferrari match the development pace of Red Bull and McLaren? © LAT/Autosport

But since then they haven’t been in contention for victory, and by Turkey had slipped back in to the battle between Mercedes and Renault.

Ferrari have attributed this in part to their pursuit of speed from the infamous F-Duct, also known as the blown rear wing. It shifted focus away from other crucial areas of the car, and the team clearly lost pace between the flyaway races and the European events. By Turkey Alonso couldn’t even get his car in to Q3, whilst Massa has regularly started at the wrong end of the top ten.

“We concentrated too much effort on the blown rear wing,” addmitted team principal Stefano Domenicali. “In Valencia we will have some significant updates, but then we must continue to improve the car to be in the fight right to the end,” added the bespectacled one.

Really? Did they really lose all that pace chasing dash from their duct, or is this Ferrari’s attempt to cover up the underlying failures of the F10? That’s one for you to decide.

Back to matters at hand: in Valencia Ferrari will intorduce what they hope to be their biggest breakthrough of the season: the much-mentioned Red Bull-style exhaust system. The so-called ‘exhaust-blown rear end’, which, put very basically, manages rear-end airflow more efficiently, is thought to be worth over half a second per lap, and simulations of its potential have had Ferrari’s tech boys’ eyes out on storks. Whether their system can match that of Red Bull on track remains to be seen.

In Valencia Ferrari should be at the sharp end regardless of upgrades, though Silverstone will be a different story. Its fast corners will really show whether the Scuderia have got anywhere near a Red Bull level of downforce.

It’s going to be mighty interesting to see how these developments affect the front-running cars over the next few races, and how that impacts on the championship. The title will, in a very big way, come down to who develops their car best over the next four months. If anyone takes a wrong turn, or wastes valuable energy chasing shadows, then their chances of clinching the world championship will take a near-fatal blow. But if they get it right success could be right around the (high-speed) corner.

This coming Sunday the Snetterton circuit in Norfolk will play host to the Classic Team Lotus festival, an event celebrating the proud history of the F1 legends and lending some support to their 21st century incarnation. What have they got lined up? It’s pretty special…

The event will see one of every Lotus Formula One on display- that’s right, every F1 car they’ve ever produced. There are some absolute beauties among them, with cars driven by legends such as Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi and Ayrton Senna on show. More than half of these will be doing demo runs on the circuit, so there’s chance to see these great machines in the in all their glory.

Several of F1 legend Jim Clark's cars will be on show at Snetterton. © www.SuttonImages.com

Both current Lotus F1 drivers, Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen, will be taking some classic F1 machines out on track, as will ex-F1 driver Martin Brundle. And, if F1 drivers in F1 cars doesn’t do it for you how about this: Lotus technical chief Mike Gacoyne will be doing a lap in the Type 49 once driven by Graham Hill. Now that’s got to be worth seeing.

“It’ll be great a great privilege to see all the cars and the fans who’ve supported our predecessors since day one,” Kovalainen said of the event, whist teammate Trulli described it as “a very rare chance to see so much history in one place.”

The day will end with a lap of the track by Lotus’ 2010 F1 challenger, before the team depart for the European Grand Prix- their 500th in the sport- and will also see a full programme of racing, including the Lotus Cup Europe and the Elise Trophy.

This is a once in a lifetime chance to see some of the greatest cars in Formula One history in one place. If you get the chance don’t hesitate to attend. For now, check out the video below for a little taste of what will be on show this weekend.

Click here to view the embedded video.

For full details visit the Classic Team Lotus Website.

© www.SuttonImages.com

First off, how are you feeling six races in to your career as a Virgin Racing driver?

Well, not perfect. We’ve struggled quite a lot in the races, and struggled to finish. I’ve only had the one finish in Barcelona, which is disappointing. We have to improve the technical aspects of the car and really just try to finish races and be the best of the new teams.

What has struck you as the most positive thing about the Virgin team?

The atmosphere in the team is really good, and the way they cope with the problems of a new team. In general I think we get on with things quite well and focus on sorting out the problems with the car. That’s all quite positive.

So how did your signing for Virgin come about-  what convinced you to take a chance on a brand new team?

The situation in Formula One. I mean, I was with Toyota and then they stepped out at the end of the year and suddenly my whole situation changed. Then I got this chance with Virgin and I just… took it.

You’ve switched from a team fighting for points and podiums to one where just finishing a race is an achievement. Have you had to alter your approach to racing this year?

Yeah definitely. I mean there isn’t really a race going on for us on Sundays because we’re just fighting against the blue flags and the top teams are lapping us. That’s not a proper race, but that’s how it is. We’ve just got to get on with it and try to improve.

At the moment the important thing is for both cars to finish and to try to make little improvements here and there with the car, little aero updates. Hopefully things will go right and take us a step forward.

How are you getting on with your new teammate?

Oh, very good. I mean, I already knew him and had a good relationship with him from GP2 and it’s working out quite well.

You beat him to the GP2 title in 2007- do you ever bring this up, just to remind him who’s boss?

Haha! No, I think he knows it! He doesn’t need reminding.

Is Istanbul Park a circuit you enjoy?

Yeah it’s good. We’ve had good racing here in the past and  I’ve had good races here in GP2. So yeah, I like the track and it’s good fun.

Tell us a bit about turn 8…

Yeah, it’s quite a nice corner, an interesting corner, and really long. There’s no corner like it on any other track and that makes it pretty nice.

Pretty intense we reckon! Tell us how you relax away from the circuit?

Generally I just try to spend some time on my bike and do a bit of the workout, riding through the forest or whatever. That’s the best way for me to get away from the race weekend.

Right, moving away from the F1-  today we asked our Twitter followers what they thought your favourite type of biscuit was. Would you like to put them out of their suspense?

(excitedly) Chocolate biscuit!

Cheers Timo, that’ll be a relief to a lot of people! Sticking with the non-F1 chat, what road car are you driving at the moment?

At the moment I’ve got a Nissan GTR.

And is there any particular music you like to listen to in the Nissan?

(Slightly confused) All sorts… I just switch on the radio and listen to whatever’s going on on the radio.

Okay then…  A few more quick questions: who is your sporting hero outside of motor racing?

I’d say Roger Federer is the big man for me. He really knows how to keep up his level over many, many years and I guess he’s had quite an interesting life.

What about football? Will you be cheering Germany during the World Cup next month?

Yeah, for sure. I’ll try to watch all the games and hopefully they can get to the semi-final or maybe even the final. But I think getting to the final would be quite difficult for us.

We’ve seen Glockdog written on the side of your helmet- where did the nickname come from?

My helmet designer came up with that, he put the logo on my helmet. His idea…

What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t a racing driver?

Well, my dad has a scaffolding company. So I think I’d work at that. Yeah.

And finally, when you retire from racing how would you like Formula One fans to remember you?

As a big World Champion!

All images courtesy of Virgin Racing Media